Mattress storein James Island, SC

Trident Medical Center has submitted a Certificate of Need to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to build a $277 million hospital on Johns Island. The application is for a 50-bed acute care hospital between Maybank Highway and Cane Slash Road, across from the Live Oak Square development.

Projections for Johns Island Hospital show that within the first three years it will create nearly 300 jobs, contribute $10 million in non-income taxes to support the community and pay $70 million in salaries, wages and benefits, the organization said in a release.

“We are excited to continue making medical care more accessible to residents in our historically underserved communities,” Trident Health President and CEO Christina Oh said in the news release. “Currently on Johns Island and neighboring communities, it can take residents 30 to 45 minutes to drive to their nearest hospital, and often longer in heavy traffic and inclement weather. Our goal is to increase access to timely, high quality and affordable health care services.”

Trident Medical Center’s chief of the medical staff and medical director of emergency services, Dr. Scott Hayes, said he sees firsthand the results of delayed care.

“For residents who live far from emergency medical care and who may be experiencing a medical emergency like a heart attack or a stroke, minutes can mean the difference between life and death,” he said in the news release. “Access to care close to home is critical, especially in areas like Johns Island and the surrounding communities, that have frequent traffic delays.”

Trident Health surgeon Dr. Thomas Litton, who lived on Johns Island for 20 years and recently moved from there largely due to increasing traffic congestion and limited access routes off the island, said, “The rapid population growth and development of Johns Island, as well as its role as the sole gateway to Kiawah, Seabrook and Wadmalaw Islands, has created a strong need for a full-service hospital in the area. Residents on those islands have never had a full-service hospital. Trident’s hospital on Johns Island and their freestanding ER on James Island will greatly improve residents’ access to much-needed medical care.”

Johns Island Hospital will be located seven miles from James Island Emergency, Trident’s new freestanding ER at 945 Folly Road, Charleston, that will open in the next few weeks.

Plans call for Johns Island Hospital to have 50 beds with space to expand to 150 beds, 40 medical/surgical/stepdown beds, 10 ICU beds, 20 ER rooms, four operating rooms, two endoscopy suites and a cardiac catheterization lab. The hospital also would have two CT scanners, an MRI, two diagnostic radiology suites and a fluoroscopy room.

In addition to the hospital, services would include medical offices for primary care and specialists as well as outpatient imaging and support such as breast imaging, rehabilitation and other outpatient therapy services.

“From our first discussions about building a hospital on Johns Island, we have been committed to creating a thoughtful plan that preserves the natural beauty of Johns Island,” Oh said in the release. “We will honor the strong Gullah Geechee cultures of the community; we will partner with the areas’ community and businesses; and will promote the important and unique contributions of Johns Island’s agricultural community.”

The proposed Johns Island Hospital is in addition to nearly $140M in capital investments currently underway at Trident Health’s hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville

About 24 acres of undeveloped land along the Stono River on James Island will be protected thanks to a partnership between the Open Space Institute and the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission.

OSI purchased the property, located at the end of Bradham Road, for $1.5 million using a mixture of local, state and federal funds. The deal was set to close Dec. 20.

A limited-liability corporation agreed to sell the tract to OSI for well below market value. The property — appraised north of $4 million — likely would’ve been used to build single-family homes, OSI Senior Land Project Manager Patrick Moore said.

The tract, long and skinny like a piano key, is one of many that make up western James Island. Much of this side of the island remains relatively intact, especially along the waterfront.

“When the little (tracts) like this come up, they’re important because there is a bigger picture for them to plug into,” Moore said. “They’re not just one-offs.”

A pond that’s home to redfish and blue crabs stretches almost the entire length of the 24 acres. A path roughly carved through the center provides ample space for trails, and easy public access to the Stono River. The end of the piano key provides stunning marsh views.

And anyone visiting the nearby James Island County Park will be able to quickly access the new park via a sidewalk along Riverland Drive to Bradham Road.

The Terrabrook neighborhood sits between the two parks. Residents have been supportive of the project, Moore said. So have people in the Cross Cut, a historic settlement community around Central Park and Fleming roads.

The tri-county library systems are working to help improve literacy levels for children before they start kindergarten.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program started in the Lowcountry in 2021 and was adopted based on other United Way programs around the country, according to Devon Wade, content and communications manager at Trident United Way.

A partnership between Trident United Way, Charleston County Public Library, Berkeley County Library System and Dorchester County Library, the program was started to address early childhood literacy skills from birth to kindergarten, Wade said. The program is run mostly by the library systems, with support from Trident United Way.

Cassie Welch, children’s system coordinator at Charleston County Public Library, oversees the program for the organization. Her role is to promote the program to all library patrons and the Charleston County community.

She said the program has shown to improve school readiness and prepare children for kindergarten by helping them learn vocabulary, social and emotional skills.

Welch added that it also helps kids bond with their parents and build a strong relationship.

“One little boy just recently completed the program,” Welch said. “They would check out a wagon full of books every time they would come to the library to participate in our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.”

Over the summer, 82 percent of their registered readers signed up for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, which is a little over 1,700 kids in the program, she said.

Children get rewards for different milestones, Welch said. Once a child logs 100 books, she gets a milestone sticker. Welch said other prizes include toys, chalk or bubbles. When a kid reaches 1,000 books, he gets a certificate that says he completed the program, as well as a tote bag and a free book to encourage more reading.

Welch said all branches of the county’s library system have reader walls of fame for the program, and the kids love to see their name displayed and watch as it moves up with different milestones.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD)- It has been 35 days since Jennifer Drummond was found severely injured along a James Island road.

Friends and family are still searching for answers in what is believed to be a hit-and-run.

The family, joined by their attorney, held a press conference Wednesday morning with new details they hope will bring them closer to finding the person responsible.

The Drumond family, fatigued, after over a month of not knowing exactly what happened to Jenn.

“We don’t sleep at night, wondering if someone texted with a lead,” Jenn’s uncle, Chris Drummond said.

However, they’re not letting up.

Drummond said, “You just can’t hit somebody in the roadway and drive off, and someone not know something.”

Searching everywhere they know of for answers to what is believed to be a hit-and-run.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, their attorney Scott Bischoff, gave new information on her movements that morning.

“Based on information on Jenn’s phone, her step count that was also connected to her apple watch, we believe that she left her house around 5:17 and her step count stops at 5:18, just before 5:19,” Bischoff said.

According to surveillance video there were three cars that drove down Woodland Shores Road around the time of the incident, but new video shows the car believed to be the one that hit Jenn.

“We believe the primary suspect vehicle is vehicle number 3, that appears to be a relatively modern SUV with a sunroof and 5 lights,” Bischoff said.

As far as Jenn’s condition, family members say she is making progress.

They say she got up and walked yesterday, but she’s still very slow to answer questions and there’s still a long way to go.

At this point they’re just doing whatever they can to bring justice to Jenn.

“On top of a really awful injury that she suffered, our mind is also thinking who did this, when will answers surface, will answers surface. It’s something that weighs on our mind constantly,” Jenn’s best friend, Audrey Marhoefer said.

There is a $10,000 reward for information about the incident of you have any information about this incident, call the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

JAMES ISLAND — A new dry bar is now open on James Island. Instead of using alcohol, the bar utilizes CBD, Delta-8 and Delta-9 seltzers produced by High Rise Beverage Co.

The bar, the first of its kind in the state, is at the back of the new storefront space of Charleston Hemp Collective at 1989 Maybank Highway Unit 103. It’s right next to a cycling studio and across the street a little ways down from The Terrace Theater.

The store, dry bar and seltzer company are all owned by Lowcountry duo Matt and Libiss Skinner, who met in Columbia when they were kids.

“There’s actually a picture of the two of us at age 10 and 8 kissing on my grandmother’s front porch,” said Matt, with a chuckle.

Now married, they’ve made it their mission to spread awareness of the healing qualities of hemp and hemp-derived products.

It all started with Libiss’ ulcerative colitis diagnosis. She was prescribed 11 pills a day at one point and was on a steroid that came with a bunch of side effects.

“I knew I couldn’t sustain that, and I was really scared,” she said.

After doing her own research, Libiss turned to CBD as part of a daily anti-inflammatory and pain control regimen, as well as a way to decrease anxiety and stress surrounding her health condition. She hasn’t had a flare up in almost two years.

It was around a year ago when the couple started High Rise Beverage Co. and began selling their real fruit- and hemp product-infused seltzers. The drinks are canned in North Carolina and come in flavors such as pineapple, blackberry, grapefruit, blood orange, raspberry, black cherry and lime. They’re also infused with CBD, Delta-8 or Delta-9, at a percentage of .3 or less of THC to adhere to the federal government’s legal requirements as outlined in the Farm Bill Act.

At the bar on James Island, these seltzers are used to make a variety of mocktails, many of which come in tiki glasses and fit the tropical theme. Bird wallpaper and a plant wall are complimented by a neon pink sign that explains the concept: “cannabis dry bar.”

SANTEE — Rachel Henderson was at home watching television with her husband Corey when they got the call around 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.

On the phone was a friend who was near the couple’s restaurant, Lone Star BBQ Tavern and Grille, at the time. There was a fire at the State Park Road property, he told them.

Henderson rushed to the 22-year-old restaurant as the Santee Fire Department arrived at the scene. As they showered the blaze — large enough to summon dozens of firefighters and help from nearby jurisdictions — Henderson watched in shock as her dream restaurant went up in flames.

“They kept arriving because the fire kept getting bigger,” Henderson said, holding back tears. “Fire trucks were lined down the road.”

Santee Fire Chief Edward Barnett, a lifelong resident of the town of less than 1,000 people, said his team responded within two minutes of receiving the call. A total of 12 Santee staff firefighters arrived at the restaurant — made of four fused-together buildings, including a retired post office and a set of country stores — shortly after.

The fire originated in the third building, Barnett said, though a cause has not been determined. Santee is in the middle part of the state, adjacent to Lake Marion.

Barnett called in reinforcements from six other local departments, bringing a total of 50 firefighters to the scene. It took them about an hour to get the blaze under control, and they stayed on the premises until 2 a.m., Barnett said. The investigation into the origin of the fire should be completed this week, he said.

No one was injured, but the damage to the restaurant was irrevocable. Three of the four buildings were burned down to the studs.

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Those who live on or travel through Johns Island say they have mixed feelings about a new road designed to connect Maybank Highway to two other roadways.

Work is continuing on what is called the Northern Pitchfork, which will connect Maybank Highway to Fenwick Hall Allee and River Road. That work will require lane closures from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday on Maybank Highway at River Road.

Some residents are hopeful it can be part of a solution for what they say is horrendous traffic but others say it’s just a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.

There is also frustration surrounding the daytime lane closures for Friday, as residents believe it will be a nightmare, and the work should be done overnight instead.

Charleston County Construction Project Manager Sheila Parker said this has to get done in a specific window of time and they don’t want project delays. The new road is something the city and county have been working on bringing to life for years, with the goal of alleviating congestion and moving traffic along on the island.

“People coming off of James Island onto Johns Island using the Maybank Highway corridor will be able to take the Northern Pitchfork road and kind of bypass the Maybank Highway and River Road traffic light,” Parker explained

Byhira Thorn, who frequents the island often, said she thinks the new road will cause confusion for drivers, and it’s not addressing the root issue.

“I think another lane in general needs to be added,” Thorn said. “I mean, they did it with the bridge which was awesome, but they need to do it with the island. The island itself all around, roads need to be doubled for sure.”

Johns Island resident Kristin Nolan said she hopes this will help, but wishes it was done sooner.

“First of all, I think they should have thought about this before all of the building that went on and the extra light that was put here,” Nolan said. “I feel bad for people that go to James Island in the morning if Maybank and River are backed up for miles.”

Earlier this month, Charleston leaders said they are working on a $30-million project to improve traffic on Johns Island, part of which includes widening Maybank Highway to four lanes from River Road to the Stono River Bridge. But funding for that has yet to be nailed down and those plans are years away.

The construction on Friday is weather-dependent and drivers are asked to use caution while driving through the area.

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