POSTAL PATRON LOCAL
DECEMBER 15–21, 2022
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
PRESORTED PERMIT NO. 97 BEAUFORT, SC 29902
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Beaufort names Marshall new City Manager McFee, Scallate sworn in at City Council meeting
Ryan Scallate, left, wife of City Councilman Josh Scallate pins on his City of Beaufort lapel pin after he was sworn in by Municipal Judge Ned Tupper during Tuesday’s Beaufort City Council meeting. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News
VIDEO
By Delayna Earley The City of Beaufort has found its new city manager. During the final city council meeting of the year on Tuesday evening, Dec. 13, Scott Marshall was announced as the council’s pick to fill the city manager position. Marshall was one of three finalists for the position. Current city manager William Prokop will be retiring in January 2023. “All three candidates would have done a great job, but he just stood out among the others because his experience in leadership is more di-
To watch a short video of new City Manager Scott Marshall, follow this digital link or go to https://youtu.be/tHAQkpO8Tu0.
verse,” Mayor Stephen Murray said about Marshall’s hiring. Marshall will likely take the position in mid-January 2023, according to Murray, but his contract is currently still being negotiated. “I’m looking forward to continuing the work that the city is doing while also pushing for full transparency in everything we do,” Marshall said.
Marshall is currently employed as the Human Resources Director for Beaufort County. A native of Danville, Va., Marshall Scott is a retired U.S. Air Marshall Force officer, having served for 23 years. After the military, he was appointed executive director of the Beaufort County Board of Elections & Voter Registration. In 2013, he became director of the Beaufort County Parks & Leisure Services. He then became deputy town manager for the Town of Bluffton, and was named interim town
SEE MANAGER PAGE A4
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
Book bans are nothing new; motivations behind them may be
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BEAUFORT hat in the world, one might wonder, would possess some 200 citizens to crowd into the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s auditorium on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, two weeks before Christmas? According to one of the four speakers on a panel focused on the subject of book bans, it’s because of concern. And watching audience responses to information tied to the current controversy facing the Beaufort County Board of Education, he wasn’t wrong. As a quick update: school district officials have been challenged on the subject of 97 primarily young adult books that critics feel should be removed from the school library shelves because of “inappropriate” material. To date, four of those books have been cleared by two
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A4
Soldiers from Third Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, were the honor guards for a pair of U.S. Army combat veterans, who along with seven other unclaimed veterans, were buried with full military honors Friday morning at Beaufort National Cemetery. Here, they finish folding the flag of U.S. Army Specialist Four Calvin Forte, Jr. of Beaufort. Spec. 4 Forte was a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. Bob Sofaly/The Island News
Heroes laid to rest
Services held for remains of 9 unclaimed U.S. veterans By Bob Sofaly The cremated remains of nine unclaimed U.S. servicemen were laid to rest Friday at Beaufort National Cemetery with full military honors. Janice Shelton of Amvets Post 70, in Beaufort said, “Our community and Wreaths Across America can be the family for and say ‘thank you’ to these
nine veteran heroes. The nine, from all four branches of the military and many of whom were combat veterans, were each represented by honor guards from their own branch of the service. Only one of the unclaimed U.S. Army veteran, Specialist Four Calvin Forte, Jr., of Beaufort, had a blood rel-
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INSIDE
Your guide to avoiding holiday injuries, accidents, and illness.
MCRD Parris Island testing heart monitor to prevent heat deaths.
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ative survivor there. Though his four children were absent, his niece Serina Farley came to pay her respects and was given his flag. About 200 people from veterans groups, civilians and active duty military from four different commands
SEE HEROES PAGE A2
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