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The former president and CEO of a South Carolina nonprofit has been awarded the state’s highest civilian honor.

Madeleine McGee, former President & CEO of the Together SC, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto during a recent celebration in Charleston.

The honor was presented to McGee during Together SC’s Building Bridges gathering, according to a news release. She was joined by past board chairs, nonprofit leaders, staff, and longtime friends and colleagues who came together to celebrate her decades of visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing South Carolina’s nonprofit network, the release stated.

McGee led Together SC (formerly SCANPO) from 2011 to 2024, overseeing its transformation from a small trade association into statewide nonprofit network of nearly 1,000 member organizations and countless partners, the release stated. Founded in 1996 by 67 charter nonprofits and foundations, Together SC began as the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations to serve as the collective voice for the state’s nonprofit sector. Just one year later, it hosted its first Nonprofit Summit— now an annual gathering that brings together more than 650 nonprofit, philanthropic, and corporate leaders from across the state, the release stated.

In 2017, the organization adopted the name Together SC to reflect the full network of “Allies for Good”— nonprofits, funders, businesses, and advocates united in their commitment to strengthen communities, according to the release.

Today, Together SC leads the way in supporting nonprofit leaders, advocating for sound public policy, promoting best practices, and fostering collaboration — so all South Carolinians thrive alongside a vibrant, unified nonprofit network, the release stated.

“Madeleine’s leadership has left a legacy of transformational impact,” said Shawn Edwards, Together SC board chair, in the release. “She strengthened nonprofit institutions — and more importantly — inspired and empowered the people who lead them.”

Prior to her role at Together SC, McGee served as president of the Coastal Community Foundation, where she expanded the foundation’s reach, grew annual grantmaking from $1 million to $8 million, and increased philanthropic assets from $11 million to $128 million, according to the release. She also helped establish the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation and the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation.

Madeleine’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic was especially notable, the release stated. She convened weekly calls to connect nonprofit leaders, advised state officials on relief funding, and worked tirelessly to ensure that vital community-based organizations could continue serving those most in need.

Since retiring from Together SC in 2024, McGee has continued to serve as board chair of the Charleston Horticultural Society, combining her passion for sustainable gardening and native plant preservation with community service, the release stated.

Together SC strengthens and unifies the South Carolina nonprofit network. Its vision is to create a thriving South Carolina, along with a vibrant strong non-profit network. Its member benefits help nonprofits excel, collaborate, and create positive impact for the communities they serve.

Firecrackers will flash across Charleston's stunning skyline once again this year, offering yet another spectacular Fourth of July for the Lowcountry.

If you're looking for a special setting to embrace the patriotic holiday, consider watching the dazzling light shows aboard the flight desk of the USS Yorktown. This year's event will feature two separate stages with local bands, the opportunity to explore parts of the Yorktown museum and more fun family activities to honor the national holiday.

"Every adult hits that point where you think you've been to every kind of fireworks show," said Sam Elkin, Patriots Point's director of marketing and communication. "If you've seen one, you've seen them all, right? That is until they've seen this one — which is the most unique fireworks show in Charleston — with unmatched views and sightlines of multiple fireworks shows across Charleston harbor. It's truly something special."

If you're in Summerville, head to the Fireworks and Freedom Festival, where there will be glow sticks for the little ones and the shuttle buses running from behind town hall to Gahagan Park.

"It's really a great event for Summerville, as well as for those from Moncks Corner or North Charleston looking for something a little different from what they're used to," said Rigel Kocur, Summerville Parks and Recreation Department's marketing and events manager.

With so many captivating celebrations to choose from, we've got 14 hotspots for your Fourth of July festivities and fireworks.

Fireworks and Freedom Festival

What: Enjoy a curated fireworks display, tasty food trucks, inflatable obstacle courses and community fun hosted by the Summerville Parks and Recreation Department.

When: 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Gahagan Park, 515 W. Boundary St., Summerville

Price: Free

Red, White and Palm

What: Get together at this pre-fireworks gathering and enjoy a live DJ, light bites, chilled cocktails and a stunning view of the fireworks over Charleston's skyline. Patriotic attire is encouraged.

When: 6-9 p.m.

Where: Little Palm, 237 Meeting St., Charleston

Price: Free

Fabulous Fourth in the Creek

What: Goose Creek hosts their annual Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show, featuring live music, tasty food vendors and plenty of family-friendly activities to explore.

When: 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Goose Creek Municipal Center, 519 N. Goose Creek Blvd.

Price: Free

Fourth of July Fireworks Blast

What: Watch Charleston harbor light up with fireworks aboard the historic USS Yorktown with live music, tasty food vendors and unmatched views.

When: 7-10 p.m.

Where: USS Yorktown, Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, 40 Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant

Price: $109

What: This annual parade which will march down Dunvegan Drive, turn left on Shadowmoss Parkway and travel around Muirfield before wrapping up at the starting line. Expect patriotic floats, some vintage cars and more.

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Shadowmoss Golf & Country Club, 21 Dunvegan Drive, Charleston

Price: Free

Fourth of July Fireworks Cruise

What: Board The Carolina Girl yacht for an exclusive night on Charleston harbor to view the annual fireworks shows, featuring a live DJ, light bites, an open bar and incredible views.

When: 8-11 p.m.

Where: St. Johns Yacht Harbor, 2408 Maybank Highway, Johns Island

Price: $170

July 4th Family Picnic and Fireworks

What: Bring out your family and friends for an outdoor picnic with fun games, live music and fireworks.

When: 6-9 p.m.

Where: Bay Creek Park, 3706 Dock Site Road, Edisto Island

Price: Free

4th of July Festival

What: Break out the lawn chairs for North Charleston's annual festival featuring a stunning fireworks show after dark and live music from Motown Throwdown alongside DJ Natty Heavy and DJ D-Nyce.

When: 5-9:30 p.m.

Where: Riverfront Park, 1061 Everglades Ave., North Charleston

Price: Free

4th of July Juke Joint Jam

What: Celebrate Independence Day with some Gullah Geechee food and culture alongside some groovin' funk by DJ Kwame Sha as well as Beth Inabinett & For the Funk of It Band. All proceeds support the Penn Center's heritage program.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Penn Center, 16 Penn Center Circle E., St. Helena Island

Price: $28

Isle of Palms Fourth of July Fireworks Show

What: Isle of Palms will host their annual fireworks show on the beach with incredible displays across the entirety of Charleston harbor.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Front Beach, 1118 Ocean Blvd., Isle of Palms

Price: Free

Independence Day Celebration

What: Celebrate Independence Day with a fun bike parade, cookout, live music, watermelon-eating contest, breakdancing and fireworks.

When: 5-9 p.m.

Where: Night Heron Park, 1 Kiawah Island Parkway, Kiawah Island

Price: Free

Daniel Island Independence Day Celebration

What: Sign up for Daniel Island's golf cart parade, which begins at Bishop England High School and continues to Daniel Island School parking lot. A celebration will follow at Smythe Park with live DJs, dance performances, music from Wildflower Station and the East Coast Party Band.

When: 4-9 p.m. July 3

Price: Free

Sullivan's Island 4th of July Golf Cart Parade

What: Join in on the annual golf cart and bike parade, starting at the Sunrise Presbyterian Church and heading to Sullivan's Island Elementary School. Registered participants will be judged for most-festive golf cart at the finish line.

When: 8:30 a.m.

Price: Free

Sullivan's Island Independence Day Party

What: Following the annual parade, break out a lawn chair or picnic blanket and watch the fireworks fly over Sullivan's Island while listening to jams from the Shem Creek Boogie Band.

When: 6 p.m.

Where: J. Marshall Stith Park, 2058 Middle St., Sullivan's Island

Price: Free

The couple — who were released from prison on May 28 following a presidential pardon — opened up about returning to normal life and their upcoming life plans in an interview for an ABC News Studios special, which premiered June 29 on Hulu and Disney+ and will air June 30 on GMA.

During the conversation, Todd, 56, revealed that he and Julie, 52, are hoping to relocate to their home state of South Carolina.

“You know, I think we will always have a presence in Nashville, but I have a pull for Julie and I to go back to South Carolina — to Charleston — to that area. And we have plans for what we wanna do,” Todd said.

He added, “We have hopes of acquiring a hotel — a mansion — there, that we are gonna convert into a hotel, and we’re gonna create a show around that.”

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Todd also said that his family is filming a docuseries for Lifetime, revealing during a May 30 press conference that cameras began documenting their lives “as soon as” they got home” from prison.

The show is expected to follow the Chrisley’s children as they navigated their parents' 2022 conviction and 2023 incarceration for tax evasion and bank fraud, as well as continue into the days and weeks following Todd and Julie’s return home.

“We obviously, we had been filming, and we had just wrapped filming for all intents and purposes,” the couple's daughter, podcaster Savannah Chrisley, 27, said during the press conference. “And then we get the call that they had been pardoned, so we picked right back up.”

Savannah — who took care of her younger siblings while her parents were incarcerated, per ABC News — is eager to get back to normal life.

“I’m moving into a condo,” she shared during the family’s ABC News Studios interview. “And [my parents are] like, ‘Aren’t you gonna miss the house?’ and I’m like, ‘No!’ I’m not gonna miss landscapers. I’m not gonna miss pool people.’ “

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“I have learned that a house is not a priority to her … maintenance is not a priority to her,” Todd added, jokingly.

“I was raising kids,” Savannah joked back.

CHARLESTON — A coworking operator has been booted from its posh Meeting Street space after falling behind on payments to its landlord, leaving tenants scrambling to find new office space.

Thrive owes $219,000 in delinquent rent, plus around $22,000 in late charges, according to eviction documents filed in Charleston Magistrate Court.

The Alpharetta, Ga.-based company's local tenants were ordered to vacate the third floor at 174 Meeting St. by June 25. They were given five days notice to pack up and move out, according to an email Thrive CEO Ramon Gonzalez sent on June 20.

“I was actually out at dinner when I got the email,” said SearchX CEO Lorenz Esposito, who'd been leasing a private office from Thrive for the past year for his search engine optimization and marketing firm.

Thrive blamed a breakdown in lease negotiations with its landlord, Highland Ventures. The property owner group bought the four-story office building just south of the historic City Market in 2022 for $16.75 million.

Highland Ventures referred comments to Charleston-based Bridge Commercial, its local property management company, which declined to comment publicly on the rent dispute.

Thrive opened the 14,502-square-foot coworking space in March 2023 and had grown to 250 tenants, with a waiting list, chief revenue officer Chris Smith told The Post and Courier in May.

According to court documents, the company's monthly rent was $29,523. Shared coworking spaces started at $100 per month with 24/7 access to the downtown building.

“This unexpected outcome stems from a landlord decision to reclaim the space after we engaged in good-faith discussions around a modest rent concession, in light of ongoing parking issues and other economic factors,” Thrive's CEO said in the email. “Without warning, the landlord opted to lease the space to another tenant at a higher rate. This left both our team and our members with very little time to prepare."

Court records show trouble had been brewing behind the scenes since last October.

On May 29, Highland Ventures filed a "cause for eviction" in Charleston County Magistrate Court against Thrive over "failure to pay periodic rent" stretching back months.

Court documents and exhibits showed Thrive made small payments sporadically, but the base rent was not paid on time for seven consecutive months.

Highland Ventures included a timeline of rent discussions in its court filing, which stated that Thrive reached out Jan. 25 about a deferred payment plan. By April 1, the balance totaled more than $160,000. A demand letter was sent about two weeks later for the past-due amount.

A judgment for eviction was ordered by Charleston County Magistrate Lauren Fox on June 18, two days before Thrive told its customers they needed to move out.

Esposito of SearchX said he and other tenants were caught off-guard and were left scrambling to relocate on such short notice. Some of them had used the Thrive space as their physical addresses to receive mail and packages.

Esposito said he was able to stay downtown and move into a new coworking space operated by Office Evolution at 460 King St. But his rent is now $400 more per month than what he was paying at 174 Meeting.

He said while Thrive paid to relocate his items, the coworking company hasn't responded to joint email requests from some former tenants for more answers.

Esposito said he’ll miss the camaraderie that was created at 174 Meeting. He noted that some of his fellow coworking tenants became clients.

Smith, the Thrive revenue office, reiterated the company's position in a June 23 interview with The Post and Courier stating that the issue stemmed from company’s "ongoing attempts to restructure lease terms" for the Meeting Street space, which had 32 private offices.

“Two weeks ago, we received an eviction notice from our landlord following our ongoing attempts to restructure lease terms — something we’ve successfully done across most of our portfolio. Last Wednesday, we were formally notified by the court that we must vacate the Charleston location by (June 25),” Smith said.

On Friday, he said in written statement: "We are currently working to resolve the matter through a settlement."

Smith previously said the eviction was “isolated” to Thrive's Charleston site and was not indicative of the overall coworking landscape. The company operates in 17 cities, including Greenville location that is still open.

Thrive isn't the only coworking company to close up shop in Charleston area. Serendipity Labs shuttered the doors at its Nexton location this month after a two-year run. The company's Mount Pleasant site, which is still open in Port City Landing, said another business had taken over the Summerville space.

Meanwhile, a new rival to the market said it's received a strong reception. Atlanta-based Switchyards, which expanded to downtown Charleston in April, said it sold all of its $100 per-month memberships less then four minutes after they were released.

Coworking spaces are particularly attractive to remote workers, whose numbers surged 135 percent from 2019 to 2023 in South Carolina, according to the Census Bureau. Much of the increase was driven by the pandemic lockdown, but the trend line hadn't reversed itself as of two years ago.

While more businesses and other employers are increasingly imposing return-to-office mandates, about 237,400 employees in the Palmetto State were classified as working remotely in 2023, up from about 199,500 in 2022.

Nationwide, the employer categories with the largest number of sustained remote workforces include providers of professional, scientific and information-technology services, financial companies and insurers.

Mark Marhefka woke up on the second day of a six-night offshore fishing trip. His 37-year-old boat, the Amy Marie, was floating about 50 miles off the South Carolina coast.

Surrounded by nothing but open ocean, he and two crewmembers reached one of his tried-and-true spots for catching snapper and grouper, the main fish he reels in this time of year. It was raining just before 10 a.m. June 28, but there wasn't any lightning — at least at first.

All of a sudden, a major storm cell passed through. Marhefka grabbed the twine-wrapped wheel of the vintage vessel, attempting to move away from the abrupt monsoon.

But the Amy Marie couldn't outrun this storm.

Marhefka, who sells his catch to top Charleston restaurants like Chubby Fish, felt a tingle in his hands. He watched as all of the boat's equipment, including the plotter that has tracked his fishing spots for the last 40-plus years, went dead.

The James Beard Award-winning owner of Abundant Seafood has carved through hurricanes and thunderstorms, but this was the first time he had ever been struck by lightning.

"I said to myself, 'We're going to get hit,' " Marhefka told The Post and Courier. "Sure enough, we got popped."

No one was injured, but the boat suffered serious, immediate damage. Marhefka and his crew pulled the anchor up, turned the boat west and started heading home with hardly any way of navigating.

His satellite system was still functioning, but the battery in the unit wasn't charging. With a 68 percent charge left, he contacted his wife to let her know what had happened.

Then he started the long, winding journey home.

Though he didn't have cell service, an app on his phone enabled him to estimate his current position in the open ocean. During the journey, though, the Amy Marie veered off track, and by the time his phone was working, he was closing in on McClellanville, nearly 40 miles from where the boat normally docks on Shem Creek.

He navigated home from there, making it back at 4 a.m. June 29 — 18 hours after the lightning strike.

What's next

Marhefka and his wife Kerry, who took home the 2020 James Beard Foundation’s Leadership Award, opened Abundant Seafood in 2006 with the goal of combining his experience as a commercial fisherman with her knowledge as a fishery biologist.

It's proved to be a winning formula for chefs throughout South Carolina who have their fish delivered or pick it up at Abundant’s Mount Pleasant dock.

But the future of Marhefka's treasured boat remains uncertain. Over the next few weeks, every component, from the wiring to batteries and alternators, will be tested for viability.

If the cost to repair is too high, Marhefka, 63, could consider moving on from the industry.

But he doesn't see that happening.

"I'm not feeling done," he said. "I'm not ready to go and call it quits yet."

The dangers of the work of a commercial fisherman have never been lost on Marhefka, but last weekend's scare reinforced the struggles felt by members of the local seafood industry. Just the other day, Marhefka said a shrimper friend had a cable snap on his boat and smack him in the head.

Beyond the safety challenges, pricing competition from international fleets has placed further pressure on shrimpers and fin fishermen alike. With regulations and a changing climate, the fish are harder to catch, too. Recent offshore trips have resulted in 900 to 2,000 pounds of fish — a steep decline from what Marhefka was reeling in just a few years ago.