March 23 edition

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Sometimes message is missed when coming from bully pulpit

BEAUFORT

Two of Beaufort’s top government leaders took to their bully pulpits last week to vent their frustrations.

First, County Administrator Eric Greenway used his time at the podium to complain about press accounts of the recent settlement with Bay Point developers. He contended the account incorrectly gave credit to the Gullah-Geechee Fishing Association, the Coastal Conservation League and the S.C. Environmental Law Project for the action.

Greenway told his bosses, the County Council; in fact, it was he and the county legal team that convinced the developers to drop their appeal.

But he also complained, at a prior committee meeting, that the County Planning Commission’s citizen members aren’t interpreting their role as advisors to the Council correctly.. According to Greenway, the commissioners — who are appointed by County Council — are using their personal opinions too often and listening to the public who doesn’t always know the facts.

Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray, the next day, after opening the meeting by saying to his council, “let’s do some democracy,” used his time in the pulpit to lambaste the Historic Beaufort Foundation and its Director Cynthia Jenkins. His remarks echoed complaints made earlier in the meeting by 303 Associates co-CEOs Jonathan Sullivan and Courtney Worrell and retired CEO Dick Stewart.

Murray, who at one point confessed his remarks might be “petty,” continued his tirade against Jenkins and the HBF

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‘It all just feels so hypocritical’

Beaufort County students lost access to 97 books — they want them back

By Sara Gregory sgregory@postandcourier.com

BEAUFORT

Madelyn Confare was in her AP English Literature class the first time she heard about the 97 books some adults wanted out of her school district’s libraries. Her classmates at Beaufort High School passed around the list, pointing out ones they had each read. Many saw favorites cataloged, books they gushed over and couldn’t stop

WANT

talking about. One of them, Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” was assigned reading in another class. Confare was outraged but also baffled. Why remove books that

students want to read?

Confare is a bookworm. Two tall shelves in her bedroom are filled, and they don’t even hold all her books. But for most of her 17 years, reading has simply been a pleasant hobby, a way to disappear into fantasy worlds and learn about people whose lives are nothing like her own.

Then, two adults made a list of books that touched on issues of race, gender and sexual identity,

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3rd book removed from Beaufort County schools

Committees return 9 of 10 of latest batch of books to shelves

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

A third book — The Haters by Jesse Andrews — has been removed from the shelves of the Beaufort County School District in its entirety as 10 more book committees met Wednesday, March 15 at Okatie Elementary School to review books currently under review by the Beaufort

County School District.

The Haters, joins two other books — Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, removed in February, and It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, removed in January, that will be kept out of the Beaufort County School District for at least the next five years.

Committees have now reviewed 36 of the 97 books un-

der review, returning 33 to the shelves in some fashion.

Here’s how Committees 27 through 36 ruled on the books they reviewed:

No. 27: The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein, return to library circulation.

No. 28: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, return to library cir -

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LOLITA HUCKABY

Millie Bennett, president of Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization, answers questions for the Beaufort High School student-run organization during a meeting in Columbia in February. John A. Carlos II/Special to The Post and Courier

This Heron temporarily left the ponds and marshes around Dataw Island and was rewarded with a meal in Mark Pritchard’s front yard.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 DICK MARTIN

Dick Martin

Beaufort’s Dick Martin, 73, joined the United States Marine Corps in Charleston in 1969. After boot camp at Parris Island, he trained in avionics before being assigned to a unit at MCAS Beaufort. During that tour he deployed aboard USS America (CV-66) to the Western Pacific and Vietnam. He serviced F-4

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Protecting our children

The No. 1 cause of death among children in the United States is gun violence. It pains me to even write this. This has surpassed deaths by cancer, other diseases, auto accidents and other accidental deaths. The U.S. is No. 1 among all countries in this cause of death. This is verified by the CDC, JAMA board of psychiatry, and the Annals of Internal Medicine.

It appears that this should be the most preventable cause of death. Not so. Our S.C. House of Representatives has promoted a bill to increase access to guns with virtually no accountability. No permit or training required, and open carry of weapons in our community will now be emboldened. Hopefully the senate will reject this bill. Their rational is “This will open up options for families to protect-themselves without permit.” Statistics prove otherwise regarding increased deaths by accidents, suicides and homicides when guns are in the home. This is not to disparage the majority of individuals who responsibly own firearms in the home for protection or recreational activities. This is not a second amendment issue. It is an important health issue affecting our children.

This bill however gives license to

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culation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

No. 29: The Female Of The Species by Mindy McGinnis, return to library circulation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

No. 30: The Haters by Jesse Andrews, remove the challenged

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Editor-in-Chief Mike McCombs theislandnews@ gmail.com

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Phantoms for missions over Vietnam. He separated from the active force in 1973 and continued with the USMC Reserves for nine more years, earning the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. After active duty, he joined Gulf Stream Aerojet in Savannah, taking assignments with them in Germany and Washington, D.C., servicing

irresponsible or uneducated gun ownership, no permit or training required. It also lowers the age of permit-less open carry from the age of 21 to 18. It is no accident that auto insurance premiums are much higher for ages 18 to 21. They are aware of poor impulse control among this age group.

Yes, the leading cause of death among children in this country is by gun violence.

Our representatives are all about protecting our children. Their priorities appear to be more about banning books and the restriction of teaching facts from our national history which could make their children feel uncomfortable, at the cost of critical thinking skills.

Elections have consequences.

– Charlie Nutting, Beaufort

In reference to Nazis

In a recent letter to the Editor a writer has determined that anyone who challenges the books available in our school libraries is a book burning Nazi. Where are the pyres topped with books being set aflame? What helpless countries are under a deadly Blitz? What Race is suffering genocide at the hands of those who question the content of taxpayer provided books.

material in its entirety.

No. 31: The Upside Of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli, return to library circulation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

No. 32: The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins, return to library circulation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

No. 33: This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, return to library circulation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

Cat of the Week: Cali is a chunk of love. This big girl loves to spend her time snuggling up or playing with visitors in her cat room. She loves visitors of all ages who visit Room 7 and would not mind a home with another animal. She sleeps hard, plays hard, and loves even harder. Cali is 6 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force. He spent 39 years with Gulf Stream before retiring. He moved to Beaufort in 2021.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 9. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com

In today’s world if one disagrees with the Left one is accused of being a Nazi or a Racist. Nazi sympathizers and Racists are despicable. They should be confronted and condemned.

When those words are used (by a group) to describe anyone that disagree with (that group’s) views, (that group is) lying to (itself). The true meaning of a Nazi or Racist should never be diluted.

Another letter writer bemoans the lack of Government regulation of our industries and commerce. I am old enough to remember when we had one phone company. Railroads, trucking, and airlines were all under strict government control. I prefer free enterprise and the lower costs resulting from competition. Regulations to protect the environment and worker safety should be adequate and enforced. Our economy should not be strangled with Federal, State, and local restrictions.

I am reminded of two quotes that say how I feel much better than I can describe on my own. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” Tacitus, a Roman politician and historian said “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.”

– L.Vinny Francese. Beaufort

Accounting April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping. com

Billing questions only.

CONTACT US PO Box 550 Beaufort, SC 29901 TheIslandNews@gmail.com www.YourIslandNews.com facebook.com/TheIslandNews

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For press releases and advertising, please submit by noon on Friday for the following week’s paper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

No. 34: Tilt by Ellen Hopkins, return to library circulation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

No. 35: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, return to library circulation for Grades 6 through 12 only.

No. 36: Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi, return to library circulation for Grades 9 through 12 only.

According to the district’s release, the original complainants —

Mike Covert and/or Ivie Szalai — were notified March 15 of the decisions by the committees. The original complainant has seven days after notification of the initial decision to appeal to the Board of Education. The Board would then have 15 days to rule on any appeals.

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

Dog of the Week: Wonder is looking for his seeing-eye-human. He is new to our adoption center and is completely blind. He is searching for a long term foster or adopter who has experience with training a blind dog. He is still very much a puppy and learning his manners, so he needs someone who is experienced to help him grow. Wonder is 3 months old, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Cali, Wonder or any of our other pets, call our adoption center at 843-645-1725 or email us at info@ palmettoanimalleague. org to find out more information.

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

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.

DANCING WITH OUR STARS

From staff reports

Dancing With Our Stars 2023 was a huge success, raising more than $300,000 for CAPA of Beaufort.

Here are this year’s winners:

Judges’ Choice: Team 3 – Code Funk, Russell Baxley and Caroline Fonseca

People’s Choice: Team 7 – We are Family, Rafael “Stoney” Londono and Bri West

Kids’ Choice: Team 2 – Bankin’ on Two, Robin Angelo and Shykeem Gardner

Alumni Choice: Team 10 – Party

Rock, Charles Wersler and Ashtin Bellamy

Best Costume: Team 8 – Signed

Sealed Delivered, Annie Powell and Rashad Gadson

Best Choreography: Team 5 – Two Tappin’ Teachers, Marianne Blake and Lisa Ten Eyck

Next year’s event will be held March 16, 2024.

City Council urges passage of hate crimes legislation

From staff reports

At its Regular Meeting on March 14, Beaufort City Council approved a resolution to support the passage of H. 3014, Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act. This legislation was approved by

the South Carolina House on March 8 and has been referred to the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee. The legislation is named after the late State Sen. Pinckney, who was killed in June 2015 by an avowed

white supremacist. At the time, Sen. Pinckney was leading a Bible study at the church he pastored, Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston. Eight other members of the church were also slain by the gunman.

Pinckney was born in Beaufort, and represented parts of it during his legislative career.

The hate crimes legislation would add enhance penalties for violent crimes where the victim was tar-

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geted because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality.

South Carolina and Wyoming are the only states without a hate crime law on the books.

“We urge the State Senate

to act quickly on this bill, and make it the law,” said Mayor Stephen Murray. “It’s past time for South Carolina to stand up against hate crimes, and for the safety and welfare of its residents and businesses.”

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Dancing With Our Stars Team 3, Caroline Fonseca and Russell Baxley, wows the crowd with their high energy ball room dancing Saturday night, March 18, at USC Beaufort Center for the Arts. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

High kicking it during the annual Dancing With Our Stars are Jenny Mullen and Amy Arias. The duo got a rousing applause following their routine during the annual CAPA fundraiser Saturday night at USC Beaufort Center for the Arts.

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books that dealt with those topics in ways the grownups felt weren’t appropriate for students, and they petitioned district officials to pull them from Confare’s school library.

The senior now finds herself part of a band of Beaufort teenagers who are indignant over the adults’ efforts to keep books out of their hands. They’ve become fixtures at school board meetings, patiently waiting their turn for three minutes at the microphone to plead for their right to read.

“It’s quite frustrating to have parents who want these book bans in place to say they are concerned for their children, and that they’re prioritizing children,” Confare said. “But here I am. And here are my peers at a school board meeting, and we are the students affected by this and we are speaking out against it. It all just feels so hypocritical.”

People objected to books in more than a dozen school districts across South Carolina last year. Beaufort County saw the most challenges of any. The complaints came from a former County Council member from Bluffton and a Seabrook mom with two sons, one of whom attends school in the district. They compiled their lists by cross-referencing the district’s library catalogs with a book-rating website created by a Florida member of Moms for Liberty, a fast-growing conservative group that advocates for what it calls parental rights in schools. The mom said there were parents who would go to the police if the books weren’t removed immediately.

By late October, Superintendent Frank Rodriguez ordered that the books be removed from library shelves pending review.

Ivie Szalai, the Seabrook mom, declined an interview for this story, saying she has been harassed.

Those objecting to the books have framed their fight as one against pornography, obscenity and discrimination. The targeted books are primarily ones that center stories about race and sexual identity, something Mike Covert, a Bluffton businessman and former County Council member, said is coincidental but which is an argument the books’ supporters view suspiciously. Covert said he read all 97 books that comprise his list in about six weeks and didn’t find much educational value in them.

“It’s some of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Covert read passages that he thought denigrated women and glorified rape, child abuse and human trafficking. Other books, like Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” about a school shooting, read to him like a how-to guide.

Many of the titles the pair flagged are facing similar challenges across the country, the result of what free expression defense group PEN America attributed to increased networking and coordination by local conservative political and advocacy groups, including Moms for Liberty.

Those who want the books to stay on shelves are also organized. Advocates launched a statewide Freedom to Read coalition last fall, and the South Carolina Center for Community Literacy at the University of South Carolina recently

unveiled its own guide to fighting bans.

But from both camps, it’s mostly adults talking — and sometimes yelling — at one another.

As the debate rages and review committees wrestle over whether to return the 97 books to shelves, adults are making decisions about what’s best for students without their input. Confare and other Beaufort teens want that to change.

Finding their voice

Besides a love of books, Confare and the other Beaufort teens speaking out now have one thing in common: They’re all part of the Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization.

The group started as an after-school club at Beaufort High in 2020.

Battery Creek High School and Beaufort Academy, a private school, also have chapters with students who are protesting the book removals.

It was a book club first. The teens pick works written by authors from diverse backgrounds or books with characters from underrepresented groups. They’re currently reading Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” chosen after they saw it on the list of challenged books.

The teens like reading about people who are different from themselves. They see it as a way to broaden their understanding of life beyond Beaufort County, which is 79 percent White by the latest census count and which voted for former President Donald Trump by 55 percent in 2020.

“You’re in a small town and you don’t see a lot of people who aren’t sort of absorbed in the homogeneity of it,” said Pete Cooper, a senior at Beaufort Academy who joined last fall. “These books, these stories, are the closest we can get to understanding someone else’s inner life.”

Seeing the list was what triggered the turn from book club to advocacy. Confare and classmate Millie Bennett couldn’t stop talking about it after their AP class and brought it up with another friend in the group, Elizabeth Foster, who also goes to Beaufort Academy. Even though the private school wasn’t facing bans, Foster worried about the repercussions if her friends and other students in public schools couldn’t access books. She also figured that the efforts to remove the books permanently were part of a larger campaign and that other restrictions would follow if it was successful.

“This is such a proxy war for something so much bigger because it’s just not even conceivable that people are actually thinking that books are doing this much harm,” Foster said.

The three girls pitched other book club members on the idea of speaking out, and that’s how the teens found themselves writing letters and speeches for board meetings that they rehearse in advance to make sure it fits the allowed time.

“We needed to get our voices out there,” Bennett said. “We needed to give a student perspective to counter the voices of people who oppose the books.”

After months of listening to the other side’s arguments, the students said they still don’t understand why adults wouldn’t want them to have the experience of reading books that have helped them understand the lives of people different from them.

“We’re at an age where we’re supposed to be learning and connecting,”

Bennett said. “The books are a way for us to understand each other and learn about each other.”

Teens are less sheltered than many adults want to acknowledge, Foster said.

“Banning books with sex will not stop teenagers from having sex, it never has,” she said.

Instead, students will just go to less reliable sources of information, or they’ll feel isolated.

“Kids who have experienced racism every day aren’t going to forget about the harsh impacts of that just because they’re not allowed to read about it,” Foster said.

A rise in book challenges

The intensity of efforts to restrict books has surprised Tamara Cox.

Cox is president of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians and a high school librarian in Anderson County. Her colleagues like to describe books as both mirrors and windows. Students can see themselves and into the lives of others.

The ability of books to build those connections is what led Cox to the library in the first place. She was an English teacher for eight years before ending up in the job she has held for the last decade. Seeing how different stories resonate with students was powerful.

For most of her time as a librarian, she and her colleagues have fielded very few complaints. When they did, it was individually tailored. That’s not been the case recently. Lately, parents are asking for the books they oppose to be restricted from all children, not just their own. And frequently, requests now aren’t coming from parents at all. Cox’s group tracked challenges across the state in 2022; 9 percent came from parents like Szalai. The majority, 61 percent, came from community members like Covert. The rest were from school board members or administrators.

Cox traces the start of the book fight in South Carolina to November 2021. Following complaints about the book, “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, Gov. Henry McMaster called on the S.C. Department of Education to investigate it and other books in school libraries. He said images in the graphic novel were sexually explicit and “obscene.” The Education Department advised school districts to review their book collections.

Many more challenges have followed. In 2019, the association documented just one book challenge across all of South Carolina, Cox said. There were none in 2020 and eight in 2021. That figure jumped to 307 in 2022. (The association relies on self-reporting by librarians, so Cox said these numbers are an undercount of the challenges.)

The 307 challenges account for 144 books by 105 authors. Among the most challenged books were “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky, “Stamped,” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and “Speak” by

Laurie Halse Anderson. Beaufort accounts for most of the challenges — 99 in all — but Cox’s group documented them in 15 districts that stretch from the Upstate to Horry County and down to the Lowcountry.

Taking a book off a library’s shelves isn’t something that should be done lightly, Cox said. Librarians are trained to select age-appropriate books with educational value and they do extensive research before purchasing. It’s a time-consuming and thoughtful process, and their expertise should be considered.

“We don’t go into the field to try and offend people,” she said. “We try to be inclusive.”

Adult objections to classroom books are by no means new, said Adam Laats, a professor at Binghampton University in New York who has studied the history of how cultural conflicts play out in education. He has found objections tend to be connected to educators’ efforts to include more diverse books and ideas in their libraries and lessons.

Laats sees some parallels between today’s debate and what happened in West Virginia in the 1970s. New textbooks in schools there put a greater emphasis on multiculturalism, prompting criticisms that the new material was anti-Christian and anti-American. Students became more vocal as the protests dragged on, pushing for access to the books. Eventually, they were allowed.

“It’s schoolchildren asking for books,” Laats said. “That’s just so powerful.”

Books and lessons that offer a different interpretation of the “real” America have always been controversial, Laats said. It’s no surprise there’s conflict now, given efforts by historians and educators to more accurately reflect the past.

But the arguments in favor of access to books and students’ intellectual freedom have historically prevailed, he said. Laats predicts the current efforts will ultimately resolve in the same way.

In the meantime though, school librarians are tiptoeing around, Cox said. It’s scary when members of the community are calling librarians “groomers” and pedophiles and threatening to report them to police. Many have been harassed and targeted by social media campaigns calling for their firings. Cox said one elementary school librarian was shunned by parents.

“They wouldn’t even let her open the car door for kids in the car line when she had car duty,” she said. “It’s been very disturbing.”

It’s making many of her colleagues rethink their careers.

‘They’re talking about my life’

Isabella Troy Brazoban attended the Beaufort County school board meeting in December to hear her cousin sing.

But after the Coosa Elementary chorus performed, Troy Brazoban heard the public comments. She was struck by how angry many of the adults seemed, and what they said upset her. They were blaming books for problems in the Beaufort schools.

Troy Brazoban, a senior at Battery Creek High, hadn’t planned to talk but felt she had to say something. She’d never done any public speaking before, but the comments hurt.

“They’re talking about my life,” she said. “And they’re telling me the reason I had to go through that was

because certain books exist in schools. It just sounds very ignorant.” Her favorite book is on the list. Troy Brazoban loved “The Freedom Writers Diary,” a nonfiction collection of journals that recount the difficult life experiences of California high-schoolers. They wrote about their struggles with racism, violence and other hardships, and Troy Brazoban felt she was seeing her own experiences reflected for the first time. She grew up around people who abused drugs and alcohol and said a family member used to hit her, her siblings and her mom.

Those difficult experiences left her deeply depressed as she started high school. It felt like a black hole had sucked up all the positive aspects of her life. And then she read “The Freedom Writers Diary.” It felt like a lifeline. She could relate to all the students.

She hates the argument adults have made that students are only learning about inappropriate or difficult topics through books. She and her classmates have experienced a lot firsthand. They’ve grown up in the aftermath of school shootings at Sandy Hook, Parkland and Uvalde. Had their high school careers disrupted by COVID-19. They’ve experienced or know people who struggle with gang violence, substance abuse and sexual violence.

“Honestly, it’s just frustrating to have to continuously explain to adults that I was not exposed to drugs and child abuse because of ‘The Freedom Writers Diary,’” she said.

Troy Brazoban hadn’t heard of the Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization before the first time she spoke to the school board. One of the club’s advisers approached her after she talked and invited her to meet the other students. Now, she leads the chapter at Battery Creek.

She has spoken at school board meetings several more times now. Other students will focus their speeches on statistics or try to rebut specific arguments made by the other side.

Troy Brazoban likes to talk about her personal experiences because she wants adults to understand what it’s like. She feels like adults are in denial about what many children have gone through.

“It’s hard for them to understand that these things are really happening. They’re not just made-up stories,” she said. “I guess that these people were privileged enough where they didn’t have to be exposed to these things.”

‘Kids are going to figure out their own path’

Most of the 97 books are still in limbo in Beaufort.

After they were taken out of circulation in late October, the district created review committees that

are deliberating over the list. Each group includes a teacher, librarian, administrator, parent, community member, district-level director and a member of a school improvement council.

The first few books reviewed were returned to shelves, though some, like “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, have been restricted to high-schoolers.

Most of the books are still awaiting review. Covert has filed appeals to some of the decisions but said he was satisfied with others that restricted the books to older students.

The Beaufort students say they’re going to keep speaking up until the books are returned.

They were skeptical at first that adults would care what they had to say.

But when they stand up and speak at school board meetings, it feels like all eyes are on them. Board members put their phones away. People in the audience look up and listen.

“It has felt refreshing to have my voice heard,” Confare said. “As a student, you don’t necessarily feel that all the time.”

People seem surprised the students speak so convincingly, the teens said. It’s like they don’t expect students to have opinions and be able to express them.

“So much of the conversation, when I heard adults talking, it’s like we don’t exist,” Foster said. “Or as though we’re toddlers. It’s like when your parents talk about you when you’re sitting right there and they’re acting like you’re not sitting there. That’s how it feels.”

They know some, like Covert, think they were put up to this. The adults in their lives support their advocacy, but it was their idea to speak out, the students said.

“Students aren’t just an extension of their parents, they’re their own people,” Bennett said. “And whether these parents like it or not, kids are going to figure out their own path in life.”

The teens just want adults to consider their perspective.

They also want more students to speak out.

The support they have from adults in their lives was crucial, Foster said.

But they know not every teen has that, so her group has been networking with other students across South Carolina. They spoke at an event in Columbia last month and detailed how they’ve organized. They want to buck up other students. It can be pretty daunting to stand up to adults.

Students need to realize the power they have, Confare said. Individuals really can make a difference.

She didn’t always believe that. This fight has convinced her otherwise.

From Beaufort to Bluffton and Hilton Head, The Post and Courier covers news impacting your community. Subscribe for more local coverage at postandcourier.com/IslandNews

VIDEO For a short video of Isabella Troy Brazoban speaking to the Beaufort County Board of Education, follow this digital link or go to https:// youtu.be/efgw_Ynu9oQ

A table filled with banned books and books people would like to ban are displayed at the Celebrating The Right To Read conference in Columbia in February. John A. Carlos II/Special to The Post and Courier

Land’s End burglar receives prison sentence

From staff reports

A 54-year-old homeless man and squatter who burglarized five homes in the Land’s End community of St. Helena Island has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

John Robert Stevens, Jr., pleaded guilty Friday to five counts of first-degree burglary for breaking into homes on Sea Island Parkway, McCoy Road and Whooping Crane Lane.

“Mr. Stevens has a long history of total and utter disregard for others, their property and the law,” said Mary Jordan Lempesis of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who

prosecuted the case.

“Our community is safer because he is behind bars.”

From August 2019 until 2022, Stevens broke into five separate homes and outbuildings. He stole televisions, lawn equipment, a speaker, coolers, a golf cart, fishing gear and tools. In at least two instances, Stevens began living in the homes while its owners were out of town. He also used their vehicles. When the homeowners returned, they found unfamiliar clothing, shoes

lying about, and even dirty dishes in the sink.

Surveillance cameras at two of the houses captured Stevens walking around the property, gaining access to their homes and outbuildings, and using their vehicles. Additionally, Steven’s DNA was found on the trash can at the McCoy Road home and on the back doorknob of another Land’s End home.

Stevens also admitted to the break-ins and some of the thefts to investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

Stevens’ criminal history dates to 1990 and includes convictions

Georgia man arrested in Port Royal, charged with firing gun into car

From staff reports

for stealing tires, failure to stop for blue lights, driving with a suspended license, resisting arrest, writing fraudulent checks, driving under suspension and malicious injury to personal property. In Georgia, Stevens has convictions for criminal trespassing and giving a false name, three counts of burglary, four counts of forgery, probation violations and various other offenses.

Lempesis is the first assistant solicitor for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. She has been with the office since 2009.

Solicitor’s Office to host free expungement clinic March 27

From staff reports

The 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will host a free community expungement clinic from noon to 3 p.m., Monday, March 27 in Old Town Bluffton’s Campbell Chapel AME Church.

Solicitor’s office expungement coordinating staff will be available at the event at 25 Boundary Street to answer questions and begin the application process.

Anyone charged with qualifying crimes in Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, Hampton and Allendale counties are encouraged

to attend. Expungements allow qualifying arrest and charging records to be destroyed, provided they meet specific circumstances outlined in state law. Additional information, eligibility requirements and an application can be found on the Solicitor’s website at http://bit.ly/3YMYjYa

Please note that traffic offenses and crimes classified as violent are not eligible for expungement. Also, in some cases, fees apply.

“There are a lot of myths surrounding the expungement process,” said Shannon Horton of the 14th

Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “Knowing fact from fiction will help you understand what to expect in the process.”

Horton cites the following examples:

You might have a criminal record even if you were never put in handcuffs and booked at the local detention center.

You might still have a criminal record if you have never been to court.

Dismissed charges are not automatically removed from criminal

Seabrook man burned in vehicle fire near residence

From staff reports

Just past 4:30 p.m., Tuesday afternoon, March 14, Burton firefighters were dispatched to a reported vehicle fire in the rear of a residence on Seabrook Road in Seabrook. Fire crews arrived on scene to an SUV fully involved in flames fewer than 20 yards from the residence.

Burton firefighters were extinguishing the fire when they learned that the vehicle’s owner had sustained burns during the fire and re-

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quested a Beaufort County EMS unit to respond.

Burton fire investigators state the fire was caused by recently filled gas cans in the cargo area of the vehicle that ignited when the owner reached into the vehicle and struck his lighter causing an “explosion.”

Beaufort County EMS treated the owner who refused transport to the hospital. Burton fire officials warn residents about the dangers of gas fumes.

“Many people just con-

representatives who were present to request what is usually a routine variance to the city noise ordinance plus special roadside parking permission for the upcoming Lafayette Soiree fundraiser.

The mayor took specific aim at Jenkins’ recent guest commentary in The Island News where she stated, in her opinion, two of 303’s construction projects would “forever change Beaufort.” The two projects – a four-story hotel on the corner of Scott and Port Republic streets and a parking garage on Craven Street, both in the downtown historic district, recently received construction permits from the city after more than six years of review, court challenges and considerable public debate.

Murray said he was angry the city had paid more than “six figures” in legal fees defending the planning staff for advancing the projects.

Not only did the two leaders — one hired, the other elected — opt to use their positions to criticize their perceived opponents but they both took on issues which have generated considerable public sentiment in terms of opposition – the saving of Bay Point Island and the saving of downtown Beaufort, from development.

Some might disagree with the word “save.” Some might have wished developers to build an “eco-tourism” resort on that barrier island. Certainly, there are citizens who want to see a

sider the actual liquid as a danger and do not consider the fumes which can travel, and when in the right mixture with oxygen, can be explosive,” Burton Fire Lieutenant and fire investigator Lee Levesque said. “If you smell gas, kerosene, or any such fumes, leave the area and ventilate it immediately. These fumes will also travel and can find ignition sources remote from the fuel itself, such as a hot water heater or even a spark from a light switch.”

new hotel and parking garage built in the downtown area, an indication of the community’s tourism growth and the need for extra parking spaces.

Much has been said and written about both projects and community feelings are still much divided, with both sides calling for the need of “truth.”

As more than one person has pointed out, residents opposed then-Mayor Henry C. Chambers’ development in the 1970s for the waterfront park. But as some will point out, look how popular the park is now, how it’s described as the “jewel in the crown of Beaufort,” how it draws thousands of people to the river front and is featured in almost any tourism article about Beaufort.

But Beaufort’s history and lovely, historic homes are also mentioned in those articles, and some residents are concerned those homes and the historic district itself are being sacrificed for the opportunity to make money. If the city could collect a dollar for every time the elected officials have been accused of “killing the goose that laid the golden egg,” it might approach that six-figure legal sum the Mayor makes reference to.

It’s because of citizens’ concerns that groups like HBF, the S.C. Environmental Law Project and the Coastal Conservation League, supported by members’ contributions, get involved with issues.

Citizens feel like their elected officials, their community leaders, aren’t doing enough — or worse, are headed in the wrong direction.

It’s when citizens get frustrated by those leaders that they act like Skip Hoagland of Hilton Head who is

records and might still need to be expunged.

• A criminal record includes both arrests and court dispositions. Additional legal and health care community resources will be on hand during the clinic, to include 14th Circuit Family Justice Center community partner and nonprofit Lowcountry Legal Volunteers and forensic nurse Jennifer Talley with the 14th Circuit SAFE Program. Lowcountry Legal Volunteers provides free legal services to those who financially qualify and can

assist with adoptions, child custody, visitation, guardianships, divorce, name changes, simple consumer matters, eviction actions, lease termination, non-refund of security deposits, simple wills and probate.

Talley will be available to answer questions about local pediatric and adult sexual assault services.

This is the second expungement event Campbell Chapel AME Church and its Social Justice Committee has coordinated with the Solicitor’s Office. A third event is tentatively planned for the fall.

A Georgia man was arrested by Port Royal Police on Sunday night, March 19, accused of firing a gun from one vehicle into another.

Thomas Hightower, 35, of Statesboro, Ga., has been charged with three counts of Attempted Murder; three counts of Possession of a Weapon

showing up at government meetings, taking over the podium, and demanding to be heard. Hoagland has been publicly criticizing local elected bodies for the past several years, initially complaining about local accommodations and hospitality taxes being given to the local Chambers of Commerce.

Last month, he did the same thing at a Beaufort County Council meeting and the chairman angrily adjourned the meeting.

It happened last week at a Bluffton Town Council meeting where he was literally dragged from the room by police officers and charged with disrupting a public meeting, repeating a performance he gave in 2015 before the same council.

Hoagland’s approach to public comment may be extreme to some but that’s what happens when members of the public get so frustrated because their local government leaders don’t seem to hear them.

Beaufort deserves better.

Cherry Hill Oak getting some respect

BEAUFORT – Good news for the county’s older and largest live oak tree — the senior leadership program has adopted its preservation cause.

A group of citizens from the leadership program addressed the Beaufort County Council Community Services Committee last week and urged the elected officials to consider purchase of the 12-acre Cherry Hill Plantation, which is home to the 350-year-old tree.

Potential developers approached the Port Royal review board last fall

During a Violent Crime; one count of Discharging a Firearm into a Vehicle; one count of Discharging a Weapon within Town Limits; and 1 count of Aggravated Breach of Peace.

Hightower

Port Royal officers responded to the area of 12 Savannah Highway for a report of shots fired at a vehicle. Officers learned that an altercation had occurred between the occupants of two vehicles. According to police, the occupants of both cars were acquainted.

While the vehicles were traveling on Savannah Highway, the suspect fired a shot from the vehicle he was riding in into the victim’s vehicle, striking the driver’s side door. There were no reported injuries.

Officers located the suspect vehicle, and upon interviewing the occupants, identified the suspect as Hightower.

As of Monday evening, Hightower was confined at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

for a variance to construct three-story townhouses on the site but the request was denied after public protest.

Citizens at last week’s county meeting have been circulating petitions in support of the County Council’s purchase through the Rural and Critical Lands program. They hope the area can be developed into a public park and have pledged their support to maintain the property.

And as an update on the tree protection topic, the Port Royal town council still has not yet given a final vote to its revised tree ordinance which increases fees for removal, among other protections.

Dominion cuts more trees, generates few complaints

BEAUFORT – Kudos to Neil Pugliese, special projects coordinator for the city, for his diligence over the past two months with Dominion Energy’s tree-cutting contract crews.

The routine tree maintenance, which in last year’s cutting schedule drew considerable public outcry, was conducted along the Battery Creek Road and Southside neighborhoods without any apparent major protest. Maybe they’re learning.

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

Late Tuesday afternoon, March 14, Burton Fire District responded to a reported vehicle fire behind a residence on Seabrook Road in Seabrook in which a man suffered burns. Photo courtesy of Burton Fire District.

Beaufort Republican Women, Moore to honor Robert Smalls’ birthday

From staff reports

The Beaufort Republican Women’s Club will host a birthday celebration in honor of the late U.S. Congressman Robert Smalls, the founder of the South Carolina Republican Party, at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, April 5, at the Tabernacle Baptist Church, 907 Craven Street.

The featured speaker will be Michael Boulware Moore, great great grandson of Robert Smalls. Moore is a business and community leader, keynote speaker, former board member of the National Park Foundation – African American Experience Fund, International African American Museum, Penn Center, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, and featured on numerous television, newspaper and magazine outlets including CNN,

SOUTH COAST CYBER SUMMIT

From staff reports Beaufort played host to the South Coast Cyber Summit on Monday and Tuesday, held by the South Coast Cyber Center, an entity “working to establish a world class center of excellence for cybersecurity and cyber defense education, research, innovation, and business”

here in the Lowcountry.

The Center is promoting the growth of an ecosystem inolving the University of South Carolina Beaufort, Technical College of the Lowcountry, the Beaufort Digital Corridor, the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, government, and the private sector.

Special Agent Taren Little of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, spoke about what kind of cyber attacks are current and how they are dealt with from the Pentagon down to the individual computer owner who gets attacked. The event was part of the South Coast Cyber Summit. Photos by

St. Paddy’s Day babies!

PBS, The New York Times, Forbes, and HuffPost.

He is the author of “Bridging the Gaps: The Love of Marketing” and the children’s book, “Freedom on the Sea,” about Robert Smalls. Moore is also an associate producer of the upcoming graphic novel and feature film project, “Defiant.”

Smalls was born into slavery in 1839 in Beaufort. He lived an incredible life, going from an enslaved person to a successful U.S. Naval hero, businessman, and a Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. For more information, please call Angel Flewelling at 843-271-3368.

Some lucky parents welcomed these three little guys, all born at the Beaufort Memorial Collins Birthing Center on March 17. From left to right, Da’Kai Namir Smith of Port Royal who was born at 5:41 p.m.; Matias Amador of Hardeeville, born at 12:30 p.m.; and Beaufort’s newest resident Kaiden Amari, who arrived just a few minutes before Matias at 12:15 p.m.. #BornInBeaufort Photo by Charlotte Berkeley/Beaufort Memorial Hospital

Extra work sessions will examine proposed changes to Beaufort Code

From staff reports Beaufort City Council has begun scheduling an extra work session on the third Tuesday of the month to review proposed changes to the Beaufort Development Code.

The March 21 meeting was to set up the framework for the following meetings, and also discuss the principles behind form-based

NEWS BRIEFS

Friends of Fort Fremont hosting annual oyster roast

Friends of Fort Fremont and the local chapter of the S.C. Native Plant Society are hosting their annual Oyster Roast Fundraiser from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 24, at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal.

Cost is $40 per person. Attendees should bring their own chairs and adult beverages. Oysters and chili are provided by Sea Eagle Catering; appetizers and desserts provided by the Friends. Don’t miss the famous Silent Auction and music by the Sweet Ferns. Buy tickets online at http://bit. ly/3Jl6KFL, or if you prefer, send a check payable to:

Friends of Fort Fremont

P.O. Box 982, St. Helena Island, S.C. 29920.

code, which is what the City of Beaufort adheres to in its planning, developing, and permitting.

“Code edits that bear consideration range from minor scrivener’s errors to macro process changes and everything in between,” City Manager Scott Marshall said.

“Workshopping these edits on a consistent basis will help us ad-

Checks by mail must be received by March 16.

For more information, email oysterroast@fortfremont.org

Low Country Kappa Delta, Hilton Head Sigma Chi alumni chapters to host Beach Walk to benefit CAPA

The Low Country Kappa Delta Alumnae Chapter and Hilton Head Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter will host the 3rd annual Beach Walk to benefit CAPA of Beaufort County. The event will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 25. The walk will begin at Coligny Beach Park, 1 North Forest Beach on Hilton Head Island. The rain

equately define, plan for, and include public input in the consideration and approval process that will result in a better overall product consistent with our long-term planning documents.”

The Beaufort Development Code was approved by City Council in June 2017. It has been amended since then. Form-based codes

date is Sunday, March 26. A minimum donation of $10 per person is suggested.

If you are unable to join the walk in person, walk on your own anywhere by March 25 and send selfies to lowcountrykds@aol.com or hiltonheadsigs@gmail.com

Make checks payable to Low Country KD AC and send to Jennifer Kaple, 301 Central Avenue, Suite 122, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. You may also donate via Venmo to Jennifer-Kaple-SC1.

CAPA (Child Abuse Prevention Program) is a local nonprofit organization that offers a variety of programs to the community to help raise awareness about child abuse and its effects on the community. CAPA offers community and school-based outreach programs, safe sleep education, home visitation and foster care.

depart from traditional zoning in that they define building form standards in various locations; elements in the public realm, such as sidewalks, tree cover, on-street parking, etc.; and various architectural standards. It tends to favor more mixed-use, denser and infill development.

Each work session is open to the

This year’s upcoming local fundraiser is part of National Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Project initiative in support of Prevent Child Abuse America. To date, Kappa Deltas have raised more than $26 million to prevent child abuse in our country. For more information on the Beach Walk, call 843-707-7899.

Beaufort County VA Office closed for training

The Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Office will be closed through Friday, March 24 for staff training. The office will return to normal business hours Monday, March 27.

The Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Office assists veterans, their spouses and other depen-

public, and agendas will be posted ahead of time. Final recommendations to amend the Beaufort Code will also be sent to the Metropolitan Planning Commission and City Council for approval.

The Beaufort Development Code is now searchable online as part of Municode at http://bit. ly/3Zb9fiE

dents with access to government programs for which they are eligible. Veterans Affairs Counselors are available by appointment only by calling 843-255-6880. The Federal Benefits Handbook for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors is available here or by visiting www.va.gov

Dog park to close for a day

Southside Dog Park will be closed Monday, March 27, for annual fire ant treatment. The park will re-open Tuesday, March 28. Citizens should call City of Beaufort Parks Supervisor Adam Wellins with any questions at 843-263-0489.

From staff reports

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) addresses the crowd of military and civic leaders concerned with the ever-present threat of a cyber attack during the Cyber Security Exercise on Monday at Tabby Place in Beaufort. Mace said, “we could see warfare conducted in milliseconds and wouldn’t know what’s coming.” The event was part of the South Coast Cyber Summit.

Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Beaufort City Councilmen Mitch Mitchell, left, and Neil Lipsitz discuss cyber security on the local level with Alice Howard of Beaufort County Council prior to the start of Monday’s Cyber Security Exercise. The event was part of the South Coast Cyber Summit.

Michael Moore

Beaufort Twilight Run returns for 13th year

From staff reports The Beaufort Twilight Run (BTR), presented by Habersham Properties, will take place on Saturday, March 25, at Beaufort’s Habersham Marketplace.

Packet pickup is Thursday, March 23.

Known as “The Lowcountry’s Running Festival,” the BTR is a USA Track and Field (USATF) sanctioned event that is chip-timed by Grounded Running and offers more race options than any other event in the Lowcountry – drawing both competitive runners and recreational participants.

With the first event beginning at 3:30 p.m., BTR offers six options for runners and walkers at all levels including a signature 13.1-mile Beaufort Challenge (5K Run + 10 Mile), 10-mile run, 8K run, 5K run/ walk, 1-mile youth run, and Kids’ Fun Run. The BTR is one of two events in South Carolina offering a 10-mile run. All courses are flat and spectator-friendly, offering beautiful marsh views under shaded liveoak canopies.

The BTR’s total cash purse is more than $6,000 with payouts to

be awarded in the 13.1-mile Beaufort Challenge, 10-mile run, 8K run and 5K run. Categories include the three overall male and female winners of each of those races, as well as for the top male and female Masters (40+), Active Duty Military and Hometown Hero (a Beaufort County resident). In addition to cash prizes, age group winners will receive a gift for their accomplishments. Discounts are also available for students, groups of 10 or more, and active-duty military.

“This family-friendly event is perfect for participants at all fitness levels as well as spectators and friends who want to enjoy an evening of live music and great food,”

BTR Co-Chair Jeff Althoff said in a news release. “Throughout the af-

ternoon and evening, everyone can enjoy a variety of delicious food and drinks from gourmet food trucks and the Habersham Marketplace restaurants. The after-race party officially kicks-off at 6 p.m., featuring local band, “Broke Locals.”

The BTR benefits Riverview Charter School – a free public charter school open to Beaufort County kindergarten through 8thgrade students. In 2009, Riverview opened its doors with the belief that the best way to grow global and engaged students is through experiential learning. Part of Riverview’s larger vision for students is to provide place-based learning to enrich our curriculum and engage students in real world experiences in both field trips and Capstone Experiences to Barrier Island, Washington, D.C., and Costa Rica. As a fundraiser for Riverview Charter School, this year’s event will support reducing the financial cost for families to allow all students the opportunity to participate in these immersive, hands-on learning experiences both locally and globally. Riverview Charter School and the BTR organizers are

BEAUFORT TWILIGHT RUN RACE DAY

grateful to the Beaufort community for continuing to support our students through this signature fundraising event.

Events will be held rain or shine. For more information and to register, visit www.beauforttwilightrun. com

Lowcountry Food Bank, Gullah Farmers Co-op partnering

From staff reports Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB) has announced that it is one of 25 food banks receiving a grant from Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, as part of their Food Security Equity Impact Fund. This $496,908 grant supports a partnership between the Lowcountry Food Bank and Gullah Farmers Cooperative to address the root causes of hunger and food insecurity in Southeastern South Carolina by developing and advocating for change; devel-

oping solutions to improve food insecurity; and to create a more just food system.

“We always strive to innovate and find ways to ensure all our neighbors within the 10 coastal counties we serve have equitable access to healthy produce,” Lowcountry Food Bank President and CEO Nick Osborne said in a release. “This amazing project will enable the Cooperative to make the investments needed which will benefits not only the farmers, but the entire community, which will help address food equity and

food insecurity in the southernmost counties we serve.”

With every award from the Food Security Equity Impact Fund, a minimum of 85% of awarded dollars were allocated to community partners, purposefully driving resources to organizations with historical barriers to access funding, led by and serving people of color.

Through this project, the Cooperative will continue building and expanding the local food system infrastructure and promote and advocate for local food pro-

curement equity policies and practices. In addition, the Cooperative will be able to provide the support and technical assistance needed for new and existing Blackowned farms and people of color to build long-term capacity to increase production, creating sustainability for the farms and the Cooperative.

The Cooperative currently has 11 farm-family members in the region and is seeking to significantly expand its producer reach. An additional six farm fami-

lies (representing more than 800 acres of farmland) are currently taking steps to become wholesale-ready producers, and the Cooperative is targeting an additional 14 farmer-members to join over the next two years.

“We know that communities of color experience food insecurity at disproportionate rates. As we work to improve food access for all, we need to invest in local organizations whose work helps to remove barriers that lead to long-term or multi-generational food insecurity,” Chief

Equity Officer of Feeding America

Ami McReynolds said. “The work proposed by food banks and their community partners for these grants is inspiring. Our hope is that we learn from these community investments and together, in partnership with people facing hunger, work to dismantle the systems that drive inequity and truly end hunger in America.”

To learn more about the Gullah Farmers Cooperative and their efforts in the Lowcountry, visit gullahfarmers. org

City of Beaufort Councilmembers graduate from Advanced Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government

From staff reports

Beaufort City Coun-

cilmembers Neil Lipsitz and Harold “Mitch” Mitchell have graduated from the Advanced Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government.

Graduates received their certificates during the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Hometown Legislative Action Day in February.

The Municipal Association offers the Advanced Institute exclusively to graduates of the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government. Created in 2014, the Advanced Institute provides elected officials with continuing education through classroom instruc-

tion and interaction with experienced peers.

“The Advanced Institute allows mayors and councilmembers to explore in depth many governance

topics that can make them more effective leaders for their cities and towns,” Staff Associate for Distance Learning for the Municipal Association Urica Floyd

said in a news release.

Graduating officials have participated in at least four of six courses to graduate from the Advanced Institute. Topics include public

safety, budgeting, utilities, advocacy, economic development and governance.

The Advanced Institute draws its faculty from South Carolina and across

the country including recognized local government leaders, state officials, as well as college and university faculty.

Established in 1986, the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government is a program of the Municipal Association of South Carolina. It gives municipal officials a strong foundation in the operation of municipal government.

The MEO Institute and Advanced Institute are two of the many educational and training opportunities that the Municipal Association offers for the elected officials and staff serving cities and towns. Learn more at www.masc.sc (keyword: education and training).

Free income tax preparation available at for qualifying taxpayers

From staff reports

The Beaufort County Library continues the long-standing tradition of hosting free tax preparation assistance for Beaufort County citizens provided by Lowcountry Area VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

In collaboration with the Beaufort County Human Services Alliance, United Way of the Lowcountry, Inc., the Lowcountry Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to per -

sons generally earning $60,000 annually or less, differently-abled persons, persons 60 and older, and limited English-speaking persons.

Further details about VITA services is available at http://bit.ly/

3JEb6Ii

To volunteer or obtain more information, contact Volunteer Program Coordinator Sherry Halphen at lowcountryvitacoalition@gmail.com or call 843-837-2000.

VITA tax assistance will be available at the following library locations:

• Lobeco Library: 1862 Trask Parkway, Saturdays (Through April 15), 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• St. Helena Library: 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, Wednesdays (Through April 12), 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Beaufort Library: 311 Scott Street, Mondays & Thursdays (Through April 13), 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Closed February 20 Bluffton Library: 120 Palmetto Way, Open Through April 10; Mondays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (March 25, April 8 by appointment

only, call 251-616-0551 or email blufftonvita@gmail.com);

Volunteers with the AARP TaxAide Foundation program are providing tax preparation and e-filing service to local Beaufort County residents at the Bluffton and Hilton Head branch libraries.

Bluffton Branch Library

Appointments are required and must be scheduled online. Appointment times will be scheduled on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For questions, contact 843580-6321.

Hilton Head Branch Library

Walk-ins are welcome every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Tuesday, April 11. For questions, contact 843-564-8449.

Visit AARP Tax-Aide for further information. For details regarding tax help at the library, please visit the Library’s Tax Help page.

For more information regarding BCL programs and events, please contact Theresa Furbish, Programs and Events Librarian, at 843-2556442 or theresa.furbish@bcgov.net

Mayor Rick Osbon, Municipal Association President, and Beaufort City Councilmember Neil Lipsitz. Photo courtesy of Municipal Association of South Carolina.

Mayor Rick Osbon, Municipal Association President, and Beaufort City Councilmember Harold Mitchell. Photo courtesy of Municipal Association of South Carolina.

Tired of Being Retired and Ready to Start a New Business?

Presented by Fred Gaskin

In my many years of working with retirees, I’ve seen it happen again and again. My clients will come to realize they’re bored and wish they were busy. Thankfully, many choose volunteer work and productively serve their neighbors and the broader community. Others crave the fast-paced world of business and choose to take advantage of their skill set by reentering the workforce via part- or full-time remote work. But for some retirees, the idea of working for themselves by purchasing or launching a business is the most appealing option. If you’re one of the many people considering starting or buying a business in retirement, my advice is to do your homework and take the time to understand the effort and the resources necessary for success. As a starting point, I offer five steps to help organize the process.

Land brings sassy Southern comedy to Beaufort

From staff reports Internet sensation comedian Heather Land brings her uniquely Southern wit to the USCB Center for the Arts stage Saturday at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 25.

A comedienne, author, and singer, Land tells it like it is with sarcasm and Southern charm. Practically overnight, Lland burst through the clutter of the online world with her hilarious and witty videos, which have garnered more than 300 million views. And she’s captured the attention of more than 2.8 million followers on Facebook.

Over the course of only a few months, Heather’s videos were shared by celebrities like Miranda Lambert and social tastemakers, immediately connecting with her down-toearth personality and reaching hundreds of millions of people in the process.

Land’s audience was first drawn in by her quick wit filtered through a high pitched SnapChat voice changer, but they have remained connected to her because of the way she shows us how to laugh at the chaos we all live through on a daily basis.

Tickets are on sale now for this one night only performance at 7:30 p.m., Saturday March 25 at the USCB Center for the Arts located at 801 Carteret Street in historic downtown Beaufort.

Tickets and details are available online at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com or by calling 843-521-4145.

WANT TO GO?

Who: Comedian Heather Land

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 25

Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort

Tickets: Tickets and details are available at www. uscbcenterforthearts.com or by calling 843-521-4145.

Step 1: Plan. If you’re funding the business even partially out of your own pocket, make sure you have a clear plan for balancing your personal expenses with your business costs. As you carve out a portion of your money to support the business, make sure you’re protecting those funds earmarked for retirement.

Step 2: Fund. Perhaps you’re considering selling real estate or drawing upon savings for startup capital. If you’re not planning to tap your savings or don’t have sufficient resources to fund your business out of pocket, you might need to consider borrowing—but be aware that taking on new debt in retirement has risks.

I remind people to explore all available options, fully understand the terms of the loan, and have a solid plan for paying it back. If you tap a home equity line of credit or a personal loan, keep in mind that you’re tying your

personal finances to the health of your business.

Step 3: Protect. People may think that setting up a business is just a matter of hanging out a shingle, but that can be a big mistake. For example, many small businesses begin as a sole proprietorship, but that could lead to your personal assets being used to settle business debts or even a lawsuit. Consider filing documents that treat your business as a separate legal entity, and perhaps consider liability insurance as an additional safeguard. Step 4: Prepare. Inadequate tax planning is a potential pitfall, so you need to think these issues through. Starting a business can expose owners to new taxes they may not have anticipated, including estimated taxes paid quarterly. On the other hand, a small business can open up tax deductions unavailable to those who don’t own businesses, such

as the cost of setting up a home office and travel expenses. A good tax advisor is often a must for a small business in retirement.

Step 5: Hire. No novice business owner can be expected to know every detail up front. A good financial planner can offer higher-level guidance on topics such as taxes, insurance, and even best business practices. This person may also point you toward other specialists such as an accountant or attorney who can handle the nitty-gritty. Translating a lifelong dream into a successful enterprise can be tricky, to be sure, but it often starts with the right advice. Because our local community is so vibrant and growing so rapidly there are multiple paths to consider when thinking about un-retirement. As a small business owner myself, I know firsthand how rewarding and satisfying starting and running your own business can be. I also know that

good planning, strong financial discipline, and having smart partners can make all the difference.

Fred Gaskin is the branch leader at the Charles Schwab Independent Branch in Bluffton. He has over 35 years of experience helping clients achieve their financial goals. Some content provided here has been compiled from previously published articles authored by various parties at Schwab. The information here is for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment or tax advice, and the investment strategies mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, please consult with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, Financial Planner or Investment Manager. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decision.

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A Rich and Tidy Fripp Concert

By Margit Resch Special to The Island News

“Didn’t I? Didn’t I? Didn’t I?”

No, I will not tell you what Kim Richey, that wonderful songwriter, singer and guitar player, reveals in her intriguing song called, you guessed it, “Didn’t I?” I will not tell you what she did or didn’t do. I will not tell you what “Just My Luck” describes; what Kim means when she sings “That’s Exactly What I Mean,” or what “Those Words We Said” actually are.

You just have to come to the Fripp Island Community Centre on Sunday, March 26, and listen to Richey’s songs, to the beautiful lyrics that describe very personal, even intimate, yet universal relationship experiences, all embedded in moving, unforgettable melodies.

You have probably been in similar situations and can guess what these songs are all about. And you will have no trouble understanding both the stories and their spirit, because Richey writes “to and from the soul, never flinching from the conflicts and crushing moments, yet always finding dignity and resilience. Her arc of the human heart is true.” So raves Arthur Bowman.

Kim herself confesses that she is “not that good at making things up out of thin air.” Inspired by Joni Mitchell, “probably like most women songwriters of a certain age,” Kim describes her own experiences in her lyrics — her poems, really:

But the way things stood

I did the best I could

Didn’t I, didn’t I, didn’t I

Try to make amends

To be a friend

Didn’t I, didn’t I, didn’t I (Oops, I said I wouldn’t …)

“I loved being able to write songs because I was really super-shy. I couldn’t say things to people that I wanted to say. If I put it in a song, there was the deniability. If I ever got called on it, I could

say, ‘Oh, heavens no, that’s just a song! I made that up.’”

Richey is equally as creative and personal with her compositions and delivery, swinging from country to folk, from blues to gospel, sometimes within one song, always expressive, warm and melodic.

Richey learned to play guitar while in high school in Ohio and, while studying environmental education and sociology at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, she played in a band with Bill Lloyd. She then worked in nature centers in Ohio and Colorado, traveled to Sweden and South America, worked as a cook in Wellingham, Wash., and finally ended up in Nashville, where she did menial work to survive, and where she started — guess what — her music career. She soon found musicians to play with or to write for, musicians like Rodney Foster who turned her “Nobody Wins” into a No. 1 hit, or like Trisha Yearwood who sang “Believe Me Baby” and earned her a Grammy nomination.

I was thrilled to learn that Kim’s first concert took place 26 years ago in the Elbow Room in Columbia, because that’s where my friends and I hung out a lot. We loved the great bands from all over the U.S. that would play there. I

probably heard Kim Richey there, too. Richey has since performed every year in hundreds of places all over the U.S. and more often than not in the UK, where she will play again this coming May.

Maybe she met Dean Tidey there, a fabulous guitarist with whom she is going to entertain us here on Fripp. Tidey is from the UK, where he played in band after band since he was 12 years old. For a decade he was lead guitarist in the acclaimed British band Feeder. He toured with U2, the Rolling Stones, Coldplay and R.E.M. He got a publishing deal with Sir George Martin, and he played in front of Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Page and Prince when his band honored Sir Martin.

It was a beautiful young tourist named April from Florida who lured Tidey from London to Tampa, where they started a family, and where he developed a successful career as a producer and local performer. After playing with Kim Richey, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts hired him as a Rock School teacher. What makes him so special is that he trains kids not only to master their instrument, but to get better and better and, above all, to write their own songs.

WANT TO GO?

Who: Kim Richey

What: Fripp Island Friends Of Music

Concert Series

When: 5 p.m., Sunday, March 26

Where: Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Blvd., Fripp

Island

Tickets: Admission at the door is $30 for adults (credit cards accepted), students free thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund.

More: Attendees are invited to a meet-the-artist reception after the performance, catered, deliciously, by Harold’s Chef Services. This concert helps fund FIFOM’s Musicin-the-Schools program. See our website frippfriendsofmusic.com for more information. For reservations, call, text or email Vanessa Peñaherrera at 704-807-0255 or vandy116@gmail.com

Now and then Tidey slips out of his teacher role and tours with his own band, Muddy Apes, composed of Take Hirose from Feeder and some Japanese rockers. They recorded an album, Crush It, where some lyrics are in English and some in Japanese. An intriguing mix. And, of course, Tidey plays and tours with other musicians, like his friend Kim Richey. “Didn’t I” tell you this would be a fantastic concert?

Richey and Tidey will perform — all in English — at 5 p.m., Sunday, March 26, in the Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Blvd. Admission at the door is $30 for adults (credit cards accepted), students free thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund. You are invited to a meet-the-artist reception after the performance, catered, deliciously, by Harold’s Chef Services.

This concert is presented by FIFOM and supported by the S.C. Arts Commission. It helps fund FIFOM’s Music-in-theSchools program. See our website frippfriendsofmusic.com for more information. For reservations, call, text or email Vanessa Peñaherrera at 704-807-0255 or vandy116@gmail.com

Beaufort Digital Corridor hosting Techstars Startup Weekend March 24-26

From staff reports

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to put your creativity and problem-solving skills to the test?

Do you have a passion for entrepreneurship, or a business concept you’ve secretly been harboring?

Have you ever envisioned yourself as CEO of your very own venture? Lucky for you, Friday, Sat-

urday and Sunday, March 24-26, Beaufort Digital Corridor is once again hosting Techstars Startup Weekend, an annual event where participants brainstorm and strategize their way to the top.

Over the course of three days, participants work with a motivated team to build a tech start-up from scratch and pitch their idea to the crowd. Whether you’re a pro-

grammer, designer, marketer, or simply someone with an open mind (and enthusiasm to spare), there’s a place for you at Startup Weekend.

Participants will get the chance to work with talented individuals from the community, learning the essentials of entrepreneurship along the way, and will also have access to industry leaders who will judge each team’s final product

and provide constructive feedback.

On the first evening, participants will get to know their fellow attendees. Anyone who would like to pitch a startup idea are given 60 seconds to give it a go.

Afterwards, participants who wish to get the full startup experience vote on their favorite ideas and join their teams. Over the course of the weekend, they will con-

tinue to meet up with their team as they attend workshops on building a business plan, customer validation, marketing, and mastering their pitch.

At the end of the weekend, the teams will present a pitch deck (ppt) to the audience for their chance to win up to $10,000 in prizes. Tickets and complete event details can be found at http://bit.ly/3lF4yzA

‘I Ain’t Doin’ It!’

Singer-songwriter Kim Richey, who has penned several country hits, will perform Sunday on Fripp Island. Submitted photo.

Holy Trinity’s Baisch selected as ArtFields Jr. 2023 Competition Artist

From staff reports

Holy Trinity Classical Christian School junior

Rostan Baisch has been selected as an ArtFields Jr. 2023 Competition Artist.

Rostan’s watercolor titled “Perle de Mer” (Sea Pearl) of a Lowcountry shrimp boat won first place at the SCISA Art Festival in Lake City in early February.

At the urging of her art teacher, Suzanne Howard, Rostan submitted her work for consideration in the ArtFields Jr. Competition.

“We are beyond excited for Rostan, she is a gifted student and artist,” Howard said. “She is a wonderful example of a classical student. Soli Deo Gloria!”

The ArtFields Jr. Art Competition is open to SCISA students in Grades

1 through 12. All artwork submitted is considered by a review panel. Select pieces are displayed during the month of April and final judging takes place during ArtFields. The opening ceremony for ArtFields 2023 will be Wednesday, April 19, in Lake City. This year, all art will be on display from April 19 through the closing on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Winners will be announced on April 29 in four separate categories: Primary (Grades 1-2); Elementary (Grades 3-5); Middle: (Grades 6-8); Secondary: (Grades 9-12). Cash awards are presented to the top three in each category.

ArtFields is a charitable program and event sponsored by Lake City Creative Alliance, which is a federal-

ly-recognized Section 501(c) (3) organization located in Lake City. Its mission is to enhance the area schools and greater community through both creative and audience development by fostering a culturally-rich environment, connecting our communities through the arts, integrating arts into the education system, and serving as the lead in cultivating and advancing our region’s creative economy.

Founded in 2012, Holy Trinity Classical Christian School (HTCCS) provides students with a distinctly Christian and classical education in Beaufort. HTCCS serves more than 370 students in preschool-high school. For more information about Holy Trinity, visit www.htccs.org

TCL signs agreement to join South Carolina Veteran Coalition

From staff reports

The Technical College of the Lowcountry has partnered with the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs to join the South Carolina Veteran Coalition.

In a signing ceremony held March 13 on TCL’s Beaufort Mather Campus, representatives from the college and the department signed a Memorandum of Understanding effectively making TCL one of the coalition’s newest members.

“This is a great day for TCL and for our veterans and their family members who make up a significant percentage of our student population,” said TCL President Richard Gough, Ph.D, who signed the agreement on behalf of the college.

In a signing ceremony held March 13 on Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Beaufort Mather Campus, TCL President Richard Gough, left, and S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs Director of Operations Col. David Rozelle, U.S. Army ret., right, signed a Memorandum of Understanding effectively making TCL one of the South Carolina Veteran Coalition’s newest members. Photo courtesy of Tecnical College of the Lowcountry.

EDUCATION BRIEFS

SC Governor’s School again receives Seal of Transparency

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation has earned the 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, a leading nonprofit information service. This designation signifies the highest level of transparency in organization operations and spending. This is the third consecutive year that the organization has received this honor.

“The Governor’s School Foundation believes in transparency at the highest level and we are excited to receive this designation for 2023,”

Interim Executive Director

Amanda Herlihy said in a news release. “As a nonprofit organization that relies on community members to fuel our mission of providing arts education to students and teachers across the state, it is important to be forthcoming in regards to our operations. By earning the platinum seal through Candid, donors can be assured that the Foundation is a good steward of their gifts.”

The Governor’s School Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises money to support the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities — a residential, public high school for the arts in Greenville. It uses its resources to increase access to the school for students who need financial support,

Comprised of state and county veterans affairs leaders and veterans service organizations from across the state, the South Carolina Veteran Coalition was formed in April of 2022 and works to improve care for veterans, their spouses and

aid the school’s efforts to provide arts education in under-resourced counties, and bridge the gap between state funding and the unique needs of a premier arts school.

To view the Governor’s School Foundation’s Candid profile, visit guidestar.org. To learn more about the Governor’s School Foundation or to make a donation, visit scgsah. org/give

Be A Youth Planner

The Beaufort Youth Conference – For Teens By Teens is calling all Beaufort County students, musicians, rappers, artists, athletes, singers, dancers, Tik-Tok-ers and entertainers to come to Technical

family members based in South Carolina.

The agreement enables coalition members to provide and expedite specific services to the state’s veteran population. In TCL’s case, that includes education and training as well as future services available through its Office of Military and Veteran Programs, said officials on hand at Monday’s signing.

Director of Operations for the Department of Veterans Affairs retired U.S. Army Col. David Rozelle, who signed the agreement on behalf of the department, thanked TCL for supporting veterans.

“The pathway for our veterans back to being great and thriving is through education,” said Col. Rozelle. “That’s really the first stop, and education leads to employment, and employment leads to thriving.”

Having been a career Marine, Dr. Gough echoed Col. Rozelle’s comments.

College of the Lowcountry’s Building 12 from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 25 and Be A Youth Planner to plan this year’s Youth Conference event.

Those in attendance will have a chance to win Jordan Air 6s and airpods. For more information, call Carrie Major at 843-812-4399, Lynn Singleton at 843-476-1888 or Janie Brown at 843-592-0013.

TCL seeks community input for mascot

The Technical College of the Lowcountry is seeking ideas for a mascot it plans to create and unveil later in the year.

To share your idea, go to www.tcl.

“We really want to reach out to our military population, veterans, active duty and their families and get them what they need to move on to the next phase of their life or, if they’re on active duty, to improve their skills while they’re still in,” he said.

For more information on TCL’s military and veterans services, visit www.tcl.edu/military-programs

About the South Carolina Veteran Coalition

The South Carolina Veteran Coalition is comprised of S.C. Department of Veteran Affairs leaders, veteran service organizations and county veterans affairs officers joining together to help improve care, connect veterans, veteran spouses and their family members to resources in the state of South Carolina. For more information, visit https:// scdva.sc.gov/south-carolina-veteran-coalition

edu/mascot and complete a brief survey. The deadline for responses is March 24.

The best ideas — or those that will be given more weight — will be those that relate to the region, said TCL’s Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations Leigh Copeland. Ideas will be narrowed down to a small group of finalists. The college and the community will then have an opportunity to vote for their favorites beginning this spring.

TCL expects to unveil the new mascot later in the year, after the process is completed and everyone has had a chance to weigh in, Copeland said.

Holy Trinity’s Rostan Baisch shown with her watercolor titled “Perle de Mer” (Sea Pearl). Photo courtesy of Holy Trinity Classical Christian School.

Take steps to protect foot health

By Denise Pate, MD

Most of us go through each day without ever thinking about our feet. It’s only when something goes wrong that we tend to realize just how important our feet really are.

“Our feet are usually covered with shoes and socks, and they’re easy to forget about, or we might take them for granted,” says Dr. David G. Armstrong, a podiatrist and professor of surgery at the University of Southern California. “But we shouldn’t ignore them. Foot problems can really limit activity and make it hard to move through the world.”

Your feet are surprisingly complex. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and a network of nerves and blood vessels. Your feet also have more than 100 muscles and connectors, called tendons and ligaments. All of these work together to give your whole body stability and balance as you move around every day.

You can help your hard-working feet stay at their best. Start by being alert to foot pain or other problems that might need a doctor’s care.

Pay Attention to Problems.

The foot’s complexity means there’s a lot that can go wrong. “Foot problems can range from annoying to

By Cynthia Weiss

devastating,” says Dr. Crystal

M. Holmes, who heads the podiatry program at Michigan Medicine. “You can have skin problems like athlete’s foot, which is caused by fungus. Or you can have warts, which is a viral infection. These generally are not serious. But certain other skin infections can wreak havoc if left untreated.”

You can also get painful structural problems, like bunions or hammertoes. A hammertoe is a stiff bend in a toe’s middle joint. It can be caused by stubbing your toe or wearing shoes that are too tight. A bunion is a bony bump, usually on the outer

side of the big toe. Bunions tend to run in families. Both conditions can first be treated by wearing shoes with plenty of toe room. Eventually, surgery may be needed.

Other common foot problems include sports injuries, toenail troubles, and painful joints. A condition called plantar fasciitis causes sharp heel pain that declines throughout the day. Many people with plantar fasciitis recover in a few months, in part by avoiding the activities that cause pain. If the pain lasts longer, medical treatment may be needed.

Your feet can also provide early clues to problems in

other parts of your body. For example, stiff joints in your feet or ankles could be a sign of arthritis elsewhere. Swollen feet could warn of high blood pressure or kidney or heart disease. Tingling, burning, or numbness might signal some type of nerve damage. And nerve damage in the foot is often a warning sign of diabetes.

Foot Health and Diabetes.

People who have diabetes need to pay special attention to their feet. Diabetes affects about one in 10 Americans. Most people with diabetes—about 60% to

70%—develop nerve problems. These can range from mild to severe. Diabetic nerve damage, or diabetic neuropathy, can make you lose feeling in your feet, which can be dangerous.

Delayed detection of wounds or burns can lead to delayed treatment. And delayed treatment raises the risk of infection. Foot infections can be especially harmful to people with diabetes. Good blood flow helps to heal foot wounds and deliver medications like antibiotics that can help fight infections. But diabetes reduces blood flow to the feet. That can prevent infections from healing. When infections don’t heal, amputation of a toe, foot, or part of the leg may be needed. Amputation can prevent a deadly infection from spreading to the rest of the body. But amputations are risky and can seriously affect quality of life.

If the Shoe Fits. . .

No matter your age or health conditions, wearing well-fitting, supportive shoes can have a big effect on your health. But research suggests that many of us wear shoes that are the wrong size or ill-fitting.

Your feet tend to widen a bit as you get older, and they can also widen during pregnancy, So, if your foot size was measured at age 20, it probably won’t be the same

years later. Feet also tend to gradually widen as the day goes on. It’s often recommended that if you’re shopping for new shoes, go in the afternoon or evening when your feet are a little bigger. If your feet haven’t been measured in a while, consider doing so. A foot-measuring device can measure both the length and width of your feet. It’s usually available at shoe stores.

Experts suggest leaving a little space at the front of the shoe, because when we walk, our feet tend to shift forward.

Make sure that the shoes are comfortable from the start. If they don’t feel right, don’t think that you can break them in later. That could cause blisters and pain. Pain is meant to be a cardinal sign to tell you that something is wrong. When you don’t listen to it, you get in trouble.

Any time you have foot pain that lingers, it’s a good idea to see a health care provider. Give your feet the attention they deserve.

“I suggest to my patients that when you go to your doctor, and you take your clothes off for the exam, make sure you take off your shoes and your socks too. Have the doctor take a look at your feet,” Holmes says. “it’s important to catch foot problems sooner than later.”

Is it allergies or a sinus infection?

Allergies and sinus infections often are mistaken for one another. But they are two separate conditions. By paying close attention to the specific symptoms you have, you can usually identify which one is more likely to be causing the problem.

When someone has allergies, it means their body is negatively reacting to allergens, such as pollen, dust mites or pet dander. This reaction happens when the immune system releases certain substances, such as histamine, into the bloodstream. This leads to allergy symptoms, which may include itching, sneezing, sinus pressure, nasal congestion, and discharge. Although allergies can produce many of the same symptoms as a sinus infection, the condition is different.

A sinus infection, also called

sinusitis, affects the cavities around your nasal passages. The infection causes your sinuses to become inflamed and swollen. The swelling makes it hard for your sinuses to drain, and mucus builds up. You become congested and have trouble breathing through your nose. Sinusitis often causes thick nasal discharge. In addition, you may experience headaches as well as pressure around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead. Though more uncommon, cough and a sore throat can accompany sinusitis, too.

One of the telltale signs to discern if you have allergic rhinitis or a sinus infection is if you have itchy, watery eyes along with other symptoms. Itchiness is rarely a symptom of a sinus infection. Contrary to popular belief, the color of your mucus does not help tell the difference

between allergies or sinus infections.

Given that you have noted seasonal allergies, pay attention to the timing of your symptoms. This also may help decide if they likely are caused by allergies. For example, tree pollen is most common in the spring. Grass pollen is common in late spring and early summer, while ragweed pollen is prevalent in the fall. Mold and

fungi spores are usually more plentiful in warm-weather months. Of course, the seasons may be different, depending on the region of the country where you live.

Finally, medication response also can help you determine if you need additional medical care. For allergies, over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, can be quite effective in relieving allergy symptoms, particularly itching and a runny nose. You also may try adding an over-thecounter nasal corticosteroid daily to help with allergy symptoms. These nasal sprays help prevent and treat nasal inflammation and congestion, especially if you have seasonal allergies and use them just as the allergy symptoms begin.

If you suspect your nasal congestion and other symptoms are the results of sinus problems

Source: https://newsinhealth.nih. gov/2023/03/focus-your-feet

rather than allergies, you just may need to be patient. In most cases, viruses cause sinusitis. These viral infections usually go away on their own within a week to 10 days. Selfcare measures, such as extra rest and fluids, saline sinus rinses, and over-the-counter pain relievers and decongestants, can help. But if symptoms are persistent or severe, antibiotics may be needed to treat the infection.

If your symptoms are increasing, do not improve with current therapy or last for more than two weeks, you could benefit from a visit with your primary care clinician or an allergist. There are other options to help alleviate symptoms and address ongoing allergies or recurrent sinusitis.

Source: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic. org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-is-itallergies-or-a-sinus-infection/

parent PULSE ©

What causes chronic constipation in children?

By Beth Sissons

Persistent constipation in children may be due to a lack of fiber, fluids, or exercise or negative toilet habits.

In some cases, medications or health conditions can cause chronic constipation.

Constipation can be a common problem in children, and treatment is often effective. Developing healthy toilet habits, eating a high-fiber diet, and increasing fluid intake and exercise can help. In some cases, doctors may prescribe laxatives or enemas

Causes of chronic constipation include:

Delaying bowel movements—Constipation in children may occur if a child holds in stools or delays bowel movements. If a stool remains in the colon for too long, the colon absorbs excess fluid from the stool. This makes the stool hard and dry, making bowel movements more difficult.

Reasons a child may avoid or delay making bowel movements include:

feeling anxious or stressed around toilet training

feeling fearful or embarrassed to use public or unfamiliar bathrooms

• not wanting to interrupt play by going to the toilet

feeling fearful or anxious about uncomfortable or painful bowel

movements

stressful life events

Side effects of medications: Constipation in children may also be a side effect of certain medications or supplements, such as:

antacids containing

aluminum and calcium

iron supplements

narcotic pain relief medications

anticholinergics

antispasmodics

anticonvulsants

some antidepressants

Diet and activity: Constipation in children can be due to certain diets and activity levels, including: a lack of fiber in the diet

eating high-fat foods that lack fiber, such as junk foods and fast

foods

filling up on soft drinks not drinking enough fluids

changes in diet, such as when babies switch from breastmilk or formula to solid foods lack of physical activity, as movement helps food pass through the intestines

Underlying conditions: In some cases, an underlying condition may cause constipation. If your child suffers from chronic constipation, see their pediatric health care provider right away.

Symptoms of chronic constipation in children may include: fewer than two bowel movements per week hard, lumpy, or dry stools difficult or painful bowel movements a feeling of incomplete bowel movements making unusual positions or movements to avoid making a bowel movement bloating or swollen abdomen daytime or nighttime wetting

stool marks in underwear, which may look like diarrhea

Diagnosis: A doctor may first assess symptoms and take a medical history to diagnose chronic constipation in a child. Be observant and keep a record of your child’s bowel movements. The doctor may ask questions such as

How often does the child have a bowel

13 home remedies for constipation

By Helen West; Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, Ph.D., RD, PMP, MBA, CSCS

Constipation is uncomfortable and has a number of potential underlying causes. However, many home remedies and natural methods can help.

If constipation persists, a person can talk to their doctor to identify the cause and find an effective treatment.

That said, many of the natural home remedies in this sidebar can provide significant relief.

1. Drink more water

Dehydration can cause constipation, so be sure to drink enough water. Sparkling water (never sugary soda) may be effective at relieving constipation.

constipation. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist about the best ones to use.

8. Try a low FODMAP diet

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. A low FODMAP diet may help relieve IBS-related constipation. However, that alone may not provide sufficient relief.

9. Eat shirataki noodles or take a glucomannan supplement Glucomannan is a type of soluble fiber from the roots of the konjac plant. Some research suggests that it is effective against constipation in some people. Sources include supplements and shirataki noodles.

movement? Do bowel movements feel painful?

Is the child toilet training at the moment?

What does the child eat?

Has the child experienced any stressful events recently? Does the child have stool marks in their underwear?

Most of the time, no other tests are necessary. If a child has chronic constipation and signs of an underlying illness, doctors may recommend one, or a variety of these tests: digital rectal examination, abdominal X-ray, barium enema, anorectal manometry, rectal biopsy, sigmoidoscopy, colorectal transit study, colonoscopy, laboratory testing.

Treatment and prevention: The following tips may help prevent and treat constipation in children: Ensure adequate fiber in the diet through high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Increase fluid intake. Get regular exercise. Develop a regular toilet routine by encouraging children to use the toilet after meals. Use a reward system, such as stickers, for using the toilet regularly. Stop toilet training until the constipation resolves. If these techniques are

2. Eat more fiber, especially soluble, non-fermentable fiber

Try eating more high fiber foods Supplementing the diet with soluble non-fermentable fiber, such as psyllium, can also help.

3. Exercise more Try doing some gentle exercise — such as going for regular walks, swimming, cycling, or jogging — to see if it helps.

4. Adults— drink coffee, especially caffeinated coffee

Coffee can help relieve constipation by stimulating the muscles in the gut. It may also contain small amounts of soluble fiber.

5. Take Senna, an herbal laxative

The herbal laxative Senna is a popular remedy for constipation. It stimulates the nerves in the gut to speed up bowel movements.

6. Eat probiotic foods or take probiotic supplements

Probiotics may help treat chronic constipation.

7. Over-the-counter or prescription laxatives

Laxatives are effective for relieving

ineffective, a doctor may prescribe laxatives or an enema. If a medication or supplement is causing constipation, a doctor may alter the dosage or recommend an alternative. Some home remedies can be unsuitable for children, so caregivers should discuss these with a doctor before giving them to a child.

LEARN ABOUT BURN CARE care

Burns are skin or tissue damage, usually caused by heat. Burns often happen in the home. Some are caused by fire. They can also be caused by hot liquid, steam, and certain chemicals.

Burns are defined by how deep they are and how large an area they cover. First degree burns are the least serious. They affect only the thin top layer of skin. A sunburn is a common example. They usually heal on their own within a week. Second-degree burns damage the layer of skin below the outer layer as well. They may leave a scar. A third-degree burn

is the most serious; it penetrates the entire thickness of the skin, permanently destroying it and the tissue that’s underneath. Third degree burns often require skin grafts—natural or artificial skin to cover and protect the body while it heals.

It’s important to seek medical care quickly for deep or large burns. Serious burns require professional medical care. Some can even be life-threatening. But research advances over the past few decades have increased the chances of survival for people with severe burns. You can take steps to

avoid household burns

Never leave cooking food unattended on the stove. Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 °F or lower to prevent scalding burns. And install smoke alarms on every floor of your home. Keep yourself and your family safe from unexpected burn injuries. You can care for most minor burns at home. If the burn is red and painful with mild swelling or little blistering, then it’s a first-degree or minor second-degree burn.

First, clean the area with cool water and dry. Then

cover with sterile gauze or a non-adhesive bandage. Avoid breaking blisters because this can cause infection. Call your doctor if the burn has not healed after several weeks or shows signs of infection. These include increased pain, swelling, and redness.

Resourced from an article at https:// newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/09/ learn-about-burn-care

10. Eat prebiotic foods

Prebiotics are an indigestible carbohydrate fiber. Prebiotics include oligosaccharide and inulin. Although dietary fibers reduce constipation by improving the consistency and bulk of stool, prebiotics have their effects by improving digestive health.

Prebiotic foods include: chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions, bananas, leeks, chickpeas. However, garlic and onions are not included in a low FODMAP diet as these foods can trigger symptoms in people with IBS.

11. Try magnesium citrate Magnesium citrate is a popular home remedy against constipation. It is a type of osmotic laxative that people can buy over the counter or online.

12. Eat prunes

Prunes contain the sugar alcohol sorbitol, which has a laxative effect. Prunes can be a very effective remedy for constipation. However, people with IBS may want to avoid prunes, because sugar alcohols are high FODMAP foods.

13. Try avoiding dairy Dairy or lactose intolerance may cause constipation in some people. In these people, removing dairy from the diet can help relieve symptoms.

In summary, chronic constipation in children may occur due to diet, lifestyle factors, or unhealthy toilet habits. Increasing fiber and fluid intake, exercising regularly, and developing positive toilet habits may help treat constipation.

People can see a doctor if home remedies are ineffective or if children have

any other concerning symptoms. It is important that children only use laxatives or supplements in consultation with their doctor.

Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D.

Source: https://www. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ chronic-constipation-in-children?

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All Are Welcome!

Monday, April 17 Built Upon the Rock Luke 6:48

Good news: Jesus is still healing today! As God in our midst, Jesus healed many people during his ministry on earth, often with a simple touch or a word. He still loves us and desires to heal us, both spiritually and physically, and even in our own day he continues to offer freedom and healing to those who ask! The problem is, we often assume he doesn’t do things like this anymore, so we don’t bother to ask. Or we have faith, but we don’t know how to ask for healing.

Last spring, we hosted several evenings of prayer for healing, led by a special speaker, Reverend Greg Bramlage. He travels across the country helping people to ask Jesus for the healing that they need. He and his prayer team will be returning April 17-19 to help us grow deeper in our love for Jesus and our experience of his healing.

Tuesday, April 18 Led by the Spirit Acts 11:12

Wednesday, April 19 Delivered from the Dominion of Darkness Colossians 1:13

Last year, we witnessed many healings from Jesus! There were many spiritual healings, such as people finally able to forgive someone who has done them tremendous harm. There were also many physical healings, including sight and hearing being restored, serious back or shoulder problems healed, and a woman regaining her ability to move freely without a walker! We can’t wait to see what Jesus does this time! Why not join us for this year’s mission? We all need healing in one way or another. All of us have room to grow in our love for Jesus and our experience of his mercy. There is no cost, and all are welcome to attend, whatever your faith background might be. Please join us and bring a friend!

SPORTS&

Controversy at Bama aside, Pringle makes us all proud

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

If you spent most of your Thursday watching college basketball — and if you’re reading this, the odds are quite good — you saw a lot of Nick Pringle.

Of course, if you’re reading this, the odds are also quite good that you’re quite familiar with Nick Pringle. Heck, you probably know him personally or at least know someone who does. You might have known of him since he was a 6-foot sophomore still finding his game at Whale Branch, or maybe when he was a 6-foot-4 junior who averaged just shy of a double-double and was an honorable mention All-Lowco pick. Oops.

You surely heard of him when he shot up to 6-foot-8, took the AAU circuit by storm after his junior season, and led the Warriors to the Class 2A state championship game as a senior, earning him a scholarship to Wofford (and our Player of the Year award … got it right this time).

Maybe you forgot about him for a minute, when he was twisting in the wind in Spartanburg before resurfacing in western Kansas, insomuch as one can “resurface” in Dodge City. It was easy to lose track of Pringle while he was grinding halfway across the country in a town most notable for its place in Wild West lore, but if you were keeping tabs, you saw something special happening.

Or maybe you just found out Thursday. Welcome aboard the bandwagon.

Pringle’s physical evolution from a scrawny kid with tons of potential to the grown-ass man that came off the bench to put up a double-double — he racked up 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds in 20 minutes and led Alabama to a 96-75 rout of Texas A&M Corpus

SEE JARRETT PAGE B2

Battery Creek’s Hunter Smith, with runners on first and second base, launches a high fly ball into right center field during the bottom of the first inning on Wednesday, March 15, against Hilton Head Christian Academy at Dolphins Field. Smith, while trying to make it to third base for a triple, tried to run through the HHCA third baseman, resulting in a collision and an altercation that nearly emptied both dugouts and resulted in so many ejections there weren’t enough players left to finish the game, which was ultimately canceled. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

‘A crazy night in the Lowcountry’

Collision at 3rd results in altercation, ends game at Battery Creek

By Bob Sofaly The Island News

The Wednesday, March 15 varsity baseball game between Hilton Head Christian Academy and Battery Creek High School at The Creek was off to a rocky start before the first pitch was even thrown. After an unconventional play and an altercation, it ended in disaster and players, coaches and parents went home after only one inning of play.

Ominously, the junior varsity game started late when no umpires showed up. Coaches decided to call the game themselves and the game began.

As game time for the varsity contest approached, the JV game, albeit very lopsided, was only in its third inning. So with a 12-2 lead and the visiting Eagles in control, the game was called after three innings and HHCA came away with the win.

As the varsity players from both schools were warming up, the infield was dragged smooth and watered to

SEE CRAZY PAGE B2

Hilton Head Christian Academy head baseball coach J.W. Wilkerson, far left, walks away in apparent disbelief after he and several of his team members were ejected from Wednesday night’s game against Battery Creek High School in the first inning. Umpires Stan Ganshow and Shane Stephens ejected everyone who left their respective dugouts following an altercation after a controversial play between players at third base. So many players, including the coach, were ejected the game had to be canceled. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Whale Branch girls take Marwin Kline title

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

Stalking the infield in apparel more typically suited for duck hunting than a track meet, Beaufort High boys track coach Reggie Jones lamented the cancellation of the morning field events at Saturday’s Marwin Kline Invitational due to overnight rain that could have led to unsafe conditions.

“That’s the only way they ever beat Beaufort,” Jones quipped, only half-jokingly. “If you don’t have any field events, they have a shot.”

The coach was prophetic, because with the jumpers and throwers out of the picture, the Whale Branch girls and Hilton Head Island High boys blazed to the team titles on a brisk, windy afternoon

on the track in Seabrook.

Natalia Aburto won the 100and 200-meter dashes and Whale Branch claimed the 4x100 and 4x400 relays to finish atop the girls standings with 83 points, just edging May River (79.5) and Beaufort (73.5). Larmore Pryor, Alani Crawford, and Talaijah Bartley all added second-place finishes for the Warriors.

While Anaiya Houseal claimed Beaufort’s only title on the girls side, winning the 100-meter hurdles, the Eagles won three boys titles, but their 82 points fell just short of the Seahawks’ 93. Isaiah

Price won the 100, Xzavier Lacefield took the 800, and Gavin Moore captured the 3,200-meter title for the Eagles, while Whale

Branch’s Keith Chisholm won the 110-meter hurdles.

MARWIN KLINE INVITATIONAL AT WHALE BRANCH

Girls

1. Whale Branch 83; 2. May River 79.5; 3. Beaufort 73.5; 4. HHIHS 68; 5. Ridgeland 29; T6. Battery Creek 20; T9. John Paul II 4 1st : Natalia Aburto, WB (100m, 13.62; 200m, 27.96); Avonlea Hale, MR (400m, 1:04.07); Cynthia Gudaitis, HHIHS (800m, 2:25.91); Anya Arroyo, MR (1,600m, 5:14.03); Reagan Gilman, HHIHS (3,200m, 12:55.32); Anaiya Houseal, BFT (100H, 16.64); AnnaDora Hale, MR (400H,

1:12.02); Whale Branch 4x100 (49.80); Whale Branch 4x400 (4:33.63); May River 4x800 (10:22.63)

2nd: Letecia Whittingham, BFT (100m, 13.94); Larmore Pryor (200m, 28.46); Julia McKenna, HHIHS (400m, 1:07.34); Reagan Gilman, HHIHS (800m, 2:29.37); Cynthia Gudaitis, HHIHS (1,600m, 5:18.14); Alani Crawford, WB (3,200m,

14:18.27); Talaijah Bartley, WB (100H, 16.65); Ridgeland 4x100 (53.12); May River 4x400 (4:36.24); HHIHS 4x800 (11:10.65)

3rd: Shakayla Fennell, RIDG (100m, 13.99); Jaden Exley, RIDG (200m, 28.71); Stephanie Martin, HHIHS (800m, 2:38.90); Abbee Bolin, MR (1,600m, 5:56.77); Eleanor McLeod, BFT (3,200m, 15:28.57); AnnaDora Hale, MR (100H,

17.70); Grace Bing, WB (400H, 1:19.27); Beaufort

4x100 (53.33); Beaufort 4x400 (4:45.46); Beaufort 4x800 (11:11.41)

Boys

1st : Isaiah Price, BFT (100m, 11.69); Janile Roberson, HHIHS (200m, 22.97); Spencer Buick, MR (400m,

River 4x400 (3:35.38); HHIHS 4x800 (8:52.67)

2nd: Darrion Perry, MR (200m, 23.29); Wesley Jones, RIDG (400m, 52.00); Bryce Broome, HHIHS (800m, 2:10.35); Miles Brown, HHIHS (1,600m, 4:43.24); Coen Smith, HHIHS (3,200m, 10:17.35); Kendall McMillan, BCHS (110H, 16.65); Robert Taylor, MR (400H, 1:04.75); Beaufort 4x100 (44.76);

BASEBALL Eagles’ streak ends at

7

LowcoSports.com

The magic finally ran out for the Beaufort High baseball team, which ran its winning streak to seven games last week before running into a dominant pitcher in a 6-0 loss at West Ashley on Monday.

Coach Shane Monahan’s team captured some late-inning magic on back-to-back nights when Carter Bowersox smacked a game-tying RBI double off the wall in left-center, then swiped home to seal a 6-5 win over Philip Simmons to open region play Tuesday, and Hudson Mullen rocketed a game-winning double to left for a 5-4 walkoff win over West Ashley on Wednesday.

The Eagles kept it rolling with a 9-2 win at Philip Simmons on Friday behind a complete game from Carter Womack and a four-hit night from Zack Talbert, but West Ashley’s Matt Brown slowed their momentum with a stellar effort Monday, striking out 10 and limiting Beaufort to two hits over six innings. Beaufort continues region play with a home-and-home series with Battery Creek. The Eagles host the Dolphins at 6:30 p.m., Friday.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Beaufort 6, Philip Simmons 5

WP: Zack Talbert 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K

BFT (5-1-1, 1-0): Logan Brutcher 3-3, 3 2B, BB, RBI; Zack Talbert 1-2, 2RBI; Carter Bowersox 1-4, 2B, 2R, RBI; Jadyn Andrews

1-3, 2B, R, RBI

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

HHCA at Battery Creek, canceled

Beaufort 5, West Ashley 4

WP: Zach Talbert 1IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 0K

BFT (6-1-1): Logan Brutcher 2-4, R, 2RBI;

Talbert 1-3, 3B, BB, R, RBI; Hudson Mullen

1-4, 2B, 2RBI; Jayden Andrews 1-2, 2BB, 2R

HH Prep 11, John Paul II 2

WP: Connor Campbell 4.1IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER,

3BB, 6K

HHP (8-1): Finnian Rooney 3-4, 2R, 2RBI;

Gunnar Bonomo 2-3, BB, 2R; Calvin

Middleton 2-3, R, RBI; Payce Gartner 1-5,

3B, R, 2RBI; Peyton Bullock 2-4, R, RBI;

Jackson Stanyard 1-3, 2B, R, RBI; Cody

Hughes 1-4, 2B, 2RBI

JPII (1-5): Caleb Snyder 3-4, 2RBI

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

HH Prep 7, John Paul II 0

WP: Jackson Stanyard 5 IP, 2H, 0R,

2BB, 7K

HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

HHP (9-1): Payce Gartner 2-4, HR, 2R, 2RBI; Peyton Bullock 2-3 R, RBI; Collin Campbell 2-2, 2BB, R JPII (1-6): A.Kollstedt 1-1, BB

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Beaufort 9, Philip Simmons 2

WP: Carter Womack 7IP, 7H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 4K

BFT (7-1-1): Jadyn Andrews 2-4, 2B, 2R, 2RBI; Logan Brutcher 2-4, 2B, 2R, RBI; Zach Talbert 4-4, R, 2RBI; Carter

Bowersox 1-4, R, 2RBI

MONDAY, MARCH 20

West Ashley 6, Beaufort 0

BFT (7-2-1): Hudson Mullen 1-3; Mason

Connelly 1-3 Patrick Henry 10, John Paul II 1

WP: Hugh Fairey 3IP, 4H, 0R, 1BB, 4K

PHA (4-5): Chandler Brown 2-4, 2 2B, 2R, 2RBI; Jacob Corley 2-4, 2RBI

JPII (1-8): Bryant Jolley 2-3

SOFTBALL

Beaufort pitchers

post 3 straight shutouts

LowcoSports.com

No matter who has been in the circle for the Beaufort High softball team recently, the results have been splendid.

Following Adalyn Johnson’s no-hitter against Hilton Head Island High on March 10, the Eagles nearly tossed two more no-nos last week. Kylie Rast struck out 14 in a five-inning no-hitter to beat Philip Simmons 10-0 on Tuesday, with the lone baserunner reaching on a dropped third strike, and Johnson twirled a one-hit shutout in a 16-0 win over the Iron Horses on Friday.

The degree of difficulty goes up this week with a home-and-home set with Battery Creek, which also went 2-0 last week with a three-inning perfect game in a 19-0 win at North Charleston. The Dolphins and Eagles are set to play at 7 p.m., Friday at Beaufort High.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14 Beaufort 10, Philip Simmons 0

WP: Kylie Rast 5IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 14K

BFT (5-3, 1-0): Kylie Rast 3-3, 2 2B, 3B, 2R, RBI; Caylin Adkins 1-3, RBI;

WEDNESDAY,

Rhiannon Tate 2-5, 3B, 3R, 2RBI; Haley Maroney 1-3, 2B, 2BB, 3R, 2RBI

John Paul II 15, Edisto 5

WP: Tevi Mullen 7IP, 5H, 5R, 2ER, 3BB, 6K

JPII (2-0): Cayce Graves 4-5, 2 3B, 3R, 3RBI; Alexa Eaddy 3-5, 3B, 2R, 2RBI; Lauren Majorkiewicz 2-4, 3B, HR, 2R, 3RBI; Shelby Pinski 2-3, 2 2B, 2R, RBI; Rachael Brenneman 2-2,

Beaufort High School’s Amiah Ramires, center, manages to get control of the ball from Lexington High School during their lacrosse game Saturday, March 18. The Lady Eagles, though overwhelmed, managed to score two goals. The final score was 18-2, dropping the Lady Eagles to 2-5. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Sylise Edwards 4-4, 3B, HR, 3R, 3RBI; Angie Rosario 2-3, 3B, 2R, 2RBI; Jones 2-3, 4R

BOYS GOLF

Christian, Lubkin lead Eagles to wins

LowcoSports.com

A different player led the charge each time, but it was depth and consistency that carried the Beaufort High boys golf team to a pair of wins last week at Dataw Island and Dolphin Head.

Gus Christian led the way with a 38 and Jerry Bruns and Jack Lubkin were right behind with 39s as the Eagles carded a 158 on Tuesday at Dataw to edge Hilton Head High by six shots.

Lubkin went low Thursday at Dolphin Head, firing a 1-under 35 over nine holes to claim medalist honors and pace Beaufort (157) to a 14shot win over the Seahawks.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Dataw Island Beaufort (158): Gus Christian 38, Jerry Bruns 39, Jack Lubkin 39, Simon McAlister 42, Jack Sumner 44 HHIHS (164): Thomas Ford 40, Jackson Crouch 40, Logan Kriney 42, Santino Bambeck 42, Brody Doyle 54 James Island (167): Canon Mariarty 37; Layne Floyd 37 Bluffton (170): Jones Saylor 40, Lawson Rively 43, Dane Scott 43, Brady Sacha 44, Pierce Rushin 62

Ruckus Premier unbeaten in FLA

Ruckus Premier, an AAU basketball team made up of boys ages 14 and younger from all over Beaufort County, traveled the first weekend in March to Tampa, Fla., to play in the Suncoast Sportsfest basketball tournament, where the team went 4-0 and won the championship.

Ruckus Premier won its first game Saturday morning over Sarasota Euroelite 27, 78-51. That afternoon, Ruckus Premier beat the Eagles, 90-42. On Sunday afternoon, Ruckus Premier beat Sarasota Euroelite 27 again, 59-28. In the championship game, Ruckus Premier faced OTH 14U, a team from Central Florida, and eventually won a back-and-forth game, 6357. The team is coached by LA Boggess. Submitted photo.

the elite programs in the country.

later. A harbinger.

Jarrett

from page B1

Christi — took place away from the spotlight.

First, here at home, working with coaches and trainers yearround to hone his skills and mold his body, then at Dodge City Community College, where there was nothing to do but work so hard that the journey couldn’t possibly end there among the stockyards and tumbleweeds.

Pringle did just that and immediately shot to the top of the junior-college recruiting rankings, watching offers pour in, first from “mid-majors” and small-conference also-rans, then from Power Five schools, and eventually from

He felt at home in Tuscaloosa and in Nate Oats’ frenetic style that emphasizes athleticism and puts big men who can run the floor and put themselves in position to get the ball in the right spots in an advantageous situation.

It took Pringle some time to grasp the system and his playing time dwindled until he was on the floor for just one minute in a 10090 loss to Gonzaga on Dec. 17. He scored nine points in his first 11 games at Alabama and was held scoreless in eight of them.

Then, on Dec. 20, Pringle erupted for 14 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes in a rout of Jackson State and followed it up with 10 points and four boards at Mississippi State eight days

Lucy Beckham (171): Vann Roe 41, Henry Hodges 41, Brennan Cuthbert 44, Henry Larsen 45, Jack Jordan 46 May River (176): Trevor Horn 41, Landry Williams 44, Conner Ouellette 45, Carson Flanagan 46, Bode Pearson 55

THURSDAY, MARCH 16 Dolphin Head Beaufort (157): Jack Lubkin 35, Jerry Bruns 40, Simon McAlister 40, Gus Christian 42, Jack Sumner 42 HHIHS (171): Thomas Ford 40, Jackson Crouch 42, Santino Bambeck 44, Logan Kriney 45, Ben Sampson 53 May River (176): Conner Ouellette 38, Landry Williams 44, Trevor Horn 44, Bode Pearson 50, Andrew Hart 51 Bluffton (179): Jones Saylor 42, Brady Sacha 44, Lawson Rively 46, Dane Scott 47 HHIHS “B” (197): Brody Doyle 44, Ayden Schoeppe 49, Jake Cauller 52, Richard Neste 52, Garrett Simons 59 Battery Creek (239): Chase Genberg 53, Michael Freeman 58, Christian Fess 61, Sam Ireland 67, Niseem Carter 69

GIRLS SOCCER

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Philip Simmons 4, Beaufort 1

BFT 1-3 (0-1)

Holy Trinity 7, Bridges Prep 0

HT 2-0

John Paul II 2, Beaufort Academy 1

JPII 4-0-1; BA 2-1-1

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Battery Creek 7, Woodland 1

BCHS (8-0-1, 1-0): Sophia Felix 5G, Alex

Brock 1G, Andrea Celada 1G

St. John’s 4, Whale Branch 0

WB 1-6-1

Patrick Henry 3, Beaufort Academy 1 BA 2-2-1

Crazy from page B1

keep down the dust. The base pads and home plate were cleaned and the fans were settling in for a nice, enjoyable night of high school baseball.

In the top of the first, HHCA got a couple runners on the base, but the side was retired with no runs scored.

In the bottom of the frame, Battery Creek got a couple hits early and had runners at first and second. Hunter Smith crushed a long ball to deep right center field behind the outfielders allowing both runners to score. Smith, who started slowly, sprinted around sec-

Still relegated mostly to a handful of minutes per game, Pringle showed another burst of production with 10 points and seven rebounds against LSU in January then had his big breakout game Feb. 18 against Georgia, going off for 19 points and 12 boards in his first double-double for the Crimson Tide.

Although the opportunities to shine have been limited on a team stacked with talent, Pringle has become something of a media darling on account of his beaming smile every time the camera pans to the Bama bench, his understated knack for comedy on social media, and of course, his rim-shaking dunks. He looked right at home taking the honor of the on-court postgame interview

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Philip Simmons 2, Beaufort 1

BFT 1-4 (0-2)

BOYS SOCCER

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Beaufort 2, Philip Simmons 1

BFT 2-1 (1-0)

Royal Live Oaks 5, Whale Branch 1

RLO 2-2 (2-1); WB 1-7 (0-3)

Bridges Prep 10, Bethune-Bowman 0

BP 6-0-1 (3-0)

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Whale Branch 7, Bethune-Bowman 0

WB (2-7, 1-3)

Beaufort Academy 10, Patrick Henry 0

BA 5-3-1: Gavin Midyette 4G, Braydon

Dineen 1G, Zeke Gonzalez 1G, Evan Rankin

1G, Grady Lamm 1G, Yannick Baumgartner 1G

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Philip Simmons 1, Beaufort 0

John Paul II 6, HHCA 2

JPII (4-1, 1-0): Jackson Ogden 3G/1A, Austin Floyd 1G, Larry Racey-Rubalcado

1G, Tony Hill 1G, Austin O’Quinn 10 saves

Bridges Prep 3, Bamberg-Ehrhardt 1

BP (7-0-1, 4-0): Pablo Astorqui-Manene

1G/1A; Timothy English 1G; Michael Legier 1G

BOYS TENNIS

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Beaufort 5, Hanahan 1

Singles

1. Graeme Angus (B) def. Landon Herbert

6-0, 6-0

2. Diego Alvarez (B) def. Colt Herbert

6-0, 6-0

3. Casey Hoogenboom (B) def. Mitchel Woods 6-1, 6-1

4. Quincy Blanding (B) def. Dylan

ond base with a full head of steam trying to stretch his double to a triple.

And everything went south real fast.

A perfect throw to third base caught Smith more than six feet from the bag. But Smith didn’t slow down, tried to take out the third baseman and was tagged out in a massive collision.

A brief altercation ensued, and several of the players from both dugouts came onto the field.

When the pushing, shoving and yelling was over, three Battery Creek players, including Smith, HHCA head coach J.W. Wilkerson and an unknown number of HHCA players were ejected from the game.

When asked how many

after Thursday’s win.

This Alabama team comes with plenty of compelling storylines, not the least of which is the mystery concerning star freshman Brandon Miller’s role in delivering an alleged murder weapon to former teammate Darius Miles and Oats and the university’s handling of the situation. You’ll hear a lot more about that story in the coming days and weeks than you will about the story of a kid from Seabrook who never gave up, ignored the odds, and bet on himself.

But Nick Pringle won’t get lost in the shuffle. He earned his moment on the national stage Thursday, and he deserves all the accolades and more. He might fade back into the tapestry when the Crimson Tide take on

Kennedy 6-0, 6-0

5. James Simmons (B) def. Cameron

Loefield 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

2. Briggs Holcolm/Jackson Beazley (H) def. Grisham Stone/Dorris Green 6-0, 6-0

Records: BFT 1-1 (1-0)

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Philip Simmons 4, Beaufort 3

Singles

1. Graeme Angus (B) def. Keith Lenecke

6-0, 6-0

2. Diego Alvarez (B) def. Henry Broad

6-0, 6-0

3. Matthew Esse (PS) def. Casey

Hoogenboom 6-2, 7-5

4. Ben Shaman (PS) def. Quincy Blanding

6-0, 7-5

5. Ryan Kziza (PS) def. Dorris Green

6-2, 6-0

Doubles

1. Angus/Alvarez (B) def. Lenecke/James Hiibliy 6-0, 6-0

2. Mills Cannon/Parker Owen (PS) def. Grisham Stone/James Simmons 7-5, 6-0

Records: BFT 1-2 (1-1)

GIRLS LACROSSE

SATURDAY, MARCH 18 Lexington 18, Beaufort 2

BFT (2-5, 0-2): Sophia Pellegrino 1G, Liz Livesay 1G

BOYS LACROSSE

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

James Island 7, Beaufort 2

BFT (2-5, 1-1): Riley Durette 1G/1A, Jacob Preston 1G

MONDAY, MARCH 20

HHIHS 17, Beaufort 4

BFT (2-6, 1-2): Jacob Preston 2G/1A, Cameron Mazola 2G, A.Migliorino 2A, Riley Durette 1A

HHCA players were ejected, umpire Shane Stephens said, “We haven’t figured that out. But it’s enough to not continue the game.”

As the discussions between umpires and coaches continued near the pitcher’s mound, the spectators for both teams also began to get rowdy, causing at least one Beaufort County Sheriff’s Deputy to walk out onto the field.

A visibly disappointed Coach Wilkerson just shook his and said, “I got ejected. Crazy night in the Lowcountry.”

Bob Sofaly has been photographing people and what they do in Beaufort since Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He can be reached at bobsofaly@gmail.com

Maryland in the second round late Saturday night, but if he’s not on the court, he will be the biggest cheerleader on the bench. Just look for the biggest smile.

Those of us who have watched his journey since he was that scrawny kid grinding for a chance and seen him grow into the vibrant young man who continues to honor his late brother and bring pride to an entire region that has long been overlooked know the world hasn’t seen the last of Nick Pringle. Not even close.

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.

Many are familiar with the beatitudes which are a section of a larger discourse spoken by Jesus in His earthly ministry. They are found in His sermon on the mount in Matthew, Chapter 5, and some of them are mentioned again in the sermon on the plain found in the 20th chapter of Luke. Both homilies are filled with spiritual wisdom and laid the groundwork for New Testament Christianity. There are also beatitudes found in the Psalms, and all of these truths are timeless and just as life-changing and relevant today as they were when they were spoken. The Greek word for “beatitude” simply means blessed, fortunate, and content, and presented in the context of living each moment with a relentless determination for having a clear understanding of right and wrong and demonstrating boldness to accomplish God’s purpose no matter the cost.

When you think about the condition and direction of your life today, do you see consider yourself being this type of Christian? It’s easy to read over these precepts while yawning, but they were never meant to be options or suggestions. You might have heard the old saying

that beatitude is short for “be-in-this-attitude” and this is a good way to make them more personal.

When we take the time to meditate on the deeper meanings, we realize they are pillars in the foundation of our faith and our relationship with God and humanity. Today I want to focus on one of these statements found in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Within the context of the next two chapters, Jesus is basically teaching us what being His follower is about. Christ is clear about the importance of being holy and pure in our conscience, but how do we develop this attitude and retain it?

As we ponder about the state of being pure, we also notice Jesus mentions the word heart. What do you think of when you hear something like, “well, bless your heart,” “she broke his heart” or “he loved her with all of his heart?” Some say it is the conscience, the

emotions, the intellect, and our will, others believe it is the deepest recess of the soul. Whatever, or wherever it is, it is the most sacred place of our existence and the very location that God wants us to surrender to Him so that He can dwell there. Daniel 1:8 talks about how Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with sin. In this light, we see that it is our responsibility to guard and protect our inner sanctuary from the darkness and corruption of carnality.

The first several chapters of Proverbs explain that we are to store the treasures of God’s word in our hearts and the authority of His truth will produce joy and peace.

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes;

keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”

Proverbs 4:20-23.

This is about staying focused and being consistent which by the way is one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life. A pure

heart is not divided, and as James 1:6-8 reminds us, a double-minded person does not receive help from the Lord. A pure heart for God walks with integrity, repents often, and does not fear what the world thinks of them. A pure heart embraces humility, comprehends and embraces our identity in Christ, and makes a covenant vow to surrender our

will in order that we might accomplish His.

It’s a beautiful thing to be close enough to God to feel conviction from the Holy Spirit. This is His way of getting our attention when He wants to correct or give us special instructions.

Hebrews 10:22 talks about drawing near to God with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, and having our hearts purified from an evil conscience. Living in God’s presence and being pure in heart does not happen by accident. We see what we are trained to see. May we be awakened and allow the refiner to have His way. Let us be consumed with a passion to be holy, knowing those who are pure in heart will see God.

Learn more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

ARTS

Fractals: Beautiful Geometry

6 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, Morris Center For Lowcountry Heritage, 10782 S Jacob Smart Blvd, Ridgeland. Mesmerizing math? It may sound like a contradiction, but when the math involves fractals (never-ending patterns), you’ll be drawn into their intricate beauty. Learn more about these stunning creations with Dr. Manuel “Bud” Sanders, Professor of Mathematics at University of South Carolina Beaufort. Whether man-made, computer-generated, or found in nature, fractals are sure to fascinate. Register at https://www. morrisheritagecenter.org/event-5151660.

Lowcountry Glass Mosaics Workshop

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 22, Morris Center For Lowcountry Heritage, 10782 S Jacob Smart Blvd, Ridgeland. Ages 16 and up. $55 registration fee. Create a luminous mosaic suncatcher in this 4-hour workshop led by glass artist Pat Stone. You’ll also learn how to safely cut glass, follow mosaic patterns, and grout pieces. Purchases are non-refundable. Register at https:// www.morrisheritagecenter.org/event-5047016.

Gifts From the Boneyard

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday;

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, through March 31, 2023, Port Royal Sound foundation (PRSF) Museum, 310 Okatie Highway, Okatie. The Friends of Hunting Island (FOHI) and The Port Royal Sound Foundation (PRSF) are hosting an art exhibit called, “Gifts From the Boneyard, Art Inspired by Hunting Island’s Landscape.” The featured artist is Barbara James, a local fabric artist. Photographers Joan Eckhardt and Andy Stephens are also contributing pieces. Proceeds from sales will go to FOHI and PRSF. Opening gala from 4 to 6 p.m., March 2, 2023.

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.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Trivia with Tom – Fat Patties

7:30 p.m., Every Wednesday, Fat Patties, 831 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.

Trivia with Tom – Bricks On Boundary

7:30 p.m., Every Thursday, Fat Patties, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available. Bluffton Night Bazaar — a Lowcountry

Made Market 5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.

Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes

5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to 10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a collective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and donation-based events with proceeds being donated locally on a rotating basis.

Wet Willie’s Trivia Night

7 to 10 p.m., every Thursday, Wet Willie’s, Beaufort Town Center. Win awesome prizes while you sip the worlds greatest daiquiris and munch on delicious bites.

Wet Willie’s Bingo Night

7 to 10 p.m., every Friday, Wet Willie’s, Beaufort Town Center. Win free giveaways, merchandise, and more cool prizes.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70

Pennington Dr, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Drum Circle

6:30 to 8 p.m., 2nd Friday of every month, Gazeebo, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Free. Anyone welcome, no experience necessary. Eric Roy, a recent transplant from Connecticut with successful experience in leading drum circles, is our new facilitator. He will start sessions off with 15-20 minutes of instruction on djembe playing and teach a selected traditional rhythm & accompaniment for participants to play. In addition, there will be time allotted for spontaneous group drumming. Bring a drum, if you have one, a chair and a desire to have fun. The Drum Circle has several extra drums and many other percussion instruments that anyone can use. To receive updates on future events, send your email to lannyk13@gmail.com. This session will be on Friday, April 14.

Highway 21 Flea Market

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday, Highway 21 Drive-In. Sellers, vendors, handmade items, unique products and yard sale items. For information, email lowcountryfleamarket@gmail. com.

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING

HIGHWAY 21 DRIVE-IN

The movies scheduled for this week (Thursday, March 23 through Sunday, March 26) at the Highway 21 Drive-In are John Wick, Chapter 4 (R, 8 p.m.) and Plane (R, 10:45 p.m.) on Screen 1; Shazaam! Fury Of The Gods (PG-13, 8 p.m.) and Creed III (PG13, 10:15 p.m.) on Screen 2; and Scream VI (R, 8 p.m.) and Cocaine Bear (R, 10:15 p.m.) on Screen 3 (Friday and Saturday).

Online ticketing is available at hwy21drivein. com on the Now Playing page. Patrons are asked to arrive early on Friday and Saturday nights. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

“Our family at the Hwy. 21 drive in feel a responsibility to our community,” a statement from Highway 21 Drive-In management reads. “We are concerned about many things in these trying times and in making the right decisions. We are concerned with our employees, our patrons, our business, our community’s businesses, and the health and well-being of all.”

A reminder: no outside food or beverages can be brought into the drive-in.

Upcoming movies include The Super Mario Bros. Movie (April) and Dungeons & Dragons Honor among Theives (March 31).

pets allowed. For more information, visit http:// www.portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @ portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric. Karaoke with Melissa

8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Rd, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Play & Eat – Dinner Theater

6 to 8:30 p.m., Saturdays, April 1, April 15, April 29, May 13, May 20, June 3, June 17, and July 1, Hilton Garden Inn, 1500 Queen Street, Beaufort. Solve a murder mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just to let you know the murderer is hiding somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as one of the suspects if you don’t watch it. This is a prize-winning competition and everyone is a participant. For more information, contact 843-592-6209 or playandeatdinnertheater@gmail.com, or visit the website at www.playandeatdinnertheater.com.

Friends of Fort Fremont oyster roast

5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 24, at Live Oaks Park, Port Royal. Cost is $40 per person. Benefits the Friends of Fort Fremont and the local chapter of the S.C. Native Plant Society. Attendees should bring their own chairs and adult beverages. Oysters and chili are provided by Sea Eagle Catering; appetizers and desserts provided by the Friends. Don’t miss the famous Silent Auction and music by the Sweet Ferns. Buy tickets online at http://bit.ly/3Jl6KFL, or if you prefer, send a check payable to: Friends of Fort Fremont, P.O. Box 982, St. Helena Island, S.C. 29920. Checks by mail must be received by March 16. For more information, email oysterroast@fortfremont.org.

YMCA Puppy Plunge

9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, March 25. Wardle Family YMCA, Outdoor pool, 1801 Richmond Ave., Port Royal. Well-behaved canines of all breeds and sizes are welcome. Cost is $10 per pup. All proceeds benefit the Y’s Learn to Swim program. Owners will be required to sign a waiver before entering the enclosed, exterior pool area (use the side entrance gate), must be present with their pups at all times, and humans are not permitted to swim in the Puppy Plunge. The YMCA asks that pets be up-to-date on all vaccinations. Event is weather dependent so check the YMCA social media or call the Y front desk at 843-522-9622 the morning of the Puppy Plunge to check any status update.

Memory Matters: Memory & Aging

4 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, Encompass Health Rehab Hospital, 107 Seagrass Station Rd, Bluffton. $20 for this session, or $40 for all Memory Matters sessions. Speaker: Dr. Paul Mazzeo, Coastal Neurology.

Fractals: Beautiful Geometry

6 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, 10782 S Jacob Smart Blvd, Ridgeland. Mesmerizing math? It may sound like a contradiction, but when the math involves fractals (never-ending patterns), you’ll be drawn into their intricate beauty. Learn more about these stunning creations with Dr. Manuel “Bud” Sanders, Professor of Mathematics at University of South Carolina Beaufort. Whether man-made, computer-generated, or found in nature, fractals are sure to fascinate. Register at https://www. morrisheritagecenter.org/event-5151660.

Lowcountry Christian

Women’s Connection

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm., Wednesday, April 19, Hampton Hall Clubhouse, 170 Hampton Hall Blvd., Bluffton. “The Fabric of Friendship” features speaker Norma McMurry. Cost is $28 and must be prepaid by April 1. Make checks payable to CWC Bluffton and send to Carol Mock, 607 Argent Way, Bluffton SC 29909. For information contact Carol Mock at 843-7057604 or Julie Ott at 602-750-5465 Julie.ott.az@ gmail.com.

MCAS Beaufort Airshow

Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23, 2023, MCAS Beaufort. Visit BeaufortAirShow.com. General admission is free.

Memory Matters Brain Booster Class

1 to 3 p.m., Monday, May 8, 15, & 22, First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 99$ fee. A threeweek brain wellness course for active adults that promotes positive lifestyle strategies for improved brain health. Instructed by Memory Matters’ Community Education Director Debbie Anderson.

Memory Matters: Ask a Neurologist

10 a.m., Saturday, May 20, Memory Matters, 117 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. $20 for this session, or $40 for all Memory Matters sessions. Speaker: Dr. Jill Trumble, St. Joseph’s Candler Neurology.

67th annual Beaufort Water Festival

Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 23, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort.

HISTORY

Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Admission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, Active Duty Military and College Students with ID $5. Children/Teens younger than 18 Free. Explore and experience more than 500 years of Beaufort History with knowledgeable docent guided tours.

The Historic Port Royal Museum

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, Thursdays through Sundays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-the-century businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory. org, email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail. com or call 843-524-4333.

Tour Historic Fort Fremont

Dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. The History Center is open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and, in March, Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn about the fort’s history during the Spanish-American War through interpretive signs, self-guided walking tours with a smart phone, exhibits in the history center, and docent-led tours. For more information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net.

Vietnam War Homecoming Event

1 p.m., Sunday, March 26, Beaufort National Cemetery, 1601 Boundary Street, Beaufort. Presented by Caris Healthcare in collaboration with We Honor Veterans & USA Vietnam War Commemoration Partnership. Join us for the presentation of colors, military songs, remembering those KIA and MIA, motivational readings, Presentation of commemorative lapel pin to Vietnam Vets, veterans’ spouses presentation of their own lapel pin, veteran information tables/representatives, and light refreshments. All are welcome. For more information contact Caris Healthcare at 843473-3939.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Law Talk Select times and days, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Seabrook. To register, call 843-255-6479. Free. Brief topic overview with Question & Answer with volunteer attorney. Tuesday, Feb. 28, 5 to 6 p.m., Landlord Tenant Law; Tuesday, March 18, 5 to 6 p.m., Wills, Estates, and Probate; Saturday, April 29, 11 a.m. to noon, Heirs Property; Saturday, May 20, 11 a.m. to noon, Starting a Business or Nonprofit.

Dungeons & Dragons

4 p.m., Mondays, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-2556441. Ages 12 to 18.

Lego Club

4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Mondays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. All ages welcome.

Law Talk

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., select Tuesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. To register, call 843-255-6481. Free. Brief topic overview with Question & Answer with volunteer attorney. Jan. 24, Wills, Estates, and Probate; Feb. 28, Estate Planning; March 28, Advanced Health Care Directives; April 18, Starting a Business.

Teen Art Club 4 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6441. Ages 12-18.

Teen Anime Club

4 p.m., 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

Law Talk

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., select Tuesdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. To register, call 843-2556540. Free. Brief topic overview with Question & Answer with volunteer attorney. Tuesday, Jan. 17, Starting a Business; Tuesday, Feb. 7, Expungement; Tuesday, March 7, Credit Card Debt; Tuesday, April 4, Social Security Disability; Tuesday, May 2, Getting Arrested.

Teen Video Game Club

4 p.m., 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6441. Ages 12 to 18.

Law Talk Noon to 1 p.m., select Wednesdays, Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Rd, Hilton Head Island. To register, call 843-255-6525. Free.

Brief topic overview with Question & Answer with volunteer attorney. Wednesday, Feb. 15, Cyber Security and Data Privacy; Wednesday, March 15, Wills, Estates, and Probate; Wednesday, April 19, Advance Health Care Directives; Wednesday, May 17, Real Estate and Foreclosure.

S.C. Works Job Coaching

2 to 4 p.m., Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. Free help with job searches, interviews.

Chess Club

1 to 2 p.m., Saturdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. Ages 5 and older.

Chess Meet Up 11 a.m., 2nd Saturday of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456. Instructor Henry Otto Seim will show beginners the basics or play a friendly game with more experienced players. All skill levels welcome. Extra boards will be set up.

Chess Meet Up 11 a.m., 3rd Saturday of each month, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, 843-2556479. Instructor Henry Otto Seim will show beginners the basics or play a friendly game with more experienced players. All skill levels welcome. Extra boards will be set up.

MEETINGS The Beaufort Trailblazers –

A Volunteer Group

8 a.m., first Thursday each month, Herban Marketplace, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building off-road/dirt/wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843-575-0021 or email universitybicycles@ hotmail.com.

League of Women Voters

6 to 7:30 p.m., second Thursday of every month, Meeting Room, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Ladys Island Drive, Beaufort. Free. The Public as well as LWVB members are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be about the topics members have suggested as projects for 2023.

Zonta Club of Beaufort

6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal. Until November 22, we are participating in a service project with a global organization called Free the Girls. We are currently collecting new and gently used bras to help women rescued from trafficking start their own businesses selling the bras. Last year our club collected more than 600 bras and we are hoping to beat that number this year. Our collection sites are Amy Bowman State Farm Agency, 1284 Ribaut Rd., Myrna B. Breland, CPA, 1 Professional Drive, Port Royal, and Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs, 34A Savannah Hwy. Maye River Quilters

9:30 a.m., Monday, May 1, Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. To attend the meeting as a guest, send an RSVP email to mayeriverquilters@gmail.com. For more information and for membership forms to join the group, call 843-705-9590.

MUSIC

Fripp Island Friends of Music Concert Series

5 p.m., specific Sundays, Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Blvd., Fripp Island. Individual shows are $30. Consider becoming a member of Fripp Island Friends of Music (FIFOM). Membership gives you access to all five concerts, including the post-performance reception where you meet the musicians while enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared fresh by Harold’s Chef Services. It also helps fund FIFOM’s Music-in-the-Schools program. The basic FIFOM membership, $100, has not changed. To become a member, text or call Vanessa Peñaherrera at 704-807-0255 or email vandy116@gmail.com. Go to frippfriendsofmusic. com for more information. Schedule: March 26, Kim Richey (singer-songwriter).

OUTDOORS

Tips & Tricks to Birding in Beaufort & The Sea Islands

7 p.m., Thursday, March 23, Fripp Island Community Center, 205 Tarpon Blvd, Fripp Island. Off island visitors welcome – stop at the gate to check in. Join us as Jenn Clementoni teaches us some easy ways to bird successfully, using technology to bird and explore nature smartly. Jenn relays that birding is an all inclusive activity and enjoying nature is the main goal! Jenn is also a Nature Photographer who will provide tips and tricks to those who are interested in learning about photography while birding. Meet and Greet begins at 6 p.m. – Bring something to share at the snack table and meet your fellow birders. Visit us at www.islc.net/audubon/, or contact us at frippaudubonclub@gmail.com.

Port Royal Cypress Wetlands tours

9 a.m, Friday, March 24; 10 a.m., Saturday, April 8; 9 a.m. Friday, April 28; 9 a.m., Saturday, May 13; 9 a.m. Friday, May 26; Port Royal Cypress Wetlands. Bring your holiday guests to a free guided tour of the wetlands sponsored by Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and led by Master Naturalist Jill Moore. Moore is full of information about alligators, turtles, trees, plants, and the variety of birds that call the wetlands home. This is a great opportunity to learn about this magical place. Tours are limited in size so sign up now. Kat Bray, Tour Coordinator, info@foprcw.org.

RUNNING

13th Annual Beaufort Twilight Run

3:30 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, March 25, Habersham Market, 13 Market, Beaufort. The BTR’s mission is to host a fun, competitive and memorable annual event for Beaufort to benefit Riverview Charter School – a free public charter school open to Beaufort County kindergarten through 8th-grade students. With the first event beginning at 3:30 p.m., BTR offers six options for runners and walkers at all levels including a signature 13.1 Mile Beaufort Challenge (5K Run + 10 Mile), 10 Mile Run, 8K Run, 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Youth Run, and Kids’ Fun Run. The BTR is one of two events in South Carolina offering a 10-mile run. All courses are flat and spectator-friendly, offering beautiful marsh views under shaded live-oak canopies. Register now to secure this year’s shirt, registration required before March 1 to guarantee a shirt. The BTR’s total cash purse is more than $6,000 with payouts to be awarded in the 13.1 Mile Beaufort Challenge, 10 Mile Run, 8K Run and 5K Run. Categories include the three overall male and female winners of each of those races, as well as for the top male and female Masters (40+), Active Duty Military and Hometown Hero (a Beaufort County resident). In addition to cash prizes, age group winners will receive a gift for their accomplishments. Discounts are also available for students, groups of 10 or more, and activeduty military. A wide variety of delicious food and beverages will be available from gourmet food trucks and the Habersham Marketplace restaurants. To register and for details, visit www. beauforttwilightrun.com.

Radiance Run 5k / 2 Mile Walk

9 a.m., Saturday, April 1, Live Oaks Park, 904 14th St, Port Royal. $15 for youth under 18 at time of race; $35 for participants over 18 years at time of race. Annual fundraiser to support free pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, parenting and lifestyle classes, fatherhood ministry and baby item boutique. Sign up at https://runsignup. com/RadianceRun5k.

SPORTS 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.

Rose Hill Charity Polo Classic

2 p.m., Sunday, April 2, Rose Hill Polo Field, 1 Equestrian Way, Bluffton. $25 Pre-event, $35 at the gate. Children 10 & under are free. Gates open at 10 a.m. for VIP Sponsors & purchasers of tailgating spaces, and at noon for General Admission Spectators. Purchase tickets at rosehillequestriancenter.com.

Vietnam Veteran’s Day event set for Sunday

From staff reports Caris Healthcare is hosting a WELCOME HOME! Commemoration at 1 p.m., Sunday, March 26 at Beaufort National Cemetery to honor Vietnam Veterans Day.

Vietnam War Veteran’s Day is a nationally recognized event, established to welcome home Vietnam Vets who were not welcomed with the same honors as in previous wars. It also acknowledges the sacrifices young, American men and women made during the Vietnam War.

In collaboration with We Honor Veterans and the USA Vietnam War Commemoration Partnership, Caris’s WELCOME HOME! Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony is being planned to include a Color Guard, military and patriotic music, special readings, and a presentation of a commemorative lapel pin for each Vietnam Veteran.

Vietnam Veteran spouses will also receive acknowledgment with a presentation of their own lapel pin.

The ceremony will start at 1 p.m. and end at 2 p.m., and will be held on the green space at the main entrance of the Cemetery, off Boundary St., where the flag pole stands. The event will adjourn to educational tables and light snacks.

Around 200 people attended last year’s event in Bluffton. The event is free and open to the public.

Caris Healthcare is a national hospice company with an office in Bluffton, which serves Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton Counties. Caris’ mission is to provide hospice care with grace. Caris is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s We Honor Veterans, a program conducted in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information contact Caris Healthcare at 843-473-3939.

Nonprofit Military Hearts Matter joins SC Veterans Coalition

By Mike McCombs The Island News

A few years ago, Beaufort’s Holly Vega, through personal experience, as well as the stories of others, became painfully aware that we were neglecting our veterans in a way we had failed to realize.

Vega, a military spouse, married to a Marine, realized we were neglecting their hearts.

Service members – Marines, soldiers, airmen, sailors – face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and related conditions, both during and after their military careers.

The U.S. military does not properly test for heart disease when recruits enter the service. It screens for physical deformities, but the heart remains a mystery. A simple EKG could be a solution.

Then, when that service member separates, often times those heart issues have gotten worse and are exacerbated by the stresses of returning to a civilian life.

In 2020, Vega founded Military Hearts Matter, a nonprofit focused on heart health for service members and their families, as well as support for families with health issues.

“My nonprofit began because I saw a need in the military that was not being met nor taking care of,” Vega said. “I am a heart advocate.

In our military we do not have any support in this area.”

Just this past year, Vega said the nonprofit had supported 16 kids.

“Tri-Care does not cover everything,” Vega said. “Nothing is funded, we’re all volunteers.”

Now, Military Hearts Matter has partnered with the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs to join the South Carolina Veteran Coalition.

In a signing ceremony held Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Military Hearts Matter founder

Holly Vega and S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs Operations Division Director Col. David M. Rozelle, U.S. Army (Ret.) signed a Memorandum of Understanding officially making the nonprofit a member of the South Carolina Veteran Coalition. The Coalition is a state-wide referral system that helps connect veterans and their families to a network of resources across South Carolina.

“It’s more than just the veteran,” Rozelle said. “We spend a lot of time focused on the uniformed soldier, but it’s also the family members.”

Becoming a partner is free and allows Military Hearts Matter to

receive referrals and help easily and directly connect veterans it is working with to other veteran resources in the Coalition.

Now the nonprofit effectively serves all of South Carolina, not just the immediate Beaufort area.

“South Carolina is the only one doing it,” Rozelle said. “What we’re doing, no one else is doing. There are a couple of other states that are ready to kick off some programming, but their first call is to us to say, ‘How did you convince your statehouse to support this?’ And it’s easy, because it’s about veterans and their families.”

“To be honest, for me this is a great honor. South Carolina is my home state and my nonprofit is

just moving into its third year of operations,” Vega said. “I started this journey by creating a movement in the Marine Corps, having events and sharing information at each base, that all our military hearts matter, but we need to focus on cardio issues. We only have one heart, right?”

For more about the South Carolina Veteran Coalition, visit https://scdva.sc.gov/south-carolina-veteran-coalition

For more about Military Hearts Matter, visit https://www.militaryheartsmatter.org

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

Recognize Vietnam Veterans by wearing orange

Each American should wear something orange on Vietnam Veterans Day, which is Thursday, March 29. There are five powerful reasons every American should wear orange on Vietnam Veterans Day and they include:

1. Wear Orange for the more than 9 million who served our nation from 1955 to 1975. Wearing Orange is a great way to recognize the over 9 million veterans who served in the US military (in and outside of Vietnam) during the 20-year Vietnam War.

2. Wear Orange for the approximate 2.3 million who served in country. Wearing orange is especially appropriate to recognize the sacrifice of the approximate 2.3 million veterans who served in Vietnam, on land, in the air, and in the brown and blue water navy during Vietnam, and the veterans who served in the supporting military bases in Korea, Thailand, and other locations where Agent Orange exposure were likely.

3. Wear Orange for the 58,000 who gave the last full measure. Wearing orange is even more important to honor the more than 58,000 U.S. Military men and women killed in Vietnam.

4. Wear Orange for the (roughly) estimated 300,000 who have been killed by Agent Orange. Wearing orange is an opportunity to honor the estimated more than 300,000 military men and women and their family members who have died or been gravely injured from Agent Orange’s deadly toxicity over the past 61 years.

5. Wear Orange as a Reminder for us to help veterans and their families. Keeping in mind that two thirds of

Vietnam Veterans who served in Vietnam are already gone, it is most important to wear orange to remind everyone to encourage the remaining living approximate 760,000 Vietnam Veterans who served in Vietnam (and their families) and whom the VA presumes to have been exposed to Agent Orange to:

• Register with the VA’s Agent Orange Registry. See the VA’s Agent Orange Registry Health Exam for Veterans webpage at http://bit.ly/400xMrG Request an Agent Orange Medical Screening. See the VA’s Environmental Health Coordinators webpage at http://bit.ly/3JAp4cy. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Acting Environmental Health (Agent Orange) Coordinator/Navigator is Nurse Practitioner Jill Cleary at 843-818-6999, Ext. 343233 or email Jill. Cleary@va.gov. There are also two VA Medical Support Assistants (Jimille and Shantle) in this office. The number of veterans requesting to register and have screenings is large. If a veteran already has been registered and screened, and he or she wants to file a claim for an Agent Orange (or other HAZMAT

related) caused health condition, they should request a supporting letter from their area Environmental Health Coordinator/Navigator. Ask a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) and the VA to explain the deadly effects this Dioxin filled chemical Agent Orange has had on Vietnam Veterans and their families.

Ask a VSO and the VA to tell you what diseases are associated with Agent Orange Exposure and considered presumptive by the VA, which include Hypertension, Ischemic Heart Disease, Hypothyroidism, Cancer of the prostate, Respiratory Cancers, AL Amyloidosis, Bladder Cancer, Chronic B-cell Leukemias, Chloracne, Hodgkin’s Disease, Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Parkinsonism, Parkinson’s Disease, Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, and Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Ask the VA to explain why Vietnam Veterans have a 2.5 times greater chance to develop dementia. Read the information at the VA’s and Public Health webpages titled Veterans’ Diseases Associated with Agent Orange at http://bit. ly/3JTZTDf and Exposure to Agent Orange by Location found at http:// bit.ly/42rKDEY Watch and listen to the VA’s SITREP uTube videos on Agent Orange found at https://www.newengland. va.gov/sitrep

Dedication

This article is dedicated to the author’s best friend, ex-Army Aviation Captain Bubba Segrest who in September of 2022 died of Agent Orange-caused cancer. Bubba and the author played football against each other in high school, went through Army Flight School together, served in the same Attack Helicopter unit in Vietnam, and had been closest friends for more than 57 years.

Bubba was a fellow Army helicopter pilot and he saved the author’s life when he was last wounded in Vietnam on March 28, 1969. Bubba was nearly killed a few months later when he was shot through the knee and hand, losing three fingers, while flying through Agent Orange spray attacking a Viet Cong position with his gunship.

Bubba and this author flew Agent Orange dispensing Huey helicopters in Vietnam and later flew Huey Gunships protecting other helicopters as they dispensed Agent Orange defoliant over the jungles, swamps, and forests in Vietnam. They were both drenched in Agent Orange when they had to fly through clouds of the deadly dioxin filled Agent Orange to attack enemy soldiers shooting at the spraying helicopters above them.

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center team gave Bubba the best treatments and care available for many years but could not save him in the end. He could not say enough good things about his VA doctors, nurses, and other VA healthcare providers.

Please wear an orange tee shirt, orange arm band, orange shoes, orange baseball cap, or other orange clothing or pin on Vietnam Veteran’s Day. Please help a veteran to know what his or her veterans’ benefits are and how apply for those benefits. You

may save a veteran or one of his or her children’s lives.

References

VA’s Agent Orange exposure and VA disability compensation webpage http://bit. ly/3JpN5TC

VA’s and Public Health webpages titled Veterans’ Diseases Associated with Agent Orange found at https://bit. ly/3JTZTDf

VA’s SITREP YouTube videos on Agent Orange found at https://bit.ly/3Z1sAmg

VA’s webpage Agent Orange Registry Health Exam for Veterans https://bit.ly/400xMrG

VA’s webpage titled Birth defects linked to Agent Orange found at https://bit. ly/3Yq3kFU

North Dakota Veteran Affairs, Article titled, Agent Orange: It’s Affecting Veterans and Their Kids by Haley Foster, Published March 19, 2015, at http://bit.ly/3yVv3DY

VA’s Environmental Health Coordinators webpage at https://bit.ly/3JAp4cy

VA’s webpage titled Vietnam War Veterans health issues found at http://bit.ly/3Jxjwjl

Article titled Watch for Agent Orange Exposure Symptoms by Carolyn Ballou, California Department of Veterans Affairs at http://bit.ly/3lzw6Gz

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, exEnlisted 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.

LARRY DANDRIDGE

In a signing ceremony held xx at the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Military Hearts Matter founder Holly Vega and S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs Operations Division Director Col. David M. Rozelle, U.S. Army (Ret.) signed a Memorandum of Understanding making the nonprofit a member of the South Carolina Veteran Coalition. Mike McCombs/The Island News

Fight the darkness with a passion

Hairdryers buzz and laughter echoes as finishing touches are added to makeup, costumes, and cocktails.

It’s an annual affair where the doctor dances in front of the patient, teachers tap in front of students, and that quiet, reserved neighbor shakes their moneymaker. The air is thick with nervous excitement, hairspray, and conversations with God.

Dancing on stage in a small town means the dancer faces everyone they know, from fellow church members to that one guy they dated in high school. Anonymity doesn’t exist. What would inspire the average person to shimmy, shake and shock the front row of a small town?

Dancing With Our Stars is seen by many as the most meaningful fundrais-

CHERIMIE CRANE WEATHERFORD

er of the year. Child abuse prevention is atop everyone’s mind among charitable priorities. The mere mention of child abuse can cause even the most stoic to shudder. Defending the most vulnerable among us unites friend and foe shoulder-to-shoulder. There is a reason pockets are empty; pride falls to the floor; and everyone concentrates on one objective for three whole hours.

Child abuse stirs notions of dark alleys, addict

moms, drunken dads, and strangers lurking in the shadows. It occurs in less fortunate neighborhoods, big cities, estranged families, and at the fault of incurious supervision. Abuse is darkness, physical injury, and noticeable cuts. Attentive parents, devoted guardians, and addresses garnished with white picket fences are less susceptible to the underbelly of society. This assumption leads us to complacency.

Child abuse also prospers in plain view. It flourishes because someone desires not to rock the boat. It lives and breathes in apathy.

Children with no scars or bruises suffer through gaping wounds, shattering everyone who loves them.

It is the battering of the soul, not just the bones. It is a devastating storm with

far-reaching destruction leaving the debris of lost innocence, time, and faith. Like a hurricane ripping a roof from a rafter, abuse doesn’t ask for credentials; it cares not for kin or title as it bears down, leaving nothing left to bloom.

I have seen the effects of bruiseless abuse, worked

alongside warriors, and fought to rebuild shattered dreams. Abuse does not care what you do, who you know, or your standing in the community. Predators don’t have a name tag signaling intent. It is cancer that grows as it goes undetected. It seeks to control, intimidate and conquer.

Be vigilant. Ask questions about the child whose laughter has lessened and parents who have withdrawn from daily life. Continue to write checks in support, but don’t hesitate to write letters when something is amiss. Do something, be someone willing to stand up. Please get involved in the schools, churches, communities, and anywhere our most precious gather. If you suspect physical, mental, or emotional harm, prioritize seeking the truth. Look in the eyes of our children, be a part of their worlds, and fight the darkness with the passion we all felt in an auditorium filled with light.

Cherimie Crane Weatherford is a business owner, a long-time real estate broker and a lover of the obscurities of Southern culture.

You will decide who constitutes the wicked

By Carol Lucas

For The Island News

Perhaps one of the finest inventions ever to come our way is the mute button on the television remote control. In my case it is the most used part of that instrument, since I tend to immediately shut down any commercial that intrudes, seemingly every 60 seconds, as I watch the news. Some may see those intrusions as a blessing, given the tenor of today’s news, but I submit that things aren’t much better when watching any program.

I think I began to notice the superabundance of advertising for pharmacy drugs around the time when I was isolated by COVID, with only the television as a frequent companion. My recognition of these medicinal bids for attention registered briefly; however as I began to pay closer attention, even with a muted TV, I noted the uptick of pharmaceutical advertisement.

This caused me to question why. Do people really pick up the phone, call their physician, and suggest that they wish to try this new drug rather than what they are using? Do they wait for the next six month check-up and convey this wish, based upon a commercial? No one supports more than I the idea of being your own patient advocate, but at what point do we stop to analyze the influence of advertising?

The whole thing seemed rather bizarre, but I was sufficiently in-

By Scott Graber

For The Island News

It is Saturday and its still dark. This morning

I’m lying on my couch listening to NPR wondering about Ukraine and its war weary people. As I lie in the darkness my mind shifts from Ukraine to Afghanistan.

By June, 2021, we had decided we were tired of the bloodshed in Afghanistan.

Led by Donald Trump, the United States had come round to the notion that Afghanistan had been a colossal waste of men, women and treasure. But it was everyone’s best guess that we were leaving behind seasoned, well-trained soldiers who would keep the Taliban at bay.

We knew that the Taliban, who had governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, were tough, resilient fighters who embraced sharia law. We also knew they had a contempt for women, and still believed

CAROL LUCAS

trigued to start digging for some information that might convince me that spending millions, perhaps billions, on these ads is profitable business. What follows is but a small portion of what I found.

One fact that caught my eye is relatively simple as well as a pause for consideration. The only other country in the world that permits the kind of persistent drug advertising that we see in the USA is New Zealand. Not one other country permits this kind of bombardment.

Now my goal in writing this isn’t to address a specific company or a particular drug. Instead I want to focus upon how the pharmaceutical companies as a whole have managed to gain a stranglehold on the advertising that crosses our screens on a daily basis.

In 2020 TV ad spending by pharma accounted for 75% of total ad spending. For TV alone (excluding radio, magazines, and newspapers), there are 187 commercials for 70 prescription medications, and it is reported that these have aired half a

million times since 2018

Additionally, one report states that between 2015 and 2021 $22.3 billion was spent on these ads.

And what about side effects?

These often include “possible death” which should lead us to look long and hard at how these ads are presented. I remember when my younger granddaughter was perhaps 14, and we were watching television together. An ad came on, concluding with all the possible side-effects. She looked at me and said, “If all those other things might happen to you, why would you even think about taking medicine like that?” Good question, my dear.

And an even better question is this: why aren’t more restrictions and tighter control applied to this advertising sector? My research led me to this. To begin with, federal law does not permit the FDA to require pharmaceutical companies to submit ads before they are aired. Nor can the FDA bar the advertising of drugs that may cause injury, addiction, withdrawal effects or death.

Furthermore, these companies are not required to state the cost involved. There is no process in place where approval of an ad must be secured. How can this be? We are dealing with people’s lives, thus my use of the word “stranglehold.”

I found one article online, parts of which I must share to make my point. The FDA approved CSL Behring’s hemophilia B gene ther-

North Vietnamese troops as they approached Saigon. We had watched our embattled embassy, seen the people trying to climb the embassy fence, and felt a palpable sense of desperation as the South Vietnamese Army evaporated.

apy, a one-off infusion that frees patients from regular treatments but costs $3.5 million per dose, making it the most expensive medicine in the world. This treatment, administered just once, cuts the number of bleeding events expected over the course of a year by 54%, a key study found.

“While the price is a little higher than expected, I do think it has a chance of being successful because 1) existing drugs are also expensive and 2) hemophilia patients constantly live in fear of bleeds.” This statement came from Brad Loncar, a biotechnology investor and CEO of Loncar Investments. He went on to say it is “a gene therapy product that will be appealing to some.”

I include this because it hit home in a very personal way. When my late husband was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 1998, we were told by his physician at Johns Hopkins about “gene therapy” as a possible treatment for him. It was not yet available, but he was asked to give blood samples that would be distributed to labs working throughout the country on this disease.

Sadly, he passed away in 2001 without any treatment. What struck me when I read the above was this: if we had been confronted with the decision of choosing a treatment that would have saved my husband’s life at a cost of $3.5 million, what would we have done? What could we have done?

“The price is a little higher than expected”?

had spoken-out against the Taliban. One of these women, Homeira Qaderi, was particularly vulnerable to retribution.

“Hemophilia patients constantly live in fear of bleeds”?

Price=Fear=Profits. Please note the speaker’s position and his final quote, “A gene therapy product that will be appealing to some.” Indeed it will, to those who have incredible wealth.

It is generally accepted that companies see this ad blitz as a way to target older viewers who need more extensive care and who are confronted with potentially life-threatening illnesses. So I guess it comes down to this: we know that the side effects are listed at the end of a commercial in rapid-fire succession, and the print on the screen is small. Does the responsibility for ferreting out the necessary information lie with the viewer? Does it matter that that viewer may be hearing impaired or have visual problems, leading to a lack of understanding? Do the viewers realize that the new product being hyped is more expensive than what they are presently taking? Or do these companies, in fact, rely completely upon a lack of attention to details?

We all remember how the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth stirred their cauldron full of medicinal antidotes and proclaimed, “By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes.” You, dear reader, decide who constitutes the wicked.

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.”

departing Kabul.

mental in the creation of the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

in videotaped beheadings for those who violated their Islamic principles.

But we thought it was time for our troops to come home.

As early as July, 2021, we knew there had been a miscalculation in terms of the Afghan army. We knew that Kandahar, Herat and Kabul were in trouble.

That the Afghan Army was quickly losing control of its provincial capitals and that high ranking Afghan officials were heading for Iran, Uzbekistan and Europe. In the United States we realized we had been in this place before. We had watched Walter Cronkite confirm the advance of

But the scenes that stayed with us — and remain with many Americans to this day — was the scramble of the Vietnamese civilians to get out of the country.

A scramble was first focused on the Tan Son Nhat Airport; then on the embassy helipad where overloaded helicopters left for off-shore aircraft carriers.

By the middle of August, 2021, President Biden knew that he had to get every American out of the country by the end of the month. He also decided that hundreds of thousands of Afghans had assisted American troops and they would be killed if not evacuated. And there were others — women in particular — who

Homeira Qaderi had published several novels, written children’s books and done a residency at the University of Iowa. Now, at 30, she lived with her young son in Kabul and taught literature at Kabul University. Beyond being a published author (Dancing in the Mosque), Homeira was active and outspoken in her promotion of women’s rights and her opposition to the Taliban.

As the situation in Kabul deteriorated Marly Rusoff — Homeira’s literary agent — watched her television with growing horror. Rusoff, who lives at Newpoint, in Beaufort, had been Pat Conroy’s agent and had been a frequent visitor to Beaufort County. After Conroy’s death in 2016 she and her husband, Mihai, moved to Beaufort and were instru-

Rusoff made numerous calls — one to an old boyfriend, Sam Heins, who had served as Ambassador to Norway in the Obama Administration. Rusoff asked Heins if he still had contacts in the State Department who would help get Homeira and her son, Siawash, out of Afghanistan. Heins, now retired, had served with a deputy, Jim DeHart, in Norway. Now Jim DeHart was the deputy to the American Ambassador in Kabul.

And so it came to pass that in the midst of the chaos — huge crowds were now assaulting the airport gates — DeHart forwarded Rusoff’s e-mail to Sam Aronson.

Aronson, a young diplomat sent from Nigeria to help out with the evacuation, found himself making life-or-death decisions about who got on board the overloaded C-17s that were

Aronson — who’s heroism will be detailed with the publication of “The Secret Gate” later this spring — had a problem with Homeira. She wanted 14 seats for her extended family; and he only had two.

Then Aronson called Rusoff (who was awakened at 5 a.m., in her Newpoint home) explaining that chances of getting Homeira out were “one percent.” Rusoff launched into an impassioned plea but Aronson reiterated the gates were closed, there had been a massive explosion, but he would do everything he could.

I won’t reveal how this turned out. But if you see Marly Rusoff at Publix you should thank her for her persistence, and her own heroism.

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

SCOTT GRABER

I won’t reveal how this turned out

Defending the most vulnerable among us unites friend and foe shoulder-toshoulder. There is a reason pockets are empty; pride falls to the floor; and everyone concentrates on one objective for three whole hours.”

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St.

Helena Island is…

“St. Helena is the last great Sea Island in South Carolina that has not been overrun by development and is a mainstay for Gullah culture. The island exists in its current state in part because my community rallied together to implement the Cultural Protection Overlay in the late 1990s.”

Victoria Smalls, Executive Director, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor 12/28/22

“Saint Helena Island is the heart of the Gullah Geechee Corridor and one of the last Sea Islands that remains relatively untouched by development. This did not happen by chance. The Saint Helena community has fought and defended itself against numerous outside threats to its culture, history and way of life for centuries. “

- Senator Chip Campsen SC State Senator, District 43 1/5/23

1004 11th St. In Port Royal

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“St. Helena Island is still defined by rural, working landscapes and the Spanish moss hanging from the ancient live oaks that stand witness to a history and place that connects all of us. It is a place still anchored by the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District and also by praise houses, sacred Gullah-Geechee burial areas and tabby ruins dating from enslavement. There are still vistas of maritime forests, meandering tidal creeks and expansive mud flats and oyster bars. Members of our community still reel in red drum, sea trout and flounder from our waters. We still plant rows of tomatoes, squash and zucchini, and tend our groves of citrus trees.”

– David Yoakley Mitchell, Penn Center board member 3/17/23

St. Helena Island is NOT a developer’s playground.

“…Such an attempted workaround of the rules would be comical if this weren’t so serious.”

Post and Courier Editorial Board 03/19/23