MORNING HEADLINES | Coyotes appear to be becoming more of an issue for some sea island residents after removal of two animals from Kiawah Island and spotting of another recently on Sullivans Island.
The town of Kiawah and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in an unprecedented turn of events removed two coyotes last month from the island after they killed three nesting sea turtles, according to The Post and Courier
The now-dead coyotes’ behavior was highly atypical, according to the DNR’s sea turtle coordinator Michelle Pate. There is no recorded history of coyote predation of mother turtles in the United States.
“By all accounts, this is extraordinarily unprecedented behavior, never before recorded,” Kiawah Island Mayor Bradley Belt said at a June 2 town council meeting.
While coyotes are known to eat sea turtle eggs, the loss of a nesting turtle has a much larger impact on conservation and recovery efforts, Pate said. It takes about 35 years for a female sea turtle to reach sexual maturity and begin laying eggs.
The move comes a few weeks after a coyote was spotted in a shop named A Maker’s Post on Sullivan’s Island, which caught employees off guard. The store’s front door was propped open on May 19, inviting customers — not coyotes — to peruse the displays of art and home decor.
Coyotes are no stranger to Sullivan’s Island, and residents are familiar with the animals by now, too. But it is unusual for coyotes to approach people, especially in broad daylight. In mid-May, a woman told DNR that she was stalked by a coyote while walking her dog on the beach near Station 26.
Around town
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In today’s issue of the Charleston City Paper
CP OPINION: A racket? Maybe — if you let them keep it. “What do you call it when the party in power tries to throw out thousands of legally-cast ballots and cancel an election because it is going to lose? Cheating? Obviously. Authoritarian? Yeah, probably, if you’re being blunt.”
CP COVER STORY: Site records decades of UFO sightings across Lowcountry, state. The recent release of previously classified military records of “close encounters” with Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and potential extraterrestrial beings has tongues wagging. In the Lowcountry, more people than ever are questioning whether we are truly alone — or whether this is yet another distraction from the Epstein files.
CP NEWS: Outpouring of world’s grief expressed in letters, art for Emanuel. Two separate huge collections of correspondence and artwork capture the world’s grief-stricken responses to the 2015 tragedy that took the lives of nine members of Emanuel AME Church.
CP NEWS: $135M West Ashley sewer project hits major milestone. Charleston Water System is marking a second major checkpoint after a year of digging in its ongoing $135 million project to extend the West Ashley sewer tunnel.
CP FOOD: Annie Mae’s Bakeshop makes its mark in Charleston. There’s everything from the chicken salad sandwich that’s gone viral to a divine carrot cake at Annie Mae’s Bakeshop at 185 St. Phillip Street. Since husband-and-wife duo Jason and Annie Vieira opened the bakery in March, its biscuits, pies, cake by the slice, extensive coffee menu and hand-blended tea continue to attract legions of fans.
CP ARTS: Gaelic culture thrives at Scottish Performing Arts Classic. Ann Heymann has two commandments in her Gaelic music career: Thou shalt not compete with music, and thou shalt play with your friends when they ask.
- Chamber Music Series carries on Spoleto tradition
- College of Charleston to perform reimagined Shakespeare classic
CP MUSIC: Cowboy Junkies celebrate 40 years at Music Hall. On stage or off, the Canadian quartet Cowboy Junkies is not about volume, swagger or riffs. Instead, it relies on creating an almost church-like feel in performances. Most Junkies shows, like the one coming up at the Charleston Music Hall on June 18, are about the powerful, solemn atmosphere the band creates.
In recent headlines
Mount Pleasant threatens to pull consent for S.C. Highway 41 project as county closes in on permits. Charleston County expects to have permits in hand this year for the long-awaited and highly debated S.C. Highway 41 expansion.
Veteran support program expands across Lowcountry. Wake Up Carolina has expanded its veteran support group program to Mount Pleasant.
Charleston County man charged in fatal boat crash on Shem Creek. Edward Tavel III, 21, of Charleston County is charged with involuntary manslaughter following a fatal boat crash on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant.
Summerville proposes outdoor entertainment district to boost local businesses. The Town of Summerville is proposing a new outdoor entertainment district that would allow people 21 and older to buy alcohol and walk around outside with it in a designated area.
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