Junk Removal in Beaufort, SC

Colton Phares hit a pair of field goals as Beaufort shut out Goose Creek, 6-0, on Friday in high school football action.

It was the Eagles’ second win of the season.

Both of Phares’ field goals came in the first quarter. The game was played in rainy conditions as bad weather played a part in most games in the area Friday. .

Goose Creek had a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter but Beaufort’s defense stopped them inside the 10-yard line with just under six minutes left.

The Eagles picked off a pass to seal it with less than two minutes left.

The Sharks picked up their first victory of the season with their first shutout since 2019.

May River’s last shutout also came against the Jaguars on Oct. 11, 2019. The Sharks had three shutouts that season.

Christian Tilton had three touchdowns including a kickoff return for a touchdown in the Warriors’ victory.

Tilton finished with more than 200 yards rushing.

Bryant Jolly, Javier Jimenez and Alex Mercer also had TD runs for John Paul II.

Wilson quarterback Tremel Echols threw for touchdowns, two to Zandae Butler in the Tigers’ win over the Seahawks.

Teammate Zandae Butler caught two touchdowns passes, and Javion Waiters caught a TD pass and returned a kick for another score.

Owens Bayes had a 55-yard touchdown pass to Jake Higgins for HHI’s only score.

Dylan Clark threw two touchdown passes as the Eagles handed the Falcons their first loss of the season.

Clark put HHCA ahead in the first quarter on a pass to Qayden Turner to make it 7-0. The score stayed that way until Ben Lippen’s Taevian Copney scored on a TD run to cut it within 7-6 in the third quarter.

HHCA answered when Clark hit Morgan Bedenbaugh to make it 13-6. The Eagles added a safety after a blocked punt to make it 15-6.

Dietrich Shuford ran for two touchdowns in the Rebels’ victory over St. John’s.

Shuford’s second score came in the fourth quarter to put THA up 20-8 with 3:57 left.

Tyshon Mansell also scored for the Rebels.

AJ Berger had two touchdowns, including an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the loss for the Dolphins.

Berger also caught two passes for 60 yards and picked off two passes on defense to go along with nine tackles.

Whale Branch football had to forfeit its game against Baptist Hill after an incident happened at school earlier in the day.

On Friday, Beaufort County schools officials received a tip from a student who reported a possible confrontation between other students, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s office.

The school was placed in modified lockdown status, which means that teachers and students remained in their classrooms while the tip was investigated.

A search of lockers and backpacks was conducted as a part of the investigation. During the search, a loaded handgun was found in a book bag that was stored in a student’s locker.

The student, a 15-year-old, was detained at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia and will be charged with possession of a firearm on school property.

As a result, Whale Branch had to forfeit its game.

The Beaufort Academy and Greenwood Christian contest was canceled by rain.

This story was originally published September 10, 2022 8:46 AM.

It’s not all in your head.

Rain did fall nearly every day in Beaufort County in August. The ground is wetter. The thunderstorms more frequent. And showers have stuck around longer.

In the 31-day hot and humid stretch, volunteers for two precipitation-measuring locations in Beaufort reported rain accumulation amounts between 5 and 11 inches higher than usual for the month. A site near West Royal Oaks Drive was hit with 17 inches of rain in August. About 12 inches fell on the other site — Sweet Olive Drive.

Peter Mohlin, a National Weather Service meteorologist, called the estimates what they are: “Way above normal.”

An onslaught of sluggishly moving storms are to blame for the “significantly wet month” Beaufort County has seen, Mohlin said. However, he adds that the mercurial Lowcountry weather this August has been more like that seen in the early summer.

“It’s definitely quite unusual,” the meteorologist said.

But in a pragmatic fashion, Mohlin assures the unusually soggy August shouldn’t be a cause for concern. It’s just the cyclical nature of weather, he said.

In a state where there is tons of precipitation, there is likely another experiencing drought. Nearly one-third of Americans lived in drought-ridden areas, making the early August conditions the worst in “nearly 15 years,” according to the U.S. News & World Report. Last month, exceptional drought — the most severe measure — affected counties in California, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

The same goes for temperature.

“Typically, when it’s hot in one part of the country, it’s cooler than normal elsewhere, and we’re just kind of in that pattern for the moment,” Mohlin said.

With rain in Beaufort County’s forecast over the next several days and heading into a holiday weekend, residents and visitors should look out for nuisance flooding.

Like an already brimming cup, it won’t take much to flood the still-saturated grounds. In some areas, the marsh is handling the heavy showers, but in places with less nature to absorb the downfall, nuisance flooding won’t be out of the ordinary.

Nuisance flooding can leave sitting water on roads, which can pose danger when the driver cannot gauge the water’s depth. It becomes especially difficult to determine at night.

Sage and sustained advice from the National Weather Service? “Turn around, don’t drown.”

Friday: 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms, with new rainfall amounts been 1/10 and 1/4 of an inch. High near 86. Low near 75.

Saturday: 70% chance of precipitation, mainly after 2 p.m. and before 8 p.m. Between 1/10 and 1/4 of an inch of new rainfall is expected. High near 86. Low near 74.

Sunday: 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 86. Low near 74.

Monday (Labor Day): 40% chance of rain and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. High near 86. Low near 74.

This story was originally published September 1, 2022 11:30 AM.

For the 11th straight year, Beaufort County has ranked the healthiest of all 46 counties in South Carolina, according to the County Health Rankings by Niche.com, one of the most popular rankings site in the U.S.

Beaufort is a very active community and the findings show that Beaufort surpasses the other counties in the state in its quality of life.

“Beaufort County is one of the best places to live in South Carolina. In Beaufort County, most residents own their homes, and many young professionals and retirees live there,” Niche.com said in the report.

Beaufort County’s grades were pretty good, and we received an overall A.

We received an A for Fitness and an A for Outdoor Activities and for being Good For Families.

A- were bestowed on Beaufort for Weather, Nightlife, Public Schools and Diversity.

Beaufort County also received a B+ for Jobs, a B for our Commute, a B- for our Housing and a C+ for Cost of Living.

According to Niche.com, the 2022 Healthiest Counties ranking is intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of the general levels of health among residents at the county level.

“This grade takes into account key indicators of personal health, such as smoking, excessive alcoholic consumption, rates of obesity, as well as the availability and proximity of fitness facilities, doctors, and mental health practitioners, in an attempt to measure an area’s performance in health and fitness.”

Other popular studies have shown that Beaufort County residents enjoy the longest life expectancy in the state as well as the best quality of life in South Carolina. They’ve also found that Beaufort County leads the Palmetto State when it comes to health behaviors. This includes a lower amount of cigarette smokers, a lower rate of adult obesity and the ease of access to many exercise opportunities.

How SC counties ranked

According to the study, the top 5 healthiest counties in SC are (in order) Beaufort, Charleston, Greenville, Richland and York.

According to the study, the counties with the poorest health in SC are Union, Calhoun, Hampton and Lee, Fairfield.

See the full list of South Carolina counties and see how they ranked here.

Beaufort is surrounded by sea islands and that provides an easy way for folks to enjoy the water, do some fishing or take the kayak out for a few hours. Lots of beaches, trails and parks in the area make for some fabulous long walks as well.

If you’re looking for a good quality of life….Beaufort County is your obvious choice. Beaufort is the healthiest County, after all.

A Japan-based company that’s developing flying cars — yes, flying cars — has set up a temporary office in Beaufort as it explores entry into the U.S. market.

SkyDrive, backed by venture capital from some of Japan’s largest brands, is just one of several international companies checking out Beautiful Beaufort by the Sea, as it’s known, thanks to a new office hub called the Southern Carolina Landing Pad that companies can use for free while they develop their sea legs in unfamiliar waters and consider dropping anchor in U.S. markets.

But SkyDrive, a Tokyo-based aero-tech start-up, might offer the most intriguing product of the bunch.

Since 2018, in Japan, SkyDrive has been developing electric vehicle take-off and landing vehicles, or EVTOLs, along with cargo-carrying drones, William Fugate, SkyDrive’s U.S. business development manager, told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet from his Beaufort office.

It all may sound like something out of the 1982 science fiction movie “Blade Runner,” which featured fictional flying cars.

But SkyDrive has already developed a zero-emission, two-seat flying car for real, with vertical take-off and landing capability. It’s the only company in Japan, it says, that’s successfully conducted manned test flights. It’s now in the process of getting its latest model certified by Japan regulators. It plans to unveil that model in the World Expo 2025 in Osaka. Commercial sales could follow in 2026.

“People,” Fugate says, “don’t realize how fast it’s coming.”

SkyDrive is one of about 100 firms involved in the research and development of EVTOLs worldwide, says Fugate, and “we’re kind of Japan’s foothold in that market.”

How quickly the flying vehicles enter the air space will depend on infrastructure such as landing areas, electric charging stations, air traffic management, FAA approval and other aspects, says Fugate, and those are the types of issues it’s investigating from its new office in Beaufort.

One of the biggest drivers of the flying vehicles, Fugate says, is the Biden administration’s goals to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

“It will create a lot of jobs,” Fugate says, “once these ecosystems are in place.”

Future models eventually could be manufactured in the United States, he says.

For now, SkyDrive hasn’t committed to setting up operations in Beaufort.

But the hope is that once companies like it experience the services offered through the Southern Carolina Landing Pad program, and get a taste of life in the Lowcountry, it will position Beaufort County well when future decisions are made on investments, such as where to locate headquarters and research and development or manufacturing facilities, creating new jobs and tax bases.

“We think if we treat people well,” says John O’Toole, executive director of Beaufort County Economic Development Corp., “they will fall in love with Beaufort.”

The Southern Carolina Landing Pad is a collaboration between Beaufort County Economic Development, the city of Beaufort, the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance and others.

The mission of the program is to assist companies from around the world that are considering investing in the region for the first time.

First, a free physical location is provided where companies can “land” — the second-floor offices at 500 Carteret St. for up to 90 days — as they explore local markets or transition into them.

Through the program, local economic development and city officials also work with the companies on a host of issues that can be overwhelming in a new market. They include connecting them with experts who can discuss legal, tax, accounting, human resources and other issues.

“Any question they will want answers to,” O’Toole says, “we’ve got firms to step up and offer pro bono services.”

SkyDrive is the first company to take advantage of the Landing Pad, which Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray calls “pretty darn exciting.”

“It’s a very cool company,” Murray says.

The Landing Pad is a place where international firms can establish a presence and build confidence in the region before making significant investments, says Murray. The coastal city of 13,400, he says, is working to attract “advanced manufacturing” companies that create “primary jobs,” and the Landing Pad is an important tool in the effort to diversify the economy.

“It sets us apart from a lot of other areas,” he says.

Up until now, SkyDrive has focused on the domestic market in Japan. It’s already selling drones that can transport cargo. The company is in the research and development phase of EVTOL aircraft. Now that it has what it considers to be a globally viable product, Fugate says, it’s broadening its focus to international markets with its initial focus on the United States.

Today, most of the EVTOL market is developing what Fugate describes as larger aircraft vehicles that could travel between cities. He compares them to buses. SkyDrive is taking a more conservative approach and developing smaller vehicles — he likens them to taxis — that could be used within a city. Pilots would taxi passengers with the means to pay for the convenience and speed. It would be kind of like booking an Uber driver, he says, possibly even using a phone app.

When he first learned of the flying cars, Charlie Stone, a BCED project manager, says he immediately thought of the “Jetsons,” the 1960s animated cartoon in which the family’s mode of transportation was a flying sports car.

But SkyDrive isn’t the only international company producing interesting products that is interested in landing in Beaufort.

BCED officials have also had conversations with representatives of a company from Sweden that makes electric trucks, an autonomous delivery car manufacturer based in Estonia, and a Great Britain battery manufacturer with offices in Toronto, about using the Land Pad services.

BCED officials also are talking to a Finnish electric vehicle automotive supplier. “I think it’s a pretty dang good lead for us,” Stone says of the company, “and they seem interested.”

Skydrive’s Fugate connected with the BCED officials through the Japan External Trade Organization, a Japanese government-related organization that promotes trade and investment relations.

Fugate came over from Japan to Beaufort and met with local officials on a scouting mission. Fugate is originally from the U.S. but has lived in Japan for 30 years.

“They exceeded all of our expectations in almost every way,” he said of the Landing Pad.

He returned to Japan and presented the idea to the board of directors, which includes investors such as Suzuki Motor Corporation, the Japanese multinational corporation.

“I’ve been given the green light to start building our office here and that’s why I’m here now,” Fugate says.

The firm’s entrance into the U.S. market will be through Beaufort or the surrounding area, he says.

When Fugate arrived, he found the flag of Japan, with its distinctive red circle on a white backdrop, hanging on the wall, along with the stars and stripes.

“It’s a great town,” Fugate says.

This story was originally published September 3, 2022 6:00 AM.

Here in Beaufort and on our sea islands we enjoy a variety of wildlife. Gators and wild horses are two that quickly come to mind. It’s recently been found that great white sharks are around in our waters, too. Also, we know that there are monkeys in a controlled environment on Morgan Island. Now, three credible witnesses have filed a report of a Bigfoot sighting at Hunting Island that occurred just a few weeks ago.

You read that correctly. Bigfoot has been “spotted” at Hunting Island State Park, according to a report filed with the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO).

The report states that there was a Class A sighting this month, during the day, by three people in a vehicle at Hunting Island State Park in Beaufort County, according to the organization.

The report, filed on August 7, 2022 by witness Dr. Robert Frady, states that on August 2nd, he, his brother and sister, witnessed a Bigfoot crossing the road in front of them as they were leaving Hunting Island State Park via one of the exit roads near the Lighthouse.

An incident is classified as a Class A sighting if there is a clear sighting “in circumstances where misinterpretations or misidentification of other animals can be ruled out with greater confidence,” according to the organization.

The report reads in full:

“On Tuesday, August 2, 2022 my brother, sister, and I were visiting the Lighthouse at South Carolina’s Hunting Island State Park. We were leaving the Lighthouse parking lot at approximately 12:00 noon and driving along the exit road from the Lighthouse.”

“My brother was driving the vehicle, with me riding in the front passenger seat, and my sister being in the rear driver’s side seat. As we were rounding a slight curve on the exit road, we all spotted a creature walking quickly on the left side of the road approximately 15 to 20 feet in front of our car. The incident happened very quickly as the creature disappeared into the lush Palmetto & Pine forest (jungle) that surrounds the exit road.”

“My brother stopped the car immediately and asked if we had seen what he saw. All three of us reported seeing the creature. We all saw the creature very clearly as it was walking directly in front of our car. The three of us recalled and reported the exact and identical descriptions.”

“The creature was walking upright, taking strides quickly to our left, and disappeared into the bush on the left side of the road directly in front of us. We only witnessed the lower torso of the creature as it’s head and shoulders were hidden behind a pine tree and a palmetto stump on the left side of the road. The height of the creature is estimated as being between 5 to 6 feet tall. Legs were approximately 3 feet long, human like jointed knee, with dark brown, splotchy black hair that was approximately 2 inches long. The incident happened quickly and lasted for only a few seconds as the creature disappeared quickly into the thick underbrush.”

“It was a hominid,” he said.

“There were no sounds or odors noticed by any of us.”

“We were all in a state of amazement as to what occurred as it happened so quickly. We have enjoyed taking many vacations at the park throughout the years since we were children in the 1950’s to the present. While the area is abundant in wildlife, we have never witnessed anything like this in the past.”

“The three of us reported the incident to the Hunting Island State Park office on August 3, 2022 at around 12:00 noon. The Park Superintendent called me a short time later and I provided him with a full description and details of the incident. He informed me that he would file the report as a credible incident and initiate an investigation, which included roping the area off.”

“I do know now that they exist, there’s no doubt in my mind that they exist,” Dr. Frady said.

Here is the telephone interview with eyewitness Dr. Robert Frady by the BFRO:

In a follow up report, BFRO researcher and star of the hit Animal Planet show ‘Finding Bigfoot’, Matt Moneymaker said that, “the witness who reported the sighting is Dr. Bob Frady, a retired forensic psychologist from Georgia. The other two witnesses are also retired professionals. They are not making up a story. All three saw the Sasquatch briefly at close range, in full daylight.”

It’s not the first time that someone says they saw a Bigfoot in Beaufort County. There have been numerous occurrences of people on social media saying they’ve seen monkeys crossing the roads on Hunting Island, and there is another report from a resident in Bluffton that was filed with the BFRO in October of 2008.

Objectively, we are not saying that Bigfoot is real, but then again, you just never know. And, we’re not saying it’s not real. However, it sure is real to these three eyewitnesses.

This is some seriously interesting stuff, and just adds to the allure and mystique of Beaufort SC and these wild sea islands.