The Herald (Rock Hill)
The ‘complicated’ legacy of Jim Bakker’s grand plans for Heritage USA
When Jim Bakker resigned from his PTL Ministries amid mounting scandals in March 1987, there was still hope in York County, S.C., that whatever came next for Heritage USA wouldn’t derail the economic engine that had fueled phenomenal growth and...
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Jim Bakker, ‘Praise the Lord’ evangelist brought down by scandal, dies at 86
Jim Bakker, the pioneering TV evangelist who became a symbol of the glitz and greed of the 1980s when his PTL empire near Charlotte collapsed amid sex and money scandals, landing him in prison for fraud, died Monday, according to his wife, Lori, on his...
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Fort Mill I-77 project delayed to May 2028
Interstate 77 commuters in Fort Mill will have to wait longer for construction to finish on York County’s most expensive interstate upgrade to date. The $165 million job at Interstate 77 and S.C. 160 was scheduled to open November 2027. Now the...
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Silfab Solar readies for full operations, with chemicals, at Fort Mill
Silfab Solar is preparing to start full manufacturing of solar panels with chemicals as early as next month at its Fort Mill plant, the company confirmed to The Herald. Silfab has completed and submitted environmental compliance reviews needed to...
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The I-77 road work snarling traffic will be redone – and soon
Interstate 77 road construction at one of the region’s busiest interchanges keeps jamming up traffic in Rock Hill and Fort Mill. And almost as soon as it’s done, it’ll be replaced. Crews began patching the Cherry Road and Celanese Road bridges over...
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How Trump’s diplomatic week exposed the limits of his power
From his high-profile address to the UN General Assembly to his high-stakes White House summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump this week was looking to reassert himself on the world stage. But Trump’s diplomatic flurry has done...
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York County managerYork resigns; predecessor to serve interim
York County Manager Josh Edwards has resigned, with former manager Jim Baker set to take the interim role starting next week. Baker had the job for nearly six years before leaving in 2013 for a similar job in Virginia. York County Council accepted...
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Crossing guard sues for $1M after Fort Mill accident
A crossing guard hit by a car outside a Fort Mill school in 2024 has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million from the school district and the S.C. Department of Transportation, claiming officials failed to take action at an area that officials...
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Suspension of SC gas tax debated amid price surge
In an election cycle where affordability has become the overarching issue for voters, average gasoline prices in South Carolina eclipsing $4 per gallon has reignited a push to provide relief at the gas pump. But despite calls for lawmakers to address...
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REMEMBERING 9/11 25 YEARS LATER
On Sept. 11, 2001, a series of terror attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania carved scars across our nation that continue to heal. To mark the anniversary, we pause to reflect on the tragedy of that day and the triumphs that rose from...
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Rock Hill region will mark 9/11 with memorial events
After seeing live reports of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., the late Navy veteran and Rock Hill resident Leonard Farrington walked out of his house, collected his large American flag and headed to the Sutton Road overpass bridge on...
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Rock Hill sees 2 property sales over $10 million
Large industrial property sales topped the list last month as the Rock Hill region’s most expensive — with two deals surpassing the $10 million mark. In one sale, Charlotte-based Adams South Carolina Properties bought the more than 87,000-square-foot...
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Chester County to release fire district review after charges
Findings from an internal review of a Chester County fire district and officials charged with misusing public funds will be made public on Sept. 21. Chester County Council will provide the information during its regularly scheduled 6 p.m. meeting that...
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Andrews uses GOP delay to refine her US Senate campaign message
The race for South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat transformed this summer when longtime U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham suddenly died while campaigning for a fifth term. While Republicans scrambled to elect a new candidate in six weeks, Democratic nominee Annie...
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South Carolina delays food stamp junk food ban
South Carolinians can continue purchasing candy and sweet tea using food stamps for at least two more months after the state Department of Social Services delayed new rules intended to halt purchases of junk food with federal benefits. The agency said...
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How Horry County helped swing SC Senate GOP race for Graham
U.S. Sen. Darline Graham decisively won the Republican nomination to replace her late brother on the November U.S. Senate ballot with the help of voters in the Grand Strand. Graham won the Republican nomination in South Carolina by 4.9 percentage...
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Rock Hill region leads SC job growth surge
As the Rock Hill region awaits thousands more jobs, the area is already working to drive down statewide unemployment. Unemployment rate drops in York, Lancaster and Chester counties far outpaced the rest of the state, according to data released Friday...
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Name confusion marks Darline Graham’s Senate campaign
Shortly after Darline Graham was appointed to the U.S. Senate after the death of her brother, several politicians and media outlets called her “Darline Graham Nordone.” And since, it has led to confusion and subtle jabs by people who don’t support her...
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Silfab is furloughing employees at its Fort Mill facility
Some Silfab Solar workers in Fort Mill have been furloughed due to the availability of production materials. The furloughs began Monday. The solar panel manufacturing company confirmed to The Herald on Wednesday that temporary issues getting...
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Rock Hill region schools excel in state test scores
Statewide test scores released last week confirmed that the Rock Hill region still has some of the top performing public schools in South Carolina. But which schools are doing the best, and how do they compare with other areas? The Herald analyzed...
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York County parks worker saved hundreds of rare sunflowers
To the naked eye it looks like an average field. Under the scorching late Summer sun, the flowers won’t bloom for at least another few weeks. The green stalks shooting above the earth barely look like much of anything, let alone a federally protected...
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Graham leads, Norman strong in Upstate in SC Senate race
U.S. Sen. Darline Graham finished in first or second place in each of South Carolina’s 46 counties in Tuesday’s special Republican primary election, where she advanced to a runoff against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman. Graham and Norman will face off in an...
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Fort Mill, Clover schools lead SC test scores again
Fort Mill and Clover schools continue to top statewide test scores, according to data released Monday morning. Another area district, Lancaster County, is on the rise. Elementary, middle and high school test scores for more than 75 public school...
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A walk through Rock Hill’s Carhartt Mansion ruins
I love exploring an abandoned landmark. There’s nothing more thrilling than a bit of legal trespassing. Traversing a hallowed structure once bustling with people is an adrenaline shot. When I heard there existed the ruins of a century-old mansion in...
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Former Panther buys Rock Hill region’s priciest home for record $4.4M
The Rock Hill region closed its first home sale for more than $4 million this summer. Now it’s just a question of how long that record will last. Austin and Madison Corbett bought the home on New Gray Rock Road in Fort Mill on July 15 for nearly $4.4...
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School year kicks off with 5 new schools in Rock Hill region
Students, teachers and buses are heading back to school across the Rock Hill region, setting off an unofficial and early end to summer. The Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover and York school districts start their new years on Monday. So do Lancaster and...
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Alligatorweed threatens rare lilies in Chester County
Alligatorweed is taking hold in the Catawba River, at a well-visited stretch that’s home to the world’s largest bloom of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies. The invasive weed has spread through the lily population at Landsford Canal State Park, according to a...
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Brother of NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson faces 2nd fraud lawsuit
Two California women say the brother of legendary NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson owes their families a combined $243,000 after failing to restore their classic vehicles from the 1950s. According to Iredell County Civil Superior Court records, Julia...
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Salty Coffee Co. to open in downtown York
Mandy Steele said she knew she wanted to be a small business owner. A self-described crafty person, Steele said she was always the one making gifts or banners for friends, even turning it into a side hustle to supplement her fulltime job in human...
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York County's role in $1.5B deal sparks Rock Hill ire
York County decisions related to Octapharma are an embarrassment to the state and call to question whether elected officials should be allowed in office, Rock Hill officials said Thursday. They just aren’t surprising. “Unfortunately, this is really...
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York County sheriff defends Flock camera usage
York County Sheriff Tony Breeden is touting the effectiveness of the department’s Flock license plate readers, and promised transparency with the community on how the cameras are utilized. The same Flock cameras are at the crux of a lawsuit against...
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Surefire market owners face arson in 2024 Rock Hill fire
Three brothers who owned a popular Rock Hill market that closed two years ago after a fire and operate another one in Charlotte have been charged with arson from the 2024 blaze, according to South Carolina police and fire officials. The fire happened...
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County officials aim to preempt state data center laws
If Lancaster County doesn’t set up a moratorium on data centers, it’s largely because officials don’t have time for one. They’re in a race with state legislators to set rules on where data centers should go. A sweeping, years-long review of county...
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US, Iran exchange strikes for fifth straight day
The United States attacked Iran anew and explosions were reported in several parts of the country Wednesday night and Thursday morning, as the countries clashed for a fifth straight day over the Strait of Hormuz, the major shipping route that has...
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Postcard Man returns historic card to York County
Lowell Joerg is called The Postcard Man. He’s been rummaging antique stores and flea markets for nearly 50 years, flipping through old post cards and purchasing ones that depict old buildings or landmarks. Joerg packages the postcards into an...
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Octapharma project at risk over $43M tax dispute
The future of Octapharma’s highprofile, $1.5 billion headquarters project in Rock Hill, set to bring 1,500 jobs, now comes down to whether the city or its schools gets $43 million in tax-related funding. At stake in the burgeoning dispute between the...
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Octapharma deal at risk over Rock Hill, county dispute
The $1.5 billion Octapharma headquarters project in Rock Hill, which is set to add more than 1,500 high-paying jobs, is in jeopardy because of a disagreement between the city and York County on how to dole out tax incentives. On Wednesday, the York...
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Catawba tribe plans 2 more casinos in North Carolina
The Catawba Indians will build two more North Carolina casinos and have identified the sites, Chief Brian Harris said Wednesday as the tribe celebrated the opening of the first part of its $1.2 billion casino in Kings Mountain. “We got two more...
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Ruling sends GOP scrambling over birthright citizenship
President Donald Trump is urging congressional Republicans to move quickly on legislative action to restrict or end birthright citizenship, hoping to chart a path through Capitol Hill based on Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s reasoning in this week’s highly...
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Clinton College board addresses financial instability
Clinton College’s Board of Trustees said it is working to restore the college’s financial stability amid recent cashflow shortages. The board said in a statement Friday that it acknowledges the college’s funding problems, and continues to work with...
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How Wilson built decisive win in GOP runoff for governor
Alan Wilson’s victory over Pamela Evette on Tuesday was so decisive the race was called less than a half hour after polls closed. Wilson won in 43 out of 46 counties in the Tuesday Republican runoff for the nomination for governor. He won counties...
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Hispanic growth rate in Rock Hill region fuels population boom
Within the Charlotte region’s fastestgrowing county, the Hispanic population is growing at nearly triple the rate of Lancaster County as a whole. It’s a pattern that is also unfolding across the Charlotte and Rock Hill regions, a Charlotte Observer and...
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New details on incentives for 1,200-job Rock Hill project ahead of company being ID’d
New details continue to emerge on the $1.5 billion biopharmaceutical project set to replace a portion of the failed Carolina Panthers development in Rock Hill, including how decades of tax incentives will work. The project already has a proposed fee...
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Voters in Chester County face $34M sales tax decision
Chester County voters will have a $33.5 million decision to make this fall when the county asks them to extend a 1% sales tax through 2035 to fund capital projects. So, what will residents get for that bill? “They will see within a few items something...
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Norman endorses Wilson in SC governor race
Congressman Ralph Norman endorsed South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson for governor Monday and pledged to continue shaping South Carolina politics through a new conservative watchdog group after his own campaign came to an end. The endorsement...
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Family summer fun options cost less than gallon of gas
It’s hot. The kids are home from school. Everything is expensive. What’s a parent to do this summer without breaking the bank? The Rock Hill region has plenty of options that combine water, playgrounds and music to keep families together and having...
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York County voters make their voices heard in primary
York County voters who waited for the South Carolina primary Election Day instead of voting early headed to the polls Tuesday to make sure their voice is heard in local, state and national elections. Lines were short after polls opened at 7 a.m., and...
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2026 primary: What to know in York County elections
South Carolina voters will head to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in primary elections for governor, attorney general, other statewide offices as well as legislature and several York County contests. Early voting turnout has been...
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SLED investigating after man killed by police in Fort Mill
State investigators have identified the man killed by police on Tuesday at a Fort Mill apartment. Rock Hill officers working on a regional task force fatally shot Yves Venne, 74, according to the State Law Enforcement Division. He was shot before...
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Rock Hill streets to be renamed for fallen officers
Three Rock Hill police officers and South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame members will be honored with streets bearing their names in the city where they died while on duty. And a fourth officer is likely to join them. The South...
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Winthrop poll finds residents struggling with food prices
Most South Carolina residents can’t afford to go out to dinner, and they’re having a hard time paying for groceries too, according to new research from Winthrop University. The Winthrop Poll released economic and affordability figures Thursday that...
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Rock Hill cuts bus service. Will Fort Mill-Charlotte CATS route be next?
York County residents lost their most popular public transit option when Rock Hill discontinued its My Ride service this month. And the service cuts may not be finished. Riders from across York County who use a different bus system to get to Charlotte...
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Early voting has started for SC primaries. What to know
The June political primaries in South Carolina are less than a month away for statewide and local races, but people who want to vote early can cast their ballots. Early voting started Tuesday. The primaries are June 9, and any runoffs would be two...
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SC House advances congressional map splitting York County
York County residents would be split into two U.S. House districts and Lancaster County would be cut out of the district currently represented by U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman under a plan moving quickly through the South Carolina General Assembly. The...
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Rock Hill community mourns teen motorcyclist’s death
Family and friends are grieving after an 18-year-old Rock Hill motorcyclist who worked two jobs died in a crash Tuesday morning. Brayden F. Birmele died at the scene on Dave Lyle Boulevard near Mount Gallant Road. A GMC Yukon failed to yield while...
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As seniors graduate, parent reflects on an unforgettable ride
More than a dozen years ago, I walked a little boy in a buttoned-down shirt and blue jeans into his kindergarten classroom in Fort Mill. He had his matching Panthers bookbag and lunchbox. He had a neighbor friend in his new class, and his mother just...
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Q&A with new Carowinds boss Bridgette Bywater
Just seven days into her newly created leadership role as park president, Bridgette Bywater is focused on connecting with staff and guests at Carowinds. This comes as the park’s parent company, North America’s largest regional amusement operator,...
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Rock Hill lists region’s priciest home at $5.3M
With a potentially record-breaking home sale under contract in Fort Mill, another luxury home just entered the market and the competition for the region’s most expensive home sale ever. This time, it’s in Rock Hill. Premier Sotheby’s International...
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York County Council not getting raise, but utility rates to rise
What looks like a massive pay bump for York County Council members in next fiscal years’ budget isn’t. Instead, it’s money to handle legal issues. York County Manager Josh Edwards released a recommended budget this month for the fiscal year that...
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Columbia’s All Good Books gets coveted B Corp certification
Since it debuted three years ago, Columbia’s All Good Books has been an increasingly popular destination in the famed Five Points neighborhood. Now the shop has received a unique certification for its efforts in the community. The bookstore at 734...
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Senator seeks to limit Silfab’s operations at Fort Mill site
S.C. Sen. Michael Johnson intends to use the state budget to limit what Silfab Solar can do at its Fort Mill site. Silfab is a Canadian solar panel manufacturer whose production facility on Logistics Lane has been at the center of contentious public...
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Fort Mill pending home sale could set regional price record
The most expensive home for sale in the Rock Hill region is under contract, which could lead to a record-breaking deal. The property is listed on multiple online real estate sites at $4.5 million. It spent two weeks on the market before going under...
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Governor requests York County charter school investigation
The South Carolina governor has requested the state investigate the school board at a York County charter school after allegations surfaced about money being taken out of the school’s accounts. In a letter to the S.C. Office of Inspector General on...
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Chemical incidents prompt Saturday classes at Flint Hill
Flint Hill Elementary School students will have class assignments on Saturdays to make up for days lost due to chemical incidents at Silfab Solar. The Fort Mill school board voted 5-2 on Tuesday to have the school hold online classes, or what the...
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Graham: Iran poses greater threat than high gas prices
High gas prices are a strain on drivers across South Carolina, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Herald in an exclusive interview Monday afternoon. But they’re minor, he said, compared to the cost of inaction in Iran. “Gas prices will come down once...
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Rock Hill charter school left with 1 board member, no money
A York County charter school that had a parent walkout last year now will be operated by its South Carolina charter sponsor after the management organization that had been running Ascent Classical Academy of Fort Mill pulled out this week. The school’s...
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