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All eyes were on the sky on Monday for the solar eclipse.

Watch WYFF News 4 coverage above.

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Here's everything you need to know from timing, events planned, protecting your eyes and weather conditions.

In the Upstate, the eclipse will block out 85% of the sun at its maximum at about 3:05 p.m. on April 8.

“That’s a decent amount,” says Maggie Connelly, the planetarium specialist at Roper Mountain Science Center.

“It’s still going to get darker. It’s still going to get a little bit quieter – so it’s definitely still worth checking out. We just want to make sure people understand: It’s not going to be the same as 2017.”

What is the weather expected to be like?

An approaching system will kick up a few extra clouds bringing partly to mostly cloudy skies with an isolated shower possible for your eclipse viewing Monday in South Carolina.

The farther south in the Upstate you live, the better chances you have of clear skies.

For a more detailed forecast, click here.

NC State and NOAA create tool to help predict weather conditions for total solar eclipse

Video below: NC State and NOAA create tool to help predict weather conditions for total solar eclipse

Watch parties, events:

There are watch parties and other fun events planned. Find the latest list of events in our area here.

This eclipse will not be like the one we saw in South Carolina in 2017. In that case we were in the path of totality.

South Carolina: How the 2024 total solar eclipse will compare to the one in 2017?

This year, the path of totality is Texas and points Northeast through parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio.

Video below: South Carolina: How the 2024 Great Eclipse compares to the one in 2017

Eye protection:

Making sure you have proper eye protection in order to safely view this next eclipse is very important.

Maggie Connelly, the planetarium specialist at Roper Mountain Science Center, says do not use your glasses from 2017 for this eclipse.

South Carolina doctors warn of potential for permanent eye damage from watching solar eclipse

Eclipse glasses are sold at many big box stores. But how do you make sure they are safe?

Manufacturers all over the world are making solar eclipse glasses, and a lot goes into making them. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the organization that looks at manufacturers and scrutinizes their lab results to make sure their glasses are safe and block out the right amount of sunlight. The ISO gives the stamp of approval.

There are a few things you can look for that will give you peace of mind. Check to make sure "ISO 12312-2" is on the glasses and/or the packaging. Other good things to look for are the manufacturer’s name and address, warnings, and instructions on the glasses and/or the packaging.

At the end of the day, anyone can stamp the ISO logo on their product. That's why it's important to buy your glasses from a trusted source. Click here to view the ISO's verified suppliers list.

Video below: South Carolina doctors warn of potential for permanent eye damage from watching solar eclipse

GREENVILLE, S.C. —

Several events are planned in the Upstate for the solar eclipse today.

For the Upstate, only about 80% of the sun will be covered, making it a partial solar eclipse for our area. But that isn't stopping people from planning gatherings and get-togethers to mark the rare occasion.

Below is a list of some of the events happening around our area, listed as the information comes into the newsroom.

Help us add to the list by emailing links with information to [email protected].

Clemson University

Clemson University Department of Physics and Astronomy as they view the solar eclipse from noon to 4 p.m. at the on-campus planetarium, at 140 Delta Upsilon Ct. There will be ice cream, pinhole projections, telescope viewing, general relativity explanation and eclipse science on the hour in the planetarium, followed by a live stream. The eclipse will peak at 3:08 p.m., safe-viewing eclipse glasses will be provided and Clemson experts will be available to speak about eclipse happenings.

Spartanburg Parks

Spartanburg Science Center

200 East St. John St.

Event with light refreshments is free. Tickets for optional dinner after the event provided by the Flock Shop can be purchased in the link above. Free eclipse glasses provided.

Good Karma Ice Cream

203 West Main St., Easley

Bring a blanket or chair and your friends and hang out in the amphitheater or surrounding area and enjoy the moment! We will be offering a special “Partial Eclipse of the Heart” Shake and eclipse glasses so you can enjoy the view.

Climb at Blue Ridge

301 Bulls Road, Taylors

Solar eclipse viewing party on Monday, April 8, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Receive a free pair of eclipse glasses with your day pass, while supplies last. Online sign-up required to guarantee eclipse glasses. Members sign up for free. Non-members sign up for the $12 day pass rate.

Below you will find more eclipse information to help plan and enjoy the day:

April 8 eclipse in South Carolina: Timing, eye protection, school changes, weather expected

List: SC school districts with e-learning days, early dismissal for solar eclipse

South Carolina doctors warn of potential for permanent eye damage from watching solar eclipse

NC State and NOAA create tool to help predict weather conditions for total solar eclipse

South Carolina: How the 2024 total solar eclipse will compare to the one in 2017?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park lies outside the path of totality, but will experience an 86 to 87% obstruction of the sun during the event.

Park staff and volunteers will be available to provide eclipse information and safe, facilitated viewing at the following locations from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.:

A Junior Ranger Eclipse Explorer activity book will be available for free at the above locations for anyone who wants to earn a Junior Ranger Eclipse Explorer badge.

SC State Society of Physics Students

Orangeburg, South Carolina

South Carolina State University’s Society of Physics Students (SPS) will host a viewing of the partial solar eclipse -- weather permitting -- for students, faculty and staff on the Student Center Plaza, Monday, April 8, from 2-4 p.m.

Dr. Donald Walter, SC State physics professor and academic program coordinator, expects the best viewing time to be from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

The SPS will distribute eclipse glasses to students for free. No one should look directly at the sun with their eyes or sunglasses. They should only use solar-safe eclipse glasses for direct viewing or look at projections of the sun onto another surface.

The SPS will also have table-top projection viewers set up for slightly enlarged images of the partially blocked solar disk.

The Greenville County Coroner's Office reported a decrease in accidental overdose deaths in 2023, the first decline in five years, according to data from the agency.

According to Chief Deputy Coroner Mike Ellis, the office reported 219 accidental overdose fatalities in 2023, down from 274 accidental overdose deaths in 2022.

In prior years, the office reported 258 accidental overdoses in 2021, 173 in 2020, and 130 in 2019. The 2023 data represents the first decline the office has documented in the last five years.

The coroner’s office couldn't identify one singular cause for the decrease in accidental overdose deaths but pointed to efforts to share education about substance use and new systems to help bring awareness of harmful drugs in the area as possible reasons.

"What the actual answer is to the decrease of that number, I think it's comprised of multiple things," Greenville County Deputy Coroner Shelton England said. "I can't narrow it down to one answer as to the reason in the decrease. I think that all entities throughout Greenville are doing great things but clearly, something is working."

Educational partnerships help bring awareness of substance abuse disorders

In 2020, the coroner's office and the Phoenix Center, a substance use treatment center in Greenville, partnered to create the Mobile Substance Abuse and Education unit. This unit, which operates out of the coroner’s office, is tasked with going to communities and schools, and providing programs to teach different age groups about substance misuse. The Phoenix Center also offers drug screenings, educational programming and out-patient services, among others to combat substance abuse disorders.

"When we started it, we thought about going out and meeting people where they are and educating on substance use," England said.

The education unit offers video lessons and exercises that show the effects of different drugs and how they can have life threatening consequences.

More: New Sheriff's Office, EMS program combats opioid crisis in Greenville County. What to know.

The Phoenix Center’s Director of Community Engagement Mike McLain said the partnership formed when the two organizations noticed the trend of overdose deaths continued to tick upwards in recent years.

"We just wanted to try to make a difference on the front end of this issue instead of the back end when it’s too late," McLain said. "The coroner's office has been very responsive and very forward thinking to help intervene in this crisis. Hopefully this partnership will reduce those calls that their coroners have to go on and investigate with it ending up as an unintentional overdose."

McLain said that the education the organizations both provide about substance abuse disorders plays a vital role in the effort to decrease the number of overdoses.

"Education is vital for our community to see that this is a public health issue. There are families that have never dealt with addiction who are now losing loved ones due to addiction and overdoses. We want to get the message out," McLain said.

England mentioned that the use and distribution of Narcan has also helped decrease the number of overdoses. Narcan, the brand name for Naloxone, is a medication used to reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids. He said that having this medication even more readily available to the public than it has been in the past is vital. Currently, the Phoenix Center offers Narcan distribution and every first responder in Greenville County is equipped with it, England said.

"Open access allows for even more hope of reversing and decreasing overdoses. There's no harm in administering Narcan even if it's not an overdose, so if there is a fear of a possible overdose, you can only end up with positive results," England said.

One father's story: Kris Stepp honors daughter's memory by helping to save lives

How faster toxicology results help raise awareness of harmful drugs in the county

In addition to the partnership with the Phoenix Center, the coroner’s office is adding new substance identification systems that they anticipate will bring more awareness to the public about drugs that are in the area.

The office received a $102,000 grant from the Upstate Healthcare Coalition for the implementation of the Randox Rapid Toxicology system. The Randox system is a new toxicology system that helps identify what type of drugs were in someone’s body after they die.

"It's more real-time data versus currently, you have to wait 12 weeks out before you can hear back the results. With this, we’re getting results within a day or two," England said.

The coroner’s office uses an outside laboratory, the National Medical Laboratory System, to produce toxicology reports.

The National Medical Laboratory System provides a percentage of substances inside a deceased body. In comparison, the Randox system only tests whether a certain substance is in a person’s body with a positive or negative result which produces a faster report, according to the coroner’s office.

The rapid toxicology system allows the coroner’s office to provide more information on overdoses and spread awareness more quickly, England said.

The coroner’s office is also utilizing the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area’s Overdose Map program, a system used by different law enforcement, coroner’s offices and hospitals around the country to track overdoses and drug trafficking trends in an area.

"The more we know about what drugs are around us and how they're affecting people, the more we can educate the public," Ellis said.

According to the coroner’s office, this program helps identify trends before they could become a major issue.

"If we're seeing an influx of overdoses in this area, we really need to target that area to go out and do education. It's all on identified data and it creates a heat map to target where we may need to do Narcan distribution there," England said.

Terry Benjamin II covers public safety and breaking news for The Greenville News and can be reached at [email protected] or on X @Terrybenji2.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville coroner sees first decrease in overdose deaths in 5 years

After four rounds of head-to-head matchups over the last month, the winner of our March Madness Greenville: shrimp and grits edition has now been determined, all thanks to your votes.

Polls closed Sunday at 7 p.m., following a competitive battle between Soby's and Low Country Shrimper, with Soby's coming out on top as our winner. The final round of voting took place last week, April 1 through 8, with the downtown juggernaut and Mauldin underdog battling it out for the best shrimp and grits in Greenville.

Our tournament was filled with a few Cinderellas; round one saw more than 2,000 votes cast as the opening round watched (13) Shortfields defeat (4) Sassafras in an upset and round two, gave (15) Low Country Shrimper a one-vote victory over (9) Roost Restaurant.

Round three matched (1) Soby's against Shortfields in a battle that amassed over 47,000 votes, and the championship round paired Soby's against Mauldin's own Low Country Shrimper to determine our winner. Soby's won the final battle, receiving over 90 percent of votes.

Interesting facts about Soby's Shrimp & Grits dish

The beloved Carl Sobocinski business has been a successful local staple since its opening more than 25 years ago, promising a thoughtfully prepared cuisine and warm service for its downtown Greenville visitors.

The restaurant uses many South Carolina artisan farmers, foragers and ranchers and offers a plentiful menu of generously portioned favorites, including a Low Country Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin, North Carolina Trout, Spicy Pimento Cheese and more, yet, none as popular as their shrimp & grits dish.

Soby's use of Anson Mills' stone ground grits is what makes the dish true to its culture and taste as the dish has been on the menu since opening in 1997. There have been at least five different versions of Soby's shrimp and grits dish styles used over the years including Gullah, Upcountry, Lowcountry, and its current New Orleans style recipe.

As of March 2024, Soby's has sold more than 260,000 orders of shrimp & grits, according to Carl Sobocinski, president of Table 301. "We've had people who never tried shrimp & grits before tell us that Soby's made them a believer, and others who grew up with the dish saying this is the best they've ever had," he added.

The current recipe calls for stone ground grits, Andouille Sausage, Piquillo Peppers, Grana Padano, Tarragon, and Tomato Creme Sauce.

Soby's is located at 207 S. Main St. in Greenville and is open 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Fridays, and on weekends from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. For information, call 864-232-7007 or visit sobys.com.

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at [email protected], and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.Sign up today for a digital subscription.

Mary Beth Keane, New York resident and a New York Times bestselling author, will make a stop at Soby’s in Greenville to support her fourth novel “The Half Moon.”

Drawing inspiration from her hometown Pearl River, New York and various family members who have worked in the bar and restaurant industry, Keane crafted her fictional town of Gillam, which serves as the city for “The Half Moon” and her previous novel “Ask Again ,Yes.”

The book follows Malcolm Gephardt, a longtime bartender at the Half Moon, who has always dreamed of owning a bar, and his wife Jess, who has devoted herself to her law career. As the story progresses, readers see Malcolm chasing his dream when his boss retires and he seeks to buy the Half Moon, while Jess has to face that after years of trying to have a baby, motherhood may not be in the cards for her.

“I’ve always had sort of an insider’s glimpse into that (bartending) world,” said Keane. “My dad is one of 11 (children). Most of (them) went into the bar and restaurant business when they came to America (from Ireland). They worked in those places and ended up opening their own.”

While the book follows both Malcolm and Jess, Keane initially sought to write the book from Jess’s point of view but found that she could add more depth to the characters by switching to the third person to tell the story.

“I find that it’s more satisfying (in) third person because you can get deeper (and) know things about the character that they really don’t know about themselves,” Keane said. “I read to be moved (and) to feel like you’re glimpsing another person’s life. I think that’s all I want a reader to experience from this book too.”

Keane’s appearance April 22 at noon is part of M.Judson Booksellers’ “Lunch & Lit” series. Admission is $50 per person and includes a paperback copy of “The Half Moon” and lunch at Soby’s. For more information, visit mjudsonbooks.com.