Effective March 1, all dogs living or visiting the Isle of Palms must have and wear a City-issued license and collar for the current calendar year.

Proof of current rabies vaccination is required before receiving a dog’s license and collar. The fee is $10 for IOP residents and $25 for non-residents and visitors.

Licenses and collars can be purchased at the Public Safety Building at 30 J.C. Long Blvd. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday.

Having newly approved this policy, the Isle of Palms City Council is hoping it will allow better tracking of all resident dogs on the island, as well as those belonging to visitors. This will also lead to quicker reuniting of owners and their dogs in the event a dog gets lost.

Previous regulations required residents to register their dogs and obtain a license for $2.

For more information regarding pet policies in the Isle of Palms, call 843-886-6522

For the past couple years, tourism across the U.S. has been greatly affected by the economy. As a result, many vacation rental agencies have once again discounted their already low prices. Beach rental properties are at their lowest rates in more than 10 years.

Many of these deeply discounted rental properties are available at the Isle of Palms, SC. Located just a short drive from downtown Charleston, the Isle of Palms is one of the area’s best and most well known beaches.

Here, renters can save upwards of $3,000 on a week’s rental at gorgeous beachfront 4,500+ square foot homes. These uniquely decorated homes normally rent for around $12,000 per week, but prices have since been decreased by 25%.

These houses generally sleep around 20 or more and most have their own swimming pools, wireless Internet, luxurious porches, numerous TVs and enchantingly decorated theme rooms. The best part of all is that they are just a short walk from daily outdoor live music, old time ice cream shops and many delicious restaurants.

For those with parties smaller than 20, there are lots of midsize houses and condos to chose from. Three-bedroom, 1,500 square foot houses that sleep 8 normally rent for $3,500 per week but are discounted as low as $2,500.

While visiting, if you’re ready to put the swimsuit and shades to rest, the Isle of Palms is only a 15 minute drive from historic downtown Charleston, SC. Here you’ll find a host of shopping, dining, golfing (nearly 30 local golf courses), and outdoor entertainment venues. History buffs will love Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter of Revolutionary and Civil War fame.

So if you’re ready for that much needed vacation (or staycation), come to the Isle of Palms today and see one of the most beautiful places in the country.

The dining experience in the Charleston, SC area has always been top notch, and recently the National Geographic recognized dining in Isle of Palms, SC as just that.

The new travel book, “Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe,” lists the best hot spots around the world. The listings are divided into sections like markets, seasonal items, street food and desserts, and top 10 lists.

The Isle of Palms is listed as one of the best places to offer dining with magnificent views of the water, which comes as no surprise to those who’ve enjoyed the superb views.

Some other places listed in the book are The Boathouse at Breach Inlet and top old-fashioned candy stores includes Economy Candy on New York’s Lower East Side. Also, Phuket Vegetarian Festival in Thailand, held each fall; the oldest street market in Rome, Campo dei Fiori; the bourbon distilleries of Kentucky; and La Rioja, Spain, recommended for its fall wine harvest.

The film “Slow Ride: The Life and Times along the S.C. Intracoastal Waterway” was shown as part of ETV’s Southern Lens program, which is a production of the Center for Documentary at the College of Charleston.

Director Tim Fennell says the 3,000-mile-long inshore navigation channel along the Atlantic coast is the Route 66 of waterways, and he wanted to show how the South Carolina portion is important to the state.

The South Carolina portion of the waterway flows from Little River to Hilton Head Island.

The film is also being shown at the SC Aquarium to help announce the center’s next documentary, a look at the inter-connected water resources of South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
According to the Post and Courier, the growing demand on that water has the state’s grappling with Western states-style “water wars” issues. The aquarium is partnering with the center on the effort.

The City of Isle of Palms, SC was the 2009 recipient of the Communications Award.

For a number of years, residents and visitors of IOP were very interested in city policy-setting. Town officials were bombarded with requests for copies of agendas and minutes from council meetings.

In response, council created an online newsletter. This e-newsletter was both economically and environmentally friendly while still allowing a wider distribution of information. They also hoped the newsletter would attract more attention to the city’s newly updated Web site.

Three distinct e-newsletters were created geared toward meeting notices and records, recreation opportunities, and amenities and regulations. These newsletters were sent out on a monthly basis.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive with subscribers numbering more than 1,500. The e-newsletters are an effective way to disseminate important and urgent news.

Isle of Palms officials have found an innovative and efficient way to communicate with interested residents. The e-newsletters have created more informed citizens and better equipped officials. This new dialog will prove vital as the island continues to grow.

More great news for the Charleston-area economy: Automotive tire industry leader, TBC Corporation, is moving in, creating jobs and boosting the port’s activity.

TBC recently announced plans to occupy a 1.1 million square foot distribution center to be developed in Rockefeller Group Foreign Trade Zone / Charleston in Berkeley County. The 400-acre industrial park is a joint venture of Rockefeller Group Development Corporation and MeadWestvaco Corporation’s Community Development and Land Management Group.

The infrastructure and the proximity of the Port of Charleston complement the planned growth and will allow the companies to meet the growing demand of their customers. The East Coast Distribution Center will primarily support TBC’s wholesale operations.

The expansion of TBC’s east coast distribution center to the Berkeley County site near the I-26/Jedburg Road interchange will provide necessary access to the deepwater Port of Charleston, which will allow TBC to receive product from international as well as domestic suppliers, subsequently streamlining product and inventory management to the benefit of its customers.

TBC’s distribution center will have a dramatic positive impact on Berkeley County, the Charleston region, and the entire State of South Carolina. Accordingly, a collaborative private/public effort was forged to pursue TBC. TBC will be one of the largest users of the Port of Charleston, and TBC expects to bring thousands of containers through the Port annually.

The 25,000-square-mile area is home to an immense number of marine species. The underwater world is critical to marine life while also allowing for exploration in biopharmaceuticals.

Last week, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council made its final vote to protect the reefs. The plan calls for an innovative balance between protecting critical habitats while allowing fishermen continued access to traditional fishing grounds.

The one stipulation for the fishing boats is that they used engine gears that do minimal damage to reefs. This type of agreement is a first for fishery councils in the U.S.

Follow up action by the regional council will be held in Charleston, SC next week. This meeting culminates more than 10 years of collaboration between scientists, managers, conservationists and fishermen.

The fragile reefs lie 1,000 feet or more below the ocean’s surface. Individual colonies may be more than 1,000 years old and individual coral mounds may be more than one million years old.

The partnership between all players and the ongoing teamwork and understanding is a model situation for all competing businesses. It is a prime example that two opposing businesses can come to an agreement and coexist on agreeable terms.

Watch the video here: The EDF.

Learn more here: Folly Beach Blog

Church of the Holy Cross Episcopal
2520 Middle Street
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
843-883-3586

First United Methodist
12 Twenty-First Avenue
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
843-886-6610

Isle of Palms Baptist
14 Twenty-Fourth Avenue
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
843-886-6762

St. Marks Lutheran
300 Palm Boulevard
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
843-886-8557 Church

Stella Maris Catholic
1204 Middle Street
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
843-883-3108

Sunrise Presbyterian Church
3222 Middle Street
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
843-883-3888

HOSPITALS

East Cooper Community Hospital
1200 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-881-0100 Hospital

SCHOOLS

Laing Middle School
2213 Highway 17 North
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-849-2809

Sullivan’s Island Elementary
2015 I’On Avenue
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
843-883-3118

Sundrops Montessori School
300 Palm Boulevard
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
843-886-5992

Wando High School
1560 Mathis Ferry Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-849-2830

SERVICE AND COMMUNITY

Isle of Palms Exchange Club201 Palm Boulevard
Isle of Palms, South Carolina 29451
843-886-5224

Isle of Palms Business Council
c/o Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Post Office Box 975
Charleston, South Carolina 29402
843-577-2510

Isle of Palms Garden Club
Pat Johnson, President
843-886-6140

IOP Neighborhood Association
Catherine Malloy, President
843-886-3171
clmalloy@comcast.net