Home Care In Catawba, SC

An announcement from the tribal government says the land in Lancaster, South Carolina is sacred and home to a historic village site.

LANCASTER, S.C. — The Catawba Nation's Office of Tribal Government says it has plans for several acres of ancestral land in South Carolina recently given back to them.

On Thursday, the office announced it had reacquired more than 32 acres of land after the state of South Carolina gave it back to the tribe. The current plan is to apply to have the land taken into trust by the federal government, while also preserving it and working with archaeologists to study the site.

“I appreciate the opportunity to bring to the attention how important discussions and collaborations are in these types of situations,” said Catawba Nation Cultural Director Dr. Wenonah Haire. “I strongly feel that us taking charge of this important site is far better than being granted the opportunity to visit the site. I wish others would understand that it is very important to Tribes that they be given the opportunity to deal with these issues instead of someone else doing things for us, about us but without us.”

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The tribal government office says the land is near the Catawba's Reservation and is home to a historic village site. It was discovered as part of a remediation project completed by the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

Once the site's significance was established, the Catawba government says state government representatives reached out to them to negotiate the return of the land. Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said in a statement such land restorations are a major step forward to helping rectify past injustices faced by Indigenous tribes.

For many Indigenous communities, these lands hold immense cultural, spiritual, and economic significance. Restoring ownership and control over these lands allows tribes to preserve their cultural heritage, practice traditional ways of life, and exercise self-governance,” he said. “It is essential to acknowledge that the history of Indigenous land dispossession is complex and varies across regions. The return of ancestral lands requires careful attention to legal, historical, and cultural considerations.”

Chief Harris also noted each case involving returning land to tribes can involve unique circumstances and will require specific solutions dependent on what each Indigenous community needs.

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“Effort towards land return should be guided by principles of justice, respect, and cooperation," he said. “By recognizing Indigenous rights and returning ancestral lands, societies can contribute to healing historical wounds, fostering reconciliation, and supporting the self-determination of Indigenous peoples.”

The Catawba Nation was federally recognized in 1993. The tribe has lived on ancestral lands along the banks of the Catawba River and has artifacts that date back at least 6,000 years. Before Europeans made contact with the tribe, the Catawba Nation inhabited most of the Piedmont region of South Carolina and North Carolina, along with parts of Virginia.

While the tribe received a title to 144,000 acres of land from King George III of England in 1763, the Catawba Nation notes the land base was drastically reduced over the centuries to the current 630-acre reservation now held in trust for them.

The Catawba Nation's Office of Tribal Government is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The ancestral land in Lancaster, South Carolina is located about 47 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina.

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Emergency management officials for Lancaster County say they are out again Tuesday morning searching for a man who reportedly jumped off a bridge into the Catawba River early Monday evening.

According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office shortly before 5:30 PM Monday evening a man drove onto the bridge over the Catawba River near the Highway 5/Rock Hill Highway in a white van from the York County side, abandoned the van and then jumped.

Personnel from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the York County Sheriff’s Office, and Lancaster County Fire-Rescue including its Swift Water Rescue Team were on scene and actively searching for the man until 12:30 AM. K-9 and drone units from both sheriff’s offices also participated in the search.

Darren Player with Lancaster County Emergency Management says teams are back out this morning in a secure location searching. The bridge is no longer closed and a diver with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources plans to help in the search today.

This story will be updated as CN2 learns more information.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – We are just three months away from the return of the UCI BMX Racing World Championships coming right here to Rock Hill.

The event, which brought in a 20 million dollar economic impact in 2017 is set to take center stage May 12th through May 18th, bringing in thousands of riders and spectators from around the world.

With so much action, City of Rock Hill leaders say they need volunteers to help welcome in visitors.

There are many opportunities to volunteer, to learn more, visit https://www.2024bmxworlds.com/volunteer

In the video above, CN2’s Renee O’Neil talks with local BMX rider, Zach Vonce. He shares how the sport is now a big part of his family!

Renee also speaks with Mark Sexton, Operations Supervisor who speaks more about volunteering.

The 2024 BMX Worlds is set for May 12th – May 18th, with an Opening Festival taking place at Fountain Park Friday, May 10th at 6 PM.

FORT MILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets Boys Wrestling Team hit a major speed bump in the defense of their State Title, but CN2’s Jeremy Wynder has an update on how the team was able to keep their post season hopes rolling.

Plus, some Tri-County high school students hit the ice for their hockey team.

See the full athletic rundown in your Tuesday Sports Report.

A land conservation group has an agreement to buy 600 acres for a new state park in South Carolina that would emphasize the culture of the state’s Catawba Nation tribe.

The property had at one time been targeted for a 1,000-home development in Lancaster County, but the Open Space Institute says it has secured an option to buy the land for protection.

The institute expects to purchase the property and finalize the deal by the end of this year. The organization would then own the land until the property is sold to the state for the new park. The cost of acquiring the land from a local family has not been disclosed.

Located south of Charlotte, the property is near Van Wyck Road in Lancaster County. It includes a mile of waterfront on the Catawba River across from the Catawba reservation, which is in York County.

Deposits of clay historically used by the Catawbas to make the tribe’s widely recognized pottery are on the land. The property is heavily wooded with mature hardwood forests, a five-acre pond and some trails. An American beech tree on the land is so large, it takes four people to get their arms around the trunk, the institute’s Maria Whitehead said.

Duane Parrish, South Carolina’s parks agency director, said he looks forward to developing a state park on the 600 acres. The property being protected is Catawba ancestral lands.

“With the Catawba Nation’s engagement and support, we envision creating a state park in Lancaster County that weaves together the Park Service values of stewardship and service with the preservation and celebration of the Catawba’s cultural connections to the land and river,’’ Parrish said in a news release announcing the plan Monday.

The Catawba Nation was briefed on the plans over the weekend. The Nisbet family, the land’s owners for more than a century, struck the deal with the Open Space Institute.

The news release did not provide details on how the Catawbas would be involved with the park. Bill Harris, the Catawba tribe’s chief, said in the news release the deal will protect resources long-associated with the tribe.

The Catawba Indians have lived near the river that bears the tribe’s name for 6,000 years. The Catawbas are the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina. The tribe’s reservation is in York County near the river.

The Open Space Institute’s involvement in protecting land follows other high-profile efforts by the national organization in South Carolina. The institute has protected some 50,000 acres in the state. It was instrumental in preserving land to substantially expand the Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve in Cayce and it is working to protect wetlands near Congaree National Park to offset the loss of wetlands for a new electric vehicle plant in Blythewood.

The institute has secured some of the money for purchasing the Nisbet property from the Knobloch Family Foundation and the Arras Foundation, as well as from Duke Energy and Lancaster County. It is now seeking money from the SC Conservation Bank, the news release said.

Neither the state parks department nor the Open Space Institute would provide a map showing the exact location of the proposed state park, saying negotiations were still under way.

But one issue that could surface is the proposed park’s proximity to the New Indy paper plant. The plant, a source of public complaints about odors and pollution, is in York County downstream from the Catawba reservation. The odors have diminished, to some degree, but concerns remain about dioxin and other pollutants on the New Indy property that could affect the Catawba River.

Paul McCormack, who heads PRT’s parks division, said the agency is always concerned about environmental issues. He said the agency has not “been engaged with adjacent property owners at this time’’ about the state park. The Open Space Institute declined comment on the New Indy plant.

Betty Rankin, a critic of New Indy, said a new state park sounds like a good idea, but the state needs to keep an eye on the industrial plant.

“I have no problems with it,’’ she said. “But the problem of New Indy has to be addressed sometime.’’

This story was originally published July 17, 2023, 9:00 AM.

803-771-8537

Sammy Fretwell has covered the environment beat for The State since 1995. He writes about an array of issues, including wildlife, climate change, energy, state environmental policy, nuclear waste and coastal development. He has won numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year by the S.C. Press Association in 2017. Fretwell is a University of South Carolina graduate who grew up in Anderson County. Reach him at 803 771 8537.

Residents claim the plant has continued to release an excessive amount of gas, which they believe is toxic, going against the Clean Air Act.

CATAWBA, S.C. — New-Indy Containerboard, a paper and pulp processing center in Catawba, South Carolina, was in a federal appeals court in Virginia Thursday.

Residents nearby have put pressure on the plant, claiming it has continued to release an excessive amount of gas, which they believe is toxic and goes against the Clean Air Act.

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Enrique Lizano is one of the residents involved in the suit against the plant. He and others have focused on the emission of hydrogen sulfide, which is a bi-product dispensed from making paper.

For years, WCNC Charlotte has spoken to residents who live near the plant and many have said they have health problems from the emissions. Many have said they have problems breathing and it has impacted their sight at times.

In previous reporting from May of 2021, the EPA issued an emergency order to reduce the emission of the potentially dangerous gas. Later, the EPA sent a letter to New Indy that highlighted 19 potential violations of the Clean Air Act.

RELATED: EPA says it found 19 more potential violations at New-Indy plant in South Carolina

In court Thursday, the attorney representing the residents said, years later, the gas is still impacting their health.

The EPA said the plant has not violated the latest consent decree, which limited how much hydrogen sulfate it can pump out over a period of time. New-Indy added that there's no standard set by the EPA for emitting the gas when it comes to paper and pulp plants. New-Indy also said there's no evidence that the gas is hazardous.

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In previous reporting by WCNC Charlotte, the CDC stated exposure to hydrogen sulfate may cause body irritation.

RELATED: New-Indy asks judge to dismiss class-action lawsuit, plaintiffs argue the smell is impacting people’s health

WCNC Charlotte reached out to New Indy about the day in court and received the following statement:

"New Indy declines to comment on pending litigation. Thanks for your interest."

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Hundreds of acres in a fast-growing area of Lancaster County will be preserved, thanks to a public-private partnership that includes the Catawba Nation.

On Monday, the local Native American tribe said that the Nisbet Tract along the Catawba River was once proposed for a residential development. But the collaboration between the Catawba Nation; S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism; the Nesbit family; and the Open Space Institute will create 600 acres in public open space.

The land between the Sun City and Van Wyck communities consists of one mile of frontage on the Catawba River in the heart of the Catawba Nation’s ancestral lands. Lancaster was the fastest-growing county in metro Charlotte from 2020 to 2022, at a rate of 8.9 percent.

The Nisbets have owned the land for more than 100 years, and entered into an option agreement with OSI, a leading land conservation organization that specializes in public use, to purchase the property.

The rolling, river-front property is home to mature piedmont hardwood and floodplain forests, a host of wildlife species, and a 5-acre pond. Once secured, it would contribute to a growing network of protected lands and provide publicly accessible open space, outdoor recreation opportunities, and clean air and water.

“Our father, William Oliver Nisbet, believed in family, fellowship, and community involvement,” said Caroline Nisbet Hewett. “We are proud and truly honored for the opportunity to continue Oliver Nisbet’s legacy by preserving this property for the use and enjoyment of generations to come. We are thankful to Open Space Institute for their assistance to help turn the land into a community space.”

OSI intends to purchase the property by the end of 2023 and will hold title to the property until the state is prepared to accept the land as a donation.

Formerly part of the Catawba Nation’s vast 144,000-acre South Carolina territory, the Nisbet Tract includes an active clay vein of Catawba clay that is regarded as a sacred living resource by the Nation. Tribe members once inhabited most of the Piedmont area of South Carolina and North Carolina and parts of Virginia.

The tribe says Catawba clay is the lifeblood of the Catawba Nation and has been used continuously by the Catawba people to make their namesake pottery and sustain their community for more than 6,000 years.

During the Great Depression, Catawba women made and sold pottery to help Catawba people survive. In modern times, Catawba pottery has become a well-regarded form of Native American art with pieces made from the clay located on the Nisbet Tract featured in museums throughout the world.

“Catawba citizens have been creating functional and artistic vessels from the clay holes on the Nisbet Tract for over a century,” said Chief Bill Harris. “The Nation acknowledges the Nisbet family’s long friendship in allowing citizens access to the clay to safeguard this important cultural practice. We also thank OSI and SCPRT for their commitment to partnering with the Catawba Nation to preserve and protect all Catawba cultural resources on the Nisbet Tract and ensure Catawba citizens access to the clay holes in perpetuity.”

A focus of the partnership is to ensure that the Nation has perpetual access to and co-management of the Nisbet clay pit. An existing 151-acre conservation easement placed on the property by the Nisbet family and held by the Katawba Valley Land Trust includes the clay pits and the riverfront that provides additional protection to the property’s ecological and cultural resources.

OSI is simultaneously seeking funding from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, Lancaster County and foundation and corporate partners. The Knobloch Family Foundation, Lancaster County, Duke Energy and Arras Foundation have committed funding support.

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Does the Internal Revenue Service owe you money?

According to the federal agency, nationwide there are $1 billion in unclaimed funds from 2020. The money is part of COVID-19 stimulus funds.

This means millions of dollars unclaimed in North and South Carolina. An IRS spokesperson says over $29 million in North Carolina and over $12 million in South Carolina. These are the checks sent out by the government during the pandemic.

Many people received the $1,200 sent out by the government to stimulate the economy in the spring of 2020.

Many people received the funds because the IRS had a prior tax return, a W-4 from an employer was on file, or they were receiving some kind of government assistance.

“There’s a three-year statute of limitations and the government keeps the money,” adds Rodney Foushee, spokesperson for the Internal Revenue Service. “So, the deadline is May 17 of this year. There was an extension back then because of COVID, so folks have until May 17, 2024, to file for those 2020 credits.”

However, the people the agency is looking for could be retirees who worked a part-time job, students who didn’t think they needed to file, or someone who by chance forgot to file.

“We estimate about 30,000 people in North Carolina still haven’t filed for those COVID credits and all they have to do is file an income tax return,” said Foushee.

On average the check could mean an extra $895 in the pocket of qualified North Carolina taxpayers and $840 for South Carolina residents who didn’t claim the credit. To check and see if you have a credit for 2020 or 2021, click here.