The Hilton Bluffs project in Sledge Forest recently had its technical plans administratively denied by the county manager. This week, a county board considered a separate appeal from neighbors. One county official called the increasingly complex situation a “nightmare,” and suggested developer Copper Builders start over with a new application; developers, however, think they may still have a way forward.

The North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve, which protects over 44,000 acres of coastal lands and waters for research, education, and stewardship, is unveiling two paddling trails, one at Zeke’s Island and the other at Masonboro Island.

North Carolina’s state wildlife agency is stocking fewer trout this fall. That’s bad news for the hundreds of thousands of people who flock to western North Carolina to fish.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission usually starts stocking waters with trout for a program called Delayed Harvest in October. But staff say there aren’t enough this year. Officials with The Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in Marion estimate they lost about 70% of the fish since June.