It was an eventful year in Lexington County.

There were false starts — with both Lexington and Irmo announcing projects that fell apart after public pushback — but also new businesses and efforts that made an impact.

Presidential candidates visited the county, and the Statehouse considered issues that hit close to home.

The Congaree River was cleaned, and Methodist churches left their denomination.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Here’s a look back at some of the stories that dominated the Chronicle’s pages this year.

The area off Beekeeper Court and North Lake Drive that is slated for a 93.53-acre development

Lakefront Lexington resort announced, then shelved

What was touted to be Lexington’s biggest development yet fell through after it was announced in the face of public pushback.

Smallwood Cove was set to be a 94-acre, $733 million destination resort with a Regional Conference Center, a marina, retail spaces, hotels, restaurants, and even living spaces for residents ranging from single-family homes to condos.

The property owners withdrew their request for annexation in late-July, ending the push for the development that was announced by Lexington Town Council in May.

Key among the public concerns with Smallwood Cove was traffic, with many questioning whether the town did a thorough enough study of how the development would impact roads in the area.

Public outcry over the development led to an unprecedented joint work session between Town Council and Lexington County Council, where the two bodies discussed numerous issues with the project, including traffic, the legality of annexing property non-contiguous to the town and the environmental impact to the lake.

A key group organizing residents disgruntled by the project was Develop Lexington County Responsibly, which circulated a petition pushing for transparency about the project and the impact it would have and rallied members of the public to attend meetings covering aspects of the development. – KK

Statehouse issues

The Statehouse dealt with a few issues that greatly impacted Lexington County in 2023.

Representatives continued to respond to fears that businesses in the Midlands and elsewhere in the state may be forced to close their doors due to high insurance rates.

Businesses with liquor or beer licenses in the Palmetto State are required to maintain a liability insurance policy that covers at least $1 million.

The requirement came from a bill passed in 2017 known as Bill 116. The bill's impacts have been felt across the Palmetto State, as more than 10 businesses have shut their doors due to the insurance requirements, according to Asheton Reid, director of community outreach for the group S.C. Venue Crisis.

With popular West Columbia business WECO Bottle and Biergarten telling the Chronicle it could be among the businesses forced to close if the issue isn’t resolved, S.C. Venue Crisis will hold a rally at the Statehouse Jan. 9 to address the liability issue among others impacting venues in the state on the day the Legislature returns to session.

Two bills introduced in the S.C. House and Senate threatened to restrict minors from attending drag shows, while also providing that any business that allows drag shows could be deemed a sexually oriented business.

Both House Bill 3616 and Senate Bill 585, named the Defense of Children’s Innocence Act,remain in committee, and while the LGTBQ advocates who spoke with the Chronicle about the bills have no issue with minors not being allowed to view drag shows meant for those 18 and up, they feel this is an attack on their self-expression and their community as a whole.

“It’s very concerning, especially if the House bill passes as is — if any business allows drag shows, the business could be a sexually oriented business,” said drag king Han D. Mann, part of the local collective Columbia Kings ‘n Things, which performs regularly in the area, including at a handful of bars and restaurants in West Columbia. Mann declined to share his legal name.

“That is concerning because businesses that put on drag shows are not just drag bars.”

Another issue people in the county were watching closely saw a resolution.

A boating and safety education bill being pushed by Lake Murray residents made its way into law.

The new requirements dictate that individuals born after July 1, 2007 must take a safety course to be able to operate a vessel by themselves. Anyone born before this date would be grandfathered in and wouldn’t be required to take the course.

According to Randall Smith, the Lexington-based founder and chair of Boating Safety South Carolina, the victory has been three years in the making, with the bill first being introduced in January of 2021.

“I’m not going to tell you it was easy because it sure wasn’t. It was not easy at all,” he said. “To sit and watch that legislation go nowhere and then come up at the end of the year and people were pushing it and promising that they’d take it up next year. Then next year came around. You know, politicians can be best friends and your worst enemies.” — JL, NS and KK

Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church was one of the churches in Lexington County that left the denomination.

Methodist churches depart denomination

Four Lexington County churches separated from the United Methodist denomination this year over issues related to homosexuality and marriage.

On June 6, at its 2023 Annual Conference, the South Carolina Conference for the United Methodist denomination approved the departure of  Mt. Horeb (1205 Old Cherokee Rd. in Lexington), Chapin UMC (415 Lexington Ave.), Pond Branch UMC (1913 Pond Branch Rd. in Gilbert), as well as Rehoboth UMC (located at 939 Holley Ferry Rd. in Leesville, just over the Saluda County line). 

The churches were a part of the 113 total churches across the state that were approved for departure from the denomination.

Both Mt. Horeb and Pond Branch listed issues related to sexuality among the reasons for their departure, with Mt. Horeb emphasized that marriage is between a man and a woman and Pond Branch emphasized that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings.

According to the South Carolina UMC website all churches who wish to separate from the UMC must meet certain financial obligations, these had to be met before the church took it’s vote which included a tithe equal to 10 percent of the appraised value of all church property and liquid assets, among other obligations.

There are churches that chose to stay with the denomination were Beulah United Methodist Church (1577 Old State Rd. in Gaston) and Brookland United Methodist Church (541 Meeting St. in West Columbia).

Pastor Jad Taylor, of Beulah, previously told the Chronicle that he does not believe that there is anything that the congregation is concerned with, mentioning that they are generally happy with the UMC denomination. He added that the background of his congregation tends to be diverse, with some members having been raised Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian and Catholic, among others.

Mark Payne, pastor for Brookland UMC, also shared a similar sentiment, saying his church is satisfied with the direction of the denomination, adding that Brookland UMC has a shared doctrine and theology set forth by the Book of Discipline, the 1784 text that constitutes the law and doctrine of the UMC, and does not believe the denomination has strayed from that.

Payne previously stated that Brookland UMC is fairly conservative when it comes to marriage and homosexuality, but the pastor said the church doesn’t condemn people for those they love and choose to marry. – KK

Coal tar clean-up completed

A major project to improve the health of the Congaree River and those of its visitors was completed in October. The roughly two year, $20 million endeavor was spearheaded by Dominion Energy and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control in hopes of removing the coal tar from the river.

The tar-like material was discovered in 2010 and was left behind by a former manufactured gas plant that operated along the river roughly a century ago. According to DHEC’s website, the main affected area is about 200-300 feet into the river from the eastern shoreline south of the Gervais Street Bridge. The other affected area is set to be addressed with the next cofferdam.

When tests of the material were conducted, the results were similar to the chemical and physical characteristics of coal tar, a by-product of manufactured gas operations common in cities from the late-1800s to the 1950s. Once the gas was produced, the coal tar by-product was discharged into a former stream that led into the Congaree River.

Bill Stangler, Congaree Riverkeeper, previously told the Chronicle that the removal had to happen in order to move forward with riverfront developmental concepts and to let people enjoy the river with peace of mind.

During a Nov. 13 event, Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam claims that 38,500 tons of sediment was removed from two coffer dam sites that were set up across the river from West Columbia and Cayce, and subsequently taken to landfills, calling this a remarkable feat in the urban setting. 

He added that the work also removed 2.5 tons of trash from the river, including litter, debris, tires and more.

Throughout the project, multiple artifacts were found, including bomb shells and other weapon memorabilia. Kissam said there was one explosive taken to Shaw Air Force Base that might have been live, though he never heard for sure.

“It’s easy to mess something up but it’s hard to clean it up,” McMaster said on Nov. 13. “Here we are cleaning something up that was probably done inadvertently, without thinking, everything went into the river way back then because water was water, the solution to pollution is dilution, I think they used to say.” – KK

A resident voices her displeasure during a Jan. 8 information session about a proposed plan to construct a downtown area for Irmo.

Irmo downtown project fizzles after announcement

Starting in December 2022, Irmo town Council began making moves to prepare for a proposed downtown development to be located near Irmo Community Park of Mosley Street. The project was hit almost immediately hit with pushback from residents of the predominantly Black area who did not want to be displaced.

Former Mayor Barry Walker, voted out of office in November, told the Chronicle in June that the downtown project had reached a full stop, with the leftover $700,000 allocated to the effort, along with a 1.82 acres of land, set to be repurposed and put into the general fund. He added that the town is looking at repealing the ordinance approving the development, which would put a formal stop to the project.

The project was meant to create a centralized downtown, something the town of nearly 12,000 – unlike nearby municipalities like Lexington and Columbia — lacks. The design calls for a range of buildings fulfilling a variety of purposes to be built in the area near Irmo Community Park. The plan includes retail spaces and condos, along with new parking areas.

Throughout the months-long process before the plans reached that “full stop”, residents expressed their strong disagreement with the town trying to acquire the predominantly Black area where the downtown would go. Town Administrator Courtney Dennis previously said a majority of the properties are underdeveloped and do not have homes on them, emphasizing that the town is looking for wooded and underdeveloped areas.

The town had held an information session in Jan. 2023 to talk with the community regarding the plan, during the meeting former council member, now mayor, Bill Danielson offered an apology to the crowd after he was  quoted in a Post and Courier Columbia article that broke news about the potential development.

Many residents in attendance spoke during the meeting and expressed why other locations were not looked at, many residents mentioning Carlisle Street and Lexington Avenue which are near Woodrow Street, where the town hall currently resides.

One resident, William Bowman, who owns one of the 12 parcels, admonished council for the “very poor job” they did rolling out this proposal, asserting that it created a trust issue between the town and the community.

By spring, the project had hit an indefinite pause, with residents still continuing to push back, with many saying they’re unwilling to move to make way for the development and complaining that they weren’t included in the planning before the project was announced. – KK

FBI building opens in Lexington

On Nov. 16, the FBI Columbia office held a ribbon cutting and officially began operations in the town of Lexington which will centralize operations previously housed in three buildings spread around the Columbia area. The facility broke ground in October 2020, with original hopes to begin occupancy in early-2023.

FBI Director Christopher Wray was on hand for the commemoration, as was Steven Jensen, special agent in charge of the Columbia Field Office and Jeff Smith, regional commissioner for the Southeast Sunbelt Region.

During a tour of the facility, officials showed off the new 87,000-square-foot Lexington building, which nearly doubles the amount of space the agency had previously. Its two stories include a gun vault, a gym, conference rooms, multiple facilities dedicated to compartmentalizing and securing sensitive information and more. 

Those walking into the facility are immediately greeted with a lobby featuring a wall honoring agents who have died in action.

Phillip Tejera, assistant special agent in charge for the Columbia Field Office, said the new facility features all-new technology that will allow the office to process data at large volumes and disseminate it to the right people, among other improved capabilities. He added that it has no underground levels.

Tejara said the agency looked at multiple sites with the General Service Administration before landing on the Lexington site. Those other locations would have also required a building to be constructed. He emphasized that the effort to secure a site and build the new facility had to overcome financial challenges and others brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kevin Wheeler, public affairs specialist for the Columbia office, previously told the Chronicle that a majority of the workforce, including special agents, intelligence analysts and professional staff, will be housed at the new location. He said he is unable to disclose a specific number due to security concerns, though mentioned it’s a benefit to have one large space.

In 2022, the Chronicle spoke to Columbia Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic, who explained that a process through the General Services Administration governed the selection for the new office’s location. Ferensic mentioned that there are many factors that come into play in the process

Some of these factors included staying close to federal partners, traffic requirements regarding access in and out of the facility, and space for security requirements. – KK

Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley held a rally in Gilbert April 6.

Presidential candidates visit county

Going into a presidential election year the county saw visits from President Joe Biden along with presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and former hopeful Tim Scott.

Biden’s July trip to the Palmetto State included a visit to West Columbia to tour Flex LTD, a manufacturing company, and tout his “Bidenomics” policies to stimulate the economy and spotlight a $60 million investment from Enphase Energy to open six new clean energy manufacturing lines in the U.S., spurred, the president said during his visit, by his Inflation Reduction Act.

Biden pushed back on criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy regarding his handling of the economy, defining his own economic policies by comparing them to an idea he said doesn’t work: trickle-down economics.

Haley, former Republican South Carolina Governor, visited The Grove in Gilbert on in April and spoke about her political career, education, immigration, China and the national debt, among other topics.

She told the packed barn-like space that her first goal would be to focus on the economy and curtail government spending, emphasizing that there is a need to balance the country’s budget. Alongside the country’s budget, Haley stated that she also wants to stop carelessly giving money to other countries, particularly those that “hate America.”

Haley also spoke about what has been a hot topic within the county and country, critical race theory within schools. She also told the crowd that another goal includes stopping illegal immigration once and for all, adding that she wants to implement a national E-Verify law that  requires businesses to verify that all workers are there legally, something she implemented in South Carolina.

DeSantis followed Haley in June and hosted a “fireside chat” with his wife at The Grove in Gilbert, where he spoke about education, his ongoing feud with Disney and other topics, while also touting his accomplishments as the chief executive of the Sunshine State.

DeSantis shared with the crowd that as president he would be a very energetic executive, go on offense and reverse Biden’s disastrous economic policy. He touched on his accomplishments in Florida, referencing how the state remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic and refused to let the state descend into a fabricated dystopia that destroys people’s livelihoods and curtails their freedoms.

Before he announced in November that he was dropping out of the presidential election, Scott paid a visit to Northside Christian Academy in Lexington this past August. During his speech Scott emphasized his faith in Christ, “backing the Blue,” parental choice, the border crisis and China.

According to the former presidential hopeful, the country must restore and re-up funding for law enforcement, stating that Democrats are defunding, demoralizing and demonizing those they depend on during times of emergency. He added that to ensure the action is protected, law enforcement needs to be afforded the best training and resources so that the best people want to wear the badge. 

Scott, like many republican candidates, said that protecting the country includes closing the southern border, emphasizing that he will finish the wall.

When it came to education, Scott was vocal when it came to parents having the right to choose their children's education, telling those in attendance that when a parent has a choice, their kids have a chance. He emphasized that parents are the most important part of a child’s education.

Ramaswamy’s visits were a little bit different than the other presidential hopefuls, with his first being a tour of a new public charter school in Lexington and the second seeing him speak at the S.C. Republican Party’s annual convention.

During a talk with the Chronicle after his April tour of American Leadership Academy, Ramaswamy said that he visited Lexington because he thinks its a cross section of the state, then adding that he thinks it is a cross-section of the country.

“It's not just one slice of the population. You have a pretty good cross-section economically and otherwise of what the country actually looks like,” he said.

While touring the academy, Ramaswamy claimed that, if elected, he would abolish the Federal Department of Education and push against the unionization of public school teachers, holding up institutions like the academy as vital to forcing public schools to compete and therefore improve.

When it came to his time at the convention, Ramaswamy was the only candidate to address the convention directly and introduced himself as the first-ever millennial to run for president, stating that his generation is hungry for purpose and meaning and telling those in attendance that faith, patriotism, hard work, and family used to fill that void but have since disappeared. – KK

American Leadership Academy opens

August marked the start of the first year school year for American Leadership Academy in Lexington 

The tuition-free charter school opened for the 2023-2024 school year, welcoming nearly 2,000 K-12 students.

According to Cameron Runyan – CEO and superintendent of the Charter Institute of Erskine, the campus’ authorizer –  the academy, which has also announced plans for South Carolina locations to open in the next two years in Greenville, North Augusta and Rock Hill, is a  culture-first institution that focuses on creating a moral and wholesome learning environment.

The academy’s website states its schools are built on a foundation of patriotism and RAISE (Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service, and Excellence) leadership values.

The school was originally only supposed to offer K-10, though due to an overwhelming amount of interest in the school they included 11th and 12th grade. The campus features two different schools, one for grades K-6 and another for grades 7-12. The upper school will be the larger of the two, at around 7,500 square feet. The lower will be about 1,000 square feet smaller.

During an opening event held Aug. 10, American Leadership Academy founder Glenn Way told the crowd that the Lexington school is not against other schools in the state but rather supports them. He added that the school has a right to exist and give parents the option to choose their child's education. Prominent state figures who spoke at the event included Superintendent Ellen Weaver and Gov. Henry McMaster, both vocal school choice advocates.

McMaster told those in attendance that the academy has a good foundation, both metaphorically and physically, and that the school is building a strong foundation for children, emphasizing that he is delighted to hear that the children of the school will understand the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence.

The school’s first year has not been completely smooth sailing, an email acquired by the Chronicle claimed that an academy teacher asked that students help with cleaning the classroom.

“Please be aware that our cleaning company is a little up in the air at the moment,” the email read. “I am the one sweeping and cleaning our classroom. Please be conscientious about the trash you leave behind as well as the state of your desk and chair.” 

These claims were denied by Charter One’s director of marketing and public relations, Melody Hudson, who previously stated that ALA Lexington has always retained a janitorial vendor and has never been without janitorial services. – KK

Susan Boyd and Gov. Henry McMaster admire a pair of wrestling snakes inside the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation …

Zoo gets money to add amenities

The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has had a busy year, looking for funding for the next phase of their Bridge to the Wild project, welcoming animals to their newly renovated  Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center.

One of the zoo’s biggest accomplishments of the year is getting an $80 million bond to fund extensive upgrades. Now enacted, the bond gives the zoo $44.8 million from Richland County and $35.2 million from Lexington County.

The Riverbanks reported that the bond will add an estimated maximum of $7.20 per $100,000 of assessed property value to the property tax paid by residents, with that impact starting in 2025.

The $10 million aquarium and reptile conservation center was part of phase one of the zoo’s Bridge to the Wild following the White Rhino habitat that was completed in 2020. The center is far from the end of the $32 million agenda planned for the first phase of Bridge to the Wild, with the remaining elements set to be completed next year.

Currently under construction at the zoo, and part of phase one, is a new, larger habitat for its Komodo Dragons, set to open this coming spring, that will give guests a multitude of views and will benefit the animals in general. The zoo added that the new facility will enhance its ability to breed, house and care for the dragons.

Phase two is set to cost about $90 million and is envisioned to include an immersive, walk-through orangutan habitat as well as a brand new multipurpose facility and restaurant with a large deck along the banks of the Saluda River.

The zoo also welcomed multiple animals this year bridging in a giant Pacific octopus named after Susan Boyd, the zoo also welcomed a new harbor seal pup and four rockhopper penguin chicks. – KK

DOT makes progress on interstate projects

Two massive traffic projects impacting Lexington County residents made progress in 2023.

The state Department of Transportation in October changed up the timeline for one of the projects, set to reshape one of the Midlands’ most notorious interchanges.

The changes to the Carolina Crossroads project were touted to “improve project delivery and accelerate the widening of I-26 and I-20 in the Midlands.”

The $2.08 billion project is set to untangle the often troublesome conglomerated interchange between Interstate 20, Interstate 26 and Interstate 126, along the Lexington-Richland county line going into downtown Columbia, commonly referred to as “Malfunction Junction.”

The project has been working through phases one and two, initially set to last three years and reshape, respectively, I-126 and I-26 (near where those two interstates come together) and I-20 (north of the I-26 interchange). The main interchanges between the three interstates were previously set to be addressed in phase three, with full project completion anticipated by 2029. The first two phases were contracted out at $208 million and $127 million, respectively.

“The department is updating the current plan and resequencing the remaining phases of the project to accelerate work along I-20 and I-26 while utility coordination and project development continues in the main interchange area,” DOT said in October. “The accelerated widening along these corridors will be designed to tie in with other widening projects that are reaching milestones ahead of schedule.”

The details for this re-sequencing are “are actively being developed and are expected to be available in early 2024. In the meantime, construction on the first two phases will continue to move forward unimpeded,” the department added.

The other huge traffic project ongoing in and around the county is the Midlands Connection effort to improve a 16-mile stretch of I-26 from Exit 86 in Little Mountain to Exit 101 in Irmo. When complete, it will widen the stretch from four lanes to six and eight lanes and will have replaced seven overpass bridges by the time it’s completed. The plan also includes interchange improvements, weigh station upgrades, and the addition of noise barriers. 

In a December video update, DOT said widening has been completed along nine miles, with new concrete pavement installed. The corridor is set to remain at two lanes going each way heading into the new year, with additional lanes set to open in 2024.

All 10 bridges set to be replaced as part of the project — the seven overpasses along with three interchanges — are now complete, as is the Exit 85 interchange. The other two interchanges being reworked as part of the project, Exits 91 and 97, are set to be finished next year.

The building at the new weigh station being installed is complete, with the inside receiving some final touches, The weigh-in-motion system for the station is set to be installed next year.

Per the Midlands Connection website, the project is scheduled to reach substantial completion in winter 2024, with final project completion set for summer 2025. — JL

Mexican restaurant owner found dead after being convicted for murder

In July, a little more than a week after being convicted for killing his wife’s lover, a local restaurant owner was found dead from an apparent suicide.

Gregorio Leon III, 56, was found hanging from a bed sheet in his cell at the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia July 14 and died that night at a local hospital before dying later that night at a local hospital.

Leon was convicted July 6 of the Valentine’s Day 2016 murder of Arturo Bravos Santos, 28, who was engaged in a romantic relationship with Leon’s wife.

The convicted killer, who owned several local San Jose Mexican restaurants, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the state minimum for murder. He was convicted of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime after tracking his wife using GPS to a Lexington County Park and Ride and firing multiple shots into the back seat where he found Santos with his wife, killing the 28-year-old man. — JL

Firefighters embrace outside the church before the May 31 funeral for fallen Irmo firefighter James Michael Muller.

First firefighter in history of Irmo Fire District dies in line of duty

Michael Muller, 25, became the first firefighter killed in the line of duty in the history of Irmo Fire District, which dates back to 1963, when he lost his life in a Columbia apartment fire May 26.

Muller was killed by a structural collapse that occurred during the massive multi-alarm fire at the  Irmo Fire District, which dates back 1963, which saw firefighters from multiple agencies respond.

The loss hit the Irmo department hard. Its firefighters were sidelined for more than a week, resuming work June 3 after being allowed time to deal with the tragedy by various other departments, who took over covering their area during that time.

The Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina expressed concern about the response to the fire, the cause of which was ruled accidental, linked to unattended cooking materials on an apartment stove.

More than 2,400 people, including firefighters from at least seven states along with various politicians, first responders, family and community members, attended Muller’s funeral. — JL

Openings and closings

As there is every year, a variety of openings and closings hit Lexington County this year.

West Columbia’s River District recently saw a wave of prominent closures and relocations.

New Brookland Tavern, previously the county’s longest continuously operating music venue, relocated from State Street to Columbia’s Five Points the last week of the year, just two months after it opened the sister bar, The Attic Lounge, a couple doors down the street.

December also saw two other departures from the district, as Al’s Upstairs Italian Restaurant and Jin Jin Chinese Restaurant closed earlier in the month, ending runs of 44 years and 29 years, respectively.

But West Columbia’s nightlife district wasn’t the only place in the county to bid adieu to a business or welcome one in 2023. Here a few other highlights:

• A location of Groucho’s Deli and the Oak Street Hatchet axe-throwing spot were announced to open next door to each other on Oak Street in downtown Batesburg.
• Spotlight Cinemas St. Andrews, the Midlands’ only discount movie theater at $3 a ticket, closed in November.
• Arif Rizvi, chef/owner at RF’s Corner Grill and Bubba’s Biscuit, is set to bring another restaurant to Lexington, the Pakistani/Indian spot Masala. It’s slated to open next to a Food Lion at 738 W Main St.
• Machi Hibachi and Sushi became the third Japanese concept from the Lexington family that also operates Ganbei and Hokkaido Ramen House to open in a spot in the Topspin Plaza shopping center along Sunset Boulevard, following Taipo Ramen House and Ichiban Japanese Express.
• Olde Country Buffet closed at 1211 Sunset Blvd., just months after moving from another location up the street. Owner Donald Herbert Prevette was arrested for tax evasion and operating without a business license around the time of the second closure; those cases are still pending.
• A variety of activity happened around the Icehouse Amphitheater in downtown Lexington, with Barrio + Tequila + Whiskey  opening in a new building on one side of the street, while Takosushi and the wine bar Molto Vino announced and continued with plans to establish locations across the street.
• Down Main Street at Lexington’s Old Mill, the Studio B salon closed its brick-and-mortar location, with the same owners set to replace it with The Tent Coffee Shop.
• Another Broken Egg Cafe added yet another brunch option to West Columbia’s River District, opening in the restaurant space built as part of the new 4West apartment complex, the final phase of the Brookland mixed-use development at the corner of Meeting and State Street.
• The Columbia Metropolitan Airport replaced its Riverbanks Bar & Grill with a Samuel Adams Brewhouse.
• A pair of prominent auto repair businesses saw changes. Lexington’s Doc’s Garage, which specialized in European auto repair, announced that it would close after 45 years. West Columbia’s Ricky’s Tire & Auto Center closed after a seven-year run before reopening a couple months later as a location of Precision Tune Auto Repair, with owner Ricky Branham teaming with Lexington Precision franchise owner Chad Bechtel to keep his business going.
• Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina brought its second Auten’s Loft boutique store to 4708 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington, attached to the town’s existing Goodwill. The first S.C. Auten’s Loft opened in 2022, attached to the Chapin Goodwill on Columbia Avenue. 
• The Lexington Fatz Cafe on East Main Street closed along with the rest of the Southeast-based chain.
• Local Mexican restaurant chain San Jose opened a lakeside location and marina on U.S. Highway 378 in Batesburg-Leesville.
• A pair of Korean/Chinese hot pot chain restaurants opened in the Harbison area, Burnin 99 in the Columbiana Station complex and KPot along Harbison Boulevard.
• Boho Pizza and Brew took the place of the Farmer’s Shed along Augusta Highway near Lexington High School.
• The Turntable City record store closed its brick-and-mortar on Lexington’s Main Street, shifting to an online-only model.
• Putnam’s Landing was reborn as a new marina, Putnam’s Harbor, with 225 spots for dry docking and 115 spots for wet docking at 1201 Putnam Drive in Chapin.
• Columbia vendor mall Ivy House opened its second location on U.S. Highway 1 in the Oak Grove area of Lexington County.
• Roxanne’s Market opened in place of Fusco’s Market in a small shopping center near Lake Murray.
• Steamed bagel sandwich chain Sully’s Steamers announced plans to take the spot vacated by Kitty's Hallmark shop in the Kitt’s Corner shopping center along Sunset Boulevard in Lexington.
• A pair of steak-centered restaurants opened in and around Lexington. Southern Smoked Tavern and Steakhouse, sister restaurant to Chapin’s Bakon Southern Eatery and Chophouse of Chapin, took the place of Griffin Chophouse after that restaurant closed on East Main Street. The steakhouse Bone-Appetite replaced the Oak Grove Fish House on Oak Drive.
• Anticipated Cayce banh mi shop Little Bee opened, attached to Duke’s Pad Thai on Knox Abbott Drive.
• Locally owned Irmo Mexican restaurant Que Bueno opened a Lexington location, replacing Comfort Southern Kitchen on North Lake Drive.
• The Spirt of Lake Murray yacht returned to service after extensive renovations.
• The Dales Biergarten and Bottle Shoppe opened in Springdale, replacing The Springdale House & Gardens wedding venue on Platt Springs Road.
• Chapin-based Bart’s Crazy Good Coffee Shop opened its second location in Irmo, replacing Tribal Coffee at 7949 Broad River Road.
• The home improvement boutique Salvage Sister SC and Trini Lime Caribbean Cafe opened along State Street in Cayce’s River Arts District.
• Homeland Craft Beer and Wine reopened under new ownership on Main Street in Leesville.
• Barbecue food truck opened its first brick-and-mortar, replacing Lil Duck Kombucha & Treehouse Cafe on Methodist Park Road in West Columbia.
• Irmo was one of seven spots in the state announced to be getting a location of popular N.C. breakfast chain Biscuitville.
• West Columbia’s resident pride bar changed owners and names, becoming The Spot on Meeting St. after opening in 2022 as WE’s on Meeting, before beginning a temporary closure in July that has yet to end.
• Northeast Columbia’s Tacos Nayarit, already slated to open an Irmo location, announced plans to open a Cayce location along Knox Abbott Drive.
• 24-Hour Pickleball worked to complete its round-the-clock sports complex at 4590 Augusta Rd./U.S. Highway1 between Lexington and West Columbia. — JL

Irmo's Alodia's closed after a year of controversy for the local restaurant.

Alodia’s fined for failing to pay employees, closes in Irmo

One temporary closure became permanent.

The Irmo location of Alodia’s Cucina Italiana at 2736 N Lake Dr., which began what was supposed to be a temporary shutdown in July and reopened for one day Oct. 17 before closing again, is now closed for good.

The closure comes after controversy at the other location in downtown Lexington, which was fined $2,100 last month following an investigation by the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation after employees at the Lexington location took to social media to say they hadn’t been paid in two weeks back in June.

The Department of Labor detailed in its letter addressing the fine that the restaurant failed to pay wages to 18 employees amounting to more than $4,200 during the month of June.

That wage issue precipitated the departure of the full staff in Lexington, leading to a temporary closure at that location. Due to an issue with the lease that required the Lexington restaurant to reopen, it resumed business July 12, with the Irmo restaurant starting its own temporary closure and sending its staff to Lexington.

The Lexington restaurant was briefly listed for sale in July, but the listing was taken down within about a week.

The Chronicle reported in November that two LLCs associated with the Alodia’s restaurants had been hit with nearly $73,000 in state tax liens in 2023. As of Dec. 31, those LLCs still faced nearly $71,000 in liens, while a lien is also listed in the state Department of Revenue’s online database against owner Adam Huneau for nearly $29,000.

“The SCDOR has been very helpful,” Alodia’s owner Adam Huneau said in a brief statement to the Chronicle when asked about the liens in early-November. “We are truly appreciative of their willingness to help small businesses like ours navigate these difficult times.” — JL

New economic development director, several big announcements

Lexington County continued to see a lot of movement on the economic development front, with the county government bringing in a new director to lead their efforts.

Sarah Johnson, who had served as the county’s economic development director since 2019, left to take a job with the state Department of Commerce in April. She was succeeded by Garrett Dragano, previously a project manager and the interim director for the Development Authority in Columbia County, Georgia, which neighbors the unified city-county of Augusta-Richmond.

The county was on a tear during Johnson’s tenure, which showed through in many of the announcements that came to light in 2023:

• A warehouse from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits was announced for an 85-acre site in Saxe Gotha Industrial Park
• Mattress Warehouse became one of two tenants to sign on to fill space at the new 803 Industrial Park near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
• CEEUS revealed plans to move into the 247,000-square-foot Airport Distribution Center located at the intersection of Platt Springs Road and Colite Drive.
• A 3,500-square-foot office building was erected at the corner of 9th Street and Meeting Street in West Columbia.
• Zeus Co. Inc., the tubing manufacturer that runs a local plant plant along Interstate 26 in Gaston, was purchased by EQT Private Equity of Sweden, with Bloomberg News reporting that the sale price was about $3.4 billion.
• A 57-acre mixed-use development is headed to the area around Old Orangeburg Road, Platt Springs Road and south Lake Drive in Red Bank.
• The Chapin-area peninsula that is home to Timberlake Country Club was announced as home for the new Lake Murray development WhiteWater Landing, which is set to bring 118 homes to the area.
• Purty Property Co. is bringing a new development, Sandpiper Square, with nearly 30 units, to a space behind Lexington’s Shoppes at Flight Deck.
• A 69,000-square-foot office complex in the center of Chapin was purchased by University Cottages, which has yet to announce any tenants. — JL

Residents complain about EMS response times

Residents of Chapin and a group called the Ambulance Response Solutions Team have expressed ongoing concerns about the length of EMS response times in the county.

The team meets regularly and attends county meetings to push for EMS and its capabilities to be addressed and considered in the county’s actions.

At the Chronicle’s request, the county provided a document detailing average Lexington County EMS response times for Chapin compared to the county as a whole for April-June and July-August of 2023. The call times are broken down by severity, going from law acuity to medium to high.

For April-June, Chapin saw an average response time of 10:43 for high-acuity calls, 14:01 for medium and 21:48 for low. In July-August, the average response time was 10:09 for high-acuity calls, 14:25 for medium and 15:39 for low.

In the county at large, the April-June average was 9:40 for high-acuity calls, 11:26 for medium and 14:50 for low. In July-August, the county average was 9:29 for high, 11:08 for medium and 12:18 for low

Brian Hood, County EMS Chief, has stated that Lexington County EMS is facing the same problems as other counties throughout the state: higher call volumes and staffing shortages, adding that the service is dealing with the problems, carefully assessing calls that often do not require an emergency response.

According to information provided during a meeting held by the Ambulance Response Solutions Team, Lexington County’s population has grown by roughly 74,000 residents, though the number of emergency vehicles has remained the same.

During the meeting Jason Resnick,a former Lexington County EMS employee, mentioned that MedTrust, medical transport company contracted with the county, has been fined by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

According to the DHEC website, the department received a report that the company allowed uncertified personnel to attend five calls to provide primary care and that MedTrust was assessed a $750 fine.

The violation did not happen in Lexington County and MedTrust founder Josh Watts told the Chronicle that the company self-reported the June violations. He said that the company found out that the individual in question provided fake certifications from both the state and nation when they were hired. – KK

The Harbison Gardens apartment complex is at the heart of discussion over crime issues along the Irmo/Columbia border.

Irmo, Columbia grapple with crime problems

Harbison Gardens, an apartment complex just over the Irmo town limits in the City of Columbia, was the focus of concern about crime crossing into Irmo throughout 2023.

Due to the public's outcry on safety, the complex along with City of Columbia stakeholders and the city’s police chief, Skip Holbrook, discussed a remediation plan and any progress the complex had already made. 

A letter provided to the town, a copy of which was given to the Chronicle, listed efforts to be made including reducing vegetation, updating previously installed cameras, hiring of a patrol guard, adding a required code of conduct and possibly adding a gate to the community. 

The letter stated that the complex began patrols earlier this year when an on-site courtesy officer from the Columbia Police Department began living there. The officer's role includes conducting resident functions, evaluating and proposing security enhancements and conducting daily foot patrols.

The town and city stakeholders aren’t the only entities pushing for a safer environment for the complex, as Lexington-Richland School District 5 implemented a community support services task force to increase student academic performance alongside combat the local crime rate.

The program was implemented July 1 with the hopes to establish partnerships with out-of-school providers of academic, athletic, artistic and service enrichment programs. Akil Ross, superintendent for the district, said the program will be physically and emotionally safe, led by trusted adults with strong relationships, and designed to allow student choice.

This program will occupy the 2 -6 p.m. time period which, according to data, is the prime time for juvenile crime to take place. Ross claimed that not only will it decrease crime, but will also boost academics, improve student behavior and lead to healthier habits.

For older students, the district partnered with United Way of the Midlands to provide them with the chance to participate in internships, earn money and get real-world experience. – KK