Wedding & Event Venue Near Rock Hill, SC.

Rock Hill is a step closer to a new swim beach.

Rock Hill City Council voted Monday night to approve a lease agreement with Duke Energy for property at India Hook and Elks Park roads. The site will become a new waterfront park.

”This project is substantially complete,” said deputy city manager Jimmy Bagley. “They’re prepared to turn the keys over to the city for a spring opening.”

The city recreation department will operate the new park. It will be open sunrise to sunset. Amenities will include restrooms, a canoe and kayak launch, fishing piers, trails, picnic tables and benches. The most notable, though, is the new swim beach.

Ebenezer Park has a swim beach. For Tega Cay residents, Windjammer Park has one. Otherwise, there hasn’t been significant public swimming access on Lake Wylie. The new swim beach in Rock Hill will be considered a natural swimming area, meaning it won’t have stationed lifeguards.

Duke operates almost a dozen Catawba River lakes from the North Carolina mountains to the South Carolina sandhills. Duke needs a federal license to operate hydroelectric facilities on them. In 2006, Duke signed an agreement with almost 70 regional stakeholders to apply for a new license, which was granted in 2015. The application included promised public recreation and environmental improvements throughout the basin.

The new Rock Hill park is part of that pledge. So is a massive upgrade effort at Allison Creek Access Area in York County. Upgrades at Dutchman’s Creek Access Area and restrooms at Buster Boyd Access Area in Lake Wylie already are complete.

Beyond Lake Wylie, planned recreation improvements range from a swim beach on Lake Norman to Springs Park Access Area on Fishing Creek Reservoir to the Great Falls restoration of river flow in areas where it was dammed off decades ago.

Bagley, who sat in on years of stakeholder meetings during relicensing, said what city officials now call Lake Park won’t have motor boat access but will have plenty of amenities. Duke will own the site and lease it to the city through the license term, which goes to 2055.

”Hopefully they would have a new license extended (to keep the part operating beyond that date),” Bagley said.

Apart from staffing similar to other city parks, the new site comes at Duke’s expense as part of the agreement.

“It was a long, painstaking process,” Bagley said of relicensing. “It didn’t cost us anything. It will have staffing, that will cost us in the future.”

Councilwoman Kathy Pender said Bagley’s work to represent the city in relicensing was key to the coming attraction. As were other area representatives.

”Part of that was making sure our community came away with something out of that partnership,” Pender said. “Not only this park, but there are others in York County that have come out of that.”

Councilman John Black said the new park meets a need in Rock Hill.

”This is a great amenity and adding something our community really doesn’t have,” Black said.

The addition in Rock Hill grows a range of city offerings to access the Catawba River. The Piedmont Medical Center Trail runs along the river at Riverwalk. The Rock Hill Velodrome, Rock Hill Criterium and Rock Hill Outdoor Center Greens also are at Riverwalk. Just downstream, near Waterford Golf Club, there’s River Park.

The new Rock Hill beachfront park also adds to river recreation sites across the region. Tega Cay recently opened ballfields, trails and more at Catawba Park. York County continues work on the 1,900-acre Catawba Bend Preserve on the Rock Hill banks of the Catawba.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference will induct six members into the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, the League announced today. Receiving honors will be Anderson alumna Whitney Bishoff, Carson-Newman alum Joe Fishback, Wingate alumna Stormi Gale, Lenoir-Rhyne alumna Kate Griewisch Ryan, and former Tusculum baseball coach Doug Jones. The SAC will also honor the recipient of the Conference's Distinguished Alumni Award, which will be awarded to Mars Hill alum Mike Kelly.

"Congratulations to these six exceptional individuals on being selected to the Hall of Fame," said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. "These men and women epitomize the academic and athletic excellence the SAC is known for and their successes while student-athletes and after graduation further exemplify that. We look forward to celebrating their numerous accomplishments on May 22."

Griewisch Ryan, a 2011 Lenoir-Rhyne graduate, is one of the greatest athletes in Lenoir-Rhyne and SAC women's cross country history. She was the 2008 SAC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year, was a two-time SAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2009 and 2011, was a three-time SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2009-2011) and was the 2011 SAC Presidents Award Winner. She was a three-time All-Region selection, a seven-time All-American, and was a finalist for the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Griewisch Ryan was also a successful track & field athlete for the Bears, earning All-American honors on the track and is the Lenoir-Rhyne record holder in the indoor mile, 3,000-meter run, and 5,000-meter run, as well as the outdoor 1,500-meter run, the mile, the 3,000-meter run, the 5,000-meter run, and the 10,000-meter run.

Not only was she highly decorated as an athlete, but she was also successful in the classroom as she graduated with honors earning a 3.85 GPA in biology with a pre-med focus. She went on to earn her Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Liberty University. Currently, she is a member of the Bassett Family Practice in Bassett, Va. She also spends time volunteering as a Sunday school teacher at Crosspoint Church.

Griewisch Ryan becomes the seventh female and 14th overall student-athlete from LR to be inducted into the SAC Hall of Fame. She was inducted to the Lenoir-Rhyne Sports Hall of Fame in the fall and makes both the LR and SAC HOF in her first year of eligibility.

The 2023 South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame Banquet will take place as a part of the Conference's Spring Meetings in Greenville, S.C. on May 22.

The house isn’t quite finished yet — even though Lamont Paris has lived in Columbia for close to a year now.

The South Carolina men’s basketball coach will stop by his property every once in a while to see how the building process is coming along. Every time he shows up, it still looks like the empty skeleton of a home. But there have been subtle changes over the last few months. The HVAC system is up and running, plumbing installed, electricity flowing.

“There’s a lot of foundation that was built in that house, even though I wasn’t in it every day, so I didn’t see it,” Paris said Wednesday after USC ended its season on Day 1 of the SEC tournament.

The 48-year-old coach likened his unfinished home to what he’s building with the Gamecocks.

“I think that’s a fair analogy for what has happened this year,” Paris continued. “We get judged on wins and losses, certainly, but I’m evaluating it differently. I evaluate it on a day-to-day basis.”

The team’s final record does not inspire awe, with the Gamecocks (11-21, 4-14 SEC) earning the No. 12 seed in the conference tournament and losing to a No. 13-seed Ole Miss team that had fired its head coach just weeks before.

But the on-court expectations were low from the get-go, with the 2021-22 team’s entire starting group and top reserves — many vocal supporters of fired coach Frank Martin — entering the transfer portal. By the time Paris showed up to Columbia last April, he was playing catch-up on the recruiting trail, trying to cobble together a roster with what was left in the portal.

Some incoming transfers worked out better than others. But to extend Paris’ new house analogy, the coach has found some furniture for his program — even if several rooms remain empty.

Point guard Meechie Johnson, an Ohio State transfer, thrilled fans with his deep 3-point shooting and established himself as a team leader. He said after Wednesday’s loss that he “100%” planned to return next season and that he trusted Paris’ vision. Fellow starters Josh Gray and Jacobi Wright indicated they plan to return, as well.

The USC administration seemingly made a conscious decision in hiring a coach who is largely the opposite of the old-school, tough-love coach Martin was. Certainly, there’s been less yelling from the sideline. Paris is a cooler customer who tends to carry himself in the same even-keeled way during the team’s wins and losses.

“(Paris) had a very unique and new energy that I received from him,” said Gray, one of the few holdovers from last year’s team. “I didn’t know how to feel about it at first. But it kind of grew on me, and now I really appreciate his energy day in and day out.”

No one expected these Gamecocks to make the NCAA tournament, but with any new coach, there is an expectation for some level of forward progress. The Gamecocks flashed growth near the end of the year — most notably by forcing overtime against then-No. 2 Alabama in Columbia.

But the team developed in other behind-the-scenes ways, too. Multiple players said in the locker room after Wednesday’s loss that the key area of growth for the team was in its “maturity.”

Outside of the 24-year-old Citadel transfer Hayden Brown and Johnson, the Gamecocks roster leaned heavily on underclassmen. GG Jackson, of course, was the biggest and brightest name. His commitment to South Carolina was viewed as a massive coup for Paris before the season. And though the 18-year-old led the Gamecocks in scoring (15.4 ppg), his immature moments proved to be a liability for the Gamecocks at times.

But Jackson finished his season on a strong note in Nashville. Though it’s very possible Jackson declares for the NBA Draft this offseason, it says something about Paris’ coaching ability that he was able to navigate Jackson’s infamous Instagram video rant and occasional poor body language and coax the best out of him on the SEC tournament stage.

Other players took leaps, like Gray’s evolution as a top-10 rebounder in the SEC, Wright’s growth as a scorer and freshman Zachary Davis’ emergence as a tenacious defender in the team’s 1-3-1 zone scheme. But there’s no question Paris and his staff need to add more pieces. Many more. The Gamecocks are especially thin in the post, with their big men struggling to impact games for much of the season — Gray excluded.

In contrast to last year’s rushed atmosphere, Paris will be able to attack the transfer portal much earlier and with a more solid footing this spring. His eyes light up when he talks about the recruiting trail being the one arena where he can truly compete. Paris established a reputation as an adept recruiter under Bo Ryan, before coaching the Chattanooga Mocs for five years.

Now, Paris will have the opportunity to show what he’s capable of in that arena, although it’s not likely this fan base will have much patience for another 12th-place finish in the SEC next season.

Despite this season’s results, several Gamecocks raved about Paris as a coach and his plan for building the program. The “super” senior Brown essentially served as an on-court extension of the coaching staff this season. And though he’s exhausted his college eligibility, he said Wednesday that he doesn’t regret taking part in that process.

“I am so excited, honestly, to see where Coach Paris takes this program,” Brown said. “They’re going to win. They’re going to compete, and they’re going to be a team that people don’t like to see on their schedule. That’s going to happen pretty quickly.

“We saw signs of that this year.”

The house is far from finished. No doubt. But get the right materials in place, and, as Michael Jordan once said, the ceiling could be the roof.

Details continue to take shape, quickly, on a new Chester County manufacturing project spanning 700 acres.

Chester County Council passed the first of three votes needed to rezone the property, on Wednesday night. The county planning commission had narrowly voted to approve the zoning changes. With two special called meetings, county council could finalize the zoning changes by March 13.

“This thing is time sensitive,” Council Chairman Joe Branham.

Richburg Magnolias of Chester applied to rezone two properties. The larger is 470 acres at 4375 Lancaster Highway, near Richburg Road. The smaller is 218 acres of unaddressed property off Lancaster Highway (S.C. 9). Advanced Chester of Sumter applied to rezone 22 acres at 510 Juniors Place.

The total property is east of I-77, between Richburg and Fort Lawn. County land records show the properties were involved in a 2018 sale for $4.5 million.

The new company hasn’t been named.

Kris Phillips with Chester County Economic Development updated county council last week on changes proposed by the company based on the planning commission meeting.

A rail line would be moved from the northeastern corner of the site near Bryant Corner Road, to the northwestern side to be farther away from homes on Bryant Corner. Only an administration building on a slab for a former spec facility, and not any manufacturing, would be within a 1,000-foot setback of nearby properties. There would be no road access off Bryant Corner to the adminstrative building.

“There’s no manufacturing, no processing there,” Phillips said.

All truck access would come off Lancaster Highway. The company would build a bridge over the highway for a rail line. Chemicals brought in wouldn’t be flammable or designated as high-risk to the environment by federal regulations, Phillips said.

Matt Gedney with L&C Railroad owner Gulf & Ohio Railways said the local line tries to steer clear of hazardous material transport and the new company would be no different.

“Nothing that is outside the mix of what we currently bring in,” Gedney said.

L&C serves some chemical and polymer facilities in the area. There’s a propane terminal in Lancaster County. But not sites with federally designated hazardous chemicals. The growing number of manufacturing facilities in Chester County also helps with safety concerns, Gedney said, as rail travels at a relatively low speed.

Phillips said the company is looking at sound walls and structures to avoid sound or light issues. The company intends to rely mostly on rail, but will evaluate what truck traffic the site will create. The company has spent tens of millions, Phillips said, at other sites to make sure environmental damage or air quality won’t be an issue.

Phillips said there will be significant activity on site.

“It’ll be a 24-7 operation,” Phillips said.

The planning commission voted 3-2 to recommend two of the zoning changes. The other, the largest property farthest from neighboring homes, got a 4-1 vote for recommendation.

Councilwoman Erin Mosley cast the only council vote against the zoning changes. Mosley said it wasn’t a slight to the company, but instead she felt more time is needed to study plans.

Plans would include a new 20-foot high by 40-foot wide berm to further insulate the site. Another part of the decision states if the property is rezoned and the company doesn’t bring the planned business, the zoning would revert to what it is now by November.

WHEN: Friday, March 10 (5:30 p.m.); Saturday, March 11 (2 p.m.); Sunday, March 12 (1 p.m.) WHERE: Russell C. King Field | Spartanburg, S.C. 2023 RECORDS: Cincinnati (7-6); Wofford (12-1) ALL-TIME SERIES: UC leads, 10-1 LAST MEETING: Wofford defeated UC, 8-1, on March 15, 2022 in Spartanburg, S.C.

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team continues its road swing with a three-game series at Wofford, beginning Friday with game one scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Russell C. King Field in Spartanburg, S.C.

The Bearcats won their fifth straight game on Wednesday, topping Eastern Kentucky, 10-5, in Richmond, Ky. UC also swept four games from North Alabama (March 3-5), 9-0 (7), 9-8, 2-1 (8) and 8-1 (7).

Cincinnati scored seven runs in the eighth inning to rally past EKU in a midweek contest. With no outs in the inning, UC collected five straight hits, including a lead-off, pinch-hit home run by .

Redshirt junior designated hitter went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. He is batting .348 (8-for-23) with six RBI, six runs scored and two doubles.

Redshirt junior first baseman has a .325 average in 11 starts (13-for-40) with three home runs, five RBI and nine runs scored. He leads the club in hits (13), home runs (3), doubles (3) and walks (8). Junior outfielder is nine RBI away from 100 in his career. He leads the team in RBI (10) and is tied for second in home runs (2), doubles (2) and runs scored (8).

Cincinnati has a team batting average of .231 through 13 games. The Bearcats lead the conference in sacrifice bunts (7) and walks drawn (72) – good for 27th and 38th nationally.

On the mound, graduate student (1-0, 2.45) has started two games and leads the club in innings pitched (14.2) and strikeouts (13). Junior (0-1, 5.40) has started three games and is second on the staff in innings (13.1) and strikeouts (11).

Redshirt junior (2-0) earned his second win of the season against EKU. He struck out two of the seven batters he faced over two shutout innings. He is tied for first on the team in wins with senior (2-1).

Cincinnati and Wofford have met 11 times, with UC holding a 10-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Bearcats won the first 10 meetings from 1989 to 2001. The two teams last met a season ago, resulting in an 8-1 victory for the Terriers on Mach 15, 2022 in Spartanburg, S.C.

// SCOUTING WOFFORD Wofford (12-1) extended its win streak to 12 with a 12-9 win over Michigan State on Wednesday. The Terriers have won 10 of their 11 games at home.

Through 13 games, Wofford is batting .302 as a team and holds a 4.54 staff ERA, back by a .979 fielding percentage.

Senior Ryan Galanie has a .460 average (23-for-50) in 13 starts and leads the team in home runs (5), doubles (4) and RBI (22). Sophomore Marshall Toole is batting .380 (19-for-50) in 13 starts and is first on the club in runs scored (19) and walks (12).

The Terriers finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 42-16-1, including a mark of 16-4-1 against SoCon opponents. Wofford went 25-4-1 at home and 15-7 on the road last season.

// PROBABLE STARTER Friday UC: RHP Wofford: RHP Coulson Buchanan

Saturday UC: LHP Wofford: RHP Charlie Weber

Sunday UC: RHP Wofford: RHP Matthew Marchal

// UP NEXT Cincinnati will travel to Rock Hill, S.C., for a pair of midweek games against Winthrop on Tuesday and Wednesday.