YOUR COUNTY. YOUR NEWS.
 Dorchester County Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony to Celebrate New North Charleston Library
Dorchester County Government held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new North Charleston Library Branch on Monday, June 27. Community leaders and honored guests came together to celebrate the future 15,000 square foot state-of-the art library that will be located at 8690 Patriot Boulevard in North Charleston near the campus of Fort Dorchester High School, next to the North Charleston Aquatic Center.
Discussions for this project started years ago when increased population growth necessitated the need for access to library services. In 2013, Dorchester County, the City of North Charleston, and Dorchester District Two purchased 13.67 acres with plans to build a joint-use space that would house a public library and media center for Fort Dorchester High School. With the community’s support from the 2019 bond referendum, funding was secured for the construction of the new library that will provide a 5,000 square foot media center connected to a 10,000 square foot public library which will hold a STEAM Lab, maker’s space, an audio/video editing suite, and meeting room spaces. The library will also allow Fort Dorchester High School to expand by creating much-needed classrooms in the previous media center space.
The groundbreaking ceremony included a welcome address by Mayor Summey of the City of North Charleston and remarks by Dorchester Library Executive Director Robert Antill, Dorchester School District Two Superintendent Joseph Pye, and Dorchester County Councilman Todd Friddle.
During his remarks, Councilman Friddle said, “Today, we come together to break ground on the first of three libraries that the residents of Dorchester County overwhelmingly supported in the 2019 bond referendum. It is our hope that this library will improve the quality of life for Fort Dorchester High School students and residents in the surrounding communities for years to come.” He ended by thanking the City of North Charleston and Dorchester District Two for their collaboration and promised residents that this is only the beginning. “With all the surrounding property available, let’s work together to turn Patriot Boulevard into the Collaboration Corridor.”
The program also included a special recognition to Mr. Joseph Pye on his retirement from Dorchester School District Two. Dorchester County Council Vice Chairman Jay Byars, on behalf of the Dorchester County Council, thanked Mr. Pye for his years of service to the community and presented him with framed renderings of the new library.
The Dorchester County North Charleston Library Branch is planned to be completed by mid-summer of 2023.
 Celebrating the Fourth of July
As we begin celebrating the Fourth of July, Dorchester County Fire Rescue wishes everyone a happy, fun-filled, and safe holiday this year! Each year, thousands are treated at hospitals for injuries sustained by fireworks so please follow these fireworks safety tips:
- Spectators should keep a safe distance from the person lighting the fireworks, and the person lighting should wear safety glasses. Always move to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
- Point fireworks away from homes, and keep away from brush, leaves, and other flammable substances.
- Do not allow young children to play with, or ignite, fireworks, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt some metals.
- Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
- Soak all fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash because they may still be ignited.
- The safest approach is to leave fireworks to the professionals. Many communities and organizations are having free fireworks shows this holiday weekend.
 Dorchester County Business Expansions in 2022
Dorchester County Economic Development's mission is to create an environment that supports new business growth. Did you also know that DCED is committed to the growth and expansion of the County's existing industry partners?
DCED's business retention and expansion (BRE) services include connecting industry partners with staff training and workforce development opportunities. Additionally, DCED works with existing industry partners during their expansion processes. Two manufacturers within the County - BID Group and Sportsman Boats - have expanded operations in 2022!
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 Pet Preparedness
June is Pet Preparedness Month, so get ready for three NIFTY pet preparedness tips!
Tip number one! Make sure to create an emergency kit for your furry friend! Your pet emergency kit should include food, water, medicine/first aid kit, collar with ID tag, travelling crate, grooming items, sanitation items, toys, and a picture of you and your pet together.
Tip number two! Develop a buddy system! Plan with your neighbors, friends, or family to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.
Tip number three! Have your pets microchipped! Microchipping your pet is easy and inexpensive and will allow you to locate your pet if it is lost during an emergency. Make sure to keep your address and phone number up-to-date and include contact information for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
There you have it! Three NIFTY tips about pet preparedness. Stay cool, Dorchester County!
 Will You Answer the Call?
The Consolidated Dispatch Center staff work a variety of shifts and schedules with overtime available to cover the needs of the Center so that every call is answered as soon as possible. We are open 24/7/365 to serve the community which means staff are here every minute of every day to help protect the community we live in.
An ideal employee is someone who can multitask, remain calm, think quickly, and respond to critical situations. Employees are the calm voice of assistance in a crisis and show compassion to callers who may be having their worst day.
The Dispatch Center requires a high school diploma or GED. Dorchester's Consolidated Dispatch is currently recruiting Emergency Call Takers ($36,317 – $45,396) and 911 Telecommunicators ($38,133 - $48,620).
If interested, please visit our Dorchester County job listings.
 Dorchester Recycling and Convenience Centers
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New to the area? Dorchester County has 13 Convenience Sites where you can take your garbage and recycling. Have questions about what you can recycle, which site to use, or hours of operation, visit our website or call (843) 832-0070.
You can also drop in to speak with any of our friendly site attendants (like Mr. Jerry Reeves pictured) who will be happy to answer any of your questions!
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Highlighting our Summer Youth Interns
This year, Dorchester County Departments have 15 interns that applied for the 2022 Summer Youth Employment Program. The program is designed for high school and college students who reside in Dorchester County to have an opportunity to develop workplace readiness skills and gain experience in local government. Students work in departments across the county in office administration, customer service, and the field of general labor. The eight-week program began on Monday, June 13, and ends on Friday, August 5.
We'd like to introduce you to a few of our interns:
Landon Johnson attends Woodland High School and is interning with Facilities and Grounds. He's enjoying working with his team at Davis-Bailey Park, and doesn't mind starting his day there at 6am since it's so hot out. He stays pretty busy working two jobs, but his favorite part about this internship is being able to work outside. Once he graduates, he's planning to work at the SC Ports Authority.
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Connor Button just finished up his first year at the University of South Carolina majoring in graphic design. As an Explorer, he's spent hours at fire stations throughout the county so decided to apply for another internship with Fire Rescue.
While he officially works from 7am-3pm, he often stays later because he loves being at the stations. While he assists with normal day-to-day operations, he's also able to go on calls in a support role.
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If you've been to a fire station, you've probably seen Connor's work as he's designed around 30 patches for Fire Rescue since 2018! If you look closely, you can see one of them pictured just above Connor as well as on the flag at Station 3!
Upon graduation, his dream is to open up his own graphic design business focusing on first responders while continuing to be a volunteer firefighter!
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 Don't Miss this Month's VA Benefits and Disability Claims Workshop
Dorchester County Veterans Services is hosting a Veterans Benefits and Disability Claims Workshop on July 26, 2022, from 2pm - 4pm at the Dorchester County Council Chambers (201 Johnston Street, St. George.)
The agenda will include a disability benefits overview, dependency and indemnity compensation and pension eligibility, and a time for questions.
 Capital Improvement Plan 2023-2027
The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a flexible plan outlining the financial schedules for all capital projects over a five-year period (Fiscal Years 2023 – 2027). While the CIP does not address all capital expenditures for Dorchester County, it provides an overview of all large, physical permanent improvements. The schedules also include projections for long term operating expenditures associated with each project, if applicable.
The goal of the 5-year CIP program is to establish a plan that outlines the projected infrastructure improvement needs of each department to assist in the planning and budgeting process. The plan includes a summary of all projects, an estimated cost, a timeline for the improvements, and the source of funding for each project. The CIP Plan is designed to be re-evaluated each year to either reaffirm or reprioritize the projects due to expected changes in the County’s goals and financial resources. Click to view the updated plan or read the list of completed, new, or current capital projects.
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