2 0 1 9 | may 16 Nice shooting THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS VOLUME 73 • NUMBER 5 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240) Read in more than 595,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033 Tel: (803) 926-3175 Fax: (803) 796-6064 Email: [email protected] EDITOR Keith Phillips Tel: (803) 739-3040 Email: [email protected] FIELD EDITOR Walter Allread PUBLICATION COORDINATOR Travis Ward ART DIRECTOR Sharri Harris Wolfgang DESIGNER Susan Collins PRODUCTION Andrew Chapman WEB EDITOR Chase Toler COPY EDITORS Jennifer Jas L. Kim Welborn CONTRIBUTORS April Coker Blake, Mike Couick, Jan A. Igoe, L.A. Jackson, Patrick Keegan, Linda Maxwell, Sydney Patterson, Anne Prince, Cindi Ross Scoppe, Mike Smith, Belinda Smith-Sullivan, Brad Thiessen, Amy Trainum PUBLISHER Lou Green ADVERTISING Mary Watts Tel: (803) 739-5074 Email: [email protected] NATIONAL REPRESENTATION American MainStreet Publications Tel: (800) 626-1181 Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication. If you encounter a diffiffifficulty with an advertisement, inform the Editor. ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send to your local co-op. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Address Change, c/o the address above. Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offiffiffices. ©COPYRIGHT 2019. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor. SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING is brought to you by your member-owned, taxpaying, not-for-profifit 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. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: $5.72 members, $8 nonmembers Member of the AMP network reaching more than 9 million homes and businesses The ladies of Southern Carolina GRITS (Girls Really Into Shooting) bring fun, food and fellowship to shotgun sports—but they don’t keep score. 4 CO-OP NEWS Updates from your cooperative 6 AGENDA With more electric cars on the road and a growing network of charging stations popping up across the state, it’s time to review charging station etiquette. 10 DIALOGUE The $4 billion question: Examining the issues As the legislature considers what to do about Santee Cooper, electric cooperatives work to shield their members from artifificially high electricity rates. 12 ENERGY Q&A Keep cool for less Our energy experts review all the ways you can lower your power bill when the heat is on this summer. 14 SC ECONOMY Making new connections South Carolina’s not-for-profifit electric cooperatives are stepping up to provide high-speed internet connections to rural communities. 21 STORIES The storyteller Whether she’s on television, on stage or painting colorful portraits in her studio, Natalie Daise always has a story to share. 22 RECIPE Everything’s Just Peachy Enjoy delicious peach dessert recipes from Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s fifirst cookbook, Just Peachy, and register to win one of 10 autographed copies. 30 TRAVELS The cat’s meow Looking for a feline fifix? South Carolina’s original cat cafe is the purr-fect solution. 32 GARDENER A better butterflfly garden Go easy on the broad-spectrum insecticides to enjoy a healthy, pollinator-friendly landscape this summer. 34 MARKETPLACE 36 CALENDAR 38 HUMOR ME From bumper to bummer A trip to the automotive repair center causes humor columnist Jan A. Igoe to blow a few gaskets of her own. The ladies of Southern Carolina GRITS enjoy a day of shotgun sports at a shooting range in York County. Photo by Andrew Haworth. 16 10 22 FROM TOP: DEPOSIT PHOTO/KRIS ROBIN; ANDREW HAWORTH; CHRISTOPHER ZACHAROW; MARK BOUGHTON Sharp shooting Southern Carolina GRITS take aim at serious fun SPECIAL REPORT What happens next with Santee Cooper? SC RECIPE Peachy desserts er fifirst st forever ever fifirst er t forever ver rst rever fifirst forever ver st forever ever fifirst orever er fifirst ever rst orever r fifirst forever st rever fifirst orever er fifirst t forever ever fifirst orever r fifirst forever ver rst rever fifirst forever er fifirst st forever evefifirst orever er fifirst t forever ver MAY 2019