Mattress storein Ravenel, SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Patten Seed Company, one of the largest turfgrass producers in the Southeast, today announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Charleston County. The company’s $2.2 million investment will create 40 new jobs.

Expanding its South Carolina footprint, Patten Seed Company will relocate its corporate headquarters from Lakeland, Georgia to an existing facility at 22 Westedge Street in Charleston. The new headquarters will centralize the company’s senior management team and create a marketing and technology hub. Additionally, the relocation, which is central to Patten Seed Company’s current Southeast operations, positions the company to take advantage of the area’s robust talent pool as it transitions from an agriculture-centered company to a vertically integrated, industry leader.

Patten Seed Company is a 100-year-old company deploying the same forward-thinking initiatives today that took a small seed store in southern Georgia to the largest turfgrass producer in the Southeast. The company operates one of its largest farming operations in Orangeburg, working with farms and facilities across the southeastern United States to ensure its products are fresh and readily available to landscapers and homeowners. Patten Seed Company also has a new retail location in North Charleston that offers its Super-Sodâ turfgrass brand and its extensive portfolio of innovative farm products, including two of the company’s fastest growing products, OMRI Listed Soil3 organic compost and Soil3 Veggie Mix.

Operations are expected to be online by the first quarter of 2023. Individuals interested in joining the Patten Seed Company team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to this project. The council also awarded a $200,000 Set-Aside grant to Charleston County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

QUOTES

“Charleston County is central to our current footprint throughout the southeastern United States. As we continue to grow, it was important to centralize the senior management team and take advantage of a more robust hiring market and Charleston County fits that need well. Vibrant companies need vibrant cities.” -Patten Seed Company Chief Executive Officer Ben Copeland Jr.

“We are pleased that Patten Seed Company will relocate its headquarters to Charleston County. South Carolina continues to attract innovative companies that expand our agribusiness industry, and Patten Seed Company will add to that roster. We look forward to their continued success in South Carolina.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“It’s great when an agribusiness such as Patten Seed Company decides to plant more roots in South Carolina. We welcome Patten Seed Company to Charleston County’s vibrant business environment and look forward to the company’s success.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“Patten Seed Company’s new headquarters operation is a fantastic addition to South Carolina’s thriving agribusiness community. With its rich history and regional reach, Patten Seed Company will contribute jobs, support existing farmers and strengthen our economy.” -South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers

“With a $2.2 million investment and the creation of 40 new jobs, Patten Seed Company remains a leading player in the turfgrass industry. Patten Seed Company's forward-thinking initiatives continue to pave the way for success and prosperity, and we welcome them to their new home in Charleston County.” -Charleston County Council Chairman Herbert Ravenel Sass III

FIVE FAST FACTS

RAVENEL, S.C. (WCIV) — A new development could be breaking ground in the Town of Ravenel.

On Thursday, a public meeting was held for developers to share their plans with the community. But for some, Ravenel is home.

Read more: West Ashley Publix to be relocated, 280-unit apartment complex to take its spot: Proposal

“I grew up here as a child and live right down this dirt road, my father still lives there and I’m with him, and he’s soon to be 80 years old and I remember this area being quaint, being cool, being pristine, I used to play in the woods," said Angela Brown who has grown up in Ravenel her entire life.

For Brown and many others, there may be change coming soon to the area.

"We've had a request of annexation and a planned development of roughly 350 new homes or residential units," Ravenel Mayor Stephen Tumbleston said. "Single family homes with a few town houses as well and it's got a commercial element to it as well."

But for residents like Angela Brown, this means more room for trouble.

A new development could be breaking ground in the Town of Ravenel. (WCIV)

"I'm thinking about the traffic, the increase in traffic," Brown said. "Right now, I can barely get out to check the mail, go across the street and check the mail. It's a two lane road. If you tear up everything, if you uproot everything that God put here, eventually we’ll have no trees, beautiful birds flying, animals, deer. We'll have none of that."

Officials hope residents know their concerns are being heard as they continue to move forward in the process.

"We're going to take the recommendation from council and consider those next Tuesday night, our first reading," Tumbleston said. "We'll have a public hearing before that meeting as well, so we can hear any additionally comments or concerns. We'll continue to try to do what’s best for our area while considering the future impacts of everything around us."

Read more: Large development on Calhoun Street has 4th meeting with BAR for approval

Whether these plans get approved or denied, people like Brown will continue fighting for the town that they love.

"This is not the place, I'm not saying this isn't the time, but this is not the place," Brown said. "As long as I have the breath in my body, I'm going to fight for the community that I love."

The next public hearing will be on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Ex-Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis has been slapped with eviction legal papers months after being let go from the Bravo show, RadarOnline.com has learned.

According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the reality star and mother of two were sued by East Bay Apartments on March 8.

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The company wants Dennis to vacate her apartment immediately. A response has yet to be filed.

The case is not the first time Dennis has faced eviction. Court documents viewed by RadarOnline.com show the entertainer was sued twice last year for eviction. All the cases were dismissed without a judgment being entered.

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Dennis’ apartment is in a luxury complex in Charleston, South Carolina. The rent ranges from $1,640 to $2,725 a month.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, earlier this year, Dennis was let go from Southern Charm after starring on the show for eight seasons.

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Sources told Deadline that she would be a “guest star” on Season 9. The move came after sources told The Sun that producers had grown tired of Dennis’ repeated “no-shows” during production.

Another insider claimed the crew was unhappy with the way Dennis treated them.

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“She doesn’t show up on time or show up at all during filming a lot,” a source claimed.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Dennis and her ex Thomas Ravenel have been in and out of court for years.

At one point, Dennis had primary custody stripped away after she failed a drug test. For years, Ravenel has accused his ex of having issues with substances.

In 2019, Dennis was eventually awarded joint custody but she lost it the following year after Ravenel made bombshell claims in court.

Ravenel said he was told by a third party that Dennis had allowed their children around an illegal substance. Dennis denied the accusations and said she did not use drugs.

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A South Carolina judge ended up awarding Ravenel custody and allowed the children to move in with their father full-time.

The case was sealed by the parties but was recently closed by the court.

High-speed internet has increasingly become a necessity rather than a luxury, a fact that was driven home during the COVID-19 pandemic as many work and school activities had to be done remotely.

So, it’s important to know that more than 40 percent of South Carolina households are estimated to be eligible for a federal initiative that reduces or eliminates the cost of internet access.

The Affordable Connectivity Program was created in late 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The same law funded an expansion of broadband services, because many people didn’t have access to high-speed internet.

Bipartisan state and federal efforts to make high-speed internet available across South Carolina are ongoing. In 2022 more than 100,000 homes gained access, leaving an estimated 137,000 without, The Post and Courier previously reported.

Paying for the service is where the Affordable Connectivity Program can help, with a discount of $30 each month — enough to cover the full cost of many plans from major providers that are available to ACP beneficiaries. The discount is even larger on Tribal lands.

For information on how to apply visit affordableconnectivity.gov/how-to-apply/ or call 877-384-2575. To find service providers that offer ACP service there’s an online search tool at cnm.universalservice.org.

Yes, I know, people without internet service are being asked to go online to get internet service. Just one more illustration of how people need internet service for just about everything.

An estimated 827,000 of the 1,976,447 households in South Carolina should qualify for ACP. And there are lots of ways to qualify.

First, households earning no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline, which varies by family size, qualify. That works out to $29,160 for a single person, $39,440 for a two-person household, $49,720 for three, $60,000 for four and so on.

Households also qualify for ACP if just one person in the household participates in or receives:

There are additional ways to qualify for those living on qualifying Tribal lands.

Also, those already enrolled in Lifeline don’t need to apply for ACP. Just contact your provider to add service, or a different internet provider participating in ACP.

Lifeline has been around since 1985 and provides a discount of about $10 monthly on phone service for people with low incomes. Recipients can have both Lifeline and ACP benefits.

There are 1,300 internet providers that accept ACP benefits. (Who knew there were that many internet companies?) Some of the largest — AT&T, Comcast, Wow, T-Mobile — have high-speed plans for $30 per month or less, which makes them free with ACP.

The ACP benefits go directly to the service provider.

There’s also a discount of up to $100 on connected devices — a tablet, laptop or desktop computer — if it’s supplied by the internet provider to an ACP recipient. The recipient must pay more than $10 but less than $50 for the device, the regulations say.

Like many government programs, there are rules and some red tape, but the takeaway is that more than 40 percent of South Carolina households could be eligible for free or discounted high-speed internet. Nationally, 15.5 million people were receiving ACP benefits at the start of this year.

Something green is coming to Charleston, and we’re not talking about St. Patrick’s Day. A new state park is in the works at the tip of James Island. We spoke with SC State Parks Director Paul McCormack for the latest on the project.

The waterfront park will be located on 23 acres at the end of Fort Johnson Road, adjacent to the Fort Johnson historic site. The parcel is managed by the SC Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

In 2021, the state purchased the land from the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy for $23 million. The May Forest Convent located on-site is expected to be converted into an event venue that will be the main component of the new park. Funding has not yet been secured for the venue construction project.

Charlestonians can look forward to a day-use recreation and picnicking area with views of the Charleston Harbor, the Ravenel Bridge, and Fort Sumter. There is an existing gazebo and bench swing. Conceptual images are not yet available, but stay tuned.

An event space, lodging, and a dock may be added in the future. A structural assessment of the property is expected to determine park features down the road. What would you like to see this new park offer? Let us know.

In addition, there is a master plan that envisions the entire ~100-acre Fort Johnson area that is separate from the state park project.

The park is expected to open this spring or summer. There is currently no timeline for potential future amenities, but keep an eye on the newsletter for updates. The plans for Fort Johnson, which surrounds the state park area, are long-term.