Coming Home: Debbie Walker’s Life Along the Crystal Coast 

Debbie Walker’s connection to Carteret County stretches back to childhood - growing up in Newport, working on her uncle’s tobacco farm in Swansboro, waiting tables at Fleming’s Restaurant and spending summer days at Atlantic Beach. After graduating from West Carteret High School in 1974, life carried her beyond the area, into marriage, family and a long career in education. But the Crystal Coast never stopped feeling like home. Today, Debbie has come full circle, living once again in Newport near the place where her story began. 

The Water Is Home: Anthony Pittman’s Commercial Fishing Heritage 

At just two weeks old, Anthony Pittman was already on a boat with his mother and father. Today, the Morehead City commercial fisherman carries forward a three-generation family heritage, traveling miles by road and water to work near Ocracoke and navigating the beauty and danger of a life few outsiders ever see. From the lessons his father taught him to the waterspouts he recently encountered near Hodges Reef, Anthony’s story offers a rare look at what it takes to bring fresh local seafood to shore. 

She Found the Joy She Didn’t Know Was Missing

After moving from the Philadelphia area to Beaufort in May 2026, Michelle Short fell instantly in love with the water, the welcoming people and the community. At 67, she rediscovered a joy she did not realize was missing, and her love for the Crystal Coast grows daily. 

God Provides, and
I Just Push a Button

Photography became a source of peace for Kaye Strum while caring for her husband throughout his journey with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Now 81, Kaye continues to capture God’s creation while embracing some extraordinary adventures of her own.