Hilton Head News

The long-awaited public debut of Enmarket Arena in Savannah became reality in February. The city held a community day for the 9,500-seat arena that will host concerts and events such as Disney on Ice and be home to the Savannah Ghost Pirates hockey team. For a list of events, visit enmarketarena.com/events.

13 NONPROFITS RECEIVE $338,825 IN FUNDING

Thirteen local nonprofit organizations have been awarded $338,825 to help them continue addressing challenges created by COVID-19. The funding is part of a $5 million American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 grant the Town of Hilton Head Island received.

HILTON HEAD SEAFOOD FESTIVAL CELEBRATING ITS 15TH ANNIVERSARY

BY TIM WOOD | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Andrew Carmines has never looked so forward to the signature event that honors the life of his brother, David. COVID sidelined the Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival for a year, but that just means a bigger and better event this year.

ANNUAL GULLAH CELEBRATION HONORS NATIVE ISLANDERS’ HISTORY

BY HILTON HEAD MONTHLY | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

The Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration will present the 26th Annual Celebration on Hilton Head Island throughout the month.

The Feb. 1-27 event, which includes art and food, crafts and music and history, invites attendees to “Experience the Culture and Cherish the Legacy” of the Gullah Community on Hilton Head Island.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARCUS TANNER LEADS NONPROFIT INTO ITS 30TH YEARITS YEAR

STORY BY AMY COYNE BREDESON | PHOTO BY MADISON ELROD

Second Helpings is a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate hunger and reduce food waste in the Lowcountry by partnering with food donors and agencies that distribute food to people in need.

BILLIONS IN INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS COULD BENEFIT LOWCOUNTRY

BY MARK E. LETT

Tom Davis has a top priority for state lawmakers preparing to divvy up billions of dollars in federal infrastructure money: Put Lowcountry concerns high on the To-Do List.

The Beaufort-based senator who represents District 46 is sharing his shopping list with fellow lawmakers, who are in the midst of the give-and-take to determine spending on projects for land, sea and air.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said as of mid-January the city plans to hold its St. Patrick’s Day parade in March. The parade had been canceled the last two years. He said the parade might have some modifications such as less participation or a different route.

The event, which draws thousands of revelers, was first held in 1824.

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17.

COVID-19 continues to affect the area and the country. New coronavirus cases as of mid-January in South Carolina rose 43.8% as of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Beaufort County reported 3,325 cases (more than 33,900 total cases during the pandemic). The Beaufort County School District said starting Jan. 18 it was accepting home rapid tests to allow students to return to school.

RX Industries, a precision, high-quality computer numerical control machine shop, announced plans to expand operations in Beaufort County, a news release said. The company’s $9.08 million investment will create 13 new jobs. RX Industries is purchasing a facility located at 16 Finch Street on Hilton Head Island. The new facility will increase the company’s machining capacity to accommodate increased customer demand.

Because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton has postponed the 2022 Bluffton Built Gala originally scheduled for Feb. 4 at the Montage Palmetto Bluff. “While we are disappointed to postpone this event, we are an organization committed to safety for our community. We look forward to rescheduling in early 2023,” event chair Nancy Aiken-DeLano, board member and club parent said. For more information, contact Kristen McGuire at 843-757-2831.

North Point Development announced the purchase of an 880-acre economic development site in Hardeeville that will accommodate up to 6 million square feet of warehouse and industrial space, a news release said. The project plans to bring more than 550 jobs at full buildout. The South Atlantic Logistics Terminal site is located along I-95 and I-17. The news release said North Point is finalizing plans for the site and expects to break ground on the first phase of development in the spring of 2022.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said Gregory Harris Scott, 20, of Beaufort faces murder charges in connection with the Dec. 28 shooting death of a 5-year-old Ridgeland boy. The suspect Scott was arrested Jan. 13 by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office in Macon, Ga., according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. The JCSO said during a drive-by shooting DeAndre Robinson was shot while he was jumping on the bed at his grandparents’ home in the Wagon Branch area.

Beaufort County’s school board approved a one-time bonus of $1,000 to full-time classified, professional and administrative employees, a news release said. These employees,who have been employed for a minimum of 45 days this academic year, were set to receive the payment in January. The bonuses total $1,140,455, to be paid from savings in the district’s current year General Fund operating budget.

Hilton Head Island Land Trust conducted a contest to name the pair of eagles that are the subject of its newly launched “Eagle Cam.” After more than 400 submissions were received from across the country, the eagles’ names selected are Harriet and Mitch. The eagles are named after Underground Railroad crusader Harriet Tubman and General Ormsby M. Mitchel, who founded the Town of Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island. Tubman spent time in the Beaufort County area as a nurse and a spy for the Union Army.

Suzanne Giesemann of Moss Creek was included on Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit magazine’s 2022 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. The list celebrates the positive influence of today’s teachers and leaders who nurture spiritual growth and make the world a better place, a news release said. Giesemann is the author of 13 books and hosts the radio show Messages of Hope on Unity Online Radio.

A scholarship has been started in memory of JonPaul Gonzalez, a Bluffton teenager. South Georgia Tormenta FC and the Ibis Foundation announced their JonPaul (JP) Gonzalez Scholarship, named for the former Tormenta FC Academy player. Gonzalez died in a car accident Dec. 4. He was a member of the Tormenta FC Academy for a decade, a news release said. The Ibis Foundation will accept donations in memory of JP which will go toward funding one chosen TFC Academy player’s team and uniform fees each year, starting with TFC Academy’s 2022 season.

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