Wedding & Event Venue Near Bluffton, SC.

Construction is underway on an Aldi grocery store in Bluffton, but the opening date won’t be this year as earlier announced.

“Our new store in Bluffton, South Carolina, is on track to open in 2023,” wrote Shaun O’Keefe, Aldi’s Jefferson division vice president, in an emailed statement. A specific date was not available.

When the store was announced in February, O’Keefe said the plan was for it to open by the end of the year.

He said that once the Bluffton store is open, it will employ between 15-20 people.

Three available job listings were posted on the retailer’s website as of Thursday:

Bright blue signs with the Aldi logo and “Coming Soon” are posted at the site currently undergoing renovation in the shopping center at U.S. 278 and Burnt Church Road.

The area is fenced off, but work is transforming the space first designed to be a Fresh Market into an Aldi supermarket. The entrance has been moved from the center to the right side of the facade, which now features a tower typical of Aldi locations.

When the shopping center was first conceived in 2016, developer David Oliver and his company Jaz Management LLC announced that Fresh Market would be an anchor along with Hobby Lobby and PGA Superstore, and Fresh Market’s signature green-and-white striped awnings were installed outside the 21,000-square-foot space.

Then, in 2018, Aldi and developer David Oliver appealed to the Beaufort County Design Review Board for permission to make changes to the exterior of the building. The Design Review Board approved facade changes on June 7 of that year but the approval expired when Aldi did not act within a year.

During that time, Aldi opened a store in Pooler and in Savannah. Finally, the previously approved drawings were resubmitted to county staff on Aug. 31, 2021, and were approved the following week, according to previous reporting in The Island Packet.

Aldi, a Batavia, Ill.-based discount grocer which bills its stores as “no-frills,” also is planning a store in the new Beaufort Station development at the southwest corner of Robert Smalls Parkway and Parris Island Gateway in Beaufort.

The retailer’s website lists 47 stores in South Carolina, not including either store announced in Beaufort County.

Four Florida men were arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for picking berries in the Bluffton woods.

But these were not just any berries — they were saw palmetto berries, which can sell for anywhere from $1-3 a pound.

They harvested nearly 2,000 pounds of the berries at the Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

On Oct. 8, some contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources who reported their trail camera had recorded men carrying buckets and bags into the woods at the preserve, a 977-acre public area flush with trees like the live oak, cabbage palm and slash pine and featuring hiking trails, wildlife viewing and bird watching, according to DNR.

The next day, officers went to the area and caught the men after seeing them illegally picking pine-saw palmetto berries, said Greg Lucas, a DNR spokesperson. The berries are about the size of an olive and are used in medicines to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is the enlargement of the prostate gland, according to the Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Saw palmetto capsuls are not regulated and sold over the counter and online.

The men were taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center and released Monday on bond.

The men, Lucas said, “regularly” came to South Carolina from Florida because of the “strict laws and regulations on harvesting the berries in Florida.”

“The estimated value of what they had in possession was approximately $3,000, and they had harvested berries previously on multiple other days,” Lucas said.

The sheriff’s office estimated in its report that the men had collected $15,000 worth of berries in 40-50 50-pound bags. The total amount of the berries collected by the men and their value was unknown.

Taking anything from land designated as a Cultural Heritage Preserve — the highest form of protection to land — is illegal under the Heritage Trust Act, a law created to protect endangered species sites.

At a kiosk at the Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve, Lucas said, there is a sign posted advising guests that they cannot damage or alter the wildlife in the area.

The men were charged with a wildlife management area violation, Lucas said. This violation is a misdemeanor and, if convicted, they could face a fine of anywhere between $200 and $500, a 30-day prison sentence, or both. Additionally, anyone convicted of this violation is not allowed back on the land for two years and cannot hunt or fish on the land for one year, according to DNR.

The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette do not identify people arrested on misdemeanor charges unless they are people in positions of public trust.

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - South Carolina voters begin the early voting process Monday morning.

The Board of Elections and Registration says there are two big things you need to do. First of all, bring your ID and second, look over the sample ballot before coming. They will be handing out there papers to people in line to go over the two constitutional questions and two local questions that will be on the ballot.

The early voting process is very similar to voting on Election day itself.

This is only the second time that the state of South Carolina has had an early voting period. Right before the primary this summer, Gov. Henry McMaster signed a new law to eliminate the in-person absentee process with early voting.

The two big changes with that law is you no longer need an excuse to vote early and the period to cast that ballot ahead of Election Day is shorter.

“There always is a lot to do preparing for any type of election but at least now we knew what to expect so we took the primary as a prerequisite and a trial run so we are ready to go now,” said Marie Smalls, Beaufort County Board of Elections/Registration.

Beaufort County has four locations for early voting. They will be at the Main Board of Elections Office in Beaufort, at their satellite office in Bluffton, the Government Complex on Hilton Head Island and the St. Helena Branch Library.

Voters in Jasper County have two places where you can vote early. The County Elections Office off of Grays Highway in Ridgeland and the Hardeeville Community Library on Main Street.

Hampton County will have three early voting locations. The Elections Office in Hampton is on Jackson Avenue West. The Estill Bull Durham Center is on Railroad Avenue North. And the Yemassee Community Center is on Mixon Street.

All of these locations are open starting Monday and running though November 5 - the only day they are closed is Sunday.

The times each day is from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

“I expect lines, it may not be as long on Monday as it is going to be on Thursday or Friday and especially next week the line is probably going to be a little bit longer but we are prepared to handle that by if we need to add additional ballot devices or poll managers to process voters, we are going to take it one day at a time,” Smalls said.

They say the Bluffton location will likely be their busiest.

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BLUFFTON, S.C. (WSAV) — For many, the fight doesn’t end on the battlefield and the people they love the most can be left out.

“He would walk out the door and it would be like ‘I don’t know how this is going to end,” Stephanie Brown said. ”I don’t know if he is going to make it back at night, I don’t know what condition he’s going to be in.”

That’s how Stephanie remembers the time after her then-boyfriend, now husband JR came back after being injured in Iraq.

“Within seven days I was in a gunfight,” JR said. ”Then seven days later I was sitting home on my mom’s couch. I felt more comfortable going to these places because I had 3-4 friends with me. That if anything happened to me they had my back.”

It was an ultimatum from Stephanie and an admission from JR that changed all that.

“We need to have a talk about this. Is this the direction you want your life to go? Because we were engaged, we were planning a wedding. I said ‘I am not comfortable living on a couch the rest of my life.’”

“Drunkenly I brought up the worst day I had in Iraq,” JR said. “But I look back on that because I couldn’t imagine what she was thinking because we had only been together a couple of years at that point. But I put it out there so she knew.”

“It’s easy to jump to a lot of inaccurate conclusions,” Stephanie said. “So the more he is able to open up to me and explain that he had a bad night on something particular that day was going on, it helps me be more sensitive to the situation.”

The honesty led to another big change. Moving from New York to Bluffton, creating Operation Forward Operating Base (OPFOB). Finding JR’s happy place outdoors with other veterans, bringing those struggling together to heal. To potentially stop someone from taking their own life.

But never forgetting the family back home.

“Don’t use it as an excuse,” JR said. “Don’t think I was an a**hole this day or I did this because I didn’t care. Because don’t feel bad for me. It’s the exact opposite, Share your story so it can help lift you up.”

“There’s no handbook on how to be married to a combat veteran or how to come back to civilian life after you’ve been to war,” Stephanie said. “So it’s going to be different for everybody and it’s not going to be pretty. But hearing those other stories it brings a sense of normalcy to it like it’s going to be ok, we are going to be all right.”

OPFOB has a location in Ridgeland where veterans can meet, gather and talk.

Since the suicide prevention program began, no veteran that visited the site or has taken their own life. That’s what the Browns are most proud of.

Okatie, SC – Nonna Rosa Italian Restaurant continues to satisfy the cravings of the Bluffton community with its mouth-watering authentic cuisine.

As one of the homegrown Italian Restaurants Bluffton, SC, they always prioritize the customer experience. The Nonna Rosa Italian Restaurant offers a wonderful experience that allows customers to travel to Italy through their palate.

True to its Italian heritage, Nonna Rosa Italian Restaurant offers outstanding food quality. The Bluffton-based restaurant made quality their core. Every element in Italian cuisine is chosen to enhance the flavor. Thus, their secret is the freshness of their ingredients. They ensure that only the best ingredients are used so that flavors will explode in their customers’ mouths.

An Italian himself, Chef Peppe Gialone, the owner of Nonna Rosa, says the restaurant’s menu was a family heirloom. The well-loved recipe of the restaurant has been handed down through generations, originally from his grandmother. In fact, the restaurant was named after his grandmother.

Besides the taste of the food, the Best Italian Restaurant in Bluffton, SC, is also loved for its serving. Like in Italy, Nonna Rosa Italian Restaurant provides ample servings of their food. As a result, customers always get the best value for their money.

The Italian restaurant also offers a pleasant environment close to a fine dining experience. They make everyone feel relaxed and satisfied after eating. Lastly, the Italian restaurant ensures outstanding service. They have dedicated staff and servers that offer excellent and attentive service. Topnotch service is what every client can expect from them.

Those who want to try the sumptuous Italian cuisine by Nonna Rosa should try their classic pasta dishes. Their Spaghetti Vongole, made with Mediterranean littleneck clams sautéed with fresh garlic and cherry tomatoes in a delicious white wine sauce, is a must-try. They also have the Pappardelle Bolognese, an original Italian recipe for meat lovers made of a slow-cooked sauce over pappardelle pasta.

Their Veal Saltimbocca, fresh veal loin pounded thin, sautéed in a white wine browned butter sauce, topped with prosciutto, spinach, and mozzarella, is a top choice among their patrons. Another local favorite is their Pollo Fiorentina, sauteed chicken breast with spinach and roasted red peppers in their famous red sauce.

Nonna Rosa Italian Restaurant also has a great selection of wine to pair perfectly with every dish. These come from different regions in Italy, such as Tuscany, Lombardy, Sicily, and Veneto. To check the complete Italian menu of the favorite restaurant, customers may visit their website at https://nonnarosabluffton.com/.

Those looking for an Italian Restaurant near Bluffton, SC can reserve a table by calling (843) 707-1750 or emailing nonnarosaokatievillage@gmail.com. Nonna Rosa Italian Restaurant is located at 198 Okatie Village Drive, Suite 105, Okatie, SC 29909.

For more information about Nonna Rosa, contact the company here:

Nonna Rosa Chef Peppe 843-707-1750 steven_milana@yahoo.com 198 Okatie Village Dr Ste. 105 Okatie, SC 29909