Special report: As beach erosion alarms sound up and down the North Carolina coast and Outer Banks houses continue to fall into the ocean, policymakers are once again eyeing the science behind the state’s longstanding hardened structures ban.
Spotlight
Tea parties too: Edenton, Wilmington women protested tax
Through boycotts and burning, women in Wilmington and Edenton took a stand in 1774 against England’s taxation without representation by forming their own tea party protests, the earliest-known political actions organized by women in the American colonies.
Leland council looks to firm up town’s purchasing policy
The Brunswick County town’s board voted Wednesday to seek Local Government Commission guidance regarding procurement policies related to elected officials amid fallout from an investigation into a council member’s laptop order.
Hertford residents protest ICE’s plans for Rivers Correctional
Plans for a Hertford County for-profit prison that closed in 2021 to reopen as an immigrant detention center drew a few dozen protestors Saturday in this sparsely populated, rural part of the coast.
New state Clean Water Act certification rules take effect
Applicants for permits for construction and other projects with impacts to waters or wetlands that meet thresholds and conditions under the state’s newly implemented general certification will be waived from the 30-day notice requirement.
Creek Week to connect residents with region’s waterways
Cape Fear Creek Week, scheduled for March 14-21, offers a variety of opportunities to connect participates with local waterways of the Cape Fear Region.
Public hearings set on proposed wastewater discharge rules
Six public hearings scheduled for next month through May will cover proposed PFAS and 1,4-dixoane monitoring and minimization rules governing wastewater discharges into North Carolina’s surface waters.
New cost report puts proposed Mid-Currituck bridge at $1.2B
A new analysis of two revenue options has cast doubts on the project’s future, with serious concerns raised about the latest estimated construction costs that hover around $1.2 billion.
Population growth to impact water infrastructure: Forum
The 2026 Emerging Issues Forum held last week evaluated challenges associated with the state’s aging water infrastructure and its workforce, and possible solutions.
Native versus non-native: To plant or not to plant?
Though it’s tempting to plant a rainbow of non-native plants, consider what introducing a new species will do to your garden.
Registration open for March 25-27 aquaculture conference
The 2026 North Carolina Aquaculture Development Conference is scheduled for March 25-27 in Morehead City.
Restoration plan for lower New River geared to advance
As work on restoring the upper reaches of the exclusively Onslow County river is on track for completion next year, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch is finalizing the Lower New River Watershed Restoration Plan, which looks toward areas where saltwater creeks drain into shellfish waters.
Beaufort Maritime Museum reopens after yearlong closure
While the museum was closed to the public, staff revamped the inside and added new exhibits that highlight the state’s role in the Revolutionary War and recreation on the coast.
EPA eliminates emission standards for new vehicles, motors
President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Feb. 12 that the administration was rescinding its own endangerment finding that set the legal limits on the amount of pollutants a vehicle can emit.
Enslaved in Camden County, Moses Grandy knew its cruelty
A highway marker erected last fall honors Moses Grandy of Camden County, whose life story helped elevate understanding of the institution’s brutality and increase calls for its abolition.
NC Justices hear case on Currituck occupancy tax spending
North Carolina Supreme Court justices heard arguments in the long-running legal battle between Currituck County and the Corolla Civic Association over how the county spends occupancy tax money.
