The brown piping snaked along the beach near Oak Island's western tip making a trip from the public accesses and oceanfront homes a challenge at times But that wasn't bothering Donnie Fredericks as he walked the beach with his family on a windy Tuesday morning "I'm just glad to see this part of the beach getting some fresh sand," said the Ohio native and frequent visitor to the Brunswick County beach town pointing to some beachfront homes relying on sandbags to hold back the encroaching ocean "It was getting a little touch-and-go there." Because of North Carolina's long-term ban on hardened structures along the oceanfront although the rules have been watered down for terminal groins and sandbags in the last decade getting sand onto an eroded beach usually relied on one of two things − the whims of Mother Nature pushing material back on shore or a beach nourishment project SAND TRAP? Why Oak Island is looking 18 miles off its coast for sand to nourish its eroded beach sometimes messy as to where to find beach-quality sand and often very expensive − something that's becoming an increasing problem for many coastal towns as the federal government pulls back on funding even as the price of beach-building projects keeps increasing That leaves many beach towns looking to Mother Nature But in recent years she hasn't been kind to many beach communities in the state as tropical storms and nor'easters have pounded their oceanfronts Climate change and sea-level rise isn't helping either as the beach on the island's western end has been repeatedly eroded away by the nearby Lockwood Folly Inlet Enter the Army Corps of Engineers As happens in several areas along the coast near inlets maintained by the federal agency sand pumped out of the inlet − often where it crosses the Intracoastal Waterway − has been pumped onto the nearby Oak Island beach a spokesperson with the corps' Wilmington district said the project to deepen the Intracoastal Waterway where it crosses Lockwood Folly to 12 feet at low tide should result in roughly 65,000 cubic yards of sand getting pumped onto the beachfront − although town officials said they hoped the final amount could be closer to nearly 105,000 cubic yards the work is expected to add 75 feet or more of width to the beach in and around "The Point." "This strategic placement not only widens our beach but also strengthens coastal resilience against erosion and storms," Cayton said in an email and the contractor is required to be off the beach by April 30 to meet requirements limiting oceanfront activity to avoid impacting nesting sea turtles and shorebirds While 65,000 or even 100,000 cubic yards of sand isn't a lot of material when it comes to nourishment projects and Oak Island has a much bigger project for its entire beachfront in the works every bit helps areas feeling vulnerable as another hurricane season quickly approaches Another oceanfront project in the region nearing completion is a roughly $20 million nourishment of Surf City's beachfront That work is seeing sand dredged from Banks Channel on the mainland side of Surf City pumped onto the beach adding an estimated 60 feet of beach from the Topsail Beach line to 1,000 feet north of the Surf City Fishing Pier The breakdown of the project's cost is roughly $5 million from Surf City and about $14.5 million in funding coming through a one-time state grant Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work Robert R. Van RyzinUpdated Apr 4, 2025 8:25 AM PDTShare this storyPhoto courtesy: WikiCommons Many readers are no doubt familiar with the History Channel’s long-running program, “The Curse of Oak Island,” which documents the continued search for the treasure believed to be buried on Oak Island features the Lagina brothers’ (Rick and Marty) continued quest to find the supposed treasure Islands located off the coast of Nova Scotia have long been believed to have been a haven for pirates Some theories about the treasure supposedly secreted in an ingeniously engineered “Money Pit” on one of them have linked it to everyone from Captain Kidd to the Knights Templar only some historical artifacts have been found In the October 1965 issue of Coins magazine Carl Allenbaugh detailed the history of the treasure search and one of the theories of how it began in his article “170 Years of Frustration in Depth: Somewhere some old buccaneer-engineer laughs as treasure seekers pour money into his hole in the ground.” He followed this up in the December 1965 issue with “No Ferry to Dreamsville.” man has demonstrated a unique capacity for separating Earth from the gold she hoards within her subterranean quietness,” he wrote in the October issue seeking the rotted remnants of Spain’s once gloried fleet its seekers have stood in awe of no obstacle “A short distance off the southern tip of Nova Scotia lies a small island which the gods with an eye to the future mystery which would envelop it appropriately created in the form of a rough question mark and its outstanding attraction is a hole in the ground “This isn’t an ordinary hole in the ground it is filled to the brim with a glutinous mixture of salt water But two centuries of men who admire holes in the ground have deemed this one to be the most beautiful sight to ever brighten the eyes of gold-hungry men Just to stand on its desolate brim is to brighten the leaden sky with the iridescence of many rainbows each anchored in the sludge pot at your feet for you stand a mere 170 feet above what could well be the most fabulous accumulation of treasure to be pirated by the devil’s disciples in a decade of scouring the Caribbean seas “One thing is certain: the hole grows more valuable with each passing year men have dumped one and a half million dollars into the hole in a vain effort to remove 170 feet of pliable muck Engineering firms have confidently assaulted this hole with the latest in mining and pumping equipment dug the hole and contrived the marvel of hydraulic engineering that protects it Knowing Oak Island to be uninhabited and thinking it a likely place to find an abundance of game he rowed over to the island in search of nothing more glamorous than the makings of a squirrel pie he decided to explore the island before returning to the mainland he tired and climbed a small rise at one end of Oak Island thinking to rest while watching the quiet beauty of the sea for he found himself standing at the edge of a shallow depression about ten feet in diameter and directly beneath a rusted tackle block which was suspended by a bit of frayed and weathered ship’s rope from the limb of a twisted oak he raced for his boat and the mainland to secure digging tools and muscles as young and eager as his own to help use them With Captain Kidd less than a century dead and pirate lore still a lively source of village conversation Dan had no difficulty enlisting the aid of two young friends each shovel of dirt had to be hoisted from the hole by rope and bucket they hadn’t perceived the purpose for which the oak floors had originally been installed It was a simple but practical means by which dirt could be removed from the hole without a time-consuming hoist simply by shoveling it successively from platform to platform the dirt could be removed in a continuous flow “Although they were encouraged by the successive oak platforms and by the pick marks of the original diggers which were sharply impressed on the clay walls of the pit although it meant sharing their secret and their hoped-for wealth All knew that Oak Island was haunted by the ghosts of two fishermen and none but ‘young fools and the demented would tarry there.’ After encountering still another oak barrier “One doesn’t abandon a dream; he but puts it aside for a time McInnes and Smith moved to Oak Island and persuaded the wealthy Simeon Lynds to participate in the venture They formed a legal partnership and recommenced their digging more efficiently than they had employed as boys encountering the inevitable oak barrier at ten-foot intervals Also encountered were layers of ship’s putty and (strangely) of shredded coconut hulls “Excitement soared near the 90-foot level with the discovery of a stone slab inscribed with a strange cryptogram which one knowledgeable source translated to read: ‘Two million pounds lie buried ten feet below.’ A long iron rod hammered into the yielding soil struck a solid obstruction at 98 feet confident that but a few feet of clay now lay between them and a treasure of uncertain variety but positive grandeur “Morning brought not treasure but 60 feet of water in their laboriously dug hole Thinking they had inadvertently tapped into an underground reservoir or spring Weeks of around-the-clock bailing left the water at exactly the same level it had been at the beginning: 60 feet Simeon Lynds hired a crew of miners and sunk a side shaft 110 feet deep A horizontal shaft was then dug toward the original pit with near-tragic results quickly filling the new pit to the same depth as the original The pit workers escaped drowning only by a happy combination of good luck and frantic scrambling now bankrupt and bitter with disappointment whose appetite for squirrels had first led him to this fount of frustration Oak Island knew no activity but the scurrying of squirrels and the erosion of tides Then Vaughn and Smith interested a group of well-to-do in Truro to join them in another try for instant wealth They decided that they would first apply the technique of core drilling the point where the first promising obstruction had been encountered in 1804 The original obstruction proved to be a 6-inch-thick spruce and was quickly penetrated The bit then fell through an empty space and shortly thereafter chewed The evidence indicated that the drill had passed through two oaken chests The latter possibility must be considered since the extracted drill had a few links of a gold chain adhering to it A new parallel shaft was quickly sunk and just as quickly filled with water she tastes of salt!’ As well it should have been “Now that the ‘Why?’ of the water was indicated it remained to determine the ‘How?’ They found it and the ingenious Jolly Rogerite who engineered the project wasted his talents as a pirate — if he was a pirate The beach at a point known as Smith’s Cove almost 600 feet from the astounding hole in the ground Five stone drains led into a layer of stone covered with a blanket of South Seagrass and pulverized coconut A stone-walled conduit drains water from the ‘sponge’ down into the treasure pit triggered by the lessening of soil weight on the inner conduit orifice was sufficient to blow through the remaining soil plug and let the ocean into the pit — as it was designed to do—a watchdog as sleepless and eternal as the sea “The Truro Company attempted to wall Smith’s Cove off from the sea They then sunk a shaft about 120 feet to a point under the two suspected chests tunneled over to the treasure pit … and the ‘bottom’ of the pit promptly collapsed into their tunnel which in turn collapsed into an unsuspected vacant space still deeper in the money hole “The next to pick up the pirate’s gauntlet was Frederick Blair who spent 60 years and $100,000 learning many interesting things about the riddle — but not its solution He located the conduit linking the pit with the Smith’s Cove ‘sponge’ and blocked it with a dynamite explosion systems of hidden ‘beach sponges’ and conduits feeding into the pit “Blair core-drilled deeper than in any previous attempts and at 153 feet found evidence of still another chest containing 32 inches of loose metal pieces He also brought up flakes of gold on his bit and a small sliver of parchment bearing the letters ‘vi’ his bit chattered helplessly against an iron barrier Whether this iron sheet is the bottom of the pit or merely the top covering over a still more expansive chest remains speculation “Since Blair, the hole has been assaulted by an unending stream of engineers, mining and drilling companies, imaginative adventure[r]s, and businessmen with a little money to chance in a highly speculative, but potentially rewarding, venture. You may be familiar with one member of a syndicate that tried — and failed — in 1909: a young New York lawyer by the name of Franklin Delano Roosevelt “This hole in the ground has baffled combines from Nova Scotia and men converge on hope like moths to a deadly flame Speculation as to what is hidden in the hole has been as wide as the hole is deep: the unpublished works of William Shakespeare; the jewels of Marie Antoinette; the treasure trove of a pirate or a combine of pirates; a stone slab inscribed ‘April Fool!’ or ‘Kilroy Was Here’ or ‘Yankee “Logic indicates that whoever solves the riddle of Oak Island will be well rewarded This was no spur-of-the-moment burial of pirate loot No average or unlearned mind designed and built the superbly engineered protective system The installation of it and the sinking of the 170-foot pit called for the efforts of a great number of men over an extended period of time Boatloads of grass and coconut hulls were transported from the southern seas to a tiny island on the fringe of eternal ice Someone labored mightily to hide something on Oak Island; he must have thought it worth the effort “A treasure is buried not to the end of eternal concealment but for eventual reclamation Someone will divine it or stumble upon it — and gasp at its simplicity a 65-year-old former steelworker lives in a small cabin near the hole He digs and hopes and sleeps and hopes and digs for he will show you a stone he found in one of the holes he has dug; it’s a sick-looking green with the date 1704 chiseled upon it The November 1965 issue of Coins would report tragedy in the search for the Oak Island treasure: a Coins feature by Carl Allenbaugh told the colorful story of Nova Scotia’s treasure island which for nearly two centuries has frustrated a parade of fortune hunters and mining and drilling companies have spent fortunes of their own trying to probe the secrets of the island’s water-filled pits “As that issue of Coins was going into circulation in mid-August a tragic footnote to the Oak Island story was being written four men gave up their lives in a shaft they were sinking in the treasure search collapsed and died when the pit filled with gas His son Bob died in an attempt to rescue him died when they tried to save the father and son “A fifth explorer was pulled from the hole unconscious and two others escaped through their own efforts “Speculation as to the source of the gas pointed to a gasoline engine used in the pit pumping operation some of the rescuers thought the fumes were swamp gas a new and tragic chapter was added to the legend of Oak Island and its pirate treasure But the legend’s irresistible attraction was unimpaired “‘I don’t see,’ said one of Restall’s backers ‘why this tragic accident should stop us.’” Two others had given their lives in the 1800s in pursuit of the treasure An unsourced legend states that seven would need to perish before it could be found Poll Question: What's one numismatic mystery you wish could be solved? Buried Treasure: The Le Câtillon II Hoard and the Mystery of Jersey’s Celtic Riches The Mystery of Hagerstown National Bank © 2025 Active Interest Media All rights reserved NC (WWAY) —  The Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program is celebrating its 36th year of sea turtle conservation with 36 hidden sea turtle rocks all over the island for beach-goers to find and keep They have also hidden one golden rock with their logo on it the group would love for you to snap a photo and send it to them so they can share it on social media Video Central|Live Stream Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — A swimmer in distress was rescued off Oak Island on Sunday afternoon marking the town’s first ocean rescue of the year According to a statement from the Town of Oak Island emergency crews were dispatched around 1 p.m after a report of a swimmer struggling in the water east of the Lockwoods Folly Inlet The Oak Island Fire Department’s Ocean Rescue Unit arrived within seven minutes where Fire Chief Lee Price was able to see the swimmer approximately 300 yards offshore A rescue watercraft was quickly sent out to get the swimmer and bring them safely back to shore A quick response vehicle transported the person off the beach to an ambulance Officials reported that the swimmer did not appear to have suffered any serious injuries The Oak Island Fire Department credits the successful rescue to the quick response of the Oak Island Water Rescue the Oak Island Police Department and the U.S Officials also used the incident as a reminder of the dangers of swimming near inlets where strong currents and marine traffic create hazardous conditions the area between Oak Island and Holden Beach is an INLET where swimming is strongly discouraged and dangerous,” Oak Island Fire Department stated The National Weather Service’s Beach Warning Flag system does not begin on North Carolina beaches until April 1 But town officials said the sea was rough Sunday there would've been a yellow or even red flag warning present cautioning swimmers of the water conditions Residents and visitors are encouraged to check beach conditions before entering the water. Updates on surf conditions, weather, and safety alerts can be found here Aerial photo of Oak Island in Brunswick County on Monday Aerial photo of Bald Head Island on Monday A Brunswick beach town is putting a new plan in action and searching for future opportunities The town of Oak Island, like most of Brunswick County is preparing for the future by keeping an eye on property potential and using a new strategic plan During Oak Island Town Council's meeting on Tuesday council members participated in a closed session to consult with the town attorney to discuss potential land acquisition Paid parking information: Your guide to paid parking at Wilmington-area beaches in 2025 Oak Island Communications Manager Michael Emory said the town is not actively pursuing any real estate searches at this time they are preparing for future land acquisition / disposition possibilities necessary for infrastructure and other public services needs consistent with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan update currently underway and the town’s strategic plan," Emory said Council members recently adopted a new strategic plan and one of the plan goals is to conduct a facilities condition assessment and begin life-cycle costing for all facilities expanding town facilities is something administration is taking a pro-active approach towards," he said Emory believes acquiring new land "would not necessarily" be directly due to local population growth the town's decision to acquire more property would be dependent on the services the town needs to provide and if more space is needed to improve those services STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram Space for emergency services?Asked if a new emergency service station is needed Emory said it is not a current need for the town "The fire chief has discussed this on numerous occasions and the possible future need is certainly a responsible thing to plan for," Emory said current resources have proven adequate to the point of even returning what is expected to be an improved ISO (insurance services office) rating." The town has completed several upgrades to town hall with more to come "These are both to accommodate new staff and create a new more efficient customer service areas," he said "These upgrades are not necessarily due to limited space available but rather to provide a more efficient use of existing space as we take on new staff who have already enhanced the services offered." Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@gannett.com Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInOAK ISLAND (WECT) - The Town of Oak Island is holding a Hurricane Conference in May for residents to ask questions on how they could prepare for any potential storms meteorologists and emergency responders will be at the conference to help make sure you’re ready for a storm Topics that will be discussed include hurricane preparedness All questions must be submitted before the conference They will be organized into categories and addressed during the panel discussion Questions must be submitted no later than 5 p.m You can access the form here One Brunswick resident has found a way to give grieving individuals a chance to say words left unsaid Oak Island resident Wendy Lemmons Morris has connected grieving family members and friends seeking closure with a different way of healing and communicating with help from the town of Oak Island and Albert Hardison has installed a wind phone at May Moore Park People can use the wind phone by either dialing the person's phone number or name the person is welcome to say words they feel were left unsaid [It] makes me happy that I can provide something that may relieve some of our grief," Morris said Oak Island Communications Manager Michael Emory believes this is the first wind phone in Brunswick County "The initial concept was created by garden designer Itaru Sasaki and was opened to the public in 2011 in Tōhoku following the earthquake and tsunami killed over 15,000 people," Emory said similar designs have popped up in many locations throughout the world." Oak Island news: A Brunswick town considers several options for future of property near shopping center who experienced the loss of her husband two years ago was inspired to install a wind phone on Oak Island after a friend in Boston showed her the idea Installing the phone in a public place for everyone to use is important to her noting she wanted to provide a safe space for those who needed to mourn a loved one "I wanted something to be a [place] for people to have somewhere to go and pour their heart out Morris presented the project to the Oak Island Town Council during its Sept The structure was quickly built by her dog's groomer and the phone was pulled from Morris' mother's home it had been a gift from my father to my mother," Morris said There is also a book in the structure for people to sign and write a message The community has given positive feedback on the installation and the town has no intentions to install another wind phone "A decision that will help to preserve the uniqueness of this installation," Emory said (WECT)— The Town of Oak Island is holding a highly anticipated Mardi Gras event this year The Mardi Gras By The Sea Parade & Festival will be held on Saturday a Kids Zone and live music from Old Man Mafia Band on Keziah Street and the festival is from noon to 4 p.m The project is expected to add at least 75 feet of width to the west end of Oak Island The Army Corps of Engineers is getting the sand from where Lockwood Folly Inlet crosses the Intracoastal Waterway The Army Corps of Engineers is pumping an estimated 65,000 cubic yards of sand from where Lockwood Folly Inlet crosses the Intracoastal Waterway onto Oak Island's eroded west end Oak Island's west end has suffered from chronic erosion woes in recent years leaving some oceanfront homes rely on sandbags for protection Piping snakes along the beach from Lockwood Folly Inlet east along "The Point." The contractor is required to have all equipment off the beach by the end of April to avoid interfering with nesting sea turtles and shorebirds The dredging project is forecast to leave around 12 feet of depth at low tide for vessels traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway through the Lockwood Folly Inlet crossing While there's lots of piping and other heavy equipment on the beach that hasn't stopped visitors and residents from having access to the ocean Town officials are hoping the actual amount of sand pumped onto Oak Island's west end could be more than 100,000 cubic yards significantly more than what was originally forecast Sand crossovers have been constructed every so often along the pipe's path to help people navigate toward the ocean mention of Oak Island stokes excitement and speculation Is there really a massive hoard of treasure buried on this island in Canada’s Nova Scotia province One man striving for answers is engineer Craig Tester He has appeared regularly on the Sky HISTORY series The Curse of Oak Island since it began self-effacing demeanour means his good work on the reality show has too often gone unnoticed There’s no doubt that brothers Rick and Marty Lagina have long been the show’s most prominent faces Craig Tester could be classed as its unsung hero working (largely) behind the scenes to keep the team’s various archeological expeditions running smoothly Craig Tester was born on 16th February 1961 in Glendale he studied mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University where he was also college roommates with Marty Lagina The two men later took their friendship into the business world Craig and Marty co-founded another company Craig and Marty are also co-owners of Oak Island Tours Inc this company takes holidayers on tours around the island The Curse of Oak Island’s cast — including Craig Tester himself Craig is credited as a producer on The Curse of Oak Island he has also made on-screen appearances in almost 200 episodes of the show since it started way back in 2014 There’s no doubt that Craig has put his expertise in engineering He has aided the Lagina brothers by scouting potential locations for future digs Once the brothers have settled on a location Craig has also been heavily involved in planning the intended excavation It’s been very much a family affair for him, too. His stepson Jack Begley has often been tasked with the (literally) dirty work of handling the digs Jack and Craig are not biologically related There’s no shortage of fan favourites among The Curse of Oak Island’s cast. Just think of metal detectorist Gary Drayton, with his humorous catchphrases like ‘That’s a Bobby Dazzler’, and down-to-earth metallurgist Emma Culligan Craig Tester has been a somewhat subdued presence on the show his role as a consultant to the Laginas has enabled him to chip in with valuable advice he has helped his teammates to draw vital conclusions about relics unearthed on Oak Island Craig’s biological son Drake appeared in some early episodes of The Curse of Oak Island Drake was only 16 years of age at the time of his death The cause of death was reported to be a seizure disorder with Drake having suffered occasional outbreaks of the condition since his birth Craig revealed that he would leave Oak Island to mourn with his wife back home in Travis City as he returned to The Curse of Oak Island the following season Drake had previously helped his father try to trace the location of the island’s fabled ‘Money Pit’ the team decided that a borehole they intended to drill at the Money Pit’s supposed location would be named ‘DMT’ — Drake’s initials After discovering an intriguing-looking remnant of material the Laginas and Craig have it analysed in the fifth season episode ‘The Lot Thickens’ The fragment is found to be leather with possibly some parchment attached leading Craig to point out the long-enduring theory that Shakespeare’s manuscripts are buried at Oak Island These are thought to be early editions of Shakespeare’s plays or at least plays purported to be written by him The Elizabethan playwright is one of many historical figures linked to the Oak Island mystery. To learn more about the others, why not subscribe to the Sky HISTORY Newsletter A Daily News Service of the North Carolina Coastal Federation More Articles More Articles More Articles More Articles More Articles 02/28/2025 by it may appear trees have fared well here despite hurricanes and crop rows of houses built on this barrier island over the past couple of decades Pines and curvy-limbed live oaks seemingly pepper the landscape on the 12-mile-long island in Brunswick County But an inventory of mature live oaks and longleaf pines on town property completed a little more than a year ago revealed that not all is what it seems The tree canopy that provides respite from scorching summer days and slows wind speeds whipped up during powerful coastal storms has depleted since the mid-2000s one that has helped shepherd a townwide effort to protect its existing trees and plant hundreds more Oak Island’s Tree Preservation Project has prompted the implementation of local rules that require property owners and builders get approval before cutting down any tree protects hundreds of what are known as heritage live oaks and longleaf pines (those near or at 100 years old) removes Bradford pears on public land and replaces them with new live oaks and adds hundreds more live oaks to the island “We’re going to grow this program,” said Brice Taylor about old live oak trees with their broad crowns and gnarly branches stoically bowing to the earth The North Carolina coast is spectacular! When you purchase a North Carolina Coastal Federation license plate, you help keep our coast healthy and beautiful, and support the nonprofit journalism you’re reading now. Learn more Taylor propped on the tailgate of a pickup truck parked to one side of a street where a Southport-based landscaping crew readied to plant more than two dozen live oaks The trees arrive in 25-gallon plastic pots they’ll grow to what town officials envision as an arch-like canopy This is the latest round of what will be 200 plantings this year along street rights-of-way and town-owned land 100 young live oaks were plugged into the landscape They are of different varieties with names like George Washington The trees have sprouted from acorns and carefully grown at Penderlea Farms in Burgaw a town roughly an hour north of the island they’ll be more resilient to the southeastern North Carolina climate they’ll form an intricate system of roots that act as super absorbent sponges soaking up rainfall in a manner that helps reduce flooding To ensure the young live oaks consistently get enough to drink the town has watering bags installed around each tree which is time released into the soil at the tree’s base The bags get refilled every five days in the summer and every four days throughout cooler months “It’s a very efficient way of watering,” said Bryan Whitworth owner of GreenMan Landscape Design & Maintenance That’s important because watering the trees is expensive The town is preparing to launch an adopt-a-tree program in the next couple of weeks where participants will take over responsibility from the town and fill the watering bags It’s a program that is expected to be well received in a community that has by and large supported protecting and expanding the town’s tree canopy Taylor said a little more than 92% of lots on the island are constructed out a testament to the growth that has occurred here If a property owner wants to remove a tree from his or her land that person is required to submit a free-of-charge permit application to the town for approval The town encourages property owners to remove Bradford pears from their land. These weak-limbed trees are an invasive species, one that’s being targeted by a collaborative of state agencies through a program called N.C. Bradford Pear Bounty This program offers a one-to-one tree exchange (one replacement tree for one Bradford pear) to qualifying property owners More than 20 Bradford pears have been removed from Oak Island town-owned land Since the Oak Island Town Council adopted Town Ordinance Chapter 32: Vegetation in mid-March last year the town has issued $8,000 in ordinance-related violations he is allowed to choose from a list of 13 species preapproved by the town Oak Island is a Tree City USA an honor the National Arbor Day Foundation bestowed it 25 years ago This year’s Arbor Day celebration will kick off with a tree ceremony 4-5 p.m the town will announce the name selected from its name-the-tree contest for the park’s main attraction a live oak estimated to be between 200-260 years old “We’re working really hard to ensure (Oak Island’s) not just a name it’s an observation,” said town communications manager Mike Emory Trista Talton joined Coastal Review as staff writer Feb but she has covered coastal issues for us since our publication’s inception She is a native North Carolinian and graduate of Appalachian State University Her career as a journalist spans more than 20 years most of which has been reporting on issues in southeastern North Carolina Her reporting experience includes more than 10 years of covering the military including an embed with Marines in Kuwait leading up to the start of the war in Iraq in 2003 time in New Orleans with North Carolina National Guardsmen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and offshore patrols of New York and New Jersey aboard a Coast Guard cutter following the Sept She lives with her husband and two sons in Jacksonville Winner of seven North Carolina Press Association awards in 2024. © 2025 North Carolina Coastal Federation. All rights reserved.↑ People walk along the beach in early Saturday Aug Beachgoers came out to enjoy the 25th anniversary of the Oak Island Beach Day on Monday organizer of the "Sledfest" event at Oak Island slides down the snowy beach in January 2025 and people of all ages tried their hand on sledding on the beach Aerial photos of the Oak Island Lighthouse on Wednesday Employees with the town of Oak Island volunteered to assist veterans during Operation North State's annual Peer Fishin' Festival held on Oak Island Pier on Friday The five-day event drew about 85 people each day Pelican Seafood at 6235 E Oak Island Drive in Oak Island Aerial photos of the Oak Island Bridge in Oak Island on Wednesday The Oak Island Lighthouse at Oak Island on Friday The lighthouse is 153 feet tall with 131 steps to the gallery level When the lighthouse was completed in 1958 it was the brightest lighthouse in the US and second brightest in the world Barbee Bridge onto Oak Island on Wednesday The Beach House Motel & Suites in Oak Island (WECT) - The Town of Oak Island announced some town facilities are experiencing phone and internet issues “This is an unexpected service interruption as a result of repairs to equipment being made onsite,” the town stated in a Facebook post The town says the outage only affects the buildings listed above and doesn’t impact: “Public Utilities concerns can be addressed in person at the Public Services Building or in the Customer Service Area on the first floor of Town Hall,” the town stated “The newly opened Customer Service Area is also available to receive utility payments The town says phone calls are unavailable and email responses will be delayed There is no exact repair time and any questions about the outage can be emailed to info@oakislandnc.gov or use the Department Contact Forms at OakIslandNC.gov/CONTACT While some families are hanging ornaments on Christmas trees inside warm homes this husband and wife are leaving their tree’s décor up to beachgoers Oak Island residents Michelle and Craig Ryan are taking Christmas traditions to a new sea level by hoisting their tree up in the sand for the community to see and enjoy The Ryans moved to Oak Island in 2021 from Chicago She said they were looking for a new community to eventually retire in What started out as a three-day stop in Ocean Isle Beach on a road trip turned into finding their forever beachfront home in Oak Island less than a month later “We kind of discovered Oak Island on a road trip,” she said “Never spent a night here and took a leap of faith and bought a house.” Michelle Ryan said they fell in love with the Oak Island community on the trip noting she liked having two bridges connected to the island and nearby grocery stores it felt homier to us than the other communities … And everybody was so dang friendly and welcoming,” she said the Ryans have found great friends and new traditions Michelle Ryan said they saw a Christmas tree on the beach strand during their first Christmas on the island The beach tree inspired her to bring the fun a little closer to home The couple put up their first beach strand Christmas tree in 2022 between the E Michelle Ryan said it reminded her of how she loved adding lights to trees that surrounded their house in Chicago “We’ve put that out just to have our little piece of Christmas that everybody can enjoy walking down the beach,” she said Their annual beach Christmas tree has been a hit Local residents and visitors add ornaments to the tree each year and the Ryans love it Handmade and unique ornaments have also been tucked into the tree “It’s just wild to see it,” Michelle Ryan said Though last year’s tree and ornaments were swept into the sea by an unexpected storm last December Ryan said she hopes to collect and store all new ornaments on this year’s tree Her desire is to decorate the annual tree with both old and new ornaments so returning families have their own memories attached to the tree Michelle Ryan said people already coordinate photo shoots of families in Christmas pajamas and the Grinch in front of the tree Despite Craig Ryan installing the Christmas tree “That’s been really great to see everybody kind of pull together and help decorate the tree,” she said The tree even lights up using battery-operated lights Watching the community embrace the tree and talking with people around it has made her and her husband happy Their new-found tradition has also inspired other families to install beach Christmas trees along the Oak Island and Caswell beach strands to just see folks really enjoying the tree and it was something that was so easy to do,” Michelle Ryan said Ryan said her husband installed the tree by driving PVC pipe into the sand and used the pipe to hold the tree trunk The Ryans plan to keep the tradition alive as long as they live on the island and are physically able “It has meant a lot to us and it really makes us smile when we see everybody around the tree,” said Michelle Ryan NC (WWAY) — A group of homeowners in the Oakwood Glen neighborhood are pushing for a change they say is long overdue — and a new bill at the state level could finally make it happen James Rowsey built his home in Oakwood Glen back in 2006 just a few years before the neighborhood was annexed into the town of Oak Island “I’m not sure how many years it’s been so they didn’t get to bring in those other properties So we’re kind of here by ourselves,” Rowsey said Rowsey is one of eleven homeowners in Oakwood Glen who are technically part of Oak Island Those other residents only pay taxes to Brunswick County — while Rowsey and ten others pay both county and town taxes “We’re only a couple people in the whole development that are part of Oak Island — and we were told the whole development would be… but it’s not So that doesn’t seem very fair,” he said On Tuesday night, the Oak Island Town Council voted 3 to 2 to oppose House Bill 338. The bill would remove Rowsey’s home and ten others from the town limits Council Member Bob Ciullo expressed concern about the broader impact of the legislation “These other homeowners in the neighborhood — they could We don’t want to pay town taxes anymore.’ So it could happen on the island it could happen in other areas and the mainland It opens a door that probably should stay shut,” Ciullo said Representative Miller has also filed a similar bill for the town of Southport which their Board of Aldermen also formally opposed Ciullo also noted that if the town loses those 11 homes it would lose about $6,000 a year in property tax revenue WWAY has reached out to Representative Charlie Miller for comment Now in its 12th season, The Curse of Oak Island is one of the most popular treasure-hunting reality TV shows ever we’ve watched the Lagina brothers (aka Rick and Marty) welcome all kinds of colourful characters to the team Jack has a special connection with the show and its cast He’s served as Associate Producer of The Curse of Oak Island since 2015 (just one year after the show launched) the former college roommate of Marty and mastermind behind a huge amount of research mapping and earth scanning used to plan Oak Island digs we’re huge fans of the show and were curious to learn more about Jack Read on for the full rundown of the Oak Island mainstay Jack Begley was born in Michigan on 23rd August 1975 His Midwest roots are something he shares with the Lagina brothers and no doubt helped forge the close connection they share he passed away at the age of 16 after a lifelong battle with a seizure disorder Following his mother’s marriage to Craig Tester it was only natural that Jack grew up in the Oak Island orbit It wasn’t long before Jack himself was a bona fide ‘Fellowship of the Dig’ member Jack Begley was introduced to viewers in the first season of The Curse of Oak Island as a young treasure hunter He quickly became known as the guy willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the secrets (and hopefully Jack forged close relationships with Oak Island veterans like the late Dan Blankenship He took on a mentor-like role toward Jack and helped deepen his understanding of the island’s lore show him that perseverance is everything when it comes to treasure hunting manually sifting through excavated spoil piles crawling into tight shafts or wading chest-deep through the infamous Oak Island swamp you’ll never see Jack shy away from dirty work Personal resilience has also helped Jack earn his stripes with the Oak Island team and viewers This emotional strength was amplified by the loss of his younger stepbrother His death was a devastating blow for the Tester-Begley family Jack doesn’t have a formal engineering or geology background he’s helped the Oak Island team recover everything from centuries-old parchment buried in wet muck to coins helping to shape both storytelling and search efforts on Oak Island This dual role means he’s not just a cast member but a genuine pair of boots on the ground Midwest accent and even his clothing choices have earned his legions of fans The green Under Armour shirt he wears in multiple episodes has developed a bit of a cult following with some fans even creating parody social media accounts for the garment there’s a fair amount of interest in Jack Begley’s love life Plenty of fans have asked ‘is Jack Begley single?’ and are keen for clues about his relationship status Jack Begley lives up to his adventurous reputation He’s an open-water certified scuba diver and has his Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) accreditation allowing him to spend even more time at depth Can’t get enough of The Curse of Oak Island? Join the Sky HISTORY newsletter and stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes and profiles on Fellowship of the Dig members New Hampshire native Rick Dobrowski was one of the thousands of visitors who came to Brunswick County year after year he and his wife became locals – and he opened his own Oak Island restaurant in 2022 Fixins at 8300 East Oak Island Drive offers a Southern-inspired breakfast and lunch menu inspired him to take on the title of chef / owner You can get burgers in the morning and omelets in the afternoon More: 10 best Wilmington-area restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year list Dobrowski said he learned to appreciate local ingredients and develop relationships with farmers and makers The farm-to-table trend tends to bring fine dining restaurants to mind But he wanted to apply the idea to his menu Buttermilk biscuits are made with flour from Atkinson Milling Company and you also find products from Hippie Chick Granola and Fayetteville-based Larry’s Sausage Favorite dishes include the breakfast platters and the breakfast burrito Hamburgers are made from a blend of brisket and house-breaded and brined fried chicken Stay informed: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the StarNews app More: 4 food-and-drink trends to look for at Wilmington-area restaurants in 2025 STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest food news by signing up for the Port City Foodies newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram More fun on the plateDobrowski said he believes in listening to the community And they told him they wanted more interactive experiences That includes cooking classes in the evenings with sessions on everything from Polish food to one-pot cooking He was also partnered with fellow Brunswick County Chef Jason Talbott for food and wine dinners Developing the menus has been a way to exercise their creativity And they’ve already planned menus for upcoming monthly dinners Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews (WECT) - The Town of Oak Island has warned the community of a scam Facebook post circulating the town explained their recent “Bill Smith Park Tree Naming Contest” was copied to create a false Facebook event with a fake link and WILL NOT ever send links or direct messages through Facebook,” says the post If you have any questions or concerns email info@oakislandnc.gov (WECT) - Oak Island Water Rescue (OIWR) received a donation from the Oxford Emergency Squad of Oxford OIWR provided consultation for their search for a new vessel Leaders went to New Jersey days before Christmas and received an Ouachita 15b “This recent donation will greatly enhance our shallow water and narrow tributary Rescue operations including aspects of low tide and mud rescue,” OIWR wrote on their Facebook page History Channel fans have reason to excavate their calendars. The Curse of Oak Island, starring brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, is returning for Season 12 on Tuesday But will the fabled treasured hoard finally be discovered after a decade of hunting and amid some miner concerns from fans Season 12 of the long-running treasure-hunting show sees the brothers use new technology and strategies to dig deeper into Oak Island’s mysteries They’ll explore depths never reached in the Money Pit area “Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina return with their boldest plans yet.” “We’re digging up the first-ever searcher shaft on Oak Island.” The Laginas say “Shaft 2 is like the Holy Grail,” explaining that they know they’re “14 feet” away from the money pit has captivated treasure hunters for centuries the hunt for the elusive Oak Island Treasure has been taken up by the on-air brothers While they have not found the main treasure hoard they and other treasure hunters have found many intriguing artifacts over the years including these: A post shared by Curse Of Oak Island (@curseofoakisland) fans recently voiced their concerns that the search has slowed in recent seasons and with the format Rick shared a message with fans on Instagram (above) asking “give us your feedback.” Many of the comments were not complimentary “Stop give flash backs every five minutes and explaining things from previous episodes If the film crew cannot find 42 minutes of fresh material in one week of shooting then the island won and the dig has gone bust but I’m tired of old material,” one fan wrote “Please; the repetitive backstory…consistently…I’ve been watching since the first show now I sadly watch fast forwarding most of it because it’s the same thing over and over again,” wrote another the backstory is beyond excessive,” wrote a third “It feels like the narrator is stretching for time but the audience would much rather see the actual segments extended instead Either way I’m very excited for the return and hope the guys get back into Smith’s Cove there seemed to be a ton of stuff in there “Will set my PVR so I can skip the 30 min of commercials and skip the 20 minutes of recaps and watch the actual 10 minutes of new show information,” wrote a fifth fans theorized the main treasure had even already been found They must have realized the truth years ago They are only continuing because they are paid to do so They get treasure every year from the show producers,” they accused the Dig is for entertainment purposes alone.” Sign Up NC (WWAY) — A rotary phone in Oak Island is giving people a space to mourn their loved ones The Wind Phone is one of several across the world where people can pick up a phone dial the name or number of a loved one they’ve lost but it gives people grieving the chance to share what they’ve been up to—or words that were left unsaid The idea started in Japan 15 years ago by Itaru Sasaki after his cousin who died of cancer The idea was brought to Oak Island in 2024 by resident Wendy Lemmons Morris The phone is located at May Moore Park—which Mike Emory with the town said is the perfect location “This is one of our quieter locations It has a beautiful overlook of the marsh areas and the intercoastal waterway It really seemed to be the perfect fit for what this phone was meant to be in that it gives people a place to stop and have a moment of quiet reflection,” he said You can view an interactive map of wind phones around the world here