Criminal Defense Attorney inJames Island, SC

They call Rock Hill, S.C., “Football Town, U.S.A.” for good reason. When you look back through the last 20 years of NFL Draft data for the University of South Carolina, more in-state Gamecocks that are from the city have been drafted than from anywhere else.

Of the 36 in-state Gamecocks who have been selected, five are from Rock Hill. That also includes three of South Carolina’s five first rounders during that time period that have hailed from the state and the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

Here's a look at some interesting data as it relates to what parts of the state of South Carolina lead the way in sending top talent to the Gamecocks and ultimately the NFL.

Here’s how it breaks down by county. York County, where Rock Hill is located, is tied at the top.

York (5)

Clowney (Rock Hill/South Pointe)Stephon Gilmore (Rock Hill/South Pointe)Johnathan Joseph (Rock Hill/Northwestern)Devonte Holloman (Rock Hill/South Pointe)Ko Simpson (Rock Hill)

Berkeley (5)

Brandon Shell (Goose Creek)Bruce Ellington (Moncks Corner/Berkeley)Israel Mukuamu (Moncks Corner/Berkeley)Javon Kinlaw (Goose Creek)Rod Wilson (Cross)

Greenville (3)

Andre Goodman (Taylors/Eastside)Travelle Wharton (Simpsonville/Hillcrest)Jamon Meredith (Simpsonville/Hillcrest)

Richland (3)

Corey Jenkins (Columbia/Dreher)Dennis Daley (Columbia/Ridge View)T.J. Brunson (Columbia/Richland Northeast)

Chesterfield (2)

Cliff Matthews (Cheraw)Justice Cunningham (Pageland Central)

Clarendon (2)

Fred Bennett (Manning)Jerell Adams (Summerton/Scotts Branch)

Georgetown (2)

John Stamper (Andrews)Clifton Geathers (Carvers Bay)

Horry (2)

T.J. Johnson (Aynor)Bryan Edwards (Conway)

Spartanburg (2)

Marcus Lattimore (Duncan/Byrnes)Deebo Samuel (Inman/Chapman)

Aiken (1)

Troy Williamson (Silver Bluff)

Bamberg (1)

A.J. Cann (Bamberg-Erhardt)

Beaufort (1)

Devin Taylor (Beaufort)

Calhoun (1)

Alshon Jeffery (Calhoun County)

Charleston (1)

Langston Moore (James Island)

Cherokee (1)

Sidney Rice (Gaffney)

Chester (1)

Sheldon Brown (Lewisville)

Greenwood (1)

D.J. Swearinger (Greenwood)

Lancaster (1)

Darrell Shropshire (Andrew Jackson)

Union (1)

Shi Smith (Union County)

Of the five South Carolina products that have played for the Gamecocks and been drafted in the first round during this time period, three are from Rock Hill and one each from Aiken and Goose Creek.

Joseph- NorthwesternClowney/Gilmore- South PointeWilliamson- Silver BluffKinlaw- Goose Creek

The Gamecocks have had more in-state prospects at wide receiver drafted than at any other position during this time period. Seven receivers have been picked. If you look closely nearly all of them are in the process of or were extremely productive in the NFL, too. There was one first round pick, Williamson, in the group (he’s one that was not). Rice, Jeffery and Samuel were all early second round picks.

Here’s how the numbers break down by position.

Wide receiver- 7Offensive Line- 6Cornerback- 5Defensive End- 5Linebacker- 4Defensive Tackle- 3Safety- 3Tight End- 2Running Back- 1

Of the 36 listed, 17 rated four stars out of high school, 13 were rated three stars, there were three two stars, two five stars and one that was not rated as a football prospect.

Now, a lot of this depends on what you consider what region in the state of South Carolina (it's understood that that is up for debate). Using a map that had four larger regions that included the Rock Hill area with the Midlands and a large portion of the state simply as the Lowcountry (Charleston all the way down to Beaufort/Hilton Head), this is how it broke down. ??Again, the geography here could be broken down even further.

Midlands (including Rock Hill)- 13Pee Dee- 8Upstate - 8Lowcountry- 7

Outside of the Rock Hill area, the talent in the Palmetto State is basically spread evenly throughout. Given that it is a smaller state, it's good that there aren't very many "talent desert regions".

There are a few that overlap that were recruited by one coaching staff, but played for another in the year they were drafted. Here’s the recruited by breakdown.

Steve Spurrier- 16Lou Holtz- 11Will Muschamp- 6Brad Scott- 3

This is how it breaks down when you categorize which staff coached them the year they were drafted.

Spurrier- 20Holtz- 9Muschamp- 7

Round 1: 5Round 2: 5Round 3: 4Round 4: 5Round 5: 2Round 6: 9Round 7: 6

There is no question that recruiting the state of South Carolina well is paramount for the Gamecocks. In fact, of the 15 first-round draft picks the program has produced in its history, nine are from the state (four from the Rock Hill area). With an diverse geographic balance to the pool of players in the Palmetto State outside of the hotbed in York County, it’s important for any staff to not go over the in-state players everywhere with a fine toothed comb. Current Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer and his staff have done an excellent job with that in the short time they have been at Carolina.

These numbers also will rise as the state of South Carolina continues to grow population-wise. It only strands to reason that the more people within a state that cares about football, the more players that state will produce. There isn’t enough to stock an entire SEC football program with quality depth mostly from the in-state talent base right now and may not ever be, but the state is growing.

Also, you see by looking at the names through the years how important getting the best from the state is to this program. You are never getting them all, but when the Gamecocks have cycled up, they have gotten their share of the cream of the crop.

The price tag for the long-planned extension of the Mark Clark Expressway from West Ashley across Johns Island to James Island has suddenly tripled.

The S.C. Department of Transportation’s new construction estimate is a whopping $2.35 billion — or more than three times the projected cost when it was last calculated in 2015.

The impact on Charleston County would be dramatic and those in charge have expressed concern the future of the road plan is in doubt.

“I don’t know if people are going to have an appetite for it,” said Council Chairman Teddie Pryor. “Where are we going to get the extra money from?”

With the state’s share of the cost capped at $420 million, Charleston County had expected to contribute about $305 million to the project under the previous $725 million estimate.

Now, the county’s share would be more than $1.9 billion.

“We’ll wait to see how the county responds,” said state Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall. “Our recommendation remains ... to proceed with preliminary activity on the project and get to the point where it would be shovel-ready.”

In a letter to the county April 25, Hall said DOT is asking the county and the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board for approval to spend $150 million for ongoing work to make the road plan ready for bids. The county would pay half that amount.

Beyond that, the highway department wants to county to demonstrate “a reasonable financial approach to the entire project.”

Pryor said the County Council will discuss the issue when it meets at a regularly scheduled meeting at 5 p.m. today, April 26. He said the county would likely need federal assistance, new taxes, or both, in order to fund such a project.

The county and the state have each spent about $12.5 million on the project so far, he said.

“The longer this thing is delayed, the more it’s going to cost,” said Pryor.

Hall said one reason the cost has gone up so much is the soaring price of real estate in Charleston County. Acquiring the land needed for the road would cost an estimated $261 million, she said.

The DOT estimate assumes construction could begin in 2028, and also assumes there would be two or three years of litigation before that.

If completed, there would be a highway loop around Charleston, with the interstate running from Mount Pleasant across Daniel Island, North Charleston and West Ashley, then becoming more of a parkway across Johns Island and connecting to the James Island Connector on James Island.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) – How many times have you driven past Chick-Fil-A and seen a line of cars wrapped around the drive-thru line?

This seems to be the case with a location on James Island, and Chick-Fil-A has submitted a variance request to expand the property.

During the breakfast or lunch rush, Folly Road near the Chick-Fil-A can turn into a parking lot.

Bo Grimes lives down the street, and says six days a week, it’s the same story.

”People like myself actually trying to go to work or things like that, are being blocked by the actual line of the customers,” he says. “It’s like you’re getting stuck in the line. It’s like you’re waiting in line for something you’re not going to buy.”

Chick-Fil-A is trying to help with traffic flow and the drive through line and has filed a “variance request” with the town of James Island to remove trees around the property, and add on for a double drive-thru.

Mikell Fosberry has seen the traffic headaches, and says if the expansion helps with the congestion, he supports the construction.

“I trust Chick-Fil-A. They usually do a pretty good job of keeping the traffic moving at a lot of their locations,” he says.

Not everyone is thrilled. In the Facebook group “Save James Island”, some people posted comments about the preservation of the trees. One person posted “I enjoy Chick-Fil-A as much as anyone else, but I’d like to preserve the integrity of our island more than I need a chicken nugget.”

Another posted "James Island has the prettiest CFA in Charleston--beautifully landscaped with MANY pretty trees. Please do not ruin it!"

The request still has to be approved before construction can begin, but Grimes wants to see something done to get the cars through the line.

“I guess I just notice the traffic blockage more than I noticed the trees.”

We reached out to Chick-Fil-A to find out more about their request. A spokesperson said in a statement:

“Chick-fil-A planted 11 of the 12 trees proposed for removal at the James Island restaurant when it opened 16 years ago. We’re committed to being a good neighbor in James Island and are working on plans to help minimize any future traffic impacts. As part of this we would also replace any trees, including one already damaged by lightning.”

The zoning request will be considered during a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Tuesday night. You have until 12 p.m. on Tuesday to submit a comment.

The Town invites the public to submit comments on this case prior to the meeting via email to kcrane@jamesislandsc.us referencing Case #3-22-028 and #3-22-029.

The Holy City might be known for some good old shrimp ‘n grits + she crab soup, and pizza may not be the first thing that comes to mind. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some really good options.

We did some digging to find a few of the best local pizza spots around town and we’re sharing the knead-to-knows.

Charleston

D’Allesandro’s Pizza, 229 St. Philip St. | A neighborhood favorite since 2006. We love the Big Cheesy.

Pizzeria di Giovanni, 40 N. Market St. | Check out Neapolitan-style pizza paired with a Greek salad.

Sabatino’s Pizza, 151 Calhoun St. | Consistency is key and Sabatino’s passes the test. Bonus: Head to the walk-up window for a slice.

Baker & Brewer, 94 Stuart St. | Come for the ‘za, stay for the relaxed atmosphere + outdoor space.

Mt. Pleasant

Orlando’s Pizza, 230 Mathis Ferry Rd. + 295 Seven Farms Dr., Daniel Island | You can’t beat the two-slice lunch special — $8 for cheese and $9 for a topping.

Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, 664 Long Point Rd. | Pro tip: Try the Sicilian–style pizza.

Toni’s Pizza, 1795 N. Hwy. 17 | Order an authentic Detroit-style pizza plus a Vernors Float for the perfect balance of sweet + salty.

North Charleston

Park Pizza, 1028 E. Montague Ave. | Mix up your usual order with the pizza of the month.

EVO Pizzeria, 1075 E. Montague Ave. | Pair your snack plate dinner special with a local draft beer from Indigo Reef or Revelry.

Other loc’s

Slice Co., 1662 Savannah Hwy. | Enjoy fresh mozzarella or vegan cheese, both made in-house.

PizzaVola Express James Island, 1041 Folly Rd. | Choose a slice, a pie, or an Italian dish at this one-stop shop.

Hollywood Pizza, 6231 Hwy. 162, Hollywood | Enjoy a keto pizza bowl or pie at an outdoor table — it’s worth the drive.

Heads up, this is not a comprehensive list. Didn’t catch your favorite local spot this time around? Share it with us.

The project's supporters suggest prices may soon fall, reducing the cost of I-526.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — South Carolina's road agency says the cost to build a long-debated completion of the Interstate 526 loop has tripled to more than $2.3 billion because of rising costs of land and construction.

The state's share of the Mark Clark Extension is capped at $420 million in a 2019 agreement with the Charleston County, meaning the county would need to find nearly $2 billion to complete the project — six times more than it planned.

The highway would start at the west end of I-526 in West Ashley, cross on to Johns Island and run back off the island to James Island. It would end at the James Island Connector.

“This, to me, is a perfect opportunity for Charleston County Council to walk away from this project,” Jason Crowley of the Coastal Conservation League told The Post and Courier of Charleston.

The league has fought the new highway for years, saying it would benefit few people and harm many.

A large portion of the project would go through Charleston. Mayor John Tecklenburg said the I-526 extension is vital.

"Our West Ashley and island residents need and deserve the traffic relief and public safety improvements this project will bring,” Tecklenburg said in statement.

The I-526 extension is separate from another project to widen the mostly four-lane interstate that links Mount Pleasant to the state port, Interstate 26 and West Ashley. The freeway has been busy because of the Charleston area's growth.

State officials said it could cost around $7 billion to expand I-526 to eight lanes, untangle its intersection with I-26 and build or expand several bridges along the route.

For the I-526 extension, the South Carolina Department of Transportation is asking Charleston County to show it still wants to fund the project, estimating the county would need to pay about $75 million to get ready for bids.

“I don’t know if people are going to have an appetite for it,” said County Council Chair Teddie Pryor. “Where are we going to get the extra money from?”

The project's supporters suggest prices may soon fall, reducing the cost of I-526. Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce said, though, that further delays show costs inevitably rise.

“The current cost of the project heightens the important need of completing this effort now," the chamber said.