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JANUARY 22–28, 2026
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
Second week of 2026 brings oysters, politicians, General Assembly
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COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Two killed, teen critically injured in Lady’s Island crash By Delayna Earley The Island News Two people were killed, and a teenager was critically injured in a head-on crash late Sunday night on Lady’s Island that caused one vehicle to catch fire. The collision occurred at approximately 10:49 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at the intersection of Sea Island Parkway (U.S. 21) and Eustis Landing Road, according to
the Lady’s Island–St. Helena Fire District. Officials said a Honda and a Subaru collided headon, causing the Subaru to burst into flames. Louis Carbonneau, 54-yearold man from St. Helena Island, was driving the Subaru and was pronounced dead at the scene, along with Amya Fields, a 17-year-old female from Beaufort, who was a passenger in
the Honda. A 17-year-old male who was also in the Honda was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital with critical injuries. Emergency crews responded to the scene and worked for several hours as investigators examined the wreckage. Sea Island Parkway was closed in both directions during the response and investigation and
later reopened after the scene was cleared. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by law enforcement. 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.
6TH ANNUAL BEAUFORT OYSTER FESTIVAL
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BEAUFORT hat a weekend. Hundreds of oyster-lovers turned out Saturday for the 6th Beaufort Oyster Festival, probably to enjoy the sun and mild weather as much as the succulent seafood. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) was doing some political “stumping” in Beaufort on Sunday afternoon as part of a two-day tour of the Palmetto State. His appearance is indicative of the national media attention being paid to South Carolina, which may or may not be the first state to have this year’s Democratic presidential primary in the spring. Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day when the legacy of the slain civil rights leader — who actually spent time here in the Lowcountry at Penn Center in the 1960’s where he and his team planned strategy for the battles ahead — was honored with a parade and speeches. And the S.C. General Assembly is back in session up in Columbia, ready to do who-knows-what to our way of living. St. Helena Island remains in the news ST. HELENA ISLAND — In case you missed it, Elvio
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Danny and Carrie Moody of Beaufort enjoy freshly steamed oysters during the 6th annual Beaufort Oyster Festival on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Mike Sutton of Sutton Construction puts oysters in a pan for fire roasting during the 6th annual Beaufort Oyster Festival on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Shirley Cruz-Perez from Beaufort enjoys a pan of freshly steamed oysters during the 6th annual Beaufort Oyster Festival in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Senator Booker rallies Beaufort Democrats
Kimberly Harper, from Bluffton, poses for a selfie with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 at the Holiday Inn in Beaufort as part of the South Carolina Democratic Party’s “On the Road With Senator Cory Booker” tour. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
By Mike McCombs The Island News More than 300 people attended a town hall-type meeting with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Holiday Inn in Beaufort. Booker was in Beaufort as part of the South Carolina Democratic Party’s “On the Road With Senator Cory Booker” tour, which included roughly a half dozen stops over three days, mostly in the rural
Lowcountry. During the tour, Sen. Booker, who joined state and local Democratic leaders, focused on the challenges facing most Americans, in particular, the rising cost of health care. Attendees turned in handwritten questions on index cards and he answered many over about an hour and a half during his roughly twohour appearance. He encouraged the crowd to stay orderly because
he wanted to answer as many as he could. “I hope you understand that the richest nation in the world should not have the most expensive health care and the worst outcomes for a developed nation. That the wealthiest nation in the world shouldn’t [be among] developed nations that have the highest … infant mortality rates, and the
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NEWS
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INSIDE
Free tax assistance available in Lowcountry for qualified residents.
Dueling Pianos Dinner Theatre returns to Beaufort.
Stroke recovery: what to expect on the road ahead.
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