Kathryn Casteel

More SC law enforcement agencies are joining an ICE program aimed at accelerating deportations SLED and SC local police agencies are helping execute Donald Trump's deportation goals by joining immigration and customs enforcement partnership program.

An influx of SC law enforcement agencies are joining ICE's 287(g) program, including the previously defunct task force model with a history of civil rights abuses. Mitch Black & @kadissem.bsky.social broke down a troubled history and murky future in the state.
www.postandcourier.com/news/sc-sled...

SC Senator's boat has been stuck in Charleston waters for months. State says it's not abandoned. South Carolina Sen. Matt Leber's sailboat, Rebellion, is stuck in the marsh of New Cut Creek on Johns Island, though SCDNR says the boat is not abandoned.

Really great accountability reporting from The Post and Courier's Ali Rockett and Anna Sharpe today. South Carolina Sen. Matt Leber's sailboat has been stuck in Charleston waters for months, but SCDNR says it's not technically "abandoned."

www.postandcourier.com/charleston_s...

Short term rentals are taking away housing stock in North Charleston. A new policy aims to fix that. North Charleston looking to redo guidelines for short-term rental permits for sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, capping the number of rental units to 60 per district.

Meanwhile, North Charleston proposed a cap on short term rentals in all of the city's districts, following in the foot steps of other municipalities around Charleston County. Story here from Kenna Coe.

www.postandcourier.com/news/short-t...

People who work on Folly Beach struggle to find housing there. This new program may be the solution. Folly Beach city council will consider using Lease to Locals, a program that pays operators to turn short-term rentals to long-term rentals for local employees.

A couple housing stories from the
@postandcourier.bsky.social Charleston metro team this Monday

Via Anna Sharpe, folks who work on Folly Beach have a hard time finding housing. City officials are considering a new program to help them find affordable options.
www.postandcourier.com/news/folly-b...

The Associated Press and its cooperative nonprofit structure has been one of the final pieces of the legacy news ecosystem to resist the financialization of journalism. Maybe those days are over. Gannett and Reuters' play here is for Wall Street to move in on and capture the less savory element of AP's business - helping local news outlets paper over the loss of local reporters with filler journalism, ironically in many of the communities that armies of laid-off Gannett journalists used to serve. It's just the wrong kind of competition. The logical outcome here isn't the net creation of more local journalism jobs, but to undercut AP's prices and make AP's own journalists redundant. (What happens to a cooperative once its members decide to stop cooperating?) The endgame is to eventually diminish consumers' options and put fewer people in charge of America's journalists and the news Americans see. Gannett deserves to be rooted against.

grumble grumble

mattdpearce.substack.com/p/wall-stree...

Blue Christmas services offer healing, community for those struggling this holiday season in SC Blue Christmas services are quiet, contemplative offerings from several Lowcountry churches to those who are grieving or struggling during the Christmas season.

A nice feature from one of The Post and Courier metro reporters here in Charleston, Anna Sharpe, about Blue Christmas church services, a space for folks celebrating alone or that may have lost a loved on to come together.

www.postandcourier.com/news/blue-ch...

Need a telescope? You can check one out at Lowcountry libraries. Here's what else you can get. At public libraries in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, card holders can check out Chromebooks, acoustic guitars, telescopes, aquarium passes.

Libraries FTW!

Story from Maddy Quon.

www.postandcourier.com/news/charles...

A mock magazine cover that reads "New York Union: Media Workers Tell All!"

Remember in October when @nymag.com published its annual Power Issue with members of the “media elite?" Well, @nymagunion.bsky.social thought you might want to hear from media workers themselves.

Introducing our union Power Issue: MEDIA WORKERS TELL ALL!

SC LGBTQ youth have faced waves of anti-trans policies. Trump's White House return has them worried. South Carolina LGBTQ youth saw state ban gender-affirming care and bathroom access. Uncertainty remains with Donald Trump's anti-trans agenda in White House.

"There's always going to be a scapegoat because I think, in a lot of ways, that's how people are," Lee said. "But I don't think that it has to be children, and I don't think that it has to be queer children — because they exist."

Story from me and Kenna Coe.

www.postandcourier.com/news/lgbtq-s...

I am “competitive cooking shows are all that gives me comfort” years old.

A student was struck while biking to school in Mount Pleasant. Parents want safety upgrades. A student riding his bike to school in Mount Pleasant was hit by a car on Oct. 11. Parents ask officials for more stop signs at King Street and Bellview Drive.

And from Anna Sharpe, in Mount Pleasant, a child was recently hit while biking on his way to school. Town police have recorded more than 2,100 traffic this year, 39 involved either a bicyclist or a pedestrian.

www.postandcourier.com/news/mount-p...

Leaders envisioned a former North Charleston diner as a community hub. Now it's on sale for $700K. Residents remember the former Al's Diner on East Montague Avenue in North Charleston as a gathering place for the community. The property is now on the market.

A historically Black community in North Charleston envisioned an old diner that was a pillar in the community in the 50s/60s as a new welcome center. But a church that bought the building for $94K a few years ago is now selling it for over $700K via Kenna Coe.

www.postandcourier.com/news/liberty...

Charleston mayor asked local leaders to help with a shelter plan. They're still waiting for details. Charleston Mayor William Cogswell pitched a regional homeless shelter on Oct. 1, but none of the 30 Lowcountry localities have heard from his administration.

A few great recent things my team in Charleston to re-intro myself here-
The mayor of Charleston asked regional leaders for buy in on his rapid housing plan for homeless back in October, hoping to hit a Dec. 1 deadline. Folks still haven't heard the details.

www.postandcourier.com/news/charles...

I suppose I'll start using this app more.

Attorneys for Richard Moore levy human rights group in push for relief from SC death row Spartanburg's Richard Moore could be the first person issued a death notice if SC resumes executions. Can an international human rights group help?

If South Carolina soon resumes executions, Spartanburg's Richard Moore is likely the first to receive a notice. His attorneys petitioned an international human rights group presenting claims of human rights violations as a likely final attempt for relief.

www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/l...

How are we doing over here? I heard all were welcome now.

Federal lawsuit filed against City of Travelers Rest, officer over sexual assault case The federal complaint also claims assault is indicative of widespread issues at the Travelers Rest Police Department. Here's what to know.

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/crime/2023/07/26/lawsuit-filed-against-travelers-rest-officer-sexual-assault-case-updates-bakari-sellers-strom-sc/70471467007/

a picture of Winnie the Pooh looking bored at the caption "getting 10 likes on twitter", and right below it a picture of Winnie the Pooh dressed in a fancy tux and looking satisfied at the caption "getting 10 likes on bluesky"

Can’t explain why but Threads feels like when a local restaurant you like opens at an airport

i hope every body finds the social media home they truly deserve

My mom told me the Falling Rock road signs around mountain areas were for an elf named Falling Rock so I wouldn’t be scared of rocks potentially falling on us.

Bex Miller, 47, participated in some of Greenville’s historic moments for LBGTQ+ rights, including a push for the 1996 Olympic committee to bypass parts of the county in the torch relay, a response to the county’s anti-gay resolution passed the same year.

One of two of our final Pride profiles.

Faces of Upstate SC Pride: An artist and rebel, Bex Miller witnessed Greenville transform From the frontlines in 90s protests to creating space for the next generation, Bex Miller has watched Greenville's LGBTQ+ community transform.

A work post!

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2023/07/05/upstate-pride-bex-miller-witnessed-greenville-transform/70342716007/

So what’s the vibe over here, are we serious people or elder millennials still trying unsuccessfully to be funny?

Is this thing on?