Buy a home at a reasonable rate with a VA loan in Charleston, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) The city of North Charleston and the Charleston County School District are collaborating to improve academic achievement at north Charleston schools with a joint commission. School leaders say this is a call to action to create change in North Charleston schools.

After a previous North Charleston Mayor called to leave the Charleston County School District several months ago, the city of North Charleston and Charleston County School District are working together to improve their schools. North Charleston schools have faced problems with absences, homelessness, language barriers and more that the city and school district are working to fix.

“There’s a sense of collective responsibility to address the problem and of course our school and our communities aren’t the problem but there are things that are really tough that we are working through things connected to personal immigration access to healthcare those things are really tough for a community but it’s not if everyone comes together and brings their resources and connects those,” said Stephen Larson, from the CCSD joint commission

“We have come together to make things happen in north Charleston. Mayor Burgess and Anita Huggins want to make sure that all children are treated equally and get the best here in North Charleston to make all our children succeed,” said Dr. Kathi Love, the children and family coordinator for the city of north Charleston.

The list of recommendations includes more access to community centers in the North Charleston literacy and tutoring program, access to career and technical education and collaboration on joint land purchase for academic athletic and recreational use. They will also launch a community involvement campaign against truancy, gun violence and substance abuse.

“I think it’s a positive start and I think we’re going to continue and this way we can be a pilot program for other areas,” said Love.

The city and school district will work together on each of these recommendations. The city will provide land for children’s activities, more community centers for tutoring and people from the city will work on initiative against absences and substance abuse. The school district will work to hear students’ needs to identify what is important for them to succeed.

“We have disproportionate access to the children; we see them every day so not only do we have access on how to make our communities healthier and more engaged in school. We can also be really effective with other messages from other points of view in the community to come in and support what kids are doing,” said Larson.

The joint commission says for the initiative to succeed everyone in the city must play an active role.

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Just in time for Halloween, Forbes magazine is out with its list of most haunted houses in each state.

South Carolina’s is 20 South Battery, formerly the Battery Carriage House in Charleston. Now an 11-room inn, the house dates to 1843 and has seen any number of uses, from private homes for native Charlestonians and after the Civil War a Union Army officer.

It was a place to rent a room for Navy sailors and holds the distinction of being the location where The Society for the Preservation of Old Dwellings (now the Preservation Society of Charleston, and the oldest preservation society in the country) was formed in 1920.

The house was renovated for an inn after serving as apartments for college students and then renovated anew in 2018 in a painstaking historic fashion that brought it Charleston’s highest honor, the Preservation Society’s Carolopolis Award.

But the ghost stories have endured, spread along by various ghost tour companies that show all of the many Charleston places believed to be haunted.

Forbes highlights the “a headless apparition, a spectral gathering and the courteous ‘Gentleman Ghost.”

Ghost tour operator Julian Buxton points out the menacing and ugly inhabitant in Room 8, a legless spirit of a Confederate soldier.

Ghost City Tours says the Room 8 apparition has also been a lady in white or a small child.

In Room 3, a couple saw a flying orb and called in a psychic to get rid of it, according to Ghost City Tours.

Room 10 has the best chance of seeing a ghost, Ghost City tours states.

That’s where the Gentleman Ghost shares the room with guests.

“People who have seen the apparition of the Gentleman Ghost have described him as a grayish shadow. He usually appears to be of average height and built, and tends to glide about the room rather stylishly,” the tour company states on its website. “The ghost is quite fond of the bed, and has been known to startle guests by lying peacefully on the bed.”

To view Forbes’ entire list of most haunted houses in every state, click here.

MORNING NEWSBREAK | South Carolinians set a new voting record on what was the state’s first day of the two-week early voting stretch in the 2024 election.

The State Election Commission said 125,913 voters cast a ballot Monday, beating the previous one-day record for early voting during the 2022 midterms at 70,10o.

On top of early voting ballots, more than 47,000 absentee ballots had been returned as of Tuesday, according to the commission.

“We are thrilled to see voters embracing the convenience of early voting, and we are anticipating a significant turnout for this election,” said Howie Knapp, the agency’s executive director.

Here’s the breakdown of ballots cast in the Lowcountry:

Voting centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday Nov. 2. The early voting centers, which can be found through scvotes.gov, are closed Sunday, Oct. 27.

Meanwhile, the state American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ system made it impossible for some 17,000 eligible teenagers to register to vote while obtaining a driver’s license or other identification. The lawsuit also names the State Election Commission.

In other headlines:

CP NEWS: Cogswell throws wrench in Ashley River pedestrian bridge plan. Charleston Mayor William Cogswell presented a revamped new design Tuesday for a pedestrian-bike bridge across the Ashley River, which has already been designed, vetted, approved and funded for about $80 million after years of work. But now the new plan unveiled at a city council meeting represents a possible wrench in the works. The freshman mayor’s proposed changes could delay the construction — and likely cause a hike in costs, observers say.

Charleston chosen as one of the friendliest places in the U.S. Among two recent studies, Charleston was dubbed a top location for varying accolades. Among them: home to some of America’s kindest and most helpful locals, and a favorite city in which to celebrate Halloween.

Charleston Waterkeeper kicks off shellfish harvesting with oyster recycling. Charleston Waterkeeper hosted its first weekly oyster recycling event Tuesday where volunteers picked through debris to sort oyster shells. Volunteers were looking for items such as saltine cracker wrappers, forks, and even hot sauce containers.

Patriots Point powers Charleston economy with $205M impact. Patriots Point is estimated to have a $205 million economic impact on the Charleston Tri-county region, according to a study by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.

Charleston residents request non-lethal coyote control. The Wagener Terrace community in downtown Charleston is suggesting a formal coyote mitigation plan that focuses on education, deterrence and avoidance over lethal action.

Charleston Co. leaders look to improve Dorchester Road. Charleston County leaders are seeking public feedback regarding a project that will look at Dorchester Road from the county line on the road down to Michaux Parkway. A study conducted in this area showed that almost 1,500 car accidents were reported just from 2018 to 2022, causing nine deaths and over 500 injuries.

Coastal Carolina Fair returns to Ladson in time for Halloween. The return of the Coastal Carolina Fair is a true sign that fall is here! This year’s event opens on Halloween and runs through November 10.

Radio Shack returns to S.C. Electronics lovers can head to Northwoods Mall in North Charleston to shop at the state’s only official Radio Shack store.

Lowcountry count reveals snapshot of homeless population. The numbers from the 2024 Point in Time Count were released Tuesday by the Lowcountry Continuum of Care, which counted the number of people experiencing homelessness in a single night.

$1.7M of Johns Island land considered for new county park. Charleston County Parks is looking at $1.7 million worth of land around Simmons Creek on Johns Island to bring greater water access to parts of the area that are seeing some of the largest growth as a new county park.

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| Oct 22 2024 at 07:48 AM | Logistics

Yusen Logistics (Americas), Inc., a leading global supply chain company specializing in ocean and air freight forwarding, warehousing, and supply chain management services, is pleased to announce its relocation and expansion to a new facility in Charleston, SC. This new 89,000 sq. ft. transload and distribution center features 130 dock doors and 645 trailer parking spaces, making it ideal for transloading services. Located near the Port of Charleston, the operation can handle thousands of containers annually, ensuring seamless unloading and preparation for final delivery.

“We are excited to continue supporting our customers from a new permanent location in Charleston,” says Greg Futato, Senior Vice President of the Contract Logistics Group for Yusen Logistics. “We outgrew ourtemporary transload center, where we transloaded approximately 8,000 cargo containers annually. This move allows us to enhance our capabilities to support the significant growth of our current major retail client and provide services to new customers in the Charleston market.”

SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin stated, “South Carolina Ports congratulates our partners at Yusen Logistics on this critical warehouse expansion that will support our retail shippers and importers in the booming Southeast. This investment provides much-needed capacity for our customers and keeps the South Carolina port market competitive”.

Yusen Logistics’ Contract Logistics Group serves as the company’s warehousing and distribution arm. With 35 distribution facilities across the U.S., the group operates more than 7.4 million square feet of warehouse space, with transload distribution centers strategically located at key East and West Coast ports, including Charleston, Savannah, New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles/Long Beach, and Seattle/Tacoma. Recent expansions have included a 320,000-square-foot facility in Indianapolis, IN, a 180,000-square-foot facility in Sumner, WA, and the acquisition of Taylored Services in 2023, which added 2.9 million square feet of capacity in the U.S.

“As with all our operations, the new Charleston site will integrate our best-in-class logistics experts, processes, and technology to deliver services that consistently exceed our customers’ expectations,” adds Futato. “Our customer-focused approach, based on Kaizen—continuous improvement—allows us to optimize distribution, materials handling, order processing, transloading, and shipment management,resulting in faster fulfillment and better service.”

"The new Charleston location is at 2000 Charleston Regional Parkway, Charleston, SC 29492. It will replace the company's current site and will open in late November 2024."

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Published: Oct. 21, 2024 at 7:49 PM PDT|

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The future of the Citadel Mall is on its way to becoming a new and improved development.

The City of Charleston had its Design Review Board meeting earlier this afternoon and approved the design guidelines presented.

This is a 75-page-long document, outlining some of the design elements that will be considered when that process begins including mixed-use outdoor and indoor properties.

Kim Simmons is the assistant manager at Edwin Watts, right across the street from the Citadel Mall.

“The Citadel Mall needs a facelift,” Simmons says. “You know I just think it would be great for this area and West Ashley in general, to have more things to do too.”

She says the potential ideas for the redesigns could improve their business, among other local stores in the area.

The applicants presented their final draft of the Design Guidelines for future development, where they want to incorporate a Charleston aesthetic while considering West Ashley families.

“Oh, the beautiful pastel colors, the columns, and the Spanish moss…if they could get that somehow designed in, I’d spend as much time as I could there,” Community member Mick Levitz says.

While presenting their ideas to the board, the applicants suggest a traditional, timeless environment while modernizing what needs to be done.

Design Review Board member Ashley Jackrel says the outdoor space, landscaping and greenery in the design guidelines could improve the location’s sustainability while attracting more people.

“This is kind of a sea of asphalt right? Like who wants to hang out in the Citadel Mall parking lot in the middle of summer… I know I don’t. And so there have been some really creative strategies employed there at the mall but in terms of really making it a healthy environment it really takes a full overhaul, right?” Jackrel says.

Following the meeting board members were excited for future plans.

“So it is incredibly difficult to come up with a design guideline document outlining what the expectations are, without really being kind of somewhat restrictive with what that creativity could look like in that final product,” Jackrel says.

As for the next steps, these are the expectations set for the future designers and architects which have not yet been confirmed.

The applicants did say they expected to start development in 2025, but Jackrel said it may take longer depending on their creative process.

The 88-plus acre existing site includes over 1.1 million square feet of retail uses, and the document stated that Belk, Dillard’s, Target and the Medical University of South Carolina are staying put.

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