Personal Injury Attorney in Edgefield, SC

Blue Collar Bistro has reopened, this time in Edgefield.

Robin and Floyd Andrews’ Southern comforts have gained them a sizeable following, built up over 12 years and spanning the CSRA, first in downtown Augusta and then at two different locations in Johnston.

A little blip in 2023 – really, another stab at retirement – had the bistro closing until the duo's restlessness came back and pushed them to once again dish up the family recipes.

“I just love serving people. And food, it makes the heart glad,” Robin said. “That’s why we keep coming back.”

March 13 was opening day in Edgefield, at 312 Augusta Road.

The Facebook announcement prompted its own commentary: “Best soul food in the state of South Carolina,” one woman wrote. “We CANNOT wait!!!” another chimed in.

The mac and cheese, the broccoli casserole, the squash casserole, “all that’s family,” a smiling Robin said. A week into reopening and the 1 p.m. lunch hour is a constant open and close of the front door, even though the sign wasn't up yet. Robin had been in the kitchen since 8:30 that morning.

It was her grandmother who would cook for the whole neighborhood every holiday. “She loved doing it,” Robin said.

When Robin’s husband, Floyd, retired that’s when Blue Collar Bistro came onto the scene in downtown Augusta, opening in 2012 on the whim of “We decided to give it a try.”

Two years later, the Andrews moved the business to Johnston, where they had grown up. They then moved again, still in Johnston, but to a bigger space.

Meat and two sides? Yep. Sandwich and fries. Yep.

“We’ll try things here and there,” Robin said. The steaks came on at the second Johnston location, and the plan is to bring them back here to Edgefield.

But that meat-and-two is the tried and true. As is the staff. Like the recipes served, the business is a family affair, and even Robin's mom, now 90, helps out.

EDGEFIELD, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Tuesday, officials from the National Weather Service went to Edgefield County to survey the damage from Monday’s storms.

The NWS has said the damager that occurred in McCormick and Edgefield Counties were a result of thunderstorm winds and not a tornado.

The wind caused the snapping and uprooting of trees, mainly near Highway 378 and Highway 283, according to the NWS.

First Alert Chief Meteorologist Riley Hale and Meteorologist Emily Acton met with John Quagliariello, a warning coordination meteorologist from the NWS, to learn more about the process.

Quagliariello says reporting storm damage in rural areas is “really critical to us, monitoring the radar and get warnings out for people downstream, but even after the event, we just don’t know.”

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The NWS says McCormick County through Saluda County was the focus on Tuesday.

“We did find some area that had a tree come down on a road and maybe some large branches from the storm yesterday, so it was fresh,” Quagliariello explains. “We are not finding a whole lot of damage right now. We are in a rural area so there could be damage we are just not having access.”

Another obstacle the NWS faced was damage from Hurricane Helene.

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“Actually, we were finding a lot of damage from Helene unfortunately. We know how many trees came down with Helene,” Quagliariello says. “It actually makes our job very difficult because there are trees down all along the wooded side and that is one of the things we look for during our surveys are trees and branches down.”

Quagliariello says the damage from Hurricane Helene is likely to be an obstacle for years.

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“When we are in rural areas like we are here we really rely on reports because we don’t have as good of an idea of what happens,” he explains. “If we have damage in a city, we will have blocked roads and will hear those type of reports. In rural areas we don’t get the information as much so it’s very hard for us to target our search for that damage.”

The best way to report damage, according to Quagliariello, is to send it through social media or email.

You can also send News 12 your damage and we will report to the meteorologist at the NWS.

Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

Johnston, SC – From the earliest moments of his career in education, Patrick Newsome knew he had a passion for teaching middle school students and helping them navigate the myriad challenges they face. He spent nine years as a middle school math teacher, including being named as a district-level teacher of the year, before moving into school administration.

Members of the Edgefield County Board of Education approved Newsome’s appointment as principal of Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton (J-E-T) Middle School for the 2025-26 school year during Thursday evening’s special-called meeting. He currently serves as the assistant principal at Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary School in Monetta, S.C.

J-E-T Middle School Principal Debbie Courtney has announced her retirement following the 2024-25 school year.

“It’s a pivotal time when students are just discovering who they are and where their place is in the world,” stated Newsome of middle-level students. “It’s an opportunity to shape their character, mindset, and future. Middle school has always been my wheelhouse, and I’ve missed it since I left.”

Newsome says he’s excited to have the opportunity to serve the J-E-T Middle School family and community.

“There is already a very solid group of people at J-E-T and so much pride in the school’s community and being able to join that I just want to continue to make it a place where the people in Johnston, Edgefield, and Trenton can continue to be proud to send their children,” commented Newsome.

His educational background includes a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University, a Master of Education degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Augusta University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina Aiken.

Newsome also served as an assistant principal at Warrenville Elementary School. His honors and awards include being named district-level Assistant Principal of the Year (2022-2023), district-level Teacher of the Year (2017-2018) and school-level Teacher of the Year (2017-2018).

He says his time as an elementary-level administrator has allowed him to grow as an educator and building leader.

“I’ve grown in my knowledge of literacy, which, as a math teacher, was something I really wanted to focus on as well as the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) process which I think is a powerful piece of the puzzle in student achievement,” stated Newsome. “Focusing on those interventions to help get students where they need to be is something that has really shaped my thought process as those students move forward to the middle and high school levels.”

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“I’ve been a part of laying the foundation at the elementary level, and now having the opportunity to lead students toward their future in high school and seeing who they become as young men and women is something I truly cherish,” he added. “It was a no-brainer to pursue a place like Edgefield County and J-E-T Middle, not only because of my love for middle school but also my knowledge gained at the elementary level for what students learn before they get to middle school.”

He and his wife, Kristi, have three children Nick, Carlie, and Tyler.

Newsome remains undaunted by challenges to public education as he says the positives always outweigh the negatives.

“It’s so easy to find negativity if you’re looking for it, but it’s also really easy to find the positive things happening,” commented Newsome. “I see it daily in my work at Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary and I think about all of the amazing things already happening at J-E-T Middle. You have an award-winning mock trial team there and a very strong art program there and throughout the entire school district.”

For Patrick Newsome, like many educators, everything goes back to the source of their inspiration – helping students learn and achieve as they grow into the best possible versions of themselves.

“When I think about the fulfillment of this work, I think about those kids I’ve taught in middle school who I see in the community and they’ve made it and are doing well and they have a family and that feeling you get, I just don’t know another profession that’s like that,” he says. “It’s hard work, but our work is so important and when you know the impact you’re having is lasting you can’t put a price on that. I am just over the moon excited for this opportunity.”

BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES AWARD-WINNING ADMINISTRATOR PATRICK NEWSOME AS PRINCIPAL OF JOHNSTON-EDGEFIELD-TRENTON MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR added by admin on April 1, 2025View all posts by admin →