Junk Removal in North Charleston, SC

Sporting events provide an incredible platform to advocate for a larger purpose. Whether athletes raise awareness about a cause they support, pray publicly or demonstrate God’s love after winning or losing, they can connect with fans on a deeper level.

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Sports Spectrum is known for sharing uplifting messages — it’s where sports and faith connect. Through sports evangelism, community engagement and safe water projects, our friends at Water Mission add another element to our collective Kingdom impact. Water Mission serves our global neighbors by fighting the global water crisis that impacts 2.2 billion people.

“If you think about playing or watching a sport, it’s something that brings joy — even in the middle of issues we all face,” shares Mary Howell, Water Mission’s community engagement manager. “Whether it’s the pandemic, health issues, political issues or the global water crisis, sports are an outlet for joy.”

Reaching A New Audience

In early March, Water Mission was the featured nonprofit at a South Carolina Stingrays game in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team known for giving back. They invited Water Mission to use the Stingrays’ platform to share about its flagship event, the Walk for Water.

“The game opened us up to a totally new audience,” Howell says. “There were people there that are involved in Charleston but have not heard of Water Mission or aren’t familiar with the global water crisis. This was a great way to open the door.”

The Water Mission team spent the evening connecting with fans at its booth, giving away Walk for Water gear and inviting them to sign up for the Walk itself. This was the first time Water Mission had been featured at a Stingrays game and, Howell says, “hopefully not the last.”

“Many of us have the opportunity to enjoy sporting events,” Howell shares. “Something I encourage people to consider is that while we attend such activities, individuals are losing their lives from not having access to safe water. We can band together and give back.”

Walking for Water

Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit committed to providing safe water and sharing the Living Water message of Jesus Christ.

The safe water charity hosts community events around the world to share the importance of safe water, sanitation and hygiene solutions. On March 26, 2022, Water Mission hosted its annual event, the Walk for Water. Nearly 4,000 walkers participated, raising more than $450,000 to help end the global water crisis.

“Every 37 seconds, someone loses their life because they lack access to safe water,” Howell says. “It’s a devastating statistic that many don’t realize is plaguing our world.”

Getting Involved

Those passionate about raising awareness don’t have to live in the Charleston area to make an impact. Through Water Mission’s community engagement initiatives, people can advocate for men, women and children in need — from wherever they live.

Whether that means sharing Water Mission’s posts on social media or hosting a Walk for Water in their own community, anyone can use their platform to make a difference.

“It’s incredible to look at what the Lord does in our lives and the gifts He gives us. He provides opportunities to work together and bring people safe water,” Howell says. “It is such a beautiful source of joy.”

To learn more about getting involved with Water Mission, visit walkforwater.com or email walk@watermission.org.

Acadia Munari is a freelance writer for Water Mission.

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The more than 20,000 square foot facility will be located at 1884 Seabrook Island Road, near Bohicket Marina. The Sea Islands community is expected to undergo significant population growth over the next few years, especially those residents 65 and older. The Sea Islands are also geographically isolated, situated more than 20 miles from the nearest hospital. The area also accommodates a large seasonal population of tourists, many of whom have trouble navigating local health care services.

“It can take up to 45 minutes to get to the nearest hospital from the Sea Islands. That’s too long for an emergency situation such as a stroke, where every minute counts. As the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, we are committed to delivering the best possible care, closest to home,” said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, MUSC president. “This new medical pavilion will provide rapid access to outstanding care for the entire Sea Islands community.”

As part of the MUSC Health system’s overarching strategy, the MUSC Health Charleston Division has worked to provide better community access and local care in the greater Tri-County region, as well as coastal communities to the north and south of Charleston. This enables better capacity at the flagship facilities, which offer specialized and complex care downtown while enhancing overall accessibility and continuity of care for patients and families, especially in underserved communities. Since 2019, four new multispecialty ambulatory care platforms in West Ashley, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant.

In addition to 24/7 emergency care, the facility will offer two trauma rooms, a rooftop helicopter pad, and a medical office building that will provide primary and specialty care, including imaging and lab services, cardiology and physical therapy. A telemedicine network will connect the entire facility to some of the nation’s top providers at MUSC Health in downtown Charleston. The Town of Kiawah Island donated $1 million to create a healing, restful green space and garden adjacent to the new facility.

“Accessibility to the wonderful health system and hospitals we have here has been a concern, so it was exciting to hear about this project,” said Town of Kiawah Mayor John Labriola. “My hat’s off to the MUSC Board of Trustees and the institution’s leadership, because getting a certificate of need is not easy… personally, I look forward to the ribbon cutting and seeing our garden that will be named for the Town of Kiawah.”

The project was made possible in part by Kiawah Partners, which was acquired by South Street Partners in 2013, who donated 6 acres of land to the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUSC Health), valued at $4.85 million.

"This project was initiated to meet the huge need for medical services on Kiawah Island, Seabrook, and Johns Island. With no convenient emergency healthcare options currently available, we have been working for seven-plus years to figure out a way to bring accessible healthcare to the Sea Islands,” said Chris Randolph, South Street Partners. “Thanks to MUSC, we will soon have a world-class medical facility that provides so much more than what we had originally envisioned. We couldn’t be more pleased to have been able to donate the land for this project and feel very grateful to partner with such an excellent health care system.”

Of the estimated $30 million needed to fund the project, MUSC is committed to raising $17 million in private support. To date, it has received more than $9.5 million in confirmed gifts, with many coming from local residents.

“Private support is critical to the long-term success of the MUSC Health Sea Islands Medical Pavilion because of the many financial challenges that come with operating a medical facility in this community,” said Kate Azizi, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “One challenge is the low population density of the Sea Islands. While this is an aging population that needs timely access to medical care – there aren’t enough people living in these communities full time to sustain our operations. Philanthropic support helps fill those gaps, allowing us to deliver the best care possible where and when it’s needed.”

Donors Chris and DeeDee Gibson are giving $2 million to the project. In recognition of their generosity, the physical therapy space will be named in their honor. “My family has been coming to Kiawah for close to 40 years,” Chris Gibson said. “When my wife DeeDee and I built a home here, she had one request: that there was a hospital nearby in case of an emergency. All these years later, we are excited to contribute to the new MUSC Health Sea Islands Medical Pavilion and to help make these vital medical services available to our neighbors on Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns islands.”

“The construction of a full-fledged medical facility with emergency services is a dream come true for all Johns, Kiawah and Seabrook Islands,” said local resident Pam Harrington, who donated $2 million and will name the emergency department after the Harrington family. “As our population continues to grow and more folks are retiring to our area, the demand for medical services grows with it! Being a Kiawah/Cassique resident for many years, the addition of a medical pavilion fills a real need that has existed over several decades. Prior to my 40-plus years in real estate on the islands I was a practicing ICU nurse. This medical center is near and dear to my heart! As a thank you and show of appreciation to all who have been so supportive of my success, here, on the Sea Islands, it seems befitting to take this opportunity to give back in a meaningful way.”

Construction is expected to conclude in late 2023.

Quote bank:

Seabrook Mayor John Gregg – “It is indeed my pleasure to welcome MUSC to Seabrook Island, as our local community will be well served by the capabilities of this facility and the practitioners who will staff it. We look forward to having better availability of care, ranging from emergency room treatment, to advanced diagnostics for the ailments, bumps, pains, scrapes, stings, and strains that come with having an active and diverse population.”

MUSC Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Charles Schulze – “On behalf of the board, I want to acknowledge, commend, and deeply, deeply thank you for your dedication hard work and the public private collaboration that is taking place to get us to where we are today. As an air force veteran of the Vietnam war, I know the importance and necessity of teamwork. When you have a complex mission ahead of you in those situations, your unity as a team is your biggest strength… And it didn't matter where you live, where you were from or what your background was in our military. You learned that persistence, perseverance, collaboration, and expertise are critical to the success of a mission. And it's been no different in this case. When the board began to discuss the feasibility of this project, we knew it wasn't going to happen without teamwork and vision. Not only from everybody at MUSC, but also from the community here in the sea islands.”

MUSC Health System CEO and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Dr. Pat Cawley – “What makes this project challenging is that it doesn’t fit into normal health constructs. We spent a lot of time with the community, trying to gauge what was needed and it was clear that there was tremendous community support for this project and it was the engagement with the concept of neighbors caring for neighbors and the work of the community to reach out to state officials and regulators that helped make this project a reality. MUSC Health is proud to be a part of this community and its health care provider of choice, and we are humbled by the level of support we are receiving to bring this shared vision to reality.”

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,000 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 850 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $327.6 million in research funds in fiscal year 2021, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit web.musc.edu

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and five additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites, with connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2022, for the eighth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets totaling $5.1 billion. The nearly 25,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver and support groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.

Energetic, humorous national poet Billy Collins will speak Thursday in North Charleston at the Bonds-Wilson campus that’s home to Academic Magnet High School and the Charleston County School of the Arts.

A free public poetry reading will be 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15 in Academic Magnet’s lecture hall. The reading is sponsored by Applause, the official student newspaper of the School of the Arts. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is limited.

Collins, who served as U.S. poet laureate from 2001 to 2003, is down-to-earth and relatable for people who don’t often read poetry, said Mount Pleasant resident and longtime friend Marjory Wentworth, a former S.C. poet laureate.

“When you read one of his poems, you feel like you’re in the kitchen with him and he’s feeding his dog,” she said. “He has this capacity to celebrate the ordinary.”

Wentworth said audiences find his poetry readings to be very funny.

“He’s the kind of poet where you can go to his readings and not know anything about him, but be very entertained. But you’re also going to learn something about your humanity.”

Dr. Shannon Cook, the principal at School of the Arts, said the school community is honored to host Collins, who was invited by SOA English teacher John Cusatis.

“Our students have studied his work, interviewed him to gain a deeper understanding of his approach to poetry, and we have all fallen in love with the rich language and imagery that characterize his writing,” she told the City Paper.

According to a press release, Collins began garnering international attention in the late 1990s, largely due to appearances on various National Public Radio programs. His popularity soared during the next two decades, leading to comparisons with Robert Frost, the last poet to receive the blend of popular and critical acclaim that Collins has enjoyed. The New York Times has called him “the most popular poet in America.” Collins is famous for the affable, conversational tone of his poems, and the ease with which he allows readers to see the extraordinary in everyday experience.

Collins was poet laureate during the 9/11 attacks and composed the poem “The Names” for the occasion of the first anniversary. He has read his work at the White House on two occasions and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

His latest book Whale Day was a New York Times bestseller and his next book, Musical Tables, will be published in November by Random House.

Blue Bicycle Books will be on hand for a book signing after the reading. Copies of several of Collins’ books will be available for purchase as will Conversations with Billy Collins, a new collection of interviews conducted with the poet and edited by Cusatis.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette, and First Lady Peggy McMaster's schedules for the week of August 29 will include the following:

Sunday, August 28 to Tuesday, August 30: Gov. McMaster will participate in the Southern States Energy Board's (SSEB) energy conference, Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, S.C.

Monday, August 29 at 9:00 AM: Gov. McMaster participated in an event with Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Nephron Hangar, 2695 Aviation Way, West Columbia, S.C.

Tuesday, August 30 at 9:15 AM: Gov. McMaster, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant will hold media availability about the Southern States Energy Board's (SSEB) energy conference, Charleston Marriott, Blue Topaz room, 170 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, S.C.

Tuesday, August 30 at 11:45 AM: Lt. Gov. Evette will speak at the BMW Women’s Executive Leadership Luncheon, Greenville Convention Center, Ballroom, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, S.C.

Tuesday, August 30 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will oversee a State Fiscal Accountability Authority meeting, Room 252, Edgar Brown Building, State House grounds, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, August 31 at 4:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will hold a School Resource Officer School Safety event, Lexington Two Innovation Center, 509 Bulldog Boulevard, Cayce, S.C.

Thursday, September 1 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will participate in the Governor’s Summit on Veterans’ Affairs, University of South Carolina Alumni Center, 900 Senate Street, Columbia, S.C.

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Gov. Henry McMaster’s Weekly Schedule: August 22, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gov. Henry McMaster’s schedule for the week of August 22, 2022, included:

Monday, August 22

5:35 PM: Agency call.

Wednesday, August 24

9:45 AM: Gov. McMaster held a ceremonial bill signing for H. 4837 Optometry Mobile Units, North Charleston Elementary School, 4921 Durant Avenue, North Charleston, S.C.

11:30 AM: Gov. McMaster joined Wounded Nature-Working Veterans, the S.C. Office of Resilience, and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources to tour abandoned commercial and recreational vessels in our waterways, Wappoo Boat Ramp, Charleston, S.C.

2:00 PM: Media availability.

Thursday, August 25

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster held a ceremonial bill signing for S. 11 Paid Family Leave, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

1:30 PM: Meeting with a local official.

2:00 PM: Policy meeting.

3:30 PM: Agency meeting.

4:30 PM: Policy meeting.

Friday, August 26

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

3:15 PM: Agency meeting.

4:00 PM: Gov. McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster presented the Order of the Palmetto to Shawn Elliott, Governor’s Office, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Sunday, August 28

Gov. McMaster participated in the Southern States Energy Board's (SSEB) energy conference, Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, S.C.

3:30 PM: Gov. McMaster spoke at the Southern States Energy Board’s Executive Committee Meeting, Charleston Marriott, Crystal Ballroom ABC, 170 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, S.C.

5:00 PM: Policy meeting.

6:00 PM: Gov. McMaster spoke at the Southern States Energy Board’s Opening Reception and Dinner, The William Aiken House, Charleston, S.C.

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Lodi Coffee owners Jennifer and Johnny Grosso pride themselves on customer service. The couple, who opened the North Charleston shop in 2020, strives to provide the perfect experience every single time.

According to Yelp, they’re doing a pretty good job.

The crowd-sourcing website with reviews about businesses and restaurants on Sept. 2 released its Top 100 Coffee Shops in the U.S. and Canada. Ranked “using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews,” Lodi landed at No. 20.

“It seems odd in a drive-thru but we have major regulars,” Jennifer Grosso said. “You can make that connection even if it’s just a few minutes of your day.”

The Yelp list says Lodi is known for “wild and wacky flavors, made fresh in-house.” That only scratches the surface.

Every drink that ends up on the expansive Lodi menu goes through rigorous rounds of tasting before it’s served to customers. Many flavors are based on nostalgia, like the Apple Jacks matcha, a spin on Grosso’s favorite sugary cereal as a kid. Others come from the customers themselves.

“We get a huge amount of inspiration from customers asking for things,” Grosso said. “We’ll pretty much consider any request as long as it’s within reason.”

Located in a converted bank at 2210 Ashley Phosphate Road, Lodi’s menu of fixtures and rotating specials features upwards of 100 drinks. Lodi’s latte list includes vanilla mint, honey lavender and peanut butter mocha, while matcha is mixed with anything from lemon shortbread to peanut butter and jelly.

And those who think it’s never too early for pumpkin spice season can currently find their favorites at Lodi. The drive-thru is serving more than a dozen new fall-flavored drinks, such as a caramel apple cream cold brew, pumpkin pie frappuccino and of course, the pumpkin spice latte.

The drinks are not as sweet as they seem because of the quality coffee and all-natural ingredients used to make them. Pumpkin drinks are made using real pumpkin, cinnamon sticks and spices like ginger, while the matcha is ceremonial grade.

The key to making the matcha blend with lavender, vanilla and other syrups that are made in-house is timing, Grosso said.

“We do everything by hand so we’re spinning it in real time,” she said. “Timing is kind of everything because we’re obviously going for speed here too.”

As the couple finds success in North Charleston, they are starting to expand. Construction has begun at locations in Mount Pleasant and Summerville, and a Lodi Coffee is still in the works at the corner of King and Huger streets.

The downtown shop will be located in a repurposed building that has housed a gas station, cab depot and most recently a small office building.