Women's Clothing Boutique in North Mount Pleasant, SC

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – A proposed retail village in North Mt. Pleasant is raising concerns for some residents nearby.

Plans for the nearly 15-acre property located across Highway 17 from Oakland Market and Lowes include a racquet club with tennis and pickleball courts, retail, restaurants, office space, and a luxury pet boarding facility.

Developers say it will add to the livability in town.

A proposal and results of an impact assessment were presented to the town’s planning committee on Tuesday.

“The primary anchor of this is going to be a racquet facility,” said Mt. Pleasant Councilman Jake Rambo. “A racquetball, tennis facility which I think will be a great addition to the Town of Mt. Pleasant.”

But Mayor Will Haynie says the current proposal is different from the original plan that was presented to Mt. Pleasant Town Council a few years ago.

“These other things, all though there was a small retail component of that, the dog kennel and all that is new. And what we saw today is the tennis center, which is why we originally brought it into the town, is not in phase 1 that’s in phase 2,” said Mayor Haynie. “How do we know that we’ll ever even have the tennis because now the dog kennel and the retail are phase one and that’s a very different thing than I voted for when we brought into the town years ago.”

The pet boarding facility is raising concerns from the church next door, The Church at LifePark.

“We’re very concerned with the nuisance noise of dogs,” said Robbie Wiksell, a church member.

He describes the church campus as a quiet refuge away from a busy town and believes the pet facility will negatively impact that.

“We’re concerned we’re being set up to be continuously annoyed and in conflict with the dog development. We will then be in conflict with the town continuously asking for relief,” said Wiksell.

He hopes that town leaders will reconsider the location of the pet facility to be as far from the church as possible.

The developer switched the outdoor kennel portion of the boarding facility to the other side of the building further from the church, but both Mayor Haynie and Councilmember Rambo say the livability impact needs to be looked at further before the plans are set in stone.

“We have to look hard at what’s the buffer? What’s the placement of something like a kennel that could generate a lot of noise for a church next door,” questioned the mayor.

The planning committee approved the impact assessment and moved to push the proposal forward to be heard in front of the full town council next Tuesday, July 12.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — One Awendaw woman is launching a new company with the goal of bringing new services to her community.

Awendaw is a small quiet rural city next to Mount Pleasant, but for people like Stacia McNeil Dawson it's better known as "home."

“Being out in the country, born and raised, which I love and I see that everybody else is starting to love it as well,” McNeil Dawson said.

But the beauty of a small rural town comes at a cost.

“Growing [up], born and raised in Awendaw, I’ve noticed that we always lack,” McNeil Dawson said.

Cities like Awendaw don’t have county-sponsored resources when it comes to maintenance or sanitation like many other areas do. So for many basic necessities, residents are pushed towards private services which, according to residents, may be unreliable or have such a large service area that these rural cities may get over looked.

“We are the last to have anything available or otherwise any type of services funding or even programs,” McNeil Dawson said.

One of those resources McNeil Dawson says the lack: trash services.

“Just to see when you go out and visit other relatives, and they have all these type of services come into their community, and you come back home and you see that we don't have it, it makes you feel like why don't we have it? It makes us feel like, well, maybe we're not worthy to have it or maybe they just don't want to cater to us," McNeil Dawson said.

Instead of accepting her fate, McNeil Dawson decided to get up and do something about it.

“In order to make a difference in the world, we must start [at] home first. Community is number one, " she said.

McNeil Dawson decided to create her own sanitation service company specifically for Awendaw and the surrounding rural areas in the North Mount Pleasant area.

What started out as a vision five years ago turned into a full blow operation set to open next week. McNeil Dawson took the an unconventional route to get there.

“Typically, every day in both of my vehicles is full with anything on sanitation," she said.

She's a true self starter who built this business using her own money- raising almost a quarter of a million dollars in total- her own time and her own resources to put together trucks and commercial vehicles.

From rolling trash cans down the street to now just being days away from the rollout of her business– it’s been a long journey.

But for McNeil Dawson, her purpose is much larger than just trash clean-up.

“I believe Awendaw Sanitation services will be the door to start opening up new opportunities, to bring out more resources and just to give more to the rural areas," she said.

She hopes the road she took to get to this point will inspire others to do the same.

“It's going to take us if we see the need, it's going to take us to make that change," she said.

Awendaw sanitation company will provide household trash cleanup services to Awendaw, McClellanville, Huger, North Santee, Buck Hall and North Mount Pleasant starting on August 2.

McNeil Dawson said they are currently running a promotion for signups before their start date next week and are also looking for more employees– specifically for anyone with a CDL license.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – After dealing with a global pandemic for more than two years, the Charleston community is brimming with activities to help you celebrate our country’s independence.

While the weather may be a little dicey at times, with rain plaguing the weekend forecast, things look to be mostly dry on Monday. So, you can expect most fireworks shows to blast off without issue.

Below, you’ll find a complete guide to all local events to help you celebrate Independence Day.

Heading to the beaches? ‘Salute From the Shore’ returns to the South Carolina coast. Beachgoers can enjoy F-16s from McEntire Joint National Guard Base as well as C-17s out of Joint Base Charleston as they fly over the beach between 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Pawleys Island: F-16s around 1:06 p.m., followed by C-17s around 1:14 p.m.

Isle of Palms: F-16s around 1:15 p.m., followed by C-17s around 1:29 p.m.

Charleston Harbor: F-16s around 1:16 p.m., followed by C-17s around 11:32 p.m.

Folly Beach: F-16s around 1:20 p.m., followed by C-17s around 1:35 p.m.

Edisto Island: F-16s around 1:24 p.m., followed by C-17s around 1:41 p.m.

FOLLY BEACH

Celebrate the 4^th of July with fireworks on Folly Beach. The fireworks begin at sundown and will be visible anywhere on Folly Beach.

Fireworks will be launched from 3^rd Block West – leaders say the parking area and beach area at 3^rd Block West will be closed to visitors from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. and a beach sweep will be conducted immediately following the show to remove any debris.

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND

Enjoy a 4^th of July golf cart and bike parade, which begins at Sunrise Presbyterian Church and ends at Sullivan’s Island Elementary School and begins shortly after 8:30 a.m.

The Independence Day party at the park and fireworks will return after a multi-year absence. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.; guests should bring a chair or blanket. Music will be provided by the Shem Creek Boogie Band and fireworks will begin at 9:00 p.m.

No dogs will be allowed in the park at the time of the show and alcohol will not be prohibited.

ISLE OF PALMS

A golf cart parade will take place at 10:00 a.m. and the city’s firework show will happen at 9:00 p.m. at the Front Beach area.

KIAWAH ISLAND

Celebrate Independence Day at Night Heron Park with a bike parade and fireworks show! Festivities include live music, carnival games, inflatables, and a watermelon eating contest. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m.

Food and beverage tickets will be on sale at the park starting at 4:00 p.m. Admission to the festival is free, no coolers are allowed.

MOUNT PLEASANT

There are two events happening on July 4 in the Town of Mount Pleasant. Ticketed guests will have a grand view of fireworks from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown for their annual ‘Fireworks Blast.’ Those who did not secure a ticket can bring their lawn chairs and blankets to watch the firework show for free on the landside.

Guests watching landside can enjoy live music, and access to more than a dozen food trucks and fireworks show above Charleston Harbor after sundown.

Parking will be $20 per vehicle.

Meanwhile, the Uncle Sam Jam will take place at the Mount Pleasant Pier. Live music from Dave Landeo and The Sol Beats will begin at 7:30 p.m., plus you’ll have a great view of the fireworks.

CHARLESTON

Enjoy America’s pastime at The Joe! This is the first time the RiverDogs have played a home game on the 4th of July since 2018. Ballpark guests can enjoy a game, beginning at 6:35 p.m., followed by fireworks.

The South Carolina Aquarium will host perfect viewing of fireworks over Charleston Harbor. The Aquarium’s ‘Sea Stars and Stripes’ is a family-friendly and all-inclusive event with cookout fare, beer and wine, and more. Bring a chair or blanket to watch fireworks over the Aquarium decks. The event begins at 7:00 p.m.

NORTH CHARLESTON

The City of North Charleston’s annual Fourth of July Festival will take place at Riverfront Park from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

There will be live music and nearly 30 food trucks at the event. Fireworks will begin at 9:00 p.m.

Entry and parking will be free to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets as seating will not be provided.

Those attending will not be allowed into the park until 5:00 p.m., all bags will be searched, and no grills will be allowed in the park during the festival. Guests cannot bring sparklers or outside fireworks to the event.

GOOSE CREEK

The City of Goose Creek’s annual Independence Day celebration and fireworks show, Fabulous Fourth in the Creek, is set for Monday, July 4th.

The event, which takes place at the Goose Creek Municipal Park, will include live music, food and alcohol vendors, and free activities for children.

Admission and parking are free; however, parking is limited so city leaders ask people to carpool when possible. Outside fireworks, sparklers, or alcohol are prohibited.

SUMMERVILLE

Summerville’s Fireworks and Freedom Festival will take place at Gahagan Park from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Admission is free. The family-friendly event will include live music, food, drinks, fireworks, a kid’s zone, and plenty of fun.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, umbrellas, and water. You can bring small lunch box-sized personal coolers; however, large coolers are not allowed. Neither are pets, tents, or personal fireworks, grills, or alcohol.

EVENT PARKING DETAILS:

Onsite parking at Gahagan Park is extremely limited. Handicapped parking will be available directly next to the event in the front lot located off of W. Boundary St. Additional parking is also available in the open field behind the Gahagan Park Playground (enter from and exit onto W. Boundary St.). Parking is not permitted along Butler St. or W. Boundary St. Attendees are encouraged to carpool to the event or park offsite and ride the shuttles provided.

SHUTTLE INFO: Shuttles will run on a constant loop between one offsite parking location and Gahagan Park starting at 5 p.m. and continuing through 10 p.m.

Shuttle Stop Location: Summerville Town Hall Parking Lot, 200 S. Main St. The shuttle will pick up/ drop off near the fountain area of the Town Hall Parking Lot. You can park in the garage or anywhere else in Downtown Summerville and walk to meet the shuttle at this stop.

A national home furnishings brand with independently owned locations is ready to welcome customers into a big-box space left empty in Mount Pleasant last year by an office supply chain.

Ashley HomeStore will open Jan. 28 in the 30,116-square-foot retail store vacated by Office Depot in May at 1491 U.S. Highway 17 in the Walmart-anchored Wando Crossing Shopping Center. A grand opening celebration is planned for Feb. 26.

Work crews have been busy over the past week or so stocking the store and setting up displays, according to Eric Keen, director of retail operations for Hanahan-based Parrott Group, which owns 10 other Ashley HomeStores and an Ashley Outlet location near the coast, from Savannah to Morehead City, N.C.

Parrott Group founder and CEO Burk Parrott said the company has been looking for the right space in East Cooper for about three years.

“It’s perfect,” Parrott said while sitting inside the new shop. “It’s right between Marshalls and TJ Maxx.”

That’s where a lot of the company’s customer base, mainly women, shop, he said.

Parrott added the COVID-19 outbreak also has been a boon to the furniture company.

“Our sales have been robust,” he said. “People have been sitting home and they decide they need a new sofa, plus the housing market has been unreal.”

Ashley HomeStore is based in Tampa, Fla., but the retail stores are independently owned. Parrott Group also operates another store in the Lowcountry in Centre Pointe near Tanger Outlets in North Charleston. At 50,000 square feet, it represents the company’s largest store footprint.

Parrott’s other Ashley HomeStore locations in South Carolina are in Bluffton, Myrtle Beach and Florence. The original store, Parrott’s Furniture, also is in Florence, where the founder once lived. He and wife Dawn, who serves as the company’s chief financial officer, now live on Isle of Palms.

In North Carolina, Parrott also has Ashley HomeStore shops in Greenville, Goldsboro, Jacksonville and Shallotte, as well as an Ashley Outlet store in Greenville.

Keen pointed out the Mount Pleasant location will offer more upscale merchandise with the largest selection of mattresses of any of the company’s stores. He also said Parrott Group plans to expand the Ashley Outlet concept to the Charleston area in the future.

There are 711 Ashley HomeStores in the United States. Other independently owned locations in the Palmetto State include three in Columbia and one each in Anderson, Greenville, Spartanburg and Sumter.

Its parent company is Ashley Furniture Industries of Arcadia, Wis., but the stores aren’t affiliated with the Midwest company other than as a licensee that sells its products, Keen said.

Hours at the new location will be 10 a.m.-8 p.m. each day except Sunday, when the store will be open noon-6 p.m.

Other national retailers operating in Wando Crossing near Interstate 526 include Michael’s, Petco, Five Below and Total Wine & More.

Now serving

A new restaurant has taken over a vacant dining space in Summerville.

Kairos Mediterranean opened in mid-January in part of the former Sticky Fingers site at 1200 N. Main St.

It’s the sixth location for Kairos and the third in the Charleston area, with others in Mount Pleasant and West Ashley.

The chain also operates other locations in Columbia, Greenville and Simpsonville. The first restaurant outside of South Carolina will open in Tallahassee, Fla., in the spring.

The restaurant offers grain bowls, salads, platters, pitas, sides and spreads for a variety of dietary preferences, without preservatives or additives.

Owner Cary Chastain said he is “beyond excited” to open the new restaurant in the growing Charleston suburb. Hours of operation are 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The front part of the former Sticky Fingers venue is being transformed into a restaurant called Azul Mexicano, according to Summerville planning director Jessi Shuler. An opening date has not been announced.

Azul’s other locations are on James Island and in North Charleston.

What’s cooking?

A restaurant that got its start in 1997 on Charleston’s upper peninsula is now partially open near where it first launched.

Kickin’ Chicken on Jan. 26 started offering take-out and delivery orders from 4-10 p.m. at 45 Romney St., according to co-owner Chip Roberts.

The dining room is expected to open in a couple of weeks, tentatively the week of Feb. 7, but that could change, Roberts said.

“We’re taking this time to get familiar with the kitchen layout and make sure we are as ready as we can be before inviting guests to join us,” he said.

He added the restaurant wants to firm up staffing and handle last-minute punch list items before opening the venue to inside dining.

Originally located on nearby Morrison Drive, the Charleston-based restaurant chain moved to King Street in 1999, but closed the downtown site in 2020 and announced plans to relocate on the peninsula. Chucktown Brewery and Chucktown Grub are now open in the former Kickin’ Chicken site at 337 King.

The chain operates four other locations throughout the region, in Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville and West Ashley.

Trekking north

The Tattooed Moose closed its restaurant on the Charleston peninsula Jan. 23 and will reopen in North Charleston on Feb. 8.

The watering hole and live music venue is moving from 1137 Morrison Drive to 4845 Chateau Ave., one block off East Montague Avenue in the Park Circle area.

The upper peninsula restaurant opened in 2010 but decided last summer a larger location was needed.

A New Jersey-based retailer with a shop in Charleston has expanded its presence in the Lowcountry.

Garden State Tile recently opened an 8,000-square-foot warehouse and sales service center at 2220 Technical Parkway in North Charleston. It offers pick-up and delivery options and is open to the public.

The new warehouse and sales center brings the company’s footprint to 16 sites, including a shop at 519 E. Bay St. on the peninsula.

Garden State Tile operates one other South Carolina location in Columbia.

Night moves

The Charleston City Market is accepting applications through 1 p.m. Feb. 4 for its Night Market.

The evening offshoot began as an artisan/handcrafted event in 2013. It now has more than 200 various artists represented.

The Night Market is set up 6:30-10:30 p.m. March 19 through Dec. 30 between Church and East Bay streets each Friday and Saturday and occasionally on Thursday and Sunday evenings.

Applications are available at thecharlestoncitymarket.com.

A Mount Pleasant retail center where a new outdoor gear store plans to open will soon see a new restaurant. Two other new dining spots are in the works across the Charleston region as well.

Pasture & Grain plans to open in July at 1701 Shoremeade Road in the Indigo Square Shopping Center on U.S. Highway 17 where national sporting goods retailer REI announced this week plans to open in the fall in the former GreenWise Market grocery store space.

The restaurant is taking over the space vacated in May by Blaze Pizza, which closed after three years. A sign on the door says Blaze is relocating, but the new site is not mentioned, and a company representative did not respond for comment.

Pasture & Grain owner and chef Ira Hill said the 2,800-square-foot venue will serve American fare priced from $8 to $18. Meats, vegetables, grains, hot and cold sandwiches, salads and toast with spreads are on the menu. Sous chef will be Brandon Brown.

The shopping center also saw the recent departure of gastro pub Bull & Finch, which closed in May after nine months.

What’s cooking?

Two other restaurants also are on the way to the Charleston area.

In Cainhoy, a new venue by Florie’s Dining Group is planned for 1937 Clements Ferry Road, Unit B, beside Dog & Duck restaurant and bar.

“My concept has changed since I purchased the place in January,” said Brannon Florie. “Honestly, I’m still between two concepts. The space is small, so I am trying to make the best use of the space and still capitalize on what we are missing out here. I’ve lived on Clements Ferry for about eight years now.”

He’s leaning toward calling it Po Boy — Southern Refuge and Bar.

Florie doesn’t have an opening date, but he is eyeing the end of summer for a launch.

Florie’s Dining Group includes Pier 41 and The Basement in northern Mount Pleasant and Florie’s at Commonhouse Aleworks in North Charleston.

Florie said he’s considering a couple of other concepts for the northern side of the Charleston area but has nothing to announce.

Also on the way is a new restaurant in a former Pizza Hut in Goose Creek.

Pho Bowl LLC recently applied for a beer and wine license at 142 St. James Ave., Suite D, beside Food Lion supermarket. An opening date has not been announced.

Driving costs

South Carolina drivers can count on doling out even more more for the already-exorbitant cost of gasoline, starting in July.

The state’s gas tax will rise by 2 cents a gallon next month, the last of six annual increases passed by the General Assembly in 2017 to help pay for road, bridge and infrastructure construction.

The 2-cent tack-on will boost the tax to 28 cents per gallon.

Drivers in the Palmetto State are paying an average of $4.54 a gallon as of June 8, according to online fuel information provider GasBuddy. That’s up $1.76 from last year at this time. The national average is $4.97 per gallon, up $1.90 from one year ago.

The higher price of fuel is partially the result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prices were already rising before the war.

Now serving

Toast! All Day is now open with a second location in downtown Charleston.

Charleston Hospitality Group recently opened the sixth Toast location in the Lowcountry at 453 King St. in the former Monza pizzeria, which closed in February after a 13-year run.

Along with Southern comfort food offerings, the restaurant has incorporated the original wood-fired ovens to offer pizza as well. The menu also features seafood baskets, salads and sandwiches, as well as drink specials and artisan coffee selections.

The other downtown Toast is at 155 Meeting St. Two others are in Mount Pleasant, with one each in Summerville and West Ashley.

The restaurant group also includes Eli’s Table, Queology, John King Bar & Grill, all in Charleston, and Honky Tonk Saloon in Ladson.

Relocated

Skatell’s Manufacturing Jewelers of West Ashley has moved to a new location.

The jewelry store is now at 821 Orleans Road after moving from 1798 Ashley River Road, according to owners Nan Butler and husband Jason, who also own the store in Mount Pleasant.

The scoop

Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor will host the grand opening of its new location in West Ashley on June 10 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an ice cream special all day.

Officials will snip the ribbon at 11 a.m., and small cups of ice cream in 32 flavors will be offered all day for 99 cents at the new restaurant at 1319 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. in Ashley Landing Shopping Center.