Dare County officials announced that visitor access to the county will be restricted beginning at 2 p.m. Tuesday in response to updated federal guidelines to avoid discretionary travel to limit the spread of COVID-19.
News Briefs
Rezoning Request For Sand Mine Tabled
The Pender County Planning Board has tabled indefinitely a rezoning request for hundreds of acres proposed to be a sand mining site in Hampstead.
Coast Guard Crew Releases 30 Turtles
Crew members from Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet recently released 30 sea turtles back into the ocean after the turtles made a full recovery at the NEST Rehabilitation Center at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island,
Indian Beach Opposes Offshore Drilling
Indian Beach commissioners have unanimously adopted a resolution opposing offshore oil and gas exploration and offshore seismic testing, joining 44 other coastal communities in opposition.
NCDOT Investment Commission Seeks Input
NC FIRST Commission has launched a 15-question survey looking for input on future transportation investment strategy.
NTB Kicks off Sea Oats Cost-Share Program
North Topsail Beach will begin accepting orders Monday for this year’s sea oats cost share program, when the town covers half the cost of the plants used to help protect the existing dunes and berms with vegetation.
Log Fumigation Rules Hearings Postponed
The revised log fumigation rules public hearings scheduled for next week in Raleigh and Wilmington have been postponed based on the current guidance to avoid gatherings of over 100 people to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Waterways Commission Looks to Dredge Inlet
Dare County Waterways Commission is working out how to have a shoaled area on the west end of the South Ferry Channel dredged before the busy season.
UNC System Prepares for Coronavirus
University of North Carolina System institutions, including those on the coast, are moving to alternatives of in-person instruction in preparation for coronavirus.
Oregon Inlet Boat Ramp to be Closed
Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Oregon Inlet boat ramp and parking lot will be closed for up to a week starting March 23 while the parking lot has a 3/4-inch layer of asphalt pavement overlay placed on top of existing pavement.
NCDOT Publishes 2020 Division Guides
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has published new digital guides for each of the state’s 14 highway divisions, including the three on the coast.
Talk to Focus on Parasites in Coastal Systems
University officials have canceled the “Science on the Sound” lecture series set for March 19 at Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese “to protect the community and slow the rate at which the (COVID-19) virus is spreading.”
Volunteers Needed for Ocracoke Cleanup
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is looking for volunteers to join in a March 26 drop-in cleanup of debris left by Hurricane Dorian along a 2-mile section of N.C. 12.
Cooper to Speak at Habitat Breakfast
Gov. Roy Cooper is slated to be in Wilmington later this month for the Cape Fear Habitat For Humanity’s annual Golden Hammer Breakfast at the Wilmington Convention Center.
‘Jug Handle’ Bridge Completion Pushed Back
NCDOT representatives during an informational meeting March 5 in Rodanthe said that the “jug handle” bridge was 28% complete as of early March, and that the targeted date of completion had been pushed back to fall 2021.
Duck HOA Appeals Beach Access Ruling
The Sand Dollar Shores Homeowners Association is appealing a Feb. 14 ruling by a Camden County Superior Court Judge that sided with plaintiff Bob Hovey’s claim that a beach access in Duck belongs to the public.
