Plumbers in James Island, SC

Charleston’s Neighborhood Dining Group is living up to its name with its newest restaurant concept.

Set to open this summer in the 1939-A Maybank Highway space previously occupied by Zia Taqueria, The James will be an “all-American grill” serving a range of options at various price points. The James will feel comfortable yet clubby and stylish, Neighborhood Dining Group President David Howard said.

The type of place one might visit for a quality hamburger on a Tuesday night and a prime rib on the weekend.

“It just intrigued me as an opportunity,” said Howard of the 4,600-square-foot James Island property. “It’s a concept that I’m comfortable with.”

Howard likened the The James’ approachable neighborhood offering to that of his first restaurant, Chicago’s Steak and Seafood, which he opened in Roswell, Ga. in 1991. He believes The James will provide another dining option for James Island residents who do not want to venture downtown.

The Maybank Highway-bookmarked Riverland Terrace neighborhood is undergoing a dining renaissance, one that Howard says his group is excited to join. In the last three years, the area has lured downtown Charleston restaurateurs to James Island, including the owners of Bar George, Millers All Day and Huriyali.

Millers All Day’s Terrace Plaza space opened up after Zia Taqueria moved across the street to the 1939-A Maybank Highway building The James will soon call home. Formerly occupied by Athens Restaurant, the space was twice the size of Zia’s original.

Zia Taqueria lasted 12 years in the Terrace Plaza and just two across the street, though the owners pointed to the reasons for closing the restaurant and divesting the business as wanting to retire and take some time for themselves.

The Neighborhood Dining Group — a six-restaurant group that is best known for Husk — will open The James just over a year after its Mexican inspired restaurant Minero relocated from downtown Charleston to Johns Island. Minero’s new compound is a far cry from the tight quarters it occupied from 2014 to 2020, a venue that required patrons to walk up steep stairs to a small, albeit cozy, dining room. Now, it takes just a couple of steps for the up to 175 people that Minero can seat indoors and out to order the dishes and drinks that gained a following during its downtown days.

The James’ large footprint shares many of the same qualities as Minero’s, including ample parking in the front and back of the space. Howard was not ready to commit to a seat count, but there will be plenty of space for patrons to spread out at The James. Zia Taqueria operated with 130 seats inside and another 40 on its patio.

The Neighborhood Dining Group’s main focus right now is renovating the dining room and bar, which will serve beer, wine and traditional cocktails. Mark Keiser, who previously worked at The Dewberry and Oak Steakhouse, will lead the kitchen at The James, offering fresh fish, steaks, salads, burgers, healthy options and a children’s menu.

Once open and fully staffed, The James will accept reservations and serve customers for dinner seven days a week, with lunch available Wednesday through Sunday.

For more information, visit thejameschs.com or follow on Instagram @thejameschs.

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A new traffic light on Johns Island has caused a stir for people who live and drive through the area.

The light, located at Maybank Highway and Fenwick Hall Allee, was installed Tuesday. After just one day, officials with the City of Charleston have received calls from people who drive through the area frustrated that traffic on Maybank Highway has gotten even worse.

“They’ve been steady coming from us. As well, they’ve been going to the DOT, and Charleston County as well,” Robert Somerville, director of the City of Charleston’s department of traffic and transportation said. “We are aware and we’re working on it. We just ask for your patience and we will get it figured out.”

This signal was part of the Northern Pitchfork project. Somerville said with concerns about safety involving drivers exiting out of Fenwick Hall Allee they decided to install a temporary signal before the mast arms were ready to be completed.

Since activating the signal Tuesday, Somerville said they found there is a problem within the corridor that affects the timing from Headquarters Plantation to River Road. They’ve had technicians from the city and DOT at the location to try to get the issue figured out.

“This is a safety project,” Somerville said. “We’ve had numerous accidents at that intersection so I believe this signal will be the best thing for Maybank Highway and Fenwick Allee in the long run.”

For Dan Kinne, who lives near the traffic light, the new signal is allowing him to breathe a little easier.

“You used to take your life in your hands when you were coming out of there and turning left onto Maybank or coming home on Maybank turning left onto Fenwick Hall,” Kinne said. “I’m lucky we never got hit.”

People have taken to social media to complain about an increase in traffic on Maybank Highway.

Katelyn Robinson commutes to Johns Island every day to take her daughter to school. She said it takes her 10 minutes to take her daughter to school, but an hour to get home.

“It’s affecting everybody’s sanity and their drive to work in the morning,” Robinson said. “They have a livelihood they have to keep up, they have jobs they have to get to, kids they have to drop off, things they have to do in the morning.”

Somerville said the permanent signal will be ready to be installed in about a year. For now, he is asking for patience.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

The town of James Island will be taking some extra steps to protect its trees.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The town of James Island will be taking some extra steps to protect its trees.

The James Island Town Council unanimously voted to enact the Camp Road Grand Trees Preservation Project on Thursday.

The project aims to care for and protect grand oak trees along a portion of Camp Road between Dills Bluff and Fort Johnson.

James Island Councilmember and head of the town’s Tree Advisory Council Garrett Milliken said the purpose of the project is to set a precedent for how to take care of trees on James Island.

Milliken said many of the trees in this area along Camp Road are over 100 years old and in need of pruning and vine removal to help improve their overall health.

“It’s about identifying trees that need help, and providing the resources to help them,” Milliken said.

He said the project also prevents the removal of any grand tree unless at least two arborists confirm that they are in poor health.

According to the town’s council agenda, if it is determined that any grand tree in the area should need to be removed, the town administrator has to bring the request to the council for discussion before contacting anyone to begin the removal process.

“Those that are in poor health, we’ll make sure that if they are a safety hazard, that they are removed,” Milliken said. “But only after we get confirmation from more than one arborist that they are in poor health.”

He said trees play a vital role in James Island’s ecosystem and help combat flooding by sucking up standing water.

Mary Fraser, a James Island Resident, said she is no stranger to adversity when it comes to the fight to protect grand oak trees. She said she and others have fought to protect grand oaks on James Island for years and are optimistic that the Camp Road Grand Trees Preservation Project will help prevent the loss of grand oaks in the community.

“I’m so proud of my community,” Fraser said. “They’re really good at getting together on anything that matters. That’s the joy of living in the South on James Island. People really care. They really care.”

James Island Mayor Bill Woolsey said it is always a good thing to take care of trees on the island.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

As the two-time defending Class AAAA state champion, the James Island girls soccer team fully expects to be a contender for a third straight championship.

But, as coach Kimberly Cohn and her 2023 team is finding out, the road to a three-peat is not an easy trek.

Beset with several key injuries, and losing a player for part of the season to international competition, Cohn is forced to change formations of her starting lineup while trying to remain competitive.

The Trojans remain a viable state title contender with a 6-3-2 record as the season enters the final month of regular season play. The losses have come to formidable opponents (Wando, Oceanside Collegiate and Bluffton).

“The girls have shown some serious grit this season, and with some key players coming back from injury after spring break, I think that we should be able to make a strong run to a third straight state championship,” Cohn says.

Getting through the regular season will not be easy as Region 7-AAAA is very difficult.

“Region & is, in my opinion, the hardest region in AAAA,” Cohn says. “Last year, three out of the four teams that made it into playoffs, made it to the Lower State semi-finals. We are fortunate to be able to face some really great competition throughout the season, and this really prepares us for when we get into playoffs.”

Cohn says she puts a different lineup on the field in virtually every game.

Regular starters Olyvia Briggs (senior captain), Hayden Rape and Ellie Davis, all outside backs, are currently on the sidelines with injuries. All three were key performers in last year’s title run. Rape, a senior and an Appalachian State commit, has missed the entire season but is hopeful to return after spring break.

Junior Marley Walker, a key defender, is missing games as she participates with the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the upcoming CONCACAF Cup. She should be back in the States in time for the state playoff run.

Juniors Alexis Spivey (six goals, six assists) and Gabby Redman (six goals, four assists) continue to set the pace offensively.

OCA, Pinewood in national rankings

Two Charleston-area high school soccer programs are receiving national attention by MaxPreps.com.

The Oceanside Collegiate boys team, currently undefeated, was ranked as No. 1 team in the country in the website’s most recent national rankings.

The MaxPreps rankings are based strictly on results. The more a team wins, the higher the ranking. The system also takes into account quality wins against other highly ranked opponents as well as strength of schedule.

The Landsharks took over the No. 1 spot in the rankings after last week’s No. 1, Chapin High, dropped a 2-1 decision at River Bluff last Saturday. Chapin (10-2) plays in Class AAAAA.

In addition to holding down the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps rankings, the Landsharks currently sit at No. 22 in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches poll. That poll has Oceanside ranked third among state schools with Ashley Ridge sitting in the No. 2 spot with an 13-0 record. Ashley Ridge is ranked fifth nationally by MaxPreps.

In girls soccer, Pinewood Prep is ranked No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in South Carolina by MaxPreps. Pinewood Prep is 12-0 this season, outscoring its opponents, 78-4, as the team seeks a third straight SCISA state championship.

Stratford’s McNeil steps down

Stratford girls basketball coach Kelly McNeil stepped down from her position earlier this week.

McNeil guided the Knights to their best season in school history, reaching the Class AAAAA state finals before losing to Mauldin. The Knights finished with a 25-5 record.

McNeil orchestrated one of the more impressive turnarounds in the state over the last several seasons. From 2017-18 through the 2020-21 season, McNeil and the Knights won just nine of 70 games. However, the last two seasons produced a 44-14 record and the school’s first Lower State championship.

A reason for her resignation was not immediately known.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston City leaders provided some insight on a flood-prone neighborhood on James Island that saw an excess of water after Hurricane Ian.

News 2 first introduced viewers to Michael Miller and his wife on Friday when Hurricane Ian flooded their home and others on Shoreham Road.

According to Miller, it took about five to six hours for the water to drain on the street and about three hours for it to recede inside his home.

“We just started getting as much of the water and as much of the dirt out as we could. Putting up fans, scrubbing down everything. Trying to assess the damage,” said Miller.

According to Charleston City leaders, Shoreham Road is known to flood because it sits in a low-lying area.

“It’s a neighborhood where when that water falls on the streets and on the roofs and on the properties it’s hard to move it out very quickly especially if we get higher tides,” explained Matthew Fountain, the Director of Stormwater Management for the City of Charleston.

There are a few projects in the works to help prevent flooding in the neighborhood. Fountain said one includes a rain garden that is set to be built at the site of a former flood-prone home the city acquired through federal grants.

He said the other small project consists of constructing a drainage swale system to help store more water in the neighborhood. While these projects can help with a typical thunderstorm/rain event, Fountain said it will take more to prevent flooding in a major storm like Ian.

“That neighborhood is going to experience flooding. That’s part of the reason we’ve looked at home acquisitions and demolition in that location giving people the opportunity if they have a heavily flooded home to have the city work with the federal government and eventually buy their homes,” explained Fountain.

Meanwhile, drainage projects on other parts of James Island seem to be showing signs of improvement. News 2 met with Charleston County Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt at the Charleston Municipal Golf Course where drainage improvements are underway.

She said Hurricane Ian was one of the first big storms to hit the area since rolling out the projects. Because of the work that was done over the last few years, Honeycutt said the water in the system was able to drain within one tide cycle, as opposed to sitting for days as it has in the past.

“One of the parts of the improvements that really helped was cleaning out the Stono River outfall and then back up the ditch system to the entire watershed, so that water could drain out faster. In conjunction, we also enhanced these ponds you see on the golf course to allow more water to stay in the system as the tides change,” explained Honeycutt.

According to city leaders, they monitor streets like Shoreham Road ahead of big storms, making sure the pipes aren’t clogged.