MORNING HEADLINES | After three years of leading the S.C. State Ports Authority as president and CEO, Barbara Melvin suddenly announced her resignation Thursday, citing personal and professional reasons.
Melvin first joined the Ports Authority in 1998, serving in several roles and leading major initiatives before ascending to her leadership role in 2022.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served South Carolina and the Ports Authority over these many years,” Melvin said. “However, for personal and professional reasons, I want to pursue other opportunities. I take pride in what has been accomplished by the Port while I have served it in multiple roles. Knowing the resiliency of the Ports Authority and its people, I have no doubt even more success is in its future.”
Bill Stern, chairman of the S.C. Ports Board of Directors, accepted her resignation.
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Phillip Padgett has been named as interim CEO, effective immediately. He joined S.C. Ports in 2016 as Controller. As CFO, he is responsible for the financial, risk management and real estate activities of the Port.
“I look forward to continuing serving the Port and leading our team as interim CEO until a replacement is named,” said Padgett. “S.C. Ports remains committed to providing reliable and efficient port service to our customers, and continuing to serve as a trusted partner to the entire South Carolina maritime community.”
In Friday’s issue of the Charleston City Paper
CP OPINION: Make fiction fiction again. “There are reasons you might feel you are living inside a modern dystopian novel. It’s because George Orwell’s warnings in fiction like 1984 and Animal Farm are becoming real life today in America.”
- CP CARTOONS: Stegelin: Ten-hut
- CP CARTOONS: The END is near
CP NEWS: S.C. foreign-born residents reach historic high level. South Carolina’s foreign-born population, both documented and undocumented immigrants, reached record numbers at the start of 2025, according to a recent report from the Center for Immigration Studies.
CP NEWS: MUSC recognized for excellence in CMT patient care. The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is the newest center of excellence in studying the most prevalent of the world’s rare diseases.
CP COVER STORY: Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns to Charleston for Labor Day. For almost two decades, the Lowcountry Jazz Festival has delivered some of the biggest soul-jazz and smooth-jazz performers in the country to the Holy City — everyone from Christian Yañez, Art Sherrod Jr. and Alan Scott to Will Downing, Chuck Loeb, Marcus Johnson and Lin Rountree.
CP FOOD: Charleston Grill’s impact after Aug. 23 closure. Since this month’s surprising closure announcement, there has been time to take stock of what the Charleston Grill meant to the people who worked there and to the greater community.
CP ARTS: Charleston author Willingham sharpens killer skills in 4th thriller. Exactly how does one twisted psyche pile up such cold-blooded carnage? To find out, simply get into the head of Stacy Willingham, if you can. She’s the Charleston-based scribe of Southern Gothic murder mysteries who, since her 2022 bestselling debut “A Flicker in the Dark,” keeps on slaying in ink.
In other headlines
Autism families enjoy special event at Folly Beach despite hurricane. Autism families and surfers say something magical happens when those children hit the water and find peace among the waves. This year, even with a hurricane, the event went on.
Charleston to borrow $73 million for projects across peninsula and West Ashley. City Council approved a slate of borrowing totaling $73 million to fund parks, affordable housing, flood mitigation and other infrastructure projects across the peninsula and West Ashley.
Prominent Charleston businessman Pearlstine passes away. Edwin Pearlstine, a prominent Charleston beer distributor and businessman who spent much of his life giving back to the Lowcountry, passed away Thursday.
Third of Lowcountry teachers considered chronically absent. Teachers serve as the core of our education system and the future of student development, but recent trends show some teachers are not showing up physically in the classroom.
Charleston County welcomes new EMS Chief Christopher Way. After former Chief of EMS David Abrams left the role in May, Charleston County announced that fire chief for Kootenai County of Idaho, Christopher Way, has been appointed and starts today.
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