AAA: South Carolinians To Join Record Number of Travelers for Christmas, New Year’s

AAA projects the second highest nationwide travel season since 2019, as travelers will venture 50 miles or more during the upcoming year-end holiday travel period, spanning from December 23rd to January 1st.

The Auto Club Group expects high numbers of South Carolina travelers in 2023, which does not include visitors from out of state.

“Despite various inflationary pressures, Americans are still willing to budget for travel. With a record number of travelers, the roads, airports, and cruise lines will be more crowded than normal. So, finalize your travel plans now, anticipate longer lines, and give yourself extra time to get to your destination.” said Debbie Haas, vice president of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group.

Auto Travel

AAA expects road travel to reach an all-time high. As 2023 comes to a close, drivers can expect to pay about the same or less for a gallon of gas than they did last holiday season, when the South Carolina average on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day was $2.83 and $2.79, respectively.

Air Travel Soars to New Record Highs Nationwide

Airports are expected to be the busiest they’ve ever been throughout the Christmas and New Year’s travel period. Nationally, AAA projects 7.5 million air travelers. That’s 200,000 more than the previous record set in 2019.

The number of people traveling by other modes, like bus, train, and cruise, is projected to surpass 2019.

AAA expects more than 4 million Americans will take alternative transportation over Christmas and New Year’s compared to 3.66 million in 2022 and 3.89 million in 2019.

Demand for cruises has skyrocketed post-pandemic, and the industry is preparing for the wave of bookings that traditionally happens at the start of the new year.

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says there will be several days of potentially bad traffic during the 10-day holiday period. Saturday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 28, will be the most congested days on the road. 

INRIX also says Saturday, Dec. 30, when many people will be heading back home from their holiday destinations or traveling for New Year’s Eve, will see an increase in traffic compared to a normal Saturday. 

The best times to hit the road are before lunchtime or after 7 p.m.

Quality Enclosures Establishes First SC Operations in Clarendon County

 Quality Enclosures, a manufacturer of tempered glass shower enclosures, said it will establish new operations in Clarendon County.

The company’s $7.37 million investment will create 50 jobs, according to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office.

Quality Enclosures has several locations throughout the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Founded in 1963, the company manufactures and wholesales luxury glass shower enclosures.

The company will be located in an existing facility at 1830 Greeleyville Highway in Manning. Its manufacturing operations are expected to be online in the summer of 2024.

Those interested in joining Quality Enclosures should contact Ed Hayes (407-810-5018).

The state’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project.

The council also awarded a $250,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Clarendon County to assist with the cost of building improvements.

Publix Is Donating Another 1.3 Million Pounds of Produce to 32 Feeding America Partner Food Banks

As part of Publix’s ongoing commitment to helping alleviate hunger, the company is purchasing and delivering another 1.3 million pounds of fresh produce to 32 Feeding America partner food banks this holiday season.

The donation is in addition to the 1.3 million pounds of produce Publix donated at Thanksgiving.

The 32 partner food banks include Harvest Hope and Lowcountry Food Bank in South Carolina.

The donations are part of the company’s commitment through its biannual Feeding More Together register campaign.

Publix donates $10 million each year to purchase and deliver produce to Feeding America partner food banks. Customer donations provide shelf-stable and additional perishable food for local food banks and pantries.

In 2023 alone, Publix has donated more than 24 million pounds of produce to Feeding America partner food banks.

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 250,000 associates, operates 1,359 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. 

How To Spot Latest Job Scams

Scams can be hard to spot because they often look just like the real thing. That includes job scams. They crop up on real job sites, including places like LinkedIn.

Scammers have even invited people to do things like 45-minute interviews, putting in the time so you let your guard down. So how do you tell a scam from the real thing?

The Federal Trade Commission offers this consumer advice:

Let’s say you get a message from a recruiter. They say you’re just what they’ve been looking for and schedule a virtual interview. The invitation has the company’s logo and an official-looking job briefing guide describing the job’s duties.

Soon after the interview, you get the email: You got the job! The offer letter comes in — company logo and all — and everything seems promising. But what comes next?

Here are some signs that job offer may be a scam:

Scammy recruiters will email you from a personal email, not a company account. Recruiters will generally email from their company (@companyname.com), not a personal email like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com.

Scammy recruiters push you for money. They might send you a fake invoice for equipment (like a computer ) or “training” that they’ll supposedly order but tell you to pay for first — using mobile payment apps like Cash App, Zelle, or PayPal. They’ll promise to reimburse you…but won’t, because it’s a scam.

Scammy recruiters ask for your personal information up front. Before giving you any details about the job, they’ll ask for your driver’s license, Social Security, or bank account number to fill out “employment paperwork.” But if you share it, they might steal your identity.

Not sure if you’re dealing with a job scam? Contact the company using a phone number or website you know to be legitimate — not one you got from the “recruiter.”

Report job scams to the FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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