Roofer in Charleston, SC

CHARLESTON — The owners of Welton's Tiny Bakeshop were caught completely off guard when they saw a main character in USA Network's "The Rainmaker" series eating one of their mouthwatering pies.

In fact, character Deck Shifflet made sure to emphasize just how delicious the bakery’s famous pie is by savoring it even after it fell beneath the driver’s seat of his beat-up car.

"When was the last time you actually cleaned your car?" actor Milo Callaghan, as lead role Rudy Baylor, asked.

"Rudy, this is Welton's pie. If it dropped on a toilet seat, I would eat this," Byrne said, shoveling the slice into his mouth.

Hannah Welton, who opened the 682 King Street bakery with her husband Zachary three years ago, she said she learned of the scene after a number of people shared the clip of season 1, episode 8 on social media.

“My husband was like, ‘Hannah, I think that’s AI,” she told The Post and Courier laughing. “But it seemed to be legitimate.”

For a scripted show to not only name drop, but gush over one “cult-favorite” dessert, Hannah Welton said, “Someone must have tried it and really loved it.”

Though filmed in Ireland due to financial restraints, “The Rainmaker” is set in Charleston and pushes hard on the illusion its actors are in the Lowcountry. Streets and old Irish pubs will have a "Charleston" sticker slapped on a mirror or a Statue of Liberty replica donning sunglasses and a scarf in the corner. Gray rainy moors will be played up with hot pink food trucks serving barbeque.

But one authentic piece the show tries to portray is the food. Deck Shifflet's character — a highly resourceful but somewhat unethical paralegal in quirky suits — is always eating something from Charleston. Often, the paper is from the restaurants themselves.

“Everything you see me eating in the show is from a real restaurant in Charleston,” Byrne told media outlet Decider. “The wrapping that you see like Lewis Barbecue or Porchetta Shop or The Bake Shop. Those are real places.”

The USA Network show, based on the 1995 best-selling John Grisham book, follows underdog lawyer Baylor — along with Byrne and their boss Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone, played by Lana Parilla — fresh out of law school and looking to take on a corrupt insurance company in a David-versus-Goliath battle for justice.

The shout-out to Weltons was an “honor” for the owner, who with her husband opened the appropriately named tiny bakery at 682 King St. three years ago. pie was the first thing on the menu, she said.

“ Pie is something that is so special to us,” Welton said. “Back in 2018 when we were living in Tulum, Mexico, and working at Hartwood; I made pie for family meal. It was the sweetest sensation and immediately went on the menu at the restaurant.”

The dessert features a brown butter salty crust, custard vanilla filling, topped with tangy whipped cream. Similar to a chess pie or pecan pie without pecans, Welton said, “it's a creamy and balanced after dinner treat.”

A call-out on a national show this month couldn’t have be better for the tiny bakery. The owners are wrapping up plans to expand into a new space at 684 King St. — the little brick parcel next door.

Hannah Welton said upon completion in the next few weeks, she’ll move over the front of house operations with a coffee bar and room for 10 that will replace the outdoor alleyway tables — currently the only spot to sit and enjoy the daily rotation of treats.

“This just made me so happy,” Welton said of the surprise shout-out. “There are a lot of shows that film in Charleston, and to have any kind of brand awareness, it’s just really cool.”

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Two counties in the Greater Charleston area will see a $9 billion investment from major tech giant Google as it looks to expand its infrastructure and programs.

Google announced the two-year investment Monday, which will span over 2026 and 2027, saying it would help them as the company works to support its Cloud and artificial intelligence growth and its workforce development.

This investment will fund the expansion of Google’s Berkeley County campus as well as further development of campuses that are already under construction in Dorchester County.

“Google’s continued investment in South Carolina strengthens our position as a national leader in technology and innovation,” Gov. Henry McMaster said. “Our longstanding partnership with Google has created countless opportunities for our people, and will continue to open new doors for growth and success.”

Google Head of Data Center Public Relations Amber Tillman says the new investment ties into a partnership with the Electrical Training Alliance.

The partnership aids workforce development in the Lowcountry through the company’s AI Opportunity Fund. The fund is a $75-million initiative designed to help Americans develop AI skills nationwide.

“This will support training for electricians across South Carolina, and it will increase the suggested pipeline of new electricians in the state by 150% by 2030,” Tillman says.

Dorchester County officials say this investment will increase tax revenue, allowing community investment and increased funding for its schools.

Dorchester County Council Chairman David Chinnis shared this statement:

Just last year, Google made its historic investment in Dorchester County, bringing valuable economic opportunities to our community. We appreciate the continued partnership with Google and this investment further strengthens our region’s workforce by creating quality jobs and expanding pathways for local talent, while reinforcing the County’s position as a hub for long-term economic growth. In addition to supporting our local economy, this investment provides significant funding towards both school districts in Dorchester County each year and further supports our next generations through education.

Tillman says the company connects organizations, businesses and schools to develop AI skills through programs.

The Greater Summerville/Dorchester Chamber of Commerce and USC College of Information and Communications are partnering with Google to host a “Make AI Work for You” Workshop to help business grow online.

Click here to register for the workshop.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Charleston County magistrate judge has been suspended from his judicial duties by the Supreme Court of South Carolina after he was charged with child sexual abuse material possession.

James B. Gosnell, Jr., 68, is accused of possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the United States Department of Justice.

He was officially suspended by Chief Justice John Kittredge on Tuesday, according to a court filing.

Investigators with the Department of Homeland Security received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about several financial transactions with a distributor of child sexual abuse material from the United Kingdom. The payments came from a peer-to-peer online money transfer account associated with his phone number, address and email account in November 2024.

Gosnell’s attorney, Lionel Lofton, said federal authorities executed a search warrant at Gosnell’s home and arrested him after the search was complete. They found a flash drive containing numerous videos and images depicting child sexual abuse, which include videos and images of minors, infants and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Gosnell is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Lofton said.

Documents state specifically that Kittredge found Gosnell’s “continued service as a magistrate in Charleston County poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public and the administration of justice.”

It stated the suspension was based on credible information provided to the court.

Gosnell is the judge who presided over the bond hearing for Charleston church shooting suspect Dylann Roof, who would later be convicted of the June 18, 2015, shooting deaths of nine parishioners of Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.

Gosnell made a brief statement just before the hearing began, calling Charleston a “very strong community” with “big hearts.” But he sparked a controversy when he spoke of the victims of the massacre.

“We have victims, nine of them,” he said from the bench. “But we also have victims on the other side. There are victims on this young man’s side of the family. Nobody would have ever thrown them into the whirlwind of events that they have been thrown into. We must find it in our heart at some point in time, not only to help those that are victims, but to help his family as well.”

On June 24, 2015, then-South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal signed an order replacing Gosnell as chief magistrate. Terms of chief magistrates run for six months and Gosnell’s had been set to expire just six days later, South Carolina Supreme Court Clerk of Court spokesperson Rosalyn Frierson said at the time, adding that it is “not uncommon” for a magistrate to be replaced before his or her term has ended.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no court filings or documentation can provide context on what led to Gosnell’s suspension.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Medical University of South Carolina may soon take a major step toward expanding its footprint in downtown Charleston.

At a special meeting Tuesday evening, the city’s Planning Commission will vote on a proposal to create a 62-acre Medical District Overlay Zone, a zoning change that would give MUSC and the city more flexibility to grow together on the peninsula. The zone would eliminate certain restrictions and help fast-track future development as part of MUSC’s long-term “Innovation District” plan.

The overlay would allow higher housing density, relaxed parking requirements and building height limits would increase to 200 feet to make room for a new comprehensive cancer center, which university leaders say is the catalyst for the entire innovation district.

Oversight of the demolition of more than a dozen buildings is also part of the proposal, some of which may have historical significance.

University President Dr. David J. Cole said the initiative has been in the works for more than a year and a half; its goal is to honor the city’s history while also building a future where MUSC can thrive as a statewide academic health system.

“We’ve been a part of this community for 200 years,” Cole said. “Our plan is to be part of this community for the next 200 years. But in that context, we have to build for the future.”

Cole said the university has no intention of harming the city’s history and, in fact, is working to preserve and restore it.

“We have no intention of getting sideways with the Preservation Society or anybody else within the city. We respect the neighborhoods. This zone overlay, if it’s a truly historic building, changes nothing,” Cole said. “We will continue to elevate and maintain those buildings. I know that there’s been concern out there that MUSC has not been doing its part, but I’ll tell you, we have been renovating facilities.”

Cole said some of the university’s most notable renovations, like Whitcliffe House and Anderson House, took years to do and have resulted in vast improvements by the university. He said this overlay zone will allow for even more projects like these.

“In an innovation district of the future, I would anticipate that those historic properties will be an essential element of the culture and elevation of what is Charleston. What is an innovation district in Charleston? It’s celebrating our common history. It’s being able to see both the past and the future,” Cole said.

Cole said that the university’s future is focused on continuing their commitment to best-in-class care and they need to grow to do that with the trust of the community and city leaders behind them.

“We’ve always been good neighbors, we will continue to be good neighbors,” Cole said. “I think, at the end of the day, there has to be mutual trust that this is going to be how we walk down this path. I always tell people, don’t judge us by what people say, judge us by our actions. I think our actions have proven that we’re an outstanding, trustworthy, high integrity organization and we’ll continue to do that.”

Cole acknowledged that challenges from their Downtown location like workforce housing, traffic, and parking won’t be solved overnight but, this innovation district aims to fill some of those gaps.

“We’re not going to solve any of those alone,” he said. “We want to do that in a respectful manner as a part of this community, but also, for us to be able to deliver what our mission is, we need to redevelop and reconfigure and revitalize our campus.”

He said he thinks the city proposed this overlay zone to allow them to do just that and, if they don’t take action soon, he worries they may have to consider alternative locations to expand.

“If we sit back and we do nothing or we sort of move at one step after the other in a plotting manner, I think at some point we will be faced with the decision of should we be in downtown Charleston. That’s not where I want to be.”

The Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday in the first-floor public meeting room at 2 George Street. The public is encouraged to attend.

MUSC hopes to open the new facility by 2030, pending approval and continued development of the Innovation District.