Shooting The Breeze

Finding a little levity in the news has been difficult in 2020, to say the least. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic, a highly-charged political atmosphere, and we’ve already had nine named tropical storms or hurricanes as of the beginning of August. As such, finding “good news” stories to share can be challenging [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

Our wonderful co-founder and editor, Irene Nolan, had a relaxed tradition of posting an annual list of beach etiquette guidelines for new and long-time visitors alike. Initially launched decades ago when she was the editor of the now defunct Island Breeze, Irene’s guide was a smart and timely list of the dos and don’ts when [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

On March 17, North Carolina’s bars and restaurants were shuttered to the public, per an Executive Order from the governor, marking the first big move of soon-to-come social distancing guidelines. On March 20, access to Dare County was prohibited by local officials, (which barred non-resident property owners entry to the county), and on March 27, [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

Hatteras and Ocracoke islanders are unfortunately used to emergency situations. We’re used to seeing empty grocery store shelves, adjusting to business closures, and essentially dealing with a landscape where everyone is hunkering down at home, waiting for an approaching storm. We’re used to shutting off access to our islands before or after a catastrophic event, [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

If it feels like the construction of new bridges along Hatteras Island have been in the headlines for years, it’s because they have been. March 8 marked the four-year anniversary of the new Bonner Bridge groundbreaking, and years later, work continues on finalizing little “punch list” items on the now-completed structure. Meanwhile, the Jug Handle [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

Winter is in full swing on the Outer Banks, (or at least it was as of last week when temperatures finally dropped below 60 degrees), and this traditionally signifies a sleepy stage of the Hatteras Island calendar year. The wintertime is when a trip to the grocery store becomes a social outing, when you can [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

We’re on the verge of a new decade, and as such, it’s time for our annual wrap-up of stories to keep an eye on in 2020, which will likely pop up in the headlines in the weeks and months to come. Most of these topics are leftovers from 2019 that are drifting into the New [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

2019 was a tough year for many islanders. Hurricane Dorian dominated the headlines in the fall, closing Ocracoke Island for nearly three months, and flooding and ocean overwash seemed to accompany every storm throughout the year, leading to multiple road closures and revived conversations about how to protect N.C. Highway 12. But it you look [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

As the recent Christmas Tree Lighting in Hatteras village cemented, the holiday season has officially arrived on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, and the Island Free Press is brewing up some cool new ways to share our local holiday spirit with our off-island readers. For the first time ever, the Island Free Press will be covering [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article