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“Whether it’s a hot August day or rainy, it’s a place families can go have fun inside,” Batkins said.

Woodlock is actively in talks with a number of potential tenants to round out the shopping center, including restaurants, coffee shops, apparel stores and pickleball venues that will further drive traffic.

As for structural updates, Batkins for now plans to paint the outparcels and revamp the parking lot to enhance its appeal. He anticipates the overall revitalization taking a few years.

“It’s very early on, but (Towne Centre) is what we’re striving for,” Batkins said, referring to Mount Pleasant's large outdoor mall. “When it’s done, it’s going to look very nice.”

Because Woodlock Capital’s updates are mainly aesthetic, the city halted potential plans to create a special tax district around the project that would have helped fund improvements.

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North Charleston representatives, including Mayor Reggie Burgess and strategic adviser Ron Brinson, contemplated the idea after meeting with potential buyers several months ago. Among them was Lowe, the developer that was once involved in the Union Pier Terminal project in downtown Charleston.

“The new buyer didn’t have any immediate plans other than to just wait and see and do some one-off-type renewals,” Brinson said. “So, a special taxing district at that point didn’t make sense.”

He noted that Burgess is still interested in a special taxing incentive for the Festival Centre area, depending on the plans.

“Time will tell,” Brinson said. “It’s an interesting location.”

That location is what’s spurred three tenants this year with a Spinx training office, iHeart CBD and Planet Fitness replacing the Gold's Gym. Other existing retailers include American Freight, Pizza Hut, Day and Night Golf and Neighborhood Tap House.

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As of Sept. 30, the master contract between the United States Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association expired, setting the stage for a work stoppage.

Today, Tuesdsay, Oct. 1, at 12:01 a.m., the ILA initiated a strike involving its 45,000 members for an increase in wages and decrease in inflated prices for maritime workers and customers throughout The Gulf and East Coast, the ILA said in a news release. Charleston ports are included as a part of the ILA contract.

“A sleeping giant is ready to roar on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, if a new Master Contract Agreement is not in place,” Harold Daggett, ILA president, said in the release. “My members have been preparing for over a year for that possibility of a strike.”

According to the ILA, the United States Martime Alliance Ltd., which is an alliance of container carriers, direct employers, and port associations serving the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S., has increased the shipping price for a full container from $6,000 to $18,000 to $24,000 and now $30,000 within the span of a few weeks.

“The Ocean Carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” the ILA said in a news release. “ILA longshore workers deserve to be compensated for the important work they do keeping American commerce moving and growing.”

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A news release from the South Carolina Ports Authority said it has been “focusing on measures to ensure optimum terminal performance” and received and delivered all import, export and empty containers through Sept. 30

Additionally, SC Ports said it will not be “responsible for any cargo loss in containers that remain on terminal during any such stoppage.”

The coming work stoppage threatens to significantly snarl the nation’s supply chain, the Associated Press reported. That’s because the strike by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association could cause 36 ports — which handle roughly half of the goods shipped into and out of the U.S. — to shutter operations. ILA confirmed over the weekend that its members would hit the picket lines at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

In response to the impending strike from the ILA, a news release from USMX stated: “USMX remains committed and prepared to resume negotiations with the ILA on a new Master Contract before the current agreement expires and to avoid a strike. The ILA continues to strongly signal it has already made the decision to call a strike and we hope the ILA will reopen dialogue and share its current contract demands so we can work together on a new deal, as we have done successfully for nearly 50 years.”

If drawn out, the strike would led would force businesses to pay shippers for delays and cause some goods to arrive late for peak holiday shopping season — potentially impacting delivery of anything from toys or artificial Christmas trees, to cars, coffee and vegetables, the Associated Press reported. Americans could also face higher prices as retailers feel the supply squeeze.

South Carolina Ports Authority declined further comment. The ILA is not doing one-on-one interviews with media at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Sept. 28, 2024) – After overcoming travel and logistical issues due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, the ETSU football team finally arrived safely in Charleston, S.C. early Saturday morning.

The Buccaneers will kick off their Southern Conference opener Saturday evening at 5 p.m. at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Below is a timeline of events from football's travel.

Friday, Sept. 27 10:30 a.m. – Team buses leave campus … With the Nolichucky River on the verge of flooding, the team was able to get through on I-26; however, 10 minutes later the road ended up closing and was washed out. Since turning around was not an option, the team continued driving towards Asheville.

11 a.m. – Thirty minutes into our drive the team received a report that I-40 was closed in both directions · Following that report, the team lost all cell phone reception and internet access, and were unable to get further updates · Our bus drivers dispatched calls and were notified that I-26 south was closed · From those reports, our buses got off the interstate in Fletcher, N.C. to try and take Spartanburg Highway – unfortunately, the roads were closed due to the flash-flooding · With nowhere to go, we parked in a lot off the interstate, but that began to flood · From there, we drove a half mile to higher ground and parked the buses for six hours with no information and no way out in either direction

6 p.m. – We still had no update due to cell towers being down. Our state trooper and coaches went to find food, and with mostly everything closed, they found an Ingles. The workers at Ingles were extremely helpful and provided us with a bunch of fresh food that they were going to be forced to throw away (free of charge). · We were able to drive to a shelter by the Asheville Airport, which was one mile away. Trying to get to higher ground, we found a spot to park the buses. · With the power out and hotels booked up, we parked and the team ate the food provided by Ingles.

8 p.m. – We got the team loaded back up on the buses and let everyone know that we were going to be sleeping on the bus for the night. Our state trooper and everyone in our travel party still has no contact with anyone.

9 p.m. – Coach Dell, Coach McClain and Coach Scelfo walk to a nearby gas station to use the restroom. From there, they hitch hike to a hotel to get phone service where they were able to get in touch with family members.

Saturday, Sept. 28 Midnight – Everyone is resting up and trying to get some sleep

1:30 a.m. – The driver who helped Coach Dell, Coach McClain, Coach Scelfo returns and knocks on the bus to wake us up. His exact words to us "26 South is open. You boys got a game to win!" · We got back on I-26 and got through water and trees to finally make it through Spartanburg, S.C. If it wasn't for Coach Dell, Coach McClain and Coach Scelfo, we would never have been given the update, and still may be sitting in North Carolina.

4:30 a.m. – We ordered Waffle House and had food waiting for the team as we arrived at our hotel in Charleston

8:30 a.m. – After communication with The Citadel and the SoCon, we decide on a 5 p.m. kickoff

For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.

Hurricane Helene threatened homes and lives throughout an unimaginably large triangle of the American South Thursday into Friday, from the southern tip of Florida, north to the South Carolina coast, and west to eastern Arkansas.

Why it matters: A direct hit for the Florida Gulf Coast. Potential hurricane-force winds in Atlanta. Tornado threats in Charleston, SC and Charlotte, NC. Historic rainfall and flooding for Asheville and other beloved Appalachian Mountain destinations. Flood watches through Nashville and all the way across the Mississippi River into Arkansas.

The latest: Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region at 11:10pm Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140mph.

Zoom out: The worst of the inland flooding, though, is forecast to occur even farther north, in the mountains where Georgia and Tennessee and North Carolina intersect, where some areas could see up to 15 inches of rain.

Flashback: The inland threats of Helene, particularly in Atlanta, had some forecasters using a loaded name as a comparison:

The bottom line: Every hurricane is a unique threat. Helene is one of the largest ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico, and it will move inland even faster than Hugo did, meaning its winds could carve a buzzsaw-like damage path through the forests and farmlands of Georgia and South Carolina, while unloading extraordinary rain upon the hills and rivers of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Editor's note: This breaking story was updated after Helene's landfall.

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