Beaufort County This Week

STORY 1

From WTOC

This time of the year till Labor Day in September, are the peak times for tourism. Events like Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and the RBC Heritage Classic bring in travelers from all across the country. 

  “This is the time of year where
travel really starts to kick off to the destination. Spring break is happening
for lots of schools,” said Charlie Clerk. 

  Clerk with the Hilton Head
Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce said that peak season officially kicks off
with the RBC Heritage Classic. Peak season typically ends on Labor Day weekend.
Clerk told WTOC that tourism has a $3.6 billion economic impact on the Beaufort
area throughout the whole year. 

  Hilton Head was named the number
one island in the U.S. for eight consecutive years by the Travel-Savvy reader
of Conde Nast traveler. The RBC Heritage Classic starts it all off with over a
hundred-thousand people coming to visit the area for the tournament. 

“Why we do what we do, is to give back and our charitable
dollars and the support that we give to this community is it is truly why we do
what we do,” said RBC Heritage Classic Tournament Director, Steve Wilmot.  

The RBC Heritage Classic has given over $60 million to local
charities.  

The tournament does not just impact local businesses, but the
people who need it the most also get to benefit from all the extra travelers
that come to the island. 

The RBC Heritage Classic tees off on April 17th. 

 Story 2

From the Island Packet

Crews from three additional fire departments in Beaufort and Jasper counties have been sent upstate to help contain a massive wildfire in the Myrtle Beach area. The group included seven members of Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue, eight from the Bluffton Township Fire District and six firefighters from Jasper County-Fire Rescue. 

 They departed Wednesday morning for Horry County in a fleet of fire engines, water tenders and specialized brush trucks. They’ll join a three-person crew from the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department, which was dispatched to the Myrtle Beach area Monday morning. 

 Contingents from across the state are coordinated via the state’s Firefighter Mobilization plan, which allows fire departments across South Carolina to share staff and resources in the event of a large-scale disaster. Covering over 2,000 acres, the Carolina Forest wildfire was the largest in a string of wildfires across North and South Carolina. The blaze was 30% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

 Story 3 

From the Island Packet

Construction has begun on a $1.5 million causeway to Sands Beach in Port Royal where high tides have trapped more than a few unsuspecting visitors as the tides rise and the escape routes become awash with saltwater. The popular beach on Battery Creek closed on Monday and will not be accessible for a few months during construction The result will be a safer way for visitors to get off the beach and back onto surface streets when the tide rises. 

 “We understand people will be inconvenienced,” Town Manager Van Willis said Tuesday, “but it had to happen and we wanted to get it started before summer started.” 

 The beach is popular with anglers and shark tooth hunters while many just visit to enjoy the view of the water and the magical sunsets. But high tides from Battery Creek regularly seep across the area where people walk and drive to the beach from Sands Beach Road, creating large holes that are difficult to maneuver around. High tides, especially king tides, also can pose problems. 

STORY 1

From the Island Packet

June, the critical beginning of the summer tourist season, was the initial date set to start pumping from the ocean to Hilton Head’s beaches. According to town officials, that isn’t happening. But the exact timeline for the trucks, bulldozers and, most importantly, sand arriving on Hilton Head’s beaches became a little clearer during a Tuesday town council workshop. On Friday, the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued permits for the majority of the island’s 2025 beach renourishment project. Now that the town has those permits in hand, they can begin the process of selecting a contractor to carry out the work. 

The town initially planned for the state and federal government to issue the permits by the end of 2024. This timeline would have allowed them to begin selecting a contractor in January and with an agreement finalized between the parties by April 1. Now the town expects that they’ll complete the contract negotiations with the chosen contractor sometime in May, Shawn Leininger, assistant town manager of operations, said during the workshop. While the council and town staff have spoken in past meetings about starting construction in June when the permit opens, that will likely not happen. 

“But the practical reality of it is, by the time we get a contractor on board and they decide how they want to sequence work from the north end down to the central section down to the south end, they are going to likely start sometime in late July or August,” Leininger said.

Story 2

From the Island Packet

The 2025 NCAA Women’s Golf Tournament, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, is back for its 13th annual edition this year. This year’s tournament, taking place March 3-5, 2025, will be hosted at Long Cove Club in partnership with musician Darius Rucker and the University of South Carolina on Hilton Head Island. 

The tournament made its Golf Channel debut in 2022 as the first-ever live televised all-women’s regular season collegiate golf event in the United States. Long Cove Club, in collaboration with Darius Rucker and the University of South Carolina, will welcome top teams from across the country to compete for the championship title for this 54-hole stroke play competition, with individual and team honors. The 2024 winner of the tournament was Arizona State University. 

Among the teams joining South Carolina in the 2025 competition are: Alabama Arizona State Arkansas Auburn Baylor Duke Georgia Kentucky Louisiana State University Mississippi State Northwestern University Ohio State University of California, Los Angeles University of Texas Vanderbilt Wake Forest

Story 3 

From the Island News

Beaufort County Capital Projects Department has announced in a media release the construction of the new Arthur Horne parking lot at 104 Ribaut Road. This project is the final phase of the new Arthur Horne Building complex and will add 41 new spaces to the existing parking lot.

There will be no public parking available at the existing Arthur Horne parking lot during the construction process, which is scheduled to be completed in June 2025. Additional parking is available at the main Administration Parking Lot at 100 Ribaut Road or the Duke Street parking lot, across from the Law Enforcement Center.

Visitors to the Detention Center and Arthur Horne Building are encouraged to use the Duke Street Parking Lot and visitors to the Beaufort County Courthouse should use the main Administration Parking Lot at 100 Ribaut Road.

For questions or more information, please contact the Beaufort County Capital Project Management Office at 843-255-2702.

STORY 1

From the Island Packet

Running out of places to shop for your sports gear and outdoor apparel?

Then you’re in luck because Beaufort is set to be the new home of an Academy Sports + Outdoors .

This new retail location is taking over the vacant locations of T.J. Maxx and PetSmart from the Cross Creek Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Parris Island Gateway and Robert Smalls Parkway.

Academy Sports + Outdoors is known for its wide variety of clothing and shoes for men, women and children that range from everyday use to just about any sport cleat imaginable.

Other than shoes, they have every item you could ever need for sports including golf, baseball, tennis, pickleball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, school wrestling, lacrosse and more.

Fishing and hunting gear, along with rifles, can also be purchased at Academy Sports + Outdoors. From baits to lines to gun safety and storage, they have you covered. You can also find fishing and hunting licenses.

If you like exploring, Academy outlets have an abundance of hiking, camping and kayaking gear. They also have boating supplies, bicycles, billiards tables, pool supplies, grills, patio sets and more.

 Story 2

From Your Island News

A total of 67 wrestlers from the LowcoSports coverage area — including 35 from schools in northern Beaufort County — qualified for next week’s SCHSL state championships at Florence Center by placing in the top eight in their weight classes at their respective Lower State qualifiers.

The Lowco will be well-represented in the Class 4A brackets with 32 wrestlers qualifying from May River (12), Beaufort (7), Bluffton (6), Hilton Head (4), and Colleton County (3). The dual state champion Sharks had four Lower State champions — Stephano Calderon (106), Marcus Foulk (120), Blake Butler (150), and Joshua Echeverria (175) — while Beaufort’s Antonio McKnight (144) and Colton Freeman (190) and Bluffton’s Gabe Fulton (165) also won gold.

Battery Creek led all Lowco squads with 13 qualifiers at the Class 3A Lower State meet at Aynor High School, as the Dolphins had top-eight finishers in every weight class except 175, though only 165-pound runner-up Chris Martinez reached the finals.

Bridges Prep will send eight wrestlers to the Class 2A/1A finals, including a trio of champions in Kevin Summers (165), Ali Jenkins (175), and Jeremiah Chavez (285), while Whale Branch had six qualifiers and 126-pounder Bryan Sanchez became the first state qualifier for the first-year program at Hardeeville.

At the girls state qualifier at South Florence, Beaufort’s Olesya Mullins won the 107-pound title, and Hilton Head’s Jourdyn Mootry (132), Jada Lawrence (147), and Makayla Hinchey (157) also won Lower State titles.

The state championships will be held at Florence Center on Friday and Saturday.

 Story 3 

From Your Island News 

The Beaufort Memorial Foundation’s 36th annual Valentine Ball on Saturday, Feb. 8 brought the community together in downtown Beaufort for a night of celebration and support for lifesaving, innovative care.

The event, held at Tabby Place in downtown Beaufort, followed the long-standing tradition of pre-ball dinner parties beforehand. Ball attendees danced the night away to live music performed by Charlotte-based band “Color the Night,” while also enjoying cocktails, desserts and participating in a silent auction.

Since the event began in 1989, the Valentine Ball has raised more than $10 million to support major hospital initiatives, such as the ongoing renovations to the Beaufort Memorial Surgical Pavilion, the establishment of a state-of-the-art education center at Beaufort Memorial and a revamp of the hospital’s Cochrane Heart Center, just to name a few.

·      

STORY 1

From the WSAV

Beaufort County Animal Services is offering for residents to have their female dogs and cats spayed for just $20.

They reminded residents that dogs can have one or two litters per year with between one to 12 puppies per litter. For cats, they can have up to five litters per season with around three to eight kittens per litter.

The Beat the Heat program is valid from Feb. 11 through April 1. You must have proof of being a Beaufort County resident.

Spots are limited. To make an appointment, call at 843-255-5010 and select option one. You can also email [email protected] with the subject line Beat the Heat.

 Story 2

From WJCL

A new plan aimed at enhancing the safety of the Highway 278 bridges, which connect to Hilton Head Island, is under discussion. A meeting Wednesday night in Bluffton has a primary goal to address long-standing concerns about the safety of the Mackay Creek Bridge.

"There’s 15 seconds left on the shot clock in the game, and if we don’t take our shot right now, then we may really lose down the road, and we can’t afford that," said Hilton Head Island mayor Alan Perry.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has set a deadline of March 31, 2025, for the town and Beaufort County to resolve the issues surrounding the Highway 278 bridges.

"The initial focus was that the SCDOT realized they had an aging structure, and that’s really where it all started," said Perry.

The Mackay Creek Bridge, part of Highway 278, received a condition rating of 4 out of 10 from SCDOT, prompting calls for its replacement.

 Story 3 

From the Post & Courier 

Executives with the Medical University of South Carolina broke ground on a medical office building Feb. 11. The 54,000-square-foot space will bring a range of medical services to Bluffton, including primary care, oncology, imaging, pediatrics and vascular care. 

Cancer care will be the focus of the third floor of the building. MUSC staff projects the building will cost $45 million. MUSC Chief Executive Officer Patrick Cawley said the project was in the works for little over a year. Cawley said MUSC is targeting Bluffton to fill a need for subspecialty care.

The medical office building is slated to open in Spring 2026, and will be located on Buckwalter Towne Boulevard — around the same area Novant Health and Beaufort Memorial Hospital are locked in a battle to build a hospital.

In 2018, Beaufort Memorial and MUSC announced a joint venture to build a small hospital in Bluffton. Shovels still haven't touched the ground, as the project faced legal challenges from other competitors in the region over the state health department granting a Certificate of Need.

****STORY 1***** 

Fast-growing gas station and convenience store chain Parker’s Kitchen is opening new stores right and left as part of an ambitious expansion. That’s why a demolition of a Parker’s at the busy intersection at Ribaut Road and Lady’s Island Drive in Port Royal is turning heads. The town of Port Royal issued the demolition permit to a contractor for Drayton-Parker Companies LLC, which develops Parker’s Kitchen stores, to tear down the building and heavy equipment operators have been on the scene these week. 

Parker’s Kitchen issued this statement about the closure: 

“We recently made the difficult decision to close our store at 1451 Ribaut Road in Port Royal, which did not meet our brand standards,” the statement says, “and hope that future development at this site will serve the community’s needs in Port Royal.” 

Now the property is listed for sale, meaning a new use will be coming to the highly visible location eventually. 

Parker’s is expanding into new markets including Myrtle Beach, Columbia and Jacksonville, Fla. The company employs 1,600 people in Georgia and South Carolina. 

Last month alone, the Savannah-based company celebrated the opening of two new stores — a 200,000 square-foot store at Beaufort Station, the new Beaufort shopping center at 311 Robert Smalls Pkwy. in Beaufort, and at Moncks Corner, which is north of Charleston in Berkeley County. 

The new stores were the company’s 95th and 96th stores overall and the 44th and 45th in South Carolina. There are 17 stores in Beaufort County.

****STORY 2****** 

It’s time for some food, music and fun on Paris Avenue in Port Royal with the 2025 Bands Brews and BBQ festival. The event, in its 14th year now, is bringing two days of food, music and fun with wings, barbecue, craft beers and live music on Friday and Saturday, February 14th & 15th.

The official South Carolina Barbecue Association sanctioned event benefits The Zonta Club of Beaufort and is always a fun time for foodies of all ages.

Friday night, February 14th is the Wing Throw Down from 6 to 9pm where you can sample wing recipes from participating cookers while enjoying live music from the Parris Island Marine Band, and Chris Jones.

Saturday is all about the BBQ as BBQ tasting day runs from 11am to 4pm with more than a dozen cook teams from across the Southeast serving their award-winning wings and butts. Local bands will be providing the entertainment for the day and there will also be food trucks on site serving up other fare.

The sampling of wings Friday night and BBQ Saturday will be available by purchasing tickets for $1. Beer, soda and wine will also be available for purchase and the event always takes place rain or shine.

For more information about Bands Brews & BBQ in Port Royal, and its many volunteer opportunities, go to ZontaClubofBeaufort.org.

***STORY 3**** 

Bluffton High School had five athletes, all football players, put pen to paper on National Signing Day on Feb. 5 in the Bluffton High School auditorium. 

Gavin Carrick signed to play in the Sun Belt conference at Coastal Carolina as a long snapper. 

“I’m going to be playing with the best competition, and I like it that way,” said Carrick. “I’m going to be able to get out there and prove myself. 

Other Bobcats that signed to play at the next level include Ethan Cartmel with Presbyterian and Jayden Jefferies with Erskine college. 

Finally, Sebastian Tollefson and Kaleb Gadson will remain teammates at the next level at Limestone University. 

Congrats to all signees from Bluffton.

****STORY 1***** 

For years, the most controversial topic in grocery shopping has not been organic veggies versus non-organic, nor the angst over the scarcity and never-ending rise of egg prices. It’s been the concerns about the plastic bags used to tote groceries from the store to the car to the kitchen. Beaufort County has launched a survey of residents and businesses as the county begins to rethink its plastic bag ban following a failed effort to update the current ordinance in May 2024. The proposed changes would have also included bans on plastic utensils and polystyrene containers.  

  Alice Howard, Beaufort County Council Chair, said that there were a number of questions and concerns regarding how the proposed rule would affect local businesses and restaurants. The council voted against moving forward with the changes in a 7-4 vote. The issue was sent back to a subcommittee, which decided that the county needed more data before moving forward with any updates.  

  Shortly after the ordinance went into effect in 2018, thicker plastic bags appeared in Target and Walmart. Grant McClure, the south coast project manager with the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, said he’s found these thicker bags in the area marshes. Since there is more plastic in the thicker versions of the plastic bag, they take longer to break down. 

 ****STORY 2****** 

 Laissez les bon temps rouler! The 2nd Annual Krewe of Port Royal Mardi Gras is marching back into the beautiful Town of Port Royal, SC.

Come celebrate and let loose on Saturday, February 22nd as The Town of Port Royal is turned into a lively festival of life, culture, and community; bringing the beads, music, floats, and all the excitement of Mardi Gras—Port Royal style.

Save the date and gather your krewe because the big parade starts at 4pm, following the same route as last year. Be sure to line up along Paris Avenue between 16th Street (Anchor/Mariners Park) and 11th Street to catch all the action.

The parade will conclude at Shellring Ale Works, where the after-party kicks off with the band Kanola playing all your favorite New Orleans music, food trucks, a face painter, and activities for the kids to do.

It features a variety of irresistible, authentic New Orleans dishes with classics including jambalaya, gumbo, beignets, crawfish, and more. Your senses will come to life as the air fills with the enticing aromas of Cajun and Creole spices, bringing the essence of New Orleans to life.

 ***STORY 3**** 

Beaufort County Council members have established their committee assignments. These assignments are for two years. 
According to a media release from Beaufort County, the committee assignments are as follows: 

  Community Services Committee
Meets the first Monday at 2 p.m. 

• Chairman David Bartholomew 
• Vice Chairman Tom Reitz 
• Members: York Glover, Larry McElynn, Anna Maria Tabernik 

  Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee
Meets the third Monday at 2 p.m. 

• Chairman Mark Lawson 
• Vice Chairman Logan Cunningham 
• Members: Paula Brown, Gerald Dawson, Anna Maria Tabernik 

  Natural Resources Committee
Meets the first Monday at 4 p.m. 

• Chairman York Glover 
• Vice Chairman Paula Brown 
• Members: Gerald Dawson, Larry McElynn, Anna Maria Tabernik 

  Public Facilities Committee
Meets the third Monday at 4 p.m. 

• Chairman Logan Cunningham 
• Vice Chairman David Bartholomew 
• Members: Paula Brown, Mark Larson, Tom Reitz 

STORY 1 

Civil War hero Robert Smalls could one day stand just outside the Statehouse visitors’ entrance, clad in the three-piece tuxedo he would have worn while serving in Congress, a legislative panel decided Wednesday, Jan. 8. Smalls, who escaped slavery on a Confederate steamship and later served in the Statehouse and Congress, will be the first individual Black person recognized on the Statehouse grounds. Another monument represents the story of Black South Carolinians, but it doesn’t identify any specific people. 

The plan still needs approval from a full committee, as well as the House and Senate. If the unanimous votes Wednesday, as well as unanimous approval of the legislation to honor him with a monument, are any indication, the proposal will have little trouble reaching the finish line. 

The law placing a monument on the grounds includes only one deadline: The commission needed to decide on a design and location by Jan. 15, which it accomplished with a week to spare. As for construction, the law requires only that it happen “as soon as is reasonably possible” after the full Legislature approves the plans. That gives legislators time to finalize details, such as the size and material of the statue, and raise as much money as possible, said Rep. Brandon Cox, the Goose Creek Republican who co-sponsored the law with Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Columbia. 

“This isn’t going to be done haphazardly,” Cox told reporters. “Two hundred years from now, when we’re looking at the Statehouse grounds, that statue will still be up there.” 

****STORY 2****** 

Surcheros , a casual Tex-Mex restaurant known for its fresh ingredients is opening in Beaufort on Jan. 28. 

Known for their fresh and flavorful dishes, some of their top menu items include tacos, grilled burritos, bowls and quesadillas. They also offer catering order options for large parties and events. 

With locations in Savannah and Rincon, Georgia, Surcheros is beginning to expand its restaurant locations into the Lowcountry. 

They will be located at 351 D Robert Smalls Parkway in Beaufort Station. 

The Beaufort location will be open Sunday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Surcheros will be hosting a grand opening on January 28 starting at 10:30 a.m. and the first 50 customers to make a purchase will receive free burritos for a year. 

***STORY 3**** 

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is asking for the public’s help locating a missing and endangered man. 

49-year-old Darren Mulligan was reported missing to BCSO on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. 
 
Mulligan was last seen leaving the Albany Grocery Store around 1 PM Saturday, January 11, 2025. It is unknown what he was wearing at the time, but he is wheelchair bound. 

He is described as 5’9″ and weighs about 170 lbs.
 
There is concern for his well-being due to the difficulties of getting around and the amount of time he has been missing.
 
Anyone who knows where Darren Mulligan may be is encouraged to call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777 . 

STORY 1 

Watching the comings and goings of tiny horses that looked right at home grazing on marsh grass or galloping on the beach was “magical,” according to residents of Horse and Little Horse islands who witnessed the unlikely scene over the decades. But those days are gone after a November roundup corralled the last members of the semi-wild herd of “marsh ponies.” They will live out the remainder of their lives on local farms. 

The end of the isolated herd that once roamed freely in the wilds of coastal Beaufort County — called ponies but looking more like little horses — was bittersweet for Dr. Venaye Reece. For the last 12 years, the retired veterinarian fed and cared for the horses, which could run like the wind and swim like fish. Watching them, said Reece, who could see the herd from her home, was, she said, like “seeing unicorns appear out of the morning mist.” 

“They were magical to see on the marsh,” Reece said. But, she adds, it is also a relief to know that the ponies that once snorted at boundaries will now receive better care in a more hospitable and controlled environment with better oversight.

Limited food sources, inbreeding, health concerns, encroaching development and access and oversight concerns took their toll. So the decision was made to place them in foster care at farms owned by Brandi O’Brien of Bluffton and Nichole Bradley of Yemassee. On Nov. 6, the semi-feral horses were lured with feed into a pipe corral provided by Beaufort County Animal Services, then ushered into a stock trailer and driven away to begin a new life of relative leisure. 

Some of the seven ponies are close to 20 years old, which is roughly the life span of the ponies, said Reece. Wear and tear of teeth, caused by sand consumed while grazing, was a major limiting factor in their lifespan, she said. Domestic ponies, on the other hand, often live well into their 20s or even 30s. 

“They will just keep being in the wild — just in a different location,” said O’Brien, whose Bluffton farm is located in a similar marsh environment where the horses once lived. Since the ponies arrived, they’ve been feeding on grain and hay. Their hooves have been trimmed. And a veterinarian has “floated” their teeth — or filed them down to make them even.

STORY 2

A monument honoring a former Black Congressman who commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War is slated to stand outside of the visitor’s entrance of the State House. The Robert Smalls statue will face the State House and the George Washington statue. But the location in the northeast quadrant of the grounds between the African American history monument and the Spanish American War Veterans monument allows the statue to even “see” the monuments honoring Ben Tillman and Wade Hampton. 

 “As these younger generations of citizens visit the state house, they will walk by the Robert Smalls,” said state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland. The Smalls statue will depict him in a three-piece suit wearing a bow tie. “This depiction is actually consistent with everything else we have around here,” Johnson said. “Put him up there as an equal to everybody else. This is an equal human being. This is a man who did extraordinary things, but he’s an equal, and we need to go ahead and exemplify that with our actions and treat him as an equal.” 

The monument will have a panel with a biography, including Smalls being born into slavery, how he commandeered the Confederate Ship Planter in 1862 to bring 15 other runaway slaves to Union forces, served as a delegate to the South Carolina Constitutional convention in 1868, which required compulsory education for all children, served as a state representative and state senator, and was elected to Congress in 1874.

STORY 3&nb