Beaufort Representative now leader of House LCI Committee

Beaufort County This Week

STORY 1

State Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Beaufort, will lead the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, putting him in the forefront of guiding through a potential energy bill when it comes from the state Senate. Herbkersman, who has been in the House since 2003, most recently served as second vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee, tasked with writing a state budget.

His move to LCI follows the ouster of former state Reps. Bill Sandifer and Jay West, two Republicans who lost their primaries in June and were the highest ranking members of the committee. Because of elections and members opting not to run, LCI had 10 vacancies coming into the new General Assembly. The committee has 12 new members because two LCI members moved to Ways and Means. But how South Carolina addresses its future energy needs may be one the most consequential pieces of legislation it deals with this year.

The House passed an energy bill last year, but it never moved in the Senate. The upper chamber opted to have a special committee work during the fall to discuss the state’s energy needs before finalizing an energy package to bring to the floor. “We’ll have discussions with it right away, even in the off session, just to keep in touch with what the Senate has been doing,” Herbkersman said. “So we want to stay up on this and try and move this as quickly as we can.” He added that committee will be open to all sources of energy, including green energy, but that could come in separate legislation

STORY 2

The Lowcountry is bracing for below-freezing temperatures that will plummet far below seasonal averages this week. Near the coast, the National Weather Service is forecasting a low of 28-30 degrees in Beaufort and around 32 degrees in Hilton Head Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with temperatures even cooler farther inland. The normal low for this time of year is around 45 degrees, said Courtney Maskell, a NWS meteorologist in Charleston. Below-normal temperatures are expected the rest of the week.

SHELTER SPACE AVAILABLE In advance of the cold snap, two churches are planning to open their doors Tuesday evening to assist those without shelter, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said Monday afternoon. In northern Beaufort County, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive in Beaufort, will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The shelter will close at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Dinner and breakfast will be provided. Showers will also be available.

In Southern Beaufort County, Christ Lutheran Church, 829 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, will open at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and close at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Dinner and a morning to-go meal will be provided. Transportation to this location will be provided by Deep Well Project, located at 80 Capital Drive, Hilton Head Island, at 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

STORY 3

Wreaths Across America Beaufort Coordinator David Edwards hates talking about the numbers. Yet each year, as Wreaths Across America Day approaches, it’s inevitable Edwards will be asked, “How close are they?”

The Remembrance Wreaths cost $17, and it takes roughly 26,000 to adorn every headstone in Beaufort National Cemetery.

To sponsor a Remembrance Wreath, click on the QR code on Wreaths Across America Beaufort’s Facebook page or visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/GA0175P. That code at the end of the web address guarantees the wreaths purchased make their way to Beaufort.