The map depicts portions of Berkeley County, including sections of Daniel Island, St. Thomas Island and the areas along Clements Ferry Road. The areas in black are unincorporated and patrolled by and under the jurisdication of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department. The areas in gray are patrolled by and under the jurisdiction of the City of Charleston Police Department.

 

St. Thomas Island residents meet with Berkeley County Sheriff

Criminals, be warned. They are watching. A drug-related shooting last December and suspicious activity in the area have prompted a group of residents in the Shell Ring community on St. Thomas Island to take steps to protect their neighborhood from crime. About 15 residents gathered last Sunday night to meet with Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt about their concerns.

"On one side…we want to be responsible for our safety, too," said Jim Poch, a Shell Ring resident who is heading up the neighborhood’s Community Watch group. "And we don’t want to just cross our hands and sit back and say ‘take care of it, or we’re going to complain,’…but on the other side of the spectrum, if shots are being fired…we need somebody to help."

For months, if not years, residents in the area have expressed frustration over the fact that oftentimes Berkeley County dispatchers, as well as responding deputies, don’t seem to know where Shell Ring is located. Sheriff DeWitt said that problem is being resolved.

Matt Sloan predicts the "story of 2010" on Daniel Island will be the commercial side of the market, a sector he fears has not yet hit bottom.

"I have one of those jobs where you think about real estate every day," said Matt Sloan, president of the Daniel Island Company, to those gathered at last week’s meeting of the Daniel Island Business Association (DIBA). "It used to be fun. It’s been less fun over the last 18 months."

Despite the economic challenges presented by the real estate market, things are better on Daniel Island than in other parts of the country, where bankruptcies and foreclosures are wreaking havoc on some master planned communities. While conditions have certainly been less than optimal on the residential front on Daniel Island, the new year is bringing glimmers of hope. Several properties have recently been sold to Boeing executives relocating to the area, said Sloan, including the company’s plant manager, who recently bought a home in Daniel Island Park.

Sanford, Riley provide roadmap for 2010

Gov. Mark Sanford, and Mayor Joe Riley, in recent speeches, sketched a robust and aggressive game plan for 2010 at both the state and city level - with both leaders focused on job creation.  But Sanford and Riley took somewhat different tacks in their speeches - Sanford focusing on upcoming legislative challenges while Riley highlighted new City initiatives for 2010.