State Port Pilot

The State Port Pilot is a weekly newspaper located in Southport, North Carolina. Established in 1928 by Bill Keziah, it has been under the ownership of the Harper family since the Great Depression. The newspaper serves the communities of Southport, Oak Island, Caswell Beach, Boiling Spring Lakes, Bald Head Island, and St. James. It is released every Wednesday.

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Cougars in playoffs for seventh consecutive time

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

The South Brunswick girls soccer team beat West Brunswick 2-0 in overtime Wednesday, May 7, at South in the final game of the conference season. The Cougars finish 4-9-1 in the Mideastern 3A/4A Conference; the Trojans, 2-12. Coached by Logan Adkisson, South is 7-11-3 overall and was scheduled to play on Monday in a first-round game of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A state playoffs at (Wilson) Hunt, 16-2-3 (too late for this edition). The second round is Thursday.
Cougars pummel West 16-2; enter state playoffs

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

South Brunswick senior lacrosse player Morgan Hill has finished the regular season as the county leader in goals scored in a single season and goals scored in a career. In 18 games this season, Hill scored 114 goals, a county record, according to an announcement at the game. In three seasons, Hill played in 49 games and scored 200 goals, a county record.
Tree protection amendments take root at BSL

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

Boiling Spring Lakes Planning Board members recommended approval of text amendments to the city’s Tree Protection Ordinance in Article 7 of the Unified Development Ordinance during their meeting April 22 at city hall. At the March 11 meeting, the board reviewed some potential considerations to help preserve tree canopy within the city and to provide some flexibility for the removal of trees on residential lots.
Back-to-back wins encourage coach for next season

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

The South Brunswick boys lacrosse team ended its season with two victories last week. After beating West Brunswick 10-4 and New Hanover 9-5, the Cougars finished 2-11-1 in the conference, 3-15-1 overall. South coach Dale Oehler said he was proud of the way the team played in the final games of the regular season. “We got a player back from a collarbone injury in the second game of the season (Noah Avellaneda), that helped,” Oehler said. “Big win against West. We’ve just been playing better lacrosse.
Forest Service charges man with starting Lakes fire

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

The cause of the Sunset Road wildfire, which began Friday, May 2, in Boiling Spring Lakes, has been determined to be a debris burn on Friday, April 25, that occurred on private property, according to the N.C. Forest Service. Bobby Max Lowery, 48, of Nebo was cited and charged with North Carolina General Statute 14-140.1, the N.C. Forest Service reported Monday.
From burgers to beehives, a blessed ending

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

During the Boiling Spring Lakes Board of Commissioners meeting May 6 at City Hall, Mayor Jeff Winecoff thanked numerous agencies and people who helped quell the roaring Sunset Road wildfire. See video of his comments at stateportpilot.com. Among the many he thanked was Rev. Ron Allen of First Baptist Church in Boiling Spring Lakes. When it was requested that Allen open the church for evacuations, “He came right down and opened the church,” Winecoff said.
Cougars advance in defending state softball title

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

The South Brunswick softball team advanced to the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A state playoffs by beating (Cameron) Union Pines 7-1 Friday at South. Through the first three rounds, all top eight seeds have advanced, setting up competitive matchups in the ensuing rounds. The Cougars, No. 3, were set to play No. 6 South Central on Tuesday at South (too late for this edition).
Lakes eyes eight-cent hike in proposed budget

2 days ago | stateportpilot.com | Michael Paul

The proposed Boiling Spring Lakes budget has an eight-cent tax increase (42%). Last year, the property tax rate was 19 cents per $100 of valuation. The proposed property tax rate is 27 cents per $100 of valuation. By comparison, last year for a home valued at $260,000, the tax was $500. Under the proposed budget, for a home valued at $260,000, the tax is $700, according to the budget summary. The city has set a public hearing about the budget for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, at city hall.
Options for Oak Island recreation center reviewed

1 week ago | stateportpilot.com | Eliot Duke

A recent assessment of Oak Island’s recreational facilities produced several options for town council to consider, and none of them proved to be particularly inexpensive. Representatives from HH Architecture, the firm hired by council to conduct an evaluation of the community and rec centers, presented its findings to the board last month in the lead up to a final report.
Southport: People have wants, don't want to pay

1 week ago | stateportpilot.com | Bob Liepa

Questions about city services and staffing were kicked around during a recent Southport Board of Aldermen budget workshop. Alderman Frank Lai summed it up in a nutshell. “We got people that want a lot of things done, but they don’t want to pay for it,” he said April 29 during the fifth workshop of its kind during this budget cycle. “It’s a delicate balance there.”That is what the board is wrestling with as it strives to come up with a budget for the 2026 fiscal year that starts in July.