MORNING HEADLINES | South Carolina’s highways in 2025 weren’t the dieways they were in recent years. As of Monday, 153 fewer people died in 2025 than the 1,032 who died the year before, according to preliminary data from the S.C. Department of Public Safety (DPS).
In 2025 across the state, at least 879 people died, which is also far fewer than the 1,038 in 2023 and the 1,081 people in 2022. Of those who died last year in traffic incidents, 152 were pedestrians (an annual increase of two deaths) and 137 were motorcyclists (up six deaths).
In Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, 113 people died from Jan. 1 to Dec. 29, 2025. The year before, 135 died, according to DPS figures.
Part of the reason for the lower number of statewide deaths appeared to be the lower number of fatal vehicle crashes – from 946 wrecks in 2024 to 825 as of Dec. 29.
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Recent headlines
State health officials re-emphasize importance of vaccines as measles spreads. The South Carolina Department of Public Health is urging all South Carolinians to make sure their vaccinations are up to date as measles cases in the Upstate rise and to minimize the risk of other vaccine-preventable diseases.
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Charleston airport travelers experience delays due to severe winter storms. Snow has blanketed parts of the Midwest and Northeast and more winter weather is expected, disrupting travel nationwide.
Charleston Co. decides not to release info on natural deaths of inmates. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office stated that they will not release the news of natural deaths of inmates moving forward out of respect for the inmates’ loved ones and families.
Historic Charleston maps offer a peek into the city’s past. The city’s Records Management division received a $10,000 grant from the S.C. State Historical Records Advisory Board to hire a project archivist to catalogue nearly 1,800 maps and plans.
Gullah Kwanzaa celebration to feature storytelling, drum circle. The Gullah Geechee Family Foundation will hold its 8th annual Gullah Kwanzaa Celebration on Tuesday afternoon, held at the Charleston Visitor’s Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Crews examine centuries-old Mount Pleasant bridge. Crews are digging into the Pitt Street Bridge, which served as a critical route for travel and defense during wartime. The work centers on drilling into the causeway’s substructure to assess its stability after centuries of exposure to fast-moving water, tides and erosion.
Early voting begins for North Charleston council seat. Early voting began Monday for the North Charleston City Council District 1 seat, left vacant after former councilman Mike A. Brown resigned amid corruption charges.
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