Robert Smalls to be honored with statue at State House grounds.

Beaufort County This Week

STORY 1

From the Post & Courier

A legislative commission tasked with building a monument to Civil War hero Robert Smalls met for the first time this week to begin laying groundwork to permanently commemorate the former enslaved man-turned-congressman on the grounds of the S.C. Statehouse.

There's much to be done.

The commission, formed by an act of the Legislature this year, still has not established a location for the statue, nor have they procured a design or an artist to carry out the project. They also need a way to fund the project, which — like a previously constructed monument to African American history on the grounds — will be funded solely by private donations.

Born into enslavement, during the Civil War, Smalls successfully commandeered a Confederate transport vessel, the 147-ft. side-wheeler steamship the Planter, in Charleston Harbor, joined the Union side and later played a key role in convincing President Abraham Lincoln to allow Black men to serve as soldiers.

Story 2

From the Island News

MUSC Health Pulmonary Medicine’s Beaufort office is now open at 1251 Ribaut Road, Beaufort.

Dr. Peter Manos will continue to offer his expertise and patient care and is accepting patient appointments at the new office. MUSC Health also welcomes Megan Webb, PA-C, to the practice for appointments.

The new office offers a wide range of pulmonary services, including Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) studies, which are essential for diagnosing and managing respiratory conditions.

The MUSC Health Sleep Medicine practice will remain at 989 Ribaut Road, Suite 340. This location will continue to offer an in-house sleep center to conduct thorough sleep studies to diagnose and treat various sleep disorders.

To schedule an appointment at the new location for MUSC Health Pulmonary Medicine – Beaufort, call 843-985-3120.

Story 3

Fishing around Beaufort and Port Royal is typically slow in August as the blistering heat warms the water, making fish lethargic. The vacation charter business for boat captains also begins to cool as kids start returning to school. But over several days earlier this month, “the bite” in the rivers and streams in the Lowcountry salt marshes caught fire, charter boat captains report. Suddenly, clients were reeling in prized local fish like redfish, trout, tarpon, king mackerel and flounder like it was fall — the best fishing time of the year — and posing for photos that showed them grinning ear-to-ear as they displayed their catch. What caused the brief fishing frenzy in the dog days of summer? Area anglers point to Tropical Storm Debby, the lumbering low pressure system that spit 15 inches of rain onto the Lowcountry over several days beginning the week of Aug. 5.

Although the storm flooded area roads and neighborhoods and blew down trees as it lingered in the Lowcountry, the change in atmospheric pressure and the influx of fresh water into tidal rivers and creeks turned out to be a boon to fishing. However, the window was brief — a few days before the storm arrived and several days after it departed.