January 25 edition

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

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LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN

PRESORTED PERMIT NO. 97 BEAUFORT, SC 29902

COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY

BEAUFORT OYSTER FESTIVAL

LOLITA HUCKABY

Point-inTime Count reminds us ‘What about housing?’

B

BEAUFORT y the time this week’s edition of The Island News hits the street, the Point-inTime – or PIT – Count will have been conducted.

Wednesday the 24th is the designated day for volunteers and agency representatives around the country who work with the homeless population to spread out and complete surveys with those who are without a designated “home.” It will be some time before the actual number of homeless individuals in our community are known and shared with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development which uses those numbers to determine federal funding for programs designed to

Fresh, local oysters covered with a wet gunny sack steam atop an open fire in the traditional manner before being scooped up with a shovel during the 4th annual Beaufort Oyster Festival on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Oysters and chill

Cold weather adds to magic of 4th annual Oyster Festival

By Delayna Earley The Island News The weather was cold, but that did not stop thousands of oyster-craving people from descending on downtown Beaufort over the weekend for Beaufort’s Fourth Annual Oyster Festival.

SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A5

Ashlee Houck, President and CEO of the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association (BAHA), said that while they were originally concerned about the projected cold temperatures in Beaufort over the weekend, they had more people attend the festival than ever before.

“It’s just part of the ambiance of what an oyster roast is,” Houck said about the cold weather. “Just like with Christmas you want snow, with an oyster roast you want a little bit of a chill in the air.”

SEE OYSTERS PAGE A6

Early voting for SC Democratic primary is under way Don’t want to wait? Here’s a look at how to vote early in the GOP, Democratic presidential races

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA – This year marks the first time South Carolinians can vote their preference for the presidential contest during a true, no-excuse-needed early voting period.

Early voting is under way for Democrats’ Feb. 3 presidential primary. The voting period started Monday and runs through Friday, Feb. 2, with the exception of Jan. 28.

For Republicans’ Feb. 24 primary, early voting starts Feb. 12 and

ends Feb. 22. There are three days excluded before that one: Sunday, Feb. 18; Monday, Feb. 19 (Presidents’ Day), and Feb. 23.

By law, Sundays and holidays must be excluded from the early voting window.

Additionally, there’s no voting on the Friday before the GOP contest because the state Republican Party agreed with election officials’ request to provide a one-day breather so they can prepare before precincts opened for regular voting, according to the state Election Commission.

Otherwise, all early voting locations are open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Under the 2022 law that created a uniform early voting system statewide, counties can open up to seven locations to vote early.

For next month’s primaries, most of South Carolina’s 46 counties are opening just one location, generally at their main offices. The maximum number in any county is four.

In counties that offer a choice,

Michael Webb casts his vote on election day Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Port Royal SEE VOTE PAGE A4 Town Hall. Bob Sofaly/File/The Island News

ARTS

SPORTS

STATE NEWS

INSIDE

Lowcountry artist places second at NAWA exhibit in Myrtle Beach.

Warriors rally to sweep Bucs, Whale Branch girls surging.

Sen. Tim Scott endorses Donald Trump over Nikki Haley for president.

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Lowcountry Life A2 Obituary A2 Legal Notices A2 News A2–6 Arts A7 Health A8–9

Commercial & Residential Landscape Design-Build Landscape Installs Lawn MAintenance Plants & Landscape Supply Hardscape Installs Irrigation

Come visit us at our garden center!

1 Marina Blvd | Beaufort, SC 843.521.7747 lowcogardeners@gmail.com www.lowcogardeners.com

Voices A10–11 Sports B1–2 Education B3 State News B5–7 Military B9 Directory B10

LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS

ISLAND NEWS PUBLISHING, LLC PUBLISHERS

Jeff & Margaret Evans

FOUNDING PUBLISHERS Elizabeth Harding Newberry Kim Harding

EDITORIAL/DESIGN Editor-in-Chief

Mike McCombs theislandnews@ gmail.com

Art Director Hope Falls

ads.theislandnews@ gmail.com

Assistant Editor Delayna Earley delayna. theislandnews@ gmail.com

Sports Editor

Justin Jarrett LowcoSports@ gmail.com

Habersham’s Ron Callari took a photo inside the tunnel on the Technical College of the Lowcountry Mather Campus, an area attraction unknown to many tourists and even residents. Local artists and volunteers have contributed to the interior walls that traverse Ribaut Road underground. Saint Helena Island artist John Bradley Jr. kicked off the project in 2017 with a portrait of Robert Smalls — just one of the many historical figures featured.

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

Beaufort’s Karen Majerczak, 64, joined the United States Marine Corps in Kalkaska, Mich., in 1979. After Boot Camp at Parris Island, she trained at the Military Police School at Fort McClellan, Ala. Her first duty station was on Okinawa where she served in the Military Police (MP). She then returned to Parris Island, first as an MP, then for Drill Instructor School followed

OBITUARY

Karen Majerczak

by 3 years as a Drill Instructor.

Her next assignments took her to MCAS El Toro, Calif., fol-

KAREN MAJERCZAK lowed by another tour in Okinawa and then back to MCAS El Toro. She separated in 1989 as a Staff Sergeant. During her last tour she began nursing school and completed it after separation.

In 2011, she moved to Beaufort and worked as a nurse at Beaufort Memorial Hospital for eight years. Today she is the Commander and a Service Of-

Fred A. Walsh

Fred A. Walsh was born in Beaufort in 1947. He graduated from Beaufort High School in 1965, from The Citadel in 1969, and served in the USCGR from 1971–1977. Fred later received two Master’s degrees, taught school in Beaufort, and worked in the family business. He had a state license in plumbing and a master’s degree in plumbing. In Jacksonville, FL, he worked as a realtor.

Fred died on December 19, 2023. He is survived by two children, Caitlyn & Brian Patrick. His family and friends held a celebration of life at Hunting Island lighthouse on January 20, 2024.

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF APPLICATION Notice is hereby given that New YUMMY LLC/DBA: Yummy Hibachi and Sushi intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license and/or permit that will allow the sale and on premises consumption of beer, wine, and/or liquor at 1370 Ribaut Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935.

To object to the issuance of this license and/or permit, you must submit Form ABL-20, postmarked no later than 2/1/2024. Submit protests online at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.dov, or email ABL@dor.sc.gov.

QUALIFIED SUBCONTRACTORS Rehab Builders, Inc. is seeking qualified Section 3 and MWBE subcontractors for all trades for the new construction of Carrington Manor, 64 apartment units. Email ldailey@rehabbuilders.com If you are interested in pricing.

NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND INTENT TO SELL Name and address of Purchaser: JITENDRA G. JETWANI, 420 OLD RIVER RD, BLOOMINGDALE, GA 31302-8004 A fee simple undivided 0.0073861610410129 % ownership interest in the Project as tenants(s) in common with the holders of other undivided interests in and to the timeshare property known as MBV VACATION SUITES, as established by that certain Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and Vacation Ownership Instrument for MBV Vacation Suites, recorded at Book 3406, Pages 1312- 1365, et seq., of

ficer of Beaufort’s DAV chapter, and a member of the Marine Corps League, AMVETS and the National Order of Trench Rats, which are “veterans helping veterans.”

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207.

For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.

Amanda Hanna 843-343-8483 amanda@ lcweekly.com

Advertising Sales Consultant Sandy Schepis 678-641-4495 sandyschepis@ gmail.com

Accounting

April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping. com Billing questions only.

CONTACT US PO Box 550 Beaufort, SC 29901

the records of the R.O.D. Office for Beaufort County, South Carolina, as amended or supplemented (the “Declaration”), having Interval Control Number U2210-W5E. Deed recorded in Book 4154, Pages 370, Mortgage in Book 4154, Pages 375. Total amount presently delinquent $10,981.36, Attorneys fees $350.00, Costs $158.53. You are currently in default under certain provisions of the above referenced mortgage and timeshare instrument.

As provided for in paragraph 4. of the aforementioned mortgage, the lien-holder has chosen to proceed with a non-judicial foreclosure procedure in accordance with Article 3 of Chapter 32 of Title 27 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina.

PURSUANT TO SECTION 27-32-325, S.C. CODE ANN., 1976, AS AMENDED, YOU ARE HEREBY ADVISED OF THE FOLLOWING: IF YOU FAIL TO CURE THE DEFAULT OR TAKE OTHER APPROPRIATE ACTION WITH REGARD TO THIS MATTER WITHIN THIRTY CALENDAR DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF THIS NOTICE, YOU WILL RISK LOSING YOUR INTEREST IN THIS TIMESHARE ESTATE THROUGH A NONJUDICIAL FORECLOSURE PROCEDURE. HOWEVER, UNDER THE NONJUDICIAL PROCEDURE, YOU WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO A DEFICIENCY JUDGMENT OR PERSONAL LIABILITY FOR THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED EVEN IF THE SALE OF YOUR TIMESHARE ESTATE RESULTING FROM THE NONJUDICIAL FORECLOSURE IS INSUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE AMOUNT OF THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED. YOU MAY OBJECT TO THE SALE OF YOUR TIMESHARE ESTATE THROUGH THE NONJUDICIAL FORECLOSURE PROCEDURE AND REQUIRE FORECLOSURE

OF YOUR TIMESHARE INTEREST TO PROCEED THROUGH THE JUDICIAL PROCESS. AN OBJECTION MUST BE MADE IN WRITING AND RECEIVED

BY THE TRUSTEE BEFORE THE END OF THE THIRTY-DAY TIME PERIOD. YOU MUST STATE THE REASON FOR YOUR OBJECTION AND INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS ON THE WRITTEN OBJECTION. IN A JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR OBJECTION, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO A DEFICIENCY JUDGMENT AND PERSONAL LIABILITY FOR THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED IF THE SALE OF YOUR TIMESHARE ESTATE RESULTING FROM THE JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE IS INSUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE AMOUNT OF THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED. FURTHERMORE, YOU ALSO MAY BE SUBJECT TO A PERSONAL MONEY JUDGMENT FOR THE COSTS AND ATTORNEY’S FEES INCURRED BY THE LIENHOLDER IN THE JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING IF THE COURT FINDS THAT THERE IS COMPLETE ABSENCE OF A JUSTIFIABLE ISSUE OF EITHER LAW OR FACT RAISED BY YOUR OBJECTIONS OR DEFENSES. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CURE YOUR DEFAULT AT ANY TIME BEFORE THE SALE OF YOUR TIMESHARE ESTATE, BY PAYMENT OF ALL PAST DUE LOAN PAYMENTS OR ASSESSMENTS, ACCRUED INTEREST, LATE FEES, TAXES, AND ALL FEES AND COSTS INCURRED BY THE LIENHOLDER AND TRUSTEE, INCLUDING ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS, IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEFAULT. Any response or inquiry should be made in writing to King Cunningham, LLC, Attn: Jeffrey W. King, Esq. who is serving as Trustee in this matter, at the following address: 1000 2nd Ave S, Ste 325, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582.

1974: Beaufort-born Joe Frazier loses to Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision in a NABF heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK Cat of the Week: Abe is a one-of-a-kind guy. He has really come out of his shell and loves to show off his biscuit making skills when you visit his cat room. Abe had a rough start to life, but he has settled into a life filled with treats and cozy beds to sleep on. He enjoys other cats and people of all ages when they come to visit his friends. Abe is 6 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

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

DISCLAIMER

January 28

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

Advertising Sales Director

OBITUARIES The Island News will publish obituaries up to 300 words for no charge. This service also includes a photograph. The Island News will have a charge of .25¢ per word of obituaries beyond 300 words.

Please contact jeff.theislandnews@gmail. com for more information.

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SALES/BUSINESS

Dog of the Week: Chaise has the sweetest smile in the Lowcountry. This spry guy loves to find the best smell around and follow it. He understands commands and is eager to please for a tasty treat. He would make a great addition to an active family who enjoys outdoor adventures. Chaise is 4 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

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

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

Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Island News, its publisher or editors. Content published from Care Magazine® is intended as a reference and options source only, not as a guide to self-treatment or substitute for profession medical advice.

It is provided for educational purpose only. Readers assume full responsibility for how this information is used. The Island News reserves the right to refuse to sell advertising space, or to publish information, for any business or activity the newspaper deems inappropriate for the publication.

NEWS

Deputy Chief Price sworn in as Beaufort’s interim Police Chief

By Mike McCombs The Island News The next man up, at least for now, is a woman.

Deputy Police Chief Stephenie Price was sworn in as the interim Chief of Police of the Beaufort Police Department on Monday, Jan. 22.

The (at least temporary) promotion comes after Police Chief Dale McDorman announced his retirement, effective January 26, after nearly 29 years with the Beaufort Police Department.

Price joined the Beaufort Police Department a year ago, after serving as Town of Bluffton Police Chief and as an Assistant Police Chief for the Savannah, Ga., Police

Department.

“I think that this is an amazing department,” Price told The Island Stephenie News. “It’s Price full of talented men and women who want to do the best for the community and move law enforcement forward. I am tuly thankful, honored and humble to be interim chief.”

Price, a Missouri native, has a law enforcement background in training and certification, drug enforcement, vice, domestic violence, internal affairs, and financial services.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Park University and a master’s in business administration from Benedictine University.

Price is a graduate of the Center for Homeland Defense Executive Leaders Program, the FBI LEEDA Command Institute for Law Enforcement Executives, the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police, and most recently, she obtained a certification from the International City Management Association.

City Manager Scott Marshall, who swore in Price on Monday, said in a news re-

lease, “I trust Interim Chief Price to effectively lead the department while we search for a new chief of police. She possesses the necessary experience and leadership attributes to keep the department moving forward.”

Marshall said that the search will include input from citizens and from City Council.

“I think it’s important to include public feedback and to be as transparent as possible when considering a hire for a position like this,” he said.

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

Deputy Police Chief Stephenie Price, left, is sworn in by City Manager Scott Marshall as the interim Chief of Police of the Beaufort Police Department on Monday, Jan. 22.

Submitted photo

Six weekend fires damage four structures, vehicle

From staff reports The Burton Fire District responded to six fires this past weekend, four of which damaged structures, with two structures and a vehicle being damaged by unattended yard burning that spread.

The first fire was reported early Saturday morning, Jan. 20, just after midnight. Burton firefighters, assisted by Beaufort/Port Royal firefighters, found a shed burning behind a home on Broad River Drive. Firefighters extinguished the fire without injuries or damages to the residence.

Just before 10 a.m., Saturday, Burton firefighters extinguished a small trash fire on Old Jericho Road. No damages or injuries were reported.

Just after 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Burton and MCAS firefighters responded to a house fire on Delany Circle in Seabrook and extinguished a small fire underneath the home. The fire is believed to have been cause by an electrical issue. Damages were minimal and the family was not displaced. No injuries reported.

Just before 5 p.m. on Saturday, Burton firefighters extinguished a spreading brush fire that cause damages to a home, fence, and threatened a vehicle on Capehart Circle. The fire was caused by an unattended burn barrel. No injuries were reported.

Sunday, just after noon, Burton firefighters extinguished a brush fire on Thoroughbred

Burton Fire District firefighters responded to six fires over the weekend, four of which damaged structures.

Photos courtesy of Burton Fire District Circle in the Forest Fields community. No damages or injuries were reported.

Sunday, just before 1:30 p.m., Burton and MCAS firefighters

responded to what was initially dispatched as a house fire on Calypso Lane. Upon arrival, firefighters found an approximately two-acre grass fire that damaged

a home, a vehicle, and threatened two other nearby homes. The fire was caused by residents burning yard debris that got out of control.

No injuries were reported.

ADVANCED ORTHOPEDIC OPTIONS TO RELIEVE BACK AND NECK PAIN

Whether you experienced a recent injury or have a chronic condition, Beaufort Memorial has your back. The Advanced Orthopedics and Spine Program at Beaufort Memorial brings together state-of-the-art technologies and top spine care experts to address a range of conditions that cause neck and back pain. Let our team create an individualized care plan, exploring both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options, so you can get back to life.

................................................

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hen unmanageable neck or back pain gets in your way, it’s time for the board-certified, fellowship-trained experts at Beaufort Memorial to give you relief.

At Beaufort Memorial you also find: • Innovative solutions that improve your mobility and allow for more natural movement • An Optimization Program that follows you through the process to ensure the best outcomes • Advanced procedures that spare healthy tissue and speed recovery • Outpatient surgeries that allow many patients to go home the same day Visit BeaufortMemorial.org/SpineCare

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

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NEWS

Tickets selling fast for HBF Winter Lecture Series

Rowland, McCardell, Wise to focus on Beaufort’s role in American Revolution From staff reports Tickets are still available for three February talks hosted by Historic Beaufort Foundation in partnership with the University of South Carolina Center for the Arts.

The 2024 Winter Lecture Series – Partisans, Patriots, and Founders – focuses on Beaufort’s role in the American Revolution.

“Our Winter Lecture Series is one of the most popular educational offerings available about local history. The presenters are extremely knowledgeable in their field and have a compelling way of telling the stories of South Carolina and Lowcountry history,” HBF Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins said in a news release.

Speakers include John Mc-

Cardell, Lawrence Rowland and Stephen Wise. Admission to all the three lectures is $30 for HBF members, $35 for non-members, and full-time students with valid student ID can participate for $20.

Tickets for the event are available until sold out at https://historicbeaufort.org/. They may also be purchased the night of each event.

Lectures will cover: • February 1: The coming of the Revolution and the first shots – Lawrence S. Rowland and Stephen R. Wise • February 8: Wartime state and the national governments and the fight for independence – John M. McCardell and Stephen R. Wise

• February 15: The war’s aftermath and a new beginning – Lawrence S. Rowland and John M. McCardell.

All the presentations will be held at the USCB Performing Arts Center on Carteret Street in historic downtown Beaufort.

About the lecturers John McCardell graduated from Washington and Lee University and earned his Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. For his dissertation, The Idea of a Southern Nation, he earned the John 1977 Alan Nevins McCardell Prize by the Soci-

ety of American Historians. McCardell served as vice-chancellor of Sewanee: The University of the South from 2010 until June 2020.

Larry Rowland is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History for the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and previously held roles with USC as Professor of History and Associate Dean for Academic AfLarry fairs. He earned Rowland his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in New York and both his Master’s degree and Doctorate from the University of South Carolina. He has authored numerous

Vote

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Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department offering fire boot camp for girls

From staff reports The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department is offering its first annual "Sparking Embers GIRLS EMPOWERment Fire Boot Camp."

Sparking Embers Fire Bootcamp is a free training program that will focus on empowering high school-aged girls and their minds to help them venture into potential careers in the fire service. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day from June 24 through June 27 at the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department Fire Station 2 at 1120 Ribaut Road.

This training will cover CPR, First Aid,

all aspects of firefighting, auto extrication, firehouse life, and open the door of opportunity for girls to become leaders in their communities and to promote self-confidence.

All participants must have transportation to and from the fire station each day.

All applications must have a recommendation letter from the applicant's current teacher. Applications are due no later than April 15, 2024, and can be submitted via email to Deputy Chief Ross Vezin rvezin@ cityofbeaufort.org or can be dropped off in person at 135 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29902.

City recognized for excellence in budget presentation From staff reports The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has recognized the City of Beaufort for the seventh consecutive year for excellence in its budget presentation.

GFOA awarded Beaufort the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fiscal year 2024 budget, which includes its online budget book.

“We are excited yet unsurprised by this recognition,” Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall said in a news release. “Our finance team consistently delivers outstanding performance and demonstrates exceptional responsibility with

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

taxpayer funds.”

According to the GFOA, the award reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, the City of Beaufort had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as: • a policy document • a financial plan • an operations guide • a communications device Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the

14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

The FY2024 budget presentation also received a Special Recognition for its section on Strategic Goals and Strategies. That indicated that all three reviewers gave the highest possible score to this category.

There are more than 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program.

The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website.

The FY24 online book can be found at https://bit. ly/3HAYeQY.

voters can go to whatever location is most convenient for them, whether it’s closest to work, school or shopping. For early voting, all locations are open to all registered voters within that county.

Four counties offer four places to vote early: Beaufort, Georgetown, Greenville and York. Five counties offer three: Berkeley, Charleston Hampton, Horry, and Spartanburg. And 12 counties offer two.

Voters can find their early voting locations on the state Election Commission’s website at scvotes.org. Voters will need to bring their photo ID to cast a ballot, just as they would on Election Day. Three candidates will appear on the Democratic primary ballot: President Joe Biden and two long-shot candidates, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson.

It’s the nation’s first Democratic primary this year with Biden on the ballot.

On the Republican side, seven candidates are listed on the ballot, but three have dropped out since it was finalized.

The only major contenders left in the race are former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Also still in the race are Pastor Ryan Binkley of Texas and veteran Air Force combat pilot David Stuckenberg of Florida.

An early voting first South Carolina law had long allowed de facto early voting, both in person and by mail.

However, anyone voting in the month ahead of an election had to check off a reason for why they couldn’t vote at their precinct on Election Day. The various excuses to pick from included needing to work, being on vacation, having a disability or being 65 or older. In 2020, the Legislature temporarily suspended

NEWS BRIEFS

County to hold public meeting to discuss Shell Point drainage project

The Beaufort County Stormwater Department is holding a public meeting to discuss updates regarding the Shell Point drainage improvement project.

The meeting is Monday, Jan. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m., at the Shell Point Baptist Church, 871 Parris Island Gateway.

Project consultant J. Bragg and County staff will be in attendance to discuss upcoming maintenance efforts and answer questions.

For more information, call the Beaufort County Stormwater Department at 843-255-2805.

Public Test of ballot tabulating machines set for February 2

A public test of the Central Count Scanners (Ballot Tabulating Machines) for the February 3, 2024 Democratic Presidential Preference Primary (PPP) will begin on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 at 10 a.m. at the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County office, located at 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29906. For more information, call 843-255-6900.

books and articles about South Carolina and the Sea Islands.

Stephen Wise is director of the museum for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University, his Master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, Stephen and his Ph.D. from Wise the University of South Carolina.

He has written and edited several books and articles including Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the Civil War, and Gate of Hell: The Campaign for Charleston Harbor.

VOTE EARLY IN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY The State Election Commission is encouraging voters to seize the opportunity to vote early in the upcoming Democratic Presidential Primary. You don’t have to wait until Election Day, February 3, to vote.

Vote early • The early voting period started on Monday, Jan. 22 and ends Friday, Feb. 2. Voting is closed Sunday, Jan. 28.

• Early voting centers are open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the early voting period.

• Voters will be asked to present Photo ID when checking in to vote.

Where to vote There are four places to vote in Beaufort County: • Beaufort (Main office), 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29906 • Bluffton Recreation Center Gymnasium, 61A Ulmer Road, Bluffton, S.C. 29910 • Hilton Head Government Complex, 539 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928 • St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Rd., St. Helena Island, SC 29920

those rules, with legislators saying voters shouldn’t have to lie to vote early.

How early voting was handled in 2020 varied widely from county to county.

The law creating a two-week window for true, no-excuse-needed early voting took effect just in time for the June 2022 primaries. That November, which featured Gov. Henry McMaster versus Democrat Joe Cunningham at the top of the ballot, was the first general election under the law.

“It all went very smoothly, we expect it to go smoothly this time as well,” Howard Knapp, director of the State Election Commission, told a House budget-writing panel last week.

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.

Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club meeting Febuary 8

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s February meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Local guide, Captain Neil Kendrick of Carolina Tail Charters, will discuss Sheepshead. He will present rods and reels, various rigs and sure techniques for hooking. This will also include the proper use of mussels and frozen blue crab when fiddlers are not available.

Beaufort Boat & Dock Supply, Butler Marine, The Archurch Group and Danny Walsh again are our drawing sponsors.

Congratulations to Debra Norwood for winning the last monthly $50 drawing.

Winners must be present at the next month’s meeting to receive the cash award.

Guests are welcome. Reservations are not needed.

For additional information, please contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843-521-7340 or email fgibson@islc.net.

– Compiled from staff reports

NEWS HELP FIND THEM

Sheriff ’s Office continues search for missing Beaufort man

By staff reports The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is trying to locate 42-year-old Derrick Lesesne, who as of press time on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, was missing.

According to the BCSO spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens, Lesesne may have been involved in a car accident that took place on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, on Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island.

There is a concern for his safety and

well-being, according to a release from BCSO. Lesesne was last known to be in the area of Olde Church Road and Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

He is 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 150 pounds.

Anyone who may know Lesesne’s whereabouts is encouraged to call Beaufort County dispatch at 843-524-2777.

Burton teen has been missing since Friday

By staff reports Sixteen-year-old Brenden Michael Vito has been missing since Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, at 10:55 a.m. according to a missing person report from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The teen was last seen

leaving his home on Burton Wells Road in Burton.

Vito is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, about 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes according to the release.

He was last seen wearing black and red checkered pants and a black shirt with

“Tupac’s” face on it.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, there is concern for his safety, and if you know where Brenden might by, please call the BCSO non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.

Free tax prep returns for qualified Lowcountry residents

From staff reports The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is back in the Lowcountry, offering free, IRS-certified tax return preparation.

VITA, a collaboration between the IRS, Beaufort County Human Services Alliance, and United Way of the Lowcountry (UWLC), kicks off its popular program the first week in February. Whether a working family, a college student or a retiree, VITA can help taxpayers navigate the tax code and claim every deduction and credit they deserve such as the

Lowdown

for the future, and improve their ETIC (Earned Tax Income Credit).

"Financial literacy and access to financial well-being. resources are key pillars of building a stable future," UWLC Presi- New This Year • Virtual Tax Prep: Can't make dent and CEO Dale Douthat said it to a physical site? Taxpayin a news release. "VITA equips our community with the tools and ers may be able to opt for seknowledge to navigate the tax cure online tax filing from the system and gain control of their comfort of their own home. finances, paving the way for long• Three New Locations: Hilterm prosperity." ton Head Library and the VIM Clinic on Hilton Head Island Last year alone, VITA volunas well as the Morris Center teers helped 1,873 residents claim over $2.65 million in refunds, emin Ridgeland. VITA has sites powering them to pay bills, save that expand not only in Beau-

They may not consider themselves “homeless,” just in between jobs or fighting from page A1 with parents who’ve kicked them out. There’s also the help those citizens. strong likelihood mental PIT, coordinated locally issues may be involved. by the county’s Human Previous count results Services Department, has point to the difficulty of colbeen used by HUD since lecting good information.

2005 in an effort to get Last year’s count reported some sort of accurate count 65 individuals were homeof this roving population. It less, while organizers stated may seem like a relatively they felt like the number simple process – going was closer to at least 120. A down to the city’s Watercouple of years ago, before front Park to talk with the the agencies got organized handful of individuals who with handout supplies like hang out there; talk to the backpacks or health supmen and women who use plies, the recorded number the public libraries on a was as low at 17. daily basis; or interview the The public school disguys asking for money at trict, which has to keep a the Robert Smalls Parkrecord of its homeless stuway intersections out near dents by federal law, knows Walmart. The volunteers it has 244 students that fall tasked with going out where into that category, but we informal homeless camps know that’s just the public have been reported, can tell school population. you it’s not.

Beaufort County for the Many individuals are not past two years has emeager to share their stories, ployed a program coordimuch less their names or nator who helps coordinate other personal information. the PIT Count with other

agencies as well as working with other programs like one at the county detention center to help inmates who are being released but have no place to go. There are private shelters in the county for certain populations, such as the CAPA shelter for women and children suffering from abuse or the residential community for veterans proposed by Circle of Hope. Other agencies have funds to put individuals in a motel room for a night or two.

Cold weather, like we’ve had this past weekend, prompted the opening of Sea Island Presbyterian Church’s overnight shelter which saw more than 30 beds filled over the three nights it was open.

And while we count the homeless among us and continue the complex debate about the need for a shelter, the local focus remains on providing “affordable” housing for those still in the work force (read teachers, EMT’s, law-enforce-

fort but also into Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton and Jasper counties, bringing free tax help closer to more Lowcountry residents.

• Super Saturday: Join VITA for a fun and informative free tax prep event with bilingual interpreters, a resource fair, giveaways, and even a food truck and music on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Hardeeville Recreation Center in Hardeeville.

Rain or Shine. Walk-ins and appointments available.

ment officers, nurses, etc.).

Elected officials from the Beaufort and Jasper County councils plus the eight municipal councils worked together to create the Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust last year with a goal of using $3.4 million in COVID-recovery money to entice developers into the area to build something besides half-million dollar homes in gated subdivisions. The county officials are even looking at using accommodations tax money for workforce housing.

As another example, county officials also worked with city officials and a private developer who will be using tax credits to construct workforce housing townhouses on the former county jail and health department offices on King Street.

How these projects, on paper, will impact the availability of local rental property is yet to be seen.

While dozens of apartment buildings are springing

Who is Eligible for VITA Services?

• Individuals and families with incomes less than $63,398; • Non-English-speaking taxpayers; • Individuals with disabilities; and • Persons 60 years of age and older.

Visit www.uwlowcountry/VITA to find a VITA site near you, schedule an appointment, and download a list of required documents.

from the former forests, they certainly don’t seem to be lowering local rental prices. It seems they’re just forcing the relocation of those homeless tent “villages.”

More on the housing front LADY’S ISLAND – A spot of good news, if the amount of construction and its impact on traffic concerns you. Action by the County Council on Monday might bring a smile to your face.

The council, following on recommendations from the county planning staff, the county planning commission and their own land use committee, held the second of three necessary votes to rezone 57 acres within the Pleasant Point planned unit development, a tract that had originally be permitted for 179 single-family homes.

Instead of 179 homes, the new zoning provides for the subdivision of four lots, four homes. Probably will be big homes … but only four … not 179.

And over south of the Broad, the Bluffton Town Council voted last week to spend $2.5 million to buy 15 acres to stop them from being developed. The Bluffton Parkway site, which was described as “culturally significant” because of its location within a Black community, had been eyed for the past several years for potential apartment buildings.

But because of concerns about impact on the community … and traffic, the town council did more than just say “no.” They’re gonna spend tax dollars to stop development they don’t want.

Hmmmm.

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.

See Into The Future . . . . . . read Opinion, Arts, Culture, Lifestyle, Homes, Cuisine

Discover What You’re Going To Do Next More coverage and content at LowcountryWeekly.com JANUARY 25–31, 2024

A5

NEWS St. Helena man arrested after Coffin Point shooting From staff reports A St. Helena Island man was arrested in connection with a shooting Friday in Coffin Point.

Nineteen-year-old Laventis Cohen was arrested and charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime after shooting a man on Saint Helena Island on Friday, Jan. 19.

According to the BeauCohen fort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), deputies were called to the Coffin Point Road area of St. Helena Island shortly before 5 p.m. after reports of gunfire.

There they found a 36-yearold man suffering from a single gunshot wound to his leg.

Beaufort County EMS transported the man to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment.

According to the BCSO, deputies quickly determined that Cohen, who is a relative of the victim, was the one responsible for the shooting.

He was located in a home very close to the crime scene and detained by deputies.

Investigators developed probable cause through the investigation to charge Cohen with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office, or if wishing to remain anonymous and for a possible reward, Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111.

County introduces business use policy for passive parks

From staff reports Beaufort County Council has approved a comprehensive Business Use Policy to regulate commercial activities across its passive park properties. Applicable to all passive park properties, facilities, buildings, and structures managed by the Passive Parks Department, the policy is now available for download on the department's website at https:// bit.ly/48NIqGS. Effective immediately, any nonprofit organization and/or association, educational institution, or for-profit individual, limited liability corporation, and/or incorporated corporation desiring to

utilize a County passive park is required to obtain a permit for such activity.

This includes those who invite the general public to attend the activity, those who charge attendees admission/fees to participate in the activity, and/or any recreational activity including, but not limited to, a run/walk, educational class, ecotour, or fitness class. Proof of applicable business licenses and insurance is required with the permit application.

While five of the 16 County-owned passive parks have existing agreements prohibiting business use, four are managed by external entities with their

policies. The remaining seven are overseen by the County’s Passive Parks Department. For specific details and contact information for each property, refer to the accompanying table.

Beaufort County remains committed to maintaining the integrity and accessibility of its passive parks while fostering a balanced and inclusive community experience.

Questions about the new Business Use Policy or Beaufort County’s passive park properties can be directed to the Passive Parks Director at 843-255-2152 or snagid@bcgov.net.

Grand opening of Story Walk

Members of the community brave the cold on Saturday, Jan. 20, awaiting the cutting of the Story Walk ribbon at the trail head of the Spanish Moss Trail.

Photos by Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Beaufort County Library Director Amanda Brewer Dickman, with the assistance of several children, cuts the Story Walk ribbon on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the trail head of the Spanish Moss Trail.

Neighbor, firefighters save family home in Burton

Early Thursday evening, Jan. 18, emergency crews responded to a reported house fire on Laurel Street East in Burton after a neighbor alerted the family and called 911. Photos courtesy of Burton Fire District

From staff reports Just past 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 18, the Burton Fire District, MCAS Beaufort Fire and Emergency Services, and Beaufort County EMS and Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported house fire on Laurel Street East after a neighbor, a retired Burton firefighter, saw flames spreading up the side of a single-wide mobile home. The neighbor alerted the family to the fire allowing them to escape and called 911.

Firefighters arrived on scene, reported a working fire, and quickly advanced a hose line to extinguish the fire as it spread up the side of the home and was entering the roof area. Firefighters checked the inside of the home and found no significant fire extension allowing the family to return to the home. Firefighters removed two parakeets from inside the home that were a bit excited but healthy.

Burton Fire District is investigating the fire.

Oysters from page A1

Houck said that she estimates that during the two-day festival more than 6,000 people attended and consumed around 270 bushels of oysters.

The festival, which was started in 2021, has managed to grow its attendance from 250 people to thousands in four years, according to Houck, and they hope to continue to grow the festival each year and turn it into an event that pulls in tourism to the city of Beaufort during a time of year when there is a lull in tourism.

“We want to really showcase oysters,” said Houck.

“Our culinary heritage, our culture, and make it somewhat of a national event to encourage people to come to Beaufort in January.”

Sea Eagle Market and Sutton Construction were both serving roasted and steamed oysters and several local vendors came out and served their own oyster dishes.

This year, the list of vendors grew from five to eight,

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

Lara Wacielewski, while dressed as a cow, reminds everyone to put away the beef and “Eat Mor’ Oysters” during the 4th annual Beaufort Oyster Festival on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. In the neighborhood of 300 bushels of fresh, local oysters from Maggioni Oyster Company and Sea Eagle Market were consumed during the two-day event, Jairian Loveall, left, Caclan Long and Scott Loveall seem to be enjoy some of the nearly 300 according to Ashlee Houck, President and CEO of the Beaufort bushels of freshly roasted oysters during the 4th annual Oyster Festival on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Area Hospitality Association. Bob Sofaly/The Island News Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Bob Sofaly/The Island News offering a wide range of culinary options for oyster lovers and those who are not fans of the mollusk.

Something that Houck said the Oyster Festival prides itself on is that the food and drinks are all local.

The festival only allows oysters harvested south of Charleston and north of Hilton Head Island, according to Houck.

Again, this year, the

BAHA set up a trailer to collect empty oyster shells to keep them out of the trash and landfills.

“Not a single oyster shell was thrown away,” Houck said. “We use those to rebuild reefs as well as the living shore structure.”

BAHA partnered with the Outside Foundation to use their trailer to collect oyster shells.

Houck said they filled

the trailer twice, which is equal to roughly four tons of oyster shells, according to Jean Fruh with the Outside Foundation.

The shells will be split equally between Sea Eagle Market, who uses the shells to replenish their oyster beds in the spring, and Outside Foundation, who bags the oysters to create living shores and replenishes oyster reefs in the spring when

the oysters are spawning.

This year, in addition to the music and food offered at the festival, the festival featured the beginning of an art instillation that will eventually be seen around Beaufort.

Waterman’s Wave Lowcountry Boot Trail is an upcoming art instillation, according to Houck.

These large boots, 12 pairs in all, are to be painted by local artists to cele-

brate the “history and culture of the watermen in the Lowcountry region.”

This art instillation will be installed periodically throughout the year as the boots are completed.

Delayna Earley 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.

ARTS

Lowcountry artist places second at NAWA exhibit in Myrtle Beach

From staff reports Six local Lowcountry artists are among the 30 members of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) (South Carolina Chapter) on display in The NAWA Sisterhood, on exhibit through April 15 at the Burrough-Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach.

The exhibit features the current work of NAWA’s South Carolina Chapter members in honor of their NAWA contemporaries and predecessors like Mary Cassatt, Judy Chicago and Anna Hyatt Huntington, thereby recognizing the invaluable and abundant support that NAWA has provided and continues to provide for women in the arts for the past 135 years.

Local artists Rose Cofield, Sandy Dimke, Joan Eck-

hardt, Mary Ann Browning Ford, Sheila Grabarsky and Marianne Stillwagon are among the 30 featured in this exhibit. Browning Ford was awarded Second Place for her oil painting, “Serenity in the Afternoon.”

NAWA was established in 1889 to serve as an organization to promote, educate and support women in the arts. The South Carolina Chapter of NAWA was started in 2018 and today has 50 members. The 55 works in the exhibition range in media and style to include sculpture, painting, photography, fiber art, collage, drawing and installation art.

“This exhibition gives voice to the creative talents of women,” says Patricia Goodwin, Executive Director of the Art Museum, “who for centuries were consid-

“Serenity in the Afternoon” by Mary Ann Browning Ford ered second-class citizens in Western culture generally and in our own nation specifically. We believe this is an important message at a time when the rights and voices of women have frequently come under attack.”

This exhibition is sup-

Notes – A Festival of Music

ported by South Carolina Humanities, a not-for-profit organization, inspiring, engaging and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture and heritage. S.C. Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for

“Pass the Olives” by Sheila Grabarsky the Humanities.

The Art Museum’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 until 5 p.m.

Admission to the Museum is free at all times, but

donations are encouraged.

For further information, contact the Art Museum at 843-238-2510 or online at myrtlebeachartmuseum.org or art.nawasc@gmail.com.

Learn more about NAWA at www.NAWASC.org.

The mother of the Civil Rights Movement Septima Clark highlighted at Center for the Arts events

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., winner of Season 6 of America's Got Talent; Gwen Yvette; and Voices of Classic Soul perform together on stage at the Dataw Dine and Dance event, part of the 2024 Boys and Girls Club of Northern Beaufort Notes – A Festival of Music.

From staff reports USCB Center for the Arts will host a conversation about the life and work of South Carolinian Septima Clark on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to everyone.

Named the mother of the Civil Rights Movement by Martin Luther King Jr., Clark was a South Carolina educator and activist who dedicated her life and career to teaching and advocating for school equality, civil rights, and social change.

As prequel to the upcoming presentation of the stage play Septima, (February 9 and 11 at the Center for the Arts), the event will Septima be a conversation between Clark Sharon Garci, Artistic Director of PURE Theatre, who directed the original production first presented in Charleston, and University

WANT TO GO? What: A Conversation about Septima Clark When: 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25 Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street, Beaufort Cost: Free

of South Carolina Professor of History Val Littlefield. They will discuss Clark’s legacy of contributions to the movement for civil rights, and her place in South Carolina and the nation’s history.

Garci, who directs the production, will share how she interpreted and brought playwright Patricia Williams Dockery’s story of Septima Clark, to the stage.

For more information about the event, please call the USCB Center for the Arts at 843-521-4145 or visit https://bit.ly/3UaKKD4 to learn more and to purchase tickets for the play.

BLACK MERMAIDS From left, Northern Beaufort Boys and Girls Club Board Member Robin Price, volunteer Percy Davis, Club Member Shawn Scott, volunteer Gerald Brown (with his back turned to show artwork), and Northern Beaufort Boys and Girls Club Board Member Maurice Greenleaf display Scott’s artwork design that was selected for Notes of Art T-shirt.

A Black Mermaid poses for a photo at the “From Africa to America: Celebrating Black Mermaids” exhibit Saturday, Jan. 20 at the USC Beaufort Center for the Arts in Beaufort.

Photos by Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Beaufort’s Marilyn Harris and Rita Wilson take advantage of a photo opportunity with Marilyn’s nephew, singer and songwriter Tony Jackson, after his performance at the 2024 Boys and Girls Club of Northern Beaufort Notes – A Festival of Music.

Staff, Board Members, volunteers, and students take an opportunity to participate in a group photo during the Kids Art Exhibit Event. Photos by Amber Hewitt/The Island News

The “From Africa to America: Celebrating Black Mermaids” exhibit features a variety of award-winning artwork, such as these fiber pieces.

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

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HEALTH & WELLNESS Options & References for a Healthier Life

Penicillin allergy? Maybe not

Reconsidering penicillin allergies

Penicillin belongs to a group of antibiotics used by healthcare professionals to combat a wide array of bacterial infections, including strep throat, ear infections and pneumonia. Penicillin, one of the most widely prescribed antibiotics, is also one of the most frequently reported medication allergies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 10% of people living in the U.S. report having a penicillin allergy. However, less than 1% are truly allergic. If your healthcare team can't prescribe the preferred antibiotic for your bacterial infection due to a listed allergy, it can pose additional risks to your health.

Penicillin is one of the most prescribed antibiotics for bacterial infections.

And the best treatments for things like strep throat, ear infections, pneumonia are penicillin or another antibiotic in that same family.

If your medical chart indicates a penicillin allergy, your healthcare team needs to look for other options.

Testing for penicillin allergy

Talk with your healthcare team to find out if you need to be tested for a penicillin allergy. Penicillin skin testing and oral challenge doses are reliable methods for evaluating a penicillin allergy.

A lot of people think they are allergic to penicillin. Are you one of them? But did you know that most people who think they are allergic are not? In fact, only one out of ten people who think they have a penicillin allergy really do.

There are quite a few reasons why a penicillin allergy can be mistaken. For many, this happens because there's not enough detailed information on the type of reaction someone had in their childhood.

Their symptoms such as headache, diarrhea, nausea, or abdominal pain could've been known antibiotic side effects or the result of a virus they had at the time. Also, non-hive skin rashes they may have experienced are not considered allergic reactions. Some people believe they have a penicillin allergy because it runs in families, which is untrue. Others who have not used penicillin in years can simply outgrow their allergy.

What does this mean?

You can get tested for a penicillin allergy. Determining if you have an allergy to penicillin is helpful for your future health care. If it turns out you are not allergic, your

health care team has more options available when you have a bacterial infection that needs to be treated.

Penicillin and other related antibiotics are the preferred treatment for certain bacterial infections. Penicillin costs less than other antibiotics. It is usually well tolerated with fewer side effects. Plus being able to take a medicine like penicillin instead of other broad coverage antibiotics helps with something called antibiotic resistance.

Why does this matter?

Antibiotic resistance means bacteria causing an infection no longer respond to antibiotic treatment.

This can happen when antibiotics are used too much or used when they're not needed. Antibiotic resistance reduces the choices for safe and effective antibiotics to treat people. With penicillin as a choice, doctors can offer the right medicine at the right time to treat an infection. And that helps all of us.

Penicillin is a recommended treatment for many bacterial infections because it is highly effective, cost-efficient, and helps reduce the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. If you believe you've had an allergic reaction to penicillin in the past, it's important to get tested to learn if it's safe for you to use in

the future. Penicillin allergy testing is done in a medically supervised environment and can involve two to three parts. Depending on the number of tests needed, it can take from one to three hours. The risk of having an allergic reaction during testing is less than 1%.

There are several ways to test for a penicillin allergy. You'll start by talking to a member of your health care team about your penicillin allergy. They will ask questions about when you had your allergy, what happened to you, and how long it has been since you had the reaction. This helps determine the type of testing you may need. If you've never had a serious reaction, it may be recommended that you take a small dose of penicillin or medicine closely related to penicillin under medical supervision. For others, a skin prick test is recommended first. A nurse or allergist pricks the skin with a small needle containing a tiny amount of penicillin. If the skin reacts with a red, itchy bump, then you are probably allergic. If the skin does not react, you are probably not allergic. In certain situations, your health care team may continue the testing to include injecting a small amount of penicillin under the skin. Once

again, swelling and itching will show a penicillin allergy. Sometimes after completing these tests with no allergic reaction, you may be asked to swallow a small dose of penicillin or medicine closely related to penicillin to confirm your negative test results. Throughout penicillin allergy testing, you are watched closely for any reactions.

If there are no signs of an allergy, you are not allergic to penicillin.

The penicillin allergy can then be removed from your medical record.

Penicillin is the preferred and cost-effective treatment for many bacterial infections. Of the 10% of people who think they have a penicillin allergy, less than 1% really do.

I highly recommend getting a penicillin allergy test for your future healthcare needs.

Now that you know how beneficial penicillin can be, contact your

These other antibiotics are often not as effective as a penicillin. So that means you might not get better.

And they can be harder on your system.

Symptoms of a true antibiotic allergy are things like hives, rash, usually a very itchy kind of raised rash can develop.

It's estimated 50% of people will outgrow the allergy within five years. health care team to find out about getting a penicillin allergy test.

Sources: Adapted from an article by Deb Balzer, January 18, 2024. https:// newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayoclinic-minute-penicillin-allergy-maybe-not/; https://www.mayoclinic.org/patienteducation?mc=MC6060-02

Dietary supplements for immune function

How does your immune system work?

that you are not getting enough of a specific nutrient, vitamin and mineral supplements can help increase intakes to recommended amounts. In most cases, however, if you don’t have a deficiency, increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals through dietary supplements doesn’t help prevent infections or help you recover from them any faster.

Your immune system is made up of cells, tissues, and organs that help fight viruses, bacteria, and other germs that cause infections and other diseases. For example, your skin helps prevent germs from getting inside your body.

Cells that line your digestive tract also help protect against harmful germs that cause diseases. White blood cells try to destroy substances they recognize as foreign to your body. Some white blood cells also recognize germs they have been exposed to before and develop antibodies to defend against them in the future.

Do dietary supplements interact with medications or other supplements?

Yes, some supplements can interact or interfere with medicines you take.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other health care providers about any dietary supplements and prescription or over-the-counter medicines you take. They can tell you if the dietary supplements might interact with your medicines or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients.

What do we know about specific dietary supplement ingredients and immune function?

Your immune system needs certain vitamins and minerals to work properly. These include vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. Herbal supplements, probiotics, and other dietary supplement ingredients might also affect your immune system.

Eating a variety of nutritious foods can give you enough vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for a healthy immune system. However, you might wonder whether taking certain dietary supplements can improve your body’s immune system and its ability to fight infections.

Vitamins and Minerals:

Getting enough vitamins and minerals through the foods and beverages you consume is important for a healthy immune system.

It’s especially important to get enough of vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K as well as folate, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, sele-

nium, and zinc.

If your diet doesn’t include adequate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals, your immune system will not be able to function as well as it could, you might be more likely to get infections, and you might not recover as well. If your health care provider determines

For additional information about dietary supplements and immune function, visit these helpful sites: • For general information on dietary supplements and immune function ◦ Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Health Professional Fact Sheet on Dietary Supplements for

Immune Function and Infectious Diseases • For more information on food sources of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients ◦ U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central • For more information on herbs and botanicals ◦ Herbs at a Glance, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health • For advice on buying dietary supplements ◦ ODS Frequently Asked Questions: Which brand(s) of dietary supplements should I purchase?

• For information about building a healthy dietary pattern ◦ MyPlate ◦ Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) provides information that should not take the place of medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your health care providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health.

Any mention in this publication of a specific brand name is not an endorsement of the product.

Source: Excerpted from an article at https:// ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ImmuneFunctionConsumer/?utm_medium=email&utm_ source=govdelivery

The content offered in this Care magazine® supplement are here to educate consumers on health care, wellness, lifestyle, and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Nothing in the content, products or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The articles, references and options contained herein do not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing, or other professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. None of the products or services offered through this publication represents or warrants that any particular service or product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. We advise readers to always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding personal health or medical conditions.

—Care magazine® editor, caremagazine@gmail.com

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

HEALTH & WELLNESS Options & References for a Healthier Life

Did you know?

Botanicals may increase your immune system response

Andrographis:

Andrographis is an herb native to Southeast Asia. It might help your body fight viruses, reduce inflammation, and strengthen your immune system.

Does it work? Common cold and other respiratory infections: Some studies have found that taking andrographis after getting a cold or other respiratory infection might lessen the severity of symptoms and shorten the length of time symptoms last.

However, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Is it safe? No safety concerns have been reported when andrographis is used as directed. Side effects of andrographis can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, skin rashes, diarrhea, and fatigue.

Andrographis might decrease blood pressure and thin the blood, so it could interact with blood pressure and blood thinning medications. Andrographis might also decrease the effectiveness of medications that suppress the immune system. Andrographis might affect fertility, so some scientists recommend avoiding it if you are pregnant or planning to have a baby.

Echinacea:

Echinacea is an herb that grows in North America and Europe. It might help stop the growth or spread of some types of viruses and other germs. It might also help strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Does it work? Common cold and flu: Studies have found that echinacea might slightly reduce the risk of catching a cold, but it doesn’t reduce the severity of symptoms or shorten the length of time symptoms last. It’s unclear whether echinacea is helpful for the flu.

Is it safe? Echinacea appears to be safe.

Side effects can include stomach upset, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, and skin rashes. In

rare cases, echinacea might cause allergic reactions.

Echinacea might reduce the effectiveness of some medications, including medications that suppress the immune system.

Scientists don’t know if echinacea is safe to take during pregnancy.

Elderberry (European Elder):

Elderberry (or elder berry) is the fruit of a tree that grows in North America, Europe, and parts of Africa and Asia. Elderberry might help your body fight viruses and other germs, reduce inflammation, and strengthen your immune system.

Does it work? Common cold and flu: Elderberry doesn’t appear to reduce the risk of coming down with the common cold. However, some studies have found that elderberry might help relieve symptoms of colds and flu and help people recover quicker.

Is it safe? Elderberry flowers and ripe fruit appear to be safe to eat. However, the bark, leaves, seeds, and raw or unripe elderberry fruit can be poisonous and can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Cooked elderberry fruit and properly manufactured supplements do not have this safety concern.

Elderberry might affect insulin and blood sugar levels. It might also reduce the effectiveness of medications that suppress the immune system. Scientists don’t know if elderberry is safe to take during pregnancy.

garlic supplements help prevent the common cold or flu, and it’s not clear if garlic is helpful.

Is it safe? Garlic is considered safe. Side effects can include bad breath, body odor, and skin rash.

Garlic might interact with blood thinners and blood pressure medications.

Ginseng:

Ginseng (Panax ginseng or Panax quinquefolius) is a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. It might help your body fight viruses, reduce inflammation, and strengthen your immune system.

Another botanical, eleuthero (Eleutherococus senticosus), has sometimes been called Siberian ginseng, but it is not related to true ginseng.

Does it work? Common cold, flu, and other respiratory infections: Ginseng might reduce the

risk of coming down with the common cold, flu, or other respiratory infections. However, it’s unclear whether ginseng helps relieve symptoms or affects the length of time symptoms last.

Is it safe? Ginseng appears to be safe.

Side effects can include headache, trouble sleeping, and digestive upset. However, high doses (more than 2.5 grams [g]/day) of ginseng might cause insomnia, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, and nervousness.

Ginseng might interact with diabetes medications, stimulants, and medications that suppress the immune system.

Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ ImmuneFunction-Consumer/?utm_ medium=email&utm_ source=govdelivery

Garlic:

Garlic is a vegetable that has been used in cooking throughout history. It is also available as a dietary supplement.

Garlic might help your body fight viruses and other germs.

Does it work? Common cold and flu: Only a few studies have looked at whether

Could cutting calories help slow brain aging?

Worried about cognitive decline over time? Emerging research suggests that tightly controlling food intake might help preserve mental acuity. By studying 160 gene variants in fruit flies and human cells, scientists found evidence that calorie restriction uniquely enhances a process vital for healthy brain aging.

The key player is the OXR1 gene, previously linked to conditions such as Parkinson’s and diabetes. It assists cellular “recycling” by sorting proteins to reuse from those that the body can remove.

Research links robust OXR1 activation with less inflammation and cell death over time. Calorie-restricted diets boosted OXR1 far more than other longevity genes.

As lead researcher Dr. Lisa Eller- How to get started with by, professor at California’s Buck calorie restriction: Institute for Research on Aging • Try intermittent fasting, states, “Age is the largest risk facsuch as the 16:8 schedule: tor for brain diseases. Postponing The 16:8 intermittent fasting aging could retard multiple conplan is a form of time-restrictditions and neurological decline.” ed fasting that may help with While still in the early stages of weight loss. It involves fastresearch, the findings offer clues ing for 16 hours per day and on how lifestyle changes such as consuming all calories during intermittent fasting may slow cogthe remaining 8 hours. nitive impairment in older people.

Next steps involve identifying • Talk with your doctor about medications to safely activate injectable weight loss drugs OXR1. And tracking results for • Stay physically and the growing number trying inmentally active jectable weight loss drugs could Source: Excerpted from an article at offer further human insights. For now, maintaining a healthy ca- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ could-cutting-calories-help-slow-brainloric intake may help support aging cognitive vitality.

We’ll get through this together.

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

A9

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

Women presidential candidates more likely to change positions to reach voters Conditioned to be uniters, consensus-builders and mitigators of negativity, female candidates often fall into gaffe traps.

By Shawn J. Parry-Giles and David Kaufer

W

hile Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has said that she is “very pro-life,” she has also said that abortion is a “personal choice.” Her wording on different thorny political issues such as abortion has left some voters confused about where she actually stands.

This has led some political observers, such as Politico journalist Michael Kruse, to say that Haley has “made a career of taking both sides,” citing her positions on issues such as identity politics, Donald Trump and abortion.

In the weeks leading up to the Iowa caucuses, an Iowa voter praised Haley for pursing a “political middle,” noting this allowed the former South Carolina governor to “compromise” and work “both sides.” Conversely, some conservative commentators have also suggested that Haley’s approach is “inauthentic.”

Haley placed third in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, 2024, drawing support from 19% of voters there.

Polls on Jan. 16, 2024, showed Trump’s lead over Haley in the New Hampshire primary, set for Jan. 23, narrowing.

We are communication and English scholars who study the role of language and persuasion in politics. We are particularly interested in the ways that speakers and writers adapt their messages and language in different situations and among various voters.

We call this concept rhetorical adaptivity.

Our research shows that women presidential candidates, more than the men they run against, often speak differently to different audiences in pursuit of moderation and common ground. They also tend to shift their strategies and messages in response to criticism. And they often pay a price for it.

Rhetoric and presidential campaigns Politicians changing their words and messages to appeal to different audiences is the sub-

Former Gov. Nikki Haley hugs a supporter and her service dog Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at the Statehouse after signing paperwork to be on South Carolina’s GOP presidential primary ballot. Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the S.C. Daily Gazette ject of a book we co-authored in 2023, “Hillary Clinton’s Career in Speeches: The Promises and Perils of Women’s Rhetorical Adaptivity.”

This project examined how Clinton, her presidential opponents in 2008 and 2016, and the Democratic women who ran for president in 2020 campaigned differently. We found that women more commonly adjusted their language and reshaped their positions to appeal to more voters and to manage the controversies they faced.

In 2016, for example, Hillary Clinton tried to find more of a middle ground on abortion by referring to the “fetus” as an “unborn person” and talking about restrictions on “late-term abortions” – even as she defended a “pro-choice” position.

Both Clinton and Haley opponents have questioned their authenticity, citing the politicians’ shifting language and positions.

Such challenges aimed to undermine their candidacies by suggesting they lacked the character to be president.

Haley’s rhetorical maneuvers Haley’s critics also cite her shifting positions, including on issues such as abortion, Palestinians in Gaza and Donald Trump to argue she lacks a political core.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, for example, was quick to condemn Haley’s “compromising stance” on abortion during the August 2023 Republican debate.

Haley’s opponents have also challenged her changing positions on the Israel-Hamas war. As the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Haley supported Israel and disparaged the U.N.’s Palestinian refugee agency for “using American money to feed Palestinian hatred of the Jewish state.”

Yet, in the early days of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, Haley showed more sympathy for

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It’s not Trump’s appeal, it’s Biden’s incompetence

I read with some irritation the juvenile screed by Terry Manning in the January 18 edition of The Island News.

Single-issue voters can appear to be a bit short-sighted to self-proclaimed members of the cognoscenti. However, when a thinking adult declares that abortion is the issue that has really animated them during an election cycle, it doesn’t mean that they are unaware of other important issues. A responsible journalist should know that.

Mr. Manning’s use of the phrase “scandal-plagued” is laughable. Russian election interference? January 6th? Really?

Understanding Mr. Trump’s support among evangelical voters is child’s play. When Biden held a trans-gender celebration on the White House lawn, and stalwart news organizations like NBC News covered it, evangelicals clearly saw that the Biden administration embraces people and practices that they find utterly distasteful.

The charge that Mr. Trump is, “the most amoral national leader this country has had in more than a century” parades a laughable level of willful ignorance. The Biden administration is by far the most immoral, corrupt collection of degenerates that I have seen in 50 years of watching American politics. It’s obvious.

I’m sure my fellow Americans, who describe themselves as “single issue voters” are aware of the broader landscape than Mr. Manning is willing to admit.

A10

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

They may be more animated by a particular issue than they are by others, but they understand the importance of a porous border, rampant crime, and the environment. They need to vote. But one type of single-issue voter should stay home on election day. That is the type that only understands the leftist mantra, “not Trump.” Keeping a doddering incompetent, with his cabal of degenerates in office, would be a terrible abrogation of their duties and responsibilities as citizens.

– Thomas H. Lang is a retired Navy officer that now lives in Beaufort.

Thank you for Larry Dandridge Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, U.S. Army (ret.) has provided a great service to Veterans and their families. I have collected and filed all of the Lt. Colonel's articles. I have used the information provided to receive help from the VA and to better understand the care, services, and programs for which I qualify.

I recently called and emailed the Lt. Colonel to ask for help and advice on how to resolve a problem that I did not know how to deal with. He immediately returned my call and provided outstanding advice and answered the many questions I had.

Then He sent me a very in-depth email with a step-by-step procedure for me to follow in order to successfully get the help I need.

the Palestinians.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ridiculed Haley’s compassion as being “politically correct.”

Haley reaffirmed her pro-Israel priorities in response during a speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in mid-October 2023. Haley said she supported Israel and called for the elimination of Hamas. Concern for the Palestinians slipped down the ladder of her priorities.

As a U.N. ambassador, meanwhile, Haley was unwavering in her support for Trump. In her 2019 book, “With All Due Respect,” Haley concluded: “In every instance I dealt with Trump, he was truthful, he listened and he was great to work with.”

Since then, Haley has carved a middle ground approach to Trump. She has argued, “We need him in the Republican Party. I don’t want us to go back to the days before Trump.”

Yet, in other contexts, she disparages Trump for sowing “chaos, vendettas and drama.”

Trump called her out on this discrepancy in the fall of 2023.

“She criticizes me one minute, and 15 minutes later, she uncriticizes me.”

Haley’s character woes Other critics frame Haley’s positions as “flip-flopping.” They don’t interpret what she is doing as moderating her positions or using the language of compromise to build consensus.

Time magazine ran a headline in February 2023 that read: “A Brief History of Nikki Haley’s Biggest Flip Flops on Trump.” In March 2023, The New York Times featured an opinion piece titled, “The Serene Hypocrisy of Nikki Haley.”

Challenging the authenticity of presidential candidates is commonplace, but it is especially piercing when the challenge is directed against women candidates. In presidential politics, research shows that women are conditioned to be uniters, consensus-builders and mitigators of any negativity they face.

Yet, efforts to do this and still “be all things to all people” often result in women candidates falling into gaffe traps.

Additionally, he referred me to the Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Office and the DAV/AMVETS, to arrang for a Veterans Service Officer to provide help and guidance.

I wish to commend the Lt. Colonel and The Island News for providing such a valuable service to your readers at no charge. On behalf of myself, all veterans, and their families, I thank you and offer my deepest respect.

– L. Vinny Francese, MGySgt, USMC (ret.)

Road construction at a snail’s pace Will the new road construction leading into the Sea Island Partway and Airport Circle intersection on Lady’s Island ever be completed? What is only about a 1,000-foot project has become an eternal slog, with no activity for long periods of time as construction equipment sits idly by. Unfortunately it is typical of S.C. road construction and maintenance in general – delayed and sporadic.

Secondly, the grade of the new road seems to be below that of the Sea Island Parkway. One has to question whether the project engineers have taken into account the projected significant rise in the sea level in the years ahead in what is a very low-lying area.

Finally, the intersection itself has become an ugly collection of traffic lights, wires, and mismatched poles. Clearly the

Haley’s initial refusal to associate “slavery” with the Civil War in December 2023 reinforced a southern trope that some Republicans of color called a “tactical blunder.”

Women’s election challenges More leadership experts are recognizing the benefits of political candidates integrating multiple perspectives into their thinking and speech. The Pew Research Center found in 2018 that in politics as well as business, women are perceived to be more “compassionate” and “empathic” and are more likely to work out “compromises” than men.

Yet, in presidential campaigns, and especially primaries, compromise, adaptivity and problem-solving are exchanged for hubris, rigidity and ideological purity. Playing to the political middle is treated as politically evasive and opportunistic.

Eventually, women playing to the middle become more gaffeprone as the campaign unfolds.

Women, more than the men they run against, are granted minimal room by opponents and pundits for unforced errors before they are quickly dismissed as “unelectable.”

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

Shawn Parry-Giles teaches and studies rhetoric and politics in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland.

She is the author or co-author of six books, including: Memories of Lincoln and the Splintering of American Political Thought (2017) and Hillary Clinton in the News: Gender and Authenticity in American Politics (2014). Parry-Giles is the director of the University of Maryland's Rosenker Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership.

David Kaufer is a professor emeritus of English at Carnegie Mellon University. He has published five books, four textbooks, and over 100 refereed articles on text analysis, rhetorical analysis, writing theory, and writing and technology. His research focuses on digital approaches to text analysis and collaboration.

He has built large-scale digital dictionaries (the DocuScope default Libraries) to analyze and assess writing that have been used by ETS, RAND, The Folger Library, and the Stanford Literary Lab.

traffic engineers are not worried about aesthetics. Beaufort has done a fine beautification job across town on Boundary Street, the western approach to downtown.

There is now an opportunity to begin that process on Sea Island Parkway, the eastern approach to the city.

Is this project an example of our tax dollars not at work?

– Bruce Wager, St. Helena Island

A performing arts center?

Hey, whose idea was this? Is this a joke?

Of all the things that people do not need on st Helena Island, a performing arts center ranks No. 1. Obvious to anyone if you’re familiar with the area. Hello – this is not Bluffton, people.

Look at the one road access/evacuation situation and current traffic on St. Helena Island and tell me that a facility that would attract large crowds from across the region is a smart idea. And look at the current zoning – rural with a cultural protection overlay – and tell me that the Gullah culture would be protected. And look at the fishing and farming communities and tell me what they need with an artsy, fartsy crowd invading their island on a regular basis.

Now, if the County just is look for a project to spend extra tax dollars on, more trash pickup would be most welcome by us and everyone who visits our island.

– Jerry Floyd, St. Helena Island

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

Port Royal’s Safe Harbor situation will be interesting

I

t’s Saturday, and this morning I’ve got a small fire sputtering in my small hearth. The sputtering comes from the “green” wood just harvested in my yard. I know I should wait for this wood to age, but I am old, and it’s not clear that I will be around when this wood is dry and combustible.

This morning I also have a copy of a letter sent by Safe Harbor to the Town of Port Royal. This January 9 letter responds to Mayor Kevin Phillips’ December 14 letter asking for answers to a variety of questions dealing with the development of the port property.

Safe Harbor addresses the industrial activity, the land swap and the easement for the Spanish Moss Trail; but it doesn’t respond to the questions posed by Phillips regarding the “build to rent” decision proposed for the Bluff property. Insofar as this matter, Safe Harbor

T

SCOTT GRABER

asks for an in-person meeting on the 31st of January.

In order to understand this issue one must remember that prior to the Mayor’s December 14 letter, a spokesman for The Beach Company, JC Darby, said that a “perfect storm” of high interest rates, contamination and a steep grade (at the Bluff) made it impossible for his company to build and sell houses in the Bluff Neighborhood. Darby said that this perfect storm forced them into a “build to rent” posture.

Insofar as the contamination, DHEC had completed its environmental maps in

December 2022, saying, in part, “In summary, except for soil in the area of soil borings RB-23 and RB24, the northern planned single-family residential area appears suitable for unrestricted use …”

Examination of theses maps shows the RB-23 and RB-24 borings are located on the 15th Street edge of the planned residential area — and were revealed to have Benzopyrene.

However, it doesn’t appear that fixing, remediating these two boring sites, out of a total of 38, would necessitate the huge, remove-all-the-soil-from-thesite-requirement suggested

by JC Darby.

DHECs maps also revealed arsenic in the old rail bed — but that narrow, linear parcel could be a paved over and, indeed, is shown as a thoroughfare in the Beach Company’s renderings.

It is true that interest

rates for mortgages have dramatically slowed-down the building and selling of single family homes throughout to nation. The January 4 edition of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said; “Wall Street investors in housing can’t meet their return hurdles when homes and debt are this costly.” But investors, ever nimble, appear to have moved over to apartments for their profits.

The January 4 WSJ went on to say that “Wall Street’s solution is to build new neighborhoods of family homes where everybody rents. The model isn’t new: clustered housing for students and senior citizens has been around for decades. The number of build to rent communities is small, with 900 neighborhoods nationwide, each with an average of 125 to 150 homes according to the report of the Urban Institute.

But the concept is growing fast.”

The reason that build to rent is taking off is “rent growth is stronger for single family homes than apartments” and institutional investors who traditionally parked their money in apartment REITs, now want a bigger slice of the build to rent action.

The schematic drawing provided by the Beach Company shows 34 single family houses on the bluff; and 205 town homes in the woods behind the bluff.

This visual shows groupings of five and six, narrow, two storied town homes.

The scheme shows as many as 19 parking spaces in front of these closely built units.

The neighborhood adjacent to the Bluff is made up of brick or wood, single-storied homes built by shrimpers, crabbers and retired gunnery sergeants in the 50s and 60s. These two bedroom, tiny-tiled bathroomed, formica-countered

bungalows characterize the middle-class owners who came forward when a crisis — like the proposed closing of the Town’s elementary school — threatened their children. These are the same folk who dutifully took part in the “charettes” that resolved that the new development in the re-purposed port property should not be gated, physically distinct or removed from the Town’s street grid. There was no contemplation, in those days, of rentals.

In 2020, Safe Harbor was acquired by Sun Communities, Inc., for about $2 billion. Sun specializes in RV and manufactured housing communities. It will be interesting to hear the views put forward when Town Council and Safe Harbor meet on the 31st.

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

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, just a little bit

his is a question for all parents, regardless of your age.

How do you react when your child misbehaves?

And perhaps I should extend that question to those who don’t have children to read, “What feelings emerge when you see a friend’s child engage in behavior that is disrespectful and calls for discipline that is not forthcoming?”

I have always been a disciplinarian, with my own daughters and in the classroom. You can ask my former students about how I gained the moniker “Mother Lucas.” If you remember the ad for Chiffon Margarine that was popular in the 1970’s, you will get this.

Dena Dietrich would rise out of the mist with the tub of margarine in her hand, proclaiming, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”

One day when one of my sophomores was acting out, I walked over to him, threw my hands in the air, and declared, “It’s not nice to mess with Mother Lucas.” He knew exactly what I meant as did the rest of the class. The name stuck, and in later years, siblings of that same group would arrive in my classroom, declaring they had Mother Lucas for class. By then this name was well established with no small amount of humor attached.

My belief was and still remains this: learning doesn’t take place in a chaotic classroom. That doesn’t

done so, the very succinct wording would have been, “respect is earned.”

Sadly, this situation remains static; Donald Trump’s disrespect is consistent, rampant, and extends even to the courts where he finds himself a defendant. Just when I CAROL LUCAS think this man who occupied the highest office in our country, the supposed leader of the free world, mean you impose so much rigidity has managed to lower himself, as as to take the fun out of learning. well as the dignity of the office he What it does mean is established once held, he manages to outdo his discipline, as well as self-discipline, last outburst. are necessary for a successful It should have been squelched education as well as life in general. from the beginning of his camThese, very simply, generate paign back in 2015. We can all respect. remember the comment regardAh, respect, which brings me to ing what he could do to women the point of this article. Another any time he wanted because they credo of Mother Lucas is, “respect “loved it.” I am not about to repliis earned, not demanded.” Folks, it cate his exact wording. isn’t a quantum leap to recognize At some point in that uproar, a that respect seems to have become male friend asked me, “How could a lost entity in today’s world. any self-respecting woman vote Discipline and respect go hand- for him?” Even then, I was at a in-hand. Many are the times when loss for an answer, and with what how I responded to a situation has been made public regarding was miles removed from what I his lack of respect for a woman really wanted to say. When I first and her rights, I continue to be began to contribute to The Island dumbfounded.

News, I wrote an article about And how about the respect for former President Trump that was our armed forces? Beaufort is a less than complimentary. Two military town with strong ties to days after publication I received a our country’s defenders. To this nasty note from someone asking day, Trump still vilifies these how I could possibly refer to “our brave people, calling those who President” that way. Mother Lucas died in combat “losers.” As recentchose not to respond, but had she ly as two weeks ago, he mimicked

John McCain’s “thumbs down vote for the Affordable Care Act” by calling attention to McCain’s inability to raise his arm.

You remember his comment, “I prefer those who didn’t let themselves be taken prisoner.” Dead or alive, John McCain remains a target for Trump’s undisciplined rancor. What kind of person says these things, and just as important, what kind of person justifies it? Two words, my friends: bone spurs.

And now it is the courts. Mr. Trump is the only President in our history to have four indictments, with 91 charges brought against him. One of these includes taking classified documents “because he had the right.”

Mother Lucas will add another homily here: “With every right comes a corresponding responsibility.” It would appear that Donald Trump is bereft of responsibility, and those who so strongly support him encourage that deficiency.

Finally, when I listened to the exchange between Trump and the Judge in one of his many trials, all I could think of was the few times a sophomore might have ventured such a retort in my class and what the consequences would have been.

Judge Lewis Kaplan told the former president that his right to be present at the trial would be

revoked if he remained disruptive.

After an initial warning, Trump could still be heard making remarks to his lawyers, including “it is a witch hunt” and “it really is a con job.” These could be heard by the jury.

“Mr. Trump, I hope I don't have to consider excluding you from the trial,” Kaplan said in an exchange after the jury was excused for lunch, adding: “I understand you're probably eager for me to do that.”

“I would love it,” Trump shot back, shrugging as he sat between lawyers at the defense table.

“I know you would like it. You just can't control yourself in this circumstance, apparently,” Kaplan responded.

“You can't either,” Trump muttered.

Teens will test you, but this?

I have to wonder exactly what it takes.

Discipline, responsibility, respect. Qualities we try to encourage in our children, qualities missing in a man who wants to occupy the White House once again. Is this really the level of maturity we want? As Aretha Franklin wailed, “Respect, just a little bit.”

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.”

~Weekly Specials~

January 25th – 28th or until we sell out.

Cajun Crawfish Alfredo

Pork or Chicken Fried Rice

Ham & Lentil Soup

Shepherds Pie

White Chicken Chili

Lasagna Soup

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with White Rice

Friends of the Beaufort Library

2024 BOOKS

SANDWICHED IN Mondays 12pm-1pm January 22 through March 11

USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St., Beaufort This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit friendsofthebeaufortlibrary.com

Salmon with Tarragon Sauce & Broccolini Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

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SPORTS&RECREATION

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

THE HARD WORK OF ALL ATHLETES DESERVES RECOGNITION

B1

LOWCO PERSPECTIVE

JUSTIN JARRETT LowcoSports.com

SCHSL got it right, again

T

rust me when I say I’ve been no apologist for the S.C. High School League over the years, instead opting to roast antiquated policies, shortsighted rules, and plenty of handsitting.

So I’m as surprised as anyone to find myself suddenly defending — maybe even touting? — the organization’s recent ruling that takes necessary steps to rectify a massive competitive balance issue, and perhaps even more stunningly, its appeals committee’s uber-rational rulings on where to place the most controversial member-schools.

The “3x” multiplier SCHSL put in place for next school year — which counts in triplicate all students from outside a school’s designated attendance zone when considering enrollment for classification purposes — came with built-in flaws thanks to legislation that ties the league’s hands to some degree. As such, any multiplier had to be applied to all schools, not just the private schools and charter schools that were gaining a significant advantage from drawing from wide geographical areas in population centers like Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. It also treated powerhouse programs like Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mount Pleasant and Gray Collegiate Academy in Lexigton the same as tiny startups that are struggling to field athletic programs, as well as schools like Bridges Prep, which are stuck somewhere in between.

That made the appeals process a critical component of making this thing work. It was the one shot at evaluating each case on its own merit and allowing some sanity to enter the chat in the form of subjectivity. And again, against all odds, they nailed it.

OK, they did some funky stuff like putting only 33 teams in Class 3A — please tell me we’re not taking 32 to the football playoffs — but they got the big stuff right.

By and large, the committee swatted away the absurd arguments and sent the whiners on their way, while recognizing the true hardships that the new rule might unintentionally create.

Reason reared its head in the case of Bridges Prep, which was unanimously granted its appeal to move to Class 2A rather than jumping two classifications to Class 3A. Coincidentally, Bridges will retain its region rivalry with Whale Branch, which will also move up a class for the next two years.

It’s where the Bucs belong, at least for now. Bridges is no longer on par with typical Class 1A schools, which are primarily rural schools with limited resources.

Few, if any, have teams like the Bucs’ Lower State champion volleyball team that are loaded with teammates from club teams, or robust rosters like the Bucs boast for wrestling and soccer.

SEE JARRETT PAGE B2

Bridges Prep’s Lorence Moyd, left, fights off a tough Whale Branch defense during the first half of their Region 7-1A basketball Monday night at Bridges Prep. The Whale Branch Warriors went on to win, 60-59, improving to 11-8 overall, 5-1 in Region 7-1A. Bridges Prep drops to 11-3, 3-2 in region play. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Warriors rally to sweep Bucs

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com With the Bridges Prep gym packed shoulder-to-shoulder, the Buccaneers had a chance to finish off a hard-fought win in a key Region 7-1A matchup with crosstown rival Whale Branch on Monday.

Then the signature pressure defense that made Jeremiah Faber’s teams in Ridgeland such a nightmare to face caused the Bucs to unravel, and the Warriors escaped with a 60-59 stunner.

The lead changed hands throughout a chippy game that included numerous technical fouls and plenty of chatter, and Bridges regained control after a Matthew Torres 3-pointer and Amarion Wilson putback put the Bucs up by one with just over two minutes left.

Wilson scored again to make it 59-56 with 45 seconds left, and the Warriors misfired from 3-point range but swiped the ball right back for an easy layup before coming up with another steal to produce a

chance for the lead. Whale Branch had two shots for the lead, but both were off the mark and the ball went out of bounds to the Bucs, who just needed break the press and run out the clock – or seal it at the line.

Easier said than done against a Faber-coached team with the Warriors’ personnel. Whale Branch produced another steal and an outlet pass to KJ Chisholm for the go-ahead layup, and a long heave up the court from Wilson was intercepted to give the Warriors a gritty road win.

The win moved Whale Branch (118, 5-1) into second place in Region 7-1A heading into Wednesday’s game against struggling Allendale-Fairfax. Bridges (11-3, 3-2) was tied for third prior to Wednesday’s trip to first-place Bethune-Bowman.

Whale Branch’s Zaria Coacum, left, can only watch as Bridges Prep’s MaKayla Lapp goes for a quick two points during the first half of their Region 7-1A game Monday night WB girls surging After dropping 12 of their first at Bridges Prep. The Lady Warriors 13 games, the Whale Branch girls proved to be too much and defeated the Lady Buccaneers, 50-25. Bob SEE WARRIORS PAGE B2 Sofaly/The Island News

USCB men split Georgia road trip

By Brackin Lambert uscbathletics.com Five Sand Sharks posted double-digit performances and USCB men’s basketball led from the tip Wednesday at Georgia College, ending a three-game skid with a 97-83 road win in Peach Belt Conference play.

Marcus Overstreet posted his sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Kevaughn Price continued

his excellent play with 16 points, six boards and four assists. Kenney Gaines had his best night in the navy and sand, matching his season-high with 14 points along with nine rebounds and three assists.

Qurahn Anderson scored in double-figures for the second straight game, collecting 15 points, and Tasso Sfanos went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc for 12 points off the bench.

USCB couldn’t keep it going

Saturday at No. 6 North Georgia, though the Sand Sharks stayed within single-digits for most of the evening before fading to a 9275 loss in Dahlonega.

Larry Bulluck led the way for Beaufort's offense, posting his second 20-point performance of the season, while Nolan Paladugu found the groove from beyond the arc, dropping 11 points off the bench.

UNG held a double-digit lead of

10, but Sfanos and Gaines made it a two possession game after knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers.

A Bulluck triple made it a 3-point game, but North Georgia went on an 8-2 run over the final two minutes to head into the locker room up 45-36 and eased away late.

The Sand Sharks (9-5, 2-4) return to the Cove on Wednesday to face another top-25 team in rival USC Aiken before traveling to Flagler on Saturday.

SPORTS BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP

Beaufort vs. Creek extra big this time

LowcoSports.com Plenty is at stake any time crosstown rivals Beaufort High and Battery Creek square off, but both teams will have a little extra motivation Friday at The Palace.

The Eagles need a win — and a season sweep of the Dolphins — to maintain any hope of catching second-place Philip Simmons after the Iron Horses escaped The Nest with a 59-58 win Tuesday. Samari

Bonds and Brandon Blackmon led the Eagles back in the second half, and Bonds put them ahead 58-56 in the final seconds, but Philip Simmons answered with a 3-pointer and denied Beaufort on the final possession.

Beaufort (8-9, 2-3) is still two games ahead of Battery Creek in the win column and has a head-to-head victory, so Friday’s rematch is a must-win for the Dolphins, who are off to a rocky start

in region play after a strong away for a 55-42 win. Chrisearly-season run. tian Tilton scored all 10 of his points in the third quarMixed bag for JPII ter, and Daniel Godsun heatAfter dropping a region ed up and scored all 11 of his contest to defending SCISA in the fourth to complement 3A champion Hilton Head a strong all-around effort Prep last week, John Paul II from Nikolai Atkinson, who got back on track with a 55- put up 15 points and provid42 win over a pesky Thomas ed stout post defense.

The Golden Warriors Heyward team on Thursday.

The Rebels led 24-21 at (9-7) stumbled Monday halftime before the Golden in a 67-52 loss to visitWarriors turned the tide in ing Northwood Academy the second half and pulled but have a chance to turn

things around Wednesday at Charleston Collegiate before a key region matchup with Hilton Head Christian Academy on Friday.

Beaufort 50, Hanahan 33 Bridges Prep 77, Allendale-Fairfax 67 Whale Branch 76, Royal Live Oaks 11

HS BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

THURSDAY, JAN. 18 John Paul II 55, Thomas Heyward 42

MONDAY, JAN. 22 Whale Branch 60, Bridges Prep 59 Northwood Academy 67, John Paul II 52

FRIDAY, JAN. 19 Beaufort Academy 51, Thomas Heyward 47

TUESDAY, JAN. 23 Philip Simmons 59, Beaufort 58

HS WRESTLING ROUNDUP

Dolphins get revenge on JPII

LowcoSports.com After dropping a head-to-head matchup with John Paul II last weekend at the Bobcat Duals in Bluffton, the Battery Creek wrestling team brought a little extra juice to the rematch in The Palace on Wednesday.

The Dolphins flipped the script from their narrow defeat a few days earlier, rattling off six straight wins to take control and claim a 54-27 victory. Battery Creek was able to flip the outcome at three weight classes, as Nate Najar (132), Christian Fess (165), and Cooper Livingston (175) all picked up wins after losing to JPII on Saturday, resulting in the big swing in the final score.

Battery Creek is set to host the Region 8-3A duals at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Bucs 3rd at Bamberg

Bridges Prep finished 3-1 and placed third Saturday at the Red Raider Duals at Bamberg-Ehrhardt, but the Bucs didn’t get a head-to-head look at the Region 7-1A rival Red Raiders ahead of Thursday’s region duals.

The Bucs’ only loss came to eventual champion Edisto, which beat Bamberg-Ehrhardt in the finals.

Lady’s Island Middle School 96-pounder Santino Comunale contorts himself to maintain control of a cradle during a consolation match Saturday at the Carolina Invitational, which serves as the middle school state tournament. Comunale went 3-2 and fell one round short of medaling.

Teammate Cameron Posey and Robert Smalls Leadership Academy’s Chris Martinez and Elijah Shuler also qualified and competed. Justin Jarrett/ LowcoSports.com

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP

John Paul II Golden Warriors suffer setback

LowcoSports.com John Paul II stepped up its early-season schedule and has seemed to reap the benefits, but the Golden Warriors didn’t measure up to a big test Monday, falling 72-37 to SCISA 4A power Northwood Academy at home.

The loss snapped a four-game win streak and gave JPII (10-4) a better idea of what it needs to clean up to compete with region power Hilton Head Christian Academy on Friday and make a deep run in the SCISA 3A tournament.

“They were fast, strong, and did all the little things well,” JPII coach Karen Floyd said.

“We had our hands full on defense, but it was our turnovers that hurt us the most. Tonight's experience will make us better.”

JPII gets a chance to turn things around Wednesday at Charleston Collegiate before Friday’s showdown with HHCA.

BA survives in OT

B2

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

Beaufort Academy 48, Thomas Heyward 36 (OT) Hanahan 42, Beaufort 27 Allendale-Fairfax 82, Bridges Prep 26 Whale Branch 55, Royal Live Oaks 2

HS GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

MONDAY, JAN. 22 Whale Branch 50, Bridges Prep 25 Northwood Academy 72, John Paul II 37

THURSDAY, JAN. 18 John Paul II 53, Thomas Heyward 6

Beaufort Academy got quite a scare on the FRIDAY, JAN. 19 road from an improved Thomas Heyward team, but the Eagles blanked the Rebels in Philip Simmons 43, Battery Creek 28

Sand Sharks’ slide continues

By Brackin Lambert uscbathletics.com Janiyah Heyward got back in a groove with a team-best 18 and Jada Young had a career-high 13 points off the bench, but Georgia College outscored USCB by seven points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Sand Sharks 73-64 Wednesday night in Milledgeville.

The opening period saw five lead changes and two ties before Beaufort went on an 8-0 run to go up 19-11. GCSU out scored the Sand Sharks in quarter two, but after a back and forth battle through nine minutes, Mahkayla Premo drained a triple from the top of the key to make it 33-30 and Madison Self went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe to end the period and send USCB into the break up four.

It was more of the same in the second half, as the lead changed hands repeatedly before the Sand Sharks went on a 5-0 run to make it 52-47, but the Bobcats hit back-to-back jumpers in the final minute to head into the fourth tied at 52.

The Sand Sharks scored the first five points of the final period, but the Bobcats

the extra period to escape with a 48-36 overtime win Friday.

Kamirah Freeman scored 19 points, Olivia Dinkins added 16, and Claire Tumlin had 13 for the Eagles.

surged back and early foul trouble came back to hurt the Sand Sharks down the stretch.

It was a tough time Saturday at North Georgia, as Brielle Bartelt was the lone Sand Shark in double figures as USCB took a 103-38 loss to the Nighthawks.

Bartelt posted a team-high 11 while Taniyah Bowman added eight, with both guards coming off the bench.

North Georgia opened the game on a 9-0 run through the first four minutes.

Bartelt put USCB on the board knocking down two from the free throw line just under the six minute mark. The Sand Sharks followed with a 6-0 run to trim the lead to three, but the Nighthawks quickly regained their two-possession lead.

The Night Hawks kept the Sand Sharks off the board for majority of the second quarter as Bartelt ended the scoreless streak. Ella Coffey hit a triple late in the period but North Georgia held a 62-19 lead at halftime.

The Sand Sharks (4-10, 0-6) return to the Cove on Wednesday to host rival USC Aiken and travel to Flagler on Saturday.

TUESDAY, JAN. 23 Battery Creek at North Charleston Philip Simmons 47, Beaufort 16

Warriors

gion 7-1A but faces a tough stretch against the top three teams beginning Wednesday against Allendale-Fairfax. Bridges from page B1 (2-8, 1-4) faces two tough road trips at Bethune-Bowman on Wednesday and have turned a corner in region play, and Bamberg-Ehrhardt on Friday.

Monday’s 50-25 blowout at Bridges gave the Warriors three wins in their last four Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and games. the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor The Warriors’ defensive effort has been of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. exceptional, holding opponents to just 35 points in the three wins. Whale Branch He has a passion for sports and community journalism and (4-13, 3-3) is solidly in fourth place in Rea questionable sense of humor.

Jarrett

from page B1 But neither does Bridges belong in the same classification as Oceanside Collegiate, which was bumped up one classification to Class 3A and still feels like a big fish in a small pond after being split up from fellow power Gray Collegiate, which was vaulted all the way to Class 4A. It’s hard to even compare Bridges to Battery Creek considering the Dolphins have a beautiful new state-of-the-art weight room, something the Bucs

still lack.

The landscape is shifting in real time, though, and Bridges is one of a number of up-and-coming charter schools with designs on following the same blueprint that created the competitive imbalance.

The Bucs have a beautiful new gym on the way — which will include that coveted weight room — and new programs are on the horizon, perhaps including football.

The beauty of SCHSL and its appeals committee handling this upheaval as well as it did is that they’ve proven the system can work. In two years,

the same process could produce different results, as it should. A dynamic problem requires a dynamic solution, and this one hits the mark.

SCHSL REALIGNMENT 2024-26 CLASS 4A: Beaufort CLASS 3A: Battery Creek CLASS 2A: Bridges Prep, Whale Branch Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

EDUCATION

Local educational institutions combine to tell ‘Untold stories’ BCSD, TCL, USCB, Penn Center host 3rd annual conference highlighting Beaufort County’s rich, diverse history

From staff reports Beaufort County School District (BCSD), Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), and Penn Center have collaborated to host “Untold Stories, Leading the Way Through Resilience,” an African American history education conference with a focus on Beaufort County’s rich and diverse history. The conference is open

to anyone desiring an immersive learning experience about African American history specific to Beaufort County.

This third-annual African American History Education conference promises a robust series of activities and educational sessions for attendees. The three-day immersive experience, scheduled for February 15 through 17, includes live music and dance, art, cuisine,

and in-depth presentations and panel discussions from local and nationally renowned artists, authors, educators, clergy, living legends, and historians.

“We had such a positive response to the last two years’ programming that we knew we needed to do this again,” conference organizer and BCSD Officer of Academic Initiatives N’kia Campbell, Ph.D., said. “Attendees will gain

even more perspective and insight about the Lowcountry through the many untold stories shared.”

On Thursday, Feb. 15, attendees will have a choice of seven historical tours. Friday’s activities and sessions will be at TCL while Saturday’s conference events will be at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy in the morning with afternoon sessions at USCB’s historical campus located in Beaufort.

For a conference overview and registration please visit the community section of the district’s website. Interested persons can pre-register for the conference online on a first-come, first serve basis. Community members can register per day ($25 for Friday or Saturday; Thursday is free). BCSD employees and BCSD, TCL and USCB students may attend the conference free of charge.

McMaster calls for study to consider consolidating colleges ahead of ‘enrollment cliff ’

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA – If trends continue, South Carolina may not have enough students to support its public colleges, and mergers may be necessary, according to Gov. Henry McMaster.

Enrollment across South Carolina’s 33 two- and four-year public colleges has risen or rebounded from dips during the height of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to the colleges’ latest data.

But national experts warn about a pending “enrollment cliff” as national birth rates continue to drop and more student loan-laden Generation X and Millennials discourage their own children from seeking costly college degrees — or, at least, don’t encourage them.

“It’s inevitable. We’re going to hit a point in time where we don’t have enough students to fill up all the seats that are available,” Senate Education Chairman Greg Hembree of Little River told the S.C. Daily Gazette.

“You have costs that are accelerating, and you have a flat number of students,” said the Horry County Republican.

To prepare, McMaster is asking the Legislature to put $3 million in state surplus toward an independent study of the state’s higher education landscape. The state Education Oversight Committee would commission an out-of-state consultant to conduct an impartial study — and to ensure unpopular questions are actually asked and answered.

Tough questions The governor’s office said the study should ask historically controversial questions: • Does the state need 33 public colleges?

• Are the current colleges in the best locations?

• Would the state be better served by a Board of Regents rather than each college having its own independent governing board?

A centralized board could make sure schools are preparing students for in demand jobs and that certain degree programs aren’t be-

get along.) If McMaster were to make the request, Peeler said, lawmakers may be more willing to consider it.

The University of South Carolina at Sumter is among colleges the governor’s office says may need to merge as enrollment shrinks statewide. Jessica Holdman/S.C. Daily Gazette ing duplicated.

Examples floated by the governor’s office for potential mergers include the University of South Carolina’s satellite campus in Sumter and Central Carolina Technical College. The two schools sit side by side on about 52 acres in the middle of Sumter. Programs offered by both include criminal justice, nursing, education and community health. Central Carolina covers the trade degrees more commonly associated with technical colleges.

USC-Sumter offers two-year associate degrees, with the option of completing a bachelor’s degree online.

Should they be consolidated?

Should other two-year campuses merge with a four-year college close by?

Should Williamsburg Technical College’s roughly 400 students move to Horry-Georgetown Technical College?

Should Winthrop University in Rock Hill become part of the USC system?

Does Denmark Technical College, with its 480 full-time students, have enough to sustain operations?

the regional colleges, which tend to attract fewer students from outside South Carolina, struggle to maintain their numbers.

USC, Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina have added more than 12,000 students over the past decade.

Coastal Carolina University in Conway, which began as part of the USC system, and Lander University in Greenwood have celebrated new enrollment records. But South Carolina State and Winthrop universities remain in a slump compared to a decade earlier.

And full-time enrollment in the technical college system has declined by more than 20% since highs during the Great Recession.

The governor’s office and other state and national leaders say higher education needs a plan for the future because colleges will soon be competing over fewer and fewer students.

Both the state and national birth rates, calculated as the number of births per 1,000 people, have fallen about 23% since 2007.

South Carolina’s public health Enrollment trends agency recorded about 57,000 More than 173,000 students at- births in 2021, compared to about tend South Carolina’s public two- 63,000 in 2008. and four-year colleges, up 3% from a decade earlier. But that growth has New governance largely been at the state’s research Former Sen. Wes Hayes, who institutions. Meanwhile, some of chairs the governing board of the

state’s higher education agency, welcomed the governor’s study proposal, calling it a timely first step. Implementing any recommendations that may come out of the study, however, could be more painful.

Hayes thinks there are some state lawmakers who would support creating a Board of Regents.

But a pushback from others is certain, partly because it would take away legislators’ ability to select board members for each college.

Having one board diminishes legislators’ power and, for those who graduated from a South Carolina college, gives them less say over their own alma mater.

Sen. Chip Campsen has long supported a centralized governing board because it would require universities to “stay in their lane” and focus on their core offerings.

“If you try to become all things to all people, you become an expert at nothing,” the Isle of Palms Republican said.

This is not the first time a governor has raised the idea. Former Gov. Mark Sanford called for it in the early 2000s but was rebuffed.

Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler told the S.C. Daily Gazette the Legislature’s rejection of Sanford’s proposal was more about the messenger than the message.

(Sanford and the Legislature’s GOP leaders notoriously did not

Consolidation If the study were to call for the consolidation of schools, however, any proposal is sure to face opposition.

“These institutions have a proud history,” Hembree told the S.C. Daily Gazette. “They have a lot of employees. They have people that are counting on them. They have alumni associations. That’s their alma mater, and they feel strongly about it.”

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, the longest-serving House member, said she’s not opposed to a study per se but would continue to stand against closure of Denmark Tech, one of only two public historically black colleges in the state. The other is South Carolina State University in Orangeburg.

Cobb-Hunter, an Orangeburg Democrat, is first vice-chairwoman of the House’s powerful budget-writing committee, assigned to its subcommittee for higher education.

The fight for survival was on display within days of McMaster making his proposal.

While making his budget request before Cobb-Hunter’s panel, Winthrop President Edward Serna touted a study that found the 138-year-old college has a $205 million direct impact on the economy of York County.

Yes, enrollment is down 12% from a decade earlier, but the school is seeing an uptick in the size of its freshman class, Serna told legislators Jan. 10.

It remains to be seen whether Winthrop and other small schools like it can pull through long term.

“Either we’re going to study it and figure it out proactively,” Hembree said. “Or it’s going to come crashing down, and we’re going to be doing it reactively. And it’s going to be very painful.”

Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C. Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier.

SC higher ed director to leave post early amid lottery scholarship backlash

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — The head of South Carolina’s higher education agency left his post Friday, Jan. 13, more than a month ahead of schedule.

A week after announcing his plans to retire in March, Rusty Monhollon, executive director of the state Commission on Higher Education, pushed up his departure date. He has led the

agency since 2019.

“I think this is in the best interest both for myself and for the commission,” Monhollon told the agency’s governing board Thursday.

Karen Woodfaulk, the agency’s student affairs division head, will serve as acting executive director until the board can bring someone on in the interim.

Former Sen. Wes Hayes, chairman of the commission’s governing board,

said no legislator asked the board to dismiss Monhollon. However, blowback from the report put indirect pressure on the agency’s director.

“He just felt it would be difficult for the agency to move forward as long as he was here,” Hayes said of Monhollon’s early resignation.

Monhollon, whose salary is $248,100, submitted his resignation less than a

week before the agency appears before House budget writers.

In December, South Carolina’s Inspector General Brian Lamkin reported the agency allowed $152 million in unspent state lottery profits intended for college scholarships to pile up over six years.

Voters approved the lottery in 2000 as a way to fund college scholarships and make a degree afford-

able for South Carolina students, who can put it toward costs at the private or public college of their choice.

While the money sat untouched, no eligible student was denied scholarship funding, Monhollon said.

The error was in predicting how much was needed to fully cover the state’s three largest scholarship programs.

The inspector general’s report drew the ire of sev-

eral legislators who said the money could have been spent in other ways.

“Frankly, your report to us upsets me and I think it probably upsets a lot of people,” said Rep. Tim McGinnis, R-Myrtle Beach, on the day it was presented.

Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C. Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier.

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

B3

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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.

Protect public notices in newspapers and protect your right to know.

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

STATE NEWS

SCDOT director to retire at end of March

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — The transportation director who’s overseen the repair of South Carolina’s deteriorating roadways for a decade will retire at the end of March, the agency announced Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Christy Hall has spent much of her tenure persuading the GOP-dominated Legislature to put more money into fixing the nation’s fourth-largest highway system, which had been falling apart over decades.

“South Carolina has experienced unprecedented levels of road and bridge work in every county of the state,” Hall said in a statement. “It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside the men and women of the S.C. Department of Transportation to serve the people of South Carolina.”

After Hall’s multiple presentations on billions’ worth of problems and declining revenue to fix them —

and pleas from business groups — the Legislature passed a law in 2017 that raised by-the-gallon gasoline taxes by 12 cents over six years.

Christy The compromise, Hall which took effect over the veto of Gov. Henry McMaster, represented the state’s first fuel tax increase in 30 years.

Hall was appointed Department of Transportation secretary in 2015 by then-Gov. Nikki Haley, whose threatened gas-tax veto for years led to temporary solutions that largely involved borrowing money to fix roads.

The secretary leads an agency of more than 3,600 employees, not including workers contracted for road and bridge projects. Her salary is nearly $310,000.

Hall started her career at the DOT after graduating from Clemson University and spent more

than two decades in positions that included road design and finance before she was promoted to administration. Her predecessor as director, who resigned in 2014 following a drunken driving arrest, often characterized his job as managing “the decline of the state highway system.”

In 2022, Hall persuaded legislators to put an additional $600 million, mostly from federal aid, toward speeding up the widening of rural stretches of interstates 26 and 95. Other major projects underway include a $2 billion fix to the intersection of interstates 20 and 26 in Columbia known as “Malfunction Junction.”

Last year, the Legislature rejected Hall’s request to make a $1 billion commitment — $200 million yearly for five years — toward fixing bridges across South Carolina that are decades beyond their expected lifespan.

McMaster’s budget recom-

mendations for the upcoming fiscal year again include putting surplus revenues toward roadwork. Specifically, his suggestion would put $500 million toward fixing bridges.

“Secretary Hall will be remembered as one of the greatest transportation secretaries in state history,” McMaster said in a statement.

“Her unparalleled expertise and relentless work ethic have allowed (the department) to flourish under her leadership,” he continued.

“Whether responding to natural disasters or spearheading transformative infrastructure projects, she has consistently delivered for the people of South Carolina.”

Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.

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.

SC’s next transportation director: Bridge repair must be top priority SCDOT commission unanimously selects Justin Powell as the agency’s first new leader in nearly a decade

By Seanna Adcox SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — Fixing thousands of outdated bridges to ensure people and products keep rolling across South Carolina will be a top priority for the state transportation agency’s next administration, according to the person tapped as its next leader.

Justin Powell, chief operating officer for the state Department of Transportation, is the chosen successor of Secretary Christy Hall, who will resign at the end of March after nearly a decade at the helm.

After the DOT’s governing board voted unanimously Thursday on his ascension — pending confirmation by the state Senate — Powell credited his boss and mentor with putting South Carolina’s crumbling highway system on the road to recovery. It was Hall’s multiple presentations to legislators that led to the 2017 law that increased gas taxes and provided the state’s first new revenue stream toward roadwork in 30 years.

Hall also oversaw the 10-

year plan prioritizing how to spend state and federal tax dollars, given the vast needs that had accumulated over decades.

The result so far is nearly 8,000 miles of new paving, 335 bridges repaired or replaced, and 980 miles of rural roads made safer through projects such as widening shoulders and installing guardrails. On interstates, 101 miles of widening is underway, according to Hall’s presentation Thursday, Jan. 18, to the DOT board.

“Secretary Hall’s vision to put us on the 10-year plan has really recovered South Carolina’s transportation system,” Powell told reporters. “By every measure, it’s been a success.”

But both Hall and Powell recognized that the highway system’s 41,000 miles are far from fixed.

“For South Carolina to continue to prosper, we’re going to have to continue investing in our system and make sure it can handle the pressure and demands placed on it,” Powell said. “Transportation will increasingly determine our

destiny as a state.”

At the top of the priority list going forward is bridge work, he said, pointing to the emergency closure of a bridge on Interstate 20 in Kershaw County several days before Christmas.

Fortunately, he added, repairs for that bridge were already under contract when an inspection determined it had to be closed, allowing for a reopening within 50 hours.

Hall refers to the state’s bridge situation as a looming crisis. About 70 bridges across the state are closed, and one or two are being added to that list weekly, she said.

“It’s rapidly becoming a major problem,” she told her board at Thursday’s meeting.

The DOT is again seeking a $1 billion commitment — an additional $200 million yearly over five years — from the Legislature specifically for bridge work. Legislators rejected the request during budget negotiations last year. This year, Gov. Henry McMaster suggests instead putting $500 million of surplus

sales tax toward bridges as a one-time infusion.

The timing of Hall’s retirement puts Powell at the helm in the middle of the state budget process, meaning he will be the one in the hotseat for legislators’ questions on how the DOT is spending taxpayer money. And every legislator has a list of complaints from their constituents when it comes to roadwork.

Asked about her advice to him, she told reporters, “Transparency and accountability are always key and much appreciated by members of the General Assembly, the public and certainly is something I’ve tried to live by.”

Her handoff to Powell has been in the works since she hired him five years ago from Horry County, where he was assistant county administrator overseeing a $500 million roadwork program funded by local sales taxes.

Hall said she recruited Powell after witnessing firsthand his abilities to lead while remaining calm in a crisis — at the time, hurricane response — an

attribute that’s essential to the job.

Prior to Hall taking over in 2015, there had been three secretaries over two years.

“I think that speaks to the chaos that we’ve been trying to avoid with the succession planning,” she said. “I’ve been actively trying to ensure there’s somebody ready to take the helm when it’s time for me to depart.”

As for what she’ll do next, Hall said she’s not sure.

“Ten years is a long time to be an agency head, and it’s time to pass the baton to a new generation of leadership here at the DOT,” she said. “I want to take a little time to spend time with my family and we’ll see what the future holds. This is definitely not my last rodeo.”

Seanna Adcox is a South Carolina native with three decades of reporting experience. She joined States Newsroom in September 2023 after covering the S.C. Legislature and state politics for 18 years. Her previous employers include The Post and Courier and The Associated Press.

U.S. Rep. Duncan won’t seek re-election

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan will not seek re-election to an eighth term to South Carolina’s 3rd District, his office announced Wednesday.

The Republican congressman represents 11 counties along South Carolina’s northern border with Georgia, from Edgefield to Oconee, including his home county of Laurens.

The 58-year-old former auctioneer served eight years in the South Carolina House before first winning his congressional seat in U.S. Rep. 2010.

Jeff Duncan He called his time in Congress a “privilege and honor” but said it’s time for another man or woman to serve the district.

As of his last campaign disclosure, Duncan had nearly $1 million cash on hand for a re-election bid.

No other Republican has filed federal campaign disclosures to indicate an official run. However, Duncan’s announcement is bound to lead to a competitive GOP primary for the reliably Republican seat.

“At some point in a career, one needs to step aside and allow others to bring fresh ideas and abilities into the fight for liberty, just as I have,” Duncan said in a statement.

State Sen. Richard Cash of Anderson County confirmed to the SC Daily Gazette he is contemplating a bid for the seat. Cash, one of the Statehouse’s most staunch abortion foes since he won a special election in 2017, said he’s praying about the possibility. He thanked Duncan for his service to the district.

The announcement follows allegations of infidelity from Duncan’s wife made last fall in court filings. Duncan made no mention of the allegations in his statement.

He said on X, formerly Twitter, in September that he would not comment on a “deeply personal matter.”

Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.

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.

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

B5

STATE NEWS

Haley brings campaign back to SC with Charleston County rally

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — Former Gov. Nikki Haley’s first campaign event in South Carolina since the GOP contest effectively became a two-way race will be literally close to home.

Haley, who lives on Kiawah Island, will hold a rally at the Hilton Charleston on Wednesday night.

It marks her first campaign stop here since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out on Sunday, saying he had no clear path to victory. The race now essentially comes down to Haley and her former boss, Donald Trump.

It also comes the day after the New Hampshire primary, where Haley has been steadily gaining in the polls but still trails the former president, according to poll

aggregator 538.

Haley’s last public event in her home state was Nov. 27 in Bluffton. Since then, she has focused on Iowa — where she came in third to DeSantis and Trump — and New Hampshire.

“You know, Iowa starts it.

You know that you correct it,” Haley told a crowd in the Granite State ahead of the Iowa caucuses. “And then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home.”

The rally in North Charleston marks the start of Haley’s month-long push before South Carolina’s crucial first-in-the-South GOP primary on Feb. 24. Polls Presidential candidate Nikki Haley makes her remarks Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, before signing show her trailing Trump by paperwork to put her name on the South Carolina primary ballot at the Statehouse in Columbia.

35 points, according to 538.

Seven Republican can- Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the S.C. Daily Gazette didates are on South Carolina’s primary ballot. But dropped out since the ballot preneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and DeSanthree candidates have was certified: Ohio entre- former New Jersey Gov. tis. DeSantis and Scott have

both endorsed Trump in the past week.

Beyond Trump and Haley, two extreme long-shot candidates remain in the race: Pastor Ryan Binkley of Texas and veteran Air Force combat pilot David Stuckenberg of Florida.

South Carolina’s primary will follow Nevada, where Haley is almost guaranteed to win the state-run primary, but that won’t help her with delegates. Those will be assigned based on a separate caucus held by the Nevada GOP Party, for which Haley declined to register. Trump, however, did.

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.

House approves bill banning hormones, surgery for transgender youth Debate highlights rancor between Freedom Caucus, larger House GOP Caucus

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — Republicans in the South Carolina House battled each other Wednesday, Jan. 17, before ultimately approving legislation that bans gender-transitioning surgeries and hormones for transgender youth.

The outcome of the debate was predictable, with the House giving key approval with an 82-23 vote mostly along party lines. No Republican voted against it. Two Democrats voted for it. Other Democrats didn’t vote.

“We’re going to let the people of South Carolina know we’re here to protect our children,” said House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, the bill’s main sponsor.

Democrats pushed back, saying it’s not the Legislature’s job to get in the way of medical treatments for children and teens whose parents approve.

“Why can’t we mind our own business?” said Rep. Seth Rose, D-Columbia. “Why can’t we let families make their own personal decisions?”

A perfunctory vote Thursday will advance the bill to the Senate, where its fate is less certain. But House Republicans, who hold a supermajority in the chamber, can check off sending over their top priority for 2024 on the second week of session.

A lengthy debate Wednesday was expected. But unlike on other controversial legislation, it wasn’t due to Democrats putting up hundreds of amendments to at least slow passage.

This time, Democrats proposed just a half dozen changes — all rejected — and watched as Republicans fought each other as the debate dragged out over six hours.

Republicans in the Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-line House conservatives who frequently criticize GOP leaders, argued the bill doesn’t go far enough.

Under the bill as it advanced to the floor, doctors and other health care providers would face the potential loss of their medical license for violating the ban. The parents of the minor — or the minors themselves, after they turn 18 — could

Rep. John McCravy, R-Greenwood, leads a news conference at the Statehouse on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, on the priorities of the S.C. Family Caucus. Seanna Adcox/S.C. Daily Gazette either sue or file a complaint to the state licensing board for what the bill labels “unprofessional conduct.”

That could result in nothing happening, Freedom Caucus members argued.

“If a law has no consequences, is it a law?” said Rep. Jordan Pace, R-Goose Creek.

The Freedom Caucus wanted to add more defined, heavier penalties for doctors, including minimum fines, a year in jail and guaranteed license suspensions. Exchanges got testy, as Freedom Caucus members accused their fellow Republicans — both in the chamber and on social media — of letting doctors “chemically castrate children.”

Rep. Micah Caskey, R-West Columbia, shot back. When Freedom Caucus members complained to the speaker that Caskey was accusing them of lying — seeking a reprimand for breaking House decorum rules — Caskey pulled no punches.

He wasn’t accusing them of lying, the former prosecutor explained, he was accusing them of being ignorant about state law.

On X, formerly Twitter, Caskey responded to Freedom Caucus posts by calling them “clueless and classless.”

In the end, after all Freedom Caucus amendments were rejected, Republicans approved Caskey’s proposal making “genital gender reassignment surgery” legally akin to a doctor inflicting great bodily injury on a child, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Doctors have repeatedly told legislators that such surgeries aren’t being performed on minors in South Carolina anyway. So, that threat should be moot.

Backers of the bill say they don’t care if zero surgeries are happening now.

“We need to be proactive and pass this bill to protect our children before it happens,” said Rep. John McCravy, R-Greenwood, a co-sponsor.

The bill also bans drugs that delay youth from starting puberty, as well as the prescribing of testosterone, estrogen or progesterone at levels above what girls or boys their age would otherwise produce — so-

called “cross-sex hormones.”

The Freedom Caucus amendment that got the biggest pushback would have required school administrators to immediately notify the parents of students who say they’re a different gender, ask to be called anything other than their legal name or ask to be addressed with a different pronoun.

Hiott, whose wife is a teacher, vehemently disagreed, saying that adds yet more unnecessary, unwanted burdens on teachers who just want to teach. Teachers are not mental health counselors, he said, and it shouldn’t be their job to diagnose students.

It’s a prime example, he said, of why teachers are abandoning the profession. Teachers should never have to worry about whether to report to their principal that children think they’re a different gender just because they ask to be addressed differently or wear something out of the ordinary, he said.

“I don’t want my wife ever, ever, ever deciding whether a child is a boy or a girl,” said the Pickens Republican.

Freedom Caucus members accused him of mischaracterizing the proposal.

“Do not follow the leader off the cliff,” Rep. Adam Morgan, R-Taylors, said to the Republicans in the chamber.

The bill does ban teachers from knowingly encouraging or coercing students to lie to their parents about their gender identity. However, as Democrats who unsuccessfully tried to remove that section pointed out, the bill provides no way to enforce that.

More than 20 states already have similar laws banning procedures for transgender youth, including neighboring Georgia and North Carolina, according to the Human Rights Commission.

Supporters of the bill say it protects confused children too young to understand what’s going on with their bodies from potentially irreversible changes.

“The reality is these avenues of care have consequences that cannot be reversed,” said Rep. R.J. May, R-Lexington.

Democrats countered that death

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is the truly irreversible change, as transgender youth already experience high levels of depression and anxiety and contemplate suicide.

The ban would exacerbate that, they argued.

“People will lose their lives,” said Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Hopkins.

McCravy and other Republicans countered that hormonal medications and transitioning can also cause mental health problems. The bill stipulates that it does not stop counseling or other help for children struggling emotionally.

“Nothing in the bill prevents legitimate mental health support,” McCravy said.

The bill would expand on existing law, passed as part of the budget debate in 2022, that bans the Medical University of South Carolina from using state funds on “furthering gender transition” for children under the age of 16. Within months of the directive taking effect, MUSC stopped hormonal treatments to transgender patients at its pediatric clinic.

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.

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JANUARY 25–31, 2024

STATE NEWS

Scott endorses Trump over Haley for president 2 months after dropping out of the presidential race, SC Senator endorses Trump instead governor who appointed him to the Senate

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott endorsed former President Donald Trump during a Friday night, Jan. 19 rally in New Hampshire, four days ahead of the state’s Republican primary.

The endorsement, first reported

by The New York Times, passes over former Gov. Nikki Haley, who appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate in December 2012.

Scott joins South Carolina’s senior senator, Lindsey Graham, as well as half of South Carolina’s six GOP U.S. House members in backing Trump over their former governor: Reps. Russell Fry of Horry County, Joe Wilson of Lexington County and William Timmons of Greenville County.

The only Republican congressman backing Haley instead is Ralph Norman of York County, who served in the state House when Haley was a legislator and governor. The other two GOP members of the delegation have yet to endorse anyone in the presidential contest.

“Interesting that Trump’s lining up with all the Washington insiders when he claimed he wanted to drain the swamp,” Haley said in a statement in response to the endorsement.

“But the fellas are gonna do what the fellas are gonna do,” she added.

After dropping out of the pres-

idential race in November, Scott stayed mum on who he might endorse, declining to choose a candidate during the Sen. Tim Fox News Channel Scott segment in which he dropped out of the race.

Scott’s name has been raised as a potential running mate for Trump.

During his own campaign, Scott never bashed Trump, unlike others in the contest. And the two worked together on legislation when Trump was in the White House.

That includes a 2017 law creating Opportunity Zones, touted as a way to revitalize low-income areas by offering tax breaks to businesses that invest in them. In his 2020 State of the Union address, Trump recognized Scott for starting the initiative, which Democrats have criticized as helping the well-connected more than the vulnerable.

During the same Fox News segment in which Scott announced the end of his campaign, he told the show’s host, former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy — a longtime friend — he didn’t want to be vice president. Still, Scott could change his mind, as politicians tend to do. Before becoming Trump’s United Nations ambassador, Haley said she intended to serve out her second term as governor.

Trump has led the 2024 GOP presidential pack from the outset.

On Monday, Jan. 15, he won Iowa by a mile, taking a historic, 30-percentage-point margin of victory over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Haley trailed 2 points behind him for third place.

Polls have shown Haley getting closer to Trump and DeSantis far behind in New Hampshire, where primary voters were to weigh in Tuesday. The Granite State’s governor, Chris Sununu, backs Haley.

But she’s still expected to place second there, before the crucial first-in-the-South primary in South Carolina on Feb. 24.

Other SC Republicans endorsing Trump Before withdrawing, DeSantis had bragged that he had more endorsements from legislators than Haley in her home state. But Trump has lined up more endorsements from past and present lawmakers than both of them combined.

They include Gov. Henry McMaster, who has backed Trump from the beginning. As lieutenant governor, McMaster was the first elected official to endorse Trump ahead of South Carolina’s presidential primary in 2016. A year later, Trump picked Haley as his first U.N. ambassador, allowing McMaster to ascend to a job he’d long wanted. His support for Trump has never wavered.

Trump was McMaster’s guest to the state’s biggest college rivalry game last November. Both briefly

walked on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia during halftime between the Gamecocks and Tigers, who won the game.

Donald Trump Other South Carolina Republicans backing Trump include House Speaker Murrell Smith, House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Treasurer Curtis Loftis, former Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, and former legislator and U.S. Attorney Peter McCoy. And it was Trump, not Haley, who last August headlined the South Carolina Republican Party’s annual Silver Elephant Dinner, the party’s premier fundraising event.

signed with four years left in his term, Scott became the only Black Republican in Congress and the South’s first Black Republican senator since Reconstruction.

At the time, Haley said appointing a trailblazer like Scott would show America it’s a new day in South Carolina.

Scott’s remained popular since, easily winning a special election to his Senate seat in 2014, and re-election in 2016 and 2022.

But the presidential campaign turned the allies into rivals.

In one heated exchange during the September debate in Simi Valley, California, Haley questioned why the national debt increased while Scott was in the Senate despite him saying he would cut down on government spending.

Scott shot back by accusing Haley of spending $50,000 on curAllies turned rivals tains while she was U.S. ambasHaley and Scott spent years as sador to the United Nations — a political allies. request made by President Barack They served together in the Obama’s administration and not South Carolina House for a sin- Haley personally. gle term after he won a seat from Charleston County in 2008 to Editor’s note: This article was become the first Black Republican updated after Scott’s announcein the Legislature since the Recon- ment to reflect that he did endorse struction era following the Civil Trump (rather than planned to) War. Two years later, he won a U.S. and to correct the years Scott was House seat representing the coast- re-elected to the U.S. Senate. al 1st District with a whopping 65% of the vote, and she won the Skylar Laird covers the South Carolina governor’s office.

Legislature and criminal justice issues. Originally When Haley picked Scott to from Missouri, she previously worked for The replace Sen. Jim DeMint, who rePost and Courier’s Columbia bureau.

Bill requires doctors to notify parents of their teens’ medications

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — Senators unanimously approved legislation requiring doctors in South Carolina to notify parents of medications prescribed to their children under the age of 16.

The bill, sent to the House on Thursday, Jan. 18, won support from the entire chamber with an amendment that addressed concerns raised during a hearing earlier this month, when doctors and pharmacists testified it could keep teens from getting the health care they need.

Changes proposed by the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Michael

Johnson, lowered the required notification age by two years — allowing teens with a driver’s license to drive themselves to the doctor and to the pharmacist to pick up their prescriptions — and exempted teens who may not have a parent to notify.

Specifically, it excludes children considered homeless under federal law, children in protective custody because their own family has abused or neglected them, and teen mothers who are themselves parents.

“The bill is simple: It guarantees parents the ability to view their child’s medical history and give consent for medication,” said Johnson,

R-Tega Cay. “My goal was to create a law that made it very clear to medical practitioners and doctors that it doesn’t matter what the law is in North Carolina or Georgia or wherever you’re from – parents should be able to know what medications their 12 or 13-yearold is taking,” he told the S.C. Daily Gazette.

The bill was the result of a policy by Atrium Health, a North Carolina-based health care system with pediatric health locations in the Rock Hill area.

After North Carolina passed a law giving teens the ability to consent to their own medical care, Atrium

Health required doctors to get permission from anyone over the age of 12 to share their medical history, including with parents.

Atrium Health repealed that policy late last year, renewing parents’ ability to access their children’s medical records without express permission.

Still, if the bill becomes law, it will ensure no other hospital system can put a similar policy in place, Johnson said.

“We think parents need to be part of the health care decisions of their children, and this codifies that belief,” he said.

The original version gave

heartburn to senators of both parties.

As filed, the bill also didn’t allow pharmacists to fill a minor’s prescription without consent, requiring teenagers to bring written permission from their parent or guardian to pick up their prescription.

Sen. Ronnie Cromer of Newberry County, the chamber’s only pharmacist, said that would’ve created a logistical nightmare. Requiring pharmacists to track down a teen’s parents, possibly needing the doctor’s help, before allowing a prescription pickup would add significantly to their workload, he said.

“The original bill would throw up all kinds of block-

ades and barricades to kids getting prescriptions,” said Cromer, R-Prosperity.

He said the changes cleared up his reservations.

They did for Democrats too.

The revised bill does little to change existing state law.

It essentially reaffirms that kids need their parents’ consent for medical treatment, said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.

“I don’t know that anybody’s truly opposed to that,” Hutto said.

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.

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

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

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 843295-0058.

Sharing Hearts Support Group 5:30 to 7 p.m., second Tuesday of every month, 2201 Boundary Street, Suite 208, Beaufort. Free. Come tell your 10-minute story of a life lesson or healing message using your own creative expression through a song, poetry, reading, art or verbal storytelling. Come away with an uplifting sense of support and connections or to just listen. Register by leaving a voicemail with name, phone and number of attendees at 843-525-6115 Slip and Splash Saturdays or send email to reneesutton@health10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, ierhealing.com. Notification will be Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin done of any location change due to Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 seat requirements.

Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on The Beaufort Shag Club our inflatable challenge track.

7 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road Port Royal. We Eric’s Karaoke Krew also host a Saturday evening dance 7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort the second Saturday of each month Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., from 7 to 10 p.m. Interested in learnBeaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. ing the Shag dance? Free lessons for Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak members beginning in September Night. through June. Visit our Facebook page; The Beaufort Shag Club.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie Karaoke with Melissa O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad with Eric.

River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud 9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday each Trivia with Mike – Fat Patties month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, 7:30 p.m., Every Wednesday, Fat Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Patties, 831 Parris Island Gateway, Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO StuBeaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win dents and other volunteers will read house cash prizes! For more informa- to young children, who are encourtion, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe. aged to bring their favorite stuffed animals.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Ros- Karaoke with Melissa ie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th SatSuite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke urdays of every month, Peaceful Henwith either Parker or Eric. ry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Rd, BluffTrivia with Mike – 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.

ton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

HISTORY

Solutions, as they provide clarity on what steps you can take as an employee to ensure that your taxes are correct each year. Light refreshments served. Registration encouraged. Call 843-255-6479 or stop by to sign-up.

Basic Computer Skills Class 11:30 a.m., every other Friday (Jan. 26, Feb. 9, 23), Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway. Personalized computer classes led by SC Works for job seekers, beginners, or those looking to refresh their skills.

For more information, call 843-2556479 or stop by for more informa- Every Child Will Have A Home tion.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 31, St. Gregory The Great Catholic Church, MEETINGS Parish Life Center, 31 Saint Gregory Drive, Bluffton. Evolution Big Band Beaufort Sportfishing and Panney Lynn Smith. Doors open and Diving Club 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 8, Beaufort at 6 p.m. Delicious desserts and Yacht and Sailing Club, Meridian non-alcoholic bevereges. Tickets are Road, Lady’s Island. The social be- $40 at the door. gins at 6:30 p.m. Local guide Captain Neil Kendrick of Carolina Tail Charters, will discuss Sheepshead.

He will present rods and reels, various rigs and sure techniques for hooking. This will also include the proper use of mussels and frozen blue crab when fiddlers are not available. Beaufort Boat & Dock Supply, Butler Marine, The Archurch Group and Danny Walsh again are our drawing sponsors. Congratulations to Debra Norwood for winning the last monthly $50 drawing. Winners must be present at the next month’s meeting to receive the cash award.

Guests are welcome. Reservations are not needed. For additional information, please contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843-521-7340 or email fgibson@islc.net.

JANUARY 25–31, 2024

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 Beaufort Republican Women’s Club Keeper Ted and his team. For more 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, Car- information call the Hunting Island olina Room, Dataw Island Club, 121 Nature Center at 843-838-7437. The Dataw Drive, St. Helena Island. The next Tuesday is August 1. club will hold its annual membership drive luncheon. The buffet luncheon SEWING/QUILTING is $40 per person. To reserve a seat or seats, please mail checks to American Needlepoint BRWC, P. O. Box 1835, Beaufort, S.C. Guild Meeting 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1st Tuesday 29901 by January 27. For additioneach month. The Hilton Head Chapal information, call Kathy Stanton at ter of the American Needlepoint 843-838-4974.

Guild welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is inZonta Club of Beaufort 6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, terested in needlepoint to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship.

Smokehouse, Port Royal.

For more information, please contact us at hiltonheadislandchapter@ Beaufort Rotary Club Noon, Wednesdays, Sea Island needlepoint.org.

Friends of Fort Fremont Meeting, Lecture 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street. The Public is invited. A short business meeting will be followed by a special Eric’s Karaoke Krew 7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, presentation by James Shinn, “Amer1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. icans and ‘Free Cuba:’ The Pre-his- Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. tory of the Spanish-American War.” 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island.

Catered buffet lunch, followed by a www.fortfremont.org Dinner will be available. guest speaker. Prospective members welcome. For further information Beaufort History Museum Bluffton Night Bazaar – and upcoming speakers, please visat the Arsenal a Lowcountry Made Market 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through it website www.beaufortrotaryclub.

5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, org.

Bluffton Road. A highly curated se- 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Adlection of accessories, clothing, mission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, The Beaufort Trailblazers – home goods, custom gifts and more Active Duty Military and College A Volunteer Group 8 a.m., first Thursday each month, Students with ID $5. Children/Teens by local artists and makers. younger than 18 Free. Explore and Herban Marketplace, Beaufort. Anyexperience more than 500 years of one interested in supporting or Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes off-road/dirt/wilderness 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cy- Beaufort History with knowledge- building mountain biking/jogging/walking able docent guided tours. press Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to trails near is encouraged to attend.

10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon For more information, call 843-575The Historic Port Royal Museum Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a col0021 or email universitybicycles@ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, lective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and do- Thursdays through Sundays, The hotmail.com. nation-based events with proceeds Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 being donated locally on a rotating Paris Ave. The museum features the Emotions Anonymous International turn-of-the-century businesses and local group meeting basis.

4 p.m, Thursdays, via Zoom. Emoindustries of Port Royal: Shrimping, tions Anonymous International, (EAI), crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the TECHconnect is a nonprofit program designed to school and the mercantile.

Great gifts 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 3rd Thursday of help people with emotional difficulfeaturing local artists are available. each month, Beaufort Digital Corties.

It has a chapter in the Lowcountry For more information. visit www.porridor, 500 Carteret Street, Suite D, and members want others who feel troyalhistory.org, email historicporBeaufort. Free. The BDC's signature the need to know they are welcome troyalfoundation@gmail.com or call happy hour “meetup” networking to participate.

There is no charge to 843-524-4333. event for tech professionals. Connect participate.

They are based on the 12 with like-minded people, fellow ensteps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Tour Historic Fort Fremont trepreneurs, start-ups and VCs over Dawn to dusk, Monday through Anonymous and follow a specific forlocal food and cold beverages. Call Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, mat designed to provide the support 843-470-3506 or visit https://rb.gy/ 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Is- and tools for navigating life’s painful e7t2h for more information. land. Free and open to the public. difficulties. All are welcome. Anyone The History Center is open Fridays interested in participating may conEric’s Karaoke Krew 9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays tact the group via email at EALow3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. En- from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays country@gmail.com or call or text from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn Laurie at 252- 917-7082. For more injoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan. about the fort’s history during the formation on EAI visit www.emotionSpanish-American War through in- sanonymous.org.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew terpretive signs, self-guided walking 9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, tours with a smart phone, exhibits in Rotary Club of the Lowcountry 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beauthe history center, and docent-led 7:30 a.m., Fridays, Sea Island Presfort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker. tours. For more information vis- byterian Church, Sea Island Parkit www.fortfremont.org or contact way, Lady’s Island. A light breakfast Karaoke with Melissa Passive Parks Manager Stefanie is provided before the program. For 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net. further information and upcoming Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Dr, Bluffspeakers, please visit our website ton. Enjoy food and drinks during Kaat www.lowcountryrotary.org or LIBRARY ACTIVITIES raoke with Melissa. contact our President, Bob Bible at Where’s My Money: An Interactive reconmc@aol.com or 843-252-8535.

Tax & Finance Workshop Highway 21 Flea Market 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every Saturday MUSIC and Sunday, Highway 21 Drive-In. Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Sellers, vendors, handmade items, Parkway. Receive expert guidance Beaufort Drum Circle 6:30 p.m, Saturday, Jan. 27, Susan unique products and yard sale items. from a credentialed tax professionFor information, email lowcountry- al/Enrolled Agent and certified fi- Stone's Studio (The Arts Port Roynancial planner from Pearling Tax al), 1404 Paris Avenue. Lots of free fleamarket@gmail.com.

B8

parking on the street. Enter at the "ARTS" logo and go upstairs to her studio. The studio, itself, is warm and cozy and is a delightful venue for our meetings this winter. While there, explore the various classes in art, music, yoga and others that are offered. All are welcome. It is family friendly. It is free. No percussion or music experience necessary. Some extra percussion instruments for attendees to borrow. No need to bring a chair as many are available. We plan to return to the Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort in March.

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.

Maye River Quilters 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 3, Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. To attend as a guest, RSVP to mayeriverquilters@ gmail.com. For more information or a membership form, call 987-4640585.

Stitch In Public Day 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 3, Bluffton Branch of the Beaufort Country Library. Lowcountry Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America will hold “Stitch in Public Day.” Anyone interested in any type of embroidery (including needlepoint, cross-stitch, surface and beaded embroidery, hardanger, bargello, sashiko, etc.) is welcome to come see our work, and learn about the art of embroidery and about our group. We will have materials available if you would like to try a little embroidery.

SPORTS/GAMES ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret St. United Methodist Church. Games and events will be held weekly. Director Gene Ogden.

Contact Jane Simpson 803-2263491.

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.

LOCAL MILITARY

Retiring of the Wreaths

Many of the Christmas wreaths gathered up during Saturday’s Retiring of the Wreaths were decorated with items making them more personal to friends and family members. There were so many volunteers helping that the wreaths, originally placed on the interments at the Beaufort National Cemetery on Wreaths Across America Day in December, were gathered up in about 20 minutes. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

L

Tracy Nar and Michelle Krezek add their wreathes onto one of many piles during the Retiring of the Wreaths on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Beaufort National Cemetery. Hundreds of volunteers converged on the cemetery to retire the wreaths recently placed on each headstone during Wreaths Across America Day in December. It took only 20 minutes for the volunteers to remove the wreaths, which will be recycled. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Veterans’ family may be eligible for VA healthcare continued

ast week’s article for The Island News introduced three types of VA healthcare programs and a DOD healthcare program for spouses, dependents, and family caregivers. That article provided an overview of the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE Program, The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), The VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), and The VA Camp Lejeune Family Member Program.

Last week’s column also encouraged veterans and their family members to read the information at https://bit.ly/3O0GBhl and https://bit.ly/3JgMCoa.

LARRY DANDRIDGE

for. Those three programs include:

1. The Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program (SBHCBP): If you are the biological child of a Korean or Vietnam War Veteran and you have been diagnosed with spina bifida, you may qualify for disability benefits, including health care benefits. Find out if you qualify for the SBHCBP Program at the VA’s Community Care SBHCP webpage Veteran Service Officers https://bit.ly/3HseZ0X. (VSOs) On the VA’s Community Last week’s article recomCare SBHCP webpage, you mended that veterans and can find detailed answers to their family members use • How to file a claim for their local Veterans Service Spina Bifida healthcare Officer (VSO) or a VA-acbenefits? credited Attorney or Claims • How SBHCBP Program Agent to help them apply for satisfy the minimal VA benefits. Because VSO essential coverage services are free, your local requirements of the Veterans Service Officer Affordable Care Act? or County Veteran Affairs • What other resources Office is the best place to (guide, brochure, policy learn what your state and manual, fact sheet, federal veterans’ benefits are provider locator, and SB and how to apply for those Association website) benefits. Attorneys are usuare available? ally only needed in the most • What are the phone complicated cases where an numbers for SB healthinitial claim has been denied care general informaby the VA. tion, eligibility, and preauthorization?

This article will cover • How to use ASK CA three more important and (AVA)? valuable VA healthcare ben• What are the pharmacy efits that a veteran’s family benefits? member may be eligible

2. The Children of Women Vietnam Veterans (CWVV) Health Care Benefits Program: If you’re the biological child of a “Woman Vietnam War Veteran” and you have been diagnosed with certain birth defects, you may qualify for VA health care benefits.

These benefits may help pay for services needed to treat your covered birth defect and related medical conditions. Find out if you qualify for the CWVV Health Care Benefits Program and how to apply at the VA’s Community Care CWVV webpage https://bit. ly/47PXh1Y. CWVV is limited in scope. The CWVV Health Care Benefits Program is not a comprehensive health care plan and only covers those services necessary for the treatment of a covered birth defect and associated medical conditions. It does not cover care that is unrelated to a covered birth defect. The VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care (IVC) manages the CWVV Health Care Benefits Program, including the authorization of medical benefits and the subsequent processing and payment of claims.

Benefits Administration (VBA) are eligible for the program.

Enrollment To enroll in the CWVV Health Care Benefits Program, eligibility must first be established for a monetary award under the VBA. The Denver VA Regional Office determines that entitlement. You must mail a completed Application for Benefits For Certain Children of Vietnam Veterans With Disabilities, VA Form 21-0304 found at https:// bit.ly/3U6gJED, along with medical evidence to the VA Regional Office, Veterans Service Center, listed on the form. Once eligibility is determined, enrollment in the CWVV Health Care Benefits Program is automatic.

CWVV Contacts and Other Resources The VA’s Community Care CWVV webpage provides the answers to: • What other CWVV resources (guide, brochure, policy manual, fact sheets, provider locator, and VBA Compensation for special birth defects) are available?

• What are the phone numbers for CWVV healthcare general CWVV Eligibility information, eligibility Children whose biological application, and preaumother is a Vietnam Veteran thorization? and who were conceived • What is the VHA Office after the date the veteran of Veteran Care CWVV entered the Republic of VietProgram mailing nam (period beginning Feb. address?

28, 1961, and ending May 7, 1975), and who have one of 3. Pharmacy benefits: If the covered birth defects as determined by the Veterans you qualify for CHAMP-

EDITOR’S NOTE This article is the second in a series of two.

VA or the Spina Bifida or Children of Women Vietnam Veterans (CWVV) programs, you can get prescription benefits through your local retail pharmacy or the VA’s Meds by Mail program. However, prescription medication must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must not be used in conjunction with any experimental program.

Learn more about pharmacy benefits at the VA’s Community Care Pharmacy Benefits webpage https:// bit.ly/3vLK6lo.

VA’s Community Care Pharmacy Benefits webpage covers detailed information on: • Information and Fact Sheets for CHAMPVA, Spina Bifida, and CWVV beneficiaries.

• Using the VA’s CHAMPVA, Spina Bifida, and Primary Faily Caregivers, or Children of Women Vietnam Veterans Meds by Mail (MbM), East and West Centers, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), contacts, other resources, and key phone numbers.

• Using Medications by Mail VA Form 100426, which is downloadable at https:// bit.ly/47KiL0q. Learn more at https://bit. ly/47LHpNS. • Using a local pharmacy and Optum RX (see https://bit.ly/42bvIPp

and https://bit.ly/3vSiA5E).

• The phone numbers for Meds by Mail EAST and WEST, Office of Integrated Veteran Care, and the Automated Prescription Refill Line.

• More resources (brochure, form, fact sheet, and guide).

Caution VA benefits are complicated. Filing for VA benefits is complicated. Appealing VA denials of claims for benefits can be even more complicated. The above information is a summary only. Veterans and their family members should read all of the information on the referenced web pages in this series of two articles. They should also read all of the resources (and linked web pages) on the web pages referenced in these articles.

Most importantly, veterans and their spouses, dependents, and family caregivers should ask a VSO and the VA for help understanding their veterans’ benefits and how to apply for their federal and state benefits.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel.

He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing freelance writer with The Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.

Wreaths Across America has new theme for 2024

From staff reports Wreaths Across America (WAA), the national nonprofit whose year-long mission is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach our children the value of freedom, proudly announces its theme for 2024: “Live with Purpose.”

Each year, millions of volunteers and patriots gather in local, state, and national cemeteries across all 50 states and abroad to pay tribute to our nation’s service members and their families. This year’s theme, “Live with Purpose,” draws inspiration from the remarkable stories of these volunteers whose impactful work in their commu-

nities is a beacon of inspiration for all.

Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America, shared her thoughts on why this theme is so important.

“Over the course of the last year, and then especially on the escort to Arlington last December, I listened to people who had gone through great adversity, and they'd taken that adversity and turned it around as a call to action to spend the rest of their lives making sure that every day was meaningful and that they lived with purpose,” said Worcester. “For me, to live with purpose is a mindset.”

As part of this year’s theme, WAA will be sharing a monthly video series and corresponding lesson plans starting in February that speak to the 10 bouquets that make up a veteran’s wreath – these are the 10 attributes or

characteristics that WAA believes define our nation’s service members – a symbol of honor, respect and victory.

In 2023, more than three million sponsored veterans’ wreaths were placed by volunteers on headstones at 4,225 participating locations worldwide. Wreaths Across America volunteers tirelessly work year-round to Remember, Honor, and Teach, with each name spoken out loud in grateful acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by our veterans for our freedoms.

Follow the impactful stories of those volunteers and supporters living with purpose throughout the year using the hashtag #LiveWith-

Purpose and tune in to Wreaths Across America Radio, available on the iHeart Radio app, TuneIn, and the Audacy app, or listen at www. wreathsacrossamerica.org/radio.

This year, National Wreaths Across America Day will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14. This is a free event open to all, and the organization encourages community members to participate by volunteering locally or sponsoring a wreath for an American hero.

For more information, visit www. wreathsacrossamerica.org. To learn more, go to https://bit.ly/3U6SLcp. To sponsor a wreath for Beaufort National Cemetery, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org/GA0175P. JANUARY 25–31, 2024

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CLASSIFIEDS & GAMES

THURSDAY’S CARTOON Read with caution; not necessarily the opinions of the editorial staff.

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There’s Got to Be More Than This!

We desire more than the world can give.

Tom Brady gave a famous interview in 2005.

After winning his third Superbowl, the famous quarterback shared something surprising about his life. On 60 Minutes, he wondered aloud, “Why do I have three Superbowl rings, and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, you’ve reached your dream, your goal.’ Me, I think, there’s got to be more than this.”

Isn’t Tom’s experience like our own?

Like Tom, we can have everything that we imagine would make us happy, and yet we can feel, “Is this all there is?” There is a restlessness, a yearning, which still remains unsatisfied.

Whatever worldly goals we accomplish, whatever possessions we acquire, there is still something missing. As one author has pointed out, we can never get enough of what we don’t really need.

Reasons for Joy Message 2 of 8

There is joy in finding the desire of our hearts.

Imagine how frustrating it would be if, desperate for a drink of water, every faucet we tried would only dribble a few drops of water into our glass. And imagine how overjoyed we would be to discover a waterfall, cold and pure, in which our glass could be filled to overflowing! This is the joy we experience as Christians as we stop trying to find fulfillment in the world alone, and instead begin to encounter God in a personal way.

Our hearts are restless until they rest in God. We were created by God out of love, and our hearts were created to receive his infinite love. This is why even the love of a spouse cannot completely fill our hearts, because it is still a finite love.

But as we begin to encounter God, we encounter the one our hearts were longing for all along. As one early Christian famously observed, our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Why not try a different way?

Within yourself, do you recognize some of the same questions asked by Tom Brady? Many times, we drown out our uneasiness with constant noise and distraction. In quiet reflection, though, we can recognize the pattern of trying one broken faucet after another. Why not give God a chance to show that he is the one you have been searching for?

Next Week The Adventure of a Lifetime 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort • 843-522-9555 • www.stpetersbeaufort.org • office@stpetersbeaufort.org