Latest news with #DHEC
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tycoon rants and raves in court over seawall he built outside his oceanside South Carolina mansion
A South Carolina man currently embroiled in an ongoing court battle exploded at environmental officials during arguments, insisting that the man-made seawall outside his oceanfront mansion is entirely legal. Rom Reddy, of Isle of Palms, is locked in a heated court battle over a $289,000 fine for an unauthorized seawall he built behind his beachfront property, with The South Carolina of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) arguing it violates coastal protection laws, The State reported. On Tuesday, sporting a snazzy black suit and distinguished glasses, Reddy represented himself in court - a rare move for an administrative law case. Reddy argued that he is nothing short of a law-abiding citizen, insisting he was unfairly targeted by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, which he claims is using regulation and enforcement to take his property. 'I understand a little bit more than the unelected bureaucrats,' Reddy said in court, according to The State. 'This is an unusual situation where we sit here with the citizens, my beautiful wife and myself... against the police power to the state and a taxpayer funded charity.' In February, the DHEC filed a temporary restraining order and petition for injunctive relief - a court order requiring a party to do or refrain from doing a specific action - against Reddy, WCBD News reported. The department subsequently issued cease-and-desist orders to Reddy, arguing that the seawall is located in a critical area. Rom Reddy (pictured in court), of Isle of Palms, is locked in a heated court battle over a $289,000 fine for an unauthorized seawall he built behind his beachfront property, with The South Carolina of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) arguing it violates coastal protection laws Now, with the court battle intensifying, the Reddy case has drawn in close scrutiny, as it could challenge state efforts to enforce beach protection laws established decades ago - all with the purpose of combating the threat of sea level rise. Rising sea levels, driven by climate change, have become a growing issue along South Carolina's coast, with Reddy's case sparking urgent debates over the impact of seawalls. South Carolina ultimately banned seawalls along the beach 36 years ago, citing their overall role in worsening erosion and obstructing public access to the shoreline. Reddy, however, argues that the state's actions infringe upon his property rights. He claimed that the state law itself allowed him to develop construction on that particular section of the beach. Further, he argued that if he is denied the use of his land due to the state's restrictions, he should be compensated for that loss. At times, the anti-government regulation advocate waved his arms and pointed at the court, emphasizing his point with dramatic flare. 'What they are doing is a descent into a total tyranny,' Reddy claimed during court. However, lawyers for the Department of Environmental Services doubled down, asserting that the issue is clear as day: Reddy built a seawall on his property, a practice that has been illegal in South Carolina for over three decades. Additionally, the state agency said that Reddy ignored repeated warnings not to build on the beach, arguing that judicial intervention is necessary to stop his unauthorized actions in the critical area. 'We're here today about a total disregard of the law,' Environmental Services lawyer Sallie Phelan said in her opening remarks, according to The State. 'We are here about two seawalls the Reddy's constructed on the beach at Isle of Palms to protect their yard, despite the department's repeated warning that it was not authorized and the department believed it to be a violation of the South Carolina coastal tidelands and wetlands law.' Battling ocean waves and state officials, Phelan accused Reddy of secretly piling clay, rocks and concrete on the beach outside his luxury home - then backing it all up with a seawall, despite a decades-old ban. Photos shown in court revealed the ocean breaching his property, flooding turf-covered yards that ultimately smashed through an aging barrier. Simply put, state regulators say the wall breaks the law. Reddy says the state has no authority over that decision. At the very heart of the drama lies this question: Where does South Carolina's beachfront control really end? While in court, Reddy asked detailed questions regarding the beach protection law as he argued that a recent change in those laws made the work he constructed at his home entirely legal. Last month, a judge agreed that the state had control over the entire beach during a preliminary ruling, according to The State. In this case, the state argued a similar point - the law gives them authority to protect all of the sandy beach, not just the areas with building restriction lines. Reddy, a steadfast supporter of President Donald Trump, claimed that either way, he was being treated unfairly - specifically in articles written by 'the fake news'. The multimillionaire media mogul has since been vocal on X, expressing his frustrations with what he calls government 'tyranny'. Earlier this week, Reddy announced on his platform that he was prepared to take on the fight. 'The unelected agency state is trying to apply a new interpretation of the regulation on property rights that would give them unlimited property rights that can vary by homeowner, depending on their judgement,' he wrote on X, referencing the SC Department of Environmental Services' coastal bureau. In another post, Reddy wrote: 'we kneel to God, not government'. 'We're going to take back what belongs to us - the money and the power,' said another. The court proceedings are expected to last throughout the week. The judge isn't expected to decide whether Reddy must cough up the $289,000 fine - or rip out his controversial seawall - until the court battle wraps up.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sudden closure of Conway daycare leaves parents reeling, scrambling
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — A local daycare is closing after more than 60 years of serving its Conway area, and some parents are panicked as they scramble to find an alternative for their children. Lovell Weekday Ministry, part of First Baptist Conway Grace Church — is closing down on May 30. 'You're looking on the websites, trying to find out who has a good grade with DHEC and DSS. You're asking other parents, 'where does your kid go,'' said parent Merritt Bury. 'Most of the parents you know, they already go where you're going. Unfortunately, now you're competing with them at other daycares.' Another parent who wanted to remain anonymous said Pastor Brian Hoffman sent a letter out Monday announcing the daycare's end — which could come before May 30 based on staffing. 'The increasing legal and financial liabilities involved in operating a childcare facility' led to the decision, Hoffman's letter said. Days earlier, parents said Hoffman apologized, saying two Lovell employees were investigated by state regulators for 'inappropriately handling and disciplining children,' they told News13. News13 reached out to Hoffman, the church's office and Lovell's director, who all declined to comment. 'If the church is looking to grow, I do understand how that might hinder them. While selfishly us, as parents, this is hurting us,' Bury said. The anonymous parent told News13 that Debra Stauffer, the daycare's director, didn't want it to close, and its staff found out the same time as parents. 'I just hope all the teachers are able to find other resources for employment, and that all of our babies are able to find people to watch them,' Bury said. Hoffman told parents a town hall-style meeting is planned after services on Sunday for families to ask questions. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Outrageously false': Nominated SC health director defends COVID response over opponents' claims
Edward Simmer, the governor's choice to lead the state health agency, told the Senate Medical Affairs Committee that claims about his response to the COVID-19 pandemic were false on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Screenshot of SCETV legislative livestream) COLUMBIA — The governor's pick to lead South Carolina's public health agency told senators Thursday that people have threatened him while making 'outrageously false allegations' about his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Henry McMaster nominated Dr. Edward Simmer, the previous head of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, to run the state's newly created Department of Public Health. Simmer ran DHEC for three years before legislators split the agency into separate departments. Since being nominated as head of the 2,000-person health agency, which he leads on an interim basis, Simmer has been called an 'enemy of medical freedom,' a 'health czar,' 'not a real doctor' and 'evil,' he told the 17-person committee Thursday during a lengthy opening statement. The committee did not take a vote on whether to advance his confirmation. Complaints about Simmer have centered around the state's response to COVID-19. Opponents have claimed Simmer pushed shutdowns, even though he still lived in Virginia until December 2020, when he retired after three decades in the Navy. He didn't take the helm of DHEC until February 2021, nearly a year into the pandemic. Senators voted 40-1 to confirm him as the agency was rolling out vaccines. 'Dr. Edward Simmer's track record during the pandemic demonstrated a clear disregard for South Carolinians' values and freedoms, prioritizing mandates and divisive policies over individual rights,' Sen. Tom Fernandez, a Summerville Republican who sits on the committee, wrote on Facebook in a post Simmer specifically addressed Thursday. That was 'completely false,' Simmer said. Even if he had been in the state when the pandemic began in 2020, he wouldn't have recommended closing schools or businesses, he said. 'Let me be perfectly clear, so that everyone on this committee and every citizen of this state can hear it directly from me,' Simmer said. 'I have never prioritized any mandates, and I will continue to preserve and defend South Carolinians' freedoms and individual rights.' Simmer has received threatening letters, in which people have said they want to hurt him because he promoted vaccines they see as 'putting poison in people's arms,' he said. Someone crumpled up his license plate and placed 'a very crude attempt to make something look like a bomb,' composed of wires and a battery pack, under his car, in an apparent attempt to intimidate him, he said. 'No threats, no lies on social media, no smear campaign from cowards, many of whom hide behind anonymous letters and false social media identities, will ever deter me from continuing to serve the people of South Carolina to the very best of my ability,' Simmer told the committee. Whether to wear a mask or get vaccinated is a personal choice people should make alongside their doctor, Simmer said. Demonstrating that personal choice, he wore a mask long after most others in the state had stopped because doctors for his wife, Peggy, recommended it, he said. Peggy Simmer has medical conditions that put her at very high risk for getting COVID-19. The disease would likely be life-threatening for her if she contracted it, Edward Simmer said. People 'expressed outrage and have even mocked me for wearing a mask,' he told the committee. 'But believe me, I will wear a mask again without hesitation if that is what it takes to protect Peggy,' Simmer said. Looking back, Simmer said he did the best with the information he had. If he could do it differently, he would have recommended lighter restrictions. For instance, instead of recommending that schools require students and staff to wear masks indoors, he would suggest schools leave the decision up to students, he said. He lacked the authority to require anything himself. He issued guidance to the state Department of Education that schools require masks, but when McMaster ordered an immediate end in May 2021 to those requirements, he followed the governor's directive to create a parental opt-out form. His repeated, public recommendation three months later came as he asked the Legislature to repeal its ban on mask mandates. He also would have done more to explain why officials were making the decisions they did and what information drove them, he said. 'Indeed, my detractors often overlook that during the COVID-19 response, public health officials simply did not have all the information that we do today,' Simmer said. 'No one did.' Some of the vitriol directed toward Simmer could have been misplaced anger for Anthony Fauci's response to the pandemic, suggested Sen. Josh Kimbrell. As chief medical advisor to the president, Fauci recommended stay-at-home orders, mask mandates and social distancing in order to combat the spread of the virus. 'I think that was a heavy-handed response,' said Kimbrell, R-Boiling Springs. 'Do you believe that your confirmation, your renomination, is colored at least in part by how (Fauci) responded to the national emergency?' 'Unfortunately, it probably is,' Simmer replied, adding that he also disagreed with some of Fauci's decisions. Sen. Tom Corbin questioned Simmer's decision to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Repeating debunked claims that the vaccine can alter a person's DNA, Corbin asked if Simmer felt it was responsible for the state health department to push it. 'It is my contention that it is wrong for this state to promote the vaccine as safe and effective when in my opinion it is not,' the Travelers Rest Republican said. Studies have shown this is not true, Simmer said. The vaccine has some rare side effects, so people should consult with a doctor before getting it, but in the vast majority of cases, studies show the vaccine is safe and effective, he said. 'I want to make DPH's public health role crystal clear,' Simmer said. 'We inform. You decide.' McMaster, who is a Republican, has repeatedly defended Simmer as his pick for the job. Before taking over DHEC, Simmer oversaw Tricare Health Plan, the military's massive health system for care outside military hospitals. Before that, he spent 12 years working in various positions as a naval doctor, McMaster said. DHEC had been without a permanent director for eight months when Simmer took over. He was also the first doctor in decades to lead the public health agency. 'He's enormously qualified. He's enormously talented,' McMaster said. 'I don't know why it is that people are criticizing him, because I don't think anybody can put a finger on something he's done that's either unethical or wrong.' The department's work goes far beyond the COVID-19 recommendations that have become a political flashpoint, Simmer said. As DHEC director, Simmer shepherded the agency through the split and a move to a new campus. The agency is building a 'state-of-the-art' laboratory, where researchers will test diseases, including screening newborns for potentially life-threatening but easily treatable genetic diseases, Simmer said. A look at the former utility campus that will be home to SC health agencies Last year, South Carolina ranked 37th in the country for health outcomes, a metric that looks at premature deaths, prevalence of diseases and access to medical care. That's not where the state should be, but it's a big improvement over the many decades in which the Palmetto State consistently ranked in the bottom 10 states, Simmer said. Leading the state Department of Public Health is Simmer's 'dream job,' he told reporters after the meeting. With the threats he has received, there have been days when he has asked himself whether he really wants to continue doing the work, but in every case, he decides that he does, he said. 'I truly believe in our mission,' Simmer said. 'I believe in the great work that we do. I have a wonderful team to work with, and every day I go to work, I can positively impact the lives of 5 million people.'
