August 2020

Homeowners Ross and Bryce Tomaselli collaborated with builder Tanner Konrady to renovate, retrofit and reinterpret the 1928 Shore Acres model home on Harbor Island for year-round 21st-century living. Little did they suspect they were following in the footsteps of others who came before them nearly 100 years ago. “My mom was the first to notice…

Watermelon festivals held every summer for more than three decades in Fair Bluff, Winterville and Murfreesboro were unfortunate casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. In honor of the festivals, which are postponed until next year, it seems fitting to highlight the stalwart fruit of North Carolina summers. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the watermelon…

There was a time in the 1920s when a young boy could take a rowboat, go shrimping on Bradley Creek and not dare leave his net in the water for more than five minutes. If he did, he would find it so full of shrimp he would barely be able to haul it back in the…

The coastal waters of North Carolina are teeming with an exotic collection of sea life. From the spot to the tarpon, the skipjack tuna to the lemon shark, the ocean is home to a vast and diverse collection of swimming critters that has captured the imagination of artists for thousands of years. That includes John…

South Carolina is one of the elite women’s basketball programs in the country. Head coach Dawn Staley led the Gamecocks to the NCAA championship in 2017, and they were ranked No. 1 this year when the season was canceled by COVID-19. When you’re one of the best programs in the nation, you only recruit the…

There are more than 400,000 children and teens in foster care in the United States waiting for loving, permanent “forever” families; approximately 11,000 are in North Carolina. Entering the foster care system can be a daunting experience. Being whisked away from everything you know, regardless of good or bad, and being placed into unfamiliar territory…

More than 300 million metric tons of plastic are produced globally every year. Eight million tons of it ends up in the ocean, much of it deposited there after floating down the world’s rivers and leaving a trail of litter along the banks. Soda bottles wash up on the shores of formerly pristine beaches, and…

Trips to the farmers market are a summertime staple, but the novel coronavirus that arrived in March threatened to disrupt the 2020 season. It’s certainly a different experience for shoppers and producers this year, but local farmers markets have risen to the challenge, providing fresh goods and a much-needed sense of community during what has…

The National Weather Service (NWS) posted a free webinar on its website to help people identify rip currents, escape, and help others. It details basic safety information, statistics, visual clues and why rip currents are so dangerous. The approximately hour-long event, which is fully captioned and includes an American Sign Language interpreter, can be found…

With most live sports on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, watching an in-person surf contest might sound like something out of a dream. Yet on Aug. 15 and 16, residents and visitors to Wrightsville Beach will have an opportunity to do just that, as the organizers of the Wahine Classic received approval to hold…