October 28 edition

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OCTOBER 28–NOVEMBER 3, 2021 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM

Port Royal council candidates speak their minds

LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN

By Lolita Huckaby PORT ROYAL – Economic diversity and support for the future development of the Port of Port Royal property were two of several issues discussed last week during a town council candidates forum sponsored by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce. The at-large council race is on the Nov. 2 ballot and open only to Port Royal registered voters.

LOLITA HUCKABY

Yemassee, Port Royal special this time

COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY

The four candidates – incumbents Mary Beth Heyward, who has served on the council for 29 years and Darryl Owens, who is completing his first term – are being challenged by Eddie Gugino and John Hazel for the two council seats. The winners will join Kevin Phillips and Jerry Ashmore, as well as Mayor Joe DeVito in steering the growing community for the next four years. All four candidates at the forum

WANT TO WATCH? The one-hour forum is available to watch on the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

emphasized their support for the town’s continuing growth but proposed careful monitoring of that growth. Gugino, a cyber security engineer, stressed the importance of “letting the free-market do its thing” on is-

A

SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A5

SEE COUNCIL PAGE A5

A look at what’s on Tuesday’s ballot

IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

BEAUFORT ll Beaufort County voters can go to the polls next week, Nov. 2, to vote for … or against … a local option sales tax and a revision in the county government structure. But Port Royal and Yemassee residents are special – they have council races on their ballots and in the case of Yemassee, a vote for mayor. Of course, in Yemassee, the current mayor Colin Moore doesn’t have any competition on the ballot as he seeks a second term, BUT it’s a six-way race for two council seats. And you can tell by driving through the town and seeing a plethora of campaign signs at almost every corner. The six candidates – Trena Ellis, Natasha N. Greene, Robert “Bobby” Moore, David Paul Murray, Stacy Pinckney and Darrell Russell – are running for the two seats now held by Charlie Simmons and Michelle Hagen, who aren’t running again. Since Yemassee is a town divided – half in Beaufort County, half in Hampton – some of the residents will get to vote on that local option sale tax and the change in county government to allow appointment, rather than election of the county treasurer and auditor. It’s not like the Hampton side of town didn’t try last year to become part of Beaufort County by annexation. A petition was circulated and signed by about 140 residents, but the Governor’s office decided the signatures hadn’t been verified and the effort has remained stalled since then. Interest in the running for town council comes at a time when the municipality bordering I-95 is considered “ripe” with growth potential, with two exits and a narrowing proximity to Savannah’s industrial sites. And the same can be said for Port Royal, where two of the four council seats are on the ballot. Incumbents Mary Beth Heyward and Darryl Owens are running for re-election against political newcomers John Hazel and Eddie Gugino. Port Royal faces some interesting times ahead, with the growth of all the apartment complexes and the pending sale of the Port of Port Royal to Safe Harbor Marinas, rumored to take place within the next few weeks. There’s a much-debated and

sues like encouraging development and affordable housing. “I don’t see why the citizens of Port Royal should have to pay for affordable housing,” he said. On the same issue of affordable housing, Heyward, who recently retired from her job at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, said it was important for the community and local

By Mike McCombs With Election Day coming up Tuesday, Nov. 2, let’s take a look at what choices Northern Beaufort County residents will have to make when they cast their ballots. Local Option Sales Tax Beaufort County Referendums Local Question 1, placed on the ballot by Beaufort County Council, involves the authorization to impose a 1 percent Local Option Sales Tax (L.O.S.T.) on persons in Beaufort County. “Must a one percent sales and use tax be levied in Beaufort County for the purpose of allowing a credit against a taxpayer’s county and municipal ad valorem tax liability and for the purpose of funding county and municipal operations in the Beaufort County area?” A “yes” vote approves the Local Option Sales Tax, while a “no” vote rejects it. If approved, the proposed initiative requires the county and municipalities to use 71 percent of the revenue “to provide a credit against the property tax liability of taxpayers in the county and municipality.” The other 29 percent must be used to fund county and municipal operations. The 1 percent L.O.S.T., if approved, will likely cause no increase

One-year-old franternal twins Amias and Kami Middleton sit in the shade while Grandmother Melissa Wright takes their picture Saturday at the Cartaret Street United Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch. While Kami is ready to be held, Amias wants to see what all the fuss is about regarding the great orange orbs. Photo by Bob Sofaly.

SEE BALLOT PAGE A4

Two arrested in shooting death of Lady’s Island man From staff reports William Johnson III and Brittany Smalls were arrested Friday, Oct. 22, in connection with the shooting death of Laventis Cohen on Lady’s Island. Both suspects both have been taken into custody. On Friday morning, Oct. 22, investigators met with a Beaufort County magistrate and obtained warrants for the arrests of Johnson and Smalls for Murder, Obstruction of Justice and Possession of a Weapon during the Commission of

a Violent Crime in connection with Cohen’s shooting death. Johnson is being held at the Richmond County (Ga.) Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Beaufort County. Smalls is incarcerated at the Beaufort County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing as of Tuesday. On the afternoon of Oct. 16, Beaufort County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to reports of a shooting at a residence on Brickyard Point Road North on Lady's

Island. When deputies arrived, they found the 47-year-old Cohen, deceased inside the residence. Cohen, of St. Helena Island, died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, as confirmed through autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina. The Sheriff’s Department said on Saturday that there was no public safety threat, as the person of interest in the shooting, the 29-year-old Smalls, who resides at the Lady's Island home where the shooting

SPORTS

MILITARY

INSIDE

Eagles bounce back to blast Bobcats, lock up No. 2 seed.

Marine identifies costly discrepancy, enhances Marine safety.

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Lowcountry Life A2 News A2–5 What’s Happening A6 Business A7 Health A8–9

Arts Education Sports Military Voices Directory

occurred, provided a story of how the shooting transpired. The scene was processed for forensic evidence, while Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department investigators continued to interview Smalls and other witnesses. According to the Sheriff’s Department, through those interviews, investigators identified a second person of interest in the shooting, 21-year-old William

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SEE SHOOTING PAGE A5


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