Warehouse in Summerville, SC

CHARLESTON — A group of Hardee's restaurants in South Carolina caught up in a financial dispute between the operator and the big burger chain have been shut down but could reopen.

A search of the Hardee's website showed that six locations, mostly in the Charleston region, are now listed as "temporarily closed."

Another that went dark in West Ashley earlier this month is permanently closed.

All seven restaurants that had been operated by franchisee Arc Burger were in Charleston, Goose Creek, Summerville, Moncks Corner, St. George, Georgetown, Walterboro and Hampton.

The Hardee's in Ravenel, which is operated by different group, remains open.

The fast-food chain told USA Today this week that Arc Burger chose to shutter all 77 of its restaurants across eight states. The decision followed a lawsuit alleging the operator fell behind on its financial obligations, it said.

“These closures are a result of Arc Burger’s failure to cure its defaults under its franchise agreements, despite solid sales and our continued attempts over the course of many months to reach a resolution that would keep these restaurants open,” Hardee’s said in a written statement.

According to a complaint filed Nov. 21 in the U.S. District Court in Tennessee, the franchisee began missing payments a year ago. Hardee’s alleged it's owed more than $6.5 million in fees, rent, royalties, advertising charges, training costs and other expenses.

Hardee’s terminated Arc Burger's franchise rights in September, while allowing the company to keep operating the restaurants until they could be sold. The arrangement required the company to stay current on its payments, but it failed to do so, according to the lawsuit.

Earlier this month the Hardee's on Savannah Highway in West Ashley was shut down for good along with a Beaufort restaurant that wasn't owned by Arc Burger.

The temporary closings in South Carolina followed. The fast-food chain told The Post and Courier this week that it will try to reopen the six locations as soon as it can.

At least three other Hardee's in North Charleston and West Ashley have been permanently closed over the past few years.

Arc Burgers is part of San Diego-based High Bluff Capital, a private equity investment firm that owns Church’s Chicken, Quiznos and Taco Del Mar. It bought the Hardee's franchise for about $16 million in 2023 after the previous operator failed.

Arc Burger's other restaurants were in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming. High Bluff Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Dec. 24.

A growing chorus of parents, former teachers and one board member kicked out this past spring are raising concerns about governing irregularities, financial transparency, academic rigor and discipline policies at a charter school in Summerville.

Summerville Preparatory Academy (SPA) first opened its doors in August 2024 and is part of a larger family of charter schools under the Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) umbrella, which handles the school’s back-office operations. Founded in 1997, CSUSA is a for-profit management company with nearly 100 schools in four states: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana.

When The Journal Scene began its investigation and reached out to school leaders, we were referred to Colleen Reynolds, who represents CSUSA. Reynolds runs Edge Communications, a political and communications consulting firm based in Fort Myers, Florida.

Charter schools in South Carolina are required to be registered as a charitable organization. Neither SPA nor its management company, CSUSA, obtained nonprofit status before the school opened its doors. Instead, they were claiming to use the nonprofit status of SPA’s governing board, Charter Education Board of South Carolina (CEBSC), for fundraising purposes as a tuition-free school. While CEBSC is registered as a 501©(3) organization with the IRS, South Carolina law requires nonprofits to register separately with the state as charitable organizations.

The Journal Scene obtained a letter from the Office of the Secretary of State dated Sept. 8, 2025, addressed to CEBSC notifying them of a violation of the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act. In a follow-up letter dated Oct. 11, 2025, CEBSC was assessed a $2,000 administrative fine for remaining in violation. When asked whether the penalties remain in place, we were initially told the board never received the letter. According to Reynolds, the board’s president, Samuel Rivers, had no memory of seeing the letters, even though they were sent to the same address listed on its tax records. Rivers later confirmed the address problem was fixed, and the administrative fine was reduced to $400. When asked about the reason for the reduction in fines, Shannon Wiley, General Counsel and Public Information Director for the Office of the Secretary of State, said it was because this was “the organization’s first violation.” Reynolds previously said she did not know the reason, but it was possibly the result of a conversation between the state and CSUSA South Carolina Director, Lane Morris.

As of Dec. 8, CEBSC filed its nonprofit registration statement, but it was returned because it did not include its most recent annual financial report as required by S.C. Code Section 33-56-30. The Journal Scene followed up with the Office of the Secretary of State to confirm whether the corrected files were submitted and is awaiting a response.

Some administrators at SPA came from Berkeley Prep, which is currently in litigation with Charter Schools USA after severing ties with the management organization earlier this year. According to Stewart Weinberg, president of Berkeley Charter Education Association, the board for Berkeley Prep, CSUSA was in breach of contract. Under CSUSA’s management, Weinberg said, there was “low student achievement, lack of supervisions and evaluating [of] principals, and financial transparency.”

The school uses the “village model,” which is a teaching method that groups children by ability levels across subjects. The model requires children to receive a personal learning plan in the lower elementary grades, but many parents have told the newspaper that their child never received one.

One frequent criticism of SPA is its inconsistency with curriculum implementation. According to a former first-grade teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity, the school did not have a curriculum at the start of the 2024-25 school year. Though CSUSA oversees curriculum for all of its schools, SPA did not obtain the materials until October 2024. Even then, the teacher said, no training was received on how to use the curriculum, and with almost every teacher in their first year, implementing the village model curriculum proved challenging.

“When it came down to it, CSUSA didn’t provide us any formal training on how to do it,” the teacher said. “We were just kind of told, you split the kids, however they need to be.”

At the beginning of the previous school year, the first-grade level had only four teachers for a class of 100 students. The teachers did not see a practical way to follow the village model without help. Instead of adding to the roster of first-grade teachers, they started to leave. According to our source, one teacher left the second week of school. A longtime substitute was hired to replace the teacher, but, without any formal teaching experience, the remaining three teachers were left to fill the gap. Another parent whose child attended second grade this school year reported the class having gone through at least five teachers since school started in August.

When asked about this high teacher turnover, Jean Castelli, principal at SPA, said there are multiple reasons teachers leave.

“The turnover that we’ve had has been a result of different reasons,” Castelli said. “It could be health, it could have been personal, or family reasons.”

Castelli also said the village model is not for every child or teacher, even though teachers are receiving regular, extensive training. To that, the former first-grade teacher said the model could work for students if more effort were put into teacher training.

“The majority of kids could handle it if it were implemented correctly … I would say [it’s] a pretty small population of kids where we teachers [would feel] like this is definitely not right for them. I think it’s really just a lack of training.”

Reynolds was also asked about SPA’s current implementation of the CSUSA curriculum and about the certification of SPA teachers. While she stated teachers at all CSUSA schools are certified, she noted the only exception would be substitute teachers. Reynolds was unable to provide any clear answers at the time as to the current ratio of certified to substitute teachers. However, one source claimed the number of uncertified or first-year teachers is higher than what SPA or CSUSA is disclosing.

One parent, Jessica Wright, said she pulled her child after volunteering in the school and witnessing poor classroom management, skipped bathroom breaks, a lack of certified-staff supervision of students and what she described as excessive disciplinary practices.

“I would be left in the classroom by myself with 30 kids,” she said.

Multiple parents have also raised concerns on social media about safety at the school and student access to guns at home.

Some have voiced concerns about student safety during afternoon dismissal. Not all students are being escorted to vehicles in the car line, parents said, and car tag numbers are not being verified using the tags on the students’ backpacks.

In terms of discipline, multiple sources reported their child having to run laps outside as a form of physical punishment, often missing recess. The students were mostly in second and third grade. Sometimes the whole class would lose recess for one student’s misbehavior.

Running laps was discussed in the first Parent-Teacher Committee (PTC) meeting of the current school year. According to parents who attended the meeting, Castelli was briefly present and assured them that all teachers would receive discipline training and that students would no longer be required to run laps as a form of physical punishment. However, when asked about students running laps, both Reynolds and Castelli denied that it had happened. Reynolds called the claims that SPA teachers have students run laps as a form of physical punishment not accurate and “a bit of a stretch.”

Castelli echoed this, noting that students often confuse running laps with walking them. She said students will sometimes take a “reflection walk” with a teacher to discuss the inappropriate behavior and what to do differently.

Summerville Journal Scene is also investigating SPA’s and CSUSA’s compliance with charter governance standards as mandated by South Carolina law. According to state law, all South Carolina charter schools must have an authorizer to oversee the school’s performance under the charter contract. SPA applied to the Limestone Charter Association and was approved. However, Limestone shut down earlier this year, leaving SPA and other charter schools without an authorizer. Rivers confirmed SPA applied for a replacement authorizer before the Dec. 15 deadline. The school will be transferring to S.C. Public Charter School.

With increasing scrutiny surrounding SPA and other CSUSA schools, such as Discovery in Myrtle Beach, the conversation about stricter charter school laws to ensure accountability remains a priority for education leaders and parents across the state.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) — A developer is proposing to annex more than 700 acres in Berkeley County into the town of Summerville, creating opportunities for over 1,200 single-family homes but raising concerns among residents about traffic, safety and rural character.

Nash-Nexton Holdings LLC presented its vision for mass urban expansion at a recent town meeting, proposing to turn rural land in Berkeley County into a connecting community from Nexton to Summerville. The project would affect parcels of land near Sheep Island and Wildgame Road.

Mayor Russ Touchberry said the annexation aligns with Summerville’s existing growth patterns.

“Summerville has about 55,000 residents in it, but there are 250,000 residents with the Summerville postal address,” Touchberry said. “What people think is Summerville, and actually the areas outside of Summerville are growing at a much faster rate than what’s growing inside of Summerville, which is why we want to participate in shaping growth, and this annexation is important for that.”

The project would include a mixture of land uses, including residential, medical offices, commercial and institutional services.

Mark Smith, a New Hope Community resident, said he opposes the development.

“Well, if I wanted to live in town, I’d move to Summerville. I don’t want to live in town,” Smith said. “It’s just destroying everything out there. And they need to put a halt to it. We don’t want the amenities that they’re offering.”

Residents expressed concerns about traffic, medical services like EMS and wildlife impact.

Smith said longtime residents moved to the area to avoid urban development.

“People move there to get away from this kind of mess. And they don’t want it,” Smith said. “They don’t want an action, and they don’t want all these houses.”

Touchberry said the town can handle the increased population and services.

“I think it provides us an opportunity to have more efficient services. It provides an opportunity along the commercial corridor of Nexton Parkway. To have folks able to live and work closer together,” Touchberry said. “So I think it creates positive quality of life changes if we all work together.”

Council members listed changes they would like to see in the proposal, including a school coordination clause, a tree protection ordinance, and complete streets at every intersection with shared-use paths.

The first reading has been approved, but the project has not been fully approved. The second public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 15.

SUMMERVILLE — Four blocks in downtown have been designated as the state’s 13th official cultural district by the South Carolina Arts Commission.

The new Summerville Cultural District spans both sides of South Main Street. Artists, musicians, photographers and craftspeople live and work throughout the fast-growing district and regularly share their work at markets, exhibitions and community events.

“Downtown Summerville has been a vibrant hub of culture, art and history for decades,” Russ Touchberry, the town’s mayor, said in a press release. “We hope this designation invites others to come and enjoy the beauty and hospitality of our greatest asset, the talented people who live, work and play here.”

The Public Works Art Center anchors much of the district’s visual arts scene, hosting close to 20 exhibitions each year featuring more than 500 artists, along with open-mic poetry nights and community shows. Artist studios and classes are also offered nearby at Art on the Square, Nailed It DIY Studio, Fancy Fingers Piano Studio and People, Places, and Quilts.

Downtown streets close on the third Thursday of each month for a festival that draws more than 1,000 people in support of local musicians and artisans. The district also hosts free public music through organizations such as the Community Music Collective, Summerville DREAM and the Summerville Orchestra, along with more than a dozen annual productions by the Flowertown Players community theater.

Artwork for sale is also displayed in more than a dozen downtown spaces, with regular book signings and author readings at Main Street Reads and the nearby Timrod Library.

The South Carolina Cultural Districts program works to attract artists and creative businesses, encourage economic development, foster local cultural growth and strengthen community identity. Cultural districts are defined as walkable areas with a concentration of cultural facilities, activities and assets, often alongside restaurants, parks and other commercial spaces.

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) — Hundreds of Berkeley County residents echoed the same sentiment and joined a petition to stop the potential annexation that was discussed at a meeting Monday night.

It’s a feeling that long-time resident of New Hope community Lisa Perry said in opposition to a potential annexation of land from Berkeley County to Summerville.

“I say if it’s not broke, why try to fix it? Why try to change it?”

Hundreds of Berkeley County residents echoed the same sentiment and joined a petition to stop the potential annexation that was discussed at a meeting Monday night.

Berkeley County’s Land Use Committee discussed a resolution of an Eleventh Amendment to the Nexton Development Agreement that would allow Nash-Nexton Holdings, LLC to release large portions of land to the Town of Summerville. In opposition, more than 400 residents signed a to stop the annexation and allow more time for understanding and public discussion, and county council agreed.

“Our responsibility and loyalty goes to the citizens of Berkeley County,” Berkeley County councilman Caldwell Pinckney Jr. said during the meeting. “And I heard them loud and clear on the news. We don’t want that to happen in our community. And as a member of county council, I’m dedicated to support their wishes.”

Many residents say they want to stop the amendment to protect not only their land, but their legacy. The proposed annexation affects parcels of land near Sheep Island Road and Wildgame Road and would also create the opportunity for the development of 1,200 single-family homes. The current housing capacity for that portion of land is capped at 447.

Alvin Lumpkin has lived in Berkeley County for generations and started the petition after he heard about the proposed annexation. He said even though many of their homes are not being annexed, the decision would directly affect the overall community’s long-standing families, cultural heritage and public safety.

“We believe this deserves public attention before decisions become final,” Lumpkin said.

Resident concerns include traffic and road capacity, fire and EMS coverage, loss of civic land and density shift. They also believe there hasn’t been much transparency or accountability from Berkeley County regarding the ongoing process, which county council expressed to the owner of the land.

“It’s hurtful to think that someone from outside of our area who doesn’t understand that there’s a culture of family and togetherness,” Dr. Jennifer Simmons, long-time resident of Sheep Island said. “Everyone is family. There’s a farming network there historically, we’ve lived off of this land, we’ve thrived off of this land, so it hurts us and that’s why we’re fighting so hard for it.”

Many residents expressed concern about the potential density increase of developments in that area if the annexation goes through, which the county council also expressed.

Many residents were relieved to see support from the county council.

“I appreciate what each and every one of them [Berkeley County Council] did to help abate a little bit, so I’m pleased with it,” Ron Harvey, a long-time resident of New Hope community said. “I think they did a good job.”

The Nexton Development Agreement has been an agreement between Berkeley County and Nash-Nexton Holdings, LLC since 2006.

Many amendments have since been made, but with the new proposed amendment, many say it takes too much of what they call home.

As the agenda item was only a discussion, no vote was made. Berkeley County council told the owner of the land to go back and make changes if he still wanted the amendment to be considered. They also affirmed to the community that they won’t be making a decision unless a new proposed amendment makes changes to the housing capacity, now leaving the potential annexation in Summerville’s hands.

“We’re not opposed to growth, we are just open to growth in the right way,” Simmons said.