A NOBLE GESTURE THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHILE THE WEATHER IS STILL GOOD WOULD BE FOR BOATERS TO HELP IDENTIFY ABANDONED, DESERTED OR SHIPWRECKED BOATS IN LOWCOUNTRY WATERS, LET YOUR TOWN KNOW ABOUT IT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES JUST MIGHT GET IT TAKEN OUT BY NEXT SPRING. BLUFFTON IS THE LATEST LOWCOUNTRY TOWN TO APPROVE A NEW ORDINANCE ADOPTING NEW STATE DEFINITIONS OF DERELICT BOATS, ALLOWING THE TOWN TO COOPERATE WITH OTHER TOWNS AND THE STATE TO GET THOSE BOATS REMOVED. HILTON HEAD HAS ALREADY BEGUN THE PROCESS. THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF BOATS ALREADY IDENTIFIED FOR REMOVAL IN THE MAY RIVER.
YOU READY FOR A NEW SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE PLATE? WITH THE BLUE AND WHITE PLATES WITH THE SLOGAN ‘WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE’ PLATES NOW TEN YEARS OLD, NEW PLATES HAVE BEEN AUHORIZED WITH A FLOWING BLUE FLAG AND THE PHRASE AT THE TOP OF THE PLATE SAYING, ‘WHERE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAS WON’, EMPHASIZING THE STATE’S ROLE IN THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 250 YEARS AGO. THE NEW PLATES WILL START BEING ISSUED NEW YEAR’S DAY. IN 1776, SERGEANT WILLIAM JASPER HOISTED A STATE FLAG AT FORT SULLIVAN DURING THE FIRST BIG DEFEAT OF THE BRITISH ARMY. STATE OFFICIALS SAY BRITISH GENERAL CORNWALLIS MAY HAVE SURRENDERED AT YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA, BUT HE WAS BEATEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE PLATE WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE SC-250 PLATE RELEASED IN 2021 THAT READ ‘250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. NEW DRIVERS’ LICENSES ARE ALSO ROLLING OUT IN THE COMING YEAR THAT WILL NOT BE PRINTED IN-HOUSE BUT WILL USE SPECIAL LASER ENGRAVING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE THEM HARDER TO FORGE.
FOR SOME OF YOU IN THE LOWCOUNTRY, THE POLLS ARE OPEN FOR EARLY VOTING FOR TOWN ELECTIONS. ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 4TH. THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD RUNS THROUGH HALLOWEEN WITH TOWN COUNCIL AND MAYORAL ELECTIONS IN PORT ROYAL AND BLUFFTON IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND RIDGELAND IN JASPER COUNTY. THE BEAUFORT COUNTY EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS ARE THE TWO ELECTION CENTERS ON JOHN GALT ROAD IN BEAUFORT AND ULMER ROAD IN BLUFFTON. AND YES, BRING A PHOTO I-D IF YOU WNT TO VOTE EARLY. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE DETAILS, INCLUDING WHO’S RUNNING FOR WHAT, AT SCVOTES.GOV.
ALWAYS A MILESTONE IN MEASURING THE GROWTH OF THE LOWCOUNTRY, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BROKEN GROUND ON THE NEW MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WILL SIT NEAR MAY RIVER HIGH IN THE NEW RIVERSIDE AREA OF BLUFFTON. THE NEW SCHOOL WILL BE BUILT FOR 800 MORE STUDENTS IN A BOOMING AREA OF THE COUNTY. NEARBY PRITCHARDVILLE ELEMENTARY IS ALREADY 40-PERCENT OVER ITS CAPACITY AND IS USING 18 MOBILE CLASSROOMS THAT WILL BE PHASED OUT WITH THE NEW SCHOOL AND OKATIE ELEMENTARY IS NEARING 100-PERCENT CAPACITY. THE NEW SCHOOL SHOULD BE READY FOR THE FALL OF 2027. THE DISTRICT IS CURRENTLY HOLDING MEETINGS TO ESTABLISH THE ATTENDANCE LINES FOR THE AREA THAT SHOULD BE DRAWN BY NEXT FALL.