An Extended View of the Bridge in Holden Beach Area

02 – News & Views

Lou’s Views
News & Views / February Edition

Calendar of Events 

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N.C. Azalea Festival
April 8th thru 12th
Wilmington


Wilmington has been celebrating Spring Southern Style since 1948. There’s something for everyone among their community’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history, and culture. This festival is considered one of the top events in the Southeast.
For more information » click here

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Southport Springfest
April 18th
Southport

 

Welcome Spring Easter weekend in style at the Southport Spring Festival, a tradition that started in 1996. This festival features a wide variety of activities.
For more information »click here

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Strawberry & Wine Fest
April 26th
Sunset Beach

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The Strawberry and Wine Festival, hosted by theOld Bridge Preservation Society since 2014. There will be wines available from Silver Coast Winery with strawberries as the main fare of the day. It’s a day of wine, food, entertainment, and craft vendors.
For more information » click here

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Days at the Docks Festival
April 25th & 26th
Holden Beach

 

The annual festival which started in the 1980’s occurs in April or May and is sponsored by the Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association. It’s the Holden Beach way to kick-off the Spring and start the vacation season. In addition to the food and arts & crafts, enjoy live music & entertainment, a horseshoe tournament and the world famous “Bopple Race”. Lots of activities for the entire family!
For more information » click here 

Brunswick County invites residents to participate in lifesaving certification training in 2026

Brunswick County’s Risk Management and Parks and Recreation departments are partnering to offer First Aid/CPR/AED Certification Training in 2026.

 

This training program is designed to provide residents with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac, breathing and first aid emergencies.

 

The training is open to any Brunswick County residents 12-years-old and up. Participants under 18-years-old must be accompanied by an adult guardian for the entire training session. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive an American Trauma Event Management (ATEM) First Aid/CPR/AED certification card, which is valid for two years.

 

There are only 12 seats available per training session and the registration fee is $10 per person. Participants must register and pay online here,
https://bcparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program, before the training date.

Each class will consist of an morning Session from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., a 30-minute lunch break (participants must bring their own lunch and beverages) and an afternoon session from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees must attend and complete both sessions to receive certification.

2026 First Aid/CPR/ AED Certification Training Sessions

Saturday, June 20, 2026 / Supply Area

For questions or more information about the training program, email Brunswick County Risk Management.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Discover a wide range of things to do in the Brunswick Islands for an experience that goes beyond the beach.
For more information » click here.

Calendar of Events Island

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Family Nighttime Easter Egg Hunt
The Town will hold its annual nighttime Easter Egg Hunt on Good Friday, April 3rd  beginning at 7:00 p.m. Teams of four will compete against each other. Participants will need to bring their own flashlights and something to place their eggs in to the event. Participants MUST register by March 20th. Space is limited to the first 100 families. Email Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com to register. Check-in on the evening of the event will be on the sidewalk in front of Town Hall. 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Easter Sunrise Service
Holden Beach Chapel is sponsoring an Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30 a.m. Easter Sunday April 5th at the Holden Beach Pier.

Reminders

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Yard Waste Service
Yard debris pick-up will be provided twice a month on the second and fourth Fridays during the months of March, April, and May. Please have yard waste placed at the street for pick-up on Thursday night. The first pickup of the season is on March 13th. No pick-ups will be made on vacant lots or construction sites.

Debris must be placed in a biodegradable bag or bundled in a length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds. Each residence is allowed a total of ten (10) items, which can include a combination of bundles of brush and limbs meeting the required length and weight and/ or biodegradable bags with grass clippings, leaves, etc.

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Brunswick County Shred Event               
Brunswick County will be hosting its spring free shred event at the Brunswick County Government Center on Saturday, April 18th. Brunswick County residents and/or property owners can dispose of any unneeded documents free of charge. Proof of Brunswick County residency or property ownership is required.

Brunswick County Governmental Center
3325 Old Ocean Hwy., Bolivia, NC 28422

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications, and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Paid Parking

Paid parking in Holden Beach
Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily with free parking before and after that time. All parking will use license plates for verification.

Rates
Parking rates for a single vehicle in all designated areas will be:

$5 per hour for up to four hours
$20 per day for any duration greater than four hours
$80 per week for seven consecutive days

Handicap Parking
A vehicle displaying a handicap license plate and/or hang tag parked in a designated handicap space is free. Any other parking space will require a parking permit via the app.

Annual Passes
Annual permits for the calendar year allow vehicles (this includes low-speed vehicles and trailers) access to designated parking.

$175 for a single vehicle

Passes can be purchased via the app, website or by telephone.

Where to Park
Per ordinance, there is no parking on the streets or rights-of-way except in designated parking spaces identified by Pay-to-Park signs. Click here to view an interactive map. The table with authorized parking can be viewed below.

Citations will be issued for:

      • Parking without an active paid permit in a designated parking area
      • Parking within 40 feet of a street intersection
      • Parking in a crosswalk, sidewalk, or pedestrian access ways
      • Parking blocking a driveway or mailbox
      • Parking facing opposing traffic
      • Parking in a no parking zone, or within right-of-way
      • Parking on any portion of the roadway or travel lane
      • Parking a non-LSV vehicle in an authorized LSV location

How Do I Pay to Park
The Town uses the SurfCAST by Otto Connect Mobile Solution. This is a mobile app downloadable for Apple and Android devices. Download the app today. Users will setup their account, enter their license plate details and pay for parking directly on the app. Alternatively, users can scan the QR Code located on the parking signs to access a secure website.

The Otto Connect customer service team will be available to help via phone and email.

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Solid Waste Pickup Schedule
GFL Environmental change in service, October through May trash pickup will be once a week.

 

Please note:

Trash carts must be at the street by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day
BAG the trash before putting it in the cart
Carts will be rolled back to the front of the house

GFL Refuse Collection Policy
GFL has recently notified all Brunswick County residents that they will no longer accept extra bags of refuse outside of the collection cart. This is not a new policy but is stricter enforcement of an existing policy. While in the past GFL drivers would at times make exceptions and take additional bags of refuse, the tremendous growth in housing within Brunswick County makes this practice cost prohibitive and causes drivers to fall behind schedule.

Solid Waste Pickup Schedule 

starting October once a week

Recycling 

starting October every other week pick-up

Curbside Recycling – 2026A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.
GFL Environmental is now offering curbside recycling for Town properties that desire to participate in the service. The service cost per cart is $122.93 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a ninety-six (96) gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September.
Curbside Recycling Application » click here
Curbside Recycling Calendar » click here

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Trash Can Requirements – Rental Properties
GFL Environmental – trash can requirements
Ordinance 07-13, Section 50.08

Rental properties have specific number of trashcans based on number of bedrooms.

* One extra trash can per every 2 bedrooms
..

§ 50.08 RENTAL HOMES.
(A) Rental homes, as defined in Chapter 157, that are rented as part of the summer rental season, are subject to high numbers of guests, resulting in abnormally large volumes of trash. This type of occupancy use presents a significantly higher impact than homes not used for summer rentals. In interest of public health and sanitation and environmental concerns, all rental home shall have a minimum of one trash can per two bedrooms. Homes with an odd number of bedrooms shall round up (for examples one to two bedrooms – one trash can; three to four bedrooms – two trash cans; five – six bedrooms – three trash cans, and the like).

Upon Further Review

County proposes new fire service contract focused on performance, accountability
While Brunswick County continues working out how it will fund local fire service in the future, county commissioners on Jan. 20 were presented with an updated fire services agreement draft aimed at establishing performance standards and improving financial reporting standards for local nonprofit fire departments. The board did not vote on adopting the updated agreement on Jan. 20, instead providing county administration with feedback on the proposed changes. The primary changes outlined in the updated service contracts related to establishing performance standards for local fire departments and increasing financial accountability for departments that plan to accept additional funding the county plans to provide in the upcoming fiscal year, county staff explained. For over a year, Brunswick County has been investigating how to sufficiently fund in-county fire service following concerns about the existing fire fee funding model adequacy. Fire fees are imposed by the county on real property owners to fund the furnishing of fire protection services, per state law. Fire fees for improved properties are calculated based on a building’s heated square footage; fire fees for vacant land are calculated based on property acreage. Fire fees are not based on tax value. Many local nonprofit departments are facing challenges stemming from declining volunteer numbers necessitating most departments to hire paid staff, increasing costs and delivery time for fire apparatus and equipment, increased call volume and the need for new or updated facilities due to growth. These departments operate entirely on fire fees, grants, fundraising and private donations. Municipal departments are facing similar struggles related to growth and increased costs. These departments are funded partly by fire fees supplemented by ad valorem (property) taxes collected by each department’s municipality. As a potential solution, the county has been exploring moving away from its fire fee funding model to a fire tax funding model. With a fire tax model, counties can charge a 10-cent fire tax per $100 property value in each fire district or between 11- and 15-cents per $100 value with a voter-approved referendum. If the county moves to a fire tax system, citizens would no longer pay fire fees. Though this change is not planned for fiscal year 2026-2027, which begins July 1, county officials are working to prepare for a possible change in FY 2027-2028. In lieu of the funding model switch in FY 26-27, County Manager Steve Stone in November recommended the county revise its fire service funding contracts with local nonprofit departments to clarify its service expectations and require more financial accountability aimed at improving service across the county. The county is also considering providing between $10 million and $12 million in one-time supplemental funding to local departments to help meet service demands while a permanent solution is worked out. Stone said the $10-$12 million estimate is based on funding needed for minimum staffing levels at each department. The final subsidy funding figure will be calculated as part of the FY 26-27 budget process, he added. “It could be more. It could be less.” The county manager also explained fire departments would need to sign the finalized new services agreement “to be eligible to receive supplemental funding.” Brunswick County Spokesperson Meagan Kascsak said the current agreements between local fire departments and the county do not expire for another two fiscal years, and departments can continue operating under those agreements if they so choose. “However, if a department chooses this route, they will not be able to request subsidized funding for particular projects or purchases that their current fire fee allotment may not be able to cover,” Kascsak said. The new agreement contains a proposed stipulation requiring any equipment fire departments purchase with county-subsidized funds to be titled to Brunswick County and leased to respective fire departments, Kascsak confirmed. “Any existing equipment a fire department owns that was purchased in the past from their general fund/fire fees allocation, grant funding, donations, etc. will continue to belong to that fire department and will not be titled to the county,” she added. County staff has met with the Brunswick County Fire Chief’s Association to discuss the updated agreement and its provisions, Stone said. County officials following the Jan. 20 meeting were also set to meet with the municipal fire departments, he added, though these departments’ contracts differ and will apply to areas outside municipal fire departments’ corporate limits. The county manager during the Jan. 20 meeting explained the major changes in the proposed new agreement. “What we have here essentially are for the really the first time in the past 26 or 27 years or more, whereby we have some specific department performance standards which are based on national standards from the National Fire Protection Association for rural areas,” Stone said. “We also are moving towards more financial accountability with this agreement, but we would not really require additional financial work on the part of the departments. The additional auditing, we would propose that the county actually engage an auditor to do that work.” The proposed agreement also adds requirements related to response times, staffing, operational capabilities, required data collection and reporting that data to the county Fire Oversight Committee. Concerning response times, the proposed agreement requires fire departments to “make reasonable efforts to deliver the first-arriving unit and the minimum Effective Response Force (ERF) to emergency incidents within” 14 minutes or less from dispatch to arrival on-scene for structural fire suppression, and eight minutes or less from dispatch to arrival on-scene for single unit response. Departments would be expected to achieve these response times in “at least 80% of all emergency incidents occurring within the contract service area, measured annually.” If a department’s performance falls below the outlined 80% threshold, it would be required to: conduct a root-cause analysis with the county fire administrator and submit a written corrective action plan within 60 days identifying the deficiency and outlining corrective measures. Regarding response staffing, the proposed agreement would require a total of six “qualified firefighters” on the scene for fire suppression incidents requiring an initial attack capability within the required response times. Four of the six qualified firefighters would be required to be from the primary responding department. The proposed agreement defines “qualified firefighters” as “individuals of the department who meet the training and certification standards recognized by the department and applicable state and federal regulations for their assigned role.” Additionally, each department would be required to maintain records of dispatch times, turnout times, travel times, personnel counts upon arrival on scene, incident types and locations and any factors resulting in delayed or impaired response. Departments would also need to submit quarterly performance reports to the Brunswick County Fire Oversight Committee. Information contained in those reports include the percentage of incidents in which the departments met the 14-minute performance objective, staffing compliance data, analysis of deficiencies and contributing factors and performance improvement recommendations. The county would provide the software to each department for aforementioned data and records collection, Stone told the board. Brunswick County Fire Chiefs Association Vice President Keith McGee, who is also the Calabash Fire Department Chief, said the proposed agreement “represents several fundamental shifts in how fire service governance, performance expectations, and accountability are structured in Brunswick County,” noting the chief’s association is “not at this time expressing agreement with the contract as currently written.” McGee asked the county to continue conservation and collaboration with local fire departments and allow departments more time to review the agreement before bringing it to a vote. “We believe that this approach will help ensure a final agreement that is clear, workable, and supported by both the county and the fire departments that are responsible for delivering emergency services to our citizens,” he said. County administration is expected to bring an updated draft, incorporating board feedback and additional feedback from local fire departments to the board of commissioners during its Monday, Feb. 16 meeting at 6 p.m.
Read more » click here

Map showing the boundary of Oraka Bay and surrounding areas.

Carolina Bays Parkway project S.C. 31

Study analyzes tolling proposed Carolina Bays Parkway Extension
Findings from a state tolling analysis indicate the proposed Carolina Bays Parkway Extension into Brunswick County wouldn’t generate enough traffic and revenue to significantly reduce the cost of the estimated $800 million project. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority analyzed the feasibility of tolling the highway project that would connect North and South Carolina, potentially providing a quicker route between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. “This project will help alleviate congestion,” said David Roy, who oversaw the study. “But the volumes on the new location, from a tolling perspective, just weren’t gonna be sufficient.” The study found that tolls could generate several million dollars annually by 2045. However, Roy said that revenue would only cover regular road maintenance. “Analysis shows the project would be unlikely to generate sufficient revenues to reduce the cost of construction to the State as a result of tolling under any of the scenarios analyzed,” the study says. “NCDOT and NCTA are not advocating for a particular path forward.” The analysis examined three scenarios for the parkway extension. The first phase would connect the Carolinas to Ash Little River Road, north of Route 17. There are two options for the second phase: a shorter connection eventually linking to Route 17 near Grissettown or a longer option extending to Shallotte. The longer option would generate the most revenue if tolled, the study found. “In any of those three scenarios…none of them showed significant revenue,” Roy said. The proposed project has drawn opposition from Brunswick County residents. Several hundred people attended a public hearing in Sunset Beach in October, with many expressing concerns about traffic, cost and environmental impacts. Adding a toll would likely generate further frustration, but Roy said tolls aren’t always the answer for funding. “It’s not the right solution for every project, and it really does require significant volume before, I think, it starts to make sense,” he said. Transportation leaders on both sides of the state line must now determine how to fund the project. Alternative funding options, beyond a toll, include a sales tax, bond or state appropriation. North Carolina, where most of the construction would take place, would be responsible for about $610 million of the $797 million cost. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, with completion timelines varying based on which scenario moves forward. In the study, the first phase was assumed to open in 2035, with the second phase in 2040. Roy said the project has also been submitted as a toll project in the latest NCDOT Prioritization round, where it’ll receive a score that could impact future funding decisions.
Read more » click here

Toll study sheds new light on major Brunswick road project
A new study reveals what tolling a new highway connecting North and South Carolina would actually look like for Brunswick County. After years of waiting, the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project is slowly picking up speed and costs. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority has presented a tolling analysis for the project as one local transportation organization continues its search for funding opportunities to move the road off paper, and onto dirt. The North Carolina and South Carolina departments of transportation and Federal Highway Administration are working together to extend S.C. 31, known as Carolina Bays Parkway, from S.C. 9 in Horry County, South Carolina, to U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. If funded and constructed, the proposed project will result in a new multi-lane full access freeway connecting the Carolinas. Alternative map 4, which crosses through Hickmans Crossroads and the Longwood area, as the preferred route in Brunswick County that will eventually dump onto U.S. 17. All seven of NCDOT’s alternative maps for preferred routes can be viewed on NCDOT’s website. In June 2025, the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Advisory Committee, comprised of Brunswick County leaders, passed a resolution requesting NCDOT conduct a feasibility study to consider tolling the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project. The resolution also recognized other funding sources will need to be explored. Here’s a look at what the toll study includes and potential revenue that could come if the new highway is built and tolled.

Analysis data and current traffic counts
The StarNews obtained the Carolina Bays Parkway tolling analysis presentation, made by David Roy with the North Carolina Turnpike Authority. The study analyzed three scenarios based off alternative map 4 and 4A and included a “sketch level” traffic and revenue forecast for the project from Stantec. Phase one, projected to open in 2035, is constructing the highway from the state line to Ash Little River Road. Phase two included two scenarios, either could open in 2040. One phase two scenario continues the route from Ash Little River Road to N.C. 904, the other scenario stretching the route to the U.S. 17 Shallotte Bypass/N.C. 130 area.  Like other state turnpike authority projects, as stated in the presentation, the project was modeled using an electronic toll collection/bill by mail tolling structure. The analysis used data collected 2023-2025 traffic counts from the NCDOT, NCTA and SCDOT. In 2024, S.C. 31 south of S.C. 9 East in South Carolina had an annual average daily traffic count of 37,000 and U.S. 17 near the state line had an approximate 19,000 annual average daily traffic count, per the presentation. The annual average daily traffic count west of N.C. 904 on U.S. 17 in 2025 was just under 32,000 in 2025.

Estimated revenue from tolling Carolina Bays Parkway extension
If phase one were to open in 2035, the study calculated the road having 630,000 transactions the first year and 1.1 million transactions by 2040. That would bring a net revenue of $500,000 to $860,000 each year for the first five years. Continuing the route from Ash Little River Road to N.C. 904 could climb the number of yearly transactions to 4.3 million in 2040 and 6.8 million in 2045. If built, this could generate $3.9-6.2 million in annual net revenue, according to the presentation. The highest revenue-generating route, from the study, would be building the highway from the state line to Ash Little River Road to the U.S. 17 Shallotte Bypass/N.C. 130 area. The study calculated this route could produce a total of $1170 million in revenue from 2035-2085. If completely built to this route, the lifecycle operations and maintenance are anticipated to cost around $660 million, with an additional $410 million in major road maintenance.

The NCDOT website, updated Nov. 21, has the total projected cost at $797 million, over $200 million more than the previous cost estimate. North Carolina’s portion is expected to cost ​$610.9 million, and the anticipated start date is 2028, per the website. A completion date has not been determined. The NCDOT portion of the project is only funded for preliminary engineering, NCDOT representatives previously told the StarNews, but not for right-of-way, utilities or construction. Despite the project anticipated to bring millions of dollars over the years, the analysis shows tolling the road could only support operations and maintenance costs, not create enough revenue to support construction funding through a “toll revenue supported debt.” A toll revenue bond is an example of a toll revenue supported debt. “Analysis shows the project would be unlikely to generate sufficient revenues to reduce the cost of construction to the state as a result of tolling under any of the scenarios analyzed,” the presentation states. The presentation notes the NCDOT and NCTA will continue supporting the organization but are not advocating for a specific path forward. The highway extension project has also been submitted as a toll project in the NCDOT Prioritization 8.0 process.
Read more » click here

Previously reported – June 2025
To fast-track highway extension into Brunswick, leaders push for toll study
A toll could be the only way to fund a new highway connecting North and South Carolina. After years of waiting, one local transportation organization is pressing the gas on a new highway in Brunswick County as the clock continues to tick by without funding.

Here’s what to know.

A new highway?
The N.C. Department of Transportation and the S.C. Department of Transportation are working together to extend S.C. 31, known as Carolina Bays Parkway, from S.C. 9 in Horry County, South Carolina, to U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project began in 2006 with a feasibility study with conceptual alternative routes and has evolved into seven potential​routes being studied. Interactive maps of the alternatives can be viewed on NCDOT’s website.

Funding troubles for North Carolina
The NCDOT’s website, last updated in October 2024, has the total project cost estimated at $552 million with North Carolina’s portion costing $367 million. However, the Federal Infrastructure Projects Permitting Dashboard lists the estimated project cost at $797 million.
Read more » click here

Previously reported – September 2025
Landing spot identified for new highway connecting Brunswick County to SC
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is taking several steps toward moving the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension into Brunswick County. After years of planning and hoping, a recent environment statement has identified a landing spot for the major highway project and kickstarted a public comment period. The NCDOT and the South Carolina Department of Transportation are working together to extend S.C. 31, known as Carolina Bays Parkway, from S.C. 9 in Horry County, South Carolina, to U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. If funded and constructed, the proposed project will result in a new multi-lane full access freeway connecting the Carolinas. The route will be built in phases and could enhance evacuation routes as Brunswick County continues to grow in population.

Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project history
The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project began in 2006 with a feasibility study with conceptual alternative routes. The road, if constructed, could impact places on each side of U.S. 17 in southern Brunswick County. NCDOT has seven alternative maps for preferred routes in Brunswick County that will eventually dump onto U.S. 17. However, five alternatives cross on the northern side of U.S. 17 around Hickman Crossroads along Hickman Road in Calabash. Interactive maps of the alternatives can be viewed on NCDOT’s website. “The primary purpose of the project is to improve transportation in the area by enhancing mobility and connectivity for traffic moving in and through the project area,” per NCDOT website.

New movement on the nearly $800 million project
The NCDOT website, updated Aug. 22, states the $797 million project is in development with an anticipated start date of 2028. The project is also part of NCDOT and SCDOT’s state transportation improvement program.  North Carolina’s portion is expected to cost ​$610.9 million, per the website. “In North Carolina, this project is currently funded for the planning document, but not for right-of-way or construction,” Jenkins said.
Read more » click here

Corrections & Amplifications

Ocean Isle Beach Terminal Groin, Holden Beach AreaOIB Terminal Groin
Ocean Isle Beach completed construction of a terminal groin on its east end in April 2022 to help protect the beach immediately behind it. However, this structure has contributed to significant erosion at the east end near Shallotte Inlet by interrupting natural longshore drift, prompting ongoing efforts such as sandbag use to prevent ocean encroachment on properties in that area.

2024 OIB SHORELINE AND INLET ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT

On Holden Beach, the recent volume change rates (May 2024 to November 2024) along the oceanfront shoreline indicated erosion at 12 of the 21 monitoring stations. Similarly, the MHW shoreline change rates indicated a shoreline retreat at 15 of the 21 monitoring stations. The long-term post-construction linear shoreline changes along the Holden Beach oceanfront shoreline indicated landward retreat. However, volumetric changes indicated slight accretion (0.2 cy/ft./yr.) within this area over the long-term period. The shoreline threshold analysis results along the Holden Beach oceanfront shoreline show that the post-construction shoreline change threshold was exceeded at only one monitoring station. This is the first time a threshold has been exceeded at Holden Beach since this annual analysis started in 2022. In addition, the analysis of May 2024 aerial imagery-derived wet/dry line revealed an 885 ft. section of Holden Beach’s inlet shoreline that exceeded the inlet shoreline threshold by a maximum distance of 100 feet. The inlet shoreline threshold on Holden Beach was also exceeded in Year-2. This marks two straight years where this threshold was exceeded. The inlet shoreline recession is believed to likely be attributed to a combination of morphological changes within Shallotte Inlet including the position and orientation of the main channel through Shallotte Inlet and the formation of a flood channel on the inlet shoulder of Holden Beach. Regardless, as stated in the Plan, because the shoreline changes in this area exceeded the threshold over the entire 2-year confirmation period, an assessment of the proper responsive measures will be made through coordination with State and Federal regulatory officials.

Wooden breakwater structures on a sandy beach under a clear blue sky.Sand is vanishing on east side of Ocean Isles $11M erosion fix
When the Army Corps of Engineers issued its final decision on the terminal groin project here more than eight years ago, the document conveyed a prescient warning. A terminal groin may increase erosion along the easternmost point of Ocean Isle Beach, down-drift of the structure. Today, the shoreline east of terminal groin is being gnawed away, vanishing beach in front of a neighborhood of grand, multimillion-dollar homes built shortly after the $11 million erosion-control structure was completed in spring 2022. A wall of sandbags fends off waves from reaching some of the waterfront homes on the ocean side of the gated community that’s advertised as luxurious coastal living. Several lots remain vacant because the properties no longer have enough beachfront necessary to meet the state’s ocean setback requirements. I would have never developed the property if I had known this was going to happen,said Doc Dunlap, a developer with Pointe OIB, LLC. It’s just devastating to tell you the truth. I even had plans myself to build there, have a summer home.The caveat written in the federal record of decision all those years ago, one that was a central argument in a lawsuit to try and stop the terminal groin from being built, was not explicitly pointed out to the developers of The Pointe, they say. In an email responding to Coastal Review’s questions, the Division of Coastal Management said it, is not aware of any specific notification to those property owners other than the standard (area of environmental concern) hazard notice. We were just under the impression that all of this was going to be extremely positive and help protect this part of the beach, said Jimmy Bell, who contributed to the planning and implementation of the community. And then, once we started experiencing this massive erosion, I started researching groins more. We had engineers and other people that were helping, and we were informed and under the impression that it was going to all be good, and now it’s turning out to not be quite as good. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith pushed back on those claims. My heart breaks for them, but the developers knew that that groin was going in, she said. They knew it was not designed to protect that area. It was not designed to harm it, but they also know that adjacent 2,000 feet west of them was a line of sandbags and most of them had been there for years. The developers are now seeking legal representation as they continue to try to figure out how to protect the oceanfront properties within the 44-lot neighborhood. Mr. Dunlap is extremely disappointed in the decisions made that resulted in the placement and construction of the terminal groin and the erosion damages it has caused,†John Hilton III, corporate counsel to Pointe OIB, stated in an email. He is committed to holding those who made these decisions legally accountable and also seeking a remedy to correct the ongoing erosion. We are working to obtain local legal counsel to explore and pursue all available options.

Erosion-battered shore
The east end of the island at Shallotte Inlet historically accreted and eroded naturally as the inlet wagged back and forth between Ocean Isle Beach and Holden Beach up until Hurricane Hazel hit in 1954. When the powerful hurricane, likely a Category 4 storm using the Saffir-Simpson scale developed in 1971, made landfall in October 1954 near the South Carolina border, it caused the inlet channel to move in a more easterly direction, accelerating erosion at the east end of the barrier island. Erosion has remained persistent in that area since the 1970s, according to N.C. Division of Coastal Management records. The worst of the erosion occurred along about a mile of oceanfront shore beginning near the inlet. An encroaching ocean claimed homes, damaged and destroyed public utilities, and prompted the N.C. Department of Transportation to abandon state-maintained streets. In 2005, the town was permitted to install at the east a wall of sandbags to barricade private properties and infrastructure from ocean waves. Sandbags revetments are, under state rules, to be used as a temporary measure to hold erosion at bay. In 2011, the North Carolina General Assembly repealed a decades-old state law that prohibited permanent, hardened erosion-control structures from being built on North Carolina beaches. Under the revised law, a handful of beach communities, including Ocean Isle Beach, get the option to pursue installing a terminal groin at an inlet area. Terminal groins are wall-like structures built perpendicular to the shore at inlets to contain sand in areas of high erosion like the east end of Ocean Isle Beach. These structures are controversial because they capture sand that travels down the beach near shore, depleting the sand supply to the beach immediately downdrift of the structure, stripping land that is natural habitat for, among others, sea turtles and shorebirds. Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization Island Coordinator Deb Allen said that beach conditions east of the terminal groin have hindered turtles from nesting there this season. Escarpment, sandbags and debris that Allen believes is coming from the development have impeded turtles from accessing the sandy areas they seek to lay their eggs. As of early September, the organization had recorded four false crawls, which is when a female turtle crawls onto a beach only to return to the ocean without laying eggs, and three nests east of the terminal groin, Allen said. The potential for that type of impact to wildlife was argued in a lawsuit the Southern Environmental Law Center filed on behalf of the National Audubon Society in August 2017 challenging the Corps approval of Ocean Isle Beach’s project. The lawsuit claimed that the Corps failed to objectively evaluate alternatives to the terminal groin, including those that would be less costly to Ocean Isle residents and less destructive to the coast, particularly to what was then the undeveloped area on the islands east end. The lawsuit, which later included the town, came to an end in March 2021 after a panel of appellate court judges affirmed a lower courts decision that the Corps fairly considered the alternatives included in an environmental impact statement, or EIS, examining the proposed project. As we went through and talked about the impacts of terminal groins in the EIS, this was the central argument will the land east of the groin erode at a more rapid pace? And, everything we could point to, all of the science, said yes, said Geoff Gisler, program director of SELC’s Chapel Hill office. There’s only so much sand and the way that these structures operate is they keep more of it in one place and necessarily take it from somewhere else. That’s why we have seen over and over again that when you build a groin towards the end of an island, what happens is the island erodes at the end. That there is less sand going to the east end is not an accident.

Righting this wrong
Gisler said the SELC will be following how the town and the Corps respond to the erosion that is occurring east of the terminal groin. The town committed and the Corps committed to righting this wrong if it occurred and that’s what we’ll be looking at, he said. Under conditions in the town’s federal permit, the town is required to monitor the sand spit east of The Pointe as well as the town’s shoreline and that of neighboring Holden Beach to the west. Should those shorelines erode past boundaries identified in 1999, consideration will be given to modifying the structure to allow more sediment to move from west to east past the structure,†according to final EIS. The town also has the option to nourish an eroded shoreline. In the event the negative impacts of the terminal groin cannot be mitigated with beach nourishment or possible modifications to the design of the terminal groin, the terminal groin would be removed, the EIS states. The Corps and the Division of Coastal Management are reviewing the monitoring report submitted by the engineering firm hired by the town, Coastal Protection Engineering of North Carolina. That report indicates that erosion has exceeded the 1999 shoreline threshold for the area immediately east of the groin. However, the applicant is working on a modification request to alter this threshold as the shoreline had eroded landward of part of that threshold prior to construction of the groin, according to the division. A beach maintenance project scheduled for fall 2026 to inject sand west of the terminal groin is anticipated to increase the rate of sand that bypasses the terminal groin and would serve to ˜feed the shoreline immediately east of the groin with additional material,†according to the town’s engineer. But The Pointe’s developers and property owners say they can’t wait another year. There’s got to be an exception to the standard application restrictions (i.e., sandbag placement and height) the (Coastal Area Management Act/Coastal Resources Commission) process has today to protect near term east of the groin due to emergency status and a path longer term that can get us to a point of evaluating what we can do for the groin from a redesign standpoint that would protect all both west and east of the groin, property owner Brendan Flynn said. What we’re dealing with now in my view is we need to have another review of what could be done to enhance the groin’s performance to benefit and protect the other part of this island. Smith said that the terminal groin is doing what it was designed to do. It is building up right adjacent to the groin, she said. It just has not built anything far enough down to protect this new development. I wish Mother Nature would reserve herself and build it up right now instead of taking it away. I wish I had some magic bullet for them too, but I don’t today. It’s really up to them to take some action. Kerri Allen, director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s southeast office in Wrightsville Beach, called the situation heartbreaking, but not surprising. The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review. When you alter the natural movement of sand with a hardened structure like the terminal groin, you might protect one stretch of beach, but you inevitably put other areas at greater risk, she said. And, unfortunately, the erosion we’re seeing east of the groin is exactly what experts warn could happen. That being said, the purpose of this groin was to protect existing infrastructure that was already at risk. Instead, new homes were built in an area that’s incredibly vulnerable and these homeowners are now facing devastating losses. Moving forward, we need to focus on solutions that don’t just shift the problem from one place to another and ensure that public resources aren’t used to subsidize these risky, short-term development decisions. I think this is a pivotal moment for Ocean Isle and for other coastal towns, she continued. We have an opportunity to step back, look at the science, and commit to managing our coast in a way that protects both our communities and the natural systems that sustain them. That means resisting the temptation to build our way out of these challenges because, ultimately, the ocean always wins.
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Construction site with heavy machinery and building under cloudy sky.

Town of Ocean Isle Beach provides update on East End erosion
The town of Ocean Isle Beach is evaluating response options after recent monitoring data showed erosion exceeded trigger points at the East End. Town officials said the shoreline is regularly monitored east of the terminal groin as required by state and federal permits. Monitoring determines when erosion or shoreline changes reach levels that require review and, if warranted, action. According to recent data, erosion has impacted a limited section just east of the terminal and has exceeded one of the trigger points. The town must work with agencies to consider how to address the erosion, with options including placing sand on the affected section or adjusting the terminal groin. “Importantly, this requirement is a condition of the Town’s permit issued in 2016. It applies regardless of nearby development, construction, or underlying cause of the erosion. This process is to ensure the Town follows the requirements included in the permits, which were approved after a multi-year public and regulatory review,” officials wrote in an announcement. Officials are working with the town’s engineering team, the N.C. Division of Coastal Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review conditions and evaluate possible next steps. The requirements apply whether or not development exists nearby, officials said. If erosion limits are exceeded, the town is required to act regardless of adjacent properties. “Shorelines near inlets naturally change over time. Historical monitoring shows this area has experienced significant landward movement long before the terminal groin was built, which is why long-term monitoring and required responses were included in the permits,” town officials wrote. The erosion limits and monitoring requirements were established as part of the Shoreline and Inlet Management Plan approved by the N.C. Division of Coastal Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Officials said doing nothing could place the town out of compliance with its permits and result in more erosion, higher future costs and fewer ways to address the problem later. Questions can be directed to Town Manager Justin W. Whiteside by phone or email.
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Erosion at Brunswick beach under review after major road washout
After a portion of a new beachfront community road washed away, erosion near the Ocean Isle Beach terminal groin could require action from local and federal agencies. On Jan. 6, the town of Ocean Isle Beach announced recent monitoring data showed erosion in a section east of the terminal groin has exceeded a point that now requires review and possible action from the town, along with state and federal agencies. The Pointe at Ocean Isle Beach is a new, gated “luxurious beach community,” per the development’s website. The community has 44 single family homes, some being oceanfront and marsh front homesites, according to the website. At the end of September and beginning of October 2025, part of The Pointe’s road began to wash out due to high tides and stormy weather. The washout only worsened as more of the road washed away. Homes have not been not damaged, but residents remain concerned, Cheek Team Real Estate Agent Cherri Cheek said. The homeowners are responsible for rebuilding the road, Cheek added. After living in the area for 40 years and seeing some erosion on Ocean Isle Beach’s east end, Cheek said this was the most amount of erosion she has seen at that location. There was once around 400 feet of beach beyond the residential lots, said Cheek, describing the recent erosion as “substantial.” Cheek worries a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging project that never took place last March could have lowered the amount and impact of erosion. “I’m really disappointed that we had that much erosion there,” Cheek said. “The erosion caused one more lot to not be a buildable lot.”

Potential solutions are under review
Some residents believe the town allowed the development to build too close to the inlet. However, development near inlets are regulated by state and federal agencies. “If a project meets those regulations and receives approval, the town does not have the authority to deny it based solely because of its location near an inlet,” per the town’s website. “Shoreline management and development approvals are separate processes.” Recent annual monitoring data shows that erosion in that section is requiring action from the town, per the recent update. The town is working with its engineering team, the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review conditions and evaluate next steps. Options to address the issue currently under review include, placing sand on the affected section of beach or making structural modifications to the terminal groin. Both options are outlined in the approved management plan. No final decision has been made as of Jan. 13. “We will continue to share updates as the process moves forward and appreciate the community’s interest in responsible shoreline management,” the town website states.

About the terminal groin
Days after the road began to wash away, Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith posted on the town’s Facebook page a timeline of the terminal groin project and The Pointe development. Smith stated the terminal groin project initial scoping meeting was in October 2012, noting construction of the terminal groin did not commence until November 2021, after the final environmental impact statement was completed and the Coastal Area Management Act permit issued. The Pointe development was first proposed and approved between 2015 and October 2016, Smith said. However, Smith said the Coastal Area Management Act permit issued in June 2018 was followed by a new sketch plan of the development in December 2019, Smith said. The final subdivision was approved in 2022, Smith said. The town regularly monitors shoreline conditions east of the terminal groin as required by state and federal permits. This monitoring follows set standards to determine when erosion or shoreline changes reach levels that require review and possible action, according to the town. “It applies regardless of nearby development, construction, or underlying cause of the erosion,” per the town’s website. “This process is to ensure the town follows the requirements included in the permits, which were approved after a multi-year public and regulatory review.”
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Ocean Isle seeks to modify permit, nourish beach at east inlet
Ocean Isle Beach hopes to pump tens of thousands of cubic yards of sand onto the beach at the easternmost tip of the island by this spring as an erosion stopgap. The Brunswick County town has asked the Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District for authorization to have up to 70,000 cubic yards of sand placed east of its terminal groin where erosion has been chipping away at the shoreline in front of a luxury neighborhood. The Corps announced late last week that it is accepting public comments through March 8 on the town’s application to modify the federal permit it received in 2016 to build the terminal groin at Shallotte Inlet. As it stands, that permit does not allow sand to be placed east of the terminal groin. A terminal groin is a wall-like structure built perpendicular to the shore at inlets to contain sand in areas with high rates of erosion. Proposed modifications to the permit include placing sand along an 1,875-foot stretch of shoreline at The Pointe, a gated community whose oceanfront property owners have been desperately trying to hold back an encroaching sea. Under the terms of the proposed permit changes, this would be a one-time beach nourishment project. The town is also asking for its permitted sand borrow source in Shallotte Inlet to be expanded from about 83 acres to a little more than 117 acres, to add a new borrow area within the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and be allowed to work outside of the environmental window for dredging from April 30 to June 15. Ocean Isle Beach Town Manager Justin Whiteside said on Tuesday that the town wants to get the modified permit as quickly as possible in hopes that the sand placement project would coincide with a federal dredging project. The Corps announced last September it had awarded a nearly $8.5 million contract to maintenance dredge several areas along the Intracoastal, including at the Shallotte Inlet crossing. Whiteside explained that Ocean Isle Beach anticipates receiving 25,000 cubic yards of sand “that the town is paying for” from the Corps through the inlet crossing project. “The hope is to get this permit modified within the timeframe that the Corps’ contractor is here on site and then we could contract with them possibly to dredge more in that federal channel or go into that inlet borrow area to put that additional sand there,” he said. Whiteside said the town does not yet have an approximate cost of its proposal to nourish the beach east of the terminal groin. Ocean Isle’s east end had for decades been losing ground to chronic erosion, the worst of which occurred along about a mile of ocean shoreline beginning near the inlet. An encroaching ocean claimed homes damaged, destroyed public utilities, and prompted the North Carolina Department of Transportation to abandon state-maintained streets there. To stave off further erosion, the town in 2005 was permitted to install a wall of sandbags to protect private properties from getting swallowed up by the sea. In 2011, Ocean Isle Beach was, along with a handful of other beach communities, allowed to pursue the option of installing a terminal groin at an inlet area after the North Carolina General Assembly repealed a law that banned hardened erosion control structures on the state’s ocean shorelines. Five years later, the town received state and federal approval to build a 750-foot terminal groin. But before construction could begin, the Southern Environmental Law Center in August 2017 filed a lawsuit on behalf of the National Audubon Society challenging the Corps’ approval of the project. More than three years passed before the lawsuit, which later included the town, concluded after an appellate court affirmed a lower court’s decision that the Corps fairly considered the alternatives included in an environmental impact statement examining the proposed project. Construction of the $11 million project was completed in the spring of 2022, the same year the final plan for The Pointe, a 44-lot subdivision, was approved for development. By fall 2025, The Pointe’s oceanfront properties were suffering significant erosion. Last November, the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission unanimously agreed to grant permission to the owners of eight lots in that neighborhood to install larger than typically allowed sandbag structures waterward of their land. Whiteside said Tuesday that those sandbags had not been installed. Sand in the area east of the terminal groin, he said, appears to be “recovering a little bit.” “We think over the past month and a half or so that we’ve gained, just looking at aerial photographs, approximately 5,000 cubic yards of sand that’s deposited east of the groin, so some of the beach is building back up in that area,” Whiteside said. He explained that in 2022 the town’s federal beach nourishment project took place in conjunction with the construction of the terminal groin. “The dredger came through and we had a huge spit on the east end of the island and that contractor came through and just dredged right through that spit and took it down to a negative 15-foot elevation,” Whiteside said. “It’s kind of filled back in now and we’re thinking that’s why we’re seeing the growth back east of the groin. We’re hoping this shows that that’s some of what contributed to it, that it was maybe our own nourishment project through the Corps.” “But, in the meantime, we know this is a short-term solution that we’ve got to figure out some type of long-term solution to, so our engineer firm is going to be doing some modeling to see what kind of modifications, if any, need to take place to the existing groin,” he continued. Comments on the proposed project should refer the permit application number (SAW-2011-01241) and may be submitted to the Corps electronically through the Regulatory Request System at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or by email to Tyler Crumbley at tyler.a.crumbley2@usace.army.mil . Written comments may be mailed to Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, Attention: Tyler Crumbley, 69 Darlington Ave., Wilmington, NC 28403. The Corps will consider written requests for a public hearing to be held to consider the proposed application modifications.
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Odds & Ends

Holden Beach Turtle Patrol unveils 2026 T-shirt design
The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol has announced its 2026 T-shirt design, one chosen from 23 design contest entries from five states. Its message “tells a conservation story, and it represents the teamwork and dedication required to protect sea turtles today and inspire conservation-minded leaders for the future,” the all-volunteer nonprofit said Wednesday. he 2026 contest winners are Addison Hedin, a freshman at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Terrie Buchner, an active member of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol. Their collaborative design, “Every Turtle Counts … Every Action Matters,” “reflects the shared commitment to sea turtle conservation, education and environmental stewardship that defines our Turtle Patrol mission,” according to the organization. Merchandise featuring the new design, also including hats and bags, is now for sale at the organization’s website at www.hbturtlewatch.org. Use the “Shop & Donate Here!” pull-down menu or click the online shopping link on the homepage to view the catalog and make a purchase by credit card or check. The merchandise is also available to purchase at The Lighthouse Gift store on the causeway to Holden Beach, 3434 Holden Beach Road. Sea turtles face increasing threats from habitat loss, artificial light, human disturbance, and climate-related challenges, according to the Turtle Patrol, which works each nesting season to monitor nests, protect hatchlings, and educate the public on how simple actions, such as filling holes, limiting light pollution and respecting marked nests, can make a difference. Proceeds from merchandise sales support the patrol’s ongoing conservation efforts. The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol was founded in 1989 to monitor and protect the sea turtle population on Holden Beach. The organization operates under the authority of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. For more information about the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol, visit the website or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
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Holden Beach turtle patrol launches adopt-a-nest program
The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program is launching an adopt-a-nest sponsorship program. Nests will be available for adoption on a first-come, first-serve basis as they are laid along the Brunswick County island’s shore. The adoption fee is $125 per nest. The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program, also referred to as the turtle patrol, will provide an electronic certificate of adoption to an adoptee as well as display that adoptee’s name at the nest. Photos and details of adopted nests will be shared with their adoptees throughout sea turtle nesting season, which runs May 1 – Aug. 31. Funds collected through the adopt-a-nest program will support the turtle patrol’s efforts to protect endangered sea turtles on Holden Beach. This program is symbolic only, meaning no person may claim ownership of a nest, its eggs or hatchlings. For questions about the adopt-a-nest program email adoptanest@hbturtlewatch.org.
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A Cartoon with Bag in a Running Position, Breaking News

Nest Adoptions Sold Out
OMG we are overwhelmed with the interest in our Adopt a Nest Program. Currently there are no nests available for adoption. We had a limited number of nests designated for adoption (because we really don’t know how many nests will be laid this year—last year it was only 35) and they went fast. The Adopt a Nest committee will evaluate opening up more nest adoptions once we get into the season. Please watch this page for NEWS or follow us on Facebook for updates. Note: a decision to add more nests into the Adopt a Nest Program will probably not be made until we are well into this year’s turtle season. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support of this program and our sea turtles on Holden Beach. In the meantime, what can you do to help support us and our turtles? Go to the shop/donate/adopt a nest page of this website to see our new online store. We’re offering great deals on 2025 shirts. Trying to get that inventory gone before the new 2026 shirts are announced.

Two Turtle Loggerheads Walking on Beach Towards Ocean

Apply now to join Holden Beach turtle watch program
The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol is accepting applicants for new trainees for the 2026 sea turtle nesting season. During nesting season, which runs from May through October, volunteers with the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program patrol the Brunswick County island’s ocean shoreline for turtle crawls, locate nests, relocate eggs from nests that are in unsafe locations, mark and nests, and monitor them until hatchlings are released.

Last year, sea turtles laid 35 nests on the island, according to the organization. Those nests contained a little more than 4,000 eggs. Of those, the organization documented 2,389 hatchlings. Anyone interested may complete an online submission form. Candidates will be interviewed by Steve McNeill, program coordinator, who will explain the program, volunteer training, as well as other duties and responsibilities.
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HB Turtle Watch donates to Holden Beach Chapel
Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program Board Members Laura Hager, Steve McNeill, Deva Tucker and Barb Taylor recently met with four members of the Holden Beach Chapel Board of Trustees — Richard McCain, Ann Landis, Bubba Rollins and Doc Beatty — to present them with a $500 donation. The HBTWP’s donation expresses the program’s gratitude for the strong community partnership with the Holden Beach Chapel which allows the group to host their Holden Beach Turtle Patrol annual meeting in April, and their “Children’s Turtle Time” and “Turtle Talk” educational programs in the summer in the Chapel’s Fellowship Room. Without the Chapel’s generosity, HBTWP would not be able to execute their sea turtle ambassador program on Holden Beach. In 2025, 1,180 visitors and residents learned about sea turtles by attending education programs at the Holden Beach Chapel.

About the HBTWP

The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program, founded in 1989, monitors and protects the sea turtle population on Holden Beach. This all-volunteer nonprofit conservation organization operates under the authority of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission ES Permit 26ST11.
For more information, check out their website at: https://www.hbturtlewatch.org/.
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This and That

Brunswick adopts 100-year storm standard to curb flooding from future developments
New developments in Brunswick County will soon be held to a higher standard of flood protection, as local officials overhaul stormwater rules after repeated flooding issues have surfaced countywide. In a unanimous vote on Jan. 20, the Board of Commissioners approved updates to the county’s Stormwater Management Manual and Ordinance, raising the county’s stormwater standard from a 25-year to a 100-year storm event. The move followed public pressure in the wake of 2024’s Potential Tropical Cyclone 8, which many residents said indicated previous stormwater regulations were no longer sufficient. Developers have been required to design stormwater systems capable of managing runoff from storms expected to occur once every 25 years. Under the updated rules, almost all projects must now prove drainage infrastructure can handle storms with a 1% annual probability — commonly known as 100-year events — without increasing runoff beyond pre-development levels.  Precipitation data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates 100-year events in southeastern North Carolina can dump between 10 to 13 inches of rain over a 24-hour period. By comparison, 25-year storms produce about 7 to 9 inches of rain in the same time period. NOAA and National Weather Service analyses show heavy precipitation events are increasing in frequency and intensity across North Carolina, with studies projecting extreme rainfall — the heaviest 1% of storms — could become roughly 25% more intense by 2075. Deputy Engineering Services Director Bridget Flora noted many larger residential subdivision projects are often already meeting the 100-year storm standard voluntarily. However, making the requirement mandatory means all projects — commercial and residential — can no longer bypass the threshold without formal review. PTC8 was considered a 1,000-year event, bringing extreme rainfall to Brunswick County, with the National Weather Service reporting roughly 12 to 20 inches of rain across parts of the county. The storm caused widespread flooding and an estimated $50 million to $100 million in damages across southeastern North Carolina. Port City Daily asked Brunswick County for an updated estimate of PTC8 related spending. This will be updated upon response.  The new ordinance does include an exemption for smaller project sites unable to physically meet the 100-year standard. For example, a coffee shop planned on a half-acre lot might not have the space to accommodate designing for a 100-year storm, which often requires larger retention ponds and more land devoted to drainage infrastructure. The small amount of land also must account for required parking, setbacks, and other needs. To qualify for an exemption, developers must demonstrate compliance would make a site undevelopable, while still meeting at least the 25-year storm threshold. Exemptions would first be reviewed by county staff, with appeals coming before commissioners for the final say. Only one resident spoke during Tuesday’s public hearing — Ernie McLaney, a volunteer spokesperson for Citizens for Better Brunswick. A local non-partisan advocacy group, it focuses on sustainable growth and infrastructure transparency. While favoring the 100-year timeline, McLaney criticized the new ordinance’s small-site exemptions, arguing it shifts long-term costs from developers to residents. “If exceptions are allowed, developers save money up front by avoiding full compliance, and then all citizens pay on the back end through stormwater fees, repairs, and damage recovery,” he said. He also highlighted the economic cost of flooding, citing FEMA research suggesting every $1 spent on mitigation saves approximately $6 in future recovery costs. McLaney argued that the cost of failing to mitigate can be higher when factoring in property and infrastructure damage, and business interruption. Commissioner Randy Thompson echoed McLaney’s concerns and initially moved to mandate the 100-year storm requirement for all projects, regardless of lot size. It  received a spattering of applause from members of the public. On top of being a commissioner, Thompson is the chief executive officer of Thompson Disaster Recovery Associates Inc., which advises government agencies on disaster preparedness, recovery, and emergency management. He also served as Brunswick County’s emergency services director from 2000 to 2009.  “If you’re in and can be impacted by the 100-year, why not build it to that and make sure that you are covered all the way around as far as the buildability of the land,” Thompson said. “I don’t see where the minimum design for the 25-year should even be in place.” However, county attorney Bryan Batton cautioned Thompson’s motion, explaining removing all exemptions could be considered as “government taking.” Simply stated, “taking” occurs when government regulations are so restrictive they strip a property of all practical or economic use. If the ordinance provides no path for relief or appeal, the owner could sue the county for the full value of the land. Multiple commissioners chimed in, asking staff what specifically constitutes a “small site” for exemption. Flora said they are not defined by a specific acreage but refer to compact commercial lots where meeting the 100-year standard would be difficult due to lot size. After debate, Thompson ultimately amended his motion to align with staff recommendation, maintaining exemptions for smaller sites unable to meet the standard due to technical constraints. To prevent retention ponds from consuming excessive buildable land, the updated rules allow developers to use emergency spillways — an outlet to release water from retention ponds during heavy rain. Developers can design ponds to hold the 100-year volume, but they are allowed to use a reinforced spillway to “bleed off” excess water in a controlled manner during extreme events, rather than requiring the pond walls to be built high enough to contain the entire surge. Although emergency spillways were not previously required under the county’s stormwater rules, they have been commonly included in engineering designs. In practical terms, the change allows developers to meet the 100-year standard without dedicating as much land to retention ponds, while still reducing flood risk. The regulation change comes as the county is also exploring the possibility of implementing a stormwater utility department, which would be funded through a dedicated fee paid by property owners. The fee would support maintenance and improvements to stormwater infrastructure, including drainage and retention systems. Stormwater management is currently handled by county engineering and public works departments, with costs covered through the county general fund and state and federal grants. A feasibility study for the utility fund is underway, though a proposal has yet to come before the board. 
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Fauna & Flora –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

NC State Native Plant Resources » click here

NC Native Plants for Pollinators » click here

NC Sea Grant Coastal Landscapes » click here

New Hanover County Arboretum Native Plant Garden » click here

Audubon Native Plant Database » click here

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox » click here

Fauna & Flora » click here
Holden Beach recommended plant list – deer resistant & salt tolerant

Factoid That May Interest Only Me 

A boat sailing through a calm river at sunset near a harbor.History of The Intracoastal Waterway
Many people know the Intracoastal Waterway as a home to canal houses, a place to cruise a boat without the rough waters of the open ocean, or a center stage for water sports in beach towns up the east coast. But they may not know the history of the 3,000 mile inland waterway. The ICW as it’s known stretches from Boston, Massachusetts down to the coast of Florida and into the gulf coast, ending in Brownsville, Texas. The developers of the waterway incorporated naturally occurring rivers, inlets, sounds, and bays and connecting them with man-made channels. The purpose of the waterway was to improve transportation routes for circumnavigation using minimal ocean travel.

A Big Idea
The improvement of the country’s natural transportation routes was a major concern for all geographic regions and from a national perspective of building and binding the nation. In 1802, at the request of the Senate, Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin presented a plan for future transportation developments. Gallatin’s plan covered the details of engineering, construction, and costs, including the national benefits to accrue from lowered transportation costs between domestic and international markets. His full $20 million, 10-year plan was never approved. With the War of 1812 highlighting the need for better water transportation, Gallatin’s plan was brought back into view. In 1824, the General Survey Act made a detailed analysis of the rivers, harbors, and sounds provided a sound base for the Intracoastal Waterway began to form. By this time, the United States Army Corps of Engineers took responsibility for waterway improvements and maintenance. In 1826, Congress decided to allow for the first survey for a canal on the inland side, between the Gulf and the ocean which also led to the growth of steam power for transportation on both land and sea. The coastal improvements continued going forward, but things suffered when the Civil War concluded. There also became a larger priority in railroad transportation over water transport. However, water transport maintained an advantage over railroads by providing a larger hauling capacity.

The Need For More in the 1900s
Once the 20th century rolled around, the diesel engine had just been invented and was being used in transportation fuels from coal and steam. Fuel consumption was up and studies began to find the most efficient methods for moving cargo. Now that the established channels were deepened, steering improved and usage increased. And at the same time, the Panama Canal Act was passed to revive waterway transportation in the US. Opening the Panama Canal for coastal shipping made an easy route to the west coast. When World War I exploded, there was a desperate need for bulk cargo transport and Congress established the Federal Barge Lines to create cheaper ways to transport supplies. The waterway flourished and expanded in the 1920s with the construction of both Louisiana and Texas Intracoastal Waterways. The final push for the completed Intracoastal Waterway came during World War II. German submarines sank numerous merchant ships off the East Coast, which spotlighted the driving urgency to have the waterway connect the way between New Orleans and Corpus Christi, making the majority of the continental US reachable within its own borders.

The ICW Today
Currently, the law requires a minimum depth of 12 feet throughout the waterway, but funding has been an issue. Many shallow sections exist with depths around 7 to 9 feet. Fuel taxes are charged since there are no tolls and this helps to maintain facilities. The first fuel tax was imposed in 1978 which started at 4¢ per gallon. Since then it has been raised to 20¢ starting in 1995. To collect and administer these taxes and funds the federal government created the Inland Waterways Trust Fund under the US Treasury, which is used to cover half the cost of new construction and major rehabilitation of the inland waterways infrastructure. The waterway is used today for a good amount of commercial activity, but of course, also for recreational purposes. Boatowners often sail up and down the ICW in Summer and Winter, preferring to navigate the waterway rather than the open ocean. The waterway also allows access to major ports in popular cities and states such as Savannah, Mississippi, Alabama, Delaware, and, of course, North Carolina Beaches.
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Amid record growth, groups protect tracts from development
More people moved to North Carolina last year from different parts of the country than any other state in the nation. North Carolina’s population grew by almost 150,000 people, trailing behind only Texas and Florida, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released last month. As political leaders grapple with the demands that growth is placing on essential services like water and sewer, public safety and education, pressure is mounting on conservation groups to acquire, conserve and preserve land. This month, more than 2,000 acres in coastal counties have been secured for permanent protection from development. These newly protected areas are filled with natural landscape features that reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and provide habitat for plants and animals that are increasingly getting squeezed out by encroaching development. In Brunswick County, one of the fastest growing in the state, North Carolina-based conservation nonprofit Unique Places to Save acquired land that serves as a corridor between two protected natural areas, bridging what amounts to nearly 10,000 acres of conserved landscape. “We really want to be able to maintain large, connected natural areas for habitat for species and to maintain biodiversity of our natural areas,” Unique Places to Save Executive Director Christine Pickens told Coastal Review in a recent telephone interview. “And, particularly, in the southeast of North Carolina, we have some really cool endemic species and really wonderful habitats that you don’t find anywhere else.” Within the 1,040-acre tract nestled between the towns of St. James and Boiling Spring Lakes are forested wetlands, Carolina bays, sandy pine and wet sandy pine savanna. The tract, referred to as Boiling Springs Wilderness, specifically connects thousands of acres of owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy at Orton Plantation with the North Carolina Boiling Spring Lakes Plant Conservation Preserve. “When you connect these large areas, you’re connecting a mosaic across the landscape and there’s tiny variations of habitat availability,” Pickens explained. “What that does is allow species that use that area for habitat, refuge, or migration to use those slight variations of habitat. When we experience extremes in weather, precipitation or drought or big storms, having just a little bit of wiggle room in terms of available habitat goes a long way to allowing species to be resilient to some of these extremes and some of these changes.” Habitat that is free from being sliced up by ditches or roads is valuable to species that rely on that habitat, she said. Take the red cockaded woodpecker, for example. These birds, which were reclassified in late 2024 from endangered to threatened, live in groups, or clusters, helping each other raise their young. They depend on large, connected natural areas – typically anywhere from 125 to 200 acres – where living pine trees, preferably mature, longleaf pine forests, grow. Boiling Springs Wilderness includes varying types of soils that support different sets of plants, trees, shrubs and forbs, more commonly referred to as herbs. A good deal of pond pine and a “little bit” of young longleaf pine grace its landscape, Pickens said. The headwaters of Orton Creek are within the project area, as are wetlands that blanket the Castle Hayne aquifer, a drinking water source for thousands of Brunswick County residents and tens of thousands in other coastal North Carolina areas. “That’s a long-term way to protect water quality,” Pickens said. “The areas around streams act as buffers to absorb nutrients, runoff, excess components in surface water that soak in, and they get absorbed by the plants and the roots and the soils around streams. That prevents excess nutrients getting into waterways.” Then there are the wetlands, which function like nature’s sponges, absorbing stormwater that might otherwise flood developed properties. “Every chance we get to conserve wetlands is really important right now,” Pickens said. That’s because state lawmakers decided to align North Carolina’s definition of wetlands with that of the federal government, which is in the process of changing the interpretation of waters of the United States that may omit protections for millions of acres of wetlands in the state. “It may result in more wetlands being nonjurisdictional, therefore a lot more likely to be converted to uplands through ditching and draining. These conservation easements are perpetual. Once we protect it, that’s it,” Pickens said. The Boiling Springs Wilderness project was funded through a $3.68 million North Carolina Land and Water Fund grant. Unique Places to Save will own and manage the tract, while the state will hold the conservation easement. The Coastal Land Trust will steward that easement. Last year, Unique Places to Save applied for another state Land and Water Fund grant to protect about 500 acres of predominately wetlands between the town of St. James and N.C. Highway 211. “We’ve got a provisional award from the Land and Water Fund so if they have enough funding we may get funded this year for that effort,” Pickens said. She touted efforts among other groups that work to conserve land throughout the state, including the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Plant Conservation Program, North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, and Cape Fear Arch to name a few.

Tyrrell County parcel transferred
Last week, national nonprofit The Conservation Fund finalized the transfer of ownership of about 1,550 acres of coastal wetlands and forestland in Tyrrell County to the Coastal Federation. “This partnership reflects years of careful conservation planning and cooperation,” Coastal Federation Executive Director Braxton Davis stated in a release. “This acquisition protects important coastal wetlands that help filter water, support fish and wildlife habitat, and provide natural flood buffering in on the of the state’s most ecologically significant regions.” Portions of the Tyrrell County property, which is valued at an estimated $1.7 million, are in the Land and Water Fund’s Stewardship Program, one designed to establish, monitor and enforce perpetual conservation agreements. The property will be included as part of the Coastal Federation’s Land for a Healthy Coast program, which focuses on protecting estuaries, reducing polluted runoff, buffering floods, and boosting long-term coastal resilience. “Some lands are simply too important to risk losing,” Coastal Federation founder and senior adviser Todd Miller said in the release. “When a property protects water quality, supports fisheries, and strengthens the natural defenses of the coast, we believe it’s our responsibility to step forward and ensure it is permanently conserved and well managed.”
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This NC destination is the No. 1 ‘most desirable’ place to live, US report finds North Carolina is home to the most desirable place to live in the United States, a new report finds.

Brunswick County ranks No. 1 on a list of top counties people have considered calling home, according to results the website U.S. News & World Report last updated in late January. “The Southern region of the U.S. has by far the most sought-after relocation destinations in our research,” U.S. News wrote in its report. “Mild temperatures, coastal living and year-round outdoor activities are likely driving this interest, though lower costs of living, with more affordable housing, may also factor into this.”  Brunswick County is located along the coast in the southeastern corner of North Carolina. The destination topped the national list after U.S. News said it studied the ratio of people moving into and out of counties across the country. It also considered the places that people looked up online in 2025, focusing on searches that indicated their interest in moving.

Which other NC counties rank high?
Brunswick County — which has roughly 167,000 residents — is home to the popular waterfront destinations of Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach and Southport. It wasn’t the only North Carolina destination to make its mark on the national list.

Here’s how other counties fared in the top 50 rankings:

      • Catawba County at No. 7
      • Gaston County at No. 10
      • Johnston County at No. 14
      • New Hanover County at No. 24
      • Henderson County at No. 27
      • Wake County at No. 36
      • Union County at No. 39
      • Alamance County at No. 44
      • Buncombe County at No. 48
      • Iredell County at No. 50

And here are some other North Carolina highlights from the U.S. News rankings:

      • North Carolina at No. 4 for most desirable states
      • Apex at No. 10 for most desirable cities

Why people are dreaming about NC?
So, what makes North Carolina so attractive? It’s a mix, with U.S. News saying people may be drawn to jobs, the state’s relative affordability or other factors. “The South Atlantic region includes popular vacation and retirement spots and plenty of natural beauty, coinciding with outdoor recreation opportunities like boating and golfing,” U.S. News wrote, adding that the South dominated the list of places potential movers were dreaming about. It’s not the first time North Carolina was named one of the hottest states. In 2024, the real estate website Clever also ranked it among the top places drawing people’s interest in moving, The News & Observer reported.
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Storm Events 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in this month’s water bill. It is important that you place your decals in your vehicle or in a safe place. A $10 fee will be assessed to anyone who needs to obtain either additional or replacement decals. Decals will not be issued in the 24-hour period before an anticipated order of evacuation.

The decals are your passes to get back onto the island to check your property in the event that an emergency would necessitate restricting access to the island. Decals must be displayed in the driver side lower left-hand corner of the windshield, where they are not obstructed by any other items. Officials must be able to clearly read the decal from outside the vehicle.

Property owners without a valid decal will not be allowed on the island during restricted access. No other method of identification is accepted in an emergency situation. Click here to visit the Town website to find out more information regarding decals and emergency situations.

EVACUATION, CURFEW & DECALS

NC General Statute 166A-19.22
Power of municipalities and counties to enact ordinances to deal with states of emergency.

Synopsis – The governing body may impose by declaration or enacted ordinance, prohibitions, and restrictions during a state of emergency. This includes the prohibition and restriction of movements of people in public places, including imposing a curfew; directing or compelling the voluntary or mandatory evacuation of all or part of the population, controlling ingress and egress of an emergency area, and providing for the closure of streets, roads, highways, bridges, public vehicular areas. All prohibitions and restrictions imposed by declaration or ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication of the declaration unless the declaration sets a later time. The prohibitions and restrictions shall expire when they are terminated by the official or entity that imposed them, or when the state of emergency terminates.

Violation – Any person who violates any provisions of an ordinance or a declaration enacted or declared pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Hot Button Issues

Subjects that are important to people and about which they have strong opinions

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Climate
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There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear

Climate Change Is Fueling Extremes, Both Hot and Cold
The possibility of snow in Tampa, Fla. Record heat and fires in Australia. Scientists say climate change is exacerbating weather extremes.
On a typical winter day, the Arctic air that has gripped much of the United States this week should be a few thousand miles to the north, sitting atop the North Pole. But as man-made climate change continues to disrupt global weather patterns, that mass of cold air, known as the polar vortex, is straying beyond its usual confines. The escaped polar vortex is just one instance of extreme weather playing out right now around the world. With so much cold air much farther south than usual, typically frigid regions have become relatively balmy. “While cold conditions in the U.S. have made headlines, Greenland and the Arctic have quietly had a remarkably mild winter,” wrote Ben Noll, a meteorologist at The Washington Post. Elsewhere, extreme heat is raging. Australia is reeling from a record heat wave that has pushed temperatures past 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 49 Celsius, in some areas, leading to fires and power outages. In central Africa, brutal heat has shattered records in recent days, with countries north of the Equator hitting temperatures above 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder colds. Hotter hots. These are the intense bouts of unusual weather that scientists for decades warned would become more common with global warming. “This is the thing we’ve talked about with climate change,” said Judson Jones, a Times meteorologist and reporter. “The extremes are going to be more extreme.” Around the world, climate change is making heat waves more intense, more persistent and extending heat over larger areas, said Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center. “On top of that, increased moisture in the atmosphere makes the heat more dangerous because sweating as a cooling mechanism doesn’t work as well,” she added. Global warming is also intensifying droughts. With a warm atmosphere holding more moisture, water is evaporating faster, drying out soils. “The combination of heat and drought is a recipe for wildland fires, which are becoming more numerous and destructive,” Francis said. And when it rains, it pours. All that additional moisture in the atmosphere is leading to an uptick in heavy precipitation events. “When a storm does form, it has more moisture to dump as rain or snow,” she said. Meanwhile, another winter storm — this one coming in from the Atlantic Ocean — is set to hit the eastern U.S. this weekend. There’s even a possibility of snow in Tampa, Fla., something that hasn’t happened in four decades.

A blast of cold air
The polar vortex is a large, rotating expanse of cold air that generally swirls over the Arctic. And it’s normally an afterthought. “The stratospheric polar vortex exists only in winter, and usually has little influence on our weather,” said Francis. “But when it is disrupted — which means instead of being strong and circular over the North Pole, it becomes weak, elongated or split,” she said, “it can bolster cold spells like the one happening over the eastern U.S. now.” Some scientists believe that one cause of the disruption of the polar vortex is melting sea ice. Less ice means that the difference in temperature between the Arctic and areas farther south is not as large. This has the effect of weakening the westward winds of the jet stream. And “when the jet stream is weaker, it tends to take bigger swings north and south,” Francis said, adding that “those southward dips are what allow the Arctic air to plunge southward.” There’s reason to believe these disruptions may become more common as the planet continues to heat up. Overall, the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the planet, and the polar vortex has already been disrupted a number of times this year.

The effects of extreme weather
A disrupted polar vortex may sound abstract, but the consequences are very real. The effects of the last winter storm are still being felt around the country. More than 60 people around the country died, including several in New York City who died from exposure to the cold. Around the country, tens of thousands of people were still without power days after the storm had passed. More than a foot of snow fell in 19 states, and cities including Washington were still struggling to dig out, leading much of the federal government to work remotely. And with temperatures staying low, there has been no chance for the snow and ice to thaw, putting much of the country into a sort of frozen paralysis. In Central Arkansas, many school districts remained closed for much of the week with roads impassable. Highways in Mississippi were snarled for days, leading to the National Guard being brought in to help clear the ice. And while the next storm is not expected to be as widespread as the previous one, it is poised to have crippling impacts across the already battered East Coast.
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Flood Insurance Program
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National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On February 3, 2026, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2026.

Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on September 30, 2026.

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GenX
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Homeowners Insurance
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Hurricane Season
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30

 

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Inlet Hazard Areas
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Lockwood Folly Inlet
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Seismic Testing / Offshore Drilling
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Offshore Wind Farms
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Judge Hands Trump a Fifth Loss in His Effort to Halt Offshore Wind Projects
The court ruled that construction can restart on a wind farm off the coast of New York State. The Trump administration had ordered work to stop in December.
A federal judge on Monday struck down the Interior Department’s order to halt work on a multibillion-dollar wind farm off the coast of New York State, the fifth time the courts have ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to throttle the country’s offshore wind industry. The administration is now 0-5 in its effort to stop wind farms under construction along the East Coast. Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction that would allow the developer of the New York project, known as Sunrise Wind, to restart construction while the broader legal battle unfolds. In December, the Interior Department ordered all work to halt on Sunrise Wind and four other wind farms off the East Coast. To justify the sweeping move, officials cited a classified report by the Defense Department that they said found the projects to be a national security threat. But Judge Lamberth, who was nominated to the bench by President Ronald Reagan, said he was unpersuaded by the government’s claims about national security after reviewing the classified report under seal. He said the actions of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had caused “irreparable harm” to the developer of Sunrise Wind. “Purportedly new classified information does not constitute a sufficient explanation for the bureau’s decision to entirely stop work on the Sunrise Wind project,” Judge Lamberth said while ruling from the bench after a two-hour court hearing. Upon learning of the ruling, many energy executives had a feeling of déjà vu. It was the fifth time in the past three weeks that a federal judge had rebuked the Trump administration’s crusade against the five wind farms under construction in federal waters along the East Coast. The previous four rulings allowed work to continue on Revolution Wind off Rhode Island, Empire Wind off New York, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia and Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts. Judge Lamberth also presided over the case brought by Revolution Wind. Sunrise Wind is in federal waters about 30 miles east of Montauk Point, N.Y. The project is already 45 percent complete, with 44 out of 84 turbine foundations installed on the ocean floor. Once fully operational, the project is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power nearly 600,000 homes in New York State. Orsted, the Danish energy giant that is building Sunrise Wind, wrote in court filings that it was losing $2.5 million each day that the project was paused. The company said it had already spent or committed to investing $7 billion in the project so far. Karl-Erik Stromsta, a spokesman for Orsted, said in a statement on Monday that Sunrise Wind would resume construction “as soon as possible” and “with safety as the top priority.” A spokeswoman for the Interior Department declined to comment on pending litigation. Environmentalists and Democrats hailed the ruling as a temporary victory. The decision is a “big win for New York workers, families and our future,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “It puts union workers back on the job, keeps billions in private investment in New York and delivers the clean, reliable power our grid needs, especially as extreme weather becomes more frequent.” President Trump has disparaged offshore wind power since 2012, when he failed to stop a wind farm visible from one of his golf courses in Scotland. He has often called the projects ugly and expensive, and he has claimed without evidence that they do not work and that they are “driving whales crazy.” During the court hearing on Monday, Janice Schneider, a partner at the law firm Latham & Watkins, argued on behalf of Sunrise Wind that the government was using concerns about national security as a pretext to target projects that the president dislikes. Ms. Schneider cited Mr. Trump’s comments last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he described wind farms as “losers.” John Kenneth Adams, the chief of staff and senior counsel in the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, argued on behalf of the Trump administration that there was “nothing inconsistent” about the national security claims. “All these things can be true: Wind farms can be inefficient, wind farms can increase consumer prices, wind farms can cause damage to our natural resources, and wind farms can pose national security risks,” Mr. Adams said. It was unclear whether the Justice Department would appeal Monday’s ruling and the four related decisions.
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Things I Think I Think

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Eating out is one of the great little joys of life.

Restaurant Review:
The Dinner Club visits a new restaurant once a month. Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration.
///// January 2026
Name:           The Wharf
Cuisine:        Seafood
Location:     1045B-Var Road, Supply NC
Contact:       910.842.9999 / NA
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Wharf-Holden-Beach/61583959913285/
Food:             Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:        Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:   Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $23      Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:         Two Stars
This picturesque spot along the Intracoastal Waterway was once home to Betty’s Waterfront Restaurant. Guests can enjoy relaxed indoor and outdoor waterfront dining on the Intracoastal Waterway, featuring scenic views. The menu remains unchanged throughout lunch and dinner, offering a selection of just seven (7) entrée choices. The restaurant also features a bar area where guests can enjoy live music.

Dining Guide – Local
Old places, New faces
Name:               Salty Cow
Location:         4812 Main Street, Shallotte NC
Contact:           910.755.9414 / https://www.saltycowtavern.com/
This spot on the Shallotte river was most recently known as Smoke’d which has permanently closed. They weren’t closed long before this new riverside tavern serving classic comfort food was announced for the space.

Dining Guide – Local * Lou’s Views

Dining Guide – North * Lou’s Views

Dining Guide – South * Lou’s Views

Restaurant Reviews – North * Lou’s Views

Restaurant Reviews – South * Lou’s Views

Book Review:
Read several books from The New York Times best sellers fiction list monthly
Selection represents this month’s pick of the litter

THE PROVING GROUND by Michael Connelly
The eighth installment in the Lincoln Lawyer series delivers a legal thriller, seamlessly weaving together courtroom battles with timely social questions about technology’s influence and the growing need for corporate accountability. Mickey Haller leaves the criminal courts behind to pursue his first civil case, representing the mother of a slain high school student in a high-profile negligence suit against a tech company. The lawsuit centers on allegations that the company’s AI chatbot played a role in encouraging the tragic killing. As Haller investigates, he uncovers evidence of corporate negligence while facing the immense power and resources of the tech industry.

That’s it for this newsletter

See you next month

Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

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