Wedding & Event Venue near Camden, SC

The historic town of Camden is undergoing a major loss.

The DeRoyal Textile Mill, formerly the Hermitage Cotton Mill, burned nearly to the ground around 11 p.m. on Sept. 20. The mill was built in the 1890s at 125 York St. by three local businessmen and transitioned into new ownership in the late 1990s.

The former mill had been vacant for several years. No one was in the building during the time of the fire.

Camden Fire Chief Eddie Gardner said first responders reacted quickly and worked all night to contain the fire. Firefighters from several surrounding cities came to help as well.

“The most encouraging thing from the fire was seeing the outpouring support for our firefighters,” said Camden mayor Vincent Sheheen.

The building was divided into the A, B, C, and D sections. The C and D section of the building suffered the most damage.

“This is the biggest fire I’ve seen here at Camden for 35 years,” Gardner said.

“We knew that the building was in pretty bad shape so we couldn’t do an interior or offensive attack,” Gardner said, “… We had to put up master streams from our ladder trucks and put water on the building from above.”

The former mill was not insured, and members of the community have been questioning the routine maintenance of the building.

The building was discussed before the fire as the home to apartments or condos.

“I have always looked at it as kind of a historic monument, but also an opportunity for the future,” the mayor said. “… So I was really devastated.”

“The past reflects on what’s going on today, and I believe that the loss of the mill is a great loss to Camden,” said Jimmy Garner, an electrical employee of the cotton mill during the ’70s.

The community came together with food and moral support as members grieve memories of the mill.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it is still investigating the cause of the fire.

The building’s future remains up in the air.

“My job as the mayor is to try to help chart a vision for these important parts of our community,” Sheheen said. “So that’s what I’ll be doing from here on out.”

The storage hopper, or material silo, for the former cotton mill. These are used to store bulk materials such as grain, cotton seeds, chemicals, etc., and are highly flammable. Photo taken by Belle McGuirt/Carolina Reporter

The area is blocked off to deter trespassers while it undergoes debris cleanup. Photo taken by Belle McGuirt/Carolina Reporter

Kershaw County, S.C. (WACH) — Erica Johnson says her 9-year-old son, Andrew Johnson, has level three autism and was mistreated at Midway Elementary School and it was caught on tape. She said her son had been trying to tell her what was going on at school, but she didn’t believe him until he came home with bruises.

Body camera footage from a school resource officer at Midway Elementary School shows Andrew having what his mother says is an episode of being overstimulated on September 30, 2024. She said the behavior stems from her son’s severe autism. Her attorney recently got the video after it was subpoenaed.

Johnson said though she realized after the incident that Andrew did not have a Behavioral Intervention Plan (B.I.P) in place, she notified the school of his diagnosis, submitted his paperwork from the Marcus Autism Center in Georgia and told them what to do when her son gets overstimulated.

“When you have autism, it’s something in the brain. There is no medication to cure that," said Johnson.

The video shows the school principal at the time, Elizabeth Stehle, toss an object in the direction of Andrew. The principal is then seen slapping an object out of his hand while telling Andrew how much his mother will have to pay to get the items replaced.

“This is a grown woman throwing something at a nine-year-old at the time, and no adult should have the right to throw anything at a child or be excused for that kind of behavior," said Johnson. "If you’re having a bad day, like the district told me she was having a bad day and at her tipping point, you shouldn’t have showed up for work.”

Experts, including psychologist Dr. Katie Frankie with ABS Kids, say children who have severe autism can become overstimulated by different external factors and, in some cases, be unable to communicate their true feelings.

“They may not be able to use spoken words and might rely on assistive technology, such as an iPad with speech output, to communicate,” Franke said. “They may also struggle with generating spontaneous language, so they may repeat phrases they hear from others even when it’s difficult for them to express their own thoughts.”

According to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Stehle requested the incident be reported. The report stated that Andrew was picking up school supplies and tossing them, and at one point picked up a chair but did not throw it. It also stated the principal began shouting at Andrew and threw several items as well.

“I was always on the principal’s side, no matter what she told me her work was right,” Johnson said.

Johnson says there were other incidents, but she didn’t believe her son until he came home with bruises on September 6 and September 19, 2024.

“September 6 was the day my son came home and put a pillowcase over his head and said he wanted to die,” Johnson said. “Mommy, they pinned me down in the chair. They pinned me down on the floor and had my hands behind my back and my neck like this.”

Johnson said Andrew was written up for behavior issues in both incidents where she found bruises.

“As a parent, it’s sad to say, you know, I want my child to be normal like everybody else. He wants to be normal like everybody else,” Johnson said.

WACH FOX News reached out to the school district about the incidents, requesting information about the investigation and any actions taken. A district spokesperson responded by saying it was a personnel privacy issue and they were not able to provide a comment or any information.

Johnson said her son is now at a different school where they have a safe room that includes different sensory activities for Andrew and other students. According to Johnson Andrew was diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a result of the incidents at Midway Elementary School.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Some Camden residents said they’re left with more questions than answers after getting a notice from a local accounting firm, warning that their personal information may have been exposed.

According to a notice on Sheheen, Hancock & Godwin, LLP’s website, an unknown actor downloaded files from its network earlier this year.

When Robert Baskins checked his mail, he didn’t expect to find a notice saying his personal information may be in the wrong hands.

“This is ridiculous, and we can’t get no answers about it,” he said.

The firm said the unusual activity happened in April. After investigating in May, they learned an unknown person had downloaded files from the company’s network. Just last month, they confirmed those files may have included personal information — like Social Security numbers, bank details, and even medical records.

Baskins’ mother, Eva Baskins, also got a notice but said her family has never done business with the firm.

“That’s concerning. It’s real concerning, and somebody needs to check it and see what’s happening,” she said.

The firm said in its notice that it has since secured its systems and is strengthening its cybersecurity policies. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions, including how many people were impacted, why notifications took months to send, and why some non-clients were notified.

WIS went to the firm in person to get answers, but was told to speak with their attorney. The firm has yet to provide the name of its attorney.

Richard Brooks, a computer engineering professor at Clemson University who specializes in cybersecurity, says data breaches like this are becoming more common.

“That is getting worse and worse,” he said.

He added that there are things people can do to try to safeguard their information.

“The best thing you can do is take care of the monitoring solutions that they have,” he said. “And just be aware and try to limit how much of your personal data you’re putting out there — but that’s getting to be more and more difficult all the time, simply because your data is valuable and people are trying to take advantage of it."

The firm is urging anyone who received a notice to keep a close eye on their accounts and credit reports. It’s also offering a year of free credit monitoring and identity protection services.

According to the notice, anyone with questions or concerns can call the firm’s call center at 1-833-844-8187.

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CAMDEN, S.C. (WIS) - The city of Camden is breathing new life into one of its most recognizable buildings.

The iconic Clock Tower building is being transformed into a boutique hotel—part of a larger push to revitalize downtown.

The Haigler Hotel Project is a $22 million investment that will bring a three-story development with 50 rooms and a restaurant to Broad Street.

At the center of the project is the building’s most defining feature, a historic clock tower more than 100 years old, topped with a weathervane honoring King Haigler. He was a noble Catawba chief who protected early settlers and remains a symbol of Camden.

For longtime residents, the building carries plenty of history. Downtown business owner Linda Rodgers remembers when it was a theater and department store.

“I’ve been on this street growing up as a child since 1958,” Rodgers said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes.”

The building had sat vacant for years—just steps away from Rodgers’ store. Now, she said she’s eager to see downtown take on new life.

“We’re very excited. It’s just going to have a place for people to stay downtown, be able to walk downtown,” she said.

Another downtown business owner, Jonathan Bazinet, said the hotel is just the beginning of the growth and transformation.

“I think it will be a really robust improvement to downtown. I think the big thing is (to) invigorate the economy downtown,” he said. “So, when you have that kind of big investment and you have the opportunity to hopefully have most of the rooms filled every night, that will be significant to our downtown.”

Camden Mayor Vincent Sheheen said the Haigler Hotel is more than a place for visitors—it’s a spark for future growth.

“The goal is to have development here that will allow people to work downtown, live downtown, walk and enjoy downtown,” he said. “So the hotel is for the visitors who come to experience, but we’ll also be developing living in downtown.”

The hotel is expected to open in 2027.

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CAMDEN, S.C. (WIS) - It’s been a back-and-forth battle in Camden when it comes to a housing development on a historic equine training center.

On Monday night, the planning commission approved rezoning some of the land to help scale back housing developments. The Camden Training Center property owner has been trying to bring a major housing project to the land for years, but neighbors remain concerned.

The city of Camden initiated this new rezoning request to change 61 acres of the Camden training center from R-15 to R-E. That change would lower the maximum number of houses that could be built on the property from 152 to 45.

The property owner, Stuart Grant, initially planned to build around 800 homes but reduced it to 153 lots after several neighbors opposed the project. Last year, that plan was denied by the planning commission.

Joseph Berry, Grant’s attorney, said his client was not consulted about the new rezoning request that the city initiated.

“Here we are now, once again, the city is taking action that is vindictive, and it targets and it seeks to punish my client,” he said.

Grant has filed federal and state lawsuits stating several claims, including that leaders unlawfully denied his project.

Director of Planning and Zoning Shawn Putnam said it is unknown what effect the rezoning request will have on the pending lawsuit.

“If the city wants to control the future of this property so badly, then it needs to do the right thing and pay and pay fair market value for it, and don’t use the power of zoning to appropriate property for public use,” Berry said.

The rezoning request comes at a time when the city and county are updating their comprehensive plans to address rapid residential growth. Planning Commission Chairman Johnny Deal says the rezoning decision was made with neighbors in mind.

“What we’re trying to do is appease our public; our citizens are saying they want larger lot sizes with less housing,” he said.

It’s a decision some residents support.

“Restricting the density of development is critical in maintaining the unique ambiance of Camden,” one resident said during the meeting.

Another neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous said she would rather see no building in the area. She said she’s concerned that the current infrastructure can’t sustain another major subdivision.

“I’m not opposed to growth. I think growth is necessary in all communities, but there is such a thing as overgrowth,” she said. “I find that sad that people want to destroy beautiful land just to stick a bunch of houses on there.”

The city council will now make the final decision on the rezoning request on Sept. 30. Grant said if the rezoning passes, he plans to add it to his pending lawsuits.

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