Beaufort Insider

01/06/2025

Southside Park’s shiny new upgrades have families flocking to its colorful playgrounds. But across the marsh, Waterfront Park shows its age. Questions are mounting over future costs: Is the city spending wisely or simply spreading itself too thin? While Southside Park’s upgrades are welcome, they raise valid concerns about how much the full project will cost and whether other city priorities, like Waterfront Park, are being sidelined.

Southside Park’s shiny new upgrades have families flocking to its colorful playgrounds. But across the marsh, Waterfront Park shows its age. Questions are mounting over future costs: Is the city spending wisely or simply spreading itself too thin? While Southside Park’s upgrades are welcome, the...

01/02/2025

Unfortunately, the PD’s response to Beaufort Insider’s FOIA does nothing to answer questions that have been raised or bring clarity to reasons for the use of force seen in the video.

As previously reported, a viral video of Beaufort Police Department (PD) officers pulling a woman out of a car as well as fighting with and arresting two other people was posted on Facebook on November 29, 2024. The short video shows a small fraction of everything that happened during the incident w...

12/20/2024

The latest Beaufort Voice episode is live now! Go check it out on the Beaufort Insider app, or wherever you get your podcasts! 🎙️💙

Episode 8 is live! 🎙️ This week, we’re unpacking two big stories:

⚓️ Protect Beaufort Foundation’s lawsuit to preserve public access to the Downtown Marina
🚁 Mysterious drone sightings along the East Coast—WTH is going on?

Don’t miss our latest episode! Tap the link in our bio to listen now.

12/16/2024

Just as Beaufort prepares to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Southside Park in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood later this week, another popular park in the city finds itself at the center of yet another lawsuit involving the City of Beaufort and heavy-hitters in the community. On Tuesday, December 11th, the Protect Beaufort Foundation filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgement that the City’s efforts to privatize the Downtown Marina “violate federal, state, and local laws, and legal covenants that prohibit the privatization of a public resource.”

Just as Beaufort prepares to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Southside Park in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood later this week, another popular park in the city finds itself at the center of yet another lawsuit involving the City of Beaufort and heavy-hitters in the community. On Tuesday, December 11th,...

12/12/2024

On November 29, 2024, Shandela Simmons posted a video on Facebook that has now garnered 196,000 views, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments. In the days since the video was posted, rumors of officers being suspended have fueled the concerns that the incident may not have been handled appropriately.

On November 29, 2024, Shandela Simmons posted a video on Facebook that has now garnered 196,000 views, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments. The video shows Shandela being pulled from a car and arrested by Beaufort police. As her friend and passenger continue to video, the viewer catches a....

12/10/2024

Beaufort County’s spending habits place it among the top counties in South Carolina for per capita expenditures, but questions arise about whether taxpayers are getting their money's worth.

Beaufort County’s spending habits place it among the top counties in South Carolina for per capita expenditures, but questions arise about whether taxpayers are getting their money's worth. According to the South Carolina Association of Counties’ 2024 County Profiles, Beaufort County’s per cap...

12/02/2024

On November 15, 2024, The South Carolina Attorney General’s (S**G) office published an opinion stating, “we do not believe a municipality may delegate parking enforcement to a private entity.” Not long after Isle of Palms started showing up in media articles for contracting out their parking enforcement in contravention with the S**G’s opinion, Beaufort Insider’s readers started asking about the City of Beaufort’s relationship with Park Beaufort.

On November 15, 2024, The South Carolina Attorney General’s (S**G) office published an opinion stating, “we do not believe a municipality may delegate parking enforcement to a private entity.” Not long after Isle of Palms started showing up in media articles for contracting out their parking e...

11/29/2024

Rachel and Carrie talk about this week’s Beaufort Insider articles with guest Josh Gibson on episode 5 of Beaufort Voice!

Things got interesting (or should I say confusing) at City Hall, and we’re breaking it all down in Episode 5 of Beaufort Voice!

Special guest Josh Gibson joins us to discuss City Council’s latest special worksession, the ongoing downtown lawsuit, and what it all means for Beaufort’s future.

Catch the full, extended episode right now - link in bio! 🎙️

11/29/2024

Beaufort City Council met for a Special Work Session on Tuesday, November 19. Two topics were on the agenda: Tourism Development Advisory Committee State Accommodations Tax Grant (ATAX) Award Recommendations, and City Owned Properties - Return on Investment (ROI) Analysis.

Beaufort City Council met for a Special Work Session on Tuesday, November 19. Two topics were on the agenda: Tourism Development Advisory Committee State Accommodations Tax Grant (ATAX) Award Recommendations, and City Owned Properties - Return on Investment (ROI) Analysis. Accommodations Tax (ATAX)....

11/29/2024

“When buildings lose their connection to the setting and character of place, when workmanship and materials are ripped out and replaced, when our tree canopies are ripped out or endangered—Beaufort becomes Anywhere USA,” said Cynthia Jenkins in a letter shared with HBF supporters.

The battle continues as the Historic Beaufort Foundation (HBF) and Graham Trask’s companies, West Street Farms (WSF) and Mix Farms (MF), fight against developments approved by the city’s Historic District Review Board (HRB), citing potential harm to the character of Beaufort's National Historic ...

11/25/2024

The Beaufort County Finance Committee discussed a proposed 4.8% increase to the county’s fiscal year 2025 (FY25) budget at their October 28 meeting. This increase would add approximately $7.5M to the overall budget aimed at addressing pressing needs in vehicle and equipment acquisition and expanding hangar capacity at the Beaufort Executive Airport

The Beaufort County Finance Committee discussed a proposed 4.8% increase to the county’s fiscal year 2025 (FY25) budget at their October 28 meeting. This increase would add approximately $7.5M to the overall budget aimed at addressing pressing needs in vehicle and equipment acquisition and expandi...

11/23/2024

Episode 4 is ready for you to listen!

Episode FOUR of Beaufort’s latest podcast goes live tonight at 6:00pm 🎙️🎧 This week, we unpack the key takeaways from our first city council meeting after the election, explore the latest developments in the Trask vs. Stewart debacle, and discuss how the Citizen Led Oversight Committee (CLOC) could impact the way future projects are handled across the Lowcountry - starting with Waterfront Park. Stay tuned!

11/21/2024

The Citizen-Led Oversight Committee (CLOC), established to oversee projects under the 2019 Beaufort County School District Bond Referendum, is gaining recognition as a model for transparent public engagement. The committee is being hailed not only for its role within the school district, but also as a potential framework for overseeing other large-scale public projects, such as restabilizing Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, or planning future Transportation Sales & Use Taxes.

The Citizen-Led Oversight Committee (CLOC), established to oversee projects under the 2019 Beaufort County School District Bond Referendum, is gaining recognition as a model for transparent public engagement. The committee is being hailed not only for its role within the school district, but also as...

11/19/2024

Graham Trask is making good on the promise that he will not give up in the legal battle over a hotel and parking garage planned in downtown Beaufort. Last Thursday, Trask and Historic Beaufort Foundation (HBF) asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider their decision to allow the hotel and parking garage building permits to move forward.

Graham Trask is making good on the promise that he will not give up in the legal battle over a hotel and parking garage planned in downtown Beaufort. As previously reported by Beaufort Insider, the SC Court of Appeals ruled against Trask and in favor of Dick Stewart and 303 Associates when they uphe...

11/15/2024

The first episode of Beaufort Voice is now live on Spotify and Apple! We’re so excited to be able to connect with you in a new way, and discuss the latest news, important events, and in-depth stories from the Lowcountry.

P.S. Episodes will be published every Friday, so stay tuned for a whole new conversation tomorrow!

11/14/2024

Beaufort Insider is excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Beaufort Voice. Beaufort Voice is your local source for all things Beaufort, SC. This hyperlocal podcast connects you to the heart of the community delivering the latest news, important events, and in-depth stories from the Lowcountry.

There are already two episodes available and another one coming every Friday!

Beaufort Insider is excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Beaufort Voice. Beaufort Voice is your local source for all things Beaufort, SC. This hyperlocal podcast connects you to the heart of the community delivering the latest news, important events, and in-depth stories from the Lowco...

11/11/2024

Beaufort County has spent the last year or more responding to scrutiny and legal actions regarding how taxpayer money is being managed. From county credit card purchases for out of state trips, to luxury cars, to playground equipment and weighted blankets, there has been no shortage of questions about how the county spends their money. Only slightly less scrutiny has been placed on the county and county council about transparency and communication. Keeping watch over the county’s finances and spending is the purpose of the County’s Finance Committee.

Beaufort County has spent the last year or more responding to scrutiny and legal actions regarding how taxpayer money is being managed. From county credit card purchases for out of state trips, to luxury cars, to playground equipment and weighted blankets, there has been no shortage of questions abo...