THE PINE ISLAND DEVELOPMENT ON ST. HELENA ISLAND IS STILL DEAD AFTER AN EFFORT BY BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCILMAN LOGAN CUNNINGHAM TO UNDO A PREVIOUS VOTE FAILED AT MONDAY’S COUNCIL MEETING. CUNNINGHAM WAS THE ONLY COUNCILOR TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT BACK IN SEPTEMBER, CLAIMED THE COUNCIL DIDN’T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION IT NEEDED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE THEN AND TRIED TO BRING BACK THAT VOTE UNDER A RARELY USED MOTION TO RESCIND, BUT ONLY GOT THREE OTHER COUNCILORS TO VOTE WITH HIM THIS TIME AROUND. COUNCIL CHAIRWOMAN ALICE HOWARD SAID THAT CHANGING THE VOTE WOULD SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR THE COUNTY IN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT CASES. ABOUT THE ONLY HOPE TO REVIVE THE DEVELOPMENT IS WINNING LAWSUITS FILED BY THE DEVELOPER IN STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS THAT ARE STILL PENDING.
THE STRANGE CASE OF BLUFFTON COPS DROPPING OFF AN INTOXICATED PEDESTRIAN, WHO THEN DIED IN A HIT-AN-RUN NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO HAS FINALLY BEEN SETTLED OUT OF COURT. THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WILL PAY THE FAMILY OF ANDY LEMASTER 275-THOUSAND DOLLARS AFTER A ROOKIE OFFICER PICKED UP LEMASTER IN MARCH OF 2022 AFTER HE TRIED TO ENTER A NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE BY MISTAKE IN THE CYPRESS RIDGE COMMUNITY WITH WHAT LATER WAS DETERMINED WAS A BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL SIX TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT. BUT INSTEAD OF TAKING HIM TO JAIL OR A HOSPITAL, THE OFFICERS DROPPED HIM OFF AT A HAMPTON INN IN OKATIE. WITH NO I-D OR MEANS TO PAY FOR A ROOM, LEMASTER STUMBLED ONTO HIGHWAY 278 AND WAS KILLED BY A HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER. HIS FAMILY FILED A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO ALLEGING OFFICERS ABANDONED LEMASTER. THE DRIVER OF THE CAR TURNED HIMSELF IN BUT WAS NEVER CHARGED.
THE HILTON HEAD FIRE DEPARTMENT’S NEW HEADQUARTERS WILL BE LOCATED MID-ISLAND AFTER THE TOWN ANNOUNCED PLANS TO PURCHASE A LITTLE OVER 3-ACRES ON PARK LANE ACROSS FROM THE ENTRANCE TO LONG COVE CLUB CURRENTLY OWNED BY LAWYER PETER STRAUSS, WHO WILL FINISH A FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE FOR MONEY LAUNDERING NEXT WEEK. STRAUS’ OFFICES ARE ON PART OF THE PROPERTY, THE OTHER PART HAS BEEN HOME FOR THE SOON-TO-CLOSE NICK’S RESTAURANT THAT WILL BE TORN DOWN TO CREATE OPEN SPACE AND PARKING FOR THE NEW HEADQUARTERS. THE TOWN WILL PAY NEARLY 8-MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PROPERTIES.
WE HAVEN’T HAD A MURDAUGH STORY IN AWHILE, BUT THE TRIAL THAT’S NOW MORE THAN TWO YEARS OLD IS STILL MAKING NEWS. FORMER COLLETON COUNTY COURT CLERK BECKY HILL HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO STATE CHARGES OF MISCONDUCT, PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. THE 58-YEAR-OLD HILL WAS SENTENCED TO JUST PROBATION, A HUNDRED HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND A SCOLDING FROM JUDGE HEATH TAYLOR, WHO ADMONISHED HILL FOR LEAKING CONFIDENTIAL COURT INFORMATION TO A REPORTER, THEN THEN LYING ABOUT IT, AND FOR GIVING HERSELF BONUSES AND USING HER OFFICE TO PROMOTE A BOOK SHE WROTE. MURDAUGH’S LAWYERS PLAN TO USE THIS CASE IN THEIR APPEAL OF MURDAUGH’S CONVICTION THAT COMES BEFORE THE STATE SUPREME COURT NEXT YEAR.