Charleston Currents

FOCUS: The photo sleuth

By Elizabeth Halberstadt | Sunday, July 19, was a particularly hot and humid summer day in Charleston. I planned to browse in the extra-cold air conditioned Barnes & Noble, but instead found myself drawn to the estate sale signs on the road near the bookstore.

The estate sale was for multiple estates and I found a room with black and white photographs. Old photographs have always piqued my interest. I sat on the floor for an hour, sifting and admiring the images with imprints from studios around the country.

by Charleston Currents · 08/10/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

NEWS BRIEFS: Library offers two new streaming services

Charleston County residents now can stream a wide variety of music and award-winning independent films for free through two online services available from Charleston County Public Library.

by Charleston Currents · 08/03/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Get facts straight on sex ed curriculum

By April L. Borkman, special to Charleston Currents | Almost 20 percent of South Carolina middle school students have had sexual intercourse, according to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey This number only continues to increase as students enter and attend high school with 57 percent of high school students reporting being sexually experienced. While we have made abundant strides in reducing teen pregnancy rates in South Carolina over the past 20 years, South Carolina still ranks 11th for teen pregnancy nationally.

On Aug. 4, members of the Charleston County School Board’s Secondary Education Committee (SEC) will vote on a new sex education curriculum, which is called “Making Proud Choices” (MPC). It is an evidence-based, proven, effective and comprehensive sex education curriculum.

by Charleston Currents · 07/27/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: New station to start broadcasting Saturday

Get ready for a new era of local radio when OHM Radio starts broadcasting 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at 96.3 FM on the radio dial.

by Charleston Currents · 07/27/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Thoughtful, considerate action should bring sustainable unity

By Maurice Washington, candidate for mayor | The tragedies of last month will forever be in our memories. Our hearts are with the families of the nine worshippers whose lives were taken in a premeditated rage. In spite of this horrific crime of hate, love has overcome these horrible moments, and, once again, the Charleston community has shown the world how a God-loving community can and should act under the most awful circumstances.

The families of the victims, choosing to forgive rather than condemn, demonstrated the very essence of Christianity. …

by Special to Charleston Currents · 07/20/2015 · Comments are Disabled · 2015 Mayor, Focus, Good news

GOOD NEWS: Community raises concerns about carriage horses

Thousands now say horses should not be used in Charleston to pull wagons, according to a News2 poll started Friday. As of 7 a.m. today, more than three in four votes said carriage horses shouldn’t be used, compared to 1,394 (21.4 percent) that approved of the practice.

by Charleston Currents · 07/20/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

MORRIS: Charleston is part of a global community

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | My husband and I traveled all over Australia last month. At the beginning of June, only a few people we met were familiar with Charleston, our fair city. By the end of our travels because of the tragedy at Mother Emanuel, most of the people we met knew of Charleston.

Their comments were kind expressions of sorrow, but also of how they were impressed by the total community support and display of love and unity that Charleston showed to the families of the victims. This unity was felt by the world.

We did that part right. We let the world know that Charleston is not a place of hate. …

by Kyra Morris · 07/13/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Money, Views

GOOD NEWS: Almost $2 million raised in mayor’s race

Three candidates are dominating fundraising in the 2015 race to replace Charleston Mayor Joe Riley. Less than $65,000 separates them despite their fundraising almost $1.5 million:

by Charleston Currents · 07/13/2015 · Comments are Disabled · 2015 Mayor, Good news, News briefs

Harriet Tubman Bridge, Combahee River, S.C. by David Shriver Soliday

GOOD NEWS: “A Community United” benefit set for Thursday

Staff reports | Charleston’s food and beverage community will honor the victims, families and congregation of Mother Emanuel AME Church with “A Community United” gathering from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 9.

by Charleston Currents · 07/06/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs

FOCUS: Two groups seek to increase youth mentoring

By Nicole LaChance | Two Charleston-area organizations are expanding their existing partnership in hopes of increasing the long-term success of local youth and boosting the region’s economic future.

Be a Mentor, an in-school mentoring program that works to ensure that every child in the Lowcountry has a caring adult in their lives, and Charleston Young Professionals (CYP), Charleston’s premier organization for young professionals, aim to involve 10 percent of CYP members in mentoring by the end of the year.

by Charleston Currents · 07/06/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news