Refrigerated Trailer for Rent in Westcott, SC

Detroit, MI (CBS Detroit) - Established in 1874, the J.W. Westcott story actually begins December 19, 1848, when John Ward Westcott was born into a prominent Michigan shipping family. John's father, David H. Westcott worked as a fireman. Ward also founded Ward's Central and Pacific Lake Line and Ward's Detroit and Lake Superior Line. Westcott's brothers were also involved in various shipping careers.

Today, J.W. Westcott continues to serve the Great Lakes marine community providing everything from the obvious to the ridiculous and everything in between.

"Captain J.W. Westcott started this out of the need for some sort of ship-to-shore communication," explains President and Owner James Michael Hogan. "With us being established in 1874, as far as the marina history goes, we probably are pretty much the longest continuous operation, which is a part of the commercial Great Lakes shipping industry."

"We are really the only ones that do what we do, in terms of overall service," says Boat Captain William Redding. "With the mail deliveries, freight deliveries and what not."

"We do three shifts per day, the boat runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the navigation season," explains General Manager Sam Buchanan. "We may have anywhere from 1 to 20 runs per day."

"My task is to maneuver our boat alongside these deep-draft vessels," says Buchanan, "and they're moving, so it's kind of a specialized skill."

"As I have put in each year at this job, I have realized the importance of the tradition," says Hogan. "And the mystique and the uniqueness I guess you might say of all of this."

Watch for "Eye on Detroit" segments weekdays during "CBS This Morning" at 7 a.m. featuring unique and positive stories from the Motor City.

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Iron Hill Brewery has laid out “a pretty aggressive growth plan” for the coming years as the Wilmington company looks to ramp up its presence in existing markets while also expanding into new states, CEO Chris Westcott said.

Part of Westcott’s strategy since stepping in as CEO last October has been an emphasis on growing the 20-location brand into additional territories, positioning it to “become a bigger player” in the hospitality industry, he said. Northern Virginia, Maryland and Columbus, Ohio are top of mind.

The goal is to open about five new locations per year for the next five years, he added. The first couple would be full-service restaurants, while the following few would be the company’s more fast-casual TapHouse model that got its start last year in Exton.

Iron Hill Brewery is using “a hub and spoke model” to actualize that growth, Westcott said, meaning the brand plans to enter new territories by opening a full-service restaurant and then “sprinkle in” some of the smaller-version TapHouses in the surrounding area. The idea is to increase brand awareness in a new market with the full-size product before branching out. In already established markets, the brand can dive right in to rolling out new TapHouses.

For example, a few years ago Iron Hill Brewery opened a full-service outpost in Greenville, South Carolina. It’s now looking at several sites in Greenville, Spartanburg and up into Charlotte, North Carolina, for potential TapHouses because the original Greenville outpost “is tucked in close to those other communities,” Westcott said.

Iron Hill Brewery currently has a location under construction in Columbia, South Carolina, and a year after its opening would look to debut TapHouses “in other pocket areas of Columbia,” Westcott said. The same is true in Atlanta, where Iron Hill Brewery currently operates two locations.

The expansion model takes extra planning as the company grapples with ongoing labor shortages and supply chain issues, Westcott said. Items that used to arrive in 12 to 16 weeks now come in 40 to 50 weeks, meaning you have to think a year in advance, he said.

“That just gets costly because you have requirements to open in a certain time from the point where you sign your lease,” said Westcott, who was formerly CEO of restaurant chain Rosa Mexicano. “So it's more stressful, it's more expensive. Cost is out of control.”

Westcott also sees “plenty of room” to build additional TapHouses in Pennsylvania “without cannibalizing” Iron Hill Brewery’s existing full-service restaurants. The brand is similarly eyeing additional space in South Jersey, where Westcott noted liquor licenses can go for three times the cost in Pennsylvania — which is already known to be hefty versus other markets.

New locations will largely begin launching in 2023. While the Covid-19 omicron variant dealt another blow to the hospitality industry at the start of this year, Iron Hill Brewery decided to spend 2022 focusing on revamping its existing fleet, which includes 20 locations throughout Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Georgia.

Special attention is being paid to refreshing Iron Hill Brewery outposts that are at least 15 years old, Westcott said. Many such locations have outdated layouts, including separated dining spaces that date back to former smoking and non-smoking sections.

Investments are ranging from $150,000 to $325,000 for improvements at existing locations, he added.

The Ardmore outpost is on the cheaper end of that scale, for example, while Lancaster is on the upper level because the brand looks to remove separation between dining areas, expand the bar, modernize design while moving away from the “older steakhouse-looking furnishings,” and revamp floor coverings.

Such investments will better bridge the older Iron Hill Brewery locations with the new forthcoming outposts, Westcott said.

As Iron Hill Brewery works to expand its reach, the company is also focusing on finding new ways to connect with customers.

One method is via an upcoming quarterly subscription program dubbed “The Craft Beer Society,” where members would have access to exclusive brews. Membership costs $40 per quarter and includes two 16-ounce cans of four beers.

Iron Hill looks to launch the program in time for Father’s Day.

The Arlington location of Sweet Science Coffee in Lyon Village rang in the New Year with a new name, SIMONA Café, and more food and drink options.

Despite the new offerings, “the coffee program is still a really good program,” says owner Jad Bouchebel, who remains a partner in the business. Sweet Science continues to operate under the original brand in D.C.’s NoMA neighborhood.

The acclaimed Sweet Science Coffee opened the outpost at 2507 N. Franklin Road, near Courthouse, about two years ago, advertising some “all-day” offerings to differentiate the Arlington offshoot.

But Bouchebel says it took until last spring, with help from his associate Roberto “Tito” Peña, to get more lunch items on the menu and to put to use its ABC license for beer and wine. Last fall, the duo decided to rebrand, redecorate the coffee shop’s spartan interior and expand the menu and hours.

“We wanted to make it more of an all-day concept. That’s the reason we changed the name — to separate from the D.C. location,” said Bouchebel, an Alexandria resident who named the cafe after his daughter. “We don’t want to confuse people. We offer totally different offerings.”

Bouchebel, still a partner at Sweet Science as well as Clarendon nightlife spot Wilson Hardware, says the cafe never really closed, but SIMONA Café had a soft opening in late December and its grand opening on Friday, Jan. 20.

Now, Peña says, the café’s interior gives people “a cool place to hang out in the afternoon,” and enjoy lunch and dinner options, charcuterie and cheese boards, beer, wine and weekend mimosas.

Like the coffee menu, Peña says the wine list is one that “people can delve into without much knowledge.”

The food menu, meanwhile, keeps the kitchen staff at SIMONA busy.

“We bake our own bread for our breakfast sandwiches,” Bouchebel said. “Everything we do in house: from salsa, to toppings, to bread and to our pastries — we bake them every morning here.”

Peña says the coffee comes from Rare Bird Coffee Roasters in Falls Church, and his baristas aim “to provide really nice coffee that’s approachable.”

“We can get nerdy if people want, but the goal is to meet customers where they’re coming in,” he said.

For Peña and Bouchebel, the expanded hours and menu pay homage to the coffee shop’s history. The space used to be home to Java Shack, a community hub at one point owned by Commonwealth Joe, which closed the location in 2019.

“We still get a lot of clients who’d been coming for 20 years,” Bouchebel said. “Java Shack was a staple — a neighborhood cafe — so instead of just offering half-day hours, we kept it going whole-day for people looking for [that experience].”

Peña says he remembers going to Java Shack in the ’90s as a high school student.

“It was my first favorite coffee shop,” he said. “It’s kind of cool: the original owner, Dale, is now a regular for us. I talk to him every week… We have some regulars who’ve been coming for 20 years.”

More than a dozen deputies with Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office were recognized for their participation, professionalism and proper protocol procedure with the agency’s Honor Guard last year.

Despite what Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon called “hard times in law enforcement” for current officers, he said the profession as a whole is “noble” and respected by a majority of citizens.

“It’s a profession which has people who are not satisfied to rely on others to make a safe environment for the people (they) love,” he said.

The special awards were handed out Wednesday morning at the Honor Guard’s 5th Annual Awards Luncheon at the Golf Club at Westcott Plantation—with some receiving the achievement for the fifth and sixth time.

According to Lt. Robert Biddle, commander for both Honor Guard and the Special Entry Team, 18 deputies comprise the current team and nominate each other for the yearly awards.

“The team helps pick,” he said.

A total of 14 Honor Guard members received praise for their service with two additional deputies — not in the Honor Guard — named for exclusive awards.

Members were chosen based on professionalism, overall appearance, morale and good standing, among other qualities.

“The people on this team are selfless and motivated,” Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Sam Richardson said. “They are always prepared and sharp in whatever particular event they’re participating in.”

From parades and political parties to fallen officers’ funerals, the Honor Guard practices each month and travels across the Lowcountry utilizing their presence and services to add a special touch to such events. Honor Guard members do everything from play the bugle and bagpipes, post the flag, carry officers’ caskets and sound a 21-gun salute.

“They’re important in how they represent the office with morale and the public view in terms of professionalism of our agency,” Richardson said.

Honor Guard services are often spread out among various Honor Guards in the tri-county, too, so units are shared when necessary or sometimes sent to ceremonies outside the immediate community.

“We work well with other agencies to make it the best event,” Biddle said.

At the ceremony, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office also celebrated the career work of Deputy Lt. Martin “Poncho” Villa, Patrol Team One commander who’s been with the agency for more than 25 years. The news came as a shock to him since he was unaware he’d be receiving the award.

A popular figure in the community due to his years of service and humble, approachable nature, his colleagues said, Villa received the Honor Guard Leadership Award for his assistance in keeping a suicidal victim from taking his life.

Villa was called to the scene to talk to the knife-wielding man.

“I said, ‘Put the knife down; ain’t nobody gonna hurt you,’” he said.

Villa’s team had already surrounded the victim with at least one gun pointed and ready to fire for officer protection, and if necessary, pull the trigger to slightly injure the man and force him to drop his knife — an “old-school” police tactic, Villa said.

Fellow Deputy Sgt. Joli Tumbleston, who received her second career Honor Guard service award Wednesday, presented Villa’s surprise achievement while boasting to the crowd about his seasoned tactics and tranquil presence in taxing situations.

“This deputy has demonstrated his knowledge of law on a daily basis,” she said, “...his demeanor calms.”

Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon also attended to honor one of his deputies, whom the neighboring sheriff’s agency selected for this year’s Life-Saving Award.

Deputy First Class James Thomas was recognized for aiding a gunshot victim in February at a location near the Charleston-Dorchester county line. North Charleston officers also aided in the incident. “I just picked him up off the ground,” Thomas said, “put a glove on…plugged his (bullet) holes and cleared the scene for EMS.”

The victim had suffered gunshots to both the face and neck, and Thomas’s actions “without hesitation,” a colleague said, kept the person from bleeding to death.

“Had (Thomas) not shown up, (the victim) probably would not have made it,” Dorchester County Sheriff’s Cpl. Matthew Dixon said. A former Marine, Thomas is an eight-year veteran of the Charleston County patrol division and also serves as an agency bomb technician.

The following Dorchester County Sheriff’s Deputies also received service awards: Lt. Robert Biddle (6th award); Sgt. Adam Sutton (5th award); Pfc. James Delong (4th award); Cpl. Jason Jones (3rd award): Cpl. Daniel Brown (2nd award); Sgt. Keith Hunt (2nd award); Cpl. Matthew Dixon (1st award); Pfc. Thomas Happe (1st award); Pfc. Greg Willis (1st award); Pfc. Shawn Marasco (1st award); Pfc. Londie Richardson (1st award); Pfc. Phillip Cole (1st award).

Dorchester County Sheriff L.C. Knight praised the dedication and hard work of each deputy. “Ya’ll are an example of what we try to stress in the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “You do great…I know you give a lot of your personal time.”

Fallen deputies Philip Michael Deese, his K-9 Sonja, and Gary Blackwood were also recognized.

Plaques with their photos were placed at a separate table in the middle of the room.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Neighbors say a woman's arm was amputated after her husband's{}dog attacked her Sunday night in the Wescott Plantation neighborhood of North Charleston.

Police say the call first came in as a dog attack on a child, but when they arrived they found{}48-year-old Katherine Rizk{}had been viciously bitten.

"Terrible, absolutely terrible," said Jill Carpenter, also a resident of Wescott Plantation. Carpenter said she walks the neighborhood daily and sees all kinds of dogs but had never heard of an attack in her neighborhood.

Charleston Animal Society Veterinarian Lucy Fuller said the dog was registered as a Staffordshire Terrier, known as a kind of pit bull.

"We received a dog brought by animal control, North Charleston{}animal control, implicated in an attack on a woman," Fuller said.

Fuller said the dog was too aggressive to handle.

"We had to restrain the dog chemically, to sedate the dog when it came to the shelter," Fuller said.{}"So I didn't see him awake."

Police say they found the dog with blood stains on his mouth and body when they arrived at the Ayscough Road home. The victim was sitting on the sidewalk outside the home with serious wounds to her arm and legs. Police later discovered the dog{}is{}registered to the victim's husband, 30-year-old Mahmoud Rizk, who was not home at the time of the attack.

"I feel terrible for her and I feel terrible for the dog owner," Carpenter said.{}"I hope that it wasn't, you know, he wasn't trying to ... I don't know. Was he trying to protect her? I don't know the situation."

It is unclear what caused the Sunday night attack.{}Neighbors said{}the dog hadn't been around long, maybe just a couple of months. But they had{}been warned against touching the pit bull.

"I personally wouldn't have one," Carpenter said. "I've heard that they can attack."

Fuller said it's not about the breed. In fact, she said pit bulls are not among the top five breeds known to bite.

"It's very much based in the situation, the dog's personality -- so if they're anxious or not -- and then how the owner handles the situation."

Police say they were told{}the dog dragged the woman around her front yard by her arm. They say the only reason she got away was because someone threw a guitar stand at the dog, forcing him off.

The dog was taken by animal control officials Monday morning. It was later euthanized at Charleston Animal Society.CAS officials released a statement urging the public to have their pets fixed and to only adopt from reputable sources, noting that the dog{}involved in the attack was not sterilized{}nor was it obtained from Charleston Animal Society.

"While there are no guarantees that a dog will never bite, pet owners can significantly reduce the risk of dog bites or attacks by spaying or neutering their dogs, socializing their dogs, training their dogs and obtaining their dogs from a source that utilizes certified aggression assessors or certified professional dog trainers to identify aggression indicators and predictors," said CAS CEO Joe{}Elmore.{}"Please spay or neuter your dog! If you cannot afford it, we will do it for free."{}

There are no official details on the woman's condition.{}