From Former Mental Hospital to Recreational Hub

The New York Times The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum admitted its first patient in 1828. Ever since, its impressive brick wards surrounded by nearly 200 acres of leafy lawns and gardens served as landmarks in Columbia, the state’s capital. Almost 200 years later, and three decades after the last patient was discharged, the old brick buildings and expansive open space…

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Columbia City Council passes gun safety ordinances

The Columbia Star Columbia City Council approved the second reading of three ordinances to strengthen the city’s stance when it comes to extreme protection orders, hate intimidation, and gun-free school zones. “These are natural, bipartisan, unanimous votes on council that has all but one member who is a gun owner,” Mayor Steve Benjamin said. “I’m a former chief of the…

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African American Mayors Association Releases Comprehensive Report on the Future of Work in Cities

Cision The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) just released a new report entitled, “The Future of Work: The Effect of Job Automation on African-American and Latino Workers in Three Cities.” This is the first in-depth study on automation that pairs economic analysis with educational analysis to offer localized solutions to anticipated job loss due to automation. The report examined three…

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Columbia Mayor proposes city rideshare regulations in wake of USC student death

The State Weeks after University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was killed after getting into a car she believed was an Uber, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin called for stronger regulation of ride-sharing companies within the Palmetto State’s capital city. Benjamin’s proposed regulations included city inspection of all ride-sharing vehicles, designated pick-up points,  and better lighting at pick-up locations, according to a…

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This mayor could be SC’s ‘most coveted endorsement’ for 2020 Dems

McClatchy There are a few “musts” for Democratic presidential candidates visiting South Carolina, a critical early primary state in 2020. One involves a visit with Steve Benjamin. Benjamin, who in 2010 was elected the first African American mayor in Columbia’s history, has emerged as a key player and potential party kingmaker in the state’s political scene. With U.S. House Majority…

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