Mortgage Broker in James Island, SC

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The James Island Yacht Club was founded in 1898. But more than 100 years later, the by-laws regarding its male-only policy have yet to change.

According to a statement from the James Island Yacht Club, the female spouses of the members have become more “involved and are an integral part of the Club,” but they are not considered members.

“The James Island Yacht Club is a family-focused social organization run by its membership as outlined by the Club by-laws. Potential new members of our Club must be sponsored by a current resident member. Our Club was founded in 1898 as a male-only organization and over time females have become more and more involved and are an integral part of the Club. Females of the Club have full access and use of all JIYC facilities and participation in all social activities.”

Females are only offered access to the Club facilities and able to participate in social activities if their male significant other is a member.

In 2020, the members of the club voted to potentially change the club by-laws to make women full members. But when the men voted, it did not pass.

“While this motion was thoroughly debated it did not garner the necessary % of votes required to change the Club by-laws. The by-laws govern our Club and changing them is the only way to change our membership practices. Proposals to change the Club by-laws are brought up from time to time, often taking multiple attempts to garner sufficient membership support for implementation.”

The Chair for the City of Charleston Commission on Women Jennet Robinson Alterman calls this discrimination.

“It’s discrimination, plain and simply,” Robinson Alterman said. “And although it is legal discrimination because it’s a private club and they’re pretty much allowed to do what they want to, just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right.”

The CEO of South Carolina Women and Leadership Barbara Rackes says she is surprised to learn there are still clubs in South Carolina with these types of laws.

“What do you think about your daughters,” Rackes asked. “Are you going to tell her that in order for her to be a member she has to be married? Do you really want you daughter to be precluded from joining the club you like so much?”

As the by-laws of the club currently stand, no women will be able to vote on this matter until the men-only members vote to include them.

Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.

A right foot still inside a green and black running shoe was found off the coast of South Carolina last year. Five months later, county officials said, the left one surfaced in a different location.

Now officials believe they have positively identified the owner.

The feet belonged to 57-year-old Janet Robinson, who was last seen in August 2020, Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal told reporters during a news conference broadcast by WCBD on Wednesday. O’Neal said it took months of “advanced level forensic science” using DNA testing to find an ID.

Robinson’s death remains under investigation. Law enforcement and family members are asking anyone who might have information to come forward.

“They’re very saddened to learn that their loved one — their sister and their daughter and their mom — is never coming home,” O’Neal said of the family. “But, at the same time, there’s comfort in at least knowing there’s an answer.”

Officials said Robinson had likely been dead for at least four weeks based on the condition of the first foot that was found. She was last seen in the Charleston area on Aug. 3, 2020.

Her right foot was found in a “green and black On Cloud sneaker-type shoe” near Fort Sumter on Oct. 25, O’Neal said. On Cloud is a popular brand of running shoes, and Fort Sumter is located on an island in the Charleston harbor.

The coroner’s office sent a DNA sample from the foot to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification in Fort Worth about a week after it was found. O’Neal said they hoped to receive a DNA profile that could be uploaded into CODIS, the FBI’s national DNA database.

Then, on March 17, Robinson’s left foot in the same style sneaker was found on James Island.

Citing a “huge backlog in forensic DNA,” O’Neal said the chief deputy coroner began researching ways they could do some genetic DNA testing. The coroner’s office subsequently sent a DNA sample to a company in Texas for a genealogical profile.

Within three months, O’Neal said, they had a match.

The lab compared the sample to databases where people voluntarily upload their DNA and found someone they believed to be a sibling. Officials in South Carolina then reached out to the person, who confirmed they submitted a consumer DNA test in January 2019 and had a biological sister living in Charleston who went missing.

That sister was identified as Robinson.

According to the coroner’s office, Robinson was from Mississippi but moved to the Charleston area to be close to family. Law enforcement believes she lived in the Goose Creek area for a time but had moved to Charleston when she disappeared.

O’Neal said Robinson had been discharged from a local hospital before she went missing.

The two feet did not appear to be injured, and O’Neal said they likely became separated from the body by “natural processes.”

Feet have been known to wash up in the Pacific Northwest on a somewhat regular basis — at least 15 have been found on the shore of Salish Sea, Vox reported. That’s because human bodies come apart at the joints in the water, and sneakers serve as a kind of flotation device that can be easily wash them to shore.

Law enforcement is hoping to find additional remains and relying on tips from the public to help solve what happened to Robinson.

“At this point we’re sort of stuck, ” O’Neal said.

Anyone with information is asked to call coroner’s officer at 843-746-4030 or Charleston County Sheriff’s Department.

This story was originally published October 6, 2021 6:45 PM.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — You may have noticed some highway lights are out across the Lowcountry.

It's an issue ABC News 4 has been reporting on since August of 2020, but the issue has not been resolved.

On Thursday morning we saw highway lights out on I-26, I-526, The Ravanel Bridge and the James Island Connector.

"One thing that was a cause for concern was the long stretch on 526 between I-26 and Daniel Island. There's over 70 lights out in that area," said ABC News Traffic Expert Trooper Bob.

Trooper Bob said he has seen the issue grow over the last year and it's a danger for drivers during their morning and late night commutes.

"What if your family member was broken down at night time, raining and someone is approaching them at interstate speeds in an area that shout be lit, but it's not lit up," said Trooper Bob.

SCDOT said electrical components fail over time, and the SCDOT signal shop engineering handles all of the outages.

"Maintaining our highway lighting is a continuous effort, so those lights may go out from time to time due to the fact that it's outdoors and it varies by weather," said Brittany Harrior, Public Information Coordinator SCDOT.

SCDOT said electrical components fail over time, and the SCDOT signal shop engineering handles all of the outages.

They take all maintenance issues seriously, but sometimes there isn't a fast fix, SCDOT said.

"Time frames for repairs vary on each location. Median barrier light or bridge lighting requires more complex traffic control then shoulder mounted lighting," said Harrior.

Money also plays a factor.

"Therefore repairs are strategically targeted to balance cost effectiveness, and time effectiveness of the repair," said Harrior.

SCDOT said repairs come from the general maintenance fund and typically projects are grouped together.

"Repair work is usually balanced with other work that needs to be done. Like pothole patching, drainage maintenance, sign replacements and traffic signal repair. If lighting needs to be repaired, it is typically packaged in with another bigger project to encompass it all at once," said Harrior.

ABC News 4 asked SCDOT when the lights we reported out could be repaired. We are still waiting for answers.

JAMES ISLAND — Authorities have arrested a man who barricaded himself inside a Briarfield Avenue home, accusing him of attacking his wife and then detonating a Molotov cocktail near her and sheriff’s deputies.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jonathan Andrew Hill, 36, on Oct. 8 and charged him with four felonies.

Hill was charged with two counts of possession of an explosive device and one count of intentionally causing an explosion in an attempt to injure people or a building. He was also charged with first-degree domestic violence.

Hill was acting manic and throwing items in his house at 4 a.m. Oct. 8 and subsequently got into a verbal dispute with his spouse, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Hill pushed his spouse and stomped on her face and chest. He then hit her several times with a belt, ultimately strangling her with it, the affidavit said. The victim was able to run outside the house and seek help, it said.

If convicted of first-degree domestic violence, Hill could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the S.C. Code of Laws.

Deputies went to the James Island home at about 7 a.m. in response to reports Hill was violent toward his spouse. Deputies met the spouse outside the home when they arrived.

Hill had barricaded himself in the house, according to another arrest warrant affidavit. Moments after their arrival, Hill opened the front door and threw a flaming incendiary device, often referred to as a Molotov cocktail, in the direction of the spouse and deputies, the affidavit said.

The device exploded on the driveway near the deputies, the affidavit said. No one was injured, said Capt. Roger Antonio, sheriff’s spokesman.

Hill then escaped through the house’s back door. Deputies later searched the home and found two additional cocktails manufactured inside the residence, the affidavit said.

If convicted of intentionally causing the explosion to cause injury, Hill could face up to 25 years in prison.

Hill appeared for a bond hearing Oct. 9. He was denied bail on all charges. He is currently being held at the Charleston County jail.

Charleston and North Charleston were among the top 10 cities in the state with the highest number of people contacting the National Domestic Violence Hotline during 2020, according to the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.

This story was originally printed in the Sept. 6, 2021 issue of the Charleston Regional Business Journal.

The daily commute from Johns Island to North Charleston had become so overwhelming that Bradley Taggart quit his job in 2020 to become a stay-at-home dad.

Taggart is co-founder of Charlestonians for I-526, a group of now 11,000 island residents who formed in 2012 out of mutual commuter struggles. Together they advocate for the proposed Mark Clark Extension by commenting at meetings, researching and disseminating information to residents, primarily via Facebook.

“What we were seeing in the media as far as people opposing new roads, and what we were hearing amongst our neighbors, it didn’t match,” Taggart said. “The people wanted the roads, but some of the people and special interest groups did not.”

In the next 30 years, traffic on the Mark Clark and surrounding roadways is expected to get worse.

By 2050, Johns Island’s population could grow by 206%, and a trip from the intersection of River and Main roads to Charleston International Airport could take 134 minutes, according to a 2019 Cultural Historical Activity Theory model.

Charleston County Deputy Director of Public Works Richard Turner and Jae Mattox, a S.C. Department of Transportation program manager for the project, addressed the traffic — and a solution — on Aug. 19. After decades in the making, plans for Alternative G, a proposed version of the Mark Clark Extension, are moving forward and the public feedback period is open through Oct. 15.

Mattox and Turner said they are eager to hear specifically from the people living in the region.

“This project’s been around for so long and my fear is that people are immune to it,” Mattox said. “When that happens, it’s hard for us to accomplish what we need to accomplish during this period.”

The proposed Alternative G is a 9.5 mile, four-lane parkway with speed limits between 35 and 45 miles per hour. Of the extension, 6.1 miles will be a bridge structure over the Stono River, reducing the project’s footprint and wetland impacts.

While the goal is to have as little interruption as possible, Alternative G still would require seven business relocations and 13 residential relocations, Mattox said.

There is no projected cost yet for Alternative G as leaders await final plans, but the estimated total in 2019 was between $725 million and $772 million.

The 9.5-mile route will have two connection points extending Interstate 526. Connector A will be the western link between the Mark Clark Extension and River Road, while Connector B will link the eastern side.

Extension plans also include a 12-foot-wide multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists that will connect the West Ashley Greenway and James Island County Park.

On average, the extension could save more than 6,946 commuter hours a day or 98,000 driving miles, according to a 2010 environmental impact study. That’s roughly 36 million miles driven annually by commuters and more than $20 million in savings each year for gas and vehicle wear and tear, per IRS mileage calculations.

“The road would pay for itself in 16 years, just based on the time value that it would save,” Taggart said.

Many alternatives
Alternative G is one of 39 plans that were originally proposed 10 years ago. The 2021 version combines two previous ideas together using comments from residents, elected officials, planning agencies and more over the years, Mattox said.

“Public involvement is so important and has impacts on the project,” Mattox said.

Public feedback also played a part in relocating plans for the intersection of Connection B, shifting the multi-path to the county park entrance, and upgrading the original intersection of Maybank Highway and River Road.

If completed, the extension could cut the commute from River and Main roads to the airport by 94 minutes, or from the same location to Medical University of South Carolina from 114 minutes to 19, per CHAT calculations.

“It’s a lot of commuter traffic that’s going in and out of those areas each day,” Turner said. “When I look at traffic needs, that’s really the thing that sinks in to me.”

Getting to work
Between 2015 and 2050, employment growth in Charleston County is expected to increase 57% to 415,637 jobs, according to CHATS.

Taggart agreed the extension would be valuable for Johns Island, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Wadmalaw commuters.

“All of our neighbors are in support of (the extension) because most of them work and have small children and mobility is high on their list, whereas some of the older residents of the island, mobility is not a priority,” Taggart said. “They lead a different lifestyle than most of the newer residents. And they’re kind of clinging to the past.”

Taggart understands the concerns. He too grew up in a rural area and saw it suburbanized, but the growth is a real issue, he said.

“Johns Island as the crow flies is five miles from downtown Charleston,” he said. “So to think any city five miles away from the fastest growing city is going to stay country is not realistic. It’s filling in on Johns Island, and we have to just accept that reality.”

Not all residents wanted to be on the record about their opinions about plans for the Mark Clark Expressway. One James Island resident, like Taggart is for the extension, but he doesn’t believe Alternative G is the finite solution. He suggests the project be broken up into two parts, focusing first on Johns Island. Leaders can then determine costs and see if the extension works.

“They’re trying to give us something that they’re not even sure is going to alleviate all these troubles,” he said.

Some are concerned Alternative G will create more of a chokehold at Maybank Highway and Main Road because enough hasn’t been done to keep up with growth and infrastructure needs.

“You’re going to cruise over the bridge and still sit in traffic when you get off,” one person said. “If you bring a bunch of cars over to a road that’s not properly built to handle it, it’s going to be another traffic jam.”

Speaking up
Following Alternative G’s public comment period, an environmental-impact statement will be drafted, hopefully by spring 2022, Mattox said.

If the project receives federal and state approval on schedule summer 2022 and winter 2023, the final design would come 2023 and construction could kick off in 2024.

For those interested, there is a virtual public hearing room on the website at www.scdotmarkclark.com to attend meetings. Public can also comment online, email or write to Turner and Mattox at P.O. Box 191, Columbia, S.C. 29202.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to get comments, we’ll be able to get concerns addressed. … If we don’t get the feedback, we don’t know what we don’t know,” Mattox said.

On Sept. 14, a public hearing was held at Essex Village Church in West Ashley with an informal session from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. A formal presentation and verbal comment session began at 6 p.m.

“This is totally not a done deal,” Mattox said. “That’s part of the reason we’re going to the public because we’ll take everything that we get from the public, all the comments, all the concerns, ns and we’ll address those as best we can.”

Reach Teri Errico Griffis at 843-849-3144.