Family Law Attorney in Summerville, SC

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) — Hundreds of Berkeley County residents echoed the same sentiment and joined a petition to stop the potential annexation that was discussed at a meeting Monday night.

It’s a feeling that long-time resident of New Hope community Lisa Perry said in opposition to a potential annexation of land from Berkeley County to Summerville.

“I say if it’s not broke, why try to fix it? Why try to change it?”

Hundreds of Berkeley County residents echoed the same sentiment and joined a petition to stop the potential annexation that was discussed at a meeting Monday night.

Berkeley County’s Land Use Committee discussed a resolution of an Eleventh Amendment to the Nexton Development Agreement that would allow Nash-Nexton Holdings, LLC to release large portions of land to the Town of Summerville. In opposition, more than 400 residents signed a to stop the annexation and allow more time for understanding and public discussion, and county council agreed.

“Our responsibility and loyalty goes to the citizens of Berkeley County,” Berkeley County councilman Caldwell Pinckney Jr. said during the meeting. “And I heard them loud and clear on the news. We don’t want that to happen in our community. And as a member of county council, I’m dedicated to support their wishes.”

Many residents say they want to stop the amendment to protect not only their land, but their legacy. The proposed annexation affects parcels of land near Sheep Island Road and Wildgame Road and would also create the opportunity for the development of 1,200 single-family homes. The current housing capacity for that portion of land is capped at 447.

Alvin Lumpkin has lived in Berkeley County for generations and started the petition after he heard about the proposed annexation. He said even though many of their homes are not being annexed, the decision would directly affect the overall community’s long-standing families, cultural heritage and public safety.

“We believe this deserves public attention before decisions become final,” Lumpkin said.

Resident concerns include traffic and road capacity, fire and EMS coverage, loss of civic land and density shift. They also believe there hasn’t been much transparency or accountability from Berkeley County regarding the ongoing process, which county council expressed to the owner of the land.

“It’s hurtful to think that someone from outside of our area who doesn’t understand that there’s a culture of family and togetherness,” Dr. Jennifer Simmons, long-time resident of Sheep Island said. “Everyone is family. There’s a farming network there historically, we’ve lived off of this land, we’ve thrived off of this land, so it hurts us and that’s why we’re fighting so hard for it.”

Many residents expressed concern about the potential density increase of developments in that area if the annexation goes through, which the county council also expressed.

Many residents were relieved to see support from the county council.

“I appreciate what each and every one of them [Berkeley County Council] did to help abate a little bit, so I’m pleased with it,” Ron Harvey, a long-time resident of New Hope community said. “I think they did a good job.”

The Nexton Development Agreement has been an agreement between Berkeley County and Nash-Nexton Holdings, LLC since 2006.

Many amendments have since been made, but with the new proposed amendment, many say it takes too much of what they call home.

As the agenda item was only a discussion, no vote was made. Berkeley County council told the owner of the land to go back and make changes if he still wanted the amendment to be considered. They also affirmed to the community that they won’t be making a decision unless a new proposed amendment makes changes to the housing capacity, now leaving the potential annexation in Summerville’s hands.

“We’re not opposed to growth, we are just open to growth in the right way,” Simmons said.

Dutch Fork pulled away in the fourth quarter to pound Summerville 40-20 iin the 5-A Division 1 state championship Saturday night.

It was the Silver Foxes' fourth consecutive state championship and 10th overall. All 10 state championships have come under legendary coach Tom Knotts, who tied Summerville's John McKissick and Woodruff's Willie Varner for the most in South Carolina history.

Knotts has won 17 state championships, including seven in North Carolina. It was also the 300th win for the Dutch Fork program.

Jaxon Knotts, the coach's son, threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another.

K.J. Dupree had two interceptions which set up touchdowns and South Carolina signee Julian Walker returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown.

Braydon Johnson's 27-yard touchdown run broke a 14-14 tie late in the third quarter and the Silver Foxes rolled after that.

Summerville (12-3) had pulled even early in the third quarter on a 42-yard fumble return by Jaiden Kelly-Murray.

Preview

Dutch Fork (11-1) is seeking its fourth consecutive state title and 10th overall, all under legendary coach Tom Knotts, who has led the Silver Foxes since 2010. If the Silver Foxes win, Knotts will tie Summerville legend John McKissick and Woodruff''s Willie Varner for the most championships ever in South Carolina. Knotts also won seven state titles as a coach in North Carolina.

Summerville (12-2) is seeking to avenge last year's game, won 35-21 by Dutch Fork, that prevented the Green Wave from finishing undefeated.

Dutch Fork is led by a bevy of stars, including 6-foot-6, 230-pound Michigan commit Julian Walker, lineman Jaden Wuerth, wide receiver Stone Furrey, and quarterback Jaxon Knotts, the coach's son.

The Silver Foxes saw their 24-game winning streak snapped by Oceanside Collegiate Academy, a team vying for its third straight state title, on Sept. 19.

Summerville has a sophisticated passing attack featuring quarterback Max Stafford along with wide receivers Jaiden Kelly-Murray, Teru Davis and Jaelyn Pounds. Jayven Williams is a 1,500-yard running back.

The Green Wave had to overcome a two-touchdown deficit to edge Carolina Forest 29-28 in the third round before pummeling James Island 45-16 in the Lower State championship game.

Dutch Fork trailed 10-0 in the second quarter before rallying and pulling awa for a 30-10 win over Dorman in the Upper State championship game.

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Live Updates

(Refresh this page repeated for live updates once the game kicks-off)

-Dutch Fork kicks off. Summerville starts at its 20.

Big throw from Max Stafford to Jaden Kelly-Murray into Dutch Fork territory.

Timeout Summerville. Third and 8 from the Dutch Fork 45.

INTERCEPTION! off a deflection, KJ Dupree returns it 40 yards to the Summerville 27. Plus penalty on Summerville.

Chop block penalty on DF.

TOUCHDOWN! Jaxon Knotts with a 32-yard TD pass to Kye Fulton. DF leads 7-0.

Summerville has the ball at its 20 following another touchback on the kickoff. 8:23 left in the first quarter.

Dutch Fork lineabcker Raleigh Salters injured on the play,.

Stafford scrambles for no gain on third and 9.

Great punt puts DF back at its 25.

Summerville defense forces a three-and-out.

Green Wave takes possession at its 29.

INTERCEPTION! Dupree again on a deflection with a long return.

Big run by Knotts on a keeper.

Knotts sacked. Third and 11.

An incompletion. Fourth and 11 from the 24.

TOUCHDOWN! Knotts to tight end Wyatt Warner. Dutch Fork leads 14-0 with 1:35 left in the first quarter.

Touchback. Summerville starts at the 20.

Jayven Williams breaks free for a 39-yard gain into DF territory.

END OF FIRST QUARTER

-Stafford gets the first down and then Williams takes it inside the red zone.

Williams again. First and goal.

TOUCHDOWN! Stafford to Jaden Kelly-Murray, 6 yards. Dutch Fork leads 14-7 with 9:22 left in the first half.

Dutch Fork will start from its 24.

Summerville stuffs an attemped hey sweep. Third and 15.

Screen pass stuffed. Fourth down.

Short punt gives Summerville possession at the DF 42.

Big run by Williams. First down at the 14.

Stafford sacked. Fourth and 18.

Field goal attempt blocked.

Three and out for DF.

Timeout DF with 1:44 left in the first half.

Summerville takes over at its 33.

Stafford sacked by Julian Walker.

-Summerville kicks off. DF starts from its 27.

TOUCHDOWN! Jaden Kelly-Murray returns a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown. Tie game.

DF takes over at its 29 after the kickoff.

Summerville defense forces another three-and-out.

Running into the kicker penalt. First down for DF.

Knotts scrambles inside the Summerville 30.

Fourth and 3 for DF.

The Green Wave make the stop. Summerville ball.

Walker makes the stop on third and three. Fourth and 1 from the Summerville 29.

Timeout Summerville with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Summerville punts to the DF 40.

Holding penalty negates a nice DF run on a reverse.

Knotts to Fulton for a first down at the Summerville 48.

Big run by Knotts has the Silver Lions near the red zone.

TOUCHDOWN! Braydon Johnson on a 27-yard run. PAT no good. Dutch Fork leads 20-14 with 1:27 left in the third quarter.

Touchback on the kickoff.

Stafford sacked by Walker.

Williams stuffed inside the 10.

Stafford scrambles to the 11. Fourth and long.

END OF THIRD QUARTER

DF muffs the punt but recovers. Firdy down at Summerville 45.

Knotts again with a big run for a first down.

Knotts scrambles. Flag again. Helmet to helmet on Summerville.

Holding penalty on DF.

-Timeout with 8:41 left. Dutch Fork at the Summerville 21.

Double reverse pass to Knotts for eight yards. Penalty on Summerville. 12 men on the field.

Knotts on the keeper. First and goal from the 1.

TOUCHDOWN! Knotts takes it in. Try for two stopped. Dutch Fork leads 26-14 with seven minutes left.

Summerville to start from the 26.

TOUCHDOWN! Strip sack by Wuerth, Walker returns it 20 yards for the TD. Dutch Fork leads 33-14 with 6:01 left.

Timeout with 3:55 left. Dutch Fork closing in on history.

TOUCHDOWN! Kyle Henry takes it in from the 1. Dutch Fork leads 40-14 with 3:01 left.

TOUCHDOWN! Summerville gets a late one from Jayven Williams. 40-20 with 1:07 left.

FINAL

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina, Dec. 6 — The NEXT No. 25 Dutch Fork [Irmo, SC] Silver Foxes clinched their 10th state championship Saturday night in a 40-20 win over the Summerville [SC] Green Wave.

The win gave Dutch Fork its fifth consecutive South Carolina SCHSL Class 5A state championship trophy. The Silver Foxes jumped out to an early 14-0 lead after forcing a pair of interceptions, but Summerville tightened up at that point and eventually pulled even at 14-all early in the second half.

From there, Dutch Fork turned up the heat, scoring the next 26 points to take a 40-20 lead. A late touchdown by Summerville provided the final margin.

Dutch Fork finishes the season 12-1 while Summerville concludes its 2025 season at 12-3.

WATCH ON THE NFHS NETWORK: SN NEXT No. 25 Dutch Fork [Irmo, SC] Silver Foxes vs. Summerville [SC] Green Wave

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Refresh for updates

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End of fourth quarter: Dutch Fork 40, Summerville 20

And that's your ball game. Dutch Fork is the South Carolina SCHSL Class 5A champions.

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Summerville successfully converts the onside kick, but again, there's only a minute to play.

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DUTCH FORK 40, SUMMERVILLE 20

Credit Summerville for playing to the end. They answer Dutch Fork's last score quickly, but with only 1:07 to play, it's academic at this point.

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DUTCH FORK 40, SUMMERVILLE 14

It was Dutch Fork early, and then Summerville in the middle of this contest. But here late when it really counts, it's been all Dutch Fork.

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DUTCH FORK 33, SUMMERVILLE 14

Dutch Fork gets pressure on Summerville's quarterback who fumbles. Julian Walker is there for the scoop and score, and that should do it in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Still 6:01 to play, but it's a three-score game now.

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DUTCH FORK 26, SUMMERVILLE 14

Dutch Fork scores what could be the clincher with an even seven minutes to play. They fail to convert on the 2-point attempt, but lead by 12.

End of third quarter: Dutch Fork 20, Summerville 14

We head to the final quarter with the outcome of this game very much hanging in the balance.

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DUTCH FORK 20, SUMMERVILLE 14

Under two to play in the third quarter, Dutch Fork surges back to the lead. The PAT is no good.

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DUTCH FORK 14, SUMMERVILLE 14

Summerville scores quickly to open the second half. Important to remember that the Green Wave trailed this game 14-0 early, and they've climbed out of that hole to even it up.

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And the third quarter is under way!

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End of second quarter: Dutch Fork 14, Summerville 7

All things considered, this could have been much worse for Summerville with the early turnovers. But they've settled down, and we've got a game headed into the half.

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Dutch Fork finally forces a fourth down, and then blocks Summerville's field goal attempt.

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Summerville has settled down. They just converted a 3rd-and-14 to enter the red zone.

DUTCH FORK 14, SUMMERVILLE 7

Summerville cuts Dutch Fork's lead in half with a solid drive to start the second quarter.

End of first quarter: Dutch Fork 14, Summerville 0

The story of the game so far is Dutch Fork converting turnovers into points. We head to the second quarter with Summerville in desperate need of an answer.

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DUTCH FORK 14, SUMMERVILLE 0

Dutch Fork forces another turnover, and they convert it into points again. Summerville is in the undesirable position of having to win a game now where they've surrendered 14 points after turnovers.

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DUTCH FORK 7, SUMMERVILLE 0

Dutch Fork forces an early turnover, and they convert it into the game's first points.

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The game is under way in Orangeburg, South Carolina!

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Summerville taking the field.

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Coming soon!

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Dutch Fork vs. Summerville start time

Saturday's game between Dutch Fork and Summerville is being played at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

How can I watch Dutch Fork vs. Summerville today?

MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF HEADLINES

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) — Residents and business owners are expressing frustration with the ongoing Main Street Resurfacing Project, saying the unfinished construction is disrupting daily commutes and creating hazardous driving conditions.

Residents say the project has left drivers navigating bumps 2 to 3 inches high where old and new pavement meet.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation, which owns and maintains the road, completed the first layer of pavement but has not finished the second layer, creating inconsistencies in the road surface, the Town of Summerville says.

“They block intersections and I know they have to do that, but then when they leave it’s like nothing’s been done,” Barbara Dunning, a Summerville business owner at one of the intersections on Main Street, said.

Dunning said she drives slowly over the uneven sections to avoid tire damage.

“I drive very slowly over that hump because I don’t want my tires to bust,” she said.

Town officials say they have received numerous complaints about the project’s status and have contacted SCDOT to address residents’ concerns.

“We want to be excellent here at the town. And when a road is just not up to par, then people notice. And we love that. We want a community that says, ‘Hey, this isn’t up to par,’” Christopher Makowski, with the Town of Summerville, said.

Makowski said town officials had a productive conversation with SCDOT about the project’s problems and are using their partnership to expedite completion.

“We had a conversation with SCDOT, and we use that partnership that we have already built throughout all these years to be able to get a response and understand what’s going on and hopefully expedite the process so the project can get done,” he said.

SCDOT declined an interview but said they will continue working with their contractor and expect the project to be completed by the end of the year, weather permitting.

A long-anticipated Publix supermarket is finally turning dirt in Summerville’s Summers Corner development at 1612 Beech Hill Road.

First announced in January, the project generated new buzz Nov. 23 after the neighborhood posted the news on its Facebook page that the site is finally under construction. The post garnering 900 likes and more than 200 shares in just days.

A spokesperson for the Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer said the store expects to hire about 140 employees.

The Publix will be the anchor tenant for the new retail center, with plans calling for a 50,800-square-foot supermarket and eight 1,200-square-foot suites.

At full buildout, Summers Corner is expected to exceed 7,500 homes.

On a related note, Publix will mark its return to Daniel Island next Wednesday at 7 a.m., after a nearly year-long absence that left DI without its own full-service grocery store. The chain closed its original location at 162 Seven Farms Road in late 2024 and rebuilt a larger supermarket in its place in less than 12 months.

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday has pulled out of North Charleston leaving the chain with just one Lowcountry restaurant.

A sign on the door at 7400 Northside Drive directs customers to the West Ashley location at 1953 Savannah Highway. Company representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Maryville, Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday is owned NRD Capital, a private equity firm. The casual dining closed its Summerville location earlier this year.

Completely floored

Floor & Decor has opened its long-awaited warehouse store and design center at 1155 Holliday Farms Blvd. next to The Home Depot in Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant.

The new store employs about 50 workers and is led by Matthew Peiffer, whose title is chief executive merchant.

The Atlanta-based retailer specializes in flooring for homeowners and professionals. It operates more than 250 warehouse-style outlets nationwide, including South Carolina stores in North Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Murrells Inlet.

A ribbon cutting is set for Dec. 2 at the Mount Pleasant store, featuring giveaways including a $5,000 floor makeover and 2026 Charleston Southern University football season tickets.

Palm pleasant

Gwynn’s of Mount Pleasant, a mainstay luxury boutique that plans to open a second location in downtown Charleston, has unveiled five holiday window displays with a 1967-era Palm Springs, Calif. theme.

The department store’s inspiration this year is “A Holiday on Holiday” concept, capturing “the golden glow of a retro holiday.”

The mid-century-inspired vignettes include glittering garments, glowing pink flamingos and rotating disco balls that channel holiday department-store spectacles in major cities.

Market to market

A food truck is opening a brick-and-mortar downtown.

Luther’s Market & Eatery, known for its pastas, casseroles and sauces, will take over 227 Rutledge Ave., formerly home to Pinot & Provisions, which closed Oct. 31.

The new tenant is expected to open in January and will offer global comfort foods from the mother-and-son duo of Kiki Luthringshausen and Hudson Luthringshausen. Until then, their pastas and sauces are currently available via their food truck and at Corner Store, a grab-and-go market that opened this summer in West Ashley in the former home of Taco Bartina.

3rd First Watch

First Watch, a breakfast, brunch and lunch spot, will open its third Lowcountry restaurant on Dec. 15 at the Market Place at Carnes Crossroads in Goose Creek. Founded in 1983, the Florida-based chain operates more than 620 restaurants in 32 states, including locations in Summerville, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

Mall market

The Joy Market has returned to Citadel Mall in West Ashley with a rotating lineup of local vendors selling holiday goods. It runs Nov. 26–Dec. 30 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with gift-wrapping available.

Very neighborly

Park Circle home-decor shop Neighborly will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a holiday market on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29 with live music, food trucks and 18 vendors.

The event will run from noon to 5 p.m.

Let it snow

Tanger Outlets in North Charleston will bring winter magic to shoppers with “snow flurries” every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. from Nov. 29 until Dec. 20 near the shopping center’s 40-foot-tall Christmas tree.

Kids can also leave messages for Santa via the mall’s “Santa Hotline.”

No. 1 pick

A national indoor pickleball club operator that's opening in North Charleston next month has announced a partnership with a fashion brand created for the sport's “court-to-cocktail” lifestyle.