The U.S. Census Bureau ranks Berkeley County, S.C., as the 17th fastest‑growing county in the nation and the second fastest‑growing county in South Carolina, behind only Horry County. And for better or worse, that explosive growth shows no signs of slowing. In a community changing this rapidly, reliable, hyperlocal news isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.
Launched on Jan. 1, 2014, The Berkeley Observer is the first digital‑only news outlet in the Tricounty created exclusively online with a singular mission: to cover Berkeley County fully, accurately, and independently. Unlike traditional newspapers, we have no physical print edition. Our newsroom was built from the start to serve readers where they are, in real time, on the web and across digital platforms.
We are a family‑owned, virtual-only newsroom committed to giving every municipality and community a voice: Moncks Corner, Hanahan, Goose Creek, Daniel Island, St. Stephen, Jamestown, Cross, Bonneau, Huger, Cordesville, Lebanon, Alvin, and the many rural pockets that make Berkeley County unique. If it matters to Berkeley County, it matters to us.
At a time when many traditional media outlets — especially newspapers — are turning to paywalls and subscription fees to survive, we work hard to keep our content free and accessible. We do this by keeping our overhead low and relying on a combination of advertising revenue and the generosity of readers who believe in the importance of local journalism.
We may not have the “bells and whistles” of larger corporate outlets — the sprawling newsrooms, the big staffs, the expensive apps — but we have something more important: purpose. The Berkeley Observer exists to be the go‑to source for residents who want to stay informed about what’s happening in their community, from breaking news and public safety to development, government, and the everyday stories that shape life in Berkeley County.
This is our home. This is our mission. And we’re here to keep Berkeley County informed.
THE FACES BEHIND THE BERKELEY OBSERVER
Managing Editor
From southwest Georgia to South Carolina’s Grand Strand, Nikki has worked in a variety of media markets as a TV anchor, reporter and producer. She’s worked in the news business for more than 20 years.
As an Emmy-nominated journalist, she’s interviewed U.S. presidential candidates, Academy Award-winning actors, top forty musicians, popular show hosts, and even famous cooks such as Food Network host Paula Deen.
In Savannah, she served as the FOX host of Savannah’s Most Wanted which featured John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted fame. Before her new adventure with The Berkeley Observer, Nikki served as a reporter/anchor/producer for the ABC station, WCIV-TV in Mount Pleasant, until 2016.
She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a bachelor of arts in broadcast journalism and minor in Spanish.
Berkeley County is home for Nikki, having grown up in the Macedonia community between Jamestown and Moncks Corner. She graduated from Timberland High School in St. Stephen as salutatorian. She is a former member of the now-dissolved Berkeley Co. Rescue Squad and also previously worked in local law enforcement. She currently works for the federal government and operates the public relations/media company, Spotlight Media Pros.
Although she wears many hats, she manages to find time as a “wish granter” for the Make-A-Wish organization. She is also an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society of United States Daughters of 1812. She calls the Bonneau area home.
Nicole Johnson Shealy is a freelance journalist in the tri-county area. She began her journalism career in the TV news industry in 2005 and has worked at stations in Columbia, SC, Albany, GA, and in Charleston, SC.
Additionally, her work has been published across multiple platforms including newspaper, magazine, and online.
She is an active member of the Junior League of Charleston, serving on the nonprofit’s management team.
Nicole and her husband have two young children and they own Great Security, LLC, a Lowcountry industry leader providing installation and service of security and surveillance systems in businesses and homes.
Lia Hobel (formerly Lia Sestric) is a former TV reporter in Charleston. In 2014, she chose to pursue her writing passion fulltime with the birth of her son.
She is a contributing writer for GoBankingRates.com.
Her work appears frequently on the Huffington Post, MSN, Yahoo, and various other websites and news outlets.
Although she now works remotely from her northern Virginia home, she’ll always have a special fondness for the Lowcountry.
A resident of Berkeley County and originally from the Upstate, Bandit tries his best to make sure the writers at The Berkeley Observer don’t screw up the English language that much. Sometimes he’s successful, sometimes he’s not. After all, they are huuu-maaaans and don’t exactly take this four-legged pup seriously.
They are often distracted by his adorable face and treat him more like an emotional support dog than a respected member of the team.
Bandit has asked for a pay raise multiple times, but the managing editor, who is also his owner, refuses to give him one. She runs a tight budget. Frankly, let’s be honest. She’s just plain cheap.
On a positive note, she has increased his daily intake of snacks – which he supposes is a fair trade if he can’t have the Benjamins.
In his spare time, Bandit enjoys eating at every chance he gets, napping and taking walks around Goose Creek. If you ever bump into him, say ‘Hi!’ He promises he won’t bite.
and videographer/photographer
Born and raised in North Charleston, Tom Campbell has called Berkeley County home for more than 20+ years.
A graduate of DeVry University in Decatur, GA, Tom specializes and has a love for all things technology.
Tom largely works behind the scenes at The Berkeley Observer to make sure our site stays up and running without any major issues. He’s been with the digital news outlet since the very beginning.
Occasionally, you may spot him out in the field snapping photos or shooting videos for the website.
When he’s not providing services to The Berkeley Observer, he maintains his own information technology and computer company, Lowcountry Cloud.
Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade working at one of the local TV stations in Charleston as an IT engineer and director of operations.
He is an active member of the Exchange Club of Charleston.
