Wedding & Event Venue Near Chester, SC.

Suspect in Gilgo Beach murders had ties to Chester County

CHESTER, S.C. (WBTV) - The search for evidence connected to the suspected serial killer in New York has reached all the way down to a rural part of Chester County.

Rex Heuermann is accused in three murders and suspected of a fourth over the past decade. Through WBTV’s research, we’ve found the suspect owns several pieces of property along with his brother and planned on moving there once he retired.

“Yeah, it’s kinda scary to think that could have happened,” neighbors told WBTV.

Ominous words like “no warrant - no entry” and “no trespassing” signs on a gate at the entrance of the property owned partially by the suspect make it clear to everyone who sees it that they’re not welcome here.

“It kind of threw me off. I guess my suspicion would be what are you trying to hide back there?” neighbor Steve Caston said.

Several plots including one along Rippling Brook Drive in rural Chester County, according to neighbors, are owned by the suspect in the murders of several women in New York. Heuermann is charged in three homicides and suspected of a fourth, now known as the Gilgo Beach murders. People who live around the area in Chester County say they never thought national attention would be focused on their quiet community.

“He ought to go to prison for it (if he is found guilty). Keep him in there, too,” neighbor Bruce “Shorty” Allen said.

The killings rattled the Long Island suburb for more than a decade as the bodies of four women were found. Detectives in New York located the suspect, as well as a reported 200 guns he had not only in his home but found during the search of storage facilities in New York. Other evidence was collected much closer to our area.

“The Chester County Sheriff was requested by the Gilgo Beach task force to assist in gathering evidence in Chester County,” said Londa Pringle of the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.

One of those pieces of evidence was driven into the parking lot while officials talked with the media Tuesday morning. A wrapped vehicle on the back of a tow truck was acknowledged by officials, but they didn’t give a lot of information about it.

“We obtained a court order to seize a vehicle in South Carolina,” the Chester County Sheriff’s Office said.

Neighbors said the truck belongs to the suspect’s brother, Craig, who is seen few and far between outside of the property. Interactions weren’t always pleasant.

“One time I had an incident with him, but we worked it out,” neighbor Rand Louthan said.

Caston told WBTV that knowing what was going on along the road he’s called home for decades is unnerving.

“You know it’s kinda scary because I live on this street. And if I had not been pulling out of my driveway I would not have known any of this was going on,” he said.

The suspect has pleaded not guilty in the deaths of three of those women.

Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved.

RICHBURG, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — As South Carolina counties in the Charlotte metro area are seeing a significant amount of growth, Chester County is bracing for major development.

Queen City News spoke to one man who is fighting hard to make sure the county is ready.

“I’m raising a family here. There’s a lot of stuff going on here,” Nathan Smith said. “We want to be part of it. They need to involve the citizens.”

He’s lived in Chester County for almost 10 years and started a small farm selling eggs and goat milk.

Smith says he’s thrilled to see how fast the county is growing — specifically the Gateway area off of Exit 65.

“We have new businesses opening, we have new homes being built,” Smith said. “People are moving in on a daily basis.”

With new development pouring in — there’s one thing Smith and other neighbors aren’t too happy about: The Gateway Steering Committee.

The group is responsible for advising the county planning commission on any matter affecting the Gateway District Master Plan.

There are two main issues: The Chester County Council is considering allowing non-county residents to serve on the committee and have indefinite term limits.

“I don’t pay taxes to have someone else serve on my committees, commissions, or boards that don’t live in Chester County,” Smith said. “And also a lot of the people who want to serve on a committee, who don’t live here have their business interests in mind or looking out for that first.”

He and several other neighbors don’t believe non-county residents will have their best interest in mind. That’s why he’s leading a charge to change the way the committee is run.

“We need to have new faces, new ideas, new minds involved,” Smith said. “And it seems like for what you’re trying to do is actively keep new people out of the committee, which I can’t understand. If any committee in Chester County has a term on it, it should be the Gateway Committee.”

Smith continued:

“If this was a regional government or a state government, and hey, no problem. But this is the Chester County government. When you walk into our building, it says a Chester County Government Complex. We don’t pay taxes to have other people represent us.”

County Administrator Brian Hester says the council has already voted twice to allow non-county residents to hold a seat on the committee.

“What’s going before council Monday night actually has term limits in it and it allows for emeritus status for those that wish to attend but don’t have voting rights after their terms are up,” Hester said in a phone interview with Queen City News.

Hester says the committee should consist of people who live in county limits as well as those with businesses who may have a vested interest in development. He says the council listened to several arguments and changed part of the developing ordinance.

Name(required)

Email(required)

By submitting your information, you’re giving us permission to email you. You may unsubscribe at any time.

“A new enabling act going forward allows up to four members, which is less than 25 percent of the membership to be nonresidents of Chester,” Hester said.

Hester says the document the county is discussing is fluid. The county council plans to have a third and final reading of on July 17 before making it an ordinance. Hester says members have changed something in each of the previous meetings.

For Smith, he’s hoping they change a lot before it’s set in stone.

“I care about this area,” Smith said. “I’m raising my family here. And I wanted to speak up for the citizens who want to get involved, who want to help Chester. I want to help them.”

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — Some parents in Chester County are upset after watching Superintendent Antwon Sutton stand up and leave a public meeting Monday night.

READ: Chester County residents vote against $263 million bond referendum to fix schools

At the time, a citizen seemed to question the need for administrative pay raises.

Sutton returned to the meeting later and apologized for his actions.

“Sometimes when things are said, they hit you wrong,” Sutton said. “I’m human and things are said that get under your skin, but again that’s over with. That was a lapse on my part. I should not have stepped out.”

There is an online petition asking Sutton to step down.

The petition criticizes his behavior Monday and claims his leadership has been inadequate.

Full statement from Sutton:

“The students of Chester County School District have shown growth over the course of the past three years under my administration. The latest report card data from the South Carolina Department of Education supports this. One example, data from the 2022 state report card, shows that the percentage of students who have met or exceeded standards for the SC Ready has improved by 6% or higher in the areas of English Language Arts, mathematics, and science since 2021. The state report card also indicated that 46% of our schools’ overall ratings have improved since the 2018-2019 school year, with 93% of the entire District currently rated as “Average” and above.

“During the last meeting of the Chester County School Board of Trustees, an overview of Spring 2023 MAP Testing Results was shared with the public. Average RIT scores have increased across all tested grade levels in reading and in math, indicating academic growth. Additionally, the percentage of kindergarten and 1st-grade students flagged for reading concerns decreased from 53% to 43% from fall to spring.

“The graduation rates have also increased from 79.6% in 2021 to 81.4% in 2022. Although the official graduation rate for the Class of 2023 will not be released until next school year, a total of 291 students graduated, 49 of whom received honors. Of those 49 students, 17 graduated with an associate’s degree and 5 graduated with a University Studies certificate from York Technical College for completing the required amount of college credits. Scholarship totals have effectively doubled since 2021, from $4.7M to a staggering $9.3M in scholarships earned by the Class of 2023.

“Chester County School District recently participated in a pilot for the Language Essentials for Teachers for Reading and Spelling (LETRS), intensive training sponsored by the SC Department of Education. The District was recognized by the state for its implementation of LETRS to help improve reading scores. That video is available on the District’s official Facebook page.

“My presence and commitment within the community here in Chester County have been a priority since my start in 2020. Just this past school year alone, I have attended over 80 events whether at schools, after hours, or on weekends, all in support for our District in the areas of academics, athletics, and the arts. I will continue to provide high-quality leadership that’s in the best interest for all of our students. The District will also continue to encourage anyone from the public to attend the monthly Board meetings, participate in the District’s virtual town hall meetings, or simply contact the District with any questions or concerns they may have.

“The public has been made aware of this information through the District’s many channels of communication. These gains are the result of the tireless efforts of our students and staff in improving academic achievement across the county. Our District is not without areas for improvement, but it will continue to move forward to provide a well-rounded and robust education to all of its students.”

VIDEO: None hurt after multiple shots fired into sports complex in Chester County on Monday

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Albemarle Corporation, a chemical manufacturing company, is investing $1.3 billion and creating 300+ jobs to build a new “Mega-Flex” lithium hydroxide process facility in Chester County.

Officials say the facility will support the increasing demands for electric vehicles and other energy storage applications that use lithium-ion batteries.

Albemarle’s new plant will be nearly 800 acres near Richburg, the facility will be called the “Mega-Flex” facility because it will have the ability to process diverse lithium feedstock, including lithium from recycled batteries according to officials.

The new facility is expected to produce approximately 50,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide annually from multiple sources, with the potential to reach up to 100,000 metric tons.

“Albemarle is focused on meeting growing customer demand and this investment is part of our global commitment to transforming essential resources into critical ingredients that enable a more resilient world. We wanted a location with access to nearby rail and port transportation and the availability of skilled workers. We’re excited to have chosen South Carolina and to be closer to our customers as the supply chain is built out in North America.” said Albemarle Corporation Chief Executive Officer Kent Masters.

Governor Henry McMasters added, “Albemarle’s commitment to our state, with its impressive investment of at least $1.3 billion, further proves South Carolina is one of the best places in the country for electric vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers to call home. We proudly welcome Albemarle and look forward to seeing their tremendous impact in Chester County and beyond.”

Albemarle is joining other vehicle manufacturers who have decided to set up shop in the Palmetto state. Scout Motors is building a new 1100-acre-electric vehicle plant in Richland County, Governor Henry McMaster signed the “Scout Bill” earlier this week.

A press release read that Albemarle is a global leader in providing essential elements for mobility, energy, connectivity, and health.

If you are interested in working for Albemarle, visit their career page.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.

Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.

Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved.

Daily Covid-19 admissions in the Chester County area

Oct. 2022 Dec. Feb. 2023 April June Aug. 1.5 hospital admissions per 100,000

About the data

Data is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalization data is a daily average of Covid-19 patients in hospital service areas that intersect with Chester County, an area which may be larger than Chester County itself.

The number of daily hospital admissions shows how many patients tested positive for Covid in hospitals and is one of the most reliably reported indicators of Covid’s impact on a community.

Total population

Ages 65 and up

Total population

Ages 65 and up

An updated vaccine is recommended for adults and most children. Statewide, 7% of vaccinations did not specify a home county.

Nearby hospitals

Share of I.C.U. beds occupied

About this data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notes: The hospitals map shows the average I.C.U. occupancy at nearby hospitals in the most recent week with data reported. The data is self-reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by individual hospitals. It excludes counts from hospitals operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service. Numbers for hospitalized patients are based on inpatient beds and include I.C.U. beds. Hospitalized Covid-19 patients include both confirmed and suspected Covid-19 patients. The C.D.C. stopped reporting data on cases in May 2023.

How trends have changed in Chester County

Hospitalized Covid-19 patients in the Chester County area Weekly new Covid hospital admissions Weekly deaths

About this data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notes: Weekly county death data prior to Jan. 2021 was not reported by the C.D.C. and is sourced from reporting by The New York Times. Hospitalization data is a weekly average of Covid-19 patients in hospital service areas that intersect with Chester County. Hospitalization numbers early in the pandemic are undercounts due to incomplete reporting by hospitals to the federal government.

Historical trends in Chester County

The data in these charts has been archived and they are no longer being updated.

Weekly cases Test positivity rate

About this data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data in these charts has been archived and they are no longer being updated. Weekly county case data prior to Jan. 2021 was not reported by the C.D.C. and is sourced from reporting by The New York Times. The C.D.C. stopped reporting data on cases in May 2023. Test positivity data is based only on test results reported to the federal government and is a seven-day average.

By Jon Huang, Samuel Jacoby, Jasmine C. Lee, John-Michael Murphy, Charlie Smart and Albert Sun. Additional reporting by Sarah Cahalan, Lisa Waananen Jones, Amy Schoenfeld Walker and Josh Williams. See a full list of contributors to The Times’s Covid-19 data reporting here.

About the data

Data on this page is reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Population and demographic data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. Hospitalization data is reported by individual hospitals to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and it includes confirmed and suspected adult and pediatric patients. The C.D.C. does not provide complete vaccinations data for some counties and caps its vaccination rate figures at 95 percent.

The C.D.C. may make historical updates as more data is reported.

The C.D.C. stopped reporting data on Covid cases in May 2023.