NEWS: DHEC directs BJWSA to remove signs on Beaufort River. PAGE A2
SEPTEMBER 10–16, 2020 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Some special ed students to get face-to-face instruction Beaufort County School District will provide half-day, hybrid model By Mindy Lucas The Beaufort County School District will provide in-person instruction to some of its special education students this fall, district officials say. The announcement was made at the school district’s Tuesday, Sept. 1 school board meeting. While the district still plans to open with virtual only instruction this week as it announced earlier in August, it will provide face-toface instruction for some students
with Low Incidence Disabilities (LID). Those include students with intellectual or cognitive disabilities, visual or hearing impairments or those in autism-focused classrooms. The families of 138 students with LID have requested the face-to-face instruction. The district currently serves approximately 220 LID students. “We have always maintained that virtual learning is not as ideal as face-to-face instruction,” Dep-
uty Superintendent and Chief of Schools Duke Bradley said. “This is particularly evident when it comes to meeting the needs of students with extreme intellectual and physical disabilities. When we say we want success for all students, this is exactly what we mean. As a consequence, we are taking steps to ensure that all students have the tools and instruction they need to make measured progress,” Bradley said. Federal law requires special ser-
vices for students with disabilities. Beginning Monday, Sept. 14, the district will provide half-day, face-toface instruction for these students in a hybrid model. DHEC’s Covid-19 metrics down Beaufort County School Superintendent Frank Rodriguez also noted at the Sept. 1 meeting that the county’s Covid-19 metrics, which includes the infection rate have dropped to medium risk. “If this positive trend continues,
we will be able to open schools to all of our students who desire a face-toface education sooner, rather than later,” he said. “This is what we all want because it’s best for our children. In the meantime, I’m glad we will be able to effectively serve certain special education students, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” Mindy Lucas is the Beaufort reporter for The Island News and is a staff writer for Lowcountry Weekly. She can be reached at mindy.islandnews@gmail.com.
Boats on Parade
City and county officials: Take the census – please! Lowcountry response lagging behind last tally By Mindy Lucas When it comes to counting its citizens, South Carolina and the Lowcountry are falling behind – not just compared to where other states and regions are now, but compared to the area’s own final response rates from ten years ago. Delays due to Covid-19 and an earlier than usual deadline have complicated matters, City of Beaufort’s communications and marketing manager Kathleen Williams said. So much so that city and county officials across the region got together recently to launch an area-wide Census Day, she said. Held Wednesday, Sept. 9, the day served as a reminder of the importance of answering the questionnaire and what having an accurate count can mean to communities across the Lowcountry. Beaufort County, for example, is down three-and-a-half percentage points from where it finished in 2010 in terms of its self-response rate, or the number of people who completed the survey themselves.
About 250 to 300 boats of all sizes and configuration cruised from The Sands Beach in Port Royal to the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge on Saturday during the Trump Boat Parade. Most of the participants gathered near The Sands, but many also joined the flotilla along the way in support of President Donald Trump’s re-election efforts. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
League of Women Voters hosting virtual candidate forums By Mike McCombs In an effort to make sure Beaufort County voters have the most detailed information possible about upcoming local and state elections, The League of Women Voters of Hilton Head Island and the Bluffton Area and the Beaufort League have joined together to host virtual candidate forums via Zoom. The organizations are asking voters to register for the forums so that each candidate knows that as many of their constituents as possible are participating. The first forum will be for candidates for the Beaufort County Council at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Gerald Dawson (District 1) and Gerald Glover (District 3) will participate, though they are running unopposed. Brian Flewelling (District 5), also running unopposed,
declined to participate, according to the LWV. Jodie Srutter and Logan Cunningham, candidates for the District 7 seat for which the incumbent is not running, will both participate, as well. To register, visit https://bit. ly/328GoRw. The meeting ID is 822 1137 3891 and the passcode is 860746. Should voters have questions for the candidates relative to this campaign, they can send them to pafmontgomery@gmail.com ahead of time. The next scheduled forum will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 for the Beaufort County Board of Education. Voters may register for that forum at https://bit.ly/3jZjaDI.
SEE VOTERS PAGE A5
SEE CENSUS PAGE A4
Registration still open for Beaufort River Swim By Mike McCombs One of the few area events to not be canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic is coming up next week, and the window of opportunity to register is closing soon. The Wardle Family YMCA will
HAVEN’T TAKEN THE CENSUS? If you haven’t completed the census, it’s not too late. Residents have until Sept. 30 to be counted. Call 844-330-2020 to answer questions by phone, or go online and fill out the questionnaire at https://my2020census. gov.
host the annual Beaufort River Swim +5K on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Now in its 14th consecutive year, the race was originally scheduled for May. A 5K run, presented by Beaufort
SEE SWIM PAGE A5
FREE TESTING
VICTORY!
INSIDE
Beaufort Memorial to host free COVID-19 testing events Sept. 16 and 30.
Beaufort Academy battles to the end for first 11-man win.
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