September 5 edition

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Beaufort County subpoenaed by state grand jury

Spokesperson: 4 subpoenas issued; County cooperating

By Delayna Earley The Island News

A South Carolina grand jury has issued a series of subpoenas requesting that Beaufort County supply financial records related to possible contract, purchasing and procurement misconduct.

Beaufort County spokesperson Hannah Nichols confirmed that the county had received four state grand jury subpoenas and “the county is cooperating fully and will comply with the subpoenas to provide all requested documentation.”

State grand jury wants look

It’s about time.

Word came last week in The Island Packet that a state grand jury also wants to take a look at the county’s financial records dealing with purchases during the administration of former County Administrator Eric Greenway.

The subpoena was reportedly issued last Wednesday, two days after the Beaufort County Council voted unanimously to partially release the financial audit done by an independent law firm.

The Council took action after months of closed-door discussions and finally complaints from Sheriff P.J. Tanner that the report from Haynesworth Sinkler Boyd should be shared with his office and investigators in 14th District Solicitor Duffie Stone’s office.

The subpoenas include demands for documentation related to purchasing cards related to expense of county employees, spending under former Beaufort County Administrator Eric Greenway and a contract for construction work at a Port Royal inclusive playground, according to reporting by The Island Packet

An audit conducted by Greenville-based law firm Haynesworth Sinkler Boyd after County Council terminated Greenway with cause in July 2023 found that there were

“flagrant violations” of the county’s procurement code.

The results of this audit were delivered in early Spring 2024 but despite requests from law enforcement, the news media and members of the public, the results were only made available to law enforcement on Monday, Aug. 26

As for the Port Royal park, known as Bruce Edgerly Park, the equipment was originally purchased and installed without council’s approval, which

violated Beaufort County’s procurement code.

Additionally, the construction of the bathrooms at the park cost the county almost $350 000 and were built by Nix Construction, who was the sole bidder for the for the project, which brings the total cost of the project to just over $1 million dollars.

Duffie Stone, the 14th Circuit Solicitor, sent a letter to Attorney General Alan Wilson in November 2023 asking him to impanel a state grand jury for the

investigation into Greenway’s alleged misconduct.

In an interview with The Island News, Stone said that he asked Wilson to impanel a state grand jury after a Beaufort County employee refused to talk to an agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) during their investigation after the employee had consulted with an attorney who works for Beaufort County.

New tour brings more visitors to Turner House on St. Phillips Island Island escape

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com

BEAUFORT — The first time

John Alexander visited St. Phillips Island, off the coast of Beaufort, what struck him most was its wildness.

“It was like Jurassic Park, going out there. The shock of the old trees and no people around — it feels like you’re on a desert-

ed island for a while,” said Alexander, a general manager for Coastal Expeditions.

Turner, who founded CNN and has put much of his money into conservation efforts, bought the 4,680-acre island in 1979 to protect it from development. He built

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Since South Carolina opened the once-private island as a state park three years ago, visitors have rented the home built there by billionaire Ted Turner 21 times, according to the state parks department. Three of those were test runs of a weekend-long trip run by Coastal Expeditions. Now, the boat tour company is expanding, with hopes of bringing more people to the island.

LOLITA HUCKABY

The Ted Turner House on St. Phillips Island. Photo courtesy of S.C. State Parks

LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS

Dan D'Orazio took this photograph at 8:12 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 22, from his backyard on Lady’s Island, capturing the reflection of the sky on the pond, as well as a large family of Wood Storks hanging around for dinner. 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 BOB KREBS

Beaufort’s Bob Krebs, 80 joined the United States Marines in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1963. After Boot Camp at Parris Island and 31 weeks of training at Naval Air Station Millington, Tenn., he was qualified to service communication and navigation equipment on Marine aircraft, especially the A-4 Skyhawk. He was first assigned to a squadron at MCAS Cherry Point, later deploying for a year to Chu Lai, Vietnam from

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Be open, visit, connect

As soon as you start labeling people as other, less than, you are denying them as equal and human. Other can be disregarded. That is the beginning of justification for all kinds of abuse. “They” are different. “They” aren’t like us.

I believe that there are people in power that exploit and accentuate the differences and fears to pit people against each other. People are people everywhere. There’s no such thing as a country, state, planet, where all are united in evil. It is the individuals who can cross lines and connect that will prevent the inhumanity from taking over.

Therefore, if you believe in humanity, you must visit, meet and connect with people who come from different areas and backgrounds. When you know

“other” as human beings, you cannot be convinced of their inhumanity. The us vs. them is the beginning of every conflict and war and may eventually be the end of us all. Be open. Visit. Connect. It’s the only hope for your children’s future. Therefore the future of us all.

– Wendy Moustakas, Beaufort

Kudos on keeping veterans informed Larry Dandridge was nice enough, several months back, to forward me a copy of an article that your newspaper was caring enough to pass along to thousands of our great veterans throughout the Lowcountry. I read his story with much interest, and it did not take me long to understand “his heart for veterans, and yours as well, for publishing his article.”

September 7

2021: A U.S. Marine recruit, Pvt. Anthony Munoz of Lawrence, Mass., is found dead on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island after an apparent fall from a balcony.

September 8

2019: Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Representative (R-SC-1) Mark Sanford announces he is running for President.

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

Cat Of The Week

Splotch is a real doll. She’s calm, gentle, respectful, and incredibly sweet. This 3-yearold girl is going to make a wonderful companion. She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.

Dog Of The Week

1965 to 1966 He returned to MCAS Cherry Point and completed his enlistment in 1967. He then used his GI Bill to earn a college degree in Business and Marketing from Cleveland State University. Using what he learned in the Corps and his degree, he completed a 33-year career with AT&T/Lucent Technologies. He moved to Sun

City in 2014 and began 10 years of service as a volunteer at the Marine Corps Museum on Parris Island while also a member of the Marine Corps League.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.

I also understand that you have been granting him space in your publication on a pretty frequent basis. And I just want add my thanks and gratitude “from afar” — northwestern South Carolina. Our great veterans (especially our elderly men and women along with their dependents) find that navigating the Veterans Administration, on so many occasions, is simply too overwhelming for them. They need to know there are many service organizations, like our Veterans Affairs Offices in every county of South Carolina are there to, among other top priorities, be especially mindful of our veterans and their many varied needs. There are other Service Organizations throughout South Carolina, such as the American Legion, DAV Chapters, VFW Posts, Vietnam Veterans of America, Paralyzed American Veterans, AMVETS, along with

the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs in Columbia, and others who may have Certified Service Officers in their membership who should be more than willing to help. It’s up to us to try and get the word out. If you are a veteran you can get the process started just by contacting one of these agencies/offices and simply ask them to go over with you, the various federal and state benefits that may be available to them. It may be the start of something good for you and your family.

I join Mr. Dandridge, and, I am sure, the Department of Veterans Affairs and all other offices/ agencies whose mission is helping veterans in commending the The Island News in support of our veterans.

– Jerry Dyar, Director of the Oconee County (S.C.) Department of Veterans Affairs

September 9

1974: St. Helena Island’s Penn Center is named to the National Register of Historic Places.

September 10

2021: S.C. State Senator Mia McLeod (D), a gubernatorial candidate, makes a campaign stop at the Gullah Geechee Visitors Center at LyBensons Gallery & Studio on St. Helena Island.

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

Sams is a gentle boy who really enjoys snuggles, pets, and attention. He's a little shy at first but warms up quickly. At 2

very best this world has to offer. If you can give him that, please meet him today at Palmetto Animal League. He is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.

For more info on Splotch, Sams, or any of our other pets, call PAL at 843-645-1725 or email Info@ PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.

– Compiled by Lindsay Perry

Bob Krebs

City’s Downtown Marina lease to Safe Harbor in limbo

2019 agreement improperly executed; City Council delays action

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

There were a dozen or so new business items on the agenda for the Beaufort City Council meeting held Tuesday, Aug. 27 at Beaufort City Hall. It was Item D that drew the most attention, though.

Item D was the first reading of a nunc pro tunc ordinance ratifying the leasing of real property owned by the City of Beaufort, South Carolina and known as Beaufort's Downtown Marina to SHM Beaufort, LLC, better known to you and me as Safe Harbor.

Two obvious questions – firstly, didn’t this lease already happen? And secondly what is a nunc pro tunc ordinance?

Nunc pro tunc literally translates to “now for then” in Latin. Legally, the term is applied to a court ruling or order that applies retroactively to a ruling established at an earlier date, either to correct errors or omissions made by the court in a written order or ruling.

In this case, City Council was hoping to retroactively approve the lease of the Downtown Marina to Safe Harbor, which was apparently done incorrectly in 2019

From the Aug. 27 City Council meeting agenda, background for Item D reads “In a special regular session of City Council on May 7, 2019, Council rendered a unanimous vote to authorize the City Manager to enter into a lease agreement with Safe Harbor for the lease of the Downtown Marina. Subsequently, the lease agreement was entered into with Safe Harbor on June 25 2019. However, the S.C. Code of Laws § 5-7-40 requires that such a lease be approved via ordinance. The attached nunc pro tunc ordinance is presented for Council's consideration to properly ratify its May 7, 2019 decision to approve the lease agreement with Safe Harbor.

No matter the intent of staff or Council, the effort was doomed to fail from the start. Ultimately, Council voted to postpone the first reading until the Council’s next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, which isn’t much time to adequately examine the lease.

The public comment section to open the meeting was a scathing rebuke of both the initial lease with Safe Harbor, as well as the effort to

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Stone said that a grand jury has authorities that he does not, such as summary investigation, compelling testimony and subpoenaing documents related to the case, which is something that he hopes gets changed soon in the S.C. General Assembly. “The local solicitors need

DOWNTOWN MARINA FORUM TO BE HELD

THURSDAY, SEPT. 5

Safe Harbor, which manages the Downtown Marina, and City of Beaufort are hosting a review and questionand-answer session for a revised layout of the Downtown Marina improvements. The revised layout addresses comments from City Council and the public during a City Council Work Session held on March 26. The event will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept, 5 at Henry C. Chambers Park, Pavilion 950 Bay Street, Beaufort. If it is raining hard, the event will be moved to City Hall.

retroactively correct the City Council’s 2019 error.

“This contract has so many things wrong with it it would be hard for me to state them all tonight,” Wallace Scarborough said.

He asked the Council to start over with “meetings and citizen’s input that should have been happening from the beginning.”

Paul Trask accused present City Council members of meeting in private to negotiate with Safe Harbor. And he turned around and spoke to the citizens attending the meeting and said, “This is a terrible lease. Bad.”

Historic Beaufort Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins said, “Step back and really look at this. Safe Harbor is a private club. A private club with memberships. … This is crazy for the City of Beaufort to continue this. It’s not even in the reality of good thinking.”

Josh Gibson and Julie Creshaw, both candidates for City Council made remarks, as well.

Afterward, Mayor Phil Cromer made a motion to remove the first reading of the nunc pro tunc ordinance from the agenda.

“I’m not comfortable going forward on this first reading and I’m talking about Item D, Cromer said. “… We’ve gone five years without an ordinance and a little more time to hammer out details and solve these issues is not going to have a negative impact, I don’t think, … or jeopardize our relationship with Safe Harbor.”

Cromer asked if any Council members would make a motion to remove Item D from the agenda, but he got no takers from the three Council members present –Mike McFee was absent.

Untimately, however, the Council members may have simply wanted to weigh in on the ordinance. Josh Scallate, Mitch Mitchell and Neli Lipsitz all later voiced reser-

to have the ability, in the area of public corruption, to compel testimony and subpoena documents,” Stone said. “That’s something that is necessary. It’s unfortunate that it’s necessary.”

Beaufort County Council members voted to waive their attorney client privilege and release the report to law enforcement as of Aug. 26 to review. Stone said that it was “shocking” to him that the County Council had to vote

vations about voting on the ordinance.

When the Council reached Item D in the course of the meeting, after the nunc pro tunc ordinance was read by Cromer, City Manager Scott Marshall laid out the problems with the current lease, citing two specific issues.

First, according to state law, any conveyance of real property must obtain approval by ordinance. There was none, just an authorization for the City Manager to enter into a contract. Secondly, a copy of the lease agreement was not in the agenda package for that City Council meeting.

“There is no excuse for this in my opinion,” Marshall said.

“In my 15 years of experience in local government I have not nor will I ever bring a contract forward to a public body for approval without providing the public with a copy of what their elected leaders are asked to consider.”

After laying out the timeline leading up to Tuesday’s nunc pro tunc ordinance reading, Marshall thanked Paul Trask for alerting the City, by way of a Freedom of Information request, that there were problems with the lease.

“We owe you a debt of gratitude,” Marshall said.

Then, Cromer and the three other Council members addressed the lease situation.

“If I was on Council on May 7 2019, and I went back and watched that meeting, it’s on the city’s website, we had a citizen stand up and make a public comment …,” Josh Scallate said, “‘Council is fixing to commit to a 40year agreement with a developer. When is the public going to have the opportunity to view this lease?’ And the response the citizen got was ‘After it’s signed.’ I think in that moment, if I had any desire at all to sign this lease, I would have retracted that desire and started over again, because I do think that the process and how it plays out is extremely important.

“We do want the community to be involved, and I think right now, staff wants the community to be involved in it.”

Instead of a first reading, an amendment was passed to delay the first reading until at least Sept. 10

The Downtown Marina lease agreement between Safe Harbor and the City of Beaufort can be viewed, along with related documents, at https://bit.ly/3Tgh9qu, Pages 178 through 239

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

and debate whether to cooperate with an ongoing investigation.

Both Stone and Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner had received a copy of the report as of the end of last week.

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

James Varner, PA-C, an experienced board-certified physician assistant, has joined Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Primary Care.

He brings a breadth of experience in both urgent and primary care to the practice, where he will provide primary health care, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in adults.

The Pennsylvania native has served as a physician assistant at urgent care and family practice clinics in San Antonio since 2018, where he provided care for patients of all ages and conditions. Given the area’s high veteran, elderly, and obese populations, Varner gained specialized knowledge in treating patients who have multiple conditions and complex health issues.

Varner earned a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa., where he was on the Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Honor list. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in health information management from the University of Pittsburgh.

AGNP-C, ANP-BC, CVNP-BC; Carl Derrick, M.D.; Nicholas Dardes, D.O.; Nikki Newman, PA-C; Craig Floyd, M.D.; Erin R. Scott, ANP-BC and Jennifer Martin, NP-C.

Convicted murderer adds life sentence for sexual assault

David Walls already convicted for 2016 murder

Staff reports

A Shell Point man already in state prison for the murder of his disabled neighbor will spend the rest of his life behind bars after his conviction for a 2016 rape.

Brian David Walls, 43, was found guilty Wednesday, Aug. 28 by a Beaufort County General Sessions jury of first-degree criminal sexual assault. He also was convicted of kidnapping and use of a vehicle without permission.

Under South Carolina’s twostrikes law, Walls automatically received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the sexual assault. He also received life for kidnapping and three years for the use of vehicle charge. The sentences are to be served consecutively.

Walls also is serving 40 years for the murder of 56-year-old Teresa Siegler, which occurred just days before the sexual assault.

“In the span of a few days, Brian Walls murdered a neighbor

and raped a family friend,” said Sean Thornton of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “He is the worst sort of predator – someone who repays kindness with brutality.”

Seigler lived two lots away from Walls and several housemates.

She had a reputation for feeding friends and neighbors who were down on their luck or who needed a temporary place to stay. Walls and two co-defendants murdered

Seigler in December 2016 as part of a plan to steal drugs and her monthly disability check. Seigler’s body was then wrapped in a blanket, bound in duct tape and set on fire.

A day after Seigler’s body was discovered, Walls sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman in the bathroom of a motel on Boundary Street in Beaufort,

where he and two of his murder co-defendants had rented a room.

The victim testified that she received a phone call from Walls, a family acquaintance, asking for a ride to the motel. She agreed but was surprised when four other people – two of Walls’ co-defendants in the murder case and two of his teenage sons – also piled into her car.

The party made brief stops at a friend of Walls’ and a convenience store, then drove to the motel to rent a room. The victim tried to depart, but Walls asked the victim to help carry some items to the second-floor room. Once inside, he struck her on her head, forced her into the bathroom and sexually assaulted her while the others were present in the locked room.

Walls then left the room with the victim, with the intent of driving with her to an ATM and withdraw cash. Seeing an opportunity for escape, she at first played

along, but then bailed out of her car and fled into a nearby marsh, she testified.

“Rape is about power. It’s never about sex,” Thornton said. “This power play began when Brian Walls committed a sexual assault. It ended when the victim got on that stand and took it back from him.”

Walls and Courtney Elizabeth Brock, one of the co-defendants in the murder case, took the victim’s Toyota sedan and left town. They were apprehended near the North Carolina border while parked in that vehicle. Inside, investigators found a roll of duct tape and several items belonging to Seigler.

John Dontue Priester, 27, and Brock, 24, also were convicted of Seigler’s murder, and Priester was convicted of arson for attempting to burn down Seigler’s mobile home to conceal their crime.

Hunter Swanson of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Special Vic-

tims Unit secured guilty verdicts against Walls and Brock in jury trials in 2019. Priester pleaded guilty in January 2020 Assistant Solicitor Jared Shedd assisted Thornton in Walls’ trial for criminal sexual assault. The state called 12 witnesses over three days of testimony at the Beaufort County Courthouse.

Walls’ criminal history includes convictions for simple assault, fraud, multiple counts of simple possession of marijuana, multiple counts of assault and battery, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen presided over the trial. Thornton is chief deputy solicitor and the leader of the Solicitor’s Office Career Criminal Unit, which prosecutes the circuit’s most violent and habitual offenders. That team has secured convictions against 496 of the 541 defendants it has prosecuted since its formation in 2009

Changes to blue crab laws coming in 2025

S.C. Department of Natural Resources

If you enjoy tossing a line or pot out for blue crabs, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) wants you to be aware of a few changes coming to the fishery in 2025

The South Carolina Legislature recently passed a suite of changes to blue crab laws to help ensure the sustainability of the fishery. Most of the changes pertain to the commercial blue crab fishery and address ways to prevent overexploitation of the fishery, which remained largely unregulated in South Carolina over recent decades.

The modifications will bring South Carolina’s laws on par with neighboring states, and commercial crabbers have been notified of the impend-

Island

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ing changes. The following changes will impact recreational crabbers: 1. Recreational crabbers may harvest a limit of one bushel of crabs

the five-bedroom house near the beach, which he used as a family vacation retreat.

In 2017, the state bought the island for $4 9 million — a bargain price compared to the $24 million it was listed for several years earlier. After years of preparation, the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism debuted the island as a state park in 2021

Visitors can pay $65 for a fourhour boat ride and tour of the island. Or, those wanting to stay at the oasis Turner built for himself and his family can pay either $12 000 for a five-day retreat or $20,000 to have the island to themselves.

The newest option — a threeday, two-night stay at the Turner House for 14 people — costs $795 per person.

Meant to be a middle ground between the longer rental and day trips, the weekend stays could help the parks department increase its rental numbers, Alexander said.

Tours and amenities

Ideally, the state would rent out the Turner House about 15 times each year. That would bring in enough revenue to help with maintenance costs and allow plenty of people to experience the island without overburdening staff, said parks department spokeswoman Samantha Queen.

Currently, the state is breaking even with rentals at St. Phillips, which is part of Hunting Island

per person per day or two bushels per boat: Previously, South Carolina had no harvest limit. Research suggests that most recreational

State Park. In other words, maintenance of the island isn’t costing taxpayers.

Coastal Expeditions started offering the tours for the first time this summer and is already booked through the end of the year. The next available dates are not yet announced.

Turner House is, by far, the most expensive of the state’s lodges.

The next-priciest option is $425 for a one-night stay at nearby Hunting Island, as well as at Keowee-Toxaway State Park. Each has one cabin.

The hefty price tag includes groceries, as well as extras such as golf carts, kayaks, bicycles, beach chairs and umbrellas.

“We believe the amenities and unique experience offered in the rental justify the rental rate and make the rental manageable for the small team responsible for operating the island,” Queen said in an email.

Visitors spend the weekend doing guided tours of the island’s paths, along with boat rides, safari-style rides and kayak trips.

A rare experience

Running a rental property on a remote barrier island comes with challenges. After buying St. Phillips in 2017, the state spent years updating the house, along with its water and sewer systems, and clearing walking paths.

Complicating matters, crews and supplies had to take a 40-minute boat ride to reach the island.

That’s still the case, making running rentals difficult – from having staff on site for housekeeping, stocking groceries, performing

crabbers harvest well under a bushel of crabs daily.

2. All crab pots must have escape rings for undersized crabs: Single-chambered crab pots must have at least one escape ring, while two-chambered pots must have two rings, at least one of which must be in the upper chamber. These vents/rings provide a means of escape for undersized crabs and other small marine animals. They were already required in commercial traps, and many recreational traps are already sold with escape rings standard. If you need to retrofit an older crab pot, plastic escape rings

are available for less than $1 at many tackle shops and are easy to install. Follow this tutorial to install your own escape vents.

3. Recreational crabbers may purchase an annual enhanced recreational crab trap endorsement ($5) to fish up to five crab pots: A recreational saltwater fishing license currently allows holders to fish up to two crab pots. For those individuals who like to crab for family and friends but do not intend to sell them commercially, this new endorsement will allow up to five crab pots per person. These changes will take

effect on July 1 2025 Crabbing Best Practices

• Follow all existing laws: Including observing the size limit for blue crabs (do not take crabs smaller than 5” wide from point to point) and returning all females with eggs to the water. Regularly check your crab pots: Unattended or abandoned pots continue to catch and kill marine animals.

• Consider buying a recreational saltwater fishing license: Even if you don't fish or crab; license fees provide important funding for coastal research, education and enforcement. For more information, email Marine@dnr.sc.gov.

maintenance, responding to emergencies, and ferrying guests in and out, Queen said in an email.

The island’s charm lies in the fact that it remains largely rugged and natural. Alligators, deer and fox squirrels roam the forests. On the birdwatching tours, visitors spy bald eagles and ospreys. Massive, slow-growing hardwood trees show that the forest is all oldgrowth.

“It’s so rare anymore that we have an untouched barrier island on the Carolina coast,” Alexander

said. The day tours are the most popular offering. Coastal Expeditions, which expanded from Charleston to Beaufort specifically for these tours, has brought more than 6 300 people to the island since it first opened to the public, according to the parks department. Spending even a day there is a great experience, Alexander said, but going overnight allows people to see the island at all times of the day. Different animals come out at different hours. Overnighters can

A trail on St. Phillips Island. Photo courtesy of S.C. State Parks

Blue crabs support one of the state’s oldest and largest fisheries, with landings valued at over $6 million annually. E. Weeks/ SCDNR

Lands End Woodland River Festival

Honoring Gullah ancestry and the legacy of 47 families

LEGAL NOTICES

action was filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Beaufort County, South Carolina on September 22, 2023 at 11:12 a.m..

MCCORMICK LAW FIRM, INC. /s/ Harvey W. McCormick, III, Harvey W. McCormick, III S.C. Bar No.: 0066198 95 Sams Point Road Beaufort, South Carolina 29907

Phone: (843) 525-0004 Email: harvey@McCormickLawSC.com Attorneys for the Plaintiff August 19,2024 Beaufort, South Carolina

NOTICE OF APPLICATION

Notice is hereby given that Masala Mantra Indian Bistro intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license and/or permit that will allow the sale and on premises consumption of beer, wine, and liquor, at 1000 William Hilton Pkwy., Ste. A, Hilton Head SC 29928. To object to the issuance of this license and/or permit, you must submit an ABL-20 protest form by August 15, 2024. Submit the ABL20 online at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov, or email ABL@dor.sc.gov.

TRUSTEE'S NOTICE OF SALE 95-13

Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-32-300, et. seq., NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the intent of the undersigned Trustee, KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, to sell the below described Properties at Public Auction to the highest bidders for cash on 9/12/2024 beginning at 9:30 A.M. The Public Auction shall occur at the Office of Bolchoz Law Firm, 6 Buckingham Plantation Rd, Ste B, Bluffton, SC 29910. Property Descriptions: A fee simple undivided interest (SEE EXHIBIT "A") in the Project as tenant(s) in common with the holders of other undivided interests in and to the timeshare property known as MBV VACATION SUITES, as established in that certain Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and Vacation Ownership Instrument for MBV Vacation Suites, recorded at Book 3406, Pages 1312-1365, et seq., of the records of the R.O.D. Office for Beaufort County, South Carolina, as amended or supplemented (the “Declaration”), having Interval Control Number (SEE EXHIBIT "A"). The names and notice address of the obligor(s), record owner(s) of the timeshare estate (if different from the obligor(s), and junior interest or lienholder(s) (if applicable) (hereinafter referred to as “Obligors”) are identified in Exhibit “A”. The sale of the Properties is to satisfy the defaults in payment by the Obligors of the obligations secured by those certain Mortgages to HHI Development, LLC as recorded in the records of Beaufort County, South Carolina and detailed in Exhibit “A”. The amounts secured by the MORTGAGES, including accrued

cording Costs. This sale is subject to all taxes, liens, easements, encumbrances, assessments, and/or senior mortgage liens of record and the undersigned Trustee gives no opinion thereto. An Obligor has the right to cure the default, and a Junior Lienholder has the right to redeem its interest up to the date of that the Trustee issues the Certificate of Sale pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 27-32-345. KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, Trustee and Attorney for HHI Development, LLC, by Jeffrey W. King, SC Bar # 15840; or W. Joseph Cunningham, SC Bar # 72655, P.O. Box 4896, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29597, (843)-249-0777. EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s), Address, TS Interest, TS Interval Control No., MTG BK/PG, Default Amount, Trustee’s Fee, Interest, Total Amount Due, Per Diem- JITENDRA G. JETWANI 420 OLD RIVER RD, BLOOMINGDALE, GA 31302-8004, 0.0073861610410129%, U2210-W5E, 4154/375, $12,315.59, $450, $668.53, $13,434.12, $5.42; STEPHANIE BEAIRD CARROLL&JACOB COLLIN CARROLL 419 HARPY EAGLE DR., WINDER,GA 30680, 0.0073861610410129%, U1103-W24E, 4167/729, $35,322.10, $450, $670.17, $36,442.27, $15.08; BRANDON EDWARDS GEORGE 4861 SHANNON RD, LOGANVILLE,GA 30052, 0.0073861610410129%, U1504-W5O, 4185/950, $14,290.95, $450, $670.17, $15,411.12, $5.76; LORETTA L. ROBINSON-GALES 498 STABLE VIEW LOOP, DALLAS,GA 30132, 0.0073861610410129%, U2507-W2O, 4185/793, $13,795.25, $450, $670.17, $14,915.42, $6.36; LLOYD STEVEN TOWNSELL 470 HOLLY GROVE ST, KYLE,TX 78640-5534, 0.0147723220820258%, U2309-W3B, 4207/3359, $18,694.01, $450, $670.17, $19,814.18, $8.56; SAMUEL EDISON PORRAS GOMEZ 220 HOBBS RD, ATHENS,GA 30607, 0.0073861610410129%, U2107-W3O, 4215/2229, $13,977.13, $450, $670.17, $15,097.30, $5.29; TIARA YASMIN JARVIS&JAMAL ANDRE WHITE 131-64 225TH ST, LAURELTON QUEENS,NY 11413, 0.0073861610410129%, U2401-W48E, 4272/1096, $15,559.43, $450, $670.17, $16,679.60, $7.43; MARIA CHRISTINA WADE 1705 S OUTAGAMIE ST, APPLETON,WI 54914-5507, 0.0073861610410129%, U2607-W49O, 4259/2537, $17,955.35, $450, $670.17, $19,075.52, $8.36; EDUCATION SERVICES UNLIMITED, LLC &TRICIA HOWARTH 610 WESTMONT DRIVE, WILMINGTON, DE 19808, 0.0073861610410129%, U1102W5O, 3635/1843, $8,107.22, $450, $670.17, $9,227.39, $3.37; WILBERT SHERRILL&GLORIA SHERRILL 3600 DRIFTWOOD DR, CHARLOTTE, NC 28205-5964, 0.0147723220820258%, U1606-W7B, 4065/2205, $21,409.62, $450, $670.17, $22,529.79, $10.01. TRUSTEE'S NOTICE OF SALE 95-13 Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-32-300, et. seq., NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the intent of the undersigned Trustee, KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, to sell the below described Properties at Public Auction to the highest bidders for cash on 9/12/2024 beginning at 9:30 A.M. The Public Auction shall occur at the Office of Bolchoz Law Firm, 6 Buckingham Plantation Rd, Ste B, Bluffton, SC 29910. Property Descriptions: A fee simple undivided interest (SEE EXHIBIT "A") in the Project as tenant(s) in common with the holders of other undivided interests in

“A”. The sale of the Properties is to satisfy the defaults in payment by the Obligors of the obligations secured by those certain Mortgages to HHI Development, LLC as recorded in the records of Beaufort County, South Carolina and detailed in Exhibit “A”. The amounts secured by the MORTGAGES, including accrued interest and late charges now owing along with a per diem amount to account for further accrual of interest and late charges are detailed in Exhibit “A”, together with any and all additional principal, interest, costs coming due and payable hereafter. The successful bidders shall be required to pay, in cash or certified funds, at the time of the bid, unless the successful bidder is the Creditor, which shall reserve a credit against its bid for the Total Owing as set forth in Exhibit “A”. The successful bidders shall also be required to pay for Deed Preparation, Documentary Stamps, or transfer fee, and Recording Costs. This sale is subject to all taxes, liens, easements, encumbrances, assessments, and/or senior mortgage liens of record and the undersigned Trustee gives no opinion thereto. An Obligor has the right to cure the default, and a Junior Lienholder has the right to redeem its interest up to the date of that the Trustee issues the Certificate of Sale pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 27-32-345. KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, Trustee and Attorney for HHI Development, LLC, by Jeffrey W. King, SC Bar # 15840; or W. Joseph Cunningham, SC Bar # 72655, P.O. Box 4896, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29597, (843)249-0777. EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s), Address, TS Interest, TS Interval Control No., MTG BK/PG, Default Amount, Trustee’s Fee, Interest, Total Amount Due, Per DiemBARBARA LOVELACE WEEKS 2118 HOBBY DR, FORNEY, TX 75126, 0.0073861610410129%, U2206-W49O, 4186/1871, $14,982.16, $450, $670.17, $16,102.33, $7.19;OLAYINKA KEN ALLEN 3020 N COLTRANE RD, OKLAHOMA CITY, TX 73121, 0.0073861610410129%, U1103-W6O, 4272/1078, $17,142.40, $450, $670.33, $18,262.73, $8.36;JANELL NICOLE GLENNDEBRISS MICHAEL GLENN 7120 SWEETFIELD DR, HUNTERSVILLE, NC 280787751, 0.0073861610410129%, U1601-W6E, 4197/967, $14,688.14, $450, $670.33, $15,808.47, $7.22;BETTY VEASY&KEVIN VEASY 2808 ATWOOD DR, MCKINNEY, TX 750726383, 0.0147723220820258%, U2407-W47B, 4197/928, $30,335.85, $450, $670.33, $31,456.18, $13.83;AALYIAH BRIANNA SAINTIL 955 MELSON AVE, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32254, 0.0073861610410129%, U2402W48E, 4220/816, $16,834.49, $450, $670.33, $17,954.82, $8.17.; ROSS HENRY THOMAS III&JUDY E. THOMAS 473 KINGSWOOD CT, ALBANY, GA 31707-3062, 0.0073861610410129%, U2502-W32E, 3852/1311, $22,229.70, $450, $670.33, $23,350.03, $7.46; LILA NIE MILES 616 BLAZE CT, WHITSETT, NC 27377-8799, 0.0073861610410129%, U2209-W50O, 4185/747, $13,057.64, $450, $670.33, $14,177.97, $6.07; ERIC PEEBLES 4129 S INDIANA, CHICAGO, IL 60653, 0.0073861610410129%, U2209-W39E, 3774/2592, $18,152.13, $450, $762.17, $19,364.30, $8.09; MICHELLE TRENIS BRANTLEY&KEBRIS RESHARD BRANTLEY 500 NE 2ND ST APT 425, DANIA BEACH, FL 33004, 0.0073861610410129%, U2108-W5E, 4244/2183, $16,838.16, $450, $670.33, $17,958.49, $8.26; STELLA JASHIENSKI 6101

YELLOW JASMINE DR, SIMPSONVILLE, SC 29681, 0.0073861610410129%, U2203-W6O, 4220/1901, $18,474.86, $450, $670.33, $19,595.19, $8.30. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF BEAUFORT IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS 2023-CP-07-00498 AMENDED LIS PENDENS (Non-Jury) Soda City Holdings LLC, Plaintiff, v. Nehemiah Gary, and All Persons Unknown, Claiming Any Legal or Equitable Right, Title, Estate, Lien or Interest in the Property Described in the Complaint, Named as DOES 1 Through 10. Defendants. 10027-003 | 10027-004 Notice of Lis Pendens Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-11-10 to -50, Plaintiff hereby gives notice that Plaintiff has commenced an action by filing a Complaint in this Court against the above-named defendants to quiet tax title to

Two arrested in Burton murder

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

Two Burton men were arrested after the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office found the body of a man in the area around their mobile home.

In a release, BCSO said that they began to investigate the report of a homicide that had possibly occurred earlier in the week

but had not been reported. Their investigation led them to the Hilanda Drive Community in Burton where the body of 26-year-old Jarin Josiel Avila-Chirinos was found dead from a gunshot

wound.

Erbert Francisco Vargas-Caballero, 36, was charged with Murder and Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime and Edwin Humberto Martinez-Ruiz has been charged with Accessory Af-

ter the Fact of Murder.

According to the Beaufort County arrest records, both men were also charged of Driving without a License or Possession of More than One Driver’s License.

As of Tuesday afternoon, both men are still confined at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office was to perform

an autopsy on Wednesday, Sept. 4, but estimated that Avila-Chirinos had been dead for four days when his body was found on Friday, Aug. 30

No one was at the residence when the body was discovered, and the circumstances that led to this homicide remain under investigation.

Anyone with informa-

Campaign stop in GA

NEWS BRIEFS

ATAX grant applications

now available from City Accommodations Tax (ATAX) Grant Applications for Fiscal Year 2025 are now available from the City of Beaufort. The application may be accessed on the City’s website on the City’s Finance Department page (https://bit.ly/3ysHWsN) or at the City Hall, Finance Department, 1911 Boundary Street. For additional information contact the ATAX Administrator Jay Phillips at jphillips@cityofbeaufort.org or 843-5257071

All applicants were required to attend one of the City of Beaufort’s two mandatory workshops in August. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13

Applicants will present their requests to the TDAC in the Council Chambers on Friday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

South Carolina established in the 1980s a 2 percent tax on overnight accommodations in addition to the statewide sales tax. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 6 Chapter 4 Allocations of Accommodations Tax Revenues states how those monies are to be allocated. A small portion of the ATAX money stays in the local municipality or county where it is collected. The remainder must be used to attract and provide for tourists and must be spent on tourism-related expenditures that promote tourism and attract visitors.

Groups hosting A Fund

Raising Fish Fry

Penn Center, The St. Helena Gullah Project, the S.C. Coastal Community Development Corporation, Marshview Community Organic Farm, The Gullah Grub Restaurant and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation are sponsoring A Fund Raising Fish Fry to help reduce the loss of land on St. Helena Island.

The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6 at the Center Stage Area at Penn Center, 16 Penn Circle West, St. Helena Island. Meals, which cost $18, include fried fish, baked beans, pasta salad, dinner rolls, and a drink.

Tickets can be purchased on site the day of the event or in advance until Sept. 6. For credit card payments, call the Penn Center Welcome Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday at 843-838-7105

For those interested in sponsorship, call Penn Center, Inc., at 843-541-0128. To contact Planning Committee Chair Sara Reynolds Green, call 843-473-0477, or Co-Chair Barbara Gardner Hunter, call 347-497-9326

Indivisible Beaufort meeting

Indivisible Beaufort is hosting its next meeting at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7 at the downtown Beaufort Library at 311 Scott Street.

The featured speaker will be Chris deVries, who will talk about what you need to know about the next South Carolina Legislative Session.

deVries spent more than 35 years as a nonprofit executive and lobbyist in Wash-

ington D.C. She is now involved in leadership in many local groups focusing on advocacy, elections, and politics.

Currently, deVries is serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic.

deVries will discuss some of the legislation from the last session and what we can expect for the next. She will also explain what could impact the legislation and how citizens can influence the agenda.

The event is free and open to the public.

Beaufort TEA Party meeting

The next Beaufort TEA Party meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9 at the Olde Beaufort Cafe at Lady's Island Country Club, 139 Francis Marion Blvd, Lady's Island.

The meeting topic will be the 2024 Transportation Tax and actions of Beaufort County Council in relation to the Haynesworth, Sinkler, Boyd report

Erickson to speak at September LIBPA

meeting

Shannon S. Erickson will be the featured speaker when the Lady’s Island Business & Professional Association meets at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Beaufort Realtors’ Association Headquarters at 22 Kemmerlin Lane, Lady’s Island.

Erickson is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 124th District. Topics of discussion will include education and public works. Please stop by for coffee and conversation concerning the community.

Beaufort County Assessor hosting community events

Beaufort County Assessor Ebony Sanders is hosting multiple community events at County Library Branches to allow the public an opportunity to meet with her staff and share questions and concerns regarding real property.

Each community event will be from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The dates are as follows:

• Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road: Tuesday, Sept. 10

— SCRoom; Tuesday, Oct. 1 — Large Room; Tuesday, Oct. 29 — SCRoom; Tuesday, Nov. 19 — SCRoom.

St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road: Tuesday, Sept. 17 — Large Meeting Room; Tuesday, Oct. 15 — Small Conference Room; Tuesday, Nov. 5 — Small Conference Room; Tuesday, Dec. 3 — Large Meeting Room.

Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way: Thursday, Sept. 19 — Large Meeting Room; Thursday, Oct. 17 — Large Meeting Room; Thursday, Nov. 7

— Large Meeting Room; Thursday, Dec. 5 — Large Meeting Room.

• Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask

Parkway: Monday, Sept. 23; Monday, Oct. 7; Monday, Nov. 25; Monday, Dec. 16

tion regarding this case should call lead investigator Cpl. Lidey at 843255-3294 or online at BCSO.NET.

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

In the event of an unforeseeable change in the date, time, or location, the Assessor’s Office webpage will be updated to reflect rescheduling. If you have any questions, please contact Liz Rigg, Appeal/BAA Coordinator at BAA@bcgov.net or 843-2552404

Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club meeting

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s September meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7 Well known local Captain Jason Woodham of Merrikohl Outfillers Fishing Charters (www.merrikohl.com) will make a presentation on Tarpon. He will also discuss rod and reel setups and baits of choice. Guests are welcome. Reservations are not needed. For additional information, please contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843-5217340 or email fgibson@islc.net.

A construction reminder

IPW Construction Group will continue to perform shoulder closures and temporary lane closures the entire length of Laurel Bay Road in Beaufort. Closures will take place between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday to Saturday, until the end of the year. During this time, please prepare for and expect minor delays in traffic. Drivers traveling through the area are asked to please be mindful of our traffic control team and the crews working within the area. In addition, the ramp coming off U.S. 21 onto Laurel Bay Road is permanently closed.

Lowcountry Regional Public Works Training Conference

The first annual Lowcountry Regional Public Works Training Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, September 26 at the Buckwalter Recreation Center in Bluffton. Participants will have the ability to choose from three educational tracks: roadway, stormwater, and environmental. The event is being hosted by the Beaufort Regional Civil Engineers Club and the Lowcountry Branch of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Public Works Association, in cooperation with Beaufort County Public Works.

This exciting one-day event will feature panel discussions, on-site training, and equipment demonstrations. Interested participants can register now at https://bit. ly/3YSKon2

Free Summer Tax Prep Available for Lowcountry Residents Who Missed Deadline

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is offering a free summer tax preparation program for qualifying res-

idents of Beaufort and Jasper counties who missed the traditional tax filing deadline. This program – a collaboration between the IRS, Beaufort County Human Services Alliance, and United Way of the Lowcountry (UWLC) – is designed to assist low-income individuals and families, non-English speaking taxpayers, people with disabilities, and seniors (age 60+) in accurately and efficiently filing their federal and state tax returns.

"We understand that filing taxes can be overwhelming, especially for those who have limited resources," United Way Volunteer and VITA Program Coordinator Sherry Halphen said. "Our summer tax preparation program allows residents to receive free assistance from IRS-certified volunteers, ensuring they receive every deduction and credit they deserve."

Program Details: What: Free tax preparation assistance by IRS-certified VITA volunteers.

• When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26

Where: United Way of the Lowcountry Bluffton Office (10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite D, Bluffton, S.C. 29910)

Appointments Required: Call 843 321 9071 or email lowcountryvitacoalition@gmail.com

• Visit www.uwlowcountry.org/VITA for eligibility requirements and a list of documents to bring with you to your appointment.

County VA to offer End of Life Planning Seminars

for

veterans, families

Beaufort County Veterans Affairs is hosting End of Life Planning Seminars for veterans and their families. These seminars address things veterans and their families can do today to ensure their personal effects are in order. They also discuss Veterans Affairs benefits that surviving spouses may be entitled to receive.

They will be offered at either 9 a.m. or 1 p.m., at convenient locations around Beaufort County: Tuesday, Oct. 15: Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road. Tuesday, Oct. 22: St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road. Tuesday, Feb. 18: Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Seabrook. Tuesday, Feb. 25: Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way.

Tuesday, May 20: Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road. Tuesday, May 27: Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street.

RSVPs are required for space and resource purposes. Please contact Crystal at 843-255-6880 to reserve your seat. For questions and more information please contact Beaufort County Veterans Affairs at 843-255-6880

– Staff reports

VargasCaballero MartinezRuiz

Vice President Kamala Harris waves to well-wishers as she takes her place on stage during her rally on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga. Harris is running against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election. Asa Aarons/The Island News

Staff reports

Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry’s online silent auction now open

Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry’s annual online silent auction is now open through 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 2024, the day of the organization’s 27th Annual Golf Tournament at Oldfield Golf Club in Okatie.

All proceeds from both the auction and tournament will go directly toward building a home for a deserving local family. The house will be named in honor of Larry Sanders, the long-time volunteer organizer of the golf tournament.

There are 29 amazing items in the auction including more than a dozen golf packages for four, “staycations” at several Lowcountry resorts, jewelry, theater tickets,

boating excursions and more. To bid, go https://lowcountryhabitat. cbo.io and register.

Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry is part of a global non-profit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities, and hope. Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally through constructing, rehabilitating, and preserving homes; by advocating

for fair and just housing policies; and providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.

Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry serves all of Beaufort and Jasper counties and is the only organization in these areas building new homes for residents who earn between 30% and 80% of the median income of their county.

Habitat for Humanity Silent Auction Items

Golf for four at each of the following: Berkeley Hall Club; Brays Island Plantation; Callawassie Island; Cat Island; Chechessee Creek Club; Dataw Island; Fripp Is-

land; Haig Point (with ferry passes!); Long Cove Club; Moss Creek; Palmetto Dunes; Rose Hill; Spring Island; Wexford.

$50 Gift Card, Art Print & Cookbook from Charlies

L’Etoile Verte

A Cooking Class for Two at Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana Silver Map Pendant Necklace from Bay Street Jewelers

Gourmet Gift Basket of Seaside Grown Products from Macdonald Market Place Golf for Four at Old Barnwell Golf Club with a night’s stay at the Willcox Hotel in Aiken

Two-night “Staycations” at the Omni Hotel or at the

Hodges speaks to Rotary Club

One has to wonder if the Council’s vote and the grand jury subpoena crossed proverbial paths in the mail, but it’s more likely both sides, aided by their individual lawyers, knew exactly what moves were being made.

While the public’s been waiting for, first, the Haynesworth, et.al., report and then, to know what it said, they’ve also been waiting to see what the law enforcement and judicial authorities were going to do.

So now there’s a new county administrator replacing the former administrator, a new P-card policy in the works and the former recreation director who oversaw questionable expenditures for playground equipment is gone.

We all know the wheels of justice grind slowly … but still we ask, what next?

Number one on list for housing no place to be

BEAUFORT – It’s not a “number one” ranking Beaufort should be proud of.

Apparently, the county has surpassed Charleston County as the top county in South Carolina in terms of lack of affordable housing available.

Now this is certainly no surprise to anyone who’s had to look for rental opportunities in the past decade. Even those looking to buy a home are expressing some sticker shock, especially if it’s someone opting to sell their home, to take advantage of the housing market, but checking around to see what are their own local options.

So, we’re at the top of the list in terms of the lack of affordable housing. This designation comes not from Southern Living or Travel + Leisure magazines but the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which keeps data on this type of information. Their study of housing wages uses estimates of the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to afford a modest rental home, based

While we’re accustomed to seeing our community at the top of lists for wonderful places to live, visit, view alligators, eat seafood, etc., being “number one” on a list of difficult places to find housing is nothing to brag about.

on the federal Housing and Urban Development’s definition of fair market rent (FMR) without spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs (again, HUD standards).

(There’s lots of interesting – if not disturbing –information out there about housing costs, including this link: https://nlihc.org/ oor. FYI, this analysis shows a person would have to make $27 88 per hour in the Beaufort area to afford a two-bedroom apartment without going over the 30 percent designation of total income standard.

(Another FYI to throw out: the median rent in Beaufort, as of March, was $2 300 a month. The state median is $1 800.)

And how does this affect me, one might ask? Basically, it’s political season and once again, individuals who want our vote to lead our community are making promises they hope to keep. You can ignore them at your peril.

We’re already being bombarded on TV, in the mailbox and on our cell phones with requests from candidates running on the national and state level. But

what about the four candidates who are running for Beaufort City Council seats and the two running for Mayor. Campaigning hasn’t actively started yet but it’s after Labor Day now, so that will change.

There’s certain to be a candidates’ forum or two in the coming weeks and reporters will be doing the standard candidates interviews. Hopefully the question will be raised about the continuing need for affordable housing.

There are obviously lots of issues facing these individuals who want to provide leadership in our community – traffic issues, development pressures, crime (we certainly seem to have seen an uptick in shootings lately) taxes.

But the issue of housing is one of those challenges that’s been with this community for at least the past two decades as more and more people discover the desirability of the Lowcountry.

And progress is being made. The County Council and municipalities joined together in 2021 to create the Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust which pools contributions from these entities

and the state to work with developers willing to build residences for those within certain income levels.

The Trust just recently announced the distribution of $984 000 to eight groups like Deep Well Project in Bluffton and the St. Helena Island Gullah Housing Project for housing repairs and assistance to first-time homebuyers.

The Trust is working with developers seeking tax credits for projects such as the Carrington Manor, the 64-apartment senior housing complex beginning construction on Boundary Street.

The Beaufort Housing Authority and Habitat for Humanity are two of the agencies working to provide housing for those who can’t afford the $1,000-plus monthly rents, much less the multi-million dollar homes.

Beaufort Memorial Hospital, in an effort to obtain and retain skilled staff has adopted its own housing program, working with the county on houses in the Ribaut Road area and over on Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton, where they’re expanding medical services.

Leaders of the town of Hilton Head Island, where the availability of hospitality workers, in particular, is crucial to its economy, have been experimenting with housing incentives, including density bonuses, to increase living spaces. Commercial buildings have been converted with private agreements with the Sea Pines company for its workers while the town is working with a developer to build a 160-unit complex for those with certain incomes. There are no easy solutions when land costs are so high and demands for adequate – not just exclusive – housing are so great. But just like the other issues facing elected officials, it takes leadership and a community desire to get off the top of this particular list.

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.

Rev. Kenneth Hodges, pastor of Beaufort's Tabernacle Baptist Church, told Rotary Club of Beaufort members that the newly installed statue of abolitionist and social activist Harriett Tubman on church grounds is attracting global attention. During a Rotary Club meeting at Sea Island Presbyterian Church on Lady's Island on Wednesday, Aug. 21, Hodges discussed plans to honor donors by inscribing their names on the statue and to eventually build a visitors center on the site. Asa Aarons/The Island News

SC ed board tentatively approves model rules banning cell phones in K-12 schools

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — A model policy requiring South Carolina’s K-12 students to stash their cell phones during the entire school day received initial approval Tuesday, Aug. 12, from the State Board of Education, which wanted to get more feedback before finalizing minimum guidelines for school districts.

The unanimous vote comes six weeks after the state budget mandated school districts to adopt a policy banning cellphones during the school day or risk state funding. But the State Board of Education must first adopt a model policy for them to follow.

The goal is for all districts to have a policy in place before January, according to a memo the state agency sent school administrators over the summer.

The board was considering a two-page draft proposal, which would require phones, smart watches and other devices to be turned off and stashed through the entire school day, not just during class time. It would allow exceptions for students with particular medical or educational needs, for specific educational purposes and

for high schoolers who volunteer as local firefighters or other emergency responders. It allows for school districts to set more restrictive rules, but not less.

It also gives school districts flexibility on setting rules outside the school day, such as whether to allow devices on bus rides. Districts could also decide where students would be required to keep their phones from the

opening to closing bells — whether in a locker, a backpack or somewhere else.

Board Chairman David O’Shields said he wanted to take some additional time on such an important policy to gather feedback, including from parents.

“I do think without equivocation there needs to be a serious reigning in of cellphone use and proliferation because it’s negative con-

sequences, especially for adolescents, can be quite harmful,” said O’Shields, superintendent of Laurens County School District 56 (Clinton).

While board members wanted more time, they were enthusiastic about the underlying idea.

“It’s not just about the discipline in the schools,” said Christian Hanley Jr. of Berkeley County. “The dis-

cipline is important, but it’s ruining our kids.”

Hanley noted the board put a lot of work into another regulation passed earlier in the year that bars books in schools that describe “sexual conduct.”

“You can get a whole lot more porn on these phones than you’re going to get in those library books,” he said.

Matthew Ferguson, deputy superintendent for the

Department of Education, said the agency has already received a lot of feedback in creating the model rules. More than 9 000 teachers responded to a survey on banning phones. Teachers reported that phones were taking up hours of their teaching time, and they asked for support from school administrators so they don’t have to be the phone police, he said.

“When we first sent the survey out … our survey platform thought we had been hacked and spoofed because the responses were coming in so quickly,” Ferguson told the board.

State Superintendent Ellen Weaver said her agency can also help school officials educate parents on the policies.

“The districts are very hungry for us as the department to help create communication tools and resources,” she said.

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.

S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest statefocused nonprofit news organization.

David O’Shields, right, chairman of the state Board of Education, delivers his report during a meeting of the board on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, while state Superintendent Ellen Weaver, center, looks on. Abraham Kenmore/S.C. Daily Gazette

Rodgers & Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” will be performed by the Beaufort Theatre Company later this month at the USCB Center for the Arts. Submitted photo

coming to USCB Center for the Arts

Beaufort Theatre Company brings Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic to life

Staff reports

This September, the Beaufort Theatre Company proudly presents Rodgers & Hammerstein's iconic musical, “Oklahoma!,” at the USCB Center for the Arts. Running select days from September 14 through 22, this timeless classic will take audiences on a heartwarming journey filled with love, rivalry, and the pioneering spirit of the early 20th century.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” is a landmark in musical theatre, with an unforgettable score that includes the beloved songs "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "People Will Say We’re in Love," and, of course, the exuberant title song, "Oklahoma!" This production promises to transport you back to the sweeping plains and charming small towns of the Oklahoma Territory.

Directed by a talented local team, this vibrant production will highlight not only the depth of the story but also the impressive talent of Beaufort’s very own. The show will feature lively choreography, colorful costumes, and a stunning set design that captures the heart of this beloved classic. Join us as the Beaufort Theatre Company breathes new life into this enduring masterpiece, bringing together professional-caliber performances with the energy of a local ensemble.

About the show Rodgers & Hammerstein's

“Oklahoma!” first premiered in 1943 and has since become one of the most cherished musicals in history, with its groundbreaking integration of story, song, and dance. The show is filled with memorable tunes, exciting dance numbers originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille, and characters that have become iconic in the world of musical theater.

About the cast

The production of “Oklahoma!” boasts an exceptional creative team, led by Director and Choreographer Christi Barr. Music direction is under the skill of Allison Sherwood, with Bonnie Hargrove serving as Assistant Director and Producer. Greg Rawls brings the Oklahoma Territory to life with his Set Design and Build, complemented by the artistic talents of Scenic Artist Mary Ann Ford. Assisting with the costumes is Alison Chambers.

This vibrant production showcases an ensemble of local talent from the Beaufort community. Audiences will be entertained by standout performances from Chris Barr as Curly McLain and Kelly Hall as Laurey Williams, alongside an impressive supporting cast: Elizabeth Epstein as Aunt Eller; Elizabeth Booman as Ado Annie; Dakota Wright as Will Parker; Jonathan Green as Jud Fry; Tim Rogowski as Ali Hakim; Valencia King as Gertie Cummings; Anna Booman

WANT TO GO?

Who: The Beaufort Theatre Company What: Rodgers & Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!”

When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 14, 15, 20, 21, 22

Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort Tickets: Tickets are available online at uscbcenterforthearts.com or by calling the box office at 843-521-4145.

as Ellen; Emily Mitchell as Kate; Lauren Tillapaugh as Virginia; Kati White as Vivian; Marshall Williams as Carnes; Barry Reese as Cord Elam; Chris Jenkins as Ike; Beau Backus as Fred; Caeden White as Slim; David Barr as Mike; Liam Martin as Joe.

And the entertaining, ensemble cast: Kim Martin, Kendall Martin, Carol Miller, Louise Hodges, Peyton Brock, Christa Booman, Olivia Smith, Kay Owen, Daniel Wardlow, and Colin Kindwall.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals (www. concordtheatricals.com) on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. Music by Richard Rogers. Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" by Lynn Riggs. Original Choreography by Agnes de Mille.

Pain relief for worn spinal disks

By Joel Streed MayoClinic.org

The fluid-filled cushions between the bones in your spine are called disks. They provide flexibility, allow for spine movement like flexion and extension, and act as shock absorbers.

Most young people have healthy disks. Each disk is flexible, with fluid-filled collagen fibers that fill the space between the vertebrae and provide the necessary cushion to allow their spines to bend and flex fully without pain.

Disks can wear out with age and use, however, which causes the degeneration and dehydration of the collagen fibers. This is called degenerative disk disease, which usually is a slow degradation of disks over time. Here's what you need to know about this common condition.

Disk anatomy: Understanding the structure or anatomy of disks is essential. There are 23 disks in the spinal column, running from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Each disk is made up of two parts that work together to absorb and cushion the spine:

• Annulus fibrosus –

This is the sturdy yet flexible outer layer of the disk. It forms a ring or circle around the inner core of the disk.

• Nucleus pulposus –

The center area of each disk is filled with a soft, gel-like substance that acts as the spine's

shock absorber.

Degenerative disk disease causes: Multiple factors cause degenerative disk disease, some of which can be controlled and others that cannot.

Age and time increase the odds of developing degenerative disk disease. About 20% of all U.S. adults have some amount of degeneration by age 65. This increases to about 35% by age 80

Sex plays a factor, as females are more likely than males to develop degenerative disk disease. Contributing factors you can control include excess body weight and spine strain due to manual labor, poor posture and heavy lifting.

Degeneration progression: Everyone has a degree of degeneration with time. It may or may not worsen or cause symptoms. Progression can be slow or fast, or the condition can remain stagnant. As degenerative disk disease begins, the spinal disks start to lose fluidity. They become dehydrated and are less rubbery or soft. This leads to disk shrinking and a loss of disk height. Often, the disks that are low in the spine degenerate first. As degeneration progresses further, the disks dry out even more or change shape, known as herniation. When this happens, they may begin pushing on nerves. A person may develop a ruptured or bulging disk.

A bulging disk happens when the outer layer of the disk, the annulus fibrosus,

bulges into the spinal canal.

A ruptured disk, sometimes called a herniated or slipped disk, happens when the inner part of the disk, the nu-

cleus pulposus, leaks out of the disk through a crack in the annulus fibrosus. Often, people have a bulging or ruptured disk with no symp-

toms, but sometimes, this can cause symptoms in one or both legs. If a disk continues to degrade, it can result in a complete loss of the disk. Then, the person only has an air-filled space between the vertebrae or the bones of two vertebral bodies directly contact each other. A person with this level of progression can experience severe pain, stiffness and possibly nerve compression.

Degenerative disk disease treatment: There are many treatment options for degenerative disk disease. Nonsurgical treatments are crucial throughout the continuum. Weight loss can be highly beneficial, along with decreasing manual labor to reduce stress on the spine. Injections, medications, physical therapy and strengthening your core can ease symptoms. The majority of degenerative disc disease cases can successfully be treated with conservative treatment, including about 80% of acute radiculopathy, known as sciatica.

Surgical intervention might be an option after nonsurgical treatments are exhausted first. A healthcare professional may recommend surgery if your condition is causing symptoms of nerve compression and these symptoms are progressing despite physical therapy, medications, and injections. Symptoms from nerve compression may include pain, numbness or weakness that ra-

diates into a limb. Surgery usually is not a good option for treating solely back pain from osteoarthritis in the spine.

Your healthcare team will explain other circumstances that might warrant surgery, such as when a disc herniation impinges the spinal cord or if there is severe weakness in an extremity, like foot drop.

Surgical options for degenerative disk disease include:

• Decompression surgery, such as a laminectomy or diskectomy, relieves compression of the nerve root for the spinal cord.

Stabilization surgery, such as a spinal fusion, improves stability by permanently connecting two or more vertebrae in the spine. It may be performed after a decompression surgery in certain cases.

• Disk replacement surgery replaces a worn out disk with an artificial disk. Replacing a disk may help relieve pain in your arms or legs while maintaining motion and flexibility.

Your healthcare team, including experts in pain management, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, and neurosurgery, will work together to tailor a treatment plan for you.

Source: Joel Streed, July 20, 2024; https://newsnetwork. mayoclinic.org/discussion/pain-relieffor-worn-spinal-disks/

Information about West Nile virus

With more cases of West Nile virus being reported, an infectious disease specialist explains how the virus is transmitted and what can be done to stop it.

West Nile virus cases are being reported here in the US and you may be wondering how it spreads and what can be done to stop it.

“There are specific mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Not every mosquito carries it, so getting bitten by a mosquito doesn't mean you're going to get West Nile virus,” said Lyssette Cardona, MD, infectious disease specialist for Cleveland Clinic Florida. “But the mosquitoes that have been infected through a bird that has it, then they carry it in their belly and when they bite you, they can transmit it to humans.”

Dr. Cardona said in most cases,

a person who gets infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. However, those who do may get a fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.

In rare instances, West Nile can be deadly. Dr. Cardona said as of right now, there is no specific medication to treat it, nor any vaccination available. The virus is typically treated through supportive care.

“For West Nile and most mosquito-related illnesses, the best protection is to prevent mosquito bites. And so, at a personal level, if you're going to travel, or if you're around areas where there may be

a lot of exposure to mosquitoes, just make sure you're using the repellents that are safe for you, and any specific netting and things if you're camping,” said Dr. Cardona. According to the CDC, West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.

Dr. Cordona said if you are concerned you may have been exposed, it’s best to consult with your physician. There is a blood test they can do to confirm.

Source: https://newsroom.clevelandclinic. org/2024/08/28/dealing-with-stressfrom-the-election

FLiRT and why you may need

new COVID-19 vaccination

The new variant of COVID-19 known as FLiRT, is now the most dominant strain in the U.S. This variant, which evolved from the omicron strain, is characterized by changes in its spike protein. These changes could increase the virus' ability to infect cells and evade the immune system, even in people who have previously been infected or vaccinated.

"This variant can evade the immune response more effectively than prior versions of the virus. If you've been infected, or you've been vaccinated, and you've got some antibodies in your system, those antibodies may not recognize the protein on the surface of the virus as well," says Dr. Binnicker, director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this new variant is now responsible for more than 28% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. There is a potential for an increase in cases during the summer months, with a more significant surge expected in the fall and winter.

"I anticipate we'll see an uptick in cases with this more transmissible virus that can evade the immune system. But what I'm really watching are the fall and winter months because that's typically when we see the largest surge in respiratory viral infections," Dr. Binnicker says. For those who are vaccinated, an-

tibodies are present to combat the virus. However, the effectiveness of these antibodies can vary with different virus variants.

With this latest round of variants, this FLiRT variant, the antibodies that you have from past vaccination may not bind and neutralize the virus as well. If you've been infected or vaccinated in the past three to four months, you’re probably going to have antibodies that are going to recognize these newer viruses effectively. And it will help you keep from getting really sick and may even help prevent you from coming down with any symptoms.

Dr. Binnicker continues, "If you were infected or vaccinated more than six months ago, you may not have as good of protection, and you may come down with a subsequent infection with the typical symp-

toms of COVID," he adds.

Symptoms of FLiRT

The symptoms of this variant are consistent with other variants and include:

Sore throat

Body aches

Cough • Runny nose

Shortness of breath (especially in unvaccinated people or those infected long ago)

If you choose to do so, receiving an updated vaccine will help protect you from the newer strain.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new COVID-19 vaccines for the 20242025 season for people ages 6 months and older. These updated vaccines are designed to better

protect against recently circulating variants, helping to prevent serious illness and hospitalization.

New COVID-19 variants can evade immunity from earlier vaccination or prior infection, meaning vaccinated or previously infected people may still catch the virus. However, their immunity helps protect them from severe illness.

Who should get the updated COVID-19 vaccines?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for better protection this fall and winter. Whether you’ve previously had a COVID-19 vaccine or not, it’s important to stay protected.

As a summer surge of COVID-19 outbreaks has happened, new vaccines for the virus have been released.

It's recommended that everyone should get the updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available. Those who recently had an infection should wait three months, or those who had a dose of the older COVID-19 vaccine should wait two months. It is especially important for those who are at higher risk of severe infection.

"Those who are immune compromised, those who are over the age of 75, those with certain preexisting health conditions and those who are pregnant fall into a higher risk category should get the updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible," explains Dr. Binnicker. Vaccine protection can wane over time, so staying updated with your COVID-19 vaccination is key to preventing severe illness, hospitalization and possibly death.

Source: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic. org/discussion/mayo-clinic-expert-discussesupdated-covid-19-vaccines/

Dealing with stress from the election season

With

political ads ramping up and non-stop coverage of the election, some may be feeling overwhelmed. A psychologist offers advice on how to cope.

With political ads ramping up and non-stop news coverage of the presidential race, some people may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

What can you do to help cope?

“As humans, we have a natural tendency to want to feel in control, and the elections can undermine that feeling of control,” said Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist for Cleveland Clinic.

“As a result, we need to focus on what we can control versus what we can't, whether that is your daily routine, exercise, or self-care.”

Dr. Albers said one of the number one ways people tend to stress themselves out during an election is by ‘catastrophizing,’ which is where you imagine the worst-case scenario. She said it’s important to stop those kinds of thoughts in their tracks and bring yourself back to the present mo-

ment. If you have family, friends or coworkers who regularly discuss politics, it’s okay if you choose not to participate in the conversation. Especially if it makes you feel upset or isolated. The same goes for social media.

“Social media ads and blogs are often designed to trigger strong emotions and controversy. The more you scroll and comment, it's likely that this is going to trigger high levels of anxi-

ety and stress,” said Dr. Albers. “It's important to stay informed, but we also have to have good limits around how much media we consume on a daily basis.” She said if your stress starts to interfere with your daily life, you should consider speaking with a mental health professional.

Source: https://newsroom. clevelandclinic.org/2024/08/28/ dealing-with-stress-from-theelection

Seeking God

Finding God’s Love at Auschwitz

The Heroic Sacrifice of Maximilian Kolbe

Three prisoners had escaped from the Nazis. It was summer 1941 at Auschwitz, the German concentration camp in Poland. In retaliation, the commandant lined up the inmates and chose ten of them to suffer death by starvation. One of them, on hearing his name, cried out, “My poor wife and children, I will never see them again!” In the silence, another prisoner stepped out of the ranks and said, “I want to die in his place.”

The commandant asked scornfully, “Who are you?”

The prisoner responded, “I am a Catholic priest.”

The exchange was permitted, and so began the final days of Father Maximilian Kolbe. The ten prisoners were already ragged and underfed, their bodies worn down by beatings and hard labor. They now were taken to an underground bunker to be starved to death. Since first arriving in Auschwitz, Father Kolbe had been a quiet light to these men, sharing his food with them, praying with them, and giving hope as all fought to survive another day. Now he would accompany them as they prepared for death.

In the death bunker, Father Kolbe kept ministering as a priest.

He reminded the other men of God’s love for them, and he encouraged them to forgive their persecutors. With his guidance, the prisoners could be heard singing hymns and lifting prayers to God. One guard remarked, “This priest is really a great man. We have never seen anyone like him.” After two weeks without food or water, only Father Kolbe and a couple of others held on to life. Growing tired of the whole process, the guards injected them with carbolic acid. Their bodies were cremated in the camp’s ovens.

Father Kolbe had always given everything for Christ. As a young priest, Father Kolbe had energetically used radio and the printing press to share Christ’s message with as many people as possible. When the Germans invaded Poland, he chose to stay in his monastery where he opened a hospital for those in need and hid some two thousand Jewish people. He also denounced the Germans through illegal publications and radio broadcasts. For these crimes, he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz.

Even in the midst of great evil, God’s goodness can be seen. Forty-one years later, Father Maximilian Kolbe was officially recognized as a saint by Pope John Paul II. Present for the ceremony was Francis Gajowniczek, the man whose life was saved by Father Kolbe.

In his declaration, the pope cited words from the Gospel of John: “Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.”

(John 15:13)

SPORTS&RECREATION

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Greenwood hits gas, buries Beaufort

By Wes Kerr LowcoSports.com

A handful of plays can separate a season-defining win from a bitter-tasting defeat. Bryce Lybrand’s squad learned how thin that margin can be for the second week in a row.

After a stunning fake punt caught Beaufort off guard in a tight second half, the Greenwood Eagles took the momentum and ran with it, scoring 23 consecutive points to pull away for a 37-18 win in Beaufort’s home opener Friday night.

Samari Bonds completed 18 of 37 passes for 328 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, while senior running back Elias Johnson paced the ground game with 60 rushing yards and a TD on nine carries, and Isaac Smalls added a 45-yard rushing score on his only attempt of the game.

It was the first meeting between the two opponents since a first-round matchup in the 2009 SCHSL playoffs.

Despite some positive early signs for Bonds with a pair of third-down conversions to start the opening drive, the senior quarterback couldn’t consistently beat a strong Green-

Susi

wood pass rush. Beaufort’s exceptional defensive front kept the home team afloat in the opening half, thanks to some key hustle plays from corner Aaron Daise and the versatile junior Smalls. Senior linebacker Will Codding came up huge on two plays in a row for Lybrand’s group, stuffing back-to-back runs from Bryce Seaborn to keep the defensive battle scoreless.

After Bonds hooked up with Jaemin Odom to move the chains again on third down, Lybrand unleashed his always-trusty fastball -- the outside ground game. Thanks to some terrific blocking on the left side of the line, Johnson hit the hole perfectly and zoomed down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown run to open the scoring as the Kirkland Krazies went wild.

The visitors wasted no time responding with a quick three-play drive all from dynamic mobile quarterback Triston Lewis for a 7-6 Greenwood lead. Beaufort’s defense stood tall as the half came to an end, as the secondary showed its alertness to deny a late aerial charge.

Lewis and company got right back to work for Greenwood after the break

with poised throws and some hardnosed running from Alijah Wade to set up a 1-yard quarterback sneak across the goal line. An ill-advised throw from Bonds gave the visitors a short field on an interception, but Raymond Middleton bailed his team out on the very next play, tracking down a Lewis heave down the right sideline to re-energize the Lady’s Island crowd.

And they had an even bigger reason to cheer just moments later. After a beautiful connection from Bonds to Caleb Stephan, the two-way star Smalls finished the drive in spectacular fashion, evading a Greenwood defender with a spin move and jetting past the rest on a 45-yard score.

It was a 90-yard outburst on just two plays to cut the lead to two points, and Beaufort looked primed to get the football right back after more sensational defense from Codding.

But Greenwood head coach Chris Liner reached into his bag of tricks and turned the game on its head with just one play call.

A fake punt on fourth down near midfield shocked Beaufort’s defense and led to another Wilson scamper into the end zone just two plays later.

gets 1st win at Creek

The disastrous sequence continued for Beaufort on the first play of the next series, as a high snap sailed over Bonds’ head and into the end zone for a safety.

A contest that had been up for grabs turned into a commanding 2312 Greenwood lead in a flash. The visitors kept the momentum rolling into the fourth on offense, converting a massive fourth-and-2 as Lewis rolled to his right and found an open Seaborn, who plowed past a defender and powered across the goal line.

Special teams continued to haunt Lybrand’s group, with a mishandled punt falling right back into the hands of an alert Greenwood unit in the end zone, swelling the lead to 37-12 over a stunned Beaufort squad.

Bonds finished his busy night on a strong note in his final drive, hitting Eric Smart on a 50-yard beauty to end a string of 23 straight Greenwood points.

Beaufort (0-2) will look to notch its first win of the season on Friday at former Region 8-3A rival Philip Simmons. The Iron Horses (1-1) are coming off a 38-9 loss to Lucy Beckham after opening with a 28-26 victory over Hanahan.

Beaufort Academy’s Dietrich Shuford (13) and Nych Underwood (15) operate in the backfield Friday night in Moncks Corner. The two combined for 326 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 35-28 win over

John’s Christian. Photo courtesy of Dan Byrne

Beaufort High School’s Isaac Smalls tackles Greenwood’s Donovan Boyles during their game on Friday, Aug. 30 at Beaufort High School. Beaufort lost their home opener, 37-18.

Asa Aarons/The Island News

Editor’s

Save the military ‘stunts’ for the Blue Angels

Beaufort is a military town. We honor the men and women who are stationed here and train to be our protectors. Knowing they will put their lives on the line to do whatever has to be done, many of our merchants show their appreciation by offering discounts, and while these gestures might be small, they are heartfelt. Beaufort is military through and through.

Thus I am compelled to ask this: why would anyone who is even remotely involved with the military, past or present, come out in favor of a presidential candidate who not only avoided the draft himself, but makes no effort to hide his disdain for those same people we in Beaufort revere?

This is something that not only mystifies me, but also makes me wonder just where their priorities lie. And I might add, it makes me angry, as it should you.

It’s no secret that Donald Trump, who came from a very wealthy family, managed to secure a deferment based upon a diagnosis of “bone spurs.” Social media is rife with jokes about this, and obviously we will never know whether or not this was legitimate, although Trump himself once called the condition “temporary”

and “minor.”

What we do know is that he has been openly contemptuous of those who did serve. This initially came to the forefront when he declared of John McCain, “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” This wason July 18 2015 when he was a candidate for President of the United States.

Four years later, March 19, six months after McCain’s death, Trump could not let go of his grudge against McCain when he stated, “I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be.”

It was Chris Cillizza, CNN editor-at-large who offered this: “Those two comments – almost four years apart and more than six months after McCain’s death – provide telling bookends to understand just how much Trump has changed Republican politics (and politics general-

ly), and not for the better.”

Suckers and losers! Those words were used by Trump as he continued his bashing of our troops.

It was John Kelly, retired Marine Corps General, who served as Trump’s chief of staff for two years and ultimately revealed this side of Trump’s contempt.

"A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them,'" Kelly said of Trump. "A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’

A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family — for all Gold Star families — on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.”

This brings me to the latest “stunt” on the part of Mr. “temporary and minor bone spurs.”

The Trump campaign released a TikTok video of the former president's controversial visit to Arlington

National Cemetery on Monday where cemetery officials said, in a statement to ABC News, that a photography-related "incident" occurred, leading to a report being filed.

Apparently two Trump officials, who were asked NOT to take photos, engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with cemetery staff. What Arlington released follows.

"Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign. Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed," the statement read.

Here is the bottom line, or lines, lest you think this can be reduced to only one.

First, how does a man who has done nothing but denigrate the military, have the gall to then use a military setting for political purposes? The answer to that one is quite simple. His immorality has no

depth. Period.

Then consider why the big show of support now?

Not only was this for his own self aggrandizement (big surprise), but also to emphasize which group of fallen “suckers and losers.” You see these men died in Afghanistan, a big campaign talking point for Donald Trump. Biden, and by way of being VP, Kamala Harris, were in office when when the obviously disastrous withdrawal took place.

This has been one of Trump’s focal points in his campaign.

And consider this. A new account of Trump’s time as commander in chief comes from Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump’s national security adviser. McMaster, unlike other generals who served under Trump, had previously held back from sharing direct criticism of his former boss after leaving the White House. That said, appearing on “Anderson Cooper 360,” McMaster argued that Trump bears some responsibility for the Afghanistan withdrawal for his negotiations with the Taliban, including pressure on Afghanistan’s former government to release thousands of Taliban fighters from prison. (reported on CNN)

In my research, I discovered that progressive veterans group VoteVets claimed (posted on X) that "Trump only cares about the fallen when he can exploit their sacrifice for his own gain."

Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, quickly zeroed in on Trump’s “unusual” pose in the snap.

“Smiling, thumbs up at the grave, is unusual to say the least,” Never mind that Trump negotiated the ‘deal’ and is the reason we left.” In conclusion, know that I support our military without reservation. When I visited the wall in DC for the first time, I wept upon discovering the name of a former student. While I felt we were in Vietnam for many of the wrong reasons, I was appalled by the reception those vets received upon returning home, and I verbalized that disgust. So I have no problem verbalizing that same disgust for someone who vilifies the military while striving to be Commander-in-Chief.

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.”

Lock ’em up and throw away the key

Now that the state of South Carolina has three court-approved methods that a condemned convict can choose from to meet his maker, it’s curious lawmakers didn’t consider a tried-and-true method of execution so gruesome that it should be certain to have a deterrent effect: the guillotine.

South Carolina is scheduled to get back into the execution business Sept. 20 when a 46-year-old man, Freddie Eugene Owens, is set to die for the 1997 death and armed robbery of a Greenville store clerk. If there’s not some kind of delay in a state that hasn’t had an execution in 13 years, he’ll have a choice of dying by electrocution, lethal injection or firing squad, a new option approved by lawmakers in the last couple of years.

We’ve never been clear exactly why there needed to be three

While watching the Harris/Walz interview on CNN

Thursday we saw one of the miracles of nature take place. As the interview -which by the way, I thought she did much better than I ever imagined she might – progressed, we were able to see the tragic chrysalis of the Biden administration that Harris has been bound up in for the past four years break open and fall away, and the wonderful butterfly that is the new Kamala Harris emerge. Coach Walz’s role was to sit there knowingly nodding in agreement and looking wise and fatherly, and he did it well. He even sort of answered a question or two.

It seems that the new Kamala has discarded most of the

choices since the end result is the same – and it seems kind of counterintuitive for apologists to worry about pain in executions since many people want to see those put to death to suffer for their crimes.

South Carolina’s execution process faced a slowdown when lethal injection was questioned a while back for being cruel and unusual punishment that caused pain and undue suffering. And then companies that supplied the drugs said they were out

of them, but that really meant they didn’t want people to know which company supplied the drug.

So the legislature passed a law to keep their identities secret. And along the way, lawmakers decided to add another method for inmates to choose from for good measure – in case the lethal injection reboot didn’t work.

Of course, who’s to say electrocutions haven’t been botched or that firing squads are pain-free?

Which brings us back to the guillotine, last used officially in 1977 when the French executed a Tunisian for a particularly brutal death in Marseille in 1974. Used during the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, death by guillotine has awed and terrified the public for generations.

According to a paper questioning whether death by guillotine was “the most gentle of lethal

methods,” researchers concluded decapitation caused “nearly instant” loss of consciousness in humans and rats but “it is possible that the truth will never be fully known.”

So if you have reached this part of this commentary, you might be figuring out that discussing a return to the guillotine is a facetious suggestion to amplify the brutality of executing people in a state where boatloads of people go to church and hear how they should “love thy neighbor.”

State-directed executions should become a permanent thing of the past. Not only are they brutal, discriminatory and political, but they put the blood of the state on the hands of every citizen of the Palmetto State.

According to Amnesty International, almost 200 people sent to death row in the United States

WHATEVER IT TAKES

old progressive beliefs that she has very publicly advocated over the years and is now running as what almost sounds like a Republican. She was against fracking, she is now for fracking. She was against building a wall at the southern border, she is now for it. She has joined Donald Trump in advocating doing away with tax on tips and social security. She would even be open to having a Republican in her

cabinet, no names mentioned. Pay attention Mitt.

It seems that Harris has learned one of the basic lessons of progressive politics. If you are not in office you have no power to do anything. If you don’t win, you are left on the outside looking in and can only stand there with your nose against the glass and wish you were inside. So to win, you do whatever it takes. You say whatever it takes, and you position yourself to be close to the middle in order to appeal to the more moderate undecided voters, knowing that your base is going to vote for you anyway.

Trump Disarrangement Syndrome runs so deep in the progressive base that even if they disagree with

her newly found positions, they will still vote for her, so she has nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing and saying whatever it takes to be elected. Once she has won, she can always change back to her true beliefs and continue to turn the United States into a progressive wonderland, very much like her current boss has done.

Does it strike you as odd that we have not heard cries of anguish coming from the likes of Bernie, Chuck, Nancy, and Barack. You would think that if she has moved that far from the people who put her in power they would be very upset with her, or maybe they are in on the plan or just maybe it was their plan to start with. This is a lesson that

“have been later exonerated or released from death row on grounds of innocence. Others have been executed despite serious doubts about their guilt.”

The organization also claims execution as a deterrent “has been repeatedly discredited, and there is no evidence that the death penalty is any more effective in reducing crime than life imprisonment.”

Bottom line: The death penalty is an Old Testament punishment in an era when the majority of people subscribe to New Testament principles.

Lock ‘em up and throw away the key, but let’s get rid of executions and the blood on everyone’s hands.

Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.

many Republicans have failed to learn, they tend to say that they will stand on their principles and never compromise, even though it may be a highly unpopular position. They still have their principles, but many times are standing on the outside looking in and are powerless to intact the changes that they so firmly believe in.

Trump is of course an exception to this. Like him or not you almost always know where he stands on just about any issue. He is happy to tell you, and sometimes it makes you cringe at what he says, but he has been pretty consistent in doing what he promised to do. When it’s all sorted out, most of it has been pretty good for the country. I think

that he truly believes in American Exceptionalism, the rule of law, and governing by the Constitution of the United States. In other words, like him or hate him I think that you can pretty much depend on him doing what he says he will do, and in my humble opinion, that is surely not true of his opponent.

Jim Dickson served in the U.S. Navy Reserve in Vietnam before a 35-year business career. Retired to St. Helena Island, Dickson and his wife are fiscally conservative, socially moderate and active in Republican politics, though they may not always agree with Republicans. Having lived around the

CAROL LUCAS

JIM DICKSON

ANDY BRACK

VOICES

Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of

Not a textbook but certainly required reading

It is Thursday, early, and I’ve got a copy of “The Devil At His Elbow, Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty” by Valerie Bauerlein, published by Ballentine Books on Aug. 20 2024

Like every other sentient, sedentary American, my wife and I watched State of South Carolina v. Alex Murdaugh almost every day for more than a month.

I am a retired lawyer and didn’t really know Alexander Murdaugh. However, I did know his father, Randolph Murdaugh III; and his grandfather Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr. In fact my former partner and I spent a total of three weeks with “Randy” and “Buster” when we defended John Arnold in the matter of the State of South Carolina v. Arnold and Plath.

In describing “Buster” Bauerlein writes,

pened to be sitting at Counsel’s table in the Courtroom that day and watched the re-enactment in person.

I know that particular tale to be true.

Before delving into the larger-than-life folklore surrounding Buster, Bauerlein’s book describes the first Murdaugh — Randolph Murdaugh Sr. — and his early success at suing railroads. In this connection the cites actual cases.

After Buster, she goes into the life of Randolph Murdaugh III and then, finally, to Alex Murdaugh making a convincing case that we are, indeed, dealing with a “Southern Dynasty.” And if its disintegration was the only storyline in her book — something like “Praying for Sheetrock” that told the story of a small, corrupt county in Georgia — that would have been enough to get her published.

the time of the homicides, particularly the confrontation at the law firm over the missing $792,000 fee. They said he was on trial for murder, not the financial crimes.

financial motive, they had compounded one mistake with another.

Another time he fell back flat on the Courtroom floor and asked a witness to tie a garden hose around his neck and then step on his throat. The witness was a woman who had been charged as an accomplice. She had come to the Courthouse straight from jail and was wearing a loose-fitting dress and no underwear. When she lifted her foot and put it lightly on his neck, Buster looked up and stopped his narration of the crime. “It was the only time,” an onlooker said, “I’ve ever seen Buster at a loss for words.”

AThis scene was apparently told to Bauerlein by my friend Colden Battey (See End Note 70) but I hap-

Then Bauerlein moves to Buster’s life citing old newspapers, court filings, podcasts and conversations. She tells, for example, about bootlegging in Hampton County using transcripts from the trial in United States v. Haskell Thompson. (See End Note 67). The author also tells us stories of Buster’s relationships with Harry Cram and Ruthven Vaux citing excerpts from “The Garden of Good and Evil” and Jason Ryan’s “Swamp Kings.” (See End Note 72).

But there is more; much more.

Bauerlein moves on to the trial itself, not reluctant to get into evidentiary matters like Alex Murdaugh’s financial problems. She lays out defense counsel’s argument that Murdaugh’s financial crimes were not admissible.

The defense had been arguing for weeks, including in filings before the trial began, that the jury should not hear evidence of what was happening in Alex’s life at

Bauerlein then recounts when the defense asked (Rogan Gibson) whether he could think of any circumstance, knowing them as you do, where Alex would brutally murder Paul and Maggie? Followed by Prosecutor Waters asking, “Did you know anything about what his bank account balances were?”

Bauerlein suggests that here, in this series of questions, was the inflection point when a concave upward curve, changed directions and the trial curved downward for the accused.

By asking about his life with Maggie and Paul, the defense attorneys made a strategic error. By not objecting the second the prosecution began firing off questions about possible

Your faithfulness and hard work is appreciated

s the calendar eases out of August into September, we thank God for our blessings and will soon see the return of colorful leaves on trees, football season, and bonfires. The unofficial end of summer also means Labor Day is here. Whether you are retired or still laboring in your career, we congratulate all of you on a job well done!

This week many of us will travel, go out to eat, shop, have a cookout, or maybe sneak in one final visit to the beach or neighborhood pool. You deserve it and I hope you have a memorable celebration. So, what exactly is the holiday about and when was it started?

This federal holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of September and is much more than just the summer’s last hooray. This week we recognize the hard-earned achievements of America’s labor movement and acknowledge what workers have contributed with their own accomplishments and our nation’s prosperity. According to the Department of Labor, the concept

of honoring the American worker started in the labor movement of the 19th century, as it was a dismal time for America’s workers who faced long hours, low wages, and unsafe conditions.

As labor unions and activists advocated and fought for better treatment for workers at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the idea arose to establish a day dedicated to recognizing members of the trade and labor forces. Even today, many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, parties, and festivities.

Since those early observances, the day is now also used for political speeches and community officials who emphasize the

of the holiday. According to the labor department, two workers can make a solid claim to the title of Labor Day’s official founder. Some documents reveal it was Peter J. McGuire, the co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, who in 1882 first suggested having a special day for those who work hard all year.

However, further research supports that machinist Matthew Maguire proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. According to some historians, the special day was organized by the CLU, and according to the Labor Department, the first official Labor Day holiday was celebrated in 1882 in New York City.

On that day, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square.

I’m confident we can give both men their due amount of credit and appreciate their sincere concern.

Labor Day became recognized by labor activists and individual states long before it became a

federal holiday. New York was also the first state to introduce a bill honoring those who labor. But Oregon was the first to pass such a law in 1887. By 1894, 32 states had adopted the holiday.

Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland signed a law passed by Congress designating the first Monday in September as a holiday for workers. The federal recognition was hardwon, having come after a wave of unrest among workers and labor activists brought their rights into public view. In May of that year, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives according to historians.

A month later, the government dispatched troops to Chicago to break up a boycott of the Pullman Railway Cars initiated by labor activist Eugene V. Debs, unleashing a wave of deadly riots. I worked for a nationwide logistics company for many years while also serving the Lord as a minister. This large corporation

Many lawyers that I spoke with during the trial assured me there was going to be a “hung jury,” some even thought Murdaugh might be acquitted. But Bauerlein’s description of the prosecution’s dogged, sometimes tedious presentation of hundreds of small evidentiary items — including Paul’s video, the cell phone and “black box” data that was eventually recovered — make this a fascinating read notwithstanding the fact that I knew how her book was going to end.

“Devil At His Elbow” is not a textbook but I believe it will become required reading for law students who are getting their first dose of criminal law.

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

had remained non-union since it was founded in the 1930s and they wanted it to stay that way.

The union had tried to represent us in the past, but the company fought hard against it. I remember some violence and a lot of animosity between those who stood with the company and others who wanted seniority to rule over favoritism.

The union finally received the votes it needed, and we were represented by a watchdog organization that helped protect us from being slighted by the preferential treatment of a few favorites.

Whether you have worked for a union or not, there are situations where they are needed, but not in places where good management treats their employees with respect and fairness. This week and throughout the year, we respect your perseverance and loyalty, and appreciate your talents and hard work.

Billy Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and Christian author. Read more about the Christian life at Billyhollandministries.com.

SCOTT GRABER

BILLY HOLLAND

Death row inmate asks SC Supreme Court to halt execution

Attorneys claim new evidence; Owens’ Sept. 20 execution set to be the state’s first in 13 years

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — The in-

mate who is scheduled for execution in three weeks is asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to give him a reprieve, claiming attorneys uncovered new evidence that could overturn his sentence, according to a Friday court filing.

Freddie Owens’ execution, scheduled for Sept. 20, is set to be the state’s first in 13 years. But his attorneys say they have evidence that solicitors prosecuting his 1999 trial made a secret deal with the key witness in his case, undermining Owens’ conviction, according to Friday’s motion.

Owens was convicted of shooting and killing gas station clerk Irene Graves as part of a string of burglaries in 1997. The single mother of three was shot in the head after saying she didn’t know how to unlock the safe.

The only eyewitness to the crime was Steven Golden, one of Owens’ friends

who was robbing local gas stations and restaurants with him. Surveillance footage showed two masked men in the gas station, one of whom shot Graves.

With no forensic evidence tying Owens to the crime, Golden’s testimony was the only proof offered that Owens was the shooter, Owens’ attorneys argued Friday.

Golden was charged with the crime alongside Owens. Both faced the death penalty. Golden pled guilty before the case went to trial.

While on the stand during Owens’ trial, Golden testified that his plea agreement did not take the death penalty or the possibility of life in prison off the table, according to the motion.

“‘The prosecutor told me to answer that way,'” Golden said, according to the motion.

Golden is now claiming he

had an unwritten agreement with the state’s prosecutors that he would not receive either of those sentences if he testified against Owens, according to a statement he signed last week, the day before the court scheduled Owens’ execution.

“‘My written plea agreement said the death penalty and life without parole were still possible outcomes and there were no specific guarantees about what my sentence would be,'” Golden said, according to the motion. “‘That wasn’t true.'”

The judge overseeing Owens’ case told the jury that Golden was credible because he was not receiving a lighter sentence and had no personal gain from testifying. If the jury had known what he now says he was promised, the judge might have given different instructions and the jury may not have believed Golden’s testimony, Owens’ attorneys argued.

Golden is scheduled for release in 2026, according

to the state Department of Corrections.

Owens’ lawyers are also arguing the jury may have had an assumption of guilt against Owens because he was fitted with a stun belt during the trial. Other courts around the country have ruled that a such belts, which would have given Owens an electric shock if he misbehaved, are akin to putting a defendant in shackles. This is not allowed because it implies the person on trial is guilty when a jury should instead assume they are innocent.

Owens’ current attorneys said a juror from his 1999 trial has now told them she could see Owens wearing the belt in court and knew what it was for, according to the motion.

Owens’ case has been sentenced to death several times. The state Supreme Court twice before sent Owens’ case back to a jury for resentencing. Both times, the jury recommended again to sentence Owens to death.

In 2008, the state Supreme Court agreed, finding no further problems.

The defense attorneys are now seeking a new hearing in Greenville County, according to court records. Until then, they asked the high court to halt Owens’ execution.

After Owens was convicted of killing Graves, he also killed another inmate at the Greenville Detention Center. Owens confessed to the crime in court the next day, saying he did it because he was innocent, according to court documents.

Owens has been scheduled for execution twice before, both times in 2021. The high court halted both executions amid legal questions about how he would die.

At the time, the state did not have lethal injection available as an option. Since then, the Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional for inmates to die by electrocution or firing squad as well, and corrections officials have restocked their supply

Former SC education superintendent Neilsen dead

of lethal injection drugs, putting that back on the table. Also in front of the Supreme Court is the question of whether Owens’ attorney can decide his method of death for him. Owens signed his decision-making power to his attorney before he received his notice of execution because he has a religious conviction against choosing his own method of death, believing it to be a form of suicide, according to court filings. Owens is one of 32 men on death row. Five others have exhausted their appeals and are next up to be executed, though the state Supreme Court agreed Friday to wait at least five weeks between scheduling executions.

Skylar Laird covers the South Carolina Legislature and criminal justice issues. Originally from Missouri, she previously worked for The Post and Courier’s Columbia bureau. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest statefocused nonprofit news organization.

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — Former State Superintendent of Education Barbara Nielsen died Tuesday, according to an announcement from the Department of Education. She was 81 Nielsen, a Republican, spent two terms as superintendent, serving from 1991 to 1999 before choosing not to run again. She was the first woman to hold the position and the second woman ever elected to statewide office. Only Lt. Gov. Ferdinan “Nancy”

Backer Stevenson, elected in 1978, preceded her. “Today South Carolina has lost an education champion, and I have lost a dear friend and mentor,” Ellen Weaver, the current state superintendent, said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Her wit and wisdom will be greatly missed, but her shining legacy lives on forever in the lives of the students and state she served.”

Born in Ohio in 1942, Nielsen earned a doctorate of education from the University of Louisville in Kentucky in 1983, according to the South Carolina Encyclopedia. She spent three decades working in education before being elected.

Nielsen oversaw a reorganization of the Department of Education. During her tenure, the General Assembly passed major education legislation, including statewide, full-day kindergarten and authorizing charter schools.

After leaving office, Nielsen was

appointed a senior fellow with the Clemson University Strom Thurmond Institute in 1999. In 2022 Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to a new teacher retention and recruitment task force.

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.

S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

“Her wit and wisdom will be greatly missed, but her shining legacy lives on forever in the lives of the students and state she served.”

ELLEN WEAVER, State Superintendent of Education, on on the passing of former State Superintendent Barbara Nielsen

SC finalizing list of presidential candidates on ballot

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA – South Carolina is finalizing ballots for the November election this week.

Tuesday at noon marked the deadline for a party to register presidential and vice presidential candidates, meaning no new candidates can get on the state’s ballot. The last day for non-presidential candidates to get on the ballot passed weeks ago. Friday at 5 p.m. is the cutoff for any candidates to withdraw and have their name removed. The state Board of Elections could make online sample ballots available as early as Wednesday. Seven parties will be running candidates for president, an election board spokesman confirmed Tuesday. One of the more prominent third-party candidates,

F. Kennedy, Jr. will not appear on the Palmetto State ballot, however. It was the state party, not the Kennedy campaign, that made the decision. Kennedy was running as an Alliance Party candidate, but the party withdrew him after he suspended his campaign. He is now backing former President Donald Trump. South Carolinains have until early October to register to vote — in person through Oct. 4 or online through Oct. 6. Mail in appli-

cations count as long as they are postmarked by Oct. 7 Early in-person voting starts Oct. 21 and will run for two weeks, every day except Sunday, through Nov. 2. Voters can request an absentee ballot until Oct.

mailed to overseas and military voters by Sept. 21 Besides president, voters will elect members for all seven of South Carolina’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and all members of the

Voters also will decide on what state legislators have called a precautionary change to the state constitution’s wording related to

Barbara Nielsen

Voting machines set up in 2023. Photo courtesy of Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections

SC commission has 5 months to choose design, location for Smalls monument

Statue will be 1st dedicated to a single Black person on the Statehouse grounds

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — The clock is ticking for a state panel to approve a design and choose a patch of land for a monument to Civil War hero and lawmaker Robert Smalls.

The monument will be the first on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds to memorialize a single Black person. While another monument tells the story of the struggles and achievements of Black South Carolinians, from the slave trade through present day, its carved panels do not identify any specific people.

A commission has until January 15 2025 to decide on a design and location for the monument.

As commission members pointed out Wednesday, that leaves less than five months to solicit designs, make a decision and raise money.

“We don’t have a whole lot of time,” said Mike Shealy, who chairs the commission and oversees special projects for the state Department of Administration.

Private donations will fund the sculpture. Commission members don’t yet know how much they’ll need to fundraise, since that will depend on the design they choose. The type of sculpture — whether a traditional monument on a pedestal or something more interpretive — is also up in the air.

“Right now, we’ve got a blank slate,” Shealy said.

On a general level, Sen. Chip Campsen said he wanted to make sure the monument celebrated Smalls and his fight for freedom, whether as a slave, as a steamship pilot during the Civil War or as a legislator.

“Someone may come up with ideas better than we have, but we want to give them some general direction,” the Isle of Palms Republican said.

Finding a place to put the monument may also prove a challenge.

More than two dozen statues and markers of varying sizes already sit on the grounds. In fact, the complex is so crowded that the Legislature in 2007 put in place a moratorium on adding any more.

The moratorium allowed for exceptions if a proposal received supermajority approval. The proposal for a Robert Smalls memorial was approved unanimously by both chambers.

“There aren’t a whole lot of statues I think we need to add to the Statehouse grounds, but I think Robert Smalls is worthy,” said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield.

The story of Smalls hijacking a Confederate ship and sailing himself and others to freedom is one that resonates across the state, Gov. Henry McMaster said during a Thursday ceremonial bill signing.

“This is a great symbol, a great indicator of our strength and what we can do and will do,” McMaster said.

History of Robert Smalls

Smalls, born into slavery in Beaufort, was sent to Charleston in 1851 at age 12. He was an enslaved crew member on the steamship Planter when the Civil War began. Because of his boating skills, he was trusted to pilot the Confederate ship despite the fact that slaves were not usually permitted to do so.

One night, in 1862, Smalls and the other enslaved crew members hijacked the ship and picked up family members from a nearby wharf. Disguised in a captain’s hat, Smalls used the hand symbols he knew as a pilot to bypass Confederate troops and steer the ship to freedom.

“It seems more like a script from

a Hollywood blockbuster movie than something out of the pages of a South Carolina history book,” said Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Hartsville. He was the first Black man to pilot ships for the U.S. Navy, eventually becoming a captain and helming the same ship he used to escape, this time for the Union.

Congress also awarded Smalls prize money for capturing the Planter, which he later used to buy at auction the mansion of the man who had once enslaved him.

During the Reconstruction era, Smalls joined a majority-Black convention of delegates to write the state’s 1868 constitution. That constitution undid the Black Codes — restrictive laws passed across the South to limit the freedom of African Americans after slavery was abolished, such as forcing Black people to sign yearly work contracts that ensured they could be hired as cheap labor. It also promised free education to all children and voting rights to all men and led Congress to readmit South Carolina into the Union.

a bill approving a

Smalls served in both the state House and Senate before winning a seat in Congress in 1874. There, he served five terms following the end of Reconstruction, as politicians overturned the rights of freed slaves, often violently.

In 1895, the state constitution was again rewritten to roll back education and voting rights. Smalls was a delegate to that convention as well. He pleaded for guarantees of “fair and honest” elections even though he knew the authors sought to disenfranchise Black voters.

Smalls was “probably the most important politician of the 19th Century,” and probably the most important African American politician in the state through the 1970s and 1980s, said Eric Emerson, head of the state Department of Archives and History.

Smalls went widely unrecognized after his death in 1915. In the early 2000s, nearly a century later, Beaufort residents began to call for a national park site to tell his story. Now, a national historic park preserves his home and the church where he is buried.

Alliance Party removes Kennedy from SC ballot

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. will no longer appear on the South Carolina ballot as the Alliance Party’s presidential candidate.

Kennedy suspended his long-shot bid for the presidency Friday, Aug. 23, and endorsed former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. In his announcement, Kennedy said his name would remain on the ballot in most states.

However, the Alliance Party of South Carolina decided it no longer wanted Kennedy as its representative. The party’s purpose is to give voters a choice other than a Republican or Democrat, so Kennedy’s decision to back Trump resulted in the executive committee deciding Monday night to end their association, according to the party.

“The Alliance Party of South Carolina and its candidates are dedicated to providing voters with a choice other than that provided by the Democratic and Republican political parties,” said Keisha Long, the chair of the state party, said in a release

emailed Tuesday.

“We and our candidates remain committed to achieving that goal with candidates who run to the finish line.”

Long told the S.C. Daily Gazette it was the party’s decision; the Kennedy campaign did not request any changes. She said the party has no plans to replace Kennedy with another candidate. A spokesperson for the South Carolina Election Commission confirmed that it received the party’s request Tuesday morning to pull Kennedy from the ballot. On Friday in Arizona, Kennedy said he would pull his own name off the ballot in about 10 battleground states, though he did not specify which states. South Carolina is not a swing state. The Alliance Party has affiliates in more than a dozen other states. But South Carolina was the only chapter that put Kennedy on its line for president, according to Victoria Staten, national secretary for the party.

ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DAILY GAZETTE

The South Carolina Daily Gazette is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site covering state government and officials and how their decisions affect people across the Palmetto State. The site offers a free newsletter delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. To subscribe, visit https://scdailygazette. com/subscribe/. The content is free both to readers and to other outlets, which can republish its work under the Creative Commons license.

The South Carolina Daily Gazette is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Gazette retains full editorial independence. Its name comes from the state’s first successful newspaper, the South-Carolina Gazette first printed in 1732. Seven years later, it also became the first newspaper in colonial America edited and published by a woman.

The party’s roots are in South Carolina. It launched here in 2013 as the American Party, founded by former state Superintendent Jim Rex — the last Democrat in statewide office — and Dr. Oscar Lovelace, who unsuccessfully challenged the re-election of Gov. Mark Sanford in the 2006 GOP primary, as an alternative to the two-party system.

The state effort joined with independent parties in other states in 2018 to become the national Alliance Party.

The withdrawal of Kennedy leaves seven presidential candidates on the South Carolina ballot, including for the Constitution, United

Citizens, Green, Libertarian and Workers parties as well as the Democratic and Republican.

It is unlikely any other candidates will be added to the presidential ballot.

The deadline for parties in South Carolina to register candidates for president is Sept. 3

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.

S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest statefocused nonprofit news organization.

But no mention of him exists on the Statehouse grounds.

Putting up a monument to his legacy would help make sure more people in South Carolina know his story. Black and white legislators alike said they hope Smalls’ history will inspire future generations. That’s especially true for Black residents, who can see their own legacies in Smalls’ story and aspire to be like him, said Rep. Jermaine Johnson said.

“I’m really looking forward to the day when I get to bring my children and my grandchildren up here to the Statehouse grounds and I get to allow them to read whatever’s going to be on that monument, allow them to say, ‘This is from what you come from,’” the Hopkins Democrat said.

Skylar Laird covers the South Carolina Legislature and criminal justice issues. Originally from Missouri, she previously worked for The Post and Courier’s Columbia bureau. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Planned wall to honor state’s Revolutionary War patriots

By Herb Frazier StatehouseReport.com

Daniel Island resident Kenneth Scarlett will lead a new task force to erect a Patriots Memorial Wall at Liberty Square in Charleston to honor the estimated 7,500 men and women in South Carolina who died during the Revolutionary War.

Scarlett, a member of the S.C. American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission (SC250), said he wants the wall to be a national wall similar to the Vietnam Veterans Wall in Washington, D.C., and “serve as the glue of patriotism that unites us as Americans.”

If all goes well, the wall will be unveiled July 4, 2026, when America observes its 250th anniversary.

The wall will list the names of men and women of all races, nationalities and colonies who supported the cause of American patriotism and died in South Carolina from 1775 to 1783. The wall will be inscribed: “Free-

dom is the light for which many have died in darkness so we may enjoy the fruits of liberty today. Remember and honor their sacrifice.” The SC 250 Commission recently met in Spartanburg and agreed to spend $12,000 for a design and construction process for the wall that could cost $1 million in public and private contributions.

Scarlett told the commissioners the wall will stand on a significant site in South Carolina’s colonial history at Liberty Square, part of the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf where the last British troops occupied Charlestown before withdrawing on Dec. 14, 1782

“We want to have full community participation,” Scarlett said. The task force, which will be made up of volunteers, will “take all the steps [toward] community involvement,” he added. “We want this to be a South Carolina project for everyone.”

Gov. Henry McMaster ceremoniously signs

monument of Robert Smalls on the Statehouse grounds on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. Skylar Laird/S.C. Daily Gazette

Robert Smalls

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

ART Budding Artist

After-School Art Club

4 to 5 p.m., or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesday/ Thursdays, Happy Art Studio, 10 Sam’s Point Way, Beaufort. Ages 8 to 13. Painting, drawing, clay or crafts. Visit www.happyartstudio.net.

CALENDAR

A Fundraising Fish Fry

5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6, Cen-

ter Stage Area, Penn Center, 16 Penn Circle West, St. Helena Island. Meals, which cost $18, include fried fish, baked beans, pasta salad, dinner rolls, and a drink. Tickets can be purchased on site the day of the event or in advance until Sept. 6. For credit card payments, call the Penn Center Welcome Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday at 843838-7105. For those interested in sponsorship, call Penn Center, Inc., at 843541-0128. To contact Planning Committee Chair Sara Reynolds Green, call 843-473-0477, or Co-Chair Barbara Gardner Hunter, call 347-497-9326. Penn Center, The St. Helena Gullah Project, the S.C. Coastal Community Development Corporation, Marshview Community Organic Farm, The Gullah Grub Restaurant and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation are sponsoring A Fund Raising Fish Fry to help reduce the loss of land on St. Helena Island. Roots & Rivers Festival 2 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14, Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf Street, Bluffton. Presented by BlacQuity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Black entrepreneurs, this Coastal Cowboy and Cowgirl-themed event will include live music, line dancing, mechanical bull riding, artisanal vendors, craft beer, food trucks, and new to the festival this year, a Kid Zone and VIP experiences. The festival is set to invigorate coastal Beaufort County by providing a bustling marketplace for small businesses, artisans, and Black entrepreneurs to showcase their products. The festival aims to support the local economy and foster community growth by offering a platform for these talented individuals, creating a positive and inclusive environment for all. The festival boasts a lively beer garden, line dancing, captivating live music performances by Deas Guyz, and more. Early Bird general admission tickets for the Roots and Rivers Festival are now available for $15. For those who prefer to purchase tickets at the gate, they will be priced at $20. A limited number of VIP experiences are also available for $125. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.rootsandriversfestival.com.

Lowcountry Boil

5 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14, Shellring Ale Works, 1111 11th Street, Port Royal. Tickets are $85. Proceeds support the work of Lowcountry Legal Volunteers. Live music by the Cluster Shucks. To purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/4flPRZr.

Beaufort County Youth Conference

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, Technical College of The Lowcountry, 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Free for all Beaufort County middle and high school students. Interactive breakout sessions, music, food, fun, door prizes, and T-shirts. Parent and adult wellness workshop. Register today at 843-812-4399 or 843-592-0013.

OktoPRfest

11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, Paris Avenue, Port Royal. Free. No pets. Local chefs, restaurants, and food trucks will offer German-inspired dishes such as brats and pretzels, along with American festival food favorites. There will be a wide selection of craft, imported, and domestic beers. The opening ceremony will feature a special surprise honoring the Town’s 150th birthday. Live musical performances and entertainment; a craft market area; kids zone; and Lollipop the Clown (noon to 4 p.m.). For more, https://fb.me/e/1zQlnKh37.

64th annual Saint Peter’s Catholic Church Fall Bazaar

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, Saint Peter’s Catholic Church campus, 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. The Bazaar features international foods, craft fair with local artisans, a sweet shoppe, an in-person and online silent auction, wine and beer garden, plant sale, church tours, and Kids Zone with inflatables, games, and the Beaufort Barnyard Petting Zoo. Artists and craftspeople interested in participating can send an email to parishlife@ stpetersbeaufort.org for more information. The bazaar will benefit Lowcountry Outreach, a ministry of Saint Peter’s parish that provides office space for area non-profits, meeting rooms for support groups, and services such as a ride program for those with limited transportation.

39th annual Kiwanis Club of Hilton Head Island Chili Cook Off & Jeep Island Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island. Event raises funding for local youth charities. Chili cooks will face off to determine the best concoctions in Professional, Amateur, and People’s Choice categories. Winners will earn cash prize donations to the local youth charity of their choice. The Jeep Island expo is a stunning array of Jeeps from around the nation – a must-see for any Jeep enthusiast. Local favorites RetroRoxx, Hilton Head Island’s explosive ‘80s party cover band, will be performing live! To sign up online to cook, sponsor, and buy tickets, go to https://hiltonheadkiwanis.com/ chili-cook-off. For more information,

WHAT’S HAPPENING

STATE NEWS

email the Hilton Head Kiwanis Club at hiltonheadislandkiwanis@gmail.com.

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 p.m., Every Thursday, Bricks on Boundary, 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.

Karaoke at Willie’s 8 p.m., Thursdays, Willie's Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Saint Helena Island. Come and showcase your singing talents or just enjoy the performances. For more information, visit www.GullahLove.com.

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.

Habersham Farmers Market 3 to 6 p.m., Fridays, Habersham Marketplace. Vendor roster includes B&E Farm, Cottonwood Soap, Flower Power Treats, Hardee Greens, Megs Sweet Treats, Vitamin Bee, Lady’s Island Oyster Company, Pet Wants.

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.

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

Slip and Splash Saturdays

10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.

Music Bingo with Mike –Bricks On Boundary

6 p.m., Every Saturday, Bricks on Boundary, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Play with a team or alone, win house cash! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

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.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud

9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday each month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO Students and other volunteers will read to young children, who are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals.

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.

DANCE

The Beaufort Shag Club

6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free lessons for members

from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We also host a dance the second Saturday of each month from 7 to 10 p.m. Lessons will

run September through May only. Visit our FaceBook page (beaufortshagclub) for current events.

GOLF

Stingray Scramble

9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, Ocean Creek Golf Course, Fripp Island. Team of 4, $650. Individual, $175. Benefits Riverview Charter School. Shotgun start. 4-man scramble. Registration 8 to 8:45 a.m. Registration includes golf, gift, lunch, awards. Register at https://bit.ly/4bUzWPh.

Boy Scouts of America

LowCountry Classic

11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 30, The Cat Island Club. Hosted by the Boy Scouts of America Lowcountry District. $150 per golfer or $500 for foursome. 9 a.m. registration; 1 p.m. lunch; 5 p.m. cocktails/awards. Each player hits from the tee; team selects tee shot they wish to play from; each player may then place their ball within one club length, no nearer the hole and in the same condition (rough, bunker, etc.), and play his/her own ball from that point until holed; 2 lowest net scores will count towards teams total. Each player shall receive 75% of their published handicap; maximum handicap is 24. Proceeds benefit Scouting programs in the Lowcountry District of the Coastal Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America. All the information for players and potential sponsors can be found at https://birdease. com/BSACharityGolfEvent or contact Dave Soloman for more information at d.c.solomon@att.net.

27th annual Habitat For Humanity of the Lowcountry tournament Monday, Sept. 30, Oldfield Club, Okatie. Register to play or sponsor at https://bit.ly/4cnr58E. Event proceeds go toward building the Larry Sanders House, named in honor of the longtime volunteer organizer of the tournament.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

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.

BEMER Circulation Therapy

10 to 11 a.m., Fridays via Zoom. Already own a BEMER? Never heard of it but curious? Join to ask any questions about this leading-edge German technology that enhances blood flow 30% in 8 minutes. Sessions are designed to support those who have their own unit but everyone is welcome. Brought to you by BEMER Specialist — Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.

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 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.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Introduction to Canning 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Participants will learn the basics of preserving food. Methods will include water bath, steam and pressure canning. Belinda and Tony Jones are the owners of Morning Glory Farm and are experienced farmers and canners. No registration is required. Call 843255-6540 for more information.

Mahjong Club 10 a.m. to noon, Friday, Sept. 13, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street. All levels of players are welcome. Feel free to bring your own mahjong sets. Plan to meet every week. For more information, call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458.

Native Plants of the Sea Islands

3 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Maximum 50 participants, registration required at to attend. Call 843-2556540. In this two-hour workshop, participants learn about plants used by indigenous people of the Sea Islands. We’ll take a relaxing 30-minute walk

around the library grounds, learning how to identify specific plants and learn about their properties and how they were used pre-colonization. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Gullah Art Adult Paint & Sip

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Ages 13 to adult. Space is limited, call 843255-6487 to register. Help the library celebrate Gullah Geechee Awareness Month. Join local artis Lynn Schramm to learn acrylic painting tips and tricks and create your own art piece.

Plant Swap 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Take a plant – leave a plant. Bring your divided perennials, extra clippings, and plant propagations to share with others. Visit us at beaufortcountylibrary.org.

“Lego” With Lego 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., every Tuesday, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. Ages 5 and up. No registration required. Come see our new and improved Lego Club. Choose one of our new Lego kits and get going. Call 843-255-6540 for more information.

Career Navigator

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Tuesday, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free one-on-one resume writing and job application assistance with a Career Navigator from Palmetto Goodwill. No appointments necessary. For more information call 843-255-6458.

MEETINGS

Downtown Marina feedback forum

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept, 5, Henry C. Chambers Park Pavilion, 950 Bay Street, Beaufort. If it is raining hard, the event will be moved to City Hall. Safe Harbor, which manages the Downtown Marina, and City of Beaufort are hosting a review and question-and-answer session for a revised layout of the Downtown Marina improvements. The revised layout addresses comments from City Council and the public during a City Council Work Session held on March 26.

Indivisible Beaufort

11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, downtown Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street. Featured speaker is Chris deVries, who will talk about the next South Carolina Legislative Session. deVries spent more than 35 years as a nonprofit executive and lobbyist in Washington D.C. She is now involved in leadership in many local groups focusing on advocacy, elections, and politics, and is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic. deVries will discuss some of the legislation from the last session and what we can expect for the next. She will also explain what could impact the legislation and how citizens can influence the agenda. The event is free and open to the public.

Beaufort TEA Party

5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9, Olde Beaufort Cafe, Lady's Island Country Club, 139 Francis Marion Blvd, Lady's Island. The meeting topic will be the 2024 Transportation Tax and actions of Beaufort County Council in relation to the Haynesworth, Sinkler, Boyd report.

LIBPA

8 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10, Beaufort Realtors’ Association Headquarters, 22 Kemmerlin Lane, Lady’s Island. Shannon S. Erickson will be the featured speaker. Erickson is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 124th District. Topics of discussion will include education and public works. Please stop by for coffee and conversation concerning the community.

Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club

7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12, Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m. Well known local Captain Jason Woodham of Merrikohl Outfillers Fishing Charters (www.merrikohl. com) will make a presentation on Tarpon. He will also discuss rod and reel setups and baits of choice. Guests are welcome. Reservations are not needed. For additional information, please contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843521-7340 or email fgibson@islc.net.

Zonta Club of Beaufort 6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal.

Rotary Club of Sea Island lunch meeting 12:15 p.m., 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www.seaislandrotary.org.

Rotary Club of Sea Island social gathering 5:30 p.m., 3rd Tuesday of each month, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www.seaislandrotary.org.

Beaufort Rotary Club Noon, Wednesdays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Catered buffet lunch, followed by a guest speaker. Prospective members welcome. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit website www.beaufortrotaryclub.org.

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.

Emotions Anonymous International local group meeting 4 p.m, Thursdays, via Zoom. Emotions Anonymous International, (EAI), is a nonprofit program designed to help people with emotional difficulties. It has a chapter in the Lowcountry and members want others who feel the need to know they are welcome to participate. There is no charge to participate. They are based on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and follow a specific format designed to provide the support and tools for navigating life’s painful difficulties. All are welcome. Anyone interested in participating may contact the group via email at EALowcountry@ gmail.com or call or text Laurie at 252917-7082. For more information on EAI visit www.emotionsanonymous.org.

Rotary Club of the Lowcountry 7:30 a.m., Fridays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, Sea Island Parkway, Lady’s Island. A light breakfast is provided before the program. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit our website at www.lowcountryrotary.org or contact our President, Bob Bible at reconmc@aol.com or 843-252-8535.

MUSIC

Deas Guyz 7 p.m., Fridays, Sept. 27, Nov. 1, Nov. 29; Willie's Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Saint Helena Island. $35. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit www.GullahLove.com.

Habersham Third Fridays Music on Market 5 to 8 p.m., third Friday of the month, Habersham Marketplace. Street Music on Paris Avenue 6 p.m.,

Hunting Island State Park, 2555 Sea Island Pkwy. Free, park entry fees apply. Sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For more information call the Hunting Island Nature Center at 843-838-7437. The next Tuesday is August 1.

RUNNING

4th annual Move Your Mind 5K 8 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, Providence Presbyterian Church on the south end of Hilton Head Island. 5K run and 1M walk on the beach. Free parking and a free pancake breakfast. During breakfast, race awards will be given, and prizes for Brain Trivia will be won. Register today at https://bit.ly/4dbP0IS.

SEWING/QUILTING

American Needlepoint Guild Meeting 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1st Tuesday each month. The Hilton Head Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in needlepoint to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at hiltonheadislandchapter@needlepoint.org. Embroidery Guild of America Meeting Second Tuesday of every month, Palmetto Electric Community Room, Hardeeville. The Lowcountry Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in any type of embroidery including needlepoint, cross-stitch, surface and beaded embroidery, hardanger, bargello, sashiko, etc., to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at lowcountrychapter@egacarolinas.org.

SPORTS/GAMES

Inaugural Friends of Caroline Clay Shoot Friday, Oct. 4, Turkey Hill Plantation, Ridgeland. Details are being finalized. Presenting sponsorships available at $2,500 and $5,000. Station sponsors – up to 12 – start at $500. Sponsored 4-person teams $1,000. Contact Keriann for details or to reserve your spot at keriann@fochospice.org or 843-525-6257. Proceeds benefit Friends of Caroline Hospice.

ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret St. Events will be held weekly. Contact Director and Club Manager Susan DeFoe at 843-597-2541 for location.

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.

You have the right to know what’s happening in your community.

Public notices – information local governments are obligated to provide citizens – are required to be published in local newspapers to provide a public record that’s accessible to everyone.

Public notices keep you informed about your government. But, in some states legislators are trying to keep public notices from appearing in local newspapers. This severely impacts government transparency and, in turn, limits the public’s right to hold them accountable for their actions.

Let your state legislators know that you value being able to access notices in your newspaper and that they are worth the investment.

The silence you hear is the sound of conservation, protection

Gregorie Neck: Victory for conservation and military readiness

By Capt. Evan Common USMC

MARINE

CORPS AIR STA-

TION BEAUFORT – Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, the Department of the Navy (DoN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Open Land Trust (OLT), have announced the permanent protection of the 4 409-acre Gregorie Neck tract located in Jasper County.

The conservation easement was finalized on July 25, 2024, and is a momentous achievement in the continuing efforts to protect South Carolina’s natural resources while enhancing military readiness. Gregorie Neck is situated between the Coosawhatchie and Tulifiny rivers and borders 1 7 miles of Interstate 95. Located in the heart of the Port Royal Sound and in proximity to MCAS Beaufort’s flight paths, this property was under increasing pressure from potential overdevelopment due to its access to major transportation and commercial markets.

The effort to acquire and protect Gregorie Neck, which began in 2023, culminates in the perma-

nent protection of this critical area through a permanent conservation easement. The land will now be safeguarded from development pressures that could negatively impact the region’s ecosystem.

“Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is extremely grateful to our dedicated partners and their steadfast commitment to preventing incompatible development while preserving the natural beauty and value of the Lowcountry,” said Col. Mark Bortnem, commanding officer, MCAS Beaufort. “The successful protection of Gregorie Neck exemplifies the power of teamwork in achieving what used to be called impossible. Gregorie Neck is critical to our military readiness, allowing us to maintain an airspace environment capable of supporting aviation operations for our F/A-18 and F-35B squadrons. Preserving the areas around MCAS Beaufort and the Townsend Bombing Range is vital to both the Marine Corps and our national defense.”

MCAS Beaufort and its training areas play a critical role in the defense of our nation, providing essential training for Department

of Defense (DoD) personnel and allies. The Gregorie Neck acquisition ensures the protection of land underneath Special Use Air Space (SUA) between MCAS Beaufort and Townsend Bombing Range, preventing encroachment that could interfere with current and future aviation training and operations.

A collaborative cost-sharing effort made the successful acquisition and protection of Gregorie Neck possible. The Department of the Navy contributed $6 million toward the easement through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Challenge Program to prevent incompatible development and preserve landscapes vital to military readiness. This award, the first and largest of its kind in the Lowcountry, reflects over two decades of successful partnership.

The remaining $7 5 million required to finalize the protection was provided by the State of South Carolina Conservation Bank, Beaufort County Greenspace Program, and a portion of TNC’s generous donation as landowner.

“Closing the conservation easement means that protection now extends forever, no matter who owns this property in 10, 20 or 100 years. This is a conservation win for today and for the future,” said Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director, TNC in South Carolina.

This easement, co-held by the Open Land Trust and the Department of the Navy, also provides significant ecological benefits, including the protection of 13 5 miles of riverfront and salt marsh habitat within the Port Royal Sound watershed.

“The diversity of grant funds applied toward this conservation easement indicate its tremendous value: protection of downstream water quality, protection of critical habitat, and protection of important military flight space above,” said Kristin Williams, executive director, OLT.

These protected lands will contribute to the resilience of the local ecosystem, preserving crucial wildlife corridors between the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto River (ACE) Basin and the Savannah River, and enhancing the area’s

ability to withstand the impacts of hurricanes and destructive weather, including storm surges and subsequent flooding.

The REPI program is a key component of the DoD’s strategy to protect the nation’s military readiness by addressing encroachment and sustainment challenges. The program partners with conservation organizations, local governments, and landowners to protect valuable lands and habitats, preventing incompatible development that could interfere with military operations. MCAS Beaufort utilizes REPI funds to protect the lands and waterways vital to its mission, ensuring continued readiness and resilience for years to come. For more information on REPI, please visit https://www.repi.mil.

“The protection of our air, land, and water supports the success of our warfighters while increasing the safety and sustainability of our community,” said Bortnem. “For nearly 85 years, the noise you hear has been the sound of freedom, and the silence you hear is the sound of conservation and protection.”

Things you need to know about Veteran Service Officers

AVA-Accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative can help you file a claim or request a decision review. Veterans, military members, and their families should first seek help from VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) before using a VA-accredited attorney or claims agent because VSO services are free. If the VA does not recognize someone, they can’t legally help you with a VA benefit claim.

VSOs

An accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative can help you gather evidence, file a claim, or request a decision review. They can also communicate with the VA on your behalf. They have completed training with their state Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA, and a Veterans Service Organization (like the American Legion, VVA, DAV, etc.) and passed VA claims and decision review tests. Accredited VSOs work for Veterans Service Organizations.

VA-accredited attorneys

An accredited attorney usually works on decision reviews and cases that require legal knowledge. They can charge fees for their services. Accredited attorneys don’t have to take a test about VA claims and decision reviews. But they have to be members of the bar association in good standing.

VA-accredited claims agents

An accredited claims agent usually works on decision reviews. Claims Agents must pass a written test about VA laws and procedures. They can charge fees.

When can an accredited attorney or claims agent charge fees?

An accredited attorney or claims agent can charge you fees for their services only after all of these are true:

The VA made a decision on your initial claim; and The VA received a fee agreement signed by both you and the accredited attorney or claims agent; and The VA received your VA Form 21-22a appointing the accredited attorney or claims agent as your representative.

Before choosing someone to help you with your claim, ensure they are accredited by the VA. You will also want to discuss the fee amount, how it will be paid, and what happens if you discharge the attorney or claims agent. And you will want to discuss what happens if they withdraw from representation before an award of benefits.

What happens to the veteran’s fee arrangement if the veteran discharges his or her representative?

If a veteran enters into a fee agreement with an accredited attorney or claims agent and the veteran is discharged, or the attorney or claims agent withdraws from the case before benefits are awarded, the VA urges the veteran to review

their agreement and discuss their contributions to the case at the time of their discharge or withdrawal.

In some cases, when only a small amount of work has been done on the case, the accredited attorney or claims agent may waive their eligibility for fees at that time. If they don’t, and the veteran receives a favorable decision on their claim, the accredited attorney or claims agent may be eligible to receive the total amount in your fee agreement. If the veteran disagrees with the amount, they may (quickly) request that the Office of General Counsel review the fee to ensure it is fair. Veterans can find out about VA-accredited VSOs, Claims Agents, and Attorneys at:

Find a VA Accredited Representative or VSO at https://bit.ly/4g9yGdW.

Get Help from a VA-Accredited Representative of VSO at https://bit.ly/3WwDXmN.

VA Accredited Representative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at https://bit. ly/3TcLOoK.

VA List of VA-recognized Veterans Service Organizations (Also called VSOs)” at https://bit.ly/3MuByo9

• VA search tool “Find an Accredited Representative or VSO at https:// bit.ly/4g9yGdW.

VA Office of General Counsel “How to Challenge a Fee” at https:// bit.ly/47c4jzu. Consumer Financial Protective Bureau (CFPB) Warning Article titled “WARNO: They call themselves ‘coaches’ or ‘consultants’ and advertise their ability to assist

you with your VA benefits claim but may not be accredited to practice before the VA,” By Joshua Friedman and Krystle Good, dated February 15 2023, at https://bit.ly/3ZaPqeO. Office of General Counsel FAQ at https://bit. ly/4dMBb4q.

The VA phone question center is 800-6982411, ext. 0 (TTY: 711).

The phone is answered 24/7

The SC Department of Veteran Affairs website at https://scdva.sc.gov.

SC County VSOs

Each SC county has a Veterans Affairs Office. Veterans can find S.C. County VSOs at https://bit. ly/3qbLVSL. Find Georgia VSOs at https://bit.ly/44KMVA7

How to search Nationwide for VSOs Veterans and their family members can also search for VA-accredited representatives (VSOs, Attorneys, and Claims Agents) nationwide at https://bit. ly/3QnCk5M.

Find a VSO at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Regional Headquarters Veterans and their family members can also search for VA-accredited representatives (VSOs) at VBA Regional Offices at https:// bit.ly/3WQp0e3. VSOs co-located in the Columbia, S.C. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Regional Office frequently travel throughout the state to help veterans. Contact information: Disabled American Veterans – 803-6472422

American Legion/SCDVA – 803-647-2434 Veterans of Foreign

Wars (VFW) – 803647-2443 Paralyzed Veterans (PVA) – 803-647-2432

Some SC VSOs in The Island News footprint Beaufort County, Director Caroline Fermin, 100 Clear Water Way, Beaufort, S.C. 29906 843-255-6880, https:// bit.ly/3ryd5qS. Beaufort DAV Chapter, Chapter Service Officer Michael Vergantino, 843-301-2543 an mlv1030@gmail.com. Jasper County, Alton Jenkins, 651 Grays Highway, Ridgeland, S.C. 29936, Phone: 843726-7727, ajenkins@ jaspercountysc.gov. Hampton County, Daryl Harris, B. T. Deloach Building, 201 Jackson Avenue, West, Hampton, S.C. 29924, 803-914-2085

Colleton County, Janet Smith, 219 S. Lemacks Street, Suite 124, Walterboro, S.C. 29488 843-549-1412, cvao@ colletoncounty.org. Charleston County, David LeBlanc, Lonnie Hamilton III Public Services Building, Suite B-154 (First Floor),4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, S.C. 29405, 843-974-6360, vaoffice@charlestoncounty. org Berkeley County, Gerald Baxley, 212, Oakley Plantation Drive, Moncks Corner, S,C. 29461, 843-723-3800, Ext. 4023, Moncks Corner 843-719-4023, St. Stephen 843-567-3136 Ext. 4023

Dorchester County, Johnny Brown, 500 North Main Street, Summerville, S.C., 843-832-0050 and 201 Johnston Street, St.

George, S.C., 843-5630116

Some Georgia VSOs in The Island News footprint Chatham County, Ga., Manager Miguel Rivera (Bi-Lingual), 912-9200214, Ext. 2412191, Miguel.rivera5@va.gov, 1170 Shawnee Street, Savannah, Ga., 31419 Also, VSO Sheri Shellman, 912-920-0214, Ext. 412194, and VSO Robert Jones, 912-9200214, Ext. 412193. Located in the Savannah VA Outpatient Clinic. Liberty County & Hinesville, Ga., Shannon Daniels, 912408-2948, shannon. daniels@vs.state. ga.us, and Dennis Boothe, 912-408-2900 Ext. 352750, dennis. boothe@vs.state.ga.us, 500 East Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, Ga., 31313. Located inside the Hinesville VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

The bottom line

If you are a veteran, military member, family member, caregiver, or survivor of a veteran, you should ask a local VSO to (1.) explain your veteran's state and federal benefits and (2.) help you file for them. Call and make an appointment now with your VSO.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted

LARRY DANDRIDGE

SERVICE DIRECTORY

ATTORNEY

Christopher J. Geier

Attorney at Law, LLC

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16 Professional Village Circle, Lady's Island Office: 843-986-9449 • Fax: 843-986-9450 chris@bftsclaw.com • www.geierlaw.com

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