After the historic flood of October 2015 destroyed the 4 Paws Animal Clinic in the Columbia suburb of Forest Acres, a friend came to the rescue with a temporary site for the business. Dr. Nori Warren and her husband, Will, immediately began planning to a return to their original building, which was still structurally sound. But red tape from FEMA and the Small Business Administration kept them in the dark for months before they learned they couldn’t afford to return to their building under the

Since tattoo parlors became legal in South Carolina in 2006, they have ridden a growing wave of popularity. No longer the province of sailors or convicts, tattoos are being worn by doctors, ministers, even grandmothers. Tattoo artist Scot “Spyder” Kudo says the range of tattoo designs is as endless as the imaginations of his clients. Jail keys, the “Christmas Story” leg lamp and a magnifying glass with disappearing fingerprint are some of the more unusual patterns he’s done. Fellow artist Bryan

Eight nonprofit organizations will receive $380,000 to continue recovery work for damages caused by the 2015 flood as well as Hurricane Matthew. Grant money will help organizations purchase building materials, do general rebuild work, mold remediation and supply home furnishings. South Carolina Public Radio spoke with Jim Powell, Director of Development for Home Works of America, and learned how this round of funding will allow the organization to continue to help the most vulnerable in the

In three months, the South Carolina Disaster Recovery Office (SCDRO) will close its mobile and fixed intake centers. To date, SCDRO has taken over 2,000 cases of people who still have unmet needs following the 2015 flood. South Carolina Public Radio learns, as this deadline draws near, the intake process for a program to help Hurricane Matthew victims is also approaching. Almost three months after SCDRO established fixed and mobile intake centers , to receive applications to its recovery program

Some farmers are just beginning to shake off the effects of the historic flood of October 2015, though others will take longer to come back. One of those recovering is Eric McClam of City Roots, an urban farm in Columbia. Because the farm is divided into two locations, one plot was able to escape heavy damages and continue operating to help lift up the damaged second property. Plus, diverse activities such as farm tours for groups helped keep the operation going while the lower acreage dried out

Vanessa Torres is a passionate advocate for teaching foreign language to elementary school children. She says research proves that early education in foreign languages improves deductive reasoning skills, memory, self esteem and more. Her enthusiasm in the Spanish classes she teaches is contagious, says her principal, Love Ligons. And her fellow teachers and students’ parents are not the only ones who have noticed. Torres was the recent winner of the prestigious Milken Award, a national honor

In the span of 24 hours, two survivors of the 2015 flood celebrated rebuild milestones. Both residents entered the United Way of the Midlands 2-1-1 disaster case management intake system and both were contacted by rebuild organizations. 15 months after the flood, returning home has become a reality. When Karen Albert cut the the ceremonial ribbon to mark the completion of repairs to her flood-damaged home, she acknowledged the possible sever between her and the volunteers with Reach Global

South Carolina's original constitutions are breaking down. The several hundred-year-old parchments are tattered with frayed edges, browning corners, and stiff pages. In an effort to save the documents, archivists are seeking to preserve them permanently. For now, the documents lay unseen in a temperature-controlled room. "Everything in here is 60 degrees, less than 50% relative humidity," says Eric Emerson, Director of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The massive, white

South Carolina's original constitutions are rotting. The several hundred-year-old parchments are tattered with frayed edges, browning corners, and stiff pages. In an effort to save the documents, archivists are seeking to preserve them permanently. For now, the documents lay unseen in a temperature-controlled room. "Everything in here is 60 degrees, less than 50% relative humidity," says Eric Emerson, Director of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The massive, white archives

If you are a regular listener of this network, the odds are you also like symphony music. But how many of you think of your local orchestra as a business? Our next guest certainly does. Mike Switzer interviews Michael Smith, executive director of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra .