Since May 2005 PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON, SC PERMIT NO. 137 POSTAL PATRON
Volume 22 • Issue 12
FREE
June 26, 2026
Isle of Palms Beach Renourishment Project: What Residents and Visitors Need to Know
By Joshua Uys The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services has approved the City of Isle of Palms’ request for dredging and beach renourishment along the island’s shoreline. The permit is valid for five years. Contractor Marinex is expected to begin setting up equipment and staging areas in late June, with sand pumping expected to begin shortly after the
Fourth of July. Construction is anticipated to advance at a pace of approximately 25,000 to 30,000 cubic yards of sand per day, or roughly 100 to 300 feet of shoreline daily. Project Timeline Work will be completed in three phases along the beach, with all timelines subject to change due to weather and other factors:
• Early July through mid-August — Reach 1: Sand placement begins near Mariner’s Walk and progresses north to Ocean Point Drive. • August through early September — Reach 2: Work continues near the Wild Dunes Property Owners Beach House and moves south to 56th Avenue. • Mid-September through November — Reach 3: Sand placement begins at the midpoint between Fifth and Seventh avenues, extending north to the pier and then south to Breach Inlet. All dates are estimates and subject to change. Visit the city’s beach webpage for live project updates. Sea Turtle Protection Nighttime monitoring will be conducted in active construction areas to protect sea turtles during nesting season. If a turtle attempts to nest, crews will establish a buffer zone around the animal to ensure she can complete the process safely and without disturbance. The Beach Stays Open The beach will remain accessible to the public throughout construction. Sand walkovers will be installed so beachgoers can safely cross pipes and reach the water. Only the active construction zone will be cordoned off.
Strengthening Regional Emergency Response: IOP Fire Department Trains With Charleston County EMS By Joshua Uys The Isle of Palms Fire Department spent time last month training with Charleston County EMS, familiarizing personnel with the new Mobile Ambulance Bus and strengthening the regional partnership between the agencies. The Mobile Ambulance Bus is a specialized emergency response vehicle designed to transport multiple patients simultaneously during mass-casualty incidents, large-scale evacuations and major community events such as the Cooper River Bridge Run. The unit can transport up to 22 patients at once and includes 10 seated transport positions, 12 patient beds, wheelchair
tie-downs, emergency medical equipment and a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure monitoring system. Originally part of the Charleston County Public Library’s Library on Wheels program, the vehicle was converted into an EMS unit using a $199,051 grant from the South Carolina Department of Public Health. It is available for deployment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Great training this week! Building relationships with our partners at Charleston County EMS and working with new apparatus and creative approaches to treating multiple patients with their new Mobile Ambulance Bus,” firefighter Braxton Comer said.