James Island

By RICK BRUNDRETT

Lawmakers on Monday sent a strong message in adopting a state budget for the fiscal year that starts next week.

Let the spending party begin – with your tax dollars.

The Legislature overwhelmingly approved a $32.3 billion total budget for fiscal 2022, which includes state, federal and “other” funds, budget records show. Not included in that amount, according to the official “summary control document,” was $176 million in earlier approved spending from the state capital reserve fund, mainly for maintenance, renovation and other building projects at public colleges and universities.

Combined, the overall spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is more than $2.5 billion, or nearly 8.5%, higher compared to the current budget, which lawmakers set at the same levels as in the prior fiscal year after the COVID-19 outbreak hit South Carolina.

Lawmakers on Monday approved, by a total vote of 147-11, a state budget version that was quickly adopted last week by a joint budget conference committee. It now goes to Gov. Henry McMaster for consideration of vetoes; lawmakers are expected to return next week to take up any vetoes.

The budget conference committee was made up of Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee; Senate president Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee; Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington; Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee; and Reps. Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, and Jackie Hayes, D-Dillon.

Excluding capital reserve fund spending, the conference committee’s budget version was $234 million higher than the House’s amended plan approved earlier this month and $529 million more than the Senate’s version adopted in April. The “new” spending in the conference committee’s plan includes an estimated $520.6 million in additional recurring revenues and $1.3 billion in projected and actual surplus dollars.

The budget approved Monday includes a 2.5% base pay increase for state employees at a total cost of $59.4 million, plus another $32.4 million and $5.9 million to cover employee retirement contribution and health insurance increases, respectively. Teachers statewide would get a $1,000 salary increase at a total cost of $72 million, while another $100 million was designated for building improvement projects in poorer school districts.

But the conference committee also carved out tens of millions, mainly from surplus funds, for lawmakers’ pet projects, which The Nerve previously detailed this year. The projects include:

The above list doesn’t include millions more out of surplus funds that lawmakers collectively funneled to various nonprofit organizations. The Legislature, however, didn’t designate any of the massive windfall to be refunded to taxpayers.

Bryce Fiedler and Kelly Brady, policy analysts with the South Carolina Policy Council, the parent organization of The Nerve, contributed to this story. Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve (www.thenerve.org). Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org. Follow him on Twitter @RickBrundrett. Follow The Nerve on Facebook and Twitter @thenervesc.

Nerve stories are free to reprint and repost with permission by and credit to The Nerve.

North Charleston, South Carolina based dumpster rental company Dumpster Dads is reaching out to announce that they are providing both commercial and residential dumpsters for rent in Goose Creek and the surrounding areas. The locally owned-and-operated company was created by a group of friends who wanted to provide the community with a reliable dumpster rental service.

Michael Spitz, one of the founders of Dumpster Dads, says, “Dumpster Dads is meant to be your one-stop-shop for any and all kinds of dumpster needs you might have. We know that having the right kind of dumpster can make a world of difference when you are undertaking any project that may involve a lot of waste. This is why we are committed to offering a straightforward and easy way for you to rent dumpsters, allowing you to get the waste management equipment both when and where you need it without any hassle. From rolloff dumpsters to trailer dumpsters to whatever else kind of dumpster you might want, we’ve got it, and we are happy to serve residential, commercial, and construction customers alike. No matter what type of project you have coming up or what kind of junk you need to get rid of, you can count on Dumpster Dads to take care of it for you.”

Dumpster Dads has made the process of reserving a dumpster very simple. Customers only have to log onto the company’s website where they can use Dumpster Dads’ secure online reservation system, which allows for the quick and easy booking of the right bin. This online system means that customers do not need to waste time waiting for an unreliable dumpster rental company to get back to them.

The 15-yard trailer dumpsters offered by Dumpster Dads are the ideal waste management solution for both residential and commercial needs because of their versatility. These dumpsters can be easily fit into most properties, no matter the space available. However, if a customer has a need for other dumpsters, Dumpster Dads have a wide variety of other dumpster sizes, too.

Spitz says, “We’re here to help you — so if you find yourself unsure about which dumpster is the right fit for your needs, whether it’s for a commercial project or a residential one, just get in touch with us. We have a team of professionals on hand ready and willing to help you as you need it. We’ve worked with a lot of different companies, construction projects and a lot of residential customers, and our vast experience means that whatever problem you are facing, we can help you overcome it.”

In addition to Goose Creek, the company mainly services the following areas: Charleston, West Ashley, Mt. Pleasant, James Island, Summerville, Sullivans Island, Isle Palms and Johns Island. However if a project site is situated elsewhere, Dumpster Dads will do their best to accommodate their customers and their budget. More information about their services can be found here: https://www.thedumpsterdads.com/dumpster-rental-goose-creek-sc/.

The services provided by Dumpster Dads have earned the company positive reviews from their customers. In a review found on the Dumpster Dads website, Rick Sharp of Sharp Home Services LLC shares, “Dumpster Dude’s are the most responsive construction dumpster company in Charleston. I’ve had all of the big name companies providing dumpsters in the past at twice, if not three times more expensive. Dumpster Dads are definitely a great find.”

On the same page, Nick Bezdek of Slack Tide Services LLC praises the company’s consistency and reliability, writing that, “No matter where we have a job located, Dumpster Dads expedient delivery and pickup services have always kept us ahead of schedule! Being ahead of schedule is a must when working in the construction industry.”

Those who want to learn more about Dumpster Dads and their services are welcome to visit the company’s website. They encourage interested parties to get in touch with Michael Spitz directly via email or phone. The company can also be reached through the contact form on their website. Dumpster Dads maintains a presence on Facebook where they frequently post updates, share media and communicate with their customers.

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For more information about Dumpster Dads, contact the company here:

Dumpster Dads
Michael Spitz
(843) 433-2189
dads@thedumpsterdads.com
2579 Oscar Johnson Dr, Suite D
North Charleston, SC 29405

When tropical weather threatens the Palmetto State, it is not uncommon for municipalities to make sandbags available for residents to protect their homes and buildings from water intrusion.

This is convenient for people because it is illegal to remove sand from some South Carolina’s beaches.

Glenn Jeffries, a spokeswoman for the Army Corps of Engineers Charleston district, said sand should not be removed from a beach without first coordinating with federal, state and local government for necessary permissions.

In cities like Myrtle Beach, violators who remove sand from public beaches and parks can be charged with a misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine and possibly 30 days in jail.

In 2018, Horry County Emergency Management issued a notice reminding folks of this law after hearing that hardware stores were directing people to the beach to fill their sandbags.

Mark Kruea, the public information officer for the city of Myrtle Beach, said every 10 years or so, the city spends millions of dollars for beach renourishment.

“So it’s definitely not a good idea to take sand off the beach,” Kruea said. “That’s our first line of defense in the event of a hurricane.”

And frankly, Kruea said, there is no reason to do so. If there is a serious hurricane threat, municipalities will often provide sand and sandbags for residents to help them protect their properties.

According to the Army Corps, sandbagging is one of the most versatile flood-fighting tools and is an effective way to prevent or reduce flood water damage.

Hurricane Wire is a pop-up newsletter during hurricane season that delivers anyone who lives on the East Coast all the information they need to know as storms brew in the Atlantic and beyond.

In preparation for major storms, Berkeley County’s roads and bridges department will get washed sand from various vendors and distribute it around the county to municipalities and fire departments. When the washed sand is no longer available, the county will use fill dirt from a local dirt pit.

Ahead of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the county delivered more than 49,250 sandbags and more than 1,260 tons of sand to 26 locations, spokeswoman Hannah Moldenhauer said.

In the city of Charleston, residents who want sandbags are provided with 10 bags and are required to shovel the sand themselves. The city makes sand available at several locations including on James Island, in the parking lot of the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park and the Governor’s Park dog park under Interstate 526.

The city of Charleston has 90,000 sandbags on hand and ready to be filled. The city has not had to supply sandbags for a storm since Isaias approached the area in 2020, according Matt Alltop, superintendent of environmental service, streets and sidewalks.

There are also other remedies for fighting small floods. The Army Corps said readily available straw bales are an economical alternative. In the case of a flood, the water will swell the straw and make the bales heavier and watertight.

But if sandbags are your go-to method for flood management, experts recommend residents put them around areas that could be entryways for water, such as doors, basements and garage windows.

The bags are only intended for a small amount of water-flow protection — up to 2 feet.

Contact: Sarah Miller

semiller@mailbox.sc.edu

843-635-5206

A Waffle House, the Millennium Falcon, a pirate island, downtown Walterboro, a canal scene, trains, World War II ships and more were all displayed in LEGO bricks at the 1st Annual Palmetto Bricks Expo on Saturday, June 19 in the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market’s Market Hall. Over 250 people stopped by to see the creations of some of the best professional and hobbyist LEGO builders in the southeast. This was the first time a LEGO fan expo has happened in the Lowcountry and it thrilled and inspired kids and adults alike.

Andrew Heape, a local Colletonian and builder behind Palmetto Bricks, was the organizer of the Expo. Heape is the creator of the LEGO downtown Walterboro that was displayed during the WHAM! Festival. One of his most talked about builds is LEGO Waffle House complete with customers inside.

The Palmetto Bricks Expo hosted 12 builders from Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Summerville, Walterboro, Greenville, Spring Hill, Florida, Boone, NC and Augusta, Georgia. Heape reported that even more builders were interested but space was limited. Already 15 builders have requested space for the next Palmetto Bricks Expo. The event was supported by Colleton Museum and Farmers Market, PRTC, Palmetto Foot Clinic, Coastal Graphix, East Main Boutique, Sweet Dreams and Jelly Beans, Wonderworks, and Sparkles Events Décor and Design.

Donations of LEGO kits, a Lava Lamp, and gift certificates were raffled to benefit the preservation of Pon Pon Chapel of Ease. The raffle and donations raised over $700 for the Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society’s work to stabilize and preserve the chapel ruin located in Jacksonboro, SC. On July 4, 2020, the top of the front façade of Pon Pon Chapel fell. Heape, a history enthusiast, explained, “I wanted to do a LEGO event for several years now, but I felt the best way to do it was to turn it into a fundraising event for a local charity. For a while I was not sure what that charity would be, but after the tragedy last year where part of the façade of Pon Pon chapel collapsed I knew what I wanted to do; help save the historic site.”

The Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society (CCHAPS) is working with Bennett Preservation Engineers, PC to create plans for the stabilization of Pon Pon Chapel of Ease and to rebuild the front façade. Recently, Ben Cox, an Eagle Scout from James Island build and installed 3 picnic tables at the site. Katie Hyman, a student at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie has researched the people buried at Pon Pon and investigated security at the site. CCHAPS is preparing for some work days at the site this summer.

If you are interested in supporting the preservation of Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, be sure to follow Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society on Facebook. If you would like to be on the Pon Pon email list, please send a note to info@cchaps.com. For more information about the Palmetto Bricks Expo, like them on Facebook and Instagram.

COVID-19 protocols, spur of the moment schedule changes and a shortened playoff season.

These were the challenges Midlands public schools experienced during the past SC High School League 2020-21 athletic season.

Nevertheless, several schools still managed to collect their share of state titles. Both Lexington (competitive cheer, girls golf) and Gilbert (girls' golf, baseball) came away with two titles each and fellow Lexington School District One school River Bluff upset four-time defending Class 5A boys' basketball champion Dorman for the title.

None was more successful than AC Flora High School. The Columbia school took home a school-record 5 teams state titles:

- football

- competitive cheer

- boys golf

- boys tennis

- baseball

The Falcons were also state runner-up in girls golf and girls lacrosse and had four individual sport or event champions:

- Gracie McCoy (girls golf)

- Tanner Edwards (boys swimming)

- Robert McCray (high jump)

- Girls 4x100 meter relay

The end result for AC Flora was a second Carlisle Cup trophy won in three years as the top athletic program in Class 4A.

Named after former Eastside head football coach John Carlisle, the Carlisle Cup uses a point system which awards points to schools based on their finish in 22 boys’ and girls’ S.C. High School League sports. The rankings determine the top S.C. High School League athletics programs.

AC Flora tied with Eastside for the award two years ago. Because of a shortened athletic year, no Carlisle Cup award was given.

This year, the Falcons' 1120 points total exceeded Eastside by 180 points and was 2nd highest statewide only to Class 5A Wando.

“It should have been three in a row, but we’ll take the two in a row that we’ve got,” AC Flora athletics director Edward Moore said. “It was a lot of extra steps that we had to go through this year and I’ve really proud of our coaches for buying into what the requirements are.

“We saw teams dropping out left and right in various sports and they were a lot of extra things asked of the coaches and teams to get through not just the protocols, but to keep our kids safe and healthy. Everybody bought into it and had no problems doing it. We got a lot of extra help with parents helping out. It was a great way to navigate through these hurdles.”

While golf, boys tennis and baseball added to their championship legacy, it was the first state titles for competitive cheer and football. Since Moore’s arrival six years ago, AC Flora has won a state title in 13 different sports.

Moore credits the coaches for building a championship mindset and putting their teams in play for titles every year. As long as Moore fulfills his duties in providing the resources to obtain success, he expects the Falcons to add more trophies to the school coffers.

A total of eight Midlands schools placed in the top 10 of their respective classifications for the Carlisle Cup. Lexington and River Bluff placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in Class 5A and Chapin tied for ninth with Summerville.

Gilbert and Camden placed sixth and ninth, respectively, in Class 3A.

Andrew Jackson finished fourth and Gray Collegiate tied with Crescent for ninth place in Class 2A.

CARLISLE CUP TOP 10

CLASS 5A

1. Wando (1130)

2. Dorman (840)

3. JL Mann (828.33)

4. Lexington (770)

5. River Bluff (620)

6. Fort Mill (600)

7. Riverside (520)

8. TL Hanna (470)

9 (tie). Chapin & Summerville (460)

CLASS 4A

1. AC Flora (1120)

2. Eastside (940)

3. Hilton Head Island (930)

4. Greenville (760)

5. James Island (740)

6. Catawba Ridge (690)

7. May River (630)

8. Travelers Rest (540)

9. Myrtle Beach (520)

10. North Myrtle Beach (450)

CLASS 3A

1. Bishop England (900)

2. Oceanside Collegiate (836.67)

3. Daniel (700)

4. Seneca (620)

5. Waccamaw (600)

6. Gilbert (550)

7. Powdersville (500)

8. Wren (450)

9. Camden (420)

10. Blue Ridge (400)

CLASS 2A

1. Phillip Simmons (900)

2. Christ Church (840)

3. St. Joseph’s (650)

4. Andrew Jackson (490)

5. Greer Middle College (450)

6. Landrum (410)

7. Legion Collegiate (390)

8. Woodland (360)

9 (tie). Crescent & Gray Collegiate (310)