GOOD NEWS: Get ready for some baseball!

The Charleston RiverDogs open the 2015 season April 9 with a seven-game home stand at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The RiverDogs welcome the Lexington Legends and Augusta GreenJackets to the Lowcountry for the first week of the South Atlantic League baseball season.

Throughout the week, baseball enthusiasts will find great game-day promotions that the team is known for. All games start at 7:05 p.m., unless otherwise noted. On tap through April 15:

Opening night, April 9: The first 5,000 fans will receive a magnet schedule and enjoy “Firsty” Thursday, the first of 10 Budweiser Thirsty Thursdays with $1 happy hour beers. After the game will be the season’s first of 14 postgame displays of fireworks.

April 10: ISHPI Red Shirt Friday, followed by fireworks. Get $1 off your ticket by wearing red.

April 11, 6:05 p.m.: Early Halloween. Fans are encouraged to take their spookiest costume out of the closet to celebrate Halfway to Halloween.

April 12, 5:05 p.m.: Kids Opening Day in which kids take over the park, box office, public address system, radio and more. First 1,000 kids under 13 get a T-shirt. All kids get a free hot dog, chips and drink coupon.

April 13: Monday Night Baseball, a spoof of Monday Night Football. $1 hot dogs and beers in one pub.

April 14: First Date Night, a game for everyone to celebrate their first date. For each Tuesday home game this season, every couple will receive a special 2-for-$20 deal at the box office. The promotion includes two tickets to the game, two tacos, two fountain drinks and one nacho tray.

April 15, 11:05 a.m.: The Joe will be filled with Lowcountry students for the annual Education Day. As with all Wednesday games, Seniors (65 & older) will eat free, receiving a complimentary hot dog, soda and chips.

Other good news:

Big check. SCE&G last week presented a $100,000 donation to The Citadel last week to support the college’s effort to establish a chair of American government and public policy honoring Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, who will head to the college after his 40-year tenure in office is over later this year.

Farmers market on wheels. Lowcountry Street Grocery has launched a month-long Kickstarter campaign to raise money to transform a school bus into a farmers market on wheels. The vision by College of Charleston graduates Lindsey Barrow and Kate DeWitt is to create a mobile farmers market for “food deserts” that don’t have easy access to fresh food. Learn more. NOTE: Our sister publication, Statehouse Report, profiled Barrow’s dream in a November 2013 story here.

North Charleston Business Expo. There’s free admission, parking and Wi-Fi for the inaugural Expo, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 23 at the Charleston Area Convention Center in North Charleston. Some 175 exhibitors will showcase their products and services in the daylong business conference featuring area companies, organizations and speakers, including North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, Boeing’s Doug Kelly, the RiverDogs’ Mike Veeck and others. Learn more here.

Frank to be graduation speaker. Best-selling author Dorothea Benton Frank will serve as commencement speaker at the Charleston School of Law during its 1:30 p.m. ceremony on May 10. Frank, who grew up on Sullivan’s Island, will have her 16^th novel released in June.

Big grant. Hats off to the S.C. Aquarium for its recent $20,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation for Education. The funding supports the program which makes it possible for the Aquarium to provide admission and a private classroom experience to thousands of South Carolina students — many who are on free and reduced lunch — free of charge. The hands-on programs are based on statewide K-12 curriculum standards focusing on South Carolina’s science concepts including habitats, animal adaptations, watersheds, regions of the state and conservation.