The Charleston City Paper

6 days ago | charlestoncitypaper.com | Robert Ariail

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1 week ago | charlestoncitypaper.com | Maura Hogan

Two theater productions in Charleston right now are serving  as effervescent, toe-tapping proof that local audiences will enthusiastically root for heroines who assert brain power, all while belting out rousing numbers. First, Charleston Stage has a glitzy go at the musical adaptation of the beloved film Legally Blonde. At Pure Theatre, the world premiere of Pleasure Never Lies has a go at the male gaze of gender dynamics.

1 week ago | charlestoncitypaper.com | Skyler Baldwin

Downtown Charleston’s Colonial Lake is set to get a major makeover this year, undergoing renovations and replanting that will last until October. The park’s revitalization began last summer, according to Darlene Heater, executive director and CEO of the Charleston Parks Conservancy (CPC). Work started with clearing out the old plant beds which had become overgrown with invasive and vulnerable species.

1 week ago | charlestoncitypaper.com | Skyler Baldwin

The number of South Carolina’s licensed hemp farmers has fluctuated widely since a commercialization  experiment began in 2018. The number of farmers soared to 265 in the first two years, riding high hopes and big-dollar dreams, but crashed to just 98 in 2024 as hemp prices fell from up to $30 per pound to less than $5. Part of the blame is on the saturation of the market across the nation, according to industry experts.

1 week ago | charlestoncitypaper.com | Andy Brack

By Andy Brack  |  Mules, phosphate and asparagus share something for South Carolina. One hundred years ago, they were pretty common. Today? Not so much. Around 1925, the Palmetto State’s mule population was at its peak at about 210,000 animals. As related by the South Carolina Encyclopedia, they were fixtures of rural life in a state that had more than 192,000 farms and 200,000 farmers, the majority of whom were Black.