Lowcountry Forever: Charleston Planetarium & Swim Across America – May 4, 2025

SEGMENT #1: Charleston Planetarium
GUEST: Paul Gangarosa, Founder, and Thomas Martinez, Director
ISSUE: Science & Technology
This month, the new Charleston Planetarium opens in North Charleston at the Citadel Mall. The Planetarium is a new nonprofit 501©3 organization dedicated to science education. Paul Gangarosa, the Charleston Planetarium founder, shared his reasons for bringing the Planetarium to the Lowcountry and why he feels this is an important addition to our community. Thomas Martinez, the Planetarium Director, explained how the facility would operate in terms of when there would be shows, and how people could purchase tickets. Both expressed excitement for their May opening and explained how the shows would be constantly freshened, so a visit the following month would be different from the current month. Plus, they discussed the partnerships they were hoping to create with area schools.

________________________________________________

SEGMENT #2: Swim Across America/Charleston/Kiawah
GUEST: Jana Chanthabane, Event director
ISSUE: Health & Human Services
For the 9th year, individuals have an opportunity to take a swim and help win the fight against cancer. The annual nationwide Swim Across America event is on June 7th with the local Charleston/Kiawah swim happening off Kiawah Island. Jana Chanthabane is the local event director and herself a cancer survivor. Chanthabane explained how she became involved and her motivation to continue to make each year’s event a success in raising money to benefit the local Hollings Cancer Society. While the event is called “Swim Across America,” Chanthabane shared exactly where the swim would take place and provided opportunities for people to assist beyond swimming in the event. She also talked about the unique elements included in the local event and why people should take part.

Recent Headlines

2 minutes ago in Entertainment

‘Mercy’ unseats ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash’ atop the box office on snow-blanketed weekend in theaters

Fresh

With a winter storm blanketing a large swath of the country, Hollywood had its quietest weekend of the year at the box office. The Amazon MGM sci-fi thriller "Mercy" dethroned "Avatar: Fire and Ash" from the No. 1 spot with $11.2 million in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.

3 days ago in Entertainment

Review confirms journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s 2005 death was a suicide

A review of the 2005 shooting death of journalist Hunter S. Thompson has confirmed authorities' original finding that his death was a suicide, Colorado investigators said Friday.

3 days ago in Lifestyle

What to know about FDA’s review of new Zyn advertising proposal

Americans who smoke may soon be hearing a lot more about Zyn, the flavored nicotine pouches that have generated billions in sales while going viral on social media.