Still no arrests made in St. Helena shooting
By Delayna Earley and Mike McCombs The Island News
chine gun or a sawed-off shot gun or rifle in an unrelated 2024 case. At the time, BCSO spokesperson Lt. Daniel Allen would not confirm or deny that Freeman was a person of interest in the Oct. 12 shooting,
‘Working together’ means more than
By the time you read this, it will have been more than a week, at least 10 days since the Oct. 12 shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island, an act of violence that left four people dead, more than a dozen injured and a community in shock.
By this time, the four victims will be buried and Sheriff P.J. Tanner may have announced someone, or someones, have been charged with the crime but anyone knows who watches the judicial system knows it can be quite some time before, shall we say, “justice is done.”
But the grief of those families who lost loved ones will continue and the community will continue to debate that “something” should be done. Much as been said about the need for greater gun control, apparently for the “switches,” aka
A strong turnout
By Mike McCombs The Island News
Like millions of Americans across the nation who filled streets, sidewalks, parks and many other open spaces on Saturday, Oct. 18, more than 1 000 protesters lined Boundary Street in Beaufort in front of City Hall for the second organized No Kings Protest. The peaceful demonstrations, numbering more than 2,600 nationwide, drew the participation of at
least 7 million people in cities and towns, large and small. Many wore costumes in solidarity with protesters nationally. There were no arrests locally, and very few nationally.
“Beautiful,” said 45-year-old Marque Fireall of St. Helena Island. “It’s a reminder that you’re not alone, that you’re not crazy, that the things that you’re seeing are unfolding in real life, and that other people are seeing what you’re seeing, also.” Fireall, born and raised in Beau-
fort County, was carrying a large American flag. He served 10 years in the U.S. Navy, completing deployments in Japan and in Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
“My country has forgotten that we are made of a patchwork of peo-
Amber Hewitt/The Island News
LOLITA HUCKABY
Protesters line Boundary Street in Beaufort during the No Kings Protest on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News
Marque Fireall
LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS
Beaufort. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.
American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Troy Cage, 60, who joined the U.S. Marines in Memphis in 1983. After Boot Camp at Parris Island, he was assigned duty on Okinawa. His unit was to transfer to the Marine Barracks in Beirut, but with its bombing in 1983, he was reassigned back to Parris Island as a cook. He says that the Marine Corps taught him about work structure, organization, adaptability and focus on mission.
No injuries in Monday vehicle fire
Staff reports Just before 7:30 a.m., Monday, Oct. 20, Burton firefighters responded to a report of a black Dodge Durango on fire on Harding Street in Burton. Initial reports were that no one was in the vehicle but the fuel tank was full. Firefighters arrived on scene to find that the SUV was fully involved in flames.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported and no damages occurred beyond the vehicle which was heavily damaged in the fire.
The fire is under investigation.
The Burton Fire District has responded to eight vehicle fires in 2025; in comparison, Burton firefighters extinguished 11 such fires in 2024
ON THIS DATE
October 23
1964: Joe Frazier defeats Germany’s Hans Huber with a broken left thumb by a 3-2 decision to win the gold medal in heavyweight boxing at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. He finished with an amateur record of 38-2
2023: The Beaufort Academy volleyball team defeats The King’s Academy, 3-1 (21-25 25-14 25-12 25-12) to win the SCISA Class 2A championship on at Wilson Hall in Sumter.
October 24
2021: Seabrook native and Whale Branch Early College High School graduate Dee Delaney makes his first career NFL start at cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Chicago Bears and records his first career interception.
When he separated in 1986 as a Corporal, he stayed in Beaufort County and began 14 years working in the food and beverage industry, mostly on Hilton Head Island. In 1998 he started Troy Cage Catering, offering full meal and event catering from the mid-Atlantic to Texas with the motto: Have Pots, Will Travel. He finally retired from his business in 2024
after 24 years of serving the general public. Beaufort has been a big part of his life for 40 years; he’s married to Karen, a local woman, and he lives in Port Royal.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
Monday morning, the Burton Fire District responded to a reported vehicle fire resulting in a total loss of the vehicle but no injuries. Photo courtesy of Burton Fire District
October 26
1945: Donald Patrick “Pat” Conroy, an author for whom Beaufort played a prominent role both in his works and his life, is born in Atlanta. Among Conroy’s works are “The Water Is Wide,” “The Lords of Discipline,” “The Prince of Tides” and “The Great Santini.”
2019: The Beaufort Academy volleyball team defeats Cathedral Academy, 3-0 (25-16 25-17 25-15) a Wilson Hall in Sumter to win the SCISA Class A state championship.
October 28
2018: Seabrook native and Whale Branch Early College High School graduate Dee Delaney makes his NFL debut at cornerback for the Miami Dolphins against the Jacksonville Jaguars. – 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 Beaufort County Animal Services.
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 Scan Here to Donate
Editor Mike McCombs took this photo of Campfire Tyler performing for the customers outside Hemingway’s on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 18, 2025 in downtown
Troy Cage
Drainage work set to start on Charles Street
By Mike McCombs The Island News
The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) and the City of Beaufort were set to begin construction this week on the Charles/ Craven Ctreet Stormwater Improvements project.
According to the SCOR, the City of Beaufort’s downtown stormwater infrastructure, installed around 1900, no longer has the capacity to adequately store and channel stormwater during heavy rain events. The City was awarded $11 9 million for the project’s engineering, design, permitting, and construction as part of SCOR’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stormwater Infrastructure Program (ASIP).
According to the SCOR’s news release from Oct. 13 the project will install larger pipe along North, Craven, and Charles Streets, which will lead to a new tidal check valve at the waterfront. These upgrades will provide protection against rainfall and riverine flooding above a 25year, 24-hour storm event. Minor enhancements to the roadsides will improve pedestrian mobility and safety, as well.
“The project is located at the epicenter of the City of Beaufort which serves as a significant historic, recreational, and economic
driver for the region and state,” S.C. Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan said in the news release. “Mitigating the risk of losses due to flooding is therefore a priority, and we are glad to see this project kicking off.”
In the release, City Manager Scott Marshall said “City staff are diligently working to keep residents and businesses informed about how the construction might affect their daily routines. We are also collaborating closely with the contractor and project managers to minimize these impacts whenever possible. The resulting product will be a more resilient drainage system that will benefit our current population and future generations.”
The City held a project update meeting for residents and stakeholders affected by the construction on Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the City Planning Room at City Hall. At that meeting, Raul Dominguez, the City’s Capital Improvement Program Director gave an overview of how the project would work.
According to Dominguez, Bay Street will initially remain open. The project will begin at the intersection of Bay and Charles streets and work toward Craven Street.
The plan is to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day,
with all work being covered by the end of work each day. The work will progress in 60-foot lengths, the same as the length of pipe segments being used.
There will be no planned night work until later in the project when the actual intersection of Bay and Charles streets is excavated.
The work will progress from Bay Street down Charles Street, through Port Republic Street, right on Craven Street, again up Charles Street to North Street and right before turning right onto West Street. The contractor, Gulfstream, will provide detour signs and flagmen for the duration of the work.
303 Associates is providing parking in its lot for those businesses and residents whose street parking is affected by the construction.
“It is our intent, every day at work’s end,” Dominguez said, “to announce where[the construction is] and what’s happening the next day.”
Dominguez also said crews from Beaufort-Jasper Water Sewer Authority would also be on hand, and if there was a need for water to be shut off, residents and businesses would get a 24-hour notice.
“The only way I can win is through communi-
cation,” Dominguez said, sympathizing with business owners’ concerns at the meeting.
The largest portion of work will begin in late February or early March 2026 when the contractor will address the Bay Street-Charles Street intersection. The entire intersection must be excavated and will remain closed to auto traffic, along with the section of Bay Street up to West Street. The entrance to the Marine at the traffic signal will be closed, as
well, as construction works its way to the water.
In all, the construction is expected to last 235 days, concluding before next summer.
Despite the inconvenience, the improvements should be significant. Enlarging drains and doubling the size of drainage pipes will allow four times as much water to drain off City streets.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
County Veteran Affairs hosting annual Veterans Day Parade
Staff reports Beaufort County Veterans Affairs invites the entire community to participate in the parade and say thank you to our veterans. The parade will be held Tuesday, Nov. 11, beginning at 10 a.m.
Lineup of all groups, floats and individual participants begins at 8 a.m. on Adventure Street.
The parade route starts in front of Beaufort National Cemetery, will head down Boundary Street, curve onto Bay Street, and end at the intersection of Boundary and Bladen Streets. Participants can find application on the County website. Go to https://bit. ly/47l1RY3 to download the application or scan the QR code in the parade flyer. Every community group, children’s group, civic organization, and community member is encouraged to show their community spirit and our veterans how much they are appreciated.
The final deadline to submit parade applications is Friday, Oct. 31 In case of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled.
For more information, contact Beaufort County Veterans Affairs at 843-255-6880
Local dance group to perform special “witch dance” at Haunted Hallows Festival
By Delayna Earley The Island News
The Gas Lantern Original Cauldron Crew will be performing a choreographed “witch dance” during the Second Annual Haunted Hallows Festival on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 3 to 9 p.m. at Naval Heritage Park in Port Royal.
The local dance troupe had the opportunity to host The Forgotten Coast Dancing Witches, a Florida-based performance group, for a dance meetup on Friday, Sept. 12, at The Gas Lantern Apothecary & Mystical in Port Royal.
The Gas Lantern Original Cauldron Crew has recently been invited to participate in regional festivals which shows just how popular the “witch dance” has become due to national recognition though community performances and online platforms, according to a release from the Gas Lantern Apothecary & Mystical.
“We were excited to welcome our colleagues from Florida and to share this unique tradition with the community,” the release said. “The meetup was not only a chance to connect with fellow dancers, but also a joyful way to prepare for our own Haunted Hallows Festival. The community
is in for something truly special this fall.”
Happenings around Beaufort
Whether you are looking to show off your costume, pick up some candy, enjoy a spooky thrill or try to capture some fall magic wherever you can in the Lowcountry, there are so many events and activities around Beaufort that there is sure to be something for everyone to enjoy.
Beaufort County Trunk-or-
Treat: Kids, Cops, Cars & Candy: Free family friendly event held at the Charles Lind Brown Recreation Center at 1001 Hamar St. in Beaufort from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. There will be safe and fun trick-or-treating, police cruisers and classic cars on display, music, games, food trucks with good food, face painting and activities for the kids.
Haunted Hallows Market: Come out and enjoy a spooky market with The Gas Lantern Apothecary & Mystical from 3 to 9 p.m. at Naval Heritage Park in Port Royal on Saturday, Oct. 25
Camelot Farms Fall Festival: A Fall Festival will be held on St. Helena Island at 101 Tom and Mike Rd. from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday,
Oct. 25 at Camelot Farms Equestrian Center. The festival will feature a petting zoo, hayrides, face painting, pony rides, pumpkin painting, live music, s’mores, games and more. Activity tickets are available for purchase upon entry.
Revolution Ballroom Spook-tacular Halloween Dance Party!: Admission is $20 online or at the door for a beginner tango lesson and social dancing. The event is open to the adults 18 and up, both singles and couples are
welcome. Dress code is Halloween costume attire, and it will go from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Revolution Ballroom.
Trunk-or-Treat Port Royal: Port Royal’s Trunk-or-Treat event is open to the public and will go from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26 in downtown Port Royal on Paris Avenue between 9th and 12th treets. Dress in your spookiest or silliest Halloween costume and go from trunk to trunk and see what treats lie in store.
Community Trunk-or-Treat:
Free Trunk-or-Treat event hosted by Sprenger Health Care Port Royal at 1810 Richmond Avenue in Port Royal on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. for an evening of fun, food and candy.
Trunk-or-Treat: Stop by Sports Academy Gymnastics at 20 Maxine Lane in Beaufort on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 4:30 and 6 p.m. to get a load of treats and see a firetruck.
Following the trunk-or-treat will be parents’ night out featuring their spooky haunted gymnastics house from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. if you are able to stay and chosen to sign up.
Hunting Island State Park
Trunk-or-Treat: The free event will last from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 and kids will trick or treat through three of the park’s parking lots, a scavenger hunt and a costume contest. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Food trucks will be on hand as well. Meet at the Nature Center near the Fripp Island Bridge.
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.
Lowcountry Pride Festival
nots.”
the shooting on St. Helena Island.
attachments that can change a regular weapon into an automatic firing machine. But apparently, “switches” are already outlawed, so only “outlaws” are using them.
The Sheriff has said at least 24 Beaufort County citizens in the past have already been arrested and convicted for possession of these altered devices.
The topic of “we need to do something” was raised at the Oct. 16 Beaufort County Council “chat,” an informal public gathering of County Council members held to let citizens comment on what ever issue is on their mind.
Council members aren’t required to attend, there are no minutes taken (although council members do take notes) and the meetings are not televised on the County Channel – it’s a one-on-one situation.
This most recent “chat” included comments about the county’s pending waterways regulations, the county’s plastic bag ban, the slowness in selection of a new elections office director … and ...
Three citizens, with ties to the island community, acknowledged the presence of Pine Island developer Elvio Tropeano at the “chat” and asked the Council to reconsider their rejection of his most recent development plan for the island which included financial promises for non-profit organizations and affordable housing support.
Their contention that the resources offered by the developer would help with economic development for island property owners and educational programs for children who are otherwise, in their opinions, resorting to drugs and violence. The council members gave no indication they agreed with the three citizens, who have spoken at multiple previous public hearings on the subject.
It’s an argument that’s been raised before – we need more resources – even before Tropeano set his sights on Pine Island.
But it’s also an issue that elected officials, and their administrators, have been trying to resolve for years -- leveling the differences between the rural and developed areas, the “haves” and the “have-
For the past year, St. Helena Island activist Carrie Major has been begging the Council to spend money in her community to build a community center. And there are plans for a new community center on St. Helena, and one in the Dale area, the other rural part of Beaufort County.
Councilman York Glover, who represents most of St. Helena, has been working with the county economic development department to find money to build a conference center on the island.
It’s obvious there are no simple answers to the societal problems that lead up to the recent shootings. And the need for the community to “come together” is an obvious response.
But until someone, or some persons, step forward and talk to law enforcement, part of the answer to this particular horrible incident is going to remain a mystery.
Again, if you see something, say something.
Downtown prepares for major drainage work
BEAUFORT -- It’s interesting, almost ironic, that the city of Beaufort is preparing to under-
take a major reconstruction of the drainage system through part of the downtown area just as Mother Nature, only two weeks ago, showed her own impact by flooding part of the marina and waterfront park areas.
The king high tides, combined with an offshore weather event that did NOT turn into a hurricane or even a tropical storm, pushed water into parts of the downtown area and caused the city police to issue a caution warning to motorists in the area.
The drainage system work will include parts of North, Craven and Charles Streets, replacing pipes that were installed, according to city records, around 1900. Funding for the project includes a $11.9 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA, through S.C. Office of Resilience.
A press release announcing the work says more than 50 structures will benefit from the “reduced flood risk.”
And all of this before city officials decide what to do about repairing the sinking Chambers Waterfront Park.
Good luck to the merchants and residents who will be impacted for the next year. Officials say the
work will benefit Beaufortonians “for generations to come.” Let’s hope so. We’re in a race with Mother Nature.
Update on Lantz
Just an update on a personal note: With all the comings and goings of local “news,” the human dramas that can dictate our lives are not necessarily shared.
Case in point, the slow recovery of Bay Street restaurateur Lantz
Price who has been recovering down in Florida after experiencing an medical emergency while offshore fishing in the Keys.
Friends report the owner of Hearth, Plums and Saltus was with friends last month when his emergency occurred, but he’s receiving medical attention now that hopefully will have him back on Bay Street before long.
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
Mother Mal and 2-year-old daughter Katie dance during the third annual Lowcountry Pride Festival held at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Local artist Tatiana Tatum prepares paintbrushes as she sets up her booth during the third annual Lowcountry Pride Festival held at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
The Gas Lantern Original Cauldron Crew from Port Royal and The Forgotten Coast Dancing Witches, a Florida-based performance group, meet up for a Witches Dance on Paris Avenue in Port Royal on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Sexual assault of 13-year-old girl lands Estill man in prison
Staff reports
A 37-year-old former Estill man convicted of sexually assaulting and impregnating a teenage girl is headed to prison.
Dominique Jermaine Anderson pleaded guilty Tuesday, Oct. 14 2025, at the Beaufort County Courthouse to second-degree criminal sexual conduct of a minor. He received 17 years in prison, suspended to a 10year active sentence, followed by 18 months’ probation. A suspended sentence means the defendant must successfully serve his active sentence and complete probation or face serving the entire sentence.
“It is very sad that the defendant used his access to this young victim to assault her, but hopefully this allows for some closure,” said Monica Main of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case.
Anderson denied the assault, which took place in Beaufort County, but the baby’s DNA confirmed Anderson is the infant’s father. The girl disclosed the abuse during a doctor’s visit when it was discovered she
was 32 weeks pregnant. She then revealed her abuser’s identity.
Anderson’s prior criminal convictions include simple assault (2008); unlawful carrying of a pistol (2012); simple possession of marijuana (2023); driving under suspension (2023) and failure to stop for a blue light (2024).
Anderson
In Georgia, Anderson has been convicted of six counts of first-degree forgery (2014); and driving under suspension (2018).
Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds handed down Tuesday’s sentence.
Main is a team attorney for Beaufort County and has worked for the Solicitor’s Office since 2023
The 14th Circuit Victims Services Center brings together several agencies to assist victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and other crimes against vulnerable people. If you need assistance, call 843-790-6220 or email vsc@solicitor14.org.
Democratic group to deliver letters opposing ICE deal to Sheriff
Staff reports
Sun City Democrats have organized a letter-writing campaign to Beaufort County Sherill P.J. Tanner to protest his support of ICE and his “disregard for the fundamental protections afforded to all under the Constitution.”
The letters will be deliv-
Shooting
from page A1
ered in person on Thursday, Oct. 23, beginning with a rally at 10 a.m. at the Beaufort County Government Building, followed by a walk to the Sheriff’s Headquarters on Bay Street.
“We find the agreement to assist ICE reprehensible, said Lynn gerson, President of the Sun City Democrats.
but sources close to law enforcement told The Island News that authorities believe that he is tied to the case because “several people identified Freeman that night at the scene.” Freeman was rebooked into the Beaufort County Detention Center around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, his 27th birthday, after a motion to have his bond revoked.
As of Tuesday, Oct. 21, there have been no arrests or charges filed in connection with the shooting that happened in the early morning hours at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island.
What we know
BCSO Sheriff P.J. Tanner held a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 13, where he revealed some information, but told those in attendance that at this point there is not a lot that can be shared because investigators are still combing the scene for evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Tanner said that investigators recovered shell casings and several guns that they were sending off to be analyzed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Also, he revealed that the incident seemed to be the result of a previous feud between several individuals present at the St. Helena bar.
According to Tanner, there were as many as 700 people in and around the bar when the shooting began and many in attendance were there for an after party following a Battery Creek High School reunion event.
Tanner said that he could not be specific about the number of shooters, but there were at least two or more people shooting weapons when gunfire broke out.
Additionally, Tanner said that while there was a very large crowd of people there that night, not one of the people they had talked to was able to definitively tell them who the shooters were.
“Sheriff Tanner didn’t listen to us at the community meetings, so we intend to keep the pressure on any way we can. The final pressure will come at the ballot box when he’s up for reelection. We have reached out to other groups in the community and the response has been amazing.”
Community help
The Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the case and released a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 21, saying that there is no new information to release regarding the case, but they included a plea for members of the community to come forward with any information that they have about the incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has set up a website for digital media tips specifically for this shooting.
Anyone with cellphone video or other multimedia recordings of the St. Helena shooting are encouraged to upload the media to www.fbi.gov/sthelenamassshooting.
During the press conference, Tanner said that they often have a hard time getting members of the community to submit anonymous tips to the Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County tip line because of mistrust that it is truly anonymous and the belief that the information will be tracked back to them somehow, which he says is not the case.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app on any mobile device, online at tipsbft.com or by calling 844-TIPS-BFT (844-847-7238).
BCSO is asking for any information beyond digital media to be submitted to the lead BCSO investigator for this case, Master Sgt. Duncan at 843-255-3418 or email him at TDuncan@BCGov.net.
“While we continue to keep all the victims, their families and everyone affected by this horrific shooting in our thoughts,” said the BCSO press release, “we also continue to urge all who have information to use the… resources to help bring closure to this case.”
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.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
NEWS
M.C.I. Foods recalls breakfast burritos positive test for Listeria
Staff reports
M.C.I. Foods Inc., a Santa Fe Springs, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 91,585 pounds of specific lots of readyto-eat (RTE) breakfast burrito and wrap products containing egg that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Saturday, Oct. 18
The individually packaged and bulk packed frozen breakfast burritos and wraps were produced between Sept. 17 2025, and Oct. 14 2025. A list of the products subject to recall can be found here at https://bit.ly/47xKowx. The labels for the impacted products can be found at https://bit.ly/472gZuu.
The products bear establishment number “EST. 1162A” or “P-5890A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to foodservice institutions nationwide. While the products may have been distributed to schools, it resulted from commercial sales and not part of food provided by the USDA for the National School Lunch Program.
The problem was discovered
pling and testing of RTE ingredients from its external suppliers.
There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Consumption of food contaminated with Lm can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within
two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in institutional refrigerators or freezers. Institutions are urged not to serve these products. These products should be thrown away.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.
Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact M.C.I. Foods, Inc. at 888-345-5364
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis. usda.gov/eCCF/.
Lowcountry Mindful Motion
‘End Gun Violence Walk’
BCSO investigating St. Helena shooting
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Tuesday shooting on St. Helena Island.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21 2025, shortly before 4 a.m., deputies responded to a report of shots fired on Shiney Road on St. Helena Island. While responding, deputies learned of a gunshot victim who was en route to the hospital. The victim, a 19-year-old male, is in stable condition with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
Three other individuals were inside the home at the time of the shooting and were not injured.
The investigation remains active. For information related to the incident on St. Helena Island, please contact Cpl. Petruzzi at 843255-3267
If wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app on your mobile device, online at tipsbft.com or by calling 844-TIPS-BFT (844-847-7238).
County testing Ballot Tabulating Machines
A public test of the Central Count Scanners (Ballot Tabulating Machines) for the Nov. 4
2025 Town of Bluffton, Town of Port Royal and Town of Yemassee General Municipal elections will begin on Thursday, Oct. 30 2025 at 10 a.m. at the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County office, located at 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29906
For more information, call 843 255-6900
ACLU strategist to speak at Indivisible Beaufort’s October meeting
Dulce Lopez, the inaugural Immigrant Rights Advocacy Strategist with the ACLU of South Carolina, will be the guest speaker when Indivisible Beaufort joins with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort for the Saturday, Oct. 25 meeting at 10:30 a.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort at 178 Sams Point Road on Lady’s Island.
Dulce’s advocacy spans South Carolina, Florida, and national efforts in Washington, D.C. In South Carolina she has led statewide initiatives to expand access to legal rights, strengthen rapid response networks, and challenge harmful immigration policies.
Dulce will provide an overview of the current landscape of immigration enforcement and its impact on local communities, including recent operations in the region.
The event is free and open to the public.
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, 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.
– Staff reports
Naomi Beulah Fields, founder of Lowcountry Mindful Motion, organized the “End Gun Violence Walk” at Port Royal Cypress Wetlands on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News
Community members came together for the “End Gun Violence Walk” at Port Royal Cypress Wetlands on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, that was organized by Naomi Beulah Fields, founder of Lowcountry Mindful Motion. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
The City of Beaufort’s Joe Ciccone watches as kids help themselves to Halloween treats at the City’s Spook-tacular Halloween in Waterfront Park on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Asa Aarons Smith/The Island News
Sophisticated soloists, sonorous sounds, super subscribers
By Michael Johns Special
to The Island News
USC Beaufort’s Chamber Music is pleased to announce its spectac ular 46th season.
Artistic Director, brilliant pianist, witty raconteur, and chatty chamber music pitchman Andrew Armstrong is bringing together a roster of seasoned veterans and rising stars to play works ranging from sublime, transcendent beauty to ravishing technical virtuosity. Major compositions by classical-music luminaries Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak, and Shostakovich anchor each program, toe-tapping fare by Johann Strauss, Jr., Gershwin, and Sousa loosen things up, and an avalanche of encore showstoppers by Bazzini, Paganini, Sarasate, Terterian, and Zolotaryov will astonish, leaving listeners gasping in their wake. Surely there is something for everyone.
The opening concert, Sunday, Nov. 9, features a return of the sensational young American violinist Kevin Zhu. His eye-and-ear opening debut on this series two seasons ago created an immediate clamor for re-engagement.
Following an international calendar of recitals and orchestral performances, Zhu returns to showcase flawless technique and bravura style. The program reflects an artist with wide-ranging tastes: Sonatas by Mozart and Ravel, Gershwin’s sassy Porgy and Bess arrangement by legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz, and show-pieces from tender — William Grant Still’s “Mother and Child” — to blistering — Sarasate’s Zapateado,” Moszkowski “Guitarre,” Ba-
zzini, “Dance of the Goblins.” Armstrong will provide sensitive pianistic support, stylistic insight, and orchestral heft.
The New Year kicks off on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, with two returning artists joining Armstrong: Stefan Jackiw, an acclaimed violinist in the midst of a major international career and cellist Raphael Bell, a highly-valued fixture in American and European concert halls. They will play two multi-movement works packed with an enormous amount of emotional power.
Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Opus 67 was dedicated to a close friend whose premature death in February 1944 affected Shostakovich profoundly. He wrote to the widow that "it is impossible to express in words all the grief that engulfed me on hearing the news," whereafter Shostakovich transferred feelings of anguish into music. Rounding out the program is Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Opus 90, (“Dumky”), a folksong-inflected composition of profundity, with sad ruminations separated by lively, dance-like episodes.
Armstrong will host but not play on the Sunday, March 1 2026, program, clearing the deck for a brilliant string-only romp. Violinists Maria Ioudenitch and Blake Pouliot, violist Matthew Lipman and cellist Edward Arron will perform Ravel’s first major work, the innovative String Quartet in F Major, written at age 27
For the second half they will be joined by a quartet of players trained at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University and on the cusp of brilliant classical music careers: violinists Virgil Moore and Hayoung Choi, violist Carlos Walker, and cellist Sara Scanlon. This will be the Series' debut of Mendelssohn’s amazing String Octet in E-flat Major, Opus 20. Written when Mendelssohn was 17, the Octet is arguably the greatest, freshest, most mature work of any 17-year-old classical composer anywhere at any time. It seamlessly combines the optimism and everything-is-possible zest of youth with classical restraint and romantic flamboyance. Warm humanism, familiar tunes and a bit of sardonic humor enliven the Sunday, March 29 2026 concert. Cellist Ani Aznavoorian and violinist Andrew Wan join pianists Park and Armstrong to interpret old favorites (Mozart Overture from The Marriage of Figaro, Edvard Grieg Two Norwegian Dances), raise the temperature with meatier fare (Shostakovich Cello Sonata No. 2, Grieg Violin Sonata No. 3), and conclude with a work as American as apple pie, Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever.
The season concludes on Sunday, April 26 2026, with the introduction of a new artist, instrument, and repertoire. Armstrong will be joined by clarinetist Yoonah Kim, an instant hit on her debut last season, and accordion virtuoso Ryan Corbett, a brilliant artist with an international classical performing career. Many of us have experienced the accordion's warm and joyful persona on sidewalks and in
Alzheimer’s Family Services to host artist reception
Staff reports 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. Her artwork 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/).
The exhibit, “Between the Stillness and Disappearance” is a deeply personal and emotionally resonant exhibit exploring the terrain of Alzheimer’s disease through texture, color, and silence. Inspired by her husband’s journey with the disease, her work invites viewers into a layered experience of memory, loss, and love.
Sisco’s signature style – oil on wood panel or canvas, often integrated with AI-generated inspiration- evokes the fragmentation and shimmer of memory, which of course is lost through the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Her use of texture and color creates emotional landscapes that are intimate and universal.
A companion hardcover book and takeaway booklet will be available for purchase at the exhibit. The book extends the exhibit’s narrative through high-resolution reproductions and poetic texts defining the art pieces. Because of the nature of her work, AFSGB readily accepted when approached about being involved with the exhibit. AFSGB, a local non-profit agency providing education, respite, and support to area caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease,
The Little Things by Deborah Sisco
welcomes the opportunity to help promote awareness of this disease in such a unique way. All too often, the disease of Alzheimer’s is ignored, until it hits home and sits on the couch beside you. This technique used by this exhibit will put the emotional journey of the disease and the caregivers right in front of the observer. There will be no denying the hardship of the journey through this disease which has no cure.
AFSGB is the only agency in the area that offers all these services. Currently they offer two support groups, one for caregivers and one for individuals in the early stage of their diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Additionally, they offer individual one on one counseling. They also offer confidential memory screening, in-home respite, and a social day program. The Purple Haven program helps to educate staff at local businesses on how to interact with a person with Alzheimer’s. For more information on their services please visit their website, AFSGB.org or call the office at 843-521-9190
café courtyards; few are aware that, in the hands of a master, it is also capable of the nuanced, intimate conversation of chamber music. Each instrument is fully explored: short piano miniatures by Bach, Perry, Still, Liadov, and Scriabin; solo concert works for accordion by Cunningham and Zolotaryov; clarinet and piano join for Brahms Clarinet Sonata No. 2, clarinet and accordion float in Taneyev’s soothing Canzona, and the 46th season is brought to a riotous close with a trio performance of Srul Glick’s The Klezmer’s Wedding. After 45 successful seasons, this is our first ever subscriptions-only season. If you are not now one of the lucky subscribers, you can join us for all five concerts by settling into a comfortable spot before a screen and streaming the video created by the Series’ inventive and experienced videographer. If you are a subscriber who at any point cannot use or gift your ticket(s), please email ljones@usch. edu and donate them to the Series. We will make every effort to resell returned tickets to our wait-listers; all proceeds go directly to the Endowment.
Crossing the sold-out-by-subscription threshold is the envy of every performing arts organization in the country. It reflects well on our arts-loving lowcountry community and reaffirms its expectation that performances will be exciting, in-the-moment, gotta’-be-there creative experiences accentuating the power of music to unleash emotions and elevate spirits. Although he makes it look easy, Artistic Director Armstrong spends a great deal of offstage
time pondering programs that match players, balance repertoire, generate a natural flow in each individual program, while investing the entire season with a cohesive overview. At all times he remains wedded to the idea that music is for everyone and attains its highest calling when it educates, enlightens and, most importantly entertains.
There are three ways to enjoy each concert: in person at the Arts Center and virtually by LiveStream and OnDemand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced; great viewing opportunities abound. On the Wednesday before each concert, live and virtual ticket holders receive an email with a link to Sunday’s concert. OnDemand is accessible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks.
Each Friday before a Series concert the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) presents Inside the Music, a two-hour deep dive into Sunday's repertoire. Dr. Michael Johns provides multiple recorded excerpts and commentary, acclimating listeners to what they will hear. Classes are free, open to the public, and are held at USCB’s Center for the Arts, Room 102 at 10 a.m.. Call 843-208-8247
For concert, artist, event, OLLI, and ticket information, go to www. uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-521-3107, Monday through Friday. The first concert of USCB Chamber Music's 46th season is Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. All performances begin at 5 p.m., and will be at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, in the downtown historic district.
Shorts at High Noon continues this week
Staff reports The Beaufort Film Society, in association with the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), is presenting the popular Shorts at High Noon program once again this fall, and it continues this week.
You'll get a chance to catch encore presentations for many of the 2025 Beaufort International Film Festival films in the categories of Shorts, Student Films, Short Documentaries, and Animation Films. Spend your lunch hour at the movies. Get excited, get inspired, and get ready for BIFF 2026, the event’s 20th anniversary. Screenings are on
Wednesdays only. Checkin time is 11:30 a.m., with screenings beginning promptly at High Noon.
TCL’s Auditorium is located at 921 Ribaut Road, Building 12 in Beaufort.
Admission is free. For more information, visit beaufortfilmfestival.com.
Shorts At High Noon
2025 Schedule
All screenings, held on Wednesdays, are from the 2025 Beaufort International Film Festival. Category or Individual winners are denoted by * Oct. 29
Familiar (18 minutes, Short)
Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku
ARTS BRIEFS
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.”
Upcoming events include: Saturday, Oct. 25 – Taste of the Lowcountry Crawl: Pat Conroy Literary Festival, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., www.patconroyliterarycenter.org/festival.
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 843683-4100 or email tamela.maxim@libraries4kids.org for reservations.
Saturday, Nov. 22 – Book Signing: Ta-
Pi (11 minutes, Short Documentary)
Burning the Old Man (18 minutes, Short) Nov. 5
*Neither Donkey Nor Horse (29 minutes, Short) Love Less Likely (17 minutes, Short) Nov. 12
Breakfast In Beaufort (29 minutes, Short Doc)
*Ms. Rossi 3: Ms. Rossi Meets the Mob (20 minutes, Short)
Nov. 19 BFS Members will vote on 1 of 3 BIFF 2026 film submissions to help determine an Official Selection for the upcoming festival. Proof of membership is required.
caron, 6983 Okatie Hwy, Ridgeland, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
USCB Center for the Arts hosting ‘Timeless, Everchanging: Coastal Portraits’ Elevate Art presents “Timeless, Everchanging: Coastal Portraits” by John Gleason through Thursday, Oct. 30 at the USCB Center for the Arts Gallery at 805 Carteret Street in Beaufort.
The gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. The gallery is only open on weekends during performances.
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
Andrew Armstrong
600,000 in SC face huge health insurance spikes
By Jack O’Toole StatehouseReport.com
A government program that more than 600 000 South Carolinians rely on for health insurance remains at the center of the federal shutdown that began Oct. 1. It shows no signs of being resolved soon.
Driving the fight is a battle over enhanced federal health care subsidies, first implemented during the pandemic. The aid helps 24 million middleand lower-income Americans to afford private health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare as it’s widely known.
Congressional Democrats say they won’t go along with any plan to reopen the government that doesn’t reverse earlier GOP legislation that ended the enhanced subsidies — threatening 17 million ACA participants with triple-digit rate hikes heading into 2026
Under the GOP plan, the average out-of-pocket annual cost for an ACA policy for a family of four earning $90 000 a year would jump by $3 735 – more than $300 a month, which puts health insurance out of reach for many. Another stat: A 60-yearold couple making $85 000 a year would be facing a $22 600 annual premium hike — about 25% of their total income.
In an Oct. 14 social media post, Democratic U.S. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina spotlight-
ed the health insurance dispute.
“Republicans are the party of kicking Americans off health care,” he wrote. “That was true during Trump’s first term when they tried to kill the ACA, and it's true now.”
But on the other side of the aisle, Upstate Congressman Ralph Norman, who’s seeking the 2026 GOP nomination for governor, claimed Democrats engineered the shutdown to benefit people who are in the country illegally.
“Democrats shut down the government for illegal aliens then got angry when President Trump made sure our troops got paid,” Norman said in an Oct. 15 post, referring to a Pentagon accounting maneuver that funded paychecks for active duty military members on Oct. 15. “Tells you everything you need to know about their priorities.”
Budget experts say Norman’s charge regarding Democratic priorities is inaccurate – or at best unclear – since illegal immigrants aren’t eligible for ACA subsidies or other federal health care programs such as Medicaid under federal law.
What ACA price hikes would look like in SC
Aaron Polkey is the president and CEO of the Palmetto Project, which runs the state’s only nonprofit insurance agency, Insure S.C.
In a Thursday interview,
Polkey, who’s currently running for a nonpartisan seat on Charleston City Council, called the planned price spike a “disaster” for South Carolina’s private insurance system.
“Everyone is facing higher premiums, regardless of how they get their insurance,” he said. “Because if substantial numbers of consumers are pushed out of the market [by the subsidy cuts], that’s going to rip through the entire system, raising rates for everybody.”
To illustrate the problem, Polkey pointed to expected price hikes ranging from 111% to 231% for South Carolinians earning the median income or less — increases that would force about 150,000 to drop their insurance, according to the S.C. Hospital Association.
And with ACA open enrollment set to begin on Nov. 1, Polkey said it’s critical to get subsidies back in place quickly.
“We’re too close to open enrollment for the entire system to be teetering on the edge with this kind of uncertainty,” he said. “This has got to stop, because it’s giving the insurance companies no other choice but to publish these super-inflated price projections that [put everyone’s] backs against a wall.”
That’s a concern shared by S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce President Frank Knapp, who noted that only 21% of S.C. businesses with fewer
than 50 employees can afford to provide health insurance for their employees.
“The Affordable Care Act is how these small business owners and their employees get their health insurance,” Knapp told Statehouse Report on Oct. 16. “And if those enhanced subsidies go away, we’ll have thousands of people who simply can’t afford their health insurance.”
Meanwhile, with the federal shutdown set to move into its 17th day, University of South Carolina economist Joseph Von Nessen warned that the state would begin to see widespread economic impacts if a deal isn’t reached soon.
“Once we get out past the 30-day mark, we start to see the potential for significant disruptions,” Von Nessen said in an Oct. 16 interview. “That’s when more businesses are likely to be affected due to suspended government contracts and where federal employees begin to miss paychecks, which affects spending in the local economy.”
But for his part, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said he doesn’t believe we’re going to get to that point.
“I think the shutdown’s not going to last much longer,” McMaster told reporters on Oct. 15 At press time, there were no public indications that Republicans and Democrats were in active negotiations to resolve the impasse.
Holy Week @ 7:30 p.m. Good Friday, Apr. 18 @ noon
Holy Eucharist 9 a.m & 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday School & Nursery at 11 a.m. Service of Hope & Healing Weds. @ noon 1104 11th St., Port Royal stmarksportroyal.org
Easter Vigil, Apr. 19 @ 7:30 p.m.
Holy Week @ 7:30 p.m. Good Friday, Apr. 18 @ noon
Easter Vigil, Apr. 19 @ 7:30 p.m.
Easter Sunday Apr. 20 @ 9 & 11 a.m. 1104 11th St., Port Royal stmarksportroyal.org
Easter Sunday Apr. 20 @ 9 & 11 a.m. 1104 11th St., Port Royal stmarksportroyal.org
By Emma June Grosskopf Special to The Island News
BEAUFORT
he power of positivity
Thelped Victoria Carter, 50, through her breast cancer treatment journey, along with a rich support system, her care team at Beaufort Memorial and a whole heap of hope.
Victoria was a Beaufort County elementary school teacher until early 2022 when she became a caretaker for her father. During that time, she was diagnosed with stage 2B triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma after feeling a lump in her right breast, near the nipple. Her daughter, Christian, who was 23 at the time, encouraged her mom to speak with her doctor about the lump. After a conversation with her gynecologist, who then hurried to get her scheduled for a mammogram right away, Victoria was diagnosed with the aggressive form of breast cancer.
The next thing that Victoria had to do – before even telling her loved ones, before beginning treatment – was internalize what that diagnosis meant for her.
“I was in denial,” she said. “I just wasn’t educated about it. People think that when you’re diagnosed, it’s something you should have known about, but it really wasn’t in my circle at the time.”
‘A long and challenging journey’ Things moved fast for Victoria following her April 2022 diagnosis. Her treatment at the Beaufort
Harnessing the ‘power of positivity’ HEALTH
Beaufort breast cancer survivor braved her diagnosis with hope and support from family, sorority
Victoria Carter’s message to anyone experiencing a cancer diagnosis is a simple yet powerful one: surround yourself with positivity and listen to your body. Photo courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center included immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation, and the course of treatment took a huge toll on her physically. She received care from two Beaufort Memorial oncologists at the Keyserling Cancer Center, as well as had her lumpectomy performed by Dr. Tara Grahovac, a board-certified and fellowship trained breast oncology surgeon who sees patients as a part of the Beaufort Memorial Breast Care & Surgery Program. She received radiation treatment under the care of Dr. Jonathan Briggs with Beaufort Memorial Radiation Oncology.
Another critical part of Victoria’s treatment journey was Kianna Brown, LMSW, an oncology social worker at Beaufort Memorial. Brown brought her bubbly person-
ality to Victoria’s journey, and her sparkle was much appreciated.
“I really appreciate Kianna being there; her personality kept me going during treatment,” Victoria said.
Pairing both family support and care, Victoria’s niece Alayshia used her passion for beauty to craft her aunt’s wigs throughout her treatment. These wigs made her feel more like herself and were a crucial form of self-care.
Treatment had some strong physical side effects for the former teacher, but because of the support from her Beaufort Memorial care team, her family and her sorority, Beaufort Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, she persevered through illness and completed treatment in August 2023
Despite Victoria’s “long and challenging journey,”
Brown said, her huge heart shone through.
“She and her sorority sisters would still put together care packages for the infusion center to hand out to other patients to let them know that others were rooting for them,” Brown recalled. “I was more than happy to be present with her in her moments of fear because being alone can be so incredibly scary and vulnerable.”
Continuing support beyond treatment
Victoria’s own diagnosis and treatment journey was an educational one for her, and she dedicated herself to researching triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer that, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic women.
Victoria, throughout her treatment, sought help for her mental health to help her through the ups and the downs of chemo, immunotherapy and radiation, but there’s a family component that should be prioritized, too, she said.
“After my treatment was over, I took it upon myself to see a psychologist at Beaufort Memorial to start talking about my feelings. No one at home understands; they haven’t been through it,” she explained. “And family counseling is important, too. … We don’t think about the kids and what they’re going through.”
Victoria’s resilience, and the resilience of her family as she underwent treat-
ment, was bolstered by the love and support from her network.
The power of positivity
Victoria’s strong support system comprised of family, friends and her sorority sisters was what kept her going and got her through her treatment, through the side effects, the fatigue, the anxiety and the stress.
The power of their positivity was stronger than all of it.
“During my treatment, I had friends that would call me every day,” Victoria said.
“They’d send me a message every day to keep my mental
health and my mindset above water.”
Her twofold message to anyone experiencing a cancer diagnosis is a simple yet powerful one: surround yourself with positivity and listen to your body.
“Each journey is so different. I believe in the power of positivity,” she said. “Having a positive mind gives me the hope of a positive outcome. When you’re going through it, you experience all the negative parts of it. You need positivity around you. My friends calling me, my sorority, they poured that hope into me.”
Mammogram coming up? Here’s what to do beforehand
Special to The Island News
If you’re at average risk for breast cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms starting no later than age 45. You can then switch to every other year after age 55
“No matter what age you are, it’s important to take control of your breast health,” says Dr. Evan J. Wolff, a board-certified radiologist at Beaufort Memorial who is fellowship-trained in breast radiology. “A little effort can make all the difference in creating a positive experience.”
Here’s how to make the most of your breast screening.
Schedule it at the right time
Your mammogram should fit into your social calendar and monthly cycle.
While you can undergo a mammogram at any time of the month, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against mammograms during your period or the week leading up to it. During the last two weeks of your cycle, your breasts may be tender, become more dense or swell, making the mammogram less comfortable. To avoid these issues, schedule your first mammogram and every other one during the first couple of weeks of your cycle.
Pick a trusted provider When scheduling your mammo-
BEAUFORT MEMORIAL STILL OFFERING SCREENING MAMMOGRAMS FOR $99 UNTIL END OF OCTOBER
This month, Beaufort Memorial has partnered with MDSave to offer $99 3D mammograms at three locations in the Lowcountry. Patients who purchase the $99 mammogram voucher by the end of the month will be able to schedule their screening appointments anytime within six months of purchase. Appointments are available in Beaufort, Okatie and on Hilton Head Island, and can be purchased online at BeaufortMemorial.org/ SaveOnMammos.
gram, make sure your healthcare provider of choice has experience and advanced technology.
• Experience — A screening mammogram looks for signs of cancer. If this detects potential cancer, a diagnostic mammogram confirms or denies the presence of cancer. Your mammography provider should have experience with both types of mammography.
• Technology — A mammogram is an X-ray that photographs breast tissue. New digital technology (digital breast tomosynthesis) takes pictures from multiple angles. These combine to produce three-dimensional images.
“With 3D mammography, you get more thorough imaging,” Dr. Wolff says. “This reduces the likelihood that you’ll need repeat tests. It also makes it easier to detect breast cancer in women, even in dense breast tissue.”
Dress for success
“Believe it or not, what you wear to your mammogram matters,” Dr. Wolff says. “Wear the wrong outfit, and you may make your experience less than ideal.”
How should you dress up for your appointment? Here are a few dos and don’ts.
• Beauty products — Powder, lotion, cosmetics, perfume and deodorant can cause abnormalities in your screening. Don’t use them on the day of your exam. If you do have any products on your breasts or armpits, request a wipe to clean the breast and armpit areas before your exam.
• Clothing — When you come for a mammogram, you have to change into a gown. To make the transition easy, wear a blouse and a skirt, shorts or pants. This way, you can keep your lower half covered throughout your experience.
• Jewelry — Before your exam, you must remove dangling earrings and necklaces. To prevent the risk of losing any
jewelry, it’s best to leave it at home.
• Shoes — Unlike some imaging tests, a mammogram requires you to stand during the screening. Prevent foot pain by wearing comfortable shoes and saving your high heels for another day.
Give your technologist the scoop Communication plays a big role in a positive mammography experience. Before heading to the mammography machine, tell your technologist about anything that could affect your test results, such as: Being pregnant or breastfeeding; Changes or problems you’ve noticed in your breasts, such as breast pain; Difficulty standing without a walking device, such as a cane or walker;
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded at any point during your mammogram; and/or ... Having breast implants.
You should also bring a list of your medications. If you prefer, bring your medications with you instead. All of this information allows your technologist to better serve your needs. It helps you stay safe during your exam and ensure any potential problem areas are investigated.
Ignore the myths
There are many myths about mammograms. Believe them, and they can keep you from the breast healthcare you deserve. Common myths you may believe include:
• Insurance won’t cover it — Most health plans, including Medicare, cover annual mammograms. It hurts too much — Compressing your breasts can be uncomfortable, but few women find the screening painful. If a mammogram causes pain, over-the-counter pain medication should help.
• It takes too long — Even the busiest schedules have room for an annual mammogram. In just 30 minutes, you can find out whether you have breast cancer. This quick screening can possibly save your life.
• It’s not for me — “High breast density, a family history of breast cancer and never breastfeeding put women at higher risk for breast cancer,” Dr. Wolff says. “However, you can get breast cancer without any risk factors. Regardless of your risk level, undergoing regular mammograms is essential for everyone.”
• The copay is too high — Many programs are available to offset your out-of-pocket mammography cost.
Victoria Carter, poses in front of the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center in Beaufort, with oncology social worker Kianna Brown, LMSW, who played an impactful role in Victoria's journey. Photo courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital
OBITUARIES
R icha R d G R ay 1931 – 2025
Beaufort
Richard Lee Gray, died Oct. 14 2025 at his residence after a short illness. Employees and customers at Grayco Hardware on Lady's Island have been well aware that the man who had been on hand to answer any question, fix any problem, and greet any customer was MIA and thus our hardware world has not been turning as it should have these past several weeks; his warm welcomes will now be consigned to our memories.
Born in Port Royal, S.C., in 1931 when Paris Avenue had four stores and four gas street lamps, Richard was one of the eight Gray children, most of whom lived in the Carolina Lowcountry their entire lives. None loved their community more or worked harder to contribute to its growth and safe keeping than Richard.
Throughout their youth, the Gray boys were occupied finding jobs to make their way and support their family: selling snacks to recruits at the train depot, running errands, and taking care of lawns. In their 20s, Richard and his brother Don went to the docks to try shrimping until Richard landed a job at the Parris Island Exchange and discovered retail was much more in his line. He had a great eye for quality and value, and that asset led him to the deal of a lifetime when he stopped working long enough to catch Joyce Gross's eye and ask her to be his bride. Soon after the ask, they began their 63 very happy and fruitful years together.
Shortly after their wedding, Richard and Joyce went to their parents for $6 500 of seed money so that he could open a small auto supply store, which was the first of Richard's many business ventures. In 1961 , he expanded his operation and opened Beaufort Muffler and Auto Supply on Boundary Street. In the 70 s, he expanded again with hardware items and another store on Hilton Head Island.
Always alert for new opportunities and ever ready to do the work necessary for success, Richard continued working and expanding throughout his long and productive life. At his death he leaves his family and his community seven thriving hardware, home furnishings, and lumber businesses employing 285 Lowcountry residents, and the Richard Gray Family Foundation supporting many varied and worthy community endeavors.
Throughout his business life, Richard believed in providing a helping hand whenever he could: selling items on time payments when that was what the customer needed, assisting young entrepreneurs to get up and running, and developing properties for new businesses when that is what was needed to get things underway. He and Joyce never forgot what it was like to build from the ground up and always remembered that the community they loved so well was the source of their
business successes. Thus, Richard tirelessly shared his work ethic and business acumen with numerous business and educational boards over the years.
Richard was predeceased by his parents Evie Magahee Gray and Harold Bogan Gray Sr., his beloved wife Joyce, and his sister Barbara Ann Lubkin and brothers Harold Bogan Gray Jr., George Donald Gray, James Marion (Sammy) Gray, and William John (Matsy) Gray. He is survived by his sister Margaret Elizabeth (Linda) Cross, his brother Roy Delano Gray, his four children: Caroline Gray Bevon, Suzanne Gray Wilkie, Richard Lee Gray Jr., and Herbert Gross Gray (Marjorie), and his nine grandchildren: John Patrick Bevon, Caroline Qualey Bevon, Chandler Allen Burns (Sarah), Richard Lee Gray Ill, Madeleine Benson Gray, Kate Lawson Gray, Hope Chandler Gray, Herbert Trask Gray, and Marjorie Leith Gray. A service was to be held Wednesday, Oct. 22 2025, at 1 p.m. at St. Helena's Parish Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Habitat for Humanity and the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation.
d R . M ichael J. h ol R oyde 1951 – 2025
Dr. Michael J. Holroyde passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose wisdom, humor, and gentle spirit touched everyone who knew him.
His wishes were to be cremated and returned to his family.
Born to Harold Holroyde and Ellen Beatrice (White) Holroyde, Michael spent his early years in England. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Bath University and later completed his Ph.D. at the University of Birmingham. His curiosity, intellect, and love of learning guided him throughout his life and career.
Michael is survived by his beloved wife, Evelyn West Holroyde, and his children Chris (Tammy) Ricci, Nik (Julie) Ricci, Sarah (Mark) Vaught, and Alex (Ali) Holroyde. He was a proud and loving grandfather to Alayna, Nathan, Landon, Connor, Anthony, Sophia, Andrew, Addie May, Norah, Charlee Grace, and Sadie Beatrice.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, David William Holroyde.
Michael will be remembered as a man of integrity, deep thought, and quiet strength — a faithful presence in the lives of those he loved. His legacy lives on through his family and the countless ways he encouraged and inspired them.
LowcoSports.com
JPII wraps up region; playoffs await
The John Paul II girls volleyball team wrapped up the region title with a five-set win over Hilton Head Christian Academy last week and kept the momentum going into the SCISA State Tournament with a pair of convincing sweeps.
The Golden Warriors locked down the region crown when they outlasted HHCA in a five-set thriller, rallying to win 27-25, 1925 23-25 25-21 15-10, behind 14 kills from Emma McKamey, eight from Gabby Heathcott, and seven each from Lily Termini and Lauren Majorkiewicz. Miranda Moulton had 22 assists, and Gracie Cotter added 19 as they ran the offense for JPII.
The Golden Warriors didn’t have to work nearly as hard on senior night, sweeping past Trinity Collegiate 25-15 25-23 26-24 to complete their region schedule with an undefeated record. Ellie Heathcott led the way with seven kills, Lily Termini and Lauren Majorkiewicz added five apiece, and Moulton ran the offense with 16 assists and seven digs. Rachael Brenneman led JPII’s defense with 24 digs.
JPII wrapped up the regular season with a 25-5 25-13 25-21 sweep of Hilton Head Prep, as McKamey put down 12 kills, Termini added six, and Moulton dished out 14 assists, helping the Golden Warriors celebrate their Dig Pink game in support of the Beaufort Memorial Foundation.
JPII (14-9-2) opens the dou-
Bishop England 24, Beaufort 14
ble-elimination SCISA Class 4A State Tournament on Friday.
Eagles draw familiar foe; Bucs open at home
The Beaufort High girls volleyball team will face a familiar opponent in the first round of the SCHSL Class 4A playoffs, and they’ll be at home to do it.
Beaufort drew the No. 7 seed in the Lower State bracket and opens at home against Region 6-4A rival Bluffton on Wednesday. The teams split in the regular season, with each team winning 3-1 on the road.
In Class 2A, Bridges Prep will have home games through at least the first two rounds, starting Tuesday against Manning. The Bucs will await either Timberland or Andrew Jackson if they advance. Whale Branch drew a tough firstround matchup against powerhouse Philip Simmons.
Battery Creek is the No. 12 seed in the Class 3A bracket and travels to No. 5 seed Silver Bluff.
Dolphins, Bucs boys set for playoffs
The SCHSL boys volleyball playoff brackets are set, and both Battery Creek and Bridges Prep will open with road matches in the first round.
The Dolphins drew the No. 8 seed in the Lower State and will travel to Academic Magnet on Tuesday with the winner advancing to take on the winner of Bridges Prep’s road matchup at No. 2 seed Bluffton. The second round is scheduled for Thursday.
Tylik Isom had a breakout performance with 141 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and Braydon-Moyd Smalls connected with Qualeek Isnar for a touchdown pass, but it wasn’t enough for the Eagles to knock off the defending region champions on the road.
Quinn Mahoney went 12-for-18 for 141 yards and threw touchdown passes to Zachary Balog and William Donato. Mitchell Plaisance added 90 yards and a TD on the ground for Bishop England (6-2 1-2), which had dropped its first two region games.
Beaufort (3-5, 1-2) hosts May River on Friday, needing a win to break into the top four in the Region 6-4A standings.
Oceanside Collegiate 45, Battery Creek 0
The Dolphins turned the ball over on three of their first four possessions, the first two leading to Aiden Manavian TD passes, and Rhys Meredith took the third one 31 yards to the house to give the Landsharks a 21-0 lead. Oceanside stretched it to 42-0 by halftime with Zakhi Muncey scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns before Manavian found Terence Johnson for their second scoring connection of the night. The Landsharks eased off the gas after halftime and added a field goal in the fourth quarter.
Battery Creek (2-6, 0-2) hosts undefeated Orangeburg-Wilkinson on Friday.
Lake Marion 28, Whale Branch 26
The Warriors went down to the wire for the second straight week, but after pulling off a road win at Edisto to open region play, they found themselves on the wrong side of a one-score game Friday.
The teams traded scores all night, and the stadium was rocking for homecoming in Seabrook with the S.C. State marching band in the house, but the Gators escaped with a hard-fought region win.
Whale Branch (3-5, 1-1) faces a tough test at Hampton County on Friday. The Hurricanes have won their first three region games by a combined score of 149-0
John Paul II 47, Thomas Heyward 21
The Golden Warriors continued their resurgent season with a lopsided road win over the Rebels, albeit a Thomas Heyward team without its biggest weapon.
THA star Tony O’Banner had a previously arranged recruiting visit planned for the Rebels’ off week, so he wasn’t available for this impromptu matchup that was added to the schedule late, and JPII’s ground game feasted in his absence.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP
Jadon Inabinett rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries, and quarterback Alan Wolf added 102 yards and two touchdowns on just two totes along with a touchdown pass to Zachary Moulton. Andrew Boyden added 40 yards and a touchdown on six carries, as the Golden Warriors’ offensive line dominated in the trenches all night.
Sean Phalen had seven tackles (five for loss) and a sack, and Taylor Murphy added five tackles to lead JPII’s defense, while Ethan Osterling and Harrison Milliard each recovered fumbles.
JPII (5-3 1-0) gets a home rematch with Hilton Head Christian Academy on Friday, and the Eagles won’t have quarterback Reid McCollum this time around. A win would
set up JPII for a region championship showdown at Pinewood Prep on Oct. 30
Colleton Prep 28, Beaufort Academy 14
The War Hawks finished what they started on Sept. 26, holding off the Eagles for their seventh straight win and clinching the SCISA 2-1A region title.
Colleton Prep jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead before the game was halted due to inclement weather and resumed three weeks later in Walterboro. Cale Owens scored a pair of rushing touchdowns before the break and added another Friday, finishing with 201 yards on 21 carries and
and
scores. Tanner Wolf added 92
touchdown on 12 carries for CPA.
Whale Branch Warriors Dontray Lewis (54) and Micah Green (76) stop a Lake Marion ball carrier on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at Whale Branch Early College High School in Seabrok. But Lake Marion went on to win,
Beaufort middle hitter Samiya Lee (19) sends the ball over against Hilton Head Island on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at Beaufort High School. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Players from both teams collide with an official during when Lake Marion visited Whale Branch Early College High School on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Staff reports
Whale Branch specialist named 2025-26 BCSD Support Staff of the Year
Behavior Management Specialist, Kelvin Simmons, honored
Whale Branch Early College High School’s Behavior Management Specialist, Kelvin Simmons, has been named the Beaufort County School District’s 2025-2026
Support Staff of the Year, an honor announced during the district’s annual Support Staff Celebration Breakfast.
Simmons was chosen for the district-wide recognition through a competitive application process, which included essays highlighting his impactful role in the school community, his contributions to student achievement, and his ability to inspire, motivate, and support both students and colleagues.
Whale Branch Early College High School 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,” said Peacock. “If a student is having a tough day, Mr. Simmons will pull them aside and have a meaningful conversation. No one
walks by him without being acknowledged. He brings a warm, welcoming energy to our building and jumps in to help without hesitation. He’s just an incredible presence to have in our school.”
Simmons was surprised by the announcement and expressed deep appreciation for the recognition, as well as a strong commitment to the students he serves.
“It’s truly an honor,” Simmons said. “Every day at Whale Branch Early College High School, we give 110% to make sure our students are safe and supported. I try to speak to every student every day, give them that positive message they need, and help set them up for success in their education and beyond.”
All of the school-level
Support Staff of the Year recipients were recognized during the breakfast held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Weezie Educational Pavilion. Support Staff of the Year recipients typically include social workers, school nurses, bookkeepers, office managers, teacher assistants, school secretaries, and technology and data specialists.
TCL to hold Saturday Enrollment Fair in Beaufort, Bluffton, Walterboro
The Technical College of the Lowcountry will hold an enrollment fair for its spring and summer 2026 semesters from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1, at its Beaufort Mather, New River and TCL Colleton campuses.
Those interested in learning more about TCL’s 60-plus program areas of study are welcome to attend. Information on the college’s programs and majors, admissions, financial aid, course planning and registration will be provided as well as one-on-one assistance.
The Beaufort Mather Campus event will take place at The Hub in Building 8 921 Ribaut Road, in Beaufort. The New River Campus event will take place at 100 Community College Drive, in Bluffton. The TCL Colleton Campus event
will take place at 1085 Thunderbolt Drive, in Walterboro. For more information or to RSVP visit www.tcl.edu/chart.
JPII welcomes Tim Conroy, Jonathan Haupt for discussion
John Paul II Catholic School’s English students recently had the special opportunity to host Tim Conroy, poet and brother of Pat Conroy, and Jonathan Haupt, executive director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, for a literary panel discussion. Their visit served as a meaningful conclusion to recent class studies, bringing books and ideas to life through storytelling and reflection.
Students in Wendy Lacombe’s class read “Educated” by Tara Westover, exploring themes of perseverance and the power of learning. Jeanie Wilks’ senior class read Pat Conroy’s “The Water Is Wide,” a beloved Lowcountry classic that
highlights education’s ability to transform lives. After completing their research projects, students engaged in a rich conversation with the guests about Pat Conroy’s legacy and the role of literature in inspiring change.
“Hearing directly from those who knew Pat Conroy gave our students a deeper connection to the work,” said Wilks. Lacombe added, “It showed them how personal stories can shape public conversations.”
The visit reflected JPII’s commitment to faith, critical thinking, and meaningful engagement with the world — encouraging students to see themselves as both learners and storytellers who can make a difference.
School, aid applications open for JPII
The 2026-27 application for School and Financial Aid at John Paul II Catholic School are open. Ready to see how JPII combines academic excellence, athletic achievement, artistic sensibility, and a focus on safety to create a nurturing environment? Visit the admissions section of our website at johnpaul2school.org.
Contact Anne McClure, Admissions Director, at 843-645-3838, to schedule a private tour.
– Staff reports
Whale Branch Early College High School’s Kelvin Simmons being named District Support Staff of the Year with Board of Education Chair Col. Richard Geier, U.S. Army, retired. Photo courtesy of Beaufort County School District
Tim Conroy, left and Jonathan Haupt hold a discussion with a class at John Paul II Catholic School. Photo courtesy of John Paul II Catholic School
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island
Trumpism is taking a terrible toll on country
Perhaps the question of a generation is, “Who would have ever thought that young leaders of any major political party in America would secretly message each other that they loved Adolf Hitler?”
Since World War II, it’s been a given that supporters of freedom despised the former German fascist leader after he plunged the world into a global killing field. An estimated 75 million people died — 25 million in the military and 50 million civilians, including 6 million Jews exterminated by Hitler. For decades, it didn’t matter what your political party was when it came to Hitler and the Third Reich. If there was one thing – just one thing — that everybody could agree on, it was that Hitler was despicable and what he did only needs to be in the history books to remind people how horrible we can be to each other. So it won’t happen again.
Fast forward to today. Just about everybody still will agree Hitler
Iwas a monster authoritarian, and that World War II was an Axis slaughter brought on by Germany, Japan and Italy.
So imagine the surprise of a nation last week when Politico published a story about how young wannabe Republican leaders glorified Hitler in a secret group chatroom filled with hate, antisemitism, bigotry and homophobia. And it wasn’t just a handful of people with scattered comments. The monthslong session stretching from Kansas to New York included 2 900 pages of Telegram chat and thousands of exchanges of vitriol that would make your skin peel.
“I love Hitler,” one Young Republican organizational leader chirped. “I’m ready to watch people burn now,” another said. And yet another: “They love the watermelon people.”
Disgusting.
America is becoming coarser, thanks to a grab-em-by-the-p***y attitude coming from the top. Allies who once glorified American freedom now are stepping back, cutting skeptical and angry side glances because of what’s happening here. The constant barrages of Washington lies, threats, theatrics, bullying, layoffs, firings and now a shutdown are taking an emotional toll on everyday Americans.
And that’s what the new fascists, like this subset of Young Republicans, want. It is unbelievable their behavior got little more than a slap on the wrist from a far from apologetic Vice President J.D. Vance: “That’s what kids do,” he said. No, it’s not. It’s abnormal. But President Trump — as candidate,
past president and current president — has been normalizing this kind of vitriol for years. It’s wrong. It’s un-American. We shouldn’t allow it to fester.
Some GOP leaders have been quick to vilify the kind of social-media-fueled bigotry that led to where we are. If this kind of castigation of improper behavior doesn’t continue, realize how this kind of mess could spread. Remember, this is the same kind of junk that spurred racist murderer Dylann Roof to kill nine people in a Charleston church in 2015
For years, the American people have been absorbing this emotional turmoil being spewed in Washington and legislatures across the country. It’s wrong and people shouldn’t accept any normalization of hate and fear. All Americans need to stand up and let their leaders know that it’s time for real change. It’s time for civility and policy, not fear and division.
Last week’s commentary highlighted how so-called antifa
is nothing more than a made-up movement by Trumpies to generate distrust. Fueling fear isn’t what America needs. We need to get back to what the Founding Fathers wanted – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not despotism.
Frank Serpico, a New York detective lionized in a movie with his last name, once said, “The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on ourselves, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity.” Don’t let the neo-fascists win. Speak out. If our ancestors believed democracy was easy, we’d be speaking German and Japanese.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
Issues with the shootout at Willie’s
n case you missed Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s press conference last week, here’s the short course.
There was a large crowd in front of Willie’s Bar and Grill at the Corners Community on St. Helena Island in the early hours of Sunday morning, Oct. 12 right around closing time. In the crowd were (at least) two individuals who were engaged in a “feud” between them, apparently because one had recently “disrespected” the other on Facebook.
BILL RAUCH
The aggrieved party was waiting with a “machine gun” across the nightclub’s driveway when the author of the Facebook post exited the nightclub’s front door. That’s when the shooting started.
Both men, and possibly a third, were armed with “machine guns,” and both and possibly the third engaged in the ensuing shoot-out. Four innocent bystanders were shot dead on the spot, and four more sustained life-threatening injuries.
Remember the old Life cereal commercial where three kids are sitting around the table, discussing what foods are good for you? The punchline is “give it to Mikey, he’ll eat anything.”
Well, it seems that Mikey of House Speaker fame will eat any order 47 feeds him. He ingests, chews it up and spits it out with rhythmic regularity, all the while with that simpering, little boy look on his face.
I am so tired of Mike Johnson’s fast and loose play with the law, accompanied each time with an overdose of hypocrisy. His lies are outrageous, and his lack of integrity abysmal.
I was recently clearing my desk of what seemed like a ton of rubble. If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then is an empty desk a sign? So, yes, I digress early in the game.
What I came upon was something I had copied quite a while ago, The Seven Core Principles of Conservatism. I have never denied my interest in exactly what these folks stand for, nor do I deny that I find some of it valid. I will not deny, however, that I found myself doing a double-take seeing the author … Congressman Mike Johnson.
“Well, now,” I said. “This should be an interesting read.”
What follows is an encapsulation of Johnson’s treatise. I would like nothing more than to present his notions in their entirety, but again word constraints apply.
Another 12 bystanders were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Neither of the shootout’s primary targets sustained injuries that required immediate professional medical attention. The shooters were still at large at the time of the Sheriff’s press conference. And, the Sheriff said, although there were dozens of eyewitnesses to the shootout, none have yet been willing to offer their account of the tragedy. That’s an issue.
But, how could it be that neither of the shootout’s primary targets — the author of the post, and the guy who went to the bar to shoot
him — could have escaped uninjured? Because the “machine guns” they were using were the new fad, pistols that have been fitted with “switches.”
Switches block the weapon’s auto sensor from resetting, thus converting a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic weapon. These weapons easily accommodate extended magazines, thus equipping them to fire 30 or more rounds with a single pull of the trigger. There’s plenty more about this readily available on YouTube (including how to install the illegal switch) for those who are interested. That’s another issue.
But here’s the new issue,
as it was dramatically demonstrated in the early hours of Oct. 12 outside Willie’s Bar and Grill. Even when the now-automatic pistol is steadied by the shooter gripping with his second hand while the weapon is being fired the extended magazine, the gun is impossible to aim. It just sprays. That’s why the military doesn’t use automatic pistols. Even the burly ATF guys in the YouTube videos who are crack pistol shots can’t control them.
The Sheriff said, “We’ve got a problem in Beaufort County, and it didn’t just start on Saturday night.”
The problem to which the Sheriff was referring is that
Give it to Mikey
1. Individual Freedom: Johnson opens with “The birth of our great nation was inspired by the bold declaration that our individual God-given liberties should be preserved against governmental intrusion. Really, Mikey? Have you considered making this clear to ICE or the puppy killer who sends forth the troops? Or perhaps those in the WH who see it otherwise?
2. Limited Government: Johnson states that “for individual liberty to be championed, government must be reduced. When applied as written, our incomparable constitution provides important safeguards against government encroachment, a vital separation of powers, and a necessary system of checks and balances.”
So tell me, Mikey, did you ever take Donnie, wannabe dictator and your hero, aside and explain separation of powers to him? I will say you are taking the government reduction part to the extreme. Yet, even you aren’t exactly sure of your actions as we have seen the old ‘dismissal, followed by a retraction of that dismissal”
so many times, it becomes apparent no one knows what he/ she is doing.
3. The Rule of Law: “Ours is ‘a government of laws and not of men,’ and the rule of law is our foundation. To maintain ordered liberty and a civilized society, public and private virtue should be encouraged and justice must be administered equally and impartially to all. Each branch of government must adhere to the Constitution, and the judicial branch must not be allowed to assume or exercise legislative or executive powers. Transparency and accountability are keys to good government, and Congress must faithfully perform its constitutional responsibility of oversight.”
Mikey, you wrote it, and yet you refuse to act upon your own words!
4. Peace through Strength: “The first obligation of the federal government is to provide for the “common defense” of the United States by securing our borders and protecting our homeland and our strategic interests abroad. We are not “the world’s police force,” but because America serves in a natural role of moral leadership in an increasingly dangerous world, and weakness invites aggression, we must remain the strongest military power on earth.”
I was with you, Mikey, till I reached the part about moral leadership. Furthermore, remaining the strongest military power
on earth becomes a bit tricky when your boss decides that Pete Hegseth is the answer for his Department of Defense. Try to remember “Signal-gate,” as well as the dismissal of well-trained, seasoned generals when you are talking about morals and strength.
5. Fiscal Responsibility: Because the government has refused to live within its means, America is facing an unprecedented debt and spending crisis. This, congressman, is where we agree. Where we part company, however, is where we draw the line. You and your people insist upon giving the wealthiest 1% of our population further tax cuts under the guise that it will “trickle down.”
“Congress has a moral and constitutional duty to resolve the crisis, bring spending under control, balance the federal budget, reform and modernize entitlement programs, eliminate fraud, waste and abuse.” Sir, where is that moral/constitutional duty right now? Need I say Epstein files or Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona elected representative? Not fiscal but still applicable.
6. Free Markets: Government often stands as the greatest obstacle to the progress and prosperity of free people. Free markets and free trade agreements allow for innovation, improvement and economic expansion as risk-takers, entrepreneurs and business owners are given the liberty to pursue the American Dream and create
over the past 18 months the Sheriff’s Office has locked up 24 individuals for possessing “machine guns.” Six are still in jail, and the other 18 are out on bonds that, he added, “… you would laugh at.” It’s not too soon for the General Assembly who make the laws, who appoint the judges, and who set the Office of Court Administration’s guidelines to take a look at the problem the Sheriff described.
Bill Rauch was the Mayor of Beaufort from 1999 to 2008 and has won multiple awards from the S.C. Press Association for his Island News columns. He can be reached at TheRauchReport@gmail.com.
more jobs and upward mobility. While I beg to differ with you on this, I recognize that it has been the Republican mantra for as long as I have ever watched the political stage. You conveniently forget that while all are supposed to be created equal, all are not treated as such. Black- and brown-skinned, LGBTQ, women, the list is endless.
7. Human Dignity: “Because all men are created equal and in the image of God, every human life has inestimable dignity and value, and every person should be measured only by the content of their character.” Ah, Mikey, “the content of their character.” And yet your adherence to those totally devoid of character belies this statement, making you one of them. Public policy should always encourage education and emphasize the virtue of hard work as a pathway out ofpoverty, while public assistance programs should be reserved only for those who are truly in need. And who determines that need? Furthermore, what about the “assistance” for billionaires that we are seeing? And for foreign countries like Argentina’s dictatorship? And so, my mental exchange with Mike Johnson ends with this admonition: Practice what you preach, Mikey!
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.”
ANDY BRACK
CAROL LUCAS
VOICES
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The
Memory is like a painting the brain paints for us
It is Wednesday, early, and for the past week
I’ve been struggling with a memory that may or may not be real.
I thought it was 1964 when the Corps of Cadets was summoned to Mark Clark Hall to listen to General Hans Speidel — the deputy to General Erwin Rommel — who then described his time in the Wehrmacht during World War 2
These Citadel talks occurred several times a year and usually featured an American General who was then, say, Chief of Staff of the Army; or a war correspondent; or a politician. But sometimes it was just Mark Clark who wanted to talk.
Clark’s lectures always included the story of how he, the Commanding General of the 5th Army in Italy, somehow found himself in a foxhole with an angry rifleman who had lost his combat boots.
“The old man can’t even keep our damn toes from freezing-off,” the dogface said to the unknown
SCOTT GRABER
companion who had just jumped into his foxhole.
At this point (in the story) Clark would take off his own boots, put them on the feet of the soldier, and leave without revealing who he was.
But my “Hans Speidel story” has always been elusive in the sense that I could not recall much detail from his talk although I knew he was at Normandy trying to organize the defense of occupied France.
The problem that Rommel and Speidel faced at Normandy was the fact that the Luftwaffe had been almost completely destroyed prior to the invasion. Allied control of the air made German counter-attacks tremendously difficult and Rommel’s understanding of
the battlefield impossible. But the real problem was that the German machine guns did not have enough bullets to meet the Allied tsunami that was rolling over the beaches and through the hedgerows.
But in terms of what Speidel actually said that evening, or afternoon, I remember little. So I called five of my (Class of 1967) classmates asking for detail.
But none remembered Speidel.
Now some of you know that I am given to exaggeration, especially when it comes to after dinner, wine-enhanced anecdotes. I know that for at least 55 of my 80 years, I have told stories about my time at The Citadel; and that many of those stories have an element of fiction. But I’ve never encountered a situation where I could not independently verify a single detail of a particular event.
So I turned to everyone’s instant expert, Google, for an explanation of what may have happened to my memory of Hans Speidel.
“Apparently the brain can’t possibly retain everything we see or hear, and our neurons, axions and dendrites find themselves competing with other (apparently finite) brain cells to hold on to a particular memory.”
SCOTT
GRABER, on the science of forgetting.
It seems that forgetting is the default function of one’s brain. Studies show that we begin forgetting 20 minutes after learning something and within a few days we’ve lost four-fifths of
what we saw or heard.
Apparently the brain can’t possibly retain everything we see or hear, and our neurons, axions and dendrites find themselves competing with other (apparently finite) brain cells to hold on to a particular memory. Those that succeed in holding an image, poem or password do so if the event involves fear, desire, love or surprise. In other words if the event is important, distinctive and meaningful the memory may linger.
It is said that one’s memory is similar to a painting that the brain paints for us.
But these cells don’t render a photograph perfectly accurate in all its detail. It is more like they do a partial painting where some of the details are not right; where blank spaces are filled-in with extra, invented items by one’s over-extended neurons.
Some may remember Brian Williams who was a popular television anchor who reported that he was shot at while flying in a helicopter in Iraq.
Apparently Williams was riding in a helicopter, and he may have witnessed another helicopter being shot at and nearly blown out of the sky.
Combat veterans didn’t like that Williams had seemingly invented the incoming artillery fire, claimed to have “seen the elephant and heard the owl;” and he lost his job as network anchor. Most believed he was lying.
But some experts think that Williams’ brain may have filled-in a false narrative that left Williams’ with the memory that his helicopter had taken RPG fire. In any event I, myself, remember an old, guttural-sounding man talking to the Corps. Upon reflection it could have been Strom Thurmond — he was also at Normandy. But my mischievous brain cells may have said, “We can do better than Thurmond!”
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
Young GOPers say darndest things
rebuff of Vance’s defense.
When some leaders of the Young Republicans got caught making some racist comments, a common response among my friends on social media was, “What, are you surprised?”
And, sad to say, my answer to them was, “No.”
The national Republican Party, under the reign of Donald Trump, has become a proudly antagonistic entity when it comes to minorities in this country and around the world. The president is blatantly vulgar in how he describes countries where brown people originate.
And he is relentless in his criticism of "fat Black women" in the legal and political spheres and elsewhere who won't do what he wants them to do: Let him break the law without fear of consequences.
that? Do you even know what a (expletive) is?”
With my head down, I replied, “No, ma’am.”
“Don’t you say that no more! Calling these babies stuff you hear in the streets!”
I didn't get the spanking I deserved — or if I did, it was so traumatic I’ve blanked it out — but if I didn't, I think it was because I was not yet old enough to know better.
These so-called “kids” definitely knew right from wrong. One even texted the others, “If we ever had a leak of this chat we would be cooked.” As my mother used to say, anything you have to hide is something you don’t need to be doing.
Association found in 2014 that Black boys as young as 10 are more likely than their white counterparts to “be mistaken as older, be perceived as guilty and face police violence if accused of a crime.”
Bragging about admiring Adolf Hitler and wanting to see their “enemies” hoarded into gas chambers? Calling Black people the n-word and “watermelon people” and promoting slavery? According to Vance, “That’s just what kids do.”
Now, I’m open to the idea of kids saying things they don’t understand or really mean.
Like the time I called a younger cousin a bad word (the long one), and my grandmother screamed at
Still, the national Young Republicans denounced the chat messages that were revealed by Politico, and some of the chat participants were forced to step down from state-level positions. A couple even lost jobs they held at diverse levels of conservative political bodies. Then Vice President J.D. Vance decided to weigh in. He dismissed what he described as “pearl clutching” by liberals over the stupid rambling of a bunch of kids, “especially young boys.”
“Old enough to know better” is a tricky defense, because sometimes when you’re young and ignorant enough to do things you shouldn’t, the repercussions can be so harsh you will forevermore be “old enough to know better.” Your best defense vanishes.
It’s a concept I remember from primary class in Sunday School. We learned about being “old enough to know right from wrong.” There’s no age given in the Bible, but as explained to us, it was generally assumed the late preteen and early teen years were the cutoff.
The chat participants ranged in age from their 20s into their early s, but that’s only part of my
But Vance’s juvenilization of these Young Republicans reflects a longstanding tendency of some white adults to dismiss their young people’s offenses because “they’re just kids.”
I’ve written before about Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer who was accused of rape. Turner was found guilty, but the judge in charge of his sentencing gave him only six months, because “a prison sentence would have a severe impact on him.” Well, that’s kind of the point, isn't it?
Even with that, Turner was released after three months.
Black youths usually don’t get that benefit of a doubt. Why? Not because they’re inherently more violent. But that’s how they are viewed by many, including members of law enforcement.
The American Psychological
The parents of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin likely could speak on that. Or the parents of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old gunned down mere seconds after police answered a call about a juvenile playing in a public park with a gun the caller described as “probably fake.”
Enjoying a world where minority children are accused more readily and penalized more severely than white counterparts who escape accountability for doing the same things or worse is the most unfair kind of privilege.
Beyond that, I pity any parent trying to teach morals and build character when people in the highest office of the land stand ready to grant a free pass in exchange for a vote.
Terry E. Manning worked for 20 years as a newspaper journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com.
TERRY MANNING
Committed to readiness
Refresher course on filing for service-connected disability compensation
This is the third article of five on the steps veterans need to take to prepare for and file a claim for service-connected disability compensation. The first article was published on Oct. 9 2025, and can be read online at https://bit.ly/4hluGb9. The first article covered: The basic sources of information available to veterans, including the Welcome to VA.gov website, VA Welcome Kit, 2025 Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, VA YouTube Network, VHA website, VBA website, VA Podcast Network, SITREP, VA Facebook, VA NEWS Blog, and others; and ... Things to do while the veteran is still serving in the military to prepare for filing for service-connected disability compensation, including (1.) keeping copies of evidence of service-connection; (2.) getting a copy of all military personnel and medical records; (3.) using a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO); (4.) asking your battle buddies, witnesses, and family for Lay Witness Statements; (5.) making an inventory of your service-connected conditions and symptoms -- and how these conditions effect your social and work life; (6.) making an inventory of your medications; and (7.) Making an inventory of your medical equipment and devices.
The second article was published on Oct. 16 2025, and can be read online at https://bit.ly/3JiYmZX. The second article covered things the veteran should do after being discharged from the military. The second article covered: Using a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or, if justified, a VA-accredited Claims Agent or Attorney; Ordering your DD214 or other separation documents, military personnel, medical, dental, and other records from the National Archives and/or the military; and ... Enrolling in VA Healthcare, understanding your VA Patient Aligned Care (PACT) Team, and getting treated for your service-connected health
conditions.
This week’s article will specifically provide a warning and call to assist veterans and their families. It will also cover becoming your (veteran’s) own best advocate by doing your homework, by reading everything the VA and other reputable resources publish about filing a claim for service-connection.
Warning/Call to assist Some veterans are too ill, too impaired, not computer literate, do not have a computer, do not have access to the internet, do not have a phone, do not use email or text, may be homeless, thus making it more critical for the VA, family members, friends, veterans service organizations, state departments of veterans affairs, and VSOs to help veterans.
Do your homework Veterans and their immediate family members should read the “How to file for service-connected disability compensation” and related Information published by the VA and written by The Island News team. Veterans are their own best advocates, and the more they know, the more effectively they can assist their VSO in filing a claim. Here are some recommended readings: “How to file a VA Disability claim”, at https://bit.ly/4nZH2Iv. The Aug. 30 2023 The Island News article by Larry Dandridge, “Apply for Your VA Benefits and Use a VSO to Help You” at https://bit. ly/47g1AoZ.
The Sept. 4 2024 The Island News article by Larry Dandridge, “Things You Need to Know About VSOs” at https:// bit.ly/4o8QZDS.
·The Aug. 13 2025 The Island News article by Larry Dandridge, What Veterans Need
to Know about VSOs, VA Healthcare, and More (Part 1 of 6)” at https://bit.ly/4omOLA8
The Oct. 26, 2022, The Island News article by Larry Dandridge, “Should Veterans Continue to Apply for Disability After they Reach a 100% Rating” at https://bit. ly/46YQd68
• The VA webpage “Eligibility for VA disability” at https:// bit.ly/4hgiEji.
The VA webpage “The PACT Act and your VA benefits” at https://bit.ly/47z9WJN.
The VA webpage “your intetn to file a claim” at https://bit. ly/47Fq0c3
The VA webpage “Fully developed claims program” at https://bit.ly/3JgMp71
The VA webpage “Standard disability claims” at https:// bit.ly/3Wc1V7j. Use this route if you want the VA to take more responsibility for gathering evidence.
The VA webpage “Evidence needed for your disability claim” (Original Claims, Increased Claims, Secondary Claims, Supplemental Claims, MST Claims) at https://bit. ly/48FQlbV. VA-accredited representative FAQs at https://bit.ly/3WfQSKo.
The VA search engine “Find a VA accredited representative of VSO (Representatives include VA-accredited Attorneys, Claims Agents, and VSOs)” at https://bit.ly/3WjaoFI.
The VA webpage “Exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials,” (Agent Orange, Asbestos, Birth Defects/Spina Bifida, Burn Pits, Mustard Gas or Lewisite, Contaminated Water/Camp Lejune, Gulf War Illness SW Asia, Gulf War Illness Afghanistan, Project 112 or Project SHAD, and Radiation Exposure) at https://bit.ly/3J4VWhD.
The VA webpage “Compensation-Public disability benefits questionaires (DBQs)” at https://bit.ly/47yNJLY and https://bit.ly/47xT71L.
• The VA webpage “Supporting forms for VA claims” https:// bit.ly/4o0ZpwI.
The VA webpage “File additional forms for your disability claim” at https://bit.ly/42N75dI.
The VA webpage “Predischarge claim” (Benefits Deliver at Discharge -- BDD Program) at https://bit. ly/47mkWZL and https://bit. ly/3KZBPC7
The VA webpage “Request priority processing for a an existing claim” (Homeless or risk of homelessness or Extreme financial hardship, or have ALS or Terminally ill or Very Seriously Ill/Injured, 85 or older or former POW, or MOH or Purple Heart) at https://bit.ly/3LjZhde. The VA webpage “Military sexual trauma and MST claim” at https://bit. ly/47hrMzQ.
The VA webpages “About VA Form 21-4138 (Statement in Support of Claim)” at https:// bit.ly/4hlu8SD; and The VA “About VA Form 21-10210 (Lay/Witness Statement)” at https://bit.ly/47gDOcr.
The VA webpages “VA claim exam” at https://bit.ly/3L7xcG1 and https://bit.ly/3ISzxEg. The VA webpages “Authorization to disclose information to the Department of VA (VA Form 21-4142)” at https://bit. ly/3WgA0TB, and (VA 214142a) at https://bit.ly/4ndqtYw. The VA webpage “Current veterans disability compensation effective rates” at https://bit.ly/3JkN9bq (Max payment today for veteran with spouse is $4 044 91 per month, tax-free). The Aug. 16 and 23, 2023, The Island News articles by Larry Dandridge, “How to File a VA Disability Claim,” Parts 1 and 2 at https://bit.ly/3J4WjZz and https://bit.ly/4qkDFO3 The VA M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, https:// bit.ly/3YXZPKh. The 38 CFR Part 3 Compensation and Pension, https://bit. ly/3YZVK8t. The 38 CFR Part 4 Schedule for Rating Disabilities, https:// bit.ly/3YYZqr4
The Sept. 13 and 20, 2023, The Island News articles by
EDITOR’S NOTE
Larry Dandridge, “Suggestions for Veterans filing a Service-Connected Disability Compensation Claim,” Parts 1 and 2 at https://bit. ly/4qeSJwx and https://bit. ly/3IXlIV3
The April 24, May 1 and May 8 2025 The Island News articles by Larry Dandridge “What Veterans Need to Know about Lay Witness Statements,” Parts 1 2, and 3. at https://bit.ly/3KZCaVu, https://bit.ly/470Slu9, and https://bit.ly/49jRxSq. The May 15, May 22 and May 29 2025 The Island News articles by Larry Dandridge, “What do veterans need to know about NEXUS letters?” Parts 1 2, and 3 at https:// bit.ly/47iVrZe, https://bit. ly/4hluqJd, and https://bit. ly/47mkdrH.
The Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, 2023, The Island News articles by Larry Dandridge “What veterans should know about VA Claim Exams (C&P),” Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 at https://bit.ly/3L1gh7Z, https://bit.ly/3Jeoc1l, https:// bit.ly/3WTzHOJ, and https:// bit.ly/3JeoTaW. The Nov. 13 2024 The Island News article by Larry Dandridge, “What Veterans Need to Know about Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs)” at https://bit. ly/4nZIqeb.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past VAaccredited VSO, a Patient Adviser at Charleston and Durham VA Hospitals, a
LARRY DANDRIDGE
Damage Controlman Fireman Dion Smith, a native of Beaufort, S.C., transports Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) masks through the hangar bay aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Norfolk, Va. Sailors carry out routine operations that support the Navy’s commitment to readiness, innovation, and future fleet lethality. Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Michael Gomez/U.S. Navy
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Forgiven by God Confession
Haven’t we all found ourselves in need of forgiveness?
Perhaps as a child we sent a baseball through a window, or broke one of mom’s favorite heirlooms. It wasn’t easy, but we had to own up to what we had done and say we were sorry. What a great feeling it was to hear them tell us that we were forgiven, and to know that we are loved no matter what we had done!
In the Gospels, Jesus forgave people’s sins.
To the paralyzed man, for example, he said, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5) This was astonishing to his Jewish listeners because they understood that sins are offenses against God. Only God can forgive sins; a mere man would have no such authority. And yet, Jesus does have authority to forgive sins, because he is not an ordinary man, but God standing in their midst.
Jesus sent the apostles to forgive sins in his name. After rising from the dead, he greeted the apostles and told them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Echoing the way that God breathed life into Adam, Jesus then breathed on the apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-23) Just as Jesus forgave sin during his ministry, he sent his apostles to act on his behalf, forgiving anyone who desired the grace of God’s forgiveness.
Jesus intended for all generations to experience this gift. This experience of his mercy would be needed by all Christians, not just those who happened to live in the time of the apostles. People would always need to experience his mercy and unconditional love, just as they would always need to hear the Gospel proclaimed. This gift of forgiveness has been passed down through the centuries within the Church, the Lord’s family of faith, so that all Christians can experience his forgiveness in a concrete and tangible way. Catholics call this beautiful gift the Sacrament of Confession.
Through Confession, we encounter the Lord’s mercy. Like all human beings, Catholics struggle with sin, damaging our relationship with God. When we need to seek the Lord’s mercy and spiritual healing, we meet anonymously with a priest. We speak our sins out loud and ask God’s forgiveness. The priest will often give some encouragement or advice, and then Jesus forgives us through the priest. The priest cannot share anything that he has heard in confession, because those sins are between that person and Jesus.
Confession is truly one of the joys of being Catholic. Wouldn’t it be easier to confess our sins straight to God without a priest? Of course it would, but Jesus knew what he was doing. There is something powerful about speaking our sins out loud, taking ownership of them and bringing them into the light. It can be very helpful to receive spiritual guidance from a priest. And it is a great joy to hear Jesus say to us, through the priest, the beautiful words, “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace!”
The Sacraments Message 5 of 8