Roof Repair in Hanahan, SC

Science Applications International Corp. is expanding its existing operations in Hanahan with a $26 million investment in a new facility at North Pointe Commerce Park.

SAIC, headquartered in Reston, Va., provides technical, engineering, intelligence and IT services to the federal government for diplomatic and military operations. The company currently has platform integration and production operations facilities at 5617 N. Rhett Ave. in North Charleston and a few miles up North Rhett at 7410 Magi Road in Hanahan.

The new facility, at 1017 North Pointe Industrial Blvd. in Hanahan, around the corner from the Magi Road location, will be its largest in the Charleston area.

Robert Carruthers, vice president of platform integration, said the impetus to open this new facility was a contract it signed with the Marines to upgrade its assault amphibious vehicles, to improve the vehicles’ survivability on the battlefield.

“We’re taking the opportunity because it just simply made sense based on the growth in this area and the amount of work we had to have a new facility and really design it from the ground up to optimize this kind of work,” Carruthers said. “Our current facilities were legacy facilities that we’ve had for many years doing this kind of work, but they weren’t originally designed for it.”

CEO Tony Moraco said in a statement, “SAIC has a long legacy of doing business in South Carolina. This investment is directly tied to the expansion of our platform integration operations and is a critical component of our long-term strategy.”

Construction on the new facility is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and SAIC expects its expansion to create 200 jobs over the next five years. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits for the project.

“We are excited that SAIC will be expanding its operation and bringing hundreds of quality jobs to the city of Hanahan,” Hanahan Mayor Minnie Newman said in a statement. “Most importantly, we are proud that Hanahan continues to be a destination for companies that provide critical support services to the United States military.”

Carruthers said SAIC currently has enough work to support three Charleston-area facilities, but the company has the ability to consolidate its operations into the new, larger facility in the future. He said, though, that the company doesn’t have to decide about consolidation now.

“Honestly, I anticipate some of those legacy buildings no matter what, just simply because of the volume of work we have,” he said.

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCIV) — Learning how to save lives one class at a time is the goal of a course at Hanahan Middle School.

"Our principal came to me last year , wanting to start a new class," teacher Susan Hill said. "And we did."

Read more: Berkeley County begins construction of Nexton Middle School

The new class, called Introduction to Health Professions, brings the medical world to the classroom.

"We go through a lot about the body systems, different tools used by health professionals, and different types of jobs," Hill said.

For students to get a complete understanding of what it’s like to work in the medical field, health professionals from the community are invited to come speak, including Rodney Profit, a training captain with Boeing Security and Fire.

Learning about these jobs isn't the only takeaway for the students; they leave the course certified in basic life support.

"We do everything from adult child infant, CPR, choking first aid, and AED usages to get these students certified in basic life support," Profit said. "Students are given a chance to kind of look and explore what's out there for them and letting them know that there are no hurdles. If there are any hurdles, they can transverse those hurdles, but no one can tell them they can't do what they want to do.”

This encouragement has left students with the world at their fingertips.

"This has opened a lot more like pathways," student Lianny Martinez said.

Student, Savannah Wika said, "I would say it really like helped me realize what I really want to do for like a job. It really opened up what's happening when you go to the hospital."

Read more: BCSD approves $1.5K and $500 bonuses for fourth incentive of the year

The course also includes off-campus field trips. The class recently visited Charleston Southern University (CSU), where students got a tour of the campus.

For Hill, she believes each and every one of the students are more than capable of accomplishing their dreams.

"I just hope they understand how valuable they are and what a future they have," she said. "They have their whole lives in front of them and I'm just really excited to see what they do with that."

Hill says she could not be prouder of her students and teaching them has been a rewarding experience.

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Hundreds gathered in Hanahan on Saturday for a full-day affair dedicated to honoring the nation’s veterans.

Several community members say it is vital to prioritize our Lowcountry military before, during and after their service.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Navy Veteran Jerry Oldham says. “Right here. I’m one of you all, you’re one of us. We’re in this all together.”

After two tours in Vietnam and several years of service, Oldham now calls the Lowcountry his home.

He believes post-military resources didn’t always exist, but they are more important than ever.

“There’s more programs, opportunities, more things that look to help veterans today that weren’t there in the past.”

400,000 veterans currently live in the state out of 20 million nationwide, according to studies done by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

28% of them are experiencing a disability of some kind, whether physical or mental health-related.

Besides the day filled with speeches, songs, treats and trinket shopping, a handful of vendors were in attendance to support transitioning and post-service veterans.

“Whether it’s a lifelong career or just a few years, they come out different than when they went in,” City of Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater says. “They often need services and support.”

“Education, employment, nutrition, housing, social networking, all the different things which hug a veteran through their transition,” Palmetto Pathfinder Jean Brooks adds.

Palmetto Pathfinder is one of the many options available to veterans who need assistance.

It is a three-day mentorship program through the statewide Department of Veterans Affairs.

“A Pathfinder is a mentor for other veterans,” Brooks says. “We can speak to each other in our own language and provide resources.”

Oldham says it is heartwarming to see advocacy and celebration from the community in a time where it is becoming “less common.”

“It kind of hurts me sometimes, the things that happen today because people just don’t appreciate it.”

The City of Hanahan has been a long-time supporter with a population consisting of mostly military families.

They say they hope to continue to foster relationships and work toward making resources more accessible until the festivities start again next year.

“To those post-military, say ‘Hey, how can we support you, what are you in need of? You have served us, now we want to serve you.’”

For information on Veterans Affairs services, click here.

For information on the Palmetto Pathfinder Program, click here.

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HANAHAN — A parade of emergency response vehicles and a school bus were the first to drive a newly opened mile-long stretch of Railroad Avenue, a road project recently completed after years of work.

The extension runs from Mabeline Road to Eagle Landing Boulevard, adding a two-lane roadway along the eastern side of the existing CSX rail line, with a sidewalk along one side of the road.

Though only a mile, the new stretch connects the northwest corner of the city, where several neighborhoods and Hanahan Elementary School are, to the rest of the city, said Mayor Christie Rainwater.

Prior to the extension, drivers had to take a roundabout route and cross the railroad tracks twice.

“In order to get to the Eagle Landing ... part of the city, you actually had to leave the city, cross over the railroad tracks, go to another city (North Charleston), and then go down Rivers Avenue, cross back over the railroad tracks and get back into (Hanahan),” she said. “So obviously it was inconvenient to say the least.”

It was also completed after more than two decades of delays, which ballooned the cost from a $4 million federal earmark in the 1990s to more than $20 million by the time the county broke ground on the project in 2021.

Berkeley County’s 1 percent sales tax to pay for infrastructure contributed more than $16 million to the funding.

Officials said the delays were due to a number of bureaucratic hurdles and discussions between the county, the S.C. Department of Transportation and CSX, all of which had to review and approve various aspects of the project. Funding issues contributed as well, Rainwater said — the longer other delays took, the more expensive the project became and the more time it took to secure further funding.

Town and county officials held a ribbon cutting for the road extension on March 17, with a cohort of former mayors and other public officials in attendance such as former U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, who helped secure the initial federal earmark. Officials, local emergency responders and other attendees took to the school bus and emergency vehicles to drive through a blue ribbon and up the mile of road.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Tuesday, March 14, 2023) – Berkeley County, in partnership with the City of Hanahan, will celebrate the completion of Railroad Avenue Extension in Hanahan with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. The event will take place in front of the Hanahan Recreation Center ballfields across from Mabeline Road in Hanahan.

This critical road project, which was managed by the S.C. Department of Transportation, has been in the works since the 1990s. The County celebrated the project’s groundbreaking in spring 2021.

Kiewit Infrastructure South constructed the project, which consisted of extending Railroad Avenue from Mabeline Road to Eagle Landing Boulevard and adding a two-lane roadway along the eastern side of the existing CSX rail line, with a sidewalk along one side of the road.

The project provides a safer connection between North and South Hanahan. Specifically, drivers will no longer have to enter Rivers Avenue and cross the railroad twice; and first responder vehicles will also have a better and safer access to those communities, overall improving emergency response times.

This project cost an estimated $20.1 million, including approximately $16 million from Berkeley County’s One-Cent Sales Tax Program—specifically from the referendum voters passed in 2014—and $4 million from federal funds.

“This road extension project, which has been decades in the making, is a gamechanger for the Hanahan community and public safety. We are thankful to Berkeley County voters for approving the County’s One-Cent Sales Tax referendum and to Congressman Henry Brown for securing federal funds to pay for this long-awaited infrastructure project. We are confident the result will be faster emergency response times and safer travel for all.” -Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb

“Thanks to the perseverance and hard work of so many who have passed the torch of this much needed project, we are finally celebrating the infrastructure connectivity of Hanahan through Railroad Avenue Extension. I am grateful for the collaboration of many different agencies to make this happen. Hanahan is now safer, transportation is easier, and quality of life is better.” -Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater

The City of Hanahan will also host a “Meet in the Street Block Party” event at 5:30 p.m. on Friday to commemorate the road project’s completion. There will be a food truck and other festivities. For more information, go HERE.

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-Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office-