Doubling up on a couple press release regurgitations here.

Tomorrow, the S.C. Aquarium will release a loggerhead sea turtle on Folly Beach. It’s always cool to see sea turtles up close.

Charleston, S.C. — July 10, 2008 —North Litchfield, a loggerhead sea turtle who entered the South Carolina Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital in April, 2008 has been cleared for release by the Aquarium’s full time veterinarian.  On Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. join Aquarium staff at Folly Beach County Park to share in the excitement and honor one of the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rescue Program’s finest volunteers, William Carlton (Billy) Warren II, who sadly passed away this past March.

Found in North Litchfield, South Carolina, this sub adult loggerhead showed signs of a neurological disorder.  Brought in on April 29, 2008 weighing 128 pounds, North Litchfield received a series of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic injections.  After days of erratic behavior such as swimming in one direction, lunging out of the water as well as a low glucose level, the loggerhead began recovery.  North Litchfield is now eating well and deemed healthy.

For more information on the release of North Litchfield, or if weather may be questionable please call, (843) 577-FISH (3474).

And Charleston County’s Citizens’ Academy is now enrolling for fall. It’s a free, very intensive way of learning how your county government works and what it does for you.

  Learn how your tax dollars are spent — free course offers public insight into county government
Charleston County Government is inviting residents into the classroom, and the subject is local government.
For residents who want to know where their tax dollars go, the Charleston County Citizens’ Academy offers a free, in-depth course that provides an understanding of county government.
The Citizens’ Academy is a series of 12 classes taught by Charleston County Government employees and county elected officials.

The fall 2008 Citizens’ Academy will be offered from 2-5 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons from Tuesday, Aug. 12 through Tuesday, Oct. 27. Classes are held in county government facilities.
The course ends with an optional all-day “field trip” to government facilities on Monday, Nov. 3. A graduation ceremony will be held during the County Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.

“The purpose of the academy is to introduce our citizens to the services and operations provided by Charleston County Government and to help citizens understand the issues that drive decisions related to those services,” said Christine DeStefano, a Charleston County Project Officer who oversees the academy. “The 12-week-long program provides participants with a forum to learn, ask questions and give comments to those responsible for spending their tax dollars.”

Charleston County has been offering Citizens’ Academy courses twice a year for the last five years. Since its inception in 2003, over 270 Charleston County citizens have graduated from the class. Topics include the county budgeting process, the voting system, waste and recycling, paving roads, law enforcement, the court system, emergency services, planning and zoning, and much more.

Citizens’ Academy graduates are eligible for Continuing Education Units from the College of Charleston. Applicants accepted into the program will be expected to attend all 12 sessions. For those not able to attend an afternoon class, the spring 2009 course will be held on Monday evenings.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older, and live or work in Charleston County. The class is limited to 35 participants, and the deadline to submit an application for the fall 2008 Citizens Academy session is Friday, Aug. 1.

An application may be obtained through the Charleston County Web site at www.charlestoncounty.org, and faxed to (843) 958-4023. For more information, contact Christine DeStefano by phone at (843) 958-4081 or by e-mail at cdestefano@charlestoncounty.org.