electrician in Tega Cay, SC

TEGA CAY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Tega Cay Fire Chief Glyn Hasty commemorating promotions and the hiring of new fire personnel at their annual Promotion and Ribbons Ceremony.

Speaking to a crowd of city employees, along with, family and friends of firefighters. Chief Hasty presented Lifesaving awards to 6 firefighters who used extraordinary measures to save a life in two incidences in 2022.

Hasty also swore in one firefighter who completed the required skill sets certifications to earn the fire badge.

And introduced the departments’ newest firefighters.

New Tega Cay Firefighter Ryan Taylor said, “I have been preparing to a full time position in the fire service ever since i first joined. its been my life long goal to do this as a care”

Hasty says the the ribbon recognition program recognizes significant events, certifications and promotion to a higher rank. In 2022 18 firefighters received ribbons encourages firefighters and helps the community understand how hard they work.

Lifesaving Awards: Gold Hill Middle School incident Lt. Daniel Dellinger, Engineer Chris Rose, Firefighter Crystal Stephens

Dulany Drive incident Lt. Daniel Dellinger, Engineer Chris Rose, Fire Marshal James Broome

Swearing in Ceremony and presentation of new badge: Firefighter Tom Simpson

Promotions: Engineer Michael Doster, Engineer Chris Rose, Lt. Wil Blackwelder

Ribbon Recognition Firefighter Chris Barnett, Lt. Wil Blackwelder, Fire Marshal James Broome, Vol. Sebastian Colon-Aviles, Firefighter Keith Davis, Lt. Daniel Dellinger, Firefighter Troy Doss, Firefighter Myrick Hatcher, Engineer Stan Hutton, Firefighter Anthony Knight, Lt. Edward Liberatore, Firefighter Jacob Morin, Engineer Brandon paul, Engineer Chris Rose, Firefighter Tom Simpson, Firefighter Crystal Stephens, Firefighter Ryan Taylor, Lt. Dan Wilkins.

LANCASTER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – An assisted living facility held its first ever Flag Ceremony to honor their Veteran residents.

Since opening it’s doors, Sunflower Springs is a new assisted living facility which opened this past December in Indian Land, says they have had a large amount of veterans join them and wanted to do something special to honor them for their service.

Sunflower Springs Executive Director Robert Pila said, “Paying them homage and respect now goes a long way for them, it just lets them know that their duties to the country are not in vain and they are much appreciated just like they are at any other sporting event”

The VFW Indian Land Chapter helped put together this ceremony.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Discussions are underway for the possible 5th round of the Pennies for Progress Program.

Pennies for Progress History

The York County Pennies Program was the first in the state when it first launched in 1997. Anyone purchasing goods in York County will see the one cent sales tax with that money going to fund road work in the county. The program has been presented to the residents of York County four times through a referendum, and all four times the referendum has passed. The Pennies Program will end in 7 years with the 5th Round approaching in 2024.

One of the most recent road projects completed under the Pennies for Progress Program has been the new intersection of the Fort Mill Parkway and Spratt Street which is designed to help alleviate backups for drivers turning left onto Spratt Street toward Highway 21. This was $8.5- million project.

The Pennies for Progress 5 Commission met and officers were elected with former Rock Hill School Board Member and York County Council member – Dr. Britt Blackwell – selected as Chair.

The commission, made up of community members and well as several more selected by York County Council, will begin to hold meetings in the different cities throughout York County throughout 2023. To hear what road projects residents want to see in the 5th Round of the Pennies Program.

A finalized list of road projects, and their projected costs, will come together in the Spring of 2024 with the possibility of a public vote occurring in November 2024.

Dr. Blackwell says York County can’t rely on the state department of transportation for money for road projects.

Click above for full story.

TEGA CAY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Nine-year-old Mia Ridley of Tega Cay competed in the Miss Earth USA National Pageant and won the title of Little Miss Earth USA in Orlando.

The Miss Earth Organizations says it was created to celebrate the glamour of the beauty pageant industry while making an impact on pressing environmental issues.

Mia will compete for the National Title next year.

Don’t miss out on being Picture of the Day! Send us your photo and email it to News@CN2.com.

Picture of the Day is sponsored by Elite Air & Heat, LLC.

2/16/2023 – CN2 News

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – We are checking in with our tri-county lawmakers to get an update from the State House. York County Senator Wes Climer sits down with CN2’s Renee O’Neil and brings us up to speed on the Fentanyl Trafficking Bill and the repeal of the Certificate of Need Bill.

Richmond, Va.- The University of Richmond swimming and diving team fell to Fordham on the road in Bronx, N.Y. by 121-176 as they competed in the Tri-Meet that included La Salle.

Lauren Medlin (Cary, N.C.) won both of her individual races including the 50 (24.20) and the 100 (50.96). Medlin took the fastest 100 time in the A-10 Conference this week as well as the fastest in the conference in the new calender year. To cap an impressive meet for Medlin, she anchored in the winning 400 free relay.

Caitlyn Hughes (Flemington, N.J.) took the win in the 200 free (1:54.68) and was a member of the winning 400 free relay (3:29.59).

The group of Abby Fuller (Charlottesville, Va.), Caitlyn Hughes (Flemington, N.J.), Katie Chignell (Raleigh, N.C.), and Lauren Medlin (Cary, N.C.) grabbed the win in the 400 freestyle relay (3:29.59).

The group of Katelyn Pennell (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Sara Greene (Tega Cay, S.C.), Abby Fuller (Charlottesville, Va.), and Lauren Medlin (Cary, N.C.) took second place in the 200 medley relay (1:45.52).

Katelyn Pennell (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Caroline Weldon (Denville, N.J.) both participated in the 100 backstroke and the 200 backstroke. Pennell took second place in both events (57.21 in the 100 and 2:03.17 in the 200) as Weldon took third in both (57.95 in the 100 and 2:04.81 in the 200).

Katie Chignell (Raleigh, N.C.) took an impressive second place finish in the 500 freestyle to finish her day off (5:08.01).

Up next, the Spiders head to Annapolis, Md. to take on Navy.

Tiffany Johannes moved to the Charlotte region two dozen years ago. Johannes lives in Union County, North Carolina, and works in Ballantyne. But Johannes has a new home planned for Lake Wylie.

So Johannes is a commuter who’s living what she’s preaching.

Johannes leads not only the RE/MAX Executive: Ballantyne office but is general manager for 18 offices across the Carolinas. Johannes also is president of the Canopy Realtor Association that supports and analyzes more than 40 real estate markets in the Charlotte and Carolinas regions.

Almost daily, Johannes and her team get questions from prospective buyers on the pros and cons of a bi-state region that’s grown like wildfire for more than a decade.

“Often times people want to know how they compare to other areas,” Johannes said.

So what’s the difference between Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Indian Land, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie?

How do they compare to Steele Creek, Belmont, Waxhaw or Weddington on the North Carolina side?

It’s what those areas have in common that keeps many of them among the highest-growth residential spots in the region for a decade or more.

“Still affordability compared to Uptown or closer to the center city of Charlotte,” Johannes said. “And schools have been another great piece.”

Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Lake Wylie and Clover have some of the highest-rated schools in South Carolina. Indian Land has a brand new high school and several other recent school additions.

Another draw as buyers look out toward Rock Hill, Clover, Union County, Monroe or Waxhaw is increased acreage. Johannes said many buyers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Florida look here expecting to find as much or more than the two or three acres they had before they left. This region also has lots — literally — of options for new construction.

Johannes first asks a potential buyer what he or she needs in a home. The second question involves commute time. As the region grows, traffic can become difficult to navigate. Buyers often opt for cities or towns based on their daily drives. Johannes has a program that projects actual commute times between spots in the region and Charlotte, down to the day and time buyers might most often travel.

“We want to give them realistic projections of what to expect,” Johannes said.

The south Charlotte region offers urban to rural options, homes near the interstate or homes on Lake Wylie. Once buyers narrow on the region, honing begins on communities.

Locally, owners and buyers know how hot real estate is on both sides of the state line. The difference, Johannes said, is the potential buyer from from several states away who comes to Charlotte for work and starts searching online.

“Most of the time South Carolina is not on their radar until a Realtor brings it up,” Johannes said.

Many of those out-of-state clients who hadn’t thought of South Carolina, Johannes said, end up moving there. Lake living in Tega Cay or Lake Wylie is a draw. The Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill is a way for buyers to live on smaller lots, but have access to nature.

South Carolina also has a track record. This part of the state has grown so much in recent years, it’s easy for a buyer from Pittsburgh or New York or Chicago to find fellow transplants already living just south of the state line. Johannes said some people find a hometown feel and camaraderie in South Carolina, even when they’d never before been there.

“It also provides for a sense of community,” Johannes said.

There are dollars and cents differences that show up at the state line.

“The difference between the states in particular,” Johannes said, “are the tax structures.”

Differences like how seniors are taxed in the two states than can be important for some buyers. South Carolina tax law makes buying and living in a home more affordable compared to North Carolina, but the resulting shift toward business tax can make investment property purchases more expensive than in North Carolina.

Other variables involve preference. Politically, South Carolina runs red. North Carolina shades purple, sometimes blue. Agents don’t get into that level of politics with buyers but Johannes said some buyers do their own research and pick a state that aligns with their politics.

“That definitely has come up,” Johannes said. “It doesn’t come up as much right now.”

Culture and laws brought on by politics can differ. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, South Carolina often was more likely to reopen businesses or drop mask mandates at the state level than North Carolina was. South Carolina has long been known for fireworks and cheaper gas, also based on differing state laws.

“Sometimes it can come down to regulations and rules and taxation beyond property rights,” Johannes said.

Real estate licenses don’t come with crystal balls. Yet, Johannes looks into 2023 with confidence in the real estate market. Because job creation and job market figures are so strong in South Carolina, and the Charlotte market overall, people will relocate here. So even recession isn’t necessarily bad for the housing industry.

“New companies are coming every day to our community,” Johannes said.

Interest rates are higher than they were in recent years, but the past two years the Charlotte region saw record numbers of home sales with multiple offers and people paying above asking price. Even if interest rates are a couple points higher than they were, a market stabilization could help buyers.

“You save money at 6.5% compared to overpaying in previous years, and bringing cash to the table,” Johannes said. “You keep more cash in your pocket.”

Rates are already lower than they were at peak time last year, Johannes said, and could tick down again this year. Even if they don’t, Johannes doesn’t expect to see a federal uptick spike the rates new homeowners would pay.

“The mortgage industry has really already figured that in, so I don’t think we’re going to see parallel rate hikes for home mortgages,” Johannes said.

Johannes said there are more first-time home buyers asking Realtors for strategies to make a deal happen. There’s optimism for sellers. Johannes points to a regional study that showed the typical area homeowner gained 54% equity in the home from January 2020 to July 2022. Last quarter 28% of buyers were investors and 25% first-time home buyers. Johannes expects the trend to shift somewhat toward more first-time buyers this year.

This story was originally published January 26, 2023, 8:19 AM.

It’s been more than 15 years in the making, but now Catawba Park is ready for generations to come.

The 62-acre park in Tega Cay with brand new baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, playground and outdoor gathering space has its ribbon cutting Thursday morning. In recent weeks the city began rec league play there. Mayor Chris Gray said Monday night when Tega Cay City Council met that the city has always wanted a park the size of Catawba Park, and Thursday morning would be a joyous occasion.

“Just getting feedback from everyone, everyone is enjoying playing out there and it is a fantastic facility that we all should be proud of,” Gray said.

For anyone who can’t make the grand opening on Thursday, and even larger event looms.

“Catawba Fest, formerly our Fall Festival, will be our first big-scale event at Catawba Park,” said city manager Charlie Funderburk.

The Oct. 29 event will run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The city expects a crowd. A typical fall festival might have 75 vendors. This year there are about twice that many. The city has overflow parking plans at the Gold Hill Middle School lot.

“We’ll have shuttles running throughout the entire event,” Funderburk said.

City officials say the impact at Catawba Park is vast, for families throughout the area.

“This gives us much more space to be able to get them on baseball fields, softball fields, and then soccer as well,” said Dustin Overton, city parks and recreation director. “It’s a game changer for the city.”

This fall, Tega Cay has more than 2,000 participants in its youth sports program. That number has grown steadily in recent years. The city has more than twice as many people as it did two decades ago, the last time a large active sports park opened.

“We haven’t had new facilities since Turner Field was built,” Overton said. “This creates a massive opportunity for our recreation program just to have more field space, to allow us to expand to more teams, and then also have community events.”

The new space also allows for new sports trends that may come. Several years back, for instance, Tega Cay dropped tackle football and saw flag football surge. Catawba Park has space for whatever may come next.

“This facility really gives us a chance to really expand on the things that we do, and make them better than they were before,” Overton said.

Tega Cay families who use Catawba Park fields for recreation, or travel programs that schedule weekend play there starting in the spring, should have more dependable scheduling at Catawba Park compared to other venues. The soccer or multipurpose fields are entirely artificial turf. The baseball or softball fields have artificial infields.

Grass maintenance and time treating, dragging and lining fields after rain aren’t nearly the concern they would be on all natural fields.

“It’s a massive difference,” Overton said. “With this turf it’s supposed to drain within 10, 20 minutes of rain. And you can literally brush off any standing water, and you can play again.”

In Tega Cay, there’s often a pull between the historic peninsula area where the city started and the expanded area along Stonecrest Boulevard, Hubert Graham Way, toward Windhaven or other areas where it’s grown since. Catawba Park is big enough, and central enough, to serve all of the city.

“It’s a balance, because we do have our older parks in historic Tega Cay,” Overton said. “Runde and Turner Field, which we still plan to use whether it’s our concerts or recreation program, events, things like that. But this gives us just another opportunity to expand, to encompass a little bit of everything.”

As its name suggests, Catawba Park has connection to the Catawba River. An aerial view of the park show the river just below the dam, just south of Lake Wylie. Passive recreation areas — non-sports — will come closer to the water.

“That’s a future phase,” Overton said. “That will be in addition to where our river access is. The plans are to expand that with some more trails, some more passive recreation, picnic shelters, things like that.”

The ribbon cutting at Catawba Park is at 9 a.m. Thursday, at 2351 New Gray Rock Road in Tega Cay. Catawba Fest will be held there 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 29. For more information, visit tegacaysc.org.

When Game On didn’t happen, it left an uncertain future and a huge chunk of property. And that opened up an opportunity for Tega Cay and developers to create something the city hadn’t had.

The proposed Game On sports facility required annexation of property between Stonecrest Boulevard and Dam Road. The proposed $40-$50 million development with pools, a theater, hotel, parking garage, fitness center, basketball courts, tennis and sports fields would combine for about 78 acres.

By late 2020 conversations between the city and Game On Development of Mooresville, N.C., made it clear the sports project wouldn’t happen. Some townhomes, envisioned in Game On plans, already had been built.

The Game On project dates back half a dozen years. Yet it was the man elected mayor last fall who brought a new idea for what the former Game On site could be. It’s a vision Tega Cay City Council can set in motion Monday night if they finalize new development standards for the property.

City manager Charlie Funderburk said the original developers worked with the city once the sports plan failed. A new development group led by Kinger Homes and Charlotte Living Realty approached the city, and were connected with the initial developers.

Meanwhile, Mayor Chris Gray developed his own idea for what Tega Cay needed.

“What I envisioned for Tega Cay was a Main Street,” Gray said. “We do not have a Main Street in Tega Cay.”

Tega Cay formed as, and grew from, a lakefront community. Unlike other area cities and towns that popped up generations ago as railroad stops and started with a Main Street, Tega Cay became a city in 1982. The gated community on Lake Wylie that first formed Tega Cay dates back to 1970.

Tega Cay Drive runs the spine of the main peninsula in Tega Cay, but it’s mostly a collector road to serve homes, parks, golf and other sites.

The city proposed something new with the incoming development group -- with a new road connecting Dam and Stonecrest to combine residences and businesses.

“They jumped on that idea,” Funderburk said. “Loved it. So now you’ve got instead of things being centered around a private recreation facility, it’s now centered around more of a Main Street feel.”

Tega Cay City Council will vote Monday night whether to finalize new development plans. If approved, construction could begin in early 2023.

Plans now put that new, unnamed road near the athletic bus entrance at Gold Hill Middle School. Apartments, which Gray said council wouldn’t push for but were approved in prior agreements, would be on top of commercial space. The former Game On property would have at least 100,000 square feet of commercial space, and could have up to seven times that amount.

“Personally, I think it’s going to be the best thing in Tega Cay in a long time,” Gray said.

Gray and Funderburk say the scale is different, but they agree on comparisons for what Tega Cay would get.

“To a certain extent you’re going to get that Baxter, Market Street feel on parts of it,” Funderburk said. “You’re going to get some Kingsley feel from it. Just not maybe that large of a scale.”

Previous Game On plans allowed 250 apartments. New plans reduce that number to 225 live-work units, above commercial and retail space. Overall, the number of new residences increases from up to 410 with Game On to 524 in the new plan. Up to 80 single-family homes would be allowed, something Game On didn’t have. The number of townhomes allowed also is increased.

The thinking behind the additional residences is, they should better fit with a project that connects polar parts of the city and puts the residential areas near businesses.

“It’s walkable residential to support that commercial,” Funderburk said.

The new plan would have a three- to five-year buildout. All three phases would include commercial parts, so homes couldn’t be built and the project left without businesses. The anticipated overall economic impact is $219 million, Funderburk said.

“It brings much, much needed commercial space and tax base to the city,” he said.

Even without Game On, Tega Cay intends to open a sports site unlike any before in the city.

The idea for Catawba Park dates back to 2005. The reality of it will open this fall.

“Catawba Park is going to be a regional destination,” Gray said.

More than 60 acres on the banks of the Catawba River will have baseball or softball fields, multipurpose fields, an amphitheater, playgrounds and a large gathering space for community events. The park will serve city recreation programs and attract outside teams for tournaments.

“We see it as being a catalyst just like Cherry Park was, just like Manchester (Meadows) was,” Funderburk said. “Two phenomenal facilities that Rock Hill has put together.”

Catawba Park has been a massive, ongoing effort that’s spanned several mayors and councils in Tega Cay. The success of other regional sites has been helpful in maintaining momentum.

“I grew up in Rock Hill,” Funderburk said. “I know what Cherry Road looked like before Cherry Park. I remember the battles that people waged over whether that park should be built or not. But it definitely spurred economic growth in Rock Hill. Manchester completely changed Dave Lyle Boulevard. We see Catawba Park as being a huge catalyst for us.”

Gray sees Catawba Park as part of a larger city vision to live, buy, play and stay in the same community. A hotel and restaurants that would support weekend tournament guests also could serve family members who visit city residents. The Main Street concept and Catawba Park should complement one another, Gray said.

”We’ve got a lot to offer in Tega Cay,” he said, “and we just want to showcase that.”

Former Mayor George Sheppard said he’s heard talk around the city but hasn’t seen the latest development plans. He isn’t plugged into the political scene, so he doesn’t have much to say on whether the new plan is an improvement or downgrade from the original Game On proposal.

“I left,” said Sheppard, who was mayor when Game On first approached the city. “I served my eight years.

”Ultimately history will tell us what was the right thing and what was the wrong thing.”

Commercial development for years has been a stated goal in Tega Cay. There are more residences allowed in the new plan, but also commercial pieces that could grow. Former Mayor David O’Neal remains steadfast in decisions that were made related to Game On.

“The city council felt that we didn’t have to give away the city to get commercial development we desired,” O’Neal said. “I’m glad we stuck with that.”

O’Neal hopes that focus will continue.

“I hope the city remains dedicated to commercial development over residential,” he said.

Gray expects an influx of local businesses. Because residences are on top of businesses and it’s written in development documents that commercial and residential construction will come in tandem, Gray isn’t concerned a developer will build only houses and then leave.

“If they didn’t build the commercial, they couldn’t have the apartments,” Gray said.

Dam Road will be widened, and the new street — Main Street in feel, but not necessarily in name — will join parts of the city that now require a longer drive in heavy traffic. Much in the way the opening of Hubert Graham Way did.

“We don’t want to have to go outside of Tega Cay to get to the other side of Tega Cay,” Gray said.

The biggest public concern to date, as it is with many area development projects, is traffic.

“Dam Road isn’t going to be a little country road anymore,” Funderburk said.

Funderburk came to Tega Cay in 2001 from Rock Hill, at a time when two-lane roads in the area didn’t have a bank or places to eat. A career in city management and conversations with developers from all over drive home the same point. Incoming businesses must have the homes.

“They put a pin on the map and they draw a circle, and if there’s not enough rooftops within that circle, they don’t come,” Funderburk said. “It’s just that simple.”

Funderburk understands people hate sitting in traffic. What Tega Cay may get, even if it isn’t the redefining sports site once promised, is a new community worth the wait.

This story was originally published May 16, 2022, 6:00 AM.