Hampton County Sheriff Anthony Russell was honored to attend the recent kickoff press conference for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, joining officers from across the state in supporting this incredible cause.
The 2025 South Carolina Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics kickoff press conference was held on Tuesday, Jan. 25, on the north side of the South Carolina State House grounds.
“Law enforcement stands united in championing inclusion, empowerment, and the spirit of the Special Olympics,” Sheriff Russell said on the HCSO Facebook page.
Several college scholarships are available for Hampton County high school students who wish to apply, including the Stephen Nicholas Smith Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of a local nursing student who was killed in rural Hampton County in 2015.
The available scholarships include:
The scholarship information and application forms are located in the Hampton County High School guidance department, and local students are encouraged to stop by.
In a Feb. 4 social media post, the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office introduced several new deputies to the community.
The HCSO is “proud to welcome our newest deputies to the team! Please join us in welcoming Deputy Myers, Deputy Mack, Deputy Brown, Deputy Singleton, Deputy Capers, Deputy Heyward, and Deputy Aiken as they take on their new roles in service to our community,” stated Sheriff Anthony Russell and his team.
“We’re excited to have them on board and look forward to the great work they’ll do for our citizens. If you see them out and about, be sure to give them a warm Hampton County welcome!”
GREENVILLE, SC — Jimmy Padgett, a resident of Hampton, was named to the Bob Jones University Bruins baseball team roster for the 2024-25 season. Padgett is a Junior Sport Management major.
“This year has certainly been one that none of us would’ve predicted, but we have been given the opportunity to learn for ourselves that God’s grace is truly sufficient. In the fall, we had 22 guys who were committed to the Bob Jones University baseball program despite there being no guarantee of a program this season,” Head Coach Kyle Morrison said. “By God’s grace, we are able to have a season and are able to field our largest team in the history of the program.”
The Bruins will be playing 36 regular season games beginning at the end of January all the way through the end of April before competing in the NCCAA South Region Tournament in May.
The Bruins will look to improve on last season where they finished with a 13-26 record which was the most wins in the program’s early history. They finished the regular season winning five of the last six games before going to the South Region tournament where they upset the #1 overall seed University of Fort Lauderdale in the first round.
“The guys are eager and grateful to be able to play ball this spring and to hopefully lay a foundation to build off of for years to come,” said Coach Morrison.
Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Bob Jones University provides an outstanding regionally accredited Christian liberal arts education purposely designed to inspire a lifelong pursuit of learning, loving and leading.
BJU offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in religion, education, fine arts and communication, arts and science, health professions, and business.
BJU has over 3,000 students from nearly every state and more than 40 countries. We are committed to the truth of Scripture and to pursuing excellence in all we do.
H.C. Sheriff Anthony Russell and members of the H.C. Sheriff’s Office enjoyed early morning fellowship with community members on Saturday, Feb. 8, for their most recent Coffee with a Cop event.
The event was hosted by local business owner Tom Dickerman and the Mad Hooter Coffeehouse and Gallery at 63 Main Street, Varnville.
“We appreciate everyone who joined us this morning for Coffee with a Cop,” said Russell. “It was great to share coffee and connect with our community… Your engagement means everything to us. A special thank you to Mad Hooters Coffeehouse & Gallery for hosting us and providing such a welcoming space! We truly appreciate your support.”
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources customer service team will move from its current location at the State Farmers Market to the nearby new SCDNR headquarters building on Feb. 14 and will open at 8:30 a.m.
The new building is located at 260 D Epting Lane; West Columbia, SC 29172, next door to the farmers market. Customer service phone numbers will remain the same.
The customer service office will not close during the transition, but customers may experience longer than normal phone wait times and in-person lines.
Customers are encouraged during the transition to take advantage of SCDNR’s online boat titling and licensing platform at GoOutdoorsSC.com, the Go Outdoors SC app or to visit one of the agency’s other customer service offices.
For any questions regarding hunting and fishing licenses, permits or tags, email licensing@dnr.sc.gov. Please include your customer ID number or date of birth, along with your name and address. Please allow 2-3 business days for a response.
TAMPA, FL (02/11/2025)– Abigail Hall, of Bluffton, graduated from University of Tampa on Dec. 13. Hall received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology BA.
The commencement ceremony honored 982 undergraduate and graduate candidates and included remarks by President Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, Eric Freundt, professor of biology, and the student challenge speaker.
The University of Tampa is a private, comprehensive university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University has about 200 programs of study and serves more than 11,000 students from 50 states and most of the world’s countries.
KENNESAW, GA (02/11/2025)– Gracie Batey of Hardeeville has been named to Kennesaw State University’s Fall 2024 Dean’s List in recognition of academic achievement.
Majoring in Digital Animation, Batey is among more than 9,000 students named to the Fall 2024 Dean’s List. To qualify, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher while completing a minimum of nine credit hours.
BURLINGTON, VT (02/10/2025)– Brandon Bell of Bluffton, SC was named to the Champlain College Dean’s List for the Fall 2024 semester.
Students on the Dean’s List have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher during the semester. Bell is currently majoring in Game Art.
Making the Dean’s List is a tremendous achievement. Many of the high achievers balance their career-focused classes with jobs, internships, clubs, and volunteering. We congratulate them on this great accomplishment and honor.
Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a small, not-for-profit, private college in Burlington, Vermont, with additional campuses in Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain offers a residential undergraduate experience from its beautiful campus overlooking Lake Champlain. Additionally, Champlain College Online provides an expansive portfolio of online degrees and certificates, reaching students across all 50 states and U.S. territories, while fostering strategic partnerships with forward-thinking workforce organizations. The College is known for its distinctive and innovative approach to career-focused education and its Upside-Down Curriculum, which helps students be ready for work, ready for life, and ready to make a difference. Champlain is ranked as one of the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report for 2025, and was named one of the “Best 390 Colleges” by The Princeton Review for 2025, including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.” For more information, visit www.champlain.edu.
There will be an Oyster Roast Fundraiser on Feb. 22 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Side Hustle Brewing presented by The New Bluffton Worship to benefit kids who have spring/summer needs in Hardeeville and the greater Bluffton area. Family-Friendly: There will be a bouncy house and a face painter, plus activities for older “kids.”
For oyster eaters: $35 in advance ($45 at the door) or there will be hotdogs and BBQ for sale for those who don’t like oysters. Live music! Side Hustle Brewing parking lot at Hwy 278 and Buck Island Road.
