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News
The New Year began with a winter storm, Hilton Head’s eagles were given names, and a scholarship was named in honor of a Bluffton teen. Here is what made news during the past month:
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STORM
STORM LEAVES THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER
The Lowcountry was welcomed to the New Year with a powerful overnight storm on Jan. 3 that left thousands without power. Severe storms and a cold front brought heavy rains and heavy wind. Palmetto Electric Cooperative said as of late morning Jan. 3 there were 25 line outages that impacted nearly 1,500 member locations. Dominion Energy reported more than 400 outages in Beaufort County. Wind gusts reached 49 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
SCHOLARSHIP NAMED IN MEMORY OF BLUFFTON TEEN
A scholarship has been started in memory of JonPaul Gonzalez, a Bluffton teenager. South Georgia Tormenta FC and the Ibis Foundation announced their JonPaul (JP) Gonzalez Scholarship, named for the former Tormenta FC Academy player. Gonzalez died in a car accident Dec. 4. He was a member of the Tormenta FC Academy for a
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decade, a news release said. The Ibis Foundation will accept donations in memory of JP which will go toward funding one chosen TFC Academy player’s team and uniform fees each year, starting with TFC Academy’s 2022 season.
BLUFFTON RESIDENT RECOGNIZED AS WORLD SPIRITUAL LEADER
Suzanne Giesemann of Moss Creek was included on Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit magazine’s 2022 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. The list celebrates the positive influence of today’s teachers and leaders who nurture spiritual growth and make the world a better place, a news release said. Giesemann is the author of 13 books and hosts the radio show Messages of Hope on Unity Online Radio.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND LAND TRUST ANNOUNCES NAME FOR EAGLES
Hilton Head Island Land Trust conducted a contest to name the pair of eagles that are the subject of its
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newly launched “Eagle Cam.” After more than 400 submissions were received from across the country, the eagles’ names selected are Harriet and Mitch. The eagles are named after Underground Railroad crusader Harriet Tubman and General Ormsby M. Mitchel, who founded the Town of Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island. Tubman spent time in the Beaufort County area as a nurse and a spy for the Union Army.
BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES EMPLOYEE BONUSES
Beaufort County’s school board approved a one-time bonus of $1,000 to full-time classified, professional and administrative employees, a news release said.
These employees,who have been employed for a minimum of 45 days this academic year, were set to receive the payment in January. The bonuses total $1,140,455, to be paid from savings in the district’s current year General Fund operating budget.
