May 2024

Throughout Carolina Beach are colorful wall murals celebrating the history and culture of the beach town first established in 1857. Two newly installed bring the total to 19 murals. Most are within the central business district, creating a discovery walking tour in and among the businesses. Each mural is painted by a different artist, with…

The weather is ideal for getting back outside to fully enjoy spring before things turn warmer and get busier. To that end we have some fun reading. I’m not sure about you but spring to me always inspires the thought, “I wonder if Britt’s Donuts is open yet?” It doesn’t mean I always act on…

When approaching what began as a teardown on Pelican Drive at Wrightsville Beach, the goal for what would be built in its place was simple and could be summed up into one word; family. With children, grandchildren and grand-dogs, the new home needed to be durable yet pretty, current yet classic, and most importantly, functional…

Things become obscure just before twilight. While colors intensify in the last rays of sun, figures begin to blur. When looking at Abby Warman’s Just Before Dusk, viewers may think it is the brunette’s favorite time of the day. But whether she is happy or in a pensive mood, it’s a mystery. Impressionism often lets…

Part of the fun of visiting Mayfaire Town Center is adding a walk along the sidewalks that wind around the retention ponds behind the shopping center. Another sidewalk goes by a little creek on the north side, cutting its way through a quiet patch of woods just a stone’s throw from the busy shops and…

For almost two years, Topsail Island residents and visitors have advocated to keep the south end of Topsail Beach undeveloped. The land at the southern tip of the barrier island is privately owned. Advocates for preservation united with Roy Costa, who formed a nonprofit, Conserve the Point, in June 2022 to stop development. A petition…

Plums, dark grapes, and blackberries may come immediately to mind as nature’s purple desserts. Purple vegetables may be less on the forefront of shoppers’ minds — until they learn about all the powerful vitamins and antioxidants they contain. Health experts tout the amazing benefits of eating foods in the purple arena (blacks and reds too),…

From an ancient bald cypress in an old growth hardwood forest, a big tom turkey sailed down from his roost to a high ridge. The ridge gradually led down to a coffee-colored creek that meandered through a deep hollow a mile below. He shook his giant coat, stretched his long, regal neck, and with a…

One Saturday afternoon, Ethan Williamson got a call from his best friend’s granddad, a 70-year-old farmer, who wanted to discuss a problem. It was a big problem. A 120-lb. problem to be exact. Williamson, a 26-year-old associate veterinarian, treats small animals by day at a clinic in Myrtle Beach and farm animals across state and…

The governments of Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach have less jurisdiction over the waters surrounding their towns than they would like when it comes to removal of abandoned vessels. That jurisdiction and enforcement currently falls to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. However, New Hanover County is in the process of creating an ordinance that…