January: 1st Congressional District illegally gerrymandered, judges rule
A panel of three federal judges ruled in January that South Carolina legislators racially gerrymandered the district’s map in a constitutionally required remapping in 2021. “The movement of over 30,000 African Americans in a single county [Charleston County] from Congressional District No. 1 to Congressional District No. 6 created a stark racial gerrymander in Charleston County,” the judges wrote. The case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
February: Haley launches presidential campaign at packed Charleston rally
Kiawah Island resident Nikki Haley, a former S.C. governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Donald Trump, announced her presidential campaign to try to beat her former boss in the 2024 presidential race. In the months since, she’s become a real contender seen by many as a more reasonable conservative than frontrunner Trump.
March: Lots of shootings every day
In a March cover story, the City Paper drilled into data about gun violence and learned that the county had an average of three gun-related incidents per day in just one month.
April: Fentanyl overdose deaths increasing at startling rate
Illicit fentanyl is taking lives at a startling rate in Charleston County, energizing local public health professionals to say raising awareness that the narcotic can be present in recreational drugs is key to protecting people from a tragic end. Data showed more than a 25% increase in statewide overdose deaths from 2020 to 2021 with Charleston County’s death rate being third highest in the state. In November, senior projects editor Herb Frazier wrote a sad, gripping story about how the scourge of fentanyl is ripping apart family lives.
June: International African American Museum opens
Hundreds of people peacefully gathered June 24 in two locations to celebrate the dedication of the International African American Museum, a 23-year dream come true for former Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., who spearheaded the project. “This museum that we open today is a gift to our country and a gift to each of us and our future,” Riley said during the opening ceremony. As a tribute to the hard work over years to bring the museum to fruition, the City Paper published Journeys, a special 48-page tribute and the Lowcountry’s only major publication that welcomed the museum. In a commentary, the newspaper noted how the museum is a really big deal for Charleston: “We are at a historical tipping point. … Now is the perfect time for a museum dedicated to telling generations of stories stemming from the lives of enslaved Africans brutally brought to what became the United States.”
June: In surprise, port pauses major Union Pier project
A controversial development plan for Union Pier pushed by the S.C. State Ports Authority was put on hold for a year. In its place, the agency announced the city of Charleston and College of Charleston would lead the project and prioritize more community input. The decision was the result of months of pushing by the agency and a corresponding onslaught of negative public feedback on the project’s direction.
June: Charleston Advancement Academy to close
A state charter school district board in January revoked the charter of the troubled Charleston Advancement Academy, a public charter school. In June, the school announced it would permanently close its doors. But that didn’t happen until the end of September when a judge ordered it to close.
July: Lanxess plant leaks spark concerns in Charleston’s Neck area
Special projects editor Herb Frazier wrote several stories on the impact of the Lanxess chemical plant and its leaks in the Neck area between Charleston and North Charleston. A November story revealed human error caused the release of a small amount of highly toxic gas in May.
September: School board dysfunction, secrecy blasted
Dysfunction among nine elected members of the Charleston County School District Board of Trustees sucked a lot of air out of the area’s news space throughout 2023 with stories about curriculum controversies, the mismanaged hiring of a new superintendent and more. But when the superintendent was put on paid administrative leave in September, complaints about the board, powered by a slim majority backed by the right-wing Moms for Liberty group, skyrocketed. In packed meetings, advocates hollered about dysfunction, secrecy and illegal executive sessions. After the new superintendent left in October and a new board chair was elected, things settled down, but the cauldron is still simmering.
September: ‘Forever chemicals’ in Charleston above proposed drinking water standards
Reporter Lily Levin reported in September how local drinking water supplies included small amounts of so-called “forever chemicals.” Officials said, however, the water was safe to drink. In October, she reported about high levels of the chemicals in area fish. And in November, she talked with residents about their view of the impact of the chemicals.
November: Burgess runs away with North Charleston mayor’s race
Former North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess swept a crowded 10-way field in the city’s mayoral election, securing 59% of votes. He will become the first new mayor of the city in nearly 30 years. He also will become the city’s first Black mayor.
November: Cogswell wins nail-biter of runoff to become new Charleston mayor
Former GOP state Rep. William Cogswell got 566 votes more in a tight runoff election of 27,350 votes to wrest the city leadership from two-term incumbent John Tecklenburg. Cogswell promised a new direction for the city. Tecklenburg said he continued to be as optimistic about the city as he ever had. In other Charleston elections, voters reelected city council members Keith Waring, Karl Brady, Boyd Gregg and Ross Appel, the last two of which were unopposed. Newly elected council members were Jim McBride of Johns Island and William Tinkler of West Ashley.
Don’t miss these 5 stories from 2023
One way to avoid traffic: Make your own lane. People are still wondering how the elderly Florida driver of a silver Nissan sedan ended up using the walk-bike lane of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to cross the Cooper River in a novel and unforgettable November traffic mishap.
Toilet roll pole graces Charleston’s skyline. In this August story that became a talk of the town, the City Paper highlighted Charleston’s newest eyesore — a 113-foot 5G wireless communications tower that looks like three rolls of toilet paper atop a pole. It slithered into existence without anyone being able to do much about it, thanks to the Federal Communications Commission.
‘Spy’ balloon shuts down Charleston flights for 1.5 hours. As if the sensational double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh wasn’t enough to put South Carolina on the world’s radar of being a home to odd news. Then came the Chinese spy balloon shot down Feb. 4 off the S.C. coast after federal officials shut down air traffic in and out of Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
Watch out for the school phone police. This September story by reporter Lily Levin highlighted how some schools are using a magnetized pouch called a Yondr bag to hold phones and block signals during school hours. School officials say Yondr improves instructional time by keeping students off devices. But guess who doesn’t like Yondr bags.
Up or down for the Coburg Cow?
The City Paper reached deep into its list of sources so you could meet The Caretaker, the guy who makes the decision on whether West Ashley’s famed Coburg Cow on Savannah Highway stays up during storms or comes down to protect it.
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