Local Community & Food: Punta Gorda Isles’ Lunch & Learn spotlighted Melon1’s watermelon farming, distribution, and sales, with a candid look at how state rules can shape day-to-day operations. Elections & Voting Access: The S.C. House approved HB 958, tightening early voting timelines and expanding tools to screen voter rolls—moves that critics say could limit due process. Public Safety: South Carolina Highway Patrol reminded drivers to follow school bus stop laws as kids head back to class, warning that passing a stopped bus can bring steep penalties. Health Watch: Dorchester District 2 reported a tuberculosis case exposure at Summerville High School, with DPH contact tracing and free testing options for identified students. Workforce & Education: A federal grant will finish funding the Arthur E. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, aiming to train hundreds for advanced manufacturing. Culture & Lifestyle: A new floating “classroom on a boat” program is inspiring future riverkeepers on Lake Norman, blending hands-on science with outdoor learning. Tech & Privacy: The backlash against Flock Safety license-plate cameras keeps growing, with more cities deactivating systems amid misuse and surveillance concerns. Sports & Community Pride: Greenville Tech’s welding center is getting support via Duke Energy Foundation welding kits to help students start hands-on training this fall.