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<p><strong>Part of Spanish Moss Trail to be closed Friday</strong></p>
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<p>Several sections of the Spanish Moss Trail from Hermitage Drive to Cottage Farm Road will be closed to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17.</p>
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<p>Engineers will be taking soil samples near the Battery Creek Bridge. Equipment will be blocking the trail making it unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists.</p>
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<p>There will be "Closed Trail" signs clearly posted.</p>
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<p>This is the start of a $359,500 project that includes engineering, permitting and construction repairs to the Battery Creek Bridge portion of the Spanish Moss Trail. The money has been awarded through the 2020-2021 Local Accommodations (ATAX) and Local Hospitality (HTAX) grant funds.</p>
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<p>The construction timeline begins this month with preliminary design and permit applications to be submitted in October or November. Bidding and award for construction will be May through July 2022 and construction on the new Battery Creek Bridge is estimated to begin in August 2022.</p>
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<p><strong>Free COVID-19 vaccine clinics</strong></p>
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<p>These are free COVID-19 vaccine sites in Beaufort County next this week. All COVID-19 vaccinations are free. Patients won't pay deductibles, co-insurance, or co-payments. Walk-ins are welcome, or make an appointment for a DHEC clinic by calling 866-365-8110.</p>
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<p>– 8:45 a.m. to 4:05 p.m., Monday, Sept. 13 through Friday, Sept. 17, Beaufort County Health Department, 601 Wilmington Street, Beaufort. (Moderna, Janssen-Age 18+)</p>
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<p>10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18 at St. Helena Branch Library. Walk-ins welcome, no appointment required.</p>
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<p>10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, Yemassee Shrimp Festival, 101 Town Circle, Yemassee. (Janssen-Age 18+, Pfizer-Age 12+).</p>
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<p>10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, Beaufort Library, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. (Janssen-Age 18+, Pfizer-Age 12+)</p>
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<p><strong>Men’s, women’s clubs hosting GOP barbecue fundraiser</strong></p>
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<p>The Beaufort Republican Women’s Club and the Beaufort Federation of Republican Men will hold a fundraising event from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30 at the Quality Inn, 2001 Boundary Street in Beaufort.</p>
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<p>The event will feature a barbecue buffet by Jimmy Fitts, a silent auction, and a beer and wine cash bar. The guest speaker will be State Senator Chip Campsen.</p>
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<p>Tickets are $25 each, and there will be no tickets at the door. Mail checks to BRWC, P.O. Box 1835, Beaufort, S.C. 29901 prior to Sept. 22. For more information, contact Elaine Gantt at 843-379-0056.</p>
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<p><strong>County accepting applications for 2 percent tax grants</strong></p>
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<p>The Beaufort County Accommodations Tax Board is now accepting applications from organizations in Beaufort County wishing to receive grants from the 2 percent state accommodations tax fund.</p>
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<p>South Carolina law allows for a 2 percent tax levy on the rental of all transient accommodations to help provide financial support to promote tourism and fund tourism-related activities in municipalities and counties within the state.</p>
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<p>As a result, individuals staying overnight in hotels, motels, inns, and vacation rentals pay 2 percent in addition to the statewide sales tax and any local sales and use tax applied to their lodging cost.</p>
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<p>The current year application (2021/2022) is available online at https://bit.ly/3tioIPo.</p>
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<p>Applications will not be accepted or reviewed if received incomplete or after 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8.</p>
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<p>Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Shannon Milroy at atax@bcgov.net or 843-255-2302.</p>
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<p><strong>Public hearing set for block grant</strong></p>
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<p>There will be a public hearing to discuss a Community Development Block Grant application that will be submitted by the Town of Ridgeland on behalf of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties to conduct a regional facilities assessment of the Area Agency on Aging's Senior Centers and Nutrition sites. The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, in Council Chambers at Ridgeland Town Hall at 1 Town Square in Ridgeland.</p>
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<p>The region study is part of a phased process that will address programs, services, facilities, and transportation matters related to the region’s elderly population. The project has potential to benefit approximately 370 people, of which 51 percent are low to moderate income.</p>
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<p>For more information, questions or comments concerning the public hearing, contact Michelle Knight of the Lowcountry Council of Governments at 843-473-3990.</p>
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<p><strong>WeGOJA Foundation gets $10,000 grant from SC Humanities</strong></p>
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<p>The WeGOJA Foundation, a statewide nonprofit that supports the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, has received a Growth Grant of $10,000 from South Carolina Humanities. Funding for the Growth Grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.</p>
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<p>The grant helps recover resources and funds lost from program disruptions caused by COVID-19. The WeGOJA Foundation and the SCAAHC have not held in-person fundraisers or sponsorship events, like the annual Preserving Our Places in History awards program, for two years because of the pandemic.</p>
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<p>The mission of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission (SCAAHC) is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina, and to assist and enhance the efforts of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The 15-member commission includes representatives from all regions of the state.</p>
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<p>For more information, visit www.WeGOJA.org or contact WeGOJA Foundation Executive Director Dawn Dawson-House by email at wegojaexecdir@gmail.com.</p>
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