Beaufort County SC area news (2024)

"A building is a building, but when you combine the building and the energy you have entertaining people and the culture we have in the South — that's the key." A new bed-and-breakfast hotel in Bluffton combines Lowcountry charm with specialized experiences for guests.

Time constraints are putting pressure on Hilton Head council members to either approve or deny a memorandum of understanding that would move the U.S. 278 corridor project forward. If they don't make a decision soon, one may be made for them.

Paul Coffman sued the Town of Port Royal and several police officers claiming he was falsely arrested and held overnight in jail after an altercation with an off-duty police officer.

Town staff, elected officials and a consultant provide updates and findings over the latest six-month analysis of four alternatives for the U.S. 278 corridor project.

Three storm systems are churning in the Atlantic Basin. One is headed for the Southeast Coast, potentially impacting South Carolina— though it is weakening. A system in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday developed into Tropical Storm Alberto, the first tropical cyclone of the season.

The S.C. Attorney General's Office announced that Donald Charles King, a 72-year-old resident of Bluffton, is facing eight counts related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. King was out on bond on similar charges.

Officials were first notified of the blaze at around 3 a.m. on June 17, according to Beaufort County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Danny Allen

In 2018, Beaufort Memorial Hospital announced a joint venture with Medical University of South Carolina to build a small Bluffton hospital. Six years later, construction on that facility has not begun. Why? Litigation.

Members of Mitchelville Freedom Park's leadership team gathered June 7 to unveil the park's new features, called "Ghosted Structures," the first major additions in a $22.8 million preservation and restoration effort.

A hotel and parking garage construction project slated for downtown Beaufort has been paused indefinitely by the developer. Dick Stewart, founder and chair of 303 Associates, said that litigation and rising costs led to the decision.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged three Beaufort County men with trafficking a minor.

Beaufort Memorial Hospital celebrated its 80th birthday May 1. The hospital's chief executive officer discussed plans to expand facilities and services in the future.

Bluffton has subsidized specialized trash service for a wealthy community for more than a decade. Town Council members want to change the policy.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace easily defeats primary challengers. Mac Deford does well in Beaufort County, but can't overcome opponent Michael B. Moore, who earned the opportunity to face Mace for SC's 1st Congressional District seat in Nov.

Four years since the height of the pandemic, high demand, creeping interest rates and low supply continue to drive the cost of single-family homes and villas across Beaufort County.

In 2022, the June primary featured several winner-take-all races for Republican candidates that faced no Democratic challengers in Beaufort County. That's not the case this year, but there are still interesting races to watch.

Jasper County Treasurer Mike Skinner has filed a lawsuit requesting that the S.C. Supreme Court order Jasper County give Skinner access to all of the accounts needed to execute the responsibilities of his job as required by state law.

Mermaid Nina for years has emerged from her watery home off the shore of Hilton Head Island to teach children and their families about ocean conservation. Soon, she'll retire to dry land.

An ambitious list of capital improvement projects have placed Hilton Head's 2025 fiscal year budget as the largest in town history. Town leaders say it symbolizes an investment in the island's future.

Almost seven years have passed since Bluffton Police Officer Cody Kirkman flipped Ted Ellis face first into the May River Road pavement, digging his knee into the handcuffed man's back while blood leaked from his chin. Earlier this year, Ellisaccepted a $750,000settlement offer after his excessive force claim prevailed.

Historic Mitchelville will kick off its 10th annual Juneteenth celebration with a 5K run and walk at Mitchelville Freedom Park 8 a.m. June 8 and will end with a festival June 15 — with a variety of events in between.

City of Beaufort recently announced the hire of Stephenie Price as its new police chief. However, the city only revealed two candidates in its final selection group, while state FOIA laws require at least three candidates.

An estimated crowd of about 700 gathered at Beaufort's Tabernacle Baptist Church for the unveiling for a monument to Harriet Tubman. Tubman co-led the 1863 Combahee River Raid, which set out from Beaufort and freed 756 enslaved people.

Hilton Head's popular Tiki Hut bar is open again after a $13 million renovation to the adjoining hotel.

Beaufort County announced the hiring of a new county administrator this week. The process used to get there could have violated South Carolina law.

A long-awaited monument of escaped slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman will be unveiled June 1 at Beaufort's Tabernacle Baptist Church.

The Beaufort County Coroner identified the five victims killed in a fiery crash on Sea Island Parkway. One victim was a 4-year-old boy.

A three-vehicle accident claimed five lives Wednesday on St. Helena Island. The accident occurred around 10 p.m. on Sea Island Parkway.

Colleton County officials revealed May 29 that Bradley the monkey, which spent Memorial Day Weekend wandering the streets of Walterboro, was captured dead two days earlier.

Beaufort County Council announced that Michael Moore has been selected as the new county administrator. His hiring comes 10 months after former administrator Eric Greenway was fired.

Meet Cleveland Bryan, Daufuskie Island's oldest resident. Bryan grew upin a time well before electricity reached Daufuskie Island, when the oyster industry ruled and Gullah families cultivated a close-knit, self-sufficient community.

Lisa Lynch sued Beaufort County in federal court regarding the harassment and maltreatment she allegedly experienced while working for the local government.

An overnight shooting left a 26-year-old Seabrook man dead. Three other nearby homes were struck by the gunfire that took the man's life.

Walterboro residents have reported a monkey sighting. The Colleton County Sheriff's Office is urging the public to keep its distance while the owner attempts to capture the animal.

Marquis Smith, a Hampton County resident, was charged by SLED with accessory after the fact related to the kidnapping of a woman who was dumped near a rural Jasper County boat landing. He is the 4th suspect to be charged in the case.

In 1970, a group of Black fishermen from Hilton Head Island faced off against a $200 million chemical processing plant — and won. On May 22, a mural installation honored theHilton Head Fishing Cooperative.

NOAA issued its forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which gets underway on June 1. Their forecast calls for the highest number of named storms ever in a single-season forecast.

The Beaufort County Board of Education discussed a draft regulation to curb cellphone usage. School board staff will continue to refine their proposed solution while monitoring state action that could influence schools around South Carolina.

Using a $6.8 million grant from NOAA, the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Marines are building 2,000 feet of oyster castles to protect the shoreline of Laurel Bay, home to Marines stationed at MCAS Beaufort and their families.

A student with a firearm was detained by police at Beaufort High School. Police reported an investigation into a possible disturbance at the school before announcing that a suspect had been detained.

An ambitious $74 million capital improvement program makes up a large chunk of Hilton Head's proposed 2025 budget. Parks, beaches and roadways take priority.

The 454-acre Heyward Point planned community was sold at the end of April for $11 million. It was purchased by Drapac Capital Partners in 2013 for less than $2 million.

Bluffton Police Chief Joseph Babkiewicz placed four members of his department on paid administrative leave last week, pending criminal and internal investigations by outside agencies.

Earlier this week, the City of Beaufort joined other SC municipalities to pass a hate crime ordinance. The measure passed unanimously, and as with other ordinances, it will serve as an enhancement to other criminal charges.

Bluffton Town Council adopted a neighborhood plan for Buck Island-Simmonsville, a significantly Black area that has attracted major development. Elected officials added conditions intended to protect against projects that don't fit the neighborhood's character.

In multiple letters, a disability rights group has raised concerns about the Daufuskie Island ferry provider. A response from the county never came. Now, litigation appears to be on the horizon.

Bluffton Town Council will vote on a new neighborhood plan for Buck Island-Simmonsville, a significantly Black area in the town. The plan includes some policy proposals to curtail building that does not fit with the neighborhood, but developers have already descended.

Colden Battey Jr., a well-respected Beaufort attorney and president of the Open Land Trust Board of Directors, received the Order of the Palmetto during the OLT's annual Brunch on Bluff gathering.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation recently weighed in on the four plans being considered by the Town of Hilton Head Island for the U.S. 278 corridor project.

The Coast Guard responded to the J. Wilton Graves Bridge just after 4 a.m. May 8 following reports of a potential collision called in by the barge operator.

The National Weather Service and state Department of Natural Resources issued storm warnings impacting Beaufort County for Thursday afternoon and into the evening.

The Beaufort County Board of Education directed the district superintendent to research potential regulations to prohibit cellphone use during class periods.

Jasper County has paid contract attorneys more than $295,000 for litigation surrounding former county Councilman Alvin "Abby" Adkins' qualifications to serve.

Found near Pine View and May River Drives in Bluffton, the raccoon is the first animal in Beaufort County to test positive for rabies in 2024, and it is the 26th case statewide so far this year,