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(45021, 4, '2020-07-01 13:18:02', '2020-07-01 17:18:02', '<h2>Change in runways, noise from new F-35Bs and increased activity at MCAS impacting quality of life, residents say</h2>\r\n<h4>By Mindy Lucas</h4>\r\nLike a lot of visitors to Beaufort, Jayne Violette and her husband fell in love with the city from the very beginning.\r\n\r\nThe couple loved the rich history, the culture of the place and its small town charm. What’s more, as “pro-military” people, they even loved that there were military bases close by.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“We wanted to be in a town that celebrated patriotism,” she said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSo when looking for a new place to move to, naturally Beaufort came to mind.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn 2014, the couple found a small cottage off North Street, near the city’s historic district and after moving to the area permanently from Summerville, the two soon settled into their new lives in the Lowcountry.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThey chose their home carefully, Violette said, after researching flight patterns from the fighter jets flying in and out of nearby Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (MCAS).<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“We chose it to be far away enough to appreciate the jets at a distance,” she said.\r\n\r\nBut all that changed toward the end of 2019, when MCAS closed its main runway for a repair project and diverted all air traffic to its “crosswind” runway.\r\n\r\n“Our house would literally rattle,” she said. “The pictures on the walls would shake. We couldn’t sit outside.”\r\n\r\nThe repair project is just the latest issue, said Violette and other residents who have spoken up recently. A new fighter jet and increased flights over Beaufort are only adding to the problem, they say.\r\n\r\n“We kept hearing this is only temporary, that it would go away. But it never did,” she said.\r\n\r\nIn March, the couple sold their house and moved to Bluffton where they now live on a quiet street in Sun City. But Violette is still a little heartbroken at having to leave her chosen city.\r\n\r\n“We had this idyllic living arrangement,” she said. “We had that for a few years, and then it slowly went away.”\r\n<h4>A Change in Runways</h4>\r\nSituated to the east of U.S. Highway 21 and stretching some 12,200 feet in length, Runway 5/23 was purpose built with the prevailing winds in mind.\r\n\r\nAs the air station’s main runway, 5/23 sees about 75 to 80 percent of the air station’s plane traffic – when it’s open.\r\n\r\nIn November of 2019, MCAS closed the decades-old runway to begin a massive paving and repair project.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“When I say repair, it’s not like paving a parking lot,” said Kimberly Fleming, Director of Government and External Relations at MCAS.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAs Fleming explained recently in a sit-down interview at the air station, the project includes “deep repairs” replacing two-feet of concrete from the top of the surface down and a new paved surface.\r\n\r\nIt is expected to be completed by the end of the year, she said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhen the main runway re-opens, those in neighborhoods currently being impacted by increases in noise or operations will see a return to how things were prior to the runway’s closure, Fleming said.\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, air traffic coming in and out of the base on “operations,” or the flying activity of an aircraft, has been using the air station’s shorter runway, or Runway 14/32.\r\n\r\nThat means residents in downtown Beaufort and surrounding neighborhoods have been seeing more air traffic from MCAS than they previously had, since most of the air station’s operations take place offshore or out over water.\r\n\r\nAnd that has some folks at wits’ end.\r\n\r\n“We are directly under the flight path,” said Laurence Mahorney, a retiree who lives in the Pigeon Point neighborhood, just north of Beaufort’s downtown historic district.\r\n\r\nMahorney, who bought his house in 2018, said he and his partner, Joanne Brown, use to enjoy working in the yard or sitting outside on their garden patio but that has changed.\r\n\r\n“I watch these planes come ear shattering over, and they are not a little to the left or to the right. They are directly overhead,” he said.\r\n\r\nJust as Violette did, Mahorney is considering a move to escape the noise, even though he and Brown have put a considerable amount of their savings into the new home.\r\n\r\n“I appreciate the ‘Sound of Freedom,’ but if it comes to a point where it interrupts your phone calls, or you have to put your hands over your ears or it gives you a migraine, where do you draw the line?” he said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMahorney said he and Brown were looking to escape the congestion of the Charleston area when they discovered Beaufort, so quality of life was important to the couple.\r\n\r\nIn addition, Mahorney has Stage 4 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease so a quiet, relaxing environment was also key.\r\n\r\n“I’m pretty resilient, but this is not comfortable, and we expected more than this when we bought our home,” he said.\r\n\r\nViolette, a communications professor at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, can relate.\r\n\r\nA Stage 3 breast cancer survivor, Violette too was looking for a “fresh start” in a peaceful setting when she and her husband started looking for a place to relocate.\r\n\r\n“You start to think about your life and how you want to live,” she said. “We wanted to downsize and kind of recover. We thought it would be good for the soul.”\r\n\r\nViolette’s husband also has a health condition that has made him sensitive to noise. The jets would fly over their house up until 11 p.m. some nights, she said, keeping him from falling asleep. It was hard watching her husband’s ability to cope deteriorate.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“It bothered me that it bothered him so much – seeing him suffer and not be able to do anything to help him,” she said.\r\n\r\nAnd while Fleming and other air station officials have said the runway repair project will be completed within the year, both Violette and Mahorney remain skeptical that things will return to normal.\r\n\r\nThe noise caused by diverted air traffic is only one problem, they say. A new, very noticeable fighter jet and increased flights over the area have raised additional concerns.\r\n<h4>A New Fighter Jet</h4>\r\nEven before the MCAS began diverting air traffic to its crosswind runway, both Violette and Mahorney said they’d noticed the noise and volume of air traffic seemed to be getting worse.\r\n\r\nBoth cited the air stations’ newest jet as the culprit saying right away it seemed louder than the ones they were accustomed to seeing.\r\n\r\nDesigned to replace legacy aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornets and the AV-8B Harriers, the F-35B Lightning II is a “highly advanced, stealth, supersonic, multi-role, strike-fighter aircraft” that can take off and land in a variety of settings, according to information from the MCAS.\r\n\r\nIt’s also loud, residents say.\r\n\r\n“It’s to the point where it hurts your eardrums and gives you headaches,” Mahorney said.\r\n\r\nWhile it’s hard to know exactly how loud the F-35s are since there are few studies on the jet’s noise levels, at least one study released by the Air Force and conducted specifically for the Burlington, Vermont area, suggested the F-35 is roughly four times louder than the F-16, according to news articles from May of 2019.\r\n\r\nBack in Beaufort, the MCAS does admit they are slightly louder during conventional takeoffs and slightly quieter on conventional approaches but overall, they are comparable to the F-18s, Fleming said.\r\n\r\n“A lot of times what people are trying to say when they say the noise is going to get louder is that the number of operations are going to increase,” she said. “And that’s because you have more consistent number of operations happening.”\r\n\r\nThat is especially true of the training center and fleet replacement squadrons, she said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn addition to serving as an operational base for Marine Aircraft Group 31, which regularly rotates overseas wherever they are needed, the air station is also one of only two locations in the world where pilots train to fly the F-35Bs.\r\n\r\nAs Fleming explained, operational squadrons deploy, training squadrons do not.\r\n\r\n“So they are here year round. And so I think that consistency is something that’s new,” she said. “It’s just more routine versus an ebb and a flow, so I think that is the difference when people talk about noise and the F-35B here and the F-18.”\r\n\r\nStill, Mahorney and others aren’t convinced, and they aren’t alone.\r\n\r\nFrom Boise, Idaho to South Burlington, Vermont, residents in communities living near airports or military bases have voiced their concerns after F-35s have come to town.\r\n\r\nAn environmental impact study released by the Air Force last summer regarding the possible stationing of an Air National Guard F-35 unit at the Boise Airport made headlines when the study showed the unit’s presence would regularly subject 272 households nearby to noise “as loud as a vacuum cleaner 3 feet away,” according to The Stars and Stripes and Idaho Statesmen.\r\n\r\nThe jets would have a “negligible impact” on the housing market nearby, Air Force officials stated, but residents and advocacy groups pushed back saying the houses would likely become unlivable if the F-35s were allowed to stay. Nearby schools would also be impacted making it difficult for those inside to hear what is being said, the study showed.\r\n\r\nAs one possible solution, residents have raised the idea of an auxiliary landing field that could handle certain low flying practice exercises, or what are known as “touch and go” flights.\r\n\r\nThe idea, which comes up from time to time, Fleming said, would be to take these particular types of exercises and put them on another air field – ideally farther out from communities.\r\n\r\nIn fact, former Congressman Mark Sanford went so far as to submit a request to facilitate a Needs Study by the Secretary of Defense for an auxiliary landing field, according to an Island News article from 2015.\r\n\r\nHowever, when the MCAS looked at the number of operations and specific exercises the air station conducted that require the use of the main airfield, the numbers didn’t warrant such a field.\r\n\r\n“The ‘touch and gos’ are a very small percentage of what we do and moving that somewhere else wouldn’t change the noise people would hear,” Fleming said. “It would be miniscule and people would not even be able to notice the difference.”\r\n<h4>Operations Increasing</h4>\r\nAdding to the problem, residents say, is the increase in flight activity at the base, which the MCAS confirms.\r\n\r\nAnn Holderfield, who also lives in the Pigeon Point neighborhood, can’t remember exactly when she first began noticing the jets more, but said she’s seen a “significant <a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-06-30-at-1.26.17-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignright wp-image-45023\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-06-30-at-1.26.17-PM-697x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"490\" height=\"720\"></a>difference” in the noise and number of flights in just the last year or so.\r\n\r\n“I categorize them as loud, very loud, and hurts,” she said, adding the noise sometimes hurts her ears if she’s outside.\r\n\r\nHolderfield, who bought her house in 2015, said the noise and vibrations which rattle her windows, have caused her increased anxiety and stress. It’s also impacted her quality of life, she said.\r\n\r\n“I feel like I live right next to an airport,” she said. “It’s horrible. I can’t walk outside, and I don’t want to sit in my yard. I can’t think and I can’t relax.”\r\n\r\nShe would like to plan her walks or outdoor activities around the jets, but since flight paths and times can depend on a number of factors – weather conditions, local winds, presence of birds, training requirements and other factors – there is no set schedule for residents to go by.\r\n\r\nBut that doesn’t help Holderfield who feels trapped in her own home.\r\n\r\n“I love my little house, and I love where I live in Beaufort,” she said. “But I do not love the sound of the jets flying over my house.”\r\n\r\nAsked about the increased flights, which were released in an Air Installation Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) study in 2013, the MCAS confirmed operations from F-35Bs into and out of MCAS Beaufort will nearly triple from 38,402 in 2012 to 106,030 by 2023.\r\n\r\nThe base is also approved to receive more F-35Bs in the next few years.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIt currently has 29 of the fighter jets, though they are not always at home all at once, and is approved to receive a total of 88 which it expects to receive sometime by the mid 2020s.\r\n\r\nAsked what MCAS officials would say to residents of Pigeon Point or other areas impacted by the increased noise and flights, Fleming said for every complaint she gets, she also gets those who say they are glad they are here.\r\n\r\n“This community is unique among probably any in the country in that it is such a welcoming community that wants us to be here, that supports what we do and understands the importance of what we do,” she said.\r\n\r\nShe went on to say that she personally thinks about those young Marines who are deployed or who are “pinned down in a firefight.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“They’re relying on that pilot to know what he’s doing, and that he has been properly trained to come save him,” she said. “I think we owe it to every Marine that’s deploying to bring them home safely to their families and this is part of what we do to make that happen.”\r\n\r\nDefenders of the “Sound of Freedom” also point to the air station’s economic impact on the area.\r\n\r\nAs the biggest economic driver in Northern Beaufort County, the Tri-Command, which includes Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the Naval Hospital Beaufort along with the air station, provides $2 billion in economic impact each year, according to a 2017 study by the South Carolina Military Base Task Force.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMCAS Beaufort alone generates $787 million in economic activity each year and sustains over 7,250 jobs in the local area, the study found.\r\n\r\nStill, it is exactly for these reasons that residents said any complaints or concerns they may have are made to feel invalid. Some have even been met with unwanted hostility.\r\n<h4>Speaking out</h4>\r\nEven though Mahorney and Holderfield have privately heard from neighbors and others affected by the noise, both said when they have broached the subject on their neighborhood Facebook page, they were told if they didn’t like it they could move.\r\n\r\nSome accused them of being unpatriotic or anti-American.\r\n\r\n“I love America, I love our heroes, I love being a patriot,” said Mahorney. “But like I argued with (one) guy on the page, at what point does it become an issue? When your kids can’t sleep, or it becomes a health issue? At what point do you say that’s enough and not get accused of being a communist?”\r\n\r\nHolderfield said she too was attacked on the page for just asking if anyone else had noticed the increased noise and flights. Her significant other is a veteran and he’s not thrilled with it either, she said.\r\n\r\nPeople have also asked why Holderfield’s real estate agent didn’t disclose the area’s noise to her when she bought the home, she said. But the property is not in the noise contour requiring a signed disclosure. In fact, her home, less than a mile from Pigeon Point Boat Landing, is right on the cusp.\r\n\r\nWhat’s more, the 2013 update to the AICUZ study, designed for land use compatibility guidelines, was conducted in anticipation of the F35B arrivals, not for any paving projects that might divert air traffic over Beaufort.\r\n\r\n“These aren’t meant for short-term changes,” said Fleming. “These are meant for long-term changes.”\r\n\r\nFleming, who often speaks to neighborhood groups or community meetings, said part of her role is make sure the community is informed.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn fact, Fleming is slated to speak at the July 20 Metropolitan Planning Commission Meeting where the question of where the air station is with the pavement project recently came up.\r\n\r\nWith greater numbers of people retiring and flocking to the Lowcountry, educating newcomers to the area will always be a challenge and ongoing for the air station, she said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe AICUZ study and noise contour map is available online for anyone who may be interested in buying a house or building a home in a specific area.\r\n\r\n“We try and do our best to be forthcoming and transparent with our information. We want people to be informed and if they aren’t informed, we get some of these questions and clearly we need to do better,” she said.\r\n\r\nViolette, who no longer lives in Beaufort, said she would have liked the city to have taken a more active role in working with the air station on getting the word out about the changes.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“I don’t feel that city leaders did enough to generate conversations about the noise that was going to occur,” she said. “I felt there were others who felt the same way as we did, but they were afraid to come forward because you get slapped down if you speak out.”\r\n\r\nFor Violette and her husband, those conversations have come too late.\r\n\r\n“Anyone who knows me, knows how delighted I was to be living in Beaufort,” she said. “To be part of the community, and to enjoy everything that Beaufort has to offer …we just couldn’t stay. If it weren’t for the jet noise we would still be living in Beaufort.”\r\n\r\n<em>Above: The air station encourages those looking to buy or build a home in the area to use the Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) Planning Map as a guide. Many residents have found they are on the edge of the 60-65 Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL). The MCAS pavement project has also impacted those noise levels, not part of this study. Courtesy: Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Beaufort resident Ann Holderfield regularly sees and hears F-35 fighter jets like this one, from a video she filmed, over her house in Pigeon Point.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>&nbsp;</em>', 'New ‘Sound of Freedom’ too much some residents say', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'new-sound-of-freedom-too-much-some-residents-say', '', '', '2020-07-07 10:32:36', '2020-07-07 14:32:36', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45021', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45025, 4, '2020-07-01 13:24:05', '2020-07-01 17:24:05', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nWhile COVID-19 has taken quite a toll on older South Carolina residents, younger South Carolinians shouldn’t hold a false sense of security.\r\n\r\nDr. Joan Duwve, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Director of Public Health said in a Friday, June 26 press conference that as part of the <a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-01-at-1.23.20-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-45026\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-01-at-1.23.20-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"159\" height=\"762\"></a>surge, COVID-19 cases are up more than 400 percent in adults ages 21-30 since April.\r\n\r\n\"We are aware of clusters of cases among teenagers and young adults ... including on trips to our beautiful beaches,\" Duwve said. \"They didn\'t wear masks, and they didn\'t social distance.\"\r\n\r\n\"First thing I\'d like to say ... particularly to young people is, this is a dangerous, deadly disease,\" Governor Henry<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>McMaster said. \"You\'ve got to follow the rules. Wear your mask. Keep that distance from people. Wash your hands.\"\r\n\r\nDuwve also made note of the fact that the state was being noticed for its skyrocketing coronavirus cases. Six states have been requiring travelers who visited South Carolina to quarantine for two weeks.\r\n<h4>Leave it to the cities,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>towns and counties</h4>\r\nAt press time, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island had approved mask ordinances, while Port Royal, Bluffton and Beaufort County had mask ordinances on their immediate agendas.\r\n\r\nThis situation was created when S.C. Governor Henry McMaster refused to enact a statewide ordinance n Friday, when he extended South Carolina’s state of emergency.\r\n\r\nMcMaster called a statewide mask mandate “impractical” and “not enforcable.”\r\n\r\n\"For me to tell you everybody is required to wear a mask, and for me to not be able to enforce it, will give a false sense of security to those who believe everyone is following the rules,\" McMaster said.\r\n\r\nBut McMaster did strongly urge residents to voluntarily wear masks, saying they may be one of the only ways the state can slow the COVID-19 outbreak.\r\n<h4>Hospital numbers at a high</h4>\r\nAs of Monday, there are 1,032 hospitalized across the state for COVID-19. That is a record high for the state, breaking the previous record of 954, set the day before.\r\n\r\nThere were 824 hospitalized at the start of the week with the total increasing every day.\r\n<h4>Ballooning numbers</h4>\r\nOn Sunday, June 28, the state set a record when 20.1 percent of those tested came back positive. For comparison’s sake, prior to Gov. McMaster opening the state up again, the state averaged between 2 and 4 percent positive.\r\n<h4>Free drive-thru<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>testing in Bluffton</h4>\r\nState Senator Tom Davis announced on his Facebook page a free drive-thru Covid-19 testing event for the Bluffton-Sun City Hilton Head area. The event will be conducted by DHEC and the S.C. National Guard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 2 at USC Beaufort\'s Bluffton Campus.', 'COVID-19 hitting the young harder', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'covid-19-hitting-the-young-harder', '', '', '2020-07-01 13:39:34', '2020-07-01 17:39:34', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45025', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45028, 4, '2020-07-01 13:32:08', '2020-07-01 17:32:08', '<strong>By MINDY LUCAS\r\n</strong><strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nCity of Beaufort officials really want you to start wearing a mask in public.\r\n\r\nSo much so that members of city council held an emergency meeting on Monday, June 29 to pass an ordinance requiring face covers when in public buildings, including all stores and restaurants, within city limits.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance, which went into effect on June 30, also requires employees of those establishments to wear masks.\r\n\r\nCouncil members and city officials at the emergency meeting cited the alarming rate of increased cases of Covid-19 both in South Carolina and Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nAs of June 28, South Carolina had 1,366 new cases in a 24-hour period, while Beaufort<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>County had 59.\r\n\r\nThe state has also recorded a total of 33,221 cases, and Beaufort County stands at 1,121 cases as of press time. The increases follow a similar pattern in southern and western states, city officials noted.\r\n\r\n“We would not be having this meeting if we didn’t, from health professionals and the public, hear a cry out of the necessity to do so,” said Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling.\r\n\r\nLast week, Beaufort Memorial Hospital CEO Russell Baxley went public with his concerns over the rising numbers of cases in the county, and asked that residents and visitors always wear masks when out in public.\r\n\r\nWhile some council members cited their staunch belief in civil liberties and personal freedom, they also acknowledged their concern for the ongoing public health crisis and continued community spread.\r\n\r\n“Unfortunately, I think we have to send a clear message as policy makers that folks need to mask up when they’re out in town and in public,” said councilman Stephen Murray, who said he’s seen very few people wearing masks, outside of employees, at area businesses.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-01-at-1.33.12-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-45033\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-01-at-1.33.12-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"463\" height=\"545\"></a>“I hate wearing masks too,” Murray said. “But if it allows us to keep our businesses open over the next few months and slow transmission, then it’s a small price to pay. … It’s worth doing.”\r\n\r\nCity officials are urging voluntary compliance but have said anyone found in violation of the ordinance will be fined $50 after an initial warning.\r\n\r\nIn addition, those who observe violations can email the City of Beaufort’s Codes Department at citycodes@cityofbeaufort.org though city officials were quick to note the email was not so much for individual, or “one off” violations, but those that continue to be in violation.\r\n\r\nThe measure is not meant to be punitive, Keyserling said, but “educational and encouraging.”\r\n\r\nHe also referred to the recent ruling from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson that cities and counties had the authority under Home Rule to require residents to wear face masks while out in public, after Columbia and Greenville passed similar requirements.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance, which can be read in full at www.cityofbeaufort.org, received a considerable number of comments and push back from those watching the meeting unfold on Facebook.\r\n\r\nNearly 500 comments were posted during the hour-long meeting as some attempted to discredit the effectiveness of wearing a mask. Others seemed confused as to where exactly one has to wear a face covering while in public.\r\n\r\nThose actively eating or drinking at a bar or restaurant would not be required to wear a facial covering, the ordinance states.\r\n\r\nAlso, those with health conditions or who are unable to safely wear a face covering due to age or an underlying health condition are exempt. The ordinance applies to those high school age and up and does not apply to children.\r\n\r\nThe Hilton Head Town Council also passed a mask ordinance early in the week. The Town of Bluffton is expected to take up the issue and Beaufort County Council is holding a meeting on July 1 to consider a countywide mask ordinance.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance will remain in effect for 30 days, at which point it will either be extended or allowed to expire.\r\n\r\n<em>Christina Meadows, center, and friend Rose Cook walk along Bay Street on Monday. Both agree with the City of Beaufort’s new mandate to enforce facial masking and social distancing. Both said it will take a community effort to get through the pandemic.</em>&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2><b>Citizens react to city’s mask ordinance</b></h2>\r\n<strong>By Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBeaufort City Council voted unanimously to enact a new ordinance calling for mandatory facial masking within the city limits Monday during an emergency meeting.<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RES5807.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignright wp-image-45029\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RES5807-851x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"625\"></a>\r\n\r\nShoppers downtown seemed to be aware of the pending ordinance but didn’t know to was to be voted on Monday.\r\n\r\nChristine Meadows and Rose Cook of Beaufort said they were in favor of the measure.\r\n\r\n“I think it’s necessary” said Cook. “I have underlying health issues.”\r\n\r\nWhen asked whether those without underlying issues should be forced to wear a mask she said, “It has to be community effort.”\r\n\r\nMeadows agreed.\r\n\r\n“You don’t know about the people you come in contact with even if they are asymptomatic. I can’t afford to take anything home to my family,” she said.\r\n\r\nEmployees of Bay Street Jewelers said the new ordinance wouldn’t affect them at all.\r\n\r\n“We have always been following health and safety protocols and have been designated a “Safe Store” by the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association.” Melinda Cato said. “We’ve been masked up every day for our clients since Day 1.”\r\n\r\n<em>Ashley Hensley, left and Melinda Cato of Bay Street Jewelers look at gem stones Monday afternoon in the store. Cato said their store has been designated as a Safe Store, and they have been following safety protocols including facial masking since the start of the pandemic.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;Photo by Bob Sofaly</span></em>\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>', 'City of Beaufort passes mask ordinance', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'city-of-beaufort-passes-mask-ordinance', '', '', '2020-07-01 13:34:18', '2020-07-01 17:34:18', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45028', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45039, 4, '2020-07-07 19:07:19', '2020-07-07 23:07:19', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-07-07 at 7.06.26 PM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-07-07-at-7-06-26-pm', '', '', '2020-07-07 19:07:19', '2020-07-07 23:07:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-07-07-at-7.06.26-PM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(45040, 4, '2020-07-08 13:20:27', '2020-07-08 17:20:27', '<strong>By LEE SCOTT</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen I send birthday or greeting cards to friends and relatives, I usually cut out something from the newspaper and include it. Sometimes it is an article they might enjoy, but most of the time, it is a comic strip that I think they will find relevant (no money).<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhen I send my engineer son a comic, it is usually Dilbert. Dilbert and his Human Relations officer have interesting conversations that many people in the corporate world would find funny. Like who is responsible for the department refrigerator and what is living in it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nFor young mothers, the two comic strips, “For Better or Worse” and “Baby Blues” are good. The little kids in “Baby Blues” are priceless.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe comic strip “Pickles” is one that I only started reading in the past few years. It is about an older couple. Suddenly their antics are hilarious.\r\n\r\nI have enjoyed reading the comics all my life and realized that I probably perfected my reading skills as a young child by reading them. There were numerous comics that caught my interest like, “Peanuts,” and “Marmaduke.\r\n\r\nRecently I sent a Father’s Day card to a young man with a picture of snakes and spiders on the front and inside it said, “To the perfect Dad who knows how to slay dragons.” In the card, I placed a few comics that he and his wife would enjoy.\r\n\r\nThe wife called me soon after they opened the card and told me how much they laughed over the card and comics. But that was not the only thing she said.\r\n\r\n“Lee, who gets newspapers now and cuts out actual comics? It’s the digital age!”\r\n\r\nThey thought it was hysterical. I like this couple, so I did not feel offended. Evidently, reading comics from an actual newspaper is becoming a lost art.\r\n\r\nFor me, there is such joy in sitting down with a newspaper. I love having a cup of coffee, getting caught up on the local news, reading the comics, and doing puzzles. Through the years I have gotten in the habit of cutting out comics that I enjoy and throw them in a kitchen drawer. Inevitably, there is someone that will get one of the comics.\r\n\r\nNow I have decided to start putting them in a scrapbook. After all they are classic.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nYears from now, my grandchildren can open it and read those comics and see history. Because comic strips reflect what is going on in the world today and the writers are quick even now to put humor in some of the social distancing challenges. Like Superman leaving earth because six feet was just not enough.\r\n\r\nSo, if you get a card from me, do not expect any money. Maybe just a few comic strips from an actual newspaper.\r\n\r\nLee Scott, award winning humor writer takes her “Walter Mitty” like persona and spins tales around everyday life. She enjoys boating, reading, and meeting people. Scott lives in Beaufort with her husband, JD, along with their dog Brandy. You can reach her at <a href=\"mailto:Lasshood@aol.com\">Lasshood@aol.com</a>.', 'Reading comic strips is actually a lost art', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'reading-comic-strips-is-actually-a-lost-art', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:20:27', '2020-07-08 17:20:27', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45040', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45042, 4, '2020-07-08 13:28:32', '2020-07-08 17:28:32', '<strong>By DAVID TAUB</strong>\r\n\r\nDuring the recent massive protests rocking many of our cities, it was not unusual to hear someone say “We are all Black.” They usually meant this metaphorically, spiritually or philosophically.\r\n\r\nBut, in fact, they are actually factually correct.\r\n\r\nSome three or so million years ago, humans evolved in sub-Saharan Africa; these Black humans evolved and lived for thousands of years only in the African continent. Over time, human bands of Black folks moved “out of Africa” into the rest of the world.\r\n\r\nAll humans are thus traceable to these Black “founding fathers and mothers.” Genetic variability is greater within the “Black race” than it is between the Black and White tribes. How do we know this? Our DNA tells the story: Biologically, there are no black or white “races,” or any other kind of human “race.” Different “races” of humans, whether defined by skin color or by any other means, are a socially invented cultural construct, with zero bio-zoological validity.\r\n\r\nWhite supremacists will surely deny that they share the same Black mother as the rest of humankind, including you know who, but it is a scientific reality. Get over it.\r\n\r\nRegrettably, racial xenophobia exists in many societies and countries, not just in America, and it has been so for tens of thousands of years of human history. Seems to me this idiocy has existed long enough for us to seriously dedicate ourselves to ending this socially created virus.\r\n\r\nDuring my lifetime, I have witnessed epistemological changes of how we refer to our kinsmen with black skin. There was “Negro” from the Latin word for the color black, nigreos; it didn’t take much to get to “n….r,” – an ugliness that still lives with us. From there we got “colored,” which easily transitioned to “Black.” Of late, we have settled on the convention of “African-American.”\r\n\r\nIf we truly wish to be “color blind,” we should either refer to everyone as “African,” or, in my view, drop “African” altogether as a moniker and stick to the simpler, but more inclusive, “American.”\r\n\r\nIt is hard for a native Texan, born, raised and educated (?) in the Lone Star State to feel anything but bigger-than-life pride in all things Texas. Today, I feel only shame.\r\n\r\nA dozen county leaders of the Know Nothing Party of Texas, including Texas’s Agriculture Commissioner, recently claimed that George Floyd’s killing was a “<a href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/04/texas-greg-abbott-bexar-GOP-conspiracy/\">staged event</a>;” condemned Jewish billionaire George Soros for paying protesters to “start the race war” (we poor pitiful Jews – still being blamed for all the world’s problems); claimed that Floyd was a ‘brutal criminal’ who faked his asphyxiation; showed a bloody scene from a 1992 riot and announced that “this is why you don’t brake for ‘protesters.’”\r\n\r\nAnd just recently, the Lt. Governor says that Dr. Fauci “doesn’t know what he is talking about.”\r\n\r\nOh, where did he get his medical training? Something very bad and evil has infected the proud State where I grew up.\r\n\r\nThere is an important linkage between human evolution in Africa, and the major disjunction between Blacks and Whites to COVID-19 infection and death. Ignoring the dramatic effects of COVID-19 on our Black and brown kinsmen is yet another example of similar xenophobic thinking that melds nicely for POTUS in his deliberate pretention that the current “wolf at our door” doesn’t exist.\r\n\r\nAfter so many lies (almost 20,000 and counting), to believe POTUS requires that we believe in a fantasy world of “alternative facts” where POTUS himself resides.\r\n\r\nOnly his most ardent sycophants and toadies believe his lip-spittle, even the utter nonsense that he has turned the COVID-19 pandemic to “ashes.” Huh? Perhaps he refers to the ashes of more than 130,000 Americans dead from the virus. Nah!\r\n\r\nIn mid-June, POTUS spoke of COVID-19 with his senior policy advisor, the infamous Sean Hannity, saying that he did not “…even like to talk about that, because it\'s fading away. It\'s just going to fade away.\" Try telling that falsehood to the 130,000 plus who have died from his total mismanagement of COVID-19, the grieving relatives of those individuals, and the tens of thousands more that are likely to die before this year’s end.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe Commander in Chief is AOL in his declared “war” on COVID-19. He has ignominiously abandoned the field of battle in disgrace. The enemy is COVID-19; you can be damned sure of that! It cares not what color your skin is, what your political views are, or what kind of car you drive.\r\n\r\nOur country is suffering from a deep sickness of racial animus and intentional divisions, exacerbated by vile propagandistic lies from persons pretending to be leaders.\r\n\r\nToday, we are faced with an existential choice of transformative implications. It is time to rededicate ourselves to our true values that made America the envy of all the world.\r\n\r\nSilence is NOT golden; silence screams loudly that we are losing our soul to the dark side. We must scream back, loudly and passionately.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBut words are not enough, loud or otherwise. Only action has meaning. Do the right thing — VOTE! It is your duty as a citizen and it is the best way to jump-start desperately needed change to save the Republic.\r\n\r\n<em>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999 and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate from 2010 to 2015. You can reach him at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</em>', 'In reality, all of us are black', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'in-reality-all-of-us-are-black', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:28:32', '2020-07-08 17:28:32', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45042', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45044, 4, '2020-07-08 13:31:24', '2020-07-08 17:31:24', '<strong>By DUFFIE STONE</strong>\r\n\r\nThe death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has sent a cry for criminal justice reform reverberating across the nation and into the halls of Congress, but the most important reforms will take place at state and local levels.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAccordingly, I am pleased South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas has formed a study committee, which includes two of our delegation members – Shannon Erickson and Weston Newton – for criminal justice reform, examining all aspects of our system, and that the Senate is also working to introduce its own bill.\r\n\r\nI urge our state leaders to incorporate the following measures:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Equip every law enforcement officer with a body-worn camera.</strong>\r\n\r\nEvery officer issued a gun should also be given a camera, along with training on its proper use. Prosecutors depend on evidence to make tough decisions, including charging decisions in officer-involved shootings. It should not be left to a passerby with a cellphone to gather what will almost certainly be pivotal evidence guiding these decisions.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBody cameras can provide a beginning-to-end record of an event from the officer’s perspective, providing protection for both officers and the public and helping to instill public confidence in law enforcement agencies.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe state should provide full funding for this statutory mandate and include a criminal penalty for the willful destruction or editing of body-worn camera footage.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Law enforcement should make evidence in all cases immediately available to prosecutors.</strong>\r\n\r\nOfficer-involved shootings and other high-profile cases pique the public’s rightful desire for a timely response from prosecutors. However, an effective and just response can only be made if a prosecutor has immediate access to all available evidence.\r\n\r\nIn today’s cyber world, much of this evidence can be transmitted electronically within a matter of moments. The General Assembly should authorize solicitors to develop plans requiring law enforcement to electronically transmit all evidence immediately, whether that prosecutor be the circuit solicitor or the attorney general.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Pass an Unnecessary Use of Force statute.</strong>\r\n\r\nForty-one states have Use of Force statutes — laws to specify conditions under which law enforcement can use deadly force — but South Carolina does not. State prosecutors now must try to fit an unlawful deadly shooting into either a murder or manslaughter charge.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Create a statewide database for police misconduct information and authorize prosecutor access.</strong>\r\n\r\nIf arresting officers have misconduct issues affecting their credibility, prosecutors need to know that before moving a case forward for trial.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, the court requires prosecutors to disclose police misconduct information to the defense. But we have no means by which to compel access to internal affairs investigations, criminal complaints or disciplinary actions against officers. Lawmakers should create a database of this information, mandate participation by all law enforcement agencies, and provide prosecutors access allowing us to meet our legal obligations.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Reduce incarceration by adequately funding treatment courts.</strong>\r\n\r\nMost people are now convinced of the usefulness of drug, mental health and veterans court programs which provide alternatives to incarceration for offenders whose addictions or mental health underlie their criminal behavior. Requiring offenders to participate in treatment programs has proven effective in reducing recidivism at a fraction of the cost of incarceration.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nYet the treatment element of these programs is so expensive, limited state funding has resulted in only the wealthiest counties participating by supplementing costs.\r\n\r\nFull funding by the General Assembly would allow each county to utilize treatment courts, thereby cutting inmate populations, saving state prison money, and, most importantly, helping those struggling with addiction to become productive citizens.\r\n\r\n<strong>6. Provide for truth in sentencing.</strong>\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, the term “sentencing reform” has become synonymous with sentence reduction. The truth is some criminals struggle with antisocial behavior, while others embrace it. The latter are repeatedly arrested for myriad offenses, some violent, some nonviolent.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCommunity safety requires that the most incorrigible offenders — about 20 percent of the criminal population — face penalties that are more stringent, not less so.\r\n\r\nCareer criminals, whether convicted of a violent or nonviolent offense, should serve 85 percent of their sentence before they can be released, regardless of the length of their sentence. S.C. Department of Corrections’ statistics show that prisoners serving 85 percent of their given punishment are the least likely of all prisoners to reoffend.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe combination of adequately funded drug courts and truth in sentencing means fewer people go to prison, but those who do serve a sentence that reflects the judge’s intention and makes them less likely to re-offend.\r\n\r\n<strong>7. Replace the state parole board with a re-entry board.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn tandem with truth in sentencing, our state parole board should be re-purposed to help prisoners transition into society. The new board should oversee and coordinate programs during an inmate’s incarceration — such as counseling, education and vocational training, substance abuse treatment — to create a pathway to productive citizenship upon release.\r\n\r\n<strong>8. Repeal South Carolina’s citizen arrest statute.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis statute justifies vigilantism and can be used as a defense to murder. It should be repealed.\r\n\r\n<strong>9. Require all officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths to be investigated by an independent agency.</strong>\r\n\r\nOnly an independent investigation can give the public confidence that a decision in any given case is proper.\r\n\r\nSouth Carolina’s solicitors have studied and advocated some of these measures for years. As prosecutors, we see veterans held captive by the trauma that they experienced while fighting for&nbsp;\r\n\r\nour freedom, finally get the treatment they need through our Veteran’s Courts.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWe see drug addicts successfully complete our diversion programs to go on to lead productive lives.\r\n\r\nWe see victims overcome the worst crimes imaginable. We see good officers place themselves in harm’s way for these victims and for our safety.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBut we also see the other side. We see priests that molest children. We see repeat offenders cycle out of prison only to hurt other people as soon as they are free. We see officers that instead of protecting people do just the opposite.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWe see hatred and we see evil. We see it in every neighborhood, every race and every occupation.\r\n\r\nAny reform needs to recognize all of this, not just some. Criminal justice reform must be comprehensive to have not only a positive impact, but to re-establish the public trust.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThese nine recommendations can start this process.\r\n\r\n<em>Duffie Stone is the Solicitor for South Carolina’s 14th Circuit and President of the National District Attorneys Association.</em>', 'Here’s some criminal justice reform SC needs', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'heres-some-criminal-justice-reform-sc-needs', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:31:24', '2020-07-08 17:31:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45044', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45046, 4, '2020-07-08 13:37:59', '2020-07-08 17:37:59', '<strong>By SCOTT GRABER</strong>\r\n\r\nIt is Saturday, early, and I’m in Port Royal.\r\n\r\nThis morning we learn that our virus — RNA that allegedly prefers cold, brisk, February temperatures— is thriving in Myrtle Beach. Our blistering, kiln-like July is here but the coronavirus remains.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nI suppose we can chalk this up to mutation or, perhaps, to the fact that South Carolina has always welcomed pathogens of any persuasion.\r\n\r\nThis morning we also learn that more statues — including Washington, Lincoln and Grant — have been toppled or spray-painted. All of which brings me round to St Augustine, Fla.\r\n\r\nFor those of you who want to see what happens when a small, coastal city decides to sell itself and its history to the highest bidder I recommend a day trip down I-95. Three hours south of Beaufort there is a town with a Spanish fort, a historic district and a waterfront esplanade not unlike our own.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nBut St. Augustine also has a wax museum, a Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a Fountain of Youth and hundreds of trolley-riding tourists who surge through this ancient tableau drinking beer and singing “YMCA.”\r\n\r\nIn the middle of this mayhem there is a small, well-vegetated, cannon-accessorized park called Plaza de la Constitution. It comes with statutes celebrating the Spanish, the hotel-building Flaglers, and the Confederacy.\r\n\r\nThe monument to the Confederate war dead is smallish — a list of 46 Floridians who somehow got themselves to Virginia and were thereafter slaughtered at Bull Run and Fredericksburg. For many years, I would assume, this piece of stone was largely ignored — ignored until 2018 when the Town decided to add four brass tablets at the foot of the unimpressive stone obelisk. And so, we get:\r\n\r\n<em>The public response to the display of Confederate monuments from the 1870s through the Civil Rights era and beyond remains deeply personal, emotional and divisive. Some view the memorial as a noble reminder of personal sacrifice, others interpret it as a painful reminder of the re-assertion of white supremacy.</em>\r\n\r\nOne of these addendums, titled INTERPRET, continues:\r\n\r\n<em>The obelisk honors local loved ones who gave their lives in service of the Confederate States. Yet in all these Confederate state constitutions, black people were legally regarded as human property. This memorial is a reminder of the divisive legacies of the Civil War.</em>\r\n\r\nIn addition to the INTERPRET, there is FREEDOM that says:\r\n\r\n<em>President Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation decreed on January 1, 1963, all persons held as slaves within any State in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward and forever free, … the Proclamation’s first anniversary was celebrated in this Plaza where the Confederate Monument now stands.</em>\r\n\r\nMy wife and I stood in front of all four supplements, reading them in turn and out loud. Then we sat down on a nearby bench.\r\n\r\n“There could be more about Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era,” Susan said.\r\n\r\n“Yes, but it does mention a ‘painful reminder of the re-assertion of white supremacy’”, I replied.\r\n\r\nAs we sat our conversation turned to our courtship in Washington D.C. in the late 60’s, when our “dates” included Thomas Jefferson — we loved hiking over to his Rotunda and reading his thoughts carved into the marble.\r\n\r\n<em>Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free.</em>\r\n\r\n“And do you remember The Lincoln Memorial and his 2nd Inaugural Address?” I said.\r\n\r\n“I do remember,” Susan responded.\r\n\r\n<em>Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God and each invokes His Aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces but let us judge not that we be not judged….</em>\r\n\r\nLater that night (in St. Augustine) we moved on to Ponce De Leon who came ashore in April, 1513.\r\n\r\nWe wondered, “What would old Ponce think of St. Augustine?”\r\n\r\nPostscript: On June 23, the Orlando Sentinel reported that St Augustine’s Town Council had voted to remove the Confederate Monument (and the contextual addendums) from Plaza De La Constitution.\r\n\r\n<em>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</em>', 'Just what would old Ponce de Leon think?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'just-what-would-old-ponce-de-leon-think', '', '', '2020-07-09 02:16:34', '2020-07-09 06:16:34', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45046', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45048, 4, '2020-07-08 13:39:42', '2020-07-08 17:39:42', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nStudents at 10 northern Beaufort County Schools will be able to participate in the free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them for the upcoming school year, according to a release from the Beaufort County School District.\r\n\r\nFor the 2020-2021 school year, the School District is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010, a section of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.\r\n\r\nThe Community Eligibility Provision provides an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAll students enrolled in the listed schools may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.\r\n\r\nThe participating schools are Beaufort Elementary, Lady’s Island Elementary, St. Helena Elementary,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Shanklin Elementary, Whale Branch Elementary, Robert Smalls International Academy. Whale Branch Middle, Whale Branch Early College High School.\r\n\r\nBreakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.\r\n\r\nContact the School Food Service Office – Daniel J. Kolat, 843-322-0806, <a href=\"mailto:daniel.kolat@beaufort.k12.sc.us\">daniel.kolat@beaufort.k12.sc.us</a> or P.O. Box 755, Beaufort, S.C., 29901 – for additional information.\r\n\r\nParents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Daniel J. Kolat on an informal basis.\r\n\r\nParents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request in writing to Tonya Crosby, whose mailing address is 2900 Mink Point Blvd., Beaufort, S.C.&nbsp; 29902 for a hearing to appeal the decision.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Many northern Beaufort County students to get free or reduced lunch', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'many-northern-beaufort-county-students-to-get-free-or-reduced-lunch', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:39:42', '2020-07-08 17:39:42', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45048', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45050, 4, '2020-07-08 13:42:06', '2020-07-08 17:42:06', '<strong>7 Beaufort County students earn Nu Delta Omega scholarships</strong>\r\n\r\nEach year, the Nu Delta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., awards scholarships to graduating seniors from Beaufort and Jasper County public schools who will be attending a four-year College/University.\r\n\r\nThe 2020 Nu Delta Omega Scholarship recipients are:\r\n\r\nSavannah Bush – May River High School\r\n\r\nLawren Caldwell – Whale Branch Early College High School\r\n\r\nPayten Grubbs – Beaufort High School\r\n\r\nKaitlyn Holland – Hilton Head Island High School\r\n\r\nLiz Iglesias – May River High School\r\n\r\nJamyah Moore – Whale Branch Early Collehe High School\r\n\r\nSophia Sherman – Beaufort High School\r\n\r\n“Congratulations to all of our 2020 Nu Delta Omega scholarship recipients,” Chapter President Dionne T. Young said in a release. “We are so so proud of the many accomplishments you have made during the past few years. In spite of COVID 19, you still remained positive and pressed on! Best wishes to each of you in your future endeavors.”\r\n\r\nAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is built on Sisterhood, Scholarship, and Service to All Humankind and the Nu Delta Omega chapter strives to uphold those principles. May the 2020 scholarship recipients enjoy their college experience and achieve their educational goals.\r\n\r\nNu Delta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. has served the<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; </span>Beaufort and Jasper counties since it was chartered in 1980. Visit the chapter’s website (<a href=\"http://www.nudeltaomega.com/\">www.nudeltaomega.com</a>) or the sorority’s international website (<a href=\"http://www.aka1908.com/\">www.aka1908.com</a>) for more information.\r\n\r\nBeaufort’s Auerbacher named to Delaware Dean\'s List\r\n\r\nWilliam Auerbacher of Beaufort has been named to the University of Delaware Dean\'s List for the Spring 2020 semester.\r\n\r\nTo meet eligibility requirements for the Dean\'s List, a student must be enrolled full-time and earn a GPA of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale) for the semester.\r\n\r\nWofford announces Dean\'s List\r\n\r\nMichael J. Sosulski, provost of Wofford College, has announced Dean\'s List students for the Spring 2020 semester. Beaufort students include Caroline Fleming, John Lesesne and Paige Zeigler. Zeigler earned a 4.0 GPA.\r\n\r\nWofford College, established in 1854, is a four-year, residential liberal arts college located in Spartanburg.', 'EDUCATION BRIEF', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'education-brief', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:42:06', '2020-07-08 17:42:06', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45050', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45052, 4, '2020-07-08 13:43:53', '2020-07-08 17:43:53', '<h2><strong>Educator is among state’s first Financial Literacy Master Teachers</strong></h2>\r\n<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nA Beaufort High School teacher is one of the first educators statewide to qualify as a South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher.\r\n\r\nErika Marshall, who teaches business classes at Beaufort High, is one of only 36 teachers statewide in the first cohort of master teachers.\r\n\r\nState Treasurer Curtis Loftis said the new statewide initiative is designed to increase the number of teachers incorporating personal finance education into their classrooms.\r\n\r\n“We congratulate these wonderful educators for their commitment to promoting financial literacy,” Loftis said in a release. “They share a passion that is important to conveying these vital life skills to students in their classrooms and to fellow teachers as they lead professional development workshops. We applaud their efforts, especially given the challenges of the current school year, and we look forward to seeing their continued growth and progress in the years to come.”\r\n\r\nSponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics, the Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides financial incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in financial literacy and want to teach professional development workshops for other educators in their districts.\r\n\r\nParticipating teachers will have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that will better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.\r\n\r\nApplicants must complete specific professional development classes and must create and teach professional development training. They then must pass the W!SE Personal Finance Certification Test for Educators.\r\n\r\nW!SE is a nationally recognized credential certifying that educators demonstrate the proficiency required to teach personal finance.\r\n\r\nThe state master teacher program recently completed accepting applications for its next group of teachers and will begin registration for a third cohort in January 2021. To learn more, visit <a href=\"https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scflmt.org&amp;c=E,1,agNXwprnkn3oisnqs0XyfN-ymfFPd3iEnbKf6uDYVAwuIm4T9BcUTWTs5FTGMiEZYSZsuHoU1tbDuPY78yeXUC2CnHkJfifa6fZE4Drb-5CH&amp;typo=1\">www.scflmt.org</a>.', 'Beaufort High’s Marshall a trendsetter', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-highs-marshall-a-trendsetter', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:43:53', '2020-07-08 17:43:53', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45052', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45055, 4, '2020-07-08 13:49:44', '2020-07-08 17:49:44', '<h4><strong>By Mike McCombs</strong></h4>\r\nThere’s no guarantee that things will work out as hoped, but Beaufort Academy, nonetheless, has a plan. And that’s a solid starting point.\r\n\r\nThe private school on Lady’s Island in late June released “Envisioning A New Normal – A Plan For A Responsible Re-Opening At Beaufort Academy.\r\n\r\nThe nine-page document lays out a framework for students to safely – or as safely as possible – return to school this fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nHead of School Dan Durbin feels like his team did a good job, given all of the variables.\r\n\r\n“We had to ask ourselves, ‘How do we make this thing work for our kids and make this the safest environment we can provide?’” Durbin said.\r\n\r\nBA’s plan was put together by a team of 12 with representation from administrators, teachers and parents. Durbin said the team actually did surveys about particular aspects with families and teachers.\r\n\r\n“How can we make people feel comfortable, with a plan,” he said “… We’re listening to folks.”\r\n\r\nAccording to the document itself, the team drew “from the best available science and public health guidance as well as the expertise of educators. Although we expect the plan to evolve and adapt over time, we are committed to providing the most responsible and safe reopening possible.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n<h4>Two kinds of students</h4>\r\nOne of the aspects of BA’s blueprint is the realization from the start that some families will not be ready for their kids to return to the classroom in the current environment.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe school will have a voluntary at-home option that must be requested by the parents or student, allowing the student to participate in classes streamed online.\r\n\r\n“The hardest part will be teachers getting used to the fact that they will be doing live instruction and still have kids coming in on an Internet platform,” Durbin said. “Teachers will have to be aware there are kids at home and encourage them to include themselves.”\r\n\r\nLike many parts of BA’s plan, the dynamics of classes may change as teachers and students work to make combining live and streamed classes more compatible.\r\n\r\n“Our teachers need to be ready to include our streaming kids at the same time,” Durbin said. “We were looking for not just guidelines, but suggestions to make both work at the same time.”\r\n\r\nThen there are the logistics of live streaming for 26 classrooms.\r\n\r\n“How do we film all those classes?” Durbin asked. “Do we have enough bandwidth?”\r\n\r\nThese are questions Durbin says the school believes they have answered in general. But there are details to be worked out.\r\n<h4>Keeping it healthy … and affordable</h4>\r\nAs for the kids physically in school, the chief concern is safety. Essentially, the efforts of the school on that front are broken into several categories: Sanitation, hygiene, monitoring, daily practices, after school activities, athletics and lab precautions.\r\n\r\nBA’s plan addresses them all in detail – from taking students’ temperatures twice daily to hand sanitizers and masks to changing classes outside the building versus using the hallways.\r\n\r\nBut the solutions presented the school with more problems.\r\n\r\n“We’re still working on where will our kids eat lunch and how to order it,” Durbin said. “We’ll only be able to deal with businesses that have individually wrapped things.”\r\n\r\nDurbin said many students ate lunch from off campus, like pizza. Now those foods must be individually wrapped. And they had to address providing students with water while water fountains are unavailable.\r\n\r\nAnd Durbin said the school had to address how it would clean restrooms between each class.\r\n<h4>Some concerns were financial.</h4>\r\nPlastic shields separating students, while sitting at their desks, was going to cost the school thousands of dollars.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“For every desk, that gets expensive,” Durbin said.\r\n\r\nThe school needed sprayers – backpack and machines that could spray classrooms at night. It needed the actual disinfectant. Hand sanitizer.\r\n\r\nWhat do those things cost? What do they cost over six to nine months?\r\n\r\nDoes the school need to repeat all its procedures on the gym, as well?\r\n\r\n“A bigger school district will have money for (these things),” Durbin said. “We’re having to look at how we ration out our money.”\r\n<h4>Their best efforts</h4>\r\nAll in all, Durbin says his team feels like it has done a good job addressing what they can.\r\n\r\n“There is an advantage to being a smaller school, being able to work through smaller classes,” he said. “It really is an advantage to be able to make plans. But the kinds of things that we’re doing are based on our situation. They may not work in another situation.”\r\n\r\nDurbin says what worries him are the things he can’t control, like the governor.\r\n\r\n“The biggest concerns are about things we don’t have say-so on,” Durbin said. “It doesn’t matter what we were planning, if the Governor says no, we have no say-so.”\r\n\r\nOtherwise, Durbin feels like the school has done the best it could do.\r\n\r\n“From a conceptual standpoint, we asked ourselves in every situation, ‘what is the best thing to do?” he said. “And we had to ask, ‘Practially, how do we make that happen?’”\r\n\r\nIf the coronavirus or the Governor or a hurricane throws BA a curveball, Durbin said his team will be ready.\r\n\r\n“We will be prepared if … well, we’re going to be prepared no matter what,” Durbin said.\r\n\r\n<em>Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.\r\n\r\nAbove: Beaufort Academy Head of School, Dan Durbin</em>', 'BA has plan in place to return to school', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'ba-has-plan-in-place-to-return-to-school', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:49:44', '2020-07-08 17:49:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45055', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45058, 4, '2020-07-08 13:51:25', '2020-07-08 17:51:25', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort Inn, a 48-room Boutique Hotel in Historic Downtown Beaufort, has teamed up with area businesses to award six Carolina Healthcare Heroes with a relaxing retreat in Beaufort.\r\n\r\nIncluded in each vacation giveaway is a two-night stay at The Beaufort Inn, a $50 gift certificate to Bang’s Salon &amp; Spa, a $25 gift certificate for breakfast or lunch at Blackstone’s, a $100 gift certificate to Saltus River Grill for dinner and a carriage tour for two provided by Southern Rose Buggy Tours.\r\n\r\n“We always strive to see the good in situations and in times like these, we are so thankful for the men and women in the healthcare industry who continue to provide education and service to our communities,” The Beaufort Inn General Manager Kate Parkerson said in a release,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAny healthcare worker in North Carolina or South Carolina can be eligible to win. Nominations are to be submitted on The Beaufort Inn’s website on or before August 11, and six random winners will be chosen by The Beaufort Inn.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe website to submit nominations is <a href=\"http://www.beaufortinn.com/Carolina-healthcare-heroes\">www.beaufortinn.com/Carolina-healthcare-heroes</a>.\r\n\r\nWinners will be able to redeem their vacation within one year from the time the winner is announced. Certain terms and conditions apply. For additional information, please visit <a href=\"http://www.beaufortinn.com/Carolina-healthcare-heroes\">www.beaufortinn.com/Carolina-healthcare-heroes</a>.', 'Beaufort Inn holding Healthcare contest', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-inn-holding-healthcare-contest', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:51:25', '2020-07-08 17:51:25', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45058', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45060, 4, '2020-07-08 13:55:40', '2020-07-08 17:55:40', 'FDA is warning consumers and health care providers that the agency has seen a sharp increase in <a href=\"https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-methanol#products\">hand sanitizer products</a>&nbsp;that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested.\r\n\r\nThe agency is aware of adults and children ingesting hand sanitizer products contaminated with methanol that has led to recent adverse events including blindness, hospitalizations and death.\r\n\r\nMethanol is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic effects. FDA’s investigation of methanol in certain hand sanitizers is ongoing. The agency will provide additional information as it becomes available.\r\n\r\nConsumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol and are experiencing symptoms should seek immediate treatment for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning. Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death. Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk for methanol poisoning, young children who accidently ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk.\r\n\r\nConsumers are reminded and urged to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing one’s nose. If soap and water are not readily available, the <a href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>(CDC) recommend consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent ethanol (also referred to as ethyl alcohol).\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\nQuality issues with hand sanitizers are:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>The dangers of drinking any hand sanitizer under any conditions. While hand sanitizers with possible methanol contamination are more life-threatening than those that are not contaminated,&nbsp;FDA urges consumers not to drink any of these products.&nbsp;</li>\r\n 	<li>Certain hand sanitizers that may not contain a sufficient amount of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol.</li>\r\n 	<li>Hand sanitizers that are sold or offered for sale with false and misleading, unproven claims that they can prevent the spread of viruses such as COVID-19, including claims that they can provide prolonged protection (e.g., for up to 24-hours).</li>\r\n 	<li>Products that are fraudulently marketed as “FDA-approved” since there are no hand sanitizers approved by FDA.</li>\r\n 	<li>Products packaged to appear as drinks, candy or liquor bottles, as well as products marketed as drinks or cocktails because their appearance could result in accidental ingestion or encourage ingestion. Children are particularly at risk with these products since ingesting only a small amount of hand sanitizer may be lethal in a young child.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe following outlines the most current information on hand sanitizer labels for consumers to use to identify a &nbsp;product that has been tested by FDA and found to contain methanol, that is being recalled by the manufacturer or distributor, &nbsp;that is purportedly made at the same facility as products in which FDA has tested and confirmed methanol contamination and/or that has been identified through the agency’s <a href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/device-registration-and-listing/search-registration-and-listing\">registration and listing database</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGrupo Insoma, S.A.P.I de CV (Mexico)\r\n\r\nHand sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% Alcohol\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/transliquid-technologies-llc-issues-voluntary-recall-mystic-shield-protection-topical-solution-due\">Transliquid Technologies</a>(Mexico)\r\n\r\nMystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSoluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV (Mexico)\r\n\r\nBersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSoluciones Cosmeticas SA de CV\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-advises-consumers-not-use-hand-sanitizer-products-manufactured-eskbiochem\">Eskbiochem SA de CV</a>(Mexico)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All-Clean Hand Sanitizer\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol\r\n\r\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer\r\n\r\n\r\n<em>Exclusive content from CARE Magazine, current as of 7/6/2020</em>', 'Risk of Methanol Contamination in Certain Hand Sanitizers', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'risk-of-methanol-contamination-in-certain-hand-sanitizers', '', '', '2020-07-08 13:55:40', '2020-07-08 17:55:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45060', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45063, 4, '2020-07-08 14:00:05', '2020-07-08 18:00:05', '<h4>By Monica Wiser</h4>\r\nAs someone with hearing loss, I certainly miss the ability to read lips and facial expressions now that we are all wearing masks. As an audiologist, I hear the frustration from my patients every day.\r\n\r\nEven people with normal hearing are having more difficulty communicating with one another. Masks don’t just cover our lips and our smiles, they actually muffle speech sounds.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nA recent study published in the Hearing Review Journal found that masks reduce speech sounds from 2000-7000 Hz spoken by the wearer by 3 to 4 dB for a simple medical mask and close to 12 dB for the N95 masks.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThat means that speech sounds like “s,” “f,” “th,” “sh,” and “k” are less audible, and that can make for a good deal of confusion in conversation.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we do to help facilitate communication throughout this pandemic?\r\n\r\nFor people with normal hearing, especially for health care providers and people working with the public:\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>Please be patient when someone asks for repetition. Treat them the way you would want to be treated.</li>\r\n 	<li>Make sure the person you wish to speak with knows that you are starting a conversation with them. Politely get their attention and look them in the eye before speaking. This is especially true when opening a new register. People with hearing loss often get left behind when a new line is opened while everyone who can hear the cashier cuts ahead of them.</li>\r\n 	<li>Instead of shouting, rephrase your comment. Sometimes, it is just one word that is causing confusion, so use different words to overcome that obstacle.</li>\r\n 	<li>Turn on captioning on your smartphone. Your voice will be captioned, and you can hold your phone out for the other person to read what you are saying. Google translate and other captioning apps can be used.</li>\r\n 	<li>Businesses and providers can set-up a tablet or computer monitor with a free online service that captions live speech in real-time. Web-captioner is a free online service that works fairly well.</li>\r\n 	<li>Reduce ambient noise. Businesses may want to turn off the music or TV’s playing in the background.</li>\r\n 	<li>Face people directly and avoid looking down or off to the side when speaking.<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Mask-side-view.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-45065\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Mask-side-view-817x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"388\" height=\"486\"></a></li>\r\n 	<li>Consider wearing a mask with a clear window in front of the mouth so people can read your lips.</li>\r\n 	<li>Go ahead and use your hands to gesture when speaking. It may not be what we were taught in public speaking classes, but it is effective for getting the point across.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nFor people with hearing loss:\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>Let people know that you have a hearing loss. Most people will try to make a better effort to communicate if they know you are having trouble hearing them.</li>\r\n 	<li>Turn on captioning on your smartphone and hold it out to pick up the speaker’s voice. (See suggestions above)</li>\r\n 	<li>Phrase your questions for “yes” or “no” answers. This will make it easier for you to get a straight answer without having to sort through a long string of inaudible words.</li>\r\n 	<li>If you cannot get captioning on your phone, bring a small notepad and pencil as a last resort.</li>\r\n 	<li>If your hearing aids keep flopping off due to the ear loops on masks, you can secure those ear loops with another piece of string to pull them away from your ears.&nbsp; If tight enough, you can even wear the straps without touching your hearing aids while keeping your mask securely in place. It also makes it easier to pull the mask down around your neck once you leave a public setting.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nIf anything good has come of this mask-wearing experience from a hearing standpoint, it is that people who don’t suffer from hearing loss are now becoming more aware of how even a slight hearing impairment can impact our everyday lives.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nI hope it will make people pause before they say, “never mind” to someone who cannot hear well.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAnd I hope this experience will make us all better communicators.\r\n\r\n<em>Monica Wiser, M.A. CCC-A, and two of her siblings have worn hearing aids since childhood. In 1994, she graduated from California State University Northridge at the top of her class and was designated as the Outstanding Graduate Student in the Communicative Disorders Department at San Diego State University in 1996. She has been advocating for better hearing care for more than 20 years and owns a private practice on Lady’s Island, Beaufort Audiology &amp; Hearing Care.</em>', 'Communicating in a masked world', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'communicating-in-a-masked-world', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:00:05', '2020-07-08 18:00:05', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45063', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45067, 4, '2020-07-08 14:06:46', '2020-07-08 18:06:46', '<strong>By Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nSheila Miley, a certified public accountant with Robinson Grant &amp; Co., says time is running out.\r\n\r\nMiley said the income tax deadline extension (from April 15 to July 15) was granted during the Covid-19 outbreak, but that extension is quickly running out.\r\n\r\n“We are not seeing clients because of Covid concerns”, she said. “Right now we are just pushing the work through to make the July 15 deadline”.\r\n\r\nHowever, taxpayers can still request, if needed, a final extension well into the fall.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“Individuals can apply for an extension until Oct. 15. Businesses need to have their taxes submitted by Sept. 15,” she said. “After that there are no more extensions.”\r\n\r\nMiley said it’s important to note that July 15 is still the tax deadline and one has to submit a request to the Internal Revenue Service and the S.C. Department of Revenue for the final extension.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“After that, there isn’t anything else.”', 'Tax deadline approaching fast', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'tax-deadline-approaching-fast', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:06:46', '2020-07-08 18:06:46', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45067', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45070, 4, '2020-07-08 14:09:43', '2020-07-08 18:09:43', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nThe County Channel\'s award-winning nature series Coastal Kingdom is nominated for a 2020 Southeastern EMMY Award in the category of Best TV Host/Moderator/Play by Play.\r\n\r\nCoastal Kingdom is hosted by naturalist and educator Tony Mills and is a production partnership between The County Channel and The LowCountry Institute on Spring Island.\r\n\r\nThis is the third time Coastal Kingdom has been nominated for Best TV Host. The series won the award in 2018.\r\n\r\nTo date, the Coastal Kingdom team has received seven Southeastern EMMY nominations. The final EMMY winners for 2020 will be announced later this year.\r\n\r\nSoutheastern EMMY Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.\r\n\r\nWatch all programming for <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM2OTQyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2JlYXVmb3J0Y291bnR5c2MuZ292L3RoZS1jb3VudHktY2hhbm5lbC8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.xI9YyvvpFNQAmXqwpxSjweBLxisrBIq6RnhzpknCzkc/s/566122596/br/80472630074-l\">The County Channel</a> live on Comcast Ch. 2, Hargray Chs. 9 and 113, and Spectrum Ch. 1304. Viewers can also watch programming live and on-demand at The County Channel’s website at <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA2MzAuMjM2OTQyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZWF1Zm9ydGNvdW50eXNjLmdvdi8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.oI6Ss7WzYkezj3sEpJKNtSqEstObYh5qKBehouXLoSI/s/566122596/br/80472630074-l\">www.beaufortcountysc.gov</a>.', 'Coastal Kingdom nominated for EMMY', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'coastal-kingdom-nominated-for-emmy', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:09:43', '2020-07-08 18:09:43', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45070', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45073, 4, '2020-07-08 14:16:56', '2020-07-08 18:16:56', '<strong>By LOLITA HUCKABY</strong>\r\n<h4>In case your missed it...&nbsp;</h4>\r\nLADY’S ISLAND –&nbsp;You didn’t.\r\n\r\nThe open house scheduled for July 8 at Whitehall Park was canceled because of concerns about that darn old virus.\r\n\r\nThe open house was a follow-up sponsored by the Friends of Whitehall Park, the county and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust after the developer Sam Levin withdrew his latest subdivision plan from the Beaufort-Port Royal Metropolitan Planning Commission citing “misinformation” in the community about the project at the foot of the Woods Memorial Bridge.\r\n\r\nMight have had something to do with the Sea Island Corridor Coalition calling it Levin’s “Magical Mystery Tour.”\r\n\r\nAnyway, Levin promised to be back with his plans for the MPC review. And citizens concerned about what the project will look like, will too.\r\n<h4>Speaking about missing</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – Let’s face it, the last four months of quarantine have tough for just about everybody.\r\n\r\nAnd that includes school kids, who might initially have enjoyed a longer-than-usual “spring break,” but according to reports (OK, from the parents) are ready to go back.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSchool officials did a Herculean job of keeping the students on tract with their studies, with some districts doing better than others.\r\n\r\nAccording to a report last month from the state Department of Education, Beaufort County school system had the seventh highest number of students who couldn’t be accounted for. The report found 452 kindergarten through 12th-graders unaccounted, out of the approximate 22,000 enrolled in Beaufort County public schools.\r\n\r\nThat’s about the same percentage of unaccounted students statewide where approximately 16,000 students slipped through the cracks.\r\n\r\nThose same officials are spending the summer trying to figure out what next, just like the rest of us.\r\n<h4>Also missing</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – The city has lost another tourist attraction with the move last month of the Santa Elena History Center on Bay Street.\r\n\r\nThe center and its historic displays, opened in 2015 by the Santa Elena Foundation, moved south last month, combining forces with the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head Island.\r\n\r\nThe county owns the 19th-century building which was used as a federal courthouse from 1994 to 2012 and before that, the county courthouse. There’s been talk of some county offices being moved into the structure, but for now, the property owners – being we, the taxpayers – are soliciting proposals for future use of the historic structure.\r\n\r\nAt least there’s still the Beaufort Museum on Craven Street to visit.\r\n<h4>Not missing</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – As The Island News reporter Mindy Lucas pointed out last week, the Metropolitan Planning Commission will be getting a presentation on flight activity from MCAS Beaufort representative on July 25.\r\n\r\nThe Commissioners asked for the presentation in response to complaints from citizens about the jet noise, particularly during evening hours.\r\n\r\nMCAS officials attribute the increased noise to realignment of the major runway for repairs, expected to be completed by the end of the year.\r\n\r\nBut citizens, who are criticized for THEIR criticism of “the sound of freedom,” are concerned about the knowledge that the air station is scheduled to receive even more F-35’s in the future.\r\n\r\nAs Lucas reported, the facility is home now to 29 of the fighter jets and expected to house up to 88 by the mid-2020s.\r\n\r\nIn 2009, when local governments were being asked for their official input on the Department of Defense’s plans to locate the new strike fighter jets at Beaufort or Cherry Point, N.C., the City Council had a bit of hesitation before endorsing the plan. But when the Council questioned the impact, it quickly drew the ire of the economic development community which stressed the financial impact of the project.\r\n\r\nThe City Council gave their endorsement and MCAS got the jets.\r\n<h4>Also still missing, affordable housing</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT COUNTY – Affordable housing has been a major problem in Beaufort County for years, and it sure isn’t getting any easier.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County officials, as well as their municipal counterparts, have been looking at increasingly dismal numbers and listening to warnings from various consultants for the past decade.\r\n\r\nAccording to Zillow, which may be as good a source as any, the median home price in Beaufort County is $328,000 while the median rent is $1,700.\r\n\r\nIt was a year ago that county and municipal councils of Beaufort and Jasper passed resolutions to work together to at least hire a consultant to help start a regional housing trust fund. The goal is to establish a plan for collecting money, along with grants, etc. to help build cheaper housing or help folks who need help renting.\r\n\r\nEric Greenway, county planning director who’s been busy trying to direct development on isolated Bay Point Island, told the County Council’s Natural Resources Committee on Monday the advertising for someone to take the lead on the housing trust hasn’t been successful – only one person was interested and he/she didn’t qualify.\r\n\r\nBut he assured the committee, “we’re focused on getting the job done.”\r\n\r\n<em>Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer, I-95 and U.S. 17 voyager and works for an online news service covering local government. She is a former reporter/editorial assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today. She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-lowdown-5', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:17:11', '2020-07-08 18:17:11', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45073', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45076, 4, '2020-07-08 14:18:52', '2020-07-08 18:18:52', 'July 9–City of Beaufort’s Design Review Board, 2 p.m., watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 13–Beaufort County Council’s Natural Resources Committee, 2 p.m., watch on The County Channel, the county’s Facebook page or at www.beaufortcountysc.gov\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 13–Beaufort County Council’s Finance Committee, 3 p.m., watch on The County Channel, the county’s Facebook page or at <a href=\"http://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/\">www.beaufortcountysc.gov</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 13 – Beaufort County Council Caucus meeting, 5 p.m., watch on The County Channel, the county’s Facebook page or at www.beaufortcountysc.gov\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJune 13 – Beaufort County Council Regular Session, 6 p.m., watch on The County Channel, the county’s Facebook page or at www.beaufortcountysc.gov\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 14–Beaufort City Council, Work Session, 5 p.m., Regular Meeting, 7 p.m., watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 14–Beaufort County School District Board Meeting, 6 – 8 p.m., watch on The County Channelor via Zoom\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 15 – Daufuskie Island Fire District, 1 p.m. watch for information at www.beaufortcountysc.gov or call (843) 758-2116\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 15 – Beaufort County Transportation Committee, 4 p.m., watch for information on www.beaufortcountysc.gov\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJuly 15 – Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Board, 4 - 5:30 p.m., watch for information on www.beaufortcountysc.govor call (843) 255-6000\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>*Meetings are updated as of press time and do not reflect any last minute cancellations</em><em>.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>&nbsp;</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>&nbsp;</em>', 'PUBLIC MEETINGS JULY 9–15', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'public-meetings-july-9-15', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:18:52', '2020-07-08 18:18:52', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45076', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45078, 4, '2020-07-08 14:20:11', '2020-07-08 18:20:11', 'As of June 30, the State Election Commission’s voter education website is at scVOTES.gov.\r\n\r\nThe switch to the .gov domain name was made to help maintain the public’s trust in the information and services provided through the site.\r\n\r\nBefore the change, scVOTES.gov was scVOTES.org. Having the .gov extension will help voters easily recognize the site as a trusted source of information.\r\n\r\nDomain names using the .gov extension are regulated by the federal General Services Administration (GSA) meaning only verified federal, state and local governments can use a .gov address. Voters will know when they see “scVOTES.gov,” they have arrived at the official website of the S.C. State Election Commission.\r\n\r\nThe old .org domain extension will continue to exist indefinitely, and visitors will be automatically redirected to the new scVOTES.gov address. Anyone using an scVOTES.org link on their website or other materials should update those links to scVOTES.gov.', 'State Election Commission has new web address', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'state-election-commission-has-new-web-address', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:20:11', '2020-07-08 18:20:11', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45078', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45080, 4, '2020-07-08 14:21:24', '2020-07-08 18:21:24', '<h2>Community makes AMIkids fundraising a success</h2>\r\nOn behalf of AMIkids Beaufort, I want to thank this community and the many friends of AMIkids Beaufort for their amazing support of our canceled 29th croquet picnic fundraiser last month.\r\n\r\nOriginally scheduled for early May at Brays Island, as we have for almost three decades, we decided to cancel this year’s event due to the coronavirus.\r\n\r\nBecause this is our primary fundraiser for our local program, I’ll admit we had deep concerns. We asked for “in lieu of croquet contributions” through social and traditional media, and we sent letters to our usual participants, explaining our decision.\r\n\r\nIt is with deep gratitude that I tell you we have raised more than $90,000 so far this year, just slightly short of what we raised at the croquet picnic in 2019!\r\n\r\nThat demonstrates an amazing capacity for people to give, and to understand challenges. Thank you, thank you!\r\n\r\nAMIkids Beaufort is governed by a local group of volunteers. The program helps young men separate a troubled past from a brighter future. For more information or to make online donations or pledges to continue helping our local mission, visit www.amikidsbeaufort.org.\r\n\r\n– John Harris, Chairman, AMIkids Beaufort Board of Trustees', 'LETTER TO THE EDITOR', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'letter-to-the-editor-41', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:21:24', '2020-07-08 18:21:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45080', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45082, 4, '2020-07-08 14:24:41', '2020-07-08 18:24:41', 'First FriDAY The Downtown Beaufort Merchant’s&nbsp;Association’s First FriDAY went off without&nbsp;a hitch July 3 but with a much smaller&nbsp;crowd than usual. Here a couple of woman&nbsp;make their way down Bay Street on Friday.&nbsp;Random shoppers said they thought the&nbsp;crowd was smaller and most cited concerns&nbsp;over Covid-19 and face masks. Tabitha&nbsp;Winters, a frequent visitor to Beaufort,&nbsp;was the winner of the monthly cash&nbsp;giveaway, which was split 50/50 with&nbsp;Wounded Warriors. Photo by Bob Sofaly.', 'First FriDAY', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'first-friday-3', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:24:41', '2020-07-08 18:24:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45082', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45085, 4, '2020-07-08 14:26:10', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'Habersham’s July 4 Parade in the Age of Coronavirus is highlighted by Miss Liberty and Betsy Ross, appropriately attired with facial masks. Photo by Ron Callari.', 'Lowcountry Life', '', 'draft', 'closed', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:26:10', '2020-07-08 18:26:10', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45085', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45088, 4, '2020-07-08 14:34:51', '2020-07-08 18:34:51', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina, Florida and Massachusetts Chapters of the National Association of Women Artists present \'\'Some Like It Hot,” the first combined Virtual Art Exhibit by members of three NAWA State Chapters. The exhibition runs through Aug. 25.\r\n\r\nThe Meet the Artist reception will be uploaded to YouTube NAWAFL on Sunday, July 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. Exhibiting artists will be live recorded on Zoom.com.\r\n\r\nGo to: <a href=\"http://www.nawasc.org/\">www.nawasc.org</a> to enter the portal to the virtual exhibition \"Some Like It Hot.\"\r\n\r\nThe first NAWA Chapter was founded in Florida in 1995, followed by the Massachusetts Chapter in 2013. The newest Chapter, South Carolina, was created in 2018.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe NAWA Chapters extend the mission of our National organization by promoting highly visible juried exhibitions, and designing art education opportunities for its members as well as promoting women\'s art in their communities. NAWA Chapters encourage each new generation of women artists to strive for proper recognition for their vision, expertise and contributions to the art world.\r\n\r\nArtists wishing to join any of the NAWA State Chapters must first be juried into the National Organization (NAWA). NAWA is a 501C3 not-for-profit tax-exempt organization.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nVisit www.nawasc.org; https://nawama.org; https://nawafl.org.\r\n\r\nFor more information, call Johns Island artist Joanna Biondolillo at 843-860-8617.', 'NAWA hosting virtual art exhibition', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'nawa-hosting-virtual-art-exhibition', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:34:51', '2020-07-08 18:34:51', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45088', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45091, 4, '2020-07-08 14:37:42', '2020-07-08 18:37:42', '<h4>Mystic Osprey hosting reception for Molesky</h4>\r\nThe Mystic Osprey Fine Art Gallery in Habersham Marketplace is hosting a gallery reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 10 for artist David Molesky.\r\n\r\nMolesky is an internationally recognized fine artist based in New York City known for his landscapes and figurative works.\r\n\r\nHis representational paintings of humans and environments have been featured in many museum exhibitions including the Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland; Pasinger Fabrik, Germany; Casa Dell’Architettura, Italy; and Telemarksgaleriet, Norway.\r\n\r\nMolesky’s work often depicts animals or people in expansive natural settings. Recently, one of his paintings was acquired by a prominent New York collection that will be acquired by the MOMA.\r\n\r\nMolesky’s paintings are in the permanent collection of the Long Beach Museum of Art among other museum collections on both coasts and in Europe and Asia. He is the recipient of artist residencies through the Morris Graves Foundation, California; Fine Art Base, California; and the Fundacja Nakielska, Poland.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe gallery requests patience to allow guests to meet the artist and put guests\' safety first with social distancing. Osprey will also have masks available for anyone who does not have one.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n<h4>Ghostbusters, Deadpool highlight Drive-In schedule</h4>\r\nMovies through Thursday, July 9 at the Highway 21 Drive-In include Ghostbusters (PG, 8:45 p.m.) and The Jungle Book (PG, 10:30 p.m.) on Screen 1 and My Spy (PG13, 8:45 p.m.) and Deadpool (R, 10:30 p.m.) on Screen 2.\r\n\r\nGate opens at 6:30 p.m. Please observe social distancing requirements. Masks are required inside the concession stand. The Drive-In has added online ordering for food and tickets at <a href=\"https://us.orderspoon.com/hwy-21-drive-in\">https://us.orderspoon.com/hwy-21-drive-in</a>.\r\n\r\n<em>Above: David Molesky\'s Dog Hollow, Oil on Linen, 24 x 24\" - Unframed, exposed Linen Edge<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></em>', 'ART BRIEFS', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'art-briefs-3', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:37:42', '2020-07-08 18:37:42', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45091', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45094, 4, '2020-07-08 14:43:18', '2020-07-08 18:43:18', '<h2>Beaufort County’s mask ordinance closes gaps</h2>\r\n<h4>By Mike McCombs</h4>\r\nLast week was another big week for COVID-19 in South Carolina and in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nOn average, in Beaufort County, there were 52.4 new cases each day in the week ending Monday, July 6. For the state, that number was 1,604.1\r\n\r\nBoth of those numbers are up from the previous seven-day period, when there were an average of 38.9 and 1,263.6 new cases daily in Beaufort County and the state of South Carolina, respectively.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThose are increases of 35 and 27 percent, respectively, as well.\r\n\r\nSaturday, July 4 saw the state set a new record with 1,836 new cases. Beaufort County set its own high-water mark on Tuesday, June 30, with 71.\r\n\r\nAnd the positive test rate on Friday, July 3 was a record 20.7 percent.\r\n<h4>3 Beaufort County deaths in first week of July</h4>\r\nThere have already been three deaths from COVID-19 in July in Beaufort County. There were only six deaths reported in all of June.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAccording to both DHEC and the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office, there have been 23 total COVID-19 related deaths in the county since the pandemic began. The two entities compile their information differently.\r\n<h4>Hospitalizations climbing</h4>\r\nAs of Monday, there are 1,260 hospitalized across the state for COVID-19. There were 1,032 hospitalized as of the end of the previous week.\r\n<h4>Beaufort County passes mask ordinance</h4>\r\nBeaufort County Council met for a special-called meeting Wednesday, July 1, and approved an emergency ordinance outlining face mask requirements for unincorporated areas of the County.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance, which went into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 3, requires people to wear a face covering and practice social-distancing while inside commercial and public buildings in unincorporated Beaufort County, whenever possible.\r\n\r\nThe exceptions to this are for those in child care facilities, schools, churches and gyms where social-distancing policies are already in place; patrons who are actively eating food or consuming beverages; anyone receiving medical treatment; and those who are actively swimming in indoor pools.\r\n\r\nThe ordinance also requires employees of restaurants, retail establishments, grocery stores, salons and pharmacies, to wear face coverings whenever they are within six feet of the general public or in proximity to each other.\r\n\r\nThe County’s face mask ordinance will remain in effect through Aug. 31 unless Council terminates or extends it.\r\n\r\nThe passage brought Beaufort County in line with the <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDIuMjM4MjE3MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmNpdHlvZmJlYXVmb3J0Lm9yZy9BZ2VuZGFDZW50ZXIvVmlld0ZpbGUvQWdlbmRhL18wNjI5MjAyMC04NDE_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.apnlNvVl5m5F184f0GfCESQncJpbyJZHeYER7TpOlKg/s/566122596/br/80627581809-l\">City of Beaufort</a>, <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDIuMjM4MjE3MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5oaWx0b25oZWFkaXNsYW5kc2MuZ292L3B1YmxpY3NhZmV0eS9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9kb2N1bWVudHMvRW1lcmdlbmN5T3JkaW5hbmNlMjAyMC0xNC1NYXNrcy5wZGY_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.v-xmipQRdMkJAg6IBxYEyyR-5tt7CXxE3ufzHbbiVsQ/s/566122596/br/80627581809-l\">Town of Hilton Head</a>, <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDIuMjM4MjE3MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50b3dub2ZibHVmZnRvbi5zYy5nb3YvRG9jdW1lbnRDZW50ZXIvVmlldy8xNDE3L09SRElOQU5DRS0yMDIwMTAtRW1lcmdlbmN5LU9yZGluYW5jZS1SZXF1aXJpbmctRmFjZS1Db3ZlcmluZ3MtP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.hQrORrqtJ2943nict9qi6UjC9r9Id46nTr8318AVfgk/s/566122596/br/80627581809-l\">Town of Bluffton</a> and <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MDIuMjM4MjE3MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnBvcnRyb3lhbC5vcmcvQ2l2aWNBbGVydHMuYXNweD9BSUQ9MTMmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.SV1AckuvyDvg7XIYAkUuXZ0q-MxFCSCKNpv-7_MHNN8/s/566122596/br/80627581809-l\">Town of Port Royal</a> had already passed face mask ordinances of their own.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nRepeated violations of the county’s ordinance at any business or establishment that is not exempt from the requirements are declared a nuisance and, as such, the County may seek a restraining order, preliminary injunction, permanent injunction, or suspension or revocation of the County-issued business license.\r\n\r\nTo view the county’s complete ordinance, visit https://bit.ly/3f9UFS7.\r\n<h4>First schools and now football</h4>\r\nTwo weeks ago, State Education Superintendent Molly Spearman said that if things didn’t improve, there was no way kids would go back to school this fall.\r\n\r\nThis past week, Governor Henry McMaster made the prospects of a high school or college football season sound ominous.\r\n\r\n“If we continue to see this kind of danger going across our state, we will have no choice but to keep these restrictions on crowds and gatherings in place,” McMaster said. during a press briefing Wednesday. “That means this fall will not be like other falls. We will not be able to have college football, would not be able to have high school football.”\r\n<h4>Blame it on South Carolina</h4>\r\nOn the Sunday, July 5 edition of Meet The Press, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said positive coronavirus cases there were tied to citizens vacationing in Myrtle Beach.\r\n\r\nAccording to television reports, Murphy said his state is seeing a spike in cases in people coming back from places like \"Myrtle Beach, as well as in Florida and other hot spots.\"\r\n\r\n<em>Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>THE NUMBERS</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Totals</strong>\r\n\r\nAs of Monday, July 6\r\n\r\nS.C. Confirmed cases: 46,247\r\n\r\nS.C. Conformed deaths: 819\r\n\r\nBeaufort County cases: 1,510\r\n\r\nBeaufort County deaths: 23\r\n\r\nLast week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: 1604.1\r\n\r\nPrevious week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: 1,263.6\r\n\r\nLast week’s 7-day average new cases, county: 52.43\r\n\r\nPrevious week’s 7-day average new cases, county: 38.9\r\n\r\n<strong>THE LAST WEEK</strong>\r\n\r\nMonday, July 6\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,505\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 6\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 53\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 1\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 18.8<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSunday, July 5\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,463\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 8\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 49\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 16.6\r\n\r\nSaturday, July 4\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,836*\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 19\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 37\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 1\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 19.7\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\nFriday, July 3\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,558\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 10\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 54\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 1\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 20.7*\r\n\r\n*Record High<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThursday, July 2\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,629\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 19\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 43\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 1\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 16.9<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWednesday, July 1\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,497\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 24*\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 61\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 19.1<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\nTuesday, June 30\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,741\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 17\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 70*\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 19.0<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n*Record High', 'COVID-19 spreading in state, county', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'covid-19-spreading-in-state-county', '', '', '2020-07-08 14:43:18', '2020-07-08 18:43:18', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45094', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45096, 4, '2020-07-08 15:13:29', '2020-07-08 19:13:29', '<h2>Naval Hospital’s new commanding officer wants to make sure health facility remains a ‘high reliability’ organization</h2>\r\n<strong>By MINDY LUCAS</strong>\r\n\r\nCaptain Raymond Batz is on a mission.\r\n\r\nAs the new commanding officer for both the Naval Hospital Beaufort and the 127-acre installation itself – a unique double command – Batz wants to make sure patients and their families are in good hands at the health facility.\r\n\r\nTo do this requires a three-prong focus, he said: always caring, which is the hospital’s motto, a drive toward high reliability as an organization and being balanced for dynamic change.\r\n\r\nThat may sound like so much military speak but as Batz explained in an in-person interview recently, it’s all meant to make sure the health facility is operating as a “high reliability” organization at all times.\r\n\r\n“High reliability means we’re doing the best we can to ensure that we’re going through each day deliberately, and, from a healthcare perspective if we have a focus, it’s a zero-harm focus,” he said.\r\n\r\nBatz took over command of Naval Hospital Beaufort&nbsp; from the previous CO, Capt. Rob Jackson who retired in May.\r\n\r\nHaving recently served as Deputy Commanding Officer at Tripler Army Medical Center in O’ahu, Hawaii, Batz comes to the Beaufort facility in a time of recent transition.\r\n\r\nIn just the last year, the hospital made the federally mandated transition to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Beaufort, which means, like many military health facilities across the country, it realigned its services.\r\n\r\nFor Naval Hospital Beaufort, that means switching from care that includes hospitalizations to providing only outpatient care. However the health facility, which supports both Parris Island and the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort as well, will continue to provide overnight stays for recruits when needed.\r\n\r\nBatz said the health facility will continue to ensure that recruits become Marines in a way that’s healthy while getting them ready to become Marines.\r\n\r\nIt’s a transition that he is familiar with having helped to take Tripler Army Medical Center through a similar transition, though it was a larger market in terms of health care services.\r\n\r\nThe lessons he learned in O’ahu, he said, will help as Naval Hospital Beaufort as it continues adapting to the transition.\r\n\r\n“The next time I talk with you, we may be talking about how the (healthcare) market is going to grow in the Lowcountry,” he said.\r\n\r\nIf there are challenges with the transition, it is continuing to provide quality medical care for the more than 35,000 beneficiaries that make up the health facilities total population served – something Batz said the healthcare facility is committed to doing.\r\n\r\n“The big thing to work through here is to make sure we’re keeping faith we’re our responsibility to take care of the active duty and their families here in the Lowcountry,” he said.\r\n<h4>Developing expertise in medicine and leadership</h4>\r\nThough he was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, Batz actually thinks of Western Pennsylvania as home since he completed his middle school through high school years there, and attended Grove City College, in Grove City, Pa.\r\n\r\nHe went on to attend Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Kirksville, Mo., for medical school and was commissioned as a medical corps officer upon graduating.\r\n\r\nBatz once thought he would go into family medicine and had even served as a family physician on a deployment in the Philippines, but he soon gravitated toward operational medicine, or medicine in a deployed setting.\r\n\r\nA unique residency in aerospace medicine focusing on operational medicine gave him the opportunity to get the training he needed to become the senior medical officer (SMO) on an aircraft carrier.\r\n\r\nIt was a job he very much enjoyed, he said.\r\n\r\n“At that point in my career, I thought that was the pinnacle of operational medicine,” he said reminiscing. “And it may still be. When you’re the SMO on an aircraft carrier, you’re sometimes 2,000 miles away over an ocean from the nearest other medical facility.”\r\n\r\nBatz went on to be deployed multiple times serving onboard the USS Kitty Hawk.\r\n\r\nHe then parlayed his training as an aerospace medicine specialist into an opportunity to work for NASA, another organization with a high reliability ethos.\r\n\r\n“The best practices of aerospace medicine dovetail perfectly into … becoming a high reliability organization,” he said.\r\n\r\nNow, in perhaps is greatest leadership role yet, Batz is finding these experiences will serve him well as he takes command at Naval Hospital Beaufort.\r\n\r\nGoing forward his goals are fairly simple.\r\n\r\n“The key concept is daily to work to improve communication, teamwork and readiness,” he said. “That’s been a goal of mine since Kitty Hawk.”', 'Man on a mission', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'man-on-a-mission', '', '', '2020-07-08 15:13:30', '2020-07-08 19:13:30', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45096', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45099, 4, '2020-07-08 15:40:51', '2020-07-08 19:40:51', '<h2><b>Beachgoers celebrate Independence Day<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b><b>at Hunting Island State Park</b></h2>\r\n<strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nHannah VanDam, a lifeguard at Hunting Island State Park, watches as a pair of F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter cruise by on the Fourth of July at the beach Saturday. Also participating was a vintage P-51 Mustang and a big C-127 cargo jet, all part of the Salute From the Shore which began near Myrtle Beach and made its way down past Hunting Island.', 'INDEPENDENCE DAY', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'independence-day', '', '', '2020-07-08 15:40:51', '2020-07-08 19:40:51', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45099', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45199, 4, '2020-07-16 11:53:21', '2020-07-16 15:53:21', 'The Beaufort County Board of Education approved Superintendent Frank Rodriguez’s recommendation that the district develop a revised 2020-21 school calendar that would delay the first day of school from the current start date of August 17 until September 8.\r\n\r\nIncreasing numbers of South Carolina school districts have been exploring the idea of delaying their start dates until after Labor Day as COVID-19 infection rates surge across the state.&nbsp; Gov. Henry McMaster today endorsed a September 8 start date during a news conference in Columbia.\r\n\r\nThe S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported more than 2,200 new confirmed infections statewide on Tuesday, the second-highest one-day total since the pandemic began four months ago.&nbsp; DHEC reported 1,850 new cases today.\r\n\r\nThe state agency’s weekly county-by-county metrics measuring COVID-19 infection rates have rated Beaufort County “High” in all three rating categories for three consecutive weeks.&nbsp; Since the pandemic began, nearly 2,100 infections and 24 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\n“Unfortunately, the situation with COVID-19 is not getting better, it’s getting worse,” Rodriguez said.&nbsp; “All of us understand the importance of resuming face-to-face instruction, but many of our parents have expressed concern and hesitation about doing so under current conditions.&nbsp; We also have significant numbers of classroom teachers and school staff who are frightened about the dangers posed to themselves and their families.”\r\n\r\n“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our students and staff. I cannot in good conscience commit to a reopening plan that would knowingly put them in harm’s way. If COVID-19 conditions continue to worsen, we may need to rethink our reopening strategy. It’s entirely possible that we could start the year with all students learning virtually. We will continue to monitor DHEC’s weekly metrics and guidance to inform our decisions and keep everyone safe.”\r\n\r\nOn Monday, parents of the school district’s 22,000 students began completing online registration for their children and requesting either face-to-face or online learning.&nbsp; Rodriguez said parents should still state their preference when registering their children for the new school year.\r\n\r\n“We need to know parents’ preferences so we’ll be ready to roll with both options when it’s safe to do so.”\r\n\r\nThe district’s reopening plan will be released this Friday, July 17.\r\n\r\nIn-person academic recovery camps for students have been postponed until July 20. They will now be conducted completely online.&nbsp; Parents have already been notified.\r\n\r\nAlso today, the S.C. High School League Executive Committee decided to move the start of fall sports competition until September because of the pandemic.&nbsp; The SCHSL’s plan pushes the start of practices from July 30 to Aug. 17, with games starting for football four weeks later.', 'Board OKs superintendent’s recommendation to develop calendar with delayed start date', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'board-oks-superintendents-recommendation-to-develop-calendar-with-delayed-start-date', '', '', '2020-07-16 11:53:21', '2020-07-16 15:53:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45199', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45110, 4, '2020-07-14 03:09:40', '2020-07-14 07:09:40', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Hospital will host free COVID-19 testing events on Wednesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 29 in northern Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nThe events, in partnership with the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department, Beaufort City Police Department and Lady’s Island-Saint Helena Fire Department, are part of a statewide effort to provide broad access to testing, especially in rural areas.\r\n\r\nThe first event will be from 7 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 15 at Lady’s Island Middle School at 30 Cougar Drive. Enter Cougar Drive from Sea Island Parkway.\r\n\r\nThe second event will be from 7 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 29 at Battery Creek High School at 1 Blue Dolphin Drive. Enter Blue Dolphin Drive from Jennings Road.\r\n\r\n<strong>Pre-Testing Process</strong>\r\n\r\nParticipants are encouraged to complete and print two copies of the COVID-19 testing form found <a href=\"https://www.bmhsc.org/assets/documents/covid-19/covid-19-testing-form_dhec1335.pdf\">here.&nbsp;</a>\r\n\r\nBring the completed forms to the testing event. Blank forms will also be available onsite.\r\n\r\n<strong>Testing Process</strong>\r\n\r\nAll testing is on a first-come, first-served basis. A physician’s order is not required.\r\n\r\nBMH staff will collect test specimens using kits supplied by DHEC. DHEC will run all tests through its state laboratory and communicate the results to BMH.\r\n\r\nBMH staff will notify patients about their results within 48 hours after DHEC delivers them. Participants should expect to receive results within 5 to 7 days after test collection.\r\n\r\n<strong>Reporting Process</strong>\r\n\r\nThe BMH Infection Prevention team will call anyone who tests positive and provide detailed instructions for self-isolation, self-care and home disinfection. Those who test negative will receive a text notification or phone call.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit <a href=\"http://www.BeaufortMemorial.org\">www.BeaufortMemorial.org</a>.', 'Beaufort Memorial hosting free COVID-19 testing events', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-memorial-hosting-free-covid-19-testing-events', '', '', '2020-07-14 03:09:40', '2020-07-14 07:09:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45110', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45112, 4, '2020-07-15 00:40:39', '2020-07-15 04:40:39', '<b>By Lolita Huckaby</b>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling, after three terms in office, says he will not seek re-election in November.\r\n\r\nKeyserling, who most recently lead the local effort to provide masks for residents against the COVID-19 virus, said he wants to focus his efforts on Reconstruction projects and finish his autobiography.\r\n\r\nKeyserling, a former two-term state representative, discussed his decision Monday night during the virtual Beaufort City Council meeting.\r\n\r\n“There are times when change is necessary, and I think that this is one of those. We’ve done so much. We’ve accomplished so much. It’s time for me to step aside to something else. I’m not going anywhere. I intend to actually ramp up my energy into my passion, which is social justice and reconstruction. But this is the long way of saying that I will not file to run for re-election,” he said.\r\n\r\nFormer City Councilman and husband of current Councilwoman Nan Sutton, Mike Sutton, as of press time, is the only candidate to file in the upcoming Beaufort city elections as mayor.\r\n\r\nCurrent council members Nan Sutton and Mike McFee, whose seats are also open this year, have not announced their plans.\r\n\r\nInterested candidates have until noon on Aug. 14 to file with the city clerk. Candidates must be residents of the city.\r\n\r\nCouncil and mayoral terms are four years and are non-partisan, city-wide representation.\r\n<p align=\"right\"><i>Lolita Huckaby Watson can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com.</i></p>\r\n&nbsp;', 'Keyserling won’t run again for mayor', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'keyserling-wont-run-again-for-mayor', '', '', '2020-07-15 00:40:39', '2020-07-15 04:40:39', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45112', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45114, 4, '2020-07-15 09:50:31', '2020-07-15 13:50:31', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-07-15 at 9.49.56 AM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-07-15-at-9-49-56-am', '', '', '2020-07-15 09:50:31', '2020-07-15 13:50:31', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-07-15-at-9.49.56-AM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(45115, 4, '2020-07-15 11:44:54', '2020-07-15 15:44:54', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nStudents enrolled in critical workforce programs at the Technical College of the Lowcountry can attend tuition free this fall thanks to the SC WINS Scholarship.\r\n\r\n“This is a win-win for students and for the community,” TCL President Dr. Richard Gough said. “The scholarship encourages enrollment in the workforce areas that need it most, ensuring both a stronger pipeline of well-trained workers for employers and in-demand careers for graduates.”\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Workforce and Industry Needs Scholarship is a state funded program designed to boost the number of technical college graduates in “critical” fields in addition to students from low-income backgrounds.\r\n\r\nThe state’s critical workforce areas include healthcare, computer and information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction, hospitality and tourism, and transportation. Specific TCL programs include computer technology, avionics, culinary arts, building construction, HVAC, medical assisting and many more.\r\n\r\nA list of eligible programs can be found here: https://bit.ly/3j2kA0w.\r\n\r\nThe SC WINS scholarship supplements Lottery Tuition Assistance and other financial aid to help cover tuition and fees. In addition, SC WINS-eligible students may receive a book allowance up to $300.\r\n\r\nIn addition to those pursuing a degree in a critical workforce area, SC WINS will be available to any student who meets income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced lunch. Plus, the scholarship is available to qualified high school students who take college courses through TCL’s dual enrollment program.\r\n\r\nVisit www.tcl.edu/free for more information.', 'TCL offering free tuition for critical workforce programs', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'tcl-offering-free-tuition-for-critical-workforce-programs', '', '', '2020-07-15 11:44:54', '2020-07-15 15:44:54', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45115', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45117, 4, '2020-07-15 11:46:17', '2020-07-15 15:46:17', '<strong>By LEE SCOTT</strong>\r\n\r\n\r\nAccording to recent reports, the adoption and fostering of dogs has skyrocketed during the past few months.\r\n\r\nMany people who had wanted dogs in the past, but could not have one because of their work schedule, decided this was the time since they were going to be home. The added benefit being they had a great excuse to get out at least three times a day to walk the dog.\r\n\r\nDogs do so many things now. They are service dogs, therapy dogs and even dogs that can sniff out some diseases. For me, dog owning has just been part of my life.\r\n\r\nMy current dog’s name is Brandy. There are many joys having her, but the best part are the conversations. I talk to her all the time. Some common questions to her are:\r\n\r\n“Want to go out?”\r\n\r\n“Ready for dinner?”\r\n\r\nShe seems to know what I mean all the time, because she gets up and wags her tail. I suppose it is the inflection in my voice.\r\n\r\nBut she also reacts to things like, “Do you know where I put my glasses?” and “I think it is hot in here, what do you think?”\r\n\r\nThese questions are met with a raised eyebrow, as if to ask, “Did you mention food?”\r\n\r\nFor the most part, our conversations are one-sided. I talk and she listens. She does not correct my English nor attempt to solve my problems. She just listens.\r\n\r\nOccasionally she will fall asleep, but if I am eating anything, she is at full attention. She may be sleeping in the living room when I begin to peel a banana in the kitchen and suddenly, she is next to me and ready to listen to whatever I might want to discuss.\r\n\r\nLike, “Oh, would you like a piece of my banana?”\r\n\r\nA recent conversation was unusually two-sided. I opened the refrigerator and there was no half-and-half for my coffee.\r\n\r\n“Oh, my goodness, I forgot to buy half-and-half when I went to the store.” This was said with much regret and angst in my voice because I really like half-and-half in my coffee in the morning.”\r\n\r\n“What?” She jumped up. “Did you say no dog food? You forgot to go to the store!”\r\n\r\nAs I wailed on about having to use milk instead of half-and-half, she became equally agitated.\r\n\r\nThen I started to get her refrigerated dog food out and put it in her bowl. She started to wag her tail as if to say, “Oh Thank God! It was not my dog food.”\r\n\r\nYes, dogs are great companions and listeners. But be careful what you say to them. You never know what they hear, especially when in comes to food.\r\n\r\nLee Scott, award winning humor writer takes her “Walter Mitty” like persona and spins tales around everyday life. She enjoys boating, reading, and meeting people. Scott lives in Beaufort with her husband, JD, along with their dog Brandy. You can reach her at Lasshood@aol.com.', 'Conversations with a dog', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'conversations-with-a-dog', '', '', '2020-07-15 11:46:17', '2020-07-15 15:46:17', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45117', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45119, 4, '2020-07-15 11:47:24', '2020-07-15 15:47:24', '<strong>By SCOTT GRABER</strong>\r\n\r\n\r\nIt is 8 p.m. and I’m sitting in the Taco Boy restaurant (in Charleston) with Ben Peeples and his wife, Joanne.\r\n\r\nIn the fall of 1966, Ben and I were cadets at The Citadel, sharing Larry Moreland’s Constitutional Law course in Capers Hall. Moreland — a young, irreverent professor slowly revealed what Madison and Hamilton were trying to do. Moreland wasn’t quite Lin Manuel Miranda, or Leslie Odoms, but he had our undivided attention.\r\n\r\nBen lived over in Alpha Company — a “tall company” peopled with athletes. I was in India — a “short company” peopled by midgets who aspired to be athletes. Notwithstanding the difference in height, and status, Ben and I became friends.\r\n\r\nBen was a serious student, but he also wanted to fly helicopters — and helicopters came with an all-expenses-paid tour in Vietnam.\r\n\r\n“The Huey smelled like a new car,” he said. “It was brand new, a replacement for Huey #646 which I had flown for months.”\r\n\r\nNine days earlier Ben had been shot down; Huey #646 rolling down a battle-denuded mountain until spearing itself on a tree. The rolling motion so confusing that when Ben released his seat belt he fell into the chopper’s ceiling.\r\n\r\nHis next mission, however, brought him under fire as he approached another landing zone with a load of troopers from the 101st Airborne.\r\n\r\n“As we let the troopers repel out of the doors of the helicopter” he said. “A lone NVA soldier sprayed bullets through the cockpit of my brand new Huey. One of those bullets found my kneecap.\r\n\r\n“‘I’m hit,’ I yelled. “Get us out of here.’”\r\n\r\nBut Ben’s co-pilot was on his first mission and froze-up. Ben took back the controls but felt his RPMs drop off. When he turned and looked he saw that a rappelling rope was caught in his tail rotor. Nonetheless he made straight for a fire support base on a nearby mountaintop.\r\n\r\n“As I came in, I saw these troopers frantically making rise-up, lift-up motions that confused me. Then I realized a 101st Airborne repeller was still hanging on to the end of a dangling rope.”\r\n\r\nIn spite of his knee wound, Ben let the soldier down gently. “He ended up with a sprained wrist.”\r\n\r\n“The Lancers lost 12 helicopters out of 20 in the 8 months I was with them,” he said. “Even when I was not flying, I felt responsible for my guys, pilots and crews who were out.”\r\n\r\nWhen wasn’t flying he was reading.\r\n\r\n“I knew we had made a deal with Ho Chi Minh during World War II — if the Vietnamese fought the Japanese, we would help them with independence (from France) when the war ended.\r\n\r\n“But the French wanted their empire back,” he continued. “And we needed French help against the Russians. And so the French used our ships to take their troops to Vietnam.”\r\n\r\nThe battle of Dien Bien Phu was a disaster for the French, but the specter of Communism pulled the United States and Ben Peeples into the void and violence of Southeast Asia.\r\n\r\nBut he came back angry; and with a desperate desire to make every minute count for something. First it was mountains.\r\n\r\n“We climbed Poco (Mexico),” he said. “On that trip I met some Outward Bound honchos who later invited me to come to Peru. I’ve been on Rainier three times, to the top once.”\r\n\r\nThen it was motorcycles.\r\n\r\n“I rode 10,000 miles on the track over five years. The speed and danger were intoxicating.” he said. “Daytona was a thrill as I exceeded 160 mph, but still did not hit my bike’s top speed of 175.”\r\n\r\nAll the while he had a law practice.\r\n\r\n“I was an angry lawyer,” Ben says. “One lawyer told me I was the meanest vegetarian he knew. A judge took me to lunch, in the middle of a trial, and was nice enough to counsel me on my style.”\r\n\r\nAs we talk on the patio of Taco Boy — feeling happy and momentarily removed from Covid — I am impressed with the tactile life Ben has lived since his days of extracting long-range reconnaissance teams from North Vietnam. I am impressed with the way he used his anger in court. But I know I there is no way I will ever understand, or measure, his courage.\r\n\r\nYes, he was young. But he was informed, knowledgable about history and colliding ideologies. The reasons for the Vietnam War were complicated. It’s execution flawed. In the midst of all that he showed courage “beyond all understanding.”\r\n\r\nI think he is the best of our generation.\r\n\r\nScott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.', 'I believe he’s the best of our generation', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'i-believe-hes-the-best-of-our-generation', '', '', '2020-07-15 11:47:24', '2020-07-15 15:47:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45119', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45121, 4, '2020-07-15 11:52:19', '2020-07-15 15:52:19', '<strong>By DAVID TAUB</strong>\r\n\r\n\r\nFor the past 15 years, my wife Pam and I have hosted a July 4 celebration cookout at our home.\r\n\r\nEach year, we begin our little soiree with a reading of the Declaration of Independence. I have divided it into nine sections, so that nine of the 20 or more dear friends present are invited to read a part.\r\n\r\nThen we have a raucous discussion of it and how it impacts us today, lubricated with prodigious amounts of adult libations.\r\n\r\nRegrettably, this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we sadly canceled our patriotic observance. But what took its place?\r\n\r\nBy now, everyone has seen enough of Donald John Trump to know what he is (and isn’t). He cannot change; he won’t change; he has no desire to change.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, what we saw and heard from him at Mt. Rushmore celebrating our Republic’s birth on July 3, and again on July 4 at the Smithsonian mall, reached an all-time degenerative low.\r\n\r\nOn July 4, 1966, I was privileged to attend the July 4 celebration on the National Mall. It was an incredible day spent honoring the best our nation had to offer.\r\n\r\nIn nearly identical, almost incoherent ramblings, POTUS celebrated this year by attacking our nation with unvarnished loathing and vicious race-baiting. He spewed toxic words of racial hatred while choosing to honor the statues of dead men who attacked the Republic in the 1860s.\r\n\r\nStanding below the iconic figures of four of our greatest Presidents, proud faces carved out of a mountain side sacred to Native American tribes, he showed us the worst possible face of America.\r\n\r\nI could easily imagine those honorable stoic stone faces shedding tears of shame.\r\n\r\nPOTUS offered no words to honor the 135,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19 in the past four months. Those “silent warriors” gave their all in a battle against an invisible enemy that POTUS has tragically failed to address; a criminal dereliction of duty.\r\n\r\nHe persists in the bald-faced lie that the deadly virus will disappear magically, falsely claiming “we are doing okay.” What a delusional make-believe Wizard of Odd world he lives in, metaphorically surrounded by the silent graves of those American dead, lost because of his felonious malfeasance.\r\n\r\nThe unabashed reality of his disgusting failure is clear: We lead the world in numbers of infections and deaths; four times greater than the next country inscribed on this horrid scroll. A disgusting commentary of a man profoundly unfit to hold the honored post as Commander-in-Chief.\r\n\r\nAll across America today, there is deep displeasure and discontent with Trump: numbers tell the story. Current polls show that fully 58 percent disapprove of him (the highest of his presidency), while 46 percent of our kinsmen say they “strongly disapprove” of him.\r\n\r\nAnd a staggering 87 percent say POTUS is taking the country in the wrong direction. And fully two-thirds of Americans say POTUS is making racial tensions worse.\r\n\r\nEven a Fox News poll taken a few weeks ago found that only 39 percent of Americans approve of his handling of health care, while 53 percent disapprove.\r\n\r\nAs of July 10, fully two-thirds of ALL Americans disapprove of POTUS’s inept, almost criminal, handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his inexcusable refusal to accept any responsibility for more than 135,000 American dead.\r\n\r\nJustifiably so, most Americans are tired of his repellent personal misbehavior, his pathological lying, his fundamental corruption, his foolish fantasies. He’s the perpetrator, not the blameless “victim” that he piteously claims.\r\n\r\nThem are scary numbers pardner! And POTUS is running scared, so the coward that he be embraces the most demagogic, polarizing and blatantly racist campaign in modern American history.\r\n\r\nI tire of writing about him, but DJT’s insanity leaves me little choice. If we needed any more evidence, just last Friday, July 10, he commuted the 40-month sentence for the convicted felon Roger Stone, who was found guilty by a jury of his peers for obstructing justice, jury tampering and covering up for POTUS’s corruption.\r\n\r\nFor God’s sake, we are a far better country than this. An awful blindness affects some of our kinsmen who cannot see the depressing truth of the leader who will not/cannot lead; of a Captain who does not guide the Ship of State; of the nation’s preacher who can only lie; of the nation’s healer who takes pride, not in comforting or uniting, but only in dividing; of a Commander in Chief who commands nothing but contempt.\r\n\r\nEnough is enough already. We the PEOPLE must retire this malevolent POTUS on Nov. 3. We owe it to our nation’s fragile future.\r\n\r\nThereafter, I shall speak no more of him.\r\n\r\n“Well, all I know is what I read in the newspapers.” – Will Rogers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<em>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999 and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate from 2010 to 2015. You can reach him at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</em>', 'What you see is what you get: The unvarnished reality of crazy', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get-the-unvarnished-reality-of-crazy', '', '', '2020-07-15 11:52:19', '2020-07-15 15:52:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45121', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45123, 4, '2020-07-15 11:54:42', '2020-07-15 15:54:42', 'Dry, itchy eyes are no fun. You rub and you rub, but the feeling like you’ve got dirt in your eyes won’t go away. Nothing helps until you buy a bottle of artificial tears and drop them in for relief. Eventually you realize that the four doses allowed per day aren’t enough. If this sounds familiar, you may have chronic dry eyes. This condition is known to millions of Americans, yet chronic dry eyes are treatable. Knowing what leads to dry eyes can help you reduce symptoms and treat the underlying cause.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>What are chronic<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>dry eyes?</strong>\r\n\r\nDry eyes occur in many Americans each year, but chronic dry eyes persist past a change in environment or habit.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThis is called Dry Eye Syndrome or DES. It’s an ongoing condition that lasts weeks or months at a time. The symptoms may improve but then return after some time.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe problem occurs in the tear film. The cornea, or eye’s surface, has a tear film made of water, mucus, and oil layers. Each layer must produce enough moisture to keep the eye’s surface in balance. When one element reduces its production, dry eye results.\r\n\r\nSome people get dry eyes from lack of tears. This occurs when the watery layer of the tear film malfunctions. People with low tear production can boost it with artificial tear eye drops.\r\n\r\nOther people get dry eyes from poor quality tears. This occurs when the oily layer malfunctions, allowing tears to evaporate too quickly. People with poor quality tears should take measures to keep tears in their eyes.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThere are environmental and medical solutions for both types of chronic dry eyes. Sometimes, however, dry eyes are caused by underlying conditions, such as diabetes and herpes zoster. In these cases, dry eyes can only be resolved by treating the underlying cause.\r\n\r\nMost often, people who have dry eyes are middle-aged or older. An estimated 4.88 million Americans age 50 and older have dry eyes. Of these, over 3 million are women and 1.68 million are men.\r\n\r\nThere are several reasons why more women have dry eyes than men. For one, dry eyes can occur as a side effect of estrogen fluctuations. Women who are pregnant, taking birth control pills, or in menopause may also have dry eyes.\r\n\r\n<strong>Facts about chronic<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>dry eyes</strong>\r\n\r\nMany people who have dry eyes can find relief simply by changing their environment. Others, however, have real medical conditions that prevent them from living with moist eyes. Here’s a look at the different symptoms, causes, and treatments for chronic dry eyes.\r\n\r\n<strong>Symptoms</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you have chronic dry eyes, your eyes likely feel heavy and dry. You may have trouble focusing on everyday tasks, and things may get cloudy now and then.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSymptoms of dry eyes also include:\r\n\r\nnight driving problems\r\n\r\ndiscomfort when wearing contacts\r\n\r\nburning, itching, or stinging sensations\r\n\r\nlight sensitivity\r\n\r\neyes that are watery at times, then completely dry at others\r\n\r\nred and sore eyelids\r\n\r\nmucus secreting from the eye in a string-like texture\r\n\r\n<strong>Causes</strong>\r\n\r\nSometimes the cause is a medical condition that, when treated, can improve dry eyes. Treating the root cause can help you find a permanent solution to the problem.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nDry eyes can be caused by:\r\n\r\nmedications for high blood pressure, like beta-blockers or diuretics\r\n\r\nsleeping pills\r\n\r\nmedications to lower anxiety\r\n\r\nantihistamines\r\n\r\nbeing in a dry or smoky environment on a long-term basis\r\n\r\ndiabetes\r\n\r\nherpes zoster\r\n\r\nwearing contact lens<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\neye surgeries like laser surgery\r\n\r\nautoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome\r\n\r\nAll of these causes impact the oil glands, tear ducts, or corneas in some way.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nDiagnosis\r\n\r\nAn eye doctor often confirms a dry eye diagnosis. In general, your eye doctor will:\r\n\r\nask about your medical history\r\n\r\nperform an eye exam to inspect the exterior of your eye, including the eyelids, tear ducts and how you blink\r\n\r\nexamine your cornea and the interior of your eye<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nmeasure the quality of your tear film\r\n\r\nOnce your eye doctor knows these things, it’s easier to pursue a course of treatment. Measuring the quality of your tears is important, for instance. One thing that is common in all people with dry eyes is abnormal tear quality.\r\n\r\nChronic dry eyes can be painful and distracting, but they’re also treatable. You can get treatment to relieve your symptoms, perhaps even long-term. Your eyes are worth taking care of, no matter how old you are.\r\n\r\n– By Sonia Pearson;\r\n\r\nMedically Reviewed by Judith Marcin, MD.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nhttp://www.healthline.com/health/dry-eye/chronic-dry-eyes\r\n\r\n<em>Exclusive content from CARE Magazine</em>', 'Chronic Dry Eyes: Symptoms, Causes and What You Can Do', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'chronic-dry-eyes-symptoms-causes-and-what-you-can-do', '', '', '2020-07-15 11:54:42', '2020-07-15 15:54:42', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45123', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45125, 4, '2020-07-15 12:00:37', '2020-07-15 16:00:37', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists has added two physician assistants to its team of board-certified providers.\r\n\r\nAmanda Powell, PA-C (top) and Anna Grace Stoddard, PA-C (right), both graduated from Savannah, Georgia-based South University with Master of Science degrees in physician assistant studies.\r\n\r\nBorn and raised in New Jersey, Powell holds a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Stoddard received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from <a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-15-at-12.05.31-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignright wp-image-45133\" src=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-15-at-12.05.31-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"278\"></a>Clemson University and a Master of Education in higher education from University of North Texas in Denton.\r\n\r\nAt the surgical practice, Powell and Stoddard will evaluate patients before and after surgery as well as those referred to the practice from Beaufort Memorial’s emergency department and hospital floors. They will assist the practice’s general surgeons in the operating room and the clinic.\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists is a multi-provider practice offering breast, general and vascular surgery performed by highly experienced surgeons who are skilled in the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques. The practice includes general surgeons Drs. Perry Burrus, Deanna Mansker, Tim Pearce and Stephen Sisco; vascular surgeon Drs. Chad Tober, Ravi Veeraswamy and Mathew Wooster; physician assistants Laura Kaiser, Amanda Powell, Anna Grace Stoddard and Annsley Troxell; and nurse practitioner Andrea Hall.\r\n\r\nThe practice is located at 989 Ribaut Road, Suite 360, Beaufort.', 'Two physician assistants join Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'two-physician-assistants-join-beaufort-memorial-surgical-specialists', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:08:35', '2020-07-15 16:08:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45125', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45130, 4, '2020-07-15 12:02:15', '2020-07-15 16:02:15', '<strong>By Laura Kaponer</strong>\r\n\r\nOne in five people will experience a mental health issue within their lifetime. As the population of Beaufort County increases, so will those with mental health issues.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County is experiencing a massive shortage of mental health providers. Most of these professionals are in private practice and do not accept insurance at this time. Wait times for both private and public sectors, outside of crisis situations, can be months. What other medical field locally has that extensive a waiting period for debilitating and possibly life-threatening conditions?\r\n\r\nAlthough there are three local hospitals easily accessible to Beaufort County residents – Hilton Head Regional, Beaufort Memorial and Coastal Carolina – only one of those hospitals has an inpatient unit for mental health patients for the general population.\r\n\r\nChief Medical Officer Dr. Kurt Gambla says,”Beaufort Memorial’s acute inpatient mental health unit offers an intensive therapeutic environment providing 24-hour nursing, medical and psychiatric care for adult patients who require a structured, safe space for crisis resolution and stabilization.” At this time this program is only available to the adult population with a 14-bed maximum capacity.\r\n\r\nRecently Hilton Head Regional jump-started a program “The Cove” as part of the Senior Behavioral Health Unit. According to the website this program provides “Individualized short-term care … for older adults experiencing psychiatric symptoms ...”\r\n\r\nAt this time the program is geared toward the population 65 years and older, but patients outside that bracket will be considered on a case-by-case basis.\r\n\r\nThe supply vs. the demand for treatments at a higher level of care are highly disproportionate because the available resources just aren\'t there. Often treatment needs are sought out of the area at such facilities as MUSC in Charleston.\r\n\r\nPossibly one of the greatest gaps in service to the one in five Beaufort County residents with mental health issues is the complete absence of an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). IOP is readily available across the country, such as MUSC in Charleston, and serves as a vital bridge between inpatient hospitalization level of care and individual outpatient therapy.\r\n\r\nIOP is a step down program to teach transitional coping skills for living as a patient adjusts from life within a facility to life back within the general population. This service is usually provided with both full day and half day options.\r\n\r\nWithout such a bridge the drastic change from hospitalization to outpatient care can be very jarring to an individual\'s recovery and creates a high likelihood of relapse. If it comes down to a matter of finances, a well rounded treatment program that builds the foundation for longevity of well being is far more cost effective than short spurts of various treatments that are almost always rapidly cyclical in nature.\r\n\r\nWhy are so many people with mental health issues continually being hospitalized one time after another after another? Because they are not getting the proper follow up afterward.\r\n\r\nMost insurances only cover mental health inpatient hospitalization for an average of seven days. While seven days may prove effective to mitigate a crisis situation, it will in no way even begin to treat the underlying condition that brought the patient to the hospital in the first place. In contrast IOP programs tend to last an average of six weeks.\r\n\r\n<em>Laura Kaponer is a mental health advocate and blogger, as well as a volunteer with the local chapter of NAMI. You can find her on social media by searching #Laurakaponeris1in5.</em>', 'Mental health resources lacking in Beaufort County', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mental-health-resources-lacking-in-beaufort-county', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:09:13', '2020-07-15 16:09:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45130', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45137, 4, '2020-07-15 12:10:49', '2020-07-15 16:10:49', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nMBDA COVID-19 Project recently launched its comprehensive website to give minority-owned businesses information and resources to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The website — mbdacovid19project.com — also contains a chatbox that provides more immediate response to questions and concerns.\r\n\r\n“All businesses have been suffering due to the impact of the COVID-19,” MBDA COVID-19 Project program director Sandra Bell said. “Minority-owned businesses in particular can fall prey to the challenges of the pandemic because they historically have faced inequity that makes it more difficult to flourish. While there are many organizations focusing on helping businesses survive, we are laser focused on minority-owned businesses. Our website is the gateway to getting the information, resources, and one-on-one help owners need to come out of the pandemic with their head above water.”\r\n\r\nMbdacovid19project.com has information on how to acquire capital, obtain training, and get information on how to safely return to work and cope with the effects of the virus. The site is geared to all minority-owned businesses, including churches, nonprofit organizations, farmers, and gig workers.\r\n\r\nThe website also contains a chatbox that is manned from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The chatbox can be used to get fast, reliable information and advice.\r\n\r\n“When businesses are in distress, they want assistance right away. The chatbox is one way we can be more responsive to owners.” Bell said.\r\n\r\nMBDA COVID-19 Project is funded by Minority Business Development Agency, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is a part of the CARES ACT dedicated to helping minority-owned businesses navigate the challenges of COVID-19.', 'MBDA COVID-19 Project launches website to assist minority-owned businesses', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mbda-covid-19-project-launches-website-to-assist-minority-owned-businesses', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:10:49', '2020-07-15 16:10:49', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45137', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45139, 4, '2020-07-15 12:11:25', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '<strong>By Wells Fargo Advisors</strong>\n\nThe “Sandwich Generation” — adults caring for aging parents as well as children — faces several stressful challenges that come from trying to juggle everyone’s needs. One of those top stressors: finances, such as how to cover education and health care costs and still save enough for retirement. The demands often compete with one another — which is why setting clear priorities is so important.\n\nHere are six tips for setting those priorities to help you deliver the support your loved ones need — without shortchanging yourself.\n\n1. Take care of your future first. Saving enough for retirement should be your top priority. You have to take care of your needs before you help your parents and your children.\n\n2. Create or update your investment plan. Create an investment plan that will help you balance your financial goals with the needs of your children and parents. Review your budget, analyze your expenses, and set savings targets to help you prioritize planning for an upcoming expense, such as college costs or long-term care for your parents.\n\n3. Review your insurance coverage. Protecting your income is always a good idea, but it’s even more important when you have two generations depending on you. Make sure you have enough life insurance in case something happens to you to pay off your mortgage and other debt, and to help cover the future living expenses of your dependents. And don’t forget disability insurance: More than a quarter of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before they retire, according to the Council for Disability Awareness.*\n\n4. Check in on your parents’ financial health. Though it might seem awkward, talk to your parents about their wishes for the future and their financial health. What financial assets and expenses do they have? How do they plan to meet their financial obligations? Do they have a plan to cover the costs of long-term care? This conversation can help you determine how much financial support you will need to provide.\n\nAlso, make sure your parents have done adequate estate planning, and ask for copies of their will or trust, durable power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, and advance healthcare directive. Make sure your own estate-planning documents are complete and updated as well.\n\n5. Consider reducing financial support for grown children. Many parents still help their grown children with their finances—sometimes even to their detriment. Many young Baby Boomers are still paying their kids’ expenses, cell phone bill, or car insurance. If this is the case for you, talk with your children about the steps they can take to start becoming more financially independent.\n\n6. Look for ways to help reduce your taxes. In some cases, you may be able to claim your aging parents as dependents. Also check with a tax advisor to see if their medical expenses qualify as a tax deduction. Another way that may benefit your financial bottom line is to set up a 529 Plan for your children’s education expenses.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\n\n* https://disabilitycanhappen.org/overview/\n\nWells Fargo Advisors is not a tax or legal advisor.\n\nAll investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing in a 529 savings plan. The official statement, which contains this and other information, can be obtained by calling your financial advisor. Read it carefully before you invest.\n\nThis article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Katie C. Phifer, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Associate Vice President-Investments in Beaufort, SC at 843-982-1506.\n\nInvestments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE\n\nWells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo &amp; Company.\n\n© 2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. #0419-05037', 'Six priorities for the sandwich generation', '', 'draft', 'closed', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:11:25', '2020-07-15 16:11:25', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45139', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45140, 4, '2020-07-15 12:14:19', '2020-07-15 16:14:19', 'From staff reports\r\n\r\nEarly on Saturday, July 11, volunteers on Kiawah Island discovered dozens of tiny sea turtle tracks leading across the beach and into the ocean. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) biologists confirmed it was the first sea turtle nest to hatch in the state, marking the start of hatching season in South Carolina.\r\n\r\n“Laid on May 6, this nest incubated 66 days,” said SCDNR sea turtle biologist Michelle Pate. “It was neck and neck with the possibility that a Seabrook Nest would fully emerge first, but the accolade goes to Kiawah this year.”\r\n\r\nBeginning in May of each year, four sea turtle species come ashore to lay eggs on South Carolina beaches. After two months of incubation, young turtles emerge from their ping pong ball-sized eggs and quickly crawl back to the ocean.\r\n\r\nSea turtle hatchlings typically surface at night, when temperatures are cooler and predators are easier to elude. Artificial lights from piers, roads and beachfront properties can disrupt this process.\r\n\r\nPate urged beachgoers and beachfront property owners to keep lights off the beach at night.\r\n\r\nFrom dawn until dusk, you can help hatchling sea turtles by turning off all beach-facing lights, closing blinds and drapes on windows that face the ocean and avoiding flashlight and flash photography use on the beach. Red-filtered lights are a safer alternative.\r\n\r\nSea turtle hatchlings coming out of their nest are attracted to the blue and green wavelengths of light naturally reflected off the ocean. They use this natural light to navigate from their nest toward the ocean. If an artificial light source on the beach is brighter than the natural light of the ocean horizon, hatchlings will head towards the artificial source, a process known as disorientation.\r\n\r\nAvoiding disorientation can be a matter of life or death for hatchlings. Disoriented hatchlings that crawl away from the ocean and toward bright artificial lights are highly vulnerable to predators and exhaustion.\r\n\r\nFemale sea turtles will continue nesting on South Carolina beaches for about two more months. At the season’s halfway point, staff and volunteers have counted around 4,200 nests. This year follows on the heels of a record-breaking season in 2019, in which sea turtles laid nearly 9,000 nests.\r\n\r\n<b>SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON REMINDERS</b>\r\n\r\nReport all sick/injured/dead sea turtles and nest disturbances to the SCDNR at 1-800-922-5431 so that staff/volunteers can respond as soon as possible.\r\n\r\nRespect boating laws and boat cautiously, especially in small tidal creeks where sea turtles like to feed. Boat strikes have emerged as the leading cause of death for sea turtles in South Carolina.\r\n\r\nKeep artificial lights off the beach at night during nesting season – this includes beachfront property lights and flash photography, which can disorient nesting mothers and hatchlings.\r\n\r\nAlways respect sea turtles by observing them from a distance on the beach. Individuals that violate federal law by harming or interfering with sea turtles or their nests can be subject to civil penalties of up to $25,000 and up to a year’s imprisonment.\r\n\r\nKeep our beaches and ocean clean by avoiding single-use plastics. Plastic bags and balloons are among the most common trash items found on South Carolina beaches and can cause injury or death when sea turtles mistake them for food.', 'Lights out! Sea turtle hatching season has begun', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lights-out-sea-turtle-hatching-season-has-begun', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:14:19', '2020-07-15 16:14:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45140', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45142, 4, '2020-07-15 12:15:44', '2020-07-15 16:15:44', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nEquipment is being moved to Southside Park this week to prepare for the first major construction phase of the Mossy Oaks Drainage Project, which is expected to begin in the next two weeks.\r\n\r\nThe initial work will include the installation, and resetting the elevation, of drainage pipes along roads including West Royal Oaks Drive, First Boulevard, Broad Street, and Battery Creek Road. Work will also take place along the Jane Way Ditch and Spanish Moss Trail.\r\n\r\n“Drainage improvements will take about six months and while vital, the construction work will be disruptive,” said Neal Pugliese, chairman of the Multijurisdictional Mossy Oaks Drainage Task Force. “Residents can expect many detours throughout the area. We will notify residents about one week in advance of scheduled work unless an emergency arises.”\r\n\r\nIn June, Truluck Construction Inc. was awarded the first of two construction contracts for the project for approximately $4.6 million. Truluck’s work will encompass Basin 1 (north side of neighborhood) and Basin 2 West (south side) where water collects due to misaligned drainage pipe elevations. This work is expected to last about six months, Pugliese said.\r\n\r\nThe project is being funded through bond proceeds, grants of $1.5 million, and a $373,000 contribution from Beaufort County and Beaufort-Jasper Water &amp; Sewer Authority.\r\n\r\nIn 2017, the Multijurisdictional Mossy Oaks Drainage Task Force was formed to address the issue of repeated flooding in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood. The area, comprising hundreds of acres and several hundred homes, floods following heavy rains, high tides, and storm surges. An engineering study identified factors such as inefficient drainage structures and poor drainage patterns. Other complicating issues included homes built on slabs, along with ditches overgrown with vegetation.\r\n\r\nIn 2019, workers cleared out and graded the Jane Way Ditch in Basin 1, which was overgrown with vegetation and used for dumping. Currently, flap gates have been ordered for the Spanish Moss Trail where it abuts Battery Creek. “These will prevent water surging into the neighborhood during severe weather events,” Pugliese said.\r\n\r\nWhile no area in the Lowcountry is safe from hurricanes that occur at high tide, the Mossy Oaks improvements will significantly improve drainage for average or above average storm events, Pugliese said.\r\n\r\nAs work progresses, updates, including maps showing the next phase of work, will be posted regularly to the City’s website and shared on social media. Those interested can sign up for Mossy Oak updates through the Notify Me feature on the City of Beaufort’s website. Sign in to Notify Me (http://www.cityofbeaufort.org/list.aspx), and then click on Mossy Oaks updates under News Flash.', 'Construction to start soon on Mossy Oaks drainage project', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'construction-to-start-soon-on-mossy-oaks-drainage-project', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:15:44', '2020-07-15 16:15:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45142', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45145, 4, '2020-07-15 12:17:33', '2020-07-15 16:17:33', 'The old Caffino coffee shop on Boundary Street is coming down soon, maybe by the time you see this photo. The City of Beaufort purchased the property, which is part of the future Boundary Street parallel road project. City Council has not yet officially decided where that road will be. <em>Photo by Lolita Huckaby.</em>', 'Going, going, … almost gone', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'going-going-almost-gone', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:17:33', '2020-07-15 16:17:33', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45145', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45148, 4, '2020-07-15 12:18:57', '2020-07-15 16:18:57', 'Community Foundation of the Lowcountry awards money to regional nonprofit organizations to address COVID-19 needs\r\n\r\nFrom staff reports\r\n\r\nIn its seventh round of COVID-19-related grant making since April, Community Foundation of the Lowcountry has awarded an additional $61,155 to six organizations that are addressing critical needs resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.\r\n\r\nTo date, a total of $475,717 has been granted to 35 organizations in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties.\r\n\r\nCommunity Foundation of the Lowcountry established the Lowcountry Community COVID-19 Response Fund in mid-March to rapidly deploy funds to nonprofit organizations addressing the needs of individuals and families struggling from the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nA grants advisory committee, comprised of community leaders from Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties, reviews the grant applications.\r\n\r\nThe following organizations have received grants in this round of grantmaking:\r\n\r\nBluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine: To purchase medication and testing supplies to meet additional needs of low-income patients in Bluffton and Jasper Counties, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nGreater Cherry Grove Food Pantry: To purchase food and upgrade equipment needed to expand services at their new location, providing food to low-income residents of Hampton County.\r\n\r\nGullah Geechee Initiative Foundation, Inc.: For food and supplies needed for the Mandela Day Emergency Food Distribution Project for low-income, at-risk families and individuals on St. Helena Island.\r\n\r\nMarshview Community Organic Farm: For food to resource their collaborative food distribution program on St. Helena Island.\r\n\r\nMental Health America of Beaufort/Jasper: To fund food for Island House participants in addition to cleaning, sanitation and PPE to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and clients.\r\n\r\nReal Champions, Inc.: For food to be distributed to low-income families in Jasper County in collaboration with Hope Zone Resource Center.', 'Group awards relief grants', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'group-awards-relief-grants', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:18:57', '2020-07-15 16:18:57', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45148', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45150, 4, '2020-07-15 12:20:26', '2020-07-15 16:20:26', 'Two Charleston cruise ships, Victory I and II, seem to still be stranded by the Covid-19 scare and remain tied up to the dock in Port Royal this week. Cruise ships are being forced to dock at surprising places because of the world-wide berthing shortages. Some ships were stranded at sea in March with no place to tie up and disembark passengers. It’s estimated that there are nearly 300 cruise ships operating at any one time around the world. <em>Photo by Bob Sofaly.</em>', 'No Place to Go', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', '45150-2', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:21:02', '2020-07-15 16:21:02', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45150', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45155, 4, '2020-07-15 12:21:43', '2020-07-15 16:21:43', '<h2>Survey aims to make walking and biking safer</h2>\r\nFrom staff reports\r\n\r\nIf you spend a great deal of time walking or riding a bike in Beaufort County, whether for recreation, exercise or simply to get where you’re going, this is your opportunity to speak up and possibly make your life a little better.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force is seeking input from the public to help make walking and biking safer and more accessible in the County.\r\n\r\nTo guide improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the County, the task force is asking residents to take an online survey found here – https://bit.ly/38UWG2i.\r\n\r\nThe survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and includes a map where participants can mark areas of the County where they’d like to see new or improved bike and pedestrian facilities.\r\n\r\nThe results of the survey will help the task force identify priority projects, recommend facility types, and suggest policies and ordinances to improve biking and walking in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nThe task force formed last fall and includes local and regional planners representing the County and all its municipalities, as well as citizen and advocacy group representatives.\r\n\r\nThe group strives to enhance quality of life for residents and visitors of Beaufort County by establishing walking and biking as routine, safe, and efficient options for both transportation and recreation.\r\n\r\nFor more information, email nkrepps@bcgov.net.', 'County asks for input from bikers, walkers', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'county-asks-for-input-from-bikers-walkers', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:21:43', '2020-07-15 16:21:43', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45155', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45157, 4, '2020-07-15 12:22:40', '2020-07-15 16:22:40', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nAfter a successful Bags to Go food distribution effort on Juneteenth, the Gullah Geechee Initiative Foundation is looking to repeat that success.\r\n\r\n“After such great support and participation for our Food Distribution Project – 200 bags of groceries were distributed to individuals and families on St. Helena Island needing assistance during this Pandemic crisis – GGIF is looking forward to continuing to support the St. Helena Island community by sponsoring the Mandela Day Food Distribution Project in celebration of the 102th birthday anniversary of (South African) President Nelson Mandela,” GGIF founder Kamal M. Wigfall said in an email.\r\n\r\nThe Mandela Day Food Distribution Project will be held on Saturday, July 18 at Martin Luther King Memorial Park, located on the corner of Sea Island Parkway and MLK Drive. Food distribution starts at 3 p.m. and will continue until the last bag is distributed.\r\n\r\nAccording to Wigfall, GGIF’s goal for Mandela Day is to increase the distribution to 300 bags.\r\n\r\nThe Gullah Geechee Initiative Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides programs to promote cultural enrichment, character development, academic excellence, athletics and community outreach programs to the under-served people residing primarily on St. Helena Island.', 'GGIF will distribute food Saturday', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'ggif-will-distribute-food-saturday', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:22:40', '2020-07-15 16:22:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45157', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45159, 4, '2020-07-15 12:25:24', '2020-07-15 16:25:24', '<strong>By Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nHundreds of people braved the heat and didn’t let a pandemic stop them from shopping at the Port Royal Farmers Market on Saturday, July 11.\r\n\r\nAll but three people in attendance at about 11 a.m. were masked up and keenly aware of the six-foot social distancing rule. And if one forgot about the distancing, there were plenty of reminders scattered about to remind them.\r\n\r\nOne young couple with a child were the only ones unmasked. When asked why, they both said they were outside and wearing masks on a stifling hot day would be more harmful to their health than wearing one.', 'Masked at the market', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'masked-at-the-market', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:25:24', '2020-07-15 16:25:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45159', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45162, 4, '2020-07-15 12:28:30', '2020-07-15 16:28:30', '<h4><b>By LOLITA HUCKABY&nbsp;\r\n\r\nFormer county planning director puts in plug for more parks\r\n</b></h4>\r\nBEAUFORT<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;–&nbsp;</span>There’s Whitehall on Lady’s Island and Okatie in southern Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nCounty Council has its hands up inking out use agreements for public parks on both those highly visible … and sometimes controversial properties.\r\n\r\nNow former county Planning Director Tony Criscitellio wants to make sure county officials don’t forget Bindon Plantation in northern Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nCriscitellio last week asked members of the county Planning Commission, a group he used to direct, not to forget the 1,000-plus acres the public has a conservation easement on in his neighborhood, on the banks of the Pocotaligo River not far from Brays Island.\r\n\r\nThe county purchased the easement back in 2012 to prevent massive development on the rural tract where developers were eyeing up to 13,000 new homes plus commercial development.\r\n\r\nThe property is again being advertised for sale — $15 million — but development is limited to 20 homes.\r\n\r\nThe conservation easement commits the county and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust, partners in the deal, to providing passive park space on the tract and Criscitellio thinks it would be a great spot for a botanical garden or arboretum.\r\n\r\n“It’s important to not just conserve what we love but stay focused on that conservation or we can lose our identity,” he told the Commission who took the suggestion as information.\r\n<h4>More hotels on the way</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – If we’re going to have more parks to draw folks to the area, they’re gonna need places to stay.\r\n\r\nThe city Design Review Board last week gave approval to a third hotel at the corner of Trask Parkway and Parris Island Gateway, the Desai Hotel, five stories high with 116 rooms.\r\n\r\nThe hotel will join the Homes2 Suites, which is already open for business on the site of the former mobile home park, and Tru by Hilton Hotel, which is under construction with 92 rooms.\r\n\r\nThe latest hotel project joins SpringHill Suites by Marriott, a five-story structure with 111 rooms on Boundary Street under construction next to Holiday Inn. And then there’s the 12-room boutique hotel approved by the city review board for the former Boombears toy store on Carteret Street.\r\n<h4>There’ll be no<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>rooms at this inn</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – Plans for a new residential project, Justice Square, on King Street fell apart last week when the city review board declined to go along with plans for 2.5-story townhouses on the former county jail site.\r\n\r\nThe review board had no problem with plans to convert the concrete structure into nine apartments but the four two-unit homes facing Prince Street were deemed too tall for the surrounding neighborhood. When the Columbia developer said he needed conceptual approval at that meeting, after two years of working on the plans, the board just couldn’t give him what he wanted.\r\n\r\n<em>Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer, I-95 and U.S. 17 voyager and works for an online news service covering local government. She is a former reporter/editorial</em> <em>assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today. She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com.</em>\r\n<h4><b>&nbsp;</b></h4>', 'LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-lowdown-6', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:28:30', '2020-07-15 16:28:30', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45162', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45164, 4, '2020-07-15 12:29:44', '2020-07-15 16:29:44', '<strong>Dr. Kent D. Ford</strong>\r\n\r\nDr. Kent D. Ford, 67 of St. Helena Island, SC passed away July 2, 2020, after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. He is survived by his wife, Leona of 38 years, daughter, Taylor younger; brothers, Jeffery and Michael Smith. He practiced Family Medicine for 40 years. Messages can be sent to tayloraford25@gmail.com. Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals in charge.\r\n\r\n<strong>Joe “Pig Tail” Fields</strong>\r\n\r\nJoe \"Pig Tail\" Fields, 78, native of St. Helena Island, SC, son of the late Leroy and Mary Lee Fields, Oaks community passed away in Norwalk, Connecticut July 1, 2020. Survived by his wife, Gloria Fields, son, Anthony \"Tony\" Jenkins (Lenora), stepsons, Michael (Tammy), Guy (Lisa), Eric and Cory Pettiford; Graveside services, July 14, Frogmore Cemetery. Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals.\r\n\r\n<strong>Wallace Thomas Truell “Cutter Jr”</strong>\r\n\r\nWallace Thomas Truell \"Cutter Jr\", 69 formerly of the Lands End community on St. Helena Island, SC entered eternal rest June 28, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. Viewing was Sunday, July 5, in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals. Please remember your MASK. Graveside services were Monday, July 6 in Riverside Cemetery on St. Helena Island, SC.\r\n\r\n<strong>Tony Daise</strong>\r\n\r\nTony Daise, 69, of the Frogmore community of St. Helena Island entered into eternal rest, Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the home of his brother, Larry Daise in Orangeburg, SC. Viewing was in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals in Beaufort. Graveside services were Thursday, July 2, in the Frogmore Cemetery on St. Helena Island. MASK REQUIRED.\r\n\r\n<strong>Venus “Pat” Gadson</strong>\r\n\r\nVenus \"Pat\" Gadson, 60, of St. Helena Island entered eternal rest at her daughter\'s, Michelle Gadson home Friday, June 26, 2020. Viewing from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 7 in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals, 808 Bladen Street, Beaufort, South Carolina. Graveside services were Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Hopes Cemetery on St. Helena Island, SC.\r\n\r\n<strong>Lottie Greene</strong>\r\n\r\nLottie Greene, 82, of Seabrook, entered into eternal rest from her daughter and son-in-law’s home, Andre and Pat Greene-Pinckney on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. Funeral services were Saturday, June 13 in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals, 808 Bladen Street, Beaufort, South Carolina. Funeral services and burial were private because of COVID-19.\r\n\r\n<strong>William Campbell</strong>\r\n\r\nWilliam Campbell, 67, husband of Lucy Cuthbert Campbell entered into eternal rest from his home on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Viewing from 12:00-6:00 p.m. Sunday, June 14 in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals with Edith Galloway and staff, 808 Bladen St., Beaufort. Graveside services Monday, June 15 in Cuffy Cemetery, St. Helena Island, SC. MASK REQUIRED.\r\n\r\n<strong>Joeann Freeman Lawton</strong>\r\n\r\nJoeann Freeman Lawton, 56, of St. Helena Island entered into eternal rest at her home Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Viewing was from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals, 808 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC. Please remember your MASK. Graveside services were held Wednesday, June 10, John Fripp Cemetery, St. Helena Island, SC.', 'DEATH NOTICES', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'death-notices-6', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:29:44', '2020-07-15 16:29:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45164', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45166, 4, '2020-07-15 12:30:54', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'July 16 – Airports Board, 1:30 p.m., watch on The County Channel\n\nJuly 16 – City of Beaufort’s Cultural District Advisory Board, 2 p.m., watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page\n\nJuly 16 – Economics Development Corporation, 3 p.m., watch for information on www.beaufortcountysc.gov\n\nJuly 16 – Sheldon Fire District Board, 7 p.m., 5 Fire Station Lane, Sheldon, Meeting open to the public with limited seating; participants asked to bring their own mask and will not be admitted without one.\n\nJuly 20 – Beaufort - Town of Port Royal Metropolitan Planning Commission, watch via Zoom or on the city’s Facebook page\n\nJuly 21 – Planning Commission Special Workshop – Impact fee study update and campground standards, 2 p.m., Beaufort High School, Performing Arts Center, 84 Sea Island Parkway , Beaufort; masks required\n\nJuly 21 – Bluffton Township Fire District, 4 p.m., watch for information on www.beaufortcountysc.gov\n\nJuly 22 – Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority, 2 p.m., Zoom online meeting and simulcast live via Palmetto Breeze’s Facebook page\n\n*Meetings are updated as of press time and do not reflect any last minute cancellations on the part of municipalities.', 'PUBLIC MEETINGS JULY 16–22', '', 'draft', 'closed', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:30:54', '2020-07-15 16:30:54', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45166', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45167, 4, '2020-07-15 12:36:16', '2020-07-15 16:36:16', '<h4>Bay Point project<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>a beacon for county</h4>\r\nAs the president of a Bluffton-based landscape architecture firm that has been involved in coastal projects from North Carolina to Florida, I can say that our proposed plans for Bay Point Island represent the vanguard of sustainability.\r\n\r\nThe resulting low-imprint construction practices, preservation of open space, forest protection, and sensible stewardship will result in an improved ecosystem for an island in need of sound management.\r\n\r\nBay Point Island encompasses over 400 acres, of which only 50.55 acres are proposed for the Ecotourism use. Of that 50 acres, only 2.23 acres will be impacted for rooftops and other impervious surfaces; the balance of that acreage will remain as open space and protected natural resource.\r\n\r\nAll the structures will be under two stories and tucked into the tree line to protect the existing river and beachfront vegetative buffers. The views of the island now enjoyed from a passing boat will remain intact.\r\n\r\nThe plans don’t call for any paved roads; transportation throughout the island will be on foot or bicycle. Most of the facilities will be modular, built off-site and then placed in the field on pilings to avoid impacts to trees and without the use of heavy foundations.\r\n\r\nCounty zoning could allow many different types of construction on this private island. The ecotourism use and this low-impact plan are the best and most sustainable use for the land. This project will be a beacon for both Beaufort County and the world for sustainable development and stewardship.\r\n\r\nThank you,\r\n\r\n– Josh K. Tiller\r\n\r\n<em>Tiller is President of JK Tiller and Associates, a Bluffton-based landscape architecture firm involved in the proposed Bay Point Island project.</em>\r\n<h4>\r\nA different sound<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>from the Marines</h4>\r\nYour recent article about The Sound Of Freedom and the noise created by the F-35 squadrons at the Air Station brings up an additional ugly problem that impacts the peace and tranquility of Beaufort, and that is the noise created by muscle cars and motorcycles with illegal and obnoxiously loud muffler systems coming from the Air Station and Laurel Bay.\r\n\r\nThe Marine Corps doesn\'t allow vehicles to create this type of noise on base or in Laurel Bay Housing, and if they do they receive a citation.\r\n\r\nMy letters to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commanding officers of MCAS Beaufort and MAG 31 must have fallen on deaf ears because the problem still exists.\r\n\r\nFor the past two years, I have contacted every law enforcement agency in the City of Beaufort, Beaufort County and the S.C. Highway Patrol regarding the excessive noise created by these vehicles.\r\n\r\nIt\'s common knowledge of law enforcement where the problem is coming from, and additional squadrons and staff will only make it worse. When I asked a Military Policeman at the Laurel Bay gate about the loud cars and motorcycles entering the gate, he said the number seems to be growing.\r\n\r\nBecause I live outside of the City of Beaufort, the only recourse was to take the problem to Beaufort County Council, which has drafted a noise ordinance similar to the City. The ordinance makes it illegal for these vehicles to include boom boxes to produce excessive and unseemly noise in the unincorporated areas of Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nAs Citizens of Beaufort and Beaufort County, we must stop this wave of obnoxious noise from taking over our community. As one officer said, along with the loud noise comes the aggressive driving behavior which makes the problem worse.\r\n\r\nWe must not allow this needless behavior to continue in what Mayor Billy Keyserling calls the \"The best little town in America.”\r\n\r\n– Michael Thompson, Beaufort\r\n\r\n<em>Thompson spent more than 20 years working for the U.S. Marine Corps as an Instillation Safety manager at Parris Island, at Marine Corps Base Albany and as Safety Specialist at Headquarters Marine Corps, serving with the<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>Inspector General as a Safety Inspector.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></em>', 'LETTERS TO THE EDITOR', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'letters-to-the-editor-21', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:36:16', '2020-07-15 16:36:16', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45167', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45170, 4, '2020-07-15 12:52:10', '2020-07-15 16:52:10', '<strong>By Justin Jarrett</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>LowcoSports.com</strong>\r\n\r\nThe high school basketball season feels like it happened in a different world given all that has happened to turn the sports world upside-down since then. The coronavirus was just starting to become a concern in the Palmetto State when the Whale Branch boys were among the last team’s standing who closed out the season in Columbia.\r\n\r\nThe pandemic deprived us of putting on the inaugural Lowco Basketball Showcase, but it can’t stop us from shining the spotlight on many of the players who were going to be featured. The LowcoSports editorial staff crunched the numbers and consulted with area coaches to compile a list of the top 30 high school boys and girls basketball players in Beaufort and Jasper counties last season, and they make up the 2019-20 All-Lowco Basketball Teams presented by H2 Basketball.\r\n\r\n<strong>BOYS&nbsp;COACH OF THE YEAR</strong>\r\n\r\nJim Raymond, WB\r\n\r\nJust two years ago, Whale Branch boys basketball was down. Way down. The Warriors won just seven games in 2017-18, and with five seniors graduating, it seemed like it might get worse before it got better. In a small school like Whale Branch, losing can kill a program. Kids don’t like to lose, and if a handful of contributors decide it’s not worth it anymore, the team is toast. Jim Raymond never let his players lose hope. The Warriors doubled their win total the next season, as a talented junior class emerged to propel Whale Branch to the second round of the playoffs. Raymond rallied the Warriors again this season, and they matched his sideline intensity and lived up to the school’s nickname. Only two of their seven defeats came by double digits, and the defensive lapses that sometimes plagued them early in the season were a distant memory by the time they rattled off eight straight victories to punch their ticket to Columbia for the Class 2A state championship game.\r\n\r\n<strong>PLAYER OF THE YEAR</strong>\r\n\r\nNick Pringle, WB\r\n\r\nThis pick will come as no surprise to anyone who paid attention to high school hoops in the Lowco this season. The entire state was abuzz about Pringle after he sprouted to 6-8 seemingly overnight and dominated the AAU circuit with Team TMP last summer, and his commitment and eventual signing with Wofford put the spotlight on the Seabrook star going into his senior year. Pringle lived up to the hype, throwing down highlight-reel dunks all season long and fighting through regular double-teams to rack up 15.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He developed into an outstanding post defender, as well, leading the Lowco with 1.4 blocks per contest. Along with the rest of a tightly-bonded senior class, Pringle led Whale Branch to the Class 2A state championship game before the Warriors fell to Gray Collegiate.\r\n\r\n<strong>FIRST TEAM ALL-LOWCO</strong>\r\n\r\nTyrone Calloway, HHP | Sr., G\r\n\r\nCatawba signee led the Lowco with 22.8 ppg and twice scored 38\r\n\r\nHarry Cash, MRHS | Sr., F\r\n\r\nPreseason all-state pick put up 15.9 points and 7.4 boards to carry young Sharks\r\n\r\nShawn Chisolm, WB | Sr., F\r\n\r\nUndersized big averaged 15.7 points and seven rebounds and made opponents pay for focusing on Pringle\r\n\r\nDawson Coleman, BA | Sr., G/F\r\n\r\nLed team in points (13.8), rebounds (7.8), assists (2.3), steals (1.9), and blocks (1.3)\r\n\r\nMauriq Singleton, RHHS | Sr., G/F\r\n\r\nAll-State wing led Jags in scoring (11.8) and added 4.6 boards\r\n\r\n<strong>SECOND TEAM<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>ALL-LOWCO</strong>\r\n\r\nOliver Holmes, BHS | Jr., G\r\n\r\nEagles’ No. 2 scorer (11.9) also dished out team-high 2.9 assists\r\n\r\nBrandon Howard, RHHS | Soph., G\r\n\r\nThe engine that drove the Jags averaged 10.5 points with Lowco-best 4.7 assists\r\n\r\nLee Kirkland, BLHS | Sr., F\r\n\r\nHulking presence in the paint averaged a double-double (11.2 ppg, 12.3 rpg)\r\n\r\nTyler Rice, BLHS | Sr., G/F\r\n\r\nRangy wing can score from anywhere (12.6 ppg) and crash the boards (6.4 rpg)\r\n\r\nSam Summa, HHIHS | Jr., F\r\n\r\nEmerged as one of area’s best bigs, averaging a double-double (11.8 ppg, 10 rpg)\r\n\r\n<strong>HONORABLE MENTION</strong>\r\n\r\nReco Anderson, JPII\r\n\r\nRashard Baker, RHHS\r\n\r\nZack Black, THA\r\n\r\nJace Blackshear, HHCA\r\n\r\nGavin Blocker, MRHS\r\n\r\nShaleaf Cherry, RHHS\r\n\r\nEric Eastham, BLHS\r\n\r\nElijah Fess, BA\r\n\r\nLuke Foley, HHP\r\n\r\nFloyd Hargrove, HHCA\r\n\r\nMark Knight, JPII\r\n\r\nStone McDonald, HHP\r\n\r\nGaston Moore, HHIHS\r\n\r\nZyrin Odom, BHS\r\n\r\nJamaad Rivers, BHS\r\n\r\nDean Seelbach, HHIHS\r\n\r\nJosh Smith, BP\r\n\r\nAmoni Waring, BCHS\r\n\r\nShemar Williams, WB\r\n\r\n<strong>GIRLS&nbsp;COACH OF THE YEAR</strong>\r\n\r\nLaToya Mack, WB\r\n\r\nMake no mistake, the Coach of the Year award is handed out for what happened on the court this season, but LaToya Mack has been laying the foundation for this honor for several years. Mack rose up through the coaching ranks at Whale Branch along with the stars who helped the Warriors break out this season and come within an eyelash of playing in the Class 2A Lower State title game. Mack developed the program’s young talent as an assistant before taking over the reins last season and leading Whale Branch to a seven-win campaign just a year after the Warriors won only one game. Her second year at the helm saw an even more dramatic improvement, as the Warriors finished 20-8 — matching the program record for wins — and saw their dream season end with a 48-47 loss to third-ranked Latta on a late bucket.\r\n\r\n<strong>PLAYER OF THE YEAR</strong>\r\n\r\nTkai DeVore, JPII\r\n\r\nWhat is left to be said about Tkai DeVore? She has been the SCISA Region 4-2A Player of the Year three straight years — in a league that included state powerhouse Hilton Head Christian Academy and fellow 2020 SCISA state champ Beaufort Academy. DeVore led the Lowco in scoring (19.5 points per game) and rebounds (13.2), ranked second in the area in assists (4.1) and steals (4.4), and threw in 1.7 blocks per contest for good measure. The dynamic, versatile superstar scored in double figures in 24 of her 26 games, topping 20 points on 11 occasions and putting up 32 or more three times, including a monster 38 points (and 21 rebounds) in a loss to Beaufort Academy. She recorded an incredible 21 double-doubles, including a triple-double against rival Thomas Heyward. And for her final act of leadership, DeVore is skipping the chance to play college ball to enlist in the U.S. Army.\r\n\r\n<strong>FIRST TEAM ALL-LOWCO</strong>\r\n\r\nTatyana Aiken, BLHS | Sr., G/F\r\n\r\nOne of the area’s most versatile players stuffed the stat sheet with 14.5 points, 8.1 boards, 3.4 assists, 5.8 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game\r\n\r\nEmma Peluso, MRHS | Sr., G\r\n\r\nAll-State in three sports, Georgia Southern track and cross country signee was the glue for Lower State runner-up Sharks\r\n\r\nDior Shelton, HHCA | Jr., G/F\r\n\r\nPerhaps the Lowco’s most-improved player, Shelton carried the load for state champ Eagles with 15.2 points and four boards per game\r\n\r\nZhani Thompson, WB | Jr., F\r\n\r\nWarriors’ dominant post presence returned from a year away from the court to average 11.8 points and 11.9 boards and make All-State\r\n\r\nLayla Warren, BHS | Jr., G\r\n\r\nLethal outside shooter did it all for the Eagles with 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 steals per contest\r\n\r\n<strong>SECOND TEAM<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>ALL-LOWCO</strong>\r\n\r\nKynew Barnwell, WB | Soph., G\r\n\r\nSpeedy guard did damage at both ends, averaging 14.8 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.4 steals\r\n\r\nJasmine Campbell, HHCA | Sr., F/C\r\n\r\nAveraged a double-double (13 points, 10.8 boards) to lock down the paint for state champion Eagles\r\n\r\nTacoya Heyward, BLHS | 8th, G\r\n\r\nPut together one of the most impressive stat lines in the area (14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.9 steals) and not even in HS yet\r\n\r\nAmelia Huebel, BA | Sr., F\r\n\r\nHeart and soul of SCISA 1A champion Eagles averaged 13.2 points, 11.2 boards and hit 1,000 career points and rebounds\r\n\r\nMike’Ala Washington, BA| Fr., G/F\r\n\r\nGrew into one of the area’s most dominant players down the stretch, finishing with 16.3 points, 4.8 boards, 2.8 assists, and 4.2 steals\r\n\r\n<strong>HONORABLE MENTION</strong>\r\n\r\nJordan Bigham, MRHS\r\n\r\nElla Clark, HHP\r\n\r\nKierstin Clark, HHP\r\n\r\nJazmin Diaz, WB\r\n\r\nGracyn Drury, MRHS\r\n\r\nJaniya Ferebee, HHIHS\r\n\r\nJasmine Hamilton, JPII\r\n\r\nTahleea Heyward, BA\r\n\r\nEmily Ann Hiers, BA\r\n\r\nBrielle McCarthy, HHCA\r\n\r\nSamari Mitchell, BLHS\r\n\r\nAbby Peduzzi, HHCA\r\n\r\nAlexis Polite, RHHS\r\n\r\nAbby Quinty, JPII\r\n\r\nMiley Ray, HHIHS\r\n\r\nStarr Reed, BCHS\r\n\r\nSequoia Smalls, BHS\r\n\r\nChynna Sneed, MRHS\r\n\r\nDaisy Taylor, THA', 'Warriors headline All-Lowco Basketball Teams', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'warriors-headline-all-lowco-basketball-teams', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:52:10', '2020-07-15 16:52:10', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45170', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45174, 4, '2020-07-15 12:54:36', '2020-07-15 16:54:36', '<strong>By Susan Trogdon</strong>\r\n\r\nImagine driving from Hunting Island State Park to Bluffton to go shopping. Now imagine running that distance. That’s 50 miles.\r\n\r\nThere’s an epic race in Beaufort, Cremator Ultra, that’s 50 miles with 50 participants. They’re chosen by lottery…yes, there are more than 50 people who want to do this (crazy)! Tim Waz with Grounded Running spends part of his Christmas Eve drawing the lucky winners who attempt, not only running the distance, but in Beaufort’s steamy July. You must have experience in ultra- racing and, of course, be healthy enough to take on the challenge.\r\n\r\nGavin Moore was one of those lucky draws on December 24, 2019. Gavin is 12 years old and holds several state records. He met with other runners at Grounded Running on Sunday, July 12 that 6:00 a.m. to run to a building on St. Helena 12.5 miles from where he began, turned around, headed back to Grounded Running with 25 miles under his belt only to turn around and do it all again. Gavin’s time was 7:49:40 finishing and winning the race in the heat of the day. Ryan Dunn finished up in Second place with Sally V taking first in women’s and third overall.\r\n\r\nCongratulations to all of the runners!\r\n\r\n<em>Photo of Gavin Moore by Susan Trogdon</em>', '12 year old Gavin Moore wins 50-mile endurance race in Beaufort', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', '12-year-old-gavin-moore-wins-50-mile-endurance-race-in-beaufort', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:54:36', '2020-07-15 16:54:36', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45174', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45177, 4, '2020-07-15 12:59:21', '2020-07-15 16:59:21', '<strong>By Mike McCombs\r\nPhoto by Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nIn what has become an all too common sight, Hunting Island State Park has been closed for the past week after heavy rains left most of the park’s roads submerged.\r\n\r\n“Unfortunate news to report ... We will continue to remain closed at least through Wednesday July 15th. Everyone of our roads still have covered areas of flood waters. We are not draining well. We have been pumping water off of our roads since the rain began,” Park Manager J.W. Weatherford tweeted on the park’s official Twitter account on Sunday, July 12.\r\n\r\nThe park was initially closed during the day Tuesday, July 7, when the island got 8 inches of rain. In total, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Hunting Island received 12.75 inches of rain.\r\n\r\nWhile the park is closed, the campground has remained open. While some campsites are flooded, those that aren’t are still open for reservations.\r\n\r\n<em>\r\n</em><b>HUNTING ISLAND UPDATES</b>\r\n\r\nFor the latest and most accurate information about Hunting Island State Park, visit the park’s official Twitter account @HuntingIslandSP managed by Park Manager J.W. Weatherford.\r\n\r\n<em>Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.\r\n\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n<em>Above: Barricades are up to prevent campers at Hunting Island from using water from this spigot. Deep holes remain hidden under nearly 2 feet of water in some places, making walking a dangerous proposition.&nbsp;</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>&nbsp;</em>', 'Heavy rains leave Hunting Island under water', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'heavy-rains-leave-hunting-island-under-water', '', '', '2020-07-15 12:59:21', '2020-07-15 16:59:21', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45177', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45180, 4, '2020-07-15 13:01:52', '2020-07-15 17:01:52', '<h2>School district asks parents to make tough decision<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>as it readies reopening plan</h2>\r\nFrom staff reports\r\n\r\nParents of the Beaufort County School District’s 22,000 students are being asked to decide if they want their children to stay at home and learn virtually or return to the classroom amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the district prepares to release its reopening plan on Friday, July 17.\r\n\r\nThe district’s online student registration system for the 2020-21 academic year is up and running.\r\n\r\nParents will be able to request virtual (online) or face-to-face learning when registering their children. Parents of returning students will receive their registration codes by e-mail, and parents of students new to the district will contact their children’s schools to obtain the online registration link.\r\n\r\n“We know from two surveys that COVID-19 has caused many parents to have concerns about returning to normal face-to-face instruction, and online or “virtual” learning will be a good option for them,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a release. “Other parents are strongly in favor of resuming traditional classroom instruction with appropriate safety precautions in place based on guidance from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.”\r\n\r\nRodriguez encouraged parents to make their decisions as soon as possible.\r\n\r\n“In order for principals to complete their reopening plans, they need to know exactly how many of their students will be learning online and how many will be riding buses and actually sitting in their classrooms,” Rodriguez said. “Parents who register now will help principals meet physical distancing requirements and other DHEC safety protocols for face-to-face instruction.\r\n\r\n“Our reopening plan will have protocols that can be adjusted based on what’s currently happening with the virus,” Rodriguez said. “Science and facts will guide us, and our No. 1 goal will be to keep children and school district employees as safe as possible while also providing an excellent academic experience, whether that’s online or in person.”\r\n\r\nIf it were up to the state’s largest teachers association, there would not be a return to a traditional classroom setting in August.\r\n\r\nAccording to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, the Palmetto Teachers Association joined the South Carolina Education Association and SC for ED, sending a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster and state Superintendent Molly Spearman on July 9 to voice their “grave concerns.” That letter can be found here: https://bit.ly/2WgOXqd.\r\n\r\n“We firmly believe that the safety of students and staff has to be paramount, and with the growing spread of COVID-19, we aren’t at that point right now,” Director of Governmental Affairs with the Palmetto State Teachers Association Patrick Kelly told the Herald-Journal.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Back to class or staying home?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'back-to-class-or-staying-home', '', '', '2020-07-15 13:01:52', '2020-07-15 17:01:52', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45180', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45182, 4, '2020-07-15 13:09:39', '2020-07-15 17:09:39', '<h2>State sees 1st 2 kids with rare MIS-C\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\r\nBy Mike McCombs</span></h2>\r\nThere were two developments pertaining to COVID-19 and children last week in South Carolina. And neither were good.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed the state’s first pediatric death associated with COVID-19.\r\n\r\nThen on Sunday, DHEC confirmed the state’s first cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19.\r\n\r\nThe death was a child younger than 5 from Chester County.\r\n\r\n“Today, we mourn the loss of one of our children to this virus. It is heart-wrenching to lose a child under any circumstances, and especially so during a time when we have all lost so much already,” DHEC Public Health Director Dr. Joan Duwve said. “Our state is in a dire situation, and we will continue to mourn the loss of parents, grandparents, children, friends and neighbors until each and every one of us steps up to do what is right, not just for ourselves but for others.\r\n\r\n“No one is immune to this deadly disease, but we each have the power to impact the path this pandemic takes in South Carolina. Choosing to wear a mask and maintain physical distance today will not only help change the course of the pandemic in South Carolina, it will help save the lives of those around us.”\r\n\r\nThen on Sunday, two children were the first in the state with a confirmed diagnosis of MIS-C, a rare health condition recently recognized to occur in some children and teenagers who have contracted COVID-19. One child is from the Midlands and one is from the PeeDee. Both are younger than 10.\r\n\r\n“We continue to see more and more young people, especially those under 20, contracting and spreading COVID-19, and we know MIS-C is a threat to our youngest South Carolinians,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said. “MIS-C is a serious health complication linked to COVID-19 and is all the more reason why we must stop the spread of this virus. Anyone and everyone is susceptible to COVID-19 as well as additional health risks associated with it, which is why all of us must stop the virus by wearing a mask and stay six feet away from others. These simple actions are how we protect ourselves and others, including our children.”\r\n\r\nCases of MIS-C in the United States were first reported in New York City in early May. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, and feeling tired.\r\n\r\nDHEC recommends parents and caregivers learn and watch for the signs for MIS-C in their children. Emergency warning signs of MIS-C include trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that does not go away, confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, bluish lips or face, and severe abdominal pain.\r\n\r\nThose developments may have been overshadowed by another big week, as far as numbers go, for COVID-19. Saturday in particular.\r\n\r\nThat day, the state set a record for new cases at 2,239, more than 300 more than the previous high, and percent of positive tests at 22.2, though that mark would fall the next day.\r\n\r\n<strong>McMaster puts COVID-19 to bed early</strong>\r\n\r\nSaturday’s big numbers came a day after Gov. Henry McMaster prohibited alcohol sales at bars and restaurants after 11 p.m.\r\n\r\nMcMaster justified the executive order by claiming the move would help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 between young adults in South Carolina. The governor’s went into effect at 11 p.m. Saturday.\r\n\r\n“We know that young adults who are rapidly contracting the virus and spreading it into our communities frequently congregate in late-night atmospheres which simply are not conducive to stopping its continued transmission,” McMaster said. “This measured, carefully tailored approach will lessen the opportunity for South Carolinians to put themselves and their loved ones in harm’s way.”\r\n\r\nThe governor’s order does not apply to alcohol sold at convenience or grocery stores, wine and liquor stores, or retail business.\r\n\r\n<strong>The numbers were up again…</strong>\r\n\r\nOn average, in Beaufort County, there were 72.6 new cases each day in the week ending Monday, July 6. For the state, that number was 1,663.1\r\n\r\nBoth of those numbers are up from the previous seven-day period, when there were an average of 52.4 and 1,604.1 new cases daily in Beaufort County and the state of South Carolina, respectively.\r\n\r\nTwo times last week, Beaufort County had 105 new cases.\r\n\r\nThe positive test rate on Sunday, July 12 was a record 22.3 percent.\r\n\r\n<strong>But no Beaufort County deaths last week</strong>\r\n\r\nThere were no reported deaths from COVID-19 Tuesday through Monday in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nAccording to both DHEC and the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office, there have been 23 total COVID-19 related deaths in the county since the pandemic began. The two entities compile their information differently.\r\n\r\n<strong>Hospitalizations still climbing</strong>\r\n\r\nAs of Monday, there are 1,488 hospitalized across the state for COVID-19. There were 1,260 hospitalized as of the end of the previous week and 1,032 hospitalized as of the end of the week.\r\n\r\nOf the 1,488 hospitalized, 205 are on ventilators.\r\n\r\n<strong>THE NUMBERS</strong>\r\n\r\nTotals\r\n\r\nAs of Monday, July 13\r\n\r\nS.C. Confirmed cases: 58,003\r\n\r\nS.C. Conformed deaths: 961\r\n\r\nBeaufort County cases: 2,015\r\n\r\nBeaufort County deaths: 23\r\n\r\nLast week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: 1,663.1\r\n\r\nPrevious week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: 1,604.1\r\n\r\nTwo week ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: 1,263.6\r\n\r\nLast week’s 7-day average new cases, county: 72.6\r\n\r\nPrevious week’s 7-day average new cases, county: 52.4\r\n\r\nTwo week ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: 38.9\r\n\r\n<strong>THE LAST WEEK</strong>\r\n\r\nMonday, July 13\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,532\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 13\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 34\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 21.2\r\n\r\nSunday, July 12\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,952\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 10\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 66\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 22.3*\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\nSaturday, July 11\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 2,239*\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 18\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 105*\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 22.2\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\nFriday, July 10\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,725\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 16\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 93\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 17.8\r\n\r\nThursday, July 9\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1.723\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 22\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 43\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 20.6<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWednesday, July 8\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 1,537\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 38*\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 64\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 21.0<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\nTuesday, July 7\r\n\r\nNew S.C. Cases: 934\r\n\r\nS.C. deaths: 19\r\n\r\nNew Beaufort Co. Cases: 105*\r\n\r\nBeaufort Co. deaths: 0\r\n\r\nPercent Positive: 20.7<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n*Record High', 'COVID-19 takes 1st child in SC', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'covid-19-takes-1st-child-in-sc', '', '', '2020-07-15 13:09:39', '2020-07-15 17:09:39', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45182', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45184, 4, '2020-07-15 13:28:51', '2020-07-15 17:28:51', '<h2>Organization with questionable history at the center of Community Development Code, Bay Point planning</h2>\r\n<h2>By Mindy Lucas</h2>\r\nAn organization whose representative weighed in on county planning meetings concerning the Bay Point development project as recently as May 5 is not a nonprofit organization as it purports to be and, in fact, has a history of troubling allegations, according to documents obtained by The Island News.\r\n\r\nThe International Ecotourism Society, or TIES, lost its federal tax-exempt status in 2015 after failing to file 990 forms, as required by the IRS for tax-exempt organizations, for three consecutive years, the documents show. TIES’ website currently states it is a nonprofit “dedicated to promoting ecotourism.”\r\n\r\nAn independent search conducted by The Island News verified the revocation of TIES’ nonprofit status in 2015. In addition, there was no reinstatement date listed.\r\n\r\nThe documents were provided to both the newspaper and to Beaufort County’s Community Development Department Director Eric Greenway by members of a loose coalition opposed to the Bay Point development, which is being touted as an ecotourism project.\r\n\r\nMembers of the group, which calls itself “Save Bay Point,” are concerned that the county may be basing its decision to move forward on the advice and counsel of an organization that to date, no one seems to know much about.\r\n\r\n“Before decisions are made that are irrevocable, the county needs to ensure all entities involved are 100 percent legitimate, particularly if they claim to be a non-profit and the county is relying on their alleged expertise,” said Mare Deckard,&nbsp;who, along with John Trask III, brought the group\'s concerns to the county.\r\n\r\nBased on both their findings and documents other groups that have had dealings with TIES provided, the allegations include:\r\n\r\n• In 2015, prior to losing its 501 (c) 3 status, the organization’s advisory board resigned due to “grave concerns over TIES transparency, lack of ethical guidance and anomalies in the supervision and management of finances.”\r\n\r\n• In 2016, The International Tourism Collective (ITC), or holding company for TIES, had its corporate status revoked and does not appear to be legally registered in the United States as a corporation, the documents state;\r\n\r\n• TIES’ Executive Director Jon Bruno served as the organization’s finance manager as recently as 2011, but claims to have been its executive director since 2008 and does not appear to have any background in ecotourism other than his position with the organization;\r\n\r\n• A website representing the organization has no staff or contacts listed nor does it provide a physical street address for where the organization’s offices, mailing address or phone number of any kind. In addition, the site makes false claims about partnerships with other tourism boards or organizations that do not recognize TIES, both the documents and the group’s members say;\r\n\r\n• An interview with Jon Bruno published earlier this year in Ami Magazine, a resource for international association executives, states that the organization has offices in the United Nations complex. However, the Secretary of State of New York’s office did not have a record of any organization or business for TIES or for Jon Bruno.\r\n\r\nThe documents go on to detail a split between those who left the organization’s advisory board in 2015 over financial transparency issues and then formed a separate organization called the Global Ecotourism Network (GEN).\r\n\r\nFrom 2009 to 2014, the TIES advisory board requested financial information about the organization’s operations, sustainability and financial health as part of its responsibilities as board members. A full accounting was promised in 2014 by those inside the organization, but only a general overview with little detail and verification was provided, GEN alleges.\r\n\r\n“To this day” GEN has not seen any communication from TIES about its present status, nor has the organization addressed the schism and board’s resignation on its website or in social media, GEN stated in a recent letter.\r\n\r\nIn addition, GEN states that based on their own legal research, it appears that neither TIES nor the ITC is legally registered in the United States as corporations in good standing.\r\n\r\nThe organization issued a press release in 2015 detailing its departure from TIES and has since posted a “due diligence” warning to others considering organizing an event with TIES, becoming a member or participating in a TIES event.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMembers of GEN have continued to receive “numerous pleas and requests” from individuals hoping GEN might be able to act as an intermediary for those who say they are owed money by TIES for work completed or a refund for courses or events that never happened, the documents show.\r\n\r\nBut if TIES isn’t a 501 (c) 3, or a nonprofit, just who or what are they and why have county planners pinned their recent approval to move forward on this group’s approval?\r\n\r\nTo find out, The Island News first tried contacting Jon Bruno, the organization’s executive director. However, multiple calls to a number purported to be Bruno’s and messages sent to a Facebook page showing recent activity and identifying him as TIES’ Executive Director were not returned as of press time.\r\n\r\nAsked what his understanding was of the organization prior to sitting down recently for a meeting with the concerned citizens group, Beaufort County’s Community Development Department Director Eric Greenway, said he didn’t need to have an understanding of who the group was or their background to consider the application.\r\n\r\n“We were looking at content and procedures and process,” he said. “And that was what our view and our focus was on, and whether the plan complied with the requirements of the Community Development Code.”\r\n\r\nIn December, Greenway and other members of the county’s Staff Review Team (SRT) said the Bay Point project did not fit the county’s definition of ecotourism and asked project planners to revise and resubmit plans.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn a letter dated March 16, sent from Greenway to Art Krebs, of Luckett &amp; Farley, the Kentucky-based architectural and engineering firm working on the Bay Point project, Greenway stated that the county had reviewed the resubmitted plans and found them to be “in compliance with the definition of the Ecotourism use as provided in the Beaufort County Community Development Code (CDC).”\r\n\r\nThe letter goes on to state, “This decision is based upon the work and confirmation by Mr. Jon Bruno with the International Ecotourism Society that the proposal now complies with their standard and requirements for ecotourism.”\r\n\r\nAt its May 5 meeting, the SRT gave conceptual approval to the Bay Point project, effectively green lighting it for consideration by the county’s zoning board. The re-submitted application contains a 16-page analysis provided by TIES on TIES letterhead.\r\n\r\nAsked if the county was pinning its decision on Bruno’s “work and confirmation,” as it states in his March letter, Greenway took issue stating that the background of those putting the applications together was “not relevant.” He went on to say that he could not use a group’s background as a basis for not moving a project forward.\r\n\r\n“As for who does that and who drafts that plan, there are no standards as to the qualifications or the certifications needed to do that under the CDC,” he said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAt the May 5 meeting, Bruno was invited to speak on the details of the plan’s ecotourism aspects. Landscape architect for the project Josh Tiller stated The International Ecotourism Society had “provided a letter of support.”\r\n\r\nAfter being asked by Greenway to provide some information on who he was and how he became involved with the project, Bruno stated he was the executive director of TIES, the “oldest and largest ecotourism society” founded in 1990.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nHe said the organization became involved primarily because it was their definition that was being used in the Community Development Code and that he was there to provide guidance around that definition and whether the project met the definition of ecotourism.\r\n\r\nAt no point in that introduction or elsewhere in the meeting was it stated that Bruno was acting as a paid consultant for Luckett &amp; Farley, as has since been confirmed.\r\n\r\nBruno was then asked by Greenway if in his “professional opinion” and on the documentation that was submitted, if the project now complied with ecotourism, to which Bruno said, “It does.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe county has been using the definition provided by the organization, then known by its original name, The Ecotourism Society, or TES, since at least 2014 when the idea of incorporating the definition into the code was raised at a county natural resources meeting.\r\n\r\nAsked if he thought it was troubling that the organization was not a nonprofit or independent organization being asked to assess whether the project meets the criteria of ecotourism and if a caveat should have been added to make it clear TIES was being paid by Luckett &amp; Farley, Greenway said he thought it was “pretty obvious” that TIES was a for-profit entity.\r\n\r\n“I don’t state that about anybody that works for the applicants,” he said. “I don’t give the background of anyone.”\r\n\r\nHe went on to state that again, it didn’t matter who put the application together, he could only consider what was in the application and if it was in compliance with the code.\r\n\r\nHe went on to say that any concerns that residents have with TIES’ background or allegations that have been brought to light since the May 5 meeting should be brought up with the county’s zoning board.\r\n\r\n“There will be an opportunity for folks to do that through the public hearing process,” he said. “My job was to put together and have a plan that complied with the ecotourism statute, definition and requirements of the Community Development Code.”\r\n\r\nReached by phone for comment, Bay Point owners’ representative Art Krebs confirmed that Bruno was paid for services he provided which included the analysis featured in the re-submitted application and that he never understood TIES to be anything other than a for-profit business.\r\n\r\nKrebs said they began working with Bruno around the first of 2020 after the county’s staff review team made the determination that the project “wasn’t an ecotourism project.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThat determination was based on a statement that Bruno had made in a conversation with the county, Krebs said.\r\n\r\n“So, we said, let’s go back to them and find out exactly why they said that,” Krebs said. “And that is when we engaged them as far as a conversation.”\r\n\r\nIt was at that point that Bruno offered to review the project plan and documentation, Krebs said.\r\n\r\n“He did an analysis and study and came back and said ‘Yes, this is an ecotourism project,’” he said.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the analysis and conservation plan included in the re-submitted application, Bruno helped craft details of other “programs and structures” that would be enacted if approval to move forward is given on the development, Krebs said.\r\n\r\nAnd Bruno assisted with workshops and meetings that were formed to receive community feedback as required by the county, Krebs said.\r\n\r\nUnaware the group was still listing its nonprofit status on its website, Krebs also said he was unaware of allegations made concerning TIES by other groups. He went on to say that he had no issues when working with TIES for the services they provided and in fact, “learned a lot that was factual about ecotourism.”\r\n\r\n“I’m really pleased that at the end of the day somebody confirmed that our project was ecotourism and from the entity that owns that definition,” Krebs said. “Whoever selected that definition at the county is beyond me. We’re just going by what the county requirements are and that had to be one.”\r\n\r\n<strong>A Questionable Conservation Plan</strong>\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, the 16-page analysis from TIES included in the re-submitted application which includes a species conservation outline, has also raised concerns among local conservation organizations.\r\n\r\nIn a statement sent from the Coastal Conservation League to The Island News, the league stated:\r\n\r\n“Adding to the already long list of concerns arising from the proposed resort on Bay Point Island, it’s troubling that the developers are working with an organization of questionable credibility to help them appear more eco-friendly instead of cooperating with local organizations that have intimate knowledge of the community, island, and wildlife. What is even more concerning is that county leaders appear to be deferring to the International Ecotourism Society, whose dubious motives could impact the fragile barrier island forever.”\r\n\r\nThe league also sent a letter to Art Krebs on April 22 and copied planning staff and Josh Tiller. The letter outlined its concerns with the project and made recommendations for how to improve its conservation plan. The league said, outside of an initial reply from Krebs thanking them for their letter, they have yet to hear if any of their recommendations are being considered.\r\n\r\nIn addition, while shorebirds and the Audubon are specifically mentioned in the TIES analysis, the Hilton Head Audubon said its counsel was not taken.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n\"While Hilton Head Audubon has attempted to advise the developers and their consultant on how to best protect shorebirds, seabirds, and other wildlife on Bay Point Island, to date these discussions have not been productive,” said John Bloomfield President of the Hilton Head Audubon in an emailed statement.\r\n\r\n“Regardless of the outcome of the proposed resort project, we believe this nationally recognized Important Bird Area should be monitored with ongoing avian population surveys to determine the value of the island to vulnerable species and to understand any impacts to them over time,” he said.\r\n\r\nGEN, whose 14 board members and their expertise in ecotourism are listed on its website, stated in a letter included in the documents provided to the county, that one does not certify a project by using a definition of ecotourism but rather a set of accepted standards.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“We are not saying that the project in question is not going to be a viable ecotourism company,” it stated. “Rather that it is not viable or credible to ask or receive the necessary criteria, assessment and ongoing monitoring from any objective NGO.”\r\n\r\nThe letter goes on to state that these are private companies whose mission and focus is on certifying destinations, hotels, etc. for “sustainability” or “good practices.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“There are no organizations globally who are capable of ‘certifying’ whether a proposed project will be a valid ecotourism business,” the letter further states.\r\n\r\nIt is alarming that any permits or considerations for construction would be granted, it states, without having completed a “credible and professionally researched” Environmental Impact Statement.\r\n\r\nThe group who submitted the documents to the county has also submitted their findings to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. In June, that office passed along the documents to Ed Pappas, chair of the Beaufort County Planning Commission.\r\n\r\nBoth Mare Deckard and John Trask III continue to question who is TIES, if it’s just Jon Bruno acting alone or if there are others working for the organization or funding the organization.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nTrask said, he thought Bruno had, in effect, hijacked what was once a legitimate organization.\r\n\r\n“I think Jon Bruno is an opportunist who picked up the mantle of TIES after the legitimate organization’s leaders left with valid concerns over financial transparency and other serious matters,” he said.\r\n\r\nThe Zoning Board of Appeals will hold its public meeting July 23.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>A few of the documents made available for this report can be viewed here:</i></span></p>\r\n<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TIES-documents.pdf\">TIES documents</a>', 'Who is The International Ecotourism Society?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'who-is-the-international-ecotourism-society', '', '', '2020-07-16 13:25:42', '2020-07-16 17:25:42', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45184', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45197, 4, '2020-07-16 00:36:13', '2020-07-16 04:36:13', '<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>By Mike McCombs</b></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you were hoping to head out to Hunting Island and hit the beach this weekend, you’re going to be disappointed.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">According to Hunting Island State Park’s official Twitter account, the park will remain closed through at least Sunday, July 19.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The park was initially closed during the day Tuesday, July 7, when the island got 8 inches of rain. </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Between July 7 and</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Wednesday, </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">July 8, </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hunting Island received 12.75 inches of rain. </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The majority of the park’s roads are submerged.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“Our day use &amp; trails will remain closed through at least the close of business Sunday 19</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><sup>th</sup></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> of July,” </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Park Manager J.W. Weatherford </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">tweeted Wednesday. “Most of our roads are still impassable. Most of our parking lots are still submerged.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Still, however, the campground remains open. Weatherford said that “campers with reservations will continue to be allowed into the campground.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">For the latest and most accurate information about Hunting Island State Park, visit the park’s official Twitter account @HuntingIslandSP.</span>\r\n<p align=\"right\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><i>Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.</i></span></p>', 'Hunting Island to remain closed through the weekend', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hunting-island-to-remain-closed-through-the-weekend', '', '', '2020-07-16 00:36:13', '2020-07-16 04:36:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45197', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45217, 4, '2020-07-17 09:19:53', '2020-07-17 13:19:53', 'The Beaufort County School District today released details of a plan to reopen its classrooms for the first time since South Carolina’s governor shut down the state’s schools in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nWhile awaiting approval from the South Carolina Department of Education, the plan can be viewed on the school district’s website.&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.beaufortschools.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=170925&amp;pageId=24106428&amp;fbclid=IwAR3hAQ-VFAoBHubOZIqlafQ4eNHt4GrA-VD59RxKN8BgTMRzePFTfUGziQs\">https://www.beaufortschools.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=170925&amp;pageId=24106428&amp;fbclid=IwAR3hAQ-VFAoBHubOZIqlafQ4eNHt4GrA-VD59RxKN8BgTMRzePFTfUGziQs</a>\r\n\r\nParents can request one of two educational options under the district’s plan: face-to-face learning where students report to school buildings five days a week, or virtual learning where students complete their classroom assignments online.\r\n\r\nSuperintendent Frank Rodriguez said if currently rising COVID-19 infection rates subside enough to allow for face-to-face instruction in classrooms, the district’s plan features health and safety precautions recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.&nbsp; The plan calls for students, teachers and school staff to wear masks during the school day, and it also details protocols for what will happen if students or school staff become ill.\r\n\r\n“Every parent and every educator agrees that in-person instruction, where students work with their teachers in school classrooms face to face, is the most effective way to go,” Rodriguez said.&nbsp; “Our reopening plan summarizes how that will happen as soon as we can do it safely.”\r\n\r\nThe S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s weekly county-by-county metrics measuring COVID-19 infection rates have rated Beaufort County “High” in all three rating categories for three consecutive weeks.&nbsp; Beaufort County’s 108 new cases reported Thursday marked the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.&nbsp; Twenty-seven deaths in the county have been attributed to COVID-19.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County government announced Thursday that county offices will again be closed due to rising infection rates across the county and among county government employees.\r\n\r\nRodriguez said that if high numbers of parents request face-to-face instruction in district schools that are already at their enrollment capacity, the plan’s physical distancing requirements might require a hybrid instruction model where students attend school in person on alternate days.\r\n\r\nIn addition to providing information on face-to-face instruction, the district’s reopening plan features details on a virtual learning option that will be available throughout the entire 2020-21 academic year.\r\n\r\n“Our plan has some flexibilities built in because as we’ve seen, the situation with COVID-19 can change rapidly,” Rodriguez said.&nbsp; “We’ll be able to adjust our procedures as conditions change.\r\n\r\n“It’s a detailed plan, but operating a school has so many moving parts that it’s not going to answer every question parents and district educators have.&nbsp; That’s why we’re including a component that allows parents and educators to pose specific questions.”\r\n\r\nRodriguez said responses to parent and educator questions would be archived in a Q&amp;A posted in the reopening section of the district website.\r\n\r\nOn Wednesday the Beaufort County Board of Education approved Rodriguez’s recommendation that the district develop a revised 2020-21 school calendar that would delay the first day of school from the current start date of August 17 until September 8.\r\n\r\nEarlier this week, parents of the school district’s 22,000 students began completing online registration for their children and requesting either face-to-face or online learning.&nbsp; Rodriguez said parents should still state their preference when registering their children for the new school year.\r\n\r\n“We need to know parents’ preferences, so we’ll be ready to roll with both options when it’s safe to do so,” he said.\r\n\r\nOn Wednesday, the S.C. High School League Executive Committee decided to move the start of fall sports competition until September because of the pandemic.&nbsp; The SCHSL’s plan pushes the start of practices from July 30 to Aug. 17, with games potentially starting for football four weeks later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'District reopening plan offers instructional options, details health and safety protocols', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'district-reopening-plan-offers-instructional-options-details-health-and-safety-protocols', '', '', '2020-07-17 09:25:12', '2020-07-17 13:25:12', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45217', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45188, 4, '2020-07-15 13:31:03', '2020-07-15 17:31:03', 'Ron Callari captured this beautiful picture of the view from Bay Street under the live oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.', 'Lowcountry Life', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-life-123', '', '', '2020-07-15 13:31:03', '2020-07-15 17:31:03', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45188', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45210, 4, '2020-07-17 00:03:37', '2020-07-17 04:03:37', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\nFor the second time this year, all Beaufort County buildings will be closed to the public.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County Government leaders remain concerned about the health and well being of county residents and staff as they continue to encounter a rapid rise in COVID-19 infections locally.\r\n\r\nDue to the current rate of exposure, all County buildings will be closed to the public starting at 8 a.m. Friday, July 17, until further notice.\r\n\r\nCounty operations will continue as they had prior to reopening in June, with limited staff who will conduct internal and external business by telephone or email as much as possible.\r\n\r\nAll <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MTYuMjQ1MDE5MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2JlYXVmb3J0Y291bnR5c2MuZ292L3NvbGlkLXdhc3RlLWFuZC1yZWN5Y2xlL2NvbnZlbmllbmNlLWNlbnRlcnMvaW5kZXguaHRtbD91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.1yiS37OgsmZVeFXTe-mFxuBlMTg_SjkBJRnSYYAgAHk/s/566122596/br/81161635945-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Convenience Centers</a> will remain open according to their normal operating schedules for now.\r\n\r\nOperations at the <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MTYuMjQ1MDE5MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmhpbHRvbmhlYWRhaXJwb3J0LmNvbS8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.QIt4Wz3KRufyekOdvGX3R6nHe3vOGz37GZ0GfyEXm5M/s/566122596/br/81161635945-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hilton Head Island Airport</a> and <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MTYuMjQ1MDE5MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZWF1Zm9ydGNvdW50eWFpcnBvcnQuY29tL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.JDQROofRx7hr6vXIl-7uRLEl1x60P1oo3QfUfF0L9fk/s/566122596/br/81161635945-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beaufort County Airport</a> will remain available.\r\n\r\nFor information about the operations of individual departments, please visit <a href=\"https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDgsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA3MTYuMjQ1MDE5MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmJlYXVmb3J0Y291bnR5c2MuZ292P3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.cMieDvUZN6dbk6BAnQ5Ll-U8eY-V2Jdwe44uoDOr0fU/s/566122596/br/81161635945-l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.beaufortcountysc.gov</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Beaufort County closes all County buildings due to COVID-19 surge', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-closes-all-county-buildings-due-to-covid-19-surge', '', '', '2020-07-17 00:03:37', '2020-07-17 04:03:37', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45210', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45212, 4, '2020-07-17 01:03:31', '2020-07-17 05:03:31', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\nIt was a record-breaking day for South Carolina on Thursday, and not in a good way.\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced the most COVID-19 associated deaths reported for a single day – 69 confirmed and three probable. The previous high was 38 confirmed on July 8.\r\n\r\nThere have been 1,053 COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina. Three elderly adult deaths were reported for Beaufort County bringing that total to 27.\r\n\r\nDHEC was quick to point out that many of the deaths occurred days ago, that 63 people really didn’t die on one day. But Thursday’s total was compiled no differently than any other day.\r\n\r\nJust by the nature of the difficulty of attributing a death to COVID-19, deaths will always be a statistic that lags behind.\r\n\r\nDHEC, however, did publish a new graph which shows each day when the deaths that were attributed to COVID-19 actually happened – <a href=\"https://www.scdhec.gov/infectious-diseases/viruses/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/sc-testing-data-projections-covid-19#deathbydate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Deaths in South Carolina by Date of Death graph</a>.\r\n\r\nThere were 1,842 new confirmed cases announced on Thursday – 108 in Beaufort County. There have been 63,880 total confirmed cases in South Carolina, 2,280 in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nOf the 8,643 individual test results reported to DHEC on Thursday, the <a href=\"https://www.scdhec.gov/infectious-diseases/viruses/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/sc-testing-data-projections-covid-19#percentpositive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">percent positive was 21.3 percent.</a>\r\n\r\nAs of Thursday morning, 2,946 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,935 are in use, which is a 72.93 percent statewide hospital bed utilization rate. There are 1,578 beds occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19, and 214 are on ventilators.', 'South Carolina reports record 69 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'south-carolina-reports-record-69-covid-19-deaths-on-thursday', '', '', '2020-07-17 07:34:30', '2020-07-17 11:34:30', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45212', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45221, 4, '2020-07-17 18:49:32', '2020-07-17 22:49:32', '<b>By Mike McCombs</b>\r\n\r\nCity Councilman Stephen Murray has thrown his hat in the ring in the Beaufort mayoral race.\r\n\r\n“I\'m excited to announce that I\'ve formally filed my Statement of Candidacy for Mayor of the City of Beaufort. I look forward to the upcoming campaign and sharing my vision for the future of our special corner of the world. <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/murrayformayor?__eep__=6&amp;source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG\">#MurrayforMayor</a> <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/luvbft?__eep__=6&amp;source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG\">#luvBft</a>,” Murray posted on his Facebook page Friday afternoon after filing his paperwork with the city clerk.\r\n\r\nMurray is in his second term on City Council. He joins former City Councilman and husband of current Councilwoman Nan Sutton, Mike Sutton, as the only candidates to file, so far.\r\n\r\nMayor Billy Keyserling announced at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting that he would not seek re-election after three terms as mayor.\r\n\r\nCurrent council members Nan Sutton and Mike McFee, whose seats are also open this year, have not announced their plans.\r\n\r\nInterested candidates for the mayoral and council races have until noon on Aug. 14 to file with the city clerk. Candidates must be residents of the city.\r\n\r\nCouncil and mayoral terms are four years and are non-partisan, city-wide representation.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.</em>', 'City Councilman Murray announces candidacy for Mayor of Beaufort', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'city-councilman-murray-announces-candidacy-for-mayor-of-beaufort', '', '', '2020-07-17 18:49:32', '2020-07-17 22:49:32', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45221', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45223, 4, '2020-07-18 14:17:09', '2020-07-18 18:17:09', 'A representative from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (MCAS) will give a presentation at a public meeting on Monday, July 20.\r\n\r\nKimberly Fleming, director of Government and External Relations for MCAS, will provide a flight operations presentation during the Beaufort-Port Royal Metropolitan Planning Commission’s regular meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday.\r\n\r\nAn article addressing recent concerns over increased activity at MCAS and noise, recently ran in <a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/new-sound-of-freedom-too-much-some-residents-say/\">The Island News</a>.\r\n\r\nThe meeting will air via zoom at: <a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89376000812?pwd=V3QwcUlxczVxSGkxVXpDd0orSmFwQT09\">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89376000812?pwd=V3QwcUlxczVxSGkxVXpDd0orSmFwQT09</a>\r\n\r\nThe password for the meeting is: 070925, Meeting ID: 893 7600 0812, call-in number:&nbsp; 1-929-205-6099.\r\n\r\n<em>–From staff reports</em>', 'MCAS representative to give presentation at upcoming public meeting', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mcas-representative-to-give-presentation-at-metropolitan-planning-commission-meeting', '', '', '2020-07-18 14:20:00', '2020-07-18 18:20:00', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45223', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45227, 4, '2020-07-19 18:31:57', '2020-07-19 22:31:57', '<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>By Mike McCombs</b></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">According to Hunting Island State Park’s official Twitter account, the park will remain closed through at least </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the close of business Thurs</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">day, July </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">23</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The park was initially closed during the day Tuesday, July 7, when the island got 8 inches of rain. </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Between July 7 and</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Wednesday, </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">July 8, </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hunting Island received 12.75 inches of rain. </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The majority of the park’s roads </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">were</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> submerged.</span>\r\n\r\n“Pumping continues, but we still have lots of roads submerged,” Park Manager J.W. Weatherford tweeted Sunday. “Your safely entering and exiting the park is our number one concern.”\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">As The Island News reported last week</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, the campground remains open. Weatherford said </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">then </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">that “campers with reservations will continue to be allowed into the campground.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">W</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">eatherford also gave an update Sunday on the Hunting Island fishing pier, closed since suffering damage during </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hurricane Matthew in 2016</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“We do hope for an opening this year, but </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">(it) </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">likely could be a spring opening,” </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">he tweeted.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">For the latest and most accurate information about Hunting Island State Park, visit the park’s official Twitter account @HuntingIslandSP.</span>\r\n<p align=\"right\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><i>Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:TheIslandNews@gmail.com\">TheIslandNews@gmail.com</a>.</i></span></p>', 'Hunting Island to remain closed through July 23', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'hunting-island-to-remain-closed-through-july-23', '', '', '2020-07-19 18:31:57', '2020-07-19 22:31:57', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45227', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45229, 4, '2020-07-22 09:53:38', '2020-07-22 13:53:38', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-07-22 at 9.52.48 AM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-07-22-at-9-52-48-am', '', '', '2020-07-22 09:53:38', '2020-07-22 13:53:38', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-07-22-at-9.52.48-AM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(45230, 4, '2020-07-22 09:58:09', '2020-07-22 13:58:09', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nFor the past four years during Water Festival, dozens of boats and hundreds of revelers have crowded around a barge at the sandbar in the middle of the Beaufort River for a concert.\r\n\r\nThis year, however, musician Pat Cooper canceled the July 18 concert, which is not affiliated with the Beaufort Water Festival, because of the COVID-19 surge in South Carolina.\r\n\r\nBut on Saturday, boaters took things into their own hands, flocking to the Beaufort Sandbar for an improvised concert event of their own.\r\n\r\n“Our officers did report that a number of boats at the Beaufort Sandbar did have people aboard playing music – either live or through sound systems,” S.C. Department of Natural Resources spokesperson David Lucas said, “and the result was that throughout the afternoon on Saturday, there were multiple sort of impromptu mini-concerts going on at any given time that were spread out around the vicinity of the Sandbar, with smaller numbers of boats or people watching at each, rather than one large organized stage and crowd as in years past.”\r\n\r\nAccording to Lucas, DNR had additional boats scheduled to patrol in Beaufort in anticipation of the Water Festival and the Sandbar concert. When both were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, DNR kept the patrols on the schedule anyway.\r\n\r\n“Our reasoning being that many people had already made travel plans, reservations, etc., and that as a result, boating traffic would still be somewhat heavier than normal this weekend despite the cancellations,” Lucas said.\r\n\r\nLucas said that assumption “proved to be correct,” as the boating traffic was high, though not as high as “during a typical Festival/Concert weekend in years past.”\r\n\r\nThough he couldn’t say how many, Lucas said DNR “did issue a larger number of citations – both warning tickets and summonses – than (it) would on a typical weekend for a wide range of boating safety issues, including two BUI arrests.”\r\n\r\n“Thankfully, there were no fatalities or serious boating accidents to report,” Lucas said.\r\n\r\nAs for the concert, Lucas said none of the tickets written had anything to do with the gathering at the sandbar. All Executive Orders previously issued by Gov. Henry McMaster related to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted some time ago.\r\n\r\n“Boating activity is essentially back to where it was before the pandemic, as far as regulations go,” Lucas said.', '‘Impromptu’ concert breaks out at Beaufort Sandbar', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'impromptu-concert-breaks-out-at-beaufort-sandbar', '', '', '2020-07-22 09:58:09', '2020-07-22 13:58:09', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45230', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45233, 4, '2020-07-22 10:01:53', '2020-07-22 14:01:53', '<h2>Please leave Bay Point alone</h2>\r\n… A rebuttal to the most recent (July 16) letter from Josh Tiller regarding the proposed development of Bay Point Island: It is hard to understand how undertaking any kind of commercial development on an already fragile, constantly shifting, and ultimately disappearing spit of land can be in any way “sustainable.”\r\n\r\nWords are being finely parsed here, but the end result will be that Bay Point Island will be permanently damaged and/or outright destroyed by trying to do any building on it. The most responsible action we can take is to protect the island as best we can from any human intrusion/encroachment until Mother Nature totally reclaims her.\r\n\r\nPlease leave Bay Point Island alone, and find a more suitable location for this proposed development project.\r\n\r\n– Mike Bogle, Beaufort\r\n<h2>In support of the<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>Bay Point project</h2>\r\nAs a Professional Engineer with more than 25 years of experience in projects spanning from the Caribbean to New York, I have been exposed to many philosophies of development with varying degrees of sustainability, resilience, and green development.\r\n\r\nI am writing in support of the Bay Point Island ecotourism project as a cutting edge sustainable, green proposal. The project embraces and includes low-impact design and construction, and long-term operation.\r\n\r\nMy specific areas of expertise in association with this development include the stormwater management, water supply, and sanitary sewer systems.\r\n\r\nThe stormwater management facilities will be designed to meet or exceed the requirements of Beaufort County’s Stormwater Best Management Practices and will fully manage and mitigate the rate of runoff, water quality, and water volume as dictated by these documents and appropriate DHEC and EPA regulations.\r\n\r\nThe sanitary sewer needs for the site will be met using state-of-the-art decentralized treatment in the form of a sequencing batch reactor, or similar central treatment plant. These types of plants are used in similar locations in the Lowcountry as well as throughout the U.S.\r\n\r\nWastewater will be treated to near drinking water quality prior to being discharged to either a land application or to holding tanks for non-potable reuse.\r\n\r\nFinally, the water supply will be provided by a deep well, with the water being treated by a state- of-the-art reverse osmosis system to bring it to drinking water standards. Rainwater also can be treated for use as potable water, which is the primary way water is supplied in many areas of the Caribbean, as well as some areas of Texas and Arizona.\r\n\r\nWhen this project is completed, it will serve as an example of sustainability and eco-friendly design and development.\r\n\r\n<strong>– Joseph A. Mina</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>Mina is a professional engineer with Rettew, based in Mechanicsburg, Pa. He is registered in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands.</em>', 'LETTERS TO THE EDITOR', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'letters-to-the-editor-bay-point-development-pro-and-con', '', '', '2020-07-22 10:02:20', '2020-07-22 14:02:20', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45233', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45236, 4, '2020-07-22 10:08:26', '2020-07-22 14:08:26', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nAs of Monday morning, Beaufort Memorial Hospital was treating 29 positive COVID-19 patients.\r\n\r\nThe Intensive Care Unit was full with 12 patients – six of those positive for COVID-19 and three of those on ventilators.\r\n\r\n“It will be different tomorrow,” BMH Spokesperson Courtney McDermott said, noting that patient numbers fluctuate every day.\r\n\r\nMcDermott said that last week, there was an increase in younger patients in the age group of 21–30.\r\n&nbsp;\r\nAs far as testing, BMH tested 696 people last week with 163 coming back positive. That’s a positive rate of 23.4 percent.\r\n\r\n<strong>Peer pressure</strong>\r\n\r\nRep. Joe Cunningham called on Governor Henry McMaster to change his COVID-19 strategy on Monday, July 14. Citing an increase in cases, positivity rates, deaths and hospitalizations, Cunningham called for McMaster to change strategies.\r\n\r\n“What we are doing clearly isn’t working,” Cunningham said in a letter. “And choosing to maintain the same flawed plan will only result in more cases, more loss of life and more businesses being forced to close their doors. It’s time for the Governor to hit the reset button, take the advice of public health experts and come up with a new strategy that slows the spread and shows the people of South Carolina that their leaders are doing everything possible to save lives.”\r\n\r\nCunningham asked McMaster for a statewide mask requirement and joined State Senator Tom Davis in asking McMaster to ask for federal aid with testing.\r\n\r\n<strong>Holding steady here</strong>\r\n\r\nOn average, in Beaufort County last week, there were 72.4 new cases each day in the week ending Monday, July 6. For the state, that number was 1,860.2.\r\n\r\nThe state average was up from the previous week, when the average was 1,663.1. Beaufort County held steady as the previous week’s average was 72.6.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County did set a new high with 108 new cases reported on Thursday, July 16.\r\n\r\n<strong>No hospitalization data</strong>\r\n\r\nAccording to DHEC, the CDC notified all users of its National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) on Tuesday, July 14, that the COVID-19 Module for Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity would cease serving as an option for hospital reporting during this pandemic. DHEC issued a Public Health Order supporting the transition from NHSN to TeleTracking on July 15.\r\n\r\nHospitals are actively making the transition and DHEC is monitoring their efforts. During this transition, the information currently provided by hospitals is incomplete and, therefore, inaccurate. Once DHEC is able to verify the information the hospitals are reporting as part of this new reporting requirement is accurate and the system is fully implemented, we will resume our effort to provide daily data reports.\r\n\r\nFor July 14, the last date the data was presented, there were 1,593 hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients and 214 of those were on ventilators. Those same numbers for the end of the previous week were 1,488 and 205, respectively.\r\n\r\n<strong>Goal achieved</strong>\r\n\r\nSouth Carolina has exceeded its monthly COVID-19 testing goal for the month of July by performing 143,336 tests from July 1 through July 16, surpassing the target of 140,000 tests.\r\n\r\nTo date, DHEC and partners have held 503 free testing events across the state since May, and a total of 638,194 tests have been performed in South Carolina. There are currently 89 mobile testing events scheduled through Aug. 15 with new testing events added regularly, and there are 182 permanent COVID-19 testing facilities across the state.\r\n\r\n<b>THE NUMBERS<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Totals</b>\r\n\r\n<strong>As of Monday, July 20</strong>\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. confirmed cases: </b>71,213\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. probable cases: </b>232\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. confirmed deaths: </b>1,147\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. probable deaths: </b>17\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County cases: </b>2,517\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County deaths: </b>31*\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>Last week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,860.2\r\n\r\n<b>Previous week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,663.1\r\n\r\n<b>Two weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,604.1\r\n\r\n<b>Three weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,263.6\r\n\r\n<b>Last week’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>72.4\r\n\r\n<b>Previous week’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>72.6\r\n\r\n<b>Two weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>52.4\r\n\r\n<b>Three weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>38.9\r\n\r\n<b>THE LAST WEEK<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Monday, July 20</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,445\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>9\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>33\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>17.7\r\n\r\n<b>Sunday, July 19</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>2,335*\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>19\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>93\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>18.4\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\n<b>Saturday, July 18</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,481\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>39*\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>59\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>21.0\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\n<b>Friday, July 17</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,964\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>25\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>55\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>17.4\r\n\r\n<b>Thursday, July 16</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,842\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>69*\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>108*\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>3\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>21.3\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\n<b>Wednesday, July 15</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,850\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>78\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>21.6\r\n\r\n<b>Tuesday, July 14</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>2,205\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>23\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>81\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>21.5', 'BMH bending, not breaking', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'bmh-bending-not-breaking', '', '', '2020-07-22 10:08:26', '2020-07-22 14:08:26', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45236', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45239, 4, '2020-07-22 10:13:20', '2020-07-22 14:13:20', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort Memorial (BMH) will host a free COVID-19 testing event from 7 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 29 at Battery Creek High School at 1 Blue Dolphin Drive in Beaufort.\r\n\r\nAll testing is on a first-come, first-served basis. A physician’s order is not required. BMH staff will collect test specimens using kits supplied by DHEC, which will run all tests through its state laboratory and communicate the results to BMH.\r\n\r\nBMH staff will notify patients about their results within 48 hours after DHEC delivers them. Participants should expect to receive results within 5 to 7 days after test collection.\r\n\r\nThe BMH Infection Prevention team will call anyone who tests positive and provide detailed instructions for self-isolation, self-care and home disinfection. Those who test negative will receive a text notification or phone call.\r\n\r\nOn his Facebook page, State Senator Tom Davis gave a summary of the free testing event held Wednesday, July 15 at Lady’s Island Elementary School.\r\n\r\nAccording to Davis, Chair of the Re-Open S.C. Select Subcommittee, there were 394 people tested with 46 testing positive – a positive rate of 11.6 percent. All of those tested were advised of results over the weekend, within 5 days.\r\n\r\nParticipants are asked to enter Blue Dolphin Drive from Jennings Road and are encouraged to complete and print the COVID-19 Testing Form ahead of time. Bring the completed form, which can be found on the hospital’s website at BeaufortMemorial.org/FreeCOVID-19TestingEvents, and two additional copies to the event. Forms will also be available onsite.\r\n\r\nThe event, in partnership with the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department, are part of a statewide effort to provide broad access to testing, especially in rural areas.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit www.BeaufortMemorial.org.', 'Beaufort Memorial will host free testing event at Battery Creek', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-memorial-will-host-free-testing-event-at-battery-creek', '', '', '2020-07-22 10:13:20', '2020-07-22 14:13:20', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45239', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45243, 4, '2020-07-22 10:19:35', '2020-07-22 14:19:35', '<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>\r\n\r\nBluffton High School teacher Michelle Gordon thinks a return to in-person, five-days-a week instruction this fall could be too soon, especially given the high numbers of Covid-19 cases Beaufort County is currently seeing.\r\n\r\nAfter hearing S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s call to reopen South Carolina’s schools with face-to-face instruction last week, Gordon’s response was, “not yet,” she said.\r\n\r\nIt’s a phrase she often uses when her students say they can’t do something or they’ll never understand the concepts she teaches as a math teacher.\r\n\r\n“So I will say, ‘Not yet, but as you continue to work at it …you’ll get it,’” she said.\r\n\r\nLike Gordon, many teachers across the state are now questioning whether the governor and other elected officials are truly “getting it.”\r\n\r\nAfter McMaster’s press conference last week, teachers took to social media to express their concerns – and much of it was not good.\r\n\r\nAccording to analysis conducted by the University of South Carolina’s <a href=\"https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/cic/initiatives/social_media_insights_lab/reports/2020/sc_social_media_pushback_against_face_to_face_classes.php#.XxiPJfhKhPM\">Social Media Insights Lab</a>, an immediate opposition from teachers, school administrators and parents could be seen on social media.\r\n\r\nAn analysis of 915 comments in the days following the press conference, found significantly less support for reopening than what the lab had seen earlier in the month. Only four percent favored reopening while eight times as many comments, 31 percent, were negative.\r\n\r\n“Conversations changed when the governor outlined his plan,” said Jack Landess, an Insights Lab analyst on the lab’s website. “The posts we saw showed a lot of frustration, with fear that in-person classes will endanger teachers and school personnel as well as enhance the spread of COVID-19.”\r\n\r\nSouth Carolina Superintendent of Education, Molly Spearman, said while every South Carolina parent must be given the option of both virtual learning and face-to-face instruction, she would only approve plans that offer “high quality options and keep safety as their top priority.”\r\n\r\nIn addition, many of the state’s top teacher associations have since weighed in saying they opposed the governor’s move to reopen schools without additional consideration for the pandemic.\r\n\r\n“The <a href=\"https://www.palmettoteachers.org/\">Palmetto State Teachers Association</a> categorically opposes Governor McMaster’s push for all school districts in South Carolina to operate in-person instruction, five days a week, without regard for the status of the coronavirus pandemic when schools are scheduled to resume,” the association said in a statement released last week.\r\n\r\nThe association went on to say while they applauded the governor’s call for districts to move start dates to fall, they also believed if health conditions did not improve it would be “irresponsible and dangerous” to return to full, in-person education.\r\n\r\n“We believe this action would needlessly jeopardize the health and safety our state’s 800,000 students and more than 50,000 teachers,” the association stated. “While we know more now than we did in March about how Covid-19 is spread and contained, the current rate of spread of Covid-19 in our state makes a return to full in-person instruction far more dangerous than it was when the governor ordered schools to close in March.”\r\n\r\nSC for Ed, the South Carolina Education Association, the South Carolina School Boards Association and the South Carolina Association of School Administrators have all issued similar statements.\r\n\r\nIt’s a level of concern Gordon said she’s been hearing from colleagues, many of whom see a virtual model as the “safe alternative.”\r\n\r\n“In a non-pandemic world, full-day schooling with face-to-face instruction would clearly be the best option,” she said in an emailed letter to The Island News. “But unfortunately, we are living in a pandemic-stricken world and trying to work our way back to ‘normal.’ We need to make decisions that won’t set us back, but instead push us forward in stopping the spread of this disease.”\r\n\r\nWhile teachers like Gordon have acknowledged the importance of face-to-face instruction, they have also pointed to the challenges and risks of teaching during a pandemic while trying to adhere to health and safety protocols.\r\n\r\nWhat’s more, there are concerns over one’s own health and the health of teachers’ families.\r\n\r\n“Teachers are just concerned that they could be placed in a position where they could be affected and those they love could be put in the (same) position,” said Gordon who has an 11-year-old herself.\r\n\r\nAt an online press conference on Friday, Beaufort County School District officials acknowledged the importance of providing flexible options not only for parents but for teachers as well and a workforce that is already facing potential shortages.\r\n\r\nAccording to the county:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>366 teachers in the current teacher force are 55 and older;</li>\r\n 	<li>175 are eligible for retirement because of age or years of service;</li>\r\n 	<li>46 percent of the district’s current work force (including all employees) are in a high-risk group themselves or live with or provide care to someone who is at high risk for Covid-19.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOverall, while Gordon felt the district’s plan, released on Friday, was “very comprehensive,” there were still questions as to how the two options would work in conjunction with each other, and what that first week of school will look like.\r\n\r\n“Many teachers have asked, who will teach virtual and who will teach face-to-face and what does that even look like to do a hybrid model,” she said, referring to a model the school district would implement if too many parents register for in-person education.\r\n\r\nIn that model, students would be assigned different days to attend school in an effort to reduce class size, district officials have said.\r\n\r\n“I know the district is working really hard at putting that together, but there’s still big question marks,” Gordon said.\r\n\r\nLike other teachers across the state, she points to the work conducted by the Department of Education’s AccelerateED Task Force.\r\n\r\nThe group, comprised of school officials and leaders from around the state, recommended that if a county had a DHEC-reported COVID-19 infection rate of “High,” the instruction provided should be virtual until rates go down.\r\n\r\nBeaufort County has consistently rated “High” on those metrics for the last few weeks.\r\n\r\n“Let’s trust our state health experts, monitor their data and make sound decisions,” Gordon said when discussing whether to return to in-person education. “Until the data show marked improvement, I will continue to say, ‘Not yet.\'\"\r\n\r\nRelated story:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/school-reopening-plan-features-2-options-for-parents/\">School reopening plan features 2 options for parents</a>', 'Teachers remain concerned over in-person instruction', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'teachers-remain-concerned-over-in-person-instruction', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:13:59', '2020-07-22 19:13:59', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45243', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45245, 4, '2020-07-22 10:21:37', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '<b>LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN</b>', 'LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN', '', 'draft', 'closed', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2020-07-22 10:21:37', '2020-07-22 14:21:37', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45245', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45249, 4, '2020-07-22 10:32:23', '2020-07-22 14:32:23', '<h4><b>By LOLITA HUCKABY</b></h4>\r\n<h4>City political races warming up</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;-&nbsp;</span>With the filing deadline for city elections less than a month away, you could almost say things are warming up.\r\n\r\nWith the announcement last week by Billy Keyserling he wasn’t going to seek re-election, local businessman Mike Sutton was the first to throw his “hat” into the political ring for the mayoral seat, follo\r\nwed by current Councilman Stephen Murray.\r\n\r\nRumor is there may be others interested in that seat, not to mention businessman and artist Eric Longo, who was the target of a “write in” candidacy before Keyserling even announced his plans.\r\n\r\nAlso filing is Neil Lipsitz who’s interested in one of the two council seats up for grabs. Those seats are currently held by Nan Sutton and Mike McFee, neither of which have announced their future political plans.\r\n\r\nInterested candidates, who have to live in the city, have until noon on Friday, Aug. 14 to file at City Hall. Elections are for four-year terms and are non-partisan, which means you don’t run as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Socialist, etc.\r\n<h4>Touring golf cart tours on the way</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – City officials are agreeing it just might work to bring another form of touring options to the historic district, this time, electric golf carts.\r\n\r\nTwo business owners have approached the city about changing the touring ordinance to include electric multi-passenger golf carts to the mix. And the council, probably agreeing that maybe the poor horses DO deserve a break in this heat (although the horse tours will still be out there) are in the process of doing just that.\r\n\r\nThe multi-passenger cart tour operators would have to adhere to basically the same rules as the van and bus operations, including participation in a rotation system that limits the number of tour vehicles on the roads at one time.\r\n\r\nOne interested owner suggested the Council needed to do more to bring tourists to the area in these troubled pandemic days. It works in Orlando, it should work in Beaufort, he noted.\r\n\r\nGet ready, Disney World, here we come.\r\n<h4>Quarantining In Atlanta</h4>\r\nPARRIS ISLAND – In case you were wondering, 1,200-plus incoming Marine Corps recruits and their officers are no longer being quarantined at The Citadel in Charleston but rather in Atlanta hotels.\r\n\r\nWhen the quarantine for COVID-19 began back in March, incoming recruits were initially being housed in tents, rather than the traditional barracks. But an agreement was reached with The Citadel officials to send the young men and women to Charleston to be housed in the shuttered barracks there.\r\n\r\nBut with classes getting ready to start at The Citadel in early August, the Marine Corps had to come up with another plan. So Atlanta it was, for the 14-day quarantine period.\r\n\r\nThen back to Parris Island, which certainly is no Atlanta hotel.\r\n\r\nOfficials at the recruit depot have not said when recruit graduations may start back but they’re not expected until at least late this year.\r\n\r\n<em>Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer, I-95 and U.S. 17 voyager and works for an online news service covering local government. She is a former reporter/editorial assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today. She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com.</em>\r\n\r\nAbove: Mike Sutton was the first the throw his hat in the ring for Beaufort\'s mayoral election.', 'LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-lowdown-7', '', '', '2020-07-22 14:39:41', '2020-07-22 18:39:41', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45249', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45378, 4, '2020-08-05 00:53:52', '2020-08-05 04:53:52', '<b>From staff reports</b>\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47432606\"></a> The Beaufort County School District will temporarily adopt a full-virtual educational model to teach its 22,000 students when school reopens on Sept. 8, Superintendent Frank Rodriguez announced Tuesday night at a Board of Education meeting.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47432576\"></a> “Having reviewed DHEC metrics for the past six weeks, we see COVID-19 conditions simply are not improving in our community,” Rodriguez said. “In fact, they have been getting worse. Last week, Beaufort County reported a record 113 infections in a single day. Nearly half of our county’s 43 confirmed deaths occurred in July.”\r\n\r\nIn South Carolina, DHEC designates transmission risk as “high” in counties where percent positive rates are 10 percent or higher. DHEC’s most current metrics released on Monday indicate that Beaufort County’s percent positive rate was 20.8 percent for the second consecutive week.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47432791\"></a> Rodriguez emphasizes that he wants to return to face-to-face instruction, as do most teachers, support staff, students and families.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47432828\"></a><a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47426670\"></a> “But before that can happen safely, conditions must be safer than they are today,” he said. “The coronavirus is out of control, and no country in the world has successfully reopened its schools when infection rates were this high. The question given current conditions is not “if” a child or teacher will be infected, it’s when.”\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47432854\"></a> After school starts, the school district will continue to assess the situation, Rodriguez said.\r\n\r\n“Based on data and science, we will decide when to resume face-to-face instruction. Once again — and I can’t stress this enough — resuming face-to-face instruction is our goal.”\r\n\r\nThe State Department of Education’s recent approval of the county school district’s plans for reopening its schools contains a caveat that has caused some consternation at the local level, Rodriguez said. He noted that the plan’s approval was contingent upon the district offering an in-person option no later than Sept. 14.\r\n\r\nThe superintendent said he would lobby the state in hopes of being granted relief from that provision.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47432866\"></a> “Given Beaufort County’s high infection rates, our students, our employees and all of their families deserve our advocacy and protection from potentially harmful conditions. They represent the best of who we are as a district, and we will do our utmost to safeguard their health and well-being.”\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47433055\"></a> The district had been planning for both face-to-face and virtual instructional options for several months, holding out hope of accommodating families that preferred an in-school option. However, the superintendent recognized that delaying a reopening decision in hopes that COVID-19 infection rates would suddenly decrease placed the district at a significant disadvantage leading up to the first day of school.\r\n\r\n“We must focus on educating our children in the safest and most effective way possible,” he said. “Right now, that means providing a virtual education. Employing a virtual model will remove the distractions of repeated quarantines and school closings due to COVID-19 cases. Strong virtual instruction can continue regardless of virus spread.”\r\n\r\nDeputy Superintendent of Schools Duke Bradley assured parents that the quality of virtual education Beaufort County students would receive beginning in September will be superior to that provided in the wake of Gov. Henry McMaster’s decision last spring to abruptly shut down schools as the COVID-19 epidemic began to spread.\r\n\r\n“Tonight the Board approved the acquisition of K12 Learning Solutions for this pivotal year. This virtual platform will serve students in grades K- 8. High school students will use Virtual SC, a state-sponsored program,” Bradley said. “Both platforms are considerably more comprehensive than what was hastily implemented last spring. Even more, our implementation of them will be better and more consistent across schools.”\r\n\r\nMore information on both virtual educational platforms will be provided to parents in a briefing later this week. Additional information will also be provided to families regarding Pre-K, the service of Special Education and ESOL students, and a host of other topics leading up to the start of classes.\r\n\r\nRegarding access to technology, every K-12 student in the district will receive a digital learning device.\r\n\r\n“Our goal is for all students to have internet accessibility through purchases we’ve made and by leveraging strategic partnerships to accommodate families in need,” Bradley said.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47427214\"></a> In terms of athletics, the district continues to follow the guidance of the South Carolina High School League and remains in continued discussion with them.\r\n\r\nRodriguez extended an appeal to the community, re-emphasizing that he wants to reopen with face-to-face instruction as soon as possible. But he said that won’t be possible to do safely without the active help and cooperation of Beaufort County citizens.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47433329\"></a> “The sooner we all consistently follow masking and physical-distancing recommendations, the sooner we can reduce COVID-19 infection rates and safely reopen schools,” he said.\r\n\r\n<a name=\"m_2531371066123098053__Hlk47433208\"></a> Rodriguez said he hoped COVID-19 infections will decrease so the district can resume face-to-face instruction as soon as possible. “But until that can happen, our primary goal will be to produce the best possible learning experience for our students and their families,” he said.\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort County Board of Education today also further revised the 2020-21 school calendar, updating weather makeup and teacher workdays as well as moving the beginning of winter break from December 24 to December 23. Instruction will still commence on September 8 and the final day of classes will be June 17.\r\n\r\nThe revised calendar will be available on the district website: <a href=\"https://www.beaufortschools.net/\">https://www.beaufortschools.net/</a>.', 'Beaufort County will open school year virtually Sept. 8', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-county-will-open-school-year-virtually-sept-8', '', '', '2020-08-05 00:53:52', '2020-08-05 04:53:52', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45378', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45257, 4, '2020-07-22 14:30:39', '2020-07-22 18:30:39', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nA new exhibit invites visitors to Beaufort History Museum to explore the history of Fort Fremont, a fortification built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Saint Helena Island in 1898.\r\n\r\nVisitors can view a special exhibit that displays award-winning images and a modern instructional video featuring exclusive drone photography of the site.\r\n\r\nThe Exhibit was officially introduced to Beaufort History Museum Board Members and Friends of Fort Freemont at an open house on July 15. The images featured in the exhibit are loaned to the Museum by noted Savannah photographer Mike Tillison. BHM Board Member Jeff Kidd created the video, a preview of which may be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/Beaufort.History.Museum/videos/393167394933323/.\r\n\r\nFort Fremont was constructed in response to the Spanish American War to defend the coaling station and dry dock at the Port Royal Naval Station located on Parris Island. It was one of six fortifications designated to protect the southeast coast during the war.\r\n\r\nThe name of the fort honors Major General John C. Fremont who was a Republican Presidential Candidate and Union Civil War General. The Fort was officially deactivated in 1912.\r\n\r\nThose touring the Exhibits are asked to observe the commonly accepted CDC protocols for social distancing while at the Museum. The use of facemasks is required.\r\n\r\nBeaufort History Museum has evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16th century until modern times. Docent classes are conducted on an ongoing basis.\r\n\r\n<b>WANT TO GO?</b>\r\n\r\n<b>What: </b>Fort Fremont exhibit\r\n\r\n<b>When: </b>10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.\r\n\r\n<b>Where: </b>Beaufort History Museum, 713 Craven Street.\r\n\r\n<b>For more information: </b>Docents are on duty to provide information and conduct tours. Visit www.beauforthistorymuseum.com or the BHM Facebook page for updates and news.\r\n\r\n<b>Want to volunteer? </b>For information on becoming a Docent or Volunteer Greeter, visit info@beauforthistorymuseum.com or call 843-379-3079.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Jannie Allen, right, and Beaufort History Museum Board Vice President Kathryn Mixon tour the special Fort Fremont Exhibit.</em>', 'Beaufort History Museum opens Fort Fremont exhibit', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'beaufort-history-museum-opens-fort-fremont-exhibit', '', '', '2020-07-22 14:30:39', '2020-07-22 18:30:39', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45257', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45261, 4, '2020-07-22 14:33:49', '2020-07-22 18:33:49', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nConfronted by the challenges of COVID-19, the Rotary Club of Beaufort, Beaufort’s oldest Rotary, conducted a hybrid induction ceremony to install new officers on Wednesday, July 8.\r\n\r\nIt was a hybrid because it combined both in-person and virtual components.\r\n\r\nRotary by-laws stipulate that the new Club President be sworn in by the Rotary District Governor or Assistant Governor. Incoming President Robert G. Bussa attended the ceremony in person, but he was sworn in by Assistant Governor Whitney L. McDaniel via Zoom.\r\n\r\nThe other 2020–21 Rotary officers sworn in were: Jeff M. Johnson (Immediate Past President), Amanda W. Burgin (President Elect), Wayne C. Promislow (Treasurer), and Whitney L. McDaniel (Secretary).\r\n\r\nThe other officials taking office on July 8 were the Club directors. They are Charles H. Dykeman, Vocational Services; Nancy A. Dykeman, International Services; Rosemary H. Hunt, Youth Services; Ethan M. James, Rotary Foundation; Jay C. Patel, At-Large; Cris Steele, Club Services; James D. Weiskopf, Public Image; and Howard E. Heckrotte, Sergeant-At-Arms.\r\n\r\nThe Rotary Club of Beaufort was established in 1936.\r\n\r\nIncoming Rotary President Robert Bussa (left) accepts the gavel from outgoing President Jeff Johnson on July 8.', 'Rotary Club of Beaufort appoints new officers', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'rotary-club-of-beaufort-appoints-new-officers', '', '', '2020-07-22 14:33:49', '2020-07-22 18:33:49', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45261', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45265, 4, '2020-07-22 14:35:45', '2020-07-22 18:35:45', '<strong>By Fred Gaskin</strong>\r\n\r\nWithout a doubt, the current market environment has created considerable anxiety among investors. Many are having second thoughts about their futures, and whether they can, or should, make adjustments to their portfolios based on recent events. Pursuing good financial planning requires a thoughtful process that correctly identifies both resources and needs, but also balances goals, objectives, and alternatives.\r\n\r\nAccording to recent Schwab research, those who put pen to paper with written financial plans are more confident, more engaged with their wealth and demonstrate more positive saving and investing behaviors. Of course merely having a financial plan doesn\'t cut it. It needs to be complete, realistic and actionable. At Schwab, we believe there are five key factors to consider as you plan for your financial life:\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>1. Create a list of goals that that include how much you’ll need and a deadline. If you write down your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. Think of them as a road map to where you want to go—and make them practical and attainable. Here’s a simple two-step approach:Step 1: Divide your goals into three categories: short term (less than one year); medium term (one to five years) and long term (more than five years).</li>\r\n 	<li>Step 2: Attach a dollar amount to each goal. For instance, a short-term goal might be your next vacation. How much will it cost? The more specific you can be, the more motivated you’ll be to work toward that goal.</li>\r\n 	<li>&nbsp;</li>\r\n 	<li>&nbsp;</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n2. Review your current situation. Total up the amount of money you have already accumulated toward each of your goals and how it is being invested. Be sure that your allocation between stocks, bonds and cash investments is appropriate to help reach your short-term and long-term financial goals. Also consider your investment vehicles. Make use of tax-advantaged accounts for retirement savings. But avoid tapping those for non-retirement purposes, like the down payment on a home. Instead, use taxable accounts for these types of major purchase goals.\r\n\r\n3. Make assumptions about your future. For longer-term goals like retirement, consider how much you\'ll be contributing towards each of your goals over time. You may decide to include your partner in this plan or plan for each separately depending on your financial arrangement. The earlier you start saving, the less you’ll have to set aside each year. If you start saving in your 20s, 10mpercent of your salary before taxes each year is a good goal. If you wait until your 30s, that number should bump up to 15 percent. Wait until your 40s, and you may have to put away 30-35 percent each year. No matter when you begin, the important thing is to stay on course.\r\n\r\n4. Assess your risk tolerance. Evaluate the amount of risk you\'re willing to stomach with your investments to help inform how you should allocate your portfolio between stocks, bond and cash investments. This is key to staying the course toward your goals during the inevitable ups and downs in the market. Your willingness to take on risk will and should vary depending on your various savings goals. For example, if you’re nearing or entering retirement, you probably don’t want to risk significant losses in your portfolio. Rather, you might be aiming to grow the value of your investments but also have current income needs and want relative stability. Just as an example, for those types of needs, Schwab’s moderately conservative model portfolio has 40 percent allocated to equities, 50 percent in fixed income and 10 percent in cash or cash investments. A more long-term goal may allow you to be a bit more aggressive in your allocation, but always stay diversified.\r\n\r\n5. Analyze return expectations. Based on your risk tolerance, a sound investment plan contains some sort of expectation regarding the portfolio returns. These return expectations aren\'t year-by-year forecasts, but represent long-term averages used in the planning process. It’s important to stay realistic. If your return estimates are too optimistic, you run the risk of not being able to retire on time or pay for a child\'s education. If they\'re too pessimistic, you may needlessly sacrifice some of your current lifestyle. To reap the most reward from your investments, try to avoid unnecessary fees and taxes.\r\n\r\nExperience tells me, the hardest part for most investors is just getting started. Once you’ve jumped into the process, you realize it’s a terrific learning exercise. You can always update or make changes as necessary, but importantly, you have begun anchoring your expectations.\r\n\r\nBy establishing a plan, you’ll quickly realize that you have more investing confidence, a better understanding of what you need to do manage your future, and are generally less anxious about your future.\r\n\r\n<em>Fred Gaskin is the branch leader at the Charles Schwab Independent Branch in Bluffton. He has over 35 years of experience helping clients achieve their financial goals. Some content provided here has been compiled from previously published articles authored by various parties at Schwab.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>Investing involves risk including loss of principal. Diversification strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>The information here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The type of securities and investment strategies mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decision.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>For more information on the Schwab study referenced above, visit: https://www.aboutschwab.com/modernwealth2019</em>', 'Financial plans are helpful, but financial planning is essential.', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'financial-plans-are-helpful-but-financial-planning-is-essential', '', '', '2021-03-30 15:01:47', '2021-03-30 19:01:47', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45265', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45267, 4, '2020-07-22 14:38:14', '2020-07-22 18:38:14', '<h2>District says it could still start with all-virtual instruction</h2>\r\n<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>\r\n\r\nParents of Beaufort County school children will have two options for their child’s education when schools reopen this fall – keep children home for virtual instruction or send them to school for in-person education.\r\n\r\nHowever, the plan comes with one important caveat: Even if families choose the face-to-face option, which will include new Covid-19 protocols designed to keep students and staff safe, there is still the possibility that schools may switch to an all virtual model.\r\n\r\n“…As we approach that Sept. 8 start date, if conditions are not safe to go back into the classrooms to do face-to-face instruction, then we will begin everyone virtual,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez at an online press conference held with members of the media on Friday, July 17.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.beaufortschools.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=170925&amp;pageId=24106428\">The full plan</a>, which was also released on Friday and posted on the district’s website, provides additional details of both options.\r\n\r\nIt also includes health and safety protocols for riding buses, wearing face coverings, now required in schools, and testing and quarantining should students or staff become sick or exhibit symptoms.\r\n\r\nThe release of the district’s plan followed a press conference from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster earlier in the week in which he urged South Carolina schools to reopen after Labor Day.\r\n\r\nWhile Beaufort County had already elected to move its start date to Sept. 8, many South Carolina school districts had planned for an Aug. 17 reopening date. But state officials thought that date was too soon to ensure the health and safety of parents, teachers and students.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, parents should go ahead and choose which option they prefer, district officials said on Friday so that they can finish planning for how many students to expect in classrooms this fall.\r\n\r\nIf the district has an abundance of parents who choose the face-to-face option, for example, schools may shift to a hybrid model of instruction in order to adhere to physical distancing and other guidelines recommended by DHEC.\r\n\r\nIn that scenario, school days would be divided into AA and BB days that would allow schools to split the number of students in each class and decrease the number of students in the building on any given day, officials said.\r\n\r\nOn days when students are not at school they would be at home participating in distance learning, or the virtual model of instruction.\r\n\r\nSchool officials said they won’t know until more registrations are in, if they will be switching to the hybrid model. As of Friday, the district had only received about 6,000 registrations, with 60 percent signing up for face-to-face instruction and 40 percent opting for the virtual model.\r\n\r\nWith 22,000 students in the district, school officials expect the bulk of registrations to come in within the next few weeks.\r\n\r\n<em>Mindy Lucas is the Beaufort reporter for The Island News and is a staff writer for Lowcountry Weekly. She can be reached at mindy.islandnews@gmail.com.</em>\r\n\r\nRelated story:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://staging.yourislandnews.com/teachers-remain-concerned-over-in-person-instruction/\">Teachers remain concerned over in-person instruction</a>\r\n<h6 class=\"post-title single-title\">&nbsp;</h6>', 'School reopening plan features 2 options for parents', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'school-reopening-plan-features-2-options-for-parents', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:08:42', '2020-07-22 19:08:42', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45267', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45269, 4, '2020-07-22 14:43:38', '2020-07-22 18:43:38', '<strong>By Justin Jarrett</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>LowcoSports.com</strong>\r\n\r\nMost of the time, Gavin Moore is an ordinary pre-teen boy who loves playing video games and sports and riding his skateboard or surfboard with his friends. Other times, he’s out for an 8-hour run, leaving grown men who have raced all their lives in the dust.\r\n\r\n“I want to make running a lifetime thing and just be happy with it,” Moore said. “Go to college, maybe even the Olympics.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nForgive him if he makes such a bold statement so casually — he’s only 12, and frankly, it’s not an unrealistic goal.\r\n\r\nMoore has shown he has a rare and natural ability for distance running since he started pounding the pavement in first grade. He stayed after school one day to run with a sixth-grader who ran cross country and was immediately hooked, so he began pushing his parents for more opportunities to train and race, starting with local 5K road races and steadily pushing himself harder.\r\n\r\n“He always wanted that next distance or goal time,” Gavin’s mother, Emily, said. “He joined the Beaufort Track Club because he was craving more. We let him be the guide and set his goals.”\r\n\r\nFor the past several months, he has been focused on training for the Cremator Ultra, a 50-mile grind contested on a fully-exposed 12.5-mile stretch of road in Beaufort in the middle of July, when the temperature routinely pushes triple digits and the heat index easily exceeds 100 degrees.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSuch was the case July 12, when Moore was one of only seven runners who completed the race. But he didn’t just complete it — he blazed through the four 12.5-mile legs of the race in 7 hours, 49 minutes, and 40 seconds, more than an hour faster than runner-up Ryan Dunn.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMoore had a gameplan for the Cremator, and he was able to stick to it. He went out in a crisp 8:30 mile pace and kept his first 30 miles under 9-minute pace before easing off a bit. He was all alone by the first checkpoint at 12.5 miles, but he still found an extra gear at the end, pushing back under the 9-minute pace for the final four miles.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“I just wanted to get it over with,” Moore recalls. “It was so hot.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMoore is already something of a celebrity around Beaufort, drawing plenty of honks and waves from neighbors who see him putting in work on the roads and trails where he typically runs 35-50 miles per week. He hopes to raise his profile while reducing his mileage this fall — the first year he is eligible to compete for the Beaufort High School cross country team, a moment he has looked forward to for years while training with the Eagles’ top runners.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“Gavin is a phenomenal athlete,” said Marlon Belden, who was the Class 4A state runner-up for the Eagles as a junior last fall. “His potential is truly limitless, and to think he hasn’t even started running at the high school level yet is beyond exciting. When you have a kid with that much passion, in combination with an unmatched work ethic, you are bound to see some national records fall. We have all been betting on this kid for years. He’s a hometown hero and will continue to excel in this sport at every level.”\r\n\r\nIt’s not just his future high school teammates who have taken Moore under their wing. He gives a lot of the credit for his success to local distance runners Tim Waz and Stephen Noble, who have trained with him for several years and nurtured his unique ability.\r\n\r\nMoore ran his first 50K at age 9 and has since completed two marathons, two more 50Ks, including a trail race, and now the 50-mile Cremator. He already holds age-group state records in the 5K, 8K, 10-mile, and marathon. Just how far Moore can push himself is yet to be seen, and he and his family know his talent could be fleeting. As he ages and matures, his body will change, and that might dictate whether he focuses on speed, endurance, or something in between.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“He’s a small kid but it’s never stopped him,” Belden said. “It might even work to his advantage if his growth is steady.”\r\n\r\nAn unexpected growth spurt might change Gavin Moore’s focus and his goals, but it won’t be able to derail his drive and work ethic, nor the intrinsic motivation to be the best he can be.\r\n\r\n“Winning is nice,” Moore says, “but time … If I get my PR, I’m always going to be more happy than if I win the race.”', 'Running a lifetime thing for Moore', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'schsl-rejects-schedule-overhaul-pushes-back-fall-season', '', '', '2020-12-04 01:37:01', '2020-12-04 06:37:01', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45269', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45273, 4, '2020-07-22 14:47:13', '2020-07-22 18:47:13', '<strong>By Justin Jarrett</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>LowcoSports.com</strong>\r\n\r\nThe South Carolina High School League’s plan for the fall sports season began to take shape last week — albeit somewhat amorphous — when the league’s executive committee denied a proposal to restructure the entire 2020–21 calendar and approved a plan to push back the start of fall sports.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nA nearly three-hour online meeting of the SCHSL Executive Committee and school administrators covered plenty of ground — including the Lexington 1 School District’s proposal to proceed with low- and moderate-risk sports in the fall and move higher-risk sports, including football, to the spring. But their ultimate decision was to stay the course, moving the start of football practice back from July 31 to Aug. 17 with hopes of playing a seven-game regular season and four-week postseason, rather than the typical five-round format. Teams that do not qualify for the condensed postseason would be permitted to schedule an eighth game.\r\n\r\nOther fall sports could begin practice Aug. 17 and play their first games beginning Sept. 1. All sports that use region standings for playoff seeding — football, volleyball, and girls tennis — would be asked to play region contests first during the compacted season in hopes of completing the region schedule and preserving the prospect of a traditional postseason.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton touted the plan’s flexibility, including the prospect of further delaying the start of the season if the state of the COVID-19 pandemic does not improve, as well as the ability to play either a full or compacted schedule in the winter and spring seasons if the fall slate is delayed further. Singleton said the start of the football regular season could be pushed back as far as Oct. 2 before having to dramatically alter the seven-game format, and the schedule could also accommodate an interruption of up to two weeks without invading other sports’ seasons.\r\n\r\n“This virus is truly a moving target,” Singleton said. “I think it would be a mistake if we just tried to time it out. … We won’t be able to predict that the virus will be any less at any time than what it is now.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nSingleton said the league hopes the additional delay will provide time for mask mandates and other preventative measures to take hold, as well as allowing time for experts to learn more about how the virus is spread and thus how to implement guidelines to prevent the spread during athletic competition.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCritics of the SCHSL proposal on social media argued it wasn’t much of a plan at all and favored the Lexington 1 proposal or the approach the state’s private schools are taking, which essentially amounts to full speed ahead.\r\n\r\nSCISA Athletics Director Mike Fanning reiterated to member schools this week that the league will move forward with its plans to begin full practices July 29 and proceed with a full 10-game regular season and playoffs as scheduled.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAnother point of contention during Wednesday’s discussion was the subject of offseason workouts, which SCHSL approved beginning June 8. Local SCISA programs also are conducting summer workouts, but the Beaufort County School District announced this week it would delay the start of summer workouts from July 20 to Aug. 10, now just one week ahead of the proposed start of fall practice.\r\n\r\nGreenville County Schools, which also have shut down in-person workouts, presented a proposal to halt workouts statewide, citing a competitive advantage, but the proposal was denied.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nWhen the meandering Zoom meeting finally wrapped up, the answers that were provided were mostly tentative. With the pandemic still occurring in real-time, the executive committee plans to reconvene Aug. 4, hopefully armed with more information to advance a plan for competition this fall.\r\n\r\n“Hopefully,” Singleton said, “we discover more that will allow us to be more relaxed, not more prohibitive.”<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'SCHSL rejects schedule overhaul, pushes back fall season', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'schsl-rejects-schedule-overhaul-pushes-back-fall-season-2', '', '', '2020-07-22 14:47:13', '2020-07-22 18:47:13', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45273', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45275, 4, '2020-07-22 14:51:40', '2020-07-22 18:51:40', '<strong>By Scott Graber</strong>\r\n\r\nIt is Saturday, early, humid and still. It is July and this, of course, is Beaufort. This July, however, is different.\r\n\r\nThis morning I don’t have my Gazette — there is no longer a Saturday issue — nor do I have the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ’s “weekend edition” comes by mail and generally doesn’t arrive until Monday.\r\n\r\nI do have my computer and have, grudgingly, learned how to use Google and routinely navigate my way to recently published articles. This morning I have a piece from Harper’s titled “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate.”\r\n\r\nThe piece begins by saying the obvious. That we are in a “moment of trial” where powerful protests for “racial and social justice” are in the streets, surging through the social media, splayed across the front pages of newspapers that I don’t have this morning.\r\n\r\nThe piece goes on to say that “the free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of liberal society, is becoming more constricted. While we have come to expect this on the radical right, censoriousness is also spreading more widely in our culture; an intolerance of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism, and the tendency to dissolve complex policy in a blinding moral certainty.”\r\n\r\nThe piece — signed by writers like Margaret Atwood, J.K. Rowling and Atul Gawande — says “the way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion, not by trying to silence or wish them away … as writers we need a culture for experimentation, risk taking, and even mistakes. We need to preserve the possibility of good faith disagreement without professional consequences.”\r\n\r\nThis piece comes not from Donald Trump or his apologists, rather it comes from left-leaning writers, journalists and column-writers who see a growing “censoriousness” and unquestionable righteousness coming from college students, university professors who “disinvite” speakers and who call for the firing of faculty who have strayed away from accepted dogma. But here, in Harper’s, is a plea for unfettered, unpunished debate and for keeping one’s mind open to new, uncomfortable opinion.\r\n\r\nFor my generation — those creaking souls now in their mid-70s — this is a hard thing to do. We have been sentient for six decades and we have seen a lot of trial and tribulation. We have seen felons and fools as well as genius and generosity. We have come a very long way and now, at long last, we believe we know what is true and how the world works.\r\n\r\nIn my own case (“Oh boy, here he goes again”) I have a set of beliefs, one of which concerns the American Civil War. That belief was neatly captured by the film-maker, Ken Burns, about 20 years ago.\r\n\r\nOne remembers Shelby Foote speaking — in his sonorous Mississippi accent — about the tactical tenacity of J.E.B. Stuart and Ulysses Grant. One remembers the letters (from doomed farm boys on both sides) read against the haunting strains of Ashokan Farewell. One remembers that millions tuned into this series and talked about it for months thereafter.\r\n\r\nNow, these same doomed soldiers (if they were Southern) are compared with the Schutzstaffel — and J.E.B Stuart has assumed a Rommelesque persona. On maybe Hans Guderian is the better metaphor. There has been a sea change that may have something to do with the passing of the World War II generation and the thinning-out of the Boomers.\r\n\r\nI just don’t know how or why this has happened.\r\n\r\nI have five friends with whom I meet every Thursday afternoon. We talk about Trump, about the virus, about race, about education and retirees and resorts on barrier islands. And we disagree. Sometimes we raise our voices and shout, “That’s a crock of ______!” Sometimes we are a little more precise in our criticism.\r\n\r\nBut at the end of the hour — sometimes two hours — we adjourn with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and, if necessary, apologize and affirm the fact that each of us is entitled to his or her view however moronic or misguided. With the help of that full bodied Cab we gaze out into the nearby marsh (and sky) marveling at the drama of the contrasts and colors.\r\n\r\nThe writers who put together the Harper’s piece know their history — the French Revolution in particular. But they also know the right to disagree, to say something odious (not harmful) is precious. And that open debate, in these strange and turbulent times, is under assault.\r\n\r\n<em>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</em>', 'Open debate under assault in America', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'open-debate-under-assault-in-america', '', '', '2020-07-22 14:52:15', '2020-07-22 18:52:15', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45275', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45377, 4, '2020-08-04 08:19:14', '2020-08-04 12:19:14', '', 'Plums-Breakfast-Lunch-600x180', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'plums-breakfast-lunch-600x180', '', '', '2020-08-04 08:19:14', '2020-08-04 12:19:14', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Plums-Breakfast-Lunch-600x180.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(45279, 4, '2020-07-22 14:54:37', '2020-07-22 18:54:37', 'My girlfriend Donna called the other day.\r\n\r\n“Helwo” she said\r\n\r\n“Who is this?” I asked, hearing what sounded like a 3-year old child.\r\n\r\n“It’s me she said. I had oral surgery.” She mumbled.\r\n\r\nThe sentence did not come across that clear, but I was able to get the gist of it. It turns out that at the grand old age of 62, she had to have her two lower wisdom teeth pulled.\r\n\r\nI will not go into all the gory details, but Donna was not a happy camper.\r\n\r\nI was reminded of when I was 19 years old and had to have three impacted wisdom teeth extracted. I looked like Richard Nixon for days. My jowls swelled; and forget about talking. I could barely move my mouth. So, I was sympathetic.\r\n\r\nShe asked, “Do you know why doctors do not give patients post-surgery instructions until after the surgery?”\r\n\r\n“Maybe patients would not have the surgery if they understood all the complications.” I suggested.\r\n\r\nThen she proceeded to tell me the events of the previous days. She said her husband had to wait out in the car during the procedure; and afterwards, the nurse walked her out, wobbly and puffy looking. She had gobs of gauze in her mouth too. The nurse handed her husband four pages of discharge instructions, along with five prescriptions.\r\n\r\nDonna was kind of out of it and did not quite understand the concept of “post-surgery” instructions.\r\n\r\nAs they were driving home her husband asked, “Do you want me to drop off the prescriptions and take you home, or do you want to wait in the car with me?”\r\n\r\n“Uh huh,” she replied. He asked “The first or the second. You have two options. Which one?” he asked. She pulled out the gauze and mumbled, “Home.”\r\n\r\nBut first, they stopped at a fast food joint where she asked for something to drink because her mouth was so dry. She swallowed a nice cold soda, which she sucked it down with a straw.\r\n\r\nThat evening, as she was enjoying a glass of wine, having taken her antibiotic and pain medicine, her husband finally read all the instructions.\r\n\r\n“Uh oh.” Her husband said. “Guess we should have read these sooner.”\r\n\r\nAs they went through the list, they realized she had violated many of the items on the “Do not do” list. That is when she wondered why she had not been given the instructions beforehand.\r\n\r\n“Maybe Lee was right. The doctor doesn’t want to scare you,” she said.\r\n\r\nBut as she sat there finishing her glass of wine, she was glad she had not read the instructions beforehand. After all, a glass of wine after oral surgery seemed like just what the doctor should have ordered.\r\n\r\n<em>Lee Scott, award winning humor writer takes her “Walter Mitty” like persona and spins tales around everyday life. She enjoys boating, reading, and meeting people. Scott lives in Beaufort with her husband, JD, along with their dog Brandy. You can reach her at Lasshood@aol.com.</em>', 'Shouldn’t you get the instructions first?', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'shouldnt-you-get-the-instructions-first', '', '', '2020-07-22 14:54:37', '2020-07-22 18:54:37', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45279', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45281, 4, '2020-07-22 15:06:05', '2020-07-22 19:06:05', '<strong>By David Taub</strong>\r\n\r\nRemember the story of “Typhoid Mary?”\r\n\r\nAllegedly, she was the first person in the United States diagnosed with typhoid fever. Because she was asymptomatic, she refused to stop working as a cook.\r\n\r\nThousands died from the tragic infection that was traced back to just one person.\r\n\r\nMany of us are puzzled about how the deadly COVID-19 traveled so quickly to every place on Earth in only a few short months.\r\n\r\nRemember the myth about the invention of chess? A very smart mathematical wizard in China conned his Emperor, who was not very smart (much like our own POTUS).\r\n\r\nAs a reward, graciously offered by the duped Emperor, the Wizard asked only to receive one rick grain on the first square, two on the second square, and then thereafter square the progression of tiny rice kernels on each of the 62 squares remaining.\r\n\r\nThe Emperor quickly agreed. The real math showed that the rice owed to the Wizard was more than the rice-rich kingdom could produce in centuries.\r\n\r\nRealizing this, the enraged and embarrassed Emperor quickly rewarded the Wizard with a one-way trip to “heaven.”\r\n\r\nThe number of rice grains on the 64th square is 263, or 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 grains! That is what exponential means. Viruses thrive on exponential growth.\r\n\r\nOur POTUS has insisted on creating a fake make-believe alternate reality where COVID-19 is no big deal. POTUS declares that “soon it will just fade away;” perhaps much like General McArthur’s axiom pertaining to old soldiers, who also “… just fade away.”\r\n\r\nTruth and reality intrude so that we now witness the largest daily nation-wide increase of infections yet recorded, as we continue to lead the world in this mortifying statistic. And 137,000 dead with no end in sight.\r\n\r\nOur most exalted medical experts document a truth that is diametrically opposite to the unending litany of POTUS’s lies.\r\n\r\nDr. Fauci, the nation\'s top infectious disease guru, recently testifying under oath at a Congressional hearing. He said unequivocally that wearing face-masks is \"definitely helpful in preventing acquisition as well as transmission\" of COVID-19, and that the U.S. “has not prevailed” over this killer.\r\n\r\nFor his honesty, Dr. Fauci has become persona non grata at the White House. Truth to power.\r\n\r\nWhen you conflate science with science fiction, you get politics! And bad politics at that. Outraged by the truth of real numbers, POTUS just (July 15) ordered hospitals to send their infection/death data to the White House instead of the CDC.\r\n\r\nHello? What kind of BS is this? Will you believe those White House “analyzed” numbers? I damned sure won’t!\r\n\r\nI continue my study of the newly discovered virus, DUMB-20; I am disappointed that NIH refuses to fund my research. I identified a large number of symptoms characterizing DUMB-20, and they seem to be exhibited most flagrantly in our own “typhoid Donald,” especially affecting his cerebral abilities.\r\n\r\nDJT represents how this infection creates a cognitive dissonance, rendering him DDB (deaf, dumb, blind) to undeniable facts of the real world. Yet, burrowed inside his cocoon of unreality and deniability, POTUS demands extraordinary efforts from everyone else to protect him from a killer virus that he says he has turned to dust.\r\n\r\nOn July 17, there were a stunning 75,600 new infections, 11 records set in the past month. With his “stable genius” intellect (you bet), empty heart and stone-cold soul, POTUS claims “Only I can fix it!” Oh? So why ain’t it fixed already? With staggering increases in new cases and deaths every day, it seems to me someone has a whole lot of fixin’ to do. And the sooner, the better.\r\n\r\nWho might that “someone” be? At present, there is no coordinated action plan being developed in the White House to address the pandemic that literally sucks the life out of our republic.\r\n\r\nDUMB-20 appears to be highly infectious. Sadly, some of those newly infected by POTUS’s narcissistic self-absorption will die of terminal STUPIDNESS, but their death certificate will indicate that it was COVID-19. Wrong. DUMB-20 is the culprit, no doubt!\r\n\r\nWith 137,000 deaths and climbing, POTUS maintains we are doing okay and he is on top of things. You should be outraged at this craziness.\r\n\r\nDonald John Trump has laid waste to our country with a slash and burn style of non-leadership, preferring an incompetence and malevolence only he can deliver.\r\n\r\nWe the People must put an end to this. He makes a better “bean salesman” than POTUS! Can you believe that insane photo? That’s worse than the horrible “Bible” photo op. Thank you, Mr. President. DUMB-20 strikes again!\r\n\r\nDisclaimer: I hope I did not confuse our readers with my last opinion piece about me not speaking or writing about POTUS again. The last three sentences of that piece were intended to indicate I meant AFTER the election. Sorry if I unintentionally misled anyone.\r\n\r\n<em>“Well, all I know is what I read in the newspapers.” – Will Rogers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;\r\n</span>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999 and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate from 2010 to 2015. You can reach him at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</em>', 'Typhoid Donald: The pandemic of DUMB-20, unmasked', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'typhoid-donald-the-pandemic-of-dumb-20-unmasked', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:07:33', '2020-07-22 19:07:33', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45281', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45295, 4, '2020-07-22 15:12:49', '2020-07-22 19:12:49', 'Institutions of higher education around the world continue their planning to safely reopen this fall. The style of education will vary and most certainly will be written in sand, being subject to constant change, rather than being set in stone.\r\n\r\nThe binary model of fully in-person classes and fully remote learning is replaced by many hybrid variations, all designed to prevent the spread of infection and to accommodate illness. Professors will be expected to quickly and creatively adapt methodologies to their curricula, lesson plans, lectures, advising, experiential learning, and exams amid the presence of COVID-19.\r\n\r\nAnother campus challenge is student awareness and adherence to safety measures. Three of the most widely promoted safety measures during COVID-19 are hand washing, wearing a mask, and maintaining a social distance of six feet.\r\n\r\nCollege life is a time of academic growth, communal living, and social exploration. More than ever, college campuses will need creative and collaborative assistance in implementing campus safety.\r\n\r\nIn preparing for student arrival, signage and mandatory video training are important measures of relaying information and providing resources, however, they may not be the most impressionable or effective techniques in promoting safety adherence.\r\n\r\nOne strategy I deployed as a college student advisor of sexual health advocates is peer-to-peer education. Fostering peer-to-peer education may equip educators with an additional tool to consider as the fall semester approaches.\r\n\r\nThe benefits I have observed by incorporating peer educators in sexual health may be relevantly transferable to COVID-19 safety, moving from a Safer Sex campaign to a Safer Six (maintaining social distance) campaign. Peers have the power to reinforce, inspire, and change behavior. Peers can be a vital way of disseminating information and peers can often be more effective influencers.\r\n\r\nThe American College Health Association (ACHA) recently completed a brief data report titled The Impact of COVID-19 on College Student Well-Being. In the study, professors emerged on top. Students reported that their “campus leaders have generally been supportive, especially professors.”\r\n\r\nProfessors, being viewed as especially supportive in the ACHA report, are poised to connect with students to encourage safety measures.\r\n\r\nAs a professor myself, I believe we should consider advising students on peer-to-peer education in practicing Safer Six. This collaboration can take many different forms. Students who are looking for a capstone project, field work, service-learning, research, or honors dimension may be particularly interested in teaming up with faculty.\r\n\r\nBy no means is peer-to-peer education a panacea for the COVID-19 challenge facing our college campuses. Rather, it is a tool to consider. With professors’ support, students can leverage these opportunities in an impactful manner.\r\n\r\nPeer-to-peer education can benefit the campus community as it adjusts to the changing climate that COVID-19 created.\r\n\r\nThis fall semester holds many uncertainties. Through all the unknowns, there is one constant: the power of the student-professor relationship.\r\n\r\nI encourage faculty to adopt lessons learned in peer-to-peer Safer Sex education to collaborate with students and explore the effective role peer educators may play in supporting the practice of Safer Six.\r\n\r\n<em>Dr. Alice Holland, PhD, APRN, CSE is a national certified family nurse practitioner and national certified sex educator. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of South Carolina Beaufort\r\n\r\nExclusive content from CARE Magazine.</em>', 'The power of peers: Now is the time for Safer Six', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'the-power-of-peers-now-is-the-time-for-safer-six', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:12:49', '2020-07-22 19:12:49', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45295', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45286, 4, '2020-07-22 15:06:59', '2020-07-22 19:06:59', 'Port Royal’s Michael and Donna Chapman will be debuting their brand-new children’s book “The Adventures of Harriet the Sausage Dog” at McIntosh Book Shoppe from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 24 at 917 Bay Street in Beaufort.\r\n\r\nJack Magnus of Readers’ Favorite LLC gave “HARRIET” a five-star award and review: “The Adventures of Harriet the Sausage Dog is a warm and loving homage to the authors’ own dachshund, Harriet. Charlie and Harriet’s adventure is a wild one, and it is guaranteed to have young readers wondering if the two friends will ever make it back home again. … The Adventures of Harriet the Sausage Dog is most highly recommended.”', 'Port Royal couple to share new children’s book', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'port-royal-couple-share-to-share-new-childrens-book-port-royals-michael', '', '', '2020-07-23 11:05:34', '2020-07-23 15:05:34', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45286', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45290, 4, '2020-07-22 15:09:32', '2020-07-22 19:09:32', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nA new category called the Duty &amp; Honor Film Collection has been added to the 15th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival, scheduled for Feb. 16-21, 2021.\r\n\r\nThis new category will stand alone from the other categories – feature films, short films, documentaries (feature length and short), animated films, student films, and screenplays – in that it will consist of films that are 40 minutes or shorter and reflect positively on the United States military, law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel and other first responders and their families.\r\n\r\n\"We felt that the time was right to stand up for our valiant public servants who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve the people of our country,” President/CEO of the Beaufort Film Society Ron Tucker said in a release. “There are too many good stories that are not being told. This is a plea to filmmakers to tell those stories in a positive way.\"\r\n\r\nTucker himself is a retired U.S. Marine.\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort International Film Festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society. For more information or to submit a film, visit http://www.beaufortfilmfestival.com. Final deadline for submissions is Dec. 5, 2020.\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort Film Society is a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3, member-supported organization dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.', 'Film Festival seeks films that honor military, police, first responders', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'film-festival-seeks-films-that-honor-military-police-first-responders', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:09:32', '2020-07-22 19:09:32', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45290', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45298, 4, '2020-07-22 15:13:44', '2020-07-22 19:13:44', '<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Lending Room, an all-volunteer, locally based nonprofit, is trying to get the word out about a surplus of gently used medical equipment.\r\n\r\nFounded in 1961, The Lending Room works to supply patients who need home medical equipment with the items they need and also accepts donations.\r\n\r\nMedical supplies began stacking up after The Lending Room closed in March due to Covid-19, but the organization and its storage facility have recently re-opened, though with new safety protocols in place such as the wearing of masks.\r\n\r\nThe group currently has crutches, orthopedic boots and braces, bed pads, knee scooters and many other items and, in particular, has a high volume of wheelchairs, bedside commodes or toilet chairs and walkers.\r\n\r\nIf you or someone is in need of one of these items, contact The Lending Room at 843-524-2554. Those accepting the equipment are only required to pay $1 upon pick up, which covers the release of the item as is.\r\n\r\nThe facility has regular hours, but volunteers advise calling first to make sure they are there or can accommodate requests. For more information, visit www.lendingroombeaufort.com.', 'Local nonprofit has surplus medical supplies and equipment', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'local-nonprofit-has-surplus-medical-supplies-and-equipment', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:13:44', '2020-07-22 19:13:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45298', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45301, 4, '2020-07-22 15:15:17', '2020-07-22 19:15:17', 'Andrea Ogiony took this photo of sunset on the Broad River at Habersham. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.', 'Lowcountry Life', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-life-124', '', '', '2020-07-22 15:15:17', '2020-07-22 19:15:17', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45301', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45307, 4, '2020-07-29 07:37:32', '2020-07-29 11:37:32', '<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nAs of 11 a.m. Monday, July 27, there were 32 COVID-19 positive patients at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, according to hospital spokesperson Courtney McDermott.\r\n\r\nEight of the 10 beds occupied in the 12-bed Intensive Care Unit were COVID-19 positive, and six of those were on ventilators. As many as 10 patients were on ventilators over the weekend, McDermott said.\r\n\r\nMcDermott did not confirm any staffing issues in the ICU.\r\n\r\nLast week, Beaufort Memorial tested 264 symptomatic patients, 184 in the ER. Forty-seven of those were admitted.\r\n\r\n“Testing is a little bit of a pain point right now,” McDermott said, “given the volume of people we are testing and the allocation of testing supplies.”\r\n\r\nMcDermott said some of the hospitals tests were being sent to the state lab, while the rest were going to MUSC in Charleston.\r\n\r\n<strong>No hospitalization data</strong>\r\n\r\nThere has still been very little hospitalization data<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>began reporting statistics to TeleTracking instead of the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) on July 15.\r\n\r\nAccording to DHEC, hospitals are still making the transition and during this transition, the information currently provided by hospitals is incomplete and, therefore, inaccurate. DHEC says when it is able to verify the information the hospitals are reporting as part of this new reporting requirement is accurate and the system is fully implemented, it will resume daily data reports.\r\n\r\nAs of July 24, the last date the data was presented, there were 1,668 hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients and 263 of those were on ventilators.\r\n\r\nFor July 14, the last date before the switch, there were 1,593 hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients and 214 of those were on ventilators. Those same numbers for the end of the previous week were 1,488 and 205, respectively.\r\n\r\n<b>THE NUMBERS<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Totals</b>\r\n\r\nAs of Monday, July 27\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. confirmed cases: </b>82,071\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. probable cases: </b>346\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. confirmed deaths: </b>1,452\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. probable deaths: </b>54\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County cases: </b>3,094\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County deaths: </b>36*\r\n\r\n*Total from Beaufort Co. Coroner’s Office, not DHEC\r\n\r\n<b>Last week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,449.6\r\n\r\n<b>Previous week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,860.2\r\n\r\n<b>Two weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,663.1\r\n\r\n<b>Three weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,604.1\r\n\r\n<b>Four weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,263.6\r\n\r\n<b>Last week’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>83.9\r\n\r\n<b>Previous week’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>72.4\r\n\r\n<b>Two weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>72.6\r\n\r\n<b>Three weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>52.4\r\n\r\n<b>Four weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>38.9\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>THE LAST WEEK<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Monday, July 27</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,226\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>17\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>110\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>14.6\r\n\r\n<b>Sunday, July 26</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,170\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>25\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>96\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>1\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>15.6\r\n\r\n<b>Saturday, July 25</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,368\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>74*\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>83\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>1\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>19.0\r\n\r\n*Record High\r\n\r\n<b>Friday, July 24</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,921\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>46\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>88\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>1\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>21.6\r\n\r\n<b>Thursday, July 23</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,538\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>49\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>65\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>2\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>20.9\r\n\r\n<b>Wednesday, July 22</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,654\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>39\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>84\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>19.3\r\n\r\n<b>Tuesday, July 21</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,870\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>56\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>61\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>3\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>22.0\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'COVID-19 patients keeping ICU busy', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'covid-19-patients-keeping-icu-busy', '', '', '2020-07-29 07:37:32', '2020-07-29 11:37:32', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45307', 0, 'post', '', 0),
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(45340, 4, '2020-07-29 10:48:18', '2020-07-29 14:48:18', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nIn support of South Carolina’s Aviation Week, Beaufort County and the Beaufort Aviation Association will honor the Tuskegee Airmen and the other American pilots and crew who made victory possible in World War II 75 years ago.\r\n\r\nThe public is invited to attend an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Beaufort County Airport, 39 Airport Circle, Lady’s Island, where a commemorative ceremony will be held.\r\n\r\nThe open house will feature free airplane rides, “flybys” by a variety of airplanes, aircraft displays on the parking ramp, and a welcome tent with aviation exhibitors.\r\n\r\nPrior to the event, plans are for runners to take part in a 5K run, with an early morning start.\r\n\r\nSponsors include the County’s Economic Development Corp., Beaufort Aviation Association, Executive Flight Training, Lockheed Corp., Beaufort Flight Training LLC, Levin Aeromedical Consultants, ProSlab Inc., EdgeSystemXXI, Live Oak Builders, First Command Financial Services, and Swamp Fox Avionics.\r\n\r\nSouth Carolina’s Aviation Week celebrates the significant economic contributions of the aerospace industry to the state. Historically, August 15, 1945 was the end of World War II and is remembered as Victory Over Japan day. The week also marks the Aug. 19 birth date of Orville Wright, who piloted the first successful powered and controlled flight in 1903.\r\n\r\nFor more information, contact Beaufort Aviation Association President James Atkins at 843-812-9909 or jim@flybeaufort.com.', 'Open house to highlight aviation’s benefits to Beaufort', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'open-house-to-highlight-aviations-benefits-to-beaufort', '', '', '2020-07-29 10:48:18', '2020-07-29 14:48:18', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45340', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45343, 4, '2020-07-29 10:50:35', '2020-07-29 14:50:35', '<strong>Mr. Seafood to host grand opening</strong>\r\n\r\nMr. Seafood is excited to announce the Aug. 8 Grand Opening of its newest restaurant, Mr. Seafood Beaufort located at 1281 Ribaut Road.\r\n\r\nDue to Covid-19, Mr. Seafood Beaufort will be taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of guests and employees by hosting two separate ceremonies. City officials, employees, and media are invited to attend the private Grand Opening Ceremony from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The public will be able to attend the second ceremony that will be held from 2 to 3 p.m.\r\n\r\nMr. Seafood\'s menu will showcase fresh seafood, including snow crab, blue crab, shrimp, and a selection of fresh fish such as flounder, whiting, swai, and bream, along with the signature Garlic Butter Sauce.\r\n\r\n<strong>Twenge + Twombley welcomes new attorney</strong>\r\n\r\nTwenge + Twombley Law Firm announced July 17 that attorney Lee Anne Walters has joined the firm’s legal team.\r\n\r\n“We are so excited to have attorney Walters be a part of our legal team at Twenge + Twombley,” partner Ashley Twombley said. “Attorney Walters brings a wealth of knowledge and experience about a wide range of legal issues, and we are delighted to have her on board.”\r\n\r\nMs. Walters has been a litigator for almost 15 years and her experience includes civil cases of all shapes and sizes. Ms. Walters’ clients include plaintiffs and defendants, as well as individuals and businesses.\r\n\r\nPrior to joining Twenge + Twombley, Ms. Walters practiced law with Motley Rice, a large plaintiff’s firm, representing individuals and institutional investors in securities fraud and other class action litigation. She also practiced with Duffy &amp; Young and Lyles &amp; Lyles. Ms. Walters is admitted to practice in South Carolina’s state and federal courts, and is also a certified mediator.\r\n\r\nMs. Walters is a graduate of Clemson University and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She also has a masters in education from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.', 'BUSINESS BRIEFS', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'business-briefs-29', '', '', '2020-07-29 10:50:35', '2020-07-29 14:50:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45343', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45345, 4, '2020-07-29 10:52:01', '2020-07-29 14:52:01', 'This year the Gullah Geechee Initiative Foundation, Inc. (GGIF) sponsored the “Mandela Day Food Distribution Project” on Saturday, July 18 in commemoration of the 102th birthday anniversary of Nelson Mandela, the first South African President and a true servant of the people. GGIF would like to thank all who helped with this year’s Mandela Day food distribution. Also, special thanks to Simba League, Girl Scouts Troop 4105, S.C. DHEC, Lowcountry Food Bank, Salvation Army, Walmart Nos. 7181 and 1383, Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, Healthy Blue South Carolina, Piggly Wiggly, Beautification Committee for MLK Jr. Memorial Park, 24K Social Club, Beaufort Jasper Comp. Health, St. Helena Lodge 4, Marshview Community Organic Farm, and the Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections.', 'MANDELA DAY CHARITY', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mandela-day-charity', '', '', '2020-07-29 10:52:01', '2020-07-29 14:52:01', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45345', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45348, 4, '2020-07-29 10:58:19', '2020-07-29 14:58:19', 'From staff reports\r\n\r\nThe S.C. Victim Assistance Network on Monday, July 27 recognized 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone for his work to help crime victims, including the launch of a first-in-the-state victims services center.\r\n\r\n“This award is given to a member of the criminal justice system who has exemplified true advocacy on behalf of crime victims,” SCVAN Executive Director Laura S. Hudson said. “Solicitor Stone has knocked down barriers for crime victims not only in the 14th Circuit but has created a blueprint for others in the state.”\r\n\r\nWorking with several local organizations, the Solicitor’s Office announced the grand opening of the 14th Circuit Victims Services Center in October 2019. Partners include Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, Hopeful Horizons, the Child Abuse Prevention Association and the Lowcountry Alliance for Healthy Youth. At the center, they assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes against the vulnerable.\r\n\r\n\"In reality, this is a community recognition,\" Stone said. \"The center is the result of over 20 organizations and individuals coming together to provide services that are critical to helping victims. Due to their work, in the first six months the center has helped more than 600 people, 100 of them children.\"\r\n\r\nAlthough there are other victim centers in South Carolina, they lack an exam room, the presence of a prosecutorial agency or both. The 14th Circuit Victims Center is located just down the hall from the Solicitor’s Office Special Victims Unit. The facility also includes a medical exam room and forensic interview room.\r\n\r\nBefore the launch of the 14th Circuit Sexual Assault Forensic Exam program, children were forced to travel long distances for acute treatment, usually to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The SAFE Program aims to mitigate that traumatic experience, Stone noted, by reducing both travel and the number of times victims must recount their experience to those helping them.\r\n\r\nStone was honored Monday as part of the SCVAN’s 2020 Victims’ Rights Week Conference in Columbia, where more than 400 professionals from the criminal justice and victims services sector receive training and network. The ceremony was conducted in an online teleconference because of the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\n<em>Solicitor Duffie Stone and Victims Services Director Michelle Fraser stand just outside the 14th Circuit Victims Services Center, located at the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office headquarters in Okatie. The Center provides assistance to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes against vulnerable populations.</em>', 'Advocacy group honors Solicitor Stone for helping crime victims', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'advocacy-group-honors-solicitor-stone-for-helping-crime-victims', '', '', '2020-07-29 10:58:19', '2020-07-29 14:58:19', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45348', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45352, 4, '2020-07-29 11:02:52', '2020-07-29 15:02:52', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nThe City of Beaufort has been awarded a grant of $188,500 from the South Carolina Historic Preservation Office to restore windows at the Carnegie Library Building that were damaged by both Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.\r\n\r\nThe Carnegie Library Building, which is owned by the City, opened in 1918, one of more than 1,600 public libraries across the United States funded by steel industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It is a contributing structure in the Beaufort Historic District. The building now houses the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce.\r\n\r\nDuring both hurricanes, water intrusion damaged the building, including many of the 29 windows.\r\n\r\nThe grant, which does not require a match, will allow the City to assess, restore and/or replace as needed the building’s windows.', 'City awarded grant to repair Carnegie Library building windows', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'city-awarded-grant-to-repair-carnegie-library-building-windows', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:02:52', '2020-07-29 15:02:52', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45352', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45355, 4, '2020-07-29 11:08:18', '2020-07-29 15:08:18', '<h4>By LOLITA HUCKABY\r\n\r\nLike the weather, local political races getting warmer</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;–&nbsp;</span>Summer’s dragging on, and the virus is still with us, but we have local politics to distract our attentions.\r\n\r\nCity Councilman Mike McFee has announced he will be running for a fourth time for his council seat. There was speculation that McFee might run for the mayor’s post but the local real estate broker has opted to run for City Council.\r\n\r\nHe will face retired Bay Street businessman Neil Lipsitz, Mitch Mitchell, who organized the March for Justice event last month, and musician Scott Gibbs for one of the two council seats on the November ballot. Incumbent Nan Sutton has not yet announced whether she will seek re-election.\r\n\r\nThe deadline for filing is noon Aug. 14.\r\n\r\nThe mayoral race, since Billy Keyserling is not running again, stands with current Councilman Stephen Murray set to face former Councilman Mike Sutton.\r\n\r\nIt appeared there might be a contested race for the County Council District 3 seat now held by York Glover. But a petition candidate seeking to challenge Glover did not have enough signatures for his petition by the July 20 deadline to get on the November ballot.\r\n\r\nGlover’s District 3 includes much of St. Helena, parts of Lady’s Island and even a bit of downtown Beaufort.\r\n\r\nSchool board candidates have until Aug. 17 to file. The only seat in northern Beaufort County up for election is District 1, now held by Earl Campbell who has filed for re-election. He has opposition from Jevona Armstrong.\r\n<h4><strong>Touring golf carts<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>closer to reality</strong></h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – City Council members unanimously approved the ordinance change last week to allow multi-passenger electric golf carts to the local touring option.\r\n\r\nAt least two business owners, one of which operates a tour van company, approached the city about changing the touring ordinance. The Council plans to have a special meeting Aug. 4 to give final approval to the ordinance change, giving the green flag to start those engines.\r\n\r\nThe multi-passenger cart tour operators would have to adhere to basically the same rules as the van and bus operations, including participation in a rotation system that limits the number of tour vehicles on the roads at one time.\r\n<h4>Whitehall, Salem Road developments reviewed</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – If we build it, they will come.\r\n\r\nThe Pulte Group, Atlanta-based home builders, last week outlined their plans for another 350-home subdivision on 94 wooded acres on Salem Road.\r\n\r\nThe Metropolitan Planning Commission gave their blessing to the development after some discussion of traffic impact on the two-lane road that services Battery Point subdivision and its neighbors.\r\n\r\nThe new subdivision, which has some waterfront property along Battery Creek, will include two new entrances onto Salem Road.\r\n\r\nOn the other side of town, Whitehall developers were sent back to the drawing board, or rather, the streets, to come back with another traffic plan to satisfy the MPC.\r\n\r\nThe citizens group took another look at the latest plans for the property at the foot of the Woods Bridge on Lady’s Island and didn’t care for what they saw.\r\n\r\nThe initial motion was to deny the request to subdivide the 10 acres to be developed (minus the acres purchased by the county for a park). But after considering denial would send the developers to court for an appeal, the Commissioners opted to ask for another traffic plan, one which wouldn’t impact the already busy Sea Island Parkway.\r\n\r\n<em>Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer, I-95 and U.S. 17 voyager and works for an online news service covering local government. She is a former reporter/editorial assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today. She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com.</em>', 'LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-lowdown-8', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:08:18', '2020-07-29 15:08:18', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45355', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45358, 4, '2020-07-29 11:12:08', '2020-07-29 15:12:08', '<strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nAfter tagging up on a long fly ball, Purple Cobra Kyle Young slides safely into second base as John Wiberg of the Light Blue team tries to field a wild throw from center field during their Beaufort County Adult League baseball game Wednesday, July 22 at Burton Wells Athletic Complex. The Light Blue team (3-1), spurred by including Hartley Smith’s sixth-inning home run to straight away center field, overcame a 4-1 deficit to beat the 0-3 Purple Cobras 10-5.&nbsp;', 'NEVER TOO OLD', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'never-too-old', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:12:08', '2020-07-29 15:12:08', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45358', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45361, 4, '2020-07-29 11:16:45', '2020-07-29 15:16:45', '<h4>Driscoll / Leach</h4>\r\nTracey M. Driscoll and James H. Leach II would like to announce their marriage. The couple was married at Harmony Presbyterian in Crocketville S.C. on June 13, 2020. The wedding was officiated by Reverend Rebecca Albright of Beaufort followed by a reception.\r\n\r\nThe bride is the daughter of the late Marilyn (Jupiter FL) and James Driscoll (Westerville OH).\r\n\r\nThe groom is the son of the late Marion and General Jimmie Leach of Beaufort, S.C.\r\n\r\nThe couple met over three years ago. It was their hope and heart’s desire to meet someone special and their prayers were answered when they found each other.\r\n\r\nTo honor his mother and father, the bride and groom proudly exchanged their wedding vows in the same church where the groom’s parents were happily married on June 23, 1951. Oddis Gooding of Crocketville attended both weddings.\r\n\r\nCoronavirus did not stop this Lilly Pulitzer themed wedding many guests were unable to attend, however some attended the service and not the reception.\r\n\r\nThe bride was grateful her siblings were by her side. Sister Debbie Grant was the maid of honor and standing in for father of the bride both brothers Jim and Rob Driscoll walked her down the aisle.\r\n\r\nThe groom was escorted by his daughter Annabelle Leach-Russell and his best man was Cousin Jacob Franklin Rivers III of Hampton SC.\r\n\r\nThe couple will reside on Lady’s Island and Tequesta Florida.', 'WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'wedding-announcement', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:16:45', '2020-07-29 15:16:45', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45361', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45365, 4, '2020-07-29 11:22:02', '2020-07-29 15:22:02', '<h2>Like many teachers, Robert Smalls’<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>Weaver preparing<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>for the unknown</h2>\r\n<strong>By Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nAs the beginning of the school year draws near amid the COVID-19 pandemic and parents and the Beaufort County School District must decide between in-person instruction or virtual learning or something in between, like many teachers, Eve Weaver, a 2nd grade teacher at Robert Smalls International Academy, is busy making sure she is ready for whatever may come.\r\n\r\n“I’m getting ready for virtual, hybrid or in-person learning,” Weaver said Thursday, July 23 in her classroom as she cleaned and organized her resources.\r\n\r\nHybrid learning is a combination of virtual learning for a couple days a week and being in the classroom for the remainder of the week.\r\n\r\nWeaver said if all her students are at home watching her on video, she’ll be ready with a synchronized instruction plan.\r\n\r\n“They can’t sit for seven hours watching me. I can’t sit for seven hours,” Weaver said. “So I’ll teach a lesson and tell them I’m going to<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>sign off now for a while and you need to go read this book or do that assignment.”\r\n\r\nWeaver said if it comes down to teaching virtually, she’ll teach from her own classroom, where she can change backgrounds depending on which subject she might be teaching.\r\n\r\n“I have all my materials and I feel comfortable here. I did not feel comfortable teaching from my kitchen table,” she said. “If I’m going to be teaching reading, I might do it from the word wall or teaching math from the calendar or in front of the big clock. But I don’t know what’s going to happen right now.”\r\n\r\nParents are still deciding what their preferences are, according to Weaver. She said if parents choose “in-person” learning, she’ll be ready for that. “But If they choose virtual, I’ll do virtual and be ready for it.”\r\n\r\nSocial distancing still has to be worked out, she said. But even that is falling into Weaver’s favor. Her classroom, formerly a middle school science lab, has lots of room, … and four sinks.\r\n\r\n“Distancing and washing hands should not be a problem,” she said.\r\n\r\nBut there are still challenges for the veteran teacher.\r\n\r\n“I have all these manipulatives that the children would normally use hands-on, like a large clock, a ruler, counters and blocks.”\r\n\r\nWeaver said that approach is out “for obvious reasons.”\r\n\r\nWeaver said she also can’t use “buddy readers,” which require her 2nd graders to pair up and sit knees to elbows and read together. Because of distance, Weaver said that isn’t going to happen.\r\n\r\n“They’ll have to sit six feet apart so that’s out,” she said.\r\n\r\nBut Weaver said by the time school starts, whenever that might be, she’ll be ready.\r\n\r\n“I’m getting a jump on things. I don’t want to get here on Aug. 24 and have to scramble while learning the new virtual format we’ve been told is coming,” she said. “Whatever happens, I’ll be ready for it.”\r\n\r\n<em>Eve Weaver gets her 2nd grade classroom at Robert Smalls International Academy ready for the upcoming school year. Weaver said there is lot of cleaning and organizing to do so she can be ready for whichever instruction format is decided upon. Photo by Bob Sofaly.</em>', 'WHATEVER MAY COME', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'whatever-may-come', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:22:02', '2020-07-29 15:22:02', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45365', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45368, 4, '2020-07-29 11:27:51', '2020-07-29 15:27:51', '<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort’s City Manager Bill Prokop thinks the city’s month-old mask ordinance has had a positive effect.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMore residents and visitors are wearing face coverings when out in public places, he said, something he and area health officials had hoped would happen as city leaders looked for ways to combat the steadily increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases in Beaufort.\r\n\r\n“We hate to tell people what to wear or not wear, but (wearing a mask) is the right thing to do,” he said. “So, we appreciate people following the rules.”\r\n\r\nAs of July 23, the city had issued 123 verbal warnings to individuals who were not in compliance with the ordinance.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCity officials have been urging voluntary compliance since the mandate passed July 1 but have said repeat offenders would be fined after an initial warning. So far, the approach seems to be working since the city has yet to issue any $50 citations.\r\n\r\n“Again, our goal is education and not giving fines for not wearing a mask,” Prokop said.\r\n\r\nWhat’s more, from July 16 to July 23, the city had only issued 17 warnings – further indication that the public seems to be coming around to the idea of protecting others by wearing a mask, or at least complying with the ordinance which requires adults to wear face coverings when in a public place. The ordinance does not apply to children.\r\n\r\nProkop said it has also helped that many of the big box stores or retailers such as Lowes, Publix and Walmart have since announced policies requiring customers to wear masks inside stores.\r\n\r\nStill, a few businesses had to be informed of the ordinance, Prokop said.\r\n\r\n“I’d say about 98 percent were on board. A couple didn’t think it applied to them,” he said.\r\n\r\nCase in point: The company that owns Dollar Tree and Family Dollar recently announced they would not require masks in their stores but would request them. However, the company acknowledged this policy did not apply in areas where face covers were required by state or local ordinances.\r\n\r\n“That’s the unfortunate thing with this whole thing,” Prokop said. “People are getting conflicting things.”\r\n\r\nDespite the advice of health experts and medical studies that have shown the use of masks and face coverings is the most effective way to reduce person-to-person spread of coronavirus, Gov. Henry McMaster has refused to pass a statewide mask order.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAs it stands now, the Palmetto State is one of 21 states without such an order, though South Carolina recently surpassed 60,000 confirmed cases and has had more than 1,000 deaths, becoming known as a global hot spot for the coronavirus.\r\n\r\nThough he has received push back from the state’s top health experts to reconsider his stance, McMaster has said the state could not enforce such an ordinance and would not be able to make people wear masks.\r\n\r\nIn Port Royal, Police Chief Alan Beach said the town has not had to write any citations.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“The few warnings (we have given) have been verbal,” he said in an email. He also added that the town’s ordinance, which went into effect the day after Beaufort’s, seems to be working well, and that he’s seen people who have left masks in their cars, turn around to go get them.\r\n\r\nAs of July 27, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office had received 45 calls related to its face covering ordinance, passed around the same time as Beaufort and Port Royal’s. The office had only given two written warnings and had not issued any tickets or fines, according to information provided by the office.\r\n\r\nThe City of Beaufort recently extended its ordinance to Sept. 10.', 'Mask ordinances, education programs going well', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mask-ordinances-education-programs-going-well', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:27:51', '2020-07-29 15:27:51', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45368', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45371, 4, '2020-07-29 11:33:01', '2020-07-29 15:33:01', '<h2><b>Mossy Oaks residents excited drainage project has begun, hopeful work will solve flooding issues\r\n</b><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">By Mindy Lucas</strong><b>\r\n</b></h2>\r\nAsk Mossy Oaks resident Chris Nietert how she feels about the construction trucks and the surveyors and the digging equipment spotted in her neighborhood over the last week or so, and you’ll get an interesting answer.\r\n\r\n“Jubilant,” said Nietert recently from her home on West Royal Oaks Drive.\r\n\r\nNietert’s neighbor, Judy Teas, had a similar response.\r\n\r\n“I’m as excited as can be,” she said.\r\n\r\nLike many in the flood-prone neighborhood east of Battery Creek, Nietert and Teas have been waiting for this day to arrive.\r\n\r\nWork recently kicked off on phase one of the Mossy Oaks drainage project – a massive, multimillion dollar, multijurisdictional effort designed to alleviate some of the area’s decades old flooding issues.\r\n\r\nResidents have endured flooded homes, yards and garages, have sustained property damage and have experienced countless headaches and frustration over what many, including experts on a task force formed to solve the problem, have said is due in large part to an aging or, in some cases, misaligned drainage system in dire need of repairs and maintenance.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nAnd over the years it has gotten worse.\r\n\r\nRising sea levels, king tides and major rain events, not to mention hurricanes, have exacerbated the problem.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nOther issues adding to the mix have included homes built on slabs, and ditches found overgrown with vegetation or filled with debris.\r\n\r\nIn 2019, city work crews cleared out and graded the Jane Way canal which had been used for years as a dumping ground. Two dumpsters full of trash, yard debris, construction waste and old tires were hauled away.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n<h4><strong>Living on the front lines</strong></h4>\r\nIn Nietert and Teas’ area, known as Basin One, water trying to find its way in or out of a drainage pipe beneath the Spanish Moss Trail, often winds up in their backyards.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\n“Whatever is going to come down that way has got to get out Basin One – out of that hole right there,” Nietert said recently from<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>her back porch as she pointed to the pipe connecting a small pond behind her house to Battery Creek.\r\n\r\nOver the years, Nietert said she has come home from work after a downpour or king tide to find water swirling in the back half of her yard.\r\n\r\nTeas, who lives several doors down from Nietert, has the same issues with water in her backyard as many on that side of the street has, she said.\r\n\r\nLike a bathtub, the area is high on two sides and low in the middle, which causes water to become trapped in areas like West Royal Oaks Drive, explained Neal Pugliese, chairman of the Mossy Oaks Drainage Task Force.\r\n\r\n“So what’s happening in their neck of the woods is the elevation is being adjusted correctly,” he said.\r\n\r\nThe work is based on a massive engineering study conducted from 2017 to 2018 that looked at some 888 acres stretching from Beaufort’s city limits down to Port Royal, Pugliese said.\r\n\r\nA study of that size for the area had never been done before, he said, but it soon helped to determine where the drainage problems and bottlenecks were.\r\n\r\nAs part of the effort to correct the elevation, drainage pipes will be installed along West Royal Oaks Drive, First Boulevard, Broad Street and Battery Creek Road. Additional work will be done along the Jane Way canal and Spanish Moss Trail, Pugliese said.\r\n\r\nIn addition, flap gates, which can be closed in the event of an approaching storm or hurricane, will be installed along the trail. The gates can help prevent water from surging into the neighborhood during such events.\r\n\r\nWhile no area in the Lowcountry is safe from hurricanes that occur at high tide, Pugliese said, the Mossy Oaks improvements will significantly improve drainage for average or above average storm events.\r\n\r\nMossy Oaks is just one of nine “challenged areas” the task force has identified and prioritized on its lists of public works projects and expects the total for those projects to run between $13 million and $15 million. Mossy Oaks alone is estimated at $6 million.\r\n\r\nSolving the area’s flooding issues has taken an unprecedented effort, Pugliese said.\r\n\r\nWith so many jurisdictions, agencies and entities involved – from federal, state and local governments to the Army Corps of Engineers, several state agencies and area utility companies – Pugliese said it could have been easy for any one group to say “not my problem.”\r\n\r\n“But they didn’t do that. They had the courage to stand up and say, ‘You know, we’re going to solve this repetitive flooding problem,’” he said.\r\n\r\nSo far, the city has received a total of $7.5 million for all the projects.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n<h4>Relief in sight</h4>\r\nThe first phase in Mossy Oaks will be broken down into two areas – Basin 1, or the north side of the neighborhood, which is expected to require the most work, and Basin 2, or the south side.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nMoney to pay for the project will come from bond proceeds, grants totaling $1.5 million and a $373,000 contribution from Beaufort County and Beaufort-Jasper Water &amp; Sewer Authority.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe work is expected to last about six months and detours will more than likely impact traffic in the area, Pugliese said.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, residents’ concerns and frustrations have not been lost on Pugliese who regularly emails updates on the project to task force members, community and civic leaders as well as “neighborhood representatives” such as Nietert.\r\n\r\n“I have seen up close and in person the damage this has done to the residents and their homes,” he said, adding that he has made it his personal mission to see the project through. “We’re going to get this thing done.”\r\n\r\nIt is something that gives residents like Nietert and Teas hope. Along with others in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood, they have endured their share of flooding.\r\n\r\nWhen Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016, Nietert had water up to the door of her home. Teas was hit even worse with 8 inches of water in her home. Her neighbor, she said, got even more.\r\n\r\nWhile both know the construction project is not meant to protect areas from extreme events such as a direct hit from a major hurricane, ultimately they hold out hope that the effort will mean less water in their yards and hopefully no more water in their homes.\r\n\r\n“It’s going to take a while before we know,” said Teas, standing in her backyard looking out across the pond to the drainage pipe and the trail. “We’ll see. Hopefully, it will work.”\r\n\r\n<em>Above: Judy Teas stands at the edge of her backyard in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood in Beaufort. Behind her, a small pond-like area connects to Battery Creek via a drain pipe beneath the Spanish Moss Trail. Teas and her neighbors regularly get water in their yards after a King Tide, heavy downpour or other rain event. Photo by Mindy Lucas</em>\r\n<h2><b>&nbsp;</b></h2>', 'Help finally on the way', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'help-finally-on-the-way', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:33:01', '2020-07-29 15:33:01', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45371', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45374, 4, '2020-07-29 11:34:28', '2020-07-29 15:34:28', 'William Riski captured this image of Comet Neowise streaking across the sky at 9:35 p.m. on Friday, July 17 from the short bridge between Dataw and Oak Islands. Riski used an Olympus OM-D E-M5 II with lens M-Zuiko 25mm f1.8, ISO 1000, tripod and a 6-second exposure. “Hard to see with the naked eye, but the camera didn’t blink for 6 seconds and caught it fine,” Riski said. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.', 'LOWCOUNTRY LIFE', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-life-125', '', '', '2020-07-29 11:34:28', '2020-07-29 15:34:28', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45374', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45381, 4, '2020-08-05 09:01:01', '2020-08-05 13:01:01', '', 'Screen Shot 2020-08-05 at 9.00.48 AM', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'screen-shot-2020-08-05-at-9-00-48-am', '', '', '2020-08-05 09:01:01', '2020-08-05 13:01:01', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2020-08-05-at-9.00.48-AM.png', 0, 'attachment', 'image/png', 0),
(45382, 4, '2020-08-05 10:11:40', '2020-08-05 14:11:40', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Beaufort County Board of Education on Friday, July 28 approved a revised 2020-21 school calendar that delays the first day of school from Aug. 17 until Sept. 8.\r\n\r\nGov. Henry McMaster endorsed a Sept. 8 opening day during a recent news conference in Columbia, and increasing numbers of South Carolina school districts are delaying their start dates.\r\n\r\nSuperintendent Frank Rodriguez recommended a Sept. 8 start to Board members at their last meeting on July 14, and the Board directed the superintendent to develop the revised calendar that it approved tonight.\r\n\r\n“With the virus at such dangerous levels, delaying the first day of school until after Labor Day makes a lot of sense,” Rodriguez said in a release. “We’ll continue to monitor health-related data and do everything we can to keep our students and employees safe, and all of their families safe.”\r\n\r\nThe S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s weekly metrics measuring COVID-19 infection rates have rated Beaufort County “High” in all three rating categories for five consecutive weeks. Since the pandemic began, more than 3,000 infections and 36 deaths – 26 in July this month alone – have been attributed to COVID-19 in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nUnder the revised 2020-21 calendar, the district’s first day for students will be Tuesday, Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day. The final day of classes will be Thursday, June 17.\r\n\r\nSchools will be closed for students on Nov. 3 (Election Day); Nov. 11 (Veterans Day); Nov. 25–27 (Thanksgiving); Dec. 24–Jan. 1, 2021 (winter break, classes resume on Monday, Jan. 4); Jan. 18, 2021 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day); Feb. 1 (teacher work day); Feb. 15, 2021 (President’s Day); April 2, 2021 (Good Friday); April 12–16, 2021 (spring break) and Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day).\r\n\r\nThree possible weather make-up days are included: Nov. 25, Feb. 1 and June 18.\r\n\r\nTeacher work days are Aug. 31–Sept. 4; Nov. 25; Feb. 1; and June 18–24.', 'Board approves delaying 2020-21 start date to Sept. 8', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'board-approves-delaying-2020-21-start-date-to-sept-8', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:11:40', '2020-08-05 14:11:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45382', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45384, 4, '2020-08-05 10:14:12', '2020-08-05 14:14:12', '<h2>Two local nonprofits launch book gifting program in county</h2>\r\n<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nBeaufort County and Born To Read, Inc. are partnering to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library book gifting program to preschool children in Beaufort County South Carolina.\r\n\r\nMy First Books SC – Beaufort County and Born To Read, Inc. acknowledge the efforts of Beaufort County Senior Leadership Alumni and The Beaufort Fund for their diligence to bring this program to the area.\r\n\r\nEligible recipients will begin to receive books eight to 10 weeks after the registration form has been received and continue until the child turns 5 years old or moves out of Beaufort County South Carolina.\r\n\r\nAs many as one-third of South Carolina children enter kindergarten without the literacy skills they need to succeed.\r\n\r\nInspired by her own father’s inability to read and write, Dolly Parton’s dream was to foster a love of reading among preschool children and their families by gifting them with a specially selected book each month. This means a free, age-appropriate book will be mailed each month to children enrolled in the program from birth to age 5 living in Beaufort County.\r\n\r\nResidents of Beaufort County South Carolina may submit an official registration form at https://bit.ly/DollyPartonBeaufortSC.\r\n\r\nBusinesses, organizations, or individuals who would like to donate funds to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Beaufort County can make donations online at https://myfirstbookssc.org/donate-2/ or mail them to My First Books SC, Palmetto Project, 4500 Fort Jackson Boulevard, Suite 150, Columbia, SC 29209\r\n\r\nParties interested in discussing a corporate or foundation sponsorship should contact Nell Killoy at 803-779-4875 or 803-917-1168.\r\n\r\nDolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until age 5, no matter their family’s income. After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly.\r\n\r\nFirst books were only distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee where Dolly grew up. It became such a success that in 2000 a national replication effort was underway.\r\n\r\nBy 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books. It would prove to be the first of many millions of books sent to children around the world. To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library visit ImaginationLibrary.com.\r\n\r\nBorn To Read Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization promoting early literacy in the Lowcountry. For more information about Born To Read, Inc. visit http://borntoread.org/\r\n\r\nMy First Books South Carolina is a pre-reading, school readiness program for children from birth to age five, developed to ensure all children in South Carolina enter kindergarten with basic literacy skills essential to successfully advancing to first grade and beyond. To learn more about My First Books – SC, visit<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;https://myfirstbookssc.org/.</span>', 'Dolly Parton Imagination Library arrives in Beaufort', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'dolly-parton-imagination-library-arrives-in-beaufort', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:14:12', '2020-08-05 14:14:12', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45384', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45386, 4, '2020-08-05 10:15:05', '2020-08-05 14:15:05', '<h4>Riptide reviving 10U travel team</h4>\r\nLocal baseball players looking for a travel team will have an option closer to home this season.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nCoaches Jeremiah Young and Brackin Lambert are reviving the Beaufort Riptide program with plans to field a 12U team this fall and eventually add more age groups. Young and Lambert say they are committed to providing a quality, affordable opportunity for players to develop their skills in a competitive environment.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>\r\n\r\nThe team will hold tryouts from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, and from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Beaufort Academy baseball field. In order to be eligible, players cannot turn 13 before May 31, 2021.\r\n\r\nFor more information, follow Beaufort Riptide on Facebook or @bftriptide on Twitter and Instagram.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>', 'SPORTS BRIEF', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'sports-brief', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:15:05', '2020-08-05 14:15:05', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45386', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45388, 4, '2020-08-05 10:17:40', '2020-08-05 14:17:40', '<strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly</strong>\r\n\r\nSkyler Waddell of the Royal Blue team advances to third base as Tyler Wester of the Light Blue team blocks the ball during the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday, July 29 in Beaufort County Adult Men’s Baseball League play at Burton Wells Athletic Complex. The Light Blue team went on to win 13-3, aided by a home run from pitcher Wes Anderson.&nbsp;', 'SAFE AT THIRD', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'safe-at-third', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:17:40', '2020-08-05 14:17:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45388', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45391, 4, '2020-08-05 10:20:14', '2020-08-05 14:20:14', '<strong>By DAVID TAUB</strong>\r\n\r\nAbraham Lincoln is alleged to have said the following about the interface between citizens of the Republic and the politicians who governed them (although probably not the first to make this judicious observation):\r\n\r\n<em>“You can fool all of the people some of the time.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>You can fool some of the people all of the time.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>But, you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”</em>\r\n\r\nPersonally, I prefer Robert Zimmerman’s (aka Bob Dylan’s) take on that point of view:\r\n\r\n<em>“Half of the people can be part right all of the time;</em>\r\n\r\n<em>And some of the people can be all right part of the time;</em>\r\n\r\n<em>But, all of the people can’t be all right all of the time.”</em>\r\n\r\n<em>I think Abraham Lincoln said that.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>I said that.” (Talking World War III Blues, 1965)</em>\r\n\r\nThe terrible reign of Emperor DJT proves the truth and wisdom of Abe’s and Bob’s insights. Sadly and inexplicably, POTUS has managed to fool some of the people all of the time.\r\n\r\nPOTUS has been, and will likely remain, first, last and always a showman; a circus barker; a sober Elmer Gantry; a skillful con artist in the guise of P. T. Barnum.\r\n\r\nTrump plays at the cinematic role of a POTUS, approaching his presidential duties from the vantage point of entertainment and ratings. It is most certainly not based on any conventional view of politics and fundamental beliefs, for he cares only about his own self-interests.\r\n\r\nHe is a flawed person who plays the part of a hero in his own altered Wizard of Odd universe. But, his Nielsen ratings are tanking now, and the show’s metaphorical advertisers are jumping ship. He cries out claiming to be the pitiful victim of untold (and false) conspiracies aimed at his downfall.\r\n\r\nDJT’s greatest character flaw is his fatal, in-bred refusal to take responsibility and admit error. In mid-March, when courageous proactive leadership would have prevented most of the nearly 150,000 deaths that have occurred since, POTUS proclaimed in the White House Rose Garden, “I don’t take responsibility at all,” thus making clear his leaderless approach, not only to the deadly pandemic, but also to other crises that occurred during his presidency.\r\n\r\nHis modus vivendi is to double- and triple-down and to never, ever admit he’s wrong, blaming anyone and everyone else for failures that are demonstrably his.\r\n\r\nAmerica is branded with the ignominious label as being the world’s No. 1 hot-spot for COVID-19, with more than four and a half million infections total and daily deaths hovering around 1,500. Experts estimate as many as 250,000 deaths will occur before judgment day, a scant 3 months away.\r\n\r\nIf professional baseball teams open to totally empty stadiums, but immediately players and coaches tested positive for coronavirus causing them to cancel games, what on this earth makes any normal human to believe opening up schools, encased in their small arenas full of folks of all ages, can do so safely?\r\n\r\nSheer stone-cold insanity in the first degree. Guilty, your honor. Just when you thought it could not get worse, we have 1,500 of our kinsmen dying each day.\r\n\r\nAnd at his last Tuesday TV show of propaganda from the WH, he whines that Americans like Dr. Fauci more than himself, and cries “but nobody likes ME.”\r\n\r\nYou have just got to be kidding. He says it must be his personality. Really? POTUS has bequeathed us an empty basket bereft of hope. God help us.\r\n\r\nWhat is most difficult for me to understand is how so many Americans have chosen to live in DJT’s alternate universe of lies and deception. So much craziness in our country simply confounds belief: a POTUS who addresses the COVID-19 deadly pandemic with ignorance and indifference; he inflames racial animus and unrest; creates violent confrontations against our citizenry with his “praetorian guard,” all while his cowardly party of Know Nothings stands mute, deaf and blind.\r\n\r\nIt is true that many a hard-core political conservative has “woke” to this ugly reality. To their credit, they have loudly and openly berated the corrupt and incompetent failure of POTUS’s leadership. Sadly, this does not include a single Know Nothing senator in Congress, even though most of them know “it is all a lie.”\r\n\r\nI have given this conundrum much thought, trying, unsuccessfully, to understand how this social and political nightmare came to be. Perhaps the answer is that there is no answer; or perhaps this puzzle is simply not solvable? Numerous mysteries in the world have no meaningful explanation, scientific or otherwise. Perhaps this is one of them?\r\n\r\nFor me, the brilliance of Simon and Garfunkel offers the most satisfying explanation of how DJT dishonored our democracy, kidnapped the soul of the GOP and turned it into a party of sniveling Know Nothings.\r\n\r\n<em>“I have squandered my resistance for a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises. All lies in jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest … Lies, lies, lies.” (1970, Simon and Garfunkel).</em>\r\n\r\n<em>“Well, all I know is what I read in the newspapers.” – Will Rogers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></em>\r\n\r\n<em>David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999 and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate from 2010 to 2015. You can reach him at david.m.taub42@gmail.com.</em>', 'The wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, or Paul and Art, or maybe Bob', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'the-wisdom-of-abraham-lincoln-or-paul-and-art-or-maybe-bob', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:20:14', '2020-08-05 14:20:14', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45391', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(45393, 4, '2020-08-05 10:23:40', '2020-08-05 14:23:40', '<strong>By SCOTT GRABER</strong>\r\n\r\nIt is Saturday, July 25, and I’m in Port Royal.\r\n\r\nThis morning I’m without a newspaper — neither the Gazette nor the Wall Street Journal is delivered on Saturdays — but there is something to be said for not facing the latest coronavirus numbers; or the corresponding despair that comes with those numbers.\r\n\r\nWhen I was16 my family decided to spend the Christmas holidays in Mexico City. As we passed through customs at Nuevo Laredo my father turned to me (by then I was the family’s navigator) and said, “From this point forward I don’t want you to drink anything but beer.”\r\n\r\nFor a moment I was stunned, but then he added, “The water is full of bacteria, mostly Shigella and Salmonella. So, for God’s sake, drink the beer.”\r\n\r\nIn short order I became familiar with Carta Blanca and later its progeny — Dos Equis and Tecate.\r\n\r\nMy father, an Army immunologist, was aware of the microscopic world that was then an abstraction for most Americans — an abstraction that Streptomycin, Penicillin and Aureomycin could contain.\r\n\r\nBut these days that abstraction is made manifest by Covid-19. Now obscure and un-noticed microbiologists have been summoned from their labs and rushed into television studios. They appear, largely devoid of make-up or sleep, and are given 45 seconds to explain the origins of the virus, its mutation, its transmission.\r\n\r\nAnd now we want to know these things.\r\n\r\nWe want to know where Covid-19 came from. How it attaches to healthy cells. How it makes more of itself. But really, truly, what we want to know when it will leave, like past Flu pandemics — think H1N1 and SARs.\r\n\r\nThere is a theory, endorsed by some virologists, that viruses start off angry (killing their host) but change. They evolve into benign hangers-on who decide on detente — peaceful co-existence. They decide that its better to have a living host, or hosts, rather moving from person to person and leaving them dead.\r\n\r\nAnd this kind of “settling-in”, or “calming down” happened more than a century ago when a coronavirus — known as OC43 — evolved into the what we call the “common cold.”\r\n\r\nI must confess that I like this theory — peaceful co-existence — because it represents something better than the current mutual assured destruction theory that governs our relations with Russia and China. Could it be that these little bits of RNA encased in protein actually know something about diplomacy?\r\n\r\nBut, of course, they know nothing of diplomacy.\r\n\r\nMost scientists, beginning with Wendell Stanley in 1935, decided viruses were simply a box of complex biochemicals — but certainly not a life form. Although they lack the characteristics that put an organism in the “It’s alive” category, they can replicate themselves.\r\n\r\nThey also know how to get past our mucosal antibodies, enter a cell, shed its coat, and then highjack the cell’s own replication machinery.\r\n\r\nIn recent years this remarkable ability to has led some virologists to upgrade these creatures into a “gray area” somewhere between chemistry and life.\r\n\r\nBut as our young, sleep-deprived, just-out-of-the-lab microbiologists explain this fascinating sequence we grow confused, and bored.\r\n\r\n“Alright, already! So when is the damned thing going to leave?” we shout at the television screen. “When can I get rid of this stupid mask and get back to indoor, all-you-can-eat dining?\r\n\r\nIndoor dining, college football and hugging one’s dinner party guests as they leave probably hinge on a reliable, antibody-making vaccine. And the arrival of a working vaccine seems probable rather than possible. It seems that its just a question of which of the 110 candidates will cross the finish-line first.\r\n\r\nFor most of mankind’s history, we’ve simply watched as millions died-off from Smallpox, Bubonic Plague and Cholera. We watched as carts rolled through the streets of London and Paris picking up bodies. For most of our history we’ve been helpless.\r\n\r\nBut thanks to the unknown, unsung men and women who have focused their intellect on this problem; who have concentrated their energy on defeating this creature, we seem to be months away from a vaccine that will deliver us from this relentlessly-replicating evil.\r\n\r\nI have a coffee table book titled, “Icons of the 20th Century, 200 Men and Women Who Have Made a Difference.”\r\n\r\nI’m happy to report it has beautifully rendered photographs of Grace Kelly, Thomas Edison and Shirley Temple.\r\n\r\nI’m sad to say there is no Max Theiler, Albert Sabin or any other immunologist. Perhaps a bacteriologist or virologist will make the second edition.\r\n\r\n<em>Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.</em>', 'Often forgotten, microbiologists answering the call', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'often-forgotten-microbiologists-answering-the-call', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:23:40', '2020-08-05 14:23:40', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45393', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45395, 4, '2020-08-05 10:28:35', '2020-08-05 14:28:35', '<strong>By LEE SCOTT</strong>\r\n\r\nMy daughter bought me a Fitbit a few years ago. It is one of those watches that will track how many steps you take in one day.\r\n\r\nLately, I have found myself, occasionally, exceeding my normal day total. It has to do with the “Long Walk.” I will bet that many of you too have made the “Long Walk.”\r\n\r\nHere is what happens. You get ready to enter the grocery store. You have parked the car far away from the entrance in order to park next to one of those “Return Cart here” spots.\r\n\r\nYou have your grocery list, your wallet (purse), and your glasses; everything you need to go grocery shopping. You walk across the parking lot feeling good about yourself because you are adding a few extra steps on your Fitbit.\r\n\r\nThen, 10 feet from the front door you notice something. People are all wearing masks. “NO!!!” You forgot your mask.\r\n\r\nIt is usually on the passenger seat or in the center console. Back you go to the car. It is at this point that you are somewhat embarrassed as you trek back to your car knowing that there are smug faces hiding behind those masks as if saying “Ha ha! I remembered my mask.”\r\n\r\nThe frustrating part of the “Long Walk” is that I am so careful to carry a mask. I normally have one of those homemade masks in a plastic bag in my purse, but I drop them in the laundry and usually get a fresh one out. I also keep a collection of new disposable ones in the console of my car.\r\n\r\nI have seen people with the masks hanging from their car rear view mirrors. I am not comfortable doing that, but if it works for them. So be it.\r\n\r\nRecently, after I finished shopping, I went out to my car, unloaded my groceries and was putting my cart back when a man in an F-150 truck pulled up next to me. He nodded at me and then started to walk toward the store but turned around when his brain registered that I had a mask on.\r\n\r\nI smiled and nodded knowing exactly what he was going for in his truck.\r\n\r\nAnother time, I was stopping at our local coffee shop on Carteret Street and a woman had just parked in front of me. She got out of the car, loaded her coins in the meter, and started up the street. She paused and turned around. Sure, enough she had forgotten her mask.\r\n\r\nWhen I got out of my car, I thanked her. She had spared me another “Long Walk.”\r\n\r\nFinally, I have decided there is some good news in forgetting my mask. After all, I am adding a lot more steps on my Fitbit.\r\n\r\n<em>Lee Scott, award winning humor writer takes her “Walter Mitty” like persona and spins tales around everyday life. She enjoys boating, reading, and meeting people. Scott lives in Beaufort with her husband, JD, along with their dog Brandy. You can reach her at Lasshood@aol.com.</em>', 'So far, 2020 has been the year of the ‘Long Walk’', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'so-far-2020-has-been-the-year-of-the-long-walk', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:28:35', '2020-08-05 14:28:35', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45395', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45397, 4, '2020-08-05 10:29:32', '2020-08-05 14:29:32', '<strong>Barbers of the Lowcountry opens Beaufort location</strong>\r\n\r\nBarbers of the Lowcountry has opened its second location in the Lowcountry. The barbershop is at Suite 112 in the Beaufort Town Center on Boundary Street.\r\n\r\nThe shop offers a customer friendly style of hair-cutting and men’s grooming services.\r\n\r\nThe shop’s hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Appointments are available online or by phone and walk-ins are accepted.\r\n\r\nFor more information, including mask and social distancing information, call 843-379-3313 or visit barbersofthelowcountry.com.\r\n\r\n<strong>Collins Group’s Sanders earns designation from national realtor’s association</strong>\r\n\r\nChris Sanders, a client market advisor for Collins Group Realty, has earned the Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) designation from the National Association of Realtors.\r\n\r\nThe PSA certification is specifically designed to enhance a licensed realtor’s skills in pricing properties, working with appraisers and guiding clients.\r\n\r\nSanders began his real estate career on Hilton Head Island as a residential real estate appraiser more than 20 years ago. For the past seven years, he has been a licensed real estate broker for Collins Group Realty.\r\n\r\n<strong>Epps joins Chris Hervochon CPA firm</strong>\r\n\r\nJaroslava Epps has joined Chris Hervochon accounting firm as a staff accountant. Epps will provide outsourced accounting and tax preparation services for small businesses and individuals.\r\n\r\nBefore joining the firm, Epps spent six years in public accounting concentrating on helping small businesses.\r\n\r\nShe is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and holds an MBA from Georgia Southern University. She is currently working toward obtaining her CPA license.\r\n\r\nEpps is a community volunteer and has served as treasurer for the Old Town Bluffton Merchant Society.\r\n\r\n<strong>Collins Group Realty adds two to team</strong>\r\n\r\nCollins Group Realty has hired Sara Loveys, a licensed South Carolina real estate agent, and Lori Martin, client concierge.\r\n\r\nBorn and raised in Rochester, N.Y., Loveys was a partner in a real estate firm in New York before moving to South Carolina. Loveys will assist clients in the company’s Bluffton office.\r\n\r\nMartin, a Lowcountry local for 35 years, will serve as a liaison for Collins Group Realty’s clients. She has worked in healthcare recruiting for the last 23 years, and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business Administration.\r\n\r\nHave an employee or business announcement? The Island News routinely runs business briefs when space allows. Send announcements to: mindy@yourislandnews.com.', 'BUSINESS BRIEFS', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'business-briefs-30', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:29:32', '2020-08-05 14:29:32', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45397', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45399, 4, '2020-08-05 10:31:29', '2020-08-05 14:31:29', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nIn an effort to give back to the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit South Carolina State Fair will host its first-ever free, Drive-Through S.C. State Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Wednesday, Oct. 21 in Columbia.\r\n\r\nFind details leading up to the event at www.scstatefair.org and follow @scstatefair on social media.\r\n\r\n“In the midst of the worst global crisis of our lifetime, we wanted to give the community something positive to look forward to,” said General Manager Nancy Smith, who also serves as the current chair of the International Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (IAFE). “Our team is proud to offer a free event where families and friends can experience the joy of the State Fair in a safe and fun environment.”\r\n\r\nGuests will enjoy free admission to drive through the fairgrounds and experience unique, car-friendly attractions that highlight South Carolina’s agriculture, history, arts and culture — all from the comfort and safety of their cars. Meanwhile, in a twist on the restaurant drive-through concept, guests will be able to drive into the Lexington Medical Center Fair Park on the fairgrounds and purchase their favorite fair foods.\r\n\r\n“The Drive-Through State Fair is going to give folks a snippet of the fair they’ve known their entire lives,” Smith said. “It will certainly look different, but we look forward to sharing this gift with the community. It will truly be a year like no other.”\r\n\r\nWhile rides will not be on the menu in 2020 due to safety precautions, the organization has devised a creative, family-friendly way to experience the food, exhibits, crafts and animals for which the S.C. State Fair is known and loved — in a safe environment.\r\n\r\n“As the state’s largest event, we have a responsibility to take care of our neighbors and protect those we love,” Smith said. “To prioritize community health and well-being, our team has spent countless hours developing the best and safest State Fair possible. Safety is always our number one concern, and it is clear to us that the State Fair must adapt to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.”\r\n\r\nThe State Fair is dedicated to using its facilities and resources to support and serve the community.\r\n\r\n“As a 501c3 nonprofit organization ourselves, we exist to serve the community, and we understand the toll that the coronavirus is taking on family farms, concessionaires, exhibitors, small businesses, community groups and countless others,” Smith said. “I’d like to recognize our fellow fairs, here in South Carolina and across North America and beyond, that are also making difficult decisions to best serve their communities. Our state is S.C. Strong, and our fair community is Fair Strong.', 'S.C. State Fair will be a drive-through event', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 's-c-state-fair-will-be-a-drive-through-event', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:31:29', '2020-08-05 14:31:29', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45399', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45401, 4, '2020-08-05 10:33:46', '2020-08-05 14:33:46', '<strong>By Lindsay Perry</strong>\r\n\r\nAn annual Lowcountry tradition is back!\r\n\r\nTraditionally held in April, the Bid for PAL Online Auction, Palmetto Animal League’s largest annual fundraiser, had to be postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. Now, PAL has good news for everyone who loves shopping almost as much as they do animals – Bid for PAL will start Thursday, Aug. 6 at 8 a.m. and run through Sunday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.\r\n\r\n“Our 2020 auction will be critically important in helping save as many lives as possible this year,” PAL President Amy Campanini said. “Bidding is fun, simple and life-saving, and by taking part, you are giving homeless pets the gift of life.”\r\n\r\nWhile this year’s Bid for PAL Online Auction may be smaller in size, it certainly will not lack in excitement. Featuring fantastic items across all price points, there is something for everyone, including “animal sponsorships” available for those who may not want to shop but still want to help animals.\r\n\r\n“Bid for PAL is a fun way to support animal rescue, with an online catalog that showcases some of the best products and services our area has to offer,” PAL Development Coordinator Stephanie Bashaw said. “Times are tough for many local businesses and organizations, and this year’s auction is a special chance to highlight local businesses that, despite their own struggles, are still finding ways to help shelter pets.”\r\n\r\nWant to golf in Hilton Head, shop in Bluffton or dine in Beaufort? The Bid for PAL Online Auction allows folks to shop the Lowcountry without ever leaving their couch.\r\n\r\n“Most items won can be shipped right to your door, so you never have to leave home,” Bashaw said.\r\n\r\nThe auction, which takes place at www.PALauction.org, benefits PAL’s no-kill adoption center in Okatie that rescues more than 1,000 abandoned, abused and neglected pets each year.\r\n\r\n“PAL is a place of refuge for animals in immediate danger due to space restrictions at other shelters,” explains Campanini. “This auction will help us rescue more animals whose time is now up.”\r\n\r\n<em>PAL resident Shuri gets ready to shop during the Bid for PAL Auction this weekend. Submitted photo.</em>', 'PAL’s online auction runs this weekend', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'pals-online-auction-runs-this-weekend', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:33:46', '2020-08-05 14:33:46', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45401', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45404, 4, '2020-08-05 10:35:50', '2020-08-05 14:35:50', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nIn the wake of the death of City of Beaufort Police Chief Matthew Clancy, Deputy Police Chief Dale McDorman has been named the interim chief of the Police Department.\r\n\r\n“We are fortunate that Chief Clancy developed a strong Command Staff led by Deputy Chief McDorman,” City Manager Bill Prokop said in a release. “With the passing of the chief, Deputy Chief McDorman will assume the role of interim chief and will report to me.”\r\n\r\nChief Clancy passed away of complications from cancer on July 29. He was named chief in 2009.\r\n\r\nProkop added, “We are very proud of our entire Police Department and we know that Chief Clancy had great respect and pride in everyone of our officers and our entire Command Staff. We will be establishing a process in the near future for the appointment of a chief. In the meantime, Interim Chief McDorman will be in command of the department.”\r\n\r\nMcDorman joined the Beaufort Police Department in April 1995. He was promoted to sergeant/operations supervisor in October 1999, and to lieutenant/operations in April 2005. In 2010, McDorman was promoted to deputy chief.', 'McDorman named interim police chief', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mcdorman-named-interim-police-chief', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:35:50', '2020-08-05 14:35:50', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45404', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45407, 4, '2020-08-05 10:41:05', '2020-08-05 14:41:05', '<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>\r\n<strong>Photo by Bob Sofaly\r\n</strong>\r\n<em>As Tropical Storm Isaias creeps up the Florida coast, Gabe Heath takes advantage of the higher surf and rides his boogie board as a wave begins to break Sunday afternoon at Hunting Island State Park.&nbsp;</em>', 'Isaias brought minimal rain, wind effects to Beaufort County', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'isaias-brought-minimal-rain-wind-effects-to-beaufort-county', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:46:20', '2020-08-05 14:46:20', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45407', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45412, 4, '2020-08-05 10:51:22', '2020-08-05 14:51:22', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nLocal civic groups have collected more than 2,800 signatures on a petition appealing to the South Carolina legislature and governor to save lives by allowing all registered voters to vote by mail in the November presidential election.\r\n\r\nIn May, in response to the Covid-19 threat the legislature passed legislation enabling “no excuses” voting by mail for the June 9 primary only The citizens’ petition calls for the legislature to immediately reconvene and extend that voter option to the Nov. 3 election.\r\n\r\nThe petition states that if the legislature fails to act, Governor Henry McMaster should do so by executive order.\r\n\r\n“The legislature and governor acted to save lives during the primary when the pandemic was only beginning,” Beaufort resident Jeff Baker said in a release. “Now our state is a Covid hot spot, the election coincides with flu season and we face a much higher voter turnout for a presidential election. How can they refuse to extend voting by mail to save lives?”\r\n\r\n“This is not a partisan issue, but rather a safety issue,” Bluffton resident JoAnne Gatti-Petito said. “South Carolinians are especially vulnerable to Covid because we have a large population of senior citizens and a high percentage of people without adequate access to healthcare. If legislators and the governor fail to act, many people will die from being exposed to Covid on voting lines. And it will be on their consciences.”\r\n\r\nThe petition was organized by citizen groups, including Indivisible Beaufort, Lowcountry Indivisible, Sun City Indivisible and the Sheldon Township Community Support Partnership.\r\n\r\n<em>State Senator Tom Davis (R-Dist.46) receives a petition advocating “no excuses” absentee ballots in 2020 from Sun City residents Pamela Reading-Smith (left) and Judy Glazer (right).</em>', 'Area residents petition state to extend Vote By Mail', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'area-residents-petition-state-to-extend-vote-by-mail', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:52:48', '2020-08-05 14:52:48', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45412', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45416, 4, '2020-08-05 10:57:12', '2020-08-05 14:57:12', '<h4>By LOLITA WATSON</h4>\r\n<h4>No dancing in the streets of Port Royal … for now</h4>\r\nPORT ROYAL –&nbsp;This old coronavirus just needs to go! Now it’s led to the postponing of the popular fall music-in-the-streets schedule which was scheduled to begin Aug. 8.\r\n\r\nThe Town Council wisely agreed last week they needed to at least push back the start of the series until September … and maybe later, depending on the virus’ vitality.\r\n\r\nThe music series, just like so many things in our lives, from scheduled surgeries to Water Festival to sandbar parties to weddings and funerals, is the latest community victim.\r\n\r\nWe’ll just keep wearing our masks and hope for the best.\r\n<h4>Don’t put the welcome mat out just yet</h4>\r\nYEMASSEE – The Beaufort Gazette and WSAV-TV report the folks of Yemassee want to join our ranks.\r\n\r\nThe railroad depot town of about 1,500 is partially in Beaufort County and partially in Hampton County, but some folks on the Hampton side want to become Beaufort County taxpayers. Signed annexation petitions have been submitted to the Governor, who’s certainly had his hands busy with the cornoavirus and now hurricanes.\r\n\r\nAn election would have to be held before the annexation can take place.\r\n\r\nSupporters of the idea say they want to join Beaufort County for economic development reasons. It certainly wouldn’t help Hampton County to lose that tax revenue.\r\n\r\nAnnexation has been discussed on and off over the years. After all, the area, just like the rest of Hampton County, was once part of the Beaufort District.\r\n<h4>He-said, she-said debate continues behind closed doors</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – Former Beaufort County Deputy Administrator Chris Inglese’s complaints against County Administrator Ashley Jacobs were aired behind closed doors last week, again, because of the virus.\r\n\r\nInglese left county employment last month saying he was fired; the county’s official line was he resigned.\r\n\r\nInglese asked for a public hearing on his complaints but the county grievance committee, made up of county employees, said that would have to wait until county offices reopen. Which raises a good question – when’s that going to happen? – since the doors were shut to the public two weeks ago, suddenly, because of the virus and nothing has been said publicly about when they might reopen.\r\n\r\nHe was given the option of having his hearing behind closed doors with the committee and that’s the option he took. We, the public and taxpayers, have no idea what was said.\r\n<h4>… and then there were five</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – A fifth candidate has filed to run for one of the two Beaufort City Council seats open in November’s general election.\r\n\r\nBrantley Wilson, who lives in Mossy Oaks and is an assistant principal at Hilton Head Island Middle School, filed to run against Mike McFee, Mitch Mitchell, Neil Lipsitz and Scott Gibbs.\r\n\r\nFiling for the municipal races, which includes the mayoral race, ends at noon Aug. 14.\r\n<h4>Here they come!</h4>\r\nBEAUFORT – By the time you read this, golf carts hauling tourists may be buzzing past your house.\r\n\r\nThe City Council was slated to give final approval to an ordinance change Tuesday night to allow multi-passenger electric golf carts to provide tours, much like vans and motor coaches.\r\n\r\nThe multi-passenger cart tour operators would have to adhere to basically the same rules as the van and bus operations, including participation in a rotation system that limits the number of tour vehicles on the roads at one time.\r\n\r\n(Since our press deadline is before Tuesday night’s meeting, we’ll operate under the assumption the ordinance is going to pass – which can be risky business.)\r\n\r\n<em>Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer, I-95 and U.S. 17 voyager and works for an online news service covering local government. She is a former reporter/editorial assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today. She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com.</em>', 'LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-lowdown-9', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:57:12', '2020-08-05 14:57:12', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45416', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45418, 4, '2020-08-05 10:58:42', '2020-08-05 14:58:42', '<strong>Theodore Major</strong>\r\n\r\nTheodore Major, 79, of the Wallace Community of St. Helena Island, SC and husband of Carrie Capers Major entered into eternal rest at his home on Monday, July 20, 2020. Viewing was July 24 in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals. Graveside services were Saturday, July 25, in Corner Cemetery St. Helena Island.\r\n\r\n<strong>Derwin “Derby” Holt Sr.</strong>\r\n\r\nDerwin \"Derby\" Holt Sr. 63, departed this life Friday, July 10, 2020. Viewing was Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel. Graveside services were held Friday, July 24, 11:00 a.m. in the Cedar Grove Cemetery on St. Helena Island.\r\n\r\n<strong>George “Lovie” Daise</strong>\r\n\r\nGeorge \"Lovie\" Daise, 70, of the Cedar Grove community of St. Helena Island, SC entered into eternal rest Sunday, July 12, 2020 at the Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Viewing was Friday, July 17th in Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals, 808 Bladen Street, Beaufort. Graveside services, Saturday, July 18, in the Cedar Grove Cemetery on Helena Island.\r\n\r\n<strong>Joseph Fox<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></strong>\r\n\r\nJoseph Fox, 78, of the Thompson Estate community of St. Helena Island, SC, husband of Linda Thompson Fox entered into eternal rest at his home on Thursday, July 9, 2020. Viewing was July 14 at Helen Galloway\'s Memorial Chapel of Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals. Graveside services Wednesday, July 15, at Bethesda Christian Fellowship Church Cemetery, St. Helena Island.\r\n\r\n<strong>Robert “Robbie” Fields</strong>\r\n\r\nRobert \"Robbie\" Fields, 70 of Fresno, California, a native of St. Helena Island, son of the late Leroy and Mary Lee Fields of Oaks community died Saturday, July 4th at the Veteran\'s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA. Father of Robert Fields, Jr., Felicia Fields Griffin; siblings, Lillie Belle Badson, M. Judy Sherman, Leroy Fields Jr., Theresa \"Pat\" Robinson, Bernard Fields, and Joyce Harris. Courtesy of Chisholm, services in California.', 'DEATH NOTICES', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'death-notices-7', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:58:42', '2020-08-05 14:58:42', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45418', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45420, 4, '2020-08-05 10:59:33', '2020-08-05 14:59:33', '<strong>Open house to highlight aviation’s benefits to Beaufort</strong>\r\n\r\n10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 15, Beaufort County Airport, 39 Airport Circle, Lady’s Island. The public is invited to attend an open house from, where a commemorative ceremony celebrating the Tuskegee Airmen and South Carolina’s Aviation Week will be held. The open house will feature free airplane rides, “flybys” by a variety of airplanes, aircraft displays on the parking ramp, and a welcome tent with aviation exhibitors. Prior to the event, plans are for runners to take part in a 5K run, with an early morning start.', 'WHAT’S HAPPENING', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'whats-happening-19', '', '', '2020-08-05 10:59:33', '2020-08-05 14:59:33', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45420', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45423, 4, '2020-08-05 11:04:24', '2020-08-05 15:04:24', '<strong>From staff reports</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Rotary Club of the Lowcountry announced last week it is ranked the No. 1 club in Rotary District 7770 in annual giving per capita to the Rotary Foundation.\r\n\r\nRotary Club of the Lowcountry\'s total contributions to the annual fund of The Rotary Foundation reached $19,152.50, or $456 per member. This amount includes donations by individual members, as well as a portion of net fundraising activities.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry contributed $1,543.00 to fight polio in the world, an effort that is matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.\r\n\r\nRotary District 7770 is comprised of 79 clubs and almost 3,700 members.\r\n\r\nThe Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s charitable arm, issues grants each year totaling more than $86 million to support projects, both locally and around the world, focusing on six key areas: preventing disease, providing clean water, supporting education, growing local economies, saving mothers and children, and promoting peace.\r\n\r\nVisit www.rotaryclubofthelowcountrybeaufort.org to learn more or join the club.', 'Rotary Club of the Lowcountry tops district in giving', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'rotary-club-of-the-lowcountry-tops-district-in-giving', '', '', '2020-08-05 11:04:24', '2020-08-05 15:04:24', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45423', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45425, 4, '2020-08-05 11:07:44', '2020-08-05 15:07:44', 'Although the hibiscus is prolific in Beaufort, and each bloom arrives in a showy flash of sizzling color, this display generally only lasts for a day. Habersham’s Ron Callari captured this one in mid July. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.', 'LOWCOUNTRY LIFE', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'lowcountry-life-126', '', '', '2020-08-05 11:07:44', '2020-08-05 15:07:44', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45425', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45429, 4, '2020-08-05 11:14:07', '2020-08-05 15:14:07', '<h2>Unique training program works to keep Beaufort police officers and suspects safe</h2>\r\n<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>\r\n\r\nAn innovative partnership between the Beaufort Police Department and a local self-defense instructor is using a unique training program to keep both officers and suspects safe during potentially combative situations.\r\n\r\nKnown as Gracie Survival Tactics, or GST, the program uses Jiu Jitsu techniques in an attempt to de-escalate confrontational situations.\r\n\r\nAs Cesar Clavijo who is leading the instruction explains, GST uses the minimal force necessary when trying to gain control over a situation or a suspect.\r\n\r\nIt also differs from other forms of Jiu Jitsu, such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in that it is not a combat sport designed for competition and is specifically designed for law enforcement officers.\r\n\r\n“Gracie Survival Tactics is designed to empower officers in ambush scenarios,” Clavijo said. “There is an entirely different set of skills involved.”\r\n\r\nOwner of The Stillness Gym in Beaufort, Clavijo has volunteered to teach Beaufort’s police officers the techniques over the past few weeks and is conducting the program free of charge.\r\n\r\nA former Marine who was stationed at Parris Island, Clavijo has trained other law enforcement officers on how to use the techniques.\r\n\r\nWhile it might be somewhat unique in the way it’s being used presently, Gracie Jiu Jitsu has actually been around for some time. It was started in the 1920s by the Gracies, a famous, multi-generational martial arts family based in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.\r\n\r\n“It’s not a new thing,” department spokesperson Captain George Erdel said. “I just think it’s come to the forefront in light of recent events.”\r\n\r\nRecent events include high-profile cases in which deadly force was used by police officers or, in the case of George Floyd, where a Minneapolis officer kneeling on his neck caused Floyd’s death. That officer has since been charged with second-degree murder and three other officers who were on the scene are facing related charges.\r\n\r\nBecause of those cases, law enforcement agencies across the country and their Use of Force policies have come under increased scrutiny.\r\n\r\nIn July, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office announced it was banning the use of chokeholds except as a last resort when all other defensive measures have been exhausted, as many law enforcement agencies across the country have done recently.\r\n\r\nIn the City of Beaufort, Erdel says chokeholds have not been part of the Beaufort Police Department’s Use of Force policy for at least a decade or more.\r\n\r\nIn addition, a grassroots task force made up of civic leaders from the community was formed in Beaufort earlier this spring with the mission of improving the accountability and transparency of local law enforcement agencies.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, GST, which uses passive or defensive resistance, is becoming more widely used by law enforcement agencies in an attempt to keep both officers and suspects safe, Erdel said.\r\n\r\n“What we’re trying to do is build confidence,” he said. “If you can control a person’s body as opposed to fighting their limbs without having to resort to kinetic things like knee strikes, if we can prevent getting to that point and keep everyone safe in the process, that is what this is designed for.”\r\n\r\nIt’s also something that officers in the program said is going to be a tremendous addition to their overall training.\r\n\r\n“It’s another tool in (an officer’s) toolbox,” officer Bill Wadman said after completing his second class with Clavijo.\r\n\r\nA patrolman for 11 years with the City of Beaufort, Wadman said he liked that the techniques could help officers diffuse situations easier and with minimal force.\r\n\r\n“What he’s trying to teach us is an alternative … to basically slow things down, even if it’s happening fast, so that we are able to reassess everything and get to a safe position.”\r\n\r\n<em>Above: Officers with the Beaufort Police Department recently received personal instruction from Cesar Clavijo (center), owner of Beaufort’s The Stillness Gym, in the technique of Gracie Survival Tactics, a defensive technique designed to use the minimum force necessary in a combative situation. Pictured left to right are officers Sean Flomer, Seth Jones, Bill Wadman (back) and Trish Brubaker. Photo by Mindy Lucas.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Minimum force, maximum control', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'minimum-force-maximum-control', '', '', '2020-08-05 11:59:23', '2020-08-05 15:59:23', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45429', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(45433, 4, '2020-08-05 11:23:16', '2020-08-05 15:23:16', '<h2>Free testing<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>event coming<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>to Lady’s Island</h2>\r\n<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>\r\n\r\nApparently, this time he really means it.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday, July 29, Gov. Henry McMaster announced in a new Executive Order that all previously recommended guidelines for restaurants, public establishments and gathering places are now mandatory.\r\n\r\nThese measures went into effect Monday, Aug. 3.\r\n\r\n“These limited restrictions are temporary, they are measured, and they are targeted towards what we know works,” McMaster said. “These measures give South Carolina the best chance to slow the spread of the virus without shutting down the state’s economy – which we cannot and will not do – as many continue to call for.”\r\n\r\nWhile once again stopping<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>short of a mandatory mask order, the governor called for citizens to wear face coverings when appropriate, and he encouraged local governments to adopt mask ordinances. And he ordered that face coverings must be worn in all state government buildings, effective Wednesday, Aug. 5.\r\n\r\nAmong the now-mandatory guidelines for restaurants and bars:\r\n\r\n• Operating dine-in services at no more than 50 percent of the certificate of occupancy issued by the fire marshal.\r\n\r\n• Employees and patrons shall be required to wear masks or face coverings.\r\n\r\n• Tables are to be spaced to keep diners at least six feet apart.\r\n\r\n• No more than eight customers per table – unless from the same family.\r\n\r\n• Standing or congregating in bar area of restaurant is prohibited.\r\n\r\n• Establishments that possess a state permit to sell alcohol shall be subject to these restrictions.\r\n\r\nFestivals, parades, concerts, theaters, stadiums, arenas, coliseums, auditoriums, grandstands, amphitheaters, gymnasiums, concert halls, dance, halls, performing arts centers, parks, racetracks, or similarly operated entities are all free to open but must implement AccelerateSC guidelines including, but not limited to, the following:\r\n\r\n• Attendance may not exceed 50 percent of the certificate of occupancy issued by the fire marshal – or 250 persons – whichever is less.\r\n\r\n• Require the wearing of masks or face coverings as a condition of admission or participation.\r\n\r\n• Enact social distancing, cleaning and hygiene practices as recommended by AccelerateSC\r\n\r\n• End the sale of alcohol at 11 p.m.\r\n\r\nIf businesses or event organizers are responsible for events that may exceed the occupancy rules, they can proceed if they can satisfactorily demonstrate compliance with federal and state COVID-19 procedures and protocols.\r\n\r\nMcMaster’s guidelines don’t, however, apply to religious services, weddings, funerals, schools and colleges, government meetings and voting.\r\n<h4>Now you see it,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span>now you don’t</h4>\r\nIf you drove past Beaufort Memorial Hospital on Sunday or Monday, you may have felt like something was missing. You would’ve been right.\r\n\r\nThe hospital removed the triage and screening tents set up in the hospital parking lot in front of its Emergency Room entrance.\r\n\r\nThe tents were removed “in preparation for the weather event,” BMH spokesperson Courtney McDermott said Monday.\r\n\r\nIn advance of the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaias, McDermott said the tents at the hospital, as well as both express care locations, were taken down because “they were concerned about them being blown away.”\r\n\r\nMcDermott said it was likely the tents would be up again before The Island News’ press time, though she could not be certain when.\r\n\r\nThe triage and screening area is for potential COVID-19 cases and is designed to accommodate patients and staff while protecting other ER patients. The tents were erected in late March and are on loan from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.\r\n<h4>Another free testing event</h4>\r\nBeaufort Memorial will host a free COVID-19 testing event from 7 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12 at Lady’s Island Middle School at 30 Cougar Drive on Lady’s Island.\r\n\r\nTesting is on a first-come, first-served basis, and a physician’s order is not required. BMH staff will collect test specimens using kits supplied by DHEC, which will run all tests through its state laboratory and communicate the results to BMH.\r\n\r\nBMH staff will notify patients about their results within 48 hours after DHEC delivers them. Participants should expect to receive results within 5 to 7 days after test collection.\r\n\r\nThe BMH Infection Prevention team will call anyone who tests positive and provide detailed instructions for self-isolation, self-care and home disinfection. Those who test negative will receive a text notification or phone call.\r\n\r\nParticipants are encouraged to complete and print the COVID-19 Testing Form ahead of time. Bring the completed form, which can be found on the hospital’s website at BeaufortMemorial.org/FreeCOVID-19TestingEvents, and two additional copies to the event. Forms will also be available onsite.\r\n\r\nFor more information, visit www.BeaufortMemorial.org.\r\n<h4>Holding steady</h4>\r\nOver the 14 days leading up to Monday, the daily number of new cases, both statewide and in Beaufort County, has stabilized. The seven-day average ending Monday for new cases was 1,418.1 statewide and 83.3 in Beaufort County. The seven-day average for the previous seven days was 1,449.6 statewide and 83.9 in Beaufort County.\r\n<h4>July was deadly</h4>\r\nThere have been 46 COVID-19-related deaths in Beaufort County through Monday, Aug. 3. Of those 46, 26 came in the month of July.\r\n<h4>The local numbers</h4>\r\nAccording to McDermott, as of Monday afternoon, there were 38 COVID-19-positive patients at BMH.\r\n\r\nSix of those are in Intensive Care, and five of those are on ventilators.\r\n<h4>Hospital numbers</h4>\r\nStatewide, there are 1,401 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with 366 in the ICU and 224 on ventilators. The number of patients on ventilators reached as high as 256 last week.\r\n\r\nOf the state’s 1,437 ICU beds, 1,121 are occupied – a percentage of 78.01. That percentage peaked at 81.04 last week.\r\n\r\n<b>THE NUMBERS<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Totals</b>\r\n\r\nAs of Monday, Aug. 3\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. confirmed cases: </b>92,404\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. probable cases: </b>547\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. confirmed deaths: </b>1,721\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. probable deaths: </b>72\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County cases: </b>3,672\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort County deaths: </b>46*\r\n\r\n<b>Last week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,418.1\r\n\r\n<b>Previous week’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,449.6\r\n\r\n<b>Two weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,860.2\r\n\r\n<b>Three weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,663.1\r\n\r\n<b>Four weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,604.1\r\n\r\n<b>Five weeks ago’s 7-day avg. new cases, state: </b>1,263.6\r\n\r\n<b>Last week’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>83.3\r\n\r\n<b>Previous week’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>83.9\r\n\r\n<b>Two weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>72.4\r\n\r\n<b>Three weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>72.6\r\n\r\n<b>Four weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>52.4\r\n\r\n<b>Five weeks ago’s 7-day average new cases, county: </b>38.9\r\n\r\n<b>THE LAST WEEK<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;</span></b>\r\n\r\n<b>Monday, Aug. 3</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,105\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>11\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>51\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>0\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>15.2\r\n\r\n<b>Sunday, Aug. 2</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,110\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>27\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>55\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>2\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>15.2\r\n\r\n<b>Saturday, Aug. 1</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,491\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>35\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>76\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>1\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>18.5\r\n\r\n<b>Friday, July 31</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,346\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>45\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>105\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>3\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>19.1\r\n\r\n<b>Thursday, July 30</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,636\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>48\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>113\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>3\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>21.5\r\n\r\n<b>Wednesday, July 29</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,666\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>48\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>97\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>3\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>19.9\r\n\r\n<b>Tuesday, July 28</b>\r\n\r\n<b>New S.C. Cases: </b>1,573\r\n\r\n<b>S.C. deaths: </b>52\r\n\r\n<b>New Beaufort Co. Cases: </b>86\r\n\r\n<b>Beaufort Co. deaths: </b>1\r\n\r\n<b>Percent Positive: </b>18.1\r\n\r\n<em>Staff from Beaufort Memorial Hospital were busy testing local residents for Covid-19 on Wednesday, July 29 at Battery Creek High School. Chris Haley, Emergency Manager at BMH, said 30 hospital staff members, about a dozen S.C. Army National Guardsmen from Charleston and deputies with Beaufort Country Sheriff\'s Office’s Beaufort County Command Center were there to help things run smoothly. Some 410 tests were given without a hitch. Haley said the testing ran as smoothly as “a well oiled machine.” Photo by Bob Sofaly.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'McMaster’s COVID-19 guidelines now required', '', 'publish', 'closed', 'closed', '', 'mcmasters-covid-19-guidelines-now-required', '', '', '2020-08-05 11:26:20', '2020-08-05 15:26:20', '', 0, 'https://staging.yourislandnews.com/?p=45433', 0, 'post', '', 0);
