Quartz CountertopsNear Goose Creek, SC

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (Dec. 4, 2024) — HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of W International SC, LLC and Vivid Empire SC, LLC (collectively “W International”), a South Carolina-based complex metal fabricator specializing in the manufacture of shipbuilding structures, modules and assemblies.

Upon completion of the transaction, the manufacturing facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina, will operate within HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division. The site will support the construction of nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier modules and structures for U.S. Navy programs. Substantially all current employees will be offered positions with HII to continue to work on site.

“HII is committed to increasing build rates for our Navy customer, and this investment in capacity alongside the Navy will help us do that,” HII President and CEO Chris Kastner said. “It lets us efficiently add trained talent and state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities to the urgent job of building ships, making it a unique opportunity to accelerate throughput at Newport News Shipbuilding in support of the Navy and AUKUS.”

The acquired assets include advanced production facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, tooling and infrastructure used to fabricate complex metal modules and structures, and are located on a leased 45-acre site with more than 480,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The site has barge and rail access, and is strategically located near Charleston, in a region with a rapidly growing shipbuilding ecosystem and highly skilled trades workforce.

The facility in Goose Creek will be known as Newport News Shipbuilding – Charleston Operations, operating within HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division.

Current NNS Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer Matt Needy will become general manager of the site. NNS is the nation’s designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear‐powered submarines.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and required contractual modifications from our Navy customer and other third parties.

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About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

Less than two weeks before Thanksgiving, a steady stream of people walked out of a large warehouse door with carts full of much-needed food. While the winter holidays bring more traffic than other times of the year, visitors always come to the pantry at 104 Commerce Plaza in Goose Creek because the need is year-round.

In October, Helping Hands of Goose Creek had 563 family visits. In its 35-year history, the pantry has never helped that many in a month. The need for help is not letting up, and neither can the pantry.

“We have increased our volume over the past six months,” said Helping Hands of Goose Creek executive director Nicole Franklin. “We serve families of all types. Every family that comes and asks for assistance gets part of our shopping program, where they can shop for groceries.”

It’s not just Goose Creek. Franklin said Helping Hands serves families from Bonneau, Kingstree, Huger and John’s Island. In October, 2,033 pounds of food, more than one ton of products, including canned goods, meat, bread and hygiene products, left the facility.

Food and monetary donations are always needed at this time of year and visitors come from all walks of life.

“We believe that we serve 1-in-4 families that are actually in need,” Franklin said. “The other three families don’t come either because they don’t know about us or have too much pride to ask for help."

Asset-limited, Income-Constrained but Employed, or ALICE, families, are also getting more help. While they do have jobs, the cost of things such as rent or food has risen beyond their means, and such households are becoming more common.

“They are our working poor families that make too much money for government assistance but not enough in our economy to make ends meet,” Franklin said. “They have to buy Christmas gifts, so if we can take some of the burden of their grocery expenses off, that frees up their budget.”

Helping Hands not only provides food for those in need but also other services and resources, and volunteers are as crucial as donations. In October, Helping Hands reported that 56 volunteers logged 703 hours of work.

The nonprofit relies heavily on donations and the work of those volunteers to keep things going. Fundraisers also play a role. On Dec. 7, Pancakes with Santa will be at the Metro North Church on Central Avenue in Goose Creek to raise funds and spread the word about Helping Hands.

The first big goal for Stratford High School’s football team this fall was to defend its region title.

The Knights weren’t able to do that, but being city champs - and the owners of the coveted Golden Goose Trophy - felt like more than just a consolation prize for Stratford after it edged visiting crosstown rival Goose Creek, 21-14, Friday, Nov. 8, in the final regular season game for both squads.

“Any time you win a huge rivalry game like this, it’s great to win,” said Stratford coach Dennie McDaniel. “Both programs have done a good job building this up as a good rivalry. We get to keep the Golden Goose for one more year. I’m just excited for our kids to come out here and finish the regular season like they did.”

The Knights enter the Class 5A Div. I playoffs Nov. 15 with a 5-5 overall record and capped the league slate with a 3-2 mark. Goose Creek dropped to 5-5 overall and also finished 3-2 in the region — the Gators, who will be in the Class 5A Div. II bracket needed one win over the final two weeks of the regular season to claim their fifth region crown in six seasons but dropped a pair of single-digit games.

By edging Berkeley, 28-23, Friday, Nov. 8, the Cane Bay Cobras claimed the Region 7-5A crown. The Cobras, Berkeley, Stratford and Goose Creek all finished 3-2 in league play, but the Cobras had the head-to-head tiebreaker on the other three.

Stratford was happy to head into the playoffs with some momentum, though.

“We’ve still got to clean up some mistakes as far as penalties go,” McDaniel said. “If we’re operating like we’re capable of operating, there’s no telling how good we can be. I would like to see how we end up in the playoffs. We were missing two starters tonight, but everybody is dinged up this time of year. When we get those guys back, we think we can be hitting on all cylinders.”

Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis capped a 58-yard drive on a 1-yard plunge up the middle with 9:10 remaining to make it 21-14. The Knights made two stands inside their own territory to preserve their second straight win in the series.

Goose Creek took over at its own 21 with 2:21 remaining and used a 34-yard pass from quarterback Kymani Clary to receiver Teru Davis to reach Stratford’s 45 on its final possession. After spiking it to stop the clock with 23 seconds left, the Gators netted six yards on their next two plays and a heave toward the end zone on fourth-and-four in the closing seconds fell incomplete.

Stratford took a knee to kill the final three seconds.

“I think Goose Creek is very talented,” McDaniel said. “Athletic-wise, they’re very good. They do a good job with their scheme to fit what their players do well. Defensively, their noseguard (Andrew Joseph) is the best defensive player we faced all year. He was eating us up. We had to triple-team him sometimes.”

The Gators’ best drive of the night evened the score, 14-14, late in the third quarter. Goose Creek went 94 yards in just over three minutes. Clary connected with Davis on a pair of quick passes to move the chains and the Gators benefitted from a Stratford late hit out of bounds. Clary then connected with running back Meliq McGowan for 26 yards to the Stratford 19. Two plays later, Clary raced 15 yards to the Knights 1-yard-line, and McGowan punched it in from there with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter.

Stratford reached paydirt twice in the first half, once each quarter, to grab a 14-7 halftime advantage. On their second possession, the Knights went 66 yards to score on a third and goal from the 2-yard-line on a run by running Kerwin Squire with 3:01 remaining in the opening period. The Gators aided the home team moments earlier with defensive pass interference on a fourth-and-four at the 17-yard-line.

Goose Creek’s response was swift. Clary found Davis in stride in the middle of the field, and the freshman receiver scored on a 65-yard reception to tie the score, 7-7, with 1:37 left in the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, Stratford went 70 yards to take the lead on a 14-yard pass from Jachin Davis to receiver Terrell Ross with four minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Davis finished the game 14-of-21 through the air for 178 yards and also ran for 49 yards. Stratford receiver J.Q. Crosby caught five passes for 119 yards. Squire rushed for 67 yards.

“Jachin is the guy who makes us go on offense,” McDaniel said. “Any time you have somebody back there with the caliber arm he does, but also the talent with his feet, he’s going to make you right more times than not. That’s a great weapon to have. As good as he is as a player, he’s much better as a teammate and a leader. He demands a lot of himself and his teammates, and that makes us much better.”

Goose Creek crossed Stratford’s 40 on its ensuing drive but opted to punt on fourth-and-four with a minute left in the opening half.

Teru Davis led the Gators with more than 100 yards receiving. Clary passed for 183 yards.

A Goose Creek man sits in the Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Moncks Corner following an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Information provided shows the suspect, Derrell Joshua, already a convicted felon, is charged with 43 counts that include, child endangerment, drug trafficking and animal fighting.

Information provided to the Gazette shows that Joshua, 40, continued to be investigated after convictions for felony crimes in 2004, 2012 and 2020. The arrest affidavit from Berkeley County states that his arrest stems from evidence being collected since 2020, up until October of 2024.

Investigators from SLED, according to documents, began, through a warrant, tracking Joshua’s social media account where his dealings were messaged with numerous co-conspiring parties.

One message from 2022 discussed, based on bond papers, shows he communicated with a person looking for Fentanyl, heroin, meth, crack cocaine and Oxycodone after the subject was released from prison.

Another message thread shows that he entered into a conversation in the private message thread that he, Joshua, had “fentanyl on deck.” The documents show he interacted through messaging numerous times discussing and setting up sales for an array of illegal drugs.

Affidavits show there were messages where Joshua set up sales to different subjects for MDMA “Molly”, meth, cocaine and heroin. Information shows these conversions went back and forth for several months.

Then on Oct. 24, the affidavit states that SLED agents along with deputies from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at what is believed to be Joshua’s residence in Goose Creek. During the search more charges were added to the list.

Investigators allegedly found dogs that had scars consistent with animal fighting or baiting. It was also found, officers report, that he ran an illegal dog fighting kennel. The kennel was advertised on social media and the page was owned by Joshua.

The site, investigators report had animals “tormented by tethering” and lacked food and adequate care. They also found a digital media file that showed, pit-bull type dogs in a “conditioning fight” and the fight was recorded.

The court papers state that while searching the site on Oct. 24 additional drugs were found that included fentanyl and cocaine. Also because of the condition of the home and the illicit drugs around, Joshua was charged with child endangerment. Three children were in home ranging in age from 12 to four-years old, according to investigators.

Also inside, investigators reported, finding 12 different firearms. There were seven handguns, four rifles and one shotgun. Due to his previous felony charges in 2004, 2012 and 2020, it is illegal for Joshua to have guns or ammunition.