Hilton Head Island’s Jonathan Griz tied for medalist honors in U.S. Amateur Qualifying at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek, N.C. He shot a 4-under-par 140 over 36 holes July 5 to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship, which is set for Aug. 9-15 at the Oakmont Country Club and Longue Vue Club in Pennsylvania.

Bluffton’s Bryson Nimmer tied for third place in the second event on the new Forme Tour. Nimmer had four consecutive rounds in the 60s and tied for third at the Auburn University Club Invitational. He finished three shots behind champion Philip Knowles.

Jaylen Sneed, a standout football player at Hilton Head High School, committed to attend the University of Notre Dame. The senior linebacker is ranked the No. 97 overall prospect at 247Sports.com. 

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Sneed pick Notre Dame over Oregon, Tennesse, Texas A & M Oklahoma, according to The Athletic.

A Bluffton man told the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office that he received a call from a “Jonathan Smith,” who said he was a representative from Amazon.com. The call was from an 843 area code. The man said he called about a purchase the Bluffton man made for $864.56. “Smith” told him he could process a “refund.” After showing the Bluffton man an overpaid “refund” of $4,000, the scammer instructed him to return the money by buying gift cards. The man purchased eight gift cards and texted the card numbers to “Smith” before realizing he had been scammed. To report a possible scam, call the non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I last wrote this column for Monthly magazine. And what a year it has been: from virtual, to hybrid, to faceto- face instruction, our teachers, staff, school administrators and especially our parents have navigated these uncharted waters together, something for which I am extremely grateful.

One thing that has not changed since last year is that our goal is to operate “normal” schooling whenever it’s safe to do so. I am happy to share that schools this fall will be as normal as possible.

THE LOWCOUNTRY GETS READY FOR ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

STORM SEASON IS HERE. 

The Lowcountry is prepping for Atlantic hurricane season, which is from June 1 to Nov. 30, with the heaviest months usually in August through October. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that we will see between 13 and 20 named storms this year. They say three to five of those storms could be major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

DON RYAN CENTER KICKS OFF HEROES PROGRAM

More than 80 people gathered at Veterans Park in Bluffton recently to officially kick off the Don Ryan Center for Innovation’s new HEROES Initiative. The event featured Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka declaring the day as the “Bluffton Heroes Day.” She issued a proclamation to mark the day in honor of the launch of this program to help the Lowcountry’s heroes transition to business ownership. The program is open to all military, veterans, police, firefighters and EMTs in the region who are interested in business ownership or who have an idea for a business looking to take it to the next level.

HARDEEVILLE’S $8.5 MILLION MULTI-PURPOSE RECREATION CENTER READY TO DEBUT

There has been a growing sense of anticipation and elation within the 56-square-mile city of Hardeeville — recently listed among the fastest growing municipalities in South Carolina. 

The excitement is focused around the $8.5 million, 35,000-square-foot indoor, multi-purpose recreation center that has been a gleam in the eyes of community leaders for more than six years, but actually has taken shape in just the past two years.

LONG-AWAITED U.S. 278 IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL EXPECTED TO BE REVEALED

The South Carolina Department of Transportation is expected to reveal this month its long-awaited preferred option for an estimated $272 million project designed to ease peak-time traffic congestion on the island’s north end.

SCDOT is scheduled to present its preferred option at a July 22 public hearing. The proposal is undergoing an environmental assessment required by the National Environmental Policy Act. SCDOT will incorporate public comments into its preferred option and send it back to the Federal Highway Administration, which oversees NEPA.