AS INVESTIGATORS CONTINUE TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE SHOOTER OR SHOOTERS WHO KILLED FOUR AND INJURED NEARLY 20 LAST WEEKEND AT A ST. HELENA BAR, THE F-B-I IS NOW BECOMING MORE INVOLVED, ASKING FOR ANYONE WITH CELLPHONE VIDEOS TO SEND THEM TO A WEBSITE, FBI.GOV/STHELENAMASSSHOOTING. THE VIDEOS CAN BE SUBMITTED WITHOUT ANY NAME OR CONTACT INFORMATION IF YOU WANT, HOPING TO INSPIRE ANONYMOUS TIPS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO AN ARREST. BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF P-J TANNER LAMENTED EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT HE COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT OF THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE INTERVIEWED, NOBODY IS IDENTIFYING WHO FIRED THE SHOTS, LIKELY SOMEONE WITH AN AUTOMATIC RIFLE. THE COUNTY ALREADY HAS A CRIMESTOPPERS TIP-LINE AND WEBSITE, WHERE YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS AT 844-TIPS-BFT OR TIPSBFT.COM. RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS OF GUNS AND SHELL CASINGS ARE EXPECTED BACK FROM THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION NEXT WEEK.
ITS STILL GOING TO BE AWHILE BEFORE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON THE NEW BUCCEE’S AT EXIT 8 ON I-95, BUT CADDY-CORNER TO THAT PROJECT, GROUND WAS BROKEN THURSDAY FOR THE ENORMOUS MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF EXIT 8. IT’S CALLED CAROLINA STATION AND COVERS 26-HUNDRED ACRES BETWEEN EXIT 8 AND JOHN SMITH ROAD. H-I-C LAND OUT OF CHARLESTON IS PLANNING 650 HOMES BUILT BY D-R HORTON, 95 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL SPACE, WITH PARKS AND NATURE TRAILS WEAVING THROUGH THE AREA.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER BACK IN MAY WHEN A YOUNG SPERM WHALE BEACHED ITSELF ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND HAD TO EVENTUALLY BE EUTHANIZED. THOUGH THE ULTIMATE REASON THE WHALE WAS IN DISTRESS MAY NEVER BE KNOWN, RESEARCHERS SAY IT LIKELY DIED OF STARVATION. AGENCIES LIKE THE LOWCOUNTRY MARINE MAMMAL NETWORK AND THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION RESPONDED TO THE BEACHING, BUT ALL THEY COULD DO WAS REDUCE THE 31-FOOT-LONG WHALE’S SUFFERING UNTIL IT COULD BE PUT DOWN. FURTHER RESEARCH FOUND NO PLASTIC IN THE WHALE’S SYSTEM BUT ALSO NO OTHER REASON WHY IT WAS STARVING.
LET’S END A BAD NEWS WEEK WITH SOME GOOD NEWS. THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR A LOT OF OTHER REASONS LATELY, BUT IT HAS APPARENTLY APPROVED A HALF-A-MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO HOPEFUL HORIZONS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY TO HELP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS PAY FOR LEGAL EXPENSES. CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY MACE BACKED THE GRANT, SAYING THAT SOUTH CAROLINA IS RANKED SIXTH IN THE COUNTRY IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES AND MANY WOMEN CAN USE THE HELP. HOPEFUL HORIZONS HOPES TO HIRE ONE FULL-TIME AND ONE PART-TIME LAWYER AND TWO PARALEGALS TO OFFER FREE ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS, THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN MAY AFFECT THE RELEASE OF THE GRANT.
U-S-C-B HAS RECEIVED A 4-YEAR, NEARLY 4-MILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL GRANT TO RECRUIT, EDUCATE AND PLACE UP TO 64 NURSING STUDENTS TO INCREASE THE NURSING WORKFORCE IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED AREAS, ESPECIALLY TO ACCRESS SHORTAGES IN ACUTE AND LONG-TERM CARE. THE FUNDING COMES AT A TIME WHEN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES ARE AMONG 17 IN THE STATE DESIGNATED AS HIGH-NEED AREAS. THE STATE COULD BE SHORT 12-THOUSAND NURSES IN THE NEXT 12 YEARS.