Danielle Puleo

A catastrophic warehouse fire in Manns Harbor took place Tuesday, February 27, 2024. An investigation is currently ongoing as to the cause of the fire. Both Manteo Furniture and Appliance and Valentino Custom Boats were occupying around 30,000 sq. ft. of the complex – the former in a 20,000 sq. ft. building and the later in a roughly 10,000 sq. ft. building – and have suffered a great loss as a result of the event. No employees, residents or firefighters were reported injured. Every fire department in Dare County was involved, either having worked to battle the fire or stepping in as back-up to ensure no call went unanswered.

Robert Valentine Owens Jr., or Bobby Owens as he was fondly known, passed away on January 9, 2024. He was a true icon of the Outer Banks. As a genuine people-person at heart, Owens made it his mission to work for the betterment of society and in doing so, left quite the impression on just about everyone he came across. As his son RV shared, Bobby never gave up. He would always fight for what he felt was right, would always show up, would always put his best foot forward and would always look at life as though he had nothing to lose. With humility and compassion at the forefront of his endeavors, Owens was a man of action and integrity. His presence alone was as strong as a tidal wave and as gentle as the sand beneath his feet.

This one’s going to be for all my beautiful ladies out there who at one time or another haven’t felt like they are enough. We’re going to get deep here. I’ve debated writing this column for a long time – too long – and some things have come up recently that I cannot disregard any longer. Let’s talk about our self-perception, the grace we may or may not lack for ourselves and how no matter what anyone says, we are ALWAYS enough. Even better, we are beyond beautiful, talented, capable, intelligent, and the list goes on and on …

A dwarf sperm whale calf was found beached to the north side of Jennette’s Pier on Friday, March 8, just hours before his mother washed ashore. A few days prior, a minke whale was found stranded on the four-wheel-drive beach outside of Corolla. While histology reports are yet to be completed, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network (MMSN) has stated the cause of death for one of the three was infectious disease.

Kitty Hawk Police Chief Michael Palkovics was pleased to introduce the newest officer to his squad, Officer Corey Morris, at March’s town council meeting. The six-foot-ten Virginia native was named class president of his basic law enforcement training academy, which he graduated from in December of 2023. Morris was sworn in by Mayor Craig Garriss on February 26, where he was joined by his wife Barbara and mother Shirley.

Jan Dawson with her two books, Hooked on You and Storm Season. Courtesy Jan Dawson

Local author Adrienne Palma has been connecting children with the natural world which surrounds them through her educational and enriching wildlife book series. Her latest release, Bella the Black Bear, hit shelves May 1. Each book is told from the perspective of an animal which one could encounter on the eastern shores, reserves and marshes of North Carolina.

There’s a lot of it – light which we cannot see. It’s in that extra five minutes you gave to the older woman at the dollar store who stopped to ask a question and then explained why buying the perfect graduation card for her grandson meant the world to her. It’s behind the drive-through window where you greeted the barista with a warm smile and wished him a good day. It’s within your dog’s eyes when you take your hour lunch break just to go home and walk him and eat on the car ride back to work. It’s on your arms which wrap tightly around your child when they get off the school bus after they’ve just run up to you because they are so happy to be home. It can be in the “kind regards” to sign off an email, or in the little homemade gift you opted to send over an online product, or in the space you allow between your vehicle and the one in front of you to enable the car to your left to fill the gap.

I open up my Bible to Luke 18, where Jesus tells his disciples the parable of the persistent widow. I’ve read this scripture a hundred times by now, but today it hits me differently. My tears fall on the page and I quickly put the book down. I look up towards the sky and close my eyes.

I’ve been keeping a secret for quite some time now. For all of you who read this, you get the inside scoop on a project I am beyond excited about – a project that has taken months to prepare for and bring life to. For all of you who have been reading my columns and keeping up with my journey, this project sheds even more light on the themes which have woven themselves between the lines of my writing, and then some. I am constantly learning and working to understand how to live in a world that we are not of, something I’ve come to explore through