COLUMBIA, S.C. – TELUS International, a customer experience innovator that designs, builds and delivers digital solutions for global brands, today announced plans to establish operations in Charleston County. The $3.4 million initial investment will create approximately 1,200 new jobs by 2022.

TELUS International provides multilingual digital customer experience and digital IT solutions to clients all over the world. The company has over 56,000 team members, operates in more than 25 countries and partners with brands across high-growth industry verticals, including: technology and games; communications and media; eCommerce and fintech; healthcare and travel; and hospitality. In the United States, TELUS International also has operations in Folsom, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Located at 3450 Ingleside Boulevard in North Charleston, TELUS International’s new facility will increase the company’s operating capacity to meet growing customer demand.

TELUS International is currently welcoming team members into the new facility. Individuals interested in joining TELUS International should visit the company’s careers webpage.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to the project.

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“We are thrilled to be expanding into North Charleston and tapping into the region’s attractive talent pool to support our company’s continued growth, as well as becoming more actively involved in the months and years ahead in community giving and volunteer initiatives to contribute to the health and well-being of the region’s citizens." -TELUS International Chief Operating Officer Chuck Koskovich

“We’re excited to welcome TELUS International to South Carolina and celebrate their decision to do business in our state. By creating approximately 1,200 new jobs in Charleston County, this company is making a commitment to the entire community that will make a real difference in the lives of South Carolinians, and we couldn’t be more excited.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“Today, we congratulate TELUS International on the announcement of their first South Carolina operations. This $3.4 million initial investment and the creation of more than 1,200 new jobs represent a tremendous win for Charleston County and South Carolina.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“We continue to prove ourselves as a destination to call on for business growth. This is a significant win for Charleston County, and we are thrilled with the addition of 1,200 jobs for our citizens.” -Charleston County Council Chair Teddie Pryor

"Our three-county region is a globally competitive destination for business, talent and entrepreneurs. TELUS International selected Charleston for its competitive advantages and business-friendly environment. This international company will be an important part of our market's growing global economy and IT community, and we look forward to its continued success." -Charleston Regional Development Alliance Board Chair Mike Fuller

LADSON, S.C. (WCIV) — A little over a week ago, ABC News 4 brought you the story of one Mount Pleasant mother fighting the Charleston County School District in what she says was a forced school placement change.

Since then, ABC News 4 has received dozens of reports of families going through similar situations.

One involves a Summerville mom stuck with a school district's choice looking to move her two sons to different schools.

The mother, Leslie Jackson, is described as a mom’s mom.

“I'm on top of my kids, you know, with their schooling a lot. A lot of people tell me that I’m probably the most involved parent when it comes to the kids,” she explained.

Jackson said that her love for her children resonated when she watched Olivia Rose-Walker’s story.

“When I did see [the] story about Olivia, I mean, I cried my eyes out. I felt for a mom, I felt for Olivia,” she said.

Jackson’s sons, Elijah and Xavier, also have learning disabilities. Both twins were born at 24 weeks old, with each spending numerous months in the hospital after birth. Both were diagnosed with autism with Elijah also having expressive language disorder.

While the two twins have a different disability than Olivia does, they do face a similar battle ahead.

“We had Eli’s IEP in May,” Jackson said. “They decided to place him at Malcom C. Hursey Montessori school. When we did Xavier’s IEP that next week, [it was decided] he is to go to Ladson. And I was like, well, why are they being separated from schools?”

While Olivia’s battle dealt more with the disability placement change, this challenge focuses more on the process of school placement. By the time Jackson found out about Xavier’s placement, the deadline for school choice in CCSD had already passed, leaving her with many questions.

“It kind of threw me for a loop that, they're brothers, you know, they're twins, you know? How did one get placed somewhere and one get placed somewhere else? And no one can really give me an answer for that,” she stated.

She's another mother feeling the same pain that Olivia’s mom did, while going through a school change they don’t want to do.

“This whole thing, honestly, it's made me feel emotional about it. You know, during the meeting, I almost felt like a failed parent. I was like, how did this happen?

But just like Olivia’s mom did, Jackson searched for help.

“Charleston Autism Parents [Facebook group], I put out a post on there and let them know the situation was like, [has] this happened to anybody else?” Jackson explained.

After her message was posted, she received dozens of comments in response, informing her that she was not alone. Up to 20 families reached out claiming they are in a similar situations.

“There are a lot of people that responded that [I was like] wow, I guess this happens a lot,” she said.

After seeing the responses to Jackson’s post and the messages we have received at ABC News 4, we tried to find out how often situations like these happen.

The answer is that they happen more than you might think.

“This is something that we see often.” Director of Youth Transition Program at Able SC Paige Winget said. “We have the seasons of calls from parents.”

Representatives with Family Connection South Carolina say referrals for a program which helps families navigate the IEP process have skyrocketed in the past year, with over 5,000 referrals overall to all of their programs.

“Our referrals for this program have gone up by 65% since last year,” CEO of Family Connection SC Amy Holbert said.

So the question that remains is why is this so common?

These experts say it may be the stress the pandemic has put on these families or the lack of all-around resources at every school, which forces these placement changes to specific programs.

“Ideally, you know, inclusion we know is best practice,” Winget said. “But sometimes, there's a lot of lack of training for our general education teachers, and for just our school administration, and those that are in the school that aren't necessarily always working with students with disabilities.”

These experts say it could also be the system of IEP placements, which sometimes may not meet the needs of a specific student.

“The I in an IEP is individualized, and it needs to be for that student, and not because of a specific diagnosis or something else that's determining that factor,” Director of Education and Family Support for Family Connection SC Sally Baker said.

While these experts say a lot of the times the schools or IEP administrators do have good advice for these students, in situations where they may be disagreements like in Jackson’s case, they are here to help.

We are working in school districts. We might know someone and might be able to say, let me, you know, chat with this person. Or let's get the full picture,” Winget explained.

“We've talked to all the different people that can potentially help you answer the questions along the way,” Baker said. “[We] talk about what's kind of next, what's coming. Who are you going to meet? Are you going to see how to use your voice and how to use the things that you see at home that you know your child can do? Find their strengths and how to communicate that over to their educational team?”

Able South Carolina is a disability-led organization that helps push for change in systems and communities surrounding people with disabilities.

Family Connection SC has many programs that do the same thing, including its Education Partner program, which helps families communicate with schools and gather more information on their specific IEPs to help parents make informed decisions.

It's something Jackson said is important to continuing the fight.

“If you're not okay with this, you don't have to accept that you can’t fight this. You have options,” she said.

We reached out to CCSD for a statement on Jackson’s situation. In response, the district said:

“While we can't comment on a specific student matter related to this topic, we want to emphasize we are committed to providing the best possible resources available for all of our students, and we work collaboratively with all parents and guardians. IEP teams make determinations regarding services and placement for students with disabilities based on the individual needs of each child.”

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – It’s almost the last week of pride month! You still time to get your pride festivities in with the Annual Charleston Pride Parade kicking off this Saturday!

This Saturday will be packed with vibrant pride events happening all through Charleston!

First on the line-up is the Annual Charleston Pride Parade, starting at 9 a.m. The parade starts at Wragg Square and will end at Market Street. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring a fun-loving spirit so you can “Be Who You Are” at this lively event!

The fun doesn’t stop after the parade! Continue the festivities at more Charleston Pride events:

Break out the swimwear and bring your cool vibes to the Little Palm PRIDE Party happening Saturday at the Ryder Hotel.

Enjoy small bites, cocktail specials, and beats spinning all afternoon by DJ Crystal Guysir.

The fun starts at 2 p.m. at The Ryder Hotel, located at 237 Meeting Street.

Need a refreshing brew after the parade? Palmetto Brewing Company will host an after-party special at noon.

Enjoy live music, craft beer, and cool pride gear for sale if you need to stock up! The Charleston Brewery District trolley will also be rolling through from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Don’t forget to sport your best pride fit to get a special offer!!

Palmetto Brewing Company is located at 289 Huger Street in Charleston.

What’s a pride celebration without drag performances?! There’s three drag shows happening you can catch this Saturday:

Calling all Disney lovers! John King Grill & Bar will host the Disney Pride Drag Show Saturday evening at 5 p.m. Hosted by the fabulous Venus Alexander, you’ll be in for a treat with performances by some of the fiercest drag queens.

You must be at least 18 to enter the bar. There’s also a $10 cover charge.

John King is located at 428 King Street in Charleston.

Catch the “Green Party” at the Tin Roof Saturday night hosted by leading ladies Miss Sugar Shesha Manson and Mistress Spice Mira Shatters.

The show will have high-spirited performances all while raising money for the Lowcountry LGBTQ+ community with games and prizes.

The show starts at 8 p.m. and guests must be at least 21 to enter the bar. Admission is $10.

Tin Roof is located at 1117 Magnolia Road in West Ashley.

Take a drive to Ladson and visit The Hive for the Broadway Baby’s Drag Show!

The show will be hosted by Carmella Monet Monroe with performances by Honey Due, Medusa Chaos, and special guest Ava Clear.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 10 p.m. Guests must be at least 21 to enter. There’s also a $5 cover charge.

The Hive is located at 9422 US-78 in Ladson.

Monthly bills are less expensive in the Palmetto State … but there’s a catch.

South Carolinians pay significantly less than the national average on their monthly bills – but there’s a catch. Because income levels in the Palmetto State are so low compared to the national average, the effective amount of money citizens must devote to these necessities is higher.

In fact when you consider South Carolina’s anemic earnings, it essentially costs as much to live in the Palmetto State as it does to live in California – one of the states with the highest monthly bill rates.

That’s according to a new report (.pdf) from Doxo, an online bill management company.

South Carolinians pay an average of $1,783 on their monthly bills – including mortgages ($1,076), rent ($910), car loans ($412), utilities ($295), car insurance ($212), cable and internet ($120), health insurance ($120) and their mobile phones ($109).

That total amount is 11 percent below the national average of $2,003 – ranking the state No. 33 nationally in terms of its monthly obligations.

Again, though, there is a catch …

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All told, 41 percent of household income in the Palmetto State goes to pay bills – which is higher than the national average. By comparison, residents in Minnesota and Utah pay only 33 percent of their household income on monthly bills.

The most expensive place to live in America? Hawai’i …

According to the report, the Aloha State ranks No. 1 nationally in terms of the cost of citizens’ monthly bills ($2,911) and the percentage of household income devoted to paying them (44 percent).

Zeroing back in on South Carolina, Hilton Head Island is the most expensive place to live – clocking in at $2,569 per month. Bluffton is a close second at $2,524. Mount Pleasant ($2,473), Charleston ($2,185), Fort Mill ($2,166), Greer ($2,080), Ladson ($2,069), Okatie ($2,062), Johns Island ($2,040) and Clemson ($2,017) round out the top ten.

Nationally, Doxo estimates the annual monthly bill market at $4.6 trillion – with $853 billion going to mortgages, $616 billion going to rent, $493 billion going to auto loans, $399 billion going to utilities, $250 billion going to auto insurance and $166 billion going to mobile phone payments.

Here is the full report …

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(Via: doxoINSIGHTS)

(Via: FITSNews)

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that Durham Bulls’ lid pictured above).

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Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.

SOUTH CAROLINA’S LATEST NEWS IN YOUR INBOX …

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LADSON, S.C. (WCIV) — Officials with Trident Medical Center are officially breaking ground on a new, standalone behavioral hospital!

It will be the first the first freestanding behavioral hospital to open in the Lowcountry in over 30 years.

The nearly 58,790-square-foot facility in Ladson will include a single-story hospital and interior courtyard with space for recreation and therapy. The facility will have “state of the art” inpatient and outpatient services for Lowcountry residents.

The main difference this building will provide in comparison to general hospital care is more of a focus and extended resources for geriatric and adolescent care. The behavioral hospital will continue adult care as well.

The medical director for behavioral health at Trident, Jeffrey Culver, says he starts every day in the emergency room.

Currently, there are only 250 beds for mental health patients in the Lowcountry, and without a dedicated space for them — in most cases — a lot of them must go to the emergency room.

But with the construction of this new facility, Culver hopes it will help provide a safe space for real change and will get more people the help they need.

“I fully expect when this facility opens, that the dialogue both locally and nationally will continue to help chip away at that stigma. I think we're still a long way from where we need to be, where we can talk about mental health and mental illness the same way we talk about things like heart disease and cancer, but we're getting there. And I think being able to open up a brand-new facility and have people see that what we're doing is part of medicine,” Culver said.

ABC News 4's Sean Mahoney spoke with longtime mental health advocate Kelly Troyer, who works with the National Alliance of Mental Illness - Greater Charleston area.

She says the Lowcountry has come a long way in providing mental health services, but that there is still more work to be done and she hopes this will help kickstart that change.

Troyer also says the need for mental health services has drastically increased over the course of the pandemic.

The City of Charleston reported a 78.1 percent increase in the number of suicides from 2020 to 2021.

Troyer also has a personal connection to mental illness, as her son, Alex, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. She says finding resources in the Lowcountry was nearly impossible in the beginning, as she had to go out of state for care.

However, she says the construction of this new facility is a step in the right direction.

“As far as access to service, no, there's not enough in our state, especially in the rural areas. Then also, even here in the Lowcountry, we have great resources and we have people. But look at the Latino community and the African-American community, there's more [of a ] stigma around mental health conditions, so they don't reach out as much to the access that's here,” Troyer said. “So this groundbreaking of this hospital is very good news for us in our community. And we want to celebrate that.”

The hospital is expected to start out with 60 inpatient beds with the ability to expand and also will provide outpatient resources.

Construction started on the $30.4 million facility started in December, but officials with Trident waited until Thursday to hold the ceremony because of the weather.

Work is expected to wrap up in spring of 2023.

The groundbreaking ceremony and celebration is taking place at 11 a.m., at the construction site, which is about two miles from Trident Medical Center and right off highway 17 in Ladson, at 3445 Ingleside Boulevard.