Occupancy, meals tax collections in Dare County up nearly 6 percent in 2022, setting new annual record

  Although December 2022 saw a drop in occupancy and meals collections when compared to the record set in 2021, the two key indicators of Dare County’s visitor economy again established new records and rose by nearly six percent over the entire year. In a report to the Dare County Tourism Board at their Feb. […]

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Changes to oceanfront septic tank rules on Coastal Resources Commission agenda next week

From wobx.com The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission will meet on Feb. 23 in Ocean Isle Beach and among the agenda items is a pair of amendments to regulations governing septic tanks on oceanfront properties. Changes to the rules were drafted in response to sewage spills from three homes that collapsed last year in Rodanthe, […]

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Commercial fishing for giant bluefin tuna closes Tuesday night after quarterly quota met

Federal regulators have announced commercial fishing for giant bluefin tuna in the Atlantic will close Wednesday night due to the amount of fish that have been caught in the first quarter of 2023. According to a post from NOAA Fisheries on Monday, based on the best available landings information, the adjusted 58.2-mt quota for the […]

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N.C.’s two smallest counties wrap up year with state’s highest unemployment rates

North Carolina’s two smallest counties by population concluded 2022 with the state’s highest unemployment percentages, and three of the four counties to see increases in jobless claims in December were in northeastern North Carolina. According to the latest jobs report from the N.C. Department of Commerce, the average not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 3.2 […]

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N.C. reaches settlement on rental property insurance rate increase

  State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has announced a settlement has been reached with insurance companies that will allow rates to increase an average statewide of 9.9 percent for rental properties starting in June. Last August, the North Carolina Rate Bureau requested a statewide average 42.6 percent rate hike for dwelling policies spread over two […]

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Essential housing, I-87, economic tier restructuring among top local priorities for 2023 General Assembly session

Northeastern North Carolina’s delegation at the N.C. General Assembly met with leaders of four counties to discuss priorities for this legislative session at a forum on January 18 hosted by the Currituck Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Twiddy and Company. The forum came one week before work began in earnest in the 2023-24 legislative […]

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New, longer turn lanes under construction at Bodie Island Lighthouse/Coquina Beach intersection on N.C. 12

  Improvements to an intersection along N.C. 12 on Bodie Island are underway to add longer and new turn lanes, with crews scheduled to pave the Coquina Beach/Bodie Island Lighthouse Road intersection over the weekend. Crews from Barnhill Construction have been been working since late fall on adding a northbound right turn lane into Coquina […]

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Online searches of Avon as a vacation destination for summer 2023 jump 274%

The Hatteras Island village of Avon has seen one of the highest increases in online searches in the world as a 2023 summer vacation destination. According to a new report from HomeToGo, the marketplace with the world’s largest selection of vacation rentals, its 2023 Spring/Summer Travel Trends reveals which trends are heating up and how travelers are […]

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Dare County’s gross receipts for occupancy, meals, retail sales average 6% increase in 2022

From wobx.com The Dare County Tourism Board received more positive news in the latest report on gross receipts for hotel room and vacation rental occupancy, meals, and overall retail sales at its first meeting of 2023. While the numbers have remained a few percentage points above the total collected over the last two recording-setting years on […]

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Outer Banks Community Foundation to hold pair of scholarship application info sessions in January

To help high school seniors, home-schooled students, and their parents understand and successfully compete for available 2023 Outer Banks Community Foundation scholarships, the foundation will host two Scholarship Application Information Sessions in January. The sessions will take place Wednesday, January 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dare County Manteo Public Library, 700 US 64, […]

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