MORNING HEADLINES | Dr. Edward Simmer, GOP Gov. Henry McMaster’s nominee to run the state’s new Department of Public Health, testified in a Thursday confirmation hearing that he’s been abusively threatened by conservative groups. He also outlined a vision of reducing infant mortality, fighting childhood cancers and reducing drug overdoses.
Simmer said his car has been vandalized with a fake bomb amid widespread conservative opposition to his nomination. The makeshift device reportedly was tied to the license plate with two wires connected to a battery pack in an attempt to make the device look like an explosive.
Since his nomination, he said, he has faced an onslaught of opposition from Statehouse Freedom Caucus members and social media users. Several accounts with more than 100,000 followers reportedly posted negative comments about his recommendations during the final months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Simmer’s confirmation hearing turned into a referendum on how the state responded to the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago, where many of his vocal critics derisively called him a “double masker.”
Simmer said he regrets that all the Covid talk overshadowed remarkable gains in public health in his historically unhealthy Deep South state. South Carolina ranks around 37th or 38th in many rankings of overall health after decades in the bottom 10 if not the bottom five, according to the Associated Press.
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In Friday’s issue of the Charleston City Paper:
CP OPINION: Looks like Backroom Billy is still at it. “By denying access to the City Paper to normal city communications, Backroom Billy Cogswell and his administration are playing silly games that can put citizens at risk during floods, storms and and other emergency situations.”
CP NEWS: Five years later: How Covid changed Charleston. Just over five years ago, a Charleston woman became one of the first two people in South Carolina to get Covid-19, health officials believe. Within 27 months, some 19,600 residents of the Palmetto state died.
CP NEWS: Family grapples with unknowns of son’s sudden death. Beckham Ace Roach splashed in the bathtub, listened to a story and drank a glass of cold milk as his bedtime routine. Then he enjoyed toy time and more milk before he hugged and kissed his older brother good night.
CP FOOD: The Watch’s rooftop kitchen, bar reaches new heights. But the city’s rooftop bars really catch our eyes. And The Watch Rooftop Kitchen and Spirits, seated squarely atop the Restoration Hotel, has been catching tourists’ and locals’ attention since 2016.
CP MUSIC: More than 50 bands to take stages at Frequency Fest in Charleston. Charleston will be even more alive with music than normal from March 28 to March 30 thanks to Frequency Fest.
In other recent headlines:
Charleston’s largest library to get long-promised face lift. The main library location on Calhoun Street, was built in 1998. It will soon be getting much-needed renovations after a $108.5 million referendum voters passed in 2014 which called for updates for all Charleston County Public Library branches.
Lowcountry nonprofit launches affordable housing plan relying on property owners. The North Charleston based nonprofit Neighbors Together is kicking off an affordable housing plan using existing properties instead of building new developments.
Charleston firefighter, union sue after employee punished for speaking out about station conditions. In 2024, a Charleston firefighter complained to his local union about “unhealthy and unsafe working conditions” at the fire station where he worked. Then the city’s Fire Department retaliated by transferring the employee to another station.
James Island Town Council ends 6-year cost agreement. James Island Town Council met Thursday to discuss a hot topic among community members, stirring up some concerns.
Isle of Palms parking fees going up. But the free shuttle can help beachgoers skip the cost. Parking fees on Isle of Palms are going up for the first time in five years — now costing up to $25 during peak beach season — but beachgoers will still have a free way to get to the beach.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
