THE BEAUFORT CHARITIES PRESENTS
OYSTER ROAST
$35 Pre-Sale
Featuring
“The Embers” 4-7pm
$45 @ Door
LIVE OAKS PARK, PORT ROYAL Saturday, March 7th, 1:00-10:00pm Tickets: BeaufortCharities.org
Live Music, Oysters • Free Kids Zone 12 & Under FREE • 2 Live Auctions Liquor Station & Bottomless Beer Cups $
Steel Rail Express 8-10pm
You must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol
*ID REQUIRED
FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 4, 2020 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Voters’ guide for Saturday’s presidential primary By Mindy Lucas For months now, Beaufort County residents have had a front row seat to national politics as a number of candidates for president have passed through the Lowcountry. Now all the speeches and town halls are over, and it’s the voters’ turn to have their say. If you’re interested in voting in the Saturday, Feb. 29
Democratic candidate for President Tom Steyer made a campaign stop at the Family Worship Center in Yemassee on Sunday, Feb. 23. Photo by Bob Sofaly
And let’s roll the credits Beaufort International Film Festival a recordsetting success The Beaufort Film Society The curtain closed on the record-setting 14th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival on Sunday evening as Oscar-, BAFTA-, and Emmy-Winning sound designer/editor Eugene Gearty was awarded the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award. A new attendance record was set with 17,400 seats filled over four days of film screenings, workshops, parties and more. The average attendance per screening was also a record at 412. Marine Corps veteran and filmmaker Joshua DeFour was presented the Santini Patriot Spirit Award for his short film, the 11th Order. South Carolina based filmmaker John Reynolds was presented the prestigious Behind The Scenes Award. Filmmakers, film lovers and fans of the festival showed up to experience some or all of the six-day film festival. Nearly 400 entries were received from more than 40 countries. The competition was narrowed down to the screening of 53 films and seven screenplays. Awards were presented in 13 different categories. Among the top winners
SEE FILM PAGE A7
Democratic presidential primary, here’s what you need to know: INSIDE About the Tom Steyer Primary makes campaign South Carstop in olina’s “First Beaufort, A4 in the South” primary usually includes both a Republican and a Democratic Presidential Primary held on separate dates.
However, this year is different. In September, the South Carolina Republican Party voted to cancel its presidential primary and give the state delegates to incumbent President Donald Trump, which leaves only a Democratic contest this year.
SEE GUIDE PAGE A4
THE FILLIN’ STATION
‘They are all down to earth in here’
After 22 years as owner-operators, Mark and Rita Wolfe are stepping away from The Fillin’ Station. The couple has sold the popular Lady’s Island watering hole. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
After 22 years, Mark and Rita Wolfe saying goodbye to one of Beaufort’s most beloved ‘dive’ bars By Erin Moody
W
hen Mark Wolfe first walked into the gas station-turned-bar his wife, Rita, bought on Lady’s Island in 1998, he looked around at the black mold, at the motorcycle burnout and exhaust circles on the floor and ceiling, at the dark, nearly windowless room, and turned to his tearful wife and promised her, “It’s OK, sweetheart, I’ll fix it.” And fix it, he did. With fellow retired Marine Steve Tinsley volunteering at his side,
Mark began turning The Fillin’ Station into a place where locals and tourists gathered for a drink, for a steak dinner, for the view and, most importantly, for the company. “We try to treat everyone like family and everyone becomes family,” Rita said. Twenty-two years and countless improvements later, Mark and Rita are preparing to turn over the keys to one of Beaufort’s most beloved “dive” bars March 6 to new owners Ron and Shannon Boyd.
Out went the pillars for the old gas pumps. In went windows so Mark could enjoy the view of Factory Creek from behind the bar he manned every day except Sundays, when The Fillin Station was closed. Out went the port-o-potties, and in went useable bathrooms. When they started cooking dinners, in went a full kitchen to meet health code, even though the couple continued to cook almost exclusively on the outdoor grill. In went a small porch to replace a rickety picnic ta-
ble on grass, and later a much larger deck to seat the hundreds of people who came on Friday nights for one of Mark’s infamous steaks. A representative from the property owner came by early on, saw what Mark was doing to improve the building and said they’d keep the rent stable, a promise kept for more than two decades until the property was annexed into the City of Beaufort.
SEE BAR PAGE A4
Port Royal’s Bands, Brews & BBQ to benefit Friends of Caroline Hospice By Mindy Lucas If you’re looking for some good food and a good time in the name of a great cause, look no further. The 2020 Bands, Brews & BBQ is coming up this weekend. Sponsored by Beaufort Memorial Hospital, the two-day event will feature live music, a barbecue competition, craft beers and children’s activities. Funds raised will go to-
ward the Friends of Caroline Hospice, a local organization serving the needs of Beaufort County residents. “It’s a fun, family friendly event and it supports a great organization,” said the organization’s Director of Community Engagement LaNelle Fabian. “And it’s the first event of the season, so we kick off the season in Port Royal with it.” As Fabian explains, Friends
CERTIFIED
QUALIFIED
WANT TO GO? What: Bands, Brews & BBQ When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 (Wing Throw Down); 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29 (BBQ Tastin’) Where: Paris Ave., Port Royal Tickets: Daily admission is $10 per person. Children 10 and younger free. Samples of wings and barbecue on both days will be available with $1 tickets. Beer, soda and wine available for purchase. Weekend passes are available online only for $15 per person.
of Caroline dates back to 1977 when Caroline Sue Quann, who was from Beaufort, died of cancer at the age of 31.
Quann’s wish was to be at home for her final days where
SEE BANDS PAGE A7
RENAMED
BMH honored for joint replacement performance.
Eagles lead contingent of Lowco state qualifiers in Class 4A.
TCL’s Beaufort campus gets a name change.
PAGE A5
PAGE B1
PAGE B2
INSIDE Lowcountry Life A2 News A2-5 Business A4 Legal Notices A4 Health A5 Around Town A6
Arts Sports Education Voices Directory Classifieds
A7 B1-2 B2 B3 B3 B5