Mattress storein Ravenel, SC

RAVENEL, S.C. (WCBD) – Ravenel leaders discussed Tuesday night plans for a proposed development that has some community members upset.

The proposed development is the Preserve at Ravenel, and community members voiced their opinions on the development before town council voted on the first reading.

Ravenel neighbors gathered in front of Ravenel Town Hall prior to Tuesday’s council meeting to discuss the proposed Preserve at Ravenel development.

“It’s been a very confusing process to all of us as concerned citizens,” Ravenel resident Melissa Barfield said. “So, now we’re just trying to figure out exactly what is going to happen.”

Some residents worry that the 755-acre development that would be located on Davison Road, and include 350 dwelling units and 25 acres of commercial space, would overwhelm the town’s roads.

“It’s traffic,” Barfield said. “Its traffic is what it is, and that’s our concern. We travel this road every day, not just me, but everybody who lives off or on Davison Road travel it every day and we see the traffic we sit in every morning. And it’s just going to create more.”

For neighbors like Angela Brown who grew up in Ravenel, she fears this development could be the start of transforming her home into a place seemingly unrecognizable.

“We have a history there,” Brown said. “I want to know, ‘What’s in it for us?’ You’re coming through our village. This is our village, and you’re just wanting to force something down our throats. I’m very disappointed that this is happening.”

During the meeting, council voted on the project’s first reading, and it passed unanimously.

After residents received a letter from Ravenel Mayor Stephen Tumbleston early Tuesday stating they would not be allowed to comment on the development at the meeting, they were permitted to do so.

“I just think there’s so many little things that can be changed to make this more palatable to the community,” one Ravenel resident said. “And we would probably say, ‘Yes, okay,’ if some of those changes were implemented. Otherwise, I think it’s a terrible idea.”

Mayor Tumbleston says the town has seen steady growth through the years, and he’s confident if this development is approved, it will be a major benefit to the community.

“Dorchester County using 165 now as a beltway around has had a huge impact on the traffic in our town,” Tumbleston said. “So, why can’t we grow a little bit, too? To reap some of the benefits, where we’re not just a speed bump for everybody else traveling through.”

The second reading will be voted on at next Tuesday’s (3/28) town council meeting.

RAVENEL, S.C. (WCBD) – Traffic patterns, potholes, speeding, and more – our team is working to find solutions to problems that are driving you crazy on the roads.

Over the past few weeks, News 2 has heard from many of you about problems on the roadways – but one issue had stood out more than the others: the intersection of SC-165 and Highway 17.

Nearly a dozen people who reached out about the intersection in Ravenel called it extremely dangerous. We met with many of those viewers to learn more.

Jack Scarborough said large vehicles, like tractor-trailers, approach the intersection at a high rate of speed, often running the red light and causing accidents that are sometimes deadly.

“When you hear that fire engine, with the siren going, and you can tell that it’s stopping at that intersection, you’re like ‘oh geez, there’s another accident,’ and ‘God, I just hope no one is seriously injured or dead,’” said Scarborough.

Another Ravenel resident, Joan Van Scyoc, said this intersection has worried her family for over a decade.

She said it’s hard to see oncoming traffic when you’re turning north and that the speed limit should be reduced ahead of the signal.

“It’s death-defying, sometimes, to make this turn. Especially now that traffic is increasing quite a bit in the area, and they’re going at a high rate of speed,” said Scyoc.

Both Jack and Joan say having a left turn arrow – turning north onto 165 from 17 – would solve most of the problems.

We took their concerns to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), and now we’re letting you know that a solution may soon become a reality.

Kelly Moore, Director of Public Engagement for SCDOT said a project is underway that will add a left turn arrow to the northbound 17 left turn at the intersection.

The project is expected to go out for bid this month, and once a contract is awarded, SCDOT will have more information regarding the timeline and cost.

Count on News 2 to keep you updated on the project.

If you have something that drives you crazy on the roads, we want to know about it. Simply email mfee@wcbd.com or fill out the online form by clicking here.

Southern Charm alum Thomas Ravenel dragged his ex Kathryn Dennis after her former costars spoke out in support of her at BravoCon.

'The worst person in the world I know is Kathryn Dennis and the total losers who make excuses and applaud her horrific behavior like Craig [Conover] and Shep [Rose] and Austen [Kroll]. Total Losers,' the 61-year-old politician - who recently suffered a punctured lung in a polo accident - wrote in a since-deleted tweet on Tuesday, per Page Six.

After a fan asked Ravenel on X why he 'picked' Dennis to be the mother of two of his children -- the exes share eight-year-old daughter Kensington and six-year-old son St. Julien -- the former reality star replied, 'Damn good question! You got me there!'

When another X follower inquired online, 'So what has set off this tangent? What has KD done this time?', Ravenel answered, 'She was involved in a hit and run at an elementary school crossing. Anymore questions???'

In October, a vehicle registered in the 32-year-old's name was involved in an alleged hit-and-run at Whitesville Elementary School in her native South Carolina.

Critic: Southern Charm alum Thomas Ravenel dragged his ex Kathryn Dennis after her former costars spoke out in support of her at BravoCon

Harsh words: Ravenel said, 'The worst person in the world I know is Kathryn Dennis and the total losers who make excuses and applaud her horrific behavior like Craig [Conover] and Shep [Rose] and Austen [Kroll]. Total Losers'

Ravenel's social media slams came after Conover revealed at BravoCon over the weekend that the cast was 'in touch' with Dennis -- who departed the series after eight seasons in January.

'The door’s always open and I think she’s working on herself and has a lot of work that she has to do before she comes back,' Conover said on the panel.

Rose added, 'We’ve come a long way and you’ve all seen the bumps and bruises and all that stuff and unfortunately, Kathryn stumbles sometimes.

'We do love her because there’s a person right inside of her that we know is a good person.'

In May, it was reported Ravenel temporarily won custody of their two kids after a long custody dispute since their separation in 2016, per The Sun.

Thomas originally filed for sole custody in 2020, with Kathryn temporarily losing custody in 2021.

In 2021, after he was temporarily awarded full custody, his attorney said: 'I can confirm the information released last week that Ms. Dennis currently has weekend, daytime supervised visitation with the parties' minor children and that Mr. Ravenel plans to relocate with the children to Aiken, South Carolina this summer.'

The pair previously shared joint custody of their children, and the arrangement worked well for the exes, according to the Southern Charm star.

Still friends: Ravenel's social media slams came after Conover revealed at BravoCon over the weekend that the cast was 'in touch' with Dennis -- who departed the series after eight seasons in January; Conover and Rose at BravoCon 2023

Better days: Ravenel and Dennis first began dating in 2013 before splitting up for good in 2016

Departure: Dennis departed the series after eight seasons in January

'We actually have a great coparenting relationship,' she told Us Weekly in November 2019.

'It's good for him, it's good for me. We're moving forward, which is the first time I've said that in a long time and it feels good.'

The positive words struck a contrast to their otherwise ugly custody battle, with Thomas accusing Kathryn of being addicted to prescription medications and marijuana, among other allegations. Dennis denied the accusations.

Ravenel and Dennis first began dating in 2013 before splitting up for good in 2016.

Thomas Ravenel was a beloved reality star and budding politician until he faced an accusation of sexual assault. He settled out of court.

The Gist:

Generational wealth in the American South opens gates to a whole new universe. In Bravo's Southern Charm, fans get a peek into the action and, for a time, Thomas Ravenel was a part of that.

He is an example of reality TV meeting politics. After all, he is the son of former Representative Arthur Ravenel Jr. Plus, he himself was Treasurer of South Carolina under Governor Mark Sanford. However, what has his life away from the show been like?

What happened to Thomas Ravenel?

While Southern Charm started in 2014, Thomas was booted in 2018. His nanny, Dawn Ledwell, accused him of sexual assault and filed a lawsuit against him in federal court.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail, after Dawn was watching his children, Thomas came home and removed her clothes without consent. "When he returned home, he forcibly removed her clothes, forced her hand onto his penis and 'grabbed at her vagina,'" the Mail reported.

According to the Mail, "The affidavit claims he ordered her: 'Show me your p---y' and asked her: 'Do you like big d--ks?' as he shoved his penis in her face."

Thomas was arrested for second-degree assault and battery and was facing potentially three years in prison and a $2,500 fine. A bond was set for $20,000 and he was bailed out.

"I felt unprepared and exhausted, as the past five months have been emotionally and physically taxing," Dawn told People following Thomas's initial arrest. At the time, she also took issue with the low bond that was set on Thomas but admitted she had an order of protection in place for her safety, anyway.

As a result, Thomas left the show and dealt with the legal fallout of the accusation. Eventually, he settled the lawsuit, but never paid Dawn a dime. Instead, according to Heavy, he paid her legal fees and made a donation to a non-profit focused on aiding sexual assault survivors.

As part of the process, he did plead guilty to third-degree assault and battery. However, this was lesser than the initial second-degree charge he was arrested on, according to ABC4.

"I was offered the opportunity to appear at the hearing and give a victim’s impact statement. Although I was scared, I wanted to tell the judge and Thomas what I feel," she added. Dawn also accused Thomas of threatening to "take out" anyone who offered to aid her after the assault.

Are Thomas and Kathryn Dennis still together?

Absolutely not! The pair not only broke up long ago, but Thomas has vocally slammed Kathryn Dennis. “The worst person in the world I know is Kathryn Dennis and the total losers who make excuses and applaud her horrific behavior like Craig and Shep and Austen,” he posted in a since-deleted tweet. “Total losers.”

Naturally, fans asked what brought on this rage against his ex. “She was involved in a hit and run at an elementary school crossing. Any more questions???" he replied.

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RAVENEL, S.C. (WCSC) - Ravenel residents say they are fed up with the town after the council postponed a workshop that was scheduled for next week.

Up for discussion were the plans property owners recently presented to council members about what would happen to a large piece of land on Drayton Street if a rezoning request is granted.

Residents feel that those asking for this rezoning are getting special treatment because the property is owned by the Tumbleston Trust and the family to Ravenel Mayor Stephen Tumbleston.

When the family came to the council with their plans for the land on Jan. 30, they didn’t have an actual site plan or a traffic study to show, and that’s why the council tabled the vote, saying they didn’t have enough information and scheduled the workshop for Feb. 15 to dig into it further.

On Wednesday, they postponed the workshop at the request of the property owners, who say they will now work to provide the traffic study, site plan, entrance locations, buffers and protected areas.

Residents say council should have denied the rezoning request and told the owners to try again at the appropriate date when they could provide more information.

“It’s wrong,” resident Olivia McCarty said. “It’s clearly a two-tier justice system, no one else would have gotten this type of treatment. You submitted an application that has insufficient information, the town council saw that it was nothing and should have denied it on the spot”

They say they feel like this process is giving free rein to the property owners, while the community has had to follow the rules.

“We were limited to five minutes to speak {at town council}, but the owners got up and took as much time as they wanted which was well over 13 minutes. I asked ‘Sir, are they limited to five minutes?’ and I was shouted down, ‘You’re out of order, you’re out of order,” resident Roy Smith said.

Residents say they don’t have an issue with residential development with the way the land is zoned now but fear the change will be the first step to making the rural town the next West Ashley or Johns Island.

“Next thing they are gonna do is put apartments out here and we’re gonna be pushed further back into the sticks until everything is city, and there’s no room to breathe, there’s no horses and I don’t want to live like that,” resident Corbin Haydel said.

It is unknown if or when the workshop will be rescheduled.

Mayor Tumbleston recused himself from this matter and Mayor Pro Tem Buckey Waters says he will speak when he feels it’s appropriate to do so. Councilmembers LaJuanda Brown, Jim Rodgers Jr. and Terry Wilkinson have not responded to a request for comment.

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