South-Carolina
Charleston students at SkyGardens apartments face days of water, power outages
CHARLESTON , S.C. (WCIV) — After days of uncertainty over whether they would have running water or electricity, residents at SkyGardens Apartments in downtown Charleston say they are fed up and some are preparing to move out.
SkyGardens is a popular residence for students at the College of Charleston. Residents said they have dealt with ongoing problems for months, but a pipe burst and flooding last week escalated the situation, followed by extended outages and what they described as limited communication from management.
Emails from the apartment messaging system said water pressure was reduced on Wednesday, March 11th, to conduct repairs. Residents said that turned into all water being turned off for more than 24 hours starting Thursday morning.
Thursday night, students woke up to fire alarms as a pipe burst began flooding parts of the building, and one of the building’s two elevators was shut down.
Addie Johnson, a resident, said her unit flooded as the result of the pipe burst on Thursday night, “We had about two inches of sitting water just throughout the building and on our carpets.” Johnson said residents struggled to get help. “We couldn’t get a hold of anybody in management or anybody in maintenance to help clean up the issue,” she said.
Eleanor O’Leary, another resident, said the conditions in her unit have become unlivable. “And now our room is just full of moisture, and all of our carpets are soaked. We can’t live there. We can’t live in it anymore,” O’Leary said. She added, “We’re paying $2,000 a month, and we can’t even live in our apartment.”
READ MORE | Charleston streets submerged: Residents frustrated as coastal flooding hits new heights
The building then lost power on Friday, and it did not come back on until late Saturday night, residents said. They said they hoped the situation had stabilized, but water and power were temporarily shut off again Tuesday.
With conditions in the building uncertain, residents said many have spent the past couple of days in hotel rooms at their own expense.
“We’ve had to stay somewhere else,” Johnson said, adding that while she has family nearby, others do not. She said the apartment’s proposed hotel option created additional challenges. “They offered a hotel for $109 per night, but it’s 20 minutes away, and a lot of people don’t have cars here, so it’s been kind of affecting our personal lives,” Johnson said. “Like, not being able to focus in class, ’cause we’re worried about coming back to no power, where we’re gonna sleep next.”
Mia Konstantinakos said residents were frustrated by what they viewed as limited support. “They’re not even providing the hotel, no vouchers, no ride vouchers.”
Grace Porcaro said residents have also struggled to contact management, “If we call them, no one answers, just like an AI agent,” Porcaro said. “And if we go to the leasing office, no one talks to us because no one’s there.”
Residents said the problems did not start with last week’s flooding. Sophia Fiuza said, “Since the first day we got here, we were already facing problems with plumbing.”
Johnson said, “We haven’t had hot water for about four months now.”
READ MORE | How the Goose Creek water line break is affecting local businesses
Porcaro said, “We had plastic bags over our vents for about three months in the middle of the school year,” and added, “Our dishwasher’s been broken for the past two months.”
The apartment sent a message to students Tuesday afternoon saying water and electricity had been restored, and that units will be assessed starting Wednesday to determine whether residents will receive compensation and how much.
Some residents said they are skeptical. “I mean, they say things a lot and it just doesn’t happen,” said Brantlee Saxon. “They don’t actually follow through.” Saxon said, “I’m definitely moving out, but the option I have is not any cheaper at all. It’s way more expensive than this.”
Porcaro added, “I thought this was a very good deal, but I’m not getting my money’s worth, that’s for sure.”
SkyGardens management was contacted for comment, but no response was received.
South Carolina sees early voting records in opening two days
Record early voting in South Carolina: 56,000 (May 26), 34,000 (May 27). Early voting ends June 5; primary is June 9.
Voters in Anderson County will decide four contested South Carolina House primary races this June as incumbents face challengers on issues ranging from taxes and government spending to immigration, education, and public safety.
For the 2026 primaries, there are four contested races in Anderson County.
Candidate filing for the 2026 election cycle closed in March, officially setting the stage for the June primaries and November general election.
Polls opened for early voting on May 26, and election day will be on Tuesday, June 9. For residents looking to find where to vote, scvotes.org lists precinct locations.
State House District 6
April Cromer
Age: 49
Family: Cromer has a husband, Brent Cromer, and two children
Experience: She has been the incumbent since being elected on Nov.14, 2022. Outside of that, she’s an internal operations auditor for her family’s business, Cromer Food Services.
Top issue: She said the state government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, and argued lawmakers should focus on reducing inefficiencies before considering any tax increases.
“As a businesswoman who has helped run a company of more than 100 employees, I know that throwing money at broken systems never works. Rather than raising your taxes, yet again, increase our state budget, I’ll work to bring down costs and make our government more efficient by slashing wasteful spending,” Cromer said.
Kyle White
Age: 41
Family: Kyle is married to his wife, Ashlea, and they have a daughter and a son.
Experience: White is currently an attorney. He works at the White, Davis, and White Law Firm in Anderson.
Top issue: White said he supports conservative policies focused on gun rights, lower taxes, stricter immigration enforcement, and support for law enforcement, veterans, and small businesses. He also pledged to improve infrastructure and public education, expand school choice, protect natural resources and property rights, and push for government reform and accountability in Columbia.
“I will hold all branches accountable to ensure they work for us, not themselves or any special interest group. I am not a politician, and I have spent most of my career holding the government accountable in our courts, and I will take that experience to Columbia,” White said.
District 8
Sherry Hodges
Age: 70
Family: Sherry is married to Scott Hodges, and the pair has several children and grandchildren.
Experience: Hodges serves as vice-chair of the Anderson County Foster Care Review Board and an executive committee member of the Anderson County Republican Party. She served as chair of the Coalition Against the Anderson County Sales Tax Referendum.
Top issue: Hodges presents a platform focused on limited government, lower taxes, fiscal restraint, and redirecting state spending toward infrastructure, roads, and core services while opposing what she describes as wasteful government spending and tax increases.
She also emphasizes positions on a range of social and constitutional issues, including abortion, education and parental rights, gun rights, election integrity, immigration enforcement, and medical freedom, while advocating for stronger support for families, law enforcement, and small businesses.
Don Chapman
Age: 60
Family: Chapman is married to his wife, Amy.
Experience: Chapman is the incumbent in District 8 and was sworn in on Nov. 14, 2022. Chapman owns anarchitectural firm, Chapman Design Group, based in Anderson. He was formerly on the Anderson City Council from 2008 to 2021.
Top issue: Chapman points to efforts to strengthen public safety, secure the border, support education and school funding, protect life, and pass laws to safeguard children and expand parental and constitutional rights.
“Serving my hometown of Anderson County has been the honor of my life, and I’m grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me. I remain committed to fighting for our conservative values and the families of District 8,” Chapman said.
Patrick Orr
Age: 53
Family: Orr has one daughter
Experience: Orr served in the U.S. Navy and currently works as the vice president of information security in Anderson.
Top issue: Orr has cited his commitment to budget transparency, ending state income taxes on active-duty military, and judicial accountability.
“My background has reinforced the importance of transparency, discipline, and practical decision-making. I believe South Carolina deserves leaders who understand real-world challenges, respect taxpayers, and focus on solutions that work. I am running to bring experience, accountability, and steady leadership to the State House,” Orr said.
District 10
Thomas Beach
Age: 51
Family: Beach is married to Glair DaSilva, and they have three children.
Experience: Beach is the incumbent and is a former U.S. Army Ranger. He is currently a licensed realtor. He was elected on Nov. 8, 2022.
Top issue: Beach listed his goals as limiting government power, enforcing immigration laws, protecting taxpayer dollars, and opposing corporate subsidies and government waste, while emphasizing transparency and fiscal accountability. He also highlighted his support for stricter immigration enforcement, pro-life legislation, child protection policies, and Second Amendment rights, including the passage of Constitutional Carry in South Carolina.
“I am a principled constitutional conservative. I have and will continue to base all of my legislative activity on the enumerated rights laid out in the Declaration and the Constitution,” Beach said.
Stewart Watson
Age: 48
Family: N/A
Experience: Watson is a former professor at Mississippi State and Miami University Ohio. He’s now the owner of Antonio Pasta and Pizzeria in Powdersville.
Top issue: Watson said he’s looking to bring transparency, fight for abortion legislation, improve road infrastructure, and fight against undocumented immigration.
“I was raised to prioritize kindness, integrity, and being present for others when it matters most. It is now my desire to bring those same principles to Columbia by representing every resident of this district with dedication and honor,” Watson said.
District 11
Craig Gagnon
Age: 65
Family: He has two children, Leah Gagnon Crumley and Anna Gagnon Smith.
Experience: Gagnon was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2012. He operates the Abbeville Chiropractic Center.
Top issues: He’s highlighted improving S.C. roads, increasing state education funding, and boosting the economy through job creation.
“I believe our area is very special and our workers can compete with any workers anywhere. We deserve the chance to show it. I have and will continue to work to help our district grow through bringing more economic opportunity here,” Gagnon said.
Jesse Turner
Age: 30
Family: N/A
Experience: After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Turner owns and operates Abduction Dispensary, a vape and hemp store in Anderson.
Top issue: He cited state-level corruption, the need for accountability, and the end of property taxes as reasons for his decision to run.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) — Voter turnout is surging across South Carolina as the primary approaches, with more than 100,000 voters already casting their ballots early.
Election officials say participation is on track to be especially strong this year, with more voters expected before the week is over.
South Carolinians have already cast nearly 30% of the total number of primary ballots that were cast in 2024, and early voting isn’t over yet.
The South Carolina State Election Commission says voters cast more than 151,000 ballots last week. In the first week of 2024 early voting, voters cast 120,000 ballots.
Across the entire 2024 primary season, including runoffs, voters cast 527,000 ballots total. Nearly 3.4 million South Carolinians are registered to vote.
Early voting runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of this week. There is no early voting on Monday, June 8, and primary day is Tuesday, June 9. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Elections Director Conway Belangia said the numbers should only continue to grow.
“We always feel that as we get closer to that last day of voting early that our numbers will increase,” Belangia said. “If that happens then again we’re looking at just phenomenal numbers.”
Richland, Charleston and Greenville counties are leading the state in voter turnout.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
South-Carolina
South Carolina gas prices fall to $3.85 per gallon, officials warn volatility may return
LOWCOUNTRY, S.C. (WCIV) — The average price of gas in South Carolina has dropped a significant 18.9 cents per gallon in the past week, setting a new average for Monday and following a similarly dropping national trend.
According to GasBuddy the new average cost of a gallon of gas has been recorded at $3.85 per gallon as of Monday. This price point was determined through a survey of 3,028 stations across South Carolina.
“Average gasoline prices declined in all 50 states over the last week, with GasBuddy now tracking 15 states where the average price of gasoline has fallen below $4 per gallon, offering motorists some of the most widespread relief seen in weeks,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Much of the decline was driven by falling oil prices and the unwinding of recent price cycles, as growing optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran agreement helped ease concerns over global oil supplies.”
Though this price is reportedly 11.3 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, it is still a full $1.12 per gallon higher than a year ago.
READ MORE | Trump ‘laser-focused’ on making deal with Iran, but ready to take military action: Hegseth
The cheapest station in the state was priced at $3.40 per gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $4.89 per gallon, a whopping difference of $1.49 per gallon. With a near $2 difference, it may be worthwhile for motorists to do a bit of hunting around for the cheapest gas in the area.
Meanwhile the national average price of gas fell a similar but slightly higher 19.5 cents per gallon in the past week, now averaging $4.26 per gallon as of Monday. This average is down 17.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands $1.18/g higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
GasBuddy reports however that the coast is anything but clear, and motorists should not get comfortable just yet with these lower prices.
“Oil prices edged higher Sunday evening as uncertainty surrounding a potential deal persisted and renewed Israeli attacks added another layer of geopolitical risk. While motorists may continue to see some short-term relief, some price-cycling states could soon experience another upward swing as retailers run out of room to lower prices further. Overall, any setback in negotiations could quickly reverse the recent decline in fuel prices,” said De Haan.
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