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FLORENCE, S.C. (WIS) - On Thursday, state leaders announced what they are calling an innovative approach to treating South Carolinians’ growing mental health needs.

It will start with a new, $100 million behavioral health facility in the Pee Dee, but its successes could be replicated in other parts of South Carolina.

“That’s why we’re here today: celebrating a bold, new, and aggressive approach to treat behavioral health across the state of South Carolina,” Francis Marion University President Dr. Fred Carter said at the announcement event Thursday in Florence.

That kind of approach is what medical leaders say South Carolina desperately needs right now.

“I’m not even going to talk about the tsunami of anxiety and depression that our youth are facing — by the way, stay tuned because it’s heading our direction,” Medical University of South Carolina President Dr. David Cole said. “I think this provides a basis for us to actually start putting the fire out and then start doing something on a larger scale to actually have us have a healthy society to reflect the health of our state.”

On Thursday, state and medical leaders gathered outside the future site of a regional behavioral health hub in downtown Florence, located at an MUSC-owned property on E. Cedar St.

Construction is slated to start in 2024, with the facility opening two years after that to serve the Pee Dee region, according to Cole.

The facility will offer a combination of triage, crisis stabilization, telehealth, outpatient, and inpatient services, a first-of-its-kind model in South Carolina.

“When good things happen, they happen here first, and they happen here fast, and today is another example of that,” Gov. Henry McMaster said.

The project announced Thursday is a public-private partnership between the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Mental Health, MUSC, McLeod Health, Francis Marion University, and HopeHealth.

Up to $100 million in state funds have been set aside for this facility, along with another $5 million from the City of Florence.

“This is the future of what’s coming to South Carolina,” Speaker of the House Murrell Smith, R – Sumter, said. “This is the model of care that we’re going to set up regionally throughout the state, and we’re going to have a vibrant and successful behavioral health system.”

State leaders say they will be looking at what works at the Florence facility to use it as a model for future behavioral health hubs in other regions of South Carolina.

“We’d like to get some of those models learning from quick wins, quick learning that we’re going to experience as we bring this facility up. I’m hoping in the next couple years, we start getting some replication in some other areas,” SCDHHS Director Robby Kerr said.

The Florence behavioral health hub will be named in honor of the late Florence County Sen. Hugh Leatherman, who chaired the state Senate’s powerful budget-writing committee and advocated for the facility’s creation at the State House before his death in 2021.

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FLORENCE, S.C. (WPDE) — The South Carolina Department of Education sent a letter to Palmetto Youth Academy on August 23 asking the school to cease all operations as a public school.

In a recent affidavit asking the court to issue an order, Florence 1 Schools Superintendent Richard O’Malley said the school was terminated effective June 30. This order came after a motion by the F1S Board of Trustees to not renew the district-sponsored charter school.

Florence 1 Schools said the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) closed PYA on August 1.

ABC15 obtained a copy of a letter the SCDE sent to PYA following a hearing last month when an administrative law court judge didn't grant PYA a stay to continue operating.

A portion of the letter reads:

“The immediate effect of the Court's order is that there is no legal means through which PYA can currently operate with public funds. If it has not done so already, PYA must immediately cease all operations as a public school. The SCDE expects Palmetto Youth Academy to fully and faithfully comply with the AL's order. The SCDE likewise anticipates that Florence One will be a willing partner in effectuating an orderly transition and ensuring that PYA's students are quickly enrolled in an appropriate school program. To this point, the ALC Order mentions that "the District appears ready to mitigate that disruption."

It goes on to say," The SCDE expects that appropriate action will be taken with respect to all state and federal funding related to PYA. PYA must provide a full accounting of all funds spent since the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year to Florence One."

S.C. Administrative Law Court Judge Sebastien Phillip Lenski presided over a hearing Monday involving a motion filed by Florence 1 Schools for an injunctive relief asking a judge to issue a restraining order, appoint a receiver and issue a Writ of Mandamus demanding Palmetto Youth Academy (PYA) to close.

Florence 1 Schools' lawyer said PYA is using funds from the district to continue operating the school.

Montgomery said right now there's no trust between PYA and Florence 1 Schools.

He told the judge that's why it's important for a receiver to be appointed to investigate how much money has been spent and on what.

PYA's Director Dr. Yvonne Brown Burgess spoke out and contradicted what her lawyer told the judge saying "The school is closed."

ABC15 found information on the S.C. Secretary of State's website that shows Brown-Burgess, as of May 13, has another business registered at the same location as PYA at 1209 North Douglas Street in Florence.

It's listed on the website as Palmetto Promise Academy.

The non-profit business is shown to be in good standing, according to the website.

ABC15 sent Brown-Burgess a couple of text messages asking about Palmetto Promise Academy and if PYA is still operating, but have yet to hear back from her.

At this time, there's still no decision on Florence 1 Schools' injunctive relief.

We will let you know when the judge reaches a decision.

FLORENCE, S.C. (WPDE) — The owner and operator of the Save A Lot grocery store on East Darlington Street in downtown Florence is making a bold move to essentially help save his business and grow the community.

Waters said he's selling 120,000 shares at $25 each.

"They can buy up to 200 shares. I am using two exemptions. Exemption 141 A for the federal. and I am using SC exemption 13-206 for the state. Talk to the attorney general Alan Wilson. They walked me through what I was doing. Here I am taking government money because this is what built the store. And taking it and giving it back to the people who we got the money from," said Waters.

Waters said he was able to secure $3.6 million dollars in grants to open a Save-A-Lot grocery store through his company Elijah Craig, LLC. He got a $300,000 incentive package from the City Of Florence to finally open the store in 2021.

However, he said since it's opened he's not getting the customers he needs to keep the business filled with groceries.

"There are some things that I have to do. And I’ve come to recognize that I need some help. I don’t want to wait 20 years to see my dream come true. And all of a sudden they just fade away. Because I was too proud not to ask for help or too proud not to seek help. And that’s what I’m doing now," said Waters.

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Waters is sharing the following information with those interested in buying shares:

"Cost of Shares: $25 per share, with a maximum of two hundred shares per person purchased at one time. Shares may be purchased in five, $5 dollar installments on a weekly basis in-store. This will allow low-income people to buy shares. Our store will be in the hands of the community forever. Shares are lifetime purchases to be passed to the next generation after generation.

Dividends: Dividends will be paid each quarter, based on the rate of return on the net profits from sales for that quarter. Our Board along with our CPA will develop the ROR, to be included in our welcome aboard package.

Shareholder Board of Directors: Shareholders will elect a five-member board to oversee all shareholder funds. Funds will only be used for inventory and working capital. We have obtained over 5.6 million thus far, however, I want to pass some ownership to our community.

This will allow the store to truly become a community store indefinitely.

Our audaciously inclusive initiative aims to provide an opportunity for residents of the state of South Carolina, especially Afro-Americans and low-income families throughout South Carolina, to become shareholders in Elijah Craig LLC dba Florence Save a Lot., fostering community empowerment, economic inclusion, and creating opportunities for generational wealth and prosperity.

The Florence Downtown Save a Lot is more than a grocery store. We are a community. By becoming an owner (also referred to as “member”) of Elijah Craig LLC dba Florence Save a Lot, you become a partial owner of our store and take ownership in our community. Your investment in the store allows us to make investments in local farmers and artisans, offering direct support to the sustainable, natural foods and products that they provide, along with the Save a Lot brand. As a community-owned grocery store, we are accountable to you, the members of our community who support and invest in us. We are committed to supporting the environmental, social, and economic concerns of our owners. I know that we need shoppers and others to invest in the store; therefore, I have decided to make the Florence Downtown Save a Lot store truly a community store. "

For additional information, you can contact Tim Waters by phone at 843-472 -7463 and by email at twaters003@gmail.com.

You can also visit the store at 310 North Dargan Street in Florence.

FLORENCE — It’s almost football season, and that means there’s one local store you have to visit. You can’t miss it – it’s the building in screaming Gamecock garnet and Tiger orange.

“You’ve gotta hit Rivals when football season approaches,” said Ericka Robinson, a Hartsville resident who stopped by the store while running errands.

Rivals, the sports store celebrating fans of the University of South Carolina and Clemson, has become a Florence landmark.

The business embraces its tag line, “a store divided,” by splitting its 18,000-square-foot sales floor right down the middle — Gamecocks on one side, Tigers on the other.

There are rubber ducks, umbrellas, suitcases, sippy cups, shoe laces, T-shirts, sunhats, skirts, socks, pants, polos, purses, ties, tents, tongs, belts, bath robes, backpacks, bandanas, coffee makers, coolers, coasters, clocks, crocs, cups, car mats, door mats, Rubik’s cubes and magic 8 balls.

And don’t forget the dresses crusted in purple sequins, orange jeans with glittering Tigers marching up the leg, even a Christmas ornament that depicts Santa Claus riding a motorcycle with a Gamecock tattoo proudly displayed on his bicep.

Robinson was born and raised a Clemson fan. A week before the Tigers’ first game of the season, she was looking for an outfit to wear to the Florida State game in late September. It’s been at least 10 seasons since she started coming to Rivals. The vast selection makes it an appealing place to shop.

“They have everything here. I mean, they probably have Clemson toilet paper,” she said. “It’d be on the Carolina side, though.”

Across the way, Kelley Nix Brown sifted through South Carolina shirts. Her entire family are USC fans; she’s an alumna.

She is the kind of person that cries when she hears the alma mater, which she admits without shame. Her family has had the same seats at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia for 45 years.

The Lexington resident stopped by Rivals on the way back from the beach. Her only complaint about the store is that it’s not in Columbia.

Store owner Will Webster said Rival’s success is all due to the fans, who have an almost cult-like commitment to their schools and teams.

“To me, it’s kind of a celebration of the love that people have for these two teams,” he said. “There’s just so much excitement here, and always has been, about the Gamecocks and Tigers.”

Webster started his business career by selling tobacco. The Mullins native has had a number of stores across the Pee Dee.

Rivals, however, is his family’s baby, he said. Webster runs the business alongside his wife, Paula, and his two children, William and Taylor.

It was about 15 years ago that Webster started looking for ways to fill up the rest of the sales floor at his tobacco stores. He considered what other merchandise people buying tobacco might want. Sports gear was the obvious choice.

When Webster lost the lease on his tobacco store, he pivoted, and Rivals was born.

When Webster walked into the warehouse off of David McLeod Boulevard, he could picture what it might become. The building is almost like a stadium — the high, vaulted ceilings, brick walls, blistering fluorescent lights.

There’s a purity to the store. It embraces that pumping, animalistic drive to latch onto a team and cheer for dear life.

Only occasionally do staff members have to steer rival fans away from each other.

Football generates the most sales, but it’s not the only draw for customers, Webster said. Some come looking for paraphernalia for a themed event: birthdays, anniversaries, even funerals. Some come to Rivals once they have been accepted to attend USC or Clemson.

It’s often part of the ritual after high school students graduate, Webster said — the beginning of the next phase of their life.

Still, there’s a direct correlation between how well the football teams perform and the sales Rivals sees.

When Clemson or USC wins a national championship, “it’s like Santa Claus coming every day,” Webster said.