Frank Mueller of the Beaufort Public Works Department secures the ends of an outdoor decoration Monday on Carteret Street. Crews will be around later to take down the city's 126 lighted decorations, said city manager Scott Dadson. (More)

The Navy hopes changes in the way Blue Angels train will help prevent crashes like the one that killed Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis in Burton two years ago. (More)

The Beaufort County Planning Commission voted Monday to eliminate the rural-residential zoning designation in favor of a new policy for landowners in rural zones. (More)

A mother and daughter can be best friends at one moment and sparring partners the next, but Nancy Huber and Anne Sergent add another layer to the dynamic relationship -- business partners. (More)

James Wedgeworth cites an old country music song in describing the area's 2008 real estate business: "Thank God and Greyhound you're gone." (More)

Bluffton's Department of Environmental Protection has applied for a grant worth nearly half a million dollars to help protect the May River. (More)

The state of the real estate market in northern Beaufort County depends on the type of property for sale and on one's perspective, according to two area Realtors. (More)

Kevin Kowal has some advice for job seekers discouraged by Beaufort County's unemployment rate, which is at its highest level since 1994. (More)

During his 36 years as a volunteer fireman, Marine and city firefighter, there's been a certain predictability to James Colwell's wardrobe. (More)

A state study of shortnose sturgeon in the Savannah River could lead to more protection for the endangered fish as officials prepare plans to deepen the river. (More)

WASHINGTON -- South Carolinians who gave Barack Obama a decisive primary victory in the Palmetto State are joining a national migration to Washington to see the new president sworn into office. (More)

A swell of family and friends rushed forward to shake hands and pat the backs of the five sworn-in Beaufort County officials as soon as the clap from County Council Chairman Weston Newton's gavel announced the end of the Friday morning ceremony. (More)

The economy was tough in 2008 for just about everyone, but Beaufort County was able to maintain staff levels and projects moved forward. (More)

A friendly crowd of about 50 people gathered downtown on Port Republic Street to hear U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson list his legislative priorities for 2009. (More)

Downtown Beaufort was a busy but relatively subdued New Year's Eve locale this year, operators of Bay Street businesses say. (More)

Thanks to Mother Nature, Thursday's inaugural Pelican Plunge at Hunting Island State Park had the authentically chilly feel of a northeastern New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge. (More)

These days, you'll see him pulling a carriage in downtown Beaufort, but over the summer, a horse named Doc grabbed attention when he got stuck in a marsh. (More)

If you've resolved to enjoy the outdoors more this year, you should make sure you're up-to-date on the latest state laws. (More)

After traveling more than 50 miles to seek expert medical care, 17-year-old Rickeidre Wright of Fairfax became the mother of Beaufort County's first baby of the New Year. (More)

Residents of St. Helena Island unhappy with a plan to restructure middle and elementary schools are approaching what could be a final opportunity to make their case to the Beaufort County School Board. (More)

When Wayne Carbiener is sworn in as the newest member of the Beaufort County School Board on Tuesday, he knows he'll spend his first meeting and next few months learning how the board operates. (More)

In the two weeks since the federal government launched a new rating system for nursing homes, operators of local facilities have studied the comparison model and say the ratings need to change. (More)

An unidentified gunman fired shots into a crowd standing in line outside a Hilton Head Island nightspot early New Year's morning, shooting a 23-year-old man in the neck, according to a release from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. (More)

Nationally sales were down this holiday season, according to a retail analysis group, but for some businesses on Bay Street the economic slups hasn't meant financial ruin. (More)

More than 200 Beaufort Marines and sailors have a good reason to tap their inner Clark Griswold this Christmas. Spending this holiday season at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, the Werewolves of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 are in the thick of a Christmas decorating contest, part of a high-stakes competition that will last the duration of the squadron's deployment overseas. (More)

Beaufort County and the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort have added another swath of land to the buffer around the military installation. (More)

Port Royal police are looking for a man who smashed the window of the Spirits and Wine liquor store Sunday night. The man took only liquor, no money in the late night heist. If you have information, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-525-7175. You don't have to leave your name. (More)

An early-morning fire sent a huge plume of smoke above the city and gutted the Bay Street Professional Building in downtown Beaufort on Friday. (More)

Prehistoric sharks teeth have drawn people to the shores for generations. Here, a man combs an oyster bed Monday at The Sands in Port Royal in search of the tiny relics. (More)

The Beaufort County School District will pay as much as $19,900 to two human resources experts, who will examine discrepancies in the salaries of top school administrators. (More)

Bundled in winter coats and carrying store circulars touting door-buster deals, Beaufort shoppers lined up before sunrise Friday determined to beat the rush for big gift items at rock-bottom prices. (More)

BLUFFTON -- Two Bluffton High School students and an 18-year-old were arrested Tuesday morning and charged in the brutal beating of two men in a Bluffton area backyard Oct. 30. (More)

Walking off the firing range, Stephanie Guidroz had a big grin on her face. She just fired off 10 rounds and was confident she would take home a Thanksgiving turkey. (More)

COLUMBIA — Locked in a government storage room are files that tell the story of a leaking nuclear waste landfill near Barnwell. (More)

BLUFFTON -- A national health care advocacy group reported Tuesday that more than 12 percent of South Carolina children do not have health insurance. (More)

Two people were killed Saturday evening in a head-on crash on Sea Island Parkway at Dulamo Road, according to Lance Cpl. Bob Beres of the S.C. Highway Patrol. (More)

BLUFFTON -- The Beaufort County School District will implement stricter academic standards for student-athletes and participants in other extracurricular activities Jan. 15, the first day of the second semester, the district's supervisor of athletics said Friday. (More)

Voters at the Charles "Lind" Brown Activity Center in Beaufort fill the 10 available voting booths on Tuesday morning. As of 10:30 a.m., voters had a wait of 45 minutes to an hour to vote. (More)

Kalia Pinckney, 6, goes whizzing by on a motorcycle ride at the Beaufort County Fair on Friday. Today is the last day of the fair sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, off of Castle Rock Road in Burton. Gates open at 1 p.m. (More)

Tonight's Relay for Life, a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society scheduled to take place at Naval Hospital Beaufort, has been canceled. Anyone with questions should contact Nancy Wellard at 843-384-5034. (More)

The Beaufort Police Department is looking for two armed black males believed to have robbed an employee of Beaufort's Zaxby's early Wednesday. (More)

BLUFFTON — A day after an error was discovered on paper ballots that might affect the outcome for multi-seat, at-large elections, voters complained in Bluffton that electronic machines didn't register their votes. Three of four candidates for Bluffton Town Council say they have received complaints about Hilton Head Island's election office from residents voting absentee in person. (More)

Beaufort's military spouses might land more jobs -- and more jobs could be created to suit their talents -- if their skills are catalogued, a local economic development group says. (More)

The location for Tuesday's Beaufort-Port Royal Joint Municipal Planning Commission meeting location has been changed to the Port Royal police-fire station, 1748 Paris Ave. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. (More)

Two area hospitals rank among the top hospitals in the nation for certain types of treatment, according to the 2009 HealthGrades reports released recently. "The great news for the Beaufort area is that they really have quality health care," said Lauren Galloway, a consultant for HealthGrades, which is one of the most widely used evaluators of hospitals nationwide. HealthGrades evaluates all hospitals. Hospitals cannot opt out. (More)

For the past six years, the Beaufort County School District has failed to meet standards for academic advancement mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind law. (More)

Volunteers Paul Lorris and Gabriel Nagy offer free chess lessons on Tuesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. at St. Helena Elementary School for anyone, of any age, who would like to learn the game. (More)

The time for Thursday's Domestic Violence Awareness Month Beaufort Vigil was listed incorrectly in Wednesday's Beaufort Gazette. The event will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. (More)

Federal authorities were called in to investigate the robbery of a Beaufort bank Monday afternoon. (More)

Mesiah Akem Bright, 2, died Wednesday from injuries he received when he ran in front of a pickup on Captain Bill Road near Ridgeland, said Martin Sauls, Jasper County coroner. (More)