SOME OF THE 25-THOUSAND FEDERAL WORKERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, LIKE 133 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AT PARRIS ISLAND’S MARINE CORPS RECRUITING DEPOT, ARE GETTING FURLOUGH AND LAYOFF NOTICES AND MANY FEDERAL OFFICES IN THE STATE WILL BE CLOSED IN THE WAKE OF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. PARRIS ISLAND WILL CONTINUE TO TRAIN ITS FUTURE MARINES, BUT VISITING PARRIS ISLAND WILL NOW REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL CHECKS AT THE MAIN GATE AND WILL TAKE MORE TIME. NATIONAL PARK SITES ARE CLOSING, THOUGH YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK WILL STILL COME AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCERS, LIKE F-B-I AND T-S-A AGENTS, WILL CONTINUE TO WORK, JUST NOT GET PAID, AS WILL EMPLOYEES AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. VETERANS WILL STILL GET THEIR BENEFITS AND V-A HOSPITALS AND CLINICS WILL CONTINUE OPERATIONS.
OUR BIG SCHOOLS LOVE TO TRUMPET THEIR NATIONAL RANKINGS IN THE FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL POLLS. ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN ACADEMIC POLLS IN THE COUNTRY RANKS OVER 17-HUNDRED SCHOOLS, 436 THAT THEY CALL ‘NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES’. THE U-S NEWS AND WORLD REPORT RANKS ARE OUT. CLEMSON IS 75TH IN THE COUNTRY OVERALL, 36TH AMONG PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AND 28TH MOST INNOVATIVE. U-S-C IS RANKED 127TH OVERALL AND THE 63RD BEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY. BY THE WAY, PRINCETON, M-I-T, HARVARD AND STANFORD ARE THE TOP 4.
WHILE BEAUFORT COUNTY AND STATE INVESTIGATORS CONTINUE TO PROBE THAT INCIDENT WITH THE OFF-DUTY OFFICER PULLING A GUN ON THREE TEENAGERS IN THE SQUIRESGATE COMMUNITY ON NORTHERN HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER IS IDENTIFYING THE OFF-DUTY OFFICER AS 19-YEAR-DEPUTY MASTER SERGEANT BILLY SQUIRES. NO ONE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS RELEASING ANY NAMES YET. TWO DIFFERENT VIDEOS OF THE INCIDENT HAVE GONE VIRAL AND BROUGHT NATIONAL ATTENTION TO THE LOWCOUNTRY.
AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CORONER HAS IDENTIFIED THE VICTIM OF MONDAY NIGHT’S SHOOTING IN THE CROSS CREEK-SHOPPING CENTER IN BEAUFORT AS 28-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER JAMAL BURTON OF BEAUFORT, WHO DIED OF MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS HOURS AFTER THE INCIDENT IN PARKING LOT OUTSIDE A PIZZA SHOP. NO OTHER INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED BY BEAUFORT POLICE.
WITH THAT HURRICANE SCARE OUT OF THE WAY FROM LAST WEEK AND THE WEATHER COOLING OFF A LITTLE, ITS TIME FOR BEAUFORT’S SECOND MOST POPULAR FESTIVAL, THE SHRIMP FESTIVAL, TO BE CELEBRATED AT THE CHAMBERS WATERFRONT PARK FROM NOON FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE’LL BE LIVE MUSIC, FAMILY ACTIVITIES AND ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND A WHOLE LOTTA LOCAL SHRIMP PREPARED BY LOCAL CHEFS TO FEED THE 8-TO-10 THOUSAND ATTENDEES. THE ONLY BIG CHANGE FROM PAST YEARS IS SHRIMP BOATS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DOCK ON THE WATERFRONT DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPORTS OF THE PROMENADE.