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John Houpt is stepping down as Bluffton football coach after five seasons.

Houpt posted a message on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, thanking the Bluffton players, coaches and community.

“I will always cherish every moment with Bobcat Nation, from the times when we were picking up trash late at night on Spring Break to the times we were region champions,” Houpt said. “I hope that all the players that have been a part of my life know that you have been just as impactful on me as I hope I was for you. Your desire to be great pushed me each day to be as great as you.

““I want to give a huge thank you to all the faculty, staff and coaches that I have had the privilege to work with at Bluffton High as none of the things we were able to accomplish could have been done without the support of each and every one of you.”

Houpt told The Island Packet on Tuesday evening that he hasn’t ruled out coaching again but not as a head coach right now. He said he wants to spend more time with his family and enjoying seeing all that his kids are doing.

Houpt will finished out the year teaching at Bluffton.

“This was a decision that was hard for me but felt it was the right time,” Houpt said.

Houpt went 16-29 during his time at Bluffton. The Bobcats went 2-8 this season and lost in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs to North Augusta, 31-12, last week.

Houpt replaced Ken Cribb as the school’s head coach in 2017 when Cribb took a job in Georgia. He applied for a job at Bluffton coming out of college but didn’t get it then but was hired for a spot in 2007.

Houpt was a defensive coordinator when Bluffton enjoyed a fruitful run from 2010-12. That stint included a trip to the 2011 Class 3A title game, sandwiched by seasons that ended in the Lower State final.

The Bobcats went 8-3 in Houpt’s first season as head coach. In 2018, Bluffton won the Region 7-4A championship in the school’s first season in Class 4A.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 5:03 PM.

There’s a chill in the air, lights on houses, and trees ready to fill homes with the smell of pine.

Christmas and Hanukkah are coming, and dozens of events in Beaufort County will help holiday revelers celebrate. Santa will be making appearances, and some of your favorite parades (on land and water) are returning after a pandemic hiatus.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa, bundle up in your tacky sweater, and mark your calendars.

Bonus: For kiddos wanting to write a letter to Santa but not sure where to send it, every fire station in Beaufort County has a mailbox accepting letters through Dec. 20 for the big man in red.

Are we missing any holiday events in Beaufort County through December and early January? Email [email protected], and we’ll update this story.

Tuesday, Nov. 30: The Chabad Greater Hilton Head will light a menorah at 4:15 p.m. at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Music and light refreshments will be served after the celebration.

Friday, Dec. 3: The annual First Friday-themed Night on the Town is from 6 to 9 p.m. Downtown streets will be closed, shops and restaurants will be open, and festivities, including the Marine Corps Ensemble, will lead up to the Christmas tree lighting at 8 p.m. near the marina parking lot.

The musical “Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish, Freedom Comin’” will be at 7 p.m. at USCB’s Center for the Arts. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door.

Saturday, Dec. 4: The Beaufort History Museum will hold a re-enactment at the Arsenal commemorating the 150th anniversary of the New York Highlanders’ entry into Beaufort from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, A Christmas Taste of Gullah will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, featuring authentic Gullah cuisine and live holiday entertainment. The event is free and will include a rice cook-off.

The Light Up the Night Holiday Boat Parade is on tap for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 5: City of Beaufort’s Christmas parade begins at 3 p.m. and goes through historic downtown.

Through Monday, Dec. 13: USCB’s abstract art exhibit “Visual Conversations: Our Voices” is on display at the USCB Center for the Arts, featuring the work of 31 Southern artists.

Friday, Nov. 26: The inaugural lighting of the barrel tree (made from 41 oak barrels with 1,000+ lights) will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Burnt Church Distillery. The event will feature live music; a portion of food and drink proceeds will benefit the Vantage Point Foundation.

Friday, Dec. 3: The town’s Christmas tree lighting will be at 5:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park, followed by Santa’s workshop and a showing of “Elf” at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 4: Town of Bluffton’s annual Christmas parade begins at 10 a.m.

Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4-5: The Society of Bluffton Artists will host a two-day Holiday Blitz, a pop-up porch shopping event featuring local artist’ work, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 11: Lowcountry Made’s Christmas Bluffton Artisan Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Martin Family Park in Old Town with local vendors and entertainment from DJ One Love.

Sunday, Dec. 12: Lowcountry Made’s Christmas Bluffton Artisan Market from noon to 4 p.m. at Burnt Church Distillery.

Friday, Nov. 26 through Dec. 24 (weekends only): Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Shelter Cove Towne Centre. Check the center’s website for exact times for each day.

Friday, Nov. 26: Multiple events are scheduled throughout the day for Black Friday at Coligny, including a performance by Jevon Daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Santa flying over in a helicopter at 12:30 p.m., and other live music and photo opportunities with Santa from 1 to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27: Santa will be at the Village at Wexford for photos from 2 to 4 p.m. along the Gingerbread Trail, where kids can visit shops and collect treats.

Saturday, Dec. 4: Gullah Market at Lowcountry Celebration Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with live music. Tickets are $10.

From 6 to 8 p.m., visitors can drive through the free Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park’s Holiday Nights & Lights display.

Sunday, Dec. 5: The Chabad Greater Hilton Head will light a menorah at the Shelter Cove Towne Centre at 5 p.m. There will be snacks, including latkes and donuts, and live music following.

From 6 to 8 p.m., visitors can drive through the free Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park’s Holiday Nights & Lights drive-through light display.

Monday, Dec. 6: From 6 to 8 p.m., visitors can drive through the free Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park’sHoliday Nights & Lights drive-through light display.

Sunday, Dec. 12: The 25th Annual Christmas Motorcycle Toy Run will benefit Deep Well as motorcycles and “hot rods” caravan from Bluffton to Deep Well on the island with toys to donate. Registration is $20 a bike and starts at noon at Okatie Ale House, with departure scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 8: The first CELEBRATE MLK! concert beginning at 7 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church Hall, organized by the Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice. Tickets are $20.

Wednesday, Dec. 1: Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 10: The three-day Music from the Manager holiday event benefiting the Child Abuse Prevention Association begins. It’ll be from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, then noon to 5 p.m. Monday. The event will have food and art vendors, along with entertainment. Purchase tickets ($30) and view a full schedule online.

Saturday, Dec. 11: Christmas Golf Cart Parade, with decorated and lighted carts, starts at 6 p.m.

Bluffton Town Manager Stephen Steese has appointed two employees to serve as assistant town managers, filling the deputy town manager position left vacant by Scott Marshall, who resigned in May.

Former Director of Finance and Administration Chris Forster and former Director of Growth Management Heather Colin will now work as Steese’s “immediate advisors,” according to a Monday news release.

Monday’s announcement comes five months after Marshall, the town’s former second-in-command, resigned after he was passed over for the town’s top manager job. Beaufort County hired Marshall as human resources director in June.

Steese was offered the town manager job in April and began work in June. His decision to appoint two assistant town managers marks a change in organizational structure for Bluffton, which previously had only one deputy town manager.

In the news release about the appointments, Steese touted Forster and Colin’s “seasoned approach, experience and expertise” as assets to town operations.

In a phone call with a reporter Monday, Steese said the town sought only to hire internally for the position and Forster and Colin were “two great candidates.”

Forster, who briefly served as interim town manager before Steese took over, is a certified finance officer and government financial manager. In his new role, he will oversee the town’s finance and administration department, the Don Ryan Center for Innovation, economic development, municipal court, the business license division and human resources, the news release said.

He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science as well as a master’s degree of public administration from the University of Connecticut, the news release said. Forster previously worked on government consolidation and shared services efforts for the State of Oklahoma, the news release said.

Forster joined the town of Bluffton in 2019 after working as a controller for the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.

Colin, in her new role, will oversee the town’s planning and projects, the news release said. On top of continuing her job as head of the town’s growth management department, she will also be in charge of the engineering department.

She joined the town of Bluffton in 2016 after working as the development review administrator for the town of Hilton Head Island.

A certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners, Colin has a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Clemson University, according to the news release.

After a year when the pandemic canceled so many events, local organizations have planned a Veterans Day full of parades and activities to celebrate past and current military service members.

Don’t forget, Veterans Day is also a federal and state holiday, so some places — including the U.S. Post Office and government offices — will be closed Thursday.

Veterans Day Ceremony on Hilton Head

? When: 10 a.m.

? Where: The ceremony will be at the Shelter Cove Veterans Memorial Park on Hilton Head Island.

Beaufort County Veterans Day Parade

? When: 10 a.m.

? Where: The parade begins and ends at the Beaufort National Cemetery on Boundary Street.

Bluffton Township Veterans Day Parade

? When: 10 a.m.

? Where: The parade begins at Alljoy Road and goes through Old Town Bluffton before ending on Dr. Mellichamp Drive.

Veterans Day Parade in Savannah

? When: 10 a.m.

? Where: The parade route is different from previous years due to construction on Broughton Street. It will begin at Gwinnett and Abercorn streets and travel north through downtown before ending on Price Street.

“Salute to Service” Military Appreciation event in Port Royal

? When: 1 to 4 p.m.

? Where: The community-wide event organized by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce will be at the Naval Heritage Park in Port Royal. It includes free hot dogs for the first 1,000 folks with a military ID, food trucks, swag bags and presentations by installation commanders and community leaders.

Jasper County Veterans Affairs dinner

? When: 5:30 p.m.

? Where: A free dinner sponsored by Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is being served at 651 Grays Highway in Ridgeland, according to the S.C. Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.

Do you know of a Beaufort County or Jasper County event that’s not listed? Email [email protected], and we’ll update this story.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 2:02 PM.

A South Carolina legislative leader was rushed to the hospital after experiencing a medical emergency during the first quarter of the Carolina–Clemson football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday evening.

Weston Newton of Bluffton, S.C. reportedly had to be taken out of the board of trustees’ luxury box on a stretcher.

Multiple witnesses told this news outlet that Newton – chairman of the House legislative oversight committee – was conscious and breathing as he was wheeled out of the box. He is reportedly in stable condition, a source familiar with his status said.

Initial reports from these witnesses indicate Newton, 53, may have choked on a “food object” – prompting him to require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“(He) choked on something and had to have CPR,” one witness told me.

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Newton, a native of Greenville, S.C., has represented S.C. House District 120 since 2013. Prior to his election to the House eight years ago, he spent thirteen years on Beaufort County council – including nine years as its chairman.

This is a developing story … please check back for updates.

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(Via: FITSNews)

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates’ lid pictured above).

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