Quartz CountertopsNear Hollywood, SC

HOLLYWOOD, S.C. (WCBD) – A mobile home that was left abandoned along Davison Road in Hollywood could be removed in the near future thanks to actions taken by the surrounding towns.

Residents said the mobile home has become an eyesore; it’s been there for so long it now appears on Google Maps. But what you won’t see on Google Maps is that the trailer is still furnished.

On Thursday, Ravenel Mayor Stephen Tumbleston said he is working with Hollywood Mayor Chardale Murray to create a timeline for a speedy demolition and removal of the trailer. Tumbleston said once the owner of the trailer signs an approval letter, the towns will work together to remove it.

“We’re waiting on that letter to come back executed with a signature, and then we’ve solicited bids and we will partner with Hollywood on getting it out. And just as soon as we get the document back from the owner, court cases and all that aside, we’ll get it cleaned up, we’ll get it moved out,” said Mayor Tumbleston.

News 2 spoke with the crew working to help remove the trailer, Berry Demolition. Once they are given the go-ahead, the process of removing the trailer will take 2 to 3 days. After the demolition crew surveyed the area, like many, they agree it must go.

“I mean its definitely got to go, needs demolishing that’s all. There’s probably no saving it and moving it again from now, so yeah it definitely has to be torn down and moved from here,” said one crew member.

Over in Hollywood, newly elected Mayor Murray is still getting settled into office, but said that won’t stop her from doing what she can to have the trailer removed from Davison Road.

“That feels good you know, to know that this trailer has been sitting out here almost two months. My word is my bond. I called the Mayor of Ravenel and when I called him he said ‘Hey we got to do whatever we can to do to make this happen’ and here it is,” said Mayor Murray.

Concerned resident, Jerry Gray, who first told News 2 about the trailer, says he’s happy to see progress being made.

“If you don’t have a plan, you don’t have a clue. Ideally, a plan is being formulated. That’s why I say I’m optimistic with a little dose of caution,” said Gray.

News 2 will continue following this story as the community awaits the removal.

HOLLYWOOD, S.C. (WCIV) — A public pool is hosting its first competitive swim team for young swimmers and it's a dream come true for Jennifer Holmes. She turned her pain into power.

"I never imagined that we would actually have a swim team coming from tragedy, overcoming, and becoming a lifeguard," she said. "Now, this season, this summer will be the beginning of a new swim team for many walks of life."

Read more: Officials to break ground on $25M North Charleston Sports Complex on March 1

Holmes learned to swim after her son, Genesis, drowned in 2014. She built a pool in his honor and taught other children to swim. Holmes said she never knew the progress of the Genesis Pool would get so far and it's changed her life forever. Now, she is working on a swim team for kids in the Hollywood area. Many of them never would have learned to swim if it wasn't for Jennifer.

Allison Foster, with Charleston County Parks Health and Wellness, says kids will be refining their skills with breaststroke, freestyle. They will also be encouraged to grow confidence in their swimming. The emphasis is on the team.

"We encourage team building and supporting one another in a welcoming environment," Foster said.

A public pool is hosting its first competitive swim team for young swimmers and it's a dream come true for Jennifer Holmes. (WCIV)

Holmes gives the credit to her son Genesis, who she says has guided her every step of the way.

“To be standing here in front of the Genesis pool and to know that there's going to be a swim team, I know in my heart it's going to change lives and I know that God had a major part of this," she said.

Read more: Aventon Companies announces groundbreaking of its newest community in Charleston.

Holmes says she can hear her son's voice in her ear cheering her on.

"Right now, I know Genesis is saying, 'Mommy get it'."

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Swim team conditioning starts in April and the Genesis Pool will be open for the season on May 6. Holmes says she'll be wearing the number 11 for Genesis because that was his number on his basketball team.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - This week on Awareness, Billie Jean Shaw visited the beautiful and historic campus of South Carolina State University ahead of the inaugural entertainment masterclass taught by actor and singer Jason Weaver.

Weaver has an ongoing successful career rising to fame at an early age. He starred in Disney’s hit sitcom, “Smart Guy,” was the singing voice of young Simba in the original “Lion King” film and he played young Michael Jackson in “The Jacksons An American Dream,” series. As an adult, he’s starred in the movies, “ATL,” “Drumline,” and currently “The Chi.” Weaver is bringing his decades of experience from Hollywood to South Carolina State University to spearhead the university’s first entertainment masterclass, a plan he says has been in the works since January with SC State’s Board of Trustee member Dr. Macie P. Smith.

In this segment, Jason Weaver explains to Billie Jean Shaw how he entered the world of Hollywood and maintained a successful career. Weaver also talks about mega pop star Michael Jackson choosing him to play the young Michael Jackson in the “The Jackson An American Dream,” series and the surprising, yet odd way he met Michael Jackson on set. He also discusses how the role as young Michael Jackson led to call from another mega star, Elton John, who hand picked him to play young Simba in “Lion King.”

Jason Weaver shares even more candid moments from his ongoing career in Hollywood including how he’s been able to maintain his career unproblematically and his advice to future entertainers.

Jason Weaver explains how and why he wanted to teach an entertainment masterclass at South Carolina State University, the lessons students will walk away from the class with and if the title of professor is in his future. Brown also brought along other Hollywood heavy hitters to join in on the class, his attorney, actress and film producer Lena Waithe and actor, writer and producer Orlando Jones who also makes an appearance in this segment.

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With the closing credits rolling to Hollywood’s biggest labor fight in decades, production work on South Carolina film projects are expected to resume soon.

The long-awaited resolution was reached overnight on Nov. 8, nearly four months after film and television actors went on strike.

The proposed three-year contract still must be approved by the board of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and its members in the coming days.

But union leadership declared in a written statement that the strike ended shortly after midnight Thursday. It put the value of the new contact at more than $1 billion.

“Outer Banks” co-creator and Executive Producer Jonas Pate told The Post and Courier that work will be “starting up immediately” but declined to elaborate. Filming for the series, which began in May, was initially expected to wrap at the end of this year in preparation for an early 2024 release. It’s unclear how the 118-day walkout will affect the schedule.

The S.C. Film Office said it expects that the show will resume filming in South Carolina in December.

Linda Lee, president of the Carolina Film Alliance board of directors, said Thursday that the pending labor deal “hopefully means we’ll be back to work soon.” She said that while many fully backed the strike, the last few months have been financially difficult for most workers in the industry.

“Everyone is just waiting to see what happens,” Lee said.

She also cautioned that the holidays could cause further delays in ramping production back up on a number of projects.

Matt Storm, director of the S.C. Film Commission, said numerous projects around the Palmetto State were affected, from small independent films to high-profile productions

“Since most productions were paused, it’s hard to know at this point how much that has shifted their timelines,” he said.

During the strike, Storm said, the commission, which is part of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, held workshops and training in the Upstate to prepare more local residents for employment once projects resume.

A rebranded downtown Charleston hotel unveiled its new name and look this month after wrapping up a $4 million renovation.

The Enclave at The Vendue near Waterfront Park is one of two lodgings that locally based Avocet Hospitality operates on either side of Vendue Range and markets as distinct experiences, a la: “If The Vendue is the art gallery, The Enclave is the artist’s retreat.”

The renovation centered around the 39 guest rooms and common areas over the summer. The property remained open during construction.

“Vendue is bold, loud and vibrant with the energy of the rooftop bar, while The Enclave is quieter — almost club-like,” Avocet owner Jon Weitz said. “The Enclave is intended for those guests who wish to be inspired by contemporary art in a more private and bespoke setting.”

Earlier this year, The Vendue at 19 Vendue Range moved away from the traditional front desk model and moved to curbside greetings. Staff were trained in improv through local theater company Theatre 99 to help build stronger connections with guests upon check-in and throughout their stay.

The Enclave, which is at 26 Vendue Range, officially took on it new name in August. It provides exclusive access to the sibling property’s artist-in-residence studio, a range of personalized services.

Dedicated

The Charleston Place has dedicated a part of its Thoroughbred Club in honor of a local artist and frequent guest.

The Jonathan Green Lounge is right off the lobby in the city’s largest hotel. Green is a prominent Gullah artist who’s spent the last four-decades creating works that embrace aspects of American and African American Southern cultures, history and traditions.

He grew up in the rural coastal community of Gardens Corner near Beaufort. And his art is known for capturing the art of everyday life, like a woman hanging out laundry, horses, as well as other scenes and symbols of the Gullah community.

“My entire life has been about telling stories through art,” Green said. “Each series is like a film strip that highlights different perspective, composition, people and cultures.”

The Charleston Place owner Beemok Hospitality Collection said it wanted shine a spotlight on the artist, who’s been a frequent visitor of the hotel over the past 20 years. Several of his original works now hang in the lounge.

Green said that while he was introduced to the property as a guest, he continued to come back because it was a place where he felt “welcomed like family.”

“It’s a privilege to have your work recognized in a hotel setting, which is just as familiar and grand as a museum,” Green said. “New people will be continually introduced to my art. It’s not just about hanging some paintings on the wall. It’s about really being recognized as a person and as your artwork.”

Around town

The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry will host its annual “Noon Year’s Eve” on Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Ann Street museum will have a variety of events with a noon ball drop and juice box toast. Activities are included with paid admission; the outdoor ball drop on the alley is a free, walk-up event.

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A historic Broad Street property that’s housed banks, law firms and a publicly traded real estate company over the past 134 years or so is back under local ownership in a deal totaling $6.2 million.

An affiliate of EP Group purchased the 15,500-square-foot, three-and-a-half story building at 39 Broad St. for $5.58 million last week, according to public land records. The deal included an adjacent 16-space parking lot at 28 Elliott St., which sold for $620,000.

The seller was Healthcare Realty Trust of Tennessee.

The vacant commercial building is between East Bay and Church streets. It underwent a top-to-bottom renovation about eight years ago.

EP Group, which said it invests in middle-market, U.S. based businesses and is based on Meeting Street, plans to take part of the newly acquired property. A spokesman said the privately held company is reviewing “a range of possible plans” for the rest of the space.

“We look forward to being the stewards of this building and remaining part of the vibrant downtown community,” EP Group CEO Terry Hurley said in a written statement.

The new owner and The Post and Courier were owned by the same parent company until September 2021, when both were spun off as standalone businesses.

According to Historic Charleston Foundation, 39 Broad dates to the late 1800s — with the “marked verticality” of its arched windows among its most distinctive architectural features. The builder was Charles Otto Witte, a wealthy German-born businessman and consul for various European nations who once lived at what’s now the Ashley Hall school campus.

The structure later became known as the Exchange Bank and Trust Co. building, named for an early tenant was established in 1891. Local archives show a law firm and Merchants’ and Miners’ Bank were operating at the same address a few years earlier.

HOLLYWOOD, S.C. (WCIV) — Parents, activists, school board members and community members got together at St. Luke's AME Church in Hollywood the evening of Oct. 17 to discuss ways to rally behind Charleston County School District (CCSD) Superintendent Eric Gallien.

Monday's meeting was the latest in a series of community meetings that have been happening across Charleston County since Gallien was put on paid administrative leave by the Board of Trustees in late September.

Read more: CCSD Board of Trustees will have special meeting involving superintendent today

Ahead of the community meeting, it was revealed the board will meet the following afternoon to review a possible settlement and release of Gallien.

"It makes me really sad and very concerned about how we are going to proceed forward with good, solid leadership in Charleston County schools," said board member Carol Tempel, one of the four supporting Dr. Gallien.

The news was upsetting to board members like Tempel and community members in the Hollywood area who say they’re still learning about the situation.

"If he can do what we need done in the school district, allow him to do it," community member Lisa Jenkins said. "Not continue to stall the progress that we are making for our students."

Parents, activists, school board members and community members got together at St. Luke's AME Church in Hollywood to discuss ways to rally behind Charleston County School District Superintendent Eric Gallien. (WCIV)

Monday's meeting was organized by Movement 400, the group of activists working to get Dr. Gallien back in his office. Group leaders reiterated they believe the board is acting out of line.

"The board thinks it's the superintendent and they cannot be both," Rev. Nelson B. Rivers III said. "You cannot be the board and the superintendent. They want to do both and we’re not going to let them do it."

Movement 400 says even if Gallien is released on Tuesday, the group's work would continue.

"The reason we got started was not just for Dr. Gallien," Rivers said. "We got started because of the injustice of the board against black children, poor children, brown children, and just people."

Read more: Community rallies for 'justice' after CCSD board upholds superintendent's administrative leave

Tempel says she never thought this controversy would get to the point of releasing the superintendent.

"I really felt that the cause for leave was really unjustified," she said. "I believed it was subject to investigation, of course, but not to put him on paid administrative leave."

Tempel and fellow board members Darlene Roberson and Courtney Waters read a letter to the crowd written by Gallien.

Read more: Local lawmakers urge governor to launch investigation into CCSD's Board of Trustees

In the letter, the superintendent wrote that after conversations with his family and medical advisors, he is requesting to "immediately withdraw (the) proposal for a separation with CCSD as the superintendent."

"I've come to realize that the sacred trust our community has placed in me is something I cannot turn my back on," Gallien wrote.

Movement 400 says they plan to be at Tuesday night's special board meeting to continue to show support for Gallien and the districts students.

The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at 75 Calhoun Street.