Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac praised Hyde County and their contractors on the progress removing the demolition debris from the Ocracoke Beach Access parking lot (lifeguard beach). The Seashore also on Tuesday released its 2019 visitor statistics posted below. “I am very impressed with their progress, especially in light of the myriad efforts […]
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Ocracoke Health Center back up and running
January 24, 2020 | Local News | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
Sometime during the long, slow process of getting Ocracoke somewhat back to normal after Hurricane Dorian hit on Sept. 6, someone must have created a check-off list of what needs to be accomplished. In the days following this devastating storm, for variable times, the island was without electric power, an open bank, grocery store, post […]
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Portsmouth Island Christmas Bird Count post-Hurricane Dorian
January 20, 2020 | Island Features | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
It takes about a half-hour by boat from Ocracoke’s Silver Lake harbor to the loading dock at Portsmouth village. A group of birders took the ride in the early morning of the last day of 2019 to participate in that island’s annual Christmas Bird Count. This census started in 1988 and attracts between 15 to […]
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Looking back: New pastor’s intro to Ocracoke is a baptism by water
December 26, 2019 | Island Features | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
As the year winds down, there is the realization that Hurricane Dorian’s damage will continue to impact almost all aspects of Ocracoke. Stories of that infamous day and onward will be told for a long time. Here is one story. Church sermons have a long history using the theme of testing one’s character and will […]
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Filing deadline looms for filing 2020 elections; still no takers for Ocracoke commissioner
December 19, 2019 | Local News | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
With the candidate filing deadline for the 2020 general election approaching, which is this Friday at noon, only one candidate has filed for the three county commissioner elections. Two of the incumbents, Tom Pahl (Ocracoke) vice chair and Earl Pugh Jr, chair (Lake Landing) have announced that they will not seek reelection. The third, Benjamin […]
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Christmas Bird Counts for Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands set
December 9, 2019 | Island Features | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
At the end of each year, Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands are among the thousands of areas that participate in the nationwide Christmas Bird Counts that runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. The dates will be Sunday, Dec. 29, for Ocracoke and Monday, Dec. 30, for Portsmouth. The resulting data becomes part of the longest […]
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Storm pummels NC 12, county commissioners to discuss reopening Ocracoke
November 19, 2019 | Local News | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer | 1
The weekend storm that pummeled the Outer Banks with two days of sustained winds of 30-plus mph and gusts much higher wreaked havoc on NC 12 and caused the ferry system to suspend operations. Monday morning the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferries resumed their regular schedules. The Ocracoke/Hatteras run remained shut down and the NCDOT […]
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Ocracoke to remain closed to visitors for at least two more weeks
November 7, 2019 | Local News | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
Despite urging from some Ocracoke islanders, the Hyde County commissioners delayed action Monday night to reopen Ocracoke and will take up the question again on Nov. 18. Ocracoke was shut down on Sept. 4 when the commissioners declared a mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Dorian, which struck the island Sept. 6 causing massive flooding that […]
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Six-year old raises big bucks for Dorian-damaged Ocracoke School
October 21, 2019 | Island Features | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
Kids selling lemonade is part of summer Americana. Sometimes, one of those lemonade stands makes the news. This is one of them, thanks to the diligence of 6-year old Lilly Anderson, a first-grader at Tiller School in Beaufort. Lilly’s parents, Rusty and Kim Anderson of Morehead City, were saddened by the devastation that Hurricane Dorian […]
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Dorian shuts down Ocracoke School; efforts to reopen underway
September 16, 2019 | Local News | By: Peter Vankevich | From The: Ocracoke Observer
Like most of the village, the record-setting storm surge from the passage of Hurricane Dorian just after dawn on Sept. 6 severely damaged Ocracoke School, effectively closing it. School officials are optimistic classes can resume in other island locations in about two weeks. “There was water and mud everywhere, from 10 to 12 inches in […]
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