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Cruise ship Carnival Sunshine pounded by large waves during coastal storm near Charleston, South Carolina

Passengers aboard the cruise ship Carnival Sunshine were left distressed as large waves churned up by a powerful storm off the Southeast coast pounded the vessel, delaying its return from the Bahamas over the Memorial Day weekend.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Passengers aboard the cruise ship Carnival Sunshine were left distressed as large waves churned up by a powerful storm off the Southeast coast pounded the vessel, delaying its return from the Bahamas over the Memorial Day weekend.

Video shared on social media Sunday by Brad Morrell, filmed outside his room onboard the cruise ship that was returning to Charleston, South Carolina, shows dark clouds covering the sky and large whitecaps raging in the surrounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Cruise ship passengers reported water damage and broken glass, as well as high waves that battered the vessel.

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Carnival Cruise Line released a statement to FOX Weather on Monday morning to describe the incident, which was reported to occur Saturday:

"Carnival Sunshine’s return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday. The weather’s prolonged impact on the Charleston area delayed the ship’s arrival on Sunday and as a result, the next voyage’s embarkation was also delayed. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests.

"The weather and rough surf led to some crew cabins being temporarily taken out of service while we clean up water damage. All the public areas of the ship are open and in service and Carnival Sunshine is currently operating its next cruise, a five-day Bahamas sailing."

VACATION TURNS INTO NIGHTMARE FOR A SEATTLE MAN AFTER A ‘ROGUE WAVE’ PARALYZES HIM

The low-pressure system responsible for the harsh weather over the Memorial Day weekend was being monitored for tropical and subtropical development by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) last week, though it remained a non-tropical low throughout its duration.

Forecasters from the NHC had visited the Carnival Cruise Line headquarters in Miami two days before the ship got caught in the powerful storm.

The area of low pressure has now moved inland over North Carolina and will gradually weaken in the days ahead, but not before dampening more holiday beach plans in parts of the mid-Atlantic and generating dangerous rip currents along the East Coast.

Out-of-this-world hot dogs are coming to new locations on James Island and in West Ashley just in time for summer under Jarrett Hodson’s ownership.

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs has been a staple in Charleston for more than 23 years. Originally opened off Folly Road on James Island, it’s called Mount Pleasant home for more than a decade. In April 2022, Hodson bought the beloved space-themed restaurant from founder Jack Hurley with big plans for expansion.

Hodson told the Charleston City Paper that he’s excited to take the hot doggery to the next level.

“It’s a creative outlet for me,” Hodson said. “[Jack Hurley] is so artistic, and I am much more business, but I just love the space theme and its potential.”

Hodson’s vision is to recreate an environment to enjoy good food while spending time with friends and family.

Hurley, although no longer involved with the business, believes Hodson shares his vision and focus.

“I like Jarrett [Hodson]. I like the family. And I like that he can make the next step. He’s great and has got ambition.”

Under Hodson’s ownership, new locations on James Island and in West Ashley will make it easy for people to get Jack’s hot dogs. Hodson said the James Island location, formerly occupied by Sweetwater Cafe on Folly Road, will open July 10. It has spacious indoor and outdoor seating and the inside is embellished with familiar galactic decor as well as a brand-new game room.

Diners familiar with Jack’s Cosmic Dogs have likely noticed the cartoon artwork hanging all over the walls. For the James Island location, the original artist Valdes recreated the unique cardboard paintings.

One of Hodson’s priorities was to maintain the same retro, space-themed and family-friendly environment that Hurley culminated from the beginning.

“Very early on, I liked the artist Valdes, and he did all the original dogs,” Hurley said. “And then Jarrett [Hodson] reached out and talked to him to redo some stuff for here. Twenty-three years later, we have new dog paintings from the same artist and in the same style.”

The James Island menu is going to be similar to the original with the popular Atomic and Galactic hot dogs featuring the same unique toppings, and there will be plenty of root beer to go around. The Atomic dog is topped with housemade chili, diced onion and spicy mustard, while the Galactic dog is made with chili, cheese, blue cheese coleslaw and their original Jack’s Cosmic mustard.

“When starting the restaurant, I had to do something different,” Hurley said. “How many dogs have chili? They all do. How many dogs have sauerkraut? They all do. But how many dogs have sweet potato mustard and blue cheese coleslaw? I knew that was going to get attention,” Hurley said.

Hodson wanted to make sure the customers knew they would get the same quality cosmic dogs they know and love no matter which location they stop into.

A lot of consideration went into where the next location would land, but Hodson said he was persuaded when he saw a slew of comments on Facebook and Instagram requesting a James Island location.

Hodson said he strategically planned the Jack’s expansion to ensure Charlestonians would have easy access to the food and a wide delivery radius.

“The third location is going to be our rocket food truck over in Avondale in West Ashley, which will really help with our delivery time,” he said. “I think the blanket [coverage area] with all three locations is something like 80% or 85% of Charleston could get hot dogs in 20 minutes or less.”

For now, the rocket food truck is operating for lunch at the James Island location. Once the doors open on James Island, the rocket will blast its way over to West Ashley. You’ll then find it at DB’s Cheesesteaks in West Ashley, or you can order from delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats. You might also soon be able to get hot dogs from Jack’s all hours of the day and night as Hodson intends to add nighttime hours as late as 2 a.m. for those craving a midnight snack.

Hodson wants Jack’s to be people’s go-to in terms of fast and quality food. “You could get five hot dogs for like $20 or $25 for your family in less than 20 minutes. It’s quick and easy.”

Hodson already has one guaranteed customer: Hurley, who confirmed he plans to frequently stop by the new James Island location.

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ISLE OF PALMS — A gloved hand digs through the sand around a plastic water bottle, prying the piece of trash from the clutches of the shoreline and depositing it safely into a green trash bag alongside a hodgepodge of other debris.

An orange grabber snaps down on a cigarette butt in the dunes, separating it from the tangles of seabeach evening primroses and firewheels blossoming along the mounds.

While children play with shovels and buckets and balls, a boy around their age beside them bends down to rescue the sea turtles from one of the many bits of left-behind litter that will eventually turn into microplastics and scatter the Lowcountry’s beachfronts, marshways and ocean floors. He was among about 30 volunteers who signed up for this particular beach cleanup on Isle of Palms on a sunny summer Sunday morning.

The cleanup is one of four that Charleston band Easy Honey has helped organize along the East Coast in the coming months as part of their five-week Surf Tour that coincides with the release of new EP “Ooooo.” In between playing 20 shows along the coast, they will stop in Wilmington and Beaufort, N.C., as well as Portland, Maine, to pick up trash along waterways.

The June 25 cleanup that kicked off at The Windjammer was the first, leading up to the band’s June 30 concert on the sunset stage at the beachfront venue. Coastal Expeditions and Charleston Waterkeeper assisted in assembling the volunteer event, and the band — guitarists-vocalists Darby McGlone and Selby Austin, Selby’s brother and bassist Webster Austin and drummer Charlie Holt — arrived bright and early to the beach in neon vests and sun hats, ready to join in the efforts.

The impact at hand

Harriott Parker, director of development and stewardship at Charleston Waterkeeper, manned the local nonprofit’s booth, handing out gear for the pickup and giving the spiel on what her organization does for the Lowcountry.

“We’re an effective mix of boots on the water and data-driven advocacy work,” said Parker. “This is a great example of that. Today, you’re protecting your environment.”

Charleston Waterkeeper is a part of a coalition that helped enact single-use plastic bans in the seven local communities that surround the Charleston Harbor. The data collected from cleanups like this one drives change like this for clean water.

Every group of volunteers was given a clipboard with a sheet that included categories of what trash they were collecting along the way. Tally marks would note how many of each item they retrieved, from twist ties to beer bottles.

“Even the smallest things can get out into the waterways,” said Parker. “It all matters.”

Katie Morrison of The Coastal Expeditions Foundation, who also dates Selby Austin of Easy Honey, was the perfect connection for the band’s beach cleanup mission. The foundation supports a variety of local conservation initiatives, including funding the sea turtle program on Cape Romain, which helps protect more than 3,000 loggerhead nests annually.

“Each of these cleanups is very significant for all the different animals around here,” said Morrison. “Right now, it’s nesting season for sea turtles and birds, which can misidentify microplastics as little invertebrates. This is a great time of year for it.”

The mission underway

Visibility is one impact of a beach cleanup like this.

“I think people seeing other people take action makes them think,” said volunteer Mackenzie Foster. “The tourists seeing people doing this actually might make them care about this and want to take better care of the beaches while they’re here.”

Bikini-clad sunbathers peeked out from rows of sunglasses to peer with curiosity at the group of trash bag-donning troopers as they scavenged the Isle of Palms beachfront among weekend loungers.

Foster joined partner Eon Washington for the outing, which they heard about through a friend who sent them the signup link.

“It’s a nice, fun Sunday morning couple activity,” Foster offered.

Usually, they walk the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge or go hiking along trails in Awendaw. This was another way to enjoy the great weather and give back simultaneously.

“I like to be outside, and I also love the scientific aspect of this,” said Foster. “I want to know how many of what things we find.”

For dad Brent Gillig and his two kids, Davis and Leila, it was a family affair and hopefully a way to burn some energy during summer vacation. For Air Force veteran Scott Kindsvater, who was joined by his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Samantha, it was the family’s third cleanup together.

“My parents signed me up,” said Samantha Kindsvater. “But I like feeling like I’ve helped out. I love learning about the flora and fauna and want to make sure the animals are OK. I’ve seen some sea turtle nests.”

A group of three friends, Catherine Owen, Abbey Tripel and Emma Lou Tillmanns, were there thanks to the band of the hour Easy Honey, who they met in high school in Memphis, Tenn. A few of them went on to attend college together at Sewanee: The University of the South.

It was the trio’s first beach cleanup. A few steps in, they had collected a shred of rope and a ketchup packet.

Owen lives in the area and is a digital marketing intern at Garden & Gun Magazine, while the other two were visiting from Greenville for the weekend.

“We love the guys in Easy Honey,” said Owen, who was wearing the band’s T-shirt. “I think it’s really cool they’re doing something like this, and not just here but all along their tour.”

The band playing its part

Though they met in Tennessee, the members of Easy Honey relocated to Charleston shortly after graduation; Selby Austin had visited for a summer before and knew the crew would fit in with the laid-back surf culture that now follows the band. As surfers themselves, the band members want to ensure that the beaches they use as recreation are protected and able to be enjoyed for years to come.

“I love the meditation of surfing, the chill attitude surrounding the culture and what it brings to your soul,” said Austin. “The College of Charleston and Folly Beach surf folks felt a kindred spirit in us and kind of gravitated toward us and latched onto us.”

After the beach cleanup, the band played an acoustic set at the Sullivan’s Island Mex 1 Coastal Cantina as an after party. The local Mexican restaurant that plays surfing videos and embraces surf culture is, fittingly, a sponsor of the band’s Surf Tour. In attendance were two tables full of volunteers from the morning.

“It’s a great way to spend a Sunday: working hard for your city and cleaning up the Lowcountry and then going to celebrate with some locals and listening to fabulous music,” said volunteer Cheryl Highfield. “It’s a great balance.”

Perhaps Easy Honey bassist Webster Austin best put it in perspective: “When you’re out surfing, you’d rather be swimming with the dolphins than trash. Beach cleanups are a way to make a difference.”

Though a date hasn’t been decided yet, the band plans to host an additional cleanup along the West Ashley Greenway after their Surf Tour is concluded that will align with the debut of the tour documentary they’re planning to film along their route.

A full menu of new dining options soon will be served on James Island, Johns Island and North Charleston while a new footwear shop is on the way to West Ashley and a medical concept is in the works for a former East Cooper bicycle store.

On Johns Island, co-owner and chef Alex Yellan plans to open Colectivo as a Mexican dining venue at 2901 Maybank Highway, possibly as early as next month. It will focus on regional dishes from south of the border.

Yellan once worked at the former Minero in downtown Charleston before leaving to become the chef at Tu, a former Asian, Latin American and Southern cuisine dining spot where Bedford Falls now serves pub fare on Meeting Street.

Until about a year ago, he worked at wine bar The Tippling House on Coming Street before departing to focus on his new Mexican concept.

Yellan said construction on the new building is finished except for some interior design elements. He plans to be open 4-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. On Monday and Tuesday, a pop-up venture called Gingerbug will offer Thai cuisine and grilled items. Chef Jamie Fairchild, a co-owner in Colectivo, will operate the pop-up.

The opening timeframe is up in the air because Yellan noted, “Everything is taking longer than it needs to.”

Landing soon

A galactic-themed hot dog shop is almost ready to welcome customers to its new Charleston location.

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs plans to open July 10 at 801 Folly Road in the former Sweetwater Cafe site on James Island.

Co-owner Jarrett Hodson said the business is waiting for a final approval on occupancy after adding an outdoor seating area to the single-bathroom restaurant.

He and business partner Joe Teders set up a food truck on the site a few weeks ago that is in operation. Once the restaurant opens, they plan to move the mobile shop to the parking lot at D.B.’s Cheesesteaks at 2 Avondale Ave. in West Ashley.

D.B.’s is temporarily closed to handle family issues, according to a telephone message at the restaurant.

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs has another longtime location on U.S. Highway 17 near S.C. Highway 41 in Mount Pleasant. Hodson said delivery will be available from the two restaurants and food truck through independent vendors.

Also, Jersey Mike’s Subs opened its second James Island sandwich stop on June 28. It’s at 1417 Folly Road next to Great Greek Mediterranean Grill in the Riverland Market Shopping Center. It joins a nearby location at 520 Folly Road in the Merchants Village Shopping Center.

On the way

A new neighborhood market and cafe soon will welcome customers in North Charleston.

Odd Duck plans to open between June 30 and July 3 at 1082 E. Montague Ave. in a 1,500-square-foot shop next to the headquarters of Half-Moon Outfitters, according to Jared Hellman, who will co-own and operate the shop with Andrew Hare.

Hare is one of the co-founders of the hydroponic farming operation Vertical Roots in Charleston, where he now serves as a consultant.

The shop, with a focus on local purveyors, will offer daily breakfast, lunch and a coffee bar along with grocery items, beer, wine and gifts. An outdoor patio sits behind the new venue, which can be accessed from the street or from the courtyard behind the shop.

Stepping in

A running-themed merchant plans to open in a Charleston retail center that’s slated to undergo redevelopment.

Fleet Feet will land in a 3,000-square-foot shop by the end of the year in Ashley Landing Shopping Center in West Ashley where Publix supermarket plans to relocate from an outparcel to part of the retail site near Old Towne Road.

Shop owners Amy and Chris Minkel also own Fleet Feet stores in Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Carnes Crossroads.

The Carrboro, N.C.-based chain has more than 250 locations in 40 states.

On the way

A sports medicine clinic plans to take over a former bicycle business site in Mount Pleasant.

Private Therapy Services recently hoisted signs for a future site where The Bicycle Shoppe operated at 1539 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. for many years before closing in April.

The clinic will offer physical therapy and sports medicine. The building, next to a McDonald’s just north of Bowman Road, is under renovation. An opening date has not been announced.

The city of Charleston will host a free concert Friday featuring patriotic music and fireworks. The family-friendly event is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park near Brittlebank Park.

The Charleston Symphony will perform with featured clarinetist Charles Messersmith and guest vocalist Javetta Campell, who will sing popular songs and Broadway show tunes. The performance will incorporate American classical standards and known family favorites, including patriotic standards by John Stafford Smith and John Philip Sousa.

There also will be a salute to the armed forces and pops orchestra favorites by composers including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin. Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg will recite Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait.” A fireworks display will follow the performance.

Yuriy Bekker, artistic director of the Charleston Symphony, said the concert is “extremely important personally.” Bekker and his family left Belarus in the 1990s for the shores of America with nothing more than $70, and he said coming to America gave him an opportunity, which he wants to celebrate.

“It’s a great opportunity for the city and orchestra to be there for the community and for us to show a continued love for our country,” Bekker said.

Because Bekker and his family are Jewish, he said it was important to highlight American Jewish composers like Copland and Gershwin to show the multifaceted history of America.

Tecklenburg said he also was excited to be part of the city-sponsored outing.

“We are all looking forward to this extraordinary evening of music, fireworks and family fun,” he said. “We hope everyone will be able to join us for this great Independence Day celebration.”

Military jets and vintage aircrafts will parade along South Carolina’s coast July 4 during the 14th annual Salute from the Shore flyover.

Beginning at Murrells Inlet, aviators will fly civilian-owned vintage planes, Nanchag CJ-6 and Focke Wulf FWP-149, over the Isle of Palms and Folly Beach between 11:40 a.m. and 11:50 a.m.

F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base and a C-17 from Joint Base Charleston will streak through the sky between 1:15 p.m. to 1:24 p.m. over the Isle of Palms, Folly Beach and Edisto Island. These aircraft will take off at Cherry Grove in North Myrtle Beach and fly down the coast to Beaufort.

Salute from the Shore is a Columbia-based nonprofit created in 2009 to celebrate United States Air Force veterans and pilots with a military flyover every Independance Day.

“This is a tradition the Lowcountry definitely looks forward to and enjoys,” said Ed Sutton, an Air Force Reserve pilot who lives in West Ashley.

Beachgoers are encouraged to salute the planes and wave flags and wear red, white and blue as they fly overhead to support the pilots and the U.S. military.

“From a military perspective, it is always great to connect with the public,” said Sutton, who pilots C-17 transport jets. “The job of the military is ultimately to protect our country, so that connection is always meaningful.”

Folly Beach Fireworks Show canceledFolly Beach’s 4th of July Fireworks Show has been canceled due to higher-than-normal predicted tides for that day.

Patriots Point 4th of July Fireworks Blast6 p.m., July 4

The Patriots Point 4th of July Fireworks Blast returns with patriotic firework viewing, live music and food trucks. Watch the show from land for free, or purchase a $30 ticket to view the display from the ship. Parking is limited, so it is recommended you arrive early.

Riverfront Park 4th of July Festival5 p.m., July 4

North Charleston’s festival features the largest display of 4th of July fireworks in the Lowcountry. The celebration will include North Charleston Pops and a DJ alongside many area food trucks. Festival goers should bring blankets and chairs since the park has no seating provided.

Independence Day at The Watch Rooftop7 p.m. to 11 p.m., July 4

The Watch Rooftop Kitchen and Spirits will offer a Southern barbecue buffet, live music and rooftop views of firework displays. Adult tickets are $75 and children are $30.

Isle of Palms Fireworks Show9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., July 4

Fireworks will launch into the sky above the Front Beach area of Isle of Palms during this free show. Attendees can watch the display from the Isle of Palms County Park area. For more information, visit iop.net.

Sullivan’s Island Party in the Park6 p.m., July 4

Groove to the music of the Shem Creek Boogie Band starting at 6 p.m. at J. Marshall Stitch Park on Middle Street. Then stick around for the Sullivan’s Island fireworks display starting shortly after 9 p.m. Bring chairs and blanket to sit back and enjoy the show.

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