News Briefs - July 30, 2020

COVID QUARANTINES SLOW GARBAGE PICKUP
 
The Charleston Public Service Department reports that the weekly garbage collection last week was delayed as several Republic Services crew members have been quarantined due to exposures to COVID-19. 
 
To offset the staffing shortage, city crews were enlisted to augment available Republic crews and help complete collection throughout Daniel Island. 
 
This week the city’s plan was to collect garbage on Monday and yard waste/bulk items on Tuesday.
 
Residents can report problems with garbage pickup to the city’s Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311 or citizenservices@charleston-sc.gov.
 
SC PORTS AUTHORITY SEES STEADY VOLUMES
 
The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) finished its fiscal year 2020 with relatively steady volumes compared to fiscal year 2019 despite impacts from the global pandemic.
 
The first seven months of the fiscal year — from July 2019 through January 2020 — were very strong, reported the SCPA, and was on track to achieve yet another record fiscal year until the pandemic hit, causing global disruption to supply chains and business operations. 
 
SCPA finished fiscal year 2020, which ended June 30, with 2.32 million 20y-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled at the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals, down 2.8% from fiscal year 2019.
 
The authority moved 1.32 million pier containers, which measures the total number of boxes handled, in fiscal year 2020. This is down 3.4% from the year prior.
 
From January to June, SCPA had 58 blanked sailings, meaning a vessel does not arrive during its scheduled time or is rescheduled. SCPA had 14 additional blank sailings announced for July onward.
 
The Port of Charleston achieved modest growth for both vehicles and pier tons in fiscal year 2020 compared to fiscal year 2019, handling 640,929 pier tons in fiscal year 2020, up 2.5% from the year prior.
 
The port saw 199,825 vehicles roll across the docks of Columbus Street Terminal in fiscal year 2020, an increase of 2.5% from the year prior. Vehicle volumes started to rebound in June after many automotive manufacturing plants resumed normal operations in May.
 
 The port had 217,673 cruise passengers in fiscal year 2020, which is up 2.2% year-over-year, despite cruise lines pausing their operations since March.
 
“The pandemic impacted businesses across the board and our volumes reflect that. We hope to see continued recovery as we begin fiscal year 2021,” SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome said in a statement. “We have an incredibly well-run port located in the thriving Southeast market. We plan to continue growing and diversifying our cargo base with retail goods imports and transload exports, such as forest products and agricultural goods.”
 
EXCHANGE CLUB CALLS FOR PINWHEEL VOLUNTEERS
 
The Exchange Club of Daniel Island is asking for help with its Pinwheels Project for the Prevention of Child Abuse planned for September.
 
The groups that will benefit are Darkness To Light, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, and Prevent Child Abuse America.
 
The Exchange Club needs volunteers to take several elements of the project, including working with the POA and schools for approval to access properties to place the pinwheels, solicit sponsors, set up pinwheel sales sites, marketing and public relations, and the actual installation of the pinwheels at the schools and Guggenheim Terrace. 
 
Any interested volunteers can contact the Exchange Club through their Facebook page, facebook.com/DIExchange/. For more information about the program, visit the website bluepinwheels.com

 

"We are grateful to our 2020 Pinwheels sponsors who make this event possible: Gold Sponsor - Daniel Island Community Fund; Other sponsors -The Citadel Club of Charleston. You may purchase pinwheels at Refuel to display in your yard.”

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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