Our Town Roads

Sand truck drivng over fresh repairs

Our roads are being destroyed by sand trucks. I recently responded to a neighbor’s complaint related to the road condition along Salem Road and took some time to drive Salem from Railway Drive to Halfway Gut Creek. I was aghast at the deterioration of the roadway in less than a year.

Salem Road
Salem Road potholes

There is now a new sand mine straddling both sides of the road just before Halfway Gut. Someone installed a steel plate in the road due to the trucks turning in and out of the mine tearing up the road. The road directly in front of the Salem United Methodist Church is largely destroyed now. There are potholes everywhere.

Road crews unsuccessfully attempted to repave the section in front of the Methodist Church, I don’t think their work lasted more than a few hours. The sand trucks were driving over the repairs before the crews were finished.

I have sent the following letter from our town association to Mrs. Harret Holman and the Dorchester County Commissioners seeking their support.

Letter to Dorchester County Commissioners
Letter to Dorchester County Commissioners

Almost every road around our Town of Dorchester now has at least one sand mine feeding these massive sand trucks onto them. Sandridge, Salem, Zion, and East Main/178 all now have heavy sand truck traffic six days a week for at least eight hours a day. I would encourage everyone concerned to contact your representative and advocate for more control over the damage to our roads from sand mines. You can call, email, or write a letter asking for their support for our committee.

Please feel free to use the following template and your own words. You can also cut and paste into an email and send it directly to the commissioners (or anyone else you think may support this issue). This link (https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/county-council/council-members) gives our County Council members’ phone numbers and email addresses.

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Upcoming Joint Town Hall Meeting

Dorchester County Logo

Chairman Todd Friddle from Dorchester County Council, Ms. Kellie Bates from the DD2 Board of Trustees, Dr. Charmaine Palmer-Roberts from North Charleston City Council, Chief Richardson from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and Representative Chris Murphy from the S.C. House of Representatives, invite residents to an upcoming town hall meeting at the Wescott Park Clubhouse.

Residents, community leaders, and stakeholders are encouraged to attend and actively participate in this meeting. This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with elected officials and decision-makers, shaping the future of our community. Topics of discussion will include education, infrastructure, public safety, and economic development.

To submit your questions to the moderator, please email them to mmills@dorchestercountysc.gov.  

Date: April 3, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Wescott Park Clubhouse Address, (9006 Dorchester Road, North Charleston)

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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