Issue: Final
TUESDAY, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE FIRST EAGLET HATCHING IN THE HILTON HEAD LAND TRUST’S NEST EARLY ON MONDAY. LATER YESTERDAY, THE SIBLING ALSO HATCHED, SO GEORGE AND GRACIE’S SECRET NEST IS FULL NOW AND THE BUSY WORK OF FEEDING THE TWO BABY BALD EAGLES BEGINS. THEY’VE NOT YET BEEN NAMED, BUT THEY’RE EXPECTED TO GAIN A HALF-A-POUND A WEEK DURING THEIR FIRST TWO MONTHS- THE PARENTS ALREADY SCOURING HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR FOOD, ONE SEARCHING WHILE THE OTHER TRIES TO KEEP THE CHICKS WARM IN THE CHILLY CONDITIONS. SO FAR, EVERYTHING HAS GONE ON-SCHEDULE AFTER THE EGGS WERE FIRST LAID JUST BEFORE THANKSGIVING. ABOUT FIVE WEEKS FROM NOW, THE EAGLETS WILL BE ABLE TO STAND AND TEAR UP THEIR OWN FOOD, THEN AT ABOUT 8 WEEKS, THEY’LL START TO STEP OUT ONTO THE BRANCHES OF THEIR HOME TREE AND LEARN TO FLY. YOU CAN WATCH THE EAGLETS GROW ON THE LAND TRUST’S WEBCAM AT HHILANDTRUST.ORG.
ITS NOT QUITE AS FLASHY AS TIMES SQUARE, BUT THE LOWCOUNTRY HAS ITS HOLIDAY TRADITIONS FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE THAT’LL RING IN 2026. HILTON HEAD’S BALL DROP AT THE HARBOUR TOWN LIGHTHOUSE WILL, AS USUAL, BE DONE TWICE, FIRST AT 7-PM FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNGER CHILDREN, THEN AGAIN AT THE TRADITIONAL MIDNIGHT. DESPITE ALL THE ISSUES AT THE CHAMBERS WATERFRONT PARK, BEAUFORT WILL SHOOT OFF ITS TRADITIONAL FIREWORKS BEGINNING ABOUT 9-PM OVER THE RIVER. ATTENDEES ARE ENCOURAGED TO BRING CHAIRS AND ARRIVE EARLY TO GET THE BEST VIEWING SPOTS. MORE THAN A HALF-DOZEN RESTAURANTS HAVE SPECIAL PRE-FIX MENUS INVOLVING CHAMPAGNE. NEW YEAR’S DAY OFFERS UP A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO BRAVE THE CHILL AND MAYBE ACTUALLY WARM UP IN OCEAN. HILTON HEAD ISLAND’S FREE POLAR PLUNGE TAKES PLACE AT 11 AT COLIGNY BEACH WITH PRE-PLUNGE ACTIVITIES AROUND 9:30. THE PELICAN PLUNGE AT HUNTING ISLAND STATE PARK BEGINS WITH A COSTUME PARADE AT 12:30 WITH THE PLUNGE AT 1-PM WITH FOOD TRUCKS AND PRIZES AVAILABLE.
YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT ALL THE NEW LAWS AND TAX CHANGES COMING IN 2026, HOW ABOUT SOMETHING WE’LL ALL RECOGNIZE, BUT WON’T BE QUITE AS IMPACTFUL- NEW LICENSE PLATES. BEGINNING FRIDAY, THE NEW PLATES WILL COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WITH A NEW DESIGN AND THE SLOGAN ‘WHERE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAS WON’ REPLACING ‘WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE’ AS THE INSIGNIA ON THE PLATE THAT’LL HAVE A WHITE BACKGROUND, A RED AND BLUE STRIPE BETWEEN THE SLOGAN AND YOUR PLATE NUMBER AND A REVOLUTIONARY-WAR-TYPE SOLDIER DEPICTING SERGEANT WILLIAM JASPER HOISTING A BLUE MOUNTRIE FLAG WITH THE WORD ‘LIBERTY’ AND A CRESCENT MOON ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLATE. THE PLATES WILL BE ISSUED THROUGH 2032. NEXT TIME YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE COMES UP FOR RENEWAL, IT’LL DEPICT WILDLIFE AND HAVE ENHANCED SECURITY FEATURES.
AND IF YOU CAN EVER CALL A CAR WRECK LUCKY, HERE’S ONE. YESTERDAY AROUND NOON, AN S-U0V CRASHED INTO THE LA IGLESIA CRISTIANA FE Y OBRAS CHURCH ON RIBAULT ROAD IN PORT ROYAL, CLOGGING UP TRAFFIC ON THAT BUSY ARTERY FOR ABOUT A HALF-HOUR. WHAT’S LUCKY IS THAT NOBODY WAS HURT INSIDE THE CHURCH AT THE TIME AND THE DRIVER OF THE S-U-V, WHO APPARENTLY SUFFERED A MEDICAL EMERGENCY THAT CAUSED THE CRASH, WAS NOT CRITICALLY INJURED.