Category: Lou’s Views

10 – News & Views

 

Lou’s Views
News & Views / October Edition

Calendar of Events –

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N.C. Festival by the Sea
October 25th & 26th
Holden Beach

 

Hosted by the Holden Beach Merchants Association this annual two-day festival which started in the 1980’s occurs on the last full weekend in October. The festival is kicked off with a parade down the Holden Beach causeway. There is a fishing tournament, horseshoe tournament, and a sandcastle building contest. Vendors provide food, arts and crafts, amusement rides and other activities. There is live musical entertainment both days at the Holden Beach’s Pavilion.
For more information » click here

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.Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat
The Town of Holden Beach will hold a trunk-or-treat on Friday, October 31st from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Bridgeview Park. Residents, property owners, and businesses may register by October 11th to decorate your trunk and pass out candy.Trunks must be ready by 5:00 p.m. No political activity may be represented at the booth displays. There will be a prize for best decorated trunk and a costume contest held at 6:00 p.m. Categories include 3 and under, 4-7, 8-11, 12-15 and adult. Register by emailing Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com. Those planning to attend the event may also email so that there is a headcount for candy purposes. In the email, please indicate whether you will be setting up a truck or trick-or-treating.

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Logo for SBI Three Bridge Tour by Rotary Club of South Brunswick Islands.SBI Three Bridge Tour 
The South Brunswick Islands Rotary Clubs SBI Three Bridge Tour is set to take place on Saturday, November 8th, in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. This event offers a unique opportunity for cyclists to ride across the three bridges of Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and Holden Beach. Participants can choose from various ride options, including family-friendly routes and more challenging distances, ensuring a memorable experience for everyone. The tour supports local and international Rotary projects, enriching the lives of children and youth in Brunswick County. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund these projects, providing experiences and learning opportunities that will benefit the community.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Veterans Appreciation Luncheon
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its Veterans Appreciation Luncheon on Monday, November 10th. The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Town Hall Board Room. Please RSVP by emailing Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com prior to Friday, November 1st with your name and the name of your guest. 

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Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Friday, November 14th at noon.Town board and committee members are invited to attend and bring a guest. Please RSVP by emailing Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com with your name and the total number in your party.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Turkey Trot
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning Thursday, November 27th at 8:00 a.m. All individuals interested in participating should email Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com to register. Please bring a canned food item to donate to the local food pantry.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Tree Lighting
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 4th at 6:00 p.m. with entertainment beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
For more information » click here

Reminders 

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Pets on the Beach Strand
Pets – Chapter 90 / Animals / 90.20

Effective September 10th

 

      • Pets allowed back on the beach strand during the hours of 9:00am through 5:00pm
      • Dog’s need to be on a leash
      • Owner’s need to clean up after their animals

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Bird Nesting Area
NC Wildlife Commission has posted signs that say – Bird Nesting Area
The signs are posted on the west end beach strand around 1335 OBW.
People and dogs are supposed to stay out of the area from April through November
. 1) It’s a Plover nesting area
. 2) Allows migrating birds a place to land and rest without being disturbed

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

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Yard Waste Service
Yard debris is collected on the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Fridays during the months of October, November, and December.Yard debris needs to be secured in a biodegradable bag (not plastic) or bundled in a maximum length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds in weight. 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. Picks-ups are not provided for vacant lots or construction sites.

Curbside Recycling – 2025A 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 $119.35 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 

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A Second Helping

 

 

They just completed the twenty-first year of the program. For the last fifteen (15) weeks they have collected food on Saturday mornings in front of Beach Mart; the food is distributed to the needy in Brunswick County. During this summer season, they collected 10,057 pounds of food and $1,360 in monetary donations. Their food collections have now exceeded three hundred and seventeen thousand (317,000) pounds of food since this program began in June of 2005. Hunger exists everywhere in this country. Thanks to the Holden Beach vacationers for donating again this year! Cash donations are gratefully accepted. One hundred percent (100%) of these cash donations are used to buy more food. You can be assured that the money will be very well spent.

Mail Donations to:
A Second Helping
% Sharon United Methodist Church
2030 Holden Beach Road
Supply, NC 28462

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.ReadyBrunswick Emergency Notifications Alerts
Brunswick County uses ReadyBrunswick as part of the County’s effort to continuously improve communications during emergency situations within our area. Powered by Everbridge, the ReadyBrunswick notification system sends emergency notifications in a variety of communication methods such as:

        • Landline (Voice)
        • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
        • Mobile (Voice)
        • Mobile SMS (Text Messaging)
        • Email

In the case of an emergency, you may choose to receive notifications via one or all of these communication methods. It’s recommended that you register several media options to receive messages in the event a particular communication device is unavailable.
For more information » 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.

Coastal area with rough waves hitting the shore and buildings nearby.

View of OIB east of the terminal groin after Hurricane Erin passed offshore 

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 Beachs 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 Isle’s $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 thats 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 island’s 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 court’s 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.â€

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.
Read more » click here

Construction site with heavy machinery and building under cloudy sky.

 

Eroded sandy terrain with exposed rock formations under a cloudy sky.

The 'Most Interesting Man in the World' meme about saying 'I told you so'.Previously reported – August 2018
Recognition of 2018 Pelican Award from the North Carolina Coastal Federation to the Town of Holden Beach Board of Commissioners for Outstanding Leadership and Dedication to Keep Our Coast Accessible and Public – Commissioner Butler and Commissioner Freer

Logo of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League.

Group of people holding framed awards at an event.Town of Holden Beach, Dunescape Property Owners’ Association and the Holden Beach Property Owners Association For Outstanding Leadership and Dedication to Keep Our Coast Accessible and Public

Flanked by the beautiful Lockwoods Folly Inlet, the eastern end of Holden Beach was threatened to be forever changed by an unnecessary and expensive engineered structure. But on April 17, 2018, the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to permanently revoke the town’s permit application for a terminal groin with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This historic move would not have been possible without the diligent evaluation of potential impacts by dedicated residents of the Dunescape Property Owners’ Association and the Holden Beach Property Owners Association — Rhonda and Tom Dixon, Tom and Vicki Myers, Jay and Denise Holden, John and Margaret Witten, Rich Weigand, Lou Cutajar and Skip Klapheke. These and other Holden Beach residents tirelessly fought to bring to light the detrimental effects the terminal groin — a rock, concrete, stone or metal structure built at an inlet, perpendicular to the coast — would have had on the island’s natural habitat and shoreline. Their forethought and action also positioned the town to save a lot of money for a project that likely would not work. The residents of Holden Beach persevered in their opposition and are true pioneers in showing how to exercise sound coastal management decision- making and recognizing that expensive hardened structures along our beaches are not the answer to erosion.

Holden Beach, associations honored with Pelican Award
Six years ago, Holden Beach considered constructing a terminal groin. Town officials received input from Holden Beach Property Owners Association and the Dunescape Property Association to teach residents about the process and possible outcomes before commissioners ultimately voted not to pursue the project. On July 28, the North Carolina Coastal Federation honored the town and the two associations with its Pelican Award for “outstanding leadership and dedication to keep the North Carolina coast accessible and public.
Read more » click here

A Look Back: Holden Beachs (Un)Done Deal
A terminal groin at the east end of Holden Beach was a given.
Read more » click here

Terminal Groin Committee Report

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents TextAt the time that the Board was considering a terminal groin at the east end of the island there was quite the brouhaha. After considerable research and meetings, it appears that their decision not to build a terminal groin at an initial cost of thirty (30) million dollars was the right decision. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) warned us about the very issue that Ocean Island is currently experiencing.   I would be remiss not to recognize those Commissioners that prevented this situation from happening to us on Holden Beach. My thanks to the elected Commissioners then: Joseph Butler, John Fletcher, Peter Freer, Patty Kwiatkowski, and Mike Sullivan.

Map showing the boundary of Oraka Bay and surrounding areas.Carolina Bays Parkway project S.C. 31

OCEAN RIDGE MASTER ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY IMPACT COMMITTEE
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is implementing several initiatives to relocate the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension to Brunswick County. Following extensive planning and anticipation, a recent environmental assessment has identified a suitable location for the significant highway project and initiated a public comment period. The NCDOT and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) are collaborating to extend South Carolina Highway 31 (SC 31), commonly referred to as the Carolina Bays Parkway, from South Carolina Highway 9 (SC 9) in Horry County to U.S. Route 17 (US 17) in Brunswick County. Should the project secure funding and proceed with construction, it will result in a newly constructed multi-lane full-access freeway that will connect the Carolinas. The route will be constructed in phases, potentially enhancing evacuation routes as Brunswick County experiences population growth. The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project commenced in 2006 with a feasibility study that evaluated conceptual alternative routes. The construction of the road would have a significant impact on areas situated on either side of U.S. 17 in southern Brunswick County. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) had prepared seven alternative maps for preferred routes in Brunswick County, which ultimately converge onto U.S. 17. However, five alternatives have been eliminated, and the options have been reduced to Routes 4 and 4a. Attached are the maps for each route. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) website, updated on August 22, indicates that the $797 million project is currently in development with an anticipated commencement date of 2028. North Carolina’s portion of the project is projected to incur a cost of $610.9 million. South Carolina has secured the necessary funding and intends to initiate the process to connect Carolina Bays 31 from Route 9 to the state line at Hickman Road.  Currently, North Carolina has secured funding for only the planning document, but not for the right-of-way or construction phases. Public hearings for the North Carolina side of the extension have been postponed on several occasions as the NCDOT awaited the availability of the draft environmental impact statement. However, the draft environmental impact statement is now available, and public hearings have been scheduled. The proposed project will involve two pre-hearing open houses and corridor public hearings. During these events, information will be presented, and NCDOT representatives will be available to address inquiries. The first public hearing will be from 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Sea Trail Convention Center in Sunset Beach. The second hearing will be 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the North Strand Recreation Center in Longs, South Carolina. Alternative map 4 is identified in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement as the preferred alternative. Alternative map 4 crosses through Hickman’s Crossroads and the Longwood area and continuing out to connect to Route 17 at the intersection of Route 904 and Route 17. Following the public hearing, the merger team will meet to select the preferred/ least environmentally damaging practicable alternative corridor, also called LEDPA, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act/ Section 404 Merger Process. This includes consideration of public comments and the local sponsors’ preferred alternative, potential impacts to noise, low income and disadvantaged populations, cultural resources and the environment are considered when selecting the least environmentally damaging and practicable alternative route. According to the merger process, the preferred/LEDPA corridor is the best solution to the problem satisfying the transportation need and considering environmental and community resources.

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

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 – February 2025
Boom or doom: How a new highway could transform rural Brunswick County
A new road in southern Brunswick County will open the flood gates of opportunity for some but could close the
Read more » click here

Odds & Ends –

Sunset over a serene beach with waves gently rolling in.

After getting pounded by storms and offshore hurricanes, what will wounded NC beaches do?
Recent storms and hurricanes passing the N.C. coast have pounded area beaches with heavy surf, causing significant erosion and raising concerns.
On Topsail Island, chunks of sand that had been pumped onto the beaches in Surf City and Topsail Beach in the past year have washed away. In Wrightsville Beach, the pounding waves from the slow-moving early October subtropical storm left large escarpments along much of the New Hanover County town’s beach and residents worried if the town’s beach would survive until a scheduled federal nourishment project in 2027. Down in Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County, the recent storm and heavy surf from several tropical systems that have passed by the East Coast while staying offshore have amplified an existing erosion problem on the barrier island’s east end and raised questions about the effectiveness of a terminal groin built three years ago to stabilize the beach. But nowhere along the N.C. coast has this hurricane season’s damage been worse than on the Outer Banks, where nine homes in Buxton collapsed into the Atlantic over a two-week span in late September and early October and left highway crews struggling to keep N.C. 12, the islands’ lifeline, open on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. The damage, albeit highly localized to beachfront areas, shows that it doesn’t necessarily take a landfalling hurricane to make it a bad hurricane season for coastal communities. But experts say it also highlights that how we live, develop and try to protect our coast is increasingly becoming untenable, especially as costs for beach nourishment projects continue to rise and climate change promises to fuel higher seas and stronger storms in the coming years. “The trajectory we’re on is unsustainableâ€, said Dr. Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University.

Why are the beaches so beaten?
When a large subtropical storm started forming in the Caribbean, officials knew it could be a problem for the East Coast − especially since many coastal areas had already been pounded this summer by strong swells from several hurricanes that had passed by offshore. But this storm was different, from its path close to the coast to its big footprint. “This storm was a real beach-eater from Florida to Long Island (N.Y.),” Young said. The unnamed storm has left beach officials wondering what measures they can take to protect some of the most valuable real estate in their coastal communities, never mind also having an attractive asset to draw visitors back to fuel their tourist-dependent economies. But Young said damaged and, in some cases, completely eroded beaches along 1,000 miles of U.S. coastline won’t be an easy problem to fix. There are logistical issues, including a very small pool of U.S. contractors to actually do nourishment projects. Then there are the financial questions, especially in this political environment, if spending money to pump sand that might quickly wash away is the best use of taxpayer dollars. And then there’s the practical question. “We need to allow ourselves to consider slightly changing the map of our coastal communities and concentrate our money and sand on areas that can be saved,” Young said. He said this is especially true in communities where local taxpayers, sometimes with the state’s help, fund their own nourishment projects instead of having the federal government pick up most of the beach-building costs, as is the case in New Hanover County’s three beach towns. Already, officials in North Topsail Beach and in Dare County on the Outer Banks have said they don’t have the funds to nourish parts of their beachfront. And in Surf City, residents are in an uproar over a 30% increase in property taxes this year that town officials say is partly needed to help pay for beach nourishment. While surrendering erosion-prone areas of North Topsail Beach and the Outer Banks, for example, to Mother Nature might not be popular, managed retreat is really the only option if we want to save other parts of our coastal communities where it is feasible to try and protect property and vital infrastructure, Young said. “It’s already a burden for many of these small towns and the economics for continuing to do it are becoming more and more sketchy,” he said of the rising costs of beach nourishment and other erosion-control projects.

What’s going to happen?
While putting a Band-Aid on wounded beaches isn’t a long-term solution, it’s something coastal officials might have to look at in the coming weeks and months. Actions could include trucking in fresh sand; knocking down escarpments to makes beaches safer for visitors and to allow wave energy to be dissipated to some degree; and fast-tracking small beach-building projects, such as dredging sand from easily accessible inlets or other coastal waterways. Federal and state officials also could see about securing funding to help finance projects, although the current government shutdown could stymie that. But big-scale nourishment projects, the favored way of dealing with beach erosion woes, take time to plan, design and finance. Young said another option that could help coastal communities recover is to wave a century-old federal law, the 1906 Foreign Dredge Act, that limits dredging to U.S. companies. Opening beach nourishment work to foreign companies, primarily European, could help increase competition, lower prices and allow more work to be done within the sometimes restrictive environmental windows designed to protect nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. The rising cost of beach nourishment work has already been felt in the Wilmington area, with the federal project to nourish Carolina and Kure beaches delayed a year until this winter after the initial bids came in well over budget. Another option is to hope that the upcoming nor’easter season is a mild one and that a lot of the sand that has washed away is just offshore and will eventually be pushed back onshore over the next few weeks and months. Beaches naturally ebb and flow, so wide changes and shifting sands aren’t unusual. But Young said almost all of North Carolina’s beaches today have been engineered and modified one way or another by human hands. “I think it’s fair to say a lot of that sand simply isn’t going to come back,” he said. “It’s just gone.”
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Map showing coastal towns along the southern shore.

Brunswick County 2024 Visitor Impact released
Domestic and international visitors in Brunswick County spent over $1.22 billion in 2024, an increase of 4.8% from 2023. Brunswick County ranked No. 6 among North Carolina’s 100 counties in visitor spending in 2024. This data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “We’re pleased to see that 2024 marked another year of continued growth in the economic impact of visitor spending in Brunswick County,†said Whitney Sauls, chair of the Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority. “The latest data released by Visit North Carolina reinforces what we know. The money spent by visitors in our county creates jobs, helps to support our small businesses and generates funds for beach renourishment.â€

Brunswick County tourism impact highlights for 2024:

    • The travel and tourism industry directly employed approximately 5,838 people in Brunswick County, up 4% from 2023.
    • Total payroll directly generated by the tourism industry in Brunswick County was $240.97 million, up 4.5% from 2023.
    • State tax revenue generated in Brunswick County totaled $36.68 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About $51.41 million in local taxes were generated from occupancy and sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.
    • Each Brunswick County resident saved $523.96 in state and local taxes as a result of visitor spending in the county.

These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties,†which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics. Statewide, visitor spending in 2024 rose 3.1% to reach a record $36.7 billion. Direct tourism employment increased 1.4% to 230,338 people. “Scenic beauty, outdoor adventure, culinary innovation and authenticity help North Carolina remain a top choice for travelers,†said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “That appeal might be hard to quantify, but as we follow the numbers, we see the payoff in terms of the money that goes to businesses as well as state and local tax bases.â€

NC tourism facts:

    • Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $36.7 billion in 2024. That sum represents a 3.1% increase over 2023 expenditures.
    • Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.6 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2024. The total represents a 2.9% increase from 2023.
    • State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 1.1% to $1.36 billion in 2024.
    • Local tax receipts grew 4.3% to $1.29 billion.
    • Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 1.4% to 230,338 people.
    • Direct tourism payroll increased 2.6% to over $9.5 billion.
    • Each North Carolina resident saved $242.37 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.

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This and That –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Fear the deer: Crash data illuminates America’s deadliest animal
Behold the deer, the deadliest beast in North America. Deer are responsible for the deaths of about 440 of the estimated 458 Americans killed in physical confrontations with wildlife in an average year, according to Utah State University biologist Mike Conover, employing some educated guesswork in the latest edition of “Human-Wildlife Interactions.” Those deer-inflicted fatalities are not, so far as we know, caused by deer-on-human predation. They’re the unfortunate result of more than 2 million people a year plowing into deer with their sedans and SUVs, usually on a two-lane road, often at high speed. You might wonder: Where and when am I most likely to hit a deer? And how can I avoid it? To shed light on this herbivorous hazard, we turned, of course, to data. Specifically, we analyzed more than 1 million animal-vehicle collisions compiled by Calumn Cunningham, Laura Prugh and their colleagues at the University of Washington for a recent paper published in Current Biology. They estimate deer were involved in more than 90 percent of the collisions, which occurred in 23 states between 1994 and 2021. With a few exceptions, the data show deer are at their most dangerous in November. Indeed, the deer threat peaks just before Thanksgiving – typically Nov. 7 through 14 – when you’re about three times more likely to hit a deer than at any other time of year. Experienced deer hunters can probably guess why driving in November can turn into Russian roulette on certain highways and byways: In much of the country, that’s rutting season. And during the rut, deer focus on procreation, not self-preservation. Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division compares rutting bucks to teenage boys. “They are hyper-focused on the opportunity to breed, and they therefore lose some of their wits,” Gauldin said. “They are full tilt looking for does, chasing does and running after does for the opportunity to breed. And they are doing this with tunnel vision … literally running across the road.” Does share similar distractions. They’re either in estrus – hormonally receptive to sex and looking to breed – or fleeing hot-and-bothered bucks until their cycles catch up. Collisions occur more often in states with the most white-tailed deer – which experts say tend to have a shorter, sharper rut than the western mule deer – and in states with long stretches of busy rural roads. Separate insurance claim data from State Farm, which is widely cited in academic research, shows a driver out minding her own business on the wending, bending roads of West Virginia had a 1 in 35 chance of hitting an animal between June 2021 and June 2022, making the Mountain State easily the most dangerous in terms of deer-car collisions. Montana and Michigan were next. D.C. drivers, by contrast, had only a 1 in 907 chance of stopping a buck while driving down Pennsylvania Avenue, or anywhere else. Fun fact: Deer are responsible for at least 69 percent of animal-related accident claims, according to State Farm. Another 12 percent of claims involve unidentified animals, many of which could be deer that bounded off before the driver got a good look at them or were mangled beyond recognition in the crash. The third-most-dangerous animals on the road are undifferentiated rodents, which are cited in 5 percent of all animal-related accident claims. However, State Farm spokesperson Dave Phillips noted that many of the drivers never make contact with said rodent: The vast majority of those accidents occur when motorists swerve to avoid a suicidal squirrel or moseying marmot. Our more calendar-conscious readers will note that peak deer-crash season coincides with another big moment in November: the first week of daylight saving time, which begins the first Sunday of the month. And the University of Washington team has found that the two events are not unrelated. To understand why, we need to spelunk deeper into their data, which breaks new ground by including the exact location, date and hour of all these deer disasters. When we glance at a chart of accidents that includes time of day and time of year, one fact strikes us right between the headlights: Evening, the twilight of each day – especially in November! – is the hour of the  Götterdeermmerung. Conveniently for us, the University of Washington scholars used accident coordinates and some basic weather math to calculate exactly when the sun would have risen or set at each location. It turns out that deer danger skyrockets about 30 minutes after sunset and remains extraordinarily elevated for almost half an hour. Those with deer-behavior expertise say drivers should be on high alert as darkness falls in autumn – especially when careening through the deer’s favorite transitional habitats, the forest-edge ecosystem created by roads and other developments. But they urge us to take a lesson from the thousands of people who land in hospitals and body shops each year after attempting to avoid a turtle or chipmunk: If you do see a deer, don’t swerve. “Slow down as much as you can, obviously, coming up to it,” said Karlin Gill of the National Deer Association, a hunting and conservation organization. “But if it’s unavoidable and you’re going to hit the deer, don’t try and swerve out of the way. That can cause an even worse car wreck, and you still might hit the deer regardless.” Deer crashes also rise in the morning, about 30 minutes before sunrise, but the number is significantly lower than after sunset. To understand why, we need to dig deeper into both deer and human activity patterns. Biologist after biologist told us deer are crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk. When Texas A&M University wildlife scientist Stephen Webb and his colleagues fitted GPS trackers onto white-tailed deer in Oklahoma, they found deer movement peaks at both sunrise and sunset. “Deer, unlike humans, don’t lay down for eight hours at night and then get up and move throughout the day,” said Gill , who, as a hunter, closely examines deer behavior. “They actually go through a cycle where they’ll lay down, bed, get up, eat, lay down, bed, get up, eat, and they’ll do this throughout a 24-hour period.” But if deer are equally active at dawn and dusk, why are they so much more likely to be hit in the evening? To untangle that one, we need to examine another somewhat crepuscular species: the American commuter. Our commutes also peak in the morning and evening, but we’re much more likely to be driving at dusk than we are at dawn, and we stay on the roads even as darkness falls, and the deer start moving – often squarely into our headlights. It’s a matter of visibility. Deer are just as active two hours before dusk as they are two hours after, yet we’re about 14 times more likely to hit a deer after sundown than we are before. And, as Cunningham notes, right at the peak of the whitetail rut, we throw another variable into the stew: We end daylight saving time. Suddenly, as far as the deer are concerned, our 6 p.m. commute happens an hour later. Millions of drivers find themselves contending with lower visibility just as sex hormones flood the local deer population. “It’s like one of the grandest-scale natural experiments that we can come up with, where humans impose these very arbitrary and abrupt changes on the wildlife,” Cunningham told us from his native Tasmania (he’s at the University of Washington as a Fulbright fellow). People living on the far eastern side of a time zone are about 1.35 times as likely to hit a deer as folks on the far western edge, since folks in the east are more likely to be driving home in the dark. Similarly, folks in Northern states, where days are short and darkness rules the winter, are 1.86 times more likely to hit a deer than their friends in America’s sunny South. Taking these effects into account, the University of Washington team estimates that “falling back” causes a 16 percent jump in deer carnage in the weeks after the shift. It’s possible that adopting permanent daylight saving time would thus save the lives of more than 36,000 deer and 33 humans each year. On the down side, chronobiologist Eva Winnebeck of the University of Surrey argues that any gains might be offset by an increase in deaths spurred by the chronic drowsiness that would inevitably set in if our solar-powered circadian rhythms were forced to endure a never-ending disconnect between the sun and clocks set permanently to daylight saving time. Here at the Department of Data, we’ve found a strong connection between happiness and the great outdoors. So, we’re partial to any move that would give us more daylight hours to get out after work and fish, run or dominate the competitive wood-chopping circuit, circadian rhythms be darned.
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Watch out for deer
NCDOT warns motorists across North Carolina to stay alert for deer now that fall has arrived. Every year during late autumn, auto and body shops across the region brace for a bumper crop of business, comprised of an influx of cars with damage from collisions with deer. Beginning in October, roads across the state become hazardous as North Carolina’s deer population fans out, lurking on highway shoulders in search of food and potential mates. It’s the deadliest time of the year for deer, which also pose a particular danger to motorists. Nearly half of vehicle accidents involving white-tail deer occur from October to December. Deer accidents typically begin rising in October, peak in November and begin dropping off after December, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Deer are crepuscular mammals, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk – which, following the onset of daylight savings time, places them near roads and byways precisely when large numbers of residents are commuting to and from work.

NCDOT has some helpful tips for motorists in regard to deer-vehicle crashes:

    • Although it does not decrease the risk of being in a crash, wearing a seat belt gives you a better chance of avoiding or minimizing injuries if you hit a deer or other animal.
    • Always maintain a safe amount of distance between your vehicle and others, especially at night. If the vehicle ahead of you hits a deer, you could also become involved in a crash.
    • Slowdown in areas posted with deer crossing signs and in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
    • Most deer-vehicle crashes occur where deer are more likely to travel, near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams, and ditches. Be vigilant when passing through potentially risky landscapes.
    • Drive with high beams on when possible and watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights.
    • Deer often travel in groups, so if you see one deer near a road, be alert that others may be around.
    • If you see deer near a road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast.
    • Do not swerve to avoid a collision with deer. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, increasing the risk of it flipping over, veering into oncoming traffic, or overcorrecting and running off the road and causing a more serious crash.

Officials say the most crashes occur between 6 p.m. and midnight, accounting for about 45% of the overall total. With the end of daylight savings time at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, the time shift increases the chance of deer being by roadways when drivers are traveling in the dark, especially for their evening commute. If your vehicle does strike a deer, officials say do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can be dangerous or further injure itself. Get your vehicle off the road if possible and call 911.
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Factoid That May Interest Only Me –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Gators’ more frequent appearances make splash along coast
Did you hear the one about the alligator? An alligator walks into … a road, a pool, a miniature golf course, onto a beach, underneath a car, up to the front door of a storefront, by a back entrance of a police station. Stop me if you read about this while perusing the headlines of your local newspaper, heard about it on the 6 o’clock news, or saw it plastered across social media platforms this past summer. Alligators have made quite the splash (pun intended) in recent months here in southeastern North Carolina, where seemingly numerous public appearances by these living dinosaurs have produced dramatic headlines and videos shared not only across the state, but the country. But these typically reclusive reptiles aren’t looking for all the attention they’ve been getting, experts say. They just want to be left alone. The problem is, they’re being squeezed out of seclusion as housing developments and retail centers continue to crop up along the coast. “The ever-growing population along the coast of North Carolina is the biggest threat to wildlife in general,” said John Harrelson, a wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. “Habitat loss is the biggest threat to wildlife in general, not just alligators, and when people move in and we build communities in places that haven’t historically had people, then that leads to lots of interactions.” And the more interactions that occur, the more comfortable alligators become around people. Harrelson puts alligators into one of two categories: country alligators and city alligators. Country alligators inhabit areas up the Northeast Cape Fear River. He said that those alligators generally try their best to steer clear of humans, he said. But city alligators get used to seeing people and, just like squirrels, birds, deer, and other animals, they become habituated, “realizing that people, for the most part, don’t mean them any harm and that there’s nothing to be worried about,” Harrelson said. Think of it like a cost-benefit analysis where an alligator weighs the risk of being around people and decides whether the reward is worth the risk. “And often times the reward is great enough,” Harrelson said. While development strips away their natural habitat, it tends to provide pockets of prime real estate for alligators in the form of retention ponds. Harrelson works in the commission’s District 4, which includes Brunswick County, and is home to a reported 30 scenic golf courses (think about all of the water hazards – well, not a hazard from a gator’s point of view – on just one of those courses). Brunswick, Columbus, Craven, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender counties are home to the largest populations of American alligators in North Carolina and their turf runs from the state’s coastal plains to Texas. With its barrier island beaches, proximity to Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and its numerous golf courses, Brunswick County has become a draw for retirees who, for many, move in from areas where there are no alligators. Pair that with the influx of tourists who flock to the county each summer – Oak Island’s population more than quintuples between May and August – and odds are high people are going to encounter alligators. Boiling Spring Lakes Police Capt. Windy Hager knows that when tourism season picks up, so too do the number of calls going into the Brunswick County town’s law enforcement center about alligator sightings. “When it’s warmer (alligators) become more active and, when you’ve got people who are not familiar with alligators they get a little excited about, ‘Oh, there’s one in the lake!’ Well, yes, that’s where they live and that’s what we have to tell them a lot of times,” Hager said. Hager has lived in the area more than 10 years. She’s accustomed to seeing alligators pretty regularly in their own habitat. But one had to be removed from a swimming pool a couple of weeks ago and the unnamed storm that pummeled Brunswick County with catastrophic rainfall Sept. 16 means there’s a lot of water in places that were previously dry. “I know that there’s two (alligators) in what used to be somebody’s front yard right now in the city because their front yard is flooded,” Hager said. “But they’re just doing their thing and the people who live there are giving them their space. The people are not messing with them and the alligators aren’t messing with the people so they’re sharing space right now.” Two days before he spoke in a telephone interview with Coastal Review, Sunset Beach Police Animal Control Officer Bill Arp had removed a small alligator hanging out underneath a car. “They’ll wind up in people’s garages and on people’s porches, underneath decks, under cars. We find them all over the place,” he said. “Unfortunately, because of such huge development down here, their habitat is starting to shrink and that’s what’s happening. People are calling us and wondering, ‘Why’s it under my car? Why are they on my porch? Why are they in my garage?’ Well, that’s why because the development is robbing them of their other habitat.” Alligator Do’s and Don’ts If an alligator settles in an area near you, wildlife and law enforcement officials have tips on how to safely cohabitate. “A lot of people think, even with birds and deer, it’s nice to feed them,” Arp said. “But alligators, you don’t. Everybody knows an alligator is an apex predator. They’re nice to watch. They’re nice to take pictures of, but to feed them, that’s not a good idea.” Remember what Harrelson said earlier in the story about city alligators? “Individual people feeding alligators is the worst thing you can do,” he said. “Alligators are wild animals and they’ve got to work for their food. An easy meal means, ‘hey I don’t have to continue to fail and fail and make all these attempts when I’m not successful. I can just wait for this person to walk over and, if I approach them, they’re going to give me chicken or bread or marshmallows, a fish scrap or whatever else they’ve got.’ We deal with this all the time, particularly with folks who aren’t locals.” It is illegal to feed alligators. It is also illegal to kill them. American alligators are protected by the Endangered Species Act as threatened. In North Carolina, a permit is required to hunt alligators. The monthlong season is limited to population control at the request of municipalities in Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Hyde, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, and Pender counties, according to the WRC website. “The Commission does not plan to issue permits to take American alligators, outside of municipality requested population reduction hunts, until further research is conducted to determine the conditions under which alligator populations would be sustained while allowing limited harvest,” the site states. Harrelson said that alligators are relocated only as a last resort because they, like other wildlife, have a propensity to travel long distances to return to where they were captured. “This is something that we face ongoing and, as biologists, something that we have to figure out how to address going forward because our agency isn’t going to pick up and move animals,” Harrelson said. “We want to let wildlife be wildlife for as long as we can and maintain the ecosystems that are out there.” As people build, alligators move. Males can occupy areas greater than 2 miles so, when they move, they’re crossing roads, ditches, and yards. An alligator may be removed from a property when it is considered a nuisance – at least 4 feet long and poses a threat to people, pets, or property. To report a potential nuisance alligator, call the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401. Experts say simply spraying an alligator with a water hose usually prompts the animal to move away. If you’re taking a walk and spot an alligator in or near your path, give the alligator a wide berth and go around it. Never walk up to one or try to touch one. “When an alligator is on a sidewalk or up on a roadway, he’s not hunting, he’s not searching out food. If we give them an opportunity to make that move on their own, most of the time, they will,” Harrelson said. “Our biggest thing, of course, is to keep people safe and then let the animals be animals. That’s what we’re always striving toward.”
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

More than bearly existing: Why black bears are thriving at the NC coast
Black bears at the beach? Yep, and they are some of the biggest in the world. Here’s how NC brought the animals back from the brink, and why they are now thriving
The North Carolina coast is well-known for its wildlife. Dolphins are frequently seen entertaining boaters and beachgoers, and a lucky few even get to see manatees traversing the Intracoastal Waterway and whales migrating offshore. On land, bobcats and turkeys can often surprise folks, and in the sky ospreys can often put on a show while hunting for fish in local waterways. Eagles are even beginning to show up in greater numbers, with a pair that raised an eaglet at New Hanover County’s Airlie Gardens this year causing quite a social media stir. But bears? Unless you’re a farmer or a hunter, it might come as a surprise to find out that more black bears live in the state’s coastal plain than in the higher elevations of Western N.C., where the Appalachians rise up and Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the nation’s most popular national park − and Ursus americanus is its unofficial mascot. Here are some things you might now know about one of Eastern North Carolina’s most unique residents, and how climate change could be changing how bears behave in the coastal region.

Beach bears?
The ability of the bear to bounce back in the state is one of North Carolina’s great wildlife success stories. Unregulated hunting and loss of habitat led to bears being driven into the most isolated pockets of swamp forests and mountain areas for most of last century. But starting in the 1970s with the establishment of bear sanctuaries, strict management strategies, and educating the public about the state’s omnivorous residents, bear numbers have surged back. Today, more than 20,000 bears are estimated to roam North Carolina, and more than half are in the eastern part of the state. Coastal North Carolina is also home to some of the largest black bears in the world, thanks to an ample food supply of farmers’ crops, a relatively mild climate and many large, protected areas − like state game lands such as Holly Shelter in Pender County and federal wildlife refuges like Alligator River near the Outer Banks − that offer the bears valuable habitat. The size and number of Eastern N.C.’s black bears also fuels a successful hunting season and helps support the economy in many rural areas. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the numbers of bears harvested by hunters has increased from fewer than 300 in 1980 to more than 4,500 on 2023, the last year figures are available. In the Wilmington area for 2023, hunters took 34 bears in Brunswick County, seven in New Hanover County, and 92 in Pender County. The leading state that year was Hyde County near the Outer Banks, with 288 animals harvested by hunters.

Bears on the hunt
But humans aren’t the only ones on the hunt these days. Bears are beginning to fatten up as they prepare to hibernate in the late fall and winter. In a process called hyperphagia, which means “extreme appetite,” bears will travel long distances and be very opportunistic in looking for food sources. “In late summer through fall, black bears are consuming a variety of hard and soft mast species, from acorns and hickory nuts to pokeberry, cherry, grapes and black gum,†said wildlife commission biologist Jenna Malzahn in a release. “They’ll also take advantage of agricultural crops, such as soybeans and standing corn, as well as bird feeders and unsecured garbage and compost.â€Â Â  With this level of food consumption, which can last through early winter, bears can put on 3 pounds per day and gain anywhere from 20% to close to 100% of their summer weight, according to the commission. With bears traveling so much, human-animal interactions − including vehicle strikes − peak over the next few weeks.

Will they hibernate at the N.C. coast?
Maybe. But they’ll still often eat even if the weather doesn’t trigger them to hibernate for very long or at all. “Even in warmer climates, such as our state, a bear’s biological clock will still activate this fall feeding frenzy, even for those bears that hibernate briefly or not at all, as natural food scarcity in winter months, not temperatures, has been a key driver for activating the hyperphagia and hibernation process,†said Colleen Olfenbuttel, the wildlife commission’s game mammals and surveys supervisor. “Even bears that won’t den until January or February still look for food practically around the clock and eat as much as they can find. However, in areas where bears have found dependable year-round supplies of human-provided foods, they may not hibernate at all but will eat as if they are going to.â€Â  Female bears at the coast have generally been recorded hibernating longer than males, and will give birth during their hibernation, only waking up and emerging with her cubs in the spring when they are able to walk and feed on solid food. Males may den for short periods but may also exhibit lethargic behavior during the winter if they stay awake.

Where will they hibernate in Eastern N.C.?
With few rock formations to den in or under in Eastern N.C., coastal bears will often hibernate in thick vegetation on the ground. They also have been found to use tree cavities and burrow under fallen trees and logs. Bears finding accommodations under abandoned or seldom used human structures, like porches and barns, also has been observed, according to the wildlife commission.

How will a warming climate impact bears?
As warmer weather becomes the norm, North Carolina’s coastal black bear might start to mimic behavior patterns of bears in other Southern states that already deal with a hotter, year-round climate. According to the N.C. State Climate Office, five of North Carolina’s top six warmest years have happened since 2016, and each year in the past decade ranks among the top 22 warmest on record dating back to 1895. That could mean shorter, or no, hibernation for male bears in the state, increased pressure on winter food supplies, and a greater chance of human-bear conflicts as both species share the same space for longer periods of time.
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Black bears are common along the NC coast.
Here’s why and what to know about their habits.
More bears live in the state’s coastal plain than in North Carolina’s mountains. They also are generally larger. And yes, they do hibernate
When people think of bears in North Carolina, most thoughts probably drift to the mountains in the higher elevations of the state and places like Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But black bears ’ the only bear species found in the Tar Heel State ’ are found across North Carolina, and their population is actually larger in the state’s coastal plain than in the mountains. Potentially even more surprising to some is that many bears at the coast, especially females, hibernate like their brethren where frost and snow is a lot more common.

Bears at the coast?
Yes, there are bears ’ lots of them ’ near North Carolina’s beaches and in its coastal forests and swamps. The ability of the bear to bounce back in the state is one of North Carolina’s great wildlife success stories. Unregulated hunting and loss of habitat led to bears being driven into the most isolated pockets of swamp forests and mountain areas for most of the last century. But starting in the 1970s with the establishment of bear sanctuaries, strict management strategies, and educating the public about the state’s omnivorous residents, bear numbers have surged back. Today, more than 20,000 bears are estimated to roam North Carolina, and more than half are in the eastern part of the state. Coastal North Carolina is also home to some of the largest black bears in the world, thanks to an ample food supply of farmers’ crops, a relatively mild climate, and many large, protected areas ’ like state game lands and federal wildlife refuges ’ that offer the bears valuable habitat. According to the wildlife commission, the largest bear ever killed in North Carolina was an 880-pound male taken in Craven County in 1998. The state’s propensity for lots of bears also attracts hunters and fuels economies in many rural areas, with more than 4,000 animals taken during the 2022 bear season ’ up 11% over 2021 figures. Of those, more than 2,500 bears were taken along the coast. Around the Wilmington area, hunters harvested 34 bears in Brunswick County, 92 in Pender County, and seven in New Hanover County. The popularity, size, and sheer number of bears in Eastern North Carolina also has spawned its own festival, the National Black Bear Festival, which takes place every June in Plymouth, Washington County.

What is hibernation?
In its very basic form, animals enter hibernation as a way to reduce their metabolism in response to a decrease in food supply and sometimes falling temperatures. When bears, in this case, enter hibernation, their internal body clocks slow down. That leads to lower heart rates, reduced breathing, and lower oxygen consumption. The animal’s temperature also drops. According to biologists, this can be by as much as 15 degrees for bears. To prepare for hibernation, bears step up their eating, putting on up to 3 pounds a day in the fall and sometimes into winter. That can mean foraging for a meal for up to 20 hours a day, and they are typically most active at dawn and dusk.

Why do N.C. coastal bears hibernate?
While black bears in colder, northern climates can hibernate for six months or longer, it is generally for shorter periods in North Carolina. But they do hibernate even along the N.C. coast, especially female bears. Males may den for short periods but may also exhibit lethargic behavior during the winter if they stay awake. “Bears studied in eastern North Carolina by radio-telemetry entered dens as early as November and as late as January. These same bears exited dens as early as February and as late as April,” states information on the wildlife commission’s website. “This results in the possibility of bear sightings and roadkills in all months and the misconception that coastal bears do not hibernate. Only human disturbance interrupts these periods of hibernation in North Carolina’s bears.” Females will give birth during their hibernation, only waking up and emerging with her cubs in the spring when they are able to walk and feed on solid food.

Where do they hibernate?
With few rock formations to den in or under in Eastern N.C., coastal bears will often hibernate in thick vegetation on the ground. They also have been found to use tree cavities and burrow under fallen trees and logs. Bears finding accommodations under abandoned or seldom used human structures, like porches and barns, also has been observed.

What about the impact of climate change on N.C. bears?
Scientists are clear that North Carolina is facing a warming climate in the coming years. The only real question is by how much temperatures will increase. As warmer weather becomes the norm, North Carolina’s coastal black bear might start to mimic behavior patterns of bears in other Southern states that already deal with a hotter, year-round climate. That could mean shorter, or no, hibernation for male bears, increased pressure on winter food supplies, and a greater chance of human-bear conflicts as both species share the same space for longer periods of time. But black bears also have proven time and again to be very adaptable to changing conditions, including human encroachment on their habitats. That ability has seen them spread to all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, with number increasing even as the state’s population also continues to rise quickly.
Read more » click here

Bears are smart animals
Time to be smarter than the bear. Elimination of regular and easy food sources is the best deterrent and will cause him/her to move out of our location faster than any other reason. If the bear discovers the pattern of garbage cans going out in the evening, he/she will look for the cans each evening. Consider putting garbage cans out in the morning hours just before the truck arrives so that the bear does not discover cans full of food each week. Please reconsider feeding any other animals during warmer months with an outdoor supply of food because the bear will find it and eat what you put out, thus strengthening his/her reason to remain here. Bird feeders may also be destroyed for the bear to secure the stored grains.

Consistent patterns in OR will help to move the bear to new territory. If some food sources remain available, he/she will find them and remain here. Keep the food sources out of his/her reach. Please consider staying with this habit until the acorns begin to drop in the fall. We have few oak trees within OR, so that source of food is limited. The bear will seek an area with a greater source of food prior to winter.

Bears roam approximately ten miles in all directions to obtain food or shelter. If sources outside of the OR provide him/her with regular food, and our area provides the best shelter, he/ she will remain until late fall once again. Be aware of choices and be aware of walking in forested areas with dogs, etc. Black bears will avoid humans and dogs, but if you accidentally run into one at close proximity, do the following:

If you and he /she are walking toward each other, change your direction anddo not run.Constantly check over the shoulder to see if the bear is following you or continuing in another direction.

    • If you happen to get REALLY close to a bear, you can make yourself look as large as possible and yell loudly. A black bear will usually change direction.
    • If there is a bear cub with a mother bear, stay as far away as possible. She will protect the cub at all costs, and you can be in great danger.
    • Review the pamphlet put out by the NC Department of Wildlife:
      https://www.ncwildlife.org/media/1458/download?attachment

Stay aware, stay smart, and stay safe.

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 ofemergency.

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
For more information » click here.

 

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

Top Scientists Find Growing Evidence That Greenhouse Gases Are, in Fact, a Danger
The assessment contradicts the Trump administrations legal arguments for relaxing pollution rules.
The nation’s leading scientific advisory body issued a major report on Wednesday detailing the strongest evidence to date that carbon dioxide, methane and other planet-warming greenhouse gases are threatening human health. The report, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is significant because it could complicate the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke a landmark scientific determination, known as the endangerment finding, that underpins the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is driving climate change. The finding dates to 2009, when the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare and so should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The Obama and Biden administrations used that determination to set strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other industrial sources of pollution. But in July, the Trump administration proposed to rescind the endangerment finding and contended that subsequent research had “cast significant doubt†on its accuracy. The proposal is one of President Trump’s most significant steps yet to derail federal climate efforts. If the move is held up in court, future administrations would have no authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The new National Academies assessment contradicts the administration’s claims. The 136-page report, assembled by a committee of two dozen scientists, concludes that the original endangerment finding was accurate and “has stood the test of time.†It says that there is now even stronger evidence that rising greenhouse gas levels can threaten public health and well-being, and that new risks have been uncovered. The report notes that multiple lines of evidence now show that human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are producing greenhouse gases that are heating the planet, and that climate change is exacerbating a wide variety of health risks like intense heat waves and increased wildfire smoke. Climate-driven changes in temperature and rainfall patterns have also led to negative effects on crops and less water availability in some places, among other disruptions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is a nongovernmental body that was originally chartered in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to advise the nation on scientific and medical questions. The influential body issues roughly 200 reports per year on a range of topics from particle physics to neurobiology, and its members are elected each year. In August, the National Academies announced that it was fast-tracking its study on the endangerment finding so that it could inform the E.P.A.’s decision-making process. Under federal law, the E.P.A. needs to solicit public comment on its proposal to revoke the finding and then must respond to all of the comments it receives. Some Republicans in Congress criticized the National Academies for racing to complete the report. Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the leading Republican on the House Oversight Committee, wrote in a recent letter to the body that the decision was “a blatant partisan act to undermine the Trump Administration†and said that some of the members overseeing the report had “shown partisan bias.†The committee that oversaw the report was led by Shirley Tilghman, an emeritus professor of molecular biology and public affairs and former president of Princeton University. While the committee was largely made up of academics, it also included a former employee of Chevron and a former executive at Cummins, a manufacturer of truck engines. “This study was undertaken with the ultimate aim of informing the E.P.A., following its call for public comments, as it considers the status of the endangerment finding,†Dr. Tilghman said in a statement. “We are hopeful that the evidence summarized here shows the strong base of scientific evidence available to inform sound decision-making.†In response to the report, Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, said, “The endangerment finding has been used by the Obama and Biden administrations to justify trillions of dollars of greenhouse gas regulations covering new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. As we saw in the 16 intervening years since the endangerment finding was made, many of the extremely pessimistic predictions and assumptions E.P.A. relied upon have not materialized as expected.†She said the E.P.A. “looks forward to responding to a diverse array of perspectives on this issue,†when the public comment period ends on Sept. 22. To justify its proposal, the E.P.A. cited a variety of legal and technical arguments, saying among other things that the greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on American roads are only a small sliver of total global greenhouse gas emissions. But the agency also tried to argue with the mainstream scientific view that climate change poses a significant risk to humanity. It cited a report that the Energy Department commissioned by a working group of five prominent researchers who dissent from the mainstream scientific view of climate change. They were handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and while their report acknowledged that the Earth is warming, it said that climate change is “less damaging economically than commonly believed.â€Â In response, a team of more than 85 scientists wrote a 439-page reply, saying that the Energy Department analysis was riddled with errors and cherry-picked data to fit the president’s political agenda. Separately, two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court charging that the formation of the Energy Department’s working group violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act and that the E.P.A. should not rely on its analysis. That case is ongoing. Mr. Wright disbanded the working group this month in the wake of the lawsuit. But the Energy Department has said it has no plans to withdraw its report. In a statement, Andrea Woods, an Energy Department spokeswoman, said that the agency had determined that the working group had achieved its purpose, “namely to catalyze broader discussion about the certainties and uncertainties of current climate science. We will continue to engage in the debate in favor of a more science-based and less ideological conversation around climate science.†Some legal experts said that the Trump administration’s attempts to argue against longstanding scientific findings on climate change could create problems in court for its deregulatory efforts. “It might have been a better strategy if they tried to sidestep the arguments about climate science altogether,†said Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. “Instead, they’ve taken shots at climate science and that’s triggered an enormous response from scientists, and now they’re going to have to carefully respond to all of these comments,†Mr. Parenteau added. “And if they shortchange any of them, that creates a legal vulnerability. Courts are going to be very leery if the E.P.A. tries to ignore or reject the findings of the National Academies of Sciences.â€
Read more » click here

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Flood Insurance Program
For more information » click here

 

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National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.

Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on September 30, 2025.

As the federal government shutdown drags on, one quiet corner of the housing market has seized up: The sales of homes in flood-prone areas. With the National Flood Insurance Program lapsed since Oct. 1, the government can no longer issue most new policies or renewals, leaving buyers who need coverage for their mortgage uncovered, and throwing deals that had already been negotiated into uncertainty.

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GenX
For more information » click here

 

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Homeowners Insurance
For more information » click here

 

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Hurricane Season
For more information » click here

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30

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Why This Years Hurricanes Keep Turning Away From the East Coast
There are six weeks left in the Atlantic hurricane season.

Dexter, Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, then Jerry. Again and again, this year’s Atlantic hurricane season has featured storms that seemed to be heading straight to the United States, only to suddenly take a sharp turn toward the east, veering away from land and out to the open ocean. Typically, by this time in an Atlantic season, at least three hurricanes or tropical storms would have made landfall in the United States. But with 12 named storms so far this year — four of them hurricanes — the only one to make U.S. landfall was Tropical Storm Chantal, which came ashore in South Carolina in early July. (Another, Tropical Storm Barry, made landfall in Mexico in late June.) Each storm’s eastward turn has its own unique causes, but John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said two main factors determine a storm’s path: where it formed and what is steering it.

Steering
The main steering mechanism for Atlantic storms comes from a large high pressure system known as the Bermuda high. The Bermuda high (also called the subtropical high) normally sits in the Atlantic Ocean. Its light winds circulate in a clockwise direction, which usually push hurricanes westward in the tropical Atlantic, before guiding them northward along its western edge. “They are the primary steering for storms,†Mr. Cangialosi said. However, he added that nearby low pressure systems — along the East Coast, for example — and their associated cold fronts can influence the Bermuda high’s strength. “They can cause the high to weaken and shift, and cause these storms to turn,†he said. “So, it’s a combination of both of those features.†According to the National Hurricane Center, a strong Bermuda high generally pushes hurricanes farther west, toward Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, before turning them northward. A weaker Bermuda high, however, doesn’t drive storms as far west. Instead, it turns them northward sooner, either toward the East Coast of the United States or eastward and out to sea. This year, the eastward paths of Hurricanes Erin, Gabrielle and Humberto and Tropical Storm Jerry were influenced by a weak Bermuda high. Tropical Storm Dexter differed a bit, said Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University — another atmospheric steering mechanism was at play: the jet stream. The jet stream is a fast-moving ribbon of air high in the atmosphere that flows from west to east across the North Atlantic. It not only steers storms but can also accelerate or even intensify them. Dr. Klotzbach said Dexter was “already in the jet stream flow†when it formed to the northeast of the North Carolina coast, causing the storm to move away from the U.S. Sometimes a nearby Atlantic storm can lend a helping hand. Last month’s Imelda, Dr. Klotzbach said, “was a really lucky case for the United States.†With Hurricane Humberto positioned to Imelda’s east, which helped weaken the western edge of the Bermuda high just in time, causing Imelda to slow down. The two storms also orbited around a shared center point, in what meteorologists call the Fujiwhara effect. “Then Humberto’s circulation helped pull Imelda to the east,†he said.

Location
Where a storm forms also plays a key role in determining its track. The farther east a storm develops, Mr. Cangialosi said, the more likely it is to encounter a low pressure system along its westward path, which may turn it northward and then eastward, much like the paths of Erin and Humberto. “But hypothetically,†he said, “if a storm forms far to the west, like over the western Caribbean or over the Gulf, in those cases they would probably not avoid the United States with similar patterns.â€Â From October through November, storms tend to form farther west.

What to expect
Months ago, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they expected an above-average season this year, with up to 18 total named storms by the time it ends in November. A typical season has 14 named storms. Looking ahead, Mr. Cangialosi said, as the season moves into the rest of October and November, storms are expected to form closer to home. “They would be much less likely to miss the U.S.,†he said. “Doesn’t mean they can’t. It just means they are closer to home and therefore would have less of an opportunity to recurve.†Hurricane landfalls after mid-October are “fairly rare,†Dr. Klotzbach said, largely because vertical wind shear near the United States is typically quite strong this time of year. Strong vertical wind shear, or the change in wind direction and wind speed with height, can disrupt a storm’s structure, making it harder for hurricanes to maintain their intensity. On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center began tracking what might become the next named storm sometime in the next week. “It’s still a long way away, so there is a lot of uncertainty,†Dr. Klotzbach said, “but there is a pretty robust signal in the various models.â€
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Inlet Hazard Areas
For more information » click here

 

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Lockwood Folly Inlet
For more information » click here.

 

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Seismic Testing / Offshore Drilling
For more information » click here.

 

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Offshore Wind Farms
For more information » click here

 

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.
///// September 2025
Name:         Island Way
Cuisine:      American
Location:   1407 E Beach Drive, Oak Island, NC
Contact:      910.278.7770 / https://www.islandwayres.com
Food:           Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:       Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:  Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $27    Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:        Two Stars
/////
Island Way is a popular casual upscale beachfront restaurant with ocean and pier views. Its beach dining in style, offering both indoor and outdoor dining options. Although it was previously rated as a three-star establishment, unfortunately that is no longer the case.  It remains as one of the better dining options in the area, significantly better than most. It’s a busy place, which is filled to capacity nearly every evening., making reservations advisable.

///// November 2023
Name:         Salt64
Cuisine:      American
Location:   6404 East Oak Island Drive, Oak Island NC
Contact:     910.933.1019 / https://salt64.com/
Food:          Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:      Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience: Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $29   Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:       Two Stars
Dining is in a casual relaxed atmosphere, nothing fancy, with a diverse menu that offers a little something for everyone. The white tablecloth was a nice upscale twist, but both the noise level and bright lighting will dissuade you from thinking that you are at a fine dining establishment. All in all, we had a nice meal there, but it really wasn’t anything special. We found it to be pretty standard fare, while it was good, it wasn’t worth returning for. It was a very busy place on a Tuesday night in November. If you want to eat there you probably should call ahead for reservations. You can expect to wait for a table during prime tourist season.

This celebrated Brunswick County restaurant is expanding.
Here’s what to expect.
Jon and Erika Spencer are Brunswick County natives. He grew up in Southport and shes from Oak Island. For years, though, the couple lived away from Southeastern North Carolina. Jon Spencer said he was eager to go and gain experience in the culinary world when he was a young man. He wanted fine dining skills and to cater big banquets. And he did. For much of his professional life, he worked at country clubs, and then at restaurants like the former Soiree and Epic Chophouse near Charlotte. But the couple eventually decided they wanted to come home. In 2022, they opened Salt 64 in the former automotive repair shop and Jones Seafood House space at 6404 E. Oak Island Drive in Oak Island. We wanted to do something different, and we weren’t quite sure how that was going to work out, Jon Spencer said.  But people welcomed their return — and the restaurant. Last year, Salt 64 was No. 19 on Yelp’s list of the top 100 restaurants in North Carolina, and the only one in Brunswick County. We try to keep it unique but unpretentious,  Jon Spencer said. We wanted it to be approachable. He and his staff flex their creativity with the daily specials, which are also the best sellers at the restaurant. We change it every day, he said. And the dishes like fresh-caught fish prepared in a number of ways, or skillet seared duck breast, or filet medallions topped with their famed ill-tempered lobster tails — are posted to social media. As far as the regular menu, Jon Spencer said the seared scallops with fruity gastrique and warm fennel potato salad, the beet-and-goat cheese salad, and the spice-seared rare tuna are popular. And versions of other dishes, like the grilled artichoke appetizer and the addictive cheesy and garlicy crack toast, have been on Spencer’s menus for decades. There’s also a section of the menu called Jones Corner devoted to classic seafood. Now, Salt 64 is expanding. For the past two years, they’ve been completing the permitting to renovate. They closed in August for about a week to add some capacity to the electrical system and to demolish the existing patio.  Now, a temporary wall is in place and crews will build a new room on the other side. If all goes well, they’ll close again briefly later this year to combine the spaces and complete a refresh of the restaurant. The big change will be to the existing six-seat bar, which will be a larger, U-shaped bar in the former patio.They’ll also add about 40 seats to the dining room and have more space in the kitchen. Eventually, they’d like to add a space for catering / commissary kitchen with more room for pastry making. Jon Spencer said there’s also a possibility of opening more Salt 64 locations in the future.
Read more » click here

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

Cover of the thriller novel 'With a Vengeance' by Riley Sager featuring a train on a bridge.WITH A VENGEANCE by Riley Sager
Anna Matheson plans to get retribution for her family’s downfall. Her plan was simple, get the six (6) people responsible for her family’s downfall during the war onto a train where there’s no escape, confront them and find out why they did what they did and then deliver them right to the authorities waiting at the train’s destination. The story is a variation on the classic locked-room whodunit reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, where passengers are killed one by one on the train.

That’s it for this newsletter

See you next month

Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

                    • Gather and disseminate information
                    • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
                    • Act as a watchdog
                    • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008

https://lousviews.com/

 

09 – Town Meeting

 

Lou’s Views

“Unofficial” Minutes & Comments

BOC’s Regular Meeting 09/16/25

Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here

Audio Recording » click here

1. Conflict of Interest Check

2024 Rules of Procedure for the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners
(e) Conflict Check. Immediately after the approval of the agenda, the Presiding Officer shall poll each member to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. In the event that a potential conflict is disclosed, the members will vote on a motion to allow or excuse that member with respect to the agenda item. If excused, the member may not participate in any discussion, debate, or vote with respect to the agenda item.

The Board was polled by Heather our Town Clerk. All of them declared that there was no conflict of interest with any agenda item at this meeting.

2. Discussion and Possible Action on Additional Areas of Concern – Michael Norton & Cameron Long, McGill Associates (Interim Town Manager Ferguson)

Agenda Packet – page 18, plus separate packet

Supplemental Stormwater Master Plan Report » click here 

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
At the December BOC meeting, the board voted to hire McGill to investigate additional areas of concern for the stormwater masterplan, specifically the East end and the canal streets. The report of finding’s, including alternatives and associated costs, will be presented at the meeting.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The BOC expressed a desire to expand on the work in the original stormwater master plan. The additional areas of concern will be presented to the board for review and possible adoption as part of the overall plan.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report and consider adopting as an addendum to the original plan.

The Town of Holden Beach (Town) retained McGill Associates (McGill) to prepare this Supplemental Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) following completion of the Town’s initial Stormwater Master Plan in June 2024. The primary purposes of this project were to expand the stormwater system inventory, analyze flooding conditions within four additional areas of concern, evaluate alternatives to improve flooding conditions during the 10-year storm event, and provide recommendations for capital improvements.

The additional areas of concern are as follows:

    • Area 7 – East End: McCray Street, Avenue B, and Dunescape Drive
    • Area 8 – Canal Streets: Greensboro Street, Charlotte Street, Durham Street, Burlington Street, Salisbury Street, Sanford Street, Raleigh Street, Fayetteville Street, Lumberton Street, and High Point Street
    • Area 9 – Canal Streets: Sand Dollar Street, Starfish Drive, Lions Paw Street, and ScotchBonnet Drive
    • Area 10 – Canal Streets: Sailfish Street, Tarpon Drive, Marlin Drive, Tuna Drive, Dolphin Street and Swordfish Drive

Previously reported – December 2024

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action on the requested proposal from McGill regarding additional areas of concern for stormwater.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
McGill completed a proposal for the board’s consideration after the BOC expressed interest in adding areas of concern to the approved stormwater master plan. If the board chooses to move forward a budget amendment would be needed.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive proposal and consider award should BOC want to add additional areas of study to the plan.

The BOC asked that McGill be contacted regarding additional areas of concern for the stormwater master plan. The attached proposal involves survey work and analysis to add three streets at the east end of the island and canal streets. It projects a six-month deliverable following a notice to proceed at a price of $76,100. Michael Norton will be available by phone to answer any questions the board may have during this agenda item .

Update –
McGill representatives made a presentation as a follow-up of the request made for the additional stormwater problem areas. The report evaluated two (2) alternative solutions to address flooding for each area of concern and the associated costs. The question becomes: should we proceed? The motion was made to receive the report, to include it as addendum to the original town stormwater plan, with the Board having the ability to prioritize areas before any actions are taken.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

3. Discussion and Possible Action on the Stormwater Project Partnership Agreement with the Corps – Interim Town Manager Ferguson

Agenda Packet – pages 37 – 51

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Follow up from the June BOC meeting regarding the stormwater PPA now that it’s back from Division. Acknowledge changes made by Division and direct execution.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
At the June BOC meeting, the board voted to move forward with the stormwater PPA if it came back identical to the document they reviewed. The Corps’ Division Office made two changes to the original: one to update the accounting section and the other to add a BABA waiver.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive PPA and consider action to move forward.

Previously reported – June 2025
Discussion and Possible Action on Pursuing $2.2 Million in Environmental InfrastructureFunding through the Corps – Interim Town Manager Ferguson & Bob Kiestler, Corps

Project Partnership Agreement » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and possible action on pursuing $2.2 million in Environmental Infrastructure funding through the Army Corps of Engineers.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Following Potential Tropical Cyclone 8, the Town was awarded environmental infrastructure disaster relief funding through Congress. These funds flow directly to the Corps and through this program they would reimburse stormwater project costs up to 75%. Bob Keistler will be here to give some background on the program and discuss the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA). This funding is projected to fall over two fiscal years.

USACE Environmental Infrastructure Project
Following Potential Tropical Cyclone 8, the Town was awarded $2.2 million in environmental infrastructure funding for phasing projects from our approved stormwater master plan. The projects involve the 300 Block of Ocean Boulevard and the East End of Ave A and Mullet. When these appropriations are made through Congress, the money flows directly to the Corps and then they reimburse the Town up to 75% of the project costs. The Corps will be at the meeting to explain the program and what would be needed as far as the Project Partnership Agreement. The partnership is expected to operate over two fiscal years, with next fiscal year’s estimate being $300,000.

North Carolina Environmental Infrastructure Program
Section 5113 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007

Authorization allows the Corps of Engineers to conduct a program of environmental infrastructure improvements that provide design and construction assistance for the following range of activities:

. a. wastewater treatment and related facilities
. b. combined sewer overflow, water supply, storage, treatment, and related facilities
. c. drinking water infrastructure including treatment and related facilities
. d. environmental restoration
. e. stormwater infrastructure
. f. surface water resource protection and development

Design and construction assistance can only be provided for publicly owned facilities. A partnership agreement for the conduct of design and construction assistance must be executed for each project initiated under this program. Federal cost sharing of the project costs is set at 75%, which could be provided in the form of grants or reimbursements of project costs to the non-Federal interests. Also, the Federal Government could provide the non-Federal interests partial credit for work performed before the partnership agreement was executed, and provide credit for lands, easements and rights-of way. The non-Federal interests must provide for all operation and maintenance costs of the project.
For more information » click here

Project Descriptions

Area 1 – 300 Block of Ocean Boulevard West

Several hundred feet of public ROW along Ocean Boulevard West (OBW), in an area referred to as the 300 Block, and Brunswick Avenue to the north, experience significant floodwaterretention following storm events.

A dedicated right-of-way (ROW) at 317 Brunswick Avenue West, which connects OBW and Brunswick Avenue, is currently used as an unofficial vehicle and pedestrian access. This project would convert the ROW to a 2.5-foot-deep storage depression to hold runoff from both OBW and Brunswick Avenue.

Catch basins will be installed along the north side of OBW, including at the low point of the road, and at the intersection of High Point Street and Brunswick Avenue. As the catch basin at the low point of the road will be located within the ROW of OBW and not on the road itself, its rim elevation will sit above the lowest elevation of the road. The road would be elevated to encourage positive flow to the inlet and to avoid further road ponding.

Catch basins will be connected by 15″ High Performance Polypropylene pipes (HPPP), producing two different directions of flow: one, from the low point of the road, through the storage depression, and discharging at the outlet of the Brunswick Avenue channel, and the other from the low point of the road, down OBW and High Point Street. and discharging into the channel near the intersection of High Point Street and Brunswick Avenue.

In order to maintain a positive outfall within the proposed stormwater network, the Brunswick Avenue channel will be dropped approximately 1.5 feet between its outset and the inlet of the existing outlet pipe. The channel will be re-graded as needed while maintaining minimum side slopes of 3:1.

The existing culvert under Marker Fifty-Five Drive and the existing outlet pipe running along the east side of High Point St. will both be upsized to 18″ Reinforced Concrete Pipes (RCPs). The tide gate on the existing outlet pipe will be replaced.

Additional measures will include a second 1.5-foot-deep storage depression at 339 Brunswick Avenue, along with another dedicated ROW. This storage depression will be connected to the proposed stormwater network on OBW and discharge north into the Brunswick Avenue channel just before the Marker Fifty-Five Drive culvert.

Area 2 – East End of Mullet Street Area & East End of Avenue A

Public ROW along Ocean Boulevard East (QBE) on the east end of Holden Beach, between Ferry Road and Dunescape Drive, experiences frequent periods of standing water following rain events as runoff is transported through the existing stormwater network or infiltrates into the soil.

The proposed project involves upsizing the existing stormwater system such that a 2-year storm level of service is achieved in the section of OBE east of Mullet St. and the entire area sees a reduction in flood depths due to both 2-year and 10-year storms. Further reduction in flooding from the 10-year storm is to be realized by eliminating roadway flooding along OBE between Avenue A and Dunescape Drive.

The existing stormwater network along Ocean Boulevard East (OBE) west of Mullet Street will remain with individual pipe inverts dropped as needed to create positive drainage within the system. Existing pipes along OBE east of Mullet St. will be upsized to 24″ RCPs with the final of these pipes upsized to a 30″ RCP. In order to accommodate the burial of the new 24″ RCP, the existing channel at the upstream end of this pipe system will be dropped by -0.5 feet and re-graded as needed while maintaining a minimum side slope of 3:1.

Similarly, the existing pipe under Blockade Runner Drive will be upsized to an 18″ RCP with its downstream pipe that runs under QBE upsized to a 24″ RCP. All pipes along Mullet St. will be upsized to 30″ RCPs and a tide gate will be installed on the final outlet pipe. These appear to be the largest pipe sizes that can reasonably fit underneath the road while maintaining necessary clearance.

Additionally, three (3) 1-footdeep swales with 4:1 side slopes will be installed along the northern ROW of OBE between McCray Street and Dunescape Drive. 12″ HPPP culverts will be installed under roadways to connect the swales and tie them to the existing system.

Due to the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), improvement options in this area are limited.

The Town was awarded $2.2M in Environmental Infrastructure Disaster Relief Funding for stormwater projects. To get started USACE requires the execution of the project partnership agreement. The Town portion of the 2.2 million dollar project is 25%, which would cost us $550,000. The motion was made to approve the project partnership agreement with the USACE and have the town staff execute the paperwork.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously

Update –
Bob Keistler a representative from USACE was at the meeting to explain the two (2) changes made the Stormwater Project Partnership Agreement. We will have to pay everything up front and then get reimbursed up to 75% of the project costs. The motion was made to execute the agreement.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

4. Police Report – Chief Jeremy Dixon

Agenda Packet – pages 19 – 24

Police Report » click here

Holden Beach Police patch with sunset and birds design.
Jeremy reviewed the actions that were taken by them last month

They experienced a normal decline of activity after the Labor Day weekend

Car “break-ins†are happening on multiple islands including ours

Crime Prevention 101 – Don’t make it easy for them
Don’t leave vehicles unlocked
Don’t leave valuables in your vehicles

Low Speed Vehicle Safety » click here
Low-speed vehicles (Golf Carts) are required to follow the same traffic laws as every other motor vehicle, including travel lane regulations. They are required to be registered with the DMV and all operators must possess a valid driver’s license.All occupants MUST wear a seat belt, including children who must be secured in an age/weight appropriate child safety restraint.

Download our free app for important updates and notifications.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Staffing –

Having the full complement of eleven (11) police officers seems to be an elusive goal.

What he did not say –

We are in the most active hurricane period which is from August to October –
be prepared, have a plan!

If you know something, hear something, or see something –
call 911 and let the police deal with it.

5. Inspections Department Report – Inspections Director Evans

Agenda Packet – pages 25 – 27

Inspections Report » click here

ACTIVE NEW HOME PERMITS                                                              = 32
OTHER ACTIVE PERMITS                                                                       = 523
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $30,000                                                           = 73
.   * AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $100,000                                                         = 4
.   * AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS                          = 4
.   * AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED WAITING PICK UP                                                   = 40
TOTAL PERMITS                                                                                       = 595

PERMITS IN REVIEW                                                                              = 5
CAMA ISSUED                                                                                           = 2
ZONING ISSUED                                                                                       = 5
NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS                                                                        = 2
DELINEATIONS                                                                                        = 5
CAMA SITE INSPECTIONS                                                                      = 11

PERMITS SERVICED FOR INSPECTIONS FROM 08/01 – 08/31          = 96
TOTAL INSPECTIONS MADE                                                               = 208

Update –
Timbo briefly reviewed department activity last month, the department is staying busy. He explained why it is always a good idea to check with them to see if you need a permit for any work on your property that you are planning to do.

6. Finance Department Report – Finance Officer McRainey

Agenda Packet – pages 28 – 33

Finance Report » click here 

Update –
Daniel briefly reviewed the Finance Report

7. Town Manager Report – Interim Town Manager Ferguson

Agenda Packet – pages 34 – 35

Town Manager Report » click here

Christy reviewed the Town Manager Report

A yellow house under construction with ladders and building materials outside.

Greensboro Street / Sewer Lift Station #2
91% complete, scheduled completion date of October 1st
Ready for final payment request date of October 30th

Previously reported – August 2025
Sixth application for payment was submitted to funding agencies
82% complete based on the time line

Previously reported – July 2025
Progress meeting between engineer, contractor, and town staff was held on June 26th Fourth application for payment submitted to EPA
State still lags in sending payments and now they are doing a computer system changeover

Previously reported – June 2025
Contractor given an additional seventy-two (72) days to complete the project
Construction schedule completion will now be around October

Previously reported – April 2025
Construction schedule anticipates completion in August
Buy America Build America waivers granted by EPA

Construction workers installing a roof on a new house framed with wooden trusses.Block Q Restrooms & Parking
Apparently vendor still having issues
Contractor had to have structural engineer back out to reevaluate some work performed
Optimistic that they will still meet the grant deadline

Previously reported – August 2025
They have had numerous construction issues
Contractor had to have structural engineer back out to reevaluate some work performed.
Meeting with contractor, Pinnacle, and structural engineer occurred on August 7th
Contractor was at the meeting to address the BOC’s concerns
Timbo is monitoring the situation very closely and is confident we are back on track
The estimated completion date is now not till the end of September
The BOC’s are concerned about the work being completed as required
If the project is not done by the deadline it could jeopardize the grant funding

Previously reported – July 2025

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.
Breaking News – now the vendor is saying completion will be sometime late in October, which may create some problems for the Town

 

Contractor struggled early to meet expectations but staff has engaged in several meetings and things appear to be improving
Deliverable for completion remains optimistic for end of August but money will need to be reallocated for contract at July meeting
Pouring concrete, the week of July 1st

Previously reported – June 2025
They have some serious concerns about the work that is being done there
New project superintendent taking over

Previously reported – May 2025
The bathroom on Block Q is scheduled to be completed by August 20th
There will be a Ground Breaking ceremony on June 4th at 10:00am

Previously reported – April 2025
Extension applied for with the state

Ocean Boulevard Stormwater
Corps developed PPA
McGill presenting on additional areas of concern as part of September agenda

Previously reported – August 2025
Awaiting Project Partnership Agreement from Wilmington District

Previously reported – July 2025
The Letter Report that Bob Keistler mentioned had the financial certification completed by finance officer
Wilmington District was submitting the Draft Letter Report for review

Previously reported – June 2025
The Town was awarded $2.2M in Environmental Infrastructure Disaster Relief Funding for stormwater projects. To get started USACE requires the execution of the Project Partnership Agreement. The Town portion of the 2.2 million dollar project is 25%, which would cost us $550,000. The motion was made to approve the project partnership agreement with the USACE and have the town staff execute the paperwork.

Pier Site
On hold awaiting the bond referendum results

Previously reported – August 2025
Draft report ready and on agenda for consideration
Future Scope of Work Discussion

THB Newsletter (04/15/25)
Work has been completed and the pier parking lot and walkways are now open.
Please be mindful not to stand or sit under the pier structure.

NC Resilient Coastal Communities Program
The Town participated in an orientation session regarding Phase I of the program on September 9th

Previously reported – August 2025
The Town was selected to receive a technical assistance award through the program
ESP Associates has been assigned as our engineer firm and will receive $70,000
Staff will have an orientation session regarding our phase of the program on 09/09 

Previously reported – April 2025

N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program » click here

North Carolina Division of Coastal Management  is accepting applications from eligible communities for no-cost technical assistance to complete Phases I and 2 of the Resilient Coastal Communities Program. The motion was made to complete an application to Resilient Coastal Communities Program by the deadline of April 25th, if it is  at all possible.

Congressional Interaction
Met with Congressman Rouzer’s aid, Jack Best, on August 25th during his regional visits

Expressed concerns over the Coastal Storm Risk Management Trust Fund Language being proposed in Congress and FEMA Beach Nourishment

They discussed making sure to continue federal support for engineered beaches like ours are not excluded

Employee Updates
We filled the vacant Public Works Supervisor position by promoting from within
Mark Thomas Senior Public Service Tech was promoted to Supervisor

Tracking Tool
The BOC’s are looking for a status report on a monthly basis in order to track the progress of projects that they have prioritized.

      • #6    ADA bathroom (at block Q)
      • #7    Fire station Upgrades
      • #14  Block Q Site Plan
      • #18  Update Town Website
      • #19  Pier Repair/Replacement
      • #26  Investigate vacuum bypass system
      • #      Repair and maintenance Water & Sewer

The current status of each of the seven (7) items listed is in the Town Manager Report

In Case You Missed It –

THB Newsletter (09/09/25)
PUBLIC NOTICE
Every year, Brunswick County Public Utilities and the towns, cities, and other utilities that purchase water from Brunswick County implement an annual flushing program. Public Utilities employees flush the water mains by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. The flushing cleans out sediment and allows routine maintenance of the more than 1,440 miles of water lines and over 7,789 fire hydrants in the Brunswick County service area. Flushing may result in discoloration and presence of sediment in your water. These conditions are not harmful and are temporary. During the annual flushing program, a slight change is made in the water treatment process to facilitate an effective flushing program. Throughout the year, Brunswick County Public Utilities adds combined chlorine (in the form of chloramines), to the water as the primary disinfectant. During the annual flushing program, chlorine is added in an uncombined state, commonly referred to as free chlorine. Free chlorine is more effective than combined chlorine at reacting with sediments suspended during flushing. This common practice is also used as preventive maintenance to kill bacteria that, though harmless when consumed by humans, can introduce unwanted taste and odor, and create issues with maintaining a disinfectant residual. Brunswick County will use free chlorine as the primary disinfectant from October 7, 2025, through November 2025. Depending on your location within the distribution system and usage patterns, it could take 7 to 10 days for your drinking water to transition from combined chlorine to free chlorine at the beginning of the flushing program. The annual change from chloramines to free chlorine for this brief period is required by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to promote optimal disinfection throughout the water distribution system. You may experience a change in the taste or smell of your drinking water while free chlorine is being used as the primary disinfection agent. If you are especially sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine, try keeping an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will enable the chlorine to dissipate and reduce the taste of chlorine in your water. Remember – drinking water has a shelf life. Change out the water in your refrigerated container weekly.

Note: If you have an aquarium or pond, always test the water that you add to your aquatic environment to be sure it is free of any chlorine before adding fish or other animals. Chemical additives with directions for removing either free chlorine or chloramines from water for use in fish tanks or ponds are available at pet/fish supply stores. Kidney dialysis clinics and customers on home kidney dialysis equipment should also be aware of this change.

If you have any questions regarding this process, contact Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910.253.2657, 910.371.3490, 910.454.0512, or via email, or contact your water service provider directly at pworks@hbtownhall.com.

THB Newsletter (08/26/25)
Free Cleanup Week
The next Free Cleanup Week at the Brunswick County Landfill will take place September 22 through 27, 2025. Brunswick County property owners and residents can dispose of all materials, except for regular household trash and hazardous waste, free of charge during Free Cleanup Week. Individuals can dispose of metal, tires, electronics, latex paint, clothing, shoes, used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline, fluorescent bulbs, used cooking oil, smoke detectors, household batteries and yard debris in their designated area at the Landfill during this week. Participants must show proof of Brunswick County property ownership or residency. Businesses and commercial vehicles will be charged normal tipping fees. Brunswick County accepts various items at the Brunswick County Landfill year-round at no charge to Brunswick County property owners and residents. See a full list of accepted items on the Accepted Items and Tipping Fees webpage.

For questions, contact Brunswick County Operation Services at 910.253.2520 or via email.

Location
Brunswick County Landfill
172 Landfill Road NE
Bolivia, NC 28422

Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

THB Newsletter (08/26/25)
International Coastal Cleanup
The Town of Holden Beach will partner with the Turtle Patrol for International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 20th. Individuals interested in helping to pick up trash from the beach should report to the picnic shelter at Bridgeview Park at 7:30 a.m. You will be assigned an area of the beach to cover and should return back to the picnic shelter by 9:00 a.m. to dispose of the trash. Suggested supplies to bring with you include gloves, a bucket or trash bag, reach grabbers, sunscreen, bug spray, and water. Your participation makes a huge difference in protecting our precious marine life and maintaining the pristine condition of our beaches. If you cannot participate this day but have another day the week prior to the 20th that you could help, please plan to visit one of the town parks to clear it of any trash that may be on the ground.

Dog Reminders
Please remember that any time your dog is off your premise, they must be on a leash, cord or chain at all times. Also, dog owners must remove dog waste immediately after it is deposited by the dog when on public property or any private property, including vacant lots, without the permission of the private property owner. Dog waste stations are conveniently located throughout the island.

Emergency Operations Center
The EOC building is being used by Tri-Beach Fire Department while they renovate their fire station on Sabbath Home

National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.

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

Upcoming Events –

Meet the Candidates Night  / October 17th
Barktoberfest / October 24th
Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat / October 31st
SBI Three Bridge Tour / November 8th
Veterans Appreciation Luncheon / November 10th
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon / November 14th

Tentative Schedule – dates are still to be determined
Contractors Information Seminar
Turkey Trot
Tree Lighting

8. Discussion and Possible Approval of Addition of a Public Works Department Report to the Monthly Regular Meeting Agenda – Interim Town Manager Ferguson

Agenda Packet – page 36

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Mayor Pro Tern Myers expressed that he would like to have the Public Works Director give a report monthly like the other department heads. The BOC will need to vote on this action item.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Explore whether the collective board would like a report from the Public Works Director each month.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Discuss and vote on the preparation and presentation of a report

Update –
There was a brief discussion as to what they were trying to accomplish by asking for this report. The motion was made to add the Public Works Department Report to the Monthly Regular Meeting Agenda.

A decision was made – Approved (4-1)
Commissioners Smith opposed the motion

9. Discussion and Possible Action on AIWW Crossing/Bend Widener Project – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
.   a. Ordinance 25-14, An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 25-11, The Revenues                and Appropriations Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2025 – 2026 (Amendment No. 3)

Agenda Packet – pages 52 – 56

Ordinance 25-14 » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
During budget discussions, the board was apprised that the award of the AIWW crossing/bend widener project would require a budget amendment. The consensus of the board was to wait until the bids were opened to execute an amendment.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The AIWW crossing/bend widener project is instrumental in keeping our East End whole. Discussions with our engineer indicate we need to opt for the full 150,000 cy of sand as outlined in the attached documents. This request is to execute a budget amendment to facilitate funds flowing to the state.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Execute amendment and understand that the interim town manager has already started discussions with the County to recoup a percentage of the local share.

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Maintenance Dredging
Funding Request for Lockwoods Folly Inlet Crossing Wideners Option
Wilmington District (SAW) opened bids for the FY26 AIWW Maintenance Dredging Solicitation on August 22, 2025. This contract is scoped to address shoaling areas in the Atlantic lntracoastal Waterway, NC Project. As requested, we have incorporated optional bid items for maintenance dredging of the Lockwoods Folly Inlet Crossing Wideners, Tangent 11. This work is divided into two contract options, both with an estimated dredge quantity of 75,000 cubic yards. If both options are executed in this contract, an estimated total of 150,000 cubic yards will be dredged. This material, along with what is dredged from the main Federal Navigation Channel crossing is scheduled to be placed on the east end of Holden Beach, NC. Per the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) executed between SAW and the State of North Carolina, we request $1,050,000 for the first option or a total of $2,100,000 for both options for maintenance dredging at the Lockwoods Folly Inlet Crossing Wideners. As summarized in the tables below, the estimated cost for this maintenance dredging includes Contractor Earnings, Contingencies, Engineering During Construction, Supervision & Administration, and Contract Surveys.

The Wilmington District will need this non-Federal funding to award these contract options. Please provide funds by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by October 31, 2025, in the amount of $1,050,000 for one option, or a total of $2,100,000 if you choose to execute both options. Please contact Mr. Colton Robbins at (910) 251-4104, with any questions concerning the EFT process. Please contact our Project Manager, Mr. Adam Faircloth at (910) 251-4476, for all other project questions.

Update –
The motion was made to approve Ordinance 25-14 to provide funds for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Crossing/Bend Widener Project which is for the Lockwood Folly Inlet dredging. Christy is working with the county to recoup a percentage of the 25% local share.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

Moved funds of $275,000
From Revenue account #50.0399.0000 to Expense account#50.0710.0720

10. Discussion and Possible Acceptance of Revised Capital Improvement Plan – Interim Town Manager Ferguson

Agenda Packet – pages 57 – 58

Capital Improvement Plan » click here 

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Update the CIP with a placeholder for a new fire station.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Per the direction of the BOC at the last meeting, the CIP has been updated by finance to show a fire station in FY 27/28.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Consider adopting change to CIP

Update –
The motion was to approve an updated Capital Improvement Plan that includes a new island fire station.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

11. Discussion and Possible Scheduling of a Date to Set a Public Hearing for Proposed Revisions to Town of Holden Beach Code of Ordinances Section 157.087, Building Numbers – Inspections Director Evans (Interim Town Manager Ferguson)

Agenda Packet – pages 59 – 62

Section 157.087 » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Request a date to be set for a public hearing for revisions to Town Ordinance 157.087

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.087

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Follow staff and Planning Board recommendations

Zoning policy
All proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance must go through Planning & Zoning Board for review, comments, and a consistency statement. State statutes require that the governing board hold a public hearing prior to the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any ordinance regulating development.

§157.087 BUILDING NUMBERS.

   (A)   The correct street number shall be clearly visible from the street on all buildings. Numbers shall be block letters, not script, and of a color clearly in contrast with that of the building and shall be a minimum of six inches in height. Numbers shall be provided on each unit in a duplex or multiple unit building and shall consist of the building number with a suffix letter (A, B, C, and the like). Numbers existing on the effective date of this chapter and at least four inches high and clearly visible from the street shall be allowed to remain. Replacement numbers shall comply with this section.

   (B)   Beach front buildings will also have clearly visible house numbers from the strand side meeting the above criteria on size, contrast, etc. Placement shall be on vertical column supporting deck(s) or deck roof on the primary structure. If no such condition exists for the building, or if a clearer line of sight position exists on the building, the numbers shall also be affixed to the primary structure. For buildings with a setback of over 300 feet from the first dune line, a vertical post shall be erected aside the walkway with house numbers affixed. The post shall not exceed eight feet in height above the base of the walkway. The post will be placed on the highest elevation of the walkway within 300 feet of the first dune line. In all cases the numbers must be clearly visible from the strand. Other placements may be acceptable with approval of the Building Inspector.

  (C)   Structures abutting the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway, canals, and any public trust waters shall have house number affixed to the back of the structure or on the end of the dock/pier visible so as in case an emergency and per the North Carolina Residential Code Section R319.1         

Update –
Timbo explained that this is a safety issue. Any changes made to the Zoning Code Section 157 requires a Public Hearing. The motion was made to schedule a Public Hearing for Zoning Ordinance change before the next BOC’s Regular Meeting on October 21st.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

12. Direction and Possible Action to Direct Staff to Develop a Request for Qualifications for Technical Services to Develop a Comprehensive Plan for Jordan Boulevard, Block Q, Bridge Area and Former Pavilion Properties – Commissioners Thomas and Paarfus

Agenda Packet – pages 63 – 65

 ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and possible action to direct staff to develop a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for technical services to develop a comprehensive plan for the Jordan Blvd, Block Q, bridge area and former pavilion properties.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
There have been several proposals for the development of Block Q with amenities such as a band stand/pavilion, pickle ball courts, boat parking and vehicle parking. However, a comprehensive plan to develop not only block Q but the surrounding parcels (Jordan Blvd, former pavilion site, bridge area) is needed to make the most efficient use of the available properties to provide these amenities. Subsequent construction of these amenities could then be accomplished in phases according to priorities and budget availability. The intent is to allow a professional design firm to bring their expertise and creativity to bear in developing the master plan, considering all the property available. The BOC should provide some initial guide lines for the RFQ but shall not constrain the firm to those guidelines in developing the master plans.

Possible motion:
Instruct staff to develop an RFQ for a comprehensive design for Block Q, Jordan Blvd, bridge area, and the site of the former pavilion to be reviewed by the BOC.

Editor’s note –
A request for qualifications is a document that asks potential suppliers or vendors to detail their background and experience providing a specific good or service. In this case, the buyer is only concerned about the vendor’s skills and experience. Professionals responding will be selected solely based on their qualifications and not on price. Once a firm is selected the Town will negotiate a contract for the desired services. Therefore, the response is not a bid.

Update –
They want to develop a comprehensive plan not only for block Q but also the surrounding parcels. The Board is trying to approach the development by keeping the end in mind. The plan is to only provide the vendor with guidelines of what they would like to see there. The motion was made to instruct staff to develop an RFQ for a comprehensive design for Block Q, Jordan Blvd, bridge area, and the site of the former pavilion to be reviewed by the BOC.

A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents Text

Know the difference between wants and needs?
One of the most basic concepts of economics is want vs. need.
A need is something you have to have.
It’s something you can’t do without.
A want is something you would like to have.
It’s not absolutely necessary, but it would be a good thing to have

A circular stamp with 'Stay Tuned' text in gray and blue.

13. Discussion and Possible Action to Issue a List of Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Pier Bond Referendum – Mayor Pro Tem Myers and Commissioner Thomas

Agenda Packet – pages 66 – 69

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discuss and possible action on developing a list of FAQ about the Pier Bond Referendum for the town to send out to its distribution list

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
There will be a referendum on the November 4 election ballot about whether to raise taxes to remove the old pier and build a new one.

The town of HB has held 2 public hearings about the pier referendum (on 8/16/25 and 8/19/25). Both hearings were well attended, and many people spoke. In addition, the town received dozens of emails related to the pier referendum. At the hearings, many people asked questions, but because of the rules, there was no interaction with the BOC and none of the questions were answered.

Since there are still so many unanswered questions, we propose that the HB town send out a list of FAQs to the ‘Sunshine’ email list.

Attached is a proposed list of questions and answers for discussion.

Possible motion:
Instruct staff to send out the pier referendum FAQs to the ‘Sunshine’ email list

General Obligation Bond Referendum –

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Resolution 25-03 » click here

Resolution 25-04 » click here

Resolution 25-06 » click here

Bond Order » click here

Resolution 25-07 » click here

Pier Bond – FAQ’s

What is the referendum for?
It is only for the demolition and removal of the existing pier and construction of a new pier.  It does not cover the debt on the initial purchase, building a pier building, maintenance, or any operating costs.

Can the bond money be used to construct a new pier building?
No,  the bond money can only be used to remove the existing pier and construct a new one.  Additional new debt may be needed to construct a building.  (Source: Bond Counsel)

Can the bond money be used to pay for the pier property?
No, the land was purchased in March 2022 at a cost of $3.2M financed at 3.18% over 15 years with an annual debt service cost of $260k.  (Source: Audit Reports)

Why do we need to vote on a referendum?
Since the land was used as collateral for financing the purchase of the pier property, we will need to issue General Obligation (GO) bonds. Issuing General Obligation (GO) bonds (which use taxing authority as collateral) is the best way to fund the construction of a new pier, and General Obligation bonds require a voter referendum. (Source: State Statute § 159-61 (a))

When will we vote on the referendum?
The referendum will be forwarded to the Brunswick County Board of Elections and appear on the November 4th ballot for voter consideration.

What will the referendum ballot say?
It will have a YES or NO vote on approving the bonds.  The final wording will be set on September 5th, but it is required to state: 1) total amount of the bonds; 2) the amount of the principal and interest payments to pay off the debt; and 3) the amount property taxes would need to be increased to cover the payments. (Source: State Statute § 159‑61 (d))

Will property owners get to vote?
No, only voters who are registered to vote at Holden Beach, NC can vote on the referendum. (Source: State Statute§ 159-61 (a))

Will all registered voters in Brunswick County get to vote on the referendum?
No, only registered voters who live on the island.  (Source: Board of Elections)

How much will it cost to build a new pier?
The engineer’s Not-To-Exceed estimated construction cost is $7.3M.  The estimated interest cost of the bond is $4.3M, making the total cost $11.6M. (Sources: HDR report and Town of Holden Beach and bond financial advisor)

Are grants available to pay for the pier?
Not at this time.  Our lobbyist has been working with town staff to search for grant opportunities but they have not identified any.  A PARTF grant of $500k was obtained for the purchase of the land in 2022. (Source: Budget Meeting Minutes)

How will this affect my property taxes?
The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

Taxes will increase 22.6%
Our current tax rate is 14 cents per $100
The new tax rate would be 17.16 cents per $100

The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

Property tax increase of $0.0316 per $100.00 of assessed valuation
A home on the island with a value of $1,000,000 estimated cost will be:
($1,000,000 % $100,000) x $31.60 = $316.00 per year
$316.00 x 20 years = $6,320

Our current tax rate is 14 cents per $100
The new tax rate would be 17.16 cents per $100
This would be a 22.6% tax increase

If the referendum fails, can we still build the pier?
Probably not, since it is unlikely, at least in the short-term, that the  Local  Government  Commission  would approve an alternate form of financing for a project that did not pass at a General Obligation Bond referendum. (Source: Bond Counsel)

Could we use our fund balances to pay for it in cash?
Possibly, but depleting our funds would impact other planned investments like the fire station and beach nourishment. (Source: Holden Beach Town Budget)

Could the BOC levy an assessment to pay for it?
Yes, but the BOC would need to go against the will of the voters. (Source: Town Ordinances)

 If the referendum passes, are we required to build the pier?
No. It is unlikely that the Local  Government  Commission  would not approve debt passed at a referendum. The  Board of Commissioners would then have to take action to actually issue the bonds in the future and they have discretion as to whether to issue some or all of the bonds or none at all. (Source: Bond Counsel)

If the referendum passes, how long can we wait before issuing the bonds?
Seven (7) years. 

How long is the term of the bonds?
The expected term of the bonds is twenty (20) years. 

Can we insure the pier against storms?
No, a new pier will be uninsurable for wind or water, and we will still need to pay off the bonds even if the pier is damaged in a storm and is no longer usable. (Sources: LGC, Town of Holden Beach)

What is the design of the new pier?
It is a wooden, pedestrian-grade, 996-foot-long pier with a covered “T†at the end – very similar to the design of the original pier, but taller and stronger for better protection from waves. (Source: HDR report)

How deep will the water be at the end of the pier?
Between 10 to 20 feet, depending upon the tide, according to beach profile elevation survey conducted by the engineer. (Source: HDR report)

How much will it cost to maintain the pier?
The engineer’s estimated funding needs for maintenance, preservation, rehabilitation, and major capital replacement projects to extend its life to 50 years is $3.6M, which equates to $72,560 per year on an annualized basis. (Source: HDR report).

How much will it cost to operate the pier?
The engineer did not estimate operating costs, but they are anticipated to include water, electricity, insurance (liability, vandalism & fire) and personnel costs for staffing it.   (Source: HDR presentation to the BOC)

How will the pier generate revenue for the town?
Operating revenues have not been estimated, but are anticipated to include admission and fishing fees, increased parking revenues, and increased occupancy tax revenues.  Any increase in sales tax revenue would be insignificant due to the way it is allocated within the county. (Source: Town Budget)

Will the pier generate a profit?
Most likely no, since it is very doubtful if pier revenues will exceed operating and maintenance costs, let alone cover debt service costs.  (Source: HDR report on lifecycle costs)

Can parking revenue pay for the pier?
Partially, but all parking revenues are currently being used to pay other expenses, including the debt service cost of the pier property purchase. These expenses would need to be reduced, and/or parking fees increased, before parking revenues could be used to cover a meaningful portion of the debt service cost of the bonds. (Source: Town Budget)

Can we save the existing pier?
Possibly, but according to our engineering studies, it would cost more than to replace it, and the old pier does not comply with current building codes and would not be as strong as a new one. (Source: HDR report)

How much will it cost to remove the existing pier?
The $7.3M Not-To-Exceed estimate includes removal of the existing pier.  There is no cost estimate for removing the existing pier without replacing it. (Source: HDR report)

Will there be a new pier building?
Most likely, but there are no viable plans or cost estimates at this time, and the building design is dependent on the fate of the pier.  There are significant PARTF grant restrictions on what functions the building can support (i.e., it must be dedicated as a recreation site for the use and benefit of the public for a minimum of 25 years). (Source: PARTF Grant Contract)

Is a Public-Private Partnership a viable approach to pay for the pier or the building?
Possibly, but it would be a very complex arrangement that must meet the requirements of the PARTF grant and would require Local Government Commission approval.  (Source: NC Session Law 2013-401; House Bill 857)

Update –
The Board spent a significant amount of time spent revising the list of frequently asked questions regarding the pier bond referendum. They went through each one of these questions and modified the wording on many of them. There were too many changes made for this list to be updated by us at this time. The Board needs to review the revised list of FAQ’s prior to release to the public. They agreed by consensus that the updated version pier referendum FAQ’s will be posted on the towns website and they will send it out to the Towns e-mail news distribution list.

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents TextThis Board has outlined the necessary steps and costs for constructing a new pier and is presenting the decision to the community through a public referendum. The referendum allows for the public to decide whether to spend the money for a pier not just the five (5) Board members. Personally, I believe that most of the public would like to have a pier but the high cost may lead to limited public support. I just don’t think that the island property owners are willing to pay for it.

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Editor’s note –
Received the following anonymous email from HBVoter
Do not know who sent it or who else they sent it to
That said, we are including it, as submitted, so that you get another point of view

 Let’s talk about the Pier Bond Referendum

 Dear Holden Beach Voters,

The Holden Beach Commissioners have voted to put the Pier Bond referendum on the 2025 November ballot. They are asking the voters if they want to pay to rebuild the Pier instead of unilaterally deciding like the previous board (that included Page Dyer and Rick Smith) did with the Pier property purchase; here’s your chance to make your voice heard.

Here are some critical facts about the new Pier:

★    The Pier Cannot be insured! If it gets destroyed the taxpayers will continue to pay the debt with nothing to show for it

○     Would you build a $7.3M home and not insure it? So why would/should the taxpayers build a $7.3M structure that is in the direct path of hurricanes?

★    Taxes will go up 22.6% based on the total cost of $11.6M ($7.3M + interest)

○     $31.6 per $100k property value per year

■     That means a $1M home would pay $316/year or $6,320 over 20 years

○     Is this the best use of our money? Wouldn’t this money be better spent on critical infrastructure such as:

■     Sand Renourishment – FEMA and the CORE will likely not help us when we have our next hurricane
■     New Fire Station – Holden Beach needs a year-round fire station on the island, not just 7am-7pm during tourist season
■     Stormwater mitigation – We need to be able to drive down Ocean Blvd after a storm
■     Sewer Sub-Stations – Replacement pumps are expensive!

★    A BOC could still build a Pier if the referendum does not pass

○     If the referendum does not pass in November, a BOC could still build a new pier similar to how the previous board (that included Page Dyer and Rick Smith) did when they BOUGHT the Pier property against the wishes of the homeowners BUT:

■     The LGC would not let the town borrow the money if the voters voted against a tax increase via the referendum

            • A new BOC could still use savings to build the pier without a loan – but this savings should be going toward critical infrastructure (Sand Renourishment, Fire Station, Stormwater Mitigations, Sewer Sub-Stations, etc.) not an amenity like the Pier (which cannot be insured!)
            • A new BOC could impose a tax assessment to pay for the Pier regardless of the Voters’ wishes (A tax assessment is a fixed dollar amount added to every property tax)
            • This is why it’s important to elect new commissioners that will respect the referendum vote (Chad Hock and Maria Surprise)

○     The Commissioners would be proceeding against the voters’ express wishes if they proceeded to build a new Pier. Going against the voters who voted them into office to represent them is not a smart idea. Wait, that’s exactly what the previous board (which included Page Dyer and Rick Smith) did when they bought the Pier for $3.3M.  But remember the ‘3’ replaced that board, and it is VERY unlikely they would vote to go against the voters choice – isn’t that why they voted to have the referendum? To let the voters decide if they wanted a new Pier – so let’s vote to keep like-minded people in the majority like Chad Hock and Maria Surprise (BTW, Page Dyer and Rick Smith voted against the referendum initially)

 ★    The Pier will NEVER be self-sustaining or financially viable.

○     This cost does NOT include the loan repayment cost for the $7.3M loan to BUILD the Pier

○     Do the math. The projected Maintenance cost alone is projected to be an average of $72k/year for 20 years.

○     $72,000/365 days/$10 (1 rod cost on Oak Island) = 20 people fishing on the pier every single day of the year to pay for the maintenance cost only

○     This cost does NOT include the loan repayment cost for the $3.3M loan to BUY the Pier property

○     This cost does NOT include operating cost – liability insurance, electricity, water, cleaning, trash, employee costs, etc.

○     So, if you’re expecting a new Pier to pay for itself with fishing fees it will never happen. It’s a recreational amenity like the parks or the basketball/pickleball court – it is not a business, which is why a Public-Private Partnership) PPP was never a viable option for building the pier (even though Page Dyer brings a PPP up at every BOC meeting)

★    The Pier will not bring in significant additional economic benefits to Holden beach

○     There has not been a decrease in Occupancy tax during the last three years that the Pier has been closed, proving that tourists are coming to Holden Beach for the BEACH not the Pier.

○     Paying $11.6M for an uninsurable Pier is an extremely high risk venture for the taxpayers who would be funding it

So please get out and VOTE NO for the Pier Referendum in the November 4th election!! You need to make your voice heard to the commissioners. It will be much harder for the BOC to build a Pier if the referendum does not pass

And while you’re there voting I highly encourage you to vote for Maria Surprise and Chad  Hock – let’s keep the momentum going on making fact based fiscally sound decisions and letting the voters weigh in on important decisions like the Pier.

Illustration of a man in a suit giving a thumbs-up with a speech bubble.

Municipal Elections –

2025 Municipal Elections

The following candidates have officially filed for Holden Beach municipal elections 

Holden Beach Mayor
Mike Felmly           137 Carolina Avenue     Holden Beach
Alan Holden          128 OBW                          Holden Beach (incumbent)

Holden Beach Commissioner
Robert Brown       109 Crab Street               Holden Beach
Sylvia Pate             11 Charlotte Street        Holden Beach
Keith Smith            105 Durham                   Holden Beach
Maria Surprise     159 OBE                           Holden Beach
Chad Hock             1222 OBW                       Holden Beach

Board of Commissioners Duties and Responsibilities include:

      • adopting the annual budget
      • establishing the annual tax rate
      • enacting local ordinances and Town policies
      • formulating policies for the conduct of Town operations
      • making appointments to advisory boards and committees
      • oversee long range plans for the community

2025 Municipal Election Guide Brochure (PDF)

Women voters league to host Brunswick County municipal candidate forums
With Election Day two months away on Nov. 4, area candidate forums are heating up. In October, the League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear is asking for Brunswick County residents who live and vote in Leland, Oak Island, Southport and Holden Beach to join them for four forums. All will be non-partisan, representing candidates in the municipal elections. Voters are welcome to submit questions to LWVLCF.org. Deadlines for Leland and Oak Island are Sept. 20 and Sept. 27 for Southport and Holden Beach.

The schedule is below and all forums are held 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Oct. 6 — Leland Candidate Forum:
Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way

Oct. 9 — Oak Island Candidate Forum:
Oak Island Town Offices, 4601 E. Oak Island Dr.

Oct. 14 — Southport Candidate Forum:
Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay St.

Oct. 17 —  Holden Beach Candidate Forum:
Holden Beach Town Hall, 110 Rothschild St.

Additional information about voting and registering to vote can be found here.

2025 Brunswick municipal election forum invitation with dates and locations.

LWV 2025 Brunswick Municipal Election Forums
Submit up to five (5) questions for the candidates
Deadline to submit questions is no later than September 27th
Submit Questions » click here

General Comments –

BOC’s Meeting
The Board of Commissioners’ next Regular Meeting is scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month, October 21st 

Bryan Chadwick our new Town Manager will start at the end of the month


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Town of Holden Beach hires new town manager
The Town of Holden Beach has a new town manager. In a Facebook post, the town announced that Bryan Chadwick has been selected to fill the role. “Mr. Chadwick, an ICMA Credentialed Manager, most recently served as the town administrator for the Town of Archer Lodge,†the town stated. “He has over 25 years of local government experience, with a background in law enforcement and key leadership roles throughout this time.†Chadwick has worked for the towns of Newport, North Topsail Beach, Indian Beach, and Pine Knoll Shores. The town states Chadwick will begin his employment within the next 45 days. The Board of Commissioners approved his contract at their meeting on Tuesday night. The previous town manager, David Hewett, was fired in Nov. 2024 in a vote of 3-2 by the board of commissioners. Mayor J. Alan Holden said at the time that he and the two commissioners who voted against terminating Hewett were surprised by the motion. The commissioners voted to appoint Assistant Town Manager Christy Ferguson as the interim town manager until a more permanent replacement could be found. “We are very excited to have Mr. Chadwick join us in Holden Beach and look forward to working together,†the town stated.
Read more » click here

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It’s not like they don’t have anything to work on …

The following seven (7) items are what’s In the Works/Loose Ends queue:

        • Accommodation/Occupancy Tax Compliance – 2018
        • Block Q Project/Carolina Avenue – 2021
        • Dog Park – 2019
        • Fire Station Project – 2023
        • Pavilion Replacement – 2024
        • Pier Properties Project – 2021
        • Rights-of-Way – 2021

The definition of loose ends is a fragment of unfinished business or a detail that is not yet settled or explained, which is the current status of these items. All of these items were started and then put on hold, and they were never put back in the queue. This Board needs to continue working on them and move these items to closure.

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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

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Lost in the Sauce –

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From 2024

NA

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Hurricane Season
For more information » click here.

Be prepared – have a plan!

No matter what a storm outlook is for a given year,
vigilance and preparedness is urged.

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Hurricane season’s peak has arrived, but the Atlantic has gone silent
Atlantic hurricane season has hit a September speed bump. The season’s peak will pass this week with no active storms for the first time in nearly a decade. June is when the six-month-long season begins, but the true bulk of hurricane activity occurs from mid-August through September and into the first half of October. Right in the middle is September 10, the statistical high point of the season. An active tropical storm or hurricane has roamed somewhere in the Atlantic on that date in roughly three-fourths of the 76 years tracked by NOAA. The Atlantic is pitching a shut out on its official peak this year – a feat that last happened in 2016. The season’s last storm was Tropical Storm Fernand, which fizzled out far from land on August 28. The National Hurricane Center expects the Atlantic to remain quiet for at least the next week. If that happens, it would be the farthest into September the Atlantic has gone without a named storm forming since 1992, according to the National Weather Service in New Orleans. Bonnie was the first September storm that year, forming on September 18.

September’s special sauce
September is when the most real estate is open for hurricanes to form in the Atlantic thanks to a collision of weather ingredients. The most basic building block is that water temperatures reach their warmest levels after basking in summer’s heat. Right now, much of the Atlantic basin has plenty of warmer-than-average water for prospective storms to tap into. These temperatures aren’t at the record levels set in 2023 and 2024, but they’re still warmer than they should be, driven higher in a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution. Hurricane Erin took advantage of that warmth, becoming one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record when it hit Category 5 status in mid-August. However, warm water is only one piece of the puzzle, as September is showing us right now. The tropical Atlantic has been enveloped in dry, stable air so far this month, which is one of the main reasons it’s unusually quiet. Dry air can squash a storm’s ability to generate rainfall, and it’s typically less abundant at this time of year than earlier in the season. An area of stormy weather the hurricane center tracked for development between Africa and the Caribbean last week succumbed to this hostile factor. Wind shear – changes in wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere – also tends to be lowest at this point. Shear can rip apart fully developed hurricanes and tropical storms, as well as systems still in formative stages, though it wasn’t a huge obstacle for last week’s failed system. September is also when areas of showers and thunderstorms from western Africa make the trek west toward the Caribbean. These seeds for development, known as tropical waves, can spin-up storms when ingredients in the atmosphere and ocean cooperate.

How the season stacks up so far and what lies ahead
This season seems to be running closer to empty at a time of year it should be firing on all cylinders: Six named storms have formed so far, which is two fewer than the average by September 9, according to 1991 to 2020 data. Most of those storms have been short-lived, with Hurricane Erin’s more than 10-day-long journey being the exception. Erin remains the only hurricane so far this season, behind the typical pace of three forming by early September. Of course, impacts matter more than any numbers and several storms this year have already had dangerous outcomes. The leftover moisture from what once was Tropical Storm Barry helped fuel the devastating July 4 Texas floods. Just two days later, Tropical Storm Chantal triggered destructive and deadly floods in a narrow strip of North Carolina. In August, Hurricane Erin brought heavy rain and strong winds to the northeast Caribbean before growing in size and churning up high surf and dangerous rip currents along the East Coast. Looking forward, just over 50% of the entire hurricane season’s activity occurs after the September 10 peak, according to one measure. And we’ve seen a number of hurricanes pack a huge punch in the back end of recent seasons. Last year, Hurricane Helene’s devastating impacts played out from Florida to Georgia, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in late September. That was followed by Hurricane Milton’s strike on the Florida Peninsula in early October. In late September 2022, Category 4 Hurricane Ian delivered a catastrophic storm surge to southwest Florida. Destructive winds and flooding rain also pummeled the state’s peninsula. The bottom line is there’s still a long way to go before the season ends. It’s important to stay prepared, especially for those living in hurricane-prone areas.
Read more » click here 

It’s the typical peak of Atlantic hurricane season. Where are all the storms?
Subtropical ocean temperatures across the planet are at record-high levels. Here’s why that may be having a counterintuitive effect on hurricane season.
It’s Sept. 10, the typical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Normally, there would be a tropical storm or hurricane swirling around — or at least the threat of one forming. But the Atlantic Ocean is currently devoid of tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes — and on their website, the National Hurricane Center prominently displays a map of an empty basin that says “Tropical cyclone activity is not expected during the next 7 days.â€Â This comes after a disturbance last week, which had high odds of developing near the Caribbean islands, disintegrated after choking on dry, dusty air from the Sahara and is no longer a threat. And it’s not just the Atlantic. The tropics across the Northern Hemisphere have experienced less than 60 percent of their normal activity so far this year. That’s according to accumulated cyclone energy, or ACE, an integrated metric of tropical cyclone winds and longevity. So, what’s going on? Does it mean that hurricane season, which surged to life with Category 5 Erin last month, is fizzling out unexpectedly early? Not so fast. But there is something unusual going on. Subtropical oceans across the planet, including regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, have surged to record levels of warmth, and that may be having the counterintuitive effect of contributing to fewer tropical storms. During August, subtropical oceans across the globe averaged 74.4 degrees, tying the record mark for August set just one year ago. On the other hand, tropical oceans, especially in the eastern and southern Atlantic, have cooled notably compared to last year’s record warmth — part of the reason 2024’s hurricane season was so busy. Because the subtropics have warmed significantly and the tropics have cooled, there’s less of a temperature difference, called a gradient, between the two regions. A weaker temperature gradient tends to lead to more stable, calmer atmospheric patterns in areas where storms typically form. Hurricanes play an important role in transferring heat from the tropics toward the poles. When the temperature difference between these regions decreases, that role somewhat diminishes and there may be a reduced tendency for storms to form. Also, a weather variable known as the atmospheric lapse rate — the rate at which air cools from the ground up through the atmosphere — has been weaker than normal across the Atlantic. A smaller lapse rate means rising air cools faster than its surroundings, so it can’t keep rising, making it harder for clouds and storms to form. Overall, this has meant that environmental conditions are less conducive to tropical storm development, with several meteorologists picking up on the trend. “I think what it shows is we have to look beyond just [rising] sea surface temperatures when we consider the implications of a warming climate,†said meteorologist Andy Hazelton. In a warming world, scientific research has found declining trends in the frequency of tropical storms in some ocean basins. However, storms that do form may become stronger and produce more rain. The subtropical ocean warming trend may also allow tropical storms to form or persist farther away from the tropics.

Dust from the Sahara
As seasonal winds strengthen across Africa, dust and sand from the Sahara get swept high into the atmosphere and carried thousands of miles, often across the Atlantic Ocean. When this hot, dry air mixes into the circulation of a developing tropical storm, it can stunt growth by cutting off the storm’s access to moisture. That’s what happened to a storm that had a high probability of developing last week. This season, dusty air probably influenced the behavior of a few storms, although there has been less dust than normal. Still, dust concentrations alone cannot fully explain the dearth of tropical disturbances.

Will there be a storm soon?
It’s important to remember that hurricane season is a marathon, not a sprint. Months still remain before the season ends after Nov. 30. Forecasters are closely watching a tropical cluster of clouds and thunderstorms that typically tracks around the planet every 30 to 60 days called the Madden-Julian Oscillation. It’s like an energy drink for storms, sparking conditions that are more conducive to their formation, such as rising air and towering thunderstorms, more moisture and spin in the lower levels of the atmosphere. This storm spark plug is currently located in the Pacific Ocean but is predicted to reach the Atlantic in late September into October — potentially providing some of the season’s most prime conditions for hurricane formation in a few weeks. Defense Department meteorologist Eric Webb said in a message that he thinks the period from late September through about early to mid-October is when hurricane-forming factors will intersect most comprehensively in the Atlantic, raising the risk of storms. From late September into October, fewer storms emerge from Africa as the monsoon season there begins to wane. Instead, hurricane tracks begin to favor the western part of the basin, such as the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, because it’s the focal point of ocean heat — which is currently above-average. In August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La Niña watch. Cool waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean — a hallmark of La Niña — can reduce the level of clouds and thunderstorms there while enhancing it over the Atlantic. This may mean that the bulk of this season’s hurricane activity may occur late and linger longer.
Read more » click here

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09 – News & Views

 

Lou’s Views
News & Views / September Edition

Calendar of Events –

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U.S. Open King Mackerel Fishing Tournament
October 2nd thru 4th
Southport

 

The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament has taken place since 1979 and is held annually the first week in October. The U.S. Open is one of the largest king mackerel tournaments on the East Coast and part of the SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) Tournament Trail. The tournament now attracts almost 400 boats annually.
For more information » click here

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Riverfest
October 4th & 5th
Wilmington

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Wilmington’s Riverfest is celebrated in October since 1979 and runs from the foot of Market Street to Cape Fear Community College over a half mile of free familyentertainment.
For more information » click here

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Sunset at Sunset
October 4th
Sunset Beach

 

Held the first Saturday in October each year, Sunset at Sunset is the Town of Sunset Beach’s Community Block Party. The annual autumn event has been celebrated since 2007, and is scheduled to happen again this year, in front of Ingram Planetarium on Sunset Boulevard in Sunset Beach.
For more information » click here

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N.C. Oyster Festival
October 18th & 19th
Ocean Isle Beach

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The annual North Carolina Oyster Festival has been taking place since 1978. Come celebrate everything Oyster witha variety of foods, crafts, contests, children’s activities,and musical performances at Mulberry Park in Shallotte. Signature Festival events include theOyster Shucking Contest, Oyster Eating Contest, and Oyster Stew Cook-off.
For more information » click here

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N.C. Festival by the Sea
October 25th & 26th
Holden Beach

 

Hosted by the Holden Beach Merchants Association this annual two-day festival which started in the 1980’s occurs on the last full weekend in October. The festival is kicked off with a parade down the Holden Beach causeway. There is a fishing tournament, horseshoe tournament, and a sandcastle building contest. Vendors provide food, arts and crafts, amusement rides and other activities. There is live musical entertainment both days at the Holden Beach’s Pavilion.
For more information » click here

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 blue banner with white text reading 'Meet the Candidates Night'.

Meet the Candidates Night                        
The League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear  will be hosting Candidates Night Friday, October 17th at 6:00 at the Holden Beach Town Hall. The objective of a Candidates Night event is to help the electorate make an informed choice when they vote for Town leaders.

Submit up to five (5) questions for the candidates
Deadline to submit questions is no later than September 27th

Submit Questions » click here

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Barktoberfest
The Town of Holden Beach will hold Barktoberfest on Friday, October 24th. Owners and their dogs should meet at Bridgeview Park Picnic shelter at 5:00 p.m. where we will do a trick-or-trot around the block.There will be a doggie costume contest and fall pictures.Registration is required by October 4th. Email Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com to register.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat
The Town of Holden Beach will hold a trunk-or-treat on Friday, October 31st from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Bridgeview Park. Residents, property owners, and businesses may register by October 11th to decorate your trunk and pass out candy.Trunks must be ready by 5:00 p.m. No political activity may be represented at the booth displays. There will be a prize for best decorated trunk and a costume contest held at 6:00 p.m. Categories include 3 and under, 4-7, 8-11, 12-15 and adult. Register by emailing Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com. Those planning to attend the event may also email so that there is a headcount for candy purposes. In the email, please indicate whether you will be setting up a truck or trick-or-treating.

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Logo for SBI Three Bridge Tour by Rotary Club of South Brunswick Islands.SBI Three Bridge Tour                                 
The South Brunswick Islands Rotary Club’s “SBI Three Bridge Tour†is set to take place on Saturday, November 8th, in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. This event offers a unique opportunity for cyclists to ride across the three bridges of Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and Holden Beach. Participants can choose from various ride options, including family-friendly routes and more challenging distances, ensuring a memorable experience for everyone. The tour supports local and international Rotary projects, enriching the lives of children and youth in Brunswick County. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund these projects, providing experiences and learning opportunities that will benefit the community.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Veterans Appreciation Luncheon
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its Veterans Appreciation Luncheon on Monday, November 10th. The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Town Hall Board Room. Please RSVP by emailing Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com prior to Friday, November 1st with your name and the name of your guest. 

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Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Friday, November 14th at noon.Town board and committee members are invited to attend and bring a guest. Please RSVP by emailing Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com with your name and the total number in your party.

Tentative Schedule – dates are still to be determined 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Contractors Information Seminar
The Planning & Inspections Department, supported by the town staff, will be hosting the fourteenth annual Contractors Information Seminar on Thursday, November 6th.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Turkey Trot
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning Thursday, November 27th at 8:00 a.m. All individuals interested in participating should call 910.842.6488 to register. Please bring a canned food item to donate to the local food pantry.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Tree Lighting
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 4th at 6:00 p.m.

Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
For more information » click here

Reminders –

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Pets on the Beach Strand
Pets – Chapter 90 / Animals / 90.20

Effective September 10th

 

      • Pets allowed back on the beach strand during the hours of 9:00am through 5:00pm
      • Dog’s need to be on a leash
      • Owner’s need to clean up after their animals

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Free Cleanup Week                                       
The Brunswick County Solid Waste and Recycling Division hosts two free clean up weeks a year, the third week in April and September. The next Free Cleanup Week at the Brunswick County Landfill will take place September 22nd – 27th. Brunswick County property owners and residents can dispose of all materials, except for regular household trash and hazardous waste, at the Brunswick County Landfill free of charge during Free Cleanup Week events. Individuals can dispose of metal, tires, electronics, appliances, latex paint, clothing, shoes, used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline, fluorescent bulbs, used cooking oil, smoke detectors, household batteries, and yard debris in their designated areas at the landfill during this week. Participants must show proof of Brunswick County property ownership or residency.

Businesses and commercial vehicles will be charged normal tipping fees.

For questions, email Brunswick County Operation Services or call 910-253-2520.

LOCATION
Brunswick County Landfill
172 Landfill Rd NE
Bolivia, NC 28422

HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday through Friday :30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

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Bird Nesting Area
NC Wildlife Commission has posted signs that say – Bird Nesting Area
The signs are posted on the west end beach strand around 1335 OBW.
People and dogs are supposed to stay out of the area from April through November
. 1) It’s a Plover nesting area
. 2) Allows migrating birds a place to land and rest without being disturbed

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. This year September 27th will be the the last Saturday trash pick-up until June. Trash collection will go back to Tuesdays only.

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

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Yard Waste Service
Yard debris is collected on the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Fridays during the months of October, November, and December.Yard debris needs to be secured in a biodegradable bag (not plastic) or bundled in a maximum length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds in weight. 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. Picks-ups are not provided for vacant lots or construction sites.

Curbside Recycling – 2025A 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 $119.35 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).

Building Numbers
Ocean front homes are required to have house numbers visible from the beach strand.
Please call Planning and Inspections Department at 910.842.6080 with any questions.

§157.087 BUILDING NUMBERS.

(A) The correct street number shall be clearly visible from the street on all buildings. Numbers shall be block letters, not script, and of a color clearly in contrast with that of the building and shall be a minimum of six inches in height.

(B) Beach front buildings will also have clearly visible house numbers from the strand side meeting the above criteria on size, contrast, etc. Placement shall be on vertical column supporting deck(s) or deck roof on the primary structure. For buildings with a setback of over 300 feet from the first dune line, a vertical post shall be erected aside the walkway with house numbers affixed. In all cases the numbers must be clearly visible from the strand. Other placements may be acceptable with approval of the Building Inspector.

Upon Further Review –

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A Second Helping

 

 

They just completed the twenty-first year of the program. For the last fifteen (15) weeks they have collected food on Saturday mornings in front of Beach Mart; the food is distributed to the needy in Brunswick County. During this summer season, they collected 10,057 pounds of food and $1,360 in monetary donations. Their food collections have now exceeded three hundred and seventeen thousand (317,000) pounds of food since this program began in June of 2005. Hunger exists everywhere in this country. Thanks to the Holden Beach vacationers for donating again this year! Cash donations are gratefully accepted. One hundred percent (100%) of these cash donations are used to buy more food. You can be assured that the money will be very well spent.

Mail Donations to:
A Second Helping
% Sharon United Methodist Church
2030 Holden Beach Road
Supply, NC 28462

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.ReadyBrunswick Emergency Notifications Alerts
Brunswick County uses ReadyBrunswick as part of the County’s effort to continuously improve communications during emergency situations within our area. Powered by Everbridge, the ReadyBrunswick notification system sends emergency notifications in a variety of communication methods such as:

        • Landline (Voice)
        • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
        • Mobile (Voice)
        • Mobile SMS (Text Messaging)
        • Email

In the case of an emergency, you may choose to receive notifications via one or all of these communication methods. It’s recommended that you register several media options to receive messages in the event a particular communication device is unavailable.
For more information » click here

Corrections & Amplifications –

Map showing the boundary of Oraka Bay and surrounding areas.Carolina Bays Parkway project S.C. 31

OCEAN RIDGE MASTER ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY IMPACT COMMITTEE
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is implementing several initiatives to relocate the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension to Brunswick County. Following extensive planning and anticipation, a recent environmental assessment has identified a suitable location for the significant highway project and initiated a public comment period. The NCDOT and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) are collaborating to extend South Carolina Highway 31 (SC 31), commonly referred to as the Carolina Bays Parkway, from South Carolina Highway 9 (SC 9) in Horry County to U.S. Route 17 (US 17) in Brunswick County. Should the project secure funding and proceed with construction, it will result in a newly constructed multi-lane full-access freeway that will connect the Carolinas. The route will be constructed in phases, potentially enhancing evacuation routes as Brunswick County experiences population growth. The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project commenced in 2006 with a feasibility study that evaluated conceptual alternative routes. The construction of the road would have a significant impact on areas situated on either side of U.S. 17 in southern Brunswick County. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) had prepared seven alternative maps for preferred routes in Brunswick County, which ultimately converge onto U.S. 17. However, five alternatives have been eliminated, and the options have been reduced to Routes 4 and 4a. Attached are the maps for each route. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) website, updated on August 22, indicates that the $797 million project is currently in development with an anticipated commencement date of 2028. North Carolina’s portion of the project is projected to incur a cost of $610.9 million. South Carolina has secured the necessary funding and intends to initiate the process to connect Carolina Bays 31 from Route 9 to the state line at Hickman Road.  Currently, North Carolina has secured funding for only the planning document, but not for the right-of-way or construction phases. Public hearings for the North Carolina side of the extension have been postponed on several occasions as the NCDOT awaited the availability of the draft environmental impact statement. However, the draft environmental impact statement is now available, and public hearings have been scheduled. The proposed project will involve two pre-hearing open houses and corridor public hearings. During these events, information will be presented, and NCDOT representatives will be available to address inquiries. The first public hearing will be from 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Sea Trail Convention Center in Sunset Beach. The second hearing will be 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the North Strand Recreation Center in Longs, South Carolina. Alternative map 4 is identified in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement as the preferred alternative. Alternative map 4 crosses through Hickman’s Crossroads and the Longwood area and continuing out to connect to Route 17 at the intersection of Route 904 and Route 17. Following the public hearing, the merger team will meet to select the preferred/ least environmentally damaging practicable alternative corridor, also called LEDPA, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act/ Section 404 Merger Process. This includes consideration of public comments and the local sponsors’ preferred alternative, potential impacts to noise, low income and disadvantaged populations, cultural resources and the environment are considered when selecting the least environmentally damaging and practicable alternative route. According to the merger process, the preferred/LEDPA corridor is the best solution to the problem satisfying the transportation need and considering environmental and community resources.

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

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 – February 2025
Boom or doom: How a new highway could transform rural Brunswick County
A new road in southern Brunswick County will open the flood gates of opportunity for some but could close the
Read more » click here

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.

Coastal area with rough waves hitting the shore and buildings nearby.

View of OIB east of the terminal groin after Hurricane Erin passed offshore 

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. 

Odds & Ends –

Map showing coastal towns along the southern shore.

Brunswick County 2024 Visitor Impact released
Domestic and international visitors in Brunswick County spent over $1.22 billion in 2024, an increase of 4.8% from 2023. Brunswick County ranked No. 6 among North Carolina’s 100 counties in visitor spending in 2024. This data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “We’re pleased to see that 2024 marked another year of continued growth in the economic impact of visitor spending in Brunswick County,†said Whitney Sauls, chair of the Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority. “The latest data released by Visit North Carolina reinforces what we know. The money spent by visitors in our county creates jobs, helps to support our small businesses and generates funds for beach renourishment.â€

Brunswick County tourism impact highlights for 2024:

    • The travel and tourism industry directly employed approximately 5,838 people in Brunswick County, up 4% from 2023.
    • Total payroll directly generated by the tourism industry in Brunswick County was $240.97 million, up 4.5% from 2023.
    • State tax revenue generated in Brunswick County totaled $36.68 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About $51.41 million in local taxes were generated from occupancy and sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.
    • Each Brunswick County resident saved $523.96 in state and local taxes as a result of visitor spending in the county.

These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties,†which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics. Statewide, visitor spending in 2024 rose 3.1% to reach a record $36.7 billion. Direct tourism employment increased 1.4% to 230,338 people. “Scenic beauty, outdoor adventure, culinary innovation and authenticity help North Carolina remain a top choice for travelers,†said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “That appeal might be hard to quantify, but as we follow the numbers, we see the payoff in terms of the money that goes to businesses as well as state and local tax bases.â€

NC tourism facts:

    • Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $36.7 billion in 2024. That sum represents a 3.1% increase over 2023 expenditures.
    • Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.6 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2024. The total represents a 2.9% increase from 2023.
    • State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 1.1% to $1.36 billion in 2024.
    • Local tax receipts grew 4.3% to $1.29 billion.
    • Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 1.4% to 230,338 people.
    • Direct tourism payroll increased 2.6% to over $9.5 billion.
    • Each North Carolina resident saved $242.37 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.

Read more » click here

This and That –

A horseshoe crab on sandy beach.

These crabs probably saved your life. Can we save theirs?
The medical world relies on horseshoe crab blood in the production of vaccines and equipment. A synthetic is available, but companies have been slow to adopt it.
Susan Linder was hunting for buried treasure. Kneeling at low tide, the biologist dug up small shovelfuls of sand, scanning each scoop for tiny jewels. One yielded a cluster of jade-colored beads. Another, from a few feet away, contained a clutch the color of amethyst. They were eggs. In a few weeks, they would hatch into horseshoe crabs, one of the most ancient and important animals in the United States. The crabs in the Delaware Bay are the stars of an annual ecological opera involving sex, binge eating and literal bloodlust. Every spring, the crabs clickety-clack ashore for a massive orgy timed to the rise and fall of the tides, depositing millions of eggs in the sand. “They’re easy to miss, really,†Linder said, digging the day after a new moon, one of the biggest breeding days of the year. Her job is to help conduct an egg census. She returns all the clutches she finds carefully to the holes. She knows, year after year, the numbers have been diminishing. For decades, the biomedical industry has relied on a compound in horseshoe crab blood to protect medical equipment from contamination, saving untold human lives. The surge in vaccine use during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the growing popularity of injectable weight loss and diabetes drugs, has further fueled the blood harvest. But conservationists say modern medicine’s dependence on this bloodletting is upending a globe-spanning ecosystem in which birds bulk up on fatty crab eggs to fuel epic migrations. “We’re in this battle over horseshoe crab blood,†said Larry Niles, a wildlife biologist and co-founder of the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition, a campaign trying to stop overharvesting. Now, finally, the crabs have a chance at a reprieve. A key group that sets standards for U.S. drugmakers has officially recognized a human-made alternative as safe and effective, opening the way for pharmaceutical companies to widely adopt alternatives and wean themselves off of crab blood. But only a handful of drugmakers have begun to adopt it. “We’re trying to encourage the pharmaceutical companies to switch to the synthetic,†Niles said, “not only to help horseshoe crabs, but also for their own sake.â€

The carnal crabs
It might as well be an extraterrestrial. Its helmet-shaped body is covered with 10 eyes, some sensitive to ultraviolet light so it can follow the phases of the moon and come ashore for a mating frenzy. Its mouth is on its underside and is surrounded by six pairs of legs it uses to test the water composition and to chew its food. When flipped belly-up on a beach, it uses its spear-like tail to pole-vault itself upright. But the crabs’ claim to Earth predates pretty much everything else here. They are what scientists call a “living fossil,†scuttling for hundreds of millions of years before the Atlantic Ocean was even a puddle. “When you think about the genetic diversity and how long these guys have survived, they must be doing something right,†Amanda Dey, a retired zoologist who works with and is married to Niles. Perhaps the best adaptation accumulated over their 445 million years is their blood. It is a haunting blue hue due to copper-based molecules used to transport oxygen. It is also laced with immune cells called amoebocytes that coagulate around bacterial intruders. For a half-century, the biomedical industry has harvested an extract from these immune cells. Known as limulus amebocyte lysate, or LAL, it is used to test for the presence of bacterial contaminants called endotoxins, which could cause a patient’s organ failure and death. Regulators require tests for vaccines, pacemakers, heart stents, surgical tools and other medical devices, as well as water systems used in drug manufacturing. The blood-drawing process involves plucking horseshoe crabs from shores and transporting them miles to bleeding facilities. There, they are inspected, cleaned and bent on racks to expose a membrane for blood extraction. Afterward, they are released back into the water. Companies involved in this work say the crabs are handled with care, with a limited amount of blood taken only from healthy crabs that are subsequently returned to their native waters. “Our processes are designed to preserve and protect horseshoe crabs,†said Nora Blair, a senior manager at Massachusetts-based Charles River Laboratories, a major lysate supplier for the pharmaceutical industry. The company has developed techniques for using crab blood more efficiently for testing, Blair added. As part of a lawsuit settlement with environmentalists in 2023, it also agreed to stop collecting crabs from certain beaches where birds feed and to stop placing female crabs in holding ponds so they can continue spawning. But conservationists say such measures aren’t enough. About 15 percent of the crabs collected each year perish, according to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. In 2023 alone, that portion amounted to 178,000 dead crabs. (The bleeding companies contest those figures.) The density of eggs laid on the Delaware Bay beaches has declined by 80 percent, from about 50,000 eggs per square meter in the early 1990s to around just 10,000 today, according to research from Niles, Dey and others. For years, the practice of using horseshoe crab flesh as bait for commercial fishing was responsible for much of the decline. But that practice has become more regulated — while the number of crabs collected for bleeding has swelled, increasing fourfold since 2004. Last year, environmentalists petitioned the federal government to add the American horseshoe crab to the Endangered Species Act list. A decision is pending. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which also tracks the status of species, has already declared the American horseshoe crab “vulnerable.â€

The binge-eating birds
There used to be more than enough eggs to both perpetuate the horseshoe crab population and provide a fatty feast for hungry shorebirds, establishing this stretch of New Jersey as a key pit stop for ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, short-billed dowitchers, dunlins and other migratory birds. The red knot, in particular, needs the extra calories. It makes one of the longest annual journeys of any bird, flying more than 9,000 miles from the southern tip of South America to its breeding ground in the Arctic tundra — and back again. By the time some arrive in the United States, they will have flown six days without stopping. While Linder counted eggs on the beach, ornithologists Humphrey Sitters and Stephanie Feigin sat at the front of a boat cruising along the New Jersey side of Delaware Bay to tally every shorebird that they could spot. A plane buzzed above to count, as well. “Dead ahead,†Sitters said, pointing across the bow to a flock of red knots on shore, as waves of semipalmated sandpipers darted across the surface of the water. “350 knots,†he announced. Feigin added the tally to her notebook. “Semis?†she asked. “Let’s say 3,000,†he answered. Sitters said he knows from practice what a group of about 50 birds looks like and extrapolates that figure to the size of the flock in front of him. “It’s experience,†he said. “Eventually, you get your eye†for it. There used to be many more knots to tally. The annual bird surveys show the decline in crab eggs has contributed to a staggering 70 percent drop in the average knot count from the early 1980s to 2014, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the bird as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A quarter-century ago, “the Delaware Bay was one of the top birding destinations in the world,†Niles said as he piloted the boat. “There were so many shorebirds in one place.†Without bulking up on eggs, knots take longer to reach their nesting grounds — and many don’t make it at all, his research suggests. Now, four of the bay’s most abundant shorebirds — red knots, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings and semipalmated sandpipers — are all in decline. “The stopover is becoming unstable,†he said. “One year is good, the next year is not. And it’s all because the level and number of horseshoe crabs are so low.â€

A human-made solution
In the late 1990s, researchers in Singapore patented a lab-made alternative to the lysate in horseshoe crabs’ blood. But that breakthrough has yet to revolutionize the drug-making industry. “Pharma is just inherently conservative,†said Jay Bolden, a senior director at Eli Lilly. “Why change the status quo when it’s been working well for 40 years? But people don’t see the impact outside of our own four walls.†In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed Eli Lilly to use a synthetic for endotoxin testing for a migraine drug. As both a businessman and amateur birder, Bolden thought the move made sense. One bad year for the crabs, he thought, could stifle drug production if enough blood isn’t harvested. “If we’re not reliant on a wild animal for one of our tests,†he said, “then we’re inherently in a better supply-chain position.†Crab advocates notched another victory when U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit that sets quality standards for drugs, issued guidelines deeming the synthetic safe and effective. The guidance, approved in July 2024 and made official in May, allows drugmakers to use lab-made alternatives instead of crab-derived lysate for new drugs with less lab testing and paperwork required. “Basically, it leveled the playing field,†Bolden said. But it’s still up to the drugmakers which to use. In May, a coalition of nonprofits that included Horseshoe Crab Recovery released the results of a survey of the 50 largest drugmakers by revenue about their use of horseshoe crab blood. Only 11 responded to acknowledge the need to switch or disclose concrete steps to actually do so. Among those rated highly by the survey were Eli Lilly, GSK, Amgen, Sanofi and Bristol Myers Squibb. One issue is that if a drugmaker wants to switch production of older drugs to a crab-free compound, it needs to do a whole new round of testing to verify that the compound works at catching contamination. “The biggest challenges right now are legacy products,†said Elizabeth Bennett, communications director at Revive & Restore, a conservation nonprofit that helped conduct the survey. For instance, Novo Nordisk, maker of the blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic that can cause weight loss, has phased out the use of lysate from horseshoe crabs in research, but still uses it to make existing products “due to regulatory requirements.†In a statement to The Washington Post, the company said it has a “road map†for “phasing out the use of any lysate from horseshoe crab.†Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, two of the biggest drugmakers by revenue, which each developed coronavirus vaccines that relied on crab blood, did not complete the survey. When reached for comment by The Post, Pfizer said it is using synthetics for testing pharmaceutical water systems and has begun implementing it for some products following the U.S. Pharmacopeia decision. Johnson & Johnson did not reply to a request for comment. Eli Lilly, which rated highest in the survey, has 10 products approved that use alternatives to horseshoe crab blood for endotoxin testing. But it still has to convert some of its existing drugs. “It’s been difficult to convert that last 20 percent on legacy molecules,†Bolden said. Horseshoe crabs as a species are survivors. They made it through the asteroid strike that killed the dinosaurs as well as three of Earth’s other mass extinctions. But whether the fragile web of life that depends on them can survive is more uncertain.
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Turtle Watch Program –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

 

 

Turtle Watch Program – 2025

 

 


The first nest of the 2025 season was on May 22nd

Average annual number of nests is 57

Current nest count – (35) as of 09/20/25

Total known eggs = 3,111

Total baby turtles to ocean = 2,313 around 74%

Members of the patrol started riding the beach every morning on May 1 and will do so through October looking for signs of turtle nests.
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Total number of nests historically –

                          • 2012: 48
                          • 2013: 73
                          • 2014: 19
                          • 2015: 53
                          • 2016: 52
                          • 2017: 50
                          • 2018: 30
                          • 2019: 105
                          • 2020: 65
                          • 2021: 68
                          • 2022: 65
                          • 2023: 75
                          • 2024: 67
                          • 2025: 35

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Only half of state’s known sea turtle nests hatched before Erin
The North Carolina Sea Turtle Project kept careful watch over incubating nests threatened by the ocean overwash, storm surge and erosion associated with mid-August’s Hurricane Erin. Under the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the N.C. Sea Turtle Project is a coastwide, collaborative conservation effort that brings together federal, state, conservation and volunteer groups to monitor sea turtle activity, particularly during nesting and hatching season from early May to mid-November. The commission’s sea turtle biologist Matthew Godfrey, who manages the project, explained to Coastal Review that about half of all sea turtle nests laid in the state had finished incubation before Hurricane Erin impacts began to arrive. Of the nests that were still incubating, nearly all experienced at least some overwash because of large waves and wind associated with the hurricane. Coastal flooding and other signs of the storm moving north off the coast began around Aug. 19 and lasted throughout the week as the storm moved north. “Several beaches reported observing entire nests being washed away, and others reported today (Aug. 26) that some remaining nests experienced the emergence of hatchlings overnight,†illustrating that some sea turtle eggs can withstand storm-related inundation and still produce hatchlings, Godfrey said. Loggerhead, green, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles all come ashore to lay eggs. The females return to the beach every few weeks to nest, up to four times a season. It usually takes about 55 days for the eggs to hatch. Nests can be excavated after a minimum of three days after the first hatchling emerges, or when the commission grants permission, if the nest is unsuccessful. “We won’t have a full account of how many nests were lost or negatively impacted until the end of the season, but based on experience from other years, it is likely that those lost to Erin will include nests that had been moved from more exposed areas to seemingly safer areas of the beach,†he said. Godfrey explained that sea turtles have been around for millennia, surviving despite impacts from storms and hurricanes on their nests. “Part of the life history strategy of sea turtles is to lay large clutches of eggs in nests on sandy beaches across different locations and times of the summer to spread out the risks associated with egg incubation in a dynamic environment, such as coastal areas,†he said. “While storms like Hurricane Erin may reduce the production of hatchlings from some specific nests, the overall rate of hatchling production from NC nests should remain relatively good this year.†Through the Sea Turtle Project, the Wildlife Resources Commission permits more than 20 different groups that help monitor sea turtle nesting and strandings on North Carolina beaches.
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Washed away:
Officials say Hurricane Erin likely took a big toll on NC sea turtle nests
Days of pounding surf churned up by Erin has likely inundated or washed away a chunk of NC’s sea turtle nests. But officials added that sea turtles are very resilient and would bounce back.
As the approaching Hurricane Erin brought heavy surf and dune-chewing waves crashing ashore all along the N.C. coast, emergency officials warned beachgoers to stay out of the water and, preferably, off the beach all together. But what if you can’t get off the beach? That’s the situation facing hundreds of sea turtle nests along N.C. beaches, and now officials fear many of those could have been lost to Hurricane Erin that battered the state’s coastline from end to end. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the Tar Heel State has seen 1,057 nests so far this season. Statewide, the two national seashores – Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout – have seen a combined 432 nests. In the Wilmington area, the top beaches for nests are Topsail Island (90); Oak Island (76); Bald Head Island (58); and Caswell Beach (45). But days of heavy surf pushed hundreds of miles ahead of Erin’s eye have pounded the state’s beaches, washing away dunes and chewing up many beaches. That means some sea turtle nests could have been buried under mounds of wet sand, in effect suffocating any hatchlings, while others could have been exposed to the elements and the eggs simply washed away. Kathy Zagzebski, director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island, said nests can handle some wave inundation. “Sometimes, in fact, washover can be helpful in cooling nests,” she said. The sex of hatchlings is based on sand temperature, so a warmer beach means more females and fewer males − a growing problem in a world warmed by climate change. But if hatchlings have started to emerge when the nest is overwashed, the baby turtles generally don’t survive since they breathe air, just like humans do. In short, they drown. On Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County, that almost happened on Wednesday, Aug. 20, when a nest started to hatch amid Erin’s storm-driven waves. Luckily, visitors saw the nest cavity and some hatchlings on the beach and alerted authorities, said Deb Allen, island coordinator for the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization. She said team members were able to save 136 hatchlings and help them get to the ocean before the nest was completely flooded, which would have trapped the babies in water and heavy sand. But the overall picture for the island’s sea turtle nests, as likely for all beach areas along the N.C. coast, is pretty grim. “Out of 17 nests, maybe three survived,” Allen said. “We might be able to get some live hatchlings out of some of them, but we just don’t know at this point.” Rules for relocating nests are very strict, due to the difficulty of guaranteeing the health of the baby turtles once they’ve started to incubate in the eggs, and a move is only done in very special cases. Hurricanes also are natural events. But what isn’t natural, Allen said, are the many challenges sea turtles face these days − almost all of which are human-induced. From loss of nesting beach areas to artificial light that distracts hatchlings to fishermen catching and eating sea turtles and even their eggs, the deck is stacked against sea turtles, all species of which are considered threatened or endangered in U.S. waters. That’s why volunteers watch over nests, place predator-proof cages on them, educate the public on what to do and not do when they come across a nest or sea turtle on the beach, and help any stranded babies get out of a nest and reach the ocean. “We do our best to keep everything as natural as possible,” Allen said. “But it can be hard, even if hurricanes are natural events. When things like this happen, we cry. We get very upset. No one wants to see a sea turtle die. But we can’t prevent Mother Nature.” Dr. Matthew Godfrey, sea turtle biologist with N.C. Wildlife, said about half of the state’s turtle nests had finished incubation before the arrival of Erin, and nearly all experienced some inundation. While there are reports of nests washing away, he said some beach towns − like Ocean Isle Beach − reported seeing hatchlings emerge overnight during the storm. “This goes to show that some sea turtle eggs can withstand storm-related inundation and still produce hatchlings,” he said via email. “We won’t have a full account of how many nests were lost or negatively impacted until the end of the season, but based on experience from other years, it is likely that those lost to Erin will include nests that had been moved from more exposed areas to seemingly safer areas of the beach.” Godfrey also noted that sea turtles have evolved to spread their location and timing of their nests to mitigate the risk a single storm event can do to the reptile’s overall reproduction success. “While storms like Hurricane Erin may reduce the production of hatchlings from some specific nests, the overall rate of hatchling production from N.C. nests should remain relatively good this year,” he said.
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Holden Beach Turtle Patrol to open T-shirt design contest
Each year since 1994 the members of the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program have produced and sold a new T-shirt design as the organization’s major fundraiser. Again, this year, you have a chance to design the shirt. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 monitors, protects and preserves Holden Beach’s sea turtle population, works to foster community-based conservation and education and operates under the authority of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The group is also known as the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol.

If you love sea turtles and have a talent for graphic design, consider donating your design. The program’s 2026 T-shirt design contest is open Sept. 15-Oct. 15. The winning 2025 T-shirt design was by Lois Palermo, a local sea turtle lover, and her sister Alyson Natale, of Woodlands, Texas, with “Let the Sea Set you Free.â€

Submissions of original hand-drawn designs for the 2026 season T-shirt must meet the following requirements:

    • Only one design submission allowed per individual.
    • The design must include a sea turtle.
    • The design must be an original hand-drawn design.
    • The design is limited to two colors.
    • The design must be in a PDF format to allow for possible changes in printing constraints.
    • The chosen design will become the property of the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program.

Submit your design to orders www.hbturtlewatch.org by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 15. All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt. Designs for all past T-shirts can be viewed at www.hbturtlewatch.org; click “Shop Here.â€

Factoid That May Interest Only Me –

Why your health insurance may be about to cost a lot more
Insurers blame the popularity of obesity drugs and the possibility of tariffs for rising prices.
Health insurance costs in the United States are on track for their biggest jump in at least five years, according to multiple surveys, adding turbulence to an uncertain economy and boosting expenses for millions of Americans already beset by inflation. In 2026, businesses will be hit with an increase of 9 percent or more and they are expected to push some of the burden onto employees, according to the research. For the 24 million enrollees of Affordable Care Act insurance plans, however, the news is far worse. The end of enhanced federal subsidies for that program means their costs are expected to rise by more than 75 percent next year, according to KFF, the nonpartisan health policy organization. Insurers and employers point to two recent factors to explain the rising prices: the tariffs on pharmaceutical imports being considered by the Trump administration and the high cost of new obesity treatments, called GLP-1 drugs. With inflation top of mind for many Americans, and broad discontent with health care, the spike in prices in both government-sponsored and private health insurance could make the costs of coverage an issue in the 2026 midterm elections. A Gallup poll in December reported that “Americans’ rating of the quality of U.S. healthcare has fallen to the lowest reading in 24 years, and views of healthcare coverage nationally remain broadly negative.†Now, even among Republicans opposed to the government insurance program, the rapid rise in prices and the end of the Obamacare subsidies has created worry. “Voters don’t want to see people losing their health insurance,†according to the pollsters of Fabrizio Ward, a Republican polling firm, which found overwhelming bipartisan support for extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies in a recent poll of 28 competitive congressional districts. Three recent research reports blame the insurance price hikes generally on rising prices and the more liberal use of health care services. All three reports — by Aon, a global consultancy; Mercer, a benefits company; and the Business Group on Health, an industry group — cited the rise of the new obesity drugs as a driver of costs. “We are seeing a continued surge in utilization†of the GLP-1 drugs, said Debbie Ashford, a chief actuary at Aon and an author of the report. She said use of the drugs rose 92 percent in 2023 and another 56 percent in 2024, and the growth continues this year at a similar pace. These drugs can cost as much as $800 a month. As employers seek to limit the bill for GLP-1s, 90 percent of them said they are paying for the drugs only after prior authorization reviews and nearly half are requiring that patients be substantially overweight as determined by BMI, or body mass index, the Business Group survey said. Other cost drivers cited in the forecasts include mental health, chronic conditions and cancer. The other new force behind the price hikes is the expectation of import tariffs, which would boost drug prices. Pharmaceuticals are currently exempt from the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, but the Commerce Department is investigating the impact of drug imports on national security. The president has also said planned tariffs on the medicines could rise to as much as 250 percent. In a May letter to the Commerce Department, the American Hospital Association warned that the tariffs would significantly impact drug prices. The U.S. gets nearly 30 percent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients from China, the letter said. It also cited a survey indicating that many health care experts expect tariff-related expenses to raise hospital costs by at least 15 percent. Some insurers, in legal filings with regulators, have said explicitly that the expected tariffs were raising insurance prices. A document from United Healthcare of New York states that, to account for “uncertainty regarding tariffs and/or the onshoring of manufacturing and their impact on total medical costs, most notably on pharmaceuticals, a total price impact of 3.6% is built into the initially submitted rate filing.†While the obesity drugs and tariffs are expected to raise health care costs generally, the most urgent political matter is the fate of the extra subsidies for the 24 million people with Affordable Care Act plans, who could see their premium payments double in January if the subsidies go away. About half of adults with such coverage are small-business owners, their employees or are self-employed, according to KFF. The extra subsidies were first provided during the coronavirus pandemic, intended to make HealthCare.gov coverage more affordable, and have been in place the past five years. During that time, the number of enrollees in Obamacare plans has doubled to more than 24 million, helping to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance. The subsidies have come at a significant cost to taxpayers, however, and extending the subsidies another 10 years would cost $335 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Congress has approved the subsidies twice, but now the GOP-controlled House and Senate appear likely to let them expire after December. They previously declined to extend them in the tax and spending bill they passed over the summer. About 4 million people will drop out of Affordable Care Act plans in the first year after the extra subsidies are discontinued, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. That will leave behind sicker, more expensive patients in the marketplaces and could prompt insurers to hike premiums even more in the future. While some critics have predicted a “death spiral†for the marketplaces if such a trend occurred, others have said the original subsidies are enough to support the program. “As long as those original subsidies remain in place, there will be no death spiral,†said Cynthia Cox, a researcher at KFF who focuses on the Affordable Care Act. “But some individuals will face hardship.†There is growing unease among Republicans about the possibility of making Obamacare premiums unaffordable, and they are wary of attacks from Democrats who could accuse them of leaving millions of people without health coverage. Eleven House Republicans, many of them in vulnerable seats, have signed onto a bipartisan bill to extend the subsidies for another year — enough time to move the issue past the 2026 midterm elections. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia), the bill’s lead sponsor, warned that if the tax credit ends, a Virginia family of four earning $64,000 could see their premiums jump by more than $2,500 a year. A 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 could face nearly $12,000 in higher annual premiums. “This is the last thing Virginians need and it’s unacceptable,†Kiggans said. Congress could extend the subsidies in a bill to fund the government after Oct. 1. There has also been talk of extending them in a year-end measure, possibly adding them to budget negotiations, but insurers warn that may be too late: At that point, most Healthcare.gov customers will have already selected plans. House conservatives, who have long railed against the Affordable Care Act, are opposed to continuing the extra federal assistance. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Maryland) said it’s time “to end covid-era policies†and predicted “so many Republicans†would vote against it. But Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), known for his populist overtures during the debate over cutting Medicaid, said “we have to do something†to prevent skyrocketing premiums. “I think anytime somebody’s health care premiums go up by 200 percent when they’re already unaffordable, that’s a problem. We cannot allow that to happen,†he said.
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Health Care Costs for Workers Begin to Climb
A survey shows employers expect a sharp increase in benefit costs for next year, and many will want workers to shoulder more of the burden.
Employees of large and small companies are likely to face higher health care costs, with increases in premiums, bigger deductibles or co-pays, and will possibly lose some benefits next year, according to a large survey of companies nationwide that was released on Thursday. The survey of 1,700 companies, conducted by Mercer, a benefits consultant, indicated that employers are anticipating the sharpest increases in medical costs in about 15 years. Higher drug costs, rising hospital prices and greater demand for care are all contributing factors, experts said. With the projected increases, this is the fourth consecutive year in which employers — and their workers — have faced significantly higher costs for health insurance, with next year representing the biggest jump since 2010. A portion of the increases can still be traced to the lingering effects of the pandemic, but experts say the higher costs could represent a significant challenge. “I think affordability is a real issue for their work force,†said Ellen Kelsay, the chief executive of the Business Group on Health, which represents large employers that provide health insurance to their workers. Without making any changes to benefits — which would involve moves like shifting more costs to workers or reducing benefits — employers said they expected next year’s increases in health costs to reach nearly 9 percent on average. By altering plans, they projected increases overall of 6.5 percent on average in health costs next year. A quarter of those surveyed projected double-digit increases for 2026 even after changes to plans.

What will higher costs mean for workers?
While companies will impose a variety of measures to control health care costs, workers should expect their employers to pass on some of the burden. Some companies will increase the insurance premiums deducted from workers’ paychecks, while others will increase the out-of-pocket costs workers’ pay to see a doctor or get a prescription. “We’re at a point in time where employers are really having to think hard about shifting costs or doing something really disruptive,†said Tracy Watts, a senior partner and U.S. leader for health care policy at Mercer, which is a unit of Marsh McLennan. In recent years, employees have largely been shielded from significant premium hikes. Even as the cost of coverage for a family of four increased to $25,572 in 2024, the share paid by employees has remained relatively stable in recent years — about $6,000 a year, on average, according to KFF, a nonprofit health research group. Employees are likely to feel the pinch more acutely, given the current economic climate. “The context is different because groceries are more expensive,†said Gary Claxton, a senior vice president at KFF. “Everything seems more expensive.†Many people are already struggling to afford medical care — a recent poll found that a third of Americans, about 91 million adults, said that if they were to need medical care, they would not be able to pay for it. “People’s situations are going to worsen,†said Sara R. Collins, a vice president who studies health care coverage and access for the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund. “The drivers are all in the wrong direction in the problems people have in affording health care.†Some companies have become hesitant to ask employees to pay more, worried that workers will skip or delay medical care because they can no longer afford it. “For a lot of employers, they feel they have stretched their employees as far as they can go,†said Shawn Gremminger, the chief executive the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, which represents organizations that offer health benefits.

Workers may have fewer options
Some companies are considering changing the design of their benefits to offer less expensive alternatives. Some employers will add a plan that offers tiers of networks in which workers choose to pay less for fewer choices or more for a greater number of options, steering workers to hospitals where care might be less expensive. Others might feature plans in which patients have higher out-of-pocket costs when they get care from certain doctors or hospitals. Roughly a third of employers are considering offering this kind of alternative plan, according to Mercer.

Why are health care costs going up?
Benefit experts say the rising costs are the result of numerous factors, including higher labor costs for health care workers and the introduction of expensive new treatments, including pricey weight-loss drugs. Prescription drug costs are increasingly a concern, with a lot of the blame placed on both the drug manufacturers and the middlemen overseeing drug benefits, the pharmacy benefit managers, for keeping prices high. Some employers are beginning to move toward smaller, independent benefit managers that say they will more aggressively pass on savings to their clients and be more transparent about what employers are actually paying for prescription drugs. Both prices and the amount of care being used by employees are rising, said Sunit Patel, Mercer’s chief actuary for health and benefits in the United States. Roughly a third of the overall increase is the result of higher prices charged by hospitals, doctors and other providers, he said. But there is a higher demand for services, and specialized, expensive treatments for cancer and other diseases are driving medical costs upward. The aging of the population, workers who stay longer in jobs and the ability to receive care more easily through telemedicine and other means has also fueled costs by expanding access and use, said Ms. Watts of Mercer. Patients are also being diagnosed with cancer at younger ages. Rising hospital prices are also a culprit. Hospitals have encountered labor shortages and higher costs since the pandemic, and many have taken advantage of less competition to raise their prices.

It is likely to get worse
A series of economic and policy changes will affect many health care sectors. For one, President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on imports from many countries could eventually increase the price of drugs and medical supplies, because much of the supply chain begins overseas and those items are largely produced in other nations. Policy changes related to health care under the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress could drop millions of Americans from Medicaid or subsidized Obamacare insurance, driving up costs for hospitals and other providers. They in turn often try to recoup losses indirectly by charging employer plans at higher rates. “As hospitals and providers see more uninsured, we always worry that those costs will be absorbed in the system and passed along in terms of higher commercial prices,†said Don Moulds, the chief health director for CalPERS, which offers health benefits to state and local employees in California.

Will some employers drop health care coverage as costs rise?
In some competitive business sectors vying for laborers, health benefits remain a lure and, to a great extent, are a mainstay of a stable work force. “I think employers are stuck with it because it is such a valuable benefit to employees,†said Paul B. Ginsburg, a health policy professor at the University of Southern California.
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The price increases that should cause Americans more alarm
The price of health insurance is rising faster than the price of eggs or gasoline.
Wary of inflation, Americans have been watching the prices of everyday items such as eggs and gasoline. A less-noticed expense should cause greater alarm: rising premiums for health insurance. They have been trending upward for years and are now rising faster than ever. Consider that, from 2000 to 2020, egg prices fluctuated between just under $1 and about $3 a dozen; they reached $6.23 in March but then fell to $3.77 in June. Average gas prices, after seesawing between $2 and $4 a gallon for more than a decade starting in 2005, peaked at $4.93 in 2022, and are now back to just over $3. Meanwhile, since 1999, health insurance premiums for people with employer-provided coverage have more than quadrupled. From 2023 to 2024 alone, they rose more than 6 percent for both individuals and family coverage — a steeper increase than that of wages and overall inflation. For many people who have the kind of insurance plans created by the Affordable Care Act (because they work for small companies or insure themselves), rates have probably risen even more drastically. In this market, state regulators scrutinize insurers’ proposed rate increases, but only if they exceed 15 percent. And the situation is about to get worse: For 2026, ACA marketplace insurers have proposed eye-popping new prices: In New York, UnitedHealthcare has proposed a 66.4 percent rise. HMO Colorado has asked for an increase of more than 33 percent in that state. In Washington, the average proposed increase across all insurers is 21.2 percent, and in Rhode Island it’s 23.7 percent. According to Business Group on Health, a consortium of major employers, “actual health care costs have grown a cumulative 50% since 2017.†In a recent survey, 87 percent of companies said that in the next five to 10 years, the cost of providing health insurance for their workers would become “unsustainable.†And insurers in the ACA marketplace are increasing premiums by an average of 20 percent, according to a new analysis. Imagine if tens of millions of Americans’ rent or mortgage payments were to suddenly increase by that amount. Insurance regulators theoretically could demand that these proposed rates be lowered — and this often happens. But some states are more active than others in this regard. And all are wary that too much regulatory interference will drive insurers from their markets. Insurers offer many explanations for their calculations, some of which are tied to recent actions by Congress and President Donald Trump. New tariffs on America’s trading partners, for example, are expected to push up the cost of drugs and medical supplies. Meanwhile, reductions in health care spending included in the GOP budget bill, along with the expiration of some Biden-era premium subsidies at the end of this year, will cause many people to lose their health insurance. About 16 million Americans are expected to become uninsured in 2026, in many cases because keeping insurance will become unaffordable. Because most of these people are likely to be young and/or healthy, the “risk pool†of those remaining insured will become older and sicker — and therefore more expensive to cover. “Ultimately, we believe the ACA market will likely be smaller and higher acuity-driven next year,†Janey Kiryluik, vice president of corporate communications for Elevance Health (formerly known as Anthem), wrote in an email. She added: “Our position reflects early disciplined action.†Remember, most insurers in the United States are public, for-profit companies; as such, they tend to act in the interests of their shareholders, not the patients whose health care they cover. Large employers that manage their own health care plans might be able to negotiate better deals for their workers. But smaller companies, for the most part, will need to accept what’s on offer. Premiums are not the only part of health insurance that’s getting more expensive. Deductibles — the money that beneficiaries must spend out of pocket before insurance kicks in — are also rising. The average deductible for a standard ACA silver plan in 2025 was nearly $5,000, about double what it was in 2014. (For those with employer-based insurance, the average number is just under $2,000.) A few states are trying to stem the tide by offering a state-run “public option,†a basic affordable insurance plan that patients can choose. But they have struggled because a lower payment rate for workers generally means fewer participating providers and reduced access to care. If voters paid as much attention to the price of health insurance as they do to the cost of gas and eggs, maybe elected officials would respond with more action.
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Storm Events –

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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 ofemergency.

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

How Climate Change Affects Hurricanes Like Erin
Global warming is changing the way storms behave.
Hurricane Erin is whipping up the Atlantic Ocean at speeds over 100 miles per hour. The trajectory of the storm has it staying out to sea, though many effects will be felt close to shore and on land. And some of those effects are made worse by global warming. Overnight on Friday, Hurricane Erin ratcheted up to a Category 5 storm, from a Category 1, becoming one of the top five most quickly intensifying hurricanes on record. As the planet warms, scientists say that rapidly intensifying hurricanes are becoming ever more likely. “It’s a very easy set of dots to connect,†said Jim Kossin, who worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a hurricane specialist and climate scientist before he retired. “These rapid intensification events are linked pretty directly to that human fingerprint.†According to the National Hurricane Center, rapid intensification is an increase in a storm’s sustained wind speeds of at least 35 miles per hour in a 24-hour period. Between Friday morning and Saturday morning, Hurricane Erin’s wind speeds increased by nearly 85 miles per hour, peaking at 161 mph. Daniel Gilford, a climate scientist at Climate Central, a science communication nonprofit, likens hurricanes to the engine of a car. “They need some fuel source in order to spin, and the fuel source is the ocean surface,†he said. “So as the temperature of the ocean surface goes up, that adds more fuel that these storms can use to intensify.†For over a century, greenhouse gases emitted by human activity have trapped heat inside the planet’s atmosphere. A recent streak of record-breaking temperatures crowned 2024 as the hottest year on record. By May of 2024, super marine heat waves had turned nearly a quarter of the world’s ocean area into bath water, and this year’s Atlantic Ocean remains warmer than average. Earlier this summer, forecasters anticipated a busier than usual Atlantic hurricane season because of this lingering heat, along with other regional factors. Erin is the first named storm to become a hurricane this year. As a storm moves across warm oceans, it gathers more fuel and becomes stronger. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, hurricanes in hotter conditions can also carry more rain. According to Climate Central’s analysis of the storm, human-caused climate change made the warm water temperature around where Erin formed at least 90 times more likely. The group’s early estimate, using a statistical model developed by NOAA, also found that the extra heat could drive 50 percent greater damage, like tidal erosion and flooding, to coastal areas. Other features of storms have been exacerbated by the warming planet, too. As polar regions melt and sea levels rise, Dr. Gilford said, the rising tidal base line means that any coastal flooding from storms becomes correspondingly larger, too. During Hurricane Sandy, floods were four inches deeper than they would have been without sea level rise, according to a Climate Central paper published in the journal Nature. “That doesn’t sound like a lot, but four inches could be the difference between over topping the bottom floor of a building or not,†he said. After intensifying, Hurricane Erin grew a second larger eyewall, which is the meteorological term for the thick ring of clouds at the cyclone’s center. Hurricanes that go through an eyewall replacement cycle are larger in size but tend to have weaker wind speeds. As of Wednesday afternoon, Hurricane Erin was 530 miles wide, an expanse that would smother New England. While the storm’s strongest winds aren’t expected to reach coastlines, the powerful waves and riptides that are generated will. Faster intensification makes eyewall replacement more likely, Dr. Kossin said. “All of these behaviors are ultimately linked to the warm water that these storms are sitting on top of,†he said. “The water is warm because the planet is heating up.â€
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Top Scientists Find Growing Evidence That Greenhouse Gases Are, in Fact, a Danger
The assessment contradicts the Trump administration’s legal arguments for relaxing pollution rules.
The nation’s leading scientific advisory body issued a major report on Wednesday detailing the strongest evidence to date that carbon dioxide, methane and other planet-warming greenhouse gases are threatening human health. The report, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is significant because it could complicate the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke a landmark scientific determination, known as the endangerment finding, that underpins the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is driving climate change. The finding dates to 2009, when the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare and so should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The Obama and Biden administrations used that determination to set strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other industrial sources of pollution. But in July, the Trump administration proposed to rescind the endangerment finding and contended that subsequent research had “cast significant doubt†on its accuracy. The proposal is one of President Trump’s most significant steps yet to derail federal climate efforts. If the move is held up in court, future administrations would have no authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The new National Academies assessment contradicts the administration’s claims. The 136-page report, assembled by a committee of two dozen scientists, concludes that the original endangerment finding was accurate and “has stood the test of time.†It says that there is now even stronger evidence that rising greenhouse gas levels can threaten public health and well-being, and that new risks have been uncovered. The report notes that multiple lines of evidence now show that human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are producing greenhouse gases that are heating the planet, and that climate change is exacerbating a wide variety of health risks like intense heat waves and increased wildfire smoke. Climate-driven changes in temperature and rainfall patterns have also led to negative effects on crops and less water availability in some places, among other disruptions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is a nongovernmental body that was originally chartered in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to advise the nation on scientific and medical questions. The influential body issues roughly 200 reports per year on a range of topics from particle physics to neurobiology, and its members are elected each year. In August, the National Academies announced that it was fast-tracking its study on the endangerment finding so that it could inform the E.P.A.’s decision-making process. Under federal law, the E.P.A. needs to solicit public comment on its proposal to revoke the finding and then must respond to all of the comments it receives. Some Republicans in Congress criticized the National Academies for racing to complete the report. Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the leading Republican on the House Oversight Committee, wrote in a recent letter to the body that the decision was “a blatant partisan act to undermine the Trump Administration†and said that some of the members overseeing the report had “shown partisan bias.†The committee that oversaw the report was led by Shirley Tilghman, an emeritus professor of molecular biology and public affairs and former president of Princeton University. While the committee was largely made up of academics, it also included a former employee of Chevron and a former executive at Cummins, a manufacturer of truck engines. “This study was undertaken with the ultimate aim of informing the E.P.A., following its call for public comments, as it considers the status of the endangerment finding,†Dr. Tilghman said in a statement. “We are hopeful that the evidence summarized here shows the strong base of scientific evidence available to inform sound decision-making.†In response to the report, Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, said, “The endangerment finding has been used by the Obama and Biden administrations to justify trillions of dollars of greenhouse gas regulations covering new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. As we saw in the 16 intervening years since the endangerment finding was made, many of the extremely pessimistic predictions and assumptions E.P.A. relied upon have not materialized as expected.†She said the E.P.A. “looks forward to responding to a diverse array of perspectives on this issue,†when the public comment period ends on Sept. 22. To justify its proposal, the E.P.A. cited a variety of legal and technical arguments, saying among other things that the greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on American roads are only a small sliver of total global greenhouse gas emissions. But the agency also tried to argue with the mainstream scientific view that climate change poses a significant risk to humanity. It cited a report that the Energy Department commissioned by a working group of five prominent researchers who dissent from the mainstream scientific view of climate change. They were handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and while their report acknowledged that the Earth is warming, it said that climate change is “less damaging economically than commonly believed.â€Â In response, a team of more than 85 scientists wrote a 439-page reply, saying that the Energy Department analysis was riddled with errors and cherry-picked data to fit the president’s political agenda. Separately, two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court charging that the formation of the Energy Department’s working group violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act and that the E.P.A. should not rely on its analysis. That case is ongoing. Mr. Wright disbanded the working group this month in the wake of the lawsuit. But the Energy Department has said it has no plans to withdraw its report. In a statement, Andrea Woods, an Energy Department spokeswoman, said that the agency had determined that the working group had achieved its purpose, “namely to catalyze broader discussion about the certainties and uncertainties of current climate science. We will continue to engage in the debate in favor of a more science-based and less ideological conversation around climate science.†Some legal experts said that the Trump administration’s attempts to argue against longstanding scientific findings on climate change could create problems in court for its deregulatory efforts. “It might have been a better strategy if they tried to sidestep the arguments about climate science altogether,†said Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. “Instead, they’ve taken shots at climate science and that’s triggered an enormous response from scientists, and now they’re going to have to carefully respond to all of these comments,†Mr. Parenteau added. “And if they shortchange any of them, that creates a legal vulnerability. Courts are going to be very leery if the E.P.A. tries to ignore or reject the findings of the National Academies of Sciences.â€
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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 March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.

Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on September 30, 2025.

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GenX
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Homeowners Insurance
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Brunswick and New Hanover ranked among NC’s most insurance-stressed counties
A new report on North Carolina’s home insurance ranks both New Hanover and Brunswick counties among the top five most at-risk counties in the state. A Raleigh-based independent insurance agency, Guardian Service, ranked both counties within the top five most at-risk counties in the state where high climate risk and insurance market stress are colliding. Guardian Service researchers analyzed around 90 North Carolina counties using data from a mix of federal, state and proprietary sources. The research team examined climate risk, insurance costs, historical trends and homeowner strain. The report estimates coastal counties such as Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender are expected to see some of the biggest increases in home insurance premiums in the next year.

Here’s how climate-related risks are expected to impact home insurance rates in the Cape Fear region.

New Hanover ranked first in climate and insurance pressures
Guardian Service ranked New Hanover County as the county with the most climate and insurance pressure in the state. In 16 of the studied counties, current average home insurance premium costs exceed $4,000. However, New Hanover County had the highest average cost of $6,631, the report states. Carteret and Dare counties follow suit with average insurance premium cost also above $6,000. According to the report, home insurance premium costs in New Hanover County by 2026 are expected to rise by more than $1,400, pushing the average annual cost of home insurance premiums around $8,000. Reasons for New Hanover County’s high climate and insurance vulnerability, per the report, include a 36% paid loss ratio and insurance claims averaging more than $17,000 each. Paid loss ratio is the percentage of premiums that insurance companies pay back to homeowners in claims, Guardian Service spokesperson Dayna Edens said.

Brunswick County home insurance premiums skyrocket
Brunswick County was the fourth most climate and insurance pressure-burdened counties in the report. The county also ranked fourth in having one of the highest insurance claim severity changes between 2018-2022. “Claim severity has grown by 33% statewide,” the report states. The report reveals that Brunswick County jumped from having a $7,800 average in home insurance claim in 2018 to nearly a $20,500 average in 2022. That’s a 162.4% increase in only five years – higher than both New Hanover and Pender counties. Edens said the average cost of a Brunswick County home insurance policy in 2025 is $4,813, based on a $350,000 dwelling coverage. “That figure is projected to rise to $5,865 in 2026, based on already-approved rate filings,” said Edens. From 2018-2022, the rate at which insurers chose not to renew policies decreased by 1.9% and the average rate of claims filed per policy also decreased by 4.9% since 2018, Edens said. Edens explained that the paid loss ratio in Brunswick County is 26%. “That number can reflect how much weather-related damage or other losses are occurring in the area,” Edens said.

Pender County could also see higher insurance rise
Pender County ranked 13th for climate and insurance pressure-burdened counties in the report. The county also ranked sixth in high claim severity changes from 2018-2022. The report shows Pender County had a 120.5% jump in insurance claim severity between 2018 and 2022. This hike was a nearly $10,000 swell over five years and was 0.3% higher than New Hanover County’s increase. Out of the three counties, New Hanover is expected to have the smallest bump in home insurance premium policy costs in the next year. Guardian Services anticipates the New Hanover County home insurance premium average to increase $999 by 2026.
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Hurricane Season
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30

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Hurricane season’s peak has arrived, but the Atlantic has gone silent
Atlantic hurricane season has hit a September speed bump. The season’s peak will pass this week with no active storms for the first time in nearly a decade. June is when the six-month-long season begins, but the true bulk of hurricane activity occurs from mid-August through September and into the first half of October. Right in the middle is September 10, the statistical high point of the season. An active tropical storm or hurricane has roamed somewhere in the Atlantic on that date in roughly three-fourths of the 76 years tracked by NOAA. The Atlantic is pitching a shut out on its official peak this year – a feat that last happened in 2016. The season’s last storm was Tropical Storm Fernand, which fizzled out far from land on August 28. The National Hurricane Center expects the Atlantic to remain quiet for at least the next week. If that happens, it would be the farthest into September the Atlantic has gone without a named storm forming since 1992, according to the National Weather Service in New Orleans. Bonnie was the first September storm that year, forming on September 18.

September’s special sauce
September is when the most real estate is open for hurricanes to form in the Atlantic thanks to a collision of weather ingredients. The most basic building block is that water temperatures reach their warmest levels after basking in summer’s heat. Right now, much of the Atlantic basin has plenty of warmer-than-average water for prospective storms to tap into. These temperatures aren’t at the record levels set in 2023 and 2024, but they’re still warmer than they should be, driven higher in a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution. Hurricane Erin took advantage of that warmth, becoming one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record when it hit Category 5 status in mid-August. However, warm water is only one piece of the puzzle, as September is showing us right now. The tropical Atlantic has been enveloped in dry, stable air so far this month, which is one of the main reasons it’s unusually quiet. Dry air can squash a storm’s ability to generate rainfall, and it’s typically less abundant at this time of year than earlier in the season. An area of stormy weather the hurricane center tracked for development between Africa and the Caribbean last week succumbed to this hostile factor. Wind shear – changes in wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere – also tends to be lowest at this point. Shear can rip apart fully developed hurricanes and tropical storms, as well as systems still in formative stages, though it wasn’t a huge obstacle for last week’s failed system. September is also when areas of showers and thunderstorms from western Africa make the trek west toward the Caribbean. These seeds for development, known as tropical waves, can spin-up storms when ingredients in the atmosphere and ocean cooperate.

How the season stacks up so far and what lies ahead
This season seems to be running closer to empty at a time of year it should be firing on all cylinders: Six named storms have formed so far, which is two fewer than the average by September 9, according to 1991 to 2020 data. Most of those storms have been short-lived, with Hurricane Erin’s more than 10-day-long journey being the exception. Erin remains the only hurricane so far this season, behind the typical pace of three forming by early September. Of course, impacts matter more than any numbers and several storms this year have already had dangerous outcomes. The leftover moisture from what once was Tropical Storm Barry helped fuel the devastating July 4 Texas floods. Just two days later, Tropical Storm Chantal triggered destructive and deadly floods in a narrow strip of North Carolina. In August, Hurricane Erin brought heavy rain and strong winds to the northeast Caribbean before growing in size and churning up high surf and dangerous rip currents along the East Coast. Looking forward, just over 50% of the entire hurricane season’s activity occurs after the September 10 peak, according to one measure. And we’ve seen a number of hurricanes pack a huge punch in the back end of recent seasons. Last year, Hurricane Helene’s devastating impacts played out from Florida to Georgia, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in late September. That was followed by Hurricane Milton’s strike on the Florida Peninsula in early October. In late September 2022, Category 4 Hurricane Ian delivered a catastrophic storm surge to southwest Florida. Destructive winds and flooding rain also pummeled the state’s peninsula. The bottom line is there’s still a long way to go before the season ends. It’s important to stay prepared, especially for those living in hurricane-prone areas.
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It’s the typical peak of Atlantic hurricane season. Where are all the storms?
Subtropical ocean temperatures across the planet are at record-high levels. Here’s why that may be having a counterintuitive effect on hurricane season.
It’s Sept. 10, the typical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Normally, there would be a tropical storm or hurricane swirling around — or at least the threat of one forming. But the Atlantic Ocean is currently devoid of tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes — and on their website, the National Hurricane Center prominently displays a map of an empty basin that says “Tropical cyclone activity is not expected during the next 7 days.â€Â This comes after a disturbance last week, which had high odds of developing near the Caribbean islands, disintegrated after choking on dry, dusty air from the Sahara and is no longer a threat. And it’s not just the Atlantic. The tropics across the Northern Hemisphere have experienced less than 60 percent of their normal activity so far this year. That’s according to accumulated cyclone energy, or ACE, an integrated metric of tropical cyclone winds and longevity. So, what’s going on? Does it mean that hurricane season, which surged to life with Category 5 Erin last month, is fizzling out unexpectedly early? Not so fast. But there is something unusual going on. Subtropical oceans across the planet, including regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, have surged to record levels of warmth, and that may be having the counterintuitive effect of contributing to fewer tropical storms. During August, subtropical oceans across the globe averaged 74.4 degrees, tying the record mark for August set just one year ago. On the other hand, tropical oceans, especially in the eastern and southern Atlantic, have cooled notably compared to last year’s record warmth — part of the reason 2024’s hurricane season was so busy. Because the subtropics have warmed significantly and the tropics have cooled, there’s less of a temperature difference, called a gradient, between the two regions. A weaker temperature gradient tends to lead to more stable, calmer atmospheric patterns in areas where storms typically form. Hurricanes play an important role in transferring heat from the tropics toward the poles. When the temperature difference between these regions decreases, that role somewhat diminishes and there may be a reduced tendency for storms to form. Also, a weather variable known as the atmospheric lapse rate — the rate at which air cools from the ground up through the atmosphere — has been weaker than normal across the Atlantic. A smaller lapse rate means rising air cools faster than its surroundings, so it can’t keep rising, making it harder for clouds and storms to form. Overall, this has meant that environmental conditions are less conducive to tropical storm development, with several meteorologists picking up on the trend. “I think what it shows is we have to look beyond just [rising] sea surface temperatures when we consider the implications of a warming climate,†said meteorologist Andy Hazelton. In a warming world, scientific research has found declining trends in the frequency of tropical storms in some ocean basins. However, storms that do form may become stronger and produce more rain. The subtropical ocean warming trend may also allow tropical storms to form or persist farther away from the tropics.

Dust from the Sahara
As seasonal winds strengthen across Africa, dust and sand from the Sahara get swept high into the atmosphere and carried thousands of miles, often across the Atlantic Ocean. When this hot, dry air mixes into the circulation of a developing tropical storm, it can stunt growth by cutting off the storm’s access to moisture. That’s what happened to a storm that had a high probability of developing last week. This season, dusty air probably influenced the behavior of a few storms, although there has been less dust than normal. Still, dust concentrations alone cannot fully explain the dearth of tropical disturbances.

Will there be a storm soon?
It’s important to remember that hurricane season is a marathon, not a sprint. Months still remain before the season ends after Nov. 30. Forecasters are closely watching a tropical cluster of clouds and thunderstorms that typically tracks around the planet every 30 to 60 days called the Madden-Julian Oscillation. It’s like an energy drink for storms, sparking conditions that are more conducive to their formation, such as rising air and towering thunderstorms, more moisture and spin in the lower levels of the atmosphere. This storm spark plug is currently located in the Pacific Ocean but is predicted to reach the Atlantic in late September into October — potentially providing some of the season’s most prime conditions for hurricane formation in a few weeks. Defense Department meteorologist Eric Webb said in a message that he thinks the period from late September through about early to mid-October is when hurricane-forming factors will intersect most comprehensively in the Atlantic, raising the risk of storms. From late September into October, fewer storms emerge from Africa as the monsoon season there begins to wane. Instead, hurricane tracks begin to favor the western part of the basin, such as the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, because it’s the focal point of ocean heat — which is currently above-average. In August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La Niña watch. Cool waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean — a hallmark of La Niña — can reduce the level of clouds and thunderstorms there while enhancing it over the Atlantic. This may mean that the bulk of this season’s hurricane activity may occur late and linger longer.
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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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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.
///// August 2025
Name:            Blue Drum Waterfront Restaurant                                                                   Cuisine:          Seafood/American
Location:       4430 Kingsport Road, Little River SC
Contact:         843.273.0081 /  https://bluedrumwaterfront.com/little-river-waterfront-restaurant/
Food:              Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:          Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:     Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $30        Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:           Two Stars
A popular casual restaurant that has both indoor and outdoor dining options with nice views of the ICW. While the venue is nice, with live music in a spacious outdoor area, but it is  a little pricey. All in all, we had a nice meal there, but it is really was nothing special. Despite the pleasant setting we found it to be just  underwhelming. With many unfavorable reviews suggesting that the establishment’s popularity may be more due to its view rather than the quality of its food or service.                                 

Longtime, well-known Wilmington restaurant closing; chef opening new concept downtown
The last day of service for a James Beard-nominated restaurant in Wilmington is Sept. 20. Chef Keith Rhodes, who owns Catch restaurant with wife Angela Rhodes, announced in May that they were looking to relocate following a property sale at 6623 Market St.  At the time, they said they wanted to have a busy final summer season in Ogden before moving the restaurant. That first part came to fruition, they said. It’s taken longer to find a new home for Catch.  “We just wanted to thank everyone for their support at this location,†Keith Rhodes said.  Angela Rhodes said she doesn’t consider that the restaurant is closing. “I don’t like that word,†she said. “This is not the end.† They opened catch in 2006, at first in downtown before opening in a retail center with Leisure World Casual Furniture and Wilmington Blind, Shutter & Closet Co. Those other businesses have already closed on Market Street. Preliminary plans for a Sheetz have been submitted for the property, according to the city of Wilmington. In the meantime, they continue to be booked with events with their food truck and catering. And they plan to open VOYCE, named for Keith Rhodes’ grandparents Vergie and Royce, in six weeks or so. “The downtown location has been in our back pocket for a long time,†Keith Rhodes said. He’s aiming for an upscale bistro, a cozy restaurant with 30 seats, beer and wine service, and a menu that reflects his signature style that blends seafood with Asian flavors and Southern tradition. He will also continue popular items like burgers and other favorites similar to what he serves at Catch. He said that having this eatery, close to other James Beard nominated Wilmington restaurants like Seabird and Olivero, could be an attraction for foodies. But they also might be close to announcing the next iteration of Catch. “Being a home-grown African American to open a really nice restaurant in Wilmington was a first,” Keith Rhodes said. “And we did it with integrity.” “The food scene has changed a lot. And I’ve learned a lot. We are looking ahead to the next 20 years, and I know what I want it to look like,” he said. He said ideally, he’d love to reopen Catch in a bigger space, with an outdoor seating area. The Rhodeses said they’ve looked extensively in the area from to Pender County to the Leland area of Brunswick County.  “We are a family restaurant,” Keith Rhodes said. “It’s important that we make the right decision for the family and our work family.” Keith Rhodes and Catch have been nominated for Best Chef: Southeast in the James Beard Foundation Awards twice, in 2011 and 2023. Catch was also on the inaugural USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list in 2024. Rhodes is also well-known for participating in season nine of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef†series. In the coming days and weeks, look for more social media posts about VOYCE and a website and reservation launch for the new restaurant.
Read more » click here

Name:              Catch
Cuisine:           Seafood
Location:        6623 Market St., Wilmington NC
Contact:          910.799.3847 / https://catchwilmington.com/
Food:               Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:           Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:      Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $35         Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:            Three Stars
Located in a nondescript strip mall on the main drag away from downtown Catch prepares modern seafood cuisine and is an award-winning eatery. Celebrity chef and owner Keith Rhodes opened Catch Restaurant in 2006. He has always favored wild caught or sustainably raised seafood and continually supports local fisheries and organic farmers. They have a very limited menu, which only offers about a dozen entrée choices following the trend of menu simplification. At Catch it’s all about the food, which is amazing!  If you dine out just for the food, not for anything else, Catch is one of Wilmington’s top restaurants. Despite the food being outstanding it was still overpriced. The prices are those of an upscale restaurant and they just aren’t one. Therefore, it’s hard to justify the expense. They are still on my short list of favorite restaurants.

                    A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Cloud 9
9 Estell Lee Pl
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401
910.726.9226
Rooftop Bar
https://cloud9ilm.com/

Enjoy panoramic views from the Cloud 9 rooftop bar which overlooks picturesque downtown Wilmington. This premier open-air rooftop venue is located on the Riverwalk in downtown Wilmington on the ninth floor of the Embassy Suites. The bar is open seven (7) days a week at 4:00 PM and is currently serving almost fifty (50) different brews on tap and in cans and more than 20 wine selections. They also offer live music Thursday through Saturday evenings throughout the summer months.This is a must visit the next time you are in Wilmington.

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

Cover of Kristin Hannah's book 'The Women' with a helicopter silhouette.
THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah
A historical novel that follows Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a nursing student who enlists in the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam. Frankie faces the brutality of war and the emotional toll it takes, both during her service and upon returning home to a politically divided America. The story highlights the underappreciated courage, resilience, and sacrifices of female veterans who served in Vietnam.

Cover of 'The Storyteller's Secret' by Sejal Badani with warm tones and elegant typography.The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani
The Storyteller’s Secret follows Jaya, a New York journalist struggling with personal loss, including multiple miscarriages. To cope, she embarks on a journey to India to uncover her family’s hidden history. Along the way, she meets Ravi, her grandmother’s former servant, who shares the story of Amisha, a woman who faced societal restrictions and found love with a British soldier, Stephen. The narrative explores themes of forgiveness, resilience, and the power of storytelling as Jaya learns about her grandmother’s life and the impact of her own experiences on her family’s past. Ultimately, Jaya discovers a profound connection to her heritage and the strength to overcome her grief. 

A blast from the past 

That’s it for this newsletter

See you next month

Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

                    • Gather and disseminate information
                    • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
                    • Act as a watchdog
                    • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008

https://lousviews.com/

 

08 – Town Meeting

 

 

Lou’s Views

“Unofficial” Minutes & Comments

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.THB Newsletter (08/13/25)
Public Hearings on Proposed Bond Referendum for Pier
Following a legal notice published in the Wilmington Star News on August 3rd, the Town of Holden Beach is seeking voter approval for a $7.3 million bond to demolish the existing pier and build a new one.

What’s Happening
The Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings where residents can share their thoughts on the proposed bond:

    • Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
    • Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.

Both hearings will be held at Town Hall Public Assembly, 110 Rothschild Street.

The Bond Referendum
Following the public hearing on August 19th, the Board will decide whether to approve the bond order and request that Brunswick County place the referendum on the November ballot. If approved by the Board, voters will decide on November 4, 2025 whether to authorize up to $7,300,000 in general obligation bonds to finance:

    • Demolition and removal of the current pier
    • Construction of a new pier and related improvements

The currently proposed language that would go on the ballot is as follows:

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds if approved by the following ballot question. Shall the order authorizing $7,300,000 of bonds plus interest to finance the capital costs of the demolition and removal of the existing pier and construction of a new pier, including any improvements related thereto, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved, in light of the following:

(1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bond, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $11,586,345 (consisting of $7,300,000 principal amount of bonds plus $4,286,345 of interest).

(2) The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

Your Voice Matters
Anyone who wishes to be heard on the questions of the validity of the bond order and the advisability of issuing the bonds may appear at either public hearing listed above.

You may also submit written comments to:

    • Mail: Town Hall, 110 Rothschild Street, Holden Beach, NC 28462, Attention: Town Clerk
    • Email: heather@hbtownhall.com
    • Deadline: Written comments must be submitted between August 3rd and 24 hours before the public hearing

More Information

    • Full legal notice published in the Wilmington Star News on August 3rd.
    • Visit https://hbtownhall.com/ and scroll to announcements to view other documents relating to the process.

The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

THB Newsletter (08/04/25)
Public Hearings on Proposed Bond Referendum for Pier
Following a legal notice published in the Wilmington Star News on August 3rd, the Town of Holden Beach is seeking voter approval for a $7.3 million bond to demolish the existing pier and build a new one.

What’s Happening
The Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings where residents can share their thoughts on the proposed bond:

    • Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
    • Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. 

Both hearings will be held at Town Hall Public Assembly, 110 Rothschild Street.

The Bond Referendum
Following the public hearing on August 19th, the Board will decide whether to approve the bond order and request that Brunswick County place the referendum on the November ballot. If approved by the Board, voters will decide on November 4, 2025 whether to authorize up to $7,300,000 in general obligation bonds to finance:

    • Demolition and removal of the current pier
    • Construction of a new pier and related improvements

The currently proposed language that would go on the ballot is as follows:

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds if approved by the following ballot question. Shall the order authorizing $7,300,000 of bonds plus interest to finance the capital costs of the demolition and removal of the existing pier and construction of a new pier, including any improvements related thereto, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved, in light of the following:

(1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bond, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $11,586,345 (consisting of $7,300,000 principal amount of bonds plus $4,286,345 of interest).

(2) The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

Your Voice Matters
Anyone who wishes to be heard on the questions of the validity of the bond order and the advisability of issuing the bonds may appear at either public hearing listed above.

You may also submit written comments to:

    • Mail: Town Hall, 110 Rothschild Street, Holden Beach, NC 28462, Attention: Town Clerk
    • Email: heather@hbtownhall.com
    • Deadline: Written comments must be submitted between August 3rd and 24 hours before the public hearing

More Information

    • Full legal notice published in the Wilmington Star News on August 3rd.
    • Visit https://hbtownhall.com/ and scroll to announcements to view other documents relating to the process.

The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

Editor’s note –
This is what it will cost you based on the numbers presented

The average home price on the island is $1,034,831

($1,034,831 % $100,000) x $31.60 = $327.01 per year

$327.01 x 20 years = $6,540

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents Text

I don’t know about you, but I for one am not willing to ante up that kind of money for a pier I have never used and I don’t ever plan to use.

THB Newsletter (07/30/25)
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BOND ORDER AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $7,300,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS OF THE TOWN OF HOLDEN BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners (the “Boardâ€) of the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina (the “Townâ€) has ascertained and determines that it is necessary to finance the capital costs of the demolition and removal of the existing pier and construction of a new pier, including any improvements related thereto; and

WHEREAS, an application has been filed with the Secretary of the Local Government Commission of North Carolina (the “Commissionâ€) requesting Commission approval of the General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds hereinafter described as required by the Local Government Bond Act, and the Town Clerk has notified the Board that the application has been accepted for submission to the Commission.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED by the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina, as follows:

Section 1. To raise the money required for the purposes described above, in addition to any funds which may be made available for such purpose from any other source, General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds of the Town are authorized and shall be issued pursuant to the Local Government Finance Act of North Carolina. The maximum aggregate principal amount of such General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds authorized by this order shall be $7,300,000. 

Section 2. Taxes will be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest of the General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds. 

Section 3. A sworn statement of the Town’s debt has been filed with the Town Clerk and is open to public inspection.

Section 4. The bond order will take effect when approved by the voters of the Town at a referendum scheduled for November 4, 2025. 

The foregoing order has been introduced and a sworn statement of debt has been filed under the Local Government Bond Act showing the appraised value of the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina to be $2,452,110,770 and the net debt thereof, including the proposed bonds, to be $ 12,639,326. The finance officer of the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina has filed a statement estimating that the total amount of interest that will be paid on the bonds over the expected term of the bonds, if issued, is $4,286,345. A tax is authorized to be levied to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds if they are issued. The finance officer has filed a statement estimating that a property tax increase of $0.0316 per $100.00 of assessed valuation will be required to provide sufficient funds to pay the principal and interest on the proposed bonds. These estimates are preliminary, are for general informational purposes only, and may differ from the actual interest paid on the bonds or the actual property tax increases required to provide sufficient funds to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. 

Anyone who wishes to be heard on the questions of the validity of the bond order and the advisability of issuing the bonds may appear at a public hearing or an adjournment thereof to be held at the Town Hall Public Assembly, 110 Rothschild Street, Holden Beach, NC 28462, at 5:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as practicable, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. An additional public hearing is scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in the same location. 

Any person wishing to comment in writing should do so by submitting comments to Town Hall, 110 Rothschild Street, Holden Beach, NC 28462, Attention: Town Clerk, or heather@hbtownhall.com. Written comments must be submitted between the date of publication of this notice and 24 hours before the public hearing.

Visit https://hbtownhall.com/ and scroll to announcements to view other documents relating to the process.

Holden Beach sets public hearings for $7.3 million bond referendum
The Holden Beach Board of Commissioners during its July 15 meeting introduced a $7.3 million bond order to fund the demolition and reconstruction of the town pier. The board scheduled two public hearings on the bond proposal: one on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 11 a.m. and another on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 5 p.m. The board is expected to vote on the bond order following the second public hearing. If the bond order is adopted, the board will likely also vote to set a bond referendum. If the referendum is approved, the referendum would be forwarded to the Brunswick County Board of Elections and appear on the November ballot for voter consideration. Estimated project costs include $200,000 for demolition, $3.3 million for the pier structure, $2.4 million for the work trestle and $1.4 million in contingency, totaling the $7.3 million not-to-exceed figure. The work trestle method is not the official plan for construction, but rather the method which would cost the most. Commissioner Page Dyer previously raised concerns at the board’s May 20 meeting about ensuring the voices of non-resident property owners — many of whom can’t vote in Holden Beach — are still heard in the decision-making process. During public comment at the board’s June 17 meeting, resident Sylvia Pate recommended adding a Saturday hearing to accommodate those unable to attend a weekday session. The board followed through with that recommendation, hence the hearing scheduled for a Saturday. Town staff submitted an application to the Local Government Commission (LGC) on July 7 after meeting with the town’s bond attorney and financial advisor. Although the application has been filed, the LGC will not consider approval until 2026, after voters weigh in on the bond referendum this fall. During the July 15 meeting, HDR Project Manager Will Fuller shared updates on the pier design and presented the engineering firm’s draft maintenance and repair plan. The preliminary design features a 996-foot-long pier with a 16-foot-wide walkway leading to a 48-by-48-foot T-head, which includes a 30-by-30-foot covered structure. The size of the covered structure will likely be reduced due to concerns brought up about casting fishing poles, Fuller said. “We went with that,†Fuller said, “just because it’s basically the biggest structure with which we would start. You wouldn’t want to go any larger than that.†The pier is designed for passive recreational use, such as walking, fishing and public gathering. Amenities in the draft plan include benches, fish cleaning stations and lighting. The structure is planned with a 30-year service life, though it could be extended depending on the maintenance plan, Fuller said. The new pier would sit about 30 feet southwest of the current one. Fuller emphasized that the presented design is still preliminary and subject to change based on future discussions with the board.
Read more » click here

BOC’s Public Hearing 08/16/25

Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here

Audio Recording » click here 

1. Public Hearing: Public Hearing on the Bond Order Authorizing the Issuance of $7,300,000 General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds of the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina for the Demolition and Removal of the Existing Pier and Construction of a New Pier, Including Any Improvements Related Thereto

Agenda Packet – pages 1 – 8

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action on required items related to the proposed GO Bond referendum.

    • Required Public Hearing and Adopt the Bond Order
    • Resolution Setting a Special Bond Referendum

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
At the May meeting, the board decided to pursue a GO referendum regarding the pier. The following documents represent required actions as part of the process

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Consider approval of documents to move forward to the next steps in the process.

Update –
The Public Hearing was held to give the public an opportunity to address the Board of Commissioners regarding the pier Bond Referendum.

BOC’s Public Hearing / Regular Meeting 08/19/25

Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here

Audio Recording » click here 

Public Hearing

1. Public Hearing: Public Hearing on the Bond Order Authorizing the Issuance of $7,300,000 General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds of the Town of Holden Beach, North Carolina for the Demolition and Removal of the Existing Pier and Construction of a New Pier, Including Any Improvements Related Thereto

Agenda Packet – pages 12 – 19

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action on required items related to the proposed GO Bond referendum.

    • Required Public Hearing and Adopt the Bond Order
    • Resolution Setting a Special Bond Referendum

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
At the May meeting, the board decided to pursue a GO referendum regarding the pier. The following documents represent required actions as part of the process

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Consider approval of documents to move forward to the next steps in the process.

Update –
The Public Hearing was held to give the public an opportunity to address the Board of Commissioners regarding the pier Bond Referendum.

Regular Meeting

1. Conflict of Interest Check

2024 Rules of Procedure for the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners
(e) Conflict Check. Immediately after the approval of the agenda, the Presiding Officer shall poll each member to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. In the event that a potential conflict is disclosed, the members will vote on a motion to allow or excuse that member with respect to the agenda item. If excused, the member may not participate in any discussion, debate, or vote with respect to the agenda item.

The Board was polled by Heather our Town Clerk. All of them declared that there was no conflict of interest with any agenda item at this meeting.

2. Public Comments on Agenda Items

At the two (2) Public Hearings, there were comments made by thirty-one (31) members of the public with an additional fifty-four (54) comments that were posted on the Town’s website.

Public Comments 08/16 » click here

Public Comments 08/19 » click here

3. Consideration and Possible Action on Required Items Related to the Proposed General Obligation Bond Referendum – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
a. Required Public Hearings and Adopt the Bond Order
b. Resolution 25-07, Resolution Setting a Special Bond Referendum and Directing the Publication of Notice of a Special Bond Referendum and Notification of the Board of Elections

Agenda Packet – pages 12 – 19

Resolution 25-07 » click here

Previously reported – July 2025
Required Items Related to the Proposed General Obligation Bond Referendum

Resolution 25-06 » click here

Bond Order » click here

Previously reported – June 2025
Required Initial Board Actions to Pursue a 2025 General Obligation Referendum

Resolution 25-03 » click here

Resolution 25-04 » click here

Update –
Voting tonight was simply to approve moving forward with the bond referendum. The referendum is required in order for us to apply to get  loan approval from the Local Government Commission to build the pier. The motion was made to adopt the bond order and adopt Resolution 25-07. They also directed the town clerk to publish a notice of adoption. Commissioner Paarfus attempted to explain the state of affairs and recommended the town survey all property owners. Commissioner Thomas stressed that she supports the referendum in order that the public can decide whether to build a new pier.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

Voter referendum on Holden Beach issuing bonds for pier funding to be on November ballot
The Holden Beach Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to hold a voter referendum this fall on bonds meant to build a new pier. The Town of Holden Beach plans to issue $7.3 million in general obligation public improvement bonds to tear down the existing pier and build a new one. The town purchased the pier for $3.3 million in 2022, but disagreements over the cost of a new one led to delays in moving forward. With town leaders finally moving forward with issuing general obligation bonds, two public meetings were held on the proposal: one on August 16 and another during the regular meeting on August 19, where the Board then voted to approve the referendum. “If we do not go ahead with that referendum, we’re not going to be able to borrow money; the LGC won’t approve it,†Commissioner Tom Myers argued during the second meeting. “We will basically be voting tonight not to have the pier.†Myers says the town’s experience with the State Treasurer’s Local Government Commission in the past when trying to get a loan to buy the pier “was tough.†He says, “pledging the ability to tax taxpayers as collateral because we already committed the collateral when we bought the property the first time†and having voters officially approve the bond in an election would make the Local Government Commission more likely to approve of the town’s moves. Commissioner Page Dyer says, “the referendum gives the town seven years to make a decision on whether to use the bonds.†She says the $7.3 million is a worst case scenario, and town leaders could eventually decide to fund the pier in other ways, such as through donations or a public-private partnership. Commissioner Rick Parfus says it’s unlikely the town will get the pier 100% financed, but “it will be really hard to get something done with this pier†without the referendum. Election Day for this year’s municipal elections is November 4.
Read more » click here

Pier Bond – FAQ’s

What is the referendum for?
It is only for the demolition and removal of the existing pier and construction of a new pier.  It does not cover the debt on the initial purchase, building a pier building, maintenance, or any operating costs.  

• Can the bond money be used to construct a new pier building?
No,  the bond money can only be used to remove the existing pier and construct a new one.  Additional new debt may be needed to construct a building.  (Source: Bond Counsel)

• Can the bond money be used to pay for the pier property?
No, the land was purchased in March 2022 at a cost of $3.2M financed at 3.18% over 15 years with an annual debt service cost of $260k.  (Source: Audit Reports)

Why do we need to vote on a referendum?
Since the land was used as collateral for financing the purchase of the pier property, we will need to issue General Obligation bonds to fund the construction of a new pier, and General Obligation bonds require a voter referendum. (Source: State Statute § 159‑61 (a))

When will we vote on the referendum?
The referendum will be forwarded to the Brunswick County Board of Elections and appear on the November ballot for voter consideration.

What will the referendum ballot say?
It will have a YES or NO vote on approving the bonds.  The final wording will be set on September 5th, but it is required to state: 1) total amount of the bonds; 2) the amount of the principal and interest payments to pay off the debt; and 3) the amount property taxes would need to be increased to cover the payments. (Source: State Statute § 159‑61 (d))

Will property owners get to vote?
No, only registered voters who live on the island.  However, the HBPOA is planning to conduct a survey to allow property owners to have their voice heard in the decision. (Source: State Statute § 159‑61 (a))

• Will all registered voters in Brunswick County get to vote on the referendum?
No, only registered voters who live on the island.  (Source: Board of Elections)

How much will it cost to build a new pier?
The engineer’s Not-To-Exceed estimated construction cost is $7.3M.  The estimated interest cost of the bond is $4.3M, making the total cost $11.6M. (Sources: HDR report; Bond Counsel)

Are grants available to pay for the pier?
Not at this time.  Our lobbyist has been working with town staff to search for grant opportunities but they have not identified any.  A PARTF grant of $500k was obtained for the purchase of the land in 2022. (Source: Budget Meeting Minutes)

How does this affect my property taxes?
The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $31.60 per year.

Property tax increase of $0.0316 per $100.00 of assessed valuation
A home on the island with a value of $1,000,000 estimated cost will be:
($1,000,000 % $100,000) x $31.60 = $316.00 per year
$316.00 x 20 years = $6,320

Our current tax rate is 14 cents per $100
The new tax rate would be 17.16 cents per $100
This would be a 22.6% tax increase

If the referendum fails, can we still build the pier?
Probably not, since the Local Government Commission would most likely not approve the debt, our fund balances are not sufficient to pay for it without borrowing money, and the Board of Commissioners would need to go against the will of the voters. (Source: Bond Counsel)

If the referendum passes, are we required to build the pier?
No.  While the Local Government Commission typically defers to voters, it is possible they still might not approve the debt.  The Board of Commissioners could also decide to go against the will of the voters and not proceed with a new pier. (Source: Bond Counsel)

If the referendum passes, how long can we wait before issuing the bonds?
Seven (7) years. 

How long is the term of the bonds?
The expected term of the bonds is twenty (20) years. 

Can we insure the pier against storms?
No, a new pier will be uninsurable for wind or water, and we will still need to pay off the bonds even if the pier is damaged in a storm and is no longer usable.  (Source: LGC)

What is the design of the new pier?
It is a wooden, pedestrian-grade, 996-foot-long pier with a covered “T†at the end – very similar to the design of the original pier, but taller and stronger for better protection from waves. (Source: HDR report)

How deep will the water be at the end of the pier?
Between 10 to 20 feet, depending upon the tide, according to beach profile elevation survey conducted by the engineer. (Source: HDR report)

How much will it cost to maintain the pier?
The engineer’s estimated funding needs for maintenance, preservation, rehabilitation, and major capital replacement projects to extend its life to 50 years is $3.6M, which equates to $72,560 per year on an annualized basis. (Source: HDR report).

How much will it cost to operate the pier?
The engineer did not estimate operating costs, but they are anticipated to include water, electricity, insurance (liability, vandalism & fire) and personnel costs for staffing it.   (Source: HDR presentation to the BOC)

How will the pier generate revenue for the town?
Operating revenues have not been estimated, but are anticipated to include admission and fishing fees, increased parking revenues, and increased occupancy tax revenues.  Any increase in sales tax revenue would be insignificant due to the way it is allocated within the county. (Source: Town Budget)

Will the pier generate a profit?
Most likely no, since it is very doubtful if pier revenues will exceed operating and maintenance costs, let alone cover debt service costs.  (Source: HDR report on lifecycle costs)

Can parking revenue pay for the pier?
Partially, but all parking revenues are currently being used to pay other expenses, including the debt service cost of the pier property purchase. These expenses would need to be reduced, and/or parking fees increased, before parking revenues could be used to cover a meaningful portion of the debt service cost of the bonds. (Source: Town Budget)

Can we save the existing pier?
Possibly, but according to our engineering studies, it would cost more than to replace it, and the old pier does not comply with current building codes and would not be as strong as a new one. (Source: HDR report)

How much will it cost to remove the existing pier?
The $7.3M Not-To-Exceed estimate includes removal of the existing pier.  There is no cost estimate for removing the existing pier without replacing it. (Source: HDR report)

Will there be a new pier building?
Most likely, but there are no viable plans or cost estimates at this time, and the building design is dependent on the fate of the pier.  There are significant PARTF grant restrictions on what functions the building can support (i.e., it must be dedicated as a recreation site for the use and benefit of the public for a minimum of 25 years). (Source: PARTF Grant Contract)

Is a Public-Private Partnership a viable approach to pay for the pier or the building?
Possibly, but it would be a very complex arrangement that must meet the requirements of the PARTF grant and would require Local Government Commission approval.  (Source: NC Session Law 2013-401; House Bill 857)

4. Discussion and Possible Action Directing Architect Regarding Concert Venue – Interim Town Manager Ferguson, Randy Baker, Pinnacle Architecture

Agenda Packet – page 20

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Pinnacle is working to create a master plan of the Block Q site by initially placing a concert venue on the site. At the July meeting, the board vocalized specifics they want to see regarding the site plan. The BOC can provide direction to the architect and staff in order to move the project forward.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Block Q site is under construction with a bathroom and associated parking. The next phase the BOC wanted to consider was a concert venue to try to have one in place by next season.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Provide direction for future renderings.

Previously reported – July 2025
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Pinnacle is working to create a master plan of the Block Q site by initially placing a concert venue on the site. The attached site plan outlines the architect’s recommendation for placement of the facility.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Block Q site is under construction with a bathroom and associated parking. The next phase the BOC wanted to consider was a concert venue to try to have one in place by next season.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Review site plan and make a motion to move toward more detailed drawings if accepted.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Randy stated that the firm, for this meeting, was just tasked with where the location of the concert venue should be on the site. Their recommendation is that it should be positioned in the south portion of the site and he explained the reasoning behind that decision. They are being asked tonight to just approve the location only, the design of the band stand has not been addressed yet. The motion that was made to approve the location that was submitted for the concert venue.

Site Location Recommendation » click here

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.I agree with Commissioner Paarfus that they should look at the whole area (Block Q, Pavilion, Jordan Boulevard) collectively and not proceed piecemeal but rather develop a comprehensive plan.

Editor’s note –
The phrase“begin with the end in mind”emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision of your goals before starting any task. This principle encourages you to envision your desired outcome, which helps in determining the steps needed to achieve it.

Update –
Randy  from Pinnacle Architecture was in attendance to seek direction regarding the design of the proposed concert venue. Commissioner Paarfus stated again that they should look at the whole area (Block Q, Pavilion, Jordan Boulevard) collectively and not proceed piecemeal but rather develop a comprehensive plan. Rick feels that the Board needs to establish guidelines only and let the architect figure out what and where things will go. The motion to move forward with the concert venue failed. The Board chose to develop a comprehensive plan for the whole area. Essentially they took a step backwards, now they will need to send out a new Request For Qualifications (RFQ).

No decision was made – No action taken

Cartoon man drafting a plan while sitting on a stool.

5. Discussion on HDR’s Summary Report for 30% Scope for the Pier – Interim Town Manager Ferguson, Will Fuller and Bill Kincannon, HDR

Agenda Packet – page 21, plus separate packet

HDR Summary Report » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
HDR’s scope of work and performance schedule had a deliverable of 8/4 for a summary report of a 30% design plan. HDR will join us this evening to present the summary report under the current scope of work.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The board hired HDR as the engineer firm for work on the pier structure. They will be presenting their summary report for the first phase of work.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive summary report for 30% design.

Previously reported – July 2025

HDR Draft Report » click here

HDR Report Supplement » click here

Project Information » click here

 Key Points –

      • HDR’s recommendation that the Town of Holden Beach consider a pier replacement option only.
      • The projected construction cost not-to-exceed number of $7.3 million dollars is with the most conservatively priced construction methodology.
      • The total life cycle with reactive maintenance brings the projected annualized budget to be approximately $70K
      • The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bond, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $11,586,345 (consisting of $7,300,000 principal amount of bonds plus $4,286,345 of interest).

Update –
The motion was made to accept HDR’s summary report of a thirty (30) percent design plan for the pier. The HDR representative stated that they should have the sixty (60) percent design plan report completed for the next BOC’s meeting.

A decision was made – Approved (4-1)
Commissioners Smith opposed the motion

6. Police Report – Lieutenant Dilworth

Agenda Packet – pages 22 – 29

Police Report » click here 

Holden Beach Police patch with sunset and birds design.
Frank reviewed the actions that were taken by them last month
School starts next week, be mindful of school buses
Cautioned beach goers to stay out of the water this week due to Erin

 

Low Speed Vehicle Safety » click here
Low-speed vehicles (Golf Carts) are required to follow the same traffic laws as every other motor vehicle, including travel lane regulations. They are required to be registered with the DMV and all operators must possess a valid driver’s license.All occupants MUST wear a seat belt, including children who must be secured in an age/weight appropriate child safety restraint.

Download our free app for important updates and notifications.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Staffing –

Having the full complement of eleven (11) police officers seems to be an elusive goal.

What he did not say –

Its Hurricane Season, be prepared – have a plan!

If you know something, hear something, or see something –
call 911 and let the police deal with it.

A reminder of the Town’s beach strand ordinances:
…..1) Chapter 90 / Animals / §90.20 / Responsibilities of owners
…….a) pets are not allowed on the beach strand except between 5p.m. and 9a.m. daily
…….b) dog’s must be on a leash at all times
…….c) owner’s need to clean up after their animals
…..2) Chapter 94 / Beach regulations / §94.05 / Digging of holes on beach strand
…….a) digging holes greater than 12 inches deep without responsible person there
…….b) holes shall be filled in prior to leaving
…..3) Chapter 94 / Beach regulations / §94.06 / Placing obstructions on the beach strand
…….a) all unattended beach equipment must be removed daily by 6:00pm

For a full list of beach regulations visit https://hbtownhall.com/visitors.

7. Inspections Department Report – Inspections Director Evans

Agenda Packet – pages 30 – 32

Inspections Report » click here 

ACTIVE NEW HOME PERMITS                                                              = 31
OTHER ACTIVE PERMITS                                                                       = 560
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $30,000                                                           = 72
.   * AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $100,000                                                         = 3
.   * AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS                          = 2
.   * AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED WAITING PICK UP                                                   = 37
TOTAL PERMITS                                                                                       = 591

PERMITS IN REVIEW                                                                              = 10
CAMA ISSUED                                                                                           = 1
ZONING ISSUED                                                                                       = 8
NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS                                                                        = l0
DELINEATIONS                                                                                        = 3
CAMA SITE INSPECTIONS                                                                      = 2

PERMITS SERVICED FOR INSPECTIONS FROM 07/01 – 07/31          = 114
TOTAL INSPECTIONS MADE                                                               = 232

Update –
Timbo briefly reviewed department activity last month, the department is staying busy.

8. Finance Department Report – Finance Officer McRainey

Agenda Packet – pages 33 – 35

Finance Report » click here 

Update –
Daniel briefly reviewed the Finance Report

9.Town Manager Report – Interim Town Manager Ferguson

Agenda Packet – pages 36 – 37

Town Manager Report » click here

Christy reviewed the Town Manager Report

A two-story house under construction with boarded windows and covered materials outside.

Greensboro Street / Sewer Lift Station #2
Sixth application for payment was submitted to funding agencies
82% complete based on the time line

Previously reported – July 2025
Progress meeting between engineer, contractor, and town staff was held on June 26th Fourth application for payment submitted to EPA
State still lags in sending payments and now they are doing a computer system changeover

Previously reported – June 2025
Contractor given an additional seventy-two (72) days to complete the project
Construction schedule completion will now be around October

Previously reported – April 2025
Construction schedule anticipates completion in August
Buy America Build America waivers granted by EPA

Construction workers installing a roof on a new house framed with wooden trusses.Block Q Restrooms & Parking
They have had numerous construction issues
Contractor had to have structural engineer back out to reevaluate some work performed.
Meeting with contractor, Pinnacle, and structural engineer occurred on August 7th
Contractor was at the meeting to address the BOC’s concerns
Timbo is monitoring the situation very closely and is confident we are back on track
The estimated completion date is now not till the end of September
The BOC’s are concerned about the work being completed as required
If the project is not done by the deadline it could jeopardize the grant funding

Previously reported – July 2025

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.
Breaking News – now the vendor is saying completion will be sometime late in October, which may create some problems for the Town

 

Contractor struggled early to meet expectations but staff has engaged in several meetings and things appear to be improving
Deliverable for completion remains optimistic for end of August but money will need to be reallocated for contract at July meeting
Pouring concrete, the week of July 1st

Previously reported – June 2025
They have some serious concerns about the work that is being done there
New project superintendent taking over

Previously reported – May 2025
The bathroom on Block Q is scheduled to be completed by August 20th
There will be a Ground Breaking ceremony on June 4th at 10:00am

Previously reported – April 2025
Extension applied for with the state

Ocean Boulevard Stormwater
Awaiting Project Partnership Agreement from Wilmington District

Previously reported – July 2025
The Letter Report that Bob Keistler mentioned had the financial certification completed by finance officer
Wilmington District was submitting the Draft Letter Report for review

Previously reported – June 2025
The Town was awarded $2.2M in Environmental Infrastructure Disaster Relief Funding for stormwater projects. To get started USACE requires the execution of the Project Partnership Agreement. The Town portion of the 2.2 million dollar project is 25%, which would cost us $550,000. The motion was made to approve the project partnership agreement with the USACE and have the town staff execute the paperwork.

Pier Site
Draft report ready and on agenda for consideration
Future Scope of Work Discussion

THB Newsletter (04/15/25)
Work has been completed and the pier parking lot and walkways are now open.
Please be mindful not to stand or sit under the pier structure.

General Obligation Bond Referendum
Required advertising took place in newspaper on August 3rd
Public Hearings August 16th and 19th

Previously reported – July 2025
Required advertising took place in newspaper on June 27th 
Staff submitted LGC application July 8th
Met with bond attorney and financial advisor on June 24th to discuss how to proceed with application

NC Resilient Coastal Communities Program
The Town was selected to receive a technical assistance award through the program
ESP Associates has been assigned as our engineer firm and will receive $70,000
Staff will have an orientation session regarding our phase of the program on 09/09 

Previously reported – April 2025

N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program » click here

North Carolina Division of Coastal Management  is accepting applications from eligible communities for no-cost technical assistance to complete Phases I and 2 of the Resilient Coastal Communities Program. The motion was made to complete an application to Resilient Coastal Communities Program by the deadline of April 25th, if it is  at all possible.

Employee Updates
Chris “Beef†Benton named as new Public Works Director
Senior Police Officer Jessica Camara is back on the job from medical leave
Department Shout Outs – recognized staff going above and beyond what was required

Previously reported – July 2025
Public Works Director Chris Clemmons has announced his retirement, after twenty-nine (29) years with the Town, will be at the end of this month

Misc.

Christy gave an update on the  status of the following:

Dredging at Lockwood Folly Inlet that was planned for July-August has shifted to September-October

Dredging for the Bend Widener, which puts sand on the beach, estimated cost of $1.5M with THB paying 25%

Congressman Rouzer put an appropriation “earmark†for $900K for us in the congressional budget

FEMA may now become a separate agency in the President’s cabinet.  Unclear what will happen to it

More pumps for the sewer pump stations will need to be purchased after the lightning strike and fire

Completion date for the new sewer pump station is at the end of October

Tracking Tool
The BOC’s are looking for a status report on a monthly basis in order to track the progress of projects that they have prioritized.

      • #2 ADA Self-Assessment
      • #6 ADA bathroom (at block Q)
      • #7 Fire station Upgrades
      • #8 Improve Audio/Video for Town Meetings
      • #14 Block Q Site Plan
      • #18 Update Town Website
      • #19 Pier Repair/Replacement
      • #26 Investigate vacuum bypass system

The current status of each of the eight (8) items listed is in the Town Manager Report

What she did not say –

NA

In Case You Missed It –

THB Newsletter (08/15/25)
Sewer System Update
It appears that Sewer Lift Station 4 was impacted by a lightning strike yesterday evening. Public Works crews have been working diligently throughout the night and today to keep the system running without interruption. They will continue to work on repairs throughout the weekend and into next week.

THB Newsletter (07/31/25)
Holden Beach in the News!
Travel & Leisure recently mentioned Holden Beach on their website. Continue reading to view an excerpt of the article or visit https://www.travelandleisure.com/calmest-beach-in-usa-holden-beach-north-carolina-11766139 to read the whole article and see why the Town was recognized as the calmest beach in the U.S.

There are many ways to judge a beach: the softness of its sand, the clarity of its water, the quality of the surf, or nearby activities and dining. But for those seeking a peaceful escape, free from crowds and rogue volleyballs, tranquility is key. And when it comes to calm and quiet, one lesser-known U.S. beach stands out. Holden Beach in North Carolina has been named the calmest beach in the U.S., according to a study by McLuck, a social casino platform. The team analyzed approximately 250,000 TripAdvisor reviews from 158 beaches nationwide, tracking how often words like “calm,†“quiet,†and “relax†appeared. Based on the percentage of reviews that mentioned these terms, Holden Beach emerged as the most serene destination of them all. Holden Beach is a quiet seaside town between North Carolina’s more popular coastal destinations of Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. The town has just over 500 people and is primarily a residential community with a small commercial area. For that reason, beachgoers are treated to plenty of open space, natural beauty, and a welcome lack of buzzy beachfront boardwalks. In fact, in the study, over 38 percent of the Holden Beach reviews mentioned calmness. In its findings, the study noted that at Holden Beach, “uncrowded sands, small-town charm, and strict limits on commercial development may explain why so many people find it a peaceful haven. It’s a classic Carolina beach town where time seems to slow down with the tide.â€

THB Newsletter (07/02/25)
July Utility Bill Change
July utility bills will reflect the new wastewater base charge of $20 per month. This adjustment is necessary to address rising operational costs as previously discussed during the budget season.

THB Newsletter (06/06/25)
Concert/Public Safety Outreach Program
Concerts are held on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. throughout the summer. Members of the HB Police Department and Tri-Beach Fire Department will be onsite before the concert to provide important safety and community oriented tips from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Dog Reminders
Please remember that any time your dog is off your premise, they must be on a leash, cord or chain at all times. Also, dog owners must remove dog waste immediately after it is deposited by the dog when on public property or any private property, including vacant lots, without the permission of the private property owner. Dog waste stations are conveniently located throughout the island.

Emergency Operations Center
The EOC building is being used by Tri-Beach Fire Department while they renovate their fire station on Sabbath Home

National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.

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

Upcoming Events –

Concerts on the Coast
Live performances featuring local musical groups are held at the pavilion on Sunday evenings from late May to early September. The concerts are free of charge.

Summer Concert Schedule * Lou’s Views

10. New Fire Station Research Presentation and Possible Direction from the Board – Inspections Director Evans (Interim Town Manager Ferguson)

Agenda Packet – pages 38 – 64

Fire Station Presentation » click here

TRI Beach Fire Department, Logo and Name

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
BOC asked staff to research a new fire station so they could begin to consider its inclusion in the capital improvement plan for future years.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Planning and Inspections Department has been working for several months to gather background information regarding a new fire station on the island. The presentation attached represents the research and provides the BOC with planning information.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive presentation. Suggest removing this item from the goal tracker spreadsheet until the BOC is ready to take further action.

Previously reported – July 2025
The Planning Department is working on plans for a new fire station.  Director Tim Evans talked to the State Fire Marshal and confirmed that the proposed fire station is the appropriate size, is in the appropriate location, and has the right staffing for a community of our size.

A large white garage with three doors and a paved driveway.Changes to a Brunswick beach town fire station could improve response and rescue times
Following residential growth and a recent drowning, this Brunswick beach town is looking to revamp its partly operating fire station into a 24/7 station. The town of Holden Beach and Tri-Beach Fire Department are planning to replace an existing fire station on the island with an upgraded, full-time fire station. A permanently staffed station could mean quicker response times all around. The Tri-Beach Fire Department serves Varnamtown, Holden Beach and unincorporated Brunswick County from two stations located on Sabbath Home Road SW and Seashore Road in Supply. A rebuild of the station on Sabbath Home Road, originally built in 1968, is underway and ahead of progress, Tri-Beach Fire Department Chief Doug Todd said. The new station will have updated sleeping quarters, a slide instead of a fireman’s pole and larger bay doors to accommodate newer fire trucks. However, the department hopes another dream construction project will soon become a reality.

Giving the island a permanent station
The town of Holden Beach contracts with the Tri-Beach Fire Department to provide services for the island. There is another fire station at Starfish Drive on Holden Beach, but the building is owned by the town and only partially used. Though both stations in Supply are staffed by at least two people at all times, Todd said the station on Holden Beach is only staffed by two firefighters during the day from May 1 to Sept. 30. The existing fire station on the island is not fit for a 24/7 staff, said Todd, noting there are no sleeping quarters for workers to spend the night. If the town decides to go through with upgrading the station, he said, a rebuild will be necessary. During the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners meeting on June 17, inspections director Tim Evans told the board he is in the early process of making plans to upgrade the existing fire station for the Tri-Beach Fire Department to permanently move in.

Increases in residents and calls for help
Water rescue calls normally occur between May 1 and Sept. 30, Todd said. Occasionally, he added, a water rescue call is made in the evening after the staff has left the station. “Most of the [water rescue calls] we have in the off season have something to do with a fisherman or somebody that’s fishing, and we have a boat that we run out of the main station and that usually is what takes care of that call,” Todd said. Surrounding beach town fire departments, like Oak Island and Ocean Isle Beach, have mutual aid agreements with the Tri-Beach Fire Department if additional help is needed, the chief said. However, having the beachside station staffed 24/7 will help with rescue and response times. “The biggest thing is, the island is getting to where it’s got more full-time residents, and we’re having a few more calls over there than what we normally have,” said Todd, noting the increase in calls for help occur later in the day.

Current and future staffing
With the growth the area is experiencing, Todd said more personnel is needed in general. The Tri-Beach Fire Department has 19 full-time employees, around 11 part-time employees and 12 volunteers, Todd said. Asked if the department has enough personnel to operate the Holden Beach station full time, the chief said yes. “We can get by with the staffing we have now to do that, but it would be nice to have three personnel at each station on duty at a time,” he said. Two people are staffing the stations in Supply during the day, Todd explained, and adding a third person to the shift will allow them to work more efficiently. “Like in the nighttime and in the off season, we have that now at our main two stations, and the staff have seen how much more efficient they can handle things when they get on a call by having that third person,” Todd said.

What’s next?
During the June 17 meeting, Evans said a needs assessment and a draft site plan have been completed. “We actually verified that the location of our current fire station is where it should be,” Evans said. The Starfish Drive station location is in the middle of the eight-mile-long island, Todd said. A house count must be done before the project can be brought before the commissioners with roughly estimated costs, Evans said. The town will also seek input from the state fire marshal regarding recommendations for future needs, he added. The fire department sent information to the town several weeks ago, Todd said. No updates on where the town is at in process have been released as of July 1.
Read more » click here

Update –
Timbo gave a slide presentation that reviewed the justifications and requirements for a new fire station on the island at an estimated total cost of $3,375,000. He recommended that we should put the fire station project  into the Capital Improvement Plan which will improve our Community Rating System. The improved Community Rating System ratings could get us additional savings on our insurance premium rates. The motion was made to put the fire station project into the Capital Improvement Plan as an unfunded requirement.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

11. Discussion and Possible Action to Task the Audit Committee with Advising the Board Regarding Potential Improvements to the Collection of Occupancy Tax Revenues – Mayor Pro Tem Myers and Commissioner Thomas

Agenda Packet – pages 65 – 67

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and Possible Action to task the audit committee with advising the BOC regarding potential improvements to the collection of occupancy tax revenues.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The audit committee met with the auditor on June 26th and identified occupancy tax revenue collection as an issue worthy of further investigation.

TOWN ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION:
If BOC is acting under 30.27(8)(9) of Town Charter to ask Audit Committee to advise on collection of occupancy tax revenue, then Audit Committee may advise but does not have the ability to enact any policy. lt is advised that any advice or recommendations received be confirmed to be within the confines of the law prior to being acted on in any form by BOC
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Defer to attorney’s opinion on the subject. Any referral to the Audit Committee should take into account the BPART law as they review it.

§30.27 AUDIT COMMITTEE.
(A) Creation, name and number of members. There is hereby established an Audit Committee which shall be comprised of a member of the Board of Commissioners and not less than two or more than four residents or property owners of the town as full members, plus one alternate.
(B) Powers and duties. The Audit Committee shall:


(1) Serve as an advisory committee for the town’s Board of Commissioners (BOC);
(2) Assist and advise the BOC in its oversight responsibilities for the town’s financial reporting process, systems of internal financial controls and the external audit process;
(7) Periodically confirm the suitability of the town’s internal control systems and/or policies, including information technology security and control;
(9) Perform other functions from time to time as shall be delegated or assigned to it by the BOC.

Previously reported – July 2025
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and Possible Action regarding recommended tasks for the Audit Committee.

Possible Action:
Task the audit committee with:

    • Developing a draft BPART fund balance policy for consideration by the BOC
    • Investigating and reporting back to the BOC on potential occupancy tax collection

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The audit committee met with the auditor on June 26th. Several topics were discussed, and two were deemed worthy of further action by the audit committee:

    • Drafting a policy to establish guidelines for the management and use of the BPART fund balance to ensure compliance with legal requirements, financial stability, adequate reserves, and support for Town initiatives.
    • Investigating how the Town can best manage the collection of occupancy taxes on rentals made through platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, and individual owner

It seemed pretty straight forward, they were requesting that the audit committee work on two (2) tasks, develop a draft policy, and make recommendation to the BOC’s for their consideration. The Mayor challenged them questioning whether the committee is able to establish policy. The motion was tabled. The new motion was then made that directed the town attorney to investigate the issue and report back to them at the next meeting.

A woman with a large afro smiles brightly against a blue backdrop with text.Update –
The motion was made to task the Audit Committee with advising the BOC’s on any potential improvements in the collection of occupancy tax revenue.

A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion

Occupancy Tax Compliance

Previously reported –  July 2018
New software will redefine how New Hanover County tracks Short Term Rentals
The county’s new approach – known as Short Term Rental Helper – is produced by Bear Cloud Software, and was developed out of a similar, albeit slightly more extreme, set of circumstances. New Hanover County’s use of STR Helper focuses largely on its tax revenue aspect. For Lisa Wurtzbacher, the county’s chief financial officer, the two important pieces are an online portal that allow rental owners to make monthly room occupancy tax payments online. It also allows the county to know when people who aren’t paying ROT book a room or building online. Some people might think that there’s a punitive aspect to the compliance side, but that’s not really it – we’re just asking people to pay for what they’re using. If you have one property paying (ROT) and then another one not, that’s not a level playing field,†Wurtzbacher said. ‘We think most people will find this system much easier to use (than the current mail-in system). We want it to a win-win.†The county plans to finalize its deal with STR Helper in April and roll out the program by July 1, the start of the county’s fiscal year.
Read more » click here

Your Reservation Has Changed: Regulating the Sharing-Economy
What can our county do to capture lost tax revenue?
STRs present counties with two kinds of tax revenue possibilities: sales tax and, in many places, occupancy taxes. And one common reason for STR regulation is to create a plan for tax collection. The sales tax applies to everyone throughout the state. However, a local act is needed to establish an occupancy tax.

 Not all hope is lost for those wishing to collect the occupancy tax from local hosts. The Town of Ocean Isle has been extremely resourceful (and successful) in its approach to collecting the occupancy tax, and, according to tax collector Wendy Barbee, all it takes “is a little investigative work.†Barbee explained that the investigative work (which is handled by one customer service representative) includes scrolling through the online booking sites to identify new listings, locating those properties on the Brunswick County GIS, and notifying the homeowners of the requirement to pay the occupancy tax. To help with enforcement, the town sends a letter each December to property owners asking if they plan to rent their property in the following tax year. If so, the homeowner receives an occupancy tax coupon book to use in remitting the tax bill on a monthly basis. New homeowners are automatically sent a letter informing them of the obligation to pay local taxes on STR income. Barbee admits that the task of creating a master list of all STR properties was initially labor intensive. However, now the town primarily focuses on identifying new rentals, which they estimate to be about 40-50 properties per year. The takeaway here is that local governments may want to get creative in their tax collection efforts, even if they opt out of regulating the overall use of STRs. Educating homeowners on this topic and making compliance easy are ways to ensure that your local government does not miss out on a sizable portion of funding.
Read more » click here

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents Text

New Hanover County has had a hard time collecting occupancy tax. They have recently started to use software program to track rentals against the receipt of occupancy taxes.  The County is buying the software with Towns able to opt in.  Brunswick County and the Town of Holden Beach both have a financial stake in making sure the 6% Occupancy Tax is collected. Ocean Isle has been successful in its approach of the collection of Occupancy Tax. They have increased collections and made it more convenient for their property owners to submit the tax. Maybe we should get more creative in our occupancy tax collection efforts too.

Previously reported – April 2020
Discussion of Occupancy Tax collection from VRBO properties
Local occupancy tax collectors should put the burden on property owners to prove that they are either satisfying their occupancy tax obligations on their rentals or that they are not personally responsible for those taxes under the rules described above. If the tax collector knows of properties being rented on-line but not paying occupancy taxes and polite requests for payment have failed, the tax collector could send estimated occupancy tax bills to the owners based on the rates listed for those properties on-line. The bills could explain that the local government will proceed with enforced collection efforts unless the taxpayers provide documentation to disprove the local government’s estimates of liability. 

Previously reported –  November 2022
Occupancy Taxes and Airbnb
As the number of Airbnb and other short-term rentals continues to increase across North Carolina, more local governments grow concerned about the regulation and taxation of these properties. To help, my School of Government faculty colleague Rebecca Badgett and I created a half-day workshop available for on-demand viewing and a related book on this sometimes controversial topic. One important issue we discuss is how local governments can best collect occupancy taxes on rentals made through third-parties such as Airbnb or traditional rental agents. The good news is that many short-term rental (“STRâ€) websites and rental agents are sending monthly occupancy tax checks to North Carolina local governments.  The bad news is that those checks are often lump-sum payments with no way to identify the rental properties to which they relate.  This lack of detail makes it almost impossible to know if these third parties are satisfying their occupancy tax obligations. What’s more, North Carolina law lets most property owners off the hook for unpaid occupancy taxes on rentals made through STR websites or rental agents. To make things even more confusing, the General Assembly recently amended the law governing tax liability for these third-party rental facilitators.
Read more » click here

Previously reported – November 2023
How this Brunswick beach town is cracking down on short-term rental properties
Officials in one Brunswick County beach town are looking to keep a closer eye on short-term rental properties.
After discovering many short-term rentals in Sunset Beach were underreporting or not reporting proper accommodations tax to the town, town officials have signed a $45,000 yearlong contract with GovOS to help better monitor such properties in the town. GovOS is a software platform that works with state and local governments to streamline various processes involving property, licensing and taxing. GovOS promised its short-term rental software would help increase short-term compliance in the town. According to Sunset Beach staff, research on this subject in the town began over two years ago. GovOS estimated the town has 637 short-term rental properties. Of those, the company estimated that some 200 are fully in compliance with the town’s accommodation tax ordinance. Accommodations tax is a tax on short-term rental properties – properties that are rented through platforms such as AirBnB or VRBO. In Sunset Beach, accommodations taxes are levied at a rate of 6% of the gross rental income, which includes a 3% tourism-related expenditure tax, a 2% beach nourishment and protection tax, and a 1% county tourism and travel tax. According to Sunset Beach, the property owner or agent are required to pay the full 6% tax to the town with a tax report form monthly based on income from the previous month. Even if no rental receipts are applicable for that month, property owners or agents must file reports month. The software will allow the town to identify properties currently being used for short-term rentals – a feat town staff has struggled with in the wake of the explosion of short-term rental platforms such as AirBnB and VRBO. Once the properties are identified, the software will report the short-term rental properties to the town along with a variety of information on the properties and their tax reporting history. The more properties that properly comply, the more accommodations tax revenue the town will receive. According to the town’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, the town anticipates collecting some $775,000 in accommodations taxes, a figure that could be nearly doubled if this software is successful. The Sunset Beach Town Council heard a presentation from GovOS in September before awarding the contract in October, at the request of town staff.
Read more » click here

12. Discussion and Possible Action to Task the Audit Committee with Advising the Board Regarding Potential Improvements to the Management of the BPART Fund Balance – Mayor Pro Tem Myers and Commissioner Thomas

Agenda Packet – pages 66 – 68

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and Possible Action to task the audit committee with advising the BOC regarding potential improvements to the management of the BPART fund balance,

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The audit committee met with the auditor on June 26th and identified the BPART fund as an issue worthy of further investigation.

TOWN ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION:
If BOC is acting under 30.27(8 )(9) of Town Charter to task Audit Committee, then it is requested that all laws regarding BPART be provided to the Audit Committee before the committee renders any advice. Audit Committee may advise or recommend but cannot enact policy. It is advised that any recommendations be confirmed to be within the confines of the law prior to being enacted as policy or acted on in any other form by BOC.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Defer to attorney’s opinion on the subject. Any referral to the Audit Committee should take into account the BPART law as they review it.

Update –
The motion was made to task the Audit Committee to advise the BOC’s regarding potential improvements to the management of the BPART fund balance policy.

A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion

13. Discussion and Possible Approval of Ordinance 25-13, An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 25-11, The Revenues and Appropriations Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2025 – 2026 (Amendment No. 2, AIWW Crossing Underruns) – Interim Town Manager Ferguson

Agenda Packet – pages 69 – 70

Ordinance 25-13 » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Recognize funds returned to the Town via the MOA process that resulted from cost underruns on Al\/1/W crossing projects in federal FY 20, 22, and 24. Additionally, recognize portion that needs to be returned to the County based on their participation in project funding.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
I apprised the BOC on several occasions in the past that we should expect funds back from the Corps for cost underruns on AIWWW crossing projects. This is an oddity in that to my knowledge this has not occurred before for us. The budget amendment attached represents funds from underruns in federal FY 20, 22, and 24 that have passed back through the State via the MOA and the Town has been presented with remaining funds.  We owe the county back a portion they paid us toward the execution of the projects which will also be accomplished as part of the amendment.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Approve amendment to recognize funds. Since the source of funding for these projects that placed sand on the beach as result of the dredging was the Beach and Inlet Capital Reserve Fund, suggestion is to place the money in that fund.

PART I            $153,015.15
PART II           $100,173.81

 Update –
The motion was made to adopt Ordinance 25-13 which recognize the funds returned to the Town that resulted from cost underruns on the Lockwood Folly Crossing projects. A portion of the funds needs to be returned to the county based on their participation in the project funding. Just so you know, we never got money back from the USACE before.

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

14. Mayor’s Comments

Its Hurricane Season, be prepared – have a plan!

From the Mayor’s Desk (08/20/25)
Hurricane Erin Update
Governor Stein has signed a Declaration of Emergency for the entire State of North Carolina. NC Emergency Management has pre-positioned resources ahead of any impacts.

As of the 2:00 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, here are the specifics:

    • Category 2
    • Max sustained winds of 110 mph
    • Moving to the north at 13 mph
    • Pressure of 943 mb

 Impacts to our area:

    • Winds of around 20 mph with higher gusts up to 30 mph
    • Rain possibility of 0.5 – 1.0 inches over the next two to three days
    • Low risk of tornados
    • 1 – 3 feet of saltwater inundation above dry ground with the highest being during the morning and afternoon high tide cycles on Wednesday and Thursday. Don’t forget that the increase in wave action is on top of this inundation. There are no surge warnings in place.
    • High rip current risk along the beach. It is recommended people stay out of the water if possible.
    • Hurricane Erin could strengthen into a Category 3 storm.

From the Mayor’s Desk (08/20/25)
Town Manager Position
The Town of Holden Beach is pleased to announce the hiring of Bryan Chadwick as our next town manager. The Board of Commissioners approved Mr. Chadwick’s contract at their meeting Tuesday night. Mr. Chadwick, an ICMA Credentialed Manager, most recently served as the town administrator for the Town of Archer Lodge. He has over 25 years of local government experience, with a background in law enforcement and key leadership roles throughout this time. He has provided services in the towns of Newport, North Topsail Beach, Indian Beach and Pine Knoll Shores.  Mr. Chadwick will begin his employment with the Town within the next 45 days. We are very excited to have Mr. Chadwick join us in Holden Beach and look forward to working together. 

From the Mayor’s Desk (08/19/25)
Hurricane Season
As we are in hurricane season, continue to monitor local weather, tidal and surf conditions. The National Hurricane Center has issued an advisory with a high risk of rip currents for our area. Please be mindful as you visit the beach.

From the Mayor’s Desk (08/05/25)
We have had a good summer overall thus far! It has been hot! Now is the time we must turn our attention to the heart of hurricane season. Currently there continues to be activity offshore that requires observation. The next ninety days or so are the greatest threat. Please review your hurricane plan and be prepared to put it in action. We may experience some above normal tides without hurricane winds. Our oceanfront is in good condition overall. The sea oats and other protective vegetation is especially doing well.

15. Executive Session Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3), To Consult with the Town Attorney

Agenda Packet – page 71

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discuss, Approve, or Reject Town Manager Contract.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
This contract has been prepared at the request of the Board for the Town Manager position.

16. Discussion and Possible Approval of Employment Agreement for Town Manager – Attorney Moore

Update –
The motion was made to approve the employment contract with Bryan Chadwick for the town manager position. 

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

Smiling man in a checkered shirt standing against a wooden background.

Town of Holden Beach hires new town manager
The Town of Holden Beach has a new town manager. In a Facebook post, the town announced that Bryan Chadwick has been selected to fill the role. “Mr. Chadwick, an ICMA Credentialed Manager, most recently served as the town administrator for the Town of Archer Lodge,†the town stated. “He has over 25 years of local government experience, with a background in law enforcement and key leadership roles throughout this time.†Chadwick has worked for the towns of Newport, North Topsail Beach, Indian Beach, and Pine Knoll Shores. The town states Chadwick will begin his employment within the next 45 days. The Board of Commissioners approved his contract at their meeting on Tuesday night. The previous town manager, David Hewett, was fired in Nov. 2024 in a vote of 3-2 by the board of commissioners. Mayor J. Alan Holden said at the time that he and the two commissioners who voted against terminating Hewett were surprised by the motion. The commissioners voted to appoint Assistant Town Manager Christy Ferguson as the interim town manager until a more permanent replacement could be found. “We are very excited to have Mr. Chadwick join us in Holden Beach and look forward to working together,†the town stated.
Read more » click here

BOC’s Public Hearing 08/26/25

Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here NA

Audio Recording » click here NA

THB Newsletter (08/07/25)
Notice of Public Hearing – Planning & Zoning Board

The Town of Holden Beach Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 3:30 p.m., in the Town Hall Public Assembly to consider the following request: 

Consideration of consistency statement to revise Section 157.087 of the Town of Holden Beach Code of Ordinances. Click here to view the proposed revision.

If you have any questions, please contact Town Hall at (910) 842-6080.

Zoning policy
All proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance must go through Planning & Zoning Board for review, comments, and a consistency statement. State statutes require that the governing board hold a public hearing prior to the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any ordinance regulating development.

§157.087 BUILDING NUMBERS.

   (A)   The correct street number shall be clearly visible from the street on all buildings. Numbers shall be block letters, not script, and of a color clearly in contrast with that of the building and shall be a minimum of six inches in height. Numbers shall be provided on each unit in a duplex or multiple unit building and shall consist of the building number with a suffix letter (A, B, C, and the like). Numbers existing on the effective date of this chapter and at least four inches high and clearly visible from the street shall be allowed to remain. Replacement numbers shall comply with this section.

   (B)   Beach front buildings will also have clearly visible house numbers from the strand side meeting the above criteria on size, contrast, etc. Placement shall be on vertical column supporting deck(s) or deck roof on the primary structure. If no such condition exists for the building, or if a clearer line of sight position exists on the building, the numbers shall also be affixed to the primary structure. For buildings with a setback of over 300 feet from the first dune line, a vertical post shall be erected aside the walkway with house numbers affixed. The post shall not exceed eight feet in height above the base of the walkway. The post will be placed on the highest elevation of the walkway within 300 feet of the first dune line. In all cases the numbers must be clearly visible from the strand. Other placements may be acceptable with approval of the Building Inspector.

  (C)   Structures abutting the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway, canals, and any public trust waters shall have house number affixed to the back of the structure or on the end of the dock/pier visible so as in case an emergency and per the North Carolina Residential Code Section R319.1

General Comments –

BOC’s Meeting
The Board of Commissioners’ next Regular Meeting is scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month, September 16th

2025 Municipal Elections

The following candidates have officially filed for Holden Beach municipal elections 

Holden Beach Mayor
Mike Felmly           137 Carolina Avenue     Holden Beach
Alan Holden          128 OBW                          Holden Beach (incumbent)

Holden Beach Commissioner
Robert Brown       109 Crab Street               Holden Beach
Sylvia Pate             11 Charlotte Street        Holden Beach
Keith Smith            105 Durham                   Holden Beach
Maria Surprise     159 OBE                           Holden Beach
Chad Hock             1222 OBW                       Holden Beach

Board of Commissioners Duties and Responsibilities include:

      • adopting the annual budget
      • establishing the annual tax rate
      • enacting local ordinances and Town policies
      • formulating policies for the conduct of Town operations
      • making appointments to advisory boards and committees
      • oversee long range plans for the community

2025 Municipal Election Guide Brochure (PDF)

 

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It’s not like they don’t have anything to work on …

The following seven (7) items are what’s In the Works/Loose Ends queue:

        • Accommodation/Occupancy Tax Compliance – 2018
        • Block Q Project/Carolina Avenue – 2021
        • Dog Park – 2019
        • Fire Station Project – 2023
        • Pavilion Replacement – 2024
        • Pier Properties Project – 2021
        • Rights-of-Way – 2021

The definition of loose ends is a fragment of unfinished business or a detail that is not yet settled or explained, which is the current status of these items. All of these items were started and then put on hold, and they were never put back in the queue. This Board needs to continue working on them and move these items to closure.

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Lost in the Sauce –

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From 2024

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Hurricane Season
For more information » click here.

Be prepared – have a plan!

No matter what a storm outlook is for a given year,
vigilance and preparedness is urged.

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Hurricane Season Outlook Update:
Colorado State University Projects 12 More Storms, Including 8 Hurricanes
Hurricane season still has a long way to go before it ends in November. Here’s a look at how many additional storms are expected.
Atlantic hurricane season has just entered what’s historically been its busiest and most damaging stretch, and the final outlook just issued by Colorado State University is giving a glimpse of what to expect in the coming months.

Updated Outlook By The Numbers

    • Led by Phil Klotzbach, CSU’s tropical meteorology project team is forecasting 16 total named storms, including the four that have already formed this season: Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter.
    • That means 12 additional storms are predicted through the rest of summer and fall, with 8 of them expected to intensify into hurricanes. CSU says 3 of those hurricanes could become Category 3 or stronger, or so-called major hurricanes.
    • The number of tropical storms predicted and hurricanes predicted is the same as the July outlook, which is when numbers were dropped by one each compared to earlier outlooks from June and April.
    • The new outlook remains slightly above the 30-year average number for both hurricanes and storms, but below the tally of 18 storms, 11 hurricanes and five Category 3-plus hurricanes in 2024. CSU added that confidence in the August forecast is lower-than-normal.

The Season So Far

    • The number of named storms this season has been a bit above the average pace. Tropical Storm Dexter formed on Aug. 3, which is 12 days ahead of when the average fourth storm has historically arrived, based on the 1991-2020 average.
    • However, by another metric called the ACE Index the season’s activity was just 24% of the average to date as of Aug. 5, according to CSU. Instead of just tallying up the number of storms, the index sums up how long storms last and how strong they become. Since this season’s storms have been short-lived and weak, the ACE index is trailing well behind pace for now.
    • Despite the weak nature of this year’s storms so far, they have been impactful. Tropical Storm Barry’s remnants played a partial role in fueling the deadly July Fourth Texas flood. Just two days later, Tropical Storm Chantal brought 4 to 12 inches of rain to North Carolina, triggering damaging, deadly floods in a narrow strip between Raleigh and Greensboro.

Forecast Factors Ahead

    • The primary reason for the slightly more active than average outlook is plenty of warm water fuel in the Atlantic to aid in the formation and strengthening of tropical storms and hurricanes. “Sea-surface temperatures in the eastern and central tropical Atlantic have anomalously warmed over the past few weeks and are now somewhat warmer than normal, although not as warm as they were last year at this time,” Klotzbach wrote.
    • Higher-than-average Caribbean wind shear observed in June and July is the top uncertain factor. This change in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere can be a hostile factor that tropical storms and hurricanes sometimes battle. The outlook said increased amounts of Caribbean wind shear in June and July have historically been correlated with less active hurricane seasons.
    • Another factor weighed in the forecast is the lack of El Niño conditions expected for the peak of the season. This warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean alters global wind patterns in a way that contributes to less active hurricane seasons. Instead, neutral conditions are in place, which means water temperature in the equatorial Pacific are near average. Neutral conditions have historically tipped the scales toward a more hospitable atmosphere for Atlantic tropical storms to form, although La Niña conditions (cooler equatorial Pacific waters) are usually most favorable.

Outlook Doesn’t Measure A Season’s Impacts

      • What this hurricane season outlook cannot tell you is whether or not your area will get struck this season and when that might happen.
      • A season with fewer storms or hurricanes can still deliver the one storm that makes a season destructive or devastating. In 1992, Andrew delivered a catastrophic Category 5 strike on South Florida in what would have been an otherwise forgettable season with just seven storms.
      • You can also see the opposite case. The 2010 season was very active, with 19 storms, 12 hurricanes and five Category 3-plus hurricanes. All 12 hurricanes missed the mainland U.S., although Hurricane Earl did pass near enough to produce storm surge flooding in North Carolina’s Outer Banks and downed trees and power lines in eastern Massachusetts.

Read more » click here

With hurricane season relatively quiet so far, forecasters warn storms are coming
While seemingly a quiet season so far, officials say things could quickly spin up with favorable ocean temperatures and conditions out there. The historical peak of hurricane season is mid-September
Tropical Storm Dexter? We hardly knew you. But Tropical Storm Chantal was a different story, especially for parts of central North Carolina. Still, the first few months of the 2025 hurricane season have been rather so-so, with some huffing and puffing from tropical waves forming in the Caribbean and Gulf, but not a lot of action from them when it comes to threatening the U.S. mainland. But as we prepare to move into the meat of hurricane season, when historically the tropics heat up just as water temperatures reach their apex, officials are warning residents − especially those along the coast − not to drop their guard. “Based on everything we see right now, it looks like the Atlantic is just heating up and it should stay active over the next couple months,” said Corey Davis, North Carolina’s assistant state climatologist. “The water across the basin is plenty warm enough for storms to form, and we’ve seen a couple of examples already of storms forming right along our coastline.”

What’s happened so far?
In the weeks before the June 1 start of hurricane season, forecasters almost unanimously predicted an above-average 2025 hurricane season due to relatively warm tropical Atlantic waters and neutral El Nino conditions − although one not as busy as the 2024 season. While impacts haven’t been too bad so far, and wind shear and sand from Africa have helped hinder storm development, that prediction has held. “With four named storms and still a month to go before the climatological season peak, it feels like we’re pretty much on schedule for that,” said Dr. Michael Mann, a meteorologist and scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. “But who knows what might still happen. Some of the climate predictions are calling for the development of La Niña conditions this fall, and if that happens we could see things ramp up further.”

What could happen in the coming weeks?
While slightly tweaked downward, updated seasonal forecasts issued recently by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center and Colorado State University are still calling for up to 18 named storms, with winds of 39 mph or greater, and 2-5 major hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger. “Many of the factors we identified ahead of the season are still at play, and conditions are largely tracking along with our May predictions,†said Matt Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction, in a release. Davis said the reason officials are maintaining their above-average predictions is due to several factors, including the warm waters in the Gulf and Caribbean that are near last year’s bath tub-like levels. Tropical Storm Helene formed in the Gulf last year thanks to the steaming water temperatures and carried all that moisture and strength hundreds of miles inland, pummeling parts of Georgia, Western N.C., and Tennessee. “That warm water also increases the risk of rapid intensification, and that will become even more of a threat as we near the peak of the season in September, when the water is warmest,” Davis said.

When is the historic height of hurricane season?
According to the National Hurricane Center, the most active time for tropical storm activity is around Sept. 10, although peak season is generally seen as running from mid-August through mid-October. Among the notable storms that have hit the Wilmington area during that window include Hurricanes Bonnie on Aug. 26, 1998; Fran on Sept. 5, 1996; Florence on Sept. 14, 2018; Floyd on Sept. 16, 1999; Matthew on Oct. 8, 2016; and Hazel on Oct. 15, 1954. But Davis said in recent times it hasn’t been hurricanes that have caused the most pain and suffering in the Tar Heel State. While it’s been five years since a hurricane made landfall in North Carolina, with Isaias hitting Brunswick County in early August 2020, the state has been hammered by recent storm systems − fueled by climate change, experts say − that brought intense precipitation and deadly consequences to both ends of the state. Along with Helene out west, that included the no-name storm last September that surprised officials with its intensity and swamped Pleasure Island in New Hanover County and much of Brunswick County. Davis said it’s those storms, and not just the ones that grab all the headlines and online focus, that folks also should prepare for, especially with the state’s long-standing problems in many areas of handling even moderate rain events. “It’s a good reminder that people don’t need to wait to hear that ‘hurricane’ buzzword to start preparing for impacts, especially heavy rain and flooding,” he said.
Read more » click here

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Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

• Gather and disseminate information
• Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
• Act as a watchdog
• Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008

https://lousviews.com/

 

08 – News & Views

 

 

Lou’s Views
News & Views / August Edition

Calendar of Events –

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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.Concerts on the Coast Series
The Town’s summer concert series calendar has been released! Live performances featuring local musical groups will be held at the Bridgeview Park picnic pavilion across from Town Hall. It will be on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm from May 25th to August 31st. The concerts are free of charge.

Summer Concert Schedule * Lou’s Views

The park will be blocked from vehicular access beginning Saturday evening. The splash pad will be closed on Sundays and the multipurpose court will close at 3:00 p.m. each Sunday. No seating will be provided so everyone should bring their own chair for the event.

Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
For more information » click here

Reminders –

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Pets on the Beach Strand
Pets – Chapter 90 / Animals / 90.20
From May 20th through September 10th it is unlawful to have any pet on the beach strand during the hours of 9:00am through 5:00pm.

 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Free Cleanup Week
The Brunswick County Solid Waste and Recycling Division hosts two free clean up weeks a year, the third week in April and September. The next Free Cleanup Week at the Brunswick County Landfill will take place September 22nd – 27th. Brunswick County property owners and residents can dispose of all materials, except for regular household trash and hazardous waste, at the Brunswick County Landfill free of charge during Free Cleanup Week events. Individuals can dispose of metal, tires, electronics, appliances, latex paint, clothing, shoes, used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline, fluorescent bulbs, used cooking oil, smoke detectors, household batteries, and yard debris in their designated areas at the landfill during this week. Participants must show proof of Brunswick County property ownership or residency.

Businesses and commercial vehicles will be charged normal tipping fees.

For questions, email Brunswick County Operation Services or call 910-253-2520.

LOCATION
Brunswick County Landfill
172 Landfill Rd NE
Bolivia, NC 28422

HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday through Friday :30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

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Bird Nesting Area
NC Wildlife Commission has posted signs that say – Bird Nesting Area
The signs are posted on the west end beach strand around 1335 OBW.
People and dogs are supposed to stay out of the area from April through November
. 1) It’s a Plover nesting area
. 2) Allows migrating birds a place to land and rest without being disturbed

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A Second Helping

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Program to collect food Saturday mornings (8:00am to 10:30am) during the summer at the Beach Mart on the Causeway.
1) Twenty-first year of the program
2) Food collections have now exceeded 307,000 pounds
3) Collections will begin on Memorial Day weekend
4) Food is distributed to the needy in Brunswick County
For more information » click here
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Hunger exists everywhere in this country; join them in the fight to help end hunger in Brunswick County. Cash donations are gratefully accepted. One hundred percent (100%) of these cash donations are used to buy more food. You can be assured that the money will be very well spent.

Mail Donations to:
A Second Helping
% Sharon United Methodist Church
2030 Holden Beach Road
Supply, NC 28462

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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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Solid Waste Pick-Up Schedule
GFL Environmental change in service, October through May trash pickup will be once a week. Trash collection is on Tuesdays only.


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 the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 25th) twice a week

Recycling –

starting after Memorial Day (June 4th) weekly pick-up

Curbside Recycling – 2025A 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 $119.35 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

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.


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).

Building Numbers
Ocean front homes are required to have house numbers visible from the beach strand.
Please call Planning and Inspections Department at 910.842.6080 with any questions.

§157.087 BUILDING NUMBERS.

(A) The correct street number shall be clearly visible from the street on all buildings. Numbers shall be block letters, not script, and of a color clearly in contrast with that of the building and shall be a minimum of six inches in height.

(B) Beach front buildings will also have clearly visible house numbers from the strand side meeting the above criteria on size, contrast, etc. Placement shall be on vertical column supporting deck(s) or deck roof on the primary structure. For buildings with a setback of over 300 feet from the first dune line, a vertical post shall be erected aside the walkway with house numbers affixed. In all cases the numbers must be clearly visible from the strand. Other placements may be acceptable with approval of the Building Inspector.

Upon Further Review –

A partial infographic showing steps in a process, including organizing resources and developing a mitigation plan.Coastal counties seek regional hazard mitigation plan input
Southeast coastal counties and municipalities within them are teaming with the N.C. Emergency Management to update the Southeastern N.C. Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The federally required plan helps prepare for future disasters by identifying natural hazard risks, potential impacts of those risks on communities, and mitigation goals and actions. Plans must be updated every five years. Residents of Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties are invited to take a short public survey to provide feedback as part of the update to the plan. A virtual meeting about the updated plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 18. Anyone wishing to attend may register online. Hazard mitigation plans are required under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which mandates state, tribal, county, and local governments create, approve and adopt mitigation plans in order to be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster and non-disaster grant programs. There are 30 regional multijurisdictional hazard mitigation plans in North Carolina. This is the state’s fifth update of those local mitigation plans. Updates are managed and funded by N.C. Emergency Management through grant funding. The update process includes a thorough community-level review of natural hazard risks and potential impacts, capabilities, and a review and updating of mitigation goals and actions established in previous plan editions.
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A bright green plume in ocean water near a sandy shore.How to Stay Safe From Rip Currents, and What to Do if You’re Caught in One
From land, a rip current can appear relatively calm, as a strip of water that extends out between breaking waves. Its appearance can be deceiving.
As hot summer days lure people to sandy shores and cool waters, experts say that people going on beach trips should be aware of the potential danger of rip currents, like one the authorities said swept away the actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner while he was swimming off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica on Sunday. At least three dozen people in the United States have drowned in the surf so far this summer, most of them caught in rip currents, channels of water that flow away from the shore and can drag people along, according to the National Weather Service, which tracks surf-zone deaths across the country. As the summer holidays get in full swing, reports of rescues and fatalities tend to rise. Mr. Warner, the American actor best known for playing Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,†was swept away at a Costa Rican beach known for rip currents on a day when there was no lifeguard on duty, the local authorities said. Earlier in July, Chase Childers, a former minor league baseball player, died after rushing into the surf in Pawleys Island, S.C., to save swimmers in a rip current, the police said. In Australia, an average of 26 people drowned each year in rip currents, statistics from 2011 to 2021 show. And the fatalities do not just occur in oceans. In the Great Lakes region, rip currents caused an average of 50 drownings per year from 2010 to 2017, Chris Houser, the dean of science at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, said.

Can you see a calm strip of water cutting through the waves?
Rip currents occur when water flows away from the beach through a narrow channel that has been created by an underwater feature or a sandbar. They are easiest to see from an elevated position like a beach access point and are harder to spot when a person is closer to the water. From land, a rip current can appear relatively calm on the surface, as a strip of water that extends out from the beach between breaking waves. Its appearance can be deceiving, because the forceful flow of water away from the shore can sweep a swimmer far into the body of water. The current can also appear as a patch of darker water stretching away from the beach, or as a distinct offshore flow. Rip currents are swift and unrelenting. They can move at speeds of up to eight feet per second, which is faster than the pace of an Olympic swimmer. But drownings often happen with far weaker currents, said Gregory Dusek, a senior scientist with the Ocean Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “It doesn’t have to be moving that fast to cause a problem,†Mr. Dusek said. “It just needs to be pulling you enough to get you from where you can touch to where you can’t.†The currents can occur at any time and in any conditions, but they are most dangerous when waves are two to three feet high, Mr. Dusek added. There is also added risk in late summer, when tropical storm systems and hurricanes can move through a region and prompt strong waves, even on clear, sunny days. “You can have a storm far away driving pretty large waves, and you can have strong rip currents where you are, even when the weather seems fine,†Mr. Dusek said.

Check the surf forecast at your beach.
NOAA maintains beach weather forecasts for several popular destinations, which contain information about rip currents and waves, at weather.gov/beach. Surf zone forecasts also assess the low, moderate or high risks of rip currents associated with your destination beach. Some lists of safety tips from government agencies also state the obvious for people dipping into the surf: Make sure you know how to swim.

Read signs and avoid swimming near piers.
Try to swim at a beach that is under the watch of lifeguards and ask them about the conditions before you enter the water. Comply with their orders and read and follow instructions from official posted signs. Do not swim alone or within 100 feet of piers and jetties, because rip currents flourish alongside them, NOAA recommends. Families with children should swim near a lifeguard if there is one. It also helps if children bring something that floats into the water with them, such as a boogie board, a surfboard or a lifejacket, all of which can help weaker swimmers navigate a rip current. Hopefully, you will never need the advice in the next section.

Don’t fight the rip current.
Many people panic when they get pulled into a rip current, which leads them to waste energy and make irrational decisions, Mr. Dusek said. If you find yourself carried off by a rip current, try to relax and evaluate your surroundings. Remember that a rip current will not pull you under, he said. And don’t try to swim against it. Not every rip current is the same, and you may use different strategies depending on the water’s movement and your swimming abilities, Mr. Dusek said. It is possible that the current itself will circulate back to shore. If so, float. The rip current is generally narrow, so try to escape it through its side, rather than head-on. Strong swimmers should move in a direction that follows along the shoreline, or swim toward breaking waves and then at an angle toward the beach, he said. “If you don’t think you can do that, or you feel like you’re swimming anywhere in particular, you want to just float and wave your hands and call for help,†Mr. Dusek said. It’s important to stay above the water and avoid exhausting yourself to give time for a lifeguard to reach you or for someone on the shore to call 911. To do so, you can also embrace the “flip, float, follow†strategy, which involves flipping on your back to float above water and following the current until it takes you past breaking waves or back to shore.

How to help someone stuck in a current.
Rip current drownings often occur when bystanders wade into dangerous conditions to help another person. To assist someone safely, you can help direct them to swim parallel to the shore or flip on their back to float. If you are near someone stuck in a rip current, alert a lifeguard. If there is no lifeguard on duty, call 911. Even if the person escapes the rip current, they may still need lifesaving support, Mr. Dusek said. For swimmers who are pulled by the current closer to the shore, give them something that floats to hold onto, such as a boogie board or a cooler. If you feel like the only option is to enter the water — and you’re a strong swimmer — it’s important to still bring a flotation device, Mr. Dusek said.
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Corrections & Amplifications –

Holden Island Properties Sold ComparisonBrunswick County real estate market stays hot

Brunswick County’s residential real estate market continued its momentum in June, racking up the second highest number of sales in June during the past decade. The luxury market remained strong and total sales volume for the year crossed over $1.4 billion. “Back in 2017, I remember being excited about hitting $1 billion in sales,†said Cynthia Walsh, CEO of the Brunswick County Association of Realtors (BCAR). “Right now, we’re on track with last year’s pace, where we had a total sales of $2.7 billion by the end of the year. Any reports of real estate slowing down are just not factual in Brunswick County.†New listings increased 1% compared to last June, rising from 724 to 731. The number of homes sold was nearly level with last June, increasing from 557 to 558. Thirty-seven% of sales in June were at or above list price, a total of 205. Of those sales, 125 were new construction and 80 were resales. Total sales volume jumped 17.2%, from $248,259,701 to $291,034,700. The average sales price increased 17% from $445,709 to $521,568, and the median sales price rose 9.1%, from $357,000 to $389,500. Brunswick County’s luxury market was especially strong in June 2025, recording 46 sales over $1 million, including a $6 million sale on Bald Head Island, the largest of the year so far. The absorption rate is approaching five months, while average days on market dropped below 75 and median days on market is now 37 days, signaling continued demand and an environment that favors sellers to an extent. Year-to-date sales volume through June totaled $1,382,241,575, up 1.7% from $1,359,525,972 at the same point in 2024. The average year-to-date sales price is holding steady, up just 0.1% from $478,131 to $478,722, while the median sales price dipped slightly by 0.5% from $374,325 to $372,273. The number of units sold through June increased 1.9% compared to last year, rising from 2,836 to 2,889, and new listings are up 9.6%, from 4,267 to 4,678.

 Brunswick County

 New Listings

      • June 2025: 731.
      • June 2024: 724.
      • Increase/Decrease: +1%.

Units Sold

      • June 2025: 558.
      • June 2024: 557.
      • Increase/Decrease: +0.2%.

Average Sales Price

      • June 2025: $521,568.
      • June 2024: $445,709.
      • Increase/Decrease: +17%.

Median Sales Price

      • June 2025: $389,500.
      • June 2024: $357,000.
      • Increase/Decrease: +9.1%.

Total Sales Volume

      • June 2025: $291,034,700.
      • June 2024: $248,259,701.
      • Increase/Decrease: +17.2%.

The Brunswick County Association of Realtors (BCAR) is the local association level of the largest trade association in the nation, presently serving its members, which are comprised of realtors, appraisers and affiliate members. Chartered in 1959 by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), BCAR represents the interests of its members in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. For more information, visit bcarnc.com.
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County presents timeline for potential fire funding changes
Brunswick County Manager Steve Stone on Monday, July 21 presented the county commissioners with tentative timeline for transitioning the county’s fire service funding mechanism from the existing fire fee structure to a form of fire tax, emphasizing that the goal of the switch is to provide “truly adequate funding for the fire service in Brunswick County to make sure that every community has the fire protection services that they need.†The potential move from fire fees was suggested by Stone in October in response to the commissioners’ request for county administration to bring forward some recommendations to help the county better control and respond to ongoing development. Now is not the first time the county has considered a switch, as it in 2017 conducted a study to investigate changing the fire service funding method but elected to stay under the fire fee system, which was enacted in 1999. Stone, in his October recommendation, said fire fees are an inadequate source of funding for many local departments. Many local nonprofit departments are facing challenges stemming from declining volunteer firefighter number necessitating most departments to hire paid staff, increasing costs for fire apparatus and equipment and increased call volume and the need for new or updated facilities due to ongoing growth. These departments operate entirely on fire fees and grants, fundraising and donations. Municipal departments are facing similar struggles related to growth and increased costs. These departments funded partly by fire fees supplemented by ad valorem (property) taxes collected by the department’s municipality, so municipal residents pay fire fees to the county and pay property taxes to their municipalities that are used to fund fire service. Throughout the process so far, Stone and county commissioners have maintained the county with the change from fire fees to fire tax is not seeking to create a countywide fire department, like in neighboring New Hanover County. “There are several optional ways to do [switch from fire fees], but it is not the intent of anyone in our office for any of those options to be a county fire service,†said Stone during the July 21 meeting. “That is not it’s not even on the maybe list.†The county manager shared the tentative schedule for the next steps in the transition process. The immediate next step, Stone noted, will be for county staff to complete its review and analysis “of the tax rates needed to adequately fund the fire service in each of the current fire districts, as well as the rate needed to adequately fund a theoretical single unincorporated county fire district.†The target completion date for this step is Aug. 29. Next, the county will hold discussions with the Brunswick County Fire Chiefs Association and municipalities that fund fire departments about possible consolidation or reconfiguration of fire service district boundaries, with that step projected to be completed by Oct. 17. The penultimate step will involve presenting draft fire district alignment and tax rate alternatives to the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 17, with staff projected to present final recommendations for changes to the board by its annual January goals retreat next year. As the process gets underway, both the Brunswick County Mayors Association and the Brunswick County Fire Chiefs Association have requested the county include them in discussions concerning the potential switch. In a June 6 letter to county commissioners, the mayors of Bald Head Island, Leland, Ocean Isle Beach, Oak Island, Shallotte, Southport, Sunset Beach and St. James asked the county to include the mayors and eight municipalities in its planning and discussions regarding a new fire service funding system. “We welcome the county’s willingness to review funding alternatives to ensure adequate fire protection for all Brunswick County residents,†the letter notes. “We agree with you that the current fire fee system is inadequate to meet those needs and the increasing costs resulting from the substantial increase in the County’s population. Developing a new fire revenue system is complicated and the two models noted above present a series of challenges. Due to the impact on town citizens and our budgets, we respectfully request that mayors be included in the planning and discussions of any new fire revenue system.†During the July 21 meeting, Brunswick County Fire Chiefs Association President Scott Drew, who is chief of the Southport Fire Department, also asked commissioners and county administration to include the association in its “deliberations, discussions and options with funding of fire service in the county.â€Â Chief Drew, who during the meeting was accompanied by nearly a dozen other local fire chiefs, noted the mayors association wants to partner with the chiefs association and open dialogue to discussion options for funding. “A collaborative effort of nonprofit departments, municipal departments with the mayors, the county commissioners and the citizens of this county will be needed to bring about a successful change to the funding mechanism for Brunswick County,†Drew told commissioners. Stone during the July 21 meeting said the county “fully intends to include the Fire Chiefs Association, the municipalities that have municipal departments, and the municipalities that support volunteer departments, and the other municipalities in the conversation.â€Â Commissioner Marty Cooke reiterated Stone’s comments about the county’s complete disinterest in creating a countywide fire department. “I know of no plans whatsoever create a county wide fire department — none,†Cooke said. “As the manager stated, it’s not even part of the conversation. There’s no plans for it. Nobody wants to do it. Thing about it is, we want to make sure that everybody’s made whole … we want everybody to be on the same page how we bring this thing together.†Commissioner Pat Sykes said she wants to ensure the county is not simply putting “a band-aid†on the issue but is actually working to resolve it. “What’s best for the county, it might not be best for each one of your departments,†told fire chiefs in attendance. “However, we need to do it right for the citizens because if we’re going to give you money, you need to be accountable. Money — people’s tax money — shouldn’t just be spent to be spent.†Other commissioners noted they want to be sure all the important aspects are reviewed and addressed, even if that means not sticking to the proposed timeline. “Don’t skip important steps to get to that timeline,†Commissioner Frank Williams said. “We want it done by the timeline, but we also want to make sure we don’t miss something important that can make a good idea turn into a bad idea because this is a very big change in the way we do fire business in Brunswick County if we go down that path.†Commissioner Randy Thompson said that there will need to be “considerable meetings†between the county and fire service providers to discuss the potential consolidation or reconfiguration of fire service districts, adding that many local fire departments are still in a “very dangerous situation†due to existing staffing levels. “We need to make sure that we’re providing certified personnel at the stations — that still needs to be one of our critical areas,†Thompson said. “I think that we’re running a risk of waiting as long as we’re waiting, but I understand how processes work.â€
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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.

Coastal area with rough waves hitting the shore and buildings nearby.

View of OIB east of the terminal groin after Hurricane Erin passed offshore 

Odds & Ends –

Warren Buffett’s longtime Social Security warning is coming to fruition, with retirees facing an $18,000 annual cut
In just seven years, Social Security will reach a fiscal cliff that could leave millions of American retirees with drastically reduced benefits, according to a recent analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). The think tank’s new report projects that, unless Congress acts, Social Security’s main trust fund will be insolvent by the end of 2032, triggering automatic and painful benefit cuts for everyone relying on the program. How painful? Around $18,000 less per year for retirees who depend on the program. This is not the first time the CRFB has warned about this, and it’s a common refrain from no less than the Oracle of Omaha himself: famed investor Warren Buffett.

The ticking clock
Social Security and Medicare, the two bedrock programs supporting older Americans, are drawing closer to insolvency than many might realize. The most recent data, compiled from the programs’ own trustees and enhanced by CRFB calculations, forecasts that by late 2032, Social Security’s retirement program will no longer be able to pay out promised benefits in full. At that point, the law dictates that payments must be limited to the amount coming in from payroll taxes—resulting in an immediate, across-the-board benefit reduction.

The scope of the cut: $18,100 shortfall for typical couples
For millions of future retirees, the numbers are stark. CRFB’s estimate reveals that a typical dual-earning couple retiring at the start of 2033 would see their annual Social Security benefit drop by approximately $18,100. The percentage cut is projected to be 24% for that year, instantly slashing retirement incomes for over 62 million Americans who depend on the program. The pain would be widespread but would vary by income and household type. For example, single-earner couples could see a $13,600 cut, while low-income, dual-earner couples face a $11,000 shortfall. And high-income couples might lose up to $24,000 a year. While the dollar cut is smaller for lower-income households, the relative burden is even more severe, devouring a larger share of retirement income and past earnings. Also, these cuts are in nominal dollars; adjusted to 2025 dollars, the actual cut would be about 15% less.

What’s causing the crisis?
Social Security is funded by a dedicated payroll tax, but the gap between what goes out in benefits and what comes in through taxes is growing. The newly enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has accelerated the timeline by reducing Social Security’s revenue through tax rate cuts and an expanded senior standard deduction. According to CRFB, these policies increase the necessary benefit reduction by about one percentage point; if the changes become permanent, the benefit cuts would be even deeper. Over time, the gap is expected to worsen: By the end of the century, CRFB adds, Social Security could face required benefit cuts of over 30%, unless lawmakers shore up the program’s finances. Despite these dire projections, many policymakers have pledged not to alter Social Security, promising to keep benefits untouched. But if nothing changes, the law automatically enforces cuts when the trust fund runs dry. The CRFB report urges policymakers to be candid about the situation and to work toward bipartisan solutions that secure Social Security’s future. Ideas could include new revenue sources, adjusting benefits, or a combination—anything to avoid the “steep and sudden†cut that looms for tens of millions. Without meaningful congressional action before 2032, the Social Security safety net will be abruptly—and dramatically—shrunk, so Americans approaching retirement will at least want to pay close attention to congressional action on the looming cliff.

Buffett’s bugbear
Warren Buffett has been vocal about the dangers of Social Security insolvency and the looming benefit cuts that millions of retirees could face if action is not taken soon. The retiring Berkshire Hathaway CEO has stated that reducing Social Security payments below their current guaranteed levels would be a grave mistake, and urged prompt congressional action. Buffett, who has signed the Giving Pledge and has advocated for higher taxes on higher earners, has criticized the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes, arguing that higher earners—including himself—should contribute more. He’s also suggested that Social Security’s finances could partially be eased by raising the retirement age, with the 95-year-old investing legend himself working well beyond the standard end of most careers.

CRFB background
The CRFB is not just any think tank, either. It’s a respected bipartisan institution that stretches back to 1981. Its board has consistently included former members and directors of key budgetary, fiscal, and policy institutions, such as the Congressional Budget Office, the House and Senate Budget Committees, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Federal Reserve. The CRFB regularly produces analyses of government spending, tax proposals, debt and deficit trends, and trust fund solvency (such as Social Security and Medicare), as well as recommendations and scorecards for major fiscal legislation. The CRFB has consistently advanced a centrist position on budgetary matters, regularly advocating for reducing federal deficits and controlling the growth of national debt. The organization has often criticized large spending bills that are not offset by reductions elsewhere, as well as tax cuts that are not revenue-neutral. The think tank favors reforms to federal “entitlement†programs, especially Social Security and Medicare, aiming to make them fiscally sustainable, an emphasis that has drawn criticism from the left. For example, Paul Krugman characterized it as a “deficit scold†when he was still with the New York Times. In the Social Security sphere, the CRFB has supported or proposed ideas like raising the retirement age, adjusting cost-of-living increases (using the chained CPI), increasing the amount of wages subject to payroll tax, and progressive indexing (in which benefits grow more slowly for higher earners). The CRFB has also weighed proposals for new revenue streams and some means-testing of benefits. On the right wing, the CRFB’s proposed reforms to Social Security have drawn criticism for, as Charles Blahous of the Manhattan Institute put it, creating a structure more like “welfare†than an earned income benefit. Still, the CRFB is widely respected in policy circles as a knowledgeable, data-driven budget watchdog, with a long track record of analysis and advocacy for sustainable fiscal policy.
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Graph showing social security's unfunded promises increasing over time.

This and That –

Curved highway bridge spanning over a river and urban area.This Peaceful Southern Spot Was Just Named the Calmest Beach in the U.S. and
It Has Small Town Charm and Few Crowds
With uncrowded sands and small-town vibes, a North Carolina beach leads a new list of America’s calmest shores.
There are many ways to judge a beach: the softness of its sand, the clarity of its water, the quality of the surf, or nearby activities and dining. But for those seeking a peaceful escape, free from crowds and rogue volleyballs, tranquility is key. And when it comes to calm and quiet, one lesser-known U.S. beach stands out. Holden Beach in North Carolina has been named the calmest beach in the U.S., according to a study by McLuck, a social casino platform. The team analyzed approximately 250,000 TripAdvisor reviews from 158 beaches nationwide, tracking how often words like “calm,†“quiet,†and “relax†appeared. Based on the percentage of reviews that mentioned these terms, Holden Beach emerged as the most serene destination of them all. Holden Beach is a quiet seaside town between North Carolina’s more popular coastal destinations of Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. The town has just over 500 people and is primarily a residential community with a small commercial area. For that reason, beachgoers are treated to plenty of open space, natural beauty, and a welcome lack of buzzy beachfront boardwalks. In fact, in the study, over 38 percent of the Holden Beach reviews mentioned calmness.  In its findings, the study noted that at Holden Beach, “uncrowded sands, small-town charm, and strict limits on commercial development may explain why so many people find it a peaceful haven. It’s a classic Carolina beach town where time seems to slow down with the tide.†Following Holden Beach on the list was Lewes Beach in Delaware. Like Holden Beach, the town of Lewes has a small population (just over 3,000 people) and is known for being quiet and void of party crowds. Beaches in Virginia came in at No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5, making it the dominant state in the top 10 list. There were no West Coast states in the top 10 ranking and only one beach in the upper Northeast—Goose Rocks Beach in Maine (No. 10).
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Shark Teeth Along Coastline of North CarolinaWhy the NC coast is a hot bed for fossilized shark teeth, where to look in the Wilmington area
Thanks to lots of fossil beds, lots of beaches, and eager beachcombers, the Cape Fear coast is a known hot spot for finding shark teeth.
If you’re excited about Discovery’s “Shark Week” and the celebrations around the 50th anniversary of the classic “Jaws” film, there’s an easier way to learn about some of the Cape Fear’s oldest and toothiest residents without worrying about having a face-to-face encounter. And with nearly 50 species of sharks found along the N.C. coast and in the state’s extensive estuaries, all of which have different types and shapes of teeth, there’s plenty of opportunity for lucky beachgoers to come across a toothy surprise − even if it’s been thousands of years since that particular shark swam around a Tar Heel State that looked much different then than it does today. The Wilmington area, thanks to geology and a bit of luck, is a known hot spot for shark teeth. “It’s just a good location, with the right fossil beds just off the coast and great sandy beaches and a lot of people looking for them,” said Dr. Christian Kammerer, research curator of paleontology at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. “It’s a matter of geological happenstance. We’re really in this lucky situation down here.”

Why are there so many shark teeth out there?
While humans and sharks both have teeth, that’s about where the commonality ends. Unlike people, sharks are always growing − and losing − their teeth. That’s because unlike teeth in humans, a shark tooth isn’t attached to their gums but instead is connected by tissue. Sharks also have multiple rows of teeth, and when one pops off, say getting stuck in a fish or from biting something hard, a tooth in a row behind it quickly moves up to take its place. With several rows of teeth, and it common for them to drop off, a shark can go through thousands and thousands of teeth during its lifetime. “Some sharks go through 35,000 teeth in their lifetime, so they’re adding a lot to the fossil record,” Kammerer said. “It’s a very valuable resource for showing us about extinct ecosystems and the changes in species over millions of years.”

How do they get “fossilized?”
The outer part of sharks teeth is made of enameloid, a mineralized tissue similar but harder than the enamel found in human teeth. That means when other parts of the shark, which are mainly cartilage instead of bone, dissolve, the teeth hang around. When teeth drop off, they sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually become buried by sediment. As more material crowds on top of the sharks teeth, pressure grows and minerals and water gets pushed into the tooth’s pores and other small openings. As the minerals then harden, permineralization − a form of fossilization − takes place.

What can shark teeth tell us?
Like nearly all fossils, shark teeth tell a story. While most of us might think finding a shark tooth is just cool, for biologists the teeth can tell them how the fish lived, perhaps what they ate, and how they’ve evolved and some species have thrived while others have disappeared over the past 400 million years. “They have a lot of important information for scientists,” Kammerer said, including showing there’s been a dramatic decrease in biomass and abundance of these top predators in the marine environment in recent times due to overfishing and climate change. Shark’s teeth also range in shape, purpose and size, with the tooth of the now-extinct megalodon reaching almost 7 inches long − not bad for a fish with a jaw big enough to swallow a compact car.

What are the best beaches to go shark-tooth hunting?
Experts say areas near sand bars and tidal pools can be tooth hot spots. Dredging of sand that’s then pumped onto beaches as part of nourishment projects or an inlet deepening also can prove to be a treasure trove for uncovering sharks teeth. But all beaches aren’t created equally when it comes to shark-tooth hunting. Several Brunswick County beaches, notably Holden Beach and Ocean Isle Beach, are often mentioned as offering some of the best opportunities along the N.C. coast. Topsail Island also offers great hunting opportunities. And it’s not just Wilmington-area beaches that are known tooth hot spots. In the Cape Fear River, a series of islands created by the dredging of the river in the late 19th century is such a prolific site for sharks teeth that they’ve been collectively tagged “Shark’s Tooth Island.” The site is easily accessible by kayak or boat and is near New Hanover County’s River Road Park, and several local excursion companies also offer tours of the islands.
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Golf Carts Have Taken Over Suburbia. Cue the Resistance

Black and White Image of a Golf Cart, Lous Views

Demand for street-legal carts is surging, despite complaints; ‘We all hate you’
A slow-rolling cavalry is conquering America’s public roads.  Golf carts are becoming street legal in one community after another as families ditch their minivans and SUVs when they want to run a quick errand or ramble around town. Dan Pearson bought a six-seat cart this summer after the village board he leads in the Chicago suburb of East Dundee, Ill., approved the vehicles. As he drove through downtown on a recent afternoon, pedestrians gawked and diners waved. “Dude, I love it,” a man called out as Pearson cruised past. “It’s fun to get out,” Pear–son said. “People tend to talk to people in a small little cart as opposed to a big car or truck.” But with the boom has come a backlash. Some residents of cart-friendly towns say slow drivers are clogging the streets and reckless ones are making them unsafe. They grumble about cart drivers, including tweens and young teens, speeding, swerving and treating the road like their own private parade route. “We all hate you,” a Florida motorist snapped on TikTok when slow-moving carts on a coastal road clogged traffic in both directions. “Get off your golf cart and drive a regular car.” Paul Ernest, a photographer who lives in McKinney, Texas, said a golf cart driven by a young girl, her eyes fixed to her smartphone, almost collided with his pickup truck on a neighborhood road earlier this summer. Some states including Texas require a driver’s license to take a cart on public roads. “These things are dangerous,” he said. “They’re around vehicles much bigger than they are, and when they’re operated by children with no adult supervision, it’s just a recipe for disaster.” The momentum, however, belongs to the carts. Golf carts designed for the road have been around since the early 2000s, but demand has soared in the past five years. Mark Rickell, a sales executive at cart maker Club Car, estimated the total U.S. market for the vehicles at $5 billion, up from $1 billion before the pandemic. “One thing you could do in Covid was get outside,” he said. “I think that really spurred on the popularity of the golf cart lifestyle.” Many of today’s carts have little in common with old-school fairway ramblers. Street-ready versions usually come with seat belts, headlights and turn signals, and can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $25,000. Manufacturers typically cap their speed at 20 or 25 miles an hour, though some owners say that can be boosted with a little tinkering. Johnny Horn bought a four-seater this year that looks like a cruise ship crossed with a UFO. It has a turquoise frame, white seats and orange rims, along with four-wheel drive for the rare occasions when it snows in his hometown of Gaffney, S.C. The dashboard has a built-in refrigerator. The sound system has 24 speakers, all of which can light up and pulse to the rhythm of the music. “It’s like a parade,” said Horn, a Realtor who sometimes drives it to showings. South Carolina law allows golf carts to travel on public roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less and within 4 miles of the driver’s home. The vehicles don’t need a license plate but must have a permit. Other states allow municipalities to decide, and some are pumping the brakes. Last year, the beach town of Norwalk, Conn., rejected a request to allow the vehicles. Police said carts had been acting as rogue food delivery services, and they worried young drivers would take them for wintertime joy rides. In Elburn, Ill., a petition to legalize golf carts on local roads was signed by nearly 600 people—more than typically vote in municipal elections. The village board debated a proposed ordinance for seven months before unanimously voting against it in June, citing the potential for carts crossing busy highways. Resident Melissa Bollivar, who helped gather the signatures, disagreed with the verdict. “You have a seat belt on,” she said. “You have rearview mirrors. You have a frame around you. I feel they’re safer than e-bikes and scooters and everything else flying around here.” Some dealers say only carts classified as low-speed vehicles, which receive license plates, should be allowed on public roads, even though they account for a minority of sales. “Anything without a plate should be like riding a moped on the freeway— you can’t do it,” said Brian Rott, president and chairman of the recently formed Low Speed Vehicle Dealer Association. Back in East Dundee, golf carts are riding high. Ten people sought registration stickers after the village legalized the vehicles. Pearson, the village president, got sticker No. 1. Driving around town, he encountered No. 4. It was a bright yellow golf cart with a Big Bird decal affixed to the hood. Cody and Jessica Wolff had run out to get a bag of ice with their 2-year-old daughter, Winnie, and decided to leave their SUV at home. “It’s just more convenient to bring downtown,” Jessica said. “And it’s fun for our daughter to do. She thinks it’s the coolest experience in the entire world.”
The Wall Street Journal

A horseshoe crab on sandy beach.

These crabs probably saved your life. Can we save theirs?
The medical world relies on horseshoe crab blood in the production of vaccines and equipment. A synthetic is available, but companies have been slow to adopt it.
Susan Linder was hunting for buried treasure. Kneeling at low tide, the biologist dug up small shovelfuls of sand, scanning each scoop for tiny jewels. One yielded a cluster of jade-colored beads. Another, from a few feet away, contained a clutch the color of amethyst. They were eggs. In a few weeks, they would hatch into horseshoe crabs, one of the most ancient and important animals in the United States. The crabs in the Delaware Bay are the stars of an annual ecological opera involving sex, binge eating and literal bloodlust. Every spring, the crabs clickety-clack ashore for a massive orgy timed to the rise and fall of the tides, depositing millions of eggs in the sand. “They’re easy to miss, really,†Linder said, digging the day after a new moon, one of the biggest breeding days of the year. Her job is to help conduct an egg census. She returns all the clutches she finds carefully to the holes. She knows, year after year, the numbers have been diminishing. For decades, the biomedical industry has relied on a compound in horseshoe crab blood to protect medical equipment from contamination, saving untold human lives. The surge in vaccine use during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the growing popularity of injectable weight loss and diabetes drugs, has further fueled the blood harvest. But conservationists say modern medicine’s dependence on this bloodletting is upending a globe-spanning ecosystem in which birds bulk up on fatty crab eggs to fuel epic migrations. “We’re in this battle over horseshoe crab blood,†said Larry Niles, a wildlife biologist and co-founder of the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition, a campaign trying to stop overharvesting. Now, finally, the crabs have a chance at a reprieve. A key group that sets standards for U.S. drugmakers has officially recognized a human-made alternative as safe and effective, opening the way for pharmaceutical companies to widely adopt alternatives and wean themselves off of crab blood. But only a handful of drugmakers have begun to adopt it. “We’re trying to encourage the pharmaceutical companies to switch to the synthetic,†Niles said, “not only to help horseshoe crabs, but also for their own sake.â€

The carnal crabs
It might as well be an extraterrestrial. Its helmet-shaped body is covered with 10 eyes, some sensitive to ultraviolet light so it can follow the phases of the moon and come ashore for a mating frenzy. Its mouth is on its underside and is surrounded by six pairs of legs it uses to test the water composition and to chew its food. When flipped belly-up on a beach, it uses its spear-like tail to pole-vault itself upright. But the crabs’ claim to Earth predates pretty much everything else here. They are what scientists call a “living fossil,†scuttling for hundreds of millions of years before the Atlantic Ocean was even a puddle. “When you think about the genetic diversity and how long these guys have survived, they must be doing something right,†Amanda Dey, a retired zoologist who works with and is married to Niles. Perhaps the best adaptation accumulated over their 445 million years is their blood. It is a haunting blue hue due to copper-based molecules used to transport oxygen. It is also laced with immune cells called amoebocytes that coagulate around bacterial intruders. For a half-century, the biomedical industry has harvested an extract from these immune cells. Known as limulus amebocyte lysate, or LAL, it is used to test for the presence of bacterial contaminants called endotoxins, which could cause a patient’s organ failure and death. Regulators require tests for vaccines, pacemakers, heart stents, surgical tools and other medical devices, as well as water systems used in drug manufacturing. The blood-drawing process involves plucking horseshoe crabs from shores and transporting them miles to bleeding facilities. There, they are inspected, cleaned and bent on racks to expose a membrane for blood extraction. Afterward, they are released back into the water. Companies involved in this work say the crabs are handled with care, with a limited amount of blood taken only from healthy crabs that are subsequently returned to their native waters. “Our processes are designed to preserve and protect horseshoe crabs,†said Nora Blair, a senior manager at Massachusetts-based Charles River Laboratories, a major lysate supplier for the pharmaceutical industry. The company has developed techniques for using crab blood more efficiently for testing, Blair added. As part of a lawsuit settlement with environmentalists in 2023, it also agreed to stop collecting crabs from certain beaches where birds feed and to stop placing female crabs in holding ponds so they can continue spawning. But conservationists say such measures aren’t enough. About 15 percent of the crabs collected each year perish, according to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. In 2023 alone, that portion amounted to 178,000 dead crabs. (The bleeding companies contest those figures.) The density of eggs laid on the Delaware Bay beaches has declined by 80 percent, from about 50,000 eggs per square meter in the early 1990s to around just 10,000 today, according to research from Niles, Dey and others. For years, the practice of using horseshoe crab flesh as bait for commercial fishing was responsible for much of the decline. But that practice has become more regulated — while the number of crabs collected for bleeding has swelled, increasing fourfold since 2004. Last year, environmentalists petitioned the federal government to add the American horseshoe crab to the Endangered Species Act list. A decision is pending. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which also tracks the status of species, has already declared the American horseshoe crab “vulnerable.â€

The binge-eating birds
There used to be more than enough eggs to both perpetuate the horseshoe crab population and provide a fatty feast for hungry shorebirds, establishing this stretch of New Jersey as a key pit stop for ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, short-billed dowitchers, dunlins and other migratory birds. The red knot, in particular, needs the extra calories. It makes one of the longest annual journeys of any bird, flying more than 9,000 miles from the southern tip of South America to its breeding ground in the Arctic tundra — and back again. By the time some arrive in the United States, they will have flown six days without stopping. While Linder counted eggs on the beach, ornithologists Humphrey Sitters and Stephanie Feigin sat at the front of a boat cruising along the New Jersey side of Delaware Bay to tally every shorebird that they could spot. A plane buzzed above to count, as well. “Dead ahead,†Sitters said, pointing across the bow to a flock of red knots on shore, as waves of semipalmated sandpipers darted across the surface of the water. “350 knots,†he announced. Feigin added the tally to her notebook. “Semis?†she asked. “Let’s say 3,000,†he answered. Sitters said he knows from practice what a group of about 50 birds looks like and extrapolates that figure to the size of the flock in front of him. “It’s experience,†he said. “Eventually, you get your eye†for it. There used to be many more knots to tally. The annual bird surveys show the decline in crab eggs has contributed to a staggering 70 percent drop in the average knot count from the early 1980s to 2014, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the bird as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A quarter-century ago, “the Delaware Bay was one of the top birding destinations in the world,†Niles said as he piloted the boat. “There were so many shorebirds in one place.†Without bulking up on eggs, knots take longer to reach their nesting grounds — and many don’t make it at all, his research suggests. Now, four of the bay’s most abundant shorebirds — red knots, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings and semipalmated sandpipers — are all in decline. “The stopover is becoming unstable,†he said. “One year is good, the next year is not. And it’s all because the level and number of horseshoe crabs are so low.â€

A human-made solution
In the late 1990s, researchers in Singapore patented a lab-made alternative to the lysate in horseshoe crabs’ blood. But that breakthrough has yet to revolutionize the drug-making industry. “Pharma is just inherently conservative,†said Jay Bolden, a senior director at Eli Lilly. “Why change the status quo when it’s been working well for 40 years? But people don’t see the impact outside of our own four walls.†In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed Eli Lilly to use a synthetic for endotoxin testing for a migraine drug. As both a businessman and amateur birder, Bolden thought the move made sense. One bad year for the crabs, he thought, could stifle drug production if enough blood isn’t harvested. “If we’re not reliant on a wild animal for one of our tests,†he said, “then we’re inherently in a better supply-chain position.†Crab advocates notched another victory when U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit that sets quality standards for drugs, issued guidelines deeming the synthetic safe and effective. The guidance, approved in July 2024 and made official in May, allows drugmakers to use lab-made alternatives instead of crab-derived lysate for new drugs with less lab testing and paperwork required. “Basically, it leveled the playing field,†Bolden said. But it’s still up to the drugmakers which to use. In May, a coalition of nonprofits that included Horseshoe Crab Recovery released the results of a survey of the 50 largest drugmakers by revenue about their use of horseshoe crab blood. Only 11 responded to acknowledge the need to switch or disclose concrete steps to actually do so. Among those rated highly by the survey were Eli Lilly, GSK, Amgen, Sanofi and Bristol Myers Squibb. One issue is that if a drugmaker wants to switch production of older drugs to a crab-free compound, it needs to do a whole new round of testing to verify that the compound works at catching contamination. “The biggest challenges right now are legacy products,†said Elizabeth Bennett, communications director at Revive & Restore, a conservation nonprofit that helped conduct the survey. For instance, Novo Nordisk, maker of the blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic that can cause weight loss, has phased out the use of lysate from horseshoe crabs in research, but still uses it to make existing products “due to regulatory requirements.†In a statement to The Washington Post, the company said it has a “road map†for “phasing out the use of any lysate from horseshoe crab.†Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, two of the biggest drugmakers by revenue, which each developed coronavirus vaccines that relied on crab blood, did not complete the survey. When reached for comment by The Post, Pfizer said it is using synthetics for testing pharmaceutical water systems and has begun implementing it for some products following the U.S. Pharmacopeia decision. Johnson & Johnson did not reply to a request for comment. Eli Lilly, which rated highest in the survey, has 10 products approved that use alternatives to horseshoe crab blood for endotoxin testing. But it still has to convert some of its existing drugs. “It’s been difficult to convert that last 20 percent on legacy molecules,†Bolden said. Horseshoe crabs as a species are survivors. They made it through the asteroid strike that killed the dinosaurs as well as three of Earth’s other mass extinctions. But whether the fragile web of life that depends on them can survive is more uncertain.
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Turtle Watch Program –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

 

 

Turtle Watch Program – 2025

 

 


The first nest of the 2025 season was on May 22nd

Average annual number of nests is 57

Current nest count – (35) as of 08/22/25

Members of the patrol started riding the beach every morning on May 1 and will do so through October looking for signs of turtle nests.
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Washed away:
Officials say Hurricane Erin likely took a big toll on NC sea turtle nests
Days of pounding surf churned up by Erin has likely inundated or washed away a chunk of NC’s sea turtle nests. But officials added that sea turtles are very resilient and would bounce back.
As the approaching Hurricane Erin brought heavy surf and dune-chewing waves crashing ashore all along the N.C. coast, emergency officials warned beachgoers to stay out of the water and, preferably, off the beach all together. But what if you can’t get off the beach? That’s the situation facing hundreds of sea turtle nests along N.C. beaches, and now officials fear many of those could have been lost to Hurricane Erin that battered the state’s coastline from end to end. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the Tar Heel State has seen 1,057 nests so far this season. Statewide, the two national seashores – Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout – have seen a combined 432 nests. In the Wilmington area, the top beaches for nests are Topsail Island (90); Oak Island (76); Bald Head Island (58); and Caswell Beach (45). But days of heavy surf pushed hundreds of miles ahead of Erin’s eye have pounded the state’s beaches, washing away dunes and chewing up many beaches. That means some sea turtle nests could have been buried under mounds of wet sand, in effect suffocating any hatchlings, while others could have been exposed to the elements and the eggs simply washed away. Kathy Zagzebski, director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island, said nests can handle some wave inundation. “Sometimes, in fact, washover can be helpful in cooling nests,” she said. The sex of hatchlings is based on sand temperature, so a warmer beach means more females and fewer males − a growing problem in a world warmed by climate change. But if hatchlings have started to emerge when the nest is overwashed, the baby turtles generally don’t survive since they breathe air, just like humans do. In short, they drown. On Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County, that almost happened on Wednesday, Aug. 20, when a nest started to hatch amid Erin’s storm-driven waves. Luckily, visitors saw the nest cavity and some hatchlings on the beach and alerted authorities, said Deb Allen, island coordinator for the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization. She said team members were able to save 136 hatchlings and help them get to the ocean before the nest was completely flooded, which would have trapped the babies in water and heavy sand. But the overall picture for the island’s sea turtle nests, as likely for all beach areas along the N.C. coast, is pretty grim. “Out of 17 nests, maybe three survived,” Allen said. “We might be able to get some live hatchlings out of some of them, but we just don’t know at this point.” Rules for relocating nests are very strict, due to the difficulty of guaranteeing the health of the baby turtles once they’ve started to incubate in the eggs, and a move is only done in very special cases. Hurricanes also are natural events. But what isn’t natural, Allen said, are the many challenges sea turtles face these days − almost all of which are human-induced. From loss of nesting beach areas to artificial light that distracts hatchlings to fishermen catching and eating sea turtles and even their eggs, the deck is stacked against sea turtles, all species of which are considered threatened or endangered in U.S. waters. That’s why volunteers watch over nests, place predator-proof cages on them, educate the public on what to do and not do when they come across a nest or sea turtle on the beach, and help any stranded babies get out of a nest and reach the ocean. “We do our best to keep everything as natural as possible,” Allen said. “But it can be hard, even if hurricanes are natural events. When things like this happen, we cry. We get very upset. No one wants to see a sea turtle die. But we can’t prevent Mother Nature.” Dr. Matthew Godfrey, sea turtle biologist with N.C. Wildlife, said about half of the state’s turtle nests had finished incubation before the arrival of Erin, and nearly all experienced some inundation. While there are reports of nests washing away, he said some beach towns − like Ocean Isle Beach − reported seeing hatchlings emerge overnight during the storm. “This goes to show that some sea turtle eggs can withstand storm-related inundation and still produce hatchlings,” he said via email. “We won’t have a full account of how many nests were lost or negatively impacted until the end of the season, but based on experience from other years, it is likely that those lost to Erin will include nests that had been moved from more exposed areas to seemingly safer areas of the beach.” Godfrey also noted that sea turtles have evolved to spread their location and timing of their nests to mitigate the risk a single storm event can do to the reptile’s overall reproduction success. “While storms like Hurricane Erin may reduce the production of hatchlings from some specific nests, the overall rate of hatchling production from N.C. nests should remain relatively good this year,” he said.
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Fort Fisher Aquarium offers tips to protect sea turtles during nesting season
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) has provided the community with tips on how to protect sea turtles during their nesting season beginning this month. “The Aquarium team is passionate about sea turtle conservation and we hope that our work in protecting these species inspires the community to find their own way to protect them,” said NCAFF education curator, Karissa Bearer.

NCAFF suggests a variety of tips, including:

      • Reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics.
      • Never release balloons. Pop them and put them in the trash.
      • Never release sky lanterns. Try alternatives like bubbles or planting trees in celebration.
      • Pick up trash and share that data with scientists studying marine plastics.
      • Organize or participate in a beach cleanup or local trash pickup.
      • Write a letter to the editor or local government officials about the dangers of marine debris.

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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Factoid That May Interest Only Me –

The price increases that should cause Americans more alarm
The price of health insurance is rising faster than the price of eggs or gasoline.
Wary of inflation, Americans have been watching the prices of everyday items such as eggs and gasoline. A less-noticed expense should cause greater alarm: rising premiums for health insurance. They have been trending upward for years and are now rising faster than ever. Consider that, from 2000 to 2020, egg prices fluctuated between just under $1 and about $3 a dozen; they reached $6.23 in March but then fell to $3.77 in June. Average gas prices, after seesawing between $2 and $4 a gallon for more than a decade starting in 2005, peaked at $4.93 in 2022, and are now back to just over $3. Meanwhile, since 1999, health insurance premiums for people with employer-provided coverage have more than quadrupled. From 2023 to 2024 alone, they rose more than 6 percent for both individuals and family coverage — a steeper increase than that of wages and overall inflation. For many people who have the kind of insurance plans created by the Affordable Care Act (because they work for small companies or insure themselves), rates have probably risen even more drastically. In this market, state regulators scrutinize insurers’ proposed rate increases, but only if they exceed 15 percent. And the situation is about to get worse: For 2026, ACA marketplace insurers have proposed eye-popping new prices: In New York, UnitedHealthcare has proposed a 66.4 percent rise. HMO Colorado has asked for an increase of more than 33 percent in that state. In Washington, the average proposed increase across all insurers is 21.2 percent, and in Rhode Island it’s 23.7 percent. According to Business Group on Health, a consortium of major employers, “actual health care costs have grown a cumulative 50% since 2017.†In a recent survey, 87 percent of companies said that in the next five to 10 years, the cost of providing health insurance for their workers would become “unsustainable.†And insurers in the ACA marketplace are increasing premiums by an average of 20 percent, according to a new analysis. Imagine if tens of millions of Americans’ rent or mortgage payments were to suddenly increase by that amount. Insurance regulators theoretically could demand that these proposed rates be lowered — and this often happens. But some states are more active than others in this regard. And all are wary that too much regulatory interference will drive insurers from their markets. Insurers offer many explanations for their calculations, some of which are tied to recent actions by Congress and President Donald Trump. New tariffs on America’s trading partners, for example, are expected to push up the cost of drugs and medical supplies. Meanwhile, reductions in health care spending included in the GOP budget bill, along with the expiration of some Biden-era premium subsidies at the end of this year, will cause many people to lose their health insurance. About 16 million Americans are expected to become uninsured in 2026, in many cases because keeping insurance will become unaffordable. Because most of these people are likely to be young and/or healthy, the “risk pool†of those remaining insured will become older and sicker — and therefore more expensive to cover. “Ultimately, we believe the ACA market will likely be smaller and higher acuity-driven next year,†Janey Kiryluik, vice president of corporate communications for Elevance Health (formerly known as Anthem), wrote in an email. She added: “Our position reflects early disciplined action.†Remember, most insurers in the United States are public, for-profit companies; as such, they tend to act in the interests of their shareholders, not the patients whose health care they cover. Large employers that manage their own health care plans might be able to negotiate better deals for their workers. But smaller companies, for the most part, will need to accept what’s on offer. Premiums are not the only part of health insurance that’s getting more expensive. Deductibles — the money that beneficiaries must spend out of pocket before insurance kicks in — are also rising. The average deductible for a standard ACA silver plan in 2025 was nearly $5,000, about double what it was in 2014. (For those with employer-based insurance, the average number is just under $2,000.) A few states are trying to stem the tide by offering a state-run “public option,†a basic affordable insurance plan that patients can choose. But they have struggled because a lower payment rate for workers generally means fewer participating providers and reduced access to care. If voters paid as much attention to the price of health insurance as they do to the cost of gas and eggs, maybe elected officials would respond with more action.
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Washing away: How funding for NC’s beach nourishment projects could erode
The cost and need for fresh injections of sand along the N.C. coast is growing thanks to climate change even as funding for the beach-building projects grows more tenuous
When the Army Corps of Engineers announced in May that a contract had been signed for fresh sand to be pumped onto Pleasure Island’s beaches, Carolina and Kure beach officials expressed a sigh of relief. Without wide, attractive beaches, there wouldn’t be many tourists. And without visitors, well, the economies of the two New Hanover County beach towns would likely find themselves in a financial mess. The announcement was especially welcome after the nourishment project had been delayed a year because initial bids for the project came in well over estimates. To put it simply, there was too much work along the Gulf and East coasts after a series of big tropical storms and not enough money earmarked to cover the escalating project costs. The work, expected to begin this fall or winter, will buy Pleasure Island about three years of beach relief − assuming a sand-chomping hurricane or strong nor’easter doesn’t take aim at the Cape Fear coast. But what happens after that? While the nourishment agreement between Washington and the beach towns has been extended, the Trump administration has shown little reservation in reversing policy decisions and financial agreements made by previous congresses and administrations.

Mix of funding sources
Coastal communities use a variety of financial models to fund their beach-building projects.Arguably among the luckiest North Carolina towns are New Hanover County’s three beach towns and Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County, which see periodic federal beach nourishment projects. Under the agreements with Washington, the federal government generally picks up 65% of the nourishment’s cost while the remaining 35% is the responsibility of local governments or the state. In the case of Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure beaches, New Hanover County and the state split the local cost-share. New Hanover uses room-tax proceeds, a special additional tax on hotel and short-term rentals, to pay for its beach nourishment costs. While a sustainable model, even local officials admit the fund could get stretched quickly if the county had to pick up more of a nourishment project’s cost if the aggressive cost-cutting moves underway in Washington take aim at beach funding. Funding for beach building could become a heated issue in a world of tighter budgets when many see nourishment projects as only benefiting oceanfront property owners and that the work needs to be done every several years to be truly effective and offer protection, since erosion is a natural process that’s only been increasing in recent years due to rising seas and increased storm activity fueled by climate change. The upcoming Pleasure Island project, for example, will cost $23.5 million. According to corps and county officials, the cost-share of the Carolina Beach portion of the project is 50% federal, 25% county, and 25% state. In Kure Beach, the break down is 65% federal, with New Hanover and Raleigh splitting the remaining 35%.

Tough choices
For beach towns that don’t have the federal funding backstop, the financial question looms large. Yet local officials admit just letting their beaches wash away isn’t a viable option, either. Beaches draw visitors, prime the local economy, and keep real estate values high. And for communities that have few sources of income and jobs other than tourism, sand is the only game in town. But funding beach nourishment projects is becoming perilously expensive for many coastal communities, and tough choices are already being made. In 2021 North Topsail Beach, which is facing serious erosion woes at the town’s northern end, opted out of a federal beach nourishment project with neighboring Topsail Island town Surf City due to concerns about meeting the cost-sharing requirements. Farther up the coast, Rodanthe on the Outer Banks is a small, unincorporated Dare County community that has some of the highest annual beach erosion rates in North Carolina. That constant pounding of the Atlantic has seen 10 oceanfront homes topple into the ocean in the past four years. But county officials have told residents they simply don’t have the money to fund a nourishment project for the community, especially as they are already paying for other large beach projects along the Outer Banks. They said a one-time beach nourishment for Rodanthe could cost as much as $40 million, and maintaining the village’s beach over 30 years, where sand is washing away upwards of 20 feet a year in places, would cost more than $175 million. Besides room-tax proceeds, many coastal communities dedicate a portion of their property taxes to help fund beach-related project. But most beach towns are pretty small, and the cost of beach nourishment projects isn’t − and have been increasing in recent years. The upcoming Pleasure Island project, for example, had an estimated cost of just under $20 million. But the only bid for the work the corps received came in at $37.5 million, forcing a year-delay to the work until a lower bid could be secured. That’s left many beach towns looking to Raleigh for help. Surf City recently completed a nearly $20 million beach nourishment project, using sand from Banks Channel, which was largely funded with a $14.5 million state grant. Oak Island also is looking at a large-scale, end-to-end nourishment project that will cost at least $40 million, with a state grant projected to pick up about half the cost.But grants are only good for a single dredging contract, and beach nourishment needs to take place every few years to really be effective. And with the state struggling to pay for Tropical Storm Helene relief and recovery efforts, especially with federal support getting cut, pumping sand might not be a priority in Raleigh for much longer. The hollowing out of the Federal Emergency Management Agency by the Trump administration also could hit some coastal towns hard since FEMA often pays to rebuild eroded beaches if the initial placement of sand were paid for by the local community. But with FEMA all but getting out of the disaster-relief business, that funding source also could soon dry up for beach towns.
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Amidst FEMA staff cuts, worries grow about summer hurricane, tornado seasons
The Trump administration wants to rethink FEMA’s role in disasters. So far it’s mostly ’caused a lot of confusion.’
Federal Emergency Management Agency employees are trained to respond to disasters but have struggled this spring with the situation unfolding at their agency. While they’ve been deployed to wildfires in Los Angeles, flooding along the Kentucky River and throughout the southeast in response to Hurricane Helene, FEMA workers have watched a roiling turmoil of staff cuts, slashed budgets and threats to dismantle their agency. They’re fielding difficult questions from friends, co-workers and disaster victims about what the future holds. “It’s caused a lot of confusion,” said Michael Coen, a FEMA veteran of more than 15 years who left his position as chief of staff on Inauguration Day. At least 2,000 of the agency’s roughly 6,100 full-time employees have either left or plan to leave under the waves of terminations and voluntary retirements ordered by Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency, Coen told USA TODAY. That doesn’t include a reduction in force expected to take place in the federal government in the coming weeks. President Donald Trump also has launched an agency review and cut funds for some FEMA grant programs, outraging officials in states where those funds already had been committed. The controversy taps into a long-running debate over the role of states and the federal government in disaster response. It’s hard to find a public official who doesn’t think the way the nation responds to disasters could be improved, but the 30% cut in its full-time staff raises concerns about whether FEMA will be able to respond to major disasters during the approaching summer storm season that could bring hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires. Jay Inslee, whose term as the Democratic governor of Washington State ended in January, is among those gravely concerned about FEMA’s ability to respond. “Gutting FEMA is just going to make more and more families have to be living under blue tarps for years, and not to have the financial assistance they deserve when they pay their taxes,” Inslee said. “I’m outraged on their behalf.”

States can’t go it alone, workers are worn out
Major disasters require federal resources, and state and local governments cannot cope on their own, said Shana Udvardy, senior climate resilience policy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists “With the summer danger season of extreme weather, including climate-fueled disasters, getting underway soon, these attacks on FEMA could not come at a worse time,” Udvardy said. “Congress must push back assertively on these egregious plans in a bipartisan way “’ disasters do not discriminate based on politics.” When enormous natural disasters befall communities, especially small ones, they just don’t have the local resources, Inslee said. “It’s basically everybody pitching in together from the county to the Red Cross to the state, to the federal government.” FEMA’s remaining full-time employees, even those who work at headquarters and don’t typically deploy, have been warned to be ready to deploy to disasters this summer. The agency has been short-staffed for years, federal documents show. The staff flexes up and down as the need arises, with roughly 12,000 employees who respond as reservists or local temporary hires. Among the cuts this year to the permanent employees were 200 probationary staff, dismissed because they had been either recently hired or recently promoted. Coen said another 800 took the “fork-in-the-road” plan that placed employees on administrative leave with pay until the end of the summer, when they’d lose their jobs. “A lot of people with the agency were just exhausted,” he said. “Last year was a very challenging year for FEMA employees with all the disasters that took place, plus all the (Hurricane) Helene misinformation.” In the aftermath of Helene, some FEMA officials found their personal information had been made public on the web, and some were threatened. The inauguration opened a new chapter. Trump had been critical of FEMA during the campaign, and his first official trip was to visit the Helene disaster zone in western North Carolina, where he said the administration was “very disappointed” in FEMA. After information was leaked from one early meeting with the new FEMA officials, at least a dozen staff members were asked to submit to lie detector tests, Coen said. Employees are afraid to talk, even to former colleagues, because they’re afraid they might be subjected to a lie detector, Coen said. “If the head of the agency isn’t even respected by the Secretary’s office, if he’s being subjected to a lie detector test, you know, why would I stay here?” Even some of the younger staff are thinking, “I don’t need this anxiety,” he said.

FEMA’s role in disaster response
FEMA responds to every major natural disaster, assessing damage and providing assistance under pre-established guidelines and state agreements. In Washington State, “FEMA has been a tremendous, absolutely essential partner,” Inslee said. “From a boots-on-the-ground perspective, FEMA has been incredibly valuable.” In recent years, FEMA has seen an enormous increase in the number of disasters that require a response. That’s, in part, because the number of extreme weather events is rising, with more intense rainfall and larger wildfires brought on by climate change, Inslee said. That’s backed up by numerous federal reports. The scope and complexity of disasters are also growing because more people live in vulnerable areas, where they’re more exposed to storms and fires. In the current fiscal year, the agency carries financial obligations for 30 major disasters, dating back to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to its February 2025 monthly report. Its actual and estimated total obligations for those disasters are around $57 billion. Its budget authority for this year was $33 million.

FEMA’s reputation problems
The agency’s reputation has struggled in part because FEMA meets people when they are likely to be at their lowest, most desperate point, and, in part, because its mission is often misunderstood, Coen said. FEMA is supposed to function primarily as a backstop for people who don’t have insurance. It covers uninsured losses, so if you have homeowners insurance, “you’re probably not going to be eligible,” he said. “That frustrates people who feel like they did everything right.” Victims often expect FEMA to be there first, even though the agency must wait to be requested by state government. That message is often hammered home by emergency management officials, who remind residents to store enough supplies for five to seven days after a disaster. The agency’s mission has evolved and it walks a tightrope at times between trying to battle fraud and not attach so many rules that money can’t get where it needs to. State and local officials often refer to the recovery phase as the “disaster after the disaster.” A General Accounting Office Report in 2022 made numerous suggestions for addressing “red tape” in disaster recovery. Coen said a prime example of the misunderstandings is the frustration from states where the Trump administration recently denied claims for disaster assistance and denied extensions of certain assistance in others. “I’m personally not critical of that,” he said. When the federal government takes the bulk of the financial responsibility, it often slows down recovery, he said, adding that when new bridges or other infrastructures are complete, other officials and organizations sometimes take credit and forget to acknowledge FEMA’s role.

What happens next with FEMA?
By executive order on Jan. 24, Trump ordered a “full-scale review” of FEMA. Federal responses to Helene and other disasters “demonstrate the need to drastically improve” the agency’s efficiency, priorities and competence, his executive order stated. Appointees to the review council, announced April 28, will be tasked with taking a sweeping look at everything from disaster aid during periods before and after FEMA, the traditional role of states and citizens in securing life, liberty and property and how FEMA could serve as a support agency if the states were in control of disaster relief. They’re expected to make recommendations to Trump for improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience. Members include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Florida’s emergency management chief Kevin Guthrie and Tampa, Florida, Mayor Jane Castor. Noem already has stated she wants to eliminate FEMA.On Truth Social, Trump posted: “I know that the new Members will work hard to fix a terribly broken System and return power to State Emergency Managers.” Udvardy, with the Union of Concerned Scientists, is among many who agree there’s room for reform at the federal agency. Genuine reforms, she said, “should be informed by science, expertise, and the experiences of disaster survivors.” Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. The start of the Atlantic hurricane season is just a month away.
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States and Cities Fear a Disaster Season Full of Unknowns Amid Federal Cuts
President Trump’s efforts to downsize the government threaten essential functions that Americans have come to rely on before, during and after natural disasters. States and cities along “‹the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are “‹heading into hurricane season“‹ with an extraordinary level of uncertainty, unable to “‹g“‹auge how significant cuts at vital federal agencies will affect weather forecasts, emergency response and long-term recovery. They are bracing for the likelihood that fewer meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will lead to less accurate forecasts, and that the loss of experienced managers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency will lead to less coordination and more inaction. Governors and mayors are also anticipating less financial aid, as the Trump administration shifts the burden of response and recovery away from the federal government. Exactly who will pay for what moving forward is a gaping question as disasters become bigger and costlier. “There’s no plan in writing for how FEMA intends to respond during this disaster season,” said Trina Sheets, the executive director of the National Emergency Management Association, which represents state emergency managers. “Things seem to be changing on a daily basis. But there’s no road map for states to follow or to be able to plan for.” The Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting initiative led by Elon Musk, has left agencies that would normally be preparing for a run of extreme weather at this point in the year trying instead to find their footing after leadership changes and staffing cuts. FEMA has lost about a quarter of its full-time staff, including one-fifth of the coordinating officers who manage responses to large-scale disasters, according to a former senior official. Many of those employees made their own decision to leave. NOAA has lost about one-fifth of its staff, including hundreds of people from the National Weather Service. The thought of a shrunken FEMA – or eliminating the agency altogether, which President Trump has raised – is unnerving coastal residents like Trasi Sharp, of Sanibel Island, Fla. Her business, Over Easy Cafe, was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. “To just get rid of it with no plan is frightening,” Ms. Sharp said of the agency. It took her 18 months to rebuild, and then she lost $60,000 worth of equipment in Hurricane Milton last year, after the low-lying restaurant took on two-and-a-half feet of water. She did not receive FEMA assistance to repair her restaurant or her home, but she said the agency’s debris removal services were essential to the island’s recovery. “It’s just such a confusing time,” she added. “We’re all on pins and needles this season.” The agency did not respond to requests for comment before this story was published online. In an email after publication, a spokesperson for FEMA said that it was “shifting from a bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens.” Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, whose department includes FEMA, said on Tuesday that the agency was prepared for hurricane season, which extends from June through November. Some of the other federal agencies involved in disaster response agreed, in responses to emailed questions. But the Army Corps of Engineers, which is often called on to help communities after storms, acknowledged that it did not know “the full impact that staff departures or other reductions will have.” The unknowns extend beyond hurricanes. States and cities in the West, going into peak wildfire season, say they are concerned about how much they will be able to lean on the federal government after the Trump administration reduced the ranks of United States Forest Service personnel who support frontline firefighters. The domino effect may be that more local firefighters are deployed to help other jurisdictions fight wildfires sooner and for longer – leaving fewer available back at home, Chief Leonard Johnson of the McLane Black Lake Fire Department near Olympia, Wash., said in a news conference this month. Several state officials in the West said all the uncertainty affirmed their decision to devote more resources to their own firefighting efforts in recent years. “We have made the effort to try to take our fate back,” said Stan Hilkey, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety. There is no historical comparison since no other administration has made such deep cuts to FEMA or other disaster-response agencies. In the recent past, the nightmare scenario came in 2017, when FEMA struggled to respond to three devastating hurricanes in quick succession – Harvey, Irma and Maria – as well as widespread wildfires in California. The agency came close to running out of staff to deploy. At the start of that year’s hurricane season, FEMA had 6,588 trained staff members available to deploy to disasters, according to agency records. As of Wednesday, it had 1,952. States with robust budgets and considerable experience with disasters, such as Texas and Florida, may be better suited to working with less federal help than less affluent, more rural states that have fewer funds to tap into. Climate change has not only made extreme weather more frequent and deadlier, but also more likely to hit where it rarely did before. Even some who believe that FEMA needs an overhaul have acknowledged that the speed and volume of the changes could make this disaster season bumpy. “We’re going to be massively transforming the response system while that response system has to be effectively responding,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, a Republican, said on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of a Trump-appointed council that will make recommendations on FEMA’s future. Few question the need for improvements to the nation’s disjointed disaster response system, especially when it comes to long-term recovery. FEMA employees say they are often buried in months of paperwork. States and cities may submit a rebuilding proposal, only to find themselves caught in a lengthy back-and-forth after FEMA underestimates its price tag. Disaster victims often complain that FEMA takes too long, and offers too little, to be of real help. “They need to be revamped,” said Karen Small, 54, whose elevated home on Sanibel Island suffered damage during Hurricane Ian. That storm caused more deaths in Florida than any in almost 90 years. After her property insurance payout fell short, Ms. Small turned to FEMA to help cover some of her repairs. Agency officials insisted on meeting in person four times to review her application, while she was staying more than three hours away. In the end, she received $700, the standard amount that FEMA offers disaster victims. “That $700 covered my gas just to meet them,” she said. “It was almost an insult.” Yet few can fathom disaster recovery without the federal government. “My God where would this community be without FEMA?” said Nic Hunter, the outgoing mayor of Lake Charles, near the Louisiana coastline, who steered the city through Hurricane Laura in 2020. His city alone claimed more than $200 million after that storm and Hurricane Delta that year, he said. Had the federal government not stepped in, the city would have had to raise taxes and cut back services to make up the difference. “By and large, my experience with FEMA has been a positive one,” he said. FEMA is weighing whether to make it more difficult for states to qualify for financial assistance, and whether to reimburse state and local governments at a lower rate. The Trump administration wants states and cities to bear the brunt of the response and cost, saying they can be quicker and more effective. One possibility is to give states block grants to disburse as needed. “He wants us to be there in a time of need, but he wants the response to be led by those who know best,” Ms. Noem told the advisory council on Tuesday. She asked members to think of a new name for the restructured agency. In previous administrations, both Republican and Democratic, new presidents had appointed permanent, Senate-confirmed administrators of FEMA by the onset of hurricane season. Mr. Trump has not. The administration pushed out Cameron Hamilton, its first acting head, after he told lawmakers this month that the agency should not be eliminated. He was replaced by David Richardson, who has no emergency management background and on his first full day told FEMA employees during a town hall that if any of them tried to get in his way, “I will run right over you.” On Wednesday, Mr. Richardson told employees that he was rescinding the agency’s previous strategic plan. He added that a new plan would be developed “this summer,” according to a copy of the memo reviewed by The New York Times. When Arkansas was struck by tornadoes in March, FEMA surprised the state by initially denying its request to help victims cover housing, rental and other expenses. The federal government approved the request this month after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican who served as press secretary during Mr. Trump’s first term, sent a personal appeal to the president. Mayor Cara Spencer of St. Louis pleaded for help after a tornado ripped through her city on Friday, killing at least five people and causing an estimated more than $1.6 billion in damage. “We’re going to run out of resources here pretty quickly,” she said in an interview, calling it a “classic” example of when the federal government needs to step in. Beyond concerns about funding, emergency managers fear that sharp cuts to federal weather forecasting may give them less precise information to make decisions on evacuations, shelters and positioning of aid materials. “Having an accurate forecast is one of the most critical pieces of information for effective warning and alerting of populations,” said David Merrick, who runs the emergency management and homeland security program at the Center for Disaster Risk Policy at Florida State University. NOAA did not respond to a request for comment. James Franklin, a meteorologist who retired in 2017 from the National Hurricane Center, which is part of the National Weather Service at NOAA, has seen administrations come and go and federal budgets grow and shrink. What is happening now, he said, is more alarming because it amounts to “hostility to gaining knowledge about how the atmosphere works and how to make forecasts better.” “We are largely giving up on the next 20 years of improvements that we could have had,” he said. “The best we can kind of hope for right now is that we stagnate in our abilities to keep people safe over the next couple of decades.”
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Beach Strand –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.As weather warms, nesting shorebirds and sea turtles join people heading to NC’s beaches
With people flocking to the coast, officials hope education and outreach can help efforts to share the sand with nesting birds and sea turtles.
As the weather warms, sun-seeking tourists aren’t the only ones drawn to North Carolina’s rich necklace of barrier islands along its 320 miles of coastline. If you’re visiting the beach this summer, there’s a good chance you’ll see wildlife mixed in with visitors and the occasional resident. But sharing valuable beach real estate with nesting shorebirds and sea turtles can be challenging. Mix in the loss of habitat on many islands to development, the growing risk from climate change, and the increased threat of disturbance tied to human activities, dogs and even predators and the odds are often stacked against the native fauna. The eggs and chicks of nesting shorebirds often blend in perfectly with the sand, making it easy for people or pets to accidentally step on them. Getting close to the nests or babies can be just as bad, scaring the parents off and leaving the eggs and chicks at the mercy of predators and the summer heat. That’s where groups like the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Audubon North Carolina come in to help level the playing field. Hundreds of signs ring the state’s coastal nesting sanctuaries from Currituck Sound in the north to Sunset Beach in the south, warning visitors to respect nesting areas. In some locations, including Wrightsville Beach, volunteers help reinforce that message. Hope Sutton, eastern wildlife diversity supervisor with the wildlife commission, said education and outreach efforts are some of the most powerful tools officials have to raise awareness about the birds’ requirements. “It’s a critical component, whether its students at Wrightsville Beach Elementary making cute signs to warn beachgoers to stay out of the refuge or adults learning about these birds through one of our outreach activities,” she said. “Our behavior patterns can really impact the chance of success many of these birds species have.” The helping hand comes as regulators worry about the future of some of the state’s shorebirds. North Carolina’s 2023 waterbird survey, which is conducted every three years and is a collaborative effort among government agencies and environmental groups, showed substantial dips in the numbers of many nesting shorebirds. Among wading birds, that list included cattle egrets, tricolored heron, little blue herons, snowy egrets and glossy ibis. Beach-nesting species showing substantial declines included the common tern, gull-billed tern, and Caspian tern. Another species that is in trouble is the black skimmer, with North Carolina’s populationdecreasing by half since 1999. Because skimmers nest directly on the open sand, they are especially vulnerable to disturbance and loss of nesting sites. But the survey wasn’t all bad news. Least tern numbers were found to be increasing, with many of the nests found on the beaches at the south end of Wrightsville Beach and on Lea-Hutaff Island in Pender County. Brown pelicans also are doing well, with 5,227 nests reported in 2023, well above the 15-year average of about 4,000 nests. Many of the shorebirds holding their own nest on spoil islands, like those in the Cape Fear River or Intracoastal Waterway, or on sections of protected natural areas like Masonboro Island that are hard to access. But climate change is an unknown variable that could add to the pressure many species face. On low-lying manmade dredge islands, for example, rising seas and stronger tropical storms tied to warming temperatures could increase erosion and over wash threats. “And the competition for sand is already tough and is likely to get worse in the coming decades,” Sutton said, referring to the limited nearshore sand resources and many coastal towns now seeking nourishment projects to boost their eroding beaches. A warming climate also could prompt some birds to nest sooner. Lindsay Addison, a coastal biologist with Audubon North Carolina, said learning to share the beach and knowing when to back away, such as when a shorebird starts acting irritated, can go a long way to help. “Anyone who has lived down here for a while knows that there are more and more people now, and sometimes it’s really hard to go anywhere along the coast and not run into a lot of people,” she said. “The birds also are experiencing that, and there are a lot of opportunities for people to disturb them and impact their survival. “But if we just keep our distance and take some other steps, like keeping our dogs on a leash during certain times, it can make a really huge difference.” Shorebird nesting season runs from March through mid-September.

Turtle time
Shorebirds aren’t the only ones looking to nest on area beaches. Peak sea turtle nesting season beginsMay 1and continues through the end of October.Most local beaches are monitored daily during sea turtle nesting season to look for evidence of nests, which are then monitored and protected if needed during the roughly two-month incubation period. While sea turtle nesting numbers have been showing increases in recent years, regulators and environmentalists warn the marine reptiles still face many threats − especially during the decades they navigate the oceans before females return to their birth beach to nest. While on the beach, threats dangers include holes dug in the sand and left by beachgoers, which can trap hatchlings after they emerge from the nest, and bright lights from homes and businesses that can distract nesting mothers and hatchlings and lead them away from the ocean.

Sharing the beach
Tips from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission on how to share the beach with nesting wildlife this summer:

      • Respect the boundaries of the roped-off nesting areas
      • Keep dogs on a leash
      • Follow beach driving regulations
      • Throw away trash properly, including fishing line and kite strings
      • Don’t feed sea gulls or least terns
      • Don’t fly drones or kites near nesting sites

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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Most rip current deaths are preventable. Yet people keep drowning.
Beach-safety experts are frustrated by the mounting fatalities despite awareness campaigns and improved forecasts
Rip-current deaths in the United States are running ahead of last year’s pace – at least 29 since the beginning of the year – with peak beach season yet to come. Experts are warning the public to be aware of this largely hidden hazard ahead of Memorial Day weekend, traditionally one of the busiest beach weekends of the year. The risk of dangerous rip currents is expected to be particularly high this weekend along portions of the Southeast coast where a storm could produce heavy rain, gusty winds and rough seas. Experts say most rip-current fatalities can be prevented. Still, the number of annual rip-current deaths has steadily climbed since the National Weather Service began tracking them in 2010, reaching a record of 130 in 2021, then dipping to 85 last year. Rip currents were the third-leading cause of weather-related deaths from 2012 to 2021, behind only heat and flooding, according to the Weather Service, and in a typical year they kill more people than lightning, hurricanes or tornadoes. Rip currents are strong, narrow streams of water that flow away from the shoreline and can suddenly sweep swimmers out to sea. They can form on almost any beach with breaking waves, especially near low spots or breaks in sandbars, and near jetties or piers. Predicting where and when a rip current will form is difficult because of the many weather and ocean factors involved. The Weather Service cautions that “rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.” The Weather Service lists 26 rip-current deaths this year through April 27, not including three deaths believed to be caused by rip currents on April 28 in Destin, Fla., May 6 in Ocean City, Md., and May 12 at Cannon Beach, Ore. At this point last year, there were 19 total such deaths. Beach-safety experts are expressing frustration as fatalities trend higher again this year despite annual awareness campaigns, such as the United States Lifesaving Association’s National Beach Safety Week held every year during the week before Memorial Day, and recent improvements to rip current forecasts. “It is frustrating when we produce videos and graphics and educational information and release it at the beginning of each beach season, and it still misses so many people,” Scott Stripling, a senior meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said in an email. “The problem seems to be one of communication and/or lack of attention by the general public.”
Rip-current forecasts and warning signs
The Weather Service issues daily rip-current forecasts for beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf Coast, Southern California, Great Lakes, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The forecasts categorize the rip-current risk as low, moderate or high, and are informed by a rip-current model recently developed by NOAA that has made it possible to differentiate the risk between adjacent beaches. Previously the same forecast could span 100 miles or more. However, the model doesn’t enable reliable forecasts of the exact location and time of rip currents. These are influenced by a number of factors including wave characteristics, water levels, winds and the shape of a beach. Advances in artificial intelligence could help with rip-current detection – NOAA is partnering with the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association on a project using AI to detect rip currents in webcam imagery – but such efforts are still in their infancy. In some cases, there are visible clues to the existence of a rip current, such as a break in the waves, foamy water or objects being carried offshore, or darker water that is due to a break in a sandbar. Often, though, rip currents are difficult to see, or are best seen from a high point such as a dune line or the top of a beach access. Rip currents are particularly hard to spot in South Florida, where, the Weather Service says, they “consistently rank at or near the top of the list of deadliest weather-related hazards,” because there is not much sediment to darken or muddy the current at the shoreline. In Brevard County alone, home to nearly 72 miles of sandy beaches, there have been eight apparent rip-current drownings since November, all at beaches without lifeguards. “We have clear-water rips, so these offshore-flowing currents are very hard to detect,” Stephen Leatherman, a professor in the department of earth and environment at Florida International University, said in an email. “The best thing is to have lifeguards and for people to swim close to lifeguards. But lifeguards are very expensive, and Florida has 825 miles of good quality sandy beaches which are swimmable for most of the year.”
Warnings and tips for surviving a rip current
Rip currents flow at speeds up to 5 miles per hour. That may not sound fast, but it’s faster than many Olympic swimmers. If you are caught in a rip current, experts say not to swim directly back to shore against the current, which can quickly exhaust and drown you. Instead, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, which is typically no wider than about 50 to 100 feet. You might also escape by floating or treading water, allowing the current to take you out just past the breaking waves where many rip currents tend to dissipate, and then circulate you back toward the shore. However, some rip currents can extend hundreds of yards offshore. If you see someone caught in a rip current, experts urge you not to risk your own life to attempt a swimming rescue unless you have been trained to do so and have a flotation device to assist you and the person in distress. Instead, you should get help from a lifeguard or call 911 if no lifeguard is present. You should also throw the victim something that floats, such as a lifejacket, body board, cooler or a ball, and yell instructions on how to escape. Experts agree that the best way to survive a rip current is to avoid it in the first place. That means checking the rip-current forecast before you enter the water, heeding warnings for rip currents or rough surf, and only swimming close to a lifeguard. The United States Lifesaving Association estimates the chance of someone’s drowning at a beach with a lifeguard at 1 in 18 million. “Lifeguards are trained to spot rip currents and other beach hazards and intervene as and when needed,” Chris Houser, a professor at the University of Windsor School of Environment and a longtime beach-safety researcher, said in an email. “While there is some evidence that individual beach users can be trained to spot rips, most beach users are not aware of what to look for.” U.S. lifeguards make an estimated 80,000 or more rip-current rescues each year, which suggests that education and warning messages are not reaching or are not resonating with as many people as experts would like. “If the lifeguards are flying precautionary flags, and there are signs on the lifeguard stand identifying the potential for rips in that area, and the National Weather Service and media have advertised that there is at least a moderate risk for rip currents to be present at your local beach, what else can we do?” the Weather Service’s Stripling said.
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

 

 

Jellyfish Guide

 

 

 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Staying safe at the beach: Rip currents, jellyfish, sharks, and other hazards
A trip to the beach can turn deadly (or painful) due to natural hazards but being aware of risks and mitigating hazards is a good way to prevent problems.
Picture this: warm weather, blue skies, and your toes in the sand – it sounds like a perfect lazy summer day at the beach. Maybe you decide to cool down in the ocean and find yourself bobbing around when suddenly you realize you are a little too far out. As panic sinks in and you start to swim towards dry land you realize your efforts are in vain and your whole body is getting tired, all the while you are drifting further into the Atlantic – you have gotten stuck in a rip current. It’s not the only potential danger in the ocean, though. There are also sharks. And, of course, there are some things on shore that ruin your day at the beach, too, including stepping on jellyfish and, of course, good old-fashionedsunburn.

Rip currents
According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association (USLA), 80 percent of all ocean rescues are related to rip currents and annually more than 100 fatalities across the country are due to rip currents. While it is obvious that swimming at a beach with lifeguards is one of the safer options, there are plenty of area beaches that lack lifeguards or maybe ocean rescue season has not started just yet. So, what is the best course of action for surviving a rip current? According to the National Weather Service, there are several things swimmers should keep in mind when dealing with these often-unseen dangers.

    • Relax. Rip currents don’t pull you under.
    • A rip current is a natural treadmill that travels an average speed of 1-2 feet per second but has been measured as fast as 8 feet per second – faster than an Olympic swimmer. Trying to swim against a rip current will only use up your energy; energy you need to survive and escape the rip current.
    • Do NOT try to swim directly into to shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current’s pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
    • If you feel you can’t reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help. Remember: If in doubt, don’t go out!
    • If at all possible, only swim at beaches with lifeguards.
    • If you choose to swim on beaches without a lifeguard, never swim alone. Take a friend and have that person take a cell phone so he or she can call 911 for help.

Sharks
Sharks are a fear on most every swimmer’s mind, regardless of the actual dangers posed by the large predatory fish. “NOAA states that while shark attacks are rare, they are most likely to occur near shore, typically inshore of a sandbar or between sandbars where sharks can be trapped by low tide, and near steep drop-offs where sharks’ prey gather. While the risks are small, it’s important to be aware of how to avoid an attack,” according to previous reporting.

Suggestions from NOAA for reducing the risk of a shark attack include:

    • Don’t swim too far from shore.
    • Stay in groups – sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.
    • Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight when sharks are most active.
    • Don’t go in the water if bleeding from a wound – sharks have a very acute sense ofsmell.
    • Leave the shiny jewelry at home – the reflected light resembles fish scales.
    • Avoid brightly-colored swimwear – sharks see contrast particularly well.

Sunburns
Most everyone has experienced a sunburn at one point in their life and while not often thought as a major concern for many, overexposure to UV light can cause serious long-term problems including skin cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using at least S.P.F. 15 sunscreen at least 15 minutes prior to sun exposure. Wearing a hat, long sleeves, and other protective clothing is also recommended to keep skin protected.

Jellyfish
Jellyfish and Portuguese Man of War have been spotted along the beaches of New Hanover County and surrounding area beaches already this season and the little floating creatures can pack a punch. Often times beachgoers will spot them washed up on shore and other times they can be spotted in the water, but it is best to avoid them when you can. “While all jellyfish sting, not all contain poison that hurts humans. Be careful of jellies that wash up on shore, as some can still sting if tentacles are wet. NOAA recommends that if you are stung by a jellyfish to first seek a lifeguard to give first aid. If no lifeguards are present, wash the wound with vinegar or rubbing alcohol,” NOAA suggests. And what about that … other method of treating stings? Turns out, it’s a myth. In fact, urine can actually aggravate the stinging cells of jellyfish, making things worse. These cells, which detach and stick into the skin of prey, can continue to inject venom. Urine, as well as fresh water, can cause an imbalance to the salt solution surrounding the stinging cells, causing them to continue to fire. According to Scientific American, if you don’t have vinegar or rubbing alcohol, rinsing with salt water may be your best bet.
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Beachcombing Guide

 

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 ofemergency.

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
For more information » click here.

 

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

 

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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 March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.

Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on September 30, 2025.

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GenX
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Homeowners Insurance
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Brunswick and New Hanover ranked among NC’s most insurance-stressed counties
A new report on North Carolina’s home insurance ranks both New Hanover and Brunswick counties among the top five most at-risk counties in the state. A Raleigh-based independent insurance agency, Guardian Service, ranked both counties within the top five most at-risk counties in the state where high climate risk and insurance market stress are colliding. Guardian Service researchers analyzed around 90 North Carolina counties using data from a mix of federal, state and proprietary sources. The research team examined climate risk, insurance costs, historical trends and homeowner strain. The report estimates coastal counties such as Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender are expected to see some of the biggest increases in home insurance premiums in the next year.

Here’s how climate-related risks are expected to impact home insurance rates in the Cape Fear region.

New Hanover ranked first in climate and insurance pressures
Guardian Service ranked New Hanover County as the county with the most climate and insurance pressure in the state. In 16 of the studied counties, current average home insurance premium costs exceed $4,000. However, New Hanover County had the highest average cost of $6,631, the report states. Carteret and Dare counties follow suit with average insurance premium cost also above $6,000. According to the report, home insurance premium costs in New Hanover County by 2026 are expected to rise by more than $1,400, pushing the average annual cost of home insurance premiums around $8,000. Reasons for New Hanover County’s high climate and insurance vulnerability, per the report, include a 36% paid loss ratio and insurance claims averaging more than $17,000 each. Paid loss ratio is the percentage of premiums that insurance companies pay back to homeowners in claims, Guardian Service spokesperson Dayna Edens said.

Brunswick County home insurance premiums skyrocket
Brunswick County was the fourth most climate and insurance pressure-burdened counties in the report. The county also ranked fourth in having one of the highest insurance claim severity changes between 2018-2022. “Claim severity has grown by 33% statewide,” the report states. The report reveals that Brunswick County jumped from having a $7,800 average in home insurance claim in 2018 to nearly a $20,500 average in 2022. That’s a 162.4% increase in only five years – higher than both New Hanover and Pender counties. Edens said the average cost of a Brunswick County home insurance policy in 2025 is $4,813, based on a $350,000 dwelling coverage. “That figure is projected to rise to $5,865 in 2026, based on already-approved rate filings,” said Edens. From 2018-2022, the rate at which insurers chose not to renew policies decreased by 1.9% and the average rate of claims filed per policy also decreased by 4.9% since 2018, Edens said. Edens explained that the paid loss ratio in Brunswick County is 26%. “That number can reflect how much weather-related damage or other losses are occurring in the area,” Edens said.

Pender County could also see higher insurance rise
Pender County ranked 13th for climate and insurance pressure-burdened counties in the report. The county also ranked sixth in high claim severity changes from 2018-2022. The report shows Pender County had a 120.5% jump in insurance claim severity between 2018 and 2022. This hike was a nearly $10,000 swell over five years and was 0.3% higher than New Hanover County’s increase. Out of the three counties, New Hanover is expected to have the smallest bump in home insurance premium policy costs in the next year. Guardian Services anticipates the New Hanover County home insurance premium average to increase $999 by 2026.
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Hurricane Season
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30

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Hurricane Season Outlook Update:
Colorado State University Projects 12 More Storms, Including 8 Hurricanes
Hurricane season still has a long way to go before it ends in November. Here’s a look at how many additional storms are expected.
Atlantic hurricane season has just entered what’s historically been its busiest and most damaging stretch, and the final outlook just issued by Colorado State University is giving a glimpse of what to expect in the coming months.

Updated Outlook By The Numbers

    • Led by Phil Klotzbach, CSU’s tropical meteorology project team is forecasting 16 total named storms, including the four that have already formed this season: Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter.
    • That means 12 additional storms are predicted through the rest of summer and fall, with 8 of them expected to intensify into hurricanes. CSU says 3 of those hurricanes could become Category 3 or stronger, or so-called major hurricanes.
    • The number of tropical storms predicted and hurricanes predicted is the same as the July outlook, which is when numbers were dropped by one each compared to earlier outlooks from June and April.
    • The new outlook remains slightly above the 30-year average number for both hurricanes and storms, but below the tally of 18 storms, 11 hurricanes and five Category 3-plus hurricanes in 2024. CSU added that confidence in the August forecast is lower-than-normal.

The Season So Far

    • The number of named storms this season has been a bit above the average pace. Tropical Storm Dexter formed on Aug. 3, which is 12 days ahead of when the average fourth storm has historically arrived, based on the 1991-2020 average.
    • However, by another metric called the ACE Index the season’s activity was just 24% of the average to date as of Aug. 5, according to CSU. Instead of just tallying up the number of storms, the index sums up how long storms last and how strong they become. Since this season’s storms have been short-lived and weak, the ACE index is trailing well behind pace for now.
    • Despite the weak nature of this year’s storms so far, they have been impactful. Tropical Storm Barry’s remnants played a partial role in fueling the deadly July Fourth Texas flood. Just two days later, Tropical Storm Chantal brought 4 to 12 inches of rain to North Carolina, triggering damaging, deadly floods in a narrow strip between Raleigh and Greensboro.

Forecast Factors Ahead

    • The primary reason for the slightly more active than average outlook is plenty of warm water fuel in the Atlantic to aid in the formation and strengthening of tropical storms and hurricanes. “Sea-surface temperatures in the eastern and central tropical Atlantic have anomalously warmed over the past few weeks and are now somewhat warmer than normal, although not as warm as they were last year at this time,” Klotzbach wrote.
    • Higher-than-average Caribbean wind shear observed in June and July is the top uncertain factor. This change in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere can be a hostile factor that tropical storms and hurricanes sometimes battle. The outlook said increased amounts of Caribbean wind shear in June and July have historically been correlated with less active hurricane seasons.
    • Another factor weighed in the forecast is the lack of El Niño conditions expected for the peak of the season. This warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean alters global wind patterns in a way that contributes to less active hurricane seasons. Instead, neutral conditions are in place, which means water temperature in the equatorial Pacific are near average. Neutral conditions have historically tipped the scales toward a more hospitable atmosphere for Atlantic tropical storms to form, although La Niña conditions (cooler equatorial Pacific waters) are usually most favorable.

Outlook Doesn’t Measure A Season’s Impacts

      • What this hurricane season outlook cannot tell you is whether or not your area will get struck this season and when that might happen.
      • A season with fewer storms or hurricanes can still deliver the one storm that makes a season destructive or devastating. In 1992, Andrew delivered a catastrophic Category 5 strike on South Florida in what would have been an otherwise forgettable season with just seven storms.
      • You can also see the opposite case. The 2010 season was very active, with 19 storms, 12 hurricanes and five Category 3-plus hurricanes. All 12 hurricanes missed the mainland U.S., although Hurricane Earl did pass near enough to produce storm surge flooding in North Carolina’s Outer Banks and downed trees and power lines in eastern Massachusetts.

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With hurricane season relatively quiet so far, forecasters warn storms are coming
While seemingly a quiet season so far, officials say things could quickly spin up with favorable ocean temperatures and conditions out there. The historical peak of hurricane season is mid-September
Tropical Storm Dexter? We hardly knew you. But Tropical Storm Chantal was a different story, especially for parts of central North Carolina. Still, the first few months of the 2025 hurricane season have been rather so-so, with some huffing and puffing from tropical waves forming in the Caribbean and Gulf, but not a lot of action from them when it comes to threatening the U.S. mainland. But as we prepare to move into the meat of hurricane season, when historically the tropics heat up just as water temperatures reach their apex, officials are warning residents − especially those along the coast − not to drop their guard. “Based on everything we see right now, it looks like the Atlantic is just heating up and it should stay active over the next couple months,” said Corey Davis, North Carolina’s assistant state climatologist. “The water across the basin is plenty warm enough for storms to form, and we’ve seen a couple of examples already of storms forming right along our coastline.”

What’s happened so far?
In the weeks before the June 1 start of hurricane season, forecasters almost unanimously predicted an above-average 2025 hurricane season due to relatively warm tropical Atlantic waters and neutral El Nino conditions − although one not as busy as the 2024 season. While impacts haven’t been too bad so far, and wind shear and sand from Africa have helped hinder storm development, that prediction has held. “With four named storms and still a month to go before the climatological season peak, it feels like we’re pretty much on schedule for that,” said Dr. Michael Mann, a meteorologist and scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. “But who knows what might still happen. Some of the climate predictions are calling for the development of La Niña conditions this fall, and if that happens we could see things ramp up further.”

What could happen in the coming weeks?
While slightly tweaked downward, updated seasonal forecasts issued recently by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center and Colorado State University are still calling for up to 18 named storms, with winds of 39 mph or greater, and 2-5 major hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger. “Many of the factors we identified ahead of the season are still at play, and conditions are largely tracking along with our May predictions,†said Matt Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction, in a release. Davis said the reason officials are maintaining their above-average predictions is due to several factors, including the warm waters in the Gulf and Caribbean that are near last year’s bath tub-like levels. Tropical Storm Helene formed in the Gulf last year thanks to the steaming water temperatures and carried all that moisture and strength hundreds of miles inland, pummeling parts of Georgia, Western N.C., and Tennessee. “That warm water also increases the risk of rapid intensification, and that will become even more of a threat as we near the peak of the season in September, when the water is warmest,” Davis said.

When is the historic height of hurricane season?
According to the National Hurricane Center, the most active time for tropical storm activity is around Sept. 10, although peak season is generally seen as running from mid-August through mid-October. Among the notable storms that have hit the Wilmington area during that window include Hurricanes Bonnie on Aug. 26, 1998; Fran on Sept. 5, 1996; Florence on Sept. 14, 2018; Floyd on Sept. 16, 1999; Matthew on Oct. 8, 2016; and Hazel on Oct. 15, 1954. But Davis said in recent times it hasn’t been hurricanes that have caused the most pain and suffering in the Tar Heel State. While it’s been five years since a hurricane made landfall in North Carolina, with Isaias hitting Brunswick County in early August 2020, the state has been hammered by recent storm systems − fueled by climate change, experts say − that brought intense precipitation and deadly consequences to both ends of the state. Along with Helene out west, that included the no-name storm last September that surprised officials with its intensity and swamped Pleasure Island in New Hanover County and much of Brunswick County. Davis said it’s those storms, and not just the ones that grab all the headlines and online focus, that folks also should prepare for, especially with the state’s long-standing problems in many areas of handling even moderate rain events. “It’s a good reminder that people don’t need to wait to hear that ‘hurricane’ buzzword to start preparing for impacts, especially heavy rain and flooding,” he said.
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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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Have politics and changing energy policies sunk Brunswick’s proposed offshore wind farms?
A move away from clean energy in Washington and Raleigh could make it more difficult for N.C.’s large, expensive offshore wind projects to get built.
Call it a state of suspended animation. A mix of politics, changing national energy priorities, a lack of regulatory direction, and industry nervousness has all but frozen progress on a handful of wind farms that were under development off the North Carolina coast, including two roughly 20 miles south of the Brunswick County shoreline. But does that mean the state, and the U.S. as a whole, is out of the offshore wind game even as they continue to increasingly sprout in waters around Europe, China and South Asia? Not necessarily, experts say. But until there’s more political support for the renewable energy source, they admit it’s going to be hard to convince companies to make the massive investments it takes to get the still-nascent industry in the U.S. really up and running.

What’s planned for Brunswick County?
In 2022, TotalEnergies Renewables USA and a Duke Energy subsidiary paid the federal government a combined $315 million to lease nearly 140 miles of ocean off Brunswick County for a pair of huge wind farms. If fully developed, which would occur sometime in the early 2030s, the wind farms could produce enough power to supply 750,000 homes. The pair of wind farms proposed for Long Bay will join another offshore wind farm, now also split into two parts, planned for waters roughly 27 miles off Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. That project is farther along than the Southeastern N.C. wind projects.

Why look to offshore wind for power?
Offshore wind is seen by clean energy advocates as a key component in helping governments de-carbonize their energy grids by reducing their reliance on dirty, greenhouse gas-spewing power sources like coal and natural gas. While embraced by clean energy advocates, offshore wind farms have their critics − including notably President Donald Trump. The projects also are very capital intensive to build, although those costs drop dramatically once the turbines are up and running. Some coastal residents are also worried that the giant windmills will damage their ocean “viewscapes,” although officials have said the Brunswick turbines will be next to invisible from the county’s south-facing beaches.

What is the situation today?
When many of the offshore wind farms for the East Coast were proposed, President Joe Biden was in office and pushing green energy as a way to fight climate change was a government priority. To help jump start the industry, the Biden administration simplified and speeded up the permit process and, crucially, provided tax breaks and other incentives for the projects, notably in the massive 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Trump has all but ended those perks for offshore wind, although a handful of projects mostly in the Northeast are still moving forward. His administration also has slow-walked issuing new permits for projects and, in some cases, begun a review of previously approved offshore wind farms to see if they were adequately vetted. But the biggest hit occurred recently with Congress approving Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that removed almost all of the federal financial incentives for renewable energy like wind and solar in favor of giving breaks to more traditional, fossil fuel-driven sources like oil, coal and natural gas.

State mandates and goals
While federal support for offshore wind projects has all but evaporated over the past six months, many states have goals of incorporating more and more energy from renewable sources into their power sectors to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. That includes North Carolina, where carbon emissions from the power sector are the state’s second largest source of heat-trapping gasses after transportation. Current state law requires the state’s utilities, which largely means Duke Energy, to reduce its 2005 level of carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 − although that goal has been pushed back to 2035 − and become carbon-neutral by 2050. Duke has proposed to meet those goals by incorporating solar, land and offshore-based wind farms, more nuclear and maybe even hydrogen into its future energy grid as it retires its older, dirty coal-fired power plants. The latest version of the company’s carbon plan calls for including up to 2,400 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind in its energy portfolio by 2035. But Senate Bill 266 in Raleigh that has passed the Republican-run General Assembly, but been vetoed by Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, would eliminate the 2030-35 interim carbon reduction goal while keeping in place the longer-term goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. Legislators are likely to consider overriding the governor’s veto when they reconvene later this summer. Supporters say the bill will save customers money by keeping utility bills from rising too quickly and offer Duke flexibility in meeting rising electricity demand from a growing population and power-hungry businesses, like data centers. But environmentalists and clean energy advocates say the move, which mirrors some of the climate change rollbacks implemented by the Trump administration, would be short-sighted and slow down the state’s transition to sources of clean energy − especially capital-intensive projects like offshore wind farms. “You really need that interim carbon target to make sure we are taking steps now to put as many renewables on the grid as possible in the short term, otherwise we won’t see any real movement until decades from now, and by then it’s going to be too late,”  said Katharine Kollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for wind energy development in the Southeastern U.S.

Future of the Brunswick offshore wind farms
With the projects still young in the development stage, not a lot has changed. Among the work that is going on is a Duke-led study, due this summer, into the financial feasibility of offshore wind ordered by the N.C. Utilities Commission. “We still have a long-term horizon before we see any steel in the water,” Collins said. That gives plenty of time for maybe a change of focus in Washington and Raleigh back toward a more green energy friendly view − or even moves to show continued support for the green energy path the states have been on. But even the most optimistic clean energy supporters know the clock is ticking. “There is a lot states can do even with federal permitting and financial support paused,” Kollins said. “It really is in the hands of the states right now as to where things go and if we do move forward, especially in North Carolina.”
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Duke Energy scraps wind projects off NC coast, including Brunswick County. Here’s why.
The decision is another blow to the state’s nascent offshore wind sector that has been facing serious economic and political headwinds in Washington and Raleigh recently
In a move sure to draw blowback from clean energy advocates, Duke Energy says it won’t pursue any wind farms off the N.C. coast − including two wind-to-energy areas just south of Brunswick County − in the coming years. The move was driven by financial considerations, the utility giant said this week. “The (acquisition request for information) process determined that offshore wind is not cost-competitive at this time, so no RFP will be issued – this decision is supported by the independent evaluator that oversaw the proceedings,” said Duke spokesperson Bill Norton. “Nonetheless, the evaluation process provided valuable project, cost and schedule data that will inform long-term planning assumptions for the Carolinas Resource Plan being filed later this year.†Offshore wind, along with solar, was seen by environmentalists and others as a key component of an ambitious plan by North Carolina officials to significantly reduce the state’s carbon footprint from the Tar Heel State’s energy sector, the second largest polluter of greenhouse gasses that fuel climate change after transportation. But since legislation hashed out by then-Gov. Roy Cooper, GOP legislative leaders and Duke in 2021 set goals of substantially reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and the state reaching carbon-neutral by 2050, the law has been steadily chipped away at by economic factors and changing political winds. First, the N.C. Utilities Commission agreed with Duke and others that the 2030 goal was unrealistic and should be pushed back to at least 2035. Second, a bill passed this summer over the veto of Gov. Josh Stein drops the interim carbon-reduction goal, but maintains the 2050 target, due to concerns over rising power bills and the reliability of some renewable energy sources under certain conditions. And finally, President Donald Trump has not hidden his disdain for renewable energy sources − and offshore wind in general. That has sent the sector into financial limbo as permitting for projects has been halted or placed under additional review and financing for the projects, which require a lot of upfront capital, has become increasingly hard to secure.

 ‘Not cost effective’
The decision announced this week by Duke to scrap any immediate plans for offshore wind comes out of an update last year to the Carolinas Resource Plan, commonly known as the carbon plan, which called for a review of the financial feasibility of possibly developing up to 2,400 megawatts of N.C. offshore wind power on one or more of three sites approved by the federal government. Two of those areas are about 20 miles south of Brunswick County and the other is roughly 27 miles off Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. The independent evaluator’s review, approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission, started in January and was filed with the commission Aug. 11. The report included several different financial scenarios, involving confidential pricing details, submitted by the three owners of the lease areas − Cingery, a nonregulated subsidiary of Duke Energy, and TotalEnergies off Brunswick County and Avangrid off Kitty Hawk. “Because all submissions exceeded the reference price, the companies determined through the (action request for information) that offshore wind generation is not cost effective relative to other available resources at this time such that undertaking a binding RFP to procure offshore wind would not be a reasonable step toward executing the least cost (combined carbon plan and integrated resource plan),” states the filing.

 So, is this the end of offshore wind in N.C.?
While obviously not a good sign for supporters of clean energy, this week’s announcement isn’t likely the end of offshore wind as a potential power source for North Carolina’s future power grid. While Duke officials said no further action will be taken on pursuing offshore wind in the near term, the information gathered through the economic report and other actions will be incorporated into future reviews of the carbon plan and help inform long-term planning considerations. The next proposed update to the carbon plan is to be submitted by Duke to the utilities commission in October. The alure of renewables as a way of building a greener power grid also isn’t going away, especially as economies of scale mean the cost of building wind and solar projects will continue to drop in the future and the impacts of climate change − from warmer summers and more intense rain events to stronger hurricanes and increased sea-level rise − continue to impact more and more parts of the globe. How Duke will replace the power generation that could have been produced by the offshore wind farms, whether through more natural gas plants or relying on emerging technologies like hydrogen or small modular nuclear reactors, also is a question that needs to be answered. But at least in the short term, it doesn’t look like offshore wind will be part of the answer to North Carolina’s future power needs.
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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.
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Will Chianti South Restaurant in Little River close down?
What we know so far
Chianti South, located at 2109 Highway 17, Little River, will close in 2024. General manager Joseph McDermott told The Sun News that a development company is in the final stages of purchasing the establishment. McDermott said the company is not interested in continuing a restaurant at the location. Chianti South will close down for January, as it typically does, but McDermott said he is unsure if it will reopen in February. If it reopens in February, it will close for good around July 2024. “So much is in the air,†McDermott said. “The current owner would like to reopen, and that’s what he’s shooting for.†A Facebook post from a patron on Dec. 23 said, “Celebratory last meal at Chianti South was Awesome. So many good meals & memories. Bittersweet…We are going to miss this place.†Looking at property records, the land the restaurant sits on has been owned by Vivian Vereen or various partnerships with that name from 2001 until this year. In August, ownership was transferred to Pearl Street LLC. There is little information about the LLC online. Chianti South, which opened the 1997, has a four-star rating or higher on Google, Yelp and TripAdvisor. Chianti will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is no longer accepting reservations for New Year’s Eve.
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Name:             Chianti South                                                                                                           Cuisine:          Italian
Location:       2109 Highway 17 South, Little River SC
Contact:         843.249.7888 / NA
Food:               Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:          Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:     Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $27        Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:           Two Stars
A great local classic authentic family professionally run Italian restaurant, serving traditional Italian cuisine. Broad based menu offers something for everyone. They also have an extensive wine list, which has earned Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence†every year since 1988. We have always enjoyed the dining experience there. I’ve never heard anything but good reviews about this restaurant. Serving some of the best Italian cuisine in the area, it’s as good as it gets here.
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Little River Italian restaurant preparing to re-open. Here’s when and where
An Italian restaurant in Little River that has been closed for a year has plans to reopen. Chianti South, located at 2109 Highway 17, is in the process of being spruced up inside and out for a re-opening in the coming months. The restaurant closed in 2024, after a development company bought the property and was no longer interested in continuing to run the restaurant there, The Sun News previously reported. The restaurant opened originally in 1997. Crews working on the restaurant have confirmed that it will re-open, and that parts of the building from the roof to the interior are being worked on. The improvement process is expected to last at least a few more months before the restaurant’s doors are open to customers again, those involved with the project said. The company working on the re-opening project declined to comment with more information until it is closer to the restaurant’s opening date.
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Cloud 9
9 Estell Lee Pl
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401
910.726.9226
Rooftop Bar
https://cloud9ilm.com/

Enjoy panoramic views from the Cloud 9 rooftop bar which overlooks picturesque downtown Wilmington. This premier open-air rooftop venue is located on the Riverwalk in downtown Wilmington on the ninth floor of the Embassy Suites. The bar is open seven (7) days a week at 4:00 PM and is currently serving almost fifty (50) different brews on tap and in cans and more than 20 wine selections. They also offer live music Thursday through Saturday evenings throughout the summer months.This is a must visit the next time you are in Wilmington.

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

Book cover of 'The Wedding People' with a hand holding a bottle.THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach
Phoebe Stone a woman in the throes of a personal crisis arrives at an exclusive hotel in Newport, Rhode Island. She has fled her troubled life in St. Louis intending to end her life. Except when she arrives, she unexpectedly becomes involved in the chaos of a lavish wedding celebration. Forming a pivotal connection with the bride, Lila, leading her to choose life and begin a journey of healing and self-discovery.

That’s it for this newsletter

See you next month

Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

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                    • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
                    • Act as a watchdog
                    • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008

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