MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD)- Professional tennis player Mia Horvit didn’t always want to play her sport.

“I got made fun of because my tennis outfit was too girly. I was like ‘Mom sign me up for something else,'” said Horvit.

But, that’s changed now.

“I fell in love with the game and I’ve been playing for 15 years now,” said Horvit.

After her time on the court as a junior and collegiate athlete, Mia has plenty of experience and trophies.

These days, she’s chasing the biggest prizes on the planet on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour. Through winning smaller competitions Horvit earns points to build her resume and make it to tournaments like the U.S. Open.

“Not only are you playing to do well and win, but there’s the money behind it. There’s the rankings, there’s expectations to yourself, to your coaches, to your family,” said Horvit.

While her game is getting recognized inside the lines, it’s what she does outside of them that sets her apart.

She’s competing for Miss South Carolina as Miss Mount Pleasant in 2023.

“I’m learning as I go what I’m doing in these grey areas that I’m not used to being in,” said Horvit.

Another side hustle is spending time on the sets of movies and television shows.

“I’ve been a background extra in Outer Banks. That will come out in February. I’m also in HBO’s Righteous Gemstones,” said Horvit “I was in Manhunt. That will be on Apple TV. Then I was in a movie called Suncoast.”

Her reason for having multiple careers is to set an example.

“I want to break the stigma of being more than an athlete,” said Horvit. “I think being able to open those doors gets you to see what else is out there.”

Her goals, if accomplished, aren’t just going to break the stigma, but shatter it.

“Top 50 in the world for singles and top 50 in the world for doubles. Playing a bigger role in a movie or a TV show that would be fantastic. Winning Miss South Carolina and to compete in the Miss USA Pageant,” said Horvit

School of Rock, a leader in performance-based music education, is opening its first South Carolina location in Mount Pleasant at 1907 U.S. 17 North, Suite 102. A grand opening event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. announces the grand opening of a school in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Founded in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. Since 2009, School of Rock has grown its student count from 4,000 to nearly 60,000.

School of Rock offers music lessons for students of all ages, including lessons in bass, guitar, singing, drum and piano. Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz and Led Zeppelin.

The opening event will include a ceremonial guitar smashing (School of Rock’s version of a ribbon-cutting),performances by a neighboring School of Rock house band, a raffle, balloon art, a prize wheel, and tours of the school with free demo lessons and program discounts.

School of Rock Mount Pleasant is owned by the McFarland family. Steve McFarland has been an owner for over 11 years with three Indiana locations, one in Wisconsin and now one in South Carolina. Matt and Mandy McFarland had previously been a part of School of Rock in Indiana before deciding to open in Mount Pleasant, according to a news release.

"Our family is completely committed to School of Rock because of its mission; a passionate community dedicated to enriching lives through performance-based music education,” said Matt McFarland. “We teach students how to rock on stage and in life. We enjoy helping students break out of their shells and become more confident in their skin. School of Rock is more than just a music school; it is a place to call home.”

“The McFarland family has such a strong motivation for providing students in their community with creative and personal development through music education,” said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. “I know they will go above and beyond in delivering upon our purpose. I am excited to see how this new school will positively impact the lives of its students and the community as a whole.”

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — The season of joy and celebration is taking on new meaning for one Mount Pleasant firefighter.

Nick Putskey proposed to his girlfriend, Katey Young, a teacher at Westview Primary Elementary, Thursday afternoon surrounded by family and friends atop the USS Yorktown.

“We’ve been on the same page since day one,” Young said when asked about meeting Putskey. “It’s the true fairytale.”

The proposal was somewhat of a fairytale, as well.

“My battalion chief was actually the masterplan of the whole idea,” Putskey said. “He said, ‘what do you have as an idea as far as an engagement?’ He was just like, ‘well, hear me out, see if you like this’ and I was like ‘yeah, that sounds awesome.’”

The plan was to scale the USS Yorktown, a nod to Putskey’s time spent in the Navy, as well as both of Young’s grandfathers.

The perfect front? Claim it as fire station training.

“We had ‘high-rise training,’ if you will,” Putskey said. “So that’s where climbing the ladder came into play.”

Young’s family was also in on the plan.

“It was actually under the guise as Santa for all of the grandkids,” Young explained. “We were going to take a picture with Santa. He was supposed to be flying in on the Yorktown.”

There was no Saint Nick in sight, but Nick Putskey had the ultimate present in hand.

“I was clueless until he got down on one knee and I was like, ‘what are you doing?’” Young said. “I did say yes, it just took a second because I was like, ‘I thought Santa was supposed to be here, and he was like ‘no!’”

Putskey and Young admit emotions were high, and for Putskey, there were plenty of nerves.

“I’m afraid of heights, so climbing a ladder was not fun,” Putskey said. “My foot actually slipped though the ladder because I was just getting so nervous.”

But the mission was a success.

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” Young said. “It was a really special moment, for sure.”

Putskey said it was a moment made possible by the bond of brotherhood.

“They were exactly how I wanted them to be,” Putskey said. “They were just like my extended family and I’m really grateful for that. It is truly the brotherhood of the fire service.”

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — Protecting the environment can be challenging, but a Mount Pleasant Town Council member says it continues to be a priority.

"I know some of us are more vocal about wanting to protect what we look like and how much green space, how much we are protecting wildlife and environment, and thinking about where this water is going to go," said Brenda Corley, a Mount Pleasant Town Council member.

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie and town council met to talk about many agenda items. One of those included the idea of a citizen-run green commission.

"I'm super excited that the mayor and his flood resilience came up with this idea and brought it to the council, but we want to make sure that we are ensuring that we continue to be value added, because we have so many great things already here in Mount Pleasant for the environment," said John Iacofano, another Mount Pleasant Town Council member.

The commission would include nine citizens chosen by the committee. Councilman Iacofano says he is 100 percent behind protecting the environment, but he wants to make sure adding the commission makes sense for the town.

"We have the flood resilience committee, we have the planning committee; these things kind of overlap, so we want to ensure that we are creating the best citizen input possible and the culture to cultivate that," continued Iacofano.

Others look at it as a space to give the people of Mount Pleasant a voice.

"Us tree-huggers aren't that organized, and I think those residents need a voice and they don't have one group right now who is advocating for us, for wildlife, and for nature, and for conserving," said Corley.

Preservation is timely topic after the controversial removal of a raptor nest from a cell tower near Rifle Range Road on Thursday.

Overall, the commission's objective would be simple: to keep Mount Pleasant beautiful.

Next steps include going back to committee and discussing it again next month. The council will then vote on it, and the public will be asked to submit their resumes to be considered for the commission.

Mount Pleasant, S.C. (WCIV) — The week for the Lowcountry foodies is finally here.

Today marks the start of Charleston Restaurant Week. The decades long event hosted in the Tri-county area offers discounted prices to encourage people to come to support the Lowcountry's culinary industry during the slow season.

Owners say the event could help kick off the new year for many restaurants struggling.

The 10-day event is from Thursday to ends Sunday, January 22nd. More than 50 restaurants from downtown Charleston, West Ashley, and Mount Pleasant are participating in the culinary event.

One participant is Hall’s Chophouse. The steak house has participated in the event for a decade, and the owner says this week was crucial to keeping the doors open in the early 2010s, turning his restaurant into one of the premier steak houses in the area.

So Tommy Hall says he knows firsthand how the week can make a huge impact on some restaurants, especially those recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Typically, this January is a quiet time of year. The holidays ended, people are getting back to the routines of their life of school, their job, and the restaurants suffer. It's a hard time. So, restaurant week was there to spike the economic growth in January. It just, it's amazing what it does,” Hall said.

According to a survey by Charleston Food and Wine, restaurants in the Lowcountry saw a 42 percent decrease in revenue during the pandemic.

Take Ty’s Roadside Coastal Kitchen in Mount Pleasant. The owner, Ty Neal, has been in the restaurant industry for decades. But when he opened his restaurant in mount pleasant two years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, he even admits it was one of the biggest struggles of his career.

However, Neal says restaurant week helped give him a boost during times when customer flow was slow. Now the restaurant is one of the up-and-coming foodie destinations in Mount Pleasant, gaining attention for its open kitchen setup and hearty American cuisine.

Neal's restaurant is one of five in Mount Pleasant offering discounted three-course meals.

While Neal says tourism season was great for his staff, it’s events like restaurant week that gave him the boost he needed to keep the momentum going now.

“Make no mistake, it's a tough time for restaurants. Staffing is tough, and costs are up, so those challenges are many. But we love what we do. And so, we talk every day about beating the odds and building our fan base, and you know trying to stay viable as an inch as an industry,” Neal said.

Ty’s roadside Coastal Kitchen is offering a deal of three courses for $32 during restaurant week.

Click here to view restaurants participating in the event.