<strong>Sheriff’s Office has November promotions</strong>
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office wishes to congratulate the following personnel in recognition of their achievement and dedication. Effective as of the Monday, November 5,

[caption id="attachment_8707" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/News-Sheriffs-Office-Nov-promotions.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-8707" title="News-Sheriffs Office Nov promotions" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/News-Sheriffs-Office-Nov-promotions-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> November promotions at the Sheriff's Office.[/caption]

ceremony, the following Sheriff’s Office staff has been promoted:
• Jerry Cook, Lance Corporal
• Todd Duncan, Patrolman First Class
• Shannon Harmon, Sheriff’s Tech I

<strong>Beaufort man gets 20 years for stabbing</strong>
A 25-year-old Beaufort man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2011 stabbing death of a Ridgeland man in the carport of his Fox Lane home. Jeremy Major pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to one count of voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing Ricky Busby on July 1, 2011. Witnesses reported seeing Major stab Busby in the abdomen during an argument over money. The case was prosecuted by assistant solicitor Tameaka Legette. Judge Perry M. Buckner handed down the sentence. By law, Major must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

<strong>Sheriff’s Office up for re-accreditation</strong>
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) has scheduled the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office for an on-site assessment as part of a program to achieve re-accreditation for the Sheriff’s Office. The accreditation program requires agencies to comply with standards that address agency functions such as: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services.  The Sheriff’s Office became an accredited agency in July 2010.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a Public Information Session scheduled for Sunday November 18 at 6 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, training room, second floor, 2001 Duke Street, Beaufort.  Agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments by telephone at 843-255-3276 Tuesday November 20, between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m.  Comments will be taken by the CALEA assessors. Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session should address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards.

<strong>Beaufort cost of living index rating released</strong>
The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce released today that the Beaufort/Port Royal/Bluffton’s cost of living index for the third quarter of 2012 was 100.1, just slightly above the national average of 100. The individual sections of the survey indexed grocery items at 105.2, housing at 89.5, utilities at 114.0, transportation at 101.2, health care at 91.9 and miscellaneous goods and services at 103.7.  The national average for each individual section also holds a national average of 100. The cost of living index is administered by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce collects the data locally for this index.

<strong>Port Royal man pleads guilty to home invasion</strong>
A 19-year-old Port Royal man pleaded guilty to a violent 2011 home invasion and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Robert Curnell pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime on Thursday afternoon. On August 14, 2011, Curnell and four other suspects kicked in the door of a home on 16th Street in Port Royal and brutally, and repeatedly, beat the resident, a 21-year-old man. The suspects wore bandanas to cover their faces and were armed with a handgun. They stole a number of items including two televisions, guitars and other electronics.