Month: December 2020

Lowcountry

Charleston / North Charleston, SC Among 10 Housing Markets to Lead Post-Pandemic Rally

December 30, 2020 by 1 Comment
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Housing markets are showing resilience against the pandemic, but some are thriving more than others and are expected to continue to perform strongly in the years ahead.

Coinciding with the National Association of REALTORS®’ virtual Real Estate Forecast Summit on Thursday, NAR released a list of the top metros expected to have the strongest housing markets over the next three to five years. Researchers factored in domestic migration, housing affordability for new residents, consistent job growth relative to the national average, population age structure, attractiveness for retirees, and home price appreciation.

The following 10 markets were identified by NAR (listed in alphabetical order):

  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Ga.
  • Boise City, Idaho
  • Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
  • Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa
  • Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Ind.
  • Madison, Wis.
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Ariz.
  • Provo-Orem, Utah
  • Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash.
Top Ten Markets During & Post COVID-19

These housing markets likely will carry momentum from 2020 into “2021 and beyond because of strong in-migration of new residents, faster local job market recoveries, and environments conducive to work-from-home arrangements and other factors,” says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. For example, movers from pricey coastal regions may be drawn to cheaper destinations as companies increase work-from-home policies and make commuting less of an issue.

The trend is already becoming apparent in markets like Phoenix and Dallas, which have attracted the largest number of movers from the West Coast, the report shows.

“Expect these 10 markets to perform strongly, with potential buyers finding conditions particularly favorable to purchase a home,” says NAR President Charlie Oppler. “Overall, residential real estate will continue to be an important driver of our nation’s economic recovery, and the activity in these markets will help lead the way.”

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Lowcountry

British Airways is canceling 2 US routes in 2021 including Charleston, SC

December 28, 2020 by 0 Comments
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British Airways is reducing its long-haul route network as a result of the pandemic. While the carrier has reduced operations in some areas throughout the year, it’s canceling 13 long-haul routes entirely from its network as of summer 2021 — including two routes to the U.S.

In total, the airline has elected to suspend more than 15 routes — including to some popular destinations. Split between North America, South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and the Indian Ocean, the cancellations take effect from summer 2021 onwards.

The airline will cancel the following routes permanently as of summer 2021:

  • Africa: Durban (DUR)
  • Asia: Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Osaka (KIX) and Seoul (ICN)
  • Indian Ocean: Seychelles (SEZ; from April 24, 2021)
  • Middle East: Abu Dhabi (AUH),  Dammam (DMM), Jeddah (JED; some operations will take place during July 2021), and Muscat (MCT)
  • North America: Calgary (YYC), Charleston (CHS), and Pittsburgh (PIT)
  • South America: Lima (LIM; from Gatwick)

In addition, British Airways will temporarily suspend its routes to Sydney (SYD), Bangkok (BKK), and San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) during summer 2021 until 30 October 2021. For SJO, the last service will take place on April 17, 2021.

Lowcountry

25 Famous Figures Born on Christmas Day (Including one notable from Charleston, SC)

December 25, 2020 by 0 Comments
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Christmas is a special time of the year. For some fortunate or unfortunate, it has a double whammy punch of specialness; it also serves as an anniversary of a birth.

Throughout history, some very well known figures have called Christmas Day, December 25th, their birthday.

Here is a list of some very special figures who have blown candles out on this special day.

Born Christmas Day, December 25th

Humphery Bogart – Actor – 1899
Clara Barton – Founder of the American Red Cross – 1821
Sir Isaac Newton – Physicist & Mathematician – 1642
Mohammed Ali Jinnah – Founder of Pakistan – 1876
Cab Calloway – American Bandleader – 1907
Anwar Sadat – President of Egypt and Nobel Laureate – 1918
Rod Serling – Writer and Host of “Twilight Zone” – 1924
Nellie Fox – Hall of Fame Baseball Player – 1927
Gary Sandy – Actor “WKRP in Cincinnati” – 1945
Jimmy Buffet – Singer – 1946
Larry Csonka – NFL Football Player and Super Bowl Champion – 1946
Barbara Mandrell – Country Singer – 1948
Sissy Spacek – Actress – 1949
Annie Lennox – Singer “Eurythmics” – 1954
Rickey Henderson – Hall of Fame Baseball Player – 1958
Alannah Myles – Singer “Black Velvet” – 1958
Michael P. Anderson – Astronaut – 1959
Dido – Singer – 1971
Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister of Canada – 1971
Shystie – British Rapper – 1982
Bill Horton – Doo-Wop Singer “The Silhouettes” – 1929
Benjamin Pierce – Former Governor of New Hampshire – 1757
Mabel King – Actress from Charleston, SC – 1932
Conrad Hilton – Businessman – 1887
Karl Rove – Political Advisor – 1950
Lowcountry

Amalie Oil Company Acquires Charleston, SC Based Delfin USA

December 24, 2020 by 0 Comments
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With the December acquisition of this 42-acre facility on the Cooper River deep-water channel at the Port of North Charleston, Amalie now has two world-class facilities in major U.S. ports with deep-water access.

Amalie Oil Co. has announced its acquisition of Delfin Group USA LLC, a lubricant blending and packaging facility in Charleston, South Carolina. With the December acquisition of this 42-acre facility on the Cooper River deep-water channel at the Port of North Charleston, Amalie now has two world-class facilities in major U.S. ports with deep-water access.

“This new facility is an opportunity for us to enhance our ability to service both the domestic and international markets,” said Harry Barkett, president of Amalie Motor Oil. “A facility with such a rich history, immense capabilities and unparalleled access can only yield positive results for our clientele.”
The property includes a deep-water pier, rail access and close proximity to major federal interstates. The pier is capable of handling dock offloading for ships up to 660 feet long with a 110-foot beam, and the navigable mean low water depth is 45 to 50 feet.

The facility also features 14 million gallons of tank storage, increasing Amalie’s total tank storage to 32 million gallons. Additionally, Amalie now owns a total of more than 650,000 square feet in warehouse and manufacturing space and 20 high-speed filling and packaging lines, increasing the company’s blow molding plastic bottle capacity to more than 250 million containers per year.

The facility’s previous owner, Delfin, purchased it in 2007 from Chevron. Originally developed as a fuel terminal by Texaco in 1910, the plant remained a Texaco facility transitioning to blending, compounding, packaging and bulk terminal operations into the mid-1990s, when ownership was transferred to Equilon, Shell and subsequently Chevron.

Founded in 1903 in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Amalie is one of the largest family-owned, independent blenders of motor oils and industrial lubricants in North America.

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Lowcountry

South Carolina Ranks #6 Worst in Car Accidents in 2020 in Latest Report

December 24, 2020 by 0 Comments
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The US States With the Most Car Accidents in 2020 Report

1. Massachusetts

2. Maine

3. Maryland

4. Rhode Island

5. New Hampshire

6. South Carolina

7. Ohio

8. Nebraska

9. Utah

10. Oregon

South Carolina Details

6. South Carolina

  • Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 15.41%
  • Percentage of drivers with a prior speeding violation: 16.52%
  • Percentage of drivers with a prior DUI: 1.08%
  • Number of drivers with a prior reckless driving incident: 35 out of 10,000

With a surprisingly lower than average rate of drivers with prior DUI’s — especially compared to its other statistics — South Carolina’s accident rate presents a fascinating case. At fourth in the nation, South Carolina doesn’t trail too far behind Ohio In terms of speeding. It also occupies the seventh-highest rank for reckless driving in America. South Carolina may be known for its vacation destinations like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, but it seems that drivers in this state have resisted the inclination to take it slow and steady on their roads, racking up automobile accidents and earning their state a spot on this list.

Methodology

The data science and research team at Insurify, a website to compare auto insurance quotes, turned to its database of over 2.5 million car insurance applicants to find the states with the highest accident rates. As part of the quoting process, drivers disclose their driving record, including whether or not they’ve had an at-fault accident, a speeding violation, a DUI, or a citation for reckless driving within the past seven years. Comparing these risky drivers to the total pool of car owners gave the share of motorists with a history of accidents and other driving violations for each state. Due to the significantly smaller proportion of reckless driving cases compared to the other violations, the frequency of motorists with a reckless driving conviction is displayed out of a population of 10,000 car owners.

Complete Study Results

Source: Insurify

Lowcountry

Christmas Dogs of Charleston – Festive Photo Expose

December 24, 2020 by 0 Comments

Two of the most favorite things in Charleston, South Carolina are Christmas and our beloved furry companions, our dogs. We found some of the most festive Charleston puppies and dogs really getting into the spirit of the holiday season.

If you would like your pup added, please email a picture and photo credit to mark@charlestondaily.net

Instagram @pennietheweeenie

Instagram @ellie_thecavapoo

Instagram @finneganthepitbull

Instagram @xcuse_my_frenchie

Instagram @percytheyorkiepup

Instagram @bellagracesworld

Instagram @bearwiener

Instagram @coopertaj_thelabradoodle

Instagram @rhondajones__

Instagram @sarah_barks_charleston


Lowcountry

Dominion Energy’s “We Care Rebuild Project” Commits $200,000 to Four South Carolina Organizations including Charleston Trident Urban League

December 22, 2020 by 0 Comments
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CAYCE, S.C. – Dominion Energy today announced four grants totaling $200,000 to Charleston Trident Urban League, Small Business Development Corporation at South Carolina State University, Central Carolina Community Foundation’s African American Philanthropy Committee, and The Imani Group. The donations are part of the company’s “We Care Rebuild Project,” which has designated $5 million to social justice and community rebuilding efforts across its 16-state footprint.

“Dominion Energy is committed to community reconciliation and rebuilding as we support important social justice and racial equality initiatives throughout the communities we serve,” said Rodney Blevins, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “We are pleased to partner with these four organizations who are doing this critical work every day.”

  • Charleston Trident Urban League will receive a $95,000 grant to support its Center for Change and Leadership (Social Justice Initiative). The program seeks to utilize racial and social justice advocacy to empower people of color by building reparative systems that create wealth, transform justice, and harness democratic power from the ground up in Charleston.
  • Small Business Development Corporation at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg will receive a $50,000 grant to support its minority specialty program developed to highlight social equity and inclusion for small businesses. The program will support the organization’s mission of providing no-cost guidance and training to assist small business owners and potential owners in starting and growing a successful business.
  • Central Carolina Community Foundation’s African American Philanthropy Committee will receive a $35,000 grant to develop the Black-Led, Black Benefitting Nonprofit Capacity Building and Leadership Development Project. The project will boost the impact of AAPC grants for funded nonprofits. It includes leadership and professional development workshops and skill-building coaching for management-level Black nonprofit leaders throughout the Midlands.
  • The Imani Group in Aiken will receive a $20,000 grant to support its EMERGE (Empowerment, Management, Education, Relationships, Goals, Employment) initiative created to close the gender gap in technology. It will provide skills-based computer science training in a positive, engaging environment that emphasizes sisterhood, computer coding and positive community impact.

About Dominion Energy
More than 7 million customers in 16 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable, and safe energy and to achieving net-zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

Lowcountry

Holiday Drink Recipes: A Healthier, Simpler New Year with Firefly Spirits

December 22, 2020 by 0 Comments
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Spiced Chai Sweet Tea (served hot)

  • 1 oz. Firefly Skinny Tea Vodka
  • 7 oz. spiced chai tea
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • Lemon wedge
  • Cinnamon stick 

Brew a cup of spiced chai tea, leaving some room at the top. Pour in your Skinny Tea Vodka, along with the honey. Squeeze lemon to taste. Stir with a cinnamon stick.

Firefly Refresher

  • 1 oz. Firefly Straight Vodka
  • 6 oz. grapefruit seltzer 
  • 1 oz. grapefruit juice
  • 2 tsp. simple syrup
  • Rosemary sprig 

Pour your Firefly Straight Vodka, grapefruit juice and simple syrup into a glass. Top with grapefruit seltzer and a sprig of rosemary for garnish.

Boozy Blueberry Mint Fizz

  • 1 oz. Firefly Straight Vodka
  • 5 oz. soda water
  • 1 oz. lime juice
  • ⅓ cup muddled blueberries
  • 3 mint sprigs

Pour Firefly Straight Vodka, lime juice, blueberries and mint into a shaker. Muddle and pour into a glass. Top with soda water and enjoy!

Flower Power Hibiscus Tea

  • 1 oz. Firefly Skinny Sweet Tea Vodka
  • 3.5 oz hibiscus tea
  • 3.5 oz soda water
  • Lemon wedge

Add Firefly Skinny Sweet Tea Vodka, hibiscus tea and soda water to a glass. Stir and squeeze lemon to taste. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Frosty Sweet Tea Lemonade

  • 1 oz. Firefly Skinny Sweet Tea Vodka
  • 4 oz. black tea (chilled)
  • 3 oz. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. simple syrup
  • Handful of ice 

Pour Firefly Skinny Sweet Tea Vodka, black tea, lemon juice and simple syrup into a blender. Add a handful of ice and blend until smooth.  Serve with a lemon wedge, preferably in a mason jar.