A novel by Ruta Sepetys reviewed by Darryl Woods: In 1939, the Soviet Union overran the Baltic States. Anyone suspected of being anti-Soviet — especially teachers, doctors, lawyers and former military members – were rounded up and placed in prisons. Their families were herded and packed into train cars like animals and sent to Siberian work camps.
S.C. Encyclopedia | The yellow, or Carolina, jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) was chosen as state flower by the General Assembly in 1924. In 1923 the legislature appointed a commission to select a floral emblem. Senator Thomas B. Butler and Representatives George B. Ellison and Thomas Savage Heyward recommended the yellow jessamine to the senate and house on Feb. 1, 1924, and it was promptly adopted by both chambers.
By Bradley Childs | We recently uncovered a startling statistic about our community: Almost one-third of the new HIV positive cases in South Carolina last year occurred in the tri-county area. Of all the new HIV cases recorded last year by South Carolina community-based organizations, 33 percent of those were identified by Lowcountry AIDS Services. As a point of reference, Lowcountry AIDS Services (LAS) is just one of 10 community-based organizations that provide prevention services throughout South Carolina.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | This may be the only political prediction that will become true by the time we head to the polls in November: The weirdest presidential election in American history will get weirder.
In a rational world, presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s bloviated reality show of a campaign that scares world leaders because they can’t predict him would get so tangled in misinformation, negativity and hyperbole that he wouldn’t be taken seriously by November.
Trident United Way announced last week it would make $2.1 million in grants over three years in 33 programs delivered by 22 nonprofits in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties in its three core areas: education, financial stability and health. Also in Good News: P-Nut returns; rain barrels for sale; Community Pride has winners.
After the tough mystery in the last issue, this week’s photo of sun warming the walls of this home should be pretty easy. Third person to guess what this is — and why it is important — will get a pair of ticket vouchers for a Charleston RiverDogs’ game. Send your best guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com — and make sure to include the name of the town in which you live.
This stone angel is at peace in a peaceful place, Magnolia Cemetery, in Charleston. Draped in Spanish moss, the angel seems to be responding in reverence to the calm of the historic resting ground to many of Charleston’s early leaders. In the background, you can see marshes that lead to the Cooper River. Photo by Andy Brack.
By Dan Krosse, guest contributor | As the temperatures heat up, so do the risks of injuries for your pets. Dr. Lucy Fuller, DVM, of Charleston Animal Society says that the risk of heat stroke is the number one issue that pet owners need to be aware of.
“It takes less than five minutes for a car to get well over 100 degrees,” she warns. “There is no safe amount of time for a pet to be left in the car.”
Remember that dogs can’t sweat and the only way they can release heat is by panting. Health experts warn that just being outside can cause danger in the summer months.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | It was uncomfortable to feel the piercing gaze of a stone Confederate soldier in the town square in Tuskegee, Ala., as African American residents set up tents to sell T-shirts, bracelets, food, candles, shea butter, books and bric-a-brac at an annual festival celebrating inventor George Washington Carver.
This week on the calendar: Free cancer screening on May 2; hotel development listening session on May 3; and Lowcountry Giving Day all day on May 3 (give early and give often!)
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! (2019) by editor and publisher Andy Brack offers incisive commentaries on the American South, politics, the common good and interesting South Carolina leaders. Available exclusively for Kindle for $7.99. A paperback version will be ready soon. Learn more.
Charleston Currents is brought to you free of charge thanks to the generosity of our underwriters:
Charleston City Paper, an alt-weekly seen by more than 100,000 people, offers the latest on news, views, arts, dining and music. Sign up for newsletters that will keep you up-to-date all week.
Statehouse Report is a renowned statewide policy and politics forecast published every Friday that informs South Carolina’s opinion leaders with key insights and news.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Use our feed
Send us your comments
Recent Comments