Friday Five – 6.18.21

Hannah Gertz, Summer 2021 Intern

Here are a few articles you may have missed this week. Take a few minutes and get smarter before church coffee hour this Sunday…

1. 1. Vice President Harris Visits Greenville With a push to get 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated against COVID-19, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Greenville this past Monday as a part of the overall campaign efforts. The choice to visit Greenville was a statistical one- only 35% of South Carolinians are fully vaccinated, one of the lowest overall rates in the country. Harris’ stops included the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center vaccine clinic, as well as the Caine-Halter YMCA pop-up vaccination site.
   2. Volvo Announce Plant Expansion The South Carolina economy saw a big win on Wednesday this week, with Volvo announcing a $118 million expansion at its Ridgeville plant. The funds for the expansion will focus on production of a 3 battery electric vehicle, which is something the company has been looking to focus its efforts on. There was no word on new jobs being brought to the state in the official release.
   3. Governor McMaster Signs Santee Cooper Reform Bill Governor McMaster signed the long-anticipated Santee Cooper bill into law this week. The future of this utility company has been uncertain since 2017, and has left both the company and its rate-payers with billions in debt. The bill was supported unanimously by both legislative chambers, and will bring much-needed reform to the utility business in South Carolina.
   4. New Commerce Secretary Announced After working diligently, Governor Henry McMaster has found a suitable candidate for his commerce secretary- Harry Lightsey. Lightsey has years of experience working in economic development, and has served as a business consultant, most recently for Washington, D.C. -based company Hawksbill Advisers. He will replace Bobby Hitt, who worked on the Governor’s staff for more than a decade.
   5. Juneteenth becomes Federal Holiday  For the first time since 1983, the United States is going to have a new federal holiday. After a vote from both the House and Senate this week, Juneteenth is going to be used as a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The bill has made its way to President Joe Biden’s desk; if signed into law, the U.S. will stop each year on June 19^th to remember the past, and celebrate the progress that has been made.

Bonus:  Sports Hottest Rivalry For all the golf fans out there, you probably have heard about golf’s new rivalry between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. The rivalry has now involved fans, beer companies, and even Tom Brady. As the U.S. Open kicks off, everyone will be anxious to see more of this fun rivalry, and of course, the actual golf too.