OAK ISLAND — A solar-powered information sign was hacked in Oak Island, briefly displaying the message “TRUMP 2020 BITCHES” to drivers along East Beach Drive.
Town manager David Kelly said the message displayed on the town-maintained sign is not an official statement of the town and was not created by a town official.
“It appears that someone went into the sign’s control panel without authorization from the Town and typed the message you referenced,” Kelly wrote in an email Thursday afternoon. “The Town has taken steps to secure the sign’s control panel in an effort to prevent future unauthorized access and will continue to monitor the sign.”
Since Hurricane Isaias devastated the town’s dunes, the town has undertaken serious work clearing sand from roads and debris from damaged homes. The sign is intended to display informational messages related to travel and other town notices — not the political message it briefly displayed Wednesday evening.
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