Mobile Home Sales in White Plains, SC

As record numbers of air travelers continue to visit South Carolina, airports across the state continue to make it easier for people to fly to and from the Palmetto State.

Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach airports picked up a total of five new destinations, airlines announced recently. Columbia will soon see nonstop flights to three additional destinations.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport on March 9 announced budget carrier Avelo Airlines will offer nonstop service to New Haven, Conn., and Orlando, Fla.

When those flights start this summer, Avelo will become the seventh airline serving the Upstate airport.

The Houston-based low-fare airline already has flights from Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

JetBlue Airways plans to start daily nonstop flights May 25 from Charleston to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., which is about 30 miles north of Manhattan. The New York-based airline already offers flights from Charleston to John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports in the New York City area.

The new route will bring head-to-head competition between JetBlue and Breeze Airways, which already offers service to White Plains from Charleston and plans to offer daily flights to Westchester County Airport beginning May 1, according to its flight schedule.

Since Breeze started serving Charleston in 2021 with flights to 11 destinations, the Utah-based low-cost carrier will reach 22 destinations from the Lowcountry when it adds twice-weekly service to Portland, Maine, beginning May 19.

Myrtle Beach also is getting new nonstop flights for the summer.

Spirit Airlines, the largest carrier at Myrtle Beach International Airport, will add a seasonal nonstop flight to Rochester, N.Y., beginning May 15. Allegiant Air will launch a seasonal nonstop flight from the Grand Strand to the Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio beginning June 1, according to the Las Vegas-based airline.

American Airlines soon will start flying nonstop to three destinations from Columbia Metropolitan Airport, beginning with service to LaGuardia on May 5 and Chicago O’Hare on July 6. Seasonal nonstop service to Miami begins June 3 and runs through Aug. 12.

Both Charleston and Myrtle Beach airports saw record passengers in 2022.

Charleston International, the state’s largest airport, saw 5.32 million travelers coming and going last year, a 27 percent jump from 2021. Its previous record of 4.87 million was set in 2019.

Myrtle Beach International reported a record 3.46 million arrivals and departures, for a 7.7 percent gain from 2021 — which saw a then-record 3.2 million passengers.

Officials with both airports attributed the surge to an increase in air service and the availability of more nonstop flights to and from South Carolina’s popular tourist markets in the Lowcountry and along the Grand Strand.

Greenville-Spartanburg International reported nearly 2.2 million passengers in 2022. Its record of 2.6 million passengers was set in 2019.

Columbia Metropolitan recorded 1.06 million passengers last year, its most since a record 1.35 million in 2019.

Breeze Airways is coming to Westchester County Airport, launching eight routes, including the airport’s first transcontinental service.

This summer and fall, the low-cost startup will start flying to Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Jacksonville, Florida, Norfolk, Virginia and New Orleans. Breeze will also head west to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas—a first for the airport.

“Those are markets that have never been served out of Westchester before, and we have the perfect airplane for it,” Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman told News 12. “It's an Airbus A220. It's a smaller airplane, but we have 36 first-class seats on board. For $249 you can go first class to LAX out of here, which is a screaming deal.”

Breeze will join seven other passenger airlines out of Westchester, but current commercial service only goes as far west as Chicago.

“It's the largest startup we've ever had from any of our markets,” Neeleman said. Breeze is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and launched service a year ago at Bradley International Airport. It has since quickly grown. It currently has 11 nonstop destinations out of Bradley.

Neeleman, an aviation entrepreneur, knows personally how convenient the airport in White Plains is rather than flying out of the city. He launched JetBlue at JFK Airport.

“I raised all my kids in New Canaan, so I am well aware. We would drive to JFK, and then we finally got service into Westchester. It was a real luxury,” Neeleman said. He listed the pros Breeze passengers can expect when service begins there. “You won't have 30 planes in line to take off before you. You're not subject to the same delays. And then there's the Van Wyck and the Whitestone Bridge -- who knows how long that would take you.”

Travelers at the airport Thursday were excited about the news.

“I think it’s great. I prefer to fly out of this airport versus going all the way into New York City. More options is just better for me and my family,” said Peter McSherry, of Fairfield.

“I mean who wants to go into the city and deal with all that traffic? Who wants to go to Newark? Nobody wants to go to Newark,” agreed Ted Gottsegen of Rowayton. “Forget it. Who needs it? You come right here, it has everything.”

“Bookings were tremendous yesterday. People are really excited,” Neeleman told News 12. Click here for more information.

Breeze has three fare options: Nice, Nicer and Nicest with Nicest being the airline’s first class seats.

The start dates and price ranges for the new flights from Westchester are below:

DURHAM — No one understands the potential of AJ Griffin more than Trevor Keels.

The two five-star talents faced each other in high school before injuries began to plague Griffin's career.

He lost part of his junior season at Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, New York was lost due to an ailing knee and the entire next year to an ankle injury.

Griffin's first year at Duke began the way his high school career ended. He sprained his right knee at a practice in October that greatly slowed his development and pushed him from potential starter to reserve.

He's had some highs — an 18-point outing against Lafayette — but mostly, his time as a Blue Devil has been about finding the player he used to be.

"When he went down, it slowed him down. A knee injury is nothing to play with," Keels said. "I talk to AJ a lot. I played him in high school and I know he's a dog. I tell him all the time, 'go back to that New York AJ.'"

On Tuesday night during a 103-62 win over South Carolina State at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Griffin looked the part of 'New York AJ.'

After playing eight combined minutes against Gonzaga and Ohio State, Griffin erupted for a season-high 19 points, hitting 7-of-8 shots — including 3-of-4 from 3 — with four rebounds and four assists.

He was one of six Duke players to score in double digits against the Bulldogs as the No. 2 ranked Blue Devils (8-1) hit a season-high 15 three-pointers in the first of three games this week back home that will wrap up their non-conference schedule.

Yes, South Carolina State is no Gonzaga, but Griffin's long road to greatness will need to be paved with the confidence he's lost over the last two years.

"He's making up for time lost from his injury," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It's just a matter of him continuing to work."

With Duke's two-week break after the season's first loss to Ohio State, Griffin was able to work one-on-one with coaches — spending time on the mental aspects of the game.

"It was more about the mindset that I wanted to get better with," Griffin said Tuesday. "I wanted to have the mindset of playing hard, being aggressive, being vocal and everything else would come. It was about playing with that love of the game and not forgetting about that."

Theo John is 'day to day'

Reserve forward Theo John was ruled out before Tuesday's game with a back injury that Coach K later said was not serious but could not give a timeline on when he would return.

Duke hosts Appalachian State Thursday and Cleveland State Saturday before opening ACC play Dec. 22 at home against Virginia Tech.

"His back is tight and it loosened up a little today but I think it's a day-by-day thing," Coach K said. "He's been a mainstay for us. We miss him."

John is averaging 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds a game, but his 6-foot-9, 242-pound presence has consistently given Duke a lift off the bench.

On Tuesday, Davidson transfer Bates Jones played a season-high 15 minutes in replacement of John, scoring seven points, five assists and three rebounds.

"I worked a little more with the bigs in practice," Jones said. "It was nice to go out and knock off the rust."

Coach K's grandson returns after DUI suspension

Michael Savarino, the grandson of Mike Krzyzewski, returned from the team discipline Tuesday night that resulted from his drunk-driving arrest last month.

Savarino was in uniform for the first time since the Nov. 14 arrest and entered the game with 4:38 remaining with Duke up big in the second half. He hit a 3-pointer with 2:03 remaining to put Duke over the 100-point mark, which was also his first points of the season.

“We’ve suspended him and punished him,” Krzyzewski said. “We didn’t put him out and flog him in front of everybody. He still has things to do legally but that’s all being done the right way.”

Savarino was arrested on Sunday morning of Nov. 14 at 1:10 a.m. by the North Carolina Highway Patrol and charged with DWI with Banchero in his back seat.

He was stopped for a stop sign violation while driving a white 2017 Jeep SUV registered to freshman teammate Paolo Banchero on Brushy Creek Road outside Hillsborough. Banchero was charged but not arrested for aiding and abetting DUI.

North Carolina law states that aiding and abetting DWI is classified as "when a person knowingly encourages, aids, advises or instigates another person to drive, or attempt to drive, while impaired."

According to an arrest report obtained from the Orange County District Court, Savarino submitted to two breathalyzer tests and blew a .08 BAC. According to the report, the arresting officer said he smelled alcohol on Savarino's breath.

“We don’t condone what happened,” Krzyzewski said. “But there are a lot of things that happen to kids on campus that we wouldn’t condone. But it happens. We don’t sell them down the river. The only way you get better is by acknowledging that you did something wrong, accepting the punishment and learning from it. To me, that’s what a university is supposed to be about. So we’ve done it with the university and handled it in that manner. He’s learned a good lesson and he’s going to pay a price for it. He already has paid a price for it. You do something, you’ve got to pay a price.”

He was not with the team in the first three games after his arrest: home wins over Gardner-Webb on Nov. 16, Lafayette on Nov. 19 and The Citadel on Nov. 22. He returned to the team, but was not in uniform, for Duke’s 84-81 win over Gonzaga on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas and the Blue Devils’ 71-66 loss at Ohio State on Nov. 30. Both times, Savarino sat in street clothes on the bench.

David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.

My name is Alicia Latrina Sullivan and I’m running for Mayor of the City of Laurens.

I’ve served as a councilwoman since 2016 for District 2, I’m serving as chair of the Laurens County Democratic Party since 2017. I’m a graduate from Emerge and Clyburn fellowship class of 2022 cohort 7. I helped organize the SC Black Municipal Caucus where I’m currently serving as secretary.

I’m running for Mayor to improve livability for the poor, middle class and wealthy by developing resources to bridge and uplift the people of Laurens. Developers, citizens, tourists, poor, middle class and the wealthy can all live and exist in our city with dignity and respect! We need new leadership with a holistic view, respect for all classes of citizens, who will provide transparency to councilmembers and residents.

I’m a graduate of Laurens District 55 Public Schools and a 2007 graduate of Greenville Technical College with a associate degree in occupational therapy. In 2011 I launched Sullivan Healthcare Specialists LLC where I provided occupational therapy services to healthcare facilities within SC. I was able to land contracts with the Greenville Health System, Greenwood regional rehab, and NHC providing nursing, PT and OT services. In 2013 I employed three part-time occupational therapy assistants, two part-time Occupational Therapists, two Physical Therapists and two nurses within the upper and lower state of SC. After the effects of covid-19 I repositioned my therapy business to focus on pediatric services in a partnership with SC BabyNet. In addition, I am the owner of Dial Enterprises LLC, a rental property business that I began with my own funds to invest in neglected neighborhoods in Laurens County.

During my term on council, I have made proposals and created initiatives to improve the livability for citizens residing in the city of Laurens to include:

My belief is Christianity-

My journey as a Christian began as a child at Rocky Springs Baptist Church where Reverend Richardson baptized me. As an adult I migrated to White Plains Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. Johnny L. Johnson Jr. During my time at WPBC my spirit grew tremendously, this is where I identified my spiritual gifts of helping others, administration, and evangelism. I found my purpose on earth as a public servant. After Covid-19 the Lord led me to further my Christian journey at Refuge of Worship under the leadership of Bishop Goggin, where I’m learning the meaning of worship and walking boldly in my faith. As a public servant my number one duty is to do the will of God by allowing him to continue to guide me in leadership just as he has done for me as a council member for the past six years.

As Mayor I will support ways to prevent residents from being displaced from their homes and communities by introducing a city ordinance that would establish a first right of refusal which will give residents and community-based organizations the first right to purchase a home within our community. This will allow our seniors to age in place with dignity and maintain authenticity within our historic community. I will provide ways to expand recreational resources to invite activities throughout our city. I will find ways to help improve start-up resources for small businesses as they are vital to our community. I will continue the revitalization efforts of the square. Leadership involves providing pathways to promote people to progression by identifying resources to empower basic human livability for all classes of citizens!

As Mayor, I will:

Early Voting begins Monday, February 20, 2023 and lasts until March 3, 2023. To cast your vote early, please visit The Laurens Election Commission Office located on Bolt Drive (the old Winn Dixie).

Election Day is Tuesday March 7, 2023.

If you are unable to cast your vote early, please vote for Alicia Latrina Sullivan at your assigned precinct (listed below) on Election Day- March 7, 2023.

Laurens 1- Springfield Baptist Church

Laurens 2- CPW Training Center

Laurens 3- The Ridge at Laurens

Laurens 4- Evening Light Church of God

Laurens 5-Laurens County Library

Laurens 6-Laurens Elementary

TJN

Cross country

Fred Gressler Memorial Cross Country Run

At White Plains, 3.1 miles

Boys

Varsity I

Team standings and key: 1. Scarsdale (Sc) 52; 2. Dobbs Ferry (DF) 57; 3. Clarkstown South (CS) 92; 4. Middletown (Mi) 100; 5. White Plains (WP) 111; 6. Pelham (Pl) 141; 7. Mahopac (M) 170; 8. Albertus Magnus (AM) 233; 9. Port Chester (PC) 237; 10. Keio (Ke) 251; 11. John Jay (JJ) 290; Westlake (Ws) DNS.

Individual results: 1. Matt Baffuto (Pl) 16:41.6 (meet/course record); 2. Grant Sheely (DF) 16:53.6; 3. Jacob Coburn (Sc) 17:15.2; 4. Thomas Caruso (M) 17:36.5; 5. Takanori Okkotsu (DF) 17:41; 6. Evan Suzman (Sc) 17:50; 7. Leonard Pietrafesa (PC) 17:54.8; 8. Austin Labbe (CS) 17:55.6; 9. Oscar Ponce (Mi) 17:56; 10. Adrian Ojeda (WP) 18:00.5; 11. Nicholas Crino (WP) 18:03.4; 12. Greg Crowley (Sc) 18:14.9; 13. Calvin Sheely (DF) 18:19.7; 14. James Cotter (Sc) 18:27.1; 15. Conor Malagraph (CS) 18:42.8.

Varsity II

Team standings and key: 1. Mamaroneck (Mk) 43; 2. Lakeland/Panas (Lk/Pn) 74; 3. Irvington (I) 81; 4. Horace Greeley (HG) 102; 5. Nanuet (N) 110; 6. Edgemont (Ed) 156; 7. Harrison (H) 181; 8. Byram Hills (BH) 198; 9. Yorktown (Yk) 231; Hamilton (AH), Lawrence (L) DNS.

Individual results: 1. Ittai Rosales (Mk) 17:01.7; 2. Will Young (Mk) 17:02.6; 3. Shota Nakamura (Ed) 17:24; 4. Ryan Brennan (N) 17:49.8; 5. Alex Brandt (I) 17:50.5; 6. Scottie Mitchell (I) 17:52.1; 7. Andrew Ballard (Mk) 17:55.2; 8. Matt Sayre (Lk/Pn) 18:00.4; 9. Samuel Morton (Mk) 18:04.6; 10. Brian Camillieri (N) 18:05.2; 11. Veeral Shah (Lk/Pn) 18:22.2; 12. Guy DeMarco (Lk/Pn) 18:30.6; 13. Michael Hiebert (HG) 18:31; 14. Dan Katz (HG) 18:33.3; 15. Dylan Mariuzza (Yk) 18:34.

Girls

Varsity I

Team standings and key: 1. Dobbs Ferry (DF) 54; 2. White Plains (WP) 58; 3. Clarkstown South (CS) 68; 4. Scarsdale (Sc) 72; 5. Mahopac (M) 120; 6. Middletown (Mi) 138; 7. Good Counsel (GC) 161; Albertus Magnus (AM), Pelham (Pl), Port Chester (PC), Westlake (Ws).

Individual results: 1. Andrea Nardone (AM) 20:43.8; 2. Mika Andrews (DF) 20:46.7; 3. Kaitlin Doyle (Sc) 20:49.1; 4. Lizbet Navarro (Mi) 21:00.5; 5. Emily Auld (AM) 21:13.2; 6. Maggie DesRosiers (Sc) 21:39.3; 7. Breena Farrell (CS) 21.45.7; 8. Ciara McGivney (Ws) 21:49.1; 9. Sasha Clarick (DF) 21:59.6; 10. Lauren Woods (WP) 22:00.3; 11. Emma Johnston (Pl) 22:05; 12. Edith Hernandez (WP) 22:13.4; 13. Lindsay Yue (DF) 22:18.2; 14. Alison Korin (M) 22:27.9; 15. Tegan Jones (CS) 22:29.4.

Varsity II

Team standings and key: 1. Notre Dame (ND) 42; 2. Nanuet (N) 69; 3. Mamaroneck (Mk) 97; 4. Horace Greeley (HG) 112; 5. Harrison (H) 129; 6. Byram Hills (BH) 138; 7. Irvington (I) 164; 8. Edgemont (Ed) 174; Lawrence (L), Yorktown (Yk) DNS.

Individual results: 1. Lauren Chapey (Mk) 19:32.6 (meet/course record); 2. Brooke Madry (N) 20:03.9; 3. Sydney Rice (ND) 20:07; 4. Lauren Pitaressi (ND) 21:14.9; 5. Kristen Carbone (N) 21:15.8; 6. Tara Kelly (ND) 21:38.1; 7. Chihiro Yorita (Ed) 22:24.1; 8. Rebecca Cawkwell (BH) 22:29.1; 9. Claire Hotchkin (HG) 22:29.5; 10. Maddy Weiland (BH) 22:30.3; 11. Charlotte Stevens (Mk) 22:38; 12. Katie DeVore (Mk) 22:52.8; 13. Catherine Rocchi (H) 22:53.6; 14. Jackie Roda (ND) 23:03.7; 15. Ariella Garcia (ND) 23:06.7.

The James Beard Foundation announced semifinalists for its 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards in a press release on January 25. Among the nominees were a number of restaurateurs and chefs who graced BA’s list of the 50 Best New Restaurants of 2022. Those semifinalists include Yenvy and Quynh Pham, the Seattle duo behind a small empire of pho shops and the cocktail bar Phởcific Standard Time, as well as Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club in Philadelphia and Ayo Balogun of Dept. of Culture in Brooklyn. Shaina Loew-Banayan, the owner of Cafe Mutton, one of BA’s 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022, was also nominated in the category of Best Chef: New York State.

The Foundation grants awards to chefs, restaurateurs, bar owners, media professionals, authors, and other influential figures in the food and hospitality space. Alongside the Michelin guide and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, the James Beard awards are seen as one of the highest honors in the restaurant industry.

This year’s awards will feature the first-ever honorees in a new Outstanding Bakery category. Honorees for this award will be recognized for exemplary breads, pastries, or desserts. The first crop of semifinalists include New York City’s She Wolf Bakery; Haymaker Bun Company, in Middlebury, Vermont; and Yoli Tortilleria, a tortilla producer in Kansas City, Missouri.

In the past several years, the foundation has been criticized for a lack of transparency and diversity. The year 2023 marks the start of the second James Beard Awards following an internal audit of the foundation’s methodology. The organization announced it would not name honorees for 2020 and 2021 in the first year of the pandemic, with the stated goal of reworking their methodology for selecting winners—though The New York Times later reported that the decision came after not a single Black chef was to be recognized in 2020. This year’s honorees will be selected through the foundation’s new protocols for scouting and nominations, including greater BIPOC representation among judges and committee members, and an overhauled grievance system to handle nominee misconduct allegations.

Read the full list of semifinalists below, and check back on March 29 for the foundation’s list of finalists and on June 5 for the Restaurant and Chef Award winners.

Outstanding Restaurateur

Outstanding Chef

Outstanding Restaurant

Emerging Chef

Best New Restaurant

Outstanding Bakery

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Outstanding Hospitality

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Outstanding Bar

Best Chef: California

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Best Chef: New York State

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Best Chef: Texas

As we’re seeing this year, even Lowcountry winters can seem cold and dreary sometimes, but we’re lucky to have plenty of green in the landscape.

For example, saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) — that tough, low-growing palm so common in backyards and coastal woodlands — provides a lush, green, tropical look year-round.

It’s one of some 2,600 species in the palm family (Arecaceae), of which only 14 are native to the U.S.

Saw palmetto is common along the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, from South Carolina to the Florida Keys and west to Louisiana. It’s a prominent understory shrub in oak and pine forests, forming dense thickets up to 7 feet high via spreading underground stems.

Sometimes (for reasons still unclear), saw palmetto assumes a tree-like form, growing 25 feet or taller. The plant is highly resistant to fire. Even when its above-ground foliage is burned to the ground, new leaves sprout again quickly from the crowns. Saw palmetto is one of the first plants to colonize burned areas.

Probably its most striking feature are those huge, compound, evergreen leaves — sometimes three feet across. Each leaf is composed of several dozen small, stiff leaflets arranged like a fan. At the base is a long leaf stalk with tiny spines along the edges. Watch out for these saw-like teeth as they can easily snag your skin or clothing.

The tough leaves of saw palmetto are the sole food source for a nondescript little moth (Natrachedra decoctor), native to the Southeast.

In the summer, the plant produces small, fragrant, yellowish-white flowers, which give rise to oval, reddish-black fruits — food for deer, raccoons, foxes and other animals.

The Seminole Indians also ate the fruits, and colonial pioneers made them into a beverage. Saw palmetto was used in traditional medicine to treat infertility, inflammation, coughing, impotence and respiratory disorders.

Even today, extracts are touted as treatments for prostate problems and male pattern baldness. You can buy saw palmetto pills online or in stores. But medical research is scanty here, and it’s still unclear whether these remedies are effective or even safe.

Better, perhaps, to appreciate saw palmetto as a virtually indestructible landscape plant, as well as a valuable component of the natural Lowcountry environment.

It’s also a good landscaping investment. Some saw palmetto plants have reached venerable ages, reputedly 500 years or more.

Since this story was published, the Anderson County Council has passed three readings to vote on the final district lines. Minor changes have taken place, different from the map in this story. These changes affect District One, Two and Five. Those changes took place to bring District Two to a 50.03% majority minority as opposed to 49.59%. That will restore around 700 people to their current council district.

The Anderson County Council seat boundaries are being redrawn as population shifts toward Powdersville and some lines near Anderson city get tweaked to keep a majority minority seat.

Once a decade, the lines change.

The District Six area will shrink by the White Plains area and the Three & Twenty area, since there are more people.Other changes were to keep a majority minority district in the city of Anderson.

Tweaking district lines is never a perfect process, said attorney Joey Oppermann, who has worked on redistricting issues and has been involved in state and local Democratic Party efforts.

He said the plans for Anderson do not dilute the areas.

"They did a pretty good job trying to respect communities and maintain boundaries," he said. "It's never a perfect process but the changes appear to be clean lines overall."

Redistricting in Greenville:County Councilman is determined to keep the minority a majority in his district

This year is Steve Newton's fourth time drawing up the new district borders in Anderson, a process heavily driven by math, he said.

"It's difficult. It's time consuming," said Newton, the county's governmental affairs director, he said. "I try to be as sensitive to the community as I can."

As Anderson grows, some districts are filling up quicker than others, and that's what is causing some shifting in boundaries.

County council lines do NOT change:

County council lines could change:

District Six was the only district over its population capacity so only that district would be losing significant area, Newton said. The district currently has 33,125 people but the proposed lines would bring their population down by 7.87%.

Jimmy Davis, District Six's council member, has seen extraordinary growth numbers in the northern part of the county. He anticipates the new district lines will help clean up some of the overlap in voting precincts and council members.

Besides Powdersville, District Six includes the Three & Twenty area, all of the Anderson County side of Piedmont, Wren, Mt. Airy and Hunt Meadows. Davis has seen growth across the district especially in Piedmont and Hunt Meadows, so he knew changes would be coming to the densely populated district, he said.

"We're proud of our heritage and we want to continue to grow," Davis said.

Tommy Dunn, the council's chairman, said he has seen so much growth in Anderson in the last decade. He said while he hates losing some of the people he's had in District Five, it is a necessary change.

(Story continues below)

Dunn currently represents the Lakeside and Varennes precincts but under the new lines, they would move over to council member Glenn Davis in District Two.

When Davis heard redistricting is coming, one thought came to mind first. "I thought the African American vote would be diluted," he said.

But he was pleased the proposal plans to to keep District Two at almost 50% minority, he said.

He was surprised that his district reached farther down to Lakeside but he's happy to add that precinct along with Varennes, a precinct that already felt like part of his district, he said.

The goal of the majority minority district is to give the Black community a voice, Davis said.

South Carolina is still under Section Two of the Voting Rights Act which prohibits vote dilution, Oppermann said. This section aims to protect the majority minority district so they can elect a candidate of their choice.

For Davis, his priority is to get people to the polls and voting in local elections.

"Local elections are pushed to the side but they are more important than our national elections," he said. "These are the things that affect us the most."

District One will be losing and gaining, but for John Wright's first time going through redistricting he felt the process was simple.

"The heart of my district didn't change a whole lot," Wright said. He has been on the council for two years and said it is about maintaining balance.

Though the lines stretch farther up State 81, he said the changes make sense as he's seen the county grow, he said.

Sarah Sheridan is the community reporter in Anderson. She'd appreciate your help telling important stories; reach her at ssheridan@gannett.com or on twitter @saralinasher.

Fall schedules for the top USYS leagues in the region are set. The US Youth Soccer North Atlantic Conference, managed by EDP Soccer is welcoming Boys and Girls 13U and 14U teams to the 2021-2022 season.

Top teams from Eastern New York and Connecticut will compete each week to earn their place at the top of their league table. National League Conferences provide competing teams the opportunity to qualify for the 2022 USYS Eastern Regional Championships through league play. In addition, teams can also earn the right to compete in the 2022-2023 season of the prestigious USYS National League P.R.O. competition.

13U and 14U Boys Academy Division: The Academy Division will feature 10 clubs from Eastern New York and Connecticut this season, including Brentwood SC 2008 Boys, who were crowned USYS Eastern Regional Champions last spring. From Connecticut, AC Connecticut 2008 were Connecticut State Cup Champions in the spring, while their 2009 Boys and division member Chelsea Piers Shoreline 2009 were Connecticut State Cup semifinalists. Rounding out the division is Inter Connecticut, Eastern FC, White Plains YS, Brooklyn Italians, Barca Academy Pro, Quickstrike FC and Downtown United SC.

13U and 14U Girls Academy Division: The Academy Division features top clubs from Connecticut, Eastern New York and New Jersey, with each club having a rich history of success at the national level. From Connecticut is Chelsea Piers Shoreline, from Eastern New York is Alleycats SC and New York Surf SC, and New Jersey is represented by STA, Cedar Stars Bergen, PSA North, PSA Monmouth, NJ Premier FC and FC Copa Academy.

13U Boys Premier I: Eastern New York State Cup champions Cedar Stars Academy Hudson Valley will look to cement themselves as the area’s top team. They will be taking on Connecticut State Cup finalist OGRCC 2009, and Eastern New York top teams Valencia CF Academy, Barca Academy Pro, Olympiacos, and Auburndale SC.

13U Girls Premier I: The fall division is shaping up to be extremely competitive, with Massapequa, Manhattan SC, South Shore FC, Met Oval and Long Island Slammer comprising the group.

14U Boys Premier I: Stony Brook – LGN Wildlings, the Eastern New York State Cup finalists, come into the season looking to top Barca Academy Pro and Asphalt Green, who each finished ahead of the Wildlings last spring, in first and second place, respectively. The division also includes top sides Kings Park SC, Auburndale SC, Met Oval Academy East, Athletic FC, French Football Academy and NY Hota.

14U Girls Premier I: FC Somers Lady Hammers enters as one of the division favorites after finishing as a finalist at the USYS Eastern Regionals. The Eastern New York State Cup champions and last season’s runner up based on goal differential, Auburndale SC Strikers, will once again be one of the top teams in the division. Last season’s third place finisher and Eastern New York State Cup semifinalist, Real Ole FC 2008, will look to overtake the two favorites this Fall. The group also includes Long Island SC, Rockville Centre SC, Connecticut Rush Stateline, and CFC South.

COLUMBIA — Patrick Hoffman thinks he actually should go flying recreationally more often since he has an airplane in his garage and a runway in his backyard.

Hoffman lives in a Lexington County neighborhood that is built around flying, one of more than a dozen “airpark” neighborhoods around South Carolina.

The homes and hangars at Whiteplains Plantation near Gilbert where he lives are set around a private runway and taxiways.

The goal for those who choose to live there: Make flying as convenient as driving.

“Actually, I have gone up over lunch,” Hoffman said.

The airparks tend to be built in more rural parts of the state and require a large parcel of land. There are three in the greater Columbia area, two in Lexington County and one near St. Matthews.

The neighborhoods are designed for those who truly see aviation as part of their lives, including many retirees from commercial aviation or the military, residents said. For them, the convenience of not having to commute to an airport to fly makes sense.

For residents, it’s about more than just ease of use. Flying is what the residents love, so many of the conversations in the neighborhood revolve around it.

The communities tend to be tightly knit, just like those that are centered around golf or horseback riding, said Steve Crimm, another Whiteplains resident.

“We would like people to be serious about aviation,” Crimm said.

The communities even host fly-in events when other pilots drop by. The S.C. Breakfast Club is one group that meets every two weeks at airports around the state, with folks flying in to share a meal and to chat about planes. Frequently, those events are held at private airparks.

It can sometimes even be a problem when someone who is not big on aviation buys a house in one of the communities, said Geneva Allen, a real estate agent who specializes in airpark properties in the Carolinas. Those residents can find themselves feeling like outsiders.

More buyers from outside the aviation enthusiast community have been buying in airparks in the past year or so as the larger real estate market has become so competitive for homes for sale, Allen said.

The traditional customer for airpark homes has been the military or civilian aviation retiree, Allen said.

While sometimes they wanted to be close to family, often they would search all across the Southeast for somewhere they like, she said. For many of them, it doesn’t have to be right next to the grandkids.

“Remember, they’re mobile,” Allen said.

In recent years Allen has seen more customers who are not of retirement age but simply like flying as a hobby, including some newlyweds.

It can take months of work to find the right airpark real estate for a customer, Allen said. Homes for sale in such communities tend to turn over rarely, she said.

In addition to the usual requirements of a home search, they also can have particular demands for the right airport. How long is the runway? Some need the runway to be paved, while others much prefer a grass strip.

It’s a mistake to assume that all the residents of airparks are ultra-wealthy, Allen said. Many buy homes priced below $300,000, in part because they have an expensive hobby.

“They have spent it all on having the airplane,” Allen said.

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