electrician in Daniel Island, SC

Last week the South Carolina State Ports Authority announced that it achieved a record fiscal year 2022.

According to a press release issued by Kelsi Brewer, Director, Corporate Communications and Community Giving for the Ports Authority, South Carolina ports handled 2.85 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal and Leatherman Terminal in fiscal year 2022. For pier containers, which account for boxes of any size, SC Ports moved 1.58 million containers in fiscal year 2022.

SC Ports saw a 12% uptick in cargo this fiscal year, with more than 164,000 additional containers moving through the Port of Charleston than the year prior. Sustained consumer demand drove this growth. Imports were up 22% year-over-year.

“In partnership with our great maritime community and logistics partners, South Carolina Ports has achieved yet another record year,” SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said. “Together, we have navigated ongoing supply chain challenges and implemented creative solutions to keep freight moving.”

In an effort to keep imports and exports flowing through the supply chain, the ports extended Sunday gate hours through at least September, given berth priority to vessels taking out more cargo, improved rail dray dwell times, leased more than 1,000 chassis out of its SMART Pool chassis fleet and hired 150 people in operations, according to the press release.

“We are using every avenue possible to add more fluidity to the supply chain for our customers,” Melvin said. “Our decision to invest in infrastructure ahead of demand is proving crucial in today’s environment.”

The Port Authoirity has invested more than $2 billion into port infrastructure in recent years to handle record cargo volumes, the release stated.

The modernized Wando Welch Terminal will soon boast 15 ship-to-shore cranes with 155 feet of lift height. The new Leatherman Terminal adds a much-needed berth to the East Coast port market.

SC Ports is now developing the future Navy Base Intermodal Facility, a rail-served, near-dock cargo facility designed to efficiently move goods to and from the Port of Charleston via rail.

The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project is also on track for completion this fall, making Charleston the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet.

“Many of our industries rely on SC Ports to move their products to global markets. Our commitment to deepen our harbor and build vital port infrastructure ensures South Carolina remains globally competitive,” explained Senator Larry Grooms, chairman of the S.C. Senate Transportation Committee and the Review and Oversight Commission on the South Carolina State Ports Authority.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed on Friday that two people in the state tested positive for monkeypox infection. One person is in the Midlands region and another person is in the Lowcountry region. The affected individuals will be monitored until they are no longer infectious to prevent spread of the virus and will be isolated if needed. Appropriate care will be provided as needed.

“We understand residents have concerns about how this virus might impact our state,” said Dr. Linda Bell, State Epidemiologist. “We expected infections to eventually occur in South Carolina as part of the larger international outbreak, which is why DHEC has been planning a response for weeks. That said, monkeypox doesn’t spread easily and we believe the risk to the general population remains low at this time.”

Midlands and Lowcountry regional epidemiology staffs are completing contact investigations and offering post-exposure vaccination to people exposed to the individuals who are infected, DHEC said in a press release. Those people also will be monitored to determine if they develop an infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been notified, DHEC said, and it continues to follow CDC guidance in the monkeypox response.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness. The typical illness begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes that progresses to a rash on the face and body, however, many cases in the current outbreak do not have the typical onset and the rash may only appear on part of the body, DHEC explained. Most infections last two to four weeks.

Monkeypox is a reportable condition in South Carolina as a novel infectious agent. Healthcare providers are asked to notify DHEC of any patient that they suspect may have monkeypox to receive guidance about the recommended evaluation.

Monkeypox is not easily transmitted from person to person. It can be spread through prolonged face-to-face contact, skin-to-skin contact including sexual contact, and through contaminated materials (clothing or linens of an infected person).

If you are concerned that you have been exposed to someone with monkeypox infection or have a new, unusual rash, please seek medical attention from your usual healthcare provider, visit an urgent care center, or call your local health department.

Though the risk to the general population remains low, we encourage the public to inform themselves about monkeypox through reliable sources, including the DHEC website and the CDC website.

As Charleston continues to boom as an attractive destination for tourists and business, the expansion for hospitality in the Lowcountry becomes a high priority. Daniel Island may serve as a place of refuge by way of a newly proposed hotel, restaurant, event space and guest cottages.

In June, Daniel Island’s Architectural Review Board approved the conceptual design of a proposed hotel at 1995 Daniel Island Dr. and on Monday evening the City of Charleston Design Review Board voted 6-0 to approve the same design with some aesthetic revisions.

Next up, the hotel will undergo a preliminary submittal process through the city’s Technical Review Committee prior to obtaining final permits.

A 1,536 square foot single floor office building constructed in 1996 currently sits on a portion of the 1.5 acre site. That building is occupied by Beatty Management, a property management firm. The existing site is slated to be demolished.

The hotel would be located across the street from the former Blackbaud headquarters and the Old Charleston Battery soccer stadium, which is the future site of a 320-unit multifamily apartment complex called Nowell Creek Village.

Over the past 20 years, the 1995 Daniel Island Dr. has been home to a myriad of businesses and island celebrations. The building was the original sales center for Daniel Island Real Estate. It also served as the location of the inaugural Blessing of Daniel Island in 1997 around Thanksgiving. Over the years, the site housed an art school (Daniel Island Music and Arts) and a chiropractor’s office.

In May 2019, the 1.5 acre parcel was acquired by JT Industries from the Daniel Island Inn for $1.25 million. The properties previous owners included the Daniel Island Company.

According to DRB Administrator David Meeks, the scope of the project is piecemealed into four sections: The main building is scaled to be 11,200 square feet and three stories tall and will serve as the hotel, restaurant and event space. Four guest houses are planned at 8,500 square feet each. Two two-story cottages will be 866 square feet each. And, two two-story cabanas will overlook the marsh on Beresford Creek at 592 square feet each.

The design calls for a total of 38 units, along with 50 parking spaces. The developer is local King and Society Real Estate and the architect is local Neil Stevenson Architects, acclaimed in 2008 for Best In American Living Award’s “Best Urban Smart Growth

The owner was contacted for comment but was not reached by the time of this article’s publication. The developer and the ARB declined to comment due to the preliminary nature of the project.

The earliest the hotel could obtain permits would be by the fall. Construction would not break ground until next spring if all goes according to plan.

You know the look. The look when they need to go out. The look when they want to play. The look when their favorite person shows up or when they leave. You know the look in your pet’s eye, the silly way they sit or the curious way they tilt their head.

Pet portrait painter Michele Levani focuses intently on the eyes of every loved animal she’s commissioned to paint and delivers a look of pure joy in the eyes of the owners when a painting is finished.

From the age of 5, Levani had a love of drawing. “For me, drawing was the start.”

Levani’s parents saw the love and cultivated it with classes. Not pick-up-a-crayon-and-color classes, but real art classes where she learned composition and the elements of perspective, depth and value. Levani studied voraciously so that now, 40 years into her life and a career as an artist, the accuracy and level of detail found in the pets she draws and paints shines through in each face.

“I consider myself a narrative artist,” Levani said. “I want to find the personality. My favorite thing ever to draw are eyes. There’s a story to tell and it’s in the eyes.”

Levani laughs and shares that she believes in the core strength of the eyes and face of her subjects so much so, that one time when a teacher tried to get her to turn her talents towards still life, she ended up drawing lips on her lemons and eyes on her apples. Levani is a prolific artist, contracted by a national pet brand, many months she produces 120 small works for pet owners nationwide. These small studies are not where she stops, though. Levani’s work is on display downtown at the only nonprofit gallery in Charleston, the Charleston Artist Guild. Among the 70-plus exhibiting members, Levani’s work with animals and people as subjects of admiration stand out as they combine equal parts precise and playful.

Levani feels at home alongside other “kindred spirits,” including Daniel Island residents Joyce Erb, Peter Finger and Betsy Jones McDonald who are also represented in the CAG East Bay gallery.Levani’s commission works come in all mediums and all sizes, from petite pen and ink drawings of pets on paper to perfect home-hung original paintings to large public art commissioned wall murals for Orvis, Ronald McDonald House and a recent collaboration with the South Carolina Aeronautics training center for Trident Technical College and Boeing.

“As an artist, I don’t want to get locked into rules,” Levani said about using just one type of medium or one particular size. She layers acrylics, inks, washes, watercolors and more. Artists, unlike our furry friends, don’t always obey. They are “rule breakers and trend-setters,” which makes this artist equally as lovable as the pets she paints. Pet lovers can visit the CAG in person downtown or view a comprehensive bio and commission pricing for Levani’s work on her website MicheleLevaniArt.com. You will also find a tab titled, “why it’s worth it all” which is the bright eyes of some very happy pet owners upon receiving her commissioned work in their forever home.

Heather MacQueen Jones is a Daniel Island artist journaling life’s journey through oil painting. Follow her stories on Instagram @heARTpalette or MacQueenJones.com.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources urge South Carolinians not to keep wild animals as pets.

To protect people and wildlife, DHEC and SCDNR have teamed up to share information about the risks of keeping wild animals as pets. Wild animals live in nature and are not domesticated, meaning they’re not tame or kept as a pet or on a farm. Keeping wild animals as pets in some cases may be illegal, and puts the owner and others who encounter the animal at risk of injury or getting diseases such as rabies.

Rabies is a deadly disease for animals and people. If a person is exposed to the rabies virus, their health care provider can recommend a series of shots as a treatment that helps prevent the person from becoming sick with rabies. While this treatment can be life-saving, the cost for receiving these shots can be more than $10,000 per person.

The best way to protect yourself is to do what you can to prevent possible rabies exposure. DHEC and SCDNR recommend that you protect yourself and others by:

? Leaving wildlife alone and not keeping wild animals as “pets.”

? Not approaching an animal in need. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator for the type of animal in need. Deer, fox, and coyote rehabilitators require a special permit issued by SCDNR. A registry of rehabilitators, maintained by SCDNR, is available at bit.ly/3IQhqKG.

? Contact your local animal control for stray and feral cats and dogs, a wildlife control operator for nuisance wildlife, or a wildlife rehabilitator for sick and injured wildlife.

? Never touching wild or stray animals with your bare hands.

? Vaccinating pets and livestock against rabies. By law, all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated. You can find low-cost rabies vaccination clinics at bit.ly/3aNrSpz. It’s also recommended that livestock receive their rabies vaccinations as well.

In South Carolina, the most common animals to test positive for rabies are wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that a skunk, raccoon, fox, or bat that bites someone should be euthanized

and tested for rabies as soon as possible. While cats and dogs may be able to undergo quarantined observation for a specific time period to determine whether they contracted rabies, holding wild animals for observation isn’t a safe option because it’s not known how long it takes for rabies symptoms to appear in different types of wild animals. And since there is no approved rabies vaccine for wild animals kept as pets, even vaccinated wild animals will be treated as unvaccinated.