kitchen countertopsNear Goose Creek, SC

GOOSE CREEK, South Carolina. -- Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC) held a change of command ceremony in Goose Creek, South Carolina, April 28.

Capt. Jason D. Anderson relieved Capt. Scott J. McGinnis as commanding officer of NNPTC during the ceremony. Adm. James F. Caldwell, director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, was the presiding officer and guest speaker for the ceremony.

“It’s been an absolute honor to be at the helm of NNPTC,” McGinnis said. “For the past 22 months, the command has excelled in so many ways. We have trained and certified 6,000 nuclear operators, successfully commenced the first project in the AUKUS trilateral agreement and improved the efficiency of the nuclear pipeline.”

McGinnis, a native of Richmond, Virginia, served as commanding officer of NNPTC since June 2021, retired after 26 years of service.

McGinnis said, it saddens me to leave our command and the Navy when I know there is so much more work to be done; however, I know you are in capable hands with Capt. Anderson. I am unbelievably optimistic that over the past two years we have trained a generation of Sailors who will overcome the challenges on the horizon.

“Today we get the pleasure to participate in the time-honored tradition of the change of command: where responsibility, authority and accountability passes seamlessly from one leader to another,” Caldwell said. “It is one of the unique chances to say thank you to the team assembled here and their commitment to excellence.”

During the ceremony, Caldwell presented McGinnis with the Legion of Merit award in recognition of his accomplishments as commanding officer at NNPTC, and welcomed Commanding Officer Jason Anderson.

“What you do here is arguably the most important mission in our program, the readiness of our people,” Caldwell said. “Right here, in the Rickover Center, is where the most talented nuclear propulsion plant operators in the world are developed by the most talented trainers.”

Anderson, from Riverdale, Georgia, reports as commanding officer of NNPTC after serving as the Deputy Commodore for Training at Commander, Submarine Squadron 20 (CSS 20). “I’m honored to stand here as the next commanding officer of NNPTC,” Anderson said. “I’m truly impressed by the atmosphere and the culture here. Nuclear powered warships have been sailing the seas for more than 60 years and are the backbone of our Navy. These ships and submarines would be nothing without highly trained and dedicated Sailors at the helm. I look forward to joining you in the cultivation of smart, fit and resilient Sailors to ensure the future of our force and our nation.”

In 1993, the Nuclear Field “A” School and Nuclear Power School were joined to create NNPTC. A move from Orlando, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina, began in May 1998 and was completed in January 1999. Construction of the new command allowed Nuclear Field “A” School and Nuclear Power School to be located in the same building.

Nuclear Field “A” School’s mission is to provide fundamental rate training for future nuclear Machinist's Mates, Electrician's Mates and Electronic Technicians. Nuclear Power School’s mission is to train officer and enlisted students in the science and engineering fundamental to the design, operation and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants. The naval nuclear program is widely acknowledged as having the most demanding academic program in the U.S. military.

Like a pounding rain that begins with a trickle. it all starts with some random whistles, snaps and pops in the late afternoon. But as the sun sets, bright flashes and booms follow in an endless cacophony that will continue for hours.

Some like it; some don’t.

For five days out the year, Goose Creek allows fireworks to be set off. Those days are Independence Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

At the May 9 council meeting, residents hit the podium hoping elected officials may ban the booms altogether.

“Fireworks pose a fire hazard to homes, including those with asphalt shingle roofs. For the safety of all Goose Creek residents, consider prohibiting personal use fireworks within the City of Goose Creek,” said resident David Driggers.

“I’m here tonight to ask your consideration making Goose Creek a no fireworks zone. ... For the safety of my property, my neighbors and the city, please take this request seriously,” said resident Judy Fox.

“The noise is a nuisance to other residents. There is a danger of a fire being started and the danger of property damage. ... Additionally, the fireworks are stressful for our many residents who are veterans and served in war zones,” said Cynthia Curry, who has lived in the city since 1978.

Residents who want the fireworks to stop said they have gone to Crowfield’s Home Owners Association several times and were eventually told to make the request to City Council. But others showed up at the meeting to support the existing rules.

“There may be people who have PTSD. I’m a veteran. I’ve got 24 years in and out of combat zones. ... Lets be careful to bring the veterans out as the reason to stop having freedoms. Most of us put our lives on the line for those freedoms we celebrate on the 4th of July and other holidays,” said resident Mike Conner, an Air Force Veteran.

“I think it’s a fundamental freedom. I’m a bicentennial baby, conceived on that night. I am a very fervent supporter of fireworks, just like (Thomas) Jefferson and (John) Adams,” said Heather Burns.

Those forefathers would be happy to learn that cities such as North Charleston allow fireworks year around up until 10 p.m.

Other municipalities, however, have banned personal fireworks. Some of those include Myrtle Beach, Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach. Comments from Goose Creek residents were made during the public discussion portion of the meeting. There is no official movement to change the local fireworks ordinance.

“We haven’t as a council openly discussed it. But as far as what they are asking for, we already have two ordinances that cover it,” said council member Melissa Enos. “One ordinance says it can’t be in the city except for five days a year, and the second ordinance is for projectiles.”

The projectile ordinance states that if a firework lands on another property, it is a code violation, which in some cases covers property damage. Enos said she understands the concerns of those wanting them prohibited. Under the current ordinance, that is the case 360 days a year.

“The two ordinances that exist now gets them like 97-percent there. I think what they are asking for is to get them 100 percent there,” she said. “We try not to over regulate and over govern.”

Officers from the Goose Creek Department along with investigators from the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) are investigating possible human trafficking involving minors inside a home in the Boulder Bluff subdivision.

Information provided shows that officers were first notified by DSS on Jan. 27. The incident report shows the person suspected, allowed juveniles to live in the home. The report alleges there is drug use and prostitution inside the home as well as at other locations.

The incident report did not show any arrests made in the case at the time and it did not identify the home where the alleged activity was occurring.

Recently the state AG’s office released new numbers on the amount of human trafficking in the state. The office is one of several that make up the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force consists of numerous agencies and advocacy groups all over the state.

The latest report showed a rise in sex trafficking. The numbers also showed that there has been 458 percent increase in labor trafficking. Locally Berkeley and Charleston Counties has a share. Berkeley has three trafficking cases pending in court and Charleston had 14 incidents in 2022.

Also the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reports the agency supported 416 cases involving human trafficking in the state in 2022. The cases included 399 minor victims, the report showed. There was also a 128 percent increase in calls to the hotline reporting suspected incidences.

Kathleen “Kat” Choate’s geese are flying down Saint James Avenue in Goose Creek this week in a “banner event” for the local artist and her contest-winning watercolors.

A Goose Creek resident for nine years, Choate earned the high-visibility spot as a result of a recent contest, one of several the city sponsors in an ongoing effort to support the arts. While Choate’s vibrant rendition of the town’s namesake bird flies in banner form along the busy thoroughfare, another version of it can be found on one of the city’s sanitation trucks.

Choate is a Connecticut native who studied at Southern Connecticut State University but focused on art education only in her elective classes. She originally worked in charcoal, acrylics and pastels.

“I’ve been focusing on watercolors for three years,” she said. “I love being able to let go of my control, to let the colors move around and surprise me. I try to embrace those times when it doesn’t do what I intended or if I get ‘blooms.’ I think those little surprises add to the paintings.”

A “bloom” is a term for the spontaneous paint blossoms that occur in watercolor work due to its high liquid content.

“I’ve noticed the city of Goose Creek doing a lot to supports the arts, and I greatly appreciate it,” she said. “Painting is my happy place and my stress relief. I typically gravitate towards painting things that make me happy and I love using bright colors.”

Several other area artists have their work along Goose Creek’s Red Bank Road.

Viewers can also find Choate’s art at her website, KChoateArt.square.site, as well as on Facebook and Instagram at @kchoateart.

The plan had been marinating for several years. Find a craft beer desert in an area where the population craves the craze and it will be a winning combination — at least that was the vision for the Beer Man craft beer shop at 214 St. James Ave. in Goose Creek.

Co-owner Vince Lehr had his first Allagash beer 12 years ago. Ever since, he has been crafting a plan to open his own shop. The main reason: he could rarely find the beer that inspired his business model.

“I couldn’t find it anywhere, and then I’d find it and then it would disappear and then I’d find it again,” said Lehr. “Over the years, I was self-employed and I was just thinking about — I said, man somebody should open a craft beer store where you can always find the beer you want.”

“I literally envisioned everything you see here,” he said.

On July 2, the ribbon was cut on the store and his dream was finally a reality. He along with co-owner David Smith think they have found their niche’. He has beer from almost every continent as well as local brews. There are flags on the walls marking where the beers are from.

“Goose Creek is definitely where we wanted to put it,” Lehr said. ”... I’ve lived in Goose Creek for 20 years, Dave is born and bred in Berkeley County.”

“Part of the concept is we are looking for craft beer deserts ... and Goose Creek is the Sahara of the craft beer deserts.”

And there is plenty of beer to sell. Lehr said grocery stores do as much as they can to sell it, but here is more craft beer than there is shelf space.

“I appreciate what vendors have to do because they have all this beer and nowhere to go,” he said. “So when they are in a Publix and have three feet of space they can only do what they can do.”

“Having been an entrepreneur and a businessman and having been in retail all my life, I know there is this sea of beer out there looking for a home and a sea of people that love craft beer. So really it’s almost kind of a no-brainer to marry them,” he said.

In just his first days of opening, Lehr adds he has had numerous customers come in and prove his theory — that if he builds it, they will come. Many early customers have said: “I can’t find this beer anywhere and you have it,” or “I had to go all the way to James Island to find this beer.”

So his idea seems to be working, and he is certain he picked the right spot to help it grow.

“We definitely wanted to do it for the City of Goose Creek and they have been a wonderful partner,” he said. “I’m 55-years-old now and if somebody else would have done this I would have had to move. We are hoping it is successful enough that we are able to find other little craft beer deserts.”

A brand-new park opened in Goose Creek on Friday with the focus of being “a park built for everyone.”

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - A brand-new park opened in Goose Creek on Friday with the focus of being “a park built for everyone.”

The $9 million project, Central Creek Park, hopes to be inclusive towards everyone with volleyball and basketball courts, a splash pad, a food truck pavilion and pickleball courts.

Over 26,000 square-feet, ‘Debra’s Playground’ will offer a wide range of accessible activities for people with physical or visual disabilities. The surfacing is all wheelchair accessible, and the equipment is based on sensory items for everyone to enjoy.

Families who include children with disabilities were the first invited to play at the park after this morning’s ribbon cutting. Nicole Valentine, mother to her special needs daughter, says other parks have never really been concerned about including all the different aspects of sensory play before.

“It’s never really kept in mind the heart of all children to be fully inclusive, and even down to having the fence around for those kids who love to run,” Valentine says. “It’s very important and it does so much for parent’s safety concerns to be able to just come here, and you almost get a little bit of relief watching your children play and not be so stressed out.”

The City of Goose Creek hosted a tribute to the donors of the park ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony. Goose Creek Recreation Director Crystal Reed addressed the city and sponsors after working for months on the development.

“Central Creek Park sets our community apart and creates opportunities to remove barriers, increase self-esteem, develop community culture where everyone benefits from health, fitness and social connections,” Crystal says. “Thousands of children and adults across Berkeley County of all abilities have benefited from our therapeutic recreation program over the past several years; because of you, we just raised the bar with Central Creek Park.”

Parents of children with special needs say that it means the world to them to see their children experience a park they can truly enjoy. Kathy Kackley, parent to Trista Kutceher, travel the U.S. together promoting inclusivity in parks and compared other parks to Central Creek Park.

“There’s something here for everyone; there’s something here everyone can do,” Kackley says. “We like to be inclusive in our play and in our life, and we are very appreciative that Goose Creek has stepped up and has a place for everybody to play together.”

Goose Creek Assistant Recreation Director, Nicole Herrera Murray, explains how the city worked to choose specific pieces of equipment for special needs children to use. After planning and researching for months, she says Friday was a dream come true.

“I’ve been dreaming of this day for a really long time. It’s really amazing to see everyone enjoying and hearing the screams behind us is just everything that I’ve ever wanted,” Murray says.

The public is invited to join in on the fun Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. or Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 47 Old Moncks Corner Rd.

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