GRAINGER NISSAN of BEAUFORT
AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
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Burton, Colleton County firefighters recognized for heroism
Burton firefighter Michael Causey was recently awarded the Medal of Valor by the Hampton Fire Department at a Hampton Town Council meeting for helping rescue five trapped occupants from a building collapse the evening of June 20. Just before 6:30 p.m. on June 20, during severe thunderstorms, the Hampton Fire Department was dispatched to a reported building
collapse at the Badcock Furniture on Elms St. with people reported trapped inside. Michael Causey, a career firefighter with the Burton Fire District as well as a volunteer firefighter for his hometown of Hampton, heard the call while at home and immediately reported to the fire station. Firefighters arrived on scene and found that the roof of the building, along with a side wall,
Left: Firefighters Michael Causey, left, and Connor Hutto were awarded the Medal of Valor recently by the Hampton County Fire District for their efforts in rescuing five people from a collapsed building that had been struck by lightning during an intense ”microburst” during a thunderstorm in Hampton County on June 20. The two men also are volunteer firefighters with the Burton Fire Department. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
had collapsed. Upon being told five victims were trapped inside a rear bathroom with water rising around them, and with lightning and heavy rain falling, Causey and fellow firefighter Connor Hutto, a Colleton County firefighters who also volunteers in Hampton, forced their way through a front door, entered the weakened strucSEE HERO, PAGE A2
on the water ON A MISSION Veteran paddles 2,000 miles to help fellow Vets By Kat Walsh Joseph Mullin, a U.S. Naval Air Reserve veteran with post-tramautic stress disorder (PTSD), has a problem with the number 22. That’s the number of veterans, on average, who die by suicide every day, 365 days a year, every year. So when Mullin retired, he decided to do something big about that number and helping his fellow veterans with the struggles they face. He just didn’t yet know what that big thing would be. Mullin found his answer in Mission 22, a nonprofit founded by three veterans whose personal battles with PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) led them on their own mission to end veteran suicide in the U.S. It was a mission that Mullin could believe in – all funds the organization raised help pay for treatment programs for veterans with PTSD, TBI and other combat-related injuries. Mullin figured – correctly – that paddling more than 2,000 miles solo in a
kayak would draw attention to Mission 22’s cause. So he spent two years preparing: studying water, winds and currents, researching equipment, gathering charts and plotting courses. In order to not take funds from Mission 22, Mullin is paying for this journey with his pension, and a Go Fund Me campaign helped pay for his equipment. A life spent on – and under – water From 1970-74, Mullin served in the Navy as a jet mechanic and on an anti-submarine helicopter squadron. He then spent 20 years as part of an underwater recovery team, recovering vehicles, evidence, and human remains. These experiences weighed heavily on him – “I’ve seen my fair share of bodies,” he says - and they still do. There’s always the fear that a place, a voice or music will trigger an episode. His most recent struggle took SEE MISSION, PAGE A2 Joseph Mullin in all of his paddling gear and glory, making his way into the waters of coastal South Carolina.
County Council votes to move forward on Whitehall Park proposal The Beaufort County Council on Monday unanimously approved a motion to proceed with a recommendation to purchase land for a public park on the Whitehall property, subject to due diligence and after defining the maintenance agreements with the City of Beaufort. Beaufort City Council was slated to take up the issue at Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Billy Keyserling said. While the city is supportive of a park, Keyserling said it’s premature to predict what an agreement will look like, adding that all parties are trying to expedite a process that would ordinarily take at least six months to a year. The County Council called for the City of Beaufort to manage, maintain, and operate a proposed public park on a 10-acre tract
ISLAND GIRLS NIGHT OUT Local ladies have a good time in Downtown Beaufort. PAGE A6
of the Whitehall property on Lady’s Island, but Keyserling said the city can’t agree to such an arrangement until it knows more about the long-term vision for the park and exactly what that commitment might entail. The County Council will meet again on
September 10, when the topic of Whitehall will be revisited. The Friends of Whitehall Park, a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting the project, has garnered more than 4,200 signatures on a petition in favor of the pro-
posed park. The group also held an event Saturday in which hundreds of residents turned out to learn more about the project. The Walk in the Park event was intended to be a show of support and unity and included representatives from the Developer, County Council and City Council, speaking and working together toward the goal of the park. The event included coffee and muffins provided by LowCountry Produce, golf cart tours provided by Carolina Custom Carts, Entertainment by Beek, Vic and Friends, creative support from Picklejuice Productions, financial donations from Lowcountry Real Estate, Grayco and Hometown Real Estate, and water and collapsible dog water bowls provided by BJWSA.
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