Is it just Beaufort, where residents once had to rely on the A&P, the Piggly Wiggly or the base commissary for groceries? Of course, the big “news” in town last week, since we didn’t have any arrests for the Willie’s Bar and Grill mass shooting to talk about, was the opening of Aldi.
LOWDOWN PAGE A5
By Delayna Earley
The Island News A 51-year-old Beaufort man was arrested on Halloween for allegedly shooting a firearm at a vehicle while minors and fam-
ilies were trick-or-treating in the Pigeon Point neighborhood on Woodward Avenue.
Paul Dominic Smith, who had only just moved into the rental home at 1109 Woodward Avenue a few days prior to the incident, was arrested and charged with 24 felony charges and three misdemeanors. Smith faces 11 Assault & Battery of a High & Aggravated
charges, 11 Pointing and Presenting Firearms at a Person charges, a charge of Possession of Firearm or Ammunition by
Voters go to polls
By Mike McCombs
Tillman. The polls closed at 7 p.m., too late for the results to make the
edition of this week’s The Island News. For results and comments from the candidates, visit YourIslandNews.com.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
then turn right onto Bay Street, and end at the intersection of Boundary and Bladen Streets. In case of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled. For more information, contact Beaufort County Veterans Affairs at 843-255-6880
LOLITA HUCKABY
Port Royal residents register to vote at Port Royal
Amber Hewitt/ The Island News
LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS
Trina Smith snapped this photo called “King Tide at King Street,” a true Lowcountry metaphor for life’s changes. “This is a plein air painting by my wife Trina Smith at the end of King Street in Beaufort,” Dr. G.E. Smith said. “Notice the stark difference from the time she started the painting until the water was lapping at her easel!” 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 highresolution 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.
American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Sandra Washington, 71, who graduated from Beaufort High School in 1972. She attended Georgetown University in Washington for two years working toward a nursing degree. In 1978 she joined the U.S. Air Force, first for Basic Training in San Antonio and then at Medical Technician School to qualify for a Flight Medicine Team. Her first duty station was in the Air Force Hospital at Clark AFB in the Philippines. Next assigned to the other side of the world, she worked at Chicksands AFB, England. Returning to the States,
she was assigned to the Air Force Hospital at Blytheville AFB, Ark., serving the crews and families attached to local F-16 squadrons and the regional ICBM missiles. Her final active duty assignment was with the Flight Medicine Unit at Andrews AFB in Washington D.C. There she mainly dealt with pilots and Washington VIPs, including during details in the Pentagon. She separated in 1988 as a Staff Sergeant and returned to Beau-
fort County to begin a 37-year career working for Dr. Joel Johnson at Main Street Medical on Hilton Head Island. She has a daughter who served with the Army, including two tours in Iraq, and who now works for the Army at Fort Jackson as a civil servant.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
St. Helena’s Church hosting Thanksgiving Service and Dinner
Staff reports
Since 1979, St. Helena’s Church in Beaufort has welcomed the community for a Thanksgiving service and meal. This year St. Helena’s Anglican Church will again throw open its doors to all who would like to join this special tradition.
On Thursday, Nov. 27, the day will begin with a service at 10:30 a.m. at St Helena’s at 505 Church Street. At 11:30, all are invited for a Thanksgiving dinner in the Par-
ish Hall at 507 Newcastle Street in downtown Beaufort.
The Thanksgiving worship and sit-down meal regularly draws several hundred people, with a menu of turkey dinner with cornbread stuffing, green beans, sweet potato casseroles, cranberry sauce, and a variety of desserts. Last year more than 600 meals were served.
The dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Whether seeking food, fellowship or a new tradition, all are
encouraged to come and join others in the community- residents and visitors alike. Invite family, friends, neighbors and strangers.
The meal is free, though donations are welcome.
Church and community volunteers plan for weeks to assure that the special gathering will be both festive and welcoming. From preparing turkeys to baking pies and cookies, to arranging transportation of meals to those who cannot get out, the event involves over
150 volunteers.
All are encouraged to attend the meal in person but delivery of meals will be available to anyone who is home-bound. To place an order in advance, contact St. Helena’s church office at 843-522-1712
The deadline for home-delivery requests is noon on Wednesday, Nov. 26
For further information contact Jai Dowell, Director of Local Missions at 843-522-1712, Ext. 219, or email jdowell@sthelenas1712.org.
November 6
2018: Joe Cunningham becomes the first Democrat elected to represent the 1st Congressional District since 1981
November 7
1861: Union warships attack Fort Walker (Hilton Head Island) and Fort Beauregard (Phillips Island), initiating the Battle of Port Royal. The Union would take Port Royal and Beaufort. The same day, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee arrived, via the Charleston & Savannah Railroad, in Coosawhatchie. Lee, at the time still the Confederate commanding general for Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, established a headquarters there.
2011: Boxing champion and Beaufort native Joe Frazier dies of liver cancer at age 67 in Philadelphia.
November 9
2019: Beaufort weightlifter C.J. Cummings wins three silver medals in the Snatch, Clean and Jerk and Overall at the IWF Grand Prix in Lima, Peru.
November 10
2022: Tropical Storm Nicole brings extreme high tides and high winds, though not much damage, to Beaufort for parts of two days.
2023: USC Beaufort earns its first basketball victories in its inaugural games at the USCB Recreation Center on the Bluffton campus. The men’s team, coached by Ron Fudala, defeated Morris College, 130-88, while the women’s team, coached by Sharon Versyp, topped Morris, 70-47 – 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
Sandra Washington
Beaufort County magistrate arrested for DUI
By Delayna Earley The Island News
Beaufort
County Magistrate
Thomas Holloway was arrested for driving under the influence on Wednesday, Oct. 29
Holloway was arrested on one count of DUI, less than 10, first offense by a S.C. Highway Patrol trooper according to public records.
According to Highway Patrol
By Mike McCombs
The Island News
Mac
Deford,
a Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Nancy Mace, held a meet and greet with former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on a chilly Wednesday night, Oct. 29 at Shellring Ale House in Port Royal.
O’Malley, the Social Security Administrator under President Joe Biden, came to hold a primer on the state of Social Security and support Deford’s second run for this seat – he lost in the Democratic primary two years ago to Michael Moore, a descendent of Beaufort’s Robert Smalls.
Deford says this run is “a lot” different than the last time.
The driver of the Hyundai, an 83-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Holloway apparently did not contribute to the collision, but he refused a breathalyzer at the scene, according to Pye.
Cpl. Nick Pye, Holloway was driving a 2023 GMC pickup truck south on Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island when he collided with a 2014 Hyundai that failed to yield rightof-way while trying to turn left onto the major thoroughfare from Seaside Road at around 8 p.m.
According to jail records, he was
booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center at 3:06 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, and bonded out at 8:54 a.m. on a $1 017 personal recognizance bond.
Most recently, Holloway presided over the bond hearing of William “Billy” Squires, the former Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputy who has been charged for pointing a gun at a group of Hilton Head teenagers who were walking through his neighborhood while he was off-duty and drinking alcohol.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
Deford, O’Malley hold meet and greet in Port Royal
“Last time was my first go at it. I know a lot of what I didn’t know. I know more now that I didn’t know then. I’m much more focused and I know what needs to be done to flip this seat,” Deford said. “I feel very good about the primary. Last time I had an opponent that was outraising me, kicking my ... in fundraising and whatnot, and now, we’re doing well. I feel good good about [where], staffing and structurally, this campaign is.”
Deford also said that there is more reason for hope for Democrats this time that the seat may flip again like it did to Joe Cunningham in 2018 “… I also feel good when I talk to constituents throughout the District, that they are, across the political di-
Mac Deford speaks to a crowd on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 at Shellring Ale Works in Port Royal. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
vide, that they’re not on board with the direction in which our country is moving. And I do think that is what is going to cause this
seat to flip.” he said. “In 2018 it was offshore drilling. We’ve got a whole lot more besides offshore drilling to choose from when it comes
to picking what you’re not on board with, even if you’re not a Democrat. And I think the people of this District will do the right thing.”
Deford addressed shutdown of the Federal government and the talking point Mace and other Republicans have repeatedly used – that Democrats caused the shutdown because they want undocumented immigrants to have free health care.
“It’s complete asinine rhetoric,” Deford said. “As Gov. O’Malley mentioned tonight, undocumented workers, they don’t draw from Social Security. They may pay into it. But they are prohibited by law from drawing from it. The same thing with Obamacare [the Affordable Care Act] …
they’re not getting that.”
Deford said Mace simply wants to be divisive.
“Her rhetoric, even the way she has flip flopped on issues, … you didn’t ask about it, but gay marriage. She tweeted something the other day, ‘It’s not Adam and Steve, it’s Adam and Eve.’ She was on the record for supporting gay marriage, and now she’s not,” Deford said. “She’s doing this to appeal to her base and continue to sow division in our country and among those in our state, really. It is just false that undocumented immigrants are … they don’t collect anything.”
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
t Beaufort Memorial, our nationally recognized team of orthopedic and spine care specialists is dedicated to helping you live life to the fullest—free from pain.
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• Numerous non-surgical treatment options
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• Pre-operative education classes that engage patients and caregivers in the healing process
• An Optimization Program that follows you through the process to ensure the best outcomes
• Outpatient and in-home rehab services to get you back to doing what you love faster
Holloway
Penn Center’s Heritage Days set for this week
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Penn Center will hold the 41st annual Heritage Days
Celebration on St. Helena Island From Thursday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 9
The celebration is “a homecoming that honors the Gullah Geechee cultural legacy at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District” according to a media release sent out by the Penn Center.
The Penn Center, which was founded in 1862, “is a cornerstone of African American education, civil rights and Gullah Geechee cultural preservation,” the release said. “Heritage Days continues its legacy of celebration, reflection and community connection – a vibrant reminder of the cultural contributions that define the Lowcountry and African American History. “Celebrating a Legacy of Culture and Community,”
is the theme for this year’s event which will feature youth and family activities,
museum tours, artists and authors, live music, food traditions, scholarly talks,
HBCU and Divine 9 programming and the Heritage Days Parade.
Lowcountry community members, artists, scholars, and faith leaders will gather to celebrate the “living legacy of the Gullah Geechee culture” through a weekend full of events meant to entertain and educate.
Festivities will begin on Thursday, Nov. 6 with Youth and Family Day, “Taste of Gullah” dinner and “The Road to Reembrace” play.
Youth and Family Day will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. and will feature an opening ceremony, drumline competition, Gullah Roots Village educational sessions, crafts and genealogy workshops, book signings and an art exhibition and traditional praise service.
The Heritage Days Parade will kick off Saturday, Nov. 8 which will be followed by a full day of entertainment on center stage as well as a cultural heritage marketplace. The weekend will be capped with the traditional praise service at historic Brick Baptist Church on Sunday, Nov. 9
For a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets for events, visit PennCenter.com/heritage-days.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
Friday, Nov. 7, will feature a Gullah Geechee Lineage and Cultural Legacy Symposium as well as the “Hitsville at Heritage” Motown Fish Fry & Oyster Roast and HBCU & Divine 9 “Rep Hard Yard!”
Penn Center, St. Helena community address Heritage Days conflict in wake of shooting
By Amber Hewitt
Island News
The
At a community meeting held at Penn Center on Thursday, Oct. 30 2025, Robert Adams, Director of Penn Center, opened with an overview of the upcoming Heritage Days events and addressed the increased safety concerns following the tragedy of October 12
Adams announced that Penn Center will maintain its standard security presence while also adding additional personnel this year. To ensure public safety, certain events, including the step show, have been canceled. In remembrance of those who lost their lives, the park will remain closed during Heritage Days.
Parade logistics and route
The traditional Heritage Day Parade will take place Saturday at 9 a.m., beginning at St. Helena Park
(Ballpark Road) and concluding at Penn Center. Gates open at 7 a.m. for participant registration at Halifax. Walking participants should go directly to Halifax. Parade volunteers, identified by wearing vests, will assist along the route.
Despite community advocacy and conversations with Penn Center leadership, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Beaufort County Sheriff Office (BCSO) refused to allow a full closure of U.S. 21 (Sea Island Parkway), citing safety concerns. Organizers had to work hard to secure permission for the event to remain on U.S. 21
Following discussions with state officials, Adams stated that the community successfully obtained permission to keep one lane of U.S.
St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser
21 open, utilizing approximately 60 parked vehicles as protective barriers to create a safer buffer for the parade.
Community reaction
Several residents expressed strong frustration, describing the limited closure as “disrespectful” to the long-standing traditions of St. Helena. “I’m 51 years old, and the parade has always had the same route,” said community member Ava Major in a Facebook post. Many community members contended that declaring the traditional parade route unsafe carried cultural implications. Others pointed out that events such as this weekend’s Swing Bridge Run create far greater traffic disruptions downtown, suggesting the decision reflected unequal treatment. Residents also believe that outside
influence from property owners on nearby islands, coupled with limited support from the Sheriff’s Office, contributed to the change.
“We deserve one hour,” said community member Earnestine Atkins.
Elected officials and next steps
S.C. Rep. Michael Rivers acknowledged the cultural importance of the event and said he is working on two state-level bills that would solidify:
1 Official statewide recognition of Penn Center; and ...
2 Designation of the parade route, starting at St. Helena Elementary and ending at Penn Center.
Rivers urged the community to stay vocal and organized beyond Heritage Days. He said, “It’s not a one-person
thing; it’s an island thing. Let’s use this as a learning opportunity, we can all do better.”
Looking ahead
Organizers plan to:
Increase the number of volunteers.
Limit parade floats to stay within the one-hour time frame.
Continue working with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office for coordination.
The meeting concluded with a call for ongoing community organization and consideration of legal or legislative measures to reinstate the full parade route in the coming years.
A follow-up session will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. at Penn Center.
St. Helena man ordered to pay
$15K for trafficking sperm whale parts
Staff reports
Lauren Deloach, 69, of St. Helena Island, has been sentenced to 30 days of home confinement and a $15 000 fine for violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Deloach illegally imported, sold, and possessed sperm whale teeth and bones from September 2021, through September 2024. Deloach knew importing and selling these whale parts was illegal and would falsely label shipments with these products to avoid detection from law enforcement.
The government provided the court with two sperm whale teeth and one whale ear bone, which were among the approximately 47 whale
teeth and two whale ear bones that Deloach had previously surrendered to law enforcement prior to his guilty plea. The sperm whale is native to U.S. waters in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and weighs up to 45 tons. It can grow 52 feet and live 60 years. The sperm whale population was decimated by the commercial whaling industry from 1800 to 1987. Studies have shown that these highly socialized animals communicate over great distances and associate in clans defined by the dialect pattern of their sonar clicks.
The government advocated for a substantial fine to be paid to the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, also known as the Lacey Act Reward Fund. United States District Judge David C. Norton agreed and imposed a $15 000 fine on Deloach to be paid to the Lacey Act Reward Fund to serve as a deterrent and assist future wildlife trafficking investigations. Judge Norton also sentenced Deloach to 30 days home confinement and two years of probation. This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Winston D. Holliday, Jr. and Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section, Attorney Ryan C. Connors are prosecuting the case.
Attendees listen to the music of Songs of Protest during the 40th annual Penn Center Heritage Days on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. Amber Hewitt/FILE/The Island News
Jayne Winemiller, fundraiser organizer, holds a bag containing Allan Sharp’s braided hair that was just cut off, his first haircut since leaving the Marine Corps five years ago, during St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser to conquer kids’ cancer at Shellring Ale Works on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Staff reports
United Way launches Thanksgiving Campaign
With the ongoing federal government shutdown and paused SNAP (food assistance) benefits, thousands of Lowcountry families are facing food insecurity just as the holidays approach. United Way of the Lowcountry (UWLC) has launched a community campaign to help make sure families in Beaufort and Jasper counties have the opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.
For just $40, donors can provide a full Thanksgiving dinner for a family of four. Donations can be made online at www.uwlowcountry.org/thanksgiving
“The shutdown is creating a ripple effect across our community,” said United Way President
and CEO Dale Douthat. “Thousands of local families depend on SNAP benefits to feed their children.
When those benefits stop, even temporarily, it is devastating for ALICE households who are already walking a financial tightrope.”
ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents working families who earn above the fed-
eral poverty level but still cannot afford the basics. In the Lowcountry, 39 percent of households in Beaufort County and 46 percent in Jasper County are ALICE. These are the people who keep our communities running: childcare workers, healthcare aides, retail clerks, and veterans who often struggle to make ends meet.
“This campaign is about more than a meal,” Douthat said. “It is about self-sufficiency. By meet-
ing an immediate need, we give families the breathing room to stay on their feet, pay rent, keep the lights on, and focus on what comes next.”
United Way also encourages residents to support their local food banks, which are working hard to meet the growing demand for assistance. A list of Lowcountry food pantries and other community resources can be found online at SC211.org.
Fort Fremont Harvest Festival
by the Friends of Fort Fremont. Since the Fort was built for the defense of the Atlantic shoreline during the Spanish American War, the "charge" was part of the day's activities which attracted hundreds to the county park. Lolita Huckaby/The Island News
Littlest pumpkins in the patch
weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces. Merrick Murdaugh, CST created the crocheted pumpkin swaddles, and the seasonal quilts were crafted by Sea Island Quilters. Photos courtesy of Charlotte Berkeley
Lowdown from page A1
The German-based family-owned discount grocery, which has 13 400 branches in 18 countries, officially opened its Beaufort store on Thursday
And there was much online rejoicing.
When developers announced plans for the Beaufort Station shopping center in 2022, Aldi was listed as one of the major occupants. But it took a while for the building to be completed as TJ Maxx, Pet Smart, Big Lots and other retail opportunities opened their doors in the former swamp to customers happy they no longer had to shop on the other side of the Robert Smalls Parkway.
And … there’s even rumors of a second Aldi coming to Lady’s Island, across from the island Walmart, in the wooded tract where Donnie Beer Drive was just paved. But no confirmation on that, of course.
New grocery stores have been a news source for decades. When the Piggy Wiggly closed on Port Republic Street to eventually become Tabby Place event center in 2015 and a second “Pig” at the corner of Boundary Street and Ribaut Road in 2014 after seven decades in that location, there was much consternation.
ing the majority of trees on the new site practically overnight.
With an empty building on that popular spot, local speculation raged while locals wondered what would be the replacement? But not to worry, Harris Teeter stepped forward in 2016 and spent almost a decade working with the city planning department since the property had been annexed into the city, before those doors opened in June 2024 to include a wine bar which has reportedly been a big hit with locals.
And now we have Aldi, which at least supports some local effort to avoid plastic bags (requiring shoppers to bring their own.) But there are still some online complaints about the lack of a Kroger, the nearest one being in Belfair Towne Village in Bluffton, or even a Trader Joe’s, the nearest in Charleston.
It’s interesting that all this public conversation about a new grocery store comes as the federal government shutdown threatens food subsidies to millions of Americans. Food banks all over the country are already reporting increased requests and organizing commodity collections.
Says a lot about our priorities.
Property tax bills bring few surprises
sale this year compared to the last three years. … It’s the most we’ve had in four years.” The sale will follow the same format it has in the past.
From 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, the sale will be open only for members of the Friends of the Beaufort Library. Those interested at this time are free to join.
The sale will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday; from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday.
changed, either. Hardbacks and audiobooks are $2 each, paperbacks are $1 each, and children’s books are two for $1. Specialty books are priced as marked.
Area Boy Scouts will provide security for the books overnight on Friday and Saturday, camping in the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
lunch program; sponsored the Lucky Day collection, providing 3,346 checkouts and saving cardholders
$100,380; and provided $15,000 to purchase 258 WonderBooks (Children’s and Early Readers books that feature audio as you read the page.)
When BiLo went under in 2021, closing the store located in what was the Jean Ribaut Shopping Center (now the Beaufort Town Center), there was even more outcry from citizens, especially those in the Northwest Quadrant neighborhood and Pigeon Point who did not have access to their own transportation to get to a local grocery.
BEAUFORT -- Beaufort County 2025 property tax bills arrived in the mail, just in time for Halloween trick-or-treat. And for many of the 411,000 taxpayers who received bills, it apparently was more of a “treat” than a “trick.”
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com. Book from page A1
Book prices have not
Over the past year, the Friends of the Beaufort Library has provided $65,000 in support of the northern Beaufort County libraries in numerous ways. The group has helped provide 979 programs for 12 513 attendees; provided $6,000 to support summer reading programs; volunteered at the daily summer
Proceeds form the sale will go to the Friends of the Beaufort Library. Jussaume is confident the event will go well. “We’re expecting a great turnout,” she said. “There’s no rain in the forecast. We’re expecting a great sale.”
(We know that drama had something of a “happy ending” as Food Lion moved into the location, just in time to give competition to the town’s second Publix that opened in 2022 in the Beaufort Plaza, replacing the town’s only movie theater that used to be there.)
And of course, Publix has its own checkered past here in Beaufort when plans for the Lady’s Island store were announced in 1992 and local tree-lovers united to protest their plans to clear the once wooded lot, now one of the busiest intersections in northern Beaufort County. The protest went all the way to the state Supreme Court where the justices allowed construction to continue after the removal of 47 live oaks and other species from the property.
Then in 2014, the Lakeland, Fla.-based grocery store moved across Sea Island Parkway to the other side, again, remov-
The fiscal year 2026 budget, which was approved by the County Council in June, is 20% larger than last year, at $199 million. But the millage rate remains the same with the additional dollars coming from development growth.
Included in the budget are 3 percent cost-of-living increases and starting salary increases for the sheriff’s department and the Solicitor’s office.
This year’s budget also includes more specific line items – medical indigent care support for Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Beaufort-Jasper Comprehensive Health, support for Economic Development department, higher education support for TCL and USC Beaufort.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C., native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
Alan Lehman, aka, Teddy Roosevelt, lead his "Rough Riders" up the make-believe San Juan Hill as part of the third annual Fort Fremont Harvest Festival on Sunday, Nov. 2, on St. Helena Island, sponsored
Rollen Chalmers of Rollen's Raw Grains, an agricultural operation in Hardeeville, was on hand to exhibit his rice collection of Carolina Golden Rice and sell traditional gumbo, one of several food vendors present for the Fort Fremont Harvest Festival on Sunday, Nov. 2. Lolita Huckaby/ The Island News
The Beaufort Memorial Collins Birthing Center welcomed two teeny Halloween arrivals on Friday, Oct. 31. Baby girl Lane arrived at 5 a.m., weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces, to Jacqueline and Kevin Anderson of Beaufort, while baby girl Ari was born to Beaufort parents Mark and Courtney Jennings at 8 a.m.,
Living History Encampment paints picture of Civil War years
Staff reports
The Beaufort History Museum held it’s annual Civil War Living History Encampment in the Beaufort Arsenal Courtyard in downtown Beaufort on Saturday, Nov. 1
The 79th New York Highlander Regiment of reenactors spent a day full of interaction with visitors and holding drills. Visitors learned about Civil War era camp life, took part in educational discussions about medical support in the field, women’s roles, drills, weapons, cooking, an enlistment ceremony for children and interactive activities for the whole family and learned firsthand how life was lived in Beaufort during the Civil War years.
The 79th New York Volunteer Infantry, a Regiment of the New York State Militia, was originally a social club in New York City in 1858. It was comprised primarily of emigrant Scots and Scottish Americans. The militia was modeled after the famous Scottish
regiment of the British Army, the 79th Cameron Highlanders of Scotland, but other than their name and tartan
they had no official connection. Their original duty was to parade, train as heavy artil-
lery, and provide a guard for the Prince of Wales when he visited the United States. But the 79th, without intention, set themselves up to take part in nearly every major engagement in the Civil War and became one of the most well-known and traveled regiments in the Union Army.
Among their South Carolina forays into battle, in December of 1861, the Highlanders were sent to the city of Beaufort to help occupy the town. At one point they set up camp near what is now the National Cemetery. Beaufort History Museum thanks its encampment partners, 79th Highlander Regiment leader Tom Vaselopulos, the reenactors, the BHM Board, their knowledgeable Docents, BHM members, and the citizens of Beaufort for their generosity and support.
NEWS BRIEFS
LWV Beaufort holding meeting Thursday
The League of Women Voters, Beaufort, will be holding a general meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort center at 178 Sams Point Road on Lady’s Island. The focus of the meeting will be upcoming elections and preparations by the LWV to help voters educate themselves.
Participants are also asked to bring a canned food item to the meeting for donation to local food banks. For more information, visit lwv.org/local-leagues/lwv-beaufort-sc-area or beaufortvotes@gmail.com.
De Gullah SHIPP hosting 2nd annual Cheers for Chairs fundraiser
De Gullah SHIPP presents the second annual Cheers for Chairs fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9 2025, at Penn Center’s Frissell Hall.
Enjoy a celebration of culture over brunch, mimosas, live music and a chair art auction featuring unique chair art and other artifacts created by local artists. Jonathan Green, Amiri Farris, Lisa Rivers, Susan Stone, Pat Keown, Sheree Richnow, Cherly Johnson, Hank Herring and John Bradley are a few of the contributing artists.
Admission is a $45 donation, which includes brunch, coffee and mimosas. Tickets are available at https://www.degullahshipp. org/event.
De Gullah SHIPP is a 501(c)3 charity organization. Learn about the organization an its programs for families and youth at www. degullahshipp.org
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 Island Parkway. They accept cash and checks.
The homemade baked goods will include cakes and pies and packages of cookies, snack mix, muffins, cupcakes, brownies,
Shooting from page A1
Person Convicted of Violent Felony, and one charge of Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime if not also sentenced to Life Without Parole.
All are felony charges, and he received a surety bond of $10 000 for each of the 24 charges, bringing the total bond to $240,000 Additionally, he was charged with Public Drunk, Discharging Firearms Prohibited and Use of Firearm While Under Influence of Alcohol or Drugs, which are all misdemeanors. He received
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.
Nurse practitioner joins
BMH Lady’s Island Internal Medicine
A board-certified nurse practitioner has joined the Beaufort Memorial primary care team at Lady’s Island Internal Medicine.
Jenna Gossett, MSN, FNP-C, is a certified family nurse practitioner with a wide range of expertise in primary, urgent and inten-
personal recognizance bonds for all three.
Smith has several previous felony convictions, including Reckless Homicide, Caused Injury from Vehicle in 2004 according to a background check that The Island News acquired from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Information provided to The Island News about the incident by the Beaufort Police Department was vague, with Community Affairs and Standards Specialist Lindsey Edwards disclosing the “altercation began over a vehicle
sive care. As part of her dedication to caring for individuals as a whole, Gossett will help her patients modify their lifestyles in order to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Gossett entered the nursing field in 2012 and has since developed a diverse background in the healthcare industry. She worked for healthcare systems in California and around the country as a travel nurse while experiencing life in an RV. She has also been a nurse in facilities throughout South Carolina, including Columbia, Orangeburg, Greenville and Charleston.
Gossett, who earned her Master of Science in Nursing at Chamberlain University in Addison, Ill., will work with her patients on preventive care and illnesses, as well as helping patients manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and obesity.
Loop in Southside Park renamed in honor of longtime City Public Works Director
The Beaufort City Council has officially renamed Southside Loop in Southside Park to Clayton Cooler Loop in recognition of
speeding in the neighborhood, which led to a verbal argument and then escalated to shots being fired. No people were injured and there was no property damage reported.”
When asked how many people were involved, Edwards responded with, “several,” and to the question asking if any of the people were minors who were trickor-treating, she responded, “yes and yes.”
The Island News requested a copy of the incident report, redacted for private information, but did not receive a response to our request.
The Island News also put in a Freedom of Information
the late Clayton Cooler’s extraordinary service to the City of Beaufort, according to a media release from the City. Cooler served the City for nearly five decades, “leaving a lasting impact through his leadership, dedication, and commitment to public service as the longtime Public Works Director. His contributions shaped the community's infrastructure, beautification efforts, and day-to-day operations that continue to benefit residents and visitors alike,” according to the release
“Clayton worked for his beloved City of Beaufort for almost 50 years. He was an institution and icon within the City for those years,” said Warren Parker, Clayton Cooler's son-in-law, who currently serves as Director of the South Coast Cyber Center and Director of the Pritchard Island Research Living Shores Foundation. “His family is immensely grateful to City Council for bestowing this honor on him. He would be very proud of this honor in recognition of his long service to the community.”
County Assessor hosting community events
Beaufort County Assessor Ebony Sanders is hosting multiple community events at County Library Branches to allow the public an opportunity to meet with her staff and share questions and concerns regarding real property valuation, exemptions, appeals and general property information.
Each community event will be from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. No appointments are necessary.
In the event of an unforeseeable change in the date, time, or location, the Assessor’s Office webpage will be updated to reflect rescheduling. If you have any questions, please contact Liz Rigg, Appeal/BAA Coordinator at BAA@bcgov.net or 843-2552404
The dates are as follows: St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road: Tuesday, Nov. 18; Tuesday, Dec. 16
Act (FOIA) request for the incident report. While the incident occurred on Friday night, there were no releases or alerts put out by the Beaufort Police Department. The department did not notify the public anything had happened until its routine release of incidents on the following Monday.
Concerned neighbors living in the Pigeon Point neighborhood seemed to share similar concerns, posting on social media asking why they were not made aware of the violent situation, why newspapers had not reported about it, and why there were no alerts sent out to the community letting them know to avoid the area, especially
given that it was Halloween. Smith is being evicted from the rental property into which he had just moved, according to Bundy Appraisal & Management, and his roommate has also been told to vacate the rental property.
Smith remains confined at the Beaufort County Detention Center and is scheduled to have his first appearance for the misdemeanor charges on Dec. 4 and for the felony charges on Dec. 12
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia.
South Carolina State Senator Tom Davis speaks at the Lady’s Island Business Professionals Association (LIBPA) meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Beaufort mayor Phil Cromer and his wife Amelie learn about 19th century surgical procedures from 79th New York Highlander Regiment surgeon reenactor Mike Karriker. His surgical assistant Barry Blevins is in the background at the Beaufort Arsenal in downtown Beaufort on Saturday, Nov. 1. Gene Brancho/Explore Beaufort
Kathy Vaselopulos of the 79th New York Highlander Regiment talks with Bob Sandi Schantz from Indiana at the Beaufort Arsenal in downtown Beaufort on Saturday, Nov. 1. Gene Brancho/Explore Beaufort
By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com
IA dream come true
Beaufort’s Payton Ball, mom experience World Series in Toronto
t started with a whim, and ended with the World Series experience of a lifetime.
Jenn Ball had no idea where the essay she submitted on her daughter Payton’s behalf would lead — right up until the week before the Beaufort mother-and-daughter combo traveled to Toronto on Major League Baseball’s dime for two unforgettable days at the epicenter of the baseball universe.
Not only were the Balls in the building at Rogers Centre for Game 2 of an all-time great World Series, but they also spent two days in a whirlwind of activity centered around the American Pastime, albeit abroad. Payton played Wiffle Ball with former MLB All-Stars and met one of her sports idols, legendary softball pitcher Jennie Finch.
“Just seeing Jennie Finch in person was so cool. She’s so tall, oh my gosh,” Payton said. As if that wasn’t enough to leave an 11-year-old, softball-crazed girl starstruck, she also bumped into the Jonas Brothers backstage and estimates she was no more than five feet from her favorite baseball player, the inimitable Shohei Ohtani.
The trip came to fruition when Payton was picked as one of 12
SCHSL 4A
No. 16 Beaufort (3-7) at
No. 1 South Pointe (9-1)
Players of the Month through MLB’s Play Ball program. Jenn came across the contest on social media and put Payton’s name in the hat, submitting the required essay describing Payton’s knowledge and passion for baseball and softball, her encouragement of sportsmanship and fair play, and her description of the importance of youth play and participation.
And Payton made the cut.
It wasn’t until her interview in July with MLB Network’s A.J. Andrews, though, that Payton got the memo that she was going to the World Series — and she and Jenn didn’t know where they would be catching a game until the Toronto Blue Jays took down the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
“We just watched baseball all the time to figure out where we were going and who we were seeing,” Jenn said.
They knew Game 2 was the one, but had the Mariners prevailed, the Balls would have been headed to Dodger Stadium instead of skipping the country. Payton got her preference.
“Just seeing Canada in person was amazing. Getting to go on the field and seeing Niagara Falls, it was just …,” 11-year-old Payton said before trailing off, unable to find the words to describe an unforgettable week.
On Friday, Oct. 24, Payton and
All-Time Series: South Pointe leads 1-0
Last Meeting: South Pointe W 41-7 (2021)
Scouting Beaufort: The Eagles’ early offensive woes have subsided somewhat with the emergence of running back Tylik Isom and quarterback Braydon Moyd-Smalls, but the lack of an effective passing game has troubled Beaufort all season. Beaufort’s defense has been outstanding at times and fuels the Eagles’ success, and the front seven is especially tough with rushers Chaz Brown and Jayden Simmons and linebackers Colton Freeman and James Thomas holding things down up front.
Scouting South Pointe: The Stallions have won nine straight since a season-opening 14-10 loss at North Carolina power Hough, and they’ve posted three shutouts in their last four games, including a 70-0 drubbing of Richland Northeast last week. Loaded with Power 4 talent, South Pointe’s defense has racked up 143 tackles for loss and 47 sacks, and the offensive stats aren’t any less impressive with quarterback J’Zavien Currence — 247Sports’ top-ranked senior in South Carolina — at the helm.
Outlook: We all remember what happened the last time these teams met — unless you’ve been fortunate enough to block it from your memory — and a similar outcome seems likely this time despite Beaufort’s recent strides on offense. Isom has become a reliable lead back, and Moyd-Smalls is an effective runner who is developing as a passer, but the Eagles didn’t score more than 20 points in any of their last five games, and the Stallions haven’t allowed more than seven in their last five. Beaufort’s defense has held its own this season and kept the Eagles in games with May River and Bishop England, but they’ve had a hard time stopping dynamic offenses that are multi-dimensional, and South Pointe fits the bill. Beaufort will have a tough time containing Currence and Co. and keeping pace with a stacked Stallions squad.
SCHSL 3A
No. 14 Battery Creek (2-8) at No. 3 Loris (10-0)
All-Time Series: Loris leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Loris W 56-0 (2012)
Scouting Battery Creek: The Dolphins limp into the postseason on a four-game losing streak, though they rallied in the second half last week to make things respectable in a 31-21 loss to Hanahan. The ground game has shown flashes of success, but Battery Creek’s execution has been inconsistent. The defense has held its own against opponents of like caliber, but dynamic offenses have been able to shred the Dolphins on the ground and through the air.
Scouting Loris: The Lions have really only been challenged once this season, in a 23-22 win at Dillon that proved their mettle as a legitimate state title contender. The defense
Beaufort’s
as one
her fellow Players of the Month took part in opening ceremonies and collected their swag before watching Game 1 on television from a conference center. The next day, Payton and her peers took advantage of the MLB World Series Play Ball Camp at the grand opening of the Toronto Mets’ new baseball performance center, having fun and honing their skills alongside the likes of Kevin Pillar, Nick Swisher, CC
12
Sabathia, and Finch. That night, the Balls attended Game 2, witnessing Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete-game performance in a 5-1 Dodgers win that evened the series.
When they returned home to watch the rest of the series, their loyalties were split. Payton left town repping the Dodgers and loves Ohtani, but she’s now torn. And Jenn was all-in on the Blue Jays, smitten with a nation’s love
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW CAPSULES
has surrendered more than 14 points only that one time this year and is coming off its first shutout, a 54-0 rout of Aynor on Friday.
The Lions’ pass-heavy offense is a nightmare to defend with six different receivers who have caught at least three touchdown passes and four players with at least six touchdown grabs.
Outlook: The last time the Dolphins made it out of the first round in 2012, the Lions dispatched them in blowout fashion, and this year’s matchup is ripe for more of the same. Loris is undefeated and one of the top contenders to challenge Lower State favorite Oceanside Collegiate, which ran through Region 6-3A and routed Battery Creek 450. The Dolphins’ defense has a big test in trying to contain senior quarterback Zamire Gerald, who has passed for more than 2 000 yards with 37 touchdowns and just one interception this season, and with an offense that has struggled to score at times, it’s going to be difficult for Battery Creek to keep up.
SCHSL 2A
Region 5 No. 4 Whale Branch (3-7) at
Region 6 No. 1 Philip Simmons (8-2)
All-Time Series: Whale Branch leads 3-2
Last Meeting: Philip Simmons W 46-14 (Sept. 19)
Scouting Whale Branch: The Warriors’ first campaign without Jerry Hatcher has taken a downturn since a heartbreaking 2826 homecoming loss to Lake Marion started a three-game losing streak to finish the regular season. Whale Branch was in most of its games until the last two weeks, but the offense sputtered and the defense fell apart against Hampton County and Barnwell, which doesn’t bode well going into a rematch that didn’t go their way the first time.
Scouting Philip Simmons: The Iron Horses lost their first two games of the season to Hanahan and Lucy Beckham, but they’ve been rolling ever since, starting with a tough
win at Beaufort in September. After giving up 75 points in those first two games, Philip Simmons has surrendered only 48 points during an eight-game winning streak with four shutouts over that span. That kind of defense doesn’t require much offensive support to win, but the Iron Horses have an electric dual-threat quarterback in junior Hayes Goddard, who has accounted for 28 touchdowns (24 passing) with just one interception.
Outlook: The Iron Horses have dominated the regular-season meetings the last two seasons, routing the Warriors 43-7 last year in Seabrook and 46-14 on Sept. 19 in Charleston, and conditions are ripe for a repeat. Goddard is a weapon, and even if Whale Branch’s Jermon Bowers can lock down top target Ashton Kellermann, the Iron Horses have other guys who can beat you. It would take a huge game from Bowers working behind a strong offensive line and a season-best performance from the defense to keep the Warriors’ season alive.
SCISA 3A No. 3 John Paul II (5-5) at No. 2 Florence Christian (7-2)
All-Time Series: Florence Christian leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Florence Christian W 30-21 (2023)
Scouting John Paul II: One of the best stories in the Lowco this season has been JPII’s rapid turnaround after winning just one game a year ago, and the quick success has been built on a powerful ground game. The thunder-and-lightning duo of Andrew Boyden and Jadon Inabinett combined with the dual threat of quarterback Alan Wolf gives the Golden Warriors a ball-control offense built for the postseason, and the defense is tough against the run, if a little soft in coverage.
Scouting Florence Christian: The Eagles are a quality squad whose only losses have
for their baseball team.
“I just remember hearing them sing the Canadian anthem, and that is the most beautiful thing. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it now,” Jenn said. “It didn’t matter what you wore, you could have L.A. on or something like that, but you were part of the family. I don’t know, that was just a different experience for me. I met people from all over Canada that saved up their last penny because they said they weren’t missing this, and like their grandmas were there. It was just so cool.”
And none of it would have happened if Jenn hadn’t felt compelled to share Payton’s story and brag on her dedication to being the best softball player she can be, whether it’s in the Beaufort County Parks and Recreation leagues, on the Beaufort all-star team, or on her Beaufort Bombers travel team.
“It’s all about how bad your child wants it and how far you’re willing to go as a parent to support them,” Jenn said. “I think it’s our job as parents to put them in the right positions and then guide them to where the opportunity is.”
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports. com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
come to Williamsburg Academy and Wilson Hall, each legitimate state title contenders in their divisions, and those games were competitive. Sophomore quarterback Riley Minton doesn’t put the ball in the air often, averaging fewer than 10 pass attempts per game, but the play-action passing game is effective when the opponent overcommits to stopping the one-two punch of Andrew Miller and Brooks Poston.
Outlook: The Eagles have twice ended the Golden Warriors’ season in the playoffs, including a 30-21 win in the 2023 first round and a lopsided victory in the 2018 state championship game, but this is a matchup that plays to JPII’s strengths. The Eagles’ defense is susceptible to strong rushing attacks, as borne out in losses to Wilson Hall and Williamsburg Academy, so the Golden Warriors should be able to move the ball and put up points. If the Golden Warriors take care of the ball and JPII’s safeties stay disciplined and take away Florence Christian’s targeted passing game, this season of growth could be extended another week.
SCISA 1A No. 3 Beaufort Academy (6-4) at No. 2 Dorchester Academy (8-1)
All-Time Series: Dorchester leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Dorchester W 21-8 (Sept. 19)
Scouting Beaufort Academy: After a redhot start, the Eagles have stumbled to four losses in their last five games, including a heartbreaking 32-27 defeat Friday at Thomas Heyward, but the pieces are still in place for this BA team to make a playoff run. Nych Underwood is among the best backs in all of SCISA, and quarterback Nic Shuford is a dangerous runner who can pick apart defenses with dangerous receivers Devin Fripp and Jace Paulk. BA’s defense faltered down the stretch, but if the defensive front can muster its early-season dominance, the Eagles will be a tough out.
Scouting Dorchester Academy: The Raiders were riding high at 8-0 and looked like they might be the team to beat in SCISA 1A until Friday’s 36-21 setback at home against Williamsburg Academy. Now they have to pick up the pieces and try to beat a pesky BA team for a second time. There’s no secret to what DA wants to do on offense, and that’s pound the ball to bruising back John Whetsell and let John Quattlebaum make reads at the line and guide the offense, and the Raiders fly to the ball and play physical on defense.
Outlook: The regular-season meeting was a slugfest, and the Eagles were in it until a late score put it out of reach. The Raiders were able to control the game script and the clock with long, sustained drives the first time around, so BA needs to make stops on first and second downs and put DA in third-and-uncomfortable situations to give the offense more opportunities to catch lightning.
Payton Ball was picked
of
Players of the Month through MLB’s Play Ball program and spent two days with he mother, Jenn Ball, at the World Series in Toronto. Photo courtesy of Jenn Ball
Whale Branch’s Jamaur Bagley runs the ball against Barnwell at Whale Branch Early College High School on Friday Oct. 31, 2025. Whale Branch lost, 43-12. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News
BCSD BEACON
Introducing BCSD Showcase
The Beaufort County School District (BCSD) is proud to announce the launch of its BCSD Showcases, a new series of events designed to give families an inside look at the many opportunities available in BCSD schools from Pre-K through high school
More than 30 schools across the district will participate, highlighting a wide variety of academic, arts, and extracurricular programs
Families attending a Showcase will have the chance to:
Meet principals, teachers, and students
Learn about unique academic and extracurricular programs
Explore career and technical education opportunities
Get details about the Choice application process, which opens earlier this year on November 10
“Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make,” said BCSD Superintendent Dr Frank Rodriguez “ We believe that BCSD offers the best choice and invite you to get to know all that we offer during our Showcases ”
Each event will feature engaging presentations, student performances, and opportunities to experience the innovative programs that make BCSD schools special
Showcase Dates and Locations
Bluffton/Hilton Head Area Schools Joint Showcase �� Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 6–
7:30 p m �� TCL Culinary Institute of the South, Buckwalter Place, 1 Venture Drive, Bluffton
Beaufort Area Schools Joint Showcase �� Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 6–7:30 p m �� Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, 43 W K Alston Drive, Beaufort
Hilton Head Island School-Specific Showcases Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts 5-6 p m Thursday, November 6, 2025
Hilton Head Island Elementary 6:157:15 p m , Thursday, November 6, 2025
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center 5:30-6:30 p m , Thursday, November 13, 2025
Hilton Head Island Middle 5-6:30 P M , Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Hilton Head Island High 5-6:30 P M , Thursday, November 13, 2025
High School Dual Enrollment Grads
District Principal and AP of the Year
The Beaufort County School District has named its 2025 Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year
Bradley Tarrance, Principal of Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, was selected as the 2025–26 District Principal of the Year while Geneva Young of Lady’s Island Middle School earned the title of District Assistant Principal of the Year
“We are extremely proud to celebrate our Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez “Their outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to our students staff and community inspire excellence throughout our schools
Tarrance called the honor a shared achievement “This is an incredible honor not just for me, but for the entire Robert Smalls Leadership Academy community,” he said “Being a principal is about growing a community grounded in excellence, and expectations ”
Young also emphasized teamwork and service Even though I m being named Assistant Principal of the Year, it truly belongs to the staff, students, and community I serve, ” she said “It’s our award ”
Winners were selected through peer nominations and applications for their exceptional leadership, hard work, and positive impact Tarrance will now represent the district in state-level competition
Allison Gallagher, an eighth-grade science teacher at H E McCracken Middle School, has been named the Beaufort County School District’s 2025–26 District Teacher of the Year The 16-year teaching veteran was recognized during a celebration honoring school-level Teachers of the Year
Teaching is who I am and I am so thankful for this honor,” Gallagher said “I’m excited to continue sharing my love of teaching and representing our amazing students, families, and teachers ”
Principal Dr Roger Ward praised Gallagher as the epitome of what any teacher should be, citing her strong relationships with students and her dedication to helping them reach their full potential
Other finalists included Elizabeth Herring of Bluffton High, Audrey Kaney of Red Cedar Elementary, Alison Lopes of Hilton Head Island Elementary ECC, and Amy Turner of Coosa Elementary
Gallagher has led innovative programs such as “River of Words,” combining science, writing, and art and expanded the school s Science Fair, mentoring more than 200 students each year She holds a master s degree in Middle Grades Education and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia
Gallagher will now represent Beaufort County in the South Carolina State Teacher of the Year program, with state finalists announced in February
Whale Branch Early College High School s Behavior Management Specialist, Kelvin Simmons, has been named the Beaufort County School District’s 2025–26 Support Staff of the Year The honor was announced during the district’s annual Support Staff Celebration Breakfast
Simmons earned the districtwide recognition through a competitive application process highlighting his impact on school culture student achievement and his ability to inspire and support others
Assistant Principal Marcus Peacock described Simmons as a cornerstone of the school’s positive environment “Mr Simmons is awesome! He greets the kids every morning I think he knows every student by name, ” Peacock said “If a student is having a tough day he takes the time to talk with them He brings warmth, energy, and a genuine care for everyone in the building ”
Simmons said he was honored by the recognition “Every day, we give 110% to make sure our students are safe and supported,” he said “I try to speak to every student share a positive message and help set them up for success in school and in life ”
All school-level Support Staff of the Year honorees were also celebrated at the event, held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Weezie Educational Pavilion
District Support Staff of the Year
Whale Branch Early College High School Skills USA
Congratulations to the Warrior SkillsUSA Club crowned 2025 State Champions in Advertising Design
The team’s creativity, hard work, and attention to detail impressed judges and earned them top honors at the state competition From concept to execution, the students demonstrated industry-ready skills and a true passion for design
Warrior Nation is proud of these talented students for pushing boundaries, inspiring others, and making their mark!
Warrior Cross Country Shines at Region 5 Championship
The Warrior Cross Country teams had an outstanding showing at the Region 5–2A Championship
Raimund Roell captured first place, earning the title of Region Champion while Roman Vasquez finished close behind as Region Runner-Up
Many team members also achieved personal records, marking a strong performance across the board Congratulations warrior nation!
BCSD Staff Spotlight
Director of Readiness Named EDmarket 2025 NexGen Rising Star
The Education Market Association (EDmarket) has announced its 2025 class of NexGen Rising Stars, recognizing Ashley Gould, Director of Readiness for the Beaufort County School District, among its honorees
The NexGen Rising Star award celebrates emerging leaders in education who demonstrate exceptional dedication innovation and a measurable impact on student success
Gould was selected for her leadership in transforming early childhood education environments and expanding access to quality learning experiences for all students
She has led initiatives to embed researchbased environmental design into instructional strategies, creating classrooms that are developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and supportive of the whole child
Among her career highlights, Gould has expanded early childhood programs, launched a mobile preschool bus, and redesigned classroom environments to better support cognitive, social, and emotional development She is also a strong advocate for equitable early intervention and access to high-quality early childhood education
August Student of the Month
Alejandro Martinez Llamas an eighth grader at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, has been named the August Student of the Month for Northern Beaufort County for demonstrating exceptional friendship and kindness
Teachers say Alejandro stood out early in the school year for the respectful and inclusive way he interacts with classmates One teacher shared how Alejandro went out of his way to include a student who was feeling left out during a class activity an act of compassion that set the tone for the classroom
Alejandro continues to support his peers and embody the leadership and empathy that the Student of the Month program celebrates Congratulations to Alejandro Martinez Llamas on this well-deserved recognition!
Memory Project
September Student of the Month
Sophia Burns, a second grader, has been recognized for demonstrating the character education word of the month, Acceptance, through her inclusive and respectful behavior toward classmates
Teachers say Sophia consistently goes out of her way to make everyone feel valued and included When a classmate struggled with reading, Sophia stepped in to offer guidance and encouragement She also volunteers to work with a variety of peers during group activities, showing that she appreciates everyone ’ s ideas not just those of her close friends
Congratulations to Sophia Burns for embodying acceptance and making a positive difference in her classroom community!
Art students across the Beaufort County School District are using their creativity to make a global impact through the Memory Project, a nonprofit organization that connects young artists with children living in challenging circumstances around the world
This past year, students from Port Royal Elementary, Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts, Hilton Head Island Elementary, Hilton Head Island High School, and Bluffton High School created one-of-a-kind portraits for children in Malawi The recipients joyful reactions were captured in a moving video shared over the summer BCSD schools have participated in the Memory Project for more than 20 years, building cross-cultural connections and spreading kindness through art
Scan the QR code to watch the video and see how Beaufort County s young artists are brightening lives around the world one portrait at a time
BCSD Principal Honored with Prestigious State Leadership Award
Battery Creek High School Principal Dee Dee Thompson has received the 2025 Inez Tenenbaum Leadership Award, one of South Carolina’s highest honors in educational leadership
Presented annually to one principal statewide the award recognizes exceptional leadership following completion of the School Leadership Executive Institute (SLEI) a seven-month professional program focused on instructional leadership, change management, and motivational strategies
SLEI, operated by the South Carolina Department of Education in partnership with Truist Bank, provides executive-level leadership training designed to strengthen school leaders’ capacity to positively impact their schools and communities
With 28 years in education, Thompson has served as a science teacher, assistant principal, and principal, crediting the Beaufort County School District for supporting his growth
It s a proud moment for me Thompson said It s because of this district and the opportunities they ve given me and because of the mentors who have guided me, that I ve been able to grow as a leader I just want to pay it forward!
The award is named in honor of Inez Tenenbaum, who served as South Carolina’s State Superintendent of Education from 1998 to 2006
BCSD Students Named National Merit Semifinalists for 2026
Five outstanding Beaufort County School District (BCSD) students have been named semifinalists in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, advancing to the next stage of competition for college scholarships
The district’s semifinalists include Halle Tran of Beaufort High School; Jamie Ni and Katherine Riddle of Bluffton High School; and Irina Anikina and Coleman Jacobi of May River High School These students entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)
Their exceptional scores placed them among the top one percent of high school seniors nationwide, qualifying them as part of an elite group of approximately 16,000 semifinalists across the United States As semifinalists, they will compete for one of 6,930 National Merit Scholarships, collectively worth nearly $26 million
“ These students have achieved something truly remarkable,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez “ Their hard work, dedication, and academic excellence have placed them among the top scholars in the nation We are incredibly proud of them and look forward to seeing all they accomplish as they advance in this prestigious competition ”
To become finalists, students must submit detailed applications showcasing their academics, leadership, and service, along with qualifying test scores, an essay, and a school endorsement National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced between April and July 2026, joining nearly 389,000 distinguished Merit Scholars since the program began
BCSD Principal Recognized as Marquis Who’s Who
BCSD schools improving on their report cards
Over 90% of BCSD schools rated excellent, good, average
Staff reports
The S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) and the S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2025 S.C. Report Cards for schools, which provide families, educators, and the community with an indication of how schools are performing, and for the second straight year, the news is good for the Beaufort County School District (BCSD). Last year, 2024, was the first time since 2018 no BCSD school had been ranked as Unsatisfactory and this trend continued for 2025 “This is a testament to our Superintendent,” Chief Instructional Services Officer Mary Stratos said in a BCSD news release. “We are continuing to make progress and Dr. Rodriguez’s commitment to our educators, staff, and students is making it happen.”
The S.C. Report Cards measure schools across key performance indicators, including academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and school climate. These report cards indicate that 91% of BCSD schools are rated excellent, good, or average.
Ratings for BCSD schools north of the Broad
An Excellent rating is defined as school performance that substantially exceeds the criteria to ensure all
students meet the Profile of a South Carolina Graduate. District schools, north of the Broad River (The Island News’ coverage area) at the elementary level that received this rating are Lady’s Island and Port Royal. At the middle school level Riverview Charter (Grades 6-8) received this top rating. Port Royal Elementary School has increased three levels from last year, going from Below Average to Excellent. Lady’s Island improved one level to Excellent.
the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. District schools, north of the Broad River, at the elementary level that received this rating are Beaufort, Coosa, and Mossy Oaks. Beaufort and Mossy Oaks each improved a level to Good.
At the high school level, Whale Branch Early College received the Good rating.
“Driven by purpose and dedication, our teachers planned targeted instruction to meet every student’s unique needs as we continued to stretch toward our goals with district support throughout the year to move up three report card levels to Excellent in just one year,” Port Royal Elementary School Principal Vicki Goude said in a BCSD news release. “I am so proud of the work our team did to support students through positive relationships and high expectations for all students.”
A Good rating is defined as school performance that exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet
An Average rating is defined as School performance meets the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the S.C. Graduate. District schools at the elementary level that received this rating are Broad River, Joseph Shanklin, Riverview Charter (Grades K-5), Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (Grades K-5), and Whale Branch. Schools rated Average at the middle school level are Beaufort, Lady’s Island, and Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (Grades 6-8). Lady’s Island Middle School jumped a level.
“We are incredibly proud of the growth reflected in our latest School Report Card rating,” Lady’s Island Middle School Principal Chavon Browne said in a BCSD news release. “Moving up a level in one year with gains across every category — from student
Families invited to BCSD Showcases
Staff reports
The Beaufort County School District (BCSD) is hosting a series of BCSD Showcases featuring 30-plus schools and dozens of programs from across the district. Prospective students and their families are invited to learn more about school-specific academic and extracurricular programming, career and technical education opportunities, and more.
Participants can also get more information about the district’s Choice application process that opens Nov. 10
Showcases
Bluffton/Hilton Head-Area Schools Joint Showcase
6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
Event Location: TCL Culinary Institute of the South, Buckwalter Place, 1 Venture Drive, Bluffton S.C. 29910
• Hilton Head Island Specific School Showcases Visit beaufortschools.net/showcase for a list of HHI times/locations.
“We know that choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make,” BCSD Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “We believe that BCSD offers the best choice and invite you to get to know all that we offer during our Showcases.”
Each Showcase will offer engaging opportunities to meet principals, teachers, and students and feature performances and selections from arts programs from across the district.
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.
achievement and progress to preparing for success, multilingual progress, and school climate — speaks to the collective effort of our entire school community. Our teachers and staff have been intentional and relentless in implementing stronger instructional practices, and our students have embraced the challenge by setting goals, practicing with purpose, and taking ownership of their learning. This progress is a true reflection of what happens when commitment, collaboration, and high expectations come together for student success.”
Beaufort High School was also designated with an Average rating.
Inside the numbers
Under Superintendent Frank Rodriguez’s leadership, SC READY English Language Arts performance remains a bright spot for BCSD with the highest score in district history on the current state assessment since its inception, with scores across Grades 3-8 continuing to surpass pre-pandemic levels. Students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA for the district stood at 60 5% in 2025, higher than 2024 achievement of 55 6% and significantly higher than the 44 7% recorded in 2021. This data underscores the steady improvement and sustained growth achieved over the past few years.
The graduation rate in the report card is measured by the percentage of students who complete high school “on time” and earn a diploma in four years. BCSD’s graduation rate for the class of 2025 reflects 89 3 percent of students completing “on time,” the highest state reported rate in district history.
According to the SCDE, “College and Career Readiness remain a top priority for South Carolina students. While South Carolina’s ontime graduation rate is at a ten-year high, only 75 1% of students within the state are either career or college ready.” However, BCSD’s students have outperformed the state with 85 3% of students being College or Career Ready, the highest in district history and significantly higher than the 73 9 reported in 2021
Looking ahead
“Schools working toward growth for the 2025-26 academic year will have the opportunity to further engage in district supports and initiatives,” said Stratos. “Instructional and data reviews, academic support meetings, and highly qualified instructional materials aligned to the rigor of state standards, alongside tighter alignment of personal learning opportunities, have become a part of BCSD’s instructional culture.”
EDUCATION BRIEFS
Sparklight gives $7,500 grant to The Outside Foundation
Sparklight is helping bring science to life for local students with a $7,500 grant to The Outside Foundation through its Charitable Giving Fund. The funding will support the expansion of the Foundation’s “Kids in Kayaks” program during the 2025–2026 school year, giving approximately 1 300 Beaufort County 7th-graders the chance to explore their local environment through guided kayak tours and hands-on dockside science activities.
“We sincerely thank Sparklight for supporting our annual ‘Kids in Kayaks’ program,” The Outside Foundation Director of Development Mary Heitman said in a news release. “Their partnership genuinely helps us reach more young people with meaningful outdoor experiences that ignite a love for nature, encourage environmental care and bring our community closer together. Together, we’re committed to getting kids outside and preserving the beautiful places that make our region unique.”
Since the Fund’s inception in 2020, Sparklight has awarded more than $1 million in grants to more than 250 nonprofits that make a difference in the lives
Rodriguez acknowledges academic successes require both system and community wide efforts.
“The progress we have made in our overall report card ratings is a reflection of our educators, students, administrators, parents, staff, and community members,” he said. “It’s no secret that there is a nationwide teacher shortage. Our Board of Education has tackled this issue by supporting significant salary increases, making BCSD one of the top-paying districts in the state. Additionally, our Human Resource recruitment efforts have paid off. Our current vacancies are the lowest they have been in years, which will no doubt serve to keep our student achievement momentum moving forward.”
“BCSD is the best choice for parents in Beaufort County; we have so much to offer,” added Rodriguez. “In fact, I encourage everyone to come to our BCSD Showcase events this month to discover for yourself all of the world-class opportunities available to students right here in Beaufort County.” For more information on the BCSD Showcase, visit https://www.beaufortschools.net/showcase. For more statewide report card information, please see the SCDE’s Report Card release at https://screportcards.com/.
of those they serve.
For more information about the Sparklight Charitable Giving Fund, visit www. sparklight.com/charitablegiving.
Beaufort’s Abernethy graduates from Georgia State University
William Abernethy of Beaufort (29906) graduated from Georgia State University at the end of the summer 2025 semester, earning a Master of Education degree in Social Studies Education. More than 2 000 students graduated from Georgia State University during the summer 2025 semester, earning associate's, bachelor's, graduate and professional degrees as well as undergraduate and graduate certificates.
Georgia State University is an enterprising urban public research institution in Atlanta, the leading cultural and economic center of the Southeast. With six campuses throughout metro Atlanta, the university provides its faculty and more than 52 000 students with unsurpassed connections to the opportunities available in one of the 21st century's great global cities.
– Staff reports
Application open for DAR Scholarships
10 $25,000 scholarships for students studying American history to be awarded by DAR
Staff reports Undergraduate and graduate students studying American history can apply for a $25,000 scholarship from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) through Jan. 31, 2026. The DAR America 250! Scholarship will provide a one-time $25 000 award to 10 students in 2026 and is offered to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of independence.
“We are so thrilled to expand the America 250! Scholarship in its final year of being awarded in or-
der to be able to offer ten $25 000 scholarships to students,” DAR
President General Ginnie Sebas-
tian Storage said in a news release.
“We see no better way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary than with these transformative and life-changing scholarships investing in the development of the next generation of American historians who will study our past and help
us understand new aspects of the great American story.”
The DAR gives more than 30 scholarships annually awarding close to a total of $250 000 a year to students across the country, but the organization has never provided a singular scholarship of this size. The significant amount of the America 250! Scholarship, and that it will be awarded to 10 separate students, is a testament of the importance of American history education that DAR places emphasis on and in honor of the special celebrations taking place throughout
2026 in honor of the 250th anniversary of the nation. Applicants should apply through the DAR online scholarship portal, DAR Academic Works at https:// dar.academicworks.com/.
Students currently majoring in American history in an accredited university or college undergraduate or graduate program in the year 2026 are eligible to apply. Recipients must be United States citizens, prove a minimum 3 5 GPA on a 4 0 scale or equivalent, and prepare a one-page online essay either on the founding of our nation or on
the applicant’s personal volunteer achievements for community and country.
Students are urged to apply well ahead of the Jan. 31 2026 deadline, as the scholarship application requires transcripts and letters of recommendation that must be submitted by others. Applicants will find that the scholarship portal will offer other DAR scholarships they may qualify for as well. Questions can be addressed to america250scholarship@nsdar.org. Applications may be submitted at https://dar.academicworks.com/.
Water filter maker to open Colleton County plant
230 new jobs coming to Lowcountry
By Jessica Holdman SCDailyGazette.com
A California-headquartered water filter maker announced plans Tuesday, Oct. 21, to make Walterboro the home of its first East Coast manufacturing operations.
QMP, Inc., pledged to hire at least 233 people over the next five years. The company plans to invest $5 1 million in a 22 000-squarefoot facility that previously housed a printing business.
The 30-year-old company based in Valencia, Calif., makes water filtration systems for both residential and commercial use. It will be looking for skilled craftsman, as well as general operators and laborers to run the facility in rural Colleton County, according to Brantley Strickland, who
heads the county’s economic development alliance.
“While many manufacturers have chosen to move production overseas, QMP remains deeply committed to American manufacturing. Expanding into South Carolina allows us to continue building on more than three decades of excellence and innovation — right here in the United States,” QMP
Vice President Vanessa Vidal Forsyth said in a statement.
The average wage, Strickland said, will be $25 per hour, which is a couple of dollars above the current county average.
Colleton County sees about 10 400 of its residents commute outside the county every day for work — about 15% of those for manufacturing jobs, Strickland
“Hopefully this can give some of those people a couple hours back in their day and put a little more money in their pocket”
BRANTLEY STRICKLAND, Colleton County Economic Development Alliance
said. QMP would offer an opportunity closer to home.
“Hopefully this can give some
of those people a couple hours back in their day and put a little more money in their pocket,” Strickland said.
If QMP meets its jobs projections, it would become Colleton County’s largest manufacturer, Strickland said. By comparison, food and beverage maker Gehl Foods employs 140 people in the county since coming to South Carolina in June 2022
The building QMP plans to move into has been vacant since the printing company shuttered in 2020, Strickland said. QMP plans to buy an additional five acres and add on to the existing space.
In exchange for the company’s investment, Colleton County Council is considering a deal to offer the company tax breaks,
though the details of that agreement aren’t yet publicly available. It will likely be December before a deal is finalized, Strickland said, The state has approved the county for corporate income tax credits worth $20 250 per new job, as well as a $250,000 grant to help pay for improvements to the property.
Operations are expected to begin in January 2026. Those wishing to apply can email QMP at info@qmpusa.com.
$80 billion nuclear investment may help revive SC project
By Jack O’Toole StatehouseReport.com
Efforts to revive a scandal-scarred South Carolina nuclear power project got a major boost this week from the Trump administration as federal officials announced an $80 billion deal to jump-start new nuclear construction in the U.S. Under the agreement, which was announced Oct. 28, Westinghouse and its corporate owners, Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco, will receive federal support and expedited permits to build several of the company’s AP1000 nuclear reactors to help power energy-hungry AI data centers around the country.
“This historic partnership with America’s leading nuclear company will help unleash President Trump’s grand vision to fully energize America and win the global AI race,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a release. “President Trump promised a renaissance of nuclear power, and now he is delivering.”
Just days earlier, on Oct. 24, state-owned utility Santee Cooper announced that it is entering into negotiations to sell two partially constructed AP1000 reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station to Brookfield Asset Management. Santee Cooper took possession of the reactors in 2017, after the project collapsed in a scandal that bankrupted the state’s largest private utility and saddled ratepayers with $9 billion in losses.
Santee Cooper spokesperson Mollie Gore said the utility will pursue three priorities in the Brookfield negotiations.
“The goal is to enable completion of those units at no additional taxpayer or ratepayer expense, provide some financial relief to our customers and gain additional power capacity for the state,” Gore told Statehouse Report on Oct. 30
She added, “Brookfield’s proposal, and the resources and experience it brings, made it the clear choice for completing these units and accomplishing our goals.”
Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis, whose 2017 legislation required the reactors to be preserved for possible completion in the future, echoed that assessment.
“Having someone like Brookfield, an equity capital firm with a trillion dollars in assets and years of experience in energy generation, it’s beyond anyone’s most optimistic expectations to get a bidder like that.”
And while the federal and state deals with Brookfield would technically be separate, he said, it would be reasonable to see them as connected on a practical level.
“You have a lot of economies of scale there, particularly with supply chains and specialized workers, where Brookfield’s contract to do the one is likely going to facilitate and expedite its ability to do the other,” he said.
Beyond that, he noted, a deal with Brookfield would create the first privately funded nuclear project in U.S. history, setting a template for the country as it rushes to bring new power online to support AI development — a Trump-identified national security priority.
“It’s just a complete 180 [degree turn], taking what has been a source of shame into a source of tremendous pride,” Davis said. “And I think Santee Cooper and the people of South Carolina can take a lot of satisfaction in that and ought to be proud of themselves.”
Nevertheless, longtime nuclear power skeptics like Tom Clements, director of Savannah River Site Watch, argue that supporters are overlooking substantial obstacles that still lie ahead.
In a 24-page report released Oct. 20, Clements identifies what his group
calls 14 “daunting challenges” facing any effort to complete the project, including costs, permits and safe disposal of the nuclear waste the reactors will produce.
“I urge politicians to cool down the bluster and unleash some common sense regarding the restart idea
and review the challenges,” Clements said in a release.
As for the process, he argues ratepayers and citizens need a seat at the table before any final decisions are made.
“As the public was so abused during the V.C Summer construction project,
Joseph Frank Anastasia Elisa O’Connor
Date of Death: 05/17/2025 C/O 16 William Pope Drive, Ste. 202 Case Number: 2025ES0700899
they now deserve a voice in raising concerns about proposals concerning rebirth of the project,” Clements said.
“The restart effort could once again saddle customers with additional massive costs if V.C. Summer 2 0 proceeds.”
Under an Oct. 24 letter of
intent, Santee Cooper and Brookfield are currently in a six-week “project feasibility period,” during which the parties will jointly appoint a project manager, evaluate construction providers and work toward a memorandum of understanding to move forward.
Heather R. Galvin,
Heather
Galvin, Probate Judge, Beaufort County,
Imagine Jesus as a guest at your wedding!
At the start of his ministry, Jesus was invited to a wedding with his mother and disciples. It was there in the village of Cana that Jesus worked his first public miracle. At the wedding feast, the wine ran out, which would have been a great embarrassment for the couple and their families. Jesus discreetly told the servants to fill large jugs to the brim with water. After he prayed over the containers, the water became wine of the most excellent quality. (John 2:1-12)
Jesus shows how important marriage is in God’s plan. God created us out of love, and he created us for love. Each of us will only be happy to the extent that we are making a sincere and total gift of ourselves in love. When God created Adam and Eve, our first parents, he joined them in a sacred union, calling them to lovingly care for one another and to bring forth new life. God intended for their faithful, unconditional love to be a visible sign in the world of his own love for us, freely given and without reserve.
For Christians, marriage is a call to become saints together. Just as Jesus took ordinary water and made it into wine, he intended to take the seemingly “ordinary” married life and transform it into a supernatural calling. He expects husband and wife not only to care for one another in this life, but also to help each another become holy and reach heaven one day. They raise their children to be faithfilled disciples of Jesus. The home becomes like a miniature church, a community of love in which ordinary acts of caring and sacrifice become opportunities to give glory to God.
Jesus knew that such a high calling would need special graces. Like Adam and Eve, all of us have been damaged by sin. We each struggle with selfishness and imperfection in many areas of our lives. It is not easy for Christian spouses to love selflessly as Jesus loves, and it is not easy to raise Christian children to be filled with love for the Lord. Knowing the difficulty of marital life, Jesus gave us a special gift to help Christian spouses to live out their calling.
The Sacraments Message 7 of 8
This gift is the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
For his followers, Jesus made marriage into a sacrament, a visible sign through which Jesus gives spiritual gifts. This means that, when two baptized Christians are married, he offers them special graces each day of their marriage. He gives them strength to be faithful to their vows, to love and forgive each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to be holy parents, and help each other become saints.
Christian couples invite Jesus to their wedding, too! When Catholics celebrate weddings, we usually celebrate them in a religious ceremony in church, with a priest leading the bride and groom through an exchange of vows. As they promise faithful, indissoluble, and fruitful love through their vows, God joins the two as one flesh. They exchange rings, symbolizing their new spiritual union, broken only by death. The spouses begin a new journey of faith, walking together with Jesus towards heaven.
DANA BLALOCK, D.D.S.
“Books By The River” to host Nicholas Sparks Q&A, book event
Staff reports The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) public television program “Books By The River” will welcome bestselling author Nicholas Sparks for a special event celebrating his latest novel, “REMAIN,” a highly anticipated collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.
The event at 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14 at the USCB Center for the Arts in Beaufort will feature a moderated Q&A with Nicholas Sparks and include a pre-signed copy of "REMAIN" for each attendee.
Nicholas Sparks
“Books By The River has always been about celebrating the power of story and the ways literature connects people across communities,” Professor Caroline E. Sawyer, producer of "Books By The River," said in a news release. “Welcoming Nicholas Sparks for this special event not only honors his remarkable storytelling legacy but also reflects our commitment to bringing world-class literary voices
to the Lowcountry.”
Tickets are $95 for the general public, which includes a signed copy of "REMAIN." Proceeds will support future programming for "Books By The River", helping sustain USCB’s mission to promote arts, culture, and education throughout the region.
Seating is limited, so reserve a spot ASAP. For questions or to reserve tickets, visit uscb.edu/ arts-culture/by-the-river.html or contact Mary Lurry, USCB Director of Development, at mlurry@uscb.edu.
Celebrating the season
By Betty Cothran Special to The Island News
Shorts at High Noon continues
WANT TO GO?
Who: Author Nicholas Sparks
What: “Books By The River” –Q&A and book event
When: 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14
Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street, Beaufort
Tickets: $95 for the general public, which includes a signed copy of "REMAIN." For questions or to reserve tickets, visit uscb. edu/arts-culture/by-the-river. html or contact Mary Lurry, USCB Director of Development, at mlurry@uscb.edu.
By Margit Resch
Special to The Island News
Have you ever read a review of a musical performance that sounded like it was assessing a visual art form, using words like “paint” or “color” to describe the character of a recital?
At High Noon
International Film Festival. Category or Individual winners are denoted by * Nov. 12
Well, Brian Woods’ concert appraisals often sway into visual vocabulary, as if we, the audience, can see the music he renders rather than just hear it: “Mr. Woods combines flawless technique with rare and creative artistry. The colors he achieves and the emotions he elicits cannot fail to touch the soul."
So says Rebecca Casey, music professor from North Ohio University. And, according to Tim Jansen, pianist and critic from St. Louis: “Brian has a marvelous command of the keyboard and paints sound with a beautiful pastel brush.”
And this compliment by the Keokuk Concert Association: “Brian has an extraordinary ability to captivate audiences of all ages. His impeccable finger control and moving dynamics paint a picture with each note.”
Wow, Brian can capture the attention of all ages? That means that the students of the Beaufort school, where he will play and present on the Monday morning following the Fripp concert, will love him just like adult audiences do. While Brian’s choice of music and style of playing may conjure up beautiful images in the listeners, he is really aiming at their emotions. “Music is always about people, their experiences and emotions,” he wisely claimed. “While I’ve been lucky to travel the world with my music, my most rewarding experiences are absolutely on a personal level,” he said. “Especially when audience members approach me following a
WANT
On Approach by Audrey Montgomery
ARTS
Coastal Discovery Museum to show work by SC Governor’s School’s Beaufort grads
Staff reports
The Coastal Discovery Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is presenting “Four Sketchbooks a Year: Celebrating 25 Years of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities,” a showcase of visual arts by Beaufort County alumni, on view through Jan. 4 2026
Founded in 1980 by music teacher Virginia Uldrick as a five-week summer program in Greenville, the Governor’s School opened its full-time residential high school in 1999 with 126 students and celebrated its 25th graduating class in 2025
“As a curator and parent of a Govie, it’s been a joy to see such consistently strong work from students in the visual arts program,” said Elizabeth Greenberg, Director of Exhibitions at the Coastal Discovery Museum. “And it’s so rewarding to see how the artists continue to grow in college and beyond.”
Participating artists in “Four Sketchbooks” — from the Governor’s School first class through the class of 2026 — include: Emma Barnes (class of 2010), Alex Coley (class of 2024), Amelie Davis (class of 2025), Evan Ford (class of 2024), Alex Gentemann (class of 2021),
ARTS BRIEFS
Beaufort student performs with Andrea Bocelli
As one of the more than 50 Belmont University orchestra students and members of the student performance group Chorale, Beaufort’s Kimberly Rauscher experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Oct. 16, when she performed with world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli at Belmont's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, Tenn.
The students accompanied Bocelli and an all-star lineup of guest artists, including Trisha Yearwood, Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans, during a special concert celebrating the launch of Belmont's historic $700 million “Hope Transforms” campaign.
"This was a truly transformative experience for our students," said Christopher Fashun, Belmont's director of orchestras. "There are very few schools that provide this
Nathaniel
kind of access to undergrads. You just don't see students — sometimes even in their first or second year — getting to collaborate with professionals at this level. That's just not normal."
AFSGB hosting reception for Charleston artist Sisco
Charleston based artist Deborah Sisco, will be introduced at the opening reception hosted by Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort (AFSGB) on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. An exhibit of her 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 Before You Die” and 100 Things to Do in Savannah Before You Die.”
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:
Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair Sunday
Special to The Island News
Young readers and their families are invited to the Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at The Storybook Shoppe at Tanger Outlets 2 in Bluffton.
This free community event celebrates the joy of reading with author visits, character appearances, story times, and book signings.
Fans of the wildly popular “Dog Man” children’s graphic novel series will get the chance to have their picture taken with Dog Man himself. Photo opportunities will be at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Featured author Lynn Smith, a former news anchor for NBC News, MSNBC, and CNN Headline News, will host interactive story times featuring her inspiring picture
book “Just Keep Going” at noon and 1:30 p.m. Student volunteers from the DAYLO book club will also be reading to attendees throughout the day.
The Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair will also showcase several local children’s authors, including Mary T. Jacobs, Ann Lilly, Mary Beth McCarthy, Ryan Milling, Susan Montanari, Katherine Robinson, Helen Wilbur, and more. Books will be available for purchase, and guests can enjoy meeting writers and getting their books signed and personalized.
The Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair is presented by The Storybook Shoppe, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, Tanger Outlets, and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization).
life in music that is filled with passion, hard work, and laughter.”
visit universities, where he teaches piano masterclasses and career workshops.
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performance to tell me how deeply they were moved by my playing.” Woods attended Shenandoah University in Virginia to study piano and improve his playing skills. His favorite professor, John O’Connor, one of the most respected piano teachers in the country, Distinguished Artist-in-Residence and Chair of Keyboard Division, not only taught Brian, in his words, “how to play the piano at the highest level, but he taught me how to live a
“Whether we are having a drink together or perfecting a Beethoven sonata in the studio, he continues to teach me so much about how to be the best version of myself, both as a musician and a human being.”
What a unique compliment by a student for his mentor.
After graduating in 2019 Brian started touring and performing in the United States and Canada, both as a solo pianist and in collaboration with singers, instrumentalists and orchestras. He especially likes to
For the last few years, he has served as the music director for the Music Series of the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries (WCHOF) in St. Louis, Mo., scheduling their many concerts. The WCHOF is an international chess destination, but it is also known for its art exhibits and educational outreach, and it is one of the premier chamber music venues in the Midwest.
Woods’ debut album, “Wanderings,” released to great acclaim in 2024, features the complete Ballades of Frédéric Chopin and
Thursday, Nov. 6 – Book Signing: Grayco Holiday Open House, 136 Sea Island Parkway, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 – Book Signing: First Friday at Nevermore Books, 910 Port Republic Street, 5 to 7 p.m. 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 843-6834100 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.
USCB Chamber Music opens season Nov. 9
The first concert of USCB Chamber Music's 46th season is at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, in the downtown
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showcase signature pieces from our seven custom jewelers: Helena Appleton, Cheryl Arnold, Carolina Alderman, Lisa Biesterfeld, Linda Dixon, Jan Glover, and Molly Rohrer.
In addition, the reception will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Brick Wall Gallery, a special area created for members who want to rent a larger or more defined space within the Gallery to exhibit their work. Currently there are 11 exhibiting members: woodturner Frank Anson; fine art photographers Sandy Dimke, Eric Horan, and Karen M. Peluso; basketry artist Karen McCarthy; encaustic
groundbreaking compositions by women composers. “Wanderings,” hailed as an “introduction to a musician of rare technical faculty and interpretive insight” by Joseph Newsome, Voix des Arts, and included in St. Louis Magazine's Top Albums of 2024, has already been streamed by thousands all over the world.
In slightly more than two decades of playing the piano, Woods has certainly developed the skills necessary to “play the piano at the highest level.” Only counting the pieces of music listed in his repertoire as a soloist and as a collaborator with other musicians, he has
“We are excited about this opportunity to showcase our program and the work of these talented Beaufort County students,” said David Gerhard, Visual Arts Department Chair at the Governor’s School. “These artists embody our department's mission of giving South Carolina's young creatives the tools and resources to flourish as artists in an environment centered around respect, hard work, creativity, and connection.”
historic district. For concert, artist, event, OLLI, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-521-3107, Monday through Friday.
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
artist Anne Kennedy; and fine art painters, Donna Cole, Wyn Foland, Susan McCarthy, Marian Sanders, and Tommie Toner.
Brick Wall artists will be on hand at the anniversary reception to discuss their work and originals, as well as prints and notecards, will be available.
More than 20 years ago, BAA opened its first gallery on Port Republic Street, moving a few years later to the Elliott House on Bay Street. Today, BAA’s home is at 913 Bay Street in an expansive space that showcases some of the best art in the Lowcountry, with many types of art and artists represented and exhibits changing every two months. The nonprofit organization strives to encourage,
mastered 149 pieces of music by 31 classical composers. Those numbers don’t include the many additional pieces of music he knows, but doesn’t necessarily play in concert halls. Oh, and get this: He seems to play everything without sheet music in front of him. Amazing.
You can see Brian Woods’s musical pictures at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16 in Fripp Island’s Community Centre. I expect that I will be able to tell him what he likes to hear: that I was deeply moved by his playing. And I bet you, too, will tell him that, when you get a chance to talk to him at the reception following the concert, while enjoy-
support, and provide opportunities for the artistic growth of its members. BAA welcomes both established and emerging artists in a variety of mediums and styles. Looking ahead, BAA will also host a Holiday Show featuring original small art including holiday themed works perfect for gift giving and decorating. The festive Preview Party will be held Thursday, Nov. 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. Bring a friend and come start your holiday shopping. Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the upcoming open house and reception on First Friday, Nov. 7 from 5 to 7:30 pm. Refreshments will be served and the community is invited. The exhibit begins on Nov. 4 and runs through Dec. 27
ing delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared fresh by Harold’s Chef Services, and more. Consider becoming a member of FIFOM. The basic membership, $100, gives you access to all concerts (four remaining) and includes the receptions. It also helps fund FIFOM’s charitable Music-in-the-Schools mission. Tickets at the door are $30
FIFOM is supported by the South Carolina Arts Commission. To become a member, text or call Rebecca Climer at 615-594-1552 or email her at rebecca. climer@gmail.com. Go to frippfriendsofmusic.com for more information.
Colleen Gleason (class of 2001),
Greenberg (class of 2025), Kevin Hopkins (class of 2018), Tori Lusik (class of 2014), Luis Paredes (class of 2026), Jack
Perry (class of 2007), Olivia Ruxton (class of 2005), Jessie Peterson Tarazi (class of 2002), and Wylder Voegele (class of 2020).
Classics in the Courtyard by Tori Lusik
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
Sale
Arrangements
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 and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http://www. portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
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
Writing workshop 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free. Registration required. Join bestselling author Jennifer Margulis to explore turning life experiences (or lack thereof) into engaging prose. Whether you’re a novice, a writer wannabe, or a well-published author, this workshop will teach you writing techniques that will help you get unblocked and inspire you to tap into your most creative self. To register, call 843-255-6458.
Stormwater 101
11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Lobeco. With Valentina Palacio of Beaufort County Public Works. For children.
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 Beau-
fort (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
Lowcountry Wind Symphony
Saluting America’s Veterans X 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 157 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. Free. The Lowcountry Wind Symphony, a 60-member concert band, continues its longstanding tradition of honoring veterans each November.
This year, LWS pays tribute to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in celebrating their 250th birthdays.
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, crossstitch, 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 843-5972541 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 843255-6458 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.
HEALTH
Overtraining syndrome
3 habits that put you at risk
Depression
By Dr. Cory A. Messerschmidt Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists
If a little bit of exercise is good, then a lot of exercise is better, right?
your body never gets a chance to fully recover. As a result, your body may buckle under the strain and force you to slow down.
Possibly. Just be careful, because you can overdo it. Push too hard for too long, and you may wind up with overtraining syndrome (OTS), a condition that works against your good health. What makes you more likely to experience signs and symptoms of overtraining? Here are three habits that put you at risk and what you can do to keep yourself from this condition.
Habit 1: Skipping rest days
When you exercise, you put your body under stress. Thanks to that stress, your body grows stronger, and you improve your cardiovascular health. However, your body can only handle so much stress.
Exercise hard every day, and
Special to The Island News
Though present in men and women, testosterone is a primary male sex hormone that helps men produce sperm and red blood cells, achieve erections and develop strong bones and muscles.
Over time, however, testosterone levels drop. If the level goes too low, you may experience low testosterone symptoms.
“Unfortunately, these symptoms often get overlooked because they’re similar to those produced by other conditions,” says Matthew Baker, PharmD, PA-C, certified physician assistant and pharmacist with Beaufort Memorial Urology Specialists. “Recognizing early signs and seeking medical care can help you regain lost benefits of testosterone.”
Low testosterone and sexual health
When your testosterone levels drop, you may experience sexual signs of low testosterone, including:
Your energy levels may drop, and you may hit a plateau or even decline in your performance. Try to push through it, and you may only make matters worse.
To prevent overtraining syndrome, build rest days into your exercise schedule. Then force yourself to take it easy on these days. How much rest do you need?
National Institutes of Health recommend the following:
Resting at least one day a week
Spacing out your workouts by at least six hours
It may be difficult to stay away from the gym or the track for that long, but the rest helps protect you from overtraining.
Habit 2: Not feeding your body properly
You’re more likely to experience overtraining syndrome if you exercise a lot and don’t give your body what it needs to stay strong.
Remember, food fuels your body, and overtraining syndrome feeds off poor nutrition. If you’re not eating enough of the right foods, you may be inching toward overtraining.
Overtraining doesn’t always occur overnight, and it can take months or even years to overcome symptoms. Before OTS, you may experience overreaching. This occurs when you don’t give your muscles enough time to recover and wind up with abnormal muscle soreness. Your legs may feel heavy, and you may want to give up on your workout routine.
Ignore this soreness, and your athletic performance could drop. Keep pushing your body, and you may progress into overtraining syndrome.
When this occurs, you may experience a range of complications, such as:
Anxiety Decreases in performance
Lack of motivation
Low resting heart rate
Missed periods and other menstrual cycle abnormalities
Mood swings
Sleeping difficulty
Tiredness
Weakened immune system (more colds, etc.)
While overreaching and overtraining both affect your ability to work out, overreaching usually only takes a couple of weeks to move past. Overtraining, on the other hand, can cause long-term problems. It may take months or even years to overcome.
Anytime you notice symptoms of overtraining syndrome, stop going to the gym for a while and reduce the amount of exercise you get every day for at least a week.
After a couple of weeks, evaluate your progress. If you feel like yourself again, ease back into your exercise routine. Start with lighter training loads and less intense workouts. As you regain strength and energy, gradually increase
Low T and your health
• Declining sex drive Baker says it’s normal to lose some interest in sex as you age, but “low testosterone can cause you to lose sexual desire altogether.”
Erectile dysfunction — According to the Urology Care Foundation, most men have a hard time achieving erection on occasion. Frequent erection issues should be evaluated, as they may result from low testosterone.
• Low sperm count — Some men never realize they have a low sperm count. It’s normally noticed after a year of unsuccessful attempts at impregnating a female partner and subsequent testing.
Physical health changes
Your body changes throughout life, and low testosterone can result in physical symptoms you may think are just part of
getting older. Living with the condition may cause the following physical symptoms:
• Bone loss — Because your body needs testosterone to maintain bone strength, bone loss is common when you lack testosterone.
• Muscle loss — Sarcopenia is age-related loss of muscle mass, physical performance and strength. Since testosterone helps build muscle, your risk for sarcopenia increases if you have Low T. Sleep issues — Low testosterone can cause insomnia and other sleep difficulties. The relationship also works the other way, as poor sleep can lower your testosterone level.
• Weight gain — Lose testosterone, and you may gain weight. In fact, a lack of testosterone increases your risk for obesity.
Evaluating low testosterone symptoms
Because low testosterone affects every man differently and symptoms overlap with other conditions, diagnosing Low T can take time. Detection often involves the following:
• Physical evaluation — During a full physical exam, your primary care provider reviews your medical history and examines your body for abnormalities. You also discuss any potential low testosterone symptoms affecting you.
Testosterone blood tests — In-office blood tests provide an easy way to check your testosterone level. Your test should take place in the morning, when testosterone levels are highest. The blood draw takes only a few minutes, and results help determine if your symptoms are linked to testosterone levels. Eating
your training. You should seek medical attention if your overtraining symptoms last more than two weeks or if you have other troublesome symptoms. Contact your healthcare provider if you:
Experience guilt for skipping a day of exercise
Feel you can’t stop exercising Get told by friends or family members that you exercise too much Skip social events, work or school to fit in more exercise
Based on your symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend mental healthcare or other specialty providers. Working with these experts can help you overcome your current overtraining problems and reduce the risk of more trouble in the future.
Fellowship-trained in sports medicine, Cory A. Messerschmidt, M.D., FAAOS, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists who sees patients at the practice in Port Royal and Okatie.
and drinking can affect the results, so ask your care provider whether you should fast prior to your exam.
• Other tests — Based on your symptoms and other test results, additional testing can help better understand your condition and rule out other conditions. You may undergo an imaging scan to measure bone density, hormone tests to check your sperm-making ability and more.
Treating low testosterone symptoms
When a drop in testosterone is related to aging, testosterone replacement may help. Replacement therapy is not appropriate, however, if you have certain conditions, such as enlarged prostate or prostate cancer.
Low testosterone connected to an underlying health issue requires different treatment. This may include one or more of the following:
• Healthy lifestyle — A healthy diet and regular exercise improve every area of health. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recommends aerobic and strength-training exercises to boost testosterone production. Medical management — Your testosterone may drop if you have uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes or other health issues. Managing chronic conditions may increase your testosterone level.
• Weight loss — Being overweight can lower testosterone. Obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight may raise your testosterone.
“Once we identify the presence and source of Low T, a customized treatment plan gives men back their lives,” says Baker. “But the first step is noticing symptoms and speaking up. You have to advocate for your health.”
Heart attack symptoms in women may not be what you expect
By Dr. Francis O’Neill Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists
Heart attacks seldom resemble the dramatic scenes we often see in movies, which usually involve someone clutching at their chest in severe pain. Although chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom, these scenarios are misleading, especially for women.
Signs of heart attacks in women can be much more subtle, and knowing what to look for could save your life or the life of someone you love.
Women are more likely than men to have other signs of a heart attack, including:
• Breaking out in a cold sweat; Fatigue, weakness or extreme tiredness; Heartburn; Indigestion; Lightheadedness; Nausea or vomiting; Pain or discomfort in the back, jaw, neck, one or both arms,
stomach, or throat; Shortness of breath; A sensation of squeezing or fullness in the center of the chest; and/or Toothache.
Heart attack symptoms in women certainly can be much more generalized or subtle in nature. As a result, women often tend to ignore or minimize the warning signs and can even confuse them with other conditions, such as a flulike illness, anxiety or acid reflux.
Another key sign to note aside from the symptoms themselves is specifically when the symptoms occur. If the symptoms seem to happen during physical activity or exertion, this is a hallmark sign to be taken seriously.
Women are also more likely than men to have a heart attack without any noticeable symptoms. This is called a “silent heart attack.”
If you have a silent heart attack, you may not know about it until weeks or months later. Often, signs of a silent heart attack are found during an electrocardiogram, a test to measure electrical activity in the heart, used to diagnose heart issues. Although you’re unlikely to
seek care during a silent heart attack, you can lower your risk of having one by knowing your risk factors for developing heart disease or having a full-blown heart attack.
Coronary artery disease is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, and the things that put you at risk for coronary artery disease and heart attacks are the same for women and men. Those include: Being overweight or obese; Chronic kidney disease; • Depression; Diabetes; Family history of heart disease; High blood pressure; High low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol; High stress levels; Lack of exercise; Rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory conditions; Smoking/Tobacco use; and An unhealthy diet.
Other risk factors specific to women include: First menstrual period before age 11; Gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that happens during
pregnancy; Having a baby with a high or low birth weight; Heart issues during pregnancy; Menopause before age 40; Polycystic ovary syndrome; and Preterm delivery.
Having risk factors for a heart attack does not mean you will have one. Still, making heart-healthy choices is always a good idea, particularly if you have risk factors that you can’t change, such as your family history.
In addition, it’s essential for women to have an annual physical exam with a blood pressure check and, ideally, an EKG. Regular blood tests for blood sugar and cholesterol levels are also crucial, depending on your family history and personal risk factors. Along with blood pressure readings, these numbers can give you and your doctor clues about your heart health. You can also work together to lower your risk for coronary artery disease and other forms of heart disease.
One amazing way to help you and your doctor tease out underlying symptoms and risk factors
is with regular exercise. Not only is cardiovascular exercise hearthealthy, it can be your daily barometer for your health. If your daily three-mile one morning becomes impossible due to any of the above symptoms, this can be a big problem!
When to get help
Recognizing the subtle yet crucial signs of a heart attack in women is paramount for maintaining heart health. From mild discomfort to unusual fatigue, often-overlooked symptoms can indicate a serious underlying issue. Regular check-ups, a hearthealthy lifestyle and awareness of your body's signals can make a big difference in ensuring a heart attack-free future.
If you or someone you know is experiencing heart attack symptoms, don’t delay. Call 911 and seek emergency care.
Francis O’Neill, M.D., is an interventional cardiologist with Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists in Beaufort and Okatie and is board-certified in internal medicine and fellowship-trained in cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology.
Dr. Cory A. Messerschmidt
Dr. Francis O’Neill
HEALTH
Lung cancer screenings can save lives
Special to The Island News
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. – and while smoking is the top cause, lung cancer doesn’t only affect smokers.
Links between smoking and lung cancer
The CDC reports that cigarette smoking causes 80% to 90% of all lung cancer cases in the U.S. If you’re a current smoker or have a history of smoking, your risk is significantly higher.
“Smoking rates are declining overall due to the emergence of alternatives like vaping and e-cigarettes,” said Dr. Andrew Stevens, a board-certified pulmonologist and intensivist who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Pulmonary Specialists in Beaufort and Okatie, as well as the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), “But it may take years for this change to be reflected in national lung cancer statistics.”
Other lung cancer risk factors
While smoking is the most significant risk factor, there are other important contributors to consider, including: Family history of lung cancer; Exposure to secondhand smoke; and ...
Occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos, diesel exhaust or radon gas
Early detection saves lives
In its early stages, lung cancer often has no noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do appear – including persistent cough, unexplained weight loss or coughing up blood – the disease may already be in an advanced stage.
That’s why early detection through screening is essential.
“The best method for detecting lung cancer early?
Low-dose CT scans, once a year, for those who are eligible for the screening,” Dr. Stevens said. “Talk to your primary care provider about your eligibility for low-dose CT scan.”
Am I at high risk for lung cancer?
You may qualify for a lowdose lung cancer screening if you meet the following criteria: Age 50 to 80; Current or former smoker, regardless of how long ago you quit; and … Have a 20-pack-year smoking history (for information on how to calculate your pack year history, visit SmokingPackYears.com).
Where to get screened Beaufort Memorial offers low-dose lung cancer screenings at its locations around the Lowcountry: Keyserling Cancer Center (989 Ribaut Road, Beaufort); New River Cancer Center (122 Okatie Center Blvd. North, Suite 130, Okatie Medical Pavilion, Okatie); Island Imaging Center (40 Palmetto Parkway,
Wells Fargo Advisors
Hilton Head Island); Lowcountry Medical Group (300 Midtown Drive, Beaufort); and ... Beaufort Memorial Hospital (955 Ribaut Road, Beaufort).
If you believe you are eligible for a screening, talk to your healthcare provider. By knowing your risk factors and staying informed, you can take control of your lung health.
Editor’s Note:
VOICES
Stop weaponizing hunger, federal workers to score points
epublicans in Washington — members of Congress in particular — should be ashamed of themselves for using the federal government shutdown to score political points. They are weaponizing hunger to avoid dealing with a coming health care crisis of their own making.
Republicans are also weaponizing the livelihood of more than 2 million civilian federal workers by not paying them during the shutdown. It’s still unclear if more than 1 million active-duty military personnel will be paid in the coming days. Again, it’s all because members of Congress aren’t doing their jobs. President Trump isn’t helping with his lack of leadership, petulance, recalcitrance and what some would call just plain meanness.
Furthermore, it’s perfectly clear why the U.S. House has been out
of session for the last five weeks – to allow House Speaker Mike Johnson to keep from swearing in Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva, who was elected Sept. 23. She would tip the balance on a vote to release the Epstein files – exactly what Trump and Johnson don’t want to do because it likely would be really bad for the president. Bottom line: What’s happening in Washington is wrong. People are being hurt and democracy is sputtering.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank you for Dandridge’s articles
I wanted to thank you for the articles written by [Larry] Dandridge regarding supporting our nations sons and daughters who are active duty or veterans.
Many of us read the articles weekly. I personally share them with my 33 000 members on my LinkedIn. These are all active duty or veterans and first responders, many of whom have served in the military prior to law enforcement.
I wanted to say that we appreciate Mr. Dandridge and his articles and The Island News covering his topics to benefit and educate us all.
– Ricky Jones
Tomorrow it could be you
Trump has escalated U.S. military operations targeting Venezuela in recent weeks, according to Axios, an online news organization, and other sources. He is also considering land-based action. Land-based action??
Trump is planning a WAR with Venezuela! Does anybody know about this? Does anybody care? MAGA Faithful, where are you? What happened to “America First?” Now, military strikes on boats near Venezuela regularly occur. So far, 30 people have been killed who were allegedly engaged in “narco trafficking.” No evidence has been presented to back up this claim, so the people were actually murdered.
This is another example of the total lawlessness of the Trump administration. Here, there are attacks on immigrants, people of color, the president’s enemies, anyone who criticizes the government, etc., etc. Pay attention. Tomorrow it could be you.
– Terry Gibson, Beaufort
Across the country, people are getting hot under the collar.
In South Carolina, S.C. Rep. J.A. Moore, D-North Charleston, is upset: “While our families here in the Lowcountry are wondering how they’re going to eat this weekend, Congress refuses to do their damn job. This is a choice.
Republicans have decided that millions of Americans going hungry is worth it while funding bills of dollars for war overseas. They don’t care about us and they’ve failed us over and over again.
“These people in Washington D.C., have left us behind. I, for one, am tired of waiting on them to change. We must demand more.”
Even conservative U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is imploring his colleagues to break the stalemate to keep open the federal nutrition assistance program that feeds 42 million
We can ‘just eat cake’
Nothing says, “LET THEM EAT CAKE!” like the President’s new White House ballroom. While tens of millions of Americans face the loss of vital services and cataclysmic increases in their health insurance premiums, the President’s tacky vanity project proceeds unabated. As his Press Secretary told reporters, it is his “number one priority.”
The ballroom will be used by the President to entertain his ultra-wealthy donors, who in turn will receive favored status (government contracts, merger approvals, etc.) in exchange for their generous donations.
Meanwhile, our local food pantries are sending out an urgent plea for donations because programs that benefit average Americans — ACA, SNAP, VA funding, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, etc. — are being cut to partially offset the cost of the Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill.” Back in July they rammed this bill through Congress without any Democratic input and without any Democratic votes.
Now the Republicans are trying to blame the Democrats for the government shutdown. In fact, the Democrats are using the only leverage they have to try to preserve and protect these vital programs that help keep average Americans afloat.
It is very clear where the President and the Republicans’ priorities are. If you’re not one of their ultra-wealthy donors, you can “just eat cake!”
– Peter Birschbach, Port Royal
Collect luggage for foster kids
While visiting Beaufort, I noticed an article in one of your older papers on the importance of organ donations.
I found my saved note with my inten-
Americans who earn $42 000 a year or less for a family of four at a total cost that is one-10th of the federal military budget.
“America is a great and wealthy nation, and our most important wealth is our generosity of spirit,” Hawley wrote in a recent piece in The New York Times. “We help those in need. We provide for the widow and the orphan.
“Love of neighbor is part of who we are. The Scripture’s injunction to ‘remember the poor’ is a principle Americans have lived by. It’s time Congress does the same.”
Republican farmers in the nation’s breadbasket are tiring of the Washington nonsense. The final straw, according to Politico, came after Trump mused Oct. 19 about importing more beef from Argentina as American cattlemen are struggling. So this week, 14 key GOP
tion to sharing another important project that needs to be [undertaken] there by an individual or group.
While being a single foster dad to 65 foster girls and boys — including teens, I took children into my home and most often [their belongings] arrived in garbage bags.
Now for 20 years plus — knowing of this need, I have collected and distributed tens of thousands of pieces of luggage, duffle bags, backpacks and carry bags across Kentucky.
[They have been distributed] to 118 of 120 counties — some many times over. The luggage has gone to public and private agencies serving foster kids.
Some loads have gone to tornado and flood victims, foster kids aging out, or a camp for kid victims of drug abuse, as well as women’s shelters and schools.
People willingly give their used luggage, backpacks, etc., that they have in storage due to less travel, changing airline standards or many other reasons.
It is a win-win project with no cost to anyone except time, energy and gasoline money. I hope someone takes up this idea.
– Don Pratt, Lexington, Ky.
Calling him a name does not make him what he is called
The October 23-29 issue of The Island News contains not one but two opinion pieces about an Oct. 14, 2025, Politico expose of chats among Young Republicans that can only be described as repulsive.
Andy Brack’s headline, “Trumpism is taking a terrible toll on country,” and article led me to believe that a new vast extreme right-wing conspiracy is at work. I accessed the Politico article on Oct. 28, and read the many quotations with growing dismay.
representatives came out of their shells to write this to the administration: “We believe strongly that the path to lower prices and stronger competition lies in continued investment at home … rather than policies that advantage foreign competitors.”
Also, a handful of GOP senators joined Democrats this week to send clear but symbolic messages to Trump about tariffs that are hurting American farmers and businesses. They voted to reverse 50% tariffs on Brazil and to cancel tariffs on Canada. The problem: the House isn’t in session.
America’s burning while Trump and the GOP Congress are fiddling. We can’t survive three more years of this maelstrom.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
“...Mr. Trump does not exhibit a racist or fascist bent; he may be portrayed as such, but calling him a name does not make him what he is called.”
LOUISE MATHEWS, Beaufort
While the content of these chats is, indeed, horrific, my angst was lessened by the statement several paragraphs into the Politico article that “… 2 900 pages of chats shared among a dozen (emphasis mine) millennial and Gen Z Republicans chronicle their campaign to seize control of the National Young Republicans.”
What these 12 (my emphasis) young Republicans wrote indicates that they possess neither the intelligence nor the empathy to run a lemonade stand. They are despicable human beings, and it appears some of them have lost their jobs as a result of their demented writing.
However, the headline on Mr. Brack’s opinion piece might lead one to believe a huge number of brownshirts are lurking in wait for a putsch. Like the Politico article, Mr. Brack’s piece draws parallels to the “coarse” behavior of the current President. Granted, Mr. Trump seems to appreciate Blazing Saddles-type humor which is often raw and certainly disrespectful. But, Mr. Trump does not exhibit a racist or fascist bent; he may be portrayed as such, but calling him a name does not make him what he is called.
– Louise Mathews, Beaufort
ANDY BRACK
Editor’s Note:
VOICES
Jasper’s public schools still founder
It is Saturday, and this morning I’m with my friend Thayer Rivers at Corner Perk where we are sipping cappuccino.
I met Thayer when we were both cadets at The Citadel.
Thayer, then a private, was in a squad where I was the sergeant.
Notwithstanding my rank I didn’t entirely embrace a system that, for eight months, beat-up on these bewildered, bald-headed plebes who were then trying to learn a system of arcane rules that would govern their miserable lives.
Some nights I would summon my “knobs” to my room on the pretext that I was going to dole out some corporal punishment. But once in my room I would say “at ease” and allow them to study, talk, escape the 4th class system for an hour.
After The Citadel, Thayer went to the University of Georgia for his law degree.
Then he returned to Ridgeland and opened a firm just across the street from a bronze memorial that segregated the White war dead from the Black war dead.
Thayer knew everybody, and he was an important source of information when a developer was contemplating a remake of Chelsea Plantation; or when Ridgeland was weighing Tickton’s annexation that would permit the building of 2 000 homes.
In those cases, I would call Thayer in order to better understand the issues and the actors. This morning we’re again talking about
Jasper’s history and, of course, its future.
“Most of Jasper’s landowners bought Civil War bonds and, of course, we lost that war and everyone went bankrupt,” he says.
“A few people, like the Perry Family, did not buy bonds and would eventually become the distributors for Sinclair Oil products in Jasper. They owned all the land on the West side of the railroad tracks (in Ridgeland) and developed that part of town,” he continued.
“In 1871 — I call it the Class of 1871 — a few men came to Jasper buying thousands of acres that had once been cotton and rice plantations. The McCleods, Garnetts and Lightseys were the first of these big chunk buyers.”
Later on they would sell these same tracts — places like Good Hope Plantation — to northerners like Harry Hollins who was a partner to J. Pierpont Morgan. All
In last week’s piece, I opined about my love for William Shakespeare and an even greater love for teaching it. I used quotes from his various plays to make several points regarding the situation in which the United States finds itself today.
While I rarely do so, I posted that article on Facebook, saying that I dedicated it to my former students who struggled through this part of my English class several years ago. Because I am in touch with many of them, I thought they might get a kick out of reading it, and I did receive several responses.
All this to say that, once again, I am going to lean on the Bard, using a quote from Julius Caesar to support another issue, that of reacting to the dangers of the time.
It is Brutus who speaks to Cassius saying,
There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
of which set the scene for Jasper’s Hunting Club Era
The Okatie Club — at 50,000 acres — was the largest of these hunting clubs which usually included a rambling clubhouse, servants along with a special station built on the Charleston to Savannah railroad for the convenience of their winter-time guests. Initially, there was alarm in South Carolina about the spread of these hunting clubs into the coastal counties. Indeed a “special tax” was proposed in 1917 that would collect two cents per acre for every acre over 5 000; and five cents per acre for tracts of 50,000 acres or more.
But the northern bankers — led by Okatie Club — rallied against this “penny tax.” Eventually they mollified the Legislature who abandoned its effort to collect compensation for what might have been called a “lost opportunity” fund.
And things would get worse for Jasper.
By the mid 1920s, thanks to the boll weevil, cotton-growing was a money losing proposition. And soon the growing of produce — vegetables shipped north on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad — wasn’t doing all that well either. This left Jasper’s economy in the hands of the northern “sportsman” who lived in splendid isolation in their rustic lodges, with their engraved shotguns and their mule-drawn wagons that got them into nearby shooting fields.
When I came to Beaufort in 1970, I wrote an article about the taxes generated by an acre of unimproved pine forest — 68 cents.
“Jasper had two plants — Wayneline and Holiday Wear — but was mostly given to growing pine trees — forests being 73 8% of the County’s 650 square miles.”
I wrote that this 68 cents (versus $1 36 cents
Reading the tides and acting accordingly
Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat …
(Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene III)
The literal meaning of this quote was based upon the idea that ships usually need high tides to enter a port or leave it. Men cannot control these tides, though when these tides come or leave the coast, the ships in waiting must seize the opportunity without delay.
Figuratively, these lines address a complex idea of interplay between free will and fate, both of which affect all of us. Nevertheless, we humans must be insightful enough to recognize
opportunities granted by fate and to act accordingly.
As I watched the staggering numbers of people throughout the country, indeed, across the world, who came out recently to protest for No Kings Day, I could not help but think about this quote by Brutus.
Is the tide sufficiently high at this time in our nation’s history that we can still take to the streets to protest peacefully? It would appear so when you consider that the only real confrontation that had the potential to become ugly was in our own state in Myrtle Beach. There a woman drove by the demonstration brandishing a gun. She was jailed and later released.
To say that the present administration is attempting to stymie our 1st Amendment rights on many levels is an understatement. Let’s be forthright, and note that 47 has used the word “retribution” himself, and these past nine months have been just that and only that.
Very little that is positive has taken place simply because the focus has been exclusively on 47’s need to retaliate against those per-
ceived to have spoken out against him. He has engaged in an all-out assault on first amendment rights, attempting to force every sector of society to adopt his viewpoint or face retribution, be it revocation of rights, deportation, or jail.
Organizations are cowed by threats to cut off their funding if they speak or associate in terms deemed unfavorable. Students and university faculty on visas fear speaking or publishing on issues that are disfavored by the administration.
Nonprofit groups, universities, and corporations have moved quickly to scuttle policies and eliminate “wrong-thought” from their websites and public facing materials amid threats to revoke federal funding and scare off clients. (Huffington Post)
People like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerburg and other billionaires curry favor at every opportunity when one would think that of all people, they should be able to stand on their own.
David Cole, former legal director of the ACLU and law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, is quoted as saying, “This
in Beaufort County) was entirely inconsistent with the operation of successful schools or the building of infrastructure that might entice industry into Jasper County.
But now — thanks in part to those shotgun-toting rich folk — many of these chunks have been sold to the Nature Conservancy or have conservation easements saving them from transubstantiation into the vast geography of apartments, town homes and retail that surround Charleston, Savannah and Myrtle Beach. Who would have thought that Jasper — at least the Northern part of that County—would remain a verdant refuge that now protects the purity of Port Royal Sound? Jasper’s public schools, however, still founder.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
is the most concerted assault on free speech since the McCarthy era.”
When I say the big chill, don’t think of “that” movie, think George Orwell’s 1984. Think of the pall that could consume the country if it weren’t for those seven million-plus who went into the streets on a Saturday to express themselves and peacefully protest. They, along with the courts, primarily the lower counts, are the people’s retribution
And so back to my man, Bill, and his lesson about taking advantage of circumstances while we still have the chance. I referred to the participants who marched on No Kings Day to protest this administration and all of its fascist retribution. They, dear reader, have read the tide, and are taking the opportunity to use it.
We don’t want to look back in despair, only to find ourselves bound in shallows and miseries for an unforeseen time.
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.”
SCOTT GRABER
CAROL LUCAS
LOCAL MILITARY
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 7 November 2025
Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel A. P. Bariletti
2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel A. Yang Commander of Troops, Captain W. T. Barnes • Parade Adjutant, Captain S. A. Acquaviva Company “F”, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Captain W. T. Barnes Drill Master • Staff Sergeant E. Sarmiento, Staff Sergeant C. Garcia
PLATOON 2072
Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt C. W. Sylvester
Pvt Aguirrezabala, Adrian
Pvt Alexis, Hugo M.
Pvt Almeidasobrinho, Caua
Pvt Anderson, Jayden H.
Pvt Barriosrodriguez, Brian E.
Pvt Bassett, Trevor C.
Pvt Bender, Austin C.
PFC Bennett, Seth T.
Pvt Borrero, Lukis M.
Pvt Branch, Marquis V.
Pvt Buzzetta, Antonio
PFC Cahoontaft, Bailey R.
Pvt Campos, Kauan V.
Pvt Candelaria, Steven A.
Pvt Caracciolo, Christopher D.
Pvt Cart, Slade A.
PFC Cavanaugh, Zachary T.
Pvt Cisneros, Robinson J.
Pvt Cogar Jr, Jeffrey N.
Pvt Daniel III, Ricky R.
PFC Davisgiles, Terez C.*
Pvt Dejordy, Nathan D.
Pvt Deleonlopez, Michael A.
Pvt Delunamarte, Jose A.
Pvt Dicostanzo III, John J.
Pvt Diodati, Gavin M.
PFC Doverspike, Lawson E.
Pvt Dutra, Felipe
Pvt Eckrich, Matthew J.
Pvt Escabi, John B.
Pvt Espinal, Edwin
Pvt Estrada, Kevin Y.
PFC Everts, Elias M.
Pvt Garcia, Adonis E.
Pvt Garcialuna, Leonel
Pvt Garcianieves, Juan D.
Pvt Garciareyes, Jose A.
PFC Gimenez Jr, Miguel A.
Pvt Gutierrez, Eduardo
Pvt Heskamp, Gabriel L.
PFC Hiett, Damonte L.*
Pvt Hussain, Ayan S.
Pvt Jones, Alexander L.
Pvt Leland, Brennen J.
Pvt Lormestoire, Nedlee K.
Pvt Mcafee, Akirrion Q.
PFC Mccarthy, Daniel J.*
Pvt Menjivar, Jeffrey A.
Pvt Mirsaburov, Mirabror
Pvt Mossburcham, Allen S.
PFC Paz, Michael C.
Pvt Perez, Osller R.
PFC Pinon, Jesus A.
PFC Prietocordero, Juan C.*
PFC Ramirez, Dillon J.
PFC Rivera, Camerin I.
PFC Rodrigues, Kyle H.*
Pvt Rodrigues, Mateus F.
PFC Rodriguezrodriguez, James D.*
Pvt Rodriguezruiz, Sebastian
Pvt Ruizrobles, Kenny Y.
PFC Seguramoreaux, Ivan J.
PFC Seguramoreaux, Jose I.
PFC Singh, Joshua P.
PFC Sowards, Logan R.
Pvt Sterner, Matthew D.
Pvt Stevenson, Aiden M.
Pvt Tabolich, Ruslan
Pvt Tartamella, Luke J.
Pvt Torresmandujano, Alexander
PFC Tubens, Jeremy E.
Pvt Tully, Kyle D.
Pvt Vicente, Dominic R.
Pvt Vonner, Darrius A.
Pvt Wacker, Ronald S.
PFC Wheeler, Rehmy C.
PFC Winters, Walter R.
Pvt Wyatt, Jordan T.
PLATOON 2073
Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt E. F. Fuentes
Pvt Aguilarcasas, Jovanny
Pvt Ainsworth, Caden D.
Pvt Bell, Hunter D.
Pvt Biggs, Nathan D.
Pvt Boyd, Michael L.
Pvt Britt, Aiden M.
Pvt Bruce, Jeremiah J.
Pvt Bunner, Sean P.
Pvt Burroughs, Kennedy E.
PFC Carbonaro, Eric W.
Pvt Carswell, Gabriel J.
Pvt Carter, Mason H.
Pvt Darby, Blaze A.
Pvt Desmarais, Johnathan R.
Pvt Dominguezbautista, Jesus B.
Pvt Doyle, Samuel J.
Pvt Drake, Brody L.
Pvt Dye, Joshua J.
PFC Filer III, Joseph S.
Pvt Fraser, Melvin W.
Pvt Garrett, Bryson B.
PFC Gomezgonzalez, Sebastian
PFC Gonzalezmorales, Jonathan
Pvt Gunter, Austin L.
Pvt Hamilton, Lebron J.
Pvt Hart, Aron E.
PFC Hoover, Colton M.*
Pvt Hurst, Griffin M.
Pvt Jenkins, Hunter S.
PFC Johnson, Joshua M.*
Pvt Jonessuluaga, Jason A.
Pvt Larisornelas, Omar
Pvt Lipscomb, Joel J.
Pvt Lopezzea, Giovanni
Pvt Marenah, Muhammad L.
Pvt Mason, Cameron E.
Pvt Mason, Talon M.
Pvt Mcfarland, Joseph G.
Pvt Mcgregor III, Charles R.
PFC Mellon, Patrick N.
PFC Mendezwilcox, Jaden Y.
PFC Moen, Jude M.*
Pvt Montilus, Andres K.
Pvt Moseley, Jon W.
Pvt Murray, Colin R.
Pvt Nason, Daylin E.
Pvt Neal, James R.
Pvt Parracruz, Edwin
PFC Peel, Blake A.
PFC Pierce, Allen R.*
PFC Pinzon, Gabriel A.*
Pvt Portillo, Hayden L.
PFC Pulidorodriguez, Sergio A.
Pvt Quick, Maddox A.
Pvt Richards, Devon H.
Pvt Riveraleon, Angel M.
PFC Robinson, Matthew R.
Pvt Roldangarcia, Andy D.
PFC Rosarioestrella, Leudis S.
Pvt Sasnett, Tariq C.
PFC Seymore, Rayvohn A.
Pvt Smith Jr, Shaddon D.
Pvt Smith, Kyle S.
Pvt Steingruber, Anthony
Pvt Stephens, Jackson M.
Pvt Stinton, Levi G.
PFC Strunk, Andrew B.
Pvt Sullivan, Dadrian A.
PFC Torres Jr, Ruben W.
Pvt Toth, Blake M.
PFC Vargas, Joshua
PFC Wiley, Anthony H.*
Pvt Williamson, Haven J.
PFC Yarbrough, Christopher R.
PLATOON 2074
Senior
SSgt
Allen, Jacob L. Anadon, Esteban A. Arcoren, Jesse R. Ayiei, Ayiei D. Ayoconcha, Diego A. Boone Jr, Xavier M. Campbell, William G. Chingwa, Jeffery A. Cobb, Tucker P. Cobbs IV, James L. Cowles, Sonny M. Crawford, Collin R. Crespo III, Leonardo A. Dadeel, Jahneal T. Dahizferrufino, Roberto A. Duquette, Logan J. Durbin, Ian R. Dutton, Kyle B. Echavarriagarcia, Ian Elliott, Hunter R. Ellis, Tashaun U. Espino Jr, Guillermo Estes, Jadon A. Frasier, Hunter W. Freeland, Christopher J. Garcia, Ayden S. Garciaplata, Andres Henson, Brock D. Hill, Camren Q. Irvin III, Kent A. Joseph, Stevenson Kershaw, Douglas L. Kesel, Alexander J. Kiernan, Zachary G. Knight, Aveyon K. Kreis, Richard K. Louis, Lowadson J. Makarovich, Benjamin M.* Manhvong, Shatain T. Mann, Lawson J. Mark, Nicholas A. Martin, Carter L. Mcandrew, Jonathan C. Mendozalopez, Wilson A. Minott, Kaheem E. Montillaabreu, Osvaldo M. Moody, Carter W.* Morgan, Dante E. Nalewyko III, Ronald L. Orellana, Andrew F. Owings, Jackson W. Perez, Michael F. Perezacosta, Jonathan Quinones, Juan Ramirezluna, Omar Ramphal, Kaleb K. Rincongarcia, Juan F. Romansanchez, Alejandro Rose, Ryan C. Salisbury, Benjamin A.* Samuels, Trashawn C. Smarr, Andrew R. Smith, Britton C. Smith, Gavin E. Stephens, Jaylen D. Stevenson, Caden E. Stevenson, Chandler H. Sykes, Luke A. Tate, Dondre T. Thompson, Kyle C. Toledo, Jordan Tran, Duy V. Truesdale, Connor M. Truman, Damian F.* Veltz, Lee A.* Wager, Gavin L.* Walker, Ethan C. Williams, Dimitri D. Woodworth, Christian J. Zamoranoguera, Alex A.
PLATOON 2076
Senior
Sgt
PLATOON 2077
Senior Drill Instructor
SSgt B. P. Guidry
PFC Ademolasadipe, Geremiah M.
Pvt Alonso, Nicholas M.
Pvt Bacon, Andre J.
Pvt Badawi, Christian A.
PFC Baullosarivert, Sergio L.
Pvt Bousy, Marvin
Pvt Brandon, Santiago
Pvt Broomall IV, William J.
Pvt Burns, Ryan P.
PFC Cabralcastillo, Gregory A.
PLATOON 2078
Senior Drill Instructor
Sgt M. R. Brooks
Pvt Aguilar, Diego G.
Pvt Alejomarmol, Joseph M.
PFC Alford, Bryan T.
Pvt Almaraz, Jesus
Pvt Aloboyle, Anthony J.
Pvt Balbuena, Jonathan
Pvt Bancroft, Franklin N.
Pvt Bastos, Kevin R.
Pvt Bellitti, Nicholas T.
Pvt Berger, Preston B.
PFC Bigby, Tajay B.
PFC Carbajalbaltazar, German S.
PFC Cobb, Gavin M.*
Pvt Cohetero, Leonardo
Pvt Cooper, Barwo G.
Pvt Cooper, Cameron A.
Pvt Cox, Jackson B.
PFC Cruson, Kamryn D.
Pvt Cummings, Marcus A.
Pvt Davalos, Isaac M.
PFC Dean II, Charles G.
Pvt Deangelo, James S.
Pvt Dempsey, Joseph E.
PFC Dias, Brad C.
PFC Dinh, Bill V.
PFC Duncan, Terrance J.*
Pvt Eguia, Emanuel E.
PFC Felix, Dave*
Pvt Flanagan, Aidan J.
Pvt Fleurine, Ricky A.
PFC Garcia, Roman M.
Pvt Gonzalezvega, Sky
Pvt Guerrerosantos, Edwin
PFC Gurbetyolu, Mustafa
Pvt Hall, William A.
Pvt Harriott, Nathaniel
Pvt Henderson, Jaden T. PFC
Adamson, Giachi A. Aliberti, Amadeus L.* Auch, Conner D. Baker, Jordan M. Balas, Cooper W. Brewer, Mason D. Callock II, Quinn D.* Casson, Michael A. Covey, Hunter M. Crouse, Dakota K. Cruzdelarosa, Alexander Deoliveira, Messiasfernando C. Dunmire, Dayne K. Dunn, Noah R. Eairheart, Dominick R. Fails, Micah J. Flores, Kevin Francoflores, Elvin J. Fugate, Elijah P. Gallardo, Kevin Y. Gonzalez, Eduardo Gross, Ayden M. Han, Dinh D. Heckman Jr, Vincent N. Hewett, Carson J. Hixson, Zaccory W. Hoffman, Robert V. Honaker IV, Jack B. Jones, Bryce E. Keys, Javon J. Lewis, Elijah B. Lopez, Raymond A. Maldonadomojica, Jose Y. Martinmorales, Huliser Mayer, Jack H. Mayes, Eric P. Mcadoo, Ethan C. Mcmahon, Kevin K. Medinapereira, Brian E. Melendezleon, Bryant E. Metcalf, Theodore L. Moore, Nathan S. Nobles, Zachary R. Nuhring, Christopher K. Nye, Landon K. Obstbaum, Noah S. Pearson, Tanner M. Penna Jr, Joshua D. Preudhomme, Jacques J. Pritchard, Greyson D. Purdie Jr, Edward J.* Ramirezlopez, Angel Ricketts, Brandon A. Rodriguezduque, Luis A. Rogers, Reid M. Ross, Troy A. Rossi, Johnathan J. Satyal, Bhanu Schuchardt, Leland A. Spanglerloch, Matthew L. Spero, Michael D.* Steinmetz, Jacob M. Subbarayalu, Vaibhav Tarr, Taheton C.* Thompson, Carter T. Ussery, Malachi A.* Vance, Kahleb M. Velasquez, Damian Villa, Jose A. West, Talen K. Westerfeld, Jackson K. Whitehead, George N. Woods, Jakari H. Wright, Yacov N. Yates, Darius J. Hernandez, Isaac D. Hernandezlugardo, Karlos Y. Higgins, Thomas E. Hitchner, Clay M. Hodge, Lucas J. Hoeke, Nicholas J. Homsiang, Burapa Hunter, Ayele A. Kemper, Michael A. Kirkendoll, Bryson L. Lamb, Kendall B. Llewellyn, Bennett M. Lobo, Diego S. Manasco, Caleb L. Mason IV, William B. Morgan, Cody D. Murphy, Ryan J. Nance, Kendall L.* Neal, Charles T.* Orta Jr, Gabriel A. Perezcruz, Jose M. Ramirezvalencia, Fabian I. Rau, Bentley D. Reed Jr, Erik E. Ribeiro, Brian M. Robinson, Sekhem S. Rose, Deuce A. Santosalfaro, Dylan Saunders, Kavin R. Schwieterman, Clayton R. Scott, Jahari J.* Spoors, Colton T. Stubbs, Evan T. Stewart, Hunter G Tarpley, Jacob K. Valcin, Wydson Vieira, Nicolas Watkins, Jaxson C. White, Samuel G. Wochele, Brian D.
Pvt Breuer, Jake R.
Pvt Centeno, Julian L.
PFC Chandler, Hunter W.
Pvt Chaves, Kaden T.
PFC Chen, David
Pvt Damonti, Nico J.
Pvt Daniels, Jacob A.
Pvt Davidhizar, Evan M.
Pvt Dhurpat, Triston
Pvt Espinozanajera, Jesus A.
Pvt Filpo, Charlie
Pvt Gallegos, Derick D.
Pvt Gardner, Samuel J.
Pvt Greene, Elijah D.
Pvt Henslee, Christian I.
Pvt Hernandez, Jehiriam A.
Pvt Hernandezvelasquez, Mainor A.
Pvt Higginssantos, Trent M.
Pvt Howard, Daniel E.
Pvt Juarezmazariegos, Aldo
Pvt Kroh IV, Joseph
Pvt Lane, Riley A.
Pvt Lecount, Jackson A.
Pvt Lobato, Saul I.
Pvt Lopezpazmin, Emanuel
Pvt Macdonald, Dylon S.
Pvt Magnusson, Hinrik R.
Pvt Mecatlsanchez, Jose L.
Pvt Micoletti, Luca J.
Pvt Montenegro, Antonio
PFC Montoyagomez, Thomas
Pvt Moralez, Jayden J.
Pvt Morrison, Gregory D.
Pvt Murusdumbaycastillo, Jason A.
Pvt Nagar, Gilberto A.
PFC Nietoreyes, Rudy
Pvt Ourso, Kyle S.
Pvt Perezgiron, Edwin G.
Pvt Perry, Ryan S.
PFC Pintadocaceres, Robinson J.
Pvt Pittman, David C.
Pvt Pittman, Logan J.
Pvt Pope, Roland B.
Pvt Raden, Logan W.
Pvt Ramos Jr, Juan I.
Pvt Ramsey, Zamal K.
Pvt Reyes, Franklin J.
Pvt Rosenlund, Alexander T.
PFC Sanchez, Jonathan A.
Pvt Sanchezlopez, Bryant K.
Pvt Seaks, Brigg J.
Pvt Sirles, Collin L.
Pvt Smith, Nicholas G.
Pvt Stamm, Gabriel C.
Pvt Stclair, James R.
Pvt Szabo, Nicholas B.
PFC Threlkeld, Landon H.
Pvt Valme, Jean
Pvt Vickers, Martell K.
Pvt Waller, Clifford C.
Pvt Warkmeister, Zachary S.
Pvt Webre, Landon R.
Pvt Wiesner, Matthew D.
Pvt Yuen, Steven
Pvt Yuquifernandez, Jon D.
*Denotes Meritorious Promotion
Veterans columnist Dandridge honored by VFW in magazine
Staff reports
Larry Dandridge, veterans benefits columnist for The Island News, was recently recognized for his advocacy of veterans by the VFW.
Dandridge is featured in the November–December VFW Magazine in a fullpage article, on Page 56, in the "VETS IN FOCUS – Inspiring Profiles of Extraordinary Veterans" section. The article is titled, “I Will Continue to Help Veterans,” and it will appear in 1 4 million print copies and soon will appear in the online version at https://bit.ly/48VuzRD.
Dandridge was a member of the Charleston (James Island) VFW Post 445 for five years and is now the Veterans Benefits Advisor for Cary, N.C., VFW Post
7383, where he is the VFW’s representative and a Patient Adviser to the Durham VA Medical Center.
He has been recognized for his 24 years of military service, his nine years as a volunteer police officer and one year as a full-time officer; his support of our military members, veterans, and their families; and his support of the five-starrated Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and Fisher House Charleston for more than 20 years.
Dandridge has written more than 250 articles on veterans’ benefits for The Island News, as well as more than 20 articles on what citizens need to know about police officers’ use-of-force authority, hospice, hazard-
ous materials dangers/ asbestos trusts, and leadership. The Island News has received countless letters from readers praising Dandridge’s articles.
Dandridge tries to answer every phone call, text, and email he gets from The Island News readers, veterans, and veterans’ family members (and veterans from all over the USA and overseas) within 24 hours of receipt. He provides additional helpful information on every veteran's benefits subject they ask about and always refers the inquirer to their local VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for more help. He is not paid for the volunteer work he does for military members, veterans, and
their families, caregivers, and survivors.
Dandridge is also the author of the award-winning and popular (over 250 fivestar reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and many other sites) “Blades Of Thunder (Book One),” which he wrote to help raise over $5 5 million to buy the land on which Fisher House Charleston is built and to refurbish Fisher House Charleston’s historic carriage house.
Dandridge grew up as a “voracious” reader and respects the power of writing.
Honest journalists, as he puts it, “are not only the best source of local news but also one of the best, and perhaps most important, checks on those most powerful and evil in our society.”
Refresher course on filing for service-connected disability compensation
This is the final article in a series of five on the steps to take to prepare for and file a claim for service-connected disability compensation.
The first four articles in this series are found at https://bit. ly/4hluGb9, https://bit.ly/3JiYmZX, https://bit.ly/3WCKPQ8 and https://www.yourislandnews. com and click on MILITARY.
More on gathering your evidence Veterans can support their VA disability claim by providing: NEXUS Letters: According to the VA webpage “Evidence Needed for Your (Original) Disability Claim” (https:// bit.ly/3w6YGAN), the VA requires veterans seeking service-connected disability compensation to meet three criteria. The veteran must: 1 Have a currently diagnosed disability; 2. Demonstrate that the disability was caused or aggravated by an in-service wound, injury, illness, trauma, event, scar, or hazardous material (HAZMAT) exposure/injury; 3. Provide a link between your current condition and the event, injury, or disease that happened during your service or was a prior condition worsened by service or showed up after service.
Since no one knows more about your military service, service-connected injuries, illnesses, wounds, conditions, symptoms, and medical history than you, it is wise for you to draft a letter for the medical professional to finalize.
• Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs): The VA webpage “Compensation-Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires” is found at https://
bit.ly/43MXhkb. DBQs help collect necessary medical information to process veterans' disability claims. Veterans can use these forms to submit medical evidence from their healthcare providers. When a private doctor completes a DBQ, the veteran must ensure the physician is aware of the VA’s “specific criteria and requirements” for disability evaluation. The VA does not reimburse expenses incurred while completing or submitting DBQs. There are over 60 DBQs available.
Put your VA file number on every page Veterans should write their VA File Number in the same place on every page of their claim packet and on each page of their evidence. Yes, this might include over 100 pages. The VA file number can be found in the upper-right corner of the letters the VA sends to veterans/dependents regarding their claims.
If it is your first claim and correspondence with the VA, you will not have a VA File number, so make sure you write your full name in the same place on each page of your first claim.
Never give away your original evidence
Veterans should keep a copy of everything they send to the VA.
Never give away your only copy of your DD214, military medical records, military dental records, military personnel records, military awards, military Line of Duty Investigation Reports, lay witness statements, Nexus letters, medical records, or other evidence.
Four ways to file a disability claim
Online: On the “How to File a VA Disability Claim” web page at https://bit.ly/3Lm7VIr, there is a link to the online “File for Disability Compensation with VA Form 21-526EZ” page, https://bit. ly/4orZ5ra.
If a veteran needs assistance filing a disability claim, they can contact their supporting VA Regional Office for help. To find the nearest regional office, veterans can call 800-827-1000 or use the VA’s “Find VA Locations” webpage/search engine at https://bit. ly/4orZ9XW.
Veterans should use a VA-accredited representative, such as a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or a VA-accredited Attorney or Claims Agent, to help them complete their claim. Before filing a claim for an increase, veterans may want to check whether they are already receiving the maximum disability rating for their condition.
By mail: Veterans can file their claim by mail using an Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits (VA Form 21-526EZ). Get the form at https://bit.ly/3RrzmPi. Send it to: Department of Veteran Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, Wis. 53547-4444
Follow the instructions on the form and make it as easy
as possible for the VA Claims Examiner to find and understand your claim and all the evidence. Repeat, organize your claim so that it is easy for the VA Claims Examiner to find and understand your claim and all the evidence!
This author recommends that you buy a sturdy three-ring binder, labeled tabs for each section of your claim, and include a cover letter and a table of contents in the binder that show the locations of your evidence.
In person: Veterans can file their claims in person at a Veterans Benefits Administration regional office. Find the nearest regional office on the VA’s website: https://bit.ly/3BpjKET.
The VA Regional Benefit Office in SC is located at 6437 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29209 Phone: 800-827-1000
Get help of a trained professional: It is wise to work with a trained professional, a VA-accredited representative, to help file a claim for disability compensation. There are three types of VA-accredited representatives: attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Officers (VSOs). VSO services are free. Claims Agents and Attorneys can and usually do charge for their services. The VA trusts these professionals because they are trained, must pass a comprehensive examination, undergo background checks, attend continuing education, and are certified in the VA claims and appeals processes. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3enmCdG.
Should veterans submit an Intent to File form
If a veteran plans to file for disability compensation using a paper form, they may want to
submit an intent-to-file form first. This can give the veteran the time they need to gather evidence without risking a later start date (also called an effective date). When veterans notify the VA of their intention to file, they may be eligible for retroactive payments. If a veteran files for disability compensation online, then they do not need to notify the VA of their intent to file. Read about “Your Intent to File a VA Claim” at https://bit.ly/3Rzq8Qk.
The bottom line Veterans need to ask their local VA-accredited VSO for help in understanding their (federal and state) veterans benefits. Filing for VA and state benefits can be complicated and, in some cases (like some state benefits), can only be done with the help of a VSO or other VA-accredited professional. Do not procrastinate, ask a VSO, the VA, and your VA PACT Team Social Worker to help you file for your hard-earned benefits now!
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past VA-accredited VSO, a Patient Adviser at Charleston and Durham VA Hospitals, a Fisher House Charleston/Friends of
LARRY DANDRIDGE
Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, U.S. Army, retired, receives South Carolina’s highest award for public service, the Order of the Palmetto, awarded by Governor Henry McMaster. The award is in the background. Submitted photo
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