Granite Countertops in Summerville, SC

SUMMERVILLE — Russ Touchberry will replace Ricky Waring as the town’s new mayor.

Touchberry defeated opponents Dickie Miler and Vickie Fagan with 53 percent of the vote in the Nov. 7 election.

“It’s time to get the work done, and I can’t wait to get the work done,” Touchberry said. “That’s what we’ve been looking forward to.”

Results are unofficial until certified by election officials later this week.

Waring believes Summerville is in good hands as Touchberry prepares to replace him.

“I’ve enjoyed working with him on City Council for the last few years. Russ is a thinker, he concentrates on issues and works well with everybody,” Waring said. “I think he’ll do a great job.”

Touchberry, an engineer, has served on Town Council since 2021.

Tiffany Johnson-Wilson won the District 2 seat for Town Council. She beat opponents Bill McIntosh and incumbent Terry Jenkins with 35 percent of the vote.

“I am just so thankful,” Johnson-Wilson said. “I put my heart and soul into this, and I worked day and night for this, seven days a week.”

Richard Waring, the recently retired fire chief, ran unopposed for the District 4 council seat. Incumbent Bob Jackson ran unopposed in District 6.

NORTH CHARLESTON — To continue efforts to become the Coast Guard’s “operational center of gravity” on the East Coast, officials broke ground Jan. 26 on its new $160 million campus.

This 64-acre site along the Cooper River — just south of the former naval base that closed in 1996 — will house an administration building and redesigned 1,100-foot concrete pier.

Construction is expected to begin later this year and be completed in 2026.

“This Charleston campus will have improved infrastructure that translates into more productive personnel and more efficient operations,” said Capt. Neal Armstrong, the commanding officer of facilities design and construction.

The 51,500-square-foot administration building will provide training and conference room space, and additional rooms dedicated to cutter ship support.

Sustainability is a priority, so the new facility will achieve net-zero energy usage and a net-zero carbon footprint, Armstrong said.

The current Pier November will be replaced with a pier more than three feet taller to enhance durability during coastal storms. It will provide utilities to support five national security cutters and a 90-ton crane, which is critical for dockside maintenance, Armstrong said.

During the design and construction phases nearly 60 subcontractors will support the two main contractors on the project, Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and RQ Construction LLC, providing work for nearly 900 people.

Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan, who spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, said every Coast Guard mission begins and ends at a shore facility. When the ships are not at sea, they need a base that can provide necessary maintenance, she added.

The missions conducted at Base Charleston are vital to protecting national security and economic prosperity, Fagan said, adding that the new campus will aid in “lifesaving work,” including patrolling the waters for smuggled narcotics.

NAI Charleston broker Will Sherrod recently facilitated the sale of about 1.3 acres of land and a 5,200-square-foot former restaurant building at the corner of N. Main Street and Azalea Square Boulevard. The property was previously the Mellow Mushroom at the main entrance to the Azalea Square shopping center. It will be redeveloped by the buyer, Woodhaven Development Group LLC.

Sherrod represented the seller, Flour-Town Holdings LLC, and Micah Groeber with Atlantic Retail represented the buyer. The property sold for $4,006,250.

“The real estate along the N. Main Street corridor in Summerville continues to show significant value and demonstrates the demand for well-positioned retail assets in the market,” Sherrod said in an announcement.

Hot Properties highlights recently sold or leased commercial properties in the Charleston region. Send in your transactions using our online form. Other recent commercial real estate transactions include:

Kristen Krause of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the seller in the sale of 2,500 square feet on 1.29 acres of commercial redevelopment space at 1905 Old Trolley Road in Summerville, for $1.5 million. Michael Silverman of TSCG represented the buyer.

Lee & Associates represented the seller in the sale of just under a quarter-acre of land at 56 State St. in downtown Charleston. The property sold for $4,750,000 to SSI Fund Acquisitions LLC.

Kip Bowman and Sara Bodell of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenant, Aspen Fencing LLC, in the lease of 4,533 square feet of industrial warehouse space at 4509 Savannah Highway in Ravenel to 1667 Meeting Street LLC. Joseph Teckenburg of CCTRE represented the landlord.

Vitré Ravenel Stephens & Taylor Sekanovich of Harbor Commercial Partners represented the landlord, McDew LLC, in the lease of 1,210 square feet of retail space for Unit E at 5117 Dorchester Road in North Charleston to S. Rochelle Richardson.

Patrick Nealon of Colliers represented JP Morgan in the lease of 3,509 square feet of retail space at 1260 Appling Drive in Mount Pleasant to II Brunettes.

Markus Kastenholz of Colliers represented McNeel Properties in the purchase of 1.5 acres of land at 107 Traders Cross in Bluffton.

Robert Pratt of Re/Max Pro Realty represented the buyer, Dentvestment LLC, in the purchase of 3,337 square feet of medical space at 1709 Old Trolley Road in Summerville from 1709 Old Trolley Road LLC for $1.1 million.

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.

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.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Viewers in the Lowcountry are sharing photos of Monday’s solar eclipse, an event that isn’t expected to happen again for 21 years.

Send your photos of the solar eclipse by clicking the blue “+ Add Media” button:

Monday’s eclipse over the Lowcountry was not as dramatic as a similar eclipse back in 2017 because the Lowcountry was not within the “path of totality,” the strip stretching across North America from Mexico to Canada where spectators will be able to see the moon aligned nearly perfectly in front of the sun.

“You wouldn’t even know it happened unless we were to tell you this was going on unless you put on these glasses are able to see it yourself,” Sovine said.

The Lowcountry peaked at about 70% of the sun being blocked by the moon, but because the sun is so bright, that still won’t be enough to cause a huge difference in how bright the sky looks.

People who were in the eclipse’s path saw a twilight for nearly four-and-a-half minutes, nearly twice as long as the 2017 eclipse because the moon is closer to the earth this time around.

Live 5 First Alert Meteorologist Joey Sovine stressed the importance of using safe eye protection during the partial eclipse.

“It’s never safe to look at the sun, whether it’s a day where there’s a solar eclipse or not,” he said. Before relying on any eclipse glasses, spectators should make sure a reputable store sold them and that the product isn’t a knockoff.

Doctors warned of the potential for permanent eye damage from looking at the sun without proper protection and NASA warned people not to take photos of the eclipse with their phones because that could cause permanent damage to the camera.

The peak of the eclipse over the Lowcountry came at about 3 p.m. or so.

Astronomers said the eclipse was expected to end by about 4:25 p.m. when sunlight would be back in full force.

An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles.

Experts from NASA and scores of universities are posted along the route, poised to launch research rockets and weather balloons, and conduct experiments. The International Space Station’s seven astronauts also will be on the lookout, 270 miles up.

It will be another 21 years before the United States sees another total solar eclipse on this scale.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

A second candidate has announced his intent to seek the seat representing District 3 on Summerville Town Council.

Matt Halter, a local business owner and engineer, said he decided to run for office because he believes his resume qualifies him to tackle many of Summerville’s current problems.

“I also believe your representative should be elected by you, not appointed by a select few elitists and those currently in power,” he said. “It’s time we had more than just figureheads in our local government – we need rock-solid leaders fighting for the best interests of our town and its taxpayers.”

Halter said that, over time, Summerville’s leadership “has bloated our government to the point of dysfunction” and has “recklessly allowed developers to overrun our town, bringing with them unmanageable traffic and a maze of red tape.”

“This is not leadership; it is a failure to serve the public interest,” he said. “While I support change and growth, the growth Summerville’s leaders approve needs to be in the best interest of our town. Some development can actually add to the value of our town, while apartment home communities, for example, add major traffic concerns, overrun our schools and produce housing that is not affordable, driving up the cost of rent and home ownership.”

A resume provided to the Journal Scene by Halter shows experience in government, the private sector and as a small business owner.

“I’m not an elitist in a line of politicians – I’m a regular citizen,” he said. “It’s time to bring strength and common sense back to our council. It’s time your family’s needs outweigh the wants of a privileged few. This is not about politics as usual; it’s about restoring a government that works for its people and bridges that gap between government and its citizens so that the government is ‘of the people, by the people and for the people. We need a government that listens, acts and delivers. I’m rock-solid and here to ensure Summerville thrives for all its residents.”

Halter has been married to his wife, Donna, for 32 years. She is an elementary school teacher in Dorchester School District 2 and manages the books for their business, Benchmark LDS.

Their son, Matt Jr., is a civil engineer, and their daughter, Lauren, is a registered nurse. Matt and Donna have two grandchildren.

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Matt is a graduate of Stratford High School and The Citadel. He became a registered professional engineer, land surveyor and licensed general contractor. His career began in Charleston, where, as an engineer and stormwater superintendent, he led projects and managed a team of more than 80 employees.

Matt went to work for the town of Summerville in 1996 as the town engineer and public works director. During this time, he wrote the town’s first development standards and founded the South Carolina Association of Stormwater Managers.

Matt ventured into the private sector in 2004, applying his engineering, land surveying and project management experience as the owner and president of Benchmark LDS.

“One of my more notable contributions was the design and construction of the Summerville Miracle League field on South Laurel Street,” he said. “This project wasn’t just about building a field; it was about creating a space where everyone in the community, regardless of their abilities, could come together and enjoy the spirit of the game.”

As one of the founding board members and president of the Summerville Miracle League, Matt, along with a team of citizens, raised more than $500,000 for the field, which was a joint venture between the town and private entities, which he said showcases his ability to “lead, collaborate and deliver.”

He has served on the Dorchester County Transportation Authority and was a multiple-term member of the town’s Commercial Design Review Board.

“In every role, I have demonstrated a consistent commitment to the betterment of Summerville,” he said. “My actions and achievements speak volumes about my dedication, making me not just a candidate for the town council but a true steward of the community’s well-being and future.”