The New York Times • 23rd August 2023

In Several California Communities, Recovery Efforts Continue After the Storm

Near Yucaipa, Calif., after Tropical Storm Hilary hit the state.Credit...Alisha Jucevic for The New York Times

While most of Southern California survived Tropical Storm Hilary without serious damage, a handful of mountain and desert areas east of Los Angeles were still trying to recover.

In Several California Communities, Recovery Efforts Continue After the Storm

Most regions of Southern California avoided significant damage this week from Tropical Storm Hilary, but authorities continued thei

The New York Times • 20th August 2023

In Palm Springs, Where Rain Is Rare, Residents Brace for Hilary’s Downpour

Throughout the desert resort city in California, anxiety set in as the storm approached.

In front of a fire station in Palm Springs, Calif., residents crowded around a pit of sand on Saturday afternoon under gray clouds, using shovels to fill bag after bag. Every 15 minutes or so, a tractor would dump more sand in the pit. “I’m exhausted,” said Greg Tormo, a real estate agent, who had just finished filling 10 sandbags and was taking a break after carrying most of them to his car. “I’m gathering

The New York Times • 18th July 2023

Phoenix Breaks Heat Record Set in 1974

On Tuesday, Phoenix break its own record for consecutive days of high temperatures of at least 110 degrees.

As much of the South bakes, Phoenix blazed past a milestone set half a century ago for consecutive days with 110-degree or higher temperatures.

On Tuesday, Phoenix reached a miserable milestone: It was the first time the city had measured 19 days in a row of 110-degree or more temperatures, busting a record set in 1974. “Record Broken,” the National Weather Service posted on Twitter. “As

New York Times • 18th July 2023

Palm Springs is heating up, and only getting hotter

Whenever California is blasted by a heat wave, Palm Springs emerges as one of the hottest spots in the state. This year is no exception.

As temperatures climbed across the Golden State this weekend, the Southern California desert city topped out at 117 degrees Fahrenheit — a few degrees shy of its record for this time of year but still, of course, baking.

The New York Times • 21st August 2023

Hurricane Hilary Live Updates: Voices

Al Betancourt, 60, was definitely feeling the storm’s wrath. He was waiting for a tow truck by the side of his vehicle, its hood open, after running into muddy waters in Thousand Palms, Calif., on Monday.

The New York Times • 21st August 2023

Hurricane Hilary Live Updates: Interstate 10 Clean Up

A truck cleared flooding on the eastbound lane of Interstate 10 at Monterey Avenue, in Thousand Palms, Calif., on Monday morning, while truck traffic had slowed to a halt on the westbound side as a result of flooding from the rain brought by Hilary.

The New York Times • 21st August 2023

Hurricane Hilary Live Updates: Voices

Victor Ruiz, a resident of Thousand Palms in Riverside County, Calif., was towed by a fellow driver out of thick, muddy floodwater at the intersection of Varner Road and Monterey Avenue in Thousand Palms on Monday morning.

The New York Times • 21st August 2023

Hurricane Hilary Live Updates: Interstate 10 Closure

A seemingly endless line of semi trucks were at a standstill, stuck in traffic near road closures at Interstate 10 and Monterrey Avenue in Thousand Palms, Calif.

BBC • 2nd October 2023

World of Secrets, Season 1 - The Abercrombie Guys, S1.6 Inside the Operation

“They were trying to act so perfect,” says a former assistant who travelled with The Abercrombie Guys. What does he know?

Do you know how much money I was getting paid?"

A former assistant who travelled with The Abercrombie Guys agrees to talk: "They were trying to act so perfect,” he says - what could they have been hiding?”

Have you got a story to tell? Email rianna@bbc.com. Let us know what you think of the season using the hashtag #WorldofSecrets

This podcast refers to sexual abuse and c

The Outer Banks Voice • 8th September 2023

Aleya Howington’s winding path to the runway

Despite obstacles, Currituck resident makes NY Fashion Week debut

The Outer Banks Voice • 17th March 2023

Every beach needs a Delbert

The life and times of an Outer Banks legend

In the song “Stoned Immaculate,” Jim Morrison declares that “No eternal reward will forgive us for wasting the dawn.” That was the mentality that Outer Banks surf icon Delbert Melton, who passed away on March 15, had every day while paddling out to catch a wave. In the song, Morrison tells how he walked down to a pier and met two women—one named Enterprise and the other named Freedom. It’s safe to say while many around him were enterprising, Delbert M

The Outer Banks Voice • 23rd March 2023

From Manteo to the Metropolitan Opera

From Manteo to the Metropolitan Opera

Tshombe Selby will debut in solo role April 10 – May 13 in NYC

The Metropolitan Opera, “Champion” will be live streamed at the Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 on April 29th at 12:55 pm. Tickets available at www.rctheatres.com.

When Tshombe Selby was a child, he loved singing so much he would sing all day on his front porch. “My Aunt Madam gave me a piano and I would be on the screened-in front porch out there just screaming at the top of my lungs to the point

The Outer Banks Voice • 25th May 2023

Andy Howell proves you can go home again

Andy Howell proves you can go home again

By Maggie Miles | Outer Banks Voice on May 24, 2023

When Andy Howell, professional skateboarder turned lifestyle and technology entrepreneur moved to the Outer Banks in early 2021, it was not a move he had planned. He had memories of riding his mom’s hip in the ocean waves at a very tender age, but he had filed it away as a place from the past. He was no stranger, though. Originally from Virginia Beach, his earliest memories are of visiting his family c

The Virginian-Pilot • 20th August 2021

A day in the life of an Olympian surf forecaster

Kurt Korte, our favorite local surfcaster - or shall we call him our favorite OLYMPIAN surfcaster - just got back from Tokyo, where he was surfcasting for the first ever Olympic surf competition. In fact, the New York Times calls him "Olympic surfing's wave whisperer." But we were curious - what's a normal day in the life like for Surfline's director of Atlantic forecasting here on the Outer
Banks?

The Virginian-Pilot • 14th August 2020

Suzanne Tate's secrets to a long, happy life - Author, 90, who has battled cancer and heartbreak, on how she's made it this far - Inner Banks

Suzanne Tate is well known as a successful writer of children's books on marine life. But she is also a survivor - a woman who has seen much adversity in her life, from family tragedy, to freak accidents, to multiple sudden health crises. Throughout it all, she never lost her gumption, her fortitude, or her zest for life.

The Virginian-Pilot • 6th June 2022

Designers embrace their roots at Homegrown fashion show

In December, 2019, Treveon Govan was living in Charlotte – he was homeless, sleeping on a friend’s couch and feeling a little lost. His interest in fashion, though, was a constant for him.

The Outer Banks Voice • 19th July 2023

‘It’s more than just the boots and hat’

‘It’s more than just the boots and hat’

We may not have mermaids on the Outer Banks, but we do have the “Saltwater Cowgirls.” That’s the unofficial name given to the horseback riding cowgirls of Wanchese by fellow riders across the country after seeing them year after year at horseback riding meet ups and events.

“When we do these organized rides, everybody knows the ‘Wanchesers’ because we’re all bareback, barefooted, our kids are all bareback, barefooted, and our horses will do more than mos

The Outer Banks Voice • 29th July 2023

‘The camera is really like a passport’

‘The camera is really like a passport’

Manteo High grad Lauren Cowart travels the world for her craft

When local photographer Lauren Cowart bought a simple point-and-shoot camera during high school, she used herself as her first subject. High school is not an easy time for young women, or anyone, to feel secure in themselves, and during those formative years, it was a way to find her self-confidence.

“That’s a weird time to be growing up,” said Cowart, adding that having moved to the Outer Ba

The Outer Banks Voice • 9th October 2023

‘You could never have convinced me this would happen here’

‘You could never have convinced me this would happen here’

Family of Demetrius Selby speaks about his death, plan protests

Members of the family of Sylvester Demetrius Selby say they are shocked and frightened after he was shot and killed last Monday night by a Dare County Sheriff’s Deputy, the fourth death in their family from gun violence in the past two years.

Thus far the only official information on the case has come from a release from the Dare County Sheriff’s Office. The release state

The Outer Banks Voice • 24th August 2023

Vibrio may have caused 2nd Dare County death

The Aug. 22 death of Murray Bridges, 89, the longtime owner of the Endurance Seafood Company on Colington Rd. may have been the result of a deadly Vibrio bacterial infection, according to an interview given by his daughter, Kristina “Kissy” Bridges.

In an Aug. 23 article in the The Virginian-Pilot Kissy Bridges described her consultations with doctors about the case, saying, “I believe they called it Vibrio. His heart and blood pressure couldn’t handle it.”

Last month, the Voice reported on wh

The Outer Banks Voice • 18th April 2023

After Nashville shooting, Currituck Schools will enforce visitation ID policy

About a week after of the March 27 Nashville Tennessee school shooting that took six lives, the Currituck County School District sent out a memo reinforcing a school visitation ID policy that it acknowledges had not always been enforced.

Now, some members of the community are also pushing the county to place school resource officers (SROs) in its elementary schools—the only schools where they are currently not stationed.

“This is an important reminder from Currituck Schools,” stated the April

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th April 2023

Manteo Board approves downtown ‘social district’ effective immediately

The Town of Manteo became the 32nd community in North Carolina to approve a social district with a unanimous April 5 vote by its board of commissioners. Effective immediately, downtown Manteo will have a designated area where people can walk the streets with open, to-go containers of alcoholic beverages from participating businesses.

According to the regulations, a cup can hold no more than 16 ounces of an alcoholic beverage, with glass containers prohibited. Cups must also contain a sticker de

The Outer Banks Voice • 18th February 2023

‘Our families are excited to carry that torch’

‘Our families are excited to carry that torch’

New Pioneer owners to showcase movies, music and history

The projector will keep rolling at the Pioneer Theater in Manteo, playing a variety of matinee and night shows, along with showcasing an assortment of other forms of entertainment that have been a part of the theater’s history for the past century, according to Michael Basnight, new co-owner and managing partner for the project.

On Feb. 14, the Creef family sold the iconic theater for $500,

The Outer Banks Voice • 16th February 2023

Manteo’s iconic Pioneer Theater has been sold

New owners to retain the name, honor the legacy

The iconic Pioneer Theater in Manteo officially is under new ownership after it was purchased on Feb. 14 for $500,000 by what represents a partnership between two local families, the Basnights and the Hatchells.

The deal follows then-owner Buddy Creef’s December announcement that the historic theater, with more than a century of service to the community, was closing.

In a Voice interview, Michael Basnight, a representative for the buyers, confir

The Outer Banks Voice • 24th January 2023

Hunt Club Dr. property could be site of new Corolla Sugar Planet store

Hunt Club Dr. property could be site of new Corolla Sugar Planet store

The Currituck County Planning & Community Development Department has confirmed that S&S properties, believed to be the parent company of the Sugar Kingdom candy store chain, obtained permits in July 2022 for the “Sugar Planet” name and for an interior build-out of a Corolla office building into an “ice cream and retail space.”

The site is located at 510 Hunt Club Dr. and includes a two-story, 7,700 sq. ft. commercial buildi

The Outer Banks Voice • 21st January 2023

Sugar Kingdom company to open two new stores

Sugar Kingdom company to open two new stores

Along with Kitty Hawk site, Corolla proposed as second location

According to a company official, Sugar Kingdom, which currently has stores in in Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, plans to open soon at two new locations. In addition to the Kitty Hawk site that has been in the works, the second store will be located in Corolla.

“We are very excited to open two other Sugar Planets – one in Kitty Hawk, one in Corolla,” said Naor Hilel, regional manager o

The Outer Banks Voice • 21st September 2022

A pizzeria stirs up neighbors in Nags Head

Town says Nags Head Pizza is in compliance with rules

In the latest chapter of the neighborhood dispute over the Nags Head Pizza Company, Nags Head Town Manager Andy Garman sent a Sept. 16 letter to the Nags Head historic district homeowners who had expressed concerns about the business at the Sept. 7 town commissioners meeting.

In the letter, which addressed five specific concerns, Garman stated that Nags Head Pizza is in compliance with town regulations in terms of parking lot congestion, se

The Virginian-Pilot • 1st January 2021

A love forged in the flames - History and romance unite for Blacksmith Date Night

Island Farm is at it again with another fun, unique and COVID-safe series to get us out of our house and into a time-machine back to the 1800s. This time, the focus is blacksmithing, and it's designed with you and your special someone in mind.

The Outer Banks Voice • 4th October 2023

OBX environmental film fest to debut Nov. 2-4

The Peace Garden Project, a local 501 (c)(3) focused on environmental justice and food justice, is bringing the Outer Banks its first ever environmental film festival next month. And while the topic of the environment and its various challenges can create some pessimism, Peace Garden Project Executive Director Michelle Lewis says these films highlight the beauty of the human spirit and the various landscapes, wildlife and culture these people are striving to preserve.

“I think sometimes people

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th February 2023

Treveon Govan captures OBX diversity through a lens

As he has talked with friends about the issue of diversity on the Outer Banks, Treveon Govan began to realize how diverse his friends and family here are.

“It wasn’t so much about the land or food, but more so about the people—the art on the walls, the many faces I would walk past every day, and the conversations I would have with all kinds of people and how that inspired me in so many ways,” he told the Voice.

Govan, 29, was born and raised in Manteo and graduated from Manteo High School. His

The Outer Banks Voice • 8th September 2023

Aleya Howington’s winding path to the runway

Despite obstacles, Currituck resident makes NY Fashion Week debut

The Outer Banks Voice • 21st August 2023

‘Lights, camera, classics’: New Outer Banks Film Society plans a ‘book club for film’

Manteo has had quite the year with the implementation of its social district, the reopening of the Pioneer Theater, and a series of sold out shows with national acts rounding out the summer at Roanoke Island Festival Park.

Now, Dare Arts, along with film enthusiasts Gaye and David Morris, are bringing yet another attraction to Manteo by introducing the first ever Outer Banks Film Society, created to foster a community that appreciates the art of film. Located in the Dare Arts downtown location

The Outer Banks Voice • 23rd March 2023

From Manteo to the Metropolitan Opera

From Manteo to the Metropolitan Opera

Tshombe Selby will debut in solo role April 10 – May 13 in NYC

The Metropolitan Opera, “Champion” will be live streamed at the Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 on April 29th at 12:55 pm. Tickets available at www.rctheatres.com.

When Tshombe Selby was a child, he loved singing so much he would sing all day on his front porch. “My Aunt Madam gave me a piano and I would be on the screened-in front porch out there just screaming at the top of my lungs to the point

The Outer Banks Voice • 29th July 2023

‘The camera is really like a passport’

‘The camera is really like a passport’

Manteo High grad Lauren Cowart travels the world for her craft

When local photographer Lauren Cowart bought a simple point-and-shoot camera during high school, she used herself as her first subject. High school is not an easy time for young women, or anyone, to feel secure in themselves, and during those formative years, it was a way to find her self-confidence.

“That’s a weird time to be growing up,” said Cowart, adding that having moved to the Outer Ba

The Outer Banks Voice • 25th May 2023

Andy Howell proves you can go home again

Andy Howell proves you can go home again

By Maggie Miles | Outer Banks Voice on May 24, 2023

When Andy Howell, professional skateboarder turned lifestyle and technology entrepreneur moved to the Outer Banks in early 2021, it was not a move he had planned. He had memories of riding his mom’s hip in the ocean waves at a very tender age, but he had filed it away as a place from the past. He was no stranger, though. Originally from Virginia Beach, his earliest memories are of visiting his family c

The Outer Banks Voice • 2nd June 2023

‘It’s the greatest underdog tale’

Film students are bringing the Wright Brothers story to the screen

Despite their monumental achievement of inventing the world’s first successful motor-operated airplane and shaping the course of history, the story of the Wright Brothers has never been brought to life on the silver screen. Though there are movies on other influential figures from aviation history—like Howard Hughes, Amelia Earhart, and the Apollo 13 mission–Wilbur and Orville Wright, who made these other accomplishments possibl

The Outer Banks Voice • 2nd February 2023

Events honoring Black History Month on OBX

Feb. 1 marked the start of Black History Month, and the Outer Banks has no shortage of stories rich with the survival and courage of generations of Black locals in the community. From being the first stop on the Underground Railroad in North Carolina, to becoming a safe haven for enslaved people who were freed with the Freedmen’s Colony on Roanoke Island, to the many accomplishments of the nation’s first all-Black lifesaving crew, there is a wide array of events across the community this month h

The Outer Banks Voice • 12th December 2022

How OBX’s ‘Pottery Family’ came together

How OBX’s ‘Pottery Family’ came together

It might be fair to say the Outer Banks “Pottery Family,” was born in Robin York’s pottery class on the Dare County campus of the College of the Albemarle.

Four members of the “Family”— Skyla Lamberto-Egan, Genevieve Stewart, Lauren Evans, and Maggie Wilson — who each own a ceramics business on the Outer Banks, got to know each other in York’s class, fell in love with the craft, and went on to build their own style, followings, and businesses.

The fift

Coast OBX • 1st January 2021

History and romance unite for Blacksmith Date Night

Island Farm is at it again with another fun, unique and COVID-safe series to get us out of our house and into a time-machine back to the 1800s. This time, the focus is blacksmithing, and it’s designed with you and your special someone in mind.

In late November, some couples got an opportunity to learn the trade from a skilled expert and create a beautiful horseshoe fish to hang on their wall as part of the farm’s Blacksmith Date Night.

“It was the most romantic thing my wife could have done fo

Coast OBX • 31st July 2020

Black-owned businesses a mainstay on the Outer Banks

In a unique moment in American history, citizens are forced to deal with a pandemic that has no cure, while confronting racial justice issues that have plagued the country for centuries.

The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, along with the deaths of other African Americans at the hands of law enforcement officers, sparked protests and calls for justice that spread nationally and around the world.

Support of the movement has taken many forms. Some people chose to protest. Some chose to do

22nd April 2023

A Dance of Oaxacan Cuisine – Tale A Guest

Edisson Hernandez, owner of the revered Las Chilmoleras restaurant in Oaxaca City, Mexico, knew he wanted to be a chef since he was a young boy helping his great-grandfather in the kitchen of his small ‘local,’ or restaurant space, in Bogota, Colombia. Every day he brought his abuelo gasoline and helped him set up the ‘carbon’ and marinate the ‘pollos rostizados,’ — his specialty.

‘El tenia una receta muy especial,” says Hernandez. He had a very special recipe. But when his great-grandfather di

The Virginian-Pilot • 30th July 2021

Take a day trip to Currituck

In a vacation spot that is famous for its pristine beaches and turquoise waters that rival the Bahamas, most people on the Outer Banks spend their downtime at - where else - the beach! Whether you are vacationing on the Outer Banks or a local with a day off, relaxation for most people means lounging in a beach chair, sipping a cold beverage and taking a dip in the cool, fresh ocean.

But - what if you get too sunburnt or the red flags are flying? What if you feel like doing something different or are simply craving a change of scenery? That's when it's time to look beyond the watery borders of the Outer Banks to mainland destinations. One of those places is
the Currituck county, the area on the other side of the Wright Memorial Bridge.

Daily Press • 26th July 2021

The hidden gems of the Outer Banks

We all know about the Wright Brothers, Jockey’s Ridge and the Lost Colony, but what other cultural nuggets rest on the Outer Banks? While those sites should definitely not be missed, the Outer Banks is filled with a history of lesser-known history — interesting people, brave people, movers and shakers, crusaders, innovators and everyday people who have made our islands a more, colorful, rich and fascinating place. We’re here to tell you a few places you can go to learn about them.

The NC Black

4th September 2023

BENè SPA at Villa Cora, Where Luxury Meets Serenity – TaleAGuest

At Tale A Guest, we always love a visit to a realm where luxury meets serenity, where rejuvenation is an art form, and where every moment is tailored to your blissful escape. Nestled within the elegant embrace of Villa Cora, a legendary and historic hotel located in an aristocratic residence that looks over the famous Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy, BENè SPA is just that — luxury and serenity personified. A haven of refinement, this space offers a sanctuary for the discerning traveler seeking

The Virginian-Pilot • 16th November 2023

Offering more than just a hair appointment - Lovie's Salon honors women's beauty, light within

Women have engaged in hair and beauty rituals for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians thought hair was magical. Women spent hours doing hair rituals in the temples, bonding with each other, telling secrets, and sharing stories. They used it as a time to
honor themselves.

The Virginian-Pilot • 18th June 2021

Growing mind, body and soul in the Peace Garden

Peace Garden Project, a nonprofit based in Manteo, is on a mission to create a healthy community here on the Outer Banks. Organization founder Michelle Lewis believes that the key to a healthy community is accessibility. She wants to bring education and resources to help people better understand their neighbors, build
bridges and strengthen their sense of social justice.

The Virginian-Pilot • 4th September 2020

Fermentation: More interesting than you think - Island Farm hosts old-school food workshops - inner banks

Traditional food preparation methods like fermentation have been used by every culture around the world for thousands of years. The evidence of the earliest fermentation was the remnants of an Armenian winery that dates to 4100 B.C. The first naturally leavened bread dates to the Egyptians in 1000 B.C., the Croations were busy fermenting cheese a whopping 7,200 years ago, and beer, well, everyone knows we were drinking beer long before we were drinking water.

The Virginian-Pilot • 13th August 2021

A mocktail guide for the sober curious - INNER BANKS

Fact: You can find an alcoholic beverage at pretty much any restaurant or bar on the beach, but what if you aren't in the mood for alcohol? Maybe you simply want to enjoy time out at your favorite bars and restaurants with friends without the risk of drunken regrets or tomorrow's fuzzy head.

The Virginian-Pilot • 21st April 2023

Medicinal mushrooms of the Outer Banks

Medicinal mushrooms have been revered in Eastern cultures for centuries. In China, reishi, “the mushroom of immortality” was restricted for royalty only. In the Himalayan Mountains, cordyceps were once worth more than their weight than gold. Women in India have used them for hundreds of years as their secret to maintaining their youth and vitality. The Taoists, believers of immortality, thought reishi to be “the elixir of life.”

The Virginian-Pilot • 30th July 2021

Local products to build your own all-natural beach care kit - Inner banks

We all have certain essentials we need at the beach. But it comes with an inevitable debate: what sunscreen to buy? What should we put on skin after a sunburn (oops)? Where to even find products?

Since I know we all love supporting local makers, I've come up with a list for you, so that you can create your very own all-natural beach care kit - made up solely of products by Outer Banks small businesses that use only local, organic ingredients in their lotions and potions.

The Virginian-Pilot • 16th July 2021

Healing touch - Outer Banks hospital brings holistic complementary therapy to cancer unit - inner banks

Donna Cahill, a nurse from San Diego, California, practiced healing touch therapy - a relaxing, nurturing, heart-centered energy therapy that uses gentle, intentional touch to assist in balancing physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing - with patients at her hospital for about 20 years before retiring to the Outer Banks in September of 2018.

The Virginian-Pilot • 28th August 2020

Wild foraging: The edible bounty at our feet - Inner Banks

Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, people have been looking at the food system we rely on, namely the grocery store, and wondering if we have been taking it for granted.

The Virginian-Pilot • 9th July 2021

Serving fresh cuisine under starry skies at Somerset Farm

Those who've been to the Secotan Market in Wanchese understand the value and pleasure of buying Somerset Farm's farm-fresh produce, grown just west in Chowan County. However, the farm and Inglis family are creating a new way to experience the locally grown fare with special outdoor dinners hosted at the farm. At a romantically lit table in the gardens surrounding the over 100-year-old farmhouse, people can enjoy those same vegetables cooked up into a multi-course meal of gastronomic excellence and connect with other guests from all over the region.

The Virginian-Pilot • 2nd July 2021

Healthy date options - Inner Banks

Bored of the usual dinner and drinks date? Looking for some healthy options to enjoy with your partner that get you moving or leave you feeling nourished? There's so much more to do on the Outer Banks than go to the beach and drink Coronas.

The Virginian-Pilot • 5th April 2021

Shine On Juicery to set up shop in Kill Devil Hills - Inner Banks

Amy Landes has always paid attention to the things she's naturally drawn to, letting her curiosity lead the way. That's how she found her purpose in life, she says: Helping people heal their bodies with healthy, vibrant, living foods.

The Virginian-Pilot • 21st January 2021

How some are shaking off a very bad, no-good year - Inner Banks

Well folks, 2020 was an eventful year. Between a global pandemic, social unrest, isolation, financial woes and a contentious presidential election, we really couldn't catch a break.

The Virginian-Pilot • 2nd October 2020

Pink Ribbon connecting patients to normalcy

When Kim Twine's mother Joyce was diagnosed with breast cancer 30 years ago, the pair went to get Joyce measured for a prosthesis and fitted for bras at a medical supply store following her mastectomy. The store offered a variety of things for all kinds of patients but had no fitting room to speak of. Instead, Joyce was escorted to a tiny closet.

Coast OBX • 3rd April 2023

Eating Fresh on the Outer Banks

Nothing beats ending a long, beautiful day on the Outer Banks like a homecooked meal featuring all of the freshest, highest quality ingredients the island has to offer. Whether preparing to grill out for the Fourth of July weekend or just to cap off a summer day on the beach, put down those Oscar Mayer wieners and step into the world of Outer Banks fresh cuisine. We're here to tell you exactly where to go to create the farm-to-table meal of your dreams.

Coast OBX • 16th October 2020

Meet the Women of Fitness

When it comes to the Outer Banks, there is no shortage of amazing women. You can find them doing incredible things up and down this strip of sand we live on. And these five women are part of the reason why. They help keep us strong and fit, mentally, emotionally and physically. They help us become our best selves when we walk out of the gym and into the community. They challenge us to try harder, to face our fears, to believe in ourselves and push beyond what we think is possible. They inspire.

21st April 2023

Connecting on a deeper level

Meet the nurse forging a better field for health care providers

By Maggie Miles (As published in Coast OBX)

In 2019, Jennifer Yang was a traveling nurse traveling around the country in an R.V. with her partner Tim – when the van broke down in Arizona.

This event, Yang credits as the reason the couple ended up on the Outer Banks. She was burnt out from travel nursing and ready to settle down; he wanted to be in a place where they could kiteboard, a hobby that they recently picked up and become

The Outer Banks Voice • 25th June 2023

‘There’s no reason that anybody should beat you’

‘There’s no reason that anybody should beat you’

On June 3, the Manteo women’s varsity soccer team won the State 2A Soccer Championship for the first time in the team’s history, ascending to that pinnacle with a 5-3 win over defending state champs Wheatmore.

The historic win made the Town of Manteo come alive with pride and excitement. And one person envisioned this achievement a long time ago. He is Assistant Coach Bonerjes (Tony) Calvio, and he has volunteered his time for the past six years

The Outer Banks Voice • 18th April 2023

After Nashville shooting, Currituck Schools will enforce visitation ID policy

About a week after of the March 27 Nashville Tennessee school shooting that took six lives, the Currituck County School District sent out a memo reinforcing a school visitation ID policy that it acknowledges had not always been enforced.

Now, some members of the community are also pushing the county to place school resource officers (SROs) in its elementary schools—the only schools where they are currently not stationed.

“This is an important reminder from Currituck Schools,” stated the April

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th March 2023

‘There are millions of dollars left on the table’

‘There are millions of dollars left on the table’

COA President Jack Bagwell wants students to take advantage of financial aid

If there’s one frustration that College of Albemarle (COA) President Jack Bagwell voices about the Dare Guarantee Scholarship Program, it’s that not enough potential students are utilizing it.

“We appreciate the partnership especially of the Board of Commissioners of Dare County for being forward thinking for helping us and funding a beautiful facility and for funding

The Outer Banks Voice • 22nd February 2023

Dare County to introduce Spanish Dual Language Immersion program in middle schools

At the Feb. 13 Dare County Board of Education meeting, Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight announced that the middle school option for the district’s Spanish Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will begin in the 2023-24 school year with a daily 45-minute elective for all three Dare County middle schools.

The program, which currently has 749 students enrolled, was introduced to Dare County elementary schools in 2018. It was the first program of its kind in the county, with K-5 students recei

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th December 2022

Shining a spotlight on Dare’s childcare crunch

Hannah Bunn West and allies want to ‘start a conversation’ on the issue

In 2020, Hannah Bunn West faced the dilemma and difficult choice that a number of working mothers do. Twice within that year, under different circumstances, West left jobs she liked because of a lack of childcare for her two very young children.

“And this is what the majority of the moms I have talked to have said…that their whole entire paycheck is going to childcare expenses, so it becomes this thing of ‘okay do I want t

The Outer Banks Voice • 4th November 2022

“One of the biggest pillars in our community”

“One of the biggest pillars in our community”

Back in June, Timmy Charity was in Family Dollar in Manteo when he overheard a woman telling the cashier that she had just taken in her two young grandchildren, but had no furniture in her home, except for one blow-up mattress that they slept on each night.

Charity told the woman he could help. He started making calls and posting on social media about the situation. Within a week, he had the family’s home fully furnished. Friends say that is just a

The Outer Banks Voice • 28th October 2022

‘Teachers are getting beat over the head’

‘Teachers are getting beat over the head’

With custodians scarce, Dare teachers take on new cleaning duties

Teachers have always been responsible for some cleaning duties in their classrooms – wiping down tables and desks, some light sweeping here and there. But since Covid-19, many local teachers are now responsible for sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and taking out the trash. They are staying late, coming in early and on the weekends, and cleaning during their planning periods to get the job do

Coast OBX • 6th November 2020

1,175-mile journey across the state lands woman in record books

Tara Dower was standing on the side of a country road in the middle of nowhere in western North Carolina. She’d just come dangerously close to getting clipped by a car and was on the phone with her husband and parents.

“I don’t know if this is worth the risk,” she told them.

Dower, of Hot Springs, North Carolina, was on the first stretch of a journey she began Sept. 1 to become the fastest known person to complete the Mountain-to-Sea Trail by foot. The hiking trail stretches almost 1,200 miles

The Outer Banks Voice • 29th September 2023

Mountains-To-Sea Trail Terminus Monument to be unveiled

A ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Eastern Terminus Monument will be held on Friday, September 29th at 10:00 AM at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, North Carolina. The monument is built with materials representative of the area and designates the end or the beginning of the 1175-mile trail that spans across the state of North Carolina.

The doors to Jockey’s Ridge State Park’s Visitor Center will open at 9:30 AM. Guests will have the opportunity to tour the new

The Source Weekly - Bend • 29th August 2018

From the Wheelchair to the Mountaintop

Every morning Jeff Rasmussen wakes up, looks himself in the mirror and says the same thing: "How am I still here?"

"It's insane. I literally shouldn't be here," he says.

In November 2012, Rasmussen collapsed in his living room in Palm Desert, California. His girlfriend and her two children happened to be in the room with him and called 911. His son, Chris, 24 at the time, ran every light on the way to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage and beat the ambulance there.

The doctor arrived

The Outer Banks Voice • 29th April 2023

The e-bike revolution hits the Outer Banks

A machine for ‘the most athletic person and the most lazy person’

Chip Cowan of Outer Banks Bicycle in Kill Devil Hills was definitely not an e-bike guy.

“I’m a classic cyclist—a diehard bicycle guy,” he explained. “So when e-bikes first came out, I did not love them. I thought it was stupid. In the very beginning days, people were like, ‘hey, you should probably sell these e-bikes’ and I was like ‘no, I’m not going to do that. It’s not who we are,’” Cowan told the Voice.

But he’s now done a

Coast OBX • 28th August 2020

Inner Banks | Wild foraging: The edible bounty at our feet

Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, people have been looking at the food system we rely on, namely the grocery store, and wondering if we have been taking it for granted.

On the Outer Banks, close to 100% of the food we consume is brought in from somewhere else. A recent report from a U.S.-based humanitarian organization called CARE says the number of people around the globe facing severe food insecurity or a food crisis could double to 270 million by the end of the year. At least

The Outer Banks Voice • 16th November 2023

‘I think Rita can inspire us all to get moving’

Manteo’s Rita Seelig Ayers doesn’t let MS stop her from being a top senior athlete. And this year at the National Seniors Games, the sponsor of the competition, Humana, has selected the 72-year-old Ayers out of more than 11,000 athletes for its Humana Game Changer Award.

The Outer Banks Voice • 15th April 2023

On the road again: An OBX couple captures the grandeur of our national parks

On the road again: An OBX couple captures the grandeur of our national parks

Throughout Ed Gowland’s career as a mechanical engineer turned Outer Banks realtor, his managers would frequently come back from vacations and describe “wonderful cruises” and “going to Europe.”

But for his part, Gowland “was always of the opinion [that] I want to see the United States.”

A skilled photographer who taught photography classes on the side, Gowland, and his wife Sandy, have always had the travel bug. But

The Outer Banks Voice • 12th March 2023

“I needed something to really get me going”

“I needed something to really get me going”

Two OBX friends take a walk from Ocracoke to Virginia

When Outer Banks locals feel stuck in the monotony of their winter routine, many try taking up a new hobby or challenge. This year, locals Cory Culpepper and Alex Bradshaw decided they wanted to spend five days walking the entire length of the Outer Banks coast, from the Ocracoke ferry station to the Virginia line.

The journey wasn’t conceived to bring awareness to a cause or to collect donations

The Outer Banks Voice • 8th November 2022

‘Wait, you can do this for a living?’

‘Wait, you can do this for a living?’

Sven Jseppi, the owner of Skydive OBX, has always been adventurous. But he didn’t know where that adventurous spirit would take him until he was free falling through the air 18 years ago during his first skydiving experience.

“As soon as the parachute opened my first question was, ‘Wait, so you can do this for a living?” he told the Voice.

The instructor informed him that he only needed 499 more jumps and he could become a tandem skydive instructor. He we

16th November 2023

https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2023/07/24/from-restaurant-to-reef/

The Outer Banks Voice • 15th August 2023

‘They need our help’

How an Indiana family works to support OBX sea turtles

When the McFate family came to Nags Head from Indiana last fall for one of their regular trips to their second home, Laura McFate decided to incorporate lessons about sea turtles into her curriculum for what the kids refer to as “car school.”

“When we go down to the Outer Banks, I utilize that as on-the-road homeschool and I gear their lessons around the Outer Banks,” said McFate, a mother of six who homeschools her three oldest kids. “And

The Outer Banks Voice • 4th July 2023

On the frontlines of the battle to save sea turtles

On the frontlines of the battle to save sea turtles

How NEST’s dedicated band of volunteers gets the turtles to the sea

Every year, just one in every 100 baby sea turtles survive the journey from our shores to the Gulf Stream and just one in 1,000 sea turtles survive to sexual maturity, according to the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles.

Known by the fitting acronym NEST, the local all-volunteer non-profit organization is dedicated to the protection and conservation of sea turtles and other

The Outer Banks Voice • 14th February 2023

How sea glass has gotten scarcer on OBX beaches

How sea glass has gotten scarcer on OBX beaches

People on the Outer Banks collect sea glass for many reasons. Some use it to make jewelry and other types of art, some use it as an excuse to get out of their house and onto the beach, especially in the winter months. Others use it as a way to share a special experience with a partner or a loved one, relishing in the adventure of seeking out that frosted glimmer of blue peeking out from the sand that has been tumbling around in the ocean for possi

The Outer Banks Voice • 17th January 2023

‘It just depends on the year or day you pick’

‘It just depends on the year or day you pick’

What part of OBX is an island and what part is a peninsula?

On a barrier island, the only constant is change. And that certainly holds true for the question of whether the Outer Banks—and particular pieces of it—are actually a peninsula or an island.

“A lot of times, when you’re staying on the Outer Banks, someone will say ‘welcome to the island.’ And of course, it is no longer an island, and hasn’t been an island since around 1830 when New Currit

21st April 2023

Black Lives Matter protest through the eyes of two local sisters

Black Lives Matter protest through the eyes of two local sisters

By Maggie Miles (As published in the June 26th, 2020 edition of COAST - Virginian-Pilot)

As India Murray drove past hundreds of people gathering on the afternoon of June 9 in what would be a show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, she was overcome by a wave of emotion.

“I was like, why am I getting emotional?” the 23-year-old Manteo resident said. “But I think it all came back and it hit me how real this is and how

21st April 2023

Author Suzanne Tate’s secrets to a long happy life

By Maggie Miles (As published in the August, 2020 edition of Coast OBX)

Suzanne Tate is well known as a successful writer of children’s books on marine life. But she is also a survivor — a woman who has seen much adversity in her life, from family tragedy, to freak accidents, to multiple sudden health crises. Throughout it all, she never lost her gumption, her fortitude, or her zest for life. Now, healthy and thriving at 90, Tate is reflecting on her life and the things that got her to this poi

21st April 2023

Connecting on a deeper level

Meet the nurse forging a better field for health care providers

By Maggie Miles (As published in Coast OBX)

In 2019, Jennifer Yang was a traveling nurse traveling around the country in an R.V. with her partner Tim – when the van broke down in Arizona.

This event, Yang credits as the reason the couple ended up on the Outer Banks. She was burnt out from travel nursing and ready to settle down; he wanted to be in a place where they could kiteboard, a hobby that they recently picked up and become

The Outer Banks Voice • 15th April 2023

On the road again: An OBX couple captures the grandeur of our national parks

On the road again: An OBX couple captures the grandeur of our national parks

Throughout Ed Gowland’s career as a mechanical engineer turned Outer Banks realtor, his managers would frequently come back from vacations and describe “wonderful cruises” and “going to Europe.”

But for his part, Gowland “was always of the opinion [that] I want to see the United States.”

A skilled photographer who taught photography classes on the side, Gowland, and his wife Sandy, have always had the travel bug. But

Coast OBX • 3rd April 2023

Eating Fresh on the Outer Banks

Nothing beats ending a long, beautiful day on the Outer Banks like a homecooked meal featuring all of the freshest, highest quality ingredients the island has to offer. Whether preparing to grill out for the Fourth of July weekend or just to cap off a summer day on the beach, put down those Oscar Mayer wieners and step into the world of Outer Banks fresh cuisine. We're here to tell you exactly where to go to create the farm-to-table meal of your dreams.

The Outer Banks Voice • 23rd March 2023

From Manteo to the Metropolitan Opera

From Manteo to the Metropolitan Opera

Tshombe Selby will debut in solo role April 10 – May 13 in NYC

The Metropolitan Opera, “Champion” will be live streamed at the Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 on April 29th at 12:55 pm. Tickets available at www.rctheatres.com.

When Tshombe Selby was a child, he loved singing so much he would sing all day on his front porch. “My Aunt Madam gave me a piano and I would be on the screened-in front porch out there just screaming at the top of my lungs to the point

The Outer Banks Voice • 17th March 2023

Every beach needs a Delbert

The life and times of an Outer Banks legend

In the song “Stoned Immaculate,” Jim Morrison declares that “No eternal reward will forgive us for wasting the dawn.” That was the mentality that Outer Banks surf icon Delbert Melton, who passed away on March 15, had every day while paddling out to catch a wave. In the song, Morrison tells how he walked down to a pier and met two women—one named Enterprise and the other named Freedom. It’s safe to say while many around him were enterprising, Delbert M

The Outer Banks Voice • 14th March 2023

“It’s authentic…you can come as you are’

“It’s authentic…you can come as you are’

Argie Shultz, now celebrating her 30th year operating the Blue Crab on Colington Road, isn’t your typical dive bar owner.

After moving to the United States in 1966 from Chios, Greece, an island in the Aegean Sea, Argie got her start in the U.S. working in a mattress factory in Ohio. It was there that she met her ex-husband, and the couple raised two children and moved to Florida. The marriage ended in divorce in 1980.

While Argie was wondering what to

The Outer Banks Voice • 12th March 2023

“I needed something to really get me going”

“I needed something to really get me going”

Two OBX friends take a walk from Ocracoke to Virginia

When Outer Banks locals feel stuck in the monotony of their winter routine, many try taking up a new hobby or challenge. This year, locals Cory Culpepper and Alex Bradshaw decided they wanted to spend five days walking the entire length of the Outer Banks coast, from the Ocracoke ferry station to the Virginia line.

The journey wasn’t conceived to bring awareness to a cause or to collect donations

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th March 2023

‘There are millions of dollars left on the table’

‘There are millions of dollars left on the table’

COA President Jack Bagwell wants students to take advantage of financial aid

If there’s one frustration that College of Albemarle (COA) President Jack Bagwell voices about the Dare Guarantee Scholarship Program, it’s that not enough potential students are utilizing it.

“We appreciate the partnership especially of the Board of Commissioners of Dare County for being forward thinking for helping us and funding a beautiful facility and for funding

The Outer Banks Voice • 18th February 2023

‘Our families are excited to carry that torch’

‘Our families are excited to carry that torch’

New Pioneer owners to showcase movies, music and history

The projector will keep rolling at the Pioneer Theater in Manteo, playing a variety of matinee and night shows, along with showcasing an assortment of other forms of entertainment that have been a part of the theater’s history for the past century, according to Michael Basnight, new co-owner and managing partner for the project.

On Feb. 14, the Creef family sold the iconic theater for $500,

The Outer Banks Voice • 16th February 2023

Manteo’s iconic Pioneer Theater has been sold

New owners to retain the name, honor the legacy

The iconic Pioneer Theater in Manteo officially is under new ownership after it was purchased on Feb. 14 for $500,000 by what represents a partnership between two local families, the Basnights and the Hatchells.

The deal follows then-owner Buddy Creef’s December announcement that the historic theater, with more than a century of service to the community, was closing.

In a Voice interview, Michael Basnight, a representative for the buyers, confir

The Outer Banks Voice • 14th February 2023

How sea glass has gotten scarcer on OBX beaches

How sea glass has gotten scarcer on OBX beaches

People on the Outer Banks collect sea glass for many reasons. Some use it to make jewelry and other types of art, some use it as an excuse to get out of their house and onto the beach, especially in the winter months. Others use it as a way to share a special experience with a partner or a loved one, relishing in the adventure of seeking out that frosted glimmer of blue peeking out from the sand that has been tumbling around in the ocean for possi

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th February 2023

Treveon Govan captures OBX diversity through a lens

As he has talked with friends about the issue of diversity on the Outer Banks, Treveon Govan began to realize how diverse his friends and family here are.

“It wasn’t so much about the land or food, but more so about the people—the art on the walls, the many faces I would walk past every day, and the conversations I would have with all kinds of people and how that inspired me in so many ways,” he told the Voice.

Govan, 29, was born and raised in Manteo and graduated from Manteo High School. His

The Outer Banks Voice • 2nd February 2023

Events honoring Black History Month on OBX

Feb. 1 marked the start of Black History Month, and the Outer Banks has no shortage of stories rich with the survival and courage of generations of Black locals in the community. From being the first stop on the Underground Railroad in North Carolina, to becoming a safe haven for enslaved people who were freed with the Freedmen’s Colony on Roanoke Island, to the many accomplishments of the nation’s first all-Black lifesaving crew, there is a wide array of events across the community this month h

The Outer Banks Voice • 24th January 2023

Hunt Club Dr. property could be site of new Corolla Sugar Planet store

Hunt Club Dr. property could be site of new Corolla Sugar Planet store

The Currituck County Planning & Community Development Department has confirmed that S&S properties, believed to be the parent company of the Sugar Kingdom candy store chain, obtained permits in July 2022 for the “Sugar Planet” name and for an interior build-out of a Corolla office building into an “ice cream and retail space.”

The site is located at 510 Hunt Club Dr. and includes a two-story, 7,700 sq. ft. commercial buildi

The Outer Banks Voice • 17th January 2023

‘It just depends on the year or day you pick’

‘It just depends on the year or day you pick’

What part of OBX is an island and what part is a peninsula?

On a barrier island, the only constant is change. And that certainly holds true for the question of whether the Outer Banks—and particular pieces of it—are actually a peninsula or an island.

“A lot of times, when you’re staying on the Outer Banks, someone will say ‘welcome to the island.’ And of course, it is no longer an island, and hasn’t been an island since around 1830 when New Currit

The Outer Banks Voice • 8th January 2023

Manteo Board paves way for new Dare Youth Center

Manteo Board paves way for new Dare Youth Center

Approval follows spirited debate over new facility’s roof

At its Jan. 4 meeting, the Manteo Board of Commissioners approved, with a condition, the special use permit for the $1.7 million, 4,800 sq ft. Dare County Youth Center facility to be built at 101 N. Highway 64-264 between Agona and Fernando Streets in Manteo.

The new county-owned building is designed to address the growing needs of the youth program. Youth center programs, operated by Da

The Outer Banks Voice • 15th December 2022

From a grateful community, an ode to the Pioneer

From a grateful community, an ode to the Pioneer

From the famous popcorn to the first nervous kisses

For those of us who grew up on the Outer Banks, the Pioneer Theater in Manteo was more than just a place to see movies. It was a place of firsts — our first taste of independence, our first handholding, our first dates, our first kiss.

Every Friday, we’d get home from school, throw off our backpack, call 473-2216, and listen to H.A. Creef recite his famous weekly recording, revealing what the

The Outer Banks Voice • 12th December 2022

How OBX’s ‘Pottery Family’ came together

How OBX’s ‘Pottery Family’ came together

It might be fair to say the Outer Banks “Pottery Family,” was born in Robin York’s pottery class on the Dare County campus of the College of the Albemarle.

Four members of the “Family”— Skyla Lamberto-Egan, Genevieve Stewart, Lauren Evans, and Maggie Wilson — who each own a ceramics business on the Outer Banks, got to know each other in York’s class, fell in love with the craft, and went on to build their own style, followings, and businesses.

The fift

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th December 2022

Shining a spotlight on Dare’s childcare crunch

Hannah Bunn West and allies want to ‘start a conversation’ on the issue

In 2020, Hannah Bunn West faced the dilemma and difficult choice that a number of working mothers do. Twice within that year, under different circumstances, West left jobs she liked because of a lack of childcare for her two very young children.

“And this is what the majority of the moms I have talked to have said…that their whole entire paycheck is going to childcare expenses, so it becomes this thing of ‘okay do I want t

The Outer Banks Voice • 27th November 2022

Dedicated to the herd mentality

How the Corolla Wild Horse Fund protects its unique community

What do you do when a herd of wild horses that has been around for more than 500 years are being killed at an alarming rate? You protect them at all costs. That was the thought of a group of concerned citizens who banded together in 1989 when a number of wild horses were hit and killed on Highway 12 from 1985 to 1989.

According to Meg Puckett, Herd Manager of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, the organization began as a volunteer effort

The Outer Banks Voice • 8th November 2022

‘Wait, you can do this for a living?’

‘Wait, you can do this for a living?’

Sven Jseppi, the owner of Skydive OBX, has always been adventurous. But he didn’t know where that adventurous spirit would take him until he was free falling through the air 18 years ago during his first skydiving experience.

“As soon as the parachute opened my first question was, ‘Wait, so you can do this for a living?” he told the Voice.

The instructor informed him that he only needed 499 more jumps and he could become a tandem skydive instructor. He we

The Outer Banks Voice • 4th November 2022

“One of the biggest pillars in our community”

“One of the biggest pillars in our community”

Back in June, Timmy Charity was in Family Dollar in Manteo when he overheard a woman telling the cashier that she had just taken in her two young grandchildren, but had no furniture in her home, except for one blow-up mattress that they slept on each night.

Charity told the woman he could help. He started making calls and posting on social media about the situation. Within a week, he had the family’s home fully furnished. Friends say that is just a

The Outer Banks Voice • 14th February 2023

How sea glass has gotten scarcer on OBX beaches

How sea glass has gotten scarcer on OBX beaches

People on the Outer Banks collect sea glass for many reasons. Some use it to make jewelry and other types of art, some use it as an excuse to get out of their house and onto the beach, especially in the winter months. Others use it as a way to share a special experience with a partner or a loved one, relishing in the adventure of seeking out that frosted glimmer of blue peeking out from the sand that has been tumbling around in the ocean for possi

The Outer Banks Voice • 21st January 2023

Sugar Kingdom company to open two new stores

Sugar Kingdom company to open two new stores

Along with Kitty Hawk site, Corolla proposed as second location

According to a company official, Sugar Kingdom, which currently has stores in in Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, plans to open soon at two new locations. In addition to the Kitty Hawk site that has been in the works, the second store will be located in Corolla.

“We are very excited to open two other Sugar Planets – one in Kitty Hawk, one in Corolla,” said Naor Hilel, regional manager o

The Outer Banks Voice • 17th January 2023

‘It just depends on the year or day you pick’

‘It just depends on the year or day you pick’

What part of OBX is an island and what part is a peninsula?

On a barrier island, the only constant is change. And that certainly holds true for the question of whether the Outer Banks—and particular pieces of it—are actually a peninsula or an island.

“A lot of times, when you’re staying on the Outer Banks, someone will say ‘welcome to the island.’ And of course, it is no longer an island, and hasn’t been an island since around 1830 when New Currit

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th December 2022

Shining a spotlight on Dare’s childcare crunch

Hannah Bunn West and allies want to ‘start a conversation’ on the issue

In 2020, Hannah Bunn West faced the dilemma and difficult choice that a number of working mothers do. Twice within that year, under different circumstances, West left jobs she liked because of a lack of childcare for her two very young children.

“And this is what the majority of the moms I have talked to have said…that their whole entire paycheck is going to childcare expenses, so it becomes this thing of ‘okay do I want t

The Outer Banks Voice • 28th October 2022

‘Teachers are getting beat over the head’

‘Teachers are getting beat over the head’

With custodians scarce, Dare teachers take on new cleaning duties

Teachers have always been responsible for some cleaning duties in their classrooms – wiping down tables and desks, some light sweeping here and there. But since Covid-19, many local teachers are now responsible for sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and taking out the trash. They are staying late, coming in early and on the weekends, and cleaning during their planning periods to get the job do

The Outer Banks Voice • 20th October 2022

Where have all the big clubs gone?

Where have all the big clubs gone?

Johnathan Bland was tending bar at Fish Heads Bar and Grill in South Nags Head this summer when a group of men in their twenties came in. They had a question for him. What’s there to do around here? Where does he go out?

Bland said it hit him then that all of his favorite places where he danced the night away when he was in his twenties — The Pit, Port ‘O Call, New York Pizza Pub, Kelly’s — were gone now.

“It made me sad because I used to bounce around all t

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th January 2022

An ‘atmosphere of looking the other way’

An ‘atmosphere of looking the other way’

On Nov. 11, the Outer Banks Hotline Board announced it had chosen one of its own, Board Member Bronwyn Thornton, to become the organization’s new Executive Director.

Her appointment came at a time of turmoil and transition at the Hotline following this summer’s rapid-fire firings of Thrift Stores General Manger Tammy Cross and Hotline Executive Director Michael Lewis. Lewis was dismissed amid several allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate wo

The Outer Banks Voice • 16th October 2021

‘This is in the forefront because it’s so prevalent’

‘This is in the forefront because it’s so prevalent’

On Sept. 13, three individuals — two of whom died and one who was hospitalized — were found inside a Manteo residence, the result of what is suspected to be drug overdoses involving fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid. Although not confirmed, word quickly spread on the Outer Banks of as many as 10 or so overdoses, possibly at the same party, among people who ingested the drug unknowingly.

Two days later, Dare County released a video from the

The Outer Banks Voice • 15th October 2021

Transition and uncertainty at Outer Banks Hotline

Amid firings and allegations, board to discuss findings of internal investigation

With the firing of two top employees, and with its board of directors scheduled to discuss the findings of a private investigator’s report on Monday, this appears to be a time of uncertainty and transition at the Outer Banks Hotline.

On Aug. 21, the Hotline confirmed it had fired Executive Director Michael Lewis who had been placed on administrative leave a month earlier. Lewis had been Executive Director since 2

The Outer Banks Voice • 21st July 2021

Lewis’s Hotline exit follows harassment allegations, investigation

In a July 16 press release, officials at the Outer Banks Hotline announced the retirement of Executive Director Michael Lewis, who had been with the non-profit for more than 21 years and had served as its Executive Director since 2015.

Without providing any further details on Lewis’ departure, the Hotline, which was founded in 1980, also announced that it is beginning a search for a new executive director. The organization is a private non-profit that provides crisis intervention, safe house, a

Coast OBX • 11th June 2021

HELP WANTED

Restaurants have been on the front line for more than a year.

Employers and staff have dealt with adhering to COVID-19 restrictions, increased responsibilities and precautions that magnified employees’ to-do lists during already-busy shifts. Many adapted by inventing new— oftentimes less efficient—ways of doing things. With restrictions lifting and widespread availability of vaccines, you’d hope that restaurant workers could finally take a breath, catch a break and see a little light at the end

The Outer Banks Voice • 18th April 2023

After Nashville shooting, Currituck Schools will enforce visitation ID policy

About a week after of the March 27 Nashville Tennessee school shooting that took six lives, the Currituck County School District sent out a memo reinforcing a school visitation ID policy that it acknowledges had not always been enforced.

Now, some members of the community are also pushing the county to place school resource officers (SROs) in its elementary schools—the only schools where they are currently not stationed.

“This is an important reminder from Currituck Schools,” stated the April

The Outer Banks Voice • 6th April 2023

Manteo Board approves downtown ‘social district’ effective immediately

The Town of Manteo became the 32nd community in North Carolina to approve a social district with a unanimous April 5 vote by its board of commissioners. Effective immediately, downtown Manteo will have a designated area where people can walk the streets with open, to-go containers of alcoholic beverages from participating businesses.

According to the regulations, a cup can hold no more than 16 ounces of an alcoholic beverage, with glass containers prohibited. Cups must also contain a sticker de

The Outer Banks Voice • 22nd February 2023

Dare County to introduce Spanish Dual Language Immersion program in middle schools

At the Feb. 13 Dare County Board of Education meeting, Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight announced that the middle school option for the district’s Spanish Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will begin in the 2023-24 school year with a daily 45-minute elective for all three Dare County middle schools.

The program, which currently has 749 students enrolled, was introduced to Dare County elementary schools in 2018. It was the first program of its kind in the county, with K-5 students recei

The Outer Banks Voice • 18th February 2023

‘Our families are excited to carry that torch’

‘Our families are excited to carry that torch’

New Pioneer owners to showcase movies, music and history

The projector will keep rolling at the Pioneer Theater in Manteo, playing a variety of matinee and night shows, along with showcasing an assortment of other forms of entertainment that have been a part of the theater’s history for the past century, according to Michael Basnight, new co-owner and managing partner for the project.

On Feb. 14, the Creef family sold the iconic theater for $500,

The Outer Banks Voice • 16th February 2023

Manteo’s iconic Pioneer Theater has been sold

New owners to retain the name, honor the legacy

The iconic Pioneer Theater in Manteo officially is under new ownership after it was purchased on Feb. 14 for $500,000 by what represents a partnership between two local families, the Basnights and the Hatchells.

The deal follows then-owner Buddy Creef’s December announcement that the historic theater, with more than a century of service to the community, was closing.

In a Voice interview, Michael Basnight, a representative for the buyers, confir

The Outer Banks Voice • 24th January 2023

Hunt Club Dr. property could be site of new Corolla Sugar Planet store

Hunt Club Dr. property could be site of new Corolla Sugar Planet store

The Currituck County Planning & Community Development Department has confirmed that S&S properties, believed to be the parent company of the Sugar Kingdom candy store chain, obtained permits in July 2022 for the “Sugar Planet” name and for an interior build-out of a Corolla office building into an “ice cream and retail space.”

The site is located at 510 Hunt Club Dr. and includes a two-story, 7,700 sq. ft. commercial buildi

The Outer Banks Voice • 8th January 2023

Manteo Board paves way for new Dare Youth Center

Manteo Board paves way for new Dare Youth Center

Approval follows spirited debate over new facility’s roof

At its Jan. 4 meeting, the Manteo Board of Commissioners approved, with a condition, the special use permit for the $1.7 million, 4,800 sq ft. Dare County Youth Center facility to be built at 101 N. Highway 64-264 between Agona and Fernando Streets in Manteo.

The new county-owned building is designed to address the growing needs of the youth program. Youth center programs, operated by Da

The Outer Banks Voice • 21st September 2022

A pizzeria stirs up neighbors in Nags Head

Town says Nags Head Pizza is in compliance with rules

In the latest chapter of the neighborhood dispute over the Nags Head Pizza Company, Nags Head Town Manager Andy Garman sent a Sept. 16 letter to the Nags Head historic district homeowners who had expressed concerns about the business at the Sept. 7 town commissioners meeting.

In the letter, which addressed five specific concerns, Garman stated that Nags Head Pizza is in compliance with town regulations in terms of parking lot congestion, se

The Outer Banks Voice • 22nd August 2021

Hotline fires Executive Director Michael Lewis

He had previously been on administrative leave

Outer Banks Hotline Board Chair Judy Burnette confirmed on Aug. 21 that the organization has fired Executive Director Michael Lewis. That news follows by only a few days, confirmation that the Hotline had also fired the General Manger of its thrift stores, Tammy Cross, a 17-year employee.

As was the case with Cross, Burnette declined to provide a reason for Lewis’ dismissal, noting that she could not go into further details due to “ongoing investi

22nd April 2023

A Dance of Oaxacan Cuisine – Tale A Guest

Edisson Hernandez, owner of the revered Las Chilmoleras restaurant in Oaxaca City, Mexico, knew he wanted to be a chef since he was a young boy helping his great-grandfather in the kitchen of his small ‘local,’ or restaurant space, in Bogota, Colombia. Every day he brought his abuelo gasoline and helped him set up the ‘carbon’ and marinate the ‘pollos rostizados,’ — his specialty.

‘El tenia una receta muy especial,” says Hernandez. He had a very special recipe. But when his great-grandfather di

22nd April 2023

A Local Chef's Story with a Latin Twist

Alfredo Landazuri landed on the Outer Banks 22 years ago from his native city of Lima, Peru. He had just graduated from a small cooking institute that he had enrolled in at just 17 years old. Back then, cooking schools were a new thing in his country.

“The first cooking schools in Peru had just started in the ’90s, so it wasn’t as popular there as in some other places,” Landazuri says.

But he had grown up cooking in the kitchen with his grandmother, and she passed down that passion of cooking

22nd April 2023

A Microcosm of Outer Banks Values

On the Outer Banks, we locals have a few values that we all agree on. From the laid-back beach lifestyle to fun-for-the-whole family entertainment to supporting local industries, we may not agree on everything, but these are the things we all get behind. The things that make the Outer Banks what it is. After experiencing Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet, and talking with owner Liz Dowless, I realized that this restaurant is the perfect example of a local business that exemplifies all of those values.

As

22nd April 2023

Corolla Bob: He's More Than a Tour Guide, He's an Advocate

When Bob White came down to the Outer Banks as a teenager, he had no idea he would become an advocate for the majestic wild horses of Corolla.

“I was 14 at the time and couldn’t imagine why my dad wanted to build a house here,” Bob says. “There were no girls and nothing to do!”


Flash forward to now, and not only does Bob own a successful wild horse tour company where they share the magic of these creatures, but he also dedicates his free time to making sure the horses are safe and protected

22nd April 2023

Your Safe, Fun, Family-Friendly Option for the Summer

When a company is awarded “#1 Dolphin Tours” by Tripadvisor for the past seven years in a row, you know there has to be a few good reasons. The Umphletts have been running businesses on the Outer Banks for 25 years, so they know a thing or two about how to be successful. They’re the owners of OBX Marina in Wanchese, a favorite gathering spot for fishing, of course, but also for music and fun at their outdoor bar. They added Paradise Dolphin Cruises to enhance the OBX Marina experience.


The c

22nd April 2023

Taste the Difference at Uncle Ike's Sandbar and Grill

Located at the farthest town north you can venture on the Outer Banks, Corolla is a locals' favorite staycation and the ideal daytrip for visitors staying anywhere on the Outer Banks. Why? It offers that same Outer Banks charm but with a slightly different atmosphere. It's that quaint, remote village magic that Corolla offers perfectly. And bars and restaurants are a huge part of that.

Uncle Ike's Sandbar and Grill, located at 1159 Austin Street at the Corolla Light Town Center, is undoubtedly