February 29 edition

Sinise brings Lt. Dan back to Beaufort

By Delayna Earley The Island News

It has been 30 years since Gary Sinise traveled to Beaufort to play the role of a wounded Vietnam War veteran named Lt. Dan, a role that would ultimately influence the rest of his life.

At the time, Sinise was not a well-known actor, having only done a few movies and mostly theater work, and while he knew that the movie Forrest Gump had the potential to be great due to a fantastic cast, screen play and direc-

tor, he had no idea just how much that role would change his life. “Back in those days I was kind of anonymous, people didn’t really know what I was doing,” Sinise said. “So, Forrest Gump changed all that and being honored for that and other films that I’ve been in, that’s wonderful and it gave me the opportunity to come back and visit and say hello to everybody.” He has been back to the Lowcountry since filming that movie in the early 1990s, but this time he was back in Beaufort to be hon-

ored with a Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award at the Beaufort International Film Festival (BIFF).

Sinise received his award on Saturday, Feb. 24, at USCB’s Center for the Arts, and the award was presented to him by his longtime friend Jonathan Flora, who worked with Sinise years ago on a documentary about the Lt. Dan Band and Sinise in 2011 as he traveled to play for enlisted men

SEE SINISE PAGE A6

Roll the credits!

Beaufort International Film Festival raises the bar in film selections

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

In a whirlwind of films, movie stars, concerts, directors, old friends and new, the 18th annual Beaufort International Film Festival (BIFF) has come to an end.

The annual film festival was held at USCB’s Center For The Arts in downtown Beaufort beginning on Feb. 20 2024, with the opening night reception and concert featuring Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers and concluded on Feb. 25 with the Awards Presentation.

While every year has been special, according to Ron Tucker, President of the Beaufort Film Society and co-director of BIFF, this year was by far the best festival that they have had.

Tucker said that roughly 12 000

SEE CREDITS PAGE A5

Primary, Page A9

people in Port Royal 1 and 2 had cast their votes. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Ernie Denov, bass player for the Lt. Dan Band, and Gary Sinise play together in a concert at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort on February 23, 2024, in Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Anthony Grasso and Maggie Alexander pose for a photo just before the award ceremony at the Beaufort International Film Festival on Feb. 25, 2024, at USCB’s Center For The Arts. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Doug Otico snapped a photo of these two Pileated Woodpeckers on Monday, Feb. 26, on Broomfield Creek on Lady’s Island where he lives. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.

VETERAN OF THE WEEK RUBEN CEDENO

Beaufort’s Ruben Cedeno, 78, was drafted into the United States Marine Corps in New York in 1965. After Boot Camp at Parris Island, he trained at Camp Lejeune as a machine gunner. His first assignment was to Guantanamo Bay, where he manned his machine gun in a bunker on the border. He then was sent to Okinawa in preparation for duty in Vietnam, arriving in Da Nang in 1966

NEWS BRIEFS

Assistant Editor Delayna Earley delayna. theislandnews@ gmail.com

During his tour he was frequently in intense combat, suffered wounds four times, earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, four Purple Hearts and was finally medevacked to the hospital ship USNS REPOSE before being sent to Naval Hospital Yokosuka

and then to a hospital on Long Island, N.Y. After recovery he was assigned to security duty at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Back to Okinawa, he spent a year training others in jungle warfare before returning to Camp Lejeune. His next assignment was at Parris Island, becoming a Drill Instructor for two years. He returned to Camp Lejeune and was retired in 1986 as

Beaufort Charities hosting

Palooza In The Park, Oyster Roast

Beaufort Charities is hosting its annual Palooza in the Park and Oyster Roast at Port Royal’s Live Oaks Park this weekend.

Friday night features national recording artist Mike Ponder at 5:30 p.m. And following is the Zac Brown Tribute Band "20 RIDE." Food and beverage options available include beer, wine, liquor and food trucks.

Saturday features "All You Can Eat Oysters" and bands all day long, starting with the "Band of OZ" at noon, and then the nationally renowned Tom Petty tribute band "The Wildflowers" at 4 p.m. And the weekend ends with all the favorites we love to sing from the Elton John tribute band "Rocket Man." Included with oysters and bands on Saturday are two live auctions (3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.), s’mores by the fire, free kids zone and all the fun you can have with your friends around the bonfire.

Tickets are available at https://bit. ly/4bUAYeP.

Beaufort Twilight Run in search of sponsors

The Beaufort Twilight Run is a little less than two months away — March 23 2024 and is looking for sponsors. A sponsorship is a wonderful opportunity to help support the students at Riverview Charter School and to

ON THIS DATE

promote a business or place of employment.

For more information, contact Christina Gecy, BTR Sponsorship Chair at christinagecy@gmail.com. Review the sponsorship packet at https://bit.ly/49fAygV or complete the sponsorship form at https://bit.ly/48UqEBI.

Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club meeting

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s March meeting will be held Thursday, March 14, at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Local guide, Captain Thomas McDonald of Hilton Head Inshore Charters will discuss Trout and Redfish. He will present rods and reels, various rigs, and sure techniques for landing legal size. This will also include live bait vs. artificial and his favorite choices.

Guests are welcome. Reservations are not needed.

For additional information, please contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843-521-7340 or email fgibson@islc.net.

Friends of Fort Fremont Oyster Roast

The Friends of Fort Fremont are hosting their annual Oyster Roast from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 15, at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal. Tickets are $40 per person.

March 1 1960: Naval Air Station Beaufort is recommissioned as Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

March 2

1975: Joe Frazier (32-2) defeats Jimmy Ellis by TKO in Melbourne, Australia for his final professional win.

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

March 4

a Master Sergeant with 21 years of service.

In 1991 he was reactivated to instruct at Camp Lejeune during Operations Desert Shield/ Storm. He is a member of AMVETS and VFW.

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

Sea Eagle is catering oysters and chili, appetizers and desserts. Music will be provided by the Sweet Ferns. And once again, there will be a silent auction, including pair of tickets to a Savannah Bananas game.

Tickets are available online at www.fortfremont.org. They can also be purchased by mailing a check to FFF, P.O. Box 982, St. Helena Island, S.C. 29920. The last day to order tickets by mail is March 8

Use caution on Spanish

Moss Trail extension

Beaufort County wants to remind people to use caution when moving through the Spanish Moss Trail Port Royal Extension while it's under construction, particularly the freshly poured concrete.

The project will extend the trail from the current southern terminus across Ribaut Road into Port Royal. The trail is heavily used by members of the public — pedestrians, rollerbladers, walkers and bicyclists — and that will continue. Construction of the extension will continue for several more months dependent on weather and repair work. Please acknowledge and adhere to construction signing in the area.

For more information on the extension project, call Beaufort County Engineering Department at 843-255-2700

– Compiled from staff reports

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 were The Water Is Wide, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini – Compiled by Mike McCombs

Cat of the Week: Lucy knows that she is a star. This beautiful and chatty girl is often found snuggled up in a box, however, she quickly makes herself known when she has visitors. She is happiest when she does not have to share her space with other cats. She loves to spend time rolling in catnip and tasting any treat that comes her way. Lucy is 11 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

Dog Of The Week: Ivy is thriving now that she is feeling better. Ivy and her three

helpless puppies found their way to us several weeks ago, they were struggling with several health issues. She is now healing and ready to find her forever home. She loves people of all ages and has discovered a love of dog toys, especially if they squeak. Ivy is 4 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Lucy, Ivy, or any of our other pets, call our adoption center at 843-645-1725 or email us at info@palmettoanimalleague.org to set up an appointment.

Justin Jarrett LowcoSports@ gmail.com

Advertising Sales Consultant

Sandy Schepis 678-641-4495 sandyschepis@ gmail.com

Ruben Cedeno

Port Royal unveils new speed limit signs to acknowledge veteran suicide rate

By Delayna Earley The

“22

met on Friday, Feb. 23,

of suicides and continuous complaints from members of the community about drivers speeding down Paris Avenue gave him the idea to lower the speed limit to 22 mph.

“I’m not a vet, but this was very important to me,” DeVito said of the sign being unveiled. “I didn’t know the number; I had no idea that the number was that high.”

DeVito said reached out to his connections at AMVETS with his idea, and he was happy when Janice Shelton, head of the Port Royal AMVETS, and John Norman drafted a letter to him about lowering the speed limit. The speed limit was applied to all of Paris Avenue, but the speed limit signs in front of Port Royal Elementary School explain why the speed limit is 22 mph.

important and we wanted to bring the awareness.”

to do so by members from the local AMVETS, a nonprofit organization that serves veterans.

DeVito said that a conversation with a member of AMVETS about the number

Port Royal Mayor Kevin Phillips said that Port Royal is a military town, and it is built on the military, with Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Naval Hospital Beaufort, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort not far away.

“Usually when we get together, we are cutting a ribbon and celebrating something,” said Mayor Phillips. “This isn’t something to really celebrate, but it’s still

He said that this is a small gesture, but anything that the town can do to bring awareness to the situation will help.

MCAS Beaufort, said that this area is very significant to the military.

During World War II, 250,000 recruits went through Parris Island in their training just as he did many years later.

said. “And the Beaufort and Port Royal area, so many folks were either raised in the military or are deeply connected to it.”

tage of the resources that we have available for us so that we can prevent the suicides that we are experiencing.”

Phillips said that about 50 people came out to the unveiling on Friday, which made him so happy to see so many people show their support for the active and veteran military community.

Representatives from both MCAS Beaufort and Parris Island were in attendance at the event.

Col. Mark Bortnem, the commanding officer of

Also, like he did, many of the Marines who train at Parris Island make their way back to this area following their time in the service or in their retirement, leading to many veterans living in the area.

“On par with other cities like Norfolk, Va., or San Diego, Calif., Beaufort is a military town,” Col. Bortnem

Col. Bortnem said that anything we can do to bring attention to the fact that we are losing veterans at an “alarming rate” and to get the community together to prevent it is something that they are in support of.

“Seeking help is a sign of strength,” said Sgt. Major Joshua Toles of the support battalion at Parris Island. “This sign is going to serve as a visual reminder of how important it is to take advan-

Sgt. Major Toles continued to say that the local communities, such as Port Royal, are vital in the support that they provide to veterans in the area.

“Thank you for your recognition,” Sgt. Major Toles said at Friday’s event.

Delayna Earley 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.

ADVANCED ORTHOPEDIC OPTIONS TO RELIEVE BACK AND NECK PAIN

When unmanageable neck or back pain gets in your way, it’s time for the board-certified, fellowship-trained experts at Beaufort Memorial to give you relief.

At Beaufort Memorial you also find:

Whether you experienced a recent injury or have a chronic condition, Beaufort Memorial has your back. The Advanced Orthopedics and Spine Program at Beaufort Memorial brings together state-of-the-art technologies and top spine care experts to address a range of conditions that cause neck and back pain. Let our team create an individualized care plan, exploring both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options, so you can get back to life.

• Innovative solutions that improve your mobility and allow for more natural movement

• An Optimization Program that follows you through the process to ensure the best outcomes

• Advanced procedures that spare healthy tissue and speed recovery

• Outpatient surgeries that allow many patients to go home the same day Visit BeaufortMemorial.org/SpineCare

The new 22 mph sign was unveiled near Port Royal Elementary School on Friday in an effort to increase awareness of the 22 U.S. veterans, on average, who take their own lives each day.

Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

A close up of the new 22 mph sign, which was unveiled Friday morning

Nancy Mace holds town hall event in Port Royal

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

PORT ROYAL – U.S. Representative Nancy Mace braved the chilly winds just after sunset on Thursday, Feb. 22, as she hosted a town hall-type meeting behind ShellRing Ale Works.

Several dozen people endured the cold a long with her to see what the Charleston Republican had to say.

Mace touted her record on cyber security and talked about a bill she recently supported that would allow certain people to be hired by the federal government without a college degree, particularly those that work in the cyber security field. Mace said some of the sharpest computer minds out there aren’t anywhere close to a college degree, and the U.S. needs them if we are to stay ahead of China in the technology game.

She talked about border security, claiming the bill Republicans and Democrats recently worked out … before the Republicans took the advice of former President Donald Trump and walked

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) makes a point during her sunset town hall meeting Thursday, Feb. 22, at ShellRing Ale Works in Port Royal. Mace addressed a number of issues including Congress’s inability to get anything done. Mace said whatever does get accomplished is done behind closed doors with lots of hidden agendas forcing a negative vote. She went on to say, “I find it very disgusting.” Bob Sofaly/The Island News

away from it … was not a serious bill. This despite the fact the GOP was getting some things they wanted. Mace said no seri-

ous bill would be negotiated unless it started with House Resolution 2 (https://bit.ly/4bX8i55).

If someone is telling you

we’re not serious about border security, “they’re not playing with the facts,” Mace said. When she turned to ques-

tions from the gathered crowd, she immediately dealt with a veteran unhappy with the Veterans Administration’s response to his health issues.

Mace told him to skip everything else and “call my office.”

In the 2024 election, Mace faces opposition from both parties, including four Republican challengers.

Mount Pleasant Republican Catherine Templeton announced her candidacy earlier this month. She was appointed director of the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation in December 2010, and then the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) chief in 2012, both under Gov. Nikki Haley. She ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018

In January, in a rare move, Mace’s former chief-of-staff Dan Hanlon filed to run for her seat. His filing came as several media outlets published stories citing strife and high turnover in Mace’s congressional office. Hanlon

worked in the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump administration and was a staff member of former Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.).

Also running is Austin Anderson – he announced his candidacy back in February 2023. He’s an Uber driver who calls himself a “gay, anti-establishment Republican,” according to the Island Packet.

Bill Young has filed to run for the seat, as well.

On the Democratic side, there are two candidates –Charleston attorney Mac Deford, a Coast Guard veteran and graduate of The Citadel, and businessman Michael B. Moore, the great-great grandson of Beaufort’s Robert Smalls.

The S.C. Republican and Democratic primaries will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2024

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

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, SLED seek help to find missing man

Aviation Unit, officers with Hardeeville Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have been searching for Raffone in the areas where his vehicle was last seen without success.

Raffone is 5 foot, 7 inches tall

and weighs 164 pounds. He has blue eyes and grey hair. He was last seen wearing a hunter green colored sweatshirt with a white shirt underneath it, blue jeans and grey tennis shoes.

Raffone suffers from dementia and there is concern for his safety.

As of press time on Tuesday evening, Rafffone had not been located.

Investigators are asking the

public to check their residential and commercial properties in the areas where Raffone was last seen during the early morning hours on Tuesday, Feb. 20 2024

Anyone who may have seen Raffone or his vehicle is encouraged to call Sgt. Calore at 843-255-3411 or the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777

Zonta gives Erickson leadership award

From staff reports The Zonta Club of Beaufort has presented Shannon Erickson with its Leadership Award, recognizing Erickson for her outstanding leadership in paving the way for other women business owners. Rep. Erickson (R-124) grew up in Florence and graduated from USC Beaufort with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education. She is President of Lowcountry Building Blocks, Inc., which operates preschool and childhood development centers. She is a pro-business and pro-environment leader, an advocate for children and families, a “whole child” education supporter, higher education, and workforce policy leader. Erickson is a member and supporter of several local groups and organizations

such as AMI Kids, Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lady’s Island Business & Professional Association and Reconstruction Beaufort: The Second Founding of America Advisory Board, just to name a few. Erickson was first elected to the Statehouse in October 2007. An educator and business owner, she builds consensus and coalitions through grassroots citizen involvement and smaller, more accountable government. She leans across the aisle and works collaboratively across the aisle to achieve solid results. She serves as Chairperson of the House Education & Public Works Committee which deals with K-12 education, higher education, Governor’s and Special Schools, and early education, as well as public

safety, motor vehicles, roads & bridges, and regulatory policy. She is Co-Chairman of the General Assembly’s Childcare Study Committee.

Erickson is the ranking Republican Woman at the Statehouse and has previously served on the House Ways and Means Committee, as Transportation and Regulatory Budget Subcommittee Chair, the House Labor, Commerce & Industry Committee as the Regulation Subcommittee Chair and on the Medical, Military & Municipal Committee. She served as Chairperson of the General Assembly Women’s Caucus, Republican Women’s Leadership Caucus and as a Majority Party Whip.

The Ericksons are active members of St Peter’s Catholic Church. Shannon and her husband, CPA Kendall

Mt. Pleasant

Erickson, are proud parents of a son, Josh (Katie) of

and daughter

Mariah (Randall Owen) of Charleston, but even prouder of their five grandchil-

dren, Wilson, Smith, Walker Owen, Matilda and Frances Erickson.

The Zonta Club of Beaufort has presented Shannon Erickson with its Leadership Award. Here, she (center) is shown with, from left, Pat Green, Amber Hewitt and Edna Horne. Submitted photo

Martin Raffone left his home in Sun City during the early morning hours driving a white 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedan with South Carolina license plate KDP973. Photo provided

Video footage shows Martin Raffone at the Enmarket at Exit 8 at I-95 in Hardeeville where he purchased $10 in gasoline. Photo provided Martin Raffone

Ballot scanner testing

mobile home fully involved, endangers nearby homes

From staff reports

Just after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, emergency crews from the Burton Fire District, Parris Island Fire and Emergency Services, Beaufort County EMS and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Stillwood Lane in Grays Hill. A reported mobile home fire was endangering nearby homes. Initial reports stated it was unknown if anyone was still inside. Burton fire crews arrived on scene and found a mobile home fully engulfed in flames endangering a nearby home less than 50 feet away.

The fire also involved a power pole, and was spreading into the yard of

Credits from page A1

another residence. Firefighters engaged the flames, pushing them back and away from the nearby home and quickly extinguished the fire. Fire officials learned that the mobile home was abandoned; however, firefighters still searched the debris for possible victims and confirmed it to be empty. No injuries were reported, and fire damages were contained to the abandoned mobile home.

Burton fire investigators and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the fire. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Burton Fire District.

people came to the various events and screenings during the festival.

“Every single screening was sold out,” said Anneliza Itkor, one of the jurors for the festival. With more than 500 submissions to the festival from filmmakers all over the world, they narrowed it down to just more than 50 to be shown during the festival.

While the films were special this year, Tucker and Itkor both agreed that what made this year so much better than previous years was the presence of actor and musician Gary Sinise. Sinise, who is on the BIFF Board of Advisors, received the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award this year at the Beaufort International Film Festival.

“That’s a wonderful thing,” said Sinise about receiving the award. “It’s nice to be honored, but I don’t go look for that kind of thing.”

While Sinise was honored for career in film on Saturday night, Sunday night was when the awards for the film festival entries were announced.

This year’s winners were:

Screenplay Award – Just in Time by Robbie Robertson

Animation Award – Dandelion

Student Film Award – Slobopoly

Short Film Award – Hedgehog

Documentary Feature Award An Open

Door: Temple Grandin

Documentary Short Award – The Volunteer

Feature Film Award – Long

Best

Best

Best

TCL, area employers to host Lowcountry Career Expo

From staff reports

The Technical College of the Lowcountry along with several other area organizations and state agencies will host the Lowcountry Career Expo from 1 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 12, at the Beaufort National Guard Readiness Center, at 1 Cavalry Lane, in Beaufort.

One of the largest annual job fairs in the area, the Lowcountry Career Expo will showcase more than 50 area employers and businesses with representatives on hand.

Participating employers include:

Beaufort Jasper

Economic Opportunity Commission

Palmetto Dunes

Oceanfront Resort

Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority

Beaufort County

Coastal Employment

Gehl Food & Beverage Southeast

Montage Palmetto

Bluff

Federal Correction Institution Estill UPS

Elite Resort Group, Inc.

Envirovac

• Genesis Healthcare, Inc.

Personal Care

Ambulance

City of Beaufort

The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort &

Spa

Early Tuesday afternoon, the Burton Fire

Parris

and Emergency Services,

a

They talked about how we have raised the bar of what made it into this festival.” While this year’s festivities have come to an end, festival goers can go ahead and pencil in the dates of next year’s festival, which according to Turner, will take place from Feb. 18 through 23 2025 Delayna Earley formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia.

South Carolina

Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services

South Carolina

Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services

South Carolina

Highway Patrol

Pepsi Beverages Company

Hilton Head Island

Recreation Center

Technical College of the Lowcountry

Keller Williams Realty

City of Hardeeville

South Carolina

Department of Corrections

Palmetto Goodwill—

Senior Community Service Employment

Program

Republic Services

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

Home 2 Suites

Education Management & Staffing

Solutions

Celltouch Cleland

Port Royal Police Dept.

Vernon Kemp, center, IT Elections Systems Coordinator for Beaufort County Board of Elections, and Randy Schmidt, poll clerk for Lady’s Island precincts

2B and 2C, scan a pre-selected “problem ballot” during the public testing of the ballot tabulation machines to be used in Saturday’s Republican presidential primary. Kemp said one or two ballots will be given incorrect information of various sorts. The DS450 tabulation machine, which is used to count paper early voting ballots, will read the error and kick out the ballot for further inspection. Everything worked properly, as expected.

District,

Island Fire

Beaufort County EMS and Sheriff’s Office, responded to

reported mobile home fire on Stillwood Lane in Grays Hill that was endangering nearby homes. Photo courtesy of Burton Fire District

David Park, along with Forrest Gump (Paul Dengler) of Nashville, Tenn., stand for a portrait in front of USCB’s Center For The Arts during the 18th annual Beaufort International Film Festival. Park has wanted to see the film Spirit of Beaufort and has been looking forward to it for two years.

Director Thomas Torrey accepts the Audience Choice Award for Long December at the Beaufort International Film Festival Awards Presentation on Feb. 25, 2024, at USCB’s Center for the Arts. Photos by Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Haley tells Beaufort crowd she’s not going anywhere

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley held a rally Wednesday evening, Feb. 21 at Beaufort’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park on a bus tour stop on her 2024 campaign for the GOP Presidential nomination.

Haley made it clear she wasn’t bowing out of the race anytime soon, even though she trails Donald Trump by more than 30 points with Saturday’s South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary looming.

“I am not going anywhere,” Haley said Wednesday.

Michigan’s GOP presidential primary is next, Tuesday, Feb. 27, followed by Idaho, Missouri and Michigan’s convention (March 2); Washington D.C. (March 3; and North Dakota (March 4). Super Tuesday (Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia) looms on March 5

Haley spent 40 minutes speaking about the age and viability of the two men running for president – former President Trump and President Joe Biden. And she made it clear she was the only remaining candidate who could beat Biden, criticizing Trump and his self-centered campaign.

Gary Overbay and his wife, who live in Chicago but were vacationing in Bluffton, attended the rally. Overbay was impressed.

Haley from page A1

out at 26 85%

Despite failing to win a primary, Haley has vowed to staty in the race until at least Super Tuesday – March 5, when 16 states and territories are contested.

Michigan’s GOP presidential primary was held Tuesday – Haley was trailing by 30 percentage points as of press time. Idaho, Missouri and Michigan’s convention are set for Saturday, March 2, followed by Washington D.C. (March 3) and North Dakota (March 4). Super Tuesday (Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia) looms on March 5

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

Kenny

“She’s incredibly impressive,” he said. “To speak off script like that for 40 minutes … and she understands what she wants. To have a clear plan, … I don’t agree with all of it, but most of it is good.”

Overbay said Haley had to be his choice of the three remaining candidates.

“She’s the only one with a clear plan,” he said. “One guy may have a plan, but he can no longer articulate it (Biden), while the other guy doesn’t really have a plan at all (Trump).”

Among Haley’s traits Overbay likes are her respect for the military, support for NATO and Ukraine, and her desire to rein in spending and taxes.

And he likes her composure and leadership.

“Your leaders can’t be angry all the time,” he said. “Think about it, do you do your best work when you’re angry? No. It’s impossible. And if you’re always angry, everybody that follows you will be, too.”

This was Haley’s fourth trip to Beaufort County since the beginning of December and the third this month. The first three appear-

ances were south of the Broad River, once in early December at USC Beaufort in Bluffton, and twice in the past two weeks – Feb. 8 at Forrest Fire BBQ on Hilton Head Island and then again Feb. 13 at Oyster Factory Park in Bluffton.

The Wednesday, Feb. 14, Winthrop poll shows Trump with a 36 percentage-point lead over Ha-

ley among those likely to vote in South Carolina’s primary.

If she loses the S.C. and then the nomination, would Overbay vote for Trump. “No,” he said. “Not a chance.”

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

Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department receives grant from Gary Sinise Foundation

From staff reports

Once again, actor Gary Sinise has come through for the City of Beaufort.

Earlier this year, the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department applied for a grant through the Gary Sinise Foundation for a new forcible entry door with which to train firefighters how to enter a locked business or home.

This door will allow firefighters to train on more advanced forcible entry operations, along with commercial and residential doors. While the Gary Sinise Foundation was in

Beaufort for the Lt. Dan Band concert at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, the Gary Sinise Foundation awarded the grant to the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department for an amount of $12 100

“We are incredibly thankful to the Gary Sinise Foundation for this grant award, along with everything the Gary Sinise Foundation does for veterans and first responders,” Fire Chief Tim Ogden said. “Our firefighters and our department will be able to train with this forcible entry door for years to come.”

Sinise from page A1

Earlier this year, the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department applied for and received a grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation. Submitted photo

who played music on the side,” Sinise said about his band.

and women at military bases around the world.

After receiving the award, Sinise sat down and discussed his career with Ron Tucker, President of the Beaufort Film Society and co-director of BIFF.

He continued by saying that he was the amateur in his band surrounded by professionals.

Sinise said that he is proud of the work that he and his costars did on the movie Forrest Gump, and movies like it become classics for a reason.

get passed on because they are good, and they survive, and they live inside us and make us feel good when we see them. I think there are a lot of people that saw [Forest] Gump and they felt that way and they want their kids to feel that way. I’m glad it’s still out there, 30 year later,” Sinise said.

Holy Eucharist

Holy Eucharist

Holy Eucharist

Sundays 9 & 11 AM

Sundays 9 & 11 AM

Sundays 9 & 11 AM

Livestreamed at 9

Livestreamed at 9

Livestreamed at 9

Nursery & children ’s

Nursery & children ’s

Nursery & children ’s

Sunday School at 11

Sunday School at 11

Sunday School at 11

“Today, more than anything, we show appreciation for the movie [Forrest Gump] because it presented us with the Gary Sinise that is here today,” Tucker said. “Lt. Dan is there, but Gary Sinise is the one making all of this happen.”

effect on what I would end up doing in terms of supporting our men and women and giving back to them,” said Sinise. Point made, the night prior to receiving this life achievement award, Sinise and his band the Lt. Dan Band, named after his character in Forrest Gump, played a concert for roughly 7,000 civilians and enlisted men and women at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Sinise said that he was coming to Beaufort for the film festival and thought to himself that he had never played at the air station, so why not bring his band along and put on a show.

“I think the good thing is that the men and women serving our country know that I’m serious about supporting them.”

The 30th anniversary of the premiere of Forrest Gump is on July 6 2024, and Sinise said he was happy that the film festival brought him back to Beaufort this year so that he could catch up with friends and spend some time here.

While the makeup of the band has changed over the years, the purpose of the band has not.

“Beaufort and Forrest Gump – they go together and both the movie and the town have a special place in my heart,” said Sinise.

1104 11th St., Port Royal www.stmarksc.org

1104 11th St., Port Royal www.stmarksc.org

1104 11th St., Port Royal www.stmarksc.org

Sinise agreed with Tucker and said that his role in the movie, while he did not fully realize it at the time, would ultimately change his life forever.

“I think playing the character would have a profound

“I just want them to have a good time. We play a lot of fun songs. It’s not like I was a frustrated musician who became an actor, I was an actor

“Everybody has those movies that you see when you’re younger that are just always a part of your life. You see it and you reflect back to what you were doing when you saw it 20 or 30 years ago, or you hear a song, and it takes you back. I think a lot of people saw that movie when they were young and now, they’ve got their own kids and they’re showing the movie to their own kids and passing it on. That’s what makes a classic. Those classics

Delayna Earley 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.

Kenny Brauer, 7, holds his Nikki Haley campaign sign during Haley’s rally Wednesday evening, Feb. 21, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort.

was at the rally with his mother, Megan Brauer. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley makes her remarks to several hundred people who crammed into Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort on Wednesday evening, Feb. 21. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

A Trump comes to Beaufort

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former president Donald Trump, holds local rally

Jury convicts man for federal hate crime in 2019 slaying of SC transgender woman

Case marks first time a gender-based federal hate crime case has gone to trial

By Skylar Laird SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — A jury convicted a Lowcountry man Friday, Feb. 23 of a federal hate crime for murdering the woman who may have been his lover because she was transgender.

In the first federal trial for a hate crime involving gender identity, the jury found Daqua Ritter, 27 guilty on all counts — murder involving a firearm and misleading investigators, as well as the hate crime charge — after four hours of deliberation following the fourday trial in Columbia. Prosecutors have said they won’t seek the death penalty but Ritter could face multiple life sentences. Sentencing will follow at a later date.

Ritter stood accused of killing 24-year-old transgender woman Dime Doe in 2019 to silence rumors that the two of them were in a sexual relationship.

The prosecution pointed to Ritter’s fear of people thinking he was gay for having sex with Doe, who was born biologically male but began living as a woman just after high school, as evidence he committed the crime out of gender-based hate. But according to his attorney, Ritter didn’t have a problem with Doe’s gender identity. After all, she had come out as transgender years before, and he knew what it meant to be seen in public with her.

The trial marked the first time a jury has heard a federal hate crimes case involving a crime committed over a person’s gender identity since it was outlawed in 2009. In 2017, a Mississippi man was sentenced to 49 years in prison for killing a transgender 17-year-old over her gender, but he pleaded guilty, forgoing a trial.

South Carolina is one of two states without a law specific to hate crimes. Ritter used a gun from a different state, prosecutors said, raising the case to the federal level.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook

Andrews told reporters the case stands as a testament to the commitment of U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina in fighting violence based on gender or sexual orientation.

“We are going to pursue those crimes, and you can bet we are going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” Andrews said.

Tensions rose Ritter and Doe had known each other for years before she was found dead Aug. 4 2019 on a country road near the small town of Allendale, prosecutors said. Ritter grew up in New York, and still lived there some of the time, but he often visited family members’ homes in South Carolina.

Tensions rose in the weeks leading up to Doe’s death, prosecutors said. His girlfriend at the time, Delasia Green, discovered text messages between the two of them and accused Ritter of cheating. She had accused him of cheating before, but it wasn’t until she learned Doe was transgender that he got angry, telling her not to question his heterosexuality.

Exchanges like this are what prosecutors used to argue Ritter killed Doe because of her gender identity, escalating a murder charge into a hate crime.

“He didn’t want anybody thinking he would have sex with a transgender woman,” prosecutor Andrew Manns said.

People were calling Ritter “all sorts of” homophobic slurs, he said in a text to Doe in the days leading up to her death. And in an interview with an investigator after her death, Ritter told a detective that he didn’t “agree with her lifestyle,” prosecutors said. And in the days before she died, he went so far as to tell friends he would hurt her to keep her quiet about their relationship, they added.

What prosecutors didn’t show, said defense attorney Josh Kendrick, was that Ritter and Doe generally had a more tender relationship.

He pointed to hundreds of text messages between them, in which Ritter confided his problems and did not get angry.

A timeline of events

Ritter would use a friend’s phone to text Doe just after 2 p.m. on Aug.

4 2019, asking her to to come pick him up, prosecutors said. Ritter wanted to see her, he told her, and they only had about an hour and a half to spend time together.

Doe arrived around 2:40 p.m.

Less than half an hour later, a police officer pulled her over for speeding on a nearby road. Body camera footage showed the lower half of another person in the car with Doe and a tattoo matching one Ritter has on his hand.

Texts from Doe’s phone indicated the two were still together at 3:14 p.m. but by 4 p.m., all the texts and calls on her phone stopped. Less

than an hour later, Ritter’s friend called Doe’s phone and Ritter picked up, the friend testified. A man found Doe’s body slumped over the wheel of her car on an abandoned property that he owned. She had three gunshot wounds to the head.

That evening, Ritter arrived unexpectedly at his uncle’s house, half a mile from where Doe’s body was found, asking for a ride back to town. He allegedly burned his clothes that night, and friends told investigators he said “no one’s going to have to worry about” Doe anymore.

The next day, Ritter approached Kordell Jenkins, a friend, and asked him to get rid of the gun, Jenkins testified.

Within the week, Ritter’s girlfriend drove him the 80 miles from Allendale to Columbia to catch a bus back to New York. She asked

Ritter if he had anything to do with Doe’s death. He didn’t answer, she said, just looked away and smirked. Kendrick cast doubt on the testimony during his closing argument, calling the witnesses “a crew of clowns.”

While in New York, Ritter stayed in touch with a friend in Allendale who reassured him in text messages that no one was going to “snitch.” He was banking on the idea no one would care enough about Doe to try to solve the crime, prosecutor Andre Manns said in his closing argument.

“Don’t let his cover-up work,” Manns urged. The jurors agreed.

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.

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former president Donald Trump, makes her remarks to an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 Trump supporters during a rally Wednesday at the VFW on Castlerock Road. Trump said after recent legal rulings against the former president, “We aren’t going to fight fire with fire. We are going to fight fire with dynamite!” Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Trump supporter Alice Laughlin holds a pro-Trump poster while listening to Lara Trump at Wednesday’s political rally at the VFW on Castlerock Road. About 100 Trump supporters attended the rally. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

The Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. A trial began at the courthouse Tuesday in which a man has been charged with a hate crime in the 2019 killing of a transgender woman. Skylar Laird/S.C. Daily Gazette

Debbie Barton, right, tries to get other Trump supporters to sign her petition to secure safer elections by using hand-marked, 100% paper ballots, one-day voting on election day, and eliminating early voting. All were waiting to hear Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former president Donald Trump on Wednesday at the VFW on Castlerock Road.

Lawsuits claim South Carolina kids underwent unnecessary genital exams during abuse investigations

By Lauren Sausser KFF Health News

CAMDEN, S.C. — Three ongoing federal lawsuits filed in South Carolina accuse the state of forcing boys and girls to undergo traumatic genital exams during child abuse investigations, even when no allegations of sexual abuse have been raised.

One 14-year-old plaintiff — who goes by “Jane Doe” to protect her privacy — was placed into foster care in 2021 after she disclosed to a social services caseworker that her mother had spanked her with a belt and a tree branch.

“I never, ever mentioned sexual abuse,” said Jane, who was 12 when the South Carolina Department of Social Services launched its investigation and scheduled her to undergo a forensic medical exam at a hospital in Columbia. “I felt like I was kind of getting legally abused by someone that had the permission to do it,” she told KFF Health News during an interview at her attorney’s office.

During the exam, Jane was instructed to undress and open her legs in front of medical providers she’d never met before who took photos of her genital area, touched her breasts, and placed “fingers and/or instruments” in her vagina, according to her lawsuit.

“I felt like I had no right to say no,” she told KFF Health News. “Something inside me told me that wasn’t what they were supposed to do.”

Connelly-Anne Ragley, a spokesperson for the department, would not discuss the ongoing lawsuits. Court filings show the agency denies the allegations and argues that its employees are protected by “qualified immunity,” a type of court-created rule that often shields law enforcement officers and government officials from being sued. The department also asserts that forensic exams are “standard procedure” during abuse and neglect cases.

Investigating child abuse is notoriously complex. The investigations usually involve forensic interviews, which are typically recorded and involve a professional asking questions of a child to elicit information. And they sometimes include forensic full-body medical examinations that include a visual check of the child’s private parts and are designed to be noninvasive, meaning medical tools that can break the skin or enter the body are not used.

Together, the interview and the exam are considered effective tools for gathering information and evidence from underage victims, who may be reluctant to describe or disclose how they’ve been hurt. Often, these interviews and exams are conducted at children’s advocacy centers by social workers, doctors, and nurses who are specially trained to treat young patients with sensitivity and care — and learn to read between the lines.

Federal guidelines advise that the mere suspicion of child sexual abuse should be

sufficient to trigger a forensic medical exam. Even so, there’s a growing consensus in medicine that genital and pelvic exams can be embarrassing, uncomfortable, and even traumatic. The South Carolina lawsuits — which involve children who live in different parts of the state and who were assigned to different social services caseworkers — aren’t the first to raise red flags about the potentially harmful effects of forensic medical exams on children.

Since the 1990s, federal courts from New York to California have ruled that government agencies violate children’s and parents’ civil rights when the exams are conducted without a court order or parental consent.

Claims that the exams are comparable to normal pediatric checkups are “garbage,” said Donnie Cox, a civil rights attorney in Carlsbad, California.

“At the time they’re happening, they’re scary as hell and it really does traumatize children on top of the trauma of being removed from their homes,” said Cox, who has represented plaintiffs in similar lawsuits. “They’re using these kids, basically, as pieces of evidence, and you can’t do that.”

‘A fishing expedition’

In one South Carolina lawsuit, a 16-year-old girl claims she was subjected to painful vaginal exams against her will, even after she denied being sexually abused. She felt as if she was “being raped” during the forensic medical exam, her complaint asserts.

In another lawsuit, a couple living in the north-central part of the state allege their sons were subjected to genital and rectal exams, without the parents’ knowledge or consent, more than a month after the children had been removed from their home in 2021. Their oldest son bruised his arms on playground equipment, they contend, instigating a child abuse investigation that resulted in all three boys temporarily moving in with their grandparents. Their youngest son was 6 months old at the time.

No one alleged during the investigation that the boys had been sexually abused, the lawsuit states, and yet the boys’ “penises were held and touched by strangers” during the forensic exam and “fingers and/or instruments were placed in their anus,” the lawsuit states.

The parents, whose names KFF Health News chose to withhold to protect the identity of their children, said their middle child suffers from night terrors because of the forensic examination. The oldest doesn’t talk about what happened in the exam room, his mother said.

“Because we didn’t know” what was going to happen, she said, “nobody could prepare him.”

Attorneys Deborah and Robert Butcher of the Foster Care Abuse Law Firm, who represent plaintiffs in all three South Carolina cases, have likened these forensic medical exams to “a fishing expedition.” One lawsuit they filed against the Department of Social Services argues the agency is financially motivated to find evidence of any form of child abuse so that it qualifies for more money from the federal government.

“They’re going to use every means possible to build a case,” Robert Butcher said. He estimated “easily thousands” of children in South Carolina have been forced to get unnecessary exams during child abuse investigations in recent years — an approximation he made based on child protective services intake data.

Ragley, the Department of Social Services spokesperson, said the agency is required by state law to follow the South Carolina Child Abuse Response Protocol to determine when children should be referred for a forensic medical evaluation, which includes “a complete and thorough medical history from the child (if verbal) and caregivers and a head to toe physical examination, including the anogenital area.”

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by KFF Health News, the department said it couldn’t estimate how many forensic medical exams are conducted on children of any age in South Carolina each year.

“That is not a question SCDSS can answer,” Kaitlin Stout, the agency’s manager of policy and practice standards with the Office of Strategic Planning and Innovation, replied via email. “We do not track or tally how many forensic exams are ‘ordered/conducted’ in open DSS cases and would have no way to know how many are conducted on children who are not involved with the agency.”

But children’s advocacy centers, where many of these exams are conducted, do keep track, and national data shows that about 1 in 4 child abuse victims who are served by a children’s advocacy center get a forensic medical exam, said Teresa Huizar, chief executive officer of the National Children’s Alliance, which represents nearly 1 000 children’s advocacy centers in the U.S.

These numbers don’t capture all forensic medical exams, though, which may also be conducted in emergency departments and private clinics, Huizar said.

“I would say that they tend to be under-utilized,” she said. “Often, children who would very much benefit

from an exam don’t get them because there simply isn’t enough money in the public pool.”

The cost of these exams varies by location. But in Georgia, for example, a pediatric anogenital exam with a colposcope, a medical tool used for magnification, is about $280, exclusive of lab fees, according to the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program.

The right to refuse

Child welfare experts agree that forensic medical evaluations can be worthwhile outside the strict scope of child sexual abuse investigations.

South Carolina’s Child Abuse Response Protocol indicates these exams should be conducted during investigations if children have witnessed violence or been exposed to an environment where drugs are used. An overt allegation or disclosure of child sexual abuse isn’t considered a prerequisite for a forensic medical exam, said Thomas Knapp, executive director of the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers.

“Children are often poly-victimized, so the headto-toe exam is intended to ensure general well-being and pick up on evidence of any form of abuse,” Knapp explained. “There are also some children where there may be no disclosure, but we have digital images of their abuse. So, disclosure is not the only precipitating reason to request an exam.”

Like Huizar, he agreed that forensic medical exams are under-utilized. In South Carolina, specifically, more than 4 500 children passed through a children’s advocacy center with a report of sexual abuse in 2023. Only about half as many had received a forensic medical exam through mid-October, Knapp said.

State rules allow the Department of Social Services to request a forensic medical evaluation without consent from a child’s parent or legal guardian. But the rules don’t address the issue of obtaining the child’s permission before proceeding with an exam. Knapp explained that children’s advocacy centers allow patients to refuse. Federal Justice Department recommendations published in 2016 explicitly advise that children should be allowed to refuse participation in all or part of the process.

“If a patient refuses, we don’t do it,” said Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist in Seattle. Genital exams for girls should be conducted only externally, in most cases, she said, even when sexual

abuse is suspected. Internal exams and Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer aren’t recommended until age 21, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“You really want to teach kids to say no,” Oelschlager said. “This is an area that’s private and if they say no, I’ve got to respect that.”

One South Carolina lawsuit contends a 16-year-old girl was visibly “terrified and emotionally upset concerning the forensic medical exam” and that she told the medical examiner to stop. The medical examiner allegedly ignored the request.

Antoinette Laskey, a Utah pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, had no knowledge of the South Carolina cases but explained that a child’s wishes must be respected in the exam room, where the “inherent power differential” between a doctor and patient should be recognized.

“I would never force the issue,” she said.

In 2022, Laskey co-authored a policy statement for the American Academy of Pediatrics acknowledging that children are “especially vulnerable” to being exploited in health care settings because of their age, development level, any disability, race, ethnicity, or English language proficiency. The paper cited flagrant examples of abuse inflicted by doctors like Larry Nassar, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to sexually abusing child gymnasts under the guise of legitimate medical care.

The policy statement explained that pediatricians are responsible for assessing children’s health, including their genital health, from birth through puberty. To that end, the academy advises doctors to use sensitivity and care during anogenital exams. Children should be afforded privacy when disrobing, providers should wear gloves, and doctors should obtain permission from the child by discussing the need for the examination and what it will entail. These exams “should never be traumatic,” said Megan Lechner, chief operating officer of the International Association of Forensic Nurses, a group that trains nurses to conduct sexual assault exams on adults and children. More than anything else, they are designed “to tell the child they’re OK,” she said. “If they’re traumatic, you’re doing it wrong.”

‘A needle in a haystack’

And yet courts have recognized the potentially traumatic impact of these exams before. In 2019, an Alabama judge rejected a motion that would have required child victims who were raped and abused by adults to undergo court-ordered vaginal examinations. One of the prosecutors successfully argued that the exams would “victimize the children all over again,” the Montgomery Advertiser reported.

Like many victims, the children in that case had delayed

reporting the abuse. Shame and fear often prevent child victims from reporting sexual abuse right away. Some wait years before disclosing they were abused — if they ever disclose the abuse at all.

Children’s advocacy centers across the U.S. investigated nearly 250,000 cases involving child sexual abuse allegations in 2022, the National Children’s Alliance reported, but historical data shows that physical evidence is present in fewer than 5% of all reported cases.

Finding proof “is a needle in the haystack,” Laskey said.

Attorney Robert Butcher said the federal lawsuits in South Carolina may eventually be consolidated for the sake of efficiency. He doubted they would be resolved this year, but said cases already decided in favor of children and their parents in other parts of the country bolster his clients’ arguments.

In 1994, for example, a federal judge in New York found that a kindergartner who had been separated from her parents during a child abuse investigation “almost certainly did, in fact, experience psychological injury” during a forensic medical exam, when she was “subjected to intrusive bodily examinations by two strangers, in a strange location, in the absence of a parent or other reassuring figure.”

More recently, a panel of federal appeals court judges in California ruled in 2018 that the County of San Diego violated the constitutional rights of a family by failing to inform the parents that their children would undergo “significantly intrusive” and “potentially painful” forensic medical exams.

“This is as traumatic for the parents as it is for the children,” said Cox, the California attorney who represented the family in that case.

Jane Doe, who filed the first of the three South Carolina lawsuits, doesn’t know what the outcome of her case will be, and she doesn’t talk about it at middle school.

“I have a couple of close friends,” she said. “I don’t tell anybody about what happened. I just want this to be an example so that never happens to another person.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Subscribe to KFF Health News’ free Morning Briefing.

Lauren Sausser, South Carolina Correspondent, covers health care across the South as a member of KFF Health News' Southern Bureau. She is based in Charleston, where she previously spent nine years covering health care at The Post and Courier. A graduate of Clemson University and Columbia University, she has received awards from the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, and other groups. In 2016, she was part of a team of reporters who were named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. In 2017, she was recognized as Reporter of the Year by the South Carolina Press Association.

Graphic illustration by Oona Tempest/KFF Health News

Trump routs Haley in SC GOP presidential primary

By Abraham Kenmore and Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — Former President Donald Trump won an expected blowout victory over former S.C. governor Nikki Haley on Saturday, Feb. 24 in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary.

The Associated Press called the race at 7 p.m. with zero percent of the precincts reporting.

Once all counties had reported, Trump had 59 8% of the votes to Haley’s 39 5%, according to unofficial results from state election officials.

“This is a little sooner than we anticipated” and “an even bigger win than we anticipated,” Trump said as he took the stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” He told supporters who had been gathering at the fairgrounds in Columbia all day, “You can celebrate for about 15 minutes and then we have to get back to work.”

The preliminary results actually appear closer than predicted. A South Carolina poll published 10 days ahead of the primary by Winthrop University put voter support for Haley at 29%, compared to 65% for Trump.

Trump was joined on stage by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham. Graham, who spoke briefly, was booed by the crowd while a Trump mention of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as “a very noncontroversial person” brought cheers and chants of “Gaetz, Gaetz, Gaetz.”

Trump was on stage for about 30 minutes and stuck to his usual talking points — the situation on the border is “the worst it’s ever been” and the country “is a failing nation.” He predicted that Michigan autoworkers would support him in that state’s primary on Tuesday.

He added “Nov. 5 – it’s going to be the most important date, perhaps, in the history of our country” before thanking his supporters and telling them to go home and get some rest because “we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Haley waited until about 8:30 p.m. to come out to address about 400 supporters at her watch party in the ballroom of a downtown Charleston hotel.

“I know 40% is not 50% but I also know 40% is not some tiny group,” Haley said of the preliminary results. She reiterated her promise to stay in the race, saying: “I’m a woman of my word.”

Despite losing in her home state, Haley said, “I’m grateful to South Carolina; I always have been and always will be. “And I’m grateful that today is not the end of our story.” She added that the campaign heads to Michigan on Sunday.

Pointing out that over the next 10 days, 21 states will cast votes, 15 of those on Super Tuesday, March 5, Haley said to cheers: “They have the right to a real choice, not a Soviet style election with only one candidate.”

She also congratulated Trump on his victory but added as she has said repeatedly in her speeches that she does not think he has the support needed to beat Joe Biden in November.

“What I saw today was South Carolina’s frustration with our country’s direction. I’ve seen that same frustration nationwide. I share it; I feel it to my core,” she said. “But here’s the thing, America will come apart if we make the wrong choices.”

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain issued a statement on the results, saying:

“The stage for November has been set and the choices South Carolinians will have at the voting booth are becoming clear. Voters have seen what’s at stake: Donald Trump is running to ban abortion nationwide, end the Affordable Care Act, and gut Social Security and Medicare — all while pulling apart the fabric of our democracy.

“Three weeks ago, a diverse coalition of Black voters, rural voters, Medicare recipients, college students, teachers, service members and veterans overwhelmingly showed up to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and they’re ready to do it at the ballot box once again so they can continue delivering record accomplishments for South Carolina.”

About 131 000 voters cast ballots in the state’s Democratic primary earlier this month. Because voters in South Carolina do not register by party, any registered voter in the state who did not vote in the Democratic primary was el-

igible to cast a ballot in the GOP primary.

S.C. GOP Party Chairman Drew McKissick said earlier Saturday that he did not expect many Democrats to cross over and vote for Haley.

“Self identified Democratic participation in our presidential primary has been going down over time, and that’s largely because most of those folks were conservative Democrats who now have joined the Republican party,” he said.

McKissick added that he expected the state would set voting records on Saturday. According to the S.C. Election Commission, 205 099 people voted early in the primary and 12 018 people had cast absentee ballots ahead of Saturday.

‘She’ll have her time’

The candidates and their allies have spent the past month pushing their message to voters across the state. Trump held Get Out the Vote rallies in Conway, North Charleston and Rock Hill, and a Fox town hall in Greenville, while his proxies toured the state. Haley meanwhile spent weeks crisscrossing the state on her tour bus.

The former president also made international news during his visits to South Carolina, including saying he told the head of a NATO ally he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” if they did not meet defense spending goals.

Messages like that rang true for Andrew Middleton, a 40-year-old IT network engineer in Charleston, who said he wants a president who will keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts and focus on a domestic agenda. Middleton, who grew up in rural Illinois but has lived in the Charleston area for 12

years now, pushed his young son in a stroller as he walked out of West Ashley High School in the Lowcountry after casting his ballot for Trump.

Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s administration, attacked the former president over his comments, and President Joe Biden said the remarks were “shameful” and “dangerous.” Trump’s comments, however, did not lessen enthusiasm for the former president at the polls.

“If anybody can get things straightened out quickly, it’ll be him,” said Charleston-area voter Amy Coffey.

Saturday marked the first time the 48-year-old office administrator had cast a ballot in a primary. She said the current presidential race felt “crucial” to her and Malcolm Coffey, a 49-year-old electrician, prompting them to come out.

Both cast ballots for Trump, citing border security as the top issue concerning them.

“It’s not that I don’t like Nikki Haley,” Amy Coffey said. “I just don’t think now is the perfect time to bring someone new in. She’ll have her time.”

Haley has been careful to manage expectations for her results in South Carolina, saying victory would be “making sure it looks close” rather than winning outright.

“All I can do is my part; I don’t know if it will make a difference or not,” said Colleen Geis, a 48-yearold medical care coordinator living in the Charleston area who voted for the perceived long-shot Haley.

While Haley cast her own ballot on gated Kiawah Island, Geis was among a steady stream of James Island residents who stepped into the polling place at Harbor View

Elementary.

Some living in the surrounding neighborhood used the opportunity to walk their dogs as they fulfilled their civic duty.

“Anybody but Trump,” said Lauren May, a 32-year-old doctor’s assistant, after casting her vote.

Haley also earned the support of Mark Leon. The 51-year-old marketing consultant said 2016 was a difficult year. It was the first time he saw people become emotional and angry over politics. It was the first time he saw lifelong friendships end based on who they voted for.

“It’s only going to get worse this year because it’s the same players,” Leon said of a Trump-Biden faceoff.

He felt if Haley were chosen as the Republican nominee, she would bring more empathy to the race rather than instantly polarizing an issue.

Haley is the last major candidate opposing Trump, but two extreme long-shot candidates remain in the running — Pastor Ryan Binkley of Texas and veteran Air Force combat pilot David Stuckenberg of Florida.

Three other candidates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, all dropped out of the race after making it onto the South Carolina ballot.

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

Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the SC Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier.

South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick speaks with the press at former President Donald Trump’s election watch night party in Columbia, S.C. on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Abraham Kenmore/S.C. Daily Gazette

Southern lawmakers rethink long-standing opposition to Medicaid expansion

SC legislators consider appointing committee to study expansion

By Daniel Chang and Andy Miller KFF Health News

As a part-time customer service representative, Jolene Dybas earns less than $15 000 a year, which is below the federal poverty level and too low for her to be eligible for subsidized health insurance on the Obamacare marketplace.

Dybas, 53, also does not qualify for Medicaid in her home state of Alabama because she does not meet the program requirements. She instead falls into a coverage gap and faces hundreds of dollars a month in out-ofpocket payments, she said, to manage multiple chronic health conditions.

“I feel like I’m living in a state that doesn’t care for me,” said Dybas, a resident of Saraland, a suburb of Mobile. Alabama is one of 10 states that have refused to adopt the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid, the government health insurance program for people who are low-income or disabled.

But lawmakers in Alabama and some other Southern states are reconsidering their opposition in light of strong public support for Medicaid expansion and pleas from powerful sectors of the health care industry, especially hospitals.

Expansions are under consideration by Republican legislative leaders in Georgia and Mississippi, in addition to Alabama, raising the prospect that more than 600 000 low-income, uninsured people in those three states could gain coverage, according to KFF data.

Since a 2012 Supreme Court ruling rendered the ACA’s Medicaid expansion optional, it has remained a divisive issue along party lines in some states. Political opposition has softened, in part because North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature voted last year to expand the program. Already, more than 346,000 residents of the Tar Heel state have gained coverage.

And lawmakers in nearby states are taking notice.

“There has certainly been a lot of discussion of late about Medicaid expansion,” said Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican, in a speech to the state chamber of commerce shortly after the legislative session began on Jan. 8

“Expanding access to care for lower-income working families through a private option — in a fiscally responsible way that lowers premi-

Patrick Dunnagan of Raleigh, N.C., hasn’t been able to work for years because of kidney disease and chronic pain. When North Carolina on Dec. 1, 2023, became the 40th state to expand Medicaid, Dunnagan finally qualified for the federal health insurance program, which covers people with low incomes. “The financial security is huge,” he says. Photo by

ums — is something we will continue to gather facts on in the House,” Burns said.

In addition to Georgia, state House speakers in Alabama and Mississippi have indicated a new willingness to consider coverage expansion. All three states have experienced a large number of hospital closures, particularly in rural areas.

Politically ‘safer’ Medicaid expansion has become “politically safer to consider,” said Frank Knapp, president of South Carolina’s Small Business Chamber of Commerce. In his state, Republican lawmakers are weighing whether to appoint a committee to study expansion.

It’s the kind of momentum some health policy analysts view as a favorable shift in the political discourse about expanding access to care. And it comes as a new crop of conservative leaders grapple with their states’ persistently high rates of poor, uninsured adults.

An additional incentive: Under President Joe Biden’s 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government pays newly expanded states an additional 5 percentage points in the matching rate for their regular Medicaid population for two years, which would more than offset the cost of expansion for that period.

But even as new discussions take place in legislatures that once froze out any talk of Medicaid expansion, considerable obstacles remain. Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, for example, still opposes expansion. And several nonexpansion states appear to

have little to no momentum.

“A lot of things need to come together in any given state to make things move,” said Robin Rudowitz, director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at KFF.

Under Medicaid expansion, adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or about $35,600 for a family of three, qualify for coverage.

Expansion has reduced uninsured rates in rural areas, improved access to care for low-income people, and lowered uncompensated care costs for hospitals and clinics, according to KFF analyses of studies from 2014 to 2021. In states that have refused to expand Medicaid, all of those challenges remain acute.

Alabama’s legislative session began Feb. 6. Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter has suggested that he’s open to debating options for increased coverage. So many hospitals are in “dire straits,” he said at a Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce meeting in January. “We’ve got to have the conversation.”

Expansion could make as many as 174,000 uninsured people in Alabama eligible for coverage, according to KFF data. Still, Ledbetter prefers a public-private partnership model, and has looked at Arkansas’ program, which uses federal and state money to pay for commercial insurance plans on the Obamacare marketplace for people who would be eligible for Medicaid under expansion.

In Alabama, lawmakers have introduced a plan that would levy a state tax on

gaming revenue and could help fund health insurance coverage for adults with annual incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

Robyn Hyden, executive director of advocacy group Alabama Arise, which supports Medicaid expansion, has seen progress on efforts to increase coverage. “The devil’s going to be in the details,” she said.

Mississippi’s new House speaker, Jason White, a Republican, has said he wants to protect hospitals and keep residents from seeking regular care through the emergency room. More than 120,000 uninsured people in Mississippi would become newly eligible for Medicaid under expansion, according to KFF data.

White told KFF Health News in a written statement that improving access to health care is a priority for business leaders, community officials, and voters.

“The desire to keep Mississippians in the workforce and out of the emergency room transcends any political party and is a vital component to a healthy workforce and a healthy economy,” he said. State legislators are determined to work with Reeves on the issue, he said.

Burns, the Georgia House speaker, has said that he’s open to a proposal for an Arkansas-style plan. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said he would reserve comment until after the legislative process, according to spokesperson Carter Chapman.

He emphasized Kemp’s commitment to his recently launched plan requiring low-income adults to work, volunteer, or receive schooling or vocational training

for 80 hours a month in exchange for Medicaid coverage. As of mid-January, the cumulative enrollment was right around 3 000. Expansion could make at least 359 000 uninsured people in Georgia newly eligible for Medicaid, according to KFF data.

South Carolina needs ‘to have a debate’

In South Carolina, Republican lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow them to form a committee to study expansion. State Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican from Beaufort who sponsored the bill and previously opposed expanding Medicaid, said he’s not endorsing or opposing Medicaid expansion at this time.

“We need to have a debate,” Davis said during a committee meeting in January.

The state legislature would likely have to work with Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, who, according to spokesperson Brandon Charochak, remains opposed to Medicaid expansion.

North Carolina started enrolling residents under its expansion Dec. 1. They included Patrick Dunnagan, 38, of Raleigh. The former outdoor guide said he hasn’t been able to work for years because of kidney disease and chronic pain. He has relied on financial support from his family and said his medical debt stands at more than $5 000. Medicaid coverage will provide financial security.

Dunnagan said people with chronic health conditions in nonexpansion states “are accumulating medical debt and not getting the care they need.”

Bills proposed in Texas’ legislature didn’t get a vote last year. And the state doesn’t allow voter-initiated referendums, which have been a route to expansion in some Republican-led states. An estimated 1 2 million uninsured people would be eligible for coverage — more than in any other state still holding out — if Texas expanded.

Republican lawmakers in Tennessee and Florida have said they won’t allow Medicaid expansion. In Florida, advocates have launched a petition drive for a ballot initiative, but the earliest it could go to voters is 2026

Advocates believe it’s only a matter of time before Medicaid expansion happens nationwide as opposition eases and people continue to suffer

the consequences of being uninsured.

For Dybas in Alabama, the prospect of gaining coverage is enough to make her consider relocating. In Minnesota, where she once lived, “I wouldn’t have this problem,” Dybas said.

Perhaps, as in Arkansas, conservatives will adopt models that rely more heavily on commercial insurance.

But many holdout states in the South — where death rates for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are mostly worse than in other states — see growing disparities between the health of their citizens and those of neighboring states that have expanded, said Lucy Dagneau, a senior director for the American Cancer Society’s advocacy arm, the Cancer Action Network. The group lobbies state legislatures for expanded insurance coverage.

“There will be a tipping point for all these states,” she said.

KFF Health News South Carolina correspondent Lauren Sausser and senior correspondent Renuka Rayasam contributed to this report.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

Daniel Chang, Florida Correspondent, covers Florida and the South. He joined KFF Health News in August 2022 after 22 years at The Miami Herald, where his health care reporting focused on access to care for low-income patients; accountability of physicians, hospitals, and state health agencies; and the covid-19 pandemic. He co-reported the series, “Birth & Betrayal,” about a Florida program that shields doctors from liability for catastrophic birth-related injuries, which received a George Polk Award for state reporting, and he was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for coverage of the Surfside, Florida, condominium collapse.

Andy Miller, senior editor for KFF, has been a health care journalist for 29 years. Miller graduated from Duke in 1973 and received a master’s in education from Duke in 1979. He entered the master’s in journalism program at University of North Carolina in 1984. He was hired by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he had editing and reporting positions before switching to health care in 1992. He covered that beat until 2009, when he retired. He launched Georgia Health News in 2010, where he continued as editor and CEO until Georgia Health News joined KFF Health News.

SC’s McKissick stepping down as RNC co-chair

By Abraham Kenmore SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA – South Carolina

Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick is stepping down from his position with the national party as the party leadership turns over. McKissick announced his resignation as co-chair of the Republican National Committee on Monday. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also announced her resignation Monday. Both will be stepping down on March 8, during the RNC “Spring Training” in Houston.

“I’m honored to have had the privilege to serve as RNC CoChair for this past year, as well as to have worked with so many grassroots leaders to help make our party successful,” McKissick said in his statement. “I look forward to working with the RNC and President Trump’s team to make sure that we WIN this November.”

McKissick was elected as cochair of the RNC in January of 2023, and has led the South Carolina party since 2017 McDaniel said her stepping

down would allow “our nominee to select a chair of their choosing,” and had already announced she would be resigning after Saturday’s primary in South Carolina.

Former president Donald Trump is not yet the party nominee, but has won every contest so far against his sole remaining rival, Nikki Haley. Any changes in the party leadership would have to be approved by the RNC’s governing body.

Trump has said he wants Michael Whatley, chair of the North

Carolina GOP and current RNC general counsel, to serve as RNC chair and his daughter-in-law, Lara

Trump, to serve as co-chair. Lara

Trump has suggested that GOP voters would support the RNC covering Trump’s legal fees in his various civil and criminal cases.

Trump owes roughly half a billion dollars in legal fines and fees.

Whatley appeared at Trump’s election night watch party in Columbia on Saturday.

“We gave him our endorsement and it looks to me like he is going

on to the national Republican party as the boss,” Trump said during his remarks. “And he’s going to be working with Lara, and we may be putting Kellyanne (Conway) in the group too.”

Conway was an aid to Trump when he was in office in the White House.

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

Kathleen Daley

SC leaders don’t know why or how state has $1.8B sitting in wrong bank account

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — South Carolina has $1 8 billion of taxpayer funding sitting untouched in a bank account where it doesn’t belong. The elected officials in charge of managing the state’s finances don’t know or haven’t said where it was supposed to go after it went unaccounted for more than five years.

Lawmakers are now demanding answers, saying State Treasurer Curtis Loftis and the office of the state Comptroller General should have addressed the extra funds earlier, returning them to where they belong.

The mystery funds are part of the ongoing fallout from a $3 5 billion accounting snafu that went unchecked for a decade by the state’s top accountant. The error, found in late 2022 by a junior staffer, revealed former Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom’s ignorance to issues in his office despite past warnings from outside financial experts. Had Eckstrom, a Republican who was elected in 2002, not resigned last year, lawmakers likely would have stripped him from office. But even with his departure and Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment of a replacement, problems remain, according to legislators leading an investigation into South Carolina’s financial agencies.

Unanswered questions

The origin of the issue, Eckstrom and other state officials have testified, was a cha-

otic, decade-long transition from the state’s old accounting system to a new one, which took place between 2007 and 2017

Ultimately, lawmakers say financial leaders haven’t provided answers as to why, during the melee, they parked this $1 8 billion in a largely logistical account used to transfer funds between state agencies. Nor do they know why officials never fixed it, said Sen. Larry Grooms, who has led a Senate Finance subcommittee investigation into the matter.

“This is one of the things that was swept under the rug for years,” the Bonneau Beach Republican told the S.C. Daily Gazette.

In a statement, State Treasurer Curtis Loftis said his office regularly balances the treasury’s books to outside entities such as banks, in-

vestment partners, and the statewide accounting system.

“All monies are accounted for and appropriately and securely invested and audited,” he said.

Accounting issues

The original blunder stemmed from a computer coding error in Eckstrom’s office, which caused the software that compiles the state’s annual financial report to double-count money sent to the state’s colleges and made it look like the state had more dollars on hand than it actually did.

Eckstrom’s mistake ultimately never led to the government bouncing checks because state budget writers don’t use that particular report when doling out funds. But it may have misled the credit agencies that rate the financial health of state and local governments.

In this case, the unaccounted funds actually dampened the full blow of the comptroller’s miscalculations. The comptroller used the funds, at least on paper, to buy down the overestimation of dollars in the state coffers.

“If not for this, it would have been worse,” Grooms said. While the botched reports involved financial miscalculations that largely lived in Wall Street spreadsheets determining a government’s financial health and borrowing power, this portion of the scandal involves actual cash.

Finger pointing

Since then, lawmakers looking further into the matter say they’ve mostly met with finger pointing between the offices of the state Treasurer and Comptroller General. Right now all those

people that should have the answers don’t, said Rep. Micah Caskey, a West Columbia Republican that sits on the House committee mirroring investigative efforts by the Senate.

Treasurer Loftis has pointed to the comptroller’s office, saying the accounting agency keeps the books on all state funds. But new Comptroller General Brian Gains can’t tell in which of the state’s thousands of accounts those funds belong. That’s where the treasurer’s office, which acts as the bank for state agencies and moves money between accounts to ensure it’s there when it’s needed, would likely come in.

“What we’re digging into now is what’s required of the treasurer and is this anything more than sloppy bookkeeping,” Grooms said.

While the money sat dormant for five years, neither side raised the alarm. Nor did state Auditor George Kennedy, whose job is to independently review the state’s financial record keeping. That’s how Kennedy found himself hauled before the Senate investigative committee last week.

“You’re the auditor, when something doesn’t look right you’re supposed to tell us,” Grooms said.

Kennedy told senators his office saw the funds sitting in the off-the-radar account in 2017 but waived it off in its annual audits, believing it was a temporary measure, part of the accounting system changeover, and had no “relevant” impact on the

financial statements they reviewed. By 2022, they found out they’d been wrong.

“It is obviously relevant because there’s $1 8 billion in an account that shouldn’t be there,” Sen. Stephen Goldfinch said.

While the money is a fraction of the state’s total budget, it’s still a significant amount of dollars, The Murrells Inlet Republican added.

More to come

The cash remains, with lawmakers reluctant to spend it until they’re certain they hadn’t allocated it to go elsewhere in years past.

“It’s there,” Grooms said. “It belongs somewhere else.” His guess — it was meant to be spread among the thousands of different accounts used by agencies to conduct state business. Instead, it was placed there for unknown reasons by the state Treasurer’s Office and never removed. Years of delays mean the agencies will now need to look harder for the funds’ intended destinations.

In the wake of the comptroller general scandal, the state hired an outside group to review the state’s system for tracking spending. The group’s report is due near the end of this month and Grooms expects more information to come.

“This is just the opening volley,” he said.

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.

SC readying training for EV workers across the state

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — As South Carolina seeks to become a hub for electric vehicles and batteries, the technical college system finds itself juggling the startup for a swarm of programs to train residents for high paying jobs in the industry.

Five major companies, each needing thousands of employees, have broken ground in South Carolina. And while the Lowcountry and Upstate are more established manufacturing centers, activity is now taking place in nearly every corner of the Palmetto State at a level not previously seen.

“What’s unique about it is that it’s a statewide thing,” said Brad Neese, vice president of economic development for the state technical college system.

Neese called the number of new jobs these companies are promising “mind-blowing,” accompanied by planned investments totaling billions of dollars, rather than the multimillion-dollar price tags seen in the past.

“These are community-changing companies,” he said. “Family and generational changes happen through the companies that we’re working with.”

In the Midlands, that’s Scout Motors.

Come September, the Volkswagen subsidiary plans to open the application process for the first 50 hourly, assembly line jobs at its $2 billion electric vehicle plant north of Columbia. Scout will be searching for shift leaders and floor supervisors, preferably those with prior manufacturing experience seeking to advance their careers.

“We’re looking for the best of the best because we’re building that foundation,” said Scout’s HR Direc-

tor Corey Epps. This round of hiring is just a start. Scout is expected to ramp up recruitment efforts for more entry-level production workers near the end of next year. Meanwhile, the state is busy readying the program it has promised the automaker to train employees on Scout’s behalf. The first instructor has been hired, Neese said.

Epps and the state team spent a week at VW’s facility in Wolfsburg, Germany, in November and have held multiple virtual planning sessions each week since to decide how training will look for the roughly 4 000 people Scout plans to recruit over the next few years.

What to expect

The hiring process, Epps said, will start with a little “homework,” required reading that introduces applicants to the company, its policies and what it’s looking for in employees.

Scout will then invite job seekers on site and ask them to perform more physical tasks testing dexterity, hand-eye coordination, ability to read and follow instructions, as well as aptitude for problem solving issues that crop up on the factory floor. There also will be group simulations to see how applicants interact in a team situation.

“It’s a very interactive interview process,” Neese said.

If a person gets the job, they then go through a secondary, post-hire instructional session also run by the state and personalized for each company.

Neese and his team head up the state’s Ready SC program, which develops and runs these worker trainings offered to larger employers as part of the incentive packages used to lure them to the state.

Scout Motors celebrated its groundbreaking Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Blythewood. It is one of five major companies, each needing training for thousands of employees, in the state as South Carolina seeks to become a hub for electric vehicles and batteries. Photo courtesy of Scout Motors

It’s a process the group has honed over the last few decades as South Carolina has continued to flex its manufacturing muscle, enticing big names that include Boeing and Mercedes-Benz. When Boeing came to North Charleston in 2009, Neese said his team was also training workers for jobs at nearby Mercedes-Benz.

Then came Volvo Cars in 2015

All three companies are within 20 miles of each other and were seeking a similar type of worker from the same hiring pool of Lowcountry residents at the same time.

Today, Volvo is looking for 1,300 more workers — on top of the 2 000 Ready SC already helped hire and train — as the company adds its electric EX90 SUV to the production lines at its plant in Ridgeville. The state continues to aid the Swedish automaker while also helping stand up a battery cell plant in the Pee Dee, Scout’s facility in the Midlands, a company in the Upstate making electric mail trucks for the U.S. Postal Service and a battery recycling plant not

far from Volvo’s factory.

In addition, Ready SC is constructing training centers for both Scout and AESC, the battery cell maker locating in Florence that will supply BMW’s new electric vehicle production in the Upstate. The AESC center will mark the first electric vehicle specific training center in South Carolina, Neese said.

A proven method

With so many groups vying for workers in the state, Neese said companies have grown willing to consider people at all skill levels. And while the training might look a little different or take a little longer for someone who’s coming from a pizza delivery rather than a manufacturing background, “we have a methodology that can take anyone through that process,” Neese said. Even if someone doesn’t make it through the initial training, Ready SC offers follow up aid to help them land a job the next time around.

“We want people to make it

through to employment,” Neese said.

So does Volvo and so will Scout — after all, their workforce needs are massive.

Redwood Materials, the Berkeley County battery recycler, is not as far along in the training development process as others. The company, founded in 2017 by a former Tesla executive, has started construction and expects to begin collecting batteries in need of recycling later this year, a spokeswoman said in a statement. Redwood will ramp up hiring in 2025, eventually employing 1 500 people.

Oshkosh Defense, the company that won the federal Postal Service vehicle contract, will need 1,000 people at a plant near Spartanburg.

Aid continues

Ready SC helps industry get started with major hiring events but the technical college system continues on as a source for the workers they will need three to five years from now.

Midlands Technical College will offer a direct feeder program for Scout, Epps said. House budget writers have proposed setting aside $6 5 million for the college to build out certain programs, including mechatronics and welding, specifically to serve the electric truck and SUV maker.

At the high school level, Volvo recently announced a pilot program for 50 juniors and seniors in the Lowcountry that will get them ready to go straight to work at the company’s Ridgeville facility once they graduate.

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.

The office building on the S.C. Statehouse grounds that houses the offices of state Treasurer and Comptroller General. Lawmakers are demanding answers from the state’s financial agencies about $1.8 billion of taxpayers’ money sitting untouched in a bank account where it doesn’t belong. Jessica Holdman/S.C. Daily Gazette

Three ways to simplify retirement income planning

Presented by Hampton Long

YLiving in the Lowcountry provides our many retirees and soon-to-be retirees ample opportunities to relax, recreate, and gather with family and friends in beautiful environs. It does not however, insulate them from concerns about the economy, inflation, geopolitics, and most especially whether they have or will have enough income in retirement. As with most important issues in life, it is always best to face the “enough income in retirement” question head on with a sound and oftentimes surprisingly simple plan.

Retirement means different things to different people – it can be a time to travel, spend more time with family, or pursue a personal passion. But while we look forward with anticipation to finally reaching that goal, flipping the switch from working and having a steady stream of income to tapping into decades’ worth of hard-earned savings can be very overwhelming, confusing and let’s face it – scary.

According to a recent survey* from the investment firm Charles Schwab, 52 percent of Americans within five years of retirement feel overwhelmed by how they will manage different income sources once they make the transition into retirement. With 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day**, people need help turning their savings into steady income and making their money last in retirement.

Schwab’s survey also found that nearly three-quarters of pre-retirees are worried about running out of money in retirement, so if that idea scares you, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to better manage your income needs in retirement:

1 Have a plan about how much you can spend in retirement. Schwab’s survey found that retirement income planning is more overwhelming than other financial topics often considered stressful including the financial impact of losing a job, buying a home, or paying for college. Mapping out a plan for how much money you’ll need, how to strategically withdraw money along the way, and how to manage your investment portfolio will give you more confidence that you’re on the right path. You wouldn’t go on a long road trip without mapping out your journey – approach your retirement the same way.

2 Think about how to invest. Just because you’ve hit retirement and are starting to draw down from your savings doesn’t mean you should stop investing. A portion of your assets should remain invested to help contend with inflation and make your money last in retirement. Half of the pre-retirees surveyed by Schwab admit they find it difficult to know how to invest, so for some people it might help to get investing guidance from a professional.

3 Don’t forget about taxes. According to Schwab’s survey, 70 percent of pre-retirees are unfamiliar with the tax

implications of withdrawing money from their retirement accounts. How you manage tax obligations will depend on your specific situation, but it can be important to think about diversifying your account types, including tax-deferred, taxable, and tax-free Roth IRA accounts. And don’t forget about required minimum distributions from retirement accounts.

Schwab Intelligent Income™, an automated income solution available with Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, helps answer critical and often complex income-related questions about how much to withdraw, how to invest based on individual goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, and how to withdraw from a combination of taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth enrolled accounts in a tax-smart and efficient way.

So much of the focus is on savings and investing for the future, and rightfully so, but having a plan in place to manage your savings once you hit your golden years is equally important.

Ultimately, finding the courage to solve the “enough income in retirement” question, especially in times like these, is a bit like completing that final extra credit project before school is dismissed for summer. Retirement, like summer vacation, has every possibility of being enjoyable, especially in the Lowcountry, and a lot more so when you know you didn’t leave any points on the table.

More information about Schwab Intelligent Income is available at: www.schwab. com/automated-investing/retirement-income

HAMPTON LONG is a FINANCIAL CONSULTANT at the Charles Schwab Independent Branch in BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. He has over 13 years of experience helping clients achieve their financial goals. Some content provided here has been

*Online

What to know about DARVO

Deny, attack, and reverse victim and offender (DARVO) is a tactic a person may use to deflect responsibility onto an individual they have abused. It is a form of manipulation a person may use to discredit a survivor’s experience.

Someone may use DARVO to make it seem as though the survivor of their abuse was actually the perpetrator. A person who uses DARVO may deny that they have done anything wrong. They may also state that they are the one who has experienced abuse rather than the actual survivor. This form of manipulation may make it difficult for other people to determine who is telling the truth. A person may use DARVO to avoid punishment or repercussions for their actions.

DARVO can negatively affect the mental health of a person who has survived abuse. It can be difficult for a person to feel their trauma is being minimized or dismissed. Additionally, feeling like people do not believe them can be harmful.

It is important for people who have survived abuse to understand that they are not to blame for what happened to them. The responsibility lies with the person who abused them.

DARVO comprises three behaviors:

Deny — A perpetrator of abuse may deny that they have done anything wrong. They may minimize the feelings of the person they abused. For example, they may tell the person they have abused that they are: overly sensitive blowing things out of proportion being ridiculous

Attack — When a perpetrator is accused of wrongdoing, they may attack the credibility and character of the survivor of their abuse. They may bring up incidents from a person’s past to discredit their accusations.

A perpetrator may state that the survivor of their abuse: is a liar has mental health issues misuses drugs or alcohol consented to what happened has a history of making false accusations

They may also use gaslighting to confuse the survivor of their abuse. Gaslighting is when a person manipulates another person into doubting their own reality. It may cause a survivor of abuse to second-guess what happened.

Reverse victim and offender — A person may state that the survivor of their abuse is actually the one who perpetrated it. Their aim is to discredit the survivor while making it seem as though they are the one who has been abused.

For example, the perpetrator may lie and state that the survivor of their abuse is: out to get them trying to make them look bad or ruin their life trying to get custody of their children trying to get money from them

jealous of them angry that they rejected them

Help is available.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of domestic violence, call 911 or otherwise seek emergency help. Anyone who needs advice or support can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 via: phone, at 800-799-7233 live chat, at thehotline.org text, by texting LOVEIS to 22522

Many other resources are available, including helplines, in-person support, and temporary housing. People can find local resources and others classified by demographics, such as support specifically for People of Color, here: The Office on Women’s Health, https://www.womenshealth.gov The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Protection against DARVO. A person may protect themselves from DARVO in several ways.

Professional FORUM ©

Aubrey Place, M.D., comes to the Lowcountry following completion of her residency in general surgery at University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. Place, who earned a Bachelor of Science in cellular

Learning about DARVO and its signs may help a person identify when it is occurring. A 2020 study notes that people who had been educated in DARVO methods found perpetrators less believable. Additionally, participants found survivors of abuse more believable and less abusive.

Other methods a person can use to protect themselves against DARVO include recording or making note of occurrences of DARVO and other abuse: including dates and times setting boundaries for what they will accept and what they will not tolerate speaking with a mental health professional speaking with a support worker or finding a support group for survivors of abuse

Various support groups and resources are available for people who are experiencing domestic violence, which includes emotional abuse. Some of these resources include: National Domestic Violence Hotline, which people can

call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-7233, or text

“START” to 88788

National Domestic Violence Hotline local resources directory VictimConnect from the National Center for Victims of Crime

StrongHearts Native Helpline for Native American and Alaskan Native survivors of abuse U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women local resource directory National Resource Center on Domestic Violence intimate partner violence information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source If someone becomes physically abusive or violent, or if a person feels their life may be in danger, they should call 911 immediately.

Source: Adapted from an article by Anna Smith Haghighi —Medically reviewed by Lori Lawrenz, PsyD, February 15, 2024; https:// www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/whatis-darvo?

Tips for curbing Spring allergies care TALK ©

If you’re prone to spring allergies, it’s time to start preparing.

According to Sandra Hong, MD, allergist with Cleveland Clinic, even though it’s still considered winter, many are already experiencing symptoms.

“As we start getting warmer days, we’ll start to see the trees start budding,” said Dr. Hong. “Tree season is the springtime, and we get a lot more pollination during that period of time, and so it’s floating in the air, and we absolutely can start getting allergy symptoms.”

Dr. Hong said common allergy symptoms include itchy eyes, nose and throat, sneezing, coughing, congestion and postnasal drip.

So, what can you do to help provide some relief?

She suggests keeping your windows closed. It may be tempting to open them up as the weather warms,

but it’s an easy way for pollen to get into your home. You should also change your clothes and take a shower at night so you’re not bringing anything in from outside. Pets who go outside should stay off your bed too.

“The types of medications that work extremely well for allergies are the nasal steroids. There are also nasal antihistamines that

can help if the nasal steroids aren’t,” said Dr. Hong. “And then the oral antihistamines can actually help a lot more with the itching and the sneezing and the dripping.”

Dr. Hong said if you continue to have issues with your allergies or aren’t sure what kind you have, it’s best to consult with an Allergist.

Source: ccnewsservice@ccf.org, February 26 2024

Leaps abound at the Collins Birthing Center

By Cindy Whitman

2024 is a leap year, which means there’s an extra day tagged onto the month of February — “leap day” — and an extra day to welcome the sweet, tiny bundles of joy who arrive at the Beaufort Memorial Collins Birthing Center. Although “leaplings” are considered a bit rare, the hospital has welcomed its fair share.

“I have delivered several babies in leap years,” recalls Dr. Gregory Miller, board-certified OBGYN at Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialists. “And though most people try to avoid it, on occasion, even when they have a choice, some people choose to deliver their baby on leap day.”

One of those parents is Ashley Gould Hutchison. Dr. Miller delivered Ashley’s daughter, Weslie, on Feb. 29 2016 “I never even thought about having a baby on Feb. 29 until it happened,” Ashley said. “I was induced on Feb. 28, but Weslie took her sweet time coming, and after 26 hours of labor, around 10 p.m. on Feb. 29, Dr. Miller said he wanted to do a C-section. He did tell me I would have a leap year baby and he said we could wait an hour or two if I wanted Weslie to be born on March 1, but I was ready. It didn’t matter to me that she would be a leap year baby.”

Claire Hardee didn’t have a choice when Theodore “Tex” Hardee Jr. arrived on

couldn’t be with me in person for the birth, that was a fun video chat with him and his fellow Marines all whooping and hollering and loudly incorrectly guessing how leap day birthdays work.”

So, how do leap year birthdays work?

incorporate some leaping, of course) in Yuma, Arizona where dad is now stationedand where you found a new friend who was born on the very same leap day!

Feb. 29 2020, again attended by Dr. Miller. “My due date was March 7, but my husband and I had realized early on that leap day was a possibility and had joked about trying to induce that day just for fun,” Claire recalls.

A couple of months into Claire’s pregnancy, her family got the news that Claire’s husband, Theodore Sr., a Marine Corps pilot, would be deploying with a return date on or around her due date. “My new goal was to hold on until he returned, but Tex had other plans,” Claire says.

Dr. Miller, himself a Navy veteran, was on hand to congratulate Tex’s dad—by video chat—on the birth of his third son and fondly remembers the moment.

“I always feel a little sad for our armed services personnel who cannot attend the delivery of their baby, so if there is any way to have them connect, I am all in,” said Dr. Miller. “I greatly appreciate all these young people and their families’ sacrifice for us.”

“It was a special kind of celebration,” said Claire. “Even though my husband

If you’re Weslie, you’ll be 2 on Feb. 29. But you’ll be 8 in non-leap years, and since you love all things Disney, you and your mom will take a special trip to Disney World where you’ll meet Belle and have a special Beauty and The Beast adventure in the Enchanted Castle, with you playing the part of Mrs. Potts.

If you’re Tex, you’ll be 1 on Feb. 29. But you’ll be 4 in non-leap years, and your mom and dad will be throwing you a trash truckthemed birthday party at the local trampoline park (to

And if you’re Stephanie Higgins, a Beaufort Memorial physical therapy assistant and another leapling, you’ll be 14 on Feb. 29 because you were born on Feb. 29, 1968 But you’ll be 56 in non-leap years, and you’ll spend this birthday smiling as you flip through scrapbooks, quietly remembering your childhood leap year birthdays in Newell, West Virginia, and what a very big deal they always were.

“On non-leap years, I celebrated my birthday on Feb. 28 at home with my family and friends,” Stephanie recalls. “These were small celebrations. But on leap years, they did it up big. East Liver-

pool, Ohio, was right across the river and the town always threw a big birthday party for leap year kids. We got all dressed up, there was a cake and decorations, and the newspaper would come and do a story and take pictures. It was fun. I felt special.”

Weslie feels special to be a leap day baby, too. She says she’s glad her mom didn’t wait for March 1 to come and get her. “I like when people are surprised when I tell them I’m going to be 2,” she giggles.

And Dr. Miller is glad to have played a part in so many leaplings’ special day. “I think it is pretty cool to deliver on a leap year,” he says. “I think it adds another interesting twist, a little magic, to the whole experience. Not too many people can say they were born on Feb. 29.”

By Joel Streed Mayoclinic.org

Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. Your resting heart rate is when the heart is pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because you're not exercising. If you're sitting or lying down — and you're calm, relaxed and aren't sick — your heart rate is typically between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

Other factors that can affect your heart rate include:

• Air temperature. When temperatures or humidity increases, the heart pumps more blood, so your pulse or heart rate may increase.

• Body position. Sometimes, when going from sitting to standing, your pulse may go up a little. After a few minutes, it should return to a typical rate.

Emotions. If you're stressed, anxious or incredibly happy, your emotions can raise your heart rate.

• Body size. Body size usually does not increase your heart rate. However, if you're obese, you may have a higher resting heart rate.

Medication use. Medications that block adrenaline tend to slow your heart rate.

Thyroid medication may raise it.

Why your heart rate matters

Cardiovascular exercise, also called cardio or aerobic exercise, keeps you and your heart healthy. This specific type of exercise gets your heart rate up and your heart beating faster for several minutes. Cardiovascular exercise helps strengthen your heart, allowing it to pump blood more efficiently and improving blood flow to all parts of your body. It also boosts your high-density lipoprotein (or HDL), or "good" cholesterol, and lowers your low-density lipoprotein (or LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. This may result in less buildup of plaque in your arteries.

What's your target heart rate?

Your target heart rate is the minimum heart rate you need to maintain in a given amount of time to reach the energy level necessary to give your heart a good workout. To find your target heart rate to maximize your cardiovas-

cular exercise, the first step is determining your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. Your target heart rate for moderate to vigorous exercise is about 50%–85% of your maximum heart rate.

Averages by age as a general guide are:

20: 100–170 beats per minute

30: 95–162 beats per minute

35: 93–157 beats per minute

40: 90–153 beats per minute

45: 88–149 beats per minute

50: 85–145 beats per minute

55: 83–140 beats per minute

60: 80–136 beats per minute

65: 78–132 beats per minute

70: 75–128 beats per minute

What can you do to reach a target heart rate?

Start slow. If you are beginning an exercise program, aim for the lower end of your target heart rate zone and then gradually build up intensity.

Try interval training. Interval training, which includes short bursts — 15–60 seconds — of higher-intensity exercise, alternated with longer, less strenuous exercise, effectively increases cardiovascular fitness. Talk with your healthcare team before trying interval training, but it is typically safe for those with existing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

• Take the "talk test." If you can carry on a conversation in brief sentences while exercising, you're probably in the moderate intensity range. You'll be breathing faster, developing a light sweat and feeling some muscle strain. If you're working at a vigorous intensity, you won't be able to say more than a few words with-

out catching your breath. If you can sing while working out, you're probably in the low-intensity range, so step it up.

Know your numbers

Many wearable activity trackers can monitor your heart rate when you exercise and periodically throughout the day. If you don't have an activity tracker, you can use the radial artery in your wrist or the carotid artery in your neck. If you have heart disease or long-standing diabetes, it's best to use the artery on your wrist. To find your heart rate manually: Locate the artery you will use to find your heart rate. Using the tips of your first two fingers, press lightly over the artery. Count your heartbeats for 30 seconds and multiply by two to find your total

beats per minute.

If your heart rate is too high, take it easier. If it's too low, add some intensity and push yourself to get your heart rate closer to your target.

Abnormal heart rate

If you experience irregular heartbeats, including a racing heartbeat, slow heartbeat or a feeling of fluttering in your chest, you may be experiencing a heart arrhythmia. Heart rhythm or heartbeat problems can occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heartbeats don't work properly, causing your heart to beat too fast, slow or irregularly. Talk with your healthcare team if you have heart rhythm concerns.

Source: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ know-your-numbers-what-is-your-heart-rate/

Dr. Gregory Miller congratulates new dad Theodore Hardee Sr. via phone on the birth of his leapling son Theodore Jr. Photos courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital

Ashley Gould Hutchison with her leapling daughter Weslie.

Marine pilot Theodore Sr. Hardee with his family, meets his son Theodore Jr. in person, for the first time.

Who cares about public notices?

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.

Protect public notices i in newspapers and protect your right to know.

SPORTS&RECREATION

SCHSL WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

DeGroat repeats; 6 others place

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

Four wrestlers from Battery Creek, two from Bridges Prep, and one from Beaufort High qualified for the SCHSL State Championships last weekend in Anderson, and all seven came home with medals, including a second consecutive gold for Dolphins senior

By

Gunnar DeGroat. DeGroat pinned his way through the Class 3A 175-pound bracket, dispatching Pendleton’s John Henderson with 13 seconds remaining in the first period to capture his second consec-

utive state title. Teammates Elmer Linares (126) and Le’Roy Tyus (215) also reached the finals before settling for silver, and Battery Creek’s Andrew Legree placed third at 157 while Beaufort’s Antonio McKnight was fourth at 138 Bridges Prep’s Jeremiah Chavez placed third at 285 pounds in Class 2A/1A, and teammate Ali Jenkins

placed fourth at 175 Bluffton junior Jada Lawrence won the girls 145-pound title for her second state championship, and May River freshman Houston Rudisill was the Class 4A 138-pound champion. Hear more on all the state medalists from the Lowco on a new episode of the Lowco Grind pre-

USCB men drop another tight game

Brackin Lambert uscbathletics.com

Marcus Overstreet put together another strong performance with 27 points and 18 rebounds — his 13th

We believe everything we do should be rooted in Gullah Geechee Heritage and strive for academic excellence through...

• Place-Based Instruction

• Personalized Learning

• Small Group Instruction

• Proactive School Culture

Does this sound like a good fit for your middle

sented by Reverence Wrestling Club, now streaming on the Lowco Media Network on YouTube.

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports. com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

John Paul II’s Brady Mahoney, left, tries to squeeze in a little closer to the basket as Hilton Head Prep’s Bryn Miller fouls her during the second quarter of a game earlier in the season at John Paul II. Mahoney surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

JPII can’t deny HHCA’s 6th straight crown

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

A dynasty unlike any we’ve seen in the Lowcountry was too much for John Paul II’s girls basketball team to overcome, as the Golden Warriors’ best effort wasn’t quite enough to topple perennial power Hilton Head Christian Academy, which pulled away in the fourth quarter to claim its sixth consecutive state title in the SCISA 3A championship game Saturday in The Cove at USCB.

Mahoney converted a threepoint play to pull the Golden Warriors within 12 early in the fourth quarter, but star senior guards Mya Hutchinson and Devon Yarde took over in the final period and HHCA eased away for a 68-44 victory to add to its dynastic run.

“What a season,” JPII coach Karen Floyd said. “Team-first mentality. That’s what brought our team success and why individual players were able to reach milestones.”

Mahoney, who reached the 1,000-point mark in her career a game earlier, wrapped up a fantastic run at JPII with another double-double, collecting 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Lily Termini added 12 points and seven boards.

SEE CROWN PAGE B2

Gunnar DeGroat

USC Beaufort’s Qurah Anderson, left, gets the ball up and out of reach of Flagler College’s Jalen Barr during Saturday’s Peach Belt Conference game at The Cove in Bluffton. The Saints managed to pull ahead of the Sand Sharks in the second half to win, 72-69. The Sand Sharks dropped to 10-14, 3-13. It was the last home game of their inaugural NCAA Division II season. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

SPORTS & EDUCATION

Getting back on the diamond

Senior softball league firing up on HHI

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

Some people just don’t know when to hang up their spikes.

If that sounds like you, Senior Softball Beaufort County wants to see how much game you’ve got left — but only if you’re 55 or older.

The league has partnered with Hilton Head Island Recreation Center to announce its spring season, which is set to begin in March with games played at Barker Field on Hilton Head Island, and the organization already has more than 80 players committed to five teams, as well as a number of local sponsors.

But there’s still room for more players, whether they’re hardcore or hardly care whether they win or lose.

“We want players of all abilities and will build team rosters that foster friendships, fun, and healthy com-

petition,” league commissioner Rick Trenary said. “All of our teams include

tournament-caliber players alongside teammates that just want to play for the fun

of the game.” The league was founded in 2021 by Trenary and Dave

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP

BA girls start title defense strong

LowcoSports.com

The Beaufort Academy girls soccer team picked up where it left off in last season’s state championship run with a 14-0 win at Polaris Tech on Monday, as standout Keiley Good racked up eight goals in the season opener.

Claire Tumlin and Madi McDougall each added a pair of goals for the Eagles, who should once again contend for the championship.

BA’s boys made it a sweep with a 4-1 win, getting two goals from Andrew Butterfield and one each from Grady Lamm and Isaac Leslie. Mighty Lions win opener

Holy Trinity’s baseball team won its season opener Friday, beating St. Andrew’s, 138, on the road.

Jay Davis had a big day for the Mighty Lions, going 4-for-5 with a double and a homer, while scoring four runs and adding four RBIs. He also struck out eight over three scoreless innings on the mound.

HS GIRLS SOCCER Bridges Prep 7, Patrick Henry 1

2, Hilton Head Prep 2 Beaufort Academy 14, Polaris Tech 0

HS BOYS SOCCER

Battery Creek 1, Hilton Head Prep 0 Beaufort Academy 4, Polaris Tech 1

HS GIRLS LACROSSE

Pinewood Prep 16, Beaufort 5

Battery Creek’s Nycholas Underwood, center, is fouled near the goal by a Hilton Head Prep player as Battery Creek’s Logan Bradham tries to get out of the way during the second half during their non-region soccer match Monday night, Feb. 26, at Dolphins Stadium. Underwood scored the winning goal with less than a minute left to play in overtime, giving The Creek a 1-0 win over HHP. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

HS BOYS LACROSSE

Bluffton 17, Beaufort 16 (OT) Greenville 20, Beaufort 3 South Effingham 13, Beaufort 9

HS BASEBALL

Holy Trinity 13, St. Andrew’s 8

The John Paul II defense surrounds an Hilton Head Christian ball-handler Saturday night, Feb. 24. The Eagles won, 68-44, to claim their sixth straight SCISA state championship. Justin Jarrett/LowcoSports.com

Crown

from page B1

JPII’s backcourt held its own for much of the night, but when the Golden Warriors’ legs started to fade, Hutchinson and Yarde went to work, converting turnovers into runouts and using their dynamic abilities with the ball in their hands to get to the rim. When they misfired, fellow senior Morgan Scott was often there to collect the rebound

and putback. The Golden Warriors finished the season with an 18-8 record with three of the losses coming to the Eagles and two more at the hands of SCISA 4A runner-up Northwood, and with HHCA losing 60 percent of its starting lineup, a changing of the guard could be coming.

“I love that our seniors — Cayce Graves, Gracie Henderson, and Brady Mahoney — have come so far in four years,” Floyd said. “Their

individual growth and team success speaks highly of their character and will to win. With the exciting young talent and leadership of our returning players, next season is definitely something to smile about.”

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

Hofmann and employs specific rules designed to allow senior men and women to continue playing in a safe, fun, and competitive environment.

“Rosters are limited to 15 players,” Hofmann said. “So that means everyone who shows up for games will be in the batting lineup and play at least a few innings in the field.”

Some existing teams are seeking additional players, and the league is open to expansion. Interested players are encouraged to register as soon as possible and will be contacted prior to a series of scheduled introductory practices. The practice sessions will serve to allow players to knock off the rust and get back into game mode, as well as give league organizers and coaches an opportunity to evaluate players’ skills to aide in creating competitively balanced rosters.

Teams are built with a goal of parity through a draft process, so individuals are asked to register on-line at www.seniorsoftballbeaufort.com and strongly encouraged to attend at least one open group practice.

The season will run from March through late-May with teams playing doubleheaders on Wednesday afternoons at Barker Field. The league will also hold a fall season.

To find more information about the league or to register, visit SeniorSoftballBeaufort.com or send email to SeniorSoftballofBeaufort@ gmail.com.

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

USC Beaufort’s Shaniya Rose makes a last-ditch effort to shoot the ball as she gets sandwiched between two Flagler players during the first period of their Peach Belt Conference game Saturday afternoon at The Cove in Bluffton. The Lady Sand Sharks went on to win over the Saints, 58-56, to improve to 9-15, 5-11 in the Peach Belt Conference. Saturday’s game was the last home game of Lady Shand Sharks’ inaugural NCAA Division II season. Bob Sofaly/ The Island News

Premo’s sinks Saints, 4 straight for Sand Sharks

By Brackin Lambert uscbathletics.com

Mahkayla Premo grabbed a loose-ball rebound and toed the baseline before drawing a foul with six-tenths of a second left, then knocked down both ends at the charity stripe to give USCB a 58-56 win over visiting Flagler on Saturday in The Cove. The Saints had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but Premo tracked down the rebound after a missed shot and balanced on one foot along the baseline before falling out of bounds and drawing a whistle. After the Savannah native drained both free throws, Shaniya Rose picked off the inbounds pass to secure the victory, extending USCB's winning streak to four games and ending the Sand Sharks’ first home season with an 8-6 record in The Cove. Premo and Taniyah Bowman each dropped 15 points to lead Beaufort's offense. Rose and Madison Self were forces on the glass, picking up a combined 22 rebounds for USCB.

The teams exchanged blows, both giving up and regaining the lead as the clock ticked down. Flagler hit a 3-pointer to take a 55-53 lead, but a loose-ball scramble ended with the Saints' Jessica Dowdy fouling out and Bowman heading to the line for two with 40 seconds remaining. She went 1-for-2, but the Saints did the same with 30 seconds remaining.

On the next possession, Bowman chased down an offensive rebound in the corner and fed it to Self on the right block for the tying bucket. After Sharale McCormick’s miss and Premo’s rebound and clutch free throws, the Saints tried a baseball pass on the inbounds to take a shot a miracle 3-pointer, but Rose picked off the pass and the Sand Sharks flooded the court in victory.

USCB still has an outside chance at making the eight-team Peach Belt Conference Tournament, but the Sand Sharks (9-15 5-11) will need to win at least one of their two remaining games at Columbus State on Wednesday or at Augusta on Saturday.

Men and women ages 55 and over are invited to register for the spring season of Senior Softball Beaufort County, which will be played from March through May at Barker Field on Hilton Head Island. Photo courtesy of Senior Softball Beaufort County

com/,

@portroyalfarmersmarket on

or call 843-295-0058. Slip and Splash Saturdays

a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays,

Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin

and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric.

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

Karaoke with Melissa 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Rd, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

EASTER

Eggstravaganza Noon, Saturday, March 30, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. Registration required. Join us for an Easter Egg hunt. There will be games, prizes and fun. Kids will receive a take-home craft. Don’t forget to bring a basket to collect eggs. Call 843-255-6540 for more information.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Rooted Beaufort

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, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, Sea Island Parkway, Lady’s Island. A light breakfast is provided before the program. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit our website at www.lowcountryrotary.org or contact our President, Bob Bible a reconmc@aol.com or 843-2528535.

MUSIC USCB Chamber Music Series 5 p.m.,

at 9:30 a.m. To attend the meeting as a guest, send an RSVP email to mayeriverquilters@gmail.com. For more information and for membership forms to join the group, call 978-464-0585.

American Needlepoint Guild Meeting 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1st Tuesday each month. The Hilton Head Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in needlepoint to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at hiltonheadislandchapter@needlepoint.org.

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

SPORTS/GAMES

Kiwanis Club of Hilton Head Cornhole for Charity Tournament 1 p.m., Saturday, April 27, Lincoln & South Brewing Company, 138 Island Drive, Hilton Head Island. This year’s tournament will benefit SOAR Special Recreation of the Lowcountry. Cornhole teams will compete for cash prize donations to the local youth cause of their choice. Sign up to compete and sponsor the event by visiting https:// hhikiwanisorders.weebly.com/.

ACBL Duplicate

BCSD school choice applications open this weekend

From staff reports

Beaufort County School District (BCSD) will begin accepting school choice applications for the 2024-25 academic year, the 10th year of the district’s expanded choice initiative, beginning on Friday, March 1. School choice applications will be open on the district’s website and must be submitted online by Sunday, March, 31 at 5 p.m.

Parents and guardians who don’t have internet access may request appli-

cation assistance at any district school.

Curriculum options approved by the Board of Education include such instructional choices as Montessori; advanced math, engineering, and science (AMES); International Baccalaureate; arts integration; language immersion; Cambridge Academy; Early College; MedTech 7; Medical and Technology pathways; and leadership programs. New options for this year include Advancement Via Individ-

ual Determination (AVID) at Beaufort Middle School, as well as extended dual enrollment opportunities for eligible high school students through Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) and the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB).

To learn about the district’s school choice program offerings please see the BCSD School Choice website page (https://bit.ly/ 3 L 46 mMZ) where a complete Guide to School Programs booklet can be viewed.

SC’s starting teacher pay could be boosted by House budget proposal

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com

COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s early-career teachers could earn at least $47,000 a year, a $4,500 increase to state required minimums, under a measure approved by House budget writers Wednesday, Feb. 21

The House education budget panel’s spending directs an extra $230 million to increase teacher salaries, edging the state closer to Gov. Henry McMaster’s call to lift the salary floor to $50,000 by 2026. It also marks a nearly $20,000 increase to starting salaries over the past decade.

The state’s largest teacher organization applauded the proposal, calling it a “meaningful commitment” to K-12 educators.

In 2019, some 10,000 frustrated teachers took to the Statehouse grounds in a protest over ballooning class sizes, heavy workloads and low pay.

The biggest win for the Palmetto State Teachers Association was a longsought section in the plan upping the number of years teachers are eligible for a raise.

“Some of South Carolina’s most experienced and effective teachers have operated under a salary structure where they were ineligible for pay increases during the final years of their career,” according to a statement by the association.

Under the existing system, schools districts don’t have to pay educators any extra if they’ve been teach-

Despite substantial increases in state-allowed minimum salaries for teachers, the number of vacant teaching positions at the start of the school year is up 165% since 2019. Mary

Ann Chastain/Special to the S.C. Daily Gazette

ing more than 23 years. House lawmakers want to extend required pay boosts for veteran teachers to their 28th year in the classroom.

The proposal largely follows the governor’s budget proposal and recommendations released last May by a task force studying how to curb the state’s teacher shortage. This school year started with more than 1 600 vacancies, a 9% increase from the previous year, according to the state Center for Education Recruitment, Retention and Advancement’s annual report. Unlike past measures, the House proposal did not provide an equal pay bump for teachers at every level. All teachers would see a boost from the plan, but those early in their career would see a greater increase in starting salary requirements.

Last year, the National Education Association ranked South Carolina’s starting teacher pay at

EDUCATION BRIEFS

Zonta Club of Beaufort offers scholarships for Women

Zonta Club of Beaufort, a local service organization of executives in business working together to advance the status of women, will award two $1 000 scholarships this year with its annual scholarship program. One award will go to a working woman and one to a female high school senior residing in Northern Beaufort County.

The “Scholarship for Women” is awarded to a high school se-

40th in the country, behind the national average of $43,000 in 2023 but ahead of neighboring states North Carolina and Georgia.

The House plan did not include all of McMaster’s proposed revamp of how teachers are paid. The governor had suggested collapsing the state salary schedule, which since 1977 has paid teachers based solely on their level of college degree and years of experience in the classroom, the S.C. Daily Gazette previously reported. Rather than smaller, annual increases, educators would have seen larger jumps every few years. And while the House panel’s proposal sets minimum standards, school districts do have the option to pay teachers even more.

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.

Choice schools serve children who live in their attendance zones in addition to students from outside the zone who apply to attend. Beaufort County students who attend choice programs do not pay extra tuition, although families are responsible for their students’ transportation if they live outside of school attendance zones.

This year, there are even more opportunities for students and families to choose from with the opening of academic school program

pathways that were previously limited to individuals residing in-zone. There are only two schools that are at or above capacity and do not have availability for students outside the attendance zone to apply for school choice, H.E. McCracken Middle School and Pritchardville Elementary School.

A lottery will be held if the number of choice applications at a school would cause the school to exceed its overall enrollment capacity, or if approved applica-

tions would push an individual choice program beyond its capacity.

All district schools maintain a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics focus, as well as a core curriculum that includes the arts, world languages, and technology.

For more information about school choice programs, please see https:// bit.ly/3L46mMZ. Please contact the school associated with each program(s) directly for more information.

Beaufort Library launches 5th annual Bookmark Contest

From staff reports

The Beaufort County Library System has announced its 5th annual Bookmark Contest for the 2024 Summer Reading Program. The contest runs from March 1 to March 30

All Beaufort County residents are encouraged to participate. This year's theme is Adventure Begins at Your Library!

A winning design will be selected from each of the following age groups:

Ages 5 - 8 ; Ages 9 - 12 ;

Ages 13 - 17; and Ages 18 +.

The four winning designs will be featured on bookmarks distributed at the library during the summer. Participants create their artwork directly on the Bookmark Contest template and then return it to any Beaufort County Li-

brary location. Templates are available at the library or printed from the beaufortcountylibrary.org/bookmark contest webpage. Beaufort County School District students can return their completed templates to their teacher.

Designs must be submitted by Saturday, March 30 2024. Winners will be announced in early May. Only one design may be submitted per person. Artwork and artist’s name, age, and school will be shared via the library’s social media and digital communications.

For more information on the Summer Reading Program or other BCL programs/ events, please contact Theresa Furbish, Programs and Events Librarian, at 843255-6442 or theresa.furbish@bcgov.net. For the most current listing of Beaufort County Library events, please visit the Library’s Event Calendar at www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/calendar.

Application period for FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council grows short

From staff reports Students in 8th to 11th grade who have a passion for disaster preparedness and community service are encouraged to apply for FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council prior to the March 4 deadline.

Teens from communities across the Southeast may now apply for FEMA’s national Youth Preparedness Council. Young leaders who apply and are accepted will have the opportunity to share their ideas and feedback with FEMA, gain professional skills, and develop preparedness projects. National Council members also participate in a bi-annual youth summit

in Washington, D.C. with FEMA leaders and preparedness professionals to network and learn more about the field of emergency management. The next Summit will take place in July 2025

To apply, students in Grades 8 through 11 must submit a completed written or video application, two letters of recommendation, academic records, and a list of extracurricular activities. Council members are se-

lected based on their passion for preparedness and helping others, community involvement, and their aptitude for working as part of a team and as a leader. New council members will be announced in May. All applications and supporting materials must be received by midnight on March 4 2024 To learn more about the YPC and the application process, visit https://bit. ly/48AAgR7

nior female student planning to attend undergraduate, certificate, or technical degree program at an accredited University/college/ institute at the time the funds are received while the “Scholarship for Working Women” is awarded to working women enrolled in graduate, undergraduate, certificate, or technical degree program at an accredited university/college/ institute at the time the funds are received.

All applications must be submitted no later than April 1 2024 To obtain an application, please email zontabeaufort.advocacy@ gmail.com.

2 Coastal Carolina students from Beaufort graduate during Fall 2023

Coastal Carolina University recognized more than 500 students during its Fall 2023 commencement ceremonies, held Dec. 15 in the HTC Center, including two from Beaufort.

The Beaufort graduates include Padric Payne (29902) and Charles Weeden (29907).

Coastal Carolina University, a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in

Conway, located just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, offers baccalaureate degrees in more than 100 major fields of study. Among the University's graduate-level programs are 27 master's degrees, one educational specialist degree, and the doctorates in education and in marine science: coastal and marine systems science.

Beaufort’s Mazzeo named to Tufts’ dean's list

Thomas Mazzeo, Class of 2026, of Beaufort, was named to the

dean's list at Tufts University for the Fall 2023 semester. Dean's list honors at Tufts University require a semester grade point average of 3 4 or greater.

Tufts University, located on campuses in Boston, Medford/ Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions.

– From staff reports

Bolen to join Holy Trinity as new Head of School for 2024-25

From staff reports

Holy Trinity Classical Christian School Board of Governors announced this week the selection of Kevin Bolen as the new Head of School for the 2024-25 school year.

A native of South Carolina and graduate of Columbia International University in Columbia, Bolen comes to Holy Trinity with 14 years experience in classical Christian schools.

Bolen began his career teaching

middle school Literature, Grammar, and Writing to students, along with teaching Bible classes for high schoolers, at Covenant Classical Christian School in Columbia. In the 2013-14 school year, he became Head of School at Covenant, serving in that role un-

Kevin Bolen

til 2019, when he took a position as K-12 Principal at Trinity Christian School in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Bolen is excited to return to South Carolina and join the team at Holy Trinity in offering a formative education to area families.

When asked about classical Christian education, he said, “The great genius of classical Christian education is its focus on shaping the inner character of students, pre-

From staff reports

Local Beaufort artists have paint brushes in hand, getting ready for Beaufort Art Association’s annual Spring Art Exhibit.

For the past sixty years, this event is highly anticipated by local artists and art lovers alike. Painters, photographers, sculptors and woodworkers each work throughout the year to create masterpieces to unveil to the world and to be judged. It’s their Best of the Best.

So mark your calendar –BAA’s Spring Show will take place on Wednesday, March 12 through Friday March 15 at Tabby Place on Port Republic Street in Downtown Beaufort. Admission is free. Art will include 2-D with oil, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, collage, encaustic paintings and photography, as well as 3-D pottery, sculpture, woodturning and stained glass. Jewelry will also be featured. The judge this year is E. Joanna Angell, a fourth-generation multidisciplinary artist currently Assistant Professor of Art in the Department of Studio Art at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. More than 100 pieces

paring them for both college and adult life by stirring their hearts to pursue wisdom, virtue, and scholastic excellence with a sense of joy and wonder in God’s creation.”

Bolen and his wife, Gretchen, have three children: one in college in the Philadelphia area, and two who will join the student body at Holy Trinity.

Bolen takes over for the Rev. Joe Lawrence, who was named the In-

terim Headmaster in 2022, when the Rev. Chad Lawrence stepped down as Headmaster.

Founded in 2012, Holy Trinity Classical Christian School (HTCCS) provides students with a distinctly Christian and distinctively classical education in Beaufort. Holy Trinity serves students from preschool-12th grade. Since 2020, 72 students have graduated from the school with a 100% college acceptance rate.

Polaris Tech seeking board candidates

From staff reports

People interested in helping Polaris Tech Charter School in Ridgeland are encouraged to become candidates for the Board of Directors. The deadline for board candidate applications is 4 p.m., Friday, March 15, and the online election will be held April 23 through 25

Candidates must apply online and the application is available on the school website at www.polaristech.org or directly using this link: https://forms.gle/ pv5xuyd157rFE7as5 Board members serve two-year terms. There are six seats open, three through the election and three to be appointed by the current Board of Directors. To ensure a fair and confidential election, the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina will oversee the board election process.

“Polaris Tech has grown from serving 300 middle school and high school learners to being a full-service, K-12 school of about 550 students that is open to young people from across the Lowcountry,” retired U.S. Air Force Gen.

SC’s

Lloyd “Fig” Newton, Chair of the Board and one of the school’s founders, said in a news release.

“Part of that growth has been the result of dedicated board members who help push this wonderful idea forward,” he said. “We are looking for candidates who want to help us reach, rise and soar.”

Per South Carolina Charter Law, elected board members are elected by the families of the charter school students and school employees. Voting will take place online via computer or mobile devices. School associates with no students enrolled at Polaris Tech are given one vote. Families and school associates with students enrolled in Polaris Tech are given one vote per student enrolled in the school. If a family or school associate has multiple children enrolled at Polaris Tech, they will receive an e-ballot for each student. Every ballot will have a unique PIN number to ensure confidentiality of the process. Computers will be available at the school for voting during normal

school hours for families with no internet access or for those who seek additional help. Information about the election will be sent to families via email by the school.

Polaris Tech seeks a diverse board, Newton said. Meetings are held monthly, usually via Zoom or at the school campus in Ridgeland. By law, at least half the board must have experience in business or education and all board members must be South Carolina residents.

Polaris Tech is a state-approved charter school serving kindergarten through high school students from Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton and Hampton counties. It is a free school (no tuition), that focuses on preparing young people for successful work and college. The school is located on Grays Highway across from the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport. To keep updated about Polaris Tech Charter School, follow them on Facebook and at www.polaristech. org. For specific questions, email info@polaristech. org or call 843-645-0605

public schools will search for teachers at state’s Virtual

From staff reports

Teacher Expo

Recruiters from South Carolina’s public school districts hope to fill their known and anticipated teacher vacancies at this year’s South Carolina Virtual Teacher Expo. The Virtual Expo, a two-day online teacher job fair sponsored by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), will be held on Wednesday, March 13, and Thursday, March 14 2024

The Teacher Expo attracts job seekers from across the state and nation and allows them to network with recruiters from South Carolina’s public school districts. The recruiters look for outstanding candidates to fill teaching vacancies in all K-12 subject areas and grade levels.

The Expo is one part of a continuum of programs and services offered by CERRA designed to improve teacher recruitment, retention, and advancement in South Carolina.

CERRA’s Supply and Demand Report, released in November 2023, found that there continues to be a teacher shortage in the state. According to the report, there was a 9% increase in reported teacher vacancies at the beginning of the 2023-24

school year as compared to the 2022-23 school year. The report also states that on average, more than 7,000 educators in SC public school districts leave their teaching/service positions each year. This leaves many districts with vacancies they hope to fill with quality candidates.

Critical subject areas such as special education, mathematics, and science continue to have a large increase in vacancies. More information regarding critical subject areas can be found in the SC Department of Education’s 2023-2024 Critical Needs Report: 2023-2024 Critical Needs Report.

Certified teachers, recent graduates of teacher education programs, international teachers who meet U.S. Visa requirements, and individuals who have met admission criteria for an approved alternative certification program in South Carolina are encouraged to participate in the Expo. Information regarding SC teaching licensure and alternative certification pathways will be available during the Expo as well.

More details and registration information for the Expo are available on the CERRA website: www.cerra.org.

Nikki, please, stop talking about racism

The more former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley talks about race and racism in America, the more she disqualifies herself as a serious thinker or potential leader on the matter.

And the closer she comes to backing herself into a corner where the truth will be impossible to keep dodging.

In a recent appearance on the CNN television show “King Charles,” co-host Charles Barkley challenged Haley to earn his vote by revisiting her previous comments on whether America is or ever has been a racist country.

“I’m dying to vote for you,” the basketball legend said. “I mean that sincerely. I want to give all my energy and all my heart behind your campaign, but I was upset when you made the reference that you didn’t think America had racism.”

Haley responded, “I never said there is not racism in America … there absolutely is racism in

TERRY MANNING

America. I said America was not a racist country.” Haley brought up her childhood as a little brown girl of Indian descent in Bamberg.

“We weren’t white enough to be white, we weren’t Black enough to be Black,” she said. “They didn’t know who we were, what we were or why we were there. If my mom had told me we lived in a racist country, I would have grown up never thinking I could be governor, never thinking I could be ambassador, never thinking I could run for president.

“But my mom always said, your

job is not to show them how you’re different. Your job is to show them how you’re similar.”

Now, I don’t know Nikki Haley’s mother. Or her father. Before I looked them up in researching this column, I could not recall ever having even seen a photo of them. But I know one thing for sure about Nikki Haley’s parents: They knew there was racism in this country.

According to an article in People, Haley wrote in her memoir that her parents faced challenges after moving to South Carolina. They struggled to find rental housing because they were foreign-born and because her father worked at a “Black school,” Voorhees College (now University) in Denmark. Even after they finally purchased a house, Haley wrote, they were informed they could not host Black people in their home.

Here are two classic examples of how racism works in this country. You’re different, and you don’t look like us, so we don’t like you. How-

ever, we will make an exception as long as you side with us by not associating with other people we don’t like. As Nikki Haley tells it, the latter certainly seems to be the lesson learned by her mother.

Why else would she have burdened a child with the responsibility of confronting bias by “showing them how you’re similar?”

It’s not the responsibility of the oppressed to assuage the prejudices of the oppressor. It shouldn’t be my “job” as a Black man to show white people what we have in common. It’s not my “job” to educate people on why I, a human being, deserve to be treated like one.

Gayle King, the other co-host of “King Barkley,” tried to correct Haley. “I don’t want to split hairs here, but the exact quote you said was ‘America has never been a racist country.’ I think that’s [what] people objected to.”

Haley replied, “I don’t think the premise of America was to be a racist country.”

I can agree with her on that one.

“I think the goal was always to have freedom.”

Hmm, OK.

“Now we stumbled along the way and some parts of our history were not pretty.”

Right, now bring it on home.

“But we got past that.”

Awww! So close.

All these years removed from her childhood, Nikki Haley is still trying to prove herself, to show how “similar” she is to the white Republican voters she’s trying to win over. Nothing else she says will convince me or many other members of minority communities otherwise.

And nothing makes the case for the continued existence — and threat — of racism in this country than her need to pretend we’re “past that.”

Terry E. Manning is a Clemson graduate and worked for 20 years as a journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com.

Digging deeper, it’s not just an attack on women

As I sat the other day and tried to absorb the latest debacle in the continuous rampage on a woman’s reproductive rights, my first thought was, “This has to be a joke.”

Now they were addressing, check that, “policing,” in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The state Supreme Court of Alabama ruled that embryos – whether they’re within or out of a uterus – are children and would be protected under Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.

A little bit of Biology 101 is called for. IVF is a treatment in which a female patient's eggs are surgically removed from the ovaries, fertilized in a laboratory with sperm from a male partner or sperm donor, to create embryos. (“In vitro” is Latin for “in glass,” and refers to the process of fertilizing an egg in a laboratory dish.)

The Alabama decree went on to say, human life, “cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself.”

Then the Chief Justice cited the book of Genesis and God's "wrath" in his opinion, ruling that frozen embryos have the same rights as living children.

Whoa! Whatever happened to the separation of church and state? Where are all those Constitutionalists?

According to the Associated Press, “By citing verses from the Bible and Christian theologians in his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker alarmed

CAROL LUCAS

advocates for church-state separation, while delighting religious conservatives who oppose abortion.

So who is Tom Parker?

Once again, I went online and found the following: this is a jurist who has openly espoused support for a once-fringe philosophy that calls on evangelical Christians to reshape society based on their interpretation of the Bible.

During an online broadcast on Friday, Parker suggested America was founded explicitly as a Christian nation and discussed his embrace of the Seven Mountains Mandate — the belief that conservative Christians are meant to rule over seven key areas of American life, including media, business, education and government. Please, reread that last list in case you missed the far-reaching implications.

At this point it is necessary to explore Christian Nationalism, what it is, what it purports to do, and how it might impact the country.

Christian nationalists in America believe that the country was founded as a Christian nation and that Christian values should be prioritized throughout government and public life. As

the country has become less religious and more diverse, Russel Vought, who heads the Center for Renewing America, has embraced the idea that Christians are under assault and has spoken of policies he might pursue in response.

It should be noted that Vought, who served as Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget during his first term, has remained close to the former president. He a leading force in a conservative consortium that is preparing for a second Trump term and speaks at least once a month with his former boss. He is said to be working to elevate Christian Nationalism as a focal point in a second Trump term.

While Christian Nationalism is one of the bullet points of this second term plan, others include invoking the Insurrection Act on Day 1 to quash protests and refusing to spend authorized congressional funds on unwanted projects.

This same consortium has issued a “Mandate for Leadership” which states “freedom is defined by God, not man.”

Perhaps one of the greatest ironies in all this is the fact that Donald Trump is not a devout man of faith, despite what you are seeing from him as he attends political rallies hosted by evangelicals. Certainly those he appointed to the Supreme Court, a supposedly impartial group of jurists, would infer his need to appease the “Christian right.”

But now, even those legislators in Alabama recognize the implications of this latest assault on reproductive rights. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall weighed in on the issue on Friday. Marshall said he “has no intention of using the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision as a basis for prosecuting IVF families or providers.”

Furthermore, a bi-partisan group of Alabama legislators is preparing a draft “clarifying” the legislation that would protect IVF. The question becomes “What constitutes “clarification?”

When I set out to write this article, my thoughts were geared to the assault on a woman’s rights. But once I began to research the Christian Nationalist movement, I found myself pulled in another direction. The possibilities that loom ahead, possibilities so troubling, indeed terrifying,

that will impact all of us, men women, and children, became my focus. What I found motivates me all the more to implore this: please don’t ignore what they are telling you they intend to do. Don’t summarily dismiss the blatantly overt declarations of these people and what is their main goal. When Jack Posobeic opened the CPAC meeting recently saying, “Welcome to the end of democracy” and added, “We didn’t get all the way there on January 6,” believe him. Until recently, I have taken our way of life for granted, never giving a second thought to the idea that our freedoms could be curtailed with the wrong people in government; my research was a real wakeup call for me. Those of you who regularly read my weekly contributions know my political leanings. You also know that I believe

there are many Liz Cheneys and Adam Kinzingers, and John Kasichs out there, all admirable Republicans with whom I may disagree on some issues, but whom I admire for their morality. Sadly, the Republican Party these folks represent no longer exists.

If you wish to live in an autocracy where the right to engage in your own religious practice, to have control over your own body, to retain the right to vote, where all these are taken away, then ignore what I have written. If, on the other hand, you don’t want any of this, then I will fall back on Trump’s recent quote (only once, I promise you): “Fight like hell!”

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.”

‘Thank you’ to the community and Semper Fidelis

Citizens of the Lowcountry, this past Friday was truly a whirlwind for the Marine Corps Air Station. The morning began with the groundbreaking for the Laurel Bay Pathway, connecting the Spanish Moss trail to the Laurel Bay Housing Area and providing both the military and civilian community along Laurel Bay Road a safe method for transportation and recreation. I am grateful to Beaufort County and the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs for partnering to achieve this goal. At noon, the town of Port Royal

COL. MARK BORTNEM

included us in a dedication of the 22 mph speed limit signs along Paris Avenue, shining additional light on the epidemic of suicides within the military community. Later in the evening, we hosted Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band

for a free concert aboard the air station, completing a busy and rewarding day with some great music and fellowship among our Lowcountry community.

Each of these events has caused me to stop and reflect on something I believe in deeply: this area is uniquely special among all of the places I have served in more than 33 years in the Marine Corps. On behalf of the Air Station, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the more than 7 000 members of our local community who made the trip and attended the concert. The team planned the event for

nearly five months, and I sincerely hope that the concert was as enjoyable for the guests as it was for the Marines, sailors, civilians, and families of the Marine Corps Air Station. The opportunity to partner with the Gary Sinise Foundation in bringing the Lt. Dan Band to the air station was a challenging task for a team normally focused on the readiness of the Marines and sailors aboard the base. With that said, the concert was a resounding success, and I hope those who attended left knowing how thankful we all are to live and work in such a special place.

From the bottom of my heart:

Thank you! With your continued support, the resilient and ready Marines, sailors, civilians, and families of the air station stand ready to achieve any mission that comes our way. Your presence at the concert, your cheers, and your care for us are felt and appreciated every day.

Thank you for being an unbreakable partner in the history of the defense of our nation, and in our future.

Semper Fidelis.

Colonel Mark Bortnem is the Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

At first glance the International African American Museum resembles nothing more than an elevated, white marble shoe box, set down beside a South Beach-styled condominium, pointing into the impossibly blue waters of Charleston Harbor.

Later one will understand that the immense shoe box is aligned over Gadsden’s Wharf — the very spot where 150,000 dazed, dehydrated, walking-dead Africans came ashore between 1670 and 1808. Then one understands why Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners decided that nothing would touch this sacred, now-shaded geography other that the concrete pillars supporting the building.

Before this column commences let me say that this is not my first slave-focused rodeo. I’ve been to the National African American Museum in Washington; the new Legacy Museum in

Montgomery, Ala.; the old Legacy Museum and Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, Ala. And so I came to Gadsden’s Wharf expecting the wall-sized video image of the Atlantic Ocean complete with a beach littered with terra cotta human heads. But that’s not the shattering first impression one gets in Charleston. Here one enters a canyon of video panels showing dramatic scenes from Mali; engravings of the men and women who stepped ashore just below; and arresting images of current African Americans in engaged in every modern endeavor —

models, athletes, musicians.

These images are somehow synchronized, but the visual impact is ancient kingdoms, vibrant colors, and degrading work in the muck of semi-submerged rice fields. And yet there is a cautious optimism built into the introductory passage at the International African American Museum.

I must admit I loved the rooms focused on ancient Africa; and those dealing with rice cultivation and Civil Rights; and, finally, the room more or less dedicated to Beaufort County.

I loved the fact that my some of my friends — Emory Campbell and Frieda Mitchell — were featured on the walls of what was called “The Gullah Geechee Room.” Yes, one expects to see Martin Luther King, Andrew Young, Robert Smalls and Harriet Tubman; but here we had Natalie and Ron Daise along with Arianne King Comer and Marquetta Goodwine. Yes,

in a real sense, this room could have been named “The Beaufort County Experience”.

I liked that there was a focus on ancient Africa. The empires of Mali, Kongo, Benin and Hausa were described and made accessible on an interactive device where one could see these kingdoms in relation to modern day Africa. It is, I think, important to know this history in order to know the story of the Muslim expansion from Northern Africa and the colonization by Leopold and his band of European psychopathic brothers.

This room really helps if you have an interest in the troubled Sahel, the terrorists who now run roughshod through this dry topography, the French who are unhappily leaving the field, the Russians and the Chinese who want to replace the departing French.

When Susan and I left the Legacy Museum (two years

ago) in Montgomery, Ala., we went to a nearby bar and argued. I argued the Legacy described the problems, but did not deal with the question of where we go from here. My wife argued that this wasn’t the role of the museum — that today’s teachers, preachers and legislators had that duty.

When we left the Charleston Museum — going for $5 Margaritas at Taco Boy on Huger Street — I understood that this journey is not done; we are not finished; that there is anger and rancor still rattling around in the American psyche. But this museum helped me see a struggle that we are slowly, grudgingly, collectively winning.

I came of age in the segregated, Apartheid-worthy South where black and white people were physically separated. During my lifetime I witnessed the Poor People’s March (I was there); the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse (I

was there); the elevation of Barack Obama to the Oval Office (Alright, OK, I saw that one on television).

I also witnessed the successful integration of my college, The Citadel, and the arrival of competent African American judges in courtrooms that I routinely inhabited.

And yes, I saw the beating of Rodney King; knew Clementa Pinckney and mourn his death. I do understand that our the current national turmoil has race-based ingredients.

But I know that my son is just about colorblind; that at Bluffton High School young Black men are dating young white girls; that my friend Frieda Mitchell is enshrined on the walls of a building that will forever hang above an infamous wharf in Charleston.

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

The ‘worker shortage’ myth depresses black wealth

the past two centuries. This pattern of discrimination has depressed African Americans' employment and wages — and is a significant cause of persistent racial wealth gaps.

The trend began before the Civil War. By the early 1800s, many Northern states had banned slavery and were home to substantial numbers of free Black workers. But starting in the 1820s, northern employers increasingly sought cheaper white immigrant workers from Europe — which stalled Black economic momentum.

After the Civil War, former slaves began migrating to northern states to staff the factories of a rapidly industrializing nation. This led to huge jumps in African American skills, incomes, and even business ownership.

Southern plantations and businesses despaired of their dwindling source of cheap labor. But by the 1880s, they were rescued by the grand political and economic bargaining that resulted in the Ellis Island-era "Great Wave of Immigration." Each year over the next four decades, an average of nearly 600,000 immigrants flowed primarily into northern labor markets.

That largely blocked the flow of Black workers from the South.

In fact, many former slaves and their families moved back to the lower-wage South after they

were displaced by desperate immigrants willing to accept low wages and appalling working conditions.

By 1910, about 90% of all African Americans were still laboring as farm workers and household servants in the South.

Finally, in 1924, public pressure — including from notable Black leaders of the day like A. Philip Randolph and W. E. B. Du Bois — forced Congress to drastically reduce annual immigration.

The ensuing tightness in northern labor markets created demand for underemployed, underpaid southern workers. Some six million African Americans left the South during the Great Migration made possible by tighter labor markets. By the 1960s, the share of Black households that were considered middle class had expanded from two in 10 to seven in 10

But the economic boom didn't last. Congress reopened mass

migration in the 1960s, and — just as before — economic progress ceased for most Black Americans.

In response, federal commissions in the 1970s called on Congress to reduce immigration, but lawmakers instead heeded the concerns of employer lobbies that expressed fears of "worker shortages." Instead of viewing tight job markets as an opportunity to bring more Black Americans into the workforce and close racial wealth gaps, Congress chose to enable businesses to fill jobs with foreign workers.

In the decades since, the U.S. government has offered lifetime work authorization to more than 30 million immigrants, not counting millions of foreign workers who have entered the country illegally.

The United States doesn't have a worker shortage. Approximately four in 10 working-age African Americans with only high school

diplomas don't have jobs. Many would jump at the chance to work, if recruited at fair wages and working conditions.

For two centuries, the labor shortage myth has been used to justify immigration policies that disadvantage Black Americans. Today, the median household wealth of descendants of American slavery remains much less than that of recent immigrants — and less than 15% that of the descendants of European immigrants and settlers. Given our history, claims of a "worker shortage" should put any racially sensitive American on high alert.

Roy Beck is the sole founder and former president of the NumbersUSA Education and Research Foundation, and the author of Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-Year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth. This column originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

SCOTT

ROY BECK

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot

Parris Island, South Carolina, 1 March 2024

Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel C. B. McArthur

2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel C. J. Kearney

Commander of Troops, Captain J. P. Cole • Parade Adjutant, Captain E. Lee Company “H”, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain J. P. Cole

PLATOON 2008

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt L. W. Underwood

Pvt Almeida, Conner

Pvt Benard Jr, Calvin J.

Pvt Bordick, Wyatt K.

Pvt Bristow, Christopher I.

PFC Carter Jr, Joshua J.*

PFC Cenilus, Drice

PFC Darmond, Marshall R.

PFC Derossette, Declan A.*

PFC Donovan, Myles D.*

PFC Doyle Jr, Brian M.*

Pvt Exantus, Simson

Pvt Fisher, Artavious V.

Pvt Gallow, Javion L.

Pvt Gonzalezvalenzuela, Randy

Pvt Gosssmith, Brian T.

Pvt Gouin, Nolan P.

Pvt Guillory, Makylan S.

Pvt Harrison, Dylan K.

Pvt Hays, Payton M.

Pvt Johnson, Deno

PFC Johnson, Jordyn M.

Pvt Jones, Cody R.

Pvt Linzey, Andrew D.

PFC Lovell, Richard L.

Pvt Medina Jr, Emanuel

Pvt Messler, William M.

Pvt Nash, Donavan I.

Pvt Ness, Justin C.

Pvt Nieves, Tristian E.

Pvt Papillion, Phillip J.

Pvt Peck, Jason N.

PFC Peppers, Derek A.

PFC Philpotts, Shawnpaul A.

Pvt Prater, Lucas D.

Pvt Rivera, Elijah

Pvt Ross, Daniel T.

Pvt Seeleyion, Carter B.

PFC Smith, Jelani A.*

Pvt Tirado, Xavier E.

Pvt Umanzorhenriquez, Cristian E.

PFC Wall, Lance T.

Pvt Wood, Gavin M.

Drill Masters • Gunnery Sergeant E. B. Owrey, Staff Sergeant R. J. Royer

PLATOON 2009

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt M. Y. Quiles

Pvt Abbott, Lauren A.

PFC AndrewsGayle, Mikayla C.

Pvt Aranda, Danely

Pvt Bachman, Samantha G.

PFC Bermejo, Evelyn

Pvt Brady, Rosemary R.

PFC Carrasco, Yuriria R.

Pvt Chavezgatica, Karen E.

Pvt Chendeng, Christina

Pvt Delacruzgomez, Kathy A.

PFC Dixon, Brenda L.

Pvt Escalantecandelario, Aolanis N.

Pvt Fernandezjimenez, Nicole L.

Pvt Fraser, Phiona C.

PFC Garcia, Vanessa A.

Pvt Henderson, Natia A.

PFC Holland, Jada B.

Pvt Irvin, Jacquira R.

Pvt Johnson, Kassidy L.

Pvt Jones, Corlesha L.

Pvt Lindie, Jevonda L.

LCpl Lowry, Madison L.

Pvt Mendiolavazquez, Ashley A.

PFC Miles, Keirton M.

PFC Morgan, Angelique M.

Pvt Murdock, Jordian A.*

PFC Obenshain, Cedelia P.

Pvt Oehlers, Alaina L.*

Pvt Ojendizvazquez, Ashleyemelin

Pvt Perrydunno, Alyssa C.

PFC Rawls, Kiara A.

Pvt Sanchezrodriguez, Zamaya Y.*

Pvt Santoswright, Maria F.*

Pvt Vidourek, Isabella G.

Pvt Viteangeles, Karen

PLATOON 2010

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt D. L. Hannah

Pvt Allen, Liam P.

PFC Barrett, Jonathan M.

PFC Bell, Trae C. *

Pvt Campbell, Collin W.

Pvt Campbell, David E.

Pvt Centracchio, Enzo J.

PFC Deogun, Jasjot S.

Pvt Diaz, Alejandro V.

Pvt Dixon, Jayden E.

Pvt Espinalvilla, Oscar A.

Pvt Flanagan, Deshawn A.

PFC Flores, Jonathan M.

Pvt Ford, Hunter C.

Pvt Frierson, Oryan R.

Pvt Gallegos, Juan C.

Pvt Glover, Zane J.

Pvt Graves, Peyton H.

PFC Gutierrez, Andres *

Pvt Highe, Ellis M.

Pvt Jones, Jikee Z.

Pvt Joshi, Krunal D.

Pvt Lanzot, Amauri L.

Pvt Leason, Frank D.

PFC Linderman, Keith A.

Pvt Mahan, Keagan P.

Pvt Malawo, Fenton C.

Pvt Mccay, Charles P.

Pvt Nordstrom, Shawn M.

Pvt Oneal, Dorian G.

Pvt Ottervanger, Jacob A.

Pvt Passalacquahornung, Ethan D.

PFC Ramos, Micah X.

PFC Robertson, Hayden W. *

PFC Rogers, Christian L. *

Pvt Ross, Benjamin L.

PFC Santos Jr, David T. *

Pvt Savage Iii, John F.

Pvt Smeal, Landon T.

Pvt StJean, Collins

Pvt Torres, Christopher

Pvt Vegarodriguez, Darbiel

Pvt Walters, Colin E.

PFC Wilson, David M.

Pvt Yevoli, Nicolas J.

PLATOON 2012

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt K. A. Ragland

PFC Ackerson, Jacob E.

Pvt Babb, Kolby A.

Pvt Bennington, Braiden W.

PFC Bond Ii, Michael A.

Pvt Booms, Trey D.

PFC Bramer, Bryce C.

Pvt Brightwell, Jeremy W.*

Pvt Brown, David J.

Pvt Campbell, Trae A.

PFC Cannady, Skyler D.

Pvt Cardoza, Christopher L.

Pvt Cash, Dylan J.

Pvt Clark, Javonte D.*

Pvt Clark, Patrick A.

Pvt Derossitt, Dylan

Pvt Galloway, Austin G.

Pvt Gerardoguillen, Josue A.

Pvt Higgs, Conner E.

Pvt Howell, Raheem*

Pvt Hudson, Hunter F.

PFC Hunt, Sebastain J.

Pvt Jarae, Nicholas J.

Pvt Kadau, Jacob W.

PFC King, Phaelen M.

Pvt Krouse, Jason D.

PFC Lawson, Zachary L.

Pvt Lee Ii, Marlin D.

Pvt Macgregor, Trae M.

Pvt Mccartney, Carl J.

Pvt Miles Jr, Marvin T.

Pvt Moras, Nathan G.

PFC Morrow, Maxwell M.

Pvt Murray, Evan C.

Pvt Negronibanez, Aurelio J.

Pvt Nicholas, Jay J.

Pvt Perezpalencia, Luis A.

Pvt Pigg, Zaccary B.*

PFC Provenzano, Aaron

PFC Ralston, Cody D.

Pvt Rider, Alex D.

Pvt Rodriguez, David A.

Pvt Rose Jr, Patrick R.

Pvt Sands, Dylan L.

Pvt Schripsema, Robert J.

Pvt Shawgrubaugh, Dyllon E.

Pvt Stephens, Evan L.

Pvt Stephens, Joseph T.

PLATOON 2013

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt N. Jeanlouis

Pvt Anderson, David J.

Pvt Angelfuerte, Miguel

PFC Ballard, Ashodrian J. *

Pvt Benitez, Josafat

PFC Blakely, Jeremiah I.

PFC Blanco, Eduardo

Pvt Burnham, Matthew P.

Pvt Camarillomiranda, Edwin

PFC Collado, Xavier D.

PFC Collazo, Malik D.*

PFC Cooktillett, Xavier A.

Pvt Cubero, Christian P.

Pvt Fardin, Gaji Y.

Pvt Gonzalez Jr, Rafael F.

PFC Grundlock, Jadon R.*

Pvt Gutierrezdiaz, Jose A.

Pvt Hla, Nyunt N.

PFC Keels, Damari D.*

Pvt Kirkland, Austin E.

Pvt Koch, Christian D.

Pvt Lama, Jovin

Pvt Lane Iii, Wallace J.

Pvt Li, Ivan

Pvt Lliguicota, Erik A.

Pvt Lopeznavarro, Oscar D.

Pvt Lotti, Nickolas A.

Pvt Marinromero, Bryan

Pvt Mcadookort, Elyjah L.

PFC Melton, Keyshawn D.

Pvt Minnix, Austin L.

PFC Mitchell, Matthew R.

Pvt Ramirez, Cesar R.

Pvt Santiago, Roswald

PFC Smith, Elijah L.

Pvt Teofilo, Jose A.

PFC Thomas, Rashaun M.

Pvt Torre Jr, Nicholas

PFC Ugaldecoello, Johan A.*

Pvt Vargas, Daniel J.

PFC Vecchio, Julian J.

PFC Wakiaga, Thomas

Pvt West, Jonathan J.

Pvt Woods, Anthony A.

Pvt Zhong, Zhengyi

PLATOON 2014

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt D. J. Estremera

Pvt Alvarez, Jaiden B.

PFC Bain, Joshua D.

PFC Belman, Roberto

PFC Bentley, Austin L.

Pvt Bray, Carter Z.

Pvt Clemens, Rivas G.

Pvt Cortesservin, Dylann

Pvt Crouse, Nathanael T.

Pvt Davis, Brent L.

Pvt Depaz, Denis

Pvt Easley Jr, Courtney D.

Pvt Erdner, Gabriel L.

Pvt Fitts, Tyler B.

PFC Fleitasvera, Michael*

Pvt Holthaus, Dylan L.

Pvt Johnson, Kieontay D.

PFC Jordan Jr, James A.*

Pvt Joseph, Amari M.

Pvt Lopezbarrios, Jose W.

PFC Machado, Guilherme C.

PFC Mangan, Ty C.*

Pvt Mariacamonzon, Esau I.

Pvt Mccormack, Payton M.

Pvt Mcvicker, Marshall C.

Pvt Modugno, Luke R.

Pvt Monreal Jr, George A.

Pvt Mora, Camden C.

Pvt Nolley, Justin C.

Pvt Pinto, Daniel

Pvt Piotrowski, Hunter J.

Pvt Rinder, Owen J.

PFC Rosa, Joseph O.*

Pvt Rosario, Antoni R.

PFC Ruffin, Caleb W.

PFC Sanchezdelacruz, Darwin

Pvt Sloan, Benjamin L.

Pvt Stilwell, Devin M.

Pvt Stpreux, Rubbhens

Pvt Underwood, Tyler G.

Pvt Wingfield, Abraham J.

PFC Yarborough, Noah I.

PFC Young, William A.

*Denotes meritorious promotion to current rank

VA mental health services

According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) webpage titled “VA Health Services” found at https:// bit.ly/3H8KAoE, “Over 1 7 million veterans received mental health services at the VA last year. VA mental health services range from peer support with other veterans to counseling, therapy, medication, or a combination of those options. The VA’s goal is to help veterans take charge of their treatment and live a full and meaningful life.”

Veterans should find out how to access VA mental health services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST), depression, grief, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Veterans can use some VA services even if they are not enrolled in VA health care.

How to talk to someone at the VA right now?

If you are a veteran in crisis or concerned about a veteran, you can connect with the VA’s caring, qualified Veterans Crisis Line responders for confidential help. Many VA responders are veterans themselves.

This Crisis Line service is private, free, and available 24/7

To connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder anytime, day or night:

Dial 988, then select 1

Start a confidential chat at https://bit.

ly/41UIcdJ. A caring VA responder will join the chat, ready to listen and help. The responder will ask a few questions, such as whether you or the veteran or service member you are concerned about may be in immediate danger or at risk of suicide. The chat is free and confidential, and you (the veteran or concerned person) decide how much information to share. Support does not end with your conversation. VA responders can connect

LARRY DANDRIDGE

you with the resources you need. Afterward, you may be connected with your local suicide prevention coordinator, who will contact you the next business day for continued support.

Text 838255

If you have hearing loss, call the Teletypewriter (TTY) number: 800-799-4889

Veterans and concerned persons can also:

Call 911

Go to the nearest emergency room (ER) or, if you are helping a veteran, arrange for the veteran to go to the nearest ER. Go directly to the nearest VA Medical Center. It does not matter what the veteran’s discharge status is or if the veteran is enrolled in VA Healthcare or not. Find your nearest VA Medical Center using the “Find VA Locations” webpage https:// bit.ly/3OYq9ym. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is located at 109 Bee Street, Charleston, S.C. 29401 phone 843-577-5011

The Dorn VA Medical Center is located at 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, S.C. 29209, phone 893-7764000

Getting connected with VA mental healthcare, no matter a veteran’s discharge status, service history, or eligibility for VA healthcare

If a veteran needs support for a specific mental health problem or if a veteran is having problems sleeping, controlling anger, or readjusting to civilian life

EDITOR’S NOTE This is the first in a series of three articles on this subject.

– he or she is not alone. The VA will help the veteran and the veteran’s family members to help the veteran and themselves. To access free VA mental health services right away: Call or walk into any VA Medical Center –anytime, day or night. Find the closest VA Medical Center, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and VA Vet Centers at the VA’s “Find VA Locations” webpage at https://bit.ly/49MraSn. Call or walk into any VA Vet Center during clinic hours. Find the closest VA Medical Center, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and VA Vet Centers at the VA’s “Find VA Locations” webpage. Call the VA at 877-2228387. The VA answers this phone Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. If you have hearing loss, call Teletype (TTY) at 800877-8339

Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to get care. Learn more about VA mental health services at:

• VA Mental Health Services webpage: https://bit.ly/3H8KAoE.

• PTSD Treatment webpage: https://bit. ly/3uM96Je. Depression Treatment for Veterans webpage: https://bit.ly/4bR35eO.

Veteran Suicide Prevention webpage: https://bit.ly/4c5sulp.

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) webpage: https://bit.ly/3V0zcAJ. Substance Use Treatment for Veterans webpage: https://bit. ly/42U51PK.

Over 1.7 million veterans received mental health services at the VA last year. VA mental health services range from peer support with other veterans to counseling, therapy, medication, or a combination of those options. The VA’s goal is to help veterans take charge of their treatment and live a full and meaningful life.”

Other sources of mental health care

Other sources of mental health care for veterans and transitioning service members include “The Department of Defense (DOD) Military OneSource” and The VA “Transitioning Service Members” webpage.

The Department of Defense (DOD) Military OneSource webpage: https:// www.militaryonesource.mil.

DOD’s Military OneSource is your 24/7 gateway to trusted information, resources, and confidential help. At this site, military members and their family members can chat with MilLife Experts, talk with someone now, request non-medical counseling, get relationship support, and more. This site gives service members and military families tools to stay well and thrive.

The VA “Transitioning Service Members” webpage: https://bit. ly/3IavUFH.

This valuable website includes the following SelfHelp resources:

1 An educational and life coaching VA program called Moving Forward, which teaches problem-solving skills to help Vets better handle life’s challenges. It is designed for veterans, service members, and their families. Learn more at https://bit. ly/48v1kRJ.

2 The Returning Service Members (OEF/OIF) VA program, which provides informa-

tion for our newest veterans returning from military service. Find information here about VA benefits, eligibility, and family support services. Learn more at https:// www.va.gov/post911veterans/.

3 The In Transition Veteran.com program, which helps warriors currently receiving mental healthcare, transfer to a new provider. Veterans will learn about coaching resources that they can take advantage at this site. Learn more at https://veteran. com/intransition-program/.

4 VA Vet Centers, which are small, non-medical counseling centers conveniently located in your community.

If you are a veteran or service member including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you may be eligible to receive individual and group counseling at no cost to you and your family. You can access these services (see https://www.vetcenter. va.gov) even if you’re not enrolled in VA health care or have a service connection.

Vet Centers offer services such as: Individual and group counseling; Family and couples counseling for military transition to civilian life; Bereavement counseling; Medical and bene-

fits referrals; Employment assessment and referral; Substance abuse assessment and referral; and Community engagement.

5 National Center For PTSD – Veterans and Their Families website, which contains in-depth information on PTSD and traumatic stress. You can find answers to Frequently Asked Questions About PTSD; Fact Sheets on Common Reactions; information about the effects of trauma on Family and Friends; and much more. Learn more at https://www. ptsd.va.gov.

6 National Guard Family Program, whose purpose is to enhance the quality of life for National Guard members, their families, and the communities in which they live. Learn more at https:// bit.ly/3SWFl0t.

Continued next week.

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

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Organized

He Did It for You!

Was Jesus in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Nobody messes with Chuck Norris.

After becoming a world champion of martial arts, Chuck Norris was noticed by Hollywood and starred in countless action movies.

In recent years he has become an entertaining image of invincible strength. One can’t imagine a fighter like Chuck Norris getting cornered in a street and captured by bad guys. He could fight his way out of any trap. The only way that he could get taken is if he chose to give himself up, part of a greater master plan.

Jesus was arrested and treated like a criminal.

During his three years of ministry, Jesus had done nothing wrong, but upon visiting Jerusalem he was arrested and taken to court. The witnesses made up lies about him, and he was sentenced to death. Jesus was brutally mocked, tortured, and put on a cross between two criminals.

Jesus freely chose to give his life for us.

One might imagine Jesus as someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But remember that Jesus was God in our midst. He knew ahead of time what was going to happen and freely chose to allow it to happen. He was much more powerful than any action star. With a mere thought, he could have stopped the proceedings at any time.

The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A few months before his arrest, Jesus described himself as the good shepherd. When wolves come, a good shepherd sacrifices himself for his flock. He too will choose to lay down his life for us, his flock: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.” (John 10:18)

Jesus gave his life so we may have true life.

It was all part of a divine rescue mission. Jesus knew that we were all captives to sin, and we could do nothing on our own to free ourselves. Jesus chose to give his life so that we could be freed from sin and restored as sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. As true God, he could offer a perfect sacrifice of love. As true man, he was able to offer this sacrifice on behalf of all of humanity. His sacrifice offers us the gift of union with God, here on earth and one day in heaven.

Jesus died for you personally!

Jesus did not just give his life for all of us as a human race. On Good Friday, he knew each of us who would ever exist. He chose to give his life for you personally. Even if you were the only person who needed to be saved from sin, he would have still done the same! What joy as Christians, knowing that Jesus loves us so much that he chose to give his life for us!

Chalk It Up! is funded in part by by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts; Beaufort County ATAX; and the City of Beaufort ATAX. Other major sponsors include: 303 Associates; Alphagraphics; Beaufort Inn; Forino; New South Shirts; Sharing Common Ground; Sharon & Dick Stewart.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMIRI GEUKA FARRIS

Chelsey Scott — Atlanta, GA

Lisa Gaither— Raleigh, NC

Erik Greenawalt — Pittsburgh, PA

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