MORNING HEADLINES | Tuesday marked a fresh era of county law enforcement as Carl Ritchie of Mount Pleasant and Sam Richardson of Summerville became the new sheriffs of Charleston County and Dorchester County, respectively.
Ritchie, the former police chief of Mount Pleasant, was sworn in at 9 a.m. at Charleston County Council chambers. Among his first initiatives as sheriff is reviewing the Al Cannon Detention Center’s contract with its current medical provider, he announced.
“I want to ensure those inmates that are in there are getting the medical care they’re supposed to get, and we’re not missing something,” Ritchie said. “That includes the discussion we had about screening before they get in there. If they’ve got serious health conditions, there’s got to be a way to work with our judges and our fellow agencies, so we don’t have them sitting in jail. So, they’re out there getting the care they need with their families versus inside.”
Ritchie also announced a new jail administrator will run the detention center, a key part of his five-point plan to “restore safety” to jails.
Richardson, the former chief deputy of Dorchester County, was sworn in at noon outside the Dorchester County Courthouse as the county’s first new sheriff in 16 years and South Carolina’s first Black Republican sheriff since Reconstruction.
One of Richardson’s first goals is to reassess and restructure the sheriff’s office to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, he said in a speech, by increasing neighborhood patrols and to create a Citizen Advisory Council to encourage communication between residents and the sheriff’s office.
“We want to ensure that our presence is felt in every corner of our county, and that our citizens feel safe and supported in every corner of our county,” he added.
In other recent headlines:
Charleston leaders break ground on long-await pedestrian bridge. The City of Charleston will break ground on the Ashley River Crossing pedestrian and bike bridge Wednesday. It has started construction on the West Ashley side and will build to the downtown side, connecting to Brittlebank Park, Bee Street and Lockwood Drive and then eventually tie into the City Marina.
Charleston Co. school board votes on capital funding for projects. The Charleston County School District met on Tuesday for its first finance committee meeting of 2025. The council unanimously voted to move forward on several capital funding items, one being the reallocation of $14.6 million for five improvement projects.
Charleston tech center eyes second building. The Charleston Tech Center offers monthly leases to burgeoning companies, with tenants moving in and out continuously. Both the Charleston Tech Center and the Morris office building across the street are at 100% capacity, resulting in the need for expansion.
Sullivan’s Island restaurant damaged in overnight fire. The Obstinate Daughter, a well-known restaurant on Sullivan’s Island caught fire overnight. The fire was contained to the kitchen but suffered major damage, according to Sullivan’s Island Fire and Rescue Chief Anthony Stith.
Charleston restaurants participating in S.C. Restaurant Week. Restaurants from Kiawah Island to North Charleston will participate, offering special menus and select deals during the food celebration.
Ten comedians coming to Charleston in 2025. Many of the country’s top comedians will stop in the Charleston area in 2025 from S.C. native Aziz Ansari to actor and comedian Patton Oswalt.
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