KIDS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL TODAY AT HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY AFTER THE INVESTIGATION OF A THREATENING MESSAGE LEFT ON A DESK MONDAY AFTERNOON LED TO SCHOOL LEADERS SHUTTING DOWN THE SCHOOL YESTERDAY AS A PRECAUTION WHILE BLUFFTON POLICE AND BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES LOOKED INTO IT. THEY EVENTUALLY DETERMINED THE THREAT WAS NOT CREDIBLE.
BRINGING HOME THE IMPACT OF MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS TO THE LOWCOUNTRY, 54-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL THOMAS MARTIN OF BEAUFORT HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO NEARLY 6 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METH IN THE LOWCOUNTRY. THE PLEA DEAL CAME AFER HIS ARREST WHILE MAKING A DRUG DEAL IN NORTH CHARLESTON. DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENTS SAY THEY LATER FOUND MULTIPLE POUNDS OF METH THAT HAD COME TO HIM IN SOUTH CAROLINA FROM MEXICO, VIA TUCSON AND PHOENIX.
THE SHOW ITSELF DOESN’T DROP UNTIL A MONTH FROM NOW, BUT HULU HAS RELEASED THE TRAILER FOR ITS CRIME SERIES ‘MURDAUGH-DEATH IN THE FAMILY’, BASED, OF COURSE, ON THE NOW 2-YEAR-OLD MURDAUGH CRIMES AND TAKEN FROM REPORTER MANDY MATNEY’S PODCASTS. PATRICIA ARQUETTE IS THE BIGGEST STAR, PLAYING MAGGIE, WITH JASON CLARKE AS ALEX MURDAUGH. THE HULU SERIES DEBUTS OCTOBER 15TH.
WITH NEW RULES, OR IN SOME CASES NO RULES, ITS HARDER TO FIND OUT HOW WELL OUR KIDS, AND OUR NEIGHBOR’S KIDS, ARE VACCINATED IN THE LOWCOUNTRY. AN NBC NEWS INVESTIGATION, USING YEAR-OLD DATA COLLECTED BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY HAS GOOD NEWS FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY PARENTS, NOT SO MUCH FOR THOSE IN JASPER COUNTY. THEIR REPORT INDICATES THAT ONLY 3-1/2 PERCENT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY STUDENTS WERE NOT VACCINATED IN 2024, THOUGH THE NUMBER IS CLOSER TO 18 PERCENT IN JASPER COUNTY. DOCTORS AGREE THAT 95% VACCINATION RATES ARE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN IMMUNITY FROM MOST DISEASES, LIKE MEASLES. 77% OF COUNTIES NATIONWIDE REPORT THEIR VACCINATION RATES FOR CHILDREN ARE FALLING AND MORE THAN HALF OF COUNTIES REPORT THAT MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS FROM VACCINATIONS ARE UP OVER THE LAST HALF-DOZEN YEARS.
THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON’S NEW RIVERSIDE BARN, OFF THE PRITCHARDVILLE TRAFFIC CIRCLE, IS NOW TAKING ITS FIRST RESERVATIONS FOR WEDDINGS AND OTHER EVENTS BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY OF 2026. THE BARN FEATURES HIGH CEILINGS, WAGON WHEEL CHANDELIERS, A FULL KITCHEN, DRESSING ROOMS AND A COURTYARD WITH A FIREPIT FOR UP TO 200 GUESTS AND EXPECTS TO BOOK A LOT OF WEDDINGS AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS. THE BARN AREA ALSO INCLUDES A LAWN AND MUSIC PAVILION FOR THOSE PREFERRING AN OUTDOOR EVENT. BARN RENTS START AT 2-THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY FOR RESIDENTS, 4-GRAND FOR NON-RESIDENTS, THOUGH YOU CAN GET THE LAWN AND MUSIC PAVILION FOR 800-BUCKS IF YOU LIVE IN BLUFFTON, 16-HUNDRED A DAY IF YOU DON’T. RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE TOWN’S WEBSITE.