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The Island News formerly Lady’s Island News
YOUR Local Newspaper
Bringing our community together
Aug. 13 - Aug. 19, 2009
Covering Beaufort, Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island, Dataw Island, Fripp Island, Port Royal
School opens Monday -- drive carefully! Construction continues at Lady’s Island Intermediate / Middle With students set to return Aug. 17, construction crews scrambled across the Lady’s Island Middle campus recently in hopes of completing two new and separate entrances to the school – a key part of the new school year. Seventh and eighth graders will enter the school on the “back side,” where a special entrance and covered breezeway is being built. The fifth and sixth graders will enter at what used to be the school’s main door. In an important note to parents of fifth and sixth graders, those students will ride their regular elementary school bus to either Lady’s Island Elementary or Coosa Elementary. Once there, they’ll transfer to a special shuttle bus to take them to Lady’s Island Intermediate, said Principal Terry Bennett. But schedules are supposed to be posted to the school district’s website at www.beaufort.k12.sc.us. For the first time in Beaufort County, a middle school will host fifth graders. Also for the first time, a middle school will be split to create two schools – the middle school for seventh and eighth graders and a new Intermediate School for fifth and sixth graders. Each school will have its own mascot, its own colors and its own set of teachers and administrators. The goal, Bennett said, is to create a school within a school that effectively separates the younger students from the older ones while maintaining a unified climate of learning. “They (new entrances) may not be ready the first day and we are preparing alternate entrances just in case,” Bennett said. continued on page 2
Team Beaufort wins AAU gold again, local lifter sets national record by John C. Williams
Winning gold is always great, even nine times in a row – just ask James Washington. As Team Beaufort sweated toward its ninth gold medal as a team at the recent AAU Junior Olympics competition in Des Moines, Iowa, powerlifter Washington broke a national record in the clean and jerk in his 151-pound weight class. For his effort, the rising senior at Beaufort High was named best lifter in his class and received the Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Award. That award goes each year to one athlete in each of the AAU’s sports. Washington competes in the 16-17 age group. To break the national record in the clean and jerk, he hefted 277 pounds – and this is just his second year of competitive weightlifting. continued on page 16
In This Issue SPORTS
PROFILE
NEWS
Soccer tourney results
Bob Bender
Kings for Kids
SEE PAGE 15
SEE PAGE 6
SEE PAGE 17