Palmetto Report

(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.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Changes to the Winthrop University board of trustees’ bylaws last summer, which removed the student and faculty representatives from the board, have drawn criticism, including from some who have seen the changes firsthand. The changes, which were unanimously approved in June 2021, called for the creation of student, faculty and staff “liaisons” to the board. “Previous to this, there were two positions that represented the students and faculty respectively; a student representative and a faculty representative,” said Chase Duncan, managing editor of The Johnsonian, who was a guest on the Palmetto Report podcast.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Students from across York County were able to showcase their skills, singing songs and performing music, over the weekend at the 3rd annual All On Board Coalition student talent, which was open to students in grades from 7-12. All On Board uses the event, which was held April 29 in Rock Hill, to connect with young people and raise awareness of the group's mission to prevent youth substance abuse in York County. "The talent show was a huge success, which was exactly what we wanted," said Ashli Watts, executive director of the nonprofit, who was a guest on the Palmetto Report podcast.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University's streaming radio station returned to the air with a student staff this spring after three semesters of limited operations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and technical problems. Eagle Air, which is operated by the mass communication department, broadcasts 24 hours a day via web stream and and the free TuneIn internet radio app and features popular and college music spanning seven decades. Typically, the station has had a student staff, which serve as hosts and announcers at various times throughout the weekday. However, students were unable to host live shows on Eagle Air since the spring 2020 semester, prior to the start of the pandemic. Mark Nortz, senior instructor of mass communication and co-adviser to Eagle Air, appeared on the Palmetto Report podcast to discuss the station's history and the return of the student staff.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – As COVID-19 moves from the pandemic phase to endemic and restrictions across the globe are reduced, the study abroad program at Winthrop University has returned and school officials are looking to recruit students to participate. Prior to the pandemic, Winthrop sent hundreds of students to study abroad over the last decade, as the university has student exchange agreements with eight foreign colleges and partnerships with at least 13 other schools. Taylor Evans, the study abroad adviser at Winthrop, joined the Palmetto Report to discuss the program and explain the new COVID-19 protocols that students should prepare for, if they plan to study abroad.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — The South Carolina Department of Corrections announced on March 18 that it's now able to carry out an execution by firing squad, which has started a national conversation about the appropriateness of the method. No one has been executed in South Carolina since 2011, as the state has had trouble gaining access to the drugs needed for lethal injections, and firing squads are meant to be an alternative until the state can get access to the drugs again. Dr. Patricia Hovis, chair of the criminal justice department at York Technical College; Dr. Scott Huffman, director of the Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research and professor of political science at Winthrop; and Dr. David Meeler, associate professor of philosophy at Winthrop joined the Palmetto Report to discuss the topic.