HANAHAN, S.C. (WCBD) – Hanahan residents are still frustrated over trains that continue to block area roadways for hours at a time.

One train was seen blocking Hanahan Road for hours Wednesday morning, and before that, Hanahan town administrator Mike Cochran told News 2 a train sat blocking roads for more than 20 hours straight recently.

The road the trains are blocking is a major thoroughfare for people driving to and from Rivers Avenue and Hanahan.

“We’ve got about 7,000 cars a day that cross the tracks right here, and in the last several months, we’ve had multiple instances where the tracks just get blocked by a parked train,” said Cochran.

Drivers are forced to add additional time to their commute; it also slows emergency responses.

“From the city’s perspective, if you’re trying to get an ambulance through the city, you’re crossing here in order to get over to the hospitals,” he explained.

Technically, blocking the road is illegal according to more-than-100-year-old state laws. But the fine is only $5 to $20, and it is difficult to enforce.

“We have contacted CSX and spoke with them on several occasions, and they’re aware of it, but it really is frustrating for our residents and frustrating for everybody involved,” said Cochran. “Last week, it sat there for over 30 hours.”

Cochran said he has a plan that may give residents a way to know when a train is stopped in the area. The county owns the library at the corner of Murray Drive and Highland Park Road. He’s asked about placing a camera there.

“I said is there a way that we could put a camera, or the county put a camera, on the library? If they were to put a camera on that library and point it toward the tracks, we would have a constant feed of exactly what the status of the tracks are.”

The video would also be streamed online.

“We’ll have that ability to push that information out, so while it’s not a perfect solution, it will at least allow an option because right now the only way you know if the tracks are blocked it’s the drive to them.”

News 2 reached out to CSX to see if they have any plans to change their policy of blocking trains for hours at a time. We are waiting to hear back.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Four Lowcountry high school baseball teams punched their tickets to division championship games in the Hanahan Invitational Tournament on Wednesday.

In the Steadman Division Championship game, James Island will face Ashley Ridge. That game is set for 5 p.m. on Thursday at Hanahan High School.

In the Hatfield Division Championship game, Summerville will face Wando. That matchup is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, also at Hanahan High School.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13TH, 2022 Scores:

STEADMAN DIVISION

SITE: HANAHAN HIGH SCHOOL

GAME 37: 5:00 OCEAN LAKES, VA 1 VS. PROVIDENCE, NC 3

GAME 38: 7:30 HANAHAN, SC 2 VS. HICKORY GROVE, NC 1

SITE:

JAMES ISLAND CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL

GAME 39: 5:00 LUCY BECKHAM, SC 17 VS. OLYMPIC, NC 7

GAME 40: 7:30 OCEANSIDE COLLEGIATE, SC 0 VS. JAMES ISLAND, SC 10 – SEMIFINAL

SITE:

GOOSE CREEK HIGH SCHOOL (SEDGEFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL)

GAME 42: 5:00 STRATFORD, SC 12 VS. PINEWOOD PREP, SC 13

GAME 43: 7:30 GOOSE CREEK, SC 4 VS. TIMBERLAND, SC 1

SITE:

ASHLEY RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

GAME 44: 5:00 WOODLAND, SC 2 VS. REAGAN, NC 14

GAME 45: 7:30 ASHLEY RIDGE, SC 10 VS. ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE, DC 6 – SEMIFINAL

HATFIELD DIVISION

SITE:

SUMMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL (GREGG MIDDLE SCHOOL)

GAME 46: 5:00 HICKORY, VA 0 VS. ARDREY KELL, NC 10

GAME 47: 7:30 CATAWBA RIDGE, SC 2 VS SUMMERVILLE, SC 9 – SEMIFINAL

SITE:

WEST ASHLEY HIGH SCHOOL

GAME 48: 5:00 FORT DORCHESTER, SC 7 VS. HILTON HEAD, SC 2

GAME 49: 7:30 WEST ASHLEY, SC 6 VS. NANSEMOND RIVER, VA 7 9 INNINGS

SITE:

BISHOP ENGLAND HIGH SCHOOL

GAME 50: 5:00 BEAUFORT, SC 4 VS. RANDLEMAN, NC 7

GAME 51: 7:30 BISHOP ENGLAND, SC 6 VS. MAMARONECK, NY 3

SITE:

WANDO HIGH SCHOOL

GAME 52: 5:00 PHILIP SIMMONS, SC 5 VS. BAMBERG EHRHARDT, SC 4

GAME 53: 7:30 WANDO, SC 12 VS. ST. EDWARDS, OH 10 – SEMIFINAL

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCBD) – Five years ago at the age of 15 Chad Waldrop picked up a new sport and started swimming for West Ashley High School.

“It’s his life. It really is. He loves it. He took to it right away and it became his life,” said his father Jerry Waldrop, but now Chad is putting that passion on hold as he fights for his life.

His Dad Jerry just wants to take away the pain of his son.

“The thought of him not being able to swim again just hurts, hurts,” said Jerry.

On Saturday, September 18th both Jerry and Chad’s life changed in a matter of five seconds.

“It’s just, it’s just, you know, to think you almost lost your kid and you want to do everything for him, you want to be there for him. It’s your worst nightmare. It really is,” said Jerry.

Police say Chad walked out the back door of his house in Minnesota where he attended school at St. Cloud State University to the sounds of a woman screaming. Reports state she appeared to be in a fight with a man. Moments later Waldrop was slammed to the ground, punched repeatedly, and knocked out.

“Just by the witnesses and what they told me it was really unprovoked and unwarranted and just evil, evil,” said Jerry.

The suspect Ezaya Oropeza is a wrestler at the university and is now charged with assault 3rd degree and could face five years in prison.

“Why, why, why? He’s a good kid. He doesn’t deserve this,” said Jerry.

Chad suffered a concussion, multiple fractures in his face, and cuts in his mouth.

“Basically, it looks like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s all broken,” said Jerry and now the family is demanding justice.

“It tears you up. I just I can’t. I want to take it away from him. I want the pain. Give me the pain. I don’t want my child to have that,” said Jerry.

Chad’s family has set up a GoFundMe, as well as a page dedicated to holding accountable those responsible. Click here for more information.

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCBD) – A new multi-use park is being constructed in Hanahan. It comes after more than 75% of voters approved a bond referendum for the project back in November.

The brand new 53-acre park is located next to Bowen’s Corner Elementary and will serve several purposes in the Hanahan community.

“We are just so excited about this new park,” said Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater. “When the federal government partnered with us and donated the land, it had to be used for parks and rec. It was exactly what the city of Hanahan needed.”

The last time Hanahan opened new ballfields there were only 13,700 people in the town. Now, about 29,000 call Hanahan home.

“There will be tennis courts, an artificial turf field, ballfields, a dog park, fishing pond, picnic spaces – you name it,” said Mayor Rainwater. “Everything that you would love to see in a park will be here.”

The project will cost more than $11 million. The Berkeley County School District agreed to pay nearly $1 million for artificial turf on a field so that it could be used as a practice field.

“We will partner with them to make sure they now have the things they need to play their sports,” the mayor said.

Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb said Hanahan has been working on the project for some time, even during the full ten years he was town administrator.

“It’s critical because it’s a quality-of-life project,” he said. “If you’re going to be a vibrant city, a vibrant community, people are looking for parks and recreation- do you want to draw in young families, do you want to be able to keep the families that you’ve drawn in?”

Bryce Florie grew up in Hanahan and has coached kids in the area, He said this is a great project.

“Just the way the community has grown and the need for it- it’s so important and the way the city came together… it’s a good place for everyone,” he said.

Mayor Rainwater hopes to have the park finished a year from now. The park has not yet been named.

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCSC) - Hanahan Middle School is hiring a new, first year principal from within the Berkeley County School District.

Kelli Roberson has been with Berkeley County Schools for 20 years, and the district says she starts her first school year as a principal on Monday.

Roberson did her student practicum at Hanahan Middle when she was a student at the College of Charleston. So she says her new role as principal is a full circle moment.

This year she’s launching “flex time.” she says it’s an allotted amount of time after lunch for intentional and purposeful intervention. This allows teachers to assess where students are in their education, as well as socially and emotionally. Roberson says it also gives teachers time to discuss areas they would like to improve.

The Hanahan Middle School guidance department is also implementing what they call minute meetings, Roberson says. Guidance counselors will meet with every student for at least one minute at the beginning of the year, making sure kids have a one-on-one conversation with a counselor.

“Well, for some of our kids, they haven’t been inside a school building in 18 months. So, it’s just, you know, not only are we going to be thinking about their academics, but we’re having to re-teach the norms of being around people and being connected to others,” Roberson said. “I’m sure they’ve missed that, I think teachers, adults missed it when we were not in a building with one-another, so it’s just a way to continue to build those connections.”

She adds that there are some learning methods that were advanced during the pandemic that they plan to keep in place.

“I think just using technology as a means of, especially when students are out and absent, knowing that we can still provide that instruction when students aren’t present in the building, whatever that reason might be,” Roberson said. “And it’s also just using the tools that are available just to make sure all students have access to notes and any kind of resources they can use to go back and re-learn something or just as a reminder, it’ll help them do the work that they need to do.”

Roberson says there’s a lot of history and community support around Hanahan Middle School which is encouraging for this first-time principal.

Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.