Mortgage Broker in Duncan, SC

DUNCAN, S.C. —

The president of AFL, a company based in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, has been suspended.

Jody Gallagher was the president and CEO of AFL, a company based in Duncan.

The company told WYFF News 4 in an email that Gallagher was suspended pending an internal investigation.

The email said Jaxon Lang had been named acting CEO.

"No other comments are available at this time," the email from AFL said.

The AFL website says Gallagher has served as President and CEO of AFL since 2003.

The website says the company is "an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets."

The website says the company has 7,000 employees worldwide.

According to the company website, Gallagher has been a member of the board of directors for AFL’s parent company, Fujikura, headquartered in Tokyo.

The website says, "Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan."

A news release from Fujikura posted on May 26, 2023, said there was an investigation related to "an improper real estate acquisition at a U.S. Subsidiary," after a whistleblowing complaint on May 3, 2023.

The release said in part:

"Based on a whistleblowing complaint made on March 3, 2023, we were made aware of suspicious activities regarding the personal misappropriation of real property owned by one of our US subsidiaries by a director of the Company, who is the CEO of such subsidiary, and launched an internal investigation immediately thereafter. Our investigation is still continuing at this moment, however, to date, it has uncovered that an improper acquisition was made with respect to land purchased in 2020 and a building built in 2022 by such subsidiary (the total value of such land and building at the time of acquisition amounts to approximately 6.5 million US dollars (equivalent to 847 million Japanese yen)). Further, our investigation to date has uncovered that the said officer disguised the purpose for acquiring the land and building to make such subsidiary acquire such property and that said officer used such property for a certain period for its personal purpose. The said officer has been suspended from the US subsidiary and the Company."

The company has not said whether this investigation lead to Gallagher being suspended.

DUNCAN — A famous Texas-based burger chain caused a stir earlier this year when it hinted it may set up shop for the first time in South Carolina.

Now, Whataburger’s entry to the Palmetto State seems destined for Duncan, a small town along Interstate 85 about halfway between Spartanburg and Greenville.

On the evening of Oct. 24, the Duncan Town Council had a special called meeting to host public hearings and vote on multiple annexations. One annexation request was a second reading on the property at 1537 E. Main St., a former Bank of America building next to a Zaxby’s.

Per the agenda, the property is currently unzoned and located in Spartanburg County. The proposal is to establish the zoning classification of General Business District. The head of the Duncan zoning department and Fire Chief Barry Frost described the property as a “little doughnut hole” that was not previously in the town, so this “fills in that little doughnut hole.”

“The property is being negotiated by the owner and Whataburger for a Whataburger site,” Frost said.

He added that the company wanted the property to be brought into the city “before they did anything.”

“My thing is it’s not signed, sealed, delivered until I see a site plan, and then I see dirt being scratched,” Frost said. “Once I see the ground start moving around, then I will be excited.”

The council unanimously passed the annexation.

Town Administrator Cameron Fant confirmed “yes” when asked by The Post and Courier if this was the Texas-based Whataburger and a not a restaurant with a similar name.

In two separate emails to a communications firm representing Whataburger, the newspaper asked for confirmation the East Main Street property was under consideration by the burger chain. The spokesperson declined to provide confirmation or any additional information.

A representative from real estate company Collett, which represents the property, did not respond to an email or call about the potential transaction.

Today you’re holding the latest example of our commitment to delivering local news to Greenville and Spartanburg.

This is the first edition of a new monthly newspaper that we’re publishing in addition to daily coverage we provide at www.postandcourier.com/greenville and www.postandcourier.com/spartanburg. You’ll also find the monthly edition available on our site as an E-Paper, a digital replica of the print version. We’ll publish the edition on the third Thursday of every month.

We’re excited to provide this service. You may recall that The Post and Courier announced in 2020 that we would fill a void as newspapers were closing in South Carolina or drastically reducing coverage. We launched an ambitious expansion across the state. We’ve opened news operations in Greenville and Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, the Pee Dee, Hilton Head and North Augusta.

Sam R. Hall, a veteran editor who recently moved to Greenville as Upstate and Regional Editor for The Post and Courier, is in charge of coverage in your area. You can reach Sam at shall@postandcourier.com, 864-887-2314 or at our office at 20 Augusta St. in the West End of downtown Greenville.

“The Post and Courier has a tremendous reputation for local journalism, and I’m happy to be a part of this ever-expanding effort,” Hall said. “The commitment to Greenville, Spartanburg and the entire Upstate is evident as we roll out this new product and continue to invest in these communities.”

We hope you’ll support our efforts to continue providing news to you and your communities. Please subscribe at www.postandcourier.com/greenville/subscribe/ or www.postandcourier.com/spartanburg/subscribe/ to support local news in your area.

Have you visited the water park at Stoneledge Park in Duncan, SC? With a great playground and a water park, this Upstate park is a local favorite. Kidding Around has all the info you need to plan a day at Stoneledge Park and Shipwreck Cove this summer.

Stoneledge Park In Duncan, SC

Stoneledge Park is a local favorite. Situated next to the town water park, it has a great playground with picnic shelters and restrooms. The park even has a delicate water feature that our family has used as a backdrop for photos.

The town of Duncan regularly utilizes this space for community events and decided to expand the park to include a recreation center, woodland trail, an outdoor amphitheater for movies, and a multipurpose field. In addition to the new features being added, they also plan to upgrade some of the existing things, including a new and improved playground surface.

Stoneledge Park Events Center

The park’s new 3.500 square foot event center is ready to host your event! The rental rate is $100 per hour but includes a free hour before and after your event for set-up and break-down. The rental includes event tables and chairs, which makes this a great deal if you are looking for a venue.

Shipwreck Cove Water Park

Shipwreck Cove recently saw some upgrades too! Adding a bigger slide, an additional pool, and adding an area for toddlers will be added to the park’s existing features. Feedback visitors shared was listened to, and Town Administrator Cam Fant was excited to share the city’s management of the concessions. The hope in doing this is to offer a better quality selection of food for a better value to the park’s visitors. The waterpark hosts special events too.Shipwreck Cove Opens May 27, 2023, and tickets range from $6 – $12

Local mom’s review of Shipwreck Cove in Duncan

Duncanfest

This is an annual spring festival in Duncan that includes rides, live music, and local vendors. The festival also includes a 5K run and golf tournament that are held away from the park.

There are so many exciting things happening for this little corner of Spartanburg! If you haven’t enjoyed these parks, we encourage you to check them out!

Does your family enjoy spending time at Stoneledge Park?

(File: Getty)

DUNCAN, S.C. (WSPA) – A homeowner in Duncan said that security video footage caught a bear walking along his driveway and the front yard of his home.

The bear was walking at a home located along Holly Drive in Duncan on Monday night around 8:25 p.m.

Multiple black bears have recently been spotted in Spartanburg County, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Everything you need for a fall aesthetic

Home / 43 mins ago

If you’re struggling to find that perfect fall aesthetic, don’t worry, because we’ve done the work for you.

Pantone sneakers are a must for design enthusiasts

Casual / 1 hour ago

The Pantone + Cariuma line features three new cozy shades of the classic canvas sneakers that make perfect perfect additions to your fall wardrobe.

More Stories

World News

View All World News

WSPA 7NEWS Video

More Videos

WSPA Videos

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Duncan Park in Spartanburg could soon get a facelift.

For the last eight months, work has been ongoing to try and reimagine the historic park.

It’s a place Ron Livingston often enjoys taking his daily walk.

“This is what’s so nice about living in Spartanburg,” he said.

It’s the features scattered across more than 100 acres that make Duncan Park unique, from the historic baseball stadium to the lake.

“I think the beauty of Duncan Park is the fact that it’s unifying if you look at the number of communities that surround it,” said City of Spartanburg Parks and Recreation Director Kim Moultrie.

But with few people coming to the park consistently, the city and Play. Advocate. Live Well. have been working to reimagine the city’s largest recreational asset.

“We’ve been working with a steering committee and lots of residents to really come up with a vision for what people want to see,” said PAL Executive Director Laura Ringo.

Among what community members say is most important to them include adding more recreation features, upgrading and adding walking trails, and making Duncan Lake accessible to non-motorized boating and fishing.

On Monday, a master plan for the park was presented to the city council.

“It’s a pretty significant project to do everything, but the great thing is we can break it down by phases so that people will really see the progress and hopefully be energized by that process,” explained Ringo.

No vote on the project was taken, but at the next city council meeting in March, a resolution to endorse the master plan is expected to be on the agenda.

If passed, the next step would be to try and get funding privately or through grants.

“Duncan Park can be the hub of all activity in the city of Spartanburg when it comes to recreation,” said Moultrie.

“Our hope is that in five to ten years, you see tons of people out here enjoying it,” said Ringo.

At this point, the plan does not include any changes to the baseball stadium.

Copyright 2023 WHNS. All rights reserved.