🌱 Massive House Fire On Dunwick Drive + Charleston County Opioid Use

Morning, Charleston. Kaytlyn Mroz here with your fresh copy of the Charleston Patch newsletter, filled with all the things you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

Sunny and warmer. High: 66 Low: 42.

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Here are the top three stories today in Charleston:

1. A Dunwick Drive home was completely destroyed by an early morning fire on Sunday and spread to the homes on either side of it before it was extinguished. The Charleston Fire Department received several 911 calls about the blaze shortly before 5:00 a.m. Emergency crews found heavy fire on the front side of the two-story, single-family property and deemed the building to be in "unsafe condition." Surrounding homes were evacuated and seven occupants have been displaced. The Fire Marshal Division is currently investigating the incident. (WCBD News 2)
2. Drug overdose-related deaths have continued to rise across South Carolina, especially here in Charleston County. According to a recent report by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and South Carolina's Department of Alcohol and other drug abuse services, Charleston County experienced 201 reported drug overdose-related deaths in 2021, compared to 70 in Berkeley and 36 in Dorchester. Health officials say the increase coincided with start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that fentanyl was involved in more than two-thirds of all opioid-involved deaths. (WPDE)
3. The College of Charleston and the Trust for Public Land are collaborating on a project to promote equitable access to parks through high-impact policies. The project is made possible by the 10-Minute Walk Program by the Trust for Public Land and involves College of Charleston students and grad students reviewing park access policies in 25 U.S. cities. The assessment will include interviews with local government leaders and administrators to gather information on the creation, adoption, and implementation of policies that increase access to public parks. (ABC NEWS 4)

Today in Charleston:

• Charleston Virtual Job Fair Hosted By MilitaryX (11:00 AM)
• Yoga With Reagan Sobel At Volley (5:30 PM)
• West King String Band At The Charleston Pour House (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Charleston City Council will be holding its next meeting tomorrow, Feb. 14, at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. (Charleston SC)
• Calling all local house hunters! These gorgeous Charleston-area properties have just been listed for sale, including 1046 Birchdale Drive and 1430 Ashley River Road. Get the property specs and list prices in Patch's latest real estate roundup. (Charleston Patch)
• Are you tuning in on Wednesday evening as the Charleston Southern Lady Buccaneers take on the Campbell Lady Camels at The Buc Dome? WECT News 6 shares their predictions for the game outcome. (WECT)

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• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (February 16)
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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Kaytlyn Mroz

About me: Kaytlyn Mroz is a copywriter at Lightning Media Partners – a content creation agency. She is a Rowan University graduate where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in writing. Outside of work, Kaytlyn is a dog mom to a boglen terrier named Finn and a golden retriever named Willow.