Personal Injury Attorney in Hilton Head Island, SC

Local Legend Brewing Company, a new brewery and restaurant coming to Hilton Head, was the host of the Rays Your Pint fundraising event with SERG Restaurant Group on Sunday, Feb. 16.

In an inspiring display of community support, this fundraiser surpassed all expectations, raising over $200,000 for Pockets Full of Sunshine’s new Sunshine House.

Pockets Full of Sunshine, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities, will use the funds to expand their services at their new location of the Sunshine House at 64 Arrow Road.

In their almost 10 years of existence, Pockets Full of Sunshine has bridged the gap for special needs adults to be a part of the community.

Currently, the Pockets team is located in a warehouse, but it has certain issues like a lack of running water and limited accessibility compliance. With a need for a better space, the Pockets team purchased a 4,500-square-foot building on Arrow Road last year and are now able to have a location solely for their organization, giving its members a space that truly feels like their own.

Pockets Full of Sunshine offers classes and services to continue supporting these adults after they complete schooling and give them an outlet for social and educational growth.

The Sunshine House will be used as a hub location for events and togetherness for this organization and is set to officially open this summer.

With over $200,000 in donations raised, the new Sunshine House will be able to offer expanded programs for local adults with disabilities, ensuring long-term community empowerment. They will also be able to accelerate the opening of their new House on the island.

“It was so overwhelming and beautiful to see our community rally around these adults with special needs,” said emcee Andrea Gannon, vice president of marketing for the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina.

This contribution to Pockets Full of Sunshine was made possible by community partners who donated time, resources, ticket sales and auction items to ensure the success of this event along with large sponsors like Tito’s Handmade Vodka, US. Foods and Coca-Cola Company.

“Tickets sold out not even 2 hours after we sent the invitation,” said Ryan Larson, marketing director for SERG Restaurant Group.

Beyond supporting this local organization, this event united Hilton Head Island residents for a night of fun, generosity and positive impact on building a more inclusive community.

Local Legend Brewing Company is a full-scale brewery and restaurant with games, live music and more. It is set to open in mid-March at 1014 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head.

This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

The Island Packet

(843) 626-0211

Anna Claire Miller is the Service Journalism Reporter for The Island Packet. Originally from Georgia, she has experience in magazine writing, non-profit communications and city government. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism, legal studies and English from High Point University.

Maridav // Shutterstock

How gas prices have changed in Hilton Head Island in the last week

While prices at the pump are lower than they were at this time last year, fuel costs are still up by about 10 cents per gallon compared to this time last month, per AAA data. The national average gas price sits at $3.16, with states in the South seeing the lowest prices in the nation. At $2.69 per gallon, Mississippi currently has the lowest average fuel price, while California has the highest at $4.80.

While President Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on imposing 25% tariffs for Canadian and Mexican imports earlier this month, concerns about the economic effects of potential tariffs remain. GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicts that tariffs on Canada could have the largest impact on gas prices in the Northeast, Great Lakes, Midwest, and Rocky Mountain regions.

"Trump's new trade war has already triggered retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, escalating tensions," De Haan said in a statement earlier this month. "While, on paper, tariffs on Canadian energy could have a significant impact on fuel prices, a prolonged trade war could weaken global economies, reducing demand and partially offsetting the effects of tariffs."

Stacker compiled statistics on gas prices in Hilton Head-Bluffton, SC metro area using data from AAA. Gas prices are current as of February 13.

Hilton Head Island by the numbers- Gas current price: $2.93--- South Carolina average: $2.88- Week change: -$0.01 (-0.2%)- Year change: -$0.12 (-3.8%)- Historical expensive gas price: $4.57 (6/15/22)

- Diesel current price: $3.54- Week change: +$0.00 (+0.1%)- Year change: -$0.43 (-10.8%)- Historical expensive diesel price: $5.61 (6/21/22)

Metros with the most expensive gas#1. Lihue (Kauai), HI: $5.20#2. Santa Rosa, CA: $5.17#3. San Rafael, CA: $5.16

Metros with the least expensive gas#1. Laredo, TX: $2.58#2. Tyler, TX: $2.61#3. Lubbock, TX: $2.61

This story features writing by Tim Bruns and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 371 metros.

You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Hilton Head Island by diners

Running out of places to shop for your sports gear and outdoor apparel?

Then you’re in luck because Beaufort is set to be the new home of an Academy Sports + Outdoors.

This new retail location is taking over the vacant locations of T.J. Maxx and PetSmart from the Cross Creek Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Parris Island Gateway and Robert Smalls Parkway.

This new location in Beaufort is set to open between August and September of 2025, making it the place to be for all your back-to-school shopping needs.

Academy Sports + Outdoors is known for its wide variety of clothing and shoes for men, women and children that range from everyday use to just about any sport cleat imaginable.

Other than shoes, they have every item you could ever need for sports including golf, baseball, tennis, pickleball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, school wrestling, lacrosse and more.

Fishing and hunting gear, along with rifles, can also be purchased at Academy Sports + Outdoors. From baits to lines to gun safety and storage, they have you covered. You can also find fishing and hunting licenses.

If you like exploring, Academy outlets have an abundance of hiking, camping and kayaking gear. They also have boating supplies, bicycles, billiards tables, pool supplies, grills, patio sets and more.

This location will offer 45,000 square feet of sporting goods, apparel, fishing gear and more.

Academy Sports + Outdoors has other locations in South Carolina including Aiken, Anderson, Easley, Florence, Greenville, Rock Hill and Spartanburg.

But other than retail, Academy offers certain services like grill and bike assembly, scope mounting, bore sighting, line winding or spooling and propane exchange…all for free.

You can even get free in-store or curbside pickup within an hour of making an online purchase.

Academy Sports + Outdoors is and is an American sporting goods store chain, headquartered in Texas.

Academy Sports + Outdoors is the official sporting retailer of the NCAA Southeastern Conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They also own the naming rights to the Bassmaster Classic Tournament.

To learn more about all that this store offers, visit their website.

The Island Packet

(843) 626-0211

Anna Claire Miller is the Service Journalism Reporter for The Island Packet. Originally from Georgia, she has experience in magazine writing, non-profit communications and city government. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism, legal studies and English from High Point University.

Hilton Head Island has made the ranks again in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 top beach towns of the United States East Coast.

This list is curated and voted on by local travel experts for Travel + Leisure, who look for the best beaches to visit for things including fresh seafood, outdoor activities and simply just enjoying a relaxing day on the shore.

Of all the beaches trailing the Atlantic Coast, Hilton Head Island was ranked No. 11 out of the top 12 beach towns.

From the breezy beaches of Maine down to warm and sunny Florida, East Coast beaches are known for their charming and peaceful atmospheres that can cater to all different kinds of beach vacations. From girl’s trips, family vacations, weekenders, spring breakers and all things in between, East Coast beaches have long been a reliable go-to.

The great thing about this list from Travel + Leisure is that these beach towns aren’t far from larger city areas like Savannah and Charleston, making them easy to travel to and from.

Hilton Head Island stuck out to this year’s travel experts for its “long stretches of beach and historic touches,” said reviewer Katie Cosgrove, director of sales and marketing at Ashore Resort & Beach Club in Ocean City, Maryland.

Hilton Head is known for its 12 or so miles of beach, 20-plus golf courses and bustling restaurant scene.

With the summer months coming up, there are endless activities to do across the island. Some of the most memorable aspects and activities on Hilton Head from this year’s experts include:

But Hilton Head wasn’t the only Lowcountry beach that made the list this year. Here are the other nearby beach towns that also made the ranks:

Here is a rundown of the top five beach towns from this 2025 list by Travel + Leisure.

In other rankings, Hilton Head has maintained a title as one of the top islands by Condé Nast for eight consecutive years and even took the No. 1 spot in 2021 for Travel + Leisure as the best island in the United States.

To view the full list of top beach towns in 2025 from Travel + Leisure, click here.

This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

With the flow of traffic always changing and new road construction on the way to Beaufort County, it’s never a bad idea to brush up on the traffic laws, especially the use of turn signals while in the roundabout loop.

If you’re a roundabout newbie, and feel unsure about the appropriate road etiquette and hesitate to use or bypass your blinker use altogether, you’re not alone.

Here is what South Carolina driving law says about the use of turn signals in roundabouts.

South Carolina law does not explicitly require the use of turn signals when entering a roundabout, but does offer some guidelines:

Beaufort County, however, offers some additional rules for blinker use and driver safety:

Other rules and guidelines from Beaufort County include:

Beaufort County traffic guidelines align with the Federal Highway Administration Manual on Uniform Traffic.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation also offers advice while driving in roundabouts.

If you are a pedestrian and need to cross at a roundabout, here are some tips and guidelines from the SCDOT to stay safe:

If you are a bicyclist and need to cross at a roundabout, here are some tips and guidelines from the SCDOT:

Roundabouts provide a safer flow of traffic for busy intersections, as they force drivers to go at slower speeds and are limited to counterclockwise-only vehicle movement.

The roundabout design reduces the total number and overall severity of vehicle-to-vehicle conflict points, which is any point where the paths of two vehicles diverge, merge or cross paths.

Roundabouts result in a 75% reduction in accidents, according to the SCDOT.

The SCDOT states in South Carolina, total crashes are reduced by 66% and injury and fatal crashes are reduced by 79% with the installation of roundabouts at high-crash intersections.

Roundabouts also help lower vehicular emissions and fuel consumption through reduced stops, starts, shorter queues and delays.

For more information and tips about roundabouts, visit the SCDOT roundabout information page. You can also look at all of the roundabouts that SCDOT oversees through this map.

This story was originally published February 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

The Island Packet

(843) 626-0211

Anna Claire Miller is the Service Journalism Reporter for The Island Packet. Originally from Georgia, she has experience in magazine writing, non-profit communications and city government. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism, legal studies and English from High Point University.