It was another newsworthy – and unprecedented – year in Charleston (and another successful year for Holy City Sinner). As we welcome in 2021, let’s take a look at the blog’s most viewed stories from 2020.
Here’s the list, starting with the most viewed story of the year (click on the headline to see the original post):
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- Study: South Carolina is the Least Responsible State in the Fight Against COVID-19
- From wearing masks to getting tested, responsible preventative behaviors can drastically decrease the spread of COVID-19. Sadly, according to one study, South Carolina was the least responsible state in the country when it came to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The study was released in July, but the results were not surprising to most.
- 2020 South Carolina Primary Election Information
- With the country as divided as ever and the coronavirus pandemic dominating the headlines, it was no surprise that people were very interested in this year’s elections – and not just the general in November. People’s interest in down-ballot races was very high and many were searching for information on the lesser-known candidates.
- Michael Jordan Docks Yacht in Charleston
- The Holy City loves a good celebrity sighting and with film productions mostly shut down in 2020, MJ’s visit to Charleston drew a lot of attention – especially since it came shortly after the airing of the hit mini-series The Last Dance.
- Bill Murray Talks To Jimmy Kimmel About Charleston, The RiverDogs, and more…from his Bathtub
- Actor Bill Murray, possibly Charleston’s favorite resident, made a memorable appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in May. Murray spent the entire interview hanging out in his bathtub – complete with bubbles.
- Charleston Restaurants Offering To-Go and Delivery Services (5/1/20)
- Due to the spread of the coronavirus in late April and early May, South Carolina required all restaurants and bars to close their dine-in services. However, they could still offer to-go and delivery options, and residents were scrambling to find out how they could support Charleston’s Food & Bev community.
- “Southern Charm” Star, Mylkbar Issue Separate Apologies After Accusations of Racism Go Viral
- As usual, the Charleston-based Bravo “reality” TV show Southern Charm was a headline maker this year. Cast member Kathryn Calhoun Dennis and the owner of a now closed nail saloon issued separate apologies in May after each sent offensive, harassing, and/or racist messages on social media.
- As Off-Screen Drama Continues, Three “Southern Charm” Cast Members Quit The Show
- Just days removed from Kathryn Dennis apologizing for sending a local black activist a monkey emoji (see above), three Southern Charm cast members confirmed their departure from the series (for seemingly unrelated reasons). Dennis remained on the show and, predictably, this entire incident was incorporated into the new season.
- R.B.'s Seafood Restaurant Closes; Property Sells for $7 Million
- In April, R.B.’s Seafood Restaurant on Shem Creek announced that it had closed for good and the property at 97 Church St. had been sold to Geyer Capital Management LLC of Atlanta for $7 million. Long-time R.B's Seafood owner Ronnie Boals said he was ready to retire.
- Commentary: “Southern Charm” Cast’s Racist Remarks Should Force Us to Look in the Mirror
- After Kathryn Dennis sent a local black activist a monkey emoji on Instagram, I wrote this commentary that examined some former cast member’s racist remarks and how their behavior was emblematic of the Charleston community
- “Southern Charm's” Austen Kroll Rolls Out Trop Hop Beer at Area Harris Teeters
- In October, Southern Charm cast member Austen Kroll spoke to Holy City Sinner at Uptown Social about the can release of his beer, a tropical-infused IPA called Trop Hop.
Honorable Mentions
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- Report: Charleston Has the 7th Biggest Drinking Problem in the U.S.
- No surprises here. This post was shared many times on social media by people who were less than shocked with the results.
- Local Resident Creates Map of Black-Owned Restaurants in the Charleston Area
- Prior to launching Black Food Fridays, K.J. Kearney, a community organizer and Charleston City Paper columnist, in February created a map of black-owned restaurants, bars, food trucks, and other businesses in the Charleston area.
- After 17 Hours, Calhoun Statue Removed from Marion Square
- Although the pandemic and social justice movements dominated the headlines this year, this may have been the Charleston area’s biggest story. For the first time since 1896, the John C. Calhoun statue was removed from Marion Square. It took crews about 17 hours to finally detach the statue from its nearly 100-foot tall base and lower it to the ground on Wednesday, June 24th around 5 pm.
- Councilman Harry Griffin Removed from City’s Equity, Inclusion and Racial Conciliation Commission
- Griffin came under fire in December for his involvement and support of an event that happened in downtown Charleston that included The Proud Boys, a hate group. After a petition calling for his resignation from City Council collected over 3,000 signatures online, Griffin posted a letter on his social media accounts saying he made “mistakes” in regards to the rally. His letter angered some of the event’s organizers who leaked audio of Griffin going after fellow council members in an expletive-laden phone call. Griffin was removed from the City’s Equity, Inclusion and Racial Conciliation Commission as more people signed the petition demanding his resignation. As of 12/28/20, Griffin had not resigned.
FYI – I did not include the homepage, daily calendar, Restaurant lists, resource guides, or posts published prior to 2020, which all rack up a lot of page views throughout the year.
