IslandVibesIOP.com 4 hang ten – paws that is – but prefer calmer waters like Morgan Creek along the IOP Marina. Island Vibes Vol. 4, Issue 3 March 2026 PUBLISHER BILL MACCHIO PUBLISHER@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER JAZZY JORDAN ASSISTANT@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM MANAGING EDITOR ZACH GIROUX EDITOR@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ART DIRECTOR BETHANY LONG ART@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM COPY EDITOR COLIN MCCANDLESS BRAND AMBASSADOR SONYA BUCKHANNON SONYA@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM PHOTOGRAPHY RACHEL BASYE COOPERRIVERPHOTOGRAPHY@GMAIL.COM DIGITAL MANAGER ALLYAH HARRAR ALLYAH@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ALYSSA FRANCO THEDIGITALTOUCHCHS@GMAIL.COM WEB EDITOR GEORGE CONKLIN CONTRIBUTORS RYAN BUCKHANNON • MARY COY LAURA FOGARTY • ALLYAH HARRAR TED KINGHORN • L.C. LEACH III COLIN MCCANDLESS • MEL MILES KIMBERLYN NAYLOR • PHILLIP POUNDS SARAH ROSE • KRISTI SELLERS SALES REPRESENTATIVES STACEY MCLOUGHLIN STACEY@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ELLEN KERR ELLEN@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ADMINISTRATION & BOOKKEEPING GINGER SOTTILE BOSS DOG REGGIE DISTRIBUTION ISLE OF PALMS • WILD DUNES • GOAT ISLAND • DEWEES ISLAND • U.S. POST OFFICE • HARRIS TEETER • CVS • FOOD LION ASHEVILLE/HENDERSON AIRPORT ALL SC WELCOME CENTERS DIRECT MAIL VIA US POST OFFICE Homes on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island Affluent neighborhoods rotated monthly Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Asheville, NC Buckhead, Druid Hills, Decatur, Atlanta, Georgia Island Vibes is published locally by a team of independent contractors. Island Vibes is published 12 times per year by Islands Publishing LLC. 1013 Chuck Dawley Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Copyright © Islands Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction electronically or in print format without the expressed written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited and a violation of U.S. copyright laws. Content, including editorial, advertising or comments, that threatens, harasses or degrades others may be revoked or refused from print and online publication at the sole discretion of Island Vibes. Inquiries to: Island Vibes P.O. Box 22617, Charleston, SC 29413 A South Carolina Press Association Award-Winning Publication! FROM THE TEAM From the Publisher Award-Winning Vibes About the Cover Doggy Paddle By Zach Giroux Editor’s Note The Drought is Over USA! Yes, that’s right, I’m bragging about our fair country’s showing in the 2026 Winter Olympics that recently concluded in Milan, Italy. To put things in perspective, France hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924. It’s reassuring to know that even after a century we haven’t lost an ounce of pride, passion or pageantry. Our hockey players did lose a few teeth, but it was well worth it. Anyhow, it didn’t take me long to find a local connection to this year’s Olympic games. In fact, several athletes with South Carolina ties have competed in the Winter Olympics over the years, including this year most notably one of Canada’s men’s hockey goalies Logan Paddle boarding is a popular Lowcountry pastime and native sport on our fair island. Performing such an aquatic activity in tandem with your dog should be an Olympic sport! Local Paula Reeves and her red heeler Kiwi deserve a gold medal after putting Thompson, a former netminder for the South Carolina Stingrays. Although Norway dominated all of the nations overall in the medal count, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Feb. 22 gold medal victory by the United States’ men’s hockey team. Their 2-1 overtime win versus Canada was not only thrilling but historical. The last time the USA won gold was the same date 46 years ago at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, when a bunch of college kids beat the Soviet Union in a game that famously became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” Somebody tell Kurt Russell he can stop blowing his whistle; the drought is over. This year’s motto for all of the athletes competing in Milano Cortina was “It’s Your Vibe.” Perhaps the Olympians were inspired after reading the latest issue of Island Vibes? Patriotically yours, Zach Giroux Editor None of us at Island Vibes would have ever thought when we began publishing three years ago that the South Carolina Press Association (SCPA) would have honored us with an award. We were just excited to be able to spread some positive vibes, let alone receive an award for our efforts. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “What goes around comes around.” For years we’ve worked on spreading positive vibes throughout the community we care about and love, Isle of Palms. I guess the SCPA decided to direct some positive vibes of their own to Island Vibes. I’m so proud of everyone here who contributes to the positive vibes of Island Vibes and in this case, it is Rachel Basye, who took the image of the winning photograph you see here. Rachel has captured a good number of Island Vibes’ images. She may have shot the award-winning photo, but be assured the team behind her worked tirelessly to bring this photograph to life. As the SCPA describes it, a pictorial is a photographic image that explores aesthetic qualities through the use of composition, tone and/ or color. Content usually is not a news item. I would say they hit the nail on the head for sure. Before we leave each other, I want to share with you a way to win TWO FREE TICKETS to the RBC Heritage this April, along with Heritage and Masters golf swag (See Page 18). This will be the second year we’ll be distributing Island Vibes and one of our other publications, Mount Pleasant Magazine, to Augusta, Georgia, during The Masters and Hilton Head during The Heritage. We will be reaching attendees at both of these iconic golf events by distributing the latest issues of Island Vibes and Mount Pleasant Magazine at high-traffic locations and local hotels as well as digitally by geofencing the entire week of these events. We enjoy coming up with creative ways to have fun and spread positive vibes about the Isle of Palms both in print and digital. Now we can say thanks for reading one of our awardwinning publications. Positively yours, Bill Macchio Publisher IOPPD SHARES CRIME ANALYSIS See Page 5 Photo by Rachel Basye ELECTION RESULTS SEALED BY RUNOFF See Page 3 Vol.2 Issue 12 December 2024 HOLIDAY SPIRIT HISTORY OF ISLAND CHURCHES (Page 27) HOLIDAY GIFT & PARTY GUIDE SHOP, EAT AND DRINK LOCALLY (Page 28) THE HIGHEST HONOR ORDER OF THE PALMETTO (Page 8) From ours to yours To read digitally, visit ReadIslandVibes.com The conversation continues at IsleofPalmsPodcast.com CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO STEP DOWN See Page 6 on a tail-wagging performance off the Intracoastal docks behind Carroll Realty. The sun was out, the sea was calm and we remembered to untether the rope from the cleat before the photoshoot began. Three years ago, Reeves adopted Kiwi when she was 3 years old, and the two have been paddle boarding ever since their first trip to the beach. Reeves lived on Isle of Palms in the ’90s and now owns two Mount Pleasant businesses, Charleston Baby’s Away and Beach and Games To Go. The dynamic duo are not afraid to
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