Hilton Head News

Antonia Quintero of Hilton Head Island recently became a U.S. citizen and is now immersing herself in national politics. Quintero, who was born in Colombia and grew up in South Carolina, is spending a semester working for U.S. Congressman James Clyburn in Washington, D.C.  A senior at University of South Carolina Beaufort, she participated in a highly competitive selection process to become a congressional intern.  After graduation, Quintero, 21, plans to pursue a master’s degree in public administration with concentrations in advocacy and public policy. The personal connections she is making in D.C. “could really help me in the future,” she said. 

A $2 million ticket in  a Mega Millions drawing was purchased at a Beaufort convenience store, according to the S.C. Education Lottery. The store is the Parker’s on Savannah Highway in Port Royal.

The ticket matched all five white ball numbers drawn. The odds of winning $2 million are 1 in 12,607,306. The winning numbers were 5-11-25-27-64.

Gov. Henry McMaster pledged to do what the Marines need to keep open the training base at Parris Island, the Associated Press reports.

Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger had mentioned the possibility of closing the base and building a new one elsewhere during an interview published on the Military.com website.

Stephenie Price was sworn in last month as the Town of Bluffton’s police chief. She’s the first woman to lead Bluffton’s police department.

The ceremony was held at the Bluffton Police Department at Buckwalter Place. Price has more than 21 years of law enforcement experience. She was most recently assistant police chief with the Savannah Police Department. In Savannah, Price supervised the administration and management bureau of the department.

Planning for the second phase of the U.S. 278 Corridor Improvements Project plan has begun, the Town of Hilton Head said.

The phase will include discussions of architectural elements, landscaping, signage, lighting, and similar areas of design. S.C. Department of Transportation is in discussions with Creative Design Resolutions, a leader in infrastructure design for highways and transportation projects, to provide project leadership, the Town said.

Beaufort County Administrator Ashley Jacobs resigned at the Oct. 19 County Council meeting.

The Island Packet reports the council accepted her resignation in an 8-2-1 vote. Jacobs had been administrator since 2019.

Eric Greenway was named acting  county administrator.

The Beaufort County Board of Education approved construction contracts for the next two major projects funded with proceeds from the November 2019 bond referendum.

The board approved a $53 million contract with Kansas City-based JE Dunn Construction to build a new Robert Smalls International Academy and demolish the existing facility. It also approved a $46 million contract with Columbia-based M.B. Kahn Construction to completely renovate Battery Creek High School’s academic and athletic facilities, according to a news release.

Megan DeWeese, a first-grade teacher at Okatie Elementary, was named the Beaufort County 2020-2021 District Teacher of the Year.

“She is a perpetual learner; she has completed her doctoral studies over the last year,” Okatie Elementary Principal Jamie Pinckney said. “She’s only been at Okatie Elementary for five years and she’s already accomplished more in her five than I have in 39.”

QUIRK OF ‘DONUT HOLES’ POSE CHALLENGES

Here’s a fun exercise if you ever feel like breaking the law in the stupidest way possible: make your way up S.C. 46 as it winds away from Old Town toward Savannah with three sticks in your hand. As you travel, place the first of the sticks across Buck Island Road. Place the second stick across Haigler Boulevard and the third across Crooked Cove Lane.

Congratulations, you are now a renegade outlaw. Kind of.

Election Information

Election Day: Nov. 3. Polls open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Registration Deadlines: In-person, Oct. 2 by 5 p.m.; Online, fax, email, Oct. 4 by 11:59 p.m.; By mail, postmarked by Oct. 5.

LOCAL, COUNTY & STATE RACES

Local voters will help determine the outcome of a pair of races closely watched across the country on Nov. 3, as Sen. Lindsey Graham pushes to stave off Jaime Harrison. Congressman Joe Cunningham, who in 2018 became the first Democrat since 1981 to represent the 1st Congressional District, is trying to hold on to the seat in a contest with State Rep. Nancy Mace. Voters will also have a long list of state and local races to determine.

TCL CULINARY INSTITUTE RECEIVES $50,000 FROM PALMETTO ELECTRIC TRUST

The Technical College of the Lowcountry received a $50,000 gift from Palmetto Electric Trust to establish the Palmetto Electric Cooperative Lobby at the Culinary Institute of the South.

The Culinary Institute of the South is under construction at the Buckwalter Place Commerce Park in Bluffton. The 29,000 square-foot best-in-class culinary training facility will accommodate more than 300 student. The Foodseum, an interactive museum, will preserve and bring to life the true story of Southern food.

Stephenie Price has been named the new Bluffton Police Department Police Chief.  Price, who serves as assistant chief of police for the Savannah Police Department, will begin her new role Oct. 12, a town news release said.

“Stephenie’s combined depth of law enforcement experience and knowledge of our region is why she is the perfect choice for Bluffton,” Bluffton Town Manager Marc Orlando said. “Throughout Stephenie’s career, she has built a strong reputation for responsiveness, accountability, and innovation.”

A 1,000-acre agribusiness cluster in Hampton County will employ more than 1,500 people, according to a news release.

The jobs will be in growing, packing and shipping tomatoes, leafy greens, blueberries and other fresh produce using a “cutting-edge” approach called Controlled Environment Agriculture.

The Beaufort County School District is set to resume face-to-face educational instruction in a hybrid model starting Oct. 5. Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said the district’s risk factors for COVID-19 published by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control had decreased significantly in recent weeks.

In a hybrid AA-BB model, half of the students who registered for face-to-face instruction will attend school on Monday and Tuesday and the other half will attend on Thursday and Friday. Students will have virtual learning on Wednesdays when the school is cleaned.