Wednesday news roundup: Cedar Point Cemetery + When will Beaufort Five Guys open?
Good afternoon on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
We might just have a night without thunderstorms, y’all! The forecast from the National Weather Service shows we’ll return to the pattern of hot days and rainy evenings this weekend, so enjoy seeing the stars tonight if you can. At the height of last night’s storm, more than 8,000 homes in Beaufort County were without power.
Here’s today’s top news:
1. Beaufort County is investigating a mysterious procurement of 587 weighted blankets costing more than $35,000 earlier this year. The invoice came from a company owned by the husband of the county’s deputy administrator. Lisa Lynch, the former county wellness director and a self-described “witness” in the ongoing criminal investigation of fired county administrator Eric Greenway, provided previously unknown details about the blanket invoice and other topics during a wide-ranging interview with The Island Packet. Read more about her conversation with reporter Sebastian Lee.
2. Cedar Point Cemetery in Okatie dates back as far as 250 years, a neighbor who has researched the graves says. But Beaufort County has issued a zoning permit, trees were flagged for removal, wooden stakes marked the location of a potential home, and gravel was dumped within the 100-foot buffer around three recognized graves. Reporter Mary Dimitrov shares the latest news about the property.
3. There could be a big change coming to the leadership of the town of Port Royal. Four-year terms for mayor and two council positions — 60% of the Town Council — will be up for grabs in November.
- Also on the election front, Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka announced Tuesday that she won’t seek reelection after serving four terms.
4. Five Guys restaurant will be serving burgers and fries by early November and possibly sooner in Beaufort, the chain says. The restaurant is being built in Beaufort Plaza on Boundary Street and Robert Smalls Parkway.
5. During a July break-in, vandals caused $1.25 million in damage at Hilton Head Island Middle School, according to a disaster recovery team service contract. Over 75 classrooms, locker rooms, bathrooms, the gym, the cafeteria, the auditorium and hallways were damaged by multiple fire extinguisher discharges, spray paint, shampoo, conditioner, floor stripper and potentially other contaminants.
Other crime headlines of interest:
- Beaufort County murder suspect evaded arrest across the Americas. Now the search is over
- Half-naked Hilton Head fugitive ‘crawled out of the woods’ to steal a woman’s car, cops say
Photo finish
Ken Kenton shared this photo taken at the end of Verdier Cove Road overlooking the May River in Old Town Bluffton.
Attention, photographers! Send in your pictures of Lowcountry scenes. Email newsroom@islandpacket.com, and please include your name and where you took the shot. Submitting a photo gives The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette permission to publish it.
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Thank you for reading!
