(NEXSTAR) – Who’s in the mood for an expensive beer?

These days, it feels like you can’t throw a rock without hitting a craft brewery, or at least hitting someone who has a very strong opinion on craft beer. The number of U.S. microbreweries, taprooms and brewpubs has exploded over the last decade, from roughly 2,000 in 2010 to more than 9,000 in 2021, according to the Brewers Association.

Despite a slight dip in production during the pandemic (and current supply-chain snags), most of these breweries on track to keep pre-pandemic levels of beer flowing, too.

“While the boom in breweries of a few years before has certainly slowed, the continued growth in small breweries shows the solid foundation of demand for their businesses and beers,” Bart Watson, the chief economist of the Brewers Association, said in an April press release.

With so much craft beer to consider, and so many brewpubs to choose from, it’s undoubtedly daunting to settle on a destination for a draft or two. But luckily, the analysts at Yelp have sorted through thousands of user-generated reviews to determine which breweries are best-rated in your neck of the woods.

One quick note: The following list is based on reviews that not only considered the taste of each brewery’s beer, but also the ambiance or service at each establishment’s taproom, if they indeed serve beer on the premises.

Good? Alright, let’s hop to it, then: The top craft brewery* in each state, based on Yelp reviews, can be found below:

More information, and links to each brewery’s Yelp page, can be found at Yelp.com.

While the above breweries are certainly most popular with Yelp users, the sales figures of America’s top-producing craft breweries tell a different story. The most popular craft brewery in the U.S., in terms of sales volume, is Pennsylvania-based D. G. Yuengling & Son, followed by the Boston Beer Company of Massachusetts and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, according to the Brewers Association.

*Craft breweries, as defined by the Brewers Association, must produce less than 6 million barrels per year. To qualify for the category, no more than 25% of the company can be owned or controlled by a larger, non-craft brewer. The brewery itself must also hold a TBB Brewer’s Notice and be actively producing beer.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston County is working to improve traffic along Main Road on Johns Island.

Leaders hosted a meeting Thursday night to receive public input on the proposed six alternatives that would reduce congestion.

Lowering traffic congestion was a shared concern at the meeting. However, residents of Johns Island said they do not want to lose the integrity of the island, whether that means the gran oak trees or the longstanding businesses along Main Road.

Jackie Baer owns Angel Oak Family Medicine, the first rural health clinic on Johns Island.

She attended the Main Road Corridor public input meeting, not just because her business may face relocation depending on the alternative plan selected, but because the people she serves will be impacted.

"It is a walk-in clinic, people walk to my clinic. They come in wheelchairs, and I am available to them, and by taking that away, it creates a huge gap in primary care, and that is what I do," she explained.

At Angel Oak Family Medicine, Baer serves the working poor, meaning if she loses her business, thousands will lack the care she provides.

Others also shared Baer’s apprehension.

"I am afraid that some of these plans will take away some of those things that we hold dear here. That is why I think it is important for everyone to come out here and get their input in of what they think is important," said Peter Rubino.

"I love the character of the island. I want to maintain that as much as possible. I think four lanes would destroy that. It would be like driving down Folly Road," added Fred Neuvill.

But Charleston County construction project manager Herbert Mims wants to put concerned citizens at ease as much as possible.

"I will personally read every comment that we get, as well as our consulting team. It is a factor that will lead us to a place where this is the alternative the public wants," he exlained.

And there’s still time for the public to weigh in. Charleston County will be taking comments online until May 27.

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston County leaders got public input on improvements that could be made to the multi-million dollar Main Road Corridor Project on Johns Island.

Residents gave their concerns on what they would like to see for “Segment C” of the project. County leaders say the project is to help reduce congestion and provide opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians on Johns Island.

Vincent Felix lives on Johns Island and he says he’s concerned about the outcomes that could come from construction.

“We live in a beautiful area and I think I just want it to stay beautiful,” says Felix.

Herbert Nimz the project manager for Charleston County Public Works says there are possible impacts on properties and hearing public comments helps them narrow down their choices.

“We can try and change some of those things so that they impact properties a little bit less. Obviously, there are tree impacts that people are concerned about and we will do our best and try to avoid those,” says Felix.

Felix says he doesn’t agree with some of the six proposals for the project.

“Mowing down trees, displacing homeowners if that’s part of it, is that progress? I don’t think so,” says Felix.

Darrell Johnson lives on Kiawah Island. His main worry with the project is there’s not a heavy enough concern on traffic flow as the area continues to grow.

“This project which is an important project to consider is trying to solve just a piece of it. If you don’t move the traffic all the way through it, why do we keep compacting it with more development,” says Johnson.

As one of the six alternatives will be selected by the fall of this year, county leaders say they are keeping the best interest in mind for residents across Johns Island.

“We are not trying to relocate people just for the near fact of relocating. We don’t want to do that. That is going to be an amendment thing that I am going to look at,” says Anna Johnson, a Charleston County Council Member, District 8.

The project is expected to start construction by 2025. People have until May 27th to submit their feedback online: https://www.mainroadcorridor.com/.

The price tag for the long-planned extension of the Mark Clark Expressway from West Ashley across Johns Island to James Island has suddenly tripled.

The S.C. Department of Transportation’s new construction estimate is a whopping $2.35 billion — or more than three times the projected cost when it was last calculated in 2015.

The impact on Charleston County would be dramatic and those in charge have expressed concern the future of the road plan is in doubt.

“I don’t know if people are going to have an appetite for it,” said Council Chairman Teddie Pryor. “Where are we going to get the extra money from?”

With the state’s share of the cost capped at $420 million, Charleston County had expected to contribute about $305 million to the project under the previous $725 million estimate.

Now, the county’s share would be more than $1.9 billion.

“We’ll wait to see how the county responds,” said state Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall. “Our recommendation remains ... to proceed with preliminary activity on the project and get to the point where it would be shovel-ready.”

In a letter to the county April 25, Hall said DOT is asking the county and the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board for approval to spend $150 million for ongoing work to make the road plan ready for bids. The county would pay half that amount.

Beyond that, the highway department wants to county to demonstrate “a reasonable financial approach to the entire project.”

Pryor said the County Council will discuss the issue when it meets at a regularly scheduled meeting at 5 p.m. today, April 26. He said the county would likely need federal assistance, new taxes, or both, in order to fund such a project.

The county and the state have each spent about $12.5 million on the project so far, he said.

“The longer this thing is delayed, the more it’s going to cost,” said Pryor.

Hall said one reason the cost has gone up so much is the soaring price of real estate in Charleston County. Acquiring the land needed for the road would cost an estimated $261 million, she said.

The DOT estimate assumes construction could begin in 2028, and also assumes there would be two or three years of litigation before that.

If completed, there would be a highway loop around Charleston, with the interstate running from Mount Pleasant across Daniel Island, North Charleston and West Ashley, then becoming more of a parkway across Johns Island and connecting to the James Island Connector on James Island.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The following students were recognized as candidates for associate degrees, certificates or letters of recognition at the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) 63rd Spring Commencement ceremony held Friday, May 13, 2022, at the La Plata Campus.

Abington

Accokeek

Annapolis

Avenue

Bel Alton

Benedict

Brandywine

Bryans Road

Bryantown

Bushwood

California

Callaway

Chaptico

Charlotte Hall

Chesapeake Beach

Clements

Clinton

Deale

Drayden

Dunkirk

Fort Washington

Great Mills

Hollywood

Hughesville

Huntingtown

Indian Head

La Plata

Largo

Laurel

Leonardtown

Lexington Park

Loveville

Lusby

Marbury

Mechanicsville

Mt Rainer

Nanjemoy

Newburg

North Beach

Owings

Oxon Hill

Park Hall

Piney Point

Pomfret

Port Republic

Prince Frederick

Ridge

Saint Inigoes

Saint Leonard

Solomons

Swan Point

Temple Hills

Upper Marlboro

Valley Lee

Waldorf

Welcome

White Plains

Out of state

Blythewood, S.C.

Bronxville, N.Y.

Gardena, Calif.

Hyde Park, Mass.

Johns Island, S.C.

Littlestown, Pa.

Santee, Calif.

Seoul, South Korea

Virginia Beach, Va.

West Lawn, Pa.

West Warwick, R.I.

Woodbridge, Va.

Yuba City, Calif.