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Earlier this year, Whitehall released their sophomore album Swordfish Catcher via Common Ground Collective.

South Carolina based indie-rock band Whitehall have shared a music video for "Two Eight Ten," taken off of the band's newest album Swordfish Catcher. Album producer Preston Dunnavant stepped into the role of director for the video, managing to translate the melancholic, cathartic song into an equally cathartic visual, complete with muted colors and swirling images. Fans can watch the music video for "Two Eight Ten," premiering now with New Noise Magazine.

"'Two Eight Ten' started as a little melody I would sing in my head for about 3 months and then one afternoon it just wrote itself," vocalist Paddy McKiernan shares on the song itself. "All my dissatisfaction, tired-feelings, isolation, and a dash of anger turned into this cathartic album closer. We knew it'd be the last song on the record as soon as we finished- to us it's always felt like the end of a long, stressful day."

Earlier this year, Whitehall released their sophomore album Swordfish Catcher via Common Ground Collective. The eleven-track endeavor was recorded by the band at Rialto Row in Charleston, SC by producer Preston Dunnavant and was mastered by Matt Garber at For The Record Mastering. The album gained attention from sites such as NPR, American Songwriter, Under The Radar, The Alternative, and many others.

Fans can stream Swordfish Catcher now at cgc.lnk.to/SwordfishCatcher.

So you've heard of indie rock? Whitehall is like that stuff, but while they disarm you with their crispy and rich sounds, they're relaying the complexity of their lives and of your own. Whitehall plays songs about things like sinking ships, being on edge, and forgetting your own name in a way that's familiar but with striking tightness and chaotic precision. This Charleston, SC quartet wraps their earnest songs with bright and hearty music, taking a killer live show everywhere they go.

Whitehall is Paddy McKiernan (vocals/guitar), Avery Greeson (guitar), Davis Rowe (drums) and Brennan Clark (bass).

Watch the new video here:

With clear skies, mild temperatures and sunshine in the forecast, we’re excited about all the upcoming outdoor events around the Lowcountry. Check out what we’re most looking forward to, plus some great virtual programming as well.

Thursday, May 13

What’s that smell? Learn about pluff mud and the creatures who make it their home. Take a marsh walk exploring the Dill Sanctuary and catching fiddler crabs. Homeschool History Days feature one of our field trip classes and an activity. Reservations are required. This event is free for museum members and free for non-members with museum admission ($12/adults; $10 Youth, ages 13 to 17 and $5/children, ages 3 to 12- under 3 free). CharlestonMuseum.org

The Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestras’ Spring 2021 Concert is virtual this year. Enjoy music from the Lowcountry’s premiere developmental orchestra ensembles, which includes more than 100 young musicians in grades 3-12, from the comfort of your home. To watch, visit Concerthall.CharlestonSymphony.org

Fer Caggiano’s Like a Girl: Dare to Dream Art Exhibit, Inspiring and Empowering the Future of Womanhood features forty oil paintings of local, diverse, strong, inspiring women. Visit City Gallery at Waterfront Park Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. for opportunities to meet the artist and watch her paint. Charleston-sc.gov/CityGallery

Friday, May 14

Do you love fossils? Join Matthew Gibson, curator of natural history for Fossil Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Bunting Natural History Gallery lab at The Charleston Museum. Gibson will be on hand to share projects he is currently working on and to help identify your fossil finds. Fossil Fridays are free for members and with paid museum admission for non-members. CharlestonMuseum.org

Fun for you. Fun for them. Take advantage of Parents Night Out hosted by Outslide In inside Citadel Mall. Tickets include pizza, drinks, face painting, glow party and endless fun throughout the entire playground from 6-9 p.m.! Limited spots available. Advanced ticket purchase highly recommended. $35/first child and $30/each additional child. Parents Night Out is ideal for kids ages 4-12 years old. Children must be potty trained. Facebook.com/OutSlideIn

Join the Summerville Parks & Recreation Department for the return of FREE Movies in the Park ft. Grease(PG). This family-friendly event is perfect for everyone so grab your blankets and chair and enjoy a fun family-friendly evening! The movie will start a little after sundown around 8:30 p.m. Facebook.com/SummervilleParksandRec

Saturday, May 15

The summer edition of Charleston County Public Library’s Teen Subscription Box is here! Sign up now to receive a box filled with library books chosen specifically for you, a book to keep, an activity, some candy and book-ish swag! This program is only open to folks in grades 6-12 and spaces are limited with the possibility of being on a waitlist. For more info, visit ccpl.org.

At Color Theory 101, students will walk through the basics of color mixing using acrylic paints and the color wheel with Anna Boyer. From there, this workshop will include a series of small paintings, or color studies, allowing each student to walk away with their own pieces of original art and a greater understanding in color theory. This class is designed for beginner students, but can also accommodate artists interested in refreshing their understanding of color mixing. All materials are provided. This workshop takes place at the Gibbes Museum of Art from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Registration is $60 for members and $70 for non-members. GibbesMuseum.org

Step out of your comfort zone with Challenge Course Adventures at James Island County Park. With names like ‘Catwalk’ or the ‘Leap of Faith’ you can be sure that your sense of adventure will be tested in ways you never thought about! We’ll be balancing, climbing, leaping, and swinging away your Saturday with friends or family. Challenge Course Adventures are for ages 10 and up. Registration is $15. ccprc.com/calendar

Join Charleston County Parks and Recreation at Wannamaker Park for Counting on Nature from 3-5 p.m. Participants will learn directly from experienced naturalists about nature around them and how to use citizen science on their own to contribute to conservation and further their knowledge base. Admission is $9 and open to ages 9 and up. ccprc.com/calendar

Monday, May 17

During Make it Monday at Bizzy Bee Indoor Play, enjoy a different craft or activity for you and your child to make and take! The activity is independent and available while supplies last. The activities will vary each week and are included with regular general admission for the day. Facebook.com/BizzyBeePlay

Tuesday, May 18

The Charleston Riverdogs take on the Down East Wood Ducks! First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Before you go, be sure to sign up for the MUSC Children’s Health Kids Club—an annual program available for free to all kids of the Lowcountry ages 12 and under. Kids club membership will give area youth special access and benefits at the RiverDogs games. For tickets, Riverdogs.com.

Wednesday, May 19

Each day at 10 a.m, the Charleston County Public Library hosts Virtual Storytime including songs, dances and crafts from Charleston County Public Library’s librarians. Facebook.com/ChasCoLibrary

*Event information may have changed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Confirm details with event organizers.

Over the weekend, Colonial Pipeline, which fuels much of the East coast, shut down its services after a ransomware attack. 49% of Georgia gas stations are without gas, according to CNN.

The pipeline restarted Wednesday, May 12, but it could take a few days for things to return to business as usual. In the meantime, check Gas Buddy to see which local gas stations are stocked and which to skip.

In other news:

Georgia becomes first state to repeal citizen’s arrest law

On Monday, May 10, Gov. Brian Kemp signed an overhaul of Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law, which had been in place since 1863.

Kemp and other supporters of the bill promoted it in the name of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black jogger shot near Brunswick last year. Two of three white men arrested in Arbery’s death had claimed to have been making a citizen’s arrest of the young man.

Kemp called the old legislation a “Civil War-era law, ripe for abuse.”

House Bill 479, the new legislation, specifies that in limited cases, civilians can still detain one another, like shopkeepers who witness shoplifting.

“Too often, we spend time under the Gold Dome arguing over differences. But the outpouring of bipartisan support that this bill received, I believe, is a testament to the fundamental character of our state,” Kemp said at the signing. “Today, Georgia is doing what is right.”

– Hannah E. Jones

Georgia senators dip toes in water policy

U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are wading into legislation on voting, drinking and water safety.

The Georgia pair introduced Voters’ Access to Water Act on May 10. The proposed bill would prohibit states from restricting volunteers from handing out water and snacks to voters in line.

The proposal is a direct response to Georgia state Senate Bill 202; a controversial voting bill recently signed into law, which bars nonpartisan volunteers from distributing water to waiting voters.

The bill would amend the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002.

In other water news, the U.S. Senate recently passed the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, which includes a $300 million fund to repair lead pipes and remove lead from the water in public schools and communities of need throughout the nation.

Georgia and 22 other states received an “F” grade from “Get the Lead Out,” a report focused on drinking water at schools. The report was crafted by Environment America, a network of environmental groups that promotes environmental values, like clean water.

“Every child, in Georgia and nationwide, deserves clean, healthy drinking water,” Ossoff wrote. “According to the CDC, there is no safe level of light exposure for children.”

– Hannah E. Jones

Federal rescue plan to deliver $32 million for Georgia HBCUs

On a May 7 visit, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff announced that Clark Atlanta University would receive $16.4 million in federal funds as part of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Morehouse College will also receive $7.8 million, Morehouse School of Medicine $358,000 and Spelman College will receive $7.4 million.

“HBCUs are gems in our nation’s system of higher education,” Ossoff told CAU students and staff during the campus visit.

In March, Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, which includes $3 billion in grants for historically Black colleges and universities and institutions.

“We are so grateful for the critical work done by President Biden, Sen. Ossoff, Sen. Warnock and Georgia’s congressional representatives to help lift HBCUs as we emerge from a once-in-a-lifetime health event,” Dr. George French, president of CAU, said in a statement.

Ossoff said the funds would go towards emergency financial aid to students experiencing financial hardship because of the pandemic; however, the school leaders will have “significant discretion and flexibility” to spend the balance.

“These funds will go a long way,” French continued, “toward elevating our university’s mission of preparing the next generation of future leaders.”

Ossoff mentioned that schools would receive them in the coming weeks.

– Allison Joyner

AJC Decatur Book Festival gets $10,000

This year’s AJC Decatur Book Festival is receiving a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for Arts.

It’s one of the largest independent book festivals in the country, with up to 80,000 people flooding the town’s four square miles for author signings and many, many books.

The funds will be used to support the 2021 Diverse Voices Building Community literary program, including an event on Oct. 2 to showcase a variety of voices and encourage creative expression.

“While the arts, whether through books, movies, or online performances and programs, have been a sustaining force for many throughout the pandemic, the chance to gather with one another and share arts experiences is its own necessity and pleasure,” NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers said in a press release.

– Hannah E. Jones

Big Brother Big Sisters on the move

From Peachtree Street to “The Met”….

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) has sold its building at 1382 Peachtree St. N.E in Midtown Atlanta, a building it has owned since 2011.

The building has been sold to Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, an investment, development and management company of high-quality rental housing properties based in Charleston, S.C.

BBBSMA now is building out its new headquarters office at The MET Atlanta, an industrial warehouse space in the West End developed by Carter.

“A move to the West End will allow us to be closer to many of the families we serve,” said Kwame Johnson, BBBSMA’s president and CEO. “It provides easy access to our services, whether participants are driving or taking MARTA. We are looking forward to becoming part of this vibrant neighborhood.”

The Colliers commercial real estate company secured the sale of the Peachtree building. secure this sale.

“We initially sold BBBS’ existing building to the organization back in 2011 with the intention that it would rise in value and serve as a good investment, which was the ultimate result,” said Jodi Selvey, a Colliers principal. “A decade later, we were able to continue our relationship with the client to secure the best-selling price and act quickly during the pandemic to overcome unforeseen challenges. We look forward to continuing our relationship with BBBSMA and to support such an important cause.”

BBBSMA’s mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. As the agency strives to serve the children who are farthest from opportunity, proceeds from the building sale and a capacity-building fundraising campaign will allow BBBSMA to better meet the changing needs of metro Atlanta.

“We are utilizing funds from the sale of the building to ensure the long-term financial stability of the agency, while also investing in specific projects that will allow the agency to innovate and grow,” said Randy Tanner, BBBSMA’s chair. “Ultimately, these changes will allow us to serve more children while also being more responsive to the changing needs of the community.”

– By Maria Saporta

Operation HOPE and Truist

The partnership between Truist and Operation HOPE is getting stronger.

Both entities recently announced an expanded multiyear “transformational” partnership, which will include a series of collaborative programs such as HOPE Inside coaching, digital access that connects to education and Truist solutions, and HOPE’s 1 Million Black Business Initiative as part of the bank’s commitment to bring access and solutions to build better lives and communities.

Charlotte-based Truist Financial Corp. will invest $20 million in the four-year partnership, which will expand and transform HOPE Inside services, financial coaching, educational content and solutions to 1,000 Truist branches.

Truist and Operation HOPE also will expand digital and mobile access to financial coaches to help people solve every day financial challenges.

The expanded partnership also supports Operation HOPE’s work toward launching 1 million Black-owned businesses by 2030. Truist is accelerating the program by offering small business solutions, along with in-kind support and a capacity-building investment.

“I am honored by Truist’s commitment and support of Operation HOPE’s mission to bring financial literacy to all and help aspiring Black entrepreneurs launch the businesses of their dreams,” said John Hope Bryant, Operation HOPE’s founder and CEO. “The leading voices behind SunTrust and BB&T believed in our mission before their historic merger, and we’re thrilled by their continued support via Truist as we work together over the next four years to build and strengthen communities through financial literacy and empowerment.”

Before their merger in 2019, SunTrust and BB&T were both long-standing partners of Operation HOPE. In 2013, SunTrust became Operation Hope’s first financial partner. With the new partnership agreement, Truist also will serve as the lead sponsor of the annual HOPE Global Forums.

– Maria Saporta

Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership selects first Executive Director

The Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership has named Dustin Heizer as the organization’s first executive director.

Heizer has over 20 years of experience as an environmental consultant and has experience with IGEL as a board member and a member of the 2013 IGEL environmental leadership class.

In his new position, Heizer will continue to build a network of environmentalists and out-of-the-box thinkers to discuss critical environmental issues facing the region.

– Hannah E. Jones

May 13—We were on our way to Fancy Gap — yes, that's the name, you may or may not want to Google it — and we were lost having taken a detour.

"I'm not sure how to get back on the Blue Ridge Parkway," said Sue the navigator and chief itinerary officer.

We spotted a woman with auburn-colored hair across the road in front of her house and she spotted us at the same time. We've learned that Southerners can't stand to see anybody lost. It's almost a personal affront and if you're lost, at least they don't want you to be friendless too.

"Can I ask you a question?" I yelled across the road as we walked toward each other. The answer was, of course, yes.

I explained our confusion and she started to give directions that included "catching a little itty bitty road down the way" and then she said, "It'll be easier just to drive you there," motioning to her Jeep and for a minute I thought she might drive us there and then give us her car.

"Follow me, it's only a mile."

A mile? If it wasn't three miles I am a white squirrel and 15 minutes later she led us to this itty bitty road that we would have never found. She had now gone 30 minutes out of her way.

"Do you drink wine?" I asked because we had six or so bottles in the car, packed because I didn't know if parts of the South were still dry or if they were as soused as the rest of the country.

"No, I don't," she said, with a North Carolina Blue Ridge twang that sounded like mountain music.

***

Maybe friendliness comes with people having a front porch. It seems like everybody in the South has one and front porches breed friendliness.

The most spectacular front porches were in Charleston, S.C., and if that wasn't enough they had side porches too. I've never seen so many; if a house was three stories high, they'd have three porches. Their porches had porches.

I also have never seen such a concentration of beautiful homes. I like Bakersfield, and we have some attractive houses and neighborhoods but Charleston makes Bakersfield look like a teardown. As Buck Owens used to say, in jest because he had more money than anybody, "If I had your money, I'd burn mine."

Intelsat General Communications, LLC (IGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat, has been awarded a six-year contract with the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO).

Intelsat provides DALO with full-time, Ku-Band, satellite communication capacity and also facilitates communications between DALO’s Danish hub, which is co-located with an Intelsat teleport, and ships operating in the North Atlantic Ocean, including the Labrador Sea and the Baffin Bay.

IGC has been the prime provider to DALO in support of the Danish Navy in the North Atlantic since 2007.

The company also recently demo’d the Intelsat FlexGround service with Cubic’s GATR Antennas for the U.S. Air Force’s 628th Mission Support Group and 437th Operations Support Squadron or Combat Readiness Group (CRG) at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina.

The CRG is looking for a global expeditionary terminal set and managed-network capability to help them respond to worldwide threats and emergencies on short notice. Intelsat’s FlexGround service proved capable of meeting their ongoing needs as well as offering an ad-hoc base communications solution, leveraging an ultra-light GATR Inflatable Satellite Antenna system to help them respond to emergency events.

Officers and enlisted personnel watched a Communications-on-the-Pause (COTP) demonstration that used GATR’s 1.2 meter antenna to transmit live data over the Intelsat network. Then, the Airmen watched a Communications-on-the-Move (COTM) demonstration using the IGC FlexGround Jeep, which is equipped with a Kymeta u7 terminal. A Silvus radio was also used to extend the FlexGround service from the Kymeta terminal to a handheld radio system. The service members were able to use their cell phones to dial through the existing cellular infrastructure, transmit a live video feed via the Intelsat teleport and connect to an Intelsat laptop over the FlexGround network — all while on the move.

“IGC is proud to support the military with their mobile satcom needs,” said Dan Ortiz, Sales Director, Intelsat General. “Proving our capabilities to connect troops when they need it the most goes to the core of what we strive to do each and every day.”