<b>Three sentenced in Burton home invasion</b>

A 40-year-old Seabrook man was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday, February 27 for his role in a violent June 2011 home invasion that resulted in a 70-year-old Burton man being severely beaten.

At the conclusion of a two-day trial, jurors convicted Donald Peters of first-degree burglary, armed robbery and assault and battery.

On June 29, 2011, neighbors heard dogs barking and found a 70-year-old man who was bloody and dazed staggering through the yard. Earlier in the evening, the man had invited two prostitutes into his house, one of whom unlocked the door. After they left, two men broke into the home and beat the man in the head with a police baton before stealing about $3,000.

Detectives tracked down the women and uncovered a plot between 24-year-old Lauren Baughman and her two friends, 29-year-old Kurtis Edwards, and Peters, to rob the man after he fell asleep.

<b>Traffic checkpoint yields arrests</b>

A traffic safety checkpoint conducted by members of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) last night on Lady’s Island yielded the following charges/arrests:

• Luke Palmer (57) of Lady’s Island: Possession of Crack Cocaine.

• Frank Holmes (29) of Port Royal: Simple Possession of Marijuana.

• Tamra Cocker (27) of St. Helena: Simple Possession of Marijuana.

• Kianna Britton (22) of Lady’s Island: Simple Possession of Marijuana.

• Felicia Costa (26) of St. Helena: Driving Under Suspension

• Jerry White (53) of Beaufort: Driving Under Suspension.

Two warning tickets were also issued for vehicle license offenses, and one citation issued for open Container of Beer/Wine.

The checkpoint was held at Lady’s Island Dr and Island Causeway from 8 to 10 p.m. on February 27.

<b>Lady’s Island Business Professionals to meet</b>

Kim Statler, Executive Director of the Lowcountry Economic Alliance will be the guest speaker at the Tuesday, March 9 meeting of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association to be held at 8 a.m. in the Beaufort County Realtor’s Headquarter located in the Palmetto Business Park on Lady’s Island Drive. She has been requested to discuss:

• Can northern Beaufort County competitively contend for industry and if so what type?

• What is a realistic economic vision for northern Beaufort County for the next decade?