<b>Federal, state, local&nbsp;</b><b>offices closed for holiday</b>

The following offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 1, for the New Year’s holiday.

• Beaufort County offices, including library branches and PALS facilities

• Beaufort County Convenience Centers

• All federal offices

• All local city and town offices

• There will be no postal service

<b>Sea Island Coalition&nbsp;</b><b>conducts fundraiser</b>

The Sea Island Corridor Coalition is working to raise $10,000 to advocate for smart development along the Sea Island Parkway.&nbsp;

“The coalition was organized in April 2016 to give a voice to those in and around Beaufort concerned that piecemeal development was compromising the look, feel and sustainability of communities along the corridor,” according to the group’s recent newsletter. “If you're aware of Oyster Bluff, Greenheath, Whitehall or Designing Lady's Island, you know what we've been doing.

“But to maintain this focus, and further the availability of good information to the public, the coalition needs sustainable funding. Our activities to date have been funded by a small number of supporters, and we realize we cannot forever rely on these 10-20 people alone.

“Broadened financial support will enable us to continue our community outreach, continue our high level of communication on planning and development issues and ensure that government deliberations and decision-making affecting the parkway are made in the open, with an appropriate level of sunlight.”

Donate at www.gofundme.com/seaislandcoalition, www.paypal.me/seaislandcoalition/50, or send a check to the Sea Island Coalition, P.O. Box 533, St. Helena SC 29920

<b>Local protests planned&nbsp;</b><b>if Trump fires Mueller</b>

Beaufort Indivisible, Sun City Indivisible and Lowcountry Indivisible along with activists throughout the country are planning protests if President Trump fires special counsel Robert Mueller.

If Mueller is fired before 2 p.m. EST, organized protests will ensue beginning at 5 p.m. local time. If he is fired after 2 p.m. EST, organized protests will ensue at noon.

The protest in Beaufort County will be held at U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford’s office at&nbsp; 710 Boundary St., Beaufort.

The hashtag for the protest is #NotAboveTheLaw.

A protest advisory will be sent with additional details, including a timeline of events regarding the Russian investigation.

“We call on everyone to do everything in their power to prevent President Donald Trump from firing special counsel Robert Mueller,” said Lowcountry Indivisible. “Americans deserve full and truthful answers to ensure the security and sanctity of our election system is never compromised again. We can only do that with a full, thorough investigation, free from interference.”

<b>Sprint devices having&nbsp;</b><b>connection issues&nbsp;</b>

Individuals using Sprint mobile devices may experience intermittent connection issues when attempting to call Beaufort County government landline phones with a “255” prefix due to data transmission issues with the county’s carrier for landline services.

Callers experiencing issues are encouraged to contact Sprint at 844-382-3312 to report any issues.&nbsp;

<b>No lane closures&nbsp;</b><b>planned over holiday</b>

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) prohibits lane closures on interstate highways for non-emergency highway work during the holiday travel period.&nbsp;

These restrictions will be in place through 10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Lane closures, road closures, shoulder closures, pacing operations or any operations that will impact the efficient flow of traffic or hinder normal traffic operations on non-interstate routes during the Christmas holidays are also prohibited unless otherwise directed by the department.&nbsp;

Motorists can keep up with travel conditions by using SCDOT’s 511 system, which provides real-time traffic information on all South Carolina interstate highways and some of the highways along the coast. Users can call 511 or access www.511SC.org 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and download the free app.

<b>Free parking offered&nbsp;</b><b>at downtown marina</b>

The Beaufort City Council has approved the Parking Advisory Committee’s recommendation that there be free parking in downtown Beaufort this holiday season.&nbsp;

However, it will be offered in a different way than it has been in years past to allow shoppers more time to explore what all of the merchants have to offer as well as to provide time to enjoy lunch or dinner without having to worry about a parking time limit.

Free parking will be offered through New Year’s Day at the Downtown Marina parking lot on the waterfront and accessed from Bay Street at the intersection of Charles or Newcastle Streets.

There are 167 parking spaces available and there will be no time limit on parking.

All other metered parking spaces/areas in the downtown area will be paid parking including Bay Street.&nbsp;

Paid parking is enforced from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday.