Celebrating 5 years in Beaufort!
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Our thank you to our amazing customers!
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Treats from our Sweet Tea Bar, party favors for grownups and kiddos
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JULY 25 - 31, 2019 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Sunday morning blaze causes smoke and fire damage to local business By Mindy Lucas An early morning fire at a downtown Beaufort business on Sunday, July 22, caused heavy smoke and fire damage to the front of the building where the business is housed. Fire crews from the City of Beaufort/ Town of Port Royal
Fire Department and the Burton Fire District responded to the fire at Charles Street Realty, on the 900 block of Charles Street, at around 7:30 a.m. Sunday. First responders arriving on the scene found heavy smoke and fire coming from the front
were no injuries reported from the incident, the release stated. Investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were called to the scene since the building is a commercial property, said Ross Vezin,
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There was heavy smoke and fire damage to Charles Street Realty’s downtown Beaufort office after a fire early Sunday morning.
64TH BEAUFORT WATER FESTIVAL
Task force that violated FOIA laws not on council agenda By Mindy Lucas The newly formed Communications and Transparency Task Force was not on the Beaufort County Council meeting agenda for public discussion on Monday, July 22. Though he could not say whether the item would be added to the next regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 26, Council Chairman Stu Rodman said that plans were “in the works” to add it for a future meeting. County officials had previously stated the formation of the board was in violation of state FOIA laws, or laws that relate to the Freedom of Information Act. This came after a press release issued by Councilman Mike Covert’s office on July 9, announced the creation of the “Communications and Transparency Task Force.” Contacted about the misstep last week, Rodman said he planned to follow the advice of the county administrator and county’s legal department and “take it up” at the July 22 meeting. “…Whatever we have to do to make it happen legally, we’ll do it,” he said on July 15. “We want to do it the right way.”
porch and front door of the business. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in 30 minutes, according to a news release from the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department. No one was in the building at the time of the fire, and there
UNTIL NEXT YEAR
Father Andrew Trapp, priest at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Lady’s Island, blesses the iconic shrimp trawler Gracie Belle during the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony Sunday afternoon along the sea wall of Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. This year, there were only about a dozen boats entered in the annual event. Photos by Bob Sofaly.
W
ith the Parade of Boats, the Blessing of the Fleet and the ceremonial tossing of the wreath, the 2019 Beaufort Water Festival came to a close on Sunday in the Beaufort River. Unlike 2018, this INSIDE year’s event enjoyed More coverage of the 64 Beaufort good weather and great Water Festival, A4 crowds. The Water Festival will return next year, in its 65th incarnation, with Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputy Erin Morris as the commodore. Until then… th
2019 Water Festival Commodore Brian Patrick tosses the traditional wreath into the Beaufort River in remembrance of all those who perished in Beaufort waters this year. The ceremony was part of the Blessing of the Fleet which marks the official end of the annual Beaufort Water Festival.
Local pilot lands vintage plane on Cat Island By Bob Sofaly As the old saying goes, any landing you can walk away from is a good one. Mike Rainey of Beaufort proved it to be accurate. Rainey’s 1943 De Havilland Tiger Moth suffered a damaged propeller during a Thursday afternoon flight around Beaufort and he land-
ed on Cat Island’s golf course. A foot-long piece of the outer edge of the 72-inch laminated prop splintered off; “it started to really vibrate” he said. Rainey said a most pilots are always looking for a place to land during a flight for that “just in case” scenario. “I probably could have made to Beaufort County Airport on
Lady’s Island. But I decided to be safe and put down on the 18th fairway of Cat Island golf course,” he said. “It was really vibrating.” Rainey, a 20-year veteran Marine Corps fighter pilot, said the old plane was made to take off and land in grassy fields. “It was not a problem,” he
said. “I circled around (the fairways) and saw only an alligator and deer near the green. I came in, landed, and must have scared them off.” Rainey said he would put a cover over the cockpit in case of thunderstorms. “I have another prop at home. I’ll go get it, swap props and take off in an hour.”
Left: Mike Rainey secures his 1943 De Havilland Tiger Moth after landing on the Cat Island golf course. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
WATER FESTIVAL WRAP UP
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Community celebrates 64 years of annual weekend event.
Beaufort's Hardie set to compete in CrossFit games.
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INSIDE Lowcountry Life From the Front Water Festival News Sports Schools
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Legal Notices Voices Food Directory Classifieds Games
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