electrician in Rock Hill, SC

Another building is underway at an active industrial park in Rock Hill.

Scannell Properties broke ground last year on an 851,500-square-foot building at Legacy Park East in Rock Hill. The building, which has a listed address of 2087 Williams Industrial Blvd., is being targeted for completion in the second half of 2023. It is one of several buildings Scannell has developed at Legacy Park East, which is near Exit 77 of Interstate 77.

Avison Young's Henry Lobb and Tom Tropeano are leading leasing efforts for Scannell's new building at Legacy Park East. The general contractor for the project is Evans General Contractors. Avison Young said the building is also under contract to be sold to an undisclosed buyer. Details of that agreement were not provided.

Scannell has developed and sold multiple buildings at Legacy Park East in recent years.

In 2020, Scannell sold buildings of 460,800 square feet and 193,750 square feet, along with a development site for another building, to The Silverman Group. The two completed buildings have since been leased to Scentsy and Arrival, respectively. Silverman developed a 122,216-square-foot building on the development site it acquired; that building was leased to multiple tenants last year. Scannell developed another building of around 129,600 square feet at Legacy Park East and sold it in 2020 to STAG Industrial.

The new building is, by far, the largest yet at Legacy Park East, which is expected to include millions of square feet of industrial space upon full buildout.

“I think a pervasive philosophy for industrial real estate is scale — it’s a scale business,” said Chris Skibinski, managing director and principal at Avison Young's Charlotte office, of the large building now under construction. “It's a nice fit in the park.”

The South Carolina High School League will explore the possibility of holding its state basketball semifinals and championship games all at one venue.

SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton brought the topic up Friday during an executive committee appeals meeting related to Dorman basketball.

The idea for the postseason change was brought up during this week’s S.C. Athletic Administrators Association annual conference in Charleston. The state’s five classifications were each asked to discuss the possibility of holding the Upper State and Lower State championships — or semifinal games — and the state championships at one single venue over an eight-day period. The earliest times that games would begin on a given day would be 2 p.m., Singleton said.

Four of the five classifications would be in favor of making that change, it was revealed during Friday’s meeting, with Class 4A being against the idea. The biggest concern: Making sure the venue is centrally located, which might drop such cities as Greenville, Charleston and Rock Hill out of consideration for the games.

Singleton said he will begin the process of talking to possible arenas and bring more information on the topic before the executive committee meeting in April.

“Very few places that could meet requirements that we could do it. Appears the interest is there, excluding 4A, but it needs to be Florence Center or Columbia being the most centrally located for all schools,” Singleton said.

The Florence Center has a capacity of 7,686 for basketball and has hosted the Lower State championships for more than a decade. Colonial Life Arena in Columbia has a capacity of 18,000 and could easily accommodate the crowds for championships. The CLA had been the host for the championships for decades, but the rental cost was one of the factors that made the SCHSL move away from it.

Westwood High boys coach John Combs, the executive director of the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association, said there’s been talk among the coaches of wanting the games to come back to Columbia. He thinks it provides players and schools with the best overall experience.

“Colonial Life Arena is one of the best arenas out there, but if you can’t make it work financially then you can’t do it,” Combs said. “But I, as a basketball coach, would be perfectly fine with us playing in a state championship or lower, upper state championship (if it) meant we got to play in Colonial Life Arena and not make enough money — if I had a better experience as far as the arena to play in and have more fans there.

“I applaud the High School League for looking at this and being willing to try something different. I like that they are exploring and looking at it for next year right now.”

In previous years, the semifinals were held at different venues, with the state championship at another venue a few days later. The previous two years, the Upper State championships were held at Bob Jones University, the Lower State at Florence Center and state championships at USC Aiken (3,500-4,100 capacity).

The league was poised to host this year’s championships at Winthrop (6,100-seat capacity), but a conflict prevented it.

The issue with Bob Jones (4,000 seats) and USC Aiken has been capacity, at least with bigger classifications and having ticket allotment capped per school — and sometimes none being able to be released for sale to the general public.

Camden athletic director Brian Rimpf said the school would have been able to sell several hundred more tickets above the 500 allotted the past two years. The Bulldogs girls basketball team has made it to the Class 3A state championship game the past two seasons, winning it all this year against Wren.

Combs also said Westwood probably could have sold more tickets this year. The Redhawks made it to the 4A girls basketball championship for the first time.

“We are running into venues that have capped the number of tickets being sold, and there are people who want to be in that couldn’t be in,” Singleton said. “... I wouldn’t pursue one that would cost more than you can make. It is an economic impact in the area we go to.”

The SCHSL executive committee voted 9-2 to allow the Dorman basketball team to play in the inaugural Throne Hoops tournament at Morehouse College in Georgia on March 29-April 1.

Dorman will have to give up summer practice days for the amount of games played in the event. The Cavaliers won their fifth Class 5A championship in the past seven seasons earlier this month.

The tournament is being sponsored by the NBA Players Association and features some of the country’s top high school basketball teams. The SCHSL had denied Dorman’s request because the event was not sanctioned by the National Federation of High Schools.

This was the second time Dorman has been selected to play in a national postseason event. The Cavs were picked to play in GEICO Nationals in 2020, and the SCHSL executive committee granted their appeal to play in the event. The event was canceled because of the COVID pandemic.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023, 2:53 PM.

Several new restaurants are set to join the York County food scene.

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce president Susan Bromfield said she recently learned about a restaurant planned beside Starbucks and Caromont Urgent Care in Village Harbor. Bromfield said it will have small plates, wine and beer.

“A social, gathering spot is what I hear,” Bromfield said.

A sign is up now for Zo.ra Food & Wine at 1201 Village Harbor Dr. The Zo.ra website shows an anticipated spring opening and current hiring effort for Chef Roshan Singh with more than two decades in fine dining.

Bromfield also noted a farm-to-table concept coming to Clover. Town administrator Allison Harvey said there’s a farm-to-table and also a coffee and sandwich shop concept in the works in her town.

Alicia Griffith is co-owner of Carolina Chocolate Factory in downtown Clover and last fall started as Main Street director there. Griffith said the farm-to-table will be called Clover Harvest. It’ll open in April at 1007 Old North Main St.

“They’re doing everything fresh,” Griffith said. “They want to utilize the community.”

At 204 S. Main St., a new place called 1042 Cafe will open in the next month or so. It will have sandwiches, coffee, sodas and the like. Griffith said there’s a third Clover restaurant likely to open by summer on North Main Street but the name hasn’t been announced. Other happenings include an ownership change at the Water Tank with an outdoor seating area.

As a business owner in the area, Griffith said activity is exciting in Clover.

”We’re wanting all of it,” Griffith said.

In Rock Hill, a new development set to bring several new dining options now shows a longer list. The Power House previously announced plans for upscale steakhouse Epic Prime, Middle James Brewing Company, Ms. Lillian’s Kitchen, Flip Out Burger, Gordo & Chuli Taqueria, Naroodle Chibi, The Local Scoop and Javesca Coffee Roasters.

Now the Power House website shows Chilango Tacos Y Mas and Farm Haus Butcher & Beer Garden. Chilango, according to the site, is from the same family that brought Charanda and Cantina to Rock Hill. It will offer Mexican style street food. Farm Haus has an Indian Land location not far from Fort Mill. Farm Haus is a butcher shop and restaurant with sausages, burgers and other house-made items.

Check back for more.

This story was originally published March 14, 2023, 12:53 PM.

South Carolina Sen. Mike Fanning rolled the legs of his suit pants above his knees and stepped barefoot into the cold Catawba River.

Waving a handkerchief, he shouted to a dozen kayakers: “Ladies and gentlemen, the first launch in the history of the brand new whitewater here in Great Falls, S.C., make some noise!”

The kayakers and attendees at Wednesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony cheered. He counted down from five.

There were swoosh sounds as colorful kayaks launched in the dark waterway lined with trees. After a short paddle, the kayakers — barely visible from a bridge — moved into a vast lake.

In the distance, the rapids formed.

More than a hundred people gathered in this small Chester County, S.C., town to celebrate the opening of a new access area on the river for whitewater rafting, paddling and other recreation. The opening is just one part of a large-scale project that has a unique history.

The channel on the river had not seen water in 117 years. Dams were built to divert water to power multiple mills and the community.

Duke Energy will officially open one of two bypass channels on Saturday for public use. The bypass is designed for leisurely kayaking and canoeing and is appropriate for families and individuals.

A short bypass, which is described as challenging, will open in August. The short bypass is for professional kayakers and experienced enthusiasts.

The river access areas and bypass channels are part of the Great Falls-Dearborn project — a large-scale design that has many components, including hiking trails, a state park, an historic visitor’s center, a pedestrian bridge, canoe and kayak launch sites, parking and restrooms. This all spans across nearly three miles along the scenic river.

The state park will be on Dearborn Island.

Duke Energy finalized a lease with the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism in early February to help the state develop a park on the 600-acre island. There will be trails and a campground. Duke is providing $1.5 million for the park, which may take several years to build, said Christy Churchill, the project’s recreation planner.

But Wednesday’s focus was the water.

Kevin Colburn is national stewardship director for American Whitewater, a river conservation organization. He described the bypasses as “otherworldly.”

“It’s sort of prehistoric,” he said. “You see these reptiles, these giant birds, fish the size of your leg — it’s not normal. It’s a very cool, unique, beautiful place.”

Colburn said the river is going to “roar back to life.”

“I mean, it’s really hard to build good whitewater, like shockingly hard,” he said. “It’s a whole lot of science and a whole lot of art. And they nailed it.”

The long bypass is a 2.25 mile stretch for leisure kayaking and canoeing and has Class II and III rapids.

The short bypass will have faster water flowing over three-quarters of a mile that will have Class III and IV rapids. Duke Energy controls how much water it releases into the channels. The flows are 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Water enters the long bypass through two flows. The larger flow provides water for paddlers downstream and for aquatic habitat enhancement, according to Ben Williamson, a spokes person for Duke Energy. Paddlers should enter the long bypass through the safe-boater bypass, he said.

Signs at the Nitrolee Access Area, where paddlers will enter the long bypass, show paddlers how to access the channel and gives details about appropriate watercraft and equipment, said Ellen Morton, Duke Energy spokesperson.

Churchill said opening the short bypass and trails has been delayed due to supply chain and construction hurdles.

“You can only get to the island to build those trails by barge,” she said. “And so sometimes, we’ve had days where we just couldn’t get there with all of our equipment.”

Tim Huffman, senior project manager for the project, said in 2014, his boss asked his opinion about the project.

“I told him that aside from the fact that the project was in two places, a crows flight, mile apart — one at the bottom of a river cliff, the other merely totally inaccessible, that there was no access to power, that the entire effort would be in the middle of a choke point in a river prone to flooding, and that we had zero idea of what we were actually supposed to do, that I saw no problems,” Huffman said jokingly.

Huffman described the short bypass as a “high tech piece,” and said they used marine fleet tugboats and a tower crane to “reach the unreachable.”

Huffman named nearly 85 people who worked on the project.

Fanning described the project as a “game changer.”

“We’re anticipating larger numbers of people coming down here regularly to get an experience that they can get nowhere else,” he said.

Great Falls Mayor Joshua Brantley said the access areas are going to bring opportunity to the town.

“There’s a ton on our plate, with what we’re going to have to do to try to manage and maintain the abundance of the tourists that will be here,” Brantley said.

Potential investors in the town have contacted him about bringing in jobs, retail, housing and mixed-use development, he said.

“It’s a matter of us really digging deep down into a master plan and really determining what is the best fit for Great Falls,” Brantley said.

Glinda Coleman, executive director of the Great Falls Home Town Association — a community and economic development non-profit— said developers have approached the town with ideas about using some of the abandoned mills, bringing in coffee shops, restaurants and places to stay.

Coleman did not elaborate on specific details, but said they are in negotiations.

The town association’s mission has been to bring nature-based tourism to the area, she said.

The association has plans for other trails, kayaking opportunities aside from whitewater, bird-watching, camping, cycling and plans for a “vibrant” Main Street in the “very near future.”

“Because of where Great Falls is, the river being here, it’s going to really be a great opportunity for growth in our area,” Coleman said. “And the whitewater is just the beginning.”

The access area and bypass channels don’t have have official names.

Duke Energy started construction on the project in 2020. As part of a new license for the Catawba-Wateree Project in 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires Duke to provide recreation, enhancement to water quality and quantity, wildlife and land conservation along the river.

The main focus of this project is to bring water back to the two channels, which once made up the 50-foot Great Falls of the Catawba, the town’s namesake.

Great Falls is between Charlotte and Columbia, and both cities are connected by Interstate 77. Charlotte is roughly an hour north of Great Falls (about 55 miles from Uptown). Columbia is 45 minutes from Great Falls (46 miles away). The drive from Rock Hill, S.C. is about 35 minutes.

Traveling south from Charlotte, a driver would take Exit 55. Traveling north from Columbia, take Exit 48.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023, 11:02 AM.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A Rock Hill family is getting hope, thanks to the community, after a devastating diagnosis: Derek Ingram, a young father of three, is battling ALS.

The Ingrams say they were stunned at the outpouring of community support- after their story was initially detailed on WCNC Charlotte, but that was back in December. It's unbelievable how much Derek has lost just in the last few months.

It is the little things that seem so big now.

PREVIOUSLY: Charlotte father of three hoping for a second miracle this Christmas following ALS diagnosis

"Kate loves to eat snacks with him, she gives herself a cracker and then her daddy a cracker and she loves that," Derek's wife, Amber, told WCNC Charlotte.

2 1/2-year-old Kate and Elle, who just turned one, are so young they don’t really understand what’s happened to their dad in the last year.

"It's like a flash you were able to do something two weeks ago that now is a challenge," Amber said.

Young father of 3 diagnosed with ALS

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WCNC

But 7-year-old Beau knows exactly the toll ALS has taken on his dad. Just a year ago Derek was coaching Beau's little league team. Now he can only watch as his wife Amber subs in.

"It's hard for him, baseball season is gearing up and this time last year Derek was coaching," Amber explained.

You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, just download the free app.

Derek has lost so much just in the last few months.

"Still feels like I’m in a bad dream that I can’t wake up from," Derek said.

He can barely talk now. The couple is trying to record his voice while he still has one.

"So he can record himself saying things like 'I love you.' Simple things he won’t be able to communicate if his voice continues to decline," Amber said.

"It's like being a prisoner stuck in my own body," Derek said. "My mind is still sharp."

When we first met the couple last November, Derek could get around on his own using his motorized wheelchair. Now he needs someone to put his hand on the joystick.

"It's not even day-by-day a lot of times, it's minute-by-minute," Amber said. "We have really good moments and some really defeating and all the things in between."

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Derek says the hardest part is not being able to be the hands-on dad he was before. His 7-year-old quietly stepped in.

"In some ways [they] have reverse roles, he's picked up a lot of the things Derek would do, helping me get the girl's shoes on," Amber said."We're just hanging on to every little thing and refusing to give up."

Still, she says, they are hopeful the disease will slow its wrecking ball path. That’s in part because they know so many people are joining their fight. After our initial story aired, donations poured in to their GoFundMe.

"The encouragement we’ve received, people who have walked the same journey who get it who have reached out for encouragement, prayers, financial contributions, it’s just been a tremendous blessing for our family- we’re able to now afford a caregiver Monday-Friday," Amber said.

Local non-profit All Things Possible helped raise money and gifted them a wheelchair accessible van.