Latest news with #Boykin
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kiawah Island developers look to expand on Johns Island, including residential community and golf course
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Kiawah Island developers are proposing a plan to expand a new community on Johns Island. Orange Hill Tract is about 933 acres of land between Bohicket Road and River Road. Charleston County previously approved development plans there in 2004, but since, it has been sold to South Street Partners. They are requesting approval from the County to build a new residential community and 18-hole golf course, part of the Kiawah Island Club. The group and county are also working on a development agreement, which officials said makes this deal more attractive. 'Our community development was able to secure a significant amount of funding for affordable workforce housing for Johns Island, nearly a million dollars. I think there was another $500,000 for Sea Island Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, St. John's Fire Department is getting half the cost of a fire engine from the developer and our Charleston County EMS is basically getting half the cost of an ambulance covered,' Joe Boykin, county councilmember for District 8, said. Also, Developers tell News 2, around 60% of their employees live on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island. They said this gives their employees another opportunity to make their commute closer to home and be present in the community with their contributions. The revised plan coming from the South Street Partners includes a greater focus on preservation, by keeping over 80% of live oaks on the property, improving stormwater management, and reducing the numbers of homes originally proposed. 'That was done as a result of site analysis that suggested lower density and more modest home sites rather than big home sites and big homes. More modest home sites appropriate for the setting. More aligned with the character of Johns Island in terms of the nature of homes there,' said Mark Premar, Kiawah Island master planner and architect. Additionally, by reducing the amount of homes, there will also be less impacts from previously planned roads on the property. The group has also decided to put the community's entrance on the less congested roadway. 'The access point was instead of Bohicket Road, we felt the more after we did an assessment we felt the more appropriate access point would be off of River Road,' Premar said. 'Part of that was a reaction to the ever increasing traffic count on Bohicket Road that we're all familiar with.' The Kiawah Partners own and manage the Beach Club and Cassique Club, and Premar said they continue to be a community involved group. When asked about possible resident concerns, Boykin added that this is a better option than allowing for an outside developer to come in and sell. 'The developer's been pretty sensitive to our concerns as Johns Islanders and wanting to keep our sense of place. So, again the concessions they made in reduction to how many units and the rearrangement of how they're putting in this development I think were sensitive to our concerns,' said Boykin. County council will host the public hearing on June 10 at county headquarters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Biden ATF promoted agents involved in 'illegal' scheme to inflate salaries, GOP senators say
Two Senate Republicans are calling for immediate corrective action at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), accusing agency officials of substantial misconduct, mismanagement, abuse of power and potential criminal misconduct after supervisory staff allegedly disregarded federal directives and standards in order to inflate their salaries. What's more, instead of being disciplined, the supervisory agents who allegedly turned a blind eye to the misconduct – and in some cases allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers trying to expose it – were promoted under the Biden administration, the senators say. "As a result of ATF's illegal conduct, ATF staff assigned to these positions performed administrative work but unlawfully received enhanced law enforcement pay and benefits to which they were not entitled, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars," Iowa's Republican senators, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, wrote in a letter transmitted Friday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and ATF acting Director Daniel Driscoll. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll To Lead Atf, Replacing Fbi Director Kash Patel In their letter, the senators cited two internal investigations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which concluded in 2020 and ultimately suspended the ATF's classification authority, and the ATF Internal Affairs Division (IAD), which was completed in early 2024. Despite the suspension from OPM in 2020, which was lifted in 2023, ATF officials disregarded OPM directives and continued to re-classify agency employees improperly, according to the senators. In their letter, Grassley and Ernst singled out two supervisory agents, Lisa Boykin and Ralph Bittelari, who they say the IAD audit shows not only allowed the continuance of this misclassification scheme – despite knowing it violated OPM directives and standards – but also retaliated against whistleblowers trying to expose it. Read On The Fox News App Furthermore, the senators claim, Boykin and Bittelari were promoted before President Joe Biden left office and continue to work at the ATF under President Donald Trump. In one instance, according to the senators, Bittelari and Boykin decided to move forward with the relocation of an ATF law enforcement officer in Phoenix to an administrative position at ATF headquarters in Washington, D.C., despite OPM identifying the position as misclassified. The IAD report allegedly shows Bittelari initially agreed to rescind the job offer, but following a subsequent conversation with Boykin decided to move forward with the unauthorized relocation anyway. Senator Warns Of 'Unconstitutional' Judicial Overreach Ahead Of Scotus Showdown Furthermore, the senators alleged in their letter that the IAD report shows Bittelari attempted to hide the "unlawful assignment" by submitting the promotion directly to payroll for processing. During another instance when Bittelari sought to improperly classify a position description for the chief of ATF's Workforce Wellness and Services Division (WWSD) as law enforcement, the senators said a human resources classification specialist was threatened with insubordination after recusing herself from the matter and sending an email notifying staff it was a violation of OPM directives and standards. The senator's letter also highlighted Boykin's "troubling lack of candor" regarding the installation of the chief of WWSD. According to the senators, Boykin told IAD investigators she was unsure if the chief of WWSD had been installed prior to the position description ever being adequately approved. However, the senators said, Boykin's emails showed the individual attended meetings and functions with Boykin as WWSD chief prior to receiving approval, and a draft position description was created jointly by the pair weeks before the official WWSD chief position description was approved. "The findings in the IAD report present clear evidence that corrective action must be taken for, at minimum, Ms. Boykin's and Mr. Bittelari's gross misconduct," the senators wrote. "Yet, the Biden ATF and DOJ leadership not only failed to hold Boykin or Bittelari accountable for their gross misconduct, but legally protected whistleblower disclosures provided to our offices show these career DOJ bureaucrats were promoted after the conclusion of the IAD investigation that harshly criticized their actions." The senators point out in their letter that Boykin was promoted to chief diversity officer under Biden, but in January 2025 her title was switched to "Senior Executive." Meanwhile, the senators also pointed out Bittelari was promoted to senior advisor at the Justice Department's Justice Management Division (JMD), and later acting deputy director of human resources within JMD. Atf Accused Of 'Circumventing' Trump Order To Place Dei Staff On Paid Leave "In closing, the findings in the IAD and OPM audit reports further substantiate the claims whistleblowers made to our offices that senior ATF bureaucrats, Ms. Boykin and Mr. Bittelari, engaged in gross and substantial waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct at the expense of taxpayers in furtherance of ATF's illegal misclassification scheme, retaliated against whistleblowers for exposing it, and then were promoted for it," stated Grassley and Ernst's letter to Bondi and Driscoll. "Their complete disregard for the law despite being 'fully aware of the potential consequences' show Boykin and Bittelari should not have leadership positions at the Justice Department or its components." In addition to calling for corrective action, Grassley and Ernst requested that no later than May 23 the Justice Department submit a response on how it plans to address the issues laid out in the IAD report and their letter. The Justice Department declined to comment for this article, while the ATF did not respond to Fox News Digital's article source: EXCLUSIVE: Biden ATF promoted agents involved in 'illegal' scheme to inflate salaries, GOP senators say
Newsweek
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Dog Who Has Unexpected Reaction to the Rain Wins Pet of the Week
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This week, we've seen a rescue dog become a "bonus mom" to a litter of orphaned puppies and a blind cat's complete joy at stumbling on a toy during playtime. But it isn't just viral pets we like to share; we also love seeing readers' pet stories, videos and pictures for our Newsweek Pet of the Week lineup. Don't forget; if you think your animal could be our Pet of the Week, follow the instructions at the end of this story to get involved. From left: Clemmy the dog enjoys the South Carolina rain. From left: Clemmy the dog enjoys the South Carolina rain. Patrick Whiddon Winner This week's Pet of the Week is Clemmy, who lives in South Carolina with owner Patrick Whiddon. "She is a Boykin, AKA Swamp Poodle," Whiddon told Newsweek. Clemmy was adopted from the Boykin Rescue Society, and Whiddon said: "She is just a sweet companion dog, so eager to please and play." In a hilarious video, Clemmy showed off her classic Boykin spaniel nature, gleefully embracing a rainy downpour. In the video, she leaped beneath a gushing rain pipe, trying to catch the streaming water. "[She] loves to play in the rain; even catches rain drops," Whiddon said. The Boykin spaniel is a medium-sized sporting breed developed in South Carolina in the early 1900s. Originally bred for hunting wild turkeys and ducks in the dense Wateree River swamp, the breed traces its roots to a stray named "Dumpy," who was taken in by local sportsman Whit Boykin. Today, the Boykin spaniel is celebrated as South Carolina's official state dog—loved for its loyalty, intelligence, and spirited nature—as Clemmy's joyful antics clearly show. Sheena waits for her owner to return home. Sheena waits for her owner to return home. David Applegarth Finalists Our first finalist this week is Sheena, a German shepherd dog who was pictured waiting patiently for owner David Applegarth to return. "My rescue waiting for me to return the first time I left her at home to go shopping," Applegarth shared alongside a picture of the pup perched on the chair. Black-and-white cat Princess sits on a cardboard box. Black-and-white cat Princess sits on a cardboard box. Suzanne Schulz Next up this week is Princess, a 7-year-old cat who displayed a classic feline trait—a love of boxes. In a heartwarming picture, the black-and-white feline was pictured on the counter on top of a cardboard box. Owner Suzanne Schulz told Newsweek: "Princess loves boxes. [I] caught her on the counter, I still love her, I am passionate about treating animals with respect." Arthur enjoys some playtime on the artificial grass at home. Arthur enjoys some playtime on the artificial grass at home. Maria Fernanda Cartaya Last but not least this week is Arthur, a playful pup who was rescued from the streets two years ago. "He arrived to the shelter with an injury that required his front leg to be amputated," owner Maria Fernanda Cartaya told Newsweek. But Arthur's lack of limbs hasn't slowed him down, and he was adopted soon after by his loving family. "Now he's living his best life. He's happy, healthy, and very loved," Cartaya said. If you think your pet could be next week's Newsweek "Pet of the Week," send us your funny and heartwarming videos and pictures of your pet, along with a bit about them to life@ and they could appear in our "Pet of the Week" lineup.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
A family rents their home out for Masters week and it pays their mortgage for the whole year
Photographer Whitney Boykin rents out her home each year for the Masters golf tournament. Boykin, her husband, and their two kids pile into an RV while guests stay in their home. They spend $5,000 getting the house ready, but the eight-day booking pays their mortgage for a year. This week, golf's greatest stars descend on the tiny city of Augusta, Georgia, in pursuit of the famous green jacket awarded to winners of the Masters Tournament. It's also time for photographer Whitney Boykin and her family to pile into their camper to make way for the guests renting their home in North Augusta, South Carolina. "I'm one of the rare locals who says I love Masters week. I just want visitors to see how amazing it is here," Boykin told Business Insider. Boykin and other locals rent out their properties to golfers and visitors directly, on Airbnb, or via other platforms. In the city of Augusta alone, the number of rentals jumped from 725 in March 2024 to 1,700 in April 2024, data from short-term-rental analytics site AirDNA shows. The average revenue for rentals in the city jumped from $2,700 in March 2024 to $5,300 in April 2024, AirDNA found. While Boykin declined to share exactly how much she makes, she said it's enough to cover the family's mortgage payments for a year. This is the seventh year the family is renting out their house for the Masters. As of April 4, homes similar to Boykin's listed on Airbnb were available to rent from about $9,000 a week to $28,000 a week. For Boykin, one week of sleeping in a camper with her husband, their two kids, their cat, and their dog is more than worth it. Take a look inside the home they rent out during the Masters. Whitney Boykin and her family moved into their North Augusta, South Carolina home in December 2020. The house, just over the state line from Georgia, has five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and a large outdoor space designed for entertaining. The home is a 12-minute drive to Augusta National Golf Course. But during Masters week, traffic adds up to about 30 minutes. Boykin said she passes the Augusta National Golf Club when she drives her kids to school. "The rest of the year, it's just not that big of a deal," she said. Boykin said many North Augusta locals rent out their homes for the Masters and use the money to go on vacation for a week. Area schools typically schedule spring break to sync up with the tournament. "Everyone looks forward to this because it's great money," Boykin told Business Insider. In the past, Boykin has used Airbnb and Vrbo to rent out the home. There is even a local rental agency dedicated to the event called the Masters Housing Bureau. For the past two years, Boykin's family has rented their house to a Texas company that brings its employees to the tournament. Boykin was connected with the company through a local friend. In January each year, Boykin starts to think about getting the house ready for the Masters. The family spends about $5,000 to prepare it for renters. "Once the Christmas lights get put away, it's time to get ready," she said. Preparations include pressure-washing the facade, adding new landscaping, and getting the home professionally deep-cleaned. Boykin stores all her seasonal Masters gear in a section of the attic that's off-limits to the rest of the family. She keeps paraphernalia including flags, pillows, and golf supplies with the Masters logo locked away for most the year, along with special sets of crisp, white linens for the bedrooms. "My kids know which sheets are Masters ones. We don't touch them," she said. Guests arrive the Sunday before the tournament begins and pay for an eight-day stay that includes the Monday after the finals. Local schools have extended spring break, Boykin added, with kids returning to the classroom on the Tuesday after the tournament. Boykin likes to check on the home twice during the week to clean and make sure everything is OK. Boykin said cleaning visits are more for her peace of mind because they've rarely had issues. Visitors in town for the Masters often try to maximize their time at the golf course. "They're not spending a lot of time in our home," Boykin said. "They take care of our things better than we do." Other families renting out their homes travel, but Boykin's family stays in an RV for Masters week. Boykin's husband, who works in the car industry, is especially busy in early April. This year, the family will park the RV at a local equestrian facility that has dozens of walking trails. Boykin's family first stayed in a camper one year when their home was still accidentally listed for rent in July. Out-of-towners rented their house for a youth basketball tournament called Peach Jam. Even though the family had no plans to rent out their house for any time other than the Masters, Boykin said her husband felt it was worth it. He drove to Myrtle Beach to pick up an RV he found online so the family could honor the booking. Boykin added that he told her it would allow them to take "an extra vacation." Read the original article on Business Insider
USA Today
10-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bears sign Miles Boykin: 5 things to know about Chicago's new WR
Bears sign Miles Boykin: 5 things to know about Chicago's new WR The Chicago Bears continued their offseason additions with the signings of veteran wide receiver Miles Boykin and cornerback Shaun Wade to one-year deals. The names don't jump off the paper, nor should they expected to have a big impact in their upcoming year with the team, but they do provide depth and their own respective talent to Chicago. Boykin is the third receiver who has been added to the Bears this offseason. He joins Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay as the new additions as depth behind DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Tyler Scott with Odunze and Moore leading the way at the position. Here are five things to know about new Bears wide receiver Miles Boykin: 1. Boykin is a Chicago native Born and raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, Boykin will become yet another Chicago-area native on the Bears roster. In a sense of familiarity, Boykin will join a wide receiver room led by coach Antwaan Randle-El, who is also a Chicago native. Boykin played his high school career at Providence Catholic High School in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, Illinois. 2. Boykin is another Notre Dame alum The Bears have added several former Notre Dame Fighting Irish alums this offseason: tight end Durham Smythe, cornerback Nick McCloud, long snapper Scott Daly and now Boykin. Those names also join star tight end Cole Kmet, as Fighting Irish who are on the Bears roster. In his collegiate career, Boykin totaled 77 catches, 1,206 yards, and 11 touchdowns for Notre Dame. 3. Boykin has played for 5 different NFL teams During his time in the NFL, Boykin has been signed to five different teams, but all of his career statistics have come with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to those two teams, Boykin has spent time with the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks as a member of their practice squad, and now his deal with the Bears will make them the fifth team of his career. 4. Boykin is a former third-round pick After an impressive career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, including a junior season where he hauled in 59 catches, 872 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns, Boykin didn't have to wait too long to be drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. Boykin was drafted in the third round by the Baltimore Ravens and spent the first three seasons of his career with Baltimore. 5. Boykin is a special teams ace After his time with the Ravens, Boykin found his role around the league as more of a special teams ace than a wide receiver. Boykin scored seven receiving touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league but has not hauled one in since the 2020 season. Boykin will join his former Ravens teammate Devin Duvernay as the Bears have shown a real commitment to upgrade their special teams unit. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter and Facebook
