Editor's Blog

Recent outages on Hatteras and Ocracoke renew questions about emergency communications and finding a fix

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - April 11, 2025

Following a communications outage on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands on Wednesday – the third outage of 2025 – community-wide questions are resurfacing on where...

The NCBBA is driving for more local members

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - March 12, 2025

The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) is a statewide organization with deep Hatteras Island roots. Founded in 1965, just two years after the...

Year in Review – The stories that grabbed our attention in 2024

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - January 2, 2025

Since the Island Free Press (IFP) was launched 17 years ago, it has become an annual ritual to look back on the stories that grabbed attention...

An introduction interview with Mary Ellon Ballance, Hatteras Island’s new Dare County Commissioner

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - December 10, 2024

The December Dare County Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting marked the beginning of a new era, as county commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance was sworn...

An exit interview with former Hatteras Island County Commissioner Danny Couch

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - December 4, 2024

The last few weeks of 2024 marks the end of an era and the start of a new one when it comes to Hatteras...

Revisiting Irene’s Guide to Beach Manners, 2024 Edition

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - July 9, 2024

Our co-founder and editor, Irene Nolan, had a tradition of posting an annual list of beach etiquette guidelines for new visitors around the first...

Understanding the issues at Buxton Beach – An FAQ Guide, Revisited

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - May 14, 2024

Back in March, Island Free Press published an FAQ guide to explain the complicated background and current issues that were occurring at Buxton Beach. Nearly...

Understanding the issues at Buxton Beach – An FAQ Guide

Editor's Blog Joy Crist - March 25, 2024

On Sunday, March 24, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore sent out a widely-circulated press release after a closed section of Buxton Beach was expanded...