NEWS BRIEFS: Thousands take part in Saturday’s  Cooper River Bridge Run

Steve Aycock Photography.

Staff reports  |  An estimated 12,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair participants ran over the Ravenel Bridge from Mount Pleasant to Charleston in the 44th annual Cooper River Bridge Run, an event postponed from spring by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The event, which traditionally attracts 40,000 entrants, this year was limited.

NCAA champion Edward Cheserek, a Kenyan who now lives in the United States, won overall with a 28:28, a pace of 4:34 minutes per mile.  The top women’s runner was Nell Rojas of Boulder, Colo, whose time was 31:52, a pace of 5.07 minutes per mile. More.  The 2022 race, the first since 2019, was the first Charleston race for both winners.  In the wheelchair division, Hermin Garic set a record of 22 minutes, 57.63 seconds, while Aerelle Jones won the women’s race.  More.  The 45th annual Cooper River Bridge Run is slated to be April 2, 2022.

In other recent news:

End of eviction moratorium may hurt thousands in S.C.  Housing services, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups throughout South Carolina say they are dealing with staggering numbers of renters facing potential eviction after the end of a moratorium that had kept thousands safely housed through financial hardships levied by the pandemic. Before the pandemic and subsequent eviction moratorium, South Carolina was already deeply entrenched in a housing crisis — evicting more tenants per capita than any other state from 2000 to 2016, according to a study by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. And now, landlords have the green light to let off the brakes.  Read more.

State high court upholds most of Heritage Act.  The S.C. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the Heritage Act, which prevents removal or changing of public monuments or names without the legislature’s approval, is legal. However, the same ruling struck down the two-thirds majority needed in the General Assembly to make the removal or name change. More: AP News, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, The State, The Orangeburg Times & Democrat.

FEMA changes to spike cost of insuring waterfront homes.  New federal flood insurance rates that better reflect the real risks of climate change are coming. For some homeowners, premiums will rise sharply.  More:  Charleston City Paper; The New York Times.

Cunningham says he has ‘best chance’ of beating McMaster.  Former Congressman Joe Cunningham, the Democratic hopeful for South Carolina governor, didn’t waste time Thursday getting to know Chester County voters. More: The State.

Port volumes remain strong for August. The S.C. Ports Authority handled 114,671 import containers in the month of August. That amount represents an 18% year-over-year increase over last year. More: Charleston Regional Business Journal.