Lowcountry

Charleston’s First Distillery, Striped Pig, First to Receive National Women’s Business Enterprise Certification

July 30, 2022 by 2 Comments
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Local Choice Spirits granted National Women’s Business Enterprise Certification, opening up many new opportunities for the Charleston-based spirits business.

Charleston, SC, July 30, 2022 –(PR.com)– The award-winning, woman-owned Local Choice Spirits has been granted National Women’s Business Enterprise Certification (WBENC), affirming the business is woman owned, operated and controlled. While Local Choice Spirits has always been a woman-owned and operated business, the certification is an important recognition that will allow Local Choice Spirits to participate in new ventures and open up opportunities to expand further beyond Charleston, including into markets and venues such as Disney World, which have stipulations for working with women-owned businesses, as much of the industry is dominated by male-owned businesses.

Local Choice Spirits plans to get more of its products, including its Striped Pig Distillery (SPD) products, into prominent spaces, which will gain Charleston’s craft distilling scene greater recognition in other parts of the country, too. With accolades as Charleston’s first distillery since prohibition and SC Producer of the year, SPD is proud to be Kosher certified, the only SC distillery with this distinction, to hold USDA Organic certified products, and to, as of now, be the only certified Woman-owned distillery in the area. The Striped Pig Distillery has focused on creating exceptional spirits from its inception in 2013, sourcing the best ingredients from local farms, adding organic certification and OK Kosher certification and spirits to its lineup, and offering unique drinking experiences that exemplify its high standards, like its recent limited release of Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. Obtaining WBENC certification reflects the continuation of Local Choice Spirits and the Striped Pig Distillery’s legacy as a female-owned, family-operated small business committed to innovative, super-premium enjoyable spirits that support, celebrate, and enrich the local community and beyond.

“We continue to add additional trustmarks to our products because they can be extremely useful indications of quality for consumers, and we believe many customers will appreciate the certifications in helping them choose the businesses and products they want to support. We’re equally excited about the avenues WBENC certification will open up to us,” Pixie Paula Dezzutti, CEO stated. “As a Pixie myself, I am anticipating seeing our products in the Magical Kingdom!”

Lowcountry

College of Charleston Named Academic Partner for Charleston Literary Festival

July 29, 2022 by 0 Comments
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For the second consecutive year, the College of Charleston has been chosen as the exclusive academic partner for the Charleston Literary Festival. The internationally renowned festival, which runs Nov. 4-13, 2022, will feature a host of world-class writers and thinkers exploring today’s most pressing issues and ideas.

“The College of Charleston is honored to partner with this extraordinary festival again,” says Suzanne Austin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This collaboration offers a unique opportunity for our students, faculty and staff to connect with a wide range of top-quality speakers promoting the power of great writing, ideas and creativity.”

As the academic partner, the College of Charleston and its Alumni Association will provide financial, promotional and logistical support to the festival. In addition, the College’s faculty members will be among the interlocutors in the conversations. And in keeping with festival tradition, students will have the opportunity to intern, volunteer and attend the programs.

Lastly, the College will provide guest housing for lecturers and host the festival’s Opening Night party in the Cistern Yard featuring award-winning jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon on Nov. 5, 2022. In August, information on sponsorships and ticket packages will be available on the festival website, charlestonliteraryfestival.com.

Leading topics of the festival will include utopian to bohemian societies, racial injustice, challenges to democracy, generational trauma, the war in Europe, combating misinformation, what humans can learn from apes, and the survival story of a royal family, among many others. Most of the events will be held in person at iconic Charleston venues, including the Circular Congregational Church, Dock Street Theatre and the Charleston Library Society. Programming revolves around lively conversations between authors and interviewers and encourages audience participation.

“To partner with the College of Charleston, a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences university redefining education through innovation, aligns seamlessly with our mission to bring important ideas not only to the Lowcountry community but to a national audience as well and do it in a meaningful way,” says Walter Fiederowicz, president of the Charleston Literary Festival.

The preliminary list of confirmed authors includes:

  • Sandy Hook, from The New York Times writer Elizabeth Williamson, is a landmark investigation of the aftermath of a school shooting, the work of Sandy Hook parents who fought to defend themselves, and the truth of their children’s fate against the frenzied distortions of online deniers and conspiracy theorists.
  • The Palace Papers, Tina Brown, award-winning writer and editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, picks up where The Diana Chronicles left off, revealing how the royal family reinvented itself after the trau­matic years when Diana’s blazing celebrity ripped through the House of Windsor like a comet.
  • Eddie S. Glaude Jr., author of Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own, is one of the nation’s most prominent scholars and passionate educator, author, political commentator and public intellectual who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. Named one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, Begin Again is where Glaude finds hope and guidance in James Baldwin as he mixes biography with history, memoir and poignant analysis of our current moment to reveal the painful cycle of Black resistance and white retrenchment.
  • By Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks, Horse is based on the true story of record-breaking 19th-century thoroughbred Lexington, who became America’s greatest stud sire. It is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, the bond between people and animals, and an unfinished reckoning with racial injustice throughout different American history periods.
  • The Latecomer, by Jean Hanff Korelitz, The New York Times bestselling author of The Plot, touches on grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines and plot twists.

The Charleston Literary Festival is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a distinct transatlantic focus. The festival takes place each November in Charleston, South Carolina, and has a distinctive international ethos that offers attendees the opportunity to engage with renowned authors in unique settings and to contribute to conversations that revolve around outstanding books and illuminating ideas.

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Lowcountry

Kiawah Island Asks For Community Input On Marsh Management Priorities

July 29, 2022 by 0 Comments
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In Fall 2019, the Town of Kiawah Island amended its Comprehensive Plan to prioritize flood mitigation and sea-level rise risks. One of those risks identified was focusing on the other significant natural resource for Kiawah, the salt marsh. Through several community engagement initiatives, credit to the Town’s Flood Mitigation and Sea Level Rise Sub-committee and the Planning Commission on their efforts toward resiliency planning for Kiawah, the Comprehensive Plan was amended by Town Council to establish a new natural resources goal of formalizing a marsh management plan that explores various methods of protection for the island’s marsh. 

Biohabits and Elko Coastal Consulting collectively have been brought on to assist the town with the Marsh Management Plan. Dr. Nicole Elko is President of Elko Coastal Consulting based in Folly Beach, SC; Science Director for the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association; an Executive Director of the U.S. Coastal Research Program, and Executive Director of the South Carolina Beach Advocates.

She is presently serving as one of the three civilian members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Engineering Research Board and as a member of NOAA’s Hydrographic Services Review Panel. Both the CERB and HSRP are Federal Advisory Committees that advise agency leadership on national coastal research and development needs. She served on Governor Henry McMaster’s South Carolina Floodwater Commission in 2019. Elko received her Ph.D. in geology from the University of South Florida after working with the USGS Coastal Marine Geology Program, St. Petersburg, and while serving as the coastal coordinator for Pinellas County, Florida. She has nearly 25 years of experience in coastal science and management and has assisted with many projects along the U.S. Southeast and Gulf coasts. 

The Town is asking for the community’s input in regard to Kiawah’s marshes. Visit bit.ly/3opigVl to respond to the survey and the interactive mapping tool to help inform the planning process.

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Lowcountry

Coastal Community Foundation Launches Annual Equity Speaker Series

July 28, 2022 by 0 Comments
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INAUGURAL EVENT TO FEATURE APPLE VP OF INCLUSION & DIVERSITY

CHARLESTON, S.C. (July 27, 2022) – Coastal Community Foundation today announced the launch of its annual Equity Speaker Series, which will kick off with an inaugural event featuring Barbara Whye, Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity for Apple. The event, hosted in partnership with title sponsor Blackbaud, will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at the Harbour Club at WestEdge, located at 22 Westedge Street, Suite 700. A virtual attendance option is also available. 

Whye is a South Carolina native and University of South Carolina alumna. In her role as Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity for Apple, Whye leads the charge on the company’s commitment to create a more equitable and inclusive world. Previously, Whye served as Intel’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion.

“There’s no question that Barbara is among the most highly-regarded leaders in the field of Inclusion and Diversity, and we’re honored that she has agreed to help us launch this exciting new speaker series,” said Darrin Goss, Sr., Coastal Community Foundation President & CEO. “As an organizational core value, Inclusion with Equity guides everything we do here at CCF, which is why we’re so excited for the opportunity to hear from a globally-recognized expert about how we can best continue our efforts to create meaningful change in our community.”

“Time and again, the team at Coastal Community Foundation have proven that they don’t just talk the talk, and this new Equity Speaker Series is evidence of just that,” Whye said. “I’m grateful to have been invited to be a part of such an important effort and look forward to further discussing our shared goals of promoting equity and inclusion not just in our workplaces but in everything we do.”

Seating for the in-person event is limited. To purchase a ticket, please visit: https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/special-initiatives/equity-speaker-series/.

With Inclusion with Equity as one of Coastal Community Foundation’s four core values, this series was developed to provide an opportunity for community members to meet and hear from nationally recognized thought leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion. 

ABOUT COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:

Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create communities rich in equity, opportunity and well-being by uniting people and investing resources so that all community members have a pathway to achieve their goals across Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry and Jasper counties. Through our tools for long-term charitable giving, we help individuals, families, businesses and organizations be the reason why communities thrive in the nine counties we serve along South Carolina’s coast. To learn more, visit coastalcommunityfoundation.org or call (843) 379-3400.

Lowcountry - Summerville & Goose Creek, SC

Goose Creek Announces the Sale of Veteran Banners for 2022

July 26, 2022 by 0 Comments
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We are excited to announce the sale of Veterans Banners in 2022. The banners will be displayed throughout the month of November at the John McCants Veterans Park and at the Municipal Center. Goose Creek residents are invited to purchase a banner in honor of the special Veteran in their lives.

The banners are $100, and orders & payments will only be accepted digitally.

Orders will be accepted until either Aug. 31 or until 100 are received. Please limit orders to one per family to allow as many residents as possible to participate. The City will announce if the limit is reached before Aug. 31. After the banners are displayed in November, they will be available for pickup at City Hall.

This is a new sale; any banners purchased in 2021 will not be displayed again in 2022. However, anyone who purchased a banner last year is welcome to do so again in 2022.

Click here to purchase your 2022 Veterans Banner.

Lowcountry

Grand Opening: Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Office Opening in Mount Pleasant, SC

July 26, 2022 by 1 Comment
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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Office Opening in Mount Pleasant on September 6, 2022

Charleston, S.C.- Charleston’s first and only medical practice focusing solely on Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), Optimal Bio, is opening at 590 Lone Tree Drive Suite 103 in Mount Pleasant on Tuesday, September 6. 

Using all-natural hormones that are identical to those made by your body, BHRT helps ease the degenerative side effects of aging and other medical issues, including fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, diabetes, headaches, osteoporosis and more. 

To celebrate their new opening, Optimal Bio is offering a complimentary consultation or free bloodwork to all Charleston patients who visit the new office between Tuesday, September 6- Tuesday, September 13. This is Optimal Bio’s sixth office, with locations in Cary, NC; Charlotte, NC; Southern Pines, NC; Wilmington, NC and Charlottesville, VA.

CEO Tylar Brannon

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring our revolutionary BHRT treatment to patients in the Charleston area,” shares Optimal Bio CEO Tylar Brannon. “Hormonal imbalance is extremely common among both men and women, resulting in a variety of negative symptoms that greatly affect a person’s quality of life. Our team has helped thousands of people feel better than they ever dreamed possible at any age.”

An initial consultation is performed by Optimal Bio’s expertly-qualified team of doctors, PAs and NPs, followed by comprehensive lab testing. At Optimal Bio, small pellets (roughly the size of a grain of rice) are the preferred method of hormone replacement delivery, delivering a dose of either testosterone for men or testosterone/estrogen for women. Each BHRT pellet implant lasts for several months and provides a substantial and stable release of hormones into the body.

To learn more and schedule a consultation, visit www.optimalbio.com. The Mount Pleasant location will be open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Lowcountry - Real Estate

Charleston, South Carolina is the #13 metro with the fastest-growing property taxes in America

July 25, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Homeowners in certain parts of New Jersey, Illinois, and New Hampshire probably already know that they pay the highest tax rates in the U.S. But it was mostly metro areas in southern states that saw the highest growth in property tax rates since last year.

Using analysis from real estate data platform ATTOM Data, Agent Advice examined the average property tax in more than 100 major metropolitan areas across the country to see where property taxes increased the most from 2020 to 2021 (the latest data available).

To be included, each metro area had to have a population of at least 500,000. Metro areas include the main city and its surrounding towns and suburbs. The average tax rate is calculated using the average estimated market value of homes in each area.

Keep reading to see how property taxes have grown in your area, or check out the national list here.

Charleston, South Carolina by the numbers

  • Average property taxes in 2021: $2,697
  • Average property taxes in 2020: $2,408
  • (up 12.0%)

Located two hours south of Myrtle Beach, Charleston is affected by the surge of Americans moving to South Carolina. A report from moving company United Van Lines found that South Carolina experienced the third-most inbound migration in 2021.

Homeowners in the metro area, however, do benefit from a tourism-fueled sales tax structure intended to offset property taxes. South Carolina’s port city of Charleston operates under the same property tax assessment mechanisms as Columbia.

Home values in the U.S. skyrocketed in 2021, rising faster in one year than they have in recent history. Propelled by low interest rates, demand for homes shot up while builders struggled to complete enough new homes to satisfy buyers. The typical American homeowner saw their home value jump tens of thousands of dollars.

Those home values jumped so quickly that effective tax rates in 2021 likely didn’t wholly account for the increases. In fact, effective tax rates largely declined across the country last year.

The average tax on single-family homes in the U.S. rose by 1.8% in 2021 compared to the year before, according to ATTOM Data. This represents the slowest rate of growth in five years. Smaller metros recorded some of the biggest tax increases, as home prices grew the most in these places.

Check out which metros have the fastest-growing property taxes below.

Metros with the fastest-growing property taxes

  • #1. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: +29.2% increase in average property taxes
  • #2. Nashville, Tennessee: +27.0% increase in average property taxes
  • #3. Knoxville, Tennessee: +22.2% increase in average property taxes
  • #4. Chattanooga, Tennessee: +22.0% increase in average property taxes
  • #5. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: +20.52% increase in average property taxes
House icon line vector illustration

Originally published on agentadvice.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.

Lowcountry

Enjoy this breathtaking look at Charleston from up above by Jared Minnex

July 24, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Charleston, South Carolina, has once again charmed Travel + Leisure readers, winning the top spot in the World’s Best Awards for Best Cities in the U.S. for the 10th year in a row.

There’s a reason people keep going back to Charleston: the city expresses the perfect balance of Southern charm, knockout food and drinks, and walkability. Many readers also found the city’s history to be a draw. Others appreciated the simple pleasures of strolling the side streets of downtown.

I recently went to visit and was blown away by the diverse landscapes from the historical downtown, tropical-like islands, and almost eerie swamplands.

All footage was shot on the DJI Mavic Air 2 and colored in Premiere Pro. Footage includes Cyprus Gardens, Mount Pleasant, Folly Beach, Isle Of Palms, Sullivans Island, Downtown Charleston, and Morris Island.

Please visit my website to see more recent work at: www.jaredminnix.com

Lowcountry - Real Estate

South Carolina was named as one of the Top 10 Most Stable Housing Markets in a recent study by CNBC

July 21, 2022 by 0 Comments
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According to an analysis by CNBC that weighed each state’s economic health, annual home price appreciation, new construction per year, and foreclosures and insolvency from the first quarter of 2022, the Top 10 Most Stable Housing Markets were identified and South Carolina was ranked #9 in the nation.

Here is why South Carolina was ranked in the Top 10 Most Stable Housing Markets for 2022

  • 2022 Economy ranking: 13
  • Home price appreciation: 21.4 percent
  • Housing starts per 1,000 people: 9.5
  • Foreclosure rate: 1 in 1,081 housing units
  • Underwater mortgages: 3.4 percent

South Carolina is in the midst of a very heated market, with tight inventory and regular bidding wars, helping prices to continue to rise.

However, strong new construction starts should eventually help mitigate that demand in the upcoming months.

The remaining Top 10 states include:

  • #10 – South Dakota
  • #9 – South Carolina
  • #8 – Arizona
  • #7 – Vermont
  • #6 – Tennessee
  • #5 – Idaho
  • #4 – Texas
  • #3 – Florida
  • #2 – Washington State
  • #1 – Utah

Additional Reading: Charleston Rental Forecast 2023

Read the full article here