(Hilton Head) Island Packet week in review

By This digest was produced using AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division.

April 16, 2026 3:55 PM

These homes built in the Holiday Homes neighborhood of Hilton Head Island were the catalyst for the majority of residents to ban together to ask the Town of Hilton Head Island to limit what can be built in their neighborhood. Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com

Hilton Head council limits home size in Holiday Homes

The Hilton Head Island Town Council has approved new zoning restrictions limiting the size and scale of homes in the Holiday Homes neighborhood, a 57-lot subdivision near Folly Field Road established in 1957. [1] The changes cap homes at two-and-a-half stories, 30 feet in height, 3,200 square feet, and two garage spaces. [2] The push began after a West Virginia man purchased the last three undeveloped lots and began building three-story, seven-bedroom homes. Residents’ efforts to halt construction failed, but they successfully lobbied to update the neighborhood’s character overlay, rooted in a 1957 protective covenant that was overlooked during permitting. The council voted 5-1, with Ward 1 Member Alex Brown dissenting over concerns about majority rule in neighborhoods without property owners’ associations. [3]

Reported by Li Khan, published April 10

Podcaster Matney defends herself in contempt hearing

True crime podcaster Mandy Matney took the witness stand April 7 at the Cherokee County courthouse in Gaffney, defending herself against allegations of reckless journalism during a nearly three-hour hearing before state Judge R. Keith Kelly. The hearing centered on whether Matney should be held in contempt for missing a March 27 deposition tied to a lawsuit involving businessman Greg Parker, who is accused of leaking confidential photos of Mallory Beach’s body after her 2019 fatal boat crash. Parker’s lawyer questioned Matney about publicly calling Parker corrupt, dishonest, and morally bankrupt, to which Matney confirmed the statements, asserting truth as her defense. Matney testified she fears for her safety due to online harassers and stalkers, including convicted felon James Seidel. The judge did not rule on the contempt request, and Matney sat for a deposition on April 8.

Reported by John Monk, published April 9

Bluffton HOA dispute heads to SC Supreme Court

A legal battle between roughly a dozen Palmetto Bluff homeowners and the private equity firm managing the 20,000-acre Bluffton community is heading to the South Carolina Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments on April 22. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2022, challenges whether the Palmetto Bluff Club can require residents to pay mandatory dues to a for-profit entity without granting ownership or voting rights. A central dispute is whether the case should proceed in public court or through private arbitration. Two lower courts ruled that homeowners “lacked a meaningful choice” when signing arbitration agreements containing “oppressive and one-sided terms.” The community, acquired in 2021 by South Street Partners and Henderson Park Capital, has an average home resale price of $2.95 million in 2025. The Supreme Court’s ruling could have broad implications for how companies across South Carolina handle legal disputes with residents.

Reported by Li Khan, published April 13

Hanahan mayor pro tem arrested on child porn charges

Kevin Hedgpeth, 48, mayor pro tem of Hanahan’s city council, has been arrested on federal charges of possession and production of child sexual abuse material, authorities say. According to a 16-page criminal complaint, Hedgpeth allegedly solicited numerous minor boys and girls, ranging in age from nine into their teens, directing them to perform sex acts on video and paying them via Cash App and PayPal. Prosecutors say 47 accounts were paid from December 2021 to present. Hedgpeth is the third South Carolina public official charged in a child sex abuse case within the past year. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison if convicted. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and authorities are asking the public to help identify additional victims. The city of Hanahan stated it is fully cooperating with investigators.

Reported by John Monk, published April 14

Sea Pines dredging lawsuit heads back to trial

A lawsuit challenging the town of Hilton Head’s use of $600,000 in public funds to subsidize a private dredging project in Sea Pines waterways will proceed after the South Carolina Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s dismissal. Hilton Head resident Ryan McAvoy filed the complaint in 2022, arguing the funding violated state law because the waterways — including Harbour Town Yacht Basin and Braddock Cove Creek — are private. The Beaufort County Circuit Court dismissed the case in 2023, but the appellate court found it “abused its discretion” since McAvoy presented sufficient evidence to survive dismissal. The appellate court clarified the central question is whether the funding genuinely benefited the public, not simply whether the waterways are public or private, though it stopped short of ruling on the funding’s lawfulness. The dredging is managed by the South Island Dredging Association, which privately funded projects until the town issued its first subsidy in 2017. The town declined to comment, citing its policy on pending litigation.

Reported by Chloe Appleby, published April 9

Ex-Security guard charged with student sexual battery

Austin Taylor Thompson, 29, a former contracted security guard at May River High School in Bluffton, has been charged with sexual battery of a student without aggravated force or coercion and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, authorities say. Thompson, employed by Coastal Security Services, allegedly had sexual contact with a 16-year-old student three times during after-school hours between Oct. 4 and Oct. 23, 2025, and not on school grounds, according to an arrest warrant from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. He also allegedly allowed the student access to his handgun in the back seat of his car while other juveniles were present. The Beaufort County School District notified May River High School families Thursday and stated it is cooperating fully with law enforcement while unable to share further details due to the active investigation.