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(43804, 4, '2020-03-18 10:38:09', '2020-03-18 14:38:09', '<strong>Photo b</strong><b>y BOB SOFALY</b>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort History Museum presented its fifth annual Living History Encampment on Saturday at the Arsenal on Craven Street. Re-enactors with the 6th Connecticut Army, Company H portrayed Union Soldiers garrisoned in Beaufort during the Civil War.', 'Union troops return to Beaufort', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'union-troops-return-to-beaufort', '', '', '2020-03-18 10:38:09', '2020-03-18 14:38:09', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43804', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43810, 4, '2020-03-18 10:40:36', '2020-03-18 14:40:36', '<h2><b>Despite graduation ceremony’s cancelation,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>new Marine proud to be part of the corps\r\n\r\n</b></h2>\r\n<b>By MINDY LUCAS</b>\r\n\r\nMadison Hicks was a little disappointed that she didn’t get to walk across the parade deck at Parris Island for her graduation from the Marine Corps on Friday, March 13.\r\n\r\nAfter all, becoming a Marine is not an everyday thing. At least not for Hicks and her family.\r\n\r\n“We were planning on spending two nights, but we’ll probably turn around and go home in the morning,” said Hick’s aunt, Peggy Smith, who had driven 16 hours from Dallas on Thursday to see her niece graduate.\r\n\r\nOther members of the family flew in from Oregon. All found out the ceremony had been canceled shortly after arriving in town.\r\n\r\nThe Marine Corps Recruit Depot announced on Thursday that it was canceling the remaining family day activities, which started on Wednesday, and Friday’s graduation ceremony “out of an abundance of caution.”\r\n\r\nThough an announcement made on Facebook never mentioned the coronavirus, the statement said, “We understand the significance of this event to Marines and their families, but we must remain cautious and focused on public safety.”\r\n\r\nWhile Hicks’ family members were also a bit disappointed, they still seemed to be enjoying their family reunion of sorts.\r\n\r\nHours after hearing about the cancellation they were resting under the Pavilion in Beaufort’s Waterfront Park and taking in the views.\r\n\r\n“It’s beautiful down here,” Smith said. “Just gorgeous.”\r\n\r\nSporting a new scarlet and gold USMC sweatshirt, Hicks, while a bit disappointed, was still proud to be a newly minted Marine.\r\n\r\n“Getting to walk across the parade deck as a female Marine is kind of a big deal because we’re a small group that make up the Marine Corps.”\r\n\r\nAs she noted, female Marines, as they are called in the corps, make up less than 10 percent of the Marine Corps and Parris Island is the only basic-training site in the country for women in the Corps.\r\n\r\nBut Hicks also understood the decision to cancel Friday’s ceremony, she said.\r\n\r\n“There are a lot of recruits who are just coming in to training, so they are their main priority. The priority is to keep their recruits safe so it does make sense to me,” she said.\r\n\r\nAnd it didn’t stop Hicks mother, Roxie Eslick, from beaming with pride. Eslick, who has a son in the army, said she was still getting used to the idea that her 19-year-old daughter was now a Marine.\r\n\r\n“I mean my girl. She just graduated from high school,” she said. “She’s definitely matured.”\r\n\r\nEslick said they were able to attend a practice graduation held at the base on Wednesday.\r\n\r\n“So we got lucky,” she said. “It’s definitely not the same, but it was still special.”\r\n\r\nHicks who was a little more stoic about the situation, said that finally being able to see her family – which kept her going through some of the rougher times in training – was nice.\r\n\r\nAnd while a ceremony would have also been nice for all the families coming in, she said, for Hicks it was always about getting that Eagle, Globe and Anchor.\r\n\r\nThe “EGA” emblem, as it is sometimes referred to, is placed in the hands of recruits who have completed their training in a private ceremony which signifies they are now Marines.\r\n\r\n“The day we got our EGAs, that’s the day I knew I was a Marine,” she said.\r\n<h2><b>&nbsp;</b></h2>', 'Making the best of things', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'making-the-best-of-things', '', '', '2020-03-18 10:40:36', '2020-03-18 14:40:36', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43810', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43813, 4, '2020-03-18 10:44:06', '2020-03-18 14:44:06', '<h2><b>Beaufort’s health officials, emergency managers brace for coronavirus, along with the rest of the country\r\n\r\n</b></h2>\r\n<b>By MINDY LUCAS</b>\r\n\r\nLast week, just a week after the first few cases of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, in South Carolina were announced, the number of confirmed cases of the virus suddenly doubled in the Palmetto State.\r\n\r\nA few days later, on March 13, the number doubled again.\r\n\r\nAt press time, on Tuesday, March 17, there were a total of 47 cases in South Carolina, including four confirmed cases in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nAnd while health officials have said to expect that number to continue to grow, especially now that testing is becoming more available, officials on the front lines say it’s more important than ever to practice those preventive measures – wash your hands, avoid crowds, practice social distancing – now so common in everyday vernacular that even young children can recite them.\r\n\r\n“All of these general measures are super important and they’re all we have right now,” said Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Kurt Gambla.\r\n\r\nSince last week, the hospital has tightened its visitation policy allowing only one visitor per patient and has expanded that “one-visitor” policy to all of its outpatient sites as well.\r\n\r\nIt has also separated the sick from others coming into its Emergency Room and is encouraging those who feel sick to use its telemedicine service, BMH Care Anywhere, or its Call Ahead service, which can provide patients with medical attention before going into a healthcare center or opting for a higher level of care.\r\n\r\nBut the biggest change in how health officials are proceeding since last week, Dr. Gambla said by phone on Friday, March 13, is that permission to go ahead with specimen collection has been lifted.\r\n\r\n“Before, in order for DHEC to process the specimen …we needed to present the case, get those permissions, collect the sample and send it to them,” he said.\r\n\r\nNow, all that is needed is a physician order to collect a specimen, though the hospital will still have to complete forms citing why the test is needed and will follow an “algorithm” in deciding who should get tested.\r\n\r\nThat algorithm will include such symptoms as a fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. In addition, the patient will be asked about recent travel and close contact with anyone diagnosed with, or awaiting results for, COVID-19.\r\n\r\nHealth officials are also expecting other labs, in addition to the state’s lab, to come online soon, to help process the tests.\r\n\r\n“Our hope and expectation is that as more labs become available and the testing process gets refined and better, the ultimate result that everybody is hoping for and expecting is the turn around time will be quicker,” he said.\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, the hospital’s emergency management team is meeting two to three times a day to discuss or update planning as needed.\r\n\r\n“Everything that we do is driven off the latest and evolving CDC and DHEC guidance,” he said.\r\n\r\nDr. Gambla, who lives in Beaufort and has family himself, said that while he, personally, was concerned, he was not panicked.\r\n\r\n“The concern is how do we get ahead of this thing and how prepared are we in terms of our own training, our protocols and resources, so what makes me concerned but not panicked is we are very, very well prepared,” he said, adding that the hospital has a number of contingency plans in place, in response to an increase in cases.\r\n\r\n<b>County and<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>City Government</b>\r\n\r\nThe county officially enacted its Emergency Ordinance on Monday, March 16, in which members of Beaufort County Council met and declared a public health emergency.\r\n\r\nAt the meeting, County Administrator Ashley Jacobs said that in a pandemic situation, the county follows the state’s protocols for responding.\r\n\r\n“S.C. DHEC is the lead agency for this,” she said.\r\n\r\nCounty council members at Monday’s meeting also encouraged residents to avoid crowds and practice social distancing.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the county has enacted its own emergency plan closing some county buildings or offices through at least Tuesday, March 31. Some of those include library branches, recreational facilities and pools and such offices as the assessor’s office.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIt has also taken steps to limit staff availability or, in some cases, has encouraged staff to conduct business by telephone and electronically as much as possible.\r\n\r\nAnd residents can do their part, county officials say. For those offices that will remain open, the county has asked that residents limit their interactions with county staff as much as possible, to expect social distancing, and to do as much business they need to do with the county online.\r\n\r\nResidents are also strongly encouraged to limit their visits to county buildings unless they have an urgent business matter that must be handled in person.\r\n\r\nTaking a similar course of action, the city of Beaufort has curtailed its activities in response to the outbreak.\r\n\r\nAll public meetings, except council meetings, have been canceled, and city staffing has been reduced to minimal levels. Non-essential staff will work from home\r\nwhen possible.\r\n\r\nResidents can watch live council meetings on the city’s Facebook page and are also encouraged to call City Hall at 843-525-7070 before coming in for any service.\r\n<h4>Feeling sick or having symptoms?</h4>\r\nIf you’re feeling sick or are concerned you may have COVID-19, call your primary care physician or urgent care center, or use Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s telemedicine service, before showing up in person. BMH Care Anywhere is available in the App Store, on Google Play and at www.bmhcareanywhere.org.\r\n\r\nFor more information about COVID-19 guidelines, testing criteria and self-isolation instructions visit www.scdhec.gov/health/infectious-diseases or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.\r\n\r\nMembers of the public who would like information related to COVID-19 may also contact the DHEC Care Line at (855) 472-3432. A triage nurse will be available to provide guidance.\r\n\r\n<b>\r\n\r\n</b><em>Above: Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Kurt Gambla</em>.', 'Global  pandemic  hits home', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'global-pandemic-hits-home', '', '', '2020-03-18 10:44:06', '2020-03-18 14:44:06', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43813', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43818, 4, '2020-03-19 12:59:50', '2020-03-19 16:59:50', '<h2>Beaufort weightlifter claims bronze at American Open</h2>\r\n<strong>By MIKE McCOMBS</strong>\r\n\r\nIf someone medals at a weightlifting competition and there is no one there to see it, did it happen?\r\n\r\nThank goodness for Dade Stanley’s sake, the answer is yes.\r\n\r\nStanley turned in second-place finishes in the snatch and clean and jerk to win the bronze medal in the 89 kg weight class at the American Open on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio.\r\n\r\nThere were no spectators in attendance for the meet, Stanley’s first official meet as a junior, because of precautions taken in response to the COVID-19 navel coronavirus pandemic.\r\n\r\n“Truthfully, there is no difference between age groups for me,” Stanley said Monday night. “I approach every meet with the same goals and expectations of myself – to lift as much as I can. That’s as much as what anyone should expect out of the sport.”\r\n\r\nStanley lifted 140 kg on his third attempt in the snatch, after successful lifts of 130 and 136, good for second. In the clean and jerk, he failed to lift 170 kg in his third attempt, which would have meant gold. His first two lifts were good for 155 and 163, also good for second.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nHis total of 303 brought home the bronze medal. Stanley was the only teenager among the top 20 lifters.\r\n\r\n“Eventually a point will come where your (personal records) become enough to medal, but at that point you’re already doing it for yourself and that’s the most satisfaction one can get,” Stanley said.\r\n\r\nStanley sprained his wrist in September, and it has taken a while to get back to the top of his game.\r\n\r\n“I went through physical therapy for about three months to get it back to a level where I could put weight overhead,” he said. “Once everything was fully healed, the weights kept climbing because Coach Ray(Jones)<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>had me strengthen my lower body the entire time I was recovering. I knew that some of my records had the potential to be broken at the next meet … but I never set a goal as to what I wanted to achieve at the meet specifically. I was glad to be back on the platform and had a pretty open mindset as to what weights I would attempt.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nStanley and Jones never go into a meet with a particular number in mind.\r\n\r\n“My coach always calls the weights based on what my warm-ups look like, not a preset number,” Stanley said. “I let him worry about my goals and logistics, while I just do the lifts.”\r\n\r\nStanley said he is trying to make as many teams as possible, and that is my main focus, competition-wise.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“I’m in the top-10 rankings to be selected for the 2020 Junior Pan American Championships,” he said. “If I make the team, that will be my next competition.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhile Stanley seems to have things under control in the weightlifting department, that doesn’t mean his hands aren’t full. The Beaufort High School student is in the process of deciding where he wants to go to college.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“I am focused on school and my future. College admissions has definitely been more stressful than lifting because I enjoy what I do very much.”\r\n\r\nHe has applied to and been accepted by Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and College of Charleston, so far.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“I’ve been accepted into all three, but the issue is deciding where to go,” he said. “My family and I have always been Gamecock fans, but I’m favoring Clemson at this point.\r\n\r\n“Only thing left now is to find out which one I like more.”\r\n\r\n<em>Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News. He can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.</em>', 'Stanley back with a bang', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'stanley-back-with-a-bang', '', '', '2020-03-19 12:59:50', '2020-03-19 16:59:50', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43818', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43821, 4, '2020-03-19 15:44:30', '2020-03-19 19:44:30', '<div class=\"gmail_default\">\r\n\r\nAt 4:30 p.m. today, Thursday, March 19, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is holding a press conference on coronavirus (COVID-19). Beaufort County\'s <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMTkuMTkwMDI4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2JlYXVmb3J0Y291bnR5c2MuZ292Lz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.VEGwbOgdIfVgHk7IdWM8NeHFbtCIKVb7LrH8utY-Hxk/br/76356147611-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The County Channel</a> will carry the press conference live. It will also be shown on <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMTkuMTkwMDI4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zY2V0di5vcmcvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.RxNNNGIxDdXQXT1d1RnnR_1JiwZws-nwhDPXfoT77gs/br/76356147611-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://www.scetv.org/</a>.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County will carry the press conference live on <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMTkuMTkwMDI4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2JlYXVmb3J0Y291bnR5c2MuZ292L3RoZS1jb3VudHktY2hhbm5lbC8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.kL7oUeeIaM8Fgcitl5FNquNZOZLlkT5cpWfQ315_42w/br/76356147611-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The County Channel</a> as well as Comcast Ch. 2, Hargray Chs. 9 and 113, and Spectrum Ch. 1304. It will also be shown on <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMTkuMTkwMDI4NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zY2V0di5vcmcvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.KrZZTZRCHUEQFGGnvmHoT4gxy8ElpEhLW_CgqYuUN6k/br/76356147611-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.scetv.org</a>.\r\n\r\n<b></b><i></i><u></u></div>\r\n<div class=\"gmail_default\">&nbsp;</div>', 'Gov. McMaster to address media at 4:30 p.m. Thursday', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'gov-mcmaster-to-address-media-at-430-p-m-thursday', '', '', '2020-03-19 15:44:30', '2020-03-19 19:44:30', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43821', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43823, 4, '2020-03-20 07:19:35', '2020-03-20 11:19:35', '', 'HearthPizza-Curbside', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hearthpizza-curbside', '', '', '2020-03-20 07:19:35', '2020-03-20 11:19:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HearthPizza-Curbside.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(43824, 4, '2020-03-20 10:11:29', '2020-03-20 14:11:29', 'By Mindy Lucas and Mike McCombs\r\n\r\nAs the Lowcountry continues to brace for the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus on businesses, schools and organizations as well as personal health, DHEC announced additional cases both around the state and in Beaufort this week.\r\n\r\nSouth Carolina now has 81 cases in 17 counties, said the state’s epidemiologist, Dr. Linda Bell, at Gov. Henry McMaster’s press conference on Thursday, March 19. For a breakdown of where those cases are, visit DHEC’s&nbsp;<a href=\"https://scdhec.gov/monitoring-testing-covid-19\">COVID-19 county map</a>.\r\n\r\nHere in Beaufort County, positive cases now total 7.\r\n\r\nThe four Beaufort Memorial Hospital employees who self-quarantined after coming into contact with potentially infected patients tested negative for the coronavirus, however, said BMH spokesperson Courtney McDermott.\r\n\r\nAlso around Beaufort:\r\n\r\n<strong>MCRD Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort</strong>\r\n\r\nMost employees of MCCS – Marine Corps Community Services – will not return to work Friday on MCRD Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort, and they will be allowed to telework for an indefinite period of time.\r\n\r\nMCCS, according to its website, is a “comprehensive set of programs that support and enhance the operational readiness, war fighting capabilities, and life quality of Marines, their families, retirees and civilians.”\r\n\r\nMCCS employees at Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort handle such tasks as employment, education and transition assistance; fitness and recreation; deployment support and family team building; child care and youth activities; prevention, counseling and victim support; golf courses; dining and entertainment; and shopping.&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Sheriff’s Office</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner and members of the county’s emergency management team stood the recommended six-feet apart from each other at a Thursday afternoon press conference, noting that they too were practicing social distancing.\r\n\r\nTanner underscored the importance of residents to take up the practice and stay at home when possible.\r\n\r\nHe also noted that the McMaster’s recent order for restaurants and bars to close all dine-in service came with a “law enforcement component” and his office intended to enforce it.\r\n\r\nSome restaurants on Wednesday, had continued to remain open after the Tuesday order, or had continued to offer outdoor dining. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office had visited those businesses, issued a warning summons and explained that if they continued to remain open or provide on-site dining, they would be ticketed, he said.\r\n\r\n<strong>Cruise Ships in Beaufort</strong>\r\n\r\nAs previously reported in <a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/cruise-line-cancels-weekend-cruises-to-beaufort/\">The Island News</a>, American Cruise Lines, had cancelled cruises that were to stop in Beaufort last weekend.\r\n\r\nSince then, the cruise lines have suspended all cruise operations for the time being, according to company spokesperson Alexa Paolella.\r\n\r\nA cruise ship that could be seen tied-up near the downtown marina has received a lot of concern on social media.\r\n\r\nThat ship, operating with only a minimal staff, does not have any passengers on board. The city and Safe Harbor, the company that manages the marina, gave the ship permission to tie up between stops.\r\n\r\n<strong>County Government</strong>\r\n\r\nIn addition to strongly encouraging the public to limit their visits to county buildings, unless they have an urgent matter, the county is also closing its regular Monday night county council meeting to the public.\r\n\r\nResidents can watch the meeting, at 6 p.m., Monday, March 23, on the county’s Facebook page or on the County Channel. Residents with a comment can email statements to&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:sbrock@bcgov.net\">sbrock@bcgov.net</a>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Colleges and Universities</strong>\r\n\r\nAt his Thursday press conference, McMaster ordered all non-essential state employees work from home. Each state agency’s director is to make the determination who is essential.\r\n\r\nIn addition, he asked that all colleges, universities and technical colleges have their non-essential employees begin working from home, adding that it was up to the presidents of those institutions to determine who is essential and that all college students would be continuing with online education.\r\n\r\n<strong>Service Industry</strong>\r\n\r\nThose in the service industry that have been laid off or impacted by the shut down, would be receiving unemployment assistance quicker than normal, said Dan Ellzey, Executive Director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, at the Governor’s Thursday press conference.\r\n\r\nChecks that normally take two weeks when an applicant first applies for assistance, will now receive their checks in a week’s time under the Governor’s latest executive order, Ellzey said. If it is an employer-filed claim it may take only three days.\r\n\r\nIn addition, problems with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://dew.sc.gov/\">state’s unemployment website</a>&nbsp;that many experienced earlier in the week, have been worked out after the agency added additional capacity and the system is running fine now, he said.\r\n\r\n<strong>Beaufort Memorial Hospital</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Hospital is now offering free online provider visits “24/7 for patients with symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath,” according to a release issued by the hospital on Thursday.\r\n\r\nThe free video visits are available until further notice to those who qualify, though restrictions may apply.\r\n\r\nA patient can use a smart phone, tablet or computer to set up a BMH Care Anywhere account, select the “COVID-19 Visits” option, then see a board-certified provider and start a visit. The provider will review intake information, then connect with the patient to discuss symptoms and treatment options, the release stated.\r\n\r\nPatients will need a credit or debit card to begin their visit and will see an authorization hold of $59 placed on their account. At the end of the visit, the provider will waive the fee for patients with respiratory symptoms and the authorization hold will be immediately lifted. The length of time to clear the charge from billing statements varies by bank or credit card company.\r\n\r\nIn cases where COVID-19 is suspected, patients will be directed to a Beaufort Memorial Express Care location for additional screening to determine if they meet the criteria for COVID-19 testing.&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition and to help reduce the spread of infectious illness in the Lowcountry, Walk-In Care kiosks at Publix pharmacies in Beaufort and Bluffton have been closed.\r\n\r\nFor more information about BMH Care Anywhere visit&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.bmhcareanywhere.org/\">www.BMHCareAnywhere.org</a>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Taste of Beaufort</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce canceled the annual Taste of Beaufort festival scheduled for May 1-2 in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.\r\n\r\n“Under the current circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in compliance with CDC guidelines, we are unable to move forward with plans for this much anticipated event,” the Chamber’s statement read. “The safety and well-being of our guests is of utmost importance, and the uncertainty of our current situation leaves us no choice but to abandon our plans to host the festival.\r\n\r\n“While we don’t know exactly when, we look forward to better days ahead and we’ll be working hard to give Beaufort the biggest and best Shrimp Festival ever in October! Thank you for your understanding, and please stay safe and healthy!”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>', 'Coronavirus Update: Confirmed Beaufort County cases reach 7 and other updates', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-confirmed-beaufort-county-cases-reach-7-and-other-updates', '', '', '2020-03-20 10:17:11', '2020-03-20 14:17:11', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43824', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43829, 4, '2020-03-20 17:15:10', '2020-03-20 21:15:10', '<h2><b>Statewide case total reaches 125</b></h2>\r\n<b>&nbsp;</b><b>By MIKE McCOMBS</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Friday afternoon there are 45 additional cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in the state – including one in Beaufort County – bringing the total number to 125 cases statewide and eight in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nAmong the Beaufort County cases, a U.S. Marine assigned to a command stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort tested positive for COVID-19 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital on March 17 after returning from leave in California, according the MCAS Beaufort spokesperson 1<sup>st</sup> Lt. Kevin Buss.\r\n\r\nAccording to Buss, the Marine is in isolation at their residence and will receive follow-on medical assessment.&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn an email, Buss said, “MCAS Beaufort leadership and local Public Health Emergency Officials are taking the necessary precautions to prevent a potential outbreak.\r\n\r\n“MCAS Beaufort is committed to protecting the health of our communities. We will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with U.S. health agencies and to preserve the wellness of our service members and families.”\r\n\r\nAccording to Buss, no additional precautions were required due to this case. The Marine did not come aboard MCAS Beaufort between returning from leave and being placed into isolation.\r\n\r\nBuss said, however, there is another Marine awaiting test results, and he/she is currently quarantined off base.', 'Coronavirus update: Beaufort County up to 8 confirmed cases including Marine at MCAS Beaufort', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-beaufort-county-up-to-8-confirmed-cases-including-marine-at-mcas-beaufort', '', '', '2020-03-20 17:15:10', '2020-03-20 21:15:10', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43829', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43831, 4, '2020-03-21 21:06:10', '2020-03-22 01:06:10', '<b>By MIKE McCOMBS</b>\r\n\r\nThe number of confirmed COVID-19 novel coronavirus cases in Beaufort County has reached 12 after four additional cases were reported by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Saturday.\r\n\r\nDHEC is investigating 46 additional cases statewide, bringing the total number to 173 cases in 30 counties.\r\n\r\n“We can all take steps every day to help limit the spread of this virus,” <strong>DHEC physician and medical consultant Dr. Michael Kacka </strong><strong>said in a news release</strong>. “As the number of positive cases throughout the state is expected to increase, we’re continuing to focus our efforts on preventing spread of the disease with special attention to those who are most high-risk for contracting the virus.”\r\n\r\nDHEC reported the state’s second and third deaths related to COVID-19 novel coronavirus on Friday, bringing the state’s total to three\r\n\r\n“Sadly, our state has suffered the loss of two of our own,” State <strong>Epidemiologist </strong><strong>Dr. Linda Bell </strong><strong>said in a news release. </strong>“In the case of both deaths, the patients had recently been reported to have been diagnosed with COVID-19. On behalf of all South Carolinians, we want to express our deepest sympathy for the families and loved ones of these two individuals.”\r\n\r\nBoth patients were elderly. One patient, from Florence County, had an underlying health condition. The other, from Charleston County, had an underlying health condition and was a resident of Harmony Assisted Living Facility.\r\n\r\nDHEC is working with the facility to identify all contacts and is providing guidance about infection control measures to prevent spread.\r\n\r\n“It is never easy to have to report on the deaths of fellow members of our community,” <strong>Bell said. </strong>“We must continue to do all that we can to protect ourselves and those around us from illness by taking precautions to limit the spread of germs. This is especially important for those at higher risk, like the elderly and people with serious underlying health conditions.”\r\n<h4><b>Gov. McMaster takes Saturday action</b></h4>\r\nGovernor Henry McMaster took several actions today to enhance the state’s response to COVID-19’s continued impact to South Carolina. He stopped short, however, of mandating “shelter-in-place.”\r\n\r\n“Team South Carolina is constantly reviewing the COVID 19 situation, and all plans and contingencies to contain this virus remain on the table,” McMaster said in a release. “That includes \"shelter-in-place,\" a drastic action that other states with larger population centers have taken. It is my hope that this will not be necessary here, and I believe it to be much less likely, as long as South Carolinians follow official instructions and take recommended precautions now.”\r\n\r\nMcMasters actions Saturday include:\r\n\r\n– Asking construction contractors and others in the skilled trade industry to donate whatever personal protective equipment they can spare to healthcare professionals and state agencies in the greatest need, including respirator masks commonly used in construction settings. To make donations, contact Mary Louise Resch of Habitat for Humanity for logistical coordination via email at <a href=\"mailto:mlresch@habitatsc.org\">mlresch@habitatsc.org</a>.\r\n\r\n– Issuing <a href=\"https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=26955768&amp;msgid=222320&amp;act=XGND&amp;c=1561287&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.sc.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FDocuments%2FExecutive-Orders%2F2020-03-21%2520eFILED%2520Executive%2520Order%2520No.%25202020-12%2520-%2520Regulatory%2520Flexibility%2520to%2520Facilitate%2520Social%2520Distancing.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Executive Order 2020-12</a>, which directs the Department of Revenue to waive additional regulations in order to allow restaurants to include sealed containers of beer and wine for curbside pickup or “to-go” orders only. This waiver does not authorize or apply to open containers or delivery services.\r\n\r\n– Directing the Department of Revenue to conform the state’s income tax deadline to July 15, which is the new federal income tax deadline. Other state taxes will remain delayed until June 1, as previously ordered.\r\n<h4><b>Beaufort Memorial cancels all elective surgeries</b></h4>\r\nBeaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH) has canceled all non-urgent, elective surgeries at its main hospital and outpatient surgery center.\r\n\r\nThe decision was made to protect patients and staff from unnecessary exposure and risk, while conserving beds, supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to care for patients in the hospital. The hospital will continue to provide surgical services to both urgent and emergent patients, including those deemed medically necessary for a patient’s health and long-term well being.\r\n\r\n“We have been working closely with our surgeons and surgical teams to develop a plan that both protects patients and staff and ensures that people who need care now receive it,” BMH President and CEO Russell Baxley said in a release.\r\n<h4><b>Hilton Head Island closes beaches</b></h4>\r\nThe Town of Hilton Head Island’s public beaches will be closed until further notice. All of the town\'s public beach parking areas, to include restrooms and other public facilities, were closed effective Saturday. According to the town’s release, this condition will remain in effect for a period of 60 days or unless rescinded sooner, based upon appropriate conditions.', 'Coronavirus update: Beaufort County up to 12 confirmed cases; state jumps to 173', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-beaufort-county-up-to-12-confirmed-cases-state-jumps-to-173', '', '', '2020-03-21 21:07:00', '2020-03-22 01:07:00', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43831', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43837, 4, '2020-03-22 21:48:09', '2020-03-23 01:48:09', '<h2><b>County closes offices; BCSD combines free lunch, breakfast pickups</b></h2>\r\n<b>\r\nStaff reports</b>\r\n\r\nTwo more confirmed cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus brings the total in Beaufort County to 14 as of Sunday afternoon, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).\r\n\r\nStatewide, DHEC is investigating 22 additional cases, bringing the total number statewide to 195 cases in 33 counties.\r\n\r\n“We recognize the hardships that are facing many South Carolinians as we continue to respond to this ongoing public health event,” DHEC physician Dr. Brannon Traxler said in a news release. “We encourage the public to focus on things that each of us can do to limit the spread of illness by washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, and practicing social distancing.”\r\n\r\nThe total number of confirmed cases nationwide surpassed 30,000, according to NPR and the New York Times. There have been more than 400 deaths nationwide, three in South Carolina.\r\n<h4><b>Beaufort County closes all buildings</b></h4>\r\nBeginning Monday, March 23, all Beaufort County buildings will be closed to the public until further notice to protect the health of citizens, visitors, and employees, and minimize opportunities to spread COVID-19 in the community.\r\n\r\nMany services by the Assessor, Auditor, Business License, Planning and Zoning, Treasurer, and other County offices are accessible online, by phone, fax, or through the mail. Visit the County website at <a href=\"http://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.beaufortcountysc.gov</a> and select “Government” for a department listing.\r\n\r\nAlso, there will be bins outside of the County Administration Building (Robert Smalls Complex, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort) for citizens to drop off and pick up paperwork such as business license applications, permit applications, and plans for review. The County will invoice for any associated fees for submission that normally require immediate payment. Please do not deposit cash or checks in these bins, which will be monitored and emptied daily so that all paperwork can be processed accordingly.\r\nAll Convenience Centers remain open according to their regular operating schedules for now. Emergency and public safety services remain available as usual.\r\n\r\nFor questions regarding operations of State agencies operating from Beaufort County buildings, please contact those agencies directly.\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control –</b> <a href=\"https://www.scdhec.gov/health/health-public-health-clinics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://www.scdhec.gov/health/health-public-health-clinics</a>\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice –</b> <a href=\"https://djj.sc.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://djj.sc.gov/</a>\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. Department of Social Services –</b> <a href=\"https://dss.sc.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://dss.sc.gov/</a>\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. Healthy Connections –</b> <a href=\"https://www.scdhhs.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://www.scdhhs.gov/</a>\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. Probation, Parole &amp; Pardon Services –</b> <a href=\"https://www.dppps.sc.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://www.dppps.sc.gov/</a>\r\n<h4>\r\n<b>Beaufort Memorial Hospital adjusts visitor policy</b></h4>\r\nEffective Monday, March 23, all Beaufort Memorial Hospital and outpatient clinic waiting rooms will be closed to visitors. Caregivers will be asked to wait in their cars pending notification that the patient is ready to leave.\r\n\r\nIn addition to travel and symptoms, patient temperatures will be screened at all Beaufort Memorial locations.\r\n\r\nSeveral new measures to protect patients, staff and community members had already been implemented:\r\n\r\n– Hospital visitor hours end at 5 p.m.\r\n\r\n– Online Check-In for the Emergency Center is suspended. Patients who need emergency care should call 9-1-1 or proceed immediately to the nearest ER.\r\n\r\n– Beaufort Memorial Express Care &amp; Occupational Health waiting areas will be closed. Patients visiting the Beaufort and Bluffton Express Care locations will be asked to check in at the desk and return to their vehicle to wait to be seen by a provider. No visitors will be allowed into the clinics.\r\n\r\n– Visitors will not be permitted in the hospital, except under the following specific circumstances: Labor and Delivery – One designated visitor per patient; Pediatric Unit – One designated visitor per patient; Patients requiring assistance and end-of-life care will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.\r\n\r\nFor information and updates about Beaufort Memorial, visit <a href=\"http://www.beaufortmemorial.org/#_blank\">www.beaufortmemorial.org</a>, call 843-522-5560 for recorded updates and access to staff, or email questions to <a href=\"mailto:healthupdates@bmhsc.org\">healthupdates@bmhsc.org</a>.\r\n<h4>\r\n<b>Beaufort County School District </b><b>revises free student meal distribution</b></h4>\r\nFollowing an initial week that saw more than 17,000 free student meals distributed county-wide, the Beaufort County School District today announced plans to consolidate breakfast and lunch pick-ups during the coronavirus-related school shut-down.\r\n\r\nStarting Monday, March 23, any child younger than 18 can get two free meals – a breakfast and a lunch – each weekday using a single trip. The free meals can be picked up from 9 a.m. until noon at 12 sites scattered through Beaufort County as well as through a network of 20-minute school bus stops.\r\n\r\nThe revised schedule of bus stops has been posted on the school district’s website (<a href=\"https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3A%2F%2Fbeaufortschools.net&amp;c=E,1,rof9E5vplvTtYf86T3NE604aMqIFhww32hgFke_w8M1Aq4-foh-nLuKNg9gVcJHyCExmKonTCclNnwvuUfpFrrjDbK-O0HhZsS7-I9vFE1mk6sCYu1ytJA,,&amp;typo=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beaufortschools.net</a>) and social media platforms.\r\n\r\n“This new procedure will make meal pick-ups safer and more convenient,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release. “Parents and students will have to make only one trip per day instead of two, and they also will shorten the amount of time they’re exposed to possible illness.”\r\n\r\nMeals are prepared and transported to 12 sites across the county: Battery Creek High, Beaufort High, Beaufort Middle, Bluffton High, Hilton Head Island High, James J. Davis Early Childhood Center, Okatie Elementary, Red Cedar Elementary, St. Helena Elementary, Whale Branch Early College High, Whale Branch Middle School and the Port Royal YMCA.\r\n\r\nDrive-through meal pick-ups will now be available in the bus rider drop-offs at each location each weekday from 9 a.m. until noon. Students must be present at the time of pick up, and all food will be “grab-and-go,” with no food consumed on site.\r\n\r\nThe revised procedures are designed to maintain safe physical distances between parents, students, food service workers and bus drivers.', 'Coronavirus update: Confirmed cases reach 14 in Beaufort County, 195 in SC', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-confirmed-cases-reach-14-in-beaufort-county-195-in-sc', '', '', '2020-03-22 21:48:09', '2020-03-23 01:48:09', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43837', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43839, 4, '2020-03-23 16:40:28', '2020-03-23 20:40:28', '<b>S</b><b>taff reports</b><b></b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today is reporting the state’s fourth and fifth deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This brings the state’s total number of deaths to five.\r\n\r\n“We unfortunately have to announce that our state has suffered two more losses related to COVID-19,” <strong>State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a release</strong>. “On behalf of all South Carolinians, we express our deepest sympathy for the families, friends and loved ones of these individuals. We also share gratitude to the medical workers who cared for these individuals to the best of their ability as we all face this new disease together.”\r\n\r\nOne patient was an elderly person from Clarendon County, who had underlying health conditions. The second patient was an elderly person from Kershaw County who also had underlying health conditions.\r\n\r\n“We must continue to do all we can to protect ourselves and those around us, especially those at higher-risk for developing severe illness from the virus,” <strong>Bell said</strong>. “Based on our data as well as the data shared by other states and other countries, we, in South Carolina, should expect to see the number of positive cases continue to increase. This disease is here, it’s in our communities, and we all have a part to play in helping to stop the spread of it.”', 'Coronavirus update: Two more SC patients die, bringing total to 5', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-two-more-sc-patients-die-bringing-total-to-5', '', '', '2020-03-23 16:40:28', '2020-03-23 20:40:28', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43839', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43841, 4, '2020-03-23 17:07:16', '2020-03-23 21:07:16', '<b>S</b><b>taff reports</b><b></b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today is reporting the state’s fourth and fifth deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This brings the state’s total number of deaths to five.\r\n\r\n“We unfortunately have to announce that our state has suffered two more losses related to COVID-19,” <strong>State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a release</strong>. “On behalf of all South Carolinians, we express our deepest sympathy for the families, friends and loved ones of these individuals. We also share gratitude to the medical workers who cared for these individuals to the best of their ability as we all face this new disease together.”\r\n\r\nDHEC announced an additional 103 cases statewide, including seven in Beaufort County, bringing the totals to 298 statewide and 21 in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nToday’s reported cases included two days’ worth of DHEC Public Health Laboratory testing. Due to a shipment delay, according to DHEC, Sunday’s results were run later than usual and received after the 4 p.m. update deadline.\r\n\r\nOne patient was an elderly person from Clarendon County, who had underlying health conditions. The second patient was an elderly person from Kershaw County who also had underlying health conditions.\r\n\r\n“We must continue to do all we can to protect ourselves and those around us, especially those at higher-risk for developing severe illness from the virus,” <strong>Bell said</strong>. “Based on our data as well as the data shared by other states and other countries, we, in South Carolina, should expect to see the number of positive cases continue to increase. This disease is here, it’s in our communities, and we all have a part to play in helping to stop the spread of it.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Coronavirus update: Two more SC patients die, bringing total to 5;  7 more Beaufort County cases bring total to 21; state at 298', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-two-more-sc-patients-die-bringing-total-to-5-7-more-beaufort-county-cases-bring-total-to-21-state-at-298', '', '', '2020-03-23 17:07:31', '2020-03-23 21:07:31', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43841', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43844, 4, '2020-03-24 16:09:56', '2020-03-24 20:09:56', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\nTwo Marines stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island have tested positive for COVID-19 novel coronavirus, according to Capt. Bryan McDonnell, Communications Strategy and Operations Director for MCRD Parris Island.\r\n\r\nAccording to&nbsp;an email from McDonnell, the Marines tested positive last week. Already in quarantine when they were notified, they remain in isolation at their residences, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.\r\n\r\nThe Marines followed official guidance by reporting to a medical provider upon showing symptoms and were quickly screened and immediately isolated, McDonnell said.\r\n\r\nBoth Marines work in offices independent and separate from recruit training locations, McDonnell said, and there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among drill instructors or recruits at this time.&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe command conducted a deliberate and thorough contact investigation in accordance with the precautionary measures outlined in service-level, Department of Defense and CDC guidance to protect the community. Personnel with whom the service members identified as being in close contact were quickly notified, and as directed by health professionals, are in self-quarantine and will receive follow-on medical assessment, McDonnell said.\r\n\r\nAll work spaces of involved personnel were also thoroughly decontaminated.\r\n\r\nMcDonnell also said that, like the rest of the community, MCRD Parris Island has individuals pursuing tests and those who are in self-quarantine following travel.', 'Coronavirus update: 2 MCRD Parris Island Marines test positive', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-2-mcrd-parris-island-marines-test-positive', '', '', '2020-03-24 16:11:35', '2020-03-24 20:11:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43844', 0, 'post', '', 0),
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(43847, 4, '2020-03-25 14:06:28', '2020-03-25 18:06:28', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nWhat follows is a roundup of notable happenings related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak since the last print publication of The Island News.\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Memorial Hospital adjusts<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>visitor policy</b>\r\n\r\nAll Beaufort Memorial Hospital and outpatient clinic waiting rooms are now closed to visitors. Caregivers will be asked to wait in their cars pending notification that the patient is ready to leave.\r\n\r\nIn addition to travel and symptoms, patient temperatures will be screened at all Beaufort Memorial locations.\r\n\r\nSeveral new measures to protect patients, staff and community members had already been implemented:\r\n\r\nHospital visitor hours end at 5 p.m.\r\n\r\nOnline Check-In for the Emergency Center is suspended. Patients who need emergency care should call 9-1-1 or proceed immediately to the nearest ER.\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Express Care &amp; Occupational Health waiting areas will be closed. Patients visiting the Beaufort and Bluffton Express Care locations will be asked to check in at the desk and return to their vehicle to wait to be seen by a provider. No visitors will be allowed into the clinics.\r\n\r\nVisitors will not be permitted in the hospital, except under the following specific circumstances: Labor and Delivery – One designated visitor per patient; Pediatric Unit – One designated visitor per patient; Patients requiring assistance and end-of-life care will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.\r\n\r\nFor information and updates about Beaufort Memorial, visit www.beaufortmemorial.org, call 843-522-5560 for recorded updates and access to staff, or email questions to healthupdates@bmhsc.org.\r\n\r\n<b>BMH cancels all elective surgeries</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH) has canceled all non-urgent, elective surgeries at its main hospital and outpatient surgery center.\r\n\r\nThe decision was made to protect patients and staff from unnecessary exposure and risk, while conserving beds, supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to care for patients in the hospital.\r\n\r\n<b>McMasters takes action</b>\r\n\r\nS.C. Governor Henry McMasters issued some executive orders on Saturday, March 21:\r\n\r\n– He asked construction contractors and others in the skilled trade industry to donate whatever personal protective equipment they can spare to healthcare professionals and state agencies in the greatest need, including respirator masks commonly used in construction settings. To make donations, contact Mary Louise Resch of Habitat for Humanity for logistical coordination via email at mlresch@habitatsc.org.\r\n\r\nHe issued Executive Order 2020-12, which directs the Department of Revenue to waive additional regulations in order to allow restaurants to include sealed containers of beer and wine for curbside pickup or “to-go” orders only. This waiver does not authorize or apply to open containers or delivery services.\r\n\r\nHe directed the Department of Revenue to conform the state’s income tax deadline to July 15, which is the new federal income tax deadline. Other state taxes will remain delayed until June 1, as previously ordered.\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>closes all buildings</b>\r\n\r\nAll Beaufort County buildings will be closed to the public until further notice to protect the health of citizens, visitors, and employees, and minimize opportunities to spread COVID-19 in the community.\r\n\r\nMany services by the Assessor, Auditor, Business License, Planning and Zoning, Treasurer, and other County offices are accessible online, by phone, fax, or through the mail. Visit the County website at www.beaufortcountysc.gov and select “Government” for a department listing.\r\n\r\nAll Convenience Centers remain open according to their regular operating schedules for now. Emergency and public safety services remain available as usual.\r\n\r\n<b>Hilton Head Island closes beaches</b>\r\n\r\nThe Town of Hilton Head Island’s public beaches are closed until further notice. All of the town\'s public beach parking areas, to include restrooms and other public facilities, are closed. This condition will remain in effect for a period of 60 days or unless rescinded sooner, based upon appropriate conditions.\r\n\r\n<b>Soft Shell Crab Festival canceled</b>\r\n\r\nThe Old Village Association, keeping the safety and well-being of Port Royal’s visitors, vendors, sponsors and volunteers its top priority, made the decision to cancel the Soft Shell Crab Festival scheduled for April 18.\r\n\r\nThose who sent sponsorship or vendor money will be contacted individually about refunds.\r\n\r\n<b>Taste of Beaufort</b>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce canceled the annual Taste of Beaufort festival scheduled for May 1-2 in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.\r\n\r\n“Under the current circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in compliance with CDC guidelines, we are unable to move forward with plans for this much anticipated event,” the Chamber’s statement read. “The safety and well-being of our guests is of utmost importance, and the uncertainty of our current situation leaves us no choice but to abandon our plans to host the festival.\r\n\r\n<b>Croquet fundraiser canceled</b>\r\n\r\nAMIkids Beaufort is canceling its annual croquet picnic fundraiser at Brays Island for the first time in 29 years.\r\n\r\nThe event, held the first weekend of May, typically raises more than $100,000 of much-needed funds for the non-profit residential education and treatment program for boys who made bad choices and ended up in the court system.\r\n\r\n<b>Highway 21<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Drive-in to open,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>allow outside food</b>\r\n\r\nThe Highway 21 Drive-In will show movies beginning Friday, March 27 through Thursday, April 2 (closed Monday, March 30). Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. Management asks patrons to arrive early on Friday and Saturday nights.\r\n\r\nThe drive-in normally does not allow customers to bring in outside food. At this time, they are permitting those visiting the drive in to bring in snacks and encouraging them to patronize a local restaurant that is now offering curbside pick-up or to go meals. This will be a temporary measure until things get back to normal. In order to do this, management will be asking for a $5 donation per car to help with expenses, which will also be temporary.\r\n\r\n<b>YMCA closes</b>\r\n\r\nThe YMCA will be closed through at least Sunday, April 5. The plan is to reopen Monday, April 6 at 7 a.m. Management will evaluate and determine whether conditions allow them to reopen. This information will be distributed via email, on the website, and through social media.\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Memorial Hospital</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Hospital is now offering free online provider visits “24/7 for patients with symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath,” according to a release issued by the hospital on Thursday.\r\n\r\nThe free video visits are available until further notice to those who qualify, though restrictions may apply. For more information about BMH Care Anywhere visit www.BMHCareAnywhere.org.', 'Coronavirus roundup: Beaufort Memorial has new visitors’ policy', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-roundup-beaufort-memorial-has-new-visitors-policy', '', '', '2020-03-25 14:06:28', '2020-03-25 18:06:28', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43847', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43849, 4, '2020-03-25 14:08:06', '2020-03-25 18:08:06', '<h2><b>Confirmed cases rise to 22 in Beaufort County, 342 in state; death toll remains at 5</b></h2>\r\n<h4><b>By Mike McCombs</b></h4>\r\nAs the number of confirmed COVID-19 novel coronavirus cases in South Carolina continues to rise, Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday released a joint statement with S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announcing that schools would remain closed through the month of April.\r\n\r\n“At this time, students, parents, and families should plan for South Carolina’s schools to remain closed through the month of April. Our dedicated teachers and school administrators have done a tremendous job in making it possible for our students to learn at home,” the statement read. “We understand that the prospect of schools remaining closed for an extended period of time places stress and strain on parents and children. Rest assured, if there is any way to safely open our schools earlier, we will do that, but schools must remain closed to protect the health and safety of South Carolinians.”\r\n\r\nJust as his original March 15 order, this order too applies to public universities colleges and technical colleges. The Governor encourages those institutions to continue teaching through virtual learning.\r\n\r\nS.C. DHEC announce 44 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the state total to 342. In Beaufort County, there are 22 confirmed cases after one more person tested positive Monday.\r\n\r\nSouth Carolina’s death toll remains at 5.\r\n\r\nOn Monday, McMaster re-affirmed law enforcement’s right and responsibility to “do whatever may be deemed necessary to maintain peace and good order during the State of Emergency.”\r\n\r\nThe Governor reiterated law enforcement officials’ ability to shut down any congregation or gathering of “people, unless authorized or in their homes, in groups of three or more people” that in their discretion, poses, or could pose, a threat to public health.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; &nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMcMaster’s decision to get tougher on citizens not practicing “social distancing” may have grown out of weekend events in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\n“This weekend, we saw large crowds gathered on beaches, on sandbars, and in parking lots,” McMaster said in his Monday address. “We are facing a dangerous and deadly enemy and this type of behavior is both irresponsible and selfish. Law enforcement asked for clarification as to how this existing law applies during this state of emergency. I have included it in an executive order to make it clear that law enforcement has the ability to disperse groups of people who pose a risk to the public\'s safety and to the safety of others.”\r\n\r\nThrongs of people were enjoying themselves on the sandbar in the Beaufort River on Saturday, while hundreds were sunning and relaxing on the beach at Hunting Island.\r\n\r\n“Unfortunately, because people did not show restraint,” City of Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said in his weekly email newsletter, “we have been forced to reach out to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the Governor’s office seeking enforcement of the social distancing order.”\r\n\r\nMcMaster, upset like Keyserling, responded swiftly.\r\n\r\n\"It does not apply to private businesses nor to responsible South Carolinians continuing to make the best out of this situation,” he said. “And as I said, this is not a shelter-in-place order but another measure aimed at containing the virus by controlling crowds, so that we do not have to shelter in place.”', 'Governor keeps schools closed through April', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'governor-keeps-schools-closed-through-april', '', '', '2020-03-25 14:08:06', '2020-03-25 18:08:06', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43849', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43851, 4, '2020-03-25 14:16:10', '2020-03-25 18:16:10', '<h4><b>Restaurants and bars impacted by shutdown adapt, hold on, pray they can get through crisis\r\n</b><b style=\"font-size: 16px;\"></b></h4>\r\n<b style=\"font-size: 16px;\">By MINDY LUCAS</b>\r\n\r\nIt came like a thunderclap on a clear, blue-sky day.\r\n\r\nAt 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, as those in the restaurant and bar business were preparing for the dinner shift or happy hour, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster ordered all bars and restaurants to close their in-house dining services to combat the coronavirus outbreak.\r\n\r\nAnd the closures were to begin the next day.\r\n\r\n“It was a big hit,” said Jennifer Mader, who manages Hearth Wood Fire Pizza, along with Plums and Saltus River Grill in Beaufort. “We’re all feeling hit.”\r\n\r\nMader said while she had a feeling the order was coming, and had told her staff on Tuesday they were “gearing up,” it still didn’t make things any easier when it came.\r\n\r\n“It’s just, it’s hard,” she said struggling for words. The restaurant has scrambled to adjust to take-out and curbside service.\r\n\r\n“You don’t know what to expect. You just pray that you have what it takes to push through it and have the faith to get through this time,” she said.\r\n\r\nDown the street at Hemingway’s Bistro, owner Kanani Robinson said she was at the bar when she heard about the governor\'s order. One of Beaufort’s most popular bars for locals as well as tourists, Hemingway’s offers a regular lunch service but is known as a happy hour and late-night drink spot.\r\n\r\n“We were hoping we could do to-go food and take-out boxes and have not more than 10 people out on the patio,” she said.\r\n\r\nBut as she and others would soon learn, the mandate stated no onsite dining service – whether indoors or out. After Robinson realized it wouldn’t be financially feasible to stay open just for to-go orders, she made the hard decision to close the door on a place famous for never closing.\r\n\r\nAfter Irma flooded the bar in 2017, a photo taken of a still-opened “Hemis” went viral and was shared countless times after.\r\n\r\nThe photo – which captured the moment paddle boarders literally floated through the bar’s only door as regulars sat on bar stools nursing beers, seemingly oblivious to water lapping just inches below their feet – seemed to resonate for a town not used to folding in the face of adversity.\r\n\r\n“I still Google that picture,” Robinson said.\r\n<h4><b>The race to adapt</b></h4>\r\nWhile Tuesday’s order effectively shuttered restaurants to dine-in service, it did not prohibit take-out, curbside pickup or delivery options.\r\n\r\n“It is allowed and recommended,” McMaster said at the press conference, adding that “all of that be increased and enhanced wherever possible.”\r\n\r\nOn Tuesday night, as reality began to sink in on what the order meant, restaurant managers and owners across the Lowcountry began scrambling to adapt.\r\n\r\nBy Wednesday, March 18, parking spaces along Bay Street and adjacent blocks had been marked as designated curbside service spots. Drivers have 10 minutes to park and pickup or can wait in their cars for food to be brought out.\r\n\r\nAt Panini’s on the Waterfront, owner Paul Thompson has been working to get curbside pickup and delivery service going.\r\n\r\n“We’ve never done this so we’re just trying to get word out,” he said.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the new service, he was trying to keep his 38 employees busy and working.\r\n\r\n“But it’s very hard to find stuff and justify (that) when income is one-tenth of what it normally is,” he said on Thursday.\r\n\r\nEmployees, he said, were taking the changes and news about the coronavirus hard.\r\n\r\n“Obviously they are upset,” he said, adding that he’s encouraged his staff to go ahead and start the process of filing for unemployment insurance.\r\n\r\nHowever, for those who suddenly found themselves without a job, trying to log on to the state’s unemployment website proved difficult as reports of a slow or crashing system came in from across the state.\r\n\r\nDan Ellzey, Executive Director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, said at a press conference on Thursday, the agency had added additional capacity though many were still reporting having trouble with the system as of Monday.\r\n\r\nEllzey also said that those who were laid off or impacted by the shut down, would be receiving unemployment assistance quicker than normal.\r\n\r\nChecks that normally take two weeks when an applicant first applies for assistance, will now arrive in a week\'s time, Ellzey said. If it is an employer-filed claim it may take only three days.\r\n\r\nStill, as a new reality has set in for those trying to adapt to the closings, many more have realized pickup or delivery is not a viable option.\r\n\r\nAt Hearth where Mader was fielding calls for take out Thursday morning, she said it was the only restaurant of the three they could leave open.\r\n\r\n“We don’t have funds to do the other two,” she said.\r\n\r\nThe owners of Fishcamp on 11th Street in Port Royal also made the decision to shut down through at least March 30, said manager Tonya Murphy, and won’t be offering take-out or delivery.\r\n\r\nIn fact, Fish Camp on Broad Creek and the Old Oyster Factory on Hilton Head, which are also owned by Coastal Restaurants and Bars, have shut down through the end of the month, though the restaurant group has other eateries on Hilton Head that will remain open for take-out and delivery.\r\n\r\nMurphy said the restaurant was just trying to “wait it out like everyone else” and hopes to bring back the restaurant’s employees as soon as possible.\r\n\r\n“Our employees are super important to us,” she said, adding that the Port Royal eatery normally has about 50 to 60 employees working.\r\n\r\nOn Thursday, as she worked to finish things before closing, she was one of only six people in the mostly empty restaurant and all were doing their best to practice social distancing.\r\n\r\n“Hopefully this is only two weeks and then we can bring everyone back,” she said.\r\n<h4><b>In limbo</b></h4>\r\nMeanwhile, restaurants everywhere like Fishcamp and Hearth have had to lay off or send employees home with instructions to file for unemployment.\r\n\r\nBetween Hearth and the company’s other two restaurants, Mader said they’ve had to send about 150 employees home.\r\n\r\n“It was the hardest thing I have had to do in my life,” she said. “It’s sad. We’re just going to try and weather this out, but we want them to feel like they have a place to come home to when this is all over.”\r\n\r\nDown the street at Hemingway’s, Robinson echoed the sentiment saying the Hemingway’s staff are family.\r\n\r\nHaving just celebrated her one-year anniversary as the bar’s new owner, Robinson had started the first quarter of 2020 on a strong note.\r\n\r\n“We had a great year,” she said. “Sales were up.”\r\n\r\nAsked if she was anxious about the future, Robinson said they were all still getting used to being closed.\r\n\r\n“It’s more of a shock,” she said. “I mean we’re in f—ing limbo.”\r\n\r\nAfter talking about small business loans or help from the federal government, Robinson said her biggest worry was if the government would help small businesses like hers.\r\n\r\n“Or is it just going to be help for the big guys,” she said.\r\n<h4><b>In this together</b></h4>\r\nSince the governor’s mandate to close dine-in service, members of the community have sounded the rallying call.\r\n\r\nA Facebook page, Beaufort SC AREA Curbside, To-Go &amp; Delivery, has been created for restaurants and other businesses offering curb-side, to-go or delivery to post their services, menus and delivery specials.\r\n\r\nThe Southeast Entertainment Restaurant Group (SERG) launched a program to help raise funds for their affected employees. VIP Packages can be purchased for $250 each.\r\n\r\nThe packages include a $100 SERG gift card and a Community VIP card that will give cardholders a 25 percent employee discount at any SERG restaurant for up to four people and a 10 percent discount at the group’s takeout kitchen with unlimited use from the time of re-opening until March 31, 2021.\r\n\r\n“One hundred dollars of each sale will go directly to our employees during our forced business closure and will provide up to four weeks of financial support,” said Alan Wolf, SERG President and partner.\r\n\r\nIn addition, $50 of each sale will be split between Bluffton Self Help and Deep Well on Hilton Head Island. The group has set a goal of selling 10,000 of the packages to locals and visitors.\r\n\r\n“By reaching our goal $1 million will have been raised to directly benefit SERG team members in need of financial assistance and $500,000 will have been raised for the greater Lowcountry food and beverage workforce in grants administered by Bluffton Self Help and Deep Well,” Wolf said in a news release.\r\n\r\nThe City of Beaufort has also moved to lighten the load of business owners by waving all penalties and interest associated with renewing this year’s business licenses and has also waived all interests and penalties associated with hospitality and accommodations taxes for February, March and April.\r\n\r\nThe waivers will run through June 20, according to a news release issued by the city.\r\n\r\nBut the question remains, will it be enough?\r\n\r\nAsked what the public can do, most everyone responded order dinner. Get takeout. Try curbside pickup.\r\n\r\nAt Hearth, Mader said it was important to continue supporting small businesses.\r\n\r\nAs she and many others said, it’s not charity. Rather, it’s about holding on to businesses many residents and visitors alike have come to know and love, run by people who work and live here.\r\n\r\n“If you need soap, Natalie (at Bathe) has tons of soaps. If you need a sandwich, go drive through Alvin Ords,” Mader said. “I just want to see everyone come together and support small businesses right now.”\r\n\r\nOn Thursday morning, more than 24 hours after the executive order was signed, Mader was in the restaurant getting ready for her day.\r\n\r\n“I didn’t know what to expect with the to-go orders,” she said. Then suddenly, several came in at once. “That first little pop I got, that was a nice surprise.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<i>Above photo: Madelyn Feeney, manager at Hearth Wood Fire Pizza on Bay Street, gives a customer his order of pizza and chicken wings. Hearth offers curbside and drop-in service only. Feeney said the restaurant has consistently had about 75 meals ordered per day. Photo by Bob Sofaly.\r\n</i>\r\n\r\n<i>&nbsp;</i>\r\n<h2><b>&nbsp;</b></h2>', 'We’re all in this together', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'were-all-in-this-together', '', '', '2020-03-26 10:13:25', '2020-03-26 14:13:25', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43851', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43860, 4, '2020-03-25 14:19:47', '2020-03-25 18:19:47', '<h2><b>In wake of restaurant closures, other businesses also affected or fear they might be next</b></h2>\r\n<h4><b>By Mindy Lucas</b></h4>\r\nNan Sutton has had to get creative.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe Bay Street retailer who owns Lulu Burgess was looking for a way to showcase her store’s latest offerings – from stuffed Easter bunnies to colorful puzzles – and thought why not do a virtual tour.\r\n\r\n“I just thought, you know what, we’re going to have to adapt,” she said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nFor businesses like Sutton’s that normally rely on the personal touch or in-person experience, adapting seems to be the operative word.\r\n\r\nAdapting to less foot traffic. Adapting to social distancing. Adapting to uncertain economic times.\r\n\r\nSo Sutton, who is no stranger to social media, has begun shooting videos that detail her store’s merchandise.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nShe’s also offering to mail or ship purchases to customers or can take phone orders for those who see something they like in the videos and want to run by the store for a quick pick up – all done at a distance of course.\r\n\r\n“My first instinct was if they can’t come in, I’m going to come to them,” Sutton said.\r\n\r\nAt Beaufort’s downtown marina where tourists are normally seen queuing up for a carriage tour, business has been slow or nonexistent, said Rose White, owner and operator of Southurn Rose Buggy Tours.\r\n\r\nAs White explains, hers and other horse-drawn tour companies work with bigger travel and tour companies who will book White’s tours in Beaufort anywhere from six months to a year in advance as part of a traveler’s tour package.\r\n\r\nMarch through May is the tour company’s busiest time of the year.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“About 48 percent of our business comes from those three months,” she said. “You make your money at a certain time, and then you have to make it last for the rest of the year and to pay all your bills.”\r\n\r\nBut last week, things for Southurn Rose started to unravel.\r\n\r\n“I had 75 buses to cancel in about a week’s time,” she said. The company, which has been in business for 20 years, has never not had a spring, she said.\r\n\r\n“We are totally in shock over this whole thing. It’s like one day we had a good season planned, we were training employees, everything was going smoothly, and then the next day the door is shut.”\r\n\r\nEarly on, they tried to adapt by having tourists sit apart on the carriages or riding with just members of their own party, but it’s been difficult, she said. Walk-in bookings are down since there are hardly any tourists in town, and with no riders, they can’t send carriages out.\r\n\r\nWhite has already to had to lay off three employees and is now playing it “day by day” fearful that if hers and other tourism-related business like hers don’t make it through the spring, they may not return when the outbreak subsides.\r\n\r\nIn the last four years, we\'ve had a hurricane every year, but we’ve survived,” she said, adding that at least with a hurricane, there’s an end in sight.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“But this? This isn’t like anything we’ve ever seen before,” she said. “This is something completely different and we don’t know how long it’s going last.”', '‘Something Completely Different’', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'something-completely-different', '', '', '2020-03-25 14:19:47', '2020-03-25 18:19:47', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43860', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43862, 4, '2020-03-25 14:21:17', '2020-03-25 18:21:17', '<i>*As of press time, Tuesday, March 24</i>\r\n\r\n<b>City, County and Federal Offices/ Departments</b>\r\n\r\n<i>The following are closed through March 31:</i>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Animal Shelter\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Assessor’s Office\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Auditor\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Business License Department\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Detention Center (all visitations are suspended until further notice)\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Disabilities and Special Needs Department (all non-essential programming)\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Parks and Recreation (all facilities and pools)\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Probate Court (closed to in-person access, except for filing of documents, making payments or emergency hearings not held by video or telephone conference)\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Public Libraries\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Records Management\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Register of Deeds and Public Deed Room<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Treasurer’s Office\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Veterans Affairs Office\r\n\r\nBeaufort Magistrate Court<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Municipal Court (cases canceled through March 26)\r\n\r\nReconstruction Era National Historical Park Visitor Center\r\n\r\n14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office (operating virtually)\r\n\r\n<b>Public Meetings</b>\r\n\r\n<i>The following have been canceled unless otherwise noted by reschedule date:</i>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Council Meetings will continue but residents are encouraged to watch online or via The County Channel\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Design Review Board April 2 meeting\r\n\r\nBeaufort County District Meetings for Council Members Chris Hervochon and York Glover (postponed/ TBA)\r\n\r\nBeaufort County’s Historic Preservation Review Board, Airports Board and Southern Beaufort County Corridor Beautification Board\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Open Land Trust Annual Meeting (postponed/TBA)\r\n\r\nBeaufort County School Board (all March meetings)\r\n\r\nCat Island Community Meeting (postponed/ TBA)\r\n\r\nCity of Beaufort (all public meetings except council meetings are canceled; live city council meetings can be viewed on the city’s Facebook page)\r\n\r\nCity parks (closed to public events and programming; parks will be open for passive recreation, such as walking or jogging)\r\n\r\nMossy Oaks Task Force Meeting\r\n\r\n<b>Schools and Universities</b>\r\n\r\n<i>The following are closed through March 31:</i>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County School District – all schools<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools at Laurel Bay\r\n\r\nLowcountry Montessori School\r\n\r\nSt. Peter’s Catholic School\r\n\r\nTechnical College of the Lowcountry\r\n\r\nUniversity of South Carolina Beaufort classes will transition to online instruction starting March 23 and will run through April 5; residence halls closed through April 5\r\n\r\n<b>Community Events and Performances<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<i>The following have been canceled unless otherwise noted by reschedule date:</i>\r\n\r\nAMIKids Croquet Picnic Fundraiser at Brays Island\r\n\r\nBeaufort Twilight Run<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCoastal Stage Productions’ “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” at AmVets<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCoastal Stage Productions’ “Always A Bridesmaid” at AmVets (rescheduled for May 22-24)\r\n\r\nFamily Promise of Beaufort’s “A Night of Promise” (rescheduled for Oct. 29)\r\n\r\nGreat Helicopter Egg Drop at Beaufort Academy\r\n\r\nSoft Shell Crab Festival\r\n\r\nTaste of Beaufort\r\n\r\nUSC Beaufort’s Center for the Arts (all events, author luncheons, Monday movie nights, Met Opera live in HD, Women’s Wellness Weekend, rehearsals, auditions and performances through April 5 are cancelled and will be rescheduled as soon as possible)\r\n\r\n<b>Museums</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort History Museum and Visitors Center at The Arsenal\r\n\r\nJohn Mark Verdier House Museum\r\n\r\n<b>Sporting Events/ Outdoor Recreation</b>\r\n\r\nAdaptive Golf March Monthly Clinic\r\n\r\nCarolinas Classic All-Star Basketball games\r\n\r\nFirst Tee of the Lowcountry (all lessons canceled until further notice)\r\n\r\nHigh school sporting events (spring sports canceled)\r\n\r\nHunting Island Lighthouse Tours (canceled through March 31)\r\n\r\nPalmetto Sportsmen’s Classic in Columbia\r\n\r\nPGA Tour’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing\r\n\r\nSCDNR Youth Fishing Tournament (Postponed/TBA)\r\n\r\nUSC Beaufort spring sports\r\n\r\n<b>Community Meetings/ Other Miscellaneous Events</b>\r\n\r\n<i>The following have been canceled unless otherwise noted by reschedule date:</i>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Democratic Party Convention<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Digital Corridor (all events until further notice)\r\n\r\nDemocratic Club-South of the Broad regularly scheduled meetings and precinct organizing meeting (conference call to be held at 10 a.m. on March 21)<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nFripp Island Audubon Club (all meetings canceled until further notice)\r\n\r\nGreater Bluffton Republican Club’s Republican of the Year Dinner (Reschedule date TBA)\r\n\r\n<i>Have a cancellation or closing? Please send those to theislandnews@gmail.com. Items are printed where space is available. The deadline for consideration is Friday by 5 p.m. before the next Thursday’s print date.</i>', 'Coronavirus – Closings, Cancellations and Postponements', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-closings-cancellations-and-postponements', '', '', '2020-03-25 14:21:17', '2020-03-25 18:21:17', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43862', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43864, 4, '2020-03-25 18:26:52', '2020-03-25 22:26:52', '<b>Staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThere are 82 additional cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in South Carolina according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) bringing the total number statewide to 424 cases.\r\n\r\nThe total in Beaufort County stands at 26 after four additional cases were announced. South Carolina’s death toll is seven after DHEC reported two deaths Tuesday.\r\n\r\nTwo previously reported cases, one in Lexington County and one in Lancaster County, have been subtracted from the state’s total case count as those individuals were determined, through further investigation, to reside out of state. DHEC reports positive cases based on an individual’s county of residence.\r\n\r\nAs part of DHEC’s daily update to its web page (<a href=\"https://scdhec.gov/covid-19\">https://scdhec.gov/covid-19</a>), current aggregate data for positive cases is available. This data includes reporting on positive cases by age group, gender, race and hospitalization at the time of illness. This information will continue to be updated on a weekly basis.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, projections for new cases of COVID-19 in the state through May 2 are also included in today’s web update. This data projects 2,657 cumulative cases by April 2 and 8,053 cases by May 2, however, projected data is estimated and may change significantly due to various factors.\r\n\r\n“As the number of cases in the state significantly increases, the method for controlling the disease spread changes from in-depth investigations of every individual case to community strategies,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician consultant, said in a release. “Residents should not expect individual notification that they were exposed to a case, rather everyone should practice social distancing, stay home and stay away from other people if they’re sick, and wash their hands frequently with soap and water.”\r\n\r\nAlso, there were two additional deaths related to the novel coronavirus COVID-19, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to seven.\r\n\r\nOne patient was an elderly person from Florence County who had underlying health conditions. The second patient was an elderly person from Horry County with no underlying health conditions.\r\n\r\nAfter further investigation, an individual who passed away and was reported as residing in Kershaw County has been determined to have a Sumter County residence. DHEC reports cases based on the county of residence.\r\n\r\n<strong>Note:</strong><strong> As new information is provided to the department, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the individual’s county of residence, as it is provided to the department. DHEC’s COVID-19 map will adjust to reflect any reclassified cases.</strong>', 'Coronavirus update: 82 more cases bring SC total to 424; 26 cases in Beaufort County', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-82-more-cases-bring-sc-total-to-424-26-cases-in-beaufort-county', '', '', '2020-03-25 18:26:52', '2020-03-25 22:26:52', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43864', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43872, 4, '2020-03-26 08:05:06', '2020-03-26 12:05:06', '<h4><b>By Bob Sofaly</b></h4>\r\nBeaufort County Schools are taking advantage of the recent school closing to do a “deep clean” on all classrooms, offices and athletic rooms. Everything is being sanitized.\r\n\r\nThe schools adopt a hospital level approach to cleaning classrooms every day. But now, while the students are out, is a good time to really clean everything.\r\n\r\nBeaufort High School has already started the cleaning – a process that nobody is really sure how long will take, according to Kevin Wagner, regional manager of ABM Industries, the contractor for the cleaning.\r\n\r\nWagner said he and his 10 employes “will clean every desk, top to bottom, inside and out” with a heavy duty sanitizer, one that kills bacteria and viruses in one minute.\r\n\r\n“Then we wipe it all down with industrial strength wipes.” Wagner said when the process is complete, the schools will be the safest buildings in which to be.', 'School district gets to do spring cleaning', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'school-district-gets-to-do-spring-cleaning', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:05:06', '2020-03-26 12:05:06', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43872', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43877, 4, '2020-03-26 08:21:38', '2020-03-26 12:21:38', '<h4><b>By Fred Gaskin</b></h4>\r\nWhether you’re planning for retirement, approaching retirement, or already in retirement, two very important questions arise for almost every investor. First, investors ask “how much do I need to save?” and their second question is usually “based on my savings, how much should I expect to be able to spend?”\r\n\r\nAs an advisor, one of my most important functions is to work with investors to set expectations – whether they are around expected returns, their lifestyle in retirement, or the realities of their financial situation. In framing an investor’s practical retirement income expectations, one of the most impactful conversations I have is about something the industry has long called the “four percent rule.”\r\n\r\n<b>How the four percent<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>rule works</b>\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the four percent rule is straightforward: withdraw four percent of your nest egg the first year of your retirement, then increase that amount each year by enough to account for inflation. This way, your money will likely last for at least 30 years (assuming you stay invested half in stocks and half in bonds).\r\n\r\nAlthough investors and financial planners have used the four percent rule for decades, there’s talk that it may be outdated. With bond yields at historically low levels and equity returns uncertain, some retirement experts now believe that the four percent withdrawal rate is too high and could cause investors to run out of money during their retirement.\r\n\r\nInstead, they say, investors should spend less to boost their chances of having enough to see them through their golden years.\r\n\r\nHowever, like many things, whether or not the four percent rule still makes good financial sense depends largely on your viewpoint and financial goals.\r\n\r\n<b>Flexibility is key</b>\r\n\r\nRather than adhere rigidly to a four percent withdrawal rate, consider using the rule as a starting point while also staying flexible by taking advantage of new developments as conditions change. Here are three dynamic ways to manage your spending in retirement:\r\n\r\nDevelop a retirement plan and update it regularly. Online retirement calculators can help you determine a sustainable portfolio withdrawal rate based on your specific situation. Likewise, a professionally created retirement plan can give you an even more detailed analysis. But whether you do the math yourself or work with a pro, review the numbers regularly to ensure you remain on track.\r\n\r\nAdjust your withdrawals based on the market’s performance or your own personal changes. A static withdrawal rate doesn’t factor in the market’s inevitable ups and downs, or changes that may occur in your health and lifestyle that demand flexible cash flow management. Therefore, you might withdraw a bit less when financial asset prices are down and increase your withdrawals when the markets are on a roll. Or you might skip making inflation adjustments to your withdrawal rate during those years when your portfolio experiences losses. These types of moves may mean your budget fluctuates each year, but they’ll also help increase the probability that your savings will last throughout your lifetime.\r\n\r\nConsider an annuity. Annuities are not for everyone — they can be complex and costly — but annuity contracts are one of the only types of financial vehicles that can ensure you have guaranteed income for life. With an ongoing stream of payments coming to you, you can feel more comfortable that you’ll have the income needed to cover essential expenses in retirement — even if you outlive your investment portfolio.\r\n\r\nEach investor is different, and one size doesn’t fit all, which is why it’s so important to understand there are a number of ways to set retirement income expectations. Recognizing that your situation may change in retirement, as will the investment environment (for better or worse), and remaining flexible is not only smart, but necessary.\r\n\r\nIf you would like help thinking through your income questions, you can visit a Charles Schwab branch and talk to a financial advisor.\r\n\r\n<i>Fred Gaskin is the branch leader at the Charles Schwab Independent Branch in Bluffton. He has more than 35 years of experience helping clients achieve their financial goals. Some content provided here has been compiled from previously published articles authored by various parties at Schwab.</i>', 'Anchoring realities: How to begin  framing retirement income expectations', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'anchoring-realities-how-to-begin-framing-retirement-income-expectations', '', '', '2021-03-30 15:01:47', '2021-03-30 19:01:47', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43877', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43879, 4, '2020-03-26 08:24:22', '2020-03-26 12:24:22', '<h4><b>By Bob Sofaly</b></h4>\r\nLike most Beaufort businesses and medical practices, the Beaufort Eye Center on Ribaut Road was trying to be as ready as possible for the coronavirus threat.\r\n\r\nThis past week, patients were greeted in the parking lot by staff members wearing masks and rubber gloves and asked a series of questions regarding the health and any recent travels to countries being ravaged by the virus.\r\n\r\nOnce called in, their external body temperature is taken from their forehead as they stand where documents taped to the walls and windows tell them of the dangers of the virus. All staff members, including office employees, wear masks and gloves and never touch a patient.\r\n\r\nSome patients wait in a small waiting room if they need medical eye drops – every other chair is turned backwards to promote “social distancing” of about 4 feet. Once a patient leaves the waiting room, a staff member comes in with a fresh Clorox wipe and gives the chair a good rub down.\r\n\r\nOnce the patient has seen the doctor, he or she is escorted out the building while doors are opened for them, preventing them from touching anything.\r\n\r\n<i>Above: Elizabeth Smith of the Beaufort Eye Center tapes a warning to the entrance of the practice stipulating that they if they meet certain criteria, their appointment may be rescheduled. Photo by Bob Sofaly.</i>', 'Beaufort Eye Center spares no precautions', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-eye-center-spares-no-precautions', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:24:22', '2020-03-26 12:24:22', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43879', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43882, 4, '2020-03-26 08:26:57', '2020-03-26 12:26:57', '<h4>By Amy Campanini</h4>\r\nWith COVID-19 filling everyone’s minds, it seems there’s little room for much else. However, with so much uncertainty right now, I find comfort in being with animals.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nA soft purr, a paw on my knee and the wag of a tail all bring joy to my heart. As Palmetto Animal League’s President, I get to experience these sweet moments of solace every day, but I know there are so many others out there who might be feeling lonely or stressed right now.\r\n\r\nIt occurs to me that we need the animals right now just as much as they need us. So, to help connect pets and people, we at PAL would like to offer some ways you can help the animals (and maybe they can help you, too).\r\n\r\nWith everyone sticking close to home, it’s a great time to adopt or foster an animal. Bringing a new pet into your life can ease restlessness and renew a sense of schedule.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAt PAL we are offering “Open Air Adoptions” including video meet and greets, curbside service and adoption applications via phone. View our adoptable pets online at <a href=\"http://www.palmettoanimalleague.org/\">www.PalmettoAnimalLeague.org</a> and call us at 843-645-1725 to schedule a meeting.\r\n\r\nAnd with resources more limited, the need for fosters also becomes even more critical. PAL is reserving its available resources for the most at-risk animals, including those with urgent medical needs and those in immediate danger due to space requirements at other shelters.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhen we can move happy, healthy, awesome animals into foster homes, it opens space for us to rescue other pets in desperate need. So, while you’re spending more time at home, please consider inviting a shelter pet to join you. Email Sally@PalmettoAnimalLeague.org to learn about becoming a short-term foster.\r\n\r\nWith everyone practicing social distancing, we’ve seen a drop in financial support as well. Funds are more crucial than ever for rescues right now.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAt PAL we care for about 200 animals and stand ready to rescue others in desperate need. As a private, non-profit, no kill rescue, PAL receives no government funding and donations mean everything.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIf you can, please consider making a life-saving gift online at <a href=\"http://www.palmettoanimalleague.org/\">www.PalmettoAnimalLeague.org</a>.\r\n\r\nAnd finally, if you already have a pet (or pets) and need medical care, consider a “virtual vet” appointment with PAL Veterinary Physician Dr. Stacy Levin. It’s an opportunity for affordable veterinary care without leaving home.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCall the PAL Veterinary Clinic at 843-645-1727 to schedule a virtual appointment.\r\n\r\nBringing animals and people together has always been the mission of animal rescuers, and as shelters around the country prepare to operate at critical capacity for an unknown span of time, the power of companionship can be life-changing for both.\r\n\r\n<em>Amy Campanini is the president of the Palmetto Animal League.</em>', 'Companionship benefits people, pets during COVID-19 shutdown', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'companionship-benefits-people-pets-during-covid-19-shutdown', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:26:57', '2020-03-26 12:26:57', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43882', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(43885, 4, '2020-03-26 08:27:41', '2020-03-26 12:27:41', '<h4>By Scott Graber</h4>\r\nIt’s early Thursday, and I’m in my small, gray-painted, bookcase-lined study. My wife and I are reading the Wall Street Journal, listening to NPR, and reading e-mails from friends throughout the country.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThis morning the news is entirely focused on the Coronavirus and is uniformly dire. (I’m tempted to use the words “existential” and “catastrophic” but these words have pretty much lost their meaning.)\r\n\r\nWhen I was an 8-year-old boy, my father, an immunologist, would tell me stories on Saturday mornings in his laboratory. I was there — amongst his pipettes and petri dishes and autoclaves — “streaking” plates of sheep’s blood with sputum retrieved from the throats of febrile soldiers on the wards below. While doing this work my father would talk.\r\n\r\nMy father was particularly fascinated with tuberculosis. He would begin by saying they first found evidence of the bacilli in a neolithic burial ground near Heidelberg; then in a mummy dating back to the 21<sup>st</sup> Egyptian Dynasty; and then in Shakespeare.\r\n\r\nBut the bacilli hit its stride during the Industrial Revolution when workers began living in close, urban proximity. But this disease was no respecter of class or wealth infecting Keats, Shelly and the Bronte sisters.\r\n\r\nHe would also talk about Bubonic Plague arriving in Athens in 430 BC; then in Rome in 242 AD where it killed 5,000 people a day; then in London where more than 150,000 people died between 1603 and 1665.\r\n\r\nBut in 1943, a microbiologist discovered Streptomycin, this was followed by Aureomycin and a host of antibiotics that essentially took away the fear of infection and massive, uncontrolled, bacterial kill-off.\r\n\r\nCoronavirus is a plague, but it’s not in the same weight class as Tuberculosis, Smallpox or any plague that once killed their way across Europe. It shouldn’t even be used in the same sentence.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBut this morning — as I listen to NPR and read the Wall Street Journal — one would think that Bubonic Plague and Tuberculosis are once again running amok in the world.\r\n\r\nAlthough we developed Streptomycin, and can now rearrange DNA and engineer vaccines in a matter of 18 months, we don’t have a foolproof way to control the fear or impulsivity when it comes to those who buy and sell stocks, bonds and commodities.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nNotwithstanding that China seems to have contained the spread of the Coronavirus, the magical, self-adjusting “market” appears to believe we are on the way to economic collapse.\r\n\r\nEvery day we read, “Stocks sink,” “Stocks plunge as virus fears stir volatility,” “Fed cuts rates amid virus fears.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThese incendiary headlines are followed up inside by “Italy closes schools” and “Mistrust hurts Iran’s virus fight” and graphics showing the spread from Wuhan Province to Japan, Thailand, Istanbul and Rome. It’s impossible to read these stories and not believe that we’re dealing with a Bubonic-sized epidemic.\r\n\r\nThere is no question that there is real cause for concern. There is no doubt that there are more infections (in the United States) than have been reported — and that viral death rates will continue to grow.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThere is no doubt that those who own stock will feel impoverished (and perhaps stupid) when seeing tomorrow’s Dow Jones Average. And there’s no question that America’s endangered newspapers are having an unexpected, unintended income windfall. And they — American’s news vendors — are going to gather-up their rosebuds while they may.\r\n\r\nBut here’s the thing — this pandemic is going to run its course, and this country is going to recover its collective health and its Wall Street treasure. Yes, we are angry, divided and frightened at the moment but we have seen worse, much worse than this.\r\n\r\nWe have seen Spanish Flu, Polio and Pearl Harbor. We have seen the Great Depression of 1929; the mortgage-bundling boondoggle of 2008; the retreat from the Chosin Reservoir in December 1950. We have seen wild fires devastate California and ruptured oil wells sully, sicken and slicken the Gulf of Mexico. And we’ve come back, recovered our equilibrium, from each of these events.\r\n\r\nWe are flawed and imperfect — but these disasters always seem to produce a Jonas Salk; a Mary Edwards Walker; a Walter Reed, or a young corpsman who repeatedly rides his bullet-riddled Huey into a fire-fight to save a surrounded platoon.\r\n\r\nBecause this virus is invisible, and the stock market irrational, Coronavirus presents a threat unlike Hugo, Khe Sanh or rising sea levels. But this pathogen will be met with courage, persistence and ingenuity. And then — when it’s beaten — there will be the extraordinary generosity that is part of our DNA.\r\n\r\nI’m sure of this.', 'Americans have seen much worse than this', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'americans-have-seen-much-worse-than-this', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:27:41', '2020-03-26 12:27:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43885', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43887, 4, '2020-03-26 08:28:33', '2020-03-26 12:28:33', '<h4>By Lee Scott</h4>\r\nHaving spent much of my lifetime in the north, I have had real experience living through a blizzard. Our current situation reminds those of us northerners that the current “social distancing” is almost like being in a blizzard.\r\n\r\nThe first thing that happens just prior to the blizzard is the weatherman says, “Looks like we might have a snow event.”\r\n\r\nJust this sentence alone means that some shelves at the grocery store are going to be cleaned out. Milk, bread, and toilet paper are the first to go. People scramble for cereal, peanut butter, and macaroni and cheese. These are staples that can be eaten at all three meals.\r\n\r\nThen comes the announcements for the cancellation of the after-school activities, then it is the schools, and before you know it, the roads are closing. When snow is coming down 3 inches an hour, the state police want people at home and safe.\r\n\r\nOur current situation reminds me a lot of staying at home for a blizzard, but at least now I have electricity and the internet. There have been blizzards in the U.S. that have closed businesses and highways for weeks, with many people without heat.\r\n\r\nSo how do parents, kids and other adults survive a blizzard? They get creative.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMy mother would let us build a fort in the living room with blankets and pillows. That would keep us busy for hours. She would have card games, board games, coloring books and crayons.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThen of course, there was the outdoors. We would put on layers of clothes and play out in the snow for hours and then be welcomed in the warm house with hot chocolate.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nLet’s face it though, the outside playing was more for Mom’s sake, than ours.\r\n\r\nNowadays, many of the kids can do video classrooms. Teachers have given the children several weeks of classroom work or they are doing video teaching.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nParents who have the luxury of working out of their homes can have the same hours of work as their children have in virtual school. Then there are video games, movies, television shows and books.\r\n\r\nAnd of course, there is still the great outdoors. It is springtime in the south, and the days are getting longer and warmer. This is also a good time to get the family garden going.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nOutside activities are not completely shut down. The Spanish Moss Trail is open for hiking and bike riding. And then at the end of the day, Mom can offer the kids some lemonade instead of hot chocolate.\r\n\r\nAs for us, I am getting my spouse focused on the spring cleaning projects; and he cannot wait for this “blizzard” to pass.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Teaching a southerner to survive in a blizzard', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'teaching-a-southerner-to-survive-in-a-blizzard', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:28:34', '2020-03-26 12:28:34', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43887', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43892, 4, '2020-03-26 08:31:31', '2020-03-26 12:31:31', '', 'Cartoon Commentary', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'cartoon-commentary', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:31:31', '2020-03-26 12:31:31', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43892', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43895, 4, '2020-03-26 08:33:51', '2020-03-26 12:33:51', 'Dear readers and advertisers,\r\n\r\nTo say the past few weeks have been difficult and confusing would be an understatement. We have seen the coronavirus pandemic evolve from an overseas phenomenon to something that has closed businesses in our community and caused Beaufortonians to shutter themselves in their homes. Our beloved Southern home, with its easy friendliness, has become a place of wary caution. A place where grim, determined people tramp through grocery stores searching for that last package of toilet paper or hand sanitizer necessary to complete their stockpile of provisions for the onslaught from the invisible pathogen. Businesses have closed along with most local government offices. Restaurants have adopted a take-out only policy with curbside service so patrons don’t have to cross the threshold. And the rumor mill is churning. How many locals have gotten sick, which group is selfishly ignoring the warnings from healthcare professionals and infectious disease specialists, etc. Most of all though, I think the people of Beaufort want a place where they can get reliable information about how this is affecting their home, neighbors and friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Island News is committed to providing local news throughout this crisis, as always, and will do so while making the health and safety of our staff our top priority. We’re also committed to continuing to provide this news for free. We feel blessed to be a part of the Beaufort community and fortunate to have been embraced by so many of you; we even deliver our weekly effort to thousands of locals’ homes at no charge. We believe this is what it means to be a true community newspaper. But, as such, we hope that we can rely on our community as well. To continue to provide an income for our small staff – about 10 of us produce and deliver six publications per month – and pay expenses from printing to rent, we must rely upon your patronage. If you’re a business owner trying to get new information to your customers and think we can help during the<em>new normal, </em>please let us know. We also understand the realities of the digital community and what social media and the internet can provide, helping people connect even more in this new age. We’ve been updating our website – YourIslandNews.com – and social media sites multiple times daily to provide the latest information available, and will be adding more capabilities to our current digital presence in the near future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We’re a part of the Beaufort community. We see you on the street and in the grocery store. Like many of you, we’re a small business. Like you, we’re struggling to understand what’s happening now, and to behave in a way that honors and protects everyone around us. We know we will make it through to the other side – bruised maybe, but certainly not beaten. Thank you for letting us be part of your community, of <em>our</em>community. And thank you for letting us serve you. Recently, we’ve been signing off, “Clean hands, brave hearts!” It seems like an appropriate motto these days.\r\n\r\nJeff &amp; Margaret Evans\r\nPublishers', 'Letter from the Publishers', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'letter-from-the-publishers', '', '', '2020-03-26 08:33:51', '2020-03-26 12:33:51', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43895', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43897, 4, '2020-03-26 10:10:28', '2020-03-26 14:10:28', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThere are 82 additional cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in South Carolina according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) bringing the total number statewide to 424 cases.\r\n\r\nThe total in Beaufort County stands at 26 after four additional cases were announced. South Carolina’s death toll is seven after DHEC reported two deaths Tuesday.\r\n\r\nTwo previously reported cases, one in Lexington County and one in Lancaster County, have been subtracted from the state’s total case count as those individuals were determined, through further investigation, to reside out of state. DHEC reports positive cases based on an individual’s county of residence.\r\n\r\nAs part of DHEC’s daily update to its web page (<a href=\"https://scdhec.gov/covid-19\">https://scdhec.gov/covid-19</a>), current aggregate data for positive cases is available. This data includes reporting on positive cases by age group, gender, race and hospitalization at the time of illness. This information will continue to be updated on a weekly basis.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, projections for new cases of COVID-19 in the state through May 2 are also included in today’s web update. This data projects 2,657 cumulative cases by April 2 and 8,053 cases by May 2, however, projected data is estimated and may change significantly due to various factors.\r\n\r\n“As the number of cases in the state significantly increases, the method for controlling the disease spread changes from in-depth investigations of every individual case to community strategies,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician consultant, said in a release. “Residents should not expect individual notification that they were exposed to a case, rather everyone should practice social distancing, stay home and stay away from other people if they’re sick, and wash their hands frequently with soap and water.”\r\n\r\nAlso, there were two additional deaths related to the novel coronavirus COVID-19, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to seven.\r\n\r\nOne patient was an elderly person from Florence County who had underlying health conditions. The second patient was an elderly person from Horry County with no underlying health conditions.\r\n\r\nAfter further investigation, an individual who passed away and was reported as residing in Kershaw County has been determined to have a Sumter County residence. DHEC reports cases based on the county of residence.\r\n\r\n<strong>Note:</strong><strong> As new information is provided to the department, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the individual’s county of residence, as it is provided to the department. DHEC’s COVID-19 map will adjust to reflect any reclassified cases.</strong>', 'Coronavirus update: 82 more cases bring SC total to 424; 26 cases in Beaufort County', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-82-more-cases-bring-sc-total-to-424-26-cases-in-beaufort-county-2', '', '', '2020-03-26 10:19:43', '2020-03-26 14:19:43', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43897', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43900, 4, '2020-03-26 10:32:33', '2020-03-26 14:32:33', '<b>By MIKE MCCOMBS</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling has written to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to ask him to enact a shelter-in-place mandate in response to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus crisis.\r\n\r\nThe text of Keyserling’s email to the governor was included in his regular email newsletter on Tuesday, March 24.\r\n\r\n“I did email him and I assume he got it,” Keyserling said Wednesday. “He did not respond, but I didn’t expect him to. I just wanted him to hear our voice.”\r\n\r\nKeyserling says he has the authority to enact shelter-in-place, like Savannah, Ga., and Charleston have done in recent days. But he said the downside to Beaufort doing anything alone is simply it wouldn’t carry as much weight.\r\n\r\n“There is a desire for the municipalities and Beaufort County to display a unified stance,” Keyserling said. “It would mean more if it were one voice.”\r\n\r\nThat goes for a shelter-in-place mandate or any sort of resolution asking the governor to issue such an executive order.\r\n\r\nAccording to a Beaufort County source, there was to be an emergency county council meeting on Thursday to address such a resolution, but that meeting <span class=\"gmail_default\">didn\'t </span>happen.\r\n\r\n<b>Keyserling’s newsletter popular</b>\r\n\r\nPreceding the text of Keyserling’s letter to McMaster in his emailed newsletter was a letter from Guglielmo and Raffaella Regine of Ischia, an Italian island in the Gulf of Naples. The couple had visited Beaufort in January to visit relatives and was relating the difficulties with the outbreak in their home country.\r\n\r\nThe Regines relayed the difficulties faced by Italians and lauded the mayor for telling “the truth about what is happening” and calling out behavior that will make it difficult to slow the spread of the virus in his Sunday newsletter.\r\n\r\n(Italy has been ravaged by the virus, seeing nearly 70,000 cases and almost 7,000 deaths, both most in the world.)\r\n\r\nKeyserling said his newsletter, published more often now during the coronavirus crisis, has increased in popularity in recent days. He says the number of recipients who receive the newsletter that open it has increased by about 33 percent.\r\n\r\nThe main content in Keyserling’s Sunday newsletter was published as a column by <em>The Island News</em>, both online (<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/coronavirus-update-beaufort-can-and-must-be-better-please/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://staging.yourislandnews.com/coronavirus-update-beaufort-can-and-must-be-better-please/</a>) and in this week’s print edition (March 26-April 1). It has been extremely popular online, possibly the most popular post ever on the newspaper’s website.\r\n\r\nTo subscribe to Mayor Keyserling’s newsletter, readers can visit <a href=\"http://www.mayorbilly.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.mayorbilly.com</a> or email <a href=\"mailto:billyk@islc.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">billyk@islc.net</a>.\r\n\r\n<b>Text of Mayor Keyserling’s letter</b>\r\n\r\nMarch 24, 2020\r\n\r\nDear Governor McMaster:\r\n\r\nPlease declare an appropriate a \"shelter in place\" mandate. I believe the majority of the people in our community agree we must starve the virus of oxygen and it will go away in 15 days or so.\r\n\r\nThose on the front lines are fighting and all we need is to be charged with this lofty assignment.\r\n\r\nLet\'s work together and win this battle to protect the people and state we love and cherish.\r\n\r\nWith sincere appreciation and respect for your consideration.\r\n\r\nPlease Be Safe and Let\'s Together Make SC Safer for ALL.\r\n\r\nBilly K-', 'Coronavirus update: Beaufort mayor asks Gov. McMaster to mandate shelter-in-place', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-beaufort-mayor-asks-gov-mcmaster-to-mandate-shelter-in-place', '', '', '2020-03-26 10:36:05', '2020-03-26 14:36:05', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43900', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43902, 4, '2020-03-26 16:58:04', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '&nbsp;\n\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced two additional deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This brings the state’s total number of deaths to nine.\n\nOne patient was an elderly person from Kershaw County who had underlying health conditions. The second patient was an elderly person from Sumter County who also had underlying health conditions.\n\n“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of these individuals and to all those in South Carolina who have suffered the loss of loved ones to COVID-19,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician consultant, said in a release. “This unfortunate announcement is a reminder of the importance of taking actions to protect ourselves, our family and friends, and our community from this disease.”\n\nDHEC also is investigating 32 additional cases of COVID-19. This brings the total number statewide to 456 cases in 39 counties.\n\nThe fluctuation in the number of new cases from day to day reflects the availability of the reagents, or chemicals, needed for laboratories to perform the testing. There is currently a shortage of these reagents nationwide, including in South Carolina, which can lead to delays in test results.\n\nAs new information is provided to the department, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the individual’s county of residence, as it is provided to the department.', 'Coronavirus update: State death total reaches 9; SC up to 456 cases, 29 in Beaufort County', '', 'draft', 'closed', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2020-03-26 16:58:04', '2020-03-26 20:58:04', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43902', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43985, 4, '2020-04-05 13:55:58', '2020-04-05 17:55:58', '<strong>By Mike McCombs&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort City Council will hold a meeting at noon on Monday, April 6 to consider an emergency ordinance directing residents within the city to shelter in place during the City’s COVID-19 Emergency Declaration.\r\n\r\n“We’re trying to send a clearer message that this is serious and needs to be taken seriously,” Councilman Stephen Murray said Sunday. “The harder we work as a community, the faster it allows us to get back to business and protect a pretty large at-risk population in Beaufort County.”&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCouncil members will participate in the meeting via the Zoom web conferencing app. The meeting will be streamed live on the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/CityBeaufortSC/\">City’s Facebook page</a> and public comment can be made on Facebook.\r\n\r\nAll indications are that an ordinance is expected to pass.\r\n\r\nMayor Billy Keyserling said he has instructed City Manager Bill Prokop and the city attorney to make any changes to the ordinance that are needed, so long as Council is comfortable with them and they don’t compromise or weaken the message.\r\n\r\nKeyserling said that the responses to his newsletters have been overwhelmingly positive, and this ordinance would help clear up some confusion Beaufort citizens are getting from Governor Henry McMaster’s office. McMaster has repeatedly tweaked his emergency order but has stopped short of a statewide shelter-in-place mandate.\r\n\r\nIf passed, the shelter-in-place would take effect at 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 7.\r\n\r\n“The first level is just set to it out there and be clear,” Keyserling said. “I believe that people in the City, from my observation, people are doing a pretty good job. But if we look at hurricane evacuations where roughly 60 percent evacuate and look where we are today, 75-80 percent are cognizant of this threat, more then they were of hurricanes. If we’re at 75 or 85 percent and this can move us another 5 to 10 points, that will save lives.\r\n\r\n“And saving lives is really the purpose of the ordinance.”\r\n\r\nMayor Keyserling and Murray both stressed that the ordinance is written within the boundaries of what the Governor has already done and cannot be enforced beyond what the governor has already ordered.\r\n\r\nThat means, in essence, the ordinance is simply a stronger suggestion from the City of Beaufort to stay at home unless you absolutely have to and a plea for businesses, which still may be considered essential by the Governor’s order, to consider closing.\r\n\r\n“Unless the Governor comes on and does something different, there’s not really anything the city can say about it,” Murray said. “Government plays a role, but it’s up to the citizens.”\r\n\r\nBusinesses, like restaurants offering curbside and take-out meals, will continue to be able to do so because they are allowed to under the governor’s order.\r\n\r\nIt also means, according to Keyserling, that any enforcement by the city will likely focus on those who are not following social distancing guidelines.\r\n\r\n“We do not plan to aggressively go after people, but we always have, 24-7, a team of police on the street. If they see anything, they’re going to stop it and ask people to break it up,” Keyserling said. “If it comes to a second time, they are prepared to write a warrant. But the last thing in the world we want to do is impose fines when people are facing hardships, and we certainly don’t want to send people to jail, the most dangerous place in the county, where people are compacted together.”\r\n\r\nKeyserling said the goal is really for this shelter-in-place to last another 14 days, but the ordinance is written at 30 days because it’s easier to cut it off early and ask Council to come back and approve another ordinance if it needs to last longer.\r\n\r\n“I just want to remind people that doctors can treat, but it’s going to take communities and individuals to defeat and starve the virus. With so many asymptomatic people, when they go out, they run the risk of spreading the virus or contracting it themselves,” Keyserling said. “Each individual has more power than any elected officials, including the Governor and the President of the United States, and it’s our responsibility to put it to use.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Beaufort City Council to consider shelter-in-place during emergency meeting Monday', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-city-council-to-consider-shelter-in-place-during-emergency-meeting-monday', '', '', '2020-04-05 16:18:41', '2020-04-05 20:18:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43985', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43978, 4, '2020-04-03 09:41:59', '2020-04-03 13:41:59', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Friday reported five more deaths as a result of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 31.\r\n\r\nDHEC reported 261 additional cases, bringing the statewide total cases to 1,554 in all 46 counties. Twenty-nine new cases bring Beaufort County’s total to 130.\r\n\r\n“There are now documented cases of COVID-19 in every county across our state,” DHEC physician Dr. Brannon Traxler said. “The level in which it continues to spread will hinge on all of our actions. Please do your part and stay home and limit your close contact with others.”\r\n\r\nThe deaths occurred in elderly individuals who all had underlying health conditions. Two were residents of Florence County, one of Anderson County, one Horry County, and one of Sumter County.\r\n\r\n*As new information is provided to DHEC, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the individual’s county of residence, as it is provided to the DHEC.', 'Beaufort County has 130 confirmed coronavirus cases; SC death toll hits 31', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-has-130-confirmed-coronavirus-cases-sc-death-toll-hits-31', '', '', '2020-04-03 09:41:59', '2020-04-03 13:41:59', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43978', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43907, 4, '2020-03-26 17:03:57', '2020-03-26 21:03:57', '<blockquote class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"gmail_signature\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"\">\r\n<div class=\"gmail_default\">\r\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced two additional deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This brings the state’s total number of deaths to nine.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">One patient was an elderly person from Kershaw County who had underlying health conditions. The second patient was an elderly person from Sumter County who also had underlying health conditions.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of these individuals and to all those in South Carolina who have suffered the loss of loved ones to COVID-19,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician consultant, said in a release. “This unfortunate announcement is a reminder of the importance of taking actions to protect ourselves, our family and friends, and our community from this disease.”</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">DHEC also is investigating 32 additional cases of COVID-19. This brings the total number statewide to 456 cases in 39 counties.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">The fluctuation in the number of new cases from day to day reflects the availability of the reagents, or chemicals, needed for laboratories to perform the testing. There is currently a shortage of these reagents nationwide, including in South Carolina, which can lead to delays in test results.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">As new information is provided to the department, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the individual’s county of residence, as it is provided to the department.</span></p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div></blockquote>', 'Coronavirus update: State death total reaches 9; SC up to 456 cases, 29 in Beaufort County', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-state-death-total-reaches-9-sc-up-to-456-cases-29-in-beaufort-county', '', '', '2020-03-26 17:03:57', '2020-03-26 21:03:57', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43907', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43910, 4, '2020-03-27 11:25:39', '2020-03-27 15:25:39', '<b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">By Mike McCombs</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">If you want to get your Hunting Island fix in, you best make it before the park closes tonight.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">Beginning Saturday, March 28, all state parks in South Carolina will be closed through Thursday, April 30, to support the state’s response to COVID-19. The closure is designed to keep visitors and employees as safe as possible by mitigating the spread of the Coronavirus.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">J.W Weatherford confirmed that Hunting Island State Park would be shutting down at close on Friday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">Visitors who are currently occupying campsites and cabins can remain through the duration of their rental reservation as long as they continue to practice the state’s recommendations for social distancing. All new reservation arrivals, however, from Saturday, March 28, to Thursday, April 30, will be canceled and refunds issued.</span><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">This is the third limited-access directive the Park Service has made this month in response to public health advisories. Earlier, state parks cancelled all large-group gathering reservations and suspended all interpretive programming and special events for March. Those suspensions remain in place through April. For two days this week, parks closed day-use areas like picnic grounds, lakefronts and trails. Those areas will remain closed through April 30 as well.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: \'&amp;quot\',serif; color: black;\">The Park Service continues to be engaged with their fans and followers, however, by hosting Facebook Live events regularly. The first one was held March 18 from Hunting Island State Park. Follow @SC.State.Parks on Facebook for more information on Live events.</span>', 'Coronavirus update: SC state parks, including Hunting Island, to close through April', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-sc-state-parks-including-hunting-island-to-close-through-april', '', '', '2020-03-27 11:41:18', '2020-03-27 15:41:18', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43910', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44064, 4, '2020-04-12 20:36:20', '2020-04-13 00:36:20', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Sunday announced 113 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, including two additional deaths.\r\n\r\nThis brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 3,319, and those who have died to 82.\r\n\r\nThere were three news cases in Beaufort County, bringing the total to 194. There have been six deaths in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nOne death occurred in an elderly individual with underlying health conditions who was a resident of Charleston County. There was a death that occurred in a middle-aged individual with underlying health conditions who was a resident of Greenville County.', 'SC DHEC reports 113 news coronavirus cases, 2 new deaths', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'sc-dhec-reports-113-news-coronavirus-cases-2-new-deaths', '', '', '2020-04-12 20:36:20', '2020-04-13 00:36:20', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44064', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44271, 4, '2020-05-06 08:33:55', '2020-05-06 12:33:55', '<strong>by Lee Scott</strong>\r\n\r\nThe community I live in reminds me of one of those old-fashioned neighborhoods that I lived in when I was a child. We would be playing in a neighbor’s yard and the mother would say, “You kids stay here, your mother had to go pick up your father.”\r\n\r\nOr a neighbor would call and ask, “Do you have a cup of sugar? I am in the middle of baking.” Everyone helped each other out. This kind of camaraderie happened all the time. It was like the neighborhoods where Grandma lived next door and the Aunts and Uncles down the street.\r\n\r\nNow instead of picking up the phone to connect, or running over to Grandmas, it is the Community Net. Neighbors asking neighbors for rides to the airport, or to pick up a car at the Jiffy Lube.\r\n\r\nIt seems like there is always someone in need, and many others willing to help. A neighbor only has to ask and people respond.\r\n\r\nA recent incident is an example of this kind of community mind. I was in the process of moving winter clothes and found a plastic container in the back of the closet.\r\n\r\nWhen I opened it, I discovered thirty years of old VHS tapes from our old camcorders. I was so excited but remembered I had not owned a VHS tape player for years.\r\n\r\nWhen I looked at some of the labels on the tapes, I found they were marked with dance recitals, plays, graduations and a host of other captured memories.\r\n\r\nThere was also an old Beta tape with “Mr. Mom” and “Beaches” recorded on it. I am sure this was recorded before the warning: “Copyrighted. Punishable by 10 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.” (I threw the tape away.)\r\n\r\nWhen I told my girlfriend Chris about my find, she suggested I put a request out on our “Net.” So, I did.\r\n\r\n“Wanted – VHS player to borrow.” Within minutes, I had five e-mails telling me I could borrow theirs. EUREKA!\r\n\r\nThen I got a call from a man named Russ who had recently moved to the neighborhood. He said he had one that not only played; but you could record to a DVD. He explained that about 10 years ago he bought it so he could transfer years of old films onto some DVDS which he then gave to his wife for their anniversary.\r\n\r\nNow this guy gets good marks from me right away. So, I drove over to his house and picked up the player.\r\n\r\nAs I sat there sobbing, watching the old movies, I was reminded of how lucky I was to have lived in so many great places with such good neighbors.\r\n\r\nSo, welcome to the neighborhood, Russ. You fit right in.\r\n\r\n<i>Lee Scott, a writer and recent retiree, shares her everyday observations about life after career. A former commercial banker responsible for helping her clients to reach their business objectives, Scott now translates those analytical skills to her writings. She lives on St. Helena Island and enjoys boating, traveling and reading.</i>', 'Tears cried for memories of the old neighborhoods', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'tears-cried-for-memories-of-the-old-neighborhoods', '', '', '2020-05-06 08:33:55', '2020-05-06 12:33:55', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44271', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43983, 4, '2020-04-04 20:31:41', '2020-04-05 00:31:41', 'Dear Beaufort City Residents:\r\n\r\nBased on data, mixed and confusing messages from governments above, and virus rates rising higher than expected, as Mayor&nbsp;<u>I am personally asking our residents to “stay at home”</u><u>&nbsp;</u>for the next fourteen days.&nbsp;&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter consulting with mayors, municipal attorneys, physicians, listening carefully to Governor McMaster and Dr. Fauci, and watching the number of cases rising faster than projected,&nbsp;I cannot let another day pass without urging you to stay at home.\r\n\r\nI realize you may have essential medical appointments, need to go to the pharmacy or grocery store or get some fresh air and exercise in your neighborhood for your physical and mental health.&nbsp;&nbsp;And I would never ask you to forgo those needs.\r\n\r\nAs of April 3, 2020, the total number of cases in the United States is over&nbsp;<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">300,000</span>&nbsp;309,405 cases (8,430 deaths) with at least&nbsp;<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">1554&nbsp;</span><u>1917 cases in the State of South Carolina and&nbsp;</u><u>148 cases in Beaufort County</u>&nbsp;and growing at an accelerated rate according to SCDHEC. As of last night&nbsp;Beaufort County had the fourth&nbsp;highest number of known cases led only by the cities within large metropolitan areas. (Richland, Charleston, Greenville, Beaufort)\r\n\r\nAlso, as of last night&nbsp;93% of the population of the United States have, in one form or another, been ordered by their state and/or local officials to shelter at home.&nbsp;&nbsp;I know it will grow.\r\n\r\nIt is imperative that residents and non-residents of this great City shelter at home with exceptions mentioned above.&nbsp;&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven while receiving or providing an essential service -- remain at a safe distance of at least six (6) feet from others while in public.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seek medical attention, if sick, via a telehealth service provider, continue to be vigilant with hand washing, remain calm, and only purchase necessary supplies for immediate use.\r\n\r\nTaking measures such as this to control outbreaks has been shown to minimize the risk to the public, maintain the health and safety of the people, and limit the spread of infection in our communities and within the health care delivery system.\r\n\r\n<u>The City of Beaufort and other municipalities in Beaufort County have formally requested and strongly urged that the Governor McMaster issue an Executive Order requiring all persons within the State of South Carolina stay at home for a minimum period of Fourteen (14) Day</u>s, unless providing or requiring an essential service, or for such other period as may be determined to be appropriate by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, as a necessary and immediate step to try and protect the population of the State of&nbsp;&nbsp;South Carolina from a continued and increased risk of exposure.&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn a news conference on April 3, 2020, Governor McMaster reiterated his belief that such a stay at home order was not necessary.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet he said he highly encouraged and mandated staying at home though not by an official order.\r\n\r\nWith all due respect for the Governor, who I know is working around the clock with experts, for the health and safety of you. At the same time, I am concerned about the lack of clarity.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<u>As Mayor, I don’t have the ability under state law to unilaterally declare a stay at home order.&nbsp;</u>&nbsp;This restriction however does not prevent me from speaking out strongly in urging you as I believe is my obligation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGovernor McMaster has designated in his Executive Order the businesses and activities that he deems to be “non-essential” and we must follow that order.&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn Monday, I will call an emergency meeting of City Council via video-conference to present a local stay at home directive by City Council that does not expand on what the Governor has already restricted, but clearly and strongly urge Beaufort residents to shelter at home.&nbsp;&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have heard from hundreds of you, asking for stronger leadership from Beaufort, from South Carolina, and from Washington.&nbsp;Within the legal constraints, I believe our proposed emergency ordinance can provide that leadership directive until the State and Federal government do so.\r\n\r\n<u>I ask for your support and cooperation in this important time.&nbsp;</u>\r\n\r\nNote I am not speaking for city council at this point because time is of the essence and we do not have time for appropriate public notice for a special meeting over the weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;But I will call an emergency meeting on Monday to build a consensus plan for our wonderful city and its special people who need to remain safe and healthy.&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWith respect, concern and love for all, I am\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Billyk</em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Billy Keyserling</em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Mayor of Beaufort</em></strong>', 'Mayor asks Beaufort to Stay at Home for 14 Days', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mayor-asks-beaufort-to-stay-at-home-for-14-days', '', '', '2020-04-04 20:31:41', '2020-04-05 00:31:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43983', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43921, 4, '2020-03-27 14:03:18', '2020-03-27 18:03:18', '<header class=\"post-header\">\r\n<h1 class=\"post-title single-title\"><b style=\"font-size: 16px;\">From staff reports</b></h1>\r\n</header>\r\n<div class=\"single-body\">\r\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\r\n\r\n<b></b>Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-D) has tested positive for COVID-19 novel coronavirus.\r\n\r\nThe Charleston native issued a statement after learning he had tested positive.\r\n\r\n“On March 19, 2020, I entered self-quarantine after I received word from the Attending Physician of the U.S. Congress that I had been in contact with a member of Congress who had since tested positive for COVID-19. While I otherwise feel fine, since March 17&nbsp;I have been unable to smell or taste, which I learned this week is a potential symptom of COVID-19. I have been in contact with my doctor since I entered self-quarantine. Yesterday, my doctor instructed me to get tested for COVID-19 and following a virtual consultation on MUSC.care, I went to my local testing clinic. Today, I learned that I tested positive.\r\n\r\n“While my symptoms have begun to improve, I will remain at home until I know it is safe to leave self-quarantine. I will continue to tele-work from home as Congress conducts its ongoing response to this public health crisis and my office will continue its urgent work of serving the people of the Lowcountry. Just now, the House passed bipartisan legislation that includes provisions I fought for and secured to deliver much-needed relief for South Carolina families and small businesses. I am grateful that my family remains in good health and urge South Carolinians to follow the guidance and recommendations from the CDC and other health experts so that we can recover from this public health threat.”\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>', 'Coronavirus update: 1st District Rep. Joe Cunningham tests positive', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-update-1st-district-rep-joe-cunningham-tests-positive-2', '', '', '2020-03-27 14:03:18', '2020-03-27 18:03:18', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43921', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43923, 4, '2020-03-29 12:50:19', '2020-03-29 16:50:19', '<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/medical-generic.jpg\"><img width=\"1020\" height=\"559\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-43706\" alt=\"\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/medical-generic-1024x561.jpg\"></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nThe <a href=\"https://www.scdhec.gov/\">South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control</a> (DHEC) is reporting four more cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Beaufort County among the 121 new cases announced on Saturday. DHEC also announced two more deaths in the state.\r\n\r\nSaturday’s additions bring the Beaufort County total to 39 among the state’s 660 total cases. The state’s total number of deaths is now 15.\r\n\r\nBoth deaths were elderly individuals who had underlying health conditions. One patient was a resident of Richland County and one of Horry County.\r\n\r\nThese number came on the day the United States broke the 2,000 mark in coronavirus fatalities. There have been 2,144 deaths among more than 122,000 cases,\r\n\r\nIt took the U.S. more than a month from the first death to reach 1,000 deaths. It took less than 48 hours to go from 1,000 to 2,000 deaths.\r\n\r\nOf the 39 cases in Beaufort County, 23 are in northern Beaufort County, according to DEHC’s zip code map.\r\n\r\nThere are five cases each in the Beaufort zip codes of 29902, 29906 and 29907. There are four cases on St. Helena Island (29920) and one in Port Royal (29935).\r\n\r\nAccording to DHEC, there are three confirmed cases on Parris Island (29905). Officials from Marine Corps Recruiting Depot Parris Island, however, have publicly confirmed just two cases – on Tuesday, March 24 – none among recruits.\r\n\r\n“Our sincere sympathies are with the family and friends of these individuals as well as the family and friends of everyone who has lost someone to this disease,” DHEC’s Dr. Brannon Traxler said in a release with respect to the two additional deaths confirmed Saturday. “Having to report two additional deaths today is a critical reminder of how serious this situation is and how we all have a responsibility to protect ourselves and our communities from the spread of COVID-19.”\r\n\r\nAccording to DHEC, the high number of cases – 121 – is due to reporting cases from a backlog that had developed at DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory due to a nationwide shortage in the chemicals required for performing testing.\r\n\r\nAs of Friday, DHEC says its laboratory has the necessary chemicals and is processing tests as normal. The lab is operating extended hours and is testing samples seven days a week.', 'Confirmed coronavirus cases hit 660 statewide, 39 in Beaufort County; 2 more die', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'confirmed-coronavirus-cases-hit-660-statewide-39-in-beaufort-county-2-more-die', '', '', '2020-03-29 12:50:19', '2020-03-29 16:50:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43923', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(43926, 4, '2020-03-30 16:21:04', '2020-03-30 20:21:04', '<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/medical-generic.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-43706\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/medical-generic-1024x561.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"559\"></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County reported its first coronavirus death Monday.\r\n\r\nAccording to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), the patient was an elderly individual who had underlying health conditions.\r\n\r\nAlong with another death in Anderson County, this brings the state’s total number of deaths to 18. That patient was also an elderly individual with underlying health conditions.\r\n\r\nDHEC is reporting 151 additional cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total number statewide to 925 cases.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County reported an additional 24 cases bringing the total for the county to 74.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;“We’re all in this together,”&nbsp;said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician. “Today’s announcement is a stark reminder of the serious threat that COVID-19 poses to our families, friends, and communities. We encourage all South Carolinians to continue to listen to the guidance of our public health professionals and to, when possible, stay home and limit your close contact with others.”', 'Beaufort County reports 1st coronavirus death', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-reports-1st-coronavirus-death', '', '', '2020-03-30 16:21:04', '2020-03-30 20:21:04', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43926', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43928, 4, '2020-03-30 22:42:36', '2020-03-31 02:42:36', '<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TheSands0402.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-43929\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TheSands0402-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"Beach goers enjoy the sun and sand at The Sands beach on Saturday, March 28 in Port Royal. Photo by Lola Bee.\" width=\"1020\" height=\"765\"></a>\r\n\r\nBeach goers enjoy the sun and sand at The Sands beach on Saturday, March 28 in Port Royal. Photo by Lola Bee.&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Public boat ramps, landings closed on lakes, rivers, waterways</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nGovernor Henry McMaster issued&nbsp;<a href=\"https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=26955768&amp;msgid=222652&amp;act=XGND&amp;c=1561287&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.sc.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FDocuments%2FExecutive-Orders%2F2020-03-30%2520eFILED%2520Executive%2520Order%2520No.%25202020-16%2520-%2520Emergency%2520Access%2520Restrictions%2520for%2520Public%2520Beaches%2520%2526%2520Waters%2520Due%2520to%2520COVID-19%2520Pandemic.pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r%3D26955768%26msgid%3D222652%26act%3DXGND%26c%3D1561287%26destination%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fgovernor.sc.gov%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252FDocuments%252FExecutive-Orders%252F2020-03-30%252520eFILED%252520Executive%252520Order%252520No.%2525202020-16%252520-%252520Emergency%252520Access%252520Restrictions%252520for%252520Public%252520Beaches%252520%252526%252520Waters%252520Due%252520to%252520COVID-19%252520Pandemic.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1585693516554000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHrqXCPNIGFM-tlFiNJe8zHfSaykw\">Executive Order 2020-16</a> on Monday, ordering the closure of all public access points to the state’s beaches, as well as public boat ramps, landings and other access points on the state\'s lakes, rivers and waterways.\r\n\r\nHis order comes after a weekend that saw the public swarm to several beaches across the state, in particular Myrtle Beach. There were also issues at Folly Beach near Charleston, where officials briefly re-opened the coastline Saturday amid confusion over the legality of the town’s ban on out-of-town visitors.\r\n\r\nThe Sands in Port Royal saw a significant number of people on Saturday, as well.\r\n\r\nHunting Island State Park, as well as the beaches on Hilton Head Island, were already closed.\r\n\r\n“As a result of behavior observed this past weekend by the Department of Natural Resources and SLED, it has become necessary to close public access to our state’s beaches, and to close boat ramps and landings on our state’s lakes, rivers and waterways,” Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday afternoon. “This is unfortunate for those who chose to responsibly follow the instructions of our public health officials, but it is a necessary action to prevent the spread of this dangerous virus.”\r\n\r\nThe governor’s executive order authorizes and instructs the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in consultation with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the Attorney General’s office, to provide any necessary guidance.\r\n\r\nThe order does not apply to licensed commercial fishermen, nor does in impact the rights of private property owners living on beaches, lakes, rivers, or waterways in any way.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Gov. McMaster closes public access to beaches', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'gov-mcmaster-closes-public-access-to-beaches', '', '', '2020-03-30 23:37:32', '2020-03-31 03:37:32', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43928', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43934, 4, '2020-03-31 19:59:51', '2020-03-31 23:59:51', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 7.59.37 PM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-03-31-at-7-59-37-pm', '', '', '2020-03-31 19:59:51', '2020-03-31 23:59:51', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-03-31-at-7.59.37-PM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(43936, 4, '2020-03-31 20:01:54', '2020-04-01 00:01:54', '', 'PalmSunday_5X5', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'palmsunday_5x5', '', '', '2020-03-31 20:01:54', '2020-04-01 00:01:54', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PalmSunday_5X5.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(43937, 4, '2020-03-31 22:58:52', '2020-04-01 02:58:52', '<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beaufort Memorial Hospital says it is working “around the clock” to plan for a potential surge in coronavirus cases, but whether the hospital has enough supplies, equipment and resources in the event of a drastic increase in patients remains to be seen.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital recently stated that it was using “every resource available” and was also working to inventory equipment, order additional supplies, identify potential isolation units and cross-train staff in the event of a patient surge, according to a news release issued Friday, March 27.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Today we’re in a good place, and we’ve been working tirelessly to plan for a potential surge,” Beaufort Memorial Hospital President and CEO Russell Baxley said. “We can’t predict the future and we won’t speculate about what we don’t know, but we can and will continue to use every resource available to take care of our staff and everyone who comes through our doors.”&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If needed, the hospital could support 29 patients on ventilators inside and outside of the ICU, according to the release. The hospital has the ability to convert inpatient units to support a surge in COVID-19 patients, it also stated.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But whether that will be enough for the area’s cases, no one can say since that number remains unknown.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 91 positive cases in Beaufort County as of Tuesday, March 31, the county ranks fifth in counties with the most cases.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, the Department of Health and Environment Control (DHEC) expects the state to have as many as 8,053 cases by May 2, according to forecast numbers the agency released on March 24.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exactly how many of those cases could occur in Beaufort County, no one can say for sure and depends on a number of factors, experts say, such as continued social distancing.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last week, the hospital opened a triage and screening area in tents set up in the hospital parking lot in front of its ER. The area is specifically for COVID-19 cases and is designed to accommodate more patients and staff while protecting other ER patients.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tents are on loan from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and will be on site indefinitely, a separate release stated.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital also stated on Friday that it did have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) but is also looking for additional materials through supply chains. Supply meetings are held twice daily to discuss inventory, shipments and conservation, the release stated.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital was also notified on Friday, that South Carolina had received another shipment of medical equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That shipment included face shields, surgical masks, gowns and gloves, which were distributed to every county in the state, according to DHEC.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital also received several ventilators from Beaufort County EMS, as well as donations from the community including C-PAP machines to help support respiratory patients, and funds to purchase an additional ventilator.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, dozens of community members, businesses and schools have donated PPEs, hand-sewn masks and meals for medical staff caring for patients. To donate supplies, meals or funds to support front-line healthcare staff visit </span><a href=\"http://www.beaufortmemorial.org/covid19support\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.beaufortmemorial.org/covid19support</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or email </span><a href=\"mailto:donations@bmhsc.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">donations@bmhsc.org</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the meantime, the hospital had tested more than 300 people for the coronavirus as of last week, and continues to run its mobile test collection site at the Beaufort Memorial Medical and Administrative Center, at 990 Ribaut Road.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients reporting to this site must have a physician’s order and related paperwork on file before arriving on site.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, test samples are sent to the state laboratory through DHEC and to a Quest Diagnostics lab in Virginia. Turnaround times for results can vary between five and eight days.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital is working with another independent testing resource to evaluate upgrading hospital lab equipment to run tests locally, the release from the hospital stated. If successful, the hospital may have that ability by late April, a best-case scenario.</span>', 'Beaufort Memorial Hospital planning for surge, says it can’t predict the future', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-memorial-hospital-planning-for-surge-says-it-cant-predict-the-future', '', '', '2020-04-01 00:05:31', '2020-04-01 04:05:31', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43937', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43939, 4, '2020-03-31 23:10:32', '2020-04-01 03:10:32', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the day South Carolina broke the 1,000-case mark and a day after Beaufort County saw its first death from the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, S.C. Governor Henry McMaster ordered all non-essential businesses closed in the state, still falling short of a shelter-in-place order desired by the mayors of the four municipalities in Beaufort County.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today reported 158 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus, taking South Carolina to 1,083 cases in 42 counties. There were 17 new cases in Beaufort County, making it a troubling 41 cases in two days and 91 total, the fifth highest county total in the state.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A day after </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beaufort County reported its first coronavirus death -- an elderly individual who had underlying health conditions – there were four more deaths, according to DHEC, bringing the total statewide to 22.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three of Tuesday’s victims were elderly individuals who also had underlying health conditions, and one patient was a middle-aged individual who did not have underlying health conditions. They were residents of Aiken, Calhoun, Marion, and York counties.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of these individuals, as well as to the medical professionals who helped care for them,”</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DHEC medical consultant Dr. Brannon Traxler said. “Their loss is a reminder that the risk of inaction on all of our parts is far too great. Social distancing and staying home have never been more critical in our fight against this pandemic.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McMaster issued </span><a href=\"https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=26955768&amp;msgid=222698&amp;act=XGND&amp;c=1561287&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.sc.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FDocuments%2FExecutive-Orders%2F2020-03-31%2520eFILED%2520Executive%2520Order%2520No.%25202020-17%2520-%2520Closure%2520of%2520Non-Essential%2520Businesses.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Executive Order 2020-17</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which ordered the closure of non-essential businesses, as defined by the executive order,&nbsp;throughout the state.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a business has a question as to whether it qualifies as essential, it should complete the Essential Business Clarification form located on the South Carolina Department of Commerce website. Questions can also be sent to </span><a href=\"mailto:covid19sc@sccommerce.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">covid19sc@sccommerce.com</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or business representatives can call 803-734-2873.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A team from South Carolina Department of Commerce will review the business’s request for clarification, and the business will receive a response with their determination, essential or non-essential, within 24&nbsp;hours. If a business is not explicitly addressed in the governor\'s executive order,&nbsp;the business should continue normal operations until a determination is made.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent days, McMaster has also closed all public access to beaches and waterways to combat groups of people which did not practice social distancing. He also ordered all out-of-state visitors to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in South Carolina, essentially shutting down tourism.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier in the week, the mayors of Beaufort, Port Royal, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island took part in a joint resolution asking McMaster to enact a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home mandate. McMaster is on record opposing such an act.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The businesses that will be closed as a result of the governor\'s executive order are as follows:</span>\r\n\r\n<b>&nbsp;Entertainment venues and facilities as follows: </b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Night clubs; bowling alleys; arcades; concert venues; theaters, auditoriums, and performing arts centers; tourist attractions (including museums, aquariums, and planetariums); racetracks; indoor children’s play areas (excluding daycare facilities); adult entertainment venues; bingo halls; venues operated by social clubs.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Recreational and athletic facilities and activities as follows: </b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fitness and exercise centers and commercial gyms; spas and public or commercial swimming pools; group exercise facilities, to include yoga, barre, and spin studios or facilities; spectator sports; sports that involve interaction with another person in close proximity and within less than six (6) feet of another person; activities that require the use of shared sporting apparatus and equipment; activities on commercial or public playground equipment.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Close-contact service providers as follows: </b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barber shops; hair salons; waxing salons treading salons nail salons and spas; body-art facilities and tattoo services tanning salons; massage-therapy establishments and massage services.</span><b>&nbsp;</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Governor continues to act as coronavirus cases add up; SC tops 1,000, Beaufort Co. at 91', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'governor-continues-to-act-as-coronavirus-cases-add-up-sc-tops-1000-beaufort-co-at-91', '', '', '2020-04-01 00:01:59', '2020-04-01 04:01:59', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43939', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44069, 4, '2020-04-14 09:20:59', '2020-04-14 13:20:59', '<h2>Local group collecting goods to help out SC neighbors</h2>\r\n<h4>By Mike McCombs</h4>\r\nFor the most part, Beaufort County residents caught a break early Monday morning, missing the worst of the storms that swept across South Carolina through the night.\r\n\r\nAt least nine residents of the state were killed, including five in Hampton County and one in Colleton County where a tornado touched down. As many as 250 homes were destroyed in Hampton County.\r\n\r\nOther media outlets reported that at least 20 planes were destroyed at Walterboro’s Lowcountry Regional Airport, while many homes were destroyed and roads blocked across the county seat of Colleton County.\r\n\r\nIn Beaufort, the damage was limited.\r\n\r\nAround 7 a.m., a large oak tree came down, blocking Ribaut Road between Hermitage and Depot roads, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. It was removed by mid-morning.\r\n\r\nPower was out to traffic signals at key intersections in Port Royal – Lady’s Island Drive and Ribaut Road, as well as Parris Avenue and Ribaut Road – and Port Royal Police were on scene to manage traffic during the morning rush.\r\n\r\nAnd a portion of the Spanish Moss Trail was closed, according to the City of Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department, between Brotherhood Road and Broome Lane, where a large tree came down on a power line.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAside from a few downed trees and standing water, there was no widespread damage.\r\n<h4>How to help</h4>\r\nMembers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Relief Society Organization, working in conjunction with other churches in the town of Ridgeland, are collecting necessities to be delivered to those in the greatest need in the Walterboro/Nixville area.\r\n\r\nAmong the items needed are soap, razors and shaving cream, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, shampoo, diapers and wipes, baby formula and baby food, clothing of all sizes, bottled water, bread, individual bags of chips, individually wrapped snacks, ice in styrofoam coolers, paper lunch bags, zipper/fold-top sandwich bags, plastic totes and large trash bags.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSome donations may be delivered immediately, but most will definitely be delivered by Friday.\r\n\r\nTo arrange drop off for donations, call Lisa Clancy at 843-252-1146, Michelle Morgan at 843-986-2637 or Tammy Thaxton at 385-775-4449.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nDonations can also be dropped off at donation boxes outside of Hobbit Hill Preschool (921 Magnolia Bluff Circle, Shell Point) or Hobbit Hill, Too Preschool (5 Rue Du Bois, Lady’s Island), thanks to state representative Shannon Erickson.\r\n\r\nFollow The Island News Facebook page for any updates or for additional needed items.\r\n\r\n<em>Above: City of Beaufort Public Works workers and the S.C. DOT clean up a tree that blocked Ribaut Road early Monday morning. Photo by City of Beaufort.</em>', 'Deadly storms skirt Beaufort area ', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'deadly-storms-skirt-beaufort-area', '', '', '2020-04-14 09:20:59', '2020-04-14 13:20:59', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44069', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44072, 4, '2020-04-14 21:02:49', '2020-04-15 01:02:49', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nMonday was an anomaly over the past month and a half – there were no new cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus reported for Beaufort County by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).\r\n\r\nThe beat picked back up Tuesday with four more new cases. I would argue the beat is a lot faster.\r\n\r\nMost of us have no idea what the coronavirus situation is in Beaufort County. Not this writer and not the readers. All because of a 19-square-mile elephant in the room.\r\n\r\nMarine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.\r\n\r\nAs the coronavirus cases started to add up in Beaufort County and the state, stories started to slip off the island of confirmed cases and quarantined recruits, Marines and staff. But the Marine Corps insisted there were no positive cases.\r\n\r\nIt’s impossible to know what goes on behind the scenes. But it was only when The Island News presented specific details about specific personnel that had tested positive that there was an admission they existed.\r\n\r\nNot long after the Corps released that two Marines had tested positive, S.C. DHEC began listing positive cases by zip code. And then as soon as it started, it stopped, citing privacy reasons.\r\n\r\nIn the very first release, the numbers already betrayed Parris Island. Next to 29905, the zip code for Parris Island, there were three cases listed. While the base was still saying there were just two publicly.\r\n\r\nEventually, Governor Henry McMaster ordered DHEC to release updated zip code data.\r\n\r\nHere’s where things got interesting. When they began releasing the data again, zip code 29905 was no longer listed.\r\n\r\nThe Charleston Post &amp; Courier reports that DHEC stated that the 29905 zip code was merely for post office boxes and there were no residents under that number.\r\n\r\nSo why were any ever tallied for 29905?\r\n\r\nThe DHEC spokesperson has not returned my phone calls since March 30, so I can’t answer that. I spoke to her specifically about zip code 29905 that day.\r\n\r\nClearly, DHEC began tallying the Parris Island confirmed cases under a category titled “unknown.”\r\n\r\nThe total in that category reached as high as 54 before something amazing began to happen. It started to go back down.\r\n\r\nThe Post &amp; Courier reports that DHEC began redistributing the Parris Island cases among the other zip codes, presumably with 29902 taking a large share, based on the current numbers.\r\n\r\nIn doing so, they admitted at least 40 of those unknown cases were “related to Parris Island.”\r\n\r\nThe U.S. military is no longer updating specific counts of confirmed cases on any installation.\r\n\r\nAn exact number of positive cases on Parris Island, now and going forward, won’t be made public, Capt. Bryan McDonnell, Director for Public Affairs for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the Eastern Recruiting Region, said at the time of that decision.\r\n\r\nThat decision came just prior, by the way, to the admission there were at least 20 positive cases on Parris Island, only days after there were just two.\r\n\r\nThe reality is the situation is likely much worse. DHEC said at least 40 were attributable to Parris Island a week ago. How many is it now?\r\n\r\nA source told me last week that a specific building on base with close to 100 rooms was being used exclusively to house confirmed cases.\r\n\r\nAnd how many more Marines, recruits or staff are quarantined?\r\n\r\nThe change in policy by the Defense Department came just four days after the Secretary of the Navy and the Marine Corps Commandant, in a press briefing televised live on Fox News, said communities could “expect transparency of all positive COVID-19 cases on installations within their communities.”\r\n\r\nClearly not.\r\n\r\nMCCS – Marine Corps Community Services, the largest civilian contractor on base – has moved to essential personnel only on MCRD Parris Island. But there are still a large number of civilians that go to work every day on Parris Island then go home to their families at night.\r\n\r\nIt’s a big risk. For them and their families.\r\n\r\nClearly, the Marines have taken steps to stem the tide.\r\n\r\nParris Island is closed to the public. Graduation ceremonies are canceled, and leave for new graduates is no longer standard. Travel has been stopped for all U.S. military members by the Pentagon for a 60-day period.\r\n\r\nThere is a 14-day staging period during which new recruits will be medically screened and monitored.\r\n\r\nAnd MCRD Parris Island is not taking any new shipments of recruits until things have stabilized.\r\n\r\n“The Marine Corps continues to take an aggressive force health protection posture against the impacts of COVID-19. There are no plans to suspend training at this time,” McDonnell wrote last week. “As with the rest of the nation and the world, we continue to monitor the situation and are taking several steps to mitigate risk. This is an evolving situation, and we will continue making decisions with all available information to protect the health of the force and the readiness of the Marine Corps.”\r\n\r\nOver the last couple weeks, a story emerged from the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier in the Pacific whose captain broke the chain of command because he felt his concerns about the infection on his ship wasn’t being taken seriously by his superiors.\r\n\r\nNow he and more than 500 of his crew have the virus. And one sailor has died.\r\n\r\nI’m not saying that will happen here.\r\n\r\nI’m saying I hope it doesn’t.\r\n\r\n<em>Mike McCombs is the editor-in-chief of The Island News.</em>', 'Parris Island is the elephant in the room', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'parris-island-is-the-elephant-in-the-room', '', '', '2020-04-14 21:02:49', '2020-04-15 01:02:49', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44072', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43998, 4, '2020-04-08 06:35:08', '2020-04-08 10:35:08', '<h4>By Lee Scott</h4>\r\nAs I was reviewing our “stay at home” supplies, I stumbled across a stash of hostess paper towels for the bathroom, all of which have various themes like Halloween and Christmas.\r\n\r\nI usually buy a stack or two of fresh towelettes for dinner parties or holiday functions. I decided they would make great dinner napkins right now. Then I thought, that maybe, I have other products lying around. So, I started to look for other paper products like cocktail napkins and paper towels.\r\n\r\nSure enough, in the liquor cabinet were skeleton cocktail napkins from Halloween and poinsettia napkins from Christmas. I also discovered a roll of paper towels with Christmas trees and reindeer on them.\r\n\r\nI started to pull everything out, including the political rolls of toilet paper that were given to us as gifts. Truthfully, I am not sure they meet the current sanitation requirements, so they will probably remain unused.\r\n\r\nThen while rummaging in the powder room, I found two large bottles of rubbing alcohol behind the Suntan lotion and band aids. I realized I could make my own sanitizing lotion if needed. The internet has a load of recommendations for Purell substitutes.\r\n\r\nThe more I started searching the house, I realized there were other things I could use now too, like cards. I have left over St. Patrick Day cards, Valentine Cards, old Christmas cards, and money cards.\r\n\r\nNow was the time for fun. With my sister and daughter-in-law’s birthdays in April, I pulled out a “Sorry for the loss of your pet” card for my sister and a “Congratulations on your new house” card for my daughter-in-law. I got calls from them both. They understood right away that hunting for specific cards right now is probably not a good idea.\r\n\r\nWhen I told my daughter-in-law about the skeleton napkins, she said she found a collection of Happy Birthday napkins left over from various birthday parties. She is using them now and the girls say they get to have a party every day. She is also having my granddaughters make their own cards for upcoming Easter, birthdays and “Thinking of you” occasions.\r\n\r\nGood time for me to get out my pink and blue construction paper to do the same for them. Of course, I still have some old “Congratulations on the birth of your son” cards, but I am not sure that is quite appropriate\r\nfor them.\r\n\r\nFinally, I found the perfect card for my son’s birthday. It was one of those “Congratulations on your retirement” money cards. I wrote “Happy Birthday” and put a Monopoly $500 bill in the sleeve.\r\n\r\n“Sorry I couldn’t get to the ATM. I knew you would understand.” Love, Mom.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<i>Lee Scott, a writer and recent retiree, shares her everyday observations about life after career. A former commercial banker responsible for helping her clients to reach their business objectives, Scott now translates those analytical skills to her writings. She lives on St. Helena Island and enjoys boating, traveling and reading.</i>', 'My recycled materials are perfect for right now', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'my-recycled-materials-are-perfect-for-right-now', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:35:08', '2020-04-08 10:35:08', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43998', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43946, 4, '2020-03-31 23:26:01', '2020-04-01 03:26:01', '[caption id=\"attachment_43942\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"1020\"]<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/RES3856.jpg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-43942\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/RES3856-1024x731.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"728\"></a> C.J. Cummings of Beaufort works out Wednesday morning, March 25 as he trains for the 2020 Olympics. The Games have been postponed until Summer of 2021, but the laid back Cummings doesn’t seem to mind. Photo by Bob Sofaly.[/caption]\r\n\r\n<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“THIS JUST IN, CJ NOW HAS A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS TO MAKE HIMSELF THAT MUCH BETTER!”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was the text message Team Beaufort coach Ray Jones sent to The Island News at 9:09 a.m. on Monday, March 30.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jones had just learned that the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo had been moved to the summer of 2021 as a result of the worldwide COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And C.J. is C.J Cummings, the 19-year-old weightlifting phenom from Beaufort who had been waiting four years since missing out on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team to compete on the world’s biggest stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cummings, the four-time defending Junior World Champion and the defending Pan American Champion in the 73-kilogram weight class, is the No. 1 weightlifter in the United States and ranked fifth in the world. The Olympics were a lock for Cummings.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike his coach, he was justifiably disappointed, at least at first.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“At first, I just wanted (the Olympics) to happen,” Cummings said. “I had been waiting for four years and I was a little upset. But after it sank in, I think it will be good to have an entire year to train and get even better.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After it sank in … and he talked to Jones.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s going to make him more mature,” Jones said. “He’s going to be better with that, with another year of training. For them to pump the brakes and put it on hold for a year is a good thing.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jones also believes, with the field virtually locked in, and all eyes on the top competitors, it increases the chances of a level playing field, at least as far as doping goes.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The countries that are dirty, they’re going to be watching them hard,” Jones said. “My guys welcome the scrutiny.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cummings, whose parents Savasha and Clarence Sr. plan on making the trip to Japan, now finds himself with nothing immediate for which to train.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He is not in a training cycle because everything has been canceled for the next three to four months, he said. His next competition wouldn’t be until the end of the year.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I’m just building. It’s not hard, I’m just getting better,” Cummings said. “I’m not competing with anybody else, I’m competing with myself to get better.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from training he says he’s not doing much. Exercising and hanging around the house.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I like to maybe go out and drive around,” he said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jones said he’s not worried about Cummings’ down time.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“If it were some other athletes I know … I’ve got another one who is stressed out to no end. C.J. just isn’t built that way, Jones said. “He’s even more focused. He’s not the norm. He never has been.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I’m sure there are things that he holds in, but you sure don’t see it in his performance.”</span>', 'Hurry up and wait: Coronavirus outbreak means another year before Beaufort’s Cummings reaches Olympics', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hurry-up-and-wait-coronavirus-outbreak-means-another-year-before-beauforts-cummings-reaches-olympics', '', '', '2020-04-01 00:00:13', '2020-04-01 04:00:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43946', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44056, 4, '2020-04-09 02:45:52', '2020-04-09 06:45:52', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n<h4><strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong></h4>\r\nAs spring break approaches, the Beaufort County School District is notifying parents about some short-term scheduling changes in the way free student meals are distributed.\r\n\r\nThursday, April 9, the District will distribute meals for both Thursday and Friday – two breakfasts and two lunches for each student. All meals can be picked at our 12 regular pick-up points as well as at our regular school bus stop pick-up points.\r\n\r\nThere will not be a meal pick-up on Friday.\r\n\r\nNext week is spring break, and the District will be serving free student meals as follows:\r\n\r\n– On Monday, April 13, the District will distribute meals for Monday and Tuesday – two breakfasts and two lunches.\r\n\r\n– On Wednesday, April 15, breakfasts and lunches can be picked up for Wednesday and Thursday.\r\n\r\n– Friday, April 17, one breakfast and one lunch will be served.\r\n\r\nAll spring break meal distributions will be at regular pick-up points. There will be no meal pick-ups on Tuesday or Thursday.\r\n\r\nRegular daily meal distribution will resume on Monday, April 20.', 'School District altering meal pick-up schedule before, during spring break', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'school-district-altering-meal-pick-up-schedule-before-during-spring-break', '', '', '2020-04-09 14:34:16', '2020-04-09 18:34:16', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44056', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44129, 4, '2020-04-19 04:48:01', '2020-04-19 08:48:01', '<p class=\"western\"><b>By Mike McCombs</b></p>\r\n<p class=\"western\">The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Saturday&nbsp;announced 165 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, and 3 additional deaths as Governor Henry McMaster moved closer to re-opening the state’s beaches and waterways and many retail businesses.</p>\r\n<p class=\"western\">This brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Carolina to 4,246 and puts the death toll at 119.</p>\r\n<p class=\"western\">Of the three deaths reported Saturday, two were elderly individuals with underlying health conditions from Horry County, and one was a middle-aged individual with no known underlying health conditions from Aiken County.</p>\r\n<p class=\"western\">There were six new cases in Beaufort County bringing the total to 220 with eight deaths reported.</p>\r\n<p class=\"western\">Widespread media reports indicate McMaster will issue orders allowing the re-opening of beaches and public access to rives, lakes and waterways, as well as many retail stores, on Monday, with the orders taking effect as soon as Tuesday.</p>\r\n<p class=\"western\">“I’m hopeful that we can continue with safe, incremental progress,” Shannon Smith Erickson, S.C. State Representative for District 124, said in a text message to The Island News. “With continued social distancing, we can move back to some of our regular activities. Our citizens, businesses and community have been amazing, so I know we can do this together, too. I hope the Governor’s incremental, scientific matrix allows us these options.”</p>\r\nCongressman Joe Cunningham of the 1<sup>st</sup> Congressional District, in messages on Twitter and Facebook, said the details would be important.\r\n<p class=\"western\">“As much as I would love the beaches to be open, this feels premature. Any reopening must be done safely and in partnership with the local municipalities who will be directly impacted. They should have the autonomy to protect their residents,”Cunningham said. “The details here will be very important. I look forward to hearing those details from Governor McMaster on Monday, particularly how he intends to enforce this without putting our law enforcement at unnecessary risk.”</p>', 'SC DHEC reports 165 more coronavirus cases; McMaster moves closer to re-opening beaches, stores', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'sc-dhec-reports-165-more-coronavirus-cases-mcmaster-moves-closer-to-re-opening-beaches-stores', '', '', '2020-04-19 04:48:01', '2020-04-19 08:48:01', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44129', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44060, 4, '2020-04-09 14:36:50', '2020-04-09 18:36:50', '<strong>Photo By Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nWith all the bars and restaurants closed because of the encroachment of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, Bay Street remains void of most vehicular and pedestrian traffic at night. Some local restaurants are staying afloat by employing curbside pick-up for call ahead orders.&nbsp;', 'Ghost Town', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'ghost-town', '', '', '2020-04-09 14:36:50', '2020-04-09 18:36:50', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44060', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44066, 4, '2020-04-13 22:44:19', '2020-04-14 02:44:19', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Monday announced 127 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, and five additional deaths, including one in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nThis brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 3,439, and those who have died to 87.\r\n\r\nThere were no new Beaufort County cases reported. There have been 194 confirmed cases in Beaufort County so far. The death, the seventh in the county was an elderly individual with underlying health conditions.', 'Beaufort County reports 7th coronavirus death, no new cases', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-reports-7th-coronavirus-death-no-new-cases', '', '', '2020-04-13 22:44:19', '2020-04-14 02:44:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44066', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43951, 4, '2020-03-31 23:54:44', '2020-04-01 03:54:44', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Officials at Marine Corp Recruit Depot Parris Island have temporarily stopped receiving new recruits after admitting to more than 20 positive cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus on base on Monday, March 30.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previously, MCRD Parris Island officials had admitted to just two confirmed cases despite zip code data from the South Carolina </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) that indicated more positive cases on Parris Island.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An exact number of positive cases on Parris Island, now and going forward, won’t be made public, according to Capt. Bryan McDonnell, Director for Public Affairs for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the Eastern Recruiting Region.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We are no longer providing specific numbers per Department of Defense OpSec guidance,” McDonnell said in a text message to The Island News. “I can confirm that we have had an increase in positive cases that were identified over the weekend thanks to our medical posture and focused testing.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McDonnell also did not confirm a specific number of suspected coronavirus patients who might be quarantined or awaiting test results.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This change in policy by the Defense Department came just four days after Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David H. Berger, in a press briefing televised live on Fox News, said communities could “expect transparency of all positive COVID-19 cases on installations within their communities.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A letter signed by Commanding General James F. Glynn and Sergeant Major William C. Carter was posted on MCRD Parris Island’s Facebook page on Monday, reassuring Marines and staff that officials were taking the coronavirus crisis seriously and steps above and beyond what the CDC requires and recommends were being taken.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The letter outlines new policy that requires a 14-day staging period during which new recruits will be medically screened and monitored. However, it makes clear that despite changes in the “manner which (the Marine Corps) recruits and trains,” that training will resume at MCRD Parris Island.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other media outlets are reporting the target date for training to resume as April 13.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, Parris Island is closed to the public. Graduation ceremonies are canceled and leave for new graduates is no longer standard. Travel has been stopped for all U.S. military members by the Pentagon for a 60-day period.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the situation on Parris Island is still quite fluid.&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although MCCS – Marine Corps Community Services, the largest civilian contractor on base – has moved to essential personnel only on MCRD Parris Island, as well as MCAS Beaufort, an unknown number of the 360 civilians employed on base are still going to work on Parris Island every day.&nbsp;</span>', 'Coronavirus hits Marines hard: At least 20 test positive on Parris Island', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-hits-marines-hard-at-least-20-test-positive-on-parris-island', '', '', '2020-03-31 23:54:44', '2020-04-01 03:54:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43951', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43957, 4, '2020-04-01 09:28:22', '2020-04-01 13:28:22', '<strong>By Russell Baxley, MHA</strong>\r\n\r\nThere may be different opinions and schools of thought about the Covid-19 virus — the seriousness of the disease, how it spreads, the real mortality rate, whether it is “just” another flu, and other factors used to assess pandemics. Nevertheless, what we know without a doubt is that what we do right now, in this moment, will dictate both the spread and the impact of this pandemic, especially in our community. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIf the images from other communities seem too distant or too irrelevant to change your behavior, I would urge you to consider the healthcare heroes at your local hospital who charge headlong into this battle every single day. Many among our team cannot socially distance because their jobs require them to come to work every day, don protective equipment in hopes of staying safe, and prepare to treat those who need us the most. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nUnlike comic book heroes, our healthcare heroes get sick just like anyone else. They put their families at risk every time they go home. Yet, they still come back day after day to do it all over again.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSo if you are wondering why you should follow the rules of social distancing and you are not worried about yourself, think about the nurse, physician, respiratory therapist, or other healthcare personnel who are putting their health and lives on the line every day for our community. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThink about that mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister who goes home every day and has to distance themselves from their families for fear of infecting them. They are here for you and always will be. What we are asking is that you also be here for them, because if we lose even one person in this fight, then we will have lost one person too many. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nRecently, I felt compelled to share our Covid-19 outbreak efforts as the President of Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Friday afternoon I shared publicly what we have done to serve the community during this crisis and how we are preparing to serve the community when this crisis escalates.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWe hope and pray that what we have laid out is only an exercise in disaster preparedness and that we never have to follow through with all of our plans. However, make no mistake, that outcome is only possible if we all do our part with social distancing, hand hygiene and infection prevention so we can flatten the curve. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nNo matter your age or your beliefs, follow the rules. All of them. What you do right now will make a difference. Perhaps a life-or-death difference. And, when we look back — when YOU look back, on the decisions you made during this time, how do you think history will judge you? More importantly, how will you judge yourself? You get to choose whether you will contribute to the problem or be part of the solution. Please, choose wisely, because we are all counting on you. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<i>Russell Baxley, MHA, is the President and CEO of Beaufort Memorial Hospital.</i>', 'We Are Counting On You', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'we-are-counting-on-you', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:28:22', '2020-04-01 13:28:22', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43957', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(43962, 4, '2020-04-01 09:30:09', '2020-04-01 13:30:09', 'A&nbsp;few years ago, I wrote an article regarding whether I might have married my cousin. This had not really been a concern because we were never going to procreate together, but I was interested in finding the answer.\r\n\r\nThis subject had come up while researching my family. I knew my great-great grandfather was Robert Scott and my husband is a Scott. Hence the deepening search within the Scott ancestors.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBut having gone through several years of research and getting my DNA tested through Ancestry.com, I was having no luck in finding any common relatives. Surely, the name Scott 150 years ago could not have been that common in Scotland.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIt actually was very common.\r\n\r\nRegardless of my work, my quest was fruitless. Then my spouse agreed to have his DNA tested. Eureka! We waited anxiously for the test and it came back this week. We are cousins.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nHere is the snag. We are fifth to eighth cousins, with our common DNA around 14 centiMorgans. Which is not that much. However it does put us in the cousins range.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nYet, as much as I thought it was our Scottish background that brought us together, it appears that it is through our British families. We also have Irish blood, but there does not seem to be a connection there.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe funny part about this cousin relationship is that there are 56,000 fifth to eighth<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>cousins in my DNA family. And these are only the people who have taken the test.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhat is of particular interest is the fact that 150 years ago, there was a lot of animosity between the Irish and the British and yet now, cousins are marrying cousins. As the years have gone by and the pool has been diluted enough, the animosity is ancient history.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWho is to say what our American gene pool will look like in the next 150 years?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAlso, the irony in this is that our five children and 12 grandchildren are actually related to one another through common ancestors. Which means our gene pool is even more diluted.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn addition to our genes, our children have French, Italian, Greek, Norwegian, and Swedish. Then when you look at our grandchildren you add many more countries.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIt has changed the complexion of our family now because when my husband and I were married 15 years, we brought together two separate families. The Scotts and the Smiths. Now this new common bond will connect both families forever.\r\n\r\nAs for me, the timing of this discovery is perfect. When people ask me how I am keeping myself busy during this period I tell them about the cousin I have found amongst my 56,000 cousins, and my search for our common ancestors. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<i>\r\nLee Scott, a writer and recent retiree, shares her everyday observations about life after career. A former commercial banker responsible for helping her clients to reach their business objectives, Scott now translates those analytical skills to her writings. She lives on St. Helena Island and enjoys boating, traveling and reading.</i>', 'It’s no big deal, but I married my cousin', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'its-no-big-deal-but-i-married-my-cousin', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:30:09', '2020-04-01 13:30:09', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43962', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43964, 4, '2020-04-01 09:31:23', '2020-04-01 13:31:23', '<strong>By Scott Graber</strong>\r\n\r\nIt’s Friday — I’m in my small, bookcase-lined study — wondering about the pathogen in our midst. This morning, the Wall Street Journal is mostly given over to the virus.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBut if one reads further, one discovers a small item saying there will be at least 650,000 people (around the world) with $30 million or more by 2024. The article goes on to say these mega-wealthy folks are desperate to find places to park their millions. Favorite parking places include “private equity investments, gold, cash and real estate.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe piece — clearly conceived before the pandemic and the implosion of the stock market — tells us that wealthy folks are moving out of stocks, for something solid like a piece of a private (untraded) business; or bullion, or the most tangible, touchable of all assets — real estate. This real estate is often located in a city — New York, London, Singapore — and usually translates into high-rise, pencil-thin building with views (on a clear day) of Rahway, N.J.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAlthough all eyes are now focused on where our Coronavirus is thriving — New York, California and Washington — there is a Presidential election in our future. Given the millions of newly unemployed workers now sheltering in their studio apartments, the concept of “income inequality” will be more than an interesting abstraction this time around.\r\n\r\nA little research on income inequality leads one to believe that this growing chasm is more complicated than a few Swiss-banking, Gulfstream-owning, tax-dodging hedge fund managers. According to my research an equally culpable culprit is “globalization.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“Globalization” — as a concept — is the world-wide integration of trade, information and jobs. On the surface this seems like a good thing. It certainly is a good thing for the makers of laptops, cell phones and ear buds. But the movement of jobs to China, India and Brazil is not a good thing for America’s middle class.\r\n\r\nBranco Milanovic, an economist, has looked at the middle classes of emerging economies, like China, and found that 5 million Chinese households earned between $11,500 and $43,000 in 2005. By 2015, 225 million Chinese households had moved into this category. This same expansion of middle class happened in India, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt. But that expansion has not happened in America.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhile this hollowing-out was under way, compensation at certain corporations turned into a competition where the winning CEO was richly rewarded, and runners-up got less. Much less. Those winning CEOs needed somewhere, someplace to park their compensation and so these folks got their very own shopping section in the Wall Street Journal called, “Mansions.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThis morning, “Mansions” tells us that tobacco billionaire Brad Kelly has listed his 500,000-acre ranch for $500 million dollars; that Barry Schwartz has listed his “equestrian estate” in Westchester County for $100 million; that George Ruan has sold his Neoclassical Bel-Air (California) house for $60 million.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAfter giving our triumphant CEO a listing of the latest, top-of-the-charts properties, we find a piece on the dismal sales in the Hamptons called, “The Hamptons Are Going Cold.” Here we read that this posh, privileged island 90 miles east of New York City is suffering from oversupply. Apparently the Hamptons are also losing their allure from “McMansions, a status-obsessed culture and grueling traffic, …” <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe marginalized, under-employed, former residents of America’s middle class are not illiterate. The newly let go bartenders can also read “Mansions” and are (probably) stunned by the fact that there are people who can buy a 500,000-acre ranch for $500 million. And while these kids may enjoy a costume drama like “Downton Abbey,” they don’t like the notion that now they are the liveried servants who clean the toilets and polish the silver.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIt is clear that the Trump Administration is desperate to get cash into the countryside to keep these folks afloat. But that cash ($1,200) may pay the rent for a month, or perhaps two months, but it won’t get them a new job if the bistro is in Chapter 11. If these young folks don’t see a future, if they are still looking into the yawning maw of student debt, they will actually vote this time around.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSome of my friends on the right see Bernie’s army (13 percent of the electorate) voting for Donald Trump on their theory that they want a revolution and Trump is a revolutionary.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>I don’t think that’s he’s their candidate. But come October this cohort is going to register their anger in the form of a vote. Stay tuned.\r\n\r\n<i>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. Email Scott at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</i>', 'This time around Trump not the right ‘revolutionary’', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'this-time-around-trump-not-the-right-revolutionary', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:31:23', '2020-04-01 13:31:23', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43964', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43966, 4, '2020-04-01 09:32:46', '2020-04-01 13:32:46', '<b>John Henderson</b>\r\n\r\nJohn Henderson \"Baby John” 83, of Mary Jenkins community, St. Helena Island, SC entered into eternal rest at the home of his sister, Sara\' Reynolds-Green, March 23, 2020. Private services were March 27 at Helen Galloway’s Memorial Chapel, Edith Galloway, Funeral Director Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals. Memorial Service will be at a later date.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Burial in Beaufort National Cemetery.\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Evelena Pope Bryan</b>\r\n\r\nEvelena Pope Bryan, 69, entered into eternal rest at the Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Saturday, March 21, 2020.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>She was married to William Bryan, Jr. and lived in the Tom Fripp community of St. Helena Island, SC. Funeral services were Thursday, March 26, Jehovah Church of Jesus Christ. Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals in charge. Private burial at Beaufort National Cemetery.\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Rollin Thomas</b>\r\n\r\nRollin Thomas, 74, of St. Helena Island and husband of Delores Singleton Thomas entered into eternal rest at the home of his daughter, Ronnett Holmes on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Funeral services were Saturday, March 21 at Bethesda Christian Fellowship. Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals in charge.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Burial in the Frogmore Cemetery, St. Helena Island, SC.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>James \"Kitty\" Wing</b>\r\n\r\nJames \"Kitty\" Wing, Sr. 90, of the Wallace community of St. Helena Island entered into eternal rest Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at the River Oaks Assisted Living. Funeral services were Friday, March 20 under the direction of Edith Galloway at Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals, 808 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC. Burial was in the Beaufort National Cemetery with Military Honors.\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Edward \"Eddie\" Middleton</b>\r\n\r\nEdward \"Eddie\" Middleton, 67, of Burton and husband of Margie Daise Middleton entered into eternal rest at the Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Thursday, March 5, 2020. Visitation was March 11 at Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel with Edith Galloway of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals in Beaufort, 808 Bladen St. Funeral services and burial, at New Bethlehem Baptist Church, Wadmalaw Island, SC.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>Jimmy DeVette Singleton</b>\r\n\r\nJimmy DeVette Singleton, 33, of Columbia, SC and husband of Doneza \"Dee\" Heyward Singleton died in an automobile accident in Columbia, Monday, February 24, 2020. Funeral services were March 7, Friendship Holiness Church under the direction of Edith Galloway of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals in Beaufort. Burial was at Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church, 481 Keans Neck Road, Seabrook, SC.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Elke Gardner</b>\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>Elke Gardner, 69, of the Warsaw Island community of St. Helena Island, wife of Freddie Gardner entered into eternal rest February 21, 2020 at her residence. She was the mother of Tokie Gardner, Atlanta, GA, Freddie Gardner (Krystal), Charlotte, NC, grandmother of Journey Gardner-Sanders, brother, Uwe Baun of Donzdorf, Germany. Memorial services held February 27 at Frissell Hall, Penn Center.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span><b>Rev. Dr. Sally Ann LaPoint</b>\r\n\r\nRev. Dr. Sally Ann LaPoint, 76, former Associate Minister of the Brick Baptist Church on St. Helena Island went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Gabriel Funeral Home of Port Arthur, Texas handled the arrangements.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>Edward \"Coonie\" Singleton</b>\r\n\r\nEdward \"Coonie\" Singleton, 72, formerly of the Hazel Farm community of Lady\'s Island entered into eternal rest Thursday, February 13, 2020 at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Augusta, Georgia. Edward, the father of Edward Singleton, Jr. and Stacey Atkins. Funeral, February 20, at New Birth Deliverance Temple, Burton community of Beaufort. Burial was in Beaufort National Cemetery with Military Honors.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>Connie Gayle Brown Poole</b>\r\n\r\nConnie Gayle Brown Poole, 67, of Beaufort and mother of Melissa Poole and Shawn Hill entered into eternal rest Monday, January 27, 2020 at the Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Services will be private.\r\n\r\n<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Ruth Holmes Davis</b>\r\n\r\nRuth Holmes Davis, 78, formerly of Dr. White community on St. Helena Island entered into eternal rest in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, January 10, 2020. She was the sister of Carolee Brown, Ardell Brown, Nellie Holmes and Rebecca Charlton also the late Alice Holmes, Benjamin Holmes and Albertha \"Sylvia\" Parker. Funeral was January 24, at Bethesda Christian Fellowship, private burial. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'Death Notices', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'death-notices-3', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:32:46', '2020-04-01 13:32:46', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43966', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43968, 4, '2020-04-01 09:33:47', '2020-04-01 13:33:47', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, South Carolina residents have an extra year to obtain their REAL I’d.\r\n\r\nOn March 26, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would extend the enforcement date of the Federal REAL ID Act of 2005 from Oct. 1, 2020 to Oct. 1, 2021.\r\n\r\n“I’m pleased to see DHS made this necessary decision in light of current events impacting our state and nation related to COVID-19,” South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) Executive Director Kevin Shwedo said in a release. “This extension gives South Carolinians additional time and further ensures wait times at SCDMV offices remain low versus growing to four or six hours like we have been anticipating.”\r\n\r\nTo date, the SCDMV has issued more than 1.2 million REAL ID driver’s licenses and identification cards. Customers are encouraged to take advantage of SCDMVonline.com to see if they’re eligible to purchase their REAL ID license from home.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThere are still 350,000 people eligible to buy their REAL ID license online because all of their documents are already on file. We encourage people to take advantage of this opportunity.\r\n\r\nThe SCDMV\'s Sweet Caroline tool reminds South Carolinians that photocopies, notarized photocopies, and non-government-issued copies are not accepted. The only exception to this is proof of address documents. Documents needed to buy a REAL ID include all of the following:\r\n\r\nProof of identity (Government-issued birth certificate or valid U.S. Passport)\r\n\r\nProof of Social Security number\r\n\r\nTwo proofs of current physical S.C. address\r\n\r\nProof of all legal name changes\r\n\r\nThis fall it will become more difficult for South Carolinians to purchase their REAL ID licenses online. South Carolina Act No. 220 of 2018, which takes effect in October, requires a vision screening to renew a driver’s license. South Carolinians who want to take advantage of online purchasing must have a vision screening on file with the SCDMV, submitted via an electronic portal by their eye care professional, to purchase a REAL ID license online.\r\n\r\nAs of Oct. 1, 2021, you must have a REAL ID to board a domestic, commercial flight, enter a secure federal building, or visit a military installation unless you have a valid U.S. Passport, military ID, or another accepted form of federal identification.\r\n\r\nA regular REAL ID license is $25. Before visiting an SCDMV branch, visit SCDMVOnline.com to see the wait times at all 66 branches statewide.', 'Coronavirus gives residents extra year to get REAL ID', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-gives-residents-extra-year-to-get-real-id', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:33:47', '2020-04-01 13:33:47', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43968', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43970, 4, '2020-04-01 09:34:45', '2020-04-01 13:34:45', '<b>United Way launches COVID-19<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Relief Fund</b>\r\n\r\nIn response to the coronavirus pandemic, United Way of the Lowcountry has launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The United Way of the Lowcountry COVID-19 Relief Fund was created to assist the Lowcountry\'s most vulnerable neighbors with the resources they need during this critical time. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nUnited Way of the Lowcountry will distribute 100 percent of the funds collected to provide services to residents in Beaufort and Jasper Counties to meet basic needs including food, shelter, rent/utility assistance and other necessities due to the loss of income related to the COVID-19 pandemic.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAny funds remaining after the pandemic will be reallocated to support United Way of the Lowcountry\'s HELPLINE, which supports residents in need throughout Beaufort and Jasper Counties.\r\n\r\nDonations can be made online at www.uwlowcountry.org or by texting COVID19LC to 40403. Donations can also be mailed to: United Way of the Lowcountry, P.O. Box 202 Beaufort, S.C. 29901. (Make checks out to United Way of the Lowcountry with \"COVID-19 Relief Fund\" in the memo line.)\r\n\r\n<b>Birthday For The<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Birds postponed</b>\r\n\r\nThe 8th annual Birthday For The Birds scheduled for 8-11a.m. Saturday, April 25 at the Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal as been postponed. Organizers have yet to determine a new date.', 'News Briefs', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'news-briefs-146', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:34:45', '2020-04-01 13:34:45', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43970', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43972, 4, '2020-04-01 09:35:35', '2020-04-01 13:35:35', '<h4><b>By Mindy Lucas</b></h4>\r\nBeaufort Memorial Hospital says it is working “around the clock” to plan for a potential surge in coronavirus cases, but whether the hospital has enough supplies, equipment and resources in the event of a drastic increase in patients remains to be seen.\r\n\r\nThe hospital recently stated that it was using “every resource available” and was also working to inventory equipment, order additional supplies, identify potential isolation units and cross-train staff in the event of a patient surge, according to a news release issued Friday, March 27.\r\n\r\n“Today we’re in a good place, and we’ve been working tirelessly to plan for a potential surge,” Beaufort Memorial Hospital President and CEO Russell Baxley said. “We can’t predict the future and we won’t speculate about what we don’t know, but we can and will continue to use every resource available to take care of our staff and everyone who comes through our doors.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIf needed, the hospital could support 29 patients on ventilators inside and outside of the ICU, according to the release. The hospital has the ability to convert inpatient units to support a surge in COVID-19 patients, it also stated.\r\n\r\nBut whether that will be enough for the area’s cases if a surge occurs, no one can say since that number remains unknown.\r\n\r\nWith 74 positive cases in Beaufort County as of Monday, March 30, the county ranks fifth in counties with the most cases.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the Department of Health and Environment Control (DHEC) expects the state to have as many as 8,053 cases by May 2, according to forecast numbers the agency released on March 24.\r\n\r\nExactly how many of those cases could occur in Beaufort County, no one can say for sure and depends on a number of factors, experts say, such as continued social distancing.\r\n\r\nLast week, the hospital opened a triage and screening area in tents set up in the hospital parking lot in front of its ER. The area is specifically for COVID-19 cases and is designed to accommodate more patients and staff while protecting other ER patients.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe tents are on loan from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and will be on site indefinitely, a separate release stated.\r\n\r\nThe hospital also stated on Friday that it did have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) but is also looking for additional materials through supply chains. Supply meetings are held twice daily to discuss inventory, shipments and conservation, the release stated.\r\n\r\nThe hospital was also notified on Friday, that South Carolina had received another shipment of medical equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile.\r\n\r\nThat shipment included face shields, surgical masks, gowns and gloves, which were distributed to every county in the state, according to DHEC.\r\n\r\nThe hospital also received several ventilators from Beaufort County EMS, as well as donations from the community including C-PAP machines to help support respiratory patients, and funds to purchase an additional ventilator.\r\n\r\nIn addition, dozens of community members, businesses and schools have donated PPEs, hand-sewn masks and meals for medical staff caring for patients. To donate supplies, meals or funds to support frontline healthcare staff visit www.beaufortmemorial.org/covid19support or email donations@bmhsc.org.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, the hospital had tested more than 300 people for the coronavirus as of last week, and continues to run its mobile test collection site at the Beaufort Memorial Medical and Administrative Center, at 990 Ribaut Road.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nPatients reporting to this site must have a physician’s order and related paperwork on file before arriving on site.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCurrently, test samples are sent to the state laboratory through DHEC and to a Quest Diagnostics lab in Virginia. Turnaround times for results can vary between five and eight days.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe hospital is working with another independent testing resource to evaluate upgrading hospital lab equipment to run tests locally, the release from the hospital stated. If successful, the hospital may have that ability by late April, a best-case scenario.', 'Hospital planning for surge, says it can’t predict the future', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hospital-planning-for-surge-says-it-cant-predict-the-future', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:35:35', '2020-04-01 13:35:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43972', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43974, 4, '2020-04-01 09:37:23', '2020-04-01 13:37:23', '<h2><b>Beaufort Co. reaches 91 cases, reports 1st death</b></h2>\r\n<h4><b>By Mike McCombs</b></h4>\r\nOn the day South Carolina broke the 1,000-case mark and a day after Beaufort County saw its first death from the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, S.C. Governor Henry McMaster ordered all non-essential businesses closed in the state, still falling short of a shelter-in-place order desired by the mayors of the four municipalities in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nOn Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today reported 158 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus, taking South Carolina to 1,083 cases in 42 counties. There were 17 new cases in Beaufort County, making it a troubling 41 cases in two days and 91 total, the fifth highest county total in the state.\r\n\r\nA day after Beaufort County reported its first coronavirus death -- an elderly individual who had underlying health conditions – there were four more deaths, according to DHEC, bringing the total statewide to 22.\r\n\r\nThree of Tuesday’s victims were elderly individuals who also had underlying health conditions, and one patient was a middle-aged individual who did not have underlying health conditions. They were residents of Aiken, Calhoun, Marion, and York counties.\r\n\r\n“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of these individuals, as well as to the medical professionals who helped care for them,” DHEC medical consultant Dr. Brannon Traxler said. “Their loss is a reminder that the risk of inaction on all of our parts is far too great. Social distancing and staying home have never been more critical in our fight against this pandemic.”\r\n\r\nMcMaster issued Executive Order 2020-17, which ordered the closure of non-essential businesses, as defined by the executive order, throughout the state.\r\n\r\nIf a business has a question as to whether it qualifies as essential, it should complete the Essential Business Clarification form located on the South Carolina Department of Commerce website. Questions can also be sent to covid19sc@sccommerce.com, or business representatives can call 803-734-2873.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nA team from South Carolina Department of Commerce will review the business’s request for clarification, and the business will receive a response with their determination, essential or non-essential, within 24 hours. If a business is not explicitly addressed in the governor\'s executive order, the business should continue normal operations until a determination is made.\r\n\r\nIn recent days, McMaster has also closed all public access to beaches and waterways to combat groups of people which did not practice social distancing. He also ordered all out-of-state visitors to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in South Carolina, essentially shutting down tourism.\r\n\r\nEarlier in the week, the mayors of Beaufort, Port Royal, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island took part in a joint resolution asking McMaster to enact a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home mandate. McMaster is on record opposing such an act.\r\n\r\n<b>NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES</b>\r\n\r\nThe businesses that will be closed as a result of the governor\'s executive order are as follows:\r\n\r\n<b>Entertainment venues and facilities as follows:</b> Night clubs; bowling alleys; arcades; concert venues; theaters, auditoriums, and performing arts centers; tourist attractions (including museums, aquariums, and planetariums); racetracks; indoor children’s play areas (excluding daycare facilities); adult entertainment venues; bingo halls; venues operated by social clubs.\r\n\r\n<b>Recreational and athletic facilities and activities as follows:</b> Fitness and exercise centers and commercial gyms; spas and public or commercial swimming pools; group exercise facilities, to include yoga, barre, and spin studios or facilities; spectator sports; sports that involve interaction with another person in close proximity and within less than six (6) feet of another person; activities that require the use of shared sporting apparatus and equipment; activities on commercial or public playground equipment.\r\n\r\n<b>Close-contact service providers as follows:</b> Barber shops; hair salons; waxing salons treading salons nail salons and spas; body-art facilities and tattoo services tanning salons; massage-therapy establishments and massage services.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'Governor continues to act as coronavirus cases add up', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'governor-continues-to-act-as-coronavirus-cases-add-up', '', '', '2020-04-01 09:37:23', '2020-04-01 13:37:23', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43974', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43976, 4, '2020-04-01 16:17:12', '2020-04-01 20:17:12', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County has reported its second death as a result of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, according to numbers released Wednesday afternoon by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).\r\n\r\nThe county also saw 10 new confirmed cases, bringing the total 101. Statewide, there were 210 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total statewide to 1,293 cases in 43 counties*.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County’s death was among four announced Wednesday, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to 26.\r\n\r\nAll four patients were elderly individuals who also had underlying health conditions. The other three were residents of Anderson, Lee, and Richland counties.\r\n\r\n“Every day that we unfortunately have to report these losses is a reminder of how serious this situation is and the obligation we all have to help prevent the loss of additional South Carolinians,” DHEC medical consultant Dr. Brannon Traxler said in a release. “Social distancing and staying home can help save lives.”\r\n\r\n<em>*As new information is provided to DHEC, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the individual’s county of residence, as it is provided to DHEC. DHEC’s COVID-19 map will adjust to reflect any reclassified cases.</em>', 'Beaufort County reports 2nd coronavirus death; confirmed cases up to 101 in county, 1,293 statewide; deaths at 26', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-reports-2nd-coronavirus-death-confirmed-cases-up-to-101-in-county-1293-statewide-deaths-at-26', '', '', '2020-04-01 16:17:12', '2020-04-01 20:17:12', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43976', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43980, 4, '2020-04-03 10:41:23', '2020-04-03 14:41:23', '', 'DrBlok 0409_web', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'drblok-0409_web', '', '', '2020-04-03 10:41:23', '2020-04-03 14:41:23', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/DrBlok-0409_web.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(43988, 4, '2020-04-05 22:42:50', '2020-04-06 02:42:50', '<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">From staff reports</span></b></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">Beaufort County reported two more deaths and saw its total number of COVID-19 novel coronavirus cases reach 156 over the weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 217 new cases and six deaths on Saturday and 132 new cases and four additional deaths on Sunday</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 2,049, and those who have died to 44.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">Sunday’s deaths occurred in three individuals who were elderly. Two of the three elderly patients&nbsp;were known to have underlying health conditions, and one is under investigation. One patient was a middle-aged individual who had underlying health conditions. The residents were from Clarendon, Horry, Beaufort and Lee counties.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">Saturday’ deaths occurred in six individuals who were elderly and also had underlying health conditions. Two were residents of Lexington County, and the other individuals were residents of Beaufort, Georgetown, Richland, and York counties.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">Here is a breakdown by zip code for the cases in northern Beaufort County:</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29902 (Beaufort):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 17</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29904 (MCAS Beaufort):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 0</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29905 (Parris Island):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> No longer listed on DHEC’s report</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29906 (Beaufort):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 15</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29907 (Beaufort/Lady’s Island):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 10</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29920 (St. Helena Island/Dataw Island/Fripp Island/Harbor Island):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 7</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29935 (Port Royal):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 4</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29940 (Seabrook):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 0</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29941 (Sheldon):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 0</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">29945 (Yemassee):</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 1</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"background: #F9F9F9;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\">Unknown:</span></b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; color: #343434;\"> 54</span></p>', 'Beaufort County coronavirus deaths reach 4, cases up to 156', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-coronavirus-deaths-reach-4-cases-up-to-156', '', '', '2020-04-05 22:42:50', '2020-04-06 02:42:50', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43988', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43990, 4, '2020-04-06 16:07:30', '2020-04-06 20:07:30', '<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort’s city leaders want you to stay home as much as possible.\r\n\r\nSo much so, that on Monday, April 6, city council members passed an emergency ordinance directing residents to shelter in place despite having no authority to make residents stay at home.\r\n\r\nWhile council members acknowledged they could not make people stay at home, members hoped to put into official language the critical nature of Beaufort’s situation.\r\n\r\n“We are concerned because we are seeing a rapid growth in our county,” said Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop.\r\n\r\nWhile Beaufort County is fourth in the state with the number of positive cases, it is No. 2 in terms of the number of cases per percentage of population, Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said.\r\n\r\nAt its March 31 city council meeting, Prokop said while many residents were staying at home and observing social distancing, there were many more who were not.\r\n\r\n“We still have those who have not taken this virus as a serious medical issue and continue to ignore our requests to follow the guidelines,” he said.\r\n\r\nProkop said there were children playing in groups of 10 to 15 on playgrounds in city parks, as well as older siblings watching younger children as young as 5.\r\n\r\n“They really don’t know what social distancing is. We, the city, cannot be babysitters,” he said.\r\n\r\nFollowing S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order on Tuesday, March 31, which closed all non-essential businesses, entertainment venues and recreational and fitness facilities, the city closed its playgrounds at city parks on Wednesday, April 1.\r\n\r\nThe governor has since issued a “stay at home” order that says if residents are not going to work or on their way to a store to obtain necessary goods and services, they should stay at home.\r\n\r\nMcMaster said a violation of this order is a misdemeanor and carries 30 days in jail and/or $100 fine for each day of violation.\r\n\r\nBeaufort’s ordinance does not prevent residents from being in their yards, or from walking or bicycling in their neighborhoods or getting exercise outdoors, council members noted, but if going out residents should continue to stay six feet apart.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance was approved unanimously with council members adding comment.\r\n\r\n“This is unprecedented and this is about saving lives,” said councilwoman Nan Sutton. “I want everyone to remember that if one of your family members gets sick and has to go to the hospital, you do not get to go into the hospital with them.”', 'Beaufort City Council directs residents to stay at home', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-city-council-directs-residents-to-stay-at-home', '', '', '2020-04-07 05:31:53', '2020-04-07 09:31:53', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=43990', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(43996, 4, '2020-04-07 19:58:38', '2020-04-07 23:58:38', '', 'EasterSunday_5X5', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'eastersunday_5x5-2', '', '', '2020-04-07 19:58:38', '2020-04-07 23:58:38', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/EasterSunday_5X5.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(43997, 4, '2020-04-07 20:02:07', '2020-04-08 00:02:07', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 8.01.43 PM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-04-07-at-8-01-43-pm', '', '', '2020-04-07 20:02:07', '2020-04-08 00:02:07', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-04-07-at-8.01.43-PM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(44000, 4, '2020-04-08 06:38:21', '2020-04-08 10:38:21', '<strong>By David Taub</strong>\r\n\r\nAbraham Lincoln, perhaps our greatest President, clairvoyantly said: “United we stand; divided we fall.”\r\n\r\nAt no time since the destructive divide that infected the United States and plunged the country into a devastating Civil War has our country been more politically and philosophically divided than at the present moment. Lincoln’s advice is more meaningful now than ever before.\r\n\r\nIt is no exaggeration to say we are at war against the insidious enemy named COVID-19. It is of paramount importance to learn and benefit from lessons gleaned from past failures lest we be doomed to repeat them, at great cost in human capital.\r\n\r\nEvery citizen has the power to take his/her own destiny in their own hands. To avoid a catastrophic and unnecessary loss of lives, every person must join together in the battle against the mass invasion of COVID-19. If we cannot unite together, then be assured countless Americans will needlessly perish.\r\n\r\nThe essential, albeit painful path forward has been paved by the courageous accurate advice of our leading health experts — Drs. Fauci and Birx stellar among them. Each of us who foolishly fails to heed their clarion call to hunker down and avoid contact with others, endangers not only their own lives but the lives of others. No greater crime can be done to our kinsmen.\r\n\r\nThe citizenry has a critical role to play in the interface between those who are elected to govern and those who are governed by them.\r\n\r\nNo less a founder of our American democratic experiment than Thomas Jefferson made this observation centuries ago: “I know no safe depositor of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion.”\r\n\r\nAnd so, the democratic process cannot be effective absent the necessary and sufficient role of a knowledgeable and engaged electorate, no less so than the critical necessity that our leadership be likewise enlightened and unified.\r\n\r\nThe duty of citizenship to be informed has been a central pillar of the evolution of “Western” democracy since its inception. Today, the duty of a united citizenship is more important than ever.\r\n\r\nCitizens have a civic responsibility to be well “enlightened” about, and engaged in, the activities of their government. It is a duty as old as the Athenian invention of “democracy” as a formula for living in a civilized and healthy society.\r\n\r\nBelatedly, but finally, our national leaders have now come face to face with the brutal reality of the nation-wide pandemic of COVID-19. This virus plays no favorites; it is an equal opportunity, virulently infectious enemy and it does not discriminate between gender, race, or political inclinations.\r\n\r\nEveryone is at risk. Many thousands of our citizens have already died — many tens of thousands, nay perhaps hundreds of thousands will perish in the coming weeks. At last Tuesday night’s White House briefing, the devastating reality of what this country faces in the next few months came crashing down like an atom bomb on our national leadership.\r\n\r\nAt last, that reality has finally been laid naked, front and center, to a public starving for accurate scientific facts and not wishful dreaming. A singular message is that we citizens must unite to fight this plague; there is no other route to victory.\r\n\r\nAnd so, we have the civic and moral duty to ourselves, our neighbors, and especially our heroic health care providers to do what must be done. As a country united we have done so many times before. We alone hold the key to minimizing the unnecessary loss of life.\r\n\r\nWe have proved before that we can do this; let us now join together as one — E Pluribus Unum — so that it becomes our national mantra yet again.\r\n\r\nFor the sake of our country, hunker down, physically stay away from others, be a good citizen.\r\n\r\nIt is not a hyperbolic exaggeration that our very lives are at stake. DO THE RIGHT THING AND DO IT NOW.\r\n\r\n<i>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999, and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate Judge from 2010 to 2015.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>He may be contacted at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</i>', 'United we stand, divided we fall; Do the right thing', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'united-we-stand-divided-we-fall-do-the-right-thing', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:38:21', '2020-04-08 10:38:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44000', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44002, 4, '2020-04-08 06:41:56', '2020-04-08 10:41:56', '<strong>By Scott Graber</strong>\r\n\r\nIt is Sunday morning, and normally I would be sitting — sleepy, and unfocused — in a pew at St Mark’s Episcopal Church. In normal times, I would be scanning the liturgical program, hoping that “Blessed Assurance” or “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky” were on the this morning’s menu. I would be giving my sins of “commission and omission” some passing thought in anticipation of our forthcoming, collective confession. I would not be thinking about a virus.\r\n\r\nThis morning, I’m sitting in my dining room looking through glass doors and into a small stand of mature magnolia trees. Normally these trees drop their large, yellowing leaves into the yard this time of year. And normally these leaves are a reason for unhappiness.\r\n\r\nI was unhappy — annoyed is probably the better word — because I’ve always felt a need to rake up these leaves, and then mulch them with my smoking, coughing, seldom-serviced lawn mower.\r\n\r\nAs I have aged, anger and cynicism seem to arrive more frequently, to want more of my consciousness, and often attach a sense of guilt for a yard full of dead magnolia leaves, or a dusty Volvo needing a recharged battery, or a consistent failure to floss.\r\n\r\nBut I am also aware that there is real unhappiness in our country, real tragedy. All of which takes me to a piece in the New Yorker (3/23/20) titled, “The Blight — How our economy has created an epidemic of despair.”\r\n\r\nThis particular piece is the review of a book, by Anne Case and her husband, Angus Deaton, that is focused on despair among Americans, primarily white Americans who lack a college degree. Dr. Atul Gawande, the reviewer, writes:\r\n\r\n“Outside wars or pandemics, death rates for large populations across the world have been consistently falling for decades, yet working-age white men and women without college degrees were dying from suicide, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related liver disease at such rates, for three consecutive years, that life expectancy for the US population as a whole had fallen. The only precedent is a century ago, from 1915 through 1918, during the First World War and the Influenza epidemic that followed it.”\r\n\r\nThis simple, stunning paragraph begs the question, “Why?”\r\n\r\nAccording to Case and Deaton, we begin with the fact that many of these folks are unemployed, certainly underemployed, now that their old jobs have migrated to India and Bangladesh. While earnings of those with college degrees has soared; and anti-discrimination measures have improved income of Hispanics and Black Americans, the income of white, un-colleged Americans has declined and often becomes “gig labor” without benefits like health insurance.\r\n\r\nCase and Deaton say the availability of opioids plays a role, and that we “all but load the weapons of self destruction for people in misery.”\r\n\r\nBut, in the end, it is the loss of living a meaningful, productive life that fuels the despair and results — according to these two Princeton economists — in early death.\r\n\r\n“Among advanced economies, this deterioration in pay and job stability is unique to the United States. In the last four decades, Americans without college bachelor’s degrees — the majority of the working-age population — have seen themselves become ever less valued in our economy. Their effort and experience provide smaller rewards than before, and they encounter longer periods between employment. It should come as no surprise that fewer continue to seek employment, and that more succumb to despair.”\r\n\r\nA year ago, my wife and I were sitting on the porch at the Fryemont Inn in Bryson City, N.C. We had done some hiking and now, in the late afternoon, we were reading the Smoky Mountain Times anticipating Trout Ala Edna in the dining room. I found myself reading the obituaries where, every other notice spoke of a methamphetamine overdose. I handed the page to my wife just to make sure I was not hallucinating.\r\n\r\nSusan dutifully read the obituary notices and then, for a few minutes, we contrasted the beautiful, purpling mountains we were looking into against the plague rampant in the hollows just below those mountains.\r\n\r\nThis virus — these little pieces of replicating RNA<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>— have caused most of us to “shelter” in our homes with not much to do, fighting irritability and boredom, wondering whether or not we can recover the routine, predictability and stability we took for granted.\r\n\r\nBut in our moment of (passing) discomfort and despair, we must not forget the (ongoing) plague that has destroyed — for many — their hope and their belief in a better tomorrow.\r\n\r\n<i>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. Email Scott at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</i>', 'There is real unhappiness in our country, real tragedy', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'there-is-real-unhappiness-in-our-country-real-tragedy', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:41:56', '2020-04-08 10:41:56', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44002', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(44004, 4, '2020-04-08 06:43:24', '2020-04-08 10:43:24', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel has included both of the Dataw Island golf courses in their 2020 “Best Modern Golf Courses in South Carolina” rankings.\r\n\r\nThe Tom Fazio-designed Cotton Dike course is ranked No. 29, and the Arthur Hills course Morgan River is ranked No. 34.\r\n\r\n“It’s an honor to have both of our golf courses recognized in these rankings,” Dataw Island Director of Golf Dave Britton said in a release. “Being a private club, we see a lot of member rounds but aren’t always ‘top of mind’ compared to some resort courses. Our members and maintenance team have a commitment to quality and continued improvements and it’s really great to see these efforts paying off and being recognized.”\r\n\r\nAlthough the club is private, Dataw Island hosts numerous events to bring the community in and to contribute to nurturing the game of golf. Partner organizations include the Beaufort High School golf team, First Tee of the Lowcountry, the annual BSN Sports Intercollegiate Tournament (formerly the TaylorMade-adidas), the Carolinas PGA, the Carolinas Golf Association, and the South Carolina (Men’s, Women’s, and Junior’s) Golf Associations, as well as numerous veterans organizations.\r\n\r\nDataw Island also honors reciprocal play for members of several other clubs.\r\n\r\nThe S.C. Golf Course Ratings Panel provides these rankings every two years, with the aim of “promoting greater interest and awareness of all that is good about the game in the Palmetto State.”\r\n\r\nThe panel comprises more than 125 avid golfers, from accomplished amateurs, professionals, and golf industry leaders, to golf course superintendents and business leaders.\r\n\r\nTheir “modern\" list represents courses that were designed and created from 1980 forward.\r\n\r\n\"In analyzing the history of golf course development in South Carolina, it became obvious to us that there was a major shift in course style and construction budgets beginning around 1980,\" golf panel executive director Michael Whitaker said. \"After 1980, ... They were built with an emphasis on the ‘wow factor’ to attract holiday customers or sell custom homesites.”\r\n\r\nIn determining their ratings, panelists consider such criteria as routing (how the course flows from hole to hole in harmony with existing topography); variety (degree to which the course demands a full range of shot requirements); strategy (how design features test course management); equity (the course’s capacity to reward good shots and penalize poor ones); memorability (the distinctiveness of the golf course and its individual holes); aesthetics (the degree to which scenery and surrounds lend to the enjoyment); and, overall golf experience (which includes all elements of the course: practice areas, clubhouse and more).', 'Dataw Island golf courses receive honors', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'dataw-island-golf-courses-receive-honors', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:43:24', '2020-04-08 10:43:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44004', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44009, 4, '2020-04-08 06:45:13', '2020-04-08 10:45:13', '<b>By Brackin Lambert</b>\r\n\r\n<b>LowcoSports.com<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\nAshley Guillot spent countless hours watching her older brother and sister play soccer, and when she was 4 years old she laced up her first pair cleats. Ever since, the Battery Creek girls soccer captain has been on one field or another preparing for this season.\r\n\r\nPrior to the season being suspended, Guillot and Dolphins were sitting at a 2-1 and the senior goalkeeper had recorded one shutout through the season’s first three games.\r\n\r\nThe senior has racked up a number of awards throughout her playing career, including a golden boot in middle school and winning an MVP award with her club team. Guillot even got an opportunity to participate in the Olympic Developmental Program.\r\n\r\nFollowing a 6-7 record and finishing second in the region, Guillot was named captain for her senior campaign. Highlights from her abbreviated senior season including the aforementioned shutout and a 49-save performance against perennial powerhouse Bishop England.\r\n\r\nGuillot had her choice of colleges, such as Brevard, Lander and Gordon State, but ultimately the standout keeper committed to Newberry.\r\n\r\n“I chose Newberry because it was small,” Guillot said. “I was able to bond with the girls and coaches and when I got to practice with the team, it felt like home. They also have my major, exercise science.”\r\n\r\nWhile this season has not transpired like Guillot or the Dolphins had hoped, there is still the desire to put that uniform back on.\r\n\r\n“It is disappointing the season has been suspended,” Guillot said. “I wish we could have played in some more games before it ended. We were just coming together as a team. I’d love the opportunity to put on a Battery Creek uniform one more time, however, I am looking forward to the next chapter in life.”', 'Senior Student-Athlete Spotlight: Ashley Guillot, BC Girls Soccer', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'senior-student-athlete-spotlight-ashley-guillot-bc-girls-soccer', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:45:13', '2020-04-08 10:45:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44009', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44189, 4, '2020-04-28 18:54:40', '2020-04-28 22:54:40', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nThe U.S. Marine Corps announced Tuesday afternoon that beginning Monday, May 4, recruits, instead of shipping to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, will travel directly to The Citadel in Charleston and will complete their 14-day staging period on campus.\r\n\r\nThe change in destination was announced on MCRD Parris Island’s Facebook page.\r\n\r\nWhile in staging, recruits will be screened and observed by medical staff twice daily for the duration of the two-week period, according to the release. Approximately 600 personnel and 300 recruits will be housed at The Citadel.\r\n\r\nAccording to the release, the movement of personnel will be restricted to campus grounds as a preventative measure to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus.\r\n\r\nFollowing the two-week staging period, recruits will then be transported to MCRD Parris Island to<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>begin training.\r\n\r\nAccording to the Facebook post, the ability to conduct staging of recruits in hard structure berthing, as well as on-site laundry, infirmary, and mess facilities, led MCRD Parris Island to a temporary partnership with The Citadel.\r\n\r\nAs an additional measure against COVID-19, the Marine Corps implemented the 14-day staging period for every recruit arriving to Marine Corps Recruit Depots Parris Island and San Diego. Staging is one part of MCRD Parris Island’s mitigation efforts being employed at recruit training to combat COVID-19.\r\n\r\nA source had previously told The Island News that Parris Island and San Diego would alternate taking in classes for their staging periods instead of receiving shipments of recruits simultaneously.\r\n\r\nMCRD Parris Island received its first class of recruits since shipments were stopped March 31 on Monday, April 20 at what the release calls an Expeditionary Staging Area constructed aboard the depot.\r\n\r\nAccording to sources, both MCRD Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort have been constructing “tent cities” to house Marines while infected Marines were housed in permanent structures, particularly on Parris Island.\r\n\r\nSources have told The Island News that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Parris Island has reached triple digits despite the fact that numbers released by South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) don’t reflect that level of infection.\r\n\r\nIronically, as Parris Island is shipping staff and recruits off the depot, the civilians that work on the base are returning. Marine Corps Community Services, the largest civilian contractor at MCAS Beaufort or MCRD Parris Island, returned to full staff on Monday, April 27 after being at essential personnel only.\r\n\r\nIn a letter to employees, South Carolina’s MCCS Director Jack Snider tried to reassure those returning to work that every precaution was being taken to protect them.\r\n\r\n“I would like to reassure you that this decision was not made without taking the safety and well-being of our employees into consideration,” Snider wrote.\r\n\r\nIronically, while recruits that were shipped to Parris Island were tested for COVID-19 immediately upon arrival, MCCS employees are not being tested as a prerequisite for returning to work on the depot or the air station.\r\n\r\nMcMaster extends state of emergency\r\n\r\nS.C. Governor Henry McMaster on Monday extended the COVID-19 state of emergency executive orders for an additional 15 days.\r\n\r\nWith the extension of the executive orders, Governor McMaster\'s previous coronavirus (COVID-19) mandates remain in effect: non-essential businesses must remain closed and Section 16-7-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws \"illegal acts under state of emergency\" will continue to be enforced.', 'Marines, recruits will be housed at The Citadel', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'marines-recruits-will-be-housed-at-the-citadel', '', '', '2020-04-28 18:54:40', '2020-04-28 22:54:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44189', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44013, 4, '2020-04-08 06:46:44', '2020-04-08 10:46:44', '<b>By Justin Jarrett</b>\r\n\r\n<b>LowcoSports.com</b>\r\n\r\nPaul Winland Jr. has been looking forward to living his dream of playing major college baseball. But he wasn’t ready yet.\r\n\r\nWinland signed in the fall to play ball at the University of Missouri next season, fulfilling a lifelong dream, but first he had unfinished business with his Beaufort High squad.\r\n\r\nThe Eagles put together an outstanding regular season last year but made a disappointingly early exit in the postseason, losing a pair of one-run games to Brookland-Cayce.\r\n\r\nThey planned to come back with a vengeance, and Winland appeared to be poised for a big senior season. It was only two games, but he got on base four times in six plate appearances, including a double, a homer, and four RBIs.\r\n\r\nNow he’s not sure when — or where — his next at-bat will come.\r\n\r\nIf the Eagles don’t get back on the diamond this season, it will be off to Mizzou for Winland, who started playing baseball in the backyard at age 3 with his father, Paul Sr.\r\n\r\nWinland committed to the Tigers more than a year ago after a strong summer showing with 3n2 Baseball out of Charleston, and he continued his tear during his junior season with the Eagles.\r\n\r\nThe third baseman hit .356 with 26 RBIs last season, earning a spot on the All-Lowco Baseball first team.', 'Senior Student-Athlete Spotlight: Paul Winland Jr., BHS baseball', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'senior-student-athlete-spotlight-paul-winland-jr-bhs-baseball', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:46:44', '2020-04-08 10:46:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44013', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44016, 4, '2020-04-08 06:47:40', '2020-04-08 10:47:40', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nReady for a break from the coronavirus?\r\n\r\nArtists from throughout the City of Beaufort have filmed a series of videos to bring viewers happiness and inspiration while they continue to shelter at home.\r\n\r\nThe series, called On the Spot and coordinated by the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Center for the Arts and the City of Beaufort, showcases singers, dancers, visual artists, musicians, storytellers, and others. The performers were filmed over the last week (and, needless to say, everyone complied with social distancing guidelines).\r\n\r\nThe videos can be found on the City’s YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/2XdpVcU) and one will be shown daily on the City’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CityBeaufortSC/).\r\n\r\nParticipating artists included Christopher Crabb, Elaine Lake and Velma Polk, James Duffy, Linda Silk, John Sundria, Anita Singleton-Prather, Donellia Chives, Mary Green, and Wes and K. Leigh Campbell.', 'Videos of Beaufort artists provide break from virus', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'videos-of-beaufort-artists-provide-break-from-virus', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:47:40', '2020-04-08 10:47:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44016', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44018, 4, '2020-04-08 06:49:13', '2020-04-08 10:49:13', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nLocal artists, including Beaufort-born Ment Nelson, have joined together to respond to the havoc that SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19 novel coronavirus have caused for the world and the arts community.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSLAY is an acronym for \"Support Lowcountry Artists Y\'all.\" This is a relief effort for the Arts Community led by noted Bluffton-based artist, Amiri Farris.\r\n\r\nFarris wanted to do something about the many Lowcountry artists who experienced a significant loss of income when the COVID-19 virus caused the cancellation or rescheduling of many local art shows, festivals, and galas. Knowing that many in the art community are facing similar difficulties, Farris assembled SLAY as a collaborative of artists to create content to inspire and engage the community, recover some of that income, and raise funds at this critical time.\r\n\r\nSLAY’s founding roster includes Farris, Natalie Daise, Michael Dantzler, Sophie Docalavich, Dr. Thaddeus Jones, Nelson, Victoria A. Smalls and Calvin Woodum.\r\n\r\nThe group is moving quickly to respond to this challenge. SLAY has incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and is expected to launch a website soon. The initial site will accept donations and requests for relief.\r\n\r\nAs it grows, plans call for the site to be monetized through a membership model. Through this virtual co-op, donor members will receive unique content created solely for this platform from SLAY\'s roster of established and emerging Lowcountry artists, all of whom have experienced cancellations in recent weeks.\r\n\r\nA mix of online content, downloads, and mailed deliverables is planned. Farris states that the group will welcome new artists who are passionate about this work and have a connection to the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia to join<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>the effort. At this time the group is focused on serving the coastal counties of South Carolina and Georgia, along with the rural areas that comprise the SC Promise Zone.\r\n\r\nSLAY’s goal is to be able to offer financial support to all kinds of artists and creatives who experience financial hardship during this difficult time. They will be able to apply for relief through a simple application on our Web portal and can receive up to $500 in assistance rapidly via the Zelle app.\r\n\r\nThis work will benefit the general public as well as the art world. SLAY will create high quality, contemporary art that comforts, inspires, and educates about practices which will need to be a long term \"new normal\" in our world long after the immediate threat from Covid-19 has diminished.\r\n\r\nTo this end, public health experts have been engaged to advise on messaging and content that will be beneficial to the overall fight against the virus.', 'Local artists organize for COVID-19 crisis', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'local-artists-organize-for-covid-19-crisis', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:49:13', '2020-04-08 10:49:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44018', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44020, 4, '2020-04-08 06:51:29', '2020-04-08 10:51:29', '<strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong><i>\r\n\r\nWhile some people are heeding the call for safety and using masks, sanitizer and rubber gloves, others don’t seem to care about the people around them as seen by this improperly discarded pair of latex gloves at a major box store in Beaufort.&nbsp;</i>', 'Don’t just toss it away', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'dont-just-toss-it-away', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:51:29', '2020-04-08 10:51:29', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44020', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44023, 4, '2020-04-08 06:54:22', '2020-04-08 10:54:22', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nSeveral groups have made donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Beaufort Memorial Hopsital over the past couple weeks.\r\n\r\nBob Ellis and Dr. Marikay Campbell from Port Royal Veterinary Hospital arrived at Beaufort Memorial with several boxes of PPE last week. The donation included 1,000 surgical masks, 400 shoe covers, 75 blue poly gowns, 200 bouffant caps and a box of surgical gloves.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n\"You\'re the ones taking care of us,\" Dr. Campbell told hospital representatives when dropping of the supplies. \"We just want you to know we have your back.\"\r\n\r\nAlso, Battery Creek High School donated its supply of PPE, posting on its Facebook page, \"With in-person school not in session, these surgical gowns, masks, CPR shields and gloves are better off in the hands of hard-working medical professionals at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, transported by our friends at Burton Fire District.\"\r\n\r\nJuliana Leister, Business Relationship Manager with CPM Federal Credit Union, dropped off a donation of more than 100 N95 masks to Beaufort Memorial. Chris Haley, the hospital\'s Life Safety Emergency Management Supervisor, and Courtney Smith, Special Projects Director, accepted the donation.\r\n\r\n<i>Chris Haley (center), the hospital\'s Life Safety Emergency Management Supervisor, and Courtney Smith (right), Special Projects Director, accept the donation of N95 masks from Juliana Leister, Business Relationship Manager with CPM Federal Credit Union.</i>', 'Community supports local health care workers with supply donations', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'community-supports-local-health-care-workers-with-supply-donations', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:54:22', '2020-04-08 10:54:22', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44023', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44026, 4, '2020-04-08 06:56:03', '2020-04-08 10:56:03', '<b>By Marie McAden</b>\r\n\r\nIf you’re like so many Americans who find themselves holed up in their homes with virtually no option but to fix their own meals, this could be a great opportunity to reassess your eating habits and adopt a healthier diet.\r\n\r\nSeize the moment and swap those high-fat, sugar-heavy foods for nutrient-packed vegies, fruits, nuts and grains that support your immune system and could help you fight off that nasty coronavirus.\r\n\r\n“If there is a silver lining in all of this, it’s the extra time we now have to focus on nutrition,” said Beaufort Memorial Registered Dietitian Jenny Craft, who serves as the diabetes quality coordinator for the hospital’s LifeFit Wellness Center.\r\n\r\nCraft suggests you get started by creating a weekly meal plan and then make a grocery list with the ingredients you’ll need for each meal.\r\n\r\n“Having a list will keep you from making impulse, and oftentimes unhealthy, purchases as well as unnecessary trips to the grocery store,” she said. “You can find lots of easy and nutritious meal plans at the American Diabetes Association’s diabetesfoodhub.org.”\r\n\r\nWhether you choose to follow recipes or just wing it, you’ll want to pick up some shelf-stable good-for-you foods like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, bulgur and quinoa that can serve as a base to create meals. Up your vitamin and mineral intake by adding fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables to your base of choice. They’re loaded with antioxidants and are a good source of fiber, too.\r\n\r\nIf you prefer fresh produce, Craft recommends choosing those that are less perishable, like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, apples and citrus fruit. You’ll also want to stock up on plenty of frozen and canned fruits and veggies to have on hand.\r\n\r\n“Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutrient dense as fresh,” Craft said. “Look for canned vegetables with no salt or low salt. If they’re not available, just rinse them well before eating to remove the salt.”\r\n\r\nBe sure to include a protein with every meal since protein deficiency can be a risk factor for infections, she added. Good protein choices with a long shelf life include canned tuna and salmon (packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids), nut butters, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Hummus and eggs also are longer-lasting protein options. And, of course, you can freeze fresh chicken, fish and lean beef or buy them already frozen.\r\n\r\n“Stay away from processed meats, like sausage and bacon,” Craft counseled. “If you want to buy cold cuts, choose the turkey or chicken variety.”\r\n\r\nFor a healthy snack, mix dried fruits like raisins, cranberries and apricots with nuts. Omega-3 walnuts are Craft’s top choice, but almonds, cashews, pistachios and pecans are nourishing options, too. Popcorn is also a good source of fiber and can be mixed with dried fruit or mini chocolate chips for a sweet treat.\r\n\r\n“If you’re used to eating on the run, now you have the time to gather the family around the table for a delicious and nutritious meal,” Craft said. “And when these crazy times are behind us, maybe our new healthy eating habits will stick.”', 'You can make healthy food choices while eating at home', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'you-can-make-healthy-food-choices-while-eating-at-home', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:56:03', '2020-04-08 10:56:03', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44026', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44029, 4, '2020-04-08 06:57:20', '2020-04-08 10:57:20', '<b>SC Forestry Commission<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>bans outdoor<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>burning statewide</b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a statewide outdoor burning ban that went into effect Tuesday, April 7.\r\n\r\nThe ban prohibits yard debris burns; forestry, wildlife or agricultural burns (also known as prescribed, or controlled, burns); and campfires and other types of recreational open burning.\r\n\r\nAfter consulting with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, State Forester Scott Phillips ordered the statewide burning ban in the interest of public safety amid the current public health threat posed by the COVID-19 virus.\r\n\r\nNot only can smoke exacerbate the symptoms of those who have contracted the virus, but it also can trigger underlying respiratory issues in otherwise unaffected individuals, which could result in symptoms similar to those the COVID-19 virus is known to cause, according to the Forestry Commission.\r\n\r\nThe ban will stay in effect until further notice from the South Carolina Forestry Commission.\r\n\r\n<b>County Auditor<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>adjusts deadlines<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort County Auditor has announced that because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and following guidance from the South Carolina Department of Revenue, deadlines have been extended for the following:\r\n\r\nBusiness personal property returns for furniture, fixtures, and equipment and rentals are now due no later than June 1.\r\n\r\nMotor vehicle bills will be sent out as normal; however the South Carolina DMV has waived all late fees for non-commercial vehicles with registrations that expire in March through May. The new due date is July 1.\r\n\r\nWatercraft and motor bills (not documented vessels) that are due in May will have a due date of June 30. Bills due in June will have a due date of July 30.\r\n\r\nBills from the Beaufort County Auditor\'s Office are mailed 45 days before they’re due, which gives taxpayers more than 60 days to pay without any late fees. For more information, please contact the Beaufort County Auditor’s Office at auditor@bcgov.net or 843-255-2500.\r\n\r\n<b>Cunningham introduces<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Pandemic Hazard<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Pay Expansion Act</b>\r\n\r\nRep. Joe Cunningham (SC-1) introduced the Pandemic Hazard Pay Expansion Act, critical legislation that would expand hazard duty pay to uniformed servicemembers whose duties put them at risk of exposure to a pandemic disease in a Public Health Emergency, including COVID-19 response. Currently, hazard pay is available to servicemembers if the service secretary determines their duty is inherently dangerous and risks physical injury. Cunningham’s bill would expand hazard pay to servicemembers whose duties involve frequent exposure to a cause of a public health emergency.\r\n\r\n<b>Convenience Centers close for Easter</b>\r\n\r\nAll Convenience Centers will be closed Sunday, April 12, in observance of Easter Sunday, but will resume regular schedules Monday, April 13. Residents are encouraged to check their local center for official operating hours and should plan accordingly. For more information, please contact the County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Section at 843-255-2736 or visit www.beaufortcountysc.gov/recycle.\r\n\r\n<b>LRTA elects Bluffton’s Zellman as chair</b>\r\n\r\nThe Board of Directors of the Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority (LRTA), operators of Palmetto Breeze Transit and The Breeze Trolley, recently elected Susan Zellman of Bluffton as Chairman for 2020-2022. Zellman, who resides in Sun City, is one of three representatives on the LRTA Board from Beaufort County. She has served on the LRTA Board since 2016.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>SC LLR extends renewal deadlines</b>\r\n\r\nEffective immediately, the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) is extending the license renewal deadline for licenses, registrations, and permits scheduled to renew during the months of April, May, June, July, and August. The new renewal deadline is extended to Sept. 30, 2020.\r\n\r\n“We recognize the toll that this virus is taking on South Carolinians, and we are committed to doing all that we can to support them during these challenging times,” Gov. Henry McMaster said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'News Briefs', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'news-briefs-147', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:57:20', '2020-04-08 10:57:20', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44029', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44031, 4, '2020-04-08 06:58:02', '2020-04-08 10:58:02', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nA wounded man remains hospitalized, as of press time, and the Beaufort County Sheriff Office (BCSO) is seeking an unidentified African-American man believed responsible following a shooting Friday, April 3 outside of the Tiger Express on Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; &nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAt approximately 4:05 p.m., Sheriff\'s Office deputies responded to a report of an adult male gunshot victim. The wounded man was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital by emergency medical services for treatment, and later transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for more intensive treatment.\r\n\r\nAccording to the BCSO, deputies at the scene learned that, after the shooting, and prior to their arrival, an unidentified African-American man, who is believed responsible for the shooting, left the area in a white Nissan sedan. In addition, video surveillance at the store captured footage of the incident, the subject and the white Nissan.\r\n\r\nSheriff\'s Office investigators are asking for assistance from the public in identifying the subject. Anyone with information on the subject\'s identity is asked to contact Sergeant DuHamel at 843-255-3430 or Crimestoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111, if wishing to remain anonymous and receive a possible reward.', 'Man wounded in shooting at St. Helena gas station', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'man-wounded-in-shooting-at-st-helena-gas-station', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:58:02', '2020-04-08 10:58:02', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44031', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44033, 4, '2020-04-08 06:59:33', '2020-04-08 10:59:33', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has obtained warrants for the arrest of 19-year-old Jeremy Toomer of Hardeeville for two counts of Attempted Murder and one count of Possession of a Weapon during the Commission of a Violent Crime.\r\n\r\nAt approximately 7:45 p.m. on the night of Thursday, March 2, the BCSO received a report of two adult male gunshot victims at the Wallace Creek Boat Landing on St. Helena Island.\r\n\r\nOne of the wounded men was transported to the Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he received treatment, and was later released. The other wounded man was transported to the Medical University of South Carolina, where, as of press time, he remained in critical but stable condition.\r\n\r\nSheriff\'s Office investigators and members of the Beaufort County Violent Crimes Task Force responded to the scene, where they processed for forensic evidence and interviewed witnesses. Through interviews, it was learned that a male subject, Toomer, shot the two men.\r\n\r\nWitnesses reported that, prior to the arrival of deputies, Toomer fled the scene.\r\n\r\nOn Friday, Sheriff\'s Office investigators met with a Beaufort County magistrate and obtained warrants for Toomer\'s arrest. Toomey remains at large.\r\n\r\nAnyone who has information on Jeremy Toomer\'s whereabouts is encouraged to contact Staff Sergeant Todd Duncan at 843-255-3418 or Crimestoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111, if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward.', 'Hardeeville man wanted on two counts of attempted murder', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hardeeville-man-wanted-on-two-counts-of-attempted-murder', '', '', '2020-04-08 06:59:33', '2020-04-08 10:59:33', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44033', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44036, 4, '2020-04-08 07:00:31', '2020-04-08 11:00:31', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe Burton Fire District responded to two brush fires and an illegal yard debris fire on Tuesday, March 31. Two of the fires were endangering homes and one threatened a boat.\r\n\r\nAt 2:35 p.m., Burton firefighters responded to a reported brush fire on Falling Leaf Lane that was endangering a home. Firefighters arrived and extinguished a small brush fire that was within feet of a residence.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe resident said he had been cleaning his yard and was burning leaves, and said “It just got away from me.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nFirefighters extinguished the fire without injury or damages.\r\n\r\nAt 2:36 p.m., Burton firefighters responded to a reported brush fire on Pine Grove Road. Firefighters arrived on scene to a small brush fire that had been endangering a boat. Firefighters extinguished the fire without injury or damages.\r\n\r\nWhile returning from the brush fire on Falling Leaf Lane, fire crews came across a resident on Murray Drive, who was burning yard debris in violation of Beaufort County Ordinance, and was burning the debris in-between two homes. Firefighters had the resident extinguish the fire.\r\n\r\nIn just more than two weeks since Governor Henry McMaster announced the first round of closures due to COVID-19 on March 15, the Burton Fire District has responded to more than 11 brush/trash fires, and 11 fires burning yard debris.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBurton fire officials state that while brush fires normally increase this time of year with the seasonal change of weather, they fear with more people staying home due to COVID-19, that these numbers will continue to rise.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“We are glad our citizens are staying close home due to COVID-19, and are staying active by cleaning their yards,” Burton Fire Captain Bobby Davidson said, “we just want them to do it safely.”', 'Burton Fire District responds to brush fires', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'burton-fire-district-responds-to-brush-fires', '', '', '2020-04-08 07:00:31', '2020-04-08 11:00:31', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44036', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44039, 4, '2020-04-08 07:01:59', '2020-04-08 11:01:59', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce has announced the hiring of Ian Scott as its new President and CEO.\r\n\r\nIn this role, Scott will work with the Board of Directors to execute the organization’s strategic priorities, help members strengthen their business, and enhance the economic vibrancy of the Beaufort region.\r\n\r\n\"We are thrilled to welcome Ian as the new leader of our Chamber team. His strategic vision will be an invaluable asset to our organization and our community,\" Chamber Chairman of the Board Evan Wheeler said in a release. “His prior experience and commitment to community engagement will ensure that we continue to advance our region and serve our members.\"\r\n\r\nIan currently serves as Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the Charleston Metro Chamber, where he leads a four-person team focused on regional, state, and federal advocacy and military retention. Prior to his role in Charleston, he led communications for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a national professional association based in Alexandria, Va. He began his career at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, China.\r\n\r\n“Beaufort is an incredible community with a rich history and vibrant businesses,” Scott said. “I am honored by the opportunity to serve employers and help the region emerge even stronger from this period of national uncertainty.”\r\n\r\nIan grew up in North Carolina and earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife Rebecca, an interior designer also from North Carolina, are excited about moving to Beaufort. He begins his role April 15.', 'Chamber hires Scott as new President, CEO', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'chamber-hires-scott-as-new-president-ceo', '', '', '2020-04-08 07:01:59', '2020-04-08 11:01:59', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44039', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44042, 4, '2020-04-08 07:04:07', '2020-04-08 11:04:07', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nIn compliance with directives from Gov. Henry McMaster, the City of Beaufort on April 1 closed the boat landings at the Downtown Marina and at Pigeon Point and closed playgrounds at City parks.\r\n\r\nThe boat landings at the Downtown Marina and at Pigeon Point are public access points to local waterways. Commercial fishermen are exempted from this.\r\n\r\nThe Town of Port Royal closed the Sands beach and boat landing, as well.\r\n\r\nRestrooms at Waterfront Park, Pigeon Point Park and Southside Park are closed. The dog park at Southside Park remains open, but no more than three people are allowed there at one time.\r\n\r\nAnyone who uses City parks is asked to comply with social distancing practices, and keep six feet away from anyone else (other than immediate family). No more than three people should be in a group.\r\n\r\nResidents are asked to report potential violations by calling 843-524-2777.\r\n\r\nOn March 30, McMaster ordered public access to all waterways and beaches in South Carolina to be closed. On March 31, he ordered all non-essential businesses, recreation centers, salons, playgrounds, etc., closed through April 30.', 'Beaufort, Port Royal close boat landings, park playgrounds', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-port-royal-close-boat-landings-park-playgrounds', '', '', '2020-04-08 07:04:07', '2020-04-08 11:04:07', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44042', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44125, 4, '2020-04-16 13:10:51', '2020-04-16 17:10:51', 'Notice of application is hereby given that Larry N. Holman &amp; The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce intends to apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Department for a Housing Preservation Grant. This grant will allow The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce to assist low and very low-income homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. These areas will consist of Beaufort and Jasper county in South Carolina. In addition, the HPG program assists rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes in repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available to low and very low-income persons.\r\n\r\nTo object to this application for assistance, written protest must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2020. For a protest to be valid, it must be in writing, and should include the following information:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>The name, address and telephone number of the person filing the protest;</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol start=\"2\">\r\n 	<li>The specific reasons why the application should be denied;</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol start=\"3\">\r\n 	<li>That the person protesting is willing to attend a hearing (If one is requested by the applicant);</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol start=\"4\">\r\n 	<li>That the person protesting resides in the same county where the proposed place of business is located or within five miles of the business; and</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol start=\"5\">\r\n 	<li>Protest must be mailed to:</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDebbie S. Turbeville,\r\n\r\nState Director Strom Thurmond Federal Building\r\n\r\n1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007\r\n\r\nColumbia, SC 29201', 'NOTICE OF APPLICATON', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'notice-of-applicaton', '', '', '2020-04-16 13:55:19', '2020-04-16 17:55:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44125', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44046, 4, '2020-04-08 07:07:06', '2020-04-08 11:07:06', '<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort’s city leaders want you to stay home as much as possible.\r\n\r\nSo much so, that on Monday, April 6, city council members passed an emergency ordinance directing residents to shelter in place despite having no authority to make residents stay at home.\r\n\r\nWhile council members acknowledged they could not make people stay at home, members hoped to put into official language the critical nature of Beaufort’s situation.\r\n\r\n“We are concerned because we are seeing a rapid growth in our county,” said Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop.\r\n\r\nWhile Beaufort County is fourth in the state with the number of positive cases, it is No. 2 in terms of the number of cases per percentage of population, Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said.\r\n\r\nAt its March 31 city council meeting, Prokop said while many residents were staying at home and observing social distancing, there were many more who were not.\r\n\r\n“We still have those who have not taken this virus as a serious medical issue and continue to ignore our requests to follow the guidelines,” he said.\r\n\r\nProkop said there were children playing in groups of 10 to 15 on playgrounds in city parks, as well as older siblings watching younger children as young as 5.\r\n\r\n“They really don’t know what social distancing is. We, the city, cannot be babysitters,” he said.\r\n\r\nFollowing S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order on Tuesday, March 31, which closed all non-essential businesses, entertainment venues and recreational and fitness facilities, the city closed its playgrounds at city parks on Wednesday, April 1.\r\n\r\nThe governor has since issued a “stay at home” order that says if residents are not going to work or on their way to a store to obtain necessary goods and services, they should stay at home.\r\n\r\nMcMaster said a violation of this order is a misdemeanor and carries 30 days in jail and/or $100 fine for each day of violation.\r\n\r\nBeaufort’s ordinance does not prevent residents from being in their yards, or from walking or bicycling in their neighborhoods or getting exercise outdoors, council members noted, but if going out residents should continue to stay six feet apart.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance was approved unanimously with council members adding comment.\r\n\r\n“This is unprecedented and this is about saving lives,” said councilwoman Nan Sutton. “I want everyone to remember that if one of your family members gets sick and has to go to the hospital, you do not get to go into the hospital with them.”\r\n\r\n<strong>CORONAVIRUS UPDATE</strong>\r\n\r\n<b>The Numbers</b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Tuesday announced 187 new cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, including three additional deaths. This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 2,417, and those who have died to 51. Six new cases in Beaufort County brought the total to 169. There have been four deaths in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\n<b>Tightening Our Belts</b>\r\n\r\nGovernor Henry McMaster issued an executive order Monday directing all South Carolina residents to “remain at home or work unless visiting family, exercising or obtaining essential goods or services.”\r\n\r\nThe “Home or Work” mandate took effect at 5 p.m., Tuesday and will stay in effect until the governor’s State of Emergency order is lifted. The order requires residents to limit social interaction, practice social distancing in accordance with CDC guidelines, and stay at home unless commuting for work; caring for or visiting a family member; obtaining necessary supplies and services, such as food for household consumption or medical supplies; seeking medical, behavioral health or emergency care; caring for pets; exercising outdoors or taking part in other recreational activities that adhere to social distancing guidelines; attending religious services in houses of worship; or traveling as required by law, including custody agreements.\r\n\r\nMonday’s executive order also limits the number of customers who can be inside a retail business. The governor ordered that no more than five customers per 1,000 square feet — or 20 percent of a store’s posted capacity, whichever is less — be allowed in the store at one time.\r\n\r\n<i>– Compiled by Mike McCombs</i>', 'Beaufort’s city leaders call for shelter in place', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beauforts-city-leaders-call-for-shelter-in-place', '', '', '2020-04-08 07:07:06', '2020-04-08 11:07:06', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44046', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(44048, 4, '2020-04-08 07:10:29', '2020-04-08 11:10:29', '<h2><b>Facebook page auctions give lift to out-of-work food-and-beverage workers</b></h2>\r\n<h4><b>By Mike McCombs</b></h4>\r\nOut of work for the foreseeable future thanks to the coronavirus shutdown of Beaufort’s restaurants and bars, self-employed DJ Cathryn Miller, nonetheless, has found herself with more to do than she ever imagined.\r\n\r\nMiller, owner of Lowcountry Event Services, woke up Friday to 200 Facebook notifications and 67 Facebook messages. While it’s fair to say Miller is popular, this was about something else entirely.\r\n\r\nA little more than two weeks ago, when the state’s restaurants and bars were shut down and prohibited from offering sit-down service as one of the steps taken to slow the spread of he COVID-19 novel coronavirus, Miller brainstormed about a way to help the food and beverage industry employees who were suddenly without paychecks or any imminent promise of relief.\r\n\r\nWhat she came up with was “LOWCOUNTRY AUCTIONS for Bar, Restaurant and entertainment staff out of work.” It’s a public Facebook page, run solely by Miller, where people donate items to be auctioned.\r\n\r\nThe proceeds from each individual auction are earmarked to a specific food and beverage or entertainment worker.\r\n\r\n“I have been in the hospitality industry for most of my life and wanted to do something for those less fortunate than myself,” Miller said. “I came up with this particular idea because the money goes directly to the worker and not some third party like what happens with GoFundMe. Transparency is a huge deal to me – I’ve been scammed donating to other fundraisers. This group also allows the entire community to be a part of helping and has created such positivity.”\r\n\r\nPositivity is an understatement. By all standards, the operation has been a huge success.\r\n\r\nWhen someone donates an item to be auctioned off, the next thing that happens is a worker is chosen to be the beneficiary of the auction. Miller allows the auction item’s donor to choose, or if they have no one in mind, she can pick.\r\n\r\n“I get a ton of messages everyday from people nominating a co-worker or a friend,” Miller said. “I take the toughest ones first, then I go down my list.”\r\n\r\nBut Miller doesn’t just post the item for auction and who’ll profit. She takes the time to makes sure both parties get their due.\r\n\r\n“I list the auctions the way I do, telling a story because I want those bidding to feel like they know the worker,” she said. “I also want to make sure the entire community knows who donated what. Generosity like this at this time is huge.”\r\n\r\nAfter two weeks, there are more than 80 auctions listed on Miller’s makeshift chart on the wall in her house. (She also keeps a detailed ledger.)\r\n\r\nBecause bids change every hour, it’s hard to figure out money totals at any given time, but no auction finishes at less than $100, she said, while some are at more than $300 and still running. Auctions are set up to last seven to 10 days.\r\n\r\nMiller arranges for the winning bidder to send the amount directly to the worker. Then, delivery of the auction item from the donor to the winner is arranged.\r\n\r\nAuction items have ranged from gift certificates to new, unopened cookware to autographed baseball memorabilia.\r\n<h4><b>Getting it up and running</b></h4>\r\nMiller credits Paul Thompson, owner of Panini’s On The Waterfront for a lot of the venture’s success from the beginning.\r\n\r\n“I believe (Paul) was the reason this took off the way it did,” Miller said. “His business is hurting pretty bad right now, but he was the first business to donate. He gave me more than $1,000 in gift cards to his business. From there, a huge amount of local businesses have jumped in to donate and help.”\r\n\r\nIn addition, Thompson paid for an advertisement.\r\n\r\n“What has amazed me is the businesses taking the biggest hits are the ones donating,” Miller said. “They are incredible.”\r\n\r\nMiller also gave shout out to Robin Price of Plums.\r\n\r\n“These are the two main people that continually help me either with nominees, donations or spreading the word,” Miller said. “Though Paul started it and continues, Robin has been in listing so many people to jump into the group and contacting businesses to donate items or gift certificates. I do not even know her personally, but through this I feel like I really do. She has been a great help.”\r\n\r\nTo help get the idea off the ground, Miller said she raided her own house for any new, unused items to auction.\r\n\r\n“Between this and Panini’s, it boosted it enough to grow, and I’m so grateful for everyone who’s joined. It seems I have a lot of Le Creuset cookware in boxes,” she said laughing. “Well, … I did. I auctioned a lot of it.”\r\n\r\nElizabeth Beliveau, a now-idle bartender at Crybabies, said it’s not the first time Miller has gone above and beyond for her community. Between Christmas toy drives for kids in Yemassee, fundraisers for all sorts of animals and buying fans for elderly nursing home patients, Beliveau said Miller hardly ever finds a way to say ‘no’ and always believes in her heart more can be done.\r\n\r\n“The list with this wonderful woman goes on and on, honestly,” Beliveau said. “When this virus hit, she didn’t hesitate to get a page going and reach out and add a lot of us. And in the days immediately following, the numbers shot up.\r\n\r\n“This community definitely benefits from her and her husband. Every auction, benefit or fundraiser always starts off with them being the first to donate, and never ever do they want anything in return.”\r\n\r\nMiller said she just wanted something to get attention for those who needed help.\r\n\r\n“Material items mean nothing, and if it helps someone when the going is rough, then it’s all worth it. My biggest happiness is not only helping these guys, but watching the community rally around them.”\r\n<h4><b>No plans to stop now</b></h4>\r\nMiller is Australian by birth and came to the United States in 2000. She was a permanent resident green card holder until October 2018 when she took the oath to become a United States citizen.\r\n\r\n“The South Carolina Lowcountry is my home now,” Miller said. “I found where I want to be. The people remind me of the small Australian town I grew up in. They’re the best!”\r\n\r\nHer husband of 21 years is a retired Marine who works at MCAS Beaufort.\r\n\r\nWhile Miller is out of work, her husband is still employed, allowing her to spend her time helping others.\r\n\r\nAs of Monday, Miller’s page has raised a total of $4,727 for 35 different food and beverage workers.\r\n\r\nBut she has no intentions of stopping anytime soon. My goal is to keep this group running until everyone is back at work, she said.\r\n\r\n“This has been all-consuming from 9 a.m. to midnight daily,” Miller said. “But I would not stop as just watching all the positivity, as well as getting a little help for our workers, is so worth it.\r\n\r\n“And it’s not like I have a job for the foreseeable future, so I’ve got time.”', 'Help from the highest bidder', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'help-from-the-highest-bidder', '', '', '2020-04-08 07:10:29', '2020-04-08 11:10:29', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44048', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44051, 4, '2020-04-08 07:12:49', '2020-04-08 11:12:49', '<h2><b>Bathroom tissue, bleach, Tylenol and rice<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>among items consistently out at area stores</b></h2>\r\n<h4><b>By Mindy Lucas</b></h4>\r\nWho’s got toilet paper?\r\n\r\nWhile it may seem like a trivial question given the current public health crisis, it continues to be a burning question among shoppers as they venture out to refurbish pantries with not only bathroom tissue but other items that have become scarce as well.\r\n\r\nIt’s been nearly a month since the first wave of shelf shortages occurred, and hoarding or stockpiling was cited as the culprit, and yet many items such as paper products, bleach and even rice continue to run low at area stores – even with limits placed on the number of items shoppers can purchase.\r\n\r\nSo why do shortages persist? When will the supply chain rebound? And is there something about the Lowcountry’s geography in particular that has exacerbated an already unprecedented situation.\r\n\r\nFor answers to these questions, The Island News contacted several of the area’s major grocery stores including Bi-Lo in Beaufort, Piggly Wiggly in Port Royal, and Publix, Walmart and Food Lion on Lady’s Island.\r\n\r\nVisits to check the frequency of shortages were also made to these stores and feedback was collected from other newspaper staff members and readers who had visited stores to restock their own pantries.\r\n\r\nOn one such visit, all five grocery stores were out of toilet paper, napkins and paper towels as well as bleach, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.\r\n\r\nOther items such as facial tissue, rice, eggs and Tylenol were few in number while such items as meat and canned goods also appeared to be running low, but only at certain stores.\r\n\r\nAnother visit made five days later showed many of the same items that were initially out continued to be out or continued to remain low.\r\n\r\nStore managers at four stores declined to comment, referring calls to corporate offices instead. Lou Sherman, owner of the Port Royal Piggly Wiggly, declined to comment altogether.\r\n\r\nOf the remaining four stores, only Publix, Bi-Lo and Food Lion replied after numerous calls and emails, but would only answer questions via email. A representative from Bi-Lo had not responded to those questions as of press time.\r\n\r\nRepresentatives from Publix and Food Lion said, while supply shortages continued to impact customers on a local level, they were continuing to occur nationally or across the supply chain that services grocery stores.\r\n\r\n“Our supply chain serves our entire network of stores across our full footprint, not just stores in your area. Thus, the availability of products impacts our entire store network,” said Emma Inman, Director of External Communications for Food Lion, in an email.\r\n\r\n“We are in daily contact with our vendors and suppliers and doing everything we can to get products to our stores to serve our customers during this difficult time,” she went on to say.\r\n\r\nPublix also stated that “every retailer across the country” is experiencing shortages of products.\r\n\r\n“These products are in high demand and the industry needs time to recover from stockpiling and over-purchasing. This is why you will note limits in place throughout our stores,” said Maria Brous, Director of Communications for Publix in an email.\r\n\r\nAsked about the frequency of delivery trucks to these specific stores to restock items and how long products such as toilet paper or bleach were staying on the shelf, Brous said deliveries were made daily and shelf time varied.\r\n\r\n“But by in large, as quickly as the items are stocked, customers are purchasing these items with imposed limits,” she said.\r\n\r\nFood Lion had a similar reply stating that as soon as “high-demand items” such as paper products were on shelves, those products sold out.\r\n\r\n“I can’t share with you any specifics on the truck delivery schedules for the stores in your area, but Food Lion is committed to continuing to serve our customers on Lady’s Island and across our 10-state footprint through this unprecedented time of demand,” said Inman.\r\n\r\nFor additional insight as to how the process for resupplying stores works, Brous said that Publix’ purchasing department worked with suppliers to manage orders and expectations. Unlike weather-related events, the pandemic is affecting the entire country at the same time for an extended period of time, she said.\r\n\r\nStill, how long it will take for the country’s supply chain to bounce back and stores to once again return to pre-pandemic levels remains to be seen. None of the stores contacted could provide long-term projections or further insight as to a recovery period.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>Want to help us keep track?</h4>\r\nThe Island News is tracking and compiling data collected on item shortages at various stores. In addition, we’d like to hear from you on how many trips you make to find supplies or how often you’ve had to venture out for certain items. To let us know what you are seeing, message us on Facebook or email mindy@yourislandnews.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Do Lowcountry grocery stores have a supply chain problem?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'do-lowcountry-grocery-stores-have-a-supply-chain-problem', '', '', '2020-04-08 07:12:49', '2020-04-08 11:12:49', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44051', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44075, 4, '2020-04-15 07:08:57', '2020-04-15 11:08:57', '<strong>By Lee Scott</strong>\r\n\r\nLike many people at this time of the year, I decided to work on my garden. The oak leaves which have been dropping for weeks had covered both the lawn and the garden. It was time to pull out my trusty (or should I say rusty) rake. This tool has seen much better days and has lost some of its tines, but for now, it does the job.\r\n\r\nFortunately, I also discovered a box of large green lawn bags, my garden gloves from the local dollar store and my trowel. I think my trowel and garden gloves have a very limited life span, but they also work.\r\n\r\nI started by cleaning out the garden, got rid of the leaves and weeds and started to plant. That is when the word when out to the local deer population: The Scotts’ Salad Bar is open for business.\r\n\r\nI know this happens because last winter, when I planted my winter pansies, the deer showed up for snacking. Within one week, the pansies were just stubs. This time, I was prepared. I had attended a Garden Club meeting prior to our “Social Distancing” order and the Master Gardener had a slew of ideas to discourage deer from eating in your garden.\r\n\r\nNaturally, there are plants she recommended that deer do not particularly like, but that does not mean they won’t try to eat them. It’s like a child looking at the dinner plate with mac n’ cheese on one side and peas on the other. Both are food, but some things are more fun to eat.\r\n\r\nSo, I was trying to find a combination of deer resistant plants and colorful flowers.\r\n\r\nI also vacuumed the whole house and picked up dog hair. The practice of spreading dog hair around the flowerpots and in the gardens is supposed to discourage the deer.\r\n\r\nThere are some other ideas which I won’t mention now, but we tried them. However, the deer in my neighborhood are not discouraged. Like the 5-year-old, they ignore the peas and herbs and go straight for the geraniums and hibiscus.\r\n\r\nSo, after waking up one morning and finding some of my potted flowers completely dined on, it was time to rethink my garden. I went to the local hardware store and found some very realistic plastic geraniums and some other fake plants. These are my new electric fence.\r\n\r\nLike a child eating those fake wax lips, the deer have discovered that plastic just does not taste as good.\r\n\r\nNow as long as my Homeowners’ Association does not find out, I am good, and my garden looks great.\r\n\r\nSo, for now, the Scotts’ Salad Bar is officially closed.\r\n\r\n<i>Lee Scott, a writer and recent retiree, shares her everyday observations about life after career. A former commercial banker responsible for helping her clients to reach their business objectives, Scott now translates those analytical skills to her writings. She lives on St. Helena Island and enjoys boating, traveling and reading.</i>', 'The Scotts’ Salad Bar is closed as soon as it opens', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'the-scotts-salad-bar-is-closed-as-soon-as-it-opens', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:14:46', '2020-04-15 11:14:46', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44075', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44078, 4, '2020-04-15 07:13:43', '2020-04-15 11:13:43', '<strong>By Scott Graber</strong>\r\n\r\nIt is Thursday, April 9, 2020, in the time of COVID. This morning I have my coffee, concentration and memories of better times — times when rampant, monkey-borne pathogens were either in Sub-Saharan Africa, or in Scripture. Times when we believed that the only life-threatening danger in Italy was losing one’s wallet to gypsies in front of Roma Termini.\r\n\r\nThis morning, my mind wanders back to my father and my belief that he worried about few things in life. Although he dealt with infection, he never seemed to worry about smallpox or tuberculosis or polio. These pathogens had been beaten or there were vaccines. I do remember his discussion (with his colleagues) about whether or not the smallpox virus should be retained (alive at CDC) for future study.\r\n\r\nBut I know that my father was terrified that there would be another stock market crash like the one in 1929. I know he was traumatized by the Depression because he told me stories about his own father losing his job, his savings and sitting in their small Ohio kitchen wondering whether they would lose their home, their family, their dignity.\r\n\r\nThe Depression did have one positive impact — it gave Franklin Roosevelt the ability to rethink the way government worked in the United States. It gave Roosevelt the ability to create work (Civilian Conservation Corps); to curb greed (Securities and Exchange Commission); to protect bank deposits (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation); to bring electricity to the South (Tennessee Valley Authority) and to restore faith in American governance and in America itself.\r\n\r\nMy father, like a million other young men, went off to war in 1941, and that experience also shaped his view of the world. But World War II did not dilute his fear that another Depression was just around the corner.\r\n\r\nBut this is not a column about my father. It’s a column about what happens after this pandemic dissipates. What happens after an anti-viral drug is approved? After a vaccine is successfully tested? What happens when America’s furloughed workers are ready to return to their jobs?\r\n\r\nIn 430-429 B.C., plague, of some kind, came to Greece. It so happened that Thucydides took notes and we know that it killed one forth of the Athenian land army.\r\n\r\nAs a consequence of this infection — coming out of Africa — Athenian plans to defeat Sparta and the Peloponnesian League were shelved. Ever since then historians have speculated about where the Athenian Empire might have gone had the plague not arrived when it did.\r\n\r\nProcopius also took notes when the Bubonic Plague came to Constantinople in 542-543 A.D. — earlier plagues had swept through in 165-180 A.D. and in 251-266 A.D. — and historians say this pestilence thwarted Justinian’s efforts to reunite the Roman Empire.\r\n\r\nIt is also clear that the lack of Roman resistance to the Moslem armies (in 634 A.D.) had everything to do with population kill-off following repeated plagues throughout the Mediterranean.\r\n\r\nBut the United States is not on the verge of defeating Sparta; or consolidating an empire in the Mediterranean; we are in the middle of a presidential debate where fundamental concepts of capitalism are in question. The first of these is the belief that health care and drugs are a commodity—to be sold with profit attached.\r\n\r\nBefore the virus arrived “Medicare for All” was in play and Big Pharma was emblematic of corporate greed. But times have changed and, as I write this column, Roche, Eli Lilly and dozens of drug makers are working on vaccines or anti-viral drugs.\r\n\r\nThe drug companies that were pilloried are racing to find a cure for our plague. We pray they will succeed. And every night, in New York City, millions applaud medical providers from their windows and fire escapes at seven o’clock.\r\n\r\nDonald Trump’s rock-solid belief in capitalism will comfort many of my generation — the Boomers. And while it is true this generation reliably votes for Trump — it is a diminishing cohort. The question will be whether or not the Corona Crisis (and the “Crash” that may follow) will motivate everyone else — especially younger, displaced, voters — to re-think the way America works.\r\n\r\nAlthough “healthcare” and “Big Pharma” won’t be printed on the ballot, they will be issues along with corporate compensation — and whether corporations should be allowed to relocate, willy nilly, to India, China, Brazil.\r\n\r\nNotwithstanding our current preoccupation with COVID-19, there will be consequences that come after the crisis.\r\n\r\n<i>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. Email Scott at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</i>', 'There will be consequences of this crisis', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'there-will-be-consequences-of-this-crisis', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:13:43', '2020-04-15 11:13:43', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44078', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44082, 4, '2020-04-15 07:15:50', '2020-04-15 11:15:50', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort County Board of Education has approved two possible starting dates for the next school year – August 10 if the State Board of Education can be convinced to waive a key state calendar requirement for Beaufort County, and August 17 if the State Board says no to that waiver request.\r\n\r\nCurrent state law mandates that no South Carolina public school district can begin classes prior to the third Monday in August, which this year is August 17. But the Beaufort County Board of Education plans to ask the State Board to waive that requirement so the school district can implement local curriculum innovations. The hope is that the waiver request could be resolved next month.\r\n\r\nStarting Beaufort County’s school year on August 10 would allow five additional days of classroom instruction – and three potential weather make-up days – prior to winter break.\r\n\r\nBoth potential calendars approved by the Board would end the 2020-21 academic year on May 28, 2021.\r\n\r\nIn recent years, the Beaufort County Board of Education has joined nearly all school boards across South Carolina in urging the General Assembly to end its statewide school start date limitation on the basis that they should be allowed to set their own districts’ start dates based on local needs and priorities.', 'Board of Education approves 2 starting dates for 2020-21 academic year', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'board-of-education-approves-2-starting-dates-for-2020-21-academic-year', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:15:50', '2020-04-15 11:15:50', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44082', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44085, 4, '2020-04-15 07:16:44', '2020-04-15 11:16:44', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe County Channel — Beaufort County’s own public television station — has partnered with Beaufort County School District to present “Teaching through Television … Learning, Exploring, and Having Fun,” a broadcast for county students in kindergarten through 2nd grade. The program started Monday.\r\n\r\n“Teaching through Television” will offer lessons on English/language arts, math, social studies and science, all taught by certified teachers from the school district.\r\n\r\nThe program was created to help students learn at home while schools across Beaufort County remain closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.\r\n\r\nEach lesson will be broadcast in English and in Spanish.\r\n\r\nLessons are available Monday through Thursday at the following times:\r\n\r\n9 a.m. Lesson (English version)\r\n\r\n9:30 a.m. Lesson (Spanish version)\r\n\r\n11 a.m. Repeat of 9 a.m. Lesson\r\n\r\n11:30 a.m. Repeat of 9:30 Lesson\r\n\r\nThe County Channel can be found at https://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/the-county-channel, as well as Comcast Ch. 2, Hargray Chs. 9 and 113, and Spectrum Ch. 1304. The lessons will also be available on The County Channel’s YouTube channel.', 'County Channel, school district team up to teach kids', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'county-channel-school-district-team-up-to-teach-kids', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:16:44', '2020-04-15 11:16:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44085', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44087, 4, '2020-04-15 07:17:21', '2020-04-15 11:17:21', '<b>By LowcoSports.com</b>\r\n\r\nWhenever the USCB baseball team returns to the field, the Sand Sharks will have a new coach.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe school’s athletics department announced Wednesday it has begun a national search for the fourth head coach in program history after parting ways with Jeremy Christian after three-plus seasons.\r\n\r\n“While I’m proud of our program and thankful for the culture coach Jeremy Christian built, I’m excited to begin this new chapter,” USCB athletics director Quin Monahan said. “Our expectation is that we’ll maintain and build upon the vision and standards that have been set, while contending for titles at both the conference and national level.”\r\n\r\nChristian finishes his tenure at USCB with an 80-94 mark over three full seasons and part of a fourth. He took over the program in 2017 and led the Sand Sharks to a 32-22 record and a berth in the Sun Conference tournament, but USCB posted back-to-back losing seasons in 2018 and 2019 and was off to a 6-11 start in 2020 before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nChristian was at the helm of the Sand Shark program that broke multiple single-game school records, including runs scored (23), RBIs in a game (21), hits (22), stolen bases (11), strikeouts (17) and home runs (4).\r\n\r\nHe coached four Sand Sharks who went on to begin professional careers after their time at USCB — Justin Kortessis, Mike Biasello, Zac Burke, and Chris Vazquez. Kortessis and Biasello played in the Pecos League for Garden City, and Burke pitched for the New York Bucks in the Empire League. Most recently, Vazquez began his pro career in the Atlantic League for the York Revolution.\r\n\r\n“I have the absolute highest opinion of Jeremy and am thankful for his commitment to USCB baseball for the these last 3 1/2 years,” Monahan said. “I wish he and his family the best as they move forward.”\r\n\r\nAssistant coach Zach Roberts will remain on the staff, the school said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'USCB Sand Sharks on hunt for new baseball coach', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'uscb-sand-sharks-on-hunt-for-new-baseball-coach', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:17:21', '2020-04-15 11:17:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44087', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44089, 4, '2020-04-15 07:18:15', '2020-04-15 11:18:15', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nRep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) announced Wednesday, April 8 that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be awarding health centers in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District more than $1.6 million in funding to help their COVID-19 response, as a part of funding authorized by legislation Cunningham supported in Congress.\r\n\r\nThe total includes $932,015 for the Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services.\r\n\r\nThe funding comes from the bipartisan stimulus bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which passed the House on March 27 and was signed into law. This will support health centers’ ability to detect, prevent, diagnose, and treat COVID-19.\r\n\r\nThe awards will also help maintain or increase health capacity and staffing levels to address this public health emergency.\r\n\r\n“Health centers like those in Beaufort and McClellanville already play a critical role in our rural communities by delivering essential services to folks who live nearby. We are only seeing this increase throughout the coronavirus pandemic, as health centers like these have become essential community testing and screening sites, and help alleviate the burden on hospitals and emergency rooms across the country,” Cunningham said in a release. “That’s why I advocated that we ensure our local health care providers and organizations, as well as our municipalities and counties, all have the resources they need to keep our communities safe. These groups are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, and I will continue to fight to make sure they get the support they need.”', 'Beaufort health center gets funding from stimulus', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-health-center-gets-funding-from-stimulus', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:18:15', '2020-04-15 11:18:15', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44089', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44091, 4, '2020-04-15 07:19:22', '2020-04-15 11:19:22', 'Patients who want to schedule a visit with their Beaufort Memorial primary care provider or specialist are now able to see their provider by video instead of coming into the office. Visits can be scheduled for a variety of issues, including well care, medication check/refill, chronic disease management and sick visits.\r\n\r\n“We understand the importance of social distancing and mitigating unnecessary exposure to patients and staff in order to stop the spread of COVID-19,”BMH Vice President of Physician Services Chris Ketchie said. “Video visits offer patients a way to safely schedule and keep appointments with their providers.”\r\n\r\nThe service is available through the hospital’s telemedicine service BMH Care Anywhere. A camera-enabled computer, tablet or smart phone is needed in order to use the service. Download detailed instructions about how to access the service and initiate a scheduled video visit at www.beaufortmemorial.org/VirtualVisitHowTo.\r\n\r\nPractices offering scheduled video visits through the service currently include:\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Primary Care, 843-522-7600\r\n\r\nBluffton Primary Care, 843-706-8690\r\n\r\nHeart Specialists, 843-770-0404\r\n\r\nLady’s Island Internal Medicine, 843-522-7240\r\n\r\nLowcountry Medical Group (Primary Care, Gastroenterology, Gynecology), 843-770-0404\r\n\r\nMay River Primary Care, 843-706-2287\r\n\r\nObstetrics &amp; Gynecology Specialists, 843-522-7820\r\n\r\nOncology Specialists, 843-522-7350\r\n\r\nOrthopaedic Specialists, 843-522-7100 (Midtown Dr., Beaufort); 843-524-3015 (Ribaut Rd., Beaufort; Bluffton)\r\n\r\nRadiation Oncology, 843-522-7800\r\n\r\nSea Island Psychiatry, 843-522-5600\r\n\r\nSurgical Specialists, 843-524-8171\r\n\r\n“Several of our primary care practices are currently accepting new patients,” said Ketchie. “If you don’t currently have a primary care provider, this is an excellent opportunity to establish a relationship.”\r\n\r\nPatients should first call the practice office to schedule their virtual visit. While most major insurance plans are covering scheduled telemedicine visits, the provider’s office will be able to verify coverage at the time the appointment is scheduled.\r\n\r\nTo learn more about BMH Care Anywhere, download the app or visit www.bmhcareanywhere.org.', 'Beaufort Memorial Hospital providers offering video office visits', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-memorial-hospital-providers-offering-video-office-visits', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:19:22', '2020-04-15 11:19:22', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44091', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44093, 4, '2020-04-15 07:23:27', '2020-04-15 11:23:27', '<b>Special to The Island News</b>\r\n\r\nEight in 10 reported deaths linked to COVID-19 in the U.S. have been in adults 65 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\r\n\r\n“Older adults are often more vulnerable to severe illness associated with respiratory infection, whether due to underlying health conditions or age-related changes in immune response,” Beaufort Memorial board-certified internist Robert Vyge, M.D. said. “If you’re a caregiver or have an older relative who lives at home, the most important thing you can do is prevent COVID-19 from entering your home, so family members don’t spread the disease to older adults.”\r\n\r\nVyge offered these guidelines when dealing with older adults:\r\n\r\nDisinfect regularly. Clean commonly touched items and surfaces in your home that could contain harmful bacteria and viruses. Then disinfect them using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant, a 70 percent alcohol solution or bleach diluted in water (4 teaspoons per quart of water).\r\n\r\nMinimize interactions with children. Children in your household could have milder symptoms of the virus than adults, and they may not even seem to be sick. Limit the time your child spends with older relatives. And family members who would typically visit in person can use technology to keep in touch.\r\n\r\nLimit nonessential errands and trips. COVID-19 spreads primarily through person-to-person encounters. Staying home as much as possible reduces your risk of contracting the virus from others and passing it along. When you do need to go out, leave your older family member at home.\r\n\r\nWash your hands regularly. Scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Wash your hands as often as possible, especially before caring for an older relative.\r\n\r\nCover coughs and sneezes. Most COVID-19 infections begin in the respiratory system. Droplets can easily infect others nearby. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, or cover your nose or mouth with a tissue, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands immediately.\r\n\r\nWear a face mask. Help prevent spreading the virus by wearing a face mask when and let others know to maintain distance.\r\n\r\n“While the virus that causes COVID-19 seems to spread more quickly from symptomatic patients, it can also be spread from asymptomatic people,” said Vyge, who sees patients at Lady’s Island Internal Medicine. “As a result, precautions like social distancing and using a facemask are even more crucial when you are in the same room as an elderly person.”\r\n<h4><b>I’m sick — now what?</b></h4>\r\nIf you or a member of the household gets sick, your health care provider may recommend recovering at home.\r\n\r\n“With an infected person in the household, you’ll need to take extra steps to keep older family members safe,” said Vyge. Among his suggestions:\r\n\r\nDesignate a sick room and bathroom. Keep other family members healthy by confining the sick person to one specific room and bathroom. Older relatives should stay out of those rooms.\r\n\r\nKeep your distance. While we may want to be physically close to our loved ones, staying at least 6 feet apart could reduce their chance of getting sick.\r\n\r\nVentilate the house. Open a window, if possible, and keep fresh air flowing.', 'Keeping older relatives safe from COVID-19', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'keeping-older-relatives-safe-from-covid-19', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:23:27', '2020-04-15 11:23:27', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44093', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44097, 4, '2020-04-15 07:26:55', '2020-04-15 11:26:55', '<b>By Brackin Lambert</b>\r\n\r\n<b>LowcoSports.com<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\nGrace Hetrick can’t recall a time when softball was not part of her life.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSoftball became an important aspect of her life from an early age — her father played baseball at Winthrop University, so growing up, the game that she had been brought up to love quickly became one of her passions.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAfter one season of recreational softball, Hetrick joined the team at Robert Smalls Middle School. After just one season with the Generals, she moved up to play with the Dolphins’ junior varsity team during eighth and ninth grade before making the jump to varsity her sophomore year.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe 2019 season was one to remember for Battery Creek. A 2-1 victory over Union County gave the Dolphins their first state championship in softball and the feeling from the then-junior was indescribable.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nHetrick primarily played second base during her career, but a move to third to replace graduated star Emily Crosby this season proved to be a fun and new experience for the senior, albeit a short-lived one.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“My biggest obstacle was getting used to the reaction time,” Hetrick said. “Playing second, I would play further back, but at third I’m right in the line of fire. It’s all based on instincts and being able to read the ball off the bat. I found that really helped me because I’ve struggled with over thinking. But with having to have a quick reaction time it taught me to trust my instincts.”\r\n\r\nWith only three games played this season prior to the suspension of the season, it’s hard to say whether or not the Dolphins will have a chance to defend their state championship this year, and the feeling that it could be over is a tough one.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“It’s heartbreaking,” Hetrick said. “Working from the bottom, starting with JV and finally getting to the year where all my hard work will pay off, then having it end so suddenly, it’s really hard. Especially since I don’t plan on playing in college it’s possible I’ve played my last softball game.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhile her time as a high school softball player may have come to an end, it is the unforgettable memories she has made with her teammates that will be the lasting memory of her time with Battery Creek.', 'Senior Student-Athlete Spotlight: Grace Hetrick, BCHS softball', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'senior-student-athlete-spotlight-grace-hetrick-bchs-softball', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:26:55', '2020-04-15 11:26:55', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44097', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44100, 4, '2020-04-15 07:28:48', '2020-04-15 11:28:48', '<h2><b>$158,050 awarded to 11 nonprofit organizations</b></h2>\r\n<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe first series of grants from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund have been awarded to 11 local nonprofit organizations.\r\n\r\nThe fund was established in mid-March to deploy resources to nonprofits in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties that are addressing critical and immediate needs of those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nAn advisory board, with representatives from each of the four counties, reviewed grant requests and will continue to review them on a regular basis. Initial grants from the fund total $158,050 and include:\r\n\r\n<b>Antioch Education Center: </b>to purchase food to be distributed to Jasper County families through the food banks operated by Antioch Education Center and/or with backpacks to Jasper County School District students during 2020 spring break.\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry: </b>to provide funding for supplies and program staff to support the Grab-and-Go program, in April and May, for students in Northern Beaufort County.\r\n\r\n<b>Bluffton Self Help: </b>to provide food and/or housing for clients impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\n<b>HELP of Beaufort: </b>to purchase food and provide for housing-related hardships for the increased number of clients caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\n<b>Neighborhood Outreach Connection: </b>to pay landlords on behalf of individual low-income tenant families in jeopardy of eviction as a result of COVID-19 related unemployment in the neighborhoods Neighborhood Outreach Connection serves.\r\n\r\n<b>The Hilton Head Island Deep Well Project: </b>to fund mortgage/rental assistance needs of clients, including food and beverage employees who have lost employment, directly relating to COVID-19.\r\n\r\n<b>Hopeful Horizons:</b> to transport, feed and/or shelter abuse victims as needed in our Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties.\r\n\r\n<b>Lowcountry Food Bank:</b> to purchase additional food required as a result of COVID-19 to supply to partner agencies which are experiencing increased need.\r\n\r\n<b>St. Stephens Outreach Foodbank: </b>to purchase food for clients in Jasper County and fuel to transport food because of substantial increased need due to COVID-19.\r\n\r\n<b>Sandalwood Community Food Pantry: </b>to purchase food and to purchase supplies to ensure the safety of volunteers and clients.\r\n\r\n<b>Second Helpings: </b>to employ displaced food and beverage workers to deliver food to agencies, filling the gap caused by volunteers who can no longer serve due to age or health-related vulnerability to COVID-19.\r\n<h4>How can I help?</h4>\r\nIf you’d like to make a tax exempt donation to the Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund, you can do so by visiting the Community Foundation’s home page at www.cf-lowcountry.org or by going to the fund’s donation landing page at https://cflowcountry.civicore.com/covid.', 'Community Foundation of Lowcountry awards grants', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'community-foundation-of-lowcountry-awards-grants', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:28:48', '2020-04-15 11:28:48', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44100', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44102, 4, '2020-04-15 07:32:12', '2020-04-15 11:32:12', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nA young girl riding her bike on the street on Friday, April 10 went home and told her dad to call 911 because she saw a fire.\r\n\r\nThree minutes later, around 6:15 p.m., the first arriving ladder company from the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department arrived on scene to find smoke and flames showing from the rear of one of the units at Wilderness Cove apartments at 1305 Talbird Road.\r\n\r\nFlames were found coming from the first floor of the apartment and spread to the second-floor balcony. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in approximately five minutes, preventing the fire from spreading to any other units.\r\n\r\n“She really helped us get on scene quickly and enabled us ... to extinguish the fire quickly and without it spreading or damaging any adjacent properties” Battalion Chief Peter Dontje said.\r\n\r\nThe incident remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.\r\n\r\nThe City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department, Beaufort County EMS, City of Beaufort Police Department, Parris Island Fire &amp; Emergency Services, and Dominion Energy all responded to the incident.\r\n<h4>Fire Safety Tips</h4>\r\nCompiled by the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department:\r\n\r\nNever smoke in bed.\r\n\r\nProperly discard smoking materials in an ashtray or bucket with sand.\r\n\r\nNever smoke around medical oxygen.\r\n\r\nPut smoke materials out all the way.\r\n\r\nKeep your grill at least 10 feet away from your house.\r\n\r\nClean your grill regularly.\r\n\r\nAlways keep a fire extinguisher within a couple feet of your grill.\r\n\r\nNever leave a grill unattended.', 'Girl alerts father to apartment fire', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'girl-alerts-father-to-apartment-fire', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:32:12', '2020-04-15 11:32:12', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44102', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44106, 4, '2020-04-15 07:34:57', '2020-04-15 11:34:57', '<i>This is a recent aerial photograph of the Harbor Island Bridge replacement project. Construction started roughly a year ago on April 22, 2019. Photo by Terry Shealy.</i>', 'It’s getting there!', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'its-getting-there', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:34:57', '2020-04-15 11:34:57', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44106', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44110, 4, '2020-04-15 07:37:43', '2020-04-15 11:37:43', '<b>April 16</b> – Beaufort County Airports Board, 1:30 p.m., watch on The County Channel or the county’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 20</b> – Beaufort Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees (Finance), 2 p.m., watch on The County Channel or the county’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 20</b> – Beaufort County Public Facilities Committee, 3:30 p.m., watch on The County Channel or the county’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 20</b> – City of Beaufort - Town of Port Royal Metropolitan Planning Commission, 5 p.m., watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 21</b> – Bluffton Township Fire District, 4 p.m., watch via Zoom or for information to be posted on the Fire District’s Facebook page', 'Public Meetings April 16–22', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'public-meetings-april-16-22', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:37:43', '2020-04-15 11:37:43', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44110', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44112, 4, '2020-04-15 07:38:40', '2020-04-15 11:38:40', '<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nA 2-year-old Beaufort girl has drowned in a family member’s swimming pool, officials say.\r\n\r\nKaralynn Forbes was found in the pool after visiting the home on Saturday, April 11, said Beaufort County Chief Deputy Coroner David Ott.\r\n\r\nEMS responded to the scene after a call from the home was made to 911 at 5:40 p.m., Ott said.\r\n\r\nThe toddler was pronounced dead at 7:10 p.m. at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.\r\n\r\nAn autopsy, performed Tuesday morning at the Medical University of South Carolina, found the cause of death was accidental due to drowning, Ott said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'Toddler drowns  in swimming pool', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'toddler-drowns-in-swimming-pool', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:38:40', '2020-04-15 11:38:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44112', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(44114, 4, '2020-04-15 07:41:41', '2020-04-15 11:41:41', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nLowcoSports is partnering with local charities and organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for the “LowcoStrong” campaign that launched Friday, April 10.\r\n\r\n“I was scrolling Facebook the other day, which we’re all doing a lot of these days, and I saw a friend in Kansas was promoting her T-shirt campaign to raise money for local relief efforts,” LowcoSports founder Justin Jarrett said. “So I did what I do best — I took her idea and ran with it.”\r\n\r\nJarrett reached out to Hilton Head Island-based nonprofit Pockets Full of Sunshine to discuss the idea, then pulled in other advisors, including Elise Simons of the Lowcountry Volleyball Club, and the team developed\r\na plan.\r\n\r\nLimited edition “LowcoStrong” T-shirts are available in men’s and women’s styles, as well as youth medium and large sizes. Each style of shirt is available in three colors — navy, white, and gray. Shirts are $20 each (plus $2 for 2XL and above), and $10 from each shirt sold will go to a local charity. Some of the local organizations that have already jumped on board are The Bargain Box of Hilton Head, Bluffton Self Help, Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry, Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA), The Deep Well Project, HELP of Beaufort, Hopeful Horizons. Hungry Heart Restaurant Worker Relief Fund. Pockets Full of Sunshine, United Way of the Lowcountry Serving Beaufort and Jasper counties, Al Stern Memorial Scholarship Fund (Low Country Volleyball), Volunteers in Medicine Clinic.\r\n\r\nSpecial adults from Pockets Full of Sunshine will also be involved with the screen printing of the shirts and create handmade tags from home that will be applied to the shirts before they are delivered.\r\n\r\nJarrett also has reached out to additional charities and area high school booster clubs about joining in the community-wide fundraiser.\r\n\r\n“Many of these great charities have taken a huge fundraising hit, especially with the loss of the RBC Heritage Presented By Boeing and numerous other popular spring events that are big fundraisers for them,” Jarrett said. “And many of our local residents are more reliant on charity than ever. We have to work together to lift everyone up. That’s what being ‘LowcoStrong’ is all about.”\r\n\r\nOrders can be placed at https://tinyurl.com/whafgy3. Orders must be placed by midnight on April 20 and invoices must be paid by noon on April 21. Jarrett and volunteers from LowcoSports and the participating charities will deliver the shirts in early May.\r\n<h4>EDITOR’S NOTE</h4>\r\nIn the interest of full disclosure, Justin Jarrett is the former editor-in-chief and the current sports editor of The Island News, and LowcoSports provides sports content on a regular basis for The Island News.\r\n<h2>Want to help?</h2>\r\n<b>What:</b> LowcoSports’ LowcoStrong campaign\r\n\r\n<b>When: </b>Through Monday, April 20\r\n\r\n<b>Where:</b> Order at https://tinyurl.com/whafgy3\r\n\r\n<b>How it works:</b> LowcoSports T-shirts are sold for $20 each with $10 from each going to Lowcounty nonprofits who are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\n<b>Nonprofits that can benefit: </b>The Bargain Box of Hilton Head, Bluffton Self Help, Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry, Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA), The Deep Well Project, HELP of Beaufort, Hopeful Horizons. Hungry Heart Restaurant Worker Relief Fund. Pockets Full of Sunshine, United Way of the Lowcountry Serving Beaufort and Jasper counties, Al Stern Memorial Scholarship Fund (Low Country Volleyball), Volunteers in Medicine Clinic.', 'LowcoStrong effort to help nonprofits hurt by COVID-19 pandemic', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcostrong-effort-to-help-nonprofits-hurt-by-covid-19-pandemic', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:41:41', '2020-04-15 11:41:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44114', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44116, 4, '2020-04-15 07:43:27', '2020-04-15 11:43:27', '<h2>We’ve got to bring manufacturing home</h2>\r\nGovernor Andrew Cuomo of N.Y. has just ordered 125,000 ventilators from China at a cost of $25,000 each.\r\n\r\nI do not quarrel with what may have been necessity. However, considering the actions of that government in arresting and disappearing several prominent Chinese doctors who tried to warn the world about coronavirus, any American of average intelligence has to ask “How did it come to this?”\r\n\r\nThe answer is simple: big business transferred our manufacturing to China to make higher profits, and politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, were their enablers.\r\n\r\nThe day of reckoning has come. Americans, for our national survival, must reclaim our manufacturing supply chains, especially those of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, or the consequences will be dire.\r\n\r\n<i>– Richard Hines, Mayesville, S.C.</i>', 'Letter to the Editor', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'letter-to-the-editor-39', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:43:27', '2020-04-15 11:43:27', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44116', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44118, 4, '2020-04-15 07:44:26', '2020-04-15 11:44:26', '<h2><b>Beaufort Memorial Hospital identifies alternate care site in case of surge</b></h2>\r\n<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Middle School’s gymnasium may become an alternate care site for patients if a surge in COVID-19 cases outpaces the Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s bed capacity, officials announced Friday, April 10.\r\n\r\nLast week, representatives from multiple agencies, including Beaufort Memorial (BMH), Beaufort County School District, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Beaufort County Emergency Management Division, Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Division, the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the site and determined that it could become a temporary hospital for patients who do not require the intensive care and equipment reserved for critically-ill COVID-19 patients.\r\n\r\n“We have been working very closely with a number of agencies to prepare for a possible surge and are fine-tuning processes for triaging and transporting patients to the appropriate care site, if necessary,” BMH President and CEO Russell Baxley said in a release.\r\n\r\nThe surge model, developed in conjunction with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Guard, outlines a three-tiered approach to managing volume based on patient acuity. The alternative care site is a Tier II option under this approach.\r\n\r\nHospital officials are working on the final details of the plan to submit to DHEC, which is responsible for approving such sites across the state. The site plan includes accommodations for 50 cots, with flexibility to add up to 25 additional cots, if necessary.\r\n\r\nOnce the plans are approved, the hospital’s emergency management team will deliver cots, equipment, supplies and technology to ready the facility.\r\n\r\n“This is very much an exercise in preparation, and a resource we hope we will never need,” Baxley said. “If we all do our part as a community to flatten the curve we will not need to use this site, but we would rather have it ready for use just in case.”\r\n\r\nThe hospital expects to have the site fully prepped by the end of this week and will depend on its IT, Environmental Services, Pharmacy and other teams to provide technical support, cleaning, linen and medication management services for the site.\r\n\r\nBoth the hospital and the school district have contracts with national food supplier Sodexo and will work together to mobilize food services for the location, if necessary. In addition, the school district will extend critical access to its Wi-Fi networks and other resources to support the operation.\r\n\r\nIf the need arises to treat patients in the gym during a surge, the hospital’s Environmental Services team will clean and disinfect the building with the same processes, products and standards used in the hospital setting every day to ensure it is ready for school use when classes and activities resume.\r\n\r\n“Superintendent Dr. Frank Rodriguez and his staff have been extraordinarily supportive in this endeavor and we could not be more grateful,” Baxley said. “This is truly a collaborative effort to keep our community, patients and staff as safe as possible during these unprecedented times.', 'Beaufort Middle gym could house coronavirus patients', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-middle-gym-could-house-coronavirus-patients', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:44:26', '2020-04-15 11:44:26', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44118', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44120, 4, '2020-04-15 07:47:22', '2020-04-15 11:47:22', '<h2><b>Lowcountry organizations working to help those impacted by the economy</b></h2>\r\n<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nSome of the area’s leading social service organizations are stepping up to help those who have been impacted by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak.\r\n\r\nThe lack of food or consistent access to enough food and money to pay for housing or rent are two of the most critical issues facing those in need right now, organization leaders said.\r\n\r\n“Those are probably the biggest followed by kids on free and reduced lunch,” said Chris Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.\r\n\r\nThe nonprofit works to raise and provide funds to organizations in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties.\r\n\r\nThe economic consequences of closures and layoffs due to the virus have caused a great deal of instability for both children and families, whether it’s in the form of summer programs for kids that have been cancelled or added stresses in the home, Kerrigan said.\r\n\r\n“So how do we as a community fill that gap?” he said.\r\n\r\nThe foundation recently created the Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund and established a $100,000 “challenge match.”\r\n\r\nThe organization was able to match that amount in the first seven days, Kerrigan said. The foundation’s board is also working to approve another $50,000 for a second match and as of Thursday, April 9, expected to surpass that goal, Kerrigan said.\r\n\r\n“We’re still counting,” he said.\r\n\r\nThe first phase of funding will go to those organizations in the nonprofit’s four-county service area that are helping individuals and families meet basic needs such as food, housing and healthcare.\r\n\r\nIt isn’t the first time the Community Foundation has stepped up in times of crisis, Kerrigan said. In 2004, the foundation created the Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding Fund, which would go on to play a critical role in 2016 after Hurricane Matthew hit the Lowcountry.\r\n\r\nAfter Matthew, the foundation awarded more than $220,000 in grants to nonprofits helping individuals get back on their feet.\r\n\r\n“This (funding initiative) is certainly surpassing that,” Kerrigan said, adding that, unlike a hurricane, which often causes the country to rally around an effected community, this has hit everywhere.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBecause of that communities have been left to struggle to meet their own individual needs.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“This is a brave new world for us all,” he said. “People have to be able to cover their basic needs. You can’t think of anything else if you’re hungry, or if the lights are turned off.”\r\n\r\nAt Help of Beaufort in Port Royal, Lori Opozda, the non-profit’s executive director, echoed that assessment saying that she and her staff noticed the impact of the coronavirus outbreak around mid-March.\r\n\r\n“We started seeing an increase in the number of new clients and the number of unemployed people coming in,” she said.\r\n\r\nThe organization is used to helping those in need, but the effects of the virus on the community have been unprecedented, Opozda said.\r\n\r\n“We are seeing those from the service industry – waitresses, hostesses – and all the other businesses that have had people to get their hours cut,” she said. “It’s affected all walks of life.”\r\n\r\nIn addition, HELP of Beaufort – which provides free clothes and food through its food pantry – has started seeing whole families in need as opposed to individuals which had been more the norm.\r\n\r\n“The community has really come together to keep food on the pantry shelves,” she said.\r\n\r\nThe organization has also seen a 30 percent increase in volunteers, an increase Opozda attributes in part to the new location on Ribaut Road. Just being in a more visible location has given the organization more exposure, she said.\r\n\r\nIn addition, many of the new volunteers are those who have recently lost jobs or had their hours cut, she said.\r\n\r\n“We\'re going get through it,” she said. “But it just takes time and it takes the whole community to get through it.”', 'Need help? Want to help?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'need-help-want-to-help', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:47:22', '2020-04-15 11:47:22', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44120', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44122, 4, '2020-04-15 07:51:53', '2020-04-15 11:51:53', '<h2><b>Beaufort Memorial Hospital<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>won’t say how many patients it’s treating for COVID-19</b></h2>\r\n<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that several major health systems in South Carolina have released the numbers of patients they are treating for COVID-19, Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort has refused to release its numbers.\r\n\r\nFor weeks, health officials across the nation have said to expect a surge in cases around mid-April, while here in South Carolina, officials with the Department of Health and Environment Control (DHEC) said the number of cases could peak in early May.\r\n\r\nHowever, when asked for the number of patients it is currently treating for COVID-19, Beaufort Memorial, a public hospital, emailed the following statement:\r\n\r\n“As a general rule we are not sharing details about patient case numbers, ICU bed occupancy, vent usage, etc., for the very reason that these numbers do and will continue to fluctuate,” the email read. “We also feel that without a great deal of context and commentary, this level of detail will only serve to raise more questions and speculation than answers.”\r\n\r\nThe statement, attributed to the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Kurt Gambla, was emailed to The Island News, on Friday, April 10, after a reporter requested patient numbers for a second time in recent weeks.\r\n\r\nThe hospital had seen an increase in cases in the first part of March, Dr. Gambla said, but had “remained pretty consistent since” with a “slight increase” in the number of critical care and progressive care units.\r\n\r\nHe attributed the reason for the increase to the increased availability of testing and turnaround times at laboratories.\r\n\r\n“So where there may have been a backlog a week or two ago, we’re now getting results from the state lab in about 48 hours,” Dr. Gambla said.\r\n\r\nAsked if he believed the hospital was seeing the first wave of a possible surge, he stopped short however.\r\n\r\n“It’s hard to know what constitutes a wave as testing was backlogged for a time and as it was caught up, we saw positive tests increase but also saw negative tests increase,” he said.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County currently has the sixth highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, according to DHEC, and is also among the top six in terms of rate of cases per 100,000 people.\r\n\r\nIn addition, with seven deaths due to COVID-19, it is the second highest county in the state in coronavirus-related fatalities – second only to Richland County which has had 10 deaths, as of April 12.\r\n\r\nOther hospital systems that have released their numbers include the Medical University of South Carolina, which had four people hospitalized from COVID-19, as of Wednesday, April 8, according to ABC-4, in Charleston and the medical center’s website. Eight were waiting at the hospital for their test results.\r\n\r\nPrisma also released its numbers telling The (Columbia) State newspaper that, as of Friday, April 10, 80 COVID-19 patients had been hospitalized at its facilities across the state, including its hospital rooms and intensive care units.\r\n\r\nA top medical official with the health system also told the newspaper that between 40 and 50 percent of patients on ventilators have died, noting the startling and often sudden decline in these patients in particular.\r\n\r\nIn March, Beaufort Memorial Hospital said it had 29 ventilators to support patients and could convert other areas of the hospital to support a surge. It also set up two large tents in the parking lot across from its ER to triage COVID-19 patients.\r\n\r\nWhile it refused to release the numbers of patients it is currently treating or has treated for the virus to date, the hospital did say it has tested 817 people, as of Friday, with 91 testing positive and 607 testing negative.\r\n\r\nIn the same email, Beaufort Memorial’s president and CEO Russell Baxley, said that it was “still in a very good place” in terms of equipment, supplies and staff and was prepared as if a surge could happen “at any time.”\r\n\r\n“We would always like to have more personal protective equipment (PPE), but right now we’re comfortable,” Baxley said.\r\n<h4>CORONAVIRUS UPDATE</h4>\r\n<b>4 more cases reported<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>in Beaufort County</b>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Tuesday announced four new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Beaufort County, bringing the total to 198.\r\n\r\nSeven people have died in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nAcross the state, there were 115 new cases and 10 additional deaths reported on Tuesday. This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 3,553 and those who have died to 97.', 'Is Beaufort seeing the first wave of a surge?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'is-beaufort-seeing-the-first-wave-of-a-surge', '', '', '2020-04-15 07:51:53', '2020-04-15 11:51:53', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44122', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44124, 4, '2020-04-15 10:55:17', '2020-04-15 14:55:17', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-04-15 at 10.53.40 AM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-04-15-at-10-53-40-am', '', '', '2020-04-15 10:55:17', '2020-04-15 14:55:17', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-04-15-at-10.53.40-AM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(44134, 4, '2020-04-21 21:17:31', '2020-04-22 01:17:31', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\nFor the first time since admitting there were more than 20 confirmed cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus on base, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, according to sources, accepted a shipment of recruits on Monday.\r\n\r\nThe Marine Corps announced changes to MCRD Parris Island’s training process on March 30 on its Facebook page. Included in those changes was a halt to shipments of recruits to Parris Island until the situation had stabilized.\r\n\r\nSeveral media outlets had reported that Monday, April 13 was the goal for reintroducing new shipments of recruits to Parris Island. But that didn’t happen.\r\n\r\nAt the time, Capt. Bryan McDonnell, Director of Communcation Strategy and Operations for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island explained, “New recruit arrivals to Parris Island remain conditions-based. We are continuing to refine our staging process and setting conditions for the resumption of shipping.”\r\n\r\nHe also laid out the procedure for when shipping resumed.\r\n\r\n“Shippers will remain in a staging period of closely supervised quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to the Depot, prior to stepping on our iconic yellow footprints to begin recruit training,” he said. “Staging includes multiple medical checks a day and classes designed to orient and prepare shippers for the challenges of recruit training.\r\n\r\n“We remain focused on mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and further hardening our force health posture. This includes following all CDC guidelines on social distancing and hygiene, modifications to the training schedule to assist in the implementation of those guidelines, and the wear of cloth masks by recruits and training personnel.”\r\n\r\nIn addition to these precautions, Parris Island remains closed to the public. Graduation ceremonies are canceled, and leave for new graduates is no longer standard.', 'Parris Island gets shipment of new recruits', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'parris-island-gets-shipment-of-new-recruits', '', '', '2020-04-21 21:17:31', '2020-04-22 01:17:31', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44134', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44137, 4, '2020-04-21 21:34:29', '2020-04-22 01:34:29', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\nAccording to John Harris, Harris Pillow Supply has been operating in Beaufort for more than 40 years.\r\n\r\n40 years.\r\n\r\nTypically, on a given day, the company’s 30-plus employees produce between 2,500 and 3,500 pillows. Many of the pillows are produced for cruise lines and hotels and many others are sold online. The company also produces pillow inserts, specialty pillows and cushions for furniture.\r\n\r\nBut roughly three weeks ago, Harris made a change.\r\n\r\nThe company known for making pillows stopped. And started making surgical-grade cloth masks to help account for a shortage during the current COVID 19 coronavirus crisis.\r\n\r\nCurrently, the Beaufort facility is producing somewhere between 1,100 and 1,250 masks a day.\r\n\r\nWhen asked what the biggest challenge there was in the shift, Harris laughed. “Apples and oranges,” he said.\r\n\r\n“It’s just a different animal, and we had to get some different equipment,” Harris said. “Our people are accustomed to sewing in a straight line, a rectangular pillow case. And these, there are some curves, elastic, just a different animal. We needed to find the right steps and the right people to do those steps.”\r\n\r\nHarris has a friend in Cincinnati whose company followed Harris into mask making.\r\n\r\n“He showed us how he was making them,” Harris said. “We were able to use some of his ideas to benefit us, and I was able to help him get some business. We scratch each other’s backs.”\r\n\r\nHarris still has about 14,000 masks on back orders.\r\n\r\n“We can’t fill them as fast as they come,” Harris said.\r\n\r\nThe company is also trying it’s hand in the surgical gown market, with more than 60,000 on order.\r\n\r\n“We have started gowns but not in our plant,” Harris said. “We have two other companies that sew that help us. Sometimes we contract out strictly sewing jobs. We have not started sewing the gowns here.”\r\n\r\nHarris has filled orders for masks for numerous local groups and companies. The Yemassee Police, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Beaufort County Parks and Leisure and Beaufort-Jasper Comprehensive Health Services, as well as numerous local business, have received masks.\r\n\r\nAnd Harris has shipped them to hot spots where masks were badly needed – Virginia, Florida, Pittsburgh and New Orleans.\r\n\r\nWhile his new product fills an urgent need, Harris admits his motives weren’t entirely altruistic.\r\n\r\n“We needed to keep the doors open. That was a lot of it,” he said. “But soon, hopefully the demand for masks will drop and the demand for pillows will start picking back up again.”\r\n\r\nNo matter how long that takes, Harris hopes to get back to pillows.\r\n\r\n“We are not planning on continuing to make masks indefinitely,” he said. “Not at all.”', 'The other side of the pillow: Beaufort company shifts gears to make masks', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'the-other-side-of-the-pillow-beaufort-company-shifts-gears-to-make-masks', '', '', '2020-04-21 21:34:29', '2020-04-22 01:34:29', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44137', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44140, 4, '2020-04-21 22:00:17', '2020-04-22 02:00:17', '<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nThe City of Beaufort will be under a considerable financial strain for the next six to nine months after the recent loss of tax revenue and other sources of funding and will have to tighten its belt for the remainder of the year, officials said recently.\r\n\r\nAt Beaufort’s most recent city council meeting held Tuesday, April 14, City Manager Bill Prokop estimated the lost revenue would be between $1.8 million to $2 million for the fiscal year ending June 30.\r\n\r\nThe lost revenue comes from business license taxes, accommodations taxes, hospitality taxes, personal property permits and various other sources, Prokop said at the meeting.\r\n\r\nSome sources such as accommodations and hospitality taxes that “pass through” to the city when visitors stay or purchase goods in Beaufort are permanently lost now that many of those businesses are closed, while others such business license taxes or personal property permits will come in at a lower rate or slower as some are deferred.\r\n\r\nThe city is also entering what would normally be its “lean months” in terms of revenue collection, or July through December, said Prokop.\r\n\r\n“Cash is going to be very tight for us,” he said, at the meeting.\r\n\r\nAs a result, the city has taken steps to curtail spending starting with a hiring freeze which will affect such open positions as police officers. The city will fill two positions it just hired for, Prokop said by phone recently, but will have to freeze five more it was trying to fill.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the city will cut back on operating costs, put capital projects on hold, with the exception of stormwater projects, and will halt overnight travel and training, except for police or fire academy training.\r\n\r\nAsked if the city expects layoffs or furloughs of any kind this year Prokop said, “absolutely not”\r\n\r\n“We are not going to have to do that with the measures we’re taking,” he said.\r\n\r\nWhile the measures will save the city an estimated $400,000-$475,000 for the current budget year, city services will be stretched to the limit and the impacts are expected to be felt in 2021 as well as business taxes, as just one example, are based on how businesses did the previous year.\r\n\r\n“So people who had a bad year this year, will be struggling into next year,” he said.\r\n\r\nAnother factor that could further exacerbate the city’s economic situation are increased costs on everything from stormwater and facilities maintenance costs, to landscaping and street sweeping contracts to increases in insurance premiums.\r\n\r\nThe city was recently hit with a 40 percent increase in the city’s tort insurance alone, Prokop said at the meeting.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, officials with both federal and state governments have said there will money to help municipalities that are hurting.\r\n\r\n“But when and how much is unclear,” Prokop said.\r\n\r\n“It took us three appeals and almost four years to get our money from Hurricane Matthew,” he reminded council members at the meeting.', 'City of Beaufort under ‘financial strain’ due to the loss of revenue', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'city-of-beaufort-under-financial-strain-due-to-the-loss-of-revenue', '', '', '2020-04-21 22:00:17', '2020-04-22 02:00:17', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44140', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44142, 4, '2020-04-21 22:37:37', '2020-04-22 02:37:37', 'By Mindy Lucas\r\n\r\nWhen Teresa Bruce and Gary Geboy bought their home in Pigeon Point more than 20 years ago, they hadn’t planned on ever leaving it. But when a job opportunity came up in Washington, D.C., they realized they could take the job and keep their home by renting it out to visitors.\r\n\r\nBeaufort, after all, was increasingly becoming known as a tourism destination and homes were being listed and rented out easily enough on websites like Vacation Rentals By Owner, or VRBO.\r\n\r\nNow, four years later, the couple has found themselves in the middle of a pandemic and renting their Lowcountry home is no longer so easy. In fact, for the foreseeable future, it isn’t even an option.\r\n\r\nAs of April 6, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order suspended rentals to coronavirus hotspots across the country. The order included hotels, short-term rentals, vacation homes, B&amp;Bs, timeshares and similar properties.\r\n\r\nFor Bruce and Geboy, though, the executive order didn’t much matter. Reservations had already stopped coming in long before that.\r\n\r\n“It was around St. Paddy’s Day when they stopped,” Geboy said.\r\n\r\nAnd while both Bruce and Geboy said they are in a “little better situation” than some who have bought houses in the area solely as investment rentals, they still rely on the rent their house brings to pay for things like maintenance, insurance and taxes – all money that goes back into the area’s economy.\r\n\r\n“Now it’s sort of sitting empty, and those things are still there,” Geboy said.\r\n\r\nFor those who work directly in tourism, such as short-term rentals, hotels or inns, the economic fallout from the pandemic could be long-term and it could be devastating, say those who work in the industry.\r\n\r\n“I don’t want to undersell the devastation, and it won’t be just for the short-term rentals or B&amp;Bs,” said Robb Wells, president and CEO for the Greater Beaufort-Port Royal Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.\r\n\r\nMany other businesses that are impacted by tourism, such as restaurants, retail, bike rentals, tour operators and many others will also be negatively impacted, he said.\r\n\r\n“And that’s a lot of revenue across the board,” he said.\r\n\r\nIn fact, as one of South Carolina’s largest economic drivers, tourism brings in billions of dollars each year to the Palmetto State.\r\n\r\nBefore 2020, the industry was seeing record-breaking years, according to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT), bringing in $23.8 billion in 2018 alone, the most recent year data was collected.\r\n\r\nNow, the industry is looking at millions of dollars lost each week.\r\n\r\nFor the week of April 5-11, for example, South Carolina visitor spending was down $268 million, a drop of 87 percent compared to the equivalent week in 2019, SCPRT related in their latest industry newsletter. Since the first week of March, this equates to a drop of $1 billion or 35 pecent from the same time period in 2019, it said.\r\n\r\nIn Beaufort, it’s particularly impactful, industry officials say, since the county also has a high number of small businesses or small business owners, according to a recent study by SmartAsset.\r\n\r\n“That’s right,” said Wells. “So let’s get past glossy words like economic impact. These are our friends and neighbors. We see them everyday in the community or at the grocery store and they are struggling.”\r\n\r\nAcross town at The Rhett House Inn, owners Steve and Marianne Harrison have been dealing with the double-edge sword of not only having no business but having to lay off employees as well.\r\n\r\n“We’re very sad,” Steve Harrison said, adding that the inn, which has been in business for 34 years, had to lay off all 11 of its employees.\r\n\r\nHarrison said they first started receiving cancellations in January and February as people became leery of traveling. The inn tried to stave off the impact by offering gift certificates for other dates, or moving reservations first from March to April, then from April to May.\r\n\r\n“But it became more and more unlikely we could stay open, especially when the restaurants started closing, and that was big,” he said. “Basically when that happened the town was closed to tourists.”\r\n\r\nNow, everything feels like it’s on hold, he said.\r\n\r\n“We feel like someone pressed the pause button on life, and we don’t know when it’s going to come off,” he said.\r\n\r\nEven the two loan programs he and his wife have applied for – the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and the Paycheck Protection Program – seem to be on hold or haven’t come through yet.\r\n\r\nA self-described optimist, Harrison said he’ll hang in there and stay with the inn and the business “until he dies.”\r\n\r\n“But yes it’s going to be a struggle and for the whole town,” he said. “Hospitality is going to be the last thing that comes back. When people can travel again, the last thing they’re going to want to do is get on a plane.”\r\n\r\nBruce, whose Beaufort home remains empty, except for when they are in town, said it saddened her more for the city which she still calls home, rather than her own situation.\r\n\r\n“I want my city to thrive and be financially stable,” she said, adding that when guests stay at her home, they get a book full of recommendations for what to do and where to go in the area.\r\n\r\n“They are spending a lot of money on restaurants and everything else in the area, so not only does it affect the taxes the city brings in and us, but it affects all these other businesses,” she said.\r\n\r\nBoth she and Geboy, as well as Wells and Harrison, all cautioned that when the re-opening begins, it needs to be done carefully and with consideration for the health and wellness of everyone involved.\r\n\r\n“I want them to be able to come to Beaufort and fall in love with my city,” said Bruce. “But at the same time I don’t want people to come and spread the virus.”\r\n\r\nLike Harrison and Wells, Geboy also worries about the long-term effect the pandemic will have on Beaufort’s economy.\r\n\r\n“This is going to have a pretty profound effect on Beaufort,” he said. “That’s for sure.”\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Related articles:</strong></em>\r\n\r\nhttps://staging.yourislandnews.com/were-all-in-this-together/\r\n\r\nhttps://staging.yourislandnews.com/something-completely-different/', 'Pandemic to have ‘profound effect’ on Beaufort’s tourism-based economy', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'pandemic-to-have-profound-effect-on-beauforts-tourism-based-economy', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:16:12', '2020-04-22 13:16:12', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44142', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44338, 4, '2020-05-08 13:50:02', '2020-05-08 17:50:02', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-05-08 at 1.49.23 PM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-05-08-at-1-49-23-pm', '', '', '2020-05-08 13:50:02', '2020-05-08 17:50:02', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-05-08-at-1.49.23-PM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(44145, 4, '2020-04-21 22:55:46', '2020-04-22 02:55:46', '&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\nIt’s been four weeks since Cathryn Miller’s Facebook group “LOWCOUNTRY AUCTIONS for Bar, Restaurant and entertainment staff out of work” began holding online auctions to benefit specific Lowcountry food and beverage industry workers. And what a four weeks it’s been.\r\n\r\n“I have met some amazing people and made some pretty incredible friends,” Miller said.\r\n\r\nShe’s also raised a fair amount of money – $18,960 through midnight Monday night – for a total of 113 different workers.\r\n\r\n“I always try and push hard when I do fundraisers for causes I truly believe in. This is definitely one of those,” Miller said. “The support from the local community and businesses have far exceeded my expectations, the overwhelming support has gone way beyond what I thought was possible. I will be forever in debt to all those who have made this so successful.”\r\n\r\nMiller has no intention of slowing the site anytime soon as long as there is still work to be done.\r\n\r\n“As a friend of mine said today, ‘go big or go home.’ We are definitely not going home.”', 'Facebook auctions raise more than $18k for food and beverage workers', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'facebook-auctions-raise-more-than-18k-for-food-and-beverage-workers', '', '', '2020-04-21 22:55:46', '2020-04-22 02:55:46', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44145', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44148, 4, '2020-04-21 08:35:54', '2020-04-21 12:35:54', '<strong>By David Taub</strong>\r\n\r\nFor at least a couple of months now, the country’s most exalted experts on COVID-19, Drs. Fauci and Birx, have been singing the same song. Physical distance is the best and surest modality for preventing exposure to and infection with the novel coronavirus.\r\n\r\nRegrettably, some of our state leaders, and many of our national leaders have been rather more lackadaisical in their acceptance of this simple common-sense approach to prophylactic protections.\r\n\r\nAll of our country’s medical/health authorities agree that: (1) we do not have anywhere near enough COVID-19 test kits available, (2) we are running out of nasal swabs to obtain the test mucus, and that (3) the country as a whole is woefully unprepared to undertake the massive testing necessary to ensure it is safe to relax our physical distance models.\r\n\r\nCurrently, persons must show COVID-19 symptoms to receive a test, notwithstanding that asymptomatic persons who are actually infected may have already transmitted the virus. South Carolina health officials estimate there may be as many as 1,216 undiagnosed cases in Beaufort county and 21,821 statewide. Have you read Catch-22?\r\n\r\nA local example puts such truth to power: As of April 15, the data for South Carolina was: 3,656 infections; 107 deaths (a statewide mortality rate of 2.7 percent). For Beaufort County, there were 205 cases of infections and 7 deaths (4 percent mortality rate).\r\n\r\nCompared to New York State’s rates, it would appear that we are not in dire trouble. But this is a misleading comparison, because on a population basis, South Carolina’s current infection rate per 100,000 of population is 72. This proportional death rate metric is greater than that experienced by the states of my native Texas, Ohio, California, Wisconsin and North Carolina.\r\n\r\nThis local story should make us sit up and take notice.\r\n\r\nOn Easter Sunday, a close friend experienced some coronavirus symptoms. He logged onto MUSC’s website and took a “virtual” test for COVID-19, which indicated that he should get tested.\r\n\r\nIt listed locations nearest to Beaufort where testing could be obtained. Beaufort Memorial Hospital was NOT on that list, but Hampton County hospital and MUSC were; it is unclear to BMH officials why they were not listed.\r\n\r\nNevertheless, my friend called BMH and was told to come over and they would test him. He hot-footed it over to an empty BMH ER. It took him close to three hours to get the paper work and nasal sample obtained. He was told he had to stay in quarantine in his home until the test results were obtained, and that this would take five to seven DAYS, since the results had to be sent to an outside laboratory for analysis.\r\n\r\nBMH did not have any rapid-results COVID-19 test kits; BMH had ordered them, but the federal government diverted their order to New York City. Out of compassionate concern for my friend’s health, BMH called the lab and got his results on Wednesday (less than three days). It was NEGATIVE. BMH is ready, willing and able to support this county’s citizens in addressing the coronavirus pandemic. Thank God for the dedication of our local medical heroes.\r\n\r\nExercising meaningful leadership is a difficult and exacting task, made all the more challenging when onerous and arduous but critically important decisions must be made in the public interest. Effective government that well serves its citizenry dictates no less, most especially so in times of crisis, such as we face today.\r\n\r\nRespect and confidence in a government results when “good government” contributes to the well-being of its citizenry. Democratic government cannot survive without the public’s confidence.\r\n\r\nFortunately, our county and municipal governments have shown strong leadership in steadfastly advising that we must adhere to a policy of physical disengagement as the best available preventative remedy.\r\n\r\nHow is South Carolina’s leadership addressing the health and medical needs of its citizens to mitigate the ravages of this menacing enemy, an evil that discriminates against no one?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>We are all at risk of sickness and death. Have such historically virtuous notions of wisdom, accountability and steadfast leadership become passé in our convoluted modern life? Nay, I believe that during the greatest existential challenge facing our country in over a century, these virtues are mandatory.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Paul Keating, erstwhile Australian Prime Minister, provides the litmus test: “Leadership is not about being nice.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>It’s about being right and being strong.” <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Should we require that our State and National leaders to be right and strong?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Of course, we should! <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<i>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999, and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate Judge from 2010 to 2015.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>He may be contacted at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</i>', 'Only fools have certainty', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'only-fools-have-certainty', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:44:47', '2020-04-22 12:44:47', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44148', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44150, 4, '2020-04-21 08:38:42', '2020-04-21 12:38:42', '<strong>By Scott Graber</strong>\r\n\r\nIt is Friday, April 17, 2020, and I’m in our minimalist, tastefully furnished living room. This room comes with four large windows, two small sofas and salon-style art that crawls the walls. It is a pleasant place to read and, from time to time, say, “Alexa, play Billy Eckstine.”\r\n\r\nThis morning I have a copy of “Plagues and Peoples” (Robert McNeill, Doubleday, 1976); a cup of Eight O’Clock coffee; and “I Apologize” as rendered by Billy Eckstine. Robert McNeill’s book comes with an inscription – “Dr. Graber, Just something to to show our appreciation for a fine series of lectures. … from the ‘Peanut-butter Eaters’ of the Class of 81.”\r\n\r\nThe inside cover is signed by six medical students — peanut butter and jelly eating eating students who once listened to my father pontificate on tuberculosis and tularemia — who must now be in their sixties and, presumably, tending their own patients as our pandemic plays out its hand.\r\n\r\n“Plagues and Peoples” begins in Africa, where our ancestors first came down from the trees and — after they figured out fire — learned to “harvest” antelope, wildebeest and bobcats on the ground. While they could organize themselves into small, efficient hunting parties, they couldn’t do much about the invisible, microscopic parasites that lived on the ground and were also foraging for food.\r\n\r\n“Opportunities for transfer from one host to another multiply with increased human density, so that, if and when a critical threshold is surpassed, infection can suddenly develop into runaway hyper-infection.”\r\n\r\nMcNeill explains that human populations in Africa were relatively small; and while bacteria, viruses and fungi were always present, runaway hyper-infection was rare until our ancestors decided to leave Africa and embrace agriculture.\r\n\r\nWe all know that agriculture led to larger, denser populations along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These riverside communities led to kings, taxes, zoning and presented our microbiotic kinsmen with a smorgasbord — an endless, all-you-can-eat buffet. This would lead to what we now label malaria, measles, typhus, yellow fever, tuberculosis and smallpox.\r\n\r\nAmerica — before European discovery — had a few pathogens. But big-time killers (cholera, diphtheria, typhus) came with the colonists. We also know that smallpox was the European gift that toppled the Inca and the Aztec civilizations.\r\n\r\nTwo other gifts that also made the Atlantic crossing — malaria and yellow fever — made a huge difference in South Carolina in particular.\r\n\r\nWalter Edgar (in his “South Carolina History”) says that yellow fever broke out in South Carolina 18 times between 1670 and 1775. During this period, malaria became endemic — always present in the population — and childhood mortality “may have been as high as 80 percent.”\r\n\r\nIn those long gone days, a fiction in play said if you survived your first year in Charleston — if you somehow got through the “sickly season” of August, September, October and November — chances were good that you would survive indefinitely.\r\n\r\nBut this was mostly an illusion as hundreds of thousands died regardless of the length of their residency. (If you got sick, and recovered, your chances did improve.)\r\n\r\nNotwithstanding the advertising in England that portrayed South Carolina as salubrious, with “healthy air,” ours was filled with mosquitos, Aegypti and Anopheles, and these creatures kept the colony on the edge of extinction. But immigrants continued to come, many to die before they unpacked their bags. Some did survive making their fortunes raising indigo, rice and eventually long-staple cotton on large plantations.\r\n\r\nOther than Charleston, there was no significant city, or concentration of people along the South Carolina coast. Yes, I know there were small settlements like Beaufort, Conway and Georgetown. But rice and cotton plantations were large, people kept their distance, and fevers and chills came between August and November thinning-out the young, the aging, the weaker folks.\r\n\r\nIn 1901, Walter Reed would discover that mosquitoes were the messenger of death insofar as Yellow Fever was concerned. Malaria would be a problem, endemic, well into the 20th century. In fact, St. Helena Island recorded an annual average of eight deaths (among African-Americans) for “malarial fever” between 1920 and 1928.\r\n\r\nMalaria would eventually be taken-out (in the United States) by DDT following World War II. These mosquito-borne infections would fade from our collective consciousness as the South Carolina coast filled-up with pastel condominiums, resort hotels and retirement communities.\r\n\r\n<i>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. Email Scott at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</i>', 'Disease an original settler and longtime resident of South Carolina', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'disease-an-original-settler-and-longtime-resident-of-south-carolina', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:44:14', '2020-04-22 12:44:14', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44150', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(44152, 4, '2020-04-21 08:42:03', '2020-04-21 12:42:03', '<strong>By Lee Scott</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are several places in Beaufort that are going to have some incredible merchandise in the near future. Those stores include The St. Frances Center on Lady’s Island, The Treasure House on Boundary Street, Front Porch on Sea Island Parkway, Friends of Caroline Hospice and the Cancer Thrift Store to name just a few.\r\n\r\nI know these nonprofits will have wonderful outstanding bargains, because there are so many people in our community who are cleaning out their houses and ready to donate.\r\n\r\nWith so much time on our hands and abiding by the “stay at home” order and the social distancing, we have all been cleaning out closets, attics, and garages.\r\n\r\nSeems like everyone I have talked to lately is filling up their cars and spare bedrooms with clothes, furniture, and knickknacks that they want to donate. But the thrift stores are closed for the time being, and the merchandise just keeps mounting up in our homes.\r\n\r\nThe donations are going to be bountiful.\r\n\r\nOf course, the list of items to donate is endless. Frames, old lamps, and other items that are sitting around collecting dust will become somebody’s treasure. In our cleaning, we not only found an old desk, but several end tables and a lamp that were moved here to Beaufort, but never used.\r\n\r\nI can see it now, instead of people lining up outside the grocery stores, there will be lines at the thrift stores with people dropping off their donations. The signs will say “Shelves are full.”\r\n\r\nIt is not only that we are rummaging through closets, we are also looking at our current bedspreads and sheets and are ready for a change.\r\n\r\nOf course, we may all run out of sheets with everyone making face masks, but hang onto those old quilts and towels because the animal shelters will still need them.\r\n\r\nThere are other stores too that can use your old items. I pulled out some of my old business suits and realized I could have them dry-cleaned and dropped off at a consignment store like “Where’d you get that.”\r\n\r\nThey may take your items and give you a portion of the sale once they are sold. Even if someone doesn’t want my entire business suit, they might want just the skirt or jacket.\r\n\r\nAs for the “stuff” not worth donating, there is the Convenience Center which has been very busy. The last time I was there I heard one guy yelling over to another, “Don’t throw that away. I’ll take it.” Another man’s treasure.\r\n\r\nSo, if you find yourself looking for some good bargains once our thrift stores are opened again, you may discover some wonderful values.\r\n\r\nBut be prepared, there may be a line at the door.\r\n\r\n<i>Lee Scott, a writer and recent retiree, shares her everyday observations about life after career. A former commercial banker responsible for helping her clients to reach their business objectives, Scott now translates those analytical skills to her writings. She lives on St. Helena Island and enjoys boating, traveling and reading.</i>', 'Coronavirus may result in best shopping in town', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coronavirus-may-result-in-best-shopping-in-town', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:43:35', '2020-04-22 12:43:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44152', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44155, 4, '2020-04-21 08:45:19', '2020-04-21 12:45:19', '<b>Seabrook car fire<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>under investigation</b>\r\n\r\nJust past midnight on Friday, April 17, Burton Fire District firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on Seabrook Center Rd. Firefighters arrived to find fire coming from a Hyundai Genesis which was located on a basketball court.\r\n\r\nFirefighters extinguished the fire without injuries. However, the vehicle was heavily damaged.\r\n\r\nThe fire is under investigation, and anyone who may have information concerning this fire is encouraged to contact the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>McMaster declares State of Emergency<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>for last week’s<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>severe weather</b>\r\n\r\nCOLUMBIA – Governor Henry McMaster has issued Executive Order 2020-24, declaring a state of emergency in response to the devastation caused by the severe weather event on the morning of Monday, April 13.\r\n\r\nThis declaration does not impact any executive orders issued by the governor in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in any way. It does, however, direct that the state’s Emergency Operations Plan be further placed into effect to continue the state’s response to the severe weather event.\r\n\r\nCurrently, local emergency management officials are assessing the damage caused by the storms in the impacted counties. Once those assessments are completed and relayed to the S.C. Emergency Management Division, the governor will request a federal disaster declaration accordingly.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>Right Women PAC endorses Landing in<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>1st District race</b>\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Right Women PAC, an organization focused on electing solidly conservative women, announced its endorsement of Kathy Landing in the race for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District on Wednesday, April 15.\r\n\r\nRight Women only endorses women candidates who demonstrate they are “pro-Constitution, pro-Second Amendment, pro-law enforcement, pro-life, supportive of President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda, and advocates for border security, religious freedom, Israel, and veterans.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>AG Wilson sends<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>price gouging cases<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>to local solicitors</b>\r\n\r\nCOLUMBIA – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has assigned potential price gouging cases to local solicitors around the state so their offices can review them and assign them to local law enforcement to investigate as needed and then possibly prosecute.\r\n\r\n“We’ve received more than 650 complaints since the Governor declared a state of emergency on March 13 and we’ve been going through those complaints to find ones that could meet our state law’s definition of price gouging,” Attorney General Wilson said. “We want to get moving on these as soon as possible to get the word out that we are investigating these price gouging complaints and will prosecute the businesses and individuals that violate the law.”\r\n\r\nViolating the state price gouging law is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, 30 days in jail, or both.\r\n\r\nThe Attorney General’s Office encourages everyone to continue to report potential price gouging cases when they see them. To report them, you can email them to pricegouging@scag.gov, go to our website at www.scag.gov and click on the “Price Gouging Information” at the top of the page, or you can call 803-737-3953 and leave a voice message.\r\n\r\nPlease include the following information:\r\n\r\nThe time, place, address, and name of the business\r\n\r\nThe price you paid or that’s being charged\r\n\r\nNote any prices nearby and get the same information on those businesses\r\n\r\nTake pictures that identify the business, along with the price\r\n\r\nProvide your name and contact information', 'News Briefs', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'news-briefs-148', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:46:21', '2020-04-22 12:46:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44155', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44157, 4, '2020-04-21 08:50:05', '2020-04-21 12:50:05', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nCommunity Foundation of the Lowcountry has distributed an additional $90,050 in grants to nonprofit organizations, located in Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper Counties, which are providing food, supplies and supplementing housing-related payments for individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nThis is the second round of grants awarded from their Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund, which was established in mid-March to rapidly deploy funding to frontline area nonprofits that are addressing the critical and immediate needs of those experiencing financial hardship caused by the pandemic. In the first round of grants, 11 nonprofits received grants totaling $198,050.\r\n\r\nThe community has donated more than $200,000 to the Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund, according to Chris Kerrigan, president and CEO of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.\r\n\r\n“The community’s response to this crisis has been overwhelming,” Kerrigan said in a release. “In less than a month, our generous neighbors have contributed more than $200,000 to this fund. The Community Foundation added an additional $150,000 in the first several weeks as part of a match challenge. However, because we understand the severity of the situation and because we take a leadership role in philanthropy in our region – especially during disasters – our board of directors has authorized an additional $50,000 be added into the fund. This brings the total raised to over $400,000.”\r\n\r\nThe grants advisory committee, comprised of community leaders from Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties, met earlier this week to review the second round of grant applications. The following organizations have received grants:\r\n\r\n<b>Bluffton Community Soup Kitchen:</b> to purchase food and necessities for the Hot Stuff Food Program that provides meals for low-income, at-risk community members in Bluffton and Yemassee.\r\n\r\n<b>Hampton United Methodist Church: </b>to purchase food and supplies to expand the Hampton School District One Backpack Buddy Program to 300 participants, adding additional family members and additional meals for families which are food-insecure.\r\n\r\n<b>Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity: </b>to fund insurance and tax escrow payments, for up to two months, for approximately 30 percent of Habitat for Humanity homeowners who have lost employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\n<b>Lowcountry Strong Foundation: </b>to fund meals for unemployed or underemployed hospitality workers in Beaufort County. The program keeps restaurants open while providing meals to workers who face insecurities caused by the impact of COVID-19 on the local hospitality industry.\r\n\r\n<b>Margaret F. Curtis Food Pantry: </b>to increase capacity due to the tremendous increase in need because of school closings and stay home orders. This food bank is a resource to low income residents in Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties.\r\n\r\n<b>New Destiny Center:</b> to provide hot meals to low income, at-risk Jasper County seniors who are confined to their homes due to COVID-19.\r\n\r\nKerrigan stresses that the fund is still accepting donations. If you’d like to make a tax-exempt donation to the Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund, you can do so by visiting the Community Foundation’s home page at www.cf-lowcountry.org or by going to the fund’s donation landing page at https://cflowcountry.civicore.com/covid.', 'Community Foundation of the Lowcountry awards more grants from COVID-19 Response Fund', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'community-foundation-of-the-lowcountry-awards-more-grants-from-covid-19-response-fund', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:51:09', '2020-04-22 12:51:09', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44157', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44159, 4, '2020-04-21 08:51:45', '2020-04-21 12:51:45', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nThe green space known as Oak Island on St. Helena Island is now protected from development thanks to a group of anonymous donors from Dataw Island.\r\n\r\nThe group, Oak Island Preservation LLC, comprises an unknown number of Dataw Island residents who purchased the land and donated it to the Dataw Island Owners Association (DIOA) with significant restrictions to assure it will remain protected from development.\r\n\r\nOak Island is accessible only by water and via a bridge inside the gated community of Dataw Island, and it has changed ownership several times. The most recent private owner aborted plans to build condominiums and gave the parcel to The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy determined its best plan for the island was to re-list it for sale with restrictions requiring much of it to remain natural and for only a few estate-sized compounds to be allowed to be developed.\r\n\r\nAfter a short time, Oak Island Preservation LLC came forward with an offer to purchase the land. An acceptable offer initiated a months-long negotiation with The Nature Conservancy and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust to author a set of easements and guidelines that would please all parties.\r\n\r\nNegotiations were held between Barbara Holmes of the Beaufort County Open Land Trust, Jim Grimsley and his team at Tupper, Grimsley, Dean and Canaday and The Nature Conservancy.\r\n\r\n“I\'ve never known another attorney or firm to be as responsive and proactive in helping to complete a challenging closing during an even more difficult period in a short period of time,” Ted Bartlett, general manager of Dataw Island, who acted on behalf of the DIOA throughout the process, said in a release. “Dataw appreciates the stewardship and leadership of Grimsley during the negotiations and the subsequent closing. He and his associates were a solid partner and a real asset during the transition, as was the Beaufort County Open Land Trust. It’s an arrangement that we can all be happy about. A true win-win-win.”\r\n\r\nThe transaction has closed and the property has been transferred to the DIOA to maintain as a passive recreation area. Plans included some minor trail maintenance, addition of benches, and a dog exercise enclosure.', 'Anonymous donors ‘gift’ Oak Island to Dataw Island Owners Association', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'anonymous-donors-gift-oak-island-to-dataw-island-owners-association', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:52:21', '2020-04-22 12:52:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44159', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44161, 4, '2020-04-21 08:54:33', '2020-04-21 12:54:33', '<b>Special to The Island News</b>\r\n\r\nWhile you’ve probably heard it a hundred times, washing your hands regularly and keeping them away from your face are among the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – or any disease.\r\n\r\n“Although COVID-19 primarily spreads through person-to-person contact, you might also get sick by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face,” Ashley Hildreth, RN, Patient Safety Officer at Beaufort Memorial Hospital said. “As a result, disinfecting your home, as well as items you use often — particularly outside of your home — can also protect you and your family from spreading germs.”\r\n\r\nWhile “cleaning and disinfecting” are often referred to in the same breath, they are actually different things.\r\n\r\n“Cleaning rids surfaces of dirt and grime. Disinfecting kills bacteria and viruses,” Hildreth said. “To prevent germs from spreading in your home, it’s a good idea to disinfect after you clean.”\r\n\r\n<b>The Dirty Dozen</b>\r\n\r\nAs you go about your disinfecting routine, don’t forget these germy — and often overlooked — items:\r\n\r\nBathroom and kitchen fixtures/faucets\r\n\r\nCar steering wheel\r\n\r\nCredit cards, particularly after using them\r\n\r\nDirty clothes hamper\r\n\r\nHandles and knobs, including those on doors, cabinets, appliances, mailboxes and cars\r\n\r\nKeys\r\n\r\nLight switches\r\n\r\nPillows\r\n\r\nPurses, backpacks and briefcases\r\n\r\nRemote controls, video game controllers\r\n\r\nSmart phones, tablets and laptops\r\n\r\nToys\r\n\r\nHere’s a quick reference guide for how to clean and disinfect some common items and materials:\r\n\r\n<b>Electronics: </b>Cleaning recommendations vary based on brand and type of electronic, so consult the specific manufacturer’s website. As a general rule, use moisture sparingly when you clean and disinfect devices to avoid damaging your gadgets.\r\n\r\n<b>Fabrics:</b> Launder according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest water possible, and dry completely.\r\n\r\n<b>Hard surfaces: </b>Clean with soap and water, then disinfect with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant, 70 percent alcohol solution or diluted bleach (4 teaspoons per quart of water or 1/3 cup per gallon of water). Leave disinfectant on surfaces for at least a minute for maximum effectiveness.\r\n\r\n<b>Stay Safe</b>\r\n\r\nWhile fearing possible exposure to harmful germs is enough to send anyone in a cleaning frenzy — be sure to go about it safely.\r\n\r\n“It’s important to keep yourself safe while cleaning and disinfecting,” Hildreth said. “It’s a good idea to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended safety tips.”\r\n\r\nThese include:\r\n\r\nAlways wear disposable gloves. Discard immediately after use.\r\n\r\nRead product labels carefully. The label will list directions for use and any important cautions.\r\n\r\nDon’t mix. Be careful not to combine cleaning products — especially those containing ammonia with household bleach.\r\n\r\nMore does not mean better. Avoid using too much of any product. Follow label instructions for use and properly dilute solutions when the directions say to do so.\r\n\r\nOpen a window. Keep the house well ventilated to avoid overexposure to cleaning chemicals.\r\n\r\nWatch expiration dates. Expired cleaners, including bleach, may be ineffective for disinfecting and getting rid of germs.\r\n\r\n“Disinfecting only adds a few minutes to your cleaning routine,” Hildreth said. “But it can make a significant difference in fighting the spread of disease.”', 'The Dirty Dozen – 12 Things to Disinfect Now', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'the-dirty-dozen-12-things-to-disinfect-now', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:55:29', '2020-04-22 12:55:29', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44161', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44164, 4, '2020-04-21 08:55:47', '2020-04-21 12:55:47', '<b>By Marlon Belden</b>\r\n\r\n<b>LowcoSports.com<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\nMaxwell Davis was an avid runner long before he became a standout on the Beaufort High cross country and track teams, and he plans to keep running for years after his career with the Eagles comes to an end.\r\n\r\nDavis’ journey with running started at a young age, when in fifth grade he began training and racing with a local club team. His inspiration and initial drive to begin the sport came from his mother, Denice, who has run several marathons. Despite being cut from his middle school track team, Davis continued to run local 5K road races and held his passion going into high school.\r\n\r\nOnce at Beaufort High, Davis began to crack the varsity lineup during his freshman cross country season, and as a sophomore year he improved his 5K time by more than three minutes.\r\n\r\nIt was just the beginning of Davis’ high school progression.\r\n\r\nBy the fall of his junior year, Davis had developed into an instrumental part of Beaufort High’s cross country squad, running a 17:30 5K to help the Eagles place fifth at the Class 4A state championship. He continued his success during the spring of his junior year, anchoring Beaufort’s 4×800 relay team to a fourth-place finish at state by posting a 2:05 split to help the Eagles claim back to back team state titles.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nDuring the summer before his senior year, Davis began training harder than ever, consistently pushing out 60+ miles per week.\r\n\r\n“I was motivated to be near the top this year to pull my weight and show how much I had improved over the last few years,” Davis said.\r\n\r\nThat hard work and perseverance certainly paid off during his final high school cross country season, as Davis placed 12th at state with a time of 16:12 to earn All-State recognition. Since his freshman year of high school, Davis improved his 5K personal best by more than four minutes.\r\n\r\nGoing into his last high school track season, Davis was determined to win yet another state championship with Beaufort, as well as shine in his individual events at state.\r\n\r\nWith spring sports in jeopardy, Davis says he is staying positive and training from home while quarantined. Although his high school career may not have ended as planned, Davis is planning on running at the next level and will be announcing his college commitment shortly.', 'Senior Student-Athlete Spotlight: Maxwell Davis BHS Track & Field', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'senior-student-athlete-spotlight-maxwell-davis-bhs-track-field', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:57:49', '2020-04-22 12:57:49', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44164', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44166, 4, '2020-04-22 08:59:17', '2020-04-22 12:59:17', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nGovernor Henry McMaster issued an executive order Monday evening lifting restrictions on public access to the state’s beaches, public piers, docks and wharfs, and allowing some of the state’s retailers to reopen.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County opened all county-managed public piers, docks and beach access by noon, Tuesday, April 21.\r\n\r\nThey are:\r\n\r\n<b>BEACH AND<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>WATERWAY ACCESS</b>\r\n\r\nAlljoy Beach\r\n\r\nBermuda Bluff\r\n\r\nBloody Point\r\n\r\nCoosaw Island\r\n\r\nLands End Overlooks\r\n\r\nNew Daufuskie Beach Access\r\n\r\nOld Daufuskie Beach Access\r\n\r\nPappy’s Landing\r\n\r\nThe Sands\r\n\r\n<b>PIERS AND DOCKS</b>\r\n\r\nBluffton Public Dock\r\n\r\nBroad River Fishing Pier\r\n\r\nCamp St. Mary’s Fishing Pier\r\n\r\nC.C. Haigh, Jr. Landing Fixed Pier\r\n\r\nDaufuskie Landing Fixed Pier\r\n\r\nFactory Creek Fishing Pier\r\n\r\nJenkins Island Pier\r\n\r\nOld House Creek Pier\r\n\r\nWhale Branch Fishing Pier\r\n\r\nWimbee Creek Fishing Pier\r\n\r\nHunting Island State Park, managed by the S.C. State Park System, remains closed until April 30. Public beach access points managed by individual municipalities remain closed until reopened by that municipality’s Council decision. Hilton Head Island has said its beaches will remain closed through April 30.\r\n\r\n<b>Open for business</b>\r\n\r\nGovernor McMaster’s executive order Monday allowed the following businesses to reopen, effective immediately:\r\n\r\nFurniture and home-furnishings stores\r\n\r\nClothing, shoe, and clothing-accessory stores\r\n\r\nJewelry, luggage, and leather goods stores\r\n\r\nDepartment stores, with the exception of hardware and home-improvement stores\r\n\r\nSporting goods stores\r\n\r\nBook, craft, and music stores\r\n\r\nFlea markets\r\n\r\nFlorists and flower stores\r\n\r\nAll other businesses previously closed by executive order will remain closed until further notice.\r\n\r\nUnder the order, retail stores must adhere to strict social-distancing requirements, operating at 20% occupancy or five customers per 1,000 square feet, whichever is less.\r\n\r\nIn addition, businesses must not knowingly allow customers to congregate within six feet of one another, excluding families, and must follow relevant CDC and DHEC guidelines.\r\n\r\nAll other executive orders, including the Governor’s “Home or Work” order, remain in effect. South Carolinians should maintain social distancing practices and avoid large groups of people.\r\n\r\n<b>McMaster creates<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>accelerateSC</b>\r\n\r\nMcMaster on Monday also announced the creation of accelerateSC, a coordinated economic revitalization plan involving small and large business leaders, healthcare professionals, local government officials, and education professionals.\r\n\r\nThe plan consists of five components of analysis and effort: Response, Protection, Governance, Resources, and Information. James Burns, a partner at the law firm of Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough, will serve as accelerateSC’s executive director. Burns and the rest of the membership are serving in a voluntary capacity.\r\n\r\nGov. McMaster and Lt. Governor Pamela Evette will attend and lead the first meeting of accelerateSC on Thursday of this week. Additional details will be announced at a later date.\r\n\r\nOn Tuesday, S.C. Senate President Harvey Peeler named three senators to the accelerateSC advisory team.\r\n\r\nSen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort), Sen. Gerald Malloy (D-Darlington) and Sen. Ross Turner (R-Greenville) will work with business and community leaders in developing a coordinated economic revitalization plan for our state.\r\n\r\n“These three senators have knowledge in business, regulatory and tourism,” Peeler said in a release. “They are prepared to work with the Governor and his advisory team to revitalize our economy while protecting our citizens’ health.”\r\n\r\nPeeler added, “I, like most South Carolinians, hope that our state can be back at full speed soon.”', 'Gov. McMaster opens beaches, some retail outlets', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'gov-mcmaster-opens-beaches-some-retail-outlets', '', '', '2020-04-22 08:59:17', '2020-04-22 12:59:17', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44166', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44168, 4, '2020-04-22 09:01:54', '2020-04-22 13:01:54', 'I appreciated Scott Graber\'s column (“There will be consequences of this crisis,”April 16, The Island News) that began to envision our country post-coronavirus. We citizens can use some of this down time NOW to prepare for the important issues that are coming at us in the near future, notably in the elections in November.\r\n\r\nI worry that, while we should be able to rely on the information from the White House, the President is not the person to offer unifying national leadership. When campaign theater subsumes facts, we are left with a fact void and a more partisan divide.\r\n\r\nRespectable media outlets are trying very hard to dig into the hard questions from a variety of viewpoints, from all sides of the political world. They are providing data-based and thoughtful analysis, and this rare national pause gives us time to seriously consider our viewpoints anew.\r\n\r\nIn light of present events, can we afford any longer to ignore the role that wealth inequities, built throughout our history, play in everything from health to housing to education to food security?\r\n\r\nWe can build a stronger, more unified nation with decent political leadership. Perhaps Mr. Graber might offer examples of a range of reliable journalistic sources that he trusts? We voters need to prepare now to vote intelligently in November.\r\n\r\n<b><i>– Carol Brown, Beaufort</i></b>', 'Letter to the Editor: We need to vote intelligently in November', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'letter-to-the-editor-we-need-to-vote-intelligently-in-november', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:01:54', '2020-04-22 13:01:54', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44168', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44170, 4, '2020-04-22 09:03:24', '2020-04-22 13:03:24', '<b>By Mindy Lucas</b>\r\n\r\nAt their regular meeting held on Tuesday, April 14, members of Beaufort’s City Council voted in favor of adding a local option sales tax (LOST) to the November ballot.\r\n\r\nIf passed by voters, the tax would add a penny to the current sales tax of 7 percent paid by Beaufort County residents and visitors.\r\n\r\nOf the revenue collected, 71 percent would go back to property owners as a property tax credit. The remaining 29 percent would be distributed among the county and its municipalities.\r\n\r\nLOST would allow for a credit against a taxpayer’s real property, personal and motor vehicle tax liability. According to various analyses, a significant amount of the revenue raised through the tax would come from visitors and tourists, a news release from the city stated.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Council voted 6 to 5 to add the tax on the November ballot at its meeting April 13.\r\n\r\nAccording to estimates prepared by the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, a 1 percent local options sales tax would generate approximately $52 million in revenue in Beaufort County in FY 2021-22.\r\n\r\nThe lion’s share of that revenue, or $35 million, would go back to residents in the form of property tax credits. Of the remaining $14.3 million, the City of Beaufort would receive approximately $1.5 million in revenue that would be applied toward the city’s capital improvement projects.', 'City Council wants local option sales tax added to ballot in November', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'city-council-wants-local-option-sales-tax-added-to-ballot-in-november', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:03:24', '2020-04-22 13:03:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44170', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44172, 4, '2020-04-21 09:04:54', '2020-04-21 13:04:54', '<b>April 23</b> – Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, 8 a.m., watch on https://bjwsa.org/publicmeeting; Email public comments to publicmeeting@bjwsa.org. Advanced comments will be accepted up to one hour prior to the meeting’s start time and will be limited to three minutes or 390 words.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<b>April 23</b> – Lowcountry Council of Governments, 6 p.m., watch on the council’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 27</b> – Beaufort County Council executive committee meeting, 5 p.m., regular session, 6 p.m., watch on The County Channel or the county’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 27</b> – City of Beaufort’s Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m., watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n<b>April 28</b> – City of Beaufort City Council work session, 5 p.m., regular meeting, 7 p.m., watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page', 'Public Meetings April 23–29', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'public-meetings-april-23-29', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:05:47', '2020-04-22 13:05:47', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44172', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44174, 4, '2020-04-22 09:10:41', '2020-04-22 13:10:41', '<b>By Mike McCombs\r\nPhoto by Bob Sofaly</b>\r\n\r\nHunting Island State Park, like all of South Carolina’s state parks, has been closed since the end of the day on Friday, March 27 on the order of Governor Henry McMaster as part of the state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.\r\n\r\nIt would be a mistake to presume, however, that nothing has been going on on Hunting Island.\r\n\r\nHunting Island State Park Manager J.W. Weatherford said having the park without visitors or campers has created the perfect opportunity to get some things done.\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Weatherford said rangers are getting in a lot of chainsaw work, pruning up the campground.\r\n\r\n“Our campground stays so full, it’s hard for us to cut big oaks and tall pines with the campground full of campers,” Weatherford said. “With it empty, we’ve been able to get to a lot of trees that campers have left their mark on. We go through the campground and look for those marks where campers have put dings on them to let us know the trees are damaged, or too close to campsites. That’s the main thing we’re doing is going through the campground and taking out hazard trees.”\r\n\r\nWeatherford said that during the Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, the park contracted for about 2,000 trees to be removed in the park and campground. The contractor took them down and took them out of the park, but that left 2,000 stumps that are trip hazards and don’t look very good.\r\n\r\n“It’s hard to give it a really finished look in the campground when there are 2,000 stumps all over the place,” he said.\r\n\r\nRangers are taking advantage of the empty park, using tractors to move downed trees and running two stump grinders for 10 hours a day, each, to get rid of as many stumps as possible, giving the park and campground a more manicured look.\r\n\r\n<b>On the beach</b>\r\n\r\nWith chainsaw work soon to be complete, Weatherford said rangers will begin concentrating on the freshly re-nourished beaches.\r\n\r\nRangers are going through all of the beach accesses and roping them off, showing people how we need to get on the beach, while also protecting the sand dunes.\r\n\r\n“We’ve done about a mile of sand fence so far, front and back of the sand dunes, Weatherford said. “We’ve got material just delivered for about 9,000 more feet of sand fencing.”\r\n\r\nMuch of that new fencing is going to go at the top of the sand dunes to keep the “mama sea turtles from going over the back side.”\r\n\r\n“Our sand dunes are, on average, 10-12 feet high. That’s great. It’s really going to help with the storm surge if we ever have another one, which I’m sure we will,” Weatherford said. “(The dunes are) sloped gradually on the front to help push the water back out and give the sea turtles places to nest. But the back side is more of a sheer drop-off. The mother sea turtles could climb back up, but babies could not.”\r\n\r\nWeatherford expects all the sand fencing to be complete in the next week to a week and a half.\r\n\r\nCloser to the end of month, the park service will award a contract to a vendor who will install between 60,000 and 90,000 plants, such as sea oats, to help maintain and stabilize the sand dunes over the more than two miles of beach where there was beach re-nourishment.\r\n\r\nSome time later this year, there are plans to repave everything in the campground and the park, Weatherford said, including the campground road and loops, Hunting Island Drive for North and South Beach and the Nature Center parking lot on the Fripp Island side. The work is funded and approved and will go out in next month or so for bids.”\r\n\r\nWeatherford said it’s up in the air what the bids are going to look like with weight restriction on the Harbor River Bridge potentially driving up costs.\r\n\r\n<b>It’s just really weird</b>\r\n\r\nHunting Island State Park remains closed through April 30. Weatherford said there are discussions going on about what the re-opening of the parks will look like, be it all at once or gradual. But no matter what, Weatherford expects a May 1 opening of some kind for Hunting Island.\r\n\r\nWeatherford said S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism has a delicate job balancing between recreation and conservation.\r\n\r\n“As much as we want to protect Hunting Island and we want to protect the sea turtles and the lighthouse, equally as important is providing recreational opportunities for, not just citizens, but tourists …,” he said. “It’s hard to look around and only see a bunch of people wearing gray shirts and green pants and funny looking hats. We’re used to hearing the squeals of boys and girls at the campground and the smells of campfires, and the sounds of people getting in and out of their cars. Little things that, without them, make it kind of eerie.”\r\n\r\nUsually, when there is no one in the park, it’s after a storm has closed the island and made it unsafe for visitors. This time, however, there’s no physical devastation.\r\n\r\n“We’re here to protect this awesome resource, Hunting Island, for South Carolina and Beaufort County,” Weatherford said. “But we’re about having people in the parks, and it’s just so weird having no one here.”', 'Despite shutdown, Hunting Island a busy place', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'despite-shutdown-hunting-island-a-busy-place', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:10:41', '2020-04-22 13:10:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44174', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44179, 4, '2020-04-22 09:12:41', '2020-04-22 13:12:41', '', 'FindGodSunday_5X5', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'findgodsunday_5x5', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:12:41', '2020-04-22 13:12:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/FindGodSunday_5X5.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(44183, 4, '2020-04-22 09:19:13', '2020-04-22 13:19:13', '<strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nWarren and Davey Dempsey exercise social distancing at their U-pick strawberry field on St. Helena Island. Davey Dempsey said he and his staff practice social distancing and wear gloves and have sheets of plexiglass between them and their customers. Davey Dempsey also said they give “the kids a chance to get out and play in the sunshine.” Call 843-838-3656 for Dempsey Farms’ harvesting hours.', 'It’s Pickin\' Time', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'its-pickin-time', '', '', '2020-04-22 09:19:13', '2020-04-22 13:19:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44183', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44339, 4, '2020-05-08 21:14:21', '2020-05-09 01:14:21', '', 'Dr Blok Web', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'dr-blok-web', '', '', '2020-05-08 21:14:21', '2020-05-09 01:14:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Dr-Blok-Web.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(44340, 4, '2020-05-08 21:27:09', '2020-05-09 01:27:09', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-05-08 at 9.25.07 PM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-05-08-at-9-25-07-pm', '', '', '2020-05-08 21:27:09', '2020-05-09 01:27:09', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-05-08-at-9.25.07-PM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(44341, 4, '2020-05-08 21:34:38', '2020-05-09 01:34:38', '', 'Hearth Curbside', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hearth-curbside', '', '', '2020-05-08 21:34:38', '2020-05-09 01:34:38', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hearth-Curbside.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(44342, 4, '2020-05-09 00:45:03', '2020-05-09 04:45:03', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nGovernor Henry McMaster on Friday announced that restaurants throughout South Carolina will be allowed to reopen for limited dine-in services beginning on Monday, May 11.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, Governor McMaster announced that he has lifted all boating restrictions, as defined by <a href=\"https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=26955768&amp;msgid=223860&amp;act=XGND&amp;c=1561287&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.sc.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FDocuments%2FExecutive-Orders%2F2020-04-16%2520FILED%2520Executive%2520Order%2520No.%25202020-25%2520-%2520Modification%2520of%2520Emergency%2520Restrictions%2520for%2520Public%2520Waters%2520%2526%2520Emergency%2520Measures%2520for%2520Unemployment%2520Claims%2520%2526%2520Benefits.pdf&amp;cf=22330&amp;v=02566bc500db20610cb53fc5e076225d50e0308b3101e759ad6aebe0d14818c8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Executive Order 2020-25</a>, effective immediately. All laws and regulations concerning the safe operation of boats in South Carolina will now return to normal.\r\n\r\n“As we gradually and methodically lift restrictions aimed at combating the coronavirus, it is incumbent upon South Carolinians to follow to the guidance and recommendations provided by our public health experts to keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “This virus still presents a serious threat to South Carolinians, but I have faith in the people of our state and their ability to act responsibly and in the best interest of the communities they live in.”\r\n\r\nAlso, on Friday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 238 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, and four additional deaths.\r\n\r\nThis brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 7,367 and those who have died to 320.\r\n\r\nThere were four new cases in Beaufort County – ending the county’s streak of days with no new cases at two – to bring its total to 273.\r\n\r\nThe governor’s announcements follow two weeks of meetings of <a href=\"https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=26955768&amp;msgid=223860&amp;act=XGND&amp;c=1561287&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.sc.gov%2Fexecutive-branch%2Facceleratesc&amp;cf=22330&amp;v=ff638f65630697cc7c699afec5e0d72bbafe02ce2d546f7f3428faba8d9f6ac4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accelerateSC</a> – a group created by the governor to develop a coordinated economic revitalization plan which includes healthcare professionals, representatives from large and small businesses, local government officials, and education professionals.\r\n\r\nThe announcement also comes after the <a href=\"https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=26955768&amp;msgid=223860&amp;act=XGND&amp;c=1561287&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-b_9F8e5zH0&amp;cf=22330&amp;v=8d588159f13b97124610f1bed48ebaddb5b7dbbc46c44e6da8fa940a2a0254fa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">governor was joined by the state’s public health officials to announce a new statewide testing plan</a>, which will dramatically increase the number of South Carolinians tested.\r\n\r\nBased on advice and recommendations from the “Response” component of accelerateSC, which includes input from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Restaurant &amp; Lodging Association (SCRLA), Governor McMaster has established guidelines for restaurants to follow if and when they choose to open for dine-in services. Those guidelines include, but are not limited to, the following:\r\n\r\n– Only allow 50 percent of posted occupancy inside, as determined by fire marshals;\r\n\r\n– Tables should be spaced 6 to 8 feet apart;\r\n\r\n– Additional cleaning and sanitizing guidelines for equipment, tables, chairs, etc.;\r\n\r\n– Additional guidance for health checks for all employees;\r\n\r\n– Social distancing guidance for employees and customers, including recommended.', 'Governor to allow dine-in restaurant services starting Monday, May 11', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'governor-to-allow-dine-in-restaurant-services-starting-monday-may-11', '', '', '2020-05-09 00:45:03', '2020-05-09 04:45:03', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44342', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(44194, 4, '2020-04-29 10:07:05', '2020-04-29 14:07:05', '<strong>By David Taub</strong>\r\n\r\nWe have become inured to the metaphor of waging “war” on some evil.\r\n\r\nLyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The Tea Party’s “Culture Wars.” And now, sadly, the “War on novel coronavirus.”\r\n\r\nAlas, all these so-called “wars” were lost. This metaphor is now just a trite empty burger.\r\n\r\nI prefer to think of the “war on COVID-19” as a revolution. Let us examine the common elements of most revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries. Seems to me they all share the same characteristics with the deadliest and most existential challenge we have faced in a century.\r\n\r\nRevolution is a zero-sum game; there is a winner and a loser, usually one winner and many losers.\r\n\r\nRevolutions are almost always violent, with great loss of human life and treasure.\r\n\r\nRevolutionaries are almost never prepared to carry-out one, and almost always underestimate the costs in lives lost and economies destroyed.\r\n\r\nRevolutions almost always lead to drastic changes in governments and unforeseen changes in cultures, in the societies of both winners and losers.\r\n\r\nThere is a story about Henry Kissinger who carried the torch of President Nixon’s desire to open up an engagement with China, by meeting with Mao Zedong.\r\n\r\nTrue or not, it is a wonderful story and goes like this: Kissinger was nervous about how to open his dialogue with Mao. He decided on something non-political, so he asked Mao what he thought of the French Revolution. Mao paused for a moment, and then replied, “Too early to tell.”\r\n\r\nAnd so, it will be with the COVID-19 Revolution. But you can be sure that it will share many characteristics of other “revolutions.” Because it already does.\r\n\r\nUpon reflection, I think we are witnessing a world-wide revolution, one that will promulgate changes in every nation, state, culture, and ethnicity.\r\n\r\nThese changes will be dramatic in ways we cannot begin to understand, predict or envision. Just as in virtually every other revolution, the Principal of Unintended Consequences will rule the day.\r\n\r\nSo, you might say, “So what?” War or revolution. What the hell? Killing is killing; dying is dying.\r\n\r\nIf I am correct in this assessment, how we deal first and foremost with stopping the continuing spread of this dreadful killer-virus, with its concomitant loss of life and destruction of economies, will be substantially different from the chaos characterizing our present approach. Consequently, I expect our government, culture, values, and mores will undergo transformations we cannot begin to fathom.\r\n\r\nCOVID-19’s revolution has dramatically demonstrated how tragically our nation-wide health care system is unprepared to protect most of its citizens, or even provide basic health care for the most vulnerable of our society, pandemic or no. Because there is a dearth of testing kits/materials and sufficient trained medical staff to conduct them, even if they were available (which they are not), we cannot test the massive numbers required to assess and understand what is actually happening in this Revolution.\r\n\r\nAt present we are testing about 45 per 100,000 of population; the experts say we need at least 150 tests per 100,000 population — three times the current rate. At present, no one can receive a test unless they exhibit physical symptoms associated with COVID-19.\r\n\r\nThe failure of our national government to react appropriately to this revolution has already led to exhortations from the White House that it should exercise absolute powers that violate the most basic circumscriptions of our precious Constitution.\r\n\r\nIt’s not the first attempt at emperorship; it won’t be the last. Among the most potent and consequential words in American history are those set forth in the second sentence of our Declaration of Independence: “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”\r\n\r\nOur government owes us a guarantee to those rights. A bad government that fails its citizens in its most basic responsibility, which is to protect life and limb, is grist for the mill of revolution.\r\n\r\nAlexis de Tocqueville observed: “The social order destroyed by a revolution is almost always better than that which immediately preceded it, and experience shows that the most dangerous moment for a bad government is generally that in which it sets about reform.”\r\n\r\n<i>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999, and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate Judge from 2010 to 2015.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>He may be contacted at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</i>', 'War or revolution? Who can say?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'war-or-revolution-who-can-say', '', '', '2020-04-29 10:14:33', '2020-04-29 14:14:33', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=44194', 0, 'post', '', 0);
