South-Carolina

SC hurricane evacuation exercise set for Thursday

Published

12 months ago

June 6, 2023

SC hurricane evacuation exercise set for Thursday

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Multiple agencies will conduct a full-scale test of lane reversal plans for all three coastal areas of the state this Thursday.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety and the Department of Transportation are partnering with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and other state and local agencies for the exercise which will run from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m.

No traffic lanes will actually be reversed during the exercise; instead, it tests the deployment of equipment and personnel to make such a lane reversal work when there is a need for one.

The exercise will test lane reversal plans for Interstate 26, U.S. Highways 21, 278 and 501; and state Highway 544 in the event of a coastal evacuation order, SCDPS spokesman Kyle McGahee said.

“These annual exercises are critically important as it helps our agency coordinate a hurricane evacuation response with our state and local partners,” Department of Public Safety Director Robert G. Woods IV said. “During the exercise, our course of action and communication are tested in such a way that allows us to assess our response and make critical adjustments. A successful exercise should provide confidence to the public that we are prepared to safely and quickly move residents and visitors in the event of an evacuation order.”

The exercise will simulate reversal operations on U.S. 278 and U.S. 21. The deployment of equipment and personnel will be made on these roads leading out of Hilton Head and Beaufort.

SCDOT equipment will be stationed on U.S. 278 from Almeda to Hampton in Hampton County.

Law enforcement personnel and traffic control devices will be deployed along I-26 from the intersection of the Nexton Parkway and I-26 in Charleston to I-77 and I-26 in Columbia.

Traffic control equipment and personnel will be stationed on U.S. 501 beginning at S.C. 544 and ending at U.S. 378 as well as between S.C. 22 and the Marion Bypass.

Aerial units from the South Carolina National Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Forestry Commission will be flying assigned aerial surveillance routes.

“Preparing for a hurricane evacuation is not just an exercise; it is a crucial commitment to safeguarding lives and communities,” Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said. “By practicing and refining our agencies’ response plans, we ensure when a storm arrives, we are as ready as possible to implement those plans swiftly and effectively as one team.”

Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall points to the importance of evacuation planning.

“Hurricane evacuations are a critical part of our emergency plans if our state is faced with a natural disaster,” she said. “We appreciate the continued coordination with our partner agencies. Our SCDOT staff train year-round and we stand ready to assist the people of South Carolina.”

Intersections will not be blocked, and motorists will be allowed to move freely. However, the Highway Patrol cautions motorists traveling I-26, U.S. 501, and S.C. 544 as well as U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 to exercise caution and be aware that law enforcement officers and state personnel will be located on the shoulder of the highway and at exits.

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South-Carolina

Court records detail accused cop killer’s flight from South Carolina

Published

2 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Court records detail accused cop killer’s flight from South Carolina

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South-Carolina

'Magic United': Disneyland characters vote to unionize

Published

9 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

'Magic United': Disneyland characters vote to unionize

Updated May 18, 2024 at 23:07 PM ET

Turns out, Disneyland is not the happiest place on earth.

At least, it’s not for some of the workers who walk around the park as Mickey Mouse and Elsa and Chewbacca and other beloved Disney characters.

In a union election that ended Saturday, the Anaheim, Calif.-based performers voted overwhelmingly to unionize, by a vote of 953 to 258. The employees will be represented by Actors’ Equity Association, a union known for representing actors and stage managers on Broadway.

The election was open to some 1,700 employees in the character and parade departments, including those who roam Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park greeting visitors and performing in the daily parades.

The union campaign grew out of the pandemic, when performers started having health and safety concerns around sharing costumes and having physical contact with visitors, including hugs from adoring children.

/ Disneyland Resort via Getty Images

Disneyland Resort via Getty Images

At Disneyland, fans of a galaxy far, far away are treated to character encounters.

Like many other workers in Southern California, the Disney employees also found their base wages — which went from $20 to $24.15 in January — no match for the rising cost of living.

Calling themselves “Magic United,” the workers leading the organizing campaign called for higher wages and more reliable schedules, noting that parade performers in particular have trouble getting full-time hours.

Mai Vo, who first got a job at Disneyland at 16 and put herself through college performing as a number of Disney characters, says there’s a sense of exhaustion that comes with the job.

“[It] gets really hard to make magic when you’re burnt out,” she says.

In a statement, Disneyland said, “We support our cast members’ right to a confidential vote that recognizes their individual choices,” while noting that non-union employees do receive annual raises and paid sick leave aligned with industry standards.

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Gamecocks Lose 4-1 To No. 1 Tennessee, Suffer Back-To-Back Sweeps For First Time Since 2019

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

Gamecocks Lose 4-1 To No. 1 Tennessee, Suffer Back-To-Back Sweeps For First Time Since 2019

For the second straight weekend, South Carolina’s baseball team was unable to salvage a single game against a ranked opponent, with this sweep coming courtesy of the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers after losing 4-1 in game three on Saturday afternoon. It’s the first time that the Gamecocks have been swept in consecutive weekends since April 26th-28th and May 3rd-5th of the 2019 season.

Dylan Eskew got the start on the bump for Carolina in game three, and despite giving up some loud outs, didn’t allow any damage, giving up just two baserunners in two innings on just 29 pitches of work. In the third inning, left-handed pitcher Matthew Becker would come onto the mound to give the Tennessee batters a different look and would get a 4-6-3 double play and another groundout to end the inning. However, things wouldn’t go as swimmingly in the fourth and fifth innings, as an RBI double in the fourth and multiple fielding miscues in the fifth would lead to four Volunteer runs.

At the plate, the Gamecocks struggled against Tennessee starter Zander Sechirst, who only allowed four Carolina baserunners in six innings. In the eighth inning, the Gamecocks would threaten, with Dalton Reeves and Talmadge LeCroy hitting singles, the latter scoring a run, to give South Carolina two baserunners with one out. However, pinch hitter Will Tippett and centerfielder Austin Brinling would strike out and fly out, respectively, and the Gamecocks wouldn’t get anyone on base in the ninth.

South Carolina will play an opponent TBA in a single-elimination first-round game in the SEC Baseball Tournament this coming Tuesday.

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