Homes for Sale in Wescott neighborhood in Summerville, SC

When Argent Agents represent South Carolina in Texas this month, they will put their collective ingenuity and creative power to the test. The group of six middle school students – Nicky Arzt, Lily Arzt, Jackson Champion-Wescott, Grayson Champion-Wescott, Henry Quackenbush and Benjamin Frick – won the South Carolina First Lego League State Championship in February, qualifying them for the world championship event in Houston, April 19 – 22.

Chris Arzt is the team’s coach and a parent of two of the competitors. All six team members attend the Sterling School in Greenville and they span grades 5 – 8.

The STEM-based program promotes the teamwork and critical thinking needed to complete challenges, both through the framework of First Lego and beyond. Arzt said it requires students to focus on problem-solving.

“They're teaching coding, but they're also trying to teach them to think like engineers,” he said. “How do you look at a problem and figure out how to solve it? And then when that doesn't work, how do you adjust and try again?”

Arzt said the program has three elements.

“One part is core values, where there are various values that the kids are encouraged and expected to model and deliver over the course of the season, like discovery, innovation, teamwork, fun, etc.,” he said.

Those values are incorporated throughout the practices and competitions.

“There's an innovation project,” Arzt said. “Based on the year's theme, they have to come up with some project, something that they can make better, and they have to talk to experts and try and figure out what they can do. And then the third part is the robot. They need to build a robot, program it, and there's a table and a set of missions. They need to program the robot to do this independently – like if it needs to go around the table and lift this thing up, move this thing over there and knock this thing down or whatever it is.”

At the state level, the team created a distinct robot that performed missions without motors. Arzt said most robots have motorized arms, but this team relied on passive attachments like ramps, levers and rubber bands.

“Their innovation project is to give water-powered generators to households in places with no power lines,” according to Arzt. “The family can use it to generate power using water from a rain gutter or from a river. It will generate enough power to have light at night or charge a cell phone.”

The season started in August. Throughout their practices and competitions, Arzt said he has seen the students learn to work together as a team.

“The way they step up for each other and help each other out, that's a big thing,” he said. “I think they have recognized the value of hard work. They did a lot more work this year than they did last year, and different people have gotten better at different things as well. Whether it's coding or whether it's persistence, and not giving up after something didn't work for five minutes, or whether it's how to interact with adults who you're trying to interview and get information from and write emails to, they've learned a lot of different things. There are a lot of different things involved, and some people focus more on one thing than another, so different people learn different skills. But they all learned a bit of everything.”

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SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - A Summerville family says they moved out of their rented apartment at the recommendation of a doctor after months of seeing mold across the unit.

Breanna McCalla says her family moved to Summerville in the fall, but when they signed their lease at the Latitude at Wescott, they had no idea they would be moving again in less than six months.

“I think, a week after moving in that we noticed the first amount of mold up on the vents, which was the first thing that we noticed,” McCalla says.

She provided a screenshot of an email sent in October, alerting property managers about the mold, and asking that it be checked out and addressed. But McCalla says not only did nothing seem to get fixed, it instead got worse.

“I also have also lost multiple sentimental things that I can’t get back. I had a bag full of all my kids’ baby blankets that was covered in mold. You know, like baby items and clothing and things that you can’t replace,” McCalla says.

Staff at the Latitude at Wescott did not comment on the situation despite three attempts to ask if they were aware of the issue and, if so, whether any effort was made to address it.

Mary Templeton, a fellow in an Equal Justice Housing Works Program, specializes in renter cases at Charleston Pro Bono. She says tenants do have rights under South Carolina law.

“A lot of people don’t know their rights because South Carolina landlord-tenant law is not necessarily intuitive,” Templeton says. “So a big thing that I think that all tenants should know in South Carolina is just to make sure to document any issues you’re having. The more evidence you have of a problem, the easier it is to get it resolved, even if it does require court action.”

Parts of the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act say landlords must “comply with the requirements of applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety” and “make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.”

“I was constantly stressed about it with the kids, mainly with the mold. I mean, the other things we cleaned, and you know, it’s fine, but the mold, I know how serious mold is,” McCalla says.

She provided emails with management through December and January documenting continued mold appearances on vents and windows. She says the last straw for their family was when her daughter developed a persistent cough and her other two children also seemed to struggle with breathing.

“We’re doing doctors and taking antibiotics. She wasn’t testing for anything and we were starting to put the pieces together,” McCalla says.

On Feb. 10 at a follow-up doctor appointment, the provider made a note on McCalla’s daughter’s visit notes. It states, “Seek care at COEM (Center for Occupation & Environmental Medicine) for mold exposure along with treatment for cough symptoms.”

“The first thing she said was immediately you need to get out the only way you’re going to start feeling better and you know healing from this is removing yourself from the mold,” McCalla says.

Templeton says Charleston Pro Bono gets at least weekly if not daily requests for help with tenant issues. She says there are specific timelines for when certain types of issues should be fixed, and a professional can walk someone through their rights if they have the documentation.

“The more evidence you have of a problem, the easier it is to get it resolved, even if it does require court action,” Templeton says. “You always have to put a repair request for those things in writing. Landlords don’t have a duty to fix things unless they’ve received a written notice about the repairs that need to be made.”

While they are not in the habit of taking on mold cases because of the cost, she says documenting everything does a lot if you want to build a case to break your lease. Templeton says a mold case can be hard to prove but not impossible if people have the proof.

“With mold cases, if someone is looking into some sort of damages where you know, they think they’ve been injured because of the mold, their children are sick things of that nature…It’s very hard for legal aid providers to take on those cases just because we don’t have the sort of capital needed to kind of front the bill for those sorts of lawsuits,” Templeton says. “Typically, in those sorts of lawsuits. It’s my understanding that expert witnesses are needed, you know, who have to be paid. You get the property tested by maybe environmental organizations, things like that to see what the risk level is.”

McCalla, when breaking her lease, checked a box claiming to break through “no fault” not wanting to pay because of the mold maintenance issues. She says they have been in touch with a potential lawyer and are planning to get the family tested for mold levels at COEM.

“I know that I did as much as I could have I also wish I would have done more like I wish I would have been like in their face telling them like this is not okay,” McCalla says.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Those living in Charleston County will vote for various municipal elections and the South Carolina Senate District 42.

Officials say Early voting gives voters more options, time, and power to make their voices heard.

Early voting opens Monday and runs through Nov. 3.

You can vote from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. each day except for Saturday and Sunday.

Charleston County residents will vote for various municipal elections such as mayors and councilors and for the South Carolina Senate District 42.

It’s important to note that to vote in the municipal election you must reside in the county for 30 days prior to the election.

Now, to ensure the security and integrity of the early voting process at the end of each voting day the ballots will be brought to the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections headquarters in a secured room under surveillance.

If you haven’t participated in early voting before it will mimic election day.

Voters will be asked to show a current and valid photo ID.

Eligible IDs include:

Isaac Cramer is the Executive Director of the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections and is encouraging everyone eligible to vote to participate in early voting.

“Municipal elections matter,” Cramer said. “They’re the issues that affect our day-to-day life, so we see a lower turnout in those elections, so my encouragement is every vote does matter. Every vote that you think, you know, oh I’m just one person it doesn’t matter well we have a lot of elections that are determined by a hand full of votes.”

The following early voting locations will be open in the Tri-County area:

Charleston County

Dorchester County

Berkeley County

Visit SCVotes.gov to find early voting locations for your county.

Those who cannot vote in person for the upcoming election have until Friday to request a mail-in ballot and would then have until 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 to return it.

Those who would prefer to vote on Election Day can do so at their precinct on Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Moncks Corner’s Dixie Youth Minors all-stars completed a blemish-free run through the District 7 tournament June 13, winning via shutout for the third time in five games at Wescott Park.

Moncks Corner's 9- and 10-year-old all-stars, blanked Parks Field, 4-0, to punch their ticket to the state tournament July 14-20 at Clemson’s Nettles Park. Coach Chris Ard’s bunch outscored its five opponents, 39-5, in district play.

The gameplan was to focus, hustle and not quit, and his team bought in to it.

“I was really proud of them,” Ard said. “We talk to the young boys about our simple recipe. A lot of times they go up there and think they’ve got to get a big hit, strike somebody out or make the perfect play. We just want to take the pressure off of them. We just want them to go out there and compete and not worry about the result. Whatever happens happens.”

In district play, whatever happened was positive.

Starting pitcher Ethan Drawdy earned the win from the bump, giving up three hits while striking out five batters in four innings. Relievers Jacob Hughes and Eli Hughes, twin brothers, completed the shutout with one hitless inning each. Jacob Hughes fanned two batters.

Moncks Corner erupted for all of its runs in the top of the fourth inning to break up the pitcher’s duel. Drawdy and Corbin Booker knocked in runs with one-out singles and Wyatt Harvey delivered a two-run double to centerfield two batters later for all the run support Moncks Corner pitching needed.

Parks Field didn’t have a hit the rest of the way.

“Ethan threw two games against Parks Field and was tremendous,” Ard said. “We hit the baseball very well and all the guys did what we asked them to do for the team. We always tell them it’s about the name on the front of the jersey not the name on the back. They’re buying into that.”

Moncks Corner’s run began June 9 with an 11-0 win over St. Andrew’s and continued with a 7-0 victory over Parks Field June 10. Moncks Corner’s closest contest was, 4-2, against Mt. Pleasant June 11. It got back into blowout mode the next day with a 13-3 win over Goose Creek.

“These guys are battle-tested,” Ard said. “We practice them hard. We treat them like they’re young adults, not children. We were ready for five games. We talk to them about what it takes when you get tired. Five games in five days is challenging. When you don’t allow a lot of runs, you’ve got a chance to perform well over five games.”

Ard obviously hasn’t seen what other teams will make it to state but gives his team a chance to make some noise as long it doesn’t mess with the recipe for winning.

“I will put us up against anybody I think,” Ard said. “I’m not saying we’re more talented but we teach toughness in trying to get these guys ready.”

More team members include Skyler Isom, Silas Severe, Manning West, Wyatt Ard, Jett Farr, Hunter Jones and Garrison Glass.

Ard’s assistant coaches are Ashley Farr and Russell Hughes.

The North Charleston 12U softball all-stars have punched their ticket to the state tournament.

North Charleston went 3-2 during the South Carolina Athletic Programs Southern District Tournament June 11-16 to finish as the district runner-up and advance to the state tournament. The team opened the tournament at Wescott Park with wins over Beaufort and Bluffton and then lost to Moncks Corner.

North Charleston continued to battle and with a win the next day moved into the finals against Moncks Corner needing two wins to claim a district title. That task proved to be too tall as Moncks Corner defeated North Charleston, 14-6, to finish the tournament with four wins and no losses.

Moncks Corner plated seven runs in the top of the first inning of the championship game to put all the pressure on North Charleston. The home team pushed three runs across in the bottom of the frame and loaded the bases in the third inning. However, Moncks Corner got out of the jam and carried an 11-3 lead into the fourth.

“The girls put the bat on the ball but we didn’t hit like we can and just came up a little bit short tonight,” North Charleston coach Chris Carter said. “We had some great competition here this week. Our girls came together for the first time and they worked hard, practiced hard and played hard. All our coaches are super proud of them.”

He attributes his squad’s success in the tournament to teamwork.

“It took a total team effort to get us where we are,” he said. “We won as a team and lost as a team so it’s hard to single any one player out.”

Members of the team are Tiauana Walker, Madelyn Smith, Peyton Krueger, Elizabeth Martray, Maeven Moreno, Adyson Safaie, Faith Hatcher, Morgan Carter, Justus Vanbeek, Abygail Overfield, Malia Morris and Brystol Ledbetter.

Moncks Corner and North Charleston will participate in the eight-team state tournament scheduled to begin June 24 in Augusta.

“We need to work on a few things but mainly just stay loose and have fun,” Carter said. “All our girls can hit so if we just fine tune some of our mechanics on defense, our bunt coverage, we should do well.”