🌱 Patch AM: How USCB’s enrollment surge could reshape its Hilton Head Island campus

Good morning Hilton Head Island! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How USCB's enrollment surge could reshape its Hilton Head Island campus
• Hilton Head High teacher in running for District Teacher of the Year
• How safe are Hilton Head's beaches compared with the rest of America?

Also on today's calendar: Live Music At Jamaica Joe'z Beach Bar and 1 more event.

Today's riddle: What is full of holes but still holds water? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: An afternoon thunderstorm, with a high of 94 and low of 76 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
• Saturday: Some rain and a thunderstorm, temps: high: 91, low: 74.
• Sunday: Hot; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 97 and low of 77 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• USCB welcomes more than 500 freshmen to campus (wsav.com) — USC Beaufort's growing enrollment now tops about 2,200 students across its Bluffton, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island campuses, filling student housing for the year. Leaders say popular majors include biology, psychology, business and nursing, and they're emphasizing career-readiness skills while planning more housing to keep up with demand.
   

• Three northern Beaufort County educators named finalists for District Teacher of the Year (yourislandnews.com) — A Hilton Head Island High School business teacher, Michele Eastham, is one of five finalists for Beaufort County School District's 2026‑27 Teacher of the Year. She joins three northern Beaufort County educators and an Okatie Elementary librarian, all recognized for standout classroom work, leadership, and service ahead of the district's final selection this fall.
   

• Cape Cod's Marconi Beach Ranks Among Safest U.S. Beaches with A+ Safety Grade (wror.com) — Hilton Head Island's Coligny and Palmetto Dunes beaches are singled out in a new national study as among the lowest-risk spots for theft, alongside top-ranked Cape Cod and Florida beaches. Researchers analyzed crime data and tourist density to grade 500 U.S. beaches, reinforcing Hilton Head's reputation as a relatively safe place to relax on the sand.
   

📸 Around Hilton Head Island

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Hilton Head Island

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Friday August 21
• Live Music At Jamaica Joe'z Beach Bar →
  Jamaica Joe'z Beach Bar
  1:00 pm
• Live Music At Coconutz Back Deck →
  Coconutz Sportz Bar, 40 Folly Field Rd, Hilton Head Island
  6:00 pm
• Open Practice Party →
  Fred Astaire Dance Studios, 435 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island
  7:15 pm
Friday September 4
• Family Fishing Adventure →
  The HHI Fishing Cooperative Park, 137 Squire Pope Rd, Hilton Head Island
  5:00 pm

📣 Hilton Head Island Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday August 21
• Pollinator Census at Crystal Lake: Land Preservation Nature Program
  Beaufort County Government Center Crystal Lake Park, 124 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort, SC 29907
  9:00 am
• Kids Entertainment - Rick Hubbard's Great American Kids Show →
  Bluffton, SC Calendar, 38 Red Barn Drive, Bluffton
  7:00 pm
• Rick Hubbards Great Americcan Kids Show →
  Bluffton, SC Calendar, 38 Red Barn Drive, Bluffton
  7:00 pm
Saturday August 22
• Sand Shark Nine & Dine
  Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Cat Island Golf Club 8 Waveland Ave. Lady's Island, SC 29907
  1:30 pm
• Street Music on Paris Avenue - Chris Beard →
  Port Royal, SC Calendar Port Royal, SC 29935
  6:00 pm
Sunday August 23
• Sunday Worship - Service of Communion 10:00 a.m.
  Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Lord of Life Lutheran Church 351 Buckwalter Pkwy Bluffton, SC 29910
  10:00 am
Monday August 24
• Southern Barrel Community Discount
  Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Southern Barrel Brewing Co. 375 Buckwalter Place Blvd Bluffton SC, 29910
• Historic Preservation Review Committee Meeting →
  Bluffton, SC Calendar Bluffton, SC 29910
  4:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Hilton Head Island PatchAM possible:

• Pixelated Technologies — (973) 710-8008
• Palmetto Roofing Specialties — (888) 597-6720
• John W. Molony Law Firm, LLC — (843) 762-5732
• Palmetto Epoxy — (516) 510-8186
• M2 Electric — (704) 668-6092

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• There was a time when life didn't feel so heavy.
  When mornings didn't start with responsibilities, and nights didn't end with worries. When the biggest decision we had to make was what game to play,… (Nextdoor Spring Lake Village)
• Family isn't just the people who share your DNA — it's the people who shape your life in ways you don't always notice until you look back.
  It's the voices that echo in your memory, the hands that helped you up when you stumbled, and the hearts that stayed connected to yours even when… (Nextdoor Spring Lake Village)

• Marriott Vacations Worldwide posted a job opening for Night Auditor in Hilton Head Island. Apply here.
• Atria Senior Living posted a job opening for Kitchen Utility Worker in Hilton Head Island. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Hilton Head Island here.

🗞 Nearby News

Bluffton

• USC Beaufort to build new student housing. Here's where, what to expect (islandpacket.com)
• How SC is fighting derelict boats polluting Lowcountry salt marshes (islandpacket.com)
• Early voting to begin in Beaufort County for special primary runoff (wjcl.com)

Port Royal

• South Carolina waterfront restaurant ranks in the top 10 in US (greenvilleonline.com)
• Body discovered behind a Beaufort business, police say. Investigation underway (islandpacket.com)

Ok Hilton Head Island! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A sponge (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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