GOOD NEWS: Literary festival lasts through Saturday, more

Staff reports  |  The Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) is celebrating writing this week through Aug. 4 with  the Write On! Literacy Festival with talks with  authors, workshops and other writing activities.

On July 28, the festival included the first OtrantoCon 2018, a free event for all ages who love anime, comics, science, fiction, fantasy and cosplay, at the Otranto Road Regional Branch.

The Write On! Literacy Festival will feature the following events throughout the week:

• Memoir Writing and Publishing with Cinelle Barnes, Aug. 1.
• African American Women, Literature and Spirituality, Aug. 2.
• Volunteer Fair, Aug. 2.
• An Evening with La Jill Hunt, Aug. 2.
• Outdoor Poetry Reading, Aug. 2.
• Fiction Writing Workshop with Grady Hendrix, Aug. 3.
• Name the Poet Contest
• Featured Event: Write On! Literacy Festival, Aug. 4.

The festival’s primary event will be held at the Main Library, located at 68 Calhoun Street in Charleston, on Aug. 4 and will feature writers and artists including horror story writer Grady Hendrix, poet Richard Garcia, CCPL’s own historian and host of the Charleston Time Machine podcast Dr. Nic Butler, and the keynote speaker and author Nic Stone. Stone was recently named a finalist for the 2018 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for “Dear Martin.” Also, be sure not to miss USC’s Cocky Reading Express Storytime in the Children’s area!

• For a list of the week’s events, click here.

In other Good News:

New chief.  Charleston’s new fire chief, Daniel Curia, will be sworn in 10 a.m. July 31, at Charleston Fire Headquarters in a ceremony attended by Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and local officials.  The headquarters is at 1451 King Street Extension, Charleston.  Welcome, chief!

Big gift.  The International African American Museum is getting closer and closer its goal of raising millions to build the facility on the Cooper River thanks to a $500,000 gift last week from Fluor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Fluor Corporation which has long ties to the state.  Following this gift, the museum has just $1 million left to reach its goal, according to the organization.

Pizza and beer.  EVO and Holy City Brewing will open a sit-down pizza joint at 94 Stuart St., the old location of DeSanto Pizza Bakery in Charleston’s Eastside.  The new operation will include a restaurant, bakery, bar, stage and brewing system to make Belgian beers.  The opening is set for early next year.

Data warehouse.  State officials and a key lawmaker say it may not be too late to rescue a proposed state data warehouse to collect, store and access data on South Carolina students from kindergarten into their employment years. But for now, privacy concerns have shelved the plan, according to a news story by correspondent Lindsay Street in our sister publication, Statehouse Report.