STORY 1

Last week, Beaufort County celebrated a pair of groundbreakings at Parks & Recs locations in the Beaufort County. On January 7th, ground was broken for the Wesley E. Felix Community center located at 179 Ball Park Road on St. Helena Island. The speakers included County Council member York Glover, who spoke about the importance of baseball to St. Helena’s community and history. Again on January 9th the county broke ground on the Agnes A. Major Community center at 21 Agnes Major Road in Sheldon. Council member Gerald Dawson was amongst the speakers and highlighted the accomplishments of Ms. Major’s life and her impacts on the community. You can watch the groundbreaking ceremony on Youtube.com/@BeaufortCountyTV and on BCTV.

Story 2

From the Island Packet

Freezing rain is the main concern for the Lowcountry this weekend as a powerful winter storm sweeps across the eastern United States, the National Weather Service’s Charleston office said Wednesday afternoon. By Monday, a sharp drop in temperatures, with coastal lows in the mid to upper 20s, could cause any snow or ice to persist into next week. Despite continued uncertainty about specific impacts, the Lowcountry as of Wednesday afternoon appears to be near the southernmost periphery of the storm, and the greatest impacts are expected to take place late Saturday into Monday morning. Since Tuesday, the storm’s forecast track has shifted northward, lessening the overall potential impacts for South Carolinians living south of I-20, according to a midday report from Frank Strait, severe weather liaison with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ Climate Office.

Beaufort County is right on the edge between a 20–40% chance of ice accumulation and a lower risk below 20%, according to the briefing.

How to prepare for the winter storm

Dominion Energy, one of the county’s largest providers, wrote they were preparing and “ready to respond” in the event of severe winter weather throughout the state. They encouraged their customers to Pack emergency kits, including flashlights, batteries, portable radios, first-aid kits and enough bottled water and non-perishable food to last several days. Stay away from any downed power lines with the assumption that they are still energized and dangerous. South Carolina customers should call 888-333-4465 right away to report a downed power line. Prepare for potential property damage, since crews can only repair electric service up to a home’s point of connection.

If a customer loses power and has any storm damage from the weatherhead down to its meter base, an electrician must first repair it before Dominion can reconnect power to the home. Stay connected with their provider on social media for updates and alerts. Report and track outages on the Dominion Energy app and website. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division provides a winter weather resource guide and checklist to help residents prepare for possible winter storms.

Story 3

- The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Restaurant Week starts next weekend, kicking off Sunday, January 31st and running through February 7th. From Bluffton to Hilton Head Island, more than 80 local restaurants are serving up special pre-fixed menu featuring new creations, signature favorites, and can’t-miss dishes from the area’s top chefs. A Kickoff event at Rollers Wine & Spirits will run next Thursday, January 29th from 5 to 8pm. For more information including a full list of participating restaurants and menus please visit hiltonheadisland.org.