kitchen countertopsIn West Ashley, SC

WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCBD) – They’re in the sky, perched in trees, and on top of roofs.

Birds of all types are flocking to the Grand Bees neighborhood in West Ashley. According to neighbors, they’re leaving behind a mess.

“A lot of poop, a lot of debris left over in the yard. You know, it doesn’t matter how many times they clean it. It’s like ‘where’d this napkin come from, where’d this come?’” said Jamie Weiler, a Grand Bees resident.

The Lennar housing development is located right off Bees Ferry Road, next to a large Charleston County landfill.

Katie Fox moved to the neighborhood one year ago and said the birds are dropping off lots of trash when they fly in.

Wrappers, feminine products, chicken bones, and even needles are just a few of the items neighbors have seen in their yards.

“I have tons of trash in my backyard that I often use one of those trash claws to pick up because I don’t want to catch any diseases from this,” Fox said. “And then many kids can’t go out and play. Dogs are choking on bones. They had to go to the vet to get those removed from their stomach. So, it’s been pretty bad. We’re all running out of ideas.”

Fox said she’s woken up by the sound of the crows every morning. The noise doesn’t stop until the evening.

Jamie Weiler said the birds weren’t a problem when the homes were being built. Little did he know, a few months later, he would have some unexpected neighbors.

“Since there’s no construction noise there’s no hammering or anything like that. They’re not scared so they’re just hanging out, hanging out, hanging out. So, it’s gotten worse over time,” Weiler explained.

According to Charleston County officials, the landfill has been there since the 1970s.

News 2 reached out to Lennar’s Charleston office, but we have not heard back. We also made calls with county leaders in hopes of getting some answers.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A West Ashley restaurant plans to close for good after 17 years in business.

The Sunflower Cafe, located at 2366 Ashley River Road, will serve its last meal on Sept. 30. Owner Jennifer Adams said a lot of things led to the decision, among them ongoing staffing challenges, food shortages and rising food costs.

“The price of everything has literally doubled,” she said. “When you’re a breakfast and lunch place, how high can you go?”

She said the COVID-19 pandemic really changed everything, but especially so for small businesses.

“I don’t really see an end in sight,” she said.

The family-owned restaurant, located at 2366 Ashley River Road, opened its doors in August 2005. Operated by four generations of women, the cafe has come to be known by its regulars at least as much for its personal touch as the authentic family recipes.

Those recipes have included breakfast favorites like omelets, benedicts, waffles and pancakes. Lunchtime staples have included “the Best Sandwich in Charleston,” with grilled filet mignon topped with swiss cheese and onion aioli on grilled ciabatta bread and au jus for dipping; a pan-seared Salmon filet served over fresh spinach salad with strawberries, feta and toasted pecans tossed with balsamic vinaigrette; a shrimp platter, or a grilled chicken sandwich topped with caramelized onions and swiss cheese on a toasted croissant with basil dijionnaise.

For some regulars, no visit was complete without a dessert of powdered sugar-dusted beignets.

“We treat them like family,” Adams said of her customers. “I never felt like it was a restaurant. I thought of it as another version of my home where I feed them. We genuinely love our customers.”

Their loyal, longtime customers feel the same way.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many restaurants were forced to offer take-out-only service, Adams said they were overwhelmed by the community’s reaction.

“I do love all of them and I appreciate the support we had during the pandemic,” she said, adding that people even offered donations to the restaurant to help keep them going. “It was really amazing to know we touched people and they touched us.”

The restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. offering breakfast and lunch; and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast only.

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WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCSC) - Neighbors in a West Ashley community say they are frustrated and anxious after floodwater crept up to their homes, and a potential solution could be a few years away.

Bennett Barton and Rachel Brunette said Thursday’s rainstorms flooded both the road and their backyards, almost getting into their houses. They said as cars passed by, the wake would go up and slap against their front doors.

“This is my first house; I didn’t know what to expect,” Barton said. “I started panicking. I couldn’t leave to get sandbags or any preventative measures because the road was flooded, too.”

They said as cars passed by, the wake would go up and slap against their front doors.

“At one point, I even got pitchers and just was pouring them into my sink from my screened-in porch,” Barton said. Didn’t do anything, but it made me ease my mind a little bit.”

The Woodlands neighborhood is part of the Dupont Wappoo Watershed, which consists of around 1,000 acres of West Ashley surrounding the Citadel Mall.

The City of Charleston said they are spending $5 million on four out of the 10 scheduled projects to improve downstream water flow under Interstate 526. Once that is done, the city will be increasing the size of pipes and canals near the Woodlands neighborhood to get the water out faster.

“There’s not a lot of elevation change to make that water flow very quickly,” Charleston Director of Stormwater Management Matthew Fountain said, “so those very small ditches don’t work for how much pavement, how many buildings we have in the basin now.”

Brunette said it is not uncommon for her to have to check the weather radar before she leaves for work.

“So, when I’m away for the day, I have to be prepared that whether my windows are open, whether the dog is in or out, and like you said if the vehicle is in the right place in case it does flood,” Brunette said. “There’s been a couple of cars that have been flooded out. The landscaping, you can’t keep decent landscaping. It washes away.”

The city said they are optimistic construction on the projects will start in 2025, but until then, Barton said his anxiety will continue.

“If it had rained for two more hours or it was going into high tide, I think my living room would have been underwater,” Barton said. “Who knows how much that would have cost?”

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Two new dining options are moving into the West Ashley area, including a brunch spot and a New York pizzeria.

‘Breakfast is a meal, brunch is a lifestyle.’

That is the motto for Ruby Sunshine, a New Orleans-based brunch eatery that opened the doors of its second Charleston-area location on Friday.

Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group has taken over a space in The Victory at 835 Savannah Highway in West Ashley, joining the other location at 171 E Bay Street in downtown Charleston.

The spot will offer a Big Easy-inspired take on traditional Southern brunch fare including eggs benedict, shrimp and grits, omelets, and award-winning cocktails.

“We love the city and we fell in love with it the first time we came to see it,” Founder Jennifer Weishaupt said. “There’s such a great connection between Charleston and New Orleans and it has so many similar, parallel vibes in terms of the people, the architecture, and the history so that part of it is really fun.”

Ruby Sunshine in Avondale will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

You might have seen this food truck roaming the streets from Moncks Corner to Mount Pleasant serving up New York-style slices, but now it’s putting down roots at a permanent location in West Ashley.

Pizza A Modo Mio is moving into the old Ladles location at 3125 Bees Ferry Road in January.

The spot will offer fifteen different styles of 18-inch pizza pies served by the slice, garlic knots, chicken rolls, subs, and other selections you would expect to find at a traditional Long Island pizzeria.

Owner Michael Pitera ships all the dough in from New York and each week makes the homemade sauce and fresh mozzarella that tops the pies.

“Being from West Ashley and having the store in West Ashley, I can really bring that New York flavor to Charleston,” Pitera said. “I wanted to bring that style to my own neighborhood.”

As a bonus, Pizza A Modo Mio will double as an Italian ice shop, offering 16 different flavors of the popular dessert.

A grand opening is planned for Jan. 10, 2023, according to Pitera. Hours will be Tuesday-Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCBD) — South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has confirmed that some dead vultures found in a West Ashley neighborhood tested positive for a highly pathogenic avian flu.

Dore Carlo originally found dozens of the dead vultures near two retention ponds behind his home on May 7.

“We had friends come over, who had a golf cart, and we took a ride back here and saw dozens of dead ones,” Carlo recalled.

He reported it to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), which took samples from the birds on May 10.

“DHEC advised me to get the word out best I could to keep children and pets away from the area,” Carlo said.

Health officials said avian flu can spread through any contact with the birds, as well as through their feathers or fecal material. However, the risk of people or pets contracting the virus is considered low.

“Anytime it does happen, that’s when we call it a novel flu strain – or novel infection – anytime it goes from animal host to human host,” said Jonathan Knoche, a DHEC public health physician.

Will Dillman, SCDNR assistant chief of wildlife, said direct sunlight and summer heat help kill the virus.

“As the weather heats up this should be less prevalent and run its course,” he said.

Almost a month after the dead vultures were first reported, Carlo said they are still losing two or three vultures a day, and more than 20 carcasses still sit in the neighborhood.

Now, he wants to know who will get rid of all the carcasses surrounding the retention ponds where people walk their dogs and children play.

“There’s other diseases I’m sure will come along from all these dead birds, not to mention they are bringing other animals around that would be feeding off of them,” said Carlo.

Both SCDNR and DHEC said there is nothing they can do to remove the dead birds.

“Moving those carcasses around to other places has the potential to spread that [avian flu] around,” said Dillman.

Carlo said he is working with his homeowner’s association to remove the carcasses to keep his family and neighbors safe.

The Count on 2 Investigators did reach out to the HOA property manager to see what other avenues they are taking since SCDNR and DHEC will not remove the dead vultures.

We have yet to hear back.