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Monday night about 7p, a rainbow appeared (it didn’t last long). Pete Newman took in the view… from the newly constructed Taco Tower on Hodges St. (click pic for more views, Martha Newman photos)

For the first half of September, all quiet on the Atlantic.

Today it is looking a bit different. Invest 92 has become Tropical Storm Gabrielle. Gabrielle is expected to reach hurricane strength, but the forecast track should keep the storm out at sea, even passing east of Bermuda.

There is a a tropical wave located near the Cabo Verde Islands, plus a tropical wave forecast to move off the coast of Africa by Friday. Both have potential to develop into tropical storm systems.

• Hurricane Center
• Tropical Storm Gabrielle Tracking Chart
• Tropical Storm Gabrielle Forecaster’s Discussion & Computer Models
• Tropical Storm Gabrielle Public Advisory

10:10a The Oriental Cup Regatta is Oct 10-12 – race day Saturday Oct 11.

The info and how to participate at orientalcupregatta.com

8:37a It is said about circus rides and elections.

It’s true about high water too. When will it end?

Thanks to west winds, high waters finally end today:

8:11a Invest 92 is about to hatch. From NHC:

Right behind Invest 92, another tropical wave is just off the coast of Africa:

• Hurricane Center

4:02p The tropical disturbance is now Invest 92, with a 50% chance of being declared a tropical depression (or storm) in the next 48 hours. It’s too early for confidence, but initial models suggest it may stay out at sea:

More info in the Hurricane Center

9:05a A vacant board seat was filled at the September town board meeting. Here’s the meeting report.

8:14a We’ve had 2.35 inches of rain far in September. Almost all of it was overnight: 1.92 inches since midnight.

More rain today likely, maybe Tuesday too:

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Neuse River at Oriental Water Level Gauge

7:37a That potential storm system, now has a lil’ more potential. From NOAA/NHC:

Here we are… September 15, and not a single named storm on the Atlantic this month. It doesn’t happen often.

The last time there were no named storms by the 15th was 1992. That year, the first named storm, Bonnie, didn’t form until September 18. It was the farthest into September the Atlantic had gone without a named storm since naming began… in 1950.

That record may be broken (or equaled) this week.

3:58p Live tunes, summer movies, and BBQ. You can get it in Oriental this weekend.

Catch Hoff n’ Finch 5:30-8p and grab nachos or enchiladas from Taqueria San Luis from 4-8p, tonight at the Brewery. Down the road, the Mad Fiddler plays the Red Rooster bar starting at 7p.

On Saturday morning, find local creations at the Oriental Farmer’s Market (8-11a).

Saturday evening, pick up BBQ at the Brewery to support PCFLO – Pamlico County Fishes & Loaves Outreach. Noah Jackson Cobb provides live tunes in the beer garden, 6-8:30p. Mariposa is open for wine, charcuterie and desserts 3-8p.

Sunday morning, OUMC holds services riverside in Lou Mac Park at 8:30a. The Old Theater is showing Captain Ron at 3p – admission by donation. Drop by the Oriental Deli from 5-7p to pick up a burger or hot dogs and support the South Pamlico Volunteer Fire Department.

The weekend details, and more, are in What’s Happening.

11:50a Mariposa has new hours starting this weekend: Saturday, Sunday & Monday mornings 7-10a (bakery) and evenings 3-8p (wine bar).

The folks at Casa Que Pasa on Hodges St (aka the taco Tower) are open Fri-Sun, 8a-2p.

Sunny and 80 today… still windy, 10-15 mph from the northeast, with gusts to 25. Winds should get a bit calmer Sunday (10-15 without the brisk gusts), and then finally easy 5-10 stuff next week. Water levels will stay high until winds calm a bit.

• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Neuse River at Oriental Water Level Gauge
• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station

That tropical wave off Africa is looking a bit more stormish:

• Hurricane Center

11:41a It’s coming to the Old Theater screen this Sunday:

Showtime 3p Sunday Sept 14, at Oriental’s Old Theater.

6:33a Hodges Street will briefly be closed to traffic this morning.

Members of SPVFD Station 19 will raise the flag – flown over the crash site of Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA – and observe a moment of silence at 8:46a.

They commemorate those who died on 9/11.

5:17p September 10 is the historical peak of hurricane season. But not this hurricane season.

There have been no named storms in the Atlantic during the first ten days of September. This hasn’t happened this century… the last time it occurred was in 1992.

The slow September could be about to change:

• Hurricane Center

3:51p David White was a town Commissioner for ten years, from 2013 – 2023.

In Letters to the Editor, White writes about the roles of staff and Commissioners.

10:26a The Pamlico News and TownDock.net are putting together a Candidates Forum for late October.

Both publications co-sponsored the last Candidate Forum, when there were also 11 candidates: 9 for Commissioner and 2 for mayor. That was in 2013.

The forum is October 23, 6-7:30p at The Old Theater. Pamlico Community College President Zac Schnell is the moderator. Later this month, residents will be asked to submit questions for the candidates. It is free to attend.

Invitations were emailed to candidates from TownDock and The Pamlico News. An RSVP is requested by 5p Thursday, September 11.

Thursday evening’s The Gathering has been cancelled. The next one is schedule for Tuesday Sept 22.

6:31p At Town Hall tonight, Sandy Winfrey has been voted to serve as commissioner, filling the vacancy created by Frank Roe’s resignation. The vote was 3 to 1. Voting for Winfrey, commissioners Breena Litzenberger, Charlie Overcash and Allen Price. Voting against, commissioner Bonnie Crosser.

Winfrey is a former town commissioner.

12:45p Tonight is the September Town Board meeting, 6p at Town Hall. On the agenda, the vacancy created by board member Frank Roe’s resignation, effective at the end of August.

There are events coming up this week & weekend in our fair village. Thursday night the Evening At The Museum series continues at Oriental History Museum…. Fred Read presents “How to Use a Sextant”. It starts at 6:30p.

Saturday Jim Kelleberger gets out his big grill to cook a pig… it is a fundraiser for PCFLO. It’s at New Village Brewery, $15 plate, serving starts at 5p. Noah Cobb adds tunes.

Sunday is the beginning of “2nd Sunday Cinema” at the Old Theater. The Old Theater folks are making a cinema statement… on the big screen will be Captain Ron. Showtime 3p.

Sunday evening is a fundraiser for Fire Station 19, 5 to 7p at Oriental Deli on Broad St. Sit down and take out dinner at Deli available. Proceeds to help purchase protective equipment for our volunteer firefighters.

8:45a Brisk northeast & north winds are with us a few days:

With 20 To 25 knots (gusts to 30) on the Neuse… these northeast winds are pushing up water levels:

• Neuse River Marine Forecast
• Neuse River at Oriental Water Level Gauge
• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station

7:17a We’re fortunate kids this morning. Invest 91 is gonzo… ‘tis all quiet on the Atlantic.

This is the entire text of the current tropical storm outlook:

8:22a Invest 91 now decreased to just a 30% chance of developing.

6:42a A couple days back, Invest 91 appeared to be an imminent tropical storm system. The National Hurricane Center had it at a 90% chance of development.

This morning, it’s more of a maybe:

The next storm name on tap is Gabrielle.

• Hurricane Center

5:25p Good news from New Village Brewery. All fixed, they are back open Saturday 2-9p.

3:31p Highs near 90 Saturday, dropping to near 80 on Sunday with a 50% chance of rain.

The Brewery is closed Friday, but there’s still live music to be found tonight.

Tonight, the Will & Tony Show start playing at 7p at the Red Rooster bar (behind the Silos).

Saturday morning, the bakery at Mariposa is open from 6-11a. Saturday is now the main day that Mariposa sells all kinds of bread, sourdough, French, ciabatta rolls, and more. The Farmer’s Market on Hodges Street gets started at 8a and runs until 11.

Casa Que Pasa (aka the taco Tower) is open Fri-Sun, 8a-2p.

The Brewery reopens Saturday, open 2 -9p, with Roadside Dogs serving from 5-8p.

Stop in at the Oriental History Museum to see their latest exhibition on the History of Sailing in Oriental from 1-4p. Mariposa reopens from 3-9p with wines, charcuterie and dessert.

Sunday is OUMC’s riverside service at Lou Mac Park at 8:30a.

It’s all in What’s Happening.

3:02p Spandex Alert: You may notice colorful arrows on street signs around town. They are directional guides to bicyclists who are participating in Bike MS, a 2-day cycling event based in New Bern.

Bike MS raises funds to support people living with multiple sclerosis. Some of the bicyclists are on shorter routes that keep them near New Bern, but others choose longer rides (up to 100 miles). The “bikers” on the 75 & 100 mile routes will be coming through our town over the weekend.

One of those tough riders is Oriental’s Julia Tingle, who will be pedaling miles for the cause. You can donate to show your support (it all goes to fight MS).

Julia’s Bike MS page is here.

1:14p Tonight’s Evening at the Museum talk: how Oriental became the Sailing Capital of North Carolina.

Museum president Lou Ostendorff invites you to learn more about how Oriental came to be a destination for sailing.

Members of the local sailing clubs are encouraged to come out and join the discussion tonight at 6:30p.

Lili Bacon with New Village Brewery writes in:

11:17a ‘Tis the 4th of September. Often in the first week in September, the Atlantic has multiple tropical systems underway. Today, the Atlantic is comparably almost quiet.

There is a disturbance, just now declared as Invest 91. It’s likely to become a tropical depression in the next few days.

NOAA puts out a long-range tropical hazards outlook every week, showing predicted activity over the next 14 days. The latest shows just a couple areas of concern.

Perhaps not this year, but September 10 is the statistical peak of hurricane season.

• Hurricane Center

3:18p In one month, the porches of Oriental host The Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival. Twenty-eight musical acts take over for two days: October 3 & 4.

Craft vendors set up in Lou Mac Park. Local restaurants and non-profits provide the food. It takes volunteers to make it happen.

Prime Time – who serve up Cuban Black Beans and Rice every year – is need of a few willing souls to help their cause.

Specifically they need kitchen and food booth help. There’s also room for those that can help set up and tear down. And if you have some baked goods you’d like to donate, they’d be happy to take those, too.

Click here to find out what’s needed when and where. Contact PrimeTime’s director Debora Steenson at director@primetimepamlico.org if you can help.

9:22a There is a potential malted beverage crisis brewing in our fair village.

Lili Bacon with New Village Brewery writes in:

Here’s what’s up at the brewery… if they can open this weekend.

2:17p Just off the coast of Africa is a tropical wave. It’s looking like it has stormy potential:

A storm system that forms in this part of the Atlantic typically takes 10 to 14 days to reach the US east coast (that’s IF the system even makes it to the US east coast).

There are long long term models that show this trending north (staying offshore), others showing it staying south of us. But long long term models have more value as a parlor game than actual useful info. If a tropical depression (or even an Invest) forms, that’s when there will be useful tracking information.

• Hurricane Center

7:50a How many boats (and humans) were at Pirate Jam 2025?

You count:

Above are drone views of the scene (click on pics for larger view). Below, the bridge view (Laura Turgeon photo):

The band schedule for Pirate Jam:

• 2:00-3:00p Signature Blend
• 3:30-4:30p PM Bridge Atlantic
• 5:00-6:00p Southern Hellcats

Perfecto weekend: Mostly sunny & mid 80s today, Sunday and Monday more sunshine and highs just near 80.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station

On the Neuse, easy 5-10 knot NE winds today, becoming 10-15 Sunday, then Monday gets brisk: 15-20 knots, gusts to 25.

• Neuse River Marine Forecast