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.

From the Island Packet

Beaufort County is the first in South Carolina to ban the use of glyphosate in its parks and recreational fields, according to a group that pushed for the change for environmental and public health reasons. Glyphosate is a herbicide best known as the active ingredient in some Roundup products, a popular brand of weed killer. The EPA says it doesn’t cause increases in cancer if used according to label directions. The World Health Organization has concluded that it is “probably carcinogenic.”

The local announcement about banning glyphosate county-run parks was made by Parks and Recreation Director Eric Brown at a meeting of the County Council’s Community Services and Public Safety Committee meeting Monday. It prompted applause from organics-first advocates who had been pressuring the county to make the change, and Congresswoman Nancy Mace. Mace, R-S.C., called the countywide ban on Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides “the first meaningful county-level pesticide safeguard in South Carolina.”

From the Island Packet

Beaufort County’s students are headed back to school this Friday. The Beaufort County School District’s (BCSD) schools traditionally start mid-week, but the district chose to start Friday to ease students’ transition back in and acquaint themselves with their teachers, classmates and school before full instruction begins, according to previous Island Packet reporting. But the start of school can impact us graduates too, mostly through traffic.

Here’s what you need to know as school gets back in session. When to expect traffic School traffic is most common around the start and end of classes each weekday. BCSD elementary schools start at 7:45 a.m. and end at 2:45 p.m., while middle and high schools start at 8:45 a.m. and end at 3:45 p.m.

From WTOC

The Beaufort County Engineering Department invited residents, business owners and commuters to review the U.S. 21 Corridor Study and provide feedback.

The study evaluates potential access management improvements along U.S. 21 from U.S. 17 to Neil Road.

“Public input will help guide future transportation planning efforts and identify priorities for improving traffic flow while maintaining access to homes, businesses, schools and community destinations,” the department wrote.

The U.S. 21 Corridor Study examines existing roadway conditions and identifies opportunities to improve:

• Traffic safety and reduce crashes
• Traffic flow and mobility along the corridor
• Access to businesses, neighborhoods and public facilities
• Bicycle and pedestrian connectivity where appropriate
• Long-term transportation planning to support future growth

Community members are encouraged to review the study recommendations and submit comments through the Beaufort County Connect project page located here.

Public comment will end on Aug. 14.

WELCOME to Beaufort County This Week! Today is Friday, July 31 and this week in 1973 the late Reverend Clementa C. Pinckney was born in Beaufort.

I’m Matt Goldin and here are your top stories presented by Beaufort County TV!

A famous mini totem pole in Beaufort is getting a new home.

The outgoing Water Festival Commodore made quite a splash on Saturday

All this and more coming up on Beaufort County This Week!

From the Island Packet

For decades, a weathered but optimistic face with coal-black wide eyes set in circles has greeted Beaufort residents walking along the sidewalk on Boundary Street, in front of a Thai restaurant and sushi bar. On Monday morning, rush-hour traffic rushed past the face like it wasn’t there. The drivers may not have even known that the landmark piece of art, carved by a legendary Beaufort figure near the base of the palmetto tree, even exists.

On Friday, the city announced on Facebook that it is removing the tree with the face before it declines naturally or is taken down by a storm.

However, the city added, the funky art will be saved and placed in new home at Morrall Park at the corner of Craven and Carteret streets, preserving the countenance for future generations.

Well-known local artist Hugh Patrick Knox Corry — known to many simply as “Driftwood” — carved the strange face many years ago, City Manager Scott Marshall said.

Marc Sviland, a local artist and woodworker, will mount the carving before it is permanently installed at its new location at Morrall Park, Marshall said.

Driftwood lived in a shack on the side of U.S. 21 on Harbor Island. He fashioned driftwood and horseshoe crab shells into art, according to previous Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet reporting.

His legend grew large in 20-or-so years around town, from about the early 1950s to the early 1970s. Driftwood died in 1981 in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Atlanta.

From the Island Packet

The incoming commodore of the 2027 Beaufort Water Festival celebrated the cherished appointment by dancing with her husband and sons. The outgoing 2026 leader became the first commodore in the festival’s 70-year history to end his reign by jumping from a moving shrimp boat.

The highly anticipated “change of watch” came Saturday during the Commodore’s Ball near the close of the 10-day Water Festival. In one of the festival’s most cherished traditions, Cori Talbert, who has volunteered with the festival for 17 years, was chosen to lead the 71st festival in 2027 during the ball.

Talbert succeeded outgoing commodore Dusty Vickers, who made history when he jumped over the rail of the Gracie Belle, a shrimp boat owned by Craig Reaves, Sunday during the blessing of the fleet. He swam to shore, where he delivered his final remarks.

“I can’t recollect a commodore actually jumping off a shrimp boat,” Vickers told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet Monday.

Asked why he did it, Vickers said the move was planned and not spontaneous. He wanted to end the festival “with splash.” He added he had a scene from the 1994’s “Forrest Gump” in mind when he came up with the idea. In the movie, Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks, jumps off of a shrimp boat when Lt. Dan, played by Gary Sinise, arrives to join him in the shrimping business. The film was made in Beaufort.

Vickers also said the unusual move seemed to fit the theme of this year’s Water Festival, which was, “Sunny Days and Fresh Waves.” He also enjoys the water, he noted.

From Live5 News

Hilton Head Island Airport is adding a TSA PreCheck lane, officials announced.

To prepare for the new lane, the airport will host a PreCheck enrollment event next month for travelers who need to sign up or renew their membership.

The enrollment event runs Aug. 18–21 at the airport on Hunter Road.

Travelers must sign up or renew their PreCheck membership to use the new lane once it opens. Once approved, membership lasts five years.

And now here are some events to get you Out and About this weekend!

***Out and About***

Thanks for listening to Beaufort County This Week! To learn more about BC TV, please head over to Beaufort County dot TV. All Rights Reserved.

WELCOME to Beaufort County This Week! Today is Friday, July 24 and this week US representative and Sumter native Jim Clyburn celebrated his 86th birthday.

I’m Matt Goldin and here are your top stories presented by Beaufort County TV!

Proposed legislation could bring $16 million in water infrastructure to Beaufort and Hilton Head

City of Beaufort has moved forward with two waterfront projects

and Burton, Sheldon Fire Districts conduct joint water supply training

All this and more coming up on Beaufort County This Week!

From the Island Packet

Proposed federal legislation would provide $16 million in water infrastructure funding to Beaufort and Hilton Head. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026 was passed by the Congressional Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on July 14, and earmarked in it are $10 million for the Town of Hilton Head and $6 million for the City of Beaufort.

WRDA legislative packages are passed every two years to fund water infrastructure projects nationwide. The 2026 WRDA awaits congressional approval before funds are distributed.

According to the WRDA, the $10 million authorized for Hilton Head will fund, “water and wastewater infrastructure, including stormwater management.” The WRDA does not list the uses of the $6 million authorized for Beaufort. A press release from the office of Rep. Nancy Mace said the funds are for “water and wastewater infrastructure.” City of Beaufort Finance Director Alan Eisenman said it may take one to four years for Beaufort to receive the funds once authorized by congress. Once received, the city will use the funds for the Port Republic and Carteret Streets drainage project, he said.

From the Post & Courier

The city has moved forward with two projects related to the promenade at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park — including a search for a firm to help fix the failing riverside promenade now that the day dock has reopened.

The request for qualifications for design services represents a “meaningful step” toward restoring the promenade, City Manager Scott Marshall said in his July 20 newsletter.

The 1,200-foot-long riverside feature has been closed for more than a year. It sits atop a structure called a relieving platform, which was determined to be failing along with its support pilings due to erosion.

The city is seeking a “qualified multidisciplinary consultant team to provide marine, coastal, geotechnical and structural engineering services” among other services for the massive construction project expected to take place in the next few years, said Assistant City Manager Eric Claussen.

The RFQ was posted July 10. Responses are due by Aug.13.

From WTOC

The Burton and Sheldon Fire Districts held their annual joint mobile water supply training Wednesday at Whale Branch Middle School.

The exercise focuses on transporting water to emergency scenes in areas of both districts where fire hydrants are not present, using high-capacity water tankers.

Burton Fire District Assistant Chief Jim Still said the yearly training is necessary to ensure crews are prepared before an emergency occurs.

“Perfect practice makes perfect, so if we wait till two in the morning when somebody has that unfortunate event, and we have to respond and deploy the resources appropriately, that’s not the time to learn,” Still said.

The joint mobile water supply training is one of several exercises the two districts conduct together annually to ensure smooth collaboration when responding to emergencies.

And now here are some events to get you Out and About this weekend!

***Out and About***

Thanks for listening to Beaufort County This Week! To learn more about BC TV, please head over to Beaufort County dot TV. All Rights Reserved.

From the Island Packet

The NWS issued a coastal flooding advisory Tuesday as the high tide was forecast to inundate coastal areas with 6 inches or more of water. This phenomenon is called high-tide flooding, and it occurs when weather and astrological variables push seawater above normal high marks. It’s concerning for the Lowcountry, since much of it is low-lying and susceptible to floods.

The NWS issued a coastal flooding advisory Tuesday as the high tide was forecast to inundate coastal areas with 6 inches or more of water. This phenomenon is called high-tide flooding, and it occurs when weather and astrological variables push seawater above normal high marks. It’s concerning for the Lowcountry, since much of it is low-lying and susceptible to floods.

And the 2026 El Niño could make high-tide flooding a more frequent issue. El Niño are known to exacerbate high-tide flooding, and this year’s El Niño is forecast to be very strong.

From the Post & Courier

Changes are happening in Old Town Bluffton, but a new program ensures little disruption for visitors.

To maintain seamless access to local shops, restaurants and parks during ongoing infrastructure upgrades, the town of Bluffton has launched a free shuttle service. The 12-week pilot program, which is currently underway, partners with Hidden Treasures, a Bluffton-based tour service, to provide a free hop-on, hop-off shuttle. The guided-tour company typically showcases the history of Gullah culture in the area.

"They have contracted with the town in the past and have the beautiful golf carts to provide for this shuttle service," said Bluffton spokesperson Debbie Szpanka. "It’s a proactive thing we are trying to do to get people adjusted to the shuttles so that when the big projects get underway they will know how to navigate it all."

Operating Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., two eight-seat carts run a continuous loop. This allows visitors to bypass the search for parking during ongoing streetscape improvements.

To ensure clear visibility, the town has established four designated stop locations marked with two-sided sandwich board signs. The shuttle loops continuously between Wright Family Parkat 111 Calhoun St., the corner of Mellichamp Drive and Bluffton Road, the M.C. Riley Sports Complex at 185 Goethe Road, and Oyster Factory Park at 63 Wharf St.

From WTOC

Beaufort County Mosquito Control has confirmed the first West Nile virus-positive mosquito samples of the year in Beaufort County. The samples were collected from surveillance trap locations in the City of Beaufort and tested in the agency’s laboratory.

Beaufort County Mosquito Control said it is increasing mosquito trapping in the identified areas and will schedule more truck treatment missions to reduce adult mosquito populations.

The agency said it deploys up to 80 mosquito surveillance traps each week throughout Beaufort County to detect mosquito-borne diseases including West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus. Officials said West Nile virus is naturally found in the area, but detection can vary from year to year.

STORY 1

From WSAV

A loggerhead sea turtle nest laid on May 11 is the first of this season to hatch on Hilton Head Island.

Sea Turtle Patrol HHI made the announcement Wednesday.

Approximately 30 hatchlings emerged Tuesday night. Sea Turtle Patrol HHI will watch the nest over the next few days to ensure an accurate count.

DNA analysis shows the turtle that laid the eggs in this nest also nested on Hilton Head Island in 2019, 2023 and 2026.

Story 2

From the Island Packet

Firefighters battled a fire at a downtown Beaufort house Monday evening and saved some dragons in the process. Fire crews arrived at 7:30 p.m. to find a working fire at the 2,000 square-foot Wilmington Street residence, according to Ross Vezin, a spokesman for the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department.

Beaufort County EMS and Beaufort police also responded. Crews quickly extinguished the fire but that’s not all. They also rescued three pet bearded dragons being kept in an aquarium inside the residence.

Social media comments applauded the firefighters’ work in saving these pets, with commenters calling them heroes.

Story 3

From the Post & Courier

The heat and humidity are unrelenting, and extreme heat advisories from the National Weather Service are blanketing the counties along the South Carolina coast. Doctors say these conditions can be more than just miserable, they could be dangerous.

And that danger is increasing — between 1999 and 2023, more than 21,000 people died in the U.S. from heat-related illness, according to a study in JAMA Network. Those deaths more than doubled, from 1,069 in 1999 to 2,325 in 2023, the highest number of deaths so far, the study found.

The combination of the heat and the humidity work against people in these hot conditions. The body tries to cool itself by sweating and the evaporation of sweat off the skin, which can release body heat. That becomes harder and harder as heat and humidity climb.

It is already taking a toll in the Lowcountry, said Dr. Tejbir Dhindsa, medical director of the emergency room at Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital. While it is hard to know if it is more than previous years, “we are seeing a lot of heat-related illnesses,” he said. It runs the gamut — from feeling light-headed with some cramping to nausea, vomiting and the kidneys shutting down.

And it is not just the heat and humidity that is dangerous if people aren’t careful about sun exposure, Dhindsa said.

“We actually had to talk to a burn doctor yesterday about someone who had a pretty bad, extensive sunburn that had blistered and caused quite a bit of pain,” he said.

Heat exhaustion can have symptoms of sweating, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, cool and clammy skin, and an elevated body temperature, said Dr. Diann Krywko, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. Heat stroke, the more severe condition, can see confusion, slurred speech, loss of consciousness and even liver or kidney failure, she said.

The best advice, doctors said, is to avoid getting to that point in the first place. If you start to feel symptoms, stop what you are doing, go to a cool space, drink a lot of non-alcoholic fluids and try and hydrate.