Hilton Head News

STORY AND PHOTO BY TONY KUKULICH

RETIRED EDUCATORS GETTING KIDS EXCITED ABOUT THE OUTDOORS

A few years ago, with retirement looming in the not-too-distant future, longtime educators Bebe Cifaldi and Karen Penale each took a class that built upon their love of the outdoors without so much as an inkling that it would completely reshape their individual and collective futures.

BEAUFORT COUNTY LOOKING AHEAD WITH 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

By HILTON HEAD MONTHLY

Beaufort County, with input from the community, is planning for the future.

Within the past year the Beaufort County Planning Commission finalized “Envision Beaufort County — 2040 County Comprehensive Plan” after 17 months of work. The plan was approved last November and remains a document for the future.

SALES TAX REFERENDUM AIMS TO MANAGE DEVELOPMENT

BY MARK E. LETT

A penny doesn’t get you much. But put enough pennies together — and maybe, just maybe — you can amass a pile to protect and preserve precious swatches of Lowcountry land.

Such is the thinking of Beaufort County Council members asking voters to approve a proposed “Greenspace” sales tax to purchase land, establish conservation easements and limit density and development.

Bluffton’s Anne Fernandez shot a 4-under par 206 to win the Jimmy Self Invitational hosted by the Palmetto Dunes George Fazio Course. Fernandez won the girls 13-18 division. Fernandez won by 28 shots.

Susan Zellman, Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority board member and former chairperson, died Aug 13. Zellman, a Sun City resident, represented Beaufort County on the LRTA Board since 2016. Under her leadership, LRTA and Palmetto Breeze Transit achieved many milestones, including launching two new transportation services (the seasonal Breeze Trolley service on Hilton Head Island and the Bluffton Breeze service in Bluffton), a Palmetto Breeze news release said.

The Moss Creek Charitable Fund is requesting grants for 2022. The deadline is Sept. 15. An application can be downloaded at: https://mosscreek-hiltonhead.com/mosscreek- charitable-fund. Last year the fund gave 15 grants to local charities.

A proposal for a large pickleball facility in Bluffton was tabled by the Bluffton Planning Commission. The commission cited parking and traffic concerns. The planned 10-acre Lowcountry Pickleball Club would include six indoor courts, six covered outdoor courts and six uncovered outdoor courts.

New grants totaling $11.6 million will go toward the Hilton Head Island Airport Terminal Upgrade project. The airport has received $33 million overall. The approximately 43,000-square-foot project will likely begin this winter. Other airport funding includes the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration awarding $275,000 to remodel the control tower. This tower-improvement project will replace outdated equipment with energy-efficient equipment and systems.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said a Hilton Head Island resident lost almost $130,000 in a scam when she hand-delivered money and also withdrew cash and purchased gift cards. The scammer claimed to be from Amazon and transferred the woman to “CIA Agent William Nelson.” She was told her social security number had been compromised and was involved in payments to foreign nations. She was advised to withdraw all her money for it put into “Federal Protective Custody.” Contact local law enforcement if you believe you might be victim of a scam.

A pilot was taken to a trauma center after a plane crashed in Jasper County. The plane had gone missing from air traffic control at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. First responders found the pilot, who was hospitalized.

After 34 years of service, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue Chief Brad Tadlock announced his retirement, effective Oct. 3. Tadlock arrived on the island in 1988 from Illinois. He served as a firefighter, EMT, station captain and deputy chief of operations. He became fire chief in June 2014.

Hilton Head Island Town Council on Tuesday passed an ordinance allowing lower-speed e-bikes, on the Town’s public pathways. The ordinance requires that safety information regarding the use of all bicycles be given to anyone who rents or purchases a bicycle on Hilton Head Island. For more information, call 843-341-4618.

Bluffton Town Council approved a resolution that requests the South Carolina Department of Transportation to partner with the town to help reduce speed limits on “certain state-owned roads” in town. The roads included are portions of Bridge and Wharf streets, portions of Red Cedar, Whispering Pine and Pin Oak streets, Jason and Able streets, a portion of 8th Avenue, Shults and Goethe roads, and Hilderbrand Street. The plan is part of the “Pathway and Pedestrian Safety Improvements” initiative.

A woman in Sun City Hilton Head was killed by an alligator Aug. 15, the Beaufort County Coroner’s office said. The body of Nancy Becker, 88, was discovered near the pond in Sun City. Officials believe Becker was gardening near the pond and slipped into the water. The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was removed from the pond and euthanized. Officials said there had been 18 alligator-related episodes and five deaths reported in South Carolina since 2000.

Stephenie Price resigned as police chief of the Town of Bluffton. Price’s last day of employment with the Town is expected to be on or before Sept. 15, according to a new release. Captain Scott Chandler has been named interim chief. During her nearly two years with Bluffton Police Department, Price developed a mental health and wellness program and supervised the newly created community mental health advocate position. Price has been chief of police since Oct. 12, 2020.