Home Care In Greenville, SC

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - On Thursday a jury acquitted a former Greenville County deputy who was accused of excessive force.

Ryan Gibson was charged with misconduct and assault after the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated a complaint against him stemming from an arrest in July 2020. Warrants said Gibson struck Benny Jones, a man who stopped to observe a traffic stop involving an acquaintance, with his legs and hands.

Gibson had a trial in 2022 but a mistrial was declared when the defense brought forward surprise evidence: body-camera footage that was not introduced earlier.

The re-trial jury began deliberations around noon on Thursday. They briefly returned to the courtroom to ask the judge to explain the definition of misconduct in office again. Shortly before 3 p.m., they reached a verdict, finding Gibson not guilty of all three charges against him.

Afterward, Gibson said he was “thankful to God” for getting his family through the years since his arrest.

“It’s been a lot for us,” Gibson said. “It’s been a difficult three and a half years. We knew the whole time I did exactly what was right and we’re happy that finally everybody else knows the exact same thing.”

Solicitor Walt Wilkins said his office was disappointed with the outcome of the trial, but respected the jury’s decision. Prosecutors accused Gibson of trying to cover up the incident by leaving details out of his written report.

“The video footage does not lie,” Assistant Solicitor Brian Moroney said during closing arguments. “The defendant, Ryan Gibson, does.”

Jones claimed that Gibson never told him why he was being placed in handcuffs.

“I guess he got frustrated with me asking him what’s going on, so he started shaking and beating me up against the car and beating me on the stomach trying to push me in the car,” Jones said.

“[Jones] had the right to be free from law enforcement intrusion that day on his property in his yard,” Moroney said.

However, the defense accused Jones of trying to interfere with the traffic stop, where they reportedly found drugs in his acquaintance’s car. Gibson’s attorneys said body camera footage shows him using proper procedures to “leverage” Jones into the car.

“At no time do we see him strike Mr. Jones,” an expert witness for the defense testified. “At no point do we see him use a joint lock or pain compliance hold. It’s really just mechanically trying to get him into the back of the vehicle.”

“Mr. Moroney has thanked God for the existence of body-worn cameras so I hope you will allow me to thank God for the men and women in law enforcement,” defense attorney Andrew Johnston said in closing arguments.

Gibson was involved in two previous use-of-force incidents before the traffic stop involving Jones.

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GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – The City of Greenville is planning to annex more than 100 acres of property in the Cherrydale area. But, one leader said this move could hurt a local fire department.

The Parker District Fire Department currently serves the Cherrydale area. If the annexation is approved, Greenville City’s Fire Department will take over services.

Greg Farley, the chief of the Parker District Fire Department, said his department will lose revenue.

“We are solely funded on property tax income,” Farley said. “Over the last 14 months, the city has annexed potentially up to $1 million of our property so far. Hitting the Parker District with a $1 million deficit in the next budget year will be detrimental. It would probably lead to some layoffs and/or reduction in service.”

The city said annexing Cherrydale will benefit businesses in the area because the city can offer faster responses from emergency services. Farley said that is “inaccurate.”

“It’s just physically impossible,” Farley said. “We physically have a fire station on State Park Road that’s closer to that area.”

The Parker District’s fire station is about a half-mile from Cherrydale, while Greenville’s closest station on Rutherford Road is about one-and-a-half miles from Cherrydale.

“It’s a matter of time, which could be life or death,” Farley said.

The city of Greenville provided the following statement to address concerns about emergency response times:

The Greenville City Fire Department’s (GCFD) Station 7 is located on Rutherford Road and meets/exceeds all National Fire Protection Association and ISO standards for first arrival response times to all Cherrydale/Pleasantburg Drive/Rutherford Rd addresses.

GCFD consistently measures all stations for reliability, availability for calls, and the ability to get a complete Effective Response Force (ERF) to the scene. (ERF= How long it takes to have sufficient apparatus and personnel on scene to properly mitigate an emergency.)

GCFD is the only fire department in Greenville County to hold both international accreditation and ISO Class 1 rating, and is one of only 118 fire departments in the world to have received both. There is no need for concern related to emergency response if the annexation of Cherrydale were to occur.

Beth Brotherton, City of Greenville

Farley said he hopes to come to an agreement with the city so his department does not lose money if the annexation is approved.

“We are a well-run organization,” Farley said. “These guys that are on the floor and trucks everyday are out there protecting the general public. I don’t want that to change where the public might have to suffer because of a financial move from the city of Greenville. That’s the potential.”

A public hearing about the possible annexation will be held on February 12.

GREENVILLE, S.C. —

WYFF News 4 received an email from a viewer raising concerns over hundreds of personal and county documents that were thrown out improperly behind the old Greenville County complex on University Ridge.

Using the Sky 4 news helicopter, hundreds of files were spotted outside.

"It calls for a cause of concern on how personal and county documents are destroyed," Troy Cormier said.

Cormier said he was driving home Tuesday when he did a U-turn in the parking lot of the old county complex. It was there, he found the mountain of loose papers, old ballot boxes, and furniture. That's when Cormier reached out to WYFF News 4 for answers.

"Basically there are hundreds of tax documents, there's personal information I found like driver licenses, social security," Cormier said.

One of the documents Cormier sent, was a picture of an old property tax receipt for Kathleen Maas.

"I think it's a level of incompetence really that it couldn't be more secure. It could have been shredded before it left out actually," Kathleen Maas said.

Officials with the county sent us the following statement saying:

"A contractor moved real property documents that were inside and placed them where they were visible but still in a secure area. They are in the process of being destroyed."

Cormier said it wasn't secured when he made the U-turn.

"The gate was wide open, there was nobody around and you could really walk through last night and take all the documents you really wanted to because they are not in a secure area, it was wide open," Cormier said.

Maas said she couldn't help but be disappointed.

"It's always something, it seems. There just seems to be a level if incompetence these days where people don't really think things through," Maas said, "If something happened, I would be left on my own, I'm sure, to try and sort everything out."

Both Cormier and Maas hope the documents will be properly disposed of as soon as possible.

Greenville County have since started the process of properly disposing of the documents. Also Greenville County Deputies have be stationed at the site for the time being.

Top Picks

Play Cafe at Judson Mill in Greenville, SC is about to make every parent of little kids’ dreams come true with their huge indoor play area and cafe.

Austin Motes and Daniel Kingsbury are both dads with little kids. They acutely understand the challenge of finding fun, safe, and affordable places for their kids to play indoors but not at the expense of the sanity of the parents. And with Greenville growing so fast and so many new families coming to put down roots here – many of whom work from home – they also saw the need for a massive indoor space that allows parents to work but where their kids can get out energy and play.

They started dreaming up something big. Like really, really big. Enter the new Play Cafe of Judson Mill, a massive new indoor play space with structures up to three stories tall and a cafe and comfortable tables and chairs for parents to get some work done.

It took over a year to make their dream come true and now, as of mid-March 2024, they are making it happen.

Watch! See inside Play Cafe!

About the Play Cafe

Austin Motes works in construction and has extensive knowledge of what it takes to navigate building codes and permits. Daniel Kingsbury owns SC Party Rentals so his expertise lies in entertainment. These Greenville natives are the co-owners of the Play Cafe and it’s their experience as parents and their knowledge of their respective industries that will make this new business venture appealing to families in Greenville (and beyond).

The vision behind the Play Cafe, they both told me, was to have a fun and relaxing place for kids to play safely but also to make sure parents didn’t need a vacation after spending a couple of hours there with their kids.

To that end, there is no arcade, no loud air blowing through inflatables, and no musical aspects. Of course, kids will be loud but none of the play structures will add to that noise.

The Indoor Playgrounds

Austin and Daniel have quite literally scoured the world to find the coolest indoor play structures to bring to Greenville. They have gone to the biggest convention of theme park operators and inventors to find unique aspects to bring to the Play Cafe. This is no small deal to say the least.

The entire Play Cafe occupies more than 14,500 square feet, which is enormous.

There are two huge play structures, one of them two stories high and the other three stories high. They are netted, and have several slides, climbing structures, balls to throw and play with, tunnels, ladders, and other surprises.

Smaller kids will have an enclosed area to play apart from the bigger kids as well as a sensory area to explore. One side of the enclosed space has a bartop counter where parents can sit with their coffee and laptops and watch their kids.

The Play Cafe is designed for toddlers through around middle or early high school and while kids can play on any structure they’d like, one structure will be geared more for younger kids and the other for older kids.

It’s obvious two dads and their wives planned this space, which I so appreciate!

Imagination Stations

For kids who may not want to play on the larger structures, the Play Cafe has several Imagination Stations. These are small areas that are themed where kids can use their imaginations to become whatever their little hearts desire.

Some of the themed Imagination Stations are a veterinarian’s office, a fire station, a taco truck, and a doctor’s office.

Safety at the Play Cafe

Safety is, of course, of utmost importance at the Play Cafe. All the play structures are sturdy, strong, and basically indestructible. These aren’t flimsy structures.

Additionally, when parents and their kids come to play, they will be given wristbands. To exit the facility, the kids must have the same wristband as their parents or they cannot leave. And there is only one entrance and exit so parents don’t need to worry about their little escape artists wandering off.

The Cafe

The Cafe has comfortable seating throughout the space and service coffee, smoothies, pizza, and sandwiches (this will come a bit later after their opening but they will initially have snacks, drinks, and coffee). The Play Cafe will also be working with Feed & Seed, also located at Judson Mill, to offer healthier options if parents want to choose those.

And working parents, this is your place to bring the kids so you can get some work done. There is plenty of space to bring your laptop, connect to the Wifi, and let your kids get some energy out while you meet your deadlines. In fact, parents will be able to rent out the party rooms during the week to have meetings and get work done while their kids play. I nearly jumped up and down when I heard this. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

There are high top tables surrounding the toddler area and next to the huge play area for the smaller kids. There are also plenty of outlets for phone charging and laptops.

Birthday Parties & Special Events

The Play Cafe at Judson Mill offers several different birthday party packages for guests, ranging from a more budget-friendly version to an all out turnkey event where the parents only need to reserve the room and everything else will be handled for them. Um, yes please. Party packages range from $249 up to $599.

There are seven birthday party rooms – yes, seven. So if the weather looks bad for your outdoor party, you have a pretty good chance of snagging one of the birthday party rooms here at the Play Cafe. The party rooms are separated by beautiful barn doors so if you wanted to rent out several, that’s an easy desire to make a reality.

Additionally, all the party rooms will be the same with the option of projecting a theme throughout the room. Think a princess castle or jungle full of dinosaurs.

Play Passes & Memberships + Cool Employee Perk

An all day play pass is $12/child Monday-Friday and $15/child on Saturday & Sunday. For kids two years and younger, there is no cost if they come with paid sibling. A monthly membership is $29.95/child and kids can play for an unlimited amount of time during operating hours.

Sibling discounts will be 20% off for three or more kids and kids ages two and under are free with a paid child. All packages and discounts are available on their website.

Grip socks must be worn on the play areas. The Play Cafe will sell them but you can also bring your own.

Tot times and special needs hours will also be part of the new Play Cafe at Judson Mill.

For parents who work at the Play Cafe, the owners will allow them to bring one child per shift.

NEW: OPENING DAY IS MARCH 20, 2024

We’ve seen this place right from the beginning when it was just a big, empty warehouse and whoa, they have done a ton of work to make it a place that families can really enjoy!

An inch-and-a-half padded flooring covers most of the floors. It’s super soft and fluffy.

The playground for the smaller kids is about 18 feet high with multiple slides and tunnels. There is also an adjacent, enclosed area for kids about age one and under. The high top tables surround this area so parents can work, chat, or just enjoy their coffee while their kids play.

The equipment for the bigger playground is up and it is enormous. It’s 22 feet high – almost three stories. There are slides, several entrances, a huge tower in the middle, and lots of nerf guns that will shoot balls. The nerf guns were a favorite for our kids. Good luck trying to get your kids to leave.

The bathrooms are just off the main play area and get this: there are baby changing stations in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. Yay. There is also a larger changing table in the women’s restroom, normally used for children with special needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Opening day is March 20, 2024 at 10 am. Drinks and snacks will be able to be purchased but the more substantial food and drinks won’t be available until later.

Follow Play Cafe on Facebook for the latest updates and special events.

When will the Play Cafe open? March 20, 2024

When will the cafe part of the Play Cafe open? Hopefully a few weeks after the Play Cafe at Judson Mill opens. Drinks, coffee, and snacks will be available for purchase at opening.

What ages is the Play Cafe designed for? The Play Cafe is designed for crawlers and toddlers through around middle or early high school and while kids can play on any structure they’d like, one structure will be geared more for younger kids and the other for older kids.

Do special socks need to be worn? Yes. The Play Cafe sells them or you can bring your own.

How do I get there? The Play Cafe is in a big warehouse with other businesses. If you walk into the front of the building, Feed and Seed will be on your right and BlocHaven will be on your left. Walk straight and then when you get to the bathrooms, make a left. Play Cafe will be on your right.

Will the Play Cafe be booking birthday parties soon? You can use their booking feature on their website.

Will the Play Cafe have WiFi and areas for parents to work? Yes, indeed. This will be a great place for working parents.

What are their hours? Monday – Friday from 10 am – 7 pm, Saturdays from 9 am – 8 pm, and Sunday from 10 am – 6 pm.

Play Cafe at Judson Mill701 Easley Bridge Road, Greenville864.203.0330Play Cafe Facebook

When it comes to Greenville’s shopping scene, we love a good treasure hunt — and a good bargain. Our city and county are home to several stellar swap meets, cool co-ops, fabulous vintage shops, and resale gems. So get in, we’re going shopping.

White Horse Flea Market, 2710 White Horse Rd., Ste. 490 | Saturdays + Sundays 6 a.m.-5 p.m. | This family-owned market has been in business for ~30 years, and you can shop for appliances, food, and clothes.

South East Punk Flea Market, Various locations | Times vary but typically in March + October | Are your tastes a little more eclectic? This flea market has oddities, vintage clothes, and art made with bones. City Editor Stephanie goes every year.

Artifacts of Greenville, 3209 Old Buncombe Rd. | Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Reader Martha Q says this spot “has a great mix of antiques for the home and garden” — don’t miss your photo op with the must-see purple chicken coop in the garden (more like palace).

The Vintage Market of Greenville, 5500 Augusta Rd. | Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. + Sunday 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Save a few hours to rifle through the stacks of vintage signs, doors, clothing, and more.

Cottage Grove Vintage, 1607 Laurens Rd.| Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Old meets new at this shop, featuring refinished vintage furniture, rugs, lamps, and more.

The Vintage at Main, 1108 S. Main St., Unit 118 | Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | This spot offers something that fits every style, from industrial to rustic to bohemian to traditional.

Eclectic in the South, 726 Lowndes Hill Rd., Ste. G | No hours listed | Let this vintage shop do the hunting for you, whether it’s for a certain Pyrex pattern or a Victorian bed frame.

Dodson Dig Co., 427 Wade Hampton Blvd. | Wednesday + Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Get your hands on items like vintage neon lights, gas signs, and travel maps all in one place.

The Rock House Antiques, 415 Mauldin Rd.| Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. + Sunday 1-5 p.m. | Add to your antique china collection, snag prints of your favorite works of art, or fetch a crystal chandelier to enhance your home.

Vintage Now Modern, 633 S. Main St. | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily | Stop in during a shopping day for antique home decor, chalk paint for your own refinishing projects, and other accessories. Pro tip: Tour the virtual showroom.

Greystone Antiques, 1500 Augusta St. | Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | In addition to the antique furniture and goods, Greystone also offers custom furniture + restoration services.

La Bella Antiques & Art Gallery, 825B Old Airport Rd. | Monday-Tuesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday-Friday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. + Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | La Bella has played host to rare, original works of art like those of Pablo Picasso.

Anne’s Antiques and Collectibles, 1010 Mauldin Rd. | Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Whether you’re looking to stock up on rotary phones or porcelain, this shop is a collector’s dream.

Westside Market, 3510 Augusta Rd. | Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Shop new and old finds, from furniture to rugs to jewelry to tabletop decor at this market.

Buncombe Antique Mall, 5000 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors | Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Vintage baseball cards, mid-century modern furniture, and antique bells are calling your name at this spot that reader Jamie T. says is “so fun to nose around in...”

RetroMarketplace, 128 S Main St., Travelers Rest | Wednesday 12-4 p.m. + Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Update your wardrobe with a trip back in time at this spot that reader Marty N. says is “a truly unique place,” featuring vintage clothing + other items.

Inn the Attic, 104 S. Main St., Fountain Inn | Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | You won’t be salty about the number of vintage salt and pepper shaker sets, metal letters, and more at this Fountain Inn shop.

Antique Junction, 18 Piedmont Hwy., Piedmont | Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. + Sunday 12-5 p.m. | The two-story, 7,800-sqft space is no stranger to “oldie-but-goodie” finds.

Tell us everything you love about flea markets + if we missed any of your favorites.