August 12, 2025

Back to the Drawing Board: Pigeon Point Boat Landing Update

Pigeon Point, a charming and historic neighborhood just blocks from downtown Bay Street, has been undergoing a series of long-awaited renovations. The City of Beaufort recently celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the newly upgraded Pigeon Point Playground, and now attention is shifting to the nearby Pi

Rachel Carper

August 3, 2025

Beaufort County Still Struggling with 2018 Projects, Yet Officials Push for Another Tax Referendum

At the March 18, 2025 Beaufort County Council workshop, frustration was palpable as staff and council members reviewed the status of transportation and pathway projects funded by the 2018 penny sales tax referendum. Seven years after voters approved the $120 million tax package, most of the projects

Carrie Chappell

July 31, 2025

A New Chapter for Pigeon Point Park: Playground Reopens

Pigeon Point Park celebrated the grand reopening of its playground on Monday, following almost ten weeks of renovations and improvements to make the play area safer and more accessible for all. The new upgrades, which include the replacement of all of the older playground equipment with new, state-o

Rachel Carper

July 26, 2025

Volunteer Opportunities in Beaufort and How to Get Involved

If you’ve ever wanted to give back to the Beaufort community but didn’t know where to start, there are more opportunities than you might think. Across the county there are nonprofits, clinics, shelters, and civic boards working hard to meet local needs – but they can’t do it alone. Right now, many o

Rachel Carper

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July 22, 2025

Parking Enforcement Update: Beaufort Aligns with State Law, Keeps Contracted Enforcement

On December 2, 2024, Beaufort Insider reported that the City of Beaufort had a problem with parking enforcement. Since then, there has not been much public communication about changes, but the City of Beaufort seal has shown up on parking tickets. A new parking ordinance that has moved to its third

Carrie Chappell

July 18, 2025

Waterfront Park’s Advisory Committee: Who’s Involved and What’s Next

On April 17th, the City of Beaufort officially appointed three citizens to a new advisory committee charged with overseeing critical decisions related to two of the city’s most valued assets: the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and the Downtown Marina. After interviewing the applicants during the

Rachel Carper

July 15, 2025

Editorial: Please Fix the Sound!

Why can’t local government hold a meeting without having sound issues? As someone that keeps up with local government (but typically doesn’t physically go to meetings in person), I am very frustrated with the repeated issues with sound and technology at meetings. And I’m not the only one: over the l

Carrie Chappell

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July 11, 2025

Tragic Week on Beaufort Beaches: Three Drownings Spark Calls for Caution

Three people have drowned in Beaufort County waters over the past week, prompting warnings from local law enforcement and beach officials during the busy summer season.Within just five days, three separate fatal incidents occurred in coastal waters in Hilton Head and Hunting Island, deeply impacting

Rachel Carper

July 9, 2025

Sheriff Tanner on Immigration Enforcement in Beaufort County

It was standing room only in Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s training room on Bay Street during a community meeting held on July 8, 2025. At the request of County Council representatives, the Sheriff hosted the event to answer questions and concerns about immigration enforcement in Beaufort County. A recent n

Carrie Chappell

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July 9, 2025

Beaufort Water Festival 2025: Events, Attractions, and Important Updates

July in Beaufort means a few things: summer sunsets, neighborhood barbecues, and thousands of people gathering downtown to celebrate one of the Lowcountry’s most iconic events, the Beaufort Water Festival. Now in its 69th year, the 2025 Beaufort Water Festival kicks off Friday, July 11th and runs th

Rachel Carper

July 8, 2025

The City Blocks Off the Water Just Ahead of the Annual Water Festival

Fences and signs have gone up blocking access to the seawall, swings, and the daydock in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. The fences run the full width of the park from the bridge to the marina. ‘No Trespassing’ signs are posted at regular intervals stating that the ‘area is closed for public safe

Carrie Chappell

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July 2, 2025

From the Editor: A New Season for Local News in Beaufort

Dear Beaufort Insiders,Thank you for your continued support since the launch of Beaufort Insider. Our mission has always been to keep you informed, aware, and connected to our community.Over the past few months, we’ve taken a step back to regroup and refocus. Now, we’re excited to relaunch with fres

Carrie Chappell

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July 2, 2025

4th of July Events in Beaufort: Where to Watch Fireworks, Hear Live Music, and Celebrate

Whether you’re looking for a place to watch fireworks, listen to live music, or catch a military flyover, Beaufort has all kinds of events and activities to enjoy this Independence Day. If you’re not heading to the beach or out on the boat for July 4th, here’s a roundup of seven different events to

Rachel Carper

March 26, 2025

City Councilman Under Fire for Military Uniform Violation, City Manager Appears to Have Broken City Employee Handbook Policy

Patrick Canning, Beaufort resident, waited until 2 hours and 9 minutes into the City Council meeting to make his public comment on March 11, 2025. Councilman Mitch Mitchell and City Manager Scott Marshall were in Canning’s crosshairs for recent partisan political activism against President Trump. Ca

Carrie Chappell

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March 10, 2025

Beaufort City Council Defends Police Response in Missing Child Case Amid Criticism from the Parents and the Public

On February 21, 2025, the Beaufort City Council released an open letter defending the Beaufort Police Department’s handling of a recent missing child case. The letter, which describes the public criticism as “unfortunate and misguided,” addresses some concerns but also leaves some residents feeling

Carrie Chappell

March 3, 2025

Beaufort’s Parking Dilemma: State Law vs. Private Contract

As readers may recall from Beaufort Insider’s December 2nd article, on November 15th 2024, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office (SCAG) released an opinion stating that “municipalities may not delegate parking enforcement to private entities.” Following that release, Beaufort Insider inquired

Rachel Carper

February 28, 2025

Beaufort City Manager Blasts Trump on Social Media

The City of Beaufort voted for Donald Trump to be President in November 2024 with approximately 55% percent of the vote. A strong showing of support for the now President. It is clear, however, that the man running the city, Scott Marshall, was not one of them.Marshall, the Beaufort city manager, to

Carrie Chappell

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January 17, 2025

Beaufort County Breakdown: The First Meeting of 2025

Beaufort County Council rang in the New Year with its first regular meeting on January 13th, ushering in a historic moment in leadership as the two highest-ranking positions on Council are held by women for the first time in Beaufort County. With Alice Howard and Anna Maria Tabernick serving as Chai

Rachel Carper

January 17, 2025

New Leadership, New Transparency: Beaufort County Council Charts a Fresh Course

New leadership took the reins at the January 13, 2025 meeting of the Beaufort County Council. Council Chair Alice Howard and Vice Chair Anna Maria Tabernik had the floor and made several procedural changes that are aimed at making council operations more open and efficient. These changes come after

Carrie Chappell

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January 6, 2025

Southside Park’s New Chapter: Progress or a Pricey Gamble?

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 ra

Rachel Carper

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January 3, 2025

Beaufort PD Remains Tight Lipped: FOIA Response

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

Carrie Chappell

December 17, 2024

Public or Private? Protect Beaufort Foundation Files Lawsuit to Preserve Downtown Marina Access

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

Rachel Carper

December 13, 2024

Viral Arrest Video: Beaufort Police Under Scrutiny 

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

Carrie Chappell

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December 11, 2024

Beaufort’s Budget Breakdown: How We Compare to Other Counties

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 capita ex

Carrie Chappell