BUTLERMARINEINC.COM
BEAUFORT Location Only
FREE FREE ADMISSION
PARKING
2
YEAR EXTENDED WARRANT Y
AT NO CHARGE!
POSTAL PATRON LOCAL
MARCH 7–13, 2024
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
In the spirit of Pat Conroy, we're still fighting book bans
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
PRESORTED PERMIT NO. 97 BEAUFORT, SC 29902
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
6-year-old dead after Sunday shooting By Mike McCombs The Island News A 6-year-old boy is dead after what Beaufort Police are calling an “accidental shooting” Sunday afternoon at Beaufort’s Cross Creek Apartments. Beaufort Police officers responded at approximately 1:15 p.m., Sunday, March 3, to reports of a subject with a gunshot would at 325 Ambrose Run (Cross Creek Apartments). According to a media release
from police, officers responded upon arrival to a residence where they located a 6-year-old child who had suffered from a single gunshot wound to the head. Officers immediately began rendering aid until EMS arrived. The child was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital with a critical injury before being airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital in Charleston. The child, later identified by
Beaufort County Coroner David Ott as Frankie Washington, succumbed to his injury at 10:28 p.m. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. According to police, this incident was isolated, and the gun involved has been recovered. The circumstances surrounding the accidental shooting is still being investigated. According to Beaufort Police Department Spokesperson MSgt. Lori Reeves, it’s too ear-
ly to determine if there will be charges filed. Anyone with information is encouraged to please contact Investigator Daniel Jayne at 843322-7972 or if you would like to stay anonymous, please contact the Beaufort Police TIP LINE at 843-322-7938 and please reference case #24B08861. Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
C
BEAUFORT BS’s 60 Minutes segment Sunday night provided a lovely view of our historic city, a nice tribute to the late Pat Conroy, who was honored last weekend at the annual March Forth event, and a 13-minute reminder of last year’s banned books fight. The segment featured an interview with Board of Education Vice Chairman Dick Geier, who outlined the local issue which occupied much of the news last year. Others spoke of what it took to go through the administrative process of reviewing 97 books and returning all but a handful to the school shelves. The 60 Minutes film crew was here in June, when the local controversy was at something of a peak, prompting standing-room-only crowds of parents and concerned citizens to flood the school board’s meetings. Remember the chickenfeed throwing incident? That wasn’t mentioned. But even though Beaufort County’s review may be complete, for now, the battle for the freedom to read continues in other parts of the country. Here in South Carolina, the S.C. Department of Education, led by State Superintendent Ellen Weaver, passed a resolution last month asking the state Legislature to establish a statewide policy which would leave the decision on banning individual books, to the state. The legislation to take that decision away from the local school boards, which Gov. Henry McMaster supports, has yet to be debated in Columbia. But with other states moving in that direction, it’s another attack on freedoms to be aware of. Thanks for the reminder, Scott Pelley.
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A5
Lady’s Island resident Ruth James was interviewed following the June book review committee meeting by both The Island News and “60 Minutes.” Delayna Earley/The Island News
This story and more ... ‘60 Minutes’ addresses Beaufort County School District’s removal of 97 books
By Delayna Earley The Island News In case you missed it, Beaufort County School District (BCSD) was the main character in a CBS News “60 Minutes” segment that aired on Sunday, March 3. The piece, reported by correspondent Scott Pelley, follows the process taken by BCSD of reviewing 97 books that were challenged for appropriateness of content in October 2022 and removed from school libraries. While the piece focused on the
WANT TO WATCH? If you missed it, you can watch the “60 Minutes” segment on the Beaufort County School District’s removal of 97 books on Paramount+.
97 books that were challenged in Beaufort County, the segment portrayed the attempts to ban books in schools as part of a larger movement with conservative group Moms for Liberty at the center.
According to the segment, there were more than 3,000 books banned in schools across the country last year, which was an increase by more than 1,000 over the previous year. The process of reviewing the
SEE BOOKS PAGE A6
NEWS
EDUCATION
VOICES
INSIDE
Developers taking another run at Bay Point.
House GOP seeks to expand SC’s K-12 private school choice program before it even starts.
Bill Rauch: It’s time for historic district peace talks.
PAGE A5
PAGE B2
PAGE B6
Lowcountry Life A2 News A2–7 State News A8–9 Health A10–11 Sports B1, 3 Education B2
Military B4–5 Voices B6–7 Legal Notices B8 Local Events B9 Directory B10 Classifieds B11
310 Okatie Highway | 843-645-7774 FREE Admission PortRoyalSoundFoundation.org