Plumbers in Cottageville, SC

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC) - Some Colleton County elementary schoolers will have to be at the bus stop as early as 6 a.m. starting this school year, and parents are not happy.

The district just announced its new bell schedule within a month of the first day of school, and it is already receiving backlash, especially on Facebook.

The schools affected by the new bell schedule are listed below:

7:00 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

- Bells Elementary School

- Cottageville Elementary School

- Hendersonville Elementary School

8:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

- Northside Elementary School

- Forest Hills Elementary School

- Black Street Early Childhood Center

8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

- Colleton County Middle School

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

- Colleton County High School

Most parents say they do not want their elementary schoolers starting so early and their high schoolers ending so late.

Kevin Canaday, a father of three kids in Colleton County School District, says this is causing issues for parents who rely on childcare services after school. He says it is creating 11–12-hour days for elementary schoolers.

“Elementary schools K-4, K-5, first graders, who are getting their foundations of education and having them start this early in the day, so they’re getting out of school if I remember correctly is 1:45,” Canaday said. “So, by the time they get home, there’s really not going to be anyone there to help them with homework or anything like that because they’re getting home so early.”

William Bowman Jr., the chairperson for Colleton County Schools, says this change came from a shortage of bus drivers. He says the district should have 65 drivers, but they are short 15 for this school year.

He says Dr. Vallerie Cave, Colleton County Schools’ Superintendent, did not want bus drivers to be making triple or quadruple routes to fill in for the missing drivers. He says if they did this, it would result in kids not arriving at school until 10 or 11:00 in the morning.

“We’re seeing a lot of growth in all of our core subject areas across all of our grade levels,” Bowman Jr. said. “So, we want to continue with that academic progress, and a big part of that continuation is making sure that our students receive the proper instruction. And if students are getting to school at 10 or 11:00 in the morning, they’re missing a huge part of instruction.”

Bowman says he encourages everyone to apply to be a bus driver for Colleton County School District.

There will also be a school board meeting on Tuesday, July 26 at 6 p.m., where the board will explain more of why they made these changes.

The South Carolina Department of Education recently launched the “Step Up SC” campaign, which highlights open bus driver and technician positions across the state.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Colleton County residents who live in Districts 2, 4, and 6 have a choice to make in who will they vote onto the Colleton County School Board.

These three seats – 2, 4, and 6 – are up for re-election on the school board. They mostly represent the greater parts of Walterboro.

These three school board seats will be on the ballot in the upcoming November 8th election.

Anyone wanting to run for these open school board has had about two weeks to file. That filing period closed at noon on Friday, August 10th.

Now, there are five new people and one incumbent who have chosen to run in this election.

They are: Wayne Shider, who is running for District 6; Lynn Carter Stroble, who is running for District 6; Anna Bright, who is running for District 4; Craig Stivender, who is running for District 4; incumbent William Bowman, who is running for District 4; and Daryl Erwin, who is running for District 2.

Shider and Stroble will face each other for District 6. The current District 6 school board member, Harry Jenkins, is not running again for this seat, citing health reasons.

Bright will face Stivender and current District 4 school board member William Bowman: Bowman is a longtime school board member and is also the current chairman of the school board.

Erwin has no competition for District 2. The current school board member for District 2 is Tim Mabry. However, Mabry cannot run again for this district because he no longer lives in District 2. According to Mabry, the new school board lines released earlier this year changed District 2’s geography and Mabry’s current address is outside of those new lines for District 2. Based on the new lines, Mabry now lives in District 3.

Meet the Candidates

Daryl Erwin – District 2

Daryl Erwin is running for District 2 on the Colleton County School Board.

He is a 45-year-old Walterboro native who currently works as a computer technician for the Dorchester District Four School District, in St. George. He is also the pastor of Cottageville Baptist Church. Previously, he worked in the local technology department at the Colleton County School District.

“We have to have something better for Colleton County than what we have now,” he said. “Our kids, our parents, our staff … everybody deserves better than what is happening now in our schools and within our district.”

If elected, Erwin said he wants to focus on improving staff morale. He also wants to focus on improving the work atmosphere within the district, including the district’s administrative office.

Anna Bright – District 4

Anna Bright is running for District Four on the Colleton County School Board.

Bright, 66, is a Walterboro resident and a Colleton County native. She is also a retired educator: Bright served as a school teacher more than 40 years in Colleton County and in nearby Dorchester District Four.

She came out of retirement last year, in 2021, to be a part-time teacher at the Colleton Academy for Success. This is the alternative school program for the Colleton County School District. Bright is returning this year to the alternative school, where she will teach part-time.

“Having had 40 years of experience, I feel I know what students and teachers need,” she said. “This is something I have always wanted to do. It’s a lifelong goal.”

If elected, Bright said she wants to focus on retention of teachers.

Craig Stivender – District 4

Craig Stivender is running for District 4 on the Colleton County School Board.

Stivender, 39, is a certified law enforcement officer and fireman. He is currently an arson investigator with the Walterboro Fire Department. Stivender is also a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Cottageville Baptist Church.

“Over the past few years, I have been attending the school board meetings and I don’t like the direction our district is taking on behavioral issues and the level of education that our kids are getting. I also see the issues that our leadership has,” he said.

Stivender has two children who are in the local public school system. Their third child was removed from the Colleton County School system because of their lack of satisfaction with Colleton County Middle School, he said.

“We need good people to step up to the plate and change this board. It’s time for some new ideas and new blood,” said Stivender.

William Bowman – District 4

William Bowman is currently representing District 4 on the school board. Bowman has represented District 4 on the school board since 2018. He is a local small business owner and a professional volleyball officiant and referee.

As an incumbent, Bowman said he decided to run again because he wants to continue in his original campaign promises. “I want to be a representative of all people in District 4,” he said. “I believe I’ve done that so far, and I want to continue on the promises I made in 2018 and make sure our students grow … I want to create a school system that is actually going to help our students. There is an old saying, ‘The progression of every state is in the education of its youth.’ That’s one of the reasons I chose to run for school board again, to make sure all students rise to educational proficiency.”

Bowman also said that the school board has also already made progress academically to help boost the economy and to educate the local work force. “I want to show the community that I can be a representative to all people, especially the people of District 4,” he said.

Wayne Shider – District 6

Wayne Shider is running for District 6 on the Colleton County School Board. He is a former elected member of the Colleton County School Board, and served for more than 30 years for District 6 before being defeated by current District 6 incumbent Harry Jenkins. At 62 years old, Shider is now a retired government service worker. He is also currently self-employed as a realtor and tax-repair specialist. When asked why he is running again for the school board, Shider said he wants to run again because of the “current climate” within the school district.

“With my experience, and skill set, it was time for me to seek the board again,” he said. “It’s also my strong desire to assist in the transformation of our school district, from the front lines. I don’t want to hear about this second-hand. I want to assist the district into transforming into something where student achievement goes up, where our schools are safe and to reassure the stakeholders that it’s important for us to all be a part of the decision-making in the district. We must all work together.

“All of our students should be able to move to a higher level. We also need to build trust upon the public again, having a positive relationship with everyone,” he said.

Lynn C. Stroble – District 6

Lynn Stroble is running for District 6 on the Colleton County School Board.

Stroble, 59, is a retired Colleton County school teacher and a retired administrator from the local school district. Since her retirement, she has continued to serve as a voluntarily supporting teacher for many different schools in Colleton County. She has also helped with POLARIS, a charter school in the Lowcountry. As a former teacher and administrator, Stroble says she decided to run for the Colleton County School Board because her grandchildren are going to be future students in our public schools.

“I should be able to see my grandchildren receive a positive public-school education,” she said, adding that the school board should have elected leaders on it who are educators.

“Our country should be a place where we want to see our children go to school,” she said. “Our schools should be a family, a place where we want to go to work and where we know we have a family support. “I’ve been on my knees praying a lot, and this is something I am being led to do.”

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COTTAGEVILLE — A tract of nearly 150 acres of hardwood trees along the Edisto River — home to guarded bird species like the wood stork — was recently transferred to the state for conservation and is now protected.

The property, situated adjacent to the popular Good Hope Landing, provides a number of wetland benefits: floodwater storage, wildlife habitat and protection of drinking water quality.

Several rare, threatened and endangered species — such as the red-cockaded woodpecker and southern bald eagle, the Atlantic sturgeon fish and Carolina birds-in-a-nest flower — call the space home.

Additionally, about a third of all state priority fish species are found in the surrounding Edisto River system.

And since this tract is immediately downstream from the landing, it is either the first or last site users see when they’re getting on or off the river.

The big hardwood trees there, probably second growth after being logged decades ago, have a huge impact on the landing’s users and are aesthetically important to protect, said Patrick Moore, a senior project manager at Open Space Institute.

The institute this month announced the land transfer to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The property sits across from the 1,375-acre Edisto River Wildlife Management Area, which the state also oversees.

The addition of this land to the wildlife management area means creating a safeguard of public and recreational access and drinking water for downstream communities, said Nate Berry, OSI’s senior vice president in South Carolina.

A number of groups chipped in to make the move possible, including the Waste Management company, the S.C. Conservation Bank and the Coastal Conservation League.

When environmentalists heard the property was going to be sold and possibly logged, OSI stepped in and purchased it to keep that from happening, Moore said. Waste Management contributed funds for the effort, too, and DNR secured a grant from the conservation bank for the transfer.

“Acquisition of this property will protect another important parcel along the Edisto, one of the longest, free-flowing rivers in the United States that provides critical habitat for game and non-game species,” said DNR Director Robert Boyles.

The Edisto is the longest blackwater river in the country, meandering some 250 miles from Edgefield and Saluda counties to the Atlantic Ocean at Edisto Island, according to the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Boyles said DNR is appreciative of partnering with the other organizations to provide more land where the public can enjoy outdoor activities. The river already has a 62-mile canoe and kayak trail that offers camping and picnic sites for single and multi-day trips, according to a news release.

With the addition of the property near Good Hope Landing, OSI has conserved more than 35,000 acres in South Carolina over the past five years.

Cottageville residents have seen change in their community in the last few years, and now the Greater Cottageville Chamber of Commerce is ready to encourage more improvements.

Frank Santorella, a resident of Cottageville, said he is proud of the small town and wants to showcase its beauty, friendly people, and excellent location.

“We want to create a chamber of commerce here. We already have a 501-3C non-profit status, Maryann Blake is serving as our attorney, and we are ready to roll,” said Santorella. “We have ‘Friends of the Park’ which is comprised of people who helped develop the park into what it is now.” He says there are also plans at the park to install a memorial with engraved bricks to honor veterans. This will be accomplished by applying for grants and accepting donations.

Santorella, who plans to initiate the chamber, will serve as a temporary director. He says he already has seven merchants who are interested in joining.

“We want to make Cottageville a destination. Red Brick Pizza and Beer Garden is the anchor store for starting the chamber,” said Santorella. “It’s a one-of-a-kind business in the entire region. Once the chamber officially opens, we want to pick a member of the chamber and promote that business each week, and once a month promote everyone. There will be a rotation, and this will be good for everybody.”

He went on to say that the brick-and-mortar stores are the life of Cottageville, not the transient businesses. He feels that transient businesses will not want to invest their funds in the chamber, but the stationary businesses are here to stay.

“I think the people of Cottageville will be positively affected by the chamber and will accept it with open arms. Hopefully, this will bring even more businesses our way. Our only option now is to travel to Summerville or Walterboro to purchase some items. That’s between 15 to 20 miles away. Cottageville has a lot of people in the rural areas, and though our local gas stations try hard to serve the needs of the community, it would be nice to have boutique shops here. We already have a new vape store that has a coffee bar. So we are starting off well,” said Santorella.

He is hoping to have the new chamber up and running by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

“There will be a fee for stores to become part of the chamber,” said Santorella, who gathered ideas and patterned the Cottageville chamber after the City of Walteboro’s. “I received ideas on how to structure the fees. They won’t be impressive because social media provides a lot of free advertising. We will have a website and newsletter for the community. We will be out there,” he added.

Anyone interested in joining the new chamber can write to: Greater Cottageville Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 464, Cottageville, SC, 29435. Businesses can also contact Santorella on Facebook at Friends of the Park or call The Vape Stop at 843-701-4262.

Deputies make arrests after body found in Cottageville woods where hunter went missing

COLLETON COUNTY, SC (WCSC) - Investigators have made a number of arrests after a body was found in the woods in Cottageville in the same area where a hunter went missing.

The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Schuyler Rene Andrulat of Cottageville and 33-year-old Nathan Baughman of Summerville have been charged with obstruction of justice. According to court records, the charges against Andrulat were dismissed and expunged.

A third man, Brad Skipper, has also been charged with an outstanding warrant from Colleton County.

The body was found around 8 p.m. on Thursday in a wooded area off Red Oak Road, the same area where a hunter went missing last Friday

The sheriff's office says the missing hunter was staying with friends who waited until Sunday to report him missing.

The coroner is doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death and identify the body.

The arrests stems from an incident that began on Aug. 21 when a Colleton County deputy responded to a home on Peirce Road in reference to a missing person.

The deputy spoke to Andrulat who said a friend of hers, Orin Patrick, had come to her home to go hunting Friday evening.

According to a report, Andrulat said she dropped Patrick off along the woodline on Peirce Road with a shotgun.

"Andrulat stated that several hours later, she received a call from Patrick stating that he was lost in the woods and he wanted her to drive along the road and beep the horn so that he could find his way back to the road again," the report states.

Andrulat told investigators that she did this around 9 p.m. on Friday but could not find him.

According to authorities, Andrulat said she received another call from Patrick that only last a few seconds and had since been unable to reach him through his phone again. Andrulat told deputies that she did not know any more information about Patrick.

In the incident report, the responding deputy reported that when he first met with Andrulat, she was unable to give any information about Patrick. The deputy then told Andrulat to get in contact with some of Patrick's friends or family so that he could get enough information to do a report.

Authorities also spoke with Patrick's friend, Baughman, who told investigators over the phone that he and Patrick had been staying at a home on Lakeview Drive in Summerville.

Baughman said the last time he saw Patrick was on Aug. 19, but was unsure of the time "because they had both been drinking so he did not remember much about that day."

The incident report states Baughman told investigators that this was not the first time Patrick had just "gone away, but it has never been for this long and never without making contact with him."

Detectives reported that they had Patrick's cell phone pinged to find the last location for it which was in Summerville.

Copyright 2016 WCSC. All rights reserved.