March 19 edition by The Island News

Sheriff Tanner will not seek re-election, to retire at end of term

By Mike McCombs The Island News

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J.

Tanner will not run for re-election and will retire when his term ends after 28 years on Jan. 5 2027

In a letter sent to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office personnel on Thursday afternoon, March 12, confirmed to The Island News by two different sources, Tanner expresses his “deepest gratitude” to them for their “commitment to public service, and your unwavering support that has made my tenure as your Sheriff a remarkable and rewarding experience. Serving Beaufort

County as the elected Sheriff for 28 years, as of January 5 2027, has been my honor and privilege.”

“Working alongside such a dedicated, talented group of individuals as the Sheriff’s Office has been the highlight of my 46 years as a law enforcement officer in South Carolina,” Tanner wrote. “The challenges we have conquered, and the accomplishments and victories we have celebrated together have truly been both personally and professionally rewarding and memorable. I will always be grateful to every one of you for your unwavering dedication to

Play golf, do yard work: Sheriff to join ranks of

BEAUFORT

some point, enough’s enough. You have to walk away.”

That’s what Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner told a Savannah television reporter last week when explaining his surprise decision not to seek an eighth term in

party platform in the upcoming primaries is March 30 which doesn’t give a potential candidate for the sheriff’s office much time …

serving this Office and the citizens of Beaufort County.

“I want to leave you with a feeling and a sense of pride in this Office and yourself with the knowledge that we should never forget where we came from, and how we overcame sizable obstacles in getting to where we are today! Most importantly, never forget that we provide an extremely important public safety service to the citizens, visitors and residents of Beaufort County who expect, and who we have always delivered, nothing less than our very best!

Mike McCombs The

gree

the Beaufort County Detention Center, had already been charged with four counts of murder, aggravated breach of peace, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in relation to the shooting. The shooting resulted in four fatalities and 15 individuals injured, including Freeman.

According to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office General Counsel Daniel Gourley, the 14 Assault and Battery charges are for the 14 individuals shot but not killed in the shooting.

Gourley said Assault and Battery in the First Degree is

SEE CHARGES PAGE A7

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner speaks about developments in the case of the Oct. 12 mass shooting at Willie's Bar and Grill during a press conference held Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters in Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/File/The Island News

LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS

Brook Harshaw, a nature photographer visiting the Lowcountry, captured this photo of two great egrets on Feb. 28, 2026, at the Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/ or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.

VETERAN OF THE WEEK CRAIG BOWMAN SR.

Bowman Sr.

American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Craig Bowman, Sr., 56, who joined the U.S. Army in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1987. After Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., he trained to be a Combat Engineer. He was first assigned to duty in Korea clearing minefields along the DMZ. He next served at Fort Ord/Irwin, Calif., training other Combat Engineers. His following tour of duty was at Fort Benning, Ga., training Army ROTC officers in explosives. He separated in 1990 and used the GI Bill to attend the University of North Florida earning a degree in history and political science. He is self employed and belongs to the VFW, AMVETS and DAV, is on the board of directors for Honor Flight of Savannah, belongs to the Scottish Society of Charleston and the South Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution;

Rotary hosting annual Vidalia onion fundraiser

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

March 19

1965: Robert Smalls High School graduate Kenny Washington scores 10 points and grabs 7 rebounds in the UCLA Bruins’ 108-89 win over Wichita State in the NCAA men’s basketball semifinal at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore. UCLA (27-2) advanced to the national championship game against Michigan.

2016: The Pat Conroy Literary Center is incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The center houses a collection of Conroy memorabilia and seeks to continue his legacy.

2019: Justin Jarrett tenders his resignation as Editor of The Island News. He ran the newspaper through April 2

March 20

1565: Pedro Menendez de Aviles, eventual founder of Santa Elena, is named the first Governor of Florida by Spanish King Philip II.

1964: Robert Smalls High School graduate Kenny Washington scores 13 points and grabs 6 rebounds to help lead the UCLA Bruins (29-0) past Kansas State, 9084, in the NCAA men’s basketball national semifinal at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium. UCLA advanced to the national championship game against Duke.

1965: Robert Smalls High School graduate Kenny Washington scores 17 points and grabs 5 rebounds as the UCLA Bruins defeated Michigan, 91-80, in the NCAA men’s national championship game

Accounting April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping. com Billing questions only.

South Carolina had more battles and skirmishes than any other colony during the Revolutionary War. He is married to Amy Bowman of State Farm’s office in Port Royal.

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

at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore. The championship was the second straight for UCLA (28-2) and head coach John Wooden.

March 21

1964: Robert Smalls High School graduate Kenny Washington scores 26 points – on 11-for-16 shooting – and grabs 12 rebounds to lead the UCLA Bruins (30-0) to a 98-83 upset of Duke in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium. The National Championship was the first of a record 10 legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, and the 1964 team has been selected by Sports Illustrated as the most influential college basketball team of alltime.

Do you value your free hometown newspaper – made by locals,

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

Craig

Graham Holcombe (left), Ron Garrett (center), and David Youmans (right) unload Vidalia

SC candidates officially file to appear on 2026 ballots

By Adrian Ashford SCDailyGazette.com

Candidates vying for office in South Carolina can officially file to run after months of campaigning and fundraising. Filing began at noon Monday and ends at noon March 30

The two-week period will set the ballot for the June 9 GOP and Democratic primaries. Third-party candidates nominated by convention must also file to appear on November ballots.

All constitutional officers are on the ballot this year, as well as the state’s seven congressional seats, one U.S Senate race, and all 124 state House seats.

The most crowded contest features an expected field of 10 Republicans and five Democrats vying to replace U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in the coastal 1st District.

Mace is among five Republicans who have announced a bid to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster. The other announced GOP contenders are Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, and state Attorney General Alan Wilson.

So far, Democrats have announced bids for three statewide offices.

The latest is DeShawn Blanding of Manning, who last week announced he’s seeking to replace retiring Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers. Blanding, a former policy analyst for the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, joins four other Republicans wanting to run the state Department of Agriculture.

He is the third candidate for commissioner from Clarendon County.

Blanding, 29, said his family’s roots in farming go back to his great-great-great-grandfather, a freed slave who started a small farm in Clarendon County. His son grew that into a 400-acre farm but lost it during the Great Depression.

Blanding’s great-grandfather was able to get some of that land back, but the family farm suffered another blow when Blanding’s grandfather died of a heart attack at age 56

Blanding said his grandfather urged his children not to follow in his footsteps because of the discrimination he’d faced, and after his death in the 1990s, the family sold their livestock and farming equipment.

Blanding said family members have told him that his grandfather struggled to get loans for new equipment because of racial discrimination and was often offered lower prices on his products than white farmers.

Three years ago, Blanding moved back to Manning from Washington, D.C., in the hopes of restarting

the family farm.

Though he’s new to farm work, Blanding said he has the experience needed from his work on the most recent federal farm bill as a policy analyst as well as drafting agriculture-related legislation in a Republican-controlled U.S. House.

As commissioner, Blanding said he’d advocate for legislation that would incentivize and help fund the opening of new processing facilities in the state. He said farmers are struggling to find enough places to sell their crops as processing plants they have relied on close down.

The two other generational farmers from Clarendon County are former Trump administration official Cody Simpson and Turbeville farmer Jeremy Cannon. The other announced Republicans are Danny Ford II, son of the legendary Clemson University football coach, and Fred West, director of market development for the Department of Agriculture. West, the first to announce his

candidacy, was endorsed by Weathers last year.

Gubernatorial and AG races

This year marks the first time since 2010 with no incumbent on the ballot for governor or attorney general. That’s when then-Rep. Nikki Haley was elected South Carolina’s first female and first minority governor and when voters first chose Wilson as attorney general.

Two Democrats have announced bids to replace McMaster in the Governor’s Mansion: state Rep. Jermaine Johnson of Hopkins and Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod.

They are trying to be the first Democrat elected governor since 1998, when Jim Hodges ousted GOP Gov. David Beasley. No Democrat has won a statewide office in South Carolina since 2006

Three Republicans have announced bids to replace Wilson as the state’s chief prosecutor.

State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch of Murrells Inlet was first, followed by two solicitors: First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe, chief prosecutor for Calhoun, Dorchester and Orangeburg counties; and Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, the chief prosecutor for Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry and Laurens counties.

Pascoe, who switched parties last April after two decades as a Democratic solicitor, is running to the right of his opponents.

Candidates must pay up

All candidates on June ballots must pay a filing fee, equal to 1% of the salary for the entire term of the job they’re seeking. The money goes toward funding the party primaries.

The most expensive fee — $10 440 — is for the U.S. Senate race. Candidates for the state House pay the least, at $208

Five Democrats and two Republicans say they’re challenging U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was first elected to the job in 2002 Adrian Ashford covers campaigns and elections for the SC Daily Gazette. Before moving to South Carolina, he covered faith and religion for The

t Beaufort Memorial, our nationally recognized team of orthopedic and spine care specialists is dedicated to helping you live life to the fullest—free from pain.

Our board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeons bring exceptional skill and experience to your care. Using the latest technologies and diagnostics—including Mako SmartRobotics™ and VELYS™ robotic-assisted joint replacement—as well as a personalized recovery plan, we’re with you every step to get you moving like yourself again.

Visit BeaufortMemorial.org/Ortho and get back to enjoying each of life’s moments.

At Beaufort Memorial you’ll also find:

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

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Filing for the 2026 elections runs from noon on March 16 to noon on March 30 in South Carolina. Jessica Holdman/FILE/S.C. Daily Gazette

Beaufort noise ordinance advances – with a field trip to Hemingway's as evidence

By Delayna Earley

Island News

The

Before deciding how lively downtown Beaufort can be, the city's leaders have spent months deciding how loud it can be.

That question moved a step closer to an answer at the March 10 City Council regular meeting, but not without some real-time wordsmithing, and not before one councilman took his own decibel meter downtown for homework.

The revised "loud and unseemly noise" ordinance, which had its first crack at a first reading on Feb. 10, returned to Council carrying the same unresolved tensions it left with: where to set the decibel cap, when quiet hours should begin, and whether some of the draft's new language went further than anyone intended.

Council answered all three with amendments and passed the ordinance on first reading.

A final reading is still required before it becomes law.

Where it started: the February debate

When Police Chief Stephenie Price brought the revised ordinance to Council at the Feb. 10 meeting, she framed it as an effort to "improve clarity and consistency and alignment with current community expectations" and to "balance our neighborhood impacts with business and event activity."

What followed was a detailed debate over science, practicality and institutional memory.

The sharpest early disagreement was over the proposed 85-decibel cap.

"I think the decibel levels are too high," Mayor Pro Tem Mike McFee said that night. "I think that the highest decibel that we should be looking at is 70. Eighty-five ... is onerous or excessive." McFee pointed to widely recognized public health standards identifying prolonged exposure to higher decibel levels as potentially harmful.

Councilman Josh Scallate questioned the logic of the draft's 60-to85-decibel range in the nighttime music district.

"If the cap's 85 ... why would you have a range there?" he said.

Others floated a "plainly audible" standard – whether sound can be clearly heard from a certain distance – as an alternative to strict decibel measurements.

Councilman Mitch Mitchell, ever mindful of the downtown music district's complicated past, cautioned against moving too fast.

"There is much history between the nighttime music district downtown. Much history," he said.

He later suggested the simplest path might be consistency, making the new draft match the old ordinance, and revisiting it later.

McFee noted that past legal challenges had shaped the existing structure, and that institutional memory matters.

Quiet hours drew public scrutiny too.

Graham Trask, a Bay Street resident, urged Council to reject the proposed 7 a.m. start time for louder commercial activity.

"I believe that 7 a.m. start time for loud hours is really early," he said. "St. Helena's bells don't go off until 8. I think 8 is appropriate, not 7." He also weighed in on the decibel debate: "I did measure 85 decibels ... and 85 decibels ... that's loud."

Council approved the ordinance on first reading that night, with a commitment to take it up again the following month — amended.

Scallate does his homework

By the time the most recent version arrived on the dais, staff had incorporated the lower decibel threshold McFee had championed, dropping the cap to 70

But Scallate, who had suggested in February that Council should go downtown and actually listen before deciding, had done exactly that.

He told Council he'd downloaded a decibel meter app and spent time outside Hemingway's on a Saturday afternoon while live music was playing.

Right up against the band, his phone read 85 decibels.

When he stepped back to the pavilion, it had dropped to 70

Walking toward the marina parking lot, he said, he couldn't hear the music at all.

"To justify dropping the threshold down to 70 from 85 when we really don't have any complaints to support that, I'm not sure is necessary outside of maybe it feels good to do it tonight," Scallate said.

McFee stood by the science.

He explained that his reference to 70 decibels came from the National Institute on Hearing Loss and federal hearing health data, which indicate that sustained exposure above 70 decibels can begin causing damage over time. OSHA, he noted, uses similar thresholds.

His point was never that 85 decibels at a distance is dangerous, it was that the city should not be in the business of certifying a threshold that health agencies flag as risky, particularly for those who live and work near the music district.

The two found a middle ground.

Scallate proposed setting the cap at 75 decibels, measured from the property line.

The change would apply to general noise prohibitions citywide and to amplified music in the nighttime music district.

McFee seconded it.

Council agreed.

7 a.m. vs. 8 a.m.: a question of whose alarm clock

The quiet-hours start time – one of the issues Trask and others had flagged in February – came up again at Tuesday’s meeting. Mayor Phil Cromer said he was surprised to see the 7 a.m. start time still in the draft, given that Council had signaled it should stay at 8 a.m., consistent with the original ordinance.

A staff member noted the change back to 8 a.m. was a straightforward fix.

While they were at it, Councilman Neil Lipsitz raised a practical concern: the city's contracted garbage trucks operate before 8 a.m. at many addresses, and it wasn't clear the ordinance's equipment exemption, which covers machinery operated by federal, state, and local governments, extended to contracted services.

The city attorney clarified that city-owned equipment was al-

ready exempt. But trash hauling is contracted out, not city operated. Mitchell agreed the language needed to cover that gap.

The ordinance was amended to explicitly include city-contracted service vehicles alongside cityowned equipment, with the allowed hours set at 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. – the same window as the original ordinance.

The 50-foot problem: making the whole city a library

The amendment that drew the most pointed discussion had nothing to do with music. The draft ordinance included a "plainly audible" provision stating that any sound audible from 50 feet away was prohibited — at any time of day, anywhere in the city.

Scallate caught it and wasn't having it. "I've got birds that chirp in my backyard that can be heard at 50 feet away," he said. "I think that's way too harsh... you're preventing people from playing music in their backyard while they're doing whatever. To me, that's overregulation."

He said the language could realistically prohibit people from enjoying their own yards with guests at any hour, and that he couldn't understand why it had ended up in the draft.

McFee agreed it went further than Council had intended.

Mitchell noted that tying the standard to quiet hours, where it would make more sense to prohibit clearly audible noise from a neighbor's property late at night, would be a more defensible approach.

Council struck the blanket "any sound" language and replaced it with the 75-decibel property-line standard, giving enforcement a clear, measurable benchmark.

Enforceability: the question that lingers

Lipsitz raised a concern that has shadowed the ordinance through multiple drafts: how do you actually prove a noise violation in court?

If a resident calls to complain and an officer arrives to find the music already stopped, or if the violation is disputed, what evidence exists?

A staff member noted that the original ordinance contained language about willfully disturbing the peace, which required the prosecution to establish intent to disturb rather than mere disturbance.

That standard, they said, may be more defensible in court and could be worth restoring.

Council took note of the issue.

That conversation is expected to continue at second reading.

What was passed

As amended and approved on first reading, the revised noise ordinance would set a 75-decibel cap measured from the property line for prohibited noise citywide; allow amplified music in the downtown nighttime music district up to 75 decibels between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays – consistent with the existing framework; restore the quiet-hours start time to 8 a.m., with louder commercial activity permitted between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.; and exempt city-contracted service vehicles from the noise restrictions, in addition to city-owned equipment already covered.

Council passed the amendments unanimously and then approved the ordinance as amended on first reading. One more reading is required.

The noise ordinance continues to move alongside Council's consideration of a proposed downtown social district under a 2023 state law allowing municipalities to designate open-container zones.

The two issues are separate, but both turn on the same underlying question: what kind of place does Beaufort want its downtown to be, and who gets to decide when it crosses the line.

After months of debate, Council is getting closer to an answer. Whether 75 decibels is the right one remains, at least for now, an open question.

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.

Beaufort History Museum hosting ‘A Night at the Museum’

Staff reports Step into the historic Beaufort Arsenal courtyard on Craven Street and be transformed back in time when the Beaufort History Museum hosts its auction and gala -- "A Night at the Museum" – at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 19. This will be an exquisite evening filled with nostalgia and history. This remarkable event

offers an exclusive opportunity to acquire artifacts and treasures that will enhance your home or add to your special collection, as we auction items from the museum. Period dress is encouraged. Highlights of the evening include the following:

• Extraordinary Collection: Immerse yourself in a diverse range of artifacts, memorabilia, art,

and historical objects from the museum’s archives, with more than 20 historic items available for purchase.

• Live Auction: Engage in the thrill of bidding for these remarkable artifacts as our knowledgeable auctioneer guides you through the process, ensuring an exciting experience for all attendees.

• Silent Auction: Choose from an array of items with historic value and

other interesting treasures.

• Adventure: Bid on a fun, memorable vacation trip to Montana.

• Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow history enthusiasts, collectors, and community members who share a passion for preserving and appreciating the past.

The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m., with food, drinks, and good company, with the auction to begin

shortly thereafter.

Food will be provided by Calibogue Catering, and lively music will be provided by Flat Silly.

Tickets are $60 and attendance is limited to 125 guests. Tickets can be purchased online at https:// beauforthistorymuseum. wildapricot.org/ or by calling Colleen at 843-5258520. For your convenience, you can reserve your ticket by phone and then pay at the door. Join us, and take home a piece of Beaufort's history.

City Council passes expanded plastics ban on first reading

1st municipality in County to do so

By Delayna Earley The Island News

The City of Beaufort’s City Council voted March 10 to pass amendments to the city’s single-use plastics ordinance on a first reading, making Beaufort the first municipality in Beaufort County to advance the measures.

A second and final vote will be required before the rules take effect.

The amendments, presented to council by City Manager Scott Marshall, significantly broaden the scope of the county’s original 2018 Plastic Bag Ordinance.

Rather than simply addressing single-use plastic carryout bags, the revised ordinance transforms the chapter into a comprehensive single-use plastics and foam reduction policy.

“Eight years ago, Beaufort County in conjunction with all the municipalities within it adopted a uniform ordinance to restrict the use of single-use plastic carryout bags,” Marshall told council. “Since the adoption of these provisions, retailers and suppliers increasingly have distributed thicker plastic bags marked as reusable. While technically different from traditional single-use bags, they’re often only used once and ultimately contribute to the same environmental concerns.”

What the ordinance would do

Under the amended rules, all plastic carryout bags would be banned outright.

Stores would be required to offer customers reusable bags – specifically those made of cloth with stitched, not heat-sealed, handles.

The ordinance would also prohibit businesses operating within city limits from providing to-go cups and food trays made of expanded polystyrene foam, commonly known as EPS or styrofoam. “No business establishment conducting business within the city limits may provide plastic carry-out bags or EDF disposable food service ware to its customers,” the amended regulations state.

Plastic straws and cutlery would not face an outright ban under the ordinance as passed on first reading.

After discussion on the council floor, members approved an amendment specifying that plastic straws and plastic cutlery – including forks, spoons, and knives –may only be provided upon customer request.

Council also voted to remove an exemption for straws and cutlery that staff acknowledged had been included in error.

If passed on its second reading, the ordinance would take effect eight months after adoption,

but only provided that all municipalities in Beaufort County adopt a substantially similar ordinance.

Marshall called the eightmonth implementation window “a saving grace” for businesses navigating the transition.

Exemptions

The amended ordinance includes expanded exemptions, covering bags used for produce, bulk foods, meats, and bakery items; medical and pharmacy bags; packaging required by state or federal food safety regulations; emergency response situations; certain nonprofit distribution activities; foam packaging used in construction materials; and items packaged outside Beaufort County and delivered into the county.

Council also voted to add churches and nonprofits to the list of entities exempt from the ban on styrofoam and disposable food service ware – an amendment recommended by Marshall.

Councilman Mitch Mitchell voiced support for holding schools and religious organizations to the same standard as private businesses, arguing that doing so could help instill environmentally conscious habits in younger generations.

Councilman Josh Scallate echoed that view, saying publicly funded institutions

should lead by example.

Debate on the Council floor

The most spirited exchange of the evening came from Councilman Neil Lipsitz, who moved to strip all mention of straws and cutlery from the ordinance entirely.

“I hate those paper straws,” Lipsitz said. “They fall apart when you’re using them.”

His motion to remove straws and cutlery entirely failed to receive a second.

The council instead moved forward with the “upon request only” amendment proposed by Scallate.

Lipsitz ultimately voted in favor of the ordinance as amended.

Scallate raised questions about practical enforcement, particularly at drivethrough windows where customers might not know to request a straw.

Beaufort County staff, who presented alongside city staff, noted that cities such as Charleston have not exempted fast food drivethroughs from similar ordinances, and that employees at those windows are expected to ask customers whether they would like a straw as part of the ordering process.

Scallate also questioned whether the ordinance language needed additional coordination across

municipalities before a second reading.

Both county and city staff indicated that the county’s Natural Resources Committee is set to hear the amendments at its April 6 meeting, with a first reading before Beaufort County Council planned for May.

Staff noted there is time to route the draft through the Southern Lowcountry Council of Governments to ensure municipalities are working from the same language.

“I’m hoping that being that we’re first, maybe there’ll be more in harmony with us,” said Councilman Mitchell.

Penalties for non-compliance

The penalty structure under the amended ordinance remains largely unchanged from earlier drafts.

After a written warning, a first infraction carries a $100 fine.

A second violation within 12 months brings a $200 penalty, and each additional violation within that period costs $500

Repeated violations could ultimately result in the suspension or revocation of a business license.

Environmental context and next steps Tuesday’s vote builds on years of environmental advocacy in the Lowcountry.

The county’s 2018 ban was driven largely by concerns over plastic pollution’s impact on marine wildlife, including sea turtles that mistake plastic bags for food. Advocates and staff have long argued that the original ordinance contained a loophole, allowing retailers to offer thicker plastic bags marketed as “reusable” that larger chains such as Walmart and Target exploited. The new definition requires that reusable carryout bags be made of cloth with stitched handles, effectively closing that gap.

A Beaufort County survey of 6,062 residents and 138 businesses found that more respondents supported a complete ban on all five common single-use plastic items – thick plastic bags, foam containers, foam cups, plastic utensils, and plastic straws – than opposed doing so. The ordinance also includes a provision requiring the city to evaluate its effectiveness three years after adoption through stakeholder input and data collection. No date has been set for a second reading at this time.

Five gems on public tour March 21 through HBF Spring Architects’ Tour

Staff reports

Five architecturally innovative homes designed by three Beaufort firms will be open to public tour March 21. Tickets are $70 per person for HBF members and $75 per person for non-members; tickets are available online at www.historicbeaufort.org

Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Spring Architects’ Tour is from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., rain or shine. Homes are located in the National Historic Landmark District, St. Helena Island and Dataw Island.

This year's tour features homes designed by three of Beaufort's acclaimed architectural firms — Frederick + Frederick Architects, Hefner Residential Architecture, and Montgomery Architecture & Planning. Featured homes include: Greene Street Cottage, Historic Downtown Beaufort

Architect: Hefner Residential Architecture

The goal for this design was to find the correct scale of the neighborhood and meet the owner’s preferences which included three bedrooms with a living space that included living and dining room while working around the great 52-inch Live Oak on the corner.

The architects accomplished this by creating a two-bedroom home with the third bedroom above the garage space. The main home’s living space was separated from the bedrooms and connected with a hall with utility room and half bath. The living space has a two-sided fireplace out to a large screen porch to be able to open up and expand the living area.

An Art Lovers Retreat on Jenkins Creek, Dataw Island

Architect: Montgomery Architecture & Planning

The Jenkins Creek home was built in 2024-2025 on Jenkins Creek along the western shore of Dataw Island. The concrete foundation and screen walls of this home were partly inspired by the history of the Sam’s Plantation tabby ruins. The owners have an extensive and diverse art collection which specifically informed the design for much of the interior.

A Scenic Deepwater Retreat, Dataw Island

Architect: Frederick + Frederick Architects

This Deepwater Retreat was designed in 2005 for a single owner and thoughtfully reimagined for its current owners in 2023. This custom deepwater home celebrates Lowcountry living through spectacular water views and a

seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Generous porches and decks frame ever-changing vistas of open water and marsh, inviting daily encounters with coastal wildlife. A serene koi pond at the entry court introduces the home through thoughtful melding of landscape and architecture, setting the tone for a residence that balances formal design with relaxed waterfront living. The great room, dining area, and main suite all orient toward the water, with soaring ceilings and abundant glazing that draw the surrounding landscape inside. The 2023 refresh includes beautifully crafted cabinetry and fully updated bathrooms and closets, adding contemporary refinement while preserving the home’s original architectural intent.

A Serene Retirement Retreat, Dataw Island

Architect: Frederick + Frederick

Architects

The Retirement Retreat owners bought this home in 2023, seven years after its original construction in 2017, envisioning it as a peaceful, practical, and welcoming retirement retreat. Despite its modest footprint, the house feels open and light-filled, with sweeping views that connect every room to the surrounding landscape. Recent updates introduced two additions, one linking the house and garage with a dedicated exercise room, and another expanding the living areas and creating a new sitting room in the primary suite. Residential Design Magazine recognized this home for its design, celebrating the balance of simplicity, elegance and livability.

WANT TO GO?

What: HBF Spring Architects’ Tour

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 21

Where: Various locations including the National Historic Landmark District, St. Helena Island, and Dataw Island Tickets: $70 per person for HBF members; $75 per person for non-members. Tickets are available online at www.historicbeaufort.org

A Fish Camp at the End of the World, Lands End

Architect: Montgomery Architecture & Planning

Constructed in 2025, you reach this home by driving through woods past blueberry fields and across a causeway with distant views to Gale Break and Bay Point Island. The home is the first building one sees along the northern shores of the entrance to Port Royal Sound as you approach from the Atlantic Ocean and takes full advantage of both the sunrises across St. Phillip’s Island and sunsets across Pinckney and Spring Islands. The sleeping quarters were developed as separate entities from the living areas of the home, and only after the design had been solidified did the architects learn the site had been occupied in the early 20th century by a similar ‘fish camp’ with a very similar layout.

HBF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education foundation created to preserve, protect, and present sites and artifacts of historic, architectural, and cultural interest throughout Beaufort County, South Carolina. For more information on the entity's mission and history, please visit www.historicbeaufort.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

View of home featured on the March 21 Spring Architects’ Tour. Submitted photo

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

Ashley Brandon, the City of Beaufort's Public Information Officer, has resigned her post, City Manager Scott Marshall announced during the March 10 regular City Council meeting.

"After nearly three years with us, she is moving on to bigger and better opportunities," Marshall said, offering a public thank-you to Brandon before coun-

City of Beaufort PIO Brandon to Depart

cil members and those in attendance. "I want to thank you for your service to the city and wish you all the best in your future endeavors."

Mayor Phil Cromer echoed that sentiment, adding his own thanks to Brandon for her contributions to the city.

Brandon came to the PIO role in January 2025, stepping into the position after serving as the city's

downtown manager, events coordinator, and director of Main Street Beaufort, a role she had held since joining the city in June of 2023

A Battery Creek High School graduate and Beaufort local, she was appointed to manage the city's external communications, including media relations, social media, press releases, and newsletters.

Before her time with the city, Brandon owned and

operated a social media marketing business.

Her background also includes working in the elections division of the Arkansas Secretary of State's office and serving in the U.S. Navy as an interior communications specialist.

She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and speech communication from the University of Arkansas.

At the time of her PIO

appointment, Marshall praised her deep familiarity with city operations and her already-high level of performance, saying the city looked forward to becoming "even more accessible, responsive and transparent" under her leadership.

In her own words when she took the job, Brandon made clear what drove her:

"As a local I am proud to call Beaufort home, and I am even more proud to repre-

Lafayette time capsule

sent our beautiful city." The city has made no announcement regarding a replacement or timeline for filling the PIO position. Brandon's last day was Friday, March 14

Historic home dedication to honor legacy of Arthur B. Horne

Staff reports

There will be special home dedication ceremony honoring the life and legacy of Arthur B. Horne at 10 a.m., Friday, March 20 2026, at 656 Broadriver Blvd. in Beaufort, where Horne lived until his death in 1987

The home, known as The Arthur Horne Home, has recently been restored by its current homeowners, Randy Roberts and Theresa A. Roberts. During the ceremony, the Roberts will formally dedicate the historic residence back to the community in honor of Horne’s legacy. The event will also recog -

nize Horne’s years of public service and leadership. He served on Beaufort County Council from 1966 to 1982 and held the role of chairman from 1974 to 1982

from page A1

“In closing, I have chosen January 5, 2027, as my retirement date, and will not be seeking reelection to the Office of Sheriff of Beaufort County. I am confident that this office will continue to thrive, and I am hopeful that you will provide the incoming Sheriff with the same dedication to purpose that you have shown me.” Why now?

Sheriff P.J. Tanner joined the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office in 1981, just three days after turning 21, and worked with the BCSO until 1994, when he first ran –unsuccessfully – for sheriff. He ran again in 1998, winning the first of his seven terms in office.

Tanner told The Island News his decision to retire wasn’t a sudden one. He’d been pondering the thought of retirement for the past couple years, looking at things more in depth.

“When I turned 65, I just started looking at things differently,” Tanner said. “When this term is over, I’ll be 67 just after the term ends. If I ran again, I’d be 71 [when that term ended].”

Tanner said he sat down with family, friends, and his senior staff at the Sheriff’s Office. He said he

made the decision in January.

“I need to do this. It needs to be on my terms,” Tanner said.

“Considering all the other things, … I just said, ‘you know, I’ve been around so many other sheriffs, some who probably stayed too long. I just don’t want to be one of those guys.’

“I’m making a sound decision that benefits the county, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and myself. There’s no independent reason why I did it. I just felt it was time to do it.”

Tanner sent his retirement letter to BCSO employees at 5 p.m., Thursday, knowing it would leak out. But he wanted the people who had worked for and with him to know first. Additionally, he wanted to make the announcement before Monday, when filing for candidates opened for the 2026 S.C. primaries.

Tanner’s legacy

Aside from the four-year period Tanner worked for the state (19941998), Bob Bromage worked with him at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office from 1990 to 2022 when he became the Director of Public Safety for the Town of Hilton Head Island.

Bromage, who retired a Major,

Participants, partners, and supporters who contributed to the restoration of the home will also be recognized during the dedication ceremony for their role in preserving this important piece of Beaufort’s history.

During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in advancing Home Rule in Beaufort County, helping to strengthen local governance and community leadership.

Following the ceremony, the public is invited to attend an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where guests may tour the historic residence. The open house will be managed by Charter One Realty, with agents Michelle Gibbons and Michael Mark available to assist visitors.

was an investigator, in charge of cold cases, and for part of the time, the public information officer. He worked closely and was close personally to Tanner.

“He’s been a great leader,” Bromage said.

Bromage said Tanner brought to the table a fair and consistent application ot the law and strong, stable and progressive leadership.

Bromage said Tanner established the BCSO as a “law and order agency” and was never stagnant, always moving the BCSO forward.

“The fact that he was able to stay sheriff for so long was beneficial,” Bromage said. “There wasn’t change every four years.”

In the early 2000s, Tanner was ahead of the game in drug identification and forensic analysis, eventually establishing a forensics lab at the BCSO.

“That was big because we had a backlog,” Bromage said. “When you have to wait, you’re competing with all the other agencies. We became much more efficient when you fast forward to 2010, we were the third agency in the state to start forensic DNA analysis. That was incredible. Far less wait time. We saved months of time. Especially in serious crimes when you’re waiting on DNA analysis to make an arrest.”

Bromage touted Tanner’s attention given to cold cases.

Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to attend the dedication to remember the life and contributions of Arthur B. Horne and to celebrate the continued work of community members who are preserving Beaufort County’s history for future generations. For additional information, contact 843 - 812 - 6023

“Starting the cold case division in 1999, that has paid dividends,” Bromage said. “We’ve solved a couple big ones.”

And the BCSO’s improvement in communications is another of Tanner’s achievements – the use of social media and Everbridge (Nixle).

“I have taken every opportunity to do everything I possibly can, that the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has had everything, in terms of science and technology, in order to do the best job possible,” Tanner said.

Someone else who has worked with Tanner for a long time, 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone, said he’s “sad to see him go.”

Stone said Tanner is responsible for the identity of the BCSO. And he said in his 28 years as Sheriff, Tanner has built “the premiere sheriff’s office in the state of South Carolina.”

What’s next?

Bromage said the next Beaufort County Sheriff will face some challenges.

“We need to maintain the trust of the public,” he said. Those that don’t trust law enforcement or the government, … whether that’s growing or not, I don’t know, … but maintaining that trust is important to a successful sheriff’s office.”

Tanner said the office is where it is today because of the hard work or a lot of people, and he hopes whoever comes next uses the mechanism that has been built to continue to improve the BCSO.

“If it’s not broken, you’re not looking hard enough,” Tanner said in relation to changes in the BCSO. “We have to be honest with ourselves.”

Tanner said the ideal candidates for the job are those who hold dear the motto of the Rotarian -“Service above self.”

“If you’re intent is to come and run for office because you want the title … those who do that don’t really understand the office of sheriff, they’re just title searching,” he said. “What comes with that is an ego that is detrimental to the office of sheriff.”

Tanner said the keys to the job are passion, commitment, and focus.

“If you’re not coming here to make it better, then you’re here for the wrong reason.”

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

“I think we’re the best sheriff’s office in the state of South Carolina,” Tanner said. “We’ve brought in a lot of technology and science; we’ve retained great people; and we have great relationships with people in the county.”

During the Beaufort City Council meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2026, the Historic Beaufort Foundation and the Lafayette Bicentennial Planning Committee presented a Lafayette time capsule honoring Marquis de Lafayette and commemorating his historic visit to Beaufort, S.C., on March 18, 1825. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

During the Beaufort County Council meeting on Monday, March 9, 2026, the Historic Beaufort Foundation and the Lafayette Bicentennial Planning Committee presented a Lafayette time capsule honoring Marquis de Lafayette and commemorating his historic visit to Beaufort, S.C., on March 18, 1825. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

According to the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department, just before 5 p.m., Monday, March 16, a vehicle “struck a power pole” and the wall in front of the Beaufort National Cemetery, bringing down power lines across the roadway.

courtesy of City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department

Car crashes into cemetery wall snarling Monday afternoon traffic

fic are currently shut down, traffic lights in the area are not functioning, and power outages are affecting nearby areas,” the Fire Department said in a Facebook post. The area was cleared around 9 p.m.

a result, all lanes of traf-

South Coast Cyber Summit set for Monday

Staff reports

Senator Lindsay Graham will be the noon keynote speaker when the South Coast Cyber Center and the Maritime Cybersecurity institute hosts its 5th annual “South Coast Cyber Summit” on Monday, March 23, 2026, at downtown Beaufort’s Tabby Place.

The Cyber Summit will welcome a kickoff keynote by Seth McKinnis, Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director – Critical Infrastructure and Monroe Molesky, Director of State Affairs Office of the National Cyber Director to highlight the national strategy, insights on securing critical infrastructure, and collaboration with state and local partners.

The Summit itself will focus on the theme of “Cybersecurity and Securing Our Critical Infrastructure”. Ryan Truskey and Tim Larkin will provide insights to the recent cybersecurity critical infrastructure tabletop exercise conducted at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Max Bobys, Senior Vice President of Hudson Cyber, and Rick Seibenaler, CEO of Maritime Cybersecurity Institute, will be speaking on recent cyber challenges to our maritime

Charges from page A1

appropriate when someone “injures another person in [an] act likely to produce death or great bodily injury.”

He said Attempted Murder charges in those 14 cases would have been difficult to justify.

industry – ports, ships, and the infrastructure underlying a significant part of our economy.

“This year’s summit will be another great opportunity to network with colleagues from government, the military, business, and education,” said Warren Parker, Chairman of the South Coast Cyber Center. “And we’ll learn a lot about the threats to our critical infrastructure – ports, water and sewer, power generation, hospitals, and much more. Additionally, we intend to explore not only the threats but potential solutions.”

Other speakers will include Lieutenant General (Retired) Stephen Fogarty, former Commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command, currently a senior executive advisory to Booz Allen Hamilton; Ollie Gagnon, Chief Homeland Security Advisor and Executive Director Idaho National Laboratory Resilience Optimization Center; Dan O’Donohue, Vice President Owl Cyber Defense and former Commander of Marine Corps Cyber forces.

You can register for the Summit at https:// www.southcoastcybersummit.com or contact Warren Parker at warren@southcoastcyber.com.

“We didn’t feel there was sufficient probable cause he had the intent to kill all of those individuals.”

Each of those 14 additional charges are punishable by up to but not more than 10 years in prison.

The BCSO is still trying to identify an additional shooter in the October mass shooting.

“The investigation is ongoing, Gourley said. “We will continue to investigate things, and if and when facts and circumstances support the arrest of [an

“Attempted murder requires probable cause,” Gourley said.” The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office would have to develop probable cause that Anferny Freeman, that he attempted to shoot and kill all 14 of those individuals.

additional] person, that will happen. Information may be provided to the lead investigator for this case, MSgt. Duncan, at 843-255-3418 You can also email him at TDuncan@BCGov.net.

If wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app on your mobile device, online at tipsbft.com, or by calling 844-TIPS-BFT (844-847-7238).

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

Photo

City Council advances amended short-term rental ordinance on 1st reading

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

The Beaufort City Council moved forward on March 10 with a revised short-term rental ordinance, approving the measure on first reading with several amendments after a lengthy and at times pointed debate over neighborhood equity, investor rights, and how best to rein in the clustering of vacation rentals in the city's historic districts.

The ordinance, which has been years in the making, aims to establish a citywide framework for licensing and regulating shortterm rentals, which are properties rented for brief periods through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.

Among its core provisions is a 6% cap on short-term rentals within designated residential neighborhoods, a 300-foot adjacency requirement to prevent clustering, and a one-per-parcel limit.

Community Development Director Curt Freese walked council through the key changes from previous iterations of the ordinance, including grandfathering provisions for existing operators, tightened transfer rules that would eliminate the ability to pass a short-term rental license along with a property sale, and distinctions between owner-occupied and investor-owned rentals when it comes to accessory dwelling units like carriage houses and pool houses.

The 6% cap — and how it's counted

One of the first flashpoints of the evening came when Councilman Josh Scallate raised concerns about how the 6% cap is calculated and applied.

As written, the ordinance

would not count currently licensed short-term rentals toward the cap until the property is sold, a provision Scallate argued could effectively double the allowable density in already-saturated neighborhoods.

"If you start off by not counting the currently licensed short-term rentals toward the 6% cap at all, you're basically restarting that 6%," Scallate said.

He also pushed back on the ordinance's use of "dwelling units" as the basis for calculating the cap, arguing that the city should return to using residential lots as the baseline.

Because dwelling units can include individual rooms or connected spaces, Scallate warned the shift could significantly expand the total number of shortterm rentals allowed citywide.

Council appeared to agree, and city staff indicated they would work with the city attorney to revise the language ahead of second reading.

The Point neighborhood exemption

Perhaps the most contentious moment of the night came when Scallate raised the issue of a provision in the ordinance that explicitly prohibits short-term rentals in the Point neighborhood, a protection carried over from the existing city code.

Scallate said he understood the history behind it, but argued the language creates an unequal playing field.

"I think the problem becomes when we put language in here that allows for a special privilege in one neighborhood," he said, warning that codifying the exemption could open the door to legal challenges and pressure

from other neighborhoods seeking the same protection.

Councilman Mitch Mitchell echoed that concern, noting that the burden of short-term rental impacts isn't limited to the city's more prominent historic neighborhoods.

"The pain of these short-term rentals really don't rest in the Bluff or in The Point," Mitchell said. "They rest in places like the Northwest Quadrant."

He argued that singling out one neighborhood for a blanket prohibition while others face the same pressures implies favoritism.

Councilman Mike McFee pushed back, noting that the Point's exemption was rooted in a clear democratic process, and the Point Neighborhood Association had gathered signatures from virtually every property owner opposing short-term rentals before the provision was originally adopted.

Scallate and Mitchell held firm, however, arguing that if neighbors in The Point truly don't want short-term rentals, they won't get them without needing a special carve-out in city code.

The amendment to remove The Point's explicit prohibition passed, with Councilman Neil Lipsitz casting the lone dissenting vote.

Accessory Structures and Investor Properties Council also debated a provision restricting investors, as opposed to owner-occupants, from using accessory dwelling units such as garage apartments or carriage houses as short-term rentals.

Scallate argued the restriction was inconsistent: an investor could use a standalone home as

a short-term rental but would be prohibited from doing so with an ADU on the same parcel even if the main house was rented longterm.

"I don't see value in restricting an investor from using their accessory dwelling unit as a shortterm rental, so long as it's the only one for that property, it's within the 6%, and they don't have anybody else within 300 feet of them doing the same thing," Scallate said.

Freese acknowledged the point had merit but noted the original intent was to prevent investors from effectively doubling the density of their lots for shortterm rental purposes.

After discussion, council agreed to strike the investor-only restriction on accessory structures, allowing any short-term rental, owner-occupied or investor-owned, to use an accessory dwelling unit, subject to the oneper-parcel rule and all other provisions.

Special exception process and enforcement

Council also approved language creating a special exception process to allow more than one short-term rental per parcel in limited circumstances, primarily for properties where multiple short-term rentals were already lawfully operating before the ordinance's effective date, or where owners made investments in reasonable reliance on prior approvals.

The reviewing body for such exceptions was left as "the appropriate designated review body," with staff and the city attorney tasked with determining before second reading whether that would be the Zoning Board of Ap-

peals, the city council, or another body.

Additionally, council directed staff and the city attorney to revisit enforcement language that had stripped out a previous "three-strike" nuisance policy.

Council members argued that violations tied to noise complaints, disruptive guests, and neighborhood nuisances, not just business licensing infractions, and need to be addressed within the ordinance.

Staff also indicated they would examine whether provisions related to LLC ownership could be tightened to prevent short-term rental licenses from effectively being transferred in perpetuity through the sale of a corporate entity rather than the property itself.

What comes next

The ordinance passed unanimously on first reading with the amendments as discussed. It will return for a second reading, at which point revised language addressing the grandfathering cap calculation, the LLC loophole, the three-strike enforcement provision, and the special exception review body is expected to be incorporated.

The city currently has approximately 223 licensed short-term rentals, with GIS analysis showing notable clustering concentrated in downtown zoning districts — the same areas that were previously exempted from the 6% cap under the old code.

Crash on Brickyard Point Road claims 1 life

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

A single-vehicle crash on Brickyard Point Road in Beaufort claimed the life of a 31-year-old woman in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 16 2026

The Beaufort County Coroner's Office has identified the victim as Hailee Shackelfurd, a Beaufort resident, who died from multiple

Lowdown

from page A1

blunt force injuries sustained in the collision. The crash occurred at approximately 12 : 45 a.m., near 153 Brickyard Point Road.

According to Cpl. Nick Pye with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a 2004 Toyota pickup was traveling north on Brickyard Point Road when it ran off the right side of the road, over-

unless they were aware of Tanner’s plans and had quietly begun planning a campaign. The 66-year-old Sheriff, who’s already spent 28 years trying to bring law enforcement to the county, isn’t the only high-profit individual planning an exit.

Beaufort County Council Chairwoman Alice Howard, a Republican who represents District 4 which includes Port Royal, Mossy Oaks, Shell Point, etc., has said she’s not going to run a fourth term. And seven of her fellow council members will be up for re-election this year so there’s definitely potential for big changes. Or not.

The comings and goings of the county employees, numbered at around 1,100, is nothing new, accelerated in the past four years with the controversy and eventual departure of County Administrator Eric Greenway.

As a matter of routine, the administrators routinely recognize long-term employees at the Council’s bi-monthly meetings.

turned, and struck a tree.

The driver was transported to a local hospital.

Shackelfurd, who was a passenger in the vehicle, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on scene.

The S.C. Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. No additional details

Just last month, the county’s Detention Center Director Col. Quandara Grant was honored after 31 years with the department, and Deputy Administrator John Robinson, who stood in at one time as County Administrator until Michael Moore was hired, is now running the center until a director can be hired.

Across Boundary Street at City Hall, the departure of Public Information Officer Ashley Brandon was announced last week after three years of taking public heat for city activities, including the release of an incorrectly redacted Freedom of Information Act request centered on a once-missing teenage girl.

Her departure follows the departure of Assistant City Manager JJ. Sauve who went back to the hills of North Carolina at the end of 2025 after a year on the job, and then, the Capital Improvement Projects Manager Raul Dominguez who departed just as the Charles Street Stormwater Drainage “Big Dig” swung into motion.

All said, you almost need a score card to keep up with who’s where. And that certainly will be the case in the coming three

regarding the driver's condition or potential charges have been released at this time.

Those who knew Shackelfurd describe her as a strong, loving and devoted mother to her two children, Haiden and Oleander.

A family member, Preston Shackelfurd, has organized a GoFundMe campaign to assist the family

months as political candidates emerge from the woods and elected officials opt to slip away.

When you think about it, Tanner’s farewell remarks almost make sense. He wants to play more golf and he’s got yard work to be done.

Long meetings highlighting County, City work gatherings

BEAUFORT — On the subject of government meetings, both the County Council and Beaufort City Council have been putting in some long hours. And they’re not even into the heart of budget season yet.

Downtown property owner and frequent City Council observer Graham Trask took the Beaufort city officials to task last week when he commented, at the very end of a four-hour meeting, that the length was “way too long.”

Of course, the elected officials had a ton of issues to discuss from plastic bag restrictions to the sale of property in the city-owned Industrial Park to tightening the downtown noise ordinance. There was even a request, also granted, to allow for a mini-carnival and craft market in the Downtown Marina parking lot during the

with funeral and memorial expenses, as well as to establish a future fund for her children. "Hailee was a strong, smart, loving, beautiful, and driven person," Preston wrote. "She was a patient and loving mother of two."

Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/ honoring-hailee-shackelfurds-memory.

weekend prior to July 4

The council decided last year to limit official meetings to once a month with a second workshop session added to their schedule.

The County Council, likewise, has been seeing longer meetings but none as long — yet — as the record eight-hour meeting when the vote to deny zoning changes for Pine Island development was taken before a crowded audience. Public comment for that meeting alone, took more than four hours.

The Port Royal Town Council, on the other hand, has been able to limit its monthly meetings to approximately an hour, even when they have citizen proclamations that often draw a crowd.

To the public’s advantage, meetings are now broadcast so interested citizens can watch from the comfort of home. The County has its own broadcasting channel so viewers can watch on TV or YouTube while Beaufort city and Port Royal town meetings can be viewed on Facebook.

But with the lengthy work sessions, plus committee meetings County Council members endure, it will be interesting to see if potential candidates for the eight County Council seats and

The family asks that those unable to donate share the fundraiser and keep them in their thoughts and prayers.

two City Council seats think twice about running.

Good try for transparency

Hilton Head Island

Speaking of meeting protocol, a Hilton Head Island Town Councilwoman made the news last week when she criticized her colleagues for meeting behind closed doors to discuss items, in her opinion, not qualified for executive session.

The Island Packet reported the councilwoman challenged the mayor and even tried to bring the discussion items into the open but could not get a second for her motion to do so.

“When we lose the faith of those we represent, we lose everything,” Council Member Tamara Becker told her colleagues.

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.

ART

Budding Artist After-School

Art Club

4 to 5 p.m., or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesday/Thursdays, Happy Art Studio, 10 Sam’s Point Way, Beaufort. Ages 8 to 13. Painting, drawing, clay or crafts. Visit www.happyartstudio.net.

CALENDAR

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to midnight, Mondays, Tomfoolery, 3436 17 Market, Habersham, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Karaoke with Ali

9 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. With DJ Ali.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie

O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.

Trivia with Tom –

Bricks On Boundary

7 p.m., Every Thursday, Bricks on Boundary, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available.

Bluffton Night Bazaar –a Lowcountry Made Market

5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.

Habersham Farmers Market

3 to 6 p.m., Fridays, Habersham Marketplace. Vendor roster includes B&E Farm, Cottonwood Soap, Flower Power Treats, Hardee Greens, Megs Sweet Treats, Vitamin Bee, Lady’s Island Oyster Company, Pet Wants.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Drive, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Port Royal Farmers Market

9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, year round, Naval Heritage Park, 1615 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Rain or shine. You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese, as well as plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. There are prepared food vendors serving barbecue, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http://www.portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.

Slip and Splash Saturdays

10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

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

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

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

Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud 9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday

WHAT’S HAPPENING

each month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO Students and other volunteers will read to young children, who are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals.

Karaoke with Melissa

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

DANCE

Lowcountry Shaggers

6 to 9 p.m., Mondays, Albergotti Grill, Holiday Inn, 2225 Boundary Street. Shag lessons with Tommy & Sheri O’Brien and others. Occasional ballroom and once-a-month line dancing. Beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com of email lowcountryshaggers@aol.com.

The Beaufort Shag Club

6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free lessons for members from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We also host a dance the second Saturday of each month from 7 to 10 p.m. Lessons will run September through May only. Visit our FaceBook page (beaufortshagclub) for current events.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

BEMER Longevity Technology

9 a.m., Wednesdays via Zoom. Seen the buzz on “life span VS health span?” Want to grow better, not older? Haven’t heard of BEMER yet? Come for Q&A about how this longevity-enhancing medical device can enhance your health, fitness and overall well-being in just 8 minutes, 2 times a day. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.

Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes

5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to 10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a collective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and donation-based events with proceeds being donated locally on a rotating basis.

HISTORY

Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Admission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, Active Duty Military and College Students with ID $5. Children/Teens younger than 18 Free. Explore and experience more than 500 years of Beaufort History with knowledgeable docent guided tours.

The Historic Port Royal Museum

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, Thursdays through Sundays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-thecentury businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory. org, email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com or call 843524-4333.

Tour Historic Fort Fremont Dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. The History Center is open Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn about the fort’s history during the Spanish-American War through interpretive signs, self-guided walking tours with a smart phone, exhibits in the history center, and docent-led tours. For more information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

“Hidden Gems” Book Club

3 p.m., third Monday of each month, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Free. So many books, so little time. St. Helena staff have uncovered some great titles to get you started on your “hidden gem” journey. Join us for lively discussions and

coffee or tea. No registration required.

Career Navigator 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Tuesday, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free one-on-one resume writing and job application assistance with a Career Navigator from Palmetto Goodwill. No appointments necessary. For more information call 843-255-6458.

Bridge Club

10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458 for more information.

Mah Jongg Open Play

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Already know the basics of this fun and popular tile game? Join others for open play –all materials supplied. Cards may be purchased at nationalmahjonggleague.org.

Mahjong Club

9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Fridays, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street. All levels of players are welcome. Feel free to bring your own mahjong sets. Plan to meet every week. For more information, call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458.

MEETINGS

Beaufort Lions Club

6 p.m., first and third Monday of every month, St John's Lutheran Church, 157 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort. For more information, visit thebeaufortlionsclub@gmail.com or follow on Facebook/Instagram/Nextdoor.

UAP/ET/UFO Reset Discussion

Group

Sundays, (March 22, 3-4:30 p.m.; March 29, 7-8:30 p.m.; April 5, 3-4:30 p.m.; April 12, 3-4:30 p.m.; April 19, 3-4:30 p.m.; April 26, 7-8:30 p.m.), 2 Habersham Park House, Habersham, Beaufort. Free and open to the public. Watch and discuss the most important event in human history. The "Disclosure of UFOs/UAPs." We will watch interviews from retired military and civilians sharing their UFO experiences from the series “Cosmic Disclosures,” “Gaia.” Come and learn about these paradigm shifting events. We are moving into disclosure — might as well be educated. Questions? Please email ncloring@ icloud.com.

PFLAG Savannah –

Beaufort Peer Group

6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of every month, Fellowship Hall, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort (UUFB), 178 Sams Point Road, Beaufort. Free. The group will be moderated by Rick Hamilton and Kay Carr. The provides advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, family, peers, and allies in the Lowcountry. The peer group provides a safe and strictly confidential environment for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, friends, and allies to discuss the challenges faced in coming out or being out in neighborhoods, the workplace, school, or church. The organization offers resources for counseling, educating, and advocating to achieve an equitable, inclusive community where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved. Minors under the age of 18 are required to come with an adult parent, guardian, or mentor. Additional information about peer groups, membership, donations, and volunteering is on the website www.PFLAGSavannah.org and on Facebook.

Beaufort Chapter of America’s Boating Club 6 p.m., 2nd Tuesday of most months, at various Beaufort/Port Royal venues. Regular meetings begin with a Social, followed by Dinner and often include an exciting Guest Speaker from the Lowcountry. For Meeting Information or Educational Opportunities, please contact Paul Gorsuch, Administrative Officer at admino@ beaufortboatingclub.com . Boat ownership is not required, however a passion for safe responsible boating is mandatory.

Zonta Club of Beaufort

6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal.

Rotary Club of Sea Island lunch meeting 12:15 p.m., 2nd and 4th Tues-

day of each month, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www. seaislandrotary.org.

Rotary Club of Sea Island social gathering 5:30 p.m., 3rd Tuesday of each month, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www. seaislandrotary.org.

Beaufort Rotary Club Noon, Wednesdays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Catered buffet lunch, followed by a guest speaker. Prospective members welcome. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit website www.beaufortrotaryclub.org.

The Beaufort Trailblazers –A Volunteer Group 8 a.m., first Thursday each month, University Bikes, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building off-road/ dirt/wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843-5750021 or email universitybicycles@hotmail.com.

Parents Alienated By Their Adult Children 10 a.m., Thursdays & 6 p.m., Fridays, Lowcountry Outreach Center, 80 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort. This is a 12-step support group for Parents Alienated By Their Adult Children and is based on the international group, Parents Alienation Advocates (PA-A). Contact Marye Jo Hartley or Greg Hartley at 703966-2014 for more information.

Emotions Anonymous International local group meeting 4 p.m, Thursdays, via Zoom. Emotions Anonymous International, (EAI), is a nonprofit program designed to help people with emotional difficulties. It has a chapter in the Lowcountry and members want others who feel the need to know they are welcome to participate. There is no charge to participate. They are based on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and follow a specific format designed to provide the support and tools for navigating life’s painful difficulties. All are welcome. Anyone interested in participating may contact the group via email at EALowcountry@gmail.com or call or text Laurie at 252- 917-7082. For more information on EAI visit www.emotionsanonymous.org.

Al-Anon Beaufort County 7:30 p.m., Thursdays, 80 Lady’s Island Drive in Beaufort. “Do you worry about how much someone drinks? Is it affecting your life? You are not alone. AlAnon Beaufort Serenity Group offers help and hope. Join the group in Beaufort, or visit the Lowcountry page at https://bit. ly/3HvksaF for more times and locations.

Rotary Club of the Lowcountry 7:30 a.m., Fridays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady's Island Dr., Ladys' Island. Catered breakfast from local chef. Speakers weekly. Occasional social events replace Friday mornings, but will be announced on our website, www.rotaryclubofthelowcountrybeaufort. org.

MUSIC

Campfire Tyler

11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sundays, The Fillin’ Station, Lady’s Island.

Lowcountry Wind Symphony rehearsals 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort High School Band Room. The Lowcountry Wind Symphony, a 65-member concert band, invites new members. Woodwind, Brass, Percussion. Open to adults and talented high school youth. For more information, email director@lowcountrywindsymphony.com or call 843-304-0543.

Live entertainment 7 to 11 p.m., Wednesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.

Chris Jones

7 to 11 p.m., Thursdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.

Habersham Third Fridays Music on Market

5 to 8 p.m., third Friday of the month, Habersham Marketplace.

Live entertainment 9 p.m. to midnight, Fridays & Saturdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.

OUTDOORS/NATURE

Free boating inspections

Get a free vessel safety check by local members of the America's Boating Club of Beaufort. If your boat passes, you will receive a VSC decal to mount on your boat that will be visible to other boaters and maritime law enforcement personnel. Email Safety@beaufortboatingclub. com.

The Beaufort Tree Walk Lady’s Island Garden Club invites you to take a meandering walk through the Historic “Old Point” and enjoy some unique and noteworthy trees. The “Walk” takes about an hour, is a little over a mile starting at the corner of Craven & Carteret streets in Morrall Park and concluding in Waterfront Park. Booklets with map and information about each tree are available free at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street.

Tours of Hunting Island Every Tuesday, Hunting Island State Park, 2555 Sea Island Pkwy. Free, park entry fees apply. Sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For more information call the Hunting Island Nature Center at 843-838-7437.

RECYCLING

Computer recycling program

St. Andrew by the Sea Methodist Church, 20 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island. St. Andrew by the Sea has started a program where your trashed computer is wiped clean of all data and recycled to Missioncentral. org — a 100% charity cause.

SEWING/QUILTING

American Needlepoint Guild

Meeting

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

Embroidery Guild of America Meeting

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

SPORTS/GAMES

ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret Street. Events will be held weekly. Contact Director and Club Manager Susan DeFoe at 843-597-2541 for location.

Charity card game

3:30 p.m., first Tuesday of each month, Mangiamo‘s Pizza, 2000 Main Street, Hilton Head Island. The Hilton Head liberal men’s group is sponsoring a free social/ charity event with a fun, easy to learn card game. A percentage of the money spent on food and drink goes to the charity of our choice. Come socialize, have fun, and support a good cause. Reserve a spot by texting Dave Desjardins at 202-460-5286.

Bridge Club

Beaufort Masters Swim Team

6 to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, Wardle Family Port Royal YMCA. Coached practices. Ages 18 & older, all skill & speed levels, no prior swim team experience needed. Visit lowcountryswimming.com for more information.

JSLB hosting Scales & Tails Kids Fishing Tournament

Staff reports

The Junior Service League of Beaufort (JSLB) is hosting its second annual Scales & Tails Kids Fishing Tournament on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 10 a.m., to noon at The Sands Beach Boardwalk in Port Royal.

Designed for children ages 12 and under, this family-friendly event introduces young anglers to the joys of fishing while promoting outdoor activity, environmental appreciation, and community connection.

Tickets are $10 per child, and bait will be provided. Families are asked to bring their own rod and reel, along with sunscreen and water. Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://bit.ly/3PdWUL8

Founded in 2005, the Junior Service League of Beaufort is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and enriching the lives of women, children, and families in Beaufort County and surrounding communities. Since its founding, the League has granted more than $200,000 back into the community and provides ongoing volunteer support to local partner organizations. Through signature programs and community events, JSLB continues to invest locally. For more information, email communications.jslb@ gmail.com.

Marwin Kline gets track season off and running

Host Whale Branch claims 4 golds

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

As the Daytona 500 is to the NASCAR season, so is the Marwin Kline Invitational to the Lowcountry high school track & field season.

We’re out of the blocks and sprinting toward the finish line of another season on the track after the annual kickoff event Saturday at Whale Branch Early College High School.

The host Warriors claimed a quartet of gold medals, as Jonathan Kelley won the 200 meters along with a runner-up finish in the 110-meter hurdles, and Derrick Roberts won the triple jump, while Larmore Pryor took the girls long jump and the Whale Branch girls won the 4x100 relay.

Beaufort High’s girls broke through for gold in the 4x400 relay, while Amir Harrison was runner-up in the girls javelin and Yzeult Antia placed second in the girls 800 and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.

Battery Creek’s Isaac Smalls claimed a win in the 400-meter hurdles and was runner-up in the long jump, while John Paul II’s Blake Hubik placed second in the 1600 and 3200 and teammate Andrew Boyden was runner-up in the javelin.

Four athletes won multiple events

— Hilton Head’s Zac Henderson (boys 1600 3200) and Kyndal Cohen (girls 200, 400), Bluffton’s Giada Carge (girls 1600, 3200), and Calhoun County’s Jamani Canty

Whale Branch’s Makeima Adams competes in the long jump during the 2026 Marwin Kline Invitational at Whale Branch Early College High School on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

(boys discus, shot). May River’s boys swept all three relays.

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD

Marwin Kline Invitational

Boys

100m: Da’Shaun Albany, RIDG, 11.04

200m: Jonathan Kelley, WB, 22.33

400m: Kaden Stewart, HHI, 48.32

1600m: Zac Henderson, HHI, 4:28.30

3200m: Zac Henderson, HHL, 9:58.65

110H: Tyler Davis, HC, 14.40

400H: Isaac Smalls, BC, 57.36

4x100: May River, 43.13

4x400: May River, 3:31.61

4x800: May River, 8:50.04

High Jump: Daniel Briscoe, HVL, 1.87m

Long Jump: Tyler Davis, HC, 6.38m

Triple Jump: Derrick Roberts, WB, 13.56m Pole Vault: Brennan Roedig, BLF, 3.96m Discus: Jamani Canty, CALH, 39.54m Javelin: Joey Houpt, HHCA, 45.76m Shot Put: Jamani Canty, CALH, 17.56m Girls

100m: Areyana Allen, HC, 12.47

200m: Kyndal Cohen, HHI, 25.13

400m: Kyndal Cohen, HHI, 56.85

800m: Taryn Hanna, HC, 2:30.56

LOWCO NOTEBOOK

1600m: Giada Carge, BLF, 5:22.73

3200m: Giada Carge, BLF, 11:50.71

100H: Breyanna Williams, B-H, 15.85

400H: Emily Hunt, BLF, 1:12.45

4x100: Whale Branch, 50.09

4x400: Beaufort, 4:21.95

4x800: Bluffton, 10:20.50 High Jump: Kaliyah Dobson, HC, 1.42m Long Jump: Larmore Pryor, WB, 5.13m

Triple Jump: Lyric Jones, HC, 10.77m Pole Vault: Lily Gluck, MR, 2.59m Discus: Ezariah Willliams, B-E, 32.46m Javelin: Briaunjenai McMillan, B-E, 30.21m Shot Put: Keshauria McMillan, B-E, 11.07m

JPII softball opens season hot

LowcoSports.com

The John Paul II softball team is off to the best start in its young history, and the Golden Warriors have a signature win to add to their resume.

The Golden Warriors blanked May River, 1-0, on Wednesday, then shut out Hilton Head Christian Academy, 15-0, on Friday to improve to 6-0 heading into a trip to Bluffton on Tuesday. The lone run of the game came in the top of the first in-

ning, as JPII’s Ellie Heathcott led off the game with a double down the left-field line, moved to third on Rachael Brenneman’s ground out, and scored on Alivia Ogden’s single to left.

That was enough for JPII’s defense, which set the tone early with a spectacular effort from Lauren Majorkiewicz, whose diving play to snag a bunt attempt turned into a double play.

The Golden Warriors didn’t need to flash the leath-

er too much, though, thanks to pitcher Tevi Mullen, who limited a dangerous May River lineup to three hits and two walks while racking up eight strikeouts. Mullen surpassed 500 career strikeouts in the process.

Murphy reaches 300 K’s Madison Murphy has enjoyed a spectacular collegiate softball career in the circle, and the USCB senior seems to be saving her best for last. Murphy has already racked

up six shutouts while compiling an 8-4 record and a 2 31 ERA this season, and in Friday’s 9-7 loss to Lander, she surpassed 300 career strikeouts. Murphy compiled 157 of those punch-outs in her two seasons at Chattanooga State and has added 149 in less than two full seasons with the Sand Sharks.

With 67 strikeouts already this season, Murphy has a chance to surpass her career-best of 94 as a freshman at Chattanooga State.

SCORES AND SCHEDULE

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

Colleton Co. at Beaufort, 7 p.m.

Battery Creek at North Charleston, 6 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Barnwell, 5:30 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

Bishop England at May River, 7 p.m.

Beaufort at Colleton Co., 7:30 p.m.

Battery Creek at North Charleston, 7:15 p.m.

Edisto at Whale Branch, 7 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Barnwell, 7 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

LACROSSE

Beaufort at John Paul II, 3:30 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

LACROSSE John Paul II at Beaufort, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

Bishop England at Beaufort, 6:30 p.m.

Colleton Co. at Bridges Prep, 6:30 p.m.

Beaufort Academy at St.

Andrew’s, 6 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Beaufort at Colleton Co., 7 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

Hilton Head Prep at Beaufort Academy, TBA

Bishop England at Beaufort, 7 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Academic Magnet, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 19

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Laurence Manning at John Paul II, 3:30 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

John Paul II at HHCA, 5:30 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

LACROSSE

Bluffton at Beaufort, 6 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

LACROSSE Beaufort at Bluffton, 6 p.m.

John Paul II at Trinity Collegiate, 5 p.m.

Friday, March 20

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

John Paul II at Trinity Collegiate, 7 p.m.

North Charleston at Battery Creek, 6 p.m.

Beaufort at Bishop England, 6 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Barnwell, 6 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Hilton Head Prep at John Paul II, 4 p.m.

North Charleston at Battery Creek, 6 p.m.

Hilton Head at Beaufort, 7 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Barnwell, 6 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

Barnwell at Bridges Prep, 5:30 p.m.

Beaufort Academy at Florence Christian, TBA

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

Beaufort at Bishop England, 7 p.m.

Barnwell at Bridges Prep, 7 p.m.

Whale Branch at Edisto, 7 p.m.

St. Andrew’s at Battery Creek, 7 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

LACROSSE

Beaufort at Pinewood Prep, 5:30 p.m.

Monday, March 23

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

Yeske earns 100th win USCB softball coach Codee Yeske also hit a milestone recently, earning her 100th career win as a head coach in a 2-0 win over Columbus State in game 1 of a doubleheader on March 7 Yeske, a former standout for the Gamecocks at the University of South Carolina, is in her fifth season at the helm of USCB’s program, having guided the Sand Sharks through the transition

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

Beaufort Academy at Patrick Henry, 5 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

LACROSSE

Beaufort at South Effingham, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

Hanahan at Battery Creek, 6 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Edisto, 6p p.m.

Beaufort Academy at Thomas Heyward, 4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL Hanahan at Battery Creek, 6 p.m.

Bridges Prep at Edisto, 6 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

from NAIA to NCAA Division II competition. She won a career-best 29 games a year ago and has the squad sitting at 15-11 going into Wednesday’s home doubleheader at home against Savannah State. Unfortunately, the Sand Sharks haven’t been able to add to Yeske’s win total since, dropping five straight games in Peach Belt Conference play, including a three-game sweep at the hands of Lander over the weekend.

Creek at North Charleston, 6 p.m.

Barnwell at Bridges Prep, 6 p.m.

Whale Branch at Hardeeville, 5:30 p.m.

Lowcountry Leadership at Bridges Prep, 6 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

John Paul II at HHCA, 5 p.m.

Beaufort at Hilton Head, 6:30 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Beaufort at North Charleston, 6 p.m.

Staff reports

EDUCATION & BUSINESS

4 Beaufort High seniors named Heritage Classic Foundation scholars

Four Beaufort High School seniors were among the 11 outstanding Beaufort County seniors named Heritage Classic Foundation scholars for the 2025-2026 school year.

Sophia (Sophie) Brown, Laurel Hinderliter, James Riddle and Halle Tran were among the seniors honored Monday, March 16, at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island.

Seniors in all Beaufort and Jasper County high schools were eligible to apply, and applications were reviewed on the basis of academic success, community service, essays written by the student and financial need. Fourteen finalists were interviewed by the Scholar Committee.

During Monday’s awards presentation, told the audience,

“This is always an exciting day for the Heritage Classic Foundation,” Heritage Classic Foundation Chairman Simon Fraser said during the awards presentation. “We believe the résumés of these young adults are stronger than ever. The teachers and administrators of our school systems, as well as the award winners, deserve special praise.” Fraser added, “You are not just straight-A students. You are leaders in your schools, communities and churches. Your interests range from volunteerism to sports to caring for the environment.”

Six of the 11 newly named Scholars will receive a $16,000 scholarship over the next four years. Four additional awards carry a $20,000 opportunity.

Two of the latter scholarships honor Scholar Committee chairmen who have passed, John Zimmerman and Mike Malanick. One honors the late Scholar Committee member Charlie Brown, and the Tartan Club Award recognizes the donations made by the Tartan Club. Created by the Heritage Classic Foundation, the Tartan Club is a group made up of individuals throughout the community who share a desire to help others through the awarding of scholar grants for area students.

The Kirby Scholarship, a one-year $4,000 scholar award, was created in memoriam of past Scholar Committee chairman Ward Kirby and is granted every year.

Beaufort High’s Halle Tran won the Charlie Brown Award, one of the $20 000 scholarships.

Tran is the president of the Beaufort High Garden Club that distributes free fresh produce to the community. She is a National Merit Semifinalist and AP Scholar with Distinction who plans to study Biochemistry and have a career in medicine. She has interned at two medical facilities in her community.

Tran also cares about the environment -- she is a 10year veteran of the Friends

of Hunting Island Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

Beaufort’s Sophia (Sophie) Brown and Laurel Hinderliter were awarded the $16 000 scholarships.

Brown co-founded a student newspaper at Beaufort High and was the captain of the tennis team. She also plays soccer and is the senior class vice president. She volunteers with CAPA and takes sustainability seriously, spending time as “Adopta-Highway” trash collector and testing water quality for Adopt-a-Stream. She intends to study environmental studies and go on to law school.

Hinderliter co-founded Students Demand Action at Beaufort High School, a gun

violence prevention organization. As advocacy lead, she spoke to legislators at the South Carolina Statehouse. She was president of the French National Honor Society and is a School Improvement Council student representative.

Hinderliter’s interest in medicine earned her a summer internship at Beaufort Memorial.

Beaufort High’s James Riddle won the Ward Kirby Award.

Riddle plays in the Beaufort High concert band and acts in the University of South Carolina’s Children’s Theatre. He is heavily involved in his church and wants to become a minister. He obtained an associate’s

10 reasons why beneficiary designations are important

degree through dual enrollment credits and works part time at Chick-fil-A.

Other winners include Bluffton High School’s Tamyra Bolden, Katherine

Hilton

and Rebecca

Island High School’s Jackson Hollman and Kaden Stewart; Legacy Christian Academy’s William Carter Cole; and May River High School’s Myla Greene.

Next fall, a total of 49 Beaufort and Jasper County collegians will be attending school and will have received Foundation grants at an expenditure of $194 000. A grand total of $5 75 million will have been awarded to 408 students after the 2026 distribution.

In addition to these 11 scholarships, the Foundation is funding four $2 500 annual scholarships to the University of South Carolina Beaufort and two $1 500 annual scholarships to the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Since 1987, the Heritage Classic Foundation has raised and donated $61 8 million to educational and charitable initiatives that lift lives in South Carolina. Every year, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization hosts a worldclass PGA TOUR event as a primary fundraising effort. For more information, call 843-671-2448, visit heritageclassicfoundation.com, or find us on Facebook (Heritage Classic Foundation) and Twitter (@HCFGolf).

Provided by Wells Fargo

Advisors

Beneficiary designations can provide a relatively easy way to transfer an account or insurance policy upon your death. However, if you’re not careful, missing or outdated beneficiary designations can easily cause your estate plan to go awry.

We often complete these designations without giving it much thought, but they’re actually important and deserve careful attention. Here’s why: Beneficiary designations take priority over what’s in other estate planning documents, such as a will or trust.

For example, you may indicate in your will you want your assets to pass to your spouse after your death. However, if the beneficiary designation on your life insurance policy still names your ex-spouse, he or she may end up getting the proceeds.

Where you can find them

Here’s a sampling of where you’ll find beneficiary designations:

Employer-sponsored retirement plans [401(k), 403(b), etc.]

• IRAs

Life insurance policies

Annuities Transfer-on-death (TOD) investment accounts

Pay-on-death (POD) bank ac-

counts

• Stock options and restricted

stock Executive deferred compensation plans

In several states, so-called “lady bird” deeds for real estate

Because you’re asked to designate beneficiaries on so many different accounts and insurance products, it can be difficult to keep up. However, it’s worth the effort; failing to maintain the beneficiary designation on that 401(k) from three employers ago could mean that money will go to the wrong place.

When you first set up your estate plan, go over all the designations you previously made and align them with your plan. After that, you should review and update them regularly — a least once a year.

10 tips about beneficiary designations

Because beneficiary designations are so important, keep these things in mind in your estate planning:

1 Remember to name beneficiaries. If you don’t name a beneficiary, one of the following could occur: The account or policy may have to go through probate. This process often results in unnecessary delays, additional costs, and unfavorable income tax treatment. The agreement that controls the account or policy may provide for “default” beneficiaries. This could be helpful, but it’s possible the default beneficiaries may not be whom you intended.

2 Name both primary and contingent beneficiaries. It’s a good practice to name a “back up” or contingent

beneficiary in case the primary beneficiary dies before you. Depending on your situation, you may have only a primary beneficiary. In that case, consider whether it may make sense to name a charity (or charities) as the contingent beneficiary.

3 Update for life events. Review your beneficiary designations regularly and update them as needed based on major life events, such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.

4 Read the instructions. Beneficiary designation forms are not all alike. Don’t just fill in names — be sure to read the form carefully. If necessary, you can draft your own customized beneficiary designation, but you should do this only with the guidance of an experienced attorney or tax advisor.

5 Coordinate with your will and trust. Whenever you change your will or trust, be sure to talk with your attorney about your beneficiary designations. Because these designations operate independently of your other estate planning documents, it’s important to understand how the different parts of your plan work as a whole.

6 Think twice before naming individual beneficiaries for particular assets. For example, you may establish three accounts of equal value initially and name a different child as beneficiary of each account. Over the years, the

accounts may grow or be depleted unevenly, so the three children end up receiving different amounts — which is not what you originally intended.

7 Avoid naming your estate as beneficiary. If you designate a beneficiary on your 401(k), for example, it won’t have to go through probate court to be distributed to the beneficiary. If you name your estate as beneficiary, the account will have to go through probate. For IRAs and qualified retirement plans, there may also be unfavorable income tax consequences.

8 Use caution when naming a trust as beneficiary. Consult your attorney or CPA before naming a trust as beneficiary for IRAs, qualified retirement plans, or annuities. There are situations where it makes sense to name a trust — for example if: Your beneficiaries are minor children You’re in a second marriage You want to control access to funds

Even in cases like these, you should understand the tax consequences before you name a trust as beneficiary.

9 Be aware of tax consequences. Many assets that transfer by beneficiary designation come with special tax consequences. It’s helpful to work with an experienced tax advisor to help provide planning ideas for your particular situation.

10 Use disclaimers when necessary — but be careful. Sometimes a beneficiary may actually want to decline (disclaim) assets on which they’re designated as beneficiary. Keep in mind that disclaimers involve complex legal and tax issues and require careful consultation with your attorney and CPA.

Trust services are available through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo Delaware Trust

Seraiah Riddle

Wohn;

Head

The 2026 Heritage Classic Scholars. Submitted photo

You have the right to know what’s happening in your community.

Public notices – information local governments are obligated to provide citizens – are required to be published in local newspapers to provide a public record that’s accessible to everyone.

Public notices keep you informed about your government. But, in some states legislators are trying to keep public notices from appearing in local newspapers. This severely impacts government transparency and, in turn, limits the public’s right to hold them accountable for their actions.

Let your state legislators know that you value being able to access notices in your newspaper and that they are worth the investment.

Special to The Island News

If you often notice your blood pressure rising after meals, your diet may be playing a role. While factors like genetics and family health history can contribute to hypertension, everyday food choices can make a meaningful difference in keeping blood pressure in a healthy range.

Two of the biggest dietary contributors to high blood pressure (also called hypertension) are excess sodium and trans or saturated fats. Learning which foods tend to contain these ingredients (and choosing healthier alternatives) can help you protect your heart.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Cervical disc replacement surgery: your questions, answered

By Dr. B. Andrew Castro Orthopedic Spinal Surgery

Staring down at a cell phone or hunching over a computer all day are not just bad habits, they’re top contributors to chronic neck and nerve pain.

The result of stress, poor posture, increased screen time and other factors, cervical disc pain may begin in the neck but can quickly radiate across the shoulders and down the arms. The discs between your vertebrae — the structures that absorb all of that shock, strain and pain — often cause the problem.

As one of the biggest breakthroughs in spinal medicine of the last decade, cervical disc replacement is an increasingly attractive option for those looking for an alternative to traditional surgical remedies.

What is cervical disc replacement surgery?

Cervical disc replacement surgery incorporates several techniques and advancements to generate better outcomes and shorter recovery times for patients suffering from inflamed or ruptured discs.

At its core is a precisely engineered artificial disc that provides nearly the same range of motion as the natural spinal disc, maintaining flexion, extension, side bending and rotation.

What happens during cervical disc replacement surgery?

Requiring just a small incision in the neck, the damaged disc is cleared out and replaced with an artificial disc, which is inserted between two healthy vertebrae. This new disc relieves the pressure on the spinal cord without requiring the adjacent vertebrae to be immobilized.

Most cervical disc replacements are done as an outpatient procedure. There’s very little downside, very little blood loss, and you can usually be home the same day.

What goals can you expect to achieve?

Cervical disc replacement is a safe and effective way to relieve the pressure on your nerves and allow them to heal. The procedure is designed to alleviate neck and arm pain without diminishing much of the range of motion in your neck

Foods to avoid with high blood pressure

most Americans over the age of two consume more sodium than is recommended. Too much sodium can make it harder for blood vessels in the body to relax and widen, which raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Trans fats and saturated fats can also contribute to high blood pressure by increasing cholesterol levels and damaging blood vessels over time. Understanding what foods contribute to higher risk can help you make healthier choices in your daily diet.

Foods to limit

Saturated fats – diets high in saturated fats can raise cholester-

ol and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Limit foods such as fatty cuts of beef or lamb, and large amounts of butter or full-fat dairy products.

Alcohol – Heavy alcohol consumption can contribute to raised blood pressure and increase heart disease risk. Moderation is key; limiting alcohol can help reduce several health risks.

Sugary foods and drinks – excess sugar can lead to weight gain, which is a major risk factor for hypertension. High sugar intake is also linked to health issues such as diabetes and tooth decay.

Processed meats – hot dogs,

‘Eudaimonic well-being’

The impact of art in healthcare

Special to The Island News

Viewing artwork isn’t just for galleries or museums — the act of interacting with visual art can play a critical role in helping us heal in healthcare settings, too.

In 2025, The Journal of Positive Psychology published a review citing that the simple act of looking at visual art can significantly enhance well-being — in particular, “eudaimonic well-being,” which is a person’s sense of meaning, personal growth and purpose.

So, how does this help us heal?

Ties between mental and physical health have long been studied, and hospitals and healthcare systems have been putting those ties into practice by incorporating visual art into patient — and staff — spaces.

At Beaufort Memorial Hospital, artwork depicting the beauty of the Lowcountry — think glossy, calming photographs of soft skies, palm trees, boats and the picturesque marsh — can be found in hallways, waiting

“Artwork incorporated in this program will help create a healing space that brings relief from stress and anxiety and build an environment that continues to foster connection and recovery.”

KIM YAWN, Beaufort Memorial Foundation Chief Development Officer.

rooms and even areas predominantly populated by hospital staff. Why? Art’s healing, calming power.

What do the studies show?

Research reveals that improving the eudaimonic well-being of patients can play a role in their overall healing. This research shows that incorporating art into hospital and healthcare environments can reduce patient and staff stress and anxiety, support recovery, improve communication and strengthen human connection within the facility.

Publications from sources such as The King’s Fund, a UK-based health and social care think tank, found that integrating art into high-stress areas such as emergency rooms reduced patient aggression toward staff and improved staff recruitment and retention.

Other research, such as a 2025 study titled, “The effects of viewing visual artwork on patients, staff and visitors in healthcare settings,” highlighted that especially for pediatric patients and elderly patients

SEE ARTWORK PAGE B2

It was all yellow: surviving pollen season

Special to The Island News The yellow dust has descended — with warmer weather and spring breezes heating up Beaufort and the surrounding Lowcountry, pollen season has arrived. While pollen clouds are making their grand entrance, so are seasonal allergies: itchy eyes, sneezing, headaches, you name it — many are starting to feel the physical effects of the turning of the season.

Pollen is a powder produced by plants as a part of their reproductive process, which is why pollen counts spike in spring. Spring is the time for plants to reproduce, and in early spring, trees like oak, birch and maple are the main culprits for the yellow dust coating buildings, cars and, well, everything else.

Spring allergies affect some people more than others, result-

SEE POLLEN PAGE B2

Dr. B. Andrew Castro

Kidney infection vs. UTI

Know the difference — and seek proper treatment

Special to The Island News

If you feel pain or burning when you pee, you may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). While many UTIs affect the bladder and are fairly easy to treat, bacteria can spread to the kidneys, which causes a more serious infection.

“Many people ignore pain and other signs of a bladder infection and ‘wait it out’ until symptoms improve,” said Peyton McManus, PA-C, a board-certified physician assistant at Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists. “If you seek medical help, we can often resolve symptoms quickly.”

Understanding the difference between a typical UTI and more serious kidney infection can help you recognize when it’s time to seek care.

What is a UTI?

UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract, which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Urine is produced in the kidneys and travels through the ureters to the bladder, where it’s stored until it exits the body through the urethra.

Normally, urination helps flush bacteria from the body. However, bacteria can still enter the system and cause infection. Many UTIs occur in the urethra or bladder. A

bladder infection is called “cystitis.”

A kidney infection (also called “pyelonephritis”) is a more serious type of UTI. It usually develops when bacteria from the lower urinary tract travel upward to one or both kidneys.

Because kidney infections impact an essential organ, they can lead to complications and often require more intensive treatment.

Who is at higher risk of UTIs?

Women develop UTIs more often than men because their urethra is shorter, which allows bacteria to reach their bladders more easily.

About 60% of women will have at least one UTI during their life-

time, compared with only about 12% of men.

Other higher risk groups include pregnant women, older adults and young children. Additional risk factors include:

A history of kidney stones

Previous UTIs

Enlarged prostate

Menopause

Diabetes or a weakened immune system

Sexual activity

Poor hygiene practices

Urinary incontinence

Use of diaphragms or spermicide for birth control

Some people also may have a genetic predisposition or anatomical makeup that can make UTIs more likely.

Artwork

from page B1

— particularly those experiencing memory loss — incorporating art in healing spaces creates a warm, welcoming environment that contributes positively to the healing process.

Incorporating arts at Beaufort Memorial

With Lowcountry-centric visual art pieces softening the walls of Beaufort Memorial Hospital and its outpatient practices and clinics, the health system is working to further incorporate the effects of healing arts into its facilities. The nonprofit community health system is partnering with EMROSE Projects, a creative placemaking and arts consulting organization led by Bluffton’s Maria Hooper to guide its “Heart of Healing” program. This program will showcase local art on Community Art Walls throughout the new, under-construction Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Community Hospital.

Pollen

from page B1

ing in symptoms such as watery or itchy eyes, a cough, sneezing or congestion.

The best way to manage a pollen allergy is to be smart about your exposure.

“It’s important to work with your healthcare provider and stay ahead of allergy season if you know you’re allergic or prone to experiencing symptoms like sneezing or congestion,” said James Varner,

Like the artwork incorporated in the Beaufort hospital, these walls will be in clinical and transitional spaces like hallways, staff breakrooms and waiting rooms.

The goal of the project is to further the impact of healing art not just on patients in Beaufort, but in Bluffton at the new facility, too.

“We know that studies show that art can have a restorative effect, not just on Beaufort Memorial patients, but staff and visitors as well,” said Kim Yawn, Beaufort Memorial Foundation Chief Development Officer. “Artwork incorporated in this program will help create a healing space that brings relief from stress and anxiety and build an environment that continues to foster connection and recovery.”

From now until March 31, the Foundation is accepting submissions from Lowcountry artists aged 18 and older. Artists can submit up to three existing pieces for consideration, inspired by the restorative properties of nature, local history, human connection or nondenominational spiritual or meditative imagery.

Additional guidelines can be found at BeaufortMemorial.org/Heart-Healing.

PA-C, board-certified physician assistant at Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Primary Care.

“Talking to your primary care provider to determine a personalized allergy treatment plan can significantly improve symptom management and quality of life.”

While dealing with a pollen allergy can be challenging, there are a few ways to manage your exposure and minimize symptoms. Keep indoor air clean. Close windows and doors to keep pollen outside where it be-

UTI vs. kidney infection

A typical UTI cause urethra or bladder inflammation, which can lead to symptoms like:

Buring or pain while urinating

Frequent urge to urinate

Feeling the need to urinate even when your bladder is empty Cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine

Pressure or discomfort in the lower abdomen

Kidney infections may present with some of the same symptoms, but they often include additional causes for concern, like fever and chills, pain in the side or back or nausea and vomiting.

Don’t wait to seek help

Fast action for treatment is important. Left untreated, kidney infections can result in permanent kidney damage.

Healthcare providers generally diagnose UTIs and kidney infections with a urine test. A sample is analyzed for bacteria, white blood cells or yeast. If a kidney infection is suspected, providers may also order imaging tests (such as ultrasound or CT scans) to examine the upper urinary tract.

Both conditions are treated with antibiotics. The type and length of treatment depend on

Foods from page B1

deli meats and sausages often contain high sodium levels, preservatives and saturated fat, which can all increase the risk of high blood pressure.

High-sodium packaged foods – Many canned and packaged foods (for example, canned pasta sauces and tomato products) contain significant amounts of sodium. Checking nutrition labels and choosing lower sodium options can help.

Caffeine – Generally, it’s recommended to limit caffeine intake to no more than four cups of coffee or other caffeinated beverages per day.

Full-fat dairy products – Milk, cheese and other dairy products can provide important nutrients, but many options out there are also high in saturated fat. Choosing smaller portions or low-fat options can lower your risk of high blood pressure.

Blood pressure often rises briefly after eating. For an accurate reading, avoid eating for about 30 minutes before checking your blood pressure.

The good news is that there are many nutritious foods that support a healthy heart and blood pressure level. The National Council on Aging recommends including more of the following in your diet:

Berries

Beets

Whole grains

Sweet potatoes

longs. Use filters in your air conditioner to help further reduce indoor pollen levels. Limit outdoor time, especially on windy days. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes when pollen counts are high and consider wearing a mask to limit how much pollen you inhale. Keep an eye on pollen counts. Weather apps and local news often provide pollen counts during peak seasons, so keep an eye on the numbers and consid-

er staying indoors as much as possible – especially in the early morning when levels tend to spike. Shower after being outside. A shower can remove any pollen hitching a ride on your hair and skin. Change your clothes, too, to prevent pollen from sticking to your bed or furniture. Depending on the severity of your allergy symptoms, over-the-counter medications or prescription treatments may be necessary.

the severity of the infection; severe kidney infections may require hospitalization so patients can receive fluids and medication.

“Along with taking an antibiotic, speed your healing by drinking plenty of water,” McManus said. “Liquids help flush bacteria from your urinary tract.”

Prevent UTIs before they start

Adjusting a few daily habits can lower your risk of developing a UTI:

Don’t hold urine when you feel the urge to go

Avoid vaginal douching

Drink plenty of fluids and limit caffeine intake

Urinate before and after sex

Wash the genital area daily and before sex

Wear comfortable cotton underwear

Wipe from front to back after using the toilet

For children who frequently develop UTIs, parents can help by avoiding bubble baths, changing diapers regularly and teaching proper bathroom hygiene.

Recurring infections (three or more UTIs annually) may signal an underlying medical issue. A healthcare provider can help identify the cause and recommend effective treatment options.

Unsweetened, lower-fat yogurt

Pistachios

Bananas

These foods contain potassium, fiber and antioxidants that help support healthy blood pressure.

Diet, however, is only one part of managing hypertension. Regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and managing stress are also important.

“You can do a lot to lower your blood pressure by learning to manage your stress,” said Tara Kay, MMS, PA-C, of Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists. “Physical activity is huge, but you can also reduce stress by practicing good time management and maintaining

Allergy shots involve regular injections that help your body build tolerance to the allergy over time, which can reduce symptoms and make future pollen seasons more manageable.

Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching and runny noses by blocking the action of histamines, the chemicals released b your body during an allergic reaction.

Nasal sprays include corticosteroid and antihistamine sprays and can also improve symptoms. If your allergies tend to act up

a healthy perspective.”

Spending time with supportive friends and family, setting realistic commitments and taking even 15 to 20 minutes daily to relax and breathe can help reduce stress levels.

For people diagnosed with hypertension, a healthcare provider may also recommend medication to help control blood pressure. While some risk factors for high blood pressure cannot be changed, diet and lifestyle choices can have a powerful impact. Limiting sodium, saturated fats and highly processed foods while emphasizing whole, nutrient-rich options can help support heart health and keep blood pressure under control.

long-term, corticosteroid nasal sprays may be the better option.

“If your allergy symptoms are severe or persist despite taking preventive measures, talk to your primary care provider about being tested to determine if allergy shots — also called immunotherapy — might be a good option for you,” Varner said. “Your primary care provider can also refer you to a board-certified allergist, who can recommend treatments to help reduce your sensitivity to pollen over time.”

ARTS & HEALTH

Steve Forbert to make surprise tour stop on Fripp Island

By Margit Resch Special to The Island News

“Oh, wow, Steve Forbert!

That guy wrote some of my favorite songs. Both his melodies and his lyrics are gorgeous, and he sings and plays guitar and harmonica beautifully. You said he is coming to Fripp Island? Really? Sign me up!”

That’s what one of my friends almost yelled into the ocean breeze, while we were walking the Fripp beach and after I mentioned that Steve Forbert was going to perform at the Fripp Island Community Centre on March 29

“I still have one of his first albums,” she continued excitedly. “You know his song Romeo’s Tune, don’t you, or Goin' Down to Laurel? Oh, I hope he is going to sing those.”

And then my friend joined the chorus of fans and reviewers who have been raving about Steve Forbert ever since he started singing and playing his folk-rock songs with local bands in his home-

town Meridian, Mississippi. He was a teenager then, and he is still singing and playing his songs all around the world.

In 1976, at age 22, Steve moved to New York and quickly made a name for himself by busking on the streets of Greenwich Village, playing in the elegant confines of Grand Central Station, in fancy clubs in Manhattan and sharing bills with the Talking Heads, John Cale and other stars. He soon started releasing one album after another, over two dozen by now.

His second record, Jackrabbit Slim, brought him worldwide renown, mostly due to the immensely popular hit Romeo’s Tune. You heard it, no doubt, and you will agree: not only the music, but also the lyrics are beautiful:

Meet me in the middle of the day

Let me hear you say everything's okay

Bring me southern kisses from your room

Meet me in the middle of the night

Let me hear you say every-

thing's alright

Let me smell the moon in your perfume.

“Let me smell the moon in your perfume. What an amazing, artistically genius line! That one line alone represents more lyrical talent than many full careers,” to quote one of Steve’s fans.

From the start of his career, Steve has been leading what he calls “a troubadour existence,” traveling, to this day, from one concert to the next all over the world, “a striking performer, very much worth seeing and hearing,” according to the New York Times

His admirers certainly agree: “Fan since 77 … I was 8 back then … Love.”

"Loved the show and highly recommend seeing him if you have the opportunity.”

One of his long-time fans and friends, Paul Lubertazzi, actually has a house on Fripp. Paul suggested that Steve come and play here. And so, would you believe it,

Steve worked a performance into his spring tour, going from New York to Texas; and so we will be able to hear him and his musical gems in person. We are so fortunate. Thank you, Paul.

Steve is actually bringing a fellow musician, Paul Errico, who plays various keyboards and accordion. Paul is one of the most sought-after musicians in New York, because he is so versatile musically, with a flair for anything from dance music to Jazz, and, of course, folkrock, spanning from the 40s to the present, with emphasis on the 70s and 80s, much in demand by the recording community, where he has put his musical mark on many a musician’s CD. In every way a perfect partner for Steve.

Indeed, don't miss the opportunity to experience this very special concert on Sunday, March 29 at 5 p.m., in the Community Centre on Fripp Island. All proceeds from the concert benefit the

USCB Chamber Music: From Mozart Art to Sousa Lallapalooza

By Michael Johns

Special to The Island News

The 46th Season of USCB Chamber Music returns on Sunday, March 29 with an exciting program that begins quietly with classical decorum and ends boisterously with American bravado.

Artistic Director, host, and pianist Andrew Armstrong brings back two “fan favorites,” pianist Jeewon Park and cellist Ani Aznavoorian, and introduces much-sought-after violinist Andrew Wan.

The program begins with the refined energy of Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, travels north for two of Edvard Grieg’s bucolic 4 Norwegian Dances, east for Shostakovich’s lush and spicy Cello Sonata, back to Norway with Grieg’s big-boned, bold Violin Sonata No. 3, and returns home for a pure blast of Americana, John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Juilliard-trained violinist Wan has been Concertmaster of the Orchestra symphonique de Montréal since 2008, performed as soloist with leading orchestras across North America, Europe, and Asia, and been a frequent guest at major North-American chamber music festivals. He has regularly served as guest concertmaster with multiple U.S. and Canadian orchestras, has a large, award winning solo discog-

Disc from page B1

before the surgery. Additionally, since this surgery aims to decompress the spinal nerves, it can also improve balance, coordination and strength in the upper and lower extremities.

What are the most common alternatives to cervical disc replacement?

raphy, and is an Associate Professor at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. Wan performs on a 1744 Michel’Angel Bergonzi violin.

Cellist Aznavoorian, a graduate of the Juilliard School, has appeared as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Pops, and Tokyo, Helsinki, and Finnish Philharmonics. She is an avid chamber music performer with festival and series appearances throughout the US.

Strad magazine lauds her onstage capacity to deliver “scorchingly committed performances that wring every last drop of emotion out of the music. Her technique is well-nigh immaculate, she has a natural sense of theater, and her tone is astonishingly responsive.” Former performances at USCB Chamber Music have confirmed this review.

Prior to the advent of cervical disc replacement, the preferred method for treating cervical disc pain was spinal fusion, which requires more involved surgery to remove the entire disc and insert bone or similar material between the vertebrae below and above. These vertebrae are then anchored to one another via plates or rods.

Another procedure to alleviate pressure on the spine is decompression, which is a less-invasive procedure than fusion, removing damaged or misaligned portions of vertebrae through a small incision to alleviate pressure.

What are the benefits of cervical disc replacement over fusion or decompression?

While these procedures are safe and effective in relieving the pain, they do immobilize the spine and change the way the neck moves. Patients may have diminished range of motion with regards to head turning and looking up or down.

As an alternative to fusion, cervical disc replacement offers faster recovery time and superior range of motion.

Aznavoorian proudly performs on a cello made by her father, Peter Aznavoorian.

Pianist Park, praised for her “deeply reflective playing” (Indianapolis Star) and “infectious exuberance” (New York Times), has garnered the attention of audiences for her dazzling technique and poetic lyricism. Since making her debut at the age of 12, performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, she has performed in prestigious venues worldwide as a competition winner, recitalist, and chamber musician.

Park also has an impressive academic career, earning degrees from The Juilliard School, Yale University, and a DMA from SUNY Stony Brook.

Praised by critics for his passionate expression and dazzling technique, pianist Andrew Armstrong has delighted audiences across Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the U.S. He has performed an extensive repertoire of more than 60 concertos with orchestra, currently directs and hosts six thriving chamber music series, and continues to perform and record cham-

ber music across the globe.

Armstrong remains an outspoken advocate for the communicative power of music to excite, soothe, educate, and bring us together. He fervently believes that a lifelong love of music starts in childhood. This message has been enthusiastically transmitted to local schoolchildren through Monday-morning concerts presented at the Center for the Arts and an annual Saturday Youth Concert.

Armstrong engages artist-level musical ambassadors to come to the Lowcountry and join him in creating free, live, acoustic-music concerts for children of all ages that are stimulating, unique, and attention-holding. The timeless music and emotional depth of experience cannot be replicated on social media.

The hall is sold-out (a wait-list is available) but you can enjoy the concert virtually by livestream and OnDemand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced; multiple camera angles with great viewing opportunities abound.

On the Wednesday before each concert, live and virtual ticket holders receive an email with a

WANT TO GO?

Who: Andrew Armstrong with Jeewon Park, Ani Aznavoorian, and Andrew Wan

When: 5 p.m., Sunday, March 29

Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort

Tickets: Sold out (waitlist available). Virtual livestream and OnDemand access available. Visit www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-521-3107.

link to Sunday’s concert. OnDemand is accessible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks.

Each Friday before a concert the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) presents Inside the Music, a two-hour, general audience, deep dive into Sunday's repertoire. Michael Johns provides multiple recorded excerpts and commentary, acclimating listeners to what they will hear on Sunday. Classes are free and open to the public.

For concert, artist, OLLI, and wait-list information, go to www. uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-521-3107, Monday through Friday. The fourth concert of USCB Chamber Music's 46th season is Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 5 p.m., at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, in the downtown historic district.

Compared to decompression, cervical disc replacement offers similar recovery times but has far greater long-term benefits for range of motion. No collar is need-

ed after surgery. That said, decompression and fusion are more suitable for those whose spinal pain stems from multiple levels or misaligned vertebrae requiring

a reconstructive procedure.

Who can benefit from cervical disc replacement? Those suffering from chronic neck and nerve pain

might be considered candidates for the surgery, as it can greatly relieve stress to the nerves caused by damaged discs. Ideally, the patient will be in relatively good health, with pain stemming from a rupture of a healthy disc, rather than deteriorating discs.

There are certain conditions in the neck — trauma, tumors, spinal cord compression — that would make a disc replacement less ideal for that patient, but for those who fit the bill, this cutting-edge procedure can give people suffering chronic neck pain a new lease on life. Dr. B. Andrew

Jeewon Park

Andrew Armstrong

Andrew Wan

Steve Forbert. Marcus Maddox/Steve Forbert.com

VOICES

Compromise possible following veto of bill that keeps payments to college athletes secret

The General Assembly rushed to pass legislation to keep from public view how millions of dollars of public funds will be divided among college athletes.

The bill, H. 4902, passed the House in three days without ever being assigned to a committee.

The Senate passed the bill after receiving live testimony only from athletics directors at Carolina, Clemson and Coastal Carolina.

The speed with which the bill was passed was extraordinary in two significant ways.

First, in the ordinary course of legislation, bills are assigned to committees. Most often bills are then referred to subcommittees where subcommittee members receive testimony from witnesses of whom they can ask questions regarding the legislation.

Second, when a bill proceeds in the normal course through the committee and subcommittee process disagreements are often resolved by compromise.

There was no significant opportunity for testimony to note objections to the bill and no opportunity to discuss potential compromise.

In addition to keeping secret payments to athletes, the bill also keeps from the public informa-

JAY BENDER

tion about how much revenue sharing money goes to each team.

We are talking about millions of dollars sheltered from public view by this bill.

Carolina and Clemson each has $20 5 million to divide among players and teams this year. The amount increases next year and thereafter.

Revenue sharing between schools and athletes is the result of a lawsuit brought by athletes who saw that their name, image, likeness and labor was reaping millions for schools and coaches but a pittance for players.

Gov. Henry McMaster, long an advocate for public access to public records going back to his days as attorney general, vetoed the legislation.

In his veto message, the governor said he was willing to accept confidentiality (read secrecy) in player contracts but thought

Dabbling

Exactly when did our sense of angst begin to escalate on a daily basis? Was it one specific happening, or maybe a group of incidents that said to us, overtly or subtly, “This isn’t life as we know it or want it.” Was it when we were forced to watch in disbelief as 47 pardoned every jailed insurrectionist who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, injuring and ultimately killing Capitol police? Or did it come later with the hiring of ill-trained, masked thugs to become ICE agents who were responsible for the deportation of many American citizens? Citizens! Throughout the country, ICE troops were sent to deal with “the worst of the worst.” At no time were they requested by the city mayors or the state governors. Citizens congregated to protest; No Kings Day was declared more than once.

These were questions

withholding information about the division of money among teams went too far.

The governor is correct.

No competing school is going to pump more money into a specific sport because it learns what our universities are spending.

South Carolina schools are not the market-maker here.

I would like to offer a proposed compromise.

Rep. Justin Bamberg made a compelling argument that disclosing the amount of money each individual player would receive would in many instances expose a player to fraud or worse.

The athletics directors argued that if competing schools knew how much a star player was making, the player could be “poached” by a school willing to pay more money.

In the real world, players negotiating to change schools, or agents for the athletes, will disclose to the prospective school the amount of money the athlete is making. The argument by the schools doesn’t withstand scrutiny, but it creates a political reality that must be acknowledged.

So, what is the compromise solution?

The model exists already. Coaches sign multiyear contracts

“In the real world, players negotiating to change schools, or agents for the athletes, will disclose to the prospective school the amount of money the athlete is making. The argument by the schools doesn’t withstand scrutiny, but it creates a political reality that must be acknowledged.”

with clauses that require the coach to pay money to the school to purchase or “buyout” the time remaining on the contract if the coach wishes to leave for greener pastures. Sign players to multiyear

contracts with buyout provisions that will make “poaching” more expensive.

If a school is unwilling to enter into a multiyear contract, it has to accept the consequences that an athlete might seek more money or better benefits after a one-year contract expires.

With respect to individual player confidentiality, redact the name of the athlete from the contract for so long as the athlete is under contract or enrolled in school.

Thereafter, the contract in its entirety is available for public inspection and copying just like the contracts with coaches, athletics directors and others employed at public institutions. A similar plan exists where public bodies are negotiating to purchase property.

The documents relating to the negotiations are withheld from the public until the deal is completed or falls through.

Consideration of a compromise might enhance public confidence that our legislators are conducting themselves as representatives and not rulers.

Jay Bender is a retired University of South Carolina professor and media lawyer who represents the S.C. Press Association and its newspapers.

in confrontation —

But at whose expense?

I asked myself as I sat brainstorming for a topic this past sunny, Saturday afternoon. Everything seemed so “normal” as I looked from my office out onto the golf course. Yet I knew my view belied the state of our country, and more accurately, that of the world. I knew war was raging halfway across the globe and that America’s socalled leader had plunged us into this chaos. I thought immediately of those who had already perished: reports first of three, soon to be upped to six, and then news of a downed fueling plane carrying six

more of our military.

As of [Friday], the toll climbed to 13, and the news of 5,000 troops being sent to the Middle East solidified that, indeed, we are entrenched in a war with Iran.

The question that immediately comes to mind is why Iran? Has it been confirmed that this country poses a threat? Were we not in negotiations with their representatives regarding their nuclear program?

On Friday, 47 told Fox News Radio he is considering taking control of Kharg Island: “It's not high on the list, but it's one of so many different things, and I can change my mind in seconds.” Note: We sadly learned (after my writing this), that indeed he did.

So, do we file that remark under cogent planning, right along with, “The war will be over when I feel it in my bones?”

Then there is the input from Pete Hegseth. He

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mathews promotes small-mindedness

In a recent The Island News op-ed called “A time and a place for everything,” author Louise Mathews wrote that she objects to athletes who speak out about LGBTQA+ “rights.”

Since Ms. Mathews made a point of writing about her Catholic religion, it seems she doesn’t think that is a private matter. So I encourage her to review the teachings of Jesus. She starts off by stating who is not in her “tribe” (people who don’t hide their sexuality). Did Jesus speak about sticking to your own tribe? Jesus did speak about welcoming the marginalized in society and loving your neighbor. Ms. Mathews is a good example of a “Christian” who preaches about what others should do while smugly stick-

lashed out at reporters at a press briefing, slamming “fake headlines” about the war and claiming “we're dealing with” the Strait, adding “you don't need to worry about it.” No need to worry, Pete? Surely you jest!

Many professionals who are observing what is unfolding at a pace not anticipated seem to agree with this premise: the primary danger lies not in an intention to wage war, as such, but in the structure of the approach taken by 47: high-stakes psychological escalation without a clearly defined idea of where to stop or what comes next. From the outset, the policy has not aimed at full-scale war but at maximum pressure — combining a large naval and air buildup with public threats and contradictory messages mixing threats of force with calls for negotiation. (USA News Today) Numerous reports sug-

ing to her discomfort and prejudice.

We live in a society where virtually everything is political – like it or not. Why does Ms. Mathews think it is OK for us to read about her beliefs about sexuality while criticizing people who also speak out but believe differently? Some people, when they have a platform (such as an Olympic medal winner), choose to use it to promote their beliefs. Sadly, Ms. Mathews used her platform to promote small-mindedness.

— Kate Joy, Beaufort

Helping out a friend isn’t cheap

Here are some costs of the Iran War (so far) — are you ready? First Week of War — $118 billion (Politico)

gest that Gen. Dan Keane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned in internal deliberations about the dangers of launching a major military operation against Iran. Chief among them is the risk that an attack extends into a longterm conflict that would be difficult to contain. (USA News Today)

So back to the questions posed earlier -- combined, they become one big question: where are we as a country right now at this very moment?

We have an economy that is staggering at best. We still have the lingering shadow of ICE, always at the ready. And we are fully engaged in a war abroad. Here at home we have a daily plunge of the DOW, a continued soaring of gas prices, and troops returning home in coffins. The latter are greeted by a president in a ball cap (probably made in China) touting America.

Sadly it is not even removed in deference.

How credible are we in the eyes of the world? I guess it depends upon whom you ask, but from all I have been able to glean, some countries that were deeply committed to the U.S. have taken a step back. Some even see us as a liability, rather than an asset. We have intruded ourselves into a region that is fragile. The politics there are tenuous at best. Some want to blame Israel, and I understand that. However, we could have declined; we should have, but we didn’t. As so many love to say, “You can’t make up this stuff.” I have cleaned it up for those with delicate sensitivities … but I digress.

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.”

Daily Burn Rate — $155 to 220 million a day (Iran.war. live.com)

Munitions (First 48 Hours) — $[unknown] billions (USA Today)

Apart from monetary costs, millions of people have been displaced. The U.S. has lost troops and aircraft. I could go on. Take another look at those numbers. Look again. Who do you think is going to pay for this war? You, your children and grandchildren are! Not upper-class Americans. They are getting a tax cut! Why do we have this war? Because Trump (and Republicans) needed to help Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel defeat his decades long enemy, Iran.

There is nothing like helping a friend in need.

— Terry Gibson, Beaufort

CAROL LUCAS

VOICES

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

These newly found bones remain a mystery

It is Saturday, and I’m walking Port Royal’s waterfront looking for bones. This morning I’m with Col. Ben Leitzel (USAF, ret.) and we’re walking along the edge of the marsh — it’s low tide — near the site where a human skull was found about a year ago.

Col. Leitzel was a Bomber/Weapons Systems Officer on a B1 Bomber and taught military planning at the Army’s War College in Carlisle, Pa. Now he is on the Board at the Historic Port Royal Foundation.

Several days ago he told me a skull, perhaps two skulls, had been found embedded in a Port Royal bluff in January of 2025

Thereafter Leitzel found two more bones, both identified as human, near that same location.

The skull was then given to the Port Royal Police Department and they gave it to the Beaufort County

OSCOTT GRABER

Coroner’s Office who commented that the fragmented, two-piece skull might actually be “two skulls.”

I am intrigued because Port Royal lore says that somewhere in Town there was a make-do cemetery where the dead — victims of a Yellow Fever epidemic — were hastily buried.

“Kids have been finding bones along this bluff for 60 years,” Leitzel says. “Some say they are connected to the epidemic in 1877; others say the bodies were sailors who died from yellow fever on a passing boat. It could have been

ver the last two weeks, one of the more meaningful moments of the war on Iran was the celebration of the Iranian people when they learned of the death of the longtime tyrant, Ayatollah Khamenei. I was particularly impressed by the women who jubilantly burned their hijabs.

I looked up “hijab” and learned it is the concept of modesty which includes women covering their hair. There are many forms of hijab from a simple scarf to the elegant turbans worn by Sheika Moza, mother of the current Emir of Qatar, to burqas which are like a clothing jail. A woman in a burqa is covered head-to-toe in a loose garment and a veil with bars or mesh over her face.

One of my child’s teachers had a daughter in the Army who returned from Afghanistan with a burqa. She brought it to school, and we mothers were invited to try it on. I immediately felt anxious at being completely enveloped by a garment that even restricted my view of the people around me. It was like being swallowed by an octopus.

I do not have a problem with women who choose to wear hijab, unless their dress restricts their

In what appeared a “gift from heaven” at the March 10 2026, Beaufort City Council meeting, the City was offered a $2 271 600 contract from Clarendon Farms, LLC, to purchase about 31 acres in the long-failed, City-owned Beaufort Commerce Park. This money could go really far in making the City whole after it foolishly purchased the 210-acre commerce park in 2012 on the heels of the County's abject failure to develop it. The City’s original 2012 purchase price of $1 8 million, when added to the staggering millions that were handed to developers for infrastructure and other improvements, means the taxpayer was on the hook

slaves buried in a plantation cemetery. Or, possibly, Native American bones.”

What we know for sure was that there was an outbreak of yellow fever in Port Royal in 1877. We know a lot about that epidemic because a doctor, Manning Simons, came down to Port Royal and tended to the sick and dying.

Dr. Simons’ made notes of that visit.

“Port Royal is not a city; it is a scattering, and, under the circumstances in which we saw it, (an) unhappy looking country village, located on the southeasterly extremity of Beaufort Island …”

“The town and its surroundings were but sparingly shaded with trees, and such as were there, were small and scattered oaks. Whether this absence of trees was the work of the axe or to original failure of growth, we did not discover, but are inclined to attribute it to the latter cause.”

“On the water front are located the extensive warehouses and wharves of the Port Royal Railroad, and it is within a stone’s throw of these structures that the main portion of the Town is clustered.”

Dr. Simons then gets round to the disease.

Simons cites the Town’s census (231); the total number of afflicted patients (183); and the total who died (25). It is interesting to note that of those 25 deaths, 24 were white people, 1 was “colored.”

Simons also made notes about the progress of the disease — from the first, forbidding chills to 105 degree fever to death (for some).

He describes the color of their vomit, black; the color of their skin, mahogany; and he spends a lot of time trying to determine which particular ship may have brought the pathogen to the Town.

But Simons doesn’t mention mosquitoes because then, in 1877, we had not figured-out that the mosquito carried this virus from one person to the next. That discovery would come in 1900, in Cuba.

Simons also names each of his patients and the progress of their illness,

“On the 26th, Mrs. Lunt was taken sick, and she died on the 29th, having vomited a ‘dark stuff’ as described by her husband … She lived in a house called ‘Wilkins Store,’ and we have heard since that she had been requested to wash the clothes from the Steamer Mexican. This she refused to do, but it was done by a colored woman who lived on the same premises.”

Simons doesn’t mention when or where Mrs. Lunt was buried. But he does mention a “Mr. Stickney who nursed two of the most malignant

Hell hath no fury

ability to be understood. A woman in medieval dress was normal to me as I attended a Catholic elementary school.

In those days, the sisters wore ankle-length black dresses, white wimples that encircled their faces, and long black veils. My earliest memories of school include the smell of lavender, the clack-clack of rosary beads, and the fear of the horrible thing that would happen if the veil touched me as Sister Leon walked up and down the aisles.

When I was teaching at Technical College of the Lowcountry, a student in full abaya with a veil over the lower part of her face entered class one semester. When she spoke, I could not understand her, and I guessed it was the face veil. I became increasingly frustrated with her obscured words when she sat three or four

rows from the front. I asked her to move closer.

In the second month, she washed out of class for lack of attendance which solved any continued misunderstanding we might have had due to clothing. In a free country such as ours, wearing hijab is a choice any woman is free to make. In Iran and Afghanistan, woman cannot make such a choice. They must scrupulously cover hair and body. Since the Great Skedaddle from Afghanistan under the Biden Administration, there is no telling what suffering women have endured under the revitalized Taliban. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, written about Afghani women in the years leading up to the first Taliban regime, can give us an idea.

In Iran, where the nearly half century reign of the theocratic dictators has forced women to wear hijab, we have an idea of what women have suffered for daring to take off their head coverings. Being jailed is the usual penalty. Occasionally, the morality police go overboard and murder a woman such as Mahsa Jina Amini whose “crime” was not adequately covering her hair.

Protests that arose following

Ms. Amini’s death in 2022 resulted in the deaths of 500 people, wounding of thousands, and jailing of 20 000 people whose crime was dissent.

I have recently read of women having their eyes poked out for wearing mascara. Even more tragic is the story of a girl who was raped four times beginning at age nine and was hanged at age 16 because “she was the offender.”

The thugs who have controlled Iran still have the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Narges Mohammadi, locked up in Tehran’s Evin Prison. She has been sentenced multiple times to decades of incarceration because she stood up for every woman’s right to be considered a human being.

In the United States, the usual rent-a-mob has been protesting Operation Epic Fury. Female demonstrators have actually put on versions of hijab.

I expect that they are putting these outfits on as a kind of theatrical costume. They really need to wear hijab for at least a week to fully appreciate their cultural appropriation.

Obviously, they know not what they do.

There are many issues to debate regarding Operation Epic

Has the City stolen defeat from the jaws of victory?

for well over $3 million! Therefore, one would think unloading 31 acres of this park for $2,271,600 dollars would be a slam dunk by City Council. Well, not really, as it happens. What wasn’t disclosed to the public at Tuesday’s meeting was an apparent side agreement whereby $1 million of this $2 2 million-plus dollars would be “given”

to the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC) headed by Executive Director, John O'Toole. It is alleged BCEDC would then seek approval to “give” this million dollars to a Bluffton developer to build a common spec building at the Commerce Park, thereby netting the developer millions off the city taxpayers. When questioned by one council member about this million dollar “kick back,” O’Toole quickly cautioned against using the word “kick back” and instead described the money as an “incentive.” However, if $1 million of taxpayers’ hard-earned money “passes through” the BCEDC to this Bluffton developer, how could it be viewed any other way?

And if that wasn’t outrageous enough … City Council is also considering giving the BCEDC control of what purports to be $600 000 of value in the form of “fill dirt” on these 31 acres. It’s alleged the BCEDC will then give this fill dirt to this same developer to defray site improvement costs (yet another “kick back”?), netting this developer even more money. Therefore, in total, the City of Beaufort is actually considering giving $1 6 million of your money to this Bluffton developer, all apparently orchestrated and facilitated by the BCEDC. And the $1 6 million dollars in alleged “kick back” side agreements were reportedly discussed in work

sessions and presumably negotiated in executive session, all attended and apparently approved by Scott Marshall, Beaufort’s city manager.

cases breathing daily the nightly atmosphere of the sick room.” Stickney himself contracted the disease but survived.

On a personal note, I’ve got to wonder whether this courageous man, “Stickney” was, indeed, actually named “Stickley,” who lived at 917 9th Street — the house that my wife and I occupy today. The Port Royal epidemic in 1877 appears to have been the last reported outbreak of this disease in South Carolina. In 1900 Cuban doctors discovered that the mosquito was the “vector” for this disease and today there is an effective vaccine. Whether or not these newly found bones are connected to 1877 remains a mystery.

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

Fury. Was Iran weeks away from creating small nuclear warheads that could have been delivered via ballistic missile to U.S. bases in the Mideast and Europe? Did Israel push the U.S. into this war? Unlike previous Presidents’ use of military options, was Congressional approval needed in this case? Are people who think we should leave the ayatollahs in power protesting because they sincerely believe that a regime that declared “death to America” for 47 years will change with more plane loads of cash? Are they protesting because they believe each and every action President Trump undertakes is wrong?

The one issue that we should all agree on is that women in Iran are totally repressed, and Operation Epic Fury, if successful, will liberate them. Perhaps this should be renamed “Operation Hell Hath No Fury.” Certainly, the scorned and abused women of Iran deserve recognition and justice.

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

Beaufort City Council, please tell the BCEDC to remove itself from this transaction. Please direct the City Attorney, Ben Coppage, to close on the $2 271 600 purchase and sale agreement with Clarendon Farms, LLC, as well as the fill-dirt agreement in the name of the City of Beaufort. Please then take the money and allocate it toward fixing the failing Waterfront Park, not to a Bluffton developer who’s gotten "cozy" with the BCEDC.

"Stop the steal” and ensure this property sale

benefits tax-paying Beaufortonians and not another developer who's just looking for a quick buck! And the BCEDC's reported exploitation of the City of Beaufort and its people must be stopped.

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.

LOUISE MATHEWS

GRAHAM TRASK

Instead of lowering income tax, dump sales tax exemptions

The unhealthy obsession among Republicans in the state legislature to cut income taxes is bad tax policy.

From a strategic perspective, it’s unbalanced in the tax structure to diminish the role of income taxes in the revenue stream that the state of South Carolina collects to pay for things like education, roads, health care, green space and government services that civilize our lives. From an economic perspective, it’s unfair, too.

Cutting income taxes for those on the rich end of the income scale means that people who pay a larger share in taxes on sales — poorer and working class South Carolinians — will pick up a larger share of the total tax burden.

For years, South Caro -

Slina had a fairly balanced three-legged stool of taxes that generated state revenues through a blend of property, sales and income taxes. There were some fees, but they weren’t a huge chunk of revenue.

But since Republicans took control of the General Assembly in the early 2000 s, there’s been a slow burn to cut, cut, cut. First went revenues on personal property taxes in a tax shift that raised sales taxes to cut taxes for property

owners (i.e. those with more means). As that third leg of the stool (property taxes) started withering, lawmakers grew a new third leg by raising lots of fees for services, increasing prices on everything from professional licenses to drivers’ licenses.

And now comes the GOP obsession with cutting income taxes. It was designed originally as a tax to cost richer people more to balance the regressive burden of sales taxes that hit the poor harder

Twenty years ago, a think tank I ran called the Center for a Better South published a policy book on how legislatures in the South could do better to make taxes fairer.

One of the principles in the book was for legis -

latures to broaden their sales tax base: “Each Southern state should abolish sales tax holidays and review sales tax exemptions to eliminate those that don’t meet contemporary needs.”

South Carolina lawmakers, however, have taken the path to narrow the income tax base. That might be good for election-year politics, but from a tax structure standpoint, narrowing the base is risky because it assumes (and you know what happens if you do that) that growth will continue. And if it doesn’t? Surpluses go away. And a revenue crisis ensues.

To boost tax fairness, lawmakers shouldn’t fiddle with income taxes, leaving it as a counterbalance to regressive sales taxes. But

lawmakers could reduce the burden of sales tax on poorer South Carolina by reducing the sales tax rates. How? By dramatically curbing special-interest sales tax exemptions that lobbyists and interest groups have gotten from the legislature.

Just two years ago, South Carolina lost an estimated $4 billion annually in sales tax revenue because it exempted so many things from the tax. But by getting rid of exemptions and keeping the income tax the same, state lawmakers could actually make a policy decision to lower the sales tax rate, which would help regular people. (The loss in South Carolina from exemptions has tripled in 20 years — in 2007, the exemption revenue loss was $1 34 billion.)

Bottom line: When you read about the GOP slapping itself on the back for cutting income taxes, realize what it really means: they’re celebrating giving their well-to-do buddies another tax break at the expense of the regular taxpayer. It also means they’re unwilling to do the work to improve tax fairness by reining in billions of special-interest sales tax exemptions like those above that could go a long way to cutting the overall sales tax rate and make the tax code fairer to all — regardless of what they do about income taxes.

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

A current definition of obscenity

omewhere in my travels, through the definitions of words and the characterizations of men’s actions, obscenity became defined in terms of a comparison: something decent, valued, and true, contrasted with something base, corrupt, and false.

Always, a contrast was integral to a definition of obscenity. Today, that comparison contrasts decency and truth with sleaze and unmitigated lies.

Earnest Hemingway, speaking of the debacle that was World War I, wrote about obscenity in his novel “A Farewell to Arms.”

“I had seen nothing sacred, and the things that were glorious had no glory — abstract words such as glory, courage, or hallowed — were all obscene.”

Obscene, not because of the men who died there, but rather because of those who led them into a lie.

There are lies we recognize, lies we are fooled by, and lies we know as lies but choose to ignore — falsities juxtaposed on truths — obscenities. If we fail to call them what they are, they will defile us as much as they do those who

Lutter them.

Lies are allowing our waters to be polluted, our air to be fouled, our climate compromised, the respect due our courts diminished, our politics corrupted, and our prejudices and intolerances to descend to hatreds, then to violence against each other.

All this is based on a stupidity we should recognize, as we have seen it all before, a stupidity that Pulitzer-Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts described so well:

“It’s the stupid of cold hearts and closed minds. It’s mean stupid, ugly stupid, the stupid of those whose appeal is always to that which is most base, most smug, most self-satisfied. It’s a frightening, sickening, eternal kind of stupid.”

It’s a kind of stupid we face

today.

With a name like mine, I’ve known name-calling, but it stopped for me around the first grade. Not so for our soldiers — they have been called “suckers and losers.”

Making fun of people whose injuries or disabilities are apparent was never in vogue, but they are barred from military parades.

Professional journalists, whose job is to convey accurate information, to ask the hard questions, and make the probing inquiries, are characterized as purveyors of “Fake News” and are barred from the Pentagon and other press briefings.

Investigative photographers at the Pentagon are barred from press briefings because they have taken “unflattering pictures.”

Our president has made baseless assertions about elections, casting unsubstantiated doubt on results that have been validated time and time again.

On Sept. 24 2020, the FBI director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate: “We have not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud in a

major election, whether by mail or otherwise.”

Many others have echoed this conclusion, and no substantial fraud has been found in any contemporary national or statewide election.

Elaine Kamarck, writing in the Oct. 28, 2024 edition of Brookings, the publication of The Brookings Institution, discusses the results of a voter fraud investigation conducted by The Heritage Foundation. Here’s what they found:

Elections in seven states were looked at: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

I’ll take my home state of Michigan first: They looked back 17 years at 26 midterm, presidential, or special elections in which 64,520,604 ballots had been cast.

The number of fraudulent ballots discovered was 19. A fraud rate of 0 0000294%

In North Carolina, they looked back 38 years at 39 such elections 81 677 000 votes were cast, of which 58 were determined to be fraudulent, an error rate of 0 0000710%

The highest fraud rate was in

Nevada, where over a period of 13 years in 14 such elections, a total of 8,506,824 ballots were cast. Only eight cases of fraud were found, an error rate of 0000940%

Voter fraud has always been a serious concern, which is why there are so many protections built into the system to prevent it. In all elections, both Democrats and Republicans have teams of lawyers and other observers in counting rooms, where the counting is done openly using a sophisticated system operated by experienced people, many of whom are our neighbors.

As the above study and others repeatedly show, it’s a system that works. To say our elections produce fraudulent results is, simply, a lie.

Too many people have served, fought, and died for this country to allow a lie to destroy it. That would be mean, base, ugly, and stupid.

It would be an obscenity.

Doug Pugh is a retired judge from northern Michigan. He and his wife are wintering on Fripp Island and are pleased to be there. He can be reached at pughda@gmail.com.

Arts, humanity, creativity in the AI age

ike most folks, I am grateful for the benefits offered by Amazon, Google, Spotify, and similar services. I read how AI will allow vendors to know more about me and adjust their algorithm, so they present me with targeted choices. That’s good business but it removes the possibility that we will like things that we don’t know exist. I am attracted to creative people and unique creations. Beaufort was once listed as a top 100 small art towns in America. Maybe we still are. Please consider these quotes:

“Art acts as a vital conduit for the human spirit, serving as a medium for self-expression, emotional release, and spiritual connection throughout history. From ancient sacred rituals to modern abstract art, it connects humanity and provides a space for contemplation and personal growth.”

DICK STEWART

Source? Google AI!

“Cultural Significance: As a reflection of human experience, art is the ‘highest expression’ of the human spirit and a ‘cornerstone of civilization.’” From a Facebook post.

Local art and culture

The great Pat Conroy wrote “Jonathan Green, an artist indigenous to Beaufort County is … painting the autobiography of his childhood. He paints what made him, the source he issued out of, the forms that inspired his rare sensibility. It is this singular, unshakable vision that gives his work

its aura of astonishing originality. Each one of his paintings looks as though it were a commemorative stamp imagined out of the backcountry of Jonathan Green’s unconscious. He is the immaculate real thing, and his art is a cry of pure love for his community, his family, and the geography of the Carolina Sea Islands.”

Please read Pat’s complete forward to “Gullah Images:, The Art of Jonathan Green.” Watch for the opening of The Jonathan Green Maritime Center in partnership with USCB. Muse?

A muse is a person, force or inspiration that sparks creativity and genius. Originating from the nine Greek goddesses of art and science.

Recently some nice folks asked me what they might do to understand this area. I suggested that they put aside their devices, go to a

quiet spot along the marsh under a large live oak tree and just listen. Listen to the sounds of the marsh, the oysters, the birds, the dolphins, the breezes in the trees. Watch the tide move in or out as it shapes us with its massive unrelenting flows. I told them that when I sit and listen, the experience resonates within me in a way that is not intellectual. It’s almost spiritual. I theorize that we all carry within us an echo of the generations of humans that’s come before us, that have lived along these waterways under these trees. Their survival and humanity were shaped by this place. Do you have that feeling? That experience acts a muse for me and inspires me. I know it inspires others.

Find your muse

Go to the wonderful “Chalk it Up” festival

hosted by The Freedman Arts District in downtown Beaufort. The Beaufort Art Association Spring Show offers inspiration on display.

Bonnie Hargrove and her team at USCB consistently offer entertainment and creativity. Jonathan Greene’s generous decision to bring his Maritime Cultural Center to Beaufort is reason to celebrate.

Find your muse. Find those things that resonate in you. Challenge yourself to know yourself better. Create the you that you want to be.

A muse of a city

An artist friend inspired by the area suggested Beaufort is “a muse of a city.” What do you think? I sit on a dock with my cup of coffee, the love of my life, and the richness of this place. I don’t know how to communicate that special feeling to my

grandchildren or how I can share my gratitude for this life.

I’m hopeful that art, in some form — painting, photography, sculpture, dance, music, or food — will be the conduit that allows me to express this part of me to the people I care about. I’m not asking AI or any search engine to help me with this search. It’s my joy to search in person in the real world. A relative newcomer to Beaufort suggested the spark of creativity is ready to burst into flame in Beaufort. I agree. Let the warming fire begin. Let’s see what you and our neighbors and friends create.

Thanks for reading.

Dick Stewart serves on several nonprofit boards, is a former member of Beaufort County Council and has invested in properties in Beaufort including properties along Waterfront Park. You can send your thoughts to Stewartthoughts@gmail.com.

ANDY BRACK

DOUG PUGH

LOCAL MILITARY

Traditions Groundbreaking

U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Ahmed T. Williamson, the commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, and the Eastern Recruiting Region, speaks to guests Thursday, March 5, 2026, during the Traditions groundbreaking ceremony on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. The new Traditions, a restaurant welcoming all ranks and their families, is set to open summer of 2027. Cpl. Noelia Vazquez/USMC

A set of design drawings of the new Traditions building sits on display during the Traditions groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, March 5, 2026, on Marine Corpse Recruit Depot Parris Island. The new Traditions, a restaurant welcoming all ranks and their families, is set to open summer of 2027. Cpl. Noelia Vazquez/USMC

DoD’s TAP Program essential to successful separation from the military, future success, Part 4

Ths article is the fourth in a series of four about how the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Programs (TAP) are essential for a successful separation from the military and a key to future success.

US Navy (Continued)

NAVY Transition Tools are found at the Navy TAPS webpage

links for:

The DoD 2015 TAP Curriculum titled “Managing Your Transition,” https://bit. ly/3P502Jl. The DoD/Navy FY24 Pre-Separation Presentation, https://bit.ly/4bsimnb. The Navy Assessment Profiler, https://onetinterestprofiler.org.

CNIC Transition guidance, https://bit.ly/4cRotns. DMDC TAP Online Access, https://bit.ly/4bpqq7Z. Navy TAP Counselor Tool, https://bit.ly/4sU46uC.

TAP Military Leaders/Sailors Guide, https://tapevents.mil/ courses/363 TAP Self-Assessment Worksheet, https://www.dodtap. mil/dodtap/app/resources. TAP Course/CRS Requirements, https://bit.ly/4sU4aum.

FY24 TAP Navy Reserve Benefits Brief, https://bit. ly/3PFUsNv. Navy Continuum of Service Video, https://bit.ly/4t9pxYL. NAVY TAPS website helpful links include: What do you want to do for a living? Webpage, https:// www.mynextmove.org/vets/.

Sailors can search careers with keywords, browse careers by industry, and use their military skills to get suggested civilian careers at this site and find links to VETERANS.GOV (the DOL site), The National Resource Directory, eBenefits, VA Careers and Employment, and APRENTICESHIPUSA (Apprenticeship Job Finder at https://www.apprenticeship. gov/apprenticeship-job-finder). Links to DoDI 1332 35 TAP for Military, 26 Sep 2019 OPNAVINST 1900 2D TAP, 1 May 2023

Sailors needing career, or pay, or personnel help should call MyNavy Career Center at 883-330-

MNCC (6622) or 901-874-6622

The Navy Personnel Command address is 5720 Integrity Drive, Attention: PERS or BUPERS, Millington, TN 38055-0000

US Air Force

The USAF TAP information is available at https://bit. ly/4lB6B2m. Service members can receive assistance with completing transition requirements by contacting the closest Military and Family Readiness Center. The closest installation is available at https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/. The webpage includes: (1) Initial Counseling details, (2) Pre-Separation Counseling, (3) TAP Core Curriculum, (4) Two-Day Tracks, (5) CAPSTONE, and (6) Goals and Background.

The USAF TAP webpage provides the following resources: 1) Commander Fact Sheet-TAP 2023; 2) CRS & CAPSTONE; 3) DAF IPT 2023 Optional Longer; 4) DODI1332 35_AF136-3037; 5) Individual Transition Plan 2022; 6) TAP Participant Assessment Flyer; 7) TAP Roadmap RSVD 2-28; 8) TAP RoadmapV2, and 9) TAP Online Resources.

The following Online Courses are available at the USAF TAPS webpage https://www.tapevents. mil/courses: 1) Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition; 2) Financial Planning for Transition; 3) Managing Your (MY) Transition; 4) Military Occupational Code Crosswalk; 5) VA Benefits and Services, and Wounded Warrior/Caregiver -- online Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition (EFCT).

US Coast Guard

The USCG TAP information is available at https:// bit.ly/3Nt0aBQ. Coast Guard Members are required to begin the transition process 365 days prior to separation/retirement and must complete the following mandatory components: 1) Self-assessment; 2) Individual initial counseling; 3) Pre-separation Counseling; and 4) TAP, encompassing the core curriculum.

USCG members must contact the Regional Work-Life Transition Coordinator to begin their transition.

USCG TAP Components include:

1 Mandatory Initial Counseling (IC)/self-assessment to be completed 365 days or more before release from active duty.

2 Mandatory Pre-Separation Counseling at least 365 days or more before release from active duty. Updated Pre-Separation Guides/ Presentations are available under Transition Tools.

3 Mandatory TAP Core Curriculum, includes: • Attendance at DHS Transition Day, Managing My Transition, Military Occupation Code crosswalk, and Financial Planning, Veterans Administration Benefits and Service brief, and DOL’s One-day Employment Fundamentals of Transition.

4 Selection of Two-Day Track: Those assessed with Tier I and II may be waived from participating in the track requirement. However, they may attend a track if they desire. Tier III personnel must select at least one of the following tracks: a) Employment Track: Employment Workshop; b) Education Track: Managing Your Education; c) Vocational Track: Career/Credential Exploration; or d) Entrepreneurship Track: Boots to Business.

5 Mandatory CAPSTONE event. Must be completed no later than 90 days before separation. If a Coast Guard member is unable to contact the Transition Manager or needs assistance, they should contact the Headquarters Transition Assistance Manager, Mr. Rodney Whaley, at 202-475-5158 or by email at Rodney.B.Whaley@uscg.mil.

All required TAP core courses and additional Transition courses are available on TAPevents.mil. If completing online courses, ensure you are connected with the HSWL Regional Transition Manager to complete the required work.

The USCG TAP webpage includes the following information:

1 Individual Transition Plan Deliverables. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4sd2BaB.

2 Career Readiness Standards (CRS). Learn more at https://bit.ly/4sq5C7y.

3 Contact Your Transition/ Relocation Manager. Learn more at https://bit.ly/47CtPzf.

4 Transition TAP Tool Kit. Learn more at https://bit. ly/4uxNni1

5 Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Resources, which includes external links to: DOL American Job Centers, DOL Employment Workshop Participant Guide/Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), DOL Gold Card Certificate, Hero2Hired (H2H), Joint Knowledge Online, The Small Business Administration, SBA Veterans Business Outreach Centers, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA E-Benefits, Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents, VA, Veterans Services, and Veterans Success, CG Support – Toll Free 1 855-247-8778, DoD TAP, Americas Relocation Home Services, Association for Service Disabled Veterans (ASDV), Center for Women Veterans, FHA, Helmets to Hardhats, Hiring Our Heroes, Joint Service Transcript, Military Spouse Career Center, MOAA, National Family Association, National Resource Directory, Non-Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA), O*NET Online, Service2school (S2S), Sustainable Communities Hot Report, TRICARE for Life, US Census Bureau, Veterans’ Employment Center, World Chamber of Commerce, and the following Career websites: Beyond, CareerBuilder, Monster. com. True Careers, and USA Jobs.

U.S. Space Force

The U.S. Space Force TAP information is available at https:// bit.ly/4s8mgbQ. The Space Force TAP webpage provides TAP infor-

mation at https://bit.ly/4uzytI2 Space Force members can receive assistance by contacting the closest Military and Family Readiness Center. The closest installation can be found at https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/. The Space Force TAP webpage includes the following information: 1) Initial Counseling details; 2) Pre-Separation Counseling; 3) TAP Core Curriculum; 4) TwoDay Tracks; 5) CAPSTONE; and 6) Goals and Background.

The Space Force TAP webpage also provides 1) Commander Fact Sheet-TAP 2023; 2) CRS_AND_CAPSTONE; 3) DAF IPT 2023 Optional Longer; 4) DODI1332 35_AF136-3037; 5) Individual Transition Plan 2022; 6) TAP Participant Assessment Flyer; 7) TAP Roadmap RSVD 2-28; 8) TAP RoadmapV2; and 9) TAP Online Resources.

The following TAP Online Courses are available at the US Space Force TAPS webpage https://www.tapevents.mil/courses: 1) Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition; 2) Financial Planning for Transition; 3) Managing Your (MY) Transition; 4) Military Occupational Code (MOC) Crosswalk; 5) VA Benefits and Services, and Wounded Warrior and Caregiver -- online Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition (EFCT).

Service members can receive assistance with completing transition requirements by contacting the closest Military and Family Readiness Center. The closest installation can be found at https:// installations.militaryonesource. mil/. This concludes the series of four articles on TAP.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past VA-accredited VSO, a Patient Adviser at Charleston and Durham VA Hospitals, a Fisher House Charleston/Friends of Fisher House Charleston Goodwill Ambassador, and the Veterans Benefits Adviser for his local Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA)

LARRY DANDRIDGE

SERVICE DIRECTORY

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Christ Is Risen!

Good Friday was a disaster.

Earlier in the week, all had been going as the apostles expected. As Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover celebrations, the crowds had cheered him as a king: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matt 21:9) But now everything was turned upside down. Jesus had been arrested and executed, and they had abandoned their friend in his time of need. Their hearts were filled with grief, shame, and doubt.

Was Jesus not who he claimed to be?

He had claimed to be divine, and he had worked many miracles to support this claim: casting out demons, healing the sick, and even raising the dead! But now he had been crucified on a hill outside of the city, the mocking inscription “King of the Jews” above his head. Had they been wrong about him? Had their faith in him been misplaced?

Everything changed on Sunday.

Terrified of being arrested, the apostles had been hiding behind locked doors. We can imagine their astonishment when, on Sunday afternoon, Jesus suddenly appeared in the room with them! He was no longer dead; he was alive! He spoke to them with love and encouragement. He reassured them that he was real, not a ghost: “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” (Luke 24:39) For forty days, Jesus appeared often in this way and prepared his followers for their coming mission.

The apostles rejoiced!

Their sorrow had turned into the greatest joy! And almost two thousand years later, the resurrection of Jesus is still our greatest reason for joy. It means that Jesus really is who he claimed to be! He is not a lunatic, nor a liar, but truly the Lord. Everything he taught and revealed is true. God is real; heaven exists; eternal joy is possible.

Christ’s victory is our victory!

The resurrection of Jesus means that the crucifixion was not his defeat, but actually his moment of victory! Jesus has conquered sin and death. United with Christ, we too can share in the glory of his resurrection; death will not have the last word in our lives! Even in moments of sorrow and hardship, we too can exclaim with joy, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ...Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor 15: 55-57)