News

The Town of Hilton Head hired a new town manager, Bluffton was named one of the state’s safest cities and an area city canceled a holiday parade it first held in 1824. Here’s what happened during the previous month.

“ in the know ”

GARVIN-GARVEY HOUSE

GARVIN-GARVEY HOUSE RENOVATION EARNS FOURTH STATE AWARD

The rehabilitation of the GarvinGarvey House in Bluffton was recognized with a statewide award.

The South Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIASC) awarded Charleston historic preservation firm Meadors Inc. a Citation Award for Adaptive Reuse and Preservation for the project, the Town of Bluffton said.

The Town contracted Meadors Inc. and its architects and historic preservationists for research and the blueprint for the Garvin-Garvey House’s preservation and rehabilitation.

“The Garvin-Garvey House was on the verge of collapse. The rehabilitation represented an intensive and thorough investigation of the remnants to understand the original construction and its details,” members of the AIASC award panel said. “This investigation led to its restoration and the reconstruction of large portions of the house to bring it back to its original form.”

The town has been recognized three other times for the renovation project.

HILTON HEAD HIRES NEW TOWN MANAGER

Marc Orlando accepted a contract offer from Hilton Head Town Council to be its next town manager. He will begin his new role Feb. 22. The town had been in a search of a new leader after former town manager Steve Riley announced last June his plan to retire. Orlando had been Bluffton town manager since September 2014. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, he was named Bluffton’s deputy town manager in 2009.

According to a statement from Hilton Head mayor John McCann, town council determined that Orlando “embodies the characteristics necessary to effectively meet the Town’s needs and is therefore the ideal candidate for Town Manager.”

In a statement Orlando said, “I’m honored for the opportunity to serve as the Town Manager for Hilton Head Island and am grateful to the Town Council members for having confidence in my abilities. I look forward to getting started and working alongside the Town Council, the staff and the community.”

ORLANDO

SOUTH CAROLINIANS 70 AND OLDER GET OK FOR COVID-19 VACCINE APPOINTMENTS

Beginning Jan. 13, any South Carolina resident age 70 or older, regardless of health status or preexisting conditions, was eligible to schedule an appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccine. The mortality rate from COVID-19 for those 70 and older in South Carolina is approximately 655 deaths per 100,000 people. For those under the age of 70, there are 37 COVID19 deaths per 100,000 people, a news release said.

“This is a staggering comparison and illustrates why vaccinating this population next is critically important in our mission to save lives,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Interim Director of Public Health.

Those eligible to receive vaccines can call the DHEC Care Line at 1-855-472-3432. More information is available at scdhec.gov/ covid19/covid-19-vaccine. Hilton Head Regional Healthcare offers a guide to questions about the vaccine on its website at hiltonheadregional.com/healthy-living. It also set up a COVID-19 vaccine information hotline at 843-689-7282.