The Albemarle Observer has had a big year – produced nearly a thousand stories that have told Northeast NC’s story in 2025. 

Since it’s that time of year when people are feeling generous, please consider making a donation to support our revolution that’s shaping local journalism. Yes, we’ve been around for about a year.

 

That feeling of community, of being grounded with deep roots in places between Ahoskie and Swan Quarter, Edenton and Plymouth, Gatesville and Columbia, Hertford and Winton, or Elizabeth City and Windsor, is what makes the region’s culture special. People want to live and move to Northeast NC to embrace and experience that sense of place that’s missing in suburbia and major metropolitan areas, where you don’t know your next-door neighbor.  

Where else can you take in the sights and smells at country stores like Layden’s in Perquimans County or at Fairfield Gas Bar, which has great breakfast biscuits. You can attend a faith-inspiring worship service at Macedonia Baptist Church or watch the Christmas tree lighting in Edenton, which reminds me of the scene from The Grinch when the Whos in Whoville gather to sing. 

We love it here. That’s why it’s easy to tell the stories that have shaped our towns. People have seen our work — more than 318,000 views so far this year. During the last several months, we’ve averaged between 40,000 and 50,000 views per month with a monthly readership of between 25,000 to 28,000 people. One of our videos – Captain Bob’s fire (thanks to Veronica Dowing for the submission) – was seen more than 200,000 times.  

Our top stories of 2025 so far:

1. Remembering Charlie Creighton: A Legacy in Edenton
2. Perquimans Deputy Arrested on Felony Sex Crimes
3. The Unexpected Encounter: Ex-Senator Steinburg’s Wife Finds Escaped Inmate
4. Martelle’s Feed House Sold: What’s Next for This Beloved Restaurant
5. Jim Parrish: A Legacy of Kindness and Service in Edenton
6. Reviving Captain Bob’s: From Fire to New Home
7. Breaking News: Edenton Removes Bricks and Flags Around Confederate Statue
8. Mayor Rivers’ Overdue Taxes: A Reelection Dilemma
9. Municipal Election Results 2025: Northeastern North Carolina
10. Monument Dismantled Under Darkness on Labor Day Weekend

As our readers know, we’ve been the first to report breaking news, important town council news and community happenings. 

Our readers know the latest news with the county commission or town council – who was elected or whether you’re going to get another property tax increase. 

Remember when pornography Zoomed into a Plymouth Town Council meeting!? We do!

Remember when the Town of Edenton took down the Confederate Memorial around midnight Labor Day weekend? We do; we were awake and reporting on that. 

How about the debate over the proposed gun range in Edenton, the closure of the Plymouth Food Pantry or the garbage rate spike in Hyde County?  

We reported on the passing of major movers and shakers, including Colony Tire founder Charlie Creighton, Columbia Mayor James Cahoon, Thomas Wood of Hayes fame, and beloved farmer Jim Parrish. 

We couldn’t have done all this without your support.

We’ve profiled teachers like Amelia Ali and Louise Beirne, talked to folks like Jeff and Edna Gibbs, and reported that Crystal Davis is the first female African American mayor of Plymouth. 

We couldn’t have done all this without your support.

We’ve written about church birthdays, including the major milestones of Rocky Hock Baptist and Macedonia Baptist. We were the first to report that Eastern NC has a new Episcopal Bishop. 

We couldn’t have done all this without your support.

We’ve reported on area teams’ winning streak — Aces’ football team’s advance through the season, Perquimans’ and Aces volleyball teams’ victories. 

We couldn’t have done all this without your support.

Help us keep the lights on and support the bells and whistles needed to sustain the website, gas for travel and computer programs needed to do our reporting. 

The Albemarle Observer currently takes donation by mail, via Venmo and the website. To make a donation via mail, send it to Albemarle Observer care of Miles and Nicole Layton, 205 E. Church St., Apt. A, Edenton, NC 27932.

To make an online donation, use the form on the Contacts & Donations page. Because it is handled through our site provider, WordPress, you will need to set up an account unless you have already done so. Setting up an account will save your information for possible future donations and allow for your payment to be processed. If you have blocked pop-ups on your internet browser, you will need to allow them on our site. We will add more payment options based on user demand.

To use the form, first click on one of the buttons on the top indicating whether you are making a one-time, monthly and yearly donation. 

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You then click on “donate button.”

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Thanks for your support!