By Mike McCombs
The Island News
The Island News has added a veteran reporter to its staff.
Shellie Murdaugh will focus on coverage of Jasper County as The Island News expands its footprint.
“I am excited for the future of The Island News and so happy that a veteran local Lowcountry reporter has decided to join our growing team,” said Jake Higgins, owner of Higgins Media Group, LLC, which owns The Island News. “I have known Shellie Murdaugh for many years, and she has always been articulate, fair and supportive of our communities in Beaufort and Jasper Counties. As we expand our readership in both counties, Shellie will serve as a professional voice for the people of Jasper County and a stable voice for balanced reporting for my company. Thank you, Shellie, for trusting us and joining our team.”
Murdaugh, a Sumter native, has more than 30 years of experience with daily and weekly newspapers in both South Carolina and North Carolina. For the past eight years, she covered news as the reporter for The Jasper County Sun Times and Bluffton Today.
Murdaugh has also worked with other newspapers in Hampton and Colleton counties and The Richmond County Daily Journal in North Carolina. She has also served as a Public Information Officer for the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office and the Jasper County School District.
She has been recognized for her work by the South Carolina Press Association with numerous awards throughout her career for breaking news coverage, features, photography, sports, and she completed the SCPA Leadership Academy in 2006.
“I am looking forward to working with The Island News and covering Jasper County,” Murdaugh said. “This community and its people are important to me, and coverage of this area will continue with the focus being solely upon Jasper County. I appreciate the opportunity to once again serve the citizens of Jasper County and working with a great staff who are all dedicated to the communities they serve.”
Outside of journalism, Murdaugh enjoys spending time with her husband, Neal, on their farm in Early Branch.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.