Criminal Defense Attorney inBeaufort, SC

HILTON HEAD ISLAND — Law enforcement arrested a Lowcountry dance teacher for having an inappropriate relationship with an adult-aged student whom she taught.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office arrested Victoria Montgomery, 32, on May 2 for becoming involved in sex or sexual battery with a student 18 or older in which there is direct supervising authority and no aggravated force or coercion.

Per state law, the charge carries a prison sentence of up to five years and is considered a felony.

Late on April 16 at a Hilton Head address, Montgomery had "sexual intercourse with the victim during which sexual penetration occurred," according to an affidavit signed by Beaufort Deputy Zachariah Cushman.

Montgomery was hired by the Beaufort County School District in August 2021. She taught at Hilton Head High School.

Allegations against Montgomery were reported to the school on April 30, according to district spokesperson Candace Bruder. She said the school immediately notified law enforcement.

An incident report provided by the sheriff's office is mostly redacted but showed that Principal Steven Schidrich contacted law enforcement and that the student took a number of classes with Montgomery. She also supervised the student for an internship at the school, according to the deputy's affidavit.

Montgomery is currently on paid administrative leave. In a May 2 email to parents, Schidrich said Montgomery's classes would be taught by a substitute teacher or another certified educator. In the note he did not refer to her by name.

"We recognize that situations like this can raise concern, and we are taking this very seriously. Be assured the situation is being addressed accordingly in cooperation with law enforcement," he said in the email.

Montgomery was released from the Beaufort County Detention Center on May 3 after she received a $25,000 personal recognizance bond.

A judge directed her to stay 1,000 feet from the student, not make contact and not approach their home or workplace.

Beaufort County schools prohibit employees from engaging in sexual misconduct, exploitation or abuse irrespective of age proximity.

Tony Kukulich and Jessica Wade contributed to this report.

With construction started last fall, we’re getting much closer to the new ALDI opening at the new Beaufort Station Shopping Center.

The 21,000 square foot store is expected to open before September. This ALDI will join other retailers that opened in 2024 at the shopping center which include, including Hobby Lobby, Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, and Ross Dress for Less.

In February 2025, ALDI also announced its plan to open more than 225 new store locations in 2025 as part of the next phase of its five-year national growth strategy. This is the most stores ALDI will open in one year in its nearly 50-year U.S. history.

The new stores will open through a combination of organic growth and converting select Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores to the ALDI format. In total, ALDI will convert approximately 220 Southeastern Grocers locations to the ALDI format through 2027.

ALDI has become a go-to destination for budget-conscious shoppers, known for its low prices and private-label offerings. ALDI was recently ranked as the most affordable grocery chain in the U.S., with shoppers saving an estimated $8.3 billion annually. It’s said that households that switch from name brands to ALDI-branded items can save up to $4,000 annually.

With nearly 3,200 locations across the country, ALDI has surged in popularity recently, particularly as grocery costs rise.

The German-founded retailer is now the third-largest grocery chain in the U.S. by store count. In 2024 alone, ALDI attracted 19 million new customers, underscoring its growing appeal.

The new store will provide affordable groceries and create job opportunities for the local community. ALDI’s expansion continues to support our local economy while providing convenient access to budget-friendly essentials for residents.

ALDI joins several other grocers in the Beaufort area including four Food Lion locations, two Publix locations, Harris Teeter, and Piggly Wiggly.

Visit ALDI’s website here. Learn more about ALDI here. Sign up for the ALDI Newsletter for its weekly ads and more.

BEAUFORT — Just a few days before he was relieved of duty as the commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Col. Mark Bortnem stood on the air station's flight line during a media event in advance of the upcoming air show.

An experienced F/A-18 pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours and 500 hours of combat time, Bortnem wore his flight suit as he chatted amiably with reporters, officers and enlisted Marines on hand to witness the arrival of the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Clouds of no-see-ums engulfed everyone waiting on hand. If the biting, blood-thirsty insects endemic to the Lowcountry bothered Bortnem, he didn't let on.

Instead, he answered questions casually, spoke about his various assignments as a Marine and said he was looking forward to giving neighbors a good look at what "their Marines" are up to behind the fences of the sprawling air station off U.S. Highway 21.

Bortnem's ability to put people at ease may have been a factor that made him well liked in Beaufort and the surrounding area. In March 2024, Bortnem, for example, labored in the mud and pouring rain alongside volunteers and enlisted personnel trying to get the final phase of an artificial oyster reef constructed off the shoreline near Laurel Bay, a housing community for those stationed at the air station. Drenched to the skin and covered in mud, Bortnem wanted to talk about the progress the project had already made.

Kate Schaefer, director of land protection at the Beaufort-based Open Land Trust, worked with Bortnem regularly on land conservation initiatives for properties surrounding the air station. Over the last two years, land protection around the air station doubled, she said, calling called Bortnem "incredibly genuine."

"You would have thought that land conservation was the most important thing to him. It's clear that everyone who worked with him thought their issue was the most important thing to him. That's a rare thing," Schaefer said.

Bortnem particularly endeared himself to the conservation community during another March 2024 event commemorating the conservation of about 4,400 acres in Jasper County known as Gregorie Neck. The Department of Defense contribute $6 million to the conservation effort, stating that the initiative supported the military's goal of preserving mission readiness.

Speaking during the event, Bortnem improvised a line during his speech as the sounds of military jets flying overhead faded. The line has been oft repeated since that muggy, gray morning a year ago.

"That noise you hear is the sound of freedom, and the silence you hear is the sound of conservation," Bortnem said.

During the April 12 air show performance, Bortnem enthusiastically told The Post and Courier that as many as 70,000 people had attended each day of the two-day event. It appeared that he couldn't have been more pleased with the show's success.

Then came an abrupt change.

On April 14, Brig. Gen. Ralph J. Rizzo, Jr., commanding general at Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, released a statement saying Bortnem had been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.

"This decision was made due to a loss of trust and confidence in Bortnem's ability to command," Rizzo said in the statement.

While no further information has been forthcoming from the Marine Corps, there have been reactions from across the community that interacted with Bortnem over the course of his two-year tenure as the base's commanding officer.

Bortnem has been reassigned to duties at nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.

A change.org petition started by Marine veteran Joan Petrucci brings attention to the impact that Bortnem had in both the military and civilian realms. The petition, which has garnered nearly 300 signatures so far, is not intended to influence the actions of the Marine Corps, said Petrucci. Rather, it's intended to express support for Bortnem, calling his firing a significant loss for those on and off the base.

"While it may not alter the formal outcome for Colonel Bortnem, it can influence the perception of the leader's effectiveness and character within the Marine Corps community, highlighting the loyalty and admiration they garnered from their team," wrote Petrucci.

David Bartholomew, who sits on Beaufort County Council, said Bortnem worked positively with local governments and looked for out-of-the-box solutions to improving interactions between the base and the community. News of Bortnem's firing came as a shock, Bartholomew said.

"From what I could see in the interactions that we had, he was trying to do a lot of good things," he added.

Reach Tony Kukulich at 843-709-8929.

Tony Kukulich

Tony Kukulich is an editor/reporter working in the Beaufort County bureau. Turning to journalism as a second career, he started as a photojournalist in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015. After moving to Bluffton in 2021, he wrote for several area publications before starting with The Post and Courier the following year. His work has been recognized by the National Newspaper Association, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the South Carolina Press Association. Tony covers local government, environmental issues and development in addition to authoring the Hurricane Wire newsletter.

A foodie’s delight is returning to downtown’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park with the annual two-day Taste of Beaufort festival on May 2nd & 3rd. Local restaurants will gather in the grass at the park to cook up some of their best Lowcountry cuisine and show everyone what it tastes like to be in Beaufort, SC.

The event will take over the waterfront park on Friday, May 2nd from 5 to 10pm and on Saturday, May 3rd from 11am to 4pm.

Admission to the event at Waterfront Park is free and festival goers can purchase tickets to use at food and beverage vendor booths.

If you’re looking forward to the food, you’ll always find plenty of it including local seafood everywhere. Festival-goers enjoy the smell of fresh grilled shrimp in the air while savoring local favorites.

This year’s food vendors include Belly Full by Tyger, Mother Smokin’ Good, Sea Eagle Market, and more, and you can grab some dessert from the Island Fudge Shoppe, and Meg’s Sweet Treats while you’re there.

Lots of fun will be found for kids of all ages as this year’s event features a huge kid’s corner or the little ones and the big kids can have some fun enjoying the many wares found at the Craft Market.

The music line up this year is a good one, too.

Friday night brings local singer/songwriter extraordinaire, Campfire Tyler, followed by High 5 Band, and then closing out Friday night with Hotter Than July.

On Saturday, the day full of live music starts with Weekly Special, followed by Broke Locals at 1:15pm. Then it’s The Brewer Band hitting the stage at 3pm.

Make sure you make plans to join the community at the park for the festival and get a taste of some of the best that Beaufort has to offer.

Oh….and make sure you come hungry.

The Kitchen, Beaufort’s favorite gourmet-to-go spot has announced plans to grow way beyond its current location at 136 Sea Island Parkway in the Grayco Shopping Center, undertaking a massive expansion over the coming months.

Their plans are pretty hefty.

“We are adding the former Rancho Grande restaurant spot next door to our present location, and have completely gutted it to fit what we are trying to do, and The Kitchen will more than double in size,” said Ty Reichel.

According to Reichel, the expansion will allow for many major changes, redesign, and several different things. They will be expanding their retail offerings and their menu, adding a coffee shop, and installing tables as well. “We want to be a go-to spot for friends gathering, meetings, and business meetings, too,” she said.

“We also plan to offer smaller in-house event space, and the expanded kitchen cooking and prep area will also allow us to do more for our catering clients in taking on larger off-site events,” she added.

Founded in 2013 by Leigh Ann Pingree and her sister, Michelle Clark, The Kitchen is known for its home-cooked, family-style gourmet meals with everything made in-house. Getting its start in a small space in the Newpoint neighborhood in 2013, the operation grew and after 6 years there it moved to it’s current location on Sea Island Parkway.

Now, it’s time to grow again.

Look for the expansion of the new mega-sized spot to be completed and the new-look Kitchen to open later in the spring. We’re looking forward to the expansion of offerings, and we really hope that some of their weekly specials become permanent staples in their refrigerators.