Women's Clothing Boutique Near Me Shell Point, SC

Instacart, a grocery delivery app similar to Doordash and Grubhub, suggested that its shoppers in the Southeastern U.S., who are currently in the midst of Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, could potentially earn more money from customer tips if they went out to deliver in the hurricane, according to a Reddit post by a shopper on Wednesday.

The post, shared in the r/InstacartShoppers subreddit, shows a screenshot of the Instacart app, with a map that shows shoppers how far away a customer request is. The screenshot also shows a banner at the bottom of the app with a suggestion from Instacart.

“Bad weather = good tips,” the banner reads, following this first statement with a raining cloud emoji and a money bag emoji. “We encourage customers to tip higher when rain is expected. Go online to take advantage, and always drive safely.”

The map shows that the poster is in Shell Point, South Carolina, which was at time of writing on Wednesday afternoon under a hurricane warning, a storm surge warning, and a tornado watch. The Weather Channel stated that there was “potential for wind 74 to 110 mph” and a “life-threatening storm surge possible.”

“I think [the suggestion is] ridiculous and takes advantage of people, especially millennials and Gen Z who are struggling financially at this time due to inflation,” the poster said in an online chat with Motherboard. “I know I’m struggling, but I draw the line at national disasters.”

An Instacart spokesperson told Motherboard in an email that the app had shut down operations in Florida and Georgia on Wednesday because of the hurricane, and that though it encouraged customers to tip more during inclement weather conditions, shopper safety was its first priority.

The user said that they had received $44.41 in tips on Tuesday, and $89 the day before, but that working on Monday had been “more dangerous.” Other posts in the subreddit, however, show that customers do not always tip higher when asking for deliveries in a hurricane. One post by a user who says they are in Florida with the hurricane approaching shows a delivery which would pay $4.16, including a tip of $0.04.

Another post talking about the hurricane shows deliveries paying between $14 and $44, all of which are over 20 miles away. The shopper’s map shows a label for West Meadows, a neighborhood in Florida.

“The distance is getting crazy,” the poster wrote. “Not worth it.”

Do you shop for Instacart? Are you delivering during extreme weather? We’d love to hear from you. From a non-work phone or email, you can contact Jules Roscoe at jules.roscoe@vice.com or on Signal at (415) 763-7705.

This is not the first time Instacart has suggested its shoppers take advantage of dangerous weather for increased tips. Other recent posts on the subreddit show a similar banner reflecting extreme heat conditions, which many parts of the U.S. weathered this summer.

“Hot weather = higher tips,” reads the banner in one screenshot posted earlier this month. This time, the title is followed by a sun emoji. “We encourage customers to tip higher when extreme heat is expected. Remember to use insulated bags to keep perishables cool.”

The user tagged their post with “What…In The World ?!”

“It seems that instead of relying only on customers to tip more when the weather is so hot, that IC would provide extra compensation too,” they wrote. “The heat index here is 115 [degrees Fahrenheit] today.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article specified “Florida Hurricane” in the headline. While Hurricane Idalia is affecting Florida, the Instacart shopper who posted on Reddit is based in South Carolina, which is also experiencing the hurricane.

Update: This article was updated with comment from an Instacart spokesperson.

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WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Tests in Shell Point Beach report bacteria in the water that could cause health concerns.

To make sure water is safe for us to swim in, the Florida Department of Health tests the quality of coastal waters weekly.

One place that didn't pass the test was Shell Point Beach in Crawfordville.

That's because on Aug. 20, scientist found something unusual in the Gulf.

"Enterococcus is a bacteria that only lives in warm-blooded creatures. So it could be in a raccoon, a possum, or a person," said Sean McGlynn, Principal Investigator with McGlynn Labs Inc. "And usually it indicates sewage."

So how does this end up in coastal waters? McGlynn and someone who does the exact same test as the state, says septic tanks are commonly the culprit and heavy rain just makes it worse.

"Septic tanks will go under water and be inundated and they will flush and their contents will come out and run off into the stormwater," said McGlynn. "And stormwater ponds typically have high bacteria in them. That's why there's no swimming or fishing in them."

According to doctors if you swim in water that has this type of bacteria in it, you can get sick.

"Flu-like symptoms, especially fever, chills, body aches you need to have yourself checked, make sure you're not developing some type of sepsis, especially if you've been in those areas and you have open wounds or open sores," said Lucinda Rosebush, Sepsis Coordinator at Capital Regional Medical Center.

Rosebush says sepsis is considered a medical emergency and if you have signs pointing to it, you should see your doctor immediately.

The good news, the bacteria typically only survives a few days outside of a human or animal body.

McGlynn says if the rains hold off, the water samples should improve in the next day or two.

WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Department of Health says Wakulla County's Shell Point Beach has tested positive for high levels of a bacteria that causes meningitis and other serious infections.

According to FDOH, Shell Point Beach got a 'poor' bacteria rating in its last beach sample due to the bacteria Enterococcus. The beach was recently reopened in May 2018 after a county restoration project.

The latest sample was collected on Monday. Officials say a poor rating is given when there is 70.5 or greater Enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water.

Enterococcus can be found in your intestines and genital track, but can also be found in the environment. FDOH says the presence of enteric bacteria can be an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage.

If they are present in high concentrations in recreational waters and are ingested while swimming or enter the skin through a cut or sore, they may cause human disease, infections or rashes.

According to the book Enterococcal Disease, Epidemiology, and Implications for Treatment, enterococci can cause of variety of infections, most commonly urinary tract infections.

However, enterococci can also cause serious infections like bacteremia, which is caused by bacteria in the blood and endocarditis, which is an infection of the inner surface of the heart. Other infections less commonly or rarely seen caused by enterococci include meningitis, septic arthritis, and pneumonia.

Enterococci can also develop resistance to the antibiotic its most commonly treated with, vancomycin, making it difficult to get rid of and sometimes leading to fatality.

All Florida beaches are tested regularly for enterococci, which the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommended states adopt as a saltwater quality indicator.

An advisory has not yet been issued. According to FDOH, a poor rating may result in a resampling to confirm the conditions. If a resampling is again found to be poor, then an advisory would be issued for the sampling site.

Records show Shell Point received five poor ratings in 2017 and one other poor rating in March 2018. About a month before Monday's sampling, the beach received a 'good' rating.

We are reaching out to officials for more information about the rating system and what that means for beachgoers.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

A proposal to transform a former mobile home park into a luxury RV facility aims to attract transient retirees, military families and other tourists to northern Beaufort County.

An RV park is planned off Parris Island Gateway in the town of Port Royal. The project — called Seagull Retreat in plans presented to town officials — would include 50 slips for nightly rentals up to 28 days, an amenity center with showers and clothes washers and dryers and a dog park.

RV travel has become popular for retirees who travel more than half of the year, a project representative said this week. Many of the new parks and campgrounds pop up along Interstate 95. The Port Royal proposal seeks to bring travelers in to experience the community.

The trend for mobile accommodations has been up in recent years and fueled more with the coronavirus pandemic, said landscape architect and project representative Michael Brock in a presentation to Port Royal officials this week.

“Sales, rentals, reservations for campgrounds are skyrocketing — up to 650 percent in some areas,” Brock said. “The movement is people want to travel, but they want to travel safely.”

Port Royal Town Council will consider changing its code to allow campgrounds as a special use for the property’s zoning.

Council members voiced support for the project Wednesday, saying similar parks have been tastefully developed and that RV pads would be an improvement to the mobile homes that once dotted the 4.92-acre parcel.

The maximum stay for RVs would be 28 days and 14 days for tent camping. The slips would average $80 per night, Brock said.

Brock said he designed the site in a similar way to the upscale RV resort under construction at Hilton Head National in Bluffton, though that is a much larger project, with hundreds of slips.

The Shell Point area where the town of Port Royal has annexed property continues to grow.

A new high-end apartment community is nearing completion not far from the proposed RV site on Parris Island Gateway.

On Savannah Highway, new homes are being built in the Shell Point Farm community. A luxury apartment complex is also being completed, and new storage facilities have popped up in recent years.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the size of the property where the RV park is proposed. It is 4.92 acres.

This story was originally published June 4, 2020, 1:14 PM.

April 21, 2020

WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV) — Shell Point and Mashes Sands beaches have reopened to the public. Visitors and residents were enjoying the sunshine at Shell Point Beach Tuesday, while still practicing social distancing. However the move does not come without controversy, and the big question: What does this mean for other beaches in our viewing area?

Wakulla County Commissioner Ralph Thomas tells WCTV Tuesday that the move comes after a unanimous vote by the County Comission on Monday. He shares that the board has been monitoring how their local healthcare system has maintained the virus, and they feel it has not been overwhelmed. That is why the county felt it was time to start feeling a sense of normalcy once again, and the first step, is the beaches.

You can hear the waves rolling, the breeze in the trees. It is the sound of paradise. Isabel Mir shares that she could not wait to take her grand kids out to enjoy it, "They have cabin fever, so there is only so many times they can go around the house!"

But those who own property on the water are not necessarily fully on board. Greg Mcinnif owns property at Shell Point. He encourages others to go outside and take in the sunshine. But as he fishes, he can't be shocked by what he sees, "Well I am so surprised that there are this many people here because usually we do not have this many this day of the week."

Joni Fowinkle another Shell Point owner, states "I have mixed emotions. It is a little bit selfish I have to admit," she furthers, "It was nice when it was quiet and you know we sort of had it to ourselves." She does however state she understands why others would want to be out by the water, and just hopes that others respect their beaches.

The decision was one Commissioner Ralph Thomas says comes from the public, "We are not saying hey everybody come down to our beaches, that is not a responsible message. But these beaches are owned by the public and it does not seem responsible to keep the public out of a public resource."

While the sand and sea is now open to everyone the County still asks that others continue social distancing and park in designated areas. But what Commissioner Thomas really wants to stress is the importance of respecting others, "We all have different levels of fear and caution and concern for this, and we need to respect that and take that seriously."

Mir looks at the coastline, seeing the groups of people, abiding by regulations, "I think this is a trial to see how we behave," Mir furthers, "We can't be having a party and having 100 people here, it is not wise."

While some bask in the sun, the question is whether or not beaches in counties like Franklin will follow suit. Commissioner Bert Boldt says they want to be very careful and make a decision based on federal and state guidelines, "The beach is very valuable, it is a great asset, but the health and the health of our people is a valuable asset and we want to make sure we honor every asset to keeping that health."

Thomas states he wants beach goers to enjoy, but play it smart, "Let's enjoy it but let's also keep plenty of room. We are going to get past this and everything will be just fine."

Commissioner Boldt told WCTV , Franklin County is thinking of possibly limiting beach hours for their beaches like St George Island and Alligator Point Beach, however when that will happen is unknown. It is also important to note that while beaches in Wakulla are open, state parks like Ochlockonee River State Park are not. Thomas also states that if conditions do worsen for the County they will re-assess.

Wakulla County Commissioner Ralph Thomas made the announcement of the beaches' reopening

on Facebook Monday night

.

The county commission first decided to

close these beaches because of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 23

.

"Please continue to exercise safe distances and groups less than 10," Thomas wrote on Facebook.

The beaches will still close at sundown, and restrictions on camping and liquor will be enforced, according to Thomas. Thomas also said on Facebook that the playgrounds, water fountains, showers and bathrooms will be regularly sanitized to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Beachgoers need to park in designated parking spaces only, not in the right of way, and follow procedures the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, Thomas said.

When asked if people are able to sit and stay at the beach, Thomas replied and said the beaches are "fully open."

You can find the full Facebook post commissioner Thomas made, including the comments,

here

.

By Tony Kukulich

Stormwater and traffic problems took center stage when Beaufort County Councilmember Alice Howard met with residents from the Shell Point community last week.

Howard, who represents District 4, provided updates on studies related to both of those topics as well as efforts under way to rectify the identified problems.

“Shell Point has had stormwater issues for a very long time,” Howard said. “The houses were built in the ’60s and ’70s, the majority of them. There was an existing ditch system when they were built, but it’s become overgrown. Some of it ran behind the houses. Some of it ran in front of the houses. We’ve had some public meetings about that. It’s been a process, several years. Now we’re at the point where we need to do major work.”

To help determine what that work should be, the county engaged a stormwater study in 2020, and it was completed the following year. Its intent was to ascertain where the problems were and how they could be remediated. The study looked at current conditions and what conditions could look like 50 years in the future. The forward-looking portion of the study considered how the area’s drainage system would operate if improvements were made and if no upgrades were implemented.

“There are several different jurisdictions that have infrastructure in that 800-acre neighborhood. We’ve got state roads,” Beaufort County Stormwater Manager Katie Herrera. “We’ve got county roads. We’ve got county easements, and there’s also the Town of Port Royal. It’s mostly residential, but there are some commercial projects within our study area. Over time, there has been a consistency of complaints about drainage issues and flooding.”

The research ultimately spawned eight projects intended to resolve problems in the Shell Point neighborhood.

A memo from Herrera to Howard dated April 6 estimated a total project cost in excess of $4 million and stated that an application for a grant had been submitted to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division for funding through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

The memo also indicates that the county has published a request for proposal related to the project. It seeks firms to assist the county with the design and permitting for the projects proposed by the study. According to the memo, a firm is expected to be chosen before the start of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“Now we’re trying to get these eight proposed projects off the ground by obtaining a design and engineer firm to help us with the design of the system, upgrades and changes, permitting and then eventually going to construction,” Herrera said. “So, it’s a multiyear project.”

Drainage problems in the area can be attributed to a number of sources. Poor maintenance of the drainage ditches is a prime factor. The elevation of the neighborhood is another contributing issue.

Because the neighborhood is very flat, floodwater tends to drain slowly. The low elevation also makes it possible for the marsh to enter the drainage pipes and ditches during flood events and flow into the residential areas instead of the other way around. Additionally, the drainage systems were designed for the environment of 50 or 60 years ago, they are simply overmatched by current conditions.

“The drainage conveyances just aren’t large enough to convey the flooding that the area experiences,” said Julianna Corbin, Beaufort County environmental engineer. “The need for larger drainage conveyances is more real now than ever.”

Because of the cost involved, the eight projects will likely not be taken on all at once, and according to Herrera, projects on property for which the county is responsible are taking top priority.

“They’ve committed to get the design work done for everything,” Howard explained. “Then we can divide and conquer. That’s where we are on the stormwater. It sounds like a long process, but it really isn’t because it’s been a problem forever.”

While traffic issues haven’t been as pervasive as the stormwater issues, Howard said that there have been issues with speeding, especially since the Montessori school opened on Broad River Drive. Speeding issues on Broad River Drive and Shell Point Road were brought to a head when a child in that area was struck by a speeding driver.

That incident led to a traffic study by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) which focused on traffic in the vicinity of the intersection of those two roads. Some residents questioned why the study was not done more broadly. Howard answered that speeding issues have been the worst in that area.

“DOT did a study,” Howard said. “We were hoping we’d get a four-way stop. But, they didn’t do it while school was in session. They did it while they were on spring break last year. We didn’t get a four-way stop, but they did lower the speed limit to 25, which helps.”

The study also looked at speed calming devices, like speed bumps. Howard said that DOT is reluctant to use speed calming devices, and they require the approval of 85 percent of the residents in the area of their intended use before they will be deployed.

“If we get 85 percent of the residents to sign that they want these speed calming devices, the county will have to pay for them, not DOT,” Howard said. “They won’t pay for them.”

An effort to collect the signatures is under way. If eventually approved by the DOT, it will be the onus of the county to secure funding.

Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com.