Wildlife Removal in Hanahan, SC

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCSC) — The South Carolina State Ethics Commission has officially found the Hanahan mayor in violation of two ethics codes tied to a 2022 land sale on Yeamans Hall Road.

The commission found Mayor Christie Rainwater violated ethics codes by participating in a matter in which a business she was associated with held an economic interest and for failing to recuse herself from that same matter.

Rainwater works for Carolina One, the real estate company that helped sell the property. State ethics codes prohibit public officials from using their office to financially benefit anyone with whom they are associated.

The commission determined Rainwater did not personally enrich herself from the transaction. She was publicly reprimanded and fined $2,100.

The commission issued its final Decision and Order following an evidentiary hearing held on June 18, 2026. The City of Hanahan said it is sharing the public documentation in full.

Rainwater issued a statement in response to the ruling.

“I respect the State Ethics Commission and appreciate the time and attention it devoted to reviewing this matter,” Rainwater said. “The Commission’s ruling makes clear that I did not receive any personal financial benefit from the transaction, did not negotiate or arrange the City’s brokerage agreement, and was not found to have acted with the intent to enrich myself.”

“I believed at the time that I was acting in the City’s best interest by ensuring the closing documents accurately reflected the existing agreement prior to my licensure,” she said. “At the same time, I recognize that I have made a mistake and should have recused myself from the matter. I regret that I did not do so.”

Rainwater said she will not appeal the ruling.

“While I have considered an appeal, the city had a very loud minority bringing a divisiveness, and I don’t feel like dragging this out would be helpful at this time,” she said.

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HANAHAN, S.C. (WCIV) — Hanahan city leaders and developers broke ground on the city’s first town center Thursday, a project designed to bring shops, restaurants, office space and fitness options to the growing community.

The new development, called Blackwells Corner, will be built at the corner of Yeamans Hall Road and Carolyn Street. Plans call for six buildings across the roughly 40,000-square-foot property.

Businesses expected to be part of the development include Untitled Pizza Co., Kudu Coffee and Wine, and Pineapple House Boutique.

For Steve Blackwell, the site carries decades of family history. His father’s family moved to Hanahan after World War II and began building homes and storing materials at the site in an old Army warehouse, which later grew into Blackwell’s Hardware.

“My father’s family grew up in Bethune and moved here after the war and started building houses and started storing material on this site in an old Army barracks,” Blackwell said. “It grew into the hardware store.”

READ MORE | Hanahan residents seek answers as USC studies warn of growing extreme flood risk

Blackwell said he and his siblings remember spending time at the old warehouse as children.

“We remember growing up and stumping our toes in the warehouse,” he said. “It was the greatest playground ever.”

Blackwell’s Hardware was part of the Hanahan community for more than 75 years before closing in 2025. City leaders say the new town center was inspired by that legacy and is centered on four ideas: legacy, family, vision and community.

“I think it’s something that’s kind of been missing in Hanahan,” Blackwell said. “You see places like Park Circle and what they’ve done for their community, and I think this is going to be a real boon for Hanahan.”

Before Blackwells Corner opens, officials plan to open Blackwells Outpost about a block away from the construction site. The space is expected to host food trucks and vendors, giving residents an early look at the type of gathering place city leaders envision.

Officials said the town center’s design was shaped by feedback from residents.

Blackwells Corner is expected to open in fall 2027.

HANAHAN, SC (WCIV) — Hanahan residents looking for answers about the future of flooding are getting new insight from University of South Carolina researchers, who say the risk of extreme flooding in the area is growing and the need for change is urgent.

Flooding has been a long-term issue for the city, Mayor Rainwater said, dating back to Hanahan’s earliest days as a municipality.

“It’s a big issue in the city of Hanahan since inception in 1973,” Rainwater said. “If you look at the very first minutes of the city of Hanahan, you’ll see flooding as an issue.”

Researchers have identified Hanahan as being at risk for compound flooding, meaning there are multiple ways the area can flood.

One major pain point is Goose Creek, which can overflow during king tides or heavy rainfall. USC professor Jasim Imran said conditions are worsening.

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“It’s becoming worse and worse because probably sea level is higher, and now we get more intense storms,” Imran said.

Four USC researchers have spent the past two years studying the region, placing sensors from the Turkey Creek watershed to Hanahan to track water movement. USC engineering professor Austin Downey said the team is building models and data infrastructure to keep the work current.

“Right now, the project is where we are building up the models and building up the data infrastructure so hopefully we can update this as we go,” Downey said.

Over the next three years, the researchers are expected to work alongside the city to determine which areas need the most improvements. Downey said the work could also help provide real-time information.

“Can work traffic and give real-time updates,” he said.

City leaders said they welcome the collaboration as they look for solutions for residents.

“This is an issue we’ve dealt with, and we’re going to continue to work on to help residents with their properties,” Rainwater said.

During a presentation, USC experts said even small changes, such as removing a fence or widening a ditch, can make a significant difference as floodwaters move through an area.

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCIV) — The complaint lodged against Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater was dismissed by the South Carolina Ethics Commission following a months-long investigation.

Levied by developer C. Ray Wrenn, the ethics complaint – filed April 2 – initially alleged that Rainwater helped a private buyer represented by Councilman Michael Sally’s real estate agency secure a transfer of a Sellers Road right-of-way for a nominal fee. The ethics commission found that neither Rainwater nor the real estate agency Carolina One had any economic interest in the property transfer. Additionally, the ethics commission found that the transaction was fully compliant with South Carolina rules.

"I'm glad this matter has been resolved," Rainwater said. "The ethics commission reviewed this complaint thoroughly, and after their investigation, they found no evidence to support moving forward with a hearing. I'm grateful to the people who took the time to look closely at the facts and reach a fair conclusion. Serving the people of Hanahan is what I care about, and as long as I am mayor, that's where my focus will stay."

The right-of-way, which was acquired by the South Carolina Department of Transportation in 1957, is located along Sellers Road in Hanahan. SCDOT transferred it to the city for $5 in May 2025. The Hanahan City Council later approved transferring the property to RAP Development LLC for $10.

Rainwater supported the transfers in emails to SCDOT and voted on the ordinance authorizing the city’s transfer to the developer, according to the order.

The commission said those actions would violate the Ethics Act only if Rainwater or Carolina One had an economic interest in the transactions.

The commission's ruling follows a highly publicized legal controversy surrounding Rainwater's participation in the 2022 sale of property on Yeamens Hall Road, in which she was found in violation of multiple laws by the state ethics commission.

In mid-August, she elected not to run for reelection, ending nearly a decade in office.

The full report can be read below.