Best Jewelry Store Near Me Summerville, SC

DOWNTOWN SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – Construction is underway on a major new venue in Summerville that local leaders say could transform the town’s entertainment and business landscape.

The project, located at Bonaire Park, will feature a three-floor event space and restaurant topped with a rooftop bar, a first for Dorchester County and the surrounding area.

“There’s nothing like this in Dorchester County or the surrounding area,” said Rebecca Collett, spokesperson for Bonaire Park. The venue, known as “Building A,” is designed to serve as a central hub for dining, events, and nightlife. Collett noted that the space is “modern and beautiful and thoughtfully designed with green space,” while paying homage to Summerville’s heritage.

The 7,000-square-foot facility will overlook downtown Summerville and anchor The Promenade, a new mixed-use area within Bonaire Park. The Promenade combines housing, retail, restaurants, and green areas in a walkable setting that developers hope will foster community engagement and boost local business.

Developers are incorporating architectural elements reminiscent of downtown Charleston, aiming to blend urban style with Summerville’s small-town charm. Brendan Gilbert, operating partner at Gilbert + Lee Construction, said the venue is expected to become “a cornerstone of downtown Summerville for any restaurant operator,” providing outdoor seating and a new environment not previously available in the area.

The new venue is part of a broader push by town officials to revitalize Summerville’s business and entertainment districts. The town recently approved a downtown entertainment district and is focusing on new developments that enhance quality of life while minimizing stress on existing infrastructure.

“We don’t have to travel to downtown Charleston to go enjoy a rooftop bar anymore. You can do that right here in Summerville,” said Christopher Makowski, public information officer for the town. Makowski added, “Anytime you can bring new places to live, work and play here in Summerville, I think it’s great for economic development and the long-term growth of our town.”

Construction is projected to be completed by the end of the year. Developers are still seeking tenants to fill the restaurant and retail spaces.

While leadership for the Summerville Boys Volleyball team has changed, it’s not exactly new.

Larissa Szafranski took the reins of the program when former head coach Steven DiPaolo stepped down after last season to become the head coach for the Green Wave Boys Soccer program. Szafranski served as DiPaolo’s assistant coach the past two seasons.

“I feel great and pretty prepared,” she said. “Coach DiPaolo is a great coach and I was able to watch how he does things. We both have our own strengths so I learned from his coaching strategies. Behind the scenes he is still a part of this program and is helping me ease into things. It’s been a very smooth transition.”

Previously, she coached at Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Association in Pennsylvania. She is also a former Division II athlete at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, where her volleyball team won the 2013 PSAC Championship and made two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Summerville lost a setter and hitter who both claimed multiple All-Region and All-Lowcountry honors to graduation. However, the team does return some starters from a team that advanced all the way to the Lower State Championship match last season.

The team will lean heavily on senior returning starter and team captain Alex Mose.

“Last year Alex ran as an outside hitter for us while this year he is running as a setter,” Szafranski said. “He is kind of a jack of all trades. He has played for a while and knows the sport inside and out so I’m really looking for him to lead our team.”

Senior Mason Mills and sophomore Reed Robinson are returners with experience outside. Senior Lennox Holness returns in the middle. Junior Matthew Abercrombie returns with defensive experience. Seniors Gabe Cook, Campbell Pitman and Noah Terry are also returning varsity lettermen.

“Lennox is also stepping into more of a leadership role this year,” Szafranski said. “Matthew was our Libero last year and we are trying to get him to step out of his shell.”

Sophomore Kaden Hulsey is new to the team, and the sport, but looking to develop into an impact player.

“Kaden, we call him Texas, just started learning the sport during tryouts and is already making an impact on the front row,” Szafranski said. “He is very athletic and learning quickly.”

Others on the team are seniors Parker Hardesty and Chase Parker and sophomores Logan Nygren and Lucas Brown.

Summerville got out to a 3-3 start this season with wins over Cane Bay, St. James and James Island and losses to Carolina Forest (2025 Lower State Champion), Lucy Beckham and Socastee.

Summerville is scheduled to face some stiff competition Sept. 12 during the Foothills Fall Classic tournament. The Wave travels to Hanahan Sept. 15 and hosts cross-town rival Fort Dorchester Sept. 16. Both those matches are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) — The South Carolina Department of Public Health is investigating a tuberculosis exposure at Summerville High School and is working with school officials to identify people who may have been exposed.

In a statement, the department said it cannot identify the person who tested positive for active tuberculosis because of federal and state privacy laws.

Health officials said they are working closely with the school to determine which students, staff or others may have been exposed to the tuberculosis germ and should be tested.

The agency directed the public to its website and the CDC's website for additional information and answers to frequently asked questions about tuberculosis.

"We were notified that that individual's contagious period was the later portion of the 25-26 school year," says Amanda Sims, Director of Nursing and Health Services with DD2. "We worked closely with SCDPH to assist with that contact tracing process, as well as ensure that our community is notified, as well as provide an opportunity for testing for those individuals identified as close contacts."

Sims says the district has no reason to believe anyone associated with the situation is under isolation or quarantine.

"We are not excluding anyone from our buildings at this time," she says.

While tuberculosis is uncommon, that gap between infection and detection is not.

"It can take a month or two before anyone starts developing true symptoms," says Dr. Matthew Hanley, an emergency medicine physician with HCA Healthcare. "And it is relatively rare to start developing symptoms. There is a difference between latent infection versus active infection. You're only contagious during active infection."

The district sent out letters advising families who may have been exposed that free testing will be available. A consent form must be completed by Aug. 11. DD2 and SCDPH recommend testing, but it is not required.

"The health department may contact parents, guardians, or staff member close contacts directly to attempt to obtain that consent," says Sims.

Tuberculosis is airborne, and it typically takes one to three hours of exposure to become infected, with very young children and the elderly most at risk.

"Most schools are gonna be relatively well ventilated," says Dr. Hanley. "If you're in class with somebody, the classes only last so long, so your exposure can only be so long."

DD2 officials say they've already taken extra steps to keep students safe.

"That cleaning process, those extra precautions from our custodial services department have already taken place," adds Sims. "We're doing everything we can to keep students and staff healthy as we enter the new school year."

The district urges parents with concerns to monitor communications from the school system and the Department of Health and to consult their healthcare provider with individual concerns.

In the last five years in South Carolina, the state has had an average of 87 tuberculosis disease cases, according to the Department of Public Health.

READ MORE | "SC Dept. of Public Health launches program to combat tuberculosis cases."

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that most often affects the lungs and spreads through the air when a person with active TB disease coughs, speaks or sings. It has been around for at least 5,400 years.

Tuberculosis was previously called consumption, and in the early 1800s it is believed to have caused about one-third of all deaths globally, according to the Department of Public Health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are identified as close contacts of someone with active TB may be advised to undergo testing. The Department of Public Health said tuberculosis can be treated with antibiotics.

Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases. It is extremely prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, where healthcare isn't as readily funded. In the United States, Tuberculosis is relatively rare. However, in close settings like jails, schools, detention centers and prisons, spread remains high-risk.

People with latent TB infection carry the bacteria that cause tuberculosis but do not have symptoms and cannot spread the infection to others. However, they may develop active TB disease later and are often treated to help prevent that from happening.

People with active TB disease have bacteria that are multiplying in the body, typically causing symptoms. Those with TB affecting the lungs or throat can spread the disease to others and are treated with antibiotics to eliminate the infection.

Without medication, about 10% of people infected with tuberculosis will develop TB disease at some point in their life, according to the Department of Public Health.

According to data from the CDC, in 2025 TB cases were provisionally reported with a corresponding rate of 3.0 cases per 100,000 population. That number represented a decrease of 1% in cases and 2% in rates from 2024 to 2025.

In line with previous years, in 2025, TB disease disproportionately affected non-U.S.–born persons. Non-U.S.-born individuals were 77% of total TB cases in 2025. Meanwhile, U.S.-born individuals made up 22%, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue.

When was the last outbreak?

One of the more recent large-scale outbreaks occurred in the Kansas City metropolitan area from 2024 through 2025.

In 2024, 113 cases of tuberculosis were recorded in Kansas compared to 51 in 2023.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment never identified the source of the outbreak. However, in November of 2025, after all patients completed treatment, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment declared the end of the outbreak.

Other outbreaks include at least 12 people detained at a federal immigration jail in Colorado who contracted the disease in 2026 and at Archbishop Riordan High School, where students and staff tested positive between November 2025 and April 2026, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

KTVU reported in May that nearly one in five students and staff at San Francisco’s Archbishop Riordan High School have been diagnosed with latent or active tuberculosis, the latest development in an outbreak that started in November.

South Carolina's Tuberculosis Control Program protects the public by identifying cases, treating active tuberculosis disease and latent tuberculosis infection, identifying and testing people exposed to tuberculosis, and conducting targeted evaluations of those at high risk of developing the disease.

Tuberculosis reporting requirements are listed on the Department of Public Health's website.

A refrigerated display case at a Lowcountry Whole Foods is filled with smoked salmon produced by more than a dozen companies.

In the middle of the cornucopia is a crisp blue package with a name nodding to a famous South Carolina tree. Contained within the seal is fish with a clean taste and distinctly oaky essence from the dried, pulverized wood used in its making.

The Angel Oak, a tourist attraction that draws daily visitors to Johns Island, is a Southern live oak — a resilient, long-living species known for its sturdy single trunk and winding limbs. Once the preferred tree for ship building, the hardwood is the cornerstone of the cooking process at Angel Oak Smokehouse, a Charleston-area business supplying succulent hot- and cold-smoked salmon to grocery stores and chefs across the region.

Further setting this producer apart is the owners’ family history.

A family affair

Jonathan Brown’s salmon career began as a teenager during a fishing expedition with his brother. The day had been a resounding success, but the boys’ father wasn’t keen on keeping extra salmon around the house. They had until the end of the day to get rid of it, he told them.

They gutted, smoked and sold the fish to people in their hometown of Cumbria, England. It didn’t take long for Brown to realize that he had found his calling.

He dropped out of school before age 16 to open his first business with a friend. Later, he studied the art of seafood smoking and began hand-slicing individual fish that were smoked and delivered to local hotels.

Decades later, he’s the owner of Highland Farms, which delivers thousands of tons of premium, sustainably sourced Atlantic salmon to retail, wholesale and food service partners across the globe.

“We are a huge salmon family,” said Brown’s daughter, Jade Taylor, who studied mechanical engineering at Duke University before taking a job at Boeing. She stayed at the aerospace company for nearly a decade, working as a repair engineer on the 787 Dreamliner and later as a design engineer.

When she met her South Carolina-born husband, Gantt, the couple started smoking meats and fish for fun in a smoker the size of a mini refrigerator. Before long, she was making calls to her father for tips and tricks. The idea for a business — one much smaller than his — began to evolve from there.

Years later, the parents of two children under 2 years old have built a scalable venture that relies on selling salmon smoked with Southern live oak.

After launching in 2024, the couple’s big break came in March 2025 at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston. The trade show exposed them to a range of distributors and grocers, including Whole Foods, where Angel Oak Smokehouse is sold today.

“We’re making a really high-end product that we’re proud of,” Gantt Taylor said. “It’s part art, part science.”

Salt, sugar, smoke and salmon

Visit Angel Oak Smokehouse’s Summerville headquarters to find a pristine blue building with a polished break room for employees. The well-kept space sets the tone for a positive work environment where food safety is placed front and center, from the time the salmon arrives to when it’s boxed up for delivery.

Fish is purchased from certified farms and transformed into two types of smoked salmon.

Cured in salt purchased from a Scottish company Jade Taylor’s family has been using for 40 years, the hot-smoked salmon is typically sourced from Chile. It’s smoked at a higher temperature until it develops a firm, flaky texture and a deliciously savory flavor.

Cold-smoked salmon — the type frequently served on a bagel with cream cheese — comes from Norway. It’s cured in a combination of salt and brown sugar, creating fish with a velvety finish and a delicately salty taste.

“It sounds so simple: It’s salt, it’s sugar, it’s fish and it’s smoke, so you would think it would all taste the same,” Jade Taylor said. But time, tactics and other factors set products apart from one another, she added.

At Angel Oak, both types of salmon are diligently cured to pull out moisture. They’re cooked in barbecue smokers imbued with wood sourced in McClellanville and dried outside the facility, adding a distinct oaky flavor. And the Taylors extract excess fishiness by using a filleting technique that removes the bloodline from each piece of salmon.

With so many salmon brands lining the shelves at Whole Foods, where Angel Oak is currently sold, and Earth Fare, where it will be available by year’s end, the smoked salmon itself isn’t the only factor the Taylors must consider. Packaging is of the utmost importance, too.

Angel Oak’s branding is designed locally by SDCO Partners. Cold-smoked salmon is tucked into a sharp blue sleeve with leaf-shaped cutouts that reveal slices of fish. Hot-smoked salmon is laid on a skin board and wrapped in a package with gold-foil finishes.

The latter layout was distinct enough to earn the attention of the Specialty Food Association, which gave Angel Oak’s hot-smoked salmon its Outstanding Packaging Award earlier this year. The company beat out more than 1,200 other food and beverage brands.

“Those are the little details that we think make a difference,” Jade Taylor said of the company’s branding, which she described as “intentionally timeless and simple.”

While the Taylors have found success standing out in Whole Foods, particularly when they swing by the Mount Pleasant or West Ashley locations to set up sample stations, grocery stores aren’t their end goal. They envision a future when Angel Oak is on the menu at local restaurants, like it is at Edmund’s Original and Da Toscano Porchetta Shop, and a staple at Charleston-area hotel breakfasts.