Pressure Washing in North Charleston, SC

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The North Charleston City Council approved the final vote to sell a property in the Midland Park community to the Charleston County School District at its meeting on Thursday night.

The district purchased the property located at 2427 Midland Park Rd. from North Charleston with plans to turn it into a school property.

The land is currently home to the Midland Park Ministry Center and Food Distribution Center, for which the district paid around $1.2 million for 2.3 acres of land.

“It is a pretty lengthy, lengthy process in this area. It was a unique combination of a local church and the city of North Charleston,” Charleston County School District’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Borowy said. “We’re just happy that both organizations were interested in partnering with us.”

The expansion would help to organize the size of classrooms, hallways and support facilities, like car and bus loops or multipurpose rooms. This would also add drainage for the existing school.

Borowy said step one of the process is now complete by securing all the property.

“I firmly believe that there’ll be a lot of momentum to replace Midland Park, and this land will allow us that opportunity,” Borowy said. “If it is a desire, and the community and the district sees it as a need, which I believe it will, that would go forward on the sales tax referendum extension.”

A large question mark has been placed on the long-term structural integrity of several schools in the city, which were built in the early to mid-1900s. Midland Park opened as a smaller schoolhouse in 1936.

“We know that it’s a very close-knit community,” Borowy said. “There is a lot that goes on within that neighborhood itself, and we want to make sure that our school, and what we do to support that community, enhances what they have.”

Borowy said this is a portion of a plan to improve the quality of education for the students in North Charleston. He refers to projects at Lambs, Ladson, A.C. Corcoran and Stall which are underway.

The Board of Trustees approved the funding for this project in a previous referendum.

The district plans to add this to its capital master plan, which means taxpayers would see the option of a sales tax extension in Fall 2026.

“If the voters agree that this is the right thing to do for the entire district, that will allow us to begin planning and execution of the construction projects that follow that,” Borowy added.

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NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will hold a ceremony to break ground on renovations at the agency’s pier facility in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The renovations will include demolishing and building a new pier that includes shoreside power for ships, as well as a warehouse, sea wall and living shoreline, and other supporting infrastructure. Reconstruction of the pier and other facility upgrades will allow NOAA ships Ronald H. Brown and Nancy Foster to once again have a designated place to dock and better accommodate research missions in the Atlantic. Both ships are homeported in Charleston.

In September 2023, NOAA awarded the contract for this project, which is part of NOAA’s infrastructure investments funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.

WHAT

Groundbreaking ceremony for renovations at NOAA’s pier facility in North Charleston, South Carolina.

WHEN & WHERE

July 30, 9:30 a.m. EDT

NOAA North Charleston Pier Facility 2234 S. Hobson Ave. Charleston, SC 29405

WHO

RSVP

Media interested in attending must email omao.publicaffairs@noaa.gov no later than July 26 to obtain access to this federal facility.

BACKGROUND

NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships are operated, managed and maintained by NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. Ranging from large oceanographic research vessels capable of exploring the world’s deepest ocean, to smaller ships responsible for charting the shallow bays and inlets of the U.S. The fleet supports a wide range of marine activities, including fisheries surveys, nautical charting and ocean and climate studies. NOAA ships are operated by NOAA Corps officers and civilian professional mariners.

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.

Today, NOAA officials were joined by regional partners to break ground on renovations at the agency’s pier facility in North Charleston, South Carolina. The project is expected to be completed in 2026.

In September 2023, NOAA awarded $59.8 million to Manson Construction Company for the renovations. This important infrastructure project is partially funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda — and the historic Inflation Reduction Act — has made it possible for NOAA to renovate this pier facility in North Charleston and make way for more vital climate and ocean research for decades to come,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

“Many of NOAA’s investments in infrastructure over the next several years are made possible because of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Investing in our shoreside infrastructure helps NOAA meet essential at-sea data collection requirements that support enhanced economic security, public safety and homeland security for many years to come.”

The renovations will include demolishing and building a new pier that includes shoreside power for ships, as well as a warehouse, sea wall, living shoreline and other supporting infrastructure. Reconstruction of the pier and other facility upgrades that support EO 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. This project will enable NOAA ships Ronald H. Brown and Nancy Foster to have a designated place to dock and better accommodate NOAA research missions in the Atlantic. Both ships are homeported in Charleston.

“This pier and facility are integral to safe and efficient research ship operations in the area,” said NOAA Corps Vice Adm. (select) Nancy Hann, director of NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. “Our ships cannot efficiently complete their critical work without safe and reliable shoreside infrastructure.”

NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships are operated, managed and maintained by NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. The fleet ranges from large oceanographic research vessels capable of exploring the world’s deepest ocean, to smaller ships responsible for charting the shallow bays and inlets of the U.S. The vessels support a wide range of marine activities, including fisheries surveys, nautical charting and ocean and climate studies. NOAA ships are operated by NOAA Corps officers and civilian professional mariners.

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.

Media contacts

David Hall, david.l.hall@noaa.gov, (‪‪301) 427-7761‬

The moon will darken the skies across South Carolina on Monday.

How much darkening you’ll see will depend on where you’re at though.

A total solar eclipse with occur over a good chunk of North America on April 8 — the last to happen across the continent until 2044 and 2045. While South Carolina will not be privy to the total eclipse, residents in the state will have the chance to see a near total one, depending on where they are at the time. The last time the Palmetto State had a total solar eclipse was on Aug. 21, 2017.

But you can’t just go outside and stare up at the sky to view the upcoming eclipse, at least, not if you don’t want to damage your eyesight.

Here’s what to know about the solar eclipse and a list of when best to watch in various South Carolina cities.

According to NASA, “sometimes when the moon orbits Earth, the moon moves between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching Earth. This causes an eclipse of the sun, or a solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the moon casts a shadow onto Earth.”

Types of solar eclipse

South Carolina won’t be in the path of totality, so the event will look like a partial eclipse. The magnitude of the eclipse will be a little larger in the Upstate and smaller in the Lowcountry and coastal areas.

The partial eclipse will be visible from 1:48 p.m. to 4:27 p.m. in the state. Below is a list of South Carolina cities that shows which ones will see the biggest portion of the eclipse and the best times to view the phenomenon, depending on where you are. For a more complete list of cities in South Carolina and other states, click here.

A total solar eclipse happens somewhere in the world about every 18 months, space.com states. The eclipse’s path of totality, the area on Earth directly in line with the moon and sun, is only 60 to 70 miles wide. It’s width and where it is on Earth vary because of the moon’s orbit and other factors, which makes the likelihood of the path of totality falling in the same place twice low.

The path of totality over the U.S. for this eclipse will stretch from Texas to Maine.

Looking at the sun without proper protection, however briefly and even if it’s blocked by the moon, can permanently damage the retinas of the eyes.

“Viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury,” NASA states.

Instead, see if you still have those special glasses made for the 2017 eclipse. If you don’t have those, you can order a pair that comply with international standards. These are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses, which won’t protect you.

The American Astronomical Society has a list of vendors selling safe solar glasses.

This story was originally published March 30, 2024, 6:00 AM.

NORTH CHARLESTON — A new restaurant from a New York chef is bringing a signature brick chicken, Korean nuggets and hand-cut fries to Spruill Avenue near The CODfather and Holy City Brewing.

Barnyard Chicken is now open at 4262 Spruill Ave., where chef Eric Hara is churning out chicken-themed plates in the type of laid-back atmosphere he craved after a career in fine dining restaurants.

Hara began his eclectic career in New York restaurants and made his way to California, where he and his wife launched an organic cookie business that sold in Whole Foods Market. He moved to Costa Rica to slow down but ended up opening a restaurant there.

When his kids were ready to come back to the U.S., the Haras chose Charleston. The former Food on Spruill location fit Hara’s vision for the type of restaurant he wants to operate at this stage of his career.

For food, Barnyard Chicken offers sticky wings, chicken liver toast, a red wine-braised bird and the brick chicken, made using poultry from Murray’s in New York. Patrons can expect table service with the option to pick up orders to-go from a takeout window.

Barnyard Chicken is now open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. For more information, visit barnyardparkcircle.com.

Parker Milner

The owners of Chasing Sage, a popular downtown restaurant formed in the midst of COVID-19, have announced they will close its doors in the coming months.

Though there is no official end date set, Cindy Edward said the time is coming as she makes one of the hardest decisions she’s ever faced. The co-owner of Chasing Sage, who runs the farm-to-table establishment at 267 Rutledge Ave. along with her husband, Walter, said she’s been crying for two days non-stop since announcing the decision to staff members. Her voice was practically gone when The Post and Courier talked to her over the phone.

“You know, life happens, and sometimes you have to make choices,” said Edward. “For us to be all right, we have to let it go. I’m pretty messed up about it.”

Edward said the decision was not a financial one. Chasing Sage was formed just as COVID-19 reared its head and managed to get by with help from an understanding landlord and a to-go kitchen operation that ran throughout the pandemic. It was quite popular, in fact, and created a rapport with Charlestonians before the restaurant officially opened its doors in June 2021.

The decision was personal, said Edward. Her twins Chase and Sage, whom the restaurant is named after, just turned 13, and she said the choice was made for her family.

“This restaurant is a labor of love,” she said. “It’s most definitely a laborious restaurant. Walter and I are always there because we want to keep the heart and soul of it exactly the way it’s supposed to be. And we’re a little tired. I wish I had this specific why, but really it’s to focus on our family for a while.”