Plumbers in Johns Island, SC

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County School District staff ensure the opening of upgraded baseball fields for St. Johns High School baseball and softball players is “on schedule,” after concern from families over winter weather delays and turning over the turf in time.

Newly upgraded baseball fields at Johns Island Park are set to be the new dugout for St. Johns High School athletes. The upgrades include new grass, fences, lighting, scoreboards and batting cages costing around $4.8 million. The project has seen a long list of delays nearing the year-and-a-half mark.

Parents say baseball and softball are a hotspot on Johns Island, with more than 600 kids involved in Little League programs, yet a majority of its student athletes travel to other areas for the sport. They believe the problem is a lack of resources.

“We want it to be done. I want it all, I’m sorry. I don’t want halfway anymore. They tell us they want to give us an equitable solution, equitable fields. On par with what we’re seeing elsewhere at other schools. We’re just not seeing that,” parent Lindsay Jackson says.

Shelton’s son is a senior at St. Johns High School, among many who are hoping to play college baseball.

" The goalpost is continuing to be moved. We’ve never had a good, every deadline or timeline we’ve been given has fallen through, it’s been broken, it’s inadequate. Everything in this process along the way has been completely inadequate and our kids deserve more. They put in the work, the effort, they deserve a lot more," parent Jeremy Shelton says.

In Monday’s board of trustees meeting, the district pointed to snow and ice from last week’s storm, prompting challenges for construction crews. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Borowy mentioned the weather placed workers out of a week’s worth of work.

“We have fielded questions from constituents, from board members, about that. We have ensured we’ve prioritized a practice space and we are scheduled to open on time, although last week’s weather episode with the ice made it challenging,” Superintendent Anita Huggins says.

Borowy intends to keep the opening date, set for the beginning of February, despite those delays. Borowy also mentioned collaboration with the City of Charleston, who owns Johns Island Park, added a step to the process.

“We feel very confident that the best has been done with that field to minimize the impact on St. Johns High School and as the superintendent pointed out, have it ready for the upcoming season this spring,” Borowy says. “That project, from a construction perspective, will end up taking 10 months. 10 months for a construction project is pretty incredible. We’ve had other teams that have lost an entire season because of the construction process.”

Since August 2023, Live5News has published three articles surrounding the completion of the fields, not including this one:

In 2023, those delays were prompted by reallocating the funding to other “priority projects.”

In the meantime, players have been using rectangular fields on campus, formerly tennis courts, or traveling to different parks, fields or facilities.

“How are they going to provide what they promised? Not really for us, but our kids. They’re the ones getting affected most by it,” parent Jothem Jayne says.

“This is the best way to get parents to keep kids on the island. 50% of the kids living on the island at high school age leave and go to other high schools. I wonder why. We don’t have a baseball field and we haven’t had one since 1923,” parent Karen Tetrev says.

The team is asking for a defined completion date and full commitment to the completion. If the district is unable to provide the requested information, parents are asking for help with transportation to alternate parks, practice fields or facilities.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

If you’re looking to experience a different side of quintessential Charleston, consider visiting the Johns Island area for the day to spend time surrounded by nature and reset as the new year begins.

Johns Island, the largest island in South Carolina, rests between Charleston and the Kiawah and Seabrook island communities. The area evokes a rural, off-the-beaten-path feel that’s ideal for outdoorsy folks, but it’s also got a few artsy hidden gems, including a community Art Walk.

Here are some spots to check out in the John’s Island area:

Music and visual art

Freshfields Village stands at the crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns islands and hosts family oriented, pet-friendly community events throughout the year. This year the annual Art Walk takes place from 4-7 p.m. on Feb. 14, gathering art lovers and artists together for an evening of live art and live music. Attendees can see live art demonstrations, view works from local and visiting artists and browse the surrounding art shops.

There are a variety of free outdoor concerts coming up on the village green, including Blues by the Sea, which takes place 3-7 p.m. April 13 featuring blues bands from Mississippi, Florida and Houston, and Spring Music on the Green, which takes place 6-9 p.m. April 18 and features a four-piece party band.

Fun fact: One of the oldest independent bookstores in the Charleston area, Indigo Books, is tucked away in Freshfields Village.

Brewery and coffee roastery Estuary Beans & Barley is laid back and pet-friendly, with regular food trucks and live music from Charleston artists. For those who enjoy dancing, there’s the Swing n’ Brew event taking place 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Starting Feb. 2, the Sunday Sessions are back from 3-6 p.m. featuring music, poetry and comedy.

With high season about to kick back in, a handful of other hangouts on Johns Island will regularly host local live music including Tattooed Moose, Seanachai Whiskey and Cocktail Bar and Low Tide Brewing. Check out their social media pages to stay updated.

Nature

The iconic, ethereal Angel Oak Park should be at the top of any nature lovers list. The Angel Oak, which is 400-500 years old and known as the “Lowcountry Treasure,” stands at 65 feet high. It’s a holistic experience to stand beneath this ancient tree that has withstood centuries.

Johns Island County Park has beautiful walking trails as well as a disc golf course and a six-target archery range course. With the Mullet Hall Equestrian Center on site, it’s not unusual to see people riding horses, too. When the weather warms, Toast Under the Oaks live music series starts back up from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 6 and April 3.

Stono River County Park off of Main Road also has gorgeous walking trails with views of the marshland along the Stono River. This park is also the trailhead for the West Ashley Greenway.

While Folly Beach is the go-to, for those looking for an alternative beach-day experience when the weather warms up, it could be fun to post up at Kiawah Beachwalker Park before checking out a new place on Johns Island before heading back home.

|Updated: Jan. 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM EST

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach on Johns Island is making sure adults know it is never too late to further their education with their GED program.

The South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office estimates over 315,000 adults in the state between 18 and 65 have less than a high school diploma from 2018 to 2022. Charleston County alone tallies just over 18,000 in those numbers.

Adults 21 and older can sign up on the first day of the organization’s 14-week GED program starting Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon.

The second day of registration takes place Jan. 21. Leaders say it is required for interested students to participate during the entire session to register. Registration will take place at the Johns Island branch at 1684 Brownswood Road.

Education Coordinator for Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach, Lara Vo, says parents and older adults typically join the course. The education coordinator says older adults want to qualify for jobs with less physical labor. Vo says she finds the push for higher education inspiring.

“That self-determination and that empowerment within themselves to reach this goal because they feel like they deserve it, is something that I think is really inspiring and fairly common with a lot of our students,” Vo says. “We also have a lot of folks that are trying to get it because they want to improve their lifestyles.”

The organization partners with Charleston County School District’s Adult Education program. The program pays for testing fees for students which can run between $150 to $174 dollars in total depending on in-person or online testing.

Students also receive help through the organization’s career services.

“Once you get your GED, if you want, or even before you get your GED, we can meet with you and talk to you about resumes, interviews, things that you can do right now to improve your life if it’s coming for a job,” Vo says.

Other requirements for class registration include being 250% below the federal poverty line. The annual income for a family of four in this range is $78,000.

Leaders with the organization’s education outreach center have other programs available to the younger community. Volunteers participate in an after school academic support program in partnership with Angel Oak Elementary school. The program uses mentors to support 16 children from second to fifth grade on homework help and behavioral help.

Information on getting involved with the organization is on their website.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.