Did you know that a U.S. Army Special Forces hero and bestselling author lives here in Mount Pleasant? With more than 3 million books sold, prolific novelist Brad Taylor is at the top of his game — and we managed to catch up with him and his wife upon their return from a research trip to the Far East, the locale of his most recent work. Taylor’s latest, “Hunter Killer,” was … [Read more...]
Homecoming: Transitioning to Civilian Life
Charleston and the Lowcountry have a long tradition of military service. So many men and women have sacrificed to serve their country, yet so many stories are left untold. And, one of the most significant is how all these veterans transitioned from military to civilian life. Meet two of those veterans who shared a small portion of their stories. One is a “lifer” with a … [Read more...]
We Are Mount Pleasant
Oh, Mount Pleasant. How very interesting a town we live in – it’s where people are flocking to come, and where locals are reluctant to leave. As with every one of these “We Are” features, we try to shed light on some of the people who make our town special. You don’t have to be born here, you don’t have to have lived here for any minimum number of years, but we like to … [Read more...]
Mark Sanford Targets the Debt and the Deficit
Mark Sanford has been a two-term governor of South Carolina, twice represented the state’s 1st District in the U.S. House for six consecutive years — 12 total — and taught politics at the University of Chicago for a semester. Now he’s running for the highest office in the land. Well, sort of. “I’m not delusional about my prospects,” said Sanford in mid-September, as he … [Read more...]
Meet Congressman Joe Cunningham
It’s not unusual to run into someone I know when I’m back in Charleston, but when the man who had been following his toddler through the refrigerated aisle at Harris Teeter picked up the boy and waved at me, it took me a second to place him. The only other time we’d met, I was the one trying to keep up with him as we walked from his office to the floor of the U.S. House of … [Read more...]
The Face Behind the Donation: A Very Proud Shawn Jenkins
He’ll tell you he’s a volunteer. And by the way he walks around the lobby and hallways of the new Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, greeting the nurses, construction workers and other staff members, you wouldn’t think anything different. He stopped and spoke to almost everyone we passed along the tour of this brand new 11-story children’s hospital, complimenting … [Read more...]
All Aboard: A Day in the Life of a Yacht Captain
I am awakened by Mac McAnally’s “Coast of Carolina” drifting from my iPhone alarm. I click on the weather radio and listen: The weather will be favorable for today’s travels. I roll out of my bunk and start the coffee. At 5:25 a.m., I walk past my crewman’s door, “We are a go!” is all I need to say on my way to the engine room. I check the 30-plus gauges involved with the … [Read more...]
The Fight for Their Lives: Life After Cancer
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, followed by Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. While you’ll notice a flurry of light blue and pink ribbons in their respective months; colorful accents worn by celebrities, football players and newscasters, there are many who carry those colors in their hearts year-round: those fighting cancer, those lucky to have survived … [Read more...]
Clubhouses for Children with Cancer: Building a Place to Dream, Imagine and Play
Each year, the parents of approximately 15,600 kids will hear the words “Your child has cancer,” according to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. Across all ages, ethnic groups and socioeconomics, this disease remains the No. 1 cause of death by disease in children. One local company is creating a ray of sunshine in the lives of children with cancer. For the past three years, … [Read more...]
Cobblestone Quilters Guild: Creating Community Togetherness One Block at a Time
According to the website Quilting-in-America, “The term ‘quilt’ comes from the Latin ‘culcita,’ meaning a stuffed sack. The word has come to have two meanings. It is used as a noun, meaning the three-layer stitched bedcovering. It is also used as a verb, meaning the act of stitching through the three layers to hold them together.” To get a grasp on how quilts are “put … [Read more...]