electrician in Lugoff, SC

'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan thanked the sheriff's office after an unusual situation unfolded at his door.

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — A former WWE star who now lives in the Midlands is making headlines for an incident at his home.

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan is known for carrying around a two-by-four and giving the thumbs up ahead of his matches in the ring. And he's currently a Kershaw County resident.

Last week Duggan posted a thank you note to Kershaw County deputies on social media for how they handled an incident at his home. The deputies responded after Duggan said a man he did not know jumped his fence and began pounding on his front door.

Duggan went on to say he held the man at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived. Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan said this all started a few houses down from where the Duggans live.

“A young man and a young lady had some problems in the past,” he said. “She separated from him, went to live with her dad, who lives down the road from the Duncan residence. And he shows up at the house. Dad's not aware of it. He looks up, there's a guy inside his house who he feels is a threat to his daughter, so he immediately starts assaulting him, hitting him, and somebody in the house pulled a gun on him.”

The sheriff said the man ran from the area “scared to death.”

“Turns out that apparently there was a back-and-forth conversation between the young man and the young lady, and I think she kind of invited him to the house,” the sheriff said. “Dad didn't know this.”

The sheriff said this was the core case that they were investigating. The situation, however, continued to the Duggans’ house where authorities said the young man beat on the front door and came in.

“But he immediately said he was scared. Somebody was trying to kill him,” the sheriff said. “Hacksaw listened to what he was saying and, to start with, he felt like it was somebody trying a home invasion and he was like a diversion - and they may come in the back door.”

“And so, you know, he held him at gunpoint, got his wife Deborah to call our dispatch and she was able to tell him what was going on,” the sheriff added. “We got deputies out there and as soon as we got everything organized at that point, he's like, OK, I understand why he was going door to door.”

The sheriff said that deputies and the Duggans were glad that the situation ended the way it did.

When it was all said and done, no charges were filed in connection with the case. Duggan said on social media that he and his wife are safe and there was no damage.

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - A Lugoff travel agent is accused of defrauding clients out of more than $50,000.

The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) has charged 43-year-old Melissa Hanna, formerly of Dream Vacations, in connection with three separate fraud incidents.

KCSO said they are investigating several other similar fraud incidents involving Hanna.

“So far, our victims are more concerned about warning the public of these crimes that they are seeking justice for themselves,” Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan said in a statement. “We all want to prevent our fellow citizens from becoming victims of fraud.”

In an interview Friday, Boan described an elaborate scheme by which Hanna would take money from clients, put it in her personal Square account, and then in some cases use the money for cruises that she would later go on.

Boan said more than 10 clients have come forward at this point, and “there’s no telling” how many more there are.

According to KCSO, Hanna turned herself in on Tuesday but was released the same day on a personal recognizance bond with the condition that she does not leave the state.

Hanna was charged with breach of trust (over $2,000, less than $10,000), obtaining signature or property under false pretense (above $10,000) and financial transaction card fraud (over $500)

According to an incident report from one of the three separate fraud incidents, Hanna was paid to book a cruise vacation for a woman and some of her family members in May. As the day of the vacation got closer, the woman said there were some problems with the booking that Hanna said she was going to get sorted out.

The woman said there was another charge on her card she did not authorize. She said Hanna said the charge was a mistake that was going to be corrected.

According to the report, the woman booked another trip leaving out of New York with Hanna. When she checked on it, the woman said she was told the trip was canceled due to nonpayment.

The report states the woman paid for these trips through Hanna’s Square accounts and the charge reflected on the woman’s statement.

The woman said she paid $17,479.88 but the money did not go to pay for the vacations.

In another incident report, a woman claimed she paid Hanna $8,616 in July for a vacation to a Carnival Cruise line.

When she returned, the report stated the woman noticed other charges on her card for $8,603.16 to Carnival Cruise line she did not authorize. The woman said she was told the money was used to pay for a cruise that Hanna booked for herself to go on Saturday, Oct. 7.

In the third incident report, a woman said in September of 2022 she went on a Carnival Cruise vacation Hanna had booked for her. The woman said she noticed a charge on her card for Hanna that she did not authorize.

Upon reaching out to Hanna, the woman said Hanna told her that Carnival was reconciling accounts after her trip and that the charges should be removed when that was finished.

The report stated the information the woman provided showed her card was charged $707.42 for services on a different cruise, Hanna went on.

Both Jennifer Branham and Wayne Nesbitt booked what they thought was the dream vacation of their lives with Hanna, whom they had known for years.

Branham thought something was off, however.

“I should’ve listened to my gut instinct,” she said. “I feel like there were tiny red flags from the beginning and I should’ve listened to that.”

Both clients discovered thousands of dollars of charges on their accounts that they did not authorize.

Nesbitt said there were a lot of “sleepless nights,” and Branham said, “If she would do it to me, she would do it anybody.”

At one point, Nesbitt’s cruise was canceled, and Hanna gave him what he believed to be an odd explanation.

“We spent over $9,000 booking with her, and right before the trip, we get a call from her saying that, ‘Hey, we need to reschedule your trip, the seaweed is waist-deep.”

Columbia-based travel agent Meg Caristi said to avoid being scammed, always vet the company and agent, speak to them over the phone, ask for references, use only credit cards for payments for added protection, and if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“We’re not talking about saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars, or even thousands of dollars,” Caristi, who works with Travelmation, said. “When you start seeing something like that, that’s when it should throw up a red flag that maybe something’s not right here.”

Dream Vacations released the following statement regarding Hanna’s arrest:

“Dream Vacations is a travel agency franchise that has been in business for more than 30 years and each location is independently owned and operated. We are aware of the arrest of Melissa Hanna, a former franchise owner who engaged in fraudulent activity with respect to the handling of customer payments. As a result, we have terminated Hanna’s franchise. Dream Vacations’ management does not tolerate fraudulent activity of any kind and has been cooperating with the local authorities. We believe strongly in our agents and franchisees in the Dream Vacations network, and the unscrupulous behavior of one rogue agent does not represent how our company and other Dream Vacations travel agents conduct business. We are in the process of reaching out to the impacted parties to ensure that Hanna’s customers receive the trips they booked and paid for. If you are a customer of Melissa Hanna’s and need assistance, please reach out to our Support Services team directly at 954-958-3700 and choose option 2.”

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COLUMBIA, S.C. and LONDON and MUMBAI, India, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- STL (NSE: STLTECH), a leading global optical and digital solutions company, today formally announced the launch of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lugoff, South Carolina - The Palmetto Plant. Named after the state tree of South Carolina, this facility, also designated as STL's North American Headquarters, symbolizes STL's commitment to the US market.

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The Palmetto Plant was inaugurated by Hon. Henry McMaster, Governor of South Carolina, in the presence of government dignitaries, key customers, and representatives from the local Chambers of Commerce.

This strategic investment and expansion efforts in the U.S. further reinforce STL's commitment to the Make in America vision. Addressing the market demand for 5G, FTTx, and the push for rural broadband, The Palmetto Plant, spanning over 168,000 sq. ft will specialize in future-ready optical solutions, including high fiber count cables with smaller diameters. The emphasis will also extend to pioneering designs, notably high-capacity ribbonized cables and ruggedized designs for rural deployments. To help operators tackle the industry-wide skills shortage, the new Lugoff facility is also prioritizing optical connectivity products that are simple to deploy, monitor, and maintain. Additionally, comprehensive on-site testing aligned with industry-standard GR20 guidelines ensures the high quality and reliability of its products.

STL has committed to being Net zero by 2030. Following in the footsteps of STL's other global manufacturing units, the Lugoff facility also aims to achieve zero waste and reduce energy consumption progressively.

The Palmetto Plant employs over 150 people, including skilled manufacturing associates and seasoned industry specialists leading the company's North American operations.

"The inauguration of STL's manufacturing plant marks a significant stride forward for our state's broadband efforts and will provide new opportunities for our people in Kershaw County," said Governor Henry McMaster. "South Carolina has built a national reputation as a leader in broadband expansion, and with STL establishing operations in South Carolina, that reputation will only expand."

Excited about this significant milestone, Paul Atkinson, CEO, Optical Networking Business at STL, said: "Our new cable plant in Lugoff, South Carolina, is a testament to our commitment to the US market and our customers in North America. This facility mirrors our ethos and STL's larger purpose - of Transforming Billions of Lives by Connecting the World. I am excited to see its impact on America's rural connectivity and digital landscape."

From glass to fiber, cabling, and optical connectivity, STL is one of only 6 players worldwide^[1] with end-to-end capabilities in this space. The company works closely with regional and national players and with industry associations like the FBA and the Power and Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) to create meaningful impact at scale.

About STL - Sterlite Technologies Ltd:

STL is a leading global optical and digital solutions company providing advanced offerings to build 5G, Rural, FTTx, Enterprise and Data Centre networks. Read more, Contact us, stl.tech | Twitter |

^[1] Ex-China

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212510/STL_Palmetto_Plant.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876464/4277723/Sterlite_Technologies_STL_New_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Sterlite Technologies Ltd - STL

STL, one of several fiber vendors that have onshored manufacturing to the U.S., today formally announced the launch of its new facility in Lugoff, South Carolina – its first plant in North America.

The company invested $56 million into the Palmetto Plant, which is named after South Carolina’s state tree and currently employs over 150 people. Ankit Agarwal, STL’s managing director, said the investment is part of STL’s focus to “showcase our commitment to the region.”

“By being local, we can offer faster lead times, we can offer more customized solutions and just really be more agile in terms of making this partnership work,” he told Fierce.

STL is already fostering relationships with U.S. broadband providers, recently announcing two partnerships with Windstream and TruVista. Although the facility was inaugurated today – with government officials and industry groups in attendance – it actually began operations in Q1 of this year.

The Palmetto Plant spans over 168,000 square feet and will specialize in “future-ready optical solutions,” such as high fiber-count cables with smaller diameters and different types of ribbon cables.

But the facility isn’t just for making more product, Agarwal noted. It was also created to help operators tackle the skills shortage in the broadband industry.

“One of the thoughts we have is, how do we make our products in such a way that it either minimizes the need of trained manpower or reduces the time that they need to spend on installing the products on the field,” he said.

Something like an intermittently bonded ribbon cable is quick to deploy but also compact in size, Agarwal explained, thus it’s easy to transport, store or handle on the field.

“Similarly, we have what we call pre-connectorized solutions, so that the work on the field is much more plug and play and can save anywhere between 30-40% of the installation time,” he said.

And STL designed these products to not require any “specialized training.”

“That’s something we always keep in mind, not just the customer but the installer [as well].”

While Agarwal has seen signs of improvement in the workforce shortage, with some operators “investing themselves in doing more of the training,” he thinks the issue will likely persist in the foreseeable future.

“I still see a huge skill shortage, the available manpower will probably increase 10% to 15% per year. But I think more needs to be done to accelerate it,” he said. “It might even make sense to bring in resources from other countries to kind of bridge the gap over the next four to five years.”

The southeast U.S. seems to be a popular spot for fiber manufacturers. In neighboring North Carolina, CommScope invested $47 million to open two new fiber optic plants and Corning also opened a new facility there.

Asked if STL plans to increase the Palmetto Plant’s employee count in the future, Agarwal said “we will continue to evaluate that” as the company maintains ongoing partnerships with its customers.

“As those requirements increase, we certainly have the capability and availability to make that happen.”

It's the first earthquake in roughly two weeks in the region.

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — While more sporadic, earthquakes continue in Kershaw County as the area quickly approaches the one-year anniversary of when the swarm started.

The latest earthquake, with a magnitude of 1.7 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, is the 83rd since rumbles started becoming somewhat commonplace in the Lugoff and Elgin regions in late December 2021.

According to data from the agency, the quake happened around 7:48 p.m. on Friday and was allegedly felt by at least three people who reported the rattle on its earthquake monitoring website. Earthquakes below a magnitude of 2.5 are typically not felt by the public.

The last earthquake to rumble the region was on Nov. 24 and had a magnitude of 2.0. The earthquakes still vary in size but have become less frequent than they were at different points in 2022 when they were an almost daily occurrence.

More seismic equipment has been installed in the area in recent months but an exact reason for the centralized earthquake activity hasn't yet been determined.

While having the earthquakes focused in Kershaw County as a swarm hasn't been the norm historically, earthquakes are not a new occurrence in South Carolina, which has them occasionally across the state. South Carolina was also the location of the largest earthquake in the history of the southeastern U.S. which happened in the Charleston area in 1886 and was estimated to have a magnitude above 7.0.

Historical records suggest the earthquake, located in what is now known as the Middleton Place-Summerville Seismic Zone, was felt as far away as Chicago, Boston, and even Cuba.

However, the quakes shaking Elgin are in a different location in the state along the Eastern Piedmont Fault System which runs from Alabama to Virginia.