DECEMBER 11–17, 2025
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
County Council rejects rescinding Sept. vote
NIGHT ON THE TOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
Pine Island: 10-1 vote to deny development agreement stands
County introduces renovated council chambers
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BEAUFORT f all goes as planned (does it ever? Ask Beaufort city officials who tried hard to have a holiday parade Sunday afternoon to top-off a rather dreary weekend, weather-wise), Beaufort County Council will “celebrate” Monday the use of their newly renovated Council chambers which have been under construction since April. The renovation project, estimated to cost $1.3 million when the Council approved the project in 2022, was designed to give more public area in the chambers as well as an improved video system. Monday’s council meeting, the last of 2025, was a good test since the topic of Pine Island was resurrected. And anyone who’s been watching this development story knows a crowd can be expected. By the time you’re reading this — since this column’s deadline is Sunday night — we should know whether County Councilman Logan Cunningham of Bluffton is successful in his efforts to convince a majority of his fellow council members to reverse a vote they took in September to stop further negotiations with the Pine Island developers. What a perfect way to end 2025 — another vote on Pine Island and opening of new County Council chambers so the public can hear better.
Community members surround the just-lit Christmas Tree during the Night on the Town and the Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Beaufort on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
By Mike McCombs The Island News “Who can trust us if we rescind votes?” Beaufort County Council Chair Alice Howard said, summing up her thoughts at Monday night’s Beaufort County Council meeting. Shortly after her statement, Howard held a roll-call vote on Councilman Logan Cunningham’s motion to rescind the 10-1 vote from the Sept. 22 Council meeting that upheld the Cultural Protection Overlay Alice (CPO) installed on Howard St. Helena Island years ago and denied a Pine Island development agreement put forth by the representative developer Elvio Tropeano. And with a 6-4 “No” vote Monday, the Pine Island developer was once again dealt a setback in his efforts to put an 18-hole golf course and 49 houses on the property, which would ultimately be a gated golf resort. Bluffton’s Cunningham, who is running as a Republican for the 1st Congressional District seat
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Wreaths Across America Day set for Saturday at noon
Beaufort hoping for 6th straight year all headstones are covered By Mike McCombs The Island News Time is almost up. Wreaths Across America Day is set for noon on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at Beaufort National Cemetery, and Beaufort Coordinator David Edwards said Monday that Beaufort is still short more than 1,700 wreaths. “All I know how to do is to keep
Proposed St. Helena RV park plans delayed by review board ST. HELENA ISLAND — The potential of development of Pine Island isn’t the only project that has some St. Helena Island residents stirred up. Plans for a 100-unit RV park
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begging,” Edwards said. “All I ask people to do is recognize we’ve got servicemen and servicewomen that gave their life for this country, either in combat or through their service, and we should honor these people every year.” According to Edwards, there are roughly 30,000 interned at Beaufort National Cemetery, and roughly 25,000 wreaths are need-
ed to cover all the headstones. Should Edwards and the Beaufort community close the gap in time, it would make six straight years every headstone had been covered. Edwards said the drop dead time to sponsor a wreath is early Saturday morning.
SEE WREATHS PAGE A8
NEWS
EDUCATION
HEALTH
VOICES
INSIDE
Mistletoe Market is ready for business.
Beaufort high schools strengthen security with metal detectors.
Active surveillance: Keeping watch on prostate cancer.
Patrick Kelly: “Too many SC students still lack a certified teacher.”
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Lowcountry Life A2 News A2–8 Education A9 Arts A9 Health A10–11
3RD ANNUAL
DEC. 5-6, 12-14 & 19-21, 2025
Voices A13–15 Military A16–17 Directory A18 Classifieds A19 Games A19