TWO BLUFFTON TEENAGERS ARE IN CUSTODY AFTER A WEEKEND SHOOTING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND’S TOURISTY SOUTH FOREST BEACH, THEN LEADING SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ON A CHASE THAT ENDED WHEN OFFICERS DEPLOYED TIRE DEFLATION TOOLS ON WILD HORSE DRIVE ON THE NORTH END OF THE ISLND. 18-YEAR-OLD ERICK ALEXANDER MARTINEZ AMBROSIO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AND THE CAR’S DRIVER, 17-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN AMBROSIO REYES WAS CHARGED AS AN ACCESSORY WITH FLEEING ARREST. THE TWO AS-YET-UNNAMED SHOOTING VICTIMS WERE ALSO 17 AND 18-YEAR-OLD MALES- THEY’VE BOTH BEEN HOSPITALIZED, THE EXTENT OF THEIR INJURIES NOT RELEASED.
TUESDAY’S AN ELECTION DAY IN BLUFFTON, PORT ROYAL AND YEMASSEE, NOT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOTICING. THE ISLAND PACKET REPORTS THAT FEWER THAN 1% OF VOTERS IN THOSE THREE TOWNS VOTED EARLY, FEWER THAN 200 OUT OF THE 31-THOUSAND ELIGIBLE VOTERS. THERE ARE THREE CANDIDATES FOR TWO SEATS ON THE PORT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL. YEMASSEE HAS THREE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR AND 5 MORE CANDIDATES FOR TWO TOWN COUNCIL SEATS. IN BLUFFTON, TWO INCUMBENTS ARE UNOPPOSED FOR THEIR SEATS ON TOWN COUNCIL, BUT THERE STILL IS A BALLOT IN BLUFFTON. POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 7-AM TO 7-PM TUESDAY. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES OR VOTING LOCATIONS AT SCVOTES.GOV OR AT BEAUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV/VOTE.
A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS ORDERED SNAP BENEFITS TO BE RESTORED, THOUGH IT’S STILL UP IN THE AIR AS TO WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO APPEAL THAT RULING THAT COULD DENY BENEFITS TO MORE THAN A HALF-MILLION SOUTH CAROLINIANS. EVEN MORE OF US, OVER 630-THOUSAND, FACE THE BEGINNING OF OPEN ENROLLMENT IN OBAMACARE THAT, BECAUSE OF THE END OF ENHANCED SUBSIDIES FROM THE COVID YEARS, COULD DOUBLE YOUR HEALTH-INSURANCE PREMIUMS, ACCORDING TO THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION. ITS THAT BATTLE OVER THOSE SUBSIDIES THAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN GOING INTO ITS SECOND MONTH. EVERYONE’S INSURANCE COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE BY AS MUCH AS 30%, BUT THE PROBLEM COULD BE THE WORST FOR THOSE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD IT, LEADING EXPERTS TO SAY MANY WILL DECIDE TO DROP HEALTH INSURANCE ALTOGETHER. THE ENHANCED SUBSIDIES ENACTED DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC AND RENEWED DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ENROLLED IN OBAMACARE. THOSE SUBSIDIES ARE DUE TO EXPIRE UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.
A DAY AFTER ISSUING A STATEMENT TALKING ABOUT THE STRUGGLES OF T-S-A OFFICERS AND OTHER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WORKING WITHOUT PAY DUE TO HE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, CHARLESTON AIRPORT POLICE AND THE T-S-A REPORTED THAT CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY MACE FACES ACCUSATIONS OF BERATING POLICE AND T-S-A AGENTS WHILE TRYING TO PASS THROUGH SECURITY AT THE CHARLESTON AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO POLICE AND T-S-A REPORTS, MACE LOUDLY SWORE AT OFFICERS, SAYING THEIR ACTIONS WERE ‘NO WAY TO TREAT A U-S REPRESENTATIVE’ AND THAT SENATOR TIM SCOTT WOULD NOT BE TREATED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. POLICE REPORTS INDICATE SHE ARRIVED LATER THAN HER PEOPLE HAD TOLD AIRPORT POLICE AND IN A DIFFERENT CAR AT A DIFFERENT ENTRANCE, PROCEEDING THROUGH THE SECURITY LINE USED BY AIRLINE CREWS- WAVING HER FINGER AT MULTIPLE POLICE OFFICERS AND ‘VERY IRATE’ ACCORDING TO POLICE REPORTS. MACE LATER DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT AS ‘FALSE’ AND A ‘SILLY RUMOR’.