CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The redistricting process for the city of Charleston is well underway, and Tuesday night the City Council and the public will review potential renderings for the new districts.

Some Johns Islanders are advocating for Johns Island to be all one district, and for the first time in Charleston’s history, there is a potential it could be.

Peter Rubino, a resident of Johns Island, says the original draft from the city split Johns Island into three districts.

Through email campaigns and spreading awareness, he and other advocates were able to get it down to two districts, and after tonight, hopefully, one.

“If you don’t speak up, then you’re not going to get what you need,” Rubino said.

He said having all of Johns Island in one district would give Johns Islanders a real say in their future, and true influence in city decisions.

He said he wants the person who represents Johns Island to live on Johns Island, with the hope that the shared experiences of the island will lead to more impactful decision making.

“We want someone who’s going to live here, and understands the issues, what the desires are of the people who live here and have to put up with the traffic and the growth and all of those things. Because if you don’t live here, you don’t see all those things that are going on,” Rubino said.

Tuesday night, he, along with other advocates, plan to attend the City Council Meeting to continue the fight for one district.

The city of Charleston’s Chief Innovation Officer Tracy Mckee said two scenarios will be presented tonight.

She said the first one prioritizes minimizing change, but splits Johns Island into two districts.

“In that scenario, Johns Island has two representatives, but each of those representatives also represent parts of West Ashley as well as James Island,” McKee said.

She said the second, which keeps Johns Island under one district, prioritizes compactness and communities of interest.

In that scenario, Johns Island has only one representative.

Regardless, Mckee says the City is doing its best to listen to the public and accommodate their desires.

“We have made a really good effort to get public opinion this time and bake that opinion into our plans as much as possible,” Mckee said.

As of now, Johns Island is a part of a larger district in West Ashley. Up until this redistricting, it did not have the population to be its own district.

Tuesday’s meeting is at 5 p.m. at the Charleston City Hall at 80 Broad Street. Rubino encourages those passionate about redistricting on Johns Island to sign up to speak.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A Facebook post got a lot of attention after making false claims about the Fort Johnson and May Forest renovation project.

The post, which was created on Friday, got over 400 comments from upset and confused residents. It was created by the group “Charleston Municipality,” they made claims that the project is about international shipping and passenger cruise ships. They said on Saturday in a statement that “the post was obviously very satirical.”

State Representative Spencer Wetmore says seeing the Facebook post and reactions from the public was heartbreaking.

“This is a project that we were really proud of,” Wetmore says. “I sort of understood the assignment here that people do not want to see a whole bunch of new development. People are concerned about flooding or concerned about traffic. To me, I certainly don’t want to see a bunch of houses and development there either. The people that made this post are obviously playing on people’s fears of that.”

The real Fort Johnson and May Forest renovation project started in March of 2022 and its goal is to tie together history, nature, research and environmental preservation.

The land on James Island is home to many different historical artifacts dating back to the late 1700′s. For the project to take place, a few old buildings will be torn down to make room for the renovations.

James Island Town Councilman Garrett Milliken says he worked hard to keep history and rising sea levels in mind during the planning process.

“While the public might have been restricted with access to these locations in the past, the future will actually invite the public to enjoy the rich history of this location that will be in concordance with the research mission of this area as well,” Milliken says. “Both things are going to happen simultaneously at this location. So, I think it’s a win, win for both perspectives, history and research.”

Currently, the area is home to research for the Department of Natural Resources, the College of Charleston and the Marine Research Institute. All of their work will continue to move forward at the location after renovations take place.

“It really is the jewel of James Island,” Milliken says. “It has so much history, so much ecological significance. And frankly, the views are spectacular.”

The project website contains detailed maps and plans of what the entire area of Fort Johnson and May Forest should look like in the future. Despite the drama surrounding the Facebook post, Wetmore hopes the community becomes more aware about the actual project taking place.

“I just hope people will get excited about the park,” she says. “I know this Facebook post is just, honestly, just a mean joke.”

The “Charleston Municipality” Facebook group released the following statement on the post:

The post regarding the James Island Global Gateway Terminal was obviously very satirical, as it was intended being that Charleston Municipality is a satirical Facebook page. The main goal behind the post was to bring awareness to the rampant overdevelopment of not only James Island, but the entire Lowcountry, largely at the hands of our local elected officials and review boards. The post angered so many people, and those people are ready to put up a fight against this project. We want the same collective passion from everyone for all the development that is ACTUALLY taking place all around us. This “huge” and impactful project easily got peoples attention, but everyone needs to pay attention to all the projects that take place, as they are directly and negatively impacting our daily lives, largely due to a seemingly lack of oversight and shady deals being given to developers on a daily basis. Everyone must stay vigilant, and fight to preserve what we have before we have no more.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Cane Bay High School’s football team didn’t win its last time beneath the lights, but did give the coaching staff plenty film to coach off of.

Cobras coach Russell Zehr believes that will help them get better as the season inches along. The 6-3 loss to West Ashley on Sept. 2 provided plenty lessons to learn.

“First, West Ashley’s defense is really good,” Zehr said. “They run a 3-3 stack, which nobody runs. It’s different trying to prep for and they’ve got some athletes that if you don’t block them, they’re going to make the tackle.”

Cane Bay, which was coming off a 30-20 victory against Ashley Ridge on Aug. 26, also didn’t help itself by producing a losing grade in terms of execution. It seemed to Zehr most every time the Cobras began to gain steam in flew a flag to squash the momentum.

“We had 11 or 12 penalties and eight of those were on the offense,” Zehr said. “We’d get going and then have a hold or illegal shift or we’d jump offsides. Seems like we fizzled out every time we got in scoring position. It was just one of those nights where you don’t win, but you learn from your mistakes. Looking back at it on film, we didn’t play bad. We just made some stupid mistakes at bad times.”

Cane Bay’s first test out of an open date will be Sept. 16 against the undefeated James Island Trojans, who have been lighting up scoreboards so far this season. James Island rolls into Cane Bay, the third home game in a row for Cane Bay (1-1).

Film sessions were eye opening during the open date.

“We tell our kids all the time not paying attention to details and the little things will get you beat,” Zehr said. “They don’t believe it until they see it firsthand. The West Ashley game was one of those we could have won if we had taken care of the little things. You’ve got to worry about those things in practice so you can do them in the game. Hopefully we’ll get a lot of things cleaned up before James Island.”

The Trojans have lined up against St. John’s, Stall, First Baptist and Bishop England.

“We’ll have our hands full,” Zehr said. “They have a really good running game. It’s basically power football out of the gun. The quarterback can keep it and hurt you and they have enough of a passing game to keep you honest. They do a lot of stuff but it’s stuff we’ve seen. It was a good time to have an extra week to work on us.”

Cane Bay is 5-0 all-time against James Island and won, 18-8, last season. Cobras quarterback Jabari Grant has rushed for 151 yards and passed for 102 more, accounting for two touchdowns. Running back TJ Wright has 201 rushing yards and two scores. Receiver Brody Roberts has grabbed three passes for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Jonah Norris, Lexington

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior ran for 337 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 24 carries in the Wildcats’ 35-14 win over Blythewood. One of his touchdowns was an 82-yard jaunt. It was the second 300-yard game of the season for Norris.

Bryson Drummond, Greenville

A sophomore quarterback, Drummond threw five touchdown passes in the Red Raiders’ 70-0 victory over Mauldin.

Malachi Washington, Myrtle Beach

The junior tailback ran for 259 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 58-21 win over Socastee.

Ty Martin, Dillon

Martin carried 28 times for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns while also catching a touchdown pass as the Wildcats rallied for a 59-35 win over Hartsville. The Wildcats trailed 28-14 in the third quarter. They scored 32 points in the fourth quarter.

LaNorris Sellers, South Florence

A Syracuse-commit, Sellers threw for 241 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for 63 yards and another touchdown as the Bruins downed Carolina Forest 49-14.

Jakevious Jennings, Union County

Entering the game to replace an injured starter, Jennings, a sophomore, ran for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets’ 32-27 win over Broome.

Duncan Skehan, Cardinal Newman

The Cardinals’ quarterback only threw 9 passes but he completed 7 of them for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 48-0 win over Northwoods.

Vaughn Blue, Oceanside Collegiate

The Charlotte recruit ran 24 times for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Landsharks blanked Marlboro County 20-0.

John Peeples, Sumter

The sophomore tailback ran 19 times for 171 yards and a touchdown in the Fighting Gamecocks’ 21-14 win over Crestwood.

Devin Grainger, Conway

The Tigers’ quarterback completed 12 of 19 passes for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 33-13 win over North Myrtle Beach. He completed his first five passes for 175 yards and the two touchdowns as the Tigers built a 25-7 halftime lead.

Cooper Johns, River Bluff

A 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior ran 23 times for 207 yards in a 35-28 win over South Aiken. He also had a pair of receptions for 29 yards.

Wushi Ravenel, James Island

The junior wide receiver caught 5 passes for 149 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown.

Zion Dobson, Wade Hampton

Dobson ran 29 times for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Red Devils.

Derrick Simons, Bethune-Bowman

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback was 17-of-27 for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 35-30 loss to Academic Magnet. On the ground, he ran 7 times for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Chance Hall, North Myrtle Beach

Hall had another solid game, completing 16 of 27 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Landon Danley, Dutch Fork

Danley ran 14 yards for a touchdown and returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown in undefeated the Silver Foxes’ 64-21 rout of Stratford.

The sprawling, $20 million mansion on Kiawah Island in South Carolina — where President Biden and his family are staying free of charge — has been plagued for years by a laundry list of problems, including mold, mildew, termites and cracks, according to a new report.

The Post reported last week that the Bidens, including disgraced first son Hunter, are spending their summer vacation at the beachfront property owned by big-time Democratic donor Maria Allwin — the widow of hedge fund founder James Allwin.

“They stayed here before and they’re not paying,” a source close to Allwin said. “They’ve never paid. They’re just friends.”

The Daily Mail reported on Monday, citing court documents, that behind its seemingly pristine façade, the nine-bedroom estate that has hosted the Bidens on and off since 2009 has become something of a money pit and the subject of several rounds of litigation.

A 2019 appeals court ruling in Allwin’s lawsuit against the builders of her home described the many issues that have bedeviled the luxury property over the years, including mold and mildew, multiple cracks, peeling wallpaper and damaged drywall, leaks, warped hardwood flooring and termites.

According to the lawsuit, Allwin first became aware of the problems back in 1999 — just five years after construction on her mansion was finished.

A contractor that Allwin hired to assess the condition of the property told her in 2004 that the roof was “so poorly installed, the only way to properly repair the roof is to replace it” to the tune of more than $500,000, according to the document.

Allwin balked at the high price tag but proceeded to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into an array of home repairs over the next several years. She ultimately sued the company that built her home, Russ Cooper Associates, in 2013, but lost at trial because she waited too long to file the complaint and the statute of limitations had run out. She appealed the ruling, but the appeals court rejected her claim on the same grounds.

Allwin’s house problems did not scare away the Bidens, who stayed there in August 2009, April 2012, April 2014, June 2015 and August 2015, according to records obtained by the outlet from Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop as well as records from Biden’s time as President Barack Obama’s vice president.

A rep for the Allwin family told The Post on Monday, “Any issues with the house have long been resolved.”

Allwin has known Joe and Jill Biden socially for more than a decade, a source told The Post last week, adding that they do not have any joint business dealings.

Ahead of the 2020 election, Allwin sent a $35,000 check to the Biden Victory Fund and the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission records.

She has contributed generously to a variety of mostly Democratic political campaigns, but her most recent donations were to Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and a PAC supporting her effort to beat back a primary challenge by Donald Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman

Allwin family’s firm, Aetos Capital, is currently run by Maria’s son, Chris, and manages $11.31 billion worth of assets.