GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – Goose Creek could soon be home to… more chickens?

A new chicken ordinance in Goose Creek allows residents to have up to four chickens at their homes, but there are some rules you must follow.

“We’ve been trying to pass it for a while. It’s very contentious for reasonable reasons, and that is why our ordinance is so robust. It’s a four-page ordinance,” explained Goose Creek City Councilwoman Melissa Enos.

The ordinance allows homeowners to have up to four chickens, but no roosters, on their property. Renters can also have chickens with the landlord’s consent. Homeowners’ associations will still be allowed to ban chickens from neighborhoods. You must also have enough room in your yard for the chickens.

“You’re going to have to come down to the city and apply for a permit for $25, and the permit will have information on it that has the attached ordinance. You’ll have to have a coop, you have to have a chicken run- what the specifications of that is, your chicken food has to be in a rodent-proof container, all of those all of those sort of things. You can’t be able to see your chicken coop from your neighbor’s backyard, so you’ll either have to have a natural fence or a privacy fence. So, for all of those reasons you can’t have a rooster, you can’t have more than four chickens.”

The $25 permit will be an annual fee. Enos said that money will be used to help pay the code enforcement officers who will respond to complaints about chickens.

Some people have concerns about allowing chickens at all.

“One individual was saying he’s concerned about how it could increase rodents and snakes if your neighbor has one, what do you say to that,” we asked the city.

“Well, first of all, chickens are the closest thing to velociraptors- so they actually eat snakes. So, you’ll be okay with that. Responsible chicken owners have chicken mesh to keep them out of the coop and their food will be in rodent-proof containers,” Enos replied.

The ordinance is now in effect. Just head to city hall when they are open and apply.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - Christmas came early for a young man in Goose Creek but not before a couple of Grinches got in the way.

After realizing he dropped more than $1,700 in cash while riding his motorcycle down Highway 52 as he was headed to the store, 20-year-old Kyle Kons got to his destination Wednesday afternoon only to find his money missing. He retraced his steps to see several cars pulled over on the side of the highway - people were grabbing his cash and driving off.

“By the time I got there, the last car was pulling off,” Kons says. “I felt hopeless. I thought ‘I’ll never get this money back.’”

Kons says he had just bought a car with the cash and had put the leftover money in an envelope from the bank.

“I thought my front jacket pocket was zipped up all the way, but I guess not,” he says. “I thought I had felt something fall out and hit my leg, but I didn’t question it because nobody behind me was stopping.”

“My heart sunk. I felt like I was the laughingstock of the town,” Kons says. He says he moved to Goose Creek last year for his career in the Navy. He’s currently a Petty Officer.

In a Facebook post of his own in the group, Kons wrote, in part:

“I didn’t realize my money was gone until I arrived at Walmart, and by the time I got there, the last car was scooping up my money… I ask people to be decent human beings and return the money to the owner. I earned that money that you got for free.”

In addition to expressing his frustrations, Kons left his phone number on the post to see if anyone had extra work, so he could earn some money during the Christmas weekend.

He says he never would have thought the community would use his phone number to find his payment apps, like Venmo, CashApp and Zelle, and gift him his money back… and then some.

“I came home from work Thursday, and I had $300 in my account,” Kons says. “I was like ‘no way,’ and it was maybe five people total at the time sending money and saying ‘this sucks but have a great Christmas.’ I was so touched, like, oh my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Kons says most of the payments appeared to be coming from other military members in the area. The payments ranged from a couple of dollars to $250.

In total, Kons tells us he’s been sent over $2,000 through the payment apps, and he doesn’t want to get any more notifications or payments.

He spent Friday with his roommates, John VanTatenhove and Tyler Roton, picking up litter on Highway 52 where he lost his money as a way of giving back to the Goose Creek community.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Goose Creek unveiled an amphitheater in honor of S.C. Rep. Joe Daning in a surprise presentation Tuesday during his retirement celebration in Goose Creek.

Joseph Daning is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 92. He also was a Goose Creek City Council member for over 20 years and previous Goose Creek Mayor Pro Tempore.

Daning will retire from the S.C. House of Representatives in January 2023. Multiple former S.C. representatives, Mayor Gregory Habib, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and Daning’s family and friends attended the celebration.

All the speakers who gathered at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church spoke about Daning’s long-lasting legacy in the city, Statehouse and House of Representatives.

“He was such a great friend and a mentor and very loyal to the Lowcountry,” Nancy Mace, U.S. House of Representative, said. “It was an honor to see that the Joseph Daning amphitheater was unveiled today in Goose Creek and that’s exciting for the residents of Goose Creek too and I want to thank Mayor Habib for that effort.”

The Joseph S. Daning Amphitheater will be located at the Municipal Center Campus near the Recreation Complex and the lake behind City Hall. It plans to include an outside basketball court, a food truck area, restrooms and additional parking.

Crystal Reed, the recreation director for the City of Goose Creek, says some examples of events that will be held at the amphitheater are slam poetry, improv, concerts and movie nights.

“I think the goal of the amphitheater and the projects that we’re doing in the city of Goose Creek is to bring entertainment into our city so that residents don’t have to travel and create more traffic,” Reed said. “They can get good dining options and good entertainment here in the city of Goose Creek.”

Reed says this project will break ground in April 2023 and it should take about 18 months to complete.

When Mayor Habib introduced the new amphitheater, Daning began to cry in shock.

“I didn’t expect any of this and then the new that,” Daning said, pointing to the picture of the proposed amphitheater. “You know, my father came from the Philippines. I am first generation. I mean this is just unbelievable. You know, I never expected any of this.”

The total cost of the amphitheater will be about $4 million. Daning secured $1.5 million in state funding and the remainder will be paid by ARPA funds.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCIV) — A Goose Creek family may have lost their home, but they've found a community that cares.

Dustin Aleff was at work when his house caught fire, but his family was fast asleep. They were saved by their fire alarm. Once they woke up from the fire alarm going off, they ran out of the back of their house with their animals.

Read more: Several animals rescued from burning home in Goose Creek

The Aleffs are glad that no one was hurt and are grateful for the people who offered to help.

"All our neighbors have stopped by to help and most times I don’t really know what to tell them, but it’s pretty amazing and overwhelming all the help," Dustin said.

Friends and family - even strangers asking what they can do to help.

Dustin Aleff was at work when his house caught fire, but his family was fast asleep. They were saved by their fire alarm. (WCIV)

Dustin said, "A couple of restaurants in the area were reaching out and a couple of the schools. We do a lot with the athletic programs but having all them reach out and say hey anything we can do to help is overwhelming."

One local business is making it its mission to raise money.

Read more: Crews extinguish house fire in Goose Creek; no injuries reported

Caroline Elkins, a lead bartender at Sapphires in Goose Creek said, "You can do a monetary donation and I'm not sure what all they need, but go on social media and we'll definitely have a box here for people to drop off for whatever household items that are needed."

The Aleffs have a lot of work ahead of them, but they've quickly realized they are surrounded by a community that cares. Two of the Aleff kids wrestle for Stratford's youth wrestling team and the team is taking donations to help the family.

A GoFundMe was created by Dustin's sister that has already raised over $8,000.

-Fast casual concept celebrates Berkeley County grand opening Feb. 21 with free chicken salad for a year-

ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today its latest opening in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Located at 220 St. James Ave., this is the third Chicken Salad Chick for the Charleston area and the 13^th to open in the state. The new restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on Tuesday, Feb. 21 by offering free chicken salad for a year to the first 100 guests.

During grand opening week, Goose Creek guests can expect to experience the Southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for with specials and giveaways that include:

Chicken Salad Chick's South Carolina expansion is being led by Julie Beville and Michelle Singleton of Sing Bev Hospitality. These multi-unit franchise owners opened their first Chick in Greenville, South Carolina, in 2013 and have steadily grown to own and operate a total of 15 locations throughout the Carolinas, including the two other Charleston-area locations in Summerville and Mount Pleasant. A decade with the chicken salad brand has shown them a lot about the value their restaurants bring to their communities.

"Michelle and I always say one of our favorite parts of bringing the Chick to new neighborhoods is the opportunity to positively impact the lives of our guests," said Julie Beville, co-owner of Chicken Salad Chick Goose Creek. "We've gotten to know our fans here in the Lowcountry over the past several years, and we know they rely on us for fresh, made-from-scratch meals they can enjoy with friends and family in our dining room or on the go. They also appreciate the warm hospitality of our restaurant teams and the way we support local organizations. We can't wait to be their new go-to spot in Goose Creek."

Chicken Salad Chick in Goose Creek will be open Monday – Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.chickensaladchick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

For more information on giveaways and specials, visit https://www.facebook.com/ChickenSaladChickGooseCreekSC/

*Guests should start arriving at 7 a.m. to get checked in. The first 100 guests will be assigned a number and a designated return time between 10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Upon return, guests will make a purchase of "The Chick" or anything of greater value and enter a code on the Chicken Salad Chick app to officially secure your spot. If you are late, or miss the return time, your spot will be awarded to the next in-line. Guests will receive their first free Large Quick Chick electronically to your App the Monday following Grand Opening Day. **Must download the CSC App and be 16 years or older to purchase. Not valid with any other offers. Limit 1 reward per guest present.

About Chicken Salad Chick Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Founded in Auburn, Alabama, by Stacy and Kevin Brown, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 220 restaurants in 17 states. Today, under the leadership of Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the brand is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in the 2023 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious for the third consecutive year, Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers from 2018 to 2022, QSR's Best Franchise Deals in 2019, 2020 and 2022, and Franchise Business Review's Top Food Franchises in 2020. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

Contact:Nicole HunnicuttFish Consulting404-558-4108nhunnicutt@fish-consulting.com

SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick