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Ben Waring has been named as fire services manager, a new position within Berkeley County Government. Waring’s first day in the position was Oct. 20.

Waring is a Summerville native and Berkeley County resident with more than 25 years of experience in the fire service industry. In this new role, he will work collaboratively with the countywide and municipal fire departments to help further strengthen the fire service throughout the county.

“I’m honored to join Berkeley County Government and build on my decades of fire service experience in a new and impactful role, continuing to serve the communities I’m familiar with and alongside the local fire agencies who keep our county safe,” said Waring, in a statement.

Waring most recently served as fire chief of Pine Ridge Fire Rescue, where he started as a volunteer firefighter in 1997 before rising to volunteer fire chief in 2007 and paid full-time chief in 2021. While at Pine Ridge Fire Rescue, he helped oversee the successful formation of the South Berkeley Fire District in September 2025, a merger between Pine Ridge Fire Rescue and Goose Creek Rural Fire Department.

Waring’s fire career began with Summerville Fire Department in 1995. After two years volunteering there as a junior firefighter, he joined full-time with Charleston Fire Department where he served for 15 years, attaining the rank of captain.

Waring transitioned to Dorchester County Fire Rescue in 2012 to take on the role of battalion chief until 2021. While there, he was instrumental in the formation of countywide fire services in Dorchester County.

“Ben Waring brings a wealth of experience, proven leadership, vast operational knowledge, and a trustworthy commitment to public safety. He knows Berkeley County and Berkeley County communities know and trust him. We are confident that in this new and vital role, Waring will accomplish great things for the county and continue to work collaboratively with our municipal and volunteer agencies to strengthen service, safety, and resilience throughout our communities,” said Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County supervisor, in a statement.

Waring additionally serves as vice chair of the Berkeley County Fire Chiefs Association and is a member of the SC Fire Chiefs Association, and member and trustee of the SC Firefighters Association. His community involvement spans Berkeley and Dorchester counties, including membership at Summerville Presbyterian Church, Summerville Masonic Lodge #234 and the Omar Shrine Temple.

Provided by Berkeley County

As the Lowcountry prepares for its municipal elections on Tuesday, Nov. 4, voters will have the opportunity to select the city’s next Commissioner of Public Works, a role central to maintaining the city’s infrastructure.

Two candidates, Kathleen Wilson and Barbara Acobe, are seeking the nonpartisan office, which oversees the installation, upkeep and repair of water and sewer infrastructure. The six-year term gives the winner a long horizon to shape Charleston priorities surrounding public health and environmental protection.

Kathleen Wilson: Experience and forward planning

Current commissioner Kathleen Wilson, who has served on the Charleston Water System board since 2020, emphasizes preparation and infrastructure reliability.

“Charleston Water System has multiple challenges on multiple fronts. Customers often ask why rates are going up each year. There are the obvious causes, such as increased costs in everything that we do – goods and services purchased and the huge cost of maintaining our thousands of miles of infrastructure – but we constantly seek new and better materials in every aspect of this infrastructure, from new materials for water and sewage lines to reliable pump stations and ensuring that our product – finished, treated water – is as pristine as we can make it.”

Wilson highlighted the complexity of keeping water flowing in a growing city.

“We test constantly throughout our system, 120 or so tests each month, and the CWS operation runs 24/7/365. We anticipate issues, whether it is a sudden line break or strategically thinking through major capital projects.” She also noted the ongoing replacement of lead lines on the peninsula, ensuring homeowners receive new lines at no cost.

Facing future pressures, Wilson pointed to the Lowcountry Rapid Transit project, which will require costly relocations of water mains.

“This tremendous unfunded liability will force CWS to go to the bond markets. This greatly alters our capital projects plans and the ability to get smaller projects, less urgent, completed for several years.

"It will also result in additional rate hikes for all existing customers. We have no choice, and this will most likely fall to us. It is these types of occurrences that the public is not aware of that result in truly difficult decisions and increased rates that are not ours but rather poor planning on the part of another governmental agency.”

On balancing infrastructure growth with sustainability and affordability, Wilson stressed careful planning and financial oversight. She cited the $117 million West Ashley sewer tunnel extension, which she described as “a game changer," saying it will serve the area for the next 150 years.

In her bid for re-election, Wilson said, “I am proud to serve this utility and our customer base. We are fiscally sound, we think and plan well, and our staff is second to none. I would like to remain a commissioner and continue doing the quiet work of providing an excellent product, protecting the environment, and doing all at the most efficient cost to our customers.”

Barbara Acobe: Transparency and community-focused planning

Barbara Acobe, a former Charleston Water System employee of over 40 years, centers her campaign on proactive planning, community engagement, and balancing growth with affordability. She highlighted aging infrastructure and water quality concerns as her top priorities.

“(The city’s biggest challenges are) the depletion of our water south, conservation, and the replacement of many of the commissioner's water and sewer mains, which are nearing 100 years old,” she said. “To tackle this, I propose a thorough assessment of how growth affects our systems to guide us in identifying key areas for improvement and implementation.”

Acobe also emphasized the need to monitor chemical levels and aging pipes at the Plum Island facility while maintaining compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards. She outlined a vision for a comprehensive and transparent approach.

“I recommend establishing a comprehensive plan that emphasizes transparency, keeping residents informed about water quality, safety, and any health risks. It's important to equip residents with proactive measures they can take to ensure they have safe water.”

On affordability, she believes in balancing preservation with growth. “I would advocate for a comprehensive plan that predicts future growth rates, has a sensible rate increase structure for all new businesses, seeks more federal and/or state funding for major projects, and funds reasonable solutions to reduce labor and material costs that contribute to rate increases.”

Acobe stressed the importance of coordination with city departments to guide development responsibly. “The city should adopt a transparent and collaborative approach, actively engaging the Department of Health and Environmental Control, as well as the zoning, planning, and preservation departments, to provide input on future development. This collaboration will help address any potential changes in rates that could impact affordability for ratepayers.”

She also emphasized the importance of effective waste management and ongoing maintenance of sewer systems to meet growing demands and control costs.

“I would advocate for gathering input from customers by conducting a comprehensive feasibility analysis of growth trends. This will help address community needs and concerns about affordable rates,” Acobe said, underscoring her focus on practical solutions that balance infrastructure, growth, and affordability.

Daniel Island’s massive community semiannual sale – the Red Balloon Yard Sale – is slated for Saturday, Sept. 20, at homes throughout the neighborhoods.

Starting at 7 a.m. and running until 1 p.m., the sale gives local shoppers the chance to wander the island in search of special treasures, unique finds, and valuable deals.

To participate, put out a red balloon at your home to let everyone know you are open for business as part of this island-wide event.

While the Daniel Island Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions prohibit these types of sales conducted from a residence/unit at other times during the year, the covenants do allow for these semiannual yard sales once in the fall and again in the spring.

The Daniel Island Property Owners’ Association reminds participants that setup for your yard sale must take place in either the front or rear of your property, and no blocking of sidewalks is allowed. Set up or selling is not allowed in any DIPOA common areas, parks, or amenities, or those bel

onging to the City of Charleston. This is prohibited for liability and insurance reasons.

This is a rain-or-shine event and won’t be rescheduled for inclement weather.

ADD YOUR ADDRESS TO THE MAP!

If you would like your address to be added to the Daniel Island 2025 Fall Red Balloon Yard Sale Map, please email [email protected], no later than Friday, Sept. 19, by 4 p.m. Please include in the subject line “2025 Fall Red Balloon Yard Sale Map,” and then in the body of the email, provide your Daniel Island address as well as a good contact phone number in case the DIPOA needs to get back to you for any reason. They will then include the address on the map of participating homes. This is a complimentary service being offered to anyone who wishes to list their address on the yard sale map and is only for homes located on Daniel Island.

Shoppers can view the map online here.

If you are interested in donating your unsold items to Palmetto Goodwill, they will have one truck located at the Blackbaud parking lot on Fairchild Street and River Landing Drive for collection from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or until their truck fills up.) Goodwill may not be able to accommodate everyone due to truck space and timing constraints. Donation collection is on a first-come, first-served, drop-off basis.

Even the most skeptical Americans tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to haunted places. Ghost believer or not, many will go out of their way to avoid sites steeped in eerie legends. From the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado – the real-life inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining – to New Orleans’ St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where locals report ghostly figures, whispers between crypts, and unseen hands brushing past, America is full of locations people refuse to enter, especially alone.

Ahead of Halloween, Choice Mutual, a life insurance agency that specializes in final expense insurance, surveyed 3,004 Americans asking a simple question:

Which graveyard would you be least prepared to visit alone at night?

The top three scariest graveyards listed in South Carolina were:

No. 1 - St. Philip’s Church Cemetery, Charleston By day, the stone walls of St. Philip’s gleam in Charleston’s old light. At night, some say a faint chill lingers near the gate, a whisper of footsteps along the side of the church, and spectral silhouettes near tombs of old families. Visitors on ghost tours speak of sudden cold spots by the walls and a sorrowful presence at the graves of long-gone parishioners. The city’s carriages still roll nearby — but in darkness, the sound sometimes seems heavier, as if echoing from another time.

No. 2 - Old Sheldon Church Ruins Cemetery, Yemassee Once a grand brick church, now a shell open to the sky, its adjoining cemetery feels swallowed by history. Visitors report glowing blue lights moving between the ruins and voices echoing when the air is still. It’s not a tourist spot — it’s a warning wrapped in ivy.

No. 3 - Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston Dating back to 1850, Magnolia sits among tidal marshes and moss-hung oaks. It’s hauntingly beautiful, and locals claim to see Confederate soldiers walking the levees at night. Even skeptics admit it’s hard to shake the feeling that you’re being followed between the tombs.

The top five scariest graveyards in the country were:

No. 1 - Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, New York The scariest graveyard in America? Yes, that Sleepy Hollow – Washington Irving is buried here, and some claim his Headless Horseman still rides through on misty nights. Lantern light glints off the Hudson, hooves echo on the bridge, and every rustle in the trees feels a little too deliberate. The line between fiction and folklore is never quite settled.

No. 2 - Gettysburg National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Beautiful, solemn, and saturated with ghosts, Gettysburg’s cemetery stands on ground that still feels alive with movement. Visitors have heard distant cannon fire, smelled gunpowder, and seen men in blue pacing through the fog. The line between battlefield and burial ground never really hardened here – it just blurred.

No. 3 - Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California By day, it’s a celebrity landmark, but by night, the glamour fades into something stranger. Groundskeepers tell of voices drifting from the mausoleums and a phantom woman seen pacing near the lake. Even in death, old Hollywood knows how to keep an audience – and some say these spirits still crave the spotlight.

No. 4 - Pine Hill Cemetery (“Blood Cemetery”), Hollis, New Hampshire Probably New Hampshire’s most notorious haunt, Pine Hill is nicknamed “Blood Cemetery” for Abel Blood, whose name and eerie gravestone carving supposedly glow red under the moon. Visitors swear the angel’s hand points up by day and down by night. Even the bravest ghost-hunters tend to leave before midnight.

No. 5 - Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, Arizona It’s tourist-friendly by day, but after dark, Boothill’s bravado gives way to something colder. The wind hums through tilted wooden crosses, and some swear they’ve heard bootsteps crunching the gravel long after the gates close. Buried here are outlaws, gunfighters, and innocents caught in between – all reminders that Tombstone’s Wild West never really went quiet.

“You don’t need to believe in ghosts to feel something in these places,” said Anthony Martin, founder of Choice Mutual, in a statement. “Cemeteries are where stories outlive the people who told them – and that’s what really makes them haunting. The fear is just the surface; underneath it is memory.”

To see what other cemeteries made the national list, check out the online graphic.

Provided by Choice Mutual

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C.- The No. 21 Wake Forest men's golf team came out strong in the opening round of the Bryson Invitational in Daniel Island, S.C., finishing the day near the top of the leaderboard heading into Tuesday's second round.

The nationally ranked Demon Deacons carded a 280 (-8), tying with Kansas for second place and sitting just two strokes behind No. 3 Vanderbilt, the current leader.

Junior Tom Haberer and senior Jakob Melin led the way for the Deacs, each carding a four-under 68 in the opening round. Both players recorded six birdies apiece to pace Wake Forest's strong start. Haberer and Melin are tied for second place, just two strokes off the individual lead.

Juniors Kyle Haas and Nicholas Prieto ended the day even-par, and hold a share of 30th place.

Teams will play another 18 holes on Tuesday, October 14. The Deacs will be in the last group off the first tee with players from Vanderbilt and Kansas, with tee times starting at 9:40 a.m.

Live Stats

Scoring for the The Bryson Invitational will be available via Scoreboard powered by Clippd

Round Two Tee Times

Teams will play another 18 holes on Tuesday, October 14. The Deacs will be in the last group off the first tee with players from Vanderbilt and Kansas, with tee times starting at 9:40 a.m.

10:00- Nicholas Prieto

10:10- Tom Haberer

From Coach Haas:

"We had a very good start on a very difficult day. 68 by both Jakob and Tom were excellent scores today. After the practice round yesterday in the rain and wind, I'm proud of how they played today. It will take an effort like this every day to remain up top with the leaders, but the team has a great attitude and continues to just get better and better. Go Deacs!"

Day One Scores

Team

Wake Forest Team

Wake Forest Individual