Chimney Sweep in North Charleston, SC

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Voters are casting their ballots in a Special Election Tuesday and some of them will be seeing changes at the polls.

The day has come for the Special Election in Charleston County. Voters are heading to the poll to cast their ballot for the South Carolina House District 113 seat and the Mount Pleasant Town Council seat.

Early voting took place from March 10 through 21. Leaders with the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections say voter turnout was low, counting 139 total votes. The majority of the votes were for Mount Pleasant Town Council to replace current Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie, where board leaders recorded 116 early votes.

County Board Marketing and Communications Manager Matt Dillane says lower turnout for Special Elections is typical, but he continues to encourage voters to cast their vote for elections.

Dillane says local elections impact day-to-day life the most.

“People sometimes only think about voting once every four years, maybe once every two years but the truth is we have elections year-round, in Charleston County especially,” Dillane says. “There’s a saying that, ‘If it’s a Tuesday, there’s an election somewhere in South Carolina.”

Some voters will see temporary poll location changes on Election Day. Informational signage to direct voters will be visible at polling locations.

Dillane says the poll changes are because of scheduling conflicts with the voting locations.

“Sometimes with these special elections happening at random times throughout the year, locations aren’t always able to accommodate us,” Dillane says. “We have locations that serve as polling locations like schools, libraries, other places that typically have events throughout the year. So sometimes, we run into scheduling issues that prompted these changes.”

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters will need a valid photo ID to cast their ballot at the polls. Voters in line by 7 p.m. will still have their vote counted.

Absentee ballots must be returned to the board along Corporate Road in North Charleston by 7 p.m.

More information on poll locations and election results will be available on the county website.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends, and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? What are the new restaurants? What's everyone talking about? While the Eater 18 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the "it" places of the moment. Enter the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to highlight the spots crowds are flocking to at the moment or generating a big buzz. Folks are asking, "Have you been yet?" Try one of these newbies today.

This month, chef Sean Brock’s Joyland location joins the list.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Chinese American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly moved up the street to a bigger dining room and more prominent location. With the move comes a more extensive menu with exciting new options. Karrage, dumplings, and fried rice are still on the menu, but now there’s also a crab rangoon cheese ball, mapo tofu vol au vent, spicy Korean gnocchi, and Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.

Chubby Fish (most recently visited by Martha Stewart) has smartly expanded into the space next door with another cozy nautical space, but this time, the team is focused on world-class cocktails from Christian Favier (formerly of the Ordinary). Rum figures heavily on the list, but there’s also a delicious smoked dirty martini and plenty of fizzy drinks thanks to a fancy Japanese Suntory highball machine. Customers can order snacks from the ever-changing menu, including oysters, crudos, agnolotti, Iberico ham, and more.

Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.

Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.

Superstar chef Sean Brock has brought his fast-casual burger/biscuit joint to the Lowcountry. Joyland is Brock’s fun nod to the fast-food joints of yesteryear. Breakfast includes all types of biscuit sandwiches and a breakfast burrito. The lunch and dinner menu includes the Joyburger Deluxe, fried chicken sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Crustburgers, and Joysticks. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free.

Chef Micheal Toscano recently opened a taco shop next to his Italian restaurant Le Farfalle. Blanca Estrada is Toscano’s ode to his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose cooking was an early influence on his culinary journey. The kitchen offers a selection of tacos, from cochinita pibil to lengua, several specials, like a lamb neck burrito, and several tequila drinks and pineapple vinegar soda.

Ice-cold martinis with a side of caviar set the vibe at By the Way, a new upscale lounge and restaurant in Cannonborough/Elliotborough hoping to draw a slightly more mature clientele away from King Street. It’s from Uptown Hospitality Group, the folks behind hotspots like Uptown Social and Bodega, in partnership with Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, two stars of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm. Fairly intimate with the feel of an old-world tavern, By the Way serves a menu of trendy pub fare like ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, fried oysters with caviar, and steak frites.

Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.

Chinese American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly moved up the street to a bigger dining room and more prominent location. With the move comes a more extensive menu with exciting new options. Karrage, dumplings, and fried rice are still on the menu, but now there’s also a crab rangoon cheese ball, mapo tofu vol au vent, spicy Korean gnocchi, and Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.

Chubby Fish (most recently visited by Martha Stewart) has smartly expanded into the space next door with another cozy nautical space, but this time, the team is focused on world-class cocktails from Christian Favier (formerly of the Ordinary). Rum figures heavily on the list, but there’s also a delicious smoked dirty martini and plenty of fizzy drinks thanks to a fancy Japanese Suntory highball machine. Customers can order snacks from the ever-changing menu, including oysters, crudos, agnolotti, Iberico ham, and more.

Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.

Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.

Superstar chef Sean Brock has brought his fast-casual burger/biscuit joint to the Lowcountry. Joyland is Brock’s fun nod to the fast-food joints of yesteryear. Breakfast includes all types of biscuit sandwiches and a breakfast burrito. The lunch and dinner menu includes the Joyburger Deluxe, fried chicken sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Crustburgers, and Joysticks. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free.

Chef Micheal Toscano recently opened a taco shop next to his Italian restaurant Le Farfalle. Blanca Estrada is Toscano’s ode to his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose cooking was an early influence on his culinary journey. The kitchen offers a selection of tacos, from cochinita pibil to lengua, several specials, like a lamb neck burrito, and several tequila drinks and pineapple vinegar soda.

Ice-cold martinis with a side of caviar set the vibe at By the Way, a new upscale lounge and restaurant in Cannonborough/Elliotborough hoping to draw a slightly more mature clientele away from King Street. It’s from Uptown Hospitality Group, the folks behind hotspots like Uptown Social and Bodega, in partnership with Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, two stars of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm. Fairly intimate with the feel of an old-world tavern, By the Way serves a menu of trendy pub fare like ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, fried oysters with caviar, and steak frites.

Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Water Mission held its annual fundraising event Saturday morning in North Charleston.

Water Mission is a nonprofit based in North Charleston that works year-round to fight the global water crisis and create safe water solutions for people across the world. Millions of people in the world must walk for miles every single day just to collect water that is often contaminated and unsafe to consume.

This is why since 2007, Water Mission has hosted the annual “Walk for Water” event. This is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers and is centered on spreading awareness about the need for clean, safe water.

Thousands of people in the Lowcountry gathered at Riverfront Park in North Charleston to simulate what women and children all across the world do every single day. Participants carried a bucket and walked a mile and a half to Water Mission to fill those buckets up with dirty water and then walk the mile and a half back with the water collected.

The walk not only spreads awareness about the work that Water Mission does, but it also raises funds to support that work.

Mary Howell, the senior manager of community engagement at Water Mission, says that on average, this event will raise them $700,000 which can change the lives of over 14,000 people.

“Every $50 we raise will bring safe water to one person. That’s one person who doesn’t have to walk for water. One person who’s not drinking contaminated water that will make them sick and potentially cause them to lose their life,” she says.

The event is $25 for adults to register, $10 for children and free for children under the age of five. All of this money goes directly toward the nonprofit.

The North Charleston Walk for Water is the flagship walk, but 82 different walks will take place across the world. Different partners, churches and schools in different communities will host walks in their areas throughout the year.

For the North Charleston walk, Howell says they anticipate seeing around 5,000 participants. Almost 3,000 have already registered, but there is no limit to the number of people who can register.

“A quarter of the world’s population is collecting water with bacteria, disease, parasites, and kids are getting sick and ultimately, every 37 seconds someone loses their life because they lack access to safe water,” Howell says. “That number is why we’re here. That number is why we gather at Riverfront Park. We want to bring hope to those 2 billion people,” Howell says.

While the event is symbolic, it is also full of fun. They will have an assortment of games and activities including a “toilet toss,” the organization’s version of corn hole, as well as card making for people in other country programs and a bubble station. There will also be several food trucks at the event.

The Walk for Water will take place Saturday, March 29 at Riverfront Park. Water Mission will host an open registration and T-shirt pickup event on Friday at Firefly Distillery located at 4201 Spruill Avenue in North Charleston. That event will be from noon to 6 p.m.

If unable to attend the Friday registration event, there will be another opportunity next Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Water Mission, located at 1150 Molly Greene Way Building 1605 in North Charleston. They will also allow registration and T-shirt pickup the morning of the walk for those who want to show up.

Online registration is also always available. A link to register or donate to the mission can be found here.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

NORTH CHARLESTON — Less than a week after federal corruption charges were announced against three councilmembers, a special election has been set for May 27 to fill the vacant seats.

Filing for the single-member district seats runs from March 14 to March 24 at noon. The election that falls the day after Memorial Day will only include Districts 3 and 5. The two districts are on nearly opposite ends of the city from one another. District 3 is in the northern part of the city between Rivers Avenue and Interstate 26, while District 5 is between the Ashley River and Dorchester Road in the southern portion of the city.

Former councilmembers Sandino Moses and Jerome Heyward entered guilty pleas on Feb. 28. Heyward, who represented District 5, faced charges ranging from bribery and wire fraud to money laundering, and Moses, who represented District 3, was charged for allegedly failing to alert authorities of the attempted bribe to influence his City Council vote. The pair resigned from their seats ahead of the plea hearings.

Mike Brown is the District 1 councilman who was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery regarding programs receiving federal funds. He is set to be arraigned on March 11. Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Brown from office, but because he has not resigned, his seat will remain unrepresented until he is acquitted or convicted.

The special election will cost the city roughly $40,000, said Isaac Cramer, the executive director of the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections.

Election next step forward for city

On March 4, Mayor Reggie Burgess sat down with the civic club presidents in all three districts to provide information about the special election. Up until the election, Burgess said he and his executive staff will attend their individual district meetings moving forward.

"I want to reassure them that the mayor's office, we have their backs," Burgess told The Post and Courier after the meeting.

Kevin Mock, who serves as the president of Wando Woods in District 5, said the community's main concern is being left without representation. He said he was reassured the mayor and his staff will be available in the interim.

Burgess said he does not want the districts to feel "abandoned in time of crisis."

"What happened has damaged the credibility of this government," the mayor said.

Burgess said electing the new councilmembers is the city's next step forward.

Virginia Jamison, who represented the District 3 council seat for eight years before retiring in 2023, said the next councilmembers need to have a good understanding of "right and wrong."

"You need to have a heart for the people that you serve, not just in your district, but the entire city," she said.

The candidates who run for these positions should be able to identify specific needs of their districts as different parts of the city face different issues, she said. She noted District 3 residents experience noise pollution from the nearby I-26 as an example.

Russ Coletti, who previously served as president for Northwood Estate in District 3 and ran for mayor in 2023, said the elected councilmembers should be homeowners in their districts, not renters. According to the city's code of ordinances, a candidate must reside in the city for at least six months prior to the election day to be eligible.

When it comes to traits of the next councilmember representing District 3, Coletti said integrity is at the top of the list.

"We need somebody who's able to stand up and say, 'Here is what we actually need to better the livability and the quality of life for our citizens,'" he said.

Mock expects a transition period after the election, but wants to ensure progress continues moving forward, specifically with issues of flooding in District 3.

“Whoever runs for those seats, the neighborhoods and their district need to be behind them 100 percent,” Mock said.

In 2024, a Charleston firefighter complained to his local union about "unhealthy and unsafe working conditions" at the fire station where he worked. Then the city's Fire Department retaliated by transferring the employee to another station, a move that violated his rights, according to a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month.

Robert Tackett, who has been a member of the Charleston Fire Department for more than 11 years, and the Charleston Firefighters Association Local 61 of the International Association of Fire Fighters are suing the city, as well as Fire Chief Dan Curia and Deputy Fire Chief Forrest Cockcroft, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court on March 4.

The suit alleges unsafe work conditions — excessive heat, mold, odor, leaks and a malfunctioning pole — at Station 9, where Tackett worked for five years. But the legal action stems from violations of Tackett's rights to free speech, to union association and to due process, which are protected by the First and 14th amendments.

Attorneys for Tackett and the union wrote in their complaint that because Tackett was punished for speaking out, it had a chilling effect on him and any other employees who might have concerns about the department.

The department declined to comment citing the pending litigation.

"These dangerous and deficient conditions" at Station 9, located on King Street Extension, have been "regularly and routinely ignored" by the department's leadership, the complaint alleged.

Concerns peaked on July 17, 2024, when Tackett reported to the union that firefighters who worked 24-hour shifts could not sleep in the station's bunk rooms, where temperatures were consistently hotter than 90 degrees, the suit said.

The complaint prompted a visit from Chief Curia. Tackett told him that he was the one who told the union about the issue. According to the suit, Curia recommended the station's personnel move into the five rooms that had working air conditioning, if they could not go without it.

A week later, Tackett was informed that he was being written up for going around the chain of command. A battalion chief was quoted in the complaint as saying Tackett made "bad judgments" by going to the union.

Nine days after he raised the issue, Tackett, who had been Station 9's most senior hazmat team member and the only one with a specialized certification to address chemical exposure, was transferred to Station 7 on James Island.

His new position does not provide as many opportunities to earn overtime pay, the suit said. A report detailing his discipline will remain in his personnel file, affecting future chances of promotion.

"Tackett reported Station No. 9's high temperatures to Local 61 on July 17, 2024, to protect himself, his fellow Union members and the public," the lawsuit states. "The issue Tackett raised — firefighter health and safety — is a matter of public interest and concern, because it directly impacts firefighters’ ability to serve and protect the citizens of the City."

In November, the department temporarily closed Station 9 to replace and improve the building's HVAC system.