Buying a new home is a big deal. For many homeowners, it's one of the most important decisions they ever make. When it comes to such a substantial choice, there are a lot of factors to consider, like:
Getting the answers to those questions can be hard but finding a trustworthy manufactured home company can be even more challenging. Sure, you could settle for a fly-by-night company or a shady mobile home dealer. But if you're like most folks, you want to work with a reliable company that has been in business for years. You need a team of professionals who can answer your questions, address your concerns, and sell you a quality home that will keep your family safe and sound.
Welcome to Ken-Co Homes Inc. - your premier choice for mobile home sales in Turbeville, SC. Ken-Co Homes has been Lake City's go-to manufactured home since 1974. With several locations in South Carolina, we're the first choice for manufactured homes in the state. As longtime locals in the community, we pride ourselves on honesty, hard work, and running a manufactured home business that you can count on.
There's no secret sauce that makes Ken-Co Homes successful. We work hard, sell the finest Clayton, Destiny, Scotbilt, Homes, and treat our customers like we would like to be treated. That's why, when you meet our team for your home tour, you'll be treated with respect and greeted with a warm smile. Whether you have questions regarding financing or the fit and finish of a floorplan, we'll maintain that same level of kindness, courtesy, and honesty. That way, you know for sure that you have invested in a top-notch manufactured home that your family will love.
Unlike other manufactured home dealers, we have a full selection of Clayton Homes for sale with attractive floor plans to fit your unique lifestyle. When you choose Ken-Co Homes, you're also choosing:
We offer our valued customers a $500 guarantee that we will meet or beat ANY competitor who has a lower price on one of our homes with the same options. Don't believe us? Contact our office today!
With decades of combined experience, our team has the tools and know-how to make your buying process smooth and stress-free.
Buying a home can be challenging, especially with travel logistics and other factors at play. Our team can help answer any questions you have about buying a home and transporting it to a park or piece of private land.
When you buy from Ken-Co Homes, you're investing in a high-quality product that your family will love for years to come. With more than a dozen home choices, you're sure to find a new home that matches your lifestyle.
We'll work with you one-on-one to ensure you get the home of your dreams. If you have questions or concerns once you move in, give us a call - we're here to help.
We offer detail-oriented, experienced set-up crews that make living life in your new home easy and efficient.
At Ken-Co Homes, we offer flexible financing options to help make buying your dream home a reality.
Whether you're looking for a smaller two-bedroom manufactured home or a large, luxurious four-bedroom manufactured home, our friendly consultants are ready to help you build the home of your dreams.
"Is there a difference between a mobile home and a manufactured home?" is one of the most common questions we get online and in person. Today, many people use mobile home and manufactured home interchangeably. That's understandable because both types of homes share similar features and benefits for homeowners. However, understanding the minor differences can be valuable when searching for a new place to call home.
Unlike site-built homes, manufactured homes are built in a factory. Once completed, they're shipped to a specific location where the homeowner will live. The term "manufactured home" refers to any factory-built home constructed after June 15, 1976. That date is when the HUD or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development implemented guidelines centered around manufactured home construction.
HUD code requires manufactured homes to be constructed on a base frame with wheels with a minimum of 320 square feet.
Thanks to fast build times and lower material costs, manufactured homes for sale in Turbeville, SC is often more cost-effective for home buyers. Compared to traditional site-built homes, many manufactured homes can be up to 35% less than more traditional houses.
Any mobile homes built after June 15, 1976, are considered manufactured homes today, though many people use the term mobile home casually. In the past, these homes were used to travel and were more like the expensive RVs that people use today than true manufactured homes. Back then, mobile homes received a bad reputation due to poor build quality, but they've come a long way since that time. Today, mobile homes are safe, comfortable, and structurally sound, with many types of amenities and floor plans.
Manufactured homes are more popular in the U.S. than ever, and for good reason: prospective homeowners are looking for affordable, quality alternatives to traditional homes. That's especially true today, with inflation on the rise, necessitating more budget-friendly options for anyone who wants to put a roof over their heads.
If you're used to living in a traditional, site-built home, you may be wondering what the advantages are of buying a manufactured home. Here are just a few of the most common benefits of buying a manufactured home:
When you boil it down to the basics, buying a new home is all about the money. One of the most attractive reasons for buying a manufactured home is that they are often much less expensive than traditional site-built homes. Today, manufactured housing is considered a crucial part of the housing shortage solution and a viable option with inflation rising. According to statistics, the average square-foot cost of a site-built home is $107, while the average price is only $49 in a manufactured home. Whether you're sticking to a strict budget or your finances have changed due to poor economic conditions, going manufactured might be your best choice.
Owning a manufactured home gives the homeowner long-term living options. Because basic manufactured homes are usually very affordable, families with enough land can start with a small home and add additional units as their needs change. Manufactured homes are also great as starter homes, especially for families that plan on building a permanent structure on their land in the future. Though it could be logistically challenging, manufactured homes can also be moved to a different site if the initial one was on rented property.
Manufactured homes have received a bad rap over the last few decades. In reality, most manufactured homes are purpose-built for longevity with structural integrity. Every manufactured home built today is subject to the HUD code adopted in 1976. This code is the only federally-mandated code in existence. It was designed to ensure that manufactured homes meet strict standards regarding fire safety, structural design, energy efficiency, transportation to home sites, and overall construction. All manufactured homes sold in the U.S. have a permanent red seal to confirm they meet HUD standards.
When you buy a manufactured home, you may be able to move in faster than you would via traditional routes. Some manufactured homes are even move-in ready in less than 45 days. Compared to a traditional home, once a new manufactured home is built in the factory, buyers usually find that installation is a quick process. Once the manufactured home is delivered, utility work usually moves quickly, regardless of whether you're moving to a park or transporting your home to a piece of land. Before you know it, you're eating, sleeping, and enjoying life in your new manufactured home.
When asked about the pros and cons, many buyers cite energy efficiency as one of the most significant benefits of owning a manufactured home. In general, manufactured housing is more energy efficient than traditional because HUD mandates ensure that homes have high energy efficiency ratings.
These ratings are achieved through upgraded insulation installation, on-demand water heaters, and energy-efficient windows. These upgrades often make entire manufactured homes Energy Star certified. It's no surprise that manufactured homes are 27% more efficient than they used to be with other additions like energy-saving appliances in kitchens and bathrooms.
If you've ever lived in an apartment complex before, chances are you heard sounds and noises through your walls that you never wanted to hear. If you hate hearing your neighbors and despise thin walls, looking for mobile home sales in Turbeville, SC is a great idea. Why? Manufactured homes are typically built using separate modules, which reduces sound transference from room to room. When two or more modules are combined and insulated separately, buyers enjoy an even quieter, stronger home with less outside noise.
If there's one disappointing aspect of manufactured homes, the stigma seems to surround them. Yes, mobile homes from 30 or more years ago aren't exactly marvels of construction and deserve to be criticized. However, modern manufactured homes are cut from a different cloth and are often every bit as safe and luxurious as site-built homes.
Here are some of the most common (and annoying) mobile home myths debunked:
Modern manufactured homes are factory-built homes crafted with quality materials that meet comprehensive federal construction and safety standards. These standards, called the "HUD Code," outline how the homes must be built, including safety guidelines. For example, manufactured home builders must take strict measures to ensure their homes are resistant to wind. In terms of hurricanes and tornados, having such measures in place can prevent a tragedy from happening.
The bottom line is that manufactured homes are plenty safe and provide a quality product to people who want a lower-cost option over traditional housing.
One of the most repeated myths surrounding manufactured homes is that they are in poor shape and have an overall poor quality. Today, many manufactured homes are built with quality materials and care. It's not unusual to find a manufactured home with luxurious amenities and features lie state-of-the-art kitchens, high-end appliances, and chic open floor plans. At Ken-Co Homes, we can provide you with a complete list of available upgrades and amenities for you to enjoy in your new home.
Perhaps it's due to their popularity and lower prices, but we often hear that it's hard to find manufactured homes for sale. As seasoned home dealers, we can say this is categorically false. Whether you head over to Google and search for "mobile homes near me in Turbeville, SC," or simply head to Ken-Co Homes' website, you'll see plenty of homes to choose from. Contact our office today for a full list of our homes for sale!
When it comes to home prices in today's day and age, manufactured homes are among the most affordable options available.
That's because manufactured homes cost less to construct than site-built homes, with the average price costing $92K for new construction and $60K for a pre-owned manufactured home, according to recent data. The cost of a traditional home is much higher, with an average of $408K, according to Statista data from 2021. Even though manufactured home living costs change depending on the community, they're often much less expensive than their site-built cousins in the long run.
This myth parallels the stereotype that manufactured homes are cheap and poorly built. Unfortunately, many people still believe that living in a manufactured home community isn't safe. They think that the parks are run down and riddled with reprobates. In reality, many manufactured home parks mimic gated communities with 24-hour security and mandated quiet hours. Some manufactured home neighborhoods even offer community-wide amenities like spas and pools. If you're a fan of the gated community lifestyle but don't want to pay hundreds of thousands for a site-built home, a manufactured home community could be your best bet.
Are you giving serious thought to buying a manufactured home for sale in South Carolina? You're not alone - more than 365K people in the Palmetto State live in manufactured homes. At Ken-Co Homes Inc., we're not your average run-of-the-mill manufactured home dealer. We only do business with manufacturing partners committed to building top-quality products that our customers are proud to own.
If you're looking for modern amenities, energy-efficient appliances, unique floorplans, and homes constructed with quality materials, Ken-Co Homes is the company for you. Contact our office today to learn more about our beautiful Clayton homes for sale in Turbeville, SC.
A pilot exercise program for people with Parkinson's disease was introduced during the fall semester by East Carolina University’s College of Allied Health Sciences to help patients with the negative effects of the illness and is now hoping to receive funding for its continuity.Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy Amy Wedge said she was the faculty advisor for the pilot program. She said Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that controls unintended or uncontrollable movements.“Parkinson's dise...
A pilot exercise program for people with Parkinson's disease was introduced during the fall semester by East Carolina University’s College of Allied Health Sciences to help patients with the negative effects of the illness and is now hoping to receive funding for its continuity.
Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy Amy Wedge said she was the faculty advisor for the pilot program. She said Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that controls unintended or uncontrollable movements.
“Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects an area of the brain called the substantia nigra, where a neurotransmitter dopamine, which is very important for movement, is diminished,” Wedge said. “Many people associate the disease with stiffness, shuffling and tremors.”
The pilot program has been in the works for the past five years, Wedge said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she said the program had to be postponed. With the help of two graduate students, she said, the project was finally able to take place last year.
To help delay the progression of the disease, Wedge said, body movement is an essential part. Within eastern North Carolina, she said there aren’t a lot of programs that help people with Parkinson’s disease.
“We wanted to build something for people in the community to be able to help them manage their symptoms,” Wedge said. “It’s important to us to give people their independence back because the disease slows down any kind of movement, even things like getting dressed in the morning or taking a shower.”
Wedge said the pilot program was part of a Health Promotion class led by Christine Lysaght, a clinical associate professor for ECU’s College of Allied Health Sciences. She said the class is designed to create a project for the community or help facilitate one that’s already established.
The main focus of the Parkinson’s program was to provide service, exercise and activities, Wedge said, due to the fact that social isolation and loneliness can make the disease worse. She said the rates of anxiety and depression can be heightened easily by the disease.
“We wanted people to come together and be able to exercise,” Wedge said. “But also to give them a space to make friends with other patients who have the same disease. The activities we offered focused on regaining strength back, physically and mentally. We wanted our patients to know this is a safe place where they can share their feelings.”
The participants were patients from the physical therapy division of ECU’s Health Science Campus, Wedge said. Since this program was part of the clinic's pro-bono service, she said, it was free of charge.
The equipment and resources were provided by the Health Sciences Campus, Wedge said. She said there was no additional funding needed for the pilot program.
“Everything we needed for the exercises and activities came from the physical and occupational therapy departments,” Wedge said. We borrowed what we needed, which was great because we didn’t have to organize new things. We made this work with the things we already had.”
Wedge said a total of three female patients were involved in the program. Before they started with the classes, she said everyone had to go through a screening process.
The screening process provided the information needed to know each patient will stay and be safe throughout the program, Wedge said.
“We wanted to work in a small group to make sure we can figure out the little things that need to be improved,” Wedge said. “Since this was a pilot program, it was important to us to figure out timing and what a patient might be comfortable with or not. It really gave us an idea of how we can make this work better in the future.”
Assistant Professor at the Department for Occupational Therapy Lauren Turbeville said she also helped with the development of the pilot program.
Turbeville said she and Wedge are hoping to be able to extend the program to the fall 2023 semester.
“We are going to submit an application for a grant through the Parkinson’s Foundation,” Turbeville said. “Hopefully, we will receive funding to continue the program and make it a little bit larger. We would also like to intertwine other elements into it.”
Plans involve running the program for eight weeks in the fall and for eight weeks in the spring, Turberville said.
If no funding will be received, Turberville said, she is hoping some smaller kind of class will still be available.
“So far, it’s a program for the people,” Turberville said. “People are really getting this well-rounded and great practice to fight a disease that limits so many aspects in one’s life.”
For the further future, Turberville said, she can see using the program as a foundation as a research study. She said she would like to collect data and reports to share them with other therapists to help even more people with Parkinson’s.
Paxton Dettor, a graduate student in physical therapy, said she was in the Health Promotion class and was one of the instructors for the Parkinson’s pilot program. She said she enjoyed helping develop the project.
“We really just had one semester to bring this idea to reality and get the ball moving,” Dettor said. “A lot of work was done previously by some other students but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We kind of took over the program and developed it more. Our overall goal was to make the project happen and figure out what we need and should include in the future.”
Because the focus laid more on the development, Dettor said, everyone involved wasn’t expecting to see a lot of physical improvement.
Rather than physical improvement patients were able to work on their emotional health, Dettor said.
“I think more than anything, we saw a lot of emotional improvements,” Dettor said. “We loved hearing the participants telling us about the impact that this class had on them. We had two people in the clinic meet and exchange their phone numbers. It was really cool to see them be empowered and be excited.”
The knowledge and experience gained, Dettor said, will most definitely help her in the future as a physical therapist. She said without the pilot program, she wouldn’t have been able to study the disease so closely and timely.
For more information about the pilot Parkinson’s program, interested readers should contact Amy Wedge through email. Contributions can be made through the Department of Physical Therapy on their website.
Former East Carolina University quarterback Holton Ahlers was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2023 National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Collegiate Bowl game on Jan. 28 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.
Ahlers was selected to the American Team where he led the red uniforms to a 19-17 victory over the blue-uniformed National Team. The 2023 game was only the second time that the American Team has defeated the National Team in the game’s 11 year history. The annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl has been held at the Rose Bowl Stadium since its inception.
The former Pirate completed nine of 12 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. In addition to his yards gained from the air, he also rushed 22 yards including a 15 yard first down carry.
Earlier in the season, Ahlers was named MVP of the Birmingham Bowl where East Carolina University defeated Coastal Carolina University by a score of 53-29 on Dec. 27 and was named MVP of the 2023 Hula Bowl as he led his team to a 16-13 win on Jan. 14.
The last collegiate basketball fans saw of the South Carolina Gamecocks was done through tricolored confetti and pieces of basketball nets. Make no doubt about it, that’s exactly what the Gamecocks want again.“In reality, winning a national championship is what everyone comes to South Carolina for so we just want to run it back,” center Aliyah Boston...
The last collegiate basketball fans saw of the South Carolina Gamecocks was done through tricolored confetti and pieces of basketball nets. Make no doubt about it, that’s exactly what the Gamecocks want again.
“In reality, winning a national championship is what everyone comes to South Carolina for so we just want to run it back,” center Aliyah Boston told Yahoo Sports, through her partnership with Orangetheory announced Thursday, of the goals for the season.
And they have the squad to do it. South Carolina is ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll and the clear favorite to repeat as champions when the season concludes in Dallas at the Final Four in April. It’s in large part because it has most of that championship team back and features one of the best, most experienced frontcourts in the nation.
The 6-foot-5 Boston (16.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg), who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player and the unanimous national player of the year in 2021-22, returns for her senior campaign. She’s one of four returning senior starters, including 5-9 guard Zia Cooke, 6-2 forward Victaria Saxton and 6-1 guard Brea Beal. The first two off the bench in 6-4 senior forward Laeticia Amihere and 6-7 junior center Kamilla Cardoso also return.
The one major hole they’ll need to fill is that of starting point guard Destanni Henderson, a key shooter in the title game who was drafted by the Indiana Fever a week later. Henderson, known as “Henny,” averaged the most minutes of any Gamecock with a team-high 3.6 assists and second-best 11.5 points per game.
“Henny was a big part of what we did, but I think a lot of people have stepped up,” Boston, named a unanimous preseason All-American, said.
If South Carolina runs it back, it will join elite powerhouse programs Connecticut, Tennessee and USC as the only back-to-back champions in the women’s game. The Gamecocks attempted to join that club after their 2017 national title, but were crushed by UConn in the regional final despite 27 points from A’ja Wilson, now a two-time WNBA MVP.
“There are not very many teams that have repeated. We want to be in that number,” head coach Dawn Staley said at SEC media day last month. “We’ve never been here in our program. Well, yeah, we have. The first time around didn’t turn out too good. So we want to be better than we were the first time around. We’ve got a lot more firepower to do that.”
When South Carolina ousted UConn for its second title last year, it cemented the program as a new powerhouse. But for dynasty status, which at its loftiest is the 11 championships won by the Huskies, there needs to be more. And now is the prime time to solidify it.
“To be a dynasty, I do think you’ve got to have a little back-to-back championship in you,” Staley said last month. “I do think you have to have sustained success in your conference, in the type of conference that we have.
“When it comes to attracting the best, it’s dynasty-like. It’s dynasty-like. I don’t think we can deem ourselves [a dynasty] just yet.”
That top-notch recruiting includes 6-3 freshman forward Ashlyn Watkins, a Columbia, S.C., native ranked 12th in the 2022 class by HoopGurlz, and 6-0 point guard Talaysia Cooper, ranked 18th out of nearby Turbeville, S.C. Kierra Fletcher, the 2017 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year, joined as a graduate transfer from Georgia Tech.
South Carolina is joined in the preseason poll by conference foes No. 5 Tennessee and No. 16 LSU. Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Ole Miss all received votes.
“SEC games are still important,” Boston told Yahoo Sports. “We still want to make sure we’re winning that, staying on top of the ball with that.”
The Gamecocks are the favorites by conference coaches to win the SEC again after doing it with a 15-1 mark marred only by a conference-opening loss to a shorthanded Missouri team. They stormed through the rest of the regular season schedule averaging a 21.9-point winning margin with four of at least 30-plus points.
But their run to a third consecutive conference tournament championship, and seventh in eight years, ended with a shocking upset to Kentucky. This is a league that prepares a team to win a national championship, Staley said.
“We know that every time we step on the floor, any of us, any of us can lose to any of us,” she said. “It just feels like the norm in SEC play.”
The Gamecocks tip off SEC play on Dec. 29 at home against Texas A&M. They draw Kentucky and Missouri for back-to-back games in January and await LSU, Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee during an 11-day stretch in February.
South Carolina will also have to navigate through tough nonconference opponents. Its second game of the season is No. 17 Maryland (Nov. 11, ESPN2), and a week later, the Gamecocks travel to No. 2 Stanford (Nov. 20) for an afternoon tilt on ABC. They’ll also play No. 23 South Dakota State (Dec. 15, ESPN2) and No. 6 UConn (Feb. 5, FOX).
The “big worry” Staley admitted she had was that the journey will be stale for this group. South Carolina’s trajectory the last three years has been that of incremental final steps to a championship it ultimately procured.
It was ranked No. 1 in the country when the NCAA canceled the 2020 tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It then came one last-second basket short of the title game in 2021, falling to eventual champion Stanford by one point. In April at Target Center in Minneapolis, the Gamecocks finally reached the summit.
“Once you’ve won and you return basically almost your entire team, you tend to want to take the beginning part of it, the journey, the meat and potatoes of the season lightly,” Staley said. “They haven’t shown signs of it, but we haven’t really been healthy-healthy, either. We’ve had our most successful seasons when we’ve been healthy.”
Staley said the first task will be for the Gamecocks to be healthy. Fletcher has a “couple nagging injuries,” Staley said, and Raven Johnson, the only point guard on the roster, is coming off an ACL tear that ended her freshman year. Then the coaching staff can evaluate the mood of the team and find ways to “keep this team engaged and challenged every day that we’re out there practicing.”
For the first time in NCAA history, the newly named champion players were able to spend the entirety of their offseasons on name, image and likeness deals.
Boston, who had a special moment post-championship with WNBA stars including Wilson and Candace Parker, was chief among them. Her latest deal with Orangetheory announced Thursday includes a customized “Shot Clock Aliyah Boston Workout” that will be available at participating studios only on Nov. 10.
The workout features Boston on a video visual aid screen in-studio and includes aspects of her offseason training regiment, including coach-led agility drills (a first for the company), reactive work and medicine ball partner exercises.
“Definitely some core because core plays an important role with us on the court,” Boston said. “So just things like that. I think it’s super fun.”
Boston first signed an NIL deal with Orangetheory in March 2022, a year after the company stepped in to offer studios and equipment to the NCAA women’s teams following news of the weight room inequality between it and the men’s tournament. It did the same for the Women’s College World Series.
“I think them doing this [workout] is kind of just showing how they are really just sticking with women and how they’re looking to make the world better and the sports world as well,” Boston said.
Staley said both Boston and Cooke are “making a lot of money” in the space. They and every player on the team will make at least $25,000 each after an NIL deal with the Gamecocks’ collective, Garnet Trust, and sports marketing firm NOCAP Sports was announced in September.
It’s a huge opportunity for women athletes who don’t go on to make as hefty of salaries in the professional leagues and have historically not been signed to many marketing deals.
The South Carolina women’s basketball team carries seven seniors on its roster with a combined 900 games of experience.After their impending departures, a new era of USC basketball will begin — a process that is already underway.South Carolina’s true freshmen — Ashlyn Watkins, Talaysia Cooper and Chloe Kitts — got a taste of postseason action for the first time ...
The South Carolina women’s basketball team carries seven seniors on its roster with a combined 900 games of experience.
After their impending departures, a new era of USC basketball will begin — a process that is already underway.
South Carolina’s true freshmen — Ashlyn Watkins, Talaysia Cooper and Chloe Kitts — got a taste of postseason action for the first time during the SEC tournament over the weekend as the Gamecocks brought home the conference championship.
Bon Secours Wellness Arena was filled with Gamecock fans and drew in more than 51,000 spectators across a five-day span. But the moment wasn’t nerve-racking for the first-year players.
“Coach (Dawn Staley) gets us right, so we’re not really freaking out or anything,” Kitts said. “No one is.”
Kitts joined the team during the season after graduating from high school early. She’s appeared in 14 games.
There have been difficulties in making the adjustment from high school to college, she said, but constant communication with Staley has helped. She’s spent this season focusing on ways to improve her game for next year.
“I still need to get bigger, stronger, better,” Kitts said.
Cooper, from Turbeville, has caught the attention of Staley by her willingness to constantly ask questions. She said she embraced her first minutes of collegiate postseason basketball during the conference tournament.
She’s been used as both a point guard and shooting guard for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina’s experienced players have stressed to Cooper to pay attention to small details.
“You have to do what you have to do on and off the court, because it’s gonna show on the court,” Cooper said.
Three of USC’s seniors — Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke and Brea Beal — started as freshmen. They won the SEC championship but were unable to compete in the NCAA tournament due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Six of the seven seniors on this year’s roster were on the team for the 2021 Final Four season and last year’s national championship team.
South Carolina’s veterans have already communicated the importance of the postseason to its younger players.
“Tournament time, SEC and NCAA, is much more intense,” Watkins said. “It matters more. Just have to be ready for any and everything. Playing back-to-back, it’s not like the regular season.
Watkins, who is from Columbia and attended Cardinal Newman, has played the most of the true freshmen, with 28 games and 11.3 minutes per game. She’s recorded two double-doubles this season and made the first dunk in program history.
“I’m learning a lot of different things,” Watkins said. “I’m learning to just sit and wait for my turn. But it’s good because I’m learning from experienced players.”
South Carolina will bring in Milaysia Fulwiley, Sanyah Jah and Tessa Johnson next season in its freshman class.
Kitts was originally a member of that class before joining the team early, so she’ll come into next year with a season under her belt. She said she looks forward to joining next year’s group with the knowledge that the seniors have given her thus far.
“I feel like I’m taking in a lot, because there’s a lot of leaders around me,” Kitts said. “They’re all pretty good leaders and they’re all leaving. I know I’m not gonna be a freshman next year. ... So I know I have to lead.”
Kathryn Turbeville is the most recent citizen to take the position as Mayor of Turbeville. A citizen since she moved there at seven years old, Turbeville hopes to bring some flare back to the town. Turbeville sat down for an Editors Office Interview to discuss what she had in mind for her next four years in office.Editor, Jake McElveen: You just took office, how does it feel?Kathryn Turbeville: Overwhelming, I want to make sure I do a great job.E: You were a council member before, what are some of the most significant di...
Kathryn Turbeville is the most recent citizen to take the position as Mayor of Turbeville. A citizen since she moved there at seven years old, Turbeville hopes to bring some flare back to the town. Turbeville sat down for an Editors Office Interview to discuss what she had in mind for her next four years in office.
Editor, Jake McElveen: You just took office, how does it feel?
Kathryn Turbeville: Overwhelming, I want to make sure I do a great job.
E: You were a council member before, what are some of the most significant differences that you've seen so far?
K: Just making sure day-to-day operations are going as they should. There are also a lot more phone calls coming to me now that used to not coming to me. But we have excellent staff and a great administrator that keep it rolling.
E: It's a lot more responsibility, though, right?
K: Yes, it is.
E: How do you, personally, make sure you are cool-headed through all of these new responsibilities.
K: Well, I pray a lot. A whole lot.
E: Well, that's important.
K: It is essential to me. I know that He is going to lead me to do the right things. But as far as being cool-headed, I need to learn to listen and solve any problems calmly if possible. That's about all I can do.
E: We talked about a month ago when you were in the process of being elected. So what preparations have you made since then or has it mostly been council work?
K: It has been mostly council work, but [previous mayor Dwayne Howell] has given me some advice and told me some things that need to happen. I'm mostly just getting my feet wet and learning new things as I go.
E: I spoke with him right before Christmas, and he seemed pretty confident with the person he was leaving it to.
K: Well, I take that as a great compliment.
E: He seems like he is happy with who is filling his shoes. Would you say you have big shoes to fill?
K: Yes. I would say anyone that takes on this position is going to have big shoes to fill. Previous mayors have done a fantastic job. I want to see the town move forward, and I know that we can do that.
E: You're coming in during what some would say is a controversial time for the Town of Turbeville, how are you going to navigate that?
K: You are always going to step on someone's toes. There are some things you have to do, whether you like to or not. In this small community, we have very few issues. The people that do not like the changes are entitled to their opinion, but I did what I thought was the best. Right now, these decisions are what's best. In two years, they might not be, and at that point, we will reevaluate, but right now, they are.
E: Okay, well, let's get into some history. How long have you been on the council?
K: Two years.
E: And now you have four years as Mayor?
K: Yes.
E: You were raised here?
K: Since I was seven.
E: Never left?
K: Lived out in the country and moved to town when I was 18.
E: So what, personally, all things considered, what are your motives as Mayor.
K: I want this town to be better. We are pretty good, but everyone can improve. I want to see us grow, if possible. That has always been an issue. We don't have any big industry except for Helena, so if we can get something going on that would be great.
E: I would like to see Big Screen on the Green again, is that still going on?
K: It's not. It needs to get started again, but a lot of things have just fallen off during the past few years. I think I could get the business association right back on track with that.
E: I remember there used to be a lot of events in Turbeville.
K: Yeah! And I don't know if we just kind of got relaxed, but we need more to happen here. Our big thing is the Puddin' Swamp Festival, but we need to do something more than just once a year. I'm sure Screen on the Green was made possible through a grant, and we need to use it.
E: So, goal-wise, what are some things you want to see in the next four years.
K: I want to see Main Street flourish. Fix up the faces of the buildings and do some other things, and I'm sure there are some grants out there for it. I work in another county, and they have this Small-town USA thing going on. You wouldn't believe it. It's only two streets so far, but they have hanging baskets and benches, and I want to see that in this town. Another project is Christmastime. I want to see some rearranging of how we set everything up, involve citizens and businesses.
E: Well, you're going to be attending a lot more conferences now, right?
K: That's what they tell me.
E: Have you felt like it is more than you bargained for?
K: Oh, definitely. People kept asking me why I would want to put so much more on my plate, and it's simply because I love this town, and I love these people. We have our faults, as does any other town, but I love us.
E: How has your family reacted?
K: Well, I know my daddy is proud, but he lives out of town. He gives me a lot of advice, not on how to run the town but how to handle situations. My husband and daughter go on with their daily lives; it's no big deal to them. They have mentioned that I get a lot of phone calls.
E: The past two mayors have served eight years, and I know its a big projection, but do you think that's in the works for you?
K: I honestly don't know. If I have some projects that I want to see finished, then I may run again, but I couldn't tell you.
E: One last question, if you could send a message to the Town of Turbeville, what would it be?
K: We are in this together; we are a team. I hope that everyone will help me achieve the goals that we need to accomplish in this town.
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In its last tuneup before the first game of the 2022-23 season, South Carolina women's basketball flexed its muscles against local Division II school Benedict.The Gamecocks won 123-32 in a halloween night exhibition game at Colonial Life Arena, led by 19 points apiece from Zia Cooke and Bree Hall and another 17 Sania Feagin points.Although the game did not count and the starters were only on the court for about 20 minutes apiece, there were a few takeawys from the evening. Here are three thoughts from the team now seven days ou...
In its last tuneup before the first game of the 2022-23 season, South Carolina women's basketball flexed its muscles against local Division II school Benedict.
The Gamecocks won 123-32 in a halloween night exhibition game at Colonial Life Arena, led by 19 points apiece from Zia Cooke and Bree Hall and another 17 Sania Feagin points.
Although the game did not count and the starters were only on the court for about 20 minutes apiece, there were a few takeawys from the evening. Here are three thoughts from the team now seven days out from its regular season opener against East Tennessee State.
The true freshman guard from Turbeville, South Carolina did not start, but she played X minutes and flashed all night.
In particular she was impressive taking on defenders off the dribble, using her quickness to force defenders on the back foot and create open lanes to the basket.
The offensive numbers will not completely reflect her performance -- Cooper finished with just 11 points -- but it was largely due to an inability to finish at the rim after maneuvering her way into advantageous positions.
Her energy carried over to the defense end, particularly with one impressive second half sequence where she recorded steals on back-to-back possessions. She finished the game with six steals, two blocks and several more deflections to wreck Benedict possessions.
"I think she just felt like a utility player that can do a little bit of everything," head coach Dawn Staley said. "I think that the best thing about Coop is she competes. She competes. When you compete, you find a way to impact, so she'll play. We don't have very many guards. We have more bigs than we do guards, so the guards have a really good opportunity to play. They just have to make sure they're competing and being assets to our team."
Talaysia Cooper has probably been the best player on the floor tonight, especially defensively. Case in point: #Gamecocks pic.twitter.com/uY1KcnVNuS
— Alan Cole (@Alan__Cole) November 1, 2022
Dawn Staley did a lot of chopping and changeup with her lineups as you would expect in an exhibition game, and one of the combinations she rolled with a lot was a lineup with Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso on the floor together.
Benedict was of course overwhelemd by the matchup nightmare, but it is a pairing that might translate well to regular season action and throughout SEC play. The duo combined for 18 points and 15 rebounds, and their presence created a physical advantage for South Carolina. Cardoso and Boston combined to attempt eight free throws, but as a team the Gamecocks got to the charity stripe 33 times, knocking down 25 of them and consistently living inside with 70 points in the paint.
"We're able to just throw the ball up," Staley said on the lineup. "We probably didn't throw the ball up enough. I think we just dumped it off. I just like our length on both sides of the basketball. They play well together, they look for each other, essentially they're post players. Quite naturally, they look for each other more so than than probably the guards are looking for them. It gives us two opportunities to get the ball into our bigs."
Doesnât end in points, but you can really see what a threat the Boston-Cardoso duo is here. pic.twitter.com/EKxHHLan9l
— Emily Adams (@eaadams6) October 31, 2022
South Carolina entered the fourth quarter leading 92-31, and shut the door defensively from there.
Benedict did not knock down a field goal over the final 11:38 of action, and only scored one point total as the Gamecocks closed the night with a 31-1 final frame.
The Gamecocks finished the night with 17 steals, nine blocks and 26 total turnovers forced, walling off the paint with only six points allowed inside throughout the 40 minutes.
In the grand scheme of what the Gamecocks are hoping is a five-month run back to the National Championship Game, an exhibition game against Benedict will not make a significant ripple. But in terms of just looking for early building blocks of a championship team ahead of what could be a 38-game grind, the defense against Benedict was a tangible starting point.
"Just talking and communicating and moving our feet," forwrad Sania Feagin said about what was working well on defense. "You know, you don't get offense without defense."
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