SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) — On Thursday, Dorchester County will break ground on a new library in Summerville!

The building will serve the Oakbrook area, and officials said it will help upgrade facilities in Dorchester County, which have been in decline.

Officials added that this 20,000-square-foot building will create more opportunities than just provide a place to read books and magazines.

The library is going to have workspaces, a classroom, an event hall, as well as a media center to provide easier access to technology in Summerville. This is part of the reason for the nearly 5,000 extra square footage than some of the other libraries in the county have.

Officials say the focus on this library is to provide extra collaboration opportunities for the community and the schools. The latter is a need Councilman Jay Byars says he’s experienced firsthand.

“I used to teach in the district, and we absolutely need more education space for public libraries. Our library here is over 40 years old. It's, and really, we're [a] very fast-growing area. So, the need is there,” Byars said. “We're building libraries in the future will collaborate with [the] district to, you don't have rows of encyclopedias anymore. There's a lot of opportunity to build a future and we're really excited about that.”

The library cost around $12 million to build and is expected to serve 750 to 1,000 people a day.

But this is just the first piece to solving the puzzle of keeping up with the rapidly growing community in Summerville. The larger piece lies right across the street from the library in Ashley River Park.

Dorchester County officials said once the library is up and running, the plan is to build a bridge under Bacons Bridge Road, the road in between the groundbreaking site and the park, in an attempt to connect the park with the library.

In addition, Dorchester County will purchase 112 acres to expand the park where it currently stands and around the campus of the new library, as well as build a bridge across the Ashley River to create what officials are calling a “super park”.

The goal is to allow for easier access to the fast-growing community’s resources.

“This is a dynamic community. We've got a lot of challenges and opportunities because there's a lot of growth here, and that's exciting to see because you've got a lot of people that they're yearning for these types of things,” Byars said. “We're going to have three brand-new parks, three brand-new libraries, which will fundamentally change Dorchester County forever. And that's exciting to see. Just watching the local people's faces, you can't beat it.”

County officials also said, as part of this expansion, there will be a large increase in walking trails and parking around the Oakbrook community. Parking is an issue that, they said, has been a big problem for residents over the past few years.

The specific library being built on Bacons Bridge Road is funded by a $30 million bond referendum passed in 2019.

The referendum also goes towards two other libraries in the county, one in downtown Summerville, replacing the existing Summerville branch library, and the other in North Charleston near Fort Dorchester High School. Work on that second library broke ground in June.

The groundbreaking for this library in the Oakbrook community will take place at 10 a.m., and officials said they expect it to be up and running by the end of 2023.

New London ? Seven Coast Guard Academy cadets ordered off campus this month face “disenrollment” for failing to comply with the military’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the academy confirmed Tuesday.

The cadets, who had applied for religious exemptions, were informed Thursday, Aug. 18 that they had until 4 p.m. the next day to leave the academy and return to their homes, according to the Summerville, S.C., attorney representing several of the cadets.

Two of the cadets had no homes to return to, the attorney, Michael Rose, said in a phone interview.

“They were escorted to the gate like they were criminals or something,” Rose said of the cadets. “No one helped them with travel arrangements or gave them any money. One had to get to California, one to Alaska. One’s estranged from home and living out of his truck, according to an email I received describing his situation.”

The names of the cadets ? at least one of whom is a senior and at least one a sophomore ? have not been released.

Rose called the academy’s orders for the cadets to leave campus “particularly mean-spirited,” and said the academy, instead of acting with such little notice, could have awaited the outcome of pending litigation over the military’s vaccination requirement, which the U.S. Department of Defense imposed in August 2021.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed on behalf of service members and service-academy cadets, including one in federal court in Charleston, S.C., challenging the mandate on constitutional grounds. Rose said three federal courts have issued injunctions protecting members of the Navy, the Marines and the Air Force from having actions taken against them for failure to be vaccinated.

While no injunction has applied to members of the Coast Guard or the Army, Rose said the suit filed in South Carolina sought to protect unvaccinated cadets at West Point and the Coast Guard Academy from being punished until at least Sept. 1 or until the suit is adjudicated.

A Coast Guard Academy spokesman, David Santos, provided responses via email to a series of questions The Day posed, confirming that seven cadets were found to have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, “willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer,” and Article 92, “Failure to obey (an) order or regulation.” As a result, the cadets “were disenrolled from the Academy.”

The seven were among 15 cadets who submitted requests for exemptions to the academy’s vaccination policy in September 2021, according to Santos, who could not say whether all of the requests involved religious exemptions.

“Each request was evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Coast Guard’s Office of Military Personnel Policy, and adjudicated by competent authority at Coast Guard Headquarters, with the advice of counsel, as required by law and Coast Guard policy,” he wrote. “None of the requests was approved. Four cadets chose to become vaccinated after their requests for exemptions were denied and four cadets chose to resign from the Academy.”

Santos, in the email, said the seven cadets facing disenrollment were informed June 13, 2022 that they were in violation of a military order. They were given five days to achieve compliance by getting a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. On June 22, the academy superintendent notified the cadets they were being disenrolled and that they could appeal to Coast Guard headquarters. The cadets were notified Aug. 15 that their final appeal was denied.

“Subsequently, the cadets were directed to proceed to an alternate worksite status beginning on Aug. 19 while administrative processes are finalized,” Santos wrote.

It’s unclear when the academy’s disenrollment process will be concluded.

Santos wrote that 1,079 Coast Guard Academy cadets have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Since June 2020, when the academy started tracking the disease, 736 cases have been detected among the resident student population.

[email protected]

The rankings are out.

Dutch Fork remains as the unanimous No. 1 team in Class AAAAA, Southside Christian received first-place votes despite being winless and South Pointe and Northwestern are the definitive top two teams in Class AAAA. Daniel, the Upstate Super 25's top team, remains as the top ranked Class AAA squad.

Here are the rankings from the SC Prep Football Media Poll following the first two games of the South Carolina High School League football season:

WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS & PREVIEW: Predictions, preview for best Week 2 high school football games for the Greenville area

Class AAAAA

1. Dutch Fork (19)

2. Fort Dorchester

3. Hillcrest

4. Byrnes

5. Dorman

6. Sumter

7. Gaffney

8. TL Hanna

9. Spartanburg

10. Summerville

Others receiving votes: River Bluff, Lexington, Mauldin, White Knoll, Socastee, Clover JL Mann

Class AAAA

1. South Pointe (17)

2. Northwestern (2)

3. AC Fora

4. West Florence

5. South Florence

6. Hartsville

7. Irmo

8. Catawba Ridge

9. James Island

10. (tie) Indian Land

10. (tie) Ridge View

Others receiving votes: York, Wilson, Greenwood, Westside, Greenville, South Aiken, Pickens, West Ashley, Riverside Myrtle Beach

Class AAA

1. Daniel (17)

2. Camden (2)

3. Dillon

4. Powdersville

5. Clinton

6. Gilbert

7. Seneca

8. Woodruff

9. Hanahan

10. Beaufort

Others receiving votes: Brookland-Cayce, Chapman, Union County, Belton Honea Path, Chester, Crestwood, Lower Richland, Manning, Marlboro County, Pendleton, Wren, Aynor

Class AA

1. Saluda (6)

2. Abbeville (2)

3. Oceanside Collegiate (7)

4. Barnwell (3)

5. Fairfield Central

6. Gray Collegiate

7. Wade Hampton

8. Cheraw

9. Buford

10. Silver Bluff

Others receiving votes: Marion, Woodland, Pelion, Pageland Central, Newberry, Chesterfield, Lee Central, Landrum, Andrew Jackson, Crescent, Strom Thurmond

Class A

1. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (14)

2. Christ Church (1)

3. Southside Christian (3)

4. Whale Branch

5. Johnsonville

6. St. Joseph’s

7. Baptist Hill

8. Lamar

9. Lewisville (1)

10. Lake View

Others receiving votes: Latta, Calhoun County, Estill, Whitmire, Ridge Spring-Monetta

Brian Hallenbeck

The Day, New London, Conn.

Aug. 31—NEW LONDON — Seven Coast Guard Academy cadets ordered off campus this month face “disenrollment” for failing to comply with the military’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the academy confirmed Tuesday.

The cadets, who had applied for religious exemptions, were informed Thursday, Aug. 18 that they had until 4 p.m. the next day to leave the academy and return to their homes, according to the Summerville, S.C., attorney representing several of the cadets.

Two of the cadets had no homes to return to, the attorney, Michael Rose, said in a phone interview.

“They were escorted to the gate like they were criminals or something,” Rose said of the cadets. “No one helped them with travel arrangements or gave them any money. One had to get to California, one to Alaska. One’s estranged from home and living out of his truck, according to an email I received describing his situation.”

The names of the cadets ? at least one of whom is a senior and at least one a sophomore ? have not been released.

Rose called the academy’s orders for the cadets to leave campus “particularly mean-spirited,” and said the academy, instead of acting with such little notice, could have awaited the outcome of pending litigation over the military’s vaccination requirement, which the U.S. Department of Defense imposed in August 2021.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed on behalf of service members and service-academy cadets, including one in federal court in Charleston, S.C., challenging the mandate on constitutional grounds. Rose said three federal courts have issued injunctions protecting members of the Navy, the Marines and the Air Force from having actions taken against them for failure to be vaccinated.

While no injunction has applied to members of the Coast Guard or the Army, Rose said the suit filed in South Carolina sought to protect unvaccinated cadets at West Point and the Coast Guard Academy from being punished until at least Sept. 1 or until the suit is adjudicated.

A Coast Guard Academy spokesman, David Santos, provided responses via email to a series of questions The Day posed, confirming that seven cadets were found to have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, “willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer,” and Article 92, “Failure to obey (an) order or regulation.” As a result, the cadets “were disenrolled from the Academy.”

The seven were among 15 cadets who submitted requests for exemptions to the academy’s vaccination policy in September 2021, according to Santos, who could not say whether all of the requests involved religious exemptions.

“Each request was evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Coast Guard’s Office of Military Personnel Policy, and adjudicated by competent authority at Coast Guard Headquarters, with the advice of counsel, as required by law and Coast Guard policy,” he wrote. “None of the requests was approved. Four cadets chose to become vaccinated after their requests for exemptions were denied and four cadets chose to resign from the Academy.”

Santos, in the email, said the seven cadets facing disenrollment were informed June 13, 2022 that they were in violation of a military order. They were given five days to achieve compliance by getting a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. On June 22, the academy superintendent notified the cadets they were being disenrolled and that they could appeal to Coast Guard headquarters. The cadets were notified Aug. 15 that their final appeal was denied.

“Subsequently, the cadets were directed to proceed to an alternate worksite status beginning on Aug. 19 while administrative processes are finalized,” Santos wrote.

It’s unclear when the academy’s disenrollment process will be concluded.

Santos wrote that 1,079 Coast Guard Academy cadets have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Since June 2020, when the academy started tracking the disease, 736 cases have been detected among the resident student population.

___

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Six Charleston-area high school teams were ranked in the final S.C. Prep Media football poll of August.

The polls were released Aug. 30, revealing at least one squad from the Lowcountry in each of the five classifications.

Fort Dorchester is the highest ranked among the local contingent, coming in at No. 2 behind Dutch Fork in Class AAAAA. The Silver Foxes, who play at Stratford Sept. 9, received all 19 first-place votes. Summerville moved into the poll at No. 10 after cruising past Carolina Forest on Aug. 26.

In Class AAAA and Class AAA, James Island and Hanahan broke into their respective polls with wins on Aug. 26. The Trojans and Hawks are ranked ninth, well behind top-ranked South Pointe in Class AAAA and Daniel in Class AAA. Both received 17 of 19 first-place votes.

In Class AA, Oceanside Collegiate dropped back a spot to No. 3 after falling by a single point to South Florence, 29-28, on Aug. 26. The Bruins, who also hammered Goose Creek by 44 points in Week 0, are ranked fifth in Class AAAA. The Landsharks actually received seven first-place votes, more than top-ranked Saluda in Class AA.

In Class A, Baptist Hill backed up from No. 6 to No. 7 despite knocking off St. John’s on Aug. 26. Bamberg-Ehrhardt is No. 1 in Class A and received 14 first-place votes.

Aug. 30 polls

Class AAAAA

1. Dutch Fork (19 first-place votes)

2. Fort Dorchester

3. Hillcrest

4. Byrnes

5. Dorman

6. Sumter

7. Gaffney

8. T.L. Hanna

9. Spartanburg

10. Summerville

Class AAAA

1. South Pointe (17)

2. Northwestern (2)

3. A.C. Flora

4. West Florence

5. South Florence

6. Hartsville

7. Irmo

8. Catawba Ridge

9. James Island

T10. Indian Land

T10. Ridge View

Class AAA

1. Daniel (17)

2. Camden (2)

3. Dillon

4. Powdersville

5. Clinton

6. Gilbert

7. Seneca

8. Woodruff

9. Hanahan

10. Beaufort

Class AA

1. Saluda (6)

2. Abbeville (2)

3. Oceanside Collegiate (7)

4. Barnwell (3)

5. Fairfield Central

6. Gray Collegiate

7. Wade Hampton

8. Cheraw

9. Buford

10. Silver Bluff

Class A

1. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (14)

2. Christ Church (1)

3. Southside Christian (3)

4. Whale Branch

5. Johnsonville

6. St. Joseph’s

7. Baptist Hill

8. Lamar

9. Lewisville (1)

10. Lake View

Oceanside Collegiate lineman Freeling commits to defending champions

Oceanside Collegiate offensive lineman Monroe Freeling announced a commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs in late August.

The 6-7, 295-pound senior picked the Bulldogs over Alabama, Clemson, Florida and Miami.

The four-star prospect is considered one of the top offensive tackles in the country.

The Landsharks play at Timberland Oct. 28.

Fan Fest on tap for South Carolina Stingrays

The South Carolina Stingrays are set to host Fan Fest Sept. 10 at the North Charleston Coliseum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Stingrays, who play in the ECHL and are an affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, are counting down the day to their opening night at home, Oct. 22. Featured activities include a locker room tour, select a seat event, merchandise table, equipment sale and a kids corner.