MORNING HEADLINES | The 49th annual Spoleto Festival USA kicks off at noon today at Charleston City Hall, with the main festival focusing on the exploration of truth across its many world-class concerts, plays, speeches and other events.
The companion Piccolo Spoleto Festival also opens today with scores of performances over the next 17 days. Piccolo Spoleto kicks off tonight with Sunset Serenade when the Charleston Symphony Orchestra will perform with multiple guest soloists featuring works by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more.
Throughout Piccolo, guests can also enjoy the Sundown Poetry Series, noon concerts at Circular Congregational Church, several theatre performances and more. For a full rundown of all things Piccolo, check out the City Paper’s official guide online.
Meanwhile, the first day of the Spoleto Festival will be marked by Jules Massenet’s classic opera Thaïs — featuring the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and Chorus — Bank of America Chamber Music, a performance by singer Corinne Bailey Rae and more. A full schedule of Spoleto events is available online.
- EDITOR’S NOTE: To keep up with everything about the festivals, check out stories published daily online by the Charleston City Paper, the Holy City’s best connection to arts coverage. Pro tip: Bookmark this link.
In today’s issue of the Charleston City Paper:
CP OPINION: Put down the damned phone while driving. “Mobile phones, packed with powerful computers that used to take up rooms, are a convenience of modern life. But they can cause big problems — distracted driving and deadly wrecks, for instance — when used irresponsibly.”
- CP CARTOON: Ariail: Beware of DOGE
- CP CARTOON: You have freedoms!
CP NEWS: S.C. arts programs to suffer after federal slash of grant funding. The Charleston Symphony expected a $30,000 grant for a new fellowship program, and the Berkeley County Museum in Moncks Corner planned on vital support for its annual Colonial Days fundraiser. But without warning in the last month, the federal government yanked away its money.
CP NEWS: What’s ahead in education advocacy for S.C. They say all politics is local. So, too, is education, says the incoming president of a major state teachers’ organization who plans to advocate with a strong focus on what teachers want at the local level.
CP FOOD: Katsubo brings comfort of ramen to Park Circle. There are few things better than a savory bowl of ramen, and Joe Nierstedt makes a particularly comforting one. The former KinFolk co-owner is back with a new-but-not-unfamiliar concept, Katsubo, now open in Park Circle.
CP MUSIC: Reedy River String Band brings ‘newgrass’ to Pour House stage tonight. When the Reedy River String Band takes the Pour House stage tonight, the members will look like a traditional bluegrass trio. Sterling Waite plays fiddle, Rush Morgan plays acoustic guitar and Mark Dye plays upright bass.
In other headlines:
S.C.-1: Former Mace strategist says she asked him to “blackmail” her ex. A political strategist for U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., testified in a deposition that the congresswoman once asked him to pressure her former fiancé into giving her full ownership of their two jointly held homes and threatened to use images she’d found on her ex’s cellphone as leverage if he refused. According to the story, Mace’s office took issue with the word “blackmail.”
Jail deaths continue in Charleston County Jail as DOJ nears 2nd year. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the Charleston County jail over a year and a half ago, but more inmates continue to die behind the facility’s bars.
North Charleston police share detailed crime info on new app. The North Charleston Police Department is expected to launch a new app this summer that will allow residents to see more detailed crime information and anonymously report tips.
More than a third of tri-county households struggle, study says. Nearly 40% of households in the tri-county are struggling to cover the cost of basic needs, according to a new report from Trident United Way and its research partner United For ALICE.
Charleston veteran fears impact of proposed VA job cuts on care. James Weninger travels to a Veterans Affairs clinic in the Lowcountry every few months for health care treatment, but new cuts could dramatically reduce the quality of care he receives.
Historic park preserved in Charleston settlement community. The Red Top community, with the help of the Lowcountry Land Trust, permanently protected Red Top Park from future developments. Members of Red Top consider this a huge win as several housing projects are planned around them.
$80M Charleston County EMS headquarters approves first round of funding. With the goal of putting all Emergency Medical Services training and expertise under one roof, the Charleston County Council Finance Committee has approved a portion of an $80 million project so they can have a new EMS headquarters.
New ruling on septic tanks is a win for clean water in S.C., conservationists say. Environmental groups are celebrating a legal victory that makes the process of installing large-scale septic systems in subdivisions more transparent — and holds developers accountable.
National Hurricane Center calls for above-average activity this season. The National Hurricane Center expects between 13 and 19 named storms, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes. Between three and five of those could become major hurricanes.
Memorial Day travel expected to hit record numbers at Charleston’s airport. The Charleston International Airport is preparing for greater numbers of Memorial Day travelers than last year.
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