🌱 Treasurer Walls Rebukes Beaufort Co. Council + Fires Destroy Homes

Good morning, Hilton Head! I'm here in your inbox today to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on around town, including news about:

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Clearing, a thunderstorm. High: 79 Low: 67.
• Thursday: Windy; afternoon rain. High: 76 Low: 62.

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Here are the top three stories in Hilton Head today:

1. Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls rebuked the Beaufort County council at Monday's meeting after the council voted narrowly, at 6-5, to deny Walls' budget request. Councilperson Logan Cunnigham introduced a motion in support of Walls' request, asking that $100,047 be taken from the county's payroll contingency and given to the Treasurer's office budget - headed by Walls. After this request was denied by the 6-5 vote, Walls returned to the podium to address the council and decried the council's verdict, stating that if the funds are not appropriated "We simply cannot retain or attract qualified team members willing to work for that amount." (Hilton Head Island Packet)
2. Cooking fires in nearby Bluffton have destroyed two homes in one day. Rylee Bodie, who lives across the street from one of the burned homes in Bluffton's Woodbridge neighborhood, said, "She was cooking and just left the stove on and got in the shower, and when she came out, she didn't realize anything was going on until she walked into a room of flames." The second fire was just a few miles over near Okatie Elementary School and led to the death of the home's owner. Bluffton Fire Department Marshall Daniel Wiltse says he is most concerned about people being aware when cooking - "We advise to never leave cooking unattended." (WJCL News Savannah)
3. A two-vehicle crash on S.C. 170 near Okatie blocked traffic on S.C. 170's right eastbound lane according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and the Bluffton Township Fire District. The crash involved an SUV and a minivan some time just after 10 a.m. the morning of Tuesday, May 23. Passengers in the crash suffered minor injuries according to authorities, but no one has been taken to the hospital for treatment, per Stephen Combs, Bluffton Township Fire District spokesperson. (AOL)

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Today and tomorrow in Hilton Head:

Wednesday, May 24

• Live Music At Lincoln & South Brewing Company (6:00 PM)
• Live Music On The Patio Featuring Corey Tate At The Lucky Rooster Kitchen And Bar (6:00 PM)
• La Bodega At The Crazy Crab (6:00 PM)

Thursday, May 25

• Groove Town Assault At Big Bamboo Cafe (9:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The Town of Hilton Head Island Government wants the food truck community to know the requirements that food trucks must follow. These include having a business local business license and other permits. More information is available at the link. (Town of Hilton Head Island Government via Facebook)
• The Sea Turtle Patrol of Hilton Head Island, led by marine biologist and director Amber Kuehn, is hard at work protecting endangered sea turtle populations. More information is available on Twitter, and at CNTraveler! (Hilton Head Island via Twitter)
• South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott has announced his entry to the 2024 presidential race at his alma mater in North Charleston, giving a speech on the morning of Monday, May 21, to an audience at Charleston Southern University, quote: "Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every rung of the ladder that helped me climb. And that is why I am announcing today that I am running for President of the United States of America!" (11 WTOC)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with a new update.

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.