PROBABLY NOT THE VIRAL VIDEO FROM THE LOWCOUNTRY WE LIKE TO SEE, AN OFF-DUTY BEAUFORT COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF PULLING A GUN ON TEENAGERS IN THE SQUIRESGATE NEIGHBORHOOD ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND OVER THE WEEKEND, MUCH OF THE InCIDENT CAPTURED ON ONE OF THE TEENAGERS’ CELLPHONES. THE STILL-UNNAMED OFFICER HAS BEEN SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY AND HAS HAD TO TURN IN HIS BADGE, CREDENTIALS AND WEAPONS WHILE A SHERIFFS OFFICE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION IS CONDUCTED ALONGSIDE AN INVESTIGATION BY THE STATE LAW ENFORDEMENT DIVISION. THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT DID RELEASE A STATEMENT SAYING ‘DEPUTIES ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD AS THEY MUST ABIDE BY ALL B-C-S-O POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, BOTH ON AND OFF-DUTY.’ DURING THE ALTERCATION, ONE OF THE TEENS CAN BE HEARD YELLING, ‘CALL THE POLICE’ AND THE DEPUTY RESPONDS WITH ‘I AM THE POLICE.’
FORMER BANK EXECUTIVE AND MURDAUGH FINANCIAL CRIMES ACCOMPLICE RUSSELL LAFFITTE HAS FINALLY ADMITTED HIS GUILT AND BEEN SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, AND MAYBE MORE IMPORTANTLY, SOME OF THE FORTUNE HE AMASSED IN THE BANKING BUSINESS IS BEING SEIZED FOR RESTITUTION TO THE CLIENTS THE PAIR DEFRAUDED OVER THE YEARS. ALL THIS COMES TWO YEARS AFTER HIS ORIGINAL CONVICTION WAS OVERTURNED. BEFORE A RE-TRIAL, THE NOW-54-YEAR-OLD LAFFITTE ADMITTED HIS GUILT IN THE FINANCIAL CRIMES. HE’S NOW FORCED TO SELL THE PALMETTO BANK STOCK HE OWNS, ONCE WORTH ABOUT 6-MILLION DOLLARS FOR 3-1/2-MILLION, TO PAY VICTIMS OF THE FRAUD. LAFFITTE’S LAWYERS NOW SAY HE HAS A NEGATIVE NET WORTH AND CANNOT PAY THE 20-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FINES FROM THE COURT. LAFFITTE STILL FACES ABOUT 8 YEARS IN PRISON FROM A STATE COURT CONVICTION, THAT SENTENCE TO COME IN MID-OCTOBER. IN ALL, MURDAUGH IS KNOWN TO HAVE STOLEN ABOUT 11-MILLION DOLLARS FROM HIS VICTIMS.
IN ALL YOUR TIME IN THE LOWCOUNTRY, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TROPICAL STORM THAT WAS SEEMINGLY HEADED OUR WAY LATE LAST WEEK TURN AWAY AS SHARPLY AND QUICKLY AS IMELDA TURNED OUT TO SEA EARLY TUESDAY, LEAVING US WITH JUST A COUPLE OF MINOR SHOWERS AND SOME RIP CURRENTS OFF OUR BEACHES? ALL EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS HAVE BEEN RESCINDED AND ALL OF THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL FOLLOWING A GOOD RUN-THROUGH FOR THE NEXT ONE, WHENEVER THAT COMES.
IF CONGRESS CAN’T MAKE A BUDGET DEAL BY MIDNIGHT, THE SHUTDOWN WILL IMPACT OUR LIVES, AND HE LIVES OF THE 25-THOUSAND FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE BEGINNING AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK. DURING NORMAL SHUTDOWNS, FEDERAL AGENCIES GET TO DECIDE WHICH EMPLOYEES ARE ESSENTIAL AND NON-ESSENTIAL AND WHO HAS TO STAY HOME. THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE A NORMAL SHUTDOWN AND THREATS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO FIRE MASS NUMBERS OF WORKERS. AS FOR SERVICES ALTERED DURING A SHUTDOWN, YOU SHOULD STILL GET YOUR MAIL AND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS, BUT OFFICE AVAILABILITY MAY BE CURTAILED. THE F-B-I AND OTHER ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES WILL STAY ON THE JOB EVEN THOUGH THOSE EMPLOYEES MAY NOT BE PAID. AIRPORT OPERATIONS, LIKE FLIGHT CONTROLLERS AND T-S-A AGENTS, WILL STILL WORK, JUST MAYBE NOT GET PAID UNTIL THE SHUTDOWN ENDS. FEDERAL COURTS WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND SO WILL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. YOU CAN EXPECT NATIONAL PARKS TO CLOSE AND MILITARY OPERATIONS TO SLOW DOWN, THOUGH THE PARRIS ISLAND RECRUIT DEPOT WILL STILL BE MAKING MARINES. THE LAST SHUTDOWN WAS DURING THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND LASTED A RECORD 35 DAYS.