Charleston

Two Local Athletes Make the US Olympics Team!

The 2020 Summer Olympics, which were delayed by a year due to COVID-19 and begin on July 21st in Tokyo, will be welcoming two of our own Charleston natives, Raven Saunders and Khris Middleton. Raven Saunders threw 65 feet 5 inches for a personal best and record breaker in the women's shot put final at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon last week to qualify for the second time to join Team USA. According to Team USA, Raven's throw ranks 5th all-time among US athletes and is the 3rd best shot put in the world so far in 2021. Her Hulk mask and green hair, exuberance following her achievement, and shout-out to Charleston ...

Records Broken at the Port of Charleston

Not only has the Port of Charleston just experienced two record-breaking months in terms of cargo volume handled, but last Friday it welcomed Marco Polo, the record-breaking container ship. Record cargo volumes were achieved in April across many categories and business segments, including containers, vehicles, loaded imports and exports. This was due to continued economic recovery, strong business and population growth across the Southeast, strong manufacturing and automotive sectors in the state and nearby, and improved port capacity due to over $2 billion in recent investment in enhancements, expansions and harbor deepening. Last Friday, the...

Man Finds Prehistoric Shark Tooth on Summerville Construction Site

Summerville’s increasing growth and development has “unearthed” a rather interesting surprise - a fossilized 6.45-inch prehistoric megalodon shark tooth - and there are likely many more to be found!  Matthew Basak, a lifelong fossil enthusiast and employee of Palmetto Fossil Excursions (based in Charleston), reported that he was digging around a Summerville construction site when he uncovered the giant tooth just below the soil.  Although Basak’s fossil find is nearly larger than his hand, it is not the largest megalodon tooth to be found.  The largest megalodon tooth found to date measured in at nearly 6.5 inches, and ...

Local Artist Snags $69.3 Million For One-Of-A-Kind Digital Artwork

Local North Charleston artist, Mike Winkelmann, made history on March 11th when his single digital artwork, entitled “Everydays: The First 5,000 Days”, sold at the renowned Christie’s Auction House for a cool $69 million.  It was the third highest price paid at auction for work by a living artist, and the bidding lasted nearly two weeks.  Winkelmann's art is edgy, contemporary, and reminiscent of a modern Dali, and much of his work appears to satirize real people and events from politics and pop culture.  The big "buzz", however, regarding Winkelmann's work, is not so much the content of his art but the technology that he...

The Charleston Digital Corridor is Growing!

The Charleston Digital Corridor's (CDC) Annual Report for 2020 and Annual Wage and Job Growth Survey, both released in February, reveal that Charleston's local tech hub is growing and contributing to the local economy across several measures: raising capital, hiring, wages, and facility space. Included in this sector are tech and tech-related companies in aerospace, biomedical, creative, defense, software, tech products and tech services. Some of the CDC's initiatives include the CharlestonWorks.com web directory that features these companies, the Charleston Free WiFi Initiative that has thus far brought free and fast WiFi service to 12 area ...

Boeing to Create 100% Sustainably Fueled Jets by 2030

Have you ever heard of a commercial plane that can be flown using 100% sustainable fuel? The answer is probably not. That is because the Boeing ecoDemonstrator flight-test program, in partnership with FedEx, has recently created a 777 freighter as the world's first commercial airplane to use 100% sustainable aviation fuel. In a recent news release, Boeing stated that it pledges to create commercial airplanes that can fly 100% off of sustainable fuel by 2030. If Boeing accomplishes this goal, it will help reach the nationwide industry goal, set by the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act, of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2050. Presi...

Local Saltwater Hydroponic Farm is the First in the Nation 

Did you know that you can grow plants in saltwater? Well, Sam Norton, founder of Heron Farms, has just created the country's first indoor saltwater hydroponics farm. Growing up in the Lowcountry, Sam was no stranger to the flooding that comes with it, and while visiting Bangladesh, he witnessed the devastating effects to farmers of saltwater intrusion on their rice paddy farms. This prompted him to question if, instead of letting this natural occurrence continue to be a burden on many lives, there were a way to use it as a resource instead. Hydroponic farming is different in the sense that, while most farming is done in soil, ...

1,500-acre Tract Added to Francis Marion National Forest

Thanks to the efforts of three local entities, the 8,100-acre Francis Marion National Forest will soon expand to encompass the 1,500-acre White Oak Atlantic Creosote Tract north of McClellanville, home to some of the most enchanting longleaf pine woods in the Lowcountry. Purchased from the White Oak Forestry Corporation, an organization that helps preserve local forestries in and around the Santee Delta, this tract of land will be the National Forest's seventh addition - and its largest to-date. Its purchase was made possible with the support of the Charleston County Greenbelt Program and the federal Land and Water Conservation F...

Volvo Car Stadium Announces Renovations and Modernization 

After 20 years of the Volvo Car Stadium hosting many memorable events on Daniel Island, Ben Navarro, owner of the Charleston Tennis LLC, the parent company of the stadium, decided it was time for the venue to get a makeover. Charleston Tennis LLC has partnered with the City of Charleston to renovate and modernize the space. The new plan will feature a multi-story "Stage House" housing player wellness facilities, media, production, and food preparation areas, and a VIP Club level that will overlook the Center Court. The new structure will provide weather protection and shade for fans and the stage. Everything has been consid...

Boeing to Consolidate 787 Dreamliner Production in Charleston Area

Great news for Charleston! Following an in-depth feasibility study, Boeing has just announced that it will consolidate production of its 787 Dreamliner jets on its North Charleston site in order to improve operational efficiency, recovery and long-term growth in the face of the market downturn brought about by the impact of COVID-19. It aims to do so starting by mid-2021. Its' Everett, Washington site will maintain its focus on producing the 737, 747, 767 and 777 airplanes.  Boeing will continue to assess potential impacts to employment in Everett and North Charleston and will communicate any changes directly to its emp...

The Fastest-Growing Companies in Charleston

Charleston continues to show it's strong entrepreneurial spirit! The 2020 Inc. 5,000 list includes 29 companies from the Charleston metro area that are amongst the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. They represent a wide variety of industry sectors including construction, IT management, and more. A fascinating aspect about the businesses listed is that most of them specialize in helping other businesses grow. For example, Q4Launch, describes their services as "high-quality digital marketing, web design, and content creation to take hospitality businesses to higher levels". No. 2 on Charleston's list is MedTrust, a private amb...

Port of Charleston, South Carolina & the Southeast to benefit from U.S. supply-chain changes

Putting all your eggs into one basket is never a good idea. According to a newly released international trade report prepared by CBRE, the U.S. supply-chain has taken this sage advice and is now looking to diversify away from it’s over dependence on China, with other growing Asian and European markets in its sight. This has the potential of being very beneficial for the Port of Charleston, which doubled its cargo volume over the past decade, making it one of the four fastest-growing seaports in the U.S.! (READ MORE...)

Say "Hello" to Citibot!

Are you tired of narrowly dodging the same pothol...

U.K. Automotive Manufacturer ARKONIK, LTD. Selects Charleston for its First U.S. Location and North American Headquarters
(Charleston Regional Development Alliance)

The region’s fast-growing automotive manufacturing sector has added a new key player, Arkonik Ltd, a world leader in creating custom vehicles, has selected Charleston for its first U.S. location and North American headquarters.

Established in 2006 and headquartered in the United Kingdom, Arkonik Ltd., specializes in the restoration and customization of Land Rover Defenders for customers all over the world.  They also plan to manufacture an electric vehicle in 2021. Arkonik anticipates steady growth potential for its new Spe...

Charleston Businesses Get a Double Whammy

Many of the downtown restaurants, retail shops and hotels that normally would have been serving a high volume of out-of-town visitors at this time of year but had to close partially or totally during the pandemic "stay-at-home" order were just re-opening and looking forward to making up for their losses. Unfortunately the rally in downtown Charleston on Saturday, May 30th to protest police handling of George Floyd in Minneapolis developed into an uncontrolled riot and looting spree along King Street and neighboring streets later that night. Many businesses were affected and saw their windows broken and merchandise looted. Many local volunteer b...

COVID-19 Pandemic - Update & Recovery Efforts

Although Governor McMaster further extended South Carolina's State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic into the middle of May, we are beginning to see the relaxing of some restrictions on access, activity and operations in new orders and in the lifting of previous orders aimed at reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus (click here to access SC Executive Orders).  Public boat ramps and launches, beaches (subject to local jurisdictions) and some types of retail establishments re-opened in April with limitations.  Starting in early May, State Parks, Charleston County parks, most City of Charleston and Town of Mount Pleasant parks ar...

We Are All in This Together! 

There are many resources available to help us navigate through this very challenging and uncertain time brought upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some even provide us with opportunities to, in turn, support our local businesses and economy. Collectively, this will help us all come out better once we emerge from this. As part of our efforts to assist, we have identified and provided links to several helpful resources.  Please let us know of others to help us continue to update this list:

Business & Employment:
SC DEW Employment & Workforce COVID-19 Resource Hub - Click Here
SC Manufacturers Alliance Summary of COVID-19 Resources - Click Here
Small business reso...

Conceptual study released on the proposed Lowcountry Lowline

There's news about the Lowcountry Lowline, a linear park system proposed for the defunct rail corridor that runs along the high-ground spine of the Charleston peninsula.  This space was purchased by the City with negotiation assistance from the nonprofit Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline. There’s a new “conceptual study” but further design work awaits public input. The Friends now see a green "mobility system," parks and walking paths going not only north and south but east and west, ways to get more people out from behind the wheel of their cars. A bonus may be new ways of handling large volumes of storm water to alleviate...

Local Band Wins Grammy for Best Regional Album in American Roots

Charleston band Ranky Tanky formed in 2016, released its first album in 2017, first performed on TV in March 2019 on the Today show and just won a Grammy under the category of Best Regional Roots Music Album for their album called "Good Time". This is the first Gullah album to receive a Grammy nomination and win. Ranky Tanky is a Gullah term loosely translated to "Work It" or "Get Funky" and describes exactly what the band embodies. The band's three College of Charleston alums consider themselves ambassadors to the Gullah culture for introducing the language, rhythm and musical practices of the Gullah culture to audiences...

Boone Hall Plantation Placed Under Conservation Easement 

One of Charleston's beloved tourist attractions, Boone Hall Plantation, has recently been placed under a conservation easement. In 1955, Willie McRae's father purchased the plantation for his mother, which she opened to visitors soon after they moved there when Willie was one. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that limits the use of the land, specifically in this case, the forests and farmland on the plantation. This easement consists of nearly 600 acres, including 370 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of creek frontage. With the rapid growth in Mount Pleasant, Willie McRae said he wanted to keep it the "mysti...

Academic Magnet Recognized as a Top STEM School 

Academic Magnet High School is no stranger to receiving national awards for the amazing work their staff and students do. Recently, Newsweek recognized Academic Magnet as being one of the top 5,000 STEM high schools from around the country, ranking it at number 29 overall.

It is no surprise that Academic Magnet has being recognized with an award like this due to that fact that their school offers rigorous courses in math, engineering, and computer programming.

The list of all 5,000 schools was created by Newsweek collaborating with STEM.org to rank America's best STEM high schools by looking back at qualitative as well as quantitative ...