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MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Monday, August 28, 2023) – Berkeley County Emergency Management officials and leaders are currently monitoring Tropical Storm Idalia. National weather experts are predicting the storm will become a major hurricane before making landfall Tuesday, August 29, 2023, in the Gulf Coast of Florida. County officials have been meeting and discussing preparations for any potential impacts to our area.

Idalia is likely to be a wind and rain event for Berkeley County, starting Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday morning. Expected rainfall is 6 to 8 inches. Other potential impacts from Idalia, including risk for tornadoes and storm surge, remains low at this time for Berkeley County.

Crews with Berkeley County Roads and Bridges have been out ahead of the storm, checking on flood prone areas, storm drains and culverts throughout the County.

OPERATING CONDITIONS: The County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) currently remains at OPCON 3 (normal operating conditions), with no activation at this time. Berkeley County leaders are encouraging citizens to prepare for Idalia by making a plan and building an emergency kit. View our 2023 County Hurricane Guide in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

SANDBAGS: Sandbags are now available at the following sites on a first-come, first-served basis. The sites are self-serve. More locations will be added, as needed.

CITIZEN CALL LINE: The Citizen Call Line (843-719-4800) will be operational by 8 p.m. Monday, August 28, for non-emergency calls ONLY. Callers will hear an automated response around-the-clock about County storm prep information.

For the latest news and updates on Idalia, follow Berkeley County Government on Facebook and at www.berkeleycountysc.gov. Also, sign up for all County news and alerts through the County’s Notification System HERE.

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– Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office –

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Tuesday, August 29, 2023) – Berkeley County Emergency Management officials and leaders are continuing to monitor Hurricane Idalia, set to make landfall early Wednesday as a category 3 storm on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Berkeley County remains under a Tropical Storm Warning, meaning Tropical Storm Force winds are possible within the next 36 hours.

Idalia is likely to be a wind and rain event for Berkeley County, starting late Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday morning. Expected rainfall is 4 to 8 inches. Other potential impacts from Idalia, including risk for tornadoes and storm surge, remains low at this time for Berkeley County.

County officials have been meeting and discussing preparations for any potential impacts to our area. Crews with Berkeley County Roads and Bridges have been out ahead of the storm, checking on flood prone areas, storm drains and culverts throughout the County. SC Governor Henry McMaster has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

Citizens are encouraged to prepare for Idalia by making a plan and building an emergency kit. View our 2023 County Hurricane Guide in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

CLOSURES: All Berkeley County Government offices, the Courthouse, Cypress Gardens, Berkeley Animal Center, and all County Library branches will close at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30. All facilities will remain CLOSED on Thursday, August 31, and reopen on Friday, September 1.

OPERATING CONDITIONS: The County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) currently remains at OPCON 3 (normal operating conditions), with no activation at this time. On Wednesday at 8 a.m., Berkeley County will transition to OPCON 2 with a partial EOC activation. OPCON 2 means a disaster or emergency is likely to affect the County, and emergency operations plans are implemented.

SANDBAGS: Sandbags are available at the following sites on a first-come, first-served basis. The sites are self-serve. More locations will be added, as needed.

CITIZEN CALL LINE: The Citizen Call Line (843-719-4800) is currently operational 24/7 for non-emergency calls ONLY. Callers will hear an automated response with Berkeley County storm prep information. **For all emergency calls, please call 911.**

POWER OUTAGES: Please do not call 911 for power outages. Please report outages to the appropriate provider below:

REPORTING STORM DAMAGE: If your residence or business sustains storm damage, please report it HERE. Those without Internet access can report storm damage by calling the Citizen Call Line at 843-719-4800 and leaving a detailed voicemail.

Reporting storm damage will help Berkeley County staff gauge the extent of damage in the County and report the findings to state and federal officials. These reports will determine appropriate federal and state funding for damage caused by the storm.

For the latest news and updates on Idalia, follow Berkeley County Government on Facebook and at www.berkeleycountysc.gov. Also, sign up for all County news and alerts through the County’s Notification System HERE.

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– Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office –

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Thursday, February 1, 2024) – Berkeley County has been awarded a $1 million US Fish & Wildlife Service grant from the SC Department of Natural Resources to help fund the County’s Mega Boat Landing project, which is a partnership with Santee Cooper. The funding was announced at the Berkeley County Council meeting on Monday, January 22, 2024. See full meeting video HERE.

The Mega Boat Landing project is taking place at the former Atkins Boat Landing/Lions Beach site, located at 933 Broughton Road in Moncks Corner. The site, currently undergoing construction, spans approximately 14 acres on Lake Moultrie. Project plans include renovating and expanding the property to include the following improvements:

Santee Cooper is heading the design and permitting the project’s marine elements, including the docks and breakwater. Berkeley County Engineering is permitting the design plans in cooperation with the Town of Moncks Corner and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. Work on the land/parking lot is being conducted by Berkeley County Roads and Bridges.

Total cost of the project is approximately $6.5 million. In addition to the $1M grant from SC DNR, project funding stems from the Berkeley County Delegation “Water Recreation Funds,” Berkeley County Accommodations Tax Funds, and SC state budget appropriations. Additional costs are being offset by work performed in-house by Berkeley County and Santee Cooper.

On March 22, 2021, Santee Cooper’s Board of Directors approved a long-term gratis lease to Berkeley County for the project. The project is expected to be complete by summer 2025.

“County Council and I are incredibly grateful for this state grant and look forward to this project inching closer to wrapping up. We excitedly anticipate that special day, in the near future, when the County and Santee Cooper can offer the public an additional location to enjoy outdoor recreation, along with providing our other overly used boat landings some much-needed relief. Aside from local daily use, we are excited of the prospects to attract the largest freshwater fishing tournaments in the world to Berkeley County and our world class fisheries.” -Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County Supervisor

“The Santee Cooper Lakes are an incredible asset for the people of South Carolina. This funding marks the next step in the construction of the Mega Boat Landing, which will be a notable addition to the lakes when it’s completed. We’re proud to be part of this project with the County; it not only will be a gathering place and resource for local residents but also will stimulate the economy by bringing additional anglers, tourists and events to Berkeley County.” -Jimmy Staton, Santee Cooper President and CEO

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– Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office –

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - WakeUp Carolina is a nonprofit organization that offers resources to families and individuals struggling with addiction and they recently opened a facility in Berkeley County after the area saw high numbers of overdose deaths.

WakeUp Carolina is based out of Mount Pleasant, but in 2023, Berkeley County saw record high numbers of overdose deaths and the organization saw a need for change, so they opened a new facility off of East Main St in Moncks Corner in February.

WakeUp Carolina provides harm reduction resources such as NARCAN training and fentanyl test strips, as well as support groups for families and individuals dealing with addiction or suffering from loss as a result of overdose. The organization also acts as a vessel for finding resources for recovery among other efforts to improve the issue of overdose and addiction in South Carolina. WakeUp Carolina’s whole foundation is based on the idea that no family will ever have to go through loss and overdose alone. The founder of the organization lost her son to an overdose and wanted to provide support to others in every way that she could.

Dean Stephens, the Director of Development for WakeUp Carolina’s new facility says that this first month of being open could not have gone any better than they had hoped and that the community has been extremely welcoming. One thing they have said all along about this facility is that the community will dictate what goes into the space and what is needed, and Stephens says that is exactly what they have done with the furniture that is currently filling the space.

Stephens says that they plan to bring the things their Mount Pleasant location offers to Berkeley County, but they also want to hear what the community needs so they can create a safe space for the people who need it.

“We listen. And we’ll listen to what the community wants. Because for us, we’re not going to tell people what they need or what they want. We’ll sit back and listen to what they need, what they want, what they tell us, and then we’ll create programs groups, and things like that, and partnerships I think is a big word too, to create partnerships within this community to help people who may want our help,” he says.

Stephens says he believes that addiction and overdose are things that impact everybody at all levels and he is excited to create more partnerships in the community to build and grow. He says that they have already been working with the local school districts, churches and local mental health departments to expand their outreach and engage with community members, and he has high hopes for the future as these partnerships are created. They just want to create a safe space for the community.

He says it means so much to him to be a part of an organization that does so much.

“We toss around words like blessing and gratitude, and I really mean those two words when I say them here in Berkeley County that we feel like it’s a blessing that we’re here. And we’re grateful that you know, we have the resources and the tools to be able to open up these doors and share with anybody who wants to walk in these doors,” Stephens says.

To commemorate the official opening of the facility, they will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at 4 p.m. It will take place at their new facility at 325 E Main Street in Moncks Corner and the community is welcome to attend. This will kick off their community outreach, but Stephens says they have already been so welcoming and are excited for what’s to come.

“The community has been amazing, truly. And when people find out what we do, and the services that we provide, and the reach that we’ll have here in Berkeley County, it’s been, it’s been so welcoming,” he says. “We are here to help the individual, the family, the community.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - After days of planning workshops and community feedback, the town of Moncks Corner’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan draft is ready to be brought to the council.

Officials say it’s sort of like a bucket list for the town, and the more than 100-page plan boils down to addressing nine key elements: population, economic development, cultural and natural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, and resiliency.

The law requires a comprehensive plan every 10 years and to update it every five years. Moncks Corner is at the five-year mark, but decided it was time for a whole new plan.

“We’ve gone from about 6,000 residents to around 15,000 in 20 years,” Mayor Thomas Hamilton said. “So, it’s been a big jump for a small town like Moncks Corner and we don’t want to lose the Lowcountry’s Hometown feel. That’s why we’re being proactive.”

Due to future growth pressures, part of the draft focuses on how to maintain a small-town feel that appeals to both future and current residents.

“The Lowcountry continues to expand, and we hope to absorb some of that but absorb it in a responsible manner, so our current residents don’t feel left behind and that we actually enhance their quality of life from what they already expect from us,” Moncks Corner Community Development Director Justin Westbrook said. “Great fire service, police and recreation services, and that we also add to it for our future residents.”

The mayor said results from a community survey have guided the town to focus on providing outdoor activities residents can enjoy.

“Parks, pickleball, tennis,” Hamilton said. “Things that we can bring value and to have from our residents to be able to do in Moncks Corner instead of getting in their car and going to Goose Creek or North Charleston.”

Westbrook understands that planning and executing are two different things, and said that this is not a book that will collect dust on the shelf.

“You start saving for your retirement now and when you get there it may not be exactly what you envisioned because maybe you can afford more or maybe you have to scale it back a little bit, but this is a book that helps keeps us on that road map to which we’ve already collected the community’s voices, and will hopefully continue to use as we move forward,” he said.

The next step is for the town council to consider adopting this plan, which they will discuss at their February 20th and March 19th meetings. Members will be able to make recommendations to tweak or change certain things as they see fit.

To take a look at the draft, click here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – Despite several delays, Slim Chickens officially opened its doors to the public Monday in Moncks Corner. The restaurant is located next to Tractor Supply at 451 North U.S. Hwy 52. This is the first restaurant along the South Carolina coast for the Arkansas-based chain.

Along with giving Berkeley County residents a new option to grab a meal, the new Slim Chickens restaurant is helping to boost the area’s economy with the creation of more than 75 new jobs, representatives for the chain told The Berkeley Observer.

Larry Chandler, a multi-unit Firehouse Subs owner, is behind the opening of the popular chicken chain’s third location in the Palmetto State. The restaurant chain opened its first South Carolina location on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia last year. Its second location opened in the Upstate in Fort Mill in April 2023.

Tana Lee is the restaurant manager for the Moncks Corner location.

For Chandler and his nephew, Jody Chandler, who is also a co-owner, this is their first time embarking on opening their very first Slim Chickens.

Larry has been in the restaurant business for nearly 40 years and owns 38 Firehouse Subs restaurants in South Carolina and North Carolina – the largest amount of locations in the Firehouse Subs system.

According to the pair, they decided to partner with Slim Chickens after experiencing the delicious food and southern hospitality firsthand, which is exactly what they say they strive for at their Firehouse Subs restaurants.

With the opening of the new Moncks Corner Slim Chickens, it now shares the same stretch of highway as several other chicken-focused restaurants, including Chick-fil-A, Bojangles, Popeyes, KFC and Zaxby’s.

According to Larry, while he has humble respect for his fellow local restaurant owners in Moncks Corner, he believes Slim Chickens will easily stand out in the restaurant scene because of the brand’s different offerings from its competitors, like chicken & waffles, 17 different sauces, and crafted desserts.

Slim Chickens, which launched in 2003 by founders Greg Smart and Tom Gordon, has over 235 locations in the United States, United Kingdom and Turkey and over 1,150 locations in development.

Slim Chickens locations are also planned for Florence, Myrtle Beach and Charleston, QSR Magazine reports.

For more information on Slim Chickens, visit slimchickens.com.