Local
Council Elections Tell A Tale Of Two Cities
By Barney Blakeney Jerome Heyward in North Charleston and Jason Sakran in Charleston both were elected November 5 in upset wins over two incumbents. Todd Olds and James Lewis Jr., respectively. Their wins signal changes beyond just in the representation of the districts, but also how their will impact their new constituents. In North Charleston,…
Read MoreBurgess Nomination To Highway Dept. Sparks Conjecture
By Barney Blakeney Just two years after being named North Charleston’s first Black police chief, Reggie Burgess has been nominated to become top cop at the S.C. Highway Patrol. I asked several North Charleston residents what they think. Pastor Thomas Dixon just lost a bid to become the city’s mayor November 5. Dixon said Burgess…
Read MoreNorth Charleston Leads The County In Homicides
By Barney Blakeney Efforts to address crime and policing continue as area homicides increase. Earlier this month, the Charleston Police Department received the final report of the Racial Bias Audit conducted by CNA. But even as the department vowed to use the opportunity to show its continued commitment to transparency and engagement with the community and to…
Read MoreCharleston Runoff Elections Predictable For Some, Needles and Pins For Others
By Barney Blakeney For many the November 19 Charleston municipal runoff elections came as no surprise – Mayor John Tecklenburg retained his seat against challenger Charleston Councilman Mike Seekings. For others the election was as surprising as Christmas morning to a kid. In the early polling, Tecklenburg held a 2:1 lead over Seekings as 26 percent…
Read MoreCharleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Seeking Five Community Representatives
Charleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is kicking off the search for five new community representatives. Community representatives express the varied justice-related needs and concerns of Charleston County residents, gather and share community input, and provide voice and feedback from the community into the CJCC decision-making process. The CJCC is a collaboration of elected…
Read MoreSC State House Rep. Krystle Matthews to Kick Off Re-election Campaign with a Community Holiday Party, Voter Registration Drive, and Charity Toy Drive
Representative Krystle Matthews will kick off her re-election campaign for South Carolina State House District 117 with a community holiday party on Saturday, December 14, 4pm-6pm at the Bernie Sanders Headquarters Charleston office (8252 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406). The festivities are free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to bring a…
Read MoreAndrew Yang to Speak at College of Charleston’s Bully Pulpit Series
The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston will host a conversation with Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Yang will meet with faculty, staff, students and the community as part of the College of Charleston’s “Bully Pulpit Series” on Nov. 22, 2019. The event will take place in the Stern Center Garden at 71 George Street at 10:30…
Read MoreNorth Charleston Elections: Black Quality Of Life Should Improve, Says Rivers
By Barney Blakeney For some there hasn’t been enough time to consider all the ramifications of North Charleston’s November 5 municipal elections. Incumbent Mayor Keith Summey was re-elected. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Dist. 5 contender Jerome Heyward’s upset win over incumbent Todd Olds. The mayor’s seat and representation in all 10 council districts were…
Read MoreNorth Charleston Election Protests Denied – It Was A Miscarriage Of Justice, Says Singletary
By Barney Blakeney The National Action Network protested the North Charleston Nov. 5 municipal elections. The protest came because of voter suppression perpetrated in several of the races, said South Carolina NAN President James Johnson. The Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration November 11 denied the protest. Johnson said Sunday NAN launched the…
Read MoreLewis Needs Your Vote Nov. 19 To Retain Chas. Council Dist. 3 Seat
By Barney Blakeney Charleston Dist. 3 incumbent City Councilman James Lewis hopes to retain the seat he first was elected to in 1995 in the November 19 runoff election. Lewis currently is serving his sixth term in office. November 5 he received 48 percent of the vote in the race against three challengers. To win,…
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