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Catches of large dolphin earned teams competing in the 2021 South Carolina Mahi Series some big paydays for the event that ended June 5.

Participants in the event that began May 10 were allowed to choose two fish days and weigh two dolphin (also known as mahi mahi) each day with their two heaviest fish counting toward the top prize.

She Agreed, captained by Mike Szucs out of Beaufort, won the tournament with a two-fish aggregate of 84.1 pounds, including the tournament’s heaviest dolphin, a 61.7-pound catch. She Agreed earned $18,000 plus another $9,700 for winning the Mahi Big Fish TWT (tournament within a tournament).

Bush Hook, captained by Jeffrey Sawyer of Summerville, took second place with 73.2 pounds, a 48.5 fish and a 24.7-pound catch. Bush Hook earned $8,500 from the main tournament and another $5,700 for finishing second in the Mahi High Roller TWT.

Third place went to Yates Sea, captained by David Yates of Mount Pleasant, with a two-fish aggregate of 72.2 pounds. Yates Sea won $4,000 from the main tournament plus $9,500 from the High Roller TWT.

Rounding out the top 10 finishers were: Fish Tanked, Johnston McCurry, Johns Island, 72.2; The Drum, Burton Harbin, Traveler’s Rest, 63.9; Reel Pipes, Timothy Redd, Aiken, 62.8; Sandman, Mike Holmes, Walterboro, 62.6; No Limit, Marvin Benford, Summerville, 59.1; Water We Doin’, Shevlin Howe, Isle of Palms, 57.9; and Sea Spur, Elliott Koonce, Georgetown, 55.5.

Sandman, which finished seventh overall, actually enjoyed the tournament’s biggest payday. Sandman took the winner-take-all S.C. Big Mahi TWT with a 41.5-pound catch that was worth $24,000. Sandman also won $850 for finishing seventh and $3,800 for finishing third in the Mahi High Roller TWT, a total of $28,650.

The tournament’s three heaviest fish — She Agreed’s 61.7-pound catch, Yates Sea’s 53.2-pound fish and Bush Hook’s 48.5-pound catch — were all caught on May 17. Sandman’s 41.5-pound catch, the fourth heaviest, was caught June 2.

Stocks and Bonds, captained by Michael Schiess of Pawleys Island, won the Tuna TWT with a 31.9-pound yellowfin worth $8,200.

Neal Koonce, fishing aboard Sea Spur, was the top youth angler with a 30.8-pound dolphin. Lauren Sawyer, aboard Bush Hooked, was the top lady angler with the team’s 48.5-pound dolphin.

“I’m extremely happy with the way this tournament is going,” said tournament director and founder Capt. Marc Pincus of Hilton Head. “We had 105 boats last year, which I thought was miraculous. I was trying to get 50 and ended up with 105. To get 128 boats this year, I was really excited.

“Even though you have to go far out, the mahi fishery is something a lot of people can go out and enjoy. It’s a fun fishery that gets a lot of people involved.”

Pincus said he chose the April-June timeframe for the event because that’s when it seems the dolphin fishery is at its peak. Pincus also runs the S.C. Wahoo Series (scwahooseries.com), which ended April 24, and he said it seems every year that a big dolphin shows up the final week of that event. He said a 50-pounder caught the final week of the S.C. Wahoo Series won the dolphin TWT.

“May is our red-hot time for dolphin. It’s not unusual to go out and catch 10, 15 fish. And that’s what we want,” Pincus said. “If people go out and catch fish then they have a good time. If they go out and get skunked, it’s hard to get those folks back.

“I thought this year was a super bite. Everybody I talked to was catching fish and that’s what you want.”

The S.C. Mahi Series is the middle event of the three-tournament HUK South Carolina Saltwater Series. Pincus said this year 52 boats are participating in the overall series, a good number, he said, when he was hoping for at least 15 to 20. The top points earner will win $2,500 cash and a $2,500 HUK gift certificate. Second place will win a $2,500 HUK gift certificate.

The final event is the S.C. Fall Classic (scfallclassic) king mackerel tournament, which runs Sept. 21-Nov. 7. Participants in the S.C. Fall Classic can choose two fish days, weigh two fish each day, and have their three heaviest count toward the aggregate total. The top prize is $20,000.

“We had 100 boats last year and 80 the year before,” Pincus said. “I thought 100 was exceptional and my goal is to get back to 100 boats.

“Fishing in last year’s tournament was outstanding. The fall kingfish bite is unbelievable here, off the chain. Boats were catching 20, 30 fish a day and most were over 30 pounds. It’s an incredible fishery we have here in the fall. People will catch 15, 20 kings and they may not win the tournament but they’ll remember that day and there’s a good chance they will come back and fish again next year.”

Hooked on Miracles king mackerel tournament

The Hooked on Miracles King Mackerel Tournament will return following a one-year absence because of the coronavirus with competition scheduled July 17 out of Ripley Light Yacht Club. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the MUSC Children’s Hospital.

The captain’s meeting for the tournament (hookedonmiracles.com) presented by Key West Boats will be held from 5-9 p.m. July 15, with an MUSC children’s outing aboard the Billistic on July 16. Fishing hours on July 17 are from 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. with check-in from 2-5 p.m. First prize, based on 125 paid entrants, is $25,000. The entry fee is $400 per boat.

The Swamp Fox chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its annual fundraising banquet and auction on June 26 at the Exchange Building at the Exchange Park on Highway 78 in Ladson. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the sportsman exhibits with dinner at 6:15 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Contact Wayne Grace Jr. at 843-834-7779 or Karen Whaley at 843-870-3480 or email [email protected].

America’s Boating Club Charleston will hold a boating safety class June 26 at 1376 Orange Grove Road, Charleston. The class begins at 9 a.m. and ends around 4 p.m. Successful participants earn the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Boater Education Card. The cost is $25 for adults and youth 12-18 are free. Call 843-312-2876 or email [email protected].

Staff reports | Party at The Point, a long-beloved Happy Hour concert series is back for its 20th season this year on Friday evenings next month starting July 2.

The series, which features bands like the Dubplates and three tribute bands, is the area’s longest-running happy hour concert series, now back after a year off thanks to the pandemic. The family-friendly event is hosted on the beachfront of Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina and features live music and plenty of food and drinks.

In 2021 to ensure everyone’s safety, each event is limited to 600 general admission ticket holders. Tickets are available at citypapertickets.com. All shows are $10, with children 12 and under are free. Gates open at 5 p.m..

Free parking is available along the road leading into the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina. An Uber and Lyft dropoff area will be available and is 50 yards from the entrance. The lineup:

July 2: The Dubplates. They present their songs the way they would present records on turntables. They do it with a deep love and respect for the people and places that inspired each song. They bust out blues, afrobeat, hip hop, rocksteady, dub, dancehall and ska.

July 9: New Ghost Town. This quintet has played thousands of shows across the U.S., getting together and combining their love of bluegrass and American songwriter and legend Tom Petty.

July 16: The Red Dog Ramblers. This local band offers a mix of rock, reggae, jazz and bluegrass.

July 23: Mr Holland’s Oats: A Tribute to Hall and Oates. Founded in 2014, Mr. Holland’s Oats, a tribute to the bestselling duo ever, hails from Charleston.

July 30: Rock the 90s: The Ultimate 90s Tribute Band. This group takes you back to the glory days of rock, offering an eclectic buffet of all the best in 1990s alternative radio rock performed exactly like the original recordings.

Also on the calendar:

Remembering the Charleston Nine: 7 p.m. June 18, Charleston 9 Memorial Park, 1807 Savannah Highway, Charleston. There will be a 30-minute ceremony to cap a 24-hour watch at the park as members of the city’s fire department and others commemorate the 14-year anniversary of the loss of nine firefighters in the Sofa Superstore fire. More info.

Safe Sounds: Firefly Distillery, North Charleston. Head over to citypapertickets.com to secure a spot. Tickets are available now. Doors open 6 p.m. for shows that begin an hour later. (Editor’s note: City Paper Tickets, which is run by sister publication Charleston City Paper, is operating ticketing for Safe Sounds.) Check out some of the shows that are on the way:

Magic of Carl Michael: Two shows (3 p.m. and 7 p.m.) Sundays (June 20 and 27, and July 11, 18 and 25) at Forte Jazz Lounge, 477 King St., Charleston. Enjoy magic, mystery, laughs and amazement featuring a live show by the 2017 S.C. Entertainer of the Year. Tickets: $15 to $45.

Art of Jazz Series: 6 p.m., June 23, July 1, Aug. 25, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St., Charleston. The 2021 Art of Jazz Series of original music inspired by art at the museum will feature Peter Kfoury + Sully Martinez on June 23, Matt White and the Super Villain Jazz Band on July 21 and the Geoffrey Dean Trio on Aug. 25. Tickets are $40.

Monroe, May in Summerville: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., June 26, Hutchinson Square, Summerville. Main Street Reads will host bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe and co-author Angela May at a free event celebrating summer reading and the debut of their middle-grade novel, The Islanders. There also will be an open mic for middle graders to share their own writing. More info.

Johns Island concert: July 10, Johns Island County Park. Enjoy the Motown sounds of The Legacy on July 10. Gates open at 6 p.m. with music beginning at 7 p.m. Shows end by 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $60 per 10×10 square, not per person. Squares are limited to four people max. Guests must arrive together, as each vehicle must have a ticket for entry. Squares will be available on a first-come, first-served basis upon arrival. Each show will also offer food vendors; no outside food, alcohol or coolers will be permitted. Alcohol will be available for purchase. Patrons are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, tables, etc. to be used at their space. Masks are required, except when eating.

Ongoing

Now free: Weekend beach bus. The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority is operating a new Beach Reach Shuttle with hourly weekend service to provide a new connection between Mount Pleasant and Isle of Palms. Landside Beach Reach parking is located along Market Center Boulevard in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. The on-island Beach Reach stop is located at 9th Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, adjacent to public beach access. Open through Sept. 6 from 9:15 a.m. through final departure from Isle of Palms at 5:35 p.m. Cost: free.

The Lawn Party exhibition: Through Sept. 19, Charleston Museum, Meeting Street, Charleston. The Charleston Museum is pleased to present The Lawn Party: From Satin to Seersucker, the latest offering in its Historic Textiles Gallery. In an “unprecedented” era when large gatherings have been discouraged and fashion has trended towards leisurewear, this exhibition is a celebration of getting dressed up for an outdoor party. Bringing a hint of glamour to a trying time, the garments on display were selected with the grand idea of “after” in mind. This is a perfect opportunity to come see what to wear for your next outdoor event as we head toward the new “normal.”

Reviving photos. Through Oct. 31, Charleston Museum, Meeting Street. The museum is exhibiting The Lowcountry in Living Color: Making Historical Photographs Come to Life as the latest offering in its Lowcountry Image Gallery. Colorizing black and white pictures allows viewers to see components that otherwise might be overlooked. Buy tickets.

Holy City Farmers Market: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., every Wednesday, Holy City Brewing, North Charleston. vendors rotate weekly to provide shoppers with a tiny but mighty shopping experience. vendors will be selling a range of products from specialty foods, home and body care to arts and crafts. More info.

Birds of Prey flight demonstrations: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays, Center for Birds of Prey, 4719 Highway 17. Awendaw. The center has reopened its doors to visitors after closing due to the COvID-19 pandemic, inviting people to once again come and explore the world of raptors through an outdoor program and flight demonstration. Tickets: . $20/adult; $15/children age 3-17.

Sunday Brunch Farmers Market: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., every Sunday, Charleston Pour House, 1977 Maybank Highway, James Island. While the market is discouraging people from spending too much time hanging out during the market, everyone is invited to shop their local vendors. More info.

Bird-watching at Caw Caw. Every Wednesday and Saturday — particularly through the end of February — you can see a plethora of birds at Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel as they make their way through the Lowcountry. The two-hour regular walks, which start at 8:30 a.m., are through distinct habitats that allow participants to view and discuss a variety of birds, butterflies, and other organisms. Registration is not required. Participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars. A paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Max. 10 participants. Fee: $9; free for Gold Pass holders. Open to all ages. More: Caw Caw Interpretive Center.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - State auditors will soon be looking into the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.

The South Carolina Legislative Audit Council has approved a request by five state senators to investigate DDSN, which operates facilities like the Coastal Regional Center in Summerville in order to serve people with disabilities.

“Several members of the Senate have received complaints regarding the management and operations of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs,” the legislators’ request said, adding that they are seeking an audit of matters at DDSN ranging from employment policies and practices to compliance with state and federal laws.

Employees of the Coastal Regional Center reached out to Live 5 Investigates last year over concerns related to low pay, long hours, and potential COVID-19 exposure on the job.

“We’ve seen reports about the sexual abuse in the facilities. We’ve seen the reports about the HR issues. We have been following it in the news,” Senator Katrina Shealy said. “We don’t want those kind of issues going on. We want the state employees to want to go to work.”

One Lowcountry lawmaker, Senator Tom Davis from Beaufort, signed the request and also supports a plan to make agencies such as DDSN directly accountable to the governor.

“The Senate feels a special sense of obligation given the sense of structure of that organization and given the vulnerable population that DDSN serves,” Davis said. “It did seem to me an appropriate time look under the hood. Let’s see what’s going on and have the right information. Not only to cast blame but also to say- this person isn’t to blame. It’s not a witch hunt. It’s more a sense of how well this agency is functioning. If it isn’t functioning well, in which areas isn’t it? And how can we correct it?”

“It’s another opportunity for us to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves and if we don’t go in there and do that, then it’s our fault for not making sure we have a person in there that has a heart for those people,” Shealy said.

A commission made up of members selected by the governor currently oversees DDSN. In February, DDSN State Director Mary Poole was fired by the commission in what initially appeared to be a sudden decision. Documents later obtained by Live 5 Investigates showed that Poole’s termination was planned ahead of time in a file that was shared with at least four of the agency’s six commissioners.

With work on the audit expected to begin over the next month, DDSN spokesperson Robert McBurney said that the agency welcomes any outside input.

“The current leadership at DDSN understands that we have many items to improve in our agency and our service delivery system [and] we are working extremely hard to achieve those goals,” McBurney said. “We thank Senator Shealy and her fellow Senators for the help and support they have lent to DDSN as we continue to work to improve our service delivery for our state’s most vulnerable citizens.”

DDSN planned seven listening sessions throughout June to gather public input on future spending.

The local listening session will be June 21 at 3:00 p.m. at 1357 Remount Road in North Charleston.

Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.

There are a record number of job openings in the U.S. labor market; Berkeley County's unemployment rate decreased recently.

SUMMERVILLE, SC — The latest national unemployment and jobs figures portray a labor market that is moving closer to normal, but the country still has a record number of job openings.

The unemployment rate in the Summerville area has largely improved since the beginning of the pandemic and there was some improvement from March to April, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Berkeley County's unemployment rate was 4 percent in April, which was down from 4.4 percent in March. That reflected significant improvement from April 2020, when the unemployment rate stood at 9.7 percent.

Berkeley County's April unemployment rate is lower than South Carolina's 4.4 percent rate, according to the latest local figures from the BLS.

The United States added 559,000 non-farm jobs in May, and the unemployment rate declined 0.3 percentage points to 5.8 percent.

Initial weekly unemployment claims in late May dropped to the lowest level since March 14, 2020, according to the BLS. There were about 385,000 seasonally adjusted initial claims, which was a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week; it also marked the fifth consecutive week of declines.

The country hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic. Payroll employment is down 5 percent from pre-pandemic levels. The number of long-term unemployed people fell 431,000 in May to 3.8 million, but that is still up from 2.6 million in February 2020.

The labor force participation rate was 61.6 percent, which has been nearly constant since June 2020 and is about 1.7 percentage points lower than in February 2020.

Job openings remain plentiful, with a record 8.1 million job openings across the country at the end of March — led the way by the sectors for food service and accommodation, local and government education and arts, entertainment and recreation. The number of layoffs reached a record low of 1.5 million, according to BLS.

Around 15.4 million people across the country were receiving some form of unemployment aid for the week ending May 15 — a decrease of 366,000 from the previous week. Around 30.7 million weekly claims were filed for the same week in 2020.

Editor's note: This post was automatically generated using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. Please report any errors or other feedback to [email protected].

SUMMERVILLE — Highly sought after improvements to Dorchester Road have started in the Summerville area.

During the next couple of months, residents will notice signs of road work on Dorchester Road between State Park Road and Parlor Drive. The improvements are a part of a nearly $2 million project funded by the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.

Rebecca Vance, the Summerville town administrator, said that one of the main improvements to the road will center around left turns. Many of the accidents that have occurred over the years involved cross traffic, she said,

Some of the improvements include building 5-inch raised concrete medians to reduce areas where drivers can make left turns, intersection improvements, new pavement markings and crosswalk upgrades.

Traffic signal timings will be upgraded to help with traffic flow. The intersection improvements will involve the installation of pedestrian ramps.

Over the years, traffic along Dorchester Road has steadily increased. The road travels along the Ashley River on one side and a high population of residents on the other.

From 2015 to 2019, the S.C. Department of Transportation reported more than 700 crashes in the area.

The popularity of the road in Summerville’s Oakbrook area is also slated to increase in the coming years. Dorchester County and Summerville have targeted the Oakbrook community as an area of reinvestment.

A major multimillion-dollar athletic sports complex is planned for the area. The town of Summerville is building a large park along the Ashley River. The more than 40-acre park will sit right off Dorchester Road where the Herbert H. Jessen Boat Landing is currently located.

On June 1, the county also welcomed its first technical college, with Trident Technical College opening its campus in Summerville off of Dorchester Road in Oakbrook, making the Dorchester Road crosswalk improvements all the more important.

“We wanted to try to make sure that it was easier for people to cross over Dorchester Road,” she said.

Amanda and Ray Elliot live a few minutes from Dorchester Road and use the street frequently. Both said they don’t want to see more traffic.

“It’s horrible, it gets backed up,” Amanda said.

The couple said they wouldn’t mind seeing the road widen. The problem, according to officials, is that widening Dorchester Road means purchasing land from commercial business owners.

Many restaurants and businesses sit right next to the road and leave little room for expansion. Michael Kahn is a frequent visitor of the boat landing off of Dorchester Road in Oakbrook.

He suggests residents look at how bad traffic gets in other major cities if they want to see a really bad situation.

“Growth is going to happen whether we like it or not,” he said.

The Dorchester Road improvements in the Oakbrook area are expected to be completed by September.