Beaufort County This Week

 STORY 1From the WSAVThe 12th annual Mitchelville Juneteenth celebration returns this year to the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park with a three-day celebration. “We’re going to talk about the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth Amendment would really make us free as Americans, those amendments really put us all on the same equal plain,” said Executive Director for Historic Mitchelville Freedom Ahmad Ward. It’s set to be a big event held in the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the country. “The tagline for Signature of Freedom Park is where Freedom began, because we look at this as a place where Africans in America were able to practice citizenship for the first time in a place where they were running all of the things, the facilities upstairs to move into and to use and to function,” Ward said. Ward said this celebration means the most to many people attached to the park, because of the celebratory aspect of the event. “With Juneteenth being the quintessential freedom holiday, it just makes sense for us to be doing this here, especially now that it is a national holiday,” said Ward. “We were doing Juneteenth when it wasn’t as big of a national deal. So, for it to be a national holiday, it’s just fitting for the place where freedom began to have a celebration, celebrating freedom for it.” The events now start Thursday with a “sleep in” at the property itself. “So, we do a sleepover with Joe McGill, who received one project. And Joe has slept in close to 40 different states,” detailed Ward. “In the United States, places where enslaved people lived flourished or were just plantations. And he is really dedicated to sharing the background of these folks and getting deep into the heart of a plantation.” Then, Friday is a chance to get into the rhythm of the holiday. “The drum circle is right on Friday. And so this year, we have a kids’ drum camp earlier in the day. So we’re going to teach you how to do the drumming,” said Ward. “If you come back at 530 you can really get into it.” Then Saturday is the big event, the Juneteenth celebration. “The big festival is Saturday, June 13, from 10 to 4,” Ward said. “It’s only $10 to come. You’ll have arts and crafts. You have all kinds of men. There are all kinds of food out here on Saturday. Okay. You never go hungry. Anything you can think of is going to be out here on Saturday. We also get some great music on tap. El Shaddai will perform, there an old school dance contest, and then one of my favorites, Stokely Williams from Mint Condition will close it out.” While the day will be about fun, you can also learn something as well and find out more about the ongoing history projects at the park. “We have a full excavation going on the site right now. And this is the site of the future Interpretive Center. That will happen whenever I find $12 million,” Ward said. “So, if you know anybody out there, please. Please tell them to donate big. You will be able to have tours of the excavation. So, they actually lead you through some of the scenes, show you the stuff that they’re finding.”       Story 2From Post and Courier  A new display in the Fort Fremont Historical Preserve welcome center sheds new light on history of the fort and Beaufort County’s connection to the Spanish American War. Grabbing visitors’ attention is a 35-inch-long model ship with a green and black hull, contrasting sharply with a crisp white deck and superstructure. It’s the Gen. E.O.C. Ord, a mine planter that went in service in 1909 and once operated in the Port Royal Sound. Working in his wood shop, Friends of Fort Fremont member Dennis Cannady crafted the model from basswood in an astonishingly short nine weeks. “This unveiling brings an end to this phase of telling the Fort Fremont story,” said Cannady during the June 4 premier of the new model. Creating the Ord wasn’t Cannady’s first rodeo. The retired engineer, who spent his career at General Motors, already had three dioramas on display in the welcome center, the largest of which depicts that layout of the base when it was fully operational in the early 20th century. Still, he felt one more was needed. “We realized that the last piece of the story of Fort Fremont hadn’t been told yet. And that is the mining that was done in the river,” Cannady said.           Story 3 From wsavA new case of measles in a Beaufort County adult was confirmed Wednesday by the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH).The case has no known connection to the Lowcountry case reported in Hampton County on June 3. At this time, the patient’s vaccination status is unconfirmed, and the source of exposure is unknown. A DPH investigation identified various Lowcountry locations and times where exposures have occurred.Publix Super Market at Lady’s IslandJune 1 – 2:30 – 7:30 p.m.June 2 – 3 – 6 p.m.June 4 – 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.June 5 – 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.Beaufort HS graduation, BHS Football StadiumJune 3Dataw Island Community Center pool/gymJune 2, June 3 and June 4 – 5:50 a.m. – 9 p.m.The risk of exposure is limited to the above specific locations and times. A spokesperson for the DPH said, “People who believe they were exposed at Publix, especially those without immunity through vaccination or previous disease, should monitor for symptoms for three weeks (21 days) after the exposure date. Those exposed at Beaufort High School should monitor for symptoms through June 24. The last day of symptom monitoring for those exposed at the Dataw Island Community Center is June 25.”

STORY 1From the Island NewsWith South Carolina’s June 9 primary election approaching, Beaufort County election officials are encouraging voters to double-check their polling locations after several precincts were temporarily relocated and a new precinct was added for the upcoming primary and any runoff election scheduled for June 23. The Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections announced the changes in May. The relocations are temporary and apply only to the June 9 primary and June 23 runoff election. The changes affect voters in the Sheldon area, on Lady’s Island, on St. Helena Island and in portions of the Chechessee and Riverbend communities. Election Day voting will take place Tuesday, June 9, with polls open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Voters must cast their ballots at their assigned precinct on Election Day. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in a primary race, a runoff election will be held June 23. Early voting is underway and continues through Thursday, June 5. Early voting centers are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections office, the St. Helena Branch Library, the Bluffton Branch Library and the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Hilton Head campus. Voters are required to present a valid photo ID before casting a ballot. Acceptable forms of identification include a South Carolina driver’s license, a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles-issued photo identification card, a voter registration card with a photograph, a military identification card, a Veterans Affairs identification card or a United States passport. Election officials are encouraging all voters, even those whose precincts are not among the temporary relocations, to verify their polling location before Election Day by using the South Carolina Election Commission’s “Find My Polling Place” tool or by contacting the Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections at 843-255-6900. The changes include several temporary polling place relocations as well as the creation of a new precinct in the Chechessee area.     Story 2From Bluffton Today The importance of protecting Bluffton’s waterways became the subject of an art contest and the winners were recently announced by the town. “Local Bluffton students recently submitted artwork to raise awareness of the need to protect our waterways and keep pollution out of the stormwater system,” a Town of Bluffton spokesperson said. One of the winning pieces of art was by A. DiPalma, a student at Cross Schools. The winners will soon have their artwork displayed on storm drains throughout Bluffton’s Historic District as part of this environmental awareness initiative. The following students had winning designs: • “What Goes Here, Flows There” - A. Di Palma, Cross Schools • “Be Mindful - We All Share the Same Ocean” - A. Lindberg, River Ridge Academy • “Never Litter. Love The May River” - L. DuBose, Hilton Head Christian Academy • “Keep Bluffton Flowing” - E. Hernandez, Bluffton High School Installation of the students’ artwork is tentatively scheduled for early June, dependent upon the weather, town officials said. “Thank you to all the students, schools, teachers, and families who participated in this project and helped raise awareness of the importance of protecting the May River and our local waterways,” a town spokesperson said.            Story 3 From the Post & Courier June is “Trails Month” in South Carolina, and it kicks off with National Trails Day on June 6. In Beaufort County, officials are taking the opportunity to highlight the much-loved Spanish Moss Trail and its impact on local health and tourism. Considered a crown jewel of the Lowcountry, the Spanish Moss Trail is a recognized segment of the national East Coast Greenway and draws more than 100,000 annual visitors to its scenic pathway. The 10-mile paved greenway features new family-friendly additions, including a specialized kids' track, the Downtown Beaufort Connector and the Ribaut Road Crossing into Port Royal. “We are incredibly proud of South Carolina, Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal for collaborating with the national celebration of trails for the entire month of June,” said Dean Moss, executive director of Friends of the Spanish Moss. Built along the historic Port Royal Railroad right-of-way, the greenway winds over creeks, through wetlands and under moss-draped live oaks, offering pristine coastal wildlife views and historic points of interest. While owned by Beaufort County, the Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail advocate for continued development of the popular location. The story of the Spanish Moss Trail begins with the historic Magnolia Line Railroad. Established in 1870, the railroad operations ceased in 2003. Five years later, the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority acquired the right-of-way to use as a utility corridor. In January 2011, they granted a surface easement to Beaufort County to develop 14 miles of the corridor as a recreational trail, what would eventually become the Spanish Moss Trail. Since 2013, nearly 10 miles of the trail have been developed and are open to the hundreds of people who use it each day, connecting the city of Beaufort and the town of Port Royal. The public can participate in Trails Month by exploring the 12-foot-wide, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible pathway from dawn to dusk through the six main trailheads: Westvine, Broome, Depot, Beaufort Plaza, Roseida and Clarendon. Participants can support the trail's preservation by practicing "Leave No Trace" principles, keeping pets leashed and adhering to the 15 mph speed limit for bicycles and Class 1 electric bikes. The “Leave No Trace” principles promote outdoor conservation by instructing visitors to plan ahead, travel on durable surfaces and dispose of waste properly. Outdoor visitors should leave natural objects untouched, minimize campfire impacts and respect wildlife by keeping a safe distance. “The Spanish Moss Trail is a wonderful asset not only to the county but to the southeast area,” said Alice Howard, Beaufort County Council chair. “We see visitors from other states and other counties on the trail. It is a great linear ‘park’ with all ages and stages of people enjoying the trail through marshes and woodlands plus providing another mode of transportation besides vehicles.” Participants are encouraged to share their experiences on social media using the hashtags #SpanishMossTrail, #NationalTrailsDay and #SCTrailsMonth. Visitors can also download the trail's free mobile guide app or donate directly to the Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail at SpanishMossTrail.com.   

 STORY 1From the Island PacketA critical decision on restoring Beaufort’s unstable boardwalk and the relieving platform supporting it was made Monday when the Waterfront Park Advisory Committee voted unanimously to endorse one of three options on the table. Committee members voted 6-0 to recommend that the city pursue Option 2, where the failing structure under the promenade known as the relieving platform would be replaced and modernized. The option is most like the current promenade in terms of looks and layout, so it won’t bring major changes to the feel of the park. However, the city’s engineering consultant says it would use contemporary materials and raise the platform 18 inches to add more flood control. It would have a lifespan of 75 years. The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council, which will make the final decision and may discuss the issue at a May 26 meeting, said City Councilman Josh Scallate, who serves on the Waterfront Advisory Committee. If the City Council approves it, city staff will begin work on developing an engineering and design proposal that would be advertised. “This gets it moving to the next step,” Scallate said of the committee’s vote. The decision to pick Option 2 comes a week-and-a-half after the city unveiled three options at a meeting at Waterfront Park attended by some 150 people. Story 2From WCSC The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources reported that the first two loggerhead sea turtle nests of 2026 were logged on Wednesday morning at Edisto Beach State Park and the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. The two nests were left in situ, meaning they remain undisturbed, so the number of eggs remains unclear. Loggerhead sea turtles, which comprise the majority of South Carolina nests, are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.Female loggerheads do not nest each year and may lay several nests two weeks apart while consuming little to no food at all, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources says. The year 2019 was the highest on record for loggerhead nest numbers in South Carolina, with 8,775 counted. Last year, 3,901 were reported. Four species of sea turtles may nest on South Carolina beaches, and all are protected under federal and state law. Those species are: loggerheads, green turtles, Kemp’s ridleys, and leatherbacks. Sea turtle nesting season in South Carolina runs from May 1 through October 31.Story 3 From the Post & Courier Social media posts coming out of Jasper County during the afternoon of May 6 look like they belong back in 2020 or 2021. One post from Keith Horton, the county’s clerk of court, stated that the Jasper County Courthouse is closed until further notice due to a “significant number of employees testing positive for COVID-19.” Reached by phone, Laura Malphrus, the county’s chief deputy clerk of court, confirmed the closure and its cause, stating that several employees tested positive for the virus earlier in the day May 6. She did not disclose the exact number of employees who tested positive. The courthouse is scheduled to be disinfected on May 7 and due to the chemicals used in that process employees were advised that the courthouse would not reopen until May 11, Malphrus added. 

STORY 1From the Island NewsThe City of Beaufort’s City Council voted March 10 to pass amendments to the city’s single-use plastics ordinance on a first reading, making Beaufort the first municipality in Beaufort County to advance the measures. A second and final vote will be required before the rules take effect. The amendments, presented to council by City Manager Scott Marshall, significantly broaden the scope of the county’s original 2018 Plastic Bag Ordinance. Rather than simply addressing single-use plastic carryout bags, the revised ordinance transforms the chapter into a comprehensive single-use plastics and foam reduction policy. What the ordinance would doUnder the amended rules, all plastic carryout bags would be banned outright. Stores would be required to offer customers reusable bags – specifically those made of cloth with stitched, not heat-sealed, handles. The ordinance would also prohibit businesses operating within city limits from providing to-go cups and food trays made of expanded polystyrene foam, commonly known as EPS or styrofoam. “No business establishment conducting business within the city limits may provide plastic carry-out bags or EDF disposable food service ware to its customers,” the amended regulations state.Story 2From the Island PacketCyclists, rejoice: a new scenic bike-friendly trail will open soon on Hilton Head Island. The Sea Pines Forest Preserve Foundation is putting “finishing touches” on a new bicycle-friendly trail in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, according to comments from David Henderson, Director of Special Projects and Operations, during a March 3 meeting of the Sea Pines CSA Board of Directors. Residents and visitors will soon be able to enjoy walking or cycling through the woods on the new leisure trail.  “The experience is unique,” Henderson said at the meeting. “There’s nothing else like it on Hilton Head Island.” Where will the new trail be? The exact location of the new trail has not been confirmed by Sea Pines officials. Story 3 WSAV- The RBC Heritage tournament is proving again that it’s about much more than golf. The charitable organization, the Heritage Classic Foundation, is making a difference in the lives of the next generation of future leaders from the Lowcountry. 11 Beaufort County seniors were named Heritage Classic Foundation scholars for the 2025-2026 school year. The students come from five different high schools in Beaufort and Jasper County. Applications were reviewed by the scholar committee based on academic success, community service, essays written by the students and financial need. During Monday’s awards presentation, Heritage Classic Foundation Chairman Simon Fraser told the audience, “This is always an exciting day for the Heritage Classic Foundation. We believe the résumés of these young adults are stronger than ever. The teachers and administrators of our school systems, as well as the award winners, deserve special praise.”The Kirby Scholarship, a one-year $4,000 scholar award, was created in memory of past Scholar Committee Chairman Ward Kirby and is granted every year. Two of the scholarships honor Scholar Committee chairmen who have passed, John Zimmerman and Mike Malanick. One honors the late Scholar Committee member Charlie Brown, and the Tartan Club Award recognizes the donations made by the Tartan Club. Created by the Heritage Classic Foundation, the Tartan Club is a group made up of individuals throughout the community who share a desire to help others through the awarding of scholarship grants for area students.  

STORY 1From the Island PacketBeaufort’s Bay Street is back in business after a $12 million storm drainage upgrade blocked vehicle traffic and hindered foot traffic into the city’s downtown business district for three long months. Gulf Stream Construction Inc. finished paving the intersection of Bay and Charles streets Friday and reopened it to traffic Monday. “We’re open for business!” Nan Sutton, the owner of Lulu Burgess, said in Facebook post announcing the reopening, as she stood, nearly dancing, in the middle of the intersection. “Woo-hoo!” The reopening of the intersection means vehicles can now easily reach downtown Beaufort from both directions of Bay Street — from both the Woods Memorial Bridge end, which had remained open, and the marina end, which had been closed.  Downtown Beaufort remained open, but the closure of the western entrance reduced both vehicle and pedestrian traffic through the holiday season, a critical time for downtown businesses.  “Our businesses need this,” Ashlee Houck, president and CEO of the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association, said of the reopening of the key intersection. “Downtown has been hit hard with the waterfront promenade closure, so this is what we need at this point in time. Some businesses didn’t last through January.” Besides the disruption caused by the stormwater drainage project, downtown businesses also are wrestling with the city’s closure of the promenade because of deterioration of the infrastructure underneath the Waterfront Park.  Houck says businesses are hoping the reopening of Bay and Charles streets will stabilize foot traffic. The Bay-Charles intersection is just a part of a year-long, $11.9 million stormwater drainage project called the Charles/Craven Street Stormwater Improvements. The project will replace 1900-era pipes and install tidal check valves along the waterfront to reduce chronic flooding from hurricanes and other storms. With opening of the intersection, work is now proceeding north up Charles Street. From the Bluffton TodaySouthernCarolina Alliance is celebrating its 30th year of service to the South Carolina Lowcountry with several major announcements in 2026. "As we ended 2025 with announcements and expansions in Colleton, Bamberg, Beaufort and Hampton counties, 2026 kicked off with a major economic development project announcement in Bamberg County," said Steve Murdaugh SCA Chairman in the SCA's February newsletter. "As SCA reflects this year on our 30 years of service to the counties of our region, we look forward to what's to come as our region remains a hub for investment and job creation." The SCA is a non-profit regional economic development organization founded in 1996 that serves seven S.C. Lowcountry counties: Beaufort, Hampton, Jasper, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and Colleton counties with the goals of attracting, retaining, and expanding business investments, particularly in the automotive, aerospace and manufacturing industries.