Plumbers in Goose Creek, SC

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCIV) — It's alumnia dust, and it's becoming a nuisance in Goose Creek.

People who live near the Century Aluminum Plant say the particles are covering cars and raising concerns over possible health issues.

"You can actually pick up piles of it, and that's probably not a good thing," Nat Miranda said.

Read more: White dust emitted into Goose Creek from Century Aluminum plant; officials respond.

Miranda said this dust covering his car had been a problem for weeks.

"I mean, they've been a great neighbor for years now," Miranda said. "They need to take some steps to address it and make sure that we feel comfortable with them around still."

Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib said he's been in contact with the plant. He explained the problem is with the Century's baghouse. And DHEC tells him the dust isn't a health issue.

"DHEC does not see this as a public health issue," Habib said. "There's a big difference between exposure and chronic exposure. Chronic exposure is constant exposure over a long period of time, and no one is experiencing that at this point."

Mayor Habib said he's been in contact with state leaders discussing the issue.

"The governor's office reported back to me what they learned," he said. "DHEC is in the area today and tomorrow with air quality testing measures to measure and see what exactly what the air quality issues are."

Read more: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces 26th Annual Silent Witness Ceremony.

As for a timeline to get the issue fixed, it won't take more than a few weeks.

"Now as they have gained more information over the last couple of days, they feel like they have a solution that hopefully won't take more than a week or two," he said. "I know that they are working diligently to get it fixed as fast as they can."

In the meantime, both parties said they want to see transparency.

"They told the regulators when it happened," Miranda said. "What about telling the community? I mean, obviously, it's something that we can see, so how about you say, Hey, we had a problem."

Habib added: "People wanna see transparency. and we continue to work to get that. I think that we have to figure out as a, as a governmental agency, d e C and us and Century Aluminum as a corporate entity, um, to communicate maybe a little bit faster than we have, um, about what the issues are."

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Families with students on spring break might be looking for something to do. In this Lowcountry city, they can now go on a wild goose chase – literally.

Last year, the City of Goose Creek Recreation Department partnered with the Goose Creek Artists Guild to start the City’s “Adopt a Goose” Program. Since then, 21 different local businesses in Goose Creek have adopted their very own statues.

Each business got creative direction to work with members of the artist guild to design unique and individualized goose statues that will then make their nests with their owners.

To both push this initiative of supporting local artists and shine spotlights on local businesses, the City created a scavenger hunt to find these four-and-a-half-foot tall statues.

Starting Saturday, Goose Creek residents can grab a map and start snapping pictures with each goose statue and try to find them all. Officials say participants can share those pictures with the City by tagging them @cityofgoosecreek and @cityofgoosecreekrecreation on Instagram or at the City of Goose Creek and Goose Creek Recreation Facebook pages using the hashtags #FollowTheFlock and #GCGooseChase.

Here’s how to join in on the fun:

This isn’t all, though. Officials have prepared an additional incentive for students on spring break all week.

Starting Monday and going through Friday, three random goose statues will “lay” a golden egg. Inside are prizes such as gifts and coupons from local businesses.

The City has a full list of all goose statues, ranging from Sgt. McGoose at John McCants Veterans Park to Goosetavo over at E-Z Auto of Goose Creek, listed on its website. Make sure to check hours for some locations as certain geese are nested inside.

Businesses who are interested in acquiring their own goose statue can find more information here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - One Goose Creek barber college is making an impact on both hair and history.

Even at 82 years old, Howard Boyd is built for barbering. You could say it’s in his blood. Boyd’s father, a barber, was his first teacher.

“He used to cut hair on the porch—front porch and he was telling me how to cut his hair,” Boyd said. “So, I ended up cutting his hair and he turned the clippers over to me and said, ‘Hey, you need to—you can take it from here. You can have it.’”

Beyond that feeling of a fresh fade, it’s Boyd’s legacy that will live on. He’s the founder of the first Black-owned barber college in the state of South Carolina.

“It was just a three-bedroom building which we stayed. My family lived here. That was the kitchen. And right downstairs here, which is the garage carport, we were able to start the garage barbershop,” Boyd said.

Since its founding in 1986, Goose Creek Barber & Styling College, which is now Howard’s Barber & Styling College, has trained about one thousand students, according to Boyd.

“Just the work I’ve done speaks for me,” he said.

Former students like Jessie Washington, Kenyatta Grimmage and Jermaine Scott have all gone through the college and have made barbering an integral part of their own lives.

“In 1996, I was able to open the first female, African-American barbershop in Goose Creek, South Carolina,” Jessie Washington said. “I’d just like to thank Mr. Howard for having the vision to help others.”

“We give free haircuts at the College of Charleston, where you know, I’m the Associate Director of Admissions down there,” Grimmage said, who also happens to be Boyd’s son-in-law. “We do a program called Cuts and Conversations where we have conversations with young men.”

“It was like how can I step up my game and be like this guy whose name just rings bells throughout the whole community?” Scott said.

Washington, Grimmage and Scott are now instructors at Howard’s Barber & Styling College, working alongside Boyd to teach the next generation of hair artists and entrepreneurs.

“It’s work. Work. You have to continue to work. You have to have a passion for it. You know it’s nonstop, when it’s good or when it’s bad,” Boyd laughed. “But you still work. You keep the faith and it works out. Trust me.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

There had been sightings of a ‘big kid’ walking the halls of Goose Creek High School, and coaches and players warned Reedy that he needed to reach out to the ‘big kid’ before the basketball team came and scooped him up.

“There were these rumors about a sophomore transfer that was coming to Goose Creek,” said Reedy, who coached the Gators from 2002-14. “A couple of coaches told me they’d seen him walking around and that I needed to go get him.”

The ‘big kid’ in question turned out to be Javon Kinlaw, who at the age of 15 was already 6-foot-5 and weighed in at almost 300 pounds.

“I can still remember the first time I saw him,” Reedy said. “He got out of his father’s truck, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh’ that’s what a real football player looks like.’”

The ‘big kid’ will be playing on the biggest stage this Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Kinlaw, who is in his fourth season with San Francisco, is one of a handful of players in Super Bowl LVIII with connections to the state of South Carolina.

South Carolina

The Palmetto State connections include 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel (South Carolina) and Ray-Ray McCloud (Clemson) and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave (S.C. State); Kansas City wide receiver Justyn Ross (Clemson) and Chiefs assistant coach Rod Wilson, who went to Cross High School, and played for South Carolina.

“It’s awesome to see how far Javon has come from high school,” Reedy said. “We’ve stayed in touch over the years and he’s doing really well. I think the thing I’m most proud of is to see how much he’s matured on and off the field. I couldn’t be happier that he’s finally getting to showcase his talent on such a big stage.”

Kinlaw’s ability to play in the NFL has never been in question.

Since his sophomore season at Goose Creek High School, the 6-5, 320-pound defensive lineman has always played like a man among boys.

“No one that big should be that quick or that athletic,” Reedy said. “Javon’s ability has never been an issue, staying healthy and realizing his potential were the only obstacles in his way.

“I talked to him over the summer, and he thinks he wants to play 10 more years and as long as he stays healthy, he can do it. There are just not that many Javon Kinlaws walking around the planet.”

Staying on the field has been a topic of concern for Kinlaw since the 49ers picked the former South Carolina defensive tackle with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After a promising rookie season with the 49ers, Kinlaw spent the next two years in and out of the lineup with knee injuries.

“There have been ups and downs, highs and lows, trials and tribulations, it’s been a heck of a process for me,” Kinlaw said earlier this week at the Super Bowl’s media day. “I wasn’t able to compete with the team. It kind of crushed me but it helped me grind and know that I was gonna be able to make it one day and look where we are at.”

Although Kinlaw put up modest numbers during the regular season — 25 tackles and 3½ sacks — he has played in all 19 games.

“Javon has been unbelievable,” San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told the media during the regular season. “Just the fact that he’s got a full year with no setbacks. He just keeps looking better and better. Everyone knows the specimen that he is.”

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCIV) — People who live in Goose Creek have been complaining for weeks about a white powder-like substance in the air- identified as alumina dust.

They said it’s been covering their cars and homes, and even making it hard to breathe.

Monday night, Goose Creek residents heard from health and environmental experts for the first time about the issue, and their plan to fix it.

They were also able to ask representatives from Century Aluminum and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) questions

Some told News 4 before the meeting started they were just looking for transparency.

“First, we’re sorry. I understand your concerns and frustrations, but we also appreciate your patience. We will fix this issue,” said Dennis Harbath, the plant manager at Century Aluminum.

Century Aluminum said the release of alumina dust in Goose Creek first happened because of accelerated bag failures. They said they’re replacing the failed bags and expect their action plan to take 10 days to solve the problem.

Read More: White dust emitted into Goose Creek from Century Aluminum plant; officials respond

But people who live in the area are still concerned.

“I’m exhausted all the time, I get headaches, you know, my eyes burn. It’s just been a total nightmare,” said Jackie Davis Pfister.

Pfister lives in Goose Creek, and people like her who have preexisting conditions like asthma are worried about long-term effects.

“Before I never really had to use my inhaler except for when I was sick or overexerted myself, that was the only time I used it, but now it’s just a regular basis, three to five times [per day],” she said.

Read More: Goose Creek residents grapple with alumina dust from local aluminum plant

DHEC said there is a certain type of aluminum oxide particles they’re keeping their eye on.

“What we were most concerned about is actually the smaller particles that you could actually breathe in and actually get into your lungs. So, for that reason we did put out some air sensors,” said Rhonda Thompson, the Bureau of Air Quality chief for DHEC.

But she said the readings from their sensors have been very low so far.

Other questions came from the crowd: Why didn’t the plant shut down when the leak first happened? And, how will aluminum oxide affect animals, and not just people?

Read More: DHEC confirms 2023 season's first flu-related death in SC

But Monday’s experts said they couldn’t answer some of those questions, leaving many frustrated.

Statistics from the DHEC air sensors and the area’s current air quality can be found on DHEC's website.

People can also go to mthollyupdates.com for more information from Century Aluminum, including how the plant is working to solve this issue.