Hilton Head News

An updated ordinance that Hilton Head Island Town Council passed will allow dogs to be on island beaches without a leash during designated times. The ordinance aligns with an animal control ordinance Beaufort County adopted with an exception to let the dogs run freely along the shore.

LaVerne Stewart, who teaches English Language Arts at Hilton Head Island Middle School, was named Beaufort County’s 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year. Stewart has 22 years of teaching experience. The four other finalists were Kinsey Butler at Bluffton Middle School; Justine Hardy at Battery Creek High School; Karri Kearns at May River High School; and Jennifer Lyles at Coosa Elementary School. Stewart’s mother, Vernell Speaks-Stewart, was also a seventh-grade ELA educator in Beaufort County.

Hilton Head Island Town Council agreed to work with Beaufort County to advance the William Hilton Parkway Corridor Project, including hiring an independent consultant to conduct end-to-end analysis and simulation of the proposed corridor improvements, a news release said.

Municipalities in Beaufort and Jasper counties have created a regional housing consortium and have pledged $3.4 million to kick start the initiative. A Housing Trust Fund is established to support the production and preservation of affordable housing for the area’s teachers, law enforcement, first responders, cooks, and other service industry jobs.

The effects of Hurricane Ian were felt in the Lowcountry, but it did not directly hit the area, and there were no major impact, according to officials. Town of Hilton Head said Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue responded to six downed trees with no injuries or significant damage. Sustained winds of 38 miles per hour and gusts of 52 miles per hour were recorded on Hilton Head Island. Beaufort County saw about 1.5 inches of rain. The storm strengthened (Category 1) as it reached the Charleston area, bringing about eight inches of rain.

A 1.78-acre site at May River Road is the new designated spot for more affordable homes thanks to a new public-private partnership between the town of Bluffton and developer Workforce State of Mind LLC. The homes will be affordable and reserved for those who are income-qualified, regardless of market values, for 30 years, a news release said. Bill Herbkersman, managing member of Workforce State of Mind, says while the need is immediate, the project is currently in the design stage.

The Town of Bluffton plans to host its 51st annual Bluffton Christmas Parade through Bluffton’s Historic District, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. The tree lighting ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Martin Family Park, followed by Santa’s Workshop at DuBois Park’s Pavilion. The movie, “The Grinch,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park. The Town asks parade entrants to give a donation to the Bluffton Lutzie 43 Charitable Fund, in lieu of a parade entry fee. The deadline for parade applications is Nov. 11.

Renovations and a DHEC inspection on the Bluffton Pool on Pritchard Street were completed, which led to its re-opening in mid-October. The repairs cost $900,000, which included replacing the roof panels and structural roof clips that hold the roof to the structural beams. An anti-corrosive paint was added along with replacing the lighting over the pool. The pool had been closed since earlier this year after an initial inspection showed damage that “created a high probability that the roof structure would fail in the event of high winds or heavy rainfall,” a news release said.

Lowcountry voters will head to the polls on Nov. 8. Hilton Head Island voters will choose a new mayor and there are council races. There are also Beaufort County school board and council races. For a sample ballot specific to your district, visit scvotes.org and click “Get My Sample Ballot.”

Brian Mixson, a former fighter in Jasper County, was honored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Mixson, 32, suffered a stroke while on duty on March 5, 2021. He was transported to a local hospital and died 12 days later. Mixson served as a firefighter and EMT in Jasper County for more than 14 years. He was one of 148 firefighters recognized at an event in October.

The Lowcountry and parts of the state were unnerved Oct. 5 by a number of fake reports of active shooters at schools. The Beaufort Police Department received a phone call at 9:27 a.m. reporting there was an active shooter at Beaufort High School. Officials said the call was a hoax, but before it was determined, police officers and sheriff’s deputies swarmed the school to make sure it was safe. About 40 officers were inside the school at one point, a news release said. The false alarm was one of 22 received by schools in South Carolina that day, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said.

BY JILL HORNER

Did you know someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease every 65 seconds? Did you know in South Carolina there are 106,233 living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia? Here in Beaufort County the cases of Alzheimer’s have grown by 354% since the year 2000.

HHI RESIDENT RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY COMMITMENT

Eleanor Lightsey was recognized by Beaufort County Council for her “commitment and dedication to the community” in making it a better place to live, work and play. She served the Lowcountry on various boards such as South Island Public Service District Board, Programs for Exceptional People, Forest Beach Owners Association, Board of Osprey Village, Community Vision of Hilton Head, Lowcountry Autism Foundation, Hilton Head Heroes and Safe Harbor and Turtle Trackers. In her professional career, she was named executive vice president of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors and became business manager for LowCountry InsideTrack, Ltd.

LOCAL, COUNTRY & STATE RACER

By James A. Mallory

Lowcountry voters will decide on Nov. 8 whether Congressional District 1 stays Republican or flips back to the Democrats. On Hilton Head Island, voters will choose a new mayor from among four candidates. Other state races include governor, U.S. Senator and a State School Superintendent.

DAVID LAUDERDALE RECEIVES PEGGY MAY INSPIRATION AWARD

The Board of the Foundation of Educational Excellence presented the 2022 Peggy May Inspiration Award to David Lauderdale for his “creativity, contributions, and passion throughout the Beaufort County communities over many decades as a journalist.” Lauderdale is a retired senior editor and columnist at The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. He served as Hilton Head Island’s St. Patrick’s Parade grand marshal in 2019.