Hair Salon near Goose Creek, SC

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – Chicken Salad Chick is set to open its highly anticipated location in Goose Creek next week with a week full of special giveaways.

The new location off St. James Avenue is the third to open in the tri-county by co-owners Julie Beville and Michelle Singleton of Sing Bev Hospitality. The other locations include Summerville and Mount Pleasant.

Chicken Salad Chick will open its new location on the morning of Tuesday, February 21. The first 100 customers who line up beginning at 7:00 a.m. will win free chicken salad for a year when the restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m.

Other giveaways are planned Wednesday through Saturday and include special merch from the popular restaurant:

• Tuesday, Feb. 21 – Free Chicken Salad for a Year – The first 100 guests will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for an entire year, with one of those lucky guests randomly selected to win one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week. Guests may arrive starting at 7 a.m. for grand opening day only.

• Wednesday, Feb. 22 – The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a FREE Chick Special on their next visit.

• Thursday, Feb. 23 – The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a FREE Chicken Salad Chick tote bag.

• Friday, Feb. 24 – All day long, Chick fans can enjoy buy two Quick Chicks and get one FREE!

• Saturday, Feb. 25 – The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a FREE commemorative Chicken Salad Chick cup and FREE drink with their meal.

“Michelle and I always say one of our favorite parts of bringing the Chick to new neighborhoods is the opportunity to positively impact the lives of our guests,” said Beville. “We’ve gotten to know our fans here in the Lowcountry over the past several years, and we know they rely on us for fresh, made-from-scratch meals they can enjoy with friends and family in our dining room or on the go. They also appreciate the warm hospitality of our restaurant teams and the way we support local organizations. We can’t wait to be their new go-to spot in Goose Creek.”

The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Mario Anderson is ready to seize the moment.

That was the message the new South Carolina running back gave ahead of the Gamecocks’ start to spring practice.

Anderson, a transfer from nearby Newberry College, will have a chance to earn the starting running back position with the departure of MarShawn Lloyd to Southern Cal. He and returnee JuJu McDowell head to spring practice next week as the likely candidates to be the team’s top tailback.

Anderson said McDowell has helped with the transition and showed him the ropes since his arrival at USC in January.

The former Stratford High standout earned All-American honors last season at Newberry and left the school with 3,301 yards (third most in school history) and 35 touchdowns.

“I come in with a little sense of hunger and just to seize every opportunity that I can,” Anderson told reporters last week. “... Every day I wake up blessed. Not everyone has the opportunity to play college ball. It is a slimmer percentage to play at this level. It is a blessing to wake up and drive to the facility every day.”

Stratford coach Dennie McDaniel saw first-hand Anderson’s hunger in high school — and it still continues. Anderson stopped by the school in Goose Creek this week for a workout while USC was on spring break.

McDaniel was at Stratford for Anderson’s final two years. He was an assistant coach during his junior year and then head coach for Anderson’s final season. Anderson sat out his sophomore year of high school after transferring back to South Carolina after attending school in Ohio.

Anderson served on the scout team as a high school sophomore became the feature back his final two years, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons at Stratford.

Anderson initially committed to Charleston Southern but ended up at Newberry after a coaching change at CSU.

While Anderson’s running ability stood out, he continued to push and demand excellence from teammates during workouts, McDaniel said, encouraging them to finish reps and persevere through adversity.

“He called somebody out when they weren’t doing what they were supposed to be doing,” McDaniel said. “He would hold people to a certain standard.. He is by far one of the most talented guys I have ever coached but the hardest worker as well.”

McDaniel said Anderson told him he was thinking of putting his name in the transfer portal and hoped to finish his career at a bigger school. USC running backs coach Montario Hardesty called McDaniel to talk about Anderson and the Gamecocks’ interest in him.

“I reached out to Mario after I talked to Coach Hardesty. I told him I gave them your number and Mario started laughing and said something like, ‘Yeah right, coach,’ ” McDaniel said. “He called me back two hours later and said they had a great conversation. Then, that is when the relationship started to build.”

Anderson committed to the Gamecocks shortly after that. He’s one of nine transfers USC landed during the first transfer portal window that closed Jan. 18.

The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Anderson described his running as an “old-school style” and compared it to Marshawn Lynch, who was known to run defenders over during his college and NFL career. But McDaniel also said Anderson has the speed to back up with his power.

“He is a power back with some speed. He is not going to juke you 10 times on a run. He will make one cut and if he gets a crease he is going to take it to the house,” McDaniel said. “... He is excited. I think he thought at first USC might be a little big for him, but he realizes this is where he belongs. And I think he will have a great year.”

Throughout the state, not everyone has the same access to area parks. Getting to a park or playground isn't all that easy. (WCIV)

TRICOUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Sunshine and green spaces are some of the Lowcountry's greatest assets. With swings, slides, and sunshine, playgrounds provide priceless memories for a child.

However, throughout the state, not everyone has the same access to area parks. Getting to a park or playground isn't all that easy.

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land put together a map demonstrating the differences. In Charleston, about 53% of people live within a 10 minute walk to the nearest park. But that number goes down to 19% in Goose Creek and 12% in Summerville.

"Access to nature is really essential for community health," said Bianca Shulaker of the Trust for Public Lands. "For being able to get out, exercise for the mental health benefits, for being able to rejuvenate, to de-stress, to be with friends, to meet your neighbors."

As a result, the nonprofit is partnering with the College of Charleston in a new study to promote access to parks.

Throughout the state, not everyone has the same access to area parks. Getting to a park or playground isn't all that easy. (WCIV)

"It's everything from creating a needs assessment and database planning to advancing and pursuing local funding and creating new funds for parks," Shulaker said. "It's also engaging community and making sure there's policy that happens on a regular basis."

Once completed, the study will provide cities with guidelines and tips to help them strengthen park equity.

Here in the Lowcountry, some cities are already spearheading their own initiatives. Goose Creek built three new parks in less than three years.

"I just hope we keep expanding and keep doing more and more," said Philip Sweat, the Goose Creek assistant parks director. "There is just so much to do and we can do more."

Everyone seems to be enjoying them, especially with the nice weather - even if it's more than a 10 minute walk away.

"The kids go to school a couple of blocks away, so we come every day after school," Goose Creek resident Jason Poger said. "They get their jitters out and then we go home and do our homework. It's very accessible. The city has done a very good job of putting parks in strategic locations."

A brand-new park opened in Goose Creek on Friday with the focus of being “a park built for everyone.”

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - A brand-new park opened in Goose Creek on Friday with the focus of being “a park built for everyone.”

The $9 million project, Central Creek Park, hopes to be inclusive towards everyone with volleyball and basketball courts, a splash pad, a food truck pavilion and pickleball courts.

Over 26,000 square-feet, ‘Debra’s Playground’ will offer a wide range of accessible activities for people with physical or visual disabilities. The surfacing is all wheelchair accessible, and the equipment is based on sensory items for everyone to enjoy.

Families who include children with disabilities were the first invited to play at the park after this morning’s ribbon cutting. Nicole Valentine, mother to her special needs daughter, says other parks have never really been concerned about including all the different aspects of sensory play before.

“It’s never really kept in mind the heart of all children to be fully inclusive, and even down to having the fence around for those kids who love to run,” Valentine says. “It’s very important and it does so much for parent’s safety concerns to be able to just come here, and you almost get a little bit of relief watching your children play and not be so stressed out.”

The City of Goose Creek hosted a tribute to the donors of the park ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony. Goose Creek Recreation Director Crystal Reed addressed the city and sponsors after working for months on the development.

“Central Creek Park sets our community apart and creates opportunities to remove barriers, increase self-esteem, develop community culture where everyone benefits from health, fitness and social connections,” Crystal says. “Thousands of children and adults across Berkeley County of all abilities have benefited from our therapeutic recreation program over the past several years; because of you, we just raised the bar with Central Creek Park.”

Parents of children with special needs say that it means the world to them to see their children experience a park they can truly enjoy. Kathy Kackley, parent to Trista Kutceher, travel the U.S. together promoting inclusivity in parks and compared other parks to Central Creek Park.

“There’s something here for everyone; there’s something here everyone can do,” Kackley says. “We like to be inclusive in our play and in our life, and we are very appreciative that Goose Creek has stepped up and has a place for everybody to play together.”

Goose Creek Assistant Recreation Director, Nicole Herrera Murray, explains how the city worked to choose specific pieces of equipment for special needs children to use. After planning and researching for months, she says Friday was a dream come true.

“I’ve been dreaming of this day for a really long time. It’s really amazing to see everyone enjoying and hearing the screams behind us is just everything that I’ve ever wanted,” Murray says.

The public is invited to join in on the fun Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. or Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 47 Old Moncks Corner Rd.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - Christmas came early for a young man in Goose Creek but not before a couple of Grinches got in the way.

After realizing he dropped more than $1,700 in cash while riding his motorcycle down Highway 52 as he was headed to the store, 20-year-old Kyle Kons got to his destination Wednesday afternoon only to find his money missing. He retraced his steps to see several cars pulled over on the side of the highway - people were grabbing his cash and driving off.

“By the time I got there, the last car was pulling off,” Kons says. “I felt hopeless. I thought ‘I’ll never get this money back.’”

Kons says he had just bought a car with the cash and had put the leftover money in an envelope from the bank.

“I thought my front jacket pocket was zipped up all the way, but I guess not,” he says. “I thought I had felt something fall out and hit my leg, but I didn’t question it because nobody behind me was stopping.”

“My heart sunk. I felt like I was the laughingstock of the town,” Kons says. He says he moved to Goose Creek last year for his career in the Navy. He’s currently a Petty Officer.

In a Facebook post of his own in the group, Kons wrote, in part:

“I didn’t realize my money was gone until I arrived at Walmart, and by the time I got there, the last car was scooping up my money… I ask people to be decent human beings and return the money to the owner. I earned that money that you got for free.”

In addition to expressing his frustrations, Kons left his phone number on the post to see if anyone had extra work, so he could earn some money during the Christmas weekend.

He says he never would have thought the community would use his phone number to find his payment apps, like Venmo, CashApp and Zelle, and gift him his money back… and then some.

“I came home from work Thursday, and I had $300 in my account,” Kons says. “I was like ‘no way,’ and it was maybe five people total at the time sending money and saying ‘this sucks but have a great Christmas.’ I was so touched, like, oh my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Kons says most of the payments appeared to be coming from other military members in the area. The payments ranged from a couple of dollars to $250.

In total, Kons tells us he’s been sent over $2,000 through the payment apps, and he doesn’t want to get any more notifications or payments.

He spent Friday with his roommates, John VanTatenhove and Tyler Roton, picking up litter on Highway 52 where he lost his money as a way of giving back to the Goose Creek community.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.