Wedding & Event Venue Near Gaffney, SC.

Dutch Fork football will get another chance to start a championship streak.

The top-ranked Silver Foxes defeated Gaffney 51-28 on Friday night on the road at The Reservation in the Class 5A Upper State finals.

Dutch Fork (13-1) will play Fort Dorchester at noon next Saturday in the state championship game at Benedict’s Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

It will be Dutch Fork’s 10th state championship appearance, all coming since 2012 and all under coach Tom Knotts. The Silver Foxes won five straight state championships from 2016-20 before losing to Gaffney in last year’s championship game.

Getting payback on the Indians (9-4) was on the minds of Dutch Fork players and coaches this week.

“I haven’t beat Gaffney. Lost to them last year, lost to them in the state championship game in 2012,” Knotts said this week. “I don’t like losing to people too many times. I’m definitely motivated to win this game.”

Knotts is now 10-0 all-time in state semifinal games at Dutch Fork.

“They straightened out that mess that happened last year and showed them what Dutch Fork football is all about,” Knotts told reporters after the game Friday. “I’m just real proud of all of them.”

Dutch Fork quarterback Aliam Appler threw three touchdown passes Friday and ran for two more. Mr. Football finalist Jarvis Green ran for a touchdown, caught a TD and returned a kickoff for a score.

Green’s kickoff return came at a pivotal moment after Gaffney cut the Dutch Fork lead to 30-20 with 7:19 left in the third quarter. Green took back the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to put the Silver Foxes up 37-20.

Green, a James Madison commit, finished with 322 all-purpose yards in the game and went over 2,000 yards rushing on the season.

“We couldn’t do it without the team,” Green told reporters Friday night. “Aliam played an amazing game and we just wanted to come back here, beat Gaffney and shut up all the noise. We did that today.”

Dutch Fork scored on its first four possessions of the game to take a 24-6 lead with 11:47 left in the second quarter. Appler had a pair of TD runs in the first quarter of 15 and 18 yards. The senior then hit Green on a 39-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-6.

Appler finished 8-of-11 passing for 147 yards and three scores. He also carried it 10 times for 78 yards. The Silver Foxes gained 459 yards of offense and averaged 9.2 yards a play.

Defensive backs Ja’Von Mack and Virginia commit Landon Danley had interceptions for the Silver Foxes defense.

Gaffney quarterback Grayson Loftis threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns in the loss. Jamarcus Smith caught two of those TD passes for the Indians.

Altavious Patterson and Zay Raford each had two touchdown runs in the second half as Abbeville rallied to win the Class 2A Upper State championship.

The Panthers will play Oceanside Collegiate Friday at 2 p.m for the 2A state title at Benedict College.

Abbeville trailed 16-6 at halftime and was down 16-13 going into the fourth quarter. But the Panthers scored four times in an eight-minute span in the final quarter.

Abbeville’s defense intercepted three passes and held Saluda to 35 yards in the second half. Patterson finished with 144 yards and Rayford had 120.

Saluda quarterback Jonah McCary threw for 134 yards and rushed for 76. His TD pass to JaMarcus Mobley put the Tigers up 16-6 with 2:44 in the second quarter.

This story was originally published November 25, 2022, 11:11 PM.

UPDATE: Eric Shawn Fetzer, 25, of Chesnee, S.C., has been charged with “destruction, desecration or removal of human remains regarding the body being placed in a barrel and dumped into Lake Thicketty,” the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 30 update. “Investigators expect to make additional arrests regarding this incident in Cherokee County in coming days,” officials said.

The original story is below.

A decomposing human body was found stuffed in a barrel at Lake Thicketty in Upstate South Carolina, according to Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler.

The body was found shortly before noon Thursday, June 29, in the Macedonia Community near Gaffney, officials said in a news release. Gaffney is about 55 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Deputies found the barrel near the shore and upon opening it found human remains. It appears the body had been in the container for a number of days,” Fowler said.

“Since the discovery, investigators were able to confirm late Thursday that the death occurred in Spartanburg County. ... I transferred the remains to Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger who will assume the death investigation as is protocol.”

An autopsy is planned to help with identification of the body and to find a cause of death, officials said.

Details of how the barrel was discovered and who reported it to authorities were not released.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reports it was located near the boat ramp off Trout View Road, a two-lane road that reaches a dead end at the lake.

An interview with “a person of interest” led county investigators to conclude the death happened in Spartanburg County, the sheriff’s office said.

As a result, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office has assumed control of the death investigation, while Cherokee County detectives intend to pursue “charges for the disposal of the body in Cherokee County,” officials said.

Lake Thicketty is a 100-acre public fishing lake that is open 24 hours a day, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. It is largely surrounded by forest land, maps show.

This story was originally published June 29, 2023, 6:30 PM.

Gaffney Bakery LLC and Highland Baking Company in Spartanburg are planning to invest a total of $132.4 million and create 355 new jobs.

On Wednesday, Gaffney Bakery LLC announced plans to establish operations at the former Ace Bakery building on a 14.6-acre site at 131 Corporate Drive in Gaffney.

The company's $96 million investment will create more than 260 new jobs, according to a statement from the office of Gov. Henry McMaster.

The company plans to make renovations to the 144,800-square-foot facility to assist in the manufacturing of frozen bakery products and be online by mid-2024.

The state Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits for the project. The council also awarded a $2.5 million Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Cherokee County to help with the costs of building improvements.

Those interested in employment should visit readySC in late 2023 and early 2024 for job postings.

"The Upstate of South Carolina continues to be a great location for food manufacturers to locate based on our skilled workforce, logistical advantages and our location at the center of the growing Southeastern consumer market," John Lummus, president and CEO of Upstate SC Alliance, said in a statement.

Highland Baking to add 95 new jobs

Another baking company near Hearon Circle in Spartanburg recently announced expansion plans.

Highland Baking Company at 7001 Asheville Highway announced plans to invest $36.4 million and add 95 new jobs with an expansion expected to be completed by this fall, according to a statement from the company.

In 2012, Highland Baking purchased the former Mrs. Smith’s bakery at Hearon Circle for $4 million. In 2019, the company made cold storage and freezer upgrades that will allow the company room for future growth.

Privately owned and operated by the Rosen family, Highland Baking was established in 1984 and is located in Northbrook, Ill. Highland Baking currently has 183 employees.

Highland bakes and freezes the food while it is still fresh. The bakery then ships bread products such as hamburger buns, pan bread, sub rolls, dinner rolls and table breads to restaurant chains nationwide.

The company will upgrade its existing building and infrastructure to support a new full production line, and allow room for a future product line to meet increases in supply demands.

Those interested in joining the Highland Baking Company team should visit the company’s website.

Tax credits enable project to proceed

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $100,000 set-aside grant to Spartanburg County to assist with the costs of site preparation and building improvements for Highland Baking.

In addition, the project received $32.5 million in New Market Tax Credits, with Highland Baking providing about $4 million in funding, according to a statement from SDS Capital Group of Los Angeles.

"The $32.5 million tax credit investment will enable Highland Baking Company to expand our production facility and bring high-quality jobs to South Carolina," Stuart Rosen, CEO of Highland Baking, said in a statement. "(Tax credits) were key to helping us close the financing gap to help make the expansion of our operation a reality."

GAFFNEY, S.C. —

More than 250 jobs are coming to the Upstate thanks to a new bakery, officials said Wednesday.

State officials announced that Gaffney Bakery, LLC and its partners plan to establish operations in Cherokee County.

The company’s $96 million investment will create more than 260 new jobs, officials said.

“Gaffney Bakery, LLC recognizes that South Carolina is the key ingredient for success," Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Harvey S. Peeler Jr. said. "Our greatest asset – our people – is what makes that ingredient so strong."

Gaffney Bakery, LLC plans to purchase an existing state-of-the-art bakery facility located at 131 Corporate Drive in Gaffney that once housed ACE Bakery operations until it closed late last year.

Here is a look at the inside of the bakery facility when ACE opened in 2013.

The company will make significant renovations and improvements to assist in manufacturing frozen bakery products, officials said.

Operations are expected to be online by mid-2024.

More news (story will continue after links.)

Anyone interested in applying for a job at the new bakery should visit readySC in late 2023 and early 2024 for job postings, officials said.

Company officials look forward to opening this facility and partnering with South Carolina and Cherokee County.

Old Europe transports South Carolina customers with sweet tooth to traditional cafe

"This is a testament to the strength of our workforce, our business-friendly environment and our strategic location," Cherokee County Council Chairman Tim Spencer said. "We look forward to supporting their growth and success in our community."

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to this project. The council also awarded a $2.5 million Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Cherokee County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

The largest ever capital investment in upstate South Carolina's Cherokee County will begin late this spring when Chicago-based Glenstar Properties will start building the $415 million Cherokee Commerce Center 85 (CCC 85) in the town of Gaffney.

From start to finish, the warehouse's construction is slated to wrap up in about one year, noted the American Journal of Transportation (AJOT), a national publication.

The 550,520-sq.-ft. spec-to-suit warehouse, known as Building 2, will be built so that it can be expanded to 1.3 million sq. ft., if needed.

It is only one of five buildings planned by Glenstar and its partner, Creek Lane Capital, for the 290-acre warehouse park that will encompass 3.6 million-sq.-ft. at the intersection of S.C. Highway 105/Hyatt Street and the Interstate 85 corridor. It is an area of rapid growth between Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., to the southwest, and Charlotte, N.C., to the northeast.

Glenstar, known for two decades as a national office and multifamily developer, is expanding its recent focus in industrial development with the Gaffney project. The news of CCC 85 follows the firm's 2022 debut in the southeast U.S. industrial sector with the groundbreaking of Tri-County 75, a new 72-acre, four-building industrial park in Fort Myers, Fla., totaling 818,000 sq. ft.

Last year, Glenstar also made the strategic hire of 30-year industrial veteran Brian Netzky as its principal. He joins company co-founder Michel Klein in leading the firm's new industrial initiatives, which are primarily focused on the Sunbelt region, and specifically the Southeast's booming I-85 corridor.

CCC 85 to Offer Massive Product Storage Space

All the warehouses at CCC 85 are being built on a speculative basis with pre-leasing now under way.

Building 2 will have a cross-dock orientation, 40-ft. clear heights, up to 232 dock doors, four drive-in doors, and parking for 452 trailers and 540 cars.

The next to break ground will be Building 4, which will include a rear-load orientation, 36-ft. clear heights, 56 dock doors, two drive-in doors, and parking for 132 trailers and 324 cars.

"Due to CCC 85's massive scope and ideal location, tenants can choose from a range of mid- to bulk-size, and best-in-class industrial space adjacent to the I-85 corridor, one of the most critical supply chain links in the Southeast," said Netzky. "The ample space also allows for flexibility to accommodate up to 1.7 million sq. ft. under one roof."

CCC 85 will be located 33 mi. from the BMW Group Plant in Spartanburg, 38 mi. from Inland Port Greer and 50 mi. southwest of Charlotte. From CCC 85, tenants can reach 100 million consumers within a one-day drive, noted AJOT. Tenants and owner/occupiers also will have access to Tier-3 incentives to further maximize their return on investment.

The Conlan Company, a Texas-based firm with an office in Marietta, Ga., will serve as the project's general contractor; South Carolina's SeamonWhiteside will provide civil engineering services.

In addition, Ware Malcomb, a nationally known architecture firm in Irvine, Calif., was selected to design CCC 85.

The industrial space will be leased by Charlotte-based Colliers, recognized as one of the nation's top commercial real estate companies.

"Despite headwinds and talk of cooling in some markets, we see only room to run for industrial, particularly in the Southeast, which has record-low occupancy combined with tremendous population growth that's creating even more demand," said Glenstar's Klein. "We anticipate significant pre-leasing on our ground-up, big box, institutional-quality industrial facilities, which enables us to modify the spec space to suit tenant needs in real-time."