Water Damage Restoration in North Charleston, SC

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab said on Thursday it plans to spend $1 billion to support increased production of its 787 Dreamliner widebody jets, as the U.S. planemaker works to meet an earlier output target of 10 a month by 2026.

Boeing plans to expand operations at its Charleston County, South Carolina, facility with the $1 billion investment in infrastructure upgrades and the creation of 500 new jobs over five years, the planemaker said in a joint announcement with the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

The investment and expansion lay the groundwork for "potential future rate increases driven by market demand," Boeing said. The U.S. planemaker faces pressure from European rival Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab which has announced plans to raise output of its competing A350 to 12 a month by 2028.

After a prolonged lull, demand for widebody planes is accelerating sharply as airlines renew capacity as demand grows for international travel.

Boeing is trying to ramp up plane output to generate needed cash, after a crippling strike this autumn halted production of all but its Dreamliner jets.

Boeing's announcement reaffirms an earlier target of 10 Dreamliner jets a month announced during a company investor day in 2022. Hitting that rate would be a steep climb for the planemaker, given existing production levels and challenges as Boeing wrestles with manufacturing quality problems.

Boeing has been trying to bring 787 production back to a rate of five a month by the end of 2024, after scaling back output earlier this year due to supply-chain delays in getting seats and heat exchangers. Boeing has said its 787 production rate was five per month during the last quarter of 2023.

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Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru. Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris and Dan Catchpole in Seattle Editing by Pooja Desai and Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

If you’ve ever read or seen The Notebook — the iconic summer romance set in 1940s-era South Carolina — this wedding may feel very familiar. For Heather and Corey Brown, that picture-perfect movie backdrop (fondly referred to as “The Notebook House”) became a wedding day reality.

With Spanish moss dripping from the trees, parasol-sporting bridesmaids, and romantic details galore, this South Carolina wedding at North Charleston’s Admiral’s House is completely dreamy.

It turns out, Heather and Corey passed each other multiple times before they ever took a second look. When they finally did, the fates aligned. After a long-distance relationship while Heather pursued her master’s degree, Corey eventually got down on one knee in a beautiful park with the Charlotte, NC, skyline behind him.

While Charlotte may have been the scene of their engagement, the happy couple chose Charleston for their wedding destination — and the Admiral’s House couldn’t have been a more idyllic choice. “I knew I wanted to get married in an estate,” explains Heather, “and then I knew it was for us once I saw it in person. It had so much history and importance to us right away. And obviously, it’s stunning and perfect.”

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Once the couple had found their dream venue, Heather began her search for the perfect dress. She unexpectedly stumbled upon it during a trip to Chicago. “I was visiting Chicago and my mom suggested I look at dresses. We went to a local shop called Dimitra’s Bridal Couture. My friend’s mom owns it, and we loved the whole experience. We ended up coming back a few months later, and I said, ‘Yes!’ to the dress. It was such an amazing moment seeing myself in the dress of my dreams.”

The location also informed their wedding day aesthetic — timeless and classic with a few modern twists. “We loved the Charleston charm …” says the bride. “A lot of my wedding was centered around the Southern, Lowcountry vibe and being surrounded by Spanish moss. I loved having a romantic feel to represent our love.”

When the big day arrived, Heather and Corey exchanged personal vows before a massive, floral-adorned arch and roughly 110 guests coming in from near and far to celebrate. With the help of their planners, Chauncey and Riley of Bouquets & Bowties, it went off without a hitch. But first, the couple enjoyed some pre-wedding fun with friends and family.

“I got ready in the Admiral’s Room within the house,” Heather tells us. “I had my 10 bridesmaids, mom, and mother-in-law with me! My brother even popped in for a little. We had a spritz bar full of various accompaniments. We sang karaoke and laughed so much!” After that, the bride enjoyed first looks with her grandparents (“Nana and Papa”), her bridesmaids, and, of course, her future husband.

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After their sweet ceremony, the newlyweds made their way to the cocktail hour, where they laughed with guests, sipped on custom cocktails, and ate tasty Lowcountry fare such as mini crab cakes with Cajun caper remoulade, raw oysters on the half shell, and braised short rib with horseradish cream sauce on herb and cheese biscuits.

Even more delicious food was on its way during the reception. “We went with chef-attended food stations,” Heather tells us. “We wanted to take a more social approach and offer variety and visual interest to our wedding reception. Our guests spoke highly of the hand-rolled sushi bar!”

Other grazing stations included beef tenderloin with demi-glace and mashed potatoes, as well as lemon and herb-roasted chicken with pan jus, garlic green beans, and parmesan risotto.

For their wedding cake, the couple chose a two-tiered masterpiece designed by Naomi of MeDulce Cakes. “We wanted the cake to complement the venue, so Naomi and I emailed back and forth to perfect the color scheme,” explains Heather. “The Admiral’s House has a primarily white exterior with light blue undertones, so we aimed to incorporate that blue into the cake’s design.”

She adds, “The cake had a vintage-inspired style featuring two elegant layers. The layers were made of vanilla cake paired with luscious cream cheese icing. Between the layers, we had a delicious strawberry jam filling, which added a sweet touch of fruitiness. The entire cake was covered in smooth blue vanilla buttercream with white icing, and its color perfectly matched the overall aesthetic of the venue, tying everything together beautifully.”

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After the first dance, champagne tower toast, cake cutting, and other memorable moments, guests took to the dance floor for a night of rowdy fun. Late-night corn dogs and sliders were even handed out to satisfy that post-dancing hunger!

When the evening came to a close, the bride and groom walked hand-in-hand to the Admiral’s House, where they spent their first night as husband and wife. How’s that for a movie-like ending?

Congratulations, and thank you for sharing your special day with us!

RESOURCES

Venue: The Admiral’s House Photographer: Anne Tenkhoff Photography Planner: Bouquets & Bowties Charleston Florals: Festoon Charleston Catering: Duvall Catering & Events Cake: MeDulce Cakes Invitations: Minted Signage + Escort Cards: Storia Collective Makeup: Galya Makeup Artistry Hair: Southern Charm Bridal Hair Content Creator: Dreamy Content Bridal Gown Boutique: Dimitra’s Bridal Couture Gown Designer: Enzo Ani Bridesmaid Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu Groom & Groomsmen Tuxedos: The Black Tux Band: Not Your Average Party Band DJ: D&M Productions @djtrevord Videographer: Bruce Films Officiant: Kasey King Wedding Officiant Rentals: Snyder Events & Curated Events Bar: Brand Bars & Events Disco Balls: Bunn DJ Company Photo Booth: Il Piccolo Bar & Foto Booth

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Discover more fabulous wedding inspiration in our archives HERE!

About the Author Jenna Bratcher

Jenna Bratcher is StyleBlueprint Nashville’s Associate Editor and Lead Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville 17 years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.

Updated: Dec. 11, 2024 at 4:31 PM PST

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Medical staff got a chance Wednesday to see progress in the development of the future Roper Hospital Medical Campus in North Charleston on Wednesday.

Dozens of representatives from several clinical departments gave their input in mock rooms for the new hospital design and conducted real-time reviews of the setup.

“This is the first opportunity that we’ve had to actually just see it on paper, but be able to walk the space,” said Marcela McGeorge, Director of Emergency Services.

“They are the experts at what they do so we have lots of architects and engineers and builders who are involved in the design of the campus, but really we want our clinicians and experts to think of we can put it on a drawing and it looks great, but getting them into the room and having them feel everything is really where we get to avoid having to change anything once we build the hospital,” said Charles Fletcher, vice president of Real Estate Construction.

There are a total of seven mock rooms. McGeorge said something as simple as the placement of a light switch or the oxygen or medical air make a huge difference.

“You have to think over scenarios like you know a regular patient but then a critical patient that may need a ventilator. They may know if the power goes out we have to switch over to emergency power,” said McGeorge.

The hospital is currently in the design and development phase. The goal is to have the hospital done by Summer 2029, but you could see construction progress on the first site, the old city hall, as early as January.

“The total budget for this project is about 1.2 billion dollars so you want to make sure you get it right because every dollar counts. We want to make sure we maximize every dollar for our patients,” said Fletcher.

Fletcher said the patient and family council will also have an opportunity to go through the rooms and give their input, adding that the patient’s needs come first.

After more than 150 years in downtown Charleston, Roper St. Francis Healthcare announced in November 2022 the move of its flagship hospital to a new medical campus with expanded outpatient services. The project will be located on a 27-acre parcel near Interstates 26 and 526.

The new location aims to better serve their counties in a more central location and be less impacted by the challenges of flooding the current hospital faces.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Dal'mont Gourdine playing at UConn, celebrating after making a play.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Dal'mont Gourdine is the standard bearer in more ways than one. His family, neighborhood, and high school all should be proud.

By the sounds of it, North Charleston-born and raised Gourdine could be the mayor of Storrs, Connecticut, after five years of playing football for the UConn Huskies.

"The people are very welcoming," he said. "They want to get to know you. Coach Hurley [is] over there across the street. Real cool dude - got to know him. Chopped it up plenty of times. The whole university. I know the president."

READ MORE | "App State, Charlotte introduce new football coaches as they look to turn around programs."

He's made UConn his home. When others "portal'ed" to the next spot, the only chasing he did was opposing quarterbacks.

"My game plan going forward is NFL," he said. "Main goal on top of the main goal since I was a youngin'."

That very well could happen. But with what he's already accomplished – it doesn't much matter.

"Where we come from in North Charleston, not many take that next step and next level to go where the family wants them to go," he said. "We probably had eight graduation tickets, but I had to go back to people and say I have like 20 graduation tickets. I have people coming from North Charleston up here. The university helped me get those tickets for the people, who spent the weekend up here."

READ MORE | "Clemson to face Texas in first round of College Football Playoff."

His college career is now over. A foot injury at practice late in the season forced surgery. He won't play in the upcoming Fenway Bowl against UNC. He's every bit a part of getting them there. You bet he'll be in Boston for it.

"Waking up at 4:30 a.m. to go to workouts and train," he said. "I'm happy for this team. The guys, the coaches, the families around this team. When things went left, we got them right during the season."

He's also the last of his kind. The final Garrett Tech Falcon to fly. The final athlete from the now-shuttered high school off of Dorchester Road.

"I think about it all the time," he said. "We always talk about high school, what is your HS doing this Friday? I never join in the conversation because I don't have a high school anymore. Garrett is gone. Last athlete, something I can hold my head on. I'm the last to ever do it at the school. Before they built CCSD, I tried to contact the people to get my name on there that I was the last one to do it."

He may not have to ask for that in Storrs, Connecticut.

Published: Nov. 14, 2024 at 3:02 PM PST|

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry knife maker is paving the way in his industry and making history while doing it.

Quintin Middleton knows his way around a kitchen.

“My mom has four boys. She said, ‘You not going anywhere unless you know how to cook, bake. So like you need to make sure you know how to do something,’” Middleton said.

For this Lowcountry native, that something was gaining knowledge about knives by cooking and even by watching cartoons.

“I wanted to make a sword or make a knife and be like He-Man or Star Wars. And so I would take a tubing off my swing set, flatten it with a hammer and chase my brothers around the yard like, “Huhhh! I’m [Ninja Turtle’s] Leonardo,’ or something like that,” Middleton laughed.

His culinary craft continues to grow as a cut above the rest. Middleton opened Middleton Made Knives in North Charleston. It’s the first Black-owned knife shop in the country.

Each knife is custom-made with its own specialty skill. Middleton shares a standard knife takes anywhere from four to eight hours for him to craft at his home workshop in St. Stephen.

The process takes patience, as did Middleton’s journey to entrepreneurship. He credits a mentor for taking him in as an apprentice early on and helping him hone his hobby.

“He saw my determination about learning the craft. He always said if you’re serious, I’m serious so that notion to see a young person willing to learn, willing to drive and willing to put in the time. So he saw that and poured that time into me,” Middleton said.

Determination and faith is at the forefront of Middleton’s entrepreneurial endeavors.

“Any time I do any big business, anytime even opening this store, I had to pray. I said, ‘God show me where you need me to go. Show me how to do this,’” he said.

Now, Middleton is hoping to breathe life back into the community that helped raise him, by providing jobs to people in the area.

“My big motto for this season is each one, lift one. So if I can lift or inspire somebody while I’m here or if I can lift and inspire someone to do entrepreneurship, that’s my thing to breathe life into them.”

Middleton Made Knives is located at 2154 Noisette Boulevard in North Charleston.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.