July 16 edition

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM

COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY

Fifth, sixth suspects arrested in connection with July 4 shooting Staff Reports The total number of arrests in connection with the shooting that occurred July 4 at Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island is six as of Friday morning, July 10.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Amarion Jameer Riley, 22, of Ridgeland, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a machine

gun and breach of peace, aggravated in nature Friday morning with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). He is the sixth person arrested in connection with the shooting.

According to the BCSO, Riley, who was initially injured during the shooting at Coligny Beach, was later identified as a suspect

involved in the incident.

Previously, the fifth person arrested in connection to the incident, Jacob Malik Johnson, 22, of Beaufort, was taken into custody Wednesday, July 8, on an arrest warrant charging him with breach of peace, aggravated in nature.

These arrests follow the arrests of four other individuals charged

in connection with the incident.

• Jayden Lorenzo Hawes, 18, is charged with attempted murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and aggravated breach of peace.

• Marcello Lopez Royal, 17, is charged with attempted murder, possession of a weapon during

SEE SHOOTING PAGE A6

Darline Graham Nordone, center, accepted the appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, right, at the Statehouse Monday, July 13, 2026, to serve out the remainder of the term of her late brother, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Jessica Holdman/S.C. Daily Gazette

Beaufort Water Festival returns Friday Governor

appoints Graham’s sister to fulfill term

By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — Darline Graham Nordone will finish out the term of her older brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who adopted and raised her following their parents’ deaths.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment Monday comes a day after word of Graham’s sudden death, at the age of 71, stunned not only

SEE GRAHAM PAGE A7

LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN Teams race down Bay Street during the 2025 Beaufort Water Festival Bed Race on Friday, July 18, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Here's what to know before heading downtown for 70th edition

By Delayna Earley The Island News he Beaufort Water Festival returns Friday for its 70th annual celebration, bringing 10 days of concerts, family activities, sporting events and longtime Lowcountry traditions to downtown Beaufort.

Running July 17-26, this year's festival features more than 90 events, from the Opening Ceremony and fireworks to the Grand Parade, Air Show and Blessing of the Fleet. Along the way, visitors can enjoy concerts, children's activities, tournaments, an arts and crafts market and plenty of opportunities to gather with family and friends.

This year's theme, "Sunny Days and Friendship Waves," was chosen by Commodore Dusty Vickers, whose year at the helm has focused on celebrating the friendships and traditions that have

T

FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE

Tuesday, July 21

• River closure: Beaufort River

Friday, July 17

• Festival Arts & Crafts Market

closed 1-4 p.m. during the Air

• 4 p.m. – Festival Arts & Crafts Market opens (Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park)

• Caribbean Night

Show

• Special admission: Free for active military, educators and first responders with valid ID.

Sunday, July 26

Wednesday, July 22

• Parade of Boats

• 7 p.m. – Opening Ceremony featuring the Parris Island Marine Band • Approximately 9 p.m. – Fireworks over the Beaufort River • Admission: Free Saturday, July 18 • Raft Race (The Sands, Port Royal) • Children's Toad Fishing Tournament • Bocce Tournament • Badminton Tournament • Sponsor's Expo • Festival Arts & Crafts Market • 7 p.m. – Joe Nichols with Tyler Reese Tritt and Blake Proehl • Admission: Raft Race and daytime events are free; concert requires a ticket.

Sunday, July 19 • River Rally • Children's Day • Ski Show • Teen Dance • Admission: Children's Day and Ski Show are free.

Monday, July 20 • Festival Arts & Crafts Market

SEE FESTIVAL PAGE A3

• Motown Monday

• Festival Arts & Crafts Market • Talent Show

• Blessing of the Fleet

Know Before You Go

Thursday, July 23

Waterfront Park promenade

• Festival Arts & Crafts Market

remains closed for repairs, and

• Lowcountry Supper

festival organizers say this year's

• Performances by WGB, Katie Lynn and The Whistlers

layout will look much like last

• Admission: Ticket required.

Beaufort City Council catches heat

• Festival concludes at 3 p.m.

• Admission: Free with a 2026 Beaufort Water Festival T-shirt.

• Brian Moote with Bored Teachers

LOLITA HUCKABY

• The Henry C. Chambers

year's.

• The Raft Race remains at The

Friday, July 24

Sands in Port Royal.

• Meet & Greet with Air Show pilots

• Free shuttle service is available

• Bed Race

for several evening events from the

• Rockin' the River featuring Hot Red Chili Peppers

Beaufort Government Center.

• Road closure: Bay Street between Harrington and Charles streets closed from 5-6 p.m.

• A clear bag policy is in effect for ticketed events.

• Outside food and beverages,

Saturday, July 25

coolers, pets and professional

• Grand Parade

photography are prohibited inside

• Nonprofit Expo

ticketed venues.

• Air Show • Commodore's Ball featuring The Catalinas • Road closures: Parade route closed 10 a.m.-noon

• Parking is limited downtown.

Arrive early for evening concerts, the Grand Parade and the Air Show.

I

t’s been hot and the oppressive summer heat has probably contributed to keeping political activity to a minimum. That and the political primaries being behind us.

But Beaufort City Council, at its last meeting for a month, had its lively moments.

Three of the council’s most vocal critics, Amanda Patel, Graham Trask and Felice LaMarca were on hand to lambaste the elected officials on a variety of topics but primarily, their

SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A6

NEWS

NEWS

ARTS

INSIDE

Vickers reflects on year as Water Festival Commodore.

Mony's House summer camps celebrate the pursuit of a creative life.

Saturday, Sunday mark National Craft Open Studios Weekend.

PAGE A7

PAGES A8

PAGE A12

News Voices Arts Sports Military Directory

A2–8, A9-10 A12 A12 A13 A15

LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS Taken at 5:32 a.m., from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, this photo by Daniel D’Orazio captured the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink after it’s 5:25 a.m., launch from Cape Canaveral. The sun had risen just enough to illuminate the impressive exhaust plume as the vehicle maintained its steady climb and acceleration towards the northeast.

ISLAND NEWS PUBLISHING, LLC PUBLISHER Margaret Evans

EDITORIAL/DESIGN Editor-in-Chief

Mike McCombs theislandnews@ gmail.com

Assistant Editor Delayna Earley delayna. theislandnews@ gmail.com

Sports Editor

Justin Jarrett

VETERAN OF THE WEEK American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Gregory Blackburn, 81, who, after graduating from The Worcester Polytechnic Institute and with some graduate work at Harvard, joined the U.S. Navy as an Officer Candidate in 1969. Late that year he was commissioned as an Ensign Cryptologic Officer and sent to the Naval Communication Station at San Miguel, Philippines.

He next served at the Naval Systems Command (Space War-

OBITUARY May Crockett July 9, 2026 Beaufort

May Mazyck Rosenblath Crockett, age 92 of Beaufort, S.C. passed away on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at home surrounded by family.

Funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 20, 2026 at St. Peter's Catholic Church on Lady's Island. Interment will follow at the Beaufort National Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with her late husband, Charles Crockett Sr. She is preceded in death by her husband Charles Burleson Crockett Sr. and her son William Carl Crockett.

fare) in Washington D.C., before completing a Master’s Degree at Harvard and an MBA in Operations Research at the University of Rochester. He then was assigned to the Naval Security Group in Washington for four years.

In 1980 he transferred to the Fleet Intelligence Center for the Commander Atlantic Fleet and twice made deployments to the Barents Sea. Returning to D.C., in 1985, he served at the National

Security Agency and then with the Naval Security Group. From 1996 until he retired in 1999, he served as Gregory Director of InforBlackburn mation Warfare for the Secretary of Defense (War). He retired as a Navy Captain (O-6) with 30 years of service.

He then filled positions with various Defense contractors be-

She is survived by her children Charles Burleson Crockett, Jr of.

Beaufort, William Stuart Crockett May of Florida, Naomi Crockett Crockett Trask of Beaufort, and Katharine Crockett Harrelson of Beaufort and grandchildren Caroline Barnwell Crockett , Elizabeth Burleson Crockett, Alma Devereaux Cappelmann, Glenn Hudson Cappelmann, William Stuart Crockett, Robert Charles Crockett , May Harrelson Winsness, Ruby Katharine Harrelson, Joseph Cusack Harrelson, and five great grandchildren.

May lived her Christianity every day. She quietly served others without expecting recognition. She volunteered at a nonprofit clothing ministry, rocked and cared for newborn babies in the hospital nursery, served on a bereavement team comforting families in their darkest moments, read books over the radio for the blind, and faithfully worked the election polls because she believed in doing her part.

She was adventurous, fearless, and curious about the world. She traveled to places many people only dream of — Hong Kong, Thailand, Africa, Italy, Greece, and beyond. She embraced new cultures, new people, and new experiences long before it was common to do

so.

May will be remembered for her outrageous sense of humor, quick wit, adventurous spirit, her love for tennis, unwavering faith, and the way she made every story unforgettable.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in her memory to Cardinal Hospice.

Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family.

love of flying and military history, much of which are now on display at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. His presence in Beaufort was always known as he loved touring the Lowcountry in his biplane.

After the Marines, Michael found great success and wide respect in the world of antiques Michael Rainey Antiques in Beaufort was soon recognized as one of the finest antique shops in the Southeast. His expertise was sought by collectors and auction houses alike, including Sotheby’s and Christie’s. He was known for an exceptional eye, an uncompromising standard of quality, and a profound knowledge which he generously shared.

Passionate in everything he pursued, Michael cultivated an extraordinary garden and croquet court at his home in town. An animal lover, he cared deeply for his pets throughout the years. Petey, Tucker, Trevor, and many more

were a large part of his life. He was a devoted friend and a connoisseur of storytelling, whose laughter and toasts will be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his sister, Kathleen (Kathie) P. Rainey of Raleigh, N.C., and her daughter, Patricia (Trish) Grimes of Charlotte, along with Trish’s sons: Evan, Avery, and Liam. He is also survived by his brother, Patrick F. Rainey, and his wife, Kristin, of Beaufort, S.C. Their children, Taylor Rainey, Robert Bowles, Reese Bowles, and Cashiel Bowles, along with their granddaughter, Grayson Bertrand.

Additionally, he leaves behind a great many friends who were like extended family.

Details regarding a celebration of life will be announced in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may raise a glass in his memory, or make a donation to a charity of your choice, he would have loved either gesture.

OBITUARY Mike Rainey June 29, 2026 Beaufort

Lt. Col. Michael “Irish” Rainey, USMC (Ret.), born in Carlisle, Pa., passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 29, 2026 in Beaufort, S.C. A decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot, respected antiques dealer, and devoted friend, he lived a full life in the cockpit, in his hangar, in his amazing garden and among his cherished friends. He leaves a legacy of devoted service, lifelong friendships and fiercely held passions.

Michael’s Marine Corps career started at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, with VMFA-235 flying the F-4 Phantom. A graduate of Top Gun, he served at many posts during a 20-year career.

In 1983 he was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, where he transitioned to and proudly flew the F/A-18 Hornet.

GREGORY BLACKBURN

Mike Rainey and his vintage Tiger Moth biplane at Beaufort Executive Airport. Photo courtesy of W.L Laney Irish retired in 1993 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after two decades of “incredible fun” and dedicated service. He remained in Beaufort and called it home for over 45 years.

Michael remained an avid aviator beyond his military career, and took special pride in his two vintage airplanes, a Gypsy Tiger Moth and his always immaculate Meyers OTW. His hangar, a museum-quality collection of artifacts and aircraft, reflected a life-long

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

July 17

2021: Beaufort karate instructor Chuck Elias is promoted to ninthdegree Black Belt at the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) International Training Conference in Las Vegas. At the time of his promotion, by Chuck Norris, there were only 10 ninth-degree black belts in the system.

July 18 1865: Maj. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore assumes command of the military department of South Carolina.

fore moving to Beaufort County in 2009. Today he is intimately involved with the Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition among middle school, high school and college students in the Lowcountry. He also works with the Navy League in Charleston.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207.

For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.

OBITUARIES

The Island News publishes obituaries, including a photo, free of charge. Please contact theislandnews@gmail.com for more information.

that usually coincides with the Beaufort Water Festival is canceled because of COVID-19, dozens of boaters hold an impromptu gathering at the sandbar anyway.

Advertising

Amanda Hanna 843-343-8483 amanda@ lcweekly.com

Advertising Jere Russo JereRusso@ gmail.com

Advertising and Digital Strategy Sasha Horne Hirshout

sasha. theislandnews@ gmail.com

Accounting

April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping. com Billing questions only.

CONTACT US PO Box 550 Beaufort, SC 29901 TheIslandNews@gmail.com www.YourIslandNews.com facebook.com/TheIslandNews

DEADLINE For press releases and advertising, please submit by noon on Friday for the following week’s paper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor should consist of fewer than 275 words and be emailed with a name and contact information to TheIslandNews@gmail.com

2008: Beaufort Mayor Bill Rauch resigns with less than four months left in his administration after being charged the previous week by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with insider trading. Mayor Pro Tempore George H. O’Kelley Jr. presides over the Beaufort City Council and held the office on an interim basis until November.

2020: After the annual concert on the sandbar in the Beaufort River

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

CORRECTIONS

Contact ads.theislandnews@gmail.com for more information on placing your legal notice in The Island News.

DISCLAIMER

July 21

2019: Erin “Tank” Morris is named the 65th commodore at the close of the 64th Beaufort Water Festival. Morris took the reins from Brian Patrick.

• In a story in the July 9 edition of The Island News about Penn Center’s York W. Bailey Museum hosting an exhibition featuring painting and sculpture by South Carolina folk artist Bruce Ingram, the position of Monique De Latour was misstated. De Latour is the Exhibits and Interpreter Lead at Penn Center.

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

SALES/BUSINESS

LEGAL NOTICES

2019: Beaufort’s Mike Rainey, dealing with a damaged propeller, makes an emergency landing on the 18th fairway of the Cat Island Golf Course in his vintage 1943 De Haviland Tiger Moth biplane.

A2

LowcoSports@ gmail.com

All content of The Island News, including articles, photos, editorial content, letters, art and advertisements, are copyrighted by The Island News and Island News Publishing, LLC, 2026, all rights reserved. The Island News encourages reader submissions via email to theislandnews@gmail.com. All content submitted is considered approved for publication by the owner unless otherwise stated. The Island News is designed to inform and entertain readers and all efforts for accuracy are made.

Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Island News, its publisher or editors. The Island News reserves the right to refuse to sell advertising space, or to publish information, for any business or activity the newspaper deems inappropriate for the publication.

NEWS

Festival from page A1

made the Beaufort Water Festival a summer staple for generations.

What's new this year Although the festival is celebrating a milestone anniversary, much of this year's layout will be familiar to returning visitors.

The Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park promenade remains closed for safety as repairs continue, making this the second consecutive year the closure has affected the festival. As a result, festival organizers have again adjusted the layout, and visitors can expect things to look much as they did during last year's celebration. The Raft Race will once again be held at The Sands in Port Royal, while the remainder of the festival's major events will continue to take place in and around Waterfront Park.

While the promenade remains closed, Vickers said visitors shouldn't expect

many changes to the overall festival experience.

"Pretty much the festival is going to look the same as it did last year."

One noticeable addition this year comes Thursday night, when comedian Brian Moote with Bored Teachers headlines the Lowcountry Supper, bringing comedy back to the festival lineup after many years. Earlier this spring, organizers also introduced a new 3D archery tournament as part of the festival's sporting events.

Vickers said bringing comedy back was a way to revive a piece of the festival's history.

"That last hour is going to be a comedian act like we used to have back in the day,” he said.

Opening weekend The festival officially begins Friday afternoon with the opening of the Festival Arts & Crafts Market before the Opening Ceremony at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. The ceremony will feature the Parris Island Marine Band followed by fireworks over the Beaufort

River. Admission is free.

Saturday is one of the busiest days of the festival, beginning with the Raft Race at The Sands in Port Royal. The day also includes the bocce and badminton tournaments, the Children's Toad Fishing Tournament, Sponsor's Expo and the Festival Arts & Crafts Market before country music star Joe Nichols takes the stage Saturday evening with special guest Tyler Reese Tritt and opening act Blake Proehl.

Sunday continues with the River Rally, Children's Day, the Ski Show and the annual Teen Dance. Children's Day and the Ski Show are both free to attend.

During the week The Festival Arts & Crafts Market remains open throughout the week while evening entertainment shifts each night.

Monday features Motown Monday, Tuesday brings Caribbean Night — including free admission for active military members, educators and first responders with valid identification —

and Wednesday's annual Talent Show returns with free admission for anyone wearing an official 2026 Beaufort Water Festival T-shirt.

Thursday combines one of the festival's longest-running traditions with something new as the Lowcountry Supper returns alongside performances by WGB, Katie Lynn, The Whistlers and Brian Moote with Bored Teachers.

Closing weekend The final weekend begins Friday with a free Meet & Greet featuring the Air Show pilots at Beaufort Executive Airport before one of the festival's most anticipated traditions, the annual Bed Race, takes over Bay Street. Friday evening concludes with Rockin' the River featuring Hot Red Chili Peppers.

Saturday offers another full day of events, beginning with the Beaufort Water Festival Grand Parade through downtown, followed by the Non-Profit Expo, the free Air Show over the Beaufort River and the Commodore's

Ball featuring The Catalinas.

The festival concludes Sunday with the annual Blessing of the Fleet and Parade of Boats before wrapping up at 3 p.m.

Know before you go Festival organizers encourage attendees to plan ahead before heading downtown.

Many daytime events are free, including the Opening Ceremony, Children's Day, the Ski Show, Sponsor's Expo, Meet & Greet with the Air Show pilots, the Grand Parade, Non-Profit Expo, Air Show and Blessing of the Fleet. Evening concerts and several special events require tickets.

A clear bag policy is in effect for ticketed events.

Outside food and beverages, coolers, pets and professional photography are prohibited inside festival gates.

Free shuttle service will be available from the Beaufort County Government Center for several of the festival's largest evening events.

Drivers should also expect traffic delays during some of the festival's biggest

events. Bay Street between Harrington and Charles streets will close from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 24, for the Bed Race. Streets along the Grand Parade route will close from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 25, and the Beaufort River will be closed from 1 to 4 p.m. during the annual Air Show. Festival officials encourage both motorists and boaters to plan accordingly.

Vickers said the festival's success depends on much more than the events themselves.

"A lot of people don't realize all the people underneath the tents are from nonprofits or civic groups," he said. "That manpower is a necessity to make the festival happen."

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

St. Helena Island woman charged in domestic-related shooting released on $25,000 bond

By Delayna Earley The Island News A St. Helena Island woman charged in connection with a domestic-related shooting earlier this month has been released from the Beaufort County Detention Center after posting a $25,000 surety bond.

Stephanie Elaine Legree, 55, was arrested by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office following a shooting

reported shortly after midnight July 5 at a residence on White Sands Circle on St. Helena Island.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded after receiving a report of a gunshot victim and found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was alert and responsive when deputies arrived, and deputies provided aid until Beaufort

County Emergency Medical Services transported him to a local hospital for treatment.

His injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening.

The Sheriff's Office determined the shooting occurred during a domestic argument at the residence. Lt. Danny Allen, public information officer for the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, confirmed the victim and Legree were in a domestic relationship.

Investigators also recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting.

Legree was arrested without incident and charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature.

Court records show the charge was filed in Beaufort County General Sessions Court on July 6, where the case remains pending.

According to the South Carolina Judicial Branch

Public Index, a judge set Legree's bond at $25,000 cash or surety on July 5. Court records show the bond was posted July 6 through Larry Bail Bonding/Palmetto Surety, and Legree was released from the Beaufort County Detention Center later that day.

Domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature is a felony under South Carolina law and is the state's

most serious domestic violence offense.

The incident remains under investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

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

Paul Slota, M.D., FACC, FSCAI to Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists

Dr. Paul Slota, a board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist, has joined Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists, expanding access to advanced cardiac care across the Lowcountry.

With more than 30 years of experience in general and interventional cardiology, Dr. Slota brings extensive expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias and high cholesterol.

Early in his career, Dr. Slota was a founding physician of Hilton Head Heart, where he practiced for over a decade, caring for patients on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton, as well as performing procedures in Savannah. He later relocated to Rock Hill, where he played a key role in establishing Carolina Heart Specialists and cared for patients there for nearly 20 years.

Now returning to the region, Dr. Slota sees patients in Beaufort and Okatie and performs procedures at Beaufort Memorial, strengthening the health system’s ability to provide comprehensive, high-quality cardiac care close to home.

CALL 843-770-4550 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

Board-certified

Interventional Cardiology ...................................................................

Doctor of Medicine

Jefferson Medical College

(Now known as Sidney Kimmel Medical College)

Philadelphia, Pa.

...................................................................

Residency

Internal Medicine Cooper Hospital University Medical Center Camden, N.J.

...................................................................

Fellowship

Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, Pa.

At the practice, Dr. Slota joins board-certified cardiologists Drs. Stuart Smalheiser, Francis O’Neill and Terry Grainger, as well as board-certified physician assistant Tara Kay.

300 MIDTOWN DRIVE, BEAUFORT • 122 OKATIE CENTER BLVD. NORTH, OKATIE

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A3

BCSD BEACON BCSD Class of 2026 Celebrates Outstanding Achievements

The Beaufort County School District's Class of 2026 has much to celebrate. From earning millions in scholarships to serving their communities and committing to a variety of postsecondary pathways, this year's graduates have set a high standard for success.

THE LASTING IMPACT OF A GREAT TEACHER

CLASS OF 2026 AT A GLANCE

Long after students leave the classroom, the lessons and the teachers who taught them often stay with them for a lifetime.

Watch as seniors were invited to write heartfelt letters to a teacher who made a lasting impact on their lives. Some chose a high school teacher, while others returned to the elementary classrooms where their educational journey first began.

The seniors surprised their chosen teachers by reading the letters aloud in person. For many educators, the unexpected visits brought smiles, tears, and a powerful reminder of why they chose the profession.

DESTINED FOR EXCELLENCE

Members of the Class of 2026 will attend prestigious institutions across the nation, including Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, NC State, the College of Charleston, Florida Institute of Technology, Winthrop University, Georgia Southern University, and the University of South Carolina Beaufort, among many others.

SCAN TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO

The achievements of the Class of 2026 reflect the talent, determination, and bright future of BCSD students. The district congratulates its graduates and looks forward to the positive impact they will make in their communities, professions, and beyond.

MEET THE DISTRICT’S NEWEST PRINCIPALS!

Red Cedar Elementary School

Hilton Head School for the Creative Arts

AR TS

IV AT

LADY ’S

H

HILTO N

TH E CRE

M

EO

F TH E CO U

G

CARRIE CARTER

AIMEE WHITESELL

Broad River Elementary School

May River High School

H.E. McCracken Middle School EN MID DL CK E RA

GS

O

D

H.E. M CC

Aimee Whitesell, former assistant principal at Battery M E OF LL TH E B U Creek High School (BCHS), replaces Roger Ward, who has been promoted to BCSD Executive Director. Whitesell, whose educational career has spanned over a dozen years, brings prior experience in high school leadership positions having also served as an assistant principal at May River High School.

Her educational career began as a high school science teacher in North Carolina and Louisiana, in addition to serving in this role at BCHS. Named BCSD teacher of the year for 2021-22, Whitesell holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from American College of Education and a bachelor’s degree in natural science and biology education from Missouri Western State University.

OL HO SC

Carrie Carter, assistant principal at May River High School since 2019, replaces Dr. Karon Webb who has accepted a principal position in Lexington 1 School District.

Carter brings 18 years of secondary education experience, including 12 years with BCSD, where she served as Lead School Counselor at May River High School, school counselor at Beaufort High School, and most recently as an administrator.

Named BCSD Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year (2023–24) and District School Counselor of the Year (2018–19), she holds school administration licensure from Gardner-Webb University, a master’s degree in Community Counseling with School Licensure, and a bachelor’s degree in Human and Community Services from Lenoir-Rhyne College.

HO

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

OR

RENEE ROBERTS

Renee Roberts, who recently served as acting principal at Broad River Elementary School, replaces Jamie Allen who accepted a district-level position. Roberts, a native Beaufortonian, previously served as assistant principal at Coosa Elementary, a National Blue Ribbon School. A National Board Certified Teacher, Roberts has experience teaching in grades 3-5, as well as working with students and teachers as both a math and literacy coach. Roberts holds master’s degrees in Literacy and Educational Leadership from Lesley and Capella universities, respectively.

A4

LF

E

XE S

RED C ED

Prior to serving as assistant principal at RCES, Vaughn, whose entire educational career has been with the Beaufort County School District, spent over a decade at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts teaching first and second grades and serving as MTSS Coordinator and Math Interventionist. A former Teacher of the Year, Vaughn holds a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of South Carolina (UofSC) as well as a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from UofSC Beaufort.

O

Dr. Kyctrell Swinton-Atkins, former assistant principal at Beaufort High School (BHS), replaces Dr. Chavon Browne who has accepted the position of Deputy Superintendent for Colleton County.

Swinton-Atkins has had an educational career spanning nearly 20 years, including 16 at the Beaufort County School District where she also served in assistant principal roles at Whale Branch and Hilton Head Middle schools. Prior to this, she was an English teacher at H.E. McCracken Middle School and at May River and Battery Creek high schools. Named assistant principal of the year for 2022-23, Swinton-Atkins holds both a doctorate in curriculum and instruction and a master’s degree in education administration from Capella University, as well as an additional master’s degree in literacy and learning in the content areas from Walden University, and a bachelor’s degree in English education from South Carolina State University.

L OO CH

FO

ND MIDDLE LA S IS

HO

F TH E RED

Dr. Staci Souhan, formerly the associate principal at Mounds View High School in MN, replaces Nikki Lucas, who has accepted a district-level position. Souhan, whose educational career has spanned over two decades, brings prior experience in both high school and elementary leadership positions having also served as an associate principal at Irondale High School and in principal roles at Turtle Lake Elementary and CE Jacobson in MN. Her educational career includes first and second grade teacher positions at schools in FL and MN, as well as serving in a management capacity for district transportation. In addition to serving in leadership roles in the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association, Souhan holds doctorate and master’s degrees in Education from Hamline University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Business from University of St. Thomas.

HO

EO

Lady’s Island Middle School

LAND E LE

SC

HO

M

OL HO SC

Justin Vaughn, former assistant principal at Red Cedar Elementary replaces Dr. Kathleen Corley, who has retired after a 47 year career in education, 27 of which were serving Beaufort County School District as the first principal of Bluffton and Red Cedar elementary schools where she set the standard for excellence.

D IS EA

TARY EN M

MENTAR ELE Y AR

DR. KYCTRELL SWINTON-ATKINS

RS

DR. STACI SOUHAN

A

JUSTIN VAUGHN

DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS

TER

HI L

EAD IS NH LA TO

CH

EN

LY

Construction of the new May River Elementary School continues to move forward, with the building's structural framework now complete and work shifting to the next phase of development.

New Montessori Program Coming to HHI Early Childhood Center

ND

Once completed, the state-of-the-art facility will provide modern learning spaces designed to support students for years to come.

EA R

May River Elementary School Takes Shape as Construction Advances

ILD H O O D

C

This school year, Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is expanding its early learning opportunities with the introduction of a new Montessori program for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students.

The 113,000-square-foot school, located next to May River High School, is designed to serve approximately 800 students and is scheduled to open for the 2027-28 school year. Funded through the Beaufort County School District's 2023 referendum, the project will help accommodate continued growth in the Bluffton area.

Open to all Beaufort County residents, the program offers a child-centered approach to learning that emphasizes hands-on experiences, independence, and whole-child development.

Montessori classrooms are designed to encourage students to learn at their own pace while building confidence, curiosity, and critical thinking skills in a supportive environment.

With the steel structure now in place, crews will begin installing the roof while advancing interior work, including HVAC systems, electrical and lighting infrastructure, ceilings, walls and windows. Site work will also continue, with paving and parking lot construction taking shape in the coming months.

This program is designed to inspire independence and academic growth while nurturing the whole child in a developmentally appropriate environment,” said Ashley Gould, Beaufort County School District's Director of Readiness.

In addition to the new academic program, families will also have the option of onsite after-school childcare, providing greater flexibility for working parents.

Project leaders praised the rapid pace of construction, noting the site progressed from underground work to a fully framed structure in approximately four and a half months.

New Lady’s Island Middle School Underway

Beaufort High to Add New CTE Building

Construction is underway on a new Lady’s Island Middle School, funded through the voter-approved 2023 Beaufort County School District Bond Referendum.

Beaufort High School will soon expand its career-focused learning opportunities with a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) building.

The 84,000-square-foot school will replace the existing campus and provide modern classrooms, flexible learning spaces and updated infrastructure designed to support student success. The new facility is scheduled to open in January 2028.

The 10,875-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in August 2027, will house construction trades and public safety programs, including firefighter training.

The new building will provide dedicated classroom and lab space for hands-on learning experiences.

District leaders say the project reflects BCSD’s commitment to creating innovative learning environments that meet the needs of current and future students.

Funded through the 2023 BCSD Bond Referendum, the project supports the district’s efforts to prepare students for high-demand careers and workforce opportunities after graduation.

DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS Check Out Groceries-to-Go

BCSD Budget Approved for 2026–2027 The Beaufort County School District’s approved $395.3 million budget places a strong focus on employee compensation, with the majority of new funding dedicated to salary increases for teachers and staff.

Under the plan, the district’s starting teacher base salary will increase by $2,500 to $62,587.

Combined with the district’s locality supplement, first-year teachers will earn $64,087, making BCSD one of the highest-paying districts in South Carolina.

All teachers will receive a $2,500 raise in addition to state-mandated step increases. Classified, administrative and professional employees will receive a 3% cost-of-living increase, along with annual step increases where applicable.

“This budget is a direct investment in the people and programs that make a difference for students every day,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “By increasing teacher and staff compensation and expanding services for students, we are strengthening our ability to attract and retain exceptional employees while ensuring every student has the support they need to succeed.”

The budget also includes investments in Special Education, Multilingual Learner programs, Career and Technical Education, Montessori expansion, student mental health supports and school safety initiatives. District leaders noted the budget is fully funded and does not include a tax increase for Beaufort County residents.

FREE weekly breakfast and lunch meal kits are available for children 18 and under through BCSD's Groceries-to-Go Summer Food Program.

Families can pick up meal kits at convenient locations in Bluffton, Beaufort, St. Helena, Seabrook, and Hilton Head.

�� Weekly pickup available through July 31 �� Registration is required each week ✅ One meal kit per eligible child For locations, eligibility information, and to reserve tickets, scan the QR Code

WANT TO BE A TEACHER?

SCAN TO READ THE FULL STORY

TL ES

E

OL HO SC

M

ELEMENT AR LLE VI

Y

HO

Beaufort County School District is proud to announce that Pritchardville Elementary School has been named a recipient of the 2026 Data Trailblazer Award by the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC).

P RITCH AR D

Pritchardville Elementary Named 2026 Data Trailblazer

COME TEACH AT THE BEACH.

OF

UR TH E S EA T

Pritchardville Elementary is one of only three schools in South Carolina to receive this prestigious recognition, which honors schools that use data effectively to improve student outcomes, engage families, support informed decision-making, and protect student privacy.

“Data Trailblazer schools exemplify how utilizing student-centered data produces results that boost student achievement,” said EOC Executive Director Dana Yow.

WHY EDUCATORS CHOOSE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT? $60k+ Starting Teacher Salary Robust 2-Year Induction Program

The award highlights Pritchardville Elementary’s commitment to using data-driven practices to support student success and continuous improvement.

“We are incredibly proud of the Pritchardville Elementary team for earning this distinguished honor,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “This award reflects the school's dedication to using data thoughtfully and strategically to support student achievement, engage families, and ensure students have the opportunity to thrive.”

$1,500 Locality Supplement Ongoing Professional Growth & Leadership Pathways

Questions? Contact Us: bcsdrecruiters@beaufort.k12.sc.us beaufortschools.net/careers 843-379-6920

APPLY NOW

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A5

NEWS

Lowdown from page A1

lack of “transparency.”

Patel, who has been an active online critic of City Council activities, continued her criticism of the manner in which the city – from the police department to the elected leaders – handled the distribution of public documents earlier last year involving a missing girl.

LaMarca continued her criticism of the city’s business dealings with the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, in executive session. She even asked to be allowed into the sessions if she made a pledge not to repeat what she heard.

Both Patel and LaMarca noted the secrecy issues continue as the council continues to hold closed-door discussions on the subjects.

Trask came right out and called the councilmembers “cowards.”

His comments came after accusing them of “bowing down” to, among others,

Shooting from page A1

the commission of a violent crime, aggravated breach of peace and sale or delivery of a pistol to and possession by certain persons unlawful involving a stolen pistol.

• Quazeir Rasheem Davis, 17, faces the same four charges as Royal.

• Christopher Charles Capers, 17, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

Riley’s bond has been set at $500,000, while Johnson’s was set at $250,000.

Along with Hawes, Royal and Davis, Riley and Johnson remain confined in the Beaufort County Detention Center, as of Friday afternoon. Public Index records show Capers was granted a $50,000 surety bond and

Dominion Energy and their never-ending mutilation of trees in the name of maintenance.

On the topic of trees (seems there’s always a way to bring tree protection into a column when you live in a recognized “tree city”), several residents were on hand to voice their concern about the latest butchery of Dominion’s contractor.

The topic was even on the council’s agenda, but since Dominion declined to send a representative to the meeting, City Manager Scott Marshall explained he had to be the “messenger” giving a detailed corporate slide show of why tree canopies have to be trimmed to protect against service outages.

Marshall said cities have little leverage to oppose the tree cutting policies, a point those present objected.

If you think you’re powerless, you’re powerless, was the response Trask offered. He encouraged the elected officials to follow the lead of Martin Luther King Jr. and continue to fight for what is right.

Council members did

agree it was time for the utility company to at least remove the secondary power poles that were installed when high transmission lines were run through the city in 2006.

The city manager said he would communicate those concerns.

One other tree-related matter: the council bid farewell, after six years, to Public Works Director Nate Farrow, who is moving out of state.

After years of making sure public spaces were looking nice, hanging Christmas decorations on street lights, picking up debris after storms, responding to dead animals in the road, and patching holes in broken sidewalks, Farrow said he would remember his time with the city fondly.

has since been released from custody.

The shooting occurred shortly after 8:20 p.m., Saturday, July 4 near the public beach access and volleyball courts at Coligny Beach as thousands of residents and visitors gathered for Independence Day festivities.

According to Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Communications Center received multiple calls reporting gunfire at approximately 8:21 p.m. Because numerous deputies and other law enforcement officers were already assigned to the island for the holiday, the first deputies arrived about 17 seconds after the initial calls were received.

"It was one of the quickest responses you're ever going to see," Tanner said during a Sunday afternoon media

briefing.

Investigators believe the violence began when two groups of young people, consisting of both men and women ranging in age from 17 to 19, encountered one another near the beach access.

According to Tanner, an argument between the groups escalated into a physical fight between one individual from each group.

Moments after the first punches were thrown, gunfire erupted, sending beachgoers running for cover.

Authorities said eight adults suffered gunshot wounds or gunshot-related injuries during the incident.

Tanner said one victim suffered a grazing wound to the head, another was shot in the neck, and another was struck three times, including twice in the stomach. Other victims suffered

City tries to balance economic growth, traffic concerns BEAUFORT -- City Council, at their meeting last week, tried desperately to walk the tight-wire between economic growth and citizens’ concerns about development “creep.”

The subject was a rezoning request for the former

New trailer now in reach for ‘Beaufort’s greeter’

Staff Reports The initial response to the Friends of Tom Allen GoFundMe page was overwhelming, thanks in part to an initial column and photos by former Beaufort Mayor Bill Rauch.

By Sunday, $17,252 had been raised, putting within reach the possibility of the community getting “Beaufort’s Greeter” an upgraded single-wide mobile home.

Its a success story of people from all walks of life coalescing around a single cause. Its hero is a friend whose name most people did not know, but who was widely appreciated for his generous show of love to each passing car over the course of nearly two decades.

Equally remarkable is the team that formed to make a dream come true. Here again, ethnicity didn’t matter.

These are the effective people and groups who have

come together to help someone who touched us.

Marilyn Harris, Executive Director of The BCBCC Center for Culture and Commerce, stepped right up to form a team that will put the various necessary pieces together.

Derek Gilbert, the Beaufort attorney, has said he will address and paper whatever title and lease issues arise.

Brenda Dooley, executive director of Habitat for Humanity for the Lowcountry, has said Habitat will help build Mr. Allen a new front porch and provide other building services as necessary.

Alex Navarro, President of the Hispanic Business Association of the Lowcountry, has agreed to help with the trailer identifying and moving issues.

Coastal States Bank has agreed to keep the money safe and accounted for.

Caribbean Tree Services

has stepped up to offer its services for free to do what’s necessary to clean up Allen’s lot to ready it for its new trailer, and to do whatever other landscaping is necessary to provide a clean and safe residence for Allen.

That means that all that’s left is to find a two-bedroom trailer and to raise no more than about $7,000. more to get a good one that’s been traded in or that is being sold on the open market.

Harris and Navarro are in discussions with several trailer sales organizations and dealers, to find the right one at the right price. However, if readers know of any opportunities here, please contact Bill Rauch at therauchreport@gmail.com.

For contributions to close the final gap, the link to the Friends of Tom Allen GoFundMe page is https://gofund.me/363fad69a.

NEWS BRIEFS Arthur Horne Wetlands Park enters design phase

Beaufort County Stormwater has entered the design phase for improvements to the Arthur Horne Wetlands area. The wetland system, located between Camelia Road

A6

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

and Ivy Lane in Port Royal, once functioned as stormwater mitigation; however, it was damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and has not recovered. The intended water flow path was interrupted by downed trees and clogged with debris.

This wetlands restoration capital project has been

planned since early 2021, when County staff applied for a federal grant to cover design and construction costs. With federal funds now on hold, Beaufort County is moving ahead with funding project design out of the Stormwater Utility Fund.

— Staff reports

The addition of the “traffic calming” devices is the result of at least five years of neighborhood pressure on the S.C. Department of Transportation, which owns those roads.

The town also paid for the bumps, to the tune of approximately $3,000 each.

The thing is, Beaufort city residents have been asking for speed bumps in their neighborhood in their neighborhoods for years, especially as traffic counts on “back roads” through residential areas have continued to increase.

But the city’s response always has been they’re not allowed on state-owned roads, which are most of the roads within the city limits.

Hmmmm???

Beaufort Gazette building on Salem Road, a one-story brick facility that has remained empty since the newspaper gang moved to Hilton Head Island in 2011.

The request was made by owners of Tidewater Windows and Doors who hope to operate a business out of the old office space and printing press.

Because those business plans require a zoning change, the matter came before the City Council, giving the public a chance to comment.

Comment they did, opposing the increase of more commercial space adjacent to a rapidly growing residential district whose traffic numbers are multiplying almost daily with the construction of new apartments at Garden Oaks and new homes at Salem Bay, Salem Point and Battery Point neighborhoods.

Their concerns about the future of traffic on their single, two-lane road were acerbated by knowledge that a senior citizen apartment complex adjacent to the Gazette location is somewhere in the

city government permitting process.

But, in an effort to keep the business owner from moving his proposed operation out of the city limits, the council suggested creating a special exception zone which would allow the window/door distribution center to operate ... but not the multitude of commercial and retail uses allowed under the proposed Downtown Mixed-Use zone.

City planning staff said they will work to create a new zone within the next three months and get it past the planning board. The business owner said he’d see.

wounds to the shoulder, arm, leg and foot. Some injured victims declined medical treatment at the scene.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office has not released the identities or conditions of the victim This remains an active

Port Royal has speed bumps PORT ROYAL -- The town of Port Royal has a new splash pad. It also has new speed bumps.

In addition to the 28 speed bumps installed last year down Paris Avenue and throughout the “village” part of town, it was recently announced the coming of nine addition speed bumps to be installed in the Shell Point area.

Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C. native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com. and ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact investigator Sgt. Aaron at 843-255-3436.

Experience the joy of worship with St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Sunday Services 9:00 AM | 11:00 AM *Nursery & Children’s Sunday School at 11:00 AM

Wednesday’s Service

Hope & Healing Service at 12:00 PM

FOR MORE DETAILS: VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR LIKE US ON FACEBOOK www.stmarksportroyal.org www.facebook.com/stmarksportroyal 1004 11th Street Port Royal, SC

Join Us for Sunday Morning Worship at 8:30 & 10:30 81 Lady’s Island Drive Pastor Steve Keeler (843) 525-0696 seaislandpresbyterian.org

NEWS

Graham from page A1

South Carolinians but people around the globe.

“It’s my honor to ask his little sister to finish his work,” the governor said in making his announcement at the Statehouse. He took no questions from reporters.

Graham Nordone, who heads the state Commission for the Blind and has spent her career helping people with disabilities find jobs, will fulfill the term that expires in January. Voters will decide through a special GOP primary next month who will be on the November ballot for the next six-year term.

“Lindsey has always been there for me, and now, I’ll be there for him,” she said.

The brief news conference ended with her speaking to her brother: “I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this. I got it.”

The mother of two daughters has never sought elected office herself. She and her husband, Larry Nordone, live in Lexington. They have one grandson.

Graham died unexpectedly Saturday night following a ruptured aorta related to cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings from the District of Columbia medical examiner released by his office.

Graham, who never married and had no children, shared a tight bond with his sister.

Even before their parents died, she said, she relied on her brother.

“My parents, since they had to work a lot, Lindsey was kind of the one there that took care of me. If I fell down and scraped my knee, Lindsey was the one I ran to,” she said in a 2014 campaign ad for Graham.

Hours before the governor’s announcement, President Donald Trump publicly backed her as the choice, writing on social media, “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

Lawmakers, past and present, quickly endorsed the idea, including U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, who called her a “fantastic pick.

“There is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and

our country,” he wrote on X. McMaster indicated Trump’s post didn’t influence a decision he’d already made: She “agreed to serve through tears,” the governor said about his phone call with her early Sunday.

“I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve,” McMaster said at the news conference.

“I called the president afterward, and he thought it was a great idea.”

Graham Nordone, who was 13 when their parents died, periodically joined her brother on the campaign trail, including his short-lived bid for president in 2015, which started his relationship with Trump on rocky grounds. Graham, however, quickly became a golfing buddy, friend and confidante to the president.

Mourning On Monday, white flowers sat atop a black cloth draped over Graham’s desk on the U.S. Senate floor, and flags flew at half-staff across the country.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

McMaster on Sunday ordered flags above the Statehouse dome to fly at half-staff in Graham’s honor until further notice. Normally, such orders last through a funeral service.

On Monday, Trump ordered the same for flags on public buildings nationwide until 6 p.m. Saturday.

Tributes to Graham that flooded inboxes and social media platforms came from politicians, as well as current and former staff.

“Senator Graham never forgot who he was or where he came from. He loved Chick-fil-a so much that in the pre-smart phone era, staff provided a map of Chick-fil-A restaurants in South Carolina for his car so he could get a meal while on the road,” Scott Farmer, Graham’s campaign manager of 22 years, wrote on X. “He loved S.C. and her people. If you needed help with Social Security benefits, the V.A., or a passport, the Senator’s constituent service team was second to none – modeled after his predecessor, Senator Strom Thurmond,” Farmer added. “If the Port of Charleston needed to be deepened to keep our state’s economy humming, Senator Graham made sure it happened. South Carolina’s

congressional delegation hit above its weight because of Lindsey Graham and his tenacity to get things done.”

College leaders offering condolences included the president and board chairman of South Carolina State University, an alma mater of Graham Nordone. She earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling in 2009 from the state’s only public historically Black university.

“He devoted himself to serving both our state and our nation. His commitment to national defense, the men and women of our armed forces and the security of our country defined much of his public life,” reads the joint statement from the president, retired Col. Alexander Conyers, and board Chairman Douglas Gantt.

“His legacy of leadership, public service and dedication to South Carolina and the nation will endure,” it continued.

Other women who filled vacancies Graham Nordone, who earned her bachelor’s in sociology from the College of Charleston, is not the first South Carolinian to fulfill a deceased family member’s term.

In the 20th century, four South Carolina women, all Democrats, were elected to finish serving their husband’s term in the U.S. House following his death. None sought election to the next full term: • Rep. Elizabeth Hawley Gasque (Sept. 13, 1938-Jan. 3, 1939) • Rep. Clara Gooding McMillan (Nov. 7, 1939-Jan. 3, 1941) • Rep. Willa Lybrand Fulmer (Nov. 7, 1944-Jan. 3, 1945); and • Rep. Corinne Boyd Riley (April 10, 1962-Jan. 3, 1963).

In all, 47 women nationwide have been elected or appointed to fill congressional vacancies created by the deaths of their husbands: eight to the U.S. Senate and 39 to the U. S. House, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

Four additional widows took office — three by election, one by appointment — after their husband won an election but died before his term started, according to the Office of the Historian of the U.S. House.

The most recent include Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Louisiana, who won a 2021 special election after her husband,

Luke Letlow, died before taking office. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-California, won a 2005 special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Rep. Robert Matsui. She’s since been re-elected to 10 terms.

And acting Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson appointed the late Sen. Jean Carnahan to the Senate in 2001 after voters posthumously elected her husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, who died in a plane crash three weeks before the election.

Pool hall to Capitol Hill Graham’s is a story of a self-made man who went from humble beginnings in small town South Carolina to the halls of political power in Washington, D.C. Born July 9, 1955, Graham grew up in the Upstate town of Central, just 5 miles outside Clemson.

His family lived in the back room of the Sanitary Cafe, the restaurant and pool hall his parents owned. His father, Florence “Dude” James Graham, and mother, Millie, ran the pool hall six days a week.

It was a textile bar during the industry’s heyday, serving up hotdogs and hamburgers to the local millworkers. It had a pinball machine, a jukebox and a rocking chair where his mother sat at the end of the bar, according to multiple media accounts of an e-book autobiography Graham self-published during his 2016 presidential bid.

The family cooked its meals in the bar’s kitchen and shared a bathroom with patrons. To bathe, they heated water on the stove and washed in a metal tub, Graham wrote.

When some customers left to use the restroom, Graham wrote he sometimes snuck swigs of their beers or puffs of their cigarettes, earning him the nickname “Stinkball.”

A “C” student in high school, Graham once told a teacher, “I want to be governor,” garnering snickers from his classmates, Graham wrote. After scoring an 800 on his SAT, he became the first person in his family to attend college, enrolling at the University of South Carolina.

Not long after he started school, the family went to Disney World for their first vacation. But when they returned home, tragedy struck.

His mother became exhausted and nauseous. A few months later, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. The doctors gave her six months to live.

The next spring, Graham’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Graham and his younger sister were in and out of the hospital with their ill parents.

On June 9, 1976, Millie Graham died holding her son’s hand. Then, 15 months later, their father died of a massive heart attack.

“I remember that day, Lindsey came running in and just grabbed me up and hugged me and he was like, ‘I’m so sorry, but it’s going to be OK. I’m going to take care of you.’

And he did. He’s always been there for me no matter what,” she said in a May campaign ad and mailer for Graham’s latest Senate bid.

Graham was 22 and his sister was 13. An aunt and uncle took his sister in, but Graham still helped raise her, driving home from college every chance he had.

Graham graduated with his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and became a commissioned Air Force officer before starting law school.

To help pay his parents’ lingering medical bills and care for his sister, he sold pots and pans door to door in Columbia and tended the family’s liquor store on weekends.

After the bar exam, Graham began four years of active duty. The Air Force assigned him to the legal office at Shaw Air Force Base, where he took on cases related to the military’s flawed drug testing program.

His sister was in college when Graham was assigned as one of four Air Force prosecutors in Europe at the tail end of the Cold War. He adopted her so she could receive his military benefits.

In all, he served in the U.S. Air Force for 33 years, more than six of those on active duty as a lawyer. He joined the Air National Guard in 1989 and joined a small-town law practice in Walhalla.

His political career began with a run for the state House, beating out the Democratic incumbent in 1992.

He served just one term in the state Legislature. In 1994, he won a U.S. House seat, replacing retiring U.S. Rep. Butler Derrick to become the first Republican from the 3rd

District since Reconstruction.

Around this time, Graham also joined an Air Force reserve unit, serving for a decade before retiring as a colonel.

Graham spent four terms in the U.S. House, where in 1999 he gained public attention as one of the House managers during the Senate’s impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton.

After the House voted to impeach Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice over his relations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, the Senate found him not guilty.

In 2002, Graham won election to the U.S. Senate as the chosen successor to retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond, who remains the only senator in U.S. history to reach age 100 in office. Thurmond, who died within six months of retiring, ranks fourth among longest-serving senators in history at 47½ years.

Who will run?

A special primary to select a new Republican nominee to the seat Graham held for 23½ years is scheduled for Aug. 11.

Last month, Graham soundly defeated five GOP competitors to win the primary with 57% of the vote. A long list of candidates is expected to file to replace on the ballot.

A runoff Aug. 25 will almost certainly be needed. In South Carolina, a runoff is necessary if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.

So far, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman has said he will run.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace also is considering it, a former campaign staffer told the S.C. Daily Gazette. Both lost their bids for governor last month.

Norman placed third, while Mace placed fifth in the GOP primary.

On the other hand, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, who called Graham a “patriot” during a tribute Monday on the U.S. House floor, made clear he will not run for Senate.

Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C. Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier. S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization,

Vickers reflects on year as Water Festival Commodore

By Delayna Earley The Island News As the 70th annual Beaufort Water Festival gets underway, Commodore Dusty Vickers says the reality of leading the community's signature event still hasn't completely sunk in.

"It hit me, but it hasn't hit me," Vickers said just days before festival setup began.

"We start loading in tomorrow, so I'm sure it'll feel real tomorrow."

For Vickers, becoming Commodore is the culmination of more than a decade of volunteer service, countless late nights and a commitment to an event he says feels more like family than work.

His Beaufort Water Festival story began around 2012 while working for The Greenery Inc., helping deliver trailers and landscaping materials during festival setup and teardown.

Although he wasn't officially part of the festival organization at the time, the experience introduced him to the volunteers who make the event happen.

By 2014, he earned his first director's badge as parks director, overseeing many of the same setup

As the 69th Annual Beaufort Water Festival ends, the Commodore for the 70th Annual Beaufort Water Festival, Dusty Vickers, and First Lady Jessica, at Henry C. Chambers Park on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News responsibilities that first brought him into the organization.

What kept him coming back wasn't the recognition or the title.

"The family feeling, the camaraderie," Vickers said.

"Everybody will bend over backwards to help anybody."

That sense of community has also required sacrifice.

Like many Commodores before him, Vickers said the festival has demanded long hours away from his wife and young children. On top of his Water Festival responsibilities, he also spent the last year and a half building a 1,600-square-foot addition onto his home.

As his Commodore year comes to an end, he admits the moment is bittersweet.

"I'm ready for a vacation," he said with a laugh. "Time has been served."

Still, he says he's confident the organization is in good hands.

"We've got a good group of coordinators around the table and directors and staff and chair people," he said.

Every Commodore leaves a personal mark on the festival, and Vickers introduced several new ideas during his year.

One was the addition of a 3D archery tournament, inspired by his own love of bow hunting. The inaugural event, held this spring, attracted nearly 50 participants competing on a course featuring three-dimensional animal targets, including deer, ducks, turkeys and hogs.

He's also bringing comedy back to the festival.

Following Thursday night's Lowcountry Supper, Brian Moote with Bored Teachers will perform after local musicians, bringing a comedy show back to the festival. Vickers said the event is reminiscent of entertainment the festival featured years ago and offers something different from the traditional musical lineup.

His theme for the year, "Sunny Days and Friendship Waves," reflects what he believes the Beaufort Water Festival represents beyond its concerts and events.

Vickers describes the festival as "the reunion of reunions," bringing together friends and families who may only see each other during those 10 days each summer.

"As we all grow apart and our kids get different ages, you might not see people as much anymore," he said.

"For those 10 days of festival, everybody's going to come together."

That broader vision also influenced this year's official T-shirt artwork.

Rather than focusing

solely on downtown Beaufort and Waterfront Park, the design features a boat on the river, live oak trees, a sunset and Hunting Island in the background.

"There's so much more to offer than just the seawall," Vickers said. "It's the Beaufort Water Festival. It's not the downtown Beaufort Water Festival."

The festival will again operate with the Waterfront Park promenade closed because of ongoing construction, much as it did last year. Vickers said most events will remain downtown, with the Raft Race continuing to launch from The Sands in Port Royal.

He also noted that the city's temporary dock and access ramp near the promenade were expected to open in time for the festival.

While the Commodore often serves as the public face of the Beaufort Water Festival, Vickers is quick to redirect attention to the hundreds of volunteers working behind the scenes.

He credited the festival's coordinators, directors, staff, chairpeople, sponsors and the many civic organizations whose volunteers work under the tents

throughout the festival.

"A lot of people don't realize all the people underneath the tents are from nonprofits or civic groups," Vickers said. "That manpower is a necessity to make the festival happen."

As another Beaufort Water Festival begins, Vickers says he's looking forward to opening ceremonies, seeing Joe Nichols perform and watching the community come together for what he calls "the reunion of reunions."

After more than a decade of volunteering, he'll spend the next 10 days doing what he's always done – helping make the festival happen – before handing the Commodore's hat to someone else and, for the first time in years, taking a well-earned vacation.

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

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A7

NEWS

Mony’s House summer camps celebrate the pursuit of a creative life

By Luke Frazier The Island News In late October of 2015, 36-year-old Ver’mon “Mony” Steve was duct-taped, kidnapped, and murdered in Beaufort. As with many violent deaths, the jagged ripples tore through family, friends, and the community at large, leaving heartache behind.

Now, more than 10 years later, his spirit is being celebrated through the creation of Mony’s House, which includes efforts to educate young people about audio engineering, music production, and cinema at camps this summer. These are all things that aligned with Ver’mon’s interests while he was alive.

Janice Steve is Ver’mon’s mother and describes her son as having been gentle, quiet, and caring. She says he believed there was good in everybody and wanted to see the best in people come out. According to Steve, that belief is part of the fuel for the summer camps happening in Columbia and Port Royal this month.

“Anything that we can do to allow the young people to see that they can truly be whoever they'd like to be,” Steve said recently, “Whatever we can do to keep them focused or help get them focused.”

Steve says the summer camps can help young people avoid having regrets later in life when they consider what

Pervis Walker, from the Great Grand Family Foundation, and his mother, Karen Walker, proudly pose for a photo after a successful second annual Trunk or Treat presented by Great Grand Family Foundation and Beaufort County Parks and Recreation on Oct. 26, 2025, at Charles Lind Brown Center in Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News they could have been had they explored passions and gained skills.

“I think Mony’s House is here as a result of him being very focused on the arts and music,” Steve said, “[Because] those are the things that he tried to pull out of other people as much as he possibly could.”

The existence of Mony’s House is also a result of work by Pervis Walker, the Executive Director of the Great Grand Family Foundation. Walker wanted to find a meaningful way to honor Ver’mon, a friend since childhood.

He reached out to Janice Steve about a year ago and shared his vision. He got permission to name the program

after Mony and invited her to join the board and help develop something that positively reflected Mony's life and legacy.

“To partner with his mom in order to keep that creative legacy alive is a deep honor for me,” Walker said. “It was these types of programs that my friends and I were looking for when we were young. … I wasn't a big athlete or scholar.

We were dreamers, we were creators, and there wasn't a lot of space for creators.”

Then the challenging work of figuring out funding, goals, responsibilities, partnerships, and myriad related details began in earnest.

“Our goal has never been to simply host a summer camp. We wanted to create

a pipeline that introduces young people to career opportunities in the creative arts,” Walker insists, “Now kids can come and enjoy being creative and learning at no cost.”

Walker said it’s important that students can see how their passions can become careers.

One young person poised to express her creativity in the upcoming cinema camp is 15-year-old Jene’lle Tuttle-Burgess of Beaufort. She wants to be in the film industry when she is older, based on her limited experience with it.

“When I was younger, I used to always make movies and like mini videos on my mom's phone,” she recalls, “I want to learn more about actual things people who are in the film industry use and what they actually do day-today.”

Although she was not aware the cinema camp was created to honor Ver’mon’s life after his death, Tuttle-Burgess said it adds to the experience.

“I think it does because there's meaning behind it,” she reflected, “I think it makes it more deep, and you can kind of feel more connected to it.”

One individual who will be teaching Jene’lle Tuttle-Burgess and other students is Jamie Fleming. He is founder of

Edify, a company that creates digital film assets for nonprofits, government institutions, schools, and other youth-serving agencies.

Fleming was excited when Walker reached out to collaborate in realizing the vision for Mony’s House, especially given the inspiration behind it.

“There is hurt and heartache in the community,” Fleming acknowledged, “But how do we move beyond that loss and still commemorate that loss?”

Fleming is a self-described social entrepreneur who came back to Beaufort to help his elderly parents. He says he noticed a gap in creative services that also looked to serve the community, a niche he hopes his company can help fill.

Fleming says he used to run something called “Poetry & Pancakes,” and a light bulb went on.

“I was able to see the rippling effect of that,” Fleming said, “How having a place where all types of people, young people, older people you know could express themselves through the spoken word, whether it's poetry, whether it was song. How empowering that is.”

This made Fleming a natural partner in the effort to honor Ver’mon and teach kids to let their creative spirit soar.

And while Janice Steve’s

MONY’S HOUSE FREE CINEMA CAMP The first Mony’s House Free Cinema Camp scheduled for July 20-24 at the Port Royal Rec Center is full. As a result of the high demand, a second camp – July 27-31 (9 a.m.-3p.m.) for youth ages 13 to 17 at the Charles Lind Brown Center in Beaufort -- has been added. To learn more, visit www.bcscrec.com or email greatgrand843@gmail.com.

spirit has been damaged, she has taken some small comfort in articulating what she thinks Ver’mon’s message to camp students would be.

“If I focus on what I want to do I can become any and every thing that I feel like I can become — if I stay focused and aim high.”

Steve also takes comfort from her faith, and this has helped her forgive her son’s murderer.

“I know that me being a Christian and believing in every word that I've learned from the Bible, that the forgiveness is for me, and not necessarily for the person.

From the beginning God gave me that peace that surpasses even my understanding.”

Luke Frazier is a writer and award winning media producer who moved to the Lowcountry in 2024. He runs NOW Communications and can be reached at nowandfuturecomms@gmail.com.

Resident, city manager clash over Beaufort FOIA breach

By Delayna Earley The Island News Questions surrounding the City of Beaufort's handling of last year's Freedom of Information Act records breach returned to the forefront Tuesday as a resident, the city manager and a city council member publicly disputed key details about who received the email containing a download link to the unredacted records and how that information has been presented to the public.

The exchange came nearly a year after the city inadvertently released more than 9,000 unredacted records in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The records included sensitive documents, including forensic interviews involving minors, and have prompted multiple investigations, public records requests and continued scrutiny over how the records were distributed and handled.

Patel questions city's public account During public comment, Beaufort resident Amanda Patel challenged the city's account of the breach, tell-

ing council members that for nearly a year the public had been led to believe the unredacted records had been shared only with the original requester and Councilman Josh Scallate.

She said records that have since become public show City Manager Scott Marshall and former Deputy City Manager JJ Suave also received the email containing the download link.

"For almost a year, the people of this city were led to believe that the city's FOIA breach involving more than 9,000 unredacted pages was shared only with the original requester and Councilman Josh Scallate," Patel said.

"Less than two weeks ago, we learned there was more to this story. Our own city manager, Scott Marshall, and the former deputy city manager also received that very same link to those records."

Patel said the facts surrounding the breach had not changed, "only the story," referencing statements Marshall made during a February council meeting that she said continued the narrative that only the original requester and Scallate had

received the records. She argued the official public record had never been corrected after it became known Marshall and Suave had also received the email containing the download link.

"I say this because the public record is important," Patel said. "And what gets left out of the story matters just as much as what gets put into it."

Patel also referenced another child's unredacted forensic interview that she said was included in the released records and cited recent public comments from former City of Beaufort Public Information Officer Ashley Brandon, who said she would not serve as "the scapegoat for city leadership" in connection with the breach.

Before concluding, Patel posed two questions directly to council.

"Were you aware that Scott Marshall and JJ Suave received that FOIA link?

If the answer is yes, when?

Was it when I emailed y'all?

When it got reported? Why has the public record yet to be corrected?" she asked.

Marshall,

Scallate

respond Rather than responding immediately, Marshall addressed Patel's remarks during his City Manager's report later in the meeting.

"I admire Amanda Patel's energy and her passion for the truth. I truly, truly do," Marshall said. "But that does not give her license to propagate her own version of the truth. She's trying to connect dots that don't exist to create details that aren't true."

Marshall acknowledged that he was copied on the email sent to Scallate that contained the download link but said he never opened the link or obtained the records.

"I was copied on the email that went to Councilman Scallate that had the link to the FOIA file in question," Marshall said. "I did not access the link and I have never been in possession of the file. Council knows this and I've also communicated this to Ms. Patel, but that truth doesn't fit her narrative so she chose to leave out that part of the story."

Marshall challenged Patel to produce evidence showing he had ever possessed the records, saying he has proof the download link

"was never accessed" by him.

He also questioned how Patel became familiar with the contents of the released records, noting she "is not an intended recipient of the records that were released."

As Patel attempted to respond from the audience, Marshall interrupted, saying, "You do not. This is my time. You had yours," before continuing with the remainder of his report.

Later in the meeting, Scallate also addressed the issue, saying his name had been referenced several times and offering his own clarification.

"I did know that I was on the same thread that they were on when that file was sent," Scallate said, referring to Marshall and Suave.

"What I did not know and what was a surprise to me was the revelation of our city attorney's letter to the Department of Crime Victim Services in September stating that I was the only other recipient of that file. That was the issue that I had because I do not feel like that was an honest representation."

Patel was not the only resident to criticize the city's

handling of the FOIA investigation and the council's use of executive sessions.

During public comment, Graham Trask criticized what he described as an excessive reliance on executive sessions, arguing that too much city business is discussed outside of public view. He repeatedly referred to council members as "cowards," accused them of avoiding public accountability and called for the release of information related to the city's ongoing FOIA investigation.

Following the public comments, council later voted to enter executive session to receive legal advice regarding the city's ongoing FOIA investigation, along with discussions concerning Parcel K in Beaufort Commerce Park and several personnel appointments.

The FOIA breach remains under investigation.

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

NEWS BRIEFS Beaufort County Community Services Grant Program accepting applications

Beaufort County is now accepting applications for the FY27 Community Services Grant Program. Applications will be accepted until Friday, Aug. 28.

Any applications received after that date will not be considered.

Interested organizations may access the application at https://bit. ly/4wDFbwW. Funds for this grant program are provided by County Council of Beaufort County. Established in 2013, the Beaufort County Com-

A8

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

munity Services Grants Program supports local non-profit human service organizations in enhancing residents' quality of life. All grant awards are contingent upon the availability of funding.

To be eligible for the Community Services Grant, organizations are required to meet specific criteria: • Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations whose mission aligns with the program's goal of improving quality of life for Beaufort County residents with an emphasis on enhancing the well-being and self-sufficiency of vulnerable or disadvantaged populations • Agencies must directly serve Beaufort County and use all

awarded funds for the benefit of its residents • Only one application per organization (identified by EIN) will be accepted, and fiscal agents are not permitted Eligibility, criteria, application timeline and the application itself are all outlined at https://bit. ly/4f3eSck for interested groups.

Funds may not be used for: • Fundraising or capital campaigns • Endowments or scholarships • To reduce debt of any kind • Religious or political activities • Legal services.

For questions or more information, please call Beaufort County Finance Director Sandra Novak at 843-255-2314.

Family Promise announces a name change

Family Promise of Beaufort County has changed its name to Family Promise of the Lowcountry, a change, according to the organization, that reflects the its expanding reach and its commitment to children and families experiencing homelessness across the region. The nonprofit has also launched a new website, fp-lc.org.

According to the organization’s media release, “the new name better represents the families the organization already serves throughout Beaufort and Jasper counties and signals its plans to extend services into additional Lowcountry

counties over the next five years.

Family Promise’s mission is to help children and their families experiencing homelessness in the Lowcountry break the cycle and build a brighter future. ‘It’s a hand up, not a hand out.’”

Family Promise of the Lowcountry helps children and their families experiencing homelessness break the cycle and build a brighter future. Through the Family Promise of the Lowcountry programs, including the Freedom House shelter, the organization offers families a hand up toward lasting, independent housing. Every gift stays local. Learn more or donate at fp-lc.org.

– Staff reports

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

W

The heat is on in South Carolina, nation

ith heat indices at more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit along most of the South Carolina coast this past weekend, it’s a good thing that we don’t face global warming.

That was sarcasm, if you didn’t figure it out.

Seriously, even climate change deniers have to admit that something kooky is going on with the weather – from more than five dozen flooding days last year in Charleston alone to droughts and more intense hurricanes. Remember Hurricane Helene? People in the North Carolina mountains do. They continue to face flooding impacts from the 100-year storm two years later.

South Carolina’s high temperatures typically combine with lots of humidity to create cloying,

I

damp air that is sometimes difficult to breathe. And as we all know, if you stay out in it too long, you’ll sweat like the devil. (If you stop sweating, you’re in a danger zone and might need medical help.)

In the southern California desert, however, there’s no real humidity to make it feel worse than it is. Why? Because it actually feels as bad as it is. On Thursday, for example, it was 100 degrees in Palm Springs at 10 a.m. One hundred degrees!

A hotel manager noted it

across the state and nation, here are some other headlines that should grab your attention: Opioid deaths down in S.C. For the second consecutive year, opioid and drug overdose deaths in the Palmetto State dropped by a third from 2023 to 2024.

Fentanyl, however, continues to be the leading cause of fatal overdoses with 914 of the 1,481 overdose deaths in 2024. Big reasons for the drop in overdose deaths are better education and broader availability of life-saving medications like Narcan and widespread distribution of fentanyl test strips.

Blood donations needed.

Officials with the American Red Cross say it’s a vital time for blood donations across the state and nation.

Why? Because in the hot months of summer, dona-

tions decline. Needed now in South Carolina: Group O blood donations. Check with your local chapter to help by giving a pint.

Data centers. South Carolina currently has 20 planned or operational data centers spread across the state, as shown in a new map published by The State newspaper. Nine are operational, two are operational and expanding, and nine more are planned. But advocates in a few counties are fighting them for how they suck away fresh water.

Look for this issue to raise more of a political profile in the months to come.

Tax-free weekend. August will bring an annual gimmick – the state’s tax-free weekend in which consumers of school-related items (plus lots of other stuff where it’s hard to see a school connection) can

save money. It’s a continuing gimmick because most people don’t use it, which creates inequities. But legislators keep approving it so they can have something to brag about. When: Aug. 7 to Aug. 9.

Bridge replacements.

South Carolina has received $23.5 million in federal funding to help pay for 18 replacement bridges in nine counties, announced the state, which will chip in $93 million on the projects.

That’s great. But remember, there still are about 2,800 bridges – yes, 2,800 – that need significant work.

State lawmakers need to get more serious about fixing them.

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

A spiritual ‘bridge too far’

t is Sunday, early, and it is warm.

This morning I’m on our reconditioned deck; watching the sun illuminate the low-hanging moss; listening to a “meditation” supplied by Rev. Richard Rohr.

Rohr’s meditation deals with the early days of the Christian Church. It deals with a recently crucified man who lived in Judea — a man who emphasized love of neighbor, sharing of one’s wealth and simplicity when it came to wearing apparel.

Rohr tells us that this ancient “influencer” didn’t pose much of a threat to the Roman Empire that then controlled all of the Mediterranean basin and beyond. (The Romans couldn’t rein-in the Scots or the Germans and so they built walls to keep them out.)

In those early days there wasn’t much theology beyond love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus didn’t

I

ANDY BRACK

was supposed to rise to 117 degrees later in the day.

But instead of being a smothering wet blanket, this kind of desert heat presses against your cheeks. It burns. It dries your nostrils. It makes you fully appreciative of air-conditioning.

While in South Carolina we are accustomed to being outside in the high 90s with triple-digit heat indices, there’s little to prepare you for the blazing heat and too-bright sun in the desert. It is, quite frankly, miserable. And to everyone who says it’s a “different kind of heat” that’s not as bad because of the low humidity, spend a little time here. The heat is horrible. It’s inconceivable why people even live here in July.

While high temperatures are capturing headlines

SCOTT GRABER

like incense, or small animal throat-cutting, or wear the ermine-lined robes that were popular with the restive and sometimes rebellious Jews who lived in this dusty, desiccated province.

The “Jesus people” were really strange dudes who operated on the lowest rung of society’s ladder, an unimportant splinter; and yet there was something strangely attractive in their sandal-wearing simplicity.

The Romans — sensing their own Greek-inspired gods were no longer providing the spiritual sustenance that supported their regime — decided a change was necessary. So,

starting with Constantine, they changed horses.

The Romans slowly embraced this now-expanding splinter group deciding that what it needed was a beefed-up theology (more rules); better vestments and a building program that was on par with the temples and amphitheaters it had been building for centuries.

But, if the truth be told, the Romans were really focused on rules — details around divinity that had been largely side-stepped by the early Christians.

They got into, for example, the concept of Original Sin and whether we entered the world corrupted or uncorrupted. Starting with Paul, then moving on to Augustine, Aquinas, Ambrose and others volumes were written on the nature of God; the nature of sin; the nature of evil; a half-way house called “purgatory”; the status of women, and why it was wrong to eat meat on Friday.

By the time I came along all of this was condensed into something called the Catechism which was as important (to Catholics) as the Bible itself.

In 1957, I was a uniformed school-boy at St Michael’s Catholic School in Columbus, Ohio. I was in the complete thrall of the nuns who taught me the Catechism every morning; relishing the certainties and marveling at the “mysteries” they taught. I continued my rule-based education at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, Texas.

Eventually I strayed from that well-paved pathway finding comfort in John Sholar — a Presbyterian preacher here in Beaufort; and in Roger Smith who was, for a time, the Rector at St Helena’s Church.

While John was certain of the Resurrection of the robe-and-sandal wearing man in Judea, I remember sitting with him in an Augusta cafeteria discussing

the contents of the Ark of the Covenant and where that fabled vessel might be hidden. My conversations with Roger Smith were equally colloquial and, perhaps, my comments bordered on blasphemy.

All of which brings me back to the Richard Rohr, the Catholic cleric, who does not focus on rules or espouse a transactional relationship with God. His meditations usually reinforce the idea that one’s life has two parts — the first part being a time of hustle, bustle, status-seeking and finding a reasonably priced time share in Aruba.

It’s mostly about status — status, perceived success and stability — that at some point in the future will be utterly shattered.

Rohr says this shattering is not a bad thing — it opens the door to doubt, reflection, re-evaluation and, ultimately, a craving for grace, goodness, compassion and — if you’re lucky — a second chance at

finding the Divine.

Recently Rohr also said that (in this second and final phase) we should not care about what other people think of us. We should focus on being “awake” to what is happening around us.

After a lifetime of self-promotion, resume-writing and virtue-signaling are we really expected to stop the flossing, the sit-ups and any effort to appear productive and successful?

I, myself, think the Roman padre goes too far.

Asking us to give up our near-constant campaign to appear successful, worthy of respect and, yes, happy is a ship that has sailed for me; a Leviathan that cannot be turned around or, to use the disaster at Arnheim as a metaphor — “a bridge too far.”

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

Remembering Senator Graham

t is Sunday afternoon, and again I am a day late getting started on my soon-to-be-due article. Had I started yesterday, however, with the advent of Sunday’s news, I probably would have deferred to what I am about to write now. Timing really is everything.

Of course, I am referring to the passing of the senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

I am of the generation that stands pretty staunchly behind the notion that one does not speak ill of the dead. That said, I am not about to become the same kind of hypocrite that I constantly berate, thereby making me every bit as bad as those I criticize.

Thus, while I never am gleeful at the news of anyone’s death, there are certain things I trust are God’s way of intervening … whether we like it or not.

And to that end, I am going to talk about what became my total disappointment with Sen. Graham.

CAROL LUCAS

Some history is called for, and I begin back when John McCain was still alive. Let me say here that despite his being a conservative, I had so much respect for Senator McCain. I remember when he stopped a woman mid-sentence at a rally who was spewing so many lies about Barrak Obama. That was a pivotal moment for many of us whose votes would go to Obama, but whose admiration would land squarely on McCain.

I bring this to your attention as a contrast to 47’s ramblings about McCain. He asserted that he didn’t like people who were captured; he of 'bone-spurs fame' went on to casti-

gate the military folk who protect us as “suckers and losers.” For the life of me, I will never understand how anyone in the military, now or before, could vote for someone who made this a talking point. But I digress.

I mention John McCain because we all know that he and Lindsey Graham were very close friends. Oddly enough, as I was researching comments about the passing of the latter, it was Hunter Biden who said this: “When I heard about Senator Graham’s death, the first thing I thought of was before Donald Trump when he was a brother to John McCain. This was a time when a conservative Republican could say of my father, “If you can’t admire Joe Biden as a person, you have a problem. He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met in politics. As good a man as God ever created.”

What happened to the Lindsey Graham shown above or the one I am about to further quote? This may

be something we will never understand.

In December 2015, Graham called Donald Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” By February 2016, he said: “I think he’s a kook. I think he’s crazy.” That May: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed ... and we will deserve it.”

Then Trump won.

Despite knowing what Trump was, and having said so aloud, Graham spent nine years in subservience anyway.

The following is an excerpt from a piece by Michael Jochum entitled “The Great Betrayal.” In all my research, this best sums up my feelings.

“The Lindsey Graham I once respected disappeared the day he surrendered his conscience to Donald Trump. I remember the senator who stood beside John McCain and spoke of honor, alliances, constitutional responsibility, and moral leadership. We often

disagreed politically, but I never questioned that he believed what he was saying. Somewhere along the way that man vanished. In his place emerged someone willing to explain away almost anything if it meant remaining close to power.

I didn’t watch a politician evolve. I watched a man slowly negotiate away pieces of his character until there was almost nothing recognizable left.

"That is the tragedy I see.

Not simply that Lindsey Graham died, but that he had already abandoned the very qualities that once made him worthy of respect.

He traded independence for obedience, integrity for influence, and conviction for proximity to a president he himself once warned Americans about. When I think about Lindsey Graham’s legacy, I don’t think of the man who served beside John McCain. I think of the man who chose to spend the final chapter of his career defending nearly

every excess, every assault on democratic norms, every attack on truth, and every excuse offered on behalf of Donald Trump.”

I have made clear my feelings about the current president -- multiple times.

I know for some folks this has been ad nauseam; for that I make no apologies.

Democracy dies because intelligent people who know better decide that preserving their own political future matters more than preserving the institutions they swore to defend. No. 47 didn’t create what became a movement alone. He required willing participants. Sadly, Lindsey Graham became one of the most indispensable among them.

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.”

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A9

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

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. -Attributed to Voltaire

T

his week I lifted my head out of the sand long enough to start investigating a question for which I had not found an answer until now. I queried, “Trump and pardons” and “Trump and bribes” and began reading articles such as “The bombshell inside Trump’s $1.3 billion pardon market,” “More days go by, more bribes for trump,” and “How Trump became the biggest crook in the history of democracy.”

I tiptoed through the website, oversightdemocrats.house.gov until I noted that lame duck Jasmine Crockett and boorish Ro Khanna are on the committee. There’s even a “Trump Family Digital Grift Profits” tracker. I scanned a few reports that made claims and relied heavily on Democratic party talking points for evidence.

T

You are entitled to your own opinion LOUISE MATHEWS

I began to feel like the Dementors of Harry Potter novels were sucking out my soul, and I needed a ton of chocolate to save me.

I cannot defend Donald Trump. For one thing, I am limited by word count.

Like the rest of us, he sins.

He has made egregious mistakes. Whether he and his family have committed actual crimes will, I am sure, come out in the interminable impeachment hearings that will probably start Jan. 3, 2027.

I am cynical enough to believe that Washington, D.C., is rife with quid pro quo dealings. Why else would there be an entire industry of lobbyists? They

are not just talking.

I would probably be upset about President Trump’s pardons seemingly related to payments for the ballroom construction if President Biden had not issued pardons to family, friends, and followers for anything they had done or might still do. It’s sad but true that actions that are illegal for us little people are lawful for those in power.

Look at the insider trading Nancy Pelosi used to such great advantage.

I do think, though, that we the people must at least attempt to understand the difference between fact and opinion.

When I was teaching, a text we used defined fact as something that is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists. Opinion is a thought or belief about something or someone.

This distinction bothered me as it put spiritual faith into the realm of opinion because it cannot be

definitively proven in the way that biology can prove conception occurs when a sperm penetrates an egg.

For example, it is a fact that Tom Homan was the Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations at ICE under President Obama.

Tom Homan served as Acting ICE Director during the first Trump administration. He serves as border czar during the second Trump administration.

It is opinion that ICE agents can murder people without consequences.

It is fact that Donald Trump won 49.2 percent of the popular vote in the 2024 presidential election while Kamala Harris won 48.3 percent of the vote.

It is opinion that Donald Trump is a dictator bent on destroying democracy.

All of us are entitled to our own opinions. We are not entitled to our own facts. Sometimes it is difficult to discern the difference. We are products of

our upbringing, education, experiences, and information sources, all of which are biased. Most of us are guilty of confirmation bias, that is, we read or view media that agree with our views and beliefs.

Some of us believe whatever we think is right, or that our group or class owns the truth. A long time ago, a mentor told me to repeat, “I can be right, or I can be happy.” I say the Serenity Prayer daily – sometimes several times a day – to remind me of what I can and cannot control.

What I can control is pretty much limited to me.

Recently, I broke one of my own Facebook rules and commented on a friend’s July 4th post.

I viewed the website to which she referred as making claims without evidence. She wrote a lovely reply, which I have thought about a great deal: “We may have different views on politics, but I still value you as a friend and neigh-

bor. I believe strongly in your right to publish your opinions. As I do in mine.

I don’t bear you a drop of ill will.”

I am reminded of her gracious reply when I think of Sen. Lindsey Graham who passed away 24 hours before I finished this essay. Sen. Graham was known for his ability to reach across the aisle to find compromise when he and Senate Democrats disagreed on an issue.

He worked for what he believed to be the best path forward for America, but he was always respectful of people who disagreed with him. Let us honor his memory by following his example.

Louise Mathews retired from a career in community colleges and before that, theater. A 13-year come-here in Beaufort, she has been a dingbatter in North Carolina and an upstater from New York.

Scott Marshall must go!

he decision making of our Beaufort City Council members proves their collective ability to stand for nothing! Our City Council will not even stand up in support of one of its own, Councilmember Josh Scallate, who himself tried to stand up against Scott Marshall, the City Manager, in response to Marshall’s blatant insubordination.

Our City Council refuses to stand up to Dominion Energy as it butchers our landmark trees -- the same butchering City Council allowed five years ago. City Council moans "nothing can be done." The truth, however, is that no will exists for action.

City Council refuses to stand up for 12-yearold girls whose rape kits, among 20,000+ pages of other sensitive data, have been publicly released. This data breach has been "under investigation” for a year now. Any “progress”, however, is discussed in myriad, secret executive sessions while the public remains in the dark.

Attempting to "clean up" the data breach to protect itself from liability, the City has implored innocent

GRAHAM B. TRASK

bystanders to sign legal documents shielding the city from legal liability and erroneously threatened that those same individuals will have legal liability if they don’t sign the documents.

Where are the results of the so called “investigation” and why is the city trying to protect itself prior to releasing the “investigation” results?

Beyond the confidential information released in the data breach itself, many of the 20,000+ pages of unredacted documents reveal atrocious mismanagement and ineptness endemic to our city government and specifically in our police department to include mishandling evidence.

Even you will be horrified at the extent of the mismanagement! Also, defense lawyers may want to pay attention as such evidence mishandling could provide

avenues to reopen prior criminal convictions.

Councilman Scallate understands the gravity of the data breach as he has read the documents; Scott Marshall understands the gravity of the data breach even though he has a) denied receiving them (he has, however, received them) and b) denied viewing the documents; If in fact what he says is true and he has not read the documents, Marshall has committed unconscionable gross negligence. Without knowledge of what’s in the documents, Marshall cannot control the damage, meaning for the past year no damage control has occurred.

You, council members, refuse to stand up for our Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park by ignoring preventative maintenance for decades and failing to set aside money to replace the park. Instead, millions of dollars were spent on a separate, extravagant park.

Millions more dollars were given to developers to build speculative warehouses in the failed commerce park.

All is discussed in secret, executive sessions so the public is kept in the dark.

You enable Scott Mar-

shall to mismanage our city, alienate residents, and thumb his nose at you, his bosses. Marshall knows you won't fire him; it’s why he continues with his egregious behaviors.

You, council members, refuse to hold Marshall accountable for his mismanagement of TIFF money resulting in our city losing access to millions of dollars – money which could have contributed to rebuilding our Waterfront Park.

You refuse to hold Marshall accountable for his heavy handedness with at least one black employee contributing to, it appears, that same employee’s resignation. You’ve seen the exit interviews. You know what happened.

You refuse to hold Marshall accountable for taking every bit of feedback personally and his fatal flaw of lashing out at those who give him feedback. He repeated such behavior at council’s Tuesday, July 7th meeting, by blasting and attempting to discredit Amanda Patel in response to her public comment. Just watch the video recording.

Unbelievably, you shower Scott Marshall with 5-star performance reviews and

increase his salary as your misplaced monetary approval of his job performance.

Are you blind?

You, council members, refuse to solve and settle lawsuits and instead allow them to grow and attract further lawsuits. And you do nothing. You each individually and collectively offer excuses as to why "your hands are tied" or how "you are powerless" or how "you have no legal basis for action" or "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."

Doing what's right requires moral rectitude; it requires a backbone; it requires a belief; it requires doing something good with the power that one has. It does not mean "shrugging ones shoulders"; saying "Well, I'm only one of five council members"; or I'm "only the mayor"; or we/I am "powerless."

Beaufortonians are finally fed up.

You, City Council, can no longer hide on the dais, behind the "power" of the city, and in executive session.

Your inaction has finally caught up with you, and you will be held accountable, as will Scott Marshall, for your individual and collective

patriot." Once again a Republican implies that 47 has a lot of faults which are too many to enumerate, but -- Frank Wainwright, St. then finishes with the good Helena Island guy baloney. You can't be mostly a bad guy and still, in some way, be a good guy. It's Join the real like saying a wife beater isn't patriots really bad because the wife still has most of her teeth I agree with Mr. Dickson left and she can still see out that 47's picture should not of one of her eyes. be on U.S. currency. ActuIn this day and time a real ally, why do we need a $250 Patriot is not a nationalist. In bill? Who's going to make the current world situation change? But that's not the we should be promoting our point. allies, and America should And yes FDR was a great be proud that we have been president! What I take issue the world leader in defense with is your last paragraph. (not war), health and eco"...because whatever else nomics. It is also hard to be[he] is, he is an American lieve a patriot, while serving

as the people's president, could increase his wealth by billions of dollars and run our deficit up by trillions.

actions of inaction, lack of transparency, refusal to represent your constituents, and refusal to hold Marshall accountable for his incompetence, missteps, and insubordination.

You have lost our trust and have allowed our city government to devolve into a state of dysfunction and stasis. This stasis will only change when our citizens act at the ballot box and elect a majority on City Council who will stand up for what’s right. Only then will Scott Marshall be excised from our city.

Mark my word -- we'll get our city back on track.

There is no alternative.

Graham B. Trask grew up in Beaufort and continues to be a resident of Beaufort. He owns a home in Beaufort’s landmark historic district.

He also owns several businesses as well as residential and commercial real estate located throughout the City of Beaufort and specifically in the historic district. He adds value to almost 50 different resident business owner tenants to help them grow their enterprises. He is also the president of Protect Beaufort Foundation, Inc., and Beautiful Beaufort Open Land Trust. Contact him at Graham@ grahamtrask.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR When the cat’s away …

ocrat wing of their party (the Mice) to gain more and more control. This of course The old saying “When is not good … for them or for the cat’s away the mice will America. The “Cats” claim play,” is taking on real world it’s all OK, invoking the and frightening political “big tent” party reasoning, significance today. which I challenge by simply Since Trump won the asking: “If your party were presidency, rather than offer- your body would you gladly ing a reasonable opposition invite a potentially lethal plan (let alone one that disease to invade it?” Not makes any sense), the main- likely. stream Democrat party (the Wake up, Cats … you need Cats) have focused 100% of to do better than this … for their attention on opposing your own sake and for the anything he does, says or sake of our Democracy. proposes for the betterment Loyal opposition has alof our country. ways been a hallmark of our In doing so, they have cre- political process but where ated a political vacuum that you’re headed with your Mischief of Mice (and, yes, has allowed the insidious that’s the collective noun for and growing Social Dem-

A10

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

a group of mice) is contrary to what has made us great for 250 years.

So Mr. Dickson tell us why you think he is a patriot. Is it because he started a war that has yielded no gain for us or the rest of the world?

Or went after immigration using gestapo-like tactics?

Or because he has appointed unqualified people to serve in the most important roles in our government? Or because he wants his name on buildings and institutions?

Or because the only campaign promise he has kept was pardoning the non patriots of January 6 fame?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor should consist of fewer than 275 words and be emailed with a name and contact information to TheIslandNews@gmail.com.

Or because he wants to attack and seize an ally (think Greenland)? Or because he has really weaponized the DOJ to go after his personal antagonizers?

He's not just tearing down the White House, he is tearing down our country. And on and on. You need to open your eyes just a little wider and step over the line and join the real patriots.

-- Bob Lewis, Port Royal

NEWS

Beaufort City Council delays Salem Road rezoning

By Delayna Earley The Island News Beaufort City Council has delayed a final vote on a proposed rezoning of the former Beaufort Gazette building on Salem Road, opting instead to explore changes to the city's zoning code that could allow the property to be reused without permanently expanding commercial zoning in the area.

The decision came after nearly an hour of public comment and council discussion centered on the future of the property at 1556 Salem Road, where local business owner Randy Martin hopes to relocate his window and door business.

Rather than approve the second and final reading of the rezoning ordinance, council unanimously voted to postpone the matter until its Aug. 18 meeting while staff drafts potential language that could allow commercial use of the existing building without rezoning the property from T4 Neighborhood (T4N) to Regional Mixed Use (RMX).

The property, formerly home to The Beaufort Gazette, has sat vacant for more than a decade. Martin, who operates a window and door business across the street, told council he

plans to renovate the building rather than redevelop it.

"Our intentions for the property are to establish our business there, selling windows and doors to builders and homeowners where we've been right across the street operating for five years," Martin said during public comment.

Martin said the building would be divided into three sections, with one-third used for his showroom and offices, another portion serving as warehouse space and the remaining area leased to a compatible business, such as a flooring supplier. He said the business employs seven people and would not significantly increase traffic in the area.

He also warned that if the rezoning is denied or significantly delayed, he would likely abandon the purchase and move his business elsewhere because of the lack of comparable warehouse space in Beaufort.

"If you all do turn it down, then I'll probably walk and probably leave Beaufort and have to look for space elsewhere," Martin said.

Residents oppose broader commercial zoning Several residents urged council

to reject the rezoning, arguing that while Martin's proposed business may be appropriate, the requested RMX zoning would permanently allow a much broader range of commercial uses.

Attorney Tom Keveney, who lives on Salem Road, said the request is inconsistent with the city's Comprehensive Plan and argued Salem Road has evolved into a predominantly residential corridor since the plan was adopted.

He pointed to the construction of Salem Bay, Garden Oaks apartments and other nearby residential developments, saying hundreds of new homes have significantly changed the character of the area.

Keveney also argued the Salem Road and S.C. 170 intersection already experiences significant congestion and that allowing broader commercial uses could worsen traffic problems. He noted that while Martin's plans may be modest, future owners would not be limited to those uses if the property were rezoned RMX. Paul Trask echoed those concerns, arguing residents living in nearby neighborhoods were not adequately notified about the proposal and ques-

tioning why the rezoning was being considered before the city's upcoming Comprehensive Plan review.

He also criticized the city's handling of executive sessions, saying agenda descriptions often provide too little information for the public to understand what council is discussing behind closed doors.

"I've spoken to you before about my concerns with matters coming to executive session," Trask said. "It's just not enough of a description of what's going to go on." He cited the Safe Harbor lease as an example of significant city business emerging from executive session discussions and urged greater transparency.

Council searches for compromise Although several council members expressed support for Martin's desire to renovate the vacant building, they also shared residents' concerns about permanently expanding commercial zoning.

Council members discussed pursuing a text amendment to the city's zoning ordinance that could allow commercial uses in existing buildings without changing the property's underlying zoning.

Council members said such an

approach could accomplish Martin's goal while preventing future owners from pursuing the broader range of uses permitted under RMX zoning.

Planning staff estimated the process would likely require Planning Commission review followed by two readings before city council, taking approximately three months to complete.

Martin expressed concern about delaying the project.

"I don't have time for games," he said, noting the building was marketed and priced as commercial property and that additional restrictions could jeopardize the purchase.

Ultimately, council chose to postpone the rezoning request until Aug. 18 and directed staff to begin drafting possible ordinance language for consideration before that meeting.

Council also asked Martin to report back on whether the property's owners would be willing to extend his purchase agreement while the city explores an alternative.

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

LEGAL NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE PRESERVING THE PROMENADE WATERFRONT PARK RELIEVING PLATFORM RFQ 2027-100 The City of Beaufort is seeking a qualified multidisciplinary consultant team to provide marine, coastal, geotechnical, and structural engineering, landscape architecture, NEPA and environmental review support, permitting, grant writing & administration, public engagement, bidding assistance, and related services. The project is intended to restore safe public access to the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.

• Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting: July 23, 2026, 2:00 PM, 1911 Boundary Street, Planning Department Conference Room • Questions Due: July 30, 2026, 4:00 PM • Answers Due: August 6, 2026, 4:00 PM • Bid Submissions Due: August 13, 2026, 2:00 PM • Public Bid Opening: August 13, 2026, 2:00 PM, Executive Conference Room 2 The RFP and additional documents may be accessed on the City’s website: www.cityofbeaufort.org/165/Procurement, Current Bid Opportunities.

Procurement Administrator: procurement@cityofbeaufort. org.

“EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY” STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF BEAUFORT IN THE PROBATE COURT FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CIVIL ACTION NO. 2026-CP-07-01099 NON-JURY Melonie Quimbley, Willie Michael Darden, Ashely Thomas, Mikelle Darden, Michael Darden, Jeffrey Darden, Kenisha Jackson, Frednisha Morton, Freddie Morton, III, and Christopher Morton.

Plaintiffs, vs The heirs and/or devisees of Freddie Morton,Sr., Pamela Darden, and Freddie Morton, Jr. and As Adjoining Land Owners: Ruthie Lee Gadson, Demetrius Gadson, Brook Gadson, Beatrice Gadson, Patrick Young, Jr., Lauretta H. Young, James Green, Sr., Victoria Frazier, Connie Washington, and Frank Washington, if living; and if not living, then the heirs or devisees of all such persons named above; and all persons unknown having or claiming to have any right, title, interest in or lien upon the real property described in the Complaint herein, being designated collectively as JOHN DOE and MARY ROE; including all persons who may be deceased, minors, in the Armed Forces of the United States, Non-Compos Mentis, and who may be under any disability, Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED TO ANSWER the Complaint in the above-entitled action, the original of which has been filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Beaufort County, South Carolina on March 6, 2024; and to serve a copy of your Answer to said Complaint on the undersigned subscriber at Heritage Law Firm, PC, 1011 Bay Street, Suite 2B, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29902, within thirty (30) days after service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service, and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, the Plaintiffs in this action will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in said Complaint.

TO ANY UNKNOWN DEFENDANT ADULTS, PERSONS UNDER SOME LEGAL DISABILITY, MINOR(S) OVER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE, AND/OR TO MINOR(S) UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE, AND THE PERSON WITH WHOM THE MINOR(S) RESIDES, ALL BEING A CLASS DESIGNATED AS JOHN DOE: YOU ARE FURTHER SUMMONED AND NOTIFIED that Plaintiffs have applied for the appointment of a guardian ad litem nisi to represent any unknown adults, said persons under some legal disability and minors; and if you fail to apply for the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem within thirty (30) days after such service of this Summons and Notice upon you, the Plaintiff’s appointment will be made absolute with no further action from the Plaintiffs.

HERITAGE LAW FIRM, PC By: s/Cherese T. Handy Cherese T. Handy, Esq. S.C. Bar #103184 ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF 1011 Bay Street, Suite 2B Beaufort, South Carolina 29902 Beaufort, South Carolina Phone: (843)894-6998 June 30, 2026 chandy@heritage-firm.com; TRUSTEE'S NOTICE OF SALE 95-44 Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-32-300, et. seq., NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the intent of the undersigned Trustee, KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, to sell the below described Properties at Public Auction to the highest bidders for cash on 7/23/2026 beginning at 9:30 A.M. The Public Auction shall occur at the Office of Bolchoz Law Firm, 6 Buckingham Plantation Rd, Ste B, Bluffton, SC 29910. Property Descriptions: A fee simple undivided interest (SEE EXHIBIT "A") in the Project as tenant(s) in common with the holders of other undivided interests in and to the timeshare property known as MBV VACATION SUITES, as established in that certain Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and Vacation Ownership Instrument for MBV Vacation Suites, recorded at Book 3406, Pages 1312-1365, et seq., of the records of the R.O.D. Office for Beaufort County, South Carolina, as amended or supplemented (the “Declaration”), having Interval Control Number (SEE EXHIBIT "A"). The names and notice address of the obligor(s), record owner(s) of the timeshare estate (if different from the obligor(s), and junior interest or lienholder(s) (if applicable) (hereinafter referred to as “Obligors”) are

identified in Exhibit “A”. The sale of the Properties is to satisfy the defaults in payment by the Obligors of the obligations secured by those certain Mortgages to HHI Development, LLC as recorded in the records of Beaufort County, South Carolina and detailed in Exhibit “A”. The amounts secured by the MORTGAGES, including accrued interest and late charges now owing along with a per diem amount to account for further accrual of interest and late charges are detailed in Exhibit “A”, together with any and all additional principal, interest, costs coming due and payable hereafter. The successful bidders shall be required to pay, in cash or certified funds, at the time of the bid, unless the successful bidder is the Creditor, which shall reserve a credit against its bid for the Total Owing as set forth in Exhibit “A”. The successful bidders shall also be required to pay for Deed Preparation, Documentary Stamps, or transfer fee, and Recording Costs. This sale is subject to all taxes, liens, easements, encumbrances, assessments, and/or senior mortgage liens of record and the undersigned Trustee gives no opinion thereto. An Obligor has the right to cure the default, and a Junior Lienholder has the right to redeem its interest up to the date of that the Trustee issues the Certificate of Sale pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 27-32-345. KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, Trustee and Attorney for HHI Development, LLC, by Jeffrey W. King, SC Bar # 15840; or W. Joseph Cunningham, SC Bar # 72655, P.O. Box 4896, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29597, (843)-2490777. EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s), Address, TS Interest, TS Interval Control No., MTG BK/PG, Default Amount, Trustee’s Fee, Interest, Total Amount Due, Per Diem- RAYANN AYMAN NASSER&ABDULMOHSAN AMEER ALOBAIDAN 180801 N SUNITA AVE APT 1210, HIGHLAND VILLAGE, TX 75077, 0.0147723220820258%, U2204 -W38B, 4065/2214, $27,782.91, $450, $171, $28,232.91, $9.17; JULIUS QUINTIN MALLETTE&SHARON FREEMAN MALLETTE 517 CRESTLINE BLVD, GREENVILLE, NC 27834, 0.0147723220820258%, U2202-W47B, 3724/2523, $16,649.40,$450,$171,$17,099.40,$7.49; JAMES DAVID DELOOF&LORETTA ANN SANDORA-DELOOF 1102 OTTAWAS LANE, EAST TAWAS, MI 48730, 0.0147723220820258%, U2405-W9B, 4048/608, $27,160.18, $450, $171, $27,610.18, $7.51; SHANNON ADRIANSE&RONALD ADRIANSE 166 ROBBINS DR, FOREST CITY, NC 280439504, 0.0073861610410129%, U2405-W3E, 4197/818, $27,373.41, $450, $171, $27,823.41, $13.49; MICHAEL J. SEILER JR&JENNIFER FULTZ SEILER 1460 BRENTWOOD WAY, EARLYSVILLE, VA 22936, 0.0147723220820258%, U1202-W9B, 4338/1549, $38,625.93, $450, $171, $39,075.93, $15.19; SYLVIA NICOLE BROWN&ANTHONY BROWN 5388 W BLOOMFIELD LAKE RD, WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48323-2410, 0.0073861610410129%, U1301W1E, 4284/681, $13,949.58, $450, $171, $14,399.58, $6.19; MARION ELAINE STREATER-JOHNSON&CHAUNELLE E. SALTERS 1880 LAFAYETTE AVE APT 17H, BRONX, NY 10473-2720, 0.0147723220820258%, U1605-W51B, 4212/2960, $11,935.40, $450, $171, $12,385.40, $4.13; SCOTT MICHAEL MCVAY 113 VASSAR COURT, MURFREESBORO, TN 37129, 0.0073861610410129%, U1502-W1E, 4150/2926, $11,815.84, $450, $171, $12,265.84, $5.6; BILLIE JEAN LEPLA&KEVIN GLENN LEPLA 2629 SHIPSTON CT, WARREN, MI 48091-1683, 0.0073861610410129%, U1502-W49E, 4349/1842, $14,816.14, $450, $171, $15,266.14, $7.83; LYDIA ALICE COLBERT&ALTON NELVIN COLBERT 489 S CARLSON ST, WESTLAND, MI 48186-4056, 0.0073861610410129%, U1201-W3O, 4440/1623, $16,821.03, $450, $171, $17,271.03, $7.71;TAMIKO ROCHELLE COOK 7476 LARCHMONT RD, HAYES, VA 23072-3518, 0.0147723220820258%, U2204-W1B, 4471/2252, $25,923.34, $450, $171, $26,373.34, $11.31;JAMES MICHAEL TCHERNESHOFF&MAUREEN LOUISE TCHERNESHOFF P. O. BOX 12006, HUNTSVILLE, AL 35815-2006, 0.0147723220820258%, U2607-W30B, 4201/1066, $30,234.81, $450, $171, $30,684.81, $10.69;JAMES MICHAEL TCHERNESHOFF&MAUREEN LOUISE TCHERNESHOFF P. O. BOX 12006, HUNTSVILLE, AL 35815-2006, 0.0147723220820258%, U2206-W8B, 3941/1903, $20,809.53, $450, $171, $21,259.53, $7.13;BRIAN J. METZKO&ASHLEY ANN GRAY 494 MURRAY LN, STRANG, OK 74367, 0.0073861610410129%, U1305-W11E, 3685/412, $9,989.47, $450, $171, $10,439.47, $4.33;STEPHANIE M. MILLER&KARLTON D. HENDERSON 9748 S LUELLA AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60617, 0.0073861610410129%, U1306-W6O, 4210/1420, $14,493.16, $450, $171, $14,943.16, $7.39.; TIPPI SHRADER MOORE&RICKY DEAN MOORE 8012 HAYDEN DR, KNOXVILLE, TN 37919-5515, 0.0073861610410129%, U1201-W19E, 4365/2504, $7,744.74, $450, $171, $8,194.74, $3.16; RICHARD ARTHUR PERKINS 3108 E STROOP RD, DAYTON, OH 45440, 0.0147723220820258%, U2302-W32B, 3802/73, $27,963.88, $450, $171, $28,413.88, $12.09; JACQUELINE JONES HILL&ALVIN HENRY HILL 3305 LAKE BEND DR, FAYETTEVILLE, NC 283117661, 0.0147723220820258%, U1405-W22B, 3642/178, $4,611.85, $450, $171, $5,061.85, $1.39; KACEY NICHOLE MAMO 124 PENDULUM RDG, GRANITEVILLE, SC 29829-2837, 0.0073861610410129%, U1102-W31E, 3745/1848, $38,271.48, $450, $171, $38,721.48, $7.91; HENRY WENDT PARKER 317 SEMINOLE DR, BLACKSBURG, VA 24060, 0.0073861610410129%, U1306-W50E, 3835/109, $7,755.84, $450, $171, $8,205.84, $2.84; BRADLY BUNDRANT&JO MERRELL BUNDRANT PO BOX 800, HALLETTSVILLE, TX 77964-0800, 0.0147723220820258%, U1611-W41B, 3778/3359, $13,231.90, $450, $171, $13,681.90, $3.26; CHARLES L. JENKINS JR&CHERYL LEVERT JENKINS 306 PLEASURE ISLE DR, ERLANGER, KY 41017-9460, 0.0073861610410129%, U2301-W49E, 4186/1750, $18,201.59, $450, $171, $18,651.59, $5.54; SUNDE SILLMAN&MARK THOMAS SILLMAN 1402 BOXWOOD, APEX, NC 27502, 0.0147723220820258%, U1308-W1B, 4315/2060, $30,374.12, $450, $171, $30,824.12, $11.27.

TRUSTEE'S NOTICE OF SALE 95-44 Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §§ 27-32-300, et. seq., NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the intent of the undersigned Trustee, KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, to sell the below described Properties at Public Auction to the highest bidders for cash on 7/23/2026 beginning at 9:30 A.M. The Public Auction shall occur at the Office of Bolchoz Law Firm, 6 Buckingham Plantation Rd, Ste B, Bluffton, SC 29910. Property Descrip-

tions: A fee simple undivided interest (SEE EXHIBIT "A") in the Project as tenant(s) in common with the holders of other undivided interests in and to the timeshare property known as MBV VACATION SUITES, as established in that certain Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and Vacation Ownership Instrument for MBV Vacation Suites, recorded at Book 3406, Pages 1312-1365, et seq., of the records of the R.O.D. Office for Beaufort County, South Carolina, as amended or supplemented (the “Declaration”), having Interval Control Number (SEE EXHIBIT "A"). The names and notice address of the obligor(s), record owner(s) of the timeshare estate (if different from the obligor(s), and junior interest or lienholder(s) (if applicable) (hereinafter referred to as “Obligors”) are identified in Exhibit “A”. The sale of the Property is to satisfy the default in payment by the Obligor/Owner of the property owners association dues, assessments, special assessments, and/or taxes (collectively “Assessments”) to MBV Vacation Owners Association, Inc., as more particularly described in the certain CLAIM OF LIEN recorded in the records of Beaufort County, South Carolina as detailed in Exhibit “A”. The amounts secured by the CLAIM OF LIEN, including principal, interest and costs now owing together with any and all additional dues, assessments, costs, other fees, and interest coming due and payable hereafter are detailed in Exhibit “A”, together with any advances made for the payment of taxes, insurance and/ or maintenance of the Timeshare Interest(s) (collectively “Advances”) and costs of the sale, including a title search fee, and Trustee’s and attorney’s fees and costs (collectively “Costs”). The successful bidder, other than the Creditor, shall be required to pay in cash or certified funds at the time of the bid. If the Creditor is the successful bidder at the sale, it shall receive a credit against its bid for the Total Amount Due set forth in Exhibit “A”. The successful bidder shall also be required to pay for Deed Preparation, Documentary Stamps, or transfer fee, and Recording Costs. This sale is subject to all taxes, liens, easements, encumbrances, assessments, and/ or senior mortgage liens of record and the undersigned Trustee gives no opinion thereto. An Obligor has the right to cure the default, and a Junior Lienholder has the right to redeem its interest up to the date of that the Trustee issues the Certificate of Sale pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 27-32-345.

KING CUNNINGHAM, LLC, Trustee, by Jeffrey W. King, SC Bar # 15840; or W. Joseph Cunningham, SC Bar # 72655, P.O. Box 4896, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29597, (843)-249-0777.

EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s), Address, TS Interest, TS Interval Control No., Lien BK/PG, Default

Amount, Trustee’s Fee, NOS Costs, Total Amount Due; DAVID WILLIAM MAIN & LOUISE CURRIN MAIN, 812 EAGLE DR GRIFFIN, GA 30223-7250, 0.014772322082, U2506W44B, 4496/818, $2,508.38, $450, $98.8, $3,057.18; PEKETA HENDERSON LONG & CLARISSA HENDERSON, 1513 PEACE ST HENDERSON, NC 27536, 0.014772322082, U2205-W16B, 4496/820, $2,508.38, $450, $98.8, $3,057.18; SUNDAY JULIUS EKOJA , 19 PILOT RIDGE CT GREENSBORO, NC 27407, 0.0073861610410129, U2308-W6O, 4496/844, $2,514.05, $450, $98.8, $3,062.85; JAMES CHUCK ARCHIE , 2209 PARK STREET COLUMBIA, SC 29201, 0.0073861610410129, U2208W6O, 4496/848, $3,018.21, $450, $98.8, $3,567.01; EDWARD CHESTER SPYRA & REBECCA LYNNE SPYRA, 667 MOUNT HAMMOND LN CHARLES TOWN, WV 25414, 0.014772322082, U1304-W23B, 4496/804, $2,949.83, $450, $98.8, $3,498.63; ANN ELNA HOWARD & DAVID A. HOWARD, 3571 LOST MEADOW CT ST. LOUIS, MO 63129, 0.0073861610410129, U1301-W49E, 4496/868, $3,343.60, $450, $98.8, $3,892.40; FREDERICK JOSEPH SHEAHIN & PATRICIA LEE SHEAHIN, 23994 BENJAMIN HARRISON CIRCLE MILLSBORO, DE 19966-8217, 0.014772322082, U1609-W49B, 4496/872, $4,399.82, $450, $98.8, $4,948.62; RENEE CHERYL DE LIGNY & ROBERT JAMES DE LIGNY, 25209 HARMONY WOODS DR MILLSBORO, DE 19966, 0.0073861610410129, U2402-W50O, 4496/856, $3,018.21, $450, $98.8, $3,567.01; HOLLY BUMSTED MORRIS & JOSEPH TYLER BUMSTED, 4821 SOUTH LANDING DRIVE UNIT 103 FORT MYERS, FL 33919, 0.0147723220820258, U1403W19O, 4496/836, $2,096.62, $450, $98.8, $2,645.42; UGUNDA DAMASHUN WELLS , 902 SOUTHWESTERN DR CEDAR HILL, TX 75104, 0.0073861610410129, U1507-W6O, 4496/874, $2,514.05, $450, $98.8, $3,062.85; LINDA JACKSON BARNES & ARTHUR RAYNAL BARNES, 4880 HEARTHSTONE ROAD CLEMMONS, NC 270127710, 0.0147723220820258, U2303-W43B, 4496/876, $1,881.26, $450, $98.8, $2,430.06; ERIC MICHAEL DISANTO , 18944 WENTWORTH AVE LANSING, IL 60438, 0.0073861610410129, U2408-W1E, 4496/862, $3,253.22, $450, $98.8, $3,802.02; CAROL E. GAYFANTINI , 280 GOBBLERS KNOB LN WINCHESTER, VA 226022177, 0.0147723220820258, U2405-W14B, 4496/830, $2,633.75, $450, $98.8, $3,182.55; MICHAEL KEEGAN & JACQUELINE ALICE KEEGAN, 36614 N 14TH ST PHOENIX, AZ 85086-8492, 0.0147723220820258, U2110-W35B, 4496/850, $1,593.75, $450, $98.8, $2,142.55; CHARLES

THOMAS SMALLWOOD , 10 SCOTCH DAM RD SOUTH EASTON, MA 02375-1014, 0.0073861610410129, U1511-W30B, 4496/832, $2,216.32, $450, $98.8, $2,765.12; BRITTANY NANCY WACKERLY & TYLER WAYNE WACKERLY, 4125 ASHWAY AVE SE CANTON, OH 44707, 0.0147723220820258, U2507-W50B, 4496/840, $2,633.75, $450, $98.8, $3,182.55; THELMA ROBERTS & EMMANUEL NYAWAY, 3009 AKRON DR HOPE MILLS, NC 28348-9668, 0.0073861610410129, U2508-W6O, 4496/846, $2,514.02, $450, $98.8, $3,062.82; DIINAH CARLESE GINN & KEVIN REGINAL GINN, 4946 SWORD RD VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23455, 0.0073861610410129, U2402-W3E, 4496/860, $4,090.17, $450, $98.8, $4,638.97; JACKIE NICOLE GODDARD & LORENZO MAURICE GODDARD, 800 OAK ROSE LN ROLESVILLE, NC 275713303, 0.0073861610410129, U1307-W48E, 4496/834, $2,998.65, $450, $98.8, $3,547.45; FRANK T. KOPCIAL & NJIDEKA EMILY ORIMILIKWE, 4819 NICHOLAS POINT DR GROVE CITY, OH 43123, 0.014772322082, U1210-W15B, 4496/802, $1,721.56, $450, $248.8, $2,420.36; MARK A. SHAFRANICH , 6095 CATALINA DR. UNIT 1815 NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC 29582, 0.007386161041, U1307W44O, 4496/810, $2,096.62, $450, $248.8, $2,795.42.; JIAYAN CHEN , 1865 LAKE LILA LANE APT A2 ANN ARBOR, MI 48105, 0.007386161041, U1304-W3O, 4496/812, $2,388.63, $450, $248.8, $3,087.43; JEFFREY LYNN BOOTH & CATHERINE V. NOLDE, 82 MAIN STREET TURBOTVILLE, PA 17772, 0.007386161041, U1304-W44O, 4496/814, $1,860.71, $450, $248.8, $2,559.51; LIONEL G. BROWN & MARGARETA BROWN, 19 SHEPARD HILL RD NEWTOWN, CT 06470-1936, 0.0147723220820258, U1607-W40B, 4496/824, $2,508.38, $450, $248.8, $3,207.18; JOHN MOORE GAMBLE , 2299 CAVALRY BLVD JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-4202, 0.0073861610410129, U1204-W42O, 4496/826, $2,388.63, $450, $248.8, $3,087.43; PAMELA SUE FORD & DONAL KENT FORD, 3900 WENDY ANN CIRCLE WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33417, 0.0147723220820258, U2401-W16B, 4496/838, $2,633.75, $450, $248.8, $3,332.55; DONNA MARIE LARGENT & DANA HEATH LARGENT, 3613 CARMEL HILLS DRIVE DENTON, TX 76208, 0.0073861610410129, U2503W7O, 4496/852, $2,518.54, $450, $248.8, $3,217.34; NORMA LINDA BOGGS & JOSHUA M. BOGGS, 9002 TRAIL DUST SAN ANTONIO, TX 78254, 0.0073861610410129, U2401-W50E, 4496/858, $3,253.22, $450, $248.8, $3,952.02; THOMAS C. PIEPER & NANCY L. PIEPER, 609 BEACH WAY SUMMERVILLE, SC 29486-2414,

PLACE YOUR LEGAL NOTICE HERE Please contact ads. theislandnews@gmail.com for more information on placing your legal notice in The Island News.

0.0073861610410129, U1501-W7E, 4496/864, $3,253.22, $450, $248.8, $3,952.02; RANJIT R KHANNA & HOLLY ELIZABETH FOSTER-KHANNA, 50 COLLEEN CT KENDALL PARK, NJ 08824-1522, 0.0073861610410129, U1610-W6E, 4496/866, $4,068.12, $450, $248.8, $4,766.92; CONNIE DIAN EPLEY & BARRY LEE EPLEY, 1118 MAPLE ST GOLDEN, CO 80401-1172, 0.014772322082, U1202-W6B, 4496/870, $2,241.02, $450, $248.8, $2,939.82 NOTICE OF APPLICATION Notice is hereby given that DVVY Group LLC dba Cafe al Dente intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license and/or permit that will allow the sale and on-premises consumption of beer, wine, and/or liquor at is 303 Parkside Commons, Building D, Space 3 in New Riverside, Bluffton SC, 29910. To object to the issuance of this license and/or permit, you must submit Form ABL-20, postmarked no later than July 23, 2026. Submit protests online at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov, or email ABL@dor.sc.gov.

NOTICE OF APPLICATION To all persons claiming an interest in: 2009-18'-MCKEE CRAFT-MKCV8211E809 JOSEPH BRUNN will apply to SCDNR for title on watercraft/outboard motor. If you have any claim to the watercraft/ outboard motor, contact SCDNR at (803) 734-3699. Upon thirty days after the date of the last advertisement if no claim of interest is made and the watercraft/outboard motor has not been reported stolen, SCR shall issue clear title.

Case No: 20251022950823

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATES All persons having claims against the following estates, MUST file their claims on FORM #371 ES with the Probate court of Beaufort County, the address of which is 102 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902, within eight (8) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors or within one (1) year from date of death, whichever is earlier (SCPC 62-3-801, et seq.), or such persons shall be forever barred at to their claims. All claims are required to be presented in written statements on the prescribed form (FORM #371 ES) indicating the name and address of the claimant, the basis of the claim, the amount claimed, the date when the claim will become due, the nature of any uncertainty as to the claim, and a description of any security as to the claim.

DECEDENT

PERSONAL PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVE

PUB. DATE PUB. DATE

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

PUB. DATE

Joseph Frank Anastasia Sandra P. Boggess 05/17/2025 Date of Death: 5/22/2026 2025ES0700899 Case Number: 2026ES0700692

Elisa O’Connor David Sutcliffe 16 William Pope Drive, Ste. 202 C/O P.O. BOX 2358 Bluffton, SC 29909 Beaufort, 29901

08/21/2025 07/02/2026

Frederick Liles Kirt TravisRay Lindeman Date of Death: 07/05/2025 4/15/2026 Case Number: 2025ES0700943 2026ES0700724

MelaineE.S.Lindeman Smith Andrea PO Box C/O P.O. BOX1107 14 Beaufort, SCIsland, 29901 SC 29938 Hilton Head

08/28/2025 07/09/2026

Jerry Joseph Nancy H. CopeDittle 03/01/2025 Date of Death: 2/22/2026 2025ES0700903 Case Number: 2026ES0700613

Lori R. Cullen Thomas E. Cope, Jr. C/OBirdsong 16 William Pope 63 Way, Apt.Drive, B-201Ste. 202 Bluffton, SC Island, 29909 SC 29926 Hilton Head

08/21/2025 07/02/2026

Alan JoelWilson Michaelson; Shirley LoggansAKA Alan J. Michaelson Date of Death: 06/29/2025 4/14/2026 Case Number: 2025ES0700944 2026ES0700700

Catherine Brian CatlinGrubell Martin Loggans C/O 16West William Ste. 202 2842 RoyalPope OaksDr., Drive Bluffton, SC Beaufort, SC 29909 29902

08/28/2025 07/09/2026

Marguerite AnneCorille Ford Cushing Robert Markus 07/01/2025 Date of Death: 7/10/2025 2025ES0700906 Case Number: 2026ES0700693

MichaelScott RalphCushing Ford Robert PO Box C/O P.O. BOX5098 21668 29938 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925

08/21/2025 07/02/2026

John Edward Miracle; Richard Joseph Ryan AKA John E. Miracle Date of Death: 04/05/2025 3/21/2026 Case Number: 2025ES0700932 2026ES0700636

Geraldine G. Miracle Kristi Bell Ryan PO Box C/O P.O. BOX5098 7906 Hilton Head Island, SC 29938

08/28/2025 07/09/2026

Anna Maria Wilhelmina Barbara Maria Dammel La Haije 07/21/2025 Date of Death: 5/17/2026 2025ES0700892 Case Number: 2026ES0700675

HelmaRainer Franisca Cap Ralph Dammel 17 Brams PointLane Rd. 641 Hill Farm Hilton HeadPA Island, Springfield, 19064SC 29926

08/21/2025 07/02/2026

Raymond Carl Pettersen Albert Michael Sramek Date of Death: 06/09/2025 12/25/2025 Case Number: 2025ES0700929 2026ES0700716

08/28/2025 07/09/2026

Rita Marie O’Brien Sheila B. Gefen 07/25/2025 Date of Death: 5/4/2026 2025ES0700913 Case Number: 2026ES0700671

JohnGefen M. O’Brien, Lisa SicilianJr. PO Drawer 1107 C/O P.O. BOX 3435 Beaufort SC 29910 29901 Bluffton,

08/21/2025 07/02/2026

CynthiaMichael K. Hutcheson Albert Sramek, III Christina R. Lesher C/O P.O. BOX 3851 C/O 10 Hospital Center Commons, Ste. 400 Bluffton, SC 29910 Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 Paula R. Thalman Edward Harry5098 Tobergte C/O P.O. BOX C/O POHead Box 7906 Hilton Island, SC 29938 Hilton Head Island, SC 29938 Theresa M. Ahr Louise Brunson C/O 3600 Main Street, #400 C/O POHead Drawer 1107 SC 29926 Hilton Island, Beaufort, SC 29901 Juanita Campbell Lisa Brien 3408 Seneca Avenue C/O POSCDrawer Aiken, 298011107 Beaufort, SC 29901 Michael F. Clarke, Lisa C. Copeland ClaraPOST MarieOFFICE Emerson C/O BOX 5098 C/O POHead Box 3435 Hilton Island, SC 29938 Bluffton, SC 29910 John F. Boorack Daniel C/O 7511Gene SaintFitzgerald Andrews Road, Suite 3 27187 SC Chippendale Irmo, 29063 Ter. Salisbury, MD 21801 Suzanne E. Jacobson William Myers22512 Hoffer, II C/O P.O. BOX C/O 2015 Boundary #227 Hilton Head Island, St., SC 29925 Beaufort, SC 29902 Sharon O. Hooper Melissa Davis C/O P.O. L.BOX 882 C/O PO Drawer 1107 Bluffton, SC 29910 Beaufort, SC 29901 Yvette F. Lambinon Matthew J. Lieser C/O P.O. BOX 3435 C/O 112 Executive Bluffton, SC 29910Center 1 Corpus Christi Place, #112 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 Charlene Matune C/O P.O. BOX 7906 JaneseHead W. Davis Hilton Island, SC 29938 180 Pearl Davis Road Springfield, GA 31329III R. Duncan O’Quinn, C/O P.O. BOX 1107 R. Willis Post Beaufort, SC 29901 C/O 17 Professional Village Beaufort,Hazelworth SC 29907 Wesley C/O P.O. BOX 2358 James F. Holland Beaufort, SC 29901 C/O PO Box 7906 Hilton Head Island, SC 29938 Jennifer C. Yeager 511 Water Street Deborah F.SCKopp Beaufort, 29902 C/O PO Drawer 1023 Beaufort, SC 29901 Mitzi T. Reid 319 Old Bailey Road Okatie, SC 29909

MarilynL. Kolbe Frank Hart Olsen 05/30/2025 Date of Death: 5/6/2026 2025ES0700733 Case Number: 2026ES0700585 RobertA.A.Heinrich, Parham,Jr.Jr. Frank 07/09/2025 Date of Death: 1/20/2026 2025ES0700912 Case Number: 2026ES0700686 WilliamJean M. Roberson, Nancy O’Mara Jr. 05/20/2025 Date of Death: 5/31/2026 Case Number: 2026ES0700691 2025ES0700645 Andrew Gerard Schiavone, III Thomas J. Rudasics 06/09/2025 Date of Death: 3/19/2026 2025ES0700751 Case Number: 2026ES0700690 RonaldBozarth Gene Tune Loren 06/30/2025 Date of Death: 2/25/2026 2025ES0700914 Case Number: 2026ES0700381 Melva Jean Shelton Wheeler Geneva D. Cole 07/16/2025 Date of Death: 5/16/2026 2025ES0700893 Case Number: 2026ES0700721 Charles Fain Williams Deborah Dickey Connor 07/23/2025 Date of Death: 7/16/2025 2025ES0700889 Case Number: 2026ES0700702 Donald Simeon Zuidema; AKA Donald S. Zuidema Carl D. Crankshaw 04/29/2025 Date of Death: 5/22/2026 2025ES0700904 Case Number: 2026ES0700710 PatriciaD.Francis Crocco Harold Depkin, Jr. Date of Death: 4/1/2026 07/29/2025 2025ES0700931 Case Number: 2026ES0700712 CharlesGeiger Oliver Golson III Frank 09/28/2024 Date of Death: 3/3/2026 2024ES0701357 Case Number: 2026ES0700713 GladysAnn Kline Legare Kelia Head 04/27/2025 Date of Death: 4/6/2026 2025ES0700933 Case Number: 2026ES0700577 Thomas Richard Larsson Date of Death: 2/8/2026 Case Number: 2026ES0700708

DECEDENT DECEDENT

Mark Timothy Thalman Patricia Ann Wilson Date of Death: 3/25/2026 Date Death: 2026ES0700714 07/12/2025 Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700916 Connie L.Hart Olsen 08/21/2025 Susanne 07/02/2026 Ernest S. Ahr Center 1 Corpus Christi Place #112 Mary Grey Boatwright C/O 112 Executive Center, Date of Death: 6/8/2026 1 Corpus Christi Place, Date Death: 2026ES0700735 08/04/2025 Hilton Head Island, SC #112 29928 Case of Number: Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 Case Number: 2025ES0700963 V. Alex Dorobantu 08/21/2025 Alexander M. Heinrich 07/02/2026 Cassandra Elaine Campbell 1110BOX Pick5925 Pocket Plantation Dr. Ste. A Francis Brien; AKA Francis C. Brien C/O P.O. Date ofCharles Death: 6/7/2026 Beaufort, 29902 SC 29938 Date Death: 2026ES0700727 07/11/2025 Hilton HeadSCIsland, Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700946 Lacey Michelle 08/21/2025 Ronald E. CriderGodec 07/02/2026 Patricia Sommers Clarke AKA Patricia S. Clarke PO Drawer Arthur Emerson C/O 1533 Fording1023 Island Road, Suite 294 Date ofAndrew Death: 5/23/2026 Beaufort, SC 29901 Date Death: 2026ES0700745 07/27/2025 Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700956 Melissa M. Schiavone 08/21/2025 John Forbes 07/02/2026 Helen Connors PO Drawer Ervin Fitzgerald C/O P.O. DRAWER1107 1107 Date ofGene Death: 4/1/2026 Date Death: 2026ES0700741 12/24/2024 Beaufort, SC 29901 Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700948 Rodney A.Bozarth Schaake 08/21/2025 Deborah 07/09/2026 Joseph Gerard Doherty, Jr. PO Box Robin C/O P.O. BOX22230 22230 Date ofRaines Death:Hoffer 3/30/2026 Date Death: 2026ES0700743 04/27/2025 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700964 Teresa Lynn 08/21/2025 Rhonda ColeAnthony Green 07/09/2026 Audrey J. Glenn PO Box Stanley M. Lawson C/O P.O. BOX7906 248 Date of Death: 6/11/2026 Hilton Head SC 29938 Date Death: 2026ES0700740 06/21/2025 Beaufort, SC Island, 29901-0248 Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700961 Laura Ann Richardson 08/21/2025 Thomas Norman Connor, Jr. 07/09/2026 Shirley Rona Carlson Lambinon 2662 Broad Street Joe Lieser 66 Ulmer Drive DateWilliam of Death: 8/7/2025 Beaufort,SCSC29910 29902 Date Death: 2026ES0700733 07/12/2025 Bluffton, Case of Number: Case Number: 2025ES0700857 Marianne Zuidema Lea C. Attanasio 08/21/2025 Bruce D. Crankshaw, 07/09/2026 James P. Matune C/O 3404 Salterbeck Street, Ste. 204 Linda C. James Date of Death: 4/10/2026 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466 Larry Cecil Millender C/O P.O. BOX 5098, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938 Case Number: 2026ES0700737 Date of Death: 02/19/2025 John F.D.Crocco 08/28/2025 Case Number: Isabel Wolf 07/09/2026 Robert Duncan2025ES0700974 O’Quinn, Jr. PO Box C/O 1533118 Fording Island Road, Suite 294 Date of Death: 5/21/2026 Southport, 06890SC 29926 Suzanne Rekate2026ES0700734 Post Hilton HeadCTIsland, Case Number: Date of Death: 07/21/2025 Case 2025ES0700962 Nancy L.Court Golson 08/28/2025 Jennifer 07/09/2026 TrudiNumber: Lynn Peevey 16 William Dr., Drive, Ste. 202 C/O 121 ExecutivePope Center Suite 218 Date of Death: 4/28/2026 Kelly Lynn Sullivan Bluffton, SCSC29909 Columbia, 29210 Case Number: 2026ES0700631 Date of Death: 07/21/2025 Case Number: 2025ES0700954 Charisse Lewis Parker 08/28/2025 Timothy 07/09/2026 William Endicott Reed C/O PO BoxMexico 2478 Street 1907 New Date of Death: 7/1/2026 James Franklin2026ES0700744 Willard Beaufort, SCGA29901-2478 Savannah, 31404 Case Number: Date of Death: 07/02/2025 Case 2025ES0700957 Catherine Mary Copeland 07/09/2026 MaryNumber: Jane Evans Trent AKA Mary Jane Trent C/O 1110 Pick Pocket Plantation Drive, Suite A Date of Death: 5/28/2026 Beaufort, SC 29902 Case Number: 2026ES0700738 County, SC Heather R. Galvin, Probate Judge, Beaufort

07/09/2026 08/28/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026 09/04/2025

07/16/2026

09/04/2025 07/16/2026

09/04/2025 07/16/2026

09/04/2025 07/16/2026

09/04/2025 07/16/2026

Heather R. Galvin, Probate Judge, Beaufort County, SC

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A11

ARTS, COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS

YMCA Family Day

Experience history, culture through handmade crafts at Penn Center

Saturday, Sunday mark National Craft Open Studios Weekend

Three-and-a-half-year-old Levi Curry and his year-and-a-half-old brother Asher play miniature golf during the YMCA Family Day in Port Royal on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

Six-year-old Everlynn Frasier lovingly looks at her dad, Michael, wearing the sand-art necklace she made for him during YMCA Family Day in Port Royal on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News

Beaufort County Adult Baseball

Staff Reports Penn Center invites the public to experience the artistry, history, and cultural significance of handmade crafts during a special exhibition featuring Lowcountry artists Torreah "Cookie" Washington, Amiri Farris, Bruce Ingram, Monique de La Tour, and Teniqua Pope.

The workshops will be held from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the York W. Bailey Museum on the Penn Center campus as part of the inaugural National Craft Open Studios Weekend. The nationwide event brings together artists from across the country to welcome visitors into their creative spaces while celebrating the enduring traditions of American craft.

The St. Helena Island event was spearheaded by Washington, Penn Center's 2026 Artist-in-Residence, in partnership with the University of Georgia's Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, with support from the Mellon Foundation.

"The National Craft Open Studios Weekend provides a unique opportunity to showcase the artistic traditions of the Gullah-Geechee community while welcoming visitors to Penn Center," Penn Center Executive Director Robert Adams, Ph.D., said in a media release. "We are proud to partner with Cookie Washington and the University of Georgia's Willson Center for Humanities and Arts to celebrate the artists and cultural traditions that continue to shape this community."

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet a diverse

group of artists whose work reflects the history, culture, and creative traditions of the Lowcountry.

-- Monique de La Tour, Penn Center's Interpretive and Exhibitions Lead, curated the current Bruce Ingram exhibition at the York W. Bailey Museum. She also shares her knowledge of traditional Lowcountry arts through indigo dyeing workshops and guided medicinal plant walks that explore the connections between culture, history, and the natural landscape.

-- Teniqua Pope is an artist, abolitionist, and healing arts practitioner with deep ancestral roots in South Carolina's Lowcountry. A 2025 Gullah Geechee CREATE artist, she transforms ocean debris and natural materials into works that explore resilience, displacement, and heritage.

Her projects include Selah Sound, which combines art, agriculture, and activism to support Gullah Geechee cultural and land preservation, and Sojourner's Staff, a collection of hand-carved walking sticks inspired by personal stories of the Great Migration.

-- Amiri Farris, Penn Center's 2023-24 Artist in Residence, is a Bluffton-based interdisciplinary artist whose work has been featured in more than 50 solo and museum exhibitions nationally and internationally. During his residency, themed "Land and Justice," Farris explored Gullah Geechee culture, land conservation, heirs' property, and the history of Penn Center through photography, painting, and other media.

As the 2026-2027 Artist in Residence, Washington has engaged community members and students through

workshops, collaborative quilting projects, and intergenerational programming exploring Gullah Geechee history through textile arts.

Her vision is to ensure these traditions continue to thrive, not only as artistic practices but also as living records of family, place, and identity.

"This residency at Penn Center allows me to root that work in place, history, and community, connecting past to present through hands-on making and a practice of craftivism," Washington said. "For me, Gullah rag quilting is a language of memory, an act of honoring the lives, labor, and creativity of those whose stories were rarely recorded but deeply felt," Washington said. "Every stitch carries history forward and reminds us that craft is not only an art form but also an act of cultural preservation."

The community is encouraged to experience Gullah rag quilting, indigo dyeing, artist demonstrations, and other hands-on craft activities during National Craft Open Studios Weekend. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

RSVP for Crafting Workshops at https://bit.ly/4fhv4Hi. As part of the weekend's festivities, visitors are also invited to an opening reception for Bruce Ingram's exhibition at 6 p.m., Friday, July 18, at the York W. Bailey Museum. The reception offers an opportunity to meet the artist and celebrate the exhibition in advance of the weekend's public programming.

Details are available athttps://bit.ly/3TynjVW. RSVP for the Bruce Ingram Opening Reception at https://bit.ly/3TdmbqH.

Ask these four questions to help prep for retirement

Red Snappers pitcher Garrison Gunby, center, gets some encouragement from third baseman and team captain Maci Dean, left, and shortstop Gunner Hollingsworth after walking in a run against the Honey Badgers during the third inning of their Beaufort County Adult Baseball League game Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at Burton Wells Park. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

ARTS BRIEFS Penn Center’s York W. Bailey Museum hosting Bruce Ingram exhibition

Penn Center’s York W. Bailey Museum is hosting a solo exhibition featuring painting and sculpture by the South Carolina folk artist Bruce Ingram through Monday, Nov. 30, 2026.

The exhibition showcases Ingram’s mastery of visual storytelling through memory and found objects.

An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, July 18, providing an opportunity for the public, collectors, and press to meet the artist and view the collection first-hand.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

return to Hop Dog at 223 All seats are $32 (plus tax Scott Street, Beaufort from and fees) and available at 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, July 24. https://bit.ly/4w1I7DG. Slim will perform his “world piano blues and BAA’s Featured original music.” There is no Artist for July, cover.

August — John Frankie Valli Meckley tribute returning The Beaufort Art Association Gallery is hosting to USCB Center a Featured Artist solo exFor The Arts hibit by local artist John

If you loved “Jersey Beach Boys” last summer, don't miss the return of Lights Out with their funfilled “Tribute to Frankie Valli & More” at 9 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the USCB Center For The Arts at 805 Carteret Street.

Known as "The Nation's No. 1 Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons," Lights Out delivers soaring harmonies, incredible falsettos, audience interaction, and all the timeless Shrimp City Slim hits you know and love.

Tickets are on sale now. returning to Be sure to secure your seats Beaufort early — last year’s was sold Shrimp City Slim will out.

A12

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

Meckley. Meckley’s signature show, “Wings Over the Lowcountry,” will be on display through Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery located on Bay Street in downtown Beaufort.

For more information about Meckley and his art, visit LowcountryFineArtByJohnMeckley.com.

For additional information about the Beaufort Art Association, visit the Gallery at 913 Bay Street Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or go online at beaufortartassociation.com.

— Staff reports

Provided by Wells Fargo Advisors To determine how much you will need to fund your retirement, it’s helpful to estimate what your budget will look like. These four questions could help you identify your retirement lifestyle and plan for the related costs.

erage do I need for my medical conditions?

• Do I have an emergency fund for unexpected situations such as a health care crisis or property loss due to a natural disaster?

• What if I stop working sooner than expected?

• What happens if I experience a significant income loss?

support your future retirement needs. Creating that nest egg now could reduce your stress about money.

Start or add to an emergency fund. Even if the amount seems very small, it’s important to take the first step. As that amount grows and the behavior becomes a habit, you will likely gain confidence and momentum in your investment activities.

Meet with a financial 4. What barriers are keep- advisor to review your aning me from investing? swers and turn your outline • I have nothing extra to into a plan to help you work invest. toward your goals.

• I have education loans or other debt.

This article was written by/for Wells • I don’t know how to Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of start an investment Whitney McDaniel, CFP®, AAMS®, plan.

Vice President-Investments in Beaufort • I have time to start sav- & Hilton Head Is., SC at 843-681ing later.

1413.

1. What will I be doing?

• Do I plan to continue working past age 65 or after I reach my full retirement age? Full time or part time?

• Are there hobbies I want to pursue that will either cost money or make money?

• Is there volunteer work that may also have costs associated?

• Do I plan to travel?

Where?

• Are there things I enjoy Next steps that have related costs?

Prepare rather than panic. Create an outline from 2. Where will I be living? your answers to these ques• Will I stay in my cur- tions. It should give you the rent home or downsize framework to calculate the to something smaller income you may need to support your retirement lifeor a rental property?

• Will I move to a retire- style.

Decide to adjust your ment community or assisted living facility? spending patterns today.

• Will I sell my home Choose something you reand replace it with an ally don’t need and redirect RV or other alternative that amount into your reliving option? tirement savings. Take advantage of growth potential 3. What situations could over time. Pay yourself first impact my expenditures? instead of spending mon• What health care cov- ey on something that won’t

Investment and Insurance Products are: • Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency • Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate • Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2020 – 2026 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

PM-01012028-5712481

LOCAL MILITARY

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 10 July 2026 Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel A. P. Bariletti Third Recruit Training Battalion • Lieutenant Colonel S. L. Gross Commander of Troops, First Sergeant W. T. Tompkins • Parade Adjutant, Staff Sergeant Cornelious A. Reynolds Jr Company “N”, Third Recruit Training Battalion • Captain D. Nunezrenteria Drill Master • Staff Sergeant D. M. Brodie PLATOON 3048

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt A. E. Murphy PFC Abbey, Joeljayden N. PFC Austin, Berechiah D. PVT Barton, Kaleb M. * PVT Burrell, Logan M. PVT Copeland Jr, Matthew E. PVT Cosby Iii, Patrick J. PFC Derstine, Keith A. PVT Flannery, Shane M. PVT Galabi, Ahmed S. *

PVT Madera, Abigail

Pvt Scottevans, E. H.

Pvt Cruzmugarra J.M.

PVT Malcolm, Annakay C.*

Pvt Shah, S. A.

Pvt Diazrivera C.A.

PFC Martinez, Martha I.

Pvt Sisson, C. J.*

Pvt Egly C.L.

PVT Mcbride, Aubrey R.

Pvt Smith, P. J.

PFC Golson J.J.

PFC Mcduffie, Akira L.

Pvt Topping, A. L.

Pvt Hoskins H.

PFC Mcwherter, Addilyn L.

PFC Truitt, C. T.

Pvt Jackson G.P.

PFC Mirandaoliveira, Sarah J.

Pvt Webb, W. C.

Pvt Lubin S. JR.

PFC Murray, Juliet E.

Pvt White, G. L..

Pvt Murray A.N.

PFC Parton, Olivia

PLATOON 3052

PFC Penacoronado, Annette

Senior Drill Instructor Sgt W. C. Edwards

PVT Prinsloo, Camryn*

Pvt Namoc L.A. Pvt Neff A.F. PFC Peek H.I.

PFC Rivera, Anna L.

Pvt Amao, H. O.

PFC Perez M.S.

PVT Roberts, Sariah C.

PFC Atkerson, N. J.

PFC Perezjimenez D.A.

PVT Rojasosorio, Jennifer

Pvt Atkinson, L. G.

PFC Powers M.C.*

PFC Romannaccerosado, Isabella

Pvt Bailey, A. L.

Pvt Richemond J.J.

PVT Romo, Karla M.

PFC Barksdale, J. C.

Pvt Sanford W.L.

PFC Sanchezponce, Sandy

Pvt Bobo, H. J.

Pvt Warnick Z.J.

PVT Sarmiento, Jenidy

Pvt Borders, J. E. *

Pvt Wilkie A.C.

PVT Schroeder, Laken M.

Pvt Bruski, Z. L.

Pvt Williams A.R.

PFC Segeren, Cassidi J.

Pvt Caouette, K. A.

PFC Wisdom A.D. Jr

PVT Morgan, Cody A.

PFC Stickler, Kiana L.

Pvt Chesley, M. A.

PVT Newman, Jonathon H.

PVT Velalopez, Jennifer

PFC Costemartinez, L. R.

PFC Ocanas, Adan E.

PFC Velascogallegos, Paola Y.

Pvt Coveney, J. H.

PVT Oliver, Lorenzo M.

PFC Velaskez, Natasha M.

Pvt Cruzsanchez, M. A.

Pvt Aguinagagarcia, B. J.

PVT Ramey, Brian W.

PVT Williams, Jayden M.

PFC Cummings, D. M.

PFC Atkinson, E. I.

PVT Rodriguez, Izreal L.

PVT White, Nyla O.

Pvt Curry, N. M.

Pvt Barcia, J. S.

PVT Salinascasoverde, Daniel A.

PFC Wolfe, Cheyenne E.

Pvt Gaviria, S.

Pvt Bates, D. M.

PVT Scott, Noah R.

PFC Zhinin, Jailene Y.

Pvt Gazzola, L. C.

Pvt Changlee, G. M.

PFC Huttenberger, J. D.

Pvt Delgadososa, A.

PFC Johnson, J. J.

Pvt Demelo, N. M.

Pvt Kerr, I. R.

PFC Donchetz, D. J.

PFC Herrera Jr, Alexander L. PFC Holbert, Maxwell T. PVT Krueger, Hayden R. PVT Lawton, Kheaton G. PVT Mcnulty, Austin K. PFC Mecen Olivera, Roussel A. PFC Medranocampos, Ismael E. PVT Miller, Preston S. PFC Moreno, Alexander J.

PVT Sikorski, Cooper W. *

PLATOON 3050

PVT Smith, Hudson W.

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt C. M. Alexander

PVT Trauth, Brendan N.

PLATOON 3054

Senior Drill Instructor GySgt R. F. Hegwood III

PFC Ugbaja, Raphael C.

Pvt Bellew, Z. T.

Pvt Lach, J. M.

Pvt Eckert, B. A.

PVT Williams, Joshua R.

PFC Bowers, R. C.

Pvt Mack, J. A.

Pvt Eckrich, T. D.

PVT Womack, Malachi C.

Pvt Carter, D. E.*

Pvt Martin, C. J.

Pvt Familia Jr, F.

PFC Castaneda, A.

Pvt Mcdaniel, J. A.

PFC Foster, G. N.

Pvt Castillo, A. D.

Pvt Meeks, P. M.

Pvt Frankenstein, G. T.*

Pvt Charland, G. A.

Pvt Myers, R. C. *

Pvt Funez, A. D.

PFC Anderson, Claire S.

Pvt Cooper, M. N.

PFC Obrien, G. W.

PVT Barnes, Kaisha L.

PFC Delara, D. M.

Pvt Paris, J. D.

PFC Boarman, Bailey J.

PFC Delvalle, G. A.

PFC Pedrazagetzama, A. D.

PFC Buckley, Ava N.

PFC Driskell, J. E.

Pvt Priz, D. M.

PFC Capehart, Abigail R.

PFC Feliciano, J. R.

Pvt Robbins, Z. F.

PVT Case, Kellan R.

Pvt Hadtrath, S. S.

Pvt Sandovalsantos, B. E.

PFC Coreasrodriguez, Cindy Y.

Pvt Hotchkiss, J. P.

Pvt Sellers, B. J.

PFC Crayton, Cameia D.

Pvt Inga, A. D.

Pvt Teos, J. E.

PFC Demark, Laila N.

Pvt Jordan, C. D.*

Pvt Williams, J. P. *

PFC Dewitt, India M.

Pvt Leete, C. A.

PFC Dillard, Mya R.

Pvt Lue, A. C.

PVT Glaser, Mackenzie M.*

Pvt Luna, M. A.

PVT Granadoschilders, Gianna

Pvt Marescruz, M. A.

Pvt Alayon, R.

PFC Reid, J. A.

PFC Grunenwald, Isabelle R.

Pvt Mellody, C. J.

PFC Alexandre, M. D.

Pvt Sheaffer, T. D.

PVT Hernandez, Valeria E.

Pvt Moorer Jr, D. L.

Pvt Aponte, J. J.

Pvt Silveira, A. F.

PFC Hester, Faith P.

Pvt Nelson, T. D.

PFC Aragon I.A.

Pvt Smith, G.

PFC Hulsizer, Jade L.

PFC Perkins, C. R.

Pvt Bates A.D.

PFC Swart, J. S.

PFC Jevning, Layla E.

Pvt Prater, A. P.

PFC Benitezjeda E.E.

Pvt Walker, R. B.*

PFC Kemp, Clara E.

PFC Railing, I. K.

PFC Blanc K.

Pvt Walth, J.

PFC Kurek, Aubry M.

PFC Railing, I. K.

PFC Bondi G.C.

Pvt Washington, S. E.

PFC Lawrence, Apollonia

Pvt Rasmussen, C. L.

PFC Calle B.E.*

Pvt Williams, T. A.

PFC Leon, Brianna

PFC Rio, V. M.

Pvt Camerata R.

Pvt Woitaszewski, R. J.

PVT Lopes, Victoria R.

Pvt Roby Jr, C. L.

PFC Carlin J.H.*

Pvt Yupanguicajisaca, D.

PVT Lopezcastaneda, Angelica

Pvt Rodriguezbermeo, J. A.

Pvt Chapman G.J.

*Denotes Meritorious Promotion

PLATOON 3049

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt B. I Dessouky

Pvt Geyer, E. D. Pvt Gibbs, M. J. Pvt Gonzalezfrometa, A. Pvt Heagney, R. L. Pvt Kamara, M. Pvt Kegley, B. A. Pvt Lalonde III, M. R. PFC Marincardoso, J.

PLATOON 3053

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt G. A. Hill

PFC Meyer, A. J. Pvt Oritayo, E. A. PFC Pennesi, J. A. Pvt Phelps, N. J. PFC Powell, C. M.

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A13

CLASSIFIEDS & GAMES ANNOUNCEMENTS We Buy Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs.

No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-855-704-3381 DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance – NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-397-7030 www. dental50plus.com/60 #6258

erac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-844-775-0366 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

HELP WANTED – DRIVERS ADVERTISE YOUR DRIVER JOBS in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Your 25-word classified ad will reach more than 1.5 million readers. Call Randall Savely at the S.C. Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561.

TELEVISION & INTERNET SERVICES DIRECTV OVER INTERNET – Get your favorite live TV, sports and local channels. 99% signal reliability! CHOICE Package, $84.99/ mo for 12 months. HBO Max and Premium Channels included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-855-237-9741 DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-844-6241107 Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-877542-0759

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE Audien Hearing. The world’s first hearing aid with touchscreen controls. No tiny buttons, apps or prescriptions. 45-day risk free trial. Free shipping. Lifetime support. More than 1.5 million happy customers. Call Audien 1-855-620-9614.

Prepare for power outages today with a Gen-

VACATION RENTALS ADVERTISE YOUR VACATION PROPERTY FOR RENT OR SALE to more than 1.5 million S.C. newspaper readers. Your 25-word classified ad will appear in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Call Randall Savely at the South Carolina Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561.

AUCTIONS ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Your 25-word classified ad will reach more than 1.5 million readers. Call Randall Savely at the S.C. Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561.

YOUR AD HERE Looking to advertise your business, announce a yard sale, or share other classifieds? Contact Amanda Hanna (amanda@lcweekly.com) or Sasha Horne Hirshout (sasha.theislandnews@gmail.com). It’s an easy and affordable way to reach thousands of local readers right here in the Lowcountry.

THURSDAY’S CARTOON

Read with caution; not necessarily the opinions of the editorial staff.

See Into The Future . . . . . . read Opinion, Arts, Culture, Lifestyle, Homes, Cuisine

Discover What You’re Going To Do Next More coverage and content at LowcountryWeekly.com

PLACE YOUR AD IN MORE THAN

80 SC NEWSPAPERS Reach up to 1.5 million readers using our small space ad network!

Contact Randall Savely 803.750.9561 | scnnonline.com Newspaper Network Statewide and regional options available South Carolina

THEME: KIDS' CLASSICS ACROSS 1. Capital of Ghana 6. Pilot's announcement 9. Bog deposit 13. Banned aerosol propellant 14. Lake, in France 15. ____ firma 16. Source of chocolate 17. Sensitive subject?

18. Twig of a willow tree 19. *Certain secret spot 21. *Beezus' little sister 23. Half a dozen 24. Final notice 25. CEO's deg.

28. Spew profanities 30. Swamp 35. Gateway ____ 37. Boisterous play 39. *"All for one and one for all," to Musketeers 40. Steak preference 41. Flower's peak 43. *Butter____, Hogsmeade beverage 44. Like some East Coast universities 46. Archipelago unit 47. Plaintiff 48. Loads 50. Tiny bit

52. Snoop 53. Bruce and Spike, e.g.

55. Ovine mom 57. *Pocketful 60. *Cat's ____ 63. *Lemony Snicket, to Daniel Handler 64. Shel Silverstein's "A Boy Named ____" 66. The company one ____ 68. *Peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a kid 69. Lt.'s subordinate 70. Snail mail replacement 71. Says "What?"

72. As opposed to yeses 73. *Mystery solver DOWN 1. Half of NFL 2. Rugged rock 3. Cecum, pl.

4. Lion sounds 5. Relating to anode 6. Dashing style 7. *"It" game 8. Sour 9. 100 centavos, in Mexico 10. Actress Moriarty 11. Equals 1/2 b x h 12. Smoker's lung residue 15. Double drum

20. Beyond suburb 22. Heart to Cupid 24. Reverse one, in the kitchen 25. *Super Bro. 26. "Music to my ears!"

27. Like thick smoke 29. Same as solos 31. Schneider and Reiner, e.g.

32. Consumed (2 words) 33. Ranch grazer 34. *Game of apologies 36. Achilles' weakness 38. Ralph Lauren's inspiration 42. Same as metre 45. Yummy 49. *"____ Spot Run" 51. Rouse 54. Ruhr's industrial center 56. Swelling 57. Arithmetic operation 58. Piglet sound 59. Cul de ____, pl.

60. ____pool or ____pit 61. Like hard times 62. "The Iliad," e.g.

63. Pie ____ ____ mode 65. *Shedding-type card game 67. *Like Aesop's fox

LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD & SUDOKU SOLUTIONS

A14

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

SERVICE DIRECTORY FURNITURE / HOME DECOR

APPAREL PRINTING

PET SERVICES

Furbulas Dog: Grooming, Boarding, and Pet Sitting

SCREEN PRINT EMBROIDERY CUSTOM APPAREL

Brittany Riedmayer

1001 Bay St, Beaufort, SC 29902 open Tues.-Sat. noon to 5pm, Sun. by chance

843-476-2989

furniture, home decor & more

Member of National Dog Groomers Association of America

(843) 379-4488

NEWSOUTHSHIRTS.COM

Allison & Ginny DuBose, Owners aldubose@yahoo.com

843-982-0170

POOL & FIBERGLASS REPAIR

MOBILE HOME INSURANCE

ATTORNEY

Christopher J. Geier

Attorney at Law, LLC Criminal Defense & Civil Litigation

John D. Polk Agency INSURANCE

Manufactured Homes • Cars • Boats RV's • Homes • All Commercial

2048 Pearl Street, Beaufort, SC 29902 Office: 843-986-9449 • Fax: 843-986-9450 chris@bftsclaw.com • www.geierlaw.com

AUDIOLOGY & HEARING

Beaufort Audiology & Hearing Care Monica Wiser, M.A. CCC-A Licensed Audiologist

843-524-3172 info@polkagency.com

CALL FOR A QUOTE TODAY!

PEST CONTROL

38 Professional Village West, Lady's Island monica@beauforthearing.com www.beauforthearing.com | 843-521-3007

REALTOR

Hear the Beauty that Surrounds You

The Beaufort Sound Hearing and Balance Center Dr. Larry Bridge, AU.D./CCC-A 206 Sea Island Parkway, Suite 31, Beaufort thebeaufortsound@gmail.com

residential commercial real estate

843-379-0185

www.BeaufortPestControl.com

YOUR AD HERE

www.thebeaufortsound.com | 843-522-0655 CHIMNEY SERVICES

Be Seen, Be Chosen!

Put your business in the spotlight by advertising in the Service Directory.

Connect with eager customers, showcase your expertise, and secure your space today!

Amanda Hanna – amanda@lcweekly.com | Sasha Horne Hirshout – sasha.theislandnews@gmail.com

E-Edition

Digital Newspaper

START READING

YOURISLANDNEWS.COM

TODAY

A customer favorite! Enjoy the classic newspaper format in a digital environment. Published every Thursday, the E-Edition is a digital replica of the print newspaper, with all of the same news issuu.com/theislandnews and advertising content, on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

KLAUS is a handsome black adult cat with one of the kindest hearts you’ll ever meet. He’s known for his gentle nature and his surprising love of kittens.

No walkie talkies needed, we found the cutest crew in Hawkins. ELEVEN is 10 months old and ready to leave the Upside Down behind.

Sweet, gentle, and curious, he is looking for a patient home.

Meet MS. MARVEL! She is our favorite super hero. This sweet 6-year-old girl came to us with five beautiful puppies, and now she is finally ready to step down from her motherly duties.

ERIN is a 2½-year-old Doberman mix with a sleek black-andbrown coat. Weighing 56 pounds, she is sweet, gentle, and deeply affectionate.

She understands your mood and just wants to be close.

PAM is a lovely 1-year-old brown tabby who recently finished raising her kittens and is now ready for a peaceful life of her own. She’s a calm, quiet girl with a slim build.

GEMINI is a stunning 2-year-old, white, domestic shorthair cat with two different eye colors. She is sweet, gentle, and loves soaking up affection.

Gemini brings a calm, loving presence to your home.

QUEEN is a 1-year-old girl with the biggest heart. She is a very social cat that loves meeting new people, she is always ready to greet you with a unique meow.

Meet JOLENE, a 10-month-old, 22-pound hound mix with a sweet, loving heart. Incredibly affectionate and always happy by your side, she loves squeaky toys. She is the perfect medium-sized dog.

SADIE is a petite young tortie with a soft presence and a strong sense of what makes her feel safe. She is often found cuddled up assisting kittens in grooming.

Meet MISS PATTY, a 4-year-old brown tabby with white who fully believes she is the main character. She will practically yell at you for attention, then melt into the sweetest, most affectionate star of the show.

Meet WISHBONE! This sweet 3-year-old beagle was found with a broken leg that has since been treated and fully healed.

Meet PIPPA, a 38-pound, tri-color hound mix with a heart full of love.

She is gentle, highly affectionate, and adores being close to her person. Pippa and is ready to be your loyal snuggle buddy.

All animals above are available at Hilton Head Humane’s Hilton Head campus at 10 Humane Way, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926. Open Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 843-681-8686 or email adoptions@hhhumane.org.

JULY 16-JULY 22, 2026

A15

820 Bay Street Beaufort, SC 29902

843.521.4200 $829,000

$6,000,000

CELADON | MLS 197143 3BDRM | 2.5B | 2089sqft Lloyd Williams 843.754.4735

$759,000

COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY | MLS 193307 3 Acres | High Traffic w/ Great Visibility Trea Tucker 843.812.4852 Wayne Webb 843.812.5203

LANDS END | MLS 195294

3BDRM | 2.5+B | 1810sqft | Spacious Living Paige Walling 843.812.8470

$500,000

DATAW ISLAND | MLS 195685 3BDRM | 2B | 1842sqft | Golf Views Paige Walling 843.812.8470 Trudy Arthur 843.812.0967

www.LowcountryRealEstate.com

r e c n a C t r o pp u S JOIN IN-PERSON OR ONLINE

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Second Wednesday of the Month | 6 – 7pm*

The SCIIJ supports the development and production of independent and nonprofit news in S.C. to promote democratic ideals.

ALL CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Fourth Wednesday of the Month | 1 – 2pm* Beaufort Memorial Medical and Administrative Center 990 Ribaut Road, Beaufort • Room 317, 3rd Floor

SCAN TO RSVP

To RSVP for a free Support Group, scan our code or visit:

Thank you to

BeaufortMemorial.org/CancerSupportGroup

for generously sponsoring this ad.

*Meeting schedule subject to change and may be impacted by holidays.

QUESTIONS?

Donate now at SCIndependentJournalism.org

Call Kianna Brown, LMSW • 843-522-7328

Truth Matters

Should We Speak Out? Truth Is Meant to Be Shared

Should Christians speak out?

Should we tolerate a friend driving drunk?

When Christians attempt to share Christ with others or speak out about moral issues, we are often accused of being “intolerant.”

The fear of being labeled as intolerant can keep us from lovingly sharing truth with others.

Imagine seeing a friend at a restaurant, clearly intoxicated and about to drive himself home. Is it judgmental or arrogant to recognize that drunk driving is a dangerous and immoral course of action? Is it intolerant to challenge the friend and help him to choose a different course of action? Of course not!

A false understanding of tolerance has become popular.

In recent years, tolerance has come to mean that one should accept all viewpoints as equally true or good. It is seen as arrogant and judgmental to think that you know the truth in a particular matter, especially regarding faith or morals. It is seen as intolerant to share truth or help another person see that they are making a mistake. We must accept and celebrate everyone’s actions and beliefs, and leave everyone to whatever they want to do.

Authentic tolerance means respectful disagreement.

In its original sense, tolerance means that we respect and care for all people, even if we disagree with them on important subjects.

Opposing views can be discussed in an atmosphere of mutual respect. For example, an atheist and a Christian could disagree on the existence of God and still hold each other in great esteem. They could respectfully talk about these matters, trying to help each other see the truth, and even be close friends.

Without authentic tolerance, true dialogue ceases.

The irony of our “tolerant” culture is that views contrary to current political correctness are not tolerated. All viewpoints are supposed to be equally true and good, but quite often Christians are rejected as fools or bigots for adhering to Christian beliefs. Christians are expected to change their own beliefs to match what is politically correct. This is the opposite of authentic tolerance.

Christians should share the truth with love and respect.

If we really believe that Jesus is divine, and that knowing him is the source of happiness both now and after death, how can we not want to share this good news? Like Jesus himself, we do not force anyone to our way of thinking, but with love we joyfully share what is good and true!

Next Week Fullness of Truth

Truth Matters 6 of 8 LightForBeaufort.org 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort • 843-522-9555 • www.stpetersbeaufort.org • office@stpetersbeaufort.org