Businesses in unincorporated Beaufort County must renew licenses
Beaufort County gives notice that in accordance with chapter 18 of its Code of Ordinances, businesses operating in the unincorporated areas of Beaufort County must renew their county business license by May 31, 2019. Businesses paying the renewal tax after the due date are subject to a 5 percent delinquency penalty of the unpaid tax for each month or portion of the month past the due date until the tax is paid.
Businesses operating in the unincorporated areas of the county without a valid business license are subject to additional penalties, as all businesses in these areas are required to have a county business license prior to operation. Further, an individual shall be deemed to be in business and required to obtain a business license if that individual owns and rents two or more residential units. This applies to both short-term and long-term rentals.
Businesses operating without a valid license are subject to penalties in addition to the appropriate business license tax. The county has mailed renewal forms to business license holders of record. Any business not receiving a renewal form or needing to obtain an application can do so at https://tinyurl.com/y4f628th. For more information, contact the Beaufort County Business License Department at 843-255-2270.
Beaufort Co. offers free electronics recycling event May 18
The Beaufort County Public Works Department Solid Waste and Recycling Office will host two free electronics recycling events for County residents from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18 at the following locations: Beaufort County Public Works, 9 Benton Field Road; Bluffton Beaufort County Public Works, 140 Shanklin Road, Beaufort.
Any personal computers, laptops, CRT monitors, LCD monitors, CRT televisions, non-CRT televisions, printers, hard drives and miscellaneous electronics (microwaves, cell phones, radios, fax machines, and typewriters) will be accepted.
If you have questions about Beaufort County recycling events, please call the Solid Waste and Recycling Office at 843-255-2736 for more information or visit their website at www.beaufortcountysc.gov/recycle.
Fort Fremont closed immediately, indefinitely
Beaufort County’s Fort Fremont Preserve will be closed to the public until further notice, due to construction beginning Wednesday, May 15. A re-opening notice will be issued at a later time.
Fort Fremont is a Spanish-American War coastal defense artifact built in 1898 to defend the Port Royal Sound. The site and its historical ruins, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were acquired in 2004 by Beaufort County Council into the County’s Rural and Critical Lands Program.
Located on Lands End Road, St. Helena Island (map), project improvements at the site will include the construction of an interpretive center to provide an educational experience to the visitors of the Fort Fremont facility. The interpretive center will have many artifacts and display items representing the Fort’s history. The scope of work also includes the installation of a picnic pavilion, walking paths, and public restrooms.
For more information, contact Beaufort County Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net or 843-255-2152.
County Council’s Glover to host St. Helena meeting
Beaufort County Council member York Glover (District 3) will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14 about Horse Island stormwater matters. The meeting will be held at the St. Helena Baptist Church, 1608 Sea Island Parkway, St. Helena Island.
A guest speaker will be Eric Larson, Beaufort County’s Director of Environmental Engineering and Land Management.
Residents do not need to register in advance for the meeting. For more information, please contact Beaufort County Council Member Glover at yglover@bcgov.net, 843-986-7395 or c/o Beaufort County Clerk to Council, P.O. Drawer 1228, Beaufort, SC 29901.
SCDHEC clears Beaufort River
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) has approved Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA) to remove signs at boat landings on the Beaufort River.
The precautionary signs were erected April 29 after wastewater was released from the Parris Island discharge force main into the Beaufort River. The overflow occurred due to pipe failure.
For more information, please visit www.bjwsa.org.
Penn Center taking part in Summer Food program
Penn Center is participating in the Summer Food Service Program, providing meals to all children 18-years-old and younger without charge.
Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.
Meals will be provided at the following sites: Thumbs Up, St. Paul Baptist Church, Independence Circle, Grays Hill Community Center, Wesley Felix Complex, Seabrook Center, Lands Inn, Parkview Apartments, Powell Place, Gift of Love Ministry, First Zion Baptist Church, True Foundation Outreach Ministry, Powell Place, 12 Jewels of Life, Grace AME, Penn Center Dining Hall, Parker Hill, August on Southside II, Yemassee Heights, St. Helena Library, Evans Hill and Powell Place.
Tentative dates for program operation are June 1–Aug. 17.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
SCDNR accepting applications to hunt alligators
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is accepting online applications for the 2019 Public Alligator Hunting season at www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/alligator/index.html.
Last year, hunters took 337 alligators during the public alligator hunting season, with the average size being just under 9 feet in length.
A $10 nonrefundable application fee is required to apply for the Public Lands Hunt. A randomized computer drawing based on a preference point system will determine the selection of hunters. Applicants can only apply and pay fees online or at one of the walk-up counters at an SCDNR Regional Office in Clemson, Florence, Columbia, or Charleston. No paper applications will be accepted. This year’s season will begin at noon on Sept. 14 and run until noon on Oct. 12. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. June 15.
If selected, a $100 fee for the permit and one harvest tag is required to be paid online through the same online alligator hunting application system. Unsuccessful applicants will accumulate preference points for future alligator hunt drawings. Preference points add to the likelihood of being drawn in future years. All hunters will be notified beginning in mid-July of their selection status.
Hunters participating in the Public Alligator Hunting Season may take alligators in public waters and on private land where permission is granted, but alligator hunting is prohibited on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and USFWS Wildlife Refuges. In addition, public alligator season permits cannot be used on lands enrolled in the Private Lands Alligator Program.
Only alligators four feet or greater in length may be taken and the hunter must tag the animal immediately with a harvest tag provided by SCDNR for any of the alligator hunting programs.
New Coastline discusses staying cool in the heat
A new episode of The County Channel’s series Coastline discusses how to protect yourself during the summer heat. Joining host Rick Forschner is Beaufort County EMS Crew Chief AJ Drake, and Beaufort County EMS Training Coordinator Karen Morris and Executive Director for the Greater Bluffton & Jasper Volunteers in Medicine Pam Toney.
Suggestions on ways to remain cool and safe during extremely warm weather include drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, finding places with air conditioning, such as libraries, shopping centers, and community centers and avoiding the outdoors during the hottest time of the day.
Coastline airs on The County Channel Sundays at 9:30 a.m., Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., and Fridays at 9 a.m.
Coastline is a monthly news show filmed in-studio and produced by The County Channel. Watch all programming for The County Channel on Comcast Ch. 2, Hargray Chs. 9 and 113, and Spectrum Ch. 1304. Viewers can also watch programming live and on-demand at The County Channel’s website at www.beaufortcountysc.gov.
