Charleston Currents – 2018

Archive for September, 2018

Image courtesy City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs

FOCUS: 35th annual MOJA Festival starts Thursday

Staff reports | Eleven days of fun, exciting events ranging from dance, music and theatre that celebrate African-American and Caribbean arts are about to take off.

The 35th annual MOJA Arts Festival launches Thursday and will run through Oct. 7 with a rich variety of traditional favorites that make the festival continue as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s 20 top events of the year. Even better: Nearly half of MOJA’s events are admission-free, and the remainder are offered at modest ticket prices.

“Moja,” a Swahili word meaning “one,” is the appropriate name for this festival celebration of harmony among all people in our community, according to the festival’s website.

by Charleston Currents · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

BRACK: 17 policy questions for South Carolina candidates

Commentary by Andy Brack, editor and publisher | This is the time of the political season that an odd dance begins.

Politicians want to present a compelling image so you’ll cast a vote for them. But they often don’t want to give away too much of what they really think in case it gets them in trouble. So they may hedge, waffle or give so much bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo that the questioner falls asleep.

by Andy Brack · 09/24/2018 · 1 comment · Andy Brack, Views

GOOD NEWS: Small grants available to spark your great idea

Staff reports | Lowcountry On the Table, the community-wide discussion held at hundreds of locations across the region on Oct .4, will offer “Spark Grants” of up to $500 to people who want a little help to get a great idea going.

And it’s pretty darned easy to apply. Instead of being burdened with a bunch of bureaucratic mumbo jumbo, all you have to do is make a short video on your cell phone of what you want to do and send it to the fine folks at Lowcountry On the Table.

by Charleston Currents · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

MYSTERY PHOTO: Top of a building

After two weeks of relatively easy mysteries, this one might be tough. So tough, in fact, that you might need a hint: It’s somewhere in South Carolina but not in the Charleston area. Send your guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo: Our Sept. 17 mystery showed a different kind of 21 Club located at 21 Magazine Street in Charleston – site of the Old City Jail.

by Charleston Currents · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Mystery Photo, Photos

CALENDAR: Sign up to host a Lowcountry On the Table gathering

Staff reports | You’re encouraged to host a small-group discussion in your home, at your church, in a local restaurant or in a library anytime on Oct. 4 to take part in Lowcountry On The Table, a citizen-driven process to identify issues and suggest solutions.

by Charleston Currents · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · calendar

9/24, full issue: MOJA starts; Candidate questions; Spark grants

IN THIS ISSUE of Charleston Currents | Sept. 24, 2018

FOCUS: 35th annual MOJA Festival starts Thursday
COMMENTARY, Brack: 17 policy questions for South Carolina candidates
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston RiverDogs
GOOD NEWS: Small grants available to spark your great idea
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Top of a building
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Artist William Halsey
CALENDAR: Sign up to host a Lowcountry On the Table gathering

by Andy Brack · 09/24/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Full issue

Myrtle Beach crews cut trees to pull them off lines off 48th avenue. (Photos courtesy of Santee Cooper.)

FOCUS, photo essay: Santee Cooper crews restore power

Staff reports | Electrical power started popping off early Saturday as Hurricane Florence lingered, dumping rain throughout eastern North Carolina, the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. More than a million reportedly lost power in North Carolina. In South Carolina in Santee Cooper’s retail service area, more than 50,000 customers lost power in the storm.

But the utility’s crews, ready for days to jump into action, quickly got to work to restore service to homes and 21 transmission delivery points, most of which were in the North Myrtle Beach-Little River region, according to spokesman Mollie Gore.

Crews, who battled foul weather and wind for hours, were able to turn on the lights to 48,000 customers by Sunday afternoon – a huge effort after a huge storm.

by Charleston Currents · 09/17/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, Photo Essay

Santee Cooper line workers stocked trucks in Myrtle Beach on Thursday before arrival of Hurricane Florence. Photo provided by Santee Cooper.

BRACK: Be thankful for South Carolina’s public servants

By Andy Brack | If it were not for the dedicated men and women who keep the state ticking in good times and bad, imagine what life would be like. Instead of having a team of people who make our lives easier, we’d all have to be more self-sufficient. We’d have to take care of the educating, protecting, building and all sorts of other stuff every single day.

by Andy Brack · 09/17/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views

GOOD NEWS: It missed us

This week, the good news is simple: Hurricane Florence mostly missed Charleston. There was some wind and rain, but a huge storm surge never materialized. We were lucky.

But our good news is bittersweet, because the storm devastated and drenched eastern North Carolina, the Grand Strand and the Pee Dee. In the days ahead comes the aftermath..

Now, however, is the time to help those who need help – just like millions helped people here 29 years ago after Hurricane Hugo.

by Charleston Currents · 09/17/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Good news

MYSTERY PHOTO: A different kind of 21 Club

The only hint you’ll get is the number 21 in this photo, but we can assure you it’s not the famous 21 Club and former speakeasy on West 52nd Street in New York City. But what and where is it? Send your guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo
Our Sept. 10 mystery was a little easier for folks because the previous one had been so hard. We again showed bold, beautiful clouds and marsh, as in the Sept. 4 mystery, but these were more recognizable as a view from the westbound lane of U.S. Highway 17 from the bridge over the Ashley River.

by Charleston Currents · 09/17/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Mystery Photo, Photos