Préstamo VA en Richland, SC

Stormwater from a now-terminated construction project in Lower Richland has routinely flooded a nearby neighborhood, severely damaging several homes and infrastructure, according to a new lawsuit.

And the homeowners claim there is no end in sight.

The Creekside in Reflections Homeowners’ Association, represented by attorneys Chris Kenney, Toby Ward and Derick Jackson, is suing Richland School District 1 for inverse condemnation and negligence.

The district declined to comment on the lawsuit.

A 12-acre swath of land on Caughman Road in Lower Richland was once forested, and had been left untouched for decades under district ownership. It lies directly adjacent to Creekside, a modest community of about 51 houses, mostly home to retirees and members of the U.S. military, HOA members said.

But the property was clear-cut for an expansive $31 million early learning center that was never built. Issues over permitting and procurement led the district to cancel the project, after it was paused for more than a year because of a stop work order from Richland County.

Rain began severely flooding the neighborhood like never before, according to the lawsuit, as ponds at the construction site flowed into the residential area. It was designed to do so, Kenney said.

Homes were and continue to be overwhelmed by water. The streets and the 25-year-old drainage system, for which the HOA is responsible, are routinely subject flooding, which has quickly worn the infrastructure.

Tony Chaviz, president of the Creekside In Reflections neighborhood HOA, said it would cost millions of dollars to replace it — something the little community can not afford.

The repeated flooding has caused damage, but has also brought pests in excess: frogs, snakes, mosquitoes and worms.

“It’s like we’re living in biblical days,” Chaviz said.

Richland 1 has shown “no remorse” for its course of action, said Charles Scriven, vice president of the association. Apologizing, he said, would mean the district would be accepting responsibility for the damage it has caused.

Two separate lawsuits were filed by individual Creekside homeowners in 2024.

Homeowner Johna Wilkes described her home as “unlivable” after the damage caused by routine flooding. She is still struggling with repeated flooding, Kenney said, and now black mold.

The temporary measures agreed upon in a mediated settlement were put in place, Kenney said. But the HOA has seen no plans for the district’s permanent solution.

A teacher at Crayton Middle School was removed from the building in November. Students and parents don’t know why, and the school district won’t say.

Stephen Price, a mathematics teacher who also coached the Crayton’s wrestling team, was escorted from school premises on Nov. 17 during school hours, said Meagan Kerr, the parent of a Crayton student and member of the wrestling team. Kerr told The State that students were instructed to go into their classrooms, shut the doors and told to remain there while Price was escorted out.

Since then, the wrestling program at the Forest Acres school has been at a standstill.

In a Nov. 20 message, which was obtained by The State, Crayton Principal Angela Burns told parents and guardians that the school wanted to address questions regarding Price’s absence and encouraged families to reach out to her with questions.

“While we understand that you may have concerns please know that we are unable to share specific details due to privacy laws that protect all employees,” Burns wrote. “What we can assure you is that we are committed to maintaining a safe and productive learning environment for your children. ... we have measures in place to ensure students receive the support they need.”

Burns said that instruction would continue as planned.

“We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in avoiding speculation or spreading rumors, as this can be harmful and inaccurate,” Burns wrote.

Price is still listed as a faculty member on the middle school’s website. He could not be reached for comment.

Wrestling practice was abruptly canceled, Kerr said, and parents and students are “completely in the dark,” with little information about the future of the wrestling programs. It’s led to safety concerns among families, and rumors among students, she said.

“Right now the lack of information is causing a lot of confusion and speculation,” Kerr wrote in an email to Burns on Nov. 20.

A spokesperson for Richland School District 1 declined to answer a reporter’s questions about the nature of Price’s removal, the status of his employment or if any disciplinary action was taken.

“The situation at Crayton involves a confidential personnel matter, which is being addressed,” Karen York said in a statement. “Yes, there may be some rumors and misinformation about the situation but, as I noted, this involves a confidential personnel matter so we cannot discuss any possible disciplinary actions or other details.”

York said wrestling practices were canceled because the program is without a coach, though the principal is continuing to explore options and is hopeful wrestling will be able to resume.

Kerr said that parents volunteered to coach the team, but were told they were not allowed to do so.

The wrestling team has three meets in the next two weeks that they will not be able to attend, Kerr said.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Following Election Day, four races in the Midlands are heading to runoffs.

Below is a guide for runoff voting in the Midlands.

WHEN ARE THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS?

Runoff elections will be held on Nov. 18

WHAT COUNTIES HAVE RUNOFF ELECTIONS?

Four counties have runoff elections: Lexington, Newberry, Richland and Saluda

WHAT RACES ARE GOING TO RUNOFFS?

Five races are going to runoffs: Columbia City Council District 4, Columbia City Council At-Large, Batesburg-Leesville mayor, Gilbert Town Council and Prosperity Town Council

WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES IN THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS?

Columbia City Council At-Large:

Columbia City Council District 4:

Batesburg-Leesville Mayor:

Gilbert Town Council:

Prosperity Town Council:

WHEN IS EARLY VOTING FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS?

Early voting is Nov. 12-14 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE CAN I EARLY VOTE IN THE RUNOFFS?

HOW CAN I CHECK AND SEE IF I HAVE A RUNOFF ELECTION?

You can check your sample ballot here.

WHEN ARE POLLS OPEN ON ELECTION DAY?

Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE CAN I FIND MY POLLING PLACE IF I WANT TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY?

You can find the location of your Election Day polling place here.

WHERE WILL I BE ABLE TO CHECK THE RESULTS OF THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS?

WIS will have the results of the runoff elections online here.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our , and . Have feedback that can help us improve? .

The South Carolina Department of Education and South Carolina Education Oversight Committee released the state's 2025 School Report Cards Monday, and a safety evaluation section gave a glimpse as to how well of a job students thought school staff had done to prevent bullying.

Statewide, 75.2% of students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that "adults at my school prevent bullying from happening." The student evaluations, which were not readily available in public data reporting from previous years, revealed partial answers from 488,808 of the state's more than 790,000 students enrolled in public schools.

Palmetto State pupils in the Chester County School District and Richland County School District Two agreed or strongly agreed with the question at the lowest ratio of students in any school district. Despite the relatively high percentage, just 67.5% of students in Chester County were confident in school staff bully suppression. And 68.5% of students in Richland Two agreed with the prompt.

Chester County School District Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Christoff said the numbers were something to look into, but he could not provide an in-depth answer as to if the school district had a plan to adapt to survey results. The evaluations have been public for less than a week.

"We're still in the middle of doing a deep dive into the data and seeing where we need to target," he said.

Christoff's greater qualm was with the disconnect between parents and students in effective bully prevention within schools. The parent survey is given annually to guardians of students in the highest grade of each state public school.

Parents were asked in an evaluation if their child's teachers and school staff prevent or stop bullying. Guardians held more confidence in staff than students, as 87.4% of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. The percentage is at 82.8% among Chester County parents surveyed.

Christoff called the difference a "red flag" and said that while some of the disconnect boiled down to typical adolescent secrecy, it is still something the district would like students, parents and teachers to partner on going forward.

"We were all teenagers once, too. We kind of know that our parents are really the last people to disclose things to," he said. "Districts getting involved need to partner with parents, and parents need to partner with the school district."

Richland School District Two Director of Communications Ishmael Tate said the district has been and will review its bullying prevention efforts.

"Richland Two is actively analyzing these results to determine any gaps in policy implementation, staff training, or student support, seeking a deeper understanding of the underlying issue," the emailed statement said. "We are expanding family outreach efforts that help build a common language about what constitutes bullying and how it is addressed."

Tate noted the difference in how students and adults may interpret an act of bullying — including activity on social media platforms.

Of the 80 school districts that reported student evaluation data, just six had less than 70% of students agree or strongly agree with the bully prevention statement.