By Lolita Huckaby
ST. HELENA ISLAND
It’s been two weeks since Beaufort’s first “mass murder” took place at Willie’s Bar and Grill, leaving four people dead, others injured and law enforcement still trying to collect information about who did it.
The building remains closed – apparently, Willie’s is “slowly reopening for business” — and the perimeter fence is decorated with bouquets of fading flowers and weathered slips of paper speaking of love and community support.
The four victims have been buried but their families and friends are still grieving while the community wonders who among them could have fired those shots and why.
Two individuals “of interest,” according to “unidentified sources” but not official sheriff’s department sources, remain in the county detention center while an anonymous tip line set up by the FBI waits for anyone in the estimated crowd of 700 gathered at Willie’s that fateful early Sunday morning of Oct. 12, to give up some information helpful to the investigation.
Two more recent shootings, on Monday night, Oct. 20 in Bluffton and on St. Helena, five hours later on Tuesday morning — the incident reports say only one individual was injured “with non-life-threatening” wounds in the St. Helena shooting.five miles away from Willie’s.
The sheriff’s department has released no further information about those shootings or whether they could be related to what is now being called “Willie’s shooting.”
Some community events have been canceled because of concerns about potential further shootings. The Hwy. 21 Drive-In in Burton cancelled its “trunk or treat” event on Oct. 31 out of respect for staff members and friends “affected by this awful and evil assault on our community,” as posted on their Facebook.
Ironically, posters of the late Martin Luther King Jr. hang right across MLK Jr. Drive from Willie’s, which is also less than two miles away from the grave of the late Pat Conroy, whose birthday was celebrated this past weekend.
Both men were advocates of peace but familiar with the high price of that peace.
County boat ramp changes protested
BEAUFORT — Sometimes following local governments meetings can be tedious and boring, unless
you’re a REAL “meeting junkie.”
But the process of our government in operation can be interesting if you include the multitude of committee meetings which are part of the puzzle.
Case in point, last week’s meeting of the Council Public Facilities committee. The monthly meeting drew a room full of folks; the majority concerned about proposed changes to the regulations dealing with activities at the county-owned boat landings.
Of the 21 speakers, more than half were individuals who owned or operated fishing tours, kayak and paddle-boarding businesses, business folks who told the county officials they would have to go out of business if they were no longer able to use the public boat landings to launch their operations.
Representatives from isolated Daufuskie Island attended and expressed their concerns that the limitation of construction barges using the island’s public landing would make it even harder to get building materials onto the island.
The proposed changes were attached to a larger ordinance rewrite copying state law in dealing with abandoned boats left in public waterways, which no one seemed to have a problem with. It was the prospect of increased regulations for business operators that drew the speakers to the Monday afternoon meeting.
County attorneys explained the draft had been in the works for at least two years, promoted by some concerns from marinas that businesses operating from the landings could afford to rent slips. Part of the reasoning for the proposals included the problems with parking at some landings, with clients partaking of the kayaking or paddle-boarding activities or fishing tours occupying those limited parking spaces.
But the committee council members, who had already been bombarded by opposition once public notice of the changes came out, heard and agreed to make exemptions.
Another discussion of the amended regulations will be scheduled for the Nov. 17 committee meeting. But for now, the maritime business folks seem safe. But as one observer said, when lawyers and politicians get together and start drawing up regulations, you have to pay attention.
Sheriff’s helicopter request on hold for now
BEAUFORT — Another County Council committee meeting that was worth a watch last week was the Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee.
One of several items on their agenda included approval for the expenditure of $398,000 already in the county’s 2026 budget to 33 different nonprofit groups.
The council several years ago set up this distribution system for providing financial support to groups like HELP of Beaufort, United Way, Bluffton Self-Help, Second Helpings, Programs for Exceptional People, etc. rather than the individual agencies coming in during budget discussions and making requests.
This year’s grant panel considered requests from 53 agency requests that applied for assistance. They provided a list of recommended funding options to the committee for approval before going to the full Council for endorsement.
Traditionally, the recommendations are approved with only minimal questions, but last week’s discussion hit the skids when one council member who wanted more details, to make sure “the county is getting its money’s worth.” Plus two of the committee members recused themselves and left the meeting, creating a lack of a quorum to continue discussion.
So, while the nonprofit agency representative sat patiently through the meeting only to find out their requests for money to provide services to citizens who need help would not be decided, they did get a glimpse of the council’s priorities.
In this case, it was a $3.9 million request from the sheriff’s department for a new helicopter.
Yes, the same Sheriff P.J. Tanner who, when being criticized last month for his decision to participate with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, program, said the County Council had no control over his operations. Because he’s an elected official, just like the 11 council members, he completely controls the operation of his law-enforcement department, a point reiterated by County Council members who, when asked by citizens concerned about the ICE relationship, agreed they had “no control” over the Sheriff’s operations, only approval of his budget.
Well, here we are, looking at approval for the $3.9 million helicopter needed to replace the two aging ones already in operation as a gift from the Department of Defense.
Spokesmen for the Sheriff stressed the importance of the “patrol car in the sky” and noted the department offers its helicopter team to adjoining Jasper County when needed. That prompted the council members to suggest they ask Jasper County to help finance the new addition.
Further discussion got pushed to a Nov. 13 budget workshop where the new $3.9 million helicopter … and $398,000 for help agencies are expected to be on the agenda.
Cane Island neighbors remain opposed to revetments
LADY’S ISLAND — No action yet from the S.C. Bureau of Coastal Management on the Cane Island
Development Company’s request to construct a one-plus mile of riprap erosion control devices but that hasn’t stopped the developers’ plans to build up to 240 homes, a marina and waterfront inn on the former daffodil farm.
Residents of neighboring Cat Island have continued to petition the Beaufort City Council to at least oppose the proposed control devices, but to date, the elected officials, who have only limited say-so on
the future development because it was annexed into the city 30 years ago, have said nothing.
Those residents, by the way, can’t VOTE for City Council members because they don’t live within the annexed area.
When Cane Island was annexed into the city, the owner, Fred Trask and the city agreed to a Planned Unit Development, which outlined what is now being built on the property. What has not been determined is how the increased traffic on the single, two-lane road that services Cane and Cat, will be handled at the busy intersection with Sea Island Parkway.
While there has been much discussion about a traffic signal, the state Department of Transportation does not have that in their plans for the area.
A public hearing last month brought out more than a dozen speakers opposing the state permit, contending the riprap and bulkhead would make erosion for neighboring properties. The S.C. Coastal Conservation League has also opposed the permit.
While the developers wait to hear from BoCM, their timber trucks continue to haul cut trees off the island, clearing the way for roads and more homes.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C., native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
