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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING is brought to you by your member-owned, taxpaying, not-for-profit electric cooperative to inform you about your cooperative, wise energy use and the faces and places that identify the Palmetto State. Electric cooperatives are South Carolina’s — and America’s — largest utility network.
The mission of Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Inc., a not-for-profit member-owned electric distribution utility, is to deliver reliable, costefficient utilities and innovative solutions to our members.
Mid-Carolina Electric is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
CO-OP NEWS EDITOR
Katrina Goggins katrina@mcecoop.com
IT SEEMS THERE IS NO WAY to avoid the common cold.
A healthy lifestyle helps. But short of isolating yourself at home, coming down with a runny nose, stuffy head and a cough at some point feels inevitable.
As we brace for another cold and flu season, there is also an epidemic of inflation and surging costs going around. I wish I could tell you that the price of electricity has somehow remained immune. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, mostly due to factors beyond our control.
As Mid-Carolina Electric’s CEO Bob Paulling mentioned in his column last month, the price of critical materials and equipment for providing electricity has skyrocketed over the past few years.
Additionally, the federal government is requiring energy producers to adopt expensive and unproven technologies in the push to reduce carbon emissions.
We also expect our cost of purchasing wholesale power will rise significantly after Santee Cooper’s four-year rate freeze ends in December. Santee Cooper has already announced planned rate increases for its direct-serve customers. We expect the utility will also raise rates for wholesale customers like us.
On top of that, Santee Cooper plans to begin charging its customers including us for some $750 million in unbudgeted costs it claims it incurred during the rate freeze. South Carolina’s co-ops are scrutinizing those extra costs and we hope to reach a fair solution.
Still, as a result of these developments, energy consumers throughout South Carolina are bracing for higher power bills, and Mid-Carolina Electric is preparing for a rate adjustment that would take effect in January 2025.
We’re not alone in this. Every time I turn on the news, it seems there’s a story about a utility raising electric rates. It’s a testament to the excellent staff and
leadership at Mid-Carolina Electric that we’ve managed to stave off a rate increase for this long.
We’ve postponed a rate increase as long as possible and commit to making only the changes needed to counter rising cost pressures. However, Mid-Carolina and other electric co-ops across the state will have to make this inevitable, necessary change too.
As a not-for-profit cooperative, our business model centers on keeping the cost of electricity down as a top priority. We do not aim to make a profit. Any revenues we generate are reinvested into the cooperative to improve services and infrastructure, ensuring safe, reliable, and affordable energy for our members, or returned to members in the form of capital credits. We also implemented a unique rate structure to give our members the power to save money on their power bills. Want to save on your power bill? Simply adjust your heavy electricity use to outside of on-peak hours and tap into some of the lowest energy rates in the country.
Our commitment to you our members continues. For nearly 85 years, Mid-Carolina Electric has delivered what matters most. And as a member-owned cooperative, we exist solely to serve you in the most cost-effective way possible. That legacy continues.
I share with the rest of the board in feeling strongly that as members of MidCarolina Electric, you deserve to know the challenges your co-op is facing. When we must make tough decisions, it’s important you understand why.
Together, we will keep our electric cooperative healthy so that we can keep delivering the dependable, affordable power you deserve.
MARVIN SOX Board Chairman
The increasing sum of our parts
Electric cooperatives like Mid-Carolina Electric face rising material costs
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, South Carolina’s electric cooperatives, including Mid-Carolina Electric, have seen a drastic increase in the price, demand and wait-time for the materials needed to bring electricity to members’ homes.
This graphic illustrates the increase in costs and wait times for five critical pieces of equipment that are needed along the nearly 4,600 miles of line Mid-Carolina maintains to provide you safe and reliable electricity.
Looking at a few important parts of the power delivery system will give you an idea of the challenges electric cooperatives are facing.
Information provided by CEEUS, the materials supplier for South Carolina’s electric cooperatives. These percentages are a general representation modeled after a typically designed South Carolina electric cooperative distribution system. Wait times are an average for the product listed.
RISING MATERIAL COSTS
January 2020 to May 2024
SC | agenda
Energy innovation creates new career opportunities
YOU MIGHT NEVER HAVE heard of an energy storage specialist or a smart grid engineer, but their jobs are about making your electricity even more reliable and affordable and they have careers that didn’t exist a decade or two ago.
Electric co-ops across America will recognize Careers in Energy Week, Oct. 21–25, to bring attention to new, important and rewarding career opportunities.
Co-op members know about the lineworkers who restore power after a storm and the member service representatives who take calls about outages and billing. But behind the scenes, other smart people are working in jobs that will shape tomorrow’s energy landscape.
Consider the energy storage specialist. Solar energy can provide more of our electricity, but it has a fundamental problem: it depends on sunlight. Researchers are close to creating giant battery-like devices that can store solar energy so it’s available when
the sun’s out of sight.
Then there are renewable energy engineers, who design and implement more efficient ways to harness energy from the sun, wind and water. Other engineers focus on improving the smart grid, the nationwide network that con-
Many of these new positions require extensive education, but others provide entry-level opportunities.
nects power producers and users. They’re seeking ways to reduce the amount of wasted energy and to improve coastto-coast reliability.
More environmental scientists are needed to help energy producers better understand how to meet consumer demands while protecting local and global ecosystems. Skilled energy
policy analysts study data, evaluate the impacts of proposed policies and advise governments and organizations on energy-related issues.
Many of these new positions require extensive education, but others provide entry-level opportunities. For example, as more homeowners want to use new technologies such as solar panels, trained technicians install them, and energy advisers
When shopping for new light bulbs, know the difference between lumens and watts. Lumens measure the amount of light produced by the bulb. Watts measure energy consumption. Energy-saving LEDs come in a variety of colors and brightness levels and last 15–25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
SOURCE: ENERGY.GOV
use their skills to examine homes and businesses to identify changes that could lead to lower energy bills.
People who have an interest in energy often find enjoyable workplaces at local electric cooperatives. In this era of job-hopping, a surprising number of co-op employees spend most or all of their careers there. Co-ops tend to be some of the community’s most stable employers, and they typically provide plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as access to specialized training or classes. Co-ops are notfor-profit organizations, but their wages and benefits tend to be competitive.
Your local co-op also gives you the chance to be a person your neighbors know they can depend upon. That’s a benefit that’s tough to beat.
SCOTT FLOOD
Electric co-ops tend to be some of the community’s most stable employers, and they typically provide plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as access to specialized training or classes.
Secure connected devices on your home network
AS CO-OP MEMBERS, we are integrating more smart devices into our home networks, from smart light bulbs to connected kitchen appliances, and often without a second thought. Manufacturers typically prioritize functionality and profit over security. They deliver the basics, leaving the consumer responsible for the security and privacy of the devices. For National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are a few tips to help you secure connected devices on your home network.
u SECURE YOUR ROUTER (OR MODEM). Your Wi-Fi router comes with a default ID assigned by the manufacturer. Change the router name to one that is unique to you, and change the router’s default password to a stronger one that is at least 12 characters long and includes letters, numbers and symbols.
Speaking of passwords …
u BE SMART ABOUT PASSWORDS. Change default login passwords on all devices, and use strong, unique passwords for every device and online account. Avoid reusing passwords, and if you have trouble remembering them, enlist the help of a password manager. There’s an app for that.
u KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CONNECTING TO YOUR HOME NETWORK. To minimize risk, keep your most critical devices on a separate network from your smart home gadgets. Many routers allow you to create a secondary (guest) network, which can be used to separate your smart devices from other connected electronics, such as your laptop.
u SET DEVICES TO UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY. Most device manufacturers roll out updates to resolve bugs and enhance functionality. Select an “automatic update” option, if available, to ensure your devices include the latest security patches and features.
u FEELING OVERWHELMED? FIND A CYBER BUDDY. Connect with a family member, friend or even a neighbor in your community who is tech-savvy. You can also check to see if your internet service provider (ISP) offers support.
Taking steps toward better cybersecurity habits is about ownership, vigilance and proactive measures. Remember: it’s a journey, so if you find managing multiple devices cumbersome, consider simplifying your digital surroundings. Being proactive now can prevent cyber issues down the line.
MEMBERS SPEAK ON THE COOPERATIVE DIFFERENCE
Irene Craven
COASTAL ELECTRIC MEMBER
MEMBER SINCE: 1968
HOMETOWN: Walterboro
OCCUPATION: Retired secretary at Nationwide Insurance
Help in the hardest time
The year 2020 was difficult for most people. It was especially tough for Irene Craven. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer after a decade-long remission. The news packed an emotional and financial punch.
“We were just so busy,” Craven says. “Here we were on the road all the time, trying to get to oncologists’ offices, this and that.”
Craven’s niece informed her that their power provider, Coastal Electric Cooperative, might be able to help. Craven applied for financial assistance through the co-op’s Operation Round Up program, which donates money to members in need.
“We got the grant,” Craven says. “I was absolutely floored because we had never had that kind of opportunity before.”
Coastal Electric “cared enough to help us out.”
—IRENE CRAVEN
Operation Round Up covered Craven’s power bill and county taxes for a year.
Craven’s husband passed away in 2021, and she says the co-op’s compassion during this difficult time meant a lot.
“It was very satisfying to know that this utility company had that kind of concern and care about their members,” Craven says. “I want to say thank you so much to the entire co-op here, the staff as well as the entire entity, that it cared enough to help us out when we did need the help.”
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Scan this QR code or visit SCLiving.coop/stories to share what you love about your co-op. Entries may be published in future issues of South Carolina Living, online and on social media.
MIKE COUICK President and CEO, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
Ron’s spreadsheet
I’M NOT A BIG SPREADSHEET GUY, but my friend Ron Calcaterra is.
During the 2000s, Ron, being the numbersminded engineer he is, created one of the most powerful spreadsheets I’ve ever encountered.
At that time, much like today, electric co-ops were balancing the need to meet members’ growing energy demands, the call to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the mission to provide affordable and reliable power. Ron was the CEO of Central Electric Power Cooperative, the electricity provider for all 19 of South Carolina’s distribution co-ops. And Ron’s spreadsheet was the key to a program that would improve the lives of hundreds of South Carolinians.
Rural Energy Savings Program Act, a federal program that allows people to pay for many energy upgrades through low-interest loans, which are then repaid by their monthly energy savings. In our state, electric cooperatives partnered with Central to create KW Savings, which acts as the borrower of those loans.
Ron’s legacy boils down to helping people afford to stay in their beloved homes.
What makes Ron and his spreadsheet unique is that it’s about more than just numbers. Within those rows and columns, Ron accounted for the people who would be helped, particularly older residents in the rural parts of our state. Many co-op members live in homes that were built in the mid-1900s. These homes often have a common set of problems: air leaks, substandard insulation, old electric furnaces or inefficient HVAC systems. Those inefficiencies often add up to huge, expensive spikes in energy use in the cold hours of winter and the heat of summer.
That’s an especially cruel reality for seniors living in the homes where they grew up, raised their families and now hope for frequent visits from their children and grandchildren. Seniors say their home’s emotional value is more important than its monetary value, according to the American Society on Aging. Many of us have seen our own relatives’ physical and mental well-being deteriorate when they’ve had to spend their final years away from the places where they’ve experienced their happiest memories and their deepest peace.
In practical terms, Ron’s legacy boils down to helping people afford to stay in their beloved homes.
With his spreadsheet of calculations, he determined that improving the efficiency of South Carolina homes would greatly reduce energy use while cutting the state’s carbon dioxide emissions by 6.7 million metric tons over 10 years. Ron’s spreadsheet eventually led to the creation of the
Ever since, co-ops such as Aiken, Black River, Tri-County, Little River and Santee electric cooperatives have offered the Help My House program, which allows members to improve their homes’ energy efficiency with no upfront costs while cutting their utility bills. And Berkeley Electric, with its similar HomeAdvantage program, has made a huge difference in the lives of many Lowcountry members.
I’m certainly not claiming that energy efficiency upgrades will extend anyone’s life. But they can improve people’s quality of life, in part by helping them stay in their homes.
Aiken Electric member John Johnson says that without his co-op’s Help My House program, he would have had to go without heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. The work even covered other health and safety repairs he didn’t know he needed, such as installing a carbon monoxide monitor and a kitchen exhaust fan.
Douglas Lambert frequently had to repair the HVAC unit that cooled and heated the home he built for himself and his wife in Andrews that is, until he was told that parts for the 35-year-old unit were no longer available. But Santee Electric’s Help My House program helped him get a new HVAC unit and put in new attic insulation.
Over the years, Ron’s spreadsheet has produced thousands of similar stories across the country. Just in South Carolina, some 1,200 homes have been improved by electric co-ops’ Help My House programs.
Microsoft Excel allows input of more than 1 million rows and 16,000 columns. That’s a headspinning amount of data. But to me, it’s not nearly as impressive as the far-reaching impact of Ron’s spreadsheet.
Oconee Military Museum
Southern Campaign 1780 presents CAROLINAS REVOLUTIONARY WAR WEEKEND AND BATTLE REENACTMENTS
Date & Location: Nov. 9-10, 2024
1208 KEYS LANE, KERSHAW, S.C.
INFO/TICKET PURCHASE www.SC1780.org
FAMILY FUN FOR ALL AGES!
Largest Annual Force-on-Force Revolutionary War Reenactment in the USA.
Designated 2024 National Event by all three national Revolutionary War Reenactment organizations.
1. Military and Civilian
Living History
2. Food
3. Daily Battles
4. Infantry
5. Cavalry
6. Artillery Encampments
7. 18th Century Craftsmen
8. Demonstrations, and Merchants
Hearty dishes for fall Hearty dishes for fall
BY BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN
Now that summer has officially come to an end, it’s time to start thinking about heartier meals. These dishes are just the thing to make a seamless transition from summer to fall.
SEAFOOD GUMBO
SERVES 8
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if preferred)
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus more for garnish
2 bay leaves
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound white fish
1 pound lump crab
½ pound oysters, optional
3 cups frozen cut okra
½ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish Cooked rice, optional
In a heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, add oil and flour and combine well into a sand-like consistency. Continue stirring constantly for 30–40 minutes to make a roux. The mixture will have a light chocolate color. Add onions, celery, peppers and garlic, and continue stirring for 8–10 minutes. Gradually add in chicken stock, thyme, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, salt, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and bay leaves, stirring until blended. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
Add shrimp, fish, crab and oysters, and cook another 10 minutes until all seafood is cooked through. Remove from heat, add frozen okra and parsley, and stir. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve over rice or alone in a soup bowl. Garnish with additional parsley and Tabasco sauce, if desired.
CHEF’S TIP Okra is an acquired taste. Some of us do not like okra because it tends to become slimy if cooked too long. Add it at the end of the cooking process, just before serving, long enough to heat through. This way, it remains whole and has a refreshing crunch to it, without the slimy texture.
ROASTED DUCK LEGS WITH RED WINE MUSHROOM
SAUCE ON EGG NOODLES
SERVES 2
2 duck legs
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 large shallots, halved
1 cup dry red wine
1½ cups chicken stock
4–5 sprigs thyme
Egg noodles, cooked according to instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove excess fat from duck legs and pat dry. Using a skewer, gently prick the skin all over, avoiding the meat. Season legs with salt and pepper, and rub in all over.
In a cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat, sear the legs for 10–12 minutes until crisp. Turn over and cook for 2–3 additional minutes. (Be careful, as duck fat will splatter.) Transfer legs to a platter, and pour off all but 1–2 tablespoons of fat, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Using the same skillet, over medium-high heat, sauté the mushrooms and shallots until brown, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Return the legs to the skillet, skin side up, nesting them among the mushrooms and shallots. Add enough stock to almost cover the meat, leaving the skin exposed. Tuck the thyme sprigs around the meat.
Transfer the skillet to the oven, and braise about 1 ½ hours until meat is tender. Remove legs to a serving platter, and keep warm. Skim off any excess fat from sauce. If sauce is too thick, add a little more stock. If too watery, return to medium-high heat and reduce until desired thickness. Adjust seasoning as required. To serve, arrange legs over noodles and spoon on sauce. Garnish with additional thyme leaves.
GARLICKY SHRIMP SCAMPI WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS SERVES 4
ASPARAGUS
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed Olive oil for drizzling
1½ pounds jumbo shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup dry white wine or clam juice
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup chopped parsley
Lemon zest
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the asparagus spears on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all spears. Cook in preheated oven for 12–15 minutes. Remove to a serving dish, and garnish with lemon zest and grated Parmesan, as desired.
In a large cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 1–2 minutes, until just turning pink. Flip, and add wine and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, until wine is reduced and shrimp is pink. Stir in the remaining butter, lemon juice and parsley, and remove from heat. Garnish with lemon zest. Serve with roasted asparagus.
CHEF’S TIPS Lemon juice and lemon zest. When a recipe calls for lemon juice and lemon zest, zest the lemon first and then squeeze it for the juice. Trimming asparagus. Take one asparagus spear from the bunch. Holding it at each end, bend it until it breaks. Use this broken spear as a measure for cutting the rest of the asparagus spears.
In a Dutch oven or large, heavybottomed pot, over medium heat, heat oil. Sauté onions and peppers until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cook until brown. Add the allpurpose seasoning, chili powder and cumin. Stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes.
Turn heat up to medium-high and add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans and stock. Add pasta, stir and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente. When the sauce thickens and pasta is cooked, remove from heat. Stir in shredded cheese slowly until melted. Adjust seasoning and serve with additional shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired.
A double benefit: Hidden energy savings and extra storage in your attic
BY MIRANDA BOUTELLE
QDo you have any tips on finding hidden energy savings in my home?
AEnergy savings may be hiding in your attic, right there next to the holiday decorations, the infrequently used sentimental items and the junk you know in your heart you should discard.
But if you want to maximize your home’s energy efficiency, using your attic for storage may not be the best idea unless it’s done correctly. Let’s explore how you can improve insulation levels and properly store items.
Attic insulation is one of the best low-cost ways to make your home efficient. It helps keep your home warmer in the winter, and it provides benefits in the summer by reducing heat transfer from the attic to the house, lowering energy bills for air conditioning and making your home more comfortable.
Attic insulation is measured in R-value, a measurement of how well a material resists the flow of heat. Thicker is better. The recommended R-value is typically between R-38 and R-60, depending on your climate. In most homes, the ceiling joists are buried in insulation to achieve the recommended R-value.
Here’s the problem with attic storage: It typically doesn’t offer enough space for the recommended R-value. Plywood or boards are often placed directly on top of the ceiling joists, which doesn’t leave enough space for the insulation. Insulation can get compacted by people
moving items in or out, reducing the effective R-value.
The best location for attic storage is over an unconditioned area of your home, such as the garage. You don’t need attic insulation over a garage or other unconditioned area because you are not heating or cooling the space below. This makes it the perfect spot to tuck away items for storage.
If that isn’t an option, consider minimizing the storage area’s footprint. A great way to do this is by building an attic storage platform. A raised platform allows the space underneath it to be fully insulated. These platforms are available in ready-to-install kits, or you can buy materials and build them yourself. Allow enough space for insulation to achieve the proper R-value underneath the platform. Use lumber to build a frame perpendicular to the existing joists, and cover it with plywood or oriented strand board. Once your storage area is set up, add insulation inside the platform.
Your attic might also have trusses that allow you to build shelves and maximize space by storing items vertically. Always wear a dust mask or respirator when working in the attic. Don’t forget to weather-strip the attic hatch to ensure a tight seal.
MIRANDA BOUTELLE works with Efficiency Services Group, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company.
Attic ladder
Insulation
Raised wooden platform
Joists
Attic storage platform
DUAL DUTY ATTIC Building a raised platform in your attic allows for extra storage while maintaining the energy efficiency provided by the insulation.
Shawn Goins
AGE: 40.
RESIDES IN: Myrtle Beach.
CLAIM TO FAME: YouTube sensation “Handyman Hal.”
ON TOUR: Handyman Hal has been touring with Ridemakerz, a company that lets kids build their own radio-controlled cars, and he plans to tour with trampoline park Big Air next year. At these meet-andgreets, kids can interact with one of their favorite YouTube characters.
ALTER ALTER EGO: Goins’ alter ego is Handyman Hal, but he also has a channel called “Hal’s Alter Ego,” in which he shows what his life is like as Shawn Goins. “That’s everything behind the scenes,” he says. “It’s my life as a youth pastor, me traveling, us traveling.”
Building a following
Shawn Goins is a handy man. He worked in construction, after all. He is also a family man, being a dad, as well as an educator, serving as a youth pastor at The Refuge church in Murrells Inlet.
In 2020, during the pandemic, Goins wanted to create online video content for his church’s youth groups—and that’s when he fused his personas together and built his most successful project yet, a viral YouTube kids’ channel called “Handyman Hal.”
“I came up with the idea of this character, Handyman Hal, to get our kids more involved with the videos online,” Goins says. “I created the character with just an old safety vest that I had and an old hard hat.”
In the videos, Handyman Hal shows kids how to put together things like toy cars and playhouses and swing sets. It’s entertainment and education delivered in a positive and slightly zany way, sort of a mash-up of Mister Rogers, Blue’s Clues and Bob Vila.
“What we wanted to establish from the get-go was that the content on Handyman Hal would be family-friendly,” Goins explains. “What we mean by that is not just content suitable for kids. We mean that we want families to sit down and watch it together.”
Goins and his filmmaker friend from high school, Jason Wheeler, shot the first episodes in Wheeler’s backyard, and they didn’t think it would go anywhere. But then they went to the car wash.
“During COVID, that’s one of the only things kids could really do—go to the car wash,” Goins says. “So, we did that in January of 2021, and that video went nuts, and it’s just kind of extended from there.”
The video—a behind-the-scenes look at working at the car wash—has amassed more than 13 million views, and his main Handyman Hal channel now has more than 836,000 subscribers. Handyman Hal is now Goins’ full-time job, and he’s filmed episodes at fire stations, on farms and at ballparks—all spread across five YouTube channels.
“‘It’s awesome,’” Goins says. “That’s our slogan. On one side, we push that learning stuff is awesome. And on the other side, we talk about how you are awesome, the way God created you, and the purposes and plans for your life.”
—HASTINGS HENSEL | PHOTO BY MIC SMITH
Anyone’s game Anyone’s game
Deep in the rounds of the American Cornhole League’s World Championships, defending Pro Singles champion Jamie Graham is on edge. In the cavernous Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, he’s trying to drown out the sounds of a thousand other cornhole bags plopping down on the boards like heavy raindrops, and to focus on his next shot. But that’s not so easy. As the surrounding crowd has grown, so has the pressure.
The score is tied at 19-19, and if Graham doesn’t win the next two points, he’ll be out of the tournament, his title unsuccessfully defended.
His opponent Daymon “Double D” Dennis has blocked the hole with the last toss. Graham inspects the board the way a golfer sizes up a putt. It’s clear: He needs to “airmail” it and not bump in Double D’s bag. That is, he needs to toss his bag in a perfect arc so it lands directly in the cornhole, the equivalent of a basketball’s swish through the hoop.
Graham squeezes the bag tightly, then, head down, flips the bag like a flapjack, over and over. Finally, he looks up. He steps forward, and his right arm swings and releases the bag. He watches it fly, seemingly in slow motion, toward the cornhole.
FOR MOST PEOPLE, OF COURSE, CORNHOLE is a tailgate game. A backyard barbecue game. A family reunion, picnic, play-at-the-beach game. It’s in the same sporting family as ladder golf, horseshoes, bocce ball and washers games that are portable, beginner-friendly and casually competitive. Almost everyone knows the rules of cornhole because the rules are pretty simple: Player s alternate throwing four bean bags toward an angled board with a single hole in it. A player gets one point for each bag that lands on the board, three points for each bag in the hole and nothing for a miss.
But for the hundreds of pros and aspiring pros here for a weeklong tournament in Rock Hill in August, cornhole isn’t just fun and games.
“Cornhole, in general, is a sport where we come to have fun,” says Graham, who is from Hamlet, North Carolina.
CORNHOLE CHAMP
Jamie Graham of North Carolina sends his bag flying at the 2024 World Championships.
“But when it comes down to it, it’s a serious thing. It’s just like any other sport. We put the work in like any other sport. It’s a strategic game.”
As the game itself has grown from a casual tailgate hobby into a serious sport, South Carolina and Rock Hill, in particular has grown into a heavyweight player on the cornhole scene, so much so that the best-of-the-best players gather here each year for tournament play at a worldclass facility that hosts the headquarters of the sport’s professional league.
“Carolina is probably the biggest spot in the whole country for cornhole,” says Dusty Thompson, the Carolina Conference Director of the American Cornhole League and the head coach of Winthrop University’s cornhole team. “There’s probably some other spots that have a lot of cornhole Texas has a lot of cornhole but with this small space and as much cornhole as we have going on, I don’t think there’s one spot in the whole country that has as much cornhole as here in Rock Hill and the surroundings.”
PROFESSIONAL CORNHOLERS SPORT JERSEYS with their names on the back and their sponsors on the front, just like NASCAR racers. Many matches air on ESPN+ or CBS or are livestreamed on YouTube, where commentators call out foot faults and shot selection, like a tennis match. Like golfers, cornholers wince at near misses and fist pump at holes-in-one.
And it is rare to see a bag go skipping off the board and tumbleweeding away, like you see all the time at a tailgate.
“A lot of people think they can play with anybody,” Graham goes on. “But the difference between a pro and backyard people is the consistency. You play backyard, and people can throw some four-baggers, but a lot of the pros here today, we can put the four bags in the hole 20 times in a row.”
Still, it is undoubtedly the sport’s accessibility that has made it so popular. The 2024 World Championships coincided with the 2024 Paris Olympics, but no one watching, say, Olympic diving would ever imagine they could get out there and nail a reverse three-and-a-half somersaults tuck.
“It’s extremely relatable,” says Stacey Moore, the American Cornhole League’s founder and CEO. “If you’ve been to a tailgate, it’s more than likely that you’ve picked up a cornhole bag at some point in time and tried to throw it on the board. And people say, ‘I think I can do that.’”
Indeed, it was at a North Carolina State University football tailgate where
Moore realized people take cornhole way more seriously than other yard games. In this epiphany, Moore also saw an opportunity: He could start a new professional cornhole league.
Moore employed a software engineer to develop the technology behind the scoring and bracketing, and he secured a broadcast deal with ESPN3. When an ACL tournament aired live, Moore heard some good news: Twitter was blowing up.
Moore laughs remembering it: “You can just imagine a bunch of people sitting down in a sports bar and looking up and saying, ‘Oh my god, cornhole is on television.’ ”
But when the laughter died down, it turned out that people were actually mesmerized.
“It’s the way the game is played … and the fact that there is an offensive and defensive strategy. I think the natural cadence of the sport kind of draws people in,” he says. “We’ll have a lot of people who say initially, ‘We tuned into this cornhole thing as a joke, but then we couldn’t stop watching.’”
ROCK HILL ALSO TOOK NOTICE. The city, after all, has become something of a niche sports mecca it hosts the U.S. Disc Golf Championship, the USA BMX State Championship,
t GOOD GAME Jordan Powers of Florence, right, congratulates Texas’s Logan Chamberlain on his win.
TAILGATE EPIPHANY
Stacey Moore, American Cornhole League founder and CEO.
SCORE! Rock Hill, home to American Cornhole League headquarters, is also where the ACL boards are manufactured.
WINGING IT Five-year-old Paxton Ball from Virginia works on his technique between pro matches.
GET THERE
The American Cornhole League Headquarters are located at 300 Technology Center Way, Suite 205, Rock Hill, SC 29730.
HOURS: The facility is open to the public for court rentals Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 5-10 p.m. and by advance reservation on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
COST: $25 per hour to rent a court, and each court can include up to four players.
DETAILS: Call or email to reserve: 803-526-5187 or aclhq@iplaycornhole.com.
Visit www.iplaycornhole.com for more information about how to get started playing cornhole, how to join a local league and the dates for the next World Championships in 2025 in Rock Hill.
the U.S.A. Cycling Masters Track National Championship and when the city built its new sports arena four years ago, Moore came down from the ACL offices in Charlotte to check it out.
He liked what he saw, so much so that he decided to move the ACL headquarters from Charlotte to the renovated old factory attached to the Rock Hill arena. Here, the ACL has both its offices and cornhole lanes that the public can rent out, like a bowling alley.
Moore wants to get cornhole into the 2032 Summer Olympics and to grow the sport internationally and on the college level, expanding the National College Cornhole Championship held every New Year’s weekend in Myrtle Beach to a full season.
Angel Camarena, a 22-year-old Lexington native and recent University of South Carolina graduate, won two national college cornhole titles for the Gamecocks in 2022 (in doubles and in team), and he’s out here today in Rock Hill competing in his first World Championships as a pro.
His start in the sport, by all accounts, is a pretty typical one.
“My girlfriend, her brother and her dad were very good at cornhole when I first met them,” Camarena says. “So, we would always play at the family barbecue, and I would get destroyed. In my head, I was like, ‘OK, I cannot be losing to my girlfriend’s family. That looks bad on me.’”
So, he started practicing. He got his own bags and board. He joined the Lexington Cornhole League, a local ACL affiliate.
“The more I played on a consistent basis,” he says, “the more I noticed that my game was developing. So, basically, the old saying: Practice makes perfect.”
Like all cornhole pros, Camarena is constantly honing his technique. He’s thinking about the release point and the followthrough as he works on his shot arsenal: slide shots, airmails, blocks, pushes and rolls.
“Once you figure out the fundamentals, you get those to be your strongest shots first,” Camarena says. “Once you get to that point, then you can start fiddling around with all the fancy shots. But I always work on strengthening my fundamentals.”
AS JAMIE GRAHAM’S BAG FLIES THROUGH THE AIR, he can feel the result before the bag even hits the board, and he slaps his knee in frustration. Sure enough, his bag goes in the hole, but it carries Double D’s bag with it. The score remains tied.
His fans call out encouragement: “That’s my boy!” “The best ever!” “Tighten up, Jamie!”
In the next inning, the two players trade perfect four-baggers and fist bump each other. Even in this tense atmosphere, there’s good sportsmanship something everyone in the ACL preaches.
“There’s an amazing camaraderie in the cornhole community,” Camarena says. “I couldn’t ask for a better sport to be participating in and a better group of people to be around.”
Still, when Graham ultimately hits the shot to win and move on to the next round, he speaks with the confidence and swagger of any pro athlete: “You’ve got to hit those clutch shots at the end to win the game, and I ended up hitting those clutch shots. No doubt about my abilities. Nope. Never.”
TURNING PRO USC grad Angel Camarena won two national college cornhole titles in 2022.
TENSION RISING Alexandra Kuhn of Texas displays her emotions during Jamie Graham’s close game.
COURT IN SESSION The distance between pitcher boxes is 27 ft. The distance between front edges of cornhole circles is 33 ft.
SCLiving.coop/calendar
Our mobile-friendly site lists even more festivals, shows and events. You’ll also find instructions on submitting your event. Please confirm information with the hosting event before attending.
Upstate
OCTOBER
15–19 Union County Agricultural Fair, 120 Kirby St., Union. (864) 424‑8272 or itsmyfair.com.
18 Music on the Mountain featuring Andy Leftwich, Table Rock State Park, Pickens. (864) 878‑9813.
18–20 Antiques, Fine Art & Design Weekend, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville. (864) 271‑7570 or gcma.org.
15 Shaping Identity: Catawba Women Potters, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland. (843) 284‑9227 or morrisheritagecenter.org.
19 Shoutfest Unityfest, Generations Park, Aiken. (803) 226‑0150 or umojavillage.com.
19–20 Georgetown Wooden Boat Show, Front Street, Georgetown. (843) 520‑0111 or woodenboatshow.com.
15–17 Jingle Bell Market, Florence Center, Florence. (843) 679‑9417 or florencecenter.com.
15–Dec. 31 Holiday Festival of Lights, Johns Island County Park, Johns Island. (843) 795‑4386 or ccprc.com.
PALMETTO STATE | market place
OCTOBER IN THE GARDEN
n Twigs, leaves, seeds, nuts, bark and other bits of refuse from the waning growing season are beginning to fall into water gardens now. Skimming the water daily can help keep it clear, but an easier, more efficient way is to spread a cloth mesh screen across the pond to catch any dropping debris this autumn.
n Any leaves that fall in the yard can be raked up, of course, but if your lawn is still growing and you are still mowing, consider using a bag attachment to gather up both leaves and grass to benefit your garden next year. Fresh grass cuttings mixed with chopped dry foliage is a perfect starter combination for a compost pile, which, if properly managed, can create organic “black gold” for the spring garden next year.
A long stem will help extend the
TIP OF THE MONTH ’Tis the season of the Great Pumpkin! To extend the visual pleasure of your “Big Orange” through the Halloween season and beyond, if it is going to be an outside decoration, be sure to locate it in an area away from bright sunlight most of the day. Also, pumpkins that last the longest are ones that have at least 2 to 3 inches of stem still attached. And, obviously stating the obvious, an uncarved pumpkin will have a longer show-off life.
Pretty toads
BY L.A. JACKSON
THINK OF A LILY, and visions of a colorful, tubular flower with graceful arching petals probably start to fill your head. Now, to this image of botanical bliss, add the word “toad,” and then feel free to scratch your head. The toad lily (Tricyrtis sp.) is indeed part of the lily family, but as far as the amphibian angle goes, that just shows what can happen when plant namers are having an off day.
A common explanation for the odd appellation “toad lily” is that the spots on its blooms look like a toad’s dots and dimples. That’s their story, and they’re stickin’ to it.
There are some 20 species of toad lilies, but the most common meaning easiest to find at local garden centers is Tricyrtis hirta, an herbaceous perennial that originates from Japan. Topping out at around 2 to 3 feet tall (depending on the cultivar), this pretty plant sports sturdy stems showing off clusters of 1-inch, exotic, orchid-like blooms that wait until late summer into early fall to start their flower-fest. The blossoms are typically pale lilac dusted with purple specks, but because there is such a wide range of cultivars, many interesting color variations and combinations exist.
And if, in your search for flowering toads, you come across cultivars of another common species, Tricyrtis formosana, give them a good look, too, because these Taiwan natives will also be happy in South Carolina landscapes.
Flustered gardeners with too many
These delightfully odd pretties become rather undemanding plants after the first year they are established.
sunless spots take note: The toad lily is a hardy woodland dweller well suited to areas of light to moderate shade. This beauty will also look nice and play well with other plants, such as hostas, Solomon’s seal, hellebores, astilbes and ferns that reside in the shadows.
As is typical with most perennials, autumn is a great time to plant toad lilies. Tucked into organically rich, slightly acidic soil, these delightfully odd pretties become rather undemanding plants after the first year they are established. Once settled in and happy, don’t be surprised if they start a yearly routine of reseeding in the late fall.
Toad lilies are deer-resistant, but if rabbits aren’t strangers to your garden, keep watch these furry foragers have been known to take a liking to new foliage. Slugs can be an annoyance as well because they occasionally munch on young leaves, too.
L.A. JACKSON is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.
L.A. JACKSON
PHOTOS BY L.A. JACKSON
AUTUMN ORNAMENTS
show-off life of your pumpkin.
SPECKLED SPLENDOR Autumn is a good time to plant toad lilies such as this cultivar, Fluffy Orchid.
The mop is reading your email
BY JAN A. IGOE
IN THE INTEREST OF full disclosure, let me confess that my relationship with household appliances has never been particularly close, except for the blender. None of the others have a clue what to do with pineapple and rum.
Generally speaking, I try not to interact with any cleaning devices, so they’ve got no reason to turn on me. Well, perhaps the vacuum had a legitimate gripe when some hungry participants in my daughter’s neuroscience project amputated its power cord. She parked two rats on a no-carb diet next to the vacuum, and after a couple of cookie-free days, that cord must have looked mighty tasty. We don’t think the sucker ever forgave us.
diphthong, three algebraic symbols and the square root of your mother’s bra size. You’ll never remember them, but it might slow the hackers down, unless they know your mom.
Some dark night, the vacuum will regenerate and attack, swallowing sleeping family members into a spinning vortex of dust mites and pet hair, never to be seen again. When the police come to question witnesses, the mop will swear it didn’t see a thing.
There’s a name for fear of stuff around the house that sounds better than just plain “nuts.” If you’re sure the garbage disposal plans to chomp on your foot and the microwave will inevitably explode, you may have oikophobia. But what was once paranoid thinking seems pretty reasonable now.
Welcome to 1984. Your dishwasher could be working for the CIA. And the fridge is in on it. Now that everything is connected to the internet, spies don’t have to bug your Twinkies to get more intel on you than Santa Claus has. They see you when you’re sleeping. They
Now that everything is connected to the internet, spies don’t have to bug your Twinkies to get more intel on you than Santa Claus has.
know when you’re awake. They know if you’ve been bad or good, so if you rob banks, don’t count the cash in front of your smart TV, for goodness’ sake. That webcam works both ways.
According to sources that specialize in more stuff to worry about, hackers can check your living room to see who is home so they can schedule a visit when you’re not. From coffeemakers to clothes dryers, any appliance that reports problems online can also report on you. Pretty soon, LifeLock will be selling plans to protect your identity from your toaster.
That’s why it’s important to create strong passwords for everything that contain at least two Egyptian hieroglyphics, six nonsequential numerals, one
I don’t even try to remember passwords anymore. I just go straight to the box of shame on every login page that says: “I’ve forgotten my username and my password because I am an idiot.” The invisible web deity in the sky will add me to his black book of dumb people (oh, wait, I’m already there) and grant me the right to create another password to forget.
For my family’s security, I’ve given up cooking and cleaning. If I go out, I’ll prop a few pillows under a blanket on the sofa so the TV will think somebody’s home. (In eighth grade, that strategy worked fairly well on my parents.)
Food-wise, pizza seemed like the most cyber-secure bet until I placed my order. The stranger on the phone knew all about my intimate relationship with thin crust, sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. She already knew my address. And she has my credit card on file, whoever she is.
There’s only one thing to do. Would you mind waiting for the pizza while I consult the blender?
EDITOR’S NOTE: South Carolina Living is reprinting some of Jan A. Igoe’s previous columns. This “Humor Me” originally appeared in the October 2013 issue. Visit SCLiving.coop/news/ in-memory-of-jan-igoe
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