Mobile Home Sales in Kingstree, SC

Andrews native, Yatta Gayflor opened a daycare in her home during the pandemic. In three years, she quickly grew from a daycare serving a few children to A Mother’s Touch Resource Center that provides learning opportunities and mentorship for children ages 5-18 years and older. The center serves around 35 children of the Kingstree community.

Gayflor attended Greenville Technical College and Florence Darlington Technical College and studied early childhood development. She is a member of New Covenant Christian Fellowship Ministries and Mu Alpha Mu Multicultural Christian Sorority. She serves on the boards of Community Action Volunteer Experience (CAVE) and Hearts That Care of South Carolina.

She grew up around a lot of children, and has a 10-year-old son of her own. “I have been planning to start my childcare business for so long that it kept me up at night dreaming about what it would be like,” she says. She didn’t just want to just help children with homework, she wanted to teach life skills and build good citizens. “A mentor is an extra parent or big brother or sister. We make sure that they know what is going on in the world so we can better prepare them,” she says

Her students learn how to do their own laundry, to count money and how to make change, how to use the library.

“Instead of buying snacks and ramen noodles, we create a list so our kids can learn to grocery shop, be healthy, and know how manage their money,” she says.

Students learn about teamwork and volunteerism. She is always looking for local events that need volunteers, and loves partnering with local businesses for educational field trips. She is working with Lowcountry Medical Center on July 17 to hold a CPR Class for her kids.

She spends extra time with the older group to help them navigate the particular issues of teen years -bullying and peer pressure. She helps them get ready for college. “First-time college students should have a huge support system because there is so much happening,” she says.

The biggest reward for Gayflor is to attend her kids’ award ceremonies. She sees her lessons spread from child to child in school. Success is contagious. She works with her kids on mental health and self-esteem. She matches kids with mentors that are accountability partners to help the young adults navigate through life.

A Mother’s Touch continues to grow. Gayflor has added library, museum and college tours. She takes the kids to community events. “Our outings help broaden our children’s mind so that they know there are endless possibilities, opportunities, and resources that’s accessible to us,” she says. She is currently in need of two 12-15 seat passenger vans or a bus to transport students and continue to provide exciting opportunities for them.

This summer she is offering a summer literacy program for grades first to fourth that focuses on reading, math and science. The cost is $25 per week, per child. And there is still room in the program for more students.

The afterschool program is offered year-round at the Way Makers Community Center from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. for working parents. There is a commitment fee of $40 a week per child. The Saturday Exploration program is held twice a month at the cost of $50 per child. This year students are going to be studying the brain, heart, spine, foot, and lungs. They will also build mini farms, gardens, and cities. The children will have a chance to “Travel around the world with Miss G” in Kingstree. Every month she also hosts an event at Burger Kings so the kids can dance, chat over food and bond over planned activities.

Community members can purchase a $5 hand to support the Mother’s Touch All Hands On Deck campaign. The goal is $3,500.00, and hands will be posted on the center’s boards to let the kids know they are supported and cared for.

For information about available programs for kids ages 5 to 18, for information on how to become a mentor, or for donation or community partnership information, call (843) 401-9747, or email Yatta Gayflor at amtexperience29556@gmail.com.

The doors to MUSC Black River Medical Center opened January 17, 2023, and within 17 minutes, the hospital saw its first patient. There have been 9,131 emergency room visits and 608 inpatient visits since opening day, reports Allen Abernethy, Executive Director of MUSC Black River Medical Center. 12,421 image studies have been made and 202 surgical procedures have been performed. 41,000 patient labs have been processed.

The new hospital was built to merge Williamsburg Regional of Kingstree and Lake City Community Hospital into one state-of-the-art hospital under the umbrella of the Medical University of South Carolina Health. Located between the two towns, the 64,000 square foot facility sits on 20 cleared acres of land, with 20 more to spare. It is poised for growth. There are plans to expand the inpatient wing, surgery and emergency departments to meet the growing medical needs of Williamsburg County, and surrounding areas.

All aspects of the design of the building are to make healthcare more efficient and affordable, without losing the personal touch of a caring staff. Patient monitors are mounted to the wall in each room with technology that allows for monitoring patients both on site and off site, when needed. Patient real-time information is uploaded directly to their chart.

All patient rooms have natural light and commissioned pieces by local artists on the walls. “We wanted the whole hospital to be patient friendly, and it is at every turn,” says Abernethy.

All of the design work was done during 2020 during COVID. Patient advocates were a part of the whole process. Discharge is located in a separate exit by the back of the building, so patients don’t have to interact with the public as they leave the hospital. Patient flow is managed strategically. Stroke patients have immediate access to CT as they enter the building from the ambulance bay. The sooner the test is run, the better chance of recovery. MUSC Black River leads all MUSC Emergency Rooms with their satisfaction scores. Around 60 patients are seen a day in the emergency department.

“A lot of hospitals have space limitations in their Emergency Department. We can flex up to 20 beds. It’s a good size for this community,” he says. The average door to bed time is 33 minutes, and the average door to provider time is 43 minutes.

The hospital has the first MRI ever in Williamsburg County and it is already scheduled at 80% of its capacity. 3D mammography is available and has a dedicated wing. “This service was historically unknown to these communities. We’ve done more mammograms in six months here than all my years in Williamsburg Regional,” he says. It concerns him that women were either forgoing care, or driving long distances for healthcare before. The hospital also offers fluoroscopy nuclear medicine, general surgery, and orthopedic, podiatry and gastroenterology surgical services.

Patient rooms are designed with privacy and comfort in mind. Emergency department rooms have sliding doors. Walls go all the way to the top of the building, instead of to the drop ceiling for sound barrier. Inpatient rooms have pull out couches and recliners for patients and their families. There is even a room to handle larger individuals who might need additional room or structural help to be lifted and moved. Towels folded in the shape of a swan or dinosaur greet patients in their rooms, just as an added touch of hospitality. The hospital’s cafeteria is open to the public and has outdoor patio seating.

MUSC Black River Medical Center was built to merge Williamsburg Regional Hospital and Lake City Community Hospital. Williamsburg Regional was damaged by the 1,000-year flood. The hospital was operating out of temporary structures, when the deal with MUSC was penned.

Abernethy says one more important piece at the hospital is yet to come. An Honor Wall will be installed in the entrance hall to honor the legacy of both hospitals, state and federal government and local philanthropic organizations that made the hospital possible.

The Kingstree Beautification Commission has selected Emma R. Murray’s yard at 305 Boone Street as May 2023 ‘Yard of the Month.’

Ms. Murray has lived at this residence for 17 years. She relocated here from New Jersey in 2006, when she retired as a schoolteacher. The yard is manicured and adorned with topiary spiraled cedars, daylilies, and sago palms along the front. Completed with two Japanese Maples and a ‘running’ rose bush along the side. A landscaper was hired to assist in the design and upkeep of the property. Ms. Murray enjoys traveling and working on her potted plants, which she sells to the market.

The Yard of the Month Program runs from April through September. Members of the Kingstree Beautification Commission select the yards to be recognized. This recognition is awarded to residents who have exceeded the average effort of maintaining their yards, but diligently work to make their yards and the town of Kingstree a more beautiful place.

Nominations for Yard of the Month may be made to any commission member or by contacting the Town of Kingstree. The Kingstree Beautification Commission members are appointed by Kingstree Town Council and serve as an advisory initiative, and encourage the beautification and improvement of the appearance of the town and its entrances.

Kingstree Middle Magnet School of the Arts is pleased to announce that six of its FBLA students recently attended to the 2023 FBLA-PBL National Leadership Conference.

The conference was held on June 27 - 30 in Atlanta, Georgia. The theme was: One Association for Service, Education, & Progress.

The KMMSA students and FBLA - ML competitions were: Jordan Johnson-Douglas (Leadership), Tra’eh Alston (Learning Strategies), Early Brown III and Paul McKnight (Critical Thinking Team), Akshith Vipin (Career Exploration), Neveah Cunningham (Business Etiquette), and Kennedy Burgess (participated in open events Special thanks to the advisers: Ms. Kim Hamilton, Ms. Merrilyn Bradley, and Ms. Quintina McKnight for the commitment and dedication to the students.

Kingstree Middle Magnet School of the Arts is extremely proud of all of the students and their accomplishments.

There are only 18 summers in childhood. How will you make this one count? The school year in SC ended at the end of May and the Felician Center geared up with a few camps for the kids in June.

First there was a READING, MATH, SCIENCE CAMP for the children registered in the Learning Center. Organized by Sister Susanne and Sister Carol, volunteers were brought in for fun instruction in the academic areas. The kids had creative and fun approaches to classroom learnings. One highlight was Kat Tisdale, retired educator, who did a fingerprinting activity demonstrating the uniqueness of each child. The younger students studied the stages of the butterfly and created butterflies with a photo of themselves as the body of the beautiful creature.

Stories were read, vocabulary studied, comprehension tested and math solving with volunteers Claire Tejero, Kathy McClary, Emma Miller, and Marian Wilson. Sister Johnna directed some activities during personal computer time with the children.

To celebrate their successful camp days, the children were treated to an inflatable water slide on the last day.

A second week was designated MUSIC CAMP directed by Darby Ward, music director of Kingstree Methodist Church. In just a few days, the children learned some music theory, singing with some soloists and harmonies, accompanied by a few drummers, ukuleles, kazoos, and tin whistles. There was a hokey pokey dance and cha cha slide.

Sister Carol was the kazoo instructor. Emma Miller and Marian Wilson taught a few dances. Kathy McClary assisted with serving snacks and much more.

On the last day of camp, parents/guardians and board members Mary Lisa McGill, Sellecia Pressley, Jean Nexsen and Kathy McClary came to enjoy the musical program from the children’s learnings.

In addition, the children are eligible for summer kid friendly grocery bags on Fridays for eight weeks. The St. Francis Fund sponsored by Felician Services completed its three-year grant funding to the Felician Center with providing the summer of 2023 with these blessings. They helped to make sure this summer counts for our rural, economically disadvantaged, kids in Kingstree.

Final touches on exhibits are underway at The African American Archives of Williamsburg. Located to the left of the Williamsburg Historical Society Museum at 127 Hampton Avenue in Kingstree, SC, the Archives focuses on preserving the voices of Black and African American people in Williamsburg County, past and present, famous and not-so-famous. A ribbon cutting for the new space will take place on June 23, at 5:30 p.m. as a part of a two-day African American Heritage Celebration presented by the Williamsburg Historical Society and C. Williams Rush African American Museum.

Author Gordon Rhea will speak at the ribbon cutting and be available for book signings. He is the author of “Black Freedom Fighter” a biography about Stephen A. Swails. Swails was the first African American commissioned as a combat officer in the United States military, and after the Civil War became the mayor of Kingstree. He also served as a SC State Senator for 10 years and served three terms as President Pro Tem. Swails’ family is one of three families whose ancestries are traced on the walls of the Archives. The Waiters Boyd family and Anthony Tisdale Shaw family genealogy are also on display. As visitors move through the museum, they experience the history of Williamsburg County, precolonial times to current day, through the story of the African Americans who have lived there.

Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Kingstree in May 1966. Visitors are invited to watch his “March on the Ballot Boxes” speech in one of the installations.

“Sixty-five percent of this county is African American. To ignore that history is a mistake,” says Billy Jenkinson, who has been a part of the historical society close to 50 years.

Wendell Voiselle, Director of the Historical Society says, “We had some African American artifacts, but not a lot. We needed to dig around and get more history of the African American people of Williamsburg County.” He is passionate about the mission to preserve protect and present the history of the county. “To do that we need to make a more concerted effort to get that information. There is a block before 1870, and not a lot of information that you can find. That is why it is important to get the stories from individual families.”

One of the exhibits at the Archives encourages community members to sit down with their relatives and friends in the recording booth and ask questions, tell stories, record history. The interviews are then archived for generations to come. It’s the community’s opportunity to help tell the story of the county.

“Williamsburg means everybody,” says Voiselle. “This is a way of redirecting that, and we have a focus now with the new building.”

The Archives is not only a museum, it is a community space available for meetings and events. It’s a space to be shared.

“It’s not only useful for the African American community but for all the community,” he says.

For more information on the ribbon cutting, opening celebration, and a list of all African American Heritage Celebration weekend activities, visit Williamsburg Historical Museum’s Facebook page. For additional Historical Museum information or questions, please visit www.williamsburgsc.org/museum or call (843) 355-3306.

The African American Heritage Celebration is taking place June 23-24 on Hampton Street in downtown Kingstree. Presented by the Williamsburg Historical Society and C. Williams Rush African American Museum, the event features guest speakers, performances, exhibits, food and family friendly activities. All of the museums will be open, including the African American Archives.

Friday afternoon kicks off with a ribbon cutting at the new African American Archives of Williamsburg. Author and historian, Gordon Rhea will speak and stick around for book signings. He wrote “Black Freedom Fighter” a biography of Stephen A. Swails. Swails was the first African American commissioned combat officer in the United States military. He served as mayor of Kingstree, and also as a State Senator for 10 years. One of the exhibits in the Archives traces the family lineage of Swails. A reception for donors, partners and friends of the Archives will follow the ribbon cutting.

On Saturday morning, the Kingstree High School Band will perform followed by performances and presentations by Glander Pressley, Wilson Family, Jackie Mikell, Jerusalem Choir, Community Choir. Judge Clifton Newman will give a keynote speech at noon. He is the South Carolina Circuit Judge born in Kingstree, who famously resided over the double homicide trial of Alex Murdaugh.

Joseph McGill, Jr. a Kingstree native and national expert on slavery, will speak at 2pm. He recently co-wrote a book entitled “Sleeping with the Ancestors: I Followed the Footprints of Slavery.” He is currently the history and culture coordinator at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, SC. He also travels the country sleeping in slave quarters at historical sites to bring awareness to the importance of African American history to our country. McGill encourages families to trace their own ancestry to know fully who they are.

At the Archives, visitors can sit in a sound booth and record conversations with family members which will be stored in the archives at the facility for generations to come. Wendell Voiselle, Director of the Williamsburg Historical Society, says he hopes people will use the Archives as a tool to research and record their ancestry and learn more about the history of Williamsburg County.

For a times and more information on offerings at the two day African American Heritage Celebration see the full schedule of events, or call 843-355-3306.

African American Heritage Festival Schedule of Events

Black Music Month & Juneteenth Celebrations

C Williams Rush Museum of African-American Arts & Culture

Friday, June 23, 2023

1:00 pm Juneteenth Celebration

2:00 pm Celebrating Williamsburg County Music & Musicians

3:00 pm Bio and Music of Teddy Pendergrass and Amos White of Jenkins Orphanage

4:00 pm Bio and Music of Dr. Nakia S. Verner and Ms. Kalifa Wilson

5:00 pm Bio and Music of Joshua Rogers and Gospel Quartets

6:00 pm 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop

African American Heritage Celebration - Hampton Street

Friday, June 23, 2023

5:30 pm Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening for the African American Archives

Saturday, June 24, 2023

10:00 am Welcome Ceremony

10:30 am Kingstree High River of Soul Marching Band

11:00 am Glander Pressley, Gullah interpreter

11:30 am Wilson Family Singers

12:00 am Keynote Speaker, The Honorable Clifton Newman

12:30 pm Jackie Mikell, Storyteller

1:00 pm Jerusalem Choir

1:30 pm Community Choir

2:00 pm Joe McGill, historian and author

At the May 15, Kingstree Town Council meeting, local citizens expressed concern over the state of the unsafe sidewalks and roads in Kingstree’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.

Dr. Latonia Davis, business owner at Encore Music Suite, a recording studio at 105 W. Main Street spoke at the meeting. She has witnessed numerous people stumble and fall in front of her business due to uneven sidewalks. She hoped the problem could be fixed quickly before anyone else was injured.

Four days later, Kingstree Town Manager Richard Treme was on site to assess the situation. The City put out hazard cones. Because South Carolina Department of Transportation was ultimately responsible for the sidewalks and the streets in the city, she submitted a maintenance request with SCDOT. She also started a petition for sidewalk improvements.

In the petition she wrote, “The citizens within the Town of Kingstree are currently affected by chipped, cracked and uneven sidewalks throughout the city limits. Some of these sidewalks are so severely damaged and in need of immediate repairs that many citizens have fallen, suffered from minor to severe injuries.”

Dr. Davis also addressed the issue of light poles being in the center of some sidewalks making it impossible for citizens with disabilities to safely walk down the sidewalk. South Carolina is the fourth most dangerous state for pedestrians, according to data from the National Highway Safety Administration.

SCDOT responded to her maintenance request this week with action. On Wednesday, June 7, an email from Kelly Moore, Public Relations with SCDOT, states,” SCDOT crews are beginning some sidewalk repair work tomorrow on Main Street that will include addressing safety issues or trip hazards along the corridor.”

Dr. Davis is relieved, but is still concerned about the sidewalks around the city, not just the ones on Main Street. She believes they should be safe for all citizens.

According to SCDOT, the power pole issue is a little more complicated. It is likely a right-of-way matter. “Both the utility companies and SCDOT have to work within the right-of-way. SCDOT continues to work closely with local officials and residents to address these and other related concerns,” says Moore.

Davis says her advice to anyone seeing a problem would be to find out who their Town or County Councilman or woman is and report the problem to them. Or show up at Town and County meetings and voice the concerns there. “If they don’t know about a problem, how can they fix it or find a solution,” she says.

“Those individuals who hold leadership roles need our help in order to bring any type of change to our Town or County to make it a better place to live. All it takes is to show up at these meetings. Now we know they are listening.”

She says she is more than pleased with the outcome of her efforts. “I take my hat off to Williamsburg County SCDOT and their crew. They did an awesome job in getting the sidewalk repaired.”

Davis plans to continue to work on having the rest of the downtown sidewalks fixed for the safety of her fellow citizens.

To submit a maintenance request for sidewalks and roads, visit www.scdot.org/business/maintenance.aspx.