Dare County Newsletter - September 2024

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2024 in observance of Labor Day. These offices and facilities will reopen and operate with their regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. 

These closures include the Dare County C&D Landfill, Manns Harbor Transfer Station, Buxton Transfer Station and Manteo Recycle Yard; however, there will be no changes to the Dare County trash collection schedule on Labor Day (Monday, September 2, 2024). 

All areas whose services are provided by the Dare County Public Works Department—which include the unincorporated areas of Dare County as well as the Town of Kitty Hawk—will operate on their normal schedule during the week of Monday, September 2, 2024 through Friday, September 6, 2024. 

The Town of Kitty Hawk’s Saturday residential summer trash collection for the east side (ocean side) of the bypass will continue through Labor Day weekend and then conclude on Saturday, September 7, 2024. For more information about the services provided by the Dare County Public Works Department, please click the button below.

School is officially back in session, and if you’re looking for a safe place for your children to spend a few hours and have fun with friends once the school day ends, the Dare County Parks & Recreation Department has you covered! Middle school and high school students from the Dare County community are invited to take advantage of the Dare County Parks & Recreation Department’s after-school program, which is offered from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays during the school year at the Dare County Youth Center at 602 Mustian Street in Kill Devil Hills. 

Conveniently located a short walking distance from First Flight Middle School and First Flight High School, the Dare County Youth Center features an open gym where local youth can play a variety of sports, including basketball, volleyball and dodgeball, as well as a game room with a pool table, ping pong table and air hockey table, and a TV room with snack and drink machines. 

For more information about the after-school program or to register to attend, please contact the Northern Beach Division of the Dare County Parks & Recreation Department at 252-475-5920. To learn more about the many programs and activities that are offered by the Dare County Parks & Recreation Department’s three divisions throughout Dare County, please click the button below.

National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 17, 2024! Dare County encourages all eligible voters to ensure they are registered to vote in the upcoming General Election that will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and if you aren’t already registered, be sure to do so before the voter registration deadline, which is Friday, October 11, 2024.

Am I Registered?
You can check your voter registration status using the North Carolina State Board of Elections Voter Search tool by clicking here and filling out the required fields.   

Voter Registration Requirements:
In order to be eligible to register to vote in Dare County for the 2024 General Election, you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States.
• Be at least 18 years of age, or will be 18 years of age, by the date of the General Election (November 5, 2024).
• Have been a resident of Dare County for 30 days before the date of the election. 
• Not have been convicted of a felony, or if so, must have completed any sentence requirements, including any period of probation, post-release supervision or parole.

How to Register to Vote in Dare County: 
To register to vote in Dare County—or to update your name, address or party affiliation—simply complete the North Carolina Voter Registration Application (English) or North Carolina Solicitud de Inscripcion Para Votar (Spanish) and return the form to the Dare County Board of Elections office, which is located within the Dare County Administration Building at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo. Forms can be dropped off during regular business hours (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or placed in the drop box outside the building. Completed forms can also be mailed to: Dare County Board of Elections, P.O. Box 1000, Manteo, NC 27954.

Voter Registration Deadline: 
The voter registration deadline for the 2024 General Election is 5 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024. If you miss the registration deadline, you may be eligible to register and vote or make changes to your voter registration—with the exception of changing your party affiliation—during the early voting period that begins on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

2024 General Election:
The 2024 General Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 will include several local, state and federal contests. For more information—including early voting dates and locations, candidate information, sample ballots, current photo I.D. requirements and how to find your polling location—please click the button below or contact the Dare County Board of Elections office at 252-475-5630 or Elections@DareNC.gov.    

Roanoke Island Youth Center:

Construction of the new Roanoke Island Youth Center on U.S. Highway 64 in Manteo is moving along quickly. The landscaping and fencing installation will be completed by the end of September. The parking lot will be poured in the first two weeks of September and, once hardened, it will be stripped and sealed. Installation of the building’s interior lighting will continue and is scheduled to be complete by the end of September, and permanent power and HVAC startups will take place toward the end of September. The remaining storefront glass will be installed at the facility by the middle of October. The project is currently expected to be completed in December 2024 or January 2025.

EMS Station 8 in Manns Harbor:

The installation of the facility’s air barrier will be completed within the first two weeks of September. In addition, the brick veneer will start to be added to the building’s exterior walls and is expected to be completed by the end of October. The duct work, sprinkler system and well are in the process of being installed and will be completed by October. The project is currently on schedule and expected to be completed during the summer of 2025.

EMS Station 9 in Kitty Hawk:

Site work at the new Dare County EMS Station 9 in Kitty Hawk began in August and is ongoing. The trees on the site have now been cleared, and erosion control measures are currently in place. The building pad will soon begin to be placed, as well as the base for the driveways and parking areas. Site grading and any necessary fill work is scheduled to be completed in October. The project is currently expected to be completed in the fall of 2025. 

Get ready to lace up your running shoes! Registration is now open for the annual Dare to Scare 5K & Sweet Treat Fun Run, which will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The 5K kicks off at 8 a.m. at the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese (850 N.C. 345) with the race spanning 3.1 miles through trails and local residential roads before ending at the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center in Manteo (950 Marshall C. Collins Drive). The Sweet Treat Fun Run begins at 9 a.m. at the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center in Manteo. 

A virtual 5K race option is also available, and virtual participants may complete the race at any time or location through Saturday, October 26, 2024. Participants are encouraged to dress in their Halloween best during the race for a chance to win a prize.

Registration fees are as follows:

• $40 if received by Monday, September 16, 2024.
• $45 from September 16-24, 2024.
• $50 if registering during packet pickup (Friday, October 25, 2024) or on race day (Saturday, October 26, 2024).
• $15 for virtual 5K without shirt / $40 for virtual 5K with shirt.
• $15 for Fun Run without shirt / $40 for Fun Run with shirt.

All proceeds from this event benefit the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center Toy Drive, spreading holiday cheer to over 400 local youth in Dare County. For more information or to register, please click the button below to learn more!

September is National Preparedness Month, and Dare County, in partnership with Current TV, has released a video of the 2024 hurricane community forum that was recently hosted by the National Weather Service at Newport/Morehead City, N.C. and Dare County Emergency Management at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

During the free forum, National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Erik Heden and Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson shared informational presentations about hurricanes and their impacts on eastern North Carolina. In addition, the presentations covered the many reasons why it’s important to never focus solely upon the category of the storm and also highlighted the variety of impacts any tropical cyclone can bring.

A hurricane outlook for the season was discussed, and the forum’s presenters also shared information on how to properly prepare for a storm—including what specific actions should be taken before, during and after a storm. To view the video on Dare County’s YouTube channel, please click the button below.

Meet Anne and Marie—our Outer Banks SPCA Pets of the Week! These two purebred poodles enjoy going on walks and getting all of the love and attention they can!

To meet Anne and Marie, stop by the Dare County Animal Shelter, located at 378 Airport Road in Manteo, and click here to watch a video produced by Current TV. For more information, please visit OBXSPCA.org or contact the Outer Banks SPCA at 252-475-5620!

Outer Banks SPCA Adoption Hours:

Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for naptime)
Saturday & Sunday: By appointment only