When the late city Public Works Director Clayton Cooler retired in 1992 after almost 50 years of monitoring the municipality’s water and sewer services, not to mention trash collections and road repairs, a lot of people said well, now we’re in trouble, ‘cause Clayton knows in his head where all the pipes are.
In those days, when the town didn’t stretch over to Lady’s Island or out to MCAS Beaufort, for the population of fewer than 10 000, keeping with underground pipes wasn’t the monumental task it is now.
Case in point, the $11 9 million Charles and Craven streets stormwater drainage replacement project designed to replace 100-yearold pipes. A project which has the downtown merchants up in arms and city officials scrambling to meet a deadline of the end of 2026 to spend federal grants for the project.
The project is being funded by American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, grants which were available to the city, like other municipalities and governments, to help offset the losses incurred by the COVID epidemic.
And now that a schedule has been released that calls for the closure of the Bay and Charles Street intersection during the upcoming holiday months, merchants are extremely concerned and letting their elected leaders know about it.
The city leaders’ response has been a decision to launch a comprehensive marketing plan letting the world know DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
The response includes expanding the free-parking option in the Downtown Marina parking lot, which is traditionally done for the Christmas season, between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Now, free parking is available as well as token passes to allow free parking for a two-hour period.
Merchants have suggested suspending all parking fees through this construction period, and while city officials haven’t responded, a parking study several years ago indicated if parking fees were waived, it was
Bay-Charles intersection to close for
5-6 weeks
Key downtown junction to shut down Thursday, won’t reopen until after Christmas holiday
The Island News Thursday, Nov. 13 is the day “the Grinch” is coming to downtown Beaufort, and downtown merchants are hoping “it” doesn’t spoil the holidays.
As a part of the Charles-Craven streets drainage project, which in the not so distant past was meticulously scheduled so as to protect the holiday season for downtown merchants and visitors alike, the intersection of Bay Street and Charles Street will be closed to traffic for five to six weeks, beginning this week
The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) and the City of Beaufort were set to begin construction in late October, but work on the west end of the project near the Waterfront Park revealed issues that required the changing of the construction timetable, according to the City.
According to the SCOR, the City of Beaufort’s downtown stormwa-
large, 100-plus-year-old
morning, Nov. 10,
ter infrastructure, installed around 1900, no longer has the capacity to adequately store and channel stormwater during heavy rain events. The
City was awarded $11 9 million for the project’s engineering, design,
BEAUFORT COUNTY VETERANS DAY PARADE
LOLITA HUCKABY
Four-year-old Easton Bussell of Beaufort excitedly waves to the fire trucks as they pass by on Boundary Street during the Beaufort County Veterans Day Parade in Beaufort on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
The McClune family of Beaufort stands and waves on Boundary Street while watching the Beaufort County Veterans Day Parade in Beaufort on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Photos by Amber Hewitt/The Island News
A
oak tree was removed early Monday
2025, from the entrance to the Beaufort Downtown Marina and the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, across from the intersection of Bay and Charles streets, in advance of the Charles-Craven streets drainage project. Lolita Huckaby/The Island News
LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS
Ron Koris took this photo of a “lizard tree capturing the beaver moon” recently on Hunting Island. 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.
JOHN (JD) WILCOX
American Legion Beaufort
Post 207 brings you John (JD) Wilcox, 78 who graduated from The Citadel in 1968 and in 1970 joined the S.C. Army National Guard, first attending Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Jackson before entering Officer Candidate School in Florida. He joined his Guard unit in Summerville and rising to be the aide to the S.C. Adjutant General in Columbia.
John (JD) Wilcox
While assigned to the Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC), he deployed to Dessert Shield/
Vehicle fire in Seabrook results in no injuries
Staff reports
Just past 9 a.m., Monday, Nov. 10, the Burton Fire District was dispatched to a reported vehicle fire on Trask Parkway by Martin Lane in Seabrook. Initial reports indicated smoke and flames were coming from a vehicle on the side of the road.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a passenger vehicle with heavy fire coming from the engine compartment. Firefighters
quickly brought the fire under control.
The driver and occupant were not injured. The fire is under investigation. Both lanes of Trask Parkway coming into Beaufort were blocked for approximately 20 minutes before one lane could be opened. Traffic continued to be delayed for another 20 minutes until both lanes could be reopened.
Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq assigned to the Army Airborne Corps. While there he earned the Bronze Star. He returned to the RAOC in Columbia and participated in exercises in Japan, Turkey, Korea and Germany. He retired in 1994 as a Lt. Colonel with 24 years of National Guard service. While not on duty with the Guard he worked on nuclear submarines at the Charleston Navy
Base as a Civil Servant and later worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Atlanta and Washington inspecting nuclear power plants across the nation. He retired from the Civil Service in 2000 after 22 years.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
November 13
1865: South Carolina ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawing slavery.
November 14
2022: The swimming pool at the Charles Lind Brown Center in Beaufort is named after Alvin Settles, who spent more than 30 years giving swimming lessons at the pool.
November 15
2022: Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, U.S. Army, ret., a regular contributor to The Island News, is awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.
2022: The Beaufort City Council approves the updated version of the Beaufort Preservation Manual, also known as the Milner Report. The documents guides the continued preservation of Beaufort’s historic structures.
November 18
1865: Gen. Daniel E. Sickles replaces Maj. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore as commander of the Military Department of South Carolina.
2023: Lowcountry Pride holds its annual Lowcountry Pride Festival in Port Royal for the first time.
November 19
1867: The first election in which freedmen fully participated is held over two days to elect local and state officials in South Carolina. The voting rolls list, for the first time, records of the freedmen’s full names.
2022: The inaugural Beaufort Brawl mixed martial arts event is held at The Foundry in Beaufort.
– Compiled by Mike McCombs
PETS OF THE WEEK HAVE A NEW HOME!
Our Pets of the Week have moved to Page A18 so we can showcase even more pets in need of loving homes. Be sure to check it out and meet all the new faces waiting to be adopted through Palmetto Animal League and Hilton Head Humane’s Hilton Head campus.
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
A Monday morning vehicle fire on Trask Parkway resulted in no injuries but a significant traffic delay. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Rotary Club of Beaufort honors service members
By Mike McCombs
The Island News
Service Members of the Year named for Parris Island, Naval Hospital, MCAS Beaufort
Each year, near Veterans Day, the Rotary Club of Beaufort honors Service Members of the Year for the three installations in the Beaufort area – Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and Navy Medicine and Training Command Beaufort.
The Club asks for nominations from each of the installations for service members that have made significant contributions to the local community. The Rotary Club of Beaufort selects the winner from each base.
This year’s Rotary Club of Beaufort Service Members of the Year are:
From Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island – USMC
1st Sgt. Willie T. Tompkins
From Navy Medicine and Training Command Beaufort – Hospital Corpsman
2nd Class Whitney Gosha.
From Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort – USMC
Sgt. Lauren N. Millerbernd.
Tompkins, of New Haven, Conn., is the 1st Sgt. of Romeo Company of the Headquarters and Service Battalion aboard Parris Island.
On Wednesday, November 5, 2925, The Rotary Club of Beaufort held it’s annual “Service Member of the Year” program. The 2025 honorees were USMC Sgt. Lauren N. Millerbernd from the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Whitney Gosha from the Naval Training and Readiness Command, Beaufort; and USMC 1st Sgt. Willie T. Tompkins from Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. Each honoree was presented with a plaque and a $200 award in recognition of their outstanding service. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News
“This is not just a testament to [me], this is a testament to all the Marines who are stationed aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. This is for all the behind the scenes work that they do. ”
USMC 1ST SGT.
WILLIE T. TOMPKINS
quarters Squadron on the Air Station.
Marine recruit shot at Parris Island
Incident occurred during marksmanship training
Staff reports
A Marine recruit assigned to Recruit Training Regiment was injured Wednesday, Nov. 5, during scheduled marksmanship training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island, according to a media release from the Communication Strategy (COMMSTRAT) and Operations Office.
According to the release, the recruit suffered a gunshot wound to the foot while training on the range. Depot emergency personnel responded immediately, and the recruit was transported by an ambulance to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where, as of 6 p.m., Wednesday, he was listed in stable condition.
An investigation into the incident is underway, according to the release. No personal information will be released at this time.
“I take this award very seriously because everything that I do is about my family, the Marines around me and the community around me,”
a voice for them. I didn’t do this alone, this is for them.”
Tompkins said. “This is not just a testament to [me], this is a testament to all the Marines who are stationed aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. This is for all the behind the scenes work that they do. I am just a face for them,
Gosha, of Dothan, Ala., has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for more than 200 hours of volunteer service.
“[The award] is an acknowledgment of the hard work we put in,” he said.
“Growing up, my mom always told me, ‘you didn’t get here by yourself, so pay
it forward.’ And I feel like that’s what I aspire to do all the time is just pay it forward. This just tells me that all that work is acknowledged.”
Millerbernd, of Lexington, Minn., works aboard MCAS Beaufort in the Air Station Fire and Emergency Services and serves an dthe Training NCO for Headquarters and Head-
“It’s a great honor to be given this award. I’m just going to keep volunteering and giving back to the Beaufort community.”
The service members receive a plaque and a $200 cash award for their recognition.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
“The safety and well-being of our recruits and personnel remain our top priority,” the release said. “We are committed to conducting a thorough and transparent review of the event.
Another marksmanship training incident on Parris Island occurred on Aug. 13, 2025, when a recruit suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. That recruit was airlifted to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah for further treatment.
Reconstructive Surgery
Dr. Harrington works with
A tutorial on the V.C. Summer Nuclear project collapse and where we are now
It is Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., and I am at Fish Camp in Port RoyaI.
This afternoon I have a table with view (of Battery Creek and the marshes of Parris Island in the distance) and a bowl of cajun remoulade fish bites ($15).
I’m sharing a table and the view with a friend, Sen. Tom Davis, who has selected a Caesar salad ($7) and we’ve been talking about Old Beaufort, old lawyers, and Tom’s time in the Senate.
“I am a transactional lawyer,” Davis began. “Even when I was working with (Governor) Mark Sanford my approach was transactional.
“Mark, however, was an iconoclast.”
“Give me an example,” I said.
“When we were trying to bring the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) into the Governor’s Cabinet — and I was Mark’s Chief of Staff — I negotiated a deal where the Governor would get more control in choosing a Director of that agency.
“In those days DHEC was governed by a Board and that Board was chosen by the Legislature. I negotiated a compromise that had the Governor selecting the Director and the Senate confirming his selection.
“But Mark wanted complete control (of the appointment); and he was not satisfied with, say, the 80% that I got. Mark believed that a compromise pushed a proper solution down the road.
“He was, like I say, an iconoclastic on these issues.”
But this afternoon the news out
of Columbia is electricity — the creation of electricity. Actually, it is the pending sale of two nuclear reactors and I wanted the details of that deal.
In order to understand that sale, I needed a tutorial on the collapse of the V.C. Summer Nuclear project and the $2 3 billion dollar debt that flowed to the to thousands of South Carolina ratepayers.
“Tell me what happened in 2017 And explain this to me as if you were explaining this disaster to my 2-year-old grandson,” I said.
Tom paused, took a forkful of his Caesar salad and a long pull on his sweet tea, and said, “In 2010 the Legislature authorized SCE&G and Santee Cooper to purchase two brand new A1000 reactors from Westinghouse.
“It is important to know that two years earlier the Legislature had passed what was called the ‘Base Load Review Act’ — legislation that these gave these two utilities a guaranteed rate of return based on what it cost to produce electricity. It is important to understand that the utilities could include (in this calculation of their ‘base load’) the construction costs at the V.C. Summer site.
“They could factor these huge construction costs into their guaranteed rate of return even though no new power would be flowing to the ratepayers while V.C. Summer was under construction.
“As soon as construction was underway there were cost overruns. There was incompetence. Then there was fraud. And at some point — prior to 2017 — some of these utility folks knew they were not going to finish the job.
“But it was July of 2017 when the utilities finally came to the Legislature saying, ‘We can’t finish this job’.
For months after this revelation there was finger-pointing about who knew what; and when did the utilities know they could not finish the project. Then, of course, there were lawsuits over the multi-billion dollar tab that would now be passed on to the customers. And, after a flurry of lawsuits, it was determined that these hapless customers would pay a total of $2 3 billion over the next two decades.
“In 2018 it was proposed that the two Westinghouse A1000 reactors be sold for pennies on the dollar,” Davis says.
“I thought this was a mistake and filed a resolution in January of 2018 saying that we should keep these reactors on site; intact; and spend whatever money was required to keep them in good condition.
“That resolution passed and the reactors have been sitting there for almost eight years.
“Now we’ve got someone wants to buy those two reactors.”
In fact it was recently revealed that a consortium called Brookfield
Asset Management wants to buy the two mothballed reactors now sitting at V.C. Summer. Why? Why would anyone want to get back into nuclear energy after all the years of shut-downs and the problems connected with nuclear waste?
The answer, apparently, is artificial intelligence. At this moment there is a nationwide romance with AI with the concurrent construction of “data centers” throughout the United States — centers that consume enormous amounts of energy.
The Wall Street Journal (Nov. 5, 2025) writes that, “Companies are throwing money at digital innovation to become more profitable with fewer workers down the road. But the sheer scale of investment has obscured how it is already reshaping America, in the form of windowless buildings the size of football fields where businesses store and process information.
“The avalanche of money, which most recent data put at $41 billion in annual investments isn’t spread evenly. Goldman Sachs estimated 72% of all server farm capacity sat in 1% of the counties as of July.”
“And these Hyperscalers — Microsoft, Meta and Google — are
willing to spend their own money, up front, for their power,” Davis says. “This is a shift away from the utility, and the ratepayers, paying for new construction.”
In an Oct. 28 editorial (“Agreement on abandoned VC Summer nuclear reactors sets new course for SC energy”) the Post and Courier seems to agree with Sen. Davis, “The idea that the cost of new power generation would be borne by the ‘private hyperscalers’ is crucial at a time when the demand for astronomically expensive new power plants is driven almost entirely by large industry and, more specifically, dizzily proliferating data centers, with their voracious need for power to power artificial intelligence and the crypto industry.”
And there is more good news in that Brookfield, as part of this deal, will pay down the V.C. Summer-related surcharge as it relates to Santee Cooper and co-op customers. Of course a lot can happen between the “lip and the cup” and we will definitely know more on Dec. 8 when the Memorandum of Understanding is released to the public. There was a time when Tom and I would have lingered on the deck at Fish Camp discussing faulty pilings, overtaxed bridges and fellow lawyers. But Tom is still working, is now No. 12 in Senate seniority, and has calls, texts and e-mails to answer.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
Friends of Beaufort Library Book Sale
Ophthalmologist Alex W. Johnson, D.O., joins Beaufort Memorial staff
Staff reports Beaufort Memorial has welcomed ophthalmologist Dr. Alex W. Johnson to its medical staff. He will be practicing with Beaufort Eye Center, a leading provider of comprehensive eye care in the Lowcountry, with locations in Port Royal and Okatie.
Dr. Johnson comes to the Lowcountry after completing his ophthalmology residency at the Medical College of Georgia, where he served as Chief Surgical Resident. He holds a Doctor of Osteopath-
ic Medicine with honors from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Kentucky, graduating summa cum laude.
His clinical interests include: comprehensive ophthalmologic care including cataract surgery, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, oculoplastic surgery and chronic ophthalmic disease treatment.
Throughout his academic and clinical career, Dr. John-
son has been recognized for his excellence in patient care, research, and leadership. His accolades include Research Project of the Year, Consultant of the Year in Emergency Medicine and Liberty University Tutor of the Year. He has also served as President of Sigma Sigma Phi National Honor Fraternity and has published peer reviewed papers on ophthalmic trauma surgical techniques.
Dr. Johnson has also built a significant record of volunteer service, blending clinical expertise with a commitment
to education and outreach. While at the Medical College of Georgia, he played a key role in mentoring future physicians at the Medical Student Eye Clinic, guiding them through essential eye examination techniques while helping deliver free vision care to those in need. During his medical training at Liberty University, he provided medical care at Clinica Esperanza in Roatan, Honduras, where he also led a professional development session for local physicians, and participated in medical
outreach missions in Guatemala and Virginia, offering care in rural and medically underserved communities.
At Beaufort Eye Center, Dr. Johnson joins board-certified ophthalmologists Drs. Jane Kokinakis, and Garrett Webster, as well as optometrists Drs. Nicole Sopp and Michael Nelson. In addition to routine eye exams, the practice offers a wide range of medical and surgical eye care services including cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, diabetic retinopathy management, and dry eye
therapy using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). With a focus on individualized care, the practice uses current technology and techniques to develop treatment plans tailored to each patient’s needs.
Dr. Johnson is now accepting new patients at both Beaufort Eye Center locations: 1664 Ribaut Road in Port Royal and 103 Okatie Center Blvd N, Suite 103, in Okatie. To schedule an appointment with him or any of the practice’s providers, call 843-522-8466 or visit www. beauforteyecenter.com.
SCOTT GRABER
Tom Davis
Lauren Phifer of Columbia and Caroline Sanders of Beaufort look through the hundreds of books at the annual Friends of the Beaufort Library Book Sale at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
People gathered at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 to look through the hundreds of books during the annual Friends of the Beaufort Library Book Sale. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Senator Cory Booker’s visit to St. Helena Island postponed
By Mike McCombs The Island News
An event on St. Helena Island scheduled for Monday night, Nov. 10, featuring Cory Booker, the Democratic Senator from New Jersey, has been postponed.
An email from the South Carolina Democratic Party said, "Unfortunately, due to ongoing votes and debate in the United States Senate on the Republican government shutdown, Senator Booker will not be able to attend the meet and greet tonight at the Penn Center. We apologize for the late change. We are working with Sen-
ator Booker’s team to reschedule this event and will let you know as soon as possible. Thank you so much for understanding."
The event was part of a series of engagements called “On the Road with Senator Cory Booker: Connecting Rural South Carolina.” Booker was also scheduled to host similar events in Summerville and in Hampton County.
“As the government shutdown continues, South Carolina’s communities face increasingly difficult challenges. Veterans' benefits, access to affordable healthcare, and other community needs are critical
topics on the minds of South Carolinians,” the invitation read. “Come visit with Senator Cory Booker to discuss how to meet the moment!”
According to the S.C. Democratic Party’s Facebook post, Booker was to travel with other state Democratic leaders. Booker last visited Beaufort in April of 2019, when he held a rally at Whale Branch Middle School while campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
Penn Center Heritage Days
Sent by God The Sacrament of Holy Orders
Jesus sent his apostles to continue his ministry.
Before returning to heaven, Jesus commanded the apostles, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” He entrusts the apostles with his divine authority and sends them forth to continue his ministry, promising to be with them until the end of time. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Through these shepherds, Jesus continued to care for his flock. Although the apostles were imperfect instruments, with sins and weaknesses, Jesus worked through them to build the early Church. They preached the Gospel, baptized thousands of new believers, healed many who were sick, and authoritatively taught in Christ’s name when doctrinal controversies threatened the Church’s unity.
The apostles passed on their authority to new leaders. As Christianity spread, the apostles chose leaders to continue their ministry. These leaders were called bishops, meaning “overseer.” Through the laying on of hands, the apostles passed to these bishops the authority they had received from Jesus. The bishops, in turn, chose respected men in their communities to assist them as presbyters (later translated as priests), giving them authority for their roles through the laying on of hands. For example, Paul made Timothy a bishop through the laying on of hands (2 Tim 1:5) and directed Titus to appoint presbyters in the same manner. (Titus 1:5)
We now call this gift the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Through this sacrament, Jesus provides his flock with shepherds in each generation. Holy Orders is received in a ceremony called an ordination, where a bishop lays hands on each candidate’s head and asks God to bestow the Holy Spirit upon him. In this way, the bishop passes on the authority that he himself received through Holy Orders, in a succession stretching all the way back through the centuries to the apostles and Jesus himself.
Jesus still serves us through his shepherds today.
A priest is meant to be a spiritual father to his people, serving them with a heart like the Lord’s. This is a difficult calling, as he is a sinner in need of God’s mercy, like each of us. Through Holy Orders, Jesus offers each priest special graces to live out his calling faithfully, similar to the way he helps married couples live out their marital covenant through the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
Priests are meant to reflect the Lord’s love for us.
If priests live out their calling worthily and faithfully, Jesus can work through them in beautiful ways to continue his ministry in our midst, just as he did two thousand years ago. Through his shepherds, Jesus desires to wash us clean in Baptism, strengthen us with the Gospel, feed us with the Bread of Life, forgive our sins, give us healing, and lead us one day to heaven.
Whale Branch Early College High School Homecoming King Jonathan Kelley rides in the 41st annual Penn Center Heritage Days Parade on Saturday, Nov. 8, on St. Helena Island. The celebration is “a homecoming that honors the Gullah Geechee cultural legacy at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District.” Asa Aarons Smith/The Island News
Students from St Helena Elementary School march in the 41st annual Penn Center Heritage Days Parade on Saturday, Nov. 8, on St. Helena Island. The celebration is “a homecoming that honors the Gullah Geechee cultural legacy at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District.” Asa Aarons Smith/The Island News
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker speaks at Whale Branch Middle School during his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President on April 26, 2019. Bob Sofaly/FILE/The Island News
Staff reports
Bluffton Library hosting Beaufort Militia event
The Bluffton Branch Library is hosting a free event, "The Role of the Beaufort Militia in the Revolutionary War" by Richard Thomas, from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Dec. 4 2025
This event is being co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection.
British inroads into South Carolina following the 1778 capture of Savannah were repeatedly confounded by the resourceful militia
Richard Thomas
forces of Beaufort District, north and south of the Broad. Attendees will trace their activities and learn more about some of the individuals whose courage and dedication had a direct impact on the Continental Army’s success in gaining independence from English rule.
Thomas is an experienced
global business executive and successful entrepreneur, having served as CEO, President or Executive Vice President in seven different ventures in four diverse industries. He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in East Asian Studies and did graduate field work in Cultural Anthropology in Thailand. He worked as a linguist team leader in Special Operations Intelligence while in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He
speaks three languages -- English, Chinese-Mandarin and Thai. Thomas was co-founder of Battlefield Leadership, a global consulting and training company, where he guided the development and delivery of industry-leading leadership seminars involving historic battlefields in the United States and Europe. He is very involved in local historical organizations such as the Heritage Library, Santa Elena Foundation, and Friends of Hon -
ey Hill Board. He is the Chairman of the Beaufort County 250 Committee responsible for planning local celebrations of the nation's Semiquincentennial. He wrote “Backwater Frontier: Beaufort County, South Carolina at the Forefront of American History” ( 2018 ). His current research interest is focused on the early colonial period of St. Helena and Prince William's parishes in Beaufort District.
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BMH welcomes board-certified nurse practitioner to lead Preoperative Assessment Clinic
Staff reports Beaufort Memorial has welcomed a new nurse practitioner to lead the hospital’s Preoperative Assessment Clinic (PAC), which prepares patients for a safe, effective and stress-free surgery experience.
Krissy A. Oudinot, MSN, FNP-BC, brings her passion for patient education and communication to the PAC at the Beaufort Memorial Medical Plaza, addressing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hyperten-
sion and developing individualized plans to prepare patients for surgery.
Specialists such as orthopedic surgeons, OBGYNs, urologists and general surgeons refer patients to the PAC if they have conditions or medical history that might affect anesthesia, the surgery itself, outcomes or recovery. Led
the downtown employees who took advantage of the situation, not shoppers.
The Bay Street shopping district faced similar disruptions in the 1990’s when the city launched a major renovation which included new sidewalks and those wonderful “pork chops” curb parking spaces still in place. Kevin Cuppia of Modern Jewelers, one of the oldest retail operations on Bay Street, reminded merchants present at last week’s meeting that customers had to cross plywood to get into the stores during that project. There was a general feeling of “we need to work together” after last week’s session but there was no mistaking the frustration merchants felt, realizing “the show must go on.”
The timing of the major intersection closure, in the middle of the holiday season which can be a breaking point for merchants who are already seeing a drop in tourism, with the current federal government closure and its impact on local military families. Then there’s the cruise ships being redirected from the downtown seawall to Port Royal.
by Oudinot, the PAC team performs comprehensive patient evaluations; coordinated lab and imaging services; refers to specialists, including those in cardiology and pulmonology; refers to specialty programs for weight management, smoking cessation and mental health services; and consults with anesthesiology to ensure the optimal safety and readiness of surgical patients.
Since obtaining her Master of Science as a nurse
On top of all that, the city leaders still haven’t settled on a plan to repair that waterfront park seawall, a project they know is going to cost millions of dollars.
Plus the possibility of hurricanes or other storm events in 2026 which might impact the project completion.
The list does go on and on. But the central message, despite the concerns, complaints and finger-pointing, is focused: DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
Or else it could return to a “sleepy, little town” with a lot of boarded windows.
County elections board still looking for director BEAUFORT -- Last week’s municipal elections in Port Royal, Bluffton and Yemassee are behind us but county election commissioners still have lots of work to do in preparation for the 2026 elections, including finding a new director for the county Voter Registration and Elections office.
The commissioners have been looking for a new director since Marie Smalls resigned after 12 years of service in September. Currently, Assistant Director Wendell Roberson is serving currently in that capacity.
One of the biggest complaints
practitioner at Millersville University in Millersville, Pa., Oudinot has spent more than two decades assisting orthopedic and spine surgeons in the operating room, resulting in an extensive surgical and occupational medicine background that has given her insight into surgical preparation and recovery processes.
Before joining Beaufort Memorial, she assisted in surgery in a variety of orthopedic, spine and pain
elections officials heard at last week’s monthly meeting was from citizens who didn’t realize the elections were only for voters living in municipalities.
With campaigning for the municipal races was relatively quiet, campaigning for next year’s midterm elections has already begun, especially for those incumbents like U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham and the Governor’s race, where candidates are already lining up.
In Port Royal, where incumbents Mary Beth Heyward and Daryl Owens were the top vote-getters, 9 4 percent of the registered voters turned out.
In Yemassee, where incumbent Mayor Colin Moore and newcomers Alfred Washington and Lori Poston were elected, 5 8 percent of the total voters cast a ballot.
And in Bluffton, council members Emily Vaux Burden and Fred Washington were re-elected, with 5 8 percent of the voters voting. Next up, the June 9 primaries for the 2026 elections.
National apartment rents may be going down, but not here
BEAUFORT -- A recent story in the Wall Street Journal reported apartment renters across the nation were beginning to see a lowering of monthly rental fees connected with a “glut” of apart-
management procedures at a Maryland surgery center.
Oudinot’s goal is for her patients to go into their surgical procedures as strong and knowledgeable as possible, with their worries alleviated and feeling as mentally and physically prepared as possible.
“Knowledge is power,” she said, “and through clear communication, I like to make sure my patients are as informed, healthy and comfortable as possible before they undergo surgery.”
ment construction.
The report noted the average national rent dropped 0 3 percent during the month of September, the steepest September drop in 15 years, according to CoStar data firm, quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The report went on to say major metro areas were seeing landlords cutting prices.
With all the apartment construction experienced in the Lowcountry, one might assume rental rates might see some decreases, but there’s no real evidence that trend is being experienced here … yet.
One online source, Apartment. com, says the average rent in Beaufort is $1 335 a month. Another online source, zumper.com lists the median rent for one-bedroom apartments as $1 502, down 6 percent from last year.
The Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust, which works on providing “affordable” and “workforce” housing in the two-county area, reports the average monthly rental cost in the city of Beaufort is $2 300 per month compared to the town of Port Royal where the average is $2,400 and a high of $3,500 on Hilton Head Island.
B-JHT’s latest project, working with private developers, is the Carrington Manor apartment complex on Boundary Street which will provide 64 units for residents 55 and
At the PAC, patients who are referred to the clinic by their surgeon receive a comprehensive review of their medical history, an assessment of their current health status and undergo any additional testing that is required to ensure their safety and readiness for their upcoming surgery.
To learn more about the PAC and how to prepare for your upcoming surgery, call 843-522-7220 or visit BeaufortMemorial.org/PreoperativeAssessmentClinic.
older once it opens. Carrington’s website states rent will be between $959 and $1 422 depending on the number of bedrooms.
The newest addition to Beaufort’s apartment scene is Pearl Studio, formerly the old Quality Inn on Boundary Street, lists rent between $1,100 and $1,200 including utilities.
The studio apartments, a project of 303 Associates, are like Vivo Apartments on Ribaut Road in Port Royal, which are located within a former Days Inn with 145 rooms. Rent there is listed on-line between $975 and $1,075 based on square footage of one-bedroom apartments.
And for the record, these are just apartments, not rental houses. Also, the median income for a household in Beaufort County is $84,800 but that includes the income of retirees, not just the working folks.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C. native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated,
In
room at
Grand Army of
Republic Hall,
walls are lined with photos of
Black U.S. veterans as the names of 1,400 men and women who served with the 1st S.C. Volunteers of African Descent/33rd U.S. Colored Troops are read on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News.
Beaufort City Councilman Mitch Mitchell reads the names of some of the 1,400 men and women who served with the 1st SC Volunteers of African Descent/33rd U.S. Colored Troops at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News.
Krissy A. Oudinot
Port Royal voters re-elect Owens, Heyward to Town Council
By Mike McCombs
The Island News
With two Town Council spots up for grabs on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Port Royal, the two incumbents retained their at-large seats.
With 100% of the precincts reporting, Daryl Owens and Mary Beth Gray-Heyward had 44 88% (469 votes) and 42 68% (446 votes) of the vote, respectively. Newcomer Angie Tillman was a distant third with 12 15% (127 votes).
“I’m deeply humbled, very appreciative and deeply grateful to the people of Port Royal for continuing to
entrust me to do the work that they’ve tasked me to do,” Owens said. “I’m grateful for the people that came out despite it not being a general election.”
Owens has been on the council since May of 2017
“I am excited and humbled,” said Grey-Heyward, who has been on Port Royal’s Town Council for 34 years. “The fact that I have so much support and my supporters were so awesome, I could not have done it without them. I am so overwhelmed at my constituents putting their trust with me to be their voice for the next four years.”
Tillman, who has lived less than a year in Port Royal was disappointed in the turnout in her first foray into local politics, but considers it a learning experience.
“I’m proud of myself. I learned so much,” Tillman said. “I’m the new girl. It’s OK. I am so passionate about this place. … To even jump in and do what I did, I feel good. However, I feel like, honestly, it’s just kind of keeping Port Royal stagnant. That’s how it feels to me. I just wish it would have gone differently.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
McKissick speaks to BRWC
Drew McKissick, Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party since 2017, was the guest speaker as the Beaufort Republican Women’s Club (BRWC) held its quarterly Members Meeting on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Red Rooster restaurant in Beaufort.
South Carolina Rep. Shannon Erickson introduced McKissick, and he Drew spoke to BRWC members about the importance of getting citizens engaged in elections and turning out the vote. He reviewed recent voting results in South Carolina and said politics is non-stop; winners set policy, not losers.
The quarterly meetings are informal, informative, fun, and no reservation is needed. Members order off the menu and pay for their own meals. Anyone interested in joining BRWC is welcome. For more information about the club, please go to www. beaufortrepublicanwomensc.com.
County Veteran Affairs, Lowcountry Legal Volunteers partering for will/power of attorney clinic
Beaufort County Veterans Affairs is partnering again with Lowcountry Legal Volunteers to offer a free clinic for area veterans who need help drawing up a will or power of attorney.
The clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, at the Beaufort County Disabilities and Special Needs Office at 100 Clearwater Way in Beaufort. This event is free of charge and open to all veterans and their dependents. Registration is required. Apply online at lowcountrylegalvolunteers.org or call Lowcountry Legal Volunteers at 843-815-1570
“Our Life Planning Seminar is an incredibly important event where we emphasize the value of having an up-to-date will and power of attorney," County Veterans Affairs
Streets from page A1
permitting, and construction as part of SCOR’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stormwater Infrastructure Program (ASIP).
According to the SCOR’s news release from Oct. 13, the project will install larger pipe along North, Craven, and Charles Streets, which will lead to a new tidal check valve at the waterfront. These upgrades will provide protection against rainfall and riverine flooding above a 25year, 24-hour storm event. Minor enhancements to the roadsides will improve pedestrian mobility and safety, as well.
“The project is located at the epicenter of the City of Beaufort which serves as a significant historic, recreational, and economic driver for the region and state,” S.C. Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan said in the October 13 news release. “Mitigating the risk of losses due to flooding is therefore a priority, and we are glad to see this project kicking off.”
Director Caroline Fermin said in a news release. "Offering this service free of charge allows us to answer any questions our veterans may have and ensure they leave the clinic fully prepared with either a will or a power of attorney. It’s one more way we are proud to serve and support our veteran population here in Beaufort County.”
The Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Office assists veterans, their spouses and other dependents with access to government programs for which they are eligible. Veterans Affairs Counselors are available by appointment only by calling 843-255-6880
County offering tour for America Recycles Day
Beaufort County is celebrating America Recycles Day with educational tours of the recyclable facility used by the County. The tours are at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 1:30 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 14
Space is limited so registration is required. Register by scanning visiting https://bit.ly/43rFPBL.
The facility is the i2 Material Recovery Facility at 203 Hardeeville Industrial Park Road in Hardeeville.
Tour attendees will learn where Beaufort County's recyclables are taken when collected and processed. Learn the recycling process and how even more can be done to improve household recycling practices. For more information email the Environmental Education Coordinator at envtcoordinator@bcgov.net.
Lady’s Island Garden Club hosting baked goods, floral arrangement sale
The Lady’s Island Garden Club will be holding its fifth annual Baked Goods and Fall Floral Arrangements Sale on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in front of Grayco Hardware and Home at 136 Sea Is-
City officials and S.C. Rep. Shannon Erickson, tried to work with SCOR for alternative dates and routes to delay the start of construction, but were unsuccessful.
“SCOR worked with us upon our request and examined and reexamined the project with the contractor and engineers,” Erickson said in the City’s recent press release. “Unfortunately, the timeline for closing the intersection is necessary to ensure project completion and preservation of funding for it.”
Despite the inconvenience, the improvements should be significant. Enlarging drains and doubling the size of drainage pipes will allow four times as much water to drain off City streets.
Staying open
The City has reiterated its support for downtown residents, businesses, and visitors throughout the construction period and has repeatedly stated that all businesses, restaurants, storefronts, and public spaces will remain open and accessible.
Bay Street will remain open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic and
land Parkway. They accept cash and checks.
The homemade baked goods will include cakes and pies and packages of cookies, snack mix, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and gluten free items and treats for man’s best friends! Many of the baked goods will be packaged for gift giving. You can also buy a fresh cup of hot coffee to enjoy while you are shopping.
Fresh floral arrangements created by our talented gardeners will also be offered.
The Lady’s Island Garden Club is a 501(c) (3) organization. Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used for community service projects. Current projects include maintaining the Tree Walk on the Point, planting flowers at the Beaufort National Cemetery, supporting Wreaths Across America and more. The group also contributes financially to many charitable organizations, such as Friends of Hunting Island, Friends of Fort Fremont, Camp Wildwood, Lowcountry Raptors and Beaufort Open Land Trust.
Beaufort Tea Party meeting set for Nov. 17
Joshua Castrinos of the Beaufort County chapter of Turning Point USA will be the guest speaker at the next Beaufort Tea Party meeting to be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17 at Gilligan’s Restaurant at 2601 Boundary Street in Beaufort.
Turning Point USA is expanding nationwide, and now, worldwide. Members joining are not just the youth of today, it is the everyday person. They are of all ages and walks of life.
Seating is limited. Please RSVP at btp@ islc.net.
NOB Dems meeting set for Nov. 20
Mayra Rivera Vazquez, the former Beaufort County Democratic Party Chair and a
parking. And, with some modification as needed, all regularly scheduled holiday events, including Night on the Town and the Christmas Parade, will continue as planned.
“The City is committed to doing whatever we can to minimize the impact of this intersection closure to commerce downtown,”
City Manager Scott Marshall said in a news release. “No holiday events will be canceled, and our downtown will remain vibrant as always, if not more so given initiatives the City will assist with in working with our downtown merchants and restauranteurs.”
Community leaders and business owners are not sitting idly. There was a meeting scheduled for 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12 on the back porch of Q on Bay featuring officals from the City of Beaufort, the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association and the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce. The meeting is to discuss “collaborative plans for marketing, business resources, parking, shopper incentives guest experiences and more.
Detour plan, signs
candidate for Congress for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, will be the guest speaker when the Northern Beaufort County Democratic Club (NOB Dems) meet at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Old Grace AME Chapel at 502 Charles Street in downtown Beaufort. Ample free parking is available. Guests and first time attendees are welcome.
The NOB Dems, along with several other groups, rally together every Monday at 4 p.m. in front of the Beaufort City Hall to exercise their 1st amendment rights to speak up for Democracy and defend the Constitution. If you wish to add your voice in support, bring a sign (no vulgarity), stay behind the sidewalk, and off the median. For more information, contact nobdems@ gmail.com.
Economist to speak at Indivisible
Beaufort meeting
Economist Donald Klepper-Smith will be the featured speaker when Indivisible Beaufort meets at 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Downtown Beaufort Library at 311 Scott Street.
Klepper-Smith has been a professional economist and advisor for more than 40 years. As a long-time observer, analyst, researcher, and advisor, he has provided economic analysis and forecasts of national and state business trends for both the public and private sectors.
Klepper-Smith will help attendees understand how current economic policies, Trump tariff mayhem, and other uncertain economic and political conditions are impacting our national and local Lowcountry economy and our financial well-being. Attendees are asked to bring food donations to the meeting. The event is free and open to the public.
– Staff reports
A full detour map, which is running in The Island News with this story, and traffic plan will be shared with the public ahead of the road closure. The City also plans to install extensive signage to help drivers and pedestrians navigate safely through the area.
Changes for parking, commerce
The City of Beaufort is making some proactive changes to its parking situation in order to show support for downtown businesses during the intersection closure.
The Marina Parking Lot is now open for free all-day public parking, two weeks earlier than the usual free parking period during the holidays.
Also: Free 2-hour parking through ParkMobile: Visitors can get two hours of free parking when using the ParkMobile app. A new code will be shared each week available on the City of Beaufort’s social media pages, Main Street Beaufort’s channels, the City website, or by contacting Park Beaufort directly. Beaufort magic vouchers: A
“Beaufort Magic” voucher will be printed in The Island News. Visitors can cut out the voucher and exchange it at Park Beaufort for a two-1-hour parking tokens. Downtown business tokens: The City’s Downtown Operations team will be distributing parking tokens to downtown merchants for customer use, as part of an upcoming parking partnership initiative that will be announced soon.
Free holiday shuttle service:
Beginning Black Friday (Nov. 29) and continuing Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., free shuttles will operate between all available downtown parking areas and Bay Street. The shuttle service will provide an easy, family-friendly way to get to shops, restaurants, and holiday events without the stress of finding a parking spot.
Downtown Beaufort dollars (coming soon): The City is also developing a “Downtown Beaufort Dollars” program, which will provide special discounts and incentives for shopping with participating local merchants. More details will be released soon.
Port Royal Town Council Member Darryl Owens, up for re-election, stands holding a “Vote for Mary Beth Heyward” sign in one hand and a “Vote for Darryl Owens” sign in the other on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
‘Singing loud for all to hear’
Staff reports
Beaufort Chidren’s Theatre presents Elf The Musical, JR
Beaufort residents will embrace their inner “elf” when Beaufort Children’s Theatre presents its production of Elf The Musical, JR. The show, featuring 78 aspiring actors, ages 8 to 18, premieres Friday, Nov. 21
The musical tells the story of a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is given the name Buddy and raised by elves in the North Pole.
Buddy lives happily unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity.
Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of the holidays.
The University of South Carolina Beaufort and the Beaufort Children’s Theatre will present Elf The Musical JR. on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. at USCB Center for the Arts at 805 Carteret Street in Beaufort. Tickets are $24 for adults, $20 for seniors and military, and $16 for students. They are available online at uscbcenterforthearts.
com. For more information on the show, call the box office at 843-521-4145
THE CAST
Santa Claus – Tag Cushman
Buddy – Beau Backus
Jovie – Sophia Mercier
Emily – Annie Grace Wells
Michael – Sidda Brock
Mr. Greenway – Caeden White
Walter – Liam Martin
Elves
Charlie – Everett Johnston Shawanda – Macie Magbee
– Lilly Grace Johnson, Kallie Canfield, Christina Tarrance, Raylie Smith, Ryan Sprietsma, Clara Vaughn, CeCi Wareham, Grace Tinsley
Shorts at High Noon concludes
Before You Die” and “100 Things to Do in Savannah Before You Die.”
next week
The popular Shorts at High Noon program, presented by the Beaufort Film Society (BFS), in association with the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), is drawing to a close next week.
BFS Members will vote on 1 of 3 BIFF 2026 film submissions to help determine an Official Selection for the upcoming festival. Proof of membership is required.
TCL’s Auditorium is located at 921 Ribaut Road, Building 12 in Beaufort. Admission is free. For more information, visit beaufortfilmfestival.com.
Charleston artist
Sisco’s art on display
An exhibit of Charleston based artist Deborah Sisco’s artwork, “Between the Stillness and Disappearance,” will be on display at the Performing Arts Center of USCB in Beaufort until Dec. 22 2025. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m., to 6 p.m., and on weekends during performances (check the USCB Center for the Arts website for schedule at https://www.uscbcenterforthearts.com/).
Promotional events
continue for Seldons’ new book
Promotional events are still ongoing this fall for the new book by Beaufort’s Cele and Lynn Seldon, “100 Things to Do in the Lowcountry Before You Die.” The book completes a trilogy for Reedy Press following the bestsellers “100 Things to Do in Charleston
The new book explores all of the great things to see, do, eat, and buy between Charleston and Savannah, including Edisto Island, Walterboro, Beaufort, Yemassee, Ridgeland, Hardeeville, Bluffton, Daufuskie Island, Hilton Head Island, and more.
Upcoming events include:
Monday, Nov. 17 – Book Talk and Signing: Libraries for Kids International, The Roasting Room, 1297 May River Road, Bluffton, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Call 843-683-4100 or email tamela.maxim@libraries4kids.org for reservations.
Thursday, Nov. 20 – Book Signing and Fundraiser: SOBA Art School, 8 Church Street, Old Town Bluffton, 2 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 – Book Signing: Tacaron, 6983 Okatie Hwy, Ridgeland, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Shrimp City Slim
returning to Hop Dog
Shrimp City Slim (Gary Erwin) is returning to Hop Dog (223 Scott Street) for two dates in November. He will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14 and Friday, Nov. 21. Shrimp City Slim plays world piano blues and original songs from Charleston. You can learn more about him at www. shrimpcityslim.com.
USCB Center For The Arts showing ‘Wicked’
The USCB Center For The Arts is showing the movie “Wicked” at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16. All seats are $8
– Staff reports
EDUCATION
BCSD Choice program applications available online
Deadline to apply is Jan. 15
Staff reports
The Beaufort County School District will soon be accepting Choice applications for the 2026-27 academic year, the 12th year of the district’s expanded choice initiative.
BCSD Choice allows students who live in Beaufort County to apply to participate in a Choice program at a school that's outside their attendance zone.
Choice applications opened on the district’s website on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, and must be submitted online by Thursday, Jan. 15 2026, at 5 p.m. Parents who don’t have internet access may request application assistance at any district school.
“We want parents to know that Beaufort County School District is the best choice for their children,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “Our offerings are ex-
tensive, innovative, and engaging. There’s something to match every student’s interests and future career plans.”
Curriculum options approved by the Board of Education include such instructional choices as Advanced Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES), Montessori, International Baccalaureate, arts integration, language immersion, Cambridge Academy, Early College, Medical and Technology pathways, and leadership programs.
Expanded options for include BCSD Tides, a dual enrollment partnership for rising 9th-grade students, and select Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. To learn about each of
EDUCATION BRIEFS
AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head donates $7, 500 to Shanklin Elementary
In September, AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head made a lasting impact at Joseph Shanklin Elementary School, surprising students and teachers with a $7 500 donation and essential school supplies to support their classrooms. The donation, part of the Subaru Loves Learning initiative in partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, directly benefitted 15 classrooms and more than 315 students at the high-need school.
[High-need is defined as a school that has a Title I Schoolwide Program and/or a school where 40% or more of the student population qualifies for the Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Program.]
The donation comes at a critical time when educators nationwide are facing financial pressure. According to AdoptAClassroom.org, 92% of teachers serve students whose families cannot afford basic school supplies, forcing educators to spend an average of $895 of their own money annually on classroom materials — a 50% increase since 2015
This event marks the fifth year AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head as partnered with Joseph Shanklin Elementary School to “adopt” classrooms at the school. The retailer made surprise visits to classrooms to share news of the donation and provided treats for the staff.
“This generous donation from AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head will go a long way in helping our teachers create a wellequipped learning environment,” Joseph Shanklin Elementary School Principal Liz Rivera said in a news release. “Having access to the right supplies makes a real difference — not just for our students’ success, but for their confidence. We’re grateful for our long-standing partnership with AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head and to be part of the Subaru Loves Learning initiative.”
“Having access to the right supplies makes a real difference — not just for our students’ success, but for their confidence.”
LIZ RIVERA, Joseph Shanklin Elementary School Principal
To learn more about the Subaru Loves Learning initiative and the partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, visit subaru.com/learning or follow #SubaruLovesLearning on social media.
Beaufort student named to Summer 2025 Dean's List at Georgia State Cristal Gonzalez Apolinar of Beaufort (29906), was named to the Summer 2025 Dean's List at Georgia State University.
To be eligible for the Dean's List during the summer semester, degree-seeking students with a minimum Georgia State cumulative GPA of 2 00 must earn a 3 50
the district’s choice program offerings please see the BCSD Choice website page at beaufortschools. net/bcsdchoice.
A lottery will be held if the number of choice applications at a school would cause the school to exceed its overall enrollment capacity, or if approved applications would push an individual choice program beyond its capacity.
Beaufort County students who attend choice programs do not pay extra tuition, although families are responsible for their students’ transportation if they live outside of school attendance zones.
To learn more about the individual choice programs and schools, the community is invited to the upcoming BCSD Showcases where
GPA for the semester and complete at least 6 semester hours of academic credit with no incompletes.
20 from Beaufort, Port Royal named to The Citadel's Spring 2025 Dean's List
Twenty students from Beaufort and Port Royal were named to the Spring 2025 Dean's List at The Citadel. The dean's list is a recognition given to cadets and students who are registered for 12 or more semester hours and whose grade point average is 3 20 or higher, with no grade of I (Incomplete) and no grade below C for work in a semester.
Port Royal’s John Pridgen was named to the Dean’s List, as were Beaufort students Theeb Bayyoud, Sebastien Clavijo, Joseph Combs, Gunnar DeGroat, Ian Doherty, Brock Durham, Jack Henrickson, Diego Ladino Alvarez, Clayton Lohr, Tucker Mickel, Thomas Purdy, Tyler Reichel, Paul Scarpa, Micah Schaeffer, Justin Spencer, Caleb Stone, John Sumner IV, Alexander Tielens and Clayton Vande Burgt.
The Citadel, with its iconic campus located in Charleston, offers a classic military college education for young men and women focused on leadership excellence and academic distinction.
Beaufort, Port Royal students named to SNHU Summer 2025 President's List
Fourteen students from Beaufort and Port Royal were named to the Summer 2025 President's List at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). The summer terms run from May to August.
Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3 700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President's List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/ spring, and summer.
Port Royal’s Justina Wolfe (29935) was named to the President’s List, as were Beaufort students Andrew Deems (29907), Xhesika Donovan (29907), Hartley Schildt (29907), Whitney Hardman (29906), Rana Creech (29906), Mikayla Cole (29906), Kaitlyn Stark (29906), Samuel Fombellida (29906), Kaleigh Boatenhammer (29906), Jesse Carles (29906), Ersha Henderson (29906), Kierra Scott (29902) and TeriLyn Tamayo (29902).
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution in Manchester, N.H., with a 92year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults.
Beaufort’s Enrich named to SNHU Dean's List
Moses Enrich of Beaufort (29906) has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's Summer 2025 Dean's List. The summer terms run from May to August. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point
attendees can explore everything BCSD schools have to offer — from Pre-K through high school. These events will feature more than 30 schools and dozens of academic, arts, and extracurricular programs across the district. Families will have the chance to: Meet principals, teachers, and students; Learn about unique academic and extracurricular programs; Explore career and technical education opportunities; and ... Get details about the Choice application process.
Hilton Head Island Specific School Showcases Visit beaufortschools.net/ showcase for a list of HHI times/locations.
Hilton Head Island Schools will also be hosting additional specific school showcases as part of the Changemakers grant program.
To see the full list of participating schools and to RSVP, visit beaufortschools.net/showcase.
Recently, students in John Paul II Catholic School’s App Creators class expanded their understanding of algorithms in a fun and hands-on way. Each student designed a unique Lego structure, then wrote step-by-step algorithms to describe how to build it. To test the accuracy of their work, peers swapped instructions and attempted to recreate the designs using only the written algorithms. App Creators is one of eight Project Lead the Way Gateway classes offered at JPII for middle school students. The other classes include Computer Science for Innovators & Makers, Medical Detectives (Life Science), and Energy & the Environment (Life Science), and Flight & Space (Physical Science). This activity highlighted the importance of clear communication, logical sequencing, and problem-solving — all fundamental skills in both computer science and real-world problem solving, explained JPII science teacher Nicole Schatzle. “By practicing how to break big ideas into smaller, precise steps, students not only strengthened their understanding of algorithms but also developed critical thinking and collaboration skills,” she said. “These lessons may seem like play, but they’re really about preparing students for the future. Writing and testing algorithms teaches them how to think like computer scientists, engineers, and innovators. They’re learning how to troubleshoot, adapt, and refine their ideas — skills they’ll use in high school, college, and their careers.” Photos courtesy of John Paul II Catholic School
ART Budding Artist After-School
Art Club
4 to 5 p.m., or 5:15 to 6:15
p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesday/Thursdays, Happy Art Studio, 10 Sam’s Point Way, Beaufort. Ages 8 to 13. Painting, drawing, clay or crafts. Visit www.happyartstudio.net.
CALENDAR
Lady’s Island Garden Club 5th
Annual Baked Goods & Fall Floral Arrangements Sale
9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, Grayco Home Center, 136 Sea Island Pkwy., Beaufort. Cash & Check accepted. Our homemade baked goods will include cakes and pies and packages of cookies, snack mix, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and gluten free items and treats for man’s best friends! Many of the baked goods will be packaged for gift giving.
You can also buy a fresh cup of hot coffee to enjoy while you are shopping. Fresh floral arrangements created by our talented gardeners will also be offered. The Lady’s Island Garden Club is a 501(c) (3) organization. Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used for community service projects. Our current projects include maintaining the Tree Walk on the Point, planting flowers at the Beaufort National Cemetery, supporting Wreaths Across America and more. We also contribute financially to many charitable organizations, such as Friends of Hunting Island, Friends of Fort Fremont, Camp Wildwood, Lowcountry Raptors and Beaufort Open Land Trust.
Karaoke with Melissa
7:30 p.m. to midnight, Mondays, Tomfoolery, 3436 17 Market, Habersham, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
Karaoke with Ali
9 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. With DJ Ali.
Karaoke with Melissa
7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.
Trivia with Tom – Bricks On Boundary
7 p.m., Every Thursday, Bricks on Boundary, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https:// rb.gy/o9nhwe.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available.
Karaoke at Willie’s
8 p.m., Thursdays, Willie's Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Saint Helena Island. Come and showcase your singing talents or just enjoy the performances. For more information, visit www.GullahLove.com.
Bluffton Night Bazaar — a Lowcountry Made Market
5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.
Habersham Farmers Market
3 to 6 p.m., Fridays, Habersham Marketplace. Vendor roster includes B&E Farm, Cottonwood Soap, Flower Power Treats, Hardee Greens, Megs Sweet Treats, Vitamin Bee, Lady’s Island Oyster Company, Pet Wants.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie
O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.
Karaoke with Melissa
7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Drive, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
Port Royal Farmers Market
9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, year round, Naval Heritage Park, 1615 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Rain or shine. You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese, as well as plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. There are prepared food vendors serving barbecue, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels
WHAT’S HAPPENING
and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http://www.portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.
Slip and Splash Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric.
Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud
9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday each month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO Students and other volunteers will read to young children, who are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals.
Karaoke with Melissa
8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th
Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
DANCE
Lowcountry Shaggers
6 to 9 p.m., Mondays, Holiday Inn, 2225 Boundary Street. Shag lessons with Tommy & Sheri O’Brien and others. Occasional ballroom and once-a-monh line dancing. Biginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www. lowcountryshaggers.com of email lowcountryshaggers@aol.com.
The Beaufort Shag Club
6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free lessons for members from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We also host a dance the second Saturday of each month from 7 to 10 p.m. Lessons will run September through May only. Visit our FaceBook page (beaufortshagclub) for current events.
FAITH
Alpha Sessions
6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Mondays through Nov. 17, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. We believe everyone needs a space to ask questions and be heard. If you have questions about Christianity, or are exploring life, faith, and meaning, this session is for you! We offer a free meal and good conversation. For more information, email Matthew at faith@ stpetersbeaufort.org.
GOLF
Beaufort County Championship
10:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 22, Cat Island Club, 8 Waveland Avenue, Lady's Island, and 9 a.m., Sunday, Nov 23, Ocean Point Golf Links, 250 Ocean Point Drive, Fripp Island. $250 entry fee. Entry fee includes two rounds of golf, meals provided both days, tee gifts, and prizes. Practice rounds are available up to two weeks in advance, based on availability, for $55 per player. For more information and to register, visit https://shorturl.at/ OkvAP.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
BEMER Longevity Technology 9 a.m., Wednesdays via Zoom. Seen the buzz on “life span VS health span?” Want to grow better, not older? Haven’t heard of BEMER yet? Come for Q&A about how this longevity-enhancing medical device can enhance your health, fitness and overall well-being in just 8 minutes, 2 times a day. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.
Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to 10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a collective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and donation-based events with proceeds being donated locally on a rotating basis.
HISTORY Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Admission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, Active Duty Military and College Students with ID $5. Children/Teens younger than 18 Free. Explore and experience more than 500 years of Beaufort History with knowledgeable docent guided tours.
The Historic Port Royal Museum 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, Thursdays through Sundays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-the-century businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory.org, email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com or call 843-524-4333.
Tour Historic Fort Fremont
Dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. The History Center is open Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn about the fort’s history during the Spanish-American War through interpretive signs, self-guided walking tours with a smart phone, exhibits in the history center, and docent-led tours. For more information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net.
LIBRARY ACTIVITIES
Drawing Basics
10:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 15, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Join art instructor Cindy Tighe to learn the basics of drawing. Ages 12 and up. Space is limited and registration is required. Call 843-255-6487.
Composting 101
4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. With Valentina Palacio of Beaufort County Public Works. All ages.
Zero-Waste Tye-Die
11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 20, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Lobeco. With Valentina Palacio of Beaufort County Public Works. For children. Requires registration. Call 843-255-6479.
Recycling 101
11 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Lobeco. With Valentina Palacio of Beaufort County Public Works. For children.
Composting 101
2 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, Port Royal Branch Library, 1408 Paris Ave., Port Royal. With Valentina Palacio of Beaufort County Public Works. All ages.
“Hidden Gems” Book Club
3 p.m., third Monday of each month, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Free. So many books, so little time. St. Helena staff have uncovered some great titles to get you started on your “hidden gem” journey. Join us for lively discussions and coffee or tea. No registration required.
Career Navigator
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Tuesday, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free one-on-one resume writing and job application assistance with a Career Navigator from Palmetto Goodwill. No appointments necessary. For more information call 843-255-6458.
Bridge Club
10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843255-6458 for more information.
Mah Jongg Open Play
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Already know the basics of this fun and popular tile game? Join others for open play –all materials supplied. Cards may be purchased at nationalmahjonggleague.org.
Mahjong Club
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street. All levels of players are welcome. Feel free to bring your own mahjong sets. Plan to meet every week. For more information, call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458.
MEETINGS
Beaufort Lions Club
6 p.m., first and third Monday of every month, St John's Lutheran Church, 157 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort. For more information, visit thebeaufortlionsclub@gmail. com or follow on Facebook/Instagram/Nextdoor.
PFLAG Savannah –Beaufort Peer Group
6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of every month, Fellowship Hall, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort (UUFB), 178 Sams Point Road,
Beaufort. Free. The group will be moderated by Rick Hamilton and Kay Carr. The provides advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, family, peers, and allies in the Lowcountry. The peer group provides a safe and strictly confidential environment for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, friends, and allies to discuss the challenges faced in coming out or being out in neighborhoods, the workplace, school, or church. The organization offers resources for counseling, educating, and advocating to achieve an equitable, inclusive community where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved. Minors under the age of 18 are required to come with an adult parent, guardian, or mentor. Additional information about peer groups, membership, donations, and volunteering is on the website www.PFLAGSavannah.org and on Facebook.
Beaufort Chapter of America’s Boating Club 6 p.m., 2nd Tuesday of most months, at various Beaufort/Port Royal venues. Regular meetings begin with a Social, followed by Dinner and often include an exciting Guest Speaker from the Lowcountry. For Meeting Information or Educational Opportunities, please contact Paul Gorsuch, Administrative Officer at admino@beaufortboatingclub.com . Boat ownership is not required, however a passion for safe responsible boating is mandatory.
Zonta Club of Beaufort 6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal.
Rotary Club of Sea Island lunch meeting 12:15 p.m., 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www.seaislandrotary.org.
Rotary Club of Sea Island social gathering 5:30 p.m., 3rd Tuesday of each month, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www.seaislandrotary.org.
Beaufort Rotary Club Noon, Wednesdays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Catered buffet lunch, followed by a guest speaker. Prospective members welcome. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit website www.beaufortrotaryclub.org.
The Beaufort Trailblazers –A Volunteer Group 8 a.m., first Thursday each month, University Bikes, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building off-road/dirt/wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843-5750021 or email universitybicycles@ hotmail.com.
Emotions Anonymous International local group meeting 4 p.m, Thursdays, via Zoom. Emotions Anonymous International, (EAI), is a nonprofit program designed to help people with emotional difficulties. It has a chapter in the Lowcountry and members want others who feel the need to know they are welcome to participate. There is no charge to participate. They are based on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and follow a specific format designed to provide the support and tools for navigating life’s painful difficulties. All are welcome. Anyone interested in participating may contact the group via email at EALowcountry@gmail.com or call or text Laurie at 252- 917-7082. For more information on EAI visit www.emotionsanonymous.org.
Al-Anon Beaufort County 7:30 p.m., Thursdays, 80 Lady’s Island Drive in Beaufort. “Do you worry about how much someone drinks? Is it affecting your life? You are not alone. Al-Anon Beaufort Serenity Group offers help and hope. Join the group in Beaufort, or visit the Lowcountry page at https://bit. ly/3HvksaF for more times and locations.
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry 7:30 a.m., Fridays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady's Island Dr., Ladys' Island. Catered breakfast from local chef. Speakers weekly. Occasional social events replace Friday mornings, but will be announced on our website, www. rotaryclubofthelowcountrybeaufort.org.
MUSIC Campfire Tyler 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sundays, The Fillin’ Station, Lady’s Island. Lowcountry Wind Symphony rehearsals
7 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort High School Band Room. The Lowcountry Wind Symphony, a
65-member concert band, invites new members. Woodwind, Brass, Percussion. Open to adults and talented high school youth. For more information, email director@ lowcountrywindsymphony.com or call 843-304-0543.
Live entertainment 7 to 11 p.m., Wednesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
Chris Jones 7 to 11 p.m., Thursdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
Habersham Third Fridays Music on Market 5 to 8 p.m., third Friday of the month, Habersham Marketplace.
Live entertainment 9 p.m. to midnight, Fridays & Saturdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
OUTDOORS/NATURE
Free boating inspections
Get a free vessel safety check by local members of the America's Boating Club of Beaufort. If your boat passes, you will receive a VSC decal to mount on your boat that will be visible to other boaters and maritime law enforcement personnel. Email Safety@beaufortboatingclub.com.
The Beaufort Tree Walk Lady’s Island Garden Club invites you to take a meandering walk through the Historic “Old Point” and enjoy some unique and noteworthy trees. The “Walk” takes about an hour, is a little over a mile starting at the corner of Craven & Carteret streets in Morrall Park and concluding in Waterfront Park. Booklets with map and information about each tree are available free at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street.
Tours of Hunting Island Every Tuesday, Hunting Island State Park, 2555 Sea Island Pkwy. Free, park entry fees apply. Sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For more information call the Hunting Island Nature Center at 843-838-7437.
RUNNING
JPII 2025 Ugly Sweater 5K Run & Walk 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, John Paul II Catholic School, 4211 North Okatie Highway, Ridgeland. Sponsored by the JPII PTO. Proceeds benefit the JPII PTO. Check-in at 9 a.m., race begins at 10. Registration by Nov. 19 is $35, includes T-shirt. Registration after Nov. 19 is $45, T-shirts available for purchase. Course is mixed surface — grass, dirt, and pavement. Prizes — Top finishers by age group and Ugliest Sweaters! The race is open to the public. Bring family, friends, and neighbors. For details, contact Miranda Shipman at PTO@thejp2.org.
SEWING/QUILTING
American Needlepoint Guild
Meeting
10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1st Tuesday each month. The Hilton Head Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in needlepoint to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at hiltonheadislandchapter@needlepoint.org.
Embroidery Guild of America
Meeting
Second Tuesday of every month, Palmetto Electric Community Room, Hardeeville. The Lowcountry Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in any type of embroidery including needlepoint, cross-stitch, surface and beaded embroidery, hardanger, bargello, sashiko, etc., to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at lowcountrychapter@ egacarolinas.org.
SPORTS/GAMES
ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret Street. Events will be held weekly. Contact Director and Club Manager Susan DeFoe at 843-597-2541 for location.
Bridge Club 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458 for more information.
Beaufort Masters Swim Team
6 to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, Wardle Family Port Royal YMCA. Coached practices. Ages 18 & older, all skill & speed levels, no prior swim team experience needed. Visit lowcountryswimming. com for more information.
Need a sign? Here are 5 reasons to quit smoking
Special to The Island News
Almost 70% of adults who smoke say they want to quit, but that doesn’t always mean it’s easy to do.
Whether it’s your first or 15th attempt at quitting, you can do it.
“I always tell my patients quitting is possible, no matter how difficult it may be,” said Dr. Andrew Stevens, a board-certified, fellowship-trained pulmonologist with Beaufort Memorial Pulmonary Specialists. “Quitting smoking has a ton of benefits, and it’s worth the effort.”
Your heart and lungs will get the rest they deserve
Twenty minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, which, over the long term, could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. After three months, your circulation and lung function will improve.
When you reach your oneyear anniversary, your risk of
coronary heart disease will be half the risk of someone who smokes.
You won’t put others at risk anymore
Secondhand smoke — the smoke others breathe when another person exhales or from the lit end of someone else’s cigarette — poses a variety of health risks to the people around you, even if they have never smoked themselves. In addition to increasing their risk of lung
cancer, heart attack and stroke, secondhand smoke can also exacerbate their asthma. Also, when you quit, you no longer expose your friends and loved ones to the 7,000 chemicals that exist in secondhand smoke.
Thirdhand smoke is the smoke that lingers on clothes, hair, carpet and furniture after someone smokes, and it, like secondhand smoke, can expose people to the carcinogens in that smoke.
You can learn mindfulness or other good mental health habits
“I find a lot of patients miss the habit of smoking when they quit,” said Dr. Stevens.
“They find themselves at the bar they smoked in, or with the friend they took smoke breaks with, and before they know it, they’re smoking again. I always tell them being mindful is a good thing. It helps them recognize their patterns and avoid those sit-
uations or plan accordingly if those situations can’t be avoided.”
For many people, smoking can also be a calming ritual, but quitting gives you an opportunity to choose healthy stress relievers, such as yoga or meditation, instead.
Your cancer risk
will plummet
Smoking doesn’t just increase your lung cancer risk. It also makes you more likely to develop cancers of the:
Bladder
Colon and rectum
Esophagus
Kidney
Liver
Mouth
Pancreas
Stomach
When you quit smoking, you reduce your risk of all of these types of cancer and other conditions.
“We’ve found that if you quit smoking, your risk of lung cancer is back to the average nonsmoker’s risk by 15 years,” Dr. Stevens said.
“That’s why, for lung cancer screenings, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends patients who currently smoke or have quit in the past 15 years have a lowdose CT scan to screen for lung cancer.”
You’ll live a longer, happier life
“More than anything else, I always stress to my patients that quitting smoking will improve their quality of life,” Dr. Stevens said. “You save money, you don’t smell of smoke, you can breathe easier and your body functions better.”
Many people who quit smoking also report that food tastes better and their sense of smell returns to normal. Daily activities won’t leave you out of breath, and you won’t have to leave your friends and family in smokefree buildings to go outside for a cigarette. You’ll find few places in your life that aren’t improved by your decision to quit.
Radiation 101: what to expect during radiation treatment for cancer
By Dr. Jonathan H. Briggs Beaufort Memorial Radiation
Oncology
Each year in the United States, nearly two million people are diagnosed with cancer, many of whom receive radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment. If you or a loved one was recently diagnosed, and your care team recommends radiation therapy as one of your treatment options, you probably have many questions.
Q: What is radiation therapy?
A: Radiation treatment for cancer uses a high dose of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink cancerous tumors. The goal of radiation therapy is to damage cancer cells’ DNA, causing them to stop multiplying and die off.
Radiation therapy is one of the most common cancer treatments. Your radiation oncologist and other members of your care team will determine the type of radiation therapy you need, based on your
diagnosis, the size of the tumor, where the tumor is located and any other cancer treatments you’ll receive.
Radiation therapy may be used on its own, before surgery to shrink a cancerous tumor, after other types of treatment to fully eradicate cancer cells or alongside other treatment types to relieve symptoms.
Q: What happens during radiation treatment for cancer?
A: If you need to receive radiation therapy, a radiation oncologist will guide your care. He or she will work alongside the rest of your care team, including your primary care provider, medical oncologist and surgeon, to determine your best path forward when it comes to treatment.
Prior to your first session of radiation therapy, your medical team will carefully plan your treatment. This usually includes going through a trial run of a treatment session. Using imaging scans, such as an MRI or CT, your care team will verify the tumor location and mark it for easy identification.
During this session, you’ll also
be coached through any steps you need to take to receive treatment, such as the position you need to lie in and any other instructions.
Your radiation oncologist will also talk you through your treatment plan before the first session of radiation therapy. You’ll find out how many sessions you will need, how frequently you will have them and how long each session will last.
Q: Are there different types of radiation therapy?
A: There are two main types of radiation therapy — internal radiation therapy and external beam radiation therapy.
Internal radiation therapy involves placing a radiation source inside the body to kill off cancer cells. One example is brachytherapy, which involves implanting seeds, ribbons or capsules containing radiation either in or on the location of the cancerous tumor.
If your treatment plan involves internal radiation therapy, we can refer you to subspecialists, including our partners at MUSC Health in Charleston.
During external beam radiation therapy, a machine called a linear
accelerator, or LINAC, aims radiation at the part of your body affected by cancer. There are several different types of external beam radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy, proton beam therapy, image-guided radiation therapy and stereotactic radiation therapy. These radiation types differ in the specifics of how they work, such as how they target the tumor, the type of radiation used and whether imaging is used during a radiation session.
Q: Will I experience side effects from radiation?
A: There are few, if any, side effects of radiation therapy thanks to pinpoint precision of high-dose radiation delivery. The short-term side effects will depend on the area treated and how many treatments you receive. Each patient is unique and may react differently. Side effects of radiation therapy can include:
Fatigue (the most common side effect)
Skin irritation in the treatment area
Bladder or pelvic irritation
Bloating or cramping
Weakness, numbness, pain
Decreased appetite Difficulty swallowing Headaches Mouth sores Nausea and vomiting
Many patients ask if they will lose their hair during radiation. Radiation therapy may cause hair loss, but only at the site being treated. For example, radiation to your scalp may cause you to lose hair at the treatment site. However, if you’re receiving radiation therapy in your breast area, then you will not lose the hair on your head. Radiation therapy is very precise and site specific.
Most side effects are temporary and will lessen or disappear in the days and weeks following treatment. However, radiation treatments for some types of cancer, such as brain cancer, can show up months after treatment.
Your oncologist or nurse navigator can explain any side effects that you may experience during or after treatment.
Sciatica symptoms are common, and exercises offer relief
Special to The Island News
Sciatica is a relatively common complaint, affecting between 10% and 40% of all Americans at some point in their lifetime.
Sciatica is not a medical condition, though — it’s a set of symptoms.
“Sciatica is a term used to describe pain and other symptoms emanating from the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body,” said Dr. Andrew Castro, a board-certified, orthopedic spine surgeon at Beaufort Memorial. “If you’re experiencing this type of nerve pain, you may feel discomfort and weakness from your lower back all the way down to your toes.”
Sciatica symptoms usually begin in the lower back and then radiate down the
back of the thigh and into the lower extremities, including the legs and feet.
Sciatic nerve pain may feel like a cramp in your back or your legs. Instead of appearing and then disappearing quickly like other cramps, such as a charley horse, sciatica pain may linger for days and even weeks.
Sciatica symptoms also include leg weakness, numbness and an uncomfortable burning and tingling sensation. These symptoms can have several different causes. They may result from wear and tear on the body as you get older, or they could come from pressure on the spine. Spinal pressure may come from an acute injury, like a pelvic fracture or a herniated disk, or from spinal stenosis,
which is a narrowing of the spinal canal. If you’re experiencing lingering back pain and other symptoms described above, check in with your primary care provider. He or she can review your symptoms, talk through your medical history and any health conditions you have, and provide you with medical advice, including whether you should see an orthopedic specialist or a physical therapist.
Finding sciatica pain relief In many cases, sciatic nerve pain goes away on its own within weeks or months. However, when you’re uncomfortable, you may not want to wait that long, and your health care provider can recommend ways to relieve the pain.
Treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause of your sciatic pain but may include nonsurgical options, such as oral or injected medications, the application of heat or cold to the affected area, and physical therapy to improve your range of motion. In some cases, surgery may be needed to treat the underlying cause of pain.
Remaining physically active can be very effective at managing sciatic pain. Although moving may be the last thing on your mind, even something as simple as walking or performing these basic exercises for sciatica can help: Knee-to-chest stretch.
Lying flat on the floor with your legs extended, bring your left knee
to your chest, grasping it with your hands. Gently pull the knee and hold the position for up to 30 seconds, then lower the leg. Repeat on the right side.
• Pelvic tilt. Lie on your back with your legs bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles and press your back into the floor, then tilt your hips upward, holding the position for a few seconds.
• Standing hamstring stretch. From a standing position, place your left foot at or below hip level on a chair or another elevated surface. Keep your toes and leg straight, with a slight bend in your knee. Bend forward toward the foot, holding for at least 30
seconds. Repeat on the right side. Clamshell. Lying on your left side with your knees bent, place your left arm under your head. Engage your abdominal muscles. Keep your feet together and raise your right knee, opening the legs like a clamshell. Hold the position for up to 30 seconds, then slowly lower the knee. Repeat on the right side.
There are many other exercises that may help you find relief from sciatic pain. Your medical provider, a physical therapist or even a personal trainer can help coach you through an exercise program that may help ease sciatic symptoms.
Jonathan H. Briggs, M.D., is a boardcertified radiation oncologist with Beaufort Memorial Radiation Oncology, seeing patients at the Keyserling Cancer Center in Beaufort.
Dr. Jonathan H. Briggs
It’s hoops time!
College basketball is back in the Lowcountry, as the USC Beaufort Sand Sharks are set to tip off their first season as full NCAA Division II members this weekend. The Sand Sharks women hosted Claflin for a scrimmage Saturday, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 60-52 win behind a strong performance from freshman Courtney Campbell, guarded here by former Bluffton standout Tacoya Heyward. Campbell, a Hilton Head Prep alum, excelled at point guard and fueled a pivotal USCB run. The Sand Sharks women open at home against Ferrum College at 5:30 p.m. Friday before hosting UVA Wise at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in The Cove. Justin Jarrett/LowcoSports.com
Bucs, Warriors’
Roell qualify for state XC meet
LowcoSports.com
Bridges Prep’s girls cross country team should be among the top contenders at the SCHSL Class 2A State Championships on Friday in Aiken. With sophomore Elise Thompson leading the way and junior Iris DeBois right on her heels, the Bucs placed second in the girls odd race at the state qualifier Friday in Newberry, with Thompson claiming a runner-up finish with a 5K time of 21:33, while DeBois finished eighth in 22:45 The field was split into odd and even races with the top eight teams advancing to the state meet, along with any individuals from non-qualifying teams who placed in the top 20
The Bridges Prep boys finished eighth in the odd race, claiming the last qualifying spot, as Blake Lesesne led the Bucs in 19:58. Whale Branch’s Raimund Roell finished 19th in the odd race
with a time of 18:45 to qualify individually. The qualifiers will run in the Class 2A state meet at 1 p.m. Friday at the Aiken Steeplechase.
SCMat.com releases preseason rankings Four area teams showed up in SCMat.com’s preseason high school wrestling rankings, including a pair who cracked the top 10 in their classification.
John Paul II starts the season ranked fourth in SCISA, largely on the strength of two returning state champions. The Golden Warriors return four state qualifiers, including defending state champs Brian Orta (132) and Jack Hannagan (150).
Battery Creek has a new coach this year with former Robert Smalls Middle School coach Rob Michelice picking up where Alex Rutherford left off, and the Dolphins are ranked eighth in Class 3A to start the season. The Dol-
phins have eight state qualifiers back, including seniors Nate Najar and Pharell Myers along with four wrestlers from a strong sophomore class that wrestled for Michelice in middle school.
Beaufort High checked in at No. 13 in Class 4A, ranking only behind defending state champion and topranked May River among Region 6-4A teams. The Eagles return four state qualifiers, including junior Colton Freeman, who was the Class 4A runner-up at 190 pounds last year.
Bridges Prep starts the season 17th in the Class 2A/1A rankings despite advancing to the Lower State finals last year. Kevin Summers is the lone returning state qualifier after placing fourth at 165 last winter, but the Bucs have reloaded from their strong middle school program and expect to challenge Edisto for the region title again after upsetting the Cougars in the playoffs a year ago.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP
SCHSL 4A 1st Round
South Pointe 63, Beaufort 13
Any hopes that the Eagles’ defense could keep them in the game were dashed when South Pointe returned two punts for touchdowns en route to a 28-0 lead after one quarter and kept the pedal down on offense. South Pointe quarterback J’Zavien Currence, the top recruit in the state and a South Carolina commit, was 10-for-16 for 173 yards and three touchdowns and added 103 yards on four carries with a 73-yard touchdown run. The Stallions’ defensive front brought the heat all night, racking up 16 tackles for loss and five sacks and forcing Braydon MoydSmalls into two interceptions.
SCHSL 3A 1st Round
Loris 59, Battery Creek 19
The Dolphins were no match for the undefeated Lions, who forced four turnovers and converted short fields into touchdowns early and often. Zamire Gerald threw a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for two scores, and Makel Stephens racked up 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Loris, which led 56-12 at halftime.
SCHSL 2A 1st Round
Philip Simmons 57, Whale Branch 12
Miscues in the kicking game derailed a quick start for the Warriors, and Omonte Taylor and the Iron Horses’ ground game got rolling to help Philip Simmons plow past Whale Branch for the second time this season. Whale Branch grabbed a quick 6-0
lead as the teams traded scores early, but the Warriors’ next two possessions ended in disaster, as the Iron Horses blocked a punt and returned it for a score and returned another punt for a touchdown. Philip Simmons took over from there with Taylor piling up 130 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries.
SCISA 3A 1st Round
Florence Christian 28, John Paul II 12
A sluggish start doomed the Golden Warriors on the road, as Florence Christian pounced on a pair of first-half interceptions and a blocked punt to jump out to a 21-0 halftime lead and held off JPII’s second-half rally. The Golden Warriors found a rhythm in the second half behind strong efforts from Jadon Inabinett and Merrick Baroni, who each found the end zone. The defense tightened up as well, allowing only seven points after the break, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.
SCISA 1A 1st Round
Dorchester Academy 36, Beaufort Academy 20
The postseason rematch went much like the regular-season original, as the Eagles traded punches for much of the night before John Whetsell and the Raiders’ power running game wore them down. BA pulled within a score at 22-14 in the third quarter, but the Eagles couldn’t get enough stops down the stretch, sending Dorchester into a semifinal matchup at Colleton Prep.
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You have the right to know what’s happening in your community.
Public notices – information local governments are obligated to provide citizens – are required to be published in local newspapers to provide a public record that’s accessible to everyone.
Public notices keep you informed about your government. But, in some states legislators are trying to keep public notices from appearing in local newspapers. This severely impacts government transparency and, in turn, limits the public’s right to hold them accountable for their actions.
Let your state legislators know that you value being able to access notices in your newspaper and that they are worth the investment.
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island News
Where will these farmers sell their trees?
It is Saturday, crisp, cooler, and I’m snug in my study — a small fire burns in the hearth and a steaming cup of River’s Edge Blend sits on the battered, sidewalk-salvaged table next to my chair.
This morning we read in The Post and Courier that another 62 000 acres — generally located around the Black, Santee and Pee Dee rivers — have been put under conservation easements. Three maps published in The Post and Courier show that 6,000 acres along the Santee, 35,000 acres along the Black and 21 000 riverine acres on the Pee Dee have been protected.
All of these places are generally west of Myrtle Beach and north of Georgetown, and can be seen from the air if one happens to have a Westward-looking window seat on a Delta flight out of Charleston bound for Laguardia airport
in New York.
These 62,000 acres tie into the Santee Basin that brings another 350 000 acres of pine forests and former rice fields into a protected, never-to-be-developed category. This huge, meandering chunk of stewardship extends south (almost) to the Mt. Pleasant/Charleston metroplex which is incontrovertible evidence to the systemic suburbanization we can inflict on the earth when done in the name of improvement.
This “Santee/McClellanville Stretch” of green is not quite attached to the
ACE Basin stretch which contains another 300,000 acres and reaches down into Beaufort County. The ACE Basin acreage is contiguous with our recent rural and open land efforts at Gregorie Neck, Buckfield, Chelsea as well as the vast, low-lying tracts of undisturbed forest bordering the Savannah River.
All told we (in South Carolina) have about 3 million acres in public ownership or conservation easements; or 15% of the state’s landmass.
We should be proud of these ongoing efforts.
South Carolina’s coast has, for many years, sustained a huge pine forest that, in turn, has sustained paper mills in Georgetown, North Charleston and Savannah. These mills bought 16-year-old pine trees and made tree farming a viable alternative to growing houses, condominiums and shopping centers. For many years, Union
Camp maintained vast pine forests in and around Bluffton. And every year — it is said — there was an argument at their annual board retreat about a sale (of these forests) to the developers who where then looking at Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head and saying, “My God, Babs, I can do that over in Bluffton!”
For years the “pine forest advocates” won the debate; but then (in 1993) the prospect of selling these strategically positioned properties became too great.
The flood gates were opened with the purchase of 5 100 acres by Del Webb Communities, which soon was transmuted into Sun City Hilton Head.
In 1999, Union Camp sold 20 000 acres to International Paper who immediately turned around and sold Palmetto Bluff to Crescent Communities — a developer out of Charlotte.
One can see the Sun City
community and its issue if one is flying out of Savannah (to Laguardia) having a window seat on the left hand side of the jet.
None of this development seemed to bother the paper-making people until 2023 when Westrock Paper closed it’s North Charleston paper mill. The following year International Paper closed its mill in Georgetown. These were followed by the closure of the paper mills in Savannah and in Riceboro (Georgia).
These mills bought pine trees from South Carolina and Georgia pine tree farmers and one has to believe these closures have had an adverse impact on those in the pine growing business. Where will these farmers sell their trees?
The paper-making people say that the closures are a “strategic review of the cellulose fiber business in an effort to be more profitable.”
A more truthful answer
might be that recycled fiber is taking the place of “virgin fiber.”
But if your pine tree-growing farmer can’t sell his pine trees to local mills, will these people get out of the business altogether? Or will they turn to pine straw like one farmer in Georgia? And will, one wonders, this will make it harder to sell a conservation easement to a large, coastal landowner who is willing to stiff-arm condo, townhouse and big box developers? When I was younger I sometimes heard that a cultivated pine forest was nothing more than a sterile monoculture — not a real forest. But driving through a canyon of 15-year-old pines on U.S. 17 — and listening to Vivaldi — can be inspirational.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
Is Broad River Bridge fully utilized?
Mother nature has so blessed the Lowcountry with beauty that sometimes we who are fortunate enough to live here view as commonplace that which is spectacular. Sometimes we need someone to show us, to remind us.
That happened to me last week driving south on S.C. 170 on my way to Savannah for a dinner. It was on the Broad River Bridge approach. It was almost sundown, and I happened to look to my right where the parking area of the Broad River boat launching ramp was full of cars (without trailers) parked looking out across the river.
These people – many probably sweethearts – had gotten into
Itheir cars and driven there to watch the sun set over the river. Neurologists say the blue light off the water signals to our pineal glands to release melatonin which induces calm and suggests preparation for rest.
At the same time, they say, the warm colors of the sunset activate the mesolimbic dopamine path-
way which brings to us a sense of pleasure. Moreover, the presence of moving water suggests to our subconsciouses cleaning, rebirth and new beginnings. Who doesn’t want all that?
As I continued the drive across the bridge, I couldn’t help noticing – as I’m sure we all have seen – all the wasted space on the bridge. Its designers included fullsized breakdown lanes on both sides, areas that rarely accommodate a broken-down vehicle, but that mostly feature pick-up truck bed litter, discarded Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes, Parker’s cups, and chunks of trucks’ retread tires. What if the bridge surface were to be redesigned – as the Woods Bridge was 20 years
ago – to accommodate not just vehicles and litter, but walkers, runners, and bicyclists too? I was mayor when we pushed through the Woods Bridge redesign. It was a campaign promise of mine to accommodate the runners who wanted to “run the bridges.” What it took more than anything else was the support of the state senator who was at that time Scott Richardson, who incidentally lassoed up there in Columbia the final crucial chunk of the funding package. Thank you again, Senator Richardson. It has been a huge success. People come from many miles to park and then walk, run or bike across the Ravenel Cooper River Bridge in Charleston. There are
undoubtedly places closer to their homes where they could walk, run or bike. But they choose to come to the bridge. Do they want to run up the incline? Some fitness freaks probably do. But I suspect most of them come looking for the calm and cleansing the expanse of water brings to them. They don’t hear the sounds of the cars and trucks. They wear earbuds. It is what the eyes tell the brain that’s important.
Just a thought. Dinner in Savannah was excellent.
Bill Rauch was the Mayor of Beaufort from 1999 to 2008 and has won multiple awards from the S.C. Press Association for his Island News columns. He can be reached at TheRauchReport@gmail.com.
Our regressing communication evolution
recently read an interesting article about why homo sapiens had survived the passage of thousands of years, while our close relatives, the Neanderthals and Denisovans, vanished.
There’s a research study that suggests our ancient homo sapiens shared an evolving, genetic, brain variant that better protected us against the toxic effects of lead. By studying and testing fossilized teeth from 51 hominids from across Africa, Asia and Europe, scientists found acute lead exposure in 73% of the specimens.
This evidence suggests that lead exposure was widespread among ancient hominids and great apes up to 2 million years ago -much earlier than previously thought.
Lead is found in many natural environments – for example, water flowing through lead-bearing rocks, forming drinking pools as well as feeding plants, then consumed by our human ancestors. The research suggests that the brain damage that followed this exposure may have created a limit on how socially complex hominid brains could become by limiting
language and social development.
Scientists created two sets of brain organoid. One set contained the homo sapien gene NOVA1, which plays a crucial role in neural development and the body’s response to lead. The other set had an extinct variant of NOVA1 from Neanderthals and other human ancestors. After exposure to small amounts of lead, the neuron development in the organoids found that the homo sapien NOVA1 gene tolerated the lead exposure much better than the other ancient, related genes.
Lead exposure was also found to disrupt a gene linked to language complexity and speech development, leading researchers to hypothesize that lead-resilient humans (homo sapiens) might have been able to develop more complex communications, gaining a huge evolutionary advantage over, say, Neanderthals
and, of course, animals.
Language can be viewed as a superpower for our human species. We are able to organize societies and exchange ideas, allowing us to coordinate large movements. There is no evidence that Neanderthals could do that. So how did we get to where we seem to be now?
A large portion of our wonderful homo sapien species seems very anxious to have the rest of us accept bold-faced hypocrisy, lying and false narratives, along with non-transparent lifestyles in the form of NDA’s. We now have AI-generated, manipulated languages, which include videos and other entertainment, that now saturate our evolved societies. Perhaps our ever-present forever chemicals are doing a job on us in this modern world where lead may have failed in the past.
I’m not sure how many people may or may not agree with me, but with all the modern conveniences of easy, massive communications, what seems to be truly evolving (in my mind) is the “dumbing down” of modern homo sapiens and the societies (or tribes) in which they thrive and/or simply survive.
Here’s a new, modern
example of what I think of as “dumbing down:” dictionary.com has chosen a new “Word of the Year” for our society that is derived from the rap song “Doot Doot (6/7)” by someone who goes simply by Skrilla … (I’m chuckling to myself as I write this) … It was chosen because it took off on social media, especially within the termed “Gen Alpha” generation (I think this is the generation that is unable to read cursive writing).
Better (or worse) yet, this word (6/7), has no actual cognitive meaning; it is, apparently, an inside joke used by the Gen Alpha’s as a social signal to show that the user is “in the know;” or, whatever meaning the individual wishes the word to have; (and here I thought they were just numbers!). Boy, no wonder us old fogies are left in the dust. However, maybe this concept is embraced within todays MAGA folks. Words like fake, lie, truth, socialism, marxist, transgender, accountability, terriorism, crime, immigrant … the list is almost endless, that they, and especially Trump, use almost daily, taking on any meanings that they wish to assign to them. All one has to do is read any
transcript of any of the rants that Trump has performed and you would become witness to the most talented “doublespeak” on the face of the planet; and it is no coincidence that this word has evolved from Orwell’s “1984” with it’s “doublethink” and “Newsthink.”
Amazon is now building a single data center in Indiana which is expected to consume 2 2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity to perform. This is enough electricity to power one million homes. Think about that; and smaller (but still high) consumption-rate-data centers are being build all over the U.S., China and some of Europe. The more AI development, the higher the electricity consumption. And for what, really? My guess would be 80% entertainment and 20% positive human evolution.
Within today’s growing concerns with AI, I cannot help but thinking about the first of the “Matrix” franchise films. It was a big hit in 1999 and the writers decided it took place in the 22nd century (right around the corner). I loved the scene were Neo (the protagonist) wakes up in his life pod, which is one of billions, feeding the world’s electrical
grid off their human body electrical pulses. The pods keep all the homo sapiens in a state of suspended animation; only in their minds are they living in a complete digital world created by their keepers … you guessed it, AI machinery.
Gen Alphas are also the ones starting to build deep and lasting friendships with AI Chat programs, to a worrying degree, according to many psychologists. They note a slow, steady growth in suicide rates. History may reveal what happened and why during this era; an era that is becoming more violent, stressed and uncompromising.
I’m presuming future generations will reflect upon this time with regret that their ancestors had, for a period, devolved communication skills simply because they did not “unplug” soon enough and did not, in the very least, regulate AI more.
Tim and Kristy Wood moved to Beaufort in 1974. He worked as a carpenter in both restoration and new home construction, as well as operating a shop specializing in custom woodwork, Wood on Wood Specs. He is semi-retired, involved with fine woodworking and formerly sat on the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals.
SCOTT GRABER
TIM WOOD
BILL RAUCH
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island
What November’s results could mean in South Carolina
With big Democratic wins this week in New York City, Virginia, New Jersey and California, let’s offer a few observations and then look at whether these off-year elections mean anything for South Carolina.
New York: A young, charismatic candidate, Zohran Mamdani, who sticks like Krazy to a message of making housing affordable and governing to help working people, trounced an older establishment Democrat running as an independent with the backing of President Trump.
Virginia: Charismatic former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, long seen as a rising Democratic Party star, led the state’s efforts with a 15-point win for the governor’s office in a backlash election that tipped the balance of the state’s House of Delegates to Democrats.
New Jersey: Mikie Sherrill, a powerful and charismatic former Navy pilot, energized a
Last week I made clear
my enthusiasm for the vast number of people who turned out on No Kings Day to peacefully protest the present administration’s immoral and cruel tactics. There were protests throughout the country, and every state had people marching, in small towns and large cities.
Just as heartening were other countries who joined in support and showed their objection to what they see as the pending decline of our country.
All of this was gratifying, but I read several posts on social media, all asking the same question: “To what end?” or “What does that turnout prove?” “Was this all for naught?”
Well, dear reader, this past Tuesday, those concerns were answered in resounding fashion. It’s not a stretch to say that citizens who chose to protest the week before set the tone for those states where off-year elections were held.
I was almost too skeptical to believe that the bell rung last week was a harbinger of things to come, but how delighted I was to see that skepticism blown away! It is fair to say the Democrats finally recog-
Democratic base that was getting lethargic by running a brutal antiTrump campaign that resonated. By comparison, her GOP opponent seemed to play it safe with a balancing act on Trump.
California: A charismatic governor, Gavin Newsom, pushed through a ballot proposition in a landslide that will allow the state to redraw congressional districts to counter gerrymandering efforts by red states to fiddle with control of Congress. Almost 9 million people voted in a measure that had 2 4 million more yes votes — 63% — than those in opposition.
Closer to home, Charleston voters sent four of six candidates to city council — three newcomers and one incumbent — who pledged more transparency after two years of the administration of freshman mayor William Cogswell, a developer who seems more comfortable with private meetings than public.
A common link in these elections appears to be charisma — a charm that has been missing in South Carolina statewide and legislative candidates in general in recent years.
What also has been missing — and something that Mamdani proved in New York — is that having a strong clear message that focuses on regular people will energize voters.
What Tuesday’s elections also may reveal are cracks in 10 years of political obfuscation and noise from Trump and his sycophants.
Moderate mainstream voters from both parties who voted for Trump
in 2024 may be feeling a little hoodwinked thanks to 10 months of governmental confusion that has led to the longest federal government shutdown in history, canceled flights at airports and food shortages.
They also may be perplexed by high grocery prices that Trump said he’d fix but hasn’t, in part due to a global tariff war that is making things tough all around.
What’s not helping are national Democratic leaders who still seem like they’ve got their fingers in their ears and mouths laced shut. Sure, they’re sticking together during the shutdown to try to keep health care bills from soaring, but when it comes to elucidating a clear message that resonates, they still fail.
If Democrats in South Carolina or nationally want to continue a blue wave at the midterms and then two years later in presidential politics, they’ve got to start standing for something
that’s more than “we don’t like Trump.” They need a coordinated positive message that focuses on building economic opportunities, strengthening democratic institutions and promoting fairness and equality. Just saying no all of the time ain’t going to cut it if they want to retake Congress and the White House.
Charisma is good, as any populist will tell you. But substance — “It’s the economy, stupid” or “Tax the rich to make things fair” — is important, too.
Tuesday’s elections showed what fresh candidates can do –and that should have incumbents in both parties scared. The 2026 elections here and in Washington could be our state’s most important yet, particularly for anyone who wants real change.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
The people have spoken
nized they had to go on the offensive. No more “Mr. Nice Guy,” as Alice Cooper wailed.
Tuesday night was a far cry from the shell-shocked scenes in Democrats' election headquarters a year ago this November. There were key races to watch, at least those of us who care about what is happening to our country.
Perhaps the one receiving the most attention was that of mayor for New York City. Funny that a mayoral race should receive this much attention, but then, we all know why. A Muslim had the audacity to run (and good grief, win).
Forget that plane donated to No. 47 for a lavish makeover. Or worse yet, “selling a piece of America,” as one reporter put it, in reference to allowing a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
Mamdani collected over 1 03 million votes as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, which is larger than the population of five states, according to U.S. Census figures.
There were two governor’s positions at stake, and people knew from watching what conservative governors were conducting in their states (say Texas loud and clear as Gov. Gregg Abbott started the ball rolling in this court, albeit at 47’s command).
Thus, N.J., and Va., were necessary wins … and they did, handily! The opponents of Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger decided early on to hitch their star to No. 47, which proved to be disastrous.
All three of these candidates focused upon the voters’ top concern: affordability, and in doing so, were able to attach that lack to the present administration.
Overwhelming wins by these three come as No. 47 and Republicans have seen sinking approval ratings 10 months into his second term.
"We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025 Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose
chaos," Spanberger said.
And by “we,” I am going to assert that this applies to the vast number of wins throughout.
There were additional indications of the population’s unrest and distrust for No. 47 and all that he and his cronies have perpetrated in less than a year’s time. Consider Prop 50, in Calif. I am the first to have a problem with “redistricting.” I think it is a blatant technique to control election results. That said, I refer you once again to Gov. Gregg Abbott of Texas. It is he who began this rampage, and it was Gavin Newsom who decided to “fight fire with fire.”
Make no mistake, there are times when this is the only alternative. No more Mr. Nice Guy approach in full mode. According to CBS News polling, those who supported Prop 50 overwhelmingly cited opposition to the Trump administration as the reason.
This move allows state legislators to redistrict before the midterm elections scheduled for next year, in an effort to counter GOPled gerrymandering in other states, CBS highlighted. It will be interesting to see whether or not other
Democratic governors will do the same in the coming months.
Another race that I watched because it was held in my home state was that of S.C. judges in Pennsylvania. Voters approved the retention of three Supreme Court justices on Tuesday, preserving a 5-2 majority of Democrats on the state’s high court.
While Dougherty and Wecht each won another 10-year term, Donohue will continue to serve until 2027, when she will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 for justices.
And so, I believe it is safe to say that Dems won across the spectrum as voters make clear their rejection of No. 47 and what he has managed to do to the economy. Very simply, they are not happy with the state of the country.
Just as with last year's elections, where nearly every Democratic led state shifted red, voters appeared to want change from the status quo.
I watched one Republican commentator try to brush this off by saying that elections of this nature more often than not go against the present party in office. However, I believe this time
there is more to it. Consider this: ICE raids and how they are conducted. Masks. Mistaken identity. Too close to Nazi raids, and people still remember their history. Gerrymandering. Bombing of unproven drug runners in international waters resulting in more than 60 deaths. Stopping the distribution of food by halting SNAP. Regardless of what you think about this “give away,” kids in this country are going hungry, and those with a conscience voted accordingly. Of course, the president reacted angrily to the wins on social media, arguing that the ongoing government shutdown and the fact that he was not on the ballot were the reasons Republicans lost. Perhaps the attitude conveyed by that statement accounts for the vote, but I digress! Regardless of your take on the recent elections, one thing is true. The people have spoken.
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.”
Holy Eucharist 9 a.m & 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday School & Nursery at 11 a.m. Service of Hope & Healing Weds. @ noon 1104 11th St., Port Royal stmarksportroyal.org
Easter Sunday Apr. 20 @ 9 & 11 a.m. 1104 11th St., Port Royal stmarksportroyal.org
Easter Sunday Apr. 20 @ 9 & 11 a.m. 1104 11th St., Port Royal stmarksportroyal.org
ANDY BRACK
CAROL LUCAS
LOCAL MILITARY
Happy Birthday, Marines!
The VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
This is the first article of a three-part series on veteran caregiver support.
The VA recognizes the important role of family caregivers in supporting the health and wellness of Veterans. As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), you (a Veteran’s Family Member) may be eligible for a monthly stipend (payment) paid directly to you as the Primary Family Caregiver.
Find out if you may be eligible and how to apply for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) at the VA webpage “Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)” at https:// bit.ly/4qQVGnr.
Veterans’ family caregivers can also talk with the veteran's social worker, Caregiver Support Team, and their local VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to learn more about the PCAFC program.
PACT team. Every veteran who is enrolled in VA Healthcare is assigned to a VA Patient Aligned Care Team. The veteran’s PACT team will be comprised of the veteran, those who support the veteran (such as family members and caregivers), and the veteran's healthcare providers.
According to the VA webpage “Your Primary Care Provider and PACT Team” at https://bit. ly/4hSLmas, the veteran’s VA PACT team will include these types of providers:
• Primary care provider.
This is the veteran’s main (primary care) doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Clinical pharmacist. This is a pharmacist who works with the veteran and his or her primary care provider to make sure the veteran is taking the medicines that are right for the veteran’s overall health. Registered nurse (RN) care
manager. This is a nurse who ensures the veteran’s care is coordinated across all providers and services, and aligns with your health goals and care plan.
Licensed practical nurse (LPN) or medical assistant and clerk. These are team members who help to support you and the other healthcare providers on your team.
• Social Worker. VA social workers provide a wide range of services to support veterans and their families. They are experts in assisting with access to care and are experts in every part of the veterans' health care system, from elderly veterans’ care, suicide prevention, financial and housing resources, case management, counseling, VA benefits, and caregiver support programs. Other specialists as needed. Like mental health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc.
Learn more about VA PACT Teams and how they function at the VA webpage “Patient Care Services (PACT)” at https://bit. ly/3LwRRDS and by watching the videos there at https://bit. ly/3WOhmml (Video 1) and https://bit.ly/3WNWH1S (Video 2).
Caregiver support teams
If you care for a veteran who is enrolled in VA health care, contact the Caregiver Support Team at your local VA facility. They can help you get connected with the resources and support you need.
Find your local Caregiver Support Team by searching the VA webpage/search engine titled “Caregiver Support Teams” at https:// bit.ly/4qT0qZC.
VA-accredited VSOs
Veterans and their family members should make an appointment with their local VA-accredited VSO to make sure they understand and apply for all of their federal and state benefits. VSOs can also help the veterans’ primary caregivers to understand the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Caregivers (PCAFC). VSOs can also help veterans apply for VA healthcare, apply for VA benefits and services, and assist primary caregivers of veterans in applying for the PCAFC Care Caregiver Program.
How to find a VA-accredited VSO. Each SC county has a Veterans Affairs Office. Veterans can find S.C. County VSOs at https://bit. ly/3qbLVSL. Find Georgia VSOs at https:// bit.ly/44KMVA7.
• Find North Carolina County VSOs at https://bit. ly/4ghZqHW.
Veterans and their family members can search for VA-accredited representatives (VSOs) at VBA Regional Offices at https://bit. ly/3WQp0e3. Search for VSOs nationwide. Veterans and their families can also search for VA-accredited representatives (VSOs, Attorneys, and Claims Agents) nationwide at the VA’s “Accreditation Search” webpage https://bit. ly/3QnCk5M or https://bit. ly/4hQiIa1.
Learn more about VSOs at:
• Find a VA Accredited Representative (Attorney, Claims Agent, or VSO) at https://bit. ly/4g9yGdW. Get Help from a VA-accredited representative of VSO at
https://bit.ly/3WwDXmN.
VA Accredited Representative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at https://bit.ly/3TcLOoK.
VA List of VA-recognized Veterans Service Organizations (Also called VSOs)” at https:// bit.ly/3MuByo9. VA search tool “Find an Accredited Representative or VSO at https://bit.ly/4g9yGdW.
The SC Department of Veteran Affairs website at https:// scdva.sc.gov.
PCAFC webpage. The VA webpage “Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Caregivers (PCAFC)” provides information and answers to questions on: Am I eligible for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers? How many caregivers can the eligible Veteran appoint? What benefits can eligible Primary and Secondary caregivers receive? How do I apply for this program? What documents can I submit if I am signing this application on behalf of a Veteran? What happens after I apply? More questions you may have. How to contact the VA.
Am I eligible for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers? Family caregivers may be eligible if they and the veteran they are caring for meet all the following requirements:
• The caregiver must be at least 18 years old, and at least one of the following conditions must be true for the caregiver; The caregiver is a spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member, or extended family member of the veteran; or The caregiver lives full-time with the veteran, or the family member is willing to live fulltime with the veteran, if the VA designates the family
member as a “Family caregiver”.
What are the eligibility requirements for the veteran to receive Family Caregiver care under the PCAFC Program? All of these must be true for the veteran that the family caregiver is giving care to: The veteran has a VA disability rating (individual or combined) of 70% or higher; and The veteran was discharged from the U.S. military or has a date of medical discharge; and
• The veteran needs at least six months of continuous, in-person care services; and The veteran needs to be enrolled in VA healthcare.
Personal care services are those that the veteran needs from another person. They include care or assistance to support these parts of the Veteran’s life: Health and well-being. Everyday personal needs (like feeding, dressing, undressing, and bathing).
Safety, protection, or instruction in their daily living environment.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran,
United States Marine Corps veterans of three different foreign wars – from left, Bob Cummins, World War II; Charles Knoppel, the Korean War; and Dave Jose Lopez-Nunez, Vietnam — are residents of The Oaks at Salem Road, a senior living facility, and took part
organized by USMC Sgt. Major David Robles, retired. Photo courtesy of The Oaks
38 Professional Village West, Lady's Island monica@beauforthearing.com www.beauforthearing.com | 843-521-3007
Hear the Beauty that Surrounds You
The Beaufort Sound Hearing and Balance Center
Dr. Larry Bridge, AU.D./CCC-A 206 Sea Island Parkway, Suite 31, Beaufort thebeaufortsound@gmail.com www.thebeaufortsound.com | 843-522-0655
CLASSIFIEDS & GAMES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-900-1261
Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 833230-8692
We Buy Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-855-704-3381
DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance – NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-397-7030 www.dental50plus. com/60 #6258
AUCTIONS
PUBLIC AUCTION. Sat., Nov. 15 at 9:30
AM. 510 Stoller Rd (Hwy 301), Bamberg, SC. Selling for Bamberg Board of Public Works and consignments. Call now to consign! 2017 Chevy Silverado pickup 1500 w/89k miles, 2014 Chevy Silverado pickup w/102k miles, 2006 Ford F750 bucket truck w/40k miles, Vermeer V-4150 trencher w/615 hours, tractors, trailers, shop equip, tools, accepting consignments Nov. 10-14. Call 803-860-0712 www.cogburnauction.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Your 25word classified ad will reach more than 1 5 million readers. Call Randall Savely at the S.C. Newspaper Network, 803-7509561
HELP WANTED – DRIVERS
ADVERTISE YOUR DRIVER JOBS in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Your 25-word classified ad will reach more than 1 5 million readers. Call Randall Savely at the S.C. Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-844-775-0366 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
TELEVISION & INTERNET SERVICES
DIRECTV OVER INTERNET – Get your favorite live TV, sports and local channels. 99% signal reliability! CHOICE Package, $84 99/mo for 12 months. HBO Max and Premium Channels included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-855-237-9741
DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84 99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-844-624-1107 Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80 000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-877-542-0759
VACATION RENTALS
ADVERTISE YOUR VACATION
PROPERTY FOR RENT OR SALE to more than 1 5 million S.C. newspaper readers. Your 25-word classified ad will appear in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Call Randall Savely at the South Carolina Newspaper Network, 803750-9561
