Daily editionThursday, August 20th, 2026
Good morning, Bluffton.
The 5AM Bluffton Team
Here’s your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 20th of August.
Environment
Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling introduced its new composting mascot Mossy today during the 'Lights, Camera, Compost' ribbon cutting to celebrate diverting over 30,000 pounds of food waste from landfills + residents can now join the program by taking an online quiz and using one of four local drop-off sites.
Bluffton TodayRead more
Health
Beaufort Memorial ranked among South Carolina’s top hospitals in Forbes’ inaugural rankings + only three hospitals earned a 5-star rating on patient outcomes, best practices, value and experience.
CEO Russell Baxley said the system will open a new facility in Bluffton early next year to expand care in the Lowcountry.
Bluffton TodayRead more
Accidents
First responders in Bluffton fought two early structure fires Tuesday, Aug. 18, one on Vine Street (where a working smoke alarm allowed a resident to escape) and one at Bluestone Apartments (where sprinklers contained a kitchen fire), leaving one home destroyed with no injuries reported.
WTOCRead more