Author: Charleston Daily

Charleston Daily is a concept in community. Its mission is to promote, assist, and celebrate in everything Charleston, South Carolina. By partnering with businesses, community leaders, volunteers and events, we are spreading the love that is Charleston. As this city continues to grow and prosper, we want to help spread the message to all about how wonderful this community is. Charleston is about the people, community, water, land, history, heritage and the true southern warmth it brings with each and every day.

Lowcountry

12 Charleston, SC Dates for Around $12.00

October 17, 2017 by 0 Comments
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By Mark A. Leon

Is it possible to really go on a date for about $12.00 and expect your significant other to want to keeping coming back for more.  Absolutely, and we promise no mention of Netflix, Krispy Creme or Sonic on this list.  Unless, that is what you want.  We will not stop you.

Here we go Charleston, ways to impress your date without burning a hole in your wallet.

12 Dates for About $12.00

  • Paolos Gelato and Marion Square – Go to 41 John Street and get a large Gelato waffle cone to share and then walk one block to Marion Square and enjoy a quiet stroll, or layout on a spring day and share each lick together.  Depending on the size you order, you should fall right into the budget.
  • Saffron Bakery – Tea and Cheesecake – Head to 333 East Bay for a homemade slice of cheesecake, Tiramisu or key lime pie with two hot cups of bottomless tea to share with your loved one.  You may go slightly over the $10.00 with tip, but the indulgence is worth it.
  • Burgers and Hampton Park – On Mondays, Rutledge Cab Company offers $5.00 Burgers and on Tuesdays from 7 – 10, Moe’s Crosstown offers half-price burgers.  Head to Hampton Park, play a little soccer, shoot some hoops or fire a little Frisbee to work up an appetite and then eats a great burger together.

  • Disc Golf at Park Circle – FREE!!! Play 18 holes of fun or competitive disc golf then go to Park Circle and enjoy a few cocktails at Dig or The Mill or Accent or any number of great eateries and bars.
  • The Halsey Institute of Art and Mace Brown National History Museum – An amazing contemporary art gallery and even more amazing national history museum with a prehistoric bear and dinosaurs for FREE!!!  Both of these amazing attractions blocks from each other on Calhoun Street and totally free.  So, take your ten bucks and go to the Starbucks located in-between or the Chick-fil-a afterward for a bite or beverage.
  • Walk or Jog the Cooper River Bridge – I know, there is no cost to walk or jog the Cooper River Bridge, but after you complete the five-mile walk or jog, wrap around the bend and head to Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park for ice cream or a milkshake at the gift/convenience store located at the start of the pier.  If you desire a latte or iced mocha, stop in at Metto first just a half a mile from the Mount Pleasant side bridge entrance.  If you prefer to start on the downtown side, hop in for a beverage of Mercentile and Mash.
  • Dog Park and Disc Golf – James Island County Park – At the minimal cost of $2.00 per person (unless you have an annual county parks pass), you can enjoy a day at the park and oh what a park it is.  From a children’s playground to a large picnic area to rock climbing, James Island County Park is an outdoor haven.  You can even bring the camper and camp out on the grounds.  Why not bring the pups and make a day of human and canine date fun.  Play disc golf and then let the dogs roam free afterward.  All this for $4.00.
  • Happy Hour and Live Outdoor Music at the Charleston Pour House – Every night on the back patio stage, there is great live music.  This is an open dog-friendly setting and there is no charge for the starter music on the patio.  Take that $10.00, get a few PBR tallboys and make a night of music and dancing under the warm sun.
  • MUSC Urban Farm – Gardening classes and demonstrations – What better place to learn gardening than from the experts at MUSC.  With a rich urban farm of sunflowers, basil, rosemary, lemons, okra and more, this is a beautiful and educational way of spending a day together.  Cost is FREE!! – Afterward, you can share a salad together from Five Loaves or a cocktail at Halo.  Both within walking distance.
  • Farmers Market – Whether it is the Folly Beach Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, John’s Island, Summerville, Goose Creek or Marion Square on Saturday, James Island Sunday Brunch Market on Sunday, Farmer’s markets are a great way to support local businesses, hear live music and relax in the beautiful backdrop of the Lowcountry.
  • Reuben and Oreo Truffles at Blackbird Market – At 1808 Bohicket Road on John’s Island is a wonderful market and restaurant.  Everything from beet chips to She-crab soup to Lobster Ravioli.  Their tenderloin, scallops, and shrimp are so fresh it is breathtaking.  There is a full menu and benches outside to sit (Don’t worry about summertime.  They have water fans up above).  If you get a fresh Reuben Sandwich with two large Oreo Truffles ($1.00 each) you will have a complete meal.  Don’t forget fresh juice or beer.  This will run you about $11.95, but if you get beer about $18 plus.

Honorable Mention:

Charleston Water Taxi – What better way to see the USS Yorktown, majestic church steeples, Cooper River Bridge and historic Charleston than from a water taxi in the Charleston Harbor.  This made honorable mention because an all-day pass is $12.00 a person.  For a date, this is over budget, but it is an amazing deal and a photographers dream.  You are also likely to see dolphins frolic right beside you.

Donnell Boucher, Director of Strength & Conditioning at The Citadel, Shares His Passion with PLAE

October 17, 2017 by 0 Comments
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WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Oct. 16, 2017 – In its latest Beyond the Chalk video series, PLAE visits Donnell Boucher, director of strength & conditioning at The Citadel, delivering a compelling look into his motivation, commitment and how he has “poured his heart and soul” into his position.

As part of PLAE Perform, a division of PLAE that highlights science and experience in athletic performance, Beyond the Chalk  is a monthly installment in which internationally recognized strength & conditioning coach and bestselling author Ron McKeefery (Coach Mac) uncovers inspirational insights from his counterparts worldwide.

At the Citadel, a premier military college in Charleston, South Carolina, Boucher is a 10-year veteran, serving the varsity football and baseball teams among 11 sports in a student body of approximately 2300. As he and Coach Mac tour the 6,000-square-foot varsity weight room, he points out the prominent displays of the institution’s core values of honor, duty and respect on the weight lifting platforms.

“I believe you can always improve,” Boucher said. “No amount of success, no amount of achievement, would ever put me to a place where I felt like ‘that was it.’”

In terms of coaching philosophy, he explained, “Rather than making kids what we want them to be, I try to see what they can become – what it’s going to take to unlock their motivation. How can I get them to want to work hard, but also want to come back for more?”

In the episode, Boucher also touches on the unique Citadel environment, how his athletes and Citadel colleagues motivate him and the importance of “paying it forward” in the strength & conditioning coaching profession.

On a personal level, Boucher discusses the 2015 house fire in Massachusetts that took the lives of his grandmother and uncle, and the awe-inspiring response he received both from the Citadel and other strength & conditioning coaches around the country.

“We know that our thing is special, but to have that kind of support network and fraternal connection with people will put you beside yourself,” Boucher said. “It makes you realize that this community is strong.”

With a bachelor’s degree in health education from Worcester State (Massachusetts) and a master’s degree in health, exercise and sport science from The Citadel, Boucher is a NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified strength and conditioning coach (SCCC) from the CSCCa.

“Donnell is a phenomenal coach and a phenomenal human being, and he exemplifies all that is good in our profession in a big, big way,” said McKeefery, who is the vice president of performance and education for PLAE.

Find this episode, athttps://plaeperform.com/episodic/donnell-boucher/orhttps://www.facebook.com/PLAEUSA/videos/1912534615430136/. The previous eight episodes of Beyond the Chalk, which began in January 2017, are available atwww.plaeperform.com.

About PLAE

PLAE is redefining athletic flooring as a foundational component of every training space, creating active solutions that equip people to achieve their best selves. Pushing boundaries, pursuing innovation and harnessing technology and design are daily passions at PLAE. Boldly committed to raising the bar, PLAE drives powerful performance.

# # #

For images, contact Julie King at 847-638-1582 orJulie.king1@comcast.net. 

For more information, contact the company at 404-645-7900 or www.plaeus.com.
CONTACT:
Julie King
847-638-1582
Julie.king1@comcast.net

Love to Keep Charleston Clean? Set up your own clean up event – Here is how

October 16, 2017 by 0 Comments
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Looking to get involved?

Keep Charleston Beautiful needs volunteer groups to cleanup litter around the City. We conduct cleanups along roadways, at parks, and in marshes.  KCB works with groups of any size and any age!  We are here to help support your community cleanup or beautification event.

How to organize a cleanup event:

1. Pick a cleanup date – Organize a day that works best with your groups, and send KCB an email notifying us. If available, we will do our best to attend your cleanup event

2. Pick a cleanup location – If you’ve noticed an area with litter, suggest it. If not, Keep Charleston Beautiful has suggestions of spots in need of a cleanup. Take a look at our local litter hot spots if you’re at a loss.

3. Finalize volunteer numbers – Once we have an idea of how many people will be attending your cleanup, KCB will pack all your needed supplies (trash bags, disposable gloves, paper yard bags, rakes, safety vests, pruners, pickup sticks, and other supplies as needed). We will meet you at the location with these supplies, or you can pick them up from our office.

4. Make it an open event if you’d like – KCB can help recruit volunteers for your events by posting it on social media and in our newsletter. This is a great way to make an even bigger impact at your event.

Liability Forms and Safety Sheets:

Please read over our event safety sheet, and have your volunteers sign our liability waiver. We want to keep our volunteers safe at cleanups!
Volunteer Forms (Safety Sheet, Event Report, Liability Form).

The Critics Have Spoken: Midtown Productions ‘It’s Only a Play’ is a Monster Hit

October 14, 2017 by 0 Comments
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By Mark A. Leon

‘It’s Only a Play’ presented by Midtown Productions delivers an insanely comedic and poignant powerhouse punch.

Setting:  It is opening night on Broadway for Peter Austin’s ‘Golden Egg’ and friends, family and the theater community have gathered at producer Julia Budder’s Manhattan townhouse anxiously awaiting the critics reviews.  As players from the big screen, small screen and theater community emerge, the symbiotic lunacy of compliments, mockery, underhanded stabs and intellectual snobbishness creates a seamless blend of intellectual and physical comedy that the local Charleston theater has not seen for some time.

Fresh out of the cornfields of Wisconsin (okay, Madison), Michael Okas plays the bright-eyed Gus P. Head, an aspiring actor, singer and performer who has just gotten his first gig in New York taking coats for the likes of Lady Gaga, Liza Minelli and the cast of Hamilton.  His boyish charm and innocence in a circle of gluttony, greed and narcissism brings a unique perspective that brings sweetness to the endless bottle of bourbon that is the acting community.

In act two, Gus breaks the tension of bad reviews and life evaluations with an inspired adaptation of ‘Defying Gravity’ that launched the audience into a standing ovation.

Jon Ballard provided a dominant performance as James Wicker, aka Wacker, the leading actor who turned down the lead role in ‘Golden Egg’, written by his best friend Peter to continue his long-standing role on an ABC sitcom.  His intellectual prowess and witty charm make him a prominent figure throughout the production.  As the evening progresses, his own vulnerabilities about selling out of live theater for the small screen begin to unravel until his finds a rekindling with his first true love, the theater.

Lynda Harvey-Carter takes on the role of Virginia Noyes, the Diva with absolute perfection.  If I sought out an actress just slightly past her prime, but not yet accepting the realization, that is constantly drunk and strung up on cocaine and prescription pills, there is no better actor in the theater community.  Her performance as the once decorated Oscar quality big screen actress being flushed out of her Hollywood life and looking for a rebirth on Broadway was close to flawless.

What critic hasn’t aspired to be a playwright or a screenwriter?  He hides behind his critical assessments holding onto that childhood dream of seeing your words produced into a reality.  Enter Ira Drew, played by Terry Davey.  Terry is verbally tortured, ridiculed, punched and defiled with food, yet he still stands behind his profession and continues to pursue his dream of being the creator of theater magic.  Terry, as Ira, performs his role with great timing, well situated dialogue and a certain off scene magic that still has him playing a critical role in scenes where he does not even have lines.  Through subtle behavior and mannerisms, his flamboyant nature continues to bring importance to the stage even has his observes from the corner of stage right.

A great ensemble comedy would not be complete without the neurotic British director, who suffers for his success.  Sir Frank Finger, played with beautiful precision by Xan Rogers is played so well that you won’t even know whether he is truly British or American.  He is a visionary genius and a kleptomaniac.  Bravo.

The producer, whom without her most generous disposable income, Broadway would be dead is played by Andrea K. McGinn in the role of Julia Budder.  Julia, who has more money than a king and as much knowledge of theater as a five-year-old, is bubbly, flamboyant, warm and driven.  As the supportive financial foundation of the “Golden Egg” she relies on the collective embodiment of her crew to ride the wave to success, or failure.  Her playful nature and normalcy compliments that actors by neutralizing the mad cap whirlwind of emotions.

Finally, our playwright, Peter Austin whose oration, passion for the core integrity of live theater and unquestionable respect for the history of Broadway is played with vulnerability and poise by Andy Livengood.  For those in the storytelling and improvisation community of Charleston, Andy is a figurehead of leadership and support for comedy and expressive performance art.  His training and experience in sketch comedy and improvisation make him a tour de force in this production.  From his prayer to the theater to his clever visualization of a new and revolutionary play to his outfit fit for the likes of Liberace, Peter delivers a performance to be remembered.

This two hour production will leave you in stitches, keeping you on your toes and truly understanding the unique life of a performer.  It is often said that there is a fine line between creativity and insanity.  In this case, the two lines clash in an off the wall comedic explosion.

We must commend Ryan C. Ahlert and Andre Hinds who co-directed this look inside the wild world of live theater.  At the end of the day, when we truly put our lives in perspective and look at how we react to the little nuances, we just need to remember, ‘It’s Only a Play’.

Live theater has been given to us as a gift to invoke conversation and debate, celebrate creativity and reward us with an escape.  ‘It’s Only a Play’ is a true celebration of the art of live theater and all the players that bring concept to reality.

Come out and celebrate.

Ticket Information – ‘It’s Only a Play (Midtown Productions) – October 13 – 29, 2017

James & John's Islands, SC

O2 Fitness Clubs Unveils Flagship Facility on James Island

October 13, 2017 by 0 Comments
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28,000 square foot gym is O2’s largest facility to-date

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (Oct. 13, 2017) – O2 Fitness Clubs is pleased to enhance and expand its footprint in the Lowcountry with the unveiling of the company’s largest, flagship facility on James Island. Now open for memberships, the 28,000 square foot club features state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor functional training turf, Kids Club, a robust set of fitness classes and a Mind-Body studio for yoga, barre, pilates and stretching.

“As the largest of 24 facilities across the Carolinas, this new club is a major step towards our mission of making a healthy lifestyle more attractive and accessible in the Lowcountry,” said O2 Fitness Clubs CEO Michael Olander, Jr. “Whether you’re looking for an energizing group fitness class, one-on-one session with a personal trainer or child care while you get your ‘me time’ in, this new facility has more options than ever for all ages and fitness levels. The most important aspect of this club to note though is the welcoming, inclusive and fun fitness community that anyone who walks in our doors will experience. That’s what matters.”

In addition to indoor and outdoor turf areas, there is a dedicated cycle studio, TRX, functional training space, Mind-Body studio, unlimited group fitness classes and a cyber lounge with free Wifi. The club also offers luxurious locker rooms, towel service, Kids Club and two free Program Design sessions (fitness assessment, goal setting and a path for success) with a personal trainer.

The O2 Fitness Club is located at 848 Folly Road on James Island and offers memberships starting at $49 per month with access to all 10 other locations in the Lowcountry. For more information on joining, call (843) 641-7773 or visit www.o2fitnessclubs.com/gyms/james-island/.

About O2 Fitness Clubs

Home to more than 20,000 members in the Lowcountry, O2 Fitness Clubs offers access to state-of-the-art equipment, more than 250 weekly classes and customized personal training services at 11 South Carolina locations. The club is dedicated to offering the ultimate fitness experience, providing something for everyone, including tailored programs to help meet health and fitness goals. O2 Fitness is a company that cares about giving back and will often be seen out and about supporting local events and charities. Learn more at www.o2fitnessclubs.com.

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Album Premiere: Charleston, SC’s SondorBlue ‘You Will Find Love on Ashley Avenue’

October 13, 2017 by 0 Comments
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Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Charleston, South Carolina’s SondorBlue will release their new EP this Friday. SondorBlue, which recently made a stir with their cover of The Police’s “Walking on the Moon,” cite Pink Floyd, Tame Impala and The Beatles as inspirations for You Will Find Love On Ashley Avenue. The Huffington Post recently raved about the EP, noting, “The harmonies are amazing, and the arrangements intimate, drawing comparisons to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.” Bassist Andrew Halley tells Relix, “With You Will Find Love On Ashley Avenue, we were more focused on recreating our live sound and using the studio as a tonal palette to achieve sounds that we hadn’t on previous recordings.”

Today we share the exclusive premiere stream of You Will Find Love On Ashley Avenue, which is now available for pre-order. SondorBlue will celebrate the record with a EP release show next Friday October 20 at Charleston, SC’s Music Farm.

Hometown Girl: Ode to the Charleston Girl – Original Poem

October 12, 2017 by 0 Comments
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By Mark A. Leon

You’re my pretty little hometown girl
Born and raised the Carolina way
Classy in ribbons and bows and sassy I must say
Proud and sexy in her dark blue jeans
The kind of girl you wanna be

Country in her heart, party in her soul
She’ll win your heart with pretty her little charm and burn you down like her great grandpa’s town

I see her on the beach, free as a bird
Looking all fine with her tan and smile
Wishing she was mine for all time

Dreaming of that sundress under the stars
A glass of wine dark and red
A silly little Darius song in her head

Beautiful and fine as a girl can be
Wishing she was right back home with me

A daddy’s girl praying to the church and sky on a Sunday morn
A Southern girl as cute as pie
Her momma sees her past and remembers when her youth would last as she gazes into her daughter’s eyes

As the sun raises past the steeples, the celebration begins
With those cowboy boots and mini skirt, she dances in the fields as the radio plays
She feels like a woman in so many ways
This hometown girl knows what it’s like
To be proud and free on these hot Southern days

Born and raised an American girl
Roots so strong, just the family way

This hometown girl loves the simple way
BBQ and beer, value and steer

I love coming home to see that hometown girl
Like the smell of cornbread and the feel of the ocean breeze
That girl still brings me to my knees

Top 35 Best Big Data Degree Colleges of 2017 List Revealed: College of Charleston #5

October 11, 2017 by 0 Comments
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Best Computer Science Schools Digital released its rankings of the top 35 Best Schools for Big Data Degrees for 2017.  The list was topped by Case Western Reserve University.  Just below Case Western, the remainder of the top five was rounded out by Ohio State University, Elon University and Denison University and the College of Charleston.

The publication said of the #5 ranked College of Charleston:

“Overview

Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is a public liberal arts and science university serving approximately 10,000 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students. The school features comprehensive academic programs, a vibrant student community, and a faculty of more than 500 dedicated and distinguished teacher-scholars. The campus, located in historic downtown Charleston (and named the most beautiful college campus in America by Travel + Leisure magazine), is home to a world-renowned Data Science degree program.

Program Features

The Data Science program at the College of Charleston was the very first undergraduate degree of its kind to be offered in the United States. Students can pursue one of 14 specializations, including biomechanics, e-commerce, supply chain management, geoinformatics, molecular biology, and sociology. Coursework offered through the Data Science degree includes the following core curriculum:

  • Dataset Organization and Management
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Principles of Artificial Intelligence
  • Data Science Capstone

Notables

Students in the Data Science program at College of Charleston have participated in paid internships with IBM, Bibliolife, the Medical University of South Carolina, and other top organizations. The school partners with the University of San Francisco for the Data Science Pathway Program, which provides College of Charleston Data Science graduates with priority admission to the University of San Francisco Master of Science in Analytics program.”

Rounding out the Top 35:

  • #6 Auburn University
  • #7 Miami University – Oxford
  • #8 Luther College
  • #9 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • #10 Arizona State University
  • #11 Smith College
  • #12 George Mason
  • #13 Penn State University
  • #14 Arkansas Technical University
  • #15 New York University
  • #16 Brigham Young University
  • #17 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
  • #18 University of California – Irvine
  • #19 Florida Polytechnic University
  • #20 University of Rochester
  • #21 Becker College
  • #22 Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • #23 University of Evanville
  • #24 Northern Kentucky University
  • #25 Valparaiso University
  • #26 Winona State University
  • #27 University of Iowa
  • #28 St. Mary’s University
  • #29 University of Minnesota – Duluth
  • #30 Westminster College
  • #31 University of Wisconsin – River Falls
  • #32 University of San Francisco
  • #33 University of Nebraska at Omaha
  • #34 Thomas Edison State University
  • #35 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Complete List and Details

Congratulations to the College of Charleston.  Go Cougars.

MUSC named one of the first national telehealth centers of excellence with HRSA grant

October 6, 2017 by 0 Comments
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CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The award marks MUSC as one of only two national Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the United States. As a national telehealth coordinating center, MUSC will continue to provide a range of telehealth services at more than 200 locations statewide, leading and modeling the way for health care delivery through advanced technology.

“This is a phenomenal achievement,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO and vice president for Health Affairs. “This grant acknowledges the premier position that our telehealth team has established not only in South Carolina, but across the nation. It serves as another clear affirmation of our institution’s commitment to fulfill our vision – to lead health innovation for the lives we touch.”

As a founding member of the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA), a collaboration to empower care providers and patients across the state to effectively use telehealth, MUSC is uniquely qualified to lead these efforts. The institution has a long history of executing its three-part mission in a state with largely rural areas and high rates of chronic disease among a particularly impoverished and medically underserved population. Familiar with the patient care, research, and educational leadership talent within the institution, the South Carolina legislature has generously supported expanding telehealth across the state through the SCTA, acknowledging MUSC’s proven track record of achieving astronomical growth in telehealth services while keeping cost effectiveness at the forefront.

“This is one of the first of its kind HRSA grants with only two awarded in the entire country,” said Shawn Valenta, MUSC Center of Telehealth director. “Grant funds will allow the MUSC telehealth team to leverage the unique qualities intrinsic to our academic medical center and extend this mission nationally to accelerate the dissemination of best practices to achieve effective and efficient care.”

Through the grant, MUSC will continue to:

  • Look beyond using telehealth to merely replicate care over distance.
  • Achieve efficiencies within health care delivery and assess the impact on the patient, the referring site, the consulting provider, the payer, and the health care system.
  • Balance the need for population-level outreach while concurrently using a targeted approach to health system integration.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration and understand the importance of interdisciplinary efforts.
  • Strive for deep understanding of barriers and facilitators for the diffusion of innovations in rural health care settings and team experience in overcoming these barriers.
  • Enhance alignment of historically competing health systems for the benefit of patients.
  • Reinforce the commitment and expertise necessary to use evidence-based, data-driven approaches to identify needs for telehealth services, and to monitor and improve existing programs.
  • Work with legislators and policy-makers to develop and maintain bipartisan support for telehealth initiatives.
  • Demonstrate robust financial accountability and efficient use of resources for telehealth.
  • Rely on proven ability to recognize and facilitate the development and testing of new ideas for improving rural health and the care of underserved populations.
  • Build upon high levels of provider acceptance through innovative education and training initiatives.

“The South Carolina legislature has placed a lot of trust in MUSC and the other members of the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance to use telehealth to improve access to quality health care in our state,” said South Carolina Representative G. Murrell Smith. “This achievement is a testament to the leadership, collaboration and hard work that’s been taking place these last few years. We are proud of what MUSC and SCTA have been able to accomplish thus far, and we take comfort knowing that no matter what happens with the health care debate at the national level, we have an effective and cost-conscious model that we hope one day will enable every citizen of our state to access the high-quality care they deserve.”

Smith’s colleague at the statehouse, South Carolina Senator Thomas C. Alexander, echoed the praise for MUSC and SCTA. “Innovation in health care is a critical component of how we offer forward-thinking solutions to today’s challenges,” he said. “The South Carolina legislature recognized the potential for MUSC and SCTA to carve the path to better health across this state by employing advanced technology and strategic thinking. This grant gives MUSC the opportunity to share that knowledge and success on a national level, and we are proud to support this extended impact.”

About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 700 residents in six colleges (Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.3 billion, with an annual economic impact of more than $3.8 billion and annual research funding in excess of $250 million. MUSC operates a 700-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized children’s hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute-designated center), Level I trauma center, Institute of Psychiatry, and the state’s only transplant center. In 2017, for the third consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the number one hospital in South Carolina. For more information on academic programs or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.

CONTACT:  Heather Woolwine
843-792-7669
woolwinh@musc.edu 

Lowcountry

SCDOT Releases Final Review of the Don Holt Bridge Painting Project Containment System Failure

September 30, 2017 by 0 Comments
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The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has completed its final review of the report on the painting containment system that fell from the supports of the Don Holt Bridge on I-526 in Charleston County on July 19, 2017.

The report concludes an accumulation of rainwater resulting from an extreme and unexpected thunderstorm was the most probable cause of the failure of the system.

The report was conducted by a licensed professional engineer representing Applied Building Sciences (ABS), a leading forensic firm with experience investigating complex collapse claims.  ABS was retained by the insurance company for Eagle Industrial Painting (EIP), the contractor on the painting project. The information in this report includes the material released by SCDOT in its preliminary report on August 1, 2017.

ABS’s findings indicate the weight of the rainwater on the horizontal tarp most likely caused the 1” diameter wire rope chokers to fail. The chokers were used to support the suspended platform beneath the bridge’s superstructure.

The ABS report includes statements from certified meteorologist, Lee Branscome, Ph.D. that maximum wind speeds at the top of the bridge likely reached 58 mph on the day of the incident. In addition, 1.68 inches of rainfall was recorded within five miles of the bridge between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., the same timeframe as the failure of the containment system. The report concludes that the primary load that resulted in the failure was most likely caused by rain accumulation on the tarp and not the wind loads.

The report further observes that EIP did not have access to the containment system during the day to monitor water accumulation, because SCDOT authorized lane closures only at night.  While SCDOT had not authorized a continuous, permanent daytime lane closure during the painting operation, SCDOT would have authorized emergency lane closures for tarp repairs or de-watering had it been requested.  SCDOT did not receive an emergency lane closure request from EIP on July 19, 2017, which is understandable due to the suddenness and unexpected nature of the storm.

Among the motorists whose vehicles were damaged by the fallen containment system, EIP’s insurance company reports 12 vehicle owners filed claims. Ten have received payment.

SCDOT and EIP continue to evaluate processes that will eliminate or greatly reduce the likelihood of a containment failure.  SCDOT once again apologizes for inconveniences caused by the incident and thanks the public for its patience as SCDOT and EIP determine how to best complete this project.

SCDOT’s Final Report on the Don Holt Bridge Containment System can be found at this link: http://www.scdot-transfer.org/SCDOTphotos/DonHoltPaintingProjectFinalReviewFindings09282017.pdf