NEWS BRIEFS: Whoa — that is a big ship

Photos by English Purcell, via SC Ports.

Staff reports  |  Hundreds of people snapped pictures last week as the largest ship ever to call on the East Coast sailed into the port of Charleston.

The South Carolina Ports Authority welcomed the record-breaking CMA CGM MARCO POLO to Wando Welch Terminal on May 28. The vessel measures 1,300 feet long and can carry up to 16,022 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units).  That makes the ship as long as 1.5 USS Yorktowns and seven 787-8 Boeing-made Dreamliner jets.

“The S.C. Ports Authority has made South Carolina proud by transforming Charleston into a world-class port that attracts world-class investment and can now accommodate the largest container ships in the world,” S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said. “We welcome the CMA CGM MARCO POLO and look forward to breaking even more records as our infrastructure continues to improve and our economy continues to grow.”

SC Ports has invested $2 billion in port infrastructure in recent years to handle bigger ships and more cargo for customers. Work continues to enhance Wando Welch Terminal, including densifying the terminal, strengthening the berths and investing in new equipment. Wando Welch Terminal will have 15 ship-to-shore cranes with 155 feet of lift height above the wharf deck ready to work container ships later this year.

Additionally, the March opening of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal marked the first container terminal to open in the U.S. since 2009. The Leatherman Terminal adds much-needed port capacity and another berth to the U.S. East Coast port market.

Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District is working to deepen Charleston Harbor to 52 feet; the project is progressing well and is fully funded by state and federal dollars.  According to a news release, the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project achieved a significant milestone this month by reaching 52 feet in the Wando River in front of Wando Welch Terminal. When the project is fully completed in 2022, Charleston will have the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet, capable of seamlessly handling fully loaded mega container ships at any time, any tide.

“SC Ports has invested in big-ship infrastructure and terminal capacity to handle the boom in retail goods and ensure a fluid supply chain for customers. The arrival of the 16,022-TEU CMA CGM MARCO POLO highlights the importance of our big-ship strategy,” SC Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome said. “This is a big moment for South Carolina.”

In other recent news:

State Supreme Court hears suit on Heritage Act.  The S.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard its first challenge to the state law protecting Confederate and other historical monuments since its passage 21 years ago. More: AP News  |   The State  |  The Post and Courier.

State preps for first execution in 10 years.  An inmate on South Carolina’s death row since 2002 who is suing the state over a new death penalty law has been issued an execution notice from the S.C. Supreme Court. The execution should be carried out on June 18.  In May, Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a measure that set the electric chair as the default mode of execution for those on death row, although inmates can choose death by firing squad. Read more in Statehouse Report.

Early municipal estimates for fed money off mark in S.C.  Seventeen municipalities in South Carolina have learned they will receive $67.9 million less from federal coronavirus relief than they first expected. That adjusted estimate is felt differently among the towns and cities — with most seeing a 15 percent or less decline in expected funds. But for Bluffton, Conway, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston and North Myrtle Beach, the amounts were between 39 and 80 percent lower than expected. More: The Post and Courier

A third of S.C. residents worry about eviction, foreclosures, data shows.  Nearly 30 percent of South Carolinians are worried about evictions or foreclosures, according to recent data collected around the country.  More: WIS TV

Howard names reestablished arts program after S.C. native.  Twenty years ago, S.C. native Chadwick Boseman helped lead a student protest against Howard University’s plans to merge its College of Fine Arts into the College of Arts and Sciences. The programs merged anyway. But now, the college will again stand on its own, and bear Boseman’s name as Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.  More: AP News  |  NPR