August 28 edition

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

City hires law firm to investigate FOIA gaffe

The fallout continued Monday, Aug. 25, from the City of Beaufort’s release of more than 9 000 pages of unredacted documents in the fulfillment of a Freedom of Information Act request, as City Council voted unanimously during a special-called meeting to hire an outside law firm to investigate how and why the unintentional data release happened.

Immediately after the opening of the 2:45 p.m. meeting, Council voted to go into executive session,

where they stayed for about an hour and a half. When they returned, Councilman Neil Lipsitz made a motion to “authorize Mayor [Phil] Cromer to take such action and execute such documents as are necessary to retain Haynesworth, Sinkler, Boyd PA to investigate and provide legal advice regarding the inadvertent production of sensitive and/or personal identifying information

produced on July 29 2025 in response to an FOIA request.”

The motion was seconded and approved unanimously — Councilman Mike McFee was not present, but voted via Zoom.

Mayor Cromer could not confirm that the results of the investigation would be made public.

“Until we complete the investigation, we don’t know,” he said. “As soon as we get all the information

back from them, we’ll go forward, we’ll make a statement.”

Almost a month ago, in the process of fulfilling a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Autumn Hollis on July 29, the City mistakenly released information it was not required to release and that it should not have produced, potentially compromising the personal information and privacy of numerous individuals and causing the City to re-evaluate how it handles requests for information.

As reported by The Island News, when Autumn Hollis submitted a

No room with an ocean view

Longtime local attorney reflects on his night at the Beaufort County Detention Center

It is Saturday, and I’m sipping my Green Mountain, hazelnutflavored coffee. This morning’s Post and Courier tells us about the Dockside Condominium in Charleston; and the Yachtsman Hotel in Myrtle Beach.

Dockside, according to the City of Charleston, is unsound and ready to “pancake” down into a mountain of rubble. The glass-sheathed Yachtsman is being converted from a regular hotel into a condominium with multiple owners.

Both structures represent an expensive, elevated view that allows one to extend one’s gaze across several miles of open water. There is something magical about staring into a distant horizon with a cup of coffee and, say, an almond flavored croissant.

On the morning of June 18, 2025, I did not have a view of the marsh, the Beaufort River or the Cane Island shore-line in the distance. My view was a white painted wall, six bunk beds, three sleeping inmates and a stainless steel toilet.

My bunk came with a blue plastic covering that featured a crusted

County Assessor hosting

coating I did not see (the night before); but when I woke my cellmate said, “Boss, you slept in shit last night.”

But, actually, I didn’t do any sleeping that night because I had been arrested earlier, handcuffed, then taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center. The scene inside the Detention Center was chaotic. Stunned, just-arrested detainees were being brought in and processed amid a background of constant screaming from a nearby holding cell.

That screaming, strangely amplified, followed me into a small alcove where the fingerprinting was to occur. But something was

wrong. The young deputy repeatedly mashed-down the back of my palms using all of her strength to get an image. Nonetheless there was a signal saying that her mashing efforts had failed.

When it came time for a mug shot I tried to smile — I am a retired 80-year-old lawyer and I am familiar with mug shots showing despair and shame.

“Get that smile off your face!”

Then, of course, there was the removal of one’s clothes and being told to bend over and reveal one’s buttocks.

The next morning I looked down at a floor covered with mashed-up cookies, discarded plastic dinnerware and other debris I could not identify. The cookies, Oreos, are a favorite and I was perplexed that anyone would discard them.

At 5:30 a.m., we were given a meal that came on a gray, plastic tray with compartments for the breakfast fare — the same kind of tray used in grade school cafeterias — one of the slots holding a circular, gray and

SEE GRABER PAGE A7

FOIA request to the City of Beaufort in May, she and her husband, Kiel, were hoping to learn more about how the Beaufort Police Department handled the case of their daughter Emily.

The Hollis family contends their then-12-year-old daughter was a victim of human trafficking in February, while the Beaufort Police maintained initially that she was a runaway and now says any trafficking took place outside its jurisdiction.

Council votes to begin Pine Island talks

By Delayna Earley The Island News

The Beaufort County Council has agreed to begin legal negotiations with the Pine Island developer after a 5-4 vote in a Special Called Meeting where council received legal advice about a proposed development agreement for the St. Helena Island property. While this is not a final decision on whether the county will accept the developer’s application for the development agreement, it allows the conversation to continue so that they could potentially make a deal later.

If the agreement is ultimately accepted, the 437-acre property could be developed into an 18-hole golf course and gated community and would no longer be subject to the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO), a zoning overlay that prevents such developments from being built on St. Helena Island.

Council members spent several hours in a closed-door executive session during the meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 20, so they could receive legal advice regarding the proposed development agreement.

Council members David Bartholomew, Tom Reitz, Paula Brown, Tab Tabernik and Logan Cunningham voted in support, while York Glover, Lary McElynn, Gerald Dawson and Council Chair Alice Howard voted against working with the developer.

Councilmen Joe Passiment and Mark Lawson did not attend the meeting in person or virtually. John DuBose of Smith, Robinson, Holler, DuBose and Morgan law firm was hired to review the development agreement application.

A development agreement is a contract between a local government and a developer that lays out the terms for how a piece of land will be developed.

A zoning map amendment, which changes how a land is classified or designated, is part of the deal with the property. The developer of Pine Island seeks a zoning map amendment to remove the property from the CPO, as well as council’s approval of the development agreement that includes a golf course.

Elvio Tropeano, who serves as the public developer for Pine Island, applied to have the property removed from the CPO originally in 2022

LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS

When a spider took up residence at Ron Callari’s porch in Habersham, it turned out to be quite a website. 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 Kathleen Young, 77, who joined the U.S. Navy in Narrowsburge, N.Y., in 1966. After Boot Camp and Hospital Corpsman School at Great Lakes, Ill., she reported to Naval Hospital St. Albans (Queens), N.Y., where she received and cared for many wounded returning from Vietnam. She then served at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where she trained for laboratory work and worked in a ward.

meda, Calif., as senior nurse. She followed that assignment by earning another Masters Degree, this time in Community Health Nursing.

Staying in California, she was assigned to Oakland Naval Hospital in surgery. Then she transferred first to MCAS Beaufort and then as Director of Operational Medicine at Parris Island. While there, the Crucible was established requiring special medical attention. Following the Marines, she then served at MCAS Iwakuni as senior nurse. Her final assignment was back at Charleston Naval Hospital from which she retired in 2003 as a Commander, Nurse Corps with 28 years of service.

She next served at Naval Hospital Philippines where she worked in labor and delivery, nursery, OB-GYN and pediatrics. Her following assignment was at Naval Air Station Ala-

At the end of her enlistment she separated and dealing with what she witnessed in returning wounded and friends she lost in Vietnam, began an eight-year period as a Sister of the Order of Saint Francis. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Nursing and worked in Catholic hospitals in Florida. In 1980 she rejoined the Navy as a commissioned nurse, again assigned to the hospital in Bethesda working in neurosurgery and the ICU. From 1983 to 1986 she was assigned to Charleston Naval Hospital as a coronary critical care nurse and earned a Master Degree in Health Care Administration.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.

Councilman Glover to host follow-up community meeting

Staff reports

County Council Member York

Glover (District 3 ) is hosting a follow up community meeting to give additional updates on economic development including a continuation of the discussion of establishing a

Cultural Events Center on St. Helena Island.

The meeting will be 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, at St. Helena Branch Library at 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Drive.

John O'Toole, Executive Director of Beaufort County Economic

Development Corporation will be the guest speaker.

The public is encouraged to attend and share ideas and discuss concerns about the proposed project. Community participation is necessary and will help shape the project's and St. Helena

Island's future.

More informational meetings will be scheduled and the public notified.

For questions and more information Council Member Glover at 843-812-2909 or yglover@bcgov.net.

August 28

2019: Beaufort weightlifter Dade Stanley sweeps the gold medals (Snatch, Clean and Jerk, and Overall) in the 81kg weight class at the Youth Pan Am Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

August 30

2021: Retired U.S. Army Capt. Seth Keshel and attorney Lin Wood, a Beaufort County resident, are among the guest speakers at the Audit The SC 2020 Vote Rally at Olde Beaufort Golf Club.

August 31

2019: More than 200 people turn out at the Beaufort Black Chamber of Commerce to hear Democratic Presidential candidate Julian Castro speak.

September 3

2021: The Town of Port Royal holds a “do-over” July 4 fireworks celebration – the initial one was plagued by technical difficulties – at The Sands. – Compiled by Mike McCombs

1867: Maj. Gen. E. R. S. Canby replaces Maj. Gen. Dan. E Sickles in command of the Second Military District, consisting of North and South Carolina.

PETS OF THE WEEK HAS 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

LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN

Catching up on things

BEAUFORT

Please consider this a column about “catching up.” Sometimes the summer heat combined with a focus on national news events can be just too much and one may opt to “drop out and catch one’s breath.”

For those who haven’t retreated to a remote mountain top with no Wi-Fi, we know Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner, despite objections from a number of citizens, has signed an agreement to work with ICE to round-up “illegal” citizens (many who are paying income taxes but still don’t have their citizenship papers so they’re subject to deportation.)

We know for certain Beaufort County Council is still thinking about isolated Pine Island and the development requests of Elvio Tropeano and his unidentified partners interested in building a golf course and homes. Earlier this month the council agreed to hire an “outside” attorney to help them review the proposed development agreement from Tropeano which would remove the 400-acre sea island from the Cultural Protection Overlay zoning district.

Last Wednesday the Council met behind closed doors with their outside attorney and came out with a 5-4 vote to continue negotiations with Tropeano about the possibility of removing Pine Island from the CPO. Voting to continue negotiations were Council members Tab Tabernik, Logan Cunningham, Tom Reitz, Pamala Brown — all from south of the Broad River — and David Batholmew who represents Lady’s Island and made the motion to proceed.

Opposed to continuing discussions on the development

agreement were Chairwoman Alice Howard, Gerald Dawson, Larry McElynn and York Glover, in whose district Pine Island lies and whose citizens, in mass, have shown up consistently for meetings to oppose the development.

Readers may, or may not know that the two ethic charges brought in 2023 by whistle blower Kim Morgan against former County Administrator Eric Greenway have been dropped after Morgan, a Beaufort native and professional researcher, notified the state Ethics Commission she was withdrawing her complaints because of harassment and intimidation against herself and her family.

In a letter distributed July 8 to the County Council and the media Morgan said her efforts to publicize allegations she had uncovered in her two years of research had taken its’ toll.

“I STRONGLY discourage anyone from filing an Ethics Complaint, filing a FOIA request and/or getting involved with trying to make their community a better place.

“Take it from me: it's not worth it. In fact, it's completely pointless.

“Corruption will always win, and if you try to fight it you'll just be out thousands of dollars and hours of your own time plus you'll be left to fend for yourself

Bwith the legal system.”

Greenway, who was fired by the County Council in July 2023 is still the subject of investigations by State Law Enforcement Division, SLED, and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson (who wants to be the next Republican governor) involving allegations of misconduct while on the job.

Then there’s the news present County Administrator Michael Moore shared last week with Council that the county owes 5,000-plus property owners an estimated $1 6 million in interest on property tax returns.

All this while the Council works on revisions of the 2024 transportation sales tax referendum project list in hopes the voters would be more acceptable to a sales tax increase if it’s on the ballot in 2026. Top of the needs list continues to be the U.S. 278 bridge to Hilton Head Island replacement project which the State Infrastructure Bank recently agreed to commit $120 million for the estimated $300 million project.

The County Council has pledged to put in $101 million for the new bridge and state Sen. Tom Davis is still crossing his fingers that it all comes together.

Speaking of “coming together,” the state Department of Transportation representatives along with a gaggle of politicians earlier this month celebrated “groundbreaking” on a 10-mile stretch of I-95 to be widened from the Georgia-South Carolina line (that would be the Savannah River) to Hardeeville (which will coincide with a new Buc-ee’s at Exit 8). The long-awaited estimated $825 million project will see the four lanes expanded to

six and include a new bridge over the Savannah River.

The DOT has warned of pending “intermittent delays” during the estimated five-year construction period.

Whew, at least we didn’t have Hurricane Erin to contend with.

All is NOT necessarily calm at City Hall

BEAUFORT – Over at City Hall, things have been lively in the past month, with the accidental release of 9,000 pages of largely unredacted emails a local couple, furious with the police department’s handling of their “runaway” daughter’s case, had received under a Freedom of Information request.

The Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park still has an eroding seawall that is in danger of collapsing while officials are still waiting for an engineering repair proposal and estimated price tag.

Now the City Council, starting with the Planning Commission, as part of the ongoing update of the development code, is taking a look at short-term rental and accessory dwelling units (once called “mother-in-law apartments”), a housing option that always generates considerable discussion.

In the past, pressure against more and more short-term rentals included the argument they decrease the number of long-term rentals and impact the availability of affordable housing. But planners and the Council have tried to balance the regulations for those who buy properties to use as short-term rentals for economic reasons.

The number of STR’s has increased to almost 250, a steady

increase since the city started monitoring them with license requirements eight years ago. The current ordinance limits STR licenses to a 6 percent cap of the houses in residential zones with Pigeon Point and the Old Commons neighborhoods at, or reaching compacity.

Citizen calls for changes intensified after Port Royal Town council last year enacted a seven-month moratorium on additional STR’s until the 2020 ordinance which established a 6 percent cap on the units allowable. Port Royal tightened their enforcement, and the moratorium got lifted.

The Hilton Head Island Town Council, feeling pressure from calls for a moratorium on STR’s, is also considering tightened enforcement of their ordinance which regulates the presence of as many as 10,000 STR’s on the island.

“Everyone talks about ‘responsible growth’ but what exactly does that mean? It means protection of the neighborhood,” said one Pigeon Point property owner who addressed the Planning Commission and City Council at their meetings last week.

The matter is under consideration so stay tuned, if STR’s and ADU’s are part of your vocabulary.

Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. Her goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.

eaufort Memorial has added Jenna Gossett, MSN, FNP-C, an experienced, board-certified family nurse practitioner, to its primary care team at Lady’s Island Internal Medicine.

Gossett brings a wide range of expertise in primary, urgent, emergency and intensive care to the practice. Since beginning her nursing career in 2012, she worked for healthcare systems in South Carolina, California and around the country as a travel nurse.

For the past four years, Gossett has been working in the Lowcountry as a nurse practitioner in both emergency and urgent care settings. She said she was drawn to the Lady’s Island primary care practice by the opportunity to build long-term, meaningful relationships with her patients.

Committed to holistic care, she plans to support patients in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension through lifestyle modifications and personalized treatment plans.

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner (Cum Laude)

Chamberlain University

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Cum Laude)

Chamberlain University

Fripp Island fire victim identified

By Mike McCombs

The Island News

The man killed in the Saturday, Aug. 16 fire on Fripp Island that completely destroyed three homes and severely damaged two others, has been identified.

According to the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office, the deceased was “identified through DNA” as 70-yearold Michael Pate.

Around 10:15 a.m., on Saturday, Aug. 16, the Fripp Island Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 718 Bonito Road. Firefighters arrived on scene within minutes to find one home fully engulfed in flames and two adjacent residences in danger.

The fire spread quickly and the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District, City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department and the Burton Fire District all assisted with manpower and resources.

According to the Fripp Island Fire Department, fire crews remained on the scene for more than 14 hours to ensure full containment and safety.

One individual was unaccounted for during the response to the fires. Ultimately, the man, as well as a dog, was found inside one of the destroyed structures.

“The Fripp Island Fire Department extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased during this difficult time,” the department said in a news release at the time.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.

Deford holding Meet and Greet at Port Royal’s

Shellring Ale Works

Staff reports Mac Deford, Democratic candidate for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, is inviting neighbors, families, and community members to join him for a Meet and Greet at Shellring Ale Works in Port Royal on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m. “I want to hear what folks have on their minds,” Deford said in anews release. “Come grab a drink, bring

your questions, and tell me what’s on your mind. I’m here to listen, learn, and introduce myself to you.”

Deford is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and attorney with roots in Beaufort County, where he served as the General Counsel to the Town of Hilton Head

Island. His campaign is focused on restoring integrity in Washington and delivering results on the issues that matter most to working families: attainable housing, veterans’ care, protecting our Lowcountry environment, supporting our military, and upholding the Constitution.

“From serving our country in uniform to serving our communities in local government, I’ve always fought for solutions over partisanship,” De-

ford said. “I’m running for Congress because Washington has forgotten who it’s supposed to work for. This campaign is about bringing common sense and accountability back to government -- and that starts by showing up and listening to you.”

Deford lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Caroline, their son William, and their two yellow labs, Beau and Duke. Learn more at www.defordforcongress.com.

PAL hosting annual online auction to help homeless pets

Staff reports Where can you splurge on yourself while saving lives?

Palmetto Animal League’s annual Bid for PAL Online Auction has gained quite a following over the years and for good reason. Their 16th annual auction, which takes place from Thursday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 7 at www.PALauction. org, offers a wide variety of items for every shopper with every penny going to support PAL’s private, non-profit, no kill adoption center in Okatie’s Riverwalk Business Park.

Palmetto Animal League’s 2025 auction goes live Thursday, Sept. 4 at 8 a.m. and continues through Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Their online catalog is filled with fantastic items donated by area animal loving businesses. Bidding is fun, simple and life-saving. If you’ve never taken part before, now is the time to see what you’ve been missing.

“For those who enjoy the thrill of the buy, this auction is a fun, competitive experience that’s all for the animals,” PAL Marketing Coordinator Lindsay Perry said in a news release. “Many people say they have fun bidding against others, not only hoping to win their favorite items but more importantly, to help save an animal’s life.”

The Bid for PAL Online Auction has something for everyone, featuring hundreds of exciting items across all price points. It’s a shopping excursion like no other, showcasing many of our area’s most popular products and services all in one place, including golf rounds at renowned clubs, restaurant certificates, relaxing getaways, clothing, jewelry, home décor, and more.

Animal lovers embrace this virtual marketplace where shopping for yourself doesn’t feel selfish.

“The Palmetto Animal League Adoption Center is a place where hearts find healing,” PAL President Amy Campanini said.

“Abandoned, abused, and neglected pets find kindness and understanding within our walls. And they

go on to build beautiful, lasting memories in a loving home where they belong.”

Start browsing now and then shop to save homeless pets at www.PALauction. org when the Bid for PAL Online Auction goes live on Sept. 4

“There’s something special about shopping to help PAL rescue more pets,” said return bidder Lori Higgins. “It just feels good, and it’s the only time of year I feel free to go on a shopping spree!”

The Bid for PAL Online Auction provides medical treatment, dedicated care, and a fresh new start to pets the rest of the world has forgotten. New items are being added to their online catalog daily, making now a great time to start browsing at PALauction.org.

NEWS BRIEFS

Filing open for Port Royal Town Council election

The Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections will be holding a General Election on Nov. 4 2025, to fill two Town Council seats in the Town of Port Royal.

Candidate filing opened on Aug. 8, and closes at noon on Friday, Sept. 5 2025. Filing must be done in person at Port Royal Town Hall at 700 Paris Avenue.

The filing fee for Town Council is $100 and is due at the time of filing. Candidates must be eligible voters residing within the town limits and must complete the Statement of Intention of Candidacy – Non-Partisan form.

State ethics filings, including a Statement of Economic Interests and Campaign Disclosure, are also required. These can be completed through the State Ethics Commission at www.ethics.sc.gov.

Voter registration deadlines are as follows:

In Person: Friday, Oct. 3 2025

Online/Email/Fax: Sunday, Oct. 5 2025 • By Mail: Must be postmarked by Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Council

from page A1

The CPO has existed since the late 1990s and does not allow for the development of gated communities, resorts or golf courses to preserve the Gullah Geechee culture on St. Helena Island. Ultimately, the county

For more information and filing forms, visit www.beaufortcountysc. gov/vote.

Beaufort

Republican Women’s Club holds August meeting

The Beaufort Republican Women’s Club held their quarterly Members Meeting at the Red Rooster Restaurant at 2045 Boundary Street in Beaufort at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. Guest speaker

Julie Bowen, RN Manager of the Radiance Women’s Center in Beaufort, gave an informative talk about the center which offers “Hopeful Solutions For Unplanned Pregnancies.”

The pro-life center offers its services for free including pregnancy tests, abortion information, prenatal and parenting support, adoption information, STD/STI testing, support for men, and options counseling. Their certified nurse is available 24/7 to answer questions 843-892-6193 “Disclaimer: Abortion is restricted in South Carolina. Radiance Pregnancy Care Center does not offer or refer for pregnancy termi-

council ended up strengthening the CPO by clarifying that golf courses are banned on St. Helena, a move that caused Tropeano to legally challenge the CPO. The lawsuit brought by Tropeano is still ongoing. Beaufort County’s Planning Commission voted unanimously in May to recommend the denial of the amendment application

nations or birth control. Information is provided as an educational service.” Bowen stressed that the center does not seek to coerce, but to counsel; each young lady is treated with honor and dignity.

Quarterly meetings are informative, fun, and informal. Anyone interested in joining the club is welcome. Attendees order off the menu and pay for our their meals. No reservation is required. For more information go to: beaufortrepublicanwomensc.org

Service academy nomination applications open through Sen. Scott’s office

The Office of U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is accepting U.S. military academy nomination applications for the class of 2030

Sen. Scott is able to nominate a limited number of students in South Carolina for attendance at the following U.S. military academies: the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (the

due to a concern that by approving the amendment, a precedent would be set for future developers that seek to violate the protections put into place by the CPO.

The final decision lies with the Natural Resources Committee, who will meet and make their recommendation to Beaufort County Council in early September.

If accepted, the development agreement includes

U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination).

Students who are interested in applying for a nomination should apply by 11:59 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 17 2025. For more information, visit www.scott.senate.gov/academy.

Factory Creek Pier, Brewer Memorial Park temporarily closed

The Factory Creek Fishing Pier and Brewer Memorial Park were to be temporarily closed beginning Wednesday, Aug. 20 for dock improvements. According to a Beaufort County media release, construction is expected to last for approximately three weeks, depending on weather. For more information, contact Beaufort County Public Works at 843-255-2800

Andrews to speak at joint Indivisible meeting

Dr. Annie Andrews, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina, will be the featured speaker at a joint meeting on Indivisible Beaufort and Lowcountry

an 18-hole golf course and 49 residential units.

Part of the development agreement’s plan includes $2 5 million in funding and providing land for a community center on St. Helena Island as well as a pledge to preserve open space.

The alternative, according to the developer, is a residential development that consists of 149 home units and 90 docks. This

Indivisible at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry at 110 Malphrus Road in Bluffton.

The event is free and open to the public.

Poll workers needed; training available

The Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County is holding poll worker training classes. Classes will be held at the main office, located at 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29906. The classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Wednesday, Sept. 17

To sign up for a class, visit https://beaufortsc.easypollworker. com/home.

Saint Peter’s Catholic Church holding 65th annual Fall Bazaar

Saint Peter’s Catholic Church will hold its 65th Annual Fall Bazaar on Saturday, Oct. 4 2025 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., on the church campus at 70 Lady’s Island Drive in Beaufort.

– Staff reports

“full density plan” does not need any changes to the current zoning plan to go forward and would not include a community center or promise for preservation.

After the National Resources Committee reviews the zoning map amendment, they will make their recommendation to Beaufort County Council, who will decide whether it will pass or not.

As for the development agreement, there needs to be two public hearings which will take place on September 22 and October 27

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The

Circle of Hope gets $10,000 grant

The First Federal Foundation has awarded the Circle of Hope Ministries, Inc. a $10,000 grant to support its mission to help veterans. Rev. John C. Dortch, President/CEO of the COHM said “The First Federal Bank of Florida has partnered with us, since our inception in 2015 and continues to support our community outreach services to aid those who are undervalued and underserved. Most notably, the FFBF financed the purchase and renovation of a building to establish our Hospitality House in the town of Beaufort.” The Hospitality House was the first and only transitional housing in Beaufort County for unsheltered veterans and emergency shelter for the general homeless population during inclement weather. However, during Covid-19, because of the close quarters dormitory living, operation was discontinued at the facility to protect the health and safety of the residents. The building was sold and the proceeds helped develop the Hope Village Inn, an affordable housing community for veterans on a 3.4-acre tract of land donated by the Multicultural Association. The Hope Village Inn Affordable Housing Community will consist of two to five apartments (each with one American with Disabilities Act compliant unit); three cottages (one which will be ADA compliant); three villas (one of which will be ADA compliant) and a Multipurpose/Community Center). The COHM is a 501c3, faith-based, charitable organization, whose mission is to “Serve God by Serving Others.” Please send a tax-deductible contribution to Circle of Hope Ministries, Inc., P.O. Box 554, Beaufort, S.C. 29901-0554 or visit our website at www.CircleOfHopeMin.org to make a contribution. For questions, contact Rev. Dortch at CircleNewBeginning@gmail.com or call 843-263-2563.

Assessor hosting community events

Staff reports Beaufort County Assessor Ebony Sanders is hosting multiple community events at County Library Branches to allow the public an opportunity to meet with her staff and share questions and concerns regarding real property valuation, exemptions, appeals and general property information. Each community event will be from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. No appointments are necessary. In the event of an unforeseeable change in the date, time, or location, the Assessor’s Office webpage will be updated to reflect rescheduling. If you have any questions, please contact Liz Rigg, Appeal/BAA Coordinator at BAA@bcgov.net or 843-255-2404

The dates are as follows: Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road

Tuesday, Sept. 9

Tuesday, Oct. 7

Tuesday, Oct. 28

Tuesday, Nov. 4

St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road

Tuesday, Sept. 23

Tuesday, Oct. 14

Tuesday, Nov. 18

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way

Thursday, Sept. 18

Thursday, Oct. 16

Thursday, Nov. 13

Thursday, Dec. 11

Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway

Monday, Sept. 15

Monday, Oct. 20

Monday, Nov. 10

Monday, Dec. 1

USCB Nursing students begin classes at new Beaufort Memorial PATH Center

By Emma June Grosskopf and Carol Weir Special to

The Island News

The University of South Carolina Beaufort’s nursing program reached a milestone this semester as 24 sophomores became the first cohort to start classes at the new Beaufort Memorial PATH Career Development Center. Their first day was Aug. 18

“I’m really excited,” said Nursing student Audrie Sullivan, who is from Hilton Head Island. “I have dreamed about this since I was little.”

The $2 8 million, 6 340-square-foot facility, which opened in July, was built in partnership with Beaufort Memorial, the City of Beaufort, Beaufort County, USCB and the Beaufort Memorial Foundation. Located on the hospital’s main campus, the Center expands USCB’s capacity to educate nurses at a time when the demand for healthcare professionals continues to rise.

and bedside manner skills.

On their first day at the PATH Center, the students toured the classrooms and labs where they will spend several days a week over the next three years before graduating with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degrees. Their coursework also includes hundreds of hours in hospitals, clinics, and community health centers.

Students in the new cohort come from Beaufort, Bluffton and surrounding communities. For some, beginning their nursing education at the PATH Center represents the realization of a lifelong goal.

as possible, and this partnership is one of the innovative ways that Beaufort Memorial is doing that.”

In addition to serving USCB students, the Center also supports Beaufort Memorial staff and other healthcare professionals through its PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) workforce development program, which offers professional development, certification testing and advanced clinical training.

Solomon described the partnership between Beaufort Memorial and USCB as “momentous” for the community.

With the addition of the PATH Center, USCB aims to grow its nursing program from graduating 42 students annually to 72

Firm from page A1

“Many students don’t have a hospital background,” said Suzanne Wurster, Chair of the USCB nursing program. “In this semester, we give them opportunities to interact with standardized patients. It could be a live human or one of the manikins

that we have in the simulation labs here.”

Wurster, Ph.D., RN, also holds certifications as a nurse educator (CNE), in professional development (NPD-BC), in emergency nursing (CEN), and in critical care technology (CCIT).

The PATH Center features four simulation labs designed to replicate hospital

for their daughter, as well as the report on another girl from a different incident, among many sensitive documents.

When the Hollis family received the documents fulfilling their request from the City, they were stunned. In more than 9,000 pages of emails, not including attachments, of which there are many, almost nothing was redacted.

The City became aware of its mistake when City Councilman Josh Scallate asked for the same information Autumn Hollis had requested. When he got it, he soon discovered, as well, there were no redactions.

The documents included in the FOIA response contained the completely uncensored forensic interview and examination report

During the public comment section of Monday’s meeting Autumn and Kiel Hollis, as well as Autun Hollis’ father, were the only people to speak. The Hollises took the City to task.

“City Council had the power to step in, to ask the hard questions, and to defend the most vulnerable in our community. Instead, you remained silent. You accepted the narrative handed to you and allowed it to stand, even when it dismissed our daughter’s victimization. And when you finally spoke, your press release wasn’t about protecting victims — it was about protecting yourselves. That choice

rooms. Each includes lifelike manikins that allow students and clinical staff to practice scenarios ranging from pediatric respiratory emergencies to cardiac arrests and surgical complications. USCB also has a simulation center at its main Nursing campus in Bluffton. Simulation helps students build communication, assessment,

broke faith with every parent in this city and violated the very oath you swore to uphold,” Emily Hollis said.

“Our family will not stay silent, because this is bigger than our daughter. When police and city leaders control the narrative instead of telling the truth, victims lose their voice, families lose faith, and communities lose trust. What happened to our daughter is a warning: the narrative you choose matters — and in The City of Beaufort, you chose the wrong one.

“Now, we are asking you to do the right thing. Not only to investigate how these records were ever released through FOIA. But who has been distributing them. I have the evidence to prove these documents have not just been sent to me and Josh [Scallate]. Because until the

“This is one way that we are helping increase our nursing pool,” said Joy Solomon, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Beaufort Memorial’s Director of Education and Workforce Development. “Every hospital struggles with nursing shortages, and we have become strategic with how we fill those gaps. We want to be ahead of the curve as much

families you’ve exposed are given answers, accountability, and protection, there will be no trust left in this city’s leadership.”

Some documents received in the FOIA request have shown up online on the Lowcountry Whispers’ TikTok account, though they have been deleted.

The Hollises are adamant they have not shared those documents and are convinced someone else has shared the FOIA response.

Scallate denied that he had shared any documents when he visited the Hollis home late Sunday night and again on Monday on the phone with The Island News

On Tuesday, Autumn Hollis wasn’t necessarily impressed with the City’s investigation, saying she’d have to wait and see if the

“Partnerships like this are momentous,” she said. “They not only strengthen our workforce, but they help ensure the future of healthcare in our community.”

Emma June Grosskopf is Media Relations Manager for Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Carol Weir is Senior Director of Communications for USCB.

trend of documents from the FOIA showing up online continued or if the investigators actually rooted out “who actually got these documents and how they were released outside the City.”

While the Hollis family is determining their next step, local developer Graham Trask has already taken his, filing a lawsuit on Thursday, Aug. 21 in the Court of Common Pleas of South Carolina’s 14th Circuit in an effort to get the City to release the documents from the original FOIA to “any individual seeking to verify if their personal information was part of the data breach.”

Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.

Why young savers should adopt a long-term mindset

Provided by Wells Fargo Advisors

Four key considerations could help young adults create a mindset to succeed with saving and investing for the future.

Michelle Wan, Wells Fargo Investment Institute

senior wealth investment solutions analyst, has met many younger clients who have had reservations about investing. “Young investors may find themselves delaying investing for retirement because it seems so far in the future. Alternatively, they may enjoy trading volatile investment instruments for rapid profits,” she says. “They don’t realize how important it is to methodically develop planning and investing goals at a young age. Time is a young saver’s greatest ally.”

Here, Wan shares four key considerations for young savers when it comes to prioritizing long-term savings and investment plans.

1. Adopt a planning mindset One key factor is having a planning mindset — a positive and proactive stance that could set savers on a path to positive financial outcomes. A planning mindset can provide a road map that can help strengthen a person’s financial future.

2. Start with small changes

Small changes in your financial behavior today could have a big impact on long-term success. Creating a budget, building healthy financial habits, and becoming more comfortable and familiar with investing could go a long way in contribut-

ing toward achieving longterm financial goals.

Some practices to consider:

Automatically transferring part of your income into a savings account or an investment account

Paying down student loans to avoid late fees and damage to credit scores

3. Begin saving and investing now

Start saving for retirement as soon as you can. The sooner you start, the more time every dollar saved has the potential to grow. If dollars saved early in your working years generate investment gains year after year, they can have a much bigger impact on the size of your account balance at retirement than

you might think. Thanks to the power of compounding, as the dollars invested potentially earn returns, those reinvested returns can start earning returns, and so on — year after year.

“For younger investors, compounding returns become especially powerful given their longer time horizon, so an early start can make a dramatic difference in helping investors reach their financial goals,” says Wan

4. Take full advantage of retirement savings plans

If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, be sure to participate — and max out any kind of matching-contribution offers. They are the equivalent of free money.

Roth IRAs — to which you contribute after-tax dollars —

are also worth a closer look because they offer tax-free growth potential. Investment earnings are also distributed tax-free in retirement if specific requirements are met.

“Another savings vehicle to consider is a Health Savings Account (HSA), which offers tax benefits to qualified investors,” Wan says.

A discussion with an investment professional about your investment goals can help you develop a longterm plan and strategies to potentially help you achieve those goals.

PM-02012026-6854630 1

This article was written by

Candidate filing open for Yemassee Municipal Election

Staff reports The Town of Yemassee Municipal General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4 2025. Voters will elect two Town Council Members and the Mayor, each serving a four-year term. These seats are currently held by Council Member David Paul Murray, Council Member

Graber

from page A1

yellow egg-like item that I did not eat.

My cellmates and I waited — without a book or television talk show — for four hours awaiting a bond hearing that did happen at 10 a.m. However, we were not released until 3 p.m., spending another five hours in a small space filled with despair.

The last couple of hours of our incarceration were spent in the Reception Area trying to get ourselves processed out. While we were waiting in a large holding cell, we noticed another inmate lying on the floor covered with a piece of plastic. He, like us, was being processed out but was unresponsive when called for his departure photograph.

One of my cellmates — seeing this man and sensing something was wrong, got him up and off the floor and over to the photography area. But the detention deputy — holding a camera — could not photograph this man’s face and hold his head up at the same time.

My three cellmates, showing the only compassion that was evident in this place at this moment, held him up for his photograph so he could depart with the rest of us.

As I sat and watched all of this my mind took me back to Jan. 23 1979, when I was in the Beaufort County Jail with my coffee — prepared by a trustee — and sitting with John Arnold.

Arnold had been accused of murdering a young woman, Betty Gardner, and his trial was to commence at 10 a.m. I then represented Arnold and had brought him a blue, oxford-cloth shirt and a knit tie to wear into the courtroom. I thought it was important to get him

Stacy Pinckney, and Mayor Colin J. Moore.

All Mayor and Town Council seats in Yemassee are at-large and non-partisan. Individuals seeking to run must file a Statement of Intention of Candidacy – Nonpartisan. The filing period opened Friday, Aug. 22, and runs through

out of his jumpsuit and into some kind of garb that didn’t scream “Mad Dog” — the appellation used by the Solicitor.

In those days I felt no claustrophobia, despair, or the sense that I lacked a view of the river.

June 17, 2025

On the evening of June 17 2025, my wife and I had dinner at Scratch — an Italian restaurant in Shell Point where we shared a salad and a plate of thinly sliced carpaccio. I also had two glasses of a Pinot Noir, a northern Italian vintage called Castelfeder, Susan having a single glass of a Tuscan Red.

We left Scratch a little after 8 p.m., en route to our pale blue, two-storied house on 9th Street in Port Royal. We traveled South on Madrid Avenue in our Honda Fit and as I made a left turn onto 9th, I may have strayed into the left lane of traffic. As we were pulling into our yard a police SUV materialized and suddenly our neighborhood was bathed in a pulsing blue and red light.

I was given what is called a “field sobriety test” — a FST in police parlance — that involved following the officer’s index finger with my eyes. Then the young man asked me to recite the alphabet.

It is my recollection that I said something like, “I can’t say the alphabet backwards,” and it is my further recollection that the officer said something like, “Well, start at D and go to M.” (All of this was captured on a video.)

What was not captured on video is whether or not there was a jerking movement in my eyes when I was asked to look left (and right) at a 45 degree angle. The Horizontal Gaze Nystagamus (HGN) test is widely used in South Carolina but,

noon, Friday, Sept. 5 at the Yemassee Municipal Complex, during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. (Note: The Town will be closed Monday, Sept. 1, for Labor Day. No filings will be accepted on that day.) Eligible candidates must be a registered South Carolina voter residing

as far as I can tell, there is no way to video-verify what the officer reports.

In the case of State v. Gordon (2015) our Appeals Court said that the “HGN field sobriety test had very little probative value to a jury because the eyes of the motorist were rarely, if ever, seen.”

The “alphabet test” is not approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because there doesn’t appear to be any scientific connection between saying the alphabet and the driver’s alleged impairment.

But, according to the arresting officer, I failed these tests and the officer said he was arresting me for Driving Under the Influence. Thereafter, my wrists cuffed behind my back, I was put into the back seat of his cruiser and “transported” to the Beaufort County Detention Center.

At the Detention Center I was placed inside a small room that was separated from another small room by a large sheet of hard plastic. A circular hole cut into the plastic allowed me to lean forward and talk with the officer. He asked me if I wanted to take a Breathalyzer Test.

I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure because some of my friends are DUI-focused lawyers. They have told me over the years that one should refuse the test. And so I hesitated — all of this discussion is on tape — but in the end I agreed and blew my aging breath into a black plastic tube that snaked through the hole in the plastic.

That ragged blast of breath registered a blood alcohol concentration of three one-hundredths of one percent. I did not know it then, but I would later discover that Section 56-5-2950(G)(1) says: “If the alcohol concentration was at that time

in the Town of Yemassee.

Candidates may obtain and complete the Statement of Intention of Candidacy – Non-Partisan form from the South Carolina Election Commission website or at the Yemassee Municipal Complex. Submit the completed form in person along with the appropriate filing fee -- $300 for Mayor or $150 for Council Member. All fees must be paid at the time of submission and are non-refundable. Candidates must also complete the required South Carolina Ethics Commission campaign forms online at https://ethics.sc.gov/campaigns.

five one-hundredths of one percent or less, it is conclusively presumed the person was not under the influence of alcohol.”

At that point I was processed into the Beaufort County Detention Center where I spent the worst night of my life.

“Why,” I wondered, “was I plunged into this place when I was ‘conclusively presumed’ to be sober?”

After my release (from the Detention Center) I hired a lawyer, Scott Lee, who is conversant with Code Section 56-5-2950 et. seq., and who worked tirelessly in my behalf.

However, I must give special thanks to my 9th Street neighbor, Kit Bruce, who witnessed the arrest and ran into the blue-and-red-lighted scene trying to convince the arresting officer that I was not drunk. Later, this same wonderful neighbor called the Mayor, Kevin Phillips, and that encounter set off a series of events that, I’m sure, helped my cause.

Thanks to Scott Lee and Kit Bruce the Town of Port Royal would drop the charges against me. Nonetheless I continued to wonder why my arrest, and my detention, commenced after the Breathalyzer revealed I was “conclusively” not impaired at the time of my arrest?

Aftermath

What happened next — and what profoundly helped with my anger — was the fact that I was called by Mayor Phillips who asked if I would discuss all of these matters with the newly appointed Chief of Police, Jeff Meyers. Chief Meyers and I met at Corner Perk in Port Royal — we both ordered coffee and for a time we talked about the Cleveland Browns. Chief Meyers comes from Cleveland and, as a young boy, I decided the Browns would be the professional team I would

follow and cheer for.

For most of my life I have regretted that decision.

Prior to getting into the substance of my arrest Chief Meyers asked if I would be talking to him as a journalist, or as a lawyer, or as a recently arrested individual.

In answering that question I said I was still having conflicting, pinball-like emotions involving my 45-year-long love affair with the Town of Port Royal and the resentment from my arrest and my subsequent detention.

I told him I had been the Town Attorney; the Chair of the Municipal Planning Commission; the Town’s representative on the Water and Sewer Authority. I told him I was proud of the things that Port Royal had accomplished over the years and I appreciated the fact I had been given a small role in that growth.

At the end of that self-serving litany I said I would not quote him directly.

But I will generally relate that the topics of our conversation dealt with the officer in question, the field sobriety tests, and, importantly, the officer’s decision to put me into the Detention Center after my .03 BAC reading — conclusive evidence I was not drunk.

Chief Meyers indicated the arresting officer can’t ruleout opioids, or barbiturates, or other drugs as being the intoxicating culprit. So protocols or procedure require the arresting officer transport the detained driver to the Beaufort County Hospital for a blood test to confirm his or her suspicions about drugs.

But, in my case, the arresting officer didn’t do that. He (apparently) decided it wasn’t necessary. I went straight into the tank.

According to Attorney Scott Lee, there have been Port Royal arrests of two other persons — one who registered an .02 BAC and another who registered a .00

Blood Alcohol Concentration — who were put into the Detention Center without a trip to the hospital. That, according to the Chief, won’t happen again. Now anyone arrested (for DUI) will also go to the hospital. The problem, Chief Meyers explained, is that the department won’t get the blood test results for a couple of weeks. Hence a continuing uncertainty about sobriety. But, one way or the other, it’s back to the Detention Center.

I won’t repeat what I wrote about my night in the Detention Center. But will confirm that process involves humiliation, the stripping away of one’s dignity and, of course, shame. There is the tangible presumption of guilt attached to these proceedings, not innocence. It is “punishment” before any final determination of guilt. Beaufort County doesn’t require the presence of a magistrate (at the Detention Center) in the afternoon or in the evening — he or she shows up the next morning and sets bail that facilitates one’s release. Anyone arrested during the late morning, afternoon or evening will not be processed until the following day. If one is arrested for an alleged DUI after 10 p.m., one is going to get an all-expenses paid night in the Beaufort County Detention Center. In my days as a criminal defense lawyer I had the opportunity to repeatedly “tour” the Beaufort County Jail and, on a couple of occasions, the Central Correction Institute in Columbia. Never did I feel the humiliation, the sense of guilt or shame like I felt as I lay on my bunk during the night of June 17, 2025

Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.

Pace yourself for a long season

So your favorite high school football team played a football game, and you’re feeling some type of way about it. Maybe your squad slaughtered a sacrificial lamb for their home opener, and you’re dreaming of a state championship. Or perhaps your boys got beat up by a bigger school loaded with nextlevel talent, and you’re already daydreaming about basketball season. Chill. Out.

A football season is more marathon than sprint, and the clock just started ticking. Nothing is ever as bad — or as good — as it seems in August. None of these early-season games actually carry any stakes of substance, and winning or losing this time of year has no impact on the team goals that were determined well before we could play a full game without a mandatory water break forced

Bluffton 49, Whale Branch 0

by the dreaded “wet bulb.”

And in many cases, the apples are doing battle with so many oranges that it’s hard to get a read on what any of it means, anyway. In August, most teams are either punching way above their weight in games they have no chance of winning, which usually makes them better in the long run, or punching down on weaker opponents, which usually doesn’t. Take the Bluffton Bobcats, for example. We know their offense is going to be electric, as evidence

by the fact that North Carolina commit Carnell Warren, one of the top-rated receivers in the state, did not score one of the Bobcats’ seven touchdowns in a 49-0 rout of Whale Branch on Friday night. After a sluggish start, Kordell Holley ran all over the Warriors’ defensive front, and Aedan McCarthy carved up the secondary, especially after fatigue took its toll in the second half and allowed Bluffton’s superior depth to take over.

But can we glean anything from it about how the Bobcats will match up against Region 6-4A? Not really.

Neither can we tell how Hilton Head High’s defense will hold up against the Bobcats’ spread-out airshow or May River’s signature Slot-T rushing attack based on the Seahawks’ 59-12 dispatching of Stall on Friday. Sure, B.J. Payne’s boys gave up a couple scores,

but second- and third-string defenders were on the field when the Warriors found the end zone, so Payne probably isn’t terribly concerned.

On the other hand, there’s no need to panic about a team like Beaufort High dropping its opener, even with a tepid offensive performance in Monday’s 17-6 loss to Fort Dorchester. Lest we forget, the Eagles managed only six points in a season-opening loss to the Patriots three years ago — and they didn’t lose again on their way to a Class 3A state title.

Hilton Head Christian Academy has taken a couple big ol’ bites out of its early-season sandwich, and the Eagles’ 1-1 record against a challenging schedule indicates Ron Peduzzi’s crew is poised to contend again in SCISA 3A. The Eagles went toe-to-toe with SCISA 4A power Porter-Gaud for three-plus quar-

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

It took most of the first half for the Bobcats to get the offensive machine running smoothly, but they finished with 481 yards of offense in a season-opening blowout. Aedan McCarthy was 15-for-19 for 262 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Kordell Holley racked up 121 yards and three TDs on 13 carries. Amare Patterson had six catches for 47 yards and two TDs, and Roman Benjamin snagged three passes for 73 yards and a TD.

Next Week: Bluffton (1-0) vs. Andrew Jackson; Whale Branch (0-1) vs. Hardeeville

HHCA 36, Battery Creek 20

Reid McCollum passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns and added 97 rushing yards, as the Eagles scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions to take control of the game after falling behind early. Joey Houpt caught four passes for 91 yards and two TDs, and Thomas Gehm had seven catches for 59 yards and a score, while Hudson Baker and Kres Langhals added rushing touchdowns for the Eagles.

Next Week: HHCA (1-1) at Bethesda Academy; Battery Creek (0-1) at John Paul II

Laurence Manning 37, John Paul II 0

The Golden Warriors were humbled after a huge season-opening win, running into an experienced and talented Swampcats team on the road. After rolling up 305 rushing yards against Colleton Prep, JPII managed only 125 total yards and 88 rushing yards on 22 carries against LMA and was hampered by three turnovers. Jadon Inabinett led the Golden Warriors on the ground with 65 rushing yards on six attempts.

Next Week: JPII (1-1) vs. Battery Creek (0-1)

Beaufort Academy 41, Carolina Academy 28 Nych Underwood has had some monster games in his career, but he saved his best yet for his 18th birthday, rolling up 366 rushing yards on 26 carries and scoring five touchdowns — four rushing and one on a pick-six — to power the Eagles to a gritty win in a wild one on the road. The Bobcats closed within 33-28 in the fourth quarter, but Nic Shuford Jr. connected with Ben Davis for a 37-yard touchdown on fourth-and-12 to seal the win.

Next Week: BA (2-0) vs. St. John’s Christian Fort Dorchester 17, Beaufort 6 Despite a stellar showing from Bryce Lybrand’s defense in the opener, the Eagles surrendered 17 unanswered points in the second half to drop their opener to the Patriots. Beaufort opened the scoring with just 20 seconds to go in the first half as Anthony Kahler rolled out to find Keaudre Jenkins in the end zone, but the Patriots found their spark on offense after halftime. Senior Chaz Brown led a commendable defensive effort for the Eagles.

Next Week: Beaufort (0-1) at Greenwood – LowcoSports.com

ters in a season-opening loss, and they showed more mettle late in Friday’s 36-20 win over Class 3A Battery Creek, a team that boasts plenty of size in the trenches. Peduzzi could have scheduled down and piled up wins, but would it have helped his team get over the hump against Hammond or Pinewood Prep next month? Not likely.

Every football coach in America will gladly trade a loss in August or September for one more win in October or November, so don’t overreact to one or two games.

The kids will keep playing, and we’ll keep showing up to see what happens. Everybody wins.

SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

By Delayna Earley The Island News

The Beaufort County Board of Education has voted to restrict nine books in Beaufort County School District libraries after a Special Called Meeting held on Friday morning, Aug. 22

The books will not be removed from the libraries but will require written permission from a parent or guardian to be checked out at the high school level.

This marks the first time that Beaufort County has not immediately forwarded complaints made against books under Regulation 43-170 directly to the S.C. Board of Education, which they have previously done as the books that have been challenged under the newer regulation were challenged by Beaufort County parent Elizabeth “Ivie” Szalai and were previously reviewed and returned to district libraries following a review process before the regulation was passed.

Under Regulation 43-170 parents and legal guardians can submit up to five complaints per month regarding library books and instructional materials that contain descriptions or images of sexual content.

School districts are required to publicly review and vote on these complaints, but as Beaufort County had only recently reviewed and returned all of the questioned books, they have been forwarding any complaints

EDUCATION

Nine books restricted in BCSD libraries

Community members gather following the Beaufort County Board of Education meeting to discuss whether books on the proposed “ban list” should be restricted. Amber Hewitt/The Island News

straight to the state level to be dealt with there.

Friday’s meeting and review of the nine books was the result of a letter received by the Beaufort County Board of Education in which the state board requested that new book complaints are handled first at the district level instead of forwarding them immediately to the state level.

While Szalai no longer has a student enrolled in the district, her complaints made before the end of the 20242025 school year can still be reviewed as they were filed while her child was still a student enrolled in the district, and the Beaufort County Board of Education has been asked to deal with them.

All nine books reviewed on Friday have already been

reviewed in the year-long process that took place before the regulation took effect and were returned to libraries.

Szalai was present at Friday’s meeting and spoke on each of the books as they were brought up for review and talked about why they should be removed from district libraries under Regulation 43-170 and read passages that she deemed inappropriate to support her arguments.

Hilton Head Island parent David Cook called in a few times to agree and reiterate her position.

On the other side, a large group of parents, students and members of Families Against Book Bans (FABB) spoke against restricting books and advocated for

allowing all of the books to stay on library shelves as they had already been reviewed once in recent years and were deemed appropriate.

The board voted to restrict the books with a 9-2 vote –with board members David Carr and Ingrid Boatright dissenting – rather than ban them in trying to find a balance between content concerns without removing access to the books completely and stripping parents of their right to decide what is appropriate for their own children.

Boatright stated that while she can understand the regulation, she believes that the bigger problem is with social media, devices and online content and not with school library books.

Board member Chloe Gordon stated that books helped her to understand and protect herself from potentially dangerous situations by educating her about rape so that she could recognize and avoid situations where she could have been.

“I was able to read a book and therefore arm myself so that I was not one of those girls, one of those statistics,” Gordon said. “I will tell you that seeing that [students] can read about this, given the right to do what they need to do – I can’t take that away from them. I can’t take that away from their parents. I don’t have the right to do that, and we don’t have the right to do that as a board. We have the right o pub the information out there and let it fall where it may, to help somebody’s child along the way.”

FABB released a statement regarding the board’s vote on Friday and thanked those who spoke against removing books but were disappointed that the board ultimately did not follow the community review committee recommendations that were previously made in the review process.

“While these nine titles will remain on shelves, we also recognize that restricted access is a form of censorship,” the press release from FABB said. Szalai had not decided whether to accept the deci-

sion or to appeal to the State Board, even though she does see the outcome of Friday’s meeting as a win.

The board has finalized a letter to be sent in response to the letter previously sent by the state board in which they have explained that the nine books would be placed in a restricted section that is only accessible to students with written permission from a parent or legal guardian.

The books restricted during Friday’s meeting are “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Freedom Writers Diary” by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell, “Sold” by Patricia McCormick, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, “The Lovely Bones” by Jay Asher, “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein, “The Duff” by Kody Keplinger, “Tilt” by Ellen Hopkins. Six other titles had already been removed for being older or rarely checked out –“Shine” by Lauren Myracle, “Skin” by Donna Jo Napoli, “The Carnival at Bray” by Jessie Ann Foley, “Like a Love Story” by Abdi Nazemian, “The Infinite Moment of Us” by Lauren Myracle and “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen.

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.

Community impact of hospitals ‘wide-reaching’ at state, local levels

Special to The Island News

In South Carolina, healthcare is about more than just saving lives — it’s a booming industry, too, with hospitals in the state generating more than $36 billion annually.

At the local level, that means job growth, investment in the community and a commitment to expanding access to critical healthcare services.

A recent report from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) showed that hospitals account for more than 203 000 state jobs with a total of $13 2 billion in labor income. That number includes jobs created directly by hospitals, indirectly by companies that do business with or because of hospitals and the trickle-down impact of spending by households of those jobholders.

The broader economic sector of healthcare and social assistance is South Carolina’s leading employer, accounting for 13 2% of the state’s workforce.

There were 81 047 employed individuals in Beaufort County last year, noted a 2024 report from the South Carolina Department of Employment & Workforce, and overall healthcare and social assistance makes up about 12 4% of the county’s workforce.

Beaufort Memorial employs more than 1,800 people across the entire hospital system — that’s over 2 2% of the workforce countywide. The need for increased healthcare access continues to grow with the region’s population. In May, Beaufort Memorial broke ground on the Bluffton Community Hospital, which will add 250 jobs in its first year. This facility will make care and healthcare employment opportunities more convenient for Bluffton residents, as lifesaving

services are more easily accessible right in their backyard.

“The healthcare landscape in the Lowcountry is evolving rapidly. As our population continues to grow, so does the demand for greater access to both primary and specialty care,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “Beaufort Memorial has responded to this growth by strategically expanding services and recruiting top-tier providers to meet the region’s changing needs.”

The nonprofit hospital sys-

tem has welcomed more than 50 new providers since the start of 2022, and Beaufort Memorial’s long-standing partnership with MUSC Health has aided in the recruitment of specialists to the market.

The partnership is just one way that the community hospital system is taking action to improve access to crucial healthcare services in the region, Baxley added.

“The value of a life saved, a baby delivered or quality of life restored cannot be quantified,” said SCHA President and CEO Thornton Kir-

Good gut feeling

Probiotics can help balance digestive system

Special to The Island News

When it comes to the microbiome in your gut, balance is the key to good health. And probiotics can help when that balance is thrown off by medical conditions, stress or the use of antibiotics.

Probiotics are types of bacteria referred to as “friendly bacteria,” as they are very similar to the organisms found in the digestive tract. They have been linked to health benefits including aiding in digestion, boosting immune function and helping fight harmful bacteria.

“Probiotics can be introduced into a healthy diet by consuming natural food sources such as yogurt. However, over-the-counter supplements have also become an option,” explains Kim Edwards, RD, CDE, a Beaufort Memorial registered dietitian and diabetes educator. “There are different reasons for choosing a natural food source over supplementation, and it is important to consider the pros and cons.”

Yogurt is the most commonly known source of probiotics and has been shown to have positive effects on digestion. Yogurts labeled as containing “live cultures” typically contain the common probiotic

strain Lactobacillus.

“There are yogurts that are specifically branded as special digestive yogurts, but any yogurt that lists “live and helpful cultures” can be just as effective, as well as less expensive,” says Edwards.

In addition to yogurts, probiotics are found in other fermented foods including kefir (a fermented milk drink), sauerkraut (refrigerated, not shelf-stable), kimchi (made from fermented cabbage), tempeh and miso (both made from fermented soybeans), sourdough breads, pickles, and some soft cheeses, such as gouda.

Edwards emphasizes that eating these foods offers more than just the benefit of probiotics. They are a great addition to any healthy diet.

It is important to note that pasteurization kills bacteria, so any pasteurized products will not contain active probiotics.

Probiotic supplementation is another viable option for getting these healthy organisms, especially if someone is a picky eater or has issues with digesting these foods. These supplements contain high dosages of healthy microorganisms, and unlike the foods, they will list the spe-

cific strain(s) they contain.

Probiotics are not all alike. Each strain can be very specific in what it’s useful for. For example, one strain of Lactobacillus may be beneficial in fighting off a particular illness for which another strain of Lactobacillus would have no benefit at all. With supplements, the consumer is able to choose the particular strain that is specific to a health need. As with any supplement, it important to note that probiotic supplements do not require FDA approval before they are marketed.

Special considerations need to be met prior to introducing any probiotic increase into the diet. For the most part, it is safe to add any of the foods that contain probiotics into a healthy individual’s diet, although there can be risks associated with taking a supplement for someone with a compromised immune system.

“Especially for critically ill patients or the elderly, these supplements could do more harm than good,” says Edwards. “It’s important to let your physician and health care providers know of your plans of adding any type of supplements.”

by, “but there are numbers that demonstrate the wide-reaching impact of hospitals on their communities and the state of South Carolina, and they are impressive.”

The SCHA report revealed the figures attached to compassionate care in the state, with South Carolina hospitals caring for nearly 1 9 million individual patients annually, performing more than 25 5 million medical procedures, seeing more than 2 3 million emergency room visits and providing over $3 2 billion in uncompensated and charity care.

In 2024, Beaufort Memorial saw 9 059 admissions, 250 793 outpatient registrations, 45 700 ER visits, 12,355 surgeries, 1,110 deliveries, 292,214 physician office visits and a total of $36 8 million in uncompensated care.

In addition to the overall value of uncompensated care provided, Beaufort Memorial supports other community safety net organizations with in-kind services, including temporary storage space for Help of Beaufort, as well as office space for Good Neighbor Medical Clinic (valued at $88,935 annually) and the Lending Room (890 square feet, valued at $26 166 annually).

In 2024, Beaufort Memorial provided lab tests, imaging procedures, primary care and specialty care visits, surgical procedures and other hospital services at a total value well over $4 million to low-income and uninsured patients of Good Neighbor Medical Clinic, AccessHealth of the Lowcountry and both the Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) clinics in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. The hospital system also has a dedicated transportation team and Mobile Wellness Unit committed to improving access to care for all patients, with 1 178 patients representing 26 zip codes given free rides to and from Beaufort Memorial facilities for medical care in 2024. The Mobile Wellness Unit offers health screening events around the region and was a part of 86 screening events in 2024 serving 1 670 people.

“This outreach and commitment to providing care and community support – regardless of a person’s ability to pay – highlights the vital, human role hospitals play in our communities,” Baxley said, “far beyond their economic impact.”

Allergic reactions:

Know when to go to the ER

Special to The Island News

In recent years, awareness about food allergies has expanded. Restaurants promote themselves as allergen safe, schools ban treats that contain nuts and product packages list possible cross-contaminations. But food sensitivities are not the only allergies that can cause severe reactions and even death. Insect stings and medications can also cause problems for some people.

“With more medications out there these days, we see a growing number of allergic reactions,” says Dr. Stephen Larson, a board-certified emergency medicine physician at Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center.

Symptoms of allergic reactions

Hives — red, blotchy swollen areas of skin — are common symptoms, as are rashes, bloodshot eyes, sneezing and wheezing.

“When there is swelling around the lips or back of the throat, that’s when we get concerned,” Dr. Larson says. “That could compromise someone’s ability to breathe.”

Throat swelling or closure is a sign of anaphylaxis, the most severe type of allergic reaction that, without treatment, can lead to death. Another sign of anaphylaxis

is a drop in blood pressure. When that happens, you might feel lightheaded or faint.

What to do for allergic reactions

If your allergic reaction leads to mild symptoms, such as sneezing or a rash, Dr. Larson recommends using over-the-counter products, such as topical hydrocortisone creams and antihistamines. But if the symptoms become more intense, for example a rash developing into hives, visit a Beaufort Memorial Express Care & Occupational Health clinic.

“If you have a raised, itchy rash, you’ll probably benefit from oral steroids, like prednisone,” Dr. Larson says. “But if you’re experiencing wheezing, throat swelling or difficulty swallowing, or you’re feeling lightheaded or faint, you need to seek emergency care.”

A medication called epinephrine, which is injected with a prescription EpiPen, can help prevent anaphylaxis in yourself or your child. However, it’s still important to go to the emergency room.

“There can be side effects to using an EpiPen, as you’re essentially injecting yourself with adrenaline,” Dr. Larson says.

“So it’s a good idea to be evaluated after you use it.”

ART Budding Artist After-School

Art Club

4 to 5 p.m., or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesday/Thursdays, Happy Art Studio, 10 Sam’s Point Way, Beaufort. Ages 8 to 13. Painting, drawing, clay or crafts. Visit www.happyartstudio.net.

CALENDAR

Roots & Rivers Festival

2 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 6, Bluffton Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf Street, Bluffton. $15 per person. A celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community. Expect a day full of music, flavor, inspiration, and connection right on the banks of the May River. Live music by Deas Guyz, food trucks, craft beer, artisanal vendors, kid zone, raffle prizes, and more. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/ 3JygvCW.

Patriot Day 8 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept 11, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Remembering and honoring those who served and died on 9/11. Yemassee Shrimp Festival Friday, Sept. 19 & Saturday, Sept. 20, 101 Town Circle Yemassee. Live music includes the East Coast Party Band (8 p.m., Friday), sponsored by Comcast; and Funk Factory 5 (8 p.m. Saturday). Ore details to come. 2025 Beaufort County Youth Conference

9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20, USC Beaufort Center For The Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort. The event aims to bring rising middle school and high school together from all over to address and tackle pressing challenges. For more information, call Lynn at 843-476-1888; Brandon at 843-3210373; or Carrie at 843-812-4399 for more information.

Gather & Give: A Family Promise Barn Bash

6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3, The Barn at Hampton Lake, 7457 Hampton Lake Drive, Bluffton. $150 per ticket. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music, good food, good company, and giving back — all in support of Family Promise of Beaufort County. Beer & wine included. Live music and more. To purchase tickets, visit https://bit. ly/45gHNpF.

Saint Peter’s Catholic Church 65th Annual Fall Bazaar

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, 70 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. The Bazaar features international foods, a craft fair, a sweet shoppe, in-person and online silent auctions, wine and beer garden, plant sale, church and school tours, and a Kids Zone with inflatables, games, and the Beaufort Barnyard Petting

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Zoo. Artists and crafts people interested in a 10x10 outdoor space can send an email to gather@stpetersbeaufort. org for more information. The 65th Annual Fall Bazaar benefits Lowcountry Outreach, a ministry of Saint Peter’s parish that provides free office and meeting space for partner organizations, including Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, A Father’s Place, and several support groups. Lowcountry Outreach provides a rideshare program designed to assist individuals lacking transportation, enabling them to access essential services.

Inaugural Port Royal Plein Air Invitational

5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10; all day Saturday, Oct. 11; all day Sunday, Oct. 12. 809 Paris Avenue, Port Royal. A threeday celebration of open-air painting and creative community, taking place at The Shed and throughout the picturesque streets and coastal landscapes of historic Port Royal. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4lLDpnA.

40th annual Hilton Head Kiwanis Chili Cookoff & Jeep Island Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island. All major debit and credit cards will be accepted for chili samples, food, beverages, and more. Local BBQ legend Orchid Paulmeier of One Hot Mama’s restaurant, fresh off of her Top 5 finish on the Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl,” will once again be competing in the Chili Cook Off! In addition to the traditional adult beverages and soft drinks, this year’s event also will include local craft brews from Local Legend Brewing Company! The event raises much-needed funding for many local youth charities, including Island Rec Association and the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island. Chili cooks will face off to determine the best concoctions in Professional, Amateur, and People’s Choice categories. Winners will earn cash prize donations to the local youth cause of their choice. Visit www.hiltonheadkiwanis. com to sign up online to cook, sponsor, and buy tickets. For more information, email the Hilton Head Kiwanis Club at hiltonheadislandkiwanis@gmail.com

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to midnight, Mondays, Tomfoolery, 3436 17 Market, Habersham, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Karaoke with Ali 9 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. With DJ Ali.

Karaoke with Melissa 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie

O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.

Trivia with Tom – Bricks On Boundary

7 p.m., Every Thursday, Bricks on Boundary, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available.

Karaoke at Willie’s 8 p.m., Thursdays, Willie's Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Saint Helena Island. Come and showcase your singing talents or just enjoy the performances. For more information, visit www.GullahLove.com.

Bluffton Night Bazaar — a Lowcountry Made Market 5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.

Habersham Farmers Market 3 to 6 p.m., Fridays, Habersham Marketplace. Vendor roster includes B&E Farm, Cottonwood Soap, Flower Power Treats, Hardee Greens, Megs Sweet Treats, Vitamin Bee, Lady’s Island Oyster Company, Pet Wants.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.

Karaoke with Melissa 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Drive, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Port Royal Farmers Market 9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, year round, Naval Heritage Park, 1615 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Rain or shine. You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese, as well as plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. There are prepared food vendors serving barbecue, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http://www.portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @portroy-

alfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.

Slip and Splash Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud

9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday each month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO Students and other volunteers will read to young children, who are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals.

Karaoke with Melissa

8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

CLASS REUNION

Beaufort High School Class of 1975 Oct. 17 through Oct. 19, 2025, Beaufort. 50th Class Reunion Celebration. Request that graduates of this class contact the class Community Outreach Representative Barbara Gardner Hunter at 347-497-9326 or email gardnerbarbara991@gmail.com to provide current contact information.

DANCE

Lowcountry Shaggers

6 to 9 p.m., Mondays, Holiday Inn, 2225 Boundary Street. Shag lessons with Tommy & Sheri O’Brien and others. Occasional ballroom and once-a-monh line dancing. Biginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com of email lowcountryshaggers@aol.com.

The Beaufort Shag Club 6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free lessons for members from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We also host a dance the second Saturday of each month from 7 to 10 p.m. Lessons will run September through May only. Visit our FaceBook page (beaufortshagclub) for current events.

GOLF 4th annual Stingray Scramble Saturday, Sept. 20, Ocean Creek Golf

Course, Fripp Island. Proceeds benefit Riverview Charter School. Early bird pricing is $650 for team of four through

1. After July 1, $700 for team of four. Register online at

bit.ly/4kTF4br. Visit https://bit.ly/4mWQ7ls for sponsorship opportunities. Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry's 28th annual Golf Tournament

Freedom of speech in Texas? Not even in the bathroom

The question of the day: do we still allow freedom of speech in this country?

The state of Texas answered that one with the detainment of Representative Nicole Collier last week. When she refused to sign an agreement compelling her to be accompanied 24/7 by a state trooper.

As a matter of introduction, Collier is an attorney, a mother, and the first Black woman to represent Tarrant County’s House District 95 in North Texas.

If you are not familiar with this story, here is a little background.

Fifty-one Democratic Texas state representatives left three weeks ago for Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts to prevent Republican lawmakers from redistricting Texas to give five Democratic congressional seats to Republicans. They returned home last week.

Upon their return, they learned that Republican House speaker, Dustin Burrows, wanted them to sign a statement, committing

them to showing up for the Wednesday morning vote on the maps the 47th president had demanded. This limited their freedom until they enabled the Republicans’ power grab. But here’s the kicker. Burrows also assigned state troopers to the Democrats to monitor their movements around the clock to make sure they were present Wednesday morning and until the final vote on the measure was taken. This is where Representative Collier drew the line. She knew that refusing to sign meant she could be arrested, but she opted to refuse, and as a result, was locked in the House — redefining “house arrest.” It’s worth noting that

when news of this got out, supporters showed up to demonstrate. And then state troopers arrested these demonstrators. So much for freedom of speech in Texas.

As Joe Sommerlad of The Independent reported, Collier said: “I refuse to sign. I will not agree to be in custody. I’m not a criminal. I am exercising my right to resist and oppose the decisions of our government. So this is my form of protest.”

She added: “My constituents sent me to Austin to protect their voices and rights. I refuse to sign away my dignity as a duly elected representative just so Republicans can control my movements and monitor me with police escorts.”

I might also add that she recognized that those “escorts” assigned to the Democratic lawmakers made the public less safe. Nevertheless, one newspaper had the nerve to call them “security guards.”

And so, Nicole Collier settled in for the night, and we were afforded a picture

the next day. It’s an image that will go down in history. In a photo posted online, the Fort Worth Democrat is wearing a dark blue eye mask and is covered with white and red blankets. They match her Texas flag, which marks a page in the book “African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals.”

Next to her lies a pink-tasseled pillow that reads, over a rainbow, “Y’all means all.”

A day later, Collier filed an application for a writ of habeas corpus to force the Texas House of Representative’s Sergeant-at-Arms to end her “illegal confinement” immediately. Often called the "great writ," it serves as a fundamental safeguard against unlawful or indefinite imprisonment by allowing a court to review the legality of a person's confinement. In all, she spent two nights confined. But there is an added twist to this episode.

It seems that Collier was on the phone speaking to the chairman of the Democratic party as well as Cali-

fornia Gov. Gavin Newsom and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. This call was taking place in a bathroom she apparently was permitted to use only for the designated purpose.

Suddenly she said, “Sorry, I have to leave. They say it’s a felony for me to do this. Apparently I can’t be on the floor or in the bathroom.”

Sen. Booker expressed his outrage later by saying, "Representative Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office." Given the latest picture of 47 in the oval office, wearing a hat that says “Trump was right about everything,” I’m inclined to agree. But again, I digress.

“Political theater” is one aspect of the power grab that is driving the current administration as well as those responding. Dangerous? Perhaps. Sending armed troops to cities across the country without permission from local officials, claiming to be combating crime, is another. More dangerous? You

betcha’ as Sarah would say. But that is a topic for another time. Make no mistake. This is a MAGA takeover, and if those who still have some modicum of say-so and power don’t do something, democracy, as we once enjoyed it, is finished.

Republicans cry foul as other states, namely California, New York and now Maryland threaten gerrymandering. While “tit for tat” cannot be deemed good governance, it would appear it’s all that is left in this debacle.

As for Nicole Collier, I see her as a hero, someone who went into the fray knowing she would lose the ultimate battle but engaging it anyway. Former Black trailblazers who are now deceased must surely be smiling and offering up their silent applause.

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.”

Rethinking the cost of Pine Island golf

When I first began supporting the proposed development of a golf resort on the 502-acre St. Helenaville-Pine Island tract in 2023, I said that if I ever came to believe that project would pose an existential threat to my family's ancestral land on St. Helena Island, I would be the first to sound the alarm.

While I'm not quite at that point yet, I have significant concerns about Pine Island developer Elvio Tropeano's proposed development agreement with Beaufort County. As I write this, I'm waiting for a response from Tropeano to my Aug. 6 2025 letter requesting a revision to his development agreement that would "significantly" increase the amount of money it sets aside for "Community Support and Cultural Preservation." I wrote that letter in my official capacity as CEO of the Pan-African Family Empowerment & Land Preservation Network. Sadly, Tropeano has yet to provide a written response to my letter.

Tropeano is one of the most brilliant strategists that I've ever had the pleasure of working with. So, I know that it's no accident that the Pine Island Project submitted a "Pine Island Downzoning Plan" as an end run around the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO), which has been a stumbling block to him getting the legally banned golf course that he so badly wants. And I must note that Tropeano knew that developing a private, gated, golf resort on St. Helena was banned by the CPO before he purchased the St. Helenaville-Pine Island property.

But he erroneously saw the CPO as a minor obstacle for his deep-pocketed backers, and influential connections. Over the past 3 years, he has spent untold millions trying to overcome opposition to either dismantling the CPO, or exempting his property from it.

Perhaps most importantly, Tropeano and his marketing team, which is headed by Marilyn L. Hemingway of the Georgetown, S.C.-based Hemingway Group, LLC., has cultivated several close friendships with Beaufort County Council members, who continuously

champion his cause in public council meetings, executive sessions, and committee meetings that they chair.

Being as smart as he is, I doubt that Tropeano would've submitted the downzoning proposal unless he is certain that he has the six votes on Beaufort County Council necessary to both have his property removed from the CPO, and get his proposed development agreement accepted without pursuing the state and federal lawsuits that he has filed over past rejections of his golf course applications.

He would also have to be comfortably sure that Beaufort County's new County Attorney would likely not oppose his application, although Beaufort County Zoning staff oppose it, and the county's Planning Commission voted 9-0 to reject it after a marathon meeting on May 5, 2025

I also view Tropeano's suspension of his state lawsuit against Beaufort County last month as evidence of his confidence in his future success, because Council has already rejected his golf course applications multiple times, as well as a proposed Mediation Agreement on Sept. 16 2024

Here are the top reasons I think that the proposed Pine Island development agreement is flawed, which I brought to Tropeano's attention in my Aug. 6 2025 letter: “Unfortunately, your proposed Development Agreement still falls short in at least three major areas that continue to make it unacceptable to both the majority of St. Helena property owners, and all the members of the Beaufort County Planning Commission: First, it would require either dismantling, or granting of an exemption from the CPO protections against golf courses, resorts, and new gated communities that

could set a dangerous precedent that will undoubtedly create a domino effect of rapid development on St. Helena.

“Second, it shows willful strategic indifference to the greatest fear that your Gullah neighbors across the island share, i.e., the loss of their beloved ancestral land due to soaring property taxes that they can't afford to pay independently, and being displaced by developers buying shares of their heirs' property, resulting in forced sales to clear the title.

“And third, it doesn't include concrete uplift projects that adequately address the underlying causes of poverty on St. Helena, especially the lack of access to affordable public transportation to work sites, and the need for workforce development resources such as a satellite campus of the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Those ideas were among the reasons why I strongly supported your Pine Island development plans dating back to 2023.”

However, the fourth and biggest flaw in Tropeano’s proposed development agreement is this:

“... in my opinion, the estimated $2 5 million that you've proposed to give to St. Helena for quality of life improvements is small change compared to the $100 million set to be invested in the Pine Island Project, and should be increased significantly.”

“I believe that $5 million — which is just 5% of what you plan to invest in the Pine Island Project — would be a much fairer set-aside. And I believe that that sum would best be earmarked as follows: $1 5-million for the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation to clear land titles; $1 million for the Beaufort County Open Land Trust for conservation easements to ensure continued Gullah access to waterways and sacred spaces; $1 5 million for a property tax/ land preservation fund; and the final $1 million for investment in business startups, nonprofits, and youth-oriented projects.

“Based on the personal relationships between you, your team, and several members of Beaufort County Council, it’s imperative that County Council

“Unfortunately, your proposed Development Agreement still falls short in at least three major areas that continue to make it unacceptable to both the majority of St. Helena property owners, and all the members of the Beaufort County Planning Commission.”

THERESA WHITE, on the Pine Island development agreement.

appoint a credible and trusted community foundation like the Coastal Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, or the United Way to oversee the annual distribution of those proposed earmarked funds because they all have more than 10 years of experience in handling large sums of money, and have done so both responsibly and impartially.

“That’s necessary because your ‘team’ of advisors don’t enjoy either the trust or support of the St. Helena Community, especially the Gullah families, who’ve been informally boycotting CCAN/808 Hub since it opened on Nov. 30 2023. Undeniably, regardless of the boycott, some financially distressed individuals have broken ranks to get free food etc., with no intention of ever supporting Pine Island’s development. As a result, they've become human props in photos being used to sway County Council to vote in favor of approving your golf course. Those carefully staged photo ops further inflame the level of distrust between the St. Helena Gullah Community and your ‘team’ operating out of

the so-called ‘808 HUB’ at 808 Sea Island Parkway.

“Be that as it may, during my June 2 2025 Public Comments to County Council during the Natural Resources Committee Meeting, I proposed a compromise that would both keep the CPO in place, and exempt the St. HelenavillePine Island property from it. However, I now believe that should happen only IF the exemption of your property doesn't set a precedent that'll open the floodgates for other developers to do the same. I'm waiting to see whether county staff can possibly craft a legally defensible way of doing that.

“Needless to say, I know that the CPO functions as a doubleedged sword that both helps and hurts Gullah landowners, who, too often, end up losing valuable land either through delinquent tax sales, or forced sales because they can't profitably develop it to stay ahead of rising property taxes. Not every Gullah family wants to grow crops, or trees to try to create generational wealth. Yet, without the CPO in place, Gullah land loss would be proceeding at a much greater pace than it is presently.”

Truthfully, nobody can guarantee that a Beaufort County zoning carve out for Tropeano’s property will actually be “a one-off.” It may indeed set a legal precedent that guarantees that other developers use to follow in his footsteps — with disastrous results for the property that my family has owned since the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. And while the CPO prevents me from doing what I want to do with my family property, too, the consequences of dismantling it now without adequate safeguards and funds in place to ensure that widespread Gullah land loss and displacement won’t occur — is something that I don’t want on my conscience.

Theresa White is the founder and CEO of the Pan-African Family Empowerment & Land Preservation Network. She is a former journalist, and was a Congressional Aide to U.S. Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney, Georgia's first Black congresswoman. The Savannah

What about protecting South Carolinians?

Gov. Henry McMaster has deployed 200 S.C. National Guard troops to Washington D.C. to “restore law and order” even though South Carolina itself has one of the highest murder rates in the nation.

McMaster and state leaders should deal seriously with South Carolina’s own longstanding violent crime issues before they try to solve Washington’s problems.

And there’s no need to deploy the S.C. National Guard. Just deploy common sense.

The S.C. Guard’s mission in Washington is a bad idea. National Guard units are not trained to police American streets.

The state-based Guard has two main duties: responding to natural disasters and mobilizing, when needed, in time of war, according to the guard’s website.

The guard assists local and state authorities in disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires. The guard also plays a role in search and rescue operations, and in riot control. And it can be called up if the country is at war.

It’s certainly true that the guard has been used for other purposes — such as the 250 South Carolina guard troops currently at the southern border — but the question remains whether guard troops are qualified to be street police. Using them as police risks blurring the line between military

and civilian authority.

Most Americans, like the Founding Fathers, are wary of a militaristic intervention on U.S. soil in peacetime. Local Washington D.C. officials, of course, did not request military support and appear to have been completely ignored. This undermines democratic governance and home rule in a city that already lacks full statehood representation.

Local officials and residents argue that the troops are a response to a manufactured crisis, with some residents reporting that they feel unsafe.

South Carolina Democrats are right also that the state shouldn’t send out our National Guard troops when they might be needed here during hurricane season.

At best, sending the S.C. Guard to Washington is a waste of resources; at worst, it poses a danger to residents of the district and our own guard troops.

South Carolina should butt out of this misguided crusade in Washington.

We’ve got plenty of crime problems right here at home, including the seventh-highest murder rate in the nation (tied with Arkansas), with 11 3 homicides per 100 000 people.

In overall violent crime, South Carolina ranked ninth in 2023 when including Washington, D.C., in both rankings.

The first duty

The homicide rate has fallen nationwide and in South Carolina over the past few years — a hopeful trend.

But it remains near-historic highs.

McMaster said he deployed the troops to Washington to “restore law and order” and “ensure safety for all who live, work, and visit there,” according to reporting by S.C. Daily Gazette Editor Seanna Adcox.

Those are fine sentiments from McMaster, but a governor’s first duty is to protect the citizens of his own state.

In recent years, at least four South Carolina counties — Dillon, Lee, Allendale and Hampton counties — exceeded Washington’s 2024 murder rate, according to the state Department of Public Health.

These counties and all of South Carolina’s counties don’t need militaristic intervention but rather sustained support and partnership.

It begins with listening to South Carolina law enforcement. Advocates have expressed alarm over “historic staffing shortages” in South Carolina law enforcement. Helping police departments and sheriff’s office reach a full-staffing level would be a vital step in reducing violent crime.

Instead of cutting taxes every year, McMaster and state lawmakers should invest in more funding not only for local law enforcement but also for mental health and substance abuse programs.

State leaders also need to focus on South Carolina’s notorious gun violence problem.

Firearms account for more than 80% of homicides in South Carolina.

A lot can be done to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

One study based on 25 years of evidence found that states with universal background checks had homicide rates 15% lower than states without them.

South Carolina also needs safe storage laws and meaningful red flag laws. Red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection order laws, allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others. Attempts to introduce red flag laws in South Carolina have so far failed.

State lawmakers also should finally close the so-called

“Charleston loophole” that allowed Dylann Roof to purchase a gun that he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015

A comprehensive 2019 study from Boston University found that “universal background checks, permit requirements, ‘may issue’ laws (where local authorities have discretion in approving who can carry a concealed weapon), and laws banning people convicted of violent misdemeanors from possessing firearms are, individually and collectively, significantly able to reduce gun-related deaths.”

Sending National Guard troops to Washington makes for eye-catching political theater but reducing South Carolina’s high violent crime rate requires something far more challenging: a serious and sustained commitment by principled state leaders to proven anti-crime solutions.

Paul Hyde is a longtime journalist and teacher in the Upstate. He worked 18 years for the Greenville News as a columnist, editorial writer, education reporter and arts writer. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Clemson and Harvard universities. He has written for the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News and USA Today, among other publications. He currently is a regular contributor to the Greenville Journal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Classical Voice North America.

St. Helena Islands’ Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) zoning was created by and for the people. This special zoning has prevented more golf courses, gated communities and incompatible development. In 2023: the CPO was strengthened to further safeguard our part of the historical Gullah/Geechee corridor. We need the continued county council and citizen support to uphold the CPO zoning district rules on St. Helena Island. Continue Advocating for the CPO. Stay informed, attend meetings, write letters. The Pine Island developers’ efforts are still ongoing. More related meetings upcoming!

*Golf resort development started with 1 (Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island.) Now there are 24.

St. Helena Island citizens know the importance of protecting this historical Gullah - Geechee corridor - its culture, land, and rural character. The Pine Island developer is still intent on a luxury gated golf resort. Stay updated on upcoming committee and council meetings.

in

Might take awhile for Statehouse to change but it’s coming

harleston City Paper

Csenior editor Herb Frazier dug up a report recently that has data that might surprise you – the number of foreignborn South Carolinians has been growing by leaps and bounds.

According to a Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) report using census data, the number of South Carolina’s foreign-born residents, documented and undocumented, has zoomed 10 times from 46 620 people in 1980 to 450 446 residents in 2025. That’s a whopping 909% increase, one of the largest of states in the nation.

So from Walhalla to Daufuskie to Little River and everywhere in between, some 8 3% of the 5 4 million people who now live in

ANDY BRACK

South Carolina were born outside of the United States. Wow! What an indicator of how the Palmetto State is changing.

Steven Camarota, CIS’s director of research, told Frazier that Latin Americans make up most of South Carolina’s new arrivals. But immigrants have arrived here from all over the globe in the last four decades, including east Asia, south Asia, the Middle East and Africa. And people can

sense the changes.

“The public senses that something fundamentally has changed,” Camarota said, with the nation’s immigrant population reaching a record 16% of the U.S. population. “Even during the great wave of immigration from 1870 to 1920, it never got that high.”

In South Carolina, where paternalistic plantation politics that favor a White privileged class for too long have been the norm, the boost in new immigrants signals a coming potential change politically. While our state legislature is largely White and male, the state distinguishes itself by having a past first-generation governor of Indian descent and a sitting member of the U.S. Senate who is one of the chamber’s five

It might surprise many South Carolinians to learn that blasphemy is still punishable by jail time in their state — an absurdity that needs to be remedied.

Under South Carolina code section 16-17-520, it’s a misdemeanor to use “blasphemous, profane, or obscene language” at or near a house of worship.

South Carolina is one of only six states that still have archaic anti-blasphemy laws, alongside Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming. These antediluvian statutes date back to America’s colonial era, long before the U.S. Constitution, when church and state were entangled and religious orthodoxy was enforced by law. You might assume laws like this aren’t enforced anymore. But in Pennsylvania, it happened as recently as 2010. George Kalman attempted to register a film production company named I Choose Hell Productions. State officials rejected his application because state statute says corporation names were not allowed to

be “blasphemous.”

Thankfully, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania stepped in. The court ruled that the state’s enforcement of its blasphemy statute violated the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and religion. And yet, that unconstitutional law remains on the statute books, just like South Carolina’s law remains today. Why? Not because anyone is defending it. Not because it’s needed. But because no one has taken the time to repeal it. Leaving laws like this in place sends the wrong message. It tells South Carolinians that your rights are conditional, that religious speech is protected,

Black officials.

So all of this may make one wonder how long before there’s a tipping point in South Carolina politics for more minority representation at the Statehouse – more Blacks as well as more Latinos, Asians and other people of color. Think of what’s ahead as a kind of political herd immunity from White privilege that eventually will come, although that privileged political class uses gerrymandering to shield the impact of minority populations.

Currently in South Carolina based on 2020 census figures, about 38% of residents are minorities, including 1 3 million Blacks who comprise one in four state residents. How much does that population of non-White South Carolin-

but religious dissent can still be punished.

And it leaves open the possibility that someone could misuse the law again, especially since the U.S. Supreme Court has shown a willingness to rewrite constitutional law in favor of religious litigants.

Even conservative evangelical politicians agree that blasphemy laws are wrong.

In December 2019, U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. The resolution condemned foreign governments that jail or persecute individuals for religious speech and nonbelief.

It passed unanimously in the Senate in December 2020, less than two weeks after the House passed a matching resolution introduced by Rep Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, by a vote of 386–3

Such rare and overwhelming support demonstrates that protecting religious expression, including the freedom to question or reject religion, is a shared

ians have to grow before they get some real political power and potentially change the dynamics of doing things the same ways for generations?

Just look to metro areas like Atlanta and Charlotte in neighboring states where diverse communities have more diverse governing bodies than South Carolina’s legislature. Or look at Mississippi, where the non-white population is 48% and has had the highest percentage of Black elected municipal officials in the nation. Or Florida and Georgia where minority populations are just over 50% and have a lot more minority leaders in positions of power.

Regardless of whether you are Republican or Democrat, our state’s

“Leaving laws like this in place sends the wrong message. It tells South Carolinians that your rights are conditional, that religious speech is protected, but religious dissent can still be punished.”

RYAN DUDLEY, on South Carolina’s blasphemy law.

American value that transcends party lines. It’s also worth noting that faith-based religious liberty advocates, including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, support repealing blasphemy laws.

political future holds a great potential for change based on sheer numbers of people who won’t look like most of today’s officeholders. But anyone who wants to see that change must realize that those in power will do everything they can to keep it. Just witness the redistricting messes in Texas and California to imagine the battles that will stretch into the future.

South Carolina might not have its act together to use authentic fairness as a redistricting principle after the 2030 census. But by 2040, be prepared for big changes.

Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.

They recognize and acknowledge what the Founding Fathers believed: True religious freedom requires the freedom to criticize, question, reject religion, and speak freely without fear of censorship or punishment.

For South Carolina, the solution is clear. Repeal the state’s blasphemy law and bring its statutes in line with established Supreme Court precedent.

Doing so costs nothing, harms no one and reaffirms the state’s commitment to both religious liberty and freedom of expression for all.

Ryan joined Freedom From Religion Foundation as the state policy manager, a new position, in 2022. He has worked in advocacy roles for a number of nonprofits as well as a nonpartisan legislative research analyst for both the Colorado General Assembly and the Wisconsin General Assembly. Ryan also served in the Army National Guard from 20072015. He earned a bachelor of arts in political science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a master of public policy from DePaul University in Chicago. He lives in Madison, Wis.

VOICES

Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island News

Modern patriots miss their moment

On Sundays, when the congregation isn’t responding as energetically as he would like, my pastor likes to prompt us, “You missed your cue! You’re missing your cue!”

I’m starting to think that about a lot of people.

Especially the folks who went around trying to make life a living hell for everybody over the past 10 years to prove they were ready to die for their freedoms, to kill to stop government overreach, and to blow the whole world up to stop child sex abuse.

They have gone soft on every one of those issues for the sake of allegiance to their golden-haired idol.

Government overreach is the one that makes me scratch my head the hardest, because that’s right-wing patriots’ favorite place to plant their flags. Trump is trampling civil liberties like they’re remnants of a grassfire, and these patriots have had nothing to say.

Remember those caravans of migrants we were told were threatening the U.S.-Mexico border? In

TERRY MANNING

both terms, Trump sent troops to prepare for them. This year, he even seized privately owned land across three states, claiming it as a military installation. The caravans never materialized, and all was largely forgotten after he’d met the purpose of rallying his supporters.

When demonstrators in Los Angeles protested his immigration sweeps? He sent National Guard and active-duty Marines, despite the demonstrations being largely over by the time they were deployed, according to Time magazine. Anything to look tough, I guess.

Now he’s taken over the nation’s capital because of a “crime wave,” even though crime in D.C. is the lowest it’s been in decades. The

catalyst for that action? A 19-yearold Trump staffer who goes by the nickname “Big Balls” got roughed up by a group of juveniles after he tried to break up an attempted carjacking.

If that story holds up, good on the young man for trying to be a good Samaritan, but even good Samaritans aren’t above repercussion for their actions. Would you try to stop a carjacking in D.C. at 3 o’clock early on a Sunday morning? I wouldn’t. Of course, I would have been home hours earlier, but … I guess that’s why my nickname isn’t “Big Balls.”

Our Karen-in-Chief will call in his version of the po-po at the drop of a hat when he doesn't get his way. Far from the frontlines, he talks the talk, but he makes somebody else walk the walk.

That is just the most baffling example of how these would-be freedom fighters are silent as Trump puts his knee on the nation’s neck.

He does what he wants, when he wants, and to whomever he wants, and dares anyone to stop him.

After spaying and neutering Congress, he is bulldozing the

courts.

He strong-arms law firms into giving him free legal aid.

He extorts the world’s best universities.

He slashed funding for the arts, healthcare, and education.

He demands Cabinet members blow smoke up his keister at every meeting. (You can find the transcripts online.)

He antagonizes countries that have been our allies and sucks up to countries that openly feud with us.

He takes high-priced gifts in exchange for his favor. He’s literally selling Trump-branded paraphernalia in the White House gift shop.

He commands states to redraw districts and cheat their citizens so he can keep the House (remember how arrogant and bold Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was when Presidents Obama or Biden asked for anything? Who replaced that jerk with Mr. Whatever-You-Say-Mr.Trump?)

He sends masked man into our streets, snatching up people for minor or nonexistent charges

and making them disappear into a network of detention centers. Remember when conservatives fanned fears of “FEMA camps?” Well, ICE has them and is planning to build more, and … not a peep.

Isn’t this heavy-handedness the stuff the Pilgrims fled? Didn’t we launch a whole revolution to get away from sanction (taxation) without having a say (representation)?

I look around and see the Confederate battle flags, the Three Percenter and QAnon window stickers, the “Don’t Tread on Me” car tags. “Patriot” this, “Freedom” that. But with Donald Trump tightening his authoritarian grip over the country, the people who wave these banners have nothing to offer in rebuke. They are not missing their cue, but ignoring it in hopes compliance will equal safety. They are rebels with a cause, but not a clue.

Terry E. Manning worked for 20 years as a newspaper journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com.

Improving education in SC requires supporting teachers, elevating good leaders

Some districts aren’t following state laws designed to improve teachers’ working conditions

It may still be the dog days of August, but lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about December. Specifically, I’ve been reflecting on one scene from the holiday classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

Toward the end of the movie, the final descent into chaos for the Griswold family Christmas occurs when Clark Griswold learns that his boss secretly decided to replace the annual employee Christmas bonus check with a year-long membership in the Jelly of the Month Club.

While Clark’s cousin memorably described that membership as the “gift that keeps on giving,” the ensuing meltdown from Clark is relatable to anyone who has ever received less than what was expected or promised — a situation far too many educators are navigating across South Carolina as schools return to session.

Back-to-school has been phenomenal in numerous classrooms statewide, including mine.

For a smaller, but not insignificant, number of teachers, the experience has been closer to the disappointment of the unfulfilled Griswold bonus check.

Expectations entering the year were elevated after the Legislature unanimously passed — and the governor signed — the Educator Assistance Act, a transformative piece of legislation to improve educator working conditions.

Among other things, the law provides teachers two “self-directed” work days to prepare for the arrival of students. Another provision requires schools to inform teachers of their “tentative assignment” no later than 14 days prior to the first day of classes.

Like many of my teaching colleagues, I am blessed to have a remarkable school leadership team that worked diligently to ensure I had the resources and support necessary for a successful start to the year.

The July 1 2025, effec-

Living & Growing the Jesus Way

Sunday Morning Worship at 8:30 & 10:30 81 Lady’s Island Drive

Pastor Steve Keeler • (843) 525-0696 seaislandpresbyterian.org

tive date of the new law admittedly created a tight window for implementation. However, according to a recent survey of Palmetto State Teachers Association (PSTA) members, roughly 10% of teachers statewide did not receive the required notice and approximately 1 in 5 did not receive the two start-of-year work days.

Policy implementation falling short of its promise has played out in similar fashion for other recently signed pro-educator laws.

For example, a 2022 law requires that elementary teachers receive at least 30 minutes of daily “unencumbered” time to address basic needs like eating and going to the restroom.

PSTA survey data to start this school year shows progress toward consistent implementation of the law, but instances persist across the state of non-compliance, or of compliance that falls well short of the spirit of the law (i.e. identifying the 30 minutes prior to student arrival as the required time).

Failures of policy implementation, which most directly impact affected teachers, should matter to anyone who cares about the caliber of educational op-

portunities and outcomes in our state.

Far too many students continue to attend schools with vacant teaching positions, and while policy actions like increased salaries are making a positive difference, research indicates that personnel is as important — if not more important — than policy in reducing teacher turnover.

A recent report from “SC TEACHER” found school and district leadership plays an outsized role when teachers decide to leave their schools.

For the 2023-24 school year, 37% of teacher departures were the result of teachers leaving their school, not the profession, a decision “SC TEACHER” attributes in part to a “lack (of) resources like administrative support.” Further research found “administrative support” as having “the strongest positive association with (teacher) job satisfaction.”

The work of “SC TEACHER” strongly indicates quality school leadership is likely the most important influence on teacher recruitment and retention. Other research consistently shows a quality classroom

teacher to be the number one in-school influence on student achievement, making strong school leadership central to helping every student reach their full academic potential.

School and district leaders can take positive steps in this area through their own initiative by prioritizing educator wellness and support.

I have worked with and for numerous school administrators that have demonstrated how a “whatever-it-takes” approach to educator support can help teachers thrive, even in the face of poor policies.

South Carolina can expand the number of these educator-elevating school leaders through thoughtful policy actions.

Part of that work has to focus on leadership preparation, a process that the Department of Education is streamlining and strengthening through actions such as an in-progress update to the requirements for administrative certification.

Policymakers — and school personnel — also must find ways to reduce and eliminate non-essential demands on administrator time and energy in order

to free school leaders to focus on working with and supporting educators and students.

One of the most accomplished school leaders in our state recently shared with me his frustration at not being able to do what he considers his core function — getting into classrooms to support the work of teachers and students — due to the deluge of bureaucratic paperwork and processes that keep him confined to his office.

After the Christmas bonus fiasco, Clark Griswold emphatically reminded his family that they were “all in this together.” Elevating educator working conditions in South Carolina requires a similar all-hands-on-deck commitment.

But in this instance, the payoff in improved student outcomes truly is the gift that will keep on giving well into the future.

Patrick Kelly is the director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association. He has taught in Richland School District 2 since 2005, and he served on the 2023 South Carolina Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force.

Join Us at Beaufort Christian Church

Beaufort Christian Church will hold its first worship service on Sunday, August 31st at the Holiday Inn Express. Go to the temporary lobby and we’ll be the first doors directly ahead!

Fellowship: 9:30 AM • Sunday School: 10:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM

This is just the beginning! If you have any questions, please call Lou at 843-271-5555 or email at Lvellia@Reagan.com.

Golf Company motivational run

What veterans need to know about VSOs, VA Healthcare, the PACT ACT, VA Priority Groups

The first article in this series was published on Aug. 13 2025, and it covered VA-accredited Service Officers (VSOs). Read online at https:// bit.ly/45yJ6k7. The second was published on Aug.t 20 2025 and covered the PACT Act. Read online at https://bit.ly/45yJb7p.

VA health care

This article provides information on what veterans need to know about VA health care, with emphasis on VA healthcare in the footprint of The Island News and the coastal areas of South Carolina and Northeast Georgia.

According to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) webpage at https://www.va.gov/ health/, the VHA is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,380 healthcare facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1 193 outpatient sites of varying complexity (outpatient clinics), serving 9 1 million enrolled veterans each year. Veterans can find VA healthcare facilities at https://bit. ly/3JvVGIm. VA Healthcare is “better than or equal to non-VA healthcare.”

According to the Journal of General Internal Medicine Systematic Review published April 19 2003 (https://bit.ly/4lMNQrd) and 37 other credible studies, the clinical quality and safety of VA care are better than or equal to non-VA care.

The 5-star-rated Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center/ System (RHJVAMCS)

The RHJVAMCS is the only habitually rated five-star hospital in South Carolina. It is one of the very few public and private medical centers that have been recognized for over a decade to be in the top 10 percent of all medical centers for quality of care, customer satisfaction, infection prevention, and dozens of other quality measures. The RHJVAMC&HCS includes the following eight Community-based

Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and the affiliated non-healthcare Charleston Community Resource and Referral Center:

1 Beaufort, S.C., VA Clinic: 1 Pinckney Boulevard, Beaufort, S.C. 29902-6122, Phone: 843-577-5011 VA health connect: 855-679-0214 Mental health care: 843-577-5011, Website: https://bit.ly/4oTtxuM.

2 Brunswick, Ga., VA Clinic: 93 Benchmark Way, Brunswick, Ga. 31520-1858

Phones: same as above, Website: https://bit.ly/4p7RZce.

3 Savannah, Ga., VA Clinic: 1170 Shawnee Street, Savannah, Ga. 31419-1618, Phone: same as above, Mental health care, Website: https://bit.ly/4mExSRk.

4 Hinesville, Ga. VA Clinic: (John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic), 500 East Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, Ga. 31313-2804

Phones: same as above, Website: https://bit.ly/3Jvu99T.

5 Goose Creek, S.C., VA Clinic: 2418 NNPTC Circle, Goose Creek, S.C. 294456314 Phones: same as above, Website: https://bit.ly/3JRnFlJ.

6 Myrtle Beach, VA Clinic: 1800 Airpark Drive, Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29577-1412, Phones: same as above, Website: https://bit.ly/3HQVhQc.

7 North Charleston VA Clinic: 6450 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, S.C. 29406-4882, Phones: same as above, Website: https://bit.ly/47Jif6f.

8 Trident VA Clinic: N. Charleston, 9237 University Boulevard North Charleston, S.C. 29406-8908 Phones: same as above, Website: https://bit.ly/3UP7t6W.

9 Community Resource and Referral Center: 2424 City Hall Lane, Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC), Suite B, North Charleston, S.C. 29406-6538, Phone: 843-789-6804 VA health connect: 855-6790214, Mental health care: 843-577-5011 Website: https://bit.ly/4mExWR4

Learn more in The Island News’ Aug. 9, 2023 article, by Larry Dandridge, and titled “The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System” at https://bit.ly/4oT340z.

Reasons S.C. and Ga. veterans should enroll in VA healthcare

The RHJVAMC&HCS: Is the only medical system in the Lowcountry with a dual five-star Patient Satisfaction and Quality Rating.

• Partners with the Medical University of South Carolina. Is ranked in the top 10 percent of all public and private hospitals by the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information System. Is a trained and practicing patient and family-centered care (PFCC) facility and team.

Is on Becker’s Great Community Hospitals List. Utilize state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology to provide advanced diagnostics, treatments, and surgical procedures. Actively engages in research to advance medical knowledge and improve patient outcomes. Boasts a dedicated team of

healthcare professionals who are committed to meeting the unique needs of veterans.

Providers who work to care for the veterans are veterans themselves, and they are also involved in nationally accredited research.

Prioritizes mental health services for veterans, offering a range of counseling, therapy, and support programs. Mental health services at the Ralph H. Johnson VA HCS cover a broad spectrum of specializations, including but not limited to addiction/ substance abuse care, general mental health, military sexual trauma, PTSD, psychiatry services, and suicide prevention. Is the only VA to offer three nurse residency programs. Has committed to becoming a High-Reliability Organization that supports consistent operations while catching and correcting potentially catastrophic errors before they happen.

The RHJVAMC is located at 109 Bee Street, Charleston, S.C. 29401-5799. The main phone number is 843-577-5011. For VA Health Connect, the VA’s 24/7 virtual service that makes it easier to access “The Right Care, Right Now, call 855-679-0214. For mental health, call 843-577-5011, Ext. 2. The webpage is https://bit. ly/45OPlPB.

RHJVAMC parking

The RHJVAMC is open 24/7 Free parking is available for patients and visitors. On and off-site shuttle services are available. If a veteran knows that they will be admitted for an overnight stay, the veteran should arrange for someone to drop them off and pick them up. Limited handicapped parking is available in front of the medical center. Handicapped parking is also available for free at the Medical University of South Carolina garage.

If a veteran cannot find a

parking space and does not see a police officer to guide them, they should call 843-789-7268. If there is no answer, dial the Medical Center 843-577-5011, then press 0 for the operator. Free parking is also available at each of our community-based outpatient clinics.

The bottom line

Where else can a veteran: Get care from the time they get out of the military until they expire, and perpetual care after?

Get healthcare with no catastrophic cap?

Get care from a civilian Community Care Provider?

Could a veteran's family stay for free for as long as needed (in a VA Fisher House), while the veteran is hospitalized in a VA or military medical center?

Get free transportation or reimbursement for personal transport to and from a VA medical facility?

Get prescriptions either free or at such a low co-pay?

Be surrounded with a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), which includes a Primary Care Provider, Social Worker, Clinical Pharmacist, Registered Nurse Manager, LPN or Medical Assistant, Administrative Assistant, and other Specialists as needed?

Sign up for VA healthcare now with the help of a VA-accredited VSO. See https://bit.ly/41l9TOu. Continued next week.

Larry

SERVICE DIRECTORY

ATTORNEY

Christopher J. Geier

Attorney at Law, LLC

Criminal Defense & Civil Litigation

16 Professional Village Circle, Lady's Island Office: 843-986-9449 • Fax: 843-986-9450 chris@bftsclaw.com • www.geierlaw.com

AUDIOLOGY & HEARING

Beaufort Audiology & Hearing Care

Monica Wiser, M.A. CCC-A

Licensed Audiologist

38 Professional Village West, Lady's Island monica@beauforthearing.com www.beauforthearing.com | 843-521-3007

Hear the Beauty that Surrounds You

The Beaufort Sound Hearing and Balance Center

Dr. Larry Bridge, AU.D./CCC-A 206 Sea Island Parkway, Suite 31, Beaufort thebeaufortsound@gmail.com www.thebeaufortsound.com | 843-522-0655

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A Shepherd for the Flock

Why Do Catholics Have a Pope?

Why do Catholics have a pope?

In most churches, there is a pastor who leads the congregation on behalf of the Lord. The Catholic Church is the same way. We are one church spread across the world, and the pope is our lead pastor. Jesus set it up this way, giving Peter special authority to lead the Church after Jesus returned to heaven. Jesus would work through Peter and his successors to keep his Church united and faithful to the Gospel.

When did Jesus make Peter the leader of the Church?

In Matthew 16, Jesus promises to build his Church upon Peter. He will give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, with powers to loose and to bind in his name. (Matthew 16:18-19) These are terms associated with the royal steward, who in the Old Testament would lead the kingdom on behalf of Israel’s king. As the king of heaven, Jesus calls Peter to be his royal steward, leading the Church on his behalf. Jesus later reaffirms this special calling, commanding Peter three times, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17) Peter’s leadership can be seen throughout the Acts of the Apostles, especially in Acts 15.

Wouldn’t this leadership role end once Peter dies?

The royal steward was an ongoing office, because the king would always need a steward. Jesus intended Peter’s office to continue through each generation, for he knew his flock would always need a visible shepherd. The “keys” of authority will be passed from generation to generation. Peter was the first bishop of Rome, and all of the popes are his successors as bishop of Rome. The other bishops continue the ministry of the apostles, too, and work with the pope.

Can the Pope teach whatever he wants?

No, the pope is not like a medieval king, able to do or teach whatever he likes on a whim. He cannot make up new teachings or change the Gospel; his duty is to ensure that we are staying faithful to the truths of our Christian faith. When questions arise about an important issue of faith or morals, God can work through the pope and bishops to clarify the question and keep the Church united in truth, as in Acts 15.

Haven’t there been many sinful popes over the years?

Of the 266 popes so far, most have been good and holy leaders, thanks be to God! There are eight or so popes who are infamous for living sinful and hypocritical lives. Catholics find this disappointing, but not a surprise. Our leaders are human beings, with a need for God’s mercy and healing like the rest of us. Jesus did not promise that Peter and his successors would be sinless, but that he would guide the Church through the centuries, despite human weakness and sin.

Can’t Christians decide for themselves what is true or false?

Remember that Jesus taught only one Gospel, and the truths he revealed enable us to be united with him in love, now and in eternity. Thus, the truths of Christianity are not created by personal opinion or changed by popular vote; rather, they are treasures to be received with humility and joyfully lived out. Jesus left us a living family of faith, led by a visible shepherd, in order that his teaching may be proclaimed clearly and fully in every generation, so that we may know the truth, and the truth shall set us free. (John 8:32)

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