January 2020 Crime Blotter

The Kill Devil Hills Police Blotter for January 2020 can be viewed, here.

Celebrating 150 Years of Dare County in 2020

This year marks Dare County’s Sesquicentennial—its 150th anniversary! Throughout 2020, the County will proudly celebrate its history, people, nature, businesses, culture, and services. 

On February 3, 1870, the North Carolina General Assembly joined parts of Currituck, Hyde, and Tyrrell counties to form a new county in order to bring government functions closer to the people. Due to coastal North Carolina’s unique geography, it would take days for some to travel to their county’s administrative center. The new county was named Dare in memory of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America, who was born on Roanoke Island. Upon the creation of Dare, Manteo was named as the county seat because of its centralized location to the various areas that make up the county. Today, the County’s Administration Building and Justice Center remain located in Manteo. 

Mark your calendar for Dare’s 150th Anniversary Celebration event at Island Farm on Saturday, May 2, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Roanoke Island. This free, family-friendly event will celebrate the life and times of the area in the late 1800s. Interpreters will be dressed in period attire and will host special activities for children. The event will also include food, games, and story-telling on the porch. A rain date has been set for May 9 in case of inclement weather.

Visit Dare150.com to explore a historical timeline map and for a fun list of 150 different ways you can celebrate Dare County! Additional events will be added to the website as details are finalized. Follow Dare County on Twitter for regular glimpses into the past, suggestions for things to do on the Outer Banks, and other entertaining celebratory posts throughout the year.

Public Comment Period Notice for Proposed Dare County Elevation Project

Dare County has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) federal grant funding in the form of a Hazard Mitigation Grant.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives to and provide public notices of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12892 also requires FEMA to provide an opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority or low-income populations. 

Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.

Applicant: Dare County, North Carolina
Project Title: Dare County Elevation Project
Location of Proposed Work: The area affected by this project consists of approximately nine properties located on the following streets in Dare County: NC Highway 12, Burnside Road, East Ario Street, Dogwood Lane, Dogwood Circle, Colington Drive, Hickman Road, and West Kitty Hawk Road. 
Maps of the project areas associated with the grant applications can be reviewed by contacting Mr. Brent Johnson at 252.475.5628.
Proposed Work and Purpose:
The finished floors of the residential structures will be elevated above the base flood elevation with required free board to reduce the impacts of flooding events.
Project Alternatives:
Not taking a mitigation action is an option, but not an acceptable one. The reason for rejecting the No Action Alternative is that doing so will not mitigate any risks.  The entire project area would remain in danger from future flood events.
The second alternative is to acquire the structures. These homeowners do not want to abandon their homes or communities and there are high up-front costs. Therefore, the most effective mitigation action is to elevate the structures in-place from the high-risk area.
Comment Period: Comments are solicited from the public, local, state or federal agencies, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to: Dare County, Attn.: Mr. Brent Johnson, P.O. Box 1000, Manteo, NC 27954. Comments may be emailed to brent.johnson@darenc.com. All comments are due by March 1, 2020.

Womens Association of Duck Woods Country Club Memorial Scholarship

The Women's Association of Duck Woods Country Club (WADWCC) is seeking qualified applicants for the 2020 WADWCC Memorial Scholarship. The Scholarship is intended to assist a male or female student whose post-secondary education has been interrupted or delayed.  

The scholarship covers up to $2,000 to be awarded by the program to cover tuition, books and other education-related expenses.

Requirements to apply: an applicant must: 1) be a high school graduate who does not have a bachelor’s degree, 2) have completed one year of work/home experience and/or post-secondary study, 3) be a resident of Dare County or Currituck County, 4) be a U.S. citizen or have permanent residency status, and 5) enroll in a minimum of three semester hours in the fall 2020 semester. Students may enroll at any accredited non-profit college or university, on campus or on-line.

Applications must be submitted by April 1, 2020.

Applications and additional information can be found on the Duck Woods Country Club website: https://www.duckwoodscc.com