Pender County tourism welcomed NC Coast Host TOPSAIL BEACH – Pender County Tourism, with the partnership of the Historical Society of Topsail Island, welcomed NC Coast Host to Topsail Beach. NC Coast Host, which meets quarterly, conducted their annual meeting at the Assembly Building on May 2. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. the organization met with various media for advertising opportunities and two workshops. ...

Sea Turtle Hospital News April was a mixed month for hospital admits. In the past few days we saw our first wave of Kemp’s who starting dining off our local piers and paid the price by being hooked. But earlier in the month we admitted a handful of turtles that somehow managed to survive cold-stunning at some point and yet make it through the winter months. Now they were too debilitated to keep fighting but were...

It finally seems that most of the cold weather is behind us. And almost all of the cold-stunned turtles we admitted over the winter have recovered and are anxiously awaiting a ride out to warmer waters. But as you’ve learned over the years from this column and/or your visits to our hospital rehabilitating cold-stun victims can be a long and arduous journey. Twenty-plus years of experience with hundreds of cold-stuns...

Turtle Project volunteers aka “beach walkers” are the first line of defense for our sea turtles as they begin heading to Topsail to nest, officially between May 1st and the end of August. It’s a chance for you to get involved in the effort to preserve these incredible creatures who are under increasing pressure to survive as our oceans and nesting areas become less hospitable. Terry Meyer, who has...

TOPSAIL BEACH – A piece of the Surf City Swing Bridge was presented to the Historical Society of Topsail Island (HSTI) for display in the Missiles and More Museum. The presentation by Topsail artist Jeff Wenzel, was made at the March 14 HSTI luncheon and lecture. The 5-ft. steel truss and the wood base from the fender system are actual pieces from the iconic structure. The pieces were cut by Balfour Beatty and...