NC Shell Club members display their ‘Find of the Day’ items. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
In addition to a trip to Portsmouth Island to seek shell treasures, the North Carolina Shell Club will have two shell auctions during their spring meeting Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21, in the Community Center.
The club typically has its spring meeting on Ocracoke, and after shelling during the days, regroups for meetings in the evenings to which the public is invited.
The following activities are planned, and nonmembers are invited to attend:
Friday, March 20: 6 pm: Pizza social (optional) at the Ocracoke Community Center. $8 per person; drinks provided; RSVP required by March 12: Maria Lloyd, beachblessings108@gmail.com
6:30 pm: Registration and social greetings; view Silent Auction items.
7 pm: Club updates
7:40 pm: Guest speaker: Chester Lynn.An Ocracoke native and resident, Chester will share Ocracoke and Portsmouth stories (including Portsmouth Scotch-bonnet shelling). He is also an expert in the Ocracoke dialect and the fig trees that are common on Ocracoke and Portsmouth. The earliest record of Chester’s ancestors on Portsmouth was the 1790 census, and he can trace his lineage back to two of the men who sailed with Blackbeard.
Saturday, March 21: 8 am to 1 pm: Shelling trip to Portsmouth Island(weather permitting). Club members and their guests only. Cost TBD. Boat departure from the Park Service dock next to ferry landing will be announced at the Friday meeting. Do not have to sign up; first come-first served. Will collect fees at the dock when loading.
4:30 – 6:30 pm: Group Dinner (optional); Howard’s Pub; no host, each guest responsible for their meal.
6:30 pm: Registration and social at the Community Center
7 pm: Club updates and “Finds of the Day” announced
Hyde County EMS Chief Brook Cox sits in the Blackfly, an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. With her from left: Johnny Gibbs, Deputy Director of Emergency Management/Fire Marshal, Joey Williams, Hyde County Emergency Management Director and Sheriff Guire Cahoon.
By Connie Leinbach
Hyde County Emergency Services will soon be airborne in a first-in-the-nation trial program using an ultralight aircraft.
The Blackfly, an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing biplane, or eVTOL, made by Pivotal of Palo Alto, California, will arrive on the mainland on Saturday (March 14) for a two-month evaluation.
Hyde County EMS Chief Brook Cox presented the idea to the Hyde County commissioners at their February meeting.
A meet-and-greet with the EMS Department and the eVTOL, will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Hyde County airport, 470 Airport Road, Engelhard.
This battery-powered aircraft has four propellers on the front and four in the back and takes off and lands vertically, Cox explained during the presentation.
The 60-day trial period will be a “proof of concept” to determine if the plane is feasible as an additional tool for both for medical emergencies, search-and-rescue or other law enforcement needs by the sheriff’s department, which oversees the EMS department.
“It’s simple and light, and we want to be on the forefront,” Cox said. “This plane can go where you can only parachute. It is another tool to help people.”
The Hyde experiment is also a first for Pivotal as this aircraft until now has been used only by private citizens, according to the Pivotal website, which manufactures these ultralight aircraft.
The plane holds only one person, who, in Hyde’s case will be a paramedic trained to pilot the aircraft, and it will also hold a cardiac monitor and an oxygen unit, Cox said.
“(The aircraft is) basically to get someone stabilized until a vehicle can get there,” said Heidi Groshelle, Pivotal spokesperson. “Hyde County’s large, rural geography makes it an ideal real-world testbed for this new approach to emergency medical access.”
The aircraft has a range of 20 miles before it must be recharged, which takes about 75 minutes, she said. It needs a 100-foot by 100-foot area in which to land.
Hyde is partnering with Code Blue Resources of Wake Forest, a critical care training company, for three part-time paramedic pilots who will participate in the evaluation.
A screenshot of the Pivotal, repleat with the Hyde County EMS logo, that will arrive on Hyde County this weekend for a two-month evaluation.
Cox said in a later interview that having this aircraft to evaluate is a great opportunity.
Hyde County is a good test site because it is so vast and flat, and then there’s Ocracoke across the Pamlico Sound.
Wind gusts can help the plane fly, Cox said, and Groshelle said maximum wind for flight is 23 knots; for takeoff are nine knots; four knots for crosswinds and three knots for tailwinds. Maximum altitude is 200 to 400 feet.
“Creating this program with Hyde County and Code Blue Resources marks a definitive milestone for advanced air mobility. For the first time, eVTOL technology is being deployed to support active public safety operations,” said Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin in a press release. “The initial phase is designed to build the framework for sustained Airmobile Emergency Services response, and we expect it could deliver measurable life-saving benefits from the start.”
Groshelle said the aircraft’s price starts at $190,000 and goes up to $260,000, depending on what accessories, such as trailers, a customer wants.
Last year, Cox said, Hyde County EMS had 1,400 calls, averaging about three calls a day.
Their calls last a longer time because of the geographical size of the county and the time it takes to get to the nearest hospitals, which is in (little) Washington to the west or OBX Hospital to the east in Nags Head.
“Our people have to be at the top of their game,” she said about the EMTs’ skills.
Because of Hyde’s uniqueness, she wants to hire people who really care.
“In Hyde County, you’ve got to think outside the box,” she said. “There are different challenges here but we’re pretty special.”
This story was corrected from an earlier version as to the aircraft’s range, the time it takes to recharge the battery and the amount of space it needs in which to land.
Early spring visitors at the Ocracoke shore. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Monday, March 9: Ocracoke Alive: Spanish/English Coffee hour, 8:30 to 9:30 am. Ocracoke Library, and every Monday through March 23
Ocracoke Alive: Envisioning the future of Ocracoke, the first of eight discussion-based, creative workshops about the island’s long-term future, with Hannah Aronson, a master of city planning student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will facilitate the sessions that will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays; also March17 and 23, in the Deepwater Theater.
Ocracoke Alive: ESL English/Spanish, 7 pm. Ocracoke Community Library
Tuesday, March 10: Ocracoke Alive: Decorating cookies with Debbie Leonard OUMC Rec hall. 6 pm.
Ocracoke Alive: Yoga in Spanish, 7:30 pm. Deepwater Theater.
Wednesday, March 11: Ocracoke Alive: Yoga in Spanish with Sarah Shellow, 8:30 to 9:30 am. Deepwater Theater.
Ocracoke Alive: Pastels with Dan Curry (Session 1), 6 pm. Deepwater Theater
Thursday, March 12: Ocracoke Alive: 9:30am – 10:30am. Ukulele/Guitar with Lou Castro. Deepwater Theater.
Ocracoke Alive: Latin cardio dance class with Arturo. 6 pm. Community Center.
Ocracoke Alive: Pastels with Dan Curry (Session 2)
Friday, March 13: Ocracoke Alive: Latino dance: workshop, 8 pm; community dance, 9 pm. Community Center.
Saturday, March 14: Ocracoke Alive: Community potluck. 5 pm. Ocracoke Life Saving Church
Sunday, March 15: Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am
Stella Maris Chapel: Sunday Mass time at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Go to Masstimes.org and type in the zip code 27960 but refresh your browser for it to work properly.
Ocracoke Alive: Philosophical salon: What makes a life well lived? 6:30 pm. Home of Jennifer Coleman
Brandon Jones’s graduation day. With him are Vann O’Neal, left, and Fire Chief Albert O’Neal. Photo by Tracey Jackson
By Peter Vankevich
Personnel training for a volunteer fire department is vital to ensure the safety of the community as well as for the volunteers to avoid accidents or endangering themselves.
It is the backbone of a successful volunteer fire department because volunteers are often the first and only line of defense for their communities. Firefighters must know how to read smoke, operate equipment, perform rescues, and work as a coordinated team.
Volunteer departments face unique challenges: members have other jobs, different experience levels and limited time together.
Enhancing the company’s skills, one of Ocracoke’s members, Brandon Jones, graduated from the Inner Banks Fire Academy at Beaufort County Community College (BCCC) in December.
He is the second island firefighter to graduate from the academy.
Christian Trejo, who joined the OVFD as a junior volunteer, graduated last year and is now working at a fire department in Washington, Beaufort County. When he is on the island, he continues to serve the OVFD.
Jones was one of 22 students who successfully completed the program, and he received the class leadership award.
“I’ve learned how to help people prevent fires, maintain equipment and protecting structures and dwellings that people may live in,” he said. “I want to bring this knowledge to help the OVFD and teach people.”
In February, Jones was elected be the OVFD captain responsible for training.
The OVFD recently held a class in personal protective equipment, conducted by Adam Glassman, a fire and emergency management instructor at BCCC.
The class included equipment maintenance and a using a self-contained breathing apparatus.
On a roll, Jones is working some shifts at the Banyan Volunteer Fire Department in Washington and has enrolled in the EMT certification class. These days, many firefighters are opting to also be certified as EMTs or paramedics.
While Jones works in commercial fishing, firefighting is his passion.
“I knew I wanted to be a firefighter when I was 10 years old,” he said. He joined his local fire department when he was 15 and has been an OVFD firefighter off and on for the past 10 years.
Micah Bassell and Derek McEntee also completed a 98-hour hazmat training course provided online by the academy.
Instructor Glassman, a retired firefighter from Baltimore, emphasized the importance of having specialized trained personnel like Jones, Bassell and McEntee’s on an island with limited resources.
“When you can get people willing to get certified and have formal training, it’s going to be a huge asset for you,” he said. “They’re able to bring that knowledge, skill and ability back here to provide service to the community and allows them to share that knowledge with their fellow firefighters.”
The Ocracoke Community Pool Association is making lunch for everyone on Sunday in the Community Center.
Actually, it’s a fundraiser and it’s more like a “pop-up restaurant,” said Ruth Toth, president of the association.
In addition to a variety of food and baked goods, the group will conduct three raffles. Raffle sales also will be held on the Variety Store porch today (March 6) from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Lunch offerings will be available Sunday to eat in or take out from noon to 2 p.m. as follows:
Soups $5 (12-ounce cup) steph’s Thai chicken soup Cafe Atlantic tomato alfredo (dairy but no meat) vegetable soup (vegan) Cathy and Lulu’s chicken tortilla soup chili
Sandwiches $5 Joe’s pork barbeque on a bun Cafe Atlantic pimiento cheese (white or wheat bread) egg salad Hummus and veggie wrap chicken tamales
Salads $5 Cafe Atlantic house salad (salad topped with chickpeas, goat cheese and roasted sunflower seeds Antipasto (salad topped with pepperoni, salami, fresh mozzarella, olives) potato salad; Cole slaw
Raffle items include the new book, “Ocracoke Untamed,” a glossy coffee table-type book of island bird life by Karen Rhodes and Matt Janson, an Easter basket, and a quilt. T-shirts will be on sale for $10 each.
The pool association recently purchased 1.4 acres of land off Cutting Sage Road for the island’s first-ever community swimming pool.
The parcel is big enough to house a six-lane, 25-meter pool that will serve residents and visitors alike.
The Ocracoke Community Pool Association is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building and maintaining a public swimming pool that promotes health, safety, and recreation for the island community.
To donate, send checks to OCPA, PO Box 1371, Ocracoke, NC 27960. For information, email ocpa23@yahoo.com.
Screenshot from the NCSBE website of the Hyde results for Incumbent Keith Kidwell and Darren Armstrong.
By Peter Vankevich
Hyde County will have a new representative in the N.C. General Assembly next year as incumbent Keith Kidwell lost the Republican primary on Tuesday to Darren Armstrong, 7,430 votes (52%) to 6,779 (48%).
Kidwell, chair of the N.C. House Freedom Caucus and a four-term incumbent, conceded on his Facebook page: “I called and congratulated Presumptive Representative Elect Armstrong on his victory. Know that I will work with him to bring him up to speed on all projects in process.”
Armstrong, a farmer and business owner from Belhaven in Beaufort County, grew up in Ponzer in Hyde County. In a candidate questionnaire published in the OBX Voice, he emphasized that in the General Assembly he would focus on agricultural and small-business issues.
In Hyde County, Armstrong received 314 votes to 302 votes for Kidwell.
The Hyde County Local Sales and Use Tax Referendum was defeated, 764 to 330. All six mainland precincts voted against the measure; only Ocracoke supported it, 98 to 79 (55%).
In the Republican primary for U.S. House District 1, Laurie Buckhout prevailed in a five-way race:
Hanig, a strong backer of the commercial fishing and shrimp industries, previously served as the district’s state senator before resigning to run for Congress. He carried Dare County with 3,369 votes (50%) and Hyde County with 251 (41%) but lost decisively to Asa Buck in Carteret County.
In November, Buckhout will face unopposed incumbent Democrat Don Davis. Buckhout narrowly lost to Davis in 2024. The General Assembly’s 2024 redistricting made the seat more favorable to Republicans, even though this northeastern district has been held by Democrats since 1883.
Jerry Tillet won the Republican primary for N.C. Senate District 1, which includes Hyde County, with 7,529 votes (38%). He will face unopposed Democrat Melissa Zehner in November.
Not surprisingly, Roy Cooper (Democrat) and Michael Whatley (Republican) easily won the U.S. Senate primaries and will face off in November in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched national races. Cooper received a total of 758,808 votes and Whatley received 404,199.
The major surprise of the primary is Senate President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger is behind Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page by a 2-vote margin: Page 13,077, Berger 13,075. A recount will be most likely.
Judicial Results NC Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 01 – Michael C. Byrne (Republican) 300,883 (51.54%) – Matt Smith (Republican) 282,853 (48.46%)
NC Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 03 – Christine Marie Walczyk (Democrat) 491,188 (62.35%) – James Weldon Whalen (Democrat) 296,590 (37.65%)
NC District Court Judge District 02 Seat 02 – Lloyd Williams (Republican) 6,194 (57.57%) – Shannon A. Jarvis (Republican) 4,565 (42.43%)
Hyde County recorded 1,123 ballots cast out of 3,013 registered voters, a turnout of 37%. Ocracoke has 799 registered voters; 254 of them (32%) voted in early voting and on primary day.
The Hyde County Elections Office is holding only seven provisional ballots for review, said elections director Viola Williams. “That’s about average for county elections,” she noted.
Statewide, North Carolina as of March 4 has 7,708,452 registered voters, and 715,789 ballots were cast in the primary, or 19.64%.
To see details of the results, visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
With just a couple of nationwide March 3 primaries, North Carolina and Texas dominated the night’s news with pundits trying to gain insights on the upcoming Nov. 3 elections.
Hyde County is seeking the public’s input for its updated land use plan.
In 1974, the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) was established to regulate development in 20 North Carolina counties of which Hyde is one.
“In North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties, land use plans (LUPs) serve as legally mandated “blueprints” for how a community manages growth while protecting fragile coastal resources,” said Hyde County Manager Kris Noble. “These plans are required by the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) and are used by the state to determine whether development projects can move forward.”
The updated version focuses on a Resilience Strategy that will evaluate current and future coastal flood risks and vulnerabilities and identify ways to adapt and become more resilient to flooding.
The plan is overdue for an update since the last one was done in 2008, said Olivia Ranseen, a hazard mitigation planner with WSP, an environmental planning company of Brentwood, Tennessee, hired to update the plan. Ranseen and her team were on Ocracoke Feb. 11 to discuss the plan and get input.
Now, residents can use an online interactive map to mark places in Ocracoke where they thrive or struggle, add brief descriptions and upload photos.
“The goal is to gather community insight on locations that feel supportive and those where challenges exist — information that will directly inform the county’s land use plan,” she said.
“We are also asking residents to send their favorite photos of Ocracoke/Hyde County via this form, so we can include them in the updated land use plan,” she said.
A mainland workshop is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at the Davis Center in Engelhard.
The Coastal Resources Commission of the Department of Environmental Quality administers the Coastal Area Management Act using rules and policies of the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC).
The Buxton Civic Association has launched its first-ever scholarship fund in memory of beloved community member and bookstore owner Marjean “Gee Gee” Rosell, aiming to support Hatteras Island students as they pursue higher education.
The BCA Marjean “Gee Gee” Rosell Memorial Scholarship was created by the civic association in collaboration with Rosell’s siblings and a group of close friends. Organizers say the scholarship reflects Rosell’s lifelong commitment to books, learning, and the Hatteras Island community.
Rosell, the longtime owner of Buxton Village Books, shared her love of literature with generations of residents and visitors after opening the independent bookstore in 1984. The shop, located in a historic kitchen house built from shipwreck timbers, became a well-known gathering place where customers often left with both a book and a conversation.
Originally arriving on Hatteras Island in 1974 to work for the National Park Service, Rosell planned to continue her career elsewhere before realizing the island had become home. She left the Park Service after roughly a decade and opened the bookstore, which she operated for more than four decades.
Community members say her influence extended far beyond the store’s walls. Rosell supported reading programs in local schools, encouraged aspiring writers, and quietly backed numerous community and environmental efforts across the island.
According to the Buxton Civic Association, establishing a scholarship in her name felt like a natural tribute.
While many memorial scholarships honor someone’s life, organizers said Rosell’s deep appreciation for education, literature, the arts, and the natural world made the effort especially fitting. The fund is intended to help local students continue their educational journeys while reflecting the values she championed throughout her life.
Rosell died on Jan. 29, 2026, following a brief illness. She was 73.
A memorial service and celebration of life will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at Our Lady of the Sea Catholic Church in Buxton, and the public is invited to attend.
Light refreshments will be provided as friends, family and community members come together to remember Rosell and her lasting impact on Hatteras Island.
Work is underway on a sandbag replacement project along a vulnerable stretch of N.C. Highway 12 on northern Ocracoke Island, and motorists should expect minor delays due to ongoing single-lane traffic controlled by a temporary signal.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is replacing deteriorated sandbags north of the National Park Service’s pony pens, an area that has experienced repeated ocean encroachment during storms and extreme high tides.
According to NCDOT, the sandbags are being replaced using the same configuration. The bags measure roughly 15 by 5 by 2 feet and are stacked three bags high to form a temporary protective barrier along the highway’s oceanfront edge.
The project is the latest in a series of efforts aimed at keeping Ocracoke Island’s only roadway open as erosion and overwash continue to threaten the corridor. This stretch of N.C. Highway 12 has required frequent maintenance in recent years, with crews repeatedly rebuilding dunes, installing sandbags, and repairing pavement damaged by ocean flooding.
A similar sandbag replacement project was completed in 2024, when compromised bags were removed and new barriers were installed, while dune elevations were rebuilt along the oceanfront side of the highway.
State regulators have also recently adjusted how the highway can be protected when it comes to temporary measures. In November, the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission approved a rule change allowing NCDOT to use more durable alternative sandbag designs for safeguarding imminently threatened roadways such as N.C. Highway 12.
The work on northern Ocracoke comes as officials continue to examine longer-term challenges in the area. Studies shared during a 2025 Ocracoke community meeting described a difficult outlook, citing inlet shoaling, shoreline retreat, and rising water levels that continue to compromise ferry access.
Winter dredging projects have been deployed to maintain navigability through the inlet, but when it comes to the highway, officials have noted that sandbag placement provides only temporary relief.
Hyde County officials have urged state leaders to pursue more lasting solutions, calling for repairs to protective infrastructure as well as a beach nourishment study for the area.
For now, however, access to the island continues to rely on interim measures such as sandbag replacement, dune rebuilding, and periodic dredging projects to keep nearby channels navigable.
Motorists traveling through the construction area are advised to slow down and be prepared for brief delays while work continues.
The project is expected to continue for the next few weeks.
Hyde County Commissioners meet, 6 pm. Community Center. See agenda below.
Ocracoke Alive: ESL English/Spanish, 7 pm. Ocracoke Community Library
Ocracoke Alive: Envisioning the future of Ocracoke, the first of eight discussion-based, creative workshops about the island’s long-term future, with Hannah Aronson, a master of city planning student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will facilitate the sessions that will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays; also March 9, 17 and 23, in the Deepwater Theater.
Thursday, March 5: Ocracoke Alive: 9:30am – 10:30am. Ukulele/Guitar with Lou Castro. Deepwater Theater.
Ocracoke Alive: Nonfiction writing with Sarah Shellow, 1 to 2:15 pm. Deepwater Theater.
Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department (OVFD) meeting, New volunteers always welcome. 822 Irvin Garrish Hwy 6 pm.
Ocracoke Alive Theater performance: “Macbeth,” 7 to 9 pm. Ocracoke School Commons.
Ocracoke Decoy Carver’s Guild meeting, 7 pm. Community Center.
Friday, March 6: Ocracoke Alive: Spanish Creative writing class, 9 to 10 am. Deepwater Theater.
Ocracoke Alive: Imrov theater class with Ella Ralston, 6 pm. Deepwater Theater.
Saturday, March 7: Ocracoke Alive: Melt and pour soap workshop, 1 pm. OUMC Rec Hall
Ocracoke Alive: Cooking/baking: Swedish saffron-almond buns with Matt Janson. 3 pm. OUMC Rec hall.
Sunday, March 8: Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am
Stella Maris Chapel: Sunday Mass time at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Go to Masstimes.org and type in the zip code 27960 but refresh your browser for it to work properly.
