Roofer in Hollywood, SC

This story was created in partnership with The Breakthrough Prize.

Science and pop culture are seen as worlds apart. But the Breakthrough Prize is on a mission to bring them together. The world’s largest science prize—which awards at least five $3 million prizes each year for major contributions to physics, life sciences, and mathematics—is drawing scientists into the orbit of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Founded in 2012 by Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google), Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook), Priscilla Chan (co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative), Julia & Yuri Milner (technology investor & science philanthropist), and Anne Wojcicki (co-founder of 23andMe), the Breakthrough Prize celebrates advances in fundamental science—with hopes of raising the profile of great scientists in pop culture, inspiring the public and motivating more young people to pursue careers in science. (As part of this mission, the prize also honors one high school student a year through the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science video competition for students ages 13-18.)

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Since its founding, the glittering star-studded ceremony has left traditional science awards in the shade, garnering a reputation as the “Oscars of Science” due to its impressive production values and the major entertainment talent in attendance, and generating billions of media impressions worldwide. Kristen Bell, Vin Diesel, Gal Gadot, Kate Hudson, Chris Pine, Lupita Nyong’o, Pharrell Williams, John Legend and Lionel Richie are just some of the presenters and performers who have graced the show in past years.

This will be the tenth Breakthrough Prize ceremony, and the milestone will be celebrated in style on April 13 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Hosted by actor and comedian James Corden, it will feature stars including Robert Downey Jr., Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys, Venus Williams, and Michelle Yeoh, in front of a crowd that boasts the world’s greatest athletes, Hollywood stars, musicians and entrepreneurs alongside scientists. The glamorous 2024 show will surely be one for the books—especially since it will be produced by Vanity Fair and Don Mischer Productions, whose work includes the Oscars, Emmys, Olympic Games openings, and Super Bowl halftime shows.

Every year, Breakthrough Prize laureates are selected for outstanding contributions to human knowledge—including human biology and diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The laureates celebrated this year include 11 winners of the $3 million Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics; 12 early-career physicists and mathematicians; and three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes recognizing young women mathematicians.

Life science laureates Carl H. June and Michel Sadelain re-engineered T cells—key players in the body’s immune system—to be able to recognize cancer cells of individual patients, creating a highly effective treatment against liquid cancers, including some aggressive leukemias. These scientists’ work is proving transformative: some patients’ tumors have been entirely eradicated, without returning even years after treatment.

Other life science laureates include Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for designing the revolutionary AlphaFold—a machine learning system that accurately predicts the structure of proteins, one of the toughest puzzles to crack in all of biology; Thomas Gasser, Ellen Sidransky, Andrew Singleton and Richard Youle, who discovered the most common genetic causes and key mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease; and Sabine Hadida, Paul Negulescu and Fredrick Van Goor, who invented life-changing treatments for cystic fibrosis, creating drugs that target the deadly disease’s root cause and greatly improve the quality—and length—of life for people living with this condition.

In fundamental physics, awards go to Hidetoshi Katori and Jun Ye, who built atomic clocks so accurate that they would lose less than a second in 15 billion years; and to John Cardy and Alexander Zamolodchikov for profound contributions to statistical physics and quantum field theory. Their work extends from particle physics to magnetic and superconducting materials and even black holes.

In mathematics, Simon Brendle is being celebrated for advances in differential geometry, a field that uses the tools of calculus to study smooth surfaces and spaces. Many of his results concern manifolds in higher dimensions.

Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of the Prize and founder of 23andMe, commented, “Every year I’m inspired by the ideas, discoveries and commitment to progress of the women and men who win the Breakthrough Prize.”

Check out the Breakthrough Prize YouTube channel on Sunday, April 21, to witness Hollywood celebrating science.

HOLLYWOOD, S.C. (WCSC) - A community resource center is now open in Hollywood and will serve people there with a variety of giveaways and programs right in the rural Charleston County town.

“This is the first time so people are excited. It’s a big deal,” Hollywood Mayor Chardale Murray says.

The Community Resource Center will provide food giveaways on the second Thursday of every month, baby care supplies, hygiene products, workforce certification and training and Molina Healthcare guidance.

Murray, the former state rep elected mayor earlier this year says this center is part of her vision for making life in Hollywood easier within town limits.

“You know, living in the city, you have meals on wheels, but that’s something to look into in the future for here. No, we don’t have things like that,” Murray says.

The 2020 census showed that about 5,300 people live in the town of Hollywood. Of that, 6.5 percent – or more than 350 are living below the poverty line.

Community Resource Director Louis Smith says many of them were traveling more than 20 miles to the North Charleston center to wait in an hours-long line to get food, baby supplies and hygiene necessities. At the opening of the Hollywood location, cars lined up for miles to get bags of food.

“You know when you put a lot of work into something and actually see it in front of you and it’s actually happening, this is incredible,” Smith says. “We’re in Hollywood, South Carolina, we have got traffic jams, and look at all the people. I am happy. A lot of people are going to have an amazing Christmas and we get to put a lot of smiles on a lot of chosen faces.”

Bundles of Joy also gave away diapers at the opening and will be doing so at future events in Hollywood. State Representative Wendell Gilliard and Hollywood Councilman Handy Miles Jr. attended the opening and helped hand out the food, saying it was a great day in Hollywood.

Darlene Dunmeyer-Roberson, Charleston County School board member for the district says this type of service will have far-reaching effects.

“For me healthy homes, healthy communities mean healthy classrooms. So, I am excited that our mayor had this vision to bring the resources here to Hollywood and I look forward to the students in District 23 excelling in the classroom because we are now a vibrant community that’s not left behind,” Dunmeyer-Roberson says.

Murray says that’s another driving force behind her efforts to bring services inside the town limits.

“Just being from a rural area and I’m homegrown, I know how important is when it comes to transportation,” Murray says. “People are limited in you know, it’s just a need, people are on a fixed income. You’d be surprised how many people even in the summertime when school is out, they don’t have you know, lunch, the kids are not being served.”

She says the center is only the start of the things she and the council are working on for the future of the town.

The Hollywood Community Resource Center is located at the old library at 5151 Town Council Rd.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - This week on Awareness, Billie Jean Shaw visited the beautiful and historic campus of South Carolina State University ahead of the inaugural entertainment masterclass taught by actor and singer Jason Weaver.

Weaver has an ongoing successful career rising to fame at an early age. He starred in Disney’s hit sitcom, “Smart Guy,” was the singing voice of young Simba in the original “Lion King” film and he played young Michael Jackson in “The Jacksons An American Dream,” series. As an adult, he’s starred in the movies, “ATL,” “Drumline,” and currently “The Chi.” Weaver is bringing his decades of experience from Hollywood to South Carolina State University to spearhead the university’s first entertainment masterclass, a plan he says has been in the works since January with SC State’s Board of Trustee member Dr. Macie P. Smith.

In this segment, Jason Weaver explains to Billie Jean Shaw how he entered the world of Hollywood and maintained a successful career. Weaver also talks about mega pop star Michael Jackson choosing him to play the young Michael Jackson in the “The Jackson An American Dream,” series and the surprising, yet odd way he met Michael Jackson on set. He also discusses how the role as young Michael Jackson led to call from another mega star, Elton John, who hand picked him to play young Simba in “Lion King.”

Jason Weaver shares even more candid moments from his ongoing career in Hollywood including how he’s been able to maintain his career unproblematically and his advice to future entertainers.

Jason Weaver explains how and why he wanted to teach an entertainment masterclass at South Carolina State University, the lessons students will walk away from the class with and if the title of professor is in his future. Brown also brought along other Hollywood heavy hitters to join in on the class, his attorney, actress and film producer Lena Waithe and actor, writer and producer Orlando Jones who also makes an appearance in this segment.

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Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved.

HOLLYWOOD, S.C. (WCBD) – A mobile home that was left abandoned along Davison Road in Hollywood could be removed in the near future thanks to actions taken by the surrounding towns.

Residents said the mobile home has become an eyesore; it’s been there for so long it now appears on Google Maps. But what you won’t see on Google Maps is that the trailer is still furnished.

On Thursday, Ravenel Mayor Stephen Tumbleston said he is working with Hollywood Mayor Chardale Murray to create a timeline for a speedy demolition and removal of the trailer. Tumbleston said once the owner of the trailer signs an approval letter, the towns will work together to remove it.

“We’re waiting on that letter to come back executed with a signature, and then we’ve solicited bids and we will partner with Hollywood on getting it out. And just as soon as we get the document back from the owner, court cases and all that aside, we’ll get it cleaned up, we’ll get it moved out,” said Mayor Tumbleston.

News 2 spoke with the crew working to help remove the trailer, Berry Demolition. Once they are given the go-ahead, the process of removing the trailer will take 2 to 3 days. After the demolition crew surveyed the area, like many, they agree it must go.

“I mean its definitely got to go, needs demolishing that’s all. There’s probably no saving it and moving it again from now, so yeah it definitely has to be torn down and moved from here,” said one crew member.

Over in Hollywood, newly elected Mayor Murray is still getting settled into office, but said that won’t stop her from doing what she can to have the trailer removed from Davison Road.

“That feels good you know, to know that this trailer has been sitting out here almost two months. My word is my bond. I called the Mayor of Ravenel and when I called him he said ‘Hey we got to do whatever we can to do to make this happen’ and here it is,” said Mayor Murray.

Concerned resident, Jerry Gray, who first told News 2 about the trailer, says he’s happy to see progress being made.

“If you don’t have a plan, you don’t have a clue. Ideally, a plan is being formulated. That’s why I say I’m optimistic with a little dose of caution,” said Gray.

News 2 will continue following this story as the community awaits the removal.

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