<b>BJWSA manager to </b><b>be guest speaker to LIBPA</b>

Mr. Ed Saxon, the General Manager of the Beaufort-Jasper Water &amp; Sewer Authority (BJWSA), will be the guest speaker at the Tuesday, January 14 meeting of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association to be held at 8 a.m. in the Beaufort County Realtors Association Headquarters in the Palmetto Business Park on Lady’s Island Drive and is open to the public.

Saxon is a graduate of University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. After college he worked for DuPont followed by employment with Conoco until 1989 when he joined BJWSA as its chief engineer. In January 2013 he was appointed as the general manager. He is a registered S.C. Professional Engineer and presently serves as president of the South Carolina Water Association.

Mr. Saxon has been active in the community serving on the boards of the United Way of the Lowcountry and the Beaufort Chamber, past president of the Sea Island Rotary Club and was the 2001 Beaufort Water Festival Commodore.  He and his wife Melaine live on Lady’s Island and have three children and one grandchild.

Mr. Saxon has been requested to include in his discussion with our members the following subjects:

• In the Beaufort and Jasper county area what steps should be taken to prepare for the water and sewer requirements of the next decade?

• What are the long range plans for water and sewer on Lady’s Island?

• On islands such as Lady’s Island, to protect the water quality, should sewer service be mandatory for all new development of a certain size?

• Are Beaufort and Jasper counties facing an eventual water crisis?

• With the anticipated growth south of the Broad River is salt water intrusion in the aquifer inevitable?

• Has the purchase of the Port Royal rail bed provided the benefits to BJWSA originally anticipated?

• What has been the impact of assuming responsibility for water and sewer services on the two local military bases?

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<b>Recycle electronics at special county event</b>

The Beaufort County Division of Solid Waste and Recycling is holding a special Electronic Goods Collection and Document Shredding event Saturday, January 18, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at two locations.

Residents are encouraged to bring their broken computers, televisions, and other electronic items for recycling.  S.C. Law 48-60, enacted last year, prohibits dumping electronic items in the landfill or at County convenience centers. In addition, shredding of personal and tax documents will also be provided at no charge.

Two county public works sites will accept the items: the Public Works North site at 140 Shanklin Road site near the Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort; and the Public Works South site at 9 Benton Field Road off Burnt Church Road, Bluffton.

If you have questions concerning the Electronics or Shredding Event, please call Carol Murphy at the Solid Waste and Recycling Division at 843-255-2734 or go to www.bcgov.net/recycle.

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<b>Pay property taxes at BB&amp;T bank locations</b>

In addition to the three Treasurer’s office locations, (Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island) full cash or check payments for current real estate and personal property taxes (excluding motor vehicles) will be accepted in person at the BB&amp;T branches listed below.  A receipt will be provided at the time of payment.

You must present your tax bill at the time of payment.

Payments will be accepted at the BB&amp;T locations only through January 15, 2014.

• Beaufort Main BB&amp;T: 1 Kemmerlin Lane, Lady’s Island;

• Beaufort: Port Republic BB&amp;T, 905 Port Republic Street;

• Hilton Head Main BB&amp;T, 1008 William Hilton Parkway

• Bluffton Main BB&amp;T  -  2 Burnt Church Road

• Yemassee: 33 Salkehatchie Road.

Taxpayers may also mail payments. Those will be processed by lockbox, which is an electronic processing system. Mail your property tax payment to Beaufort County Treasurer, Property Tax, P.O. Box 580074, Charlotte, N.C., 28258-0074.

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<b>Sheriff’s Office investigating robbery</b>

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the armed robbery of a Burton gas station.

At approximately 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5, Sheriff’s deputies responded to Sunhouse Petroleum (3448 Trask Pkwy) in reference to a robbery occurring moments earlier.

Upon arrival, deputies met with a 45-year-old female clerk who advised that an unknown black male had entered the store and asked for cigarettes. When she turned around to get them, the suspect stepped behind the counter and placed a gun to her back. After emptying the cash registers, the suspect fled the store, leaving the clerk unharmed.

The suspect was described as a black male between 25-30 years old, approximately 5’07”, 170 pounds, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a black “Yankees” baseball cap.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to contact either Investigator Sgt. J. Kelleher at 843-255-3418 or Crimestoppers.