Palmetto Report

* Editor's note: This podcast was originally recorded in February 2020.(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Winthrop University students in the Department of Mass Communication recently were given the opportunity to hear from a media professional who visited the school, as part of an exchange program that connects educators with media organizations.In July, Dr. Nathaniel Frederick, an associate professor of mass communication, participated in the program, sponsored by the Association for Education in Journalism in Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the Scripps Howard Foundation, which included a two-week externship at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio.As part of the program, Tasha Stewart, a senior manager of engagement at WCPO, visited Winthrop to discuss how technology, including social media, is changing the way news is delivered.Stewart was a guest on the Palmetto Report to discuss the state of the media business and her advice to students.

* Editor's note: This podcast was originally recorded in February of 2020.(Rock Hill, S.C.) — With the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary just days away, Joe Biden continues to maintain a narrow lead in the state, according to data from the latest Winthrop University Poll.The poll, released Feb. 21, found 24 percent of likely voters said they support the former vice president, while 19 percent said they favored U.S. Sen. (Vermont) Bernie Sanders.Dr. Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop Poll and a professor of political science, joined the Palmetto Report to discuss the South Carolina primary race.

* Editor's note: This podcast was originally recorded in November of 2019.(Rock Hill, S.C.) — South Carolina will soon play a key role in the 2020 presidential election, as the state will host the “first in the South” primary Feb. 29. As a result, a number of Democratic candidates have been traveling to the state to campaign and reach out to voters.Most recently, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren made stops in Rock Hill. Additionally, Sanders, in September, and California Sen. Kamala Harris, earlier this year, visited the Winthrop University campus for campaign events.Dr. John Holder -- an adjunct professor of political science at Winthrop, who is teaching a class this semester on the presidency -- was a guest on the Palmetto Report to discuss South Carolina’s role in the presidential race.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Another Rock Hill taphouse, promoted on the YoCo Brew Trail by Visit York County, is closing its doors after three years of serving the community, making it one of nearly 10 craft brew pubs to shut down in the county since 2022.Hoppin’ Rock Hill will close its doors May 30, which the establishment announced earlier this month on social media.Untamed Waters Brewing in Fort Mill closed last month and Middle James Brewing closed its Rock Hill location at the Powerhouse in September.Logan Elrod, the digital communications manager for Visit York County, who oversees the YoCo Brew Trail, which was created to promote craft brewing in the county, joined the Palmetto Report to discuss the trend.Elrod is also a Winthrop University graduate and former contributor to the Palmetto Report.He noted that 2024 was the first year, in nearly two decades in the U.S., where more craft breweries closed than opened.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- When Genesis Aviles opened a coffee shop in Rock Hill in the summer of 2024, it was never intended to be a place to stop for a quick cup of coffee, but rather a place where people could gather and connect.“I think a lot of people walk into coffee shops nowadays just expecting to grab an order and have to go, and I don't want people to feel like that," said Aviles, the owner of the Borboleta Cafe, located at 2425 Cherry Rd.Aviles was a guest on the Palmetto Report podcast and spoke with our Olivia Melody and Claudia Sadolva about her mission to create a coffee shop that she hopes can serve as a "third place" and promote a sense of community.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Rock Hill is a unique place for the arts, considering it's one of just four cities in South Carolina that has a poet laureate, joining only Charleston, Columbia and Greenville. It's also unique nationally, considering that of the 35 U.S. cities with populations of 500,000 residents or more, there are only 16 with city poets laureate. Carlo Dawson, who has served as an educator in the Rock Hill School District for more than 20 years, is the current poet laureate for Rock Hill. Dawson, who is the second person to hold the poet laureate position in the city, currently serves as the dean of student leadership for Rock Hill schools, where she has also taught creative writing, art and journalism. She is also a published author and is the founder and director of the non-profit group the Power of Progeny. Dawson spoke with our Raegan Carter about her unique position on the Palmetto Report.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- The annual Come-See-Me Festival concluded its 10-day run of events, which brought thousands of visitors to Rock Hill for a celebration of community, culture and tradition. The festival featured a wide range of family-friendly activities including live music, food vendors and a parade."I think it means so much to a lot of people, because it's just something that marks the beginning of spring to them," said Nate Mallard, chairman of the Come-See-Me Festival, who was a guest on the Palmetto Report. It has become one of the largest and most anticipated events in the region, drawing both locals and out-of-town visitors.The Palmetto Report's Noah Whitworth spoke with Mallard about this year's event.Read more at: https://palmettoreport.com/

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- More than 50 years have passed since Winthrop University, which at the time was called Winthrop College, became a fully coeducational school in 1974.Prior to the fall of 1974, Winthrop allowed limited admission to men, mostly as graduate students and occasionally as upper classmen. Mary Beth Hughes, who attended Winthrop from 1970-74, was in the final all-girls class at Winthrop.She spoke with our Chaidyn Young-Haynes, on the Palmetto Report podcast, to recall her experience and the changes she witnessed, after the school went fully coeducational.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Winthrop University will soon be the first public school in South Carolina to give students an opportunity to earn their degrees and become pilots. The school will partner with ACES Flight School to give students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in aviation and business management, while also certifying them as pilots. The program is currently slated to begin in fall 2026. The Palmetto Report's Clark Vilardebo speaks with Kevin Kyzer, the owner of ACES Flight School, about the new program.

(Fort Mill, S.C.) -- Silfab Solar in Fort Mill has been drawing criticism in recent weeks for a number of reasons, including two chemical spills, which disrupted operations at Flint Hill Elementary School. The company is also facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to pay bills and has drawn the attention of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson. Regardless of the recent scrutiny, a grassroots Fort Mill group has been working to move the Silfab plant, which they say has put nearby residents at risk. The Palmetto Report's Olivia Miles speaks Dr. Andrea Olson, a Fort Mill veterinarian and member of Move Silfab, about the group's concerns.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- If you've been to a concert in Rock Hill anytime over the last 15 years, there is a good chance that Mike Gentry, a Winthrop University employee and alumnus, has had a hand in making that show possible. Gentry, who graduated from Winthrop in 2008 with a degree in fine arts , is a long-time musician and music promoter who founded Don’t Sweat It Inc., a non-profit dedicated to "fostering local music and offering free and low cost events" for the community, according to the group's website. David Metzl, from Eagle Air Radio, speaks with Gentry for the Palmetto Report.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- The Winthrop University Theater Department hosted a performance of "Everybody" by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, last weekend in the Johnson Hall Studio Theater, which explored the themes of life, death and its meaning. The show was a 21st-century adaptation of the 15th-century morality play "Everyman," as the main travels down a road toward life's greatest mystery. The Palmetto Report's Will Locklin Elliott spoke with Eden Cook, the director of the show.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University officially ended its search for a new chief of police by promoting Charles S. Yearta from interim chief to the role full-time on Sept. 12. Yearta, who was excited to take on his new role, said was both honored and intimidated by the responsibilities that came along with being the chief of police at Winthrop. He spoke with our Cheryl Clack about his new role and campus safety.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Edward Serna celebrated his fifth month as the new Winthrop University president on Dec. 1 and he appeared as the first guest on the Palmetto Report's new vodcast to discuss his first few months on the job.  Serna, who is a Winthrop graduate, returned to the school after serving as president of the University of Maine at Farmington.  "It has been exciting, it has been overwhelming, it has been wonderful," said Serna, was in the studio for the interview on Oct. 24 "It has gone by very quickly. I can't believe I've already been here four months, but it's fantastic to be back in Rock Hill and at Winthrop."  Ainsley McCarthy spoke with Serna about some of his memories of his time as a non-traditional undergraduate student, as well as the tools that he will use to shape Winthrop University’s future, including talking to current students. Read more: https://palmettoreport.com/2022/12/09/serna-discusses-first-months-as-wu-president/

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is one of the many non-profit organizations that are centered around mental health and education on mental illness. NAMI offers many virtual tools, including a helpline, a video resource library and online discussion groups. However, different locations around the country offer different in-person and even more virtual activities. The Palmetto Report's Ashlynn Hinson speaks with Betsey O'Brien, director of NAMI Piedmont Tri-County, about the group's work in South Carolina.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is one of the many non-profit organizations that are centered around mental health and education on mental illness. NAMI offers many virtual tools, including a helpline, a video resource library and online discussion groups. However, different locations around the country offer different in-person and even more virtual activities. One of these, NAMI Piedmont Tri-County, offers a physical location known as The Hut where anyone can come visit, whether it’s to relax and play video games, or to join a support group. Kati Durkee, the outreach coordinator for NAMI Piedmont Tri-County, told the Palmetto Reports she thinks Winthrop students can benefit from using The Hut, which has couches, a TV and an Xbox, computers and a kitchen stocked with snacks.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- There are a number of construction projects underway on the Winthrop University campus, which are causing issues for some students, faculty and staff. Winthrop has started working on its campus beautification initiative; a construction project focused on renewing and revitalizing the campus grounds. The project is currently focused on replacing the tiles on the path in between the West Center and the DiGiorgio Campus Center. James Grigg, associate vice president of facilities management at Winthrop, joined the Palmetto Report to give an update on the construction projects.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- A number of Winthrop University students say they've noticed a difference between the way sports are played in the U.S. versus internationally, with soccer being one of the best examples. The Palmetto Report's Logan Elrod spoke with Emily Patterson, president of the Winthrop soccer club, and Arthur Le Corguillé, an international student from France, about the differences in how sports like soccer are played outside the U.S.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Mac Banks has seen a lot of changes in the print industry since he graduated from Winthrop University in 1999, including the closure of hundreds of newspapers and the loss of thousands of jobs in print media. Banks -- who currently writes for the Lancaster News -- has started Fort Mill Prep Sports, which is a website that covers high school sports in Fort Mill township, including the schools Catawba Ridge, Fort Mill and Nation Ford. Banks, who has also covered sports for the Rock Hill Herald and the Aiken Standard over his 20-plus-year career in media, was a guest on the Palmetto Report to discuss the site.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — The Pathways Community Center in Rock Hill has joined with a number of community partners to develop and present an immersive art exhibit, which is intended to raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding homelessness. The "Humanizing Homelessness" exhibit will be on display May 12-19, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m, at the Lowenstein Building, located at 300 Technology Center Way in Rock Hill. Alex Greenawalt, the director of Pathways who has been working to organize the event, was a guest on the Palmetto Report podcast to the exhibit.