For over a decade, Justin Osborne has been the driving creative force and vocals behind SUSTO, the beloved Charleston alternative country band. After five albums with SUSTO, Osborne has reimagined his band by creating Susto Stringband following a hiatus in Asheville during which he worked with Asheville’s Holler Choir. While the original SUSTO still exists, Susto Stringband, … [Read more...] about Artist of the Month: SUSTO Stringband Justin Osborne’s bluegrass project to play Windjammer
Feature
Pups in paradise: Running wild and free on IOP’s beaches
By sheer happenstance we met longtime Isle of Palms resident Patty Randinelli while shooting photos for our August Island Vibes cover. Randinelli and her 10-year-old golden retriever, Piper, walk to the beach every morning, and when Randinelli is babysitting her daughter Caroline’s dogs – 2-year-old Minnow and 4-year-old Palmer, she brings the entire, extraordinarily lucky and … [Read more...] about Pups in paradise: Running wild and free on IOP’s beaches
Day in the Life of a Lifeguard: The sentries keeping you safe
If you’ve ever spent time at the beach, you’ve probably noticed the lifeguards before anything else. Up in the stand. Watching the water. Not saying much. From a distance, it can look like the kind of job where not a lot is happening. Gary Boone hears that assumption often. Boone, a member of The Citadel’s Class of 2027, has been working ocean rescue for six seasons now … [Read more...] about Day in the Life of a Lifeguard: The sentries keeping you safe
Resident seawall verdict favors removal; state expects homeowner to challenge
It was expected to be a definitive, landmark court case for South Carolina’s coastal areas, but has so far ended up as a somewhat ambiguous ruling with no definite eventual outcome. On Oct. 23, a South Carolina Administrative Law Court judge ordered that a seawall illegally constructed by Isle of Palms resident Rom Reddy at 118 Ocean Blvd. between September 2023 and February … [Read more...] about Resident seawall verdict favors removal; state expects homeowner to challenge
First responder retention a top priority after alarming turnover rates
With IOP City Council elections finished, one item that all members will be addressing in early January is employee retention – mainly concerning the island’s police and fire departments. And before winter ends, both departments are anticipating new incentives to keep qualified personnel and hopefuls for the long haul. “Since 2020, we’ve lost 20 police officers,” said IOP … [Read more...] about First responder retention a top priority after alarming turnover rates
MARGIN OF VICTORY: IOP Mayor Pounds secures re-election by single vote in runoff
It was the closest mayoral election in Isle of Palms history, maybe the entire state and country, and needed a runoff and final recount to decide the winner. But in the end, incumbent IOP Mayor Phillip Pounds was re-elected for a second term over councilman Scott Pierce by the margin of a single vote – 947 to 946. Pounds’ victory came 14 days after IOP’s Nov. 4 municipal … [Read more...] about MARGIN OF VICTORY: IOP Mayor Pounds secures re-election by single vote in runoff