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Education
Pet Health and Medications

Pet Health and Medications

by | Feb 1, 2022

Did you know that half of all pet poisonings involve human medicines? Many commonly used meds, both OTC and prescription, can be harmful or even fatal to your fur babies. The top 10 unsafe classes of meds are likely in our homes or brought in by household guests. The top two offenders are pain meds ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). Next is acetaminophen/Tylenol. This includes combo products, such as Lortab or Sinus Advil. One or two Advil can cause stomach ulcers or kidney issues in dogs and cats, and even one tablet of Tylenol can dangerously affect oxygen-carrying ability of red blood cells in cats and could be fatal.

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Why Jiu-Jitsu is for You (and your daughter)

Why Jiu-Jitsu is for You (and your daughter)

by | Feb 1, 2022

When you read national statistics about violence and sexual crimes against women, it is like a punch to the gut. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, in a 2018 report, studies found that one in five women in the United States experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime; 81 percent of women (43 percent of men) reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime; and one in three female victims of completed or attempted rape experienced it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17.

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Getting Back in Touch: The return of the hug

Getting Back in Touch: The return of the hug

by | Jan 1, 2022

On the Friday after Thanksgiving 2018 (pre-pandemic) my mother-in-law celebrated her ninety-seventh birthday. So, while most everyone else was out searching for Black Friday deals, our family gathered at a nursing home in Lyons, Georgia to honor her and show her some love.

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A Neighborhood with Purpose

A Neighborhood with Purpose

by | Nov 28, 2021

With the amount of the rapid development and burgeoning municipal growth in Bluffton and the surrounding area, there’s a particularly bright spot of city planning that reads like a “restoring faith...

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With a Straight Face: Jim and Meredith Bannon bring their lighthearted approach to the serious business of the law.

With a Straight Face: Jim and Meredith Bannon bring their lighthearted approach to the serious business of the law.

by | Nov 1, 2021

If you’ve ever been on the megapopular website Reddit, you know that Redditors, as they are called, love to disagree on things. You can post something as innocuous as a picture of a piece of bread nailed to a tree (and someone has) and expect a full-blown brouhaha to break out. Which is what makes it so weird when they all find something they agree on.

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The Sandbox: Children’s museum fosters discovery, encourages play, and offers community

The Sandbox: Children’s museum fosters discovery, encourages play, and offers community

by | Nov 1, 2021

The Sandbox Children’s Museum opened its doors on Hilton Head Island in 2005 with a mission to provide inclusive and safe environments for children to learn and explore with their peers and caregivers through hands-on discovery and imaginative play. The driving force behind the mission is to cultivate the physical, social, and cognitive development of the island’s children as well as the thousands of children from around the world who visit here each year.

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The True Spirit of the Community

The True Spirit of the Community

by | Nov 1, 2021

Let it never be said that the Lowcountry doesn’t know how to  give back. Ours is a community built on a spirit of volunteerism, where any need that needs filled will soon find itself with a small army of helpers at their disposal. When we set out to spotlight a few of the legion of selfless locals who call our area home, we knew the hardest job would be in limiting our search. While the volunteers you see here are to be lauded for their generosity and spirit, know that for every face you see here, there are hundreds more ready to make life a little better in our community.

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Streaming the Truth

Streaming the Truth

by | Sep 1, 2021

Since the beginning, FITSNews.com’s Mandy Matney has been knee-deep in the most explosive case to ever hit Beaufort County. Her new podcast digs deeper into the facts.

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Side Hustles Are ‘The New Black’: What you need to know about putting your passion to work

Side Hustles Are ‘The New Black’: What you need to know about putting your passion to work

by | Aug 5, 2021

Everyone knows someone (either in real life or online) who seems to have it all—and just a little bit more. In addition to holding down a day job, she spends weekends “researching” fabulous destinations, earning passive income while sitting on the beach, or posting about the lux PR pages she gets in the mail. How does she do it? A side hustle.

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A Note from Mayor Sulka: August 2021

A Note from Mayor Sulka: August 2021

by | Aug 4, 2021

Support for Small Business. As the mayor of Bluffton along with our town council, we have always supported our local businesses in many ways. The Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI) is one of the most visible ways we demonstrate this local business support. 

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Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead the Way: For the last 54 years, the Children’s Center has been quietly leading a revolution in early childhood development.

Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead the Way: For the last 54 years, the Children’s Center has been quietly leading a revolution in early childhood development.

by | Aug 4, 2021

Ask any business owner you know, particularly anyone who owns a restaurant, and they’ll tell you in no uncertain terms: We are in the midst of a labor crisis on this island. Companies can’t find workers, because workers can’t find the support they need to work here. There are no easy answers, either, making this crisis one that may take years to solve. And while the debate rages over things like affordable housing and fair wages, one aspect of this crisis has been overlooked: the children.

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A Flocking Good Time: The biggest event you probably haven’t heard of, Pledge the Pink, returns

A Flocking Good Time: The biggest event you probably haven’t heard of, Pledge the Pink, returns

by | Aug 4, 2021

There are some events that dominate the calendar here on Hilton Head Island. Sure, the usual run of things has been disrupted over the last year or so, but as we return to normal, we know exactly what to look forward to in any given month. You know exactly when your favorite food festivals are, when you’re going to get to check out some classic cars at the Concours and when your opportunity to get some PGA autographs will be.

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Negotiating and Networking: Strategies to find your voice and be seen

Negotiating and Networking: Strategies to find your voice and be seen

by | Aug 4, 2021

Career success is increasingly defined not just by how many hours you spend at your computer, but also your ability to advocate for yourself and to connect to others. Respectfully pushing back, incorporating outside perspectives, and navigating groups are essential skills in today’s ultra-connected society. It’s up to you to connect the dots between self-worth, ideas, businesses, and people. If your goal is to have a seat at the table where your ideas can be heard, it’s not enough to simply be successful and sociable. Instead, you must be deliberate in your efforts to advocate for yourself and grow your sphere of influence.

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Far More Than a Crowning Achievement:A budding leader hopes her Miss South Carolina win is just the beginning of a lifetime of impacting social change.

Far More Than a Crowning Achievement:A budding leader hopes her Miss South Carolina win is just the beginning of a lifetime of impacting social change.

by | Aug 4, 2021

Julia Herrin is the crown-wearing embodiment of taking advantage of opportunity. At age 13, the shy piano-playing middle child of Lowcountry musical entrepreneurs Jeff and Jennifer Herrin decided to forge a completely foreign path by trying to become Miss Teen Hilton Head Island.
“My best friend, my mom, convinced me to try. I laughed it off at first. Me in pageants? I would never win, so why even try?” said the now-19-year-old Bluffton resident.

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Gaurdians of the Shore: Meet the men and women who make sure every day at the beach is… well, a day at the beach.

Gaurdians of the Shore: Meet the men and women who make sure every day at the beach is… well, a day at the beach.

by | Aug 3, 2021

NOT All heroes wear capes. Some wear SPF-40, sunglasses, and a smart-looking red swimsuit and carry a rescue can. And sadly,it can be easy to forget these heroes are even there. The biggest disaster we’ll usually ever face during a beach day is a sunburn or a punctured football. However, “usually” doesn’t mean “ever.”

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Heather Price: The Community Connector

Heather Price: The Community Connector

by | Aug 3, 2021

Heather Price isn’t running a typical business. For most of her life, she has been in the business of helping people and connecting folks both with each other and with resources to make their lives better.

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Upkeep Your Abode: A calendar for home maintenance

Upkeep Your Abode: A calendar for home maintenance

by | Jul 2, 2021

While most people are aware of the financial responsibility that homeownership requires, many don’t think much about the time and labor required to maintain a home. Regular home maintenance will ensure that your home stays healthy and happy and that you avoid frustration and wasted money.

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A Strong Doctor-Patient Relationship Can Help You Feel Your Best

A Strong Doctor-Patient Relationship Can Help You Feel Your Best

by | Jul 1, 2021

As COVID-19 swept across the country, the demand for accessible healthcare increased. Not just emergency room medicine, but primary care as well. Telemedicine, urgent care clinics, and pop-up centers made healthcare accessible to more people, but, in the long term, is this the kind of personalized care that Americans, particularly seniors or those juggling chronic conditions, want and need?

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8 Faces of Summer Fun

8 Faces of Summer Fun

by | Jul 1, 2021

Of course, you came to Hilton Head Island for the beach and maybe golf, tennis or pickleball. But what else is there to do? Plenty! Whether it’s tooling around town on a bike, flying through the trees on a zipline, racing a go-kart, reeling in your supper, dolphin watching, kayaking, paddle boarding, playing putt-putt golf, or riding a horse … beyond the beach, a colossal outdoor playground awaits.

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Over Yonder and Back Again: My life in Southern cities

Over Yonder and Back Again: My life in Southern cities

by | May 28, 2021

Growing up, my immediate family did not seem overwhelmingly Southern. We were Catholic, after all, and we never cooked traditional Southern food at home, preferring Lebanese, our ethnic cuisine. We also did not plant window boxes full of flowers or sit on the porch at twilight, drinking sweet tea with lemon slices. Being young and unaware for the most part about what “Southern” even meant, I had to rely on the stereotypes I gleaned from pop culture—that is, until the day I left South Carolina and lived in a few other cities in the South.

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Two-Wheelin’ Fun: Ride your bicycle on Hilton Head Island without taking an unscheduled tour of the ER.

Two-Wheelin’ Fun: Ride your bicycle on Hilton Head Island without taking an unscheduled tour of the ER.

by | May 28, 2021

Summer has arrived! Grab the sunscreen, hit the beach, light up the BBQ grill, fill the cooler, or hop on your bike—all things we do to celebrate the days of summer without even thinking. Actually, though, we do need to put some thought into biking safely, sharing the space and showing courtesy to others on our leisure paths and roads.

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Gotcha Covered: Lots of options for new roofs

Gotcha Covered: Lots of options for new roofs

by | May 26, 2021

When you are in the market for a new roof, too few options to consider will not be a problem. There are lots. New technologies and innovations in the industry now make it possible to have just about any look you desire no matter where you live. Plus, a new roof will add value to your home and upgrade the overall exterior appeal in terms of look, style, and color.

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The Thin Blue Line: Meet the men and women behind the badge who are keeping the streets of Beaufort County safe.

The Thin Blue Line: Meet the men and women behind the badge who are keeping the streets of Beaufort County safe.

by | May 26, 2021

As you make your way around Beaufort County, their reassuring presence is everywhere. Not just behind the wheel of a police cruiser, you’ll find the men and women of law enforcement walking the streets, engaging the community and fulfilling their promise to protect and serve.

Sure, you may not be so glad to see them when you get caught playing fast and loose with the speed limit; we’ve all been there. But when you need them the most, it’s comforting to know how seriously our police officers take their sworn duty.

And for them, that’s exactly what it is. Not just a job. Not just a calling. Theirs is a vow to guard over our community, risking life and limb every day they walk out the door. On behalf of our entire community, it is a privilege to spotlight a few of our finest.

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How to Get Divorced

How to Get Divorced

by | May 26, 2021

Though I have never sought a divorce, several friends and family members have, and each have shared insights into their experience both during and after their divorce. Whether it was an “amicable” Gwyneth Paltrow-Chris Martin consciously uncoupling divorce, or it was more of a Kathleen Turner-Michael Douglas in War of the Roses divorce, undoubtedly one distinct fact remained: Divorce is hard. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said one friend, who in addition to being a competitive mountain biker, also survived thyroid cancer prior to his divorce.

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Heritage Academy: New Owner, Same Commitment to Excellence

Heritage Academy: New Owner, Same Commitment to Excellence

by | Feb 2, 2021

Amanda Williams-O’Nan was grateful for the oppor-tunity to return to educating youngsters at Hilton Head Island private school Heritage Academy last summer. Just four months later, she got an oppor-tunity she never imagined possible. “I bought the school,” said Williams’-O’Nan, the school’s new owner and Head of School.

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Moving Forward: Perhaps no field has been rocked by the pandemic as much as education. But at Hilton Head Prep, a swift response and an emphasis on safety has helped keep standards high.

Moving Forward: Perhaps no field has been rocked by the pandemic as much as education. But at Hilton Head Prep, a swift response and an emphasis on safety has helped keep standards high.

by | Dec 2, 2020

It can be a little tricky to take the long view these days, with so much still so uncertain about what the next few months or even the next year will bring. But one thing is certain: each of us is going to have a “where I was when the pandemic broke out story” that we’ll carry around forever. Much in the same way you may remember where you were when you heard Kennedy had been killed, you’ll be able to recall exactly what those first few weeks were like. For educators, those stories will be particularly harrowing.

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