Sports Bar in West Ashley, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – A Lowcountry couple faces thousands of dollars in repairs after they say water in diesel fuel purchased in West Ashley damaged their vehicle.

Adrienne Lett and her partner Uriel Salazar contacted the South Carolina Department of Agriculture to request diesel fuel be tested after they filled up their 2023 GMC Truck at the Circle K on Ashley River Road on New Year’s Eve. Lett said they were able to make the short drive home, but the next morning was another story.

“We tried to drive the car. I guess we tried to drive the truck out of our driveway and it stalled almost immediately. It completely stopped working,” Lett said.

Salazar’s truck started to make an erratic rattling noise and he got a notification saying water was detected in the gas tank.

“That’s when I started freaking out because I have this $100,000 asset that I’ve been taking like pristine care of over the last two years and to have it just not work anymore. It was very frustrating,” Salazar said.

The SCDA’s report listed traces of water and sediment in the fuel. While waiting for the results, they both continued to contact Circle K for answers, but say they haven’t received much in return.

“For us, we’re lucky we have multiple cars, but if this was one family truck and you relied on it for work and now you’re out of work for over a week, that’s very frustrating for a lot of families,” Salazar said.

Since the SCDA report came back, the diesel pumps now have zip ties and red tags saying they’re not for use.

“Ultimately, we shouldn’t have to pay for this,” Lett said. “This is it’s not our fault as this is the gas station’s fault and they should have coverage for this and whatnot and it shouldn’t be on us.”

Lett and Salazar both said they want to spread this news because they’re now starting to wonder how many people have had this problem.

Circle K did not respond to a request for comment.

Anyone who thinks they have purchased contaminated should contact SCDA at 803-737-9700, the number listed on the SCDA inspection sticker attached to the pump, the agency’s website states. The receipt from the purchase or the type, grade, date and pump number will help investigators trace potential issues with the gasoline.

“Consumer Services, a division of SCDA, investigates complaints on motor fuel quality and/or quantity issues,” the website states. “Customers can assist in this process by contacting SCDA as soon as possible after the purchase so that we may dispatch an inspector to visually inspect and collect a sample for lab analysis while the product is still available.”

The SCDA can provide a copy of the lab analysis that consumers can use to support their claims.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

A Charleston insurer marking its 100th anniversary has been ordered to stop issuing new policies in South Carolina after regulators determined its financial condition to be "hazardous" under a directive that is now on hold.

Atlantic Coast Life, which is headquartered in West Ashley and once owned the iconic downtown building that now houses the Wentworth Mansion, had been operating under confidential state supervision since last spring, along with the affiliated Southern Atlantic Re Inc.

The S.C. Department of Insurance recently released details of its investigation into the companies "as part of our ongoing efforts to protect the consumers of South Carolina,” said Michael Wise, the agency's director.

“We will continue to work with our fellow state regulators to ensure companies conducting insurance business are adequately funded in compliance with the law,” Wise added in a written statement.

The public disclosure drew a sharp rebuke from Advantage Capital, the owner of the two insurers.

“While we remain committed to working with our regulatory counterparts, we completely disagree with South Carolina’s assertions and their sudden decision to breach confidentiality," a spokesman for New York-based A-Cap said in a written statement.

The state last month directed Atlantic Coast and Southern Atlantic to stop writing new business, including life insurance policies and income-producing annuities. The order was put on hold Dec. 30, a day before it was to take effect.

The South Carolina crackdown follows nearly identical actions that Utah announced last year against three other carriers that A-Cap owns. The two states have been working together on a "full examination" since last January.

Regulators are concerned that A-Cap has heavily invested money from policyholders into businesses under its control, raising potential conflicts of interest.

South Carolina flagged to a credit-rating report issued in February that questioned the company's risk-management practices. The analysis from A.M. Best pointed to the "uncertainty of the quality of assets" backing the capital reserves for A-Cap's insurance operations, including Atlantic Coast and Southern Atlantic.

The state put the carriers and their owner under confidential supervision April 10. It cited their close financial ties to a Miami private equity firm called 777 Partners with "extensive" interests in airlines and sports teams, as well as insurance businesses.

The department then disallowed more than $660 million in investments Atlantic Coast and Southern Atlantic provided to help measure their financial strength and ability to pay claims. It also determined the two insurers were severely undercapitalized once the numbers were recalibrated.

A-Cap said it stands behind the financial information it has submitted. Atlantic Coast Life and Southern Atlantic "will continue to be strong," it added.

"South Carolina’s conclusions are incorrect based on an apparent misinterpretation of their own statute. ... We look forward to correcting the errors in South Carolina’s position on this matter," the spokesman said in the prepared remarks.

A-Cap bought Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Co. in 2015 from the family that co-founded the business in Charleston 90 years earlier.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to show the S.C. Department of Insurance's order was put on hold effective Dec. 30.

Published: Jan. 8, 2025 at 1:50 AM PST|

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A long-awaited project that would make the City of Charleston more accessible and connected for pedestrians, cyclists and other nonmotorized users will finally become a reality Wednesday.

The Ashley River Crossing pedestrian bridge project has been in the works for almost 15 years now and after undergoing several changes and design revisions, the plan is complete, so the project will begin Wednesday afternoon. Leaders for the City of Charleston will break ground and begin construction on this massive project.

This bridge will connect West Ashley to downtown Charleston.

Project leaders plan to start construction on the West Ashley side and build across to the downtown side, connecting to Brittlebank Park, Bee Street and Lockwood Drive and then eventually tying into the City Marina.

Chief Policy Officer for the City of Charleston Logan McVey said that they plan to connect many projects within this one including the Ashley River Walk and the Battery extension with one goal in mind: making the City of Charleston one, connected city.

“That’s what’ll be really important is the idea of the City working together and us viewing the City not as different places - as West Ashley versus Downtown or Downtown versus West Ashley - but as one city that is connected with just a little bit of water in between,” McVey said.

In theory, once this project is complete, it would be possible to bike or walk all the way from outer West Ashley to the Isle of Palms.

The vision is that pedestrians and cyclists could take the West Ashley Greenway to the Ashley River Crossing then ride around the peninsula using the Battery extension to ultimately hop on the Ravenel Bridge. It is all about connectivity within the city, which is something leaders have been really trying to prioritize.

This project originally began under the city’s former leadership, but City Council approved the suggestions Mayor Cogswell made to the project and it will now also include a viewing platform of the Ashley River.

The project in total will cost about $90 million, which will mostly come from federal funding.

As it is such a big project, McVey said that city leaders wanted to make sure they were making the best use of this money. He said they decided to be intentional in connecting this with several other pedestrian and mobility projects in the area.

“The idea is that you’ve got something that is going to be a pretty big investment… how can the city connect that investment to other investments we are making? That’s the battery extension, that’s the Lowline, that’s all of the bike and pedestrian improvements that we are making downtown. How do all of these tie together to create a system that allows people to get around without getting into a car, takes pressure off our roads, but also makes us a healthier, better, more connected city,” McVey said.

City leaders will host a groundbreaking ceremony to commence the beginning of construction for this project Boulevard from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. The groundbreaking will take place at the construction site on the West Ashley side located at 25 Folly Road Blvd.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.