.. “You might be a redneck if your toilet paper has page numbers on it.” — Jeff Foxworthy Have you gloved-up, slipped on your respirator mask and braved a world swirling with virus to hunt for household essentials lately? Odds are, you quick-stepped past the bakery treats, fresh produce and even the meat section to head straight for the paper goods aisle. Does your … [Read more...]
Can You Avoid the Cold and Flu Season?
Colds and flus have become synonymous with the holiday season. Once the kids are back in school, noses start to sniffle and throats begin to tickle. Getting sick is unavoidable, or is it? In a sea of crumpled Kleenexes and cough-drop wrappers, is there hope for a germ-free season? Some local experts gave their best advice on prevention, vaccinations and … [Read more...]
A Day in the Life of Quarantine: How Staying at Home Looks Different Across the Country
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a worldwide pandemic. Since that declaration, life as we know it has been turned upside down. From California to New York to Texas and Illinois, we’ve adopted a life of confinement to flatten the curve, collectively closing our doors and hunkering down. However, even with the common thread of quarantine … [Read more...]
Pomp and Extenuating Circumstance
Senior year is an idealized time in American culture — a period of celebrations, planning the future and reckoning with one’s identity. We’ve all watched movies and heard songs that invoke the nostalgia of senior year, and we all have a memory or two to share from our own. For the graduates of spring 2020, however, expectations have taken a sharp and unexpected turn. High … [Read more...]
The New Face of Faith
COVID-19 has impacted our community at its core. It’s no secret that societal norms have changed. Where we once exchanged hugs, handshakes, met in large groups and celebrated religious holidays together, we now are advised to distance at least 6 feet apart, wear masks and gloves and gather via video conferences. This may cause a great sense of loss, grief, anxiety and fear, as … [Read more...]
Surviving the Pandemic: What it’s Like Being ‘Of a Certain Age’ During the Pandemic
How has daily life changed for you? It’s a question many of our area’s seniors are asking one another these days, as stay-at-home regulations restrict most social activities to one’s immediate household and fear of the COVID-19 virus keeps many out of the few open businesses and other regular meeting places. Nowhere is the answer to this question clearer than at … [Read more...]
From Convenience to Necessity: Delivery Services See Historic Rise in Demand During Pandemic
The realities of COVID-19 and social distancing have forced companies nationwide to adapt their business model to fit the new normal of personal interaction. Nowhere is this more evident than in how we access our food and other essentials from grocery stores, restaurants and retailers. Pre-pandemic, delivery services were often perceived as a convenience that businesses … [Read more...]
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
“I told my students goodbye on a Friday not knowing the call would be made to not return,” explained Beth McCall, a 5th grade teacher at Whitesides Elementary School. “Knowing what I know now, I would have been more specific about what materials to take from their desks and cubbies, but more importantly I would have given them all a reassuring hug and told them how much I loved … [Read more...]
The Importance of Hospitality In Times of Trouble, Our Restaurant Industry Bands Together to Bring Us Hope
When you take a moment to think about the core values of our town, one of the first things that comes to mind is our hospitality. It’s no wonder that we’ve built a booming industry on the back of the friendly reception and overall care for others that Charleston is famous for. Sadly, in a city where striking up a conversation with a stranger is commonplace, the effects of a … [Read more...]
Hometown Heroes in the Health Care World
How does a global pandemic such as COVID-19 get dealt with in smaller communities? The greatest impact in managing the crisis comes from our hometown heroes. The health care workers of the Lowcountry in South Carolina answered as they always do: swiftly, with compassion and determination, all while placing themselves, and oftentimes their own families, at risk. From the … [Read more...]
The Mount Pleasant Police Department’s Reaction to the Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic made its way through Mount Pleasant, the town took an innovative approach to police work, redirecting its law enforcement resources to make life a little more bearable and a lot safer for the people who call the fourth largest municipality in South Carolina home. Mount Pleasant’s men and women in blue played an especially important role for the … [Read more...]