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Grace period ends as stricter enforcement begins for distracted driving

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - If you are caught on your phone or have it near you while driving in South Carolina, you can now get a ticket.

The grace period for the new hands-free law officially ended this past weekend, marking a new era of enforcement aimed at reducing distracted driving across the state.

The Law Takes Full Effect

The grace period for the hands-free law is officially over.

Now, before you hit the road, you don’t only need to make sure that you are buckled in—you need to make sure that your phone is out of your hand and nowhere near you when you drive.

Drivers React to New Enforcement

The law came as a surprise to some drivers who only recently learned of its existence.

“I read about it last Monday,” one driver said, “I think a lot of people ran into the same problem.”

However, once informed, many drivers expressed support for the new regulations.

“There are too many distractions in our lives that we just take on as being normal, and it needs to be curbed a little,” Beaufort County resident Cookie Kalember said.

The Grace Period by the Numbers

The hands-free law has been in place since September, but early on, no tickets were given out.

Instead, nearly 12,000 warnings were issued across the state, urging people to stay off their phones.

Local counties saw significant warning activity during the grace period:

- 351 warnings issued in Beaufort County

- 184 warnings issued in Hampton County

- 72 warnings issued in Jasper County

Why the Law Matters

The move aims to put an end to distracted driving, which is one of the leading causes of crashes in South Carolina.

“If you look down at your phone for 4-5 seconds to look at a text, looking at social media as you go down the road and you’re going 55MPH, you’re going the length of a football field. That’s dangerous,” explained Master Trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, William Bennett said.

Early Enforcement Results

So far in the Lowcountry, both the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and Hampton County Sheriff’s Office report that since the grace period ended on Saturday, they have given out zero hands-free tickets.

Penalties and Fines

Violators should be aware of the following penalties:

- First offense: $100 fine

- Subsequent offenses (within a three-year timespan): $200 fine plus two points added to your driving record

When You CAN Use Your Phone

Officials say the only times you can legally use your phone in the car are:

- When your vehicle is completely stopped

- When using a hands-free feature

- When using the phone for audio features like music or navigation

What’s Next

South Carolina’s Department of Public Safety says it will release comprehensive numbers on March 30, which will show all the hands-free citations given out since March 1 across the state, broken down by county.

Get ready for another celestial event in the sky over Beaufort, SC. The only lunar eclipse in the Lowcountry for 2026 comes on Tuesday morning. The eclipse will take place in the morning hours with the moon turning red in the Earth’s shadow in the western sky.

When it comes to this full worm moon eclipse, as long as we have clear conditions, there won’t be any problems getting to enjoy it in the pre-dawn sky.

Visible here in the Lowcountry, the moon will be turning a copper-red shade for abut 58 minutes total as it passes through the Earth’s shadow. Totality begins at 6:04 Tuesday morning, and ends at approximately 7:02am. The partial phase will begin around 4:50am. And, it’s safe to view with the naked eye.

With the moon being low in the sky it is best if you can get away from any surrounding trees that could block the view. Along the Atlantic Seaboard, including Beaufort SC, the moon will set while it begins to emerge from total eclipse.

You may want to try and catch this one as there won’t be another total lunar eclipse until June 26, 2029.

A total lunar eclipse has five stages, with different things to watch for at each, according to Space.com.

The first penumbral stage begins when the moon’s leading edge enters the pale outer fringe of the Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra. But the shading is so weak that most people won’t notice anything until about 70% of the lunar disk is immersed into the penumbra; or about 20 minutes before first contact with the much darker umbral shadow. Some folks with exceptionally acute vision can detect the penumbra when the moon has intruded about halfway across the penumbra or about 30 minutes before it first touches the umbra. Watch for a slight darkening to become apparent on the moon’s upper left side. The penumbral shading (or “smudge”) becomes stronger as the minutes tick off and the moon moves deeper in.

The second stage is partial eclipse. This begins much more dramatically when the moon’s leading (left) edge enters the umbra, Earth’s inner shadow, where no direct sunlight reaches. With a telescope, you can watch the edge of the umbra slowly engulfing craters, mountains and lunar maria (the darker plains on the moon’s surface), as your local night sky slowly and progressively gets darker. Take note of the Pleiades star cluster, which will be situated high above the moon, becoming more prominent as the eclipse progresses.

A little over an hour into partial eclipse, only a final bright sliver of moon remains outside of the umbra. And the rest of the moon is likely showing an eerie reddish/coppery glow. The contrast in both light and color have led some to refer to this as the “Japanese lantern effect.”

Next comes the third stage: the total eclipse, beginning when the last rim of the moon slips into the umbra. Although the sun here is completely hidden, the moon is likely to glow some shade of red or orange. These hues are caused by sunlight skimming and bending through Earth’s atmosphere: it’s the combined light of all the sunrises and sunsets that ring our world at any given moment. If an astronaut were standing on the moon, he or she would see the sun completely hidden and the dark disk of the Earth (appearing nearly four times larger than the moon does for us) surrounded by thin ring of red or orange light. And that light, in turn, falls across the surrounding lunar landscape.

And then, as the moon continues eastward along its orbit, events recur in reverse order. The moon’s leading edge re-emerges into sunlight, ending totality and beginning stage four: partial eclipse again.

When all of the moon escapes the penumbra, only the last penumbral shading is left for stage five. This final duskiness slowly fades away, leaving the brilliant mid-autumn full moon to resume its normal guise.

Complaints filed against homeowners’ associations in South Carolina have surged in recent years, according to new data from the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.

According to the agency, HOA-related complaints increased 176% between 2019 and 2025.

In 2025 alone, the department received 586 complaints targeting 339 homeowner associations and property management companies across the state.

Beaufort County once again ranked among the top five counties for HOA complaints, tying with Dorchester County with 27 total complaints. Nearby Jasper County recorded just four complaints, but ranked fifth statewide with complaints per capita, tying with Richland County at 0.13%.

Below is a breakdown of 2025 complaints filed and their status in Beaufort and Jasper County communities, according to state records.

Beaufort County HOA complaints

Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort: A homeowner alleged the HOA board was acting as a landlord in violation of zoning restrictions, potentially jeopardizing the resort’s non-profit status. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Heritage at New Riverside: Residents raised concerns about maintenance and repairs, but due to disputed facts, an undetermined response was received.

A separate complaint involved a lien placed on a property and a request for waiver or adjustment of late fees, which did not receive a response and was left unsatisfied.

The Preserve at Indigo Run: Complaints included concerns over the allocation of HOA funds, failure to produce financial statements and ignored requests to access association documents. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Pinecrest Property Owners Association: A homeowner alleged the POA failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request and conducted secret meetings outside executive session without taking minutes. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Berkeley Hall Club: Residents cited failure to notify homeowners of board actions, concerns over allocation of funds, denial of the right to attend meetings or vote on subject matter changes, and failure to enforce covenants and bylaws. Due to disputed facts, an undetermined response was received.

Sun City Hilton Head Community: A homeowner requested a waiver or adjustment of a violation assessment. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Four Seasons Carolina Oaks: A complaint alleged that there were ignored requests to access association information and documents. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Palmetto Bluff: Multiple complaints were filed in 2025, including concerns regarding maintenance and repairs, disagreement over HOA fees and special assessments, claims of paying for services or amenities not being provided, failure to notify residents of board actions, issues related to board elections, failure to hold regular meetings, concerns about allocation of HOA funds, disputes over how assessment costs are split between homeowners and unsold lots, and dissatisfaction with developer management of the HOA.

All complaints received a satisfactory response.

Mill Creek at Cypress Ridge: One homeowner requested a waiver or adjustment of what they described as an excessive fine related to pool policy violations. This complaint received an undetermined response due to disputed facts.

An additional complaint cited failure to enforce covenants and concerns regarding maintenance, which received a satisfactory response.

Summerfield Villas: One complaint included failure to enforce covenants and bylaws, concerns over allocation of funds and a denial of the right to attend meetings or vote. This received a satisfactory response.

Another complaint stressed there was a failure to notify residents of board actions, which also received a satisfactory response.

Picket Fences: A homeowner alleged selective enforcement of covenants by the HOA president and also cited maintenance concerns and failure to enforce governing documents. This complaint did not receive a response and was left unsatisfied.

Azalea Square: Residents raised concerns regarding open meeting and notice requirements, transparency, failure to enforce covenants and bylaws and failure to notify residents of board actions. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Palmetto Pointe Townes: Complaints included concerns over maintenance and repairs, allocation of HOA funds and disagreement with fees or special assessments. The complaint received a satisfactory response.

Belfair: A complaint alleged a failure to enforce covenants and bylaws. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

Mariners Cove Club: A homeowner raised concerns regarding maintenance and repairs. Due to pending court action, this complaint is currently undetermined.

Old House Creek: Complaints included failure to enforce covenants, failure to notify residents of board actions, maintenance concerns and denial of the right to attend meetings or vote. These complaints received a satisfactory response.

Brighton Bay: A complaint cited ignored requests to access information and failure to produce financial statements, which received a satisfactory response.

Hampton Lake: Residents alleged failure to notify homeowners of board actions and raised concerns regarding allocation of HOA funds. No response was received, leaving this complaint unsatisfied.

Oldfield: One complaint involved maintenance concerns and issues related to decisions made by the architectural review committee, which received a satisfactory response.

Another complaint cited failure to enforce covenants, concerns about allocation of funds and ignored requests to access HOA documents. This complaint received an undetermined response due to disputed facts.

The Haven at New Riverside: Complaints included failure to enforce covenants, disagreement with HOA fees or special assessments and failure to produce financial statements. These complaints received a satisfactory response.

Harbor Island: Residents alleged that requests for information were ignored, failure to notify homeowners of board actions and failure to enforce governing documents. These complaints received a satisfactory response.

Jasper County HOA complaints

Although Jasper County recorded only four complaints in 2025, it ranked among the higher counties per capita.

Issues submitted by homeowners included:

Hilton Head Lakes: One complaint alleged that residents were paying for services or amenities not being provided. A second complaint involved disagreement with HOA fees or special assessments and a request to opt out of irrigation services paid for through the HOA. Both complaints received a satisfactory response.

Latitude Margaritaville: A complaint involved access to HOA amenities. Due to no response, this complaint was left unsatisfied.

Riverton Pointe: A complaint included issues with decisions made by the architectural review committee, maintenance concerns, actions taken by the property management company and failure to enforce covenants and bylaws. This complaint received a satisfactory response.

The full list of complaints can be viewed on the Excel sheet in the SCDCA’s 2026 report.

How do these complaints work?

The SCDCA categorizes complaints by status to determine appropriate responses. In many cases, the department refers disputes back to the HOA for internal resolution rather than taking direct enforcement action.

The statuses are outlined as follows:

Residents can file complaints with the agency, which then reviews documentation, contacts the association for a response and tracks the outcome. However, the department does not typically have authority to overturn HOA decisions, instead serving as a mediator and record-keeper for consumer concerns.

To learn more about the different types of complaint statuses, the SCDCA has a complaint label video.

To learn more about South Carolina’s HOA guidelines and complaints, visit the SCDCA webpage.

A new children’s creative learning center focused on music, movement and early development, Kindermusik, is set to open in Beaufort next week.

Doors will officially open Feb. 3, with free demo classes beginning Jan. 28. The studio is located in Beaufort Town Center, 2121 Boundary Street, Suite 208, next door to Revolution Ballroom and above Chick ‘N Boba.

Owned and operated by Alison Chambers, who holds over 25 years of experience in performing arts and early learning, the center will offer rotating weekly Kindermusik classes for children from birth through age 7, with a future Bluffton location also in the works.

What is Kindermusik?

Kindermusik is a music-centered early learning program founded in the late 1970s. It combines singing, movement, instruments, storytelling and imaginative play to support early childhood development.

Chambers says the curriculum is heavily influenced by Montessori-style principles, emphasizing meeting children where they are developmentally and allowing them to learn through exploration and guided interaction.

“Every child, even day to day, is learning and growing at a different pace,” she said.

Rather than traditional music lessons, classes are designed as participatory experiences for children. Parents or other caregivers attend classes alongside younger children, creating what Chambers describes as a bonding experience that can be carried into daily life at home.

What classes are offered & what does it cost?

Classes are structured by age, with some mixed-age options available to allow families with multiple children to attend together. Mixed-age classes also offer children the opportunity to learn by observing peers at different developmental stages, Chambers said.

Each class lasts about an hour and includes both structured activities and informal community time in a large, open space.

Classes are currently scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with sessions running from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. Chambers said each class will have space for about eight students.

Families enrolled in weekly class memberships also receive access to the Kindermusik app, which includes music from class, narrated e-books, videos and activity ideas designed to reinforce learning at home, especially as young children prepare to enter kindergarten and early elementary grades. Discounts and make-up options are also available.

Monthly tuition is $75, but families who register by the end of February will receive $10 off each of the first three months. Military and sibling discounts are also available. Babies may attend classes free for the first three months of life.

To sign up or view classes and age offerings, click here to visit the Kindermusik website.

About the owner

Chambers, who owns and operates her own umbrella company, The Cat’s Meow Productions, has a background in performance, voice and business ownership with a professional theater in Atlanta. She is also accredited to teach all levels of the Kindermusik program.

The inspiration to open the studio grew out of her professional background and her experience as a parent, noting that early exposure to music supports brain development and skills linked to language, math and social growth.

“I really wanted my daughter introduced to music because of how much it did for me,” she said. “I fell in love with the program as I learned more about it.”

Originally from Georgia, she relocated to the Beaufort area in 2021.

The Beaufort studio is the first Kindermusik location in Beaufort County. The next closest locations are in Charleston, Savannah and Bloomingdale, Georgia.

To learn more about Kindermusik or the new location heading to Beaufort, visit the website or Facebook page.

It’s time for some food, music and fun on Paris Avenue in Port Royal with this weekend’s 2026 Bands Brews and BBQ festival. The event, in its 15th year now, is bringing two days of food, music and fun with wings, barbecue, beers and live music on Friday and Saturday, February 13th & 14th.

The official South Carolina Barbecue Association sanctioned event benefits The Zonta Club of Beaufort and is always a fun time for foodies of all ages.

Friday night, February 13th is the Wing Throw Down from 6 to 9pm where you can sample wing recipes from participating cookers while enjoying live music from the Parris Island Marine Band, and Rick Rudd.

Saturday is all about the BBQ as BBQ tasting day runs from 11am to 4pm with cook teams from across the Southeast serving their award-winning butts. Flat Silly and another local band will be providing the entertainment for the day and there will also be food trucks on site serving up other fare.

The sampling of wings Friday night and BBQ Saturday will be available by purchasing tickets for $1. Beer, soda and wine will also be available for purchase and the event always takes place rain or shine.

There’s also over $5000 in cash prizes on the table for the cooking teams.

One of the highlights of the cooking event is the Hometown Heroes Award, which recognizes local cooking teams. These teams compete for a $500 prize and local bragging rights.

Cash prizes for the BBQ and Wing Competitions will be awarded on Saturday at 330pm, and they include $1500 for 1st place BBQ butts, and $500 for 1st place wings.

For more information about Bands Brews & BBQ in Port Royal, and its many volunteer opportunities, go to ZontaClubofBeaufort.org.

There’s plenty of parking and the weather will be perfect. Make sure you come hungry, because there is a lot of eating going on at this amazing festival of food!

Find more local Beaufort, SC events