In observance of New Year’s Day, all Beaufort County government buildings will be closed Wednesday, January 1.
Convenience Centers in Beaufort County will close at 1 p.m., Tuesday, December 31 and remain closed Wednesday, January 1, for New Year’s Day. They will resume normal operating hours Thursday, January 2.
Operations at the Hilton Head Island Airport will remain available during the holiday.
Beaufort Executive Airport will operate at the following schedule:
- New Year’s Eve: 8 a.m. to noon.
- New Year’s Day: FBO closed; self-serve avgas available.
Emergency services and law enforcement personnel will remain available.
City offices closed Jan. 1
City of Beaufort offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in honor of New Year’s Day.
Capital Waste Services will be off on New Year’s Day. Wednesday pickups will be pushed to Thursday, Thursday to Friday, and Friday to Saturday.
County hosts ribbon cutting ceremony to mark opening of Laurel Bay Road Pathway
On Friday, Dec.13, Beaufort County, the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (MCAS Beaufort) joined other project supporters, community partners, and contractors to mark the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Laurel Bay Pathway Project.
This new public pathway connects Laurel Bay Housing to MCAS Beaufort, creating a convenient route for residents, personnel, and those utilizing the trail for recreation. Funded by a match from the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs and funds from the 2018 One Cent Sales Tax, this project’s completion marks a celebratory milestone.
Crosswalk improvements and sidewalk additions now allow increased connectivity to essential commercial centers for those without access to motor vehicles, opening more options for safe utilization of the Spanish Moss Trail. By directly connecting to the established trail, this pathway strengthens the connection between MCAS, Laurel Bay, and the surrounding community.
Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony included Beaufort County Assistant County Administrator Jared Fralix, Beaufort County Councilman Gerald Dawson, S.C. Military Base Task Force Representative Col. Neal Pugliese, and MCAS Beaufort Commanding Officer Col. Mark Bortnem.
Hospice Care of the Lowcountry rebrands as MiraSol
Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, a leading nonprofit provider of compassionate end-of-life care, palliative and grief care services in Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, and Hampton counties, is rebranding as MiraSol Health. This new name reflects the organization’s growing range of services unified under one umbrella as it redefines its care delivery approach to support patients facing serious illness, terminal diagnosis, or grief, while also providing vital support to caregivers.
Second Helpings receives relief grant from Food Lion Feeds
The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation awarded $10,000 to Second Helpings to help rebuild after Hurricane Helene devastated the region in September 2024. This disaster relief grant provides financial assistance to community feeding partners, who have played a vital role in helping those affected by the storm. These funds will support long-term recovery efforts and assist in rebuilding, repairing and restoring what was damaged or lost.
This grant funding builds upon the foundation’s year-round commitment to address food insecurity by increasing access to nutritious food and supporting nutritional education initiatives.
“Hurricane Helene resulted in lengthy power outages in a portion of Second Helpings’ service area, which resulted in less food available to distribute to our neighbors in need,” said Amy Colin, executive
director, Second Helpings. “This grant will support our efforts to help offset these losses and bring a
consistent supply of rescued food for those who need it most.”
Second Helpings is a nonprofit food rescue organization striving to eliminate hunger in the South
Carolina Lowcountry. It collects and distributes food which would have otherwise ended up in landfills.
The 468 volunteers delivered 3.4 million pounds of food in 2023, free of charge, to 54 agencies in
Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties which serve more than 10,000 people every week. Second
Helpings is a United Way Agency. For more information, visit www.secondhelpingslc.org , find us on
Facebook or call 843-689-3689.
County VA to offer End of Life Planning Seminars for veterans, families
Beaufort County Veterans Affairs is hosting End of Life Planning Seminars for veterans and their families.
These seminars address things veterans and their families can do today to ensure their personal effects are in order. They also discuss Veterans Affairs benefits that surviving spouses may be entitled to receive.
They will be offered at either 9 a.m. or 1 p.m., at convenient locations around Beaufort County:
- Tuesday, Feb. 18: Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Seabrook.
- Tuesday, Feb. 25: Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way.
- Tuesday, May 20: Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road.
- Tuesday, May 27: Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street.
RSVPs are required for space and resource purposes. Please contact Crystal at 843-255-6880 to reserve your seat. For questions and more information please contact Beaufort County Veterans Affairs at 843-255-6880.
— Staff reports
