By John W. Rolph, Retired JAGC, USN In my opinion, the greatest strength of democracy is its ability to not just tolerate peaceful dissent, but to encourage it. Peaceful dissent provides ...

This bottle with Hannah Belch’s message was found on the beach in Exuma, Bahamas. Photo courtesy of Charles Temple Even if Ocracoke School graduates don’t venture far and wide into the outside world, ...

Fletcher O’Neal Ocracoke native David Fletcher O’Neal, known as Fletcher, 51, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2026, in Norfolk, Virginia. Born on February 20, 1975, in Newport ...

C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer Monday, March 23:Ocracoke Alive: Spanish/English Coffee hour, 8:30 to 9:30 am. Ocracoke Alive: Envisioning the future ...

Update, March 16 7 am: We have expanded the wind advisory further west for gusty south winds of up to 45-50 mph this afternoon to early evening. Enhanced (Level 3 of 5) risk of severe thunderstorms, ...

Justin LeBlanc, Ocracoke Access Alliance executive director, and Bob Chestnut, owner of Ride the Wind Surf Shop, outside the office of N.C. Senator Thom Tillis. Photo courtesy of Justin LeBlanc The ...

His … name was Jubal, he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.Genesis 4:21Jubal – the first musician Former Ocracoke Islander Jubal (Kennedy Patrick-jubal) Creech died on March ...

The only traffic lights in Hyde County are placed temporarily at the north end of Ocracoke while the road is one way during the sandbag replacement project by NCDOT. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke ...

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 ...

The Ocracoke Civic & Business Association at 6 p.m. tonight (March 17) will discuss the recent Ocracoke Access Alliance trip to Washington, D.C., and a community meeting on ferry tolls will be ...

Roundup and other glyphosate‑based weed killers are a common tool for farmworkers, landscape contractors and homeowners. A new Duke study raises questions about possible kidney risks from ...