August 22 edition

Two monthsplus to read about sales tax plan

The November elections are fewer than 70 days away … as anyone not living on a deserted island would know.

Here on the local political scene things are, well, not as hot as the weather we’ve been experiencing. But there’s now a mayoral race, since Beaufort City Councilman Josh Scallate decided to jump into the race against Phil Cromer who opted to run for a second term since his first “half term.” (Remember, he filled the unexpired seat of Stephen Murray).

And there’s four candidates running for two at-large Beaufort City Council seats which means there are folks out there who care about how the city’s growing. Thus far, all these candidates have resorted pretty much to social media campaigns, primarily on Facebook but we know campaign signs will be coming as we get closer to November.

The real local contest is the proposed county-wide transportation sales tax referendum. Voters are going to vote for, or against a 1% additional sales tax projected to generate $950 million over a 10-year period.

For some, it appears the additional sales tax proposal is dead in the proverbial water. A lot has been said and written about the incomplete projects listed in the 2018 transportation sales tax which collected $120 million in less than four years. The largest project on that list – the $80 million established for the U.S. 278 Corrider to Hilton Head Island – was only recently able to move forward with approval by the Hilton Head Island Town Council of design plans.

Another sticking point is proposed revisions to the Lady’s Island business corridor for which $30 million had been allocated

SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A5

12-year-old Port Royal girl shot in chest

By Mike McCombs The Island News

PORT ROYAL – A 12-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the chest by her 15-year-old cousin with a 9mm pistol Monday night in Port Royal.

At 10:55 p.m. Monday, Port Royal Police officers responded to Shell Point Apartments for a report of a gunshot victim. According to police, upon arrival, officers learned that a 12-year-old juvenile victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and had been

taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH) by a civilian. The victim was later transported to Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston for further treatment.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the girl remained in stable condition at MUSC, according to Capt. John Griffith, spokesperson for the Port Royal Police Department.

“We have not received any updates today,” Griffith said.

According to Griffith, during their investigation, officers and

investigators learned that the victim’s cousin, a 15-year-old juvenile, had accidentally shot the victim while in the apartment, where they both lived. She was shot a single time in the chest with a 9mm pistol, according to Griffith.

Investigators believe the shooting was an accident.

“Yes, at this time, we’ve found nothing to suggest otherwise,” Griffith said.

Griffith said a civilian not involved in the situation drove

Connor Francis, also known as Power Washing Man, along with Tim Green and John Hazel, speak with the audience as they prepare to hear who is the winner of The Helianthus Project and Power Washing Man's Battle of the Beards. The event, held on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at The Fillin’ Station, raised more than $8,000 to support the Helianthus Project's mission to build Esther's House for child victims of human trafficking. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Win or be shaved

Battle of the Beards raises money for young victims

By Mike McCombs The Island News

John Hazel, owner of Port Royal’s Devil Dog Headquarters, was the winner of the Battle of the Beards on Saturday at The Fillin’ Stattion on Lady’s Island. But really, it was the juvenile victims of human trafficking that came out on top in the first-time event hosted by The Helianthus Project and Power Washing Man.

of human trafficking

“We raised about $8 000,” said Rachel McBride, founder and Executive Director of The Helianthus Project.

“Really it’s better than what we expected, more than we’ve ever raised in any of our fundraising campaings. We’re pretty exited.”

The Helianthus Project is a Latina- and veteran-founded nonprofit with the mission of assisting minor/youth victims of

human trafficking.

The funds are going toward a very special project.

“It is all going to help us build or buy the house which will be Esther’s House, a safe house for children who have been trafficked, a safe place once they have been removed from their situations,” McBride said. “We’ll offer in-home education,

SEE BEARD PAGE A4

both juveniles to the hospital.

Two firearms were subsequently recovered and seized as part of the investigation.

“At this time, we’re still trying to ascertain who the owners of the gun were,” Griffith said.

The 15-year-old juvenile has been petitioned to family court for Possession of a Firearm by a Person under 18

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

County may release audit to sheriff

Sources say vote will happen at Aug. 26 Council meeting

By Delayna Earley The Island News

Beaufort County Council members will reportedly be voting to release the long-awaited investigative report from an audit of the P-Card system and procurement code to law enforcement during their next meeting.

The agenda for the upcoming meeting had not been officially set before this article was published on Tuesday night, but several knowledgeable sources confirmed that the plan is to vote about the report during the August 26 meeting to decide if it should be released to law enforcement.

“Ultimately, the taxpayers are entitled to see what’s in that report,” County Council member David Bartholomew said. “They paid for it, it’s theirs.”

Bartholomew continued to say that the “double-edge of the sword” is that releasing the report too soon would be bad, as Beaufort County Administrator Michael Moore needs to look at the report and take any corrective action necessary.

“Releasing it too soon … essentially I don’t want to interrupt an ongoing investigation,” Bartholomew said.

The report regarding the investigation conducted by Greenville-based law firm Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd is being kept under lock and key and to date has only

LOLITA HUCKABY

LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS

Anya Iverson of Kohler, Wis., took this picture of a crab at Hunting Island State Park while on vacation visiting her grandparents in Beaufort this summer. 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 W. A. “WALLY” PHINNEY, JR.

Beaufort’s Wally Phinney, Jr., 87, attended school on Parris Island while his Marine father was stationed there. He joined the United States Army in 1957 when he matriculated at Clemson University in the Army ROTC. Graduating in 1962, he attended Officer Training at Fort Benning, Ga., before being assigned as an Infantry Company commander at Fort Jackson. He was next assigned to Hawaii, from which he was sent to Vietnam near Cu Chi, where he led a 40-man platoon on combat

operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in the delta. He next served at Fort Dix, N.J., providing advanced infantry training for those headed to Vietnam. Next he attended the Signal Corps School at Fort Monmouth, N.J.,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Lucas needs to do homework

As a retired educator, Carol Lucas should understand the importance of using primary sources. That she wrote her column about J.D. Vance without having read his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” is evident. The first chapter of Vance's book describes his Scots-Irish Appalachian heritage, a culture that his grandparents brought from Kentucky to Ohio when they and many thousands of fellow Appalachian residents migrated north for jobs following World War II.

The father that left him and his mother was named "Bowman," hence the first iteration of his name. One of his mother's husbands had the name "Hamel," and adopted J.D., giving him the second iteration. As JD was a child when these events happened, he had no say in the matter. As an adult, he took his maternal grandfather's name, "Vance," as his own. His Mamaw and Papaw essentially raised him, and he wanted to forever connect with them.

NewsNation reports that J.D. Vance's stance on abortion has moderated in the last two years. His position is that abortion policies should be left to the states. Vance asserted that he is 100% pro-life, but he has qualified his views to allow exceptions such as the life of the mother and in cases of rape (NewsNation quoting a December 2023 CNN interview).

Lucas does cite a source, Jay Kuo, CEO of the Social Edge, playwright, and board member of the Human Rights Campaign which supports LBGTQ+ issues, and has endorsed Kamala Harris for president. He probably joins with NBC in calling a white guy with a wife and three small (bi-racial) children who is pro-life and supports families "Weird."

– Louise Mathews, Beaufort America is evolving; is your thinking?

Contributor Jim Dickson doesn’t seem to

August 27

before a 3-year assignment at the Area NATO Headquarters in Izmir, Turkey. Thereafter, he taught ROTC at Morehead State University in Kentucky. He was promoted to Major there before a second tour in Vietnam near Saigon at the major radio relay station for the whole country, earning a Bronze Star. He then instructed at the Combat Communications School at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., before a year of unaccompanied duty in Korea. His final assignment was as an instructor at the Signal

School at Fort Gordon, Ga. Phinney retired in 1982 as a Major with 20 years of service. His wife says they moved 17 times. He was a substitute teacher for Beaufort County for five years and holds a Coast Guard qualification as a charter boat captain; he ran a charter service for 34 years.

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

know quite how to deal with a strong woman as a candidate for President, so he starts by muddying the immigration water with tiresome inaccurate scaremongering. Jim and others inaccurately claim “… millions of ILLEGAL aliens are … flooding in …” We do not have a “completely open border.” Do some still cross illegally and evade capture and deportation, yes — but NOT millions!

We have a process by which border agents screen, and person-by-person determine nationality, potential eligibility for asylum, and act accordingly. Until Congress can act to create a better system, action long thwarted by obstructionist Republicans, a patchwork of border enforcement exists. But, Jim, and dear readers, please humanize your view of this. People from all the world wish to come here, for many reasons. If you look nationality-by-nationality at border entry figures, it might awaken your compassion.

Support the Ukrainians in their fight against Russia’s illegal incursion? Then you would support those Ukrainian families here allowed temporarily to escape war, and that is only one example. And we have not yet resolved the terrible limbo of DACA applicants. Neither has the U.S. or the world created policies to deal with future impending waves of climate refugees. There is much to be done. Stop scaremongering, suggest solutions, but above all, look at the human lives involved and not statistics ignorant of the suffering of the people seeking shelter here.

– Timothy Dodds, Beaufort

Trump

is delusional

Please, please! Would those pussyfooting, mealymouthed, spineless excuses that pass for "mainstream media" come out of the closet and call it what it is -- Donald Trump is a stone cold mental case. He's not lying all the time. He's delusional. Quit covering his "news conferences like you are covering a "normal politician." Any other person who exhibits seriously unhinged

August 28

behavior not named Trump would have been institutionalized long ago.

The public needs to know if they vote for Trump they are voting for the demise of this country and democracy as we know it today. The plans for a second Trump administration are laid out in a document known as "Project 2025", sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. These plans are so frightening they would scare Valdimir Putin. Is this what you want for your children and grandchildren?

The election should not be close. It is between Trump, a lunatic, and a biracial woman, Kamala Harris. Is it too much to ask of the public to choose between insanity and sanity? Under Trump, God forbid, life as we know it will no longer exist. Wake up, MAGA republicans and everyone else before it is too late!

– Terry Gibson, Beaufort

Death with dignity

I am among the 67 percent of U.S. residents (Susquehanna Polling & Research Poll, 11/2021) who support medical aid in dying. Medical aid in dying allows terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live, as affirmed by two physicians, to request a prescription for medication they can decide to self-ingest to die peacefully in their sleep.

This practice is entirely optional for patients and providers. No person is required to use it. No doctor is mandated to provide it. It is illegal to force someone to use it.

Death is a universal fact of life. The process of dying, however, is very individual and too often a misery for both patient and family. It is immoral, not to say cruel, to deny medical aid in dying when the individual asks for it.

I urge anyone who agrees with the above to contact our legislators to advance medical aid-in-dying legislation in South Carolina. For more information on the subject, go to compassionandchoices.org

– Carol Brown, Beaufort

2021: Longtime Battery Creek High School Wrestling Coach Nathan Day dies three days shy of his 58th birthday after a battle with COVID-19. In his 16 years at the school, Day led the Dolphins to six team state championships and 30 individual championships.

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

velvet fur, we know there’s someone out there just waiting to fall in love with Bobbie. She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.

2019: Beaufort weightlifter Dade Stanley sweeps the gold medals (Snatch, Clean and Jerk and Overall) in the 81kg weight class at the Youth Pan Am Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

– Compiled by Mike McCombs ON THIS DATE

is 3 years old, 65 pounds, and knows a handful of commands. Bowie does well with cats and other dogs, and he would make the perfect family dog. He is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped. For more info on Bobbie, Bowie, or any of our other pets, call PAL at 843-645-1725 or email Info@ PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.

– Compiled by Lindsay Perry

W. A. “Wally” Phinney, Jr.

Four arrested in Cross Creek Apartments shooting death

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

The Beaufort Police Department has arrested four suspects in connection with a murder that took place at Cross Creek Apartments on Wednesday.

Stardaisha Richardson, 26, and Emily Cole, 31, were arrested on Saturday, Aug. 15, in connection with the shooting death of Marquise Tyrell Green, 33, that occurred on Aug. 14

Jafari Brown, 24, and Juquetta Jenkins were both arrested on Aug. 16. in connection with the homicide. Brown has been charged with Murder; Possession of Firearm or Ammunition by a person convict-

ed of certain crimes – First; and Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime.

As of Tuesday, Aug. 20, he has not had a bond hearing and is still being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

Richardson and Cole have been charged with Accessory After the Fact of a Felony A, B, C or Murder.

Both women received a $100,000 surety bond, but as of Tuesday morning, only Cole had posted bond – at press time, Richardson is still incarcerated at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

Jenkins was charged with Accessory After the Fact to an Exempt Felony or Felony A-F or Murder.

She received a $100 000 surety bond and has was released after posting bond.

Police responded to the scene on Wednesday at approximately 9:50 p.m., according to a release, after they had received reports of a shooting.

Officers discovered a victim at the scene who was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and he died at the scene despite being immediately rendered aid by officers, the fire department and EMS.

According to the Beaufort Police Department, a preliminary investigation revealed that there was a verbal altercation that took place at a separate location which ultimately

led to the shooting, but law enforcement does believe that this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Investigator Setian at 843-322-7928. To remain anonymous, contact the Beaufort Police Department’s TIP LINE at 843-322-7938 and reference case #24B33255

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Debby still causing issues for BJWSA

Staff reports

Lowcountry water treatment plants are still feeling impacts from Tropical Storm Debby’s recent visit. As floodwaters receded from upstream forests and wetlands, the level of organic material and dissolved minerals in the Savannah River increased significantly. Increased organic content and minerals have caused discolored water issues in some areas. The river is the primary source of water for Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA).

BJWSA has adjusted its treatment process and continues to closely monitor raw water conditions. The utility is also increasing the amount of water pulled from other sources, including wells and its Purrysburg reservoir. The Authority’s ability to thoroughly disinfect water to make it safe has not been affected.

NEWS BRIEFS

County hosting electronics recycling event

Beaufort County is hosting its next electronics recycline event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, at 140 Shanklin Road in Beaufort. Any personal computers, laptops, CRT monitors, LCD monitors, CRT televisions, non-CRT televisions, printers, hard drives and miscellaneous electronics (cell phones, fax machines) will be accepted.

Zonta Club of Beaufort meeting

The S.C. Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina will be doing a presentation at the Zonta Club of Beaufort's monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 27, at The Smokehouse on Paris Avenue in Port Royal. All members, prospective members and friends are invited.

LIBPA hosting Hurricane Preparation event

The Lady’s Island Business & Professional Association will offer a wine-and-cheese event from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 29, at the Beaufort Realtors’ Association Headquarters at 22 Kemmerlin Lane, Lady’s Island.

Colonel Neil Baxley from the Emergency Management Division of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office will make a special presentation. Baxley will give an update on hurricane preparation for the Lowcountry. This informative event is open to the public and free.

ATAX grant applications

now available from City Accommodations Tax (ATAX) Grant Applications for Fiscal Year 2025 are now available from the City of Beaufort. The application may be accessed on the City’s website on the City’s Finance Department page (https://bit.ly/3ysHWsN) or at the City Hall, Finance Department, 1911 Boundary Street. For additional information contact the ATAX Administrator Jay Phillips at jphillips@cityofbeaufort.org or 843-525-7071

The City of Beaufort will hold mandatory workshops for applicants at the Beaufort

Candidates for local office in Beaufort County

Staff reports The date for local candidates to file has passed and the journey to Election Day has begun.

There is a mixture of incumbents and newcomers running for open seats on the Beaufort City Council, Beaufort County Council, Beaufort County Board of Education and for the Beaufort Mayoral seat.

Flushing water mains and in-home plumbing is not likely to clear the discoloration because this is not a localized issue. Customers may want to postpone washing laundry, especially light-colored fabrics, as staining is possible.

City Hall, Community Development Conference Room, 1911 Boundary Street, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, and at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug, 30 All potential applicants are required to attend one of the two mandatory workshops. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13

Applicants will present their requests to the TDAC in the Council Chambers on Friday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

South Carolina established in the 1980s a 2 percent tax on overnight accommodations in addition to the statewide sales tax. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 6 Chapter 4 Allocations of Accommodations Tax Revenues states how those monies are to be allocated. A small portion of the ATAX money stays in the local municipality or county where it is collected. The remainder must be used to attract and provide for tourists and must be spent on tourism-related expenditures that promote tourism and attract visitors.

Allison Road to remain closed until Aug. 30

Allison Road, from Ribaut Road to Battery Creek Road, will continue to be closed to through traffic through Aug. 30

Currently, the City is engaged in a streetscape project along Allison Road, which involves undergrounding of utilities, new stormwater drainage, new sidewalks and landscaping.

Due to the impact of rain from Tropical Storm Debby, the contractors need to work until the end of the month before the road can be reopened.

Allison Road is open to local residents only.

Free Summer Tax Prep Available for Lowcountry Residents Who Missed Deadline

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is offering a free summer tax preparation program for qualifying residents of Beaufort and Jasper counties who missed the traditional tax filing deadline.

BJWSA is continuing to closely monitor water quality and the organic content of the river. The issue is likely to persist until the level of organic material in the river decreases.

Program Details: What: Free tax preparation assistance by IRS-certified VITA volunteers.

• When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 22

• Where: United Way of the Lowcountry Bluffton Office (10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite D, Bluffton, S.C. 29910)

• Appointments Required: Call 843 321 9071 or email lowcountryvitacoalition@gmail.com Visit www.uwlowcountry.org/VITA for eligibility requirements and a list of documents to bring with you to your appointment.

ATAX Committee hosting mandatory workshop for interested applicants

The State 2% Accommodations Tax grant cycle will begin in a few months. In order to apply for this year’s State 2% ATAX Grant, the State Accommodations Tax Committee is hosting a mandatory workshop to help ensure proper application and expenditure of funds. This will also allow applicants to ask questions and get a better idea of the process.

To be eligible for State 2% Accommodations Tax funds, a representative from each organization must attend one of the two workshops. RSVPs are not mandatory, but greatly appreciated. RSVP to atax@bcgov.net with name of attendee(s), organization, contact information and the workshop date of choice. Attendees will be required to sign in at the workshop, to be held at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Beaufort County Council Chambers, 100 Ribaut Road. The State 2% ATAX Grant Application will be available soon. The process has been streamlined to make it easier for applicants. The deadline this year will be Friday, Sept. 13, at 11:59 p.m. Applications received after this time will not be eligible for funding. For questions and more information, contact Brycen Campbell, Senior Accountant for Beaufort County Finance at 843-255-2316 or Brycen.Campbell@bcgov.net.

– From staff reports

Nonpartisan City Council Seat, City of Beaufort – Neil B Lipsitz –Nonpartisan City Council Seat, City of Beaufort – Mitch Mitchell –Nonpartisan Election Day falls on Nov. 5, 2024, this year and will also include statewide Senate and Representative seats as well as seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is also a presidential election year, so presidential candidates will also appear on ballots in Beaufort County.

Perdue recalls frozen chicken nuggets, chicken tenders

Staff reports

Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167 171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Friday, Aug. 16

The frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender items were produced on March

23 2024. The following products are subject to recall:

22-oz. (1 38-lbs.) vacuum-sealed plastic packages containing "PERDUE Simply Smart ORGANICS Breaded CHICKEN BREAST NUGGETS" with Best If Used By date of "03 23 25" represented on the back of the package.

29-oz. (1 81-lbs.) vacuum-sealed plastic packages containing "PERDUE

CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS with Best If Used By

date of "03 23 25" represented on the back of the package. 22-oz. (1 38-lbs.) vacuum-sealed packages containing "BUTCHERBOX Organic Chicken Breast Nuggets" with Best If Used By date of "03 23 25" represented on the back of the package.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number "P33944" on the back of the package. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide and sold online directly to consumers.

Labels can be viewed at https:// bit.ly/4cEZhfP. The problem was discovered after the firm received consumer complaints about metal wire embedded in the product and notified FSIS of the issue.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers'

freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Perdue Consumer Care at 1-866866-3703. Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.

Second Debby tornado in Beaufort County confirmed

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

The National Weather Service has officially confirmed an EF0 tornado that touched down on St. Helena Island on August 6 as Tropical Storm Debby moved into Beaufort County.

The Island News has previously reported this incident as a possible tornado that happened just after 12:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6

According to the report, a “weak, very short-lived” tornado touched down in the marsh of Harbor River just south of 1st Coleman Road.

Radar data was used to estimate that the tornado path began over a remote marsh region of 1st Coleman Road.

The first real sign of damage from the tornado was a small, uprooted tree and a few snapped tree limbs at the southern end of the 1st Coleman Road.

The tornado quickly moved northwest along the southern and western side of 1st Coleman Road where it continued to snap tree limbs and small trees.

It broke a flagpole at its base and did minor damage to the metal skirt at the base of a mobile home according to the report.

This is the second confirmed tornado in Beaufort County stemming from Tropical Storm Debby with the other one touching down on Tuesday, Aug. 6 on Sams Point Road on Lady’s Island.

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Beard

from page A1

transportation to therapy and doctors’ appointments and outings in controlled environments, as well as the opportunity to learn life skills for this transition period as they re-acclimate as a healthy person into society and they can continue on with their lives.”

Connor Francis, also known as Power Washing Man, along with Tim Green and Hazel raised money leading up to the event. The top fundraiser kept his beard, while the “losers,” if you can call them that, had to have theirs shaved off.

In fact, bids to be the person lucky enough to shave off the losers’ beards accounted for more than $1 000 of the money raised. McBride said next year’s event was already scheduled for June.

“We’re going to have more warriors,” she said. “We want to bring more on, maybe four or five total. This year, we had three, … we put this together in about a month. Next year, we’ve decided to make it a full-on Viking theme. We’ll follow the same theme ... losers shave their beards, winner keeps theirs. And we hope to lock in some sponsorships and some in-kind donations for next year.”

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

Yellow-legged hornet found in Beaufort County

Staff reports Officials with the Clemson University Department of Plant Industry (DPI) destroyed multiple secondary nests of yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) in Beaufort County near Hilton Head Island.

They are the first secondary nests of the yellow-legged hornet found in the state. The nests were found in trees.

The search and destroy mission — which included a trapping system and onsite monitoring by department personnel — came after a beekeeper in Beaufort County videoed the hornets attacking his honeybees in what is called “hawking behavior,” then alerted DPI.

“We found an embryo nest in April, but these are the first secondary nests we have found in South Carolina. We urge folks in the Lowcountry, especially the Bluffton and Hilton Head Island areas, to stay vigilant and report any suspicious nests or hornets to us immediately. That is our best shot at controlling this potentially devastating pest,”

Clemson DPI Assistant Director Steven Long said in a news release.

Clemson inspectors are asking homeowners to allow them access to their property as they continue their search for other nests in Beau-

fort and Jasper Counties. The inspectors can be identified by badges, or Clemson DPI branded shirts and safety vests.

“If one of our inspectors knocks on your door, or you see them walking your property or neighborhoods, please remember that they are doing their jobs to protect the state from these hornets and the damage they can do to our beekeeping industry. This will be an ongoing effort,” said Brad Cavin, who coordinates the Clemson University program responsible for fighting the invasive hornets.

Anyone who finds a suspected nest should report their findings to https://bit.ly/3E3voHv, and include photos. The nest should be left undisturbed so that it can be properly disposed of by field inspectors.

The destruction of the secondary nests is another step in a fight against the hornet that included the Georgia Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and Hilton Head Exterminators.

The first known detection of the hornet in South Carolina was Nov. 9, 2023, and came after DPI’s Apiary Inspection Program collaborated with the Clemson Cooperative Extension Apiculture and Pollina-

tor Program to create a proactive trapping protocol designed as an early warning system to help keep tabs on the invasive insect. A yellow-legged hornet queen was then trapped March 14

The hornet builds egg-shaped paper nests above ground and often in trees. Mature nests can be large and house an average of 6,000 workers.

Yellow-legged hornets are distinct from many other nest-building insects in that they build multiple nests throughout the year as they grow in number. The queen begins with a small embryo nest for her and a few workers. As they outgrow this nest, the queen moves

to another area sheltered from weather where the workers build a “primary nest,” which can grow to around the size of a basketball. Midyear, she will relocate again to a “secondary nest” — her final nest of the year aiming to maximize reproduction numbers.

In the Southeast, secondary nests are generally found August to November in high, open areas and can be as large as a car engine. While the yellow-legged hornet — not to be confused with the northern giant hornet — is no more harmful to humans than other hornets, it can have a devastating impact on both managed and wild bees.

USCB biologists partner in 1st Terrapin survey in Beaufort County

By Carol Weir Special to The Island News

A small turtle that lives in the salt marsh recently drove scientists from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, the Port Royal Sound Foundation and other institutions above their waists in pluff mud.

On August 2 20 volunteers conducted the first terrapin survey in Beaufort County, using seine nets to catch seven terrapins (four males and three females, all adults) in about two hours. The group photographed the animals, weighed them, measured them and notched the shell of each before returning it to the creek where it was caught. For future studies, notched shells will identify individuals that have been caught before.

The turtle trackers included USCB marine biologist Tye Pettay and several of his students, a graduate student from Clemson University, and staff from the Port Royal Sound Foundation, Lowcountry Ecological LLC, Coastal Expeditions, and Fripp Island.

Audit from page A1

been viewed by members of County Council, according to Bartholomew.

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said that while he has not had direct confirmation of a vote taking place, he had heard that County Council would be discussing and voting on releasing the audit report to law enforcement.

That said, to date he has had no information about what is in the audit despite speaking with council members and the new Administrator about the importance of transparency and having law enforcement review the results for any criminal activity.

One of the main reasons

Jake Zadik, John Alexander, Ty Tobias, and Katalaya Brandenburg search for terrapins during the survey. Courtney Kimmel/Port Royal Sound Foundation.

Their survey site was Wards Creek, near Coastal Expeditions' headquarters on St. Helena Island.

This day was a test run that may lead to a long-term Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) monitoring project.

“The Marine Biology Program is planning for this monitoring to be a biannual event,” Pettay said.

being cited by County Council as to why the document cannot be released is attorney client privilege, which Bartholomew said they have been told can only be waived if they have a unanimous vote in favor or waiving the privilege.

Such a vote is supposedly going to be held on August 26 to decide if the privilege should be waived to release the report to law enforcement.

Bartholomew said that the discussion among council members is that they are mostly leaning toward releasing the report to law enforcement.

“I think if we all vote to release the report to law enforcement it’s a step in the right direction,” Bartholomew said.

Sheriff Tanner said that County Council is “cam-

“Terrapins are long-lived animals so we should see the same terrapins year after year. They also give clues to the health of our local waterways.”

Additional terrapin surveys could include pristine Pritchards Island, which is owned by USCB.

“We are hoping to replicate this out at Pritchards Island and poten-

ouflaging the audit report behind attorney client privilege,” but he does not believe that will hold up forever.

“I’ve shared my disbelief [with council members and county administrators] in how council has taken this audit report that was paid for by the citizens of Beaufort County and they’ve kept it under lock and key and they’ve only allowed council members to view it under supervision and failed to turn over the document and any supporting documents to law enforcement.”

Tanner said that he does not understand why council has refused to release the document and the council’s [reluctance] to release the document makes him believe that there is something in the report that is either criminal, sloppy

tial other sites in the Port Royal Sound ecosystem," said Chris Keher, Science Program Manager at the Port Royal Sound Foundation and a graduate of USCB. “It’s an understudied animal and an animal that is susceptible to changes in their environment. It’s an indicator species.”

The survey volunteers set up two seine nets to span the length of a creek near Gay Seafood Shrimp Dock, and several people swam toward terrapins to encourage them to move toward the nets.

Terrapins are smaller than sea turtles and are the only turtles that live year-round in the Lowcountry’s salt marsh. Like sea turtles, terrapins have special glands allow them to secrete salt through their tear ducts.

Terrapins nest from May to late July. Hatchlings emerge from August through about October. Late nests will hibernate in the marsh; hatchlings will emerge in the spring.

All animals were handled under the required permit — Permit #SC170-2024

management or poor decision making.

“The prolonging of releasing the document doesn’t make any sense and has created a hurdle for law enforcement,” Tanner said.

“We deal with hurdles all the time and we have a way of dealing with hurdles and we’ll deal with it the appropriate way. But if they wanted transparency like they say, they would have at least called law enforcement.”

Bartholomew said that he had his reservations about hiring a law firm to conduct the audit from the beginning, but his fears were lessened when he thought they could just waive attorney client privilege at the conclusion of it.

“Here we are at the end getting advice that it has to be unanimous,” Bartholomew said. “I took it on

face value that we would be able to waive attorney client privilege, but not it looks to be a hurdle that’s going to be difficult to overcome.” Sheriff Tanner said in an interview with The Island News that he has never seen a vote that has to be unanimous in his time in public service.

“Despite all of the negativity that is going on, I sincerely think things are moving in the right direction,” Bartholomew said. “It’s taking time, but in the process, I just hope people don’t forget about the positive things that we’re doing.”

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Fat Patties bids farewell

By Mike McCombs

Island News

The

Roughly a week after it’s recent 12th anniversary, Fat Patties restaurant in Port Royal, known for its hamburgers and craft beer, announced on its Facebook page last week that it was closing.

Owner Nick Borreggine told The Island News on Tuesday, Aug. 20, that, though the restaurant was doing well, there were numerous reasons to make a change.

Popular Port Royal eatery closing, will reopen as Italian restaurant ‘Scratch’

gine said. “But we feel competing with ourselves is not the best use of use of our real estate.”

He also cited inflation issues and a need in the community for an Italian restaurant.

Fat Patties will close for what Borreggine hopes will be about four weeks before re-opening as Scratch, a restaurant with an Italian concept.

employed and will carry over to Scratch, which he says will have a “fun neighborhood vibe, not stuffy.”

Where the ice cream window is currently at Fat Patties, Borreggine said you’ll be able to see the pasta being made “all day long.” He said the menu won’t be heavy, but will instead have “coastal flair, a lot of light, fresh coastal flavors.”

Beaufort man

Staff reports

James Powell Jr., a 46-year-old Beaufort resident, died in a single-vehicle accident that occurred on Lady’s Island just after 11 p.m. on Aug. 13.

Borreggine said that before Shellring Ale Works opened in Port Royal – also owned by Borreggine – Fat Patties was the main craft beer outlet on that side of town. But they lost a lot of that business … to themselves.

“If you go out only one time a week for beer and/or dinner, this diversifies our company, he said. “Scratch Italian Kitchen.”

The last day of business for Fat Patties will be Saturday, Aug. 24

“It IS profitable,” Borreg-

Borreggine said all of his current employees are still

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

According to a release from S.C. Highway Patrol, Powell ran off the left side of the road near Ferguson Drive as he was traveling east on Brickyard Point Road North in a Chevrolet pickup truck.

Powell reportedly overcorrected and then ran off of the right side of the road and overturned his vehicle. The accident remains under investigation.

40th Leadership Beaufort class announced

Staff reports

The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Leadership Beaufort program, led by Connie Hipp and Rob Bridgers, has announced the members of its 40th class.

Each year, through Leadership Beaufort, a select group of Beaufortonians get a unique experience to learn not only what is going on but how to make a difference in their community. The program builds community trustee leadership through an in-depth view of cultural, economic, historic, social, educational, environmental and government resources.

The result is that hundreds of alumni have made countless contributions to the community and its quality of life. Leadership Beaufort connects participants with prominent civic, business and government leaders. It is an interactive process for the “movers and shakers.”

Applications are taken during

April and May of each year and are due to the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce office the Friday before Memorial Day. After an interview process, participants of the class are typically announced by the first week in July.

Classes begin with a weekend retreat in September, followed by monthly classes from October to April, usually held on the first Friday of the month. The final session is a weekend retreat the first weekend of May. Leadership Beaufort seeks a diverse group who represent the community; consideration is given to age, employment, gender, socio-economic background, ethnicity and other forms of diversity.

40th Class of Leadership

Beaufort

Stacy Applegate – Realtor, Keller Williams Realty

Melissa Bortnem – Homemak-

er

Ashley Brandon – Downtown Manager/Main Street Beaufort, City of Beaufort

Charles Cherry – Retired

Tony Cox – Deputy Provost Marshall, MCAS Beaufort

Angela Coxe – Program Manager, Beaufort Digital Corridor

Tom Daniels – Owner, Lady’s Island Marina

Barbara Denson – Registrar, Technical College of the Lowcountry

Amanda Dickman – Library Director, Beaufort County Library

Greg Dyson – Executive Officer, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, USMC – MCRD Parris Island

Bill Entwistle – HR Manager (remote), Rockwell Group

Mo Gallego – Engineer, Burton Fire District

Carrie Gorsuch – Engineering & Infrastructure Project

Support Coordinator, City of Beaufort

Shellie West Hodges – Executive Director, Parris Island

Heritage Foundation

Ruth-Naomi James – Coord of Community Initiatives & After School Program, Beaufort County School District

Evelyn Jenkinson – EJenkinson Communications

David Kinlaw – Self Employed, PAES

Jason Kleiner – Engineer/ AEMT, City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department

Thad Lane – Retired

Kayla Lyon – CEO/Speaker/ Coach, Lyon Coaching & Consulting

Joe’l Maldonado – Deathcare Professional, The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy

Mike Sandstrom – Deputy Director, Marine Corps Family Team Building, MCCS Josh Scallate – Lt., Lady's Island-St Helena Fire District; Beaufort City Councilman

Melanie Servick – Owner, Kitty Liquors/Seagrass Exterminating

Linda Sviland – Owner/Graphic Designer, Wink Ventures LLC Eric Voegtle – Owner, Voegtle Enterprises James Walker – Aviation Ordnance Chief, USMC – MCAS Beaufort

Tameka Walker – Owner, Energy Evolution Josh Ward – Realtor, Charter One Realty (Owner, Remnant Horizon Media) Andy Westbrook – COO, Palmetto State Bank Angela Wright – Counselor/ Owner, Door’s Open Therapy Carl Young – Project Manager, Allen Patterson Builders

SCDNR’s Boyles to retire after more than 30 years

Staff reports

After nearly 32 years of service to the state of South Carolina, Robert H. Boyles Jr., Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), has announced his retirement effective January 2025. Boyles has served as SCDNR director since May 2019.

“Serving as SCDNR director has been the honor of my professional life, and I recognize that any suc-

cess I have enjoyed is the result of the passion, vision and commitment that our staff and our partners bring to the realm of natural resources stewardship every day,” Boyles said. “I’d like to offer my profound thanks to Gov. McMaster, the SCDNR Board, the members of the S.C. General Assembly, and our conservation partners throughout South Carolina for their devotion to natural resources conservation throughout our wonderful

state.”

Boyles began his career with SCDNR as an hourly employee in 1992. Prior to being unanimously confirmed as director, Boyles served as the agency’s deputy director for the Marine Resources Division from 2003 to 2019. He serves as president of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, chair of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Board of Directors, and chair of the National Fish

endum proposal from 15 years to generate $1 62 billion to 10 years, $950 million.)

in the 2018 referendum but only produced a Sams Point Road turning lane and most recently, an extension of Airport Road plus a short frontage road off Sea Island Parkway.

There’s $60 million in this referendum for those corridor changes, some of which are to be determined.

(Remember in 2017, a detailed report on traffic conditions in the corridor area and down S.C. 802vwas completed by consultants working with county, city and state officials. But because the different parties couldn’t agree on which plan to proceed with, especially around the Beaufort High School area and the business corridor, the decision was made, at the time, to do nothing.

The biggest stumbling block facing this referendum is a perceived lack of confidence in county leaders, i.e., the Beaufort County Council members and the administrators they employ. The Council members have gotten rid of one county administrator and brought in another, Michael Moore, who is still busy getting his feet wet, so to speak.

Several top administrators have moved on and while at least two others have been questioned about potential ethics violations, nothing has been proven.

The current “elephant in the room” (meaning the County Council chambers) is the Council’s failure to release the full 30-page Haynesworth Sinkler and Boyd management report, a document for which taxpayers paid $350 000 and which still has not been distributed to those curious to see what’s in it.

Habitat Partnership Board. He has represented South Carolina on several national and regional marine resources stewardship panels including the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and served as chair and vice chair of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

"Director Boyles has been a consummate professional and key member of my cabinet, providing steady leadership throughout his tenure,"

about money for various projects, many of which citizens have said they wanted.

Paving more dirt roads is on the list, as well as improvements to the public transportation system and the emergency evacuation system.

There’s a lot of information about the proposed referendum on the Beaufort County government website at https://bit.ly/3WSotcX, which includes a FAQ section that answers a lot of questions.

At least two council members – York Glover and Gerald Dawson – have scheduled community meetings to discuss the referendum. “Discuss” is the operative word since elected officials can’t “lobby” for its passage but they can provide information.

Gov. Henry McMaster said. "Under his direction, DNR has thrived, making significant progress in protecting our state's wildlife and natural resources. I wish him the best of luck as he begins his next chapter, and I thank him for his nearly 32 years of dedicated service to South Carolina."

The SCDNR Board will conduct a through process to determine Boyles’ successor, with the advice and consent of the state Senate.

homes are proverbially growing from the Great Swamp.

A recommendation for the involved citizen: while you wait to see if Beaufort County Council will indeed release the infamous Haynesworth, etc., report, spend some time at least reviewing the projects that are propose for the 2024 sales tax referendum. Ask questions about what those projects entail. Ask the Beaufort and Port Royal council members how they plan to spend the $10 million each municipality will receive if the referendum is passed.

Consider where the money for these projects is going to come from if NOT from sales taxes. As much as we might want this traffic to go away, it’s not.

former Hampton County sheriff’s deputy have been charged with embezzling public funds.

In addition, two former Bluffton Police Department employees have also been indicted by the Solicitor on charges involving missing firearms.

The indictments, according to reports, come after investigations by the state’s Public Integrity Unit working with the S.C. Law Enforcement Division.

Some folks are still unhappy money for at least a study of a third-bridge option isn’t included in the proposed work list and it was until the County Council decided to cut the original refer-

Even if the Council members opted to hand out the report, who knows whether it would have any impact on the sales tax referendum. After all, the referendum is

At the same time Beaufort County voters will be considering the transportation sales tax, Jasper County voters will be doing the same, only their referendum calls for a 15-year, 1% sales tax expected to generate $470 million. Most of the Jasper projects are designed to be done in conjunction with Beaufort County, specifically, the “Triangle area” which includes U.S. 278/ SC 170 and Argent Boulevard, where

Solicitors’ PIU produces indictments HAMPTON – If you happen to think Beaufort County officials are the only ones being scrutinized, think again. News came last week that former Hampton County Administrator who now serves as the Jasper County engineering director has been indicted by Solicitor Duffie Stone. She and a

The Public Integrity Unit. If that organization sounds familiar, remember in May of last year, Stone and Sheriff P.J. Tanner asked the investigators to look into charges being brought against then-County Administrator Eric Greenway. To date, there’s been no report of their findings in Beaufort county matters.

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. Lowdown from page A1

SCDNR Director Robert Boyles will retire effective January 2025 after more than 30 years of service at the agency. Photo courtesy of SCDNR

Coosa Elementary’s Pender named Principal of the Year

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

Melissa Pender did not originally plan to go into education, her plan was to be an accountant, but while in college she took a parttime job at a Beaufort daycare and she fell in love with working with kids and decided to change her major to education.

Pender, who is the Principal at Coosa Elementary School and was recently named this year’s Beaufort County School District (BCSD) Principal of the Year, is originally from Augusta, Ga., but she has lived in Beaufort for longer than 40 years after she moved here with her family after her stepfather was stationed here.

She got her undergraduate degree in early childhood education from the University of South Carolina Beaufort before going on to get two master’s degrees, one from the University of South Carolina in administration and one from

Lesley University in education and the integration of technology.

Pender graduated in 1997 and got her first job teaching at Beaufort Elementary School.

She then moved on to teach first grade at Davis Elementary School the following year.

In 1999, Pender was hired and began teaching at Coosa Elementary School as a second- and thirdgrade multi-age teacher.

“In Beaufort County, I have taught – with the exception of fourth grade – PreK all the way through fifth grade as a classroom teacher,” said Pender. “I also taught computer lab for seven years, too. So I consistently have asked, every few years, if I could move to the next grade because if you can teach the grade above and the grade below and

all the way down you can see what a child needs to learn from the beginning stages all the way until they are leaving elementary school, I feel like that is important for my professional growth. Especially in this position, it would be very difficult to tell someone, ‘You can do this,’ when you have never done it yourself.”

Pender has been serving as principal of Coosa Elementary School for six years and was an assistant principal for two years before that.

In her fifth year as principal, Coosa received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon award which she attributes to the hard work and dedication of the students, faculty and staff at the school.

Collaboration and respect are two of the most important things for her as a principal, she said they are essential when you are working as a team.

“You’ve got to walk alongside the teachers if you want to grow

with them and have them grow with you,” said Pender.

Another essential part of the job that she emphasizes is having systems in place to ensure success for all students, faculty and staff – if a system does not work, they get rid of it and replace it with something else.

“Systems are a necessary component when you are doing any kind of well-designed plan for change in any organization or in education,” Pender said.

Most importantly, Pender believes that all children can learn, but the path they take varies by the individual.

“The students are the reason I get up and come to work every day and the faculty and staff are the icing on the cake,” Pender said about her love of her job. “You can never have a bad day when you walk into a building and you get to spend the first 30 minutes opening a car door, I get to go by and greet every class-

room every morning and I get to see the kids in the hallway. Just the number of kids that I get to see in the morning, you can’t have a bad day when you start your day with 30 minutes of talking to kids.”

Pender said that while she is not sure exactly what the future holds for her, she is certain that whatever it is will involve education.

While she has no plans to leave Coosa, she hopes that if she ever does, the legacy she leaves behind is one where learning at Coosa is exciting and that all students, educators and staff at the school feel like they are part of a family.

“I just hope they say that I’ve left some sort of mark on the community,” said Pender.

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Replacing the LIMS building

EDUCATION BRIEFS

STAR Youth Leadership Program hosting back-toschool kickoff

Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department's STAR (Striving to Achieve Resiliency)

Youth Leadership Program is kicking off the school year with an event encouraging middle school and high school students north of the Broad to develop peer-to-peer conversations about substance abuse in the hopes of reducing their misuse.

In partnership with All Aboard Beaufort, the event will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Beaufort Branch Library at 311 Scott Street. Student participants will:

• Be Changemakers: Help reduce alcohol and marijuana misuse through peer-to-peer interactions. Your voice matters, and you can make a real impact.

Earn Rewards: Rack up volunteer hours for awards while gaining leadership and communication skills that will set you apart.

• Get Active: Participate in community scavenger hunts, create media campaigns, and present at schools — turning your ideas into action!

• Meet Movers and Shakers: Engage with community leaders and make your mark on northern Beaufort County. This is event is free and open to all interested middle school and high school students in northern Beaufort County. The All Aboard

Beaufort coalition is funded through the Centers for Disease Control by a Drug-Free Communities award to address primary prevention efforts in northern Beaufort County communities. For more information and to RSVP, contact Jodie Martinez at jodie.martinez@bcgov.net.

AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head makes donation to Shanklin Elementary

AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head partnered with AdoptAClassroom. org to surprise Joseph Shanklin Elementary School with a $5,000 donation and school supply kits. The retailer dropped into classrooms to present the donation to teachers and students.

The donation was made as part of Subaru Loves Learning, a national program championed by Subaru of America, Inc., that helps provide funding for teachers at high-needs schools across the country to purchase the school

supplies and resources needed to help their students succeed. The donation will benefit more than 250 students by providing teachers with $500 worth of funding each to purchase supplies for the school year on the AdoptAClassroom.org Marketplace.

“We’re thrilled to support our local teachers and students through the Subaru Loves Learning® initiative," AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head Head Community Development Manager Bill Harper said in a news release. "Providing essential school supplies is just one way we give back to our community throughout the year, and we are

committed to making a lasting impact year-round through various initiatives that support the needs of our neighbors.”

According to AdoptAClassroom.org, a staggering 92% of teachers nationwide have students from families who can't afford any school supplies. This leads to teachers spending an average of $860 out of their own pockets each year to equip their classrooms. "These essential supplies will make a significant impact on our students’ success in the classroom this year. Our teachers, staff, and entire school community extend

our heartfelt thanks for this support," said Liz Rivera, Principal of Joseph Shanklin Elementary School.

This is the fourth year AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head has partnered with Joseph Shanklin Elementary School.

FWDG again supports teachers with ‘Restock My Classroom Giveaway’

FWDG (Furniture Warehouse Design Gallery) continues its tradition of giving back to the community with its annual "Restock My Classroom Giveaway," providing essential supplies to local teachers in Beaufort and Jasper counties. This year, FWDG donated a total of $5 000 to assist 10 deserving teachers, with each educator receiving $500 to fulfill their Amazon school supplies wish list.

This year's donation marks a $2,000 increase from previous years, allowing four additional teachers the opportunity to benefit from the giveaway. The winning teachers, selected from Beaufort and Jasper County School Districts, received the chance to have their top priority classroom items purchased by FWDG, ensuring their students have the necessary tools to succeed in the upcoming school year.

The donated items range from basic classroom supplies to specialized educational materials, all aimed at enhancing the learning experience for local children.

– From staff reports

Melissa Pender

Doug Quackenbush from the architectural firm Quackenbush Architects + Planners speaks with community members about the Lady's Island Middle School replacement building that is set to open at the start of the 2027-2028 school year during a data collection and community input session on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at Lady's Island Middle School. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Linda M. Moyd-Hills and Barbara J. Gardner Hunter, both of Lady’s Island, review ideas for the Lady's Island Middle School replacement building that is set to open at the start of the 20272028 school year before casting their votes as to which ideas they feel will be best during a data collection and community input session on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at Lady's Island Middle School. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

FWDG donated a total of $5,000 to assist 10 deserving teachers, with each educator receiving $500 to fulfill their Amazon school supplies wish list. Submitted photo

Staff reports

BAA’s Dimke to be its featured artist

‘Frozen Moments’ will display 50 years worth of her work in September, October

Beaufort Art Association will host a 50-year retrospective of the Photography of Sandy Dimke, on view from Sunday, Sept. 1 through Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. With more than 50 works spanning five decades, this exhibition will feature many pieces that have won international awards but have not yet been shown in local galleries.

Turning 75 marks a time of reflection and self-discovery. This exhibit is a celebration of the journey Dimke traveled -- filled with experiences that have shaped and strengthened her art. It represents her most iconic imagery while offering an opportunity to see all phases of her continually evolving 50-year career.

Her journey actually started 60 years ago, in 1965 when, as a 16 year old, she was given a Kodak “Instamatic” camera with a black and white cartridge to travel with her on an exchange program to France. A few of those photos are in the exhibit.

But it was 1974 when Dimke first started taking photography seriously. She experienced the grandeur of Yosemite for the first time and challenged herself to capture this beauty to share with others. She has not put down her camera since.

Most of these 20th century images, both black and white and color, were produced in her darkroom.

Dimke loved the excitement of seeing photos come to life before her eyes. The first 30 of these 50

years of her photographic journey was devoted to architectural photography. Dimke had a successful business in Connecticut capturing luxury houses in such a way that always made the houses shine. She was sought-after by local clients.

After she retired and moved to Beaufort in 2001, she put away her medium format and 35mm cameras and embraced the digital world. She developed an eye for fine art photography and Dimke Photo Art was born. She challenged herself to refine her vision and adapt to new hardware as film morphed into digital and wet darkrooms were replaced by Lightroom and Photoshop.

Dimke joined Beaufort Art Association 18 years ago, to help pro-

mote Photography as a Fine Art within the arts community. She has given back to the organization over the years by serving both on the Gallery Committee, as well as various Board positions.

This year she was elected to represent the Gallery on the BAA Board of Directors, in the role of VP Gallery. Sandy also serves on the South Carolina Board of Directors for the National Association of Women Artists (founded in 1889) as well as on the national level as chair of the Print Division of the Photographic Society of America, Worldwide. She has published two photography books -- “Hands Across the Lowcountry” and “Cats of Beaufort” -- and has had numerous images included in local and national

Seeking God

hardcover books. Dimke is honored that hundreds of her images have been exhibited worldwide where they have received numerous medals and awards.

Dimke loves creating art through the medium of photography. Her goal is always to freeze a moment in time in a creative manner, either by unique camera angles or adding a different perspective with post processing. Renowned photographer, Vincent Versace, says: “Every artist has an instrument, but only photographers have a superpower, the power to freeze time.” This is the phrase she aptly chose for the title of her exhibit.

As an artist, Dimke values the interplay of color, texture and patterns that unify the image. A traveler at heart, her photos capture the excitement of the world she experiences, whether at home in the Lowcountry or in more exotic locales of Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia. The exhibit will encompass Lowcountry scenes, birds and animals, as well as some botanicals and abstracts that Dimke has fun creating. A veteran photographer, Dimke admits that while she has decades behind her as her hobby turned into a profession, this passion ended as an obsession. Even at 75, she sometimes feels like she is only beginning.

Join the artist for an opening night reception from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6, at the Gallery of the Beaufort Art Association, 913 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort, under the black awning.

Angry With God?

Faith in Difficult Times

Why does God allow bad things to happen?

A father watches his son dying of leukemia. A child loses her mother at a young age. When we experience sorrows such as the death of a loved one, or bitter disappointments like the loss of a job, we can find ourselves becoming angry at God. If we do not manage these feelings in a healthy manner, we can begin to question whether God even exists, or at least whether he’s worth having as a part of our lives.

If you’re angry with God, you’re not alone.

In the Bible, Jonah was angry with God after feeling that he was mistreated (Jonah 4:1-11). Job expressed similar feelings (Job 3:1-26). In a way, it takes faith to be angry with God. If we didn’t think he existed, or if we thought he wasn’t in control of things, we wouldn’t have any reason to be angry. It is because we believe these things that we struggle with God.

There are no easy answers here.

Vido to make book appearance in Beaufort

Staff reports

Acclaimed romance author and blogger Jennifer Vido will be at the McIntosh Book Shoppe from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31, for a book event. Vido will discuss her recent release “Serenity by the Sea” (Gull Island Series Book 2, released July 31). This is Vido’s second book in her award winning Gull Island series and eagerly awaited follow-up to her 2023 debut novel “Serendipity By The Sea,” which won the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. The Gull Island series, captivates readers with Vido’s sweet romances set in the charming Lowcountry. In 2024, Vido’s talent garnered accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author Category. In recognition of her literary achievements, Baltimore Magazine honored Jennifer as a finalist for Best Local Author in their 2023 Best of Baltimore Readers' Poll.

For thousands of years, people of faith have struggled with the question of evil in the world. As Christians, we believe that God is good and he is all-powerful, and yet we recognize that evil exists. How can all three facts be simultaneously true? This is a mystery that goes beyond the limits of our human intellect and earthly perspective. But if you are feeling upset with God, there are constructive ways to move forward.

Talk to God about your feelings.

If you are angry or disappointed, tell him all about it. He already knows, but he loves you and wants to hear you share what you are going through. As we admit our feelings and express them to God, we can start working through these emotions with him. We can find ourselves growing closer to God, even while we are still struggling. Even if it seems difficult, continue to keep the lines of communication open.

Look with love at the cross.

The mystery of human suffering finds its culmination in what happened on Good Friday, when Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. God loves us so much that he actually became one of us; he freely allowed himself to enter into our suffering. We can reflect on how Jesus was completely innocent, and yet he endured such immense agonies. We can prayerfully unite our own sufferings with his sufferings on the cross.

Consider your blessings.

When we are suffering, it is also helpful to take some time to consider the ways that God has blessed us. For example, if we find ourselves seriously ill, we might thank God for the support of our family members or the blessing of good medical care. Even in the midst of great trials, we can recognize God’s love and his continuing presence.

A Touch of Friendship by Sandy Dimke

John Paul II running back Bryant Jolley slices through a hole during the first quarter of the Golden Warriors’ season-opening game at Colleton Prep on Friday. Jolley scored a touchdown on JPII’s opening drive and finished with a team-high 76 rushing yards. Justin Jarrett/LowcoSports

Colleton Prep stifles

JPII’s early momentum

LowcoSports.com

The first couple of acts of the 2024 season couldn’t have gone better for John Paul II and second-year coach Shayne Milligan, but the rest of the story didn’t unfold as the Golden Warriors had imagined at Colleton Prep. Perry Corbett and Walker Bryan broke off touchdown runs to break up a defensive struggle, and Connor Nettles booted a fourth-quarter field goal for the only scoring of the second half, as the War Hawks were able to grind out a season-opening win at home.

JPII struck first after Sebastian Slusne stripped away the ball on the opening series, leading to a Bryant Jolley touchdown run,

Visit yourislandnews.com/ category/sports for Week 1 previews.

but CPA’s defense pitched a shutout the rest of the way. Both teams were breaking in new starting quarterbacks, and after JPII’s ground game cut through the CPA defense on its first series, War Hawks defensive coordinator Jeremy Langdale dialed up the blitz and disrupted the Golden Warriors’ timing. By forcing JPII into third-and-long situations, CPA was able to force new quarterback Connor Brown to the air and took advantage with four interceptions — three by Hartman Fisk —

to go along with a fumble recovery.

Jolley finished with 76 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, but JPII couldn’t find much else on offense, especially after losing leading receiver Jackson Sanders to an arm injury in the second quarter.

Slusne recorded six tackles (one for loss) with a sack and the fumble he forced and recovered to lead a strong defensive effort for JPII, along with Ephrain Jimenez (7 tackles, fumble recovery) and Daniel Snyder.

JPII (0-1) looks to get back on track at home against Laurence Manning Academy on Thursday with a 7 p.m. kickoff in Hardeeville.

Underwood stars on both sides of ball for BA

LowcoSports.com

Nych Underwood spent most of his Beaufort Academy debut in frustration, eager to find holes that just weren’t there. But after finding some success late in the Eagles’ lopsided loss in their season opener, the former Battery Creek Dolphin was ready for a breakout performance in his first home game on Lady’s Island, standing out on both sides of the ball to lead BA to a 36-7 home win over Hilton Head Prep on Friday. Underwood had a breakout game in his Merritt Field debut, shifting the momentum with two key interceptions — including one in the red zone on HHP’s first drive — and adding 181 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 13 carries. Dietrich Shuford rushed for 109 yards and two TDs and added a 65-yard TD pass to Devin Fripp for BA, which is now 5-0 all-time against the Dolphins.

After Underwood found the end zone on the opening series, the Dolphins put together an impressive drive to answer, but they were denied points when Underwood made an acrobatic interception in the end zone. Shortly thereafter, Shuford hit a streaking Fripp across the middle, and the shifty receiver cut back toward the home sidelines and ran away from the defense for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Shuford tacked on two rushing touchdowns before halftime — with Underwood’s second pick sandwiched between — to make it 29-0 at halftime, and Underwood capped the scoring for BA with another TD run in the second half. Shuford finshed 10-of-14 for 168 yards and a TD with Fripp snagging two passes for 101 yards and a score and made seven tackles.

BA (1-1) has the week off before traveling to St. John’s Christian Academy on Aug. 30

You have the right to know what’s happening in your community.

Public notices – information local governments are obligated to provide citizens – are required to be published in local newspapers to provide a public record that’s accessible to everyone.

Public notices keep you informed about your government. But, in some states legislators are trying to keep public notices from appearing in local newspapers. This severely impacts government transparency and, in turn, limits the public’s right to hold them accountable for their actions.

Let your state legislators know that you value being able to access notices in your newspaper and that they are worth the investment. newspapers.org/public-notices

Self-Care isn’t selfish:

You cannot give out of an empty cup

Does the concept of selfcare come across as self-indulgent or selfish? If that’s the case, it’s time to rebrand what the term self-care really means.

“Self-care is just another name for taking care of yourself, which is vital for your health and well-being,” explains wellness and preventive medicine physician Sandra Darling, DO, MPH. “More specifically, selfcare means identifying and meeting your needs, which is something that most struggle with.”

“Self-care is critical in today’s busy chaotic and stressful world. We are all juggling so many responsibilities, challenges and dealing with so many stressors that it has the potential to drive us to the point of burnout,” says Leslie Rowell, LPC, NCC, a licensed professional counselor on Lady’s Island. “You cannot give out of an empty cup, so you must take care of yourself if you are going to take care of others,” she explains.

Women often feel obligated to be caretakers, which can lead them to put everyone else’s needs before their own. Children, spouses, aging parents, friends, pets and other obligations come before their own needs. “Sometimes we feel guilty about taking time for ourselves because that seems self-centered. Parents and people in helping professions like healthcare, social work, ministry and first responders often struggle with this,” says counselor Rowell.

So it may feel awkward and even selfish to suddenly shift the balance from car-

ing for everyone else to caring for yourself. “Self-care simply means you’re taking time to care for yourself,” says Dr. Darling, “and if you don’t properly care for yourself, your body will let you know in negative ways.”

Why self-care is so important?

Chronic stress wreaks havoc on your health. It weakens your immune system, inflames your body and makes you more susceptible to health issues such as depression, weight gain, sleep issues and more.

“These physiological changes are compounded by the poor choices that can sometimes come with feeling like you’re at the end of your rope,” Dr. Darling notes. Reacting to stress with numbing activities, such as zoning out in front of the TV or bingeing on junk food and alcohol, also contribute to stress-related health issues.

But stress-relieving activities quiet your mind and lower cortisol, known as the stress hormone. Relaxation practices may help lower your blood pressure, improve your brain health and help you feel happier and more relaxed, overall — all good things.

“I advocate for self-care to prevent my patients from getting to this point,” Dr. Darling says. “Rather than succumbing to the ‘rosé all day’ approach to managing life’s stressors, treat yourself with love, respect and kindness — but also discipline.”

How to prioritize your health

Engage in practices and

activities that help you center yourself. Start a selfcare routine by taking some time each day to pause. One study found that even just 15 minutes of alone time can help lower stress.

“Find an activity that promotes inner peace and calm,” Dr. Darling says. “This will allow you to unwind from stress and get in touch with your needs.”

You may already know what type of self-care works best for you. Maybe it’s going for a run, playing with your pet or cooking up a delicious dinner. But if you’re not yet sure, or if your idea of relaxation involves bingeing an entire TV series in one sitting, it’s important to experiment with different self-care practices and see what feels best.

Here are a few simple self-care ideas for beginners or for anyone who wants to try something new:

1 Get adequate rest. Schedule bedtime as if it’s an appointment and get there on time. Go to bed early if you are tired. Take an afternoon nap if you are able and need one.

2 Spend time in nature doing activities you enjoy such as gardening or walking.

3 Try standing barefoot in the grass or sand, a practice known as grounding.

4 Spend 10 to 15 minutes doing a few simple yoga poses or stretches.

5 Try a relaxing bath.

6 Use a guided medi-

tation app. Practice some positive affirmations.

7 Read a book in your favorite chair and enjoy a cup of tea.

8 If you enjoy cooking or baking, try a new healthy recipe.

9 Take a social media break. If you have difficulty doing this, remove the apps from your phone.

10 Focus on nutrition and eat only whole, nutritious food for one day. The following week, do it for two days.

11 Pray. You do not have to be religious to be focused on a power higher than yourself.

12 Do something creative or crafty such as woodworking, jewel-

ry-making or pottery.

13 Color in an adult coloring book while listening to relaxing music or nature sounds.

14 Keep a gratitude journal.

15 Take the time to clean up your environment. Clean the clutter and it will help clear the clutter in your mind.

16 Give yourself a facial.

17 Sit on your front porch or deck in peace and quiet. Leave your phone inside!

18 Try exercise. Commit to a regular walk or fitness routine.

19 Consider professional counseling.

20 Schedule and keep doctor’s appointments. When caught

early, potentially serious diseases are treatable.

Discuss your self-care plan with your family and set firm boundaries with those who may try to interrupt it with their needs. “Even if you get interrupted despite your best efforts, don't give up trying. Small practices, like deep breathing or listening to quiet music, can provide mini-mental breaks during the day. Done regularly, these can increase your sense of well-being and calm,” recommends counselor Rowell. So, let the ‘me time’ commence! Your body and mind will thank you.

Source: https://health. clevelandclinic.org/why-self-careisnt-selfish-advice

Sugar substitute Erythritol poses health risks

Researchers have released updated findings showing how erythritol, a well-known sugar substitute, can put some individuals at risk for heart attacks or strokes. Cleveland Clinic researchers have been studying the effects of the sugar substitute “erythritol” on the body. Erythritol is commonly used in baked goods, some candies and gum. It’s just one of many sugar substitutes available. They compared drinking a sweetened drink with 30 grams of sugar versus 30 grams of eryth-

ritol. Every subject in the study showed significantly enhanced platelet function. “So, there is every reason to believe that after drinking erythritol, there is a heightened risk of clotting,” stated Dr. Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, cardiology specialist for Cleveland Clinic.

Why is it considered unsafe?

Dr. Hazen said it has to do with how it can impact clotting, which

can in turn put a person at risk for heart attack or stroke. He notes their research is ongoing, but they have found similar trends with other sugar substitutes.

So far, no changes have been made as a result at the federal level, but it’s his hope that it could one day.

In the meantime, he suggests people steer clear of sugar substitutes. "What I am recommending to my patients is to avoid artificial sweeteners, avoid sugar substitutes, to try to eat whole foods,

stay away from processed foods and shop the produce section,” he said. “Make your own food, then you know what goes into it." As an alternative, he would recommend eating something with actual sugar in it -- but make sure it’s in moderation. Adding honey to your food is also an option.

Source: https://newsroom.clevelandclinic. org/2024/08/12/sugar-substitute-poseshealth-risks-research-finds

Help with adjusting your child’s sleeping schedule

Now that school is back in session, your child may need help adjusting their sleep schedule to accommodate the early start of a school day.

“If you're not getting good quality sleep before you go to school, that's going to make for a tough year. You might not be able to concentrate as well,” explained Brian Chen, MD, sleep specialist for Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “

Dr. Chen said poor sleep can also impact your child’s performance when it comes to sports and other activities.

He recommends trying to

get them to bed as early as possible.

But if that’s not an option, you could try to bump up their bedtime in 15-minute increments and continue this pattern on the weekends. This will make waking up on school mornings a lot easier. As far as how many hours of sleep a child needs, Dr. Chen said it really depends on their age. For example, it can range between eight and ten hours for teenagers. Another tip to consider is cutting out screens before bed.

“Screens are notoriously bad around bedtime, not just because of the light that comes from the screen that signals to our brain that maybe we're supposed to be awake rather than going to sleep, but also the things in our phone,” he said. “It's kind of like falling asleep with your front door open. There's something out there. Maybe your mind is just thinking, ‘What is going on over there, let me just check really quickly.’ It just doesn't allow you that period of relaxation that's necessary for right before you fall asleep.”

Some households disconnect their home’s internet connection to make sure children aren’t watching

screens under the covers without their parents’ knowledge. Dr. Chen said melatonin supplements can be helpful if your child is having a hard time adjusting to their new bedtime. However, you shouldn’t depend on them. They should be used on a temporary basis. if you’re unsure of what kind to buy, it’s best to consult with a physician.

Source: https://newsroom. clevelandclinic.org/2024/08/09/ adjusting-sleep-schedule-for-backto-school

Pets in the bedroom? Your sleep might suffer

By Cara Murez

If your bedtime routine includes snuggling up with your Boston terrier or lulling yourself to sleep to the gentle purrs of your calico cat, you might want to rethink it.

Pets can offer a sense of security and comfort, but sharing a bed with them may lead to wakeful nights, according to a new study.

It found that dog owners were more likely to have a sleep disorder and trouble sleeping. Cat owners had greater odds for having leg jerks at night.

Anecdotally, some have had those experiences, including study leader Lauren Wisnieski, an assistant professor of public health and research at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn.

“I have a dog and a cat,” she said. “It definitely disrupts my sleep.”

While the new research doesn’t prove that pets caused the sleep issues identified or even that they were sleeping in their owners’ beds rather than wandering the house at night, it does point to a link. However, the study's author stopped short of recommending people keep pets out of their bedrooms, especially if they have a strong attachment.

Researchers found that dog owners were more likely to have sleep

apnea and other sleep disorders. A greater percentage needed medication to sleep and woke feeling unrested, the study found. Cat owners, meanwhile, were more likely to snore and have leg jerks. They also were more likely

to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.

Wisnieski suspects the reason for differences between dog owners and cat owners may be that cats tend to be more active at night.

The study found fewer differenc-

Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group adds Varner as new Physician Assistant

Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Primary Care has added an experienced, board-certified physician assistant to the practice.

James Varner, MMS, PA-C, brings a breadth of experience in both urgent and primary care to Lowcountry Medical Group, where he will provide primary health care, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in adults.

The Pennsylvania native has served as a physician assistant at urgent care and family practice clinics in San Antonio since 2018 where he provided care for patients of all ages and conditions. Given the area’s

high veteran, elderly, and obese populations, Varner gained specialized knowledge in treating patients who have multiple conditions and complex health issues.

Varner earned a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa., where he was on the Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Honor list. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in health information management from the University of Pittsburgh. Located at 300 Midtown

Drive, Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Primary Care provides the full range of adult outpatient medical care, with an emphasis on wellness, as well as chronic disease management and prevention. Imaging and laboratory services are available on-site. Varner will join board-certified physicians Drs. Nicholas Dardes, Carl Derrick, Craig Floyd and Emi Rendon Pope, physician assistant Nikki Newman, and nurse practitioners Jennifer Martin, Erin Scott and Veronica Smalheiser, at the practice.

To make an appointment with Varner or another provider at Lowcountry Medical Group call 843-770-0404

es in sleep quality between people with and without cats than it did between people with and without dogs.

Of course, there's a trade-off for the wakeful nights. Pets may also offer a sense of security that eases anxiety, stress and depression, the researchers pointed out.

“Pets have a very positive effect on mental health and depression, and they offer a sense of social support, too, so there's many positive benefits of having a pet,” Wisnieski said. “But, obviously, there can be some cons if they're taking up room on the bed and disrupting you as they get in and out of bed.”

Keeping them out of the bedroom is, Wisnieski said, easier said than done.

Sleep is, of course, essential to good health. You sleep because you want to recharge your battery. Your brain needs to be recharged. All the free radicals that are present in the brain have to be ‘washed away’. Sleep also regulates the temperature of the body. Sleep consolidates memory and learning.

Further studies indicate that if you don't sleep well, you have a higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, heart attacks and what's known as

metabolic syndrome.

Here are some tips to help you fall asleep and get good slumber once you do:

Keep your bedroom cool.

Avoid bright light in the evening, especially blue light from screens.

• Don’t nap in the afternoon.

Try to avoid disturbing content or deep thoughts in the late evening.

Don't exercise just before bedtime.

Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m.

The study results are preliminary, so Wisnieski said she wouldn’t widely recommend people keep their pets out of their bedrooms, especially if they have a strong attachment.

“But on an individual level, if you're having trouble sleeping, something that you might consider trying is separating your pet from your bed or your bedroom,” Wisnieski advised.

The findings were published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions (03/17/23).

For more information you may visit https://www.sleepfoundation. org/animals-and-sleep/sleepingwith-pets

Navigating nutrition for heart health wise WORDS ©

By Sonya Goins

Could a short diet questionnaire encourage patients to make better food choices and improve heart health? In the past, your healthcare team had to rely on lengthy surveys to better understand what you were eating. But that's all changed with the MiniEAT assessment tool

A Mayo Clinic cardiologist, Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, explains how this free, relatively new technology is helping patients and healthcare professionals.

Eating habits play a significant role in your health. So how much and what kinds of foods do you eat in a week? Healthcare professionals often ask these questions during an exam, which can sometimes be tedious.

"Very extensive surveys of 110 questions or 120 questions pretty much asking you about every single food you had," says Dr. Lopez-Jimenez.

Mayo Clinic simplified the process by creating the Mini-EAT assessment tool. It consists of nine dietary-specific questions and takes about two minutes to complete.

"When the person is telling you that he's eating fruits and vegetables every day and

avoiding fast food, you know just by having those responses that that person very likely is doing the right thing," explains Dr. Lopez-Jimenez.

Being mindful of your diet could help prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.

"Blood pressure might be affected by the quality of our foods, and cholesterol too, which we know leads to heart disease," says Dr. Lopez-Jimenez.

With the Mini-EATS tool, healthcare professionals will be able to give patients more accurate, individualized information so they can make healthier nutritional choices.

Source: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/ discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-navigating-nutritionfor-heart-health/

James Varner

TCobia w/ Creamy Lemon Orzo

Smoked Brisket Mac & Cheese

Thai Peanut Pork Eggroll

Roasted

to Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists

o further meet the high demand among local residents for surgical services, Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists has added general surgeon Taylor Turnbull, M.D. to the practice. She will see patients in both Beaufort and Okatie.

A Burnettown, S.C., native who has spent her entire life in South Carolina, Dr. Turnbull comes to Beaufort Memorial after completing her residency in general surgery. She gained significant experience completing complex procedures in a tertiary care center with multiple surgical subspecialities during her residency, but says that she most enjoyed the months she spent at smaller community hospitals throughout the state.

Residency – General Surgery

Prisma Health Upstate Greenville, SC

Doctor of Medicine

Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC

Bachelor of Science – Biology (magna cum laude)

Skilled in robotic and laparoscopic surgical techniques, Dr. Turnbull brings experience in the treatment of a broad range of acute and chronic diseases and disorders to the practice. Among her professional interests are complex hernia repair, colorectal surgery (including anorectal surgery), skin lesion repair, biliary surgery, and abdominal surgery.

University of South Carolina Honors College Columbia, SC

STATENEWS

SCDCA: Consumers urged to protect information after SSN breach

S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs

National news outlets are reporting a potential security breach involving billions of Social Security numbers. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) urges everyone to take these steps to protect their personal information:

• Check your credit reports: You can obtain your FREE

credit reports by visiting annualcreditreport.com or calling 877-322-8228. Go over the reports carefully. Dispute incorrect information with the credit reporting agencies.

• Consider a fraud alert or security freeze: When you have a fraud alert on your report, a business must verify your identity before it issues credit or services in your name. This

makes it harder for a thief to open new accounts in your name. A security freeze stops anyone from opening new accounts using your information, until you lift the freeze.

Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies to place an alert and contact each of them to place a freeze: Equifax at 800-685-1111, Experian at 888-397-3742 and

TransUnion at 888-909-8872

Closely monitor your financial statements/accounts: Check all monthly statements and account activity for unauthorized purchases/accounts and suspicious items. Consider using account alerts that can send a text or email about purchases and low balances.

• Sign up for My Social Security: Create an account at ssa.

gov/myaccount to monitor and manage benefits. If someone is using your SSN, that information may show up on your statement. Creating an account also prevents others from opening an account using your information.

Audit your online safety: Update your online account

Low pay, short staff contribute to high turnover of SC election officials

Salaries for county election directors vary widely, even among counties of similar size

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — Less than two weeks into his role as interim election director of Aiken County, Michael Bond was running his first election.

The county’s longtime elections director, Cynthia Holland, retired effective May 23 There was a special election in the first week of June. Then the statewide primaries the next week.

At the end of May, Bond realized school district lines had

changed, and he had to update voter rolls, too.

“I kind of thrive in challenging environments, but you know, 80-plus hours every week for extended periods of time, because we had back-toback elections so often here, it kind of takes its toll after a while,” he said. Bond had just two other staffers in an office serving more than 100,000 registered voters in the state’s 11th most populous county. Poll workers were hard to come by during gradua-

tion season, and some dropped out the day of the election. His few staffers were exhausted, he said.

Still, Bond made it work with some help from the state Election Commission. State employees came in to train poll workers, answered phones in the election office and even helped run the polls.

He didn’t last much longer.

After 13 years in the election office, Bond resigned, effective Aug. 9. He said he was leaving partly due to health issues but

also frustration over the lack of staff.

“We’ve begged for years to increase our staff so people would have experience under their belts instead of getting thrown into the mix as a temporary employee just before elections,” he said.

Now, just two months away from early voting in South Carolina for the contest that will decide the president, Aiken County is on its third election

Home health workers, data scientists,

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com

since the COVID-19 pandemic. “The bottom line is that certain employers are going to have the financial resources to raise, pay and attract and retain workers that way,” Von Nessen said. For those employers that can’t afford wage hikes, it might require non-financial benefits, such as more flexible schedules.

There will also be higher demand for nurse practitioners and health services managers, who serve in a more administrative role, just not as high as other health care fields, according to state and national data. Nurse practitioners require a master’s degree and earn $56

County election officials attend a training at the South Carolina Election Commission office in Columbia on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.

Photo courtesy of the South Carolina Election Commission

STATE NEWS

Advocates celebrate SC law banning prosecution of trafficking victims

Other

public safety pieces were tacked onto bill as it moved through legislative process

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — A wide-ranging public safety law that started out as a proposal to help victims of human trafficking was celebrated Thursday by advocates who had been working on its various sections for years.

“I’m not normally one who likes to have things tacked on to my legislation like a Christmas tree, but in this case each and every one will protect victims and punish perpetrators,” said Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, the law’s chief sponsor.

The law actually took effect July 2 with Gov. Henry McMaster’s signature. On Thursday, he ceremoniously signed it again.

Shealy’s bill prevents trafficking victims under 18 from being prosecuted for misdemeanor or minor felony offenses they were forced to do to survive, such as prostitution or drug possession. It also allows trafficking victims of all ages who were convicted of prostitution or other crimes they were coerced to do to have those charges expunged. Those changes were long overdue, Shealy said.

“Children who are victims of trafficking should not be convicted of crimes related to being trafficked. It is as simple as that,” Shealy said. “Protecting them means not just from criminals but from injustice as well.”

Another key section of the law created a new criminal offense for trying to lure a child away for nefarious reasons. For example, if an adult used the promise of a puppy to entice a child into a car. Previously, luring a child was only an offense once it escalated to kidnapping, but the attempt itself was not a crime.

The law made it a felony punishable by up to a $10 000 fine and/ or 10 years in prison or both.

Making the attempt a crime is something U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace tried to do during her three years in the state House. The coastal 1st District congresswoman was among those celebrating the law’s passage.

Mace, who first won in a January 2018 special election, worked with GOP Rep. Lee Hewitt of Murrells Inlet on an anti-luring proposal he pre-filed for the 2019-20 session that failed to ever get a vote.

Mace said she began working on the luring bill after receiving a phone call from Katie Shields, a Mount Pleasant mother, in 2018

Shields said she called Mace after hearing about a luring incident in Mount Pleasant. Shields told the S.C. Daily Gazette she didn’t know anyone involved but learning that it was not a crime galvanized her.

“We just kept on it year after year,” she said.

Then last year a stranger approached the 14-year-old son of

one of her good friends, Brittany Williams.

“He was never in danger because he knew the tools and he knew what to do,” Williams said at Thursday’s signing, adding that her son talked another child out of going with the man. After that happened, Shields launched a petition calling for lawmakers to take action.

The law also creates a new program that allows victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, stalking and similar crimes to ap-

ply to the state attorney general’s office to keep their home address confidential. Their mail would be forwarded to them from the state office.

And it does away with a quirk of criminal law that prevented someone being sentenced for a kidnapping offense if they have been sentenced for murder. In a handful of cases, a murder conviction has been thrown out on appeal while a kidnapping charge stands, resulting in no sentence.

The entire bill was a victory,

Williams said.

“Everything today was an added layer of protection for the children of South Carolina, and it’s an amazing day,” she said.

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.

S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

At DNC, Clyburn praises President Biden for picking, backing Harris

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

A longtime ally of President Joe Biden, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn singled out one presidential decision for particular praise in his address to the Democratic National Convention.

“We’re all grateful for one of the best decisions he made, selecting Kamala Harris as vice president and endorsing her to replace him,” Clyburn told the audience during a five-minute speech Monday night.

South Carolina’s only Democratic member of Congress was part of a lengthy lineup on the first of a four-day convention to formally endorse Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Besides praising Biden for his “lifetime of achievement” in elected office, Clyburn presented Harris as a stark contrast to former President Donald Trump, including on abortion. Trump appointed the U.S. Supreme Court justices whose 2022 decision overturned the half-century precedent set by

Jobs from page B1

$61 per hour on average. When it comes to computer and math-related jobs, data scientists, statisticians and information security analysts are expected to be in the greatest demand, state and national reports show. The average wages for these jobs range from $37-$57 per hour.

State employment agency analysts expect computer and math-related companies to employ upwards of 63,000 people in the state

Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a national right to an abortion through the second trimester.

“Kamala Harris is a true battle-tested leader … who gets things done,” Clyburn said.

“While Donald Trump has been bragging about how he overturned Roe, Kamala has been fiercely advocating for the restoration of reproductive freedoms.”

Calling Project 2025 “Jim Crow 2 0,” Clyburn said Trump “falsely pleads ignorance” of it.

Democrats say the policy agenda created by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation is effectively a blueprint for a second Trump term. But Trump has repeatedly repudiated it, calling the 900-plus-page book on overhauling the federal government “seriously extreme.” However, there are links in its crafting, as directors of what the Heritage Foundation dubs a Presidential Transition

by 2023

Tapped by legislators to spearhead South Carolina’s workforce strategy, the state Department of Employment and Workforce recently launched a new career exploration website in hopes of increasing awareness among students, parents, educators and job seekers about job opportunities.

On the website, the agency shares the story of Calvin Gough, a 52-year-old information security analyst.

“It’s my job to protect our company’s computer systems and data from hackers and other cyber threats,” Gough’s story goes. “It’s

Project for the “next conservative president” include people who worked in Trump’s administration.

The son of a preacher, Clyburn cited two verses from 2 Corinthians to encourage his audience to push forward: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

“Our great democracy has been tested, and so has the basic goodness of the American people,” he said. “Our resolve to remain a great country, with freedom and justice for all, will not falter.”

Clyburn continued to back Biden even as other Democrats began calling for the president to withdraw. However, he made clear Harris should be the nominee if Biden chose to exit the race.

Biden credits Clyburn’s endorsement of him prior to the 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary for his 30-point victory in the Palmetto State, after disappointing finishes that year in Iowa and New Hampshire.

almost the perfect combination of being a detective and playing a video game all day. It’s challenging because there are constantly new threats, and no one wants to be on the front page of the paper with a data breach.”

Where South Carolina faces issues is in keeping college graduates in these fields in the state, Von Nessen said. Only about half of these students are staying after graduation, he said.

Data on the number of students receiving diplomas from colleges in the state each year was not immediately available.

This spring, Biden awarded Clyburn with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Clyburn has been a vocal advocate for Biden, including touting his proposals on student loan forgiveness.

Clyburn, 84, is expected to easily win reelection to his 17th term representing the 14-county 6th District. It runs from Columbia south to Charleston and extends from rural counties on the state’s southern border with Georgia to rural Williamsburg County in the Pee Dee.

In November, Clyburn faces a challenge from Republican Duke Buckner and three minor party challengers.

Clyburn was not the only person from the Palmetto State on the stage Monday night. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, gaveled the convention in and later spoke to the crowd.

“Folks, I believe in the power of hope,” Harrison said. “But it’s going to take more hope to win this election. So, in the next 78 days, our day can’t just be ‘while I breathe I hope,’ it must be ‘while I breathe I vote,’ because that is how we make hope real for all of America.”

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

“When we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they will build on our accomplishments and they will create a country that works for every American,” he said. “They will lead us in the fight for America and believe me when we fight,” he paused, letting the audience fill in the rest — “we win.” Harrison also gave a shoutout to South Carolina, alluding to the state motto, “while I breathe, I hope.”

Von Nessen said one strategy South Carolina colleges and employers might try is opening up more internships earlier in students’ college career.

“The more that we can connect students with internships that can lead to job opportunities sooner in their education, the more likely we’re going to be able to keep them,” he said. “The employers that can provide opportunities for students. That’s going to be a win because we’re still experiencing a labor shortage … Many employers still are looking for workers and can’t find a sufficient number of them.”

South Carolina’s job market, like the national market, has cooled somewhat, Von Nessen said. The unemployment rate has gone from 3% at the beginning of 2024 to 3 9% in July, according to data published Friday.

But that’s not because people are losing their jobs due to layoffs, Von Nessen said. More people are coming to South Carolina looking for work. It’s just taking them longer to nail down a job.

In fact, South Carolina companies are employing more people than ever before — 2 4 million people were working in the state as of July. Meanwhile, the state still has 167,000 job openings reported. That includes some 15 000 retail jobs, 9 500 food service jobs and more than 8,000 advertised openings for registered nurses among the indus-

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn

State Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, speaks at the ceremonial signing on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at the Statehouse for a public safety law she sponsored. Abraham Kenmore/S.C. Daily Gazette

STATE NEWS

Group works to preserve, celebrate SC’s outsized role in Revolutionary War

More than $2M in state grants doled out so far; $11 million worth of projects in works

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com

When Molly Fortune moved to Newberry in 2015, she had no idea the street in front of her house was historic.

It wasn’t until 2022, when she became executive director of the commission tasked with celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, that she learned Main Street was a thoroughfare for troops traveling between Ninety Six, site of two major battles, and Winnsboro, home to a British encampment.

“People just don’t realize it,” Fortune said. “Everywhere you go, you’re right on top of what happened here in South Carolina.”

The state’s American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission is working to preserve and educate people about the hundreds of sites statewide tied to America winning its independence. While more Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes were fought on South Carolina soil than in almost any other state, even most South Carolinians don’t know that.

Legislators created the commission in 2018 to help change that as the nation observes the 250th anniversary of its birth (though they didn’t put any money toward it until 2021).

The first few years were spent planning and getting counties on board, Fortune said.

The last four state budgets, including the one that took effect July 1, have collectively provided the commission more than $15 million to collaborate with counties to buy and restore historic sites, educate students with hands-on lessons, and hold events leading up to the anniversary of the July 4 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Since launching its grant program in 2022, the commission has awarded more than 90 grants ranging from $3,000 for planning assistance to $160,000 toward digitizing and publishing the papers sent to and from Brig. Gen. Francis Marion, nicknamed the Swamp Fox.

Amounts in between include $124,000 to help buy property at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in Orangeburg County and $20 000 for archaeology nearby, according to its list of grant recipients.

Grants for the 2024-2025 fiscal year opened last month. Applications for larger grants are due Sept. 26

While most people’s attention goes to the 2026 anniversary, the real work is in preserving the state’s history, Fortune said.

The commission’s work will continue through 2033, the 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris that formally ended the war.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the state will ignore the big date, she added.

In South Carolina, there are actually two of those a week apart— the 4th of July and Carolina Day, which celebrates when South Carolina troops defeated the British Royal Navy in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. That battle on June 28, 1776, marked the Patriots’ first decisive

win, thanks partly to Fort Sullivan’s construction of palmetto tree trunks and sand. Cannon balls bounced off the walls or embedded in the sand. The flag that flew at Fort Sullivan became the basis of the Palmetto State flag. (The original indigo flag shot down during the bombardment lacked the now-iconic tree in the middle.)

Exactly how that anniversary will be celebrated statewide is still in the works. As with most of the commission’s work so far, counties will have a big say in how they celebrate, Fortune said.

“We want to know from our counties and from the people that live in those counties, what does that celebration look like for you?”

Fortune said. “And it could be different in Newberry than Calhoun than Marion, but we’re all going to celebrate Carolina Day.”

Historical tourism

In December 1780, Patriot troops led by Brig. Gen. Daniel Morgan attacked loyalists who had been plundering families in what is now Laurens County. The Patriots killed or injured more than 100 men, taking 40 prisoners, without losing a single man of their own, according to the American Battlefield Trust.

When British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton heard the news, he assembled his troops and went after Morgan. The two clashed in the Battle of Cowpens, where the Patriots pulled off a surprising victory credited with turning the tide of the war and setting the groundwork for the British defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, nine months later.

“It really is a chain that tells the role that the Southern campaigns and South Carolina, particularly, played,” said Heather Hawkins, the commission’s grants manager.

The commission has spent $97,000 in grants to study and preserve the site of that battle, known as Hammond’s Store. The biggest chunk of that money, $87,000, went toward buying the 30-acre piece of land in 2023. The

lines.

state Conservation Bank chipped in an additional $80,000 toward the cost.

Now, the commission, working alongside the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, is working to finish up a series of trails with signs that tell the story to the public, Hawkins said.

That battle exemplifies much of what the commission is looking for when it chooses which places to award grants, she said.

With hundreds of battles and skirmishes in the state during the war, it’s impossible to save every piece of land.

Most of the more major battles have some sort of recognition already. Cowpens, for instance, is designated a national battlefield through the National Park Service.

The commission wants to tell the stories that marked a turning point of some kind but don’t have that sort of national recognition, she said.

In particular, the commission is focused on smaller, more rural areas, Fortune said. Charleston is often a go-to for tourists looking to learn a bit of history, but rural areas are rich in stories, too. They just don’t have the same resources to tell them, she said.

“There’s so much out in the back country where a lot of this took place,” Fortune said. “We’re looking all over the state and trying to spread the wealth to all the counties.”

All told, commission grants totaling $486 000 have gone to help buy seven historical sites, according to the commission’s website. Six grants have funded research on sites. Another five have gone toward renovating land already open to the public.

More people are already visiting Laurens County and asking about the history, said Christian Taylor, tourism marketing manager for the county’s Chamber of Commerce. The county is working to create a trail visitors can bike or drive along, with historical stops

along the way, to appease people asking for tours, she said.

“We get a lot of people here for historical reasons,” Taylor said. “It blows my mind every day.”

Education

The commission also focuses on telling stories that have historically been underrepresented, such as those involving women, children, African Americans and Native Americans, Fortune said.

For instance, the commission is working to trace the path Catawba tribe members would have taken to travel through the state, Fortune said. A $15 000 grant is helping a research group write a paper on how the Revolutionary War led to some slave owners deciding to free their slaves.

Other counties have paid for education in a more traditional sense, by finding new ways to teach about the war in classrooms.

The Laurens County Chamber of Commerce sponsored essay and art contests for children to write about important revolutionary figures and draw what they think the county would have looked like during the war, Taylor said. That came from a $6 000 grant.

“It’s bridging that gap to get the information to our students,” Taylor said.

Other education initiatives have included $10 000 for a Kershaw nonprofit to create a history club for fourth- through 12-grade students, $10 000 for Anderson County to rent traveling trunks filled with replica Revolutionary War clothes and items, and $20 000 for a historian to create a series of comic books based on the war.

The commission also funds what Fortune calls “accidental tourism,” such as adding signs to what are already popular destinations telling people about the battles that happened there.

Chester County, for example, is working to put up a plaque telling the story of Brig. Gen. Thomas

Sumter’s half-naked escape after the British attacked his troops while he was napping beside Fishing Creek.

“Those are fun projects, where it’s like, ‘Wow, you really thought outside the box,’” Fortune said. The stories Fortune really wants to tell, she said, are those about the people involved. When she visits historical sites, she often thinks about the people who died and were buried there, especially the ones no one knows about, she said.

“These people are still here, and we owe them those stories,” Fortune said. “We owe it to all of our underserved communities to tell those stories that aren’t (told).”

Skylar Laird covers the South Carolina Legislature and criminal justice issues.

Originally from Missouri, she previously worked for The Post and Courier’s Columbia bureau.

S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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information often, using strong passwords. Don’t share or use the same ones for all your accounts. Use multi-factor authentication when offered. It adds an extra step (like a text message code or facial recognition) to your login process, making it more secure. Check your social media settings and limit what you share publicly.

Be on guard! Scam artists follow the head-

A group of people reenact the Battle of Musgrove Mill in Laurens County. Photo courtesy of Laurens County Chamber of Commerce

STATE NEWS

SC ACLU asks judge to allow recorded interview with death row inmate

Civil rights group suing Department of Corrections over policy barring interviews with prisoners

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — A civil rights group argues a death row inmate should be allowed to give a recorded interview for publication before he is scheduled to die.

A motion this week is part of an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging a Department of Corrections policy that bars prisoners from giving interviews to reporters or members of other organizations. After the state Supreme Court ruled July 31 that death by electric chair and firing squad are constitutional, the question took on a newfound urgency, the state American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement Thursday, Aug. 15

Marion Bowman, a 44-year-old death row inmate who has exhausted his appeals process and could be scheduled for execution, is one of the prisoners the group would like to interview for publication.

The above shows the space in the Department of Corrections’ Columbia prisons complex for executions, as seen from the witness room. The firing squad chair (left) was added following a 2021 state law that made death by firing squad an option. The electric chair is under the cover. Photo courtesy of the S.C. Department of Corrections

Department policy does not allow reporters or other groups to record or publish interviews, either over the phone or in person, out of concerns for the victims, so they don’t have to relive the ordeal, and so inmates don’t profit off their crimes through book contracts or other money-making deals, a department spokesperson has said previously. The ACLU argues the public has the right to hear from the condemned prisoner. “The public deserves a chance to meaningfully encounter the person being murdered on their behalf,” ACLU of South Carolina Legal Director Allen Chaney said in a statement. “We aim to give them that.” Bowman was convicted in 2002 of fatally shooting a 21-year-old Orangeburg mother who owed him mon-

Staff from page B1

director and second interim election director this year.

Turnover is the norm

Heading into November with a new election director is the rule, not the exception, for South Carolina counties. About 80% of directors have been hired since 2021 as counties struggle to retain experienced staff.

“A lot of election officials are having to deal with, frankly, a lot more stress, a lot more criticism and a lot more scrutiny,” said South Carolina Election Commission Director Howard Knapp. “A lot of people, obviously, have said, ‘It’s not worth it. The pay is not worth putting up with all this.’

“And that’s not me saying that. That’s county directors telling me that,” he continued, “‘This ain’t worth it anymore.'”

Stress and harassment have ramped up since the 2020 election, Knapp said. The pay has not kept pace.

Although it is only one issue feeding into the turnover, Knapp and others think more consistent pay could help keep experienced election workers for the future.

Many county election directors make less than the 2023 state average wage of just more than $54 000, with little consistency across counties.

Some directors make less than $40 000, others more than $90 000 Pay tends to be lower in smaller counties, but not always. Bamberg County pays almost $18 000 more than Union County for about half the number of registered voters.

It is hard to find any statewide trends, as no organization has fully up-to-date information on what election directors in South Carolina are paid. The state Election Commission provided the S.C. Daily Gazette with a list of what each county pays. But the data is out of date in some places.

Ethics disclosures required annually for public officials, which include their state-paid salaries, fill

the gap in some cases. However, given the heavy turnover in many offices, directors who have been in office for just a few months don’t yet have to file the form, called a statement of economic interest, with the state Ethics Commission.

The state organization of election officials does not track director pay.

Even with limited data, though, the wide range is clear: The highest paid director in the state makes close to four times more than the lowest-paid directors.

Regardless of what they’re paid, their roles in elections are the same.

Their oversight duties include updating voter information when addresses or district lines change, recruiting poll workers, finding polling locations, communicating with the public, programming voting equipment, keeping up with state education requirements, managing the office budget and, of course, running voting not only on Election Day but also for early, absentee and overseas voters.

The resources to do all of this comes from the county, even though the county does not directly oversee the office, a situation that Knapp said can cause tensions.

The county election director is appointed by a county board of elections, which in turn is appointed by the governor based on the county’s legislative delegation recommendations.

“It is a convoluted system for which there is no straight answer, and it requires cooperation — good faith cooperation on everyone’s part,” Knapp said. Election directors also do not receive a state stipend to the salary from the county, unlike other local government positions such as sheriffs and clerks of court.

Where there are gaps in resources, the state Commission tries to step in to fill them.

“I can’t control their pay. I can’t control their office environment, and I can’t control whether they want to leave or not. But I can help control the resources they may have at their disposal,” Knapp said of election directors.

That was what Knapp tried to do in Aiken County after Bond asked

for state help.

ey, putting her body in her trunk and setting the vehicle on fire in rural Dorchester County. He is one of five men who have exhausted their normal appeals process and are not waiting for any court decisions, meaning they will likely be the first scheduled for execution.

Once a death warrant is issued, the prisons agency must schedule that inmate’s execution four Fridays from the date of the court order.

“Marion Bowman could be executed within weeks,” reads the motion, which was filed Tuesday, Aug. 13

The court has not ordered any executions since issuing its decision upholding all three options in state law for carrying out a death sentence. The state’s last execution was in 2011. After that, the drugs the state used for lethal injections expired, and officials were unable to restock until September of last year, with the help of a new law protecting the privacy of the company providing the drugs.

Bowman is planning to ask the governor to commute his sentence from death to life in prison. Giving the public

Bond had worked as an assistant to Holland, the past election director, for 13 years.

(Holland has since been indicted for on accusations of defrauding Social Security. She has pleaded not guilty and it does not appear the charges have anything to do with her official position.)

Bond, 48, was a combat engineer in the Army, reaching the rank of specialist, before being injured and having to leave the military. Now using a wheelchair, he said he could no longer do outdoor work.

He went to college, studied political science, and found work in elections.

“I wasn’t able to finish my military career, and I felt like this was a way I could serve,” he said.

Holland made $71,000. That was what Bond said he expected when he stepped into the new role. Instead, he got a $10,000 raise that bumped his salary to $64,000

Bond said the pay increase would have been nice, but that wasn’t why he decided to leave.

“I’ve never really been in this for the money,” he said.

Replacing him as interim director is Judy Justice, a former poll worker and clerk, Blanche Wimberly, chair of the Aiken County board, told the Gazette last week.

The board is interviewing permanent replacements this week, and Wimberly said she was not sure when the county would have a new director. The job listing had a start date of Sept. 15, one month ahead of early voting for the general election.

Asked what advice he would give his replacement, Bond said, “Be ready to have a love for the job, because I think most people either like it or they don’t. … I don’t think there’s much gray area.”

The lone person left That love-it-or-hate-it attitude was how Dana Burden felt, too.

Burden stepped in as election director for Saluda County on Jan. 22 — the first day of early voting for Democrats’ presidential primary.

Burden was literally the only person left in the office, as the last director and assistant had both recently resigned, leaving the office closed illegally for several days in

the ability to hear Bowman’s story in his own voice might influence that decision, the motion reads.

Without a judge’s decision, the ACLU’s “First Amendment rights to receive, record, and publish the speech of Marion Bowman in furtherance of his clemency petition will be permanently and incurably violated,” the motion reads.

Prisoners can write letters to anyone they want, including reporters. Department officials sometimes authorize tours of the state’s 21 prisons, but any photos or videos taken in the facilities must not show identifiable features, such as an inmate’s face or tattoos. The department sometimes allows interviews with inmates to talk about their accomplishments in prison, such as work and study programs, but those inmates can be identified by first name only.

The policy is meant to protect victims by keeping them from having to see the person who harmed them or their loved one on the news, department spokesperson Chrysti Shain said previously. Interviews about life in

early January. Luckily Burden, 50, did have some experience. She had run the office from 2013 to 2017 before leaving due to personal reasons, including health challenges.

“My board (of elections) came in, they rotated out, they would come in and answer the phones for me,” she said. “When I was the director the first time, we didn’t have early voting. That was something new since I left.”

Burden is also a certified dental assistant, and she worked in dentistry before being asked to return to the county. The state provided a strong training program, though, and she had prior experience to help her get up to speed.

“Saluda County is a small county, so we have 13 precincts. We have approximately 12,000 registered voters,” Burden said. “It’s not like going to Richland County, but we still have to do the same work Richland County does — just in smaller quantities.”

When she left, Burden said the pay was about $30,000 or a little less. Now it is $45,000, which she said isn’t great but better than what past directors were paid.

Increasing pay could help with retention, she said, but it was not the only factor in people leaving.

“Your name could be plastered across every media outlet there is because something went terribly wrong. When something goes terribly right, they don’t mention it,” she said. “For elections, you don’t get a dress rehearsal. It’s do or die.”

That level of perfection, and the range of skills, makes election directors well qualified for a number of potentially better compensated roles in government, said Isaac Cramer, which makes it easy for them to leave.

Cramer, 35, has been the director of Charleston County elections for the last three years and worked in the office for the last decade. He is also the current president of the South Carolina Association of Registration and Election, the statewide advocacy organization for election workers.

Like other directors, Cramer stumbled into election work — in his case, after several years working on electoral campaigns. But he has a passion for it and thinks the

prison could also pose security risks by revealing sensitive information on how the prison is run or endangering inmates if they get famous from an interview, Shain said.

The ACLU is arguing the department’s policy violates inmates’ First Amendment rights. Although the group does not have a comprehensive list of other states’ policies, it called South Carolina’s policy “the most draconian prison press policy in the country” in a Thursday news release.

North Carolina, for instance, allows reporters to interview inmates as long as the reporter submits an official request and the inmate agrees. Georgia allows interviews during certain times as long as the inmate has had no recent disciplinary actions.

Skylar Laird covers the South Carolina Legislature and criminal justice issues. Originally from Missouri, she previously worked for The Post and Courier’s Columbia bureau.

S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest statefocused nonprofit news organization.

work needs greater recognition by counties and the state.

When he became the director in Charleston, Cramer said, some of his staff had customer service job titles even though they were in very technical roles. Across election offices, pay grades and job titles have not been brought up to the 21st century, he said.\

State supplement?

Cramer is also almost certainly the highest paid election director in the state at just under $140,000, according to a list of Charleston County employee salaries from last July.

He argues that election officials are department heads, in line with a deputy county administrator, and should be compensated as such.

One way to do this, Carmer thinks, would be for the state to introduce a salary supplement like those provided to other county officials. Knapp, the state election director, also thinks a salary supplement could help retention.

Rep. Brandon Newton, R-Lancaster, introduced a bill in January to do exactly that.

The bill went nowhere but he plans to try again next year. Although Newton does not have an exact number, he thinks somewhere in the range of $10-15 000 would be about right.

“That’s a massive pay bump for the people of those offices,” he said, especially in smaller rural counties. Still, pay is only part of the issue. So is understaffing and the sheer number of elections that counties can be responsible for, Newton thinks. And when people do leave, a lot of institutional knowledge is lost.

“These counties that have only one employee, who is the director, in the entire office, when that person leaves you lose all knowledge in that office,” Newton said. “And so you are starting from scratch.”

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.

ART

Budding Artist

After-School Art Club

4 to 5 p.m., or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesday/Thursdays, Happy Art Studio, 10 Sam’s Point Way, Beaufort. Ages 8 to 13. Painting, drawing, clay or crafts. Visit www.happyartstudio.net.

CALENDAR

Beaufort County Electronics

Recycling event

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, 140 Shanklin Road, Beaufort. Any personal computers, laptops, CRT monitors, LCD monitors, CRT televisions, non-CRT televisions, printers, hard drives and miscellaneous electronics (cell phones, fax machines) will be accepted.

Roots & Rivers Festival

2 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14, Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf Street, Bluffton. Presented by BlacQuity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Black entrepreneurs, this Coastal Cowboy and Cowgirl-themed event will include live music, line dancing, mechanical bull riding, artisanal vendors, craft beer, food trucks, and new to the festival this year, a Kid Zone and VIP experiences. The festival is set to invigorate coastal Beaufort County by providing a bustling marketplace for small businesses, artisans, and Black entrepreneurs to showcase their products. The festival aims to support the local economy and foster community growth by offering a platform for these talented individuals, creating a positive and inclusive environment for all. The festival boasts a lively beer garden, line dancing, captivating live music performances by Deas Guyz, and more. Early Bird general admission tickets for the Roots and Rivers Festival are now available for $15. For those who prefer to purchase tickets at the gate, they will be priced at $20. A limited number of VIP experiences are also available for $125. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.rootsandriversfestival.com.

Lowcountry Boil

5 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14, Shellring Ale Works, 1111 11th Street, Port Royal. Tickets are $85. Proceeds support the work of Lowcountry Legal Volunteers. Live music by the Cluster Shucks. To purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/4flPRZr.

Beaufort County Youth Conference

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, Technical College of The Lowcountry, 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Free for all Beaufort County middle and high school students. Interactive break-out sessions, music, food, fun, door prizes, and T-shirts. Parent and adult wellness workshop. Register today at 843-812-4399 or 843-592-0013.

OktoPRfest

11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, Paris Avenue, Port Royal. Free. No pets. Local chefs, restaurants, and food trucks will offer German-inspired dishes such as brats and pretzels, along with American festival food favorites. There will be a wide selection of craft, imported, and domestic beers. The opening ceremony will feature a special surprise honoring the Town’s 150th birthday. Live musical performances and entertainment; a craft market area; kids zone; and Lollipop the Clown (noon to 4 p.m.). For more, https://fb.me/e/1zQlnKh37.

64th annual Saint Peter’s Catholic Church Fall Bazaar

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, Saint Peter’s Catholic Church campus, 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. The Bazaar features international foods, craft fair with local artisans, a sweet shoppe, an in-person and online silent auction, wine and beer garden, plant sale, church tours, and Kids Zone with inflatables, games, and the Beaufort Barnyard Petting Zoo. Artists and craftspeople interested in participating can send an email to parishlife@ stpetersbeaufort.org for more information. The bazaar will benefit Lowcountry Outreach, a ministry of Saint Peter’s parish that provides office space for area non-profits, meeting rooms for support groups, and services such as a ride program for those with limited transportation.

39th annual Kiwanis Club of Hilton Head Island Chili Cook Off & Jeep Island Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island. Event raises funding for local youth charities. Chili cooks will face off to determine the best concoctions in Professional, Amateur, and People’s Choice

WHAT’S HAPPENING

categories. Winners will earn cash prize donations to the local youth charity of their choice. The Jeep Island expo is a stunning array of Jeeps from around the nation – a must-see for any Jeep enthusiast. Local favorites RetroRoxx, Hilton Head Island’s explosive ‘80s party cover band, will be performing live! To sign up online to cook, sponsor, and buy tickets, go to https://hiltonheadkiwanis.com/chili-cook-off. For more information, email the Hilton Head Kiwanis Club at hiltonheadislandkiwanis@gmail.com.

Karaoke with Melissa

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

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 Tom – 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 Tom – Bricks On Boundary

7 p.m., Every Thursday, Bricks on Boundary, 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.

Karaoke at Willie’s 8 p.m., Thursdays, Willie's Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Saint Helena Island. Come and showcase your singing talents or just enjoy the performances. For more information, visit www.GullahLove.com.

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.

Habersham Farmers Market

3 to 6 p.m., Fridays, Habersham Marketplace. Vendor roster includes B&E Farm, Cottonwood Soap, Flower Power Treats, Hardee Greens, Megs Sweet Treats, Vitamin Bee, Lady’s Island Oyster Company, Pet Wants.

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.

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.

Music Bingo with Mike –Bricks On Boundary

6 p.m., Every Saturday, Bricks on Boundary, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Play with a team or alone, win house cash! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

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.

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.

DANCE

The Beaufort Shag Club

6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free lessons for members from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We also host a dance the second Saturday of each month from 7 to 10 p.m. Lessons will run September through May only. Visit our FaceBook page (beaufortshagclub) for current events.

GOLF

Stingray Scramble

9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, Ocean Creek Golf Course, Fripp Island. Team of 4, $650. Individual, $175. Benefits Riverview Charter School. Shotgun start. 4-man scramble. Registration 8 to 8:45 a.m. Registration includes golf, gift, lunch, awards. Register at https://bit.ly/4bUzWPh.

Boy Scouts of America

LowCountry Classic

11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 30, The Cat Island Club. Hosted by the Boy Scouts of America Lowcountry District. $150 per golfer or $500 for foursome. 9 a.m. registration; 1 p.m. lunch; 5 p.m. cocktails/awards. Each player hits from the tee; team selects tee shot they wish to play from; each player may then place their ball within one club length, no nearer the hole and in the same condition (rough, bunker, etc.), and play his/her own ball from that point until holed; 2 lowest net scores will count towards teams total. Each player shall receive 75% of their published handicap; maximum handicap is 24. Proceeds benefit Scouting programs in the Lowcountry District of the Coastal Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America. All the information for players and potential sponsors can be found at https://birdease.com/ BSACharityGolfEvent or contact Dave Soloman for more information at d.c.solomon@att.net.

27th annual Habitat For Humanity of the Lowcountry tournament Monday, Sept. 30, Oldfield Club, Okatie. Register to play or sponsor at https://bit. ly/4cnr58E. Event proceeds go toward building the Larry Sanders House, named in honor of the longtime volunteer organizer of the tournament.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

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.

BEMER Circulation Therapy

10 to 11 a.m., Fridays via Zoom. Already own a BEMER? Never heard of it but curious? Join to ask any questions about this leading-edge German technology that enhances blood flow 30% in 8 minutes. Sessions are designed to support those who have their own unit but everyone is welcome. Brought to you by BEMER Specialist — Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.

HISTORY

Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 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-thecentury 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 843524-4333.

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.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Introduction to Canning

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Participants will learn the basics of preserving food. Methods will include water bath, steam and pressure canning. Belinda and Tony Jones are the owners of Morning Glory Farm and are experienced farmers and canners. No registration is required. Call 843-255-6540 for more information.

“Lego” With Lego 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., every Tuesday, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. Ages 5 and up. No registration required. Come see our new and improved Lego Club. Choose one of our new Lego kits and get going. Call 843-255-6540 for more information.

Career Navigator

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Tuesday, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free one-on-one resume writing and job application assistance with a Career Navigator from Palmetto Goodwill. No appointments necessary. For more information call 843-255-6458.

MEETINGS

Zonta Club of Beaufort 6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal. Beaufort Rotary Club Noon, Wednesdays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Catered buffet lunch, followed by a guest speaker. Prospective members welcome. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit website www.beaufortrotaryclub.org.

The Beaufort Trailblazers –A Volunteer Group

8 a.m., first Thursday each month, Herban Marketplace, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building offroad/dirt/wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843-575-0021 or email universitybicycles@hotmail.com.

Emotions Anonymous International local group meeting

4 p.m, Thursdays, via Zoom. Emotions Anonymous International, (EAI), is a nonprofit program designed to help people with emotional difficulties. It has a chapter in the Lowcountry and members want others who feel the need to know they are welcome to participate. There is no charge to participate. They are based on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and follow a specific format designed to provide the support and tools for navigating life’s painful difficulties. All are welcome. Anyone interested in participating may contact the group via email at EALowcountry@ gmail.com or call or text Laurie at 252- 917-7082. For more information on EAI visit www.emotionsanonymous.org.

Rotary Club of the Lowcountry 7:30 a.m., Fridays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, Sea Island

Parkway, Lady’s Island. A light breakfast is provided before the program. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit our website at www.lowcountryrotary.org or contact our President, Bob Bible at reconmc@aol.com or 843-252-8535.

MUSIC

Deas Guyz 7 p.m., Fridays, Aug. 30, Sept. 27, Nov. 1, Nov. 29; Willie's Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Saint Helena Island. $35. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit www.GullahLove.com.

Habersham Third Fridays Music on Market 5 to 8 p.m., third Friday of the month, Habersham Marketplace.

Street Music on Paris Avenue 6 p.m., Saturdays, Aug. 24, Sept. 7, Sept. 21, between 9th and 10th Streets on Paris Avenue, Port Royal. Free. Bring your chairs or your dancing shoes. Schedule: August 24, The Joe Krown Trio featuring Papa Mali; September 7, Kat Wright; September 21, Gabe Stillman.

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.

RUNNING

4th annual Move Your Mind 5K 8 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, Providence Presbyterian Church on the south end of Hilton Head Island. 5K run and 1M walk on the beach. Free parking and a free pancake breakfast. During breakfast, race awards will be given, and prizes for Brain Trivia will be won. Register today at https://bit.ly/4dbP0IS.

SEWING/QUILTING

American Needlepoint Guild Meeting

10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1st Tuesday each month. The Hilton Head Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in needlepoint to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at hiltonheadislandchapter@needlepoint.org.

Embroidery Guild of America Meeting

Second Tuesday of every month, Palmetto Electric Community Room, Hardeeville. The Lowcountry Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in any type of embroidery including needlepoint, cross-stitch, surface and beaded embroidery, hardanger, bargello, sashiko, etc., to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at lowcountrychapter@ egacarolinas.org.

SPORTS/GAMES

Inaugural Friends of Caroline Clay Shoot Friday, Oct. 4, Turkey Hill Plantation, Ridgeland. Details are being finalized. Presenting sponsorships available at $2,500 and $5,000. Station sponsors – up to 12 – start at $500. Sponsored 4-person teams $1,000.Contact Keriann for details or to reserve your spot at keriann@fochospice. org or 843-525-6257. Proceeds benefit Friends of Caroline Hospice.

ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret St. Events will be held weekly. Contact Director and Club Manager Susan DeFoe at 843-597-2541 for location.

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.

VOICES

Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of

Happy but not without heartbreak

It is Wednesday, and I’m in the deserted lobby of the Stamford Hotel in Stamford, Conn. It is 5:30 in the morning, but some thoughtful employee has made a canister of complimentary coffee, filled a stainless steel pitcher with half and half, and set-out a small, plastic container of honey.

I’m sitting at a long, library-sized table accessorized with brass lamps and outlets where one can plug-in one’s laptop. From where I’m sitting, I have a view of a deserted (lobby) bar that comes with large video monitors — those now silent monitors showing green and red blobs of rain sweeping through coastal Connecticut. It also shows selected scenes from the Paris Olympics.

This morning I’m feeling the sense of security that comes with large, conference-hosting hotels — Kansas-sized spaces with beige

Trugs and sturdy black coffee tables built to withstand crowds of energized, hard charging, drink-holding guests. But this morning that complement of conferees — most likely young men who are somehow attached to corporations and the multi-storied towers that puncture Stamford’s skyline — are still sleeping. Once Stamford was gritty, ethnic and industrial. Then and now it was surrounded by smaller, well-barbered “bedroom” communities where New York City’s postwar executives built their homes and raised their children. Greenwich, Westport,

his past week, both presidential candidates offered their vision of the future for our country, should they be elected. Perhaps I should amend that to say one candidate did this with a degree of success while the other managed to ramble on in his usual fashion.

Last Friday, in Raleigh, N.C., Kamala Harris spoke before an audience to lay out her plan which she contends will elevate the lives of the middle class by focusing on lower food prices, the cost of health care and housing, as well as provisions for child care.

She called this an “opportunity economy,” with basic financial security at its core.

It should be noted here that Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, made child care a focus of his economic agenda as Minnesota governor, including state tax credits, and support for working families and the child-care industry.

Furthermore, Trump’s running mate, J.D.Vance has also voiced support for an expanded child tax credit. To my knowledge, this has never received support from Donald Trump.

An additional note to this part of Harris’ proposal: many business executives see lack of affordable, accessible child care as a labor market constraint, but

Joyfully they skip together, arm in arm down the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City of their dreams, with joyous music and vocal accompaniment supplied by the liberal media playing happily, and loving their wonderful schemes. Kammy, the Coach, and the Tin Man determined to be rid of the Wicked Warlock of Orange Land they face the future together bravely, hand in hand.

It’s a dream come true, out with the old and in with the new. Forget what was said and done before it’s all in the past, the Tin Man did the best he could up until the last. Utopia is now within our grasp. What’s old is now new, what was

Rowayton, Ridgefield, New Canaan and Darien were connected to Manhattan by the New Haven Railroad.

Darien was the location of my wedding to Susan Roller in 1969. This was not a ceremony completely free of anxiety. My father in law, Reid Roller, was not reconciled to the marriage of his young, middle-born daughter to a callow, southern-born, borderline-grotesque law student of uncertain, unimpressive lineage. Just before the ceremony began, he took Susan aside and said, “It’s not too late to call this thing off.”

Yesterday we drove over to the Presbyterian Church in Darien — actually we went into the adjacent chapel — and stood precisely where we had exchanged vows in 1969. Thereafter we were given a tour of the entire ecclesiastical campus, including a large-windowed sanctuary that now hosts a congregation of about

2 100 people. After that we walked through various lounges and educational offices that were probably built sometime after our marriage. The tour ended in front of the portrait of the man who married us — Dr. “Pete” Horton.

I was later told that Susan had dated the Reverend Horton’s son and that theirs had been a serious romance. I was also told that Susan broke off that relationship and now suspect the Reverend Horton was not happy about that.

Looking back, I also remember that my rented tuxedo did not fit. The pants were way too short the cuffs ending well north of my ankles. This created a hillbilly, Jed Clampett-like vibe not entirely consistent with the buttoned-up, Madison Avenue image then favored on Connecticut’s Gold Coast.

The reception at the Darien Community Club

went reasonably well but ended on a sour note when my 1965 Opel Kadett failed to start. I remember that my father, and several of his best friends pushed the car for at least a quarter mile before the engine started. I remember looking through the rear view mirror and seeing these middle-aged men — bent over, gasping, dry-heaving as we made our uneasy way to the Ridgefield Inn where we would spend the first night of our marriage. My new sister-in-law and her husband, John, gave us a week in their Upper West Side apartment as their wedding gift. It was December and New York City was seasonably frigid and we were more or less broke. So that first week was a series of cold weather hikes — across a snow-carpeted Central Park; up and down Amsterdam Avenue; then a long, forced march down into Greenwich Village.

Imagining the future

the U.S. remains an outlier among developed economies in its lack of policy support.

An additional part of the Harris/ Walz plan includes a federal ban on price gouging on groceries. This would include setting “clear rules of the road” so that corporations “can’t unfairly exploit consumers to run up excessive corporate profits” on grocery staples, according to the fact sheet.

One need only research the recent profits declared by some of the larger food corporations to see this must be addressed. I found the following on Food and Water Watch.

“The grocery juggernaut saw a $163 million increase in profits from 2022 to 2023, for a total of over $13 6 billion. Moreover, market power enables corporations to get away with harmful, cost-cutting practices, like the poor manure management on factory farms that pollutes communities with waste. Such practices direct-

ly harm our climate, environment, and public health.

“The bigger and more powerful a corporation is, the more it can duck accountability for its actions — and the more it can influence policymakers by spending millions on lobbying to sway policy in their favor.”

If you are asking why the Biden Administration made no attempts to stem this tide, you would be wrong in your assumption. In September of 2022, they convened representatives from all arenas involved with this problem at the White House. Together they formed The National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

The goal was to improve food access and affordability. Harris wants to improve upon this by increasing access to free and nourishing school meals and expanding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility to more under-served populations.

Let’s look at the press conference that Trump held at Bedminster, N.J. Surrounded by Cheerios, coffee containers, and a doll house, and waxing eloquent about bird cemeteries, the former President spoke for almost an hour before taking any questions.

Following the conference, ABC News fact-checked a few of Trump's claims to provide con-

text, and it appeared his remarks contained both falsehoods and exaggerations. Regarding mortgage rates, Trump claimed that rates are now 10% under Biden's leadership which is false. Mortgage rates are now the lowest in more than a year at 6 49%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported.

He spoke of Tim Walz, alleging the Governor approved a bill to put tampons into boys’ bathrooms. This is misleading at best. In 2023, Walz signed a law that required public schools to provide access to menstrual products in bathrooms regularly used by students in Grades 4 to 12. So much for addressing the economy.

And of course, the topic of the border was addressed. On this, it was the same argument, but this time “Harris allowed more than 20 million people into the U.S.” This figure was inflated by almost twice the actual figure. I readily agree the real figure isn’t acceptable, but leave it to Trump to embellish.

What Trump didn’t address, but has stated before, is his further reduction of income tax of the billionaires and corporations. Nor did he talk about sweeping taxes on imports, China specifically. You might say, “Why not tax China?” I would respond, “Who will really end up paying that tax?”

Harris has framed her plan in

AN ODE TO JOY

once red is now blue. In the brave new world only the rich will pay the toll. The rest will ride free, what a joyful goal.

Housing, college and child care will be human rights along with many more of Bernie’s socialist delights. Grocery prices will be set by bureaucrats who are wise and the fair, happiness and joy will fill the air. Government money

will flow like Manna from heaven, and we will all do what we like, work, play or join a union and go on strike.

Debt is not a worry, what’s a few trillion more, we know where it all comes from, just keep on printing and let the debt soar. Inflation is just a myth made up by the Orange Man to make the people fear, we will control the news so it will never happen here. Believe it or not this song has been played many times before, it’s not really new, and all that have fallen for its false promises turn out to be very sad and very blue. Cuba, China, Russia, Venezuela, and Argentina, just to name a few. It all works

out very well for the people at the top, they live very well with all the comforts that totalitarianism and corruption can bring while the rest of the people are waiting in long lines for the simplest thing.

Wait you say, this can’t all be true, they have made promises of freedom and prosperity and wouldn’t lie to someone like me and you. They are so full of happiness and joy and they make me feel good, it’s one of the best feelings that I have had. The Wicked Warlock says things that make me feel bad. He says that I must work hard and pay my own way, no free stuff for tomorrow or today.

I know in my heart that he might not be wrong. It’s a

Along the way we saw the painted, perfumed ladies at the cosmetic counter in Saks; the mechanical, toy-making elves in the windows at Lord and Taylor; the muffled-up skaters at Rockefeller Center; the homeless in Union Square. But those hikes were informed and infused with a sense of expectation — the belief that our life would be full, eventful, loaded with opportunity. And so … And so we have come — using that lazy, all-tooeasy metaphoric manner of speaking — full circle. Yesterday we were back in that small, darkened chapel where our peripatetic and wonderful trip began. And I can report it has been eventful, and happy, but not without some heartbreak.

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

stark contrast to the proposals put forward by her Republican rival. She and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will "fulfill their commitment to fiscal responsibility, including by "asking the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations to pay their fair share," the campaign said.

The tax cuts for families drew wide support from economists who spoke to ABC News, though some emphasized the importance of accompanying those proposals with revenue-raising measures that will offset the tax reductions. There are aspects of the Harris/ Walz proposal that I find questionable — $25 000 afforded to first time home builders, for instance. However, when we look at other nations that provide so much of what we, the wealthiest nation in the world, fall short on, it’s time to change course; in fact it is overdue.

Harris concluded her speech on the economy with this: “I think that if you want to know who someone cares about, look who they fight for.” You may not like her laugh (or cackle, as those grasping for straws will push), but unless you are a billionaire, you may want to overlook that.

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.”

system that has worked so well for so very long, but I really don’t want to hear it while I am listening to a much more pleasant song.

When we get to the Emerald City we know that the Wonderful Wizard will speak, the man behind the mask will tell us how to obtain the happy life that we all seek. He will say listen to Kammy, the Coach and the Tin Man because they know what to say. The Wiz is all powerful, when he pulls the strings the puppet dances, sticks to the script and never takes chances. He also knows “If he gives you something for nothing, the nothing you give is everything that you have.”

I know that rhyme or irregular meter may not be

my forte, but I will share one more truth that I heard along the way. Some old Founding Father allegedly once said “A government that is big enough to give you everything that you want or need, is big enough to take it all away.” So please bear that in mind on voting day. Born, raised and educated in the Southwest, Jim Dickson

SCOTT GRABER

CAROL LUCAS

JIM DICKSON

Trump, GOP riding on the highway to L

What does Donald Trump have against happy women?

After three marriages, you would think he would breathe a sign of relief when encountering a woman who is in a good mood, but no. “Laffin’ Kamala” Harris, as he describes her so derisively, is driving him nuts.

Watching him flip, flop, twist, and turn trying to get a handle on the best way to counter her candidacy for president gives me more than a little hope Trump is well on his way to losing in November. His Republican allies urge him to focus on issues such as inflation that have found purchase with concerned voters. Even a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat like myself can appreciate the frustration of watching prices climb senselessly for everything from big-ticket items to smaller everyday necessities.

The former president has rebutted those pleas, claiming he has a right to wage unpopular personal attacks on Harris as a response to a so-called “weaponization” of the Justice Department

against him. He insists President Joe Biden and the “Deep State” are out to persecute him, never mind that he has done the things he is accused of and been convicted by a jury of his peers of 34 felony charges related to election interference.

An accused criminal standing trial. In what kind of crazy banana republic does that happen?

So we get “Laffin’ Kamala,” “Lyin’ Kamala,” willful mispronunciations of her name, and claims she is dodging articulating her positions on policy matters. They should hope she continues ducking the issues because that’s where she is stronger than they expected.

On the border, The Washington

Post reports illegal entries fell last month to their lowest level in four years. Yes, Biden borrowed from asylum restrictions initially established during the Trump administration during the COVID pandemic. But the fact remains, Biden did something, a stark contrast to a Trump-directed scuttling of a bipartisan border plan many Republicans considered a grant of decades of their anti-immigration wish list items.

Trump told House Republicans to kill the deal so he would have it as a campaign issue. Let it be one, but make sure he doesn’t get away with telling only the part of the story that makes Biden look bad and himself look like a problem solver.

On inflation, a “build from the middle” approach championed by Biden is finally bearing fruit, with inflation cooling last month to its lowest level in three years. This should allow the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September, lowering costs across the board for the middle class and everyone else.

Then maybe, just maybe, some

Hof those millions of millennials can realistically consider buying homes and starting families. That is the kind of activity that traditionally has made America great, not scheming in back rooms over who will be the next target of far-right cancel-culture warriors.

His MAGA cult members are catching on, too, that a second Trump presidency is no longer a sure thing. Social media is rife with reporters and audience members posting photos and videos of people at Trump rallies filing out long before the repetitious rambling they’ve heard for the better part of a decade comes to a close.

High-profile influencers on the fringe right are also finding reasons to break with the former president.

Last week, articles in The New Republic and, again, The Washington Post detail how well-known figures such as Candace Owens, Andrew Tate, Mick Fuentes, and Laura Boomer are criticizing Trump for running a faltering campaign. They claim he has

changed, even going so far as to say he has become part of the Deep State they blame for every encumbrance.

They blame the influence of large donors, fatigue over his repeated claims of a stolen election, and a message they say has softened to appeal to a wider group of potential voters.

Fuentes, a white supremacist podcaster who has met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, is quoted in the Post saying Trump is “headed for a catastrophic loss” and he plans to send his minions to disrupt Trump rallies in battleground states until the former president agrees to tack farther to the right.

Sounds like quite a change for the man who once bragged he could shoot someone in the middle of New York City’s Fifth Avenue and his supporters would still vote for him.

I'm not saying the Trump campaign is a sinking ship, but these rats are running from something.

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

Climate change increasing stress on thousands of aging US dams

eavy rainfall generated widespread flooding in the Upper Midwest in late June 2024, putting at least one aging dam at risk. In southern Minnesota, the Blue Earth River cut a path around the Rapidan Dam in Rapidan Township, about 15 miles south of Mankato, on June 24, putting the structure at imminent risk of failing. Officials warned local residents that if the dam burst, the river could rise by 2 feet, but said that evacuations were not needed.

This event comes a year after flooding in Vermont collapsed at least one dam and threatened others. Hiba Baroud, Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt University, explains how flooding stresses dams in a changing climate.

How serious is the risk when water flows over or around a dam?

These conditions can result in erosion, which subsequently could lead to a dam breach or failure and a sudden, uncontrolled release of impounded water. The risk reflects the combined effect of a hazardous event, such as heavy rainfall, and the vulnerability of the dam. A vulnerable dam could be old, poorly maintained or not have enough spillway capacity to safely release water from the dam.

A dam’s design can affect its ability to withstand

overtopping and resist failure. For example, concrete dams can typically better withstand certain levels of overtopping compared to soil embankment dams.

Overtopping accounts for 34% of all dam failures. How long water flows over a dam and the volume of water that flows over it are important factors in determining the likelihood that a dam will fail.

The consequences depend on several factors, such as the purpose of the dam, its size and its location.

If a dam is designed for flood protection and is surrounded by homes, businesses or critical infrastructure, a large uncontrolled release of water could be catastrophic. Dams that are small and located in rural areas may cause less damage if they are overtopped or fail.

How old are most U.S. dams?

There are more than 91,000 dams across the U.S., in all 50 states, with diverse designs and purposes. The average dam age is 57 years, and more than 8,000 dams are over 90 years old. Every four years, the

American Society of Civil Engineers produces a report card for the nation’s infrastructure that assigns grades based on the condition of structures like roads, bridges and dams, and the investments that they need.

The most recent report card estimates that 70% of U.S. dams will be more than 50 years old by 2030

Overall, the report gave U.S. dams a “D” grade and estimated that more than 2 300 high hazard potential dams – those that could cause loss of life or serious property damage if they fail, based on the level of development around them – lacked emergency action plans.

Are there ways to strengthen older dams against flooding without completely replacing them?

Decommissioning or replacing dams can be complicated and cost-prohibitive.

It also can have cascading effects on the surrounding community, and possibly on other infrastructure. Regularly maintaining and upgrading older dams can be a cost-effective way to strengthen them and make them resilient to natural hazards.

When dams no longer serve the purposes for which they were built, they may be partially breached or entirely removed to restore the river’s natural flow.

The Association of

State Dam Safety Officials estimates that it would cost $157 7 billion to rehabilitate all nonfederal dams in the U.S.

Of this amount, about one-fifth ($34 1 billion) is for rehabilitating high-hazard potential dams. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes approximately $3 billion for dam safety projects, focusing on rehabilitation, retrofitting and removal.

Is climate change increasing stress on older dams?

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural hazards like storms that threaten dams. And these shifts don’t follow historical trends.

Conditions that once were considered extreme will likely be more common in the future.

For example, one recent study on predicting coastal flooding found that in New England, a 100-year flood –that’s an event of a magnitude that now has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year – could become an annual occurrence by the late 2100s.

The fact that the climate is changing also means that extreme events are becoming more extreme. In 2015 a 1 000-year rainfall event in South Carolina resulted in breaches of 47 dams. Designing new dams and upgrading existing infrastructure will need to be based on updated design

procedures that take into account future climate projections, not just historical hazardous events.

While older dams aren’t necessarily unsafe, they were constructed following outdated design standards and construction procedures and for different environmental conditions. That influences the likelihood and consequences of their failure during disasters.

The near-failure of California’s Oroville Dam in February 2017 led to the evacuation of nearly 190 000 people living downstream. A review cited multiple causes, including design and construction flaws, the bedrock upon which the dam was built and lapses in ongoing inspections.

Do you see events like this as warnings?

The disasters that have hit the U.S. in recent years should spur government agencies and communities to prepare and plan for disasters through proactive steps such as developing emergency action plans.

While the number of high hazard potential dams in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last 20 years as development has moved farther into rural areas, the proportion of these dams with an emergency action plan has also increased. It is now at 76%, which is much higher than just a few years ago.

Vulnerable dams and the

risk of dam failure cascade through our economy and affect many sectors. Dams serve many purposes: They provide water for drinking and irrigation, generate energy and protect communities from flooding. They are also part of a large navigation network that transports more than 500 million tons of commodities across the U.S. each year.

As my colleagues and I have shown, it’s important tounderstand the direct and indirect costs when critical infrastructure systems like dams fail. This information is crucial for developing strategies that can help the U.S. prepare for future disasters.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Hiba Baroud is an associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt University. Her work explores data analytics and statistical methods to measure and analyze the risk, reliability, and resilience in critical infrastructure systems. In particular, she has studied data-driven Bayesian methods to predict the occurrence of disruptive events in infrastructure systems and stochastically model the recovery process of the physically disrupted system as well as other interdependent and indirectly impacted systems. She also developed decision analysis tools to assess different preparedness and recovery investment strategies for the protection of civil infrastructures.

TERRY MANNING

HIBA BAROUD

Delta Company Crucible

VA debt management continued, Part 3

Continuing our series on managing debt related to VA benefits, this article will answer three more questions about managing debt to the VA. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/46ASJxB and refer to the VA and The Island News webpages in the last two weekly articles.

Question 5

How can a veteran avoid VA benefit debt?

Two ways to avoid VA benefit debt:

1. Tell the VA immediately about any life changes that may affect your benefits: These include changes like a marriage or divorce, a dependent who leaves school, or a new job that pays more money.

Veterans can find out if they are eligible and how to add a dependent spouse, child, or parent to their VA disability benefits for additional compensation at https://bit. ly/3AIDab2. On this webpage, veterans can find out: 1. If they are eligible for additional VA disability compensation for one or more dependents; 2 How to view current dependents; 3. How to add a dependent; 4. Get answers to more questions; and 5. Learn more about VA benefits for veterans and their dependents. Veterans can also

sign in to VA.gov to view dependents currently added to their benefits. Veterans can update their VA health benefits information at https://bit.ly/3YyQx7Y. On March 5 2024, the VA greatly expanded healthcare through the PACT ACT to millions of veterans. Learn more about how to provide more information about their military service history at https://bit.ly/3ARbVrn. The VA will use information veterans provide to determine if they have had exposure to toxins or other hazardous materials and if they can place the veteran in a higher priority group. This will affect how much (if anything) the veteran has to pay toward VA healthcare cost.

2. Keep your contact information up to date: This helps make sure that the veteran will receive benefit letters. Learn how to change your address

mation in your VA.gov profile at https://bit. ly/3QWx50x. This webpage shows veterans how to: Update their health benefits information with VA Form 1010EZR. Change your VA direct deposit and contact information. Access your life insurance policy online. How to apply for a discharge upgrade.

If you get GI Bill or other VA education benefits, you can also take these steps to avoid debt: Contact your School Certifying Official (SCO) each semester. Make sure your certification matches your class schedule. Visit your school's financial office often to review your account. Make sure all charges and payments are correct.

If you withdraw from a class, leave school, or make other changes to your schedule, tell the VA and your SCO right away.

Veterans can report changes and get answers to questions through online through Ask VA at https:// ask.va.gov. Learn more at https://www.va.gov/contact-us/.

Question 6

What types of life changes does a veteran have to report to the VA?

Veterans and military members must report any

their eligibility for VA benefits. These include:

A change in active-duty status.

An increase in your or your spouse’s income or net worth.

A divorce or the death of a spouse.

• A change in a dependent's eligibility status (like a school-age child who gets married or leaves school).

A change in school schedule (like if you withdraw from a class or leave school)

A change in program attendance (like if you drop out of the Veteran Readiness and Employment program without an accepted reason after we purchased a service or tool for you).

A jail sentence.

If you have questions, call your VA benefits office. Veterans can find helpful VA phone numbers at https:// bit.ly/44xIyHq.

Question 7

How does a veteran repay or request help with VA benefit debt?

Veterans can repay debt related to VA disability compensation, non-service-connected pension, or education benefits in any of these 3 ways: Pay online at the VA Debt Management Center webpage at https://www.pay.va.gov. Pay each debt separately by credit card or ACH direct debit. If a veteran wants to pay their full debt balance or if they get monthly VA benefit payments,

call the VA first. The VA will confirm the veteran’s balance so he or she does not overpay.

Pay by phone. Call the VA at 800-827-0648 (1612-713-6415 from overseas) (TTY: 711). The VA answers the phones Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Pay by mail. Send a separate check or money order for each debt, payable to “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.” On each, the veteran must print his full name, VA file number or Social Security number, and deduction code. Veterans should Include their payment stubs or a note with the amount they pay on each debt. Mail to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Debt Management Center, PO Box 11930, St. Paul, Minn. 55111

Find out how to pay VA health care copay charges at https://bit.ly/3nlwfOY.

Veterans must pay their full VA copay bill balance by the due date on their billing statement to avoid late charges, interest, or collection actions. On this web page, veterans can check how much they owe for medical services and prescription copays at each VA facility. And find out how to make a payment, request help, or dispute your charges.Veterans should sign in to their existing Login.gov, ID.me, DS Logon, or My HealtheVet account to review their VA copay balances. Veterans without an account can create a free

Login.gov or ID.me account at https://bit.ly/4dPYh9N. Once a veteran signs in or creates an account he or she will be able to: Review their balances for each of their medical facilities. Download their copayment statements. Find the right repayment option for them.

Use a VSO You should realize by now that filing for VA benefits and managing VA debt are complex subjects. Veterans should ask their local VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for help in understanding, applying for, appealing VA decisions, and managing their state and federal veterans’ benefits. Learn more about VSOs at https://bit.ly/3WwDXmN and https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL and The Island News article of Aug. 30, 2023 at https:// bit.ly/3WOhSBw.

Continued next week.

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

LARRY DANDRIDGE

Recruits with Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, complete the Crucible on August 15, 2024, on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. The Crucible is a 54-hour culminating event in which the previous 11 weeks of training are put to the test. Lance Cpl. Jordy Morales/USMC

U.S. Marine Corps SSgt. Richard Macas, a drill instructor with Delta Company 1st Recruit Training Battalion, motivates a recruit, August 15, 2024, during the Crucible on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. The Crucible is a 54-hour culminating event in which the previous 11 weeks of training are put to the test. Lance Cpl. Jordy Morales/USMC

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