New, additional funding for shellfish sanitation and recreational water quality testing in the state could go a long way in protecting public health.
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VW Settlement to Fund Cleaner Buses
North Carolina plans to fund cleaner school buses with part of its $92 million share of a national settlement with Volkswagen for unlawfully cheating on vehicle emissions.
Cape Lookout Duck Blind Permits Lottery Set
The 2018-2019 Cape Lookout National Seashore temporary duck blind permits lottery will begin at 8 a.m. Sept. 10 at the Harkers Island Visitor Center.
Swansboro OK’d for parking grant
Swansboro has been awarded more than $50,000 to add public parking at the Town Hall campus, adding to the recently opened parking area that was designed to mitigate stormwater runoff.
Closures Result of Record Rainfall in July
Many North Carolina waters were closed to harvesting shellfish and recreational water use after the deluge that made July one of the wettest months on record.
Dare Commissioners Nix Plastic Straw Ban
Dare County commissioners voted 4-3 Monday to reject a ban on plastic drinking straws proposed by a United Methodist Church youth group.
Carteret County To Get More Artificial Reefs
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program will begin this week in Carteret County construction on two new estuarine artificial reefs and sink a retired tugboat at an existing artificial reef site later.
Our Coast’s Food: Make Friends With Okra
Not everyone is immediately taken with okra or its notoriously slimy goo, but proper selection and preparation can add to the vegetable’s appeal.
Panel Backs State’s GenX Health Goal
The state environmental and health secretaries’ Science Advisory Board recommended Monday that officials continue to use a health goal for GenX of 140 parts per trillion.
Corbett to Lead Coastal Studies Institute
East Carolina University announced Friday that Reide Corbett will serve as the new University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute director.
Dare Names Contractor to Build Dredge
The Dare County Oregon Inlet Task Force selected EJE Recycling of Greenville as the contractor for the public-private partnership to build and operate a dredge to maintain Oregon Inlet.
Sam’s Field Notes: Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles
The rarest, smallest of sea turtles, the Kemp’s ridley has also long been one of the most mysterious, but turtle watchers recently assisted as hatchlings emerged from a rare nest in Emerald Isle.
Clean Water Advocates Win in WOTUS Case
A federal judge in South Carolina has blocked the Trump administration’s effort to prevent an Obama-era Clean Water Act rule from becoming law.
Native Returns to Revive Down East Industry
Susan Fulcher Hill, a native of Williston with biology and food science degrees, and her husband, Robert, have launched an oyster hatchery in the former Willis Brothers Seafood building.
Commission Plans Inlet, Harbor Dredging
The Dare County Waterways Commission discussed dredging Rodanthe and Avon harbors and Hatteras Inlet during its Aug. 13 meeting in Buxton.
A Look Back: Holden Beach’s (Un)Done Deal
For years, Holden Beach was determined to build a terminal groin to deal with its serious erosion problems, but the pricey plan was scuttled after property owners looked closer.