Dare County Newsletter - October 2024

Early voting for the 2024 General Election begins on Thursday, October 17, 2024 and continues through Saturday, November 2, 2024.

Unlike on Election Day—when registered voters must vote at their assigned precinct—early voting allows registered voters to cast their ballot at any of the three early voting sites in Dare County, giving you the opportunity to vote at the location that’s most convenient for you. Early voting for the 2024 General Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 will be held as follows. 

Early Voting Locations:

Manteo: Dare County Administration Building (954 Marshall C. Collins Drive)

Kill Devil Hills: Kill Devil Hills Town Hall (102 Town Hall Drive)

Buxton: Fessenden Center Annex (47017 Buxton Back Road)

Early Voting Dates & Times:

Thursday, October 17, 2024 and Friday, October 18, 2024
from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Monday to Friday from October 21, 2024 to November 1, 2024
from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 2, 2024—last day to early vote!
from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Are you registered?

The voter registration deadline for the 2024 General Election is 5 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024. 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. 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 Information:

The 2024 General Election that will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 will include several local, state and federal contests. For more information—including 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. 

Dare County is pleased to announce our upcoming participation in Operation Green Light 2024! For the second consecutive year, Dare County will honor local veterans by participating in Operation Green Light, a National Association of Counties initiative that encourages residents and businesses to show their support to the veterans in their community by shining green lights in their homes and businesses to let local veterans know they are seen—and appreciated—for their service and sacrifice. 

From Monday, November 4, 2024 through Monday, November 11, 2024, an array of Dare County government buildings and facilities will be illuminated with green lights to show gratitude and support to the many veterans who reside in our community. Residents and business owners are strongly encouraged to join in the effort and recognize the importance of honoring all who made immeasurable sacrifices to preserve our freedom by displaying green lights throughout the week leading up to Veterans Day—or longer!

For more information about Dare County’s participation in the Operation Green Light initiative, please visit DareNC.gov/GreenLight or click the button below. For more information about the wide array of veterans services and resources that are available in Dare County, please visit DareNC.gov/Veterans. 

If you have a thirst for information about water—including how you can preserve and protect it, as well as a series of tips for troubleshooting potential issues and preventing corrosion from occurring in your plumbing system—the Dare County Water Department’s very own Professor Faucet is back with a new look and a quest to quench your need for knowledge!

Originally created in the late 1990s, Professor Faucet was designed to educate and inform water customers throughout Dare County by providing little-known factoids and dispelling an assortment of myths regarding water. Twenty-six years after he made made his initial debut in the pages of The Coastland Times in 1998, Professor Faucet is back and better than ever, boasting a brand-new look for 2024 that includes the surfboard-turned-lab kit that he uses to battle water-related issues and share his expertise when it comes to all things water!

Each month at DareNC.gov/Faucet (under the “Professor Faucet in Action” tab) and within various local news publications and platforms covering Dare County, Professor Faucet will ask a water-related question for inquiring minds to answer. Dare County water customers will then have a two-week period to submit their responses to the Dare County Water Department for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind Dare County Professor Faucet t-shirt.

With water quality, safety and preservation being of such incredible importance in Dare County, Professor Faucet and his team of water wizards at the Dare County Water Department will always answer the call when the community has questions. For more information about the Professor Faucet campaign, please visit DareNC.gov/Faucet or click the button below. For more information about the services provided by the Dare County Water Department, please visit DareNC.gov/Water.

National Fire Prevention Week—an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness about fire safety and educating the public on important and potentially life-saving fire prevention strategies—will be observed from Sunday, October 6, 2024 through Saturday, October 12, 2024, and this year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!” 

Smoke alarms are one of the most critical tools for protecting your home, your family members and your pets from the devastating effects of fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association, having properly functioning smoke alarms reduces the risk of dying in a house fire by more than half. Many homes, however, lack the number of smoke alarms that are needed to protect the property and all of its occupants—or the smoke alarms that do exist aren’t functional due to missing or dead batteries or the age of the device. 

To maximize safety and help reduce the risk of fire-related incidents and injuries occurring in your home, it’s essential to have an adequate number of alarms in your home and to maintain them regularly. Read on to learn more about the importance of having fully functional smoke alarms throughout your residence to ensure your safety this National Fire Prevention Week and beyond!

How to Ensure Your Smoke Alarms Work Properly

House fires can spread rapidly, leaving just minutes for you, your family and your pets to safely escape. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association, once your smoke alarm sounds, you may have less than 2 minutes to get outside to safety. Performing regular maintenance on your smoke alarms is key to ensuring these critical alert systems will work properly when you need them—and could potentially even save your life!

Test smoke alarms monthly.

Press the "test" button on your device at least once each month to make sure the smoke alarm is working correctly.

Change the batteries twice a year.

Swapping out the batteries in both the spring and the fall (when Daylight Saving Times occurs) is a simple way to remember that when you change your clocks, it’s also time to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms!    

Replace your smoke alarms every 10 years.

If the smoke alarms in your home are 10 years old or older, replace them with new devices to ensure they will be working property and able to alert you in the event of an emergency.

The Kill Devil Hills Library will host its Family Halloween Party on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kill Devil Hills Library, which is located at 400 Mustian Street in Kill Devil Hills. 

The free event will provide fun for attendees of all ages, including indoor trick-or-treating and haunted stops with our ghostly librarians. Attendees are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes to the event.

For more information about the Kill Devil Hills Library’s Family Halloween Party, please contact children’s librarian Donna Roark at Donna.Roark@DareNC.gov or 252-441-4331.

Manteo Library's Monster Mash Madness

Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Manteo Library will host a free “Monster Mash Madness” event for all ages on Thursday, October 24, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Manteo Library, which is located at 700 Highway 64/264 in Manteo (on the corner of Highway 64/264 and Burnside Road, directly across from Manteo Elementary School).

This free, family friendly event will feature monsters (friendly, of course!), as well as lots of treats, a few tricks and a skeleton with crafts. Drop in if you dare! Attendees are welcome to wear Halloween costumes to the event if they’d like.

For more information about the Monster Mash Madness event at the Manteo Library, please contact children’s librarian Tammy Batschelet at Tammy.Batschelet@DareNC.gov or 252-473-2372.

October is National Crime Prevention Month, and in an effort to educate the community about several key ways to help ensure you don’t fall victim to scam-related crimes, Dare County has released a new video featuring a presentation from the “How to Spot a Scam” event that was recently held at the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center in Kill Devil Hills. 

Delivered by Dare County Sheriff’s Office Captain Kevin Duprey, the presentation—which was filmed by Current TV—covered a variety of topics and was designed to empower attendees by providing them with knowledge on protecting themselves and their families from various scams, including cybercrime and identify theft. To view the video on Dare County’s YouTube channel, please click the button below.  

Meet Connie—our Outer Banks SPCA Pets of the Week! This sweet, playful two-year old girl is looking for her lifelong companion.

To meet Connie, 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