Tag: community

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County Greenbelt Master Plan Public Input Sessions

Dorchester County Logo

Dorchester County will be holding two upcoming in-person public engagement sessions designed to gather community input for the development of the Greenbelt Master Plan.

A greenbelt is an undeveloped land area around or within cities, safeguarded to preserve nature, biodiversity, and recreational spaces. It serves multiple purposes, such as environmental conservation, flood prevention, and supporting sustainable urban planning. Greenbelts seek to strike a balance between urban development and maintaining green spaces for community well-being and environmental health. The Dorchester County Greenbelt Master Plan will help guide funding for eligible projects such as land acquisition and purchase of conservation easements as a result of the 2022 Dorchester County Transportation Sales and Use Tax Referendum. 

The public input sessions will be held as follows:

1. St. George Rosenwald School:

  • Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024
  • Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Location: St. George Rosenwald School, 205 Ann Street, St. George, SC 29477

2. Alston Middle School Cafeteria:

  • Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
  • Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Location: Alston Middle School, 500 Bryan St. Summerville, SC 29483
    (Enter the building from Highway 78)

These sessions serve as opportunities for community members to share their thoughts, suggestions, and concerns which will directly shape the Greenbelt Master Plan.

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Residents Urged to Report Structural Damage from Hurricane Idalia

Dorchester County Logo

Dorchester County urges residents to report any structural damage to their properties or businesses. This information will assist county damage assessment teams in evaluating the extent of the storm’s impact and will aid in expediting the recovery process.

To report storm-related structural damage, please fill out the online Structural Damage Form or contact our Call Center at (843) 832-0393 which will be open until Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

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Hurricane Idalia is Coming Our Way

Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idaila Has made landfall in Northern Florida and is expected to hop over to and skirt our over the next 12-24 hours the storm will pass through our area. Please stay informed. If you lose power, please do not assume the power company knows. You should call and report an outage for your home or business. This helps the power company build a better repair picture. You can look at the Dominion Power Outage Map through the link below. If out traveling, be cautious of hidden dangers including water on the roadways. You should not travel on roads closed due to flooding. Watch for downed powerlines. Be careful when assessing property damage. Watch for dangerous displaced wildlife.

Reporting Power Outages

It is important to report your power outage, even if you see outages already reported in your area. DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 or use social media to report a power outage. Report outages directly to your utility provider.

Dominion Energy SC
DESC Customer Service:  1-800-251-7234
Report Downed/Sparking Lines:  1-888-333-4465
Report Gas Leaks:  1-800-815-0083
Report Power Outage:  1-888-333-4465

Edisto Electric
(803) 245-5141

Berkeley Electric
1-888-253-4232
Report Outage via Smarthub

Some Useful Strom Links:
The National Hurricane Center hurricane tracking and forecasts
Dorchester County Emergency Management Department county-specific hurricane and other emergency information including road closures.
South Carolina Emergency Management state storm information
Dominion Power Outage Map see where power outages have been reported.

If you have other links or tips, let me know and I’ll add them here.

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Another Sand Mine is Coming To Dorchester – Update!

I had not received the needed ten petition signature until Sunday, August 13th and sent the petition for a public meeting to DHEC despite being past the deadline. DHEC responded today with a letter indicating they would not proceed with a Public Hearing due to the missed regulatory deadline, but would arrange for a Public Meeting. The public meeting will allow for the exchange of information and provide an opportunity for the community to express our concerns.

Once the public meeting details are received, interested parties will be notified and I will update this site with the meeting time and place details.

DHEC Letter
DHEC Letter

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Dorchester County Sheriff’s to Host National Night Out

Dorchester County Logo

The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office announced they are inviting residents to the National Night Out, an evening of camaraderie and fun to foster stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community. The Sheriff’s Office will host two events on August 1 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Ashley River Park (200 Renken Rd., Summerville) and Davis-Bailey Park (5190 E Jim Bilton Blvd., St George). These events will consist of the following highlights:

Community Meet and Greet: Connect with Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement officers and first responders.

Law Enforcement Demonstrations: Gain valuable insights into safety techniques and crime prevention strategies through interactive demonstrations by our experienced law enforcement personnel. These include K9 demonstrations, Aviation demonstrations, and Crime Scene demonstrations.

Kids Activities: Join first responders for games of corn hole, kickball, volleyball, spike ball, and basketball (at Davis-Bailey Park).

Food and Refreshments: Hotdogs and drinks will be available free of charge.

These events are excellent opportunities to connect with your fellow neighbors, local law enforcement, and other first responders in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.

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Hurricane Preparedness Expo at Ashley River Park

2023 Hurricane Expo

With the 2023 Hurricane Season ready to start, Dorchester County is encouraging residents to attend the Hurricane Preparedness Expo at Ashley River Park. The expo is scheduled for Saturday. June 3, 2023 and is scheduled to run between 10:00am – 1:00pm. The expo will be held at the new Ashley River Park, 200 Renken Road in Summerville. The Hurricane Preparedness Expo aims to provide valuable information, tips, and resources to help residents of our county to prepare for hurricanes and other natural disasters.

For fun, the county EMD is working with Coastal Coffee Roasters to debut a new medium roast coffee roast: Storm Surge. This coffee will be available at the Expo in both ground and whole bean form. And their partner, Tradesman Brewing Company, will also be present with their unique Know Your Zone beer. Free coffee samples will be available to all participants, and there will be beer samples for those 21 years of age and older. Coffee and beer, what else do you need to be prepared? 

Please note: Admission is only $2 per person for 3 years-old or older, or free for any Dorchester County Park Annual Pass holders.

It looks like there will be some fun, samples, and prizes, even a raffle for a brand new 3600-watt Generac GP3600 portable generator. Go here for more information.

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I-26 Improvements Started

I26-SC27 Interchange

While there doesn’t seem to be any official work posted it looks the I26-SC27 exit 187 interchange improvements have started. As of this posting, I couldn’t find any updated information on the SCDOT, Dorchester County, or I26-SC27 Interchange Project websites. But if you traveled through the 187 Exit at all in the last few weeks, it’s obvious work on the interchange has finally started. Construction crews are clearing trees from the North side of the exchange, assumedly in preparation for the new bridge. The I26E onramp has had some resurfacing as well as a portion of the I26E right-hand lane, assumedly for some road widening.

Travelers in this area should be aware there is road work happening and use caution.

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Watch Out For This Hard Freeze Coming Our Way!

Cold Weather is coming

Several weather sources are forecasting freezing weather coming our way beginning Friday December 23, 2022. An artic front is heading our way which looks like will bring several nights of below freezing temperatures. You can explore some cold weather safety tips at National Weather Service. Plan now to stay warm.

You can follow any of these links to see the upcoming forecasted conditions.

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I-26 Widening Project Kicked Off

SCDOT, state officials kick off I-26 widening project in Ridgeville (WCIV)

Channel 4 News reported recently state lawmakers and SC Department of Transportation officials kicked off the I-26 widening project on Tuesday. This project will widen I-26 from four lanes to six lanes between Jedburg Road and Columbia. “Generally, the approach is at least six lanes – three lanes in each direction throughout the whole corridor,” said SCDOT Secretary of Transportation, Christy Hall. “As you get closer to Columbia, that northern project between Irmo and Columbia, that’ll be eight lanes in some areas. So it’s a minimum of six lanes throughout.”

In addition to widening the interstate to three lanes in each direction for a total of six lanes, SCDOT will also be improving bridges along the corridor. This should include our I-26/SC27 exchange. The I-26/SC27 Interchange project (https://www.i26-sc27.com) was started pre-pandemic and had worked it’s way through several community meeting. However the project seems stalled since the start of the China Flu pandemic (https://www.i26-sc27.com/). I have asked for a project update from SCDOT on this interchange project. As soon as I hear from them I’ll post a new update.

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Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian 9-30-22 11am

Hurricane Ian off the coast of Charleston is almost ashore as of this posting. Over the next 12-24 hours the storm will pass through our area. Please stay informed. If you lose power, please do not assume the power company knows. You should call and report an outage for your home or business. This helps the power company build a better repair picture. You can look at the Dominion Power Outage Map through the link below. If out traveling, be cautious of hidden dangers including water on the roadways. You should not travel on roads closed due to flooding. Watch for downed powerlines. Be careful when assessing property damage. Watch for dangerous displaced wildlife.

Reporting Power Outages

It is important to report your power outage, even if you see outages already reported in your area. DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 or use social media to report a power outage. Report outages directly to your utility provider.

Dominion Energy SC

  • DESC Customer Service:  1-800-251-7234
  • Report Downed/Sparking Lines:  1-888-333-4465
  • Report Gas Leaks:  1-800-815-0083
  • Report Power Outage:  1-888-333-4465

Edisto Electric

  • (803) 245-5141

Berkeley Electric

  • 1-888-253-4232

Some Useful Strom Links:
The National Hurricane Center hurricane tracking and forecasts
Dorchester County Emergency Management Department county specific hurricane and other emergency information including road closures.
South Carolina Emergency Management state storm information
Dominion Power outage Map see where power outages have been reported.

If you have other links or tips, let me know and I’ll add them here.

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