POSTAL PATRON LOCAL
JANUARY 26–FEBRUARY 1, 2023
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
PRESORTED PERMIT NO. 97 BEAUFORT, SC 29902
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Committee votes to remove first book from Beaufort County Schools 15 of 16 books addressed by committees have been returned in some fashion to school shelves Laura Eggers, of Beaufort, shares her thoughts with the rest of her group during the Beaufort County School District’s second Book Review Committee meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19, at Okatie Elementary School. Eggers is a member of the community who volunteered for the position. Delayna Earley/ The Island News
By Delayna Earley The Island News For the first time, a Book Review Committee has voted to remove a book from the shelves completely in the Beaufort County School District. During the second Beaufort County School District Book
Review Committee meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19, Committee No. 10 voted to remove the first book, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. The book is on a list of 97 books that were removed from the school district’s library shelves in October so that they could be reviewed. Four committee members voted
to remove It Ends With Us entirely, and one voted to return it to grades 9-12 only. Seven other books were deemed appropriate for grades 9-12 and one book was voted as appropriate for grades 6-12.
SEE SHELVES PAGE A5
LIZ FARRELL
Murdaugh circus hits Walterboro
From left, John Torgersen, of Lady’s Island, Theresa Smiley, and her husband Steven Smiley, both of Port Royal, and Sandra Riches, of Cannes, France, enjoy oysters during the 3rd annual Beaufort Oyster Festival on Saturday, Jan. 21, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Downtown Beaufort.
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WALTERBORO ntil Tuesday afternoon I didn’t know what an “elephant ear” was. Clearly, I know that elephants have ears. Who doesn’t know this about elephants? I’m talking about “elephant ears,” as in — all right, I haven’t actually seen one yet; but they were described to me as a “big fried dough thing ... shaped like an ear.” They are sold at fairs and carnivals ... and at all the hottest Lowcountry murder trials. Oh, yes, there IS such a thing as “murder snacks” now. According to The Post and Courier, the big fried dough thing has been a big fried hit in Walterboro this week, where Alex Murdaugh is standing trial for the June 7, 2021, murders of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. The “ears” are from one of the food trucks set up outside the courthouse to feed the circus. I am a part of that circus but I haven’t made the culinary rounds because I’ve been too busy wondering which potential Colleton County jury member will be the one to hang the jury. There are not enough street tacos in this world to numb me from the pain of that concern. Not after what I’ve learned over the past four years about how
SEE FARRELL PAGE A4
Beaufort Oyster Festival draws big crowd
By Delayna Earley The Island News Oysters and good music drew huge crowds to downtown Beaufort’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 21 and 22. The 3rd annual Beaufort Oyster Festival was
free to enter, and patrons were able to buy tickets to purchase oysters and drinks while at the park. This is the second year that the festival has been held at the park. The first year it was held at the Beer Garden in Port Royal and was limited to 150 at-
tendees due to COVID-19. “People love this because it is so different and not something you can do year round,” President and CEO of the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association
SEE FESTIVAL PAGE A6
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
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Nothing to do in Beaufort? We beg to differ
BEAUFORT o, who says there’s nothing to do in this little, laidback community? We may not have a nationally (dare we say internationally) “famous” murder trial starting up this week, like the one 45 minutes up the road in Walterboro. The trial is projected to bring in hundreds of media-types and legal beagles, not to mention the curious who will show up, if for
LOLITA HUCKABY
nothing else than to check out the food trucks. (And kudos there to fellow
WJWJ-ETV veteran and Beaufort County Channel Director Scott Grooms who left the county in September after 15 Years to serve as Tourism Manager for the Colleton County seat. Just in time to handle what is being billed a “media circus,” as high-profile court cases often are. Good luck, Scott.) But back to this part of the Lowcountry, where the weekend’s weather – at least Saturday – prompted folks to get up off their
couches and check out their social calendars. We may not have a local movie theater or a bowling alley as some folks like to complain about when they get to talk about what we DON’T have, but we do have things going on, not to mention our beaches and waterways. Thanks to the Beaufort Hospitality Association, we had what appears to be a successful third
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A4
ARTS
HEALTH
SPORTS
INSIDE
‘Romantic Celebration’ featuring pianist Susan Merdinger, Beaufort Symphony Orchestra set for this weekend.
Patients who need blood only have one source: YOU!
WB assistant Adam Kinloch takes over at Colleton.
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