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LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) - People in the College Park Estates neighborhood are concerned about a new trash collecting device in their neighborhood canal, that’s collecting trash in a nearby creek.

About a month ago, a new device, called a WaterGoat, was installed in the Limestone branch canal area.

The purpose of the WaterGoat is to trap litter that washes in from area storm drains, keeping trash and other debris out of streets, ditches and streams.

It’s been collecting trash since the installation, but residents who live nearby are unsure of who is cleaning it.

Berkeley County Stormwater Management says the last time it was cleaned was July 8, after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Elsa.

Berkeley County Councilman Brandon Cox represents the residents of College Park, and he says obviously it is working because it is collecting trash, but he also sees why residents think it’s an eye sore. “It’s brand new and it’s a double-edged sword, and I wouldn’t want to look at it either.”

Cox says they want to get it cleaned out as often as possible, especially after it rains, which is when more trash flows through the creek.

WaterGoat device founder Mark Maksimowicz says the devices usually need to be cleaned out monthly or weekly. He says they should be cleaned much more frequently after it rains.

The Keep Berkeley Beautiful organization and Berkeley County Government are holding signups for people to volunteer to get involved.

Those who wish to volunteer with cleanup efforts, can contact the county’s Stormwater Program Manager Thurman Simmons at Thurman.simmons@berkeleycountysc.gov or call 843-719-2691.

Additionally the county says to contact Sarah McCarthy-Smith at sarah.smith@berkeleycountysc.gov or call her at 843-719-2383.

Berkeley County Stormwater, in partnership with Keep Berkeley Beautiful, will be on site of the WaterGoat on next Tuesday and Thursday for a WaterGoat Cleanup Educational Demonstration. It starts at 9 a.m. on both days.

The county says Keep Berkeley Beautiful will provide all necessary cleanup supplies to volunteers.

Caroline Volunteer Fire Department says they are still a partner in the cleanups, but they’ve been waiting on Berkeley County to get them supplies.

Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.

The American LaFrance Company has roots that dig deep, all the way back to the mid-1830s. We all know that evolution is only an admirable form of inheritance. The ALFs heritage is richly embedded with true passion, one that embezzled every creation with a gloss of mere perfection.

Amidst the wild and unpredictable American Industrial Revolution in the 1850s, Truckson LaFrance and his accomplices managed to lay down the foundation of the LaFrance Manufacturing Company. To be precise, the company sprung to life in 1873.

The business began as a true wild west adventure. The newly established LaFrance Manufacturing Company began its journey by selling hand-controlled hardware. Their primary focus was on building and recreating horse-drawn carriages as well as steam-controlled fire trucks.

Three decades later, the sweet fruit of patience and relentless perseverance blessed them as they outshone their competition regardless of the exponential technological advancements made in the early 1900s. The International Fire Engine (IFE) Company joined hands with the LaFrance Manufacturing Company in 1903. It wasn\'t until 1907 that they released their prototype of a fire engine.

Over the prolonged period of their existence, both the IFE and American LaFrance have made a large number of fire engines and hardware. Their showdown of manifestations has been wide yet focused on crisis reaction vehicles, like ambulances and fire trucks.

After this thing only went downhill for LaFrance.The backlash of the American LaFrance company is one dreadfully painful history to hear about. Hardships are inevitable, but sometimes luck is also unfavourable.

Let\'s dive deep back to the beginning of their misery.

Side Gig Of The LaFrance Manufacturing: The Speedsters

It wasn\'t that they never cared to produce other automobiles. Their established monopoly was healthy and profitable enough to stay satisfied. The ALF has produced models beyond fire trucks. The American LaFrance Speedster was one of their attempts to do something out of their comfort zone. The 1992 LaFrance Speedster was the vehicle that caught the attention of many.

It sat on a 142-inch wheelbase and was controlled by a four-chamber motor with double chain drive. This vehicle was a two-seater with a Stutz Bearcat-Esque monocle windscreen. It had a reinforced gas tank and a wood-managed trunk.

Numerous vehicles were sculpted on their fire engine skeleton and utilized a similar essential running stuff. A significant number of the Speedsters were fueled by the solid \'pair-cast\' four-chamber motor that included Ram\'s Horn’s bay complex, Zenith carburettor and Eisenmann Magento.

As of today, many of the older ALF fire trucks have been transformed into speedsters.

Figgie International: A Messiah Or A Step To Prolong The Inevitable?

In the mid-1980s ALF went through another major corporate change. It became one with Figgie International, which already possessed Snorkel, Scott Aviation, Automatic Sprinkler and Safety Supply America. It moved out of the well established East La France Street plant in Elmira and into a bigger, 500,000 square-foot plant not too far off. Unfortunately, in 1985, Figgie was forced to shut down the plant.

The hard floor never bound them to their feet. The organization fired up in Bluefield, W.Va. Which was another plant run by Kersey Manufacturing and possessed by Figgie International. After the new alliance, the organization would be known as Kersey American LaFrance.

But time never favoured them as, by early 1994, the branch had come sadly to a silent halt.

The Demise Of The Scarlet Trucks

In 1996, the Freightliner Corporation directly under a former worker, Jin Hebe, purchased the company. Freightliner again put a lot of cash into ALF. The idea was to construct a case plant in North Carolina that essentially sculpted ALF\'s Eagle taxis and frames for any producer.

In any case, that arrangement didn\'t keep the system functional for a long period. Hebe purchased LTI to make stepping stools for ALF. He also bought 3D, Boardman, RD Murray, Rescue Master, Snorkel and a large group of different organizations for the same reason.

ALF started constructing the whole line of contraptions and moved into an empty Western Star truck plant in Ladson, S.C. In 2005, it was declared that Patriarch Partners, a New York-based venture firm, had purchased the organization.

Be that as it may, in 2007, ALF moved into one more home: another, 500,000 square foot working in Summerville, S.C. In 2008, the company had finally unwillingly filed for bankruptcy. Even after revival, the company\'s glory was short-lived as it sank once again to bankruptcy in 2014.

People hold the management responsible to date for having considered that Fire trucks and Garbage Trucks could be sold by the same company as they have the same chassis.

American LaFrance: The Vain, Valiant Battle For Reputation

Even after 100 years of true passion and perseverance, the legacy is left amidst the winds of time. The firefighters fought a valiant war against time and many people will remember the name LaFrance. After all, history is cast only by the brave and LaFrance did bloom its name.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic raged across the country last year, transforming Americans’ homes into makeshift offices, schools and day cares, many families sought out new hobbies to escape the tedium.

Some of them turned to bread-baking or knitting. For others, distraction came from the thrill of power sport vehicles.

A record number of residents filed title applications for all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, in 2020, according to data from the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles, and local dealers said they are struggling to keep power sport vehicles in stock.

“For a lot of people, it’s a new thing they’ve never done,” said Josh Riojas, a salesman for Charleston Powersports. “It starts with one, then they get a second one for a family member, and it just kind of grows into a family thing.”

The Motorcycle Industry Council reported in February that the sale of power sport vehicle rose substantially in the United States last year.

Sales of off-highway motorcycles, including dirt bikes and trail bikes, rose 46.5 percent year over year, according to the council. Sales of ATVs jumped 33.8 percent over 2019.

“Overall, the industry had a good year under difficult circumstances,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the council. “The COVID-19 pandemic forced all of us to be nimble and to make the changes we needed to survive. In the end, many in the industry saw strong growth, and now our opportunity is to keep all of these new riders riding and to inspire even more people to join us on two, three and four wheels.”

Interest also spiked in South Carolina, according to DMV data.

The number of titled ATVs in the state increased nearly 54 percent from 2019 to 2020, rising from 4,845 vehicles in 2019 to 7,446 in 2020.

By comparison, the number of titled ATVs increased on average only 9.8 percent annually from 2015 to 2019.

Title information provides only a snapshot of total ATV ownership in South Carolina, however. While an ATV owner may title their vehicle to prove ownership, it is not a requirement in the state.

Riojas said he was not surprised by the numbers. In the early days of the pandemic, he said Charleston Powersports sold maybe five ATVs a week. Toward the peak, they were selling 10 a day, when the vehicles were in stock.

He said a current shortage of the vehicles has driven demand even more.

“Short supply has created more of an urgency for people, so it hasn’t slowed down,” Riojas said.

Parker Campbell, a salesman at Velocity Powersports in the Ladson area outside Goose Creek, said during the pandemic, his store sold 180 to 260 power sport vehicles a month.

“COVID was like the oasis in the desert,” he said. “There were all these animals coming to drink at the pond, right? I mean, everyone’s coming in wanting to buy something, wanting to get a new toy.”

The shortage has forced his staff to scramble to try to find vehicles for customers.

“It’s really hard to get our hands on anything,” Campbell said.

While riding a power sport vehicles can be thrilling, they can pose a danger for those who fail to follow proper safety precautions.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which tracks ATV-related deaths, South Carolina recorded 106 such fatalities from 2009 to 2018, the most recent year for which data is available.

Trooper Nick Pye, spokesman for the S.C. Highway Patrol’s Troop 6, said the department also sometimes has to contend with ATV riders on public roads, which is prohibited in South Carolina.

ATVs are not designed to be driven on paved surfaces, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which can make them difficult to control and at risk for overturning.

“Most of the time, our encounters with them are on back, secondary roads, and they aren’t equipped with lights, no tags or different things like that,” Pye said.

Besides being dangerous, ATVs on public roads can be a nuisance for neighbors.

In March, homeowners along County Line Road between Charleston and Dorchester counties complained that dirt bike and ATV riders were damaging the unpaved road, causing it to become impassable during flooding.

Residents in the North Area have also noticed an uptick in dirt bikes and ATVs on public streets. They also appear on sidewalks, road shoulders and on the railroad rights of way.

LADSON, S.C. (WCIV) — Litter has worsened in the Lowcountry during the pandemic, but a discovery by a man and his wife in Ladson could show it’s getting bigger than ever.

Belmont Court resident Scott Salisbury says he was walking his dogs on Sunday, when he discovered a nearly 25-foot boat had been dumped in his neighborhood.

“This is by far the oddest thing that I have seen out here," Salisbury said. "Years ago, there was an abandoned truck further up the trail, that I’m sure was, that was abandoned up there. But in the last 30 years this is the oddest thing I’ve seen up here."

He says litter has been a problem since he moved into the neighborhood 25 years ago, but never anything like this.

“Every week there’s always something new, every month there’s mattresses, there’s garbage,” said Salisbury.

He says he is asking for help to fix the problem. We reached out to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office for information on the incident and they say they did respond to the scene but did not file a report.

Berkeley County Government says they are waiting on more information on the situation.

“Above all, it’s pollution. This all ends up in out drinking water," Salisbury said. "I don’t know if I consider myself a big environmentalist, or maybe as I should be. But we have to be better stewards to the planet. The county landfill is 12 miles from here, and it’s free to Berkeley County residents. There’s no excuse for this."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the boat is still in the spot it was dropped at.

Charleston Animal Society\'s \'Fill the Truck\' and adoption event scheduled for this weekend. (Charleston Animal Society)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — The Charleston Animal Society will host a "Fill the Truck" and adoption event this weekend at the Mount Pleasant Town Centre, in hopes of collecting donations and finding homes for animals.

The society will be collecting new or gently used household items both Saturday and Sunday to donate to Second Chance Resale and Adoption Center. Proceeds from the resale will directly benefit the Charleston Animal Society.

Donations to fill the truck will be accepted Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 10 to 2 p.m. Adoptable pets will be onsite on Saturday, only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Oaks, which is across from Barnes and Noble.

The Mount Pleasant Towne Center said it plans to partner with the animal society again for events like Paws on the Patio and a Halloween pet costume contest on October 30.

For every second Thursday of each month from September to November, the community is invited to Paws on the Patio at Burtons Grill to benefit the animal society. The special event will include special drink tickets, special appetizers and party favors courtesy of Hairy Winston Pet Boutique.

The Oaks at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre is located at 1218 Belk Drive.

CHARLOTTE (August 3, 2021) – For the 2021-22 academic year, Autobell Car Wash presented 98 of its team members in the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland with scholarships toward the college or university of their choice, with the year’s gifts totaling $150,000.

Since its inception in 2000, the Autobell Car Wash Scholarship Program has awarded over 1,800 qualifying applicants more than $1.85 million in scholarship funding.

The scholarship program is open to current Autobell team members who have been employed with the company for a continuous 12 months and worked at least 100 hours in the last year. The selection process considers each student’s academic diligence and accomplishments, productive extracurricular activities, civic engagement, and letters from references familiar with the applicant through school and community involvement. The application also requires an essay that explores an educational or creative aspect of their employment experience.

“I am incredibly grateful to be an Autobell Scholarship recipient for the past three years,” stated Abigail Gallup of Charlotte, NC, an Autobell team member since 2017 currently studying business administration at the University of South Carolina. “It has allowed me to take courses abroad, pursue a minor study, and plan to pursue a master’s degree after graduation by affording me more time to study and focus on developing my future career rather than working additional hours to pay for tuition and student debt.

“The sales and customer service skills I developed working at Autobell are wonderful resume builders, and I have ample teamwork experience to speak about during interviews. Autobell taught me the value of hard work and determination, and I will forever be thankful for the support and experience provided me there throughout my educational journey.”

This year’s recipients by region are:

Metro Atlanta, GA

Julia Liberatore of Acworth, GA, attending Kennesaw State University

Patrick Kryszczak, Alpharetta, GA - Georgia College State University

Harrison Borders, Kennesaw, GA - Kennesaw State University

Hunter Nobis, Kennesaw, GA - University of Georgia

Branden Burley, Lawrenceville, GA - Piedmont University

Nathan Nguyen, Lawrenceville, GA - Georgia Gwinnett College

Lonnie Cole, Lilburn, GA - University of South Florida

Adrian Mendoza, Mableton, GA - Kennesaw State University

Daniel Maldonado, Marietta, GA - Kennesaw State University

Victor Murra Schott, Norcross, GA - City College of New York

Jamie Jordan, Suwanee, GA - University of North Georgia

Carson Rossi, Suwanee, GA - University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Central MD

Alexei Sanidad, Bowie, MD - Anne Arundel Community College

Austin O\'Donnell, Forest Hill, MD - Towson University

Robert Mayo, Grasonville, MD - Anne Arundel Community College

Caleb Bradfield, Stevensville, MD - Maryville College

Cabarrus County, NC

Carson Trott, Concord, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Landon Trott, Concord, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

William McGee, Harrisburg, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Marc Padilla, Mount Pleasant, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Eastern NC

Zackary Wells, Battleboro, NC - Nash Community College

Richard Wells, Red Oak, NC - East Carolina University

Nicholas Vernon, Rocky Mount, NC - Methodist University

Fred Fields, Spring Hope, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Iredell County, NC

Bradley Brandt, Mooresville, NC - Western Carolina University

Kira Orellana, Mooresville, NC - University of North Carolina Wilmington

Walker Weatherford, Mooresville, NC - Appalachian State University

Lincoln County, NC

Chandler McCaslin, Denver, NC - University of North Carolina Greensboro

Morgan McCaslin, Denver, NC - North Carolina State University

Brett Welch, Lincolnton, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Kaitlyn Houser, Vale, NC - Western Carolina University

Mecklenburg County, NC

Connor Carroll, Charlotte, NC – University of North Carolina Charlotte

Shamim Chowdhury Sajid, Charlotte, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Marshall Cook, Charlotte, NC - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Ellie Drescher, Charlotte, NC - University of North Carolina Wilmington

Maya Elden, Charlotte, NC - San Diego State University

Abigail Gallup, Charlotte, NC - University of South Carolina

Andrew Garrett, Charlotte, NC - Appalachian State University

Baudelio Hernandez, Charlotte, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Olayemi Onasanya, Charlotte, NC - Central Piedmont Community College

Kayla Serepca, Charlotte, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Dominic Silvestri, Charlotte, NC - University of North Carolina Wilmington

Matthew Trent, Charlotte, NC - Appalachian State University

Davis Latham, Huntersville, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Alexandra Lee, Matthews, NC - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Kaitlyn Rast, Matthews, NC - University of North Carolina Wilmington

Triad NC

Sofia Mata, Burlington, NC - Alamance Community College

Shandler Sutton, Burlington, NC – University of North Carolina Greensboro

Dajuan Taylor, Elon, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Zackary Brooks, Greensboro, NC – North Carolina A&T State University

Samuel Hayes, Greensboro, NC - North Carolina State University

Triangle NC

Max Kahn, Apex, NC - East Carolina University

Matthew Schmitt, Apex, NC – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kenneth Sequeira, Apex, NC - North Carolina State University

Justin Bossert, Cary, NC - Appalachian State University

Andrew Jung, Cary, NC - Northeastern University

Oscar Wilburn, Chapel Hill, NC – North Carolina Central University

Logan Blankenship, Clayton, NC - Nash Community College

John Rodgers, Clayton, NC - Johnston Community College

Luke Rodgers, Clayton, NC - Johnston Community College

Mohammad Qassem, Garner, NC - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Irie Squire, Morrisville, NC - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Joshua Brittain, Raleigh, NC - Appalachian State University

Zachary Brittain, Raleigh, NC - Wake Tech Community College

Parker Dillon, Raleigh, NC - East Carolina University

Kyle Faulkner, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina State University

William Journey, Raleigh, NC - East Carolina University

Tazewell Steed, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina State University

Garrett Wiseman, Wake Forest, NC - East Carolina University

Josiah McKenzie, Youngsville, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Union County, NC

Sebasthian Hincapie, Indian Trail, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Quinton Farmer, Monroe, NC - University of North Carolina Charlotte

Western NC

Jacob Watson, Boone, NC - Mars Hill University

Jeb Maize, Flat Rock, NC - Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Gabe Rathbone, Waynesville, NC - Haywood Community College

Ethan Wiggen, Zirconia, NC - University of North Carolina Asheville

Charleston, SC

Amari Harrison, Ladson, SC - Charleston Southern University

Dillon Asbell, Summerville, SC - University of South Carolina

Upstate SC

Joelle Keffer, Clover, SC - The Citadel

Blake Keffer, Clover, SC - The Citadel

Elliot Zinser, Clover, SC - University of South Carolina

Jonathan Parker, Fort Mill, SC - Anderson University

Morgan Harder, Tega Cay, SC - College of Charleston

Hampton Roads, VA

Elias Albarracin, Chesapeake, VA - Old Dominion University

Logan Angelillo, Chesapeake, VA - Randolph Macon College

Casey Geary, Chesapeake, VA - Christopher Newport University

Jett Messenger, Chesapeake, VA - Purdue University

Joseph Simon, Chesapeake, VA - Tidewater Community College

Jacob Flicek, Hampton, VA – Radford University

Micah McLemore, Hampton, VA - Thomas Nelson Community College

Neville Patel, Hampton, VA - James Madison University

Zachary Kempf, Newport News, VA - Christopher Newport University

Keelan Hill, Portsmouth, VA - Regent University

Dontez Vann, Portsmouth, VA - Norfolk State University

Nia Chung, Suffolk, VA - Tidewater Community College

Luke Williamson, Suffolk, VA – Radford University

Joseph Crutcher, Virginia Beach, VA - Tidewater Community College

Joshua West, Williamsburg, VA - Thomas Nelson Community College

ABOUT AUTOBELL: Surpassing 50 years of service, Charlotte, NC-based Autobell Car Wash remains unwavering in its focus on customers and the cars they love. Founded in 1969 by the late Charles Howard Sr., Autobell is privately held and operated by subsequent generations of the Howard family.

Currently operating 84 locations in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland with consistent expansion, Autobell continues its commitment to team member training and development, community involvement, scholarship and fundraising programs, and environmental protection and conservation. All Autobell washes treat 100% of wash water used and recycle up to 100% using technologically advanced equipment. For more information, visit autobell.com.