NEWS BRIEFS: Flood recovery to take months

Thousands of South Carolina families will have a far different holiday season from usual thanks to October floods that inundated a swath of the state from the Midlands through the Pee Dee and Lowcountry.

Debris lines Screven Street in Kingstree, S.C. Photo by Linda W. Brown.

Some families are facing what state Sen. Ronnie Sabb, D-Williamsburg, calls a “new normal,” especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“Unfortunately, there are likely to be situations where folks don’t have the opportunity to enjoy their homes — their normal environment for the family during that special time of year,” he said. “There will be a new normal for a number of our citizens and residents.”

Kevin Shwedo, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles executive director who was named disaster recovery czar by Gov. Nikki Haley on Monday, said he didn’t believe every South Carolinian impacted by the disaster would be in a permanent home by Christmas, two months from now. It could be at least six months — or more — before recovery efforts conclude, he said.

“The best thing we can do as a community is to get our arms around those people who may not be in their permanent housing and give them the Christmas they deserve,” he said. “We can do that as a community.” Read the rest of the story in Statehouse Report.

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Burger

Remembering Ken Burger.  We were saddened last week by the loss of longtime Post and Courier columnist Ken Burger, who died Tuesday following a long battle with prostate cancer.  Let’s remember him by being inspired from reading his outstanding, poignant writing, such as ​this sage advice from Baptized in Sweet Tea, a collection of columns published in 2011.  Click here for more.

Batting 100 percent. When Briarcliffe Acres in Horry County became the state’s 23^rd coastal municipality to oppose offshore drilling and seismic blasting, all coastal cities and towns in the state became united in opposition against offshore drilling. “Governor [Nikki] Haley should be listening to the voices of those she was elected to serve,” said Samantha Siegel, campaign organizer at Oceana. “South Carolina’s coastal communities are united against offshore drilling. While coastal communities like Briarcliffe Acres have the most to lose, their voices are going unheard in Columbia and Washington. Offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous business that would threaten 79,000 jobs and $4.4 billion that is provided to the state each year through fishing, tourism and recreation. Governor Haley shouldn’t be risking the way of life of her coastal communities on false promises from Big Oil.”

Fantastic opportunity. Longtime Charleston resident Harriet McDougal has invited two debut novelists, Jason Denzel and Michael Livingston, to help celebrate all-things epic fantasy, with the launch event of The Wheel of Time Companion and their epic fantasy books Mystic and The Shards of Heaven with readings and signings at 7 p.m., Nov. 3 at Barnes and Noble Towne Centre, 1716 Towne Centre Way, in Mount Pleasant. The new Companion is the definitive encyclopedia for the Wheel of Time series, launched in 1990 by the late Robert Jordan, McDougal’s wife and editor.

Parris Island celebrates. A tip of the hat to all Marines who mustered through Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort County. The legendary, tough facility is celebrating its 100^th anniversary of making Marines. For a great overview of the celebration and history of the training facility, check out the special 40-page newspaper tribute online here in the Beaufort Gazette and Hilton Head Island Packet.

Remember to vote. There are a lot of elections next Tuesday — for top jobs in Charleston and North Charleston, as well as council seats in both of those cities as well as in Mount Pleasant, Awendaw, Ravenel, Rockville, Lincolnville, Isle of Palms and Seabrook Island. To see a list of elections in the area, click here. To find polling places, click here.