Home Care In Duncan, SC

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – With 110 acres, a lake, tennis courts and baseball fields, Duncan Park is an asset to Spartanburg. It’s located in the heart of the city, but without many visitors.

“Most of it is underutilized at this point, we have some trail counters out that measure trail use and they’re not seeing high numbers that we thought they should,” said Ned Barrett, trail development manager at PAL.

To try and bring life back to the park, Play, Advocate, Live Well, also known as PAL, has been working on a master plan. They just recently formed a new committee, made up of city leaders, community residents, and regular park goers.

“A new committee that met for the first time last month to try to establish their mission and really understand what their goals are,” said Barrett. “They’ll guide the implementation of that plan and help to develop some of the programming that will also increase use.”

The current master plan would bring several new entrances to the park and new recreation facilities. It would also bring a disability-friendly dock for the lake, and would renovate two of the youth baseball fields.

“To try and increase use of those ball fields, develop leagues that will use them and really try to take advantage of the baseball history that’s here too,” said Barrett.

The new committee is also looking to add trails that would tie in neighborhoods on both sides of the park to new and existing facilities. That new connector is a way PAL hopes will bring more of the community together.

“It’s a space that I think we can really all be proud of and it will be a destination for so many people, not just around the neighborhood, but all around the county,” said Barrett.

PAL said a timeline for this project will depend on funding moving forward. This new plan was developed with the public’s input on three different surveys that had over 750 responses, along with the help of the committee and open house meetings.

7Morgan Duncan was last seen November 28, according to his mother La'Tanza Duncan. The 27-year-old lives with schizophrenia and the family says he is without his medication. (Photos/Duncan family)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — 27-year-old Morgan Duncan has been missing since November 28th. La'Tanza Duncan, mother of Morgan says this has not been the easiest holiday season, but she has tried to keep normalcy for Duncan's daughter.

"Morgan he's such a gentle soul so his daughter is his life so he's very doting on her and she loves him so it's a sight to see him being so happy with her." said Duncan

Duncan says it was hard to distract her granddaughter from the fact that her son would not be home on Christmas.

"What I tried to do for her was to make it seem seamless. Of course, she did ask for her daddy, but we tried to keep it happy." said Duncan

According to Morgan's mom, she had not heard from him in a few days so she started making calls. She reached out to mercy an organization that Morgan works with due to his schizophrenia when she didn't hear from Mercy, she filed a missing persons report.

Following that report, Richland County did a wellness check, but Duncan was not at his apartment.

According to Morgan's mom, it is not like him to not reach out.

"It is unlike Morgan to go a day without calling me or at least posting something on social media, Hey ma! look at this song I did so this is out of the ordinary for Morgan." said Duncan

Morgan's mom says she worries for Morgan because he has schizophrenia and has learned to accept and manage his disorder as a high-functioning case.

"I know people hear horror stories about schizophrenia and are scared of it but I'm here to tell you the only person Morgan would hurt is himself and not intentionally." said Duncan

Unfortunately, Morgan has not had access to his medication since he went missing. His mother says that is what scares her the most.

"We've made so much progress with him and his mental health that we want to make sure that he gets the treatment that he needs, so I am inviting everyone to look at Morgan as your little brother, your son, your cousin." said Duncan

The Duncan family is working with the Richland County sheriff's department and urges anyone to release any information they may find on Morgan's whereabouts. The Duncan family is also offering a five thousand dollar reward.

About Duncan

DUNCAN, S.C. (WSPA) – Duncan has grown a lot since BMW came to the area but long before that the farms are what surrounded Duncan.

Duncan is exactly what you think of when you think of a small town and the people are proud of that and its history.

The town is named after a man named Leroy Duncan who was a farmer in the 1800s when he heard of the railroad passing through from Greenville to Spartanburg.

Local historian Fredrick Tucker said Duncan capitalized on the opportunity and bought 158 acres of land.

“He was thinking that it would be a perfect place for a little town,” Tucker explained.

“He bought up those acres for $1,000 and that stretched from present-day Greer Street to Church Street.”

The railway was established in Duncan around the 1870s and historically this is when the mills would come through, but that wasn’t the case for the town of Duncan.

The town was built only around the railroad.

Tucker, who grew up in Duncan said, when he thinks of the town, he thinks of the railroad.

“If you’re anybody that’s passing through here, you’ll think of it too.”

Stories of the town are what help keep it alive.

Whether it’s about the train tracks that started it all or the monument that’s dedicated to a beloved member of the community.

Mayor Shirley Clopton said, “I feel like we could be the only town that has a monument to our maintenance trash man.”

“His name was Dyke and he was like known in Duncan for picking everybody’s garbage.”

As Mayor Clopton laughed she said, “I don’t know how that came about but I think it’s just great that we still have that monument.”

Mayor Clopton was born and raised in Duncan and a lot of her memories come from those train tracks that sit across from her office in Town Hall.

“When I was a little girl my grandfather owned the only taxi in Duncan. He also hung the mail on the hooks out here for the trains to come by. the train wouldn’t even stop it would fly through Duncan and they used this long hook to grab the bag. He would take me. So, I could sit right here at this intersection and look out the window at the very spot where he would take me to but he wouldn’t let me out of the car. I could still feel that. You know what I mean? When you done something that you love and you can still think and feel yourself back then and see that train go by.”

Tucker hears a lot of stories like that when researching the town and one that gets a few laughs was brought up because of a picture of one of the first cars that drove through town.

“When I showed that picture to an older man that lived here, he said, ‘I remember the first car I saw going down Main Street and it was speeding along at 15 miles an hour.”

“It was brand new and he wasn’t used to it and he was waving at everybody and screaming get out of the way!” Tucker explained.

While cars move much faster now and Main Street is a lot busier these days, Mayor Clopton said, the people of Duncan are proud of their small town.

“I’m just proud of the fact we do still maintain just a cozy, friendly, safe atmosphere for people to live in.”

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CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) released Tuesday new dash camera video from an Oct. 21 pursuit involving Rashard Duncan in the Hollywood-Ravenel area.

The video shows the suspect reaching high speeds and even driving on the wrong side of the highway, eventually ending in a mobile home community where a foot chase ensued.

After Duncan’s arrest and apparent assault by another deputy, the dash camera video – which comes from Charleston County Deputy Alexander Hodge’s patrol vehicle – picked up a conversation with the suspect, believed to be Duncan, while being detained and awaiting EMS to be checked out.

The suspect can be heard admitting to being high after “having some coke” and stating that he wanted to see how fast his rental could go.

He also complained of pain on the side of his face. Duncan was punched several times with a closed fist by another Charleston County deputy – James Carter – following the pursuit.

The deputy is heard asking the suspect about his movements before being assaulted by the deputy. The suspect replied saying he was just pulling up his pants and was not reaching for a gun at the time.

Video released on Monday shows Duncan with his pants slightly down at points during the assault and arrest.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano said she believes it is important for the public to see the events that led to the encounter between Deputy Carter and Duncan after releasing the second video.

“Our deputies face uncertain circumstances daily in their efforts to keep the community safe. I am thankful for their commitment, and we are fortunate no one was injured during the course of this incident,” she said.

Attorneys representing Deputy James Carter said the suspect reached speeds of over 100 mph during the chase and discarded items from the window while traveling on Highway 17.

Duncan was charged at the time with resisting arrest, failure to stop for blue lights, reckless driving, and various drug charges.

The sheriff’s office said it found no policy violation against Deputy Hodge during an internal review of the pursuit.

Carter was terminated from the sheriff’s office and later charged by the State Law Enforcement Divison with misconduct in office and third-degree assault and battery. He was released the same day.

SPARTANBURG — Family bike rides, live music and kickball will be part of Duncan Park’s 100th anniversary celebration held this weekend in Spartanburg.

The celebration event begins at 2 p.m. on Oct. 29 at 1000 Duncan Park Drive.

The park was gifted to the city on Feb. 29, 1923, by heirs of Maj. David R. Duncan. Duncan was an attorney and businessman in the city. For more than 100 years, the 300-acre park has been a popular destination on the city’s southside.

As the park celebrates its past, the park’s future is also being shaped by a Duncan Park Visioning Plan developed with help from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. Spartanburg County nonprofit Play. Advocate. Live Well! is also helping with the park’s plan for future upgrades.

“Though it is the city’s largest park, Duncan Park has for many years has been underutilized asset for our community,” City Communications Manager Christopher George said. “Through these trail enhancements ad other improvements, we hope to provide folks new opportunities to engage with this beautiful and serene public space and to better connect it with nearby amenities along the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail.”

The city’s plan includes upgrades to the existing trail, new paved trails, a new trail around the lake, pickleball courts, shelters and new bathrooms. A Friends of Duncan Park group is working with organizers also to help guide redevelopment of the park.

City Council agreed Oct. 9 to spend $157,875 to remove invasive plant species from the park’s 60 wooded acres. George said the city will add 2,300-square-feet of new asphalt trail and resurface 3,600-square-feet of existing trail at the park. The cost for these projects will be about $230,000. The youth athletic fields at the park will be improved, including the restroom and concession areas. These improvements to the fields will be funded partially by private contributions.

The park’s upgrades will be done in phases. The first projects include building a dock at the lake which is accessible to people with disabilities and a storage unit for kayaks. Invasive plants will be removed from the park’s trail system this fall.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources plans to do a fish count at the lake in the fall as well. A 14-acre lake centers the park. New programming will be developed to also draw more people to the park.

Kim Moultrie, City Parks and Recreation Director, said work continues to prepare the 100th anniversary celebration. Tours of the baseball stadium built at the park in 1926 will also be included in the anniversary event.

“Hosted by the Friends of Duncan Park, this community celebration will honor the rich history of the park and highlight future plans,” Moultrie said. “Activities include music in the park by Undercover Jazz, food trucks and information booths in the amphitheater.”