Hilton Head Monthly Magazine Voice of the Lowcountry 
There are car guys, then there are car guys.
And then there is O.C. Welch.
Welch, who turns 65 in October, is moving full-speed into a fifth decade of dealing with cars, from teenage years in his father’s auto detailing shop to decades as a true-blue Ford dealer.
HILTON HEAD CHURCH LIVE STREAMS, HOLDS INDOOR, OUTDOOR SERVICES
Since its founding in 1986, Providence Presbyterian Church’s mission has been to “cause God joy.”
The Rev. Dr. William Ward, a fourth-generation Presbyterian minister for the past 27 years, said his church has caused God great joy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adopt them at: Hilton Head Humane Association.
NO AGE GROUP IS IMMUNE TO DECEPTION
According to the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, seniors lose an estimated $2.9 billion a year to con artists perpetrating scams.
But older Americans aren't the only ones susceptible to scams. The percentage of millennials who are victims of scams is nearly double that of seniors. The Federal Trade Commission reported in 2018 that 40% of millennials surveyed ages 20-29 said they had lost money to fraud, as opposed to only 18% of seniors over the age of 69.
TO PEAK QUALITY OF LIFE
Bluffton’s path to a more livable, walkable town with plenty of green space and water access is moving forward thanks to its multi-year plan for capital improvement projects.
The projects are an effort to enhance the quality of life for residents with such things as new sidewalks, better lighting and the installation of sewers for properties outside of planned communities. Environmentally, the sewer projects remove the problem of failed septic tanks, which can pollute the town’s and region’s natural resources.
State Rep. Jeff Bradley (R-Hilton Head) unveiled a proposal during a news conference Aug. 24 to preserve the existing Hilton Head bridge spans from the mainland to the island and transform them into an elevated, linear “skyway” promenade park that would stretch 1.2 miles.
Bradley’s concept is not an alternative to the nearly $300 million U.S. 278 Corridor Improvements Project that has been in the planning stages for more than two years for the gateway to Hilton Head Island.
EXPECTED TO EASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, BUT CRITICS SAY PLAN WON'T SOLVE PROBLEMS
A crucial step is on the horizon in the area’s effort to replace aging bridges leading to Hilton Head Island and ease traffic congestion that clogs the roadways.
Officials are hoping by early next year to hear which of the construction alternatives proposed for the $272 million project is preferred, according to Craig Winn, SCDOT project manager. But that announcement may not be the final word. Concerned island residents are pushing for an individual review of the traffic issues to ascertain whether all issues have been addressed.
The Lowcountry continues to grow. Take stock of who we are as a community with this statistical snapshot.
The towns of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton and the City of Hardeeville are separate municipalities. Because of annexations, some areas in unincorporated Beaufort County are surrounded by Bluffton corporate limits. To find out if an address is within town limits, go to the Citizen Access Portal at townofbluffton.us/bluffton.
ATHENA
SEA TURTLE PATROL, TURTLE TRACKERS VOLUNTEERS DEDICATED TO THE CAUSE
At 5 a.m., most people are still sleeping or slowly starting their day. But Amber Kuehn and the dedicated members of Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island embody the term “early risers.”
Before sunrise, Kuehn, Sea Turtle Patrol HHI manager, and members of the nonprofit group head to the beach in a coordinated effort to preserve the lives and spread awareness of sea turtles.
