I’m not interested in writing about new restaurants because it usually takes a few months for the operation and its crew to jell but when the doors are opened for the first time all those plans go out the window and one must start anew the owners may feel like they’re riding a bucking bronco But when a couple of my chef pals and Dani Matthews (@healthyishdani on Instagram) fawned over the food at Half Rooted and told me I had to eat and write about it I cajoled chef Carlos Baez of Overbrook’s Mr. Crisp to join me at the former Cateran Lodge that relic of our city’s mediocre culinary history and we agreed that Half Rooted is definitely worth a visit — today Empanadas are one of my favorite foods and they are practically global What culture doesn’t have some sort of fried or baked dough filled with roasted meats or vegetables One could easily argue that ravioli from Italy and empanadas from the Spanish speaking Old and New World are all in the same family That’s something no one else in town is doing An arepa is a pan-fried corn cake made with corn flour and fresh corn similar to a Johnny cake in the American South an arepa is typically topped with a slice of queso fresco Chef and owner Carlos Loaiza prepares his in a rectangular mold then sears them on the flat grill and garnishes with grated queso fresco The crunchy exterior held an interior that was the texture of soft spoonbread and was redolent of sweet corn juice “Salsa rosada is a blend of mayo and ketchup with spices; the pineapple habanero jam was cool as was the aji sauce and the chipotle sauce,” Baez said “And the cashew and mushroom filling for that empanada was quite clever.” Loaiza has given Greenville something new and desirable in the form of unapologetic Colombian street food at Half Rooted and if we’re going to wear that “foodie town” label we toss around like confetti at a wedding we should embrace restaurants such as this one Half Rooted, at 1419 Wade Hampton Blvd. is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday “City Juice” is a colloquial term for a glass of tap water served at a diner. John Malik is a restaurant coach and hospitality consultant. He can be reached at chefjohnmalik@gmail.com Input your search keywords and press Enter the redevelopment of County Square is one of the biggest — and the most important — developments in Greenville’s recent history when you have a small piece of land and it doesn’t work out as intended there’s a lot more at stake,” said Nancy Whitworth the City of Greenville’s deputy city manager “With this site and its sensitivity to the park and downtown The county-owned property is more than 37 acres equivalent in size to downtown Greenville’s core and located within walking distance of Falls Park and the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail Its redevelopment is expected to be a billion-dollar the redevelopment of a block of South Main Street across from the Peace Center the mixed-use development at the corner of North Main and Washington streets the master planned urban community on Verdae Boulevard and Laurens Road on land once owned by the late reclusive textile magnate John D at 1,100 acres and $1.5 billion when completed and we’ve got to make sure to get it right,” said Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven County Square was not thought of as a part of Greenville’s downtown But Falls Park opened in 2004 and Fluor Field two years later planning started for the Swamp Rabbit Trail a 22-mile multiuse trail that opened in 2009 Because the former mall that now houses county operations will be torn down the developer and the county have a wonderful opportunity to design from the ground up professor emeritus of city and regional planning at Clemson University and former member of the city’s planning commission and Design Review Board “They have the opportunity to be creative and efficient and make it an important part of Greenville “Any time you double or triple the density of activities it’s going to strain existing capacities,” he said “They’ll have to have other ways to get there so you don’t have to get in a car They’ll need to think carefully about the back streets They need to make it attractive and feasible to walk with site lines and well-defined walking routes.” who said the city hasn’t had discussions with the developer said the city will be interested in how the development’s design will minimize impacts on traffic The city will also look at other elements like parking The development will likely require a zoning change “There’s no opportunity to back-door anything.” Kirven said County Square is more than an extension of downtown “It’s a test bed to demonstrate how the future looks in an urban environment,” he said “It’s a clean slate where we can design and create a smart urban environment for the future Acceptable Copy Guidelines for the CJ Guaranteed Service Before issuing a press release over the CJ Guaranteed service you will have to confirm that you have the right to do so and that you have read and understood the CJ Guaranteed terms and conditions If you have any doubt on either of these points Press releases that do not 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information transmitted by Community Journals must contain a clearly identifiable source The source indicates the entity or individual that is responsible for the Content and cannot be the name of an agency issuing news on Your behalf This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York If any provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid the remaining provisions shall nevertheless continue in full force without being impaired or invalidated in any way Any dispute arising under or related in any way to this Agreement shall be adjudicated in a court of competent jurisdiction in the County of New York Nearly two decades after the idea for a Cancer Survivors Park grew from a high school senior project to beautify an area outside a local cancer treatment center Greenville Cancer Survivors Park will hold its grand opening this weekend A public ribbon cutting will be held at 11 a.m “The Dedication to a Vision of Hope and Healing” will feature community leaders sharing the story about the creation of the park and plans for the Center for Hope & Healing a space for community celebrations and survivorship programs The ceremony will include recognition of the Greenville Health System and other contributors who made the park possible “The Garden Party,” will be held from 6 p.m The fundraising soiree will feature music by Trey Francis Guests at the party will be able to walk through the park and hear stories about the design and meaning Tickets are $125 and are available at cancersurvivorspark.org/the-garden-party.php Proceeds will benefit the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance’s education programs A free Cancer Survivors Day Celebration will be held at the park from 1 p.m Activities include walking tours of the park A survivors recognition ceremony and photo are set for 2:32 p.m Registration is requested but not required “We are excited to be celebrating a significant milestone — the transformation of a challenged piece of property into a beautiful park We still have much to do as we transition from bricks and mortar to a focus on incorporating the creative features and resources that are the essence of our vision — creating a space for hope and healing,” said Kay Roper executive director of the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance As the functions of parks grow more complex public-private partnerships have increased as a funding source Greenville’s Unity Park is an example of many of the current trends in building urban parks — a greater reliance on public-private partnerships the conversion of postindustrial sites into green space and construction of facilities that accommodate fluctuation in water levels to help water quality and flooding issues “Parks are no longer simply places for recreation That’s why public-private partnerships are so important,” said Catherine Nagel “Really where public-private partnerships shine is that they bring in more resources and skills.” While Greenville has been known for public-private partnerships for downtown development projects such as the Hyatt Mayor Knox White said Unity Park is the city’s first example of a true public-private partnership on a park The city has earmarked $20 million in hospitality tax revenue for the new park over 10 years and wants private partners to contribute another $20 million Separate from the city’s fundraising efforts is one led by Community Journals’ chairman and co-founder Doug Greenlaw to raise money for a veterans memorial in the park Greenlaw is a founder of the Upstate charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart “Public-private partnerships have become a critical funding tool in the toolbox,” said Kevin O’Hara vice president of urban and government affairs for the National Recreation and Parks Association public-private partnerships are good for parks.” Chicago’s Millennium Park was a result of a public-private partnership Mayor Richard Daley originally proposed construction of a parking garage with a landscaped greenroof on land that had been parkland The original plan financing called for $120 million from parking revenue bonds and $30 million from private resources plans for the park had changed drastically A cycle center provides heated bicycle parking There are outdoor art galleries and a promenade and the Pritzker Pavilion that hosts the Grant Park Musical Festival Underneath the park is a 4,000 space parking garage the park was the Midwest’s most popular tourist attraction There’s a wide range of how park public-private partnerships are structured “There’s a real range of public-private partnership models to consider,” she said “The key is to fit the model to your community Some cities have a strong base of philanthropic organizations City Park would also mirror the trend in other cities where postindustrial sites are turned into parks and green space those sites are on waterfronts and riverfronts areas that some cities turned their backs on and became nasty places to which people didn’t want to go a waterfront cargo yard was turned into one of New York’s signature parks The city redirects real estate taxes from residential and commercial developments in the project zone creating a self-sustaining revenue stream that is far less dependent on concessions and permits for special events than signature parks in other major cities “Parks are helping to revitalize cities and put them on the map,” Nagel said “It’s exciting that those projects are not just happening in the largest cities but in medium and small cities as well.” With the South Carolina high school boys soccer regular season coming to an end, here’s how teams stack up in the Super 25 rankings of the best Upstate teams headed into the SCHSL playoffs 1 seed of the Class AAAAA Division 1 playoffs and will start May 10 at home against either Dorman or River Bluff 4 seed in the playoffs and will be at home May 10 against either Wade Hampton or Boiling Springs The Patriots allowed only two goals in 10 region games and only eight all season What to know: Southside is the No. 2 seed of the Upper State and features Anthoney Bedolla Menera What to know: Eastside lost twice down the stretch against Dorman and Wade Hampton What to know: Daniel finished tied with Greer at the top of the region standings with a 2-1 overtime win against the Yellow Jackets as they split two games What to know: Greer averaged 6.5 goals per game in region play The Yellow Jackets finished tied with Daniel for first place but earned the higher seed at No What to know: Wade Hampton finished one game behind Eastside and had the best defense in the region The Bulldogs have won 10 straight games and outscored opponents What to know: Dorman beat Eastside and Riverside in the last two games of the regular season to clinch a first-round home game What to know: Riverside was the highest scoring team in the region The Warriors averaged 2.8 goals and that was boosted by a 10-goal game late in the regular season What to know: Greenville nearly got a first-round bye 5 seed in the Upper State and a home game against Woodmont What to know: Greer Middle College is the No The Blazers have won nine straight and scored 22 goals in the last three What to know: Greenville Tech Charter is the No The Warriors are 20-2 in region play for the past three seasons What to know: Woodruff finished one game behind Greer Middle College and earned a No 6 seed and a home game in the Upper State playoffs 4 seed with back-to-back wins against rival St Joseph’s in the final week of the regular season 9 seed and will travel for a first-round game at Belton-Honea Path The Knights got a late season win against Powdersville What to know: Chapman enters the playoffs with four straight shutout victories What to know: Fountain Inn has won five straight and outscored opponents 8 seed and a home game against league foe Westside GIRLS PLAYOFFS: Girls soccer brackets, scores, schedules in SCHSL 2025 state playoffs What to know: Berea was third in the league after finishing with back-to-back wins by a combined 11-0 The Bulldogs earned a first-round home game What to know: Brashier Middle College lost twice to Greenville Tech Charter to finish second What to know: Boiling Springs finished the regular season with three straight victories including Riverside and a second win against Byrnes 10 seed and will have to travel at Clover in the first round The Rebels had a four-game win streak until losing the last two What to know: Belton-Honea Path finished third in the region and got a home game in the playoffs but the Bears have been outscored 64-36 this season Todd Shanesy covers high school athletics for the Greenville News, Spartanburg Herald-Journal and Anderson Independent Mail in the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at todd.shanesy@shj.com. Follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, at @ToddShanesySHJ Jalen Williams scored 19 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in Wade Hampton's 64-59 win over the Greer Yellow Jackets in the second semi-final game of the Greer FCA Christmas Classic at Greer High "We had a good start to the first quarter and a good start to the third quarter," said Wade Hampton coach Darryl Nance Williams and Preston Parks scored nine points apiece to give the Generals a 20-13 in the first quarter Greer went on an 8-0 run to start the second quarter and held a 32-31 advantage entering halftime The Generals put together a 9-0 run to start the second half Dre Terry and Matt Moore brought Greer back within two points entering the third quarter Wade Hampton outscored Greer 13-4 in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter Guard Cameron Allen scored nine of his 13 points in the final period The Jackets cut the Generals lead to 61-56 "Our kids played really hard and didn't quit," said Greer coach Jeff Neely "We just couldn't quite get over the hump." Travelers Rest grabbed a 44-33 win over Christ Church The Devildogs got off to a hot start outscoring the Cavaliers 7-2 in the opening minutes Christ Church battled back and the teams went into the half tied 14-14 Travelers Rest started the second half with an 8-1 run "We started hitting some shots and opened up the zone," said Travelers Rest coach Josh Mills "Everything else fell into place offensively." The Devildogs carried a 31-23 lead into the fourth quarter Brawley Crawford hit back-to-back buckets to bring the Cavaliers within five with 3:30 to go Quez Fisher and Kavasea Sullivan led the Devildogs with 11 points each Mac McCall led Christ Church with 11 points Will Carter chalked up nine points for the Cavaliers Christ Church faces off against Greer at 6 p.m while Travelers Rest takes on Wade Hampton at 7:30 in the championship game This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors How to watch South Carolina high school girls lacrosse: J.L April 26Data SkriveWade Hampton High School - Greenville plays on the road against J.L How to watch Wade Hampton vs. J.L. Mann girls lacrosseWade Hampton and J.L. Mann will take the field on Saturday, April 26, at 10:55 a.m. ET. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network The NFHS Network gives you access to live high school sports around the country Follow your favorite team and never miss a game Want to track your alma mater, local team or family member's school throughout the playoffs? NFHS Network has high school lacrosse streaming live plus on-demand replays and highlights of all the action from thousands of schools across America Watch J.L. Mann vs. Wade Hampton on NFHS Network! All NFHS Network events are available to watch online at and through the NFHS Network Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and TV Apps for ROKU What happens when a sushi chef and a teacher bond over their backgrounds and decide to try something new The “K” is a nod to the partners’ shared Korean heritage Both attend Korean Grace Church of Greenville spent his childhood shifting between New York They met one day when Kim ordered food and Byun delivered Kim was a sushi chef working in both Greenville and Myrtle Beach “Even teaching … I liked it but I didn’t think I was 100% dedicated to (it) like passionately into it,” Byun said “But I think making Korean food would be something that’s fun and that represents my country too They decided to go to Charleston and purchase a food truck and the answer led them back to their roots lunch is made and served by members of the congregation after services The two approached some of the women and asked for their recipes narrowing it down to dishes they felt would a good fit for their business “There’s a Korean word that’s called ‘jung,’” Byun said “There’s no word to describe it in English but Korean people give a lot of food they’ll constantly feed you … they just want you to be happy “So us giving a full cup of Kups is like our Korean cultural thing,” he said The menu currently includes five cups: bulgogi (marinated beef); oink bowl (spicy pork); tuyo (tuna); phoenix (chicken); and vegetable The kimchi is made without fish sauce to be vegetarian friendly More information about hours and menu items can be found at kupskoreancups.com Greenville-based nonprofit organization, Miracle Hill Ministries, will take control of two locations of Habitat for Humanity ReStore The two locations are located 3303 Wade Hampton Blvd and 1818 Woodruff Road in Greenville and will be rebranded as Miracle Hill Thrift Stores The idea for the acquisition came from Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County which presented the idea to Miracle Hill in summer 2024 Rebranding and renovations for each location will begin in early 2025 with the Woodruff Road location switching in the spring and the Wade Hampton Boulevard location in the fall The latter location will replace the Miracle Hill Thrift Store located at 2419 Wade Hampton Blvd Extended Search Photo by Larry Griffin/Staff Wade Hampton Golf Club awarded $350,000 in grants to 26 area nonprofits during a reception on Aug Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription Read The Highlander, Highlands, North Carolina Wade Hampton High School had an elevated police presence on the first day of school Thursday was conveyed to parents of Wade Hampton High School parents at 8 a.m letting them know that a bomb threat had prompted a search and arrest the previous day A bomb threat against Wade Hampton High School prompted a careful search of the school and the arrest of a 15-year-old student — the same day classes were set to start GREENVILLE — A bomb threat against Wade Hampton High School prompted a thorough search of the school and the arrest of a 15-year-old student in the early hours of Aug 8 — the same day classes were set to start but investigators traced the threat back to a female student and took her into custody at 12:53 a.m She was taken to juvenile detention in Columbia the girl’s name will not be released to the public Greenville County Sheriff’s spokesman Ryan Flood said two threats were made: one on Aug Parents received notice of the incident with phone messages and emails at 8 a.m 8 as hundreds of students arrived for their first day of classes at Wade Hampton Wade Hampton High School, located along a heavily developed commercial strip on U.S. 29 just northeast of the city, was ranked the No. 1 high school in the Greenville metro area this year in U.S. News and World Report It is among the top 10 high schools statewide and we are proceeding on a normal schedule today,” Principal Carlos Grant told parents in the recorded message He went on to say that the girl will be recommended for expulsion The school district’s portable weapons detection system — EVOLV — was erected at Wade Hampton High this morning as an extra precaution and additional police officers were on campus “I appreciate law enforcement and the district’s assistance to resolve the matter quickly so we can move forward with the first day of school,” he said Flood said that threats of this nature are not out of the ordinary during the first days of school but the consequences to young people who do this sort of thing are very real “It is just your typical shenanigans that had no validity,” Flood said “We’ve done searches and everything is clear but a 15-year-old female has been charged with two counts of conveying a bomb threat.” Flood said this was not the first time the 15-year-old has had problems at the school “(Law enforcement) had been working it for several days because they received two threats,” Flood said and the second email was received yesterday.” Flood said he had no idea what the intentions were behind the threat but that the timing pointed to a hope that school would shut down before classes got a chance to start News tips/online questions: greenville@postandcourier.com Subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: An approximately one-mile stretch of Wade Hampton Boulevard is proposed to receive several safety improvements The South Carolina Department of Transportation’s project aims to enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety along the corridor from East Lee Road to Watson Road The seven-lane corridor is located in Greenville County A road safety assessment was completed in 2024 on the portion of Wade Hampton Road Approximately 311 crashes were recorded on the roadway from 2018 to 2022 Angle collisions where one vehicle turns and strikes the side of another car comprised 45% of the crashes Based on these findings, SCDOT presented conceptual safety improvement plans at a drop-in public meeting on June 20 said the project’s anticipated cost is $2.1 million Proposed changes to the corridor include adding concrete medians along the road to restrict the number of turns cars can make and reduce the number of angle collisions The road’s four signalized intersections will also receive upgraded signal equipment to improve the intersection’s operations said she was initially concerned with SCDOT’s plan for concrete medians she is happy to see there will be designated turn lanes “If this reduces all the wrecks we see on Wade Hampton every day that will be good,” Bozwell said Local resident Debbie Keesee believes medians would also help deter people from jaywalking across the roadway about the number of U-turns people will now be making because of the medians Several pedestrian improvements are recommended along the corridor including installing new sidewalks crosswalks and countdown pedestrian signals are proposed to be added to the signalized intersections SCDOT plans to complete property negotiations for the project in the fall of 2025 Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2026 and take around a year to complete 601 South in Hampton County at any time over the recent months have likely noticed the massive construction project just a couple of miles outside the town of Hampton Hampton County is getting a new high school which will be located at1682 Savannah Highway (near the former WBHC radio station) along 62 acres recently purchased by the Hampton County School District for the campus While progress isn't coming along as originally estimated — construction was originally projected for completion in the Spring of 2025 for an August 2025 start-up — builders have been making rapid headway and school officials have a new target start-up date in mind The soon-to-be Hampton County High School is currently slated to be complete as early as Spring 2026 and fully operational and opening to students no later than August of 2026 The new school campus will be roughly 222,000 square feet in size and is expected to house more than 700 students its first year but will have the capability to house 900 at maximum capacity LS3P, an architectural firm from Columbia, created the design and floorplans of the new high school and H.G Reynolds of Aiken is overseeing the construction This is the same contractor who completed an expansion of North District Middle School in Varnville several years ago "We are exited to see the new high school become a reality," former HCSC Superintendent Dr who was instrumental in making the project a reality "It is going to be a school the whole community can be proud of." The new high school will be based on a West Ridge High School prototype in Blountville HCSD officials visited the Sullivan County The campus has been described as a "comprehensive" new high school The campus will include facilities for Career and Technology Education (CATE) classes such as building instruction culinary arts and a variety of computer-related courses Wilcox and school board officials have said that the new school will bring many career curriculum and athletic opportunities to the students and long-term community and economic development benefits The H.C. School District new website, https://www.hcsdsc.org/, includes a page with photos and floor plans of what the new high school will look like The new school will house all the public school students that formerly attended the former Wade Hampton High School and former Estill High School now consolidated at the temporary Hampton County High School site in Varnville (formerly Wade Hampton High) "Our goal today is not just to turn the soil but to sow the seeds of the future," said Hannah Priester HCSD board member and lifelong educator and administrator at the ceremony who added that the momentous occasion was not about bricks and mortar but a commitment to transforming lives and creating a space where dreams can come true for all who pass through its doors in generations to come "This is not just about the construction of a building but a consolidation of minds," added Senator Margie Bright Matthews at the event Shedron Williams to help procure the initial funding for this project "The State of South Carolina is heavily investing in our children." were recently consolidated by the State Department of Education to improve cost efficiencies as well as better share and utilize resources among all students The new high school is projected to cost around $88 million In November of 2022 local officials were successful in getting voters to approve a $25 million bond referendum to augment the state funding and help fund the total cost Wade Hampton Boulevard is set to receive a major overhaul to improve the corridor’s safety and connectivity the corridor sees an average of 29,000 cars a day An average of around 60 vehicular crashes occur per year The improvement project will focus on 1.5 miles along Wade Hampton Boulevard from Church Street to Pleasantburg Drive Goals for the project include improving safety Greenville City Councilmember John DeWorken said the project aims to transform Wade Hampton from an industrial corridor into a neighborhood boulevard that spurs economic development Almost a year after the project’s first public meeting new conceptual plans for the roadway were presented during a public meeting May 15 The city created these plans in partnership with AECOM and the South Carolina Department of Transportation is also completing a separate safety improvement project along Wade Hampton Boulevard The main proposed change to Wade Hampton Boulevard is reducing the number of traffic lanes from seven to five The lane reduction would allow for landscaped medians protected bike lanes and wider sidewalks to be added along the corridor Crosswalk enhancements would also be completed to improve connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists “The city has adopted a complete streets policy We want this road to function for all the users of the road,” said Clint Link the city’s director of engineering services The project also proposes reconfiguring the signalized intersection at North Church Street and Wade Hampton Boulevard to optimize efficiency and safety The intersection changes would help to handle the traffic flow improve pedestrian safety and slow cars heading to downtown Several reduced conflict intersections are proposed to be added throughout the corridor Link explained these signalized intersections are designed to reduce the number of crossing movements vehicles can make “The safety benefits are tremendous,” Link said statistics are proven through project studies reduction of fatal crashes by 70% through these intersection designs.” “Some of it will be a little less convenient for us But with some of the near-miss accidents and everything we have seen I think it will be very beneficial in the long term,” said Jennifer McClure a member of the Highview Townes Homeowners Association Another key part of the improvement project is realigning White Oak Road to slow drivers discourage cut-thru traffic and improve pedestrian safety traffic heading to and from Wade Hampton Boulevard will only be able to turn right in and out at the side street intersection said the reconfiguration of White Oak would be advantageous for the church The road currently runs behind the church’s property The city is collecting public comment on the conceptual plans for the Wade Hampton Boulevard improvement project. Residents can submit comments online at www.greenvillesc.gov/2136 The feedback will then be incorporated into the final design plans for the project Link explained the White Oak Road realignment will be the first phase of the improvement project Designs for the street reconfiguration are anticipated to be completed in 2024 to begin construction in 2025 Phase two of the improvement project will be completing the lane reduction and adding reduced conflict intersections along the roadway The design process for this part of the project will be done throughout 2024 and 2025 Link said more funding still needs to be secured but construction is aimed to begin in late 2025 and early 2026 Sidewalk improvements along Wade Hampton Boulevard will be the project’s final phase the city will identify areas to improve sidewalks along the corridor while working with property owners on access management The annual average daily traffic along Wade Hampton Boulevard is 29,000 in 2024 The daily traffic in 2044 is projected to increase to 36,000 Almost 60 crashes occur per year along this corridor Spartanburg County voters from four precincts will have new polling locations this year and Pacolet Elementary School precincts will be voting at new polling locations on Election Day Tuesday Cross Anchor Fire Station precinct will vote at Trinity Fire Department’s Hobbyville Station (4331 Cross Anchor Road Wade Hampton and Victor Mill Methodist precincts will vote at New Jerusalem Baptist Church (413 E The Pacolet Elementary School precinct will vote at the Benjamin E Spartanburg County Voter Registration and Elections Director John Baucom noted several reasons for the changes the change was requested by Spartanburg County School District 3 to reduce disruption from special elections that are often held while school is in session Cross Anchor Fire Station was deemed no longer suitable because it is no longer staffed For the Victor Methodist Church polling location the change was made because of a desire to make voting more accessible and curbside voting easier “Victor Methodist Church has been a very dependable election partner for many years but the curbside voting location there was not ideal due to the distance from the parking lot to the entrance to the polling place,” Baucom said “A suitable location was found at New Jerusalem Baptist Church that provides a large parking lot with easy accessibility for voters through a ground-level entrance that does not require a ramp and designated curbside voting spaces can be located near the entrance to the voting space.” Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg could attribute one word to the 2024 graduating class The 391 students who walked across the stage at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Monday is the first class to come through Wade Hampton after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020 their freshman year was their first year with stability," Grant said "Their middle school experience was really interrupted the class raised over $1 million through their Spirit Week campaigns for local non-profit charities an achievement Grant is immensely proud of Wade Hampton High School faculty are not the only ones to recognize the feat of completing high school after the pandemic wipes tears as she looks into the arena where she will receive her diploma especially being one of the people that did go through the quarantine in the beginning of our fundamental years “The play is a love letter to Miami,” said Wade who has been in the industry professionally for about 35 years Wade’s family worked at the Hampton House during the 1960s and ‘70s when it served as a haven for all the great stars at the time “The Last Sun of the Hampton House” premiered on Sept The musical is being displayed right where it takes place at the Historic Hampton House in Brownsville.  were the first and only manager and chief clerk of the hotel meaning they got to know all the famous faces that came in and out the door “Rarely do you get the opportunity to actually witness history,” said former executive director of The Historic Hampton House Although she has admired the cultural center for many years having snuck into the hotel to see the legendary Jackie Gleason when she was 14 years old she noted that the insight gained by Wade's parents into the hotel and its legacy was unmatched “To have someone who lived through that period and could tell that story not from the eyes of Malcolm X or Sam Cooke but from the real people who lived and worked in this building … we were lucky to meet Keith.” Colyer said that after first reading Wade’s script “It was something that I felt we had to do here at the Hampton House,” said Colyer The journey of putting on the play started out with a production of just the first scene as part of “The Greatest Weekend,” a festival to honor Muhammad Ali that took place in February it took Colyer persuading the board that the play was worth the Hampton House’s limited funds “When you get a chance to memorialize an event like everything that happened at the Hampton House so I just wanted to really convince the board “The Last Sun of the Hampton House” is a charming play with moments of both comedy and drama It is adorned with a display of true craftsmanship that comes in the form of accurate costuming and usage of the time period’s vernacular It also at times encourages audience interaction One of the major themes of the piece is how the past is a story we tell ourselves and that history is perspective based on who is telling it Many of Wade’s family members are portrayed in the musical but especially prominent are his parents and cousin whom Wade described as “the coolest dude I ever met in my life.” “He was my role model in terms of what I thought about when I wanted to grow up and be a man,” Wade said “Barbara is very much a strong woman,” said actress Chantel Mendoza of her character “The Last Sun of the Hampton House” is the first drama of this epoch that Mendoza has acted in such as how the way women would cross their legs to signal to a man whether they were interested “There’s a lot of things that I have taken away from this show,” said Jeffrey “J Cason grew up in the area and discovered his grandfather worked at the Hampton House as a part of preparing for this performance “When it comes to telling true facts and knowing about your history — that’s something no one can take away from you,” Cason said which reminds viewers that history is shaped by the perspective of its narrator Catchy songs were on display in “The Last Sun of the Hampton House,” ranging from upbeat melodies to somber ballads “I created songs that I wanted the audience to remember,” said musical director Danette Inyang “We made the tunes catchy so they could take a little bit of the play home with them and maybe sing some of the songs on the way home.” Two standout songs from the play are the theme song “Hampton House/Rise Up” and an R&B-esque track called “WATCH THIS!” sung by Cason during a scene where Henry Wade interacts with his future wife Sixties and ‘70s music are like none other genre ever so I felt like it really helped bring us together,” said Inyang Intimate experiences are abundant in “The Last Sun of the Hampton House,” including an emotional scene where characters react to the announcement of Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder and another where Barbara confronts Henry about being unfaithful Audience members will also be delighted by humorous moments such as one where Zack shows off his talent to the great James Brown and another that takes place before Wade’s parents married encourages Barbara to listen to what Henry has to say “I’m hoping that people see this and rekindle their love with the community “I’m hoping that they remember the honor and the love that they had for when things seemed a little bit clearer different from now where we deal with so many shades of gray.” 6 at 5 p.m.Location: The Historic Hampton House This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com A South Carolina community is mourning the death of a high school football player who was killed in a car crash Joshua Daniel Burgess, a 17-year-old senior at Wade Hampton High School (Greenville, S.C.), was pronounced dead on scene of the Wednesday crash in front of a Target shopping plaza, reported Greenville County Coroner B. Parks Evans, Jr., to The State and other outlets three others have been hospitalized with serious injuries after the three-vehicle collision involving a stolen car the Greer (S.C.) Police Department told The State and other outlets Burgess played wide receiver and cornerback for Wade Hampton According to a Facebook post from the Taylors Youth Association “Josh was a great guy and will never be forgotten He was a great coach and mentor to our players,” read a Facebook post on the association’s page there will be a candlelight vigil in Burgess’ memory Thursday night at the high school Burgess was driving a 2016 Toyota Corolla when the crash occurred just before 8:30 p.m which was stopped at a red light when it was struck from behind by a 2016 Honda Accord Police reported that the Accord was stolen earlier that day Police told The State and other that witnesses claimed the Accord was speeding when it crashed into the Corolla The impact caused Burgess’ car to roll on its side after being hit from behind “where it struck a 1998 Honda that was attempting to make a left turn,” according to what police said Both of Burgess’ passengers were taken to an area hospital, along with the driver of the stolen Accord, according to what police told outlets. Both Burgess’ sister and cousin were in the car with him as they were returning from church, according to WYFF According to a GoFundMe set up for the Burgess family Joshua’s sister Lily needs “extensive orthopaedic surgery.” In one day there has been no update on the conditions of Burgess’ cousin or the driver of the Accord but the collision remains under investigation The Pho Lê menu includes Vietnamese specialties like Bun bowls and Pho along with dishes that are less common to find in Greenville The tomato smoothie is one of the traditional items you'll find on the menu at Pho Lê Pho Lê is now open at 2801 Wade Hampton Blvd. Pho Lê is now open in Taylors on Wade Hampton Boulevard The family-run eatery serves traditional Vietnamese food in a casual setting I want to try the crab and tomato vermicelli soup, but turns out, Pho Lê only serves the specialty Vietnamese dish on Sundays I settle for a shrimp vermicelli bowl and a tomato smoothie but the latter was something truly new to me save for the boba pearls that swim at the bottom of the plastic cup a hint of tomato reveals itself in a slight earthiness on the end of each sip Pho Lê is filled with a steady hum of patrons The quaint dining room is bright and inviting with pops of colorful décor The restaurant is nicely positioned in the Publix shopping center on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Taylors. Across the way, Sofrito Rotisserie opened just a few months ago. Pho Lê officially opened in July, fulfilling a longtime dream for Lyna Nguyen, Hieu Le and their family The goal is to bring Nguyen's cooking to a larger audience You’ll find dishes like broken rice (Com) and vermicelli bowls (Bun) and there is a robust selection of Pho so I am quite thrilled to see a variety offered up on the table: a sweet soy sauce what appeared to be a homemade garlic pepper sauce and a homemade chili sauce and the chili sauce is a perfect addition to my bowl While Pho Lê is fast when it comes to getting food out the family-owned restaurant has a combo of table and counter service I have been wanting to find another go-to Vietnamese restaurant While I won’t find a replacement for the bright fresh papaya salads that were always part of my order at Mekong (Pho Lê doesn’t have one on the menu) I’m also looking forward to trying some of the other soups and dishes I’m less familiar with while Pho Lê does serve a few vegetarian dishes But there is a nice selection of beverages I’ll try the avocado smoothie or the salted dry apricot drink Pho Lê is now open at 2801 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors, in the Publix shopping center. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. For more, follow @pho_le_9 on Instagram or call 864-203-2619 Follow Lillia Callum-Penso on Instagram @lpenso The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division released information on a man shot by law enforcement on Wade Hampton Boulevard Renee Wunderlich of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division gave details on the incident that led to James Edgar Hopkins being shot by Greenville County Sheriff’s Office deputies On Monday the deputies were assisting the Department of Homeland Security in apprehending Hopkins on outstanding warrants officers found Hopkins at a hotel on Wade Hampton Boulevard and attempted to apprehend him outside the hotel officers discovered Hopkins had a knife and shot tasers and a bean bag gun at him before releasing the K9 Hopkins stabbed the dog and ran into a nearby Bank of America parking lot More: Law enforcement officers attempting to serve warrant shoot man after K9 is stabbed He was taken by ambulance to Greenville Memorial Hospital where he was recovering Hopkins had active warrants in Spartanburg County for first-degree distribution of methamphetamine The shooting was the second this year for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the 16th shooting for law enforcement in South Carolina there were 43 shootings dealing with law enforcement in South Carolina and three for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office The GCSO is expected to release a Critical Incident Community Briefing video regarding the shooting at 8 a.m The newly consolidated Hampton County School District is attempting a feat that the County of Hampton has failed to do so far — provide our citizens with a promised countywide recreation complex School District are closer to reaching an agreement on donating the former Wade Hampton High School now in use as the temporary site for the Hampton County High School to the county and its citizens for use as a multi-purpose A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been written and is awaiting the final steps of consideration if approved and later drafted into contract would transfer the "Wade Hampton Recreation Complex" to Hampton County for the "primary purpose of building a recreation complex as well as potentially providing limited space for other government uses," per the MOA A countywide recreation complex was one of the priority projects on the list of capital improvements in the one-cent 2012 Capital Projects Sales Tax initiative approved by voters However, when the project was never launched, and the public later learned that since the penny sales tax period ended millions of the CPST dollars had been misspent by the county local youth recreation leader and concerned citizen School District with the idea of revamping the former WHHS campus as a rec complex While there are currently students occupying the high school campus these students will be moved to a new school site in 2025 a gym and a track all at one central location representing the concerned citizens groups Recreation Now and H.C presented the idea to the school board during its Aug The board has since unanimously signed off on the idea will help both parties proceed toward an official binding agreement and acts as a guide for the "transformation of the Site into a County Recreation Complex." The MOA contains the following highlights: The HCSD is constructing a new, comprehensive high school complex on U.S Highway 601 South (estimated completion date is April 2025) and upon completion the HCSD Board of Trustees has agreed to convey the former WHHS site at 115 Airport Road for the primary purpose of providing recreational activities for the citizens of Hampton County.Both parties agree that the former WHHS site "meets the criteria as outlined in the CPST ordinance 2012-008 executed on July 16 2012" and is the "most practical use of this property post-high school occupation."The transfer of the site would be a "nonmonetary agreement," as the school district is prepared to donate the former school to the county.In exchange the district expects to be able to utilize the former high school's athletic fields until new recreation facilities are completed at the new high school and in doing so district activities would take priority over other activities the two parties expect to reach a new agreement.During this time period the school district will be responsible for maintaining the fields but the county and the district must share in the cost of electricity conceptual or architectural plans.The county intends to explore partnership opportunities for the ongoing operations of the recreation complex including potential partnerships with the YMCA the county "expressly reserves the right to reject acceptance of the property after a reasonable due diligence period to assess the feasibility and cost of improvements to establish the site as a recreation complex Acceptance or rejection by the County shall occur no later than one year from the date of this agreement unless additional time is agreed to in writing by the parties."What will the new Recreation Complex offer H.C citizens?The MOA states that both parties would understand that the site "should be considered at a minimum" for the following recreational uses: Baseball/Softball fields;A Football field;A Soccer/Football field;Walking/Running Track;Gymnasium;Playground;Arts and Dance Center;Gymnastics Room;Outdoor Basketball Court;Expanded Parking.What are the next steps in the process?The MOA was presented to the H.C Economic Development Commission and the H.C Both advisory boards unanimously voted in favor of approving it the final draft will go to the Hampton County Council and the H.C who was recently voted Citizen of the Year by the Hampton County Rotary Club for his support of recreation addressed both the Economic Development and the Planning Commissions on Tuesday to voice support for the proposal "Most folks in this room are not responsible for the fact that the citizens of Hampton County have waited 12 years for a recreation complex," stated Vaughn "There are certainly people here today who can play a big role in seeing that both the children and the adults of Hampton County finally get the recreation complex they deserve or you can assure the citizens of our county no recreation complex will be constructed in a generation Your leadership might present the opportunity to move forward and we have one shot at getting it right." This proposal would still require some new design and new construction as well as a recreation director to oversee it and it would require some investment from Hampton County's already cash-strapped coffers but Vaughn addressed those challenges with the advisory boards "Over $1 million still resides in the CPST fund that was not misspent.," he pointed out "There is a federal commitment of $3 million specifically for recreation in Hampton County The county owes the CPST fund $3.1 million that must be repaid The original amount allocated for a recreation complex is $3.5 million Adding the federal money and the CPST fund there should be $6.5 million available at some point for construction."  Vaughn also pointed out several advantages to this plan The former school site would not become abandoned and overgrown it would be an economic boost to the county through hosting tournaments and concessions and it is an almost ready-made site that would provide the least financial impact to the county based on Vaughn's experience as a high school and rec league coach and based on the economic impact of such complexes in nearby towns Vaughn estimated that Hampton County could yield as much $50,000 per year in concessions and $66,000 in gate fees I believe the MOU has been properly vetted and gives the citizens of Hampton County the best plan for post-high school occupation and fulfilling the promise of a recreation complex," said Vaughn.