The CURRENT

Week of

March 30, 2026

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WELCOME to THE CURRENT, the weekly digital newsletter for the Town of Oak Island.

BACK to the BEACH! Okay, well, technically we never left, but while this week not only brings the first day of April, it also brings the start of seasonal beach operations for several Town services! It's true, April 1 is no joke as Ocean Rescue and countless others have been hard at work, preparing for a safe and fun season ahead. That's why this week is a Special Edition, here to highlight the progress and provide reminders on what this changeover means for you!

So we're switching it up a bit, and putting the Safety Brief at the top, to get to the updates straight out of the gate! But stick around afterwards, because there's an equal amount of important News & Notices to cover for the week ahead.

Now grab your gear (and check the Beach Warning Flag), as we take a safe swim through this week's edition of The CURRENT.

MEETINGS & CLOSURES

  • Planning Board
  • Environmental Advisory Committee

SAFETY BRIEF

  • Beach Safety Reminders
  • Beach Safety Improvements

NEWS & NOTICES

  • Nuclear Siren Test Notice
  • Pickleball Progress Update
  • Paid Parking Season Starts
  • Staff Spotlight: Nataly Covington

JOIN THE TEAM

  • Job Opportunities with Oak Island

THIS WEEK AT THE REC

  • Recreation Center Class Schedule

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • CoastWise Speakers Series
  • Ride The Tide
  • Earth Day Festival
  • Seafood Festival

Meetings & Closures

Council & Board Meetings

  • PLANNING BOARD will hold its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers, located on the second floor of Town Hall at 4601 E Oak Island Drive.
  • ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, April 2 at 8:30 AM in the Training Room located on the second floor of the Police Department at 4621 E Oak Island Drive.

To view the notices and full agenda for both of these meetings, visit the Meetings Information page at OakIslandNC.gov/MEETINGS or click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE


Holidays & Closures

Town Offices & Facilities will be CLOSED this coming Friday, April 3, 2026 in observance of Good Friday.

  • Garbage & Recycling Collection will run as scheduled
  • The Disposal Convenience Site will be CLOSED on both Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4
  • Fire, Police, and other Emergency Services are always available by calling 9-1-1

To view all Holiday Closures, visit OakIslandNC.gov/HOLIDAY or click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Safety Brief

Beach Safety Reminders

This coming Wednesday, April 1, 2026 the National Weather Service in Wilmington will resume its Surf Zone Forecast Beach Forecasts for the 2026 Season, which will continue through the end of October.

As a "Seasonal Reminder" this also means:

  • BEACH WARNING FLAGS(JPG, 200KB) will resume being flown on all Town facility flagpoles, including the Fire Stations and Town Hall, as well as being mounted to ALL Fire Department and Beach Safety vehicles. Flags will also be flown from community partners including the Oak Island Water Rescue Station at 4901 E Pelican Drive, and the Crossroads Gathering Place, at the base of the GV Barbee bridge.
  • BEACH WARNING LIGHTS(JPG, 215KB) which display the current flag condition will also be reactivated on their locations at Barbee Boulevard, the Oak Island Cabana, 3rd Place East, and The Point.
  • RESCUE TUBES(JPG, 228KB) will be returned to active service and reattached to the Rescue Tube Stations posted on the beach side of every Beach Access Location.

Remember, "Beach Safety starts with YOU!" From first-time visitors to "long-time Long-beachers" ... EVERYONE should make it a habit to check the the conditions BEFORE heading out into the water this season. If you don't pass a physical flag flying along the way, be sure to scan the QR code on one of the Rescue Tube Stations, or just open up the OKI Connection mobile app for the latest conditions.

Don't have the app or a Rescue Tube Station nearby? Just visit the Beach Information page at OakIslandNC.gov/BEACH or click the link below

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE


Beach Safety Improvements

As mentioned in the intro to this week's edition, the Ocean Rescue Unit has been hard at work preparing for a safe and fun season ahead. That includes a wide variety of tasks, ranging from signage replacements to vehicle preparations, and even building a custom app to better identify and target high risk areas! 

For the Ocean Rescue Unit, there is no such thing as Winter Hibernation! Here are just a couple of examples of how they've been working to prepare the tools and the team for the season ahead:

EQUIPMENT: While the Unit's familiar red UTVs may look the same at first glace, extensive work has gone into ensuring they are prepared for the harsh conditions of daily use in the sand and saltwater. Each unit was completely stripped down to the frame, fully sandblasted, and coated in truck bed lining. Additionally, all electronics and wiring were given a thorough cleaning and protective treatment, before a complete reassembly and engine servicing. Best of all, the majority of this work was done in-house with the assistance of the Public Works Department, saving time and money, while greatly extending the life of these units in such a punishing environment.

TRAINING: Having the right equipment is only as useful as the knowledge of the rescuer using it! For 2026, the Town of Oak Island is making major news in the training and development of our Ocean Rescue Team. In this exclusive announcement for readers of The CURRENT, the Oak Island Fire Department is excited to announce Ed Vodrazka, veteran lifeguard and world-renowned ocean rescue expert, will be hosting a two-day seminar right here in Oak Island!

Vodrazka has served in the ocean rescue field for nearly 50 years, and is the author of several best-selling books, as well as developer of the Lifeguard Masterclass curriculum. The seminar will be in April as part of the Ocean Rescue Academy to train new recruits, and will provide learning in both the classroom and the water. The Town will also serve as host for several other rescue units from neighboring communities to train with Ed as well.

Generally speaking, the beach is a safe, beautiful place to enjoy. However, as with any natural wonder, accidents can happen; and the ocean can pose potential risks if not respected or enjoyed properly. One of the best tools the Town has for ensuring a safe experience for everyone, is the information it provides to YOU through the Beach Safety page of the Town Website.

During this year's Beach Safety Season, please help us to help everyone, by learning and sharing the information provided on the Beach Safety page; just visit OakIslandNC.gov/SAFETY or click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE 

News & Notices

Nuclear Siren Test Notice

[NOTE: This notice is provided by Duke Energy, and is being shared on the Oak Island Website as a public notice.]

On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, between 10:00 - 11:00 AM, Duke Energy and county officials will TEST the outdoor warning sirens around the Brunswick Nuclear PlantTo ensure they are functioning properly, sirens will sound for five to 30 seconds. Anyone who hears a siren during scheduled testing does not need to take action.

Notice of Duke Energy Emergency Siren testing on April 1, 2026

During testing, some sirens may be tested more than once, and additional follow-up testing after siren maintenance may be required after 11:00 AM. Because this is a test, local broadcasting stations will not interrupt regular programming to broadcast Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages. If there was a real emergency requiring the sirens to be sounded, local radio and television stations would broadcast information to the public.

To view the FULL notice directly from Duke energy, and learn more about how they work to maintain safety and warning systems, visit their website at duke-energy.com/NuclearEP or click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE


Pickleball Progress Update

Last week, construction was started on a full replacement of the fencing surrounding the Pickleball Courts in the Middleton Park Complex.  As of the end of Friday, March 27, the North section has been COMPLETED. With the start of this week on Monday, March 30 the SOUTH courts will now be CLOSED to allow for the remaining fence installations.

Pickleball-Courts-Closure-Notice.jpg

Work is being conducted by local contractor NC Design & Build with full fence replacement expected to be completed prior to the upcoming Oak Island Beach Pickles Spring Classic event scheduled for April 11 - 12. Though no long-term street closures or traffic disruptions are expected, drivers and pedestrians traveling through the area are strongly reminded to remain aware of surroundings, and do not enter the marked construction areas.

Throughout this project, construction updates are being provided on the Town Projects page, which can be accessed at OakIslandNC.gov/PROJECTS or by clicking the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE


Paid Parking Season Starts

In last week's edition(PDF, 15MB), we highlighted some of the hard work and progress made by the Public Works Department to help prepare and improve the public parking areas ahead of the 2026 Paid Parking Season. With fresh gravel, updated landscaping, and an additional 120 NEW parking spaces added, facilities are ready for the 2026 Season, which STARTS this Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

The Town of Oak Island currently provides the public with nearly 1,500 parking spaces across 65 Beach Access Locations, more than any other island community in the Carolinas! For those new to Town or the Paid Parking Program, it is administered by the contracted vendor, Otto Connect through their proprietary SurfCAST application.

Program enforcement runs from April 1 - September 30 between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily, with Resident-Only Parking spaces actively enforced from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily. As a reminder, if you have not yet purchased your Resident Parking Permits, they can be purchased at a cost of $10 per Permit, for up to three (3) Permits total.

For purchasing options and general program information, or to review the materials needed when purchasing a Permit, just visit the Parking Information page at OakIslandNC.gov/PARKING or click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE


Staff Spotlight: Nataly Covington

This week the Town of Oak Island is proud to shine the spotlight on Nataly Covington of the Development Services Department, who was just recently announced as the new Development Liaison!

Previously serving as a Permit Specialist, Covington's new position serves a key role in providing "front line" supervision of the Permits Office, and being the point person for handling difficult permitting questions. As Development Liaison, Nataly will work with the Department's leadership team to evaluate procedures and identify where improvements can be made in the Permitting process and customer service experience. 

Having been a part of the team for just over a year, her work enthusiasm quickly made her the obvious choice for this new role; which is important to note is part of a larger ongoing effort to modernize and improve overall service in the Department.

So please help us say congratulations Nataly Covington, as she shines in this week's Staff Spotlight!

... and speaking of Town Employees, check out the updates to our NEWEST section below to learn how YOU can "join the team!"

Join The Team

The Town of Oak Island is committed to providing the municipal services to our residents and visitors in a professional, timely manner. That means having the right people in place to achieve success as a team! Do you have what it takes to join the team? 

Click the links below to learn more about these latest Job Opportunities:

To learn more or apply for these and any other opportunities as they become available, just visit the Job Openings page at OakIslandNC.gov/JOBS or click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

"This Week At The Rec"

"This Week At The Rec"

Provided below is a listing of the fitness programs, education classes, and events happening at the Oak Island Recreation Center, located at 3003 E Oak Island Drive. For questions or additional information, contact the Recreation Department at 910-278-5518.

Monday, March 30

  • Recreation Center
    • 9:00 AM: SilverSneakers Circuit with Maggie
    • 10:15 AM Cardio Dance with Vicki
    • 11:15 AM: Senior Yoga with Mert
  • Recreation Center
    • 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM Dance Lessons with Casey

Tuesday, March 31

  • Recreation Center Fitness Classes
    • 8:30 AM: SilverSneakers Classic Fitness with Susan
    • 9:30 AM: Senior Yoga with Mert
    • 11:00 AM: Qigong, Breath & Movement with Jude
    • 6:00 PM: Barre with Suzanne
  • Recreation Center
    • 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Line Dancing Club

Wednesday, April 1

  • Recreation Center Fitness Classes
    • 8:00 AM Strength and Tone with Vicki
    • 9:00 AM: SilverSneakers Stability with Mary Beth
    • 10:30 AM Yoga for Balance with Tammy
    • NOON Zumba with Emily
  • Recreation Center
    • 4:30 PM Teen TV & Film Acting Class (pre-registration Required)
  • Recreation Center
    • 5:00 PM Chess Club

Thursday, April 2

  • Recreation Center
    • 8:00 AM Total Body Blast with Mary Beth
    • 9:00 AM SilverSneakers Circuit with Maggie
    • 10:15 AM Community Deep Stretch with Rotating Instructors
    • 5:00 PM Zumba with Emily
    • 6:00 PM Barre with Suzanne 

Friday, April 3

  • CLOSED in observance of Good Friday

Saturday, April 4

  • Recreation Center fitness classes
    • 10:00 AM: Community Yoga with rotating instructors
    • 11:30 AM: Barre w/ Suzanne

Monday, April 6

  • Recreation Center
    • 9:00 AM: SilverSneakers Fitness with Maggie
    • 10:15 AM Cardio Dance with Vicki
    • 11:15 AM: Senior Yoga with Mert
  • Recreation Center
    • 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM Dance Lessons with Casey

        To view and register for any Recreation Center programs, visit OakIslandNC.gov/PROGRAMS or click the link below.

        CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE


        Upcoming Events

        Click on the Event Flyer below for more information, or to download and print your own!


        THANK YOU

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        Thank you for reading this edition of THE CURRENT, and choosing to stay informed on the News & Events happening in Oak Island, NC.

        This information is produced by the Town of Oak Island Communications Office and is intended for information and educational purposes only. Any perceived endorsement or promotion of third-party products, services, or organizations is unintentional. For more information on any of the departments or services provided by the Town of Oak Island, call 910-278-5011, or email info@oakislandnc.gov.


        PAST EDITION ARCHIVE

        DID YOU KNOW? The CURRENT, hasn't always been a weekly publication. Originally produced as an award-winning digital monthly newsletter, The CURRENT published 35 editions, spanning a period of three years from from December 2020 to 2023. As a monthly publication, The CURRENT provided longer form, "magazine style" reading, along with added commentary, and content contributed from community partners.

        Past editions of both the weekly and monthly formats are available to view anytime, by clicking the links below.