August 10 edition

Come visit us at our garden center! 1 Marina Blvd | Beaufort, SC | 843.521.7747 lowcogardeners@gmail.com | www.lowcogardeners.com

Teacher’s rights, books dominate school board public comments

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

The audience was a sea of white and “Support Educators” stickers during the Beaufort County Board of Education meeting on August 1

Thanks to the Families Against Book Bans (FABB) organization, dozens of parents, concerned citizens and school district employees came out to the 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting for one reason – to support the two teachers that had said they would be speaking during the public comment section of the meeting.

The two teachers, Kathleen

Harper and Mardy Burleson, both teachers at Hilton Head Island Middle School, spoke to the school board regarding their personal experiences with Hilton Head Island parent David Cook.

Cook, who has been an outspoken supporter of permanently removing the 97 books that are currently being reviewed for content and appropriateness, allegedly began harassing the two teachers for different reasons due to things that happened in their classrooms.

Beaufort County School District (BCSD) held their August Book Review Committee meeting on

Wednesday, August 2, and of the 68 books that have gone through the review process, four have been removed for the next five years, two are returning to the review process due to tie votes, and 62 books have been returned to Beaufort County School District library shelves.

On Tuesday during the school board meeting, 13 community members spoke in person during the public comment session. They spoke in support of the teachers and they spoke out against the book bans.

SEE RIGHTS PAGE A4

LOLITA

New school reflects on past, hope for future

BEAUFORT

In the sweltering heat Monday, a little bit of local history was made.

It was the official ribbon-cutting for the public school district’s newest school – the Robert Smalls Leadership Academy – and several hundred students, parents, school officials, elected representatives and taxpayers were on hand to witness it.

It was in 1993 that the Robert Smalls Middle School was expanded to add students from the former Shell Point Elementary School, becoming the Robert Smalls Leadership Academy for kindergarden through 8th grade.

The new structure, designed to hold approximately 800 students, replaces the 38-year-old campus which still stands adjacent to the building. The older building, built in 1985, will be removed and

SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A5

Officers conduct a sweep in the hallways at Lady’s Island Middle School during a multi-departmental active shooter simulation on Thursday, August 3, 2023, on Lady’s Island. Photo courtesy of Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office

Preparing for the worst

Beaufort County holds active shooter simulation prior to start of school year

By Delayna Earley

The Island News More than 400 first responders from Beaufort County, as well as employees from the Beaufort County School District and Beaufort Memorial Hospital, took part in a large-scale, multi-departmental active shooter training exercise on Thursday, August 3, 2023, in Beaufort.

EDUCATION

Beaufort County public safety agencies have participated in active shooter training for 14 years, but this was the first year that a parent and student reunification scenario and a patient surge scenario at Beaufort Memorial Hospital were included in the training. These active shooter training scenarios are planned by an active shooter working group where repre-

Robert Smalls Leadership Academy holds ribbon-cutting ceremony.

PAGE A7

sentatives from the different law enforcement entities, the fire department and emergency management services (EMS) come together to plan how they will respond if there is an active shooter or any other event that would cause them to lock down the schools.

According to Capt. Will Angelo, SEE SCHOOL PAGE A5 VOICES

From left, Blu Burleson, Mardy Burleson and Kathleen Harper sit together during the Beaufort County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, August 1, in Beaufort. Delayna Earley/The Island News

Fripp Island’s Jan Manning stops at the 50%-off table at Beaufort Emporium during the First Friday sale on Bay Street. Manning, a regular First Friday shopper, let her friends go inside while she checked out the sale items. While sporting a big smile, she said, “I love our downtown.” Bob Sofaly/The Island News. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.

VETERAN OF THE WEEK MARK & MARY DORSEY

Beaufort’s Mark Dorsey, 58 joined the United States Army in Beaufort in 1986. After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Infantry training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., and Airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. His next duty station was in Korea before returning to Fort Bragg. In 1994 he transitioned to the S.C. National Guard, from which he deployed to Fort Jackson to assist the U.S. Air Force, to New Orleans to assist with Hurricane Katrina and to Afghanistan for a year.

He returned to Fort Stewart, Ga., to train others headed to Afghanistan and Iraq. He retired in 2021 as a Staff Sergeant. In 1997, he joined the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, and from 2001 until 2020, he worked for the Bluffton Police Department, mostly as a school resource officer. Today he is the Commander of American Legion Beaufort Post 207, is on the Board of the Heroes of the Lowcountry, and is a member of the DAV, the Knights of Columbus and the Montfort Point Marine Association. Mary Dorsey, 55, joined the

ISLAND NEWS

PUBLISHING,

LLC

PUBLISHERS

Jeff & Margaret Evans

FOUNDING PUBLISHERS

Elizabeth Harding Newberry Kim Harding

EDITORIAL/DESIGN

Editor-in-Chief

Mike McCombs theislandnews@ gmail.com

Art Director Hope Falls ads.theislandnews@ gmail.com

Assistant Editor Delayna Earley delayna. theislandnews@ gmail.com

Sports Editor Justin Jarrett LowcoSports@ gmail.com

U.S. Army in Pittsburgh in 1986

She attended basic training at Fort Dix, N.J. and Specialty training at Fort Benjamin Harrison before serving four years at Fort Bragg. Since 2015 she has worked for the Beaufort County School District. She is the Treasurer for Post 207

Together the Dorseys have six children, four of whom have served in the military.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.

Share your dog’s adoption story

From staff reports

Your dog could be featured in the next Dixie the Rescue Dog children's picture book, and you may be selected to receive a free custom portrait like those shown on the postcard shown above. Send your dog’s adoption story, in 150 words or less, and include three to five high-resolution headshots/photos to DixieTheRescueDog@gmail.com. Please include your dog's name and age, your full name, email address, phone number, and the city and state you live in.

Everyone is welcome.

A special note … if you have a story or ideas about how you help your pup deal with thunder-

Who’s Your Puppy?

storms and fireworks, please feel free to add that to your story.

Author Sheree Richnow says

ON THIS DATE

August 11

1940: A hurricane makes landfall at Beaufort. Winds of 104 mph strike Parris Island, destroying barracks and doing $1 5 million in damage to the Marine Recruit Depot. Recruit training continued at Quantico, Va., until repairs could be made. There were no serious injuries.

2019: For a record fourth time, Rob Simmons wins the Beaufort City Championship golf tournament at Fripp Island by 11 strokes.

August 13

1940: The Marine post on Parris Island is re-designated Recruit Depot, Marine Barracks, Parris Island.

2019: Beaufort Academy names Bobby Smith its head boys basketball coach.

2021: Tim Ogden is sworn in as the Chief of the City of Beaufort-

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

Cat of the Week: Everest is the stud of our house cats. He is often found waiting in the kitchen for another snack or looking for mischief. He is a kitten in an adult cat's body. He loves to play with any toy, especially if it is coated in catnip. Everest is 2 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

SALES/BUSINESS

Advertising Sales Director Amanda Hanna 843-343-8483 amanda@ lcweekly.com

DixietheRescueDog.com’s mission is to creatively teach children and adults about the challenges

facing abused, abandoned, and lost dogs and the underfunded no-kill shelters and sanctuaries that care for them until they're ready for adoption. Everyone is encouraged to donate time, supplies, and funds to their favorite no-kill shelter.

The author reserves the right to select the stories and photos that best fit the theme of the Dixie Book Series. There is no cost associated with your submission.

Dixie the Rescue Dog Makes New Friends – Album One is available at bookstores, pet stores, boutiques, and online. For autographed copies, don't hesitate to contact Sheree at DixietheRescueDog@gmail.com.

Town of Port Royal Fire Department, replacing Reece Bertholf, who had been named the Deputy City Manager for the City of Beaufort.

August 15

2019: Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang speaks at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall in Beaufort.

2021: In a private service, Beaufort’s Jill Striebinger becomes the first South Carolina woman ordained by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. Her ordination is not recognized by the Roman-Catholic Church.

August 16

1965: Joe Frazier makes his professional boxing debut with a heavyweight victory by TKO over Woody Goss at the Convention Center in Philadelphia.

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

Dog of the Week: Roxie will knock your socks off. This petite lady is smaller than she looks. She weighs in at 22 pounds. She loves to talk and go on walks to soak up the sun. She does well with other dogs and would love to meet you. Roxie is 8 months old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Everest, Roxie or any of our other pets, call our adoption center at 843-645-1725 or email us at info@ palmettoanimalleague. org to set up an appointment.

Accounting April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping. com Billing questions only.

CONTACT US PO Box 550 Beaufort, SC 29901 TheIslandNews@gmail.com www.YourIslandNews.com facebook.com/TheIslandNews

DEADLINE

For press releases and advertising, please submit by noon on Friday for the following week’s paper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor should consist of fewer than 275 words and be emailed with a name and contact information to TheIslandNews@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER

All content of The Island News, including articles, photos, editorial content, letters, art and advertisements, are copyrighted by The Island News and Island News Publishing, LLC, 2022, all rights reserved. The Island News encourages reader submissions via email to theislandnews@gmail.com. All content submitted is considered approved for publication by the owner unless otherwise stated. The Island News is designed to inform and entertain readers and all efforts for accuracy are made.

Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Island News, its publisher or editors. Content published from Care Magazine® is intended as a reference and options source only, not as a guide to self-treatment or substitute for profession medical advice. It is provided for educational purpose only. Readers assume full responsibility for how this information is used. The Island News reserves the right to refuse to sell advertising space, or to publish information, for any business or activity the newspaper deems inappropriate for the publication.

Mark & Mary Dorsey

Beaufort Police seek suspect in downtown Beaufort break-ins

By Delayna Earley The Island News

The Beaufort Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a man who is wanted in connection with a break-in that occurred in downtown Beaufort in June.

Anthony Leon Butler, of Beaufort, was identified as a person of interest by the Beaufort Police Department in connection with the break-in at Coastal Art Supply at 216 West Street.

“He was identified as a suspect in one of our downtown burglaries,” Lt. Col. Stephenie Price, Deputy Chief and spokesperson for the Beaufort Police Department

said. “So we put a wanted advisory out for that.”

Price said that they are actively looking for him, as are other local and statewide law enforcement agencies.

“We have statewide extradition for him,” Price said. According to a post made on the Beaufort Police Department’s Facebook page on Friday, August 4, Butler is known to drive a red four-door Volkswagen Jetta.

In mid-July, Price told a group of about 20 business owners that they had identified a person of interest and were waiting on lab results to confirm the identity during the Downtown Beaufort Merchants’ Association meeting at Thibault Gallery on Bay Street in

downtown Beaufort.

Price told The Island News following the meeting that they believe that the June 6 break-in was also related to two other break-ins that took place in downtown Beaufort on June 27 and 28

“The evidence is leaning that way,” Price said after the July meeting.

On June 27, someone broke into Bathe, a store located at 210 Scott Street known for selling soaps, lotions and rubber duckies.

The thief broke into the store by breaking the bottom of the glass door with a car jack and stole around $450 from the cash register.

NeverMore Books was broken in to on June 28 in a similar manner, but this time there was no money

Human remains found in burned car in Burton

From staff reports

A body was discovered in the remains of a burned car found Saturday, Aug. 5, in Burton.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Sheriff’s deputies and investigators were called to a wooded area off Ramsey Road on Saturday for a report of a vehicle that appeared to have been set on fire.

When deputies arrived, they discovered a severely burned car approximately 50 yards into the

woods that contained human remains.

The vehicle was not readily identifiable at the time of the discovery due to the extent of damage caused by the fire.

An identification of the deceased has not been made at this time. An autopsy was performed Monday, Aug. 7, to determine the cause and manner of death. However, according to BSCO spokesperson, Maj. Angela Viens, it will likely require a DNA identifi

-

cation, and investigators have still not determined a cause of death.

Anyone who may have information related to the burned vehicle or who may want to report any recent suspicious activity in the Ramsey Road and Ramblin Road area of Burton is encouraged to call Sgt. J. Snider at 843 - 255 - 3421 or if wishing to remain anonymous and for a possible reward, Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843 - 554 - 1111

for the thief to steal and, according to owners Dave and Lorrie Anderson, the thief cut themselves while trying to squeeze through the door and left blood behind.

When asked if the lab work requested by the Beaufort Police Department was related to the blood left at NeverMore Books, Price said she could not answer.

Price did say that the point of entry for the break-ins – the glass doors of the businesses – allowed the thief to see inside of the business and see if there was anything worth taking.

“They’re looking for the iPad and Square, … and then cash,”

Price said. “You shouldn’t keep anything of value where it can be seen through the front window of

the business.”

Price also advised downtown business owners to get cameras or an alarm if they do not already have them.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Butler has not been apprehended. Beaufort Police have asked for anyone with information about the whereabouts of Butler, to contact Investigator Anthony Re at 843322-7960 or call their Anonymous Tip Line at 843-322-7938

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Hardeeville man shot Tuesday on Lady’s Island

From staff reports

A 32-year-old Hardeeville man is recovering from a gunshot wound after a shooting Tuesday, Aug. 8 on Lady’s Island. At approximately 11:50 a.m., Beaufort County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) deputies were dispatched to the area of Sandy Lane for a report of a shooting. According to the

Darren E . Mullins, M . D. FELLOWSHIP - TRAINED MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST

Dr. Darren E. Mullins has joined Beaufort Memorial Oncology Specialists in Beaufort, part of the hospital’s nationally recognized Keyserling Cancer Center. He brings extensive knowledge of the full range of established and emerging therapies—among them chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy—to the treatment of a wide variety of cancers.

The Tennessee native had spent the whole of his medical oncology career in the South before accepting an offer in 2017 to establish a new practice and service line at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska.

No stranger to the Palmetto State, Dr. Mullins first moved to the Lowcountry in 1999 and later founded Waccamaw Oncology in Georgetown/Murrells Inlet where he practiced from 2002 through 2013.

He joins board-certified nurse practitioners Katy Jones and Susanne Baisch at the Beaufort practice, and fellow board-certified medical oncologist Dr. Stephen Tiley, who leads the Okatie practice located at the New River Cancer Center.

BCSO, the complainant reported that a person had been shot.

Deputies arrived in the community but did not locate any gunshot victims.

A short time later, however, deputies were called to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for a person who had been shot.

The man’s injuries were not serious, and he was

treated and released on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies and investigators remained in the area of Sandy Lane on Tuesday afternoon interviewing possible witnesses and collecting evidence.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Beaufort County dispatch at 843-524-2777

Board-certified - Medical Oncology

Fellowship - Medical Oncology

University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville (now known as UVA Health)

Residency - Internal Medicine

University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis

Doctor of Medicine

University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham

Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry (cum laude)

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

ABOUT THE BEAUFORT MEMORIAL Keyserling Cancer Center

Awarded full accreditation with special commendation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons, Beaufort Memorial’s Keyserling Cancer Center in Beaufort, as well as its New River Cancer Center in Okatie, provide access to medical oncology, radiation oncology, cancer surgeries, and lab, imaging,

infusion and breast health services. Both centers are affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Health) and its experienced subspecialists to provide additional treatment options when needed, as well as access to promising clinical trials, allowing local treatment for even the most complex cancers.

Butler

Beaufort Police Department holds first open house

Event gives community chance to see what is ‘behind the walls’ of police department

By Delayna Earley The Island News

The Beaufort Police Department opened their doors to the community on Saturday morning for the first time.

As part of their initiative to be more transparent and connect more with members of the community, the Beaufort Police Department held an open house where it gave a look “behind the curtain” to show people how things work.

“This is a chance for us to invite people who are curious about what happens behind the walls of the police department,” said Lt. Col. Stephenie Price, Deputy Chief and spokesperson for the Beaufort Police Department.

“Because really, it’s not just our police department, it’s their police department.”

The open house was held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, at the Beaufort Police Department off Boundary Street.

The event featured virtual de-escalation training demonstrations, crime scene investigation techniques, courtroom procedures, craft tables, crime and safety information, free hot dogs and drinks and their newly established

NEWS BRIEFS

canine unit. Supportive community partners such as CAPA, Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department, Hopeful Horizons, Exchange Club of Beaufort and Wright Directions Family Services were all there giving out informa-

ATAX workshop on Aug. 10

The City of Beaufort will hold a Learn and Share workshop for potential ATAX applicants at 9 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 10, in the Beaufort City Hall, Community Development Conference Room, 1911 Boundary St. Applications may be accessed on the City’s website under Government – Tourism Development Advisory Committee – or they may be picked up at City Hall. For questions and additional information contact Jay Phillips, ATAX administrator, at

Rightsfrom page A1

Many of the attendees who spoke were members of FABB, which is an organization that was started in January 2023 to oppose the removal of the 97 books from BCSD libraries.

Following the community members who spoke in person, four additional community members spoke via phone.

These four people spoke in support of the book removals, and several, including David Cook himself, spoke against the teachers, saying they are not the victims that they claim to be.

A tale of two teachers

Mardy Burleson and Kathleen Harper are middle school educators from Hilton Head Island who spoke to the school board members during Tuesday’s meeting to inform them of the harassment and threats that they have allegedly received from David Cook.

Burleson, who spoke first, said that she has been publicly attacked by Cook, “personally and professionally.”

Her encounters with Cook allegedly began after she issued an optional survey to her students and asked them to fill it out if they wanted to.

The survey asked questions to get to know the students better, one of which asked about the pronouns that the student prefers to go by.

Burleston said that the survey was “misconstrued and misrepresented” in a complaint by Cook, who had a child in her class, stating that the survey was secret, re-

tion about their organizations to attendees.

The event attracted around 50 people, which Police Chief Dale McDorman said was a great start for their first open house.

“It’s a start for our first event,” McDorman said. “I think it’s good.”

jphillips@cityofbeaufort.org, 843-525-7071

Walk for Water/ Water Mission

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort will host Robert (Lash) Lasher in a presentation about Walk for Water and Water Mission on August 17 at 6:30 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall, 178 Sams Point Road.

Join us to find out how these two important projects bring safe water to those in greatest need throughout the world.

Chief McDorman said that transparency is so important for a police department because of one word, “Trust.”

“If you operate in secrecy, people will never trust you,” he said.

“Obviously, there are certain things we can’t expose, but this

This event is open to the public. All are welcome to attend.

Zonta meeting on Aug. 22

Kelly Procida, Assistant Director on the Global Cause Partnerships team at UNICEF USA, will be the guest speaker for the Zonta Club of Beaufort’s August 22 meeting. Procida will be sharing stories of her latest assignment, supporting Zonta International's projects in Peru.

Procida has worked with UNICEF since

to contact her demanding a meeting, he also had a student in this 8th-grade classroom.

Harper was told not to respond, and she alleged that when he couldn’t get a response from her on email, he turned to defaming her publicly on social media and in school board meetings claiming that she described genital mutilation in detail and is in violation of the law and claimed that she was verbally and sexually abusive to his child.

humanizes the police officers and the department.”

McDorman said that, unfortunately, a lot of police departments prefer to operate under a “veil of secrecy,” but over the past several years police departments have seen a shift where they realized that they really cannot operate that way.

This shift is one of the reasons why the police department decided to hold their first open house along with other community-oriented events such as Chill with a Cop, Movies in the Park and Coffee with a Cop.

“The more the public knows, the more they trust,” McDorman said. “It opens a dialogue.”

The Beaufort Police Department hopes to make the event an annual one, which will give them the opportunity to grow the event and hopefully attract more and more community members each year.

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

2014. She has worked with their Youth Engagement programs and was a Global Citizenship Fellow working with volunteers across the United States. Now in her current role, Kelly works with civil society organizations partnering with UNICEF USA, leading strategic communications and engagement opportunities, which showcase the impact of their support for the world's children.

The August 22 meeting will be held at The Smokehouse Restaurant on Paris Avenue in Port Royal at 6 p.m. All Zontians are encouraged to attend this very special presentation.

take the survey and read the article about female circumcision.

He claimed that both teachers had the opportunity to meet with school administrators and himself, but instead they chose to hide.

Burleson said after Tuesday’s meeting that she tried to meet with Cook at a time of his choosing, she even got a substitute to cover her class since he wanted to meet during the school day.

Ever After by Kacen Callender and The Fixer by Bernard Malamud were all returned to grades 9-12 One book, A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, will go back into the book review process due to a tie vote.

Forever for a Year by B.T. Gottfried, was voted to be removed from circulation for the next five years.

quired and that she was collecting the information for nefarious reasons to cause harm to her students.

“I am a professional educator,” Burleson said during her three minutes. “I have been trained by our very own district, as well as the state, to make connections and build relationships with our students by learning about them and how to work with underrepresented groups like LGBTQIA+ and trauma impacted students.”

Burleston said that she only sought to gather the information to be able to get to know her students so that she can serve them as their educator to the best of her ability.

She continued to say that since these accusations were made public, she has been accused of misconduct with her students and was placed on paid administrative leave for almost the entirety of the second half of last school year.

In an interview with The Island News, she said that she was put on administrative leave for her own safety while the school district in-

vestigated complaints made by parents and members of the community.

“People have called for me to be arrested, fired, my certification to be revoked and that my face should be on a billboard and worse,” Burleson said. “I’ve been physically threatened, my full name, face and where I work has been shared publicly online and across social media.”

Blu, Burleson’s minor son who identifies as transgender, was outed by Cook as well, according to Burleson.

“My students mean the world to me, not despite of their differences but because of them,” Burleson said.

Kathleen Harper, who is a literacy coach, spoke after Burleson and said that she began to be targeted by Cook in January 2023 after she answered a question based on a school-approved resource in an 8th-grade class.

The question was about what female circumcision is, and she responded by saying, “It’s a barbaric practice that still occurs in some African villages.” She said that Cook began

She told the school board that she has filed police reports against Cook out of fear for her safety.

David Cook did not attend the school board meeting in person, but he was one of the four citizens who called in to make a comment during the public comment session.

“The teachers who think they’re victims, they’re not,” Cook said as he began his three-minute time. “The students are the victims, so get it straight.”

He continued to say that he and his daughter have not made the claims against the teachers for no reason.

Cook said that the teachers should be expected to behave in a way that does not raise concern and claims that both teachers displayed misconduct in the class and said his daughter is a hero because she spoke out against the teachers.

“Now the district and the community want to retaliate against her,” Cook claimed about his daughter.

Cook’s daughter, Isabella, also called in to speak during the public comment section of the school board meeting and alleged that she and her classmates were forced to

She said that she and school administrators waited for an hour for him to show up, but he never did.

Burleson also said that as she listened to David Cook speak, she did not feel the anger that she might have felt six months ago.

“I’m taking the high road,” she said.

Most of all, she was worried for her child, Blu, to speak because she thought it might be dangerous or traumatic for them.

When asked what they thought about all of this, Blu responded by saying that they felt sorry for David Cook.

“What kind of childhood could he have had to be filled with so much hate,” said Blu.

Harper declined to speak with The Island News and David Cook responded with, “No comment.”

Reviewing the books

On Wednesday, August 2, Beaufort County School District held their book review committee meeting for the month of August and reviewed seven books.

Five of the books, Skin by Donna Jo Napoli, Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, Felix

The review committee that voted to remove the book from circulation only had three of its members in attendance, with two members voting to remove the challenged book in its entirety and one person voting to return the book to school library shelves.

Forever for a Year joins the three other books that have been removed during this process; The Haters by Jesse Andrews, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.

The committee that removed the book Nineteen Minutes also only had three members of the committee show up to the review meeting, and the challenged material was removed in a two to one vote.

Books that are removed during the review process will be removed from circulation for five years. At that time, the material will be re-reviewed to see if it can be returned to school library circulation.

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Hilton Head Island Middle School teacher Kathleen Harper speaks during the Beaufort County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, August 1, in Beaufort. Delayna Earley/The Island News

Henry Shinn, 4, and his mother Kathryn Mammel, both of Beaufort, smile as they speak with Ashleigh Newman, Prevention Services Coordinator with CAPA, during the Beaufort Police Department Open House on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at the police department in Beaufort. Delayna Earley/The Island News

Opponents to Pine Island golf course seek to join legal battle in Beaufort County

By Tony Kukulich

The Post And Courier ST. HELENA ISLAND — Lawyers representing the owner and developer of the property known as Pine Island are contesting Beaufort County's denial of applications to build three six-hole golf courses on the 502-acre parcel.

Now it appears the county may not have to face that lawsuit on its own.

Standing with a St. Helena Island marsh as a backdrop, a group gathered on an overcast, sticky afternoon last week to announce that motions to intervene on behalf of Beaufort County in the case have been filed with the court.

The Coastal Conservation League, the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and the Penn Center along with several St. Helena Island landowners have submitted individual motions that, if granted by a judge, allows them participate in prelitigation mediation.

"For years we've been standing with the St. Helena Island community to protect their vision for this nationally significant rural sea island, and this filing is a continuation of that support," said Jessie White, South Coast Office Director for the Coastal Conservation League, in a statement.

Intervention According to Faith Rivers James, executive director for the Coastal Conservation League, an intervention allows a party to participate in legal proceedings without joining the suit as a plaintiff or defendant.

The intervention will ensure the community has a seat at the table during negotiations and will allow the participating parties to make their own legal arguments, she said.

"We believe that we've got the legal background and the experience in land use to articulate specific arguments that ensure that the cultural protection overlay stands," James added.

A hearing on each motion to in-

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training coordinator with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, they have always used the ALERT program, Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team, which has been adopted statewide.

“We take that program and then adapt it to what is best for Beaufort County,” Angelo said.

Angelo also said that the decision to include the Beaufort County School District and Beaufort Memorial Hospital was made after the false active shooter incident at Beaufort High School in Fall 2022

He said it was decided that it was necessary to get everyone involved in the working group to plan and work through some of the weak

Lowdown

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tervene is required to determine if the applicant has sufficient standing to be heard in the case. Each applicant requested an expedited hearing to make that determination. Those hearings have not been scheduled.

Explaining why she chose to get involved in the case, Joanne Heyward said, "It's important for me to see my grandchildren and even their children enjoy those natural activities. That's what the fight is about."

Another bite at the apple

Since November, there have been several efforts to obtain approval for a golf resort on Pine Island despite the prohibition on golf courses, resorts and gated communities under the St. Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay.

Passed by County Council in 1999, the overlay is intended to help preserve the Gullah/Geechee community on the island by prohibiting certain developments.

"The threat to the entire St. Helena Island community is real, as seen

points in Beaufort County’s response plan.

The working group spent around three and a half months planning the active shooter training exercise before executing it on Thursday.

The hope was that the training exercise would test the abilities of the school district to handle reunification, the hospital’s abilities to handle a patient surge and first responders’ ability to respond to and subdue an active shooter.

During the exercise, law enforcement and first responders responded to a simulated active shooter situation at Lady’s Island Middle School.

The situation was meant to be as realistic as possible to test what would happen in a real situation.

A deputy with the sheriff’s office pretended to be a mid-

become part of the new campus parking area and recreation fields. Referendum funding for the $62 million school was approved by voters in the 2019 capital campaign.

The building, located on Robert Smalls Parkway, will officially open to K through 8th-grade students in two weeks. But the history of the building itself and the man for whom it is named was already being celebrated by those in the audience, especially the students who seemed ready to make their marks on the community.

Like Smalls, the former slave who became a U.S. Congressman, there was a feeling in the air that the students who attend classes in the new academy will be “going places.”

by the virtual collapse of the Gullah population and its culture on Hilton Head Island following the development of similar types of gated communities, golf resort development and residential sprawl," said Robert L. Adams, the new executive director of the Penn Center.

Elvio Tropeano, a developer who identifies himself as the owner of Pine Island, submitted a zoning map amendment in November to remove the property from the cultural protection overlay.

Former County Administrator Eric Greenway advised Tropeano the next day that application was put on hold while the administration pursued text changes to the overlay's language. Those changes provided exceptions on the golf course, resorts and gated community prohibitions that could have, ostensibly, made it easier to obtain an approval to build a golf resort.

The administration's proposed changes were not adopted. County Council terminated Greenway's employment for cause last month. The specific reasons

dle school student who had been bullied and had retaliated against his bully by coming to school with a gun.

The simulated active shooter then barricaded himself in a room in the school and law enforcement worked to try and de-escalate the situation before he hurt any other students or himself, which according to Angelo, they were able to do.

Angelo said that they especially tried to address some of the weaknesses in their original plan that became clear following the incident last fall, like law enforcement’s ability to access barricaded classrooms and how to communicate better with parents to help the reunification process go more smoothly.

The more than 400 individuals who participated came from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Beaufort Police Department, Town

As Robert Smalls’ great-grandson Michael Boulware Moore of Charleston told those present, the students and supporters of the school and education in general, should follow his example as a beacon of courage and determination.

Tribute was also paid to the late W.K. Alston who was principal of the all-black Robert Smalls High School from 1937 to 1962

The new buildings were designed and decorated to commemorate Smalls’ achievements, serving as a daily reminder to the students of the former slave’s accomplishments. The entrance reflects the wooden bow of the boat Smalls handed over to the Union forces in the Charleston Harbor.

The hallways are painted with a mural timeline of local history.

Speakers also reminded those present that funding for the $62 million school project was made possible by voters who supported

for that action have not yet been made public.

Tropeano resubmitted his request to remove the Pine Island property from the overlay district on May 11 County staff recommended denying that application. Subsequent reviews by the Planning Commission and the Community Services and Land Use Committee abided by the staff’s position and also recommended denial of the request. Finally, County Council voted down the application 8-2 during its June 26 meeting.

Six-hole golf courses

Applications for three six-hole golf courses were filed in April by attorney Lauren Niemiec, who represented the property owner. Niemiec was notified April 14 that the applications had been denied. The applications didn’t "comply with the applicable standards of the Community Development Code and the amendments given the first reading by County Council on April 10 2023," Rob Merchant, director of

VIDEO For a brief video from Beaufort County’s active shooter sceario training, follow this video link or visit https://youtu.be/ a9_pZ6XRCPE.

of Port Royal Police Department, Bluffton Police Department, University of South Carolina Beaufort Police Department, State and Federal public safety agencies, local military installations, City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department, Lady’s Island – St. Helena Fire District, Bluffton Township Fire District, Beaufort Coun-

the 2019 capital campaign referendum, a subtle reminder that voters will be asked again this fall to support another referendum when a new middle school for Lady’s Island will be on the project list.

Reflection on the past … looking to the future. Who knew a new school building could inspire such introspection, such hope?

In another reflection of the changing educational environment, Monday’s remarks were presented bi-lingually reflecting the increasing Hispanic make-up in the district’s student population. All a definite sign of the times.

United Way poverty exercise reminder of hard times for many BEAUFORT – Here’s a bit of trivia you probably don’t think about often: approximately 28,000 folks in Beaufort and Jasper County live in poverty. Yep, in this beautiful part of the

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the county’s Planning and Zoning Department, wrote in the denial.

The denial of the applications was first appealed to the Beaufort County Planning Commission and heard on June 5

Charleston-based attorney Ellis Lesemann represented owner Pine Island Property Holdings LLC before the commission. He argued, among other points, that the language of the overlay prohibited golf courses with nine or more holes, making a six-hole course allowable.

The commission rejected Lesemann's argument and upheld the county's decision by unanimous vote.

In his ruling, Chair Ed Pappas wrote that the overlay "does not, nor was it intended to, permit golf courses of fewer than nine holes," adding that the applications for three six-hole golf courses were an attempt to "circumvent the purpose and intent" of the cultural protection overlay.

In response, Lesemann filed a petition for appeal of the commission decision with the Court of Common Pleas on July 5

"The decision was arbitrary, capricious, based on matters and information that were not part of the record, procedurally flawed and an abuse of discretion," Lesemann wrote in the appeal.

Beaufort County has not filed its response to the petition. The appeal requested prelitigation mediation, which is to be scheduled.

This article is published through The Post And Courier News Collaborative, a partnership created to inform readers across the state.

ty Emergency Medical Services, Town of Hilton Head Island Government, Beaufort County School District and Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

“There are things that we need to tweak to make us faster, but considering how many people were involved, the exercise went really well,” Angelo said.

Teachers and administrators from the school district acted as students and parents during the simulation.

Angelo said they had originally thought to ask seniors to participate to complete their required volunteer hours, but they decided against it because they did not want to subject minors to a scenario such as this one before they head back to school for their last year of high school.

Before the training exercise on Thursday, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office put out notifications to the

state where antebellum homes, lovely tree-lined residential streets, sunsets on the marshes and sandy beaches are offered as tourist attractions and invitations to those who want to move here, roughly 10 percent of Beaufort County current residents officially qualify by federal government standards as “poor.”

It’s a percentage of our population some organizations in our community think about every day. Groups like the United Way of the Lowcountry and myriad non-profits, which rely on grants and donations from one segment of the population to help another segment.

The United Way staff, working with the Beaufort-Jasper Economic Opportunity Commission, a government entity that works to help those who need help, last week conducted a poverty simulation exercise for about 80 invited “guests” who got to spend an hour

community to let them know what would be happening to avoid any confusion or cause anyone to worry that there was a real emergency.

As Beaufort County Schools prepare to go back to class on August 21, parents are encouraged to review the information provided by the school district on their website in case of an emergency such as the one simulated on Thursday.

The information regarding Student Safety and Security can be found at https://www. beaufortschools.net/families/student-safety-security.

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

“playing like” they were poor.

But the experiences of dealing with no transportation, no rent money, sick children, overdue rent, drug addictions, and food shortages were no “games” as the organizers reminded the participants. It’s the kind of daily life decisions those 28,000 of our neighbors make on a daily basis. The United Way plans to offer the poverty simulation to other groups in the coming months. The event should be a priority for anyone who lives here and thinks … “not in MY town.”

Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. Her goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.

Faith Rivers James, executive director of the Coastal Conservation League, speaks during a press conference on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. The Coastal Conservation League is among the parties seeking to intervene to defend Beaufort County's denial of three six-hole golf course from an appeal brought by the owner and developer of the 502-acre Pine Island property. Tony Kukulich/Post and Courier

BA opens season Saturday in Charleston

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

The wait for football season has never seemed so long at Beaufort Academy. But it’s almost over.

Since announcing the hire of Nic Shuford as the Eagles’ next football coach in January, the BA faithful have been eager for kickoff, and it comes at 8:15 p.m. Saturday night at Charleston Southern when the Eagles take on SCISA 4A power Trinity Collegiate in the 1team1cause Football Showcase.

“I like to start the season off as tough as we can,” said Shuford, who won four consecutive SCISA 1A titles at Thomas Heyward Academy before falling in the title game last season. “This year we’ve got Trinity followed by Pinewood Prep. I think that’s really gonna let us know where we stand early in the year. It’s a great test.”

The Eagles were one game away from playing for the SCISA 2A title a year ago under legendary coach Mark Clifford, who elected to step back after the season and remain at BA in more of an advisory role, working hand-in-hand with Shuford to try to propel the football program to new heights.

The coaching hire also plugged the one glaring hole BA needed to fill this fall, as quarterback Dietrich Shuford made the move over from THA with his dad to take over for Braydon Dineen under center. He has some dangerous weapons on the outside in Te’Shaun Heyward and Devin Fripp, as well as the dynamic duo of Devonte Green and Jaxen Porter alongside him in the backfield.

“It’s a lot more fun to coach them than to prepare to play them,” Nic Shuford said. “The skill level of those two running backs is out of this world. They complement each other really well. Excited to see what they can do with these bigs in front of them.”

BA stopped Colleton Prep on a two-point conversion to secure a 20-19 win and a region title last regular season, only to lose to the War Hawks by a field goal in the semifinals. With all but two key contributors returning and the Shufords in the fold, they’re aiming to extend their season one week longer this year.

“I think for sure it will be one for the history books, but we’re taking it one day at a time, trying to get better every day, every practice,” senior lineman Alex Williams said. “I think the biggest thing for us is effort, because that’s something that can’t be coached. You gotta get up and know you have a job to do. Get us a ring on the finger. Hopefully by November we’re playing in that big game.”

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

The defending state champion Beaufort High School Eagles football team has been busy honing its skills during the early morning hours to beat the heat. Head coach Bryce Lybrand said he has 85 athletes suited up for both junior and varsity teams practicing together. He said he expected that number to increase once school starts. Here, junior running back Elias Johnson tries to elude the defense during practice Tuesday morning. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

A capsule look at area teams

TEAM CAPSULES

Beaufort High Eagles

2022 record: 13-1 overall (4-0 region)

2022 playoffs: SCHSL 3A state champions

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Bryce Lybrand (4th season)

Offensive Coordinator: Logan Powell

Defensive Coordinator: Rob Gorrell

Player Personnel

Top Returners (Offense): QB Samari

Bonds, OL Kenshon Speaks, OL Adrian Lamb

Top Returners (Defense): DE Jayden Simmons, LB Will Codding, LB Quion Rivers, DB Dom Camacho, DB Isaac Smalls

Key Departures: RB Kacy Fields (S.C. State), ATH/DB Colton Phares (Appalachian State), TE/LB Michael Dennison (MIT), OL/DL Aaron Lamb (Allen) OL Hart Cushman (Erskine), K/P Jack Troutman, DL Jack Sumner, DB Lamar Knight, DB Jamar Knight, LB Zach Talbert

Top Newcomers: RB Xavier Donaldson (Travelers Rest), RB Elias Johnson (Dreher), WR Dorell DePass (Fort Dorchester), WR Amare Patterson

2023 Schedule

8/18 at Cane Bay

9/1 at HHIHS

9/8 at Goose Creek

9/15 vs. May River

9/22 at Bluffton

9/29 at Philip Simmons*

10/6 vs. Battery Creek*

10/20 vs. North Charleston*

10/27 at Hanahan* Battery Creek Dolphins

2022 record: 3-8 overall (1-3 region)

2022 playoffs: SCHSL 3A 1st round

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Ed Susi (1st season)

Offensive Coordinator: Ed Susi

Defensive Coordinator: Terrance Ashe

Player Personnel

Top Returners (Offense): RB Damien Freeman, WR Juju Gordon, WR Derrick

Smalls Jr., RB Nyc Underwood

Top Returners (Defense): DL/LB Leroy Tyus, DB Juju Gordon, DB Derrick

Smalls Jr., LB Donyae Brown

Key Departures: DL Anthony Phelan, OL Devin Broaddus, RB Jeremiah Mceachin, LB/DB Ty Emmert, QB

Hunter Smith, OL/DL Tanner McCracken

Top Newcomers: QB Chase Olsen

2023 Schedule

8/18 vs. HHIHS

8/25 vs. Ridgeland

9/1 at Calhoun Co.

9/8 at May River

9/15 vs. Bluffton

9/22 at Whale Branch

9/29 at North Charleston*

10/6 at Beaufort*

10/13 vs. Hanahan*

10/27 vs. Philip Simmons*

Whale Branch Warriors

2022 record: 6-5 overall (3-2 region)

2022 playoffs: SCHSL 1A 1st round

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Jerry Hatcher (13th season)

Offensive Coordinator: Willie White

Defensive Coordinator: Charlie Sim-

mons

Player Personnel

Top Returners (Offense): WR Keith

Chisholm, QB Jermon Bowers, OL Iveon Watson, OL Joseph Darby, FB Bradford Thompson, OL Micah Green

Top Returners (Defense): DB Keith Chisholm, DE Bradford Thompson, DE Dorien Alston, LB Alonzo Allen, LB Zaire Polite, LB Davon Evans, DB Dayaun Brown

Key Departures: OL/DL Ron Smith, OL/DL Jovahn Smith, OL/DL Benji Sanchez

Top Newcomers: RB/LB Darrell Cummings, OL/DL Isaiah Evans

2023 Schedule

8/25 at North Charleston

9/1 at Ridgeland

9/8 vs. Baptist Hill

9/15 vs. Burke

9/22 vs. Battery Creek

9/29 at Bethune-Bowman*

10/13 vs. Allendale-Fairfax*

10/20 at Branchville*

10/27 vs. Bamberg-Ehrhardt*

John Paul II Golden Warriors

2022 record: 4-7 overall

2022 playoffs: SCISA 3A 1st round

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Shayne Milligan (1st season)

Offensive Coordinator: Shayne Milli-

gan

Defensive Coordinator: Rich Yackley

Player Personnel

Top Returners (Offense): QB Christian Tilton, FB Sebastian Slusne, OL

GET READY FOR GRIDIRON GLORY!

Lukas Yackley, RB Bryant Jolley

Top Returners (Defense): DB Christian

Tilton, LB Sebastian Slusne, DL Lukas

Yackley, LB Bryant Jolley, DB Brandyn

Horton

Key Departures: ATH/DB Jackson

Ogden, RB/DB Anthony Hill, OL/DL

DJ Lewis, LB Sam Rembold, OL/DL

Kohl Woodham

Top Newcomers: QB/WR/DB Alan

Wolf, TE/DE Sean Phalen, WR/DB

Jackson Reilley

2023 Schedule

8/18 vs. Thomas Heyward

8/25 at Bethesda Academy

9/1 at St. Andrew’s

9/8 vs. Memorial Day

9/15 vs. Pinewood Prep*

9/22 at Florence Christian*

9/29 at Cardinal Newman

10/6 vs. Hilton Head Prep*

10/13 at Northwood*

10/20 vs. HHCA*

10/27 at Wilson Hall*

Beaufort Academy Eagles

2022 record: 8-3 overall, 4-1 region

2022 playoffs: SCISA 2A semifinals

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Nic Shuford (1st season)

Offensive Coordinator: Nic Shuford

Defensive Coordinator: Will Kelley/ Michael Shuford

Player Personnel

Top Returners (Offense): RB Jaxen

Porter, RB Devonte Green, OL Alex

Williams, WR Zeke Gonzalez, OL Eddie

Gonzalez

Top Returners (Defense): DL Tres

Delaney, LB Jaxen Porter, DB Devonte Green, DL Alex Williams, DB Zeke

Gonzalez, DL Eddie Gonzalez, DL Tripp

Gregory

Top Returners (Special Teams): K/P

Zeke Gonzalez, K/P Grady Lamm, LS

Tripp Gregory

Key Departures: OL Hampton Lane, QB Braydon Dineen

Top Newcomers: QB Dietrich Shuford

2023 Schedule

8/12 vs. Trinity Collegiate (at Chas. So.)

8/18 vs. Pinewood Prep

8/25 vs. Hilton Head Prep

9/8 at Greenwood Christian

9/15 vs. Orangeburg Prep

9/22 at HHCA

9/29 at Palmetto Christian*

10/13 at Thomas Heyward

10/20 at Colleton Prep*

10/27 vs. Bethesda Academy*

As the high school football season kicks off, brace yourselves for an electrifying journey of touchdowns, tackles, and triumphs! Every Thursday our pages will come alive with the pulse-pounding action of local teams battling it out under those dazzling Friday night lights. But that's not all – YOU can be a part of this exhilarating experience too! Show your unwavering support for these dedicated athletes by becoming a sports page banner sponsor and having your banner proudly displayed at the bottom of our sports page each week. Join us in celebrating local talent and the joy of the game. Contact us today to be part of the excitement!

Amanda Hanna – amanda@lcweekly.com • Sandy Schepis – sandyschepis@gmail.com

Robert Smalls Leadership Academy holds ribbon-cutting ceremony

Newly unveiled school is largest project from November 2019 bond referendum

From staff reports School and government officials, students, Beaufort County Board of Education members, and community supporters gathered at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the unveiling of the district’s largest project funded through the bond referendum approved by county voters in November 2019

The $63 million construction project for Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (RSLA) includes: Two floors and four wings; An outdoor learning pavilions and spaces; A two-story lobby that pays tribute to the life and journey of Robert Smalls; A corridor with a historical timeline depicting the school’s history as well as significant local, state, and national events; New athletic fields to be completed January 2024; Increased parking and additional space for car

riders; and ... Exterior detailing resembling the C.S.S. Planter, the ship commandeered by Robert Smalls.

Speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Board of Education Chair Christina Gwozdz, Beaufort County School District (BCSD)

Superintendent Frank Rodriguez, school principal Bradley Tarrance, and the great-great-grandson of Robert Smalls, Michael Boulware Moore.

“The Board of Education sincerely thanks everyone who played a part in seeing this project to fruition,” said Board Chair Christina Gwozdz, who also noted

that in addition to being a war hero and holding state and national office, Smalls “served on the Beaufort County School Board early in his career.”

Rodriguez thanked the voters of Beaufort County for overwhelmingly supporting the 2019 Bond Referendum.

“Your commitment is so

important because it allows us to provide our students and teacher with a state-ofthe-art learning environment.”

In the legacy of Robert Smalls, Rodriguez said the new facility will be “a place where students can be leaders, share their genius, own their learning, and develop their full potential.”

2 from Beaufort win ATA championships

Beaufort’s Scheper, Seabrook’s Johnson claim crowns in Orlando

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

The American Tennis Association (ATA) held its 106th National Championships from July 24 through July 30 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., and two men from northern Beaufort County can once again claim the title of national champion in the ATA National Adult Age Group Championship.

Beaufort’s Larry Scheper and his partner Kenneth Myers of Shreveport, La., won the Doubles title in the Men’s 55 and Over bracket, while Denton Johnson of Seabrook won the Singles and Doubles title in the Men’s 80 and Over bracket.

The ATA was founded in 1916 in response to the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) exclusion of black players from its events. It is the oldest Black sports organization in the United States.

The ATA National Championships, which began in 1917 with three events, is an annual historic tournament that brings hundreds of players of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities to compete on a national stage.

Johnson claims two titles

Denton Johnson thought the matches at the USTA’s National Tennis Center’s 100-court main

campus were “nice and hot. I played some good players.”

On Wednesday, July 26, the third-seeded Johnson defeated Damon Council of Jacksonville, Fla.,

6-3 6-0. The next day, Johnson knocked off second-seeded Bobby Hampton of Chicago, 6-1, 6-4, setting up a match with top-seeded George Baker of New Orleans.

On Friday, July 28, stopped Baker

6-4 2-6 (10-2) in the final to win the 80 and Over Singles championship.

“My favorite part (of the tournament) was winning the singles against George Baker, who won last year,” Johnson said. “I played him before in the men’s 75s and I beat him there, as well.”

That same day, Johnson also teamed up with Baker to win the 80 and Over Doubles title, 6-0 6-1 over Reginald Belgrave (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) and Council.

“I thought I was competitive with the better players, and I had a chance to win, and it worked out that way,” Johnson said.

It’s not the first ATA crown for Johnson, who has won the 35 and Over Doubles, the Junior Doubles twice and the Mixed Doubles, as well.

Because he’s in such good shape, Johnson can afford to be aggressive on the court.

“I’m basically a fairly aggressive player,” he said. “I try to get to the net to end points. For my age, I’m

EDUCATION BRIEFS

7 from Beaufort earn degrees from University of Maryland Global Campus

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) in Adelphi, Md., graduated nearly 3,400 students in the 2023 spring semester, including seven from Beaufort. The following Beaufort students earned degrees:

Denzel Aaron Tanchez, Associate of Arts

Devin Kanjanaluk Phommachanh, Associate of Arts

Anthony Bryan Newton, Associate of Arts

• Nelsonley Jeanlouis, Bachelor of Science in Finance

Tiffany Ramona Haskins

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Edward William Smith, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

• Makenzie Ann Jackson

Bachelor of Science in Crimi-

nal Justice University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland and continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide, and more than 125 degrees.

fairly athletic. I have no knee problems or anything like that.

Johnson is set to play next in the early fall at Kiawah Island. He has no plans to slow down any time soon.

“Oh not now, my body is still working,” he said. “I have no debilitations, I’m just lucky.”

Scheper in familiar territory

Beaufort’s Larry Scheper is still all about tennis. Just about all day, every day. On top of running the Scheper Tennis Academy, he is still the tennis coach for Beaufort Academy, as well.

“All day, every day,” Scheper said. “I start at 7 a.m. I may get in the house at 10 p.m., but most of the times I end up getting home about 8 p.m. Even when I go take the vacation, well, I’m playing in the tennis tournament.”

Along with his teammate, Kenneth Myers of Shreveport, La., Scheper defended his title in the Men’s 55 and Over Doubles division, qualifying the duo to compete in the ITF World Games in November in Mexico City. According to Scheper, the pair has now won “seven or eight” national championships, though Myers missed the past two years due to injury.

“I played pretty well,” Scheper said. “I was told my footwork was in good shape. I felt really good, in shape, and well prepared.”

On Wednesday, July 26, Scheper and Myers, seeded second, knocked off John Albritton and Tim Baird of Orlando, 6-0 6-1. On the next day,

6 from Beaufort make Spring 2023 Dean's List at CCU

More than 2 400 undergraduate students at Coastal Carolina University were named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2023 semester, including six from Beaufort. Students who make the Dean's List have achieved a grade point average of 3 5 or higher (3 25 for freshmen) for the semester. Those earning this honor include Kimberly Chisholm (29906), Genesis Hernandez (29907), Damaris Hurt (29906), Joseph Mooney (29902), Amyah Todd (29902), Michael Walker (29907), and Christian Wilborn (29906).

they made winning the championship look almost as easy, beating top-seeded Delvin Grant (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Marcel Henry (Atlanta), 6-1 6-2

Scheper didn’t play singles because he and Myers also finished as the runner-up in the Men’s 50 and Older Doubles, and players are limited to two events.

All total, Scheper has now won 16 total ATA titles since 2012 And all in all, Scheper enjoyed the tournament.

“The tournament was pretty good,” he said. “We had (more than) 300 participants in all the categories.

And Scheper uses the annual event to catch up with four of his Grambling State teammates who are all still playing and are all tennis pros. “We talk about what we’re doing and what we need to be doing,” Scheper said. “We’re working on those things. It’s gonna take a little time.”

Back at home, Scheper is happy with the improved downtown Beaufort tennis courts.

“The courts are very nice. The kids seem to like them,” he said. “More participants are out there now, more teams are practicing. It seems to attract a lot of teams from out of town. And it keeps everybody healthy. “

Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.

Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach.

Beaufort’s Martin named to Troy Chancellor's List

Stephanie Martin of Beaufort, has been named to the Chancellor's List at Troy (Ala.) University for the summer semester/Term 5 of the 2022-2023 academic year. The Chancellor's List honors full-time undergraduate students who are registered for at least 12 semester hours and who earn a grade point average of 4 0

Troy University is a public, historic, international univer-

More than 400 people were in attendance. “As we cut this ribbon, let it serve as a constant reminder of the power of education to transform lives,” Tarrance said. “Let it remind us of our duty to ensure that every student who walks through these doors is given the opportunity to thrive and succeed.”

Chamber again hosting Educator Appreciation Event

From staff reports The Beaufort Regional Chamber Of Commerce is hosting its second annual Educator Appreciation Event & Expo from 3:30 to 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 10. This year’s event will be held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s new Weezie Education Pavilion at the Maritime Center at 310 Okatie Highway.

The signature event is an opportunity to “recognize the important work of local educators, who are essential workers and instrumental to our community’s workforce development and economic prosperity.”

There event is free for educators who are employed at public, private, and charter schools in Beaufort County. They are invited to some by after their work day ends.

There will be free appetizers and drinks, recognition of school leaders and honorees, school supply giveaways and door prizes, and an expo of local businesses.

To register, visit https:// bit.ly/3Qug124

sity with 22 500 students and 154 000 alumni.

Beaufort’s Mazzeo named to Dean's List at Tufts

Tufts University student Thomas Mazzeo of Beaufort, Class of 2026, was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2023 semester. Dean's List honors at Tufts University require a semester grade point average of 3 4 or greater. Tufts University, located on campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States.

– From staff reports

Aunt Pearly Sue, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy Literacy Coach Samantha Fitzsimmons, RSLA Principal Bradley Terrance, Michael Boulware Moore, BCSD Superintendent Frank Rodriguez, RSLA students, and County Board of Education Chair Christina Gwozdz at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new Robert Smalls Leadership Academy. Photo courtesy of Beaufort County School District

The great-great-grandson of Robert Smalls, Michael Boulware Moore, and Beaufort County School District Superintendent Frank Rodriguez greet each other at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new Robert Smalls Leadership Academy. Photo courtesy of Beaufort County School District

Denton Johnson

Larry Scheper

Beaufort County educators get schooled in cybersecurity

By Delayna Earley The Island News

Roughly 20 high school and middle school educators from all over Beaufort County gathered for a two-week cybersecurity program designed to train them on the concepts and practices of the foundations of cybersecurity so that they can then return to their classrooms and teach their students.

The program, called GenCyber Camp 2023, allowed the teachers to familiarize themselves with cybersecurity technologies and fundamentals so that they could then turn around and help their students become familiar with the basics of cybersecurity and the career pathways available within the field.

“We are teaching them basics of cybersecurity that they can put into any core content in their school,” said Dee Appleby, program director for the BCSD GenCyber team.

According to a press release from Beaufort County School District (BCSD), the district was awarded a $150 000 GenCyber grant, funded by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

After completing this professional development opportunity, teachers were provided with lesson plans, resources and other tools that can be shared with their students and used to help them

to introduce their students to the world of cybersecurity.

During the training program, the teachers were educated on the ethics of cybersecurity, examining the ways in which our values

shape society and discussing ethical questions surrounding the use of technology and the privacy versus security trade-off.

“Computers permeate everything that we do in society these

United Way of the Lowcountry awards Women United Scholarships to 4 local women

From staff reports United Way of the Lowcountry's Women United has awarded scholarships to four local women pursuing their higher education degrees. The scholarships are made possible through the Women United Scholarship Fund, which is funded by donations from women in the community who are passionate about supporting the educational pursuits of fellow women.

The four local recipients of this year's scholarships are:

Madalyn Bozman, who is majoring in early childhood education at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB); Ximena Olguin Figueroa and Tymeca Sawyer, who are both pursuing nursing degrees at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL); and ... Elizabeth Monzon, who is entering the communication studies program at USCB with plans on pursuing a journalism degree.

"We are so proud to support these amazing women as they pursue their educational goals," Women United's Steering Committee Chairman Katie Phifer said in a news release. "These scholarships will help make their dreams of a college education a reality."

The Women United Scholarship Fund was established in 2020 to support local, non-traditional female students pursuing a higher education degree at USCB or TCL. To be eligible for a scholarship, female students must reside or work in Beaufort or Jasper County, have a minimum GPA of 2 5, and have made some contributions to their community through volunteerism.

The Scholarship Committee is cochaired by Connie Hipp and Gloria Duryea.

"We are grateful to the women in our community who have made these scholarships possible," Hipp said. "Their generosity is helping to make a difference in the lives of these young women."

days,” said Ron Erdei, an assistant professor in computer science at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. “Cybersecurity is all about understanding that and understanding the vulnerabilities.”

Erdei continued to say that though we have locks on our windows and doors of our homes, it is important to understand just how vulnerable we can allow ourselves to be without proper cybersecurity.

According to the program overview on the BCSD website, teachers taking the course also studied the impacts of cybersecurity on a personal, economic and national security level so that they can return to their schools and guide students to become interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity and provide them with a wealth of knowledge of career choices related to cybersecurity as majors in colleges and universities.

“The kids are interested in computing; they know about hacking and all that stuff. They like video games,” said Tyece Brown, an educator for Whale Branch Middle School. “So, they are more in tune with it and the know how to work a computer better than most adults.”

Brown said that it is good for students to learn that there are career paths that allow them to follow their interest in computers.

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

ClearWave Fiber’s Savannah headquarters hosted interns from USC Beaufort and other universities this summer. From left, Eric McRae, Alexis Herc (USCB alum), Kaylea Winebrenner (USCB senior),

USCB students excel in ClearWave Fiber's Summer Internship Program

From staff reports

Two students from the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) successfully completed ClearWave Fiber's summer internship program at the company's headquarters in Savannah.

At ClearWave Fiber, a leading telecommunications company, the interns

joined departments including Finance, Accounting, Business Intelligence and People Operations. They gained experience in network infrastructure, customer service, community outreach and other areas.

The interns organized workshops to educate local residents about the benefits of high-speed fiber-

optic internet. "I am extremely proud of our students who participated in the ClearWave Fiber Summer Internship Program,” USCB Chancellor Al M. Panu said in a release. “Their commitment to learning and their active engagement with the community truly exemplify the values of our university.”

Tom Trevethan looks over the shoulder of Nicole Smalls of Lady’s Island Middle School while Lucille Gadson of Battery Creek High School looks on during Beaufort County School District Teacher GenCyber Camp on Friday at Technical College of the Lowcountry. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Madalyn Bozman Tymeca Sawyer

Ximena Olguin Figueroa

Elizabeth Monzon

Nick Landers, Nick Milcarek and Alexis Martinez. Submitted photo.

How serious are we about hating sin?

We spoke last week about addictions that involve more people than we could imagine, and we should realize by now that personal problems happen whether one proclaims they are a Christian or not. We live in fleshly bodies with a default nature, and its not a surprise that with our carnality having it’s own desires, we have difficulty staying on the straight and narrow.

We mentioned that cognitive dissonance is when we know something is wrong and experience guilt from our lack of discipline, but we choose to do it anyway. Remorse is conviction and thankfully our compassionate God has provided the blood of Jesus as the way we can receive forgiveness when we fail to live up to the expectations of His standards.

It’s one thing to slip up and make mistakes, but the real danger is when a person has no fear of God and feels no need to repent.

Most people rarely consider the Lord is more concerned about our iniquities than we are. Why is this?

For one thing, whatever we think about is what is most important to us. If we

BILLY HOLLAND

have no desire to develop an awareness of God’s presence, I can assure you that hating sin to the point of nausea is not happening.

Have you ever heard of the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind?” This means we avoid thinking about our trespasses that make us uncomfortable on purpose.

We have the ability to ignore God while we are concentrating on our pleasures. However, I will say this, and it pertains to all of us, God deals with intentional rebellion in this life and the next.

In 1 Samuel 15:23, God said rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as the sin of idolatry. This is not a pleasant subject to write about, but as a minister, I would be wrong to skip over it. Rebellion is an attitude of the heart that opposes authority and began when Lucifer became

so arrogant he decided to overthrow God in Heaven. We know he failed and was cast down to Earth, but then we find him again expressing his bitter hostility toward God when he succeeded to deceive Eve and Adam to rebel against the Majesty and Creator of all things. He has been doing this ever since. While there may have been a distinction regarding the consequences of unintentional and intentional sins in the Old Testament, the Bible is clear in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. The offerings of the Old Testament foreshadowed the offering of Jesus Christ Himself as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Jesus is the sufficient substitute for forgiveness and eternal life.

In John 14:6, Jesus teaches, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Though every person has sinned (except Jesus), we have the opportunity for forgiveness and redemption from sin through the sacrifice He made on the cross. By faith in Him, salvation is obtained by grace through faith. This is true regardless

of intentional or unintentional sins, whether a person believes he has sinned a little or sinned a lot.

There is a throne in each person’s heart, and whoever sits in that seat is the king who rules and controls the individual. If our independent desires dictates the throne, decisions are tainted with carnality. If a dark entity is given authority to reign, it will oppress or possess the host and lead them into confusion and destruction. However, when Christ is invited to

sit on our throne as Lord and King, the darkness and rebellious attitudes are cast out. A new spiritual identity is given, the individual is transformed by the renewing of the mind, the will is surrendered to God, and obedience becomes the new attitude that now follows the Holy Spirit.

Regardless of the type of sins a person has committed, the authority and blood of Jesus is sufficient to forgive. Those who reject the gospel, regardless of how much or how little sin

they have committed, will be separated from God and will experience agonizing punishment. God is calling everyone to turn away from sin and abide in Christ, as Acts 4:12 declares there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Billy Holland is an ordained Christian minister, community chaplain, and author. Discover more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com. You can help support this ministry at PayPal.Me/psalmz103

Is it necessary to see a doctor for a sinus infection?

Sinus infections are as common as they are unpleasant. Often times they clear up on their own within days to weeks, but sometimes they can be more serious.

“Sinuses are empty cavities in the bones of the face and skull. They can be thought of as being similar to an interconnected cavern system that extends from the bridge of the nose up to the lower forehead, between the eyes, either side of the nose nearly to the cheekbones, and further back into the skull behind the nose.

During normal breathing through the nose, the air passes through the sinuses on the way in and out,” said Dr. Paunel Vukasinov, Board-Certified Internist.

The sinuses contain tiny hairs called cilia as well as mucus that help to filter the air of unwanted particles and germs before entering the lungs.

A sinus infection—also called sinusitis—happens when bacteria, viruses, or fungi are able to multiply in the sinuses, which causes inflammation. People with allergies, asthma, or compromised immune systems can be at greater risk for these infections.

Diagnostic tests for sinusitis can include x-ray imaging, CT (computed tomography) scans, cultures,

or biopsies, but these tests are typically reserved for special cases. Sinusitis can usually be diagnosed based on the clinical symptoms.

When then is it time to see a doctor about a sinus infection?

Knowing when to see a doctor about a sinus infection can help bring both relief and curative care before further complications set in. So, when is a sinus infection serious enough to seek help?

“People should seek medical attention for sinusitis if it’s not getting better after 10 days, if the infection keeps clearing up only to return again, or if the symptoms are especially severe. Every individual is the best authority on their own body—if it feels like a serious problem, see a doctor,” said Dr. Vukasinov. A sinus infection that includes uncommon symptoms is also a reason to seek help. These symptoms might include a high fever, changes in vision, or cognitive issues like confusion or lethargy.

What are the symptoms of sinus infections?

Having a runny nose or postnasal drip with a sinus infection is common, with

opaque mucus that might be yellow or green. Other common symptoms include congestion, sore throat, coughing, and headache. However, these symptoms can all overlap with the common cold, too. Other symptoms can be more emblematic of a sinus infection.

In addition to the symptoms above, sinus infections can cause pain, tenderness, or pressure in the areas around the sinuses, including around the eyes, around the nose, the forehead, and even the upper jaw. Coughing, hoarseness, and a tickling feeling in the throat may all be present and are

Are electric car chargers safe for people with implanted cardiovascular devices?

Electric cars are increasingly used for public and private transportation and represent possible sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Potential implications for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) range from unnecessary driving restrictions to life-threatening device malfunction.

For the scientific study (May 2023), a total of 130 CIED patients performed 561 charges of four battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and a test vehicle (350 kW charge capacity) using high-power charging stations under continuous 6-lead electrocardiogram monitoring.

The charging cable was placed directly over the CIED, and devices were programmed to maximize the chance of EMI detection. Cardiac implantable electronic devices were re-interrogated after patients charged all BEVs and the test vehicle for

evidence of EMI. There were no incidences of electromagnetic interference (EMI), specifically no over-sensing, pacing inhibition, inappropriate tachycardia detection, mode switching, or spontaneous reprogramming.

Conclusions:

The use of electric cars with high-power chargers by patients with cardiac devices appears to be safe with no evidence of clinically relevant EMI. Reasonable caution, by minimizing the time spent in close proximity with the charging cables, is still advised as the occurrence of very rare events cannot be excluded from these results.

Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/31744037/; https://www.openaccessgovernment. org/cardiac-devices-electric-vehicles-pacemakers-defibrillators/157786/

especially noticeable after going to bed and when waking in the morning. Because the passageways within the head are interconnected, a sinus infection can also lead to earaches.

How to treat sinus infections:

There are many over the counter (OTC) options available for treating acute sinusitis. For mild cases and people without a history of severe sinusitis, this is usually a good place to start. Nasal irrigation methods—such as a neti pot— are a medication-free way to treat a sinus infection.

There are many methods, but they’re all attempts to remove mucus and germs by flushing out the sinuses. Never use water from the tap for nasal irrigation, as contamination in the water can not only make a sinus infection worse but can also cause additional and more severe issues. Instead, use distilled water or water that has been boiled for 5 minutes and then allowed to cool to a safe temperature.

Decongestant nasal sprays (oxymetazoline) can help alleviate symptoms for a short period of time, but after a couple days of use they can actually cause

symptoms to worsen. For prolonged use, a steroid nasal spray (fluticasone or triamcinolone) could be considered.

Oral antihistamines and decongestants can be effective. These include medications like Sudafed, Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra.

“Decongestants, whether they be nasal sprays or oral tablets, should be avoided for people with high blood pressure, glaucoma, difficulty sleeping, or any history of prostate issues,” said Dr. Vukasinov.

For bacterial sinus infections, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics such as amoxicillin. This will not help viral or fungal sinusitis. An otolaryngologist— also called an ear, nose, and throat specialist, or ENT—is an excellent resource if one is readily available. But for people who don’t have easy access to an otolaryngologist, a visit with a physician or even to an emergency room is appropriate.

“The key is to prevent it from becoming something more serious, and the best way to do that is to listen to your own body,” said Dr. Vukasinov.

Paunel Vukasinov, MD, is a board-certified internal medicine specialist. Learn more at https://www. medicalofficesofmanhattan.com/ourteam/paunel-vukasinov-md.

Why are we seeing an increase in measles cases?

Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 by the World Health Organization due to the success of vaccination efforts. However, declines in measles vaccination rates globally during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of larger measles outbreaks worldwide, including in the United States, and it continues to be reintroduced by international travelers. In recent years, anti-vaccination sentiment has allowed for the reemergence of measles outbreaks. The number of children who are not getting the measles vaccine has increased, making the U.S. population more susceptible to infection.

Who is most at risk?

Unvaccinated children are at risk of getting measles, but so are other people who are not able to get the vaccine or who have compromised immune systems.

Nine out of 10 unimmunized children who are in contact with an infected person will contract the virus. The virus can lin-

ger in the air for about two hours after a person with measles has left the room. It can infect those who enter the room if they are unimmunized.

Measles is a highly contagious viral illness. It can take up to 21 days for symptoms to begin after exposure. When complications do occur, they can include ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis or inflammation of the brain that can lead to permanent neurologic damage and even death. On average, measles kills between one and three of every 1 000 infected children.

Measles can cause severe health complications, but two doses of the MMR vaccine are very effective at preventing infection.

You’ve read that vaccines can cause unwanted side effects. Should you be concerned?

The measles vaccine is extremely safe. Some children—about 10 percent— will develop a fever about

six to 12 days after vaccination, and an even smaller percentage will have a rash that can last a few hours to a day or two. In extremely rare cases, the fever can precipitate a seizure in children predisposed to fever-induced seizures. Scientific research has shown unequivocally that the measles vaccine does NOT cause autism or other permanent neurologic or developmental problems.

Get vaccinated.

Protect yourself, your family, and others. Adults and children who need the MMR vaccine should contact their primary care provider or a pharmacy determine availability of vaccine.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Measles_resurgence_in_the_ United_States; https://www.statnews. com/2023/08/02/adult-measles-infection/;

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc. gov; https://www.hopkinsmedicine. org/health/conditions-and-diseases/ measles-what-you-should-know

What was that you said?

Omega-3 fatty acids may help protect against hearing loss

Over the past few years, much research has been conducted on omega-3 fatty acids and their impact on other areas of body health, such as reducing inflammation, improving eye health, and protecting against age-related neurodegeneration.

It is known that omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have an effect on the heart, brain development in utero with babies, as well as we get older with cognitive impairments. Now there seems to be a link with improving hearing or at least stopping hearing loss.

As we age, it is not uncommon for the effectiveness of some of our senses—including vision, hearing, and taste—to decrease. In fact, research shows the rate of hearing loss increases with age. In the United States, about 25% of people ages 65 to 74 and almost half of adults aged 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.

Although age-related hearing loss cannot yet be stopped, people can take steps to safeguard their hearing, such as avoiding loud noises and using hearing protection when in high-noise situations.

The link between omega-3s and hearing loss:

Researchers have now found middle-aged and older adults with

• Hearing diminishes as we age — about 50% of adults 75 and over in the United States have disabling hearing loss.

• Age-related hearing loss cannot currently be stopped.

• Researchers from the University of Guelph and Tufts University/Fatty Acid Research Institute have found a link between increased omega-3 fatty acids in the blood and less age-related hearing issues.

higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were 8-20% less likely to report age-related hearing issues compared to those with lower DHA levels.

The power of this study is that it is a large population. The weaknesses of this study are that it’s just self-reporting on people’s hearing loss.

What are omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of “good” fat the body needs for a variety of functions, making them “essential” fats.

There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

The body needs omega-3 fatty acids to: build and keep cell membranes healthy begin the process of making hormones responsible for blood clotting and keeping the artery walls working assist in regulating genetic function

Although the body requires omega-3 fatty acids, it is not able to make omega-3 fatty acids on its own. Instead, it must rely on obtaining them through foods rich in omega-3s and supplements. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty, oily fishes like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, tuna, and sardines, walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, seaweed and algae, edamame, certain oils, including canola and soybean. For those looking to tap

into the potential health benefits of omega-3s, diet is the number one place to increase your omega-3 fatty acids intake.

In conclusion, there is a caveat.

The current study examined a potential association between blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and subjective hearing complaints.

The current study shows a potential association, and one cannot use it to say definitely that omega-3 fatty acid prevents hearing

wise WORDS ©

loss. There may be other untested factors that explain the findings. For example, those individuals with high omega-3 fatty acids could be more health conscious, and other variables may (be) directly linked to hearing health.

Adapted from an article by Corrie Pelc. Fact checked by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph.D., at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ omega-3-fatty-acids-age-related-hearingloss-study.

Off to college? What you need to know about bacterial meningitis

As students head off to college, close quarters in new spaces could put them at risk for contagious illnesses, including bacterial meningitis.

Meningitis is a condition that inflames the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. While there are several forms of meningitis, an infection caused by bacteria is considered the most severe form, and may lead to seizures, vision loss or death if not treated quickly.

Meningitis often presents with symptoms such as fever, a stiff neck, headache, maybe even mental

status changes, and sometimes even a very distinct rash on the skin.

Bacterial meningitis, also known as meningitis B, can spread by sneezing or kissing, and sharing straws or drinks, among other ways. College students are a group at higher risk for contracting meningitis due to their living conditions— in a dormitory, in residence halls, spending a lot of time together in close quarters.

Preventing meningitis starts with two rounds of booster shots: one around 11 or 12 years old, and another at 16. At college age,

there’s the opportunity to potentially boost the dose if it's been some time since the last dose, and also receive another vaccine that protects against meningitis B. Check with your health practitioner when you are at your annual pre school health exam. At that visit, be sure to ask them about all necessary vaccinations, including the meningitis booster. It could save your life.

Source: adapted from a Mayo Clinic News Network article at https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org

health or medical conditions.

CALENDAR

Karaoke with Melissa

8 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Sharing Hearts Support Group

5:30 to 7 p.m., second Tuesday of every month, 2201 Boundary Street, Suite 208, Beaufort. Free. Come tell your 10-minute story of a life lesson or healing message using your own creative expression through a song, poetry, reading, art or verbal storytelling. Come away with an uplifting sense of support and connections or to just listen. Register by leaving a voicemail with name, phone and number of attendees at 843-525-6115 or send email to reneesutton@healthierhealing. com. Notification will be done of any location change due to seat requirements. Next event is on Tuesday, June 13.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Trivia with Mike – Fat Patties

7:30 p.m., Every Wednesday, Fat Patties, 831 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.

Trivia with Mike – Bricks On Boundary 7:30 p.m., Every Thursday, Fat Patties, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available.

Bluffton Night Bazaar —

a Lowcountry Made Market

5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.

Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes

5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to 10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a collective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and donation-based events with proceeds being donated locally on a rotating basis.

Wet Willie's Trivia Night 7 to 10 p.m., every Thursday, Wet Willie's, Beaufort Town Center. Win awesome prizes while you sip the worlds greatest daiquiris and munch on delicious bites.

TECHconnect

5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 3rd Thursday of each month, Beaufort Digital Corridor, 500 Carteret Street, Suite D, Beaufort. Free. The BDC's signature happy hour “meetup” networking event for tech professionals. Connect with like-minded people, fellow entrepreneurs, start-ups and VCs over local food and cold beverages. Call 843-470-3506 or visit https://rb.gy/ e7t2h for more information. The next meeting is on August 17.

Wet Willie's Bingo Night

7 to 10 p.m., every Friday, Wet Willie's, Beaufort Town Center. Win free giveaways, merchandise, and more cool prizes.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.

Karaoke with Melissa 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Dr, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Drum Circle 6:30 to 8 p.m., 2nd Friday of every month, Gazeebo, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Free. Anyone welcome, no experience necessary. Eric Roy, a recent transplant from Connecticut with successful experience in leading drum circles, is our new facilitator. He will start sessions off with 15-20 minutes of instruction on djembe playing and teach a selected traditional rhythm & accompaniment for participants to play. In addition, there will be time allotted for spontaneous group drumming. Bring a drum, if you have one, a chair and a desire to have fun. The Drum Circle has several extra drums and many other percussion instruments that anyone can use. To receive updates on future events, send your email to lannyk13@ gmail.com. Next meeting will be Aug. 11.

Highway 21 Flea Market

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday, Highway 21 Drive-In. Sellers, vendors, handmade items, unique products and yard sale items. For information,

WHAT’S HAPPENING

HIGHWAY 21 DRIVE-IN

The movies scheduled for this week (Friday, Aug. 11 through Thursday, Aug. 17) at the Highway 21 Drive-In are Barbie (PG-13, 8:30 p.m.) and Meg 2 The Trench (R, 10:30 p.m.) on Screen 1; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (PG, 8:30 p.m.) and Haunted Mansion (PG-13, 10:20 p.m.) on Screen 2; and Last Voyage Of The Demeter (R, 8:30 p.m.) and Talk To Me (R, 10:30 p.m.) on Screen 3.

Online ticketing is available at hwy21drivein. com on the Now Playing page. Patrons are asked to arrive early on Friday and Saturday nights. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

“Our family at the Hwy. 21 drive in feel a responsibility to our community,” a statement from Highway 21 Drive-In management reads. “We are concerned about many things in these trying times and in making the right decisions. We are concerned with our employees, our patrons, our business, our community’s businesses, and the health and well-being of all.”

A reminder: no outside food or beverages can be brought into the drive-in.

Upcoming movies include Gran Turismo (August) and The Equalizer 3 (August).

email lowcountryfleamarket@gmail.com.

Port Royal Farmers Market

9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, year round, Naval Heritage Park, 1615 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Rain or shine. You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese, as well as plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. There are prepared food vendors serving barbecue, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http://www. portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.

Slip and Splash Saturdays

10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort.

Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud

9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday each month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO Students and other volunteers will read to young children, who are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals. The next Reading is Saturday, Aug. 5.

Karaoke with Melissa

8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Rd, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Walk for Water/Water Mission presentation

6:30 p.m,, Thursday, Aug. 17, The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort Fellowship Hall, 178 Sams Point Road. Robert (Lash) Lasher will give a presentation about Walk for Water and Water Mission. Join us to find out how these two important projects bring safe water to those in greatest need throughout the world. This event is open to the public. All are welcome to attend.

Saint Peter’s 63rd Annual Fall Bazaar

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. The bazaar committee seeks Lowcountry artists and crafts people to sell their creations at the bazaar. Booths may be set up inside or outside. Fee is $100. The Bazaar will also feature International Foods, Sweet Shoppe, Beer and Wine Garden, Kids Zone with inflatables, games, and petting zoo, and a Silent Auction. Proceeds benefit the Lowcountry Outreach Center. For an application, contact parishlife@stpetersbeaufort.org.

Sips & Seafood Party

5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Oct. 27, Hewitt Oaks, 205 Stillwell Road, Bluffton. $175. Bluffton Self Help’s annual fundraiser. The funds raised provide education, basic needs, career development, and a sense of hope. Last year alone, this event helped 194 families to remain in their homes, keep the lights on, and to get through a difficult time. It supported 413 neighbors as they earned an education through English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Education, and GED Preparation classes. Our guests and sponsors provided 168 neighbors with the opportunity to meet oneon-one with client advocates through 672 meetings to connect to resources, develop goals and work toward reaching personal success. Through The Market 858 households received 431,428 pounds of fresh produce, dairy, meat, eggs, non perishable groceries, hygiene items, diapers and more than 20,000 articles of clothing enabling them to stretch their budget and have better health. Purchase tickets at https://rb.gy/kq7ef.

HISTORY Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Fri-

day; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Admission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, Active Duty Military and College Students with ID $5. Children/Teens younger than 18 Free. Explore and experience more than 500 years of Beaufort History with knowledgeable docent guided tours.

The Historic Port Royal Museum 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, Thursdays through Sundays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-the-century businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory.org, email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com or call 843-524-4333.

Tour Historic Fort Fremont Dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. The History Center is open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn about the fort’s history during the Spanish-American War through interpretive signs, self-guided walking tours with a smart phone, exhibits in the history center, and docent-led tours. For more information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net.

Port Royal Lecture Series: Who Was Here? Native Americans Before and During European Settlements

6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1004 11th Street, Port Royal. $25 per person –Seating is limited. Lecturers are Stephen Criswell, Professor Chris Judge, and Evan Nooe, University of South Carolina Native American Studies Center. Buy tickets at https://historic-port-royal-foundation. square.site/.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Dungeons & Dragons

4 p.m., Mondays, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6441. Ages 12 to 18.

Lego Club

4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Mondays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-2556540. All ages welcome.

Teen Art Club

4 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843255-6441. Ages 12-18.

Teen Anime Club 4 p.m., 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843255-6456.

Teen Video Game Club 4 p.m., 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843255-6441. Ages 12 to 18.

S.C. Works Job Coaching

2 to 4 p.m., Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-2556540. Free help with job searches, interviews.

Chess Club 1 to 2 p.m., Saturdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-2556540. Ages 5 and older.

Chess Meet Up 11 a.m., 2nd Saturday of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456. Instructor Henry Otto Seim will show beginners the basics or play a friendly game with more experienced players. All skill levels welcome. Extra boards will be set up.

Chess Meet Up 11 a.m., 3rd Saturday of each month, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, 843-255-6479. Instructor Henry Otto Seim will show beginners the basics or play a friendly game with more experienced players. All skill levels welcome. Extra boards will be set up.

Healthy Snack Attack:

A T(w)een Event @ Lobeco Library

4:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 10, Lobeoc Library, 1862 Trask Parkway. A hands on demonstration (and food tasting) of fun healthy snacks you can make in minutes. We'll also show off some of our favorite teen cookbooks available for check out! Best for ages 12 to 18. Registration Required. Call 843-255-6479 or stop by to sign up. Free.

Cooking Matters at the Store:

Shopping on a Budget

11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 11, Lobeco Library, 1862 Trask Parkway. Join the Lowcountry Food Bank for a FREE, interactive in-person class as we discuss reading nutrition facts labels, understanding unit prices, and more. Participants will receive a $10 gift card for attending! Registration required. Call 843-255-6479 or stop by to sign up.

Garden with Purpose: Canning and Preserving 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, Lobeco

Library, 1862 Trask Parkway. Call 843255-6479 or stop by to register. Free.

Laura Lee Rose, retired Clemson Extension Agent, provides tips on planning a garden to produce the perfect crops for canning and preserving.

Free Law Talk

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street. The talk’s topic will be heirs property.

Debt Management Workshop

4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 24, Lobeco Library, 1862 Trask Parkway. The experts from the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Savannah will share information and resources to help you manage your debt. Registration Encouraged. Call 843-255-6479 or stop by to sign up. Free.

MEETINGS

The Beaufort Trailblazers –A Volunteer Group

8 a.m., first Thursday each month, Herban Marketplace, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building off-road/ dirt/wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843575-0021 or email universitybicycles@ hotmail.com.

Zonta Club of Beaufort

6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal. For the Aug. 22 meeting, Kelly Procida, Assistant Director on the Global Cause Partnerships team at UNICEF USA, will be the guest speaker. Procida will be sharing stories of her latest assignment, supporting Zonta International's projects in Peru. Procida has worked with UNICEF since 2014. She has worked with their Youth Engagement programs and was a Global Citizenship Fellow working with volunteers across the United States. Now in her current role, Procida works with civil society organizations partnering with UNICEF USA, leading strategic communications and engagement opportunities, which showcase the impact of their support for the world's children.

MUSIC

Street Music on Paris Avenue

6 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 12, Aug. 26, Sept. 9, Sept. 23, Paris Avenue, Port Royal. All shows are free. Bring your own chairs. Stage is between 9th and 10th streets. Aug. 12, the Bennett Matteo Band; Aug. 26, Blackcat Zydeco featuring Dwight Carrier; Sept. 9, Angela Easterling; Sept. 23, J.P. Soars & The Red Hots.

OUTDOORS

The Beaufort Tree Walk

Lady’s Island Garden Club invites you to take a meandering walk through the Historic “Old Point” and enjoy some unique and noteworthy trees. The “Walk” takes about an hour, is a little over a mile starting at the corner of Craven & Carteret streets in Morrall Park and concluding in Waterfront Park. Booklets with map and information about each tree are available free at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street.

Tours of Hunting Island

Every Tuesday, Hunting Island State Park, 2555 Sea Island Pkwy. Free, park entry fees apply. Sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For more information call the Hunting Island Nature Center at 843-838-7437. The next Tuesday is August 1.

QUILTING

Sea Island Quilters

6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 17, Carteret United Methodist Church, 408 Carteret Street, Beaufort. We meet in the fellowship hall in the back of the church. This month, Joyce Walton presents her lecture A Trunk Show – “My Journey of Quilting” This lecture is a visual tour of Walton’s quilting journey, spanning from 1986 to the present. Walton will exhibit her quilt collection and tell their stories. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, and photographs are allowed.

Creative Border Piecing Workshop

9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, Carteret United Methodist Church, 408 Carteret Street, Beaufort. Join us for a workshop with Joyce Walton. Using assorted fabric of choice, scraps, or color coordinated fabric, in a mix of lights, mediums, and darks, students learn to machine piece an interesting and colorful quilt border with absolutely no fabric waste. This concept could also be incorporated into the body of a quilt. Perfect for beginner and seasoned quilters alike, this technique class is great for using up your scraps and can be used repeatedly in future project too. Stuck with a current project? Bring it along and get that UFO finished! There is still time to register at the SIQ webpage for workshops. To supplement the fabrics you bring, the guild will also have a variety of pieces available at no charge.

SPORTS/GAMES

ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret St. United Methodist Church. Games and events will be held weekly. Director Gene Ogden. Contact Jane Simpson 803-226-3491.

Beaufort Masters Swim Team

6 to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, Wardle Family Port Royal YMCA. Coached practices. Ages 18 & older, all skill & speed levels, no prior swim team experience needed. Visit lowcountryswimming.com for more information.

We had something better ... much better

It is Saturday, and I’m just back from the farmers’ market, where I bought green beans and okra. And yes, I bought a lemon square ($4 50) to sweeten that early morning walk in the Naval Heritage Park.

Last night, Susan and I saw Oppenheimer — the movie. The theater was packed with aging boomers who remember J. Robert Oppenheimer’s gift to their overseas, khaki-wearing fathers. In this case, that gift was life when “Little Boy” successfully detonated over Hiroshima on August

6 1945

I was aware of Oppenheimer’s gift as a boy, but became fascinated with the complex professor when I met Priscilla McMillan in 1972. In those days Priscilla and her husband, George, lived at Coffin Point Plantation. George was a fabulous conversationalist, but Priscilla came with a hard-to-top pedigree.

SCOTT GRABER

After graduating from Bryn Mawr and Radcliffe colleges, Priscilla Johnson joined the staff of a newly elected Senator from Massachusetts — John F Kennedy.

“I didn’t love him, he was mesmerizing but he was someone I knew.”

Thereafter, she moved to Moscow, working as a journalist. And it was in a Moscow hotel (in 1959) where she spent four hours interviewing a young defector named Lee Harvey Oswald.

When we first met, Priscilla was still working on Marina and Lee — a book that told the story of Lee

Harvey Oswald’s marriage to Svetlana Alliluyeva (Stalin) and their subsequent life in the United States.

After Marina and Lee was published in 1977, Priscilla turned her attention to J. Robert Oppenheimer and thus began years of research into this complex man and those who brought him down. All of which came to fruition when Priscilla published “The Ruin of J. Robert Oppenheimer” in 2005 — just after American Prometheus was published by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin.

And so, last night, I sat with Susan watching this slim, clever-talking, welldressed college professor as he rounded up the physicists who would turn his theory into hardware. I was impressed by the characters who were recruited, then exiled to the barren hills of New Mexico, but all the while I knew that the betrayals were coming.

As I watched, it was Pris-

cilla, and her telling of this story, that was running in my head. A story that apparently began with a disagreement (with Edward Teller) about the feasibility of the Hydrogen Bomb. A simmering disagreement that came to a head in a secret meeting after the war when Oppenheimer recommended against the building of the Hydrogen Bomb.

About the same time Oppenheimer was on a one-man crusade to get the proliferating, ever growing bombs, and the control of all nuclear weapons into the United Nations or some similar international agency.

“As the times became more anti-communist and McCarthyism settled in, people with whom he had crossed swords remembered that back in the 1930s, Oppenheimer had had a fellow-traveling past. He had never been a party member, or so he claimed, but many of those around

him had been — his brother, his wife, many of his friends. Could it be that Oppenheimer’s advice against building the H-bomb came from old pro-Soviet feelings?” Priscilla wrote.

In 1954, a coalition of his enemies, led by Lewis Strauss and Edward Teller, conspired to strip Oppenheimer of his top secret security clearance. And the second half of the movie does focus on the hearing that took place in a narrow hallway, jammed with grimfaced men, led by a prosecutor on a mission to disgrace this man.

This secret trial lacked the presumption of innocence and every procedural safeguard we afford the accused in our legal system.

And it was reiterated, repeatedly reiterated on the record, that there were no presumptions, or rules, or constitutional rights attached to these hastily convened proceedings.

Soon it became clear that

the hallway hearing was an ambush designed to push the elegant, egotistical, argumentative professor off the national stage and into early retirement. I was 26 years old and Susan was 24 when we met Priscilla and George McMillan and sat in their booklined living room overlooking the offshore sandbars in St. Helena Sound.

We were drawn to these people and their talk of Jack Kennedy, Robert Oppenheimer, Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray — George would soon publish the definitive biography of Martin Luther King’s assassin.

In those days we did not have Netflix and its dramatizations of Selma, Dallas and Los Alamos. We had, in that small room, something better. Much better.

Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.

Now is the time to look closely at Constitution

For the 35 years that I lived in suburban Pittsburgh, I voraciously read the local newspaper on a daily basis. At first it was the Pittsburgh Press, which eventually closed down. At that time, the other major paper was The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and it became the dominant daily newspaper for much of western Pennsylvania.

Many times I used this as a resource in my classroom, asking students to bring a paper the next day if a current event happened to reflect something we were reading. One instance addressed the story of South Carolina’s Susan Smith’s having killed her children by letting the vehicle they were in roll into a lake. At that time we were reading the Greek drama Medea, and a lot of discussion centered on how any mother could possibly use this action as a form of retribution.

I tell you this because I am still drawn to newspapers. There is something about gaining your daily dose of news through reading as opposed to listening to someone drone on incessantly. Thus the above introduction to my topic for this week.

One of the most widely read columnists at The Post-Gazette

CAROL LUCAS

is Gene Collier. I have followed his writing for as long as I can remember, and it was just recently that he wrote something that really struck a chord.

I cannot recall seeing this topic addressed in depth anywhere. It deals with the indictments of Donald Trump, but Collier’s approach explores the subject a bit differently; he, too, says this aspect has been given little coverage. And so it is that with great gratitude to Gene Collier that I am going to present to you his musings, and in doing so, I will try not to plagiarize.

Collier begins his column by stating that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, despite the fact that he is faced with multiple indictments that include 75 separate felony counts, 37 of which involve the alleged mishandling

of secret documents. Collier then adds that the former president has been found liable on sexual battery and defamation charges, and he concludes the list by mentioning looming indictments which have come to fruition since the article was published.

Perhaps I need to interrupt here to say that when I was researching the current status of the Post-Gazette, I found two sources that deem the paper to have a conservative bias. Some may roll their eyes at that, but my take is that Gene Collier has dealt in facts. Nothing but the facts, ma’am. So let me get to the heart of what I found to be very interesting, yet sadly underreported. Collier asserts that there is “one application of the law enshrined in the Constitution that could shut down Trump’s candidacy permanently.” He goes on to say this: “The 14th Amendment of the Constitution, ratified in July of 1868 by a bitterly divided government still blood-stained by the Civil War, includes language in Section 3 that prohibits the election or appointment of anyone to state or federal office if they previously held such an office, took an oath ‘to support the Constitution of

the United States, have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid and comfort to the enemies thereof.’”

Collier then points out that such a person needn’t be convicted of these actions and needn’t have joined in the violence associated with said actions because Section 3 is not a criminal penalty, merely a qualification for holding office. Read that last sentence again.

A civic watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, or CREW, noted that the founder of “Cowboys for Trump,” who was a county elections official in New Mexico as well, was removed from office for his involvement in the January 6 insurrection. This removal came about because that activity violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Like Trump, he refrained from direct engagement, although he did climb over the

barricades and used a bullhorn to urge the crowd on.

On that note, I ask you to remember, “Be there; it will be wild.” And, “March to the Capitol and fight like hell.”

As for giving aid and comfort to the enemies, there was, “We love you; you’re very special.”

So many are given to piously alluding to the Constitution when they come up short for a viable excuse regarding the actions of January 6. The right of free speech, the right to assemble, etc., etc. May I suggest that now is, indeed, the time to look closely at the Constitution, most specifically Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I have to believe Jack Smith has already done so.

Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”

Alabama brawl shows tide has turned

Alot of my friends on social media have spent a significant amount of time since the weekend celebrating a beatdown that’s reached national prominence.

No, I’m not talking about Terence Crawford’s dominance over Errol Spence Jr. to unite the boxing world’s welterweight championship.

I’m talking about a riverfront ruckus in Montgomery, Ala., that was as wild as anything the producers of WWE could have cooked up, including an attack with a folding chair!

The fracas seems to have started when the Harriott II riverboat was trying to return to dock in downtown Montgomery but couldn’t because a group of pontoon boats were in its way.

A Black man who works at the dock, according to WSFA-TV, approached the boaters and asked them to move so the larger boat

could dock.

Alabama Political Reporter’s Josh Moon, a former colleague of mine, reported the dock worker had asked the boaters to move their pontoons, and they had refused, so he and an employee of the City of Montgomery unmoored one of the pontoons and moved it to make way for the riverboat.

You likely have seen videos on social media of what happened next. One of the men, a white man, who had been on the pontoons, was arguing with the dock worker when a second man from the pontoons decided

to let his fists do his talking, striking the worker. The dock worker threw a hat he had been wearing into the air, and the fight ensued.

Now, there have been a lot of jokes made about the hat toss being the equivalent of Batman’s airborne signal. In this case, the toss is interpreted as calling other Black people to his defense. I actually interpret it as a gesture of professionalism.

After being on the receiving end of a cheap shot, the dock worker knew his response could put him and potentially his employer in a bad position legally. So he took his head gear off as a way of signaling to his challengers and others that they were no longer dealing with an employee of the riverboat company. They now were dealing with just a man. A Black man. A Black man from Alabama who was trying to do his doggone job

when a couple of good ol’ boys decided to “try that in a small town.”

He was swarmed and overcome by a barrage of blows handed out by other people from the pontoons.

In a video posted by Moon, people on the riverboat began screaming to onlookers on the shore, “Y’all help that brother!” One riverboat passenger leaped into the water and swam toward the melee.

(It's been a while since I lived in Montgomery, but for most of the time I was there, all I heard about the Alabama River was it was full of snakes, alligators and filth. The young man who swam to shore to offer assistance should undergo a full regimen of antibiotics, if he hasn’t started one already.)

As others joined the brawl, the dynamics changed dramatically. Realizing the numbers of the incident were no longer in their favor, the boaters attempted to

flee to their pontoons from an approaching crowd of angry watchers. That was to no avail.

The group of white boaters received what we used to call a “country-boy butt whooping” — except we didn’t say “butt.” This included a battering from a Black man wielding a white plastic folding chair. In a photo shared on social media, one of the boaters had been manhandled so severely his plastic shoes could be seen halfway up his shins.

Law enforcement officials finally arrived and hauled off a fair number of participants. I’m sure more will have been charged by the time this is published, after police have had more time to review the multitude of videos captured.

As I said at the top, I have friends who are celebrating. Some invoked the specters of past racial atrocities and say our enslaved ancestors

would approve. Others more mildly posted a variation on the “Safe from” meme used on Facebook. I lived and worked in Montgomery for more than a decade. I was immersed in a lot of its history but also a lot of the good work being done now to make up for that history. I met people of all ethnicities who are some of the finest I’ve known. They deserve better. But the message is clear:

In Alabama, and anywhere else in America, Black people are not just going to settle meekly for being on the receiving end of racial violence. And we’re not going to stand by and watch it happen to others.

Terry E. Manning is a Clemson graduate and worked for 20 years as a journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com.

TERRY MANNING

...I am still drawn to newspapers. There is something about gaining your daily dose of news through reading as opposed to listening to someone drone on incessantly.”

the nonjudicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. You may object to the sale of your timeshare estate through the nonjudicial foreclosure procedure and require foreclosure of your timeshare interest to proceed through the judicial process. An objection must be made in writing and received by the trustee before the end of the thirty-day time period. You must state the reason for your objection and include your address on the written objection.

In a judicial foreclosure proceeding that results from your objection, you may be subject to a deficiency judgment and personal liability for the lien being

if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the nonjudicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. You may object to the sale of your timeshare estate through the nonjudicial foreclosure procedure and require foreclosure of your timeshare interest to proceed through the judicial process. An objection must be made in writing and received by the trustee before the end of the thirty-day time period. You must state the reason for your objection and include your address on the written objection. In a judicial foreclosure proceeding that results from your objection, you may be subject to a deficiency judgment and personal liability for the lien being foreclosed if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the judicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. Furthermore, you also may be subject to a personal money judgment for the costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the lien holder in the judicial foreclosure proceeding if the court finds that there is a complete absence of a justifiable issue of either law or fact raised by your objections or defenses. You have the right to cure your default at any time before the sale of your timeshare estate by payment of all past

procedure. However, under the nonjudicial procedure, you will not be subject to a deficiency judgment or personal liability for the lien being foreclosed even if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the nonjudicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. You may object to the sale of your timeshare estate through the nonjudicial foreclosure procedure and require foreclosure of your timeshare interest to proceed through the judicial process. An objection must be made in writing and received by the trustee before the end of the thirty-day time period. You must state the reason for your objection and include your address on the written objection. In a judicial foreclosure proceeding that results from your objection, you may be subject to a deficiency judgment and personal liability for the lien being foreclosed if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the judicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. Furthermore, you also may be subject to a personal money judgment for the costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the lien holder in the judicial foreclosure proceeding if the court finds that there is a complete absence of a justifiable issue of either law or fact raised by your objections or defenses. You have the right to cure your default at any time before the sale of your timeshare estate by payment of all past due loan payments or assessments, accrued interest, late fees, taxes, and all fees and costs incurred by the lien holder and trustee, including attorney’s fees and costs, in connection with the default.

personal liability for the lien being foreclosed even if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the nonjudicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. You may object to the sale of your timeshare estate through the nonjudicial foreclosure procedure and require foreclosure of your timeshare interest to proceed through the judicial process. An objection must be made in writing and received by the trustee before the end of the thirty-day time period. You must state the reason for your objection and include your address on the written objection. In a judicial foreclosure proceeding that results from your objection,

matter within thirty calendar days after the date of this notice, you will risk losing your interest in this timeshare estate through a nonjudicial foreclosure proce dure. However, under the nonjudicial procedure, you will not be subject to a deficiency judgment or personal liability for the lien being foreclosed even if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the nonjudicial foreclosure is insufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. You may object to the sale of your timeshare estate through the nonjudicial foreclosure procedure and require foreclosure of your timeshare interest to proceed through the judicial process. An objec tion must be made in writing and received by the trustee before the end of the thirty-day time peri od. You must state the reason for your objection and include your address on the written objection. In a judicial foreclosure proceeding that results from your objection, you may be subject to a de ficiency judgment and personal liability for the lien being foreclosed if the sale of your timeshare estate resulting from the judicial foreclosure is in sufficient to satisfy the amount of the lien being foreclosed. Furthermore, you also may be subject to a personal money judgment for the costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the lien holder in the judicial foreclosure proceeding if the court finds that there is a complete absence of a justifiable issue of either law or fact raised by your objections or defenses. You have the right to cure your de fault at any time before the sale of your timeshare

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot

Parris Island, South Carolina, 11 August 2023

Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel C. B. McArthur

3rd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel G. F. Curley

Commander of Troops, First Sergeant T. L. Mattingly • Parade Adjutant, Captain S. P. Miller Company “L”, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain T. A. Smith

PLATOON 3048

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt A. Martinez

PVT Algecirasotolongo, J. M.

PVT Bonavire, J. S.

PVT Brunton, N. E.

PFC Campbell, D. P.

PVT Champagne, B. M.

PFC Chin, P. T.

PVT Cunningham, T. G.

PVT Delaney, S. F.

PFC Elewa, M. M.*

PVT Ellis, D. A.

PFC Evans, L. E.

PFC Hardy III, D. J.*

PFC Hernandezaguilar, E.*

PFC Hunt II, C. D.

PVT Johnson, R.

PVT Maldonado, O.

PVT Martinez, C.

PFC Mcbride, B. M.

PVT Miranda Jr, J. C.

PFC Miranda, N. M.

PFC Mullane, C. D.

PVT Myers, C. L.

PVT Neboyia, J. A.

PFC Ohara Jr, J. D.

PVT Orendain Jr, J. A.

PFC Perez, I.

PVT Reid, K. D.

PVT Reynoso, A. J.

PVT Rikard, P. L.

PVT Romerogomez, Y.

PVT Ruizgarcia, K. Y.

PFC Ruizmarin, C. G.

PFC Seibert, C. B.

PVT Shepherd, J. W.

PFC Skidmore, A. N.

PVT Sloan, C. R.

PVT Smith, C. L.

PFC Smith, R. A.

PVT Stanford, C. W.

PFC Thompson, N. L.

PVT Viscomi, G. W.

PVT Wade, A. M.

PVT Weatherford, J. E.

PFC Webber III, D. C.

PFC Williams Jr, M. L.

PVT Yarborough, L. C.

Drill Masters • Gunnery Sergeant L. M. Hinton, Staff Sergeant E. M. Cisse

PLATOON 3049 Senior Drill Instructor SSgt M. E. Dewey

PVT Acero, L. M.

PVT Ackerson, J. E.

PFC Adams, R. E.

PFC Adamson, D. A.

PVT Aleman, A.

PFC Arcegonzalez, M.

PFC Berrouet, Y. S.

PFC Birdlow, K. E.

PVT Carpinteropacheco, M. C.

PVT Cruz, J. I.

PVT Deering, H. G.

PVT Dixon, A. N.

PVT Dominguezmartinez, R.

PVT Eller, R. L.

PVT Figueroapaz, N. H.

PFC Frazer, T. G.

PFC Fremont, E. B.

PVT Garciagonzalez, P.

PFC Gonzalez, Andrea R.

PVT Gonzalezlopez, Y. M.

PVT Gonzalezperez, K. M.

PFC Gonzaleztrinidad, D. M.

PFC Greene, M. E. *

PVT Guzman, L. E.

PFC Harris, A. M.

PFC Kordish, S. A.

PFC Lamarch, N. M.

PVT Lanewright, E. J.

PFC Lavoie, A. P.

PVT Liza, I. J.

PFC Martinezcintron, N. C.

PFC Maston, Shaniece J.

PFC Mendezrubio, G.

PVT Mercer, M. T.

PVT Mosley, J. Z.

PFC Muston, M. L. *

PFC Negretearriaga, M.

PFC Ng, G. *

PFC Okumura, G. I.

PFC Oneil, L. J.

PVT Ortegacandelario, C. M.

PVT Osorio, S. J.

PFC Peasant, T. S.

PFC Porojjoj, J. E.

PVT Price, J. K.

PFC Richard, K. A.

PFC Rowell, M. A.

PFC Sandersfrazer, T. *

PVT Santiago, S. R.

PFC Sarver, A. G.

PVT Schott, E. R.

PFC Smith, R. L. *

PFC Thomas, E. D.

PFC Ward, K. R.

PVT Wright, C. M.

PLATOON 3050

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt M. R. Nicholas

PVT Barr, G. M.

PFC Bresciani, C. P.

PVT Budde, J. T.

PVT Cox, B. A.

PFC Decker, G. R.

PVT Dodd, D. C. *

PVT Fernandes, C. R.

PFC Floresperalta, M.

PVT Garciasangines, C.

PVT Grubert, S. E.

PVT Harris, D. C.

PVT Harris, M. M.

PVT Henderson, D. O.

PVT Hollabaugh, A. T.

PVT Hughes, B. D.

PVT Jones, I. Z.

PVT Joseph, F.

PVT Kennison, A. W.

PVT Lopezchavez, F. R. *

PVT Macpherson, G. G.

PVT Marshall, T. T.

PFC Massengill, L. N.

PVT Melita, D. P.

PVT Mitchell, T. B.

PFC Moncadadiaz, J. D.

PVT Morrow, N. B.

PFC Muller, A. P.

PVT Okeefe, T. J.

PFC Okeibunor, P. A.

PVT Paul, A. J.

PFC Plunkett, D. J.

PFC Richards, A. M.

PVT Rodgers V. B.

PVT Russo, J. D.

PVT Shaw, H. D.

PVT Silva, J. A.

PFC Smith, W. T.

PVT Stancliff, I. H. *

PFC Vega J. G.

PFC Weston, C. R.

PFC Wilson, D.

PFC Wilson, S. N.

PVT Yarn, M. A.

PVT Zelayareyes, E. R.

PLATOON 3052

Senior Drill Instructor Sgt K. M. Valderrama

PVT Apazachavez, A.

PVT Arnett, R. D.

PFC Ayoub, K. J.*

PFC Bond, J. D.

PVT Borrego, A. G.

PVT Centers, M. J.

PVT Cerriteno, J. A.

PVT Chavez, R. J.

PVT Crutch, K. X.

PVT Cruzortiz, J. J.

PFC Delacruz, J. D.

PVT Enberg, K. J.

PVT Faulkner, G. T.

PFC Flowers Jr, D. C.*

PFC Fofana, L.

PVT Goode, B. M.

PVT Guo, J. Y.

PFC Harasty Jr, R. P.

PVT Herceg, A. J.

PVT Huang, W.

PVT Jacobs, T. S.

PVT Kelly, S. S.

PVT Lambertalvarado, P. A.

PVT Lawrence, C. J.

PFC Leslie, K. S.

PVT Lewis, A. S.

PVT Liang, J.

PVT Litchfield, C. C.

PVT Malik, F. A.

PVT Morton, J. W.

PFC Ortiz, M. Y.

PFC Parker, J. K.

PVT Pearson, R. J.

PFC Quinones, G. A.

PFC Ramos, E.

PVT Richard, C. D.

PVT Roldan, M. A.

PVT Salvaggio, J. I.

PVT Schuring Jr, K. A.

PVT Sierra, V. F.

PFC Smith, E. M.

PVT Thompson, M. E.

PVT Tussey, C. W.

PFC Wells, K. R.*

PFC Wirth, D. M.

PLATOON 3053

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt B. R. Gerry

PFC Ashrapov, B. O.

PVT Axol, P. M.

PVT Blevins, T. R.

PFC Bragg, C. G.

PVT Conard, A. J.

PFC Dewhurst, J. M. *

PFC Dronsella, T. L.

PFC Dunlap, A. T.

PVT Escobarcifuentes, G. A.

PFC Escotoangel, E. J. *

PVT Gutierrez, E. S.

PFC Harper, K. A.

PVT Harris Jr, R.

PVT Hart, G. R.

PFC Howes, B. T.

PVT Howlett, B. T.

PVT James III, M.

PFC Lankford, T. J.

PVT Lopez Jr, E. R.

PFC Luu, A. N.

PVT Lynn, M. A.

PVT Mangabineli Li, S.

PVT Mcdaniel, G. A.

PVT Mcdowell Jr, S. E.

PVT Mchenry, O. P.

PVT Mckinney, J. S.

PVT Miller, T. R.

PVT Ocampofiz, F. R.

PVT Ortiz, J. C.

PFC Ouano, J. S.

PVT Peach, A. R.

PVT Robbins, J. A.

PFC Rodriguez, A. G.

PVT Rosariotejada, B. A.

PFC Rushing Jr, L.

PVT Salvador, J.

PVT Sanchez, J. N.

PVT Santiagotorres, M. A.

PVT Sencion, D. A.

PVT Shenk, W. P.

PFC Thaxton, M J.

PVT Turpin, R. D.

PVT Williams, J. A.

PFC Willis Jr, D. *

PVT Yoshida, P. H.

PLATOON 3054

Senior

*Denotes Meritorious Promotion

Showing how it’s done

(Financial

and discuss first-hand U.S. Marine

annual budget.

between

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and Health Care System is a highly regarded healthcare system that specializes in providing comprehensive care to veterans. Here are 15 reasons veterans should enroll in VA healthcare in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia.

Five-star Quality of Care

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System (RHJVAHCS) is the only medical system in the Lowcountry with a dual five-star Patient Satisfaction and Quality Rating. The VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston, S.C., and its seven Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS) in Beaufort, Goose Creek, North Charleston, Trident (Ladson), Myrtle Beach, Savannah, and Hinesville, Ga., consistently provide high-quality medical services to veterans, ensuring they receive the best possible health care.

RHJVAHCS is on Becker’s 2023 Great Community Hospitals List

The Ralph H Johnson VA Health Care System (HCS) is the only Veterans Affairs healthcare facility to secure a position on Becker's 2023 Great Community Hospitals list. Becker's Hospital Review, a leading healthcare publication, annually identifies and honors hospitals that exhibit outstanding performance in serving their respective communities.

Rated in the top 10 percent of all public and private hospitals

THE RHJVA Medical Center is ranked in the top 10 percent of all public and private hospitals by the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information System (HEDIS). HEDIS is a tool used by more than 90 percent of America’s health plans and provides the information healthcare consumers need to reliably compare the

performance of healthcare plans across the country.

Patient- and family-centered care (PFFC) facility and staff

The RHJ VA Med Center is a trained and practicing patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) facility and team. With the help of the staff, patients, and volunteers, the RHJVAHCS has implemented a number of PFCC continuous improvement initiatives

Extensive range of specialties

The RHJVHCS offers a wide array of medical specialties, including Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiac Care, Mental Health Care, Primary Care, Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Women’s Health, Cardiology, Oncology, Nephrology, and Pulmonary.

Advanced technology

The hospital and its CBOCs utilize state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology to provide advanced diagnostics, treatments, and surgical procedures. From surgeries using advanced robotics to 3D printing quality-of-life improving devices for patients, Ralph H Johnson VA Health Care System providers explore all avenues of care when treating Veterans.

Research and innovation

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Hospital actively engages in research to advance medical knowledge and improve patient outcomes. Receiving millions in VA funding, the Ralph H. Johnson VA HCS

focuses on research in the areas of Basic Research in Cardiology, Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus, Hematology/Oncology, Rheumatology, Nephrology and Alcohol-Related Disorders, Clinical Research in Mental Health, PTSD, Hypertension and Aging, Health Services Research in rural health and health disparities, Rehabilitation research in stroke injury, and Clinical Trials in Oncology.

Dedicated staff

The Health Care System boasts a dedicated team of healthcare professionals who are committed to meeting the unique needs of veterans. Many of the providers that work to care for the veterans are veterans themselves and they are also involved in nationally accredited research. The same doctor that is providing care could be the same doctor writing new procedures for surgeries or researching new treatment methods.

Comprehensive mental health service

The hospital prioritizes mental health services for veterans, offering a range of counseling, therapy, and support programs. Mental health services at the Ralph H. Johnson VA HCS cover a wide spectrum of specializations. These can be addiction and substance abuse care, general mental health care, military sexual trauma care, PTSD care, psychiatry services, and suicide prevention.

Accessible locations

The hospital has multiple convenient locations, ensuring veterans can easily access the care they need. With a complex network Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, VA providers make sure veterans’ care is an easy process. These clinics are established across the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia and are staffed with elite

providers ready to address any issues a veteran may have.

Collaborations with academic institutions

The RHJVAHCS collaborates with academic institutions, fostering training opportunities for future healthcare professionals and promoting research partnerships. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System works heavily with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Through collaborations like these, programs like the Veterans Choice program were created to make sure veterans have access to the care they need in a timely manner.

If you are already enrolled in VA health care, you may be able to receive care from non-VA facilities, instead of waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

Only VA with three nurse residency programs

The RHJVHCS is the only VA in the USA to offer three nurse residency programs. RHJ VA Nurse Residency Program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Community engagement

The hospital actively engages with the local community through outreach programs, events, and partnerships, ensuring it remains connected to the society it serves. This is done through events like community blood drives, food and vegetable “Fresh Xpress” distribution programs, and the new PACT ACT outreach teams.

RHJVAHCS is an HRO

The RHJVAHCS has committed to becoming a High-Reliability Organization (HRO) or one that supports consistent operations while catching and correcting potentially catastrophic errors before they happen. They do this through a complex system of analysis and process

improvement. Examples of other high-Reliability Organizations are the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control System, U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, nuclear power plants, and NASA.

Hard to find a vet or family member with a complaint

As a Patient Adviser and veteran Volunteer Representative on the Ralph H. Johnson Family and Patient Advisory Committee (PFAC), I have great difficulty finding someone with a complaint against the RHJVAHCS, and when I do find a complaint, I jump on it like a junkyard dog and run it to ground until the Ralph H. Johnson VA Med Center Patient Advocate Team and Leadership get the problem fixed with great speed and vigor!

Learn more about how lucky we Lowcountry veterans and our family members are to be supported by the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System at:

The VA Charleston Healthcare webpage at https://bit. ly/3OL8wT1 and the RHJVAHCS Phone Directory at https://bit.ly/3pFzDFq.

The great community hospital list webpage at https://bit. ly/3Ysqf5e.

The only five-star medical facility in S.C. for customer satisfaction at https://bit. ly/3Qra1XN.

The Regional Center for Excellence for Mental Healthcare at https://bit.ly/3DJQzhB.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing freelance writer with The Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@ earthlink.net or 843-276-7164

Parris Island Marine Corps Graduates

LARRY DANDRIDGE

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Nicholas Soto, a

maintenance controller with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 502, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine

Aircraft Wing (MAW)

demonstrates how Marines maintain the F-35B Lightning II via a digital model to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Russell Rumbaugh

Management and Comptroller), July 25, on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Rumbaugh visited 3rd MAW to observe

aviation funding, equipment and capabilities and inform his priorities as the manager of the Department of the Navy’s

Direct engagement

senior leaders and the Fleet Marine Force is critical to decision-maker awareness. Soto is a Beaufort, South Carolina native. Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez/USMC

ATTORNEY

Christopher J. Geier Attorney at Law, LLC

Criminal Defense & Civil Litigation

16 Professional Village Circle, Lady's Island Office: 843-986-9449 • Fax: 843-986-9450 chris@bftsclaw.com • www.geierlaw.com

AUDIOLOGY & HEARING

Beaufort Audiology & Hearing Care

Monica Wiser, M.A. CCC-A

Licensed Audiologist 38 Professional Village West, Lady's Island monica@beauforthearing.com

www.beauforthearing.com | 843-521-3007

Hear the Beauty that Surrounds You

The Beaufort Sound Hearing and Balance Center

Dr. Larry Bridge, AU.D./CCC-A

furniture, 843-970-0335 www.bermanpropertygroup.com

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THURSDAY’S CARTOON

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LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD & SUDOKU SOLUTIONS

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FOR SALE

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HELP WANTED – VOLUNTEER

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What Happens After Death?

What do Catholics believe happens at death?

At death, each person is immediately judged by God. We will be judged according to our actions here on earth, as Jesus describes in the parable of the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) If we die spiritually in union with God, we will be eternally united with him. If we die spiritually separated from God, we will be eternally separated from him by our own free choice.

How does one become united with God?

Baptism is the normal way that God has chosen to make us a new creation and give us the gift of his divine life. We are then in a state of union and friendship with God. We can strengthen this union with God through prayer, acts of love, and accepting the daily opportunities he offers us to grow closer to him. When we sin, we need to repent and ask the Lord for his forgiveness.

What will heaven be like?

People often imagine heaven as a sort of endless amusement park, where one can do all the things one likes to do on earth. This is not the case, thankfully; any earthly activity would get boring quickly! Heaven is a state of perfect union with God, for whom our hearts were made, and it is this union that is the cause of our rejoicing in heaven. We will know and rejoice with everyone else in heaven, the angels and the saints.

How can a loving God send people to hell?

Since heaven is the state of being united to God, only those who actually love him can be part of it. Even God cannot force anyone to love him, since authentic love cannot be compelled. Hell is a state of eternal separation from God, and it is this separation that is the primary source of hell’s misery. If a person is in hell, it is not due to a lack of love on God’s part, but rather to that person’s own free decision to reject God’s love.

Don’t Catholics believe in something called purgatory?

Yes. Many who die in a state of union with God, and therefore are destined to heaven, still have a number of spiritual faults and sinful attachments. Nothing unclean or impure can enter heaven. (Rev. 21:27) Thankfully, in his great mercy, God allows us to be spiritually cleansed or purified prior to entering heaven, and it is this cleansing that we call purgatory. Everyone being cleansed in purgatory is happy because they are being prepared for heaven.

Where can I learn more about such topics?

In these messages we are necessarily limited in the detail we can go into on any particular topic. To learn more about particular Catholic teachings, it is helpful to go straight to the source. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, an official summary of all Catholic teachings, can easily be read online. Catholic Answers (www.catholic.com) is another very helpful place to find answers to particular questions; just type in a question or subject!