Seagull Says: Flapping into Friday with the grace of a pelican crash-landing on a kayak.

🌊 TODAY’S TIDE (Weather + Surf Report)

• 🌞Weather

  Sunny, sweaty, and just polite enough to not be a full heat advisory. High of 89°, with barely a breeze from the WSW at 5 mph—aka: the air is decorative today.

  Tonight: Low of 79°, mostly clear skies, and perfect for judging everyone’s beach bonfire setups.

• 🌡️ Heat Index Headlock Incoming
  It’s going to feel like 105–115° this weekend, so hydrate like it’s your job and stay indoors unless you really love sweating through your flip-flops. Heat advisories are expected through early next week, so no, this isn’t the time to see if your dog wants to “just go for a quick walk.”

• 🏄‍♂️ Surf Report
  With light winds and mostly flat conditions, it’s more of a paddle-around-and-pretend-you-surf kind of day. Longboarders might catch a nibble, but everyone else—bring snacks, not expectations.

📰 HEADLINES + CHATTER

Friday’s headlines, fried and seasoned just how you like ’em.

• 📵 One Cable, No Backup, Big Problem
  This week’s internet outage on Hatteras wasn’t just annoying—it cut off 911 service for hours. Turns out, the entire island is running on a single fiber optic line with zero redundancy. Dare County’s trying to fix it, but Brightspeed is out here treating emergency infrastructure like it’s a group project they forgot was due. You can help by calling your provider and kindly asking them to do literally anything.

• 🚘 OBX Plates Are Making a Comeback
  Starting August 26, the new license plate agency in Kitty Hawk will finally open, and the coveted “0BX” plates will be back on the menu. No need to pay extra to flex your local status—just roll up to Sea Dunes Shoppes and leave with bragging rights (and maybe a new registration sticker if you’re lucky).

• 🌊 Rip Currents Are Not Your Friend
  If you're headed to the beach from VA to Morehead, expect dangerous rip currents. First responders say stay out of the water—so maybe rethink the ocean dip and stick to standing in front of the fridge instead.

• 🏛️ Manteo Mayor Says Goodbye
  Mayor Sherry Wickstrom is stepping down early for personal reasons and heading back to Minnesota. She thanked the town, the board, and her neighbors, and we’re over here wondering how long we have to wait before someone proposes a Sherry Shrimp Fest in her honor.

🎟️ FRIDAY EVENTS

Sun’s out, sounds up, and someone’s definitely dancing barefoot somewhere they shouldn’t.

• 🎲 Gameday!
  Frisco Native American Museum, Frisco – 11:00 am
  Play, learn, and maybe school a kid or two in traditional Native games.

• 🦈 Behind the Scenes: Shark Feeding
  NC Aquarium, Roanoke Island – 12:00 pm
  Watch sharks get lunch while you try not to yell “don’t drop the tongs!”

• 🦋 Butterfly House Release
  Elizabethan Gardens, Roanoke Island – 2:00 pm
  Release the winged cuties and try not to cry about how free they are.

• 🎶 Barcats Duo
  Jolly Roger Restaurant, Kill Devil Hills – 5:00 pm
  Live tunes + seafood = peak OBX happy hour.

• 🎤 Grace Waters Live
  Rundown Cafe, Kitty Hawk – 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
  Your sunset soundtrack is handled.

• 🎸 Formula Lite
  Mike Dianna’s Grill Room, Corolla – 6:00 pm
  Catch this high-energy band before your second drink kicks in.

• 🎵 Live Music
  The SaltBox Cafe, Kill Devil Hills – 6:00 pm
  A little dinner, a little music, a lot of trying to resist dessert.

• 🎶 Dockside Duo
  Buffalo City Distillery, Point Harbor – 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
  Live jams with a side of expertly crafted cocktails.

• 🎶 Phil Delpierre
  NC Coast Grill & Bar, Kitty Hawk – 6:00 pm
  He plays, you sip. It’s a deal.

• 🎸 Some Guy Named Joel
  Jolly Roger Restaurant, Kill Devil Hills – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
  We don’t know Joel, but he’s got a setlist and a stage.

• 🎥 Raiders of the Lost Ark
  The Pioneer Theater, Manteo – 7:00 pm
  Indiana Jones and the air-conditioned nostalgia.

• 👻 Ocracoke Ghost & History Tour
  Village Craftsmen, Ocracoke – 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
  Learn who’s haunting the island—and maybe get haunted yourself.

• 🎭 The Lost Colony Show
  Waterside Theatre, Manteo – 8:30 pm
  History with drama, costumes, and questionable colonist choices.

• 🎤 Nirvani: Nirvana Tribute Band
  OBX Brewing Station, Kill Devil Hills – 10:30 pm
  Smells like teen nostalgia and way too many Fireball shots.

🌊 WEEKEND FEATURED EVENT: OBX Skim Jam
Saturday + Sunday at Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head – 8:00 am

Watch the pros (and some brave amateurs) throw down at the OBX Skim Jam, where skimboarders ride the line between finesse and faceplants. Held on the south side of Jennette’s Pier, it’s the ultimate weekend blend of salty air, spray, and beachside bragging rights.

Bring your sunscreen, your best “woo!” voice, and maybe a camera—you’ll want proof when someone nails that impossible trick (or wipes out trying).

📍THE BEAK OF APPROVAL

💦Charlie’s Trivillage Watersports- Where your chill kayak vibe and your jet ski chaos can coexist.

If your vacation plans include a little less lounging and a little more throttle, Charlie’s has you covered. From jet skis to tiki boats (yes, floating party mode is real), this spot is the go-to for on-the-water fun in Rodanthe. Bonus points for having kayaks and boats if you’re more into cruising than zooming.

Because sometimes the best OBX views come at 40 mph with a salty breeze in your teeth.

🚨 CRIME + SAFETY CORNER

The beach isn't the only thing heating up this week.

• 💬 Texts, Tension & Trouble
  A couple’s argument over suspicious texts escalated into a physical fight. Jana Lyn Murray, 30, of Manassas, VA, was arrested for simple assault and held without bond because of the domestic nature of the charge. Reminder: if your texts might lead to a mugshot, maybe rethink your emoji usage.

• ⌚ Longines Gone Long Gone
  A resort guest realized their fancy wristwatch was missing post-checkout and filed a report for insurance. No suspects, but it’s safe to say this was not the kind of time travel they were hoping for.

• 📞 Fake Detective, Real Dumb
  A scammer pretending to be “Detective Shepard” from Duck PD called a local business asking weird questions about cash-handling and tried to get them to put money by the front door for “pickup.” Spoiler: the business didn’t fall for it. Nice try, budget Bond.

• 🚗 Rear-Ended & Rattled
  A driver on the bypass failed to stop in time and gave the car in front a little uninvited bumper kiss. No injuries—just some bruised pride and probably a dented license plate.

⛱️ VACAY OR STAY

🏡FOR SALE: Condo Convenience + Ocean Peeks in Duck

This 3-bed, 2-bath first-floor condo in Barrier Island Station packs all the beach house perks—minus the maintenance drama. Just steps from the sand, it comes with indoor/outdoor pools, a hot tub, rec center, beach access, and so many courts (pickleball, basketball, volleyball… pick your chaos). Inside, expect themed bedrooms, updated everything, and an ocean-view deck made for sipping something strong.

📍1245 Duck Rd #213, Duck – $599,000

If you want a place where you can drop your bags and hit the beach without breaking a sweat—or a stair—this is it.

🌊 VACAY: 700 Feet from Sand and Sass in Duck

This freshly renovated 3-bed, 2-bath oceanside cottage is serving sleek coastal vibes with a side of hot tub. “Now You’re Cookin” is just 700 feet from the beach and walkable to everything that makes Duck, well, Duck. Think minimalist style, updated kitchen, sun deck for your morning brew, and a hot tub waiting for you post-beach coma.

📍Duck, NC – Sleeps 6 – No pets allowed

If you like your beach days salty and your nights bubbly (with jets), this one's ready for you.

🕵️‍♀️ HEARD AROUND, IN, OVER, or UNDER THE DUNES

Not confirmed. Not denied. Definitely entertaining.

• 🧴 Someone spotted a bottle of sunscreen floating down a canal in Avon. Either someone had a chaotic kayak exit or the sunscreen’s trying to escape SPF duty.

• 🐕 A beachgoer claims they saw a dog wearing sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt in Duck. No pics yet, but if true, he’s clearly the mayor now.

• 🌭 A Corolla vacationer asked a local if there’s a “hotdog happy hour” anywhere. Honestly, if it doesn’t exist—it should.

🔗 QUICK LINKS

• ⛴️Ferry Schedule – You can’t teleport to the Outer Banks (yet), so here’s how to float your way here the old-fashioned way.

• 🐾OBX SPCA Pet of the Week (more like every 10 days): Meet Pandora—a queen with eyeliner sharper than your vacation plans. She's curious, cuddly, and currently holding court at the shelter, just waiting for a forever throne (ideally by a sunny window). Adopt her before someone else opens the box.

• 🌊Live Surf Cams – For “checking the surf,” but really just spying on beach traffic and seeing who already claimed your favorite spot.

• 💬Submit a Tip or Event – Got a hot lead, weird sighting, or something the seagulls should be squawking about? Slide it our way.

🧂FINAL PEEP FROM THE PERCH

If you made it through this newsletter without overheating, overthinking, or overspending on beach snacks—we salute you.

Forward this to someone who thinks “rip current” is just a trendy flavor of hard seltzer.

Sign up. Stay salty. Be nosy. See you Monday!