From WTOC

A major project to bring more healthcare jobs and another medical option to the rapidly growing town of Bluffton has cleared a key hurdle.

Novant Health is one step closer to building its own hospital along Buckwalter Parkway.

Following its final development plan meeting with the Town of Bluffton, the proposed facility is nearing its groundbreaking phase.

The multi-million-dollar medical facility will join other recent additions to Bluffton’s medical corridor, including a recently opened Novant Health Emergency Room building and a Beaufort Memorial medical facility currently under construction.

Bluffton’s population growth is driving the demand for expanded local healthcare infrastructure.

According to Town of Bluffton Director of Growth Management Kevin Icard, residential space in the town is nearly built out.

“We’re at about 80% developed residential uses in the town,” Icard said.

Town planners specifically designed the Buckwalter Parkway corridor to accommodate higher-density development, focusing heavily on medical services.

From WSAV

Approximately 300 new poll workers are needed throughout Beaufort County for Election Day on Nov. 3, 2026.

Citizens who complete training and work on Election Day will receive a stipend and bonus from the county of $235.

Beaufort County is one of the top 10 counties in the state by registered voters and has 134 precincts.

“We have been fortunate to have capable citizens willing to attend training and serve their neighbors at the polls,” said Mr. Matthew Sweeney, chairman of the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County. “Their commitment is essential, but with continued growth in voter registrations, precincts, and polling locations, we now have an urgent need to recruit new poll workers across Beaufort County.”

From the Island Packet

A 78-year-old apartment complex in Port Royal is offering invaluable training to firefighters before it is demolished. The site, located at 1844 Ribaut Road, will soon be replaced by a new federally-run health clinic dedicated to serving military veterans.

Sea Island Apartments’ nine one-story buildings have stood at this location since 1948. Over the past 10 or so days, the well-known one-story brick buildings became a training ground for firefighters from seven Beaufort County Departments to hone skills they learned in basic training.

The final training day was Friday.

This week, demolition of the apartment buildings will begin, said Josh Hausman with VM Port Royal LLC. VM Port Royal bought three parcels totalling 11 acres, including the eight acres on which the apartments sit, in order to develop a $30 million health clinic that will be managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tuesday, voters in South Carolina will once again head to the polls as the Republican primary for the US Senate seat of the late Lindsay Graham is in a runoff. Early voting runs through Friday August 21 at 5:00 PM, and then regular voting will take place Tuesday August 25th, with polls opening at 7 AM. Voters who participated in June’s Democratic primary are not allowed to vote in this run off, whereas those who voted in the Republican primary or did not vote in either primary may cast their vote. The runoff features Senator Graham’s sister, Daline Graham, who is currently the interim Senator in her brother’s place, and Ralph Norman. Head to BeaufortCountySC.Gov/News for more information.

From the Post & Courier

If Beaufort County voters approve a proposed penny sales tax on the November ballot, it will be the largest in the county’s history — both in terms of duration and amount.

The measure would levy a 1 percent sales tax on retail purchases beginning in 2027 and would continue for nine years or until $780 million is raised, whichever occurs first. The money would pay for improvements to the county’s roads. The tax would not apply to purchases of medication, gas, rent and mortgages, utilities and unprepared foods or groceries.

“We all understand the traffic and the growth,” said Assistant County Administrator Jared Fralix. “Without funding, projects that community leaders have asked for will not be addressed. We don’t see the need disappearing.”

A Transportation Advisory Committee began meeting and evaluating the community’s needs in February. Led by former Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, the group held nine meetings with residents and community leaders throughout the county to assess the needs and begin drawing up project lists.

Beaufort County residents are encouraged to protect themselves, neighbors and pets as Hot and Humid conditions continue across our region. We have experienced widespread heat index values of 110+ degrees Fahrenheit with 112-115 degree Fahrenheit values possible along the coastal corridor into the weekend. Please keep your pets indoors during the hottest times of the day and make sure your animals have plenty of ways to stay cool if they spend time outdoors at all during the summer months. As you prepare ways for yourself to beat the heat, include your pet in planning & preps, with considerations like providing Ice and Ice Water, A pool to play in, Shaded areas or bringing them inside. Please do not leave pets in a hot car. A full press release with local resources to beat the heat, including the hours and locations of County facilities inviting daytime guests, is now available at beaufortcountysc.gov forward slash news.

From the WSAV

Beaufort County launched its first and only in-house compost initiative in the Lowcountry.

About 50% of what ends up in a landfill could be composted, so instead that waste can become nutrient-rich soil.

Beaufort County’s Environmental Education Coordinator Livvy Bergmann told WSAV that anything you can eat, you can compost.

“So you can even take things like cooked meat, If you have chicken, if you have steak, anything like that,” said Bergmann. “But also, all of our veggie scraps and bready units like food that is maybe more along chips or sandwiches or anything like that, pizza, all of that can go into our compost unit.”

The initiative was launched in January, and since then, they have produced thousands of pounds of compost. Leaders said composting has many benefits; one being reducing the use of chemical fertilizer.

Organizers want Beaufort County residents to know the resource is available to them. Which is why Mossy was created, a new mascot to raise awareness about the compost unit.

“The biggest component of the grant we applied for was that education and outreach, said Victoria Hoffman, Beaufort County’s solid waste and recycling program manager. “And so Mossy, she embodies the Gullah Geechee culture and the Lowcountry community from her hair that’s supposed to resemble Spanish moss; her shoes are braided sweet grass.”

There are currently four compost collection areas, and Beaufort County leaders said they hope to expand into Beaufort County Schools soon.

From NBC

Tuesday voters across the state came out for a special Republican primary, as the party seeks to elect a candidate to compete for the US Senate seat of the late Senator Lindsey Graham in this Fall’s General Election. The GOP will continue the search as two candidates will go to a runoff on August 25th. Darline Graham, the sister of Lindsay Graham, who is currently holding the seat, clinched a spot in the primary by receiving the most votes, with 109,633 statewide votes, which is 32.7% of the total. Ralph Norman finished second with 82,541, or 24.6%. Other candidates included Russell Fry, former Governor Mark Sanford, Mark Lynch, Danny Ford II, the son of legendary Clemson football coach Danny Ford, Duke Buckner, Glenda Parker, Samuel Shepherd, and Mark McBride. Darline Graham overwhelmingly won Beaufort County, with 5,982 votes or 46%. Mark Sanford finished second in the country with 2,544 votes, or 19.6%. And Ralph Norman finished third in Beaufort County with 2,077 votes, or 16%

From WSAV

Lowcountry Outreach began operations in 2023 to bring together key free services for those in need.

About 15 percent of Beaufort County residents lack reliable transportation which is one of the many gaps that Lowcountry Outreach is working to fill.

The nonprofit offers an Angel Rides program in partnership with Good Neighbor Medical Clinic to provide free transportation to medical appointments for patients who do not have reliable transportation.

Lisa Daly, Lowcountry Outreach director, told WSAV the program has already made an impact in the community.

“We provide free transportation to patients’ medical appointments,” said Daly. “It could be an appointment in Bluffton. We’ve gone to Walterboro. We’ve gone to Charleston with their patients. And we really would like to expand.”

Lowcountry Outreach also houses several nonprofits connecting residents with services ranging from legal assistance to support for older adults and their caregivers.