CONGRESSMAN JIM CLYBURN DOESN’T REPRESENT HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BUT HE’S BEEN BRINGING HIS FAMILY THERE FOR THE HOLIDAYS FOR OVER 50 YEARS. BESIDES THE FAMILY TIME, CLYBURN HAS ALWAYS USED THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF THE YEAR TO RE-CHARGE FOR THE NEXT YEAR WITH FRIENDS AND CLOSE ADVISORS. THIS TIME, RETIREMENT IS ON THE TABLE WITH MANY OF HIS OLDER COLLEAGUES RETIRING FROM SERVICE. 19 DEMOCRATS ARE AMONG THE 43 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO’VE ANNOUNCED THEY’RE MOVING ON, SOME TO RUN FOR OTHER JOBS, SOME TO JUST RETIRE, LIKE HIS FORMER LEADERSHIP COHORT NANCY PELOSI, WHO’SE 4 MONTHS OLDER THAN THE 85-YEAR- OLD CLYBURN. HE’S SAID VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE FUTURE, BUT HE HAS SERVED 17 TERMS IN CONGRESS AND IS WELL AWARE THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS CONSIDERED RE-DRAWING HIS DISTRICT TO TRY TO ELECT ANOTHER REPUBLICAN. SO FAR, THAT EFFORT HAS STAYED BELOW THE SURFACE, BUT EVEN CLYBURN ACKNOWLEDGES IT EXISTS, THOUGH HE’S SAID THAT IF HIS DISTRICT IS REDRAWN, HE MIGHT RUN ANYWAY, EVEN IN ANOTHER DISTRICT.
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT HAVE RECEIVED THIS PAST WEEK BESIDES NICE PRESENTS IS THE FLU. SOUTH CAROLINA ONE OF ELEVEN STATES REPORTING HIGH OR EVERY HIGH NUMBERS OF CASES, ACCORDING TO THE C-D-C. THE NEW STRAIN OF THE FLU, CALLED H-3-N-2 HAS SYMPTOMS OF VERY HIGH FEVERS, A REALLY BAD COUGH THAT WON’T GO AWAY, VOMITING, DIARRHEA AND LOTS OF JOINT AND MUSCLE ACHES. NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND STATES ARE ALSO REPORTING HIGH NUMBERS OF CASES, AS IS MICHIGAN. CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY ARE MOST SUCEPTIBLE. BESIDES A FLU SHOT, GETTING PLENTY OF REST AND TAKING LOTS OF LIQUIDS CAN HELP MITIGATE THE SYMPTOMS.
HILTON HEAD OFFICIALS ARE LEARNING TO SAY ‘NO’. THE TOWN’S BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS HAS DENIED AN EXCEPTION FOR A NORTH CAROLINA COUPLE TO USE THEIR SIDE-BY-SIDE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES ON THE BEACH ALONG MITCHELVILLE ROAD AS AN EVENT VENUE FOR UP TO 200 PEOPLE. THE COUPLE FROM CHARLOTTE BUILT THE TWO HOMES AND A BOARDWALK WITH BEACH ACCESS AND HAD HOPED TO RENT IT OUT FOR WEDDINGS AND FAMILY REUNIONS, THOUGH IT DOES NOT HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO A ROAD AND PARKING WOULD BE AN ISSUE. THE OWNERS ARGUE THAT THEIR PLAN IS BETTER THAN THE PROPERTY BEING DEVELOPED INTO A 23-LOT SUBDIVISION, WHICH COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THEY ALSO SAY THE ISLAND HAS LIMITED OPTIONS FOR EVENTS LIKE THEY PROPOSE. THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM AT HONEY HORN IS ALREADY BOOKED OUT FOR 2026.
JASPER COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HOPE TO HAVE MORE CLARITY SOON ON A SHOOTING INCIDENT CHRISTMAS EVE IN RIDGELAND THAT LEFT TWO VICTIMS DEAD AND A THIRD IN JAIL. ONE OF TWO MEN INVOLVED DIED AT THE SCENE IN THE 900 BLOCK OF CAPTAIN BILL ROAD. A SECOND, CONSIDERED A SUSPECT IN THE SHOOTING, DIED LATER AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THEIR NAMES HAVE NOT YET BEEN RELEASED. 35-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM DUPONT SURVIVED THE ALTERCATION AND HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON MURDER CHARGES.