An exclusive conversation with Dawn Staley + A fond farewell

Howdy, folks. Cal Lundmark here, editor of this newsletter, with a bit of bittersweet news – this will be the last edition of The State, This Week written by Chase Karacostas. Chase is headed to a fabulous new adventure, and we’re very excited for him. I am admittedly a little misty-eyed about it, though.

The idea for this newsletter came to me a few years ago, but I wasn’t quite able to get it off the ground until Chase joined our team. Editing it is now one of the highlights of my week, due in no small part to Chase’s natural talent for vibrant, sharp writing. (Aside: You have no idea how many Taylor Swift references he has tried to slip past me. So, so many.)

The State, This Week has been more successful than we ever imagined. Its readers – you! – have stayed engaged with us through the last 18 months and 68 editions. Thank you! We have loved writing it for you.

Hats off to you, Chase. I am so grateful to have had you as a colleague and will be rooting for you as you take on your next challenge. In the words of Ms. Swift, “Long live all the mountains we moved, I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you.”

What’s next for The State, This Week? We’ll go on a brief hiatus while I plot our next move. Until then, if you have any suggestions or feedback, or would like to send a note to Chase, you can email me directly. I’d love to hear from you.

And with that, I’ll hand it off to Chase for your weekly rundown of what happened this week in South Carolina.

1. USC coach Dawn Staley on hope, hoops, national titles and her dog Champ

See that photo above with Dawn Staley holding her dog Champ? Turns out she doesn’t “even like dogs. I just like Champ.” As someone who grew up loving his own dogs and no one else’s, I highly respect it.

Staley’s thoughts on canines were among many she shared with McClatchy’s Scott Fowler in an exclusive interview. Below, I’ve included my favorite questions from the interview with the University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball coach.

SF: How has your style as a coach changed from your time at Temple (University) to the way you currently coach at South Carolina, more than 20 years later?

DS: Oh, my former players from Temple, they call me “Charmin.” They think I’m soft now.

SF: Are you?

DS: Well, I had a lot of energy when I was 30 years old. But in any profession, you’re going to evolve. The core principle of who I am as a coach is still the same. It’s just how I deal with people is a little bit different. You know, I was probably less censored in my younger years. Now I’m more censored…. And I also have to be conscious of parents. … My parents didn’t mind me failing, because they knew there are so many life lessons packed into that.

Click here to read the rest of Fowler’s interview with Staley.

2. Hilton Head’s bridges, a never-ending tension ... and fear

This week, The Island Packet’s Blake Douglas reported how the town of Hilton Head and Beaufort County finally came to an agreement over renovations to the U.S. 278 bridge connecting the island to the mainland.

Hilton Head’s bridges are crucial lifelines connecting the island to the outside world. Now, Hurricane Ian’s devastation across Florida has raised fears about whether Hilton Head could be the next Sanibel Island, whose causeway connecting it to the mainland collapse during the storm.

“The reality that hits home is just the thought of the isolation, the thought of even if I survive and my property survives, we cannot get back,” Hilton Head Islander Nancylee Landi said. “What that entails in a climate such as ours ... if you don’t get back to your home for several months or up to a year for repairs, you might as well just kiss it goodbye.”

3. Why the newest park in Fort Mill was a critical need, and how folks can enjoy it

Banks Athletic Park isn’t the first new recreation site in town, and it won’t be the last. Nevertheless, it was important enough that Fort Mill officials took time this week to celebrate its opening, and to see how far they’ve come.

“This park is beautiful,” Mayor Guynn Savage said. “Even more so than I expected.”

Banks Athletic Park features two baseball fields with 275-foot fences; a playground beside an outdoor, lit basketball court; and a scoring tower with restrooms, concessions and space for town athletic coordinators to work, The Herald’s John Marks reports.

The park was more than a decade in the making, so it’s opening finally made what once seemed like a far off dream a reality.

“We’ve got more coming, down the line,” town recreation director Brown Simpson said of future parks and town amenities. As the town grows, he hopes to continue to “make Fort Mill a special place to live.”

4. Untamed South Carolina

You didn’t really think I would leave you without one last story about animals, did you?

Here are a few of the delightful stories I ran across this week.

The Sun News’ Caroline Williamson put together a list of tips for spotting dolphins, including when they are most likely to appear. I followed her guide and did in fact spot some this week.

Also, The State’s Lyn Riddle wrote an obituary about Pebbles, a toy fox terrier who was named the world’s oldest dog by Guinness World Records in May, who died this week in South Carolina. Her family, Bobby and Julie Gregory, had Peebles for 15 years. They said the terrier enjoyed country music and trying new foods.

Finally, visiting the Lowcountry? Keep an eye out for Gulf Fritillary butterflies. They’re gorgeous and seemingly everywhere right now.

On My Mind

• The struggling Richland Mall in Columbia could get a $100 million overhaul as the county considers tax incentives to push its owner toward redevelopment of the decaying property, The State’s Chris Trainor reports.

• None of y’all bought me an island... but now there is a $2.8 million castle for sale, according to The State’s Patrick McCreless. Please help me live like royalty.

• A notorious Greenville strip club is now a church. Yes, a church. The State’s Lyn Riddle wrote about its transformation.

P.S. I love you, South Carolina

I can’t believe I’m closing the chapter of my time as tourism reporter, as the writer of The State, This Week, and as a resident of South Carolina. Soon, I will move back to my home state of Texas, but I am so thankful for everything y’all have taught me about this beautiful state.

I’ve been lucky to call Myrtle Beach home for the last two years. I’ve been even more lucky to get to write this newsletter, something I’ve always seen as my own personal message in a bottle.

To all our readers, thank you for letting me tell your stories, the stories of my colleagues, and my friends. Never forget that you live in one of the best places on the planet. Treasure it.

Goodbye, my darlings.

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