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Local weekly protests continue Beaufort residents again join national rally on Saturday
Dr. Baxter McLendon shows off his sign in front of Beaufort City Hall on Boundary Street on Saturday, April 19, 2025. McLendon was among those who came out to join a national protest organized by 50 50 1 to speak out against policies that are being enacted by President Donald Trump’s administration. Jeff Evans/The Island News
By Delayna Earley The Island News Beaufort County residents came out on Saturday to join in with a national protest organized by 50 50 1 to speak out against policies that are being enacted by President Donald Trump’s administration. Around 300 protesters came out on Saturday to voice their disapproval of the actions be-
ing taken by the president and his administration. The number was smaller than the “Hands Off” National protest that Beaufort residents participated in earlier in the month – which drew around 800 protesters – but Barb Nash, president of the Northern Beaufort County Democratic Club said she believes it is due to the timing. “I thought it was not the best choice to have this between Good Friday and Easter Sunday because a lot of people were out of town,” Nash said. “But by the same token, we had a lot of visitors. People who
were from out of town and were here for the holiday and looking for a protest and came and joined us.” Saturday’s protest was held in addition to the weekly protests that have been held in front of the City of Beaufort’s City Hall and police department on Boundary Street. Nash said that they plan to continue with the weekly protests for the foreseeable future and hope that as time continues their numbers will continue to grow. “Currently we are seeing on average around 100 people every
SEE PROTESTS PAGE A4
New plans for Pine Island, or more of the same? By Delayna Earley The Island News Representatives for Pine Island developers on St. Helena Island say that their new development plan is asking for less than what they have previously asked for, but what are they proposing? Earlier this month, Kevin Dukes, a real estate attorney with Harvey & Battey, P.A., applied with Beaufort County for a zoning map amendment while representing Pine Island Property Holdings LLC. Pine Island is currently within the boundary of the cultural protection overlay (CPO) which is a zoning amendment that has existed since the 1990s and prohibits the development of resorts, gated
communities and golf courses on most of St. Helena Island. If Pine Island developers are granted the amendment the property would be excluded from the CPO’s boundaries and would allow the owners to go through with their proposed plan to build an 18-hole golf course and 49 residential structures. This is the third time that the developers have sought to change the zoning designation for the property. The first submission in November 2022 was short lived and quickly withdrawn. The second submission went before the county’s planning commission
SEE PLANS PAGE A6
Pictured at right: View of Pine Island from Eddings Creek showing what it currently looks like, what it could look like after development under the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) zoning and what Pine Island’s developer is proposing it will look like with their Downzoning Plan. Submitted Art/Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC
Mace has exchange with transgender USC student
Exchange comes days after Mace went viral for a confrontation in a beauty store U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace talks to Harley Hicks, a transgender student at the University of South Carolina, at an event held by the school’s Turning Point USA chapter on Monday, April 21, 2025. Shaun Chornobroff/ S.C. Daily Gazette
By Shaun Chornobroff SCDailyGazette.com COLUMBIA — Following a contentious exchange with a college campus audience, U.S. Rep Nancy Mace doubled down on offensive
language toward a transgender student and then posted a video of the interaction on social media. After approaching the stage, University of South Carolina student Harley Hicks, who uses she/they pronouns, asked Mace to apologize for using the word “tranny.” Is that “derogatory to you?” Mace asked after a speaking event hosted by USC’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that advocates for conservative viewpoints on
high school and college campuses across the country. “Well, yeah. Of course it f—ing is,” Hicks responded. Mace, who’s considering a run for governor in 2026, then repeated the word three times, as seen in the video she posted on X. After the interaction, Hicks grabbed a potted plant, which Mace said her security team thought
SEE EXCHANGE PAGE A5
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BMH nursing leaders honored with Palmetto Gold awards.
St. Helena’s Anglican marks 100th annual prayer service at Old Sheldon Church ruins.
Is intermittent fasting a helpful practice or health risk?
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