County Offices closed for Labor Day
All Beaufort County offices, to include Convenience Centers, Library branches, and Parks and Recreation facilities (except the Charles “Lind” Brown outdoor pool) will be closed Monday, Sept. 2 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. All facilities will open according to their regular schedules Tuesday, Sept. 3. Residents are encouraged to plan accordingly.
Operations at the Hilton Head Island Airport and Beaufort County Airport on Lady’s Island will be available during the holiday. Emergency services and law enforcement operations will remain available as normal.
Mosquito spraying continues in county
In accordance with Federal/State regulations, please be advised Beaufort County Mosquito Control may conduct aerial and/or ground treatments through Friday, Aug. 30. Mosquito Control applies EPA-registered public health insecticide during ideal weather using low-flying aircraft throughout daylight hours and spray trucks from about 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
For additional information, please contact Mosquito Control at (843) 255-5800.
County offers free electronics recycling event Sept. 7
The Beaufort County Public Works Department Solid Waste and Recycling Office will host two free electronics recycling events for county residents. The next events will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following locations on Saturday, Sept 7:
– 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.
Screening set to open for Beaufort seat on SCPSC
The State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee is beginning its screening process for Seats 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
The Review Committee will be accepting applications for Seats 1, 3, 5, and 7 beginning Monday, Sept. 16 until noon Friday, Oct. 11. The Commission has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to investor-owned electric and gas utilities, water and wastewater companies, telecommunications companies, carriers of household goods and hazardous waste for disposal, taxicabs, and other motor vehicle passenger carriers.
A commissioner must have at least a baccalaureate degree and should have a background of substantial duration in one of the following areas: (a) energy; (b) telecommunications; (c) consumer protection and advocacy; (d) water and wastewater; (e) finance, economics, and statistics; (f) accounting; (g) engineering; or (h) law.
The Commission is composed of seven commissioners, one from each of the seven Congressional districts. The Commissioner for the First Public Service Commission District represents Charleston, Berkeley, Beaufort, Dorchester, and Colleton counties.
Each candidate is required to submit a completed application form no later than the Oct. 11 deadline. Applications will not be accepted after noon on Friday, Oct. Following the Oct. 11 filing deadline, the Review Committee will begin its background investigation of candidates. Candidates and potential candidates are subject to certain restrictions with respect to contacting members of the General Assembly.
Application forms may be obtained from the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee, 102 Gressette Building, Post Office Box 142, Columbia, S.C. 29202, by contacting Heather Anderson at 803-212-6208 or heatheranderson@scsenate.gov, or by contacting Michelle McGee at 803-212-6634 or michellemcgee@scsenate.gov.
For further information, contact Ms. Anderson or Ms. McGee, or the Review Committee’s website at: www.scstatehouse.gov/CommitteeInfo/PublicUtilitiesReviewComm/2019PublicServiceCommissionScreeningInfo.php.
SC AG Wilson joins fight against robocalls
S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson on Aug. 22 announced that as a result of a bipartisan, public/private coalition of 51 attorneys general and 12 phone companies he has joined, the phone companies have agreed to adopt eight principles to fight illegal robocalls. This agreement will help protect phone users from illegal robocalls and make it easier for attorneys general to investigate and prosecute bad actors.
“Robocalls are frustrating for all of us because we all get them, and to make that frustration worse it’s very difficult for us to do anything about them at the state level,” Attorney General Wilson said. “This agreement should make a difference that will help us all because it all involves all 50 states and DC and the major cell phone companies.”
The coalition of attorneys general, led by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, and Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, includes attorneys general from all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
The coalition of companies includes AT&T, Bandwidth, CenturyLink, Charter, Comcast, Consolidated, Frontier, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Verizon, and Windstream.
