MORNING NEWSBREAK | Shoppers can save the state’s 6% sales tax and local option sales taxes through Sunday during South Carolina’s annual three-day sales tax holiday.
Exempted items generally are related to school supplies, but can include everything from bedding to clothes to shower curtains and computers. Items not exempt from sales tax this weekend include digital cameras, smartphones, jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear, wallets, watches and furniture.
Last year, shoppers purchased $30 million in tax-exempt items, saving more than $1.8 million, according to the state Department of Revenue (SCDOR).
“As inflation continues to drain many wallets, this year’s Tax Free Weekend offers some relief for weary families,” said SCDOR Director Hartley Powell. “Every shopper saves money during this tax holiday, particularly on back-to-school essentials.”
If you’re all set for school but still want to take advantage of the weekend, many organizations across the Lowcountry are asking for community support to help every student receive necessary supplies for the new school year.
In City Paper news today:
CP OPINION: PETA billboard making Charleston crabby
“Unfortunately for PETA and the causes it supports, the response so far from most Charlestonians seems to like something from Homer Simpson.”
CP CARTOON:
CP FOCUS: Day in the Life: Tanguay builds houses with Habitat for Humanity. Construction supervisor for Sea Island Habitat for Humanity Kali Tanguay has been leading groups of volunteers and working with others to build stilted houses from the ground up from James Island to Edisto.
CP NEWS: Heat is on for S.C. leaders as global temps keep rising. According to climate experts, efforts to respond to climate change take two principal forms: mitigation, which seeks to lower future temperatures by reducing greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, and adaptation, which works to prepare communities for the challenges of rising seas and extreme weather.
CP FOOD: Xo Brasserie, Costa named two of Yelp’s best new restaurants in the South. Yelp (a website that features crowd-sourced reviews of businesses) announced its first list of Best New Restaurants in the South. Two Charleston restaurants, Xo Brasserie and Costa, made the list of 25 restaurants.
CP MUSIC: Music collective Sugarcube debuts at Music Farm. Through fundraising efforts and “Sugarcube Presents” showcase-style events, the founders behind Sugarcube aim to eventually raise enough money to fund an inclusive, all-ages music venue in the Charleston area.
In other news today:
Tropical wave expected to become tropical depression in days. New computer models predict a tropical system could move toward the South Carolina coastline after traveling up through the Florida peninsula next week.
Police want DNA of man charged in Morrison Drive hit-and-run. Investigators are asking for DNA evidence in the case against one of the drivers charged with hitting two 20-year-old women on Morrison Drive this spring, but his attorneys say that information is not relevant to the case.
Boeing names new CEO as it posts a loss for Q2. Boeing named longtime aerospace industry veteran Robert “Kelly” Ortberg as the new CEO. The announcement comes on the heels of a reported loss of more than $1.4 billion on falling revenue during the second quarter.
What Charleston crews found during annual Operation Move-Out. Over the next five days the city’s Livability Department, its code enforcement officers and three contracted trash trucks will be patrolling the streets of downtown Charleston from Line to Beaufain streets for the heaps of furniture and trash that appear around this time every year when college student leases come to an end.
Rucker to headline Charleston Co.’s first back-to-school bash. Darius Rucker will be headlining Charleston County School District’s inaugural back-to-school bash with a performance slated for Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island.
One80 Place shifting gears on plan to reduce homelessness. The organization announced a new strategic plan that will guide its services over the next three years. They believe housing and outreach are two of the strongest solutions against community displacement.
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