Wedding & Event Venue Near North Charleston, SC.

Jaiden Thompson, in the transfer portal after his freshman season at Charleston Southern, has committed to play at Winston-Salem State.

The 6-foot guard, who was on the Big South All-Freshmen Team this past season, is from Concord and is happy to return to North Carolina.

He posted on social media that he’s “coming home” to play for WSSU this fall.

It’s the second straight season Coach Cleo Hill Jr. has gotten a player from Charleston Southern. Last season center Imajae Dodd transferred to WSSU as a graduate student and was the CIAA’s defensive player of the year.

Thompson comes to Winston-Salem with three years of eligibility after starting two games for the Buccaneers this past season. He played in 17 games, averaging 15 minutes per game.

Thompson averaged 2.2 points per game and had 21 total assists.

Because the Rams have just one starter back this coming season in K.C. Shaw, it would appear that Thompson could jump into the starting lineup. Dodd came in last season and started every game for the Rams as he led the CIAA in blocked shots.

During his high-school career at Central Cabarrus, Thompson played four seasons and in his senior year helped his team win the NCHSAA 3-A State championship with a 32-0 record. In his final three seasons of high school he was on teams that went 74-3.

Thompson scored more than 1,500 points in high school and was the conference player of the year in his junior and senior seasons.

The Rams, who were 19-9 this past season, have lost four starters to exhausted eligibility or the transfer portal. Jaylen Alston and Jaylin Parker have graduated and Dodd and Isaac Parson are in the portal. Parson has committed to N.C. Central.

Among the newcomers this season will be Shaw’s younger brother, Kyrell, a 6-4 guard from Northside Christian in Charlotte.

Among the others who have committed to play for the Rams are incoming freshmen C.J. Alston and Isaiah Sutherland.

Alston is a 6-foot-1 point guard from Carrboro, and Sutherland is a 6-foot-9 post player from United Faith Christian Academy in Charlotte. Sutherland also was being recruited by N.C. A&T and UNC Greensboro.

Hill, who is 80-50 in his six seasons at WSSU, has won two CIAA titles and has built a consistent winner in the CIAA. The Rams are 56-29 in CIAA play since Hill arrived.

This past season, however, they lost in their first game in the CIAA Tournament when Bluefield State pulled off the upset in Baltimore.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — At its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing complex on Monday, Boeing responded to damaging new whistleblower allegations by detailing the results of testing it has done since small gaps between fuselage pieces on the jets were discovered four years ago.

Boeing has made meticulous, time-consuming changes to the way it manufactures the 787’s carbon composite airframe to eliminate the gaps. It must do so to meet the specification.

More important, Boeing insists that extensive testing overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration and inspections of the current 787 fleet show definitively that the gaps, which exist in nearly 1,000 Dreamliners flying today, pose zero safety risk.

“We haven’t identified any safety issues,” said Steve Chisholm, chief engineer for Boeing Mechanical and Structural Engineering. “We have not seen anything in service related to [the gaps] that would indicate that there is an issue with the in-service fleet.”

In a news briefing and tour of the 787 fabrication and final assembly facility in North Charleston, S.C., Boeing scrambled to respond to the allegations by Sam Salehpour — an Everett engineer who worked on the 787 and 777 programs, now a public whistleblower — that it has not eliminated the gaps and that they pose a risk of “catastrophic failure.”

Salehpour’s allegations come as Boeing continues to face fallout from a Jan. 5 midair blowout that saw a panel pop out of a 737 MAX 9. That incident prompted ongoing inquiries into the 737 program and raised fresh questions about Boeing’s broader safety culture.

In response to Salehpour’s claims, Boeing described its testing and manufacturing changes to journalists during a visit to its North Charleston facility.

Engineers smashed 300-pound spheres swinging on a pendulum into a fuselage section to deliberately damage it, causing one of the stiffening rods to break. They then applied loads 15% greater than those typical in flight and repeated the load tests 40,000 times. Boeing found “there was no growth in the damage,” Chisholm said.

He contrasted this with what happens on a metal airframe, such as the 737 or the 747. If a crack develops in the thin metal skin, it can propagate and tear through the structure as if it were unzipping.

While metal fatigue might result in such cracks, Chisholm said fatigue damage to a composite material would take the form of delamination, when the plies of carbon fiber separate.

But no delamination was observed. The localized damage Boeing deliberately inflicted did not spread.

The engineers also cut through a pressurized fuselage with a guillotine blade, slicing a 4-foot section and severing one of the circumferential frames.

The fuselage didn’t even lose pressure, and testing showed the tear did not propagate. The fuselage was able to maintain its structural integrity well above the loads expected in normal operation.

Boeing said the gaps were present in the first Dreamliners ever built, including the ground-test airplane that over five years starting in 2010 was cycled through the loads and pressurization of 165,000 simulated flights — 3½ lifetimes — without showing any structural damage.

Salehpour, the whistleblower, claimed last week that Boeing’s own data from detailed inspections of 26 airplanes showed nearly 99% had gaps larger than the specification of 5 thousandths of an inch, about the thickness of two sheets of paper, and the small filler pieces of glass fiber material used to fill such gaps — known as shims — were not inserted.

At two of the main circumferential joins on those 26 airplanes, “98.7% of the time, the gaps exceeding 5 thou are not shimmed,” Salehpour said at a virtual news conference last week with his lawyers. “Nearly 8,000 gaps exceeding 5 thou were not shimmed.”

Chisholm said the result was “exactly opposite.”

He said Boeing removed every fastener on each of the five circumferential joins on all of those airplanes, about 2,000 fasteners for each join, and measured the gap at each hole — a so-called through-hole inspection.

“Close to 99% were fully conforming and met the 0.005 inch requirement,” Chisholm said.

Boeing also addressed a second claim by Salehpour: that Boeing’s use of a technique to join the airplane sections called “One Up Assembly” left drilling debris in the gaps.

Historically, Boeing would mate two sections together and drill holes, then separate them to clean the holes and smooth out any metal edges on the holes, and only then put the sections back together and insert fasteners.

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One Up Assembly, used for some 787 joins, means drilling and fastening the sections together precisely in a single pass, without separating them to clean the drilled holes.

Salehpour said drilling debris was found “80% of the time” on those 26 airplanes Boeing studied in detail.

But Chisholm said the technique is used only when it can be demonstrated that it doesn’t cause debris in the gaps. Furthermore, he said Boeing did tests deliberately inserting both composite and metal drilling debris into the gaps at the interface to assess the impact.

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Those tests “show that it’s not detrimental,” Chisholm said.

On a tour of the building where the two aft fuselage sections are fabricated and joined, Lisa Fahl, Boeing’s vice president of airplane programs engineering, described the steps Boeing has taken to eliminate any gaps above the 5 thousandths of an inch specification, adding considerable work and delay to the assembly process.

New laser measuring devices are used to detect surface unevenness at the edges of the fuselage sections where they are joined, which can result in gaps.

And since 2020, as part of what it calls the “Join Verification Process,” Boeing has inserted a time-consuming extra step at certain difficult joins.

In the normal process, after pulling the sections together, temporary fasteners are inserted and the gaps are measured. After any necessary shims are inserted, permanent fasteners are then tightened.

Since 2020, there’s now an extra step for certain joins with complex contours such as the join of the two aft body sections: a “through-hole” inspection. Each of the 2,000 fasteners at each join is removed by hand and a small tool is inserted to measure the gap. When it is within specification, a new permanent fastener is inserted.

All the 787s previously built and still parked now have to go through this process before they can be cleared for delivery.

A Boeing engineer on the tour said the hope is that as control of the gaps is tightened in the build process for new 787s, this extra check can eventually be dropped.

Chisholm said Boeing is heartened by the data from the 787s in service.

He said 671 have completed their heavy maintenance check required after flying for six years. Another eight have completed their 12-year check.

Boeing sent teams of engineers to take a close look at 10 of those maintenance inspections.

“Through all of this, there’s been zero airframe fatigue findings on the 787 fleet,” Chisholm said.

Boeing said it is up to the FAA, once it has all the data from Boeing’s tests and from the in-service fleet, to decide if anything needs to be done about the fuselage gaps on the 787s flying today.

“It’s a long, very deliberate process,” Chisholm said. “We do expect to complete it this year.”

In addition to discussing the 787 in detail, Boeing also responded to Salehpour’s critique of a new 777 build process that was introduced in 2015.

Salehpour said the 777’s metal fuselage panels that are fastened together into fuselage sections in Everett don’t come together easily and that machinists sometimes jump on the panels to force them into position.

“That’s not part of our process,” said Boeing’s Fahl.

And Chisholm said: “I would expect any employees who are seeing other employees jumping up and down on panels to let us know.”

He added that 27 airplanes built in the new process have completed their eight-year heavy maintenance checks with no issues found.

On Wednesday, Salehpour is due to speak at a U.S. Senate hearing.

After the Boeing briefings finished, his lawyer, Debra Katz, issued a statement saying that Salehpour had tried for years inside Boeing to see data that would allay his concerns but was rebuffed and managers retaliated against him for raising the issue.

“Boeing has always said ‘just trust us,’ when it comes to safety,” Katz wrote. “It’s clear that standard is no longer sufficient, and any data provided by Boeing should be validated by independent experts and the FAA before it is taken at face value.”

Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com; Dominic Gates is a Pulitzer Prize-winning aerospace journalist for The Seattle Times.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The North Charleston Performing Arts Center (PAC) announced Monday its lineup for the 2024-25 ‘Best of Broadway’ season.

The latest season boasts a list of popular performances such as the return of Les Misérables and the Charleston premiere of Beetlejuice.

“This year’s lineup promises to be a celebration of storytelling, bringing the brilliance and dazzle of Broadway directly to our doorstep at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center,” said North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess in Monday’s announcement. “It’s our pleasure to continue enriching North Charleston’s cultural landscape with the best that Broadway has to offer.”

Organizers with the North Charleston Performing Arts Center say the best way to secure seats for all upcoming shows is to become a ‘Best of Broadway’ season ticket holder. Packages start at only $310 and go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 13.

Season ticket holders will have the same seat for all performances and can enjoy many other benefits like free parking to season shows and priority access to tickets for events at both the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center before they go on sale to the public.

The season will begin with TINA – The Tina Turner Musical in September

“An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.”

AIN’T TOO PROUD – The Life and Times of The Temptations will be on stage December 20-22. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography.

“AIN’T TOO PROUD – The Life and Times of The Temptations is the electrifying, smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one.”

Get ready to sing January 2-5 when MAMA MIA! returns to the Performing Arts Center. It’s back by popular demand.

“Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.”

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beet… well, you get it – Beetlejuice the Musical will haunt the Performing Arts Center March 25 – 30.

“It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, BEETLEJUICE is “SCREAMINGLY GOOD FUN!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!”

Les Misérables, a worldwide classic, returns to the stage in North Charleston May 13-18

“Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.”

For a full look at shows coming to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, and to purchase tickets, please click here.

Can't start the morning/afternoon/life without a large cup of caffeine? Try one of these local coffee purveyors for a fix. Whether it's free wifi or a cozy atmosphere, there's a place for each need.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

A savior for the citizens of Park Circle, The Orange Spot Coffeehouse supplies caffeine to North Charleston. The setting recently expanded with a new address but maintains the same cozy atmosphere. Try the cha yen, a traditional Thai iced tea.

Not only does Owlbear make an excellent cold brew or a iced caramel macchiato (if you’re into that), but this cafe puts out filling bagel sandwiches, waffles, and fancy grilled cheeses.

The Harbinger is a whimsical space full of plants, Instagram-worthy shelves full of treasures, and cozy seating. The coffee drinks are creative, like the maple latte or the Jack Rudy espresso tonic, but do not miss the baked goods — customers are instantly hooked on creations like a take on Rice Krispy Treats with puffed brown rice, tahini, and chocolate. Check out the sister cafe Harken when visiting the heart of downtown.

In addition to expertly prepared espresso drinks, Mercantile offers free wifi, plentiful seating, and a full breakfast and lunch menu — what’s not to love. Oh, and parking. Sold.

The Daily is the place to go for a morning coffee, breakfast sandwich, or an afternoon lunch. Try the golden latte with turmeric-agave syrup and the spring-ish vegetable hash.

Sightsee is a fun, hip shop with a side of coffee bar. Tucked back on Line Street, the space offers coffee to go for those exploring the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood. Try the unique iced cascara tea, which is brewed from the coffee cherry.

Vintage Coffee Cafe offers caffeine, eats, and wifi to the Mount Pleasant set. The kitchen puts out sophisticated breakfast items, like seasonal quiches, oven-roasted tomato tarts, acai bowls, and lox plates, among others.

The pick-up window at Brown Fox Coffee makes it a quick and easy stop to grab a morning latte or a cold brew on the way to the beach on Sullivan’s Island.

Kudu not only has a handsome outdoor patio, but an extensive coffee and craft beer program as well. It doesn't offer wifi, so this shop is for relaxation, not work.

Highfalutin Coffee Roasters really cares about its beans. Roasted in-house, the coffee at this Avondale shop is routinely touted as some of the best by local aficionados — don’t ask for a pumpkin spice latte here.

Petite shop the Rise attracts those in search of a perfect cortado or a honey lavender latte. The space is small, so most customers get their coffee to-go.

Since its located on the Market in the Emeline hotel, Clerks Coffee Company is always buzzing with visitors, but this shouldn’t deter locals. The seating area at Clerks makes for a handsome background to sip a latte and get some work done. After the laptops close, the coffee bar offers beer and wine in addition to slices of Detroit-style pizza and salads.

Sunlight-filled caffeine emporium Second State Coffee (formerly Black Tap Coffee) is the spot to get creative lattes (try the brown sugar or lavender) and kick-ass pour-over brew. It is also the meeting spot for creatives and neighborhood friends to chat about the day or upcoming projects. Check out the Second State in Mount Pleasant for a full menu of hearty breakfast and lunch options.

Entrepreneur Amy Wright has four children, and two, Bitty & Beau, were born with Down syndrome. Wright saw an opportunity to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are among the most vulnerable in finding steady jobs. Her coffee shops Betty & Beau are staffed with a very enthusiastic crew that live with issues like autism and cerebral palsy. Stop in for a cup of joy in the morning.

Muddy Waters is an old-school coffee shop on James Island. Around since 2001, it’s a reliable spot for a latte, a macaron, and a quiet place to sit and read a book.

A savior for the citizens of Park Circle, The Orange Spot Coffeehouse supplies caffeine to North Charleston. The setting recently expanded with a new address but maintains the same cozy atmosphere. Try the cha yen, a traditional Thai iced tea.

Not only does Owlbear make an excellent cold brew or a iced caramel macchiato (if you’re into that), but this cafe puts out filling bagel sandwiches, waffles, and fancy grilled cheeses.

The Harbinger is a whimsical space full of plants, Instagram-worthy shelves full of treasures, and cozy seating. The coffee drinks are creative, like the maple latte or the Jack Rudy espresso tonic, but do not miss the baked goods — customers are instantly hooked on creations like a take on Rice Krispy Treats with puffed brown rice, tahini, and chocolate. Check out the sister cafe Harken when visiting the heart of downtown.

In addition to expertly prepared espresso drinks, Mercantile offers free wifi, plentiful seating, and a full breakfast and lunch menu — what’s not to love. Oh, and parking. Sold.

The Daily is the place to go for a morning coffee, breakfast sandwich, or an afternoon lunch. Try the golden latte with turmeric-agave syrup and the spring-ish vegetable hash.

Sightsee is a fun, hip shop with a side of coffee bar. Tucked back on Line Street, the space offers coffee to go for those exploring the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood. Try the unique iced cascara tea, which is brewed from the coffee cherry.

Vintage Coffee Cafe offers caffeine, eats, and wifi to the Mount Pleasant set. The kitchen puts out sophisticated breakfast items, like seasonal quiches, oven-roasted tomato tarts, acai bowls, and lox plates, among others.

The pick-up window at Brown Fox Coffee makes it a quick and easy stop to grab a morning latte or a cold brew on the way to the beach on Sullivan’s Island.

Kudu not only has a handsome outdoor patio, but an extensive coffee and craft beer program as well. It doesn't offer wifi, so this shop is for relaxation, not work.

Highfalutin Coffee Roasters really cares about its beans. Roasted in-house, the coffee at this Avondale shop is routinely touted as some of the best by local aficionados — don’t ask for a pumpkin spice latte here.

Petite shop the Rise attracts those in search of a perfect cortado or a honey lavender latte. The space is small, so most customers get their coffee to-go.

Since its located on the Market in the Emeline hotel, Clerks Coffee Company is always buzzing with visitors, but this shouldn’t deter locals. The seating area at Clerks makes for a handsome background to sip a latte and get some work done. After the laptops close, the coffee bar offers beer and wine in addition to slices of Detroit-style pizza and salads.

Sunlight-filled caffeine emporium Second State Coffee (formerly Black Tap Coffee) is the spot to get creative lattes (try the brown sugar or lavender) and kick-ass pour-over brew. It is also the meeting spot for creatives and neighborhood friends to chat about the day or upcoming projects. Check out the Second State in Mount Pleasant for a full menu of hearty breakfast and lunch options.

Entrepreneur Amy Wright has four children, and two, Bitty & Beau, were born with Down syndrome. Wright saw an opportunity to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are among the most vulnerable in finding steady jobs. Her coffee shops Betty & Beau are staffed with a very enthusiastic crew that live with issues like autism and cerebral palsy. Stop in for a cup of joy in the morning.

Muddy Waters is an old-school coffee shop on James Island. Around since 2001, it’s a reliable spot for a latte, a macaron, and a quiet place to sit and read a book.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Big changes could be coming to liquor sales in South Carolina, and several Lowcountry distilleries say those changes could mean a big boost in business.

Bill H. 4231 would allow counties and municipalities to let voters decide via referendum whether to allow Sunday liquor sales at stores in South Carolina.

It would also allow micro-distilleries, which are defined in the bill as manufacturers that ferment and distill on-site, to sell liquor on Sundays without needing to pass a referendum.

“We’re dark here on Sundays, there’s really nothing going on,” North Charleston’s Beyond Distillery co-owner Ryan Sadis says.

Another North Charleston business, Striped Pig Distillery, is closed on Sunday as well.

“So many people don’t come to do their events with us on Sundays because they can’t buy bottles,” Striped Pig Distillery CEO Pixie Paula Dezzutti says.

Firefly Distillery is closed, too, according to its owner, Scott Newitt.

“Sixty-five percent of the people that come here are tourists, and they show up Sunday and they can’t buy spirits,” Newitt says.

Sadis agrees that distilleries are a tourism-driven business.

“Without having Sundays, those are the days people are off, those are the days people travel,” Sadis says.

And if the Lowcountry prides itself on being a tourist destination, Dezzutti says, it needs to “pony up,” to be able to serve them.

“They come here, and they find out that they can’t even purchase a bottle, they’re so disappointed. I see their faces drop,” she says.

Rep. Marvin “Mark” Smith (R-Berkeley), a sponsor of the bill, says distillers are different from retail stores because they can only sell their products, and are capped at six bottles per day per customer.

When it comes to liquor stores, he says it’s time for South Carolina voters to decide what they want for their county.

“This bill would not force Sunday liquor sales across the state. This bill, if it advances, simply allows each county to put the referendum on the ballot,” he says.

The bill passed favorably in a subcommittee last week and is now moving on to the full committee, scheduled for this week, Smith says. After the full committee, he says it will be debated on the House floor before repeating the entire process in the State Senate.

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