Shooting The Breeze

2022 was an interesting year that brought us a hefty dose of good news, like the brand new Jug Handle Bridge and the arrival of the Miss Katie dredge, but it also had its share of challenges. Unexpected stories like the loss of the Frisco UFO and the collapse of three homes in Rodanthe garnered [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

2022 marked the Island Free Press’ 15-year anniversary, and it’s also our 15th year of analyzing the stories that grabbed our islands’ attention and left a permanent mark. Our Co-Founder and beloved Editor, Irene Nolan, would always do a wrap-up of the top stories of the year as her December “Editor’s Blog,” and since she [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

There’s an opportunity, right now, for the Outer Banks to secure the first new commercially-manufactured Futuro house in 50 years, and for that UFO to land directly in Frisco. Will the project garner community support? The loss of the Frisco Futuro House on October 19, (also known as the Frisco UFO), was a hard blow [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

For many longtime visitors to Hatteras Island, the famed Mirlo Beach sign at the northern edge of Rodanthe was always a sign that a long car ride was almost over, and an Outer Banks vacation was about to begin. Well known as the unofficial welcome to the island’s seven villages, the large wooden sign has been [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

There are summer seasons that are memorable for a significant reason. 1999 was the summer of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse move. 2004 was the summer of July’s Hurricane Alex, and the ridiculously quick efforts to reopen and get back to normal. 2017 was the happy summer of Shelly Island, while 2020 and 2021 ended up [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

One of the more unique aspects of living on a barrier island is that your hometown tends to make the international news on a semi-regular basis. Five years ago, the Outer Banks graced the global headlines for the happy formation of a new and very temporary island – Shelly Island – which appeared off of [...] 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 longtime visitors alike. First published 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 exploring [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

Hatters Island has multi-use pathways running parallel to N.C. Highway 12 in five of its seven villages. Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, and Avon had a pedestrian-and-bike friendly pathway installed roughly a decade ago, while Hatteras village wrapped up its pathway project in late 2021. But what about Buxton and Frisco? A multi-use pathway for these busy [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article

Securing safe navigation in the channels of Hatteras Inlet is not a new issue. Ever since a series of storms in the early 2010s reconfigured the channels in the inlet, (including 2011’s Hurricane Irene and 2012’s Hurricane Sandy), the need for timely and effective dredging to keep the channels open has been constant and crucial. [...] Editor's Blog |  Full Article