Criminal Defense Lawyer in Greenwood, SC

GREENWOOD — A small Upstate city that has long supported its locally owned burger joints such as the Dixie Drive-In, Garden Grille and Cheeseburger House has seen yet another chain burger place come and go.

Whataburger is closing its Greenwood location less than a year after opening it.

It is the second Upstate spot to shut down in recent months. In May, the company shuttered one of its five Greenville County locations, all built in the past two years.

In a statement, Whataburger said it was closing the Greenwood location “as part of our routine business reviews.” It did not elaborate further.

In 2024, Whataburger began opening a flurry of South Carolina locations. There now are 18 across the state, most of which are in the Upstate, according to the company’s website.

The restaurants opened to much fanfare. When the first South Carolina spot opened in Boiling Springs, loyal fans waited overnight to get free Whataburger for a year. Hours before food was served, the drive-thru line wound around the parking lot at the adjacent Target.

In a 2023 interview with The Post and Courier, company officials said they planned to open about 10 new restaurants a year.

“We’re gonna earn that right to be called ‘your hometown Whataburger,’” President and CEO Ed Nelson — a Simpsonville native — said at the time.

In a statement, Whataburger said its commitment to South Carolina “remains strong,” pointing to new locations in Pendleton and Rock Hill that opened this year.

Asked whether the restaurant plans to close any additional locations, it said, “We don't have any additional South Carolina restaurant closures to announce.”

The Texas-based burger chain has been expanding aggressively since a Chicago investment firm bought it in 2019. There are now 1,100 restaurants across 17 states, according to the website.

The company is known for its 24/7 operating hours, fresh beef burgers, patty melts and spicy ketchup, among other offerings.

On social media, people reacted to the news without surprise. While some mourned the closure in Greenwood, which is about 50 miles south of Greenville, many offered up other restaurants they’d like to see instead.

GREENWOOD, S.C. (FOX Carolina) — A Greenwood County school teacher has been arrested after a School Resource Officer reviewed surveillance footage of an alleged assault on a kindergartner.

Laura Bryant, 57, an art teacher at Mathews Elementary School, turned herself in on Wednesday and was booked into the Greenwood County Detention Center, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office said. She is charged with cruelty to children.

According to an incident report, the investigation began on Sept. 1 when the child’s mother contacted school officials. She reported that her son told her Bryant hit him in the head, pushed him to the ground, and kicked him during art class on Monday, Aug. 31.

A Master Deputy and SRO reviewed school security footage from the classroom, which showed the child throw a crayon at a classmate. Bryant walked over and removed the crayons. The report states the child then flipped his chair.

At that point, the video showed Bryant grab the child’s left arm in a “snatching manner,” lifting his feet slightly off the floor as she took him toward the carpeted area. The deputy noted that Bryant then hit the child on his left shoulder, got in his face, and pushed down on his shoulder, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall to the floor.

While the boy was on the carpet, the report states Bryant used her right foot to kick the child’s left foot before pointing her hand at him and walking away. The child was reportedly made to sit on the floor for approximately 10 minutes.

Greenwood School District 50 officials confirmed Bryant is no longer employed with the district but declined to comment further on the personnel matter.

Deputies said Bryant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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GREENWOOD COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Greenwood County officials announced that a councilmember is not under investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) following “baseless allegations” made by a local news outlet.

According to county officials, Aaron Kahn of PIG News brought allegations to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office concerning the alleged misuse of county funds and equipment by District 6 Councilman Robbie Templeton, including the alleged use of county equipment to disseminate disparaging information.

Officials said that the sheriff’s office referred the matter to SLED on July 27. On Tuesday, the county was notified that, following its review of the request, SLED had closed the matter on Aug. 6 with no charges filed and no formal investigation opened.

County officials released the following statement:

Greenwood County officials expressed that while public officials should be held accountable when there are legitimate concerns, “baseless allegations unnecessarily consume the time and resources of law enforcement and local government.”

“We are grateful that this matter has been reviewed and closed, and we consider it resolved,” county officials concluded.

Stay with FOX Carolina as we work to learn more.

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Emergency crews and environmental monitoring teams are on the scene in Laurens County after a multi-car CSX train derailment near Lake Greenwood early Monday morning.

First responders were called to the scene near Cross Hill and Whitten Road around 5:20 a.m. Monday after 17 train cars were derailed. CSX crews are working to clear the derailment.

No injuries or hazardous spills have been reported. However, Greenwood County said that a white material was released from one rail car and has been identified as sodium borate, an active ingredient that can be found in laundry detergent. The county said they do not believe any material from the spill has reached Lake Greenwood.

According to Greenwood County officials, an environmental cleanup firm is on-site and confirmed that all derailed railcars were empty. The firm will remain in the area throughout the cleanup process to monitor environmental conditions.

Also, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is directing boat traffic around the lower train trestle on Lake Greenwood. As of 10 a.m. only one of the elevated openings beneath the train trestle is open for boat passage.

According to Laurens County, all residents located on the south side of the train tracks that run perpendicular to Whitten Road will be unable to travel on Whitten Road until the scene is clear. The county also said that many residents in the area may have received a "Shelter in Place" alert. The alert was not released as a result of an immediate threat to safety but to inform residents that an incident has occurred and leaving the area is not possible at this time. However, emergency personal can reach residents if an issue arises.

County officials are asking the public to avoid the area while cleanup operations continue.

CSX and environmental crews expect to remain on-site throughout the day to remove the derailed equipment and inspect the track.

This is an evolving story.