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USC poet to be inducted into SC Literary Hall of Fame

April 24, 2009 By

Born in Ghana, raised in Jamaica, and educated in Canada, Distinguished Poet and Residence of the University of South Carolina, Kwame Dawes, has been recently recognized for his works as a poet and will be inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors this Saturday.

Dawes explains why this is so rewarding for him saying, “I am now a U.S. citizen but I always felt like a South Carolinian long before I felt like an American.

“So it is gratifying to be inducted in the South Carolina Academy of Authors it expressed, at least, that I am recognized as a South Carolinian. That means a lot to me.”

Other authors of note in the Academy are James Dickey, Pat Conroy, and John Jakes.

Dawes is honored to be inducted along side his co-honorees. “The people who are bring inducted with me,” said Dawes, “Susan Ludvigson, who is a good friend and a poet that I admire greatly…I think she is an amazing poet. And Carrie McCray who was a fantastic human being, great writer, and just a wonderful artist. She was also a dear friend so it is good company to be inducted with.”

The ceremony takes place tomorrow night a 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Capstone House at USC. Reservations are required for this event.

Listen to Dawes recite a line from “Memory”

Filed Under: Education, Human Interest, News

American Red Cross assists fire victims, relief workers

April 24, 2009 By

South Carolina is seeing its worst wildfire in 33 years. As fire continues to spread through North Myrtle Beach, nearly 20,000 acres has been consumed in the area, with 40% contained; 69 homes have been destroyed and 100 homes damaged.

Staff and volunteers from all three SC chapters of The American Red Cross have been on the scene as well. There are three regional chapters across the state- Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. The Lowcountry Chapter’s Executive Director, Louise Welch, is at one of the three shelters the Red Cross has opened to provide assistance, the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach.

“You can see the smoke and last night when I was here, ah, you could feel the smoke in your lungs, so we’re close enough to feel some of the effects, you can see the smoke, but, of course, it’s safe here and that’s why we set up a shelter here,” says Welch.

Welch says this morning she attended a press conference with Horry County and she says the weather was a concern, with 25 miles per hour winds expected along the coast today and hotter temperatures expected. Welch says they are prepared to help in any way they can.

“There are no one in the shelters when the sun comes up, people are trying to get back in to see their houses. We’re doing a lot of mental health counseling right now because as people are allowed back in, what’s happening is they’re going in and finding out that their house is destroyed. The Red Cross has mental health counselors here at the House of Blues to talk and try and help these people through this difficult time,” says Welch.

Welch says when they sit down with these victims they focus on listening and consoling them.

“Believe it or not the American Red Cross makes everybody feel a lot better. We’re helping them, we help them, of course, right now with immediate disaster needs, we’re making sure they have a place to stay, making sure they have food and water, and we’re working with other partners and agencies in the community to help take care of their long-term needs,” says Welch.

Still, no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Human Interest, News

Bear pen legislation may be penned up for legislative year

April 24, 2009 By

Sources inside the South Carolina House of Representatives say that they expect the “bear pen” legislation to be a dead animal for the legislative year.

Republicans Marion Frye of Lexington, Jeff Duncan of Laurens and David Hiott of Pickens had sponsored a bill that would create permits for the penning of bears inside 200-acre fences so that hunting dogs could be trained to hunt them. That practice is already allowed in South Carolina for foxes and coyotes. South Carolina allows a two-week-long bear hunting season in the mountains at the end of October. Dogs can be used to chase the animals during one of those weeks. Last year, hunters killed 48 bears.

Black bears can weigh up to 600 pounds but they aren’t usually aggressive. There are no reports on record of injuries from bears.

Opponents say penning bears will lead to “canned hunts” where the animals are shot in pens.

Some expect the issue to resurface in the legislature this year, but others believe, that since debate was adjourned on the issue Wednesday in the midst of such controversy, that it’s just like a penned animal not going anywhere. Even officials from the Department of Natural Resources are opposed, saying that their agency wants to promote hunting, and such issues cast a bad light on hunting in general.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals weighed in on the issue.  PETA spokesperson Nicole Matthews says,  “First of all it’s cowardly and unnatural to put a dog against a bear, in order to shoot them, to have a trophy.  Some hunters are confining bears to cages to train their dogs, but even officials at South Carolina’s own Department of Natural Resources is opposed to large animals in enclosed areas.”  

Some upstate hunters keep bears in small enclosures for dog-training purposes. The Department of Natural Resources has issued permits for people to keep 25 bears in captivity. But the agency has stopped issuing new permits for captive bears.

Matthews says bear hunting is headed out, across the U.S.   ”Hunting bears with hounds is illegal in two-thirds of our states.  Of the 28 states that allow bear hunting, only 17 allow hunting with hounds.”

Most South Carolina black bears live in the mountains or along the Pee Dee coast.

Filed Under: Legislature, News

Tourism officials say beaches are not affected by wildfires

April 24, 2009 By

As some locals in the Horry County area return to find their homes destroyed or severely damaged, Nancy Gray with the City of Myrtle Beach says the location of the fire hasn’t effected tourism.

“Business is usual for our visitors, the weather is gorgeous and the resort area is open. The Horry County wildfire is impacting west of the inter-coastal waterway and for our visitors that means that most attractions and hotels are not affected,” says Gray.

Gray says those particular facilities are east of the intercoastal waterways, so visitors will not really notice any changes to the area.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Business, News
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