Dare County Newsletter - November 2024

Early Voting Ends Tomorrow!

Early voting for the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 General Election ends tomorrow (Saturday, November 2, 2024) at 3 p.m. Unlike on Election Day, when 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. This flexibility means you can choose the location that best fits your schedule. Don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard—cast your vote today!

The remainder of early voting for the 2024 General Election will be held as follows:

Early Voting Dates & Times:

• Friday, November 1, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. — last day to early vote!

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)

2024 General Election:

On Election Day, voters must cast their ballot at their assigned precinct. Precincts in Dare County will be open on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Click here to find your assigned polling location. For more information—including candidate information, sample ballots and current North Carolina photo I.D. requirements—please visit DareNC.gov/Elections.

Questions? Contact the Dare County Board of Elections office at 252-475-5630 or Elections@DareNC.gov. 

2024 General Election Results:

The polls for the 2024 General Election will close at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Unofficial 2024 General Election results can be found by visiting ER.NCSBE.gov once the polls have closed. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, unofficial precinct results are expected to be reported between 8:30 p.m. and midnight on Election Day, and the data will be updated every approximately 5-10 minutes.

Veterans Day is Monday, November 11, 2024, and Dare County would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation, respect and unwavering support to all of the U.S. military veterans throughout our community. We are forever grateful for your selfless service to your country, as well as the countless sacrifices you have made in your efforts to safeguard our citizens and preserve the many freedoms that define our great nation you’ve fought so hard to defend. Thank you for your service. Happy Veterans Day! 

For more information about the wide array of services and resources that are available for Dare County veterans, please visit DareNC.gov/Veterans or click the button below.

Virginia S. Tillett Community Center’s Annual Veterans Luncheon Celebration

The Virginia S. Tillett Community Center (950 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC) will host its annual luncheon to celebrate the veterans within our community beginning at 12 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also feature live music by The Riff Tides, a popular local band that plays music from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. 

To RSVP, please call the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center at 252-475-9270 by Thursday, November 7, 2024. Those who would like to have a military photo of themselves or a loved one featured in a presentation during the event can send the image as .JPEG or .PNG file, along with the individual’s name, rank and branch of service, to Katherine.Irby@DareNC.gov by Friday, November 8, 2024 at 5 p.m.  

“The Wall That Heals” Items on Display

The Dare County Veterans Advisory Council has announced that a collection of memorial items that were left along The Wall That Heals—a traveling, three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that was on display in Dare County for four days last November—is now available for viewing at two locations this November.

This memorial collection, which includes photographs, POW/MIA bracelets, paintings, letters and a variety of other items, can be viewed by the public throughout the month of November at the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center in Kill Devil Hills (300 Mustian Street) as well as the Manteo Library (700 Highway 64/264). For more information, please contact Dare County Veterans Services Officer Patty O’Sullivan at 252-475-5604 or Patricia.O'Sullivan@DareNC.gov.  

Operation Green Light 2024

Operation Green Light 2024 is just around the corner, and Dare County encourages everyone to take part in honoring our local veterans by shining green lights in their homes or businesses from Monday, November 4, 2024 through Veterans Day, which is Monday, November 11, 2024. By displaying a green light at your home or business, you can join the community in recognizing the immeasurable sacrifices these veterans have made to protect our freedoms.

Several Dare County government buildings will also be illuminated with green lights as a symbol of support for our local veterans. Please send photos of your homes and businesses lit in green to DareCountyPR@DareNC.gov to be included in a slideshow during the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center's Annual Veterans Luncheon Celebration. For more information, please visit DareNC.gov/GreenLight.

Thanksgiving Meal Basket Donations - Hatteras Island

The Fessenden Center in Buxton, in collaboration with the Dare County Department of Health & Human Services’ Social Services Division, is working to provide a complete Thanksgiving meal at no charge to qualifying families on Hatteras Island this season! The Fessenden Center has requested gift cards from Conner’s Supermarket, Food Lion, or Red & White in Hatteras. 

Donations by check or cash will also be accepted. Please make checks payable to the Dare County General Fund with “Thanksgiving basket donation” noted on the memo line and mail them to: Fessenden Center, P.O. Box 859, Buxton, N.C. 27920.  These donations will be used to purchase all food and supplies for the Thanksgiving meal baskets. Please submit donations to the Fessenden Center, which is located at 46830 N.C. Highway 12 in Buxton, by Wednesday, November 13, 2024. For more information, please call Annelise Wilcox at 252-475-5764.

Thanksgiving Meal Basket Donations - North of Oregon Inlet

The Roanoke Island Woman’s Club has partnered with the Dare County Department of Health & Human Services to provide Thanksgiving meal baskets to qualifying families and individuals who reside north of Oregon Inlet. Monetary donations, as well as the donation of Thanksgiving meal basket items—including turkeys—are both needed and appreciated! For those who wish to make monetary donations, please send checks to: Roanoke Island Woman’s Club, P.O. Box 1666, Manteo, N.C. 27954. If you’d like to donate items for a Thanksgiving dinner to be donated to a local qualifying family, please contact Sandy Martin  at 252-202-7632. 

The Dare County Parks & Recreation Department recently launched a needs assessment survey seeking to gather valuable input from Dare County residents and property owners that will be used to help determine the future of Parks & Recreation opportunities in our community. The public’s input is essential in shaping the projects, programs and initiatives that will benefit the people of Dare County for years to come. 

By participating in this survey, you can share your ideas, concerns and vision for improving recreational offerings, helping Dare County Parks & Recreation to prioritize future projects that reflect the community’s needs. This is your chance to have a direct impact on the future of the Dare County’s Parks & Recreation Department, ensuring it provides spaces and programs that everyone can enjoy. 

Residents and property owners are encouraged to take a few minutes to complete the short needs assessment survey and share their thoughts by clicking the button below!

Dare County, in partnership with Current TV, has released a new video titled, “Stories of Valor: Dare County Recipients of the Purple Heart,” featuring Dare County Commissioner Danny Couch in conversation with local Purple Heart recipient and Dare County Veterans Advisory Council member Kevin Wallace, along with his wife, Lauren Wright Wallace, a cultural anthropologist who played a pivotal role in the recent efforts to designate Roanoke Island as the first-ever Purple Heart Island and to honor local veterans. In this heartfelt interview, Wallace shares stories from his time in the service, detailing the courageous actions and sacrifices he made while on active duty that ultimately led to him being awarded the Purple Heart, and the pair also discuss their ongoing efforts to recognize and honor Purple Heart recipients in Dare County and beyond. 

To view the video on Dare County’s YouTube channel, please visit YouTube.com/DareCounty or click the button below.

Meet Kimber—our Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week! This sweet and laidback 4-month-old girl loves to play, cuddle and soak up all of the love and attention she can get!

To meet Kimber, 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