The longstanding nonprofit conservation organization’s standard M.O. is to negotiate deals privately, but the 150-acre, undeveloped Topsail Beach parcel is dear enough for a highly public, collaborative fundraising effort.
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Researchers anticipate ‘extremely active’ hurricane season
Colorado State University researchers, in their initial 2024 forecast released Thursday, predict the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season to be “extremely active.”
Brunswick Nuclear Plant sirens to undergo testing
The 38 sirens within 10 miles of the plant by Southport will sound for 5 to 30 seconds starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Sunscreen season arrives
An anole, freshly shed of its skin except the still-peeling tip of the nose, suns in a Beaufort agapanthus bed. For us creatures who don’t normally peel, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that protection from the sun’s rays is important year-round, not just during the warmer months. Photo: Dylan Ray
State wildlife officials seek volunteers to tally terrapins
With a little training, a kayak and a smartphone app, coastal North Carolina residents can join the 10th annual “Terrapin Tally,” a count that helps researchers assess the elusive marsh dwellers’ status.
Surface work underway on Highway 50 in Surf City
N.C. Department of Transportation contract crews began work on the roadway, also known as South Shore Drive/ South Topsail Drive, earlier this week.
Officials post swim advisory at Morris Landing access
The advisory is not a beach closing for Stump Sound, but instead advises against swimming within 200 feet of the sign.
Anti-regulation sentiment may be fueling insurance crisis
With the N.C. Homebuilders Association’s influence over the legislature, steps toward resilience that Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and others say should be taken have been rejected, contributing to coverage chaos for property owners.
Division of Marine Fisheries now accepts credit cards
The division’s license offices in Morehead City, Manteo, Washington and Wilmington will accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express for in-person payments.
April 12 workshop to emphasize sustainable practices
The seminar in Surf City will feature speakers from the North Carolina Coastal Federation, Plastic Ocean Project, NC Green Travel Initiative, Ocean Friendly Establishments, UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Committee.
NC scientists receive tools for tracking new compounds
Researchers at North Carolina universities that are part of the PFAS Testing Network are now equipped to trace unregistered chemical pollutants back to the source of emission.
Secretaries’ Science Board to review PFAS’ effects
The Department of Environmental Quality is set to formally ask the Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board to study and compare existing PFAS data from federal agencies.
Hammocks Beach closes campsites, ferry through summer
The campsites and ferry service at Hammocks Beach State Park’s Bear Island will be closed during a major water and septic system project through the summer.
Old Manns Harbor Bridge to close for repairs in mid-May
During what is expected to be about a six-month closure of the 69-year-old bridge, all 313 concrete spans on the bridge will be repaired and each of the 170 expansion joints will be replaced.
Author documents investment fraud involving Buffalo City
Buffalo City, a now-abandoned Dare County logging town notorious for moonshine production during Prohibition, also featured in a huge life insurance company fraud case in the 1910s, author and retired forester Bill Barber has revealed.
‘R’ you ready for April?
A mallard strikes a semaphore-like pose signaling the letter “R” as viewed over the weekend from the dike at the Roanoke Island Marshes Dedicated Nature Preserve. Covering almost 1,900 acres of marsh and wetlands, the preserve is possibly the least well-known of the protected natural areas on the Outer Banks. Although most of the preserve is impenetrable, a 1.3-mile trail along an impoundment is, at times, a birder’s delight. Photo: Kip Tabb
