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Return of whitewater: Chester County, SC town hopes new park, rapids bring needed growth

More than 115 years have passed since two dams were built on the Catawba River in the sleepy town of Great Falls to power three textile mills.The mills in this Chester County, S.C., town closed decades ago.Residents still live in the mill villages. Historic store fronts along the town’s main roads have been shuttered for years.Residents have one grocery store, the Great Falls IGA, once a Piggly Wiggly. One of the town’s remaining restaurants, The Flopeye Diner, has a sign on the porch with the word “hop...

More than 115 years have passed since two dams were built on the Catawba River in the sleepy town of Great Falls to power three textile mills.

The mills in this Chester County, S.C., town closed decades ago.

Residents still live in the mill villages. Historic store fronts along the town’s main roads have been shuttered for years.

Residents have one grocery store, the Great Falls IGA, once a Piggly Wiggly. One of the town’s remaining restaurants, The Flopeye Diner, has a sign on the porch with the word “hope.”

Now, town and state leaders are hoping restaurants, shops, hotels and tourism-based companies will flood the town and wash away its economically-depressed status with the completion of Duke Energy’s wide-scale project on the Catawba River.

Duke officials said the Great Falls-Dearborn project, which will create new recreational channels along the river for kayaking, is about 70 percent complete.

The project was scheduled to open this summer, but additional work was needed, said Michael Brissie, manager of generation project engineering for Duke. Brissie said the facilities will open in spring of 2023.

The project has many components — public to access channels on the river, a state park with hiking trails, an historic visitor’s center, a pedestrian bridge, a 3,000-foot hiking trail on an island, parking and restrooms — all within three miles.

“This is a game-changer, obviously for Great Falls,” said S.C. Sen. Mike Fanning.

Duke started construction on the project at the Great Falls Reservoir more than a year ago. As part of a new license for the Catawba-Wateree Project in 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires Duke to provide recreation, enhancement to water quality and quantity, fish and wildlife habitat protection and land conservation along the river.

The main focus of this project is to bring water back to two channels, or bypasses, that were cut off more than a hundred years ago. Those channels made up the 50-foot Great Falls of the Catawba, the town’s namesake.

One channel will be the long bypass, a 2.25 mile stretch for leisure kayaking and canoeing. The long bypass will have Class II and III rapids, which are appropriate for families and individuals wanting a leisurely trip down the river, said Duke spokesman Ben Williamson. The short bypass will have faster water flowing over three-quarters of a mile that will have Class III and IV rapids and is geared more to experienced kayakers, said Christy Churchill, recreation planner for Duke.

Duke can control how much water it releases into the channels. Tourists will be able to check the flow schedules online, or through an app, when planning trips.

To date, Duke has built the Nitrolee Access Area with restrooms and parking for 100 vehicles. Nitrolee will be the primary public hub for access the Great Falls Reservoir and the long bypass. Adjacent to the parking lot on property owned by the Catawba Valley Land Trust is the Arc Building that was part of the Nitrolee plant in the early 1900s. The historic building will become the visitor’s center.

Within a year of the project’s completion, the site will be connected to the Carolina Thread Trail, a regional network of “connected greenways, trails and blueways that reaches 15 counties,” according to the trail’s website.

Another component of the project will be a state park on Dearborn Island. Duke is providing money to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to help the state develop a park on the 600-acre island with trails, Churchill said. Construction on the park, which will have a campground area, will begin once the lease with Duke and SCPRT is finalized, she said.

Duke also will build a pedestrian bridge from a kayak launch to provide access to the island.

Fanning said ideas are floating to offer a unique camping experience, including “glamping,” or glamorous camping, where campers stay in modern-day yurts. He said Dearborn Island will be the third state park in Chester County, which is rare in S.C.

“We have plenty of regular camping and so this island is going to be a way for you to spend time on a campground and have a different form of camping,” Fanning said.

Duke also will create a trail, roughly half a mile, on Mountain Island at the Cedar Creek Reservoir that will allow kayakers to hike back and put their kayaks back in the water.

Churchill said the Dearborn project is unique.

“I would bet in the country, it’s pretty one-of-a-kind,” Churchill said. “It’s like an engineered system to enhance the natural experience.”

Glinda Price Coleman, executive director of the Great Falls Town Home Association, said the return of the water is a “game changer” since the mills closed in the 1980s.

“And since then, there’s been several attempts to do something to punch up the economic structure here in town,” she said.

The Great Falls Home Town Association is a community and economic development nonprofit that has rallied to have nature-based tourism brought to Great Falls and the surrounding community since 2000, Coleman said.

Coleman said developers and businesses are looking into the area, but could not elaborate on specific plans. The plan now is to bring opportunities for local entrepreneurship and attract businesses to set up shop, Coleman said.

Coleman said an array of business would “be another layer of what will bring people here, not only the natural beauty that we have in the area and outdoor recreation opportunities that we have with the trails and the whitewater and the state park.”

Data produced by the nonprofit, American Whitewater, estimates that whitewater activities alone will bring $3.1-$4.6 million to Great Falls annually. Coleman has said it will likely exceed that.

“I think it’s providing (Great Falls) a catalyst to begin work from their perspective and from their point-of-view building back their town,” Churchill said. “We’re building the recreation and then from there, hopefully they can build up interest in the general public and tourism to come down to this area and go rafting, go to the park on the trails, and hopefully bring some economic benefit to the area.”

Fanning said Chester County has been “looking for that next big thing and the timing is perfect.”

He pointed to California-based wine giant E&J Gallo, which is building its first East Coast facility in Fort Lawn, a small town in Chester County.

Fanning said the Dearborn project “will be the single largest development, economic development, dollar amount that we’ve seen in a project that was not a business in the history of Chester County.”

Fanning said 53 business leaders, residents and town officials from Chester, Lancaster, York and Fairfield counties meet every month to discuss the project.

“I don’t want it just to have water that comes down at a high speed,” Fanning said. “We’re looking to promote this as a destination for people to come and spend their time and just take advantage of spending time outdoors.”

Fanning said community members have met with investors to promote the area. The discussions have centered around Great Falls but Fanning is touting Eastern Chester County as the “outdoor recreational capital of the Southeast.”

He said the experience will be “phenomenal.”

“You think about the fact that people have been doing indoor whitewater rafting in Charlotte forever,” Fanning said. “Meaning we know there’s a demand, we know that we’re going to have people coming from all over and it’s going to be spectacular.”

Kayakers can visit the U.S. National Whitewater Center in nearby Charlotte, but the Great Falls project is not an event venue or center, Churchill said.

“They are totally different animals,” Churchill said.

The Great Falls whitewater experience comes from a free-flowing channel.

“Obviously the structures that we’re building to help manage the flow is man-made,” Churchill said. “However, the channel itself and all the features, the scenery, it’s all nature.”

Fanning said a year ago, locals were “rolling their eyes and saying here’s another promise that will never come to pass.”

But now you can drive down S.C. 21 and you can see the work, he added.

“This is going to happen,” Fanning said. “It will happen within the next year and it will be phenomenal.”

South Carolina high school basketball playoff scores: 11 Upstate teams alive for titles

With the South Carolina high school basketball playoffs well underway, there are eleven Upstate-area teams still alive fighting for six available state championship trophies.Here are all the scores from each SCHSL, SCISA playoff games and the set Upper State championship matchups involving those eleven teams.Note: Upstate-area teams are listed in bold.Class AAAAABoysWednesday's resultsDorman...

With the South Carolina high school basketball playoffs well underway, there are eleven Upstate-area teams still alive fighting for six available state championship trophies.

Here are all the scores from each SCHSL, SCISA playoff games and the set Upper State championship matchups involving those eleven teams.

Note: Upstate-area teams are listed in bold.

Class AAAAA

Boys

Wednesday's results

Dorman defeats Fort Mill, 66-33.

Lexington defeats T.L. Hanna, 64-56.

Upper State championship schedule

Dorman vs. Lexington at Bob Jones University on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Girls

Wednesday's results

Mauldin defeats Lexington, 46-43.

Spring Valley defeats Dorman, 61-59.

Upper State championship schedule

Mauldin vs. Spring Valley at Bob Jones University on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

NEW LOOK, SAME DORMAN:How a new style has led to the same old dominance for Dorman boys basketball

Class AAAA

Boys

Monday's results

Greenville defeats Catawba Ridge, 71-60.

Lancaster defeats Wade Hampton, 54-45.

Upper State championship schedule

Greenville vs. Lancaster at Bob Jones University on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Girls

Tuesday's results

Wade Hampton defeats Eastside, 63-46.

North Augusta defeats Pickens, 49-25.

Upper State championship schedule

Wade Hampton vs. North Augusta at Bob Jones University on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Class AAA

Boys

Monday's results

Wren defeats Daniel, 62-56.

Travelers Rest defeats Clinton, 51-46.

Upper State championship schedule

Wren vs. Travelers Rest at Bob Jones University on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Girls

Tuesday's results

Southside defeats Walhalla, 76-58.

Wren defeats Blue Ridge, 49-41.

Upper State championship schedule

Wren vs. Southside at Bob Jones University on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Class A

Boys

Tuesday's results

Christ Church defeats Calhoun Falls, 68-44.

Upper State championship schedule

Christ Church vs. Great Falls at Bob Jones University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Girls

Wednesday's results

St. Joseph’s defeats High Point 75-72 (OT).

Upper State championship schedule

St. Joseph’s vs. Denmark-Olar at Bob Jones University on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

SCISA Class AAA

Boys

Wednesday's results

Hilton Head Christian defeats FPA at Shannon Forest, 71-58.

Girls

Wednesday's results

FPA at Shannon Forest defeats Orangeburg Prep, 33-31.

State championship schedule

FPA at Shannon Forest vs. Hilton Head Christian on Friday at the Sumter Civic Center at 5 p.m.

Schedule set for SC basketball semifinals. Here are the games, how to watch

A look at the matches for the South Carolina High League’s Upper State and Lower State championship games and the S.C. Independent Schools Association championship games.The winners of the SCHSL Upper State and Lower State championships advance to the state finals — March 2-4 — at USC Aiken.Games at Bob Jones University in Greenville; winners advance to state championship gamesFridayClass 2A Girls: Keenan vs. Gray Collegiate, noonClass 2A Boys: Keenan vs. Gray C...

A look at the matches for the South Carolina High League’s Upper State and Lower State championship games and the S.C. Independent Schools Association championship games.

The winners of the SCHSL Upper State and Lower State championships advance to the state finals — March 2-4 — at USC Aiken.

Games at Bob Jones University in Greenville; winners advance to state championship games

Friday

Class 2A Girls: Keenan vs. Gray Collegiate, noon

Class 2A Boys: Keenan vs. Gray Collegiate, 2 p.m.

Class 4A Girls: North Augusta vs. Wade Hampton, 5:30 p.m.

Class 4A Boys: Greenville vs. Lancaster, 7:30 p.m

Saturday

Class A Girls: St. Joseph’s vs. Denmark-Olar, noon

Class A Boys: Christ Church vs. Great Falls, 2 p.m.

Class 3A Girls: Southside vs. Wren, 5:30 p.m.

Class 3A Boys: Wren vs. Travelers Rest, 7:30 p.m.

Monday

Class 5A Girls: Mauldin vs. Spring Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Class 5A Boys: Lexington vs. Dorman, 7:30 p.m.

Games at Florence Center in Florence; winners advance to state championship games

Friday

Class 2A Girls: Andrew Jackson vs. Bishop England, noon

Class 2A Boys: Andrew Jackson vs. Oceanside, 2 p.m.

Class 4A Girls: Westwood vs. AC Flora, 5:30 p.m.

Class 4A Boys: Irmo vs. Hartsville, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Class A Girls: Lake View vs. Military Magnet, noon

Class A Boys: Scott’s Branch vs. Estill, 2 p.m.

Class 3A Girls: Camden vs. Lower Richland, 5:30 p.m.

Class 3A Boys: Crestwood vs. Orangeburg-Wilkinson, 7:30 p.m.

Monday

Class 5A Girls: Sumter vs. Stratford, 5:30 p.m.

Class 5A Boys: Conway vs. Goose Creek, 7:30 p.m.

Florence: Tickets are on sale at the box office or online through Ticketmaster. Tickets sold at the box office will be $12. The box office does not accept cash, only debit or major credit cards will be accepted. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster are $12 plus the additional Ticketmaster fees.

The box office will open at 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Monday, the box office will open at 12:00 pm. Any classification ticket can be purchased at the box office on these days. Tickets purchased will be for that classification only. After each classification, the gym will be cleared, and a new ticket will have to be purchased. There is no re-entry.

All of the Upper and Lower State championship games will be streamed on www.nfhsnetwork.com for a fee of $11.99 which is good for a month subscription.

The Camden-Lower Richland girls game will be carried on KOOL 102.7 FM and be streamed on https://onlineradiobox.com/us/wpubfm/?cs=us.wpubfm&played=1

All Games are at the Sumter Civic Center

Friday

Class 3A Girls: Hilton Head Christian vs. Shannon Forest, 5 p.m.

Class 3A Boys: Hilton Head Christian vs. Christian Academy/Hilton Head Prep, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Class A Girls: Curtis Baptist/Cambridge Academy vs. Laurens/Wardlaw, 10:30 a.m.

Class A Boys: Faith Christian/WW King vs. Charleston Collegiate/Richard Winn, noon

Class 2A Girls: Cathedral/Dorchester vs. Beaufort Academy/Patrick Henry, 2:30 p.m.

Class 2A Boys: Andrew Jackson Academy/Cathedral Academy vs. Calhoun Academy/St. John’s, 2:30 p.m.

Class 4A Girls: Heathwood Hall/First Baptist vs. Northwood/Trinity Collegiate, 6:30 p.m.

Class 4A Boys: Cardinal Newman/First Baptist vs. Hammond/Augusta Christian, 8 p.m.

$10 for adults and $5 for students at the gate, cash only.

All games will be streamed on www.scisatv.net

SC high school basketball playoff scores, updated SCHSL and SCISA schedules

The S.C. High School League and SCISA basketball playoffs are under way.The SCHSL championships are set for March 2-4 at USC Aiken and SCISA championships will be held in Sumter on Feb. 24-25.Here is a look at the latest scores and updated playoff schedules.Class 5AWednesdayUpper StateTL Hanna at Lexington, 6:30 p.m.Dorman at Fort MillLower StateRiver Bluff at Conway, 6:30 p.m.Goose Creek at SummervilleClass 4AFriday...

The S.C. High School League and SCISA basketball playoffs are under way.

The SCHSL championships are set for March 2-4 at USC Aiken and SCISA championships will be held in Sumter on Feb. 24-25.

Here is a look at the latest scores and updated playoff schedules.

Class 5A

Wednesday

Upper State

TL Hanna at Lexington, 6:30 p.m.

Dorman at Fort Mill

Lower State

River Bluff at Conway, 6:30 p.m.

Goose Creek at Summerville

Class 4A

Friday

Upper State

Greenville vs. Lancaster at Bob Jones University, 7:30 p.m.

Lower State

Irmo vs. Hartsville at Florence Center, 7:30 p.m.

Class 3A

Saturday

Upper State

Wren vs. Travelers Rest at Bob Jones University, 7:30 p.m.

Lower State

Crestwood vs. Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Florence Center, 7:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Wednesday

Upper State

Eau Claire at Gray Collegiate, 6 p.m.

Columbia at Keenan

Lower State

Woodland at Andrew Jackson

Mullins at Oceanside

Class A

Tuesday

Upper State

Christ Church 68, Calhoun Falls 44

Great Falls 70, Denmark-Olar 68

Lower State

Scott’s Branch 62, Burke 49

Estill 59, Baptist Hill 54

Saturday

Upper State

Christ Church vs. Great Falls at Bob Jones University, 2 p.m.

Lower State

Estill vs. Scott’s Branch at Florence Center, 2 p.m.

Class 5A

Wednesday

Upper State

Lexington at Mauldin

Dorman at Spring Valley

Lower State

Stall at Sumter

Summerville at Stratford

Class 4A

Tuesday

Upper State

North Augusta 49, Pickens 25

Wade Hampton 63, Eastside 46

Lower State

Westwood 62, James Island 34

AC Flora 57, Ridge View 24

Friday

Upper State

North Augusta vs. Wade Hampton at Bob Jones University, 5:30 p.m.

Lower State

Westwood vs. AC Flora at Florence Center, 5:30 p.m.

Class 3A

Tuesday

Upper State

Southside 76, Walhalla 58

Wren 49, Blue Ridge 41

Lower State

Camden 82, Loris 47

Lower Richland 59, Crestwood 51

Saturday

Upper State

Southside vs. Wren at Bob Jones University, 5:30 p.m.

Lower State

Camden vs. Lower Richland at Florence Center, 5:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Tuesday

Upper State

Gray Collegiate 52, Fairfield Central 21

Keenan 60, Silver Bluff 46

Lower State

Andrew Jackson 64, Kingstree 54

Bishop England 53, Timberland 30

Friday

Upper State

Gray Collegiate vs. Keenan at Bob Jones University, noon

Lower State

Andrew Jackson vs. Bishop England at Florence Center, noon

Class A

Wednesday

Upper State

St. Joseph’s at High Point Academy

Denmark-Olar at McBee

Lower State

Lake View at Carvers Bay

Military Magnet at Allendale-Fairfax

Class 4A

Tuesday

Augusta Christian 81, Pinewood Prep 69 (OT)

Hammond 34, Porter-Gaud 29

Cardinal Newman 66, Wilson Hall 34

First Baptist 89, Ben Lippen 58

Class 3A

Wednesday

Shannon Forest vs. Hilton Head Christian at Sumter Civic Center, 8 p.m.

Christian Academy vs. Hilton Head Prep at Sumter Civic Center, 5 p.m.

Class 2A

Tuesday

Andrew Jackson Academy 74, Bethesda 53

Cathedral Academy 54, Patrick Henry 51

Calhoun Academy 67, Dillon Christian 55

St. John’s 68, Beaufort Academy 53

Thursday

Andrew Jackson Academy vs. Cathedral Academy at Wilson Hall, 7 p.m.

Calhoun Academy vs. St. John’s at Wilson Hall, 7 p.m.

Class A

Tuesday

Faith Christian 61, Laurens Academy 33

W.W. King Academy 33, Our Lady of Rosary 19

Charleston Collegiate 43, Newberry Academy 33

Richard Winn 57, Ragin Prep 28

Thursday

Faith Christian vs. WW King at Hammond, 5 p.m.

Charleston Collegiate vs. Richard Winn at Hammond, 8 p.m.

Class 4A

Thursday

Heathwood Hall vs. First Baptist at Sumter Civic Center, 6:30 p.m.

Northwood vs. Trinity Collegiate at Sumter Civic Center, 3:30 p.m.

Class 3A

Wednesday

Hilton Head Christian vs. Pee Dee Academy at Sumter Civic Center, 3:30 p.m.

Orangeburg Prep vs. Shannon Forest at Sumter Civic Center, 6:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Thursday

Cathedral vs. Dorchester at Wilson Hall, 5:30 p.m.

Beaufort Academy vs. Patrick Henry at Wilson Hall, 5:30 p.m.

Class A

Thursday

Curtis Baptist vs. Cambridge Academy at Hammond, 6:30 p.m.

Laurens vs. Wardlaw at Hammond, 3:30 p.m.

This story was originally published February 16, 2023, 11:48 PM.

River Hawks Fall to #23 South Carolina, 12-1, in Series Finale

COLUMBIA, SC –-The UMass Lowell baseball team (0-3, 0-0 AE) fell to the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0, 0-0 SEC) in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Graduate student Matt Draper (Lowell, Mass.) threw four scoreless innings in struck out four.Draper went 4.2 innings before exiting the game for freshman ...

COLUMBIA, SC –-The UMass Lowell baseball team (0-3, 0-0 AE) fell to the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0, 0-0 SEC) in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Graduate student Matt Draper (Lowell, Mass.) threw four scoreless innings in struck out four.

Draper went 4.2 innings before exiting the game for freshman Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.), who made his collegiate debut. Fellow freshman Nick DiRito (Plymouth, Mass.) also made his debut, throwing 2.0 innings and striking out one.

"[Matt] Draper was fantastic. He ran out of gas in the fifth but held a good lineup in check. Their Sunday start, [Jack] Mahoney was 95-97, we don't see that," said head coach Ken Harring. "That is the best team we've played at the Division I level and I'm proud of how the guys competed. We will address some things and get ready for Florida Gulf Coast next weekend."

Sophomore Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) tallied two hits and one run in three at-bats to lead the offense. Graduate student Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.), seniors Trey Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) and Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.), and sophomore Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) each registered a hit. Proto also tallied an RBI with a double in the ninth inning.

Sunday's series finale started as a pitcher's duel between Matt Draper and South Carolina's Jack Mahoney with each throwing four scoreless innings. Draper punched out two in the bottom of the second for his first strikeouts of the afternoon. The River Hawks' offense got moving in the third as Trey Brown singled through the left side. Alex Luccini reached first on a great bunt down the third base line, but UMass Lowell could not bring in a run. Brandon Fish added a single in the fourth, but the game moved to the fifth in a scoreless tie.

Mahoney threw a 1-2-3 fifth inning, reaching eight strikeouts on the afternoon. The Gamecocks offense came alive in the bottom half of the inning. The hosts scored six runs with two outs behind a double and a three-run home run. Jacob Jette made his collegiate debut in relief of Draper with two on and two out. A two-run homer added the hosts lead, but the freshman was able to escape the inning.

Gerry Siracusa and Brandon Fish put together back-to-back singles with two outs in the bottom of the sixth as Mahoney exited the game, but the River Hawks left two runners stranded. South Carolina added three in the bottom half of the inning, but junior Fritz Genther's (Kingston, N.Y.) highlight reel play got the runner out at first and ended the frame. Freshman Nick DiRito made his collegiate debut in the seventh, picking up his first career strikeout to end the inning.

The River Hawks defense looked sharp in the eighth inning, turning 5-4-3 double play for the first two outs of the frame. Brandon Fish made a nice line drive grab to end the inning, but South Carolina tacked on another run. Ryan Proto's RBI double scored Fish to get UMass Lowell on the board, but the River Hawks fell 12-1 in the series finale.

Up next for the River Hawks is a three-game series against Florida Gulf Coast weekend. First pitch of game one is set for 6:30 p.m. at Swanson Stadium in Fort Myers.

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