Granite Countertops in Summerville, SC

Banks Wickersham got things started with a solo homerun in the first inning and R.J. Hamilton took charge from there as Fort Dorchester claimed a 6-1 victory over Summerville May 10 during the second round of the 5A Div. I baseball playoffs.

The Patriots had a bye for the first round, but several days without competition didn’t leave them looking rusty.

“R.J. is tough to hit and he had a good game at the plate,” said Fort Dorchester coach Ronnie Sayer. “There is a reason he made the North-South All-Star Team and I feel like he gets better every day. As a team, the thing we did today that we haven’t been doing, is we hit with runners on base.”

The crosstown rivals had faced off during the final week of region play when the Patriots won two of a three-game series to secure the bye. However, in the final game of the series, the Fort failed to capitalize when it had runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded opportunity.

“Banks’ homerun kind of loosened us up today, and then when we put runners on, we were able to do some jobs and get some runs in, so while R.J. is definitely the MVP this is a good team win,” Sayer said. “I’m proud of them. With the days off they were just chomping at the bit to get back out here and then they found out they had to play those guys again, but we still came out here with that fire so it was fun to watch.”

Hamilton went the distance on the hill to improve his pitching record to 6-2 for the season. He allowed five hits and one run while striking out eight batters and only walking one. He was also 3-for-3 at the plate with a double that drove in two runs in the bottom of the third inning for a 3-0 Patriots’ lead.

Sophomore Cash Crone had an RBI triple and both junior Cannon Corder and sophomore Jansen Bohanon drove in a run. Junior Lee Lovelace also had a hit for the Patriots.

Summerville starter Jayce Stone struck out seven batters during just more than four innings on the hill, but walked five. Senior Cody Landis was 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Green Wave batters. Senior Drew Hayes had an RBI single and Chase Lewis and Jaxson Johnson also had a hit for Summerville.

The Patriots improved to 20-7 on the season while the Green Wave dropped to 20-9.

Fort Dorchester will continue play for the District 4 playoff bracket when it travels to Stratford Monday, May 12. The Knights earned the No. 2 overall seed for the Lower State while the Patriots earned the No. 3 seed. The winner of that game advances to the District Championship series that begins Friday, May 16. The loser will face an elimination game Wednesday, May 14 against the winner of the Summerville/Sumter elimination game.

“We beat Stratford earlier in the year, but it was a tight game,” Sayer said. “They are a good team. Over the past several years all our games with them have been one-run or two-run games. Their pitching is great and they hit the ball.”

Stratford was suffering though a key injury when the teams first met this season. If the Knights are healthier now it could make the rematch more difficult for the Patriots.

Summerville opened the district bracket by winning two straight games against Cane Bay. In the first game, the Wave fell behind 7-2, but pushed five runs across in the fifth to tie the score on its way to an 8-7 victory. During the second game, Summerville outhit Cane Bay 14-5 and walked away with a 15-8 victory.

The Green Wave next plays at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 12, when it hosts its elimination game with Sumter.

The sprawling mega-residential development in Summerville, slated to have upwards of 10,000 single-family houses and townhomes when fully built out, could soon see a new discount store near its entrance.

The retail giant has proposed a 171,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter on 46 acres at 2000 State Road, also known as U.S. Highway 176.

The Supercenter would include a full grocery store, garden center and a drive-through pharmacy that would serve the nearly 40,000 projected Cane Bay Plantation residents at full buildout and more.

Walmart’s application requests construction of a median turn lane and right-turn lane for easy access to the store from both Highway 176 and Fairwinds Boulevard.

According to the application, about a quarter-acre of wetlands will be filled for the development.

“At this point, it’s still in the early stages,” said Mariel Messier, communications director for Walmart’s U.S. East region. “This location is part of Walmart’s broader initiative to build or convert more than 150 stores nationwide during the next several years, bringing new jobs and infrastructure improvements to the Summerville community.”

The Cane Bay store would be the fifth Walmart in Summerville and the city's third Supercenter. The other two Supercenters are at 1317 N Main St. and 9880 Dorchester Road.

Walmart announced earlier this year it was planning to remodel its Neighborhood Market Walmart location at 10635 Dorchester Road in Summerville as part of a strategy to update 33 stores across the state.

The new Supercenter would add another Walmart in the heart of rapidly growing Berkeley County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the state with a projected population of 372,132 by 2040.

Messier said the company factors in a rapid increase in population growth, as well as other, metrics when scouting a new Supercenter location.

“We're always looking for opportunities of where a location will be most advantageous for our customers,” she said. “We're just excited to be able to serve more customers in Summerville and bring this location in.”

They built Cane Bay, and people came.

The Cane Bay Plantation master-planned development was conceived by Charleston-based Gramling Brothers Real Estate and Development. It first broke ground in 2005 on a 4,500-acre tract surrounding a lake with trail systems.

Now an expansive collection of neighborhoods, Cane Bay Plantation has undergone a population boom in the 20 years since with its own schools, library and YMCA.

Nearby, master-planned developments Nexton and Carnes Crossroads soon followed suit.

Cane Bay elementary and middle schools, which were built for 900 students each, were already over capacity by hundreds of students merely 10 years later. Cane Bay High School now has more than 2,000 students.

The community's retail area has further grown around the rooflines with a Publix grocery store, Parker’s Kitchen gas station, restaurants like Chick-Fil-A and Smoothie King, nail salons and hair studios, banks and credit unions, and a plethora of services for residents such as a veterinarian, dentist and a Roper St. Francis Physicians Network.

Equity Industrial Partners (EIP), a fully integrated, New England-based developer and operator of industrial and office assets, has completed a ground-up 384,800 SF industrial building for tenant RoadOne IntermodalLogistics at 1932 Dawson Branch Extension located in Summerville, S.C. EIP worked closely with the tenant on this build-to-suit solution for one of the largest intermodal trucking providers in North America, as well as General Contractor Frampton Construction.

“Our existing, long-standing relationship with RoadOne was a major factor in RoadOne’s choice to work with EIP on this design-build project,” said Bruce Levine, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner for Equity Industrial Partners. “Our overall plan for Kelly Branch is on target now with this first of three phases, delivered and all infrastructure improvements now in place for remaining developments.”

In June 2023, EIP acquired the Kelly Branch Tract, a vacant 95-acre parcel situated in Summerville, South Carolina. RoadOne’s building is the first of three phases planned for the site and demonstrates EIP’s commitment to delivering tailored solutions that align with tenant needs. The building consists of 100 dock doors, 1 drive-in ramp, and 5,600 SF of office space. Phase 2 is currently being permitted for an additional warehouse or manufacturing facility that will be delivered for a +/- 300,000 square foot requirement.

“We at RoadOne have enjoyed the expanding relationship we have developed with EIP. As our lead development partner on the East Coast, EIP has been highly responsive and cooperative to work with and we consider them a strong partner in our business, “ said Ken Kellaway, CEO of RoadOne.

ABOUT EQUITY INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS

Founded in 1995, Equity Industrial Partners (EIP) is a fully integrated, New England-based developer and operator of industrial and office assets. With a sustained track record of sourcing the right investment opportunities; fostering deep partnerships with tenants, investors and lenders; and attracting and retaining tenants through a superior leasing, property and facilities management platform, the company is able to translate hundreds of years of combined knowledge into the successful acquisition and development of its portfolio. EIP currently owns and manages more than 25 million square feet of property across 24 states in the continental eastern U.S. For more information, visit https://www.equityindustrial.com/.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. —

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has charged two men after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a "cartel-run" nightclub resulted in the arrests of more than 70 people.

In the early morning hours of June 1, ICE raided a nightclub run by a suspected member of the Los Zetas cartel during an operation in Summerville, South Carolina.

Los Zetas, now formally recognized as Cártel del Noreste (CDN) was formally designated a terrorist organization by the Trump administration in February 2025.

Before the operation, ICE received a tip that "El Alamo VIP", an underground illegal nightclub, was the location of weapons, narcotics, and human trafficking.

The operation led to the arrests of 72 people, including some with serious prior offenses, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Authorities said six juveniles were also recovered and turned over to state social services for protection and care.

One of the most high-profile arrests during the raid was Sergio Joel Galo-Baca. HSI said Galo-Baca is a foreign fugitive with an active Interpol Red Notice for homicide in Honduras.

During the raid, authorities encountered 44-year-old Terone Lavince Lawson, who was a security guard for the nightclub.

SLED said Lawson was observed selling drugs while he was under surveillance.

Authorities found the following inside Lawson's vehicle:

According to SLED, Lawson had been previously convicted of second-degree burglary (violent) in 2008 and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in 2003, which bars him from owning a firearm.

On June 5, SLED charged Lawson with the following:

Lawson was booked into the Charleston County Detention Center under a $110,000 bond.

On June 1, SLED charged 59-year-old Benjamin Reyna Flores-Rosales with the following:

Authorities did not state what Flores' role was at the nightclub.

Flores is being held in the Charleston County Detention Center under an ICE detainer.

According to SLED, both arrests are part of an active investigation involving allegations of human trafficking, narcotics, and other crimes at El Alamo VIP.

SLED worked in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

The case will be prosecuted by the 9th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, fugitives and law breakers are on notice: Leave now or ICE will find you and deport you."

A grab-n-go New York-style delicatessen and bakery in downtown Summerville has only been open a month, but is already drawing lines of customers hungry for its authentic Italian sandwiches, salads, entrees and baked goods.

Customers at Nonna’s Olde World Italian Deli and Specialties can even find the real-life “Nonna,” the restaurant’s namesake grandmother, Angela Riccio, 83, in the back making meatballs.

The new venture is owned by Richard Riccio, who operated similar delis in New York and New Jersey and who moved to the area in December with wife Phyllis Riccio. The couple visited the area often and had always planned to retire in the Lowcountry.

“We saw there was nothing like this deli down here and we sped up 'retirement' a little," she said. They found the location on South Main Street after an online search.

The restaurant stands apart by using the Riccio's family recipes, passed down for generations.

“His family has had bakeries since 1922," she said.

Nonna's features imported ingredients with house-made mozzarella, sauces and freshly baked bread. Customers can choose between hot and cold sandwiches with names like “The Sinatra,” “Hoboken” and “Dean Martin” along with pasta-forward Italian entrees. The restaurant also offers platters and catering options.

While there isn’t a dining area, customers can enjoy their meal at nearby Hutchinson Square. There is often a line of customers spilling out the door beneath the restaurant's prominent Italian flag.

“We're humbled by its popularity. We thought it would be busy, but not to this extent,” Phyllis Riccio said. “We’re very happy.”

Nonna’s Olde World Italian Deli and Specialties is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

New Aldi

Mount Pleasant will see its second Aldi soon.

The discount grocer confirmed a summer opening for its location at 3153 Highway 17 near the KOA campground.

Last week, Mount Pleasant Town Council member Daniel Brownstein posted on social media that the target opening date is June 25 following final inspections.

First opened in Germany in 1961, Aldi has a U.S. headquarters in Illinois and operates more than 2,000 stores across 36 states. Its new Mount Pleasant location will be its eighth in the Charleston area.

Ramen on Reynolds

A pop-up ramen noodle restaurant that has had residencies at Sweatman's Garden and Estadio looks to be eyeing its own brick-and-mortar in North Charleston.

Weems Ramen recently applied for a state permit to sell beer, wine and liquor for on-premise consumption at 1921 Reynolds Ave. The colorful building at Sutton Square previously housed The Barbeque Joint and is still painted with a mural.

More pickleball

PickleRage, an indoor pickleball club franchise, is slated to open a location in late 2025 in the recently purchased Festival Centre.

The 40,195-square-foot venue will include 13 indoor joint-friendly cushioned courts with a pro shop selling equipment and apparel.

A range of programs, lessons and clinics will be offered, and the club also plans to host community events.

Festival Centre was purchased in 2024 by locally based Woodlock Capital, which plans to reimagine the aging 330,000-square-foot shopping center into an entertainment destination.

Boutique closes

A longtime Charleston boutique near the College of Charleston has shuttered its downtown doors.

House of Sage, which had a location on George Street for more than 5 years, announced the closing in February and hinted that there may be a new location.

The retailer has two other locations on Daniel Island and in West Ashley, which remain open. The boutique is owed by husband and wife duo Chris and Erin Abagnale.