Personal Injury Attorney in Aiken, SC

Published: Jan. 14, 2025 at 6:49 AM PST|

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County school officials say no student or staff data was compromised in a recent data breach.

Also safe from the breach was the Edgefield County district.

The Aiken County Public School District told parents and guardians Monday night that no student or staff data was compromised by the breach of the PowerSchool system.

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Attorney General Alan Wilson announced he is co-leading a 23-state brief that was filed aimed at protecting students’ First Amendment right to free speech.

“While Aiken County Public Schools use PowerSchool, our own investigation indicates that no student or staff data in their district was compromised,” the district told patrons Monday night. “We understand you may have concerns. we want to assure you that we take this matter seriously.”

The district said it’s working with PowerSchool and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to monitor the situation and we will keep parents informed with any updates.

The South Carolina Department of Education said the data breach occurred the night of Jan. 7.

It said an “international incident” caused those with “unauthorized access” to obtain customer data from PowerSchool’s Student Information Systems, including personally identifiable information.

In addition to Edgefield County, only three other South Carolina school districts were not affected by the data breach:

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State lawmakers are preparing for a new legislative session, and one of their top priorities involves South Carolina’s private school voucher program.

Leaders with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs released a few tips to keep in mind for parents to safeguard their children’s information and avoid cyber threats:

If you believe someone is using your child’s information, call 800-922-1594 or visit https://consumer.sc.gov/identity-theft-unit/id-theft.

by submitting an Identity Theft Intake Form by clicking here.

Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

What makes celebrating Christmas in the South special is the gracious nod to holiday tradition, year after year, whether we're talking town squares draped in twinkling lights and garland or carols sung at the town tree lighting. For those looking for a taste of these Southern yuletide revelries all wrapped up in a setting prettier than any picture, there's a small town more than worth the trip: Aiken, South Carolina.

What Makes Aiken, South Carolina, Special For Christmas?

Known already for its iconic archway of live oaks and impressive collection of Thoroughbred champions, Aiken makes Christmas a festive and time-honoring affair. Here, you won't find tourist traps or horse-themed gimmicks; you'll find a historic community full of equestrian tradition and small-town charm.

The stunning South Carolina town embodies the low and slow way of small-town living; but at Christmastime, it turns up the volume and charm with a holiday extravaganza packed to the brim with festive events that are both community-oriented and welcoming to short-term visitors. If you're ready to see authentic horse-drawn carriages in the downtown parade or perhaps schedule one of Santa's elves to tuck in your little ones at bedtime, there might just be something in Aiken for you and your family.

Here are some highlights that show why you need to plan a visit to Aiken this year during Christmastime.

Holiday Traditions To Experience In Aiken

It's not officially Christmas in Aiken until the first weekend of December when the massive tree flickers to life on Newberry Street in downtown Aiken. The town's cozy shops follow suit with twinkling lights and garland, while storefronts showcase their most cheerful displays and wares. Caroling tops off the evening with some entertainment.

Sometimes when your town is serious about the season, just one Christmas parade won't do. The first weekend of December, attend Aiken's Christmas Parade packed with vintage cars, dressed-up dogs, and themed floats. Over the season, you might catch old-fashioned horse-drawn carriages, dressed-up horses with caroling riders, and tinsel-draped dogs roaming town.

Ever thought you might be just perfect at judging decorated Christmas trees? Well, here's your chance. Take a trip to the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum to vote for "Best in Show." (In this equestrian town, that's no joke.) A thoughtfully curated (read: over-the-top decorated) Festival of Trees is on display and awaiting your vote for top honors.

If you're a crafter, decorator, or just really appreciate handmade art, this event is one you shouldn't miss. The Annual Christmas Craft Show will be held at the very start of December, bringing artisans from many places and cultures to Aiken. The two-day event is typically on the first weekend of December.

Book a few nights at a stately, but not stuffy hotel, The Willcox; and tailor your stay with as much Christmas cheer as you want. Make your kids' Christmas season better than ever by booking the hotel's signature Elf Tuck-In, and watch their faces light up as one of Santa's elves knocks on the door—milk and cookies in tow—and reads them a bedtime story. With these yuletide amenities and a spirited atmosphere, The Willcox makes the most of your holiday visit.

When it comes to Christmas, Aiken says go big or go home. On the Night of 1,000 Lights, Downtown Aiken is lined with a thousand luminaries that come together to cast a magical glow over the charming streets. The downtown shops stay open late and offer holiday treats, drinks, and music for a fun and festive evening out on the town.

For over 25 years, Christmas in Hopelands has given visitors a magical experience with over 100,000 twinkling lights in the peaceful setting of Hopelands Gardens while sipping on a warm cup of apple cider or hot cocoa. Stroll through over two miles of the walk-through exhibit, complete with lighted pathways and illuminated displays. Caroling and live music will stud the month-long exhibit during the weekends, so make sure to bring a blanket! The 10-day event runs in mid-December.

It's hard to be this South's best small town when it comes to celebrating Christmas. Make this year the most festive yet by grabbing your family and heading to Aiken for some true Southern merrymaking.

For the second time in less than a month, a couple has experienced difficulties getting their downtown home approved by the Aiken Design Review Board.

Professional golfer and Aiken native Kevin Kisner and his wife, Brittany, reached an agreement earlier this year to purchase property near 525 Laurens St. S.W. upon which they wished to build a home.

"We love the community of Aiken," Brittany said Dec. 3. "We love the history of Aiken. We love Hitchcock Woods. We've been fortunate to live in the historic district… If anything, we feel lucky to have the opportunity to purchase a piece of property like that and build a beautiful home for our family."

Tara and Charlie Bostwick own 525 Laurens St. S.W.

"It's only been the Hitchcocks, the Bostwicks and now the Kisners," Tara said Dec. 3. "We've always been looking for like-minded neighbors. Remember we're living where we're living and look forward to the opportunity for Brittany and Kevin to raise their children there."

Two members of the Hitchcock family blessed the plan, Tara added.

The Kisners' plans for the property also require Design Review Board approval. Specifically, 525 Laurens St. S.W. lies within the city's Historic Overlay District which gives the Design Review Board oversight of the visible portions of the property.

The Kisners plan to submit two applications to the Design Review Board: one for the home they plan to build and one to make renovations to two barns on the property they plan to purchase.

They have not yet submitted the first application.

The Kisners submitted the second application June 27 but have met with several Design Review Board delays.

Specifically, consideration of the application was continued Aug. 15 to allow for an Aug. 22 site visit. The application was not on the agenda for either of the board's September meetings.

The board's October meeting was postponed to Nov. 5. Then, the Nov. 5 meeting was moved to Nov. 14 to avoid conflicting with the election. The Kisners' application was delayed at that meeting, too.

Another factor in the delays could be that some members of the community are concerned about the Kisners' plans for the barns.

The barns are known as the Hitchcock Stables.

The Hitchcock Stables are historic, said Lucy Knowles, president of the Preservation Foundation of Aiken, in an Aug. 5 letter to the Aiken Design Review Board.

"Horses were of paramount importance to the Winter Colony, especially the Hitchcock family, and the Stables were at the center of this activity," Knowles said.

The Hitchcocks brought many traditions to Aiken, Knowles added. These traditions include Hitchcock Woods, Palmetto Golf Club, polo and the Aiken Preparatory School, she said.

Knowles said that she and other members of the community are concerned that too much of the stables will be demolished.

"The owners clearly have failed to demonstrate that stabilization or rehabilitation of the Stables is not feasible," she said in her letter to the board. "The engineering report they have submitted outlines some issues with the Stables but does not and cannot conclude that stabilization and rehabilitation are not feasible."

A more detailed report, prepared by the Kisners' engineer, Josh Stewart, in response to Knowles's concerns says the stables are not in good shape.

"In general, the front half of the North barn appears to be in the best state of repair…," Stewart said.

"The back halves of the barns facing west toward Hitchcock Woods, as well as the two connecting porticoes are all in various stages of active collapse," Stewart wrote in an Oct. 8 report. "This is despite what appear to be repair, replacement and stabilization which continues to today."

The front half of the south barn has subsided into the soil and is 8 inches below grade at the east end, Stewart said.

The roof decking on the back half of the south barn is in various levels of decay, Stewart said. And the decking on the roof of the north barn has completely decayed and collapsed, he added. The decking is a total loss on the eves, Stewart continued.

The perimeter portico structure has separated from the roof in several places, Stewart said.

The stables lack adequate foundations and that's virtually impossible to fix now, Stewart said. And the structure continues to move due to the clay soil in which it sits, Stewart added.

Meaning the stables will eventually collapse, said Jeffrey Burden, the Kisners' consultant and a retired architect.

As such, the Kisners sought to preserve what they could — the front of the original barns — as part of their plan for the property.

Burden said he's worked on more than 40 projects in Aiken and planned to follow the requirements and guidelines set up on the federal Department of the Interior while working on the stables.

Chairwoman Faith Hawks submitted an application in early November — without consulting the Bostwicks, Tara said — to change the designation of the stables to landmark status within the city's historic register.

However, this creates problems for the board and for the Kisners.

Burden said the application was irregular because the Department of Interior's guidelines generally want the original structure to be preserved, not additions like have been made to the stables.

The landmark application must be heard before the Kisners can proceed.

"I don't know where we go past that," Brittany said. "We'll have to see how they rule on the landmark status application. But, I think that citizens of this community… should be aware of this."

Kevin said they want the board and the community to hear their application and determine whether their plans are appropriate for the property.

The Design Review Board is scheduled to meet Dec. 5.

The historic designation application is on the agenda for the board's 5:30 p.m. worksession. At the worksession, the board will decide whether to place the application on a future regular meeting agenda.

The Kisners' difficulties getting their application heard comes after the Design Review Board voted to reject Scott and Kimberly Gudith's application to convert a Whiskey Road church into a home Nov. 14.

The Gudiths plan to revise and resubmit their application.

Kevin and Brittany Kisner aren't looking to fight with the Aiken Design Review Board over the Hitchcock Stables but they're prepared to do so if necessary.

The Kisners want the effort to change how the stables are designated on the city's historical building registry to be stopped, said their lawyer, Ross Appel, in a Dec. 13 letter.

They also want their own application to demolish part of the stables to be heard Jan. 7, Appel continued in the letter to Board Attorney Laura Jordan.

"If the meeting moves forward and the legal status of the stables is changed, that decision will be appealed to the Circuit Court and my clients will assert all available legal and equitable claims against the City and those acting outside the scope of their official duties," Appel said.

If the board votes to recommend a change at its Dec. 17 meeting, it will be violating city code, established legal precedent, state law and its own by-laws, Appel added.

Aiken Area Government

First, the board has already violated city code and its own bylaws by delaying the Kisners' own application to demolish part of and retain part of the stables, Appel implied.

The Kisners submitted their application June 27.

"Section 5.2.4(A)(2) [of the city's zoning code] states the DRB 'may delay the granting of the certificate for a period up to 60 days from the time of filing of the application,'" Appel said.

Aiken Area News

The 60-day period to consider the application expired Aug. 26.

The only action taken by the board on the Kisners' application so far is to announce that consideration would be postponed Aug. 15 and Nov. 14 and to visit the site — 525 Laurens St. S.W. — on Aug. 22.

"The DRB's bylaws allow for 'a' continuance — not multiple continuances — Section V(E)," Appel said.

Second, the board will violate the time of application rule, an established legal precedent, by making a recommendation to change the designation first, Appel continued.

The time of application rule "prohibits local governments from changing the rules in the middle of the development review process," Appel wrote.

And by voting to recommend a change to the designation of the stables first, "this is precisely what the DRB is attempting to do," Appel continued.

Since the Kisners' application came first, the board must review the Kisners' application under the current designation — non-contributing — before it can consider changing the designation, Appel said.

The board's involvement in potentially changing the stables' designation also likely violates legal precedent, Appel continued.

"The DRB is a quasi-judicial, non-legislative body lacking authority to perform this function by delegation or otherwise," Appel said. "Bauer v. S.C. State Housing Authority... confirm[ed] the South Carolina Constitution prohibits the delegation of legislative authority to non-legislative bodies."

And changing the historic designation of the stables is a legislative function because the Aiken City Council, a legislative body, will make the final decision of whether the designation should be changed, Appel added.

Third, Board Chairwoman Faith Hawks's involvement in the application to change the stables' designation and her refusal to recuse herself from the board's votes on it violates the South Carolina Ethics Act, Appel continued.

Historic Aiken Foundation President Linda Johnson said Hawks requested the foundation prepare the application for her after the board's Aug. 22 visit to the Hitchcock Stables.

Hawks said she recognized the historic nature of the stables and wanted to address that potential problem before the board considered the Kisners' application.

The stables are considered historic because of their association with two prominent Aiken families: the Hitchcocks and the Bostwicks.

It's possible that the stables were built around 1900 for Thomas Hitchcock Sr., the man who brought polo to Aiken, Johnson wrote in the application.

The Hitchcock family is also associated with many Aiken traditions including Hitchcock Woods, Palmetto Golf Club, polo and the Aiken Preparatory School, said Lucy Knowles, president of the Preservation Foundation of Aiken, in an Aug. 5 letter.

Pete Bostwick bought the stables — and the rest of 525 Laurens St. S.W. — in 1947, Johnson said.

Bostwick was a famed horse trainer and a world-renowned polo player.

"The Hitchcock stables are highly unusual in three ways: their shingled exteriors, their rounded corners, and their especially high ceilings allowing for excellent air flow," Johnson continued. "While there are other stables from that period still in Aiken, the Hitchcock stables stand out."

The design is also flawed, said Engineer Josh Stewart in an October report.

"The structural design of the two original barns ... is not that of a conventional pole barn in that there is a central free-standing stall block that supports the surrounding portico," Stewart said.

The load bearing walls of the block are resting on soil because a hand-made leveling course of three bricks has deteriorated, he continued.

"Both barns are compromised by their original construction which neglected adequate foundations..." Stewart continued.

And it's virtually impossible to fix a lack of foundation where the stall blocks are, Stewart said.

The lack of an adequate foundation has caused the stables to deteriorate, leading the Kisners to apply to have part demolished so that some of their history can be preserved.

Despite these problems, Johnson recommended the stables be designated a landmark which would make changing them difficult.

However, Hawks changed the application to contributing to give the Kisners some ability to make changes but also requiring part of the stables to be preserved.

State law prohibits a person from representing a party before the same body that the official serves on, Appel said.

In other words, as a member of the board, Hawks is supposed to be a neutral decision-maker and not involved in the process.

"Section V(J)(2) of the DRB's bylaws contains a procedure whereby 'any individual' can lodge a formal conflict of interest claim against a board member," Appel said. "Please consider this letter a formal complaint under Section (V)(J)(2)."

The Kisners aren't the only ones to threaten an appeal if the board doesn't vote their way.

Luis Rinaldini, one of plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Project Pascalis, said Dec. 5 if the board votes to approve the Kisners' application that it would be appealed to the Second Judicial Circuit.

An activity unavailable in Aiken since 2017 will be returning late this week.

Park Avenue Lanes will be back in business Dec. 6 after an extended break.

An open bowling session is scheduled to begin “after” 7 p.m., according to the Park Lanes Avenue page on Facebook.

“It’s been a long time in coming,” said Danny Zielinski, who owns the facility with his wife, Dottie.

Park Avenue Lanes has been closed since the collapse of a roof in 2013.

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The other bowling alley in Aiken, Strikehouse Bowl on Whiskey Road, shut down four years later, and a Taco Bell fast food restaurant was constructed on its former site.

Zielinski faced a variety of challenges during his efforts to revive Park Avenue Lanes, which included the replacement of the area where the 16 lanes are located with a metal structure.

“The insurance took 28 months to settle,” Zielinski said.

Among the other setbacks were the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain problems, contractor-related issues and a delay involving the certificate of occupancy.

“I could have walked away from this,” Zielinski said. “When the roof collapsed, I could have taken the insurance money and left. But that’s not what I wanted to do. My mom would have wanted me to keep it open.”

Zielinski’s mother, Patricia “Grandma Pat” Chapman, and his stepfather, James “Papa Jim” Chapman, opened the bowling alley in 1971 and operated it until 1978.

Zielinski worked there as a pin chaser when not attending school.

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After his parents sold the business, Park Avenue Lanes was known for a while as Strike and Spare Lanes and also as Family Bowl. But Zielinski’s association with the facility continued through his employment as a mechanic.

Zielinski has owned Park Avenue Lanes since 2005.

His family’s legacy wasn’t the only reason for Zielinski’s determination to reopen the bowling alley.

He said he felt a responsibility to the community because Aiken “needs something for kids [to do]… in a positive family environment.”

The projected cost, however, was daunting.

Based on an estimate that Zielinski received, he was going to have to pay $100,000 per lane, or $1.6 million for 16, to build a new bowling alley.

Fortunately, Zielinski said, he was able to save a lot of money by purchasing equipment “seven or eight years ago” from a bowling center that had been shut down in Georgia.

He stored it in a warehouse so it could be installed eventually at Park Avenue Lanes.

Another step in the reopening process was a major renovation of the section of the building that wasn’t replaced by the metal structure.

“Along with longtime friend Allan Morgan Jr., we gutted it," Zielinski said. “We remodeled everything and designed it ourselves. We put up sheetrock and insulation. The bathrooms had old 1960s tiles. We ripped them out and put in new tiles.

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Wood from the old lanes was used to make an island and counters where the snack bar and front desk are located.

In addition, "everything was brought up to code," Zielinski said, and he made sure that the bowling alley met ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) requirements.

Zielinski’s daughter, Dani Roberson, will be in charge of the snack bar and also will serve as “kind of a general manger,” her father said.

Roberson is excited about Park Avenue Lanes’ revival.

“My little girl (5-year-old Brodi) can grow up here like I did,” she said.

Zielinski plans for Park Avenue Lanes to be open seven days a week, but Sunday operating hours won’t begin until early 2025.

Interest in bowling leagues has been high, said Zielinski, who works at the Savannah River Site.

The bowling alley’s address is 1100 Park Ave. S.E.

For more information, call 803-648-9227 or visit parkavelanes.com.