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JULY 15–21, 2021
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
65th Water Festival opens Friday By Mike McCombs Nearly two years after then-Commodore Brian Patrick closed the 64th annual Water Festival on Sunday, July 21, 2019 after the Blessing of the Fleet and Parade of Boats, Beaufort’s signature festival returns after a year away thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re all pretty excited after a tough year, when everything was canceled,” Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray said Monday. “We’re ready to get back into the park.” Murray commended Commodore Eric “Tank” Morris and his dedicated all-volunteer staff. “It has gone phenomenally,” Morris said. “The crew has done a won-
SEE FESTIVAL PAGE A7 65TH ANNUAL BEAUFORT WATER FESTIVAL “What a Beautiful Sight” Friday July 16-Sunday, July 25
Clean-up efforts continued Thursday afternoon after a tornado associated with Tropical Storm Elsa did serious damage, downing trees and power lines, along Paris Ave. in Port Royal early Thursday morning. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
Tickets Tickets are available at https:// www.bftwaterfestival.com/ event-tickets.html#/. For more information, call 843-5240600 or email webmaster@ bftwaterfestival.com. All tickets purchased online will be available at will-call prior to the event. Tickets are non-refundable.
Elsa hits Port Royal hard Tornado associated with storm causes a lot of damage
By Mike McCombs As Tropical Storm Elsa made its way up the South Carolina coast late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, northern Beaufort County was hammered high winds and
heavy rains. But the Town of Port Royal got the worst of the deal, suffering major damage as a result of an EF1 tornado, confirmed by the National Weather Service (NWS).
On Thursday, Town of Port Royal Mayor Joe DeVito attributed the damage to “an unusual weather event that came through” with the storm. On Monday, DeVito said it was the first tornado to hit Port Royal
Opening ceremony 7 p.m. Friday, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park
in DeVito’s 30-plus years there. (The NWS also confirmed a second tornado touched down on Paris Island.) The National Weather
Cost: Free and open to the public. Gates open at 6 p.m. Entertainment: Parris Island Marine Band w/fireworks. More info: Shuttle Service from the Beaufort County Government Center. No pets allowed. Sponsored by Devil Dog Headquarters.
SEE ELSA PAGE A4
Tornado takes toll on Port Royal businesses
Port Royal Veterinary Hospital closed indefinitely
By Mike McCombs As a tornado that came out of Tropical Storm Elsa ripped through the Town of Port Royal late Wednesday and early Thursday morning, it damaged 44 homes, displaced two fami-
lies and laid waste to trees and power lines all down Paris Avenue. But the storm left a serious mark on three local businesses, particularly the Port Royal Veterinary Hospital (PRVH), which is closed indefinitely while awaiting repairs. The tornado damaged boats,
SEE TORNADO PAGE A6
Concert in the Park 7 p.m., Saturday, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park Cost: $30. Gates open at 6 p.m. Headliner: Rodney Atkins. Also Performing: Lainey Wilson. Opening Act: Scott Stevens. More info: No strollers, coolers, outside food or beverages or professional photography. No refunds. Free shuttle service from Beaufort County Government Center. Children age 5 and younger free. No pets allowed. Sponsored by Dick Broadcasting / Bob 106.9. Schedule For a complete schedule, see Page A7.
Tree limbs and damaged power lines hang on businesses on Paris Ave. after a tornado associated with Tropical Storm Elsa touched down in Port Royal early Thursday morning. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
‘Everything I’ve done has prepared me for this job’ St. Helena’s Smalls named Executive Director of Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor
St. Helena Island’s Victoria Smalls is the new executive director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Photo by Sancho Smalls.
By Mike McCombs Sometimes a job is just that, a job. And then sometimes, it’s what you’ve been working toward your entire life. That’s how it is for St. Helena Island’s Victoria Smalls Smalls, a National Park Ranger with the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Beaufort, as well
as a public historian, educator, arts advocate, and cultural preservationist, has been named the executive director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a four-state National Heritage Area under the National Park Service that extends from North Carolina to Florida. “Everything I’ve done has prepared me for this job,” Smalls said
Monday. Smalls served on the 13-member federal commission as a South Carolina Commissioner from 20162020. On Monday, July 26, she will return to lead the corridor with her extensive knowledge as a primary resource in the Gullah Geechee community, working in cultural education and development, across the
NEWS
SPORTS
INSIDE
Port Royal Skate Park gets a makeover.
Cummings departs Beaufort for Hawaii; Tokyo next.
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Lowcountry Life A2 News A2–7 Health A8–9 Sports A10 Military A11–12
corridor and internationally. The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was established in 2006 by Congress to recognize and preserve the cultural treasures of Gullah Geechee people, direct descendants of enslaved people brought from primarily Africa’s
Voices A13–14 Legals A15–17 Directory A18 Classifieds A19 Games A19
SEE GULLAH PAGE A7