The center of Hurricane Erin is expected to remain offshore, but forecasters expect eastern North Carolina to see coastal flooding, tropical-storm-force winds, overwash and beach erosion.
Carteret County
Cape Lookout Lighthouse set for $15 million renovation
The 163-foot-tall tower will soon shed its distinctive black-and-white diamond pattern, expose its red bricks not seen since 1873 and don newly refurbished ironwork, safety improvements and breathable paint as part of the preservation effort.
Cape Lookout duck blind permit lottery to run Aug. 26-28
Lottery winners will be able to select their duck blind location within the Cape Lookout National Seashore during in-person appointments Sept. 12 at the Harkers Island visitor center.
Fledgling commercial fisheries group looks to boost industry
The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition, formed in response to the recently proposed ban on shrimp trawling in state waters, met for the first time this week in Morehead City, drawing numerous state and local elected officials.
Beaufort seeks $6.5M in funding for water system upgrades
Town commissioners plan to seek an additional USDA loan to complete the work that’s months behind and designed to reduce flooding, improve water quality and repair old infrastructure.
State awards grants for beach nourishment, dune projects
The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources has announced that more than $9 million will go for beach nourishment and dune projects.
Karen Amspacher fights for Down East, brushes off praise
When Gov. Josh Stein inducted the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Director and nine others June 25 into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in the state, Amspacher didn’t tell a soul.
Carteret brewery to host aquaculture program fundraiser
Come raise a glass to growing seafood and meet area aquaculture specialists at Nacho Brewery in Morehead City to learn more about what organizers call “a growing opportunity.”
Blue skies over Bogue Banks
Fishing lines, sunshades and beachgoers crowd an Emerald Isle beach while two seagulls fly overhead, with another in the foreground searching for food. Photo: Robert Watkins
Federal cuts lead to unease for state’s wildlife refuges
Amid dramatic funding cuts, leaders of the nonprofits that support national wildlife refuges in the northeastern part of the state fear what’s ahead for these protected lands.
Terms of endearment: Understand common gardening jargon
Maybe it’s lingo, or terminology, but whatever you call it, referring to crops’ scientific names can yield helpful clues, and so with an understanding of Earth’s natural satellite.
Fisheries committee to hear challenges to shellfish leases
A state Division of Marine Fisheries committee will hear challenges to two proposed shellfish leases the division’s director approved in April.
Core Sound shrimp fry set for July 5 on Harkers Island
This year’s annual shrimp fry and bake sale hosted by the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center on Harkers Island is set for July 5 and will honor military service members, veterans, and frontline personnel.
West Carteret grad applies lessons learned to time in Navy
Airman Leonardo Torrescuret, a 2024 West Carteret High graduate, joined the U.S. Navy less than a year ago and is now a student rescue swimmer for the Aviation Rescue Swimmer School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
Coastal areas flood more frequently than thought: Study
Coastal communities are inundated more often than previously believed, with levels taking longer to recede in rural areas, and the way government agencies gather data to predict floods fails to provide true estimates, according to a report published Monday.
Cape Lookout to begin Horse Sense and Survival tours
Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Resource Manager Dr. Sue Stuska will lead this year’s Horse Sense and Survival tours June 21, July 20, Aug. 3 and Sept. 20.

















