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COTTAGEVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – A problem with a septic tank may force a small business in Colleton County to close its doors for good.

David Stanfield and his wife opened Red Brick Pizza in Cottageville a few years ago. But they may have to close their business after South Carolina’s lead health agency, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, said their septic system is not fit for the job.

“Almost two years ago we started, and almost immediately DHEC jumped on my back,” said Stanfield. “In March of last year, we started takeout only, but in March I contacted them about opening a 12-person dining room. They said yes, you can open it.”

A month later, Stanfield said he was told that could not have a dining room.

“I asked them about the tables out front – I had four picnic tables out front – they said you can have all the picnic tables you want, so we built a patio which has a bunch of outside tables. And then five months later, during another inspection, and we’ve gone through eight in one year, during another inspection they said you can’t have these outside tables. I said, well, you told us we could.”

DHEC told Stanfield that his septic tank was too small, and he was given a ‘shut door’ order.

“Two months ago, I went before the council- I begged them, I said my septic system has never overflowed, it’s never had a problem, and they said you have 60 days to put this monstrosity in back here.”

His customers were outside protesting on Tuesday while raising money to help keep them in business.

Stanfield began installing the large septic system. He says he has now spent $51,000 on the project. But his business only makes about $800-$1,000 on a good week. So, he believes he will now have to just shut down.

Stanfield eventually put a water meter on his property after a suggestion from a neighbor to see how much water was being used each day.

“Our water meter shows that we use 350 gallons per night, my existing system will do 450 gallons and they’ve got me putting in the system it will do 1,500 gallons per night which is just crazy. They’ve bankrupted me. They’ve taken every dime that we have, and we don’t even have money to open for food this week.”

DHEC sent News 2 a statement saying Stanfield was not in compliance with his DHEC permit when he moved from take-out only to restaurant seating.

“Mr. Stanfield did not dispute the grounds for suspension but requested the suspension be rescinded because he was diligently working on gaining compliance with DHEC regulations,” the statement said. “Failure to install the upgraded system would not lead to closure of the facility but would result in the return to the original food service operation as approved and permitted by DHEC.”

“I don’t understand this because, you know, America is known for if you put everything into – whatever your dream is – you can get it accomplished and they are burying us alive,” said Heike Stanfield, Co-Owner, Red Brick Pizza.

Stanfield said they were last open on Saturday. But unless a miracle happens, he believes they may not be able to re-open again.

The matter was discussed during a DHEC board meeting on May 5, 2022 with the restaurant’s owner in attendance – a motion was made about two hours and thirty-three minutes into the meeting, following an executive session. You can watch that hearing by clicking here.

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Kylen S. Barron is a writer whose passion for storytelling has taken her on a remarkable journey. Raised in Philadelphia, PA, and Cottageville, SC, she honed her skills through years of managing her children's acting careers, coaching them through countless scripts and auditions, and achieving SAG/AFTRA status in many principal roles. Her work in the entertainment industry brought her in close contact with pioneering directors and actors from national, regional commercials to featured films, where she developed a deep appreciation for the art of narrative.

As a retired Executive Director of AMarriage Entertainment, LLC, a recording studio that she owned and operated with her two sons, Jaret and Jordyn, [Author's Name] was inspired by her children's script writing and her work in organizing local concert venues. Encouraged by her publicist, she embarked on a lifelong passion for publishing her non-fiction book, "Unspoken-Truth From A Buried Past & I Think Differently Trilogy – A trilogy on one family’s journey with Autism." The book is a heartfelt account of her family's struggles and triumphs with autism, and it showcases Kylen's gift for weaving together a powerful and thought-provoking narrative.

Through her work, Kylen S. Barron is dedicated to inspiring others and shining a light on important issues. Her writing is a testament to the power of storytelling and its ability to connect people across different backgrounds and experiences.

Author Q&A

What inspired you to write your first book?

A brother, our mother’s son, whom no one outside of only two people in the world ever knew existed. In 2014, 5-years after her passing, he would found a family/siblings through the Ancestry DNA platform while preparing for a wedding he would participate in, taking place in the United Kingdom (Scotland). This epic finding of who he is and finding his family would have him locate me through the Facebook platform for verification of whom the woman named through his DNA on his tree, as his biological mother through “Ancestry” is. His find would eventually lead him directly to my front door with many unanswered questions that none of her surviving adult children could ever knowingly answer. She and her first husband would be the only two people who would ever know her secret, which would eventually take her life down a spiraling, very dark path throughout the remainder of her life. Unattached emotionally from the five children she would subsequently have within her second marriage, she would live her life since 1957 in emotional exile, taking with her, her “Unspoken Truth from A Buried Past” to her grave, and no one could ever answer the one non-stop nagging question “Why” until five years after her death. Two years after our brother found us, I had the pleasure of meeting her first husband for the first time in the summer of 2016. He would give me 17 hours of his very detailed description of the son he believed to be his child. He would speak about his young wife and who my mother was, and what would eventually drive her, eventually ending their marriage. He passed away in October 2018 at the age of 92.

How much of the book is realistic?

“Unspoken Truth from A Buried Past” is a Nonfiction- Memoir- All of it is real.

What are your current projects?

I have currently completed a children’s/Adolescent trilogy titled: “I Think Differently,” which has also been co-authored by my autistic grandson Journey-affectionately named “JAB,” and is available now everywhere, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Since the age of twelve, I was constantly told by family & friends, “You will be a writer someday.” I was always inspired by the thought of writing but never took it seriously until the day I felt I needed to.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Yes, at my age, I find myself traveling quite a bit for either book-signings, promotions, virtual interviews, and podcast interviews with no end in sight. I love it because this keeps me moving and keeps me young, I believe.

Who designed the covers?

I designed my own covers. Each one beginning with my own thought process of how I wanted to present myself to the world and working with my illustrators until they got each and every detail I wanted to be presented accurately for the unveiling of each presentation.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

Writing is an art and a talent. There are always challenges that come with this territory. Like anything else in life, It is definitely hard work when it comes to research, the literary content one wants to share with the universe, the psychology behind the writing, regardless of genre, and the logistical balance of it all that could possibly bring one’s work to life. It’s always about balancing and believing in yourself and all that comes with this particular territory. It depends on how serious you are and how deep your passion goes regarding this lifestyle to be able to put the necessary work in that will either make you or break you as a writer/author. Either you’re successful at it, or you are not. It all depends on how deep your passion truly is.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

I like them all, to be honest, but I prefer audio most times because I am constantly on the go, either in my car, plane, or train; I can sit back and listen to a great story during my journey.

If you have pictures on your writing desk, who/what are they of?

There will always be pictures of my three favorite people in this whole world. My grandchildren Journey, Jade & Justice. They’re always there to inspire me every waking moment. I am blessed to still be here and to be able to enjoy my life with them as my grandmother did with her 21 grandchildren.

What is your favorite cover out of all your books? Why is it your favorite?

My fourth book out of the “I Think Differently” series, “I am me, I Am Proud To Be Me,” The cover is amazing, along with every review that came with presenting the cover before its release. The colors are absolutely outstanding, and it presents “JAB” as an adolescent, now a teenager, as he presents himself to the world.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

You can find me at www.kylensbarron.com or google me: Kylen S. Barron

Kylen's books can be purchased on Amazon

BookBuzz helps indie authors, hybrid authors, and small publishers promote and market their books. They also help with book reviews, publicity, and more. Let's Create Some Buzz For Your Book!!!

Cottageville residents have seen change in their community in the last few years, and now the Greater Cottageville Chamber of Commerce is ready to encourage more improvements.

Frank Santorella, a resident of Cottageville, said he is proud of the small town and wants to showcase its beauty, friendly people, and excellent location.

“We want to create a chamber of commerce here. We already have a 501-3C non-profit status, Maryann Blake is serving as our attorney, and we are ready to roll,” said Santorella. “We have ‘Friends of the Park’ which is comprised of people who helped develop the park into what it is now.” He says there are also plans at the park to install a memorial with engraved bricks to honor veterans. This will be accomplished by applying for grants and accepting donations.

Santorella, who plans to initiate the chamber, will serve as a temporary director. He says he already has seven merchants who are interested in joining.

“We want to make Cottageville a destination. Red Brick Pizza and Beer Garden is the anchor store for starting the chamber,” said Santorella. “It’s a one-of-a-kind business in the entire region. Once the chamber officially opens, we want to pick a member of the chamber and promote that business each week, and once a month promote everyone. There will be a rotation, and this will be good for everybody.”

He went on to say that the brick-and-mortar stores are the life of Cottageville, not the transient businesses. He feels that transient businesses will not want to invest their funds in the chamber, but the stationary businesses are here to stay.

“I think the people of Cottageville will be positively affected by the chamber and will accept it with open arms. Hopefully, this will bring even more businesses our way. Our only option now is to travel to Summerville or Walterboro to purchase some items. That’s between 15 to 20 miles away. Cottageville has a lot of people in the rural areas, and though our local gas stations try hard to serve the needs of the community, it would be nice to have boutique shops here. We already have a new vape store that has a coffee bar. So we are starting off well,” said Santorella.

He is hoping to have the new chamber up and running by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

“There will be a fee for stores to become part of the chamber,” said Santorella, who gathered ideas and patterned the Cottageville chamber after the City of Walteboro’s. “I received ideas on how to structure the fees. They won’t be impressive because social media provides a lot of free advertising. We will have a website and newsletter for the community. We will be out there,” he added.

Anyone interested in joining the new chamber can write to: Greater Cottageville Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 464, Cottageville, SC, 29435. Businesses can also contact Santorella on Facebook at Friends of the Park or call The Vape Stop at 843-701-4262.

Colleton County residents who live in Districts 2, 4, and 6 have a choice to make in who will they vote onto the Colleton County School Board.

These three seats – 2, 4, and 6 – are up for re-election on the school board. They mostly represent the greater parts of Walterboro.

These three school board seats will be on the ballot in the upcoming November 8th election.

Anyone wanting to run for these open school board has had about two weeks to file. That filing period closed at noon on Friday, August 10th.

Now, there are five new people and one incumbent who have chosen to run in this election.

They are: Wayne Shider, who is running for District 6; Lynn Carter Stroble, who is running for District 6; Anna Bright, who is running for District 4; Craig Stivender, who is running for District 4; incumbent William Bowman, who is running for District 4; and Daryl Erwin, who is running for District 2.

Shider and Stroble will face each other for District 6. The current District 6 school board member, Harry Jenkins, is not running again for this seat, citing health reasons.

Bright will face Stivender and current District 4 school board member William Bowman: Bowman is a longtime school board member and is also the current chairman of the school board.

Erwin has no competition for District 2. The current school board member for District 2 is Tim Mabry. However, Mabry cannot run again for this district because he no longer lives in District 2. According to Mabry, the new school board lines released earlier this year changed District 2’s geography and Mabry’s current address is outside of those new lines for District 2. Based on the new lines, Mabry now lives in District 3.

Meet the Candidates

Daryl Erwin – District 2

Daryl Erwin is running for District 2 on the Colleton County School Board.

He is a 45-year-old Walterboro native who currently works as a computer technician for the Dorchester District Four School District, in St. George. He is also the pastor of Cottageville Baptist Church. Previously, he worked in the local technology department at the Colleton County School District.

“We have to have something better for Colleton County than what we have now,” he said. “Our kids, our parents, our staff … everybody deserves better than what is happening now in our schools and within our district.”

If elected, Erwin said he wants to focus on improving staff morale. He also wants to focus on improving the work atmosphere within the district, including the district’s administrative office.

Anna Bright – District 4

Anna Bright is running for District Four on the Colleton County School Board.

Bright, 66, is a Walterboro resident and a Colleton County native. She is also a retired educator: Bright served as a school teacher more than 40 years in Colleton County and in nearby Dorchester District Four.

She came out of retirement last year, in 2021, to be a part-time teacher at the Colleton Academy for Success. This is the alternative school program for the Colleton County School District. Bright is returning this year to the alternative school, where she will teach part-time.

“Having had 40 years of experience, I feel I know what students and teachers need,” she said. “This is something I have always wanted to do. It’s a lifelong goal.”

If elected, Bright said she wants to focus on retention of teachers.

Craig Stivender – District 4

Craig Stivender is running for District 4 on the Colleton County School Board.

Stivender, 39, is a certified law enforcement officer and fireman. He is currently an arson investigator with the Walterboro Fire Department. Stivender is also a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Cottageville Baptist Church.

“Over the past few years, I have been attending the school board meetings and I don’t like the direction our district is taking on behavioral issues and the level of education that our kids are getting. I also see the issues that our leadership has,” he said.

Stivender has two children who are in the local public school system. Their third child was removed from the Colleton County School system because of their lack of satisfaction with Colleton County Middle School, he said.

“We need good people to step up to the plate and change this board. It’s time for some new ideas and new blood,” said Stivender.

William Bowman – District 4

William Bowman is currently representing District 4 on the school board. Bowman has represented District 4 on the school board since 2018. He is a local small business owner and a professional volleyball officiant and referee.

As an incumbent, Bowman said he decided to run again because he wants to continue in his original campaign promises. “I want to be a representative of all people in District 4,” he said. “I believe I’ve done that so far, and I want to continue on the promises I made in 2018 and make sure our students grow … I want to create a school system that is actually going to help our students. There is an old saying, ‘The progression of every state is in the education of its youth.’ That’s one of the reasons I chose to run for school board again, to make sure all students rise to educational proficiency.”

Bowman also said that the school board has also already made progress academically to help boost the economy and to educate the local work force. “I want to show the community that I can be a representative to all people, especially the people of District 4,” he said.

Wayne Shider – District 6

Wayne Shider is running for District 6 on the Colleton County School Board. He is a former elected member of the Colleton County School Board, and served for more than 30 years for District 6 before being defeated by current District 6 incumbent Harry Jenkins. At 62 years old, Shider is now a retired government service worker. He is also currently self-employed as a realtor and tax-repair specialist. When asked why he is running again for the school board, Shider said he wants to run again because of the “current climate” within the school district.

“With my experience, and skill set, it was time for me to seek the board again,” he said. “It’s also my strong desire to assist in the transformation of our school district, from the front lines. I don’t want to hear about this second-hand. I want to assist the district into transforming into something where student achievement goes up, where our schools are safe and to reassure the stakeholders that it’s important for us to all be a part of the decision-making in the district. We must all work together.

“All of our students should be able to move to a higher level. We also need to build trust upon the public again, having a positive relationship with everyone,” he said.

Lynn C. Stroble – District 6

Lynn Stroble is running for District 6 on the Colleton County School Board.

Stroble, 59, is a retired Colleton County school teacher and a retired administrator from the local school district. Since her retirement, she has continued to serve as a voluntarily supporting teacher for many different schools in Colleton County. She has also helped with POLARIS, a charter school in the Lowcountry. As a former teacher and administrator, Stroble says she decided to run for the Colleton County School Board because her grandchildren are going to be future students in our public schools.

“I should be able to see my grandchildren receive a positive public-school education,” she said, adding that the school board should have elected leaders on it who are educators.

“Our country should be a place where we want to see our children go to school,” she said. “Our schools should be a family, a place where we want to go to work and where we know we have a family support. “I’ve been on my knees praying a lot, and this is something I am being led to do.”

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RIPLEY, W.Va. (WV News) — For the first time in almost 20 years, Jackson County schools held the Jackson County Science Fair Championship for grades three through eight.

One initiative this year is to provide Jackson County students with as many learning opportunities as possible by allowing them to use their creativity and imagination to make learning meaningful.

Hopefully, this event will continue to grow for many years to come, officials said.

Appreciation goes to all parents, students and judges for making this wonderful event possible and placing academics at the top.

2023 Jackson County Science Fair Winners

Elementary Division

Animal Science

1st — Makenna Yeager & Sylvia Waybright – Cottageville Elementary

2nd – Oliva Blackwell – Kenna Elementary

3rd – Kimber Packard & Alexis Carter – Cottageville Elementary

Plant Science

1st — Russel Shockey – Gilmore Elementary

2nd — Kinsley Weaver – Evans Elementary

3rd – Oliva Fisher & Mahayla Gregory – Ripley Elementary

Behavioral and Social Science

1st – Ariana Snider – Gilmore Elementary

2nd – Leah Lambert – Ravenswood Grade

3rd – Jada Douglas, Jasmine Cedar, Ferrah Bryant and Jaden Thompson – Ravenswood Grade

Energy

1st Emma Abbott – Ripley Elementary

Technology and Systems

1st Ayden Lott – Gilmore Elementary

Physics and Astronomy

1st Kaesyn Barnett – Evans Elementary

2nd Nate Hartley – Cottageville Elementary

Chemistry

1st – Serenity Reed – Kenna Elementary

2nd Ellie Crislip – Ripley Elementary

3rd – Skyler Thacker – Evans Elementary

Engineering

1st – Alex Mills – Cottageville Elementary

Math and Data

1s – Evan Blane – Evans Elementary

Earth and Environmental Science

1st – Alivia Belisle – Kenna Elementary

Middle School Division

Plant Science

1st Rachel Lambert – Ravenswood Middle

Behavioral and Social Science

1st Brooks Wolfe – Ravenswood Middle

Physics and Astronomy

1st Ralphie Rhodes – Ravenswood Middle

Math and Data

1st Carter McCloud – Ravenswood Middle

Medical Science

1st Mason Kerns – Ravenswood Middle

Material Science

1st Adrianna Nichols – Ravenswood Middle

2nd Duncan Cook – Ripley Middle

Chemistry

1st Annavella Schoolcraft – Ravenswood Middle

2nd Hunter Funk – Ripley Middle

Engineering