FABB blames BOE for books banned statewide
Though just 1 parent complains, Board has final say
By Delayna Earley The Island News
After the May South Carolina Board of Education meeting, the state now leads the country in the highest number of books banned in public schools.
The number of books banned from S.C. public school libraries has now been raised to 21 books after the state Board voted to remove an additional 10 books that they had previously tabled pending further discussion in April’s monthly meeting.
More than half of the books banned were submitted for review by Beaufort County resident Elizabeth “Ivie” Szalai, who previ-
ously attempted to have a list of 97 books removed from public school libraries within Beaufort County School District and resulted in a book review process involving the community that lasted more than a year.
Szalai argues that the challenged books should be removed because they contain explicit sexual descriptions and depictions that are not appropriate for a K-12 school setting and students.
With the passage of Regulation 43-170 in 2024, which allows books that contain visual depictions and descriptions of sexual conduct to
SEE BOOKS PAGE A4
eaufort’s Waterfront Park was packed with graduates, family and friends during the 2025 TCL Graduation on Friday, May 9 S.C. Rep. Shannon Erickson of Beaufort gave the commencement address. Jeff Evans/ The Island News
Mace sues man she accused of sex crimes
Public figures must show ‘actual malice’ to win a defamation case
By Shaun Chornobroff SCDailyGazette.com
A lawsuit filed Monday by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace claims one of the men she targeted in a shocking speech in Congress defamed her on social media in the weeks afterward.
The 1st District congresswoman accuses Eric Bowman of “repeatedly and maliciously” damaging her reputation following her hourlong speech in February, for which she’s being sued for defamation by another man she named.
Bowman has said more lawsuits are likely, but he meant against her.
All four men, who include Mace’s ex-fiancé, have vehemently denied her accusations from the U.S. House floor that they committed “some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable.”
Bowman, a Sullivans Island software developer, called the lawsuit filed in Charleston County court “headline theater.” Mace claims Bowman “acted with reckless disregard to the truth and with actual malice towards Rep. Mace through his utter disregard of and callousness to her rights as a South Carolinian in purposely making such knowingly false declarations,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit cites Bowman’s posts on X, formerly Twitter, between Feb. 27 — 17 days after her speech — and March 17
In that nearly hour-long speech broadcast live on C-SPAN, Mace accused the men of an array of sexual crimes, including raping and videotaping women without their knowledge.
Mace said she was among the victims. All four men immediately denied her claims.
At the time, the state Law Enforcement Division confirmed it
Nancy Mace addresses constituents during a Town Hall meeting at Dataw Island on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
A photo illustration made from the 10 books banned this month by the S.C. Board of Education. Delayna Earley/The Island News
LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS
The Island News publisher Jeff Evans took this photo of Drew Manning and Austin Felice facing off Friday, May 9, on the new pickleball courts at Southside Park in Beaufort. 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 MIKE TOLLISON
American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Mike Tollison, 83, who joined the United States Naval Reserve in Greenville, S.C., in 1963. After Boot Camp at Great Lakes, Ill., he trained as a Storekeeper. While in the reserves he worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He was commissioned in 1968 and trained as a Nuclear Weapons Technical Ordnance Officer at Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, N.M. In 1970 he returned to the
reserves and the TVA in Chattanooga, Tenn. In 1985 he returned to active duty to write manuals for training reserves. In 1987 he was assigned as Officer in Charge for recruiting officers and enlisted from West Virginia,
ON THIS DATE
May 16
2019: The Battery Creek High School softball team wins the Class 3A state championship, defeating Union County, 2-1, at Battery Creek. Senior pitcher Alexis Ortiz hurled a one-hitter and hit the go-ahead solo home run in the fourth inning for the Dolphins, just two batters after Emily Crosby homered to tie the game at 1. Ortiz pitched all 48 postseason innings for BC, striking out 66 and surrendering just 4 runs.
May 17
1562: Two French ships, led by Huguenot Jean Ribault, which had sailed north from Florida, enter the Port Royal Sound, and Ribault names the large natural harbor Port Royal. Ribault decided to establish a permanent settlement on what is now known as Parris Island. His men constructed a fort – Charlesfort – and 26 men, led by Albert de la Pierria, an experienced soldier, are left behind when Ribault departs for France on June 11, 1562 The fort is occupied for less than a year.
May 18
2019: Hilton Head Island’s Cohen Bruner, 16, and sister Skyler Bruner, 14, win the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, in the
Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and the western parts of Pennsylvania and New York. In 1991 he was assigned in Norfolk as OIC of the Career Information Team providing counseling for separating members of all the services in the area. In 1995 he began service at the Naval Academy as Director of the 150th Academy Anniversary and later as an instructor in English and Ethics. He retired in 1997 as a Captain (O-6) with 33 years of service. He then taught middle and high school in North Carolina
and Texas before becoming the contract civilian Dean of Military Education at the Navy’s Great Lakes Training Center. His final professional experience was as Deputy Director for Military Education for San Diego City College. In 2017 he and his wife moved to Yemassee. He is a member of MOAA, ROA, DAV and AMVETS.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
May 20
2013: Art Director Hope Falls is hired as an intern by The Island News
May 21
2022: An afternoon of sailing takes a near-tragic turn for former City of Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling when his boat overturns, throwing both Billy and his brother Paul Keyserling into the Beaufort River. While witnesses said that initially both Billy and Paul were alert and appeared to be uninjured, within minutes Billy was unresponsive, and saving his life became a critical race against time for the passing boaters who attempted his rescue. Other boaters pulled Billy Keyserling from the water, performed CPR and rushed him to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he was initially admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a respirator. The then-73-yearold Keyserling, who suffered broken ribs but recovered, served three terms as mayor of Beaufort. He was first elected in 2008 and ran unopposed in 2012 and 2016. He opted not to run in 2020
Beaufort River Swim. The siblings’ father, Carlton Bruner, swam for the United States
PAL PETS OF THE WEEK
Dog of the Week
Salma was a wonderful mother to her puppies, and now it's time to find a home of her own. She's a kindhearted girl who enjoys the company of other dogs. Salma loves her walks and is well behaved on a leash. She's also a bit of a couch potato, always ready to curl up for some quiet time. And who could blame her after raising all those puppies! She's a super smart, laid-back, 2-year-old girl who is ready to walk right into your heart and home without ever looking back.
Cat of the Week Winken is a warm, friendly 1-year-old girl with a zest for life!
She loves being the center of attention, and she'll always greet you at the door. She is curious
– Compiled by Mike McCombs
about everything and loves to be involved. With this lively, affectionate girl by your side, you'll never be lonely! Winken is ready to brighten your days and fill your home with joy. She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.
For more information about Salma, Winken or any of our other pets, call PAL at 843-645-1725 or email Info@ PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.
– Compiled by Lindsay Perry
Do you value your free hometown newspaper – made by locals, for locals? Free news isn’t cheap. Please help support The Island News!
Donations gratefully accepted at www.yourislandnews.com or The Island News, PO Box 550, Beaufort, SC 29901
Mike Tollison
Battery Creek’s Emily Crosby is congratulated after she hit a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday, May 16, 2019, to tie the game against the Union County Yellow Jackets at Battery Creek High School. The Dolphins went on to win, 2-1, and win the Class 3A state championship. File photo
Gunman in drive-by shooting that killed
5-year-old guilty of murder
Staff reports
A Beaufort man is headed to prison for firing several shots into a home in the Wagon Branch area of Jasper County in 2021, killing a 5-year-old boy.
Gregory Harris Scott, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday in Jasper County General Sessions Court in Ridgeland to the murder of DeAndre Robinson, who was struck by gunfire while playing with his father in the front bedroom of his grandmother’s home.
Scott also pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime and discharging a firearm into a dwelling. He was sentenced to 30 years.
Trasi Campbell of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case. Scott was to stand trial May 19 but decided to change his plea.
Scott’s sister, Mittie Scott, 30, is charged as an accessory before the fact of murder and as an accessory after the fact of murder. She once lived next door to the house on Wagon Branch Loop with Robinson’s uncle. No trial date has been set for Mittie Scott. She is innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
On Dec. 28 2021, the Jasper
County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Wagon Branch area of Jasper County after receiving a report of a drive-by shooting. Robinson was shot through the shoulder and chest while jumping on a bed inside the home. His father was in the room with him and covered his son when he heard the gunfire ripping through the house. He then crawled with his son to an area at the rear of the house.
When the gunfire ceased, Robinson’s father realize his son had been shot. Robinson was driven to the Ridgeland Fire Department by his father and grandmother, who also was in the home during the shooting. An ambulance met them
there to take the boy to Coastal Carolina Hospital, but Robinson went into cardiac arrest and died en route.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division Child Fatality Task Force investigated the crime. Scott had no previous criminal record.
Circuit Court Carmen T. Mullen handed down the sentence.
Campbell is a member of the Career Criminal Unit, which prosecutes the circuit’s most violent and habitual offenders. This team has earned convictions against 514 of the 566 defendants it has prosecuted since its formation in 2009
Immigration attorney to speak at Indivisible Beaufort meeting
Staff reports Sebastian Hernandez Sanchez will be the guest speak at the next Indivisible Beaufort Meeting at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 17 at the St. Helena Branch Library at 6355 Jonathon Francis Sr. Road.
Hernandez Sanchez is an immigration attorney and the founder of Hernandez Sanchez Law LLC, an immigration law firm based in Bluffton. The firm focuses on offering a full spectrum of immigration services. His expertise lies in helping victims of human trafficking navigate complex relief options.
Hernandez Sanchez, a Colombian immigrant, moved to the United States at age 7, settling in Beaufort County. He earned his Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in General Economics, magna cum laude, from Armstrong State University.
A firm believer in community outreach a5nd legal education, Hernandez Sanchez continues to work on bridging the gap between immigrants and accessible legal resources. His work is driven by a personal understanding of the immigrant experience and a commitment to helping others find security and opportunity in the United States. The event is free and open to the public.
Council Member Howard to host meeting for Shell Point
Staff reports
County Council Member Alice Howard (District 4) will host a community meeting to discuss the Broad River Drive sidewalk project status update from the 2018 Sales Tax referendum and to provide updates on Stormwater related work. The meeting will be held Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 5 to 6 p.m. in Room 201 of the Lowcountry Montessori School at 749 Broad River Drive in Beaufort. The meeting will be an informational session for residents of the Shell Point community to connect with County staff regarding the status of the Broad River Drive sidewalk project and to learn about future stormwater work in the area. Representatives from Beaufort County Council, the Town of Port Royal, and Beaufort County Engineering will be present to share maps and updates and to answer questions. The meeting is open to the public and registration is not required. For more information, please email Council Chair Alice Howard at ahoward@bcgov.net, or call 843-986-7403
Dr. Stephenson brings a wealth of experience in family practice, community health and holistic medicine to the primary care team. Originally from North Carolina, she joins Beaufort Memorial after several years in Northern California where she served as a family medicine physician for active-duty personnel and their families at the Travis Air Force Base, while later working as a physician serving a primarily Native American population in Central California.
Scott
County Council, Council Committee meetings on the move
5 p.m. Caucus 6 p.m. Council Meeting
Monday, October 27
St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road
5 p.m. Caucus 6 p.m. Council Meeting
For more information visit Council's webpage at https://bit. ly/4anXVGQ or call the Clerk to Council's Office at 843-255-2180
Transportation Committee meetings relocated
Monday, September 22
Buckwalter Recreation Center, 905 Buckwalter Parkway
Monday, October 13 Beaufort County Court House, 102 Ribaut Road
The Beaufort County Transportation Committee will be moving its bimonthly meetings to the Technical College of the Lowcountry, 921 Ribaut Road, Building 12 Room 201. This change applies to the following dates: May 21, July 16, September 17, November 19
For more information, please call Beaufort County Engineering, 843-255-2700
Beaufort County Council and some of its committees have been playing musical chairs for the past month as the regular Council Chambers in the administrative offices on Ribaut Road are being renovated. Monday’s meeting was held, for the first time, in the former county courthouse on Bay Street.
The circa 1920 building, which currently houses the Sheriff’s Department, has served as the county courthouse and then a federal courthouse. To find out where the county officials might be gathering, visit https://www. beaufortcountysc.gov/ or call the clerk’s office at 843-255-2180. Lolita Huckaby/The Island News
United Way of the Lowcountry's Women United offering scholarships
Staff reports
United Way of the Lowcountry's Women United has announced the availability of scholarships for non-traditional female students pursuing higher education at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) or the University of South Carolina
Beaufort (USCB). These scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, aim to empower women of all ages who are balancing work, family, and their educational goals.
“We are committed to supporting the incredible women in our community
who are dedicated to their personal and professional growth,” said Women United Scholarship Committee CoChair Connie Hipp in a news release. “These scholarships are a way to remove some of the financial barriers they may face in achieving their dreams of a college degree.”
The Women United scholarship program is designed for women of all ages who are ready to take the next step in their education. Whether a single mom returning to school, a career changer, or someone looking to enhance their current skills, this scholarship can
help women in the Lowcountry achieve their goals.
To be eligible for a scholarship, female students must reside or work in Beaufort or Jasper County, have a minimum GPA of 3 0, and have made contributions to their community through volunteerism. Previous recipients are encouraged to re-apply.
To learn more about the scholarship criteria and access the online application, please visit www.uwlowcountry.org/wuscholar. The application deadline for the 2025–2026 school year is May 31, 2025
Shellfish harvesting season closes May 28
S.C. Department of Natural Resources
The 2024-2025 season for harvest of oysters, mussels, clams and all other bivalves from South Carolina's State Shellfish Grounds and Public Shellfish Grounds will close on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at one half hour after official sunset, according to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officials.
Because higher bacterial levels occur when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, shellfish harvesting during the summer months is limited to certain oyster farms that meet rigorous handling and operations requirements. Coastal waters will remain closed to recreational shellfish harvesting until the fall, when water tem-
Oyster harvesting closes in the summer when oysters spawn. Kaitlyn
Hackathorn/SCDNR
peratures begin to cool and ensure that shellfish are once again safe for harvesting and consumption.
Shellfish harvesting is expected to reopen October 1, 2025
Although shellfish harvesting
is closed to the public during the summer, the South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement (SCORE) program accepts recycled oyster shells year-round. Shell recycling drop-off locations are located throughout coastal counties and at a few inland locations. Collection sites can be found online or by calling SCDNR at 843953-9397. Other types of shell, such as clams and whelks, are also accepted.
During the summer months, SCDNR biologists return the recycled shell to shorelines, where it provides an ideal base for juvenile oysters to attach and grow, thereby replenishing harvested beds. When the quantity of shell needed to replant shellfish grounds exceeds that which is recycled, SCD-
NR must purchase shell at increasing cost. Even a modest increase in recycled shell can save a significant amount of money. SCDNR’s shellfish recycling, restoration and enhancement efforts are funded in part by saltwater recreational fishing license sales. Although oyster harvesting slows down in the summer, oyster reef construction heats up. Late spring and early summer are busy months for SCORE’s community-based oyster restoration work, in which the public is invited to work with SCDNR staff and other volunteers to create oyster habitat using recycled shell. The resulting oyster reefs provide a host of ecological services, including water filtration, nutrient cycling, and habitat for fish and invertebrates.
be banned from South Carolina public schools, books can be challenged at the district level and then escalated to the state level for the state board to decide.
Beaufort County School District has declined to act on the book challenges being submitted by Szalai within the required 90-day review period due to their recent review of all the challenged materials, so her challenges are being sent to the state board.
Mary Foster, a board member with Families Against Book Bans (FABB), said that while Szalai is the one who is submitting the complaints, the blame for this
does not rest with her, but instead with the state Board of Education who make the final decision about how to handle the complaint.
“I think it’s important for people to know that, yes, there is one complainant, but there is an entire board and some staff at the Department of Education supporting that board who are allowing this to happen,” Foster said. “I feel like the energy of frustration with this and the desire for it to improve needs to be directed at those decision makers, not at the complainant.”
Foster said that at FABB, their mission is to fight for and advocate for intellectual freedom, which is one of the reasons why they were all so disheartened by the way the vote went in the most recent meeting, especially since
the majority of the board members seemed to support reevaluating the regulation in April’s meeting since it seemed to be too vague and thus allowing for so many books to be banned.
“Most of the books being banned across the state are not used in a classroom for instruction,” Foster said. “These are books that hopefully children who have the interested in reading, who have a librarian who guides them based on their interests and life experiences and their maturity level, which are all things that the librarian is trained to take into consideration, that they would direct to these books.”
Foster said that it is also important to remember that part of the state standards for English and Language Arts is that students
would self-select and read for pleasure.
“When we take away books that some kids are choosing to read for pleasure, yeah, that’s a strange mixed message to send to our kids when we tell them how important reading is,” Foster said.
Foster said that she and other FABB members have and will continue to speak to state Board members hoping that they will make moves to amend the regulation to make it fairer and clearer.
“I have spoken to board members who say like, whether or not I agree with the regulation, the oath I take when I agree to be a board member is that I will follow the regulations,” said Foster. “And so, and I get that. My response to that is, then I would ask that you
work to make the regulation fairer and more reasonable.
Because that’s also your job.”
Of the 17 board members, two voted against the books’ removal, Dr. David O’Shields and Rev. Tony Vincent.
Szalai did not respond to a request for comment about the results of May’s board meeting.
The 10 books that were banned in May’s meeting were “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins; “Collateral” by Ellen Hopkins; “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins; “Lucky” by Alice Sebold; “Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott; “Last night at Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo; “Kingdom of Ash” by Sarah J. Maas; “Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas; “Hopeless” by Colleen Hoover; and “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie.
Before May’s meeting, the Board had reviewed 17 books and had removed 11 of them: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky; “Flamer” by Mike Curato; “Damsel” by Elana Arnold; “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson; “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas; “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas; “A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas; “A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas; “Normal People” by Sally Rooney; and “Push” by Sapphire. Delayna Earley, who
Like mother, like daughter
Two generations of 2 families take advantage of Beaufort Memorial’s PATH program
Staff reports
No matter our age, most of us look to our moms for encouragement, support and strength.
Two moms, both Beaufort Memorial PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) graduates, are offering that strength and support to their daughters as the two high school seniors follow in their footsteps.
Sabrina Cooler and Celless Anderson both entered the PATH program on the Patient Care Technician track, aspiring to take on direct patient care roles within the organization.
Cooler graduated in December and received her national certification pin in April. It was a surprise to the Collins Birthing Center employee, she said, when her youngest daughter Rihanna, a Battery Creek High School senior, entered the PATH program – an opportunity made possible by the nonprofit hospital’s partnership with the Beaufort County School District (BCSD), established earlier this year.
“I really had no clue that she was doing the PATH program,” Sabrina said. “I thought it was a wonderful opportunity.” Anderson began at Beaufort Memorial almost two decades ago in the Food & Nutrition department, eventually taking on a housekeeping role in Environmental Services.
“When I used to work in house-
was investigating Mace’s ex-fiancé. A spokeswoman said Monday the agency had nothing new to report as the investigation continues.
keeping, I’d see how the people in the nursing roles would take care of the patients,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘I need to come up here and do this!’” Anderson graduated from the program’s third cohort in April 2023 and was also recognized with the “Most Compassionate” award for her commitment to putting patients first.
When her daughter Ja’Miah, a senior at Beaufort High School, told her that she wanted to enter the program, Celless told her it was “a great way to get your foot in the door.”
No charges have been filed.
Bowman and Mace have blasted each other in social media posts since the speech.
Sharing some of the PATH experiences with her mother has been “fascinating” and rewarding for Rihanna. Medicine has held her interest since eighth grade, and the PATH program has allowed she and Ja’Miah to explore different avenues and expand their clinical knowledge.
Having moms who understand the process doesn’t hurt.
“I don’t just have a teacher, but I have my mom, too,” Rihanna said. “She knows how my brain works.”
Ja’Miah has always been drawn to a career in healthcare, and her mom has also been a huge support.
The posts that Mace cites in her lawsuit include Bowman’s allegations that Mace illegally used her position on the House Veterans’ Affair Committee to steer VA contracts to friends and political allies.
to gear up for “what’s next.”
“This puts us ahead, so we could already be prepared for college,” Ja’Miah explained. “Plus, it gives us the opportunity to actually get a job after we finish with the program.”
Sabrina said that she hopes her daughter comes away from her experience with determination, passion and the knowledge that her family is behind her.
“There are people out there who are willing to help you achieve your dreams if you put the time and effort toward it,” Sabrina said. “I am thankful that these seniors were given this opportunity prior to stepping foot into the real world.”
“My mom also taught me a lot about the program,” she said, “helping me with some of the things that I didn’t really catch on to. It was really great.”
The duos showcase the importance of working hard and going for what you want, whether you’re a high school senior or a 20-year employee, a mom or a daughter.
“I don’t want my kids to think that they just have to stick to one thing,” Celless said. “I want them to keep going, keep pushing themselves.”
Their time in the PATH program has allowed Rihanna and Ja’Miah
“Bowman knew these statements were objectively false when they were made and acted with a reckless disregard for the truth in repeatedly making such statements without support or any attempt to verify the veracity of such statements,” the lawsuit reads.
In addition, it continued, “Bowman has also spent months smearing Rep. Mace’s name and reputation through wide range of vile, contemptible, and repugnant character attacks.”
Rihanna, Ja’Miah and 11 other high school seniors from around the county will be graduating from the PATH program in a ceremony on May 13. Five of those seniors will begin in clinical positions at Beaufort Memorial immediately following their high school graduation.
The PATH program includes scholarships, clinical training, traditional education and non-traditional financial assistance to encourage individuals to advance their careers and support a better healthcare network in the Lowcountry. Anyone interested in learning how they can join the team at Beaufort Memorial and grow their career through the PATH Program should visit BeaufortMemorial.org/PATH.
Responding to the lawsuit, Bowman said his social media activity represents the truth.
“My posts — based on documents, public records, witness testimony, and materials from her own staff— present evidence of hacking, blackmail, misuse of private images, misappropriated tax dollars, and retaliation against rival VA contractors,” he wrote to the S.C. Daily Gazette in a text.
“Those posts remain publicly available on my X feed (@_ericbowman) for anyone who wants to review them.
I acted in good faith and without malice, and I will present this evidence under oath,” he said. “I’m confident the First Amendment — and the documented facts — will prevail. Nancy Mace can’t be trusted.”
Defamation cases are harder for public figures to prove. Their claims must meet the “actual malice” standard.
Mace is facing an “elevated standard of clear and convincing evidence,” said Jay Bender, a First Amendment expert and longtime attorney for news outlets in South Carolina.
She will need to prove that Bowman’s posts were lies, he knew that when he wrote them, and the posts have damaged her reputation, Bender said. Plus, some of Bowman’s posts might be protected as opinion. “It’s supposed to be a very high standard of proof,” he added.
While posts included in the lawsuit stop March 17 — three days after a defamation suit was filed against her in U.S. District Court in Charleston — Bowman’s posts about her continued.
In an April 9 post that tagged Mace, he wrote, “What if this isn’t just politics or drama? What if we’re witnessing a real mental breakdown — public, painful, and unchecked?” Mace announced her lawsuit against him on X: “Let this be a warning to all. I didn’t come to play,” she wrote.
The suit against Bowman comes a month after he was arrested on unrelated charges of stalking and harassment.
He said those April 8
charges came from his estranged wife, who he claimed he has not spoken to since November 2023 and is friends with Mace. He denied the allegations and continued to criticize his estranged wife on X after he got out of jail, calling the accusations “weaponized law enforcement.” Bowman turned himself in at the jail and was released later the same day.
Mace has yet to respond legally to the lawsuit filed in March by Brian Musgrave of Fort Mill.
The case could test the limits of the “speech or debate” clause of the U.S. Constitution, which shields members of Congress from lawsuits for what is said in either chamber. Musgrave contends her posts after the speech aren’t protected.
Musgrave’s suit came two weeks after his lawyers, Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, warned Mace in a letter to either reveal evidence of the allegations, apologize or prepare to be sued.
Mace has never responded directly to the lawsuit, even to reporters. Instead, she’s repeatedly referred questions back to her House speech.
“She has been uncharacteristically quiet (about the lawsuit) for a woman who isn’t afraid to get in front of the microphone,” Bland told the S.C. Daily Gazette on Monday.
The lawsuits loom as Mace mulls a run for governor. Mace hasn’t officially announced but it’s widely expected that she’s going to be part of a crowded field vying for the GOP nomination. Gov. Henry McMaster, who’s already the state’s oldest and longest-serving elected governor, can’t seek another term.
Others expected to run include Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pam Evette.
Mace has taken jabs at both on social media. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, as well as state Sens. Josh Kimbrell and Sean Bennett are also considering bids.
Shaun Chornobroff covers the state legislature for the S.C. Daily Gazette, part of States Newsroom, the
largest state-focused
organization.
Heather R. Galvin, Probate Judge, Beaufort County, SC
Celless Anderson at her PATH cohort graduation in 20203, pictured with her daughters Ja'Miah (right) and Ja'Monie (left). Photo courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Sabrina Cooler and her daughter (and varsity cheerleader) Rihanna, pictured at Senior Night. Photo courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Provided by Wells Fargo Advisors
NEWS & BUSINESS
3 steps for raising kids with money smarts
Regardless of how much money a family may have, parents have a responsibility to teach their children about finances. Starting early, children need to learn about how to be financially responsible once they leave the house and become independent.
Here are three steps parents can take starting today:
1. Find teachable moments
It can be difficult to find time to sit down and talk specifically about money, but natural opportunities to teach pop up practically every day.
For example, you can incorporate financial responsibility into an impromptu math lesson about money: If you find something the child wants that originally cost
SCDNR using area boat landings for shellfish bed reseeding
$100 and is on sale for 30% off, you can ask how much the new price is — and, now that they are only spending $70, what they might do with the leftover $30
2. Take a lifelong view toward financial literacy
Every child should have a tool kit of basic financial literacy skills, including concepts such as how to spend, how to save, how to give, and the value of a dollar.
This can start very early with an exercise as simple as a three piggy banks analogy. You encourage the child to divide any money he or she receives into three piggy banks: spending, saving, and community/charity. This shows the concept of different purposes of money rather than having it all be for spending. Repeating this exercise can help ingrain the hab-
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) will be conducting its annual shellfish ground management efforts (oyster shell reseeding) at several Beaufort County boat landings beginning this week and running through the end of May.
The boat landings will remain open to the public, however there will be increased truck and barge activity throughout each day while SCDNR reseeds the oyster beds at each location.
The schedule is as follows: Monday, May 12-Thursday, May 15: Broad River Boat Landing, Beaufort. Monday, May 19-Wednesday, May 21: Edgar Glenn Boat Landing/Chechessee Landing, Okatie.
The barge will occupy one ramp while it is being loaded. Loading will take approximately two hours. At least one ramp will be available for public use while the barge is being loaded. For questions and more information, contact County Public Works Director Bradley Harriott at 843-255-2740
Northern Beaufort County Democratic Club to meet May 15
The Northern Beaufort County Democratic Club will be meeting at 6 p.m., Thurs-
Dusty Conner
December 4, 1954May 9, 2025 Beaufort, S.C.
It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to Dusty Conner, devoted husband, brother, uncle, and all-around good friend to countless others.
Known for his generosity of spirit and exceptional culinary skills, Dusty was a consummate hairdresser and make-up artist with years of experience. He could dress you, do your hair and make-up then cook dinner for you without skipping a beat, all the while regaling you with covert and bawdy stories about his life.
Born in Lumberton, N.C., Dusty showed us how a small-town boy could achieve his dream of becoming a great cosmetologist/ teacher through hard work and dedication. His passion for sharing took him all over the world with a profession he dearly loved. He is known all over for his contributions to the cosmetology industry, winning many awards. Dusty is preceded in death by his parents, Sue Neil and Henry Conner, and his brother Kim Conner. He is survived by his husband of 39 years, Brad Ballington; his brother Jerry Conner of Lumberton, N.C.; his sisters Linda Bissell and Nancy Wilkerson of Lumberton, N.C., and Yvonne Butt of Chadburn, N.C., and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of life is being
it of saving regularly
By late childhood or adolescence, parents can add concepts such as what it means to invest, what companies one might invest in, and how to assess risk with an investment.
You can encourage children in high school to think about college expenses by examining the costs and coming up with a credible college budget. Ask them to consider basic questions: What will you need in order to make this happen? What will the family need to supply, and what is the student expected to supply in terms of tuition, books, room and board, transportation, and normal spending money?
And parents and grandparents can continue to encourage responsible, long-term financial responsibility by giving young
day May 15 at the Old Grace AME Chapel at 502 Charles Street in downtown Beaufort.
Our guest speaker will be Mac Deford, who in 2024 ran for election to the U.S. House to represent South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.
The NOB Dems, along with several other groups, rally together every Monday at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Beaufort City Hall to exercise their 1st Amendment rights to speak up for democracy and defend the Constitution. These rallies are going on all over the United States. If the public wishes to add their voice in support, bring a sign (no vulgarity), stay behind the sidewalk, and off the median.
OCNA holding final neighborhood meeting until August
Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall will be the guest speaker for the final Old Commons Neighborhood Association (OCNA) meeting for the summer at 6 p.m., Thursday night, May 15, at Wesley United Methodist Church's Education Building located in the 800 Block of Duke Street. The meeting is on the first floor of the light green building. Thursday night is also the OCNA Covered Dish Potluck Dinner and friends and neighbors in the Northwest Quadrant Neighborhood Association (NWQNA) are invited, as well.
Attendees are invited to please bring their favorite covered dish or dessert to share. Iced tea, lemonade, bottled water, paper products,
planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Dusty to Alzheimer Family Services of Greater Beaufort, P.O. Box 1514, Beaufort, S.C. 29901 or Friends of Caroline Hospice, 329 Friends Lane, Ridgeland, S.C. 29936
AliCe Cross GlAwson Summerville, S.C.
Alice Cross Glawson, 88, died December 24, 2024, in Summerville, S.C. A graveside service will take place in the Sacred Ground cemetery, Saturday, May 17 at 11 a.m. Family will greet guests in the cemetery following the service. Please keep Alice's family and friends in your prayers.
CArl John hAhn
June 8, 1930-April 29, 2025 Saint Helena Island, S.C.
Carl John Hahn, 94, of Saint Helena Island, S.C., passed away
adults an incentive to begin saving for retirement early. If you’re able, and they have earned income, offer to match what they save into a Roth IRA. It’s also wise to encourage contributions to a 401(k) at work.
3. Show how it’s done Your child’s healthy relationship with money begins with an open and honest relationship within a family that models good money behavior. These discussions can be challenging, but the fruit is well worth the labor. Stress education and expect them to do well in school. Parents who do really well in teaching financial literacy typically lead by example — they tend to be savers and are more careful with spending money. Remember to be that example.
and plasticware will be provided. Marshall will be sharing highlights from the City of Beaufort's City Council Strategic Planning Retreat held February 24-26, 2025
Coffee & Convos with the City Manager
Come out this May for a unique opportunity to meet Beaufort City Manager, Scott Marshall, over a cup of coffee. This is your chance to engage in casual conversations, share your ideas, and ask any questions you may have about our beautiful city of Beaufort.
The Coffee & Convos will take place on three Friday’s in May:
9:30 to 11 a.m., Friday, May 16, Sunny Summers Cafe; 9:30 to 11 a.m., Friday, May 30, Mameem & Maudie.
County hosts electronics recycling
The Beaufort County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling will host two free electronics recycling events for County residents Saturday, May 17. They will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at River Ridge Academy, 3050 Raider Drive, Bluffton (to assist in alleviating traffic buildup, please take Hampton Parkway to Raider Drive to access the event) and Beaufort County Public Works, 140 Shanklin Road, Beaufort.
Items that will be accepted for recycling include personal computers; laptops; CRT
peacefully at home at 5:30 a.m., on April 28, 2025, after a brief battle with leukemia.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., on June 8 1930, to German parents Conrad and Anna (Blanc) Hahn, Carl grew up close with his older sister Marion and their two cousins Ellie and Margie — a situation that perhaps prepared him for the resilience and good humor that would define his life. Carl developed remarkable skills as a carpenter and boat-builder. At age 17, he built his first boat in the Bronx, before continuing this skill in Florida and South Carolina. While in Florida, he also became a pilot and enjoyed many adventures that came through flying.
Carl was a Korean War veteran, having been drafted into the Army — an experience he initially resisted but later came to value. His service overseas provided him with a wealth of stories, many of which, as he would acknowledge with his characteristic humor, required some editing for younger audiences.
Known for his sharp wit and ready smile, Carl's greatest gift was perhaps his ability to tell a story. He never missed an opportunity to share tales from his colorful life, including the time he accidentally rode a trike off the 900-foot dock he helped build, landing upside down in the pluff mud and water. Carl was quick to laugh at himself and
monitors; LCD monitors; CRT televisions; non-CRT televisions; printers; hard drives; and miscellaneous electronics (cell phones, tablets, and fax machines).
Items not accepted at this event include microwaves; vacuums; stereos; speakers; tuners; VCRs; DVDs; lamps, etc. These can be taken to the Convenience Centers for disposal and will not be unloaded at the event.
Citizens are asked to please stay in their car during the event. Staff will unload electronics. Residential only. For residents who would like to schedule a drop off on another date, visit https://bit. ly/3CyFbYU. For questions about Beaufort County recycling events, please call the Solid Waste and Recycling Office at 843-255-2736 or visit https://bit.ly/3OrvP3O.
Poll workers needed; training available
The Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County will be holding 10 new poll worker training classes. All of the classes will be held at the main office, located at 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29906. The classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the following dates: Saturday, May 24; Wednesday, June 18; Wednesday, July 16; Saturday, July 26; Wednesday, Aug. 20; and Wednesday, Sept. 17
To sign up for a class, visit https://beaufortsc.easypollworker.com/home.
– Staff reports
never at the expense of others.
A master craftsman, Carl framed numerous houses that still stand throughout the South Carolina Lowcountry. In 1979, he built his own home on St. Helena Island, where he would later spend 31 happy years of marriage with his beloved wife, Debbie. They met through mutual friends when Carl was 62, bringing a joyful conclusion to his bachelor days. Together, they spent their days bird-watching, enjoying time on the water, taking walks, and working on the endless projects that come with waterfront living.
From their home, they watched countless sunsets, a view that Carl treasured to his final days.
Until just before his passing, Carl remained remarkably strong and active, taking particular pleasure in walking down his dear friend Rick’s dock to be closer to the water he loved. Carl is survived by his wife,
Hahn, and many other loved ones, including cousin Margie
great nephew Conrad
Meier and his son Zane, sister-in-law Connie Huffstetler (Larry), sister-in-law Patti Younger (Lawson), and brother-in-law Stan Catchings (Tina). He also leaves behind nieces and nephews who held a special place in their hearts for their Uncle Carl and many beloved friends too numerous to name. A celebration of life will be held on June 8 2025, which would have been Carl's 95th birthday. Ceremony will be at 2 p.m., at 59 Marsh Point Road, St. Helena Island, followed by a reception and scattering of Carl’s ashes. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift in honor of Carl to the charity of your choosing.
To honor Carl's love of storytelling, we are collecting personal anecdotes and memories online: https://bit.ly/ carltribute. Recollections shared by May 25, 2025 will be compiled into a
Debbie
Korner,
(Klava)
SPORTS
BA sweeps soccer crowns
By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com
Ian Leslie has been spreading a rumor, and now the secret is out.
“I’ve been kind of quietly sharing the secret that BA is a soccer school,” Leslie said on Sunday’s LowcoSports Lowdown. “It kind of always has been a soccer school. The heritage of soccer at BA is amazing.”
Another chapter of the legacy was written Saturday in Columbia, where Beaufort Academy’s boys and girls soccer teams swept state titles.
BA’s girls went to overtime with Cambridge Academy before scoring twice in extra time for a 3-1 win and their second SCISA 2A/1A state title in three years. And the dynasty might just be getting started, because sophomore sensation Keiley Good — who already has scored more than 100 goals in her BA career — was the most senior player to find the back of the net for the
Eagles. Freshman Connelly Buis and eighth-grader Lindsey Trice also scored in the championship match.
“The girls really fought,” Leslie said. “They were up 1-0 most of the game, and
Cambridge tied it up late in the second, and the girls just kind of put it on in the overtime.”
That set the stage for a potential sweep, and Leslie’s boys were up to the task,
scoring two first-half goals and shutting down Marlboro Academy for a 2-0 win that atoned for a loss in the championship game two years ago.
“Our captain, Grady
Lamm, said we were the favorite two years ago and we should have won, and we were the favorite yesterday, so a lot of pressure there,” Leslie said. “It was a great day. A great day to win a championship.”
New pickleball courts
Lamm and football star
Nych Underwood anchored a dangerous attack, but it was the Eagles’ defense that put them over the top in the postseason.
“Scoring goals wasn’t an issue all season,” Leslie said. “Then all of a sudden, the boys decided they were going to play some of the most ridiculous defense in the playoffs. We gave up one playoff goal. Pretty incredible defense.”
And with a wealth of young talent returning to the girls’ squad and Lamm as the only senior on the boys’ roster, the Eagles are set up for an incredible title defense. After all, BA is a soccer school.
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has
Beaufort County Administrator Michael Moore speaks Friday, May 9, at the opening of new pickleball
Four of the six new pickleball courts opened Friday, May 9, at Southside Park in Beaufort. Jeff Evans/The Island News
Bridges Prep’s Adriana Salvador Garcia goes side-by-side with her opponent vying for the ball during a 2A/1A first-round playoff game against Columbia at Bridges Prep on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Bridges Prep won, 11-0. Amber Hewitt/he Island News
Bridges Prep’s Dakari Greene takes a swing against Lake City in a 2A playoff game at Bridges Prep on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Bridges Prep lost, 9-0. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
ARTS & EDUCATION
“Decoration Day” debuts
Staff reports
The Gullah Traveling Theater will perform “Decoration Day,” a powerful theatrical production that honors the rich history and cultural traditions of the Gullah people, at the 40th Annual Original Gullah Festival on Thursday, May 22, and Saturday, May 24 in Beaufort.
Performances will be at 7 p.m., on Thursday, May 22, and 3 p.m., on Saturday, May 24, at the USCB Center for the Arts at 901 Carteret Street in Beaufort.
Decoration Day is an award-winning performance that brings to life the origins of our nation’s beloved Memorial Day traditions. Through moving performances, soulful music, and vivid storytelling, the show highlights the role that formerly enslaved Gullah people played in decorating the graves of faithful fallen soldiers.
The production explores themes of freedom, resilience, and community, offering audiences a deeply immersive and inspiring experience that commemorates an important chapter in Gullah and American history.
Tickets are $55 for adults, $15 for youth (ages 7-17), and free for children (ages 0-6). Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are avail-
The Gullah Traveling Theater will perform the musical “Decoration Day” later this month at the 40th Annual Original Gullah Festival. Submitted photo
WANT TO GO?
Who: The Gullah Traveling Theater
What: “Decoration Day”
When: 7 p.m., Thursday, May 22 and 3 p.m., Saturday, May 24
Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 901 Carteret Street, Beaufort
Tickets: $55 for adults; $15 for youth (ages 7-17); free for children (ages 0-6). Tickets are available at www. gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org.
able at www.gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org.
The Decoration Day musical premiere is a mustsee event that captures the essence of Gullah heritage while celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Original Gullah Festival that was established to recreate the original Decoration Day celebrations that birthed our nation’s Memorial Day holiday.
The Gullah Traveling Theater is dedicated to pre-
Beaufort
Staff reports
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center has announced that Beaufort High School senior Averie Tracewell has been selected as the third annual recipient of the Conroy Center’s Future Educator Scholarship, a $5 000 award.
“Averie is a perfect example of what can happen when talent is combined with hard work. She is truly an inspirational student and future teacher,” said scholarship committee member Celeste Prince-Brown, a Beaufort County School District teacher-mentor who was also a Beaufort High student of Pat Conroy’s. “Averie recognizes the real difference one teacher can make in the lives of students. Our schools need Averie’s talents, her ideas, and her leadership.”
Tracewell will begin her studies at the University of South Carolina Beaufort this fall, majoring in education. As a dual enrollment student at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, she has already completed many college courses during high school. For three years, Tracewell has be part of the Beaufort High Swim Team, serving as co-captain for the last two. She has also been a member of Voices (Beaufort High’s auditioned choir) for four years and performed in Theater for two years. As a member of Beaufort High’s DECA for two years, Tracewell has been recognized as a State Winner, Regional Top Ten, and Internationally Competitor. She also volunteers with St. Peter’s Catholic School as a math tutor and now serves as a counselor in the Fripp Island Camp.
A Senior Scholar and Honors student, Tracewell is graduating ranked in the Top 10 of her class.
A multi-faceted artist with passions for reading, writing, art, photography, and music, Tracewell hopes to teach elementary education in Beaufort County.
A group of experienced educators and
serving and showcasing the history, language, and culture of the Gullah Geechee people through theatrical productions, storytelling, and community engagement. Their award-winning performances educate and inspire audiences while keeping the traditions of the Gullah people alive.
For more information on the 40th Annual Original Gullah Festival, visit www. originalgullahfestival.org.
mentors serve as the Conroy Center’s scholarship selection committee. They were unanimous and enthusiastic in Tracewell’s selection as the 2025 scholarship awardee.
Retired educator and education administrator Tim Conroy said, “During Averie’s scholarship interview, I felt my brother Pat smiling down on her because she possesses such keen insight into the passion and creativity it takes to be an inspirational teacher. Averie has already begun to pass on those lessons she acquired from her teachers to students through her volunteer activities. The Conroy Center congratulates Averie as she embarks on her journey into the holiest profession, where one becomes a lifelong learner, mentor, and someone's great teacher.”
Established to encourage and support Beaufort County high school seniors with a declared intent to pursue a career in education, the Pat Conroy Literary Center Future Educator Scholarship honors the teaching legacy of the late Pat Conroy (1945-2016), acclaimed bestselling author of “The Water Is Wide,” “The Great Santini,” “The Lords of Discipline,” “The Prince of Tides,” and more. The scholarship is funded through the generosity of former educators.
The scholarship’s inaugural recipient, Darby Kinsey, a 2023 graduate of Battery Creek High and the Technical College of the Lowcountry, has completed her education degree at Charleston Southern University. The 2024 scholarship winner, Beaufort High graduate Kierra Thompson, is a rising sophomore at UNC Wilmington, pursuing her studies in music education.
To learn more about the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, please visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
Averie Tracewell
announces teachers, support staff of year
Staff reports
Some Beaufort County School District (BCSD) teachers and staff were surprised and treated with flowers, balloons, and other goodies Friay, May 10, as Board of Education members and district administrators made surprise visits to their classrooms and work areas to announce the 2025-26 Teachers of the Year and Support Staff of
“The teachers we’re honoring today have been cho-
sen by their peers, which makes their recognitions very special,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release. “Winning awards like Teacher of the Year or Support Staff of the Year is a testament to their incredible impact and unwavering commitment to education, and future generations. Today, we thank them for all they do.”
Teachers of the Year are selected by their peers according to criteria established by the schools, the
South Carolina Department of Education and the district’s Teacher Forum. Teachers honored will be eligible for District Teacher of the Year honors next fall. Support staff honorees are selected by school staff and can include social workers, school nurses, bookkeepers, office managers, teacher assistants, school secretaries and technology and data specialists. Staff honored will be eligible for District Support Staff Person of the Year.
EDUCATION BRIEFS
Lowcountry Pride offering 3 scholarships
Lowcountry Pride is offering three scholarships for Beaufort County high school and undergraduate students.
These open admission scholarships are open to any field of study. There are two $1,000 awards and one $1,500 award. The application deadline is June 1
To apply for the scholarships, applicants must express to Lowcountry Pride what “pride” means to them in any medium –writing, art, video, music, etc. They must provide their name, home address, phone number, and proof of acceptance or admission to an institute of higher learning.
Applicants must also provide a brief bio in writing (250 words) or video (90 seconds).
The submission’s subject line should be “2025 Pride Scholarship—[applicant’s last name].” Submissions should be directed to LCPrideScholarship@gmail.com.
For more information or for questions, email LCSCPride@gmail.com.
USCB Holds Spring 2025 Commencement
At the University of South Carolina Beaufort, 318 bachelor's degree candidates walked across the stage at spring commencement on May 2, 2025 at the Bluffton campus.
“Each of you has overcome your own challenges on the path to earning your degree. Each of you is a success story, now and in the making. The entire university community is proud of you and your accomplishments,” USCB Chancellor Al M. Panu said.
The highest number of degrees awarded were in Psychology, Nursing, Business Administration, Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies. Other popular majors among the Class of 2025 included Public Health, Communication Studies, Computational Science and Hospitality Management. USCB also awarded three master's degrees at spring commencement: two in Computational Science and one in Literacy. Physician Holton Tim Pearce, Jr. was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service. A distinguished surgeon and community leader, Pearce has been a member of the Beaufort-Jasper Higher Education Commission since
and its chair since 2011. The commission has been instrumental in the growth and success of USCB. The South Carolina Medical Association recently
DANA
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island
Meeting the moment in SC during Trump 2.0
As is expected from a reality TV star turned U.S. president, Donald Trump dominates the news cycle, social media feeds and (for many of us) our minds.
The chaos and sensory overload are part of the strategy, cultivating the sense that he can’t be stopped as he disregards judges’ orders and flouts the Constitution. President Trump’s policies and actions are eroding the rule of law, threatening our democracy and creating a Constitutional crisis.
As the executive director of the ACLU of South Carolina, I travel around the state talking with South Carolinians who are shocked and scared by what they see from the Trump administration. They see the president going after people’s rights and freedoms in ways that remind them of fascist regimes — and they ask me again and again, “What are we supposed to do?
Tell me, what can I do?”
I tell them there are three things to do in this moment:
One, don’t abandon hope.
President Trump will not give
Iin or back down unless he is forced. That’s why the ACLU has taken more than 100 legal actions to fight back against his current administration. (We filed 434 legal actions during his first administration.) While we must recognize that incredible harm has come to so many, we must also acknowledge that the protection of the constitution remains.
Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship? His attempt to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender people under 19?
His threats to cut funding to schools if they engage in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives? All have been blocked by the courts. Trump’s flagrant misuse of the Alien Enemies Act
to skirt due process and deport Americans to an El Salvadoran prison was even blocked by a judge that he appointed in his first term.
These rulings aren’t permanent and they don’t mean we rest. But they do buoy our hope and strengthen our resolve to keep pressing the courts to hold the President accountable to the law.
Two, don’t relinquish power.
Like most of us, I am not an attorney so it’s hard to see my role in the national picture when the fight for the future of our representative democracy seems to be happening in courtrooms. But we have power and it lives right here in South Carolina.
Everything that is happening at the national level is flowing down to the states. Trump’s executive order attempting to get rid of DEI in schools? Our S.C. superintendent of education did a copy and paste here. Trump’s attempt to deport immigrants without due process? He's going to demand your local police department’s help.
The good news? You have more power than you realize.
You can join us at state Board of Education meetings, at the Statehouse or in your local community to fight against the same fascist policies that are dominating the headlines. And here, your voice can really make a difference.
Engaged activists have protected the teaching of Black history in schools, expanded housing rights at the county level and staved off some of the most egregious state-level legislative attacks on the rights of LGBTQ+ people. As author Alice Walker said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
Three, stick up for your neighbors.
Marginalized communities are facing draconian attacks like we’ve never seen before. Transgender people make up 1 6% of the population, but right-wing politicians spend an inordinate amount of time hurting them.
Immigrants are so frightened about being arrested and sent off to an El Salvadoran prison that they’re not leaving their homes.
Black Americans are watching the dismantling of civil rights
protections that they’ve bled and died to secure.
When the government turns its back on people, we must open our hearts. You can bring groceries to your immigrant neighbor or offer to fix their broken taillight. You can push for your employer to keep prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, even as the political winds shift. You can speak up when your coworker tells an anti-transgender joke, offer support to a transgender young person, or spread facts — not misinformation — about trans folks on your social media. What matters is that we take care of people, even when they’re different from us and especially when they’re living through this moment in history.
We’re just over 100 days into the second Trump administration and we have a long way to go before it’s over. But the fight of our lives isn’t in Washington, D.C. It’s here at home – and we need you in it.
Jace Woodrum is executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina.
Have-nots get no love from Trump
t’s a common saying among poor and middle-class Americans that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
There’s the old quote, “Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.”
Then you hear about people “born with a silver spoon in their mouth” (spoofed by former Texas Gov. Ann Richards in her famous takedown of President George H.W. Bush: “He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”)
I always thought that was an unnecessary bit of class envy. But maybe I was wrong. I recently learned of the Matthew Principle, and despite my best efforts, I struggle to find a flaw with its premise. To summarize, when you already have an advantage, your advantage tends to increase over others who lack that advantage, and at their expense.
Thank you to The Island News
Supposedly, it comes from the Bible, specifically Matthew 25:29. By the time the current administration is out of the White House, they’ll be calling it the Trump Trajectory. He seems determined to make sure he and his rich buddies get richer at the expense of the poor and middle class, even if some of them are his supporters. If there’s anything that keeps him from a third term, I hope it includes the viral video of him explaining to a couple of NASCAR drivers in the Oval Office that they were in the presence of Charles Schwab (“It’s not just a company;
I am the survivor of an outstanding soldier and wonderful husband who passed away in 2017 from Agent Orange exposure from his tours in Vietnam. I had a local VSO here in Phoenix, Ariz., help me file claims for my VA survivor benefits, but the VSO and the VA lost my claims four times!
Luckily for my late husband and me, we served in the Army with your columnist, Larry Dandridge, and we read your fine newspapers' weekly columns on Veterans' Benefits. Totally frustrated with the VA and our past VSOs' help, I called Larry and asked for his help. He quickly recommended me to our state Department of Veterans Affairs Office and our County VSO and told me to keep paper and digitized originals and copies of my claims and all evidence. He also sent me past articles on survivors' benefits and encouraged me not to give up. Recently, my claims have been approved, and I am so relieved and happy.
I cannot thank The Island News team, especially Larry, for helping me to quickly sort out the complex VA and state
it’s actually an individual”), and that Schwab had made $2 5 billion in a single day.
How? By pouring money into the stock market after Trump’s tariff threats caused a slump. “Buy low, sell high” is supposed to be an investment strategy that pays off over time, but when you have a rich suckup in the White House telling you when to buy, the time frame can be a lot shorter.
Trump seems to epitomize the Matthew Principle, boasting about how he’s a self-made billionaire despite inheriting at least $413 million of wealth from his deceased father’s real estate empire. Don’t forget his father was so notoriously racist that folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote a song about him titled, what else, “Old Man Trump.”
“I suppose that Old Man Trump knows just how much racial hate / He stirred up in that bloodpot of human hearts / When
systems that veterans and their survivors have to navigate.
– Janet Long, Phoenix, Ariz.
We’ve avoided confronting history for too long
Regarding “Using anger to motivate revisionists” by Scott Graber in The Island News, published on April 30 2025: We agree with Mr. Graber that executive orders that ban honest engagement with our history are inappropriate, however we take great exception to his characterization that the Legacy Museum takes "ideological license" with its content. He cites the holograms that present narratives of enslaved people in the front of the museum as "theater" without appreciating that what is heard in this section are actual narratives written by enslaved people in the 19th century.
The content is not fictional or made up. The presentation of sculptures at what appears to be the bottom of the ocean is not some effort to manipulate people. Two million people died during the Middle Passage and are buried in the bottom of the Atlantic ocean -- this is not ideology but fact.
The Legacy Museum uses art and
he drawed that color line / Here at his Beach Haven family project.” I guess racism can be a legacy, too. Doesn’t mean he had to accept it.
But while the price of eggs is still climbing and we’ve not yet seen the worst price increases caused by his ongoing tariff shenanigans, Trump’s wealthy buddies are raking in the bucks.
The Washington Post reported some countries are trying to circumvent the tariffs by cutting deals with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet business. A half dozen other nations are mentioned, likely following the lead of Lesotho, citing a memo plainly stating the small country hoped the agreement with one of the president’s associates would cause them to be favored generously in tariff negotiations.
Mind you, Musk has already profited from his investment in the Trump
campaign. The estimated $300 million he spent has paid off in spades, from dropped federal investigations into shady business practices to taking over government contracts previously signed with competitors to DOGE’s seizure of high-value government data on American citizens.
All this is happening as the president downplays the impact his efforts are having on regular working Americans.
“I don’t think that a beautiful baby girl … needs to have 30 dolls. I think they can have three dolls or four dolls because what we were doing with China was just unbelievable,” he told reporters in justifying his tariff war.
So there you go, Little Suzie. Doing more with less is patriotic and good for you!
That might sell if we were in actual wartime, but the biggest opponent we face now is the guy who’s supposed to lead us.
storytelling that is similar to what can be found in Holocaust museums, sites of conscience around the world and other historic museums that try to engage visitors. The difference with the Legacy Museum is that it presents America's painful history of racial bigotry, violence and exclusion. This history may cause us shame but it should also inspire us to never again tolerate the evils of slavery, lynching, segregation and racial bigotry. The fact that truth-telling about our history can feel "ideological" is less about the Legacy Museum and more about the multiple ways we have avoided confronting this history for too long.
– Tad Roach, Learning and Engagement Specialist, Equal Justice Initiative
SC1 deserves so much better
Republican politicians like Nancy Mace would have us convinced that transgender people are taking over women's sports and women's bathrooms. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Today there are less than 10 transgender athletes competing at the intercollegiate level. That's 10 out of approximately 500 000 or less than
Instead, he’s like a firefighter turned firebug who sets buildings ablaze so people can praise him when he shows up with the hose and water. He’s only setting poor people’s homes on fire, though, while he and his fat-cat pals get relief from the flames’ heat by fanning themselves with cold, hard cash.
The biggest flaw I see with applying the Matthew Principle in this case is the Bible parable isn’t about rewarding those who have because simply they have. It is about rewarding people who use their blessings wisely versus those who don’t.
Trump uses his money like a billy club. If he were judged on how wisely he used his fortune, he would be just another tramp on the street.
Terry E. Manning worked for 20 years as a journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com.
0 002%. You might argue that transgender participation in women's sports is inherently unfair, but it is certainly not one of the top problems facing our country today and it does not merit the attention it has been given.
So what are these Republican politicians actually doing? They are using the transgender non-issue to deflect our attention from the very harmful things they are doing to women. For example, the GOP's "SAVE" act will make it more difficult for 69 million married women to vote and will likely disenfranchise many of them. We have already seen the harm their restrictions on reproductive freedom have done, especially to women who have problem pregnancies, rape and incest victims. Meanwhile, Republican budget cuts disproportionately harm women and children.
Nancy Mace proclaims herself to be a champion for women. In reality, she is a shameless self-promoter who demonizes transgender people to hide her real motives. Her ongoing feud with Representative Sarah McBride is truly embarrassing. South Carolina's 1st Congressional District deserves so much better.
– Peter Birschbach, Port Royal
JACE WOODRUM
TERRY MANNING
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island
Millennials represent opportunity for Democrats
It is Monday, and I’m sitting in the well-lit confines of a car dealership waiting for my Honda Fit to be serviced. In this sleek venue I have a cup of complementary espresso.
It is a matter of political gospel that young, underemployed, white men voted for Donald Trump. Some of these men were, in fact, casualties taken for the moving of “manufacturing” — textiles, sofas, cell phones — to Mexico, Vietnam and Bangladesh The plight of these men was taken up by podcasters and Truth Social who reminded these men of their victimhood and, parenthetically, of their alleged racism, and their misbegotten, misplaced love of the Lost Cause. That white, male demographic marched to the polls and cast their ballot for Donald Trump in record numbers
But there are other groups that also have a beef
with the way they have been treated. I speak of the Millennials and those who were born between 1995 and 1998 — otherwise known as Generation Z.
But for a moment let’s just focus on the much-maligned Millennials — those born in the early 80s — who are now in their 40s.
These were folks who were told that college was essential to their happiness and their health and that borrowing money (for tuition) was just fine. And so they borrowed big bucks, at big interest rates (now 6 5%), and just when they were entering the work
force the Recession of 2008 doubled the unemployment rate. That economic “correction” scuttled (some of their) plans for a quick, on-time repayment.
We remember that President Biden tried to forgive these loans; however, President Trump now says he intends to go after those who are in default.
Many Millennials want to own a house and begin building equity in a piece of land. They are finding that process daunting—or impossible. In Charleston the average cost of a house is between $400 000 and $500,000. In Port Royal, where I reside, there are homes listed for $600 000
If one wants to live in Early Branch or Estill the cost of a house is less. But if one is interested in Charleston, Hilton Head or Greenville the average cost of housing is bumping up against half a million dollars.
That means a down pay-
ment — perhaps $70 000 — not to mention closing costs along with hazard and, in some cases, flood insurance. If those same Millennials want to start a family that is probably going to mean child care costs. In South Carolina those costs will range somewhere between $11 000 and $17 000 a year. In Washington D.C. those costs are $24,000 a year. Those childcare costs will be less, of course, in Green Pond or Ridgeland.
This is not the first generation to face adversity — those who came of age in 1941 found there was a war underway and house and baby ownership was deferred (or ended) on the beaches of Tarawa. But when they came home there was the GI Bill that paid for their college and helped with the purchase of a house.
The Baby Boomers — my generation — had a similar
deal waiting for them if they got past the unpleasantness around Khe Sanh and Hue. And one might argue that Millennials sorta had this same option if they joined the All-volunteer Army and did a tour at Ft. Bragg or in Iraq.
I would think that this unhappy group, the Millennials, represents an opportunity for the Democratic Party when and if their head-in-the-sand, largely-silent leadership is willing to craft a new coalition to replace the old coalition assembled by FDR.
Elements of that coalition — organized labor, white people in the South, Catholics — have departed the party of Roosevelt and so-called Progressives have demonstrated a puritanical zeal much like Cromwell’s Roundheads.
This new leadership will have to use vectors like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Podcasts if
they actually want to talk to Millennials. They will have to organize other disemboweled demographics like fired government employees, those who lost their research grants and lawyers who have watched due process die. And because of feints and jabs at Social Security and Medicare the retired population has become the big, essential kahuna.
The new leaders will have to learn the limitations of television marketing and the U.S. Postal Service. And, of course, they will have to win a majority in the House and Senate if they intend to actually enact legislation designed to help with student loan forgiveness, first-home buyers and the soaring cost of child care.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
Pope Leo XIV … reason for jubilation, hope
Whether you are an avid reader of my columns or simply an occasional one, at some point you have probably gleaned my stance on organized religion. This is, of course, a very personal thing, and I have never felt obliged to flaunt my feelings on the subject. In the cases where I alluded to such, it was to call to attention what I perceived as hypocrisy in a specific situation.
Furthermore, I always tried to make it clear that I am very fortunate to know those Christians who don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk, in every sense of the word. They are truly devoted to their religion, and all that entails. For them I have the utmost respect.
Catholicism has its own burden to bear with all of the ugliness revealed about molestation and the consequent cover-ups. The light was finally shone upon what was an horrific, ugly chapter for the church at large. How many lives were impacted will probably never be known.
I am 180 degrees removed from the church’s position on abortion and what was, at one time, the admonishment for using birth control. With a history minor under my belt, I remember reading about early Catholicism and coming to the conclusion that the dominance over women was the front and center of this church.
But all that is simply a disclaimer for what I am about to address,
Thanks for Lt. Col. Dandridge’s articles
the naming of the new pope after the death of Argentinian Pope Francis, and the delight I felt as I watched this unfold.
As someone who considers herself strictly a spiritualist that has been unable to connect with organized religion, I found myself watching most of the pomp and circumstance with bated breath.
I listened intently to the names being tossed around in conjecture, and found I was fascinated by such varied backgrounds. And when I heard the name Robert Prevost, American, that certainly caught my attention. A possible American pope! A first!
We all waited for the smoke as the first vote was taken, and when it was black, we knew those 89 cardinals -- the most ever -- had to go back to the drawing board, so to speak, to reach a two-thirds majority.
How long would it be? Historically, the papal election considered the longest in Catholic Church history lasted from November, 1268 until September, 1271. This was due primarily to political infighting among the
Attention Mike McCombs, editor: I'm writing to thank you and The Island News for publishing Lt. Col. [Larry] Dandridge's articles of interest to veterans.
I had occasion to reach out to him for assistance with questions and was pleasantly surprised with his quick personal response that was quite helpful. I'm sure his articles are of interest and help to other veterans and I trust he and you will continue this excellent service. Thanks again for your outstanding paper.
– Owen Hand, Beaufort
cardinals. Finally a committee of six cardinals was appointed by the other 10 to elect Pope Gregory X. Fortunately, things today went a bit more smoothly the second round, and we were treated to the white smoke as the thousands gathered outside of the Sistine Chapel in Rome burst into loud, prolonged cheers. Then the wait continued.
Finally the curtains parted and Robert Prevost stepped forward, the 267th pope; the first American pope. Who was he?
We would soon know as the Internet, as well as the television, was flooded with information. I have chosen just a few clips that seem to describe the person who now leads the Catholic Church across the world.
A Chicago math teacher who was accepted to Harvard; he turned down that opportunity to
Thank you for AMIkids
croquet support
Thanks to the generosity of Brays Island and its owners, as well as the tireless good work of many people, the 34th AMIkids Beaufort Croquet Picnic at Brays Island was a huge hit May 3
On behalf of the AMIkids Board of Trustees and our fine staff, I extend a special “thank you” to the Brays Island owners and to Brays’ ad hoc committee that organized a fantastic gathering the Friday before croquet. That group also coordinated the silent auction and helped gather some amazing donations. At AMIkids Beaufort, we help young
earn six figures, joined a missionary group and moved to the most remote villages of Peru where children were dying of treatable diseases; he slept on dirt floors, and prayed under the stars.
His legend grew in the Andes, the man who became “one of them;” eventually the Vatican became aware, and he was called back to lead his entire Augustinian order. From serving a village to overseeing 2 800 brothers in more than 40 countries. Still he kept the same sandals he used to tread the mountains.
He was elevated to the station of Bishop, and as such, spearheaded the production of life-saving oxygen plants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually he became a Cardinal, one step removed from the Pope.
There is so much more to be said about this true man of God.
men separate a troubled past from a bright future and have been doing so since the mid-1980s in Beaufort County. AMIkids Beaufort’s campus in Dale provides not only education but numerous hands-on vocational opportunities, treatment and behavior modification.
With the support of 24 croquet teams, dozens of court sponsors and those who gave so generously, we had a tremendously successful event that will allow us to further meet the needs of our young men.
In the general croquet competition May 3, Lucky Wickets placed first in a playoff, followed by Beaufort Eye Center with
Sadly, space is prohibited in this column. Perhaps it is best summed up by one observer who said, “He turned down the world. And changed it instead.”
In choosing his papal name, Robert chose “Leo” which has significant commitment to social issues, according to experts. The first pontiff to use the name Leo, whose papacy ended in 461, met Attila the Hun and persuaded him not to attack Rome.
Of course, those who see him as “woke” had to toss out their disdain online. That lurker in the White House, Laura Loomer, posted: “Catholics don’t have anything good to look forward to; just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican; he is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open borders, and a total Marxist, just like Pope Francis.”
Ah, Laura, he is all that we who crave peace and tranquility could have ever hoped for in the midst of what you and your kind have wrought. To be just like Pope Francis is a true compliment, regardless of your intention.
So it was, with some trembling and great joy, that this spiritualist dropped her head momentarily, as Pope Leo XIV stepped forth and thanked the God she so strongly believes in. There was, and is, reason to be jubilant, to have hope.
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.”
CPA 1 taking third. In the Brays Island competition for the Tenney Cup, Team Pheasant placed first followed by Team Mallard and Team Quail. Best-dressed man was Roger Van Buskirk and best-dressed woman (general) was Jessica Egan. Best-dressed Brays Woman was Kiersten Kendrick. Holly MacLean won the Bulls-Eye contest. Beaufort Eye Center celebrated as the Best Picnic set-up. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success. For more information visit www.amikidsbeaufort.org.
– Kevin E. Dukes, Chairman, AMIkids Beaufort Board of Trustees
SCOTT GRABER
CAROL LUCAS
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the
Prepare before you show up at DMV
It took four tries and three different state Department of Motor Vehicle offices before a new-to-me car got a South Carolina title and license plate.
On two in-person attempts, I gave up when I realized lines were two hours long and then three hours long. It didn’t help that people who have had seven years to get their REAL ID were freaking out and flooding the agency. So after a couple of days, I went to another office where the line was shorter. I sucked it up and got help after an hour and a half — only to be told that the person who transferred the title to me actually titled it to himself. Hooray. Armed with more paperwork a few days later — and after the REAL ID deadline passed — I headed to another DMV office. After an hour-and-a-half wait, the transaction took four minutes. Hooray.
Kevin Shwedo, who has direct-
ed the agency’s 1 500 employees since 2011, knows these visits can be frustrating. But when he inherited the agency, average wait times were 40 minutes, which were cut to six minutes around the state. These days, the average is 13 minutes, he said.
But as the agency’s funding has remained mostly stagnant in recent years, the state’s population has grown by a third from 4 million to 5 5 million people. And the types of transactions that the agency has to process haven’t gotten smaller.
“I’m responsible for 444 different transactions all predicated by law and all interpreted at the individual level,” Shwedo said. Earlier in an interview, he noted that “with a 25% increase [in the population], we haven’t had a significant increase in personnel, but we have changed policies and procedures.”
In recent years, the department gained significant efficiencies by shifting how it dealt with tags and titles for car dealers. It also reduced wait times, Shwedo said, through mandatory electronic registration protocols, more online services, third-party driver’s license testing and installation of self-serve kiosks. The agency also has boosted employee training, which has helped to improve retention rates.
And while Shwedo is always looking for ways to improve, what he really wants now to make sure the agency succeeds is a new software system that uses off-the-rack
software, not a system powered by a computer language developed in 1959
For that — and to avoid a software meltdown that’s sure to come and be more expensive if it isn’t fixed pronto — he said the agency needs $12 million more in recurring funds for computer and identity management security.
“My COBOL programmers are older than I am,” Shwedo said. “If you don’t use current technology, you can’t keep up with the demand. So you’ve got to be able to be more efficient on the computers and be able to secure them.”
If you need to head to the DMV to get some business taken care of, here are three tips to make your trip go more smoothly.
Find the best time
Before you head out, go online to the DMV website (scdmvonline.gov) and click the button at top right that is marked “locations
& wait times.” Then click on an office location near you to find out — in real time — how long you might have to wait. Worst times tend to be around 8:30 a.m. and lunchtime.
Research
Learn on the website what you need to bring with you to have a successful transaction. Note: Shwedo says there are a lot of unofficial sites that take advantage of people. Only use the state’s site.
Pay taxes
If you need a title or tag, make sure you pay taxes on the vehicle before you show up at the DMV. There’s no telling how many people we saw walk out of an office for not having this done first.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
An author responds: Why is sex so scary to book banners?
Last week, the State Board of Education voted to ban 10 more books from all South Carolina public schools, including my National Book Award-winning young adult novel “Last Night at the Telegraph Club.”
That means South Carolina has now banned 21 books statewide, making it the national leader in state-sanctioned book bans, a dubious distinction.
“Last Night at the Telegraph Club” is a historical coming-of-age novel about a 17-year-old Chinese American girl discovering her identity as a lesbian in 1950s San Francisco.
In addition to the National Book Award, it won the Stonewall Book Award, the Asian Pacific American Literature Award, a Printz Honor, a Walter Dean Myers Honor, and dozens more accolades.
And yet South Carolina’s Board of Education has reduced it to a few paragraphs about sex. This is a fundamental misreading of the novel and a gross misunderstanding of the purpose of fiction.
In its decision to ban my novel, the board is following Regulation 43-170, which prohibits any books in schools that include “descriptions or visual depictions of ‘sexual conduct,'” as defined by the state criminal code.
This regulation deliberately sidesteps literary merit and the work as a whole in favor of focusing only on “sexual conduct.”
So, let’s talk about sex. Why is it so bad — so “inappropriate,” in the words of the regulation — for a book to include descriptions of “sexual conduct”?
The main character in “Telegraph Club” is a teen named Lily who is coming to understand her sexual identity during the 1950s, a time in which sexuality was highly repressed.
June 9th-13th, 2025 6:00pm-8:30pm See more details and register at grayshillbaptistchurch.org
The scenes in the novel that focus on sexuality are about Lily testing her own freedoms — both emotional and physical. They are about Lily claiming the freedom to be who she is.
Sexuality is a natural part of being human. As a writer, writing about sex and sexuality enables me to engage with questions about what makes us the people we become. It is an essential tool in a writer’s creative toolbox, and it’s one of the best ways we can get up and close and personal with a character and their emotions, desires, and fears.
Reading about sex and sexuality is just about the safest way possible for a young adult to gain insight into what sex means. It is such a complex and important part of life. We cannot become who we are without the freedom to explore our choices in the privacy of our own minds.
That is what reading gives us: the freedom to imagine different possibilities.
“Last Night at the Telegraph Club,” by Malinda Lo, was among 10 books the State Board of Education decided Tuesday, May 6, 2025, must be removed from K-12 school libraries. Photo courtesy of Malinda Lo
high school. There are plenty of legal arguments for why this regulation is unconstitutional. There are plenty of reasons South Carolina parents should be angry that one parent has been behind most of these book bans. Why does that one parent get to speak for all of you? But I’m not a South Carolinian, and I’m not a lawyer. I’m a writer. I believe these book bans are wrong because they attempt to limit our freedom to imagine different possibilities. We can’t be fully human without that freedom.
I believe it’s that freedom to imagine that is so frightening to those who seek to ban books. Banning books that include descriptions of “sexual conduct” is an attempt to curtail individual freedom in our own bodies and minds.
The 21 books that have been banned in South Carolina all approach sexuality from different perspectives. Some of them explore sexual freedom and pleasure;
others explore more difficult issues such as sexual assault and misogyny. Some, like “Telegraph Club,” are about identity and its connection with sexuality.
None of them are right for every reader, but that doesn’t mean they should be banned from all schools, from kindergarten through
Malinda Lo is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, including most recently "A Scatter of Light." Her novel "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" won the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a Printz Honor, and was an LA Times Book Prize finalist. Her books have received 15 starred reviews and have been finalists for multiple awards, including the Andre Norton Award and the Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their dog.
ANDY BRACK
MALINDA LO
Legislative session marked by late-hour deals on liquor insurance, energy
SC Legislators must still return in coming weeks to finalize state budget
By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — South Carolina
legislators wrapped up a pair of bills in the final days of the legislative session that, a week before, seemed doubtful of becoming law this year. Without agreements reached on insurance relief for restaurants and a sweeping energy package that paves the way for a power plant in the Lowcountry, accomplishments for the 2025 could have been short.
Instead, the chambers’ ruling Republicans touted Thursday getting most of their goals accomplished, when including this week’s deals with last week’s compromise on state aid for private K-12 tuition, and stiffer penalties for professional shoplifters, which passed in March.
“You measure your success on the substance of bills that pass, and we really concentrated on big-ticket items,” House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, told reporters.
“There are certain things that we had to get done, and we addressed those things,” said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield.
Meanwhile, a House GOP priority to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs across state government and private contractors passed that chamber but got nowhere in the Senate. And a Senate initiative to remove State Treasurer Curtis Loftis from office for his role in a $1 8 billion accounting error was never addressed by the House.
While mainstream GOP leadership took a victory lap at the session’s conclusion, Democratic leadership and members of the ultra-right House Freedom Caucus referred to the 2025 session as “uneventful.”
The next court challenge
“In the big picture, we did not do any momentous legislation that’s going to be remembered long after this year,” said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto.
That is, unless the voucher bill survives an expected court challenge, which the Orangeburg Democrat told reporters he doesn’t believe will happen.
“We don’t think that that should be in the future in this state, and certainly don’t believe the bill is constitutional,” he said.
Massey, however, said “I feel much better this time” about the new scholarship program’s chances before the state Supreme Court. “I think we corrected those things” that led to the high court’s ruling last fall that ended private tuition payments as unconstitutional.
Gov. Henry McMaster signed the latest private school choice program into law Wednesday. A lawsuit is considered imminent.
Rep. Jordan Pace, R-Goose Creek, who leads the Freedom Caucus, said he thought the Legislature didn’t go far enough to address conservative priorities, calling it a year of “wasted opportunities.”
The budget Legislators must still return in the coming weeks to finalize the state budget that takes effect July 1
The House and Senate so far agree on raises for teachers and funding for more police officers in schools. Plus, state employees won’t be asked to pay more for health insurance. Differences the chambers must sort out include the use of debit cards for the purchase of lottery tickets, whether or not to allow colleges to raise tuition on an incremental basis, and a possible pay raise for legislators.
House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford called continued increases for teachers a bright spot of the session.
The budget includes an additional $112 million to raise the minimum salaries for all K-12 public school teachers by $1 500. That means first-year teachers in the coming school year can make no less than $48,500, marking a 72% increase since 2017
“People always act like education is not important in South Carolina and I disagree,” said Rutherford, D-Columbia, who sits on the House budget-writing committee.
“It’s obvious where we put our money, and that is toward education.”
One big change from previous state budgets: This year’s package won’t include any spending requested by legislators for local projects, or what’s called earmarks.
The decision comes two years after total earmarks soared to $713 million. While last year’s tally was smaller, at $435 million, Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler called for a one-year hiatus in an effort to reign in the unvetted spending. Some pushed back, arguing the freeze leaves small and rural districts behind.
Peeler said the spending could be decided through a competitive grant process in the future. Hutto said he’s fine with that, as long as there is a process to fund community needs. Massey, who helped lead the charge for transparency in earmarks, called the lack of such local funding “a huge win.”
What passed?
Among legislation that McMaster’s already signed into law is a bill merging three health agencies that provide services for people with mental health issues, disabilities, and drug and alcohol addictions.
Passage comes a year after a larger merger attempt, which involved three additional agencies, was successfully blocked by the Freedom Caucus in a chaotic close to the 2024 session.
Other signed bills include legislation upping the number of family court judges in the state, stiffer penalties for professional shoplifters, and an educator-endorsed bill pledging increased teacher pay transparency, job stability as well as more planning time.
Bills passed in the waning days of session that await the governor’s signature include a handsfree driving law to deter scrolling behind the wheel. Without passage of some kind of hands-free law, South Carolina risked losing $40 million to $80 million in annual federal highway funding.
Legislators also passed bills setting rules for South Carolinians who rent out their personal cars to earn extra cash, requiring labeling of lab-grown meat, and a final-day compromise on a measure to criminalize the use of technology to morph children’s photos into pornographic images.
And in a flurry of last-day confirmations, the Senate appointed a new head for the state’s child welfare agency. Tony Catone, acting director of the state Department of Social Services, will now move into the role permanently.
“I have full confidence that (Catone) is the right person to build on the agency’s critical work to strengthen families and protect our most vulnerable children and adults,” McMaster said in a statement following the confirmation.
Still, senators have refused to confirm McMaster’s pick to head the state Department of Public Health. However, Dr. Edward Simmer of Beaufort remains the
agency’s acting head indefinitely, unless the governor nominates a replacement.
When it comes to legislation, the governor has no plans to veto any bills sent to his desk, according to spokesman Brandon Charochak.
He did send a warning, however, ahead of the chambers’ budget negotiations: If they send him a budget with the House’s proposal loosening strings attached to additional state funding for universities that freeze in-state tuition rates, the governor will use his line-item veto powers to strike that, Charochak said.
McMaster has said he will not support any measure that raises tuition for South Carolina college students who choose to attend one of the state’s public higher education institutions.
What’s next?
As the first year of a two-year session, any legislation that did not pass both chambers can still be taken up in the new year.
The 2026 session will likely start with work on a GOP plan to restructure state income taxes.
This year started with House GOP leadership putting a “historic” tax cut as their top priority.
Following major pushback on an initial plan that would have actually raised taxes for nearly 60% of tax filers, House leaders advanced a revamped plan. It would cut taxes for more filers than would see an increase in the first year while calling for continued cuts to flatten and eventually eliminate income taxes at some point in the future.
The House sent that over to the Senate this week.
The 64-47 vote was closer than most in the GOP supermajority chamber, as members of the arch conservative Freedom Caucus joined with Democrats in opposing the bill. Members of both caucuses said the plan didn’t go nearly far enough in cutting income taxes, which account for nearly 45% of the state’s general fund revenue.
Rutherford, a longtime proponent of legalizing gambling and marijuana, told reporters Thursday he believes doing both would generate enough revenue to slash income and property taxes.
As for senators’ priorities for January, Massey hopes to take up stiffer penalties for drunken driving.
“Our DUI walls are really weak,” he said after session ended. “There are a lot of people being hurt and killed because of them. And an effort remains to allow a casino near the southern shore of Lake Marion.
While the proposal is likely to face fierce opposition, particularly in the Senate and from the governor, its advancement to the House floor shows a new willingness by Republicans to consider legalized gaming in a state that has historically resisted any change to anti-gambling laws.
Rutherford said he’s “wholly disappointed” that nothing related to gambling passed this year.
Beyond the casino bill, other proposals that stay alive for next year would legalize online sports betting and, more narrowly, allow betting specifically on horse racing through an app.
Also, as part of compromises on energy and liquor insurance, legislators agreed to continue work in the off-season to develop new, stand-alone legislation to address those provisions excluded from the bills passed this week.
That includes how South Carolina plans to address energy-intensive data centers that are driving the need for more power generation in the Palmetto State. S.C. Daily Gazette reporters Skylar Laird and Shaun Chornobroff contributed to this article. Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C.
House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, talks to reporters following the end of the legislative session on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Skylar Laird/S.C. Daily Gazette
Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs comes to Parris Island
What veterans need to know about nexus letters?
y last three articles
Mexplained Lay Witness Statements (statements by a person who is not a trained professional) and how veterans can use them to support their claims for service-connected disability compensation, Individual Unemployment (IU), and other claims with the VA. Lay Witness Statements can provide powerful proof that a service-connected wound, injury, illness, HAZMAT Exposure/injury, or traumatic event caused, contributed to, or exacerbated (worsened) a disability.
This article, along with the next two, will discuss nexus letters.
What does nexus mean?
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “nexus” as a noun, meaning a connection or link between two things.
Send all evidence supporting your claim
Sending all the supporting evidence a veteran can muster will help the VA process veterans' claims quickly. If veterans do send “all” of their evidence, including supporting statements from lay witnesses and nexus letters from qualified medical professionals, the probability of the claim being approved is higher. The VA webpage, “How to File a VA Disability Claim” (https:// bit.ly/3wYGMRJ), encourages veterans to submit all supporting documents, including a nexus letter if applicable, along with their claim.
According to the VA’s webpage, “The Claim Process After You File Your Claim," the average number of days the VA takes to complete disability-related claims in March 2025 was 135 days.
Causal connection between military service and disability
In connection with a claim for VA disability compensation, a
nexus letter is a formal medical opinion establishing a connection between your disability and your military service. In other words, a nexus letter is a crucial medical document that establishes a connection between a veteran’s disability and their military service.
For veterans filing a claim with the VA, a nexus letter is from a qualified medical doctor (MDs and ODs and over 80 specialists including psychiatrists), psychologist (Ph.D. and PsyD), physician’s assistant (PA), nurse practitioner (NP), physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT), speech therapist (ST), chiropractor (DCs are not a medical doctors but have a doctoral degree focused on treating disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems), dietitian, and other specialists who are trained and licensed to diagnose and treat. When should a nexus letter be submitted?
Although the VA does not require a nexus letter with a claim for military service-connected disability compensation, a supporting letter from a physician greatly increases the chance that the claim will be approved. A nexus letter may not be needed in the following situations:
1 The veteran’s condition is on the VA’s list of presumptive conditions for service connection. Learn more about presumptive conditions at:
The VA “The PACT Act and your VA benefits” webpage (https://bit. ly/43srfKr). Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veteran eligibility, and Vietnam era Veteran eligibility.
The VA webpage “Exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials,” https://bit.ly/3Rrz3E8 (Agent orange, Asbestos, Birth Defects/Spina Bifida, Burn Pits, Mustard Gas or Lewisite, Contaminated Water/Camp Lejune, Gulf War Illness SW Asia, Gulf War Illness Afghanistan, Project 112 or Project SHAD, and Radiation Exposure. The VA’s “Public Health (Military exposures)” webpage and newsletter (https://bit.ly/3YHv2kz).
The VA webpage and Public Health, “Agent Orange Newsletter 2024” (https://bit.ly/4dfnPy1).
The VA webpage and Public Health newsletter “Military exposures & your health – Winter Issue 15” (https://bit.ly/4j6yA7h).
The VA webpage “Camp Lejeune water contamination health issues” (https://bit. ly/45F0LUi). The VA webpage “Public Health (Environmental health registry evaluation for veterans” (https://bit. ly/457JLcl).
VA Fact Sheet “Presumptive conditions” (https://bit.ly/3LeLSk4).
2 Your condition is in your military medical records, and your service treatment records cover your condition.
If your disabling condition is not on the VA’s Presumptive List, is not in the veteran’s military
medical records, and the veteran’s service treatment records do not cover their claimed condition, the veteran should do his or her best to get one or more nexus letters from a military, VA, or civilian medical doctor or specialist to support their claim. A nexus letter is crucial for establishing a service connection, particularly if the veteran does not receive a diagnosis until after their military service.
What should your doctor or medical specialist include in a nexus letter?
A nexus letter must be based on a review of the veteran's military medical records, VA medical records, civilian medical records, physical examination results, other relevant information, and any required diagnostic tests. The letter should be factual, to the point, and contain specific language that connects the veteran’s disability to his or her time in service. The letter should provide the doctor’s (or specialist’s) opinion regarding the likelihood that the veteran’s disability is service-connected. The doctor should choose a degree of likelihood of either “At least as likely as not,” “More likely than not,” or “Highly likely.” The doctor may reinforce their opinion with data or facts from medical journals, pictures, other records, or literature.
How to get a nexus letter Before meeting with your doctor, ask your VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to help you determine if you need a nexus letter. If you need a nexus letter, assemble a copy
of your evidence and supporting documents (list of woundsinjuries-traumas-conditionssymptoms, list of medications, list of past treatments, DD214 military medical record, VA medical record, civilian medical record, lay witness statements, pictures, etc.) to show to the doctor or other medical specialist when you meet with them. Meet with the doctor who is treating you for your serviceconnected wound, injury, illness, condition, trauma, burn, scar, HAZMAT injury/condition, or disability. Ensure that they are a specialist in your specific disability. You may need to ask your primary care physician for a referral to a specialist. You can request a nexus letter from a military doctor, a VA doctor, a civilian doctor, or a medical specialist.
If possible, get more than one medical expert to write a nexus letter in support of your claim. For example, when this writer filed for service connection for my Vietnam War back injuries and resulting disabilities, I got strong nexus letters from my Primary Care Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon, PhD. Physical Therapist, Pain Management Doctor, and my Chiropractor — and my claims were accurately approved.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer,
LARRY DANDRIDGE
EDITOR’S NOTE This article is the first in a series of three.
U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Ahmed T. Williamson, commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot and Eastern Recruiting Region Parris Island, meets with retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Todd B. McCaffrey, South Carolina’s Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The S.C. Department of Veterans' Affairs exists to serve the state's veterans, service members, and their families, and to promote the value veterans bring to their communities and their fellow citizens. Lance Cpl. Jacob Claudell/USMC
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Pvt Ayala, E. R.
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PFC Jenkins, T. R.
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Pvt Mendiolaperez, J. E.
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PFC Patel, R. N.
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PFC Tell, A. E.
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Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt B. S. Morris
Pvt Abdulhalim, Y. K.
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PFC Balderrama, A. A.
Pvt Bernier, J. C.
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Pvt Mendozaromero, J.
PFC Moore, D. G.*
Pvt Negrin, D. E.
PFC Owens, D. R.
Pvt Paschall, S. R.
Pvt Perez, A.
Pvt Radillo, G.
Pvt Ramos, A. A.
Pvt Redford, L. A.
PFC Robinson, K. L.*
Pvt Rodriguezdamian, I. M.
Pvt Saintdick, B. S.
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Pvt Smith, E. S.
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Pvt Solisgaribay, E. E.
Pvt Swineford Jr, J. E.
PFC Theriault IV, C. J.*
Pvt Topol, S. L.
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Senior Drill Instructor SSgt K. B. Uzzle
Pvt Alvaradofigueroa, E.
PFC Black, M. C.
Pvt Blalock, C. R.
Pvt Brewer, H. H.
Pvt Bullwinkel, M. A.
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Pvt Castro, J. M.
Pvt Coleman, E. M.
Pvt Crepezzi, J. C.
PFC Daiello, G. J.
PFC Downing, T. R.
Pvt Edge, T. G.
Pvt Ford, B. R.
Pvt Frank, L. J.
Pvt Gavilanlopez, J. F.
PFC Ghisolfi, N. A.*
PFC Hall, G. P.*
Pvt Hertlein, N. R.
PFC Hofbauer, C. B.
Pvt Hollingsworth, D. R.
Pvt Howell, T. A.
Pvt Jaimes, R. A.
Pvt Kingston, S. J.
Pvt Lanier, A. C.
PFC Larkins, E. L.*
Pvt Leonard, A. R.
Pvt Lloyd, A. R.
PFC Luckett, B. A.
Pvt Miller, R. A.
PFC Pavese, C. M.
Pvt Poxtan, J. E.
Pvt Rhoades, I. L.
Pvt Rodina, J. R.
Pvt Saewert, T. A.
Pvt Sapp, C. X.
PFC Shaeffer, C. L.
Pvt Sheets, T. M.
Pvt Silvestro, S. P.
PFC Slatton, C. S.
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Pvt Stokes, J. J.
Pvt Torres, N. A.
Pvt Tucker Jr, A. B.
Pvt Williams, J. M.
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PLATOON 1029
Senior Drill Instructor
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Pvt Arandafigueroa, A. A.
PFC Boisits, K. F.
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Pvt Cedillo, E.
Pvt Chambers, T. J.
PFC Checki, N. D.
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Pvt Connorgiurgila, J. C.
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Pvt Deleon, J.
Pvt Dickson, A. R.
PFC Diop, M. G.*
PFC Edwards, J. G.
PFC Guarquila, B. C.
PFC Gue, J. T.*
PFC Huggins, B. D.
PFC Jiang, Q.
PFC Keyser, E. A.
Pvt Leslie, C. J.
Pvt Lloyd, M. I.
PFC Mawson, T. A.
Pvt Mcinerney, D. J.
PFC Melendez, C. D.
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Pvt Pashinski III, J. R.
PFC Phillips, Q. D.
Pvt Quezada, R. S.
PFC Rodriguez, N. N.
Pvt Ruiz, J. D.
Pvt Ryerson, T. P.
PFC Samuel, M. T.*
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Pvt Serranoflores, E.
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PFC Tylko, B. T.
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One Family in Faith
Unity in the Early Church
As the early Church grew, it experienced its first crisis. Because Christianity began as a movement within Judaism, most of the earliest Christians were Jewish. Many continued to follow the dietary laws and ritual customs which God had given to the Jewish people. But as Christians, were these laws and customs still required by God? For example, if a Greek man became Christian, did he have to be circumcised as God commanded in the Scriptures?
The crisis threatened to divide God’s family into two camps. Jesus had respected the Jewish laws and customs during his lifetime, and he had not instructed his disciples to abolish them. Thus, many in the Church believed that Christians were still bound to follow these practices. They taught that unless a man is circumcised, he cannot be saved. (Acts 15:1) Others, like Paul, argued that these practices are optional for Christians and that they are not necessary for salvation.
The apostles gathered in Jerusalem to resolve this matter. Led by Peter, the apostles discussed these questions at length. They concluded that these Jewish religious practices are not necessary for salvation. Christians are not required to be circumcised or follow Jewish dietary laws, but they must still follow God’s commandments in areas of morality, such as those regarding sexual purity. The apostles then sent out a letter announcing this decision to all of the Christian communities. (Acts 15:6-35)
Through the apostles, Jesus kept his Church united. The letter was not sent by the apostles as a suggestion. The apostles expected that their teachings would be obeyed by all Christians who received the letter. The apostles understood that Jesus had given them authority to teach in his name, and that the Holy Spirit was teaching through them. (Matthew 28:20, Acts 15:28) At this crucial moment, Jesus worked through the apostles to protect his flock from error and keep them united as his spiritual family.
The early Christians exhibited a marvelous unity. In our day, we have become accustomed to the idea of many competing churches, each with different beliefs and existing more or less independently of one another. But this gathering in Jerusalem paints a different picture of the early Church. The apostles were not lone rangers, each starting their own church with a different version of the Gospel. Rather, it was taken for granted that Christians would be united in worship, beliefs, and leadership. There was “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all.” (Eph 4:4-5)
The early Church was united as one family of faith. Christians were from many different nations, ethnic backgrounds, and social classes, but they formed one Church. In each region they formed local congregations, but they were part of a family that knew no borders. Their faith in Jesus united them as one body, spread over many languages and lands. Humanity, once broken apart by sin, was being reunited by Jesus into a beautiful family of faith.