Case of pair of Beaufort runaways raises questions
Parents of 12-yearold girl unhappy with police handling
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
On Saturday, Feb. 15, 12-year-old
Emily Hollis went missing from her home in Beaufort, S.C. She was last seen in the company of 16-year-old Chase Eskeets and both children were reported by the Beaufort Police Department as runaways.
Since then, both children were found and returned to their homes unharmed several days later, but the situation has sparked a much bigger conversation over social media — can a 12-year-old consent to run away from home or is it an abduction?
Shortly after the police publicly shared that Hollis and Eskeets were reported as runaways, Hollis’ parents took to Facebook in a live video in hopes of putting additional pressure on the police to help them find their daughter.
In the video, the Hollis’ tearfully
plea for the public to help because they were told that the police do not assign an investigator to look for runaways.
“My daughter is 12 years old,” Autumn Hollis, Emily’s mother said in the video. “She needs to have people looking for her, police officers, too — here in Beaufort — not just the people.”
In a second video, Emily’s father took to social media and shared that in a meeting with Beaufort Police Chief Stephanie Price, she questioned why he was not in Florida looking for his daughter, which
was the last location she had been spotted. According to the video, Price allegedly went around the room and asked every person in there if they would have gone to Florida to look for their child and had them respond. Her father said that he was advised by the Jacksonville Police to not come down and to stay in Beaufort.
Again, he pleaded with the Beaufort Police to issue an AMBER alert
‘Breakfast in Beaufort’ makes its debut
BEAUFORT
The curtain has closed on the 19th annual Beaufort International Film Festival, which according to those who attended, was another success.
While “Where Were You,” a California-based feature film love story may have been selected as the audience favorite for the fourday showing, the local crowd-pleaser was bound to be “Breakfast in Beaufort: Journeys Through Life,” a 29-minute documentary featuring 11 Beaufortonians who shared their observations and wisdom with the camera.
The film, which features the group of men who gather weekly for breakfast at Blackstone’s restaurant, packed the USCB Center for the Arts theatre Saturday morning and left those who attended with the instructions: love your
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A4
a wrap!
Curtain closes on 19th annual Beaufort International Film Festival
Staff reports The 19th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival wrapped on Sunday night in Beaufort with winners named in 17 categories.
Filmmakers, film lovers and hundreds of first time BIFFers took in the six days of film screenings that included eight world premieres and 46 South Carolina premieres with an average attendance of 300 people per screening. “We were honored to have so many filmmakers from around the world in our tiny but beautiful sea island city to showcase their work,” Beaufort Film Society President Ron Tucker said.
Best Screenplay: “Poster Girls,”
Written by Christina Capra, Charlotte, N.C.
Best Animation: “Gleam,” Directed by Anna Palmtag, Cary, N.C.
Best Student Film: “Two Breaths,”
SEE WRAP PAGE A2
The Winners Legends & Legacies Award: Tim Gray, World War II Foundation, South Kingstown, R.I. Behind the Scenes Award: Lee Donaldson, Charleston
Screenshot of the parents of 12-year-old Emily Hollis. Photo from Autumn Hollis’ Facebook SEE MISSING PAGE A5
LOLITA HUCKABY
Beaufort International Film Festival founders Ron and Rebecca Tucker take the podium during the BIFF’s Awards Presentation on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS
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 JIM BEACH
American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Jim Beach who joined the United States Marine Corps in Walterboro in 1965
After Boot Camp at Parris Island and Advanced Infantry Training, he studied at NAS Jacksonville to become an Aviation Electrician. He was then
assigned at MCAS Cherry Point from which he deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam. He returned to MCAS Cherry Point and separated in 1973 as a Staff Sergeant (E6) with the post-Vietnam drawdown. He then began a career installing and repairing electronic controls and since 1978 has owned
and operated Beach Electrical Service of Walterboro. He also raises Angus cattle on his farm.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
March 1
1960: Naval Air Station Beaufort is recommissioned as Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
March 2
1975: Beaufort native Joe Frazier (32-2) defeats Jimmy Ellis by TKO in Melbourne, Australia for his final professional win.
Wrap from page A1
Directed by Kateryna Kurganska, West Hollywood, Calif.
Best Short Film: “Neither Donkey Nor Horse,” Directed by Robin Wang, Los Angeles, Calif.
Best Documentary Feature: “Segal,” Directed by Vernon Alfredo Davidson & Ryan Krayser, Calabasas, Calif.
Best Documentary Short: “1001 Cuts,” Directed by Sarah M. Temkin, Washington, D.C.
Best Feature Film: “Seance,” Directed by Vivian Kerr, Los Angeles, Calif.
Duty & Honor Award: “Running Towards the Fire: A War Correspondent's Story,” Directed by Bernard McCoy, Lincoln, Neb.
Best Actor: Boyd Gaines, “Silver Sizzle,” Directed by Brian Russell, Fairfield, Conn.
Best Actress: Scottie Thompson, “Seance,” Directed by Vivian Kerr, Los Angeles, Calif.
Best Director: Robin Wang,
March 4
2016: Donald Patrick “Pat” Conroy, an author for whom Beaufort plays a prominent role both in his works and his life, dies of pancreatic cancer at age 70. Among Conroy’s works are “The Water Is Wide,” “The Lords of Discipline,” “The Prince of Tides” and “The Great Santini.” – Compiled by Mike McCombs
Susan Deloach, photographer for the Beaufort International Film Festival, snaps a photo of the writers and cast of “Breakfast in Beaufort” just after the showing of the film during the first block of film screenings on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
“Neither Donkey Nor Horse,” Los Angeles, Calif.
Best Comedy: “Ms. Rossi 3: Ms. Rossi Meets the Mob,” Directed by Pat Battistini, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Best Ensemble Cast: “Game Night,” Directed by Rob Figueroa, Montclair, N.J.
Best Score/Music: Brandon Jung & Nathan Wang, “Neither
PAL PETS OF THE WEEK
Dog of the Week
Loufus is a 9-month-old beauty with a fun, vibrant personality. She loves people and loves to play. She's working hard on her leash skills and can't wait to show you what she's learned. Visit Loufus at Palmetto Animal League and this joyful dog will make you believe every day is the best day! She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.
Cat Of The Month Sable Santana is a 4-year-old
girl who was found wandering at a campground. She has been overlooked at PAL for
Donkey Nor Horse,” Directed by Robin Wang, Los Angeles, Calif.
Audience Choice Award: “Where Were You,” Directed by Phillip Abraham, Produced by Leah Abraham
The Beaufort International Film Festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society. For more
information, visit beaufortfilmfestival.com.
The Beaufort Film Society is a nonprofit, 501(c) 3, member-supported organization dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.
nearly two years. Sable is shy at first, but once she feels comfortable, she will come to
you for love. She gets along with other cats but would also do well as the only cat in your home. Are you the patient, loving person she's been waiting for? Sable is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.
For more information on Loufas, Sable Santana or any of our other pets, call PAL at 843-645-1725 or email Info@ PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.
– Compiled by Lindsay Perry
Jim Beach
Beaufort Charities Festival celebrates 50 years of service
Staff reports
The Beaufort Charities Festival marks a milestone anniversary this year, celebrating 50 years of dedicated service to the Beaufort County community. Set for Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal, the festival continues its tradition of bringing people together for a weekend of fun and fundraising.
All proceeds directly benefit local nonprofit organizations.
Since its humble beginnings as a golf tournament in 1976, The Beaufort Charities has evolved into a be-
loved community institution. Over the decades, the organization has consistently adapted to meet the community's needs, expanding its events and initiatives while staying true to its mission of supporting local causes.
it of Beaufort County. Every volunteer, sponsor, and attendee has woven a tapestry of generosity that has empowered us to give back for half a century."
Livingston continues,
and March 1. Come for the music, the food, the lively atmosphere – but most importantly, come to be a part of something truly special. Together, let's celebrate 50 years of giving and look forward to many more years of making a difference in the lives of our neighbors."
"Reaching this 50-year milestone fills us with immense gratitude," Beaufort Charities President Kevin Livingston said in a media release. "This isn't just about an organization; it's about the unwavering spir-
"This festival is a living testament to what we can achieve together. It's a celebration of community, compassion, and the profound impact we have when we unite for a common cause. We invite everyone to join us this February 28
The Beaufort Charities has generated more than $2 2 million in net proceeds, impacting countless lives in Beaufort County. The organization remains committed to its founding principles of transparency and local impact, ensuring that all funds raised stay within the community.
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 28 (Adults Only, 21 and older)
Kick off the weekend with an adults-only evening featuring live music, food trucks, and a selection of beer, wine, and liqueur.
Entertainment: Southern Sky (Eagles Tribute Band)
Saturday, March 1 (Family-Friendly)
Enjoy the annual oyster roast with all-you-caneat oysters (no lines) and fireside seating.
Excitement builds with two live auctions featuring unique items and experiences.
Kids will have a blast in the FREE Kids Zone (ages 6 through 12) with free pizza.
Entertainment: Catalina’s (Day) and Mike Ponder (Evening)
Tickets
One-day and two-day tickets are available for purchase at https://bit.ly/3QvrBZI. For more information, visit www.BeaufortCharities. org.
Unlimited beer and wine will be available upon purchase of a souvenir cup.
Weekly Trump protests continue
At Beaufort Memorial, our advanced orthopedics and spine care team is committed to helping you be your best and enjoy life without pain.
Whether neck or back pain is slowing you down or your activities are limited due to hip or knee pain, our board-certified specialists will personalize your care using sophisticated diagnostic and treatment options. Our advanced techniques and technologies, including Mako SmartRoboticsTM and VELYSTM robotic-assisted joint replacement, will improve function and relieve pain quickly. Many surgical patients even go home the same day.
Visit BeaufortMemorial.org/Ortho for help addressing your pain.
At Beaufort Memorial you’ll also find:
• Joint preservation therapies
• Numerous non-surgical treatment options
• A personalized approach to restoring mobility and joint function
• Pre-operative education classes that engage patients and caregivers in the healing process
• An Optimization Program that follows you through the process to ensure the best outcomes
• Outpatient and in-home rehab services to get you back to doing what you love faster
Dawn Pemberton stands with a sign in front of the Beaufort City Hall on Boundary Street as for the third consecutive week, community members protest against the policies of Elon Musk and the Donald Trump Administration on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. More than 100 people took part in this week’s rally. Photo courtesy of Claudia Garcia-Salas
Protesters with signs line Boundary Street in front of the Beaufort City Hall as for the third consecutive week, community members protest against the policies of Elon Musk and the Donald Trump Administration on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. More than 100 people took part in this week’s rally. Photo courtesy of Carter Hoyt
By Delayna Earley The Island News
Local shrimping legend dies from cancer
Richard Gay, one of the founding owners of Gay Fish Company on St. Helena Island, died on Wednesday, Feb. 19, from cancer, according to his family. Gay, 85, was one of six children born to John and Hilda Gay, who opened Gay Fish Company in 1948
He worked as a commercial shrimper and helped to manage the family business for 38 years.
Gay also served with S.C. National Guard for 21 years before he retired, and it was during this time that he was credited with creating the recipe for the Lowcountry favorite dish Frogmore Stew.
It was while he was on National Guard duty in the 1960s that he first made the dish, and he brought the recipe back to the Gay Fish Company with him where he would put out copies of the recipe and sell the ingredients to make the shrimp dish.
The recipe has been featured in several national publications and television shows under the name Frogmore Stew.
“There are other dishes that are similarly made, but he is the one who put the recipe together as we know it and called it Frogmore
Stew,” said Cyndy Gay Carr, Gay’s niece.
Born on Lady’s Island and raised on the water, Gay was always a very active participant in the annual Beaufort Water Festival, which at its inception was a very big deal for the local shrimping community according to Carr.
According to his family, Gay was the first water skier to perform in the first Water Festival.
“I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him,” Carr said about Gay. “He was always so happy and made others feel happy as well.”
As if contributing to one of Beaufort’s claims to fame is not enough, when movie producers
came to Beaufort a little more than 30 years ago wanting to make the movie Forrest Gump, Gay took action to make sure his family’s business was part of the movie magic. Gay Fish Company provided the shrimp and related movie props that were used in several scenes in the iconic movie, and Richard was in a big part to thank for that.
Gay left the family business about 30 years ago when he sold his stake in the shrimping company and moved to Oklahoma with his wife. Here he taught shrimping and repairing shrimp nets as well as managing the meat markets for
several grocery store chains. He lived in Oklahoma until late 2024, when he moved back to the Lowcountry to spend time with his brothers and sister, five daughters, 13 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, March 9 2025 at 3 p.m. at the Red Dam Baptist Church in Hardeeville.
The family will begin receiving guests at 2 p.m.
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 spirit of Mardi Gras
United Way's Clarece Walker Legacy Endowment Fund announces request for proposals
Staff reports United Way of the Lowcountry (UWLC) has announced in a news release the Clarece Walker Legacy Endowment Fund's Request for Proposals (RFP) for new, inspiring, cutting-edge and innovative educational programs that inspire area families to lift themselves out of poverty.
The Clarece Walker Legacy Endowment Fund was established in 2013 in honor of Clarece S. Walker, retired President and CEO of UWLC.
Lowdown
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family, do good.
The RFP invites nonprofit organizations in Beaufort and Jasper counties to submit proposals for educational programs that address poverty at its root causes and focus on empowering families to achieve financial
The men featured in the film represent a combined age of 980 years, but who’s counting. The movie is being featured in Southern Living magazine and there’s talk the S.C. Educational Television (SC ETV) system may rebroadcast it.
The weekly gathering at Blackstone may bring memories to long-time residents who might remember a similar gathering once held at what was Harry’s restaurant on Bay Street. Local men gathered daily there, in the round table in the corner window, to discuss the comings and goings of the town.
And for those who might like a little more information on Harry’s restaurant, check out “Chambers Chatter: Episode 3” on YouTube. Harry Chikades himself talks about the Beaufort that used to be.
Freedman Arts District Office makes its debut
BEAUFORT – Editor Mike McCombs’ story last week about a gathering at the Freedman Arts District headquarters on Duke Street highlighted the nonprofit entity’s efforts to bring economic
stability and self-sufficiency. The endowment fund is seeking proposals for educational programs that offer innovative approaches to addressing poverty as well as community collaboration.
Any organization that has a 501(c)(3) status or any collaborative that has a fiscal agent that has a 501(c) (3) status may apply. The fund’s advisory board will
investment into the formerly African American neighborhood of the Northwest Quadrant and Old Commons.
Local developer Dick Stewart, former CEO of 303 Associates, invited city Community Development Director Kurt Freese to join him at the speakers’ table to discuss efforts to find financial support, such as tax credits and grants, especially for heirs’ property owners hoping to hold onto their property in a neighborhood facing rapid gentrification.
But an important part of the meeting was the location itself – an early 1900’s era neighborhood grocery store which had been razed and rebuilt in the past year, mirroring the former structure with a much newer finish.
One of the District’s missions provides a revolving fund program for qualifying property owners to hold onto, and preserve through renovation, within the neighborhood.
Two most notable projects are 1607 and 1609 Duke Street, which the city’s Historic Review Board approved for demolition last year when the owner argued it made economic sense to tear down the circa-1900’s cottages and rebuild.
The demolition was opposed by the Historic Beaufort Foundation
give special consideration to those applicants that are submitting as a collaborative. Funding ranging from $10 000 to $20 000 will be considered.
Letters of Intent are due March 17 2025, and applications from selected agencies will be due April 30, 2025 Agencies will be notified of funding decisions by June 30 2025
but after extensive discussion was allowed. Construction on the replacement cottages has yet to be begin.
Few of the interested citizens who filled the building last week probably had relatives who once shopped in that space. But the majority who were there, again probably, came because they care about the future of a diverse Beaufort.
One less gas station on Ribaut, but what next?
BEAUFORT – Not much has been said recently about the Ribaut Road Improvement Plan, formerly known as “Reimagine Ribaut Road,” while county officials and a whole bunch of others from South of the Broad, have been focused on finding a solution to the funding problem for replacement of the U.S. 278 bridges onto Hilton Head Island.
But while it appears the county and island folks may have come to some agreement on funding the S.O.B. project, local folks have been watching the demolition of a former gas station at the western foot of the McTeer Bridge and wondering why it’s not part of the proposed $140 million plan to improve traffic on that 5 5 mile stretch of Ribaut.
Reported by The Beaufort Gazette, there are no plans
Letters of Intent should be limited to no more than three pages and must be written in the following format: Summary Statement; Statement of Need (the "why" of the program); Program Activity (the "what" and "how" of the program); Outcomes Expected; Budget Overview (general description of funding needs); and ... Closing Statement. Letters of Intent should be emailed to ddouthat@ uwlowcountry.org and must be received by UWLC by March 17 2025. (Please click “Request delivery receipt” for confirmation that your Letter of Intent was received by UWLC.) Visit www.uwlowcountry.org/clarece-walkergrants for more information.
for the now demolished gas station property owned by the Savannah-based service station magnate Parker’s. But wouldn’t it make sense to have a traffic round-about at the busy intersection, a lot of folks are asking.
Actually, the latest plans for the intersection did NOT include a round-about, only an additional turning lane for vehicles heading to the islands.
But, as everyone knows, the funding mechanism for this and a slew of other projects, was rejected by the voters in November who didn’t support an additional transportation sales tax.
In the meantime, maybe another storage unit can be constructed on the site. Or another auto parts store … we never seem to have enough of them.
Time … as always … will tell.
Grocery store updates
BEAUFORT – Seems like locals like little else better than news, or rumors of a new grocery stores.
Remember how long we wondered when the Harris Teeter store on Lady’s Island open? And before that, it was the community’s second Publix on Robert Smalls Parkway that fueled speculation.
Now the community’s first Aldi is a topic of conversation, with construction getting started out
of R.S. Parkway in the new Beaufort Station.
City officials announced the new shopping opportunity three years ago, in 2022. When Beaufort Station opened its first businesses in May 2024, the Aldi project was “still coming.” Word is now, opening is expected later this year. Remember to bring your own grocery bag.
One more thing … PORT ROYAL – Congratulations to the Old Village Association for a LOVELY Mardi Gras celebration Saturday afternoon. Despite the competition offered by the Beaufort International Film Festival, hundreds showed up, decked out and ready to have some fun for the second annual celebration.
Yes, we realize the ACTUAL Mardi Gras officially begins March 4, but folks in Port Royal, they like to get ahead of the curve!
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.
Richard Gay
John and Francis Measmer, from Statesboro, Ga., dressed in traditional Mardi Gras attire, watch as the Second annual Mardi Gras Parade in Port Royal marches past them on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Bobbie Jo Poole enjoys Crawdaddy Boil during the after party at Shell Ring Aleworks following the 2nd annual Mardi Gras Parade in Port Royal on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News
Open Land Trust sells Coosaw Island tract
Newly acquired land joins Cultural Heritage Preserve, honoring Gullah
S.C. Department of Natural Resources
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program recently acquired a 122 6-acre tract of land located on Coosaw Island in Beaufort County. This is the 19th Cultural Heritage Preserve acquired for protection under the South Carolina Heritage Trust Program.
The SCDNR Heritage Trust Program purchased the land for $505 000 from the Beaufort County Open Land Trust (OLT) to establish what will be known as Coosaw Sea Island Cotton Heritage Preserve. The preserve is comprised of parcels formerly owned by the Stangel, Battey and Attaway families. Coosaw Sea Island Cotton Heritage Preserve will be formally dedicated during a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22 2025 at the preserve at 250 Coosaw River Drive in Beaufort.
Gullah Geechee people cultivated and harvested Sea Island Cotton in South Carolina from the late 1700s until the American Civil War, with very few sites still visible on the landscape. This property contains visible remnant beds and drainage ditches of Sea Island cotton fields, cultivated prior to the American Civil War.
During Reconstruction, Gullah Geechee men and women acquired the land and operated truck farms and other businesses into the turn of the 20th century. The cotton field ridges, furrows, surrounding edges and road shoulders will provide important places to rees-
NEWS BRIEFS
Geechee history
tablish the culturally significant sweetgrass within the preserve.
While designated a Cultural Heritage Preserve, the property also protects abundant plant and animal species. Coosaw Sea Island Cotton Heritage Preserve includes hummock and marsh islands bounded by intertidal marsh and tributaries of Boatswain Pond Creek and Duck Pond Creek, draining into the Morgan River and St. Helena Sound in the ACE Basin.
The preserve looks out onto Morgan Island, another SCDNR owned and managed property, and creates a habitat corridor with nearby protected lands. On the wetland portions of the property, there are extant ridges, furrows and water control earthworks from sea island cotton production that provide
HELP of Beaufort hosting fundraiser
HELP of Beaufort is hosting a Smoked Ham fundraiser. The northern Beaufort County food pantry is selling Smoked Hams for $45. Order and pay online at www. helpofbeaufort.org, or call 843-524-1223. Pickup date is from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 19 at the Piggly Wiggly Shopping Center at 1347 Ribaut Road in Port Royal. County’s plastic pollution surveys open until March 1
In 2018, Beaufort County Council passed an ordinance that was intended to limit the number of plastic bags that end up in our fragile environment. The County is considering revisiting the ordinance to ensure that it is having the intended effect and is being fairly implemented.
The survey found at https://bit.ly/4jycSdV, has two options: one for consumers, the other, for business owners.
Both surveys are brief and there are also two fact sheets that can be downloaded for further information. One fact sheet involves plastic bag bans and the other is entitled Lowcountry Plastics Fact Sheet.
The survey will be available until Saturday, March 1
Climate Smart workshop
Clemson University, the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. Black Farmers Coalition are hosting a Climate Smart workshop at 9 a.m., Saturday, March 1 at 808 Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island.
Topics covered will include Climate Change and Agriculture, Climate-Smart Practices in Vegetable Production, and Climate-Smart Practices in Row Crop Production. Lunch is included. To register, go to https://forms. gle/pjmPSUUakfD4yPqg6 – From staff reports
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for his daughter because of her age, saying she did not run away because she is too young to make that decision for herself.
“My daughter is 12 years old,” he said in the video.
“She is not missing, she is not a runaway, she is missing. She is 12. She has no consent. A 16-year-old has consent.”
He said that the Beaufort Police department would not issue an AMBER alert because the circumstances
did not rise to the level of an AMBER alert despite the parents of Eskeets wanting to make a statement on a conference call that they believed that Hollis was in eminent danger. Both children were found unharmed, but this did not do anything to quell the comments from people who are critical of the way that this case, and other similar ones in Beaufort County, was handled.
The online outrage led the Beaufort City Council to draft an open letter to “address the concerns surrounding the case of the two
habitat for many terrestrial and aquatic species.
“Coosaw Sea Island Cotton Heritage Preserve represents an overlooked conservation gem right beneath our feet – literally!” Open Land Trust Executive Director Kristin Williams said in a news release.
“During the pandemic, OLT staff and board walked on Coosaw Island for solace in nature and knew this property needed to be protected forever. Thanks to the previous landowners and lenders, we were able to take quick action and purchase the property. We are thrilled to partner with SCDNR on its protection forever for everyone to enjoy as a Heritage Trust Preserve.”
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation said: "The discovery of this area of Coosaw
that appeared to be captured in time and held for the appropriate use in the way that foods are when we preserve them in the Gullah/Geechee Nation is not only significant to us but is a blessing. The Gullah/ Geechee Sea Island Coalition and the Gullah/Geechee Nation's leaders are pleased that we can continue our ongoing collaboration with the South Carolina Department of the Natural Resources through assisting with the research, interpretation and the sustainability plan for the historic site. We look forward to being able to honor our ancestors that toiled on that land and bring their voices to life again."
“SCDNR looks forward to providing support and stewardship for this property that has significant habitat and cultural history,” said Ken Rentiers, deputy director for SCDNR Land, Water and Conservation Division. “We thank all of our partners that collaborated on this important project."
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust program was created between 1974-1976, the first such program in the nation, to help stem the tide of habitat loss by protecting critical natural habitats and significant cultural sites. Enabling legislation directed the state natural resources agency, in concert with other state agencies, to set aside a portion of the state’s rich natural and cultural heritage in a system of heritage preserves to be protected for the benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit heritagetrust.dnr.sc.gov.
Suspect arrested in Garden Oaks shooting
Staff reports
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the Feb. 11 20205, shooting death of 26-year-old Tahir Ademola Bailey at Garden Oaks Apartments in the City of Beaufort.
A day after the City of Beaufort Police Department announced the were seeking him as a suspect, 23-yearold Derrick Lamonte Singleton Jr. turned himself into the Columbia Police Department on Friday, Feb. 21 2025 Singleton faces charges of Murder, Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, Criminal Conspiracy, and Discharging a Firearm into a Vehicle.
According to the Beaufort Police, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at approximately 6:36 a.m., officers were dispatched to Garden Oaks Apartments at 2000 Salem Road on a man down call. Upon arrival, officers located a deceased individual, later identified as Bailey, who appeared to have suffered from a gunshot wound. This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Investigator Lynch at 843322-7928 or the Non-Emergency Dispatch number at 843-524-2777
Individuals wishing to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County at www.TIPSBFT.com or by calling 1-844-TIPSBFT (1-844-847-7238).
County starts of construction on new Arthur Horne parking lot
Staff reports
Beaufort County Capital Projects
Department has announced in a media release the construction of the new Arthur Horne parking lot at 104 Ribaut Road. This project is the final phase of the new Arthur Horne Building complex and will add 41 new spaces to the existing parking lot.
There will be no public parking available at the existing Arthur Horne parking lot during the construction process, which is scheduled to be completed in June 2025. Additional parking is available at the main Administration Parking Lot at 100 Ribaut Road or the Duke Street parking lot, across from the Law Enforcement Center.
Visitors to the Detention Center and Arthur Horne Building are encouraged to use the Duke Street Parking Lot and visitors to the Beaufort County Courthouse should use the
runaway children.”
The letter addresses most of the topics that were raised on social media such as accusations that the Beaufort Police Department did not investigate or do anything in response to the report of a runaway, the decision to not utilize an AMBER alert and calling Hollis’ disappearance an abduction and not labeling her a runaway.
Additionally, they address the accusations that Chief Price gaslit the Hollis’ father as to why he was not in Florida, stating that she “explained that his presence there and the ability to per-
or
For
sonally interact with local law enforcement agencies, identify any patterns, nuances and file documents – as the parent—might be of more value when the children were located in Florida.”
Ultimately, the letter states that the City Council believes that the Police Department treated the case with all of the “care, diligence, compassion and personal attention” as other similar cases, potentially even more so because of the public outcry on social media in response to the sharing of “misinformation”.
While some seemed happy with the response from the City Council, many were not, calling the letter a “cover-up” and stating that the
letter did not get to the real issue, which is that Hollis never should have been labeled as a runaway in the first place due to her age. Emily Hollis’ parents have hired an attorney and did not speak to The Island News on their advice. Beaufort Police Chief Stephanie Price did not return phone calls from The Island News seeking comment.
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.
The Beaufort County property that will be known as Coosaw Sea Island Cotton Heritage Preserve contains visible remnant beds and drainage ditches of Sea Island cotton fields, cultivated prior to the American Civil War. Caylor Romines/Open Land Trust
The vacant lot where the new Arthur Horne parking lot will be located. Photo courtesy of Beaufort County.
Coastal Discovery Museum 24th annual Art Market
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 26 & 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, April 27, Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. $5 Admission, free for children 12 and younger. Free parking. Visitors will find a diverse range of mediums, including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, wood, metal, painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture. Beyond the art, visitors can enjoy live music and a variety of food and beverage vendors, with shaded seating under the Mary Ann Peeples Pavilion and throughout the scenic grounds. Proceeds from the Art Market support the Museum’s year-round programs, exhibitions, and events. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/. 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.
BOOKS 2025 Books Sandwiched In Noon to 1 p.m., Mondays through March 10, USCB Center For The Arts, 805 Carteret Street, Beaufort. The event is free and open to the public. Each week, a community member talks about a book that has been meaningful to him or her. Light refreshments are served and raffle items are available for bidding each week. For those interested in joining the Friends to support the work they do, an annual membership can be purchased at the door or on the Friends website at $25 per household or $15 per military household. For more information, please visit https://friendsofthebeaufortlibrary.com/ or contact Carter Hoyt at carterhoyt@comcast.net or 404-936-5695. Remaining schedule – March 3: “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard; Presented by Bruce Page. March 10: “Books Promiscuously Read” by Heather White; Presented by Lauren Hoffer.
CALENDAR Discovery Night At The Museum –Sea Glass 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27, Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. $60 per person. Ages 13 and up. Unwind and tap into your creative side at this enchanting evening of coastal artistry. Led by the talented Camilla Pagliaroli, owner of Create with Camilla, you'll craft your own sea glass windchimes to take home and cherish. All materials are provided, and you're welcome to bring your favorite wine and snacks to savor while you create. Register at https://bit.ly/41tDUMo. Memories Do Matter 2025 Speaker Series – Dr. Gregory Day 10 a.m. to noon, Friday, Feb. 28, Grace Community Church, 450 Spanish Wells Road, Hilton Head Island. Free. Online registration required. Dr. Gregory Day of the Department of Neurology at The Mayo Clinic is the guest speaker. Register at https://www.mymemorymatters. org/events.
50th Beaufort Charities Festival 5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28, & 12:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday, March 1, Live Oaks Park, 904 14th Street, Port Royal. Friday night $30, Saturday night $50, Both days $75. Friday is adults only, 21 and older. Friday night entertainment
WHAT’S HAPPENING
includes Southern Sky (Eagles tribute band). Saturday entertainment includes Catalinas (Day) and Mike Ponder (Evening). Saturday is also the annual oyster roast, plus the unlimited beer and wine souvenir cups available for purchase, two live auctions at 3:30 & 6 p.m., and a free Kids Zone. To purchase tickets, visit https://shorturl.at/8gEgV.
Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island Annual Ole Fashioned Oyster Roast 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 8, 12 Georgianna Drive, Hilton Head Island. Children 5 & younger are free. General Admission $5 for ages 6 through 12; $15 for ages 13 & older. All-You-Can-Eat Oysters $25 for ages 6 through 12; $65 for ages 13 and older. This cherished annual event pays tribute to the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah people, descendants of enslaved Africans who settled along the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, and surrounding areas. Guests will enjoy a day filled with traditional Gullah music, dance, storytelling, crafts, and cuisine, all while immersing themselves in the unique traditions and language that have been preserved for generations. Tickets are available at https://www.gullahmuseumhhi.org/ and at the event.
Dining Under the Stars – A Night of Culinary Compassion 5:30 to 9 p.m., Sunday, March 9, 600 Bay Street, Beaufort. $350 per person. With tickets limited to just 185 seats, the chance to be part of this unique evening is exclusive. Proceeds benefit CAPA Beaufort, a vital organization that provides resources and support to children in need. Reserve your spot now to support a cause that truly matters while making memories under the stars. To purchase tickets visit https://shorturl.at/ cO6BV.
Discovery Night At The Museum –Haiku Workshop with Miho Kinnas
5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 13, Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. $30 per person, $40 per person including Miho’s book. Ages 13 and up. In this workshop, local poet, writer, and translator Miho Kinnas will guide you in crafting haiku —short, evocative poems of 17 syllables — inspired by the artwork in This Is Not: Aldwyth in Retrospect, on display in the museum’s main gallery. Learn to closely observe a piece of art, reflect on your experience, and distill it into just three lines. Miho will share practical tips for capturing inspiration, making this workshop perfect for writers of all levels. Register at https://bit.ly/41tDUMo.
15th Anniversary Beaufort Twilight Run Oyster Roast 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, March 14, Shellring Ale Works, 1111 11th Street, Port Royal. Tickets $50, includes fresh oysters from Bluffton Oyster Factory and one beer from Shellring Ale Works. Additional food will be available to order from Shellring, and as always, their beertenders will be happy to pour up more pints. This is the perfect way to celebrate and build excitement for race day on March 22, 2025, at Habersham. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/3XfUDQK.
Memories Do Matter 2025 Speaker Series – Dr. Paramod Chopade 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, March 18, Rotary Community Center at Oscar Frazier Park, 11 Recreation Court, Bluffton. Free. Online registration required. Dr. Paramod Chopade of Novant Health will discuss “Dementia: Types & Management.” Register at https://www.mymemorymatters.org/events.
Discovery Night At The Museum –Grow Your Own Edible Mushrooms 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 20, Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. $40 per person. Ages 13 and up. Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry are home to a variety of native mushrooms, particularly in wooded and humid areas. This hands-on workshop introduces you to the fascinating world of mushrooms and mushroom cultivation, focusing on techniques inspired by nature. Learn how to inoculate logs with mushroom spawn to grow your own delicious oyster and shiitake mushrooms. You'll leave with two prepared plug logs — one for each variety — so you can continue your mushroom-growing adventure at home. Register at https://bit.ly/41tDUMo.
Gullah/Geechee Indigo Ball
7:30 p.m., Friday, March 21, Frissell Hall, 16 Penn Center Circle East, St. Helena Island. $25 per person. Age 30 and older. Dress to impress in shades of blue. Come enjoy an evening of R&B music spun by DJ Kwame Sha & DJ Apollo and Gullah/Geechee cuisine. Tickets available at https://shorturl.at/gcZP5.
Lowcountry Food Truck Festival
11 a.m., Saturday, April 5, 1404 Paris Avenue, Port Royal.
Memories Do Matter 2025 Speaker Series – Lisa Hostetler Brown 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, April 9, 31 St. Gregory Drive, Bluffton. Free. Online registration required. Attorney Lisa Hostetler Brown will be the guest speaker, discussing “Elder Law & Estate Planning.” Register at https://www.mymemorymatters.org/events.
MCAS Beaufort Airshow Saturday, April 12 & Sunday, April 13, MCAS Beaufort. Celebrate 250 years of the Marine Corps with us. From the U.S. Navy Blue Angels to unforgettable aerial thrills, it’s a weekend you don’t want to miss. Tickets are free for general admission but required! Reserve yours now to secure your spot. Go to beaufortairshow. com to reserve your tickets.
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.
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.
DRAMA Lean Ensemble Theater – Skeleton
Crew Thursday, March 20 through Sunday, March 30, HHPS Main Street Theater, 3000 Main Street, Hilton Head Island. At the start of the Great Recession, one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit is on shaky ground. Each of the workers have to make choices on how to move forward if their plant goes under. Shanita has to decide how she'll support herself and her unborn child, Faye has to decide how and where she'll live, and Dez has to figure out how to make his ambitious dreams a reality. Power dynamics shift as everyone is torn between doing right by their family, and by the red tape in their office. Purchase tickets at https://www. leanensemble.org/.
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.
LIBRARY ACTIVITIES
Recycling 101 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free. Learn about recyclable materials and how to reduce waste. For more information, contact Valentina Palacio, Public Works Environmental Education Coordinator at 843-255-2827 or laura. palacioruiz@bcgov.net.
Recycling 101 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 10, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Pkwy., Seabrook. Free. Learn about recyclable materials and how to reduce waste. For more information, contact Valentina Palacio, Public Works Environmental Education Coordinator at 843-255-2827 or laura.palacioruiz@bcgov.net.
Toddler Storytime
11 a.m., Mondays through May 12, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. (Library will be closed Jan, 20 and Feb. 17.) Join us for a fun-filled time of stories. Books and activities will focus on toddlers/preschoolers, but siblings are welcome.
“Hidden Gems” Book Club 3 p.m., third Monday of each month, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island.
Free. So many books, so little time. St. Helena staff have uncovered some great titles to get you started on your “hidden gem” journey. Join us for lively discussions and coffee or tea. No registration required.
Postpartum Support Group
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Join us fr a postpartum and parenting support circle, a weekly gathering for parents and caregivers navigating the postpartum journey. Led by full-spectrum holistic doula Tameka Walker, the circle provides a warm supportive environment where families can connect, share and learn together. Registration is requested but not required. Call 843-255-6487 for more information.
“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.
Bridge Club 11 a.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Beginning September 18. The first session is for beginners new to the game, and following sessions will provide some instruction and we will learn as we play. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-2556458 for more information.
Baby Time 10 a.m. Thursdays through May 15, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Join us for stimulating stories, activities, and more. Designed for babies, 0-18 months.
Mahjong Basics 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Join us to learn the basics of this fun tile game. Intructor Donna Misuraca will teach participants the structure and rules of the game and guide you through how to play. All game materials will be provided. Call 843-2556540 for more information.
Mahjong Club 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays, 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 843-2556458.
MEETINGS PFLAG Savannah –Beaufort Peer Group
6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of every month, Fellowship Hall, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort (UUFB), 178 Sams Point Road, Beaufort. Free. The group will be moderated by Rick Hamilton and Kay Carr. The provides advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, family, peers, and allies in the Lowcountry. The peer group provides a safe and strictly confidential environment for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, friends, and allies to discuss the challenges faced in coming out or being out in neighborhoods, the workplace, school, or church. The organization offers resources for counseling, educating, and advocating to achieve an equitable, inclusive community where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved. Minors under the age of 18 are required to come with an adult parent, guardian, or mentor. Additional information about peer groups, membership, donations, and volunteering is on the website www. PFLAGSavannah.org and on Facebook.
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 offroad/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 252- 917-7082. For more information on EAI visit www.emotionsanonymous.org.
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry 7:30 a.m., Fridays,
MUSIC The Beaufort Symphony Orchestra –“18th Century Treasures!” 5 p.m., Sunday, March 2, USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street, Beaufort. The concert will showcase the genius of three titans:
(drums/vocals, Distant Island)
Music on Malphrus — Scott Ainslie 7 p.m., Saturdays, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry, 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton. $25. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Tickets available at the door or at https://www.uulowcountry. org. Schedule — April 11: Scott Ainslie. April 26: Karyn Oliver. Live entertainment 7 to 11 p.m., Wednesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
Chris Jones 7 to 11 p.m., Thursdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
SEWING/QUILTING Quilt Making Workshop 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 1, Morris
ARTS
Tickets on sale for Upcycled Art Auction
Artists, sponsors still being accepted for Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry’s annual event
Staff reports Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry is hosting its Upcycled Art Auction, a creative fundraising event that features ordinary items transformed into stunning works of art — all in support of building a home for a deserving local family.
From 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, March 29, the auction will offer one-of-a-kind pieces crafted from repurposed materials, highlighting the beauty of sustainability and the power of community-driven impact. The venue is the Weezie Pavilion at the Port Royal Sound Foundation at 310 Okatie Highway, Okatie, SC.
“By combining creativity with purpose, putting art into action, the Upcycled Art Auction not only promotes
environmental responsibility but also helps us fund the construction of a safe, affordable home for a family in need,” Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry Development Director Jeb Bush said in a news release.
How to get involved
Attendees: Join us at the auction to bid on unique, sustainable art while making a difference. Tickets are $50 per person.
Artists: Donate your upcycled art for the auction.
Sponsors: Support the event through sponsorships that help maximize fundraising efforts.
• To purchase tickets, donate art, or to become a sponsor visit www.
ARTS BRIEFS
‘The Shark is Broken’ coming to USCB Center for the Arts
The USCB Center for the Arts and PURE Theatre invite audiences to dive into the drama behind one of the most legendary films of all time with “The Shark is Broken.” This critically acclaimed play offers a hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film Jaws and will be performed for two days only at the USCB Center for the Arts.
Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, “The Shark is Broken” transports audiences to 1974, when delays, mechanical failures, and clashing personalities plagued the production of Jaws. The play reveals the off-camera antics of the film’s three lead actors — Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw — as they are stranded on a boat, waiting endlessly for the notoriously unreliable mechanical shark to work. Tensions rise, egos clash, and whiskey flows as they navigate personal insecurities, Hollywood pressures, and the unexpected camaraderie that emerges in the process.
“This play is a must-see for film buffs, theater lovers, and anyone who enjoys a mix of comedy and drama,” USCB Center for the Arts Director Bonnie Hargrove said in a media release. “PURE Theatre is known for their bold and intimate storytelling, and we are thrilled to bring this popular production to Beaufort.”
With “The Shark is Broken,” audiences will experience a blend of humor, nostalgia, and human vulnerability, all wrapped in a fascinating look at cinematic history.
Performances will take place at the USCB Center for the Arts on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available now at uscbcenterforthearts. com -- Adults $30, Seniors/Military $25, Students $15. Adult content and language: this production is not recommended for young children.
‘Alice in Wonderland Jr.’ auditions set
The USCB Center For The Arts and the Beaufort’s Children’s Theatre have announced auditions for Alice In Wonderland Jr.
Production dates are May 16 through 18
If you are an actor between the ages of 8 and 18 and are interested in auditioning, please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the audition time to fill out the registration information.
Prior to auditions, please download, complete, and print the Audition Form at https://bit.ly/4hQOUcd and bring it with you to your audition, along with a non-returnable photograph of the person auditioning. No experience is required. Must have the ability to pay attention, understand and follow fast-paced direction, and have a positive attitude. Not all who audition will be cast. Cast size is limited. All roles sing and dance. The audition process includes
lowcountryhabitat.org/ upcycledartauction or contact Michele Barker at michele@lowcountryhabitat.org.
Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. By partnering with volunteers, donors, and future homeowners in Beaufort and Jasper counties, Habitat helps families build and buy their own homes, fostering stronger communities for generations to come.
vocal exercise, learning a short dance number and reading from the script or a short sentence.
Prepared songs or monologues required.
See USCBCenterForTheArts.com. Audition songs, lyrics, choreography and sides can be found at https://bit.ly/4cP3XzX.
If you are cast, there is a $130 per person participant fee. Limited scholarships are available.
Audition dates and times are Tuesday, March 4, from 5 to 6:15 p.m. (Ages 8 and 9); Tuesday, March 4, from 6:15 to 8 p.m. (Ages 10 through 12); Wednesday, March 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. (Ages 13 through 18); and Wednesday, March 15, from 7 to 8 p.m. (Callbacks).
All auditions will take place at the USCB Center For The Arts at 805 Carteret Street in Beaufort.
Music and lyrics by Danny Elfman, Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard, Oliver Wallace and Cy Coben, Michael Abbott and Sarah Weeks, and Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston.
Music adapted and arranged and additional music and lyrics by Bryan Louiselle. Additional arrangements and orchestrations by Patrick Sulken.
Book and additional lyrics by David Simpatico.
The musical is based on the 1951 Disney film “Alice in Wonderland” and the novels “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass” by Lewis Carroll.
An Evening with Jen Marie Wiggins
The Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist Jen Marie Wiggins, author of ‘The Good Bride,’ at 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Conroy Center at 601 Bladen Street in Beaufort. The event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call 843-379-7025 in advance to reserve a spot.
Receptions slated for Flanders, Kolijn
The exhibitions – “Fragile Oceans” and print portfolios “Tidelectics” and “Altered Environments” -- of artists April Flanders and Eveline Kolijn, who are in residency at the USCB Printmaking Studio at 602 Carteret Street in Beaufort, will be honored with a two-in-one reception on Friday, Feb. 28 and the public is invited.
Flanders and Kolijn will be at the USCB Center For The Arts at 805 Carteret Street from 5 to 6 p.m., and then at the USCB Sea Islands Center Gallery at 1106 Carteret Street from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Through Thursday, Feb. 27, they will be working on their own projects and with USCB Studio Art and Marine Science students. The public is welcome to visit the studio in small groups weekdays between 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Joanna Angell at angelle@uscb.edu.
– From staff reports
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Quick-care clinic vs your family doctor
A family doctor is your most important health care relationship. They have the advantage of treating you consistently over time and knowing your health history. There’s a benefit to having a long-term relationship with your care team. However, there are times a quick-care clinic has its advantages. Quick-care clinics sometimes are called urgent care or walk-in clinics. They are commonly located near retail developments. They are different from emergency rooms. They do not handle emergencies. Call 911 for an emergency or go to an emergency room.
Quick-care clinics offer same-day care—during the day and sometimes at night. They are available for when you may not be able to see your doctor for a same-day appointment, especially if you are traveling. They are usually open longer hours, or at times when your doctor’s office may be closed. This may be helpful if you cannot see your family doctor immediately and it’s not an emergency.
Quick-care clinics commonly see patients with minor health concerns. This includes:
Common cold and flu symptoms, such as fe-
ver, cough, sore throat, and earaches
Sprains, strains, and simple fractures (broken bones)
Minor cuts and scrapes
• Non-serious burns
Rashes, poison ivy, and insect bites
Vomiting and diarrhea
Urinary tract infections
Back pain
Non-serious allergic reactions
Quick-care clinics are typically staffed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Many offer flu shots. These clinics will not typically have your health history on file. Be sure to tell the clinic what medicines you are taking (both prescription and over the counter) and about any conditions with which you have diagnosed. This will prevent the staff from prescribing another medicine that could interact with what you are currently taking. Also, tell the staff your doctor’s name and contact information so that they can contact them if needed. Be sure to tell the clinic staff if you are allergic to any medicines or supplies (latex) and if you are being treated for a health condition.
After you have been seen
at the clinic, ask for a summary of your diagnosis, treatment, and any medicines you were prescribed. Always follow up with your family doctor at your earliest opportunity. The difference between your doctor and a quickcare clinic is that your doctor has your health history on file. They have probably seen you many times over the years. There is a trust between doctor and patient. Even if you don’t have a family doctor or have seen your doctor only a few times, there is an opportunity to develop a relationship so that they can get to know your health over time. Also,
Why it's okay for kids to be bored
While it can be tempting to help entertain your child when they say they're bored, you may want to let them figure it out on their own. A psychologist explains why. If you have children, you’ve probably heard them complain about being bored at countless occasions. But, did you know boredom can actually be a good thing?
“When we are constantly entertained, it doesn't lead us to opportunities to occupy ourselves and engage in activities like reading a book, playing with toys or building a fort,” said Kate Eshleman, PsyD, psychologist for Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “When we have structured activities in front
of us all the time, it doesn't create those opportunities which are really important lifelong skills.”
Dr. Eshleman said when a child has to find a way to entertain themselves, it can help foster their creativity, independence and imagination, which can be useful skills as an adult.
She knows it can be hard to hear your child complain about being bored, but it’s not your responsibility to keep them busy all the time. However, if you do want to give them some ideas, that’s okay. And when in doubt, you could always encourage them to read a book. “There is academic and cognitive value to developing those reading skills.
Because even if a kid likes math, eventually their math problems are going to become story problems,” she noted. “So, reading is really important, and there is a lot of creativity and imagination that goes with that, you kind of have to visualize the characters or kind of imagine the scenarios.”
Dr. Eshleman said it’s also important for parents to practice what they preach.
If you don’t want your child always getting on their phone or tablet when they’re bored, you shouldn’t be on yours all the time either.
Source: https://newsroom. clevelandclinic.org/2025/02/17/ why-its-okay-for-kids-to-be-bored
your doctor’s office usually has several doctors on staff. This is important for times when your doctor isn’t in, but another doctor can see you.
Another advantage your doctor has over a quickcare clinic is access to more equipment and lab services. This is helpful in getting X-rays and blood samples at the time of your appointment.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, more doctors are making virtual appointments available. This might come in handy if you are traveling or are contagious and cannot come into the office. Always check
when you call to see if your doctor’s office has virtual care openings.
Things to consider
Most quick-care clinics aren’t necessarily less expensive than your doctor’s office. However, many accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. You should check to see if your insurance plan charges a different, more expensive copay for quick-care clinics than for a normal doctor’s visit.
Quick-care clinics should never take the place of your family
doctor or any specialist you may be seeing. Quick-care clinics are typically smaller than your doctor’s office. This means they may not be able to see as many patients. Also, it may mean wait times can be longer than what you are used to with your family doctor. If you are seen at a quick-care clinic, be sure to request that they send a record of your visit to your family doctor.
Questions to ask your doctor Can a quick-care clinic handle an emergency if it happens while you are one site? Or would they call 911? Are quick-care clinics the best choice when you are traveling? Are nurse practitioners and physician assistants qualified to handle minor health issues? Is a quick-care clinic good for pregnancy issues?
Resources: National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Health Facilities; The Joint Commission: For Consumers Source: https:// familydoctor.org/family-doctor-vsquick-care-clinic/
Health fraud
Also called: Health scams, Quackery
Health fraud scams involve selling medicines, supplements, devices, foods, or cosmetics that have not been proven effective. At best, these scams don't work. At worst, they're dangerous. They also waste money and might keep you from getting the treatment you really need.
Some of the possible dangers of scam products are that they could:
Be contaminated from being made in unclean facilities or without proper quality control
Contain harmful ingredients that are not listed on the label
Trigger a harmful interaction with medicines you are taking Cause serious, even life-threatening, injuries
Health fraud scams can be found everywhere, promising help for many common health issues, including weight loss, memory loss, sexual performance, and joint pain. They target people with serious conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and Alzheimer's disease.
Just remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam. Some red flags to watch for are product claims that: Have personal testimonials by "real" people or "doctors" played by actors
claiming amazing results.
Say that the product can treat or cure a wide range of unrelated diseases. No one product can treat or cure many different illnesses.
Mention conspiracy theories like "This is the cure our government and Big Pharma don't want you to know about."
Include phrases such as:
◦ Ancient remedy
◦ Miracle cure
No-risk money back guarantee
Natural cure
◦ Quick fix
◦ Secret ingredient
Scientific breakthrough
• Use scientific-sounding terms that don't make sense for the products, such as "molecule multiplicity."
Refer to prestigious prizes, for example "Nobel Prize winning technology."
Before taking an unproven or little-known product, talk to your health care provider, especially if you are taking any prescription medicines.
Source: Food and Drug Administration (while it lasts under this quack government); https://medlineplus.gov/ healthfraud.html
Options & References for a Healthier Life
What to know about fainting
The heart’s role and when it
You may have heard that people who feel faint should sit with their heads between their knees, but is that true? And how can you tell whether you or someone else who has fainted should go to the emergency department, or perhaps even see a cardiologist?
Fainting or blacking out—also known as syncope—is a temporary loss of consciousness due to insufficient blood flow to the brain.
There are different types of syncope. Vasovagal syncope is the medical term for the most benign kind of fainting, simple fainting without a serious underlying cause, Elijah Behr, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare (in London, UK), explains. This type of fainting is common.
"In some people, if they have a drop in blood pressure from emotional distress, pain, illness or dehydration, for example, or just generally have a low blood pressure, any provocation causes a reflex in the heart," Dr. Behr says. "Rather than the heart speeding up and pumping more forcefully to maintain the blood pressure, it starts to slow down. The blood pressure drops, the heart rate slows further, and the heart can pause for many seconds; sometimes close to a minute for some people who have more severe fainting episodes."
Usually with this type of fainting, the person falls to the floor, blood pressure returns to the brain and the person starts to recover. However, if someone faints in a vulnerable location or vulnerable position, it can be dangerous to that person and others.
The syncope that most concerns healthcare professionals is cardiac syncope, blacking out due to an underlying heart disease such as a heart rhythm abnormality, or arrhythmia, according to Dr. Behr.
may signal a serious condition
"This is usually a more abrupt loss and return of consciousness than in simple fainting. If you're older, you're more likely to have underlying heart disease that you may or may not be aware of. That's one of the reasons to be more concerned about loss of consciousness in older individuals," Dr. Behr says. "Young people can also have heart diseases that can cause cardiac syncope that may be a warning sign of something more serious to come, so it is important to investigate it."
Others for whom a blackout can be a warning sign of a serious heart problem include people with a family history of inherited heart problems, unexplained deaths or premature sudden deaths; people whose fainting is related to exercise; and people whose fainting is associated with heart palpitations or the heart feeling like it's racing away, he adds.
Before a simple faint, you might experience one or more signs that you should sit or lie down. "There will be a sensation of lightheadedness. There may be a sensation of nausea or buzzing or ringing in the ears," Dr. Behr says. "Some people describe tunnel vision—their vision closing in on them before they actually pass out—and some may actually lose vision but still be aware, not lose consciousness completely, and then recover. Other typical signs include feeling sweaty and clammy."
Some people get about a halfhour of warnings before fainting; some people may get only 30 seconds, he adds.
What to do if you faint or someone else does:
1 Check that the person is breathing and has a pulse. If not, call for emergency help,
and if you know how to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation, initiate it.
2 If the person is still breathing and has a pulse, ensure they are lying flat, and their airway is open using the recovery position and call for help.
3 If you feel like a faint may be coming on, position your head lower than your heart: for example, between the knees.
4 Rest after coming out of the faint.
5 Drink water after the faint, adding electrolytes if you have them.
If your blood pressure is getting low and you're getting those symptoms, it means the blood doesn't get into your brain. You really need to get your head level or below your heart so the blood pressure gets back to the brain. Get your head between your knees or lie down and
put your head down and your feet up in the air, depending on where you are and what is feasible to do. Dr. Behr notes that getting up and walking around straight away is probably the worst thing to do.
"The best thing is to stay where you are and get flat, and when you're feeling better, drink some water, maybe with some electrolytes if you're dehydrated. Occasionally people need to take medications to improve blood pressure control and increase blood pressure to prevent fainting episodes,” Dr. Behr says.
When to seek medical help
If somebody has had simple fainting, it is best to have a chat with your primary care physician. Particularly if it's a first onset of symptoms, do not to ignore it. Dr. Behr adds, "Often people go to the emergency department after a first faint, which I think is very fair to do and I would encourage."
The more concerning situations are older people having faints where other conditions may also be having an effect, people who are having recurrent faints despite keeping well hydrated, if there has been an injury due to a faint, and if the blackout comes on abruptly and with other signs that there may be an underlying cardiac condition.
"It is important to make sure that they are treated and that something else isn't being missed," Dr. Behr says. "Also, in some cases, faints can look like seizures. They can cause fitting activity, and differentiating a seizure and epilepsy from fainting requires involvement of a cardiologist and neurologist."
Source: Excerpted from the article at https:// newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ 5-things-to-know-about-fainting-thehearts-role-and-when-it-may-signalserious-condition/
Beaufort Memorial begins work on ER mental health crisis stabilization unit
BEAUFORT, S.C. – Construction has begun on a new crisis stabilization unit in the Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center, offering a calm space away from the bustle of the ER where staff will assess, treat and monitor patients experiencing a mental health crisis.
This type of unit, becoming known around the nation as an “EmPATH unit” (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing Unit), provides both voluntary and involuntary mental health services for patients experiencing a psychiatric emergency with the goals of speeding time to treatment, decreasing length of time spent in the ER and improving safety for both patient and staff.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) reports that nearly 80% of
psychiatric emergencies can be stabilized in less than 24 hours, and psychiatric patients often wait three times longer than other patients to receive emergency care.
“The new facility improve-
ments are a part of Beaufort Memorial’s ongoing efforts to ensure that we are providing the highest level of care and patient safety possible, while serving a growing number of patients with
mental health concerns,” said Russell Baxley, Beaufort Memorial president and CEO.
The secluded unit will include two patient care rooms, one consultation room and a
recliner bay. Patients will be able to freely move about in the quiet, calm environment separate from the busy ER atmosphere while monitored by psychiatric-trained nurses, doctors and staff.
The crisis stabilization unit is funded through a $1 1 million grant from the SCDHHS and a $23 275 grant from Women in Philanthropy. Beaufort Memorial was one of only 13 South Carolina hospitals awarded a grant in 2023 to build this unit.
The ongoing construction work has altered the flow of patients and visitors through the main entrance of the hospital. The door connecting the hospital’s main entrance to the ER lobby will be construction access only. Signage is in place to direct visitors away from the construction entrance and to the registration desk in the lobby to check in.
“Having this unit will be a game changer both for patients and emergency department staff,” said LeeAnne Smith, MSN, RN, Beaufort Memorial behavior health service line director. “An emergency room is often not the ideal setting for someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. So, being able to welcome them into a separate, more tranquil area where trained staff can be dedicated to their care will i mprove outcomes.” Beaufort Memorial is the only hospital in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties with an inpatient mental health unit. The unit has 18 beds and serves adults 18 years of age and older. In addition, BMH serves as the psychiatric health care service provider to the Beaufort County Detention Center, providing evaluation and treatment to an average of 60 inmates per day.
Staff reports
JPII names David Lima new President
John Paul II Catholic School has named David Lima its new President.
“With an extensive background in education, administration, and leadership, Mr. Lima brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to Catholic education. His arrival marks an exciting new chapter for our school community,” the Feb. 20 news release reads.
Lima holds a BA in History from Syracuse University and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Anna Maria College. He is certified through the Virginia Catholic Education Association (VCEA) to teach grades K-12 and holds a School Administrator’s
endorsement also with the VCEA.
Homeland Security.
David Lima
Lima’s most recent role was the Assistant Superintendent for Leadership and Accreditation for the Diocese of Arlington, Va. There, he oversaw the accreditation of 44 schools, ensuring compliance with state and Catholic education standards.
In addition to his work as an adjunct professor of education at Trinity Washington University, Lima previously served as principal of St. William of York Catholic School in Stafford, Va. His professional journey also includes 12 years with the Department of
As a Legislative Affairs Specialist, he served as a liaison between Congress and the Transportation Security Administration. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions in finance, including roles with the Rhode Island Bar Association and State Street Bank.
Lima is a devoted Catholic, husband, and father of four. His faith and family are central to his life and his vision for Catholic education.
“I am deeply drawn to the faithfilled environment at JPII, where Christ is at the center of education and community life. The unique opportunity to lead a school serving grades 6-12 is particularly exciting to me,” Lima said in the me-
dia release. “I believe these years are formative, offering the prime opportunity to help students grow in their faith while fostering their academic and personal development. Additionally, I am excited to see the Innovation Center come to life along with further enhancements to the campus. These developments will contribute to making the JPII community the best in South Carolina.”
“My vision is to build on the strong foundation established by [JPII President Emeritus John] McCarthy and to propel JPII to not only be the best school in the Lowcountry but also the best in all of South Carolina. I would like to see JPII recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence,
added to the Neumann List as one of the strongest Catholic schools in the country, and earning the Purple Star designation from the U.S. Military, affirming our commitment to supporting military families. Achieving these milestones will require a team effort, but as a TEAM, I believe we can accomplish anything.”
Outside of his professional life, Mr. Lima enjoys spending time with his wife, Julie, and their four children: Joshua (24), Sarah (22), Jack (19), and Daniel (15). The Lima family shares a passion for sports, particularly cheering for Notre Dame and New England teams. Mr. Lima also loves exploring historical sites and relaxing at the beach.
House voucher plan intentionally very similar to what high court threw out
Advancing bill very different from Senate plan setting up a fight between Republicans in both chambers
By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — The voucher plan heading to the House floor looks a lot like the one struck down by the state Supreme Court last year, with one main difference: The money would flow through a designated trustee instead of a “trust fund.”
That one tweak — putting a single person in charge of paying tuition for eligible students — should be enough to make the law constitutional, House Education Chairwoman Shannon Erickson told reporters.
It’s a test, of sorts, as she fully expects any new voucher law to be back before the state’s high court. Sending justices something so similar to what they threw out will be more informative than a vastly different law, Erickson said. Either their ruling will allow transfers for private K-12 tuition to resume, or it will give the Legislature a clearer picture of how to try again, she said.
“The goal here is to get the feedback … or get the approval,” Erickson, R-Beaufort, told reporters after her committee voted 13-4 along party lines to send the bill to the floor.
“We’re going to learn from it,” she continued. “And we’re going to make it better, and we’re going to listen to what the court says. That’s how you learn.”
Rep. Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, during a committee meeting Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. SCETV livestream screenshot
The state Senate took a different approach in the bill it passed last month, which used lottery profits to fund the K-12 scholarships and increased the scholarship amount.
In changing the source of the money, GOP senators repeatedly noted that lottery profits already fund scholarships to private colleges and private preschools. So, it should be a constitutional source for K-12 tuition too, they argued.
But Erickson said that’s an untested idea. Lottery funding for K-12 private tuition is a relative wild card before the high court, she said.
While Democrats will oppose the bill on the House floor, the chamber’s GOP supermajority is certain to pass it. The real battle will likely be between Republicans in the House and Senate.
EDUCATION BRIEFS
Hampton County School District hosting Career Fair
Hampton County School District is hosting a Career Fair for all dertified and classified positions from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 15 at North District Middle School at 507 Tillman Avenue in Varnville. For more information, call 803-943-4576 email HCSD-HR@hcsdsc.org or visit https:// hcsdsc.org/careers.
Royal Live Oaks named National School to Watch
Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences Charter School (RLOACS) is the first South Carolina charter school ever to
Both chambers’ proposals are an attempt to revive the K-12 private tuition payments halted by the state Supreme Court last September, when a majority of justices found the transfers violated the state constitution’s ban on public money directly benefiting private education.
The rest of the law remains intact, meaning money is still flowing to parents’ accounts for still-allowed spending, including tutoring, textbooks, and fees for students who transferred from one public school district to another. And sign-ups for the program continue while legislators seek to renew the real reason for the law: Private school choice.
Under the House plan, the funding source for the scholarships would be up to the Legislature’s budget writers every year. They could pull
from lottery profits if they want, but it wouldn’t be required by law, Erickson said.
The South Carolina Education Association, which successfully sued the state over the 2023 law, still believes that would be unconstitutional, said MaryRita Watson, a lobbyist for the group.
She urged legislators to “let the people of South Carolina decide” whether the state should help pay for private K-12 tuition.
In last fall’s majority decision, justices already laid out a sure way for a voucher plan to be constitutional: Change the constitution first. That would require the Legislature to put a question on the ballot asking voters whether the ban on public money directly benefiting private schools should be deleted.
“The issue should be put
on a ballot measure, allowing citizens of our state to determine whether they wish to allocate their public dollars to fund private religious schools,” Watson said.
But GOP legislators have been reluctant to do that.
The earliest voters could be asked is November 2026
Even if voters say “yes,” the constitution wouldn’t be amended until 2027
And ballot referendums on vouchers have failed in other states.
Under the House bill, the program’s scholarship amount and participation caps also closely mirror the law partially thrown out.
Like the Senate bill (and existing law), up to 10 000 students whose families earn up to 300% of the federal poverty level, or nearly $80 000 for a family of three, would qualify in the coming school year. That would rise to 15,000 students with families making 400% of the poverty level during the 2026-2027 school year.
Both the House and Senate plans would expand eligibility to students already attending private schools but give preference for the state aid, through the creation of priority application windows, to students seeking to leave a public school.
Unlike the Senate plan, the House bill keeps scholarship amounts at $6 000 next school year.
However, the dollar amount would rise in future years at the same rate that state aid to public schools increase. The Senate plan gives more money by providing 90% of the average per pupil aid to schools statewide. In the coming school year, that would be about $7,700 Democrats on the House committee worried about the program’s cost. If all available spots are filled, the program will cost the state $60 million in 2025-26, a number that will continue to grow with eligibility and rising scholarship amounts.
“I am very, very concerned about how we’re going to fund this bill long-term,” said Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Columbia. About 4 700 students have applied for the program for the coming year, said Meka Childs, the state Department of Education’s director of education choice. That’s in addition to the 1 700 students who were accepted last year and opted to stay in the program, she said. The deadline to apply for the upcoming school year is March 15
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.
be named a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. This designation recognizes schools that emphasize strong academics, sensitivity to young adolescents’ needs and interests, and commitment to providing all students equal access to a high-quality education.
The purpose of this program is to highlight top middle schools across the country that can be showcased as models of excellence for other schools. RLOACS joins just 35 other schools in South Carolina who currently carry this designation.
“Our RLOACS community is overjoyed to be named a School to Watch. It’s a well-deserved honor that speaks to the dedication and hard work of our teachers and staff,” RLOACS Executive Director Karen Wicks
said in a news release. “This recognition isn’t just a celebration -- it’s an opportunity to share what’s working in our classrooms for the benefit of students across the state and the country. We’re excited to continue building on this success and maintaining this standard of excellence for many, many years to come.”
USCB graduates 9 from Beaufort in December ceremony
The University of South Carolina Beaufort celebrated the graduation of 107 students, including nine from Beaufort, on Dec. 16, 2024, in the convocation ceremony for December
graduates held on the Bluffton campus. Beaufort graduates include Ryan Allbrandt (29907), Rachel DePaulis (29907), Jo Little (29907), Isabel Martinez (29902), Anna Miller (29907), Suchir Shetty (29902), Jemia Stevens (29906), Jordan Stinnett (29907), and Jacob Williams (29906). USCB is the fastest growing four-year institution within the University of South Carolina System. It offers 20 baccalaureate degrees on three campuses -- Bluffton, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island. USCB’s 2,000 students hail from multiple states and more than a dozen international locations, and USCB is ranked among the top 10 regional public colleges in the South.
– Compiled by Mike McCombs
Tuition waived for Modjeska Simkins School
Inaugural session starts March 3 at Penn Center
available.
Staff reports
Tuition has been waived for the Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights, which has opened enrollment for its spring session, marking the school's 10th year of teaching civics, organizing strategies, and a people’s history of South Carolina to students of all ages and backgrounds.
The 2025 session runs Monday, March 3 through June 23, with classes meeting Monday evenings in-person at historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island.
Tuition has been waived for in person participation.
Tuition for Zoom participants is on a sliding scale, with scholarship assistance
Dr. Robert L. Adams
The school welcomes anyone interested in understanding and better navigating our state’s social and political landscape. Whether you are a lover of history, an activist seeking ways to be more effective in your work, a retired person wanting to get involved in your community, or a transplant who wants to know the peculiar history of South Carolina, this course will benefit you. This year, students can attend in-person at three satellite locations; at Penn
Center, the S.C. Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg, and in Sumter. These sites will stream the classes live from GROW in Columbia, the School’s headquarters.
"We hope this will become a model for collaborating with allied groups across South Carolina,” said Brett Bursey, Executive Director of the SC Progressive Network, the nonprofit that launched the school in 2015. “Because we see the value in these partnerships, we are waiving tuition fees for students attending at these remote locations. We believe it is a sound investment for the longterm.”
Penn Center’s Executive Director Robert L. Adams
said, “The Penn Center’s partnership with the Modjeska Simkins School continues Penn’s enduring legacy of providing educational and self-empowerment opportunities for the Carolina Lowcountry. Informed citizens, who are the cornerstone of American democracy, are nurtured by the rich intellectual experience and critical thinking skills offered by the Modjeska Simkins School. We are proud to extend the reach of such an important program.”
Robert Greene II, a professor of history at Claflin University who has served as the Modjeska School’s lead instructor since 2019, said, “The school remains a bul-
HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING
wark for truth against disinformation. At the Modjeska School, we believe in not only learning history for the sake of knowing our past, but learning how to think critically and how to think democratically. Contrary to popular belief, there is a tradition of human rights — exemplified by Modjeska Simkins herself — in South Carolina.”
The curriculum, reflecting the Network’s nonpartisan, state-based strategy, focuses on South Carolina, which continues to play an oversized role in our nation’s politics. The course material is ever-evolving to include the latest research and historical analyses.
ON THE PODIUM
There is nothing like it, not just in South Carolina but nationally.
The school also offers Deep Dive programs on Sunday afternoons during the session that are free and open to the public.
The course includes 16 evening classes, Sunday afternoon Deep Dives, and indepth study guides.
Classes meet Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., on Zoom and in-person, tuition-free classes On St. Helena Island at the Penn Center Museum. Attendees must fill out the application. For details about the school, the 2025 class schedule, or to apply, go to https://bit.ly/4gZ0AIW.
7 area wrestlers earn all-state honors
By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com
The journey didn’t end in the ultimate glory for any of the northern Beaufort County wrestlers who ventured to Florence Center for the SCHSL State Championships on Friday and Saturday, but seven area wrestlers traversed far enough to earn top-four finishes and all-state honors in the largest state wrestling tournament ever seen in the Palmetto State.
A trio of Beaufort-area wrestlers finished just short of the top of the podium, as Bridges Prep senior Jeremiah Chavez placed second at 285 pounds in Class 2A, while Beaufort’s Colton Freeman was the Class 4A runner-up at 190, and Beaufort’s Olesya Mullins placed second at 105 pounds in the girls all-class division.
Two more wrestlers placed third
By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s teachers would get another pay increase in the coming school year, but not the boost they were hoping for, under a budget proposal sent to the House floor.
The state spending plan approved by the House budget-writing committee would also provide acrossthe-board pay raises for state employees. However, all public workers at school districts, colleges and state agencies will see their health care premiums rise for the first time in 13 years.
Teacher salaries
The plan would increase the state-set minimum pay for all K-12 public school teachers by $1 500
That means first-year teachers in the coming school year could make no less than $48 500, up from this year’s $47 000 salary floor. It would mark a 72% increase since 2017, when the floor was $28 190
How much teachers actually make depends on the district, since many use
— Beaufort’s Antonio McKnight at 144 and Bridges Prep’s Ali Jenkins at 175 — navigating the 16-man bracket with only one loss, while Bridges Prep’s Kevin Summers placed fourth at 165, and Malik Moutrie was Whale Branch’s lone all-state representative, finishing fourth at 215 In Class 4A, Hilton Head Island’s Bryce Stephenson (113) and Bluffton’s Gabe Fulton (165) won state titles, and May River’s Blake Butler (150) and Josh Echeverria (175) won gold and helped the Sharks earn a share of the traditional state title with South Pointe. May River won the dual state championship two weeks earlier.
Bluffton senior Jada Lawrence also finished atop the podium in the 145-pound girls bracket, claiming her third consecutive state title.
SCHSL Wrestling State Championships At Florence Center
local property taxes to supplement state aid. Districts that already pay above the state minimums have the authority to use their additional state aid however their school boards decide.
Gov. Henry McMaster and state Superintendent Ellen Weaver both called on legislators to double the state-provided aid by $3 000 per teacher. That would mean teachers in their first year out of college would make no less than $50 000 in the coming school year, fulfilling McMaster’s 2026 goal a year early.
But that would cost $200 million, according to McMaster’s recommendation and Weaver’s request.
The House budget-writing committee opted instead to spend an additional $112 million while collapsing the so-called salary schedule, which sets teacher pay according to their years of experience and level of college degree.
The plan would eliminate the step increase that’s between a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. It’s for
Here are all of the Beaufort County wrestlers who earned allstate honors with top-four finishes in their brackets at the SCHSL State Championships, held Friday and Saturday at Florence Center.
Champions
Bryce Stephenson, HH (4A 113)
Blake Butler, MR (4A 150)
Gabe Fulton, BLUF (4A 165)
Josh Echeverria, MR (4A 175)
Jada Lawrence, BLUF (Girls 145) 2nd Place
Colton Freeman, BFT (4A 190)
Jeremiah Chavez, BP (2A 285)
Olesya Mullins, BFT (Girls 105) 3rd Place
Stephano Calderon, MR (4A 106)
Marcus Foulk, MR (4A 120)
Thomas Brough, MR (4A 138)
Antonio McKnight, BFT (4A 144)
Ali Jenkins, BP (2A 175)
Jourdyn Mootry, HH (Girls 130)
Makayla Hinckey, HH (Girls 155) 4th Place
Kevin Summers, BP (2A 165)
Malik Moultrie, WB (2A 215)
teachers who have acquired 18 credit hours above their bachelor’s.
Of the salary schedule’s five levels of college degree — bachelor’s, bachelor’s plus 18, master’s, master’s plus 30, and doctorate — the fewest number of teachers fall into that “plus 18” category.
About 3 400 teachers are paid at that level, and most of them are working on their master’s degree. So, they’ll make the jump to the next category, said Patrick Kelly, a lobbyist for the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
Last year, McMaster proposed broader changes to the salary schedule, resulting in a backlash from veteran teachers. Legislators quickly scrapped his idea. It wasn’t adopted by budget writers in either chamber.
But the smaller adjustment proposed by House Ways and Means is more acceptable, especially if it means the state will raise the minimum pay for all teachers, Kelly said.
“This cut results in a better outcome for a higher number of educators,” Kelly said.
Beaufort’s Colton Freeman looks for an opening during his match against Colleton County’s Stephan LaPresta on Friday at the SCHSL Wrestling State Championships at Florence Center. Freeman placed second at 190 pounds, losing by pin to Travelers Rest’s Mitchell Knepp in the finals. Photo courtesy of Joy Peeler
Teachers would have preferred the $3,000 raise, but any increase is helpful in enticing people to the profession, Kelly said. Giving the same raise to long-time teachers as well will likely encourage them to stay in their roles, he said.
“In many ways, the most important recruitment effort the state can make is encouraging current teachers to remain in the profession,” Kelly, a high school teacher, said in a statement.
Across-the-board raises acknowledge “the unique and irreplaceable skills and expertise of those with years of classroom experience,” he added.
Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, said she hoped to see raises for school support staff, such as counselors, librarians and administrators, in the final version of the budget, since their salaries often stagnate as well.
“We are excited to hear they are still looking at increasing teacher pay, but the process is a long way from getting finalized,” East said.
State employees
The budget plan provides at least a 2% cost-of-living increase for all state employees. The lowest-paid workers would get a bigger bump.
However, for the first time since 2012, employees of school districts, colleges and state agencies covered by the state’s health insurance would have to pay more in premiums under the Ways and Means budget plan. They would pay $36 76 more monthly, or about $440 each year. The change would not affect retirees still enrolled in the health plan.
“Unfortunately, this year, with the amount of recurring dollars that we had, which was tight, we just weren’t able to cover 100%” of the cost, said Rep. Chris Murphy, R-North Charleston.
The state would still pay an additional $89 4 million to cover employees’ health insurance costs in the coming fiscal year. Fully covering the rise in rates was too much for the state budget to handle, Murphy said. The agency that oversees
employee benefits sought $112 million additional to fully cover premium increases. McMaster’s budget recommendations provided that total. However, he also called for a cost study to try to stop the trend of employees’ health care rising by more than $100 million annually just to maintain benefits.
Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, asked legislators to consider finding a way to cover the costs for state employees at the lower end of the pay scale.
“I would hate to see what we are doing with the raise be eaten up by the health care cost,” CobbHunter said. Murphy said the salary adjustments will more than cover the premium rises for all workers.
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.
Airport security will start checking for a REAL ID May 7
Federal identification requirement was passed by Congress 20 years ago
By Shaun Chornobroff SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — Starting in 75 days, travelers will need a REAL ID to get through airport security without a passport. For South Carolinians, that means having a gold star on your driver’s license.
Federal identification requirements passed by Congress 20 years ago will actually be enforced
starting May 7 for people boarding a commercial flight within the United States or entering secure federal buildings and military installations. Anyone needing the identification for those reasons should not procrastinate, said Mike Fitts, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
“We would definitely advise, especially if you have plans to take a domestic flight, not to wait,” he said.
Congress passed The REAL ID Act in 2005 as a way to standardize ID verification in the wake of
the Sept. 11 2001, terror attacks. South Carolina initially refused to comply.
But the Legislature reversed course in 2017, when it appeared enforcement would be imminent.
The law signed by Gov. Henry McMaster that year overturned the state’s decade-old ban and directed the DMV to make the license, which became available at all 67 branches in early 2018
The federal government has postponed the enforcement date multiple times, for reasons includ-
Charging challenges
Free electric vehicle charging available at 30 SC state parks
By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — Electric vehicle
drivers can charge up for free at 30 of South Carolina’s 47 state parks, including Beaufort County’s Hunting Island State Park.
The park charging network is the result of a pair of programs: a partnership between the state parks department and the state’s utility watchdog that brought chargers to three parks in 2020 and 2021, and a larger effort started in late 2022 by Rivian. The electric vehicle maker installed EV chargers in the parks free of charge, according to Duane Parrish, director of the state’s department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Park visitors must pay an admission fee but otherwise the chargers are free to use on a first-come, firstserved basis. The state picks up the tab for the electricity costs.
By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com
The free chargers are part of an effort to increase charging availability in the state.
South Carolina remains 31st in the nation and next to last in the Southeast when it comes to the number of fast chargers per capita, according to the most recent report issued by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
The stations at South Carolina’s parks are powerful enough to add about 25 miles of range per hour of charging, allowing people to spend time at the park and return to a recharged car. Having the chargers in the parks can also give visitors more peace of mind that they won’t run out of power when visiting some of the state’s more remote recreation spots.
Most parks have two charging spaces, but the busiest destinations have four. The chargers work with all electric vehicles, not just Rivian’s.
However, because the chargers
are hardwired into the parks’ existing power connection, the state has not tracked how frequently electric vehicle driver have used the stations since Rivian finished installing them in 2023
“According to the feedback we hear at our sites, park visitors who use the stations are grateful they are there, and they enjoy hiking or taking in the scenery while they charge,” Parrish told the S.C. Daily Gazette on Thursday.
Online reviews left on platforms for electric vehicle drivers, such as PlugShare, do provide some insight.
“Awesome! Right by the ranger station and boat ramp. Ranger said they’re popular — someone’s charging here nearly every day,” a Ford Lightning truck driver wrote in April 2024 while using the charger SEE PARK PAGE B2
State senator wants limits on who pays for them
By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — South Carolina lags behind most of the country in availability of electric vehicle charging stations. One South Carolina senator thinks gas station owners will SEE VEHICLE PAGE B2
A sample of a REAL ID compliant South Carolina
Paris Mountain State Park near Greenville is among the state parks with free charging for electric vehicles. Photo courtesy of S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism
STATE NEWS
An SC 1st: Death row inmate chooses to die by firing squad
Brad Sigmon’s decision comes after two requests by attorneys to get more information about lethal injection drugs
By Shaun Chornobroff SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — Death row in-
mate Brad Sigmon has selected the firing squad for his scheduled execution, which would be a first in South Carolina, his attorneys said Friday, Feb. 21
Sigmon is set to die March 7. He was sentenced to death in 2002 for beating his ex-girlfriend’s parents to death with a baseball bat at their Greenville County home, then attempting to kidnap their daughter.
His death by firing squad would be only the fourth in the nation, his attorneys said in a statement.
The other three all occurred in Utah, most recently in 2010
“Everything about this barbaric, state-sanctioned atrocity — from the choice to the method itself — is abjectly cruel,” attorney Bo King said in a statement. “We should not just be horrified – we should be furious.”
Since the state resumed executions in September, all three death row inmates have died by lethal injection.
The firing squad was added as an option in 2021 At the time, the state was unable to carry out executions because its fatal drug supply had expired, and Department of Corrections was unable to restock. The same 2021 law reverted to electrocution as the default method if the condemned inmate declines to choose by the two-week deadline.
Inmate Richard Moore was technically the first to pick firing squad in 2022, after the Department of Corrections notified the state attorney general’s office it was ready to carry out that method.
But Moore, who was part of a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality, wrote on his election form that his choice was only because he didn’t want to face the electric chair.
The state Supreme Court ruled last summer that both firing squad and electric chair are constitutional methods of execution, allowing the process to resume after a 13year hiatus.
Moore was executed by lethal injection in November.
Sigmon is one of three remaining men on death row who have exhausted their appeals and are eligible for execution.
After the Legislature added firing squad as an option, the Department of Corrections had to develop the protocols for carrying out the method and renovate the death chamber.
Changes included installing bullet-resistant glass between the wit-
Vehicle from page B1
step up to meet the need — as long as they’re not competing with power companies in the process.
Sen. Larry Grooms filed legislation blocking utilities from billing all of their customers for the cost of public electric vehicle chargers, arguing it’s unfair to small businesses owners that may wish to operate charging stations of their own.
The Bonneau Beach Republican previously owned convenience stores and said he’s heard from other owners interested in adding chargers. But those business owners have balked, worried about going up against chargers built by power providers and government-funded grant programs.
Grooms pointed to a pi-
ness room and the death chamber and adding a firing squad chair.
The condemned inmate will face a wall with a rectangular opening 15 feet away. The three firing squad members will shoot through that opening. As per the protocols, all three rifles will be loaded with live ammunition, the agency said in 2022
Lethal injection questions Sigmon’s decision stemmed from his concerns over whether lethal injection is truly a painless death, his attorneys said in their statement.
Last week, Sigmon’s attorneys again asked the state Supreme Court to halt his execution and require prison officials to provide more information about the state’s supply of lethal injection drugs.
The state’s highest court denied those requests Thursday.
Sigmon’s latest request echoed several others submitted on behalf of him and other inmates. His attorneys unsuccessfully asked the Supreme Court at the beginning of February to wait until he had the autopsy from the latest execution to proceed, questioning whether the process went as smoothly as officials said.
The attorneys, who have repre-
lot program run by Duke Energy as an example. Utility regulators allowed the company to install and operate 60 electric vehicle chargers around the state. Duke spread the cost of building those charging stations to customers’ power bills, Grooms said.
“Electric vehicles are coming to South Carolina, but more investment is needed to grow the adoption of this evolving technology and the benefits it brings to the state,” Duke Energy’s South Carolina president, Mike Callahan, said when the program began in 2020. “These pilot programs will help prepare us to meet the challenge to ensure we can keep up with increasing demand for electrification.”
Grooms said stateowned utility company Santee Cooper considered a similar effort in 2023
Department of Corrections
sented all of the inmates executed so far, made a similar request ahead of Marion Bowman’s execution in January. They pointed to the results of Moore’s autopsy, saying it showed that officials used two doses of the sedative pentobarbital despite the prisons director previously saying a single dose would be used.
The attorneys also pointed to the execution’s timeline. Moore was declared dead about 20 minutes after the process began, suggesting something went wrong, they wrote in petitions for both Bowman and Sigmon.
Freddie Owens, who was executed in September, requested before his death that officials not perform an autopsy, and attorneys do not yet have Bowman’s autopsy.
“Brad has no illusions about what being shot will do to his body,” King said in a statement.
“He does not wish to inflict that pain on his family, the witnesses, or the execution team. But, given South Carolina’s unnecessary and unconscionable secrecy, Brad is choosing as best he can.”
Nothing went wrong during Moore’s execution, or either of the other ones, state attorneys replied.
Moore and other inmates stopped breathing within minutes
prompting him to file legislation at the time. That bill never got a hearing.
He said he re-filed the bill this year, which went before the Senate’s Transportation Committee this week, to prevent other power companies from launching their own efforts.
Meanwhile, South Carolina lost out on some $70 million in federal funding meant to increase the number of electric vehicle chargers along U.S. interstate highways. The funding was part of the Biden administration’s hallmark green energy spending package. But newly elected President Donald Trump paused the payout of any unspent dollars left in that program. South Carolina had yet to tap into its share.
South Carolina remains 31st in the nation and next to last in the Southeast
of officials administering the pentobarbital, media witnesses said after each execution. It’s common for the heart to continue sending electrical impulses through a monitor for 10 minutes or more after that, the attorneys wrote.
A federal judge has repeatedly turned down requests from inmates to require officials give more information about its supply of lethal injection drugs, which the prisons agency was able to acquire in 2023 after the Legislature expanded the state’s secrecy law.
Claims of mental illness
During Sigmon’s initial trial in 2002, his attorneys did not dig enough into his history of mental illness, brain damage and childhood trauma, his current attorneys claimed in a Thursday court filing.
Information on his mental condition during the crime could potentially have convinced the jury to hand down a different sentence, his attorneys wrote. They asked the state Supreme Court to halt his execution long enough for a judge to hear arguments on whether to overturn Sigmon’s death sentence.
Sigmon, one of 29 men remaining on death row, was convicted of killing David and Gladys Larke in 2001 after they attempted to evict
when it comes to the number of fast chargers per capita, according to the most recent report issued by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. The state also trails in the number of electric vehicles sold.
South Carolina has about 1 640 public charging ports at just over 600 locations, according to the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, compared to 10,500 in Florida, 5,435 in Georgia and 4 575 in North Carolina.
In the Southeast, only Alabama has fewer ports 1 043
Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C. Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
him from the trailer in which he had been living on their property.
When Sigmon’s ex-girlfriend, Becky Barbare, returned home, he forced her by gunpoint into her car. She escaped, and Sigmon fled. He later told officers he had planned to kill Barbare and himself, they testified during his trial.
Sigmon never claimed innocence, admitting to the crime during his trial. At 67 years old, he would be the oldest person ever executed in the state.
After Barbare ended her threeyear relationship with Sigmon, he went into “a manic and irrational episode akin to a psychotic break,” his attorneys wrote.
That “fractured mental state,” emphasized by heavy drinking and drug use the night before the crime, explains why Sigmon committed such a grisly crime despite no history of violence, his attorneys wrote.
“This crime was brutal and bizarre,” the petition reads.
He also has bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment, which his attorneys did not know about at the time of his trial, his new claim reads.
Bipolar disorder can cause manic episodes, in which a person experiences a rush of energy, often accompanied by paranoia and impulsive behavior. That was coupled with a traumatic childhood involving an alcoholic and abusive father and an absent mother, Sigmon’s attorneys wrote.
Misdiagnosed with depression in prison and unmedicated during his trial, Sigmon suffered a mental break, causing him to make an erratic and at times profane confession to the jury, his attorneys wrote.
Neither Sigmon’s original trial attorneys nor his appeals attorneys did enough to discover his history of mental illness that might explain his actions, his current attorneys wrote.
“As a result, Mr. Sigmon’s jury was not only prevented from learning the most critical, mitigating aspects of his background, but, with Mr. Sigmon’s unexplained and erratic behavior at trial, were primed to accept the solicitor’s uncontested condemnation of him as a ‘mean and evil person,'” the petition reads.
Attorneys for the state have not yet responded to that filing.
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.
Park from page B1
at Devils Fork State Park on the shores of Lake Jocassee in the Upstate.
She was one of 21 users to leave a review.
“Great that SC state parks have these! Charging overnight after pulling my camper here!” a Rivian driver wrote in March 2024 while visiting Poinsett State Park near Sumter.
“I went on a short hike and returned to a fully charged car!” a Fiat driver visiting Table Rock State Park in the Upstate wrote in August 2024
“On a sunny day you can walk the beach. If it’s not so nice out, there’s also a cute little gift shop,” a Nissan driver visiting Huntington Beach State Park along the Grand Strand wrote in January 2023
She was one of 59 people to leave a review.
Other popular parks, such
as Paris Mountain in Greenville and Charles Towne Landing in Charleston had between 23 and 68 reviews from users. The stations are not without their issues. Common complaints included non-electric vehicles blocking the charging spaces or the chargers being out of order.
“All new assets come with maintenance and upkeep, so occasionally the stations have to close for repairs — some of which can be done by park staff, but occasionally may require outside technical expertise,” Parrish said. “Overall, they have been a nice amenity to offer park users that require minimal effort and expense on our end.”
Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C. Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
The above shows the space in the Department of Corrections’ Columbia prisons complex for executions, as seen from the witness room. The firing squad chair (left) was added following a 2021 state law that made death by firing squad an option. The electric chair is under the cover. Photo courtesy of S.C.
STATE NEWS
Bill that aims to improve services for people who ‘fall through the cracks’ advances in SC Senate
Proposal is a “scaled down” version of one that died at end of 2024 session
By Shaun Chornobroff SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — A bill
merging a trio of agencies in South Carolina’s notoriously fractured public health system advanced Thursday, Feb. 20, to the Senate floor, less than a month after Gov. Henry McMaster publicly asked legislators to “fix this.”
The bill creates the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which combines separate agencies that oversee services for people with disabilities, mental health issues, and addictions to drugs or alcohol.
People who need assistance often need services from a combination of those agencies, said Sen. Tom Davis, one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
“Those with substance abuse problems sometimes have mental disorders. Some with mental disorders also have disabilities,” the Beaufort Republican told the S.C. Daily Gazette. “This is a way to better deliver those services to those populations.”
He called it a “scaled down” version of last year’s effort to merge six public health agencies, which the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus killed with a procedural maneuver as the clock ran out on the session.
Last month, Forbes Advisor ranked South Carolina eighth-worst nationwide in mental health care. According to the report, the Palmetto State has the nation’s highest percentage of youth with depression not receiving services, and the seventh-highest percentage of adults not receiving mental health care because they can’t afford it.
The state’s own consultant painted an even grimmer picture in a report that concluded “South Caroli-
na is the most fragmented structure for health and human services delivery in the country.”
That’s why McMaster again used the governor’s bully pulpit last month to call for “immediate changes” at the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. Both are governed by a board of commissioners “who are accountable to no one,” he said during his Jan. 29 State of the State address.
The state’s fragmented system “causes unnecessary suffering,” he said.
“Our people with physical disabilities, special needs and mental health issues seeking assistance must navigate through a confusing landscape of offices, agencies, and officials as they seek help for a loved
one or dependent,” McMaster said.
“They fall through the cracks of a system that does not coordinate, communicate or collaborate,” he continued. “We must fix this.”
The bill, as he requested, would put his office in charge.
The Department of Behavioral Health would become a Cabinet agency. Its director would be appointed by the governor, with Senate approval, and answer directly to the governor.
Beyond the agencies overseeing mental health services and disabilities, the third agency the bill would combine is the Department of Alcohol and Other Abuse Services, which is already a Cabinet agency.
“We’re giving the governor, the chief executive,
good for eight years too. All licenses issued in South Carolina after Oct. 1 2017, expire in eight years, rather than 10 as they previously did.
ing the COVID-19 pandemic.
But May 7 is supposed to be the day when security will really start checking for a REAL ID.
Of the 4 5 million IDs issued by the DMV, which includes roughly 400,000 photo IDs that aren’t driver’s licenses, more than 2 7 million, or 60%, are REAL ID-compliant as of Friday, Fitts said.
REAL IDs expire after eight years. Under the 2017 law that allowed for their creation in South Carolina, driver’s licenses are only
Housing from page B1
The state also will require buyers to take out a 30-year mortgage from one of the state housing authority’s participating lenders.
“There is no better way to build wealth and to pass on wealth to future gener -
Do I need a REAL ID?
The ID that meets federal identification requirements remains an option, not a mandate.
People without a valid U.S. passport or military ID will need it by May 7 if they want to fly, get onto a military base or enter a secured federal building. But it won’t be needed to drive, vote, access benefits such as Social Security, or enter non-secured federal buildings such as a post office.
ations than to have affordable housing,” Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, said when he first heard about the state housing authority’s efforts. The head of the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, Mark Nix, said he’s glad to see the state trying something new to make homes more affordable.
control over the execution of the laws in regard to mental health and disabilities and special needs that he has not had,” Davis said.
In December, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state over the treatment of people with serious mental illnesses. The lawsuit accused the state of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by warehousing people in institutions rather than providing enough services to enable them to live in the community.
The legislation requires the agency’s director to craft and carry out a plan that ensures South Carolinians with disabilities are “to the greatest extent possible” provided those services.
The bill, which was prefiled in December, has some powerful backing.
For anyone unsure whether their license is a REAL ID, check the top right corner.
A REAL ID has the gold star, while noncompliant state driver’s licenses issued since 2017 will have a message that reads “Not for Federal Identification.”
How much and what do I need?
For most South Carolinians, the cost of getting a REAL ID is $25, the same fee that a standard license renewal requires. For children ages 5 to 16, the cost is $15
The DMV doesn’t issue ID cards for children under 5, who don’t need a REAL ID to get through security anyway.
But he also warns it likely won’t be easy. Land is expensive, and many cities and counties in the state have enacted strict requirements on how small they’ll allow lots to be for new home construction, Nix said.
Building a smaller home on a half-acre lot isn’t cost effective, so builders will likely need variances from
cities, he said.
Beyond Davis, chairman of the Senate Labor Commerce and Industry Committee, its chief sponsors are Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler and Senate President Thomas Alexander. Giving it bipartisan support is co-sponsor Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, D-Columbia.
“The need for these services and the combination of these three agencies will be in the best interest of our citizens,” Alexander, R-Walhalla, told the Senate Medical Affairs Committee ahead of the vote.
The Senate will likely take up the bill on the chamber floor next week.
Shaun Chornobroff covers the state legislature for the S.C. Daily Gazette, part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
“Our people with physical disabilities, special needs and mental health issues seeking assistance... fall through the cracks of a
GOV. HENRY MCMASTER,
Proof of all legal name changes (if applicable), such as a marriage license, divorce papers, or court order. If an unexpired passport contains the
name, that can be shown instead.
You
A REAL ID modernization law passed by Congress in December 2020 as part of a pandemic aid package made the documentation process easier. It’s no longer necessary to provide an actual Social Security card as proof. Instead, the number will be electronically verified at the DMV with the Social Security Administration. The following is what’s still needed, with examples: Proof of identity and citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport Two proofs of address, such as an unexpired South Carolina driver’s license and a utility bill showing the same name and address
“The biggest part is the land and the zoning to go along with it,” Nix said. Interested homebuilders have until April 23 to submit an application. Nix suspects charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or builders that already specialize in low-income housing will be the most likely to apply.
The state housing authority also will aid homebuyers, offering up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for those that fall below income limits. The agency will forgive the loan for that assistance if the buyer remains in the home for five years.
The agency is funding the pilot program with reserves it has on hand. If it’s
successful, the housing
thority will seek more funding from the Legislature to expand it.
From left, Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler, Senate President Thomas Alexander, and Sen. Tom Davis pictured on Aug. 22, 2024. Jessica Holdman/File/S.C. Daily Gazette
LOCAL MILITARY
Gassing up
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron, Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Ind., refuels a U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 312, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, over the U.S. IndoPacific Command area of responsibility during exercise Cope North 2025. CN25 Participants exercise interoperability during CN25 through agile, integrated generation of airpower, demonstrating resilience and survivability in a contested environment. Staff Sgt. Caleb Roland/USAF
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 28 February 2025
Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel C. B. McArthur 1st Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Colonel K. R. Sile Commander of Troops, First Sergeant W. T. Tompkins • Parade Adjutant, Staff Sergeant D. Fields Company “B”, 1st Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain B. S. Paris Drill Master • Gunnery Sergeant J. J. Merriweather
PLATOON 1008
Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt D. R Bailey
Pvt Adjri, K.
Pvt Banks, M.
Pvt Bekkering, S. C.
Pvt Birkhimer, L. W.
Pvt Boals, J. D.
Pvt Bobo, N. L.
Pvt Brainard, V. A.
PFC Castillo, A. L.
Pvt Cius, P. J.
Pvt Daugherty, T. M.
Pvt Davis, N. S.
PFC Dipietromolina, J. M.*
PFC Edge, R. B.
Pvt Fiesler, B. R.
Pvt Fogarty, H. I.
Pvt Grogg, W. J.
Pvt Harris, A. N.
PFC Hernandez, I. A.
Pvt Kennedy, D. C.
Pvt Lewis, L. O.
PFC Lightfoot, K. M.*
Pvt Luttrell, Colby A.
Pvt Mazariegosgonzalez, K. O.
PFC Miller, A. W.
Pvt Morales, D.
PFC Nelson, T. M.
Pvt Ogbuka, C.
Pvt Parker, E. C.
Pvt Primus, R. A.
Pvt Ramos, E.
Pvt Ratliff, K. A.
PFC Richardson, S. J.
PFC Smith, C. D.
Pvt Tanis, E. J.
PFC Temoche, N. F.
PFC Thomas, J. C.*
PFC Walker IV, D. W.
Pvt Ware, T. L
PFC Williams, C. V.
PLATOON 1009
Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt J. T. Scherwinski
PFC Aguilarvado, A.
PFC Allen, D. A.*
PFC Angelzuluaga, L.
Pvt Baftiu, I.
PFC Banks, T. R.
PFC Barreramorales, K. E.
PFC Bell, E. R.
PFC Bell, T. K.
Pvt Betnacourt, L. A.
Pvt Britomatute, F.
Pvt Carpenter, A. S.
PFC Casiano, K. V.
Pvt Charlotin, S.
Pvt Corderosario, R. M.
PFC Dassinger, D. L.*
PFC Feazell, E. F.
PFC Francocontreras, A. P.
Pvt Galindoalejan, M.
PFC Georgia, M. H.*
PFC Green, M. M.
Pvt Guzmanramos, A. R.
PFC Halcomb, N. R.
Pvt Hartley, K. A.
Pvt Hernandezmendez, R. G.
PFC Hernandezperez, R.
Pvt Huffman, K. E.
Pvt Jardine, H. Z.
Pvt Jeanbaptiste, L.
Pvt Jenkins, A. M.
PFC Jimenezosorio, I.
Pvt Long, B. C.
PFC Maslyn, J. M.
PFC Merritt, K. K.
PFC Montanamayorga, L. J.
PFC Ortizvalentin, N. M.
Pvt Pacheco, A. M.
Pvt Panzica, I. J.
PFC Pierre, B. B.
PFC Ramirez, D.
Pvt Ruggiero, A. M.
Pvt Runac, T. L.
Pvt Schultz, K. R.
Pvt Schwartz, S. R.
Pvt Scrima, M. J.
PFC Spande, A. A.
PFC Tiah, E. V.
Pvt Valentin, A.
Pvt Warters, A. L.
LCpl Weston, J. R.
PFC Whiteevans, S. R.
Pvt Wickham, I. H.
PLATOON 1012
Senior Drill Instructor SSgt L. G. Oliver
Pvt Abraha, N. A.
Pvt Aimie, W.
PFC Alenga, D.
PFC Arriaga, D. R.
Pvt Calleleon, C. A.
PFC Cannon, E. K.
PFC Castillo Iii, J. L.
Pvt Cervantes, J. A.
Pvt Chanbarrea U. A.
Pvt Cronlund, A. M.
PFC Delmonte, A. K.
Pvt Douglas, H. G.
PFC Dublin J. G.
Pvt Espinoza, M. E.
Pvt Franklin, B.
Pvt Guidry, D. C.
Pvt Hayes, J. A.
PFC Hill, S. M
Pvt Jackson, J. J.
Pvt Lemus J. B.
Pvt Luisalonza, J. D.
Pvt Merker, D. P.
Pvt Miranda, J. F.
PFC Mohhamad, S. A.
PFC Molliver, S. B.*
Pvt Mooney, J. T.
Pvt Pettis, J. O.
Pvt Reyesgallagher, A. J.
PFC Rhea, M. J.
PFC Rivermelendez, J. D.
Pvt Sellers, B C.
Pvt Smith, H. I.
Pvt Wells, G. K.
Pvt Williams, J. D.
PFC Williams, J. T. *
PFC Wright, J. A. *
PFC Zahiri, K.
Pvt Zavala, D. A.
PLATOON 1013
Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt. C. J. Clower
LCpl Adewumi, F. O.*
PFC Aguilarflores, G.
Pvt Ajomedina, H. D.
PFC AlvarezReinoso, J. J.
Pvt Amastalguerra, B.
Pvt Barrett, R. J.
Pvt Butler, L. N.
Pvt Caguanapaulaguachi, C. G.
PFC Campbell, C. L.
Pvt Clark, C. J.
Pvt Cline, B. T.
Pvt Durica, T. S.
Pvt Frager, T. X.
Pvt Haenke, E. R
Pvt Lobb, W. J.
PFC Malaret, A. A.*
Pvt Mcclorey, A. A.
Pvt Mcdaniel, R. T.
PFC Miller Jr., M. F.
PFC Mollica, J. F.
Pvt Moore, D. M.
PFC Mori, T. I.
Pvt Naranjoblanco, J. C.
Pvt Nzayikolera, T.
Pvt Pino, J. A.
Pvt Price, Z. A.
Pvt Rodriguez, J. A.
Pvt Salas, A. J.
Pvt Silvaalcaraz, G. R.
PFC Somers, M. R.*
PFC Steele, M. A.
PFC Stieben, C. J.*
PFC Theotokas, J.
PFC Varapimrut, K.
Pvt Vicentycardenales, W. A.
Pvt Wadsworth, Aaron J.
Pvt Zarumavaldez, M. S.
*Denotes Meritorious Promotion
VA service-connected disability for scars
Did you know that as a veteran, you may be able to file a claim for military service-connected disability compensation for scarring?
Scarring, a VA serviceconnected disability
Scarring can lead to significant pain, impaired mobility, and mental distress. Veterans with service-related scars can receive VA disability benefits.
I know about service-connected scarring disability because when I was wounded in Vietnam on March 28 1969. My left mandible was fractured, and my jawline and neck had six-inch lacerations down to the jawbone. Besides losing lots of blood, I would be left with a scar about one-quarter inch deep, five inches long, and about one-quarter inch wide along my left jawline.
I also know about filing a claim for service-connected disabilities from the scar and numbness (nerve damage). I was only 20 years old when my Huey Helicopter Gunship tail rotor system was blown off, and my crew and I spun violently into the ground near the Cambodian border. That near-fatal crash broke my back, shattered my ankles, broke my right hand, fractured my left jaw, gave me severe neck whiplash, deeply bruised me all over, and resulted in serious Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) — and a dash of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The good news is that by the grace of God and our good Army doctors and nurses, I recovered from those wounds and injuries enough to go back to flying and retire from the Army in September 1991. The bad news is I did not file for most of my service-connected disabilities until 37 years later, and the VA initially turned down my claim because my jawline laceration and scar were not in my medical records.
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to remind veterans to: Seek medical care after being
wounded, injured, traumatized, exposed to hazardous materials, and becoming ill. Ensure their medical records capture their wounds, injuries, illnesses, scars, hazardous material (HAZMAT) contaminations and exposures (Agent Orange, Burn Pits, Asbestos, Radiation, Mustard Gas, Camp Lejeune drinking water, etc.), and traumatic events. Ensure that they keep copies of other documents that capture service-connection evidence, such as Military Medical Records, Line of Duty Investigations, Pictures, Accident Reports, Purple Heart Awards, Efficiency Reports, Performance Appraisals, OSHA Reports, Hazard Reports, Military Personnel Records, and others.
File for service-connected disability compensation for all service-connected wounds, injuries, scars, illnesses, traumas, and HAZMAT contamination-caused injuries, conditions, and diseases as soon as possible. Use a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to help you file for federal and state Veterans benefits.
File a claim with asbestos trusts for all cancerous and non-cancerous injuries caused by or contributed to by asbestos.
Burn, wound, and surgical scars Veterans suffer scars in many ways during their military service, including: Burn scars (Fire, Electrical, Chemical).
Traumatic wounds (Bullets, blunt force, others).
Surgical scars from surgeries for injuries or illnesses during service.
VA disability compensation rating for scarring
VA disability benefits can be the financial salvation for disabled veterans. Scarring serves as visible evidence of the trauma suffered. The VA recognizes several types of scars and rates scars under 38 Code of Federal Regulations §4 118, diagnostic codes 7800-7805 [7800 (Scars or disfigurement of the head, face, or neck), 7891 (Scars elsewhere on the body that are deep and nonlinear), 7802 (Superficial nonlinear scars not of the head, neck, or face), 7804 (Painful or unstable scars), and 7805 (Other scars including linear scars)] in the Schedule of Ratings for skin conditions.
Ratings between 10% and 80% may be granted, depending on the scar’s qualities, stability, location, pain, and size. Veterans may receive multiple ratings if they have more than one scar.
VA eight characteristics of disfigurement
The VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities notes eight characteristics of disfigurement that the VA incorporates into rating scars for compensation purposes. Those eight characteristics include:
1 The scar is five or more inches long.
2 The scar's width is one-quarter inch at the widest part.
3 The surface of the scar elevates or depresses when pressed.
4 The scar is adherent to the soft tissue underneath it.
5 Loss of skin color or darkening of skin color in an area larger than 6 square inches.
6 Abnormal skin texture (tight, shiny, scaly, etc.) in an area larger than six square inches.
7 Underlying soft tissue beneath the scar is missing
in an area larger than six square inches.
8 Skin is inflexible and hard in an area exceeding six square inches. Establishing a service connection for all related disabilities is essential to maximizing a veteran's disability compensation. For example, a veteran with significant scarring may also suffer from chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and/or vision and hearing loss. Each condition is assigned a separate disability rating, then payment is calculated based on a total disability rating.
Individual Unemployability (IU)
According to the VA’s “IU if You Can’t Work” webpage (https:// www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/ special-claims/unemployability/), veterans with severe scarring and multiple disabilities may qualify for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) benefits. If a veteran cannot work because of a disability-related to their service in the military, they may qualify for Individual Unemployability (IU). This means the veteran may
be able to get disability compensation/benefits at the same level as a veteran who has a 100% disability rating. Veterans may be eligible for IU if they meet these requirements:
The veteran cannot hold down a steady job that supports him or herself financially because of his or her service-connected disability (Odd jobs do not count against), and one of these must be true. (1.) The veteran has at least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling, or (2.) the veteran has two or more service-connected disabilities, with at least one being rated 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more.
The bottom line
The VA application and appeal processes are notoriously complex. Therefore, it is imperative to use a VSO or other VA-accredited representative (Attorney or Claims Agent) to help file claims and appeals. Find S.C. County VSOs at https://scdva.sc.gov/ county-veterans-affairs-offices. Find Georgia VSOs at https:// veterans.georgia.gov/locations/ veterans-field-service-office-nearyou. Find N.C. County Veterans Benefits Specialists and VSOs at https://www.milvets.nc.gov/benefits-services/benefits-claims. Find a VA-accredited rep through the VA webpage https://www.va.gov/ get-help-from-accredited-representative/find-rep/.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing freelance writer with The Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164
LARRY DANDRIDGE
This is no way to run a country
When did it become cool to cozy up to the Russians?
Answer: Never — since the time Russia pointed thousands of nuclear weapons at the good old U.S. of A.
But President Donald Trump seems hellbent on rekindling his bromance with Russian thug leader Vladimir Putin, putting the world order at risk and making America less great.
Americans didn’t vote for this kind of nonsense. They didn’t vote in November to make us less secure militarily or economically.
Yes, they may have voted for Trump to lower the price of eggs (how’s that going?) or to change how immigration is handled or to take a different approach on some spectrum of wokeism and the culture wars. But Americans didn’t vote to cozy up to Nazism, Putin or make the country weaker. They didn’t vote against Ukraine.
What’s more, Americans didn’t
Svote to put national parks at risk.
They didn’t vote for Social Security to be threatened. They didn’t vote for injustice and the pardoning of people who attacked police officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021. They didn’t vote to wreck the economy by making American crops and goods less desired around the world.
They didn’t vote to end medical research. They didn’t vote against vaccines, worse health care and more poverty.
And the good Lord knows, they didn’t vote for Elon Musk to fiddle around with the inner-workings of government and your private information while
continuing to win billions of dollars of federal contracts.
And yet, here we are, one month into Trump’s second presidential term. And as Trump is leading America away from greatness, too many Americans continue to drink the Kool-Aid, shout slogans and wear cultish red hats saying America is great when, in fact, they’re collaborating to rot it from the inside.
Liberals aren’t the only ones complaining. Conservative columnist Mona Charen, who worked in the Reagan White House in the 1980s, wrote this week in The Bulwark: “It has been only four weeks since Trump took the oath of office, and I wonder whether casual voters or even those who truly despised Biden have taken onboard what they’ve done.
“The American republic is undergoing a constitutional crisis as the president attempts to rule as an autocrat (“He who saves his country violates no law,” he claimed), a heedless billionaire
smashes through people’s lives and complex systems he doesn’t understand with sadistic glee, the Justice Department descends into corrupt bargains antithetical to the ethical standards upheld for two centuries, a Putin/Assad apologist sits atop our intelligence agencies, a conspiracy theorist/anti-vaccine fool directs our health agencies, and the United States is attempting to reverse 80 years of world leadership.”
What must happen now to save and strengthen the republic is that Republican congressional leaders need to wake from a slumber and start defending the Constitution. The Supreme Court needs to exercise its muscle to support the Constitution, instead of serving as a rubber stamp to conservative think tanks.
All of the sloganeering in the world isn’t going to keep America strong.
Republican senators like South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott need to stop fiddling on the sidelines and take active
steps to secure the country — just like uber-conservative GOP U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona did in 1974 when he told Republican President Richard Nixon it was time to resign after the Watergate fiasco. That was leadership that focused on country, not party.
Congressmen like Joe Wilson of South Carolina, long a defender of Ukraine, need to lead the Congress away from anything that empowers Putin and weakens Ukraine. They can start with calling out Trump for lying that Ukraine started the war that threatens Europe’s security. Folks, what’s happening in Washington now is no way to run a country. Wake up, America. Wake up, Washington. Get off this anti-democratic path before the country becomes unrecognizable.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
The mad dog who would be king
ometimes it’s an elephant. Sometimes a donkey. At other times, a horse or a dog.
The story and its message remain the same.
An animal is tied to a stake and learns to respect limitations. If it goes too far or tries to pull away, its leash delivers a harsh reminder.
The boundaries become so ingrained that after a while, all that is necessary to keep the animal in check is the existence of the leash around its neck. It doesn’t matter whether the other end is still attached to its anchor point.
But what if there was a dog that pulled and pulled until the stake became uprooted? The dog would be free to roam, wreaking havoc wherever it went.
Out in the rural area where I grew up, this sometimes would result in destroyed flower beds, slaughtered pets and farm animals, and even fears of
leaving the house over concerns of hearing the telltale rattle of that leash and stake being dragged along. This is the world in which we live. We collectively are the neighborhood being terrorized by the feral energy that has retaken the Oval Office. If there is nothing else I have learned about our government, it is that we lean too heavily on the assumption that the people who run for public office start from a baseline of good intentions. We give the benefit of the doubt to them that regardless of which party they represent they are tethered by a basic
human decency that will prevent them from going past certain boundaries.
The nation’s founders certainly never planned for the kind of animalism that has seized the reins of power in this country. The documents, laws, and rules these great men devised all relied on the notion they would be honored. That court rulings would be respected. That checks and balances would be enforced. That truth was irrefutable. That the tether would hold.
In response, many of us became lazy in our duties as citizens, spending less time vetting candidates and more waiting to be wooed and wowed by a haircut, a movie-star smile, a waggish wink, the chance to be part of something historic. While these things seduced us, platforms and policy fell by the wayside until we allowed ourselves to believe they didn’t matter anyway. We meekly accepted the
fallacy of both sides being the same.
Then we heard the rattle. Norms were violated. Things typically left unspoken were spoken — and loudly — from the most elevated platforms. Seemingly every other day brought a new unprecedented violation of the social order.
A few years ago, the word “unprecedented” was used so often it wore out its welcome. We grew tired of unprecedented actions and unprecedented utterances, especially those that effected chaos and uproar. And so we un-presidented the unprecedented.
We pivoted back to normalcy in the form of a lifelong public servant who epitomized traits such as duty, tradition, and character. But normal is boring to people whose attention spans have been trained to ingest the world in 60-second video clips and 144 characters or less.
So now we hear the rattle again. Despite promises they would decrease “on Day One,” prices are rising. Airplanes are falling from the skies as overworked aviation employees are forced out of their jobs. They and other federal workers nationwide are targeted randomly under the pretense of fiscal “efficiency.” I wonder how chasing down so-called fraud lines up with paying for vanity-driven trips to the Super Bowl and Daytona 500 Leaders in blue states are threatened openly with losing federal funding support if they don’t bend the knee and cater to impulsive and often illegal whims. Redstate voters get to find out funding streams they hoped would turn off for “woke” causes can unexpectedly dry up for jobs and services they like and need. But who wants to do anything about this roaming unchained menace? Not those helping form a growing pack of ravagers. Not those who fear speaking out lest they draw the pack’s attention. Not those who look on in glee at the mayhem. Not those who’ve decided to sit this one out and watch the country burn, as if they won’t get singed, too. Perhaps some of those folks who felt a line was crossed when the current president braggadociously referred to himself as a monarch will finally make a stand. Assuming they survive the outbreaks of various maladies we might all face since so many of that contingent also are anti-vaccines. He wants to be called King; he should pray folks don’t start associating him with Old Yeller.
Terry E. Manning is a Clemson graduate who worked for 20 years as a journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com.
Black History Month — A time of reflection
Black History Month has come along — as I hope it will continue to do — and as one who taught black history for several decades, I feel the urge to write about it.
As the month progresses, we are reminded of people of African descent in America’s past, of local manifestations of black culture, and of how African Americans fought for their own freedom and risked their lives in our country’s wars to better the existence of us all. This is most welcome. What I see less of are personal stories, especially told by those generally regarded as white, as I am, about the racism that surrounded them as they grew up. Here are a few of my stories.
I spent my youth in Indiana, a state with its share of Ku Klux Klan supporters in the 1920s — my father told me he remembered a cross-burning down the block from his home — but by mid-century was no longer a hotbed of overt racism. My city was a mid-size industrial center, where job-seeking African-American migrants from the South had given it a racially mixed population.
My early introduction to the racism of the day was more subtle than glaring. Nothing in the city was segregated by law nor were
there separate facilities for blacks, but, as in many places, most African Americans lived in a particular section of the city. In mine, it was “The North End.” Each of the city’s elementary schools served students from nearby homes, making the schools largely segregated. My guess, in looking back, is that of the city’s dozen elementary schools, nine were all-white, a couple were racially mixed, and the one serving The North End, Nicholson School, was all black. I was on my school’s 6th-grade basketball team. For games against the other schools on their courts, we’d wear school clothes on the ride over, bring along our uniforms, and change in the school’s locker room. When a Saturday-morning game against Nicholson came along, our coach called a team meeting the Friday before, solely to warn us that this was not like playing at the other schools and that we should
be sure not to bring anything of value with us to the game, implying that it was likely to be stolen. When I came home and told my mother, she rolled her eyes and used her most extreme expression: “Oh, for goodness gracious!”
No one had anything stolen; I think we lost the game.
A few years later, when I was in junior high, my city began discussing building a public swimming pool. A couple of country clubs had pools for their members, but for everyone else there was nowhere to swim and cool off during the humid summers.
The problem about having a public pool was, in a word, race. A group of white city residents didn’t want to swim with blacks or even swim in a pool where Blacks had been swimming. The idea was floated at a city council meeting to build the pool, have it open only to white swimmers Wednesdays through Sundays, open it to Blacks on Mondays, and then close the pool for draining and cleaning on Tuesdays. I was old enough to be appalled by the discussion.
The city ended up not building the pool for all the time I lived there.
Then, there were my college years. I attended a liberal arts
college, which had a reputation for educating future leaders of the business world (Boy, did I miss out on that, eh?). My fraternity had a “no-Blacks” clause, which we successfully petitioned to have removed during my final year on campus. That didn’t matter, however, because I do not remember a single non-white student coming through fraternity rush.
Recalling this prompted me to look through my yearbooks from the years I attended. Of the 1 624 students who graduated between 1963 and 1966, eight were Black. (For those interested in next month’s focus on Women’s History, seven of the eight were men).
A few years after college came the sobering experience — in lots of ways — of my years in the U.S. Air Force. My station was Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala. When my wife and I arrived there, Aug. 15, 1968, she sought work in public schools. The county was overjoyed to have her because, as the state desegregated its schools “at all deliberate speed” following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, it was required to have two white teachers in each of its still allBlack schools.
One of those schools needed a
white teacher just two weeks before school year started. Though her license was to teach music, my wife was hired to teach 2nd grade. Her classroom was “auxiliary,” meaning it was a made-over mobile home set in the school yard beside a larger building.
On the first day of school, more than half the students showed up not wearing shoes and many never had money for the cafeteria lunch. During the term, when one of the students fell and badly cut her arm, my wife rushed the 7 -year-old girl to a nearby doctor’s office, only to be instructed to exit the building and bring in the still bleeding girl through the door at the building’s rear.
The school closed the next year as, 15 years after the famous court decision, integration finally came to Montgomery county’s public schools.
These and similar stories make Black History Month, for me, a time of reflection. May it work the same for others — for a long time.
Donald R. Wright is a Distinguished Teaching Professor of History, Emeritus, at SUNY-Cortland. In 2005-06 he held the Mark Clark Chair of History at The Citadel. He is author of books on African, AfricanAmerican, and Atlantic histories. Don and his wife Doris live in Beaufort.
ANDY BRACK
TERRY E. MANNING
DONALD WRIGHT
Revolutionizing education in Beaufort County
In a previous column I wrote about Herman Gaither’s modest upbringing, and his record of building or renovating nearly every school in Beaufort County’s School District. But a successful district involves more than new bricks, linoleum and bathroom tile.
Gaither was also concerned about curriculum — he wanted to give every Beaufort County student the opportunity to succeed. There was, at the time of his ascendancy, the widely accepted theory that small class size was the key to success. And if there was any school that then enjoyed this “small class” advantage it was Port Royal Elementary.
Port Royal’s school age population was declining (as the Town itself was declining) and previous Superintendents believed it was time to close-down this white-painted neighborhood school located within walking distance of many
TSCOTT GRABER
of its students.
There was the notion that any school, wherever located, should have a population of at least 500 students.
Port Royal didn’t come close to this number.
The people in Port Royal, however, rose up and they stopped the District’s efforts to shut down their “neighborhood” school also arguing that closing the school would effectively eviscerate their Town by removing the children.
It was against this background and these discussions that Gaither began his tenure and fashioned his bond referendums.
Gaither designed his buildings to have a limited
oday, I am relinquishing my column space to a letter I received from a woman who visited our area recently – Val Cabell of Vermillion, Ohio. It is so wellwritten and right to the point that I feel compelled to share. I'll see you next week.
An orange colored fireball is rolling with great speed across this nation and even around the globe. It is out of control.
It has nothing to do with the world's changing climate. This is no actual weather-related event but something caused by man; it's human driven, deceptive and destructively beguiling.
It is intruding into all of our lives from the delusional and dark realm of megalomania. Unwelcome and uninvited. Its fuel, "Adderall.” Yes, Adderall, a drug! Yes, this pernicious president is on it and has been for years. How many of you knew this?
So now what do we see as the fireball keeps on rollin' ... With his posse of violent and terrifying men newly released from prison, who will do anything for their cult leader, a man so vainly puffed up by any crowd and by his own immoral fleshy mind, we wait as we stare downward.
And with his wing-men at his side pumping him up, we are subjected to living under a government that is beyond authoritarian. Huge numbers of people are displaced, many with no longer protected status; people may simply disappear once winter breaks and the posse is on the loose again. Most of us are shak-
Foreign aid
enrollment and to provide common areas where 3rd, 4th and 5th graders could mingle. These schools would have special sessions that would include several different grade levels.
Gaither also believed he had to get laptops into the hands of students as soon as possible. And so he began a program in 1996 to give every 6th grader a laptop. In 1997 he got laptops to every 7th grader; the 8th graders getting laptops a year later.
More importantly Gaither brought parents into the discussion about what should be included in the curriculum as well as the design of the building. Gaither’s focus on the community came at the same moment that charter schools were opening up throughout Beaufort County.
In 1998 the first charter school was opened-up in Beaufort County. In theory, charter schools were a way to get away from the bu-
reaucracy that appeared to straight-jacket the teachers and diminish creativity. In those long gone days it was simply “teach to the test.”
“But every student who left the public schools (and went to a charter school) took money with him (or her) when he or she left,” said Gaither.
Gaither worried that losing this money, as well as losing the most affluent students, would cripple the public system. He realized that he would somehow have to compete with these new, experimental schools by having programs for the gifted and talented; programs like the International Baccalaureate.
“Two doctors came to see me wanting my assurance that their children would be able to get the math skills needed to become engineers. I knew that if we were to survive we would have to have STEM programs that would keep these kids in our system.”
But there were some
pitfalls.
By 2000, it was clear that a 3rd high school was needed.
“Beaufort High School was at capacity, and we had students living in Big Estate who had to catch a bus at dawn in order to get to school by eight.”
The District decided to build this new school on the northern side of the Whale Branch River—a location that would require a redrawing of attendance zones. The District began to spend big money for land acquisition and for planning—especially in designing a sewage disposal system.
Many parents didn’t like a plan that shifted their children from Beaufort High to Battery Creek.
The County said this area — Dale and Lobeco — was designated “rural” on the Comprehensive Plan. Conservation Groups voiced their opposition. Governor Sanford also opposed the location saying it would
‘Let right be done’
ing our heads daily in disbelief at the people in charge of governing this country. At the same time, huge amounts of money are being moved around.
This week we were informed (again) that:
MAGA stands for Make America Great Again. Well, I think it has been great, very great.
MIGA stands for: Make India Great Again. Well, that's a new one but I believe India has been great, very great. Wait for it....dare they suggest "MEGA?" … They did! Actually, MEGA stands for megalomania, a mental disorder. "Someone who has an unnaturally strong wish for power and control or thinks they are much more powerful than they really are."
History reminds us of other megalomaniacs: Alexander the Great. Died 323 BC. Genghis Khan. Died 1227 AD. Napoleon Bonaparte. Died 1821 AD. Adolf Hitler. Died 1945 AD. This year is 2025, shouldn't we have learned from history and now be enjoying our lives to the fullest, free from fear; are we not at the zenith of our civilization? God help us.
Recently it has been reported that many people said: "For God's
sake! Dont let this megalomaniac become President!" We did.
He is wicked. Some say he is evil. He is unhinged and hell bent on dismantling Democracy under the wilful guise of contrived distraction.
Here are just some of the president's outlandish ideas:
"We will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America."
Say what?
"Let's take Greenland, OK, maybe not.
“How about Panama, well, keep trying.
“The Gaza! We"ll take Gaza and completely rebuild it to show the world; in fact it will be for the world's people,(except for the Palestinians).
“OK, well I believe we can take Canada; it's right next door, they have no military, can't survive without us, and the people there have not been very nice to us.
Wayne Gretzky, he's OK, and I like ice hockey. It should become the 51st state."
In fact and in truth, Canadians now are more unified than ever. They say flags of the red maple leaf are flying off the shelves from coast to coast to coast.
These are preposterous ideas and hurtful insults causing long-term damage thrown at the nicest, friendliest neighbo(u)r to the North -- absolutely unconscionable! It's insane. Well, since we have earlier revealed another form of mental illness, let's add to the list with descriptive words for insane: "In a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behaviour, or social interaction,
seriously mentally ill."
My husband, the epitome of a perfect American gentleman, kind, generous and also brilliant, has no answer. I have no answer. But we both believe in the ultimate and powerful source of praying to the God of the Universe. Is He the only one now who can help us? Hopefully, but I don't know. There is power in prayer. Please let's all try it.
If former President Jimmy Carter, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was still alive and was ready to welcome strangers at his home as he often did, I would head to Georgia and knock on his front door, expect to be greeted by him and ask him, " Mr. President Sir, what would you do?" Carter taught us: "The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and our prejudices." He was a true man of faith and goodness. He made people's lives better around the world. He was “presidential.”
People looked fondly on him and fondly toward America. President Carter said with that smile of trusting hope and the promise of certainty shining through his sparkling blue eyes: " I have one life and one chance to make it count for something."
"My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to make a difference."
I wish he was still with us.
President Carter is the complete antithesis of this bully in office today. The timing of his recent death in January, he was over
encourage development of this pastoral part of Beaufort County.
Eventually the School Board voted to reverse the District’s decision putting the new high school on the southern side of the river.
Herman Gaither began his career in a one-room, un-plumbed school house in Great Falls, S.C. As a college student he demonstrated, at Claflin, his disdain for this system. And yet, somehow, this man suppressed his resentment.
Gaither repeatedly appeared before skeptical County Councils — repeatedly arguing that the rebuilding of Beaufort’s schools and the re-imagination of teaching technology was necessary. This man — quietly and without rancor — revolutionized education in Beaufort County.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
As the debate on foreign aid has been raging for some time, here’s a different approach to the subject of congressional appropriations. In the 1800s, a famous Congressman said, in effect, “while every individual has the right to give to whoever they want, we in Congress don’t have the right to give away the public’s money, no matter how sympathetic the cause.” He then offered to give a donation to the cause in discussion out of his own pocket if the other congressmen would also give out of their own pockets. End of debate.
– Jerry Floyd, St. Helena Island
A Green New Scam or not
It is interesting that President Trump has stated that “inflation is back,” and he thinks the rise in inflation is all due to “‘Green New Scam,’ I call it.” The Labor Department reports the consumer price index increased by 3 percent last month compared to a year ago.
There have been a lot of economic warnings that Trump’s proposed policies, including mass deportation, tariffs, and tax reductions are inflationary. The Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) stated that “the administration’s trade and immigration policy suggested restoring 2% inflation could take longer than expected.” The
Fed has slowed interest rate reductions to compensate.
Mark Zandi (Moody’s) said that sudden hot inflation can have several causes, “the anticipation of the president’s economic policies, as they have resulted in higher inflation expectations, could be one driver."
According to the U.S Treasury Department, the United States has seen a particularly strong Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recovery and is on track this year to reach the level that would have been predicted by the pre-pandemic trend. Global labor markets have not recovered as well. Could it be that the “Green New Scam”
100 years old, was no mere coincidence. Perhaps he ordained it to occur just prior to this new administration.
Cleveland Clinic this past week has been asking its patients, many of whom are reporting depression from watching the state of affairs in their own country, if they are feeling depressed and then, advising their patients, particularly vulnerable seniors who have lived through so many decades of uncertain times but never anything like this, to take time away from the news broadcasts for their better health. And in that time, seek peace and solace from anything that strengthens them. I want to wake up completely refreshed each morning but I do not. For the last many many weeks, after numerous nights of disturbed sleep and disturbing thoughts from each separate day's events, I brace myself for the dawn's early light and then … conclude it was not just a strange nightmare; it was not a bizarre and sickening scenario; surely this was not the time I was living in, but a time far hence that could never happen, to me, to our country, to our good and kind, humble neighbors of the North. Surely to God this is the time for people of good will and sound reason to reach for higher ground together all across the country; indeed across the whole continent of North America. Let Right be Done.
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.”
was behind that strong GDP recovery? This is not “MAGA think.” Is the Inflation Reduction Act a scam?
A 2024 paper (Judd et al) suggests that our current atmospheric CO2 concentration (approximately 220 ppm) will eventually yield greater than 3 degrees Celcius in warming. Recent studies also suggest that the El Nino of last summer was equal to approximately 1 5 degrees Celcius of warming. Who do you trust? Trump or science? Ignorance or knowledge (ignorantia or scientia)?
– Gerald Blount, St. Helena Island
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The Four Gospels
Historical Biographies of Jesus
The four Gospels were written like other ancient biographies. In the time of the Roman Empire, biographies were often written about the lives of great political leaders or military heroes. It is these biographies that the four Gospels most closely resemble, rather than the poetry or myths of that day. The Gospels were composed as historical biographies of Jesus of Nazareth.
By today’s standards, the Gospels are relatively short. Due to the limitations of writing on a papyrus scroll, ancient biographies tended to be between 10,000-20,000 words. This is the length of a modern short story or two. Mark is the shortest Gospel; with about 11,000 words, it can be read in an afternoon. John is the longest, with about 19,000 words.
The Gospels focus on the essentials of the life of Jesus. Perhaps due to the space constraints, ancient biographies typically focused on the birth, public life, and death of their subject. They did not usually include details that we would expect today, such as descriptions of physical appearance, personality, or childhood. The four Gospels are very light on such personal details about Jesus, but they focus on his birth, public ministry, and the events surrounding his death. His hair color is not mentioned, for example, but his crucifixion and resurrection are treated at great length, since these are at the heart of the Christian message.
The Gospels are concerned with historical truth. Ancient biographers saw it as their responsibility to accurately convey the words and deeds of the subject, so that the reader can grasp the essence of the person. They saw themselves as reporting history. The Gospel authors took this approach to their writing, seeking to convey the words and deeds of Jesus as they actually happened. Luke, for example, writes at the start of his Gospel that he is writing a narrative based on eyewitness accounts, so that the reader may know the facts concerning Christ. (Luke 1:1-4)
The Gospels are like four portraits of Jesus. Each was written for a different audience, and each emphasizes different aspects of Jesus. For example, Matthew wrote his Gospel for Jewish readers, so he included many quotations from Scripture to show that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior. Just like we can come to a richer understanding of a modern figure by reading biographies from several different authors, the four Gospels each give us unique insights into the mystery of Jesus.
Jesus is the “Good News” the Gospels writers proclaim. The word Gospel comes from the Greek word meaning “Good News.” The four Gospels share the amazing news that God has entered the world as a human being. This is what sets them apart from all other biographies, past or present. They are not describing the words and actions of an ordinary man, but God in our midst.
Who Is Jesus?