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JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — For over a decade, Mayor Bill Woolsey has served over James Island. But on Nov. 7, a new leader will take over.

There are three candidates hoping to take his place.

Candidate Josh Stokes is not new to the political arena after serving on town council for five years. Stokes said he deserves to be the next mayor due to the experience and public service he can bring to the town.

"My experience overall, that’s my experience in my daily life as an attorney," Stokes said. "And I work on very complex issues for people when I’m addressing it for them and finding the right solution and not the easy solution is something I do on a daily basis."

Stokes said if elected, he will focus on development, infrastructure, and flooding.

"Development is one of those, infrastructure related to not just access on the road but pedestrians sidewalk access," Stokes said about the issues he will push for if elected. "Drainage and flooding related to storm water flooding. Those are major issues which we can make a big impact on but if we gotta do that, we need to address them on a daily basis, it cant be reactive in trying to do things, we have to be proactive."

Candidate Brook Lyon has never run for a political office before, but she hopes her love and passion for the Town of James Island will win voters over on Nov. 7. Lyon said she is not new to working hard for the community.

"I’m a hard worker, I’m retired, I have time and the energy and the love for the people and the love for the island," Lyon said. "I’m not a politician, what is a politician? Not me. I’ve never run for public office before and I don’t plan to run for another one. I just want to serve the people, I’m a business woman and a community leader and a community advocate and I’m for the people."

Lyon said if elected, she will bring her work ethic and business skills to the office. Lyon will focus on preserving the beauty of the island.

"We definitely need to prioritize our environment and preserve our natural resources," Lyon said as she reflected on her major issues she will focus on if elected. "We also need to improve drainage and flooding. We need to enforce our current rules and regulations and tweak some to make things better. I do believe government is for the people, we need to be more responsive and more transparent."

Candidate Gresham Meggett III believes he should be the next Mayor of James Island because he knows the town inside and out due his family having roots in the town.

"I’m a eighth generation Charlestonian here and I grew up on James Island and my whole family grew up on James Island for generations and basically James Islanders just want to be heard," said Gresham Meggett III who is running to be the Mayor of James Island. "We need to focus on the people that already live here and quick worrying about this development, we don’t need any more development on James Island until the people who live here are taken care of."

Meggett said if elected, he will focus on the older residents of James Island and make sure their voices are being heard.

"Our ditches are not being dug out and so our neighborhoods are flooded, especially with all this new building going on," said Meggett as he thought about the policies he would focus on if elected. "I think we need to address the ditches and I’m a big proponent of individual property rights so zoning is a big thing for me, I don’t think some of the zoning is appropriate for James Island."

Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. Polls open on Election Day, Nov. 7, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. More info on your polling location can be found on the SC Votes website.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – ‘Tis the season! A beloved tradition returns for the holiday season this week at James Island County Park.

The 34th annual Holiday Festival of Lights features more than two million dazzling lights and plenty of family-friendly activities through the end of the year.

Guests will drive along a three-mile stretch filled with more than 750 light displays throughout the park. And be sure to stop at the midway point to check out the gift shop where you can browse unique gift offerings, crafts, and even toys – plus catch up with Santa Claus every night through Dec. 23.

Enjoy giant greeting cards designed by local students and businesses and hop on the festival train for a fun trip around the village. There will be an old-fashioned carousel and marshmallow roasting pits on site.

Be sure to grab a sweet treat or a cup of hot chocolate at Santa’s Sweet Shoppe.

To ensure a smooth visit at the Holiday Festival of Lights, organizers worked to determine each night that will have light, moderate, and heavy crowd levels. Admission prices will vary on the night, and guests can save money by purchasing their tickets online in advance.

“A calendar denoting each night’s category is available at HolidayFestivalofLights.com. Charleston County Parks highly recommends advance ticket purchase and visiting on a green or yellow night; not only will guests save money these evenings, but traffic and crowds at the event will be lighter,” said CCPRC.

Gold Pass holders receive one free vehicle admission per annual membership period (Gold Pass must be presented at the gate).

The Holiday Festival of Lights is open nightly 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. from Nov. 10 – Dec. 31, 2023.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Dominion Energy has been working to trim down trees in the Riverland Terrace neighborhood on James Island, prompting complaints from residents.

Dominon Energy says the trimming is necessary because the branches have grown to come into contact with power lines, which can result in power outages. But some residents in the neighborhood are not happy about the work.

The neighborhood is full of many large trees, like oaks and magnolias, but they are trimmed down every five years as a part of Dominion Energy’s routine cycle to ensure that they deliver safe and dependable energy to customers.

One resident of the neighborhood, Kev Hollo, says a lot of the trees have been a part of the neighborhood for a hundred years now and that they are one of the main factors for Riverland Terrace’s prestige.

One of the large oak trees won a blue ribbon award from the neighborhood’s Garden Club for the best-looking tree in the area. Woodland Shores Road Coalition Founder Adam Friend says that the tree was trimmed down just two days after being recognized.

“The most important thing here is we’re not getting the support from government officials, from the county, from the city, to really make this a sustainable solution. The trimming is not working for us and we want the lines underground,” Hollo says.

He believes that putting the power lines underground would be the best solution to make the neighborhood not only safer from power outages, but also make the area more aesthetically pleasing.

Friend serves as an advocate for the neighborhood, and says he wants to bring awareness to others as Dominion Energy plans to continue to trim down trees throughout James Island. Dominion Energy posted on its website the areas where tree trimming is complete and the locations where they still plan to trim.

Another concern Friend mentioned was the future state of Charleston because of issues such as sea level rise. He says the trees can absorb a lot of that water.

“The most important thing for me and the trees is that they have been here for longer than we have. They provide one of the best services that we can ever offer in this area now as absorption. We have a sinking city and a rising water climate. Can there be any other worse scenario?” Friend says.

He says that putting the power lines underground would permanently solve the issue.

“We’re trying to save trees in an area that’s known for our trees,” Friend says.

Dominion Energy responded to the issue with a written statement:

As part of our routine five-year cycle to ensure safety and reliability, Dominion Energy South Carolina supports a comprehensive and proactive vegetation management program. While we understand and appreciate the passion surrounding trees across the Lowcountry, safety remains our top priority. Trees that have grown too close to overhead lines are both a fire hazard and an issue of employee and public safety.

Trees and tree limbs continue to represent the No. 1 reason for power outages on our system, and the routine safeguarding of overhead lines remains critical to delivering the safe and reliable energy our customers count on every day.

Dominion Energy and established contractors follow nationally recognized utility pruning standards outlined and approved by the International Society of Arboriculture. Our certified arborists oversee each project and ensure the work adheres to ANSI A300 standards. Research indicates that following these standards will help preserve the health and integrity of the tree over its lifetime. Each tree is different in structure, and our practices take that into consideration. While trees may look different immediately following a cycle, we know based on our need to return every five years that those canopies fill in quickly, particularly with our approximately 300-day growing season each year here in the Lowcountry.

Dominion Energy is always willing to consider placing lines underground if the engineering is technically feasible, system reliability is not compromised and there is a mechanism in place to cover the additional cost.

As we work to safeguard overhead lines from hazardous vegetation, debris is removed daily. Typically, any debris that is not collected the same day will be removed within 24 hours. Crews will also leave a door hanger to notify customers if they expect a delay. Customers with questions regarding trees on or near their property, are encouraged to contact us directly at 800-251-7234. Only OSHA-certified contractors are permitted to work near energized lines.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - For four years, folks have flocked to an event known fondly as the Black History Soul Meet & Eat whose organizers say if you’re gonna be meeting, you may as well be eating.

This year, the event takes place Saturday at the James Island Arts and Cultural Center, along Camp Road.

Much like in years past it’s not only a celebration of how much you can eat or who you can meet, but also what you can learn along the way.

“It says ‘eat’ and, of course, it says ‘meet’ and with the meeting aspect we have networking so you can network with any business owners there and any of the vendors, yes, we will have vendors as well as the people that come from the community for this event,” Krystal Yeadon, the founder and CEO of Krystal Klear Productions, said. “We have to eat that good soul food, that Gullah-Geechee food. That’s just what it’s all about along with plenty of educational activities where you learn about different African Americans and their contributions to society.”

The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $11 in advance online and $15 at the door for adults and $6 for children. You can add on an entry to a Black History Basket giveaway when buying tickets for $1.50.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Yeadon says the fee helps fund some of the artists who attend the event, like the Speak Freely Foundation, which specializes in poetry. Yeadon says the group combines poetry and boxing while mentoring area youth. But Yeadon says what they’ll do at Black History Soul Meet & Eat is provide “poetic vibes.”

“I like to give back to Black-founded, Black-owned, nonprofit organizations,” Yeadon said. “It’s my way of giving back and the Speak Freely Foundation is special to me because when we did this event for the first year in 2019, we gave back to them as well. So now they’re coming back around and we’ll be giving back to them again. They do a Speak Freely Foundation Poetry Festival every year and I actually organized that festival as well. So that is our “give-back” organization this year. We’re giving back to the youth, I love the youth and I love the arts.”

Along with food, networking opportunities, live poetry, and opportunities to learn about black history, Yeadon says there will also be live music.

“We have a bunch of artists. That’s the main portion of it,” Yeadon said. “These artists are all performing artists and some are actually visual artists as well. There are probably gonna be some other surprises for everyone, probably even some for me, but whatever it is - it’s going to be soulful.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The residents of James Island are now seeing and hearing coyotes throughout their community following a rise in coyote interactions on Sullivans Island last month.

“Obviously, they’re here in our neighborhood, and we all need to be vigilant,” Lighthouse Point Neighborhood Association President Brook Lyon says.

Those who live in the Lighthouse Point community on James Island say they have recently seen and heard coyotes sometimes in broad daylight or in their backyards.

“I’ve had several reports over the last few weeks of people actually seeing the coyotes,” Lyon adds. “One last week was seen going across Schooner Road in broad daylight. Another photo was taken in the backyard of someone who has a chicken coop, and there’s live chickens there, which could be a potential food source for coyotes.”

Photos recorded on home security cameras show the coyotes on the island, concerning the community about their personal safety and their pets’ lives.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Department says there is one reported incident with coyotes on James Island back in June.

Sullivans Island also reported five coyote attacks involving dogs in August, making the community on James Island even more worried.

“We are one town, one island, and we don’t want animals to start getting snatched or people getting attacked, like what has happened in other areas,” Lyon says.

Lyon and James Island Town Councilmember Troy Mullinax says they reached out to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and was told there was no program to help them with coyotes in the neighborhood.

“My next step is to contact Governor McMaster because it’s a natural resource issue, and at this time, the town does not have any wildlife management people,” Lyon says.

“DNR does not have anything in place,” Mullinax adds. “This is something we’re going to address at our upcoming meeting this Thursday, and just let people know that there’s something we’re working on.”

To keep the coyotes out of your neighborhood, they recommend not feeding the wildlife or keeping any potential food source outside for them to find.

If you run into a coyote, you’re advised to react loudly, throw small sticks or cans or spray the animal with water.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.