JUNE 19–25, 2025
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Keyserling presented Order of the Palmetto South Carolina Rep. Shannon Erickson presents former City of Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling with the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor, during the Beaufort City Council meeting held on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at City Hall. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
By Mike McCombs The Island News “There must be something very controversial on the agenda tonight, because there’s never this many people in the chamber,” Billy Keyserling joked at the Beaufort City Council meeting Tuesday night, June 10. Keyserling knew it wasn’t true when he said it. By that time, he’d
already been presented with the Order of the Palmetto, the state of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, by S.C. Rep. Shannon Erickson. Before presenting Keyserling with the award, Erickson related the impact he once had on her now grown child. “I remember when he visited our then-second grader at Lady’s
Island Elementary School and told stories about growing up on the water and playing in the pluff mud,” she said. “And they came home and said, ‘We don’t know who he was. He was really important and his name was Mr. Billy. But he loves this area and we can’t cut down trees.’ Those things stick
SEE HONOR PAGE A4
Protesters assembled in front of Beaufort’s City Hall during the “No Kings” protest in front of Beaufort’s City Hall on Saturday, June 14, 2025, before marching down Ribaut Road to Bay Street, ending at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Beaufort turns out for national ‘No Kings’ event Protest draws more than 1,000, remains peaceful
By Mike McCombs The Island News More than 1,000 people turned out in Beaufort for Saturday’s “No Kings” protest against the administration of President Donald Trump, one of the largest turnouts for a political rally in northern Beaufort County in recent memory. The event was one of more than 2,000 across the country, organized, in part, to counter Trump’s military parade in Washington D.C., to mark the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army – and Trump’s 79th birthday, as well. “Awesome, awesome, awesome,” said Barb Nash, North-
ern Beaufort County Democratic Club President, said about Saturday’s rally and march. “It couldn’t have gone better, …,” she said. “It was a very peaceful protest, not that we weren’t noisy. But we followed the rules.” Organizers estimated the crowd at around 1,500. The Island News, which made an effort to count as many participants as possible, couldn’t confirm that number. But the estimated total clearly surpassed 1,000 people when The Island News abandoned its efforts. While the rally started at noon, the crowd continued to
Caleb Keith and Deissy Perez, both from Beaufort, hold protest signs during the “No Kings” protest in front of Beaufort’s City Hall on SEE KINGS PAGE A7 Saturday, June 14, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Battle of the Beards set for Friday at Brody’s
By Delayna Earley The Island News facial hair battle for the community’s support in deciding who has the best beard in Beaufort for 2025. The event, which is hosted by The Helianthus Project and Power Washing Man, is a fundraiser
to raise money to support Esther’s House, which is a refuge for children who have been victimized by human trafficking. The contestant who raises the most money winner of the event will get to keep their beard, but the losers have their beards shaved right then and there.
This is the second year for the event, and this year the event is being held at Brody’s Bar and Grill on Lady’s Island. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and will go until 8 p.m. on Friday, June 20. The three contestants in the 2025 event are Geoff Cunningham with Hail Logistics, Isaiah
Martinez with Landscape WorkAll proceeds from the event will shop, and Jesse Klausman with go directly to Esther’s House. Jesse’s Tree Service. The nonprofit hopes to raise Delayna Earley, who joined The Island $8,000, which is the goal they alNews in 2022, formerly worked as a most reached in 2024 when John photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Hazel won over Connor Cave with Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Power Washing Man and Tim Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at Green with ServPro. delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
NEWS
ARTS
BUSINESS
STATE NEWS
INSIDE
Port Royal replaces oversized speed bumps.
Listen on the Lawn returns June 22.
Are your personal biases derailing your investment goals?
SC representative charged with distributing child sexual abuse material.
PAGE A3
PAGE A9
PAGE A11
PAGE A15
Lowcountry Life A2 News A2–7 Arts A9 Education A10 Business A11 Voices A12–13
State News A14–15 Military A16–17 Directory A18 Classifieds A19 Games A19 Cartoon A19