Wedding & Event Venue Near Beaufort, SC.

Arthur Singleton scored 18 points and Samari Bonds came up with a big steal to help the Beaufort boys past Lake City, 58-55, on Friday in the Class 3A basketball playoffs.

Beaufort will host Orangeburg-Wilkinson in the third round on Monday. The winner of that game advances to the Lower State championship Feb. 25 at the Florence Center.

Michael Dennison added 11 points for the Eagles and Bonds added nine and had two big plays down the stretch. Bonds had a steal and slam to put Beaufort up 56-55 with two minutes left.

Lake City had it with a chance to win it but Bonds came up with another steal and layup to seal it.

Sully Gray also had nine points for Beaufort and went over 1,000 points in his career.

Amare Adams led Lake City with 15 points.

John Paul II 39, Carolina Academy 19

Emily O’Sullivan and Brady Mahoney each scored 13 points to help the Warriors over the Bobcats in the SCISA 3A playoffs.

JP II will play Pee Dee Academy in the second round on Monday.

Lily Termini had seven points, four rebounds and four steals.

SCHSL

Thursday

Class 2A Boys

Central 67, Ridgeland-Hardeeville 48

Class A Boys

Whale Branch 76, Latta 41

Class 4A Girls

Hartsville 63, Hilton Head Island 51

Bluffton 60, Greenwood 37

Class 3A Girls

Orangeburg-Wilkinson 50, Beaufort 20

Battery Creek 48, Swansea 41

Friday

Class 3A Boys

Beaufort 55, Lake City 52

Saturday

Class A Boys

Whale Branch at Scott’s Branch

Class 3A Girls

Battery Creek at Camden

Class 4A Girls

AC Flora at Bluffton at May River HS

SCISA

Class 3A Boys

Monday

Spartanburg Christian/Pee Dee Academy vs. Hilton Head Christian at TBD

Greenwood Christian/Florence Christian vs. Hilton Head Prep at TBD

Class 2A Boys

Saturday

Holy Trinity vs. St. John’s Christian at Cathedral

Class 3A Girls

Friday

John Paul II 39, Carolina Academy 19

Monday

Florence Christian vs. Hilton Head Christian at TBD

John Paul II vs. Pee Dee Academy at TBD

Class 2A Girls

Monday

Clarendon Hall vs. Beaufort Academy at TBD

This story was originally published February 18, 2023, 9:53 AM.

More than 75,000 votes were cast in the third round of voting in our quest to find the best pizza in Beaufort County, and we are down to two finalists.

The winner will be named just in time for National Pi Day (March 14 or 3/14), which many celebrate by having a slice of pizza.

Here’s a little bit more about the two restaurants advancing to the final round:

Mama G’s is the newcomer to Beaufort County, having opened in the spring of 2022 in Moss Creek Village, on the Bluffton side of the bridges to Hilton Head Island.

Glen Grace, who is originally from New Jersey, owns and operates the business with his wife and three adult children. They prepare pizza, calzone and stromboli with fermented pizza dough, which Grace says makes it more flavorful and more digestible.

Pizzas at Mama G’s come in a 12-inch or 18-inch rounds. The menu lists a cheese pizza for $14.50 or $22, depending on the size.

Also on the menu: Italian salads, appetizers and Marion’s Gelato.

? Where: 1533 Fording Island Road, Suite 302, Bluffton

? Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday

? Phone: 843-543-MAMA

? Website: mamagpizzahhi.com

? Facebook: www.facebook.com/mamagpizza

Local Pie started offering its Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza at a location on the south end of Hilton Head, and it proved so popular that a second location opened in Old Town Bluffton in 2016.

Chef Lee Lucier is chief operating officer of the Richardson Group, which owns both Local Pie locations along with FISH at Coligny Plaza on Hilton Head. Lucier has long been an advocate for hospitality workers, who are provided with no-cost health insurance at the three restaurants.

The Local Pie website says that Local in the name not only means “the highest quality, regionally-sourced ingredients ... (but) also represents a sense of community.”

Pizzas come in 10-inch or 16-inch rounds. The menu lists a cheese pizza for $9 or $17, depending on the size.

Also on the menu: Starters, salads, calzones and subs. Delivery is available from both locations through Cool Delivery.

? Where: 55 New Orleans Road, Suite 106, Hilton Head

? Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

? Phone: 843-387-PIES

? Website: localpie.com

? Facebook: www.facebook.com/localpiehhi

?

? Where: 15 State of Mind St., Bluffton

? Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday brunch

? Phone: 843-837-PIES

? Website: localpie.com

? Facebook: www.facebook.com/localpiebluff

If social media has taught us anything, it’s that people have strong feelings about pizza, and they aren’t afraid to share them.

We decided to settle the debate. We asked Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette readers for nominations for the best pizza joint in Beaufort County. Hundreds of responses poured in, and the top 16 nominees were included the first round of voting. Consecutive rounds of voting cut the field in half and in half again.

In the most recent round, Dough Boys Pizza, located at 1 New Orleans Road on Hilton Head, finished third, and La Pizzeria, located at 1460 Fording Island Road, near the Tanger 2 Outlets in Bluffton, finished fourth.

Now, in our final round, the slate is wiped clean, and this is anyone’s game to win.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page. After verifying you are human, cast your vote.

You can vote as often as you like. Just refresh the page and confirm your humanity to get back to the poll. Because of this, our polls are not meant to be scientific, but they are a lot of fun! The only prize is bragging rights.

Voting in this round ends at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 10.

Watch islandpacket.com for the announcement of the winner.

This story was originally published February 20, 2023, 2:56 PM.

This post is not sponsored and does not contain any affiliate content.

While we love all the bed and breakfasts we’ve visited, the Rhett House Inn in Beaufort, South Carolina, is special to me. It’s the first B&B we ever stayed in, and it inspired me to change the focus of my travel blog to B&Bs.

The Rhett House Inn, built circa 1820, boasts a beautiful white antebellum-style exterior, elegant columns and sprawling verandas on two floors. The porch has hammocks and seating areas—the perfect spot to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine in the evening or one of their homemade desserts at night. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a horse and carriage trotting by.

Framed by Spanish moss, the main house encompasses a parlor, kitchen, dining room, and 10 guest rooms. A private stay can be found in the Newcastle House, a home built with luxury and hospitality in mind. Extra rooms can be found in the Cottages. Built in 1846 as a store for freed slaves to buy and sell goods, the Cottages have been transformed to mirror the rooms of the Rhett House Inn.

While we have stayed in and love both the main house and the Cottages, we prefer staying in the main house due to the convenience of simply walking downstairs to breakfast or sitting on the porch.

Breakfast at the Rhett House Inn is the star of the show, and perhaps the best part is hearing the cooks have fun in the kitchen. Chef Beverly makes a wonderful Southern breakfast, served in the dining room or on the veranda. Guests order from a menu including grits, French toast, biscuits, eggs and pancakes—the perfect fuel for a day in Beaufort.

Beaufort, South Carolina, is my all-time favorite coastal town. The laidback location has plenty to keep you occupied while giving you permission to slow down and take it easy. The inn’s beach cruiser bicycles are the perfect way to explore and admire the town’s historic homes.

If bikes aren’t your thing, Rhett House Inn is a short walking distance to the waterfront park and the shops and restaurants downtown.

We highly recommend you visit The Social Betty (home decor), Scout Southern Market (home decor and a sweet tea bar), Tidal Creek Haven (home and garden), Lulu Burgess (an eclectic gift shop), M Interiors (home and garden), and Nevermore Books.

This trip, we spent time perusing the artwork in the Rhett Gallery. Sound familiar? The Rhett House Inn is named after the prominent Rhett family of Beaufort, who built and lived in the main house. This gallery has beautiful artwork from four members of the family.

When we’re not taking a stroll downtown or walking the waterfront, we’re taking a drive to Hunting Island State Park to stick our toes in the sand. The Rhett House Inn offers beach towels, beach chairs and one state park pass. We always stop by Lowcountry Cider and Superior Coffee on our way to the beach. You can also find a location downtown.

Beaufort is also one of the best spots to find a bite to eat. For lunch, we love Lowcountry Produce, a stunning cafe offering breakfast, lunch, and market goods. Snag a jar of peach preserves on your way out and thank me later.

For dinner, we recommend Saltus River Grill (fine dining), Old Bull Tavern, and Madison’s (in Port Royal). This go-round we opted for AMAZING tacos at Lost Local (go for the barbacoa and blackened fish tacos) downtown and fresh seafood at Fishcamp on 11th Street (a fan favorite) in Port Royal.

From the food to the shops and waterfront, Beaufort is one of the South’s best destinations, and your trip would not be complete without a stay at the lovely Rhett House Inn. We will most certainly be back, and we hope to see you there too.

Looking for another coastal South Carolina B&B? Check out our stay at 620 Prince in Georgetown, and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see where we’re heading next!

BEAUFORT, S.C., Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Beaufort is becoming a rising center for cyber business and education in the Southeast and two upcoming events are at the center. In March, Beaufort will again host South Coast Cyber Center's 2nd Annual South Coast Cyber Summit and the Beaufort Digital Corridor's Techstars Startup Weekend.

"We are excited to host the South Coast Cyber Summit and Techstars Startup Weekend as they will showcase Beaufort's potential as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and education. These events will help us build a community of like-minded individuals, foster partnerships, and drive economic growth in the region," said Jess O'Brien, executive director of the Beaufort Digital Corridor.

Details on each event include:

Over the past three years, the Beaufort region has seen a 200 percent increase in tech- and cyber-related meetings and events hosted by area hospitality partners. On average, these events along with cyber related grants from state and federal sources have over a $2 million economic impact on the region. In addition to the returning events taking place in March, other key activities include the opening of the University of South Carolina Beaufort Cyber Lab and a new Technical College Cyber Lab.

"Cybersecurity is arguably one of, if not the, most important issue of our time. Hosting events like the Summit and Startup Weekend in Beaufort year after year is positioning the region as an up-and-coming destination for some of the nation's brightest minds," added Warren Parker, chairman of the South Coast Cyber Center.

To learn more about the Cyber Security Summit, visit https://www.southcoastcybersummit.com and the Techstars Startup Weekend, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/517996350027.

Contact:Kelsey Nelson pr@beaufortsc.org +1-614-638-0040

SOURCE Visit Beaufort, Port Royal and Sea Islands

The University of South Carolina has Cocky the gamecock, Clemson has a tiger, but for 155 years The Technical College of the Lowcountry has been without a mascot.

Now, it wants the community to help the college come up with what its first figure will be.

Before opening to the public Monday, the online survey opened up to faculty, staff, students and alumni last week and already has over 100 submissions, according to Leigh Copeland, TCL’s assistant vice president of marketing and public relations.

“We thought it would be just another way to reenergize the brand,” Copeland said. “We thought it would really bring some fun and energy to our campus and to the community, internally and externally.”

The survey closes March 24. Go to https://www.tcl.edu/mascot

Copeland said the marketing team will then select and announce finalists around May or June. Then, the college and the community will be able to vote for their favorites to select a winner. Copeland said whoever comes up with the winning mascot will be recognized, though they’re not yet sure how.

In July and August they will name the mascot and begin designing what the mascot will look like.

“It’s going to probably be 2024 before we see a costume mascot walking around our campus or the community,” Copeland said.

The college hasn’t had a mascot since it was formed as the Mather School, in 1868 for the daughters of freed enslaved people . Now, it has four campuses, including a standalone culinary school. The state of South Carolina acquired the school in 1968 as a trade school and it eventually became one of the state’s 16 technical colleges.

Copeland said about half of the state’s technical colleges have mascots. They include mascots like the Central Carolina Technical College Titans and the Horry-Georgetown Technical College Gators.

Ideally, the mascot will be something related to the region, and Copeland said those ideas will be prioritized when the marketing team is selecting finalists.

While TCL does not have any sports teams, the mascot will be on merchandise whether it be stickers, T-shirts or bumper stickers, Copeland said. It will also be incorporated into marketing materials.

She said they already have some great ideas, but wanted to save the surprise of her favorite submission for the voting this spring.

“I don’t want to overshadow anybody’s creativity,” she said.

This story was originally published February 28, 2023, 12:56 PM.