OUTERBANKSSENTINEL|WEDNESDAY,DEC.31,2014 A1www.obsentinel.com

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ParticipantsintheInternationalStudentOutreachProgram:Fromleft,Rev.DavidDaniels,ShadrackOhemengandTomPappas.

EDMULLINS

ThenavigationspanbeneathBonnerBridgewasrepeatedlyclosedin2014.

SAMCORTEZ

FirstFlight’svarsitysoccerteamwinsasecond-placetrophy.

1ROBALDERMAN

12-year-oldMadisonBeaverenjoyedadayofffromschoolinJanuarybykayakingthroughthesnow-coveredstreetsofKillDevilHillswhilebeingpulledbyatruck.

BYNEELKELLER|STAFF

Fromfreaksnowstormstohigh-profilemurdercases,fromtragicaccidentstotheRepublicans’bigwin,2014wasamemorableyearfornewsintheOuterBanks.Asweringouttheoldandbringinthenew,theSentinelpausestoreflecton10majoreventsthatdominatedourheadlinesandcommandedourattentioninthepast12months.

ExtremeWeather Intheopeningweeksof2014,theOuterBankssawextreme—andextremelyun-usual—weatherasfourstraightweeksofsnowhitthearea.WinterStormLeonhittheSoutheastonJan.28,bringingsnow,sleetandfreezingraintoa1,300-mileareastretchingfromTexastoVirginiaandblanketingpartsoftheOuterBanksinuptonineinchesofsnow.TwoweekslaterWinterStormPaxbroughtheavysnowtothear-eaagain,withaccumulationsofupto10inchesinpartsofHydeCounty.Dareschoolsclosedforasecondtime,asdidtheHatteras-Ocracokeferry. ExtremeweatherreturnedtotheOuterBanksasHurricaneArthurtraveleduptheEastCoast,slammingintotheNorthCarolinacoastnearCapeLookoutlateintheeveningonJuly3.TheCategory2hurricanepackedwindgustsclockedat101mphandwastheearliestintheseasontohitNorthCarolinasincerecordsstartedin1851.ThestormhitOcracokeandHatterasIslandswithdamagingwindsandheavyrain,alsofloodingpartsofManteoandColingtonasitmovednorththroughthePamlicoSoundandpassedthroughManteo.

2014!

2014!GOODBYE

THEOUTERBANKSYEARINREVIEW

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AidingInternationalStudents TheInternationalStudentOutreachProgramwasformedtoaddressdifficultiesfacedbyinternationalstudentswhocometotheOuterBanksonJ-1SummerWorkTravelVisas.Oneparticipant,Rev.DavidDaniels,saidhewillcontinuetoexpandtheavailabilityofHisDreamCenterinNagsHeadforinternationalstudentaccessandassistance,andproposedstartingupa“houseparent”programinwhichOuterBanksresidentscancontactthecentertoexploremakingroomsintheirhomesavailabletostudents.

OngoingcrisisatOregonInlet TheshoalingcrisisatOregonInletwasaproblem—andstory—thatrefusedtogoawayin2014.InApriltheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineersannouncedthatitwascallingoffthedredgingoperationintheinletbecauseitsside-castdredgeMerrittwas“unabletoopenOregonInletatthenavigationspanoftheBonnerBridge.” InDecembertheCoastGuardannouncedthatithasestablisheda“temporaryregulatednavigationarea”(RNA)forthenavigablewaterssurroundingtheBonnerBridgeoverOregonInlet.

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FirstFlightadvancestosoccerfi nals AnoutstandingseasonfortheFirstFlightNighthawkssoccerteamsawtheteamemergevictoriousinthesecondroundofstateplayoffsonNov.3,defeatingDixonHighSchool4-1.Butthedreamseasoncametoaless-than-storybookendingonNov.15astheteamdroppedtheDivision2AsoccerhighschoolchampionshiptoNewton-Conoverbyascoreof2-0.Itmarkedthesecondstraightyearinwhichtheschoollostitsbidtobecomestatechampioninthefinalgame.

BruceHornsby,playingwithhisbandtheNoisemakers,headlinedtheBrewThruLiveconcertonJune26atFestivalPark.

LivelyconcertseasononOuterBanks BruceHornsbyandhistouringbandtheNoisemakerskickedofftheOuterBanks’2014concertseasononJune26,openingtheBrewThruLiveSummerConcertSeriesatRoanokeIslandFestivalParkwithasetthatcombinedinnovativejazz,pop,rock,blues,funkandblue-eyedsoul.TheseriescontinuedonJuly17withtheGinBlossoms,SpinDoctorsandScarson45. TheLiveattheWatersideconcertseriespresentedbyTheLostColonyopenedwith1964:TheBeatlesTribute,followedbytheRedClayRamblersandMolassesCreek,theLovin’Spoonful,JarsofClayandMartyStuartandtheFabulousSuperlatives.ThethirdannualOuterBanksBluegrassFestivalfilledRoanokeIslandFestivalParktoca-pacityonitsthirdnightwithheadlinersRhondaVincent&theRageandRickySkaggs&KentuckyThunder.Vincentpubliclydebutedhernewsong—writtenespeciallyforthisyear’sfestival:‘BluegrassIsland.’ Thetwo-dayMustangMusicFestival,abenefitfortheCorollaWildHorseFund,fea-tured18bandsonthegroundsofMikeDianna’sGrillRoomatTimbuckIIVillageinCorolla.Thefestivalfeaturedabeautifulviewofthewater,withtheCurrituckBeachLighthouseinthebackground,andawidevarietyofmusicalgenresrangingfromreggaetorock.

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6Duringapedestri-ansafetyenforce-mentoperationonHighway12inJune,KillDevilHillsPoliceDepartmentofficersfocusedon‘educating’driversthattheyarerequiredbylawto‘yieldtopeopleincrosswalks.’ThedriverofaChevroletSilveradodidnotstop—andwasstoppedbyawaitingpatrolcar.

SafetyCoalition‘devastated’byhighwaytragedies

DespiteapedestriansafetyenforcementoperationconductedonJune30byKillDevilHillsPoliceDepartmentincooperationwiththeOuterBanksBicycleandPedestrianSafetyCoalitionandtheN.C.DepartmentofTransportation,thereweretwolocalhigh-waytragedieswithinaweekofoneanotherthispastsummer. OnAug.21a12-year-oldboyvisitingtheOuterBanksfromFredericksburg,VAwashitbyacarontheNagsHead-ManteoCausewayneartheMelvinDanielsLittleBridgesoundaccessinthe7700blockofSouthVirginiaDareTrail.Theboyandhisfatherwerewalkinginacrosswalkwhentheboywashitbya2013Hyundaidrivenbya23-year-oldWanchesewoman.TheboysurvivedbutwastreatedinNorfolkforseriousinjuries. AsenZahariev,a22-year-oldstudentfromBulgaria,washitandkilledonAug.25byavehicleashewaswalkingalongtheshoulderofN.C.Highway12inCorolla.ZaharievwasintheUnitedStatesonaJ-1VisagrantedbytheStateDepartmentaspartofitsWorkandTravelExchangeProgram.

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DougRemaleyremembered AneraendedwhenformerNagsHeadMayorProTemDougRemaleydiedonSept.6attheageof67.Remaley,whoservedNagsHeadfor10yearsasfiremarshalandasthetown’sfirstfirechief,andasDareCountyFireMarshalfor17years,washonoredforhis30yearsof“committedservice,”“invaluablecontri-butions”and“longstandingdedication”thatmadehiscommunitya“saferplacetolive”whenNagsHeadFireStation16wasrenamedDouglasA.RemaleyFireStation16onDec.5.

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LynnJackenheimer’sdaughterCiara,cen-ter,iscomfortedbyJackenheimer’sparentsassheisinterviewedbythepressoutsidetheDareJusticeCenterfol-lowingthesentencingofNathanSummerfieldonDec.15.

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Twomurdercasescometoanabruptclose Twocloselywatchedlocalmurdercasescametoanabruptclosewithintwomonthsofoneanother.EdgarGovan,49,diedonOct.26athishomeonFernandoStreetinManteowhileawaitingtrialforseconddegreemurderintheshootingdeathofStevenCraigStewart.GovanwasrememberedatafuneralonOct.29atFreeGraceChurchofChristinManteo.Thechurchwasfilledtocapacity,whilehundredsmoregatheredinachurchannexandoutsidethechurch. OnDec.15,NathanSummerfield,29,pleadedguiltytothesecond-degreemurderofhisformergirlfriend,LynnJackenheimer,in2012.Healsopleadedguiltytore-latedchargesoffirst-andsecond-degreekidnappinginDareCountySuperiorCourt.JudgeJerryTillettsentencedSummerfieldtoaminimumof225andamaximumof282monthsforthemurdercharge,aminimumof104andmaximumof134monthsonthefirstdegreekidnappingchargeandaminimumof31andmaximumof47monthsontheseconddegreekidnappingcharge.Thesentencesaretobeservedconsecutively.

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SouthernShores’continuingbattleovertrees

Treesmarkedfor‘clear-cutting’onSouthernShores’FairwayDriveinOctober.

DarecommissionerstabledacontroversialDareCountyComprehensiveTransportationPlanforthesecondtimeatitsDec.15meetingafterCommissionerJackShearaisedobjectionstotheplan.ThismarkedthethirdpublicmeetingwhereSheaspokeoutagainsttheplan,focusingontheissueofhighnumbersofoldtreesbeingcutdowninSouthernShoresinthenameofhighwayimprovement. Theissuehascontinuedtogalvanizeoppositionbytownresidents,aburgeoningadvocacygroupcalledtheAlliancetoPreserveSouthernShores(TAPSS)andmembersoftheDareBoardofCommissioners.AfterinitiallytablingconsiderationoftheplanatitsNov.5meeting,theSouthernShoresTownCouncilapprovedthedraftplanataNov.18townmeetingdespitepas-sionateandvocaloppositionfromsomemembersofthecommunity.TheplanhastobeapprovedbyDareCounty,allsixofitsmunicipalitiesandtheAlbemarleRPOtobeadopted.

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ThenewDareCountyBoardofCommissioners,frontrowfromleft,ViceChairmanWallyOverman,ChairmanBobWoodardandMargaretteUmphlett;and,backrow,AllenBurrus,JackShea,WarrenJudgeandBeverlyBoswell.

AnhistoricDareBoardof Commissionersispartof Republicansweep LocalRepublicansbenefittedfromanational“waveelection”onNov.4.VirginiaTillett,aDemocratwhohadservedfor32yearsontheschoolboardandboardofcommission-ers,wasupsetbyconservativeRepublicanMargaretteUmphlett.AndwhenRepublicanBeverlyBoswellunseatedincumbentDemocratMaxDuttonafterarecount,theboardofcommissionerswassuddenlytransformedfroma4-3Democraticmajoritytoa5-2Republicanmajority. ThenewRepublican-dominatedDareCountyBoardofCommissionershelditsfirstmeetingandtookitsfirsttwovotesonDec.1,unanimouslyelectingCommissionerBobWoodardboardchairmanandCommissionerWallyOvermanvicechairman.Thenewboard—consistingoffiveRepublicansandtwoDemocrats—wasthefirstwithaRepublicanmajorityinmorethan20years.Italsorepresentedtheboard’sfirstRepublican“supermajority.”

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