Granite Countertops in Nexton, SC

While Alzheimer’s disease has traditionally been a painful subject that many have previously kept in the shadows, Lake Murray-Irmo Rotary officer Rod Funderburk is pulling out all stops to shine a light on the incurable — and highly pervasive — malady.

As the President of The Cart Fund, Funderburk is visiting with several organizations in the quest to raise monies for research that will lead to permanently thwarting Alzheimer’s. One of his most recent public appearances saw the USC graduate share his knowledge at the Rotary of Club of Summerville’s Feb. 1 session at the Nexton Hilton Garden Inn.

Funderburk invited the audience to imagine a few all-too-common scenarios that some of our parents, grandparents, friends and relatives unexpectedly encounter on a frequent basis.

“You’re in a parking lot, I don’t care what parking lot, and you are looking around. You can’t figure out where you are and you don’t remember how you got there,” he began.

“You are in a room. Somebody is talking to you and you’re studying their facial expression and studying their voice inflection — and trying to figure out who this person is.”

When introducing a third scenario, he asked listeners to picture themselves at a table filled with sumptuous food. But despite being hungry, they are paralyzed by the fact that they don’t know how to feed themselves despite the presence of kitchen utensils.

“Any of these three can be an Alzheimer’s patient. Alzheimer’s is a dreaded disease. It affects families just like it does a patient, and so it’s a cloud that hangs over our heads. And it’s a cloud we don’t want to deal with.”

While people typically equate Alzheimer’s with the deterioration of one’s memory, Funderburk depicted the condition as a series of neurological hiccups emanating from the brain.

When the million or so neurons — functioning as the connectors that move messages from the brain down to other parts of the body — misfire, he explained, those mental directives experience a lag or get diverted, resulting in the affected individual’s inability to perform mundane tasks.

“That happens millions of times a day with all kinds of decisions you try to make. If the neurons are not working, the messages get slowed down. Sometimes that’s not a big deal and sometimes that’s critical,” continued the guest speaker who also serves as a independent energy consultant.

Local Rotarians also learned that even though Alzheimer’s disease was initially identified in Frankfurt, Germany in 1906, it took about 90 years before a concerted effort was made to examine the affliction, which ranks as the sixth leading cause of death nationwide behind heart disease, accidents, COVID, stroke and chronic lower respiratory diseases.

Funderburk noted, however, that while the five diseases ahead of it all have preventions and cures, Alzheimer’s currently has neither.

The reason for this, according to Ten-Star Rotarian and benefactor, is that back in 1996 fewer than two cents for every medical research dollar was being invested in Alzheimer’s.

It wasn’t until former Rotary Club of Sumpter member Roger Ackerman — who passed in 2018 — inspired his fellow Rotarians to begin collecting change for research that extensive studies took flight.

Those donated monies, recounted Funderburk, were tucked away into research grants that are annually awarded to scientists/physicians who are plugging away in hopes of unearthing a silver bullet that can ultimately neutralize the form of dementia afflicting one in eight people 65 and older.

It was noted that Ackerman was the driving force behind creating what would be known as The CART (coins, checks, credit cards, cash for Alzheimer’s research trust) Fund, which reportedly dedicates 100 percent of monetary contributions to research.

The first grant in 1999 poured money into Dr. Allan Levey’s discovery of LR 11, a human gene mutation recognized as the greatest risk factor in predicting the late onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

What the conclusive study proved is that every Alzheimer’s patient possesses the LR 11 gene (sometimes referred to as SR 11). On the note, Funderburk clarified that not every individual with the LR 11 gene will develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

“We Rotarians in CART do not give money to our friends. We have a science and review panel that tells us who to pay because of their propensity of success,” he added.

Over the years, inroads have been achieved relative to doctors now using innovative methods to detect this most prevalent form of dementia, including placing anything from spinal and eye fluid under the microscope to analyzing blood samples.

But until a cure is found, certain measures only serve to delay the progress of Alzheimer’s in folks at risk of contracting the life-altering disorder. To that end, Funderburk advised adopting a diet rich in greens, fruits and fish, as well as recommending that people embark on a “vigorous” cardio exercise routine.

In the meantime, the numbers only continue to increase for the insidious disease, as there’s been a 145 percent rise in diagnosed Alzheimer’s cases in the U.S. over the past decade. Moreover, two-thirds of current Alzheimer’s patients are women.

What’s more, though the total of Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S. is about 6.5 million, The CART Fund president and spokesperson estimates that twice as many are victims of Alzheimer’s who have yet to be diagnosed.

“I’m sure you’ve read in the paper or in magazines [about] wonderful breakthroughs in the Alzheimer’s area,” concluded Funderburk. “Some of those are in trials, some of those have already failed. We’re looking forward to one of them succeeding.

“We are chasing a cure; we really are. You can be the power of one. Your contribution can put us over the hump and fund the researchers who can actually find the cure.”

Clarius Partners and Stonemont Financial Group have announced that Buildings 3 and 4 are available for lease at the partnership’s Omni Industrial Campus in Summerville, S.C. The two speculative buildings total nearly 971,000 square feet of Class A industrial space.

Bridge Commercial is the exclusive leasing agent in charge of the 1.3 million-square-foot industrial park, expected to be delivered in June 2023.

Omni Industrial Campus is situated on nearly 100 acres, within the Jedburg Industrial Corridor, close to Interstate 26, 22 miles from North Charleston Port, 26 miles from Hugh Leatherman Terminal and within 32 miles of the Port Charleston, one of the fastest-growing ports in the U.S. over the last decade. The development is also situated close to the 4,500-acre, master-planned community Nexton, and other residential areas, allowing future tenants easy access to the market’s workforce.

Designed to serve a variety of users

Bridge Commercial’s team led by Executive Vice Presidents Hagood Morrison and Simons Johnson, President Peter Fennelly and Associate Vice President Will Crowell are the appointed leasing brokers in charge of the development.

The project’s initial building, Building 2, encompassing 360,320 square feet of space is fully preleased to a long-term, build-to-suit tenant. The remaining two buildings will feature 36-foot clear heights, LED lightning and ESFR sprinkler systems. The 364,700-square-foot Building 3, designed to accommodate multiple tenants, will have 305 vehicle parking spots, 79 trailer parking spots, four drive-in doors and 36 dock high doors, while the 606,880-square-foot Building 4, designed for large volume distribution, will have 350 vehicle parking spots, 157 trailer parking spots, four drive-in doors and 64 dock-high doors. Additionally, all three properties will also have a speculative office component, available for occupancy starting June of this year.

READ ALSO: Heightened Industrial Demand Boosts New Lease Rates

The industrial project is the largest option near the Port of Charleston for companies looking for an intermodal distribution point in the Southeast region, noted Stonemont Financial Group’s Managing Principal & Chief Executive Officer, Zack Markwell, in a prepared statement.

Earlier this month, Avison Young was tapped as leasing agent in charge of another industrial property under development in the Charleston area. The firm will market for lease a 545,000-square-foot project in Ridgeville, S.C., that is part of Camp Hall Commerce Park, a 6,800-acre master-planned development.

State Rep. Jordan Pace says he, like so many others, felt the frustration when his internet and cable went out nearly two weeks ago. (WCIV)

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — There is a question of should there be some sort of oversight on internet providers if and when there's an extended outage.

State Rep. Jordan Pace says he, like so many others, felt the frustration when his internet and cable went out nearly two weeks ago.

Read more: Several Home Telecom customers still experiencing internet issues 6 days later

"About 5 or 6, I think once the load on the network started expanding and people started coming home from work, started experiencing outages and inconsistencies," he said. "That kind of thing for several days in a row."

Pace knows for many of his neighbors, Home Telecom is their only option because big name companies don't offer services.

"In the bulk of my statehouse district Nexton, Carnes Crossroads and Cane Bay - those other options haven't expanded out that way yet," he said.

Pace says free broadband initiatives presented by President Joe Biden's administration and by politicians like Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina help out people living in rural areas, but they don't guarantee people in his district more options. He says the issue is too much involvement from the government.

State Rep. Jordan Pace says he, like so many others, felt the frustration when his internet and cable went out nearly two weeks ago. (WCIV)

"It makes it very inherently expensive for competitors to come in and operate because of the overregulation," Pace said.

Pace says South Carolina has a lot of expensive hurdles for smaller companies that may want to come in and create internet access.

"If they're out of state, they're going to pay 13.5% on all the equipment they own, all of the assets they have that isn't real property every year forever, unless they're big enough to have lobbyists to get them special deals," he said.

Read more: Home Telecom responds to recent internet outage

Pace says he's filed a bill to eliminate the state income tax to make it easier for businesses to move into the area.

"What we can do on the state level is make it as business friendly as possible," Pace said. "Lower that corporate income tax, personal business property tax. Lower the state income tax."

"Allowing entrepreneurs to bring about different alternatives (is) the solution," he continued. "Not more involvement or more scrutiny from the government."

Other internet providers were asked if they have any plans to expand services to portions of Berkeley and Dorchester counties. Xfinity says its working to do that now with its 10G network and finished an expansion to Moncks Corner.

Mount Pleasant condominium owner Jay Smith recently saw his monthly regime fee rise 10 percent to nearly $400 a month.

The price hike came after the company that provides hazard insurance for the eight-building, 64-unit complex off Shem Creek where the retiree lives hiked its premium by $27,000 this year, or 52 percent, to renew the policy.

Other condo owners along the South Carolina coast soon could see similar spikes for the monthly fee they pay in association dues to cover expenses such as landscaping, roof repairs, painting, amenities and insurance when their policies come up for renewal.

Insurance brokers who help condo associations try to find competitive rates from carriers blame the surging costs on the rash of natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities across the U.S. during the past few years. Recent storms, to name a few, include Harvey in 2017, Michael in 2018, Dorian in 2019, Laura in 2020, Ida in 2021 and Ian in 2022.

Last year was the eighth consecutive year when 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events affected the U.S., according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. During the previous three decades, the government logged five similar years.

That’s led to fewer companies serving the coastal condo market because they can no longer afford to cover all of the potential losses from structural damage.

“We are down to four or five providers that can be competitive when three years ago we had 12 or so,” said Isaac Matthews, a broker with Brown & Brown Insurance in North Charleston which helps condominium management companies try to find the best rates when it’s time for their association clients to renew coverage each year.

“The past five years in a row of catastrophic losses have affected their underwriting profits, so they are going to pull away from that sector of business or move out of the territory altogether,” he said.

Paying a premium

Matthews and other brokers are sounding the alarm that some condo owners could be in for sticker shock when their policies come up for renewal this year. To offset the higher premiums, governing boards have few alternatives other than cutting services, raising dues or imposing special assessments.

“The best-case scenario is a 30-35 percent increase in premiums,” Matthews said. “We are facing one of the most challenging years in the last decade.”

He pointed to a 36-unit condo complex on Daniel Island as a recent example. The annual premium for hazard insurance to cover damage from fire, wind, hail, earthquakes and hurricanes more than tripled to $223,000 from $71,000.

“The previous provider is no longer writing (hazard coverage) that close to the coast,” Matthews said.

He cited another example, saying rates for a 153-unit complex in North Charleston more than doubled to $181,000 a year.

The rising insurance rates are not confined to the Lowcountry.

“It’s a problem along the entire coast,” Matthews said.

In the Myrtle Beach area, some condo associations could see rates balloon by 300 percent, said Mike Almond, a broker with Acentria Insurance on Pawleys Island.

Some of the main carriers for areas within three to five miles of the coast have exited the market because of the hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters affecting the U.S. last year.

“Hurricane Matthew (in 2016) and Hurricane Michael (in 2018) started the strain on carriers, and Hurricane Ian (in 2022) put the nail in the coffin,” Almond said.

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Underwriters are now being picky.

“They want to insure a building that can withstand a Category 4 or Cat 5 hurricane,” he said.

He noted that “most of the construction on the coast” dates back to mid-1980s, “and a lot of the carriers don’t want to touch it.”

‘No end in sight’

Matthews of Brown & Brown said some of the factors pushing rates higher include the increased demand for coverage, the rising costs of rebuilding homes and higher appraised values of older structures. That’s in addition to other standard considerations, such as the distance to the shoreline, the year a property was built and claims history.

“The few insurance companies that are still willing to place coverage are being very selective on risk quality,” Matthews said.

Like Matthews, Almond called the current premium increases the largest he’s seen in quite a few years.

“If our hurricane season this year is bad, you will definitely feel (the financial impact) even more at the end of the year,” Almond said.

Another pricing wrinkle for the industry is the so-called reinsurance market, which provides policies that carriers buy to cover some of their risks. It’s tapped out.

Matthews said the reinsurance money supply is down $50 billion while demand last year was up about $30 billion.

“This means there is currently an $80 billion gap between insurance companies’ capacity and insurable property values,” he said.

Owners of single-family homes along the coast aren’t feeling as much of a price sting because that market isn’t short on carriers, making it easier to obtain coverage.

“There are only so many companies willing to insure a 200-unit property valued at $50 million, for instance, rather than a house for $500,000,” Matthews said.

He also pointed out hazard insurance does not include flood protection, which is another policy altogether. It also does not cover problems with structural integrity, which is a maintenance issue.

Jason Besse, a broker with Correll Insurance Group of Summerville, said the market for hazard insurance is cyclical, with rates typically rising after major disasters. He doesn’t see costs coming down anytime soon.

“There is no end in sight this go round,” Besse said. “It’s a bad deal. We don’t have the capacity to fill the risk, and there are fewer players in the carrier and reinsurance markets.”

For condo owners such as Smith in Mount Pleasant, who retired and moved to the Lowcountry from West Virginia several years ago, the trend is troublesome.

“If the rates keep going up, it’s going to become unaffordable for some people,” he said.

SUMMERVILLE — After years of traffic concerns, the town is getting started on a $21 million road project to improve Maple Street.

The road runs from West Richardson Avenue downtown to Nexton Parkway. The project includes widening Maple Street from two to four lanes just east of Shamrock Drive to West Richardson Avenue; adding turn lanes at all approaches to U.S. Highway 78; installing a traffic signal at West Richardson Avenue; and adding a new alignment from West Richardson to Parsons Road, where it will transition from three lanes to two lanes at the Parsons Road connection.

Even mid-morning traffic on Maple Street is notable; it becomes easily congested due to it being a two-way street. If one car needs to turn left, several cars will be held up waiting for the vehicle to turn.

The Maple Street extension has been in the works since 2015 and is one of many road projects the Dorchester County 1 percent sales tax will fund. The tax, which voters elected to continue last year, began in 2004 and has paid for improvements to several roads such as Bacons Bridge Road, S.C. Highway 27 and Patriots Boulevard.

The town of Summerville and Dorchester County are partnering on the project.

Officials said the project will help alleviate congestion in a town beset by traffic concerns as its population has exploded in recent years.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town’s population has jumped from 27,752 in 2000 to 50,915 in 2020. The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments projects the 2030 population to exceed 97,000.

“The Maple Street Extension Project will help alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety,” Mayor Ricky Waring said. “I am grateful for the support from our agency partners and the Dorchester County voters who supported the transportation sales tax referendum that helped fund this project.”

Up to $11 million of the project — including construction and engineering/inspection — will be funded by the town’s midtown tax increment finance district funds. Dorchester County sales tax referendum funds will cover the rest, totaling the construction costs to just under $21 million and engineering costs around $1.2 million.

“This project will be one of the first opportunities the county has to utilize funds made available to us through the continuation of the Transportation Sales Tax,” Dorchester County Council Chairman Todd Friddle said. “The Maple Street Extension Project is a great example of what can be accomplished when we collaborate to improve our community, and we look forward to working together again on future projects.”

Construction will start in April or May, with the goal of completion by spring 2025.