roofer in North Charleston, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Several local businesses and government offices will be closed or adjusting hours on Tuesday due to the severe weather threat.

A strong storm will move through the Lowcountry area Tuesday and is expected to bring thunderstorms, strong winds, high surf, and possible tornadoes.

Weather forecasters expect 25 to 40 mph with gusts between 50 and 60 mph. A wind advisory is in effect for Dorchester, Berkeley, Colleton, Georgetown, and Williamsburg Counties until Tuesday at 10 p.m., and a high wind warning is active for coastal areas.

Stay updated with the Storm Team 2 weather and News 2 apps.

Below is a list of closures, adjusted hours, and announcements. This list will be updated if new closures are announced.

All listings are expected to resume regular schedules after Tuesday unless announced otherwise.

BERKELEY COUNTY

All Berkeley County government offices and facilities will be closed on Tuesday.

This includes Berkeley Animal Center, Cypress Gardens, Berkeley County Courthouse, all Berkeley County Libraries, Berkeley County Landfill and Convenience Centers.

The Magistrate Court will have one session of bond court on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

CHARLESTON

All city offices and city recreation activities are closed on Tuesday. All city employees are encouraged to work remotely.

The South Carolina Aquarium will be closed Tuesday and resume normal operations on Wednesday.

Bethel United Methodist Church community food pantry on 57 Pitt Street will not be open Tuesday. The pantry will reopen Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Downtown parking garages will be open for residents from Monday at 7 p.m. until Wednesday at 8 a.m. This includes:

Aquarium Parking Garage (24 Calhoun St.)Visitor Center Parking Garage (63 Mary St.)Queen Street Parking Garage (93 Queen St.)East Bay/Prioleau Parking Garage (25 Prioleau St.)99 West Edge Parking Garage (99 West Edge St.)Charleston Tech Center parking garage (997 Morrison Dr.)

All trash pick-up will be delayed by one day.

CHARLESTON COUNTY

There will be no curbside recycling pick-up on Tuesday. If Tuesday is your typical pick-up day, then for this week, pick-up will take place on Saturday.

Residents are asked not to place their recycling bins by the curb on Tuesday due to the high wind warnings.

Recycling schedules can be found here.

All county council meetings and public hearings originally scheduled for Tuesday have now been moved to Thursday at 6:30 p.m., which includes the Board of Assessment Appeals Ordinance Amendments public hearing and S-3 Rezoning for Ten Mile Community (R-4 and UR Parcels) Public Hearing.

Bond Court hearings will occur at 10 a.m., while afternoon and evening sessions are canceled.

DAODAS: The Charleston County Opioid Treatment program will operate from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.; however, all outpatient services will be closed.

Charleston County and Auditor offices will be closed Tuesday. Both offices will be open for extended hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. For the extended schedule, click here.

Charleston County Parks and facilities will be closed on Tuesday, and all programs scheduled for this day are canceled.

The James Island County Park will be open to registered guests only.

In addition, all Charleston County Libraries will be closed Tuesday.

DORCHESTER COUNTY

Due to the severe weather forecasted, Dorchester County will close several facilities on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

All Dorchester County Administrative Offices and County Courts will be closed on Tuesday.

Every Dorchester County Convenience Site will close at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

Convenience sites are expected to reopen on Thursday. Storm yard debris can be dropped off at the Sandy Pines Center and Miles Road Center.

Dorchester County Parks and Public Libraries will be closed Tuesday.

The Dorchester County Career and Technology Center will move to eLearning on Tuesday.

GEORGETOWN COUNTY

All Georgetown County offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday. The County Council meeting that is scheduled will happen virtually via Zoom.

Because the meeting is over Zoom, only written public comments will be accepted, but the meeting will be livestreamed as usual.

GOOSE CREEK

All city offices will close at noon on Tuesday. The city council meeting scheduled is set to continue at 6 p.m.

HANAHAN

All Hanahan city offices and facilities will close at noon on Tuesday.

Metal, electronic, and yard debris pick-up scheduled for Tuesday will now occur on Saturday.

All Hanahan Recreation Department activities for Tuesday are canceled and will be rescheduled.

Tuesday’s Hanahan City Council meeting has now been rescheduled to Jan. 16.

For non-emergency services, call 843-747-5711.

MOUNT PLEASANT

All facilities for the Town of Mount Pleasant will close at noon on Tuesday.

All public safety employee schedules will remain the same, and staff will not be reduced.

The Town Council Meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday.

All waste management collections scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday will be delayed by one day.

The morning Municipal Court Session will go on as scheduled.

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum will not accept visitors on Tuesday.

Boone Hall Plantation will close at 1:00 p.m. Tickets purchased for Tuesday will be valid for another day of operation.

MONCKS CORNER

All administrative offices for the Town of Moncks Corner will be closed Tuesday.

NORTH CHARLESTON

All North Charleston city offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday. All trash collection scheduled for Tuesday will be delayed one day as services will not run that day.

To track road conditions and closures in North Charleston during the storm, click here.

SUMMERVILLE

All Summerville Town Hall and town services will be closed on Tuesday.

In addition, all Summerville Parks and Recreation facilities and services will not be available Tuesday.

All court sessions are canceled; however, bond hearings will proceed if weather permits travel.

To find emergency service contacts for Summerville, click here.

For a full list of area school district closings, click here.

The State Ports Authority wants to buy the shuttered WestRock paper mill property adjacent to its North Charleston Terminal, and Gov. Henry McMaster is proposing taxpayers foot the bill.

McMaster wants legislators to find $55 million in this year’s budget to help the maritime agency with “land acquisition for future economic development,” according to a letter he sent Jan. 5 to the General Assembly.

The Post and Courier has learned the money would be used to buy the mill site for the SPA, which would expand its next-door terminal onto the property.

The SPA did not respond to a request for comment Friday. A WestRock spokesman said the company had no comment.

Barbara Melvin, the SPA’s chief executive, told The Post and Courier last year that the maritime agency was interested in acquiring the mill site.

“Of course, we’re going to look at any type of additional port capacity that exists on a harbor that we worked so hard to make … an interstate highway for ships, so to speak,” Melvin said Oct. 11, before her annual “State of the Port” address. “So yes, of course, we’re looking at that. We’re always looking for ways to increase our capacity. That’s our currency. Port capacity is our currency. If you can find that on an already quite capable harbor you have to take a look at that.”

The expansion would be part of a bigger, long-term plan to replace the Don Holt Bridge on Interstate 526 with a taller structure so bigger container ships can reach the North Charleston Terminal just up the Cooper River. The current span, at 155 feet, limits the port site to what are now considered smaller cargo vessels.

The SPA doesn’t face such navigation constraints at its two other terminals to the south because the Ravenel Bridge, at 186 feet, has enough clearance for the big ships.

WestRock put the waterfront property in play last May, when it announced it was shutting down the 500-worker paper mill after 86 years of operation.

WASHINGTON — The nation’s employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American labor market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates.

The Jan. 5 report from the U.S. Department of Labor showed that December’s job gain exceeded the 173,000 that were added in November. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent — the 23rd straight month that joblessness has come in below 4 percent.

Some of the details, though, may disappoint the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve, who might now be inclined to delay any cuts in their benchmark interest rate. Average hourly wages rose 4.1 percent from a year earlier, up from a 4 percent gain in November, which could make it harder for the Fed to slow inflation back to its 2 percent target.

Still, taken as a whole, the December jobs report reflected a healthy economy, with steady job growth, rising wages and cooling inflation. It provided the latest evidence that the Fed may be able to achieve a notoriously difficult “soft landing,” in which the central bank would conquer inflation without causing a steep recession.

Yet despite the low unemployment and easing inflation, polls show that many Americans are dissatisfied with the economy. That disconnect, which will likely be an issue in the 2024 elections, has puzzled economists and political analysts.

A key factor is the public’s exasperation with higher prices. Though inflation has been falling more or less steadily for a year and a half, the lingering financial and psychological effects of the worst bout of inflation in four decades have soured many Americans on the economy. Prices are still 17 percent higher than they were before the inflation surge began and are still rising.

Pollsters and economists say there has never been as wide a gap between the underlying health of the economy and public perception. A poll conducted in November by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about three-quarters of respondents described the economy as poor. Two-thirds said their expenses had risen.

Asked why many Americans remain dissatisfied by the economy, acting labor secretary Julie Su said Friday that “part of the unfortunate reality is we live in polarized times.″

Many of the Biden administration’s domestic policies, including its investment in infrastructure, are “wildly popular,” Su said.

Despite their stated discontent with the economy, Americans have kept spending. Average hourly pay has outpaced inflation over the past year, leaving them with more money to spend. Indeed, as they did for much of 2023, consumers, a huge engine for U.S. economic growth, hit the stores in November, shopped online, went out to restaurants or traveled.

The December jobs report did contain some cautionary notes. Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, noted that the government revised down its previous estimate of job gains for October and November by a combined 71,000. And just as in November, December’s job growth was concentrated in just a few industries: Leisure and hospitality companies added 40,000, health care 38,000 and governments 52,000.

Indeed, from October through December, private-sector employers have added just 115,000 jobs a month, the lowest three-month average since companies were laying off workers in mid-2020 during COVID-19 lockdowns.

In addition, the proportion of Americans who either have a job or are looking for one fell in December to 62.5 percent, the lowest level since February. The Fed prefers having more people in the labor force to help ease pressure on employers to sharply boost pay to attract or retain workers. Companies typically pass their higher labor costs on to consumers by raising prices. In December, the number of Americans in the labor force actually fell by 676,000, the sharpest such drop since January 2021.

Fed chief Jerome Powell had warned of hard times ahead after the central bank began jacking up interest rates in the spring of 2022 to attack high inflation. Most economists predicted that the much higher borrowing costs that resulted would cause a recession, with layoffs and rising unemployment, in 2023.

Yet the recession never arrived, and none appears to be on the horizon. The nation’s labor market is still producing enough jobs to keep the unemployment rate near historic lows. For all of 2023, employers added 2.7 million jobs, a healthy gain but down from 4.8 million jobs added in 2022.

“I anticipate 2024 is going to continue to be a bit of a (job) candidate-driven market, with more openings than we have candidates,″ said Amy Glaser, senior vice president at the staffing firm Adecco.

Still, Glaser suggested, as hiring slows, employers won’t likely have to resort to the signing and retention bonuses that were needed in the past few years to attract or keep employees.

Since March 2022, the Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times, lifting it to a 22-year high of about 5.4 percent. Those higher rates have made borrowing costlier for companies and households, but they are on their way toward achieving their goal: Defeating inflation.

Consumer prices were up 3.1 percent in November from a year earlier, down drastically from a four-decade high 9.1 percent in June 2022. The Fed has been satisfied enough with the progress so far that it hasn’t raised rates since July and has signaled that it expects to make three rate cuts this year.

Still, Friday’s robust jobs and wage figures could lead the Fed to push back the start of any interest rate cuts if it decides that inflation will take longer to tame.

“Today’s report speaks to the bumpy road ahead for the Fed’s journey back to 2 percent inflation,” said Andrew Patterson, senior international economist at Vanguard.

Patterson suggested that the Fed might have to wait for the second half of the year to start cutting rates, longer than many investors had expected.

In the meantime, many employers are still finding it hard to fill jobs. They include Isidore Kharasch, who runs Hospitality Works, which provides consulting services to restaurants, bars and hotels.

Kharasch said his restaurant clients are finding it easier to find servers than they did a year ago. But hiring culinary workers, including chefs and front line cooks remains difficult. Many such workers didn’t like their hours and have taken other types of jobs. That trend, Kharasch said, has forced some restaurants to simplify menus or reduce their selection.

“It’s constantly adjusting the menu to fit where our staff is at any one time,” he said.

Kharasch said he thinks the minimum wage increases that are taking effect this year in some states will result in more automation, increased prices and a reduction in hours of operation to save money. Beginning April 1, California will require fast food companies to pay their workers at least $20 an hour.

Krystle Phillips, owner of Roll Ice Cream LLC in St. Petersburg, Fla., which sells rolled ice cream machines, ingredients and supplies to ice cream trucks and stores, is struggling to find workers willing to work full time. Job candidates are demanding higher pay.

Short of help, Phillips, who considers herself an expert in refrigeration and logistics, has had to get up to speed on writing recipes and accounting.

“It’s been hard to hire these specialized positions,″ she said.

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The No. 2 seed UNC Asheville Bulldogs (20-11, 12-4 Big South) will square off against the No. 7 seed Charleston Southern Buccaneers (10-19, 6-10 Big South) in the Big South Tournament Friday at Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, beginning at 6:00 PM ET.

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Charleston Southern Buccaneers @ UNC-Ash. Bulldogs

Current Records: Charleston Southern 10-19, UNC-Ash. 20-11

UNC-Ash. is 9-1 against Charleston Southern since January of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The UNC-Ash. Bulldogs and the Charleston Southern Buccaneers are set to clash at 6:00 p.m. ET at Qubein Center in a Big South postseason contest. Charleston Southern took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on UNC-Ash., who comes in off a win.

Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up ten more assists than your opponent, a fact UNC-Ash. proved on Saturday. They walked away with a 71-62 win over the Highlanders.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers came up short against the Blue Hose on Saturday and fell 72-65.

The Bulldogs have been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 13 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 20-11 record this season. As for the Buccaneers, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-19.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: UNC-Ash. just can't miss this season, having made 47% of their shots per game. It's a different story for Charleston Southern, though, as they've only made 42% of their shots this season. Given UNC-Ash.'s sizable advantage in that area, Charleston Southern will need to find a way to close that gap.

Everything came up roses for UNC-Ash. against Charleston Southern when the teams last played back in February as the squad secured a 86-55 victory. With UNC-Ash. ahead 47-23 at the half, the game was all but over already.

UNC-Ash. is a big 12-point favorite against Charleston Southern, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 12-point spread, and stayed right there.

The over/under is 142.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

UNC-Ash. has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Charleston Southern.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Event organizers told News 2 that Saturday’s official North Charleston St. Patrick’s Day parade is canceled due to expected severe weather. However, businesses on E Montague Ave. are still preparing for large crowds.

“We refer to this as our Super Bowl,” said Bryan Taylor, the General Manager of Dig in the Park.

The St. Patrick’s Day block party in Park Circle AREA, while the Lowcountry is preparing for severe weather this weekend, local businesses say they’re still preparing for increased customers.

“All we’re going to do is reposition ourselves; we have about 6 bars that we operate out of here, we have some streets bars and stuff like that. So because we can’t cover everybody, because the tents could fly away, we’re going to reposition everybody inside, we’re going to try to make this area a little more friendly to guests when they come in,” said Taylor.

The official North Charleston St. Patrick’s Day parade has been canceled due to possible severe weather. However, organizers say the block party is still underway, even though some of the street vendors have canceled.

Some of the bars were also planning on having live music tomorrow, but places like the Irish Pub and Madra Rua have canceled that as well.

However, like most businesses in the area, they’re still stocking up and expecting a large turnout.

Right across the street, Dig in the Park plans to rearrange its layout to keep its live music on Saturday.

“We do have the double-decker bud light bar that we’re famous for here, and we’re excited to have them, but the DJ on the top, that’s not a comfortable spot for him,” said Taylor. “So, we’re going to bring him down because it’s DJ Natty Heavy. You got to have him, so we’re going to have him down here on our stage, under the cover here. So we can make sure the music keeps going the party doesn’t stop, and everybody can have a great time.”

Another major weekend event is the Charleston Food and Wine Festival. They say they’re making venue changes to prepare for the weather, Including moving Smokeshow to 375 Meeting Street and Sabor and Taste of Spain to 56 Beaufain Street.