Chimney Sweep in Charleston, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Miss America Organization has crowned Tess Ferm of Charleston as Miss America’s Teen 2026 Saturday in Orlando.

Ferm, a Porter-Gaud graduate and an incoming freshman at Furman University, has earned $58,000 in scholarships through the program. She says that she plans to study psychology to become a Child Life Specialist.

She says that in her role as national ambassador for the Miss America’s Teen program, she will encourage young women everywhere to dream, lead, and embrace their limitless potential, while also serving as a role model for her generation.

“Being Miss America’s Teen means representing possibility. It’s about showing that teens are not just the future, but the now—ready to lead, to innovate, and to make a real difference in our schools, our communities, and across the country. This crown is so much more than a crown, it’s a launchpad," she said.

With her prior experience with food allergies, Ferm developed a campaign to spread awareness and to create safe and more informed communities. She was honored as the Quality of Life: Teens in Action Overall Award Winner for her work.

“Because of this program, I’ve had the chance to meet with legislators to advocate for my initiative, speak at press conferences, perform on stage, sharpen my interview skills, and learn how to serve as a brand ambassador. Most importantly, it has helped me grow my confidence, find my voice, and step into leadership. Miss America empowers young women to be bold, well-rounded, and ready to chase their goals.”

This is the third Miss America’s Teen South Carolina has produced and the first since 2009.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston City Council is set to vote Tuesday on an over $13 million expansion project that would secure the future of the city’s historic Battery.

The project, funded in part by federal dollars, aims to protect one of the Lowcountry’s most popular attractions in the downtown peninsula from worsening flooding and severe weather.

The city has faced repeated damage from tidal flooding, tropical storms and hurricanes, which have threatened public access to the waterfront.

The City of Charleston’s Director of Resilience, Kaylan Kozela, says 70% of the Lowcountry’s major tidal flooding events have occurred in the past 10 years and experts only expect that percentage to increase.

“We know that these events are increasing and we need to be proactive,” Koszela says. “Protective infrastructure that, [during the] 364 days out of the year when we don’t have a big storm coming… the public can really use and enjoy it like they do the current battery.”

Mayor William Cogswell plans to sign the agreement that would move Charleston into the active design phase of the project.

The expansion envisions flood defenses in areas that currently lack barriers, such as the high Battery and places with no Battery. This is all getting done with the long-term goal of wrapping the Battery around the entire peninsula.

While the City is currently finishing up the rehabilitation of the low battery, their next focus is starting construction on the west side down to the Coast Guard station.

Congress identified Charleston as a community facing severe resilience issues in 2018, making the city eligible for federal funding.

“That kind of culminated [in] us… having the study saying, ‘Yes, it’s a very worthwhile federal investment to come and help protect Charleston from flooding,’” Koszela says. “Now we’re moving into this identified project of the battery extension with them.”

The City is still debating how they want to design the protection systems, exploring eco-friendly approaches.

“Marrying this form and function, how can we maybe do some things whether it’s nature-based solutions as well… maybe we’re conserving some green space that can be Mother Nature’s sponge, but it’s also a passive park space that the public likes,” Koszela says.

Officials say the improvements will allow the Battery to remain resilient for the next 50 to 100 years. The overall project is expected to take eight to 10 years to complete.

The meeting is Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

SC Ports cut the ribbon to open the Cosgrove Avenue extension and pedestrian bridge at Port Navy Base Intermodal Facility in North Charleston.

The bridge will extend Cosgrove Avenue above the port rail yard so trains can move freely without hindering traffic, according to a news release.

“The Navy Base Intermodal Facility is a premier project for SC Ports that will allow cargo to move more efficiently from the Port of Charleston to inland markets,” Phil Padgett, SC Ports interim president and CEO, said in the release. “While we serve as a port system for the entire state, SC Ports also recognizes the need to be a good neighbor and local community partner. That means providing solutions for residents who live and work right here in North Charleston.”

The overpass will connect vehicles and pedestrians to the growing mixed-use Navy Yard Charleston and to the Navy Yard Industrial Campus, according to the release.

“This new gateway to Riverfront Park marks an important step in the redevelopment of the former Navy Base,” city of North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess said in the release. “The opening of the Cosgrove Avenue overpass improves pedestrian safety, enhances mobility and connectivity, and provides residents with more convenient access to economic opportunities, recreational amenities and future community development.”

The bridge pedestrian path is 12 feet wide with a barrier. According to the release, the SC Ports is also close to completion on a 15,000-square-foot community recreation park in North Charleston’s Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood.

“The Cosgrove Avenue extension offers a vital new access point to the historic Naval Base, linking the regional asset to the larger Charleston community and creating new opportunity for driving commerce in North Charleston,” Steve Dudash, Navy Yard Charleston director of special projects, said in the release. “Connectivity, particularly multi-modal, is the key to great placemaking, livability and business success. This new infrastructure is pivotal to the area’s growth potential, and we commend SC Ports on the project’s completion.”

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Medical University of South Carolina is planning a major expansion of its downtown Charleston campus and city leaders are asking for public input before moving forward.

The proposal, known as the Medical District Overlay Zone, would rezone nearly 62 acres across 61 parcels within MUSC’s existing footprint. The area is about the size of nearby neighborhoods like Radcliffborough or Harleston Village.

If approved, the zoning change would remove several regulations that Charleston officials said have slowed MUSC’s ability to grow and modernize.

Under the proposal, restrictions on operating hours would be lifted, housing density limits would be removed, building heights could increase by up to 200 feet and parking requirements would be eliminated.

It would also allow for demolition in designated areas without city approval.

The Board of Architectural Review’s jurisdiction would shrink by 17 properties, meaning they could be demolished without undergoing preservation review.

MUSC leaders said these changes would pave the way for a state-of-the-art cancer center, expanded housing and additional development in what it calls an “innovation district” along Calhoun Street. Christopher Morgan, the City of Charleston’s planning manager, said the land is already part of MUSC’s district and the city wants to remove outdated barriers while preserving Charleston’s character.

“They are key in employment. It’s central to a lot of the region to have their facilities downtown. It’s been very helpful to our residents over the years to have that facility and all those resources downtown,” Morgan said. “So, we’re hopeful to do everything to help them expand and keep their presence downtown.”

He emphasized that, while the overlay would change how development is regulated, it wouldn’t change MUSC’s commitment to historic preservation.

“They’ve been very good stewards from a start preservation standpoint we feel,” Morgan said, “There’s nothing about this overlay that we feel that would impact their being good stewards of historic preservation on their campus.”

Morgan also clarified that the rezoning doesn’t expand MUSC’s boundaries, but simply clears a path for growth within its current footprint.

“It’s not about them growing beyond the existing confines of the campus that most folks identify with MUSC already,” he said. “It just gives them a clearer path to their ability to redevelop within their existing confines.”

The Charleston Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal during a special three-hour meeting Aug. 26, under the condition that the commission must receive an update with some changes to the project at its next meeting happening Sept. 17.

Before that, Charleston is hosting a public workshop to give residents a chance to learn more and offer feedback.

The session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at 108 Meeting Street. Residents can sign up for the meeting .

Following that, the first official reading and public hearing on the overlay proposal is set for Sept. 23 at City Hall.

AWENDAW — The county is advancing plans to add an extra layer of protection for the historic Ten Mile community, aiming to preserve its rural character and deter large-scale development.

The proposed zoning overlay district — a set of customized zoning regulations tailored to the area — is the result of more than two years of collaboration between Charleston County staff and Ten Mile residents.

A historically Black settlement community near Awendaw, Ten Mile residents have spent years working to preserve its rural nature amid growing development pressures. In 2022, Charleston County Council voted to designate Ten Mile as a historic district. That was followed by a zoning change in early 2024 that reduced density in part of the community from four homes per acre to three. Later that year, council also implemented a two-year moratorium on large-scale residential development in all historic districts.

Now, after several meetings with community members that began in 2023, county staff came up with community-specific guidelines outlining new rules for housing styles, zoning density, permitted businesses and more, all shaped by residential input.

Emily Pigott, county historic preservation officer and community planner, said the meetings were a great opportunity to engage with residents who previously weren’t involved in the community. She emphasized that the final proposal reflects Ten Mile’s priorities.

Residents like Ed Pinckney are glad to see the zoning overlay district come to fruition. He previously told The Post and Courier it was a long-term goal for Ten Mile that would help the community retain its rural lifestyle and character while also protecting residents from being displaced due to large-scale developments.

He said they were just eager to see the zoning overlay district protect the community.

But not all changes aim to limit development. One of the proposed amendments in the new district is to increase density in part of the community.

Ten Mile is split by the Urban Growth Boundary, a line established around 2000 that separates urban and suburban uses from rural uses. Residents want to increase the density in the rural part of the community from one dwelling unit per three acres to one dwelling unit per acre.

Pigott said community members wanted this change because they wanted the freedom to split the land with a family member who can build a home of their own. Pinckney said it was a way to balance development without pushing out residents.

Pigott added that while there would be an increase in density, it’s still rural zoning.

Other guidelines in the overlay include requiring neighborhood association approval for street names, maintaining similar architecture styles for future homes (most homes in Ten Mile are ranch-style), allowing for more flexibility in the size of an accessory dwelling unit and a more stringent threshold for traffic impact studies when developments begin.

County Councilman Larry Kobrovsky has long been an outspoken supporter of historic preservation and the Ten Mile community’s efforts to retain its character. He said the new zoning guidelines are a great way to deter development while the Charleston area continues to grow.

“This is the line in the sand for stopping over-development and changing the rural community that people love and treasure,” he said.

Pinckney said the Ten Mile community has more long-term goals in mind after the district is implemented, like getting an area character appraisal, a document that details the architectural style of the community. They’d also like to get the settlement community listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an official list of historic places in the country worthy of preservation since 1972.

He added while the overlay district is an extra layer of protection, the community prefers to keep the moratorium in place or even extend it another six to eight years. The moratorium protects all historic districts from the threat of subdivisions and not Ten Mile exclusively, Pinckney said. Ten Mile residents plan to work with other settlement communities in the county to help them earn the historic district designation and add more protections, he said.

The proposed zoning overlay district will go before the county’s planning commission Sept. 8.