Kaitlin Stansell

Many parents are anxiously waiting for Lowcountry school districts to finalize their plans for reopening, but others have reservations about sending their kids back to inside classrooms this fall.

Some law enforcement agencies in South Carolina have failed to follow state law when it comes to reporting when an officer leaves their job because of allegations of misconduct, while others never even show up to prosecute misconduct cases.

Many Lowcountry teachers are nervous to return to their classrooms this fall as school districts outline possible plans to reopen in August amid rising cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina.

Most towns and cities in the Lowcountry have cancelled their fourth of July events and fireworks shows because of the coronavirus pandemic, but two men are putting on their own celebration right in the middle of the Charleston Harbor Saturday.

The district is set to spend $534,720 on expanding those services after the district’s board of trustees included mental health access into its mission critical actions last year.

Amid a record-breaking surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in South Carolina, healthcare officials are urging people to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday safely and continue taking precautions, like wearing masks.

The Charleston County School District is set to spend more than $353,000 next fiscal year to train its staff, employees and even board members on implicit bias, racial diversity and other cultural issues.

The South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy has taken a financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic. About 42 percent of the academy’s funding comes from traffic ticket fines and fees, which has become unreliable source of cash flow because of COVID-19.

The state’s law enforcement training council is considering more racial bias and diversity training for officers in South Carolina following the death of George Floyd, which has sparked calls for police reform across the country.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office helicopter captured a bird’s eye view of the damage, looting, and law enforcement response to May’s riot in downtown Charleston. It followed a day of peaceful protest and ended with dozens of businesses on King Street damaged.

First-year students and faculty and staff at the College of Charleston will undergo diversity education and inclusion training starting this fall. Meanwhile, the college’s Avery Research Center continues to examine racial disparities in the Lowcountry.

New procedures will be in place on June 9th to protect voters and poll workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Touchless voting” will be the new process for casting a ballot, from the check-in process to selecting a preferred candidate on the voting machines’ touch screens.

Late last year, election officials reported the state’s current electronic poll book solution is not compatible with the new statewide voting system because of its age and inadequate software capabilities.

Officials with Explore Charleston report the area’s hospitality and tourism industry has potentially lost more than a billion dollars because of closures related to the coronavirus. Now, the region’s marketing organization is targeting travelers from nearby states.

The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina is fighting for the release of state prisoners who have a higher risk for complications and death related to COVID-19.

A team of Lowcountry lawyers is taking on some of the country’s most prestigious universities and colleges for failing to refund tuition and fees to students following campus closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cane Bay families could have a new school option for their K-8 students by next year. Berkeley Preparatory Academy is set to open its doors in August 2021 after some delays, according to the president of the Berkeley Charter Education Association.

A plan to provide public transportation for people living in rural parts of the Tri-country area could roll out later this year. It’s meant to give the region’s unemployed workforce better access to job opportunities and training.

Some parents are demanding the Berkeley County School District change the enrollment process and zoning for Cane Bay area schools. Dozens of them showed up to protest outside the school board’s budget workshop Tuesday night.

Social distancing measures changed the way many people celebrated 75 years since the end of World War II in Europe, including survivors of The Holocaust who now live in the Lowcountry. Diny Adkins was just a little girl when the war began, and she will turn 82 on May 20.

Governor Henry McMaster said his decision to open businesses like salons and gyms could come as soon as Monday, but not all owners think they’re ready.

The Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy is now broadcasting words of encouragement to law enforcement, firefighters and EMS workers through the very same emergency radios first responders use on the job.

The coronavirus shutdown may prove itself to be beneficial to education reform efforts in the Palmetto State; however, the pandemic’s effects have not been minimal.

The Berkeley County School Board is anticipating a “bleak” and “painstaking” budget for next school year because of the state shutdown caused by the coronavirus. Cuts are already being made to some positions within Berkeley County schools, however district leaders said employees will not be laid off

Parents hoping to enroll their kindergarteners at Cane Bay Elementary will have to rely on luck. This year’s registration process for the school’s limited classroom seats will end with a lottery drawing held over Facebook live.

Thousands of first responders across the country have been exposed to the coronavirus, including some in the Lowcountry.Six firefighters with Midway Fire Rescue were quarantined for 14 days after they were exposed to a patient who ultimately tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials say the coronavirus pandemic has put children at a higher risk for abuse. However, school districts and child advocacy centers are finding new ways to keep kids safe. Reports of child abuse are down nearly forty percent in South Carolina compared to last year.

The first meeting of Governor Henry McMaster’s accelerateSC task force revealed grim, new details about the economic crisis state and industry leaders are expecting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Lowcountry high school students said they were disappointed to learn their senior years are basically cancelled.Governor Henry McMaster announced Wednesday South Carolina classrooms will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.

A Charleston engineer and a Lowcountry boat maker have teamed up to build intubation boxes. The acrylic shields can protect healthcare workers during one of the most high-risk procedures for the transmission of COVID-19.