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James Island resident Rose Ann Boxx mourns the death of her brother from cancer almost 40 years ago. Photo by Andy Brack.

FOCUS: Lejeune’s toxic water haunts James Island survivor

Staff reports | When James Island resident Rose Ann Boxx’s brother turned 32 in the late 1970s, he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

The diagnosis for Robert Thomas, came as a surprise — because of his age and also because there was no history of cancer of any kind on either side of the family. But another surprise loomed for kids like Rose Ann and Robert who spent formative years in the late 1950s at Camp Lejeune where their father was a Marine — the water was toxic, poisoned for more than three decades by chemicals that leaked into the water supply. Thousands — including Robert and, eventually, Rose Ann — got cancer.

She recalled last week how her older brother Robert went through several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment to try to reverse the disease’s spread. In the throes of the disease, he managed to make jokes, she said, likening himself to a large Pac-Man, his body being slowly gnawed away by a foreign, floating enemy.

by Charleston Currents · 10/24/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, News

FOCUS: Hundreds march to support reproductive freedom

By Andy Brack | More than 600 people, many of them shouting “My body, my choice,” marched midday Saturday from Charleston City Hall to the U.S. Custom House to support reproductive rights.

Across the state, hundreds more were expected at similar rallies in Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach to send a strong message against a restrictive abortion measure, known as the “fetal heartbeat” law, that state legislators passed in February.

Organizer Erica Cokley, left, rallies the marchers at the U.S. Custom House.

“The marches this weekend continue to highlight the still heinous attitudes toward women in South Carolina,” said Charleston women’s right’s advocate Jennet Robinson Alterman “Consider that women did not serve on juries until 1969. We have among the highest rates of infant and maternal mortality in the U.S.

“Women’s reproductive rights are practically nonexistent. Women are still paid significantly less than men to name just a few of the reasons we march and march and march.”

by Andy Brack · 10/04/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News

FOCUS: Survey seeks input for priorities leaders should pursue

By Skyler Baldwin | One Region, a partnership of regional government and business groups, has released a survey aimed at further understanding the needs of the residents and businesses in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, along with input on what opportunities leaders should pursue.

“One Region is going straight to the source to hear from the Berkeley-Charleston Dorchester community, so we can build on the lessons learned from COVID-19 and anticipate potential threats to our region’s economy,” said One Region chair Kendra Stewart. She is also director of the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston.

by Charleston Currents · 07/05/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, News

FOCUS: Rain inundates Charleston, closing 17 streets Sunday

Staff reports | More than five inches of the rain that drenched the Charleston peninsula Saturday caused traffic snarls Sunday as floodwaters had no place to go — even after the rain stopped.

As of 12:15 p.m. Sunday, 17 roads were closed due to flooding throughout the city, according to Charleston police. Thigh-high waters were reported in the Hospital District, and several cars were stalled throughout the peninsula. By early afternoon, streets started reopening, including the Septima Clark Parkway, also known as the “Crosstown.”

Charleston officials said street-sweeping and grounds crews worked Sunday to clean up waste that accumulated after the storm. Stormwater crews also cleared debris from storm drains and will work Monday to identify remaining blockages.

by Charleston Currents · 06/14/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, News

FOCUS: Tips on tax day if you can’t afford to pay now

Staff reports | State and federal individual income taxes are due today, a month after the regular deadline thanks to the pandemic. But what do you do if you can’t afford to pay right now? The S.C. Department of Revenue (SCDOR) says there are options:

First, the IRS advises, don’t panic. Both the IRS and the SCDOR offer payment plans that may be available to you.

Second, here’s what the agencies say not to do:

* Do not delay filing your return on time. Filing your return on time will reduce the amount of penalty and interest you will owe, which is added based on the amount of tax not paid by the due date (which is May 17 this year).

* Do not believe paying installments to the SCDOR and the IRS is your only choice. Weigh your options. …

by Charleston Currents · 05/17/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News

NEWS BRIEFS: $500 million fund is new to state’s $10 billion spending plan

Staff reports | South Carolina House members will consider something new this week in the state’s $10 billion budget — a single line item that sets aside $500 million to keep agencies from making midyear cuts that could be brought on by unexpected pandemic expenses.

by Charleston Currents · 03/22/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News

FOCUS: $1 million challenge to fuel no-kill effort to save animals

Staff reports | The Charleston Animal Society on Sunday announced plans to make South Carolina become a “no-kill state” for animals by 2024 through a $1 million challenge grant from the Petco Foundation.

“Our efforts with No Kill South Carolina over the past six years have made tremendous gains in the fight to save animals in every corner of the state,” said Charleston Animal Society President and CEO Joe Elmore during the organization’s 147th annual meeting. “The trending shows that we can make this groundbreaking initiative a reality by 2024.”

According to the society, “no kill” is a term used in animal welfare that refers to the goal of saving “all healthy and treatable dogs and cats, typically about 90 percent.” No-kill communities do not euthanize animals for space. Instead …

by Charleston Currents · 03/15/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News

NEWS BRIEFS: Charleston Animal Society celebrates 8-year milestone

Staff reports | Charleston County is the oldest No Kill Community for dogs and cats in the Southeast, as Charleston Animal Society said last week in a release celebrating eight years as a No Kill Community.

by Charleston Currents · 02/01/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News

Image from an 1878 book of the Best Friend of Charleston. Via Wikipedia.

FOCUS: Charleston has rich, eclectic history in past Decembers

Staff reports | Our handy little book about Charleston-area history, the aptly-named 350 Facts About Charleston, includes lots of cool stuff about happenings during the holiday season.

** Book is a perfect holiday stocking stuffer. Order online today or ask your local bookseller.

Here’s an eclectic mix of Charleston’s history and trivia to enjoy:

Nation’s first passenger rail service started on Christmas in 1830

The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered locomotive that powered the nation’s first passenger rail service following an inaugural run on Dec. 25, 1830, on a six-mile route starting in Charleston. Ironically, the Best Friend also became another first — the first locomotive to experience a boiler explosion in an accident on June 17, 1831.

by Charleston Currents · 12/14/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, History, News

Blast from the past: Christine Mermer, Noel Mermer, former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, Stephanie Barna and Blair Barna in a 2003 photo.

NEWS: City Paper’s Mermer passes away Saturday

Noel Stephen Mermer, the 53-year-old founding publisher of the Charleston City Paper, died late Saturday after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

by Charleston Currents · 10/05/2020 · Comments are Disabled · News