Stories by Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice In a Jan. 18 release from President Barbara Marzetti, the Corolla Civic Association (CCA) outlined new efforts to reduce what it characterized as the increasing number of “mobs of kids engaging in atrocious, intolerable behavior,” during Beach Week, the period in early to mid-June when high school graduates flock there for a good time. Full story
Jan 18
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice Dare County School officials are not revealing many details about a potential threat affecting First Flight Elementary School on Jan. 10 that was quickly deemed to have posed “no threat” after an investigation. Full story
Jan 17
Nettles suggests something of a return to the pre-COVID era
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice
In his recap of the Dec. 15 Dare County Tourism Board meeting, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles said that the more recent lodging and restaurant collections data suggest a slowing in the major tourism boom of the last few years. Full story
Dec 26
Planning Board supports removing multi-family dwelling as permitted use By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice At their Dec. 21 meeting, the Nags Head Commissioners scheduled a Jan. 4 public hearing on a zoning change that would remove the multi-family dwelling as a permitted use within the town’s C-2 General Commercial Zoning District. Full story
Dec 21
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice Children who show up at the Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo on Sunday, Dec. 18 will get their Christmas-season candy drop treats – cupcakes, candy attached to parachutes and soft-drinks — as well as a visit with Santa. What they won’t get, unfortunately, is the iconic C-54 cargo plane flying in the skies above the airport dropping those parachutes with candy. Full story
Dec 16
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice. After a discussion among the five members and a few comments from residents at their Dec. 12 meeting, a divided Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 against a motion to reduce the speed limit from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour on the west side of town. Full story
Dec 15
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice In an interview with the Voice six months ago, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles said Dare County was committed to examining the issue of sustainable tourism and to trying to strike the right balance between the level of tourism needed to fuel the local economy and the level of tourism that brings adverse impacts, particularly to local residents. Full story
Nov 11
In an election when local Republicans were either uncontested or victorious, incumbent first-term Republican Ervin Bateman defeated Democratic challenger Heather Euler in the battle for the one contested seat on the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Full story
Nov 8
Some clear disagreements over Critical Race Theory, values in the system By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice The newly elected Dare County Board of Education will take office in at a time of transition and some turmoil in the county’s public school system. Full story
Nov 6
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice Of the three seats on the seven-member Dare County Board of Commissioners that are on the ballot this election, only one race is actually contested. Incumbent Republicans Jim Tobin (District 1) and Rob Ross (District 2) are running unopposed. Full story
Nov 3
Overall, employees now earn about 18% under market rate By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice After receiving a salary study presentation showing that Dare County employees are being paid about 18% less than market rate salaries for public sector jobs, the Dare County Commissioners will consider a plan to try and address that imbalance at their upcoming Nov. 7 meeting. Full story
Oct 28
Reports say there is no body cam footage of incident By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice On Oct. 11, The Town of Kitty Hawk released the findings of an internal investigation into the Oct. 1 fatal shooting of a family dog by Kitty Hawk Police Officer Robert Meador. Full story
Oct 11