NEWS: Retired Marine Matt St. Clair named to city post. PAGE A5
SEPTEMBER 20 - 26, 2018 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
So Long, Florence
Hurricanes always create spectacular beauty when they are far away. Here, Blanche Sullivan, left, of Beaufort, and Lisa Giffin of Summerville watch and photograph an incredible sunset Friday, Sept, 14, near the Broad River boat landing. About two dozen people came out to watch the colorful event. Photo by Bob Sofaly
Lowcountry spared as hurricane ravages N.C. coast It was touch-and-go for a few days, but Beaufort fortunately was spared the effects of Hurricane Florence. The unpredictable nature of the storm caused Gov. Henry McMaster to issue an evacuation order for Beaufort County on Monday, Sept. 10, which he rescinded less than 24 hours later. Many residents still cleared out, concerned that some forecast models predicted a southern swing as the system approached the coast. For those who stayed, it made for a quiet, if tense, few days. Many locals made their preparations then enjoyed time on the suddenly less-crowded beaches or took to Hunting Island State Park for unusually favorable surfing conditions. Schools and government offices were closed until Monday, Sept. 17, and many businesses boarded up, especially along the downtown waterfront, in expectation for the worst. The worst never came to the Lowcountry, thankfully, but Florence battered the North Carolina coast and dumped massive amounts of rain in the northeastern part
Windows of the Thibault Gallery were boarded up in preparation for Hurricane Florence. Photo by Jayne Violette.
of South Carolina, causing extensive flooding. “I am very proud of how our city and county organized and responded to the seemingly ever-changing unpredictable hurricane, tropical storm, tropical depression as
she slowly and erratically made landfall in North Carolina and then the northeastern part of the state known as the Pee Dee,” Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said in his email newsletter. “We are fortunate, but others are not so lucky. Our hearts and whatever help we can provide should be extended.” While some were critical of Gov. McMaster’s early evacuation order, Keyserling lauded the governor for his handling of the situation, and he extended that praise to county officials, who have now had to oversee evacuation proceedings in three consecutive years. “Based on three experiences working with Beaufort County, I believe the performance of the emergency management team has improved exponentially,” Keyserling said. “Through engaging with the public with regular news conferences and the use of technology, the citizens of Beaufort County were more informed than any time I can remember. I sat in the room over periods of time witnessing local officials and professionals at their best, making tough calls.”
Beaufort Walk for Water to impact lives around the world Join the second annual Beaufort Walk for Water at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal. The Walk for Water promotes awareness of the global water crisis while raising funds to provide sustainable safe water around the world. The fundraising goal for this year’s event is $45,000. All donations benefit Water Mission, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that builds safe water solutions in developing countries and disaster areas. To sign up for the walk or to make a donation, visit events. watermissions.org/beaufort18 or call 843-769-7395. The event is open to people of all ages and is dog-friendly. On-site registrations open at
8 a.m., opening ceremonies take place at 8.30 a.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m. After the opening ceremonies,
every participant will be provided an empty bucket and begin to walk the approximately three-mile route. Halfway through the route,
walkers fill their bucket with raw water and carry it the rest of the way back to the park to symbolize the walk that millions of women and children make every single day to collect what is often unsafe drinking water. “At our inaugural walk last year, we were blown away by Beaufort rising to the challenge and fundraising over $26,000 to benefit Water Mission,” said Jeneane Ryan, chair of the Beaufort Walk for Water committee. “This year we are asking people to rally friends, neighborhood groups, clubs, churches and sports teams to challenge each other to raise $45,000 to help people less fortunate in our world to get access to safe water; something we easily
take for granted.” Pluff Mudd will entertain walkers with live jazz music starting at 8 a.m., while Capitol Coffee hands out coffee to the walkers and Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority provides free water. Murphy's Pucker-Up will bring the Lemon-Aid stand and sell its homemade lemonade with proceeds going to help end the global water crisis. For more information about Beaufort Walk for Water, visit events.watermissions.org/beaufort18, follow the group on Facebook and Instagram @BeaufortWalkForWater, or call 843-769-7395. Sponsorship enquiries may be directed to Robert Lasher at 843-906-8118. We are. Accreditation
NEW DOCTOR IN TOWN Vandit Sardana joins Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists. PAGE A4
VEGAS GOLD Cummings, Stanley sweep gold in Las Vegas. PAGE B1
LUNCH BUNCH Lunch Bunch bounces to Breakwater for great food. PAGE B3
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