The next anchor for “CBS Evening News” is reporting that he has a taste for a sweet and savory side served on Sullivan’s Island.
In a man-on-the-street type clip posted on DailyMotion.com, Travel & Leisure magazine asked Tony Dokoupil to name a “meal down South worth traveling for.”
His response: “The hush puppies at Sullivan’s Fish Camp … because a lot of people make a hush puppy, but they don’t get the balance of the cornmeal and the salt all perfect and right. And he does,” Dokoupil said, referring to chef Jason Stanhope.
“And also there’s a sweet butter that it comes with. It is my favorite dish … in a long time,” he added.
Dokoupil has been a co-host of “CBS Mornings” since 2019. Earlier this month, the broadcasting veteran was named anchor of the Tiffany Network’s nightly newscast. He’ll replace John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois at the news desk starting Jan. 5.
Dokoupil didn’t say when he dined at Sullivan’s Fish Camp, which opened on Middle Street in 2022. As for the $12 hush puppies he so enjoyed, the restaurant’s appetizer menu describes them as “tots” made from Edisto cornmeal and served with honey butter.
Signed off
A longtime local news commentator has signed off — after being laid off.
Kelly Golden, a radio industry veteran and conservative co-host of the morning show on 94.3 WSC, announced earlier this month that she was let go.
“Daily ‘layoff’ headlines continue across our country. I am not immune to becoming part of one, especially in an industry where layoffs are just ‘a part of the job,’ ” Golden wrote on a social media post. “I can proudly say, this is my first, in a near 30-year career as a News/Talk broadcaster. iHeartMedia made the last 20 years of my on-air career better than I, or anyone, could imagine. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”
Golden added that she plans to take a “well-earned respite” before making her next career move.
Her morning slot is now being filled with a statewide simulcast from an iHeartMedia station in Columbia: South Carolina’s Morning News co-hosted by Gary David and Christopher Thompson.
Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island is the home of the Credit One Charleston Open.
File/Provided
Winning streak
Game. Set. Match. The Credit One Charleston Open tournament is on a winning streak.
The annual Daniel Island event was again named the Women’s Tennis Association 500 “tournament of the year” for the fourth consecutive time.
The player-voted honor recognizes excellence in operations, fan experience and commitment to athletes. The Credit One competed with similar events worldwide.
WTA CEO Portia Archer said in a statement that tournament organizers and owner Beemok Sports & Entertainment have created an environment “where athletes feel supported, comfortable and able to compete at their highest level” that has become a benchmark for others.
The Charleston Open became the first standalone WTA 500 tournament to voluntarily increase prize money to match comparable ATP 500 events starting next year. It was announced in April, when Credit One Bank, also part of the Beemok stable of business ventures owned by local hospitality investor and philanthropist Ben Navarro, extended its title partnership through 2031.
The open returns to Charleston March 28-April 5. It drew more than 85,000 attendees this past spring.
The George H. Seago Jr. Dorchester County Library (above) on Trolley Road in Summerville may be replaced.
File/Grace Beahm Alford/Staff
Check it out
Dorchester County is in the early stages of evaluating a former gas station in Summerville to purchase as a potential library location.
Officials are looking for a replacement for the existing Seago branch at 76 Trolley Road.
The new property they’re eyeing at 113 N. Gum St. was most recently known as McClure’s Used Auto and is about a block from Hutchinson Square in the heart of downtown. The site was originally developed as a gas fueling station in 1968. The pumps are still on the property.
The county recently issued a request for bids to begin a “voluntary cleanup contract,” a process the state created to address environmental contamination and to encourage the redevelopment of so-called brownfield properties. Proposals are being accepted through Jan. 6.
“The county is considering this as a library location, but the county has not purchased or secured this site yet,” said Erin Pomrenke, public information officer. “It may potentially replace the current Summerville library location in the future.”
The county has unveiled plans for three new libraries over the past two years — two in North Charleston and one in Summerville that opened in June.
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air placed a firm order for 39 of the mid-size 787-9 Dreamliners that Boeing Co. builds in North Charleston.
Provided/File
Airborne
One of Boeing South Carolina’s biggest aircraft orders from 2023 is getting off the ground.
Riyadh Air, a startup international carrier created from Saudi Arabia’s massive sovereign wealth fund, announced that its first North Charleston-built 787 Dreamliner jet completed its inaugural test flight on Dec. 23.
Boeing pilots were at the controls.
“To the skies it goes,” the Mideast airline said in a post on LinkedIn.
The milestone, partly captured in a Facebook video, kicks off a more “comprehensive test flight program,” Riyadh Air said.
The airline placed a firm order for 39 of the mid-size 787-9 — the top-selling version — more than two years ago as part of Saudi’s strategy to diversify its oil-rich economy with a healthy dose of tourism. The deal includes an option for another 33 of the locally built widebodies.