Palmetto Report

* Editor's note: This podcast was originally recorded in February 2020. (Rock Hill, S.C.) — Winthrop University students in the Department of Mass Communication recently were given the opportunity to hear from a media professional who visited the school, as part of an exchange program that connects educators with media organizations. In July, Dr. Nathaniel Frederick, an associate professor of...

* Editor's note: This podcast was originally recorded in February of 2020. (Rock Hill, S.C.) — With the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary just days away, Joe Biden continues to maintain a narrow lead in the state, according to data from the latest Winthrop University Poll. The poll, released Feb. 21, found 24 percent of likely voters said they support the former vice president, wh...

* Editor's note: This podcast was originally recorded in November of 2019. (Rock Hill, S.C.) — South Carolina will soon play a key role in the 2020 presidential election, as the state will host the “first in the South” primary Feb. 29. As a result, a number of Democratic candidates have been traveling to the state to campaign and reach out to voters. Most recently, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Another Rock Hill taphouse, promoted on the YoCo Brew Trail by Visit York County, is closing its doors after three years of serving the community, making it one of nearly 10 craft brew pubs to shut down in the county since 2022. Hoppin’ Rock Hill will close its doors May 30, which the establishment announced earlier this month on social media. Untamed Waters Brewing in Fort Mil...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- When Genesis Aviles opened a coffee shop in Rock Hill in the summer of 2024 , it was never intended to be a place to stop for a quick cup of coffee, but rather a place where people could gather and connect. “I think a lot of people walk into coffee shops nowadays just expecting to grab an order and have to go, and I don't want people to feel like that," said Aviles, t...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Rock Hill is a unique place for the arts, considering it's one of just four cities in South Carolina that has a poet laureate, joining only Charleston, Columbia and Greenville. It's also unique nationally, considering that of the 35 U.S. cities with populations of 500,000 residents or more, there are only 16 with city poets laureate. Carlo Dawson, who has served as an educator...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- The annual Come-See-Me Festival concluded its 10-day run of events, which brought thousands of visitors to Rock Hill for a celebration of community, culture and tradition. The festival featured a wide range of family-friendly activities including live music, food vendors and a parade."I think it means so much to a lot of people, because it's just something that marks...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- More than 50 years have passed since Winthrop University, which at the time was called Winthrop College, became a fully coeducational school in 1974. Prior to the fall of 1974, Winthrop allowed limited admission to men, mostly as graduate students and occasionally as upper classmen.  Mary Beth Hughes, who attended Winthrop from 1970-74, was in the final all-girls class at Wint...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Winthrop University will soon be the first public school in South Carolina to give students an opportunity to earn their degrees and become pilots. The school will partner with ACES Flight School to give students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in aviation and business management, while also certifying them as pilots. The program is currently slated to begin in fa...

(Fort Mill, S.C.) -- Silfab Solar in Fort Mill has been drawing criticism in recent weeks for a number of reasons, including two chemical spills , which disrupted operations at Flint Hill Elementary School . The company is also facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to pay bills and has drawn the attention of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson. Regardless of the recent scrutiny, a grassroots Fort M...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- If you've been to a concert in Rock Hill anytime over the last 15 years, there is a good chance that Mike Gentry, a Winthrop University employee and alumnus, has had a hand in making that show possible. Gentry, who graduated from Winthrop in 2008 with a degree in fine arts , is a long-time musician and music promoter who founded Don’t Sweat It Inc., a non-profit dedicated...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- The Winthrop University Theater Department hosted a performance of "Everybody" by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, last weekend in the Johnson Hall Studio Theater, which explored the themes of life, death and its meaning. The show was a 21st-century adaptation of the 15th-century morality play "Everyman," as the main travels down a road toward life's greatest my...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University officially ended its search for a new chief of police by promoting Charles S. Yearta from interim chief to the role full-time on Sept. 12. Yearta, who was excited to take on his new role, said was both honored and intimidated by the responsibilities that came along with being the chief of police at Winthrop. He spoke with our Cheryl Clack about his new role...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Edward Serna celebrated his fifth month as the new Winthrop University president on Dec. 1 and he appeared as the first guest on the Palmetto Report's new vodcast to discuss his first few months on the job.  Serna, who is a Winthrop graduate, returned to the school after serving as president of the University of Maine at Farmington.  "It has been exciting, it has bee...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is one of the many non-profit organizations that are centered around mental health and education on mental illness. NAMI offers many virtual tools, including a helpline, a video resource library and online discussion groups. However, different locations around the country offer different in-person and even more virtual activities....

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is one of the many non-profit organizations that are centered around mental health and education on mental illness. NAMI offers many virtual tools, including a helpline, a video resource library and online discussion groups. However, different locations around the country offer different in-person and even more virtual activities....

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- There are a number of construction projects underway on the Winthrop University campus, which are causing issues for some students, faculty and staff. Winthrop has started working on its campus beautification initiative ; a construction project focused on renewing and revitalizing the campus grounds. The project is currently focused on replacing the tiles on the path in betwee...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- A number of Winthrop University students say they've noticed a difference between the way sports are played in the U.S. versus internationally, with soccer being one of the best examples. The Palmetto Report's Logan Elrod spoke with Emily Patterson, president of the Winthrop soccer club, and Arthur Le Corguillé, an international student from France, about the differences in ho...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Mac Banks has seen a lot of changes in the print industry since he graduated from Winthrop University in 1999, including the closure of hundreds of newspapers and the loss of thousands of jobs in print media. Banks -- who currently writes for the Lancaster News -- has started Fort Mill Prep Sports, which is a website that covers high school sports in Fort Mill township, includi...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — The Pathways Community Center in Rock Hill has joined with a number of community partners to develop and present an immersive art exhibit, which is intended to raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding homelessness. The " Humanizing Homelessness " exhibit will be on display May 12-19, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m, at the Lowenstein Building, located at 300 Technology Center Way...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Changes to the Winthrop University board of trustees’ bylaws last summer, which removed the student and faculty representatives from the board, have drawn criticism, including from some who have seen the changes firsthand. The changes, which were unanimously approved in June 2021, called for the creation of student, faculty and staff “liaisons” to the board. “Previous to this,...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Students from across York County were able to showcase their skills, singing songs and performing music, over the weekend at the 3rd annual All On Board Coalition student talent, which was open to students in grades from 7-12. All On Board uses the event, which was held April 29 in Rock Hill, to connect with young people and raise awareness of the group's mission to prevent you...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University's streaming radio station returned to the air with a student staff this spring after three semesters of limited operations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and technical problems. Eagle Air, which is operated by the mass communication department, broadcasts 24 hours a day via web stream and and the free  TuneIn internet radio app and features popular and...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – As COVID-19 moves from the pandemic phase to endemic and restrictions across the globe are reduced, the study abroad program at Winthrop University has returned and school officials are looking to recruit students to participate. Prior to the pandemic, Winthrop sent hundreds of students to study abroad over the last decade, as the university has student exchange agreements with...

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — The South Carolina Department of Corrections announced on March 18 that it's now able to carry out an execution by firing squad, which has started a national conversation about the appropriateness of the method. No one has been executed in South Carolina since 2011, as the state has had trouble gaining access to the drugs needed for lethal injections, and firing squads are mean...