Megan Fernandes is a Business and Tourism Reporter for the Post and Courier. She is an award-winning reporter, who has worked in the newspaper industry from coast-to-coast.
The tide is rolling in for the Folly Beach Museum.
The new Edge of America exhibit space that made its debut on Aug. 9 adjoins the Folly Beach Community Center at 55 Center St.
An expanded room on the side of the building now houses local artifacts and memorabilia that a local historical group has collected from residents.
Visitors can expect rotating exhibits highlighting aspects of the island's history, with the first centering on surf culture -- and the city's complicated past with it.
The city began working on the museum in 2024, after more than a decade of planning. The $200,000 project was included in the 2015 comprehensive plan.
Regina Anderson, who chairs the Folly Beach Historical Society, said the museum will have rotating exhibits on different topics to keep the content fresh and engage both local residents and visitors.
"You know, when surfing started taking hold, the town hated it and they restricted it," Anderson said. "In 1974 a federal lawsuit was instigated against the city of Folly Beach on a civil rights basis, and they won. Folly Beach has a checkered past with surfers, but now it's so entwined in the city's surfing culture."
The small museum highlights wave riders such as Glenn Tanner and Nancy Polk, who was the sport's first professional to hail from South Carolina. Admission is free, and it's staffed with limited hours by volunteers.
"What most people don't realize is we have enough local and tourist surfers to support two independent surf shops, several surf schools, surf camps and surfing-based charitable organizations," Anderson said. "It's part of who we are as a community."
New leadership
The Mount Pleasant-based National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership has found its new leader.
The nonprofit recently announced it appointed Pepe Carreras as president and CEO.
The organization is in a pivotal time of transition as it rolls out new programs and raises money to build a place to call home.
Thomas Mundell decided to step down as CEO in June after being at the helm for three-and-a-half years.
Board chairman Harvey Schiller said Carreras was the right fit for the organization because "his passion and collaborative leadership style are exactly what this organization needs as we take our next steps."
Carreras will oversee a range of priorities from strategic planning and operations to curriculum development, fundraising and national outreach. The group wants to expand leadership programs designed for students, educators, businesses and civic leaders, to "grow into a national force in leadership education."
"It's not just a program we are building, it's a movement," Carreras said. "Through story-driven education rooted in values, service and action we want to equip individuals and organizations to lead with the values, courage, integrity and purpose in every arena of their life. It's not just teaching leadership, we're shaping America's future."
Carreras brings more than two decades of experience spanning the private, nonprofit and government sectors. Most recently, he was president and CEO of Graduate School USA. He also served as a firefighter for 10 years.
The Center For Leadership launched its inaugural Junior Fellowship Bootcamp in July, bringing 27 student leaders from St. John's High School together for an immersive leadership development course that ends in April 2026. Students get to work with Medal of Honor recipients and participate in leadership challenges, service projects and mentorship.
Carreras said he is focused on creating a more self-sustaining business model for the nonprofit, and that income from demand for its leadership offerings can "drive more momentum."
"There can't be any mission without margin, and the more money we generate, the more people we can reach," he said.
Doubletime
BermudAir is now flying between Charleston and the pink-sand beaches of Bermuda twice a week.
The frequency change kicked off Aug. 7 and was driven by higher-than-expected seasonal demand, according to the carrier.
The service now operates on Thursdays and Sundays through October, replacing the original Saturday-only flight. The twice-weekly schedule is expected to resume next spring, after a winter hiatus.
The airline launched its CHS service in April to L.F. Wade International.
BermudAir CEO Adam D. Scott said the convenience of the new schedule makes Bermuda and South Carolina a "viable weekend trip" for residents of either visitor destination.