AC Repair in Summerville, SC

Trump is speaking Monday afternoon at Sportsman Boats in his first visit to South Carolina since the Silver Elephant Gala last month.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Former President Donald Trump took the stage at a campaign event in Summerville Monday predicting a record-breaking win in the South Carolina Primary as he campaigned for a second term as commander-in-chief.

Trump is speaking Monday afternoon at Sportsman Boats in his first visit to South Carolina since the Silver Elephant Gala last month.

He told the crowd that his last two years in office were the best two years South Carolina boat builders and South Carolina businesses have ever had, saying that boat builders couldn’t make the boats fast enough.

“When I left the office business was roaring like a 400 horsepower Mercury outboard motor,” Trump said. “But then the economy slammed into a pile of rocks known as crooked Joe Biden.”

He promised to end Biden’s “war on American energy” and reclaim energy independence.

“In other words, we will drill, baby, drill,” he said.

Trump said he won South Carolina twice by record numbers and pledged to do it again.

“We did phenomenally here. We’ve always done well here and we’re going to do it at a level that nobody’s ever seen,” he said. “So we broke the record twice. We’re going to break it a third time. We’re going to break our own record.”

He said he intends to “take back our country and we’re going to make America great again.”

Before Trump’s speech, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster told the crowd he went into the State House about a month after Trump went into the White House.

“And South Carolina has been booming ever since,” he said. “But then in January 2021, everything changed.”

McMaster said his administration has had to fight the Biden Administration “every day.” He cited the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for military personnel, and accused it of destroying the nation’s borders and the nation’s energy independence.

“From 2016 until now, [the Biden Administration] has been doing anything and everything they could, legal, illegal, ethical, unethical, unheard of, unprecedented, to do one thing: That includes two bogus impeachments and full-of-baloney indictments to do what? To stop one man, to stop our man from being president of the United States,” McMaster said.

Gov. Henry McMaster praised former President Donald Trump Monday at a campaign event held in Summerville.

Dorchester County deputies said earlier on Monday that Trump’s visit to Summerville would cause delays on Highway 78 from Summerville east of Berlin G. Myers Parkway to Jedburg Road at Mallard Road. Drivers in the area are asked to search for alternate routes if they don’t live or work along Highway 78 and are encouraged to use other entrances to neighborhoods in the area.

Traffic delays are expected to last through about 5 p.m. Monday but the delays could be extended.

Dorchester County deputies are warning of traffic delays ahead of former President Donald Trump’s visit to the Lowcountry.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Get ready for a taste of Italy right in the heart of Historical Downtown Summerville. The 2023 Summerville Italian Feast is back, and it promises to be an unforgettable day of cultural celebration, delicious cuisine and community togetherness. The event, which started in 2012 with 11 vendors, has grown to 87 vendors this year.

The 2023 Summerville Italian Feast is 11-a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at Hutchinson Square in downtown Summerville.

“Indulge your senses in the rich flavors of Italy as we pay tribute to Italian-American heritage,” according to a press release. “With over 87 local craft and food booths, as well as a delectable lineup of food trucks, you can savor your favorite Italian dishes just like mama used to make. From mouthwatering pasta dishes to scrumptious cannoli and everything in between, your taste buds are in for a treat.”

In addition to the food, the 2023 Summerville Italian Feast will showcase the talent of students from Dorchester District 2 schools who will entertain the crowd with performances.

One of the more significant aspects of this event is its charitable mission. All proceeds from the Summerville Italian Feast will benefit the Dorchester School District 2 Educational Foundation. Your attendance and participation in this celebration will directly contribute to educational programs and initiatives within the community.

The Dorchester District Two Board of Trustees voted Monday, Sept. 25, on the recommended process to follow over the next several months to rezone school attendance boundaries beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

“The natural question would be why is this process necessary in Dorchester School District 2,” said Dr. Shane Robbins, superintendent of Dorchester District 2. “The simple explanation is our strong academic reputation and our community’s appealing quality of life means we have welcomed thousands of new families in a short amount of time.”

Robbins said new growth and housing developments in part of Dorchester County have produced increased enrollments in some of the district’s facilities and now require the board and administration to consider setting new attendance zones to relieve overcrowding at Beech Hill Elementary, Sand Hill Elementary and William Reeves Elementary. Additionally, East Edisto Middle School, Ashley Ridge High School and Summerville High School are nearing capacity.

“The overcrowding at these locations just happens to coincide with a lower enrollment in other portions of Dorchester School District 2,” Robbins said. “We will rezone attendance boundaries because crowded classrooms create unsafe environments and make it difficult to provide the high-quality education that is a cornerstone of our community. We also understand the importance of maximizing our resources (facilities) for the taxpayers of Dorchester County.”

Several key dates have been identified as part of the rezoning process over the next year:

Nov. 7-14 – public engagement: District officials will collect feedback and answer questions during public meetings and an online process.

Dec. 11 – board meeting for public engagement: The meeting agenda will include a public comment opportunity and the results from the public engagement in November.

Jan. 8, 2024 – final board vote: Anticipated board vote on the recommended map for rezoned school attendance boundaries.

Summer 2024 – rezoning takes effect: The new maps for K-12 school attendance boundaries will determine where students are zoned to attend school based on their home addresses.

Visit www.ddtwo.org/rezone for more information. Robbins said the website will be updated as the rezoning process moves forward.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Some businesses say prioritizing a sense of place in the town of Summerville is most important and sometimes that means new development, despite what some people might think.

Dorchester County has a proposed plan to turn 500 N. Main St., also known as their main county building, into a hotel, retail spaces, a parking garage and more.

Some businesses located in the heart of Summerville, like Eva’s Restaurant, think change is about time.

“If we don’t have growth, we don’t have a future,” general manager Tina Howard said.

Eva’s Restaurant has been serving the town since 1944. With the proposed development, Howard says she’s not worried about competition.

“I think it would benefit us as a small business with, you know, bringing in tourists,” Howard said. “...I don’t feel it would hurt us personally because we have such a strong, established business.”

Diane Frankenberger, the owner of People, Places & Quilts, says she’s watched Summerville grow for over 30 years. She says with the old post office as the new public works art center, the old Coca-Cola company as the new YMCA and an old hardware store as her own business, she believes both the county and town councils prioritize preservation.

“You have to go forward with the future,” Frankenberger said. “We still can’t have the same houses around here and the old town hall and no computers and blah blah blah. And so, it’s keeping a sense of place, but moving forward with an eye towards the future.”

The county has already approved plans to preserve part of the county building, which once was the old hospital, and improve the current Veteran’s monument.

“I think when people are calling names or say, ‘Don’t do something,’ let’s wait and see and work together and make the best use of what we’ve got there,” Frankenberger said.

Howard says she wants her 6-year-old grandson to be able to experience a flourishing Summerville, just like she has all her life.

“A lot of people complain about the growth and ‘People will stop coming here, we’re full, don’t come here,’” Howard said. “Without growth, we don’t have a future. The future is growth.”

Frankenberger says she’s ready to move forward.

“No more gas on the fire,” Frankenberger said. “Let’s put water on the fire.”

Dorchester County provided the following statement about the proposed plan:

Dorchester County is looking forward to having greater capacity and flexibility to complete the following projects from fee revenues of the redevelopment:

Funding to preserve the façade of the old hospital building.

A new civic park and improvements to the Veterans Memorial.

An additional $8 Million in funding to DD2 schools to supplement $2 Million from the TIF.

Provide $20 Million in funding for a Community Recreation Facility in the Summerville area.

Provide $2 Million in additional funding for streetscaping and improvements to Main Street and Cedar Street.

Provide credits for workforce housing for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and first responders within the multi-family development for at least 15 years.

A modern County office building and additional Class A Office Space in the downtown area.

A new downtown hotel and restaurant to provide much-needed retail and hospitality amenities in the downtown area.

Create additional parking by providing for the construction of a parking garage in the downtown area.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – Summerville unveiled its new drone program on Wednesday but some in the community are not thrilled about the new public safety initiative.

The town held a live demonstration for the new drone program, during which a man said he had some questions and concerns related to how money would be allocated along with privacy issues.

“You read in the newspaper and different things about how bigger cities are defunding their public safety department. Well, I want to say this- we are not defunding our public safety department, we’re funding them,” said Summerville Mayor Ricky Waring during Wednesday’s event.

Summerville presented two new drones, which make up the town’s first drone program. They plan to use them for search and rescue missions.

Mayor Waring even mentioned how they could help locate a missing child much faster, possibly preventing tragedies similar to a drowning that happened earlier this year.

But one gentleman in the audience spoke up and asked Mayor Waring for more specific numbers. How much is the town currently paying to use helicopters in searches versus how much will the new drone program cost?

“I was fire chief for 25 years … and we’ve called in helicopters numerous times over the 25 years, numerous times,” he said in response to the man.

“Well give me, numerous is just a very broad term,” the man responded. “It’s squishy, doesn’t mean anything.”

“What do you want?” Mayor Waring asked.

“I want specifics, I want once every six months we call in a helicopter and that helicopter cost $50,000 and this drone program is worth $1,000. You know, something in that realm would be actually real specific information,” the man said.

When Mayor Waring said the man didn’t understand public safety, words got a bit heated.

“He doesn’t understand public safety,” said Mayor Waring during the demonstration.

“I tell you what, thank God you’re not running again,” he replied.

The town’s operator also flew the two drones on demonstration flights to show everyone its capabilities. The drones have technology on them to help find people at night.

Drone operators said with the two batteries they have, they can keep the drone in the air for at least an hour and a half, but since the drone battery could be recharged, it could basically be used for many hours in a row if needed.

A large Berkeley County tract near the Summerville area’s industrial real estate epicenter recently sold for nearly $17 million.

Rushmark Properties paid $16.8 million in late May for about 300 acres along Interstate 26 southwest of Jedburg Road and north of Dawson Branch Road, according to public land records.

The largest chunk of land in the transaction — about 263 acres — was sold by North Charleston Lands Corp. for about $15.3 million. A group of smaller adjoining parcels made up the remainder of the deal.

The property is just west of a parcel off Woodhill Patch Lane near Jedburg Road that was sold for $5.75 million in October to an affiliate of Camping World.

A representative of Rushmark did not respond to a request for comment about the plans for its newly acquired property.

The Falls Church, Va.-based firm has been active in the local market for years. Among Rushmark’s previous commercial real estate holdings was a part ownership with Charleston developer and investor Frank Haygood in the S.H. Kress & Co. building at 281 King St. on the peninsula. They sold the art deco-style structure for $19.5 million in 2019.

Now open

A new apartment development is now open on the Charleston peninsula.

Quarterra Multifamily, a subsidiary of single-family homebuilding giant Lennar Corp., and Cresset Partners last week announced the completion of the 303-unit Cormac Apartments where Morrison Drive meets Meeting Street Road.

Real Estate

The rental complex has studio to two-bedroom apartments with monthly rates ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Residents have access to a controlled-access, three-story, above-grade garage as well as on-street parking and 19 electric-vehicle charging stations.

The complex also features an eighth-floor rooftop terrace with a butler kitchen. Three elevated courtyards can be found on the fourth floor, including one with a pool and clubhouse.

Cormac also includes 13,068 square feet of retail space and a pair of public ground-level courtyards. The moniker comes from the birth name of 18th-century pirate Anne Bonny, who may have lived in Charleston as a child.

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New builder

The company behind a Berkeley County tract as big as the Charleston peninsula is adding its own homebuilder to the lineup of companies already doing business at the site.

Brookfield Residential, which acquired Newland, the former developer of the 5,000-acre Nexton project near Summerville in 2021, plans to build a new collection of townhomes in the mixed-use community as its first project in South Carolina.

The builder is an affiliate of Brookfield Properties, which invests in logistics, hospitality and retail assets. Among its holdings is Columbiana Centre in the Midlands.

The Nexton townhomes will be built in the Midtown neighborhood. The 1,600-square-foot, two-story, three-bedroom properties will be priced starting in the mid-$300,000s.

They also can be outfitted with extra driveway space and a one- or two-car garage. Pre-sales will begin mid-summer with a model residence opening later this year.