The light is back: Hunting Island Lighthouse reopens after 4-year closure for restoration
Park officials, dignitaries and area residents were among those in attendance at the reopening of the Hunting Island Lighthouse on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
News
Coverage of timely local, regional, and breaking news in Beaufort County and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Includes community updates, government decisions, public safety alerts, traffic and weather impacts, and key issues shaping life in Beaufort, Port Royal, Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island, and surrounding Sea Islands. Designed for residents and visitors seeking authoritative, hyperlocal journalism from Beaufort’s newspaper of record.
Lowcountry Lowdown: Beaufort voters turn out for early voting
One highlight from last week’s news was the fact that a record number of registered South Carolina voters went to the polls on the first day of early voting and that held true in Beaufort County.
Lowcountry Lowdown: Beaufort voters turn out for early voting Read More »
20th Beaufort River Swim set for Saturday
When the Beaufort River Swim goes off for the 20th time Saturday morning, June 6, on the Beaufort River, it looks like it will once again be a record-breaker, participation wise.
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BCSO assists ICE in Friday immigration operations
Staff reports ICE conducted operations in Beaufort County on Friday, May 29, according to a release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. According to the release, the BCSO, “assisted ICE
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Thomas Grygowski at Fuel and Fire
Thomas Grygowski, a Republican candidate for the Beaufort County Council’s 5th District seat, held a meet and greet at Fuel and Fire in Port Royal on Friday, May 29, 2026.
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PRIMARY 2026: Doug Seifert & ‘JoJo’ Woodward, Republican candidates for Beaufort County Sheriff
Ahead of the June 9 primary election, The Island News sent detailed candidate questionnaires to those running in several contested local and state races impacting Beaufort County voters. Doug Seifert and Joey “JoJo” Woodward Jr. offered sharply different views on the current direction of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, with both Republican candidates emphasizing public safety, transparency and support for deputies while differing on priorities, leadership style and the agency’s current performance.
PRIMARY 2026: Joshua Hower, Joe Maiorano & Mary Jeans Otto, Republican candidates for Beaufort County Council District 5
Ahead of the June 9 primary election, The Island News sent detailed candidate questionnaires to those running in several contested local and state races impacting Beaufort County voters. Republican candidates for Beaufort County Council District 5 — Joshua Hower, Mary Jeans Otto and Joe Maiorano — all centered their campaigns on concerns about rapid growth and preserving the Lowcountry’s character, though each candidate offered different ideas for managing development, infrastructure and government oversight.
PRIMARY 2026: Michael Rivers Sr. & Shannon Nehemiah DeLoach, Democratic candidates for SC House District 121
Ahead of the June 9 primary election, The Island News sent detailed candidate questionnaires to those running in several contested local and state races impacting Beaufort County voters. Democratic candidates for S.C. House District 121, Michael Rivers Sr. and Shannon Nehemiah DeLoach, both emphasized affordability, infrastructure and protecting historic Gullah-Geechee communities in their responses, while offering different perspectives shaped by their professional and political backgrounds.
PRIMARY 2026: Michael Andersen & Thomas Grygowski, Republican candidates for Beaufort County Council District 4
Ahead of the June 9 primary election, The Island News sent detailed candidate questionnaires to those running in several contested local and state races impacting Beaufort County voters. Republican candidates for Beaufort County Council District 4, Michael Andersen and Thomas Grygowski, both centered their County Council District 4 campaigns on growth, infrastructure and protecting Beaufort County’s character, though the two candidates often approached those issues from different perspectives.