NEWS BRIEFS: Calls to repeal Heritage Act gain ground

Staff reports  |  Close to one-third of state lawmakers say they are for repealing the Heritage Act, according to an organization pushing its repeal. Repeal the Heritage Act said 49 lawmakers have expressed public support for the law’s repeal. It requires two-thirds of the General Assembly’s two chambers to agree to any changes or removals of war and heritage monuments on public property, including those commemorating the Confederacy and African American heritage.

Last week, Charleston City Council voted to remove a statue of John C. Calhoun from atop a 115-foot pedestal at Marion Square.  By Wednesday evening, it was gone.   Read about it here.  After the vote, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson issued an opinion that the statue was not protected by the Heritage Act.

In other news:

Thousands of students haven’t checked in with teachers.  As many as two in 100 South Carolina public school students — 15,000 students — have not checked in with their teachers since mid-March, according to preliminary data collected by the S.C. Department of Education and shared with legislators.   Numbers are lower in Charleston County — about four dozen students — than other parts of the state, likely because of more staffing and resources of the large school district.  

But Lexington Republican Sen. Katrina Shealy told sister publication Statehouse Report that more people need to be worried.  “If two kids go missing it’s a ‘Dateline’ story. If 15,225 kids go missing, it’s either a Stephen King novel or the Rapture happened and we got left behind, and somebody has to be worried,” Shealy said, adding that the more likely outcome will be thousands of children left behind academically. Official numbers are to be released this week.  Read more.

Virus continues to surge.   An average of 1,210 South Carolinians were reported to have coronavirus last week as state health officials said 8,476 people contracted the virus since June 22.  Over the week, 59 more South Carolinians died from the disease for a total of 712 since the pandemic started.  South Carolina has one of the highest rates of infection in the country currently.

Mask ordinance approved in Charleston.  Starting Wednesday, people in the city of Charleston will be required to wear face coverings in public areas, according to a new emergency ordinance that passed last week to reduce risk of exposure to coronavirus. The fine-only ordinance will be in effect for 60 days, according to the city, unless it is terminated earlier.

Early Thanksgiving.  Hats off to employees at the S.C. Port Authority which is donating its 2020 Thanksgiving gift cards to the Lowcountry Food Bank — a gift worth $22,000, according to the food bank.  “We understand the increased need for healthy food this year because of COVID-19, and our teammates want to help,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of SC Ports, in a press release. “We trust the Lowcountry Food Bank as good stewards to fight hunger for our neighbors, and we hope that our contribution inspires additional companies to give.”

Statehouse Report’s Lindsay Street contributed to this section. Have a comment?  Send to:  editor@charlestoncurrents.com