LADSON, S.C. (WCBD)- The annual Coastal Carolina Fair is underway at Exchange Park in Ladson.

Most fairgoers have their eyes and stomachs on fair food for the first day.

“They always have good food and it’s just a good time to spend with family. They have a little arts and crafts center where you can see the students’ local talents,” said Jasmine Kelly.

“Sausage dogs and French fries. Walk around and look and see what’s going on,” said Woody Barsha.

One of the new food items on the menu is an Oreo cookie crusted turkey leg.

“No I don’t think so I’ll stick to French fries,” said Barsha.

“I can’t eat that much, but I will have an elephant ear,” said Kelly.

There are 10 new rides this year as well. One of them is a Ferris Wheel that’s 12 stories tall and comes from The Netherlands.

Fair organizers say that those new attraction and food items are great additions, but having a full-scale fair is also something to celebrate.

“We’re really excited about opening up because this is the first really big open fair we’ve had since COVID-19 has happened. We say ‘New in 22,’ and that’s what we’re doing because we have brand new rides, we have many new food vendors so we’re really excited about starting the year off right,” said Gary Leonard from the office of Media and Publicity Relations at the Coastal Carolina Fair.

Most families make the fair a tradition, but it’s even more special for Dan Caskey.

“Today’s my birthday. Every year I have a party and bring this to town to share with everybody else. It’s a great tradition. We love coming out here and having a fun time with the family,” said Caskey.

The fair runs for 12 days and hours of operation can be found here. A calendar of events can be found here.

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Ladson, SC – While you’re reading this, huddled around the warm glow of your computer screen, Ned Kehde is almost certainly on the water. So long as one of the dozen or so of his local community reservoirs near Kansas City remain ice free, Ned will be afloat, casting his little finesse jigs, and hooking astonishing numbers of coldwater bass.

“For years, our goal was to catch 101 bass in a four-hour trip,” Ned concedes. “These days, especially on cold winter outings, we’re content to fish for two to three hours between 11am and 3pm. On average, we’re still catching about ten bass per hour—just enough bites to keep this old codger warm.”

Now nearly 83 years young, Ned still fishes more than most, adding hundreds of clicks to his well-worn fish-counter. Recently, between trips, we caught up with our friend, the legendary Ned Kehde, to talk shop and discover his latest tricks. As he’ll graciously tell you, anyone can catch bass with Midwest finesse . . .

Kehde: Nowadays, we’re focusing on our many community reservoirs, catching largemouth bass on shallow water flats endowed with coontail and curly-leaf pondweed. Curly leaf, or crispus, is a winter-hardy aquatic plant that grows and produces foliage and oxygen all through the cold months. Finding either of these species can be a winter bass goldmine, especially while other anglers target submerged brushpiles and offshore structure. Contrary to the notion that coldwater bass stick to deep water, we continue catching bass in 5 to 10 feet of water all winter long.

During winter, we probably rely on lighter jigs than usual. So, we’re wielding a lot of 1/32-, 1/20-, 1/16- and 1/15-ounce jigs, mostly OG™ Mushrooms and Finesse ShroomZ™.

Affixed to these little jigs, which feature lightwire #4 hooks, favorite winter baits are Z-Man® Finesse ShadZ™, Finesse TRDs™ and TRD MinnowZ™. I usually run with five rigged rods, the other two often tied to a TRD BugZ™, TRD TicklerZ™ or shortened (2.5”) ZinkerZ™.

A lot of folks view these tiny, light jigheads and #4 hooks as unacceptably flimsy for bass, but we regularly catch 3-, 4- and occasionally 5- and 6-pound bass on these #4 hooks with no issues. Hooksets are nice and easy, with little force required to plant them firmly in a bass jaw. Moreover, these little hooks slide through and over vegetation and woodcover, rarely snagging; remember, we’re often fishing right in and among the green stuff—and with an exposed hook, no less.

Funny you should ask. I’m a huge fan of salted ElaZtech® baits and their propensity to become increasingly alluring to bass as they “age.” As a bait catches more fish and spends more time submerged, some of the salt leaches out of its body, particularly with baits like the TRD, ZinkerZ or Finesse WormZ™. Some anglers pre-soak their baits prior to hitting the water to speed the aging process. Or you can stretch them way out, which instantly sheds some of the salt.

Other anglers I know like to place their baits beneath the truck windshield while driving to the lake to soften them up even more than usual (ElaZtech is already softer than traditional PVC plastics.)

As baits age, they become increasingly buoyant (an aged ZinkerZ will actually float a 1/32-ounce jig, so we often move up to a 1/16- or 1/20-oz jighead.) Other anglers I know have noted that aged, salt impregnated ElaZtech baits develop a slimy outer texture, which they believe bass find more appetizing.

Regardless, in winter, these aged baits really shine because the increased buoyancy means reduced rate of fall and more hovering action above the vegetation— hanging right in the strike zone as you retrieve. These factors really seem to prompt bass with low metabolic rates to gobble our aged baits.

Just yesterday, we had 45-degree water and winds gusting to almost 40-mph. At times, you couldn’t even feel the jig. On days like this, especially when hands get cold, we do a lot of ‘strolling,’ pitching the jig out behind the boat and just moving along slow with the trolling motor. We also employ the shake-and-drag retrieve. Then, when our baits hit a sweet spot, we’ll often stop shaking the bait and just deadstick it in place—for at least several seconds (sometimes much longer). Given the buoyant bait’s ability to stand up and mimic a live invertebrate, you can almost fish it like livebait.

The light jighead and buoyant bait also provides a huge bonus when we’re fishing around vegetation. That hover factor allows us to do what we call ‘polishing the coontail,’ just sweeping the bait over the plant tops—out of snag territory and yet highly visible to bass.

Well, I’ve been a devotee of red jigheads for a long time. Red works everywhere.

More recently, I’ve been using a lot of baby-blue jigheads, which I often hand-paint with a special hue of fingernail polish. This eye-catching blue tone almost exactly replicates the iridescent blue gill plates on green sunfish—a key bass forage.

I couple red and blue jigheads with a lot of different bait colors. Lately been catching bass on a Purple Death pattern TRD TicklerZ. The Hot Snakes pattern has also been productive; that’s a new one for me—sort of an alternative to my old-reliable Coppertreuse.

Can’t tell you how excited I am about these prototype spinning rods, designed by my friend and Midwest finesse guru, Drew Reese. While the rest of the fishing world continues to fish rods in the 7-foot range, these rods run 5’4” and 5’10”. They’re the lightest, most sensitive rods I’ve fished since hefting classic G Loomis jig rods designed by Ray Fincke, proprietor of a renowned tackle shop in Rosedale, Kansas.

The 5’4” is also proving to be a fantastic crappie rod, especially with the new Micro Finesse baits. We’ll be casting these microbaits a lot more, once water temps dip into the low 40s.

When you fish as often as we do, it’s a gift to cast with something light enough to eliminate fatigue. Coupled with 4-pound test Berkley Fireline and a 5-foot fluorocarbon leader, these compact, featherlight sticks perfectly fit Midwest finesse retrieves, such as swim-glide-shake. We’re also catching a lot of fish now by working the bait right beneath the boat. These shorter rods give us more vertical control and a super direct connection between your hands and the lure. They greatly enhance presentation and bite detection in wind, as well.

Drew and I think Midwest finesse devotees are really going to love these rods. Though it’ll be a few months yet before folks can get theirs. Hopefully, just in time for spring!

A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for nearly three decades. Z-Man has long been among the industry’s largest suppliers of silicone skirt material used in jigs, spinnerbaits and other lures. Creator of the Original ChatterBait®, Z-Man is also the renowned innovators of 10X Tough ElaZtech softbaits, fast becoming the most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is one of the fastest-growing lure brands worldwide.

About 20 years after the purchase of his Summerwood subdivision residence on Poplar Grove Place in Ladson, family man Duane Dickerson has yet to solve intense spells of flooding that affect his home, as his attempts to seek assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers haven’t produced any tangible results to date.

“The street started to flood almost immediately, almost a couple of months after I bought it.” recalled Dickerson, a construction worker who has never considered moving as many of his former neighbors have due in part to the great school districts his three children are part of.

The issue, he says, stems from a “clogged up” waterway known as Eagle Creek that runs along the Sawmill Branch Trail in area near the Berlin G. Myers Parkway.

“They call it a creek, but it looks more like a ditch,” describes Dickerson, who said that soot at the bottom of the canal is sparking an overflow of water seeping into people’s homes, particularly during hurricanes and other major storms.

State Senator Sean Bennett told the Journal Scene that he previously met with Dickerson in 2019 to assess Eagle Creek.

“I saw the concerns he had. It needs to be cleaned. There is a spillway there that is not operating,” stated Bennett, who also pointed out that Dorchester County cannot do anything to remedy the dilemma since the creek is under jurisdiction of the Army Corps. In fact, no work can be initiated without the permission of the federal agency.

The local elected official further mentioned that the Army Corps actually does have a plan to clear out the reported clogging, but the group cannot access the necessary government funding to carry out their project.

While the Journal Scene’s phone calls to the U.S. Army Corps haven’t been returned, a Channel 2 News report confirms Bennett’s analysis by citing claims on the part of an Army Corps program manager, who observed that he can’t secure the necessary federal dollars to reduce flooding to local homes and infrastructure.

The Army Corps rep broached the idea of digging a retention pond to mitigate overflows with Channel 2.

Dickerson, on the other hand, promised the Journal Scene that he could fix the problem in two months by himself with one piece of equipment.

“It would look a lot different, but I can make the water move from point A to point B and it would never come through the neighborhood, it would ride right through the woods like it’s supposed to.”

Meanwhile Dickerson and his neighbors have seen an uptick in flooding in 2022, as anywhere from 5-26 inches of water has infiltrated people’s homes, driveways and garage areas.

The worst case of it occurred in 2015, recounted Dickerson, when the “1,000-year Flood” produced water levels so deep that people couldn’t move their vehicles, resulting in about 30-35 cars that were lost.

Another hindrance in dealing with the Army Corps, according to Dickerson and Bennett, is the constant turnover at the top.

Dickerson summed up the matter by adding: “This project is long overdue. Somebody from DOT told me it will happen one day, they just don’t know when. We’re probably going to flood 100 more times before it happens.”

A new frozen custard and burger restaurant soon will welcome customers in Ladson, and a home decor store is opening in a new shopping center in North Charleston.

Culver’s plans to open at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 at 3848 Ladson Road next to Gilligan’s Seafood Restaurant, according to Marilyn Knox, the franchise owner who opened the first Charleston-area Culver’s in 2019 on U.S. Highway 17A in Berkeley County.

The location also includes a drive-thru and patio, where live music will be available on opening evening and possibly once a week, Knox said. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10 a.m. opening day.

Culver’s specializes in its signature ButterBurgers and frozen custard. It also offers other meat sandwiches along with sides and salads.

The planned Culver’s is a few miles north of competitor Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, which opened last fall at 4540 Ladson Road near Stars and Strikes bowling and arcade center on the edge of Summerville.

Come on in

Another new retailer is ready to open its doors in a North Charleston retail center.

HomeGoods plans to host a grand opening Aug. 18, starting at 8 a.m., in the new Cedar Grove Shopping Center at 8821 Dorchester Road.

The 22,000-square-foot home decor shop is the latest merchant to join the new retail center. Already open are Ross Dress for Less, discount shop Five Below and cosmetics purveyor Ulta.

A 16,000-square-foot PetSmart pet supply shop is expected to open in September, and other shops are on the way to a newly constructed outparcel building closer to Dorchester Road.

Shopping center plans call for three more retail structures on the south side where land is currently being cleared next to Riverbluff Parkway in front of Cedar Grove Apartments.

What’s cooking?

A new restaurant is ready to welcome customers at the site of a recently closed dining spot in Mount Pleasant.

Pasture & Grain will officially open at 11 a.m. Aug. 19 at 1701 Shoremeade Road in Indigo Square Shopping Center on U.S. Highway 17.

It’s in the same retail center where national sporting goods retailer REI is upfitting the former Publix GreenWise Market grocery store space for an opening in the fall.

The restaurant is taking over the space vacated in May by Blaze Pizza, which closed after three years.

Pasture & Grain owner and operator Ira Hill said the 2,800-square-foot venue will serve American fare priced from $8 to $18.

Meats, vegetables, grains, hot and cold sandwiches, salads and toast with spreads are on the menu. Sous chef is Brandon Brown. The new restaurant will be open until 9 p.m. daily.

On the way

A Florida-based grocery chain with several stores in the Charleston area has rolled out curbside prescription pickup in four states. Publix Pharmacy started offering the service Aug. 10 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Virginia. South Carolina and North Carolina locations will be added in the future as the company expands the program throughout its entire operations in the Southeast.

Tan lines

A new tanning salon has opened in Mount Pleasant.

City Tan can be found at 1167 Basketweave Drive in the Cirque Salon Studios off U.S. Highway 17 near Six Mile Road. The owner is Liz Bailey, who also owns Bikini Bronze Charleston at 10 Exchange St. on the peninsula.

Ready to Rumble

A group boxing workout studio plans to make its South Carolina debut with three new sites.

Rumble Boxing plans to open in Charleston and Hilton Head Island. Locations have not been announced.

Rumble President Shaun Grove said boxing workouts are geared to all fitness levels and abilities and the company plans to continue its expansion across the nation.

The boxing-inspired studio delivers 45-minute, 10-round strength and conditioning group workouts crafted around teardrop-style aqua boxing bags and high-intensity strength-training circuits. Rumble is designed to build strength and relieve stress.

The New York City-based company has 25 franchise locations open across the U.S. Others are in development.

Dorchester County citizens had an opportunity to offer feedback and voice concerns about streetscape improvements planned for Ladson Road at the Aug. 22 public meeting held at the Dorchester County Council Chambers.

Dorchester County personnel and consultant representatives from SeamonWhiteside, a local engineering and design firm, were on hand to discuss the project with citizens as a group and individually, as requested.

The well-attended meeting showcased a lively discussion during which citizens expressed their concerns, fears and frustrations over the project plans to date, as well as what is seen by many present as current problems that could be made worse going forward.

Construction of dedicated turn lanes at key intersections and installation of raised, landscaped medians with plantings and street lights are the key elements of the project. Video displays and print handouts were provided at the meeting to illustrate the plans under consideration. The project will impact the section of Ladson Road from the termination of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Dorchester Road Safety Improvement project to Coopers Ridge Boulevard.

“Last night’s meeting was the first step in soliciting public input, and we received many good comments that will be considered as we continue to move the design forward,” said Daniel Prentice, Deputy County Administrator. The meeting followed the DOT public comment requirements, according to Prentice.

The Ladson Road Streetscape Project is part of the Oakbrook Redevelopment Plan which was established in 2019. The plan outlines a comprehensive, multi-agency plan to revitalize the Oakbrook area. Funding comes from Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a method for financing redevelopment in blighted, conservation and sprawl areas of counties. TIF utilizes incremental increases in assessed value and property taxes to fund projects.

The price tag for the overall Oakbrook Redevelopment Plan now stands at $5 million, but county officials insist that it is not represented by a tax increase or impact fee.

“A TIF district is not a tax increase,” said Prentice. “The entities that levy millage (the rate at which property taxes are levied) partner to send tax dollars resulting from growth in assessments of new or improved buildings to the TIF fund which funds the public improvements. The public improvements, in turn, are used to continue to spur new private growth, increasing the overall vitality of the area.”

County personnel and officials projected their belief that by making the area more attractive for retail and restaurant activities, improving pedestrian and bike safety, improving infrastructure, reducing traffic and increasing safety and other upgrades, investment dollars will increase; new business and development will be established.

Presentation of the project leaned heavily on the aesthetic and beautification benefits to be realized, but county officials and staff also stressed improvement in safety as a major goal. “Data shows that safety will be improved by closing off the current open medians and guiding traffic through the use of dedicated turn lanes and restricting other turning movements due to the proposed medians,” said Prentice. “While one of the goals of the TIF district is beautification, the County believes that an additional positive outcome will be the function and safety of the corridor.”

Not everyone in attendance was convinced. Several citizens expressed frustration in their view that the county is giving priority to aesthetics over safety and functionality. Concerns voiced included existing poor access to certain businesses, which could increase under the plan; traffic load; difficulty of large and service vehicles to navigate turns; challenges of cyclists; maintenance costs associated with the use of plants versus other materials for division; and problems arising out of the overlap of traffic routes between counties.

One business owner, whose business requires drop-off traffic, complained that attracting new business and traffic, when existing businesses are negatively impacted by current road and traffic design, is not in the best interest of businesses along Ladson Road.

Proponents of the plan defended medians as a more modern design consideration for roadway construction and advocated for guiding traffic to dedicated turn lanes.

“Access management studies show that the true overall impact is not negative, although acclimation to the changes is required due to new traffic patterns,” said Prentice.

Construction on the Ladson Road Streetscape Project is slated to begin mid-2023, according to county personnel. Additional information on the Ladson Road project, Oakbrook Redevelopment Plan and TIF can be found on the Dorchester County website at https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov.

Public comments, written or oral, are invited.