Charleston Currents

Good news

FOCUS: Don’t let S.C. become a nuclear dumping ground

By Julie Hussey and JoAnne Day | Nuclear waste is one of those things most people hope someone else is thinking about. The good news is that for 40 years, members of the League of Women Voters of South Carolina (LWVSC) have been following waste issues at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Recent national and international proposals require all South Carolinians to become informed and take action.

Nuclear waste is usually from commercial power production and weapons facilities. All forms of U.S. nuclear waste are the responsibility of the U.S. government. Although the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies have been generically charged with this responsibility, Congress establishes national policies and appropriates funds.

by Charleston Currents · 01/04/2016 · 1 comment · Focus

GOOD NEWS: City offers new business license renewal system

Starting Jan. 5, the City of Charleston will allow business owners to renew licenses online through a new Customer Access Portal at http://charleston-sc.gov/cap.

The new online business license renewal system is a password-protected, secure system that can be accessed by businesses that receive a business license renewal notice in the mail.

by Charleston Currents · 01/04/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

GOOD NEWS: On Santa, sea level rise, banquet, more

Good news for Dec. 28, 2015: Nice far outweighed naughty in Statehouse Report’s annual list by columnist Andy Brack. On the Nice list: Gov. Nikki Haley and state legislators for finally removing the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds; former U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, Clemson, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, flood aid workers, the counties in the S.C. Lowcountry Promise Zone, The Post and Courier and former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis.

by Charleston Currents · 12/28/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: One powerful action to close out the year

By Ben Fanning | The holiday season can run you ragged, and it’s easy to get swept up finishing projects and preparing for special events. By the time January rolls around, you may find yourself feeling exhausted and even behind.

Instead, take one powerful action, close out the year to set yourself up for more success, and build positive momentum…

Reflect.

by Charleston Currents · 12/21/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: What do you think of the new state license plate?

You’ll start seeing a new license plate for cars in South Carolina early next year as a new design is phased in. The plate features a white background with an iconic palmetto tree and crescent design in the center that is a reverse of the state flag. (Some say it’s a crescent moon; others say it’s a gorget.)

by Charleston Currents · 12/21/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

Students from North Charleston Elementary and Mason Prep are participating in the new Kindred Kids program by Wings for Kids. Photo provided by Mason Prep.

FOCUS: Promoting friendship, understanding with Kindred Kids

By Bridget Laird | In the wake of yet two more high-profile mass shootings—in Colorado Springs and San Bernardino—and as two more communities embark on the long, painful healing process, America is again confronted with the terrible toll of intolerance and hatred.

Our own community, here in Charleston, continues to struggle against those forces. And we are all working daily to soothe the still-raw wounds of the nine murders at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the latest tragedy in our city’s long legacy of racist violence.

However, in response to an attack intended to inspire increased hatred and divisiveness, Charleston has instead witnessed the tremendous power of community and compassion.

by Charleston Currents · 12/14/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: BBB offers tips for holiday season

The Christmas season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. The following tips from the Better Business Bureau can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.

by Charleston Currents · 12/14/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Helping S.C.’s flood victims over the holidays

By Steve Skardon | The circumstances of many destitute South Carolinians this holiday season are among the most distressing since Hurricane Hugo. The aftermath of massive flooding, broken dams, and swollen rivers has left thousands in the Midlands and Lowcountry displaced and in chaos as they face the holiday season.

Assistance from both government and non-profit agencies is slow, and many of these families cannot expect to be in back in their own stable living situations for another six to eight months.

The effects of this netherworld weigh heavily on children, especially with Christmas only weeks away. Many of them have been forced to leave their friends and neighborhoods and sleep on the floors of generous family members, while their parents struggle to make ends meet.

by Charleston Currents · 12/07/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Pinckney, Haley, Riley to be honored by Institute

Staff reports | The Riley Institute at Furman University in January will honor the late state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, the pastor slain in June with eight worshippers in Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, with the David H. Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership, the Institute has announced.

Also to be recognized with the Wilkins Award for Excellence in Civic Leadership are S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and outgoing Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, both of whom will speak at the event and discuss their collaboration during the crisis involving the deaths the Emanuel Nine.

by Charleston Currents · 12/07/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

The new campus will open in January in Hunley Park.

Palmetto Scholars Academy is an education success story

By Kristen L. French | Palmetto Scholars Academy (PSA) was founded in 2009 with a mission to serve gifted students in the Lowcountry. Many schools are not equipped to meet the different learning needs of gifted children. This often leads to laziness, boredom, frustration, a loss of self-esteem and underachievement. PSA has developed a liberal arts environment which provides academic and artistic challenges while also serving the social and emotional needs of gifted students. PSA is open to all South Carolina students from 6th to 12th grades, resulting in a diverse student population that crosses economic and demographic lines.

Tolerance of each other’s differences seems to come naturally to the PSA community. The teachers and staff foster tolerance while maintaining a disciplined environment.

by Charleston Currents · 11/30/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news