South Carolina Focus

Scribbling notes on a dry erase board just won't do. So David Virelles plays them instead, on a piano. The Cuban composer and pianist is teaching a masters class at the Charleston Jazz Academy in North Charleston, as part of the Spoleto arts festival's community outreach program. In just a couple of hours, he's performing too. "I hope the students walk away with what it takes to play music," Virelles says. "It takes a lot of discipline, perseverance and love. You have to be passionate about it

Emergency management coordinators in South Carolina have a lot to think about. A lot to think about. On any given day, a normally quiet command center, like the one deep in the ground below Greenville City Hall, could fill up with representatives from a whole pile of agencies in a matter of minutes. “County Public Works, the American Red Cross, the Department of Social Services, DHEC, law enforcement, the fire departments, EMS,” says Jessica Stumpf, emergency management coordinator for

Emergency management coordinators in South Carolina have a lot to think about. A lot to think about. On any given day, a normally quiet command center, like the one deep in the ground below Greenville City Hall, could fill up with representatives from a whole pile of agencies in a matter of minutes. “County Public Works, the American Red Cross, the Department of Social Services, DHEC, law enforcement, the fire departments, EMS,” says Jessica Stumpf, emergency management coordinator for

It’s loud in here. That’s unusual, given that ‘here’ is a self-storage facility. Those are usually quiet; somber, even. This afternoon, though, a riot of pulsing music, random mwa-ha-haaaas , and various sci-fi bleeps and bloops make this place sound like a really fun vacation spot. And, for the most part, these cacophonous machines will end up someplace people will go to just have fun. Some will end up in basements or dens or man caves, but most will land at a seaside arcade or a retail

South Carolina is famous for many of its structures, especially the houses of worship that dot the varied landscape of the Palmetto State. The existence of many of these structures go back over a hundred years or more. But, whether grand and ornate, or small and simple, they all require a regular amount of maintenance. However, some of those houses of worship have fallen into disrepair due to dwindling membership, or a lack of finances, causing those structures to become at risk of possibly

The Marlboro County Courthouse is a pretty unique place. The building itself is essentially a replica of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, right down to the clock tower. The courthouse grounds are also host to a stalwart set of palm trees – and to the flags of six nations, former and current, that have had a major influence on South Carolina. Listen to a conversation with Jeff Dudley, past president of the Marlboro County Historical Society (and member of several other area historical

For most people, social media is hardly a darling of the digital age. The deaf would like to respectfully disagree.

The past few years of historic floods and hurricanes has amply demonstrated how subject South Carolina can be to severe weather emergencies. To help the public better understand how the state reacts to and deals with these situations, the S.C. Emergency Management Division has created a new program, the Citizens' Academy. The Academy is a half-day program that enables participants - it can accommodate 25 per session - to tour the EMD facilities, receive classroom-type instruction on the agency's

In the 1970s and early '80s, an acoustic trio from Spartanburg made its mark with well-crafted tunes featuring beautiful harmonies. Walter Hyatt, Champ Hood and David Ball were known as Uncle Walt's Band. Their blend of folk, swing, and bluegrass influences attracted audiences wherever they lived - including Spartanburg, Nashville and, ultimately, Austin, Texas. But, strangely, the enthusiasm of their fans never went beyond a faithful cult following. "I thought they should have been playing

Tourism is big business for South Carolina. The state Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT) puts annual tourism revenue at about $20 billion . One segment – sports tourism – is making up an increasing share of that. The last look the state PRT took at sports tourism was in 2011, and back then, its contribution to the South Carolina economy was estimated to be about $3.4 billion. PRT does not have hard numbers, but a spokesperson said South Carolina’s annual sports tourism-related