STORY 1

Beaufort County Adopt-A-Highway is kicking off a challenge for citizens who may not have time to fully commit to a regular Adopt-A-Highway group. “The 30-Minute Challenge” encourages residents to take simple steps toward a cleaner community.

Whether it’s a plastic bottle or a stray wrapper — every piece picked up counts — and it only takes 30 minutes. The challenge kicks off Tuesday, August 5 and ends Wednesday, September 27.

Here's how the challenge works:

• Set the day, time, and location
• Walk and pick up litter with friends, family, or neighbors
• Clean up your street, local park, boat landing, or other common shared spaces
• Register — Let us know so we can track your impact and celebrate your contribution.
• Report your results — When you complete your 30 minutes, submit your results to help us document the difference you're making. Click here to submit results.

To learn more about how you can get involved and adopt a section of highway, roadway, boat landing or waterway, contact the County Litter Control Supervisor/Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator Jesus Rodriguez at 843-255-2817 or jesus.rodriguez@bcgov.net.

Story 2

Nexus Care of Beaufort's STAR (Striving to Achieve Resiliency) Youth Leadership Program is kicking off another school year with an event encouraging middle school and high school students north of the Broad to develop peer-to-peer conversations about preventing substance use and misuse.

In partnership with All Aboard Beaufort, the event will be held Thursday, August 21 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., at the Penn Center, 16 Penn Center Circle East.

Special guest is Dr. Marie Gibbs. As a Gullah native, she taught, inspired, and motivated young minds for over 30 years at St. Helena Elementary School, the school she attended as a child and later graduated from St. Helena High School. Dr. Gibbs retired in 2008 and began her second career as a devoted grandmother and volunteer at the Penn Center Museum.

This event is free and open to all interested middle school and high school students in northern Beaufort County.

To learn more, visit the All Aboard Beaufort website.

For more information and to rsvp, contact Jodie Martinez at jodie.martinez@bcgov.net.

Story 3

From WSAV

School starts Wednesday in Beaufort County, and it begins with good news about staffing in schools.

The Beaufort County School District says it has the lowest numbers of teacher vacancies in years.

That’s in part to a recent pay bump, as beginning salaries are increasing by $9,000 to $60,000 a year. That makes Beaufort County one of the highest paying in the state and gives the school system a better chance to hire and keep teachers.

Beaufort County School Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said, “The objective is attracting high quality educators. And then we continue to support their work and initiatives, provide them with a high-quality curriculum material to utilize in their classrooms and then focus on the quality instruction within the classroom for students.”

Money is still on the mind of the district, with questions about the dissolution of the Federal Department of Education and potential funding for programs like special needs and after-school.

Rodriguez said he can only focus on the things he can change, and not the future questions.

Beaufort County schools will offer free breakfast and lunch for students who qualify in 2025-26 school year.