South-Carolina

SC-Ga.’s Jasper port barely treading water after 19 years

Published

5 months ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

SC-Ga.’s Jasper port barely treading water after 19 years

The short-term prospects for the long-planned megaport in Jasper County aren’t gaining much steam.

In fact, they appear to be nearly dead in the water.

At one of his first public appearances before lawmakers, S.C. State Ports Authority CEO Micah Mallace provided a update last week about the Jasper Ocean Terminal that South Carolina and Georgia vowed to develop together along the Savannah River nearly two decades ago.

“Where are we with that now?” asked Rep. David Weeks, D-Sumter.

Mallace, with his first 100 days under his belt, replied that the SPA’s Peach State’s counterpart isn’t as engaged as it was earlier on in the drawn-out process.

“I think that the Georgia Ports Authority has been clear in their intentions and that they wish to deliver more infrastructure, more capacity that they control individually … on the Georgia side of the river, if you will,” he said Jan. 28.

He added that South Carolina’s nearest maritime rival “enjoys ample capacity for the foreseeable future for the next couple of decades.”

“We remain committed to delivering something in Jasper at the right time but certainly don’t have the funding nor the demand to do so in the short term,” Mallace said of the SPA.

Rep. Leon Stavrinakis of Charleston chimed in that it “doesn’t sound like you have a partner right now” for the project.

“That’s right,” Mallace said.

The 1,500-acre site on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River was was first identified as a prime deep-water maritime hub location about 40 years ago.

The two states formally agreed to pursue the deal together in March 2007 and acquired the site near Ridgeland the following year for $7.6 million. They’ve since contributed a total of roughly $20 million over the years to pay for preliminary engineering studies, consultants and other expenses.

The original goal was to be open in 2025.

The Jasper terminal would be a $5 billion game changer for the Southeast shipping industry, outfitted with up to 10 berths that could handle as many as 7 million cargo containers a year. County leaders were eager to build the terminal as quickly as possible to create thousands of jobs and expand the tax base.

S.C., Ga. agree to fund Jasper port deal for another year (copy) — The proposed Jasper Ocean Terminal (upper right) was announced in 2007 for a 1,500 acres on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River in Jasper County.

The timing was reassessed and pushed back in 2018, when a new forecast showed the new terminal wouldn’t be needed until 2035 at the earliest, a decade later than the previous estimate.

By then, Georgia was starting to move on. It chose in 2019 to stick close to home by outlining plans to convert about 200 acres up the river on Hutchinson Island near downtown Savannah into a three-ship container terminal that’s expected to open in 2030.

The decision pushed work at the Jasper site even further back.

The Port of Charleston, meanwhile, saw an unexpected expansion opportunity drop in its lap when WestRock Co. agreed to sell its shuttered Cooper River paper mill to the SPA two years ago. The $110 million purchase is expected to more give the authority’s neighboring North Charleston Terminal room to grow through 2050 or beyond.

For now, all preliminary work at the Jasper port property is on hold. The six-member board that South Carolina and Georgia created to move the project along hasn’t met since October 2024. Its website hasn’t been updated.

Andy Fulghum, Jasper County’s administrator, said in an email that he and other local officials have “been at this a long time” but they understand “all of this is market-driven.”

He also was appreciative that the area’s Statehouse delegation for helping redirect funding from the idled terminal effort “to assist us with some current economic development projects.”

“This makes sense and will help us to better respond to current landside port-related development interest in that area,” he said.

A $1.8 million budget request last week will go toward a new trade park in Jasper that, ironically, will handle cargo shipments from the Port of Savannah.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina National Guard lifts suspensions for pilots in July Fourth flyover

Published

5 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina National Guard lifts suspensions for pilots in July Fourth flyover

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTV) – The South Carolina National Guard on Friday lifted the suspensions of eight pilots who took part in a July Fourth flyover.

Eight Apache helicopter pilots who flew in the 2026 Salute from the Shore event in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, July 4, were initially suspended by the National Guard. The agency said the suspensions stemmed from events that day, adding the nonpunitive safety measure was routine and not a disciplinary action.

South Carolina National Guard lifts suspensions for pilots in July Fourth flyover(Courtesy: WMBF)

In a July 10 news release, the Guard said it lifted the suspensions and praised the 59th Aviation Troop Command as an “exceptional helicopter unit, renowned throughout the Army and the National Guard for its unwavering commitment to excellence and soldier safety.”

“The subject events of July 4th are no exception, as our pilots remain deeply committed to excellence and the highest standards of safety,” Maj. Lisa Allen said in the release.

–> Also read: ‘Truly sickened’: Remains of missing South Carolina girl recovered; parents face additional charge

Allen did not specify what prompted the suspensions, but said returning the pilots to flight status would help the Guard maintain peak operational readiness.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for July 9, 2026

Published

15 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for July 9, 2026

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 1-0-2, FB: 4

Evening: 7-2-5, FB: 5

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 4-0-7-0, FB: 4

Evening: 7-5-7-0, FB: 5

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 13

Evening: 02

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from July 9 drawing

05-11-23-25-39

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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SC is at the top for food waste in the nation. How you can make changes

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

SC is at the top for food waste in the nation. How you can make changes

A recent study ranked South Carolina as the ninth most wasteful state in the nation, struggling with commercial, industrial, and household waste.
Food waste in the U.S. has a significant environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 37 million cars.

Each year, Americans discard nearly 60 million tons of food, the highest amount of any country in the world.

‘While the world wastes about 2.5 billion tons of food every year, the United States discards more food than any other country in the world: nearly 60 million tons — 120 billion pounds — every year,” according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 report from Recycle Track Systems, a waste management company.

That wasted supply represents lost meals for families already facing food insecurity, according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 guide. While also filling U.S. landfills and contributing to harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Tackling this growing problem requires solutions from restaurants, grocery stores, farms, and manufacturers, where overproduction and waste are most common.

Food waste remains one of the nation’s most challenging problems, but some states, like South Carolina, have bigger problems controlling it than others.

South Carolina ranks ninth for states with the largest food waste

From state to state, the struggle against food waste reveals stark differences in efforts to conserve food.

To measure which states are falling behind, Lawn Starter analyzed food waste using 37 key metrics, and the results show South Carolina is one of the states behind the rest.

The study shows the Palmetto State ranked among the most wasteful in the nation, placing ninth overall with a score of 46.1 out of 100. South Carolina also ranked 46th in commercial and industrial waste, 43rd in household waste, 36th in recycling and 19th in reduction efforts.

How South Carolina and other states got their rating

The rankings were based on four key metrics, according to the LawnStarter study.

Commercial and industrial food waste
Household food waste
Most food recycled
Food waste reduction efforts

South Carolina food waste statistics

In light of the Lawn Starter study, here are the food waste statistics for the Palmetto State.

The Palmetto State recorded the highest year‑over‑year increase in farm waste of any state, with a 41% jump in farm waste volume and a 103.9% surge in surplus crops value.
Storms in the 2024 hurricane season, including Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene, left fields damaged and unsellable crops considered waste.
South Carolina’s food recycling rate fell 1.15% to 29.03%, retail food waste climbed 4.17%, and residential waste barely declined, dropping only 2.59%, the smallest household reduction in the country.

Reducing food waste can help save the planet

Globally, discarded food accounts for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 guide.

In the United States, the impact is profound, the World Wildlife Federation states that the production of wasted food generates emissions equal to those of 37 million cars.

Experts with RTS state that if Americans continue on the same food loss path, environmental consequences could be catastrophic.

Ways to reduce food waste

In the United States and beyond, there are many ways to reduce waste, according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 guide. From improving household habits to strengthening recycling and recovery efforts.

Here are some suggested strategies to reduce waste.