Family Photographer in Summerville, SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette, and First Lady Peggy McMaster's schedules for the week of December 5 will include the following:

Monday, December 5 at 11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will attend the SC Port Harbor Deepening Celebration event, Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park, Cooper River Room, 99 Harry M. Hallman Jr. Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Monday, December 5 at 2:30 PM: Gov. McMaster will join Adjutant General Van McCarty and the South Carolina National Guard’s Survivor Outreach Services in recognizing “A Tree for the Fallen” for South Carolina’s fallen service members and their families, Governor’s Office, State House, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Monday, December 5 at 5:30 PM: Gov. McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster will host the annual Governor's Mansion Christmas Open House, Governor's Mansion, 800 Richland Street, Columbia, S.C. Note: The governor will hold media availability at 5:20 PM. Members of the media wishing to participate in the media avail should arrive at the Richland Street mall gate by 5:15 PM to go through security.

Tuesday, December 6 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will attend an Economic Development Announcement, Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, 201 South Dargan Street, Florence, S.C.

Tuesday, December 6 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will attend South Carolina OSHA's 50th Anniversary event, Denny Auditorium, State Fire Academy, 141 Monticello Trail, Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster and Lt. Gov. Evette will attend the Nephron Nitrile Grand Opening Event, Nephron Nitrile, 4777 12th Street Extension, West Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, December 7 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will host a Memorandum of Understanding Signing with the United Kingdom, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Saturday, December 10 at 10:30 AM: Lt. Gov. Evette will participate in the Greater Travelers Rest Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Christmas Parade, Wells Fargo Bank 5 Hawkins Road, Travelers Rest, S.C.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s Weekly Schedule: November 28, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gov. Henry McMaster’s schedule for the week of November 28, 2022, included:

Monday, November 28

10:40 AM: Agency call.

10:42 AM: Agency call.

11:01 AM: Agency call.

11:21 AM: Agency call.

Tuesday, November 29

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, State House, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

11:00 AM: Agency meeting.

11:45 AM: Gov. McMaster presented the Order of the Palmetto to Steve Hamm, Governor’s Office, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

1:30 PM: Policy meeting.

2:00 PM: Policy meeting.

3:00 PM: Policy meeting.

Wednesday, November 30

5:28 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina Senate.

Thursday, December 1

10:11 AM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster attended the groundbreaking expansion event at KION North America, 2550 West 5th North Street, Summerville, S.C.

Friday, December 2

6:15 PM: Gov. McMaster attended the SPINX Company’s 50th anniversary celebration event and presented the Order of the Palmetto to Stewart Spinks, Fluor Field, 945 S. Main Street, Greenville, S.C.

While Summerville celebrates its 175th birthday, the organization most active in safeguarding the city’s history is marking its own 50th anniversary and five decades of watering Flower Town’s roots.

The Summerville Preservation Society (SPS) chartered in March 1972, and while its membership numbers have expanded from that original core group to more than 500, its mission remains the same. By protecting and showcasing the landmark facets of what the town has been, the SPS hopes to imbue a pride of place that lingers on in what it becomes.

“Everything we undertake, we do for the benefit of the citizens. We do this so that the people who come after us can appreciate Summerville,” said Heyward Hutson, SPS President since 1988. Hutson’s great-great grandfather, Reverend Robert Ilderton Limehouse, built Summerville’s first Town Hall in 1860 and later served as Mayor of Summerville. The “new” Town Hall moved to Hutchinson Square in 1892.

With his encyclopedic memory for names and events, Hutson stood on the original heart pine planks of Old Town Hall and described the village that Summerville once was, as if he had just strolled its 1800s marketplace.

“The planters came to Summerville to spend the hot months, from the last frost in spring to the first frost in fall. They came in wagons, with their cows and their chickens, all along the Grand Way, which is now West Carolina Avenue,” said Hutson, a retired Army Colonel who was elected to the South Carolina Legislature four years after he became SPS President. He was born in Summerville in 1936.

“At that time, the first Town Hall was the center of the village, and the market was just out front there.”

The SPS kicked off its long, private non-profit career by rescuing an old Magnolia Street home from “rack and ruin,” and later thwarted several attempts to demolish the old Dorchester County Hospital — now repurposed in its original state as the Dorchester County Human Services Building.

Its next coup was the 1990 purchase of Old Town Hall, one of many structures devastated by Hurricane Hugo and the thousands of trees it toppled throughout the Lowcountry. Taking the venerable building “as-is,” the SPS replaced the roof on one of the wings and repaired it according to historic standards and has maintained it as its seat of operations ever since.

Crediting the real estate agent and the lawyer who gave their services for free to make that transaction happen, Hutson also noted that the relatively small membership of the SPS’ 1990 roster managed to pay off the remaining $85,000 loan in eight years — despite the 10 percent interest rate.

Aside from the restoration of a few key historic buildings, the SPS also began the historic marker project — the signposts at landmark sites that give a brief description of each.

Involving a protracted process of site research, obtaining approval from the state Department of Archives and History, financing each piece and finally, purchasing and installing each marker, the SPS project has claimed historic designation for several well-known Summerville spots: Guerin’s Pharmacy, the Pine Forest Inn, McKissick Summerville High School, The Old White Meeting House, Stallsville, Old Town Hall, Bacon’s Bridge and Tea Farm Road.

Other SPS projects include its fund-raisers, which feature local writers and artists. The SPS painting series features the work of nine area artists, all of which memorialize historic sites throughout Summerville and Dorchester County. The book, “Beth’s Pineland Village,” is still selling copies 35 years later. With half its proceeds going to the SPS and half to the historic Timrod Library, it is a compilation of Summerville Scene newspaper articles written by Beth McIntosh, the first president of the SPS and a former member of the Summerville City Council.

The SPS hosts regular “Heritage Series” panel discussions that are open to the public, and expanded the historic district by adding additional designations, such as St. Stephens Chapel.

Finally, the society also established an awards program to honor the lengths that owners must go through in order to restore and maintain their historic properties.

Just a quick Internet glance indicates that repair costs for a historic Charleston home run anywhere from $250,000 to $1.3 million — and that’s just for repairs, not yearly upkeep. On the other hand, having vibrant historic districts in a city also increases property values and homeowner returns on investments.

Of course, not all of Summerville is historic, and keeping a town healthy is a balancing act. The bustle of modern commerce is necessary for a thriving economy, ensuring jobs for residents and enough quality goods and services to attract and keep the money at home. But unchecked, that same hustle and bustle can trample the character of a place into the dust.

“We are not opposed to the development of boutique hotels,” said Hutson.

“We are opposed to high-concentration developments that tear down existing historic homes when there are vacant lots available nearby. It’s unbridled development that we’re opposed to. But while some Summerville old-timers aren’t happy about the congestion, we need to realize that the new people who have come here bring new talent and, sometimes, as much or more respect for the history of Summerville and Dorchester County than even some of the natives have.”

Ammar Maxwell’s 20 points led Shady Spring in a 50-41 win over Riverside (Fla.) that sent the Tigers to the Kingdom of the Sun consolation championship game.

Braden Chapman added 14 for the Tigers (3-2).

Tahj McClain and Darren Smith both scored 10 for the Generals.

Shady will take on Suncoast (2-1) Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Ocala, Fla.

Shady Spring

Braden Chapman 14, Ammar Maxwell 20, Gavin Davis 5, Cole Chapman 4, Jack Williams 2, Cam Manns 5.

Riverside

Pittman 8, Rice 3, Thomas 2, McClain 10, Smith 10, Scott 8.

SS 11 16 14 9 — 50

R 10 6 13 12 — 41

Three-point goals — SS: 7 (Maxwell 4, Davis, Manns); R: 2 (Pittman, Rice). Fouled out — Scott.

Bridgeport 60, Nicholas County 34

Anthony Spatafore led three players in double figures with 17 points in Bridgeport’s 60-34 win over Nicholas County.

Landon Sanders added 15 and Ashton Curry 12 for Bridgeport (3-3).

Cole Brown scored 12 to lead the Grizzlies (2-3), who host Herbert Hoover Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Nicholas County

Cole Brown 12, Bryar Bailes 5, Trey Stump 3, Ethan Collins 4, Isaiah Miner 5, Austin Altizer 5.

Bridgeport

Landon Sanders 15, Anthony Spatafore 17, Phoenix Sickles 1, Zach Ayoub 3, Ashton Curry 12, Breanan Cropp 2, Tyler Randolph 2, Rowen Michaelis 2, Ben Bitano 6.

NC 5 7 7 15 — 34

B 19 14 18 9 — 60

Three-point goals — NC: 6 (Brown 4, Bailes, Stump); B: 10 (Sanders 5, Spatafore 4, Curry 2). Fouled out — none.

Webster County 66, Doddridge County 41

Riley Clevenger scored 20 points and Rayden Triplett 19 in Webster County’s 66-41 home win over Doddridge County.

Dakota Blankenship pulled down 14 rebounds and Kyle McMillion 10.

Brandon Hellman led Doddridge (4-1) with 18 points and Jacob Dehaven had 11.

Webster (7-0) will play Oak Hill Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. in the New River CTC Invitational in Beckley.

Doddridge County

Brandon Hileman 18, Will Adams 4, Ethan Cross 8, Jacob Dehaven 11.

Webster County

Rayden Triplett 19, Riley Clevenger 20, Dakota Blankenship 4, Kyle McMillion 5, Logan Leichliter 16, Andrew Hardway 2.

DC 6 13 8 14 — 41

WC 14 19 16 17 — 66

Three-point goals — DC: 8 (Hileman 5, Adams, Dehaven 2); WC: 7 (Triplett, Clevenger 2, Leichliter 4). Fouled out — DC: Dehaven.

Girls

Greenbrier East 65, Porter Gaud 55

Cadence Stewart scored a game-high 35 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Greenbrier East’s 65-55 win over Porter Gaud (Charleston, S.C.) at the Carolina Invitational in Summerville, S.C.

Kennedy Stewart added 11 points. Ryan White finished with eight points and 12 rebounds, and Caroline Dotson made four steals.

The Spartans will take on Johnson Central, Ky., Friday at 9 a.m. in the consolation championship game at Cane Bay High School.

Meadow Bridge 45, Bath County, Va. 10

Kierston Rozell scored a game-high 17 points as Meadow Bridge got a 45-10 road victory over Bath County, Va.

Charity Reichard finished with 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Wildcats (5-1), who will host Richwood on Jan. 5.

Zoey Jenkins led Bath County with eight points.

Meadow Bridge

Charity Reichard 2, Sierra Simmons 2, Riley Roberts 6, Kierston Rozell 17, Kaitlyn Cooper 6, Lillian Hayes 2, Keira Hanshew 6, Jordan Butcher 2, Mackenzie Phillips 2

Bath County, Va.

Zoey Jenkins 8, Amber Puffenbarger 2

MB 19 5 13 8 — 45

BC 4 3 2 1 — 10

Three-point goals — MB: 1 (Rozell); BC: 0. Fouled out — none.

PREP WRESTLING

Greenbrier West to host annual

Lindsey Raines Memorial Duals

The annual Lindsey Raines Memorial Duals will be held Friday at Greenbrier West High School.

The tournament was started as the Greenbrier West Duals by former longtime coach Toby Harris. It was renamed in 2006 to honor Lindsey Raines, who passed away at the age of 19 after a sudden brain aneurysm. Her dad, Paul, is a longtime supporter of Greenbrier West athletics.

Participating teams will be Greenbrier West, Shady Spring, Greenbrier East, Nicholas County, Allegheny, Va., and the Independence B team.

Wrestling will begin at 10 a.m.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCIV ) — Hunger is a familiar problem for the Lowcountry. With inflation, more and more families need help to put food on the table.

One local food bank has plans to expand and hopes a new status will help them feed more people.

Abraham Belanger wears many hats- one of them is pastor of First Fruits Community Church.

In the back, a food pantry available to help those in need.

Right now, the shelves are fully stocked with things like black beans, peanut butter, and tuna thanks to their partners Earth Fare of Summerville and Lowe’s on Dorchester Road. Their deep freezers are currently empty.

“We don’t have any chicken or beef or anything, so what we do is as we get donations, we go out and buy everything and fill up the freezers and give it out,” said Abraham Belanger, founder of Summerville Food Bank.

Even with full shelves now, Belanger doesn’t expect that to last.

“By the end of January and February, these shelves will be back down and that is when we really count on a lot of our community members, individual donations, people that do food drives,” said Belanger.

They usually give out about 50 bags a month. Each contains non-perishable items like jelly, peanut butter, and other items on the shelves along with a bag of chicken, beef, eggs, cheese, bologna and hot dogs.

Their focus is Summerville and other parts of Berkeley and Dorchester counites, but they're willing to help other areas too.

“We have just normal families coming through saying we really need some help and we have been able to be that help to them, which is great,” said Belanger. “We want to impact the communities, we want to be able to take food out to as many organizations as possible so they can distribute in their community as well.”

As the need grows, now the food bank can keep up. Summerville Food Bank is now officially recognized 501(c)(3).

As of Wednesday, it is the designated food bank serving the city of Summerville.

“Companies can now look and say hey, Summerville food bank is the official food bank of Summerville,” said Belanger. “They can donate with charitable contributions and be able to write it off on their taxes and we are really excited about it.”

Belanger knows how much this will help. His mom relied on help like this when he was growing up

“There were times that my mom was working three full time jobs just to keep a roof over our head and put food on our table," said Belanger. "... And some of her stories was she was that mom eating out of the can and we are eating the food that she was working on bringing in and it was kind of tough."

As the organization expands, the goal will remain the same: to feed families and give hope.

The monthly giveaways are on the fourth Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at First Fruits Community Church at 195 Farmington Road in Summerville.

For more information on the Summerville Food Bank website.

The South Carolina Bar and the Dorchester County Library (DCL) are collaborating in hosting Law Talk on Jan. 26 at the Summerville Library, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., where the topic of the day will be employment law presented by attorneys Brice Ricker and Emily Tong.

Registration isn’t required for this event, per DCL, that will feature a Q&A session at the end of the discussion.

“South Carolina’s employment relationships are ‘at-will,’ which generally means that employers can terminate an employee for any reason, or no reason at all; however, both federal and state law provides exceptions to this foundational rule ... Mrs. Tong and I look forward to helping Dorchester county residents learn about these exceptions and circumstances so that our community has a better understanding of their rights in the employment setting,” said Ricker.

For more information on Law Talk or other programs, contact Elizabeth Neal at 843-871-5075, ext. 212 or eneal@dorchesterlibrarysc.org.

Nearly 300 women will combine their energies next month in building a home for a Summerville-based single mom as part of Dorchester Habitat for Humanity’s annual build undertaking inspiring females to get involved in construction in the spirit of creating a forever home for a local family.

This “Women Build” initiative, according to Dorchester Habitat for Humanity Development Director Moriah Hollander, will require more than 2,000 hours to complete, as business partners will assist in the venture by donating construction materials.

“It’s the most fun we have on the build site each year,” Hollander shared. “You can show up never having picked up a hammer and leave knowing how to install trim in your living room.”

“Women Build” participants partaking in the project, says Hollander, will meet and work alongside the prospective home owner during weekend meetings in February.

The 2023 home recipient is Ariell Burgess, a mother of three.

“This house holds endless opportunity, growth, and stability in all areas of our life,” observed Burgess. “I want my kids to know their mom worked hard to build them a home.”

Volunteer Amanda Leviner is excited for what lies ahead and described the annual build as a great bonding experience for women.

“Women’s build was just a day of goodness,” she added. “Serving together but also knowing that that service is producing fruit in someone else’s life. Getting to meet her that day was an extra bonus.”

Those who wish to participate or sponsor this year’s construction activities are invited to to contact events@dorchesterhabitat.org for further details.