kitchen countertopsNear Summerville, SC

Summerville designer Gray Benko and her family are on a quest to bring color and life back to historic spaces in the Charleston area. It’s a feat they are accomplishing head-on in a new TV series called “Happy to be Home with the Benkos.”

In six episodes, Gray Benko teams up with her craftsman husband, Mike Benko, and her father, Joe “Grumpy” Highsmith, to renovate portions of six historic Charleston-area homes.

Each episode features a different house that dates back at least 100 years. The idea is to add color, texture and fun to each one while breaking away from the “stereotypical farmhouse concept that has been so popular for so long,” said Mike Benko.

Most of the renovated spaces are ones the homeowners were unhappy with. They were either looking for a change, or the space needed some sort of structural or construction work.

The crew works to salvage the integrity of each home’s history while adding the flair of Gray Benko’s designs. Once complete, most of the spaces are revived from floor to ceiling with brand new construction, vibrant colors and patterns, antique furniture and fixtures from local shops.

Each member of the trio has their own rule in the renovations. Gray, who is also a photographer, is responsible for the designs. Highsmith, a general contractor from Hilton Head Island, oversees the construction. And Gray describes her husband, Mike, as a renaissance man who’s “like a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy.” He completes a personalized, special project for each homeowner.

Gray, a Lowcountry native, said her family’s passion for this work likely stems from living in historic homes for so many years. They’ve renovated their own homes, “and that’s kind of how this whole things started,” she said.

“I did our houses, people saw it on my Instagram, loved it and then started asking me for help with their house,” she said. “And then it all turned into this whole TV show thing, and here we are.”

“Happy to be Home with the Benkos” airs on the Magnolia Network, which features original shows curated by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of the hit home renovation TV series “Fixer Upper” and owners of the Magnolia home brand. The show can be streamed on HBO Max and Discovery+, too.

Since the Benkos utilize local businesses to help with the renovations, many Lowcountry faces are seen on the show, too, like Charleston upholsterer Kelvin Moultrie of Carolina Auto Trim, seamstress Elizabeth Wheaton of Wheaton Whaley Home and designer Sally Bennet of Mirth Studio, among other South Carolinians.

The Benkos are currently taking on new projects in the Summerville and Charleston areas. Homes that are built in the 1920s or earlier are preferred.

“We are looking for people who are not afraid of color, obviously, and who have renovations that they already want to do,” Gray said.

Those who are interested should send an email to info.graybenko@gmail.com.

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Trump is speaking Monday afternoon at Sportsman Boats in his first visit to South Carolina since the Silver Elephant Gala last month.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Former President Donald Trump took the stage at a campaign event in Summerville Monday predicting a record-breaking win in the South Carolina Primary as he campaigned for a second term as commander-in-chief.

Trump is speaking Monday afternoon at Sportsman Boats in his first visit to South Carolina since the Silver Elephant Gala last month.

He told the crowd that his last two years in office were the best two years South Carolina boat builders and South Carolina businesses have ever had, saying that boat builders couldn’t make the boats fast enough.

“When I left the office business was roaring like a 400 horsepower Mercury outboard motor,” Trump said. “But then the economy slammed into a pile of rocks known as crooked Joe Biden.”

He promised to end Biden’s “war on American energy” and reclaim energy independence.

“In other words, we will drill, baby, drill,” he said.

Trump said he won South Carolina twice by record numbers and pledged to do it again.

“We did phenomenally here. We’ve always done well here and we’re going to do it at a level that nobody’s ever seen,” he said. “So we broke the record twice. We’re going to break it a third time. We’re going to break our own record.”

He said he intends to “take back our country and we’re going to make America great again.”

Before Trump’s speech, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster told the crowd he went into the State House about a month after Trump went into the White House.

“And South Carolina has been booming ever since,” he said. “But then in January 2021, everything changed.”

McMaster said his administration has had to fight the Biden Administration “every day.” He cited the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for military personnel, and accused it of destroying the nation’s borders and the nation’s energy independence.

“From 2016 until now, [the Biden Administration] has been doing anything and everything they could, legal, illegal, ethical, unethical, unheard of, unprecedented, to do one thing: That includes two bogus impeachments and full-of-baloney indictments to do what? To stop one man, to stop our man from being president of the United States,” McMaster said.

Gov. Henry McMaster praised former President Donald Trump Monday at a campaign event held in Summerville.

Dorchester County deputies said earlier on Monday that Trump’s visit to Summerville would cause delays on Highway 78 from Summerville east of Berlin G. Myers Parkway to Jedburg Road at Mallard Road. Drivers in the area are asked to search for alternate routes if they don’t live or work along Highway 78 and are encouraged to use other entrances to neighborhoods in the area.

Traffic delays are expected to last through about 5 p.m. Monday but the delays could be extended.

Dorchester County deputies are warning of traffic delays ahead of former President Donald Trump’s visit to the Lowcountry.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Construction has begun on Marlowe Summerville, a 278-unit rental complex on a 27.9-acre site in Summerville.

It is the first foray into South Carolina for The Resmark Companies, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment management company, which is partnering with Greystar Real Estate Partners, a Charleston-headquartered investment and development company with offices across the country and on four continents.

Marlowe is a Greystar brand marketed as “​​​​​​suburban luxury living.” The Summerville project on N. Main Street and College Park Road is the first Marlowe brand in the state, according to a news release.

“We are excited to make our first investment in the Charleston MSA with Greystar, a long-term and trusted partner,” Ziv Cohen, chief investment officer of Resmark, said in the news release. “Having worked together for a decade, we recognize that Greystar brings rigorous attention to design, quality and detail that results in great consumer response and community acceptance.”

Pre-leasing at Marlowe Summerville is expected to begin next fall, according to Stephen O’Neil, senior vice president for investments at Resmark. The community will offer amenities including a clubhouse equipped with a fitness center and co-working spaces, resort-style pool, grilling stations, pickleball courts, dog park and outdoor dog wash, as well as a grand central amenity lawn with shuffleboard, cornhole and a community garden.

O’Neil said in the release that Resmark was drawn to the site because of “Summerville’s location as a top-tier suburban market near Charleston, its attractive demographics, access to commuting routes and rapidly expanding employer base are all factors that underscore a strong outlook for multifamily development.”

The company also pointed to the site’s proximity to Camp Hall 10 miles away, a 7,000-acre commerce park that has attracted nearly $5 billion in investment and projected to create as many as 1,500 jobs for workers who will need a place to live, the release said.

Related article: Work begins on newest Camp Hall industrial building in Ridgeville

“Summerville is a highly desirable submarket twenty miles northwest of downtown Charleston that is attracting young professionals and families drawn to its quality of life and historic charm,” Ben Liebetrau, managing director of development for Greystar Development and Construction Services. “As we are headquartered in Charleston, we are extremely pleased to bring Greystar’s Marlowe brand to our backyard.”

Of the 278 rental homes, 263 will be constructed in 10 separate three-story walk-up garden-style buildings. Fifteen two-story townhomes, each with a fenced yard and attached garage, will be located in two separate buildings. Ranging in size from 560 square feet to 2,114 square feet, the project unit mix will include 16 studios, 127 one-bedrooms, 118 two-bedrooms and 17 three-bedrooms, the release stated. Each unit will offer features such as granite countertops, wood-like luxury vinyl flooring and stainless-steel appliances.

Resmark is a real estate investment manager that provides capital to homebuilders, land developers and multifamily developers across the country.

Reach Ross Norton at rnorton@scbiznews.com or 864-642-5229.

About 300 members across 33 South Carolina chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated are expected to attend their statewide conference in Summerville

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Thursday morning, about 300 members across 33 South Carolina chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated are expected to attend their statewide conference in Summerville.

But the gathering also has a strong focus on promoting higher education and career readiness. As part of the conference, hundreds of students from across the state will come to the town to take advantage of free academic resources.

The fraternity’s HBCU IMPACT College Fair kicks off Thursday morning at 9 a.m. K. Allen Campbell, the director of conferences for the South Carolina District of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, expects close to 600 students statewide will be bussed in to participate.

“We’re just trying to take it to another level,” he said.

The high schoolers, mostly juniors and seniors, will have access to representatives of 12 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Additionally, they’ll get information about the college process and scholarships. Campbell explains not every student has the ability to travel to explore different colleges. So the goal is to bring the students to the colleges all in one location. Beyond the college fair, there will also be a financial literacy course to teach students basic money skills.

“We used to say balancing a checkbook, but people don’t write checks anymore too much,” Campbell laughed. “But if they have that part-time job, how to budget, how important that is to fuse that with your financial goals for college, how much college costs. Just those important things that we tend not to discuss with them until it’s too late.”

While the fraternity is preparing the students academically for college and beyond, members are also showing the importance of dressing the part.

As part of the conference, they’re also hosting their “Let’s Tie Things Up” initiative. It’s an interactive workshop covering how to tie a tie, the importance of dressing for success, verbal communication strategies and career exploration.

“It’s more about a modeling behavior,” George Johnson, the director of communication for the South Carolina District of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, said. “And so the young men they see images of who they can become and just seeing the men there dressed and so that inspires them.”

Organizers prefer that students pre-register through their schools in order to participate. But students won’t be turned away regardless.

Below are the additional community events as part of the conference:

HBCU IMPACT College Fair

Thursday, October 5, 2023, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Lowcountry Conference Center (Magnolia Ballroom)

406 Sigma Drive, Summerville, SC 29486

Financial Literacy

Thursday, October 5, 2023, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Lowcountry Conference Center (Dogwood A)

406 Sigma Drive, Summerville, SC 29486

“Let’s Tie Things Up”

Thursday, October 5, 2023, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Lowcountry Conference Center (Dogwood B)

406 Sigma Drive, Summerville, SC 29486

Graduate School and Career Fair

Saturday, October 7, 2023, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Lowcountry Conference Center (Magnolia Ballroom)

406 Sigma Drive, Summerville, SC 29486

Blood Drive Event with the Red Cross

Saturday, October 7, 2023, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Lowcountry Conference Center (Cypress Multipurpose Room)

406 Sigma Drive, Summerville, SC 29486

Miss Old Gold and Black Scholarship Competition

Saturday, October 7, 2023, 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Lowcountry Conference Center (Azalea Ballroom)

406 Sigma Drive, Summerville, SC 29486

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Enrollment is officially open for interested parents and families to sign up for a new private preschool opening up in the summer of 2024.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Enrollment is officially open for interested parents and families to sign up for a new private preschool opening up in the summer of 2024.

Goddard Schools Summerville is a unique program focused on behavioral health and well-being through play and inquiry-based training.

“Our mission is kindergarten readiness for all of our students,” Goddard Schools Summerville Co-owner Amy Strickland said. “And we serve families with little ones from 6 weeks up til right before kindergarten starts.”

The curriculum gives kids a chance to learn their own way by using their senses and minds to make early education more engaging and exciting.

“It empowers children to find their voices, ask questions,” Strickland said.

There are hundreds of these programs across the nation, Nexton’s new location being the eighth in South Carolina.

Tuition will vary depending on the age of your children, how many you hope to enroll and what schedules you would prefer.

The school needs final approval before it can begin building the facility. Officials hope to start construction next week.

The school will be located in a developing shopping center on Nexton Parkway and Brighton Park Boulevard.

The area is being built up and occupied by young families.

Some tell me that’s why it is the perfect spot.

One local parent with a former Goddard student says it’s been hard for young families to find childcare resources in the area.

“The Charleston childcare scene is absolutely in a deficit, we really need more and more,” Parent Katie Olejniczak said. “I know a lot of families there that desperately need daycare or desperately need an early childhood development program. And these waitlists are absolutely absurd.”

Olejniczak says the program made a remarkable impact on her daughter’s lifestyle.

“Cam in general loves being around people, loves playing, and she was just in such a positive environment.”

Strickland says it’s the most fulfilling experience she’s had.

“To be able to send 40 kids year after year to kindergarten not scared, not anxious, but happy and confident and ready to take on the world and so excited about school,” Strickland said. If they’re excited about school when they start kindergarten, that really maintains.”

Owners hope to kickstart an office space so that interested families can meet in person and ask questions.

For now, if you’re interested in joining the program as family or staff, you can find out more here.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.