Granite Countertops in St. Stephen, SC

Today, President Biden announced that Stephen Benjamin will serve as Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement. In this role, Benjamin will oversee the White House Office of Public Engagement, which works at the local, state, and national levels to ensure community leaders, diverse perspectives, and new voices have the opportunity to inform the work of the President in an inclusive, transparent and responsible way.

Statement from President Biden: “Mayor Benjamin is a longtime public servant, who has served the people of South Carolina for over two decades statewide and as a three-term mayor of Columbia. As a former President of both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association, Steve’s deep relationships with communities across the country will serve our Administration and the American public well.

As mayor of Columbia, Steve focused on the economic development of Main Street, job creation and maintaining a just, diverse, and trusted law enforcement department. He understands what Americans across the country expect and deserve from their government.

Under Keisha’s leadership, the Office of Public Engagement has kept equity at the heart of our agenda, and continues to serve as the connective tissue between our Administration and everyday Americans who may not have a voice to reach Washington otherwise. I have leaned on Keisha as a close advisor with exceptional instincts, and I am grateful to her for serving our nation with honor and integrity. I wish her the best as she returns home to Atlanta to be with her family.”

Stephen Benjamin, Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement

Steve Benjamin served as Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina from 2010 to 2021. He served as the 76th President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2018 to 2019 and as President of the African American Mayors Association from 2015 to 2016. He currently serves as President & CEO of The Benjamin Firm, LLC.

Benjamin has also been Executive Chairman of Municipal Bonds for America, a member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, and a member of the Accelerator for America Advisory Council.

Prior to his service as mayor, Benjamin served in South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges’ cabinet as the Chief Executive of the state’s second largest law enforcement agency, the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. Benjamin has been a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Affordable Housing Advisory Council, and Co-Chair of the Sierra Club’s Mayors for 100% Clean Energy. He was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2017 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Public Official for his leadership during an October 2015 flood.

Benjamin began his public service career in Columbia as student body president of the University of South Carolina and later as Student Bar Association President at the USC School of Law.

Once again St Stephens college and Delhi University (DU) are at loggerheads with each other over the admission process. The DU VC Yogesh Singh said that the CUET admission process will be followed 100 per cent in all colleges that include St Stephen’s as well.

“We are in talks with St Stephen’s college we believe this time they should not have any issue in carrying out the admission process the way it is stated in the university prospectus. Last time they conducted interviews only for minority students this time there will be no interview for either non-minority or minority students,” Singh told News18.com.

Also read| Delhi University Gears Up to Prevent ‘hooliganism’ During Holi

However, St Stephen’s College has a different take on the issue. “The matter is in SC. We will deal with it there. I don’t know how can someone take such calls when the matter is sub judice. We will do what the court will ask us to do,” principal John Verghese told News18.com.

Last year in April, St Stephen’s college issued a circular stating that it will provide admissions based on the 85:15 (CUET: interview) formula for all seat categories. The Delhi University at that point informed St Stephen’s that any admission made by it in violation of CUET guidelines will be declared null and void. The university, also stated there could not be a separate admission process for one college when the other 62 were taking only the CUET score into account for admission.

St Stephen’s College later moved Delhi high court, which ruled in favour of the university. The court directed the college to issue a fresh admission prospectus and give 100 per cent weightage to the CUET score. The college further challenged the order in the Supreme Court which directed the college to conduct admission for the general category on the basis of CUET score and can take interviews of minority students for the reserved seat.

However, this time the Delhi University VC says that there will no interviews for the general or minority category students. Though the Supreme Court had dismissed the petition filed by St Stephen’s in October last year, the college says the matter is still in the court and a decision will be taken based on what the court says.

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The North Carolina and South Carolina Synods have affirmed Pastor Ruth Ann Sipe and Pastor Ray Sipe to serve in a shared position as disaster coordinators and network builders for both the synods.

Pastor Ruth Ann Sipe has worked as a construction estimator, project manager and manufacturing customer service manager. She was active in the NC Synodical Women’s Organization, serving on the NC SWO Board and as a delegate to two triennial gatherings.

She graduated from Montreat College with a B.B.A. in 1998, and from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary with an Master of Divinity degree in 2008. She also received a spiritual direction certification from LTSS in 2022.

She has served the NC Synod congregations of Becks, Lexington; Mt. Zion, Richfield; and St. Stephen’s, Gold Hill. She has served on the NC Synod stewardship team and the planning team for the Lutheran and Moravian Women in Ministry retreat.

She spends her spare time knitting or crocheting.

Pastor Ray Sipe has worked as a hardware and software engineer, customer service manager and in international sales. He is a life member of NC Lutheran Men in Mission.

He graduated from Illinois Central College with a degree in electrical engineering technology in 1983 and from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary with an Master of Divinity degree in 2008.

He has served the NC Synod congregations of Becks, Lexington; Prince of Peace, Salisbury; Mt. Gilead, Mt. Pleasant; and St. Martin, Concord. He has also served as Chaplain for Trinity Place in Albemarle.

He has served on the synod’s team for specialized ministry and as president of the Stanly County Ministerial Network. He also has served as president of the Stanly County Amateur Radio Club.

Together, during seminary, they spent January 2006 as volunteers with Lutheran Disaster Response following Hurricane Katrina at Christus Victor, Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

They returned to the Gulf Coast to serve their internship year (2006-07) with LDR in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and St. Paul’s in Mobile, Alabama.

As their internship project, they developed a program on personal and congregational preparedness which they offered to ELCA congregations in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

They have two children and six grandchildren — including a set of twins and a set of triplets — all of whom reside in South Carolina.

A regional restaurant chain that offers Latin and Asian flavors will open a new location in the heart of downtown Lexington.

TakoSushi is planning a new restaurant on the property at the northwest corner of West Main and Church streets in Lexington. That’s a site that was once being considered for the Navy Yard Biergarten and Restaurant, before that project was called off last year.

James Williams, president of TakoSushi’s ownership group, said the restaurant is aiming for a summer opening in Lexington.

If looking at the property from Main Street, TakoSushi would occupy the brick building in the back corner of the property, separated from the larger main building that is on the corner of the site at 102 West Main.

This is the second business in recent months that has announced plans to open at the property at West Main and Church. Wine bar Molto Vino, which currently has a spot in Forest Acres, said in December that it would develop a location at the Lexington site.

The Lexington Chronicle first reported the TakoSushi Lexington plans.

TakoSushi currently has locations in Columbia, Greenville, Aiken and the Augusta area. The restaurant has a menu that offers sushi and other Asian dishes, as well as tacos, nachos and other Latin-inspired favorites.

“We’ve got a great, diverse menu,” Williams said. “We’ve even got a cheeseburger on the menu. We have a lot of stuff that is really approachable and makes it really easy. We have great children’s options, as well. It’s great for families. That’s part of why we love the concept.”

Williams said TakoSushi will have indoor and outdoor dining in Lexington.

The site at West Main and Church streets in Lexington was in 2021 part of a contentious debate between the then-planned Navy Yard Biergarten and neighboring St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. The beer garden would have been a multi-faceted facility that would have occupied 11,000 square feet of outdoor dining and 8,000 square feet for indoor dining, with weekend brunches and an outdoor stage.

St. Stephen’s formally protested the alcohol licenses for the beer garden, and the issue was heard in administrative law court. Judge Shirley Robinson eventually ruled in December 2021 that the beer garden could get its alcohol licenses. However, in April 2022, officials with the Navy Yard called off the project at the Main Street location, citing inflation, rising costs and supply chain issues.

The additions of TakoSushi and Molto Vino to Lexington’s Main Street will continue the trend of a culinary corridor for the area. Other restaurants very close by include Keg Cowboy, Nicky’s Pizzeria, Craft Axe Throwing, O’Hara’s Public House, Bodhi Thai Dining and Alodia’s, among others.

“We love it,” Williams said. “We want some density of options nearby. I don’t want you to come eat at TakoSushi seven days a week. But, if you come see us one day a week and go to the other places on other days, then that’s great. We want to be part of the rotation. We think having that density there is an advantage to all of us.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2023, 5:30 AM.

A chef who claims he injured his knee when he allegedly slipped and fell on stairs at the five-star Shelbourne Hotel has settled a High Court action.

Arkadiusz Perzyna had been carrying a tray of shallot and carrot puree to a basement kitchen at the luxury hotel in St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, when he claims he tripped and fell forward down four steps.

His counsel, Gabriel Gavigan SC instructed by Maguire McClafferty solicitors, told Ms Justice Carmel Stewart on the second day of the hearing on Friday the matter had been compromised and could be struck out.

When the case opened, Mr Gavigan told the court the 45-year old sous chef now can’t run after he suffered a nasty tear injury to his knee.

Counsel said it was their case that that there had been multiple previous complaints by co-workers in advance of the fall about the condition of the stairs. Counsel said when his side sought discovery of documents from the hotel side in relation to those complaints, there were no documents of previous complaints and CCTV did not cover the part of the stairs where the sous chef allegedly fell.

The hotel, counsel said, contended the chef could have used the lift but the sous chef was too busy and guests, patrons and other employees all used the lift, Mr Gavigan said.

Arkadiusz Perzyna of Annfield Lawn, Castleknock, Dublin, had sued Torriam Hotel Operating Company Ltd trading as The Shelbourne Hotel, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, as a result of the alleged fall five years ago.

It was claimed that on November 11, 2018, at around 11.45am the chef was working in the kitchens of the hotel and had to make his way down to the basement kitchen.

He was carrying a tray of shallot and carrot puree and it was claimed that as he stepped down onto one of the steps his right foot got caught on what he claimed was a lip caused by a combination of an alleged defect in the step and an alleged raised defective nosing strip. He fell forward down four steps landing heavily on his knees, it was alleged.

It was claimed the steps were allegedly caused to be defective and were allegedly broken up and uneven and had alleged defective nosing strips. It was also claimed there was an alleged failure to heed multiple previous complaints from the hotel employees in the relation to the condition of the steps.

All the claims were denied and the hotel further denied that the sous chef tripped. It further denied there was a lip on the stairs which was allegedly caused by a combination of an alleged defect in the step and an alleged raised defective nosing strip on the step.

The hotel also claimed that Mr Perzyna was the alleged author of his own misfortune and had allegedly failed to pay appropriate attention while descending the stairs.

Chef sues Shelbourne Hotel claiming he fell down allegedly defective steps

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