Charleston Currents

Good news

FOCUS: Dining With Friends returns to the Lowcountry in 2019

By Jason Kirk, special to Charleston Currents | Dining With Friends is back, and party hosts all over Charleston couldn’t be more excited. On Jan. 19, 2019, hundreds of people around the greater Charleston community will host dinner parties in their homes, churches or workplaces as part of a massive fundraising effort to support the work of Palmetto Community Care.

Party hosts and their guests will then gather together for a Grand Finale celebration with drinks, desserts and dancing at Memminger Auditorium.

The great thing about this event is it’s a low-stress commitment for party hosts. They don’t have to worry about “asking their friends for money” – the invitations provided will do all the work.

by Charleston Currents · 12/17/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Share your legislative priorities in new reader survey

Staff reports | Our sister publication, Statehouse Report, on Friday highlighted what lawmakers want to do in the 2019 legislative session in this news story. But we’d like to give you a chance to sound off about your priorities.

Therefore, we encourage you to take a 10-question survey to share your thoughts on the state’s challenges and priorities.

by Charleston Currents · 12/17/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS, Morris: Lowcountry Rapid Transit project makes whole lot of sense

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | Community anticipation has been growing in recent months for the Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) project, which would serve as the spine of a premium mass transportation system in the Charleston region.

As proposed, LCRT would connect Summerville, North Charleston and downtown Charleston, running largely in dedicated, separated lanes, while providing relief from traffic congestion.

The LCRT is often referred to as “light rail on wheels.” LCRT would perform more like a train service than a bus route with many of the same conveniences, such as level boarding and wide doors on both sides of vehicles, modern transit stations, pre-payment, free Wi-Fi and more.

by Andy Brack · 12/10/2018 · 2 comments · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Rotary holiday party raises thousands for charity

Staff reports | Hundreds of merry-makers braved chilly, wet weather Saturday to celebrate the season and raise some money for charity.

The Rotary Club of Charleston’s annual Holiday Parade of Boats Viewing Party went off without a hitch – except that the actual boat parade didn’t happen for the first time because of inclement weather. That didn’t matter about 400 people who gathered at the Charleston Maritime Center to eat barbecue, quaff beverages, listen to good music and enjoy a visit from Santa. The annual event, now in its fifth year, raised thousands of dollars for the club’s charity fund, which offers grants to local organizations throughout the year for special projects.

by Charleston Currents · 12/10/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Enjoy the season at the Charleston Gaillard Center

Staff reports | Take a break from the frenzy of the holiday “to do” list by enjoying an afternoon or evening at the Charleston Gaillard Center.

Two of the biggest names in big band jazz will be at the Gaillard on Friday, Dec., 7 and Saturday, Dec. On Friday, Harry Connick Jr. brings his big band and New Orleans influence to toast the holiday and perform a selection of holiday favorites. New Orleans native Wynton Marsalis brings back the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on Saturday for a big band holiday concert that is certain to swing in the holiday spirit. Both shows begin at 7:30 pm.

Fans of inspired holiday music can ring in the holidays with Chris Tomlin, an accomplished church singer whose worship-focused catalogue has made him TIME Magazine’s “most often sung artist anywhere.” Join Chris as he brings praise and worship to the meaning of holiday spirit. This performance is on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

by Charleston Currents · 12/03/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Airport predicts a banner year of travel in and out of Charleston

Staff reports | The number of people flying in and out of Charleston International Airport in October increased 13 percent over 2017. That puts the airport on target to exceed 4 million passengers by the end of 2018.

“It has been an exciting year at Charleston International Airport,” said Paul G. Campbell Jr., Executive Director and CEO of the Charleston County Aviation Authority. “Our legacy air carriers are busier than ever and our new airlines are receiving great support from the Lowcountry.”

by Charleston Currents · 12/03/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: MUSC approves a turkey of an idea

By Lynn Bailey, special to Statehouse Report | This week, I guess in honor of the turkey, the Medical University of South Carolina Board of Trustees approved a turkey of an idea: the acquisition of four poorly-performing hospitals from Community Health Systems (CHS), a for-profit health company that is rapidly selling off its underperforming assets.

The hospitals to be acquired are: Chester Hospital in Chester County, Springs Memorial Hospital in Lancaster County, Marion Hospital in Marion County and Carolinas Hospital in Florence. Except for Carolinas Hospital in Florence, all of the hospitals are located in rural counties and are in serious danger of bankruptcy and closing.

Bailey
Additionally, CHS is unloading some more loser hospitals in the Upstate to Spartanburg Regional Health Center: Mary Black Health System in Spartanburg and Mary Black Health System in Gaffney. Spartanburg Regional Health Center is also a public health system controlled by Spartanburg County.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 11/26/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, My Turn

GOOD NEWS: New map shows real power grip in South Carolina

Staff reports | Our sister publication, Statehouse Report, provided an interesting map of where real power in the S.C. House lives in its recent issue. The map, inspired by a report in The New York Times, is proportional making geographically-large districts the same size as compact ones. The result? As highlighted above, the Republican Party totally dominates the S.C. House of Representatives (we knew it has an 80-44 grip on power, but the map shows the Upstate’s grip on politics.).

by Andy Brack · 11/26/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Looking back at Thanksgiving in early Charleston

By Dr. Nic Butler, reprinted with permission | It’s Thanksgiving season again, and for most people that means a day of rest, relaxation and feasting with close friends and family. As a historian working in an old city, I have learned that Thanksgiving also includes at least ten people asking me the same question: “When was the first Thanksgiving in Charleston?” I don’t mind the question at all, but the answer is generally more complex than most people care to hear.

The tradition of Thanksgiving existed long before the creation of the United States, and it wasn’t just celebrated by the “pilgrims” of early Massachusetts. Spanish explorers in the Americas, for example, celebrated an annual day of thanksgiving in the early 1500s. …

by Charleston Currents · 11/19/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Homegrown Holiday Bazaar set for Dec. 1 on Johns Island

Staff reports | The fifth annual Homegrown Holiday Bazaar will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 1 at islanders Farmers Market, 3546 Maybank Highway, on Johns Island. The event will serve as the farmers market for that day and is brought to you by the Islanders Farmers Market and Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce.

Also: Travel tips, Port ambassadors, Giant greeting card winner; more

by Andy Brack · 11/19/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs