Roofing in Kingstree, SC

Former Williamsburg County Supervisor Tiffany Cooks has been hired as Blythewood deputy town administrator amid her ongoing SLED investigation.

SLED spokesperson Renee Wunderlich confirmed Cooks is still under investigation for allegations of possible misconduct during her time as Williamsburg County Williamsburg County Supervisor.

Cooks was the Williamsburg County supervisor from 2019 to 2022 and will become Blythewood’s deputy town administrator, according to a Nov. 18 press release from the town, as of Jan. 13.

During Cooks’ stint in Williamsburg County, six elected officials in the county received a combined $210,000 in overtime pay between 2019 and 2022, despite state law prohibiting salaried officers from receiving additional compensation for working extra hours.

This was revealed through a Post and Courier investigation as part of Uncovered, an ongoing initiative with community newspapers aimed at exposing questionable conduct by government leaders throughout South Carolina.

Cooks received over $100,000 in overtime pay while in office, The Post and Courier reported. She lost a reelection bid in 2022 to Kelvin Washington. Records showed the overtime payments ended when Washington started as supervisor.

The SLED investigation was opened in February 2023 after a call from Washington, Cooks’ successor as the Williamsburg County supervisor, Wunderlich said.

The Post and Courier was unable to reach Cooks for comment. Blythewood Mayor Sloan Griffin III and Town Administrator Daniel Stines did not respond to requests for comment.

Cooks’ tenure in Williamsburg County was referenced in the press release announcing her appointment, touting her as becoming South Carolina’s first African American female county supervisor.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Tiffany Cooks join our team as Deputy Town Administrator,” Griffin said in the press release. “Her leadership experience, expertise in public safety, and proven track record of community development will be instrumental in driving Blythewood’s strategic goals forward. We are confident she will make an immediate and lasting impact.”

Salaried officers can’t get overtime. So why did Williamsburg Co. officials get 200K in extra pay?

Cooks will “oversee critical operations, spearhead grant initiatives, and work closely with the Mayor and local stakeholders to implement strategic growth and enhance community services” in the role, the press release said.

“I am deeply honored to join the Town of Blythewood and to work alongside such dedicated leaders,” Cooks said in the release. “I look forward to contributing my skills and experience to serve the residents of this remarkable community. Together, we will create innovative solutions and ensure a bright future for Blythewood.”

At the time of print, Tiffany Cooks decided not to take the Deputy Administrator position after experiencing attention from the press and opposition from some members of Blythewood Town Council. In a press release from the Mayor of Blythewood late Thursday, the Town of Blythewood expressed thanks Dr. Cooks for her willingness to serve and wishes her and her family the best in their endeavors.

As The Meadows at Black River State Park nears its soft opening in early 2025, the public was encouraged to attend a presentation on Monday, November 4 to learn more about this northern point of the new Black River park system in South Carolina. S.C. Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism and the Open Space Institute presented updates on the Black River Parks Initiative at the event.

“We are in the buildout process of the Black River Water Trail and Parks network, and The Meadows is the biggest buildout we have going right now,” says Park Manager John Moon. The Black River State Park is made up of about eight tracks along the river and stretches all the way to Georgetown County. The total acreage of the project is around 7,500 acres presently and will eventually consist of 12 parks along 70 miles of river from Black River Landing in Williamsburg County to Rock Trail Point in the Chopee area of Georgetown.

The Meadows at Black River State Park is located nine miles from Kingstree, just two miles south of Coopers Country Store in Salters on Hwy. 521. The Meadows will provide a fun and accessible place to relax, explore, and spend time outdoors with friends and family with a boat ramp style kayak launch, small shelter, bathhouse/bathroom and a parking area for people to park, picnic area, short little nature trail, and eventually cabins and camp sites. Moon describes the site as a traditional state park that you generally see in the park service.

The Black River State Park is the first state park to be built in South Carolina in 20 years. The State Park will not only be a site for recreation for residents and visitors, it will celebrate and preserve the history of the Black River.

The Black River’s historical roots are deep, from the indigenous people who lived along its banks and used it for foraging, hunting, travel and commerce, to the enslaved Africans who farmed the large-scale rice farms that depended on the river. The river was witness to the Revolutionary and Civil War, both including significant activity along its banks.

The state park also insures the wilderness, the animals, and endangered species like the red-cockaded flatwoods salamanders that are native to the area are protected.

The park includes new scenic and recreational opportunities for local residents and visitors including gathering spaces, camp sites, walking trails, kayak entry points, and more along the banks of the Black River. The park will be a 100-mile-or-less day trip for 40% of SC residents.

Similar initiatives in Southwest Virginia and Knoxville have resulted in a significant rise in tourism resulting in tens of millions of dollars to the local economy. Most of the benefits of tourism in South Carolina historically has benefited coastal resort towns. This new trail of State Parks in the Black River State Park network could be an economic gamechanger for small, rural, inland communities along the historic Black River.

Unlike traditional State Parks, there is no land trail connecting the State Parks in this network, instead, the river is the trail that connects each individual park on the Black River. Each park will have its own trails, but they are not connected with trails in other parks. “The main attraction that ties them together is the Black River,” says Moon.

Black River Initiative is a project of the SC State Parks, Open Space Institute, The Nature Conservancy and Winyah Rivers Alliance. The project started coming together in 2018, and was the brain child of Open Space Institute, S.C. State Park Service, and stakeholders including The Nature Conservancy and S.C. Conservation Land Bank.

The presentation on November 4 was held at the Williamsburg County Council Chambers, 201 Main St., Kingstree from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Staff from the SC Parks Recreation and Tourism and the Open Space Institute presented maps and renderings, focusing especially on “The Meadows” at Black River State Park and presented information on the Narrows track of the project located in Andrews, as well as the Oxbow Bend, a more traditional park with camping cabins and picnic areas, and Indigo Crossing track, a more primitive style camping and water access point. The partnering organizations are still in the procurement, planning and permitting process for much of the state park, but aims to keep the public abreast of changes and progress along the way. Black River State Park is not expected to be completely finished until 2030.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) now hosts a free Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) instructional program mandated by the legislature as part of the Constitutional Carry Bill H. 3594, which is now state law. The statute requires two free CWP courses to be taught in each county of the state every month by SLED, a certified CWP Instructor, or local law enforcement in that county.

SLED partnered with certified instructors and select law enforcement agencies across the state to provide these classes free of charge to the citizens of South Carolina.

IMPORTANT:

• You must have a South Carolina driver’s license or own real property in South Carolina to be eligible to take a course.

• You must bring a handgun and 25 rounds of ammunition for the shooting portion of the class. You may make arrangements with the instructor ahead of time to rent a handgun to use during the course.

• You do not have to attend in the County you live in.

• You must be at least 18 years old attend the course.

This program does not replace or change existing classes currently being taught by instructors across the State, it is the same CWP program only free for the instructional part of the course.

TO REGISTER FOR A CLASS:

• Visit SLED’s website at www.sled.sc.gov/cwp_courses

• Select the County you wish to attend the course in and press the “Find Class Date” button.

• Submit your request to be added to the class by entering the date of one of the classes available on the schedule.

• Seven days before the class, you will be emailed class details and instructor information confirming your attendance.

Students will receive at least four hours of instruction on basic firearms safety, fundamentals, nomenclature, the law of self-defense, and laws related to carrying a firearm safely and legally in South Carolina. There is a 50 question multiple choice test and a 25 round qualification course of fire at the end of the course which must be passed with a 70% score or better to pass the course. Students with questions can email cwptraining@sled.sc.gov.

The IGA in Kingstree is getting a facelift and rebranding as Kj's Market. Both Kj’s Market and IGA Southeast are both owned by W. Lee Flowers located in Scranton. The company currently operates 58 grocery stores under the IGA and Kj’s names.

“We’re very excited to transition our IGA in Kingstree to the Kj’s Market banner,” says W. Lee Flowers Director of Marketing Caitlen Propst. “Our employees, product selection, and pricing will all remain the same so you’ll see the same smiling faces, just under a new name on the outside.”

W. Lee Flowers currently owns and operates the existing 32,000 sq. ft. IGA location, however the company made the decision to transition the brand to Kj’s Market. Along with the new name, the store will also be remodeled.

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Some of Kj’s Market brand concepts coming to the Kingstree store are The Butcher Shop where guests can get custom cuts of meat, whole hogs for BBQ, and Butcher’s Bundle boxes. They are also bringing Bluebird Kitchen to the location which features a hometown menu of favorites like fried chicken and chicken bog with brand new scratch-made biscuits and fresh brewed coffee. Blue Bird Kitchen will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

A unique part of the Kj’s Market brand is its connection with the community. “We believe that the grocery store is similar to a good neighbor,” says Propst. “It’s a place where you’ll find friendly, smiling faces, and a cup of sugar or an egg, if needed.”

Kj’s Market will be partnering with the community in a number of ways, mainly centered around feeding the hungry, connecting with kids, and supporting local teachers. Their first community event will be a Mural Painting event in January, where a quilt-like mural will be painted on the outside of the store. “The community mural will represent the Kingstree community and serve as a reminder that each community is made up of so many beautiful, unique aspects that bring us together… much like a quilt,” Propst says.

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The current IGA store has 59 employees. The company plans to increase the number of employees with the remodel and new concepts. A job fair event will be held on Thursday, November 14 at the store from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the Kj’s Market brand to our neighbors in the Kingstree community. Our purpose at Kj’s Market is to create smiles and we believe the remodeled store will do just that – create smiles over fresh brewed coffee, scratch made biscuits, custom cuts from your local butcher, and from the same friendly faces and pricing from when it was an IGA. Grand opening events are planned for early 2025 and will be announced online,” said Shane Holliday, Vice President of Retail Operations at W. Lee Flowers

Kj’s Market was formed in 2006, launching its first store in South Florence on Pamplico Hwy. The brand is owned by W. Lee Flowers, a subsidiary of Alex Lee, Inc. and currently operates 29 locations throughout South Carolina and Georgia. More information can be found at KjsMarket.com

Ronnie L. McKnight was given a key to the city last month for his continuous support and ongoing contributions of the community of Kingstree.

McKnight grew up in Kingstree and continues his involvement as a commercial property owner and supporter of a number of community organizations. McKnight regularly contributes to the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Kingstree Chapter and organizes Back to School, Thanksgiving and Christmas events to give back to those in need in his hometown.

“I’ve done over 100 plus interviews and podcasts, TV shows, radio shows, and I always talk about Kingstree,” says McKnight. “I need to let people know that where you come from is important.”

McKnight says his fourth great-grandfather was one of the first 10 slaves signed off the boat in Charleston from Nigeria. He married into his slave master’s family, the McKnights, who were from Scotland. The family relocated to the White Oak area of Williamsburg County when Kingstree was first being organized and settled.

His father’s mother was a Black Foot Indian from Camden. Her name was Lily McKnight, but people called her Sugaloot. She had blue eyes and jet black, silky hair that flowed down past her hips. Sugaloot was instrumental to McKnight’s upbringing.

McKnight, now 52, felt safe growing up in Kingstree. Kids played outside all day and knew when the street lights came on, it was time to go home. “It was a bustling town,” he remembers. People shopped at Marcus and C. Tuckers Department stores.

When Ron McKnight was a child, he would sit at the kitchen table, where he talked to imaginary people, and pretend he owned his own business.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, but my mother allowed me to dream the impossible,” he says. “Racism was truly still at its highest peak, and I was a young black boy. My mom told me as long as you don’t hurt anybody be yourself. That is the gift.”

McKnight attended Kingstree Elementary School, Kingstree Junior High and spent two years at Kingstree High School before his family moved him to Clinton Preparatory School in Rock Hill. He wasn’t happy about going to a prep school, but admits if he had stayed in Kingstree, he wouldn’t be the person he is today.

“I take it as a blessing from God, the Angels and the Universe,” he says. “I would have ended up going to the military or working in the factory and that wasn’t me.”

McKnight enrolled in Winthrop University, then transferred to Norfolk State University, a historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. He earned an undergraduate degree in History World Diplomacy and a Masters in Media and Communications. He has a Doctorate in Education from Capella University Harvard Extension.

As an educator, he taught at Benedict College and Voorhees University. McKnight has a talent for educating and building community. He taught for 12 years, then became the Human Resources Vice President for Blue Apron.

With the help of application developers, Bhaval Patel and Aksha Patel, McKnight created the transportation on demand app, HOP-In-Go Technologies, Corp, a competitor of Uber and Lift in major cities across the United States. The company has plans to expand worldwide in the next two years.

“Thank God for my education,” he says. “Out of all of that teaching, and experience in HR, I became the CEO of a software firm,” he says. He just purchased Hiacora Gaming Solutions, which has 15 games under the brand. McKnight shares his time between Manhattan and Columbia, SC where he is a member of the Jewish Tree of Life Synagogue. He serves as the Dean of the Divinity School in Columbia and just had a graduation ceremony for graduates of Kingstree.

McKnight says he is happy to see Kingstree is coming back to where it is supposed to be. “Property values are on the rise,” he reports. He dabbles in real estate.

He established the Ron L. McKnight Endowment Scholarship at Winthrop University. He has two fiction books and three non-fiction books centered around the importance of education. His latest book is about the importance of education at PWI’s and HBCU’s.

McKnight is proud to have received the key to the city. “Tears came to my eyes,” he says.

“He puts us out there,” says Kingstree Mayor Darren Tisdale. “If anything new is going on in Kingstree, he advertises it. He continues to support his hometown, even if he isn’t around here.”

You can reach Nichole by email at news@kingstreenews.com.