STORY 1

From WCSC

One of the issues South Carolina lawmakers say they hear about all the time from constituents is the shape of the state’s roads.

They have some ideas on how to improve them, but want to first hear directly from South Carolinians on what challenges they face during their daily commutes.

It will be part of the work of a new committee at the State House, which will take a closer look at the South Carolina Department of Transportation. House Speaker Murrell Smith, who established the new South Carolina Department of Transportation Modernization Ad Hoc Committee, said its formation is not meant to criticize SCDOT but to improve and modernize it.

“This job is not to fix potholes. This is not to widen roads. Those are all being done right now. But it’s to build a foundation for long-term growth, safety and opportunity,” Smith, R – Sumter, said.

It comes as South Carolina’s growth shows no signs of stopping. But its infrastructure has not always kept up.

“When our road system was built, it was probably built with 2.5 million to 3 million people in mind,” Smith said, compared to the approximately 5.5 million people estimated to now call South Carolina home. “We have 71,000 miles of state roads, being one of the largest road systems per capita in this whole country, and so we have a lot of challenges.”

Areas where the Speaker wants the committee to focus include congestion, permitting reform, and SCDOT’s organizational structure. He also wants them to figure out whether South Carolina needs to revisit its decades-old toll statute and look at how it raises money to fix infrastructure. This includes potential new resident fees and raising the registration fee that electric vehicle owners pay.

Story 2

From WSAV

****STORY 1*****

Former Beaufort Mayor Billy
Keyserling received South Carolina's highest civilian honor last night. Awarded
to South Carolinians who demonstrate extraordinary lifetime achievement,
service and contributions of national or statewide significance, Keyserling
received the honor at a meeting Beaufort's City Council. Keyserling was
recognized for 50 years of dedicated public service, including 12 years as
Mayor of Beaufort from 2008 to 2020. Keyserling served 16 years on Beaufort
City Council in addition to two terms in the South Carolina House of
Representatives. Representative Shannon Erickson had the honor of endowing
Keyserling, whose candidacy was advanced by resident Stacy Applegate. A local
realtor, Keyserling graduated Brandeis University Magna Cum Laude and later
earned a Master's Degree in Public Communication from Boston University. An
avid boater, Keyserling was friends with author Pat Conroy, whom Keyserling
sailed to visit during his time on Daufuskie Island. Keyserling's personal
photographs of Daufuskie were used in the first print of the book "The
Water is Wide", which his mother transcribed from handwriting to
print. Known for riding a scooter to work and his "Straight Talk
with Billy K" television program, Keyserling championed advancement for
arts, humanities and environmental causes during his time in power. Keyserling
was integral in establishing the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
and Network in Beaufort, a federal landmark. His tenure as Mayor is marked by
the completion of the Boundary Street Project, which constructed Beaufort's
current City Hall. Congratulations to the Honorable Billy Keyserling.