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Hawaii Congresswoman Gabbard makes campaign stop in Beaufort
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard held a town hall meeting at the Beaufort Black Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Gabbard answered questions on topics ranging from gun control to attacks on the U.S. Constitution. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
By Mindy Lucas About 40 people turned out Wednesday, Feb. 12 to hear Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard at the Gullah Jazz Café in Beaufort. The Democratic presidential candidate, who finished with just 3 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary, downplayed her low ranking performance saying she would continue doing what
she was doing when asked if she would change her strategy going forward. “I’m not a billionaire or as well known as some of the other candidates, but we are fueled by contributions from individuals all across the country, incredible volunteers who are helping us get our message out there to voters … so that’s what I’m going to continue to do,” she said.
The combat veteran talked about such topics as healthcare and education at the town-hall styled event but underscored that she believed the country could not pay for these things if it continued to fund wars and a continued military presence like the one in Afghanistan. “Unless we deal with the cost of war and the priorities in this country that, in my
view, have been wrong for so long, we won’t begin to be able to pay for the things that we need …,” she said. Gabbard also talked about the importance of bringing the country together, but also stated that same message of unity made her the best candidate to beat Donald Trump. She spoke for about 10
SEE HAWAII PAGE A5
EXPERTS: FILM FESTIVALS BIG FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES
SCOTT GRABER
Facts of Gardner case twice lead to death sentence
J
ohn Plath, then 21 years of age, walked into the courtroom with dark, penetrating eyes and a well-sculpted nose. He wore a cross around his neck, parted his long, dark hair down the middle and presenting a countenance that reminded one of Jesus Christ. John Arnold had a face that was in no sense attractive or biblical. Arnold’s nose was large, his nostrils spreading down across pitted checks. His lips were large and tubular, made even larger by a mustache that came to a point just below his nose. His face suggested plastic surgery gone bad. Ralph Baldwin and I were representing John Arnold and in the beginning he maintained that he did not
SEE FACTS PAGE A5 EDITOR’S NOTE This is the second installment in a series of three essays on the State v. Plath and Arnold trial that happened in 1979. The first part is available online at https:// yourislandnews.com/ looking-back-on-thetragedy-of-april-12-1978/.
WANT TO GO? What: The 14th annual Beaufort International Film Festival When: Through Sunday, Feb. 23 Where: USC Beaufort Center For The Arts, 805 Carteret Street. Tickets: Individual films are $6 each; Daily film pass is $45 for Beaufort Film Society members, $55 for non-members each day; All-events pass is $255 for BFS members, $320 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased online at www. beaufortfilmfestival.com or pay at the door for screenings only or purchase tickets at the Beaufort/ Port Royal VCB, Visitors Center at 713 Craven Street.
Beaufort’s International Film Festival enjoying increased numbers since its ‘breakout year’
By Mindy Lucas Film festivals like Beaufort’s own, which takes place this week, aren’t just a lot of fun for those who enjoy seeing new movies or hobnobbing with stars. They can actually be good for local economies as well. In fact, really good, some say. Take Sundance for instance. Widely considered one of the world’s premiere film festivals, Sundance generated $182.5 million
in economic impact for the state of Utah last year, according to the Sundance Institute. It also attracted more than 122,000 attendees from 48 states and 35 countries. And while the Beaufort International Film Festival isn’t in the same economy of scale as Utah’s 11-day mega event, the festival has been seeing some respectable numbers of its own in recent years, and is even growing in attendance, said Ron Tucker, President/CEO
of the Beaufort Film Society, which produces the festival. “We call 2010 our breakout year,” Tucker said. That was the year that the festival’s estimated attendance jumped from 500, recorded just three years earlier, to 5,000. A number of factors conspired to get to that heady number, Tucker explained.
SEE FILM PAGE A5
Attempt to unseat Beaufort County Council Chairman fails in split vote By Mindy Lucas After a lengthy and, at times, heated discussion on parliamentary procedure, Beaufort County Council members attempted to unseat council chairman Stu Rodman at its regular meeting held Monday, Feb. 10. Council member Mike Covert attempted several times during the course of the meeting to make a
motion to amend the council’s rules and procedures and terms governing the chairman’s position. However his motion to amend was overruled by Rodman. A motion to overturn Rodman’s ruling and allow for the earlier motion also failed in a 5-5 vote. Later in the meeting, Covert made additional remarks voicing his dis-
pleasure with the chairman, citing recent controversy as reported in local media. “Throughout the last year or so there have been numerous articles in local, regional as well as national newspapers and social media ‘newspapers’ on the state of affairs of the current chairman,” Covert said. Covert went on to say he has re-
ceived countless anonymous letters and phone calls on the chairman’s harassment of the county administrator, county employees, vendors and other members of political bodies as well as his “strong arming” of meetings and agendas for his own purposes. “This can not continue,” Covert said. We are. Accreditation
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WHAT YA GOT COOKIN’?
Cupid made several special deliveries to the Beaufort Memorial Collins Birthing Center on February 14.
Okatie 4th-grader wins school district cooking competition.
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