NEWS BRIEFS: Annual chili cook-off raises big money to help animals

Charleston Animal Society’s Joe Elmore, right, talks with Palmetto Brewery’s Collin Clark.

Staff reports  | Animal lovers donated almost $400,000 Saturday during the Charleston Animal Society’s 20th annual Chili Cook-off, an event that was virtual for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sixty five teams participated in the online cook-off to generate donations from 927 people and organizations for a total of $388,716, according to the Animal Society’s website.   You can view the event, recorded live Saturday, by clicking here.

The cook-off, which is South Carolina’s largest celebration of animals, provides money for Toby’s Fund, which fuels veterinary medical care for homeless animals at the nonprofit. 

Also Saturday, the organization announced winners of a contest to pick its spokesdog and spokescat for 2020.  Both winners — Pete as spokesdog and Mr. T. as spokescat — will be featured on cans of Rescue Brew beer produced by Palmetto Brewing Company.  It will hold a launch party for the beer from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at its Huger Street location.  The beer will be available in retail locations after that.

In other recent news:

Dupree, Bass headed to Raleigh.  Noted cookbook author Nathalie Dupree and historian husband Jack Bass are relocating to North Carolina to be closer to family.  “Now, I have to deal with how much I will miss Charleston,” Dupree told the Charleston City Paper. “It’s an exciting place to live, and I feel like I’m leaving it without really being able to eat my favorite foods.” Check out the full story to find how her colleagues are taking the news.

Airport testing site.  Charleston International Airport and MUSC Health have collaborated to offer a mobile COVID-19 diagnostic testing site that will be open Monday to Wednesday this week from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Leaders for the two organizations are urging the community to get tested prior to any travel or holiday gatherings. The testing site will be located on the fourth floor of the airport’s Daily Parking Garage in North Charleston.

Thornley receives Order of the Palmetto. Trident Technical College President Mary Thornley received the state’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto, from Gov. Henry McMaster Nov. 19 during a virtual Trident Technical College Foundation board meeting.  Thornley has worked at the college for 47 years. She was hired as an adjunct instructor in 1973 and became a full-time instructor the next year. Over time she moved up the ranks and held positions including department head, dean and vice president for academic affairs. She was named president in 1991. During her tenure, the college has more than doubled in physical size, and the college’s enrollment has grown to almost 12,000 students, making Trident Tech the third largest college in the state. 

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