SURF CITY, NC (WECT) – Turtles in Surf City will soon have a safe place to go as work continues on the new turtle hospital.

Officials say the facility should open in June, but the turtles will be moved in before then.

The new hospital will be just over 12,000 square feet and include an area for turtle bays, a quarantine room, surgical room and educational facilities.

There will also be an observation room with a deck.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – North Carolina averages about one human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a mosquito-borne virus, each year, but the Pender County Health Department wants residents to protect themselves from the potentially deadly disease.

The viral illness attacks the central nervous system, causes inflammation of the brain and can be fatal to animals and humans, according to a news release from the Health Department.

Here are some tips from the Pender County Health Department to make homes and yards less mosquito friendly:

• Keep grass short, and remove plants that attract animals like deer and rodents;
• Pour out any standing water, and remove any containers that can hold water, such as, barrels, tires, old cans, and wading pools;
• Keep gutters clean and in good repair;
• Repair leaky outdoor faucets and change the water in bird baths and pet bowls at least twice a week;
• Check window and door screens;
• Avoid outdoor activities during peak mosquito biting hours (from one hour before to one hour after dusk and dawn); and
• Wear long pants, shoes, socks, and long-sleeved shirts if outdoors around twilight.

SURF CITY, NC (WECT) – The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to use pyrotechnics to chase birds from the Surf City Bridge, according to a post on the Town of Surf City’s website.

Bird Bangers, which are similar to firecrackers, will be shot off throughout the week of June 25-29.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.