<strong>Parris Island holding live fire drills</strong>

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island will be conducting extended live fire training Tuesday and Thursday, Feb. 16 and 18 February from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The marsh and waterways in the range impact area to include Archers Creek, Ribbon Creek, and Edding Creek will be closed to boating traffic.

For questions regarding firing times and waterway closures please contact the Weapons and Field Training Battalion Range Control at 843-228-3170.

<strong>In-person absentee voting has started</strong>

In-person absentee voting for the City of Beaufort Special Municipal Election began on Monday, Feb. 8. Voters can take advantage of in-person absentee voting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday at 15 John Galt Road in Beaufort.

The last day of in-person absentee voting is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 1.

Only voters registered inside the City limits of the City of Beaufort may vote in this election. The special election will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 2.

For more information, go to https://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/vote or call 843-255- 6900.

<strong>Free virtual, curbside tax preparation available</strong>

Once again this year, the Lowcountry Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program will offer free tax help to persons generally earning $66,000 annually or less, differently-abled persons, persons 60 and older, and persons with limited English skills.

In collaboration with the Beaufort County Human Services Alliance, United Way of the Lowcountry, Inc., free tax preparation is available to those who qualify through a combination of a secure teleconferencing web portal and by telephone.

Due to current social distancing guidelines, health and safety precautions are in place at all locations.

Curbside service is available to offer clients Covid-safe tax preparation. Clients will sign in at the site and return to their car. Once they are called, they will meet briefly with a volunteer through a plexiglass partition who will upload documents to a secure IRS portal.

A local VITA volunteer tax preparer will be in contact within 24-48 hours to review and finalize the returns.

Locations in northern Beaufort County include:

Lobeco Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Lobeco – 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays (opens Feb. 13);

St. Helena Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena – 12:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays (opens Feb. 16);

Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort – 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays and Friday (opens Feb. 18).

To volunteer or obtain more information, contact Program Coordinator Theresa Jackson at lowcountryvitacoalition@gmail.com, visit www.vitalowcountry.org or call 843-321-9071.