Criminal Defense Lawyer Near Me Bluffton, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Tri Pointe Homes, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, has acquired 60.4 acres in Bluffton, South Carolina, to develop 76 single-family homesites in the final phase of New Riverside’s 3,600-acre planned residential and mixed-use development. The acquisition supports the company’s continued growth in one of the region’s most sought-after Lowcountry markets. “This acquisition is an important milestone for our division because it represents one of the last new home opportunities in Bluffton,” said Division President of Tri Pointe Homes – Coastal Carolinas Robert Norton. “South Carolina’s emergence as the fastest-growing state in the nation[1], and Bluffton’s continued recognition as one of the state’s fastest-growing cities[2], reinforce the long-term opportunity Tri Pointe Homes sees in the Lowcountry. New Riverside captures everything that makes this area so attractive to homebuyers, including its regional connectivity, outdoor recreation, and everyday convenience. We’re thrilled to complement this growth story by delivering the premium lifestyle experience Tri Pointe is known for.” Tri Pointe’s community will be located within the final phase of New Riverside near the entrance to Palmetto Bluff off New Riverside Road. With home designs currently in development and subject to change, plans anticipate homes up to 3,600 square feet with 2- and 3-bay garage options on expansive homesites. The neighborhood, tucked behind a gated entry, will offer trail connectivity throughout the community that connects into New Riverside Barn Park. Residents will enjoy convenient access to many of the destinations that make Bluffton one of the Southeast's most desirable places to live. Historic downtown Bluffton and the May River waterfront are located approximately 10 minutes away, while area beaches, parks, and outdoor recreation can be reached in about 20 minutes. Downtown Savannah, Georgia, is approximately 30 minutes from the site, providing additional employment, entertainment, and cultural opportunities. A premier submarket in the Hilton Head-Savannah region, Bluffton continues to attract homebuyers with its vibrant local attractions, outdoor recreation, and highly regarded schools. The location is also near public golf courses, public boat ramps, grocery and retail offerings, and the recently constructed New Riverside Village, which features retail, services, and dining options approximately one mile from the site. The community will also benefit from regional trail connectivity through nearby New Riverside Barn Park and its broader trail system. Development is anticipated to begin in September 2026, with home construction expected to begin in late 2027 and sales projected to launch in 2028. “We’re designing this community with the way people want to live today in mind,” said Norton. “Our goal is to create homes that capture the essence of the Lowcountry while delivering thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and lasting value. We’re proud this investment will support local contractors, trades, suppliers, and businesses while contributing to the continued growth of one of South Carolina’s most dynamic residential markets.” For more information and updates as the community progresses, please visit https://www.tripointehomes.com/coastal-carolinas.

A proposed three-building development on Bluffton’s May River Road with retail, office and restaurant space is in the early planning stages.

submitted to Bluffton’s Development Review Committee by local architecture and landscaping firm Witmer Jones Keefer Ltd. on behalf of Michael Bradley Holdings LLC show a three-building complex with 47,300 square feet of space and more than 200 parking spaces. The proposed complex would be built on a 5.18-acre parcel north of May River Road and east of Buck Island Road at 6201 Jennifer Court.

The buildings would have retail, office, restaurant and potentially medical office space, according to the project narrative. Buildings one and two on the north side of the parcel would contain the office and retail space, while building three on the south side would contain restaurant space. All three buildings will be two stories tall, and building one may have a drive-thru installed.

The complex would wrap around a pre-existing Parker’s Kitchen gas station built in 2013. Beaufort County zoned the area into five commercial parcels in 2000 before the town of Bluffton annexed it, according to the project narrative. The Parker’s Kitchen was built on two of the parcels, and the proposed complex is planned on the remaining three parcels.

The town of Bluffton approved the filling of a small wetland on the parcel to allow for one of the proposed parking lots, according to the project narrative. Landscaping plans include planting native trees such as Live Oaks, Shumard Oaks, Bald Cypress, and Southern Magnolias on the site and creating open, landscaped spaces. Many of the parcel’s pre-existing trees would be removed under the current plans.

Witmer Jones Keefer Ltd. submitted preliminary plans on July 23, and made resubmissions on Aug. 28. The project must pass both Bluffton’s Development Review Committee and Planning Commission before it can be built, and its progress can be tracked on Bluffton’s website.

BLUFFTON, S.C. –Novant Health is expanding access to emergency care in the Lowcountry with the opening of the new freestanding Novant Health Bluffton Emergency Department.

The emergency department opening marks the completion of the first phase ofNovant Health Washington Square Medical Park, a new healthcare campus designed to meet the growing needs of the Bluffton community.

Conveniently located just off Buckwalter Parkway at 8 Parkside Drive, Novant Health Bluffton Emergency Department is now seeing patients. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the facility provides the same level of emergency evaluation and treatment as a hospital-based emergency department in a convenient location to serve the Bluffton community.

“When an emergency happens, every minute matters,” said Dr. Erica McEnery, medical director for emergency services for Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center. “This facility allows patients to receive expert emergency care where they live, with advanced diagnostics and experienced emergency medicine teams available around the clock.”

The 10,000-square-foot facility features 10 treatment rooms, including a dedicated trauma room, and offers a full range of advanced onsite diagnostic services. The emergency department is staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians, experienced nurses and support staff. The facility is equipped to stabilize and treat a wide range of medical conditions as well as coordinate transport to a hospital when additional specialized care is needed.

A medical office building, currently under construction on the campus, will further expand access to outpatient and specialty care services in the future.

“This investment reflects our continued commitment to bringing remarkable care closer to where people live and work,” said Joel Taylor, president of the Hilton Head area for Novant Health. “Bluffton is one of the fastest-growing communities in South Carolina, and Novant Health is proud to make long-term investments that ensure families have access to convenient, high-quality healthcare for generations to come.”

The services offered at Novant Health Washington Square Medical Park are part of Novant Health’s broader commitment to expand care across the Lowcountry, complementing its existing network of hospitals, physician clinics and outpatient services. Nearby, Novant Health Buckwalter Place Medical Parkrecently opened and includes primary care, orthopedic services and an imaging center.

Novant Health continues to invest in South Carolina to meet rising demand and ensure patients have access to high-quality, convenient care options across the region.

South Carolina Lowcountry Calendar of Events

For events, festivals and other community happenings in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties, and around the Lowcountry, check out our Lowcountry Calendar of Events. If you have an open-to-the-public event you would like to announce, submit by email to:

Beaufort County events

Dog Costume Contest to be held Oct. 23 during Safety Spooktacular

Calling all costumed canines! Pre-registration is now open for the 6th Annual Safety Spooktacular Dog Costume Contest! Enter your pup in one of three categories: Funniest Costume, Scariest Costume, and Cutest Costume winners will receive a Doggy Boo Basket and compete for Best in Show!

Day-of registration will be available from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m,, and the contest begins at 6 p.m.. All dogs must remain on a leash, and costumes should not restrict their movement, breathing, or vision. Register here: https://bit.ly/4hfszq0

Food resources around the Lowcountry

List of food pantries from around the Lowcountry

Jasper County events

New hours, events at Pratt Memorial Library

The new hours for the Pratt Memorial Library in Ridgeland are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Tuesday from Noon until 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

You are cordially invited to join us for our upcoming Preschool Story Time presented by The Friends of Pratt Memorial Library on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 10:30 a.m. at the Pratt Memorial Library, located at 451 Wilson St., Ridgeland.

This session will be a fun-filled celebration of fall and pumpkins, featuring engaging stories, interactive songs, and hands-on crafts for the little ones. It is a wonderful opportunity for children to develop early literacy skills while enjoying creative activities together.

We hope to see you and your family there!

Annual Spooktacular event set for Oct. 24 at Sergeant Jasper Park

Hampton County events

Hampton County to celebrate Halloween

Don't miss out! The Hampton County Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Hampton are sponsoring Trick or Treat on Lee Avenue. You are invited to participate on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Downtown merchants, community organizations, businesses and Chamber of Commerce members, you can join the fun by setting up a table and passing out candy to the kids. Be sure to have a sign with the name of your business or organization at your table. The Chamber is providing Trick or Treat bags for kids to put their candy in. Set up begins at 4 p.m. and Trick or Treat begins at 5 p.m.

This is a fun, safe way for kids to dress up in their costumes and celebrate. Contact Jo Ann Lamprecht jlamprecht@hamptoncountysc.org or 803-914-2143. We need to hear from you by Monday, Oct. 19 so we can reserve a spot for you. If you have a preference for a certain location let us know.

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - For more than half a century, and likely much longer, honeybees have been an integral, unusual part of the congregation at the historic Church of the Cross in Old Town Bluffton.

But after years of peaceful coexistence, invasive pests and a July 4th bell-ringing incident have forced a delicate, historic relocation of the church’s buzzing residents.

For decades, the honeybees have made their homes between the church’s historic pine board-and-batten siding and its interior plaster walls.

While church leaders believe the bees have set up shop inside the walls since at least the 1960s, a recent discovery made it clear that it was time for them to move.

“We rang the bell on July 4th, and we noticed that honey started dripping down the wall after a rigorous 250 rings of the bell,” Rector of The Church of the Cross, Joey Fitzgerald, said. “That’s when the decision was made that it was time to go ahead and remove the bees.”

But the decision wasn’t just about dripping honey.

The local honeybee population has recently come under threat from a far more dangerous neighbor: invasive yellow-legged hornets.

First identified in Bluffton by Clemson University apiary inspectors in November 2023, Beaufort County has quickly become the South Carolina epicenter for the invasive hornets. The hornets construct nests nearby and actively target, stress, and kill the local honeybee population.

“What they are doing is wiping out the honeybee hives by taking the bees and putting them in a stress position, where they can’t go out and forage for pollen or nectar or anything,” Local beekeeper Kent Cousineau said.

Rector Fitzgerald emphasized the importance of protecting both the historic landmark and its ecological residents.

“The bees will come back. They’ll repopulate and set up a new hive, but we must take care of both the church and the bees,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve got this invasive species of wasps that are coming in, so we want to make sure the bees are safe from these wasps that are flying around.”

Evicting hundreds of thousands of bees from a building constructed in 1857 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places is no simple task.

Because of the church’s height and strict historic status, the relocation process is highly delicate.

Beekeeper Camp Arnold had to carefully remove portions of the church’s historic exterior siding to access the colonies.

Once the bees and their honeycombs were safely extracted, the siding was reinstalled to preserve the building’s history.

This is only the second time in the church’s written history that a formal relocation has been attempted.

The first recorded relocation occurred in 1991 when the church’s roof needed replacement, and swarms of bees disrupted the construction crews.

Renowned Beaufort beekeeper Fred Peters was brought in, ultimately removing 10 colonies containing an estimated 400,000 bees. Peters, who was stung around 200 times during the process, famously noted the near-impossibility of keeping the insects away permanently.

“That church is like a honeycomb,” Peters told a local newspaper in 1996, after the bees inevitably returned to reestablish their residency. “It’s got holes in all the walls. Once you take the bees out of the space, new ones will go in.”

Church leaders are hoping history repeats itself in that regard.

“Our relationship to the church and the community is something that people take a lot of pride in, and we want to be able to preserve that for Bluffton and the greater Lowcountry,” Senior Associate Rector Zachary Nash said. “We hope that as we get this cleared out and available, a new hive will establish and we will continue this relationship for another 35 years.”

The bees and honey collected during Tuesday morning’s operation will be taken to northern Beaufort County, where they will be integrated into the safety of the local beekeeper’s residential hives, far away from the active yellow-legged hornet nests.

Currently, the church sells honey from the honey collected from the first relocation in 1991.

Funds from that honey go towards the church’s women’s ministries.