Driving School in Camden, SC

Camden is cracking down on long-vacant downtown buildings with a new ordinance requiring owners to file reuse plans and help keep the city’s growth moving.

CAMDEN, S.C. — As downtown Camden continues to grow and attract new businesses, the city is taking steps to make sure no properties are left behind.

On Tuesday night, City Council passed an ordinance aimed at holding owners of vacant downtown buildings accountable.

The new rule creates a registry of vacant buildings. If a property sits empty for more than 125 days, the owner must file a plan outlining what they’ll do with it. There are also fees for repeat filings — the first registration is free, the second costs $100, and the third increases to $500.

The city says property owners will be contacted directly if their building qualifies for the registry. Code enforcement officers will also inspect vacant structures to ensure they meet safety and maintenance requirements.

Camden Mayor Vincent Sheheen says that while most of downtown has seen major growth in recent years, a few properties are still being left behind.

“It is really a small percentage, maybe 10 or less, that are still chronically unoccupied,” Sheheen said. “But those buildings are really important to the city, and having large buildings in key places just sit empty and become dilapidated — and in some situations unsafe — is a real problem.”

Sheheen says many property owners have recently been inspired by others who found success revitalizing their spaces.

“We’ve seen many buildings that were on the sidelines for the last decade or more come to life over the last three to four years as building owners say, ‘Hey, this can work,’” he said. “That’s probably the most powerful thing — seeing the success of other building owners.”

The city is also encouraging revitalization by offering resources such as help with permits, property tax incentives like the Bailey Bill, and other programs.

At 511 Rutledge, one long-vacant building is getting new life as a restaurant after its Bailey Bill property tax incentive was approved Tuesday night. Just two doors down, a local barber named Champ has transformed another once-empty building into a thriving shop — and he’s now opening a new business in another long-vacant space.

“New floors had to be put in, new walls had to be put in — it was just old, old everything,” Champ said. “We’re making everything new. We’re part of the new culture here in Camden, and it’s the building culture.”

He says it has been a long time coming.

“It feels great to see the town come alive and live, because it needs some momentum around here. It was so dormant.”

Other projects, including the renovation of the historic King Haigler Hotel and a new restaurant on Broad Street, are also underway.

The cCty of Camden will notify property owners if their building sits vacant for more than 125 days, giving them a chance to file a plan before penalties begin.

Kershaw County, S.C. (WACH) — Erica Johnson says her 9-year-old son, Andrew Johnson, has level three autism and was mistreated at Midway Elementary School and it was caught on tape. She said her son had been trying to tell her what was going on at school, but she didn’t believe him until he came home with bruises.

Body camera footage from a school resource officer at Midway Elementary School shows Andrew having what his mother says is an episode of being overstimulated on September 30, 2024. She said the behavior stems from her son’s severe autism. Her attorney recently got the video after it was subpoenaed.

Johnson said though she realized after the incident that Andrew did not have a Behavioral Intervention Plan (B.I.P) in place, she notified the school of his diagnosis, submitted his paperwork from the Marcus Autism Center in Georgia and told them what to do when her son gets overstimulated.

“When you have autism, it’s something in the brain. There is no medication to cure that," said Johnson.

The video shows the school principal at the time, Elizabeth Stehle, toss an object in the direction of Andrew. The principal is then seen slapping an object out of his hand while telling Andrew how much his mother will have to pay to get the items replaced.

“This is a grown woman throwing something at a nine-year-old at the time, and no adult should have the right to throw anything at a child or be excused for that kind of behavior," said Johnson. "If you’re having a bad day, like the district told me she was having a bad day and at her tipping point, you shouldn’t have showed up for work.”

Experts, including psychologist Dr. Katie Frankie with ABS Kids, say children who have severe autism can become overstimulated by different external factors and, in some cases, be unable to communicate their true feelings.

“They may not be able to use spoken words and might rely on assistive technology, such as an iPad with speech output, to communicate,” Franke said. “They may also struggle with generating spontaneous language, so they may repeat phrases they hear from others even when it’s difficult for them to express their own thoughts.”

According to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Stehle requested the incident be reported. The report stated that Andrew was picking up school supplies and tossing them, and at one point picked up a chair but did not throw it. It also stated the principal began shouting at Andrew and threw several items as well.

“I was always on the principal’s side, no matter what she told me her work was right,” Johnson said.

Johnson says there were other incidents, but she didn’t believe her son until he came home with bruises on September 6 and September 19, 2024.

“September 6 was the day my son came home and put a pillowcase over his head and said he wanted to die,” Johnson said. “Mommy, they pinned me down in the chair. They pinned me down on the floor and had my hands behind my back and my neck like this.”

Johnson said Andrew was written up for behavior issues in both incidents where she found bruises.

“As a parent, it’s sad to say, you know, I want my child to be normal like everybody else. He wants to be normal like everybody else,” Johnson said.

WACH FOX News reached out to the school district about the incidents, requesting information about the investigation and any actions taken. A district spokesperson responded by saying it was a personnel privacy issue and they were not able to provide a comment or any information.

Johnson said her son is now at a different school where they have a safe room that includes different sensory activities for Andrew and other students. According to Johnson Andrew was diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a result of the incidents at Midway Elementary School.

The historic town of Camden is undergoing a major loss.

The DeRoyal Textile Mill, formerly the Hermitage Cotton Mill, burned nearly to the ground around 11 p.m. on Sept. 20. The mill was built in the 1890s at 125 York St. by three local businessmen and transitioned into new ownership in the late 1990s.

The former mill had been vacant for several years. No one was in the building during the time of the fire.

Camden Fire Chief Eddie Gardner said first responders reacted quickly and worked all night to contain the fire. Firefighters from several surrounding cities came to help as well.

“The most encouraging thing from the fire was seeing the outpouring support for our firefighters,” said Camden mayor Vincent Sheheen.

The building was divided into the A, B, C, and D sections. The C and D section of the building suffered the most damage.

“This is the biggest fire I’ve seen here at Camden for 35 years,” Gardner said.

“We knew that the building was in pretty bad shape so we couldn’t do an interior or offensive attack,” Gardner said, “… We had to put up master streams from our ladder trucks and put water on the building from above.”

The former mill was not insured, and members of the community have been questioning the routine maintenance of the building.

The building was discussed before the fire as the home to apartments or condos.

“I have always looked at it as kind of a historic monument, but also an opportunity for the future,” the mayor said. “… So I was really devastated.”

“The past reflects on what’s going on today, and I believe that the loss of the mill is a great loss to Camden,” said Jimmy Garner, an electrical employee of the cotton mill during the ’70s.

The community came together with food and moral support as members grieve memories of the mill.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it is still investigating the cause of the fire.

The building’s future remains up in the air.

“My job as the mayor is to try to help chart a vision for these important parts of our community,” Sheheen said. “So that’s what I’ll be doing from here on out.”

The storage hopper, or material silo, for the former cotton mill. These are used to store bulk materials such as grain, cotton seeds, chemicals, etc., and are highly flammable. Photo taken by Belle McGuirt/Carolina Reporter

The area is blocked off to deter trespassers while it undergoes debris cleanup. Photo taken by Belle McGuirt/Carolina Reporter

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Some Camden residents said they’re left with more questions than answers after getting a notice from a local accounting firm, warning that their personal information may have been exposed.

According to a notice on Sheheen, Hancock & Godwin, LLP’s website, an unknown actor downloaded files from its network earlier this year.

When Robert Baskins checked his mail, he didn’t expect to find a notice saying his personal information may be in the wrong hands.

“This is ridiculous, and we can’t get no answers about it,” he said.

The firm said the unusual activity happened in April. After investigating in May, they learned an unknown person had downloaded files from the company’s network. Just last month, they confirmed those files may have included personal information — like Social Security numbers, bank details, and even medical records.

Baskins’ mother, Eva Baskins, also got a notice but said her family has never done business with the firm.

“That’s concerning. It’s real concerning, and somebody needs to check it and see what’s happening,” she said.

The firm said in its notice that it has since secured its systems and is strengthening its cybersecurity policies. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions, including how many people were impacted, why notifications took months to send, and why some non-clients were notified.

WIS went to the firm in person to get answers, but was told to speak with their attorney. The firm has yet to provide the name of its attorney.

Richard Brooks, a computer engineering professor at Clemson University who specializes in cybersecurity, says data breaches like this are becoming more common.

“That is getting worse and worse,” he said.

He added that there are things people can do to try to safeguard their information.

“The best thing you can do is take care of the monitoring solutions that they have,” he said. “And just be aware and try to limit how much of your personal data you’re putting out there — but that’s getting to be more and more difficult all the time, simply because your data is valuable and people are trying to take advantage of it."

The firm is urging anyone who received a notice to keep a close eye on their accounts and credit reports. It’s also offering a year of free credit monitoring and identity protection services.

According to the notice, anyone with questions or concerns can call the firm’s call center at 1-833-844-8187.

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