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  • Despite suspension, Underwood running for Chester sheriff

    CHESTER COUNTY – As it stands right now, Chester County voters will decide between the currently-suspended sheriff and his governor-appointed replacement in November.

    Alex Underwood

    Filing for local elections closed Monday at noon, and just eight minutes before the deadline, Alex Underwood filed to run for sheriff as a Democrat. Underwood was first elected office in 2012 as a petition candidate then won reelection by a wide margin in 2016. Last May, however, he was suspended from office by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster after being indicted on counts related to conspiracy to cover up an unlawful arrest and an excessive use of force. Those charges stemmed from the arrest of Kevin Simpson in Fort Lawn in November of 2018. After allegedly illegally arresting Simpson, indictments say Underwood (along with deputies Robert Sprouse and Johnny Neal, who were also indicted) later deduced that Simpson had live-streamed the arrest. At that point, they announced a radio had been lost during the arrest, entered Simpson’s home without a warrant, took his cell phone and attempted to tamper with it. An incident report, written weeks after the arrest, indicated Simpson had entered the road and loudly cursed at officers, which was not evident on the half-hour-long video he shot, which remains online. Simpson spent parts of four days in jail for charges of public disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Other inmates at the Chester County Detention Center booked the same day or a day after on somewhat similar charges bonded out in less than 24 hours. Charges against Simpson and his mother (who was arrested later that same night) were ultimately dropped by S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson. Indictments for Underwood, Sprouse and Neal in connection with the Simpson arrest ranged from creating a false incident report, to violating Simpson’s rights and causing him bodily injury, to lying to federal investigators and evidence tampering. The three were allowed remain free on a personal recognizance bond on those charges. The three men then faced a second round of federal indictments alleging used their positions as law enforcement officers to intimidate others, took “family members on trips (while) charging the cost to the sheriff’s office,” directed “payments for contracted security detail services through a particular sheriff’s office bank account to avoid tax payment,” used “sheriff’s office employees to conduct manual labor that personally benefitted…Underwood while the employees were actively working for the sheriff’s office” and “establishing a climate of fear within the sheriff’s office to direct and secure obedience among subordinates.” Underwood was also indicted by a state grand jury on 10 charges. Four of those counts relate to having on-duty deputies build a “party barn” on Underwood’s private property. Four of the counts (additional charges of criminal conspiracy, embezzlement, misconduct in office and one count of forgery) are related to Underwood and Sprouse having taken their spouses to a sheriff’s convention in Reno, Nevada in 2017. The trip was paid for with public funds. The other two charges (additional counts of misconduct in office and use of official position or office for financial gain) deal with money paid by outside entities for security work by off-duty deputies. That involved having money paid directly to the detention center for such work instead of to the county itself. The money would then be paid with no withholdings taken out. It is additionally alleged that Underwood actually paid himself for security work done by his deputies.

    According to state law, there is currently nothing to keep Underwood from filing for office. According to the South Carolina Code of Laws an individual may not run for sheriff if they “have…been convicted of or pled guilty to a violation of Section 56-1-460 or 56-5-2930, or both, within the past ten years or a felony in this State or another state; (or) have…been convicted of or pled guilty to a felony or a crime of moral turpitude in this State or another state.” Underwood’s trial was to have begun in April but a filing by his attorney seeking a continuation was granted, moving the proceedings back until at least August.

    Donald “Max” Dorsey, a former SLED narcotics agent and Chester native, was appointed interim sheriff by McMaster in the aftermath of Underwood’s suspension from office. He has filed to seek the office on a full-time basis and will run as a Republican.

    “As Sheriff, I believe it is my job to equip our law enforcement officers to serve the community efficiently, effectively, and professionally. This campaign is focused on uniting our community and setting new goals for our agency,” said Dorsey in a release announcing his run. “I began my career in law enforcement at a young age working with SLED, and I immediately became concerned to see the lives around me so deeply affected by the drug crisis. I have worked for more than 20 years with law enforcement officers, policymakers, and rehabilitation counselors to reduce the impact illegal drugs have on communities throughout South Carolina. I want to now bring those resources and that experience to Chester County, and move us in a new direction that’s based on a new vision.”

    Underwood and Dorsey were the only two filers for sheriff.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Chester News and Reporter.

  • Local small businesses face COVID-19

    RND restaurant owner Crystal Paulk delivers a family meal curbside to Dominique Gladden. | Contributed

    BLYTHEWOOD – The social restrictions that come with the Covid-19 pandemic have presented a real challenge for our local small businesses in Blythewood and Fairfield County. But they’ve also presented new opportunities that are likely to impact how these businesses operate even after it’s over.

    “We’re trying to be innovative and creative, and each and every day utilizing curbside dining. We’re doing a lot of takeout. We’ve now gone into delivery,” says Crystal Paulk, whose family owns The Restaurant Next Door (RND) and The Donut Guy in Winnsboro.

    “Were doing like everybody else is doing: sanitizing, sanitizing, sanitizing,” she says. “And we’re staying prayerful, hopeful, and optimistic.”

    At her restaurant, Paulk says, revenue is down about 60 percent since the appearance of the virus prompted government-mandated shutdowns of restaurant dining rooms and other businesses in an effort to slow its spread. But she’s working to make up lost ground by helping to meet needs that have arisen in the era of social distancing.

    For example, she’s put together a meal prep menu aimed at seniors who are staying home to avoid getting sick but may not want to eat microwave meals – and families who are feeling stressed by trying to balance all the changes that have come to their lives in recent days.

    The put-together meals, she says, provide the right quantity of ingredients to make the desired portion size – without a trip to the grocery store or the ahead-of-time work, like marinating meat and vegetables, already done. The concept is similar to that of online meal kits – except that it’s local, and the prices reflect that.

    “It’s just one area,” she says, “that we can try and help in a little way.”

    Blythewood business owners – like Carla Lomas, who owns Bloomin’ Bean Coffee Bar and Blythewood Gloriosa Florist; and Scottie Opolyn, who owns Scottie’s Café & Grill – say that for them too, staying open is about continuing to serve the community.

    Blythewood Pharmacy clerk/technician Arran Montgomery, assisting customers curbside, gloved and masked. | Barbara Ball

    Though the flower shop, coffee shop, and restaurant are closed to the public, Lomas says she’s still doing business by curbside pickup and delivery, handling orders through the phone and computer.

    Scotties is open as well for takeout and curbside pickup. Plus, because a number of people show up to pick up orders at meal time, Scottie has tables and chairs set up outside his restaurant for spaced seating for those waiting on orders.

    Fairfield’s boutiques like Over the Top and Shades of Blue have closed their stores for the most part but are stepping up their online and Facebook sales.

    “We’re posting a lot more items on Facebook, 40 or so at a time,” Robbie Martin, owner of Shades of Blue in Winnsboro and Bella and Blue in Ridgeway, said. ”While we don’t have online ordering as such, we offer shipping and are constantly updating our Facebook posts. Our customers can look through our posts and call the store, pay over the phone and pick it up or we’ll be happy to bring it curbside for pickup. It’s not just about shopping,” Martin said. “It’s about therapy.

    “We just want everyone to be safe right now,” she said. “And we want our customers’ shopping experiences to be safe and enjoyable.”

    Phyllis Gutierrez, store manager at Over the Top Boutique in Ridgeway said the store has long had online shopping at www.overthetopridgeway.com, but is offering other online shopping experiences as well.

    “We also post items on Instagram and Facebook that may or may not be on our website,” Gutierrez said. “We offer home drop offs when possible, phone sales, mail and curbside pickup.”

    The store will also start offering private appointments at the store on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    “We are cleaning and wiping down the shop after each customer and providing hand sanitizer for customers while in the shop,” Guiterrez said.

     Everyone, it seems, is trying to muddle through the situation together – and sometimes even businesses of a similar type land on different answers to the question of what to do in the face of Covid-19: try to stay open, or close completely?

    For Robert and Bobbie Pemberton, whose Oldies and Goodies antique and consignment shop is one of several new businesses in downtown Winnsboro, have made the difficult decision to close temporarily, at least through the end of March.

    “It’s not the ideal situation for us as a small business because we still have rent and utilities and things like that to pay, but we feel like if we just tighten our belts and stay in, maybe we will get through this faster,” Bobbie Pemberton says.

    Liz Humphries, owner of Blythewood Consignment, has kept her business open – mainly, she says, because even with 75 percent less traffic in her store, for those who have come in, the shop has met an important need.

    So far, she’s observed the significance of small businesses in a small town – even ones that some policymakers might deem non-essential.

    For example, there was a waitress in need of grocery money who came to pick up the check from items she’d sold through the consignment store. There was an older lady who just needed to get out of the house – and was able to come and shop after hours, when no one else was around.

    There were countless people who called looking for hand tools to plant their gardens, or household items like small appliances, because they wanted to avoid shopping with the crowds at big-box stores — and the greater risk of exposure to the virus.

    “It’s a surreal situation, and I’m just trying to be here,” Humphries says. “We’re wiping everything down, we’re cleaning stuff… I’ve never been in a situation like this before, so I really don’t know what to do except to stay positive, stay clean and just pray.”

    If the situation wears on, she says, consignment shops like hers may become an important income source for people whose income is disrupted. Already during the pandemic, she’s had some major drop-offs of furniture that people want to sell.

    But whatever is to come in the next weeks and months, she’s looking forward to the end of Covid-19 and social distancing that will eventually come – and what it will be like when everyone who’s been cooped up at home can come out and shop again.

    “It’ll be good when it’s over is all I can say,” she says. “If small businesses can just hang on, it’ll be good when it’s over.”

    See the growing list of Blythewood and Fairfield County small businesses with changes due to COVID-19.

    The Voice will continue to update cancellations and closings at blythewoodonline.com. To submit a closing or cancellation notice, email voice@blythewoodonline.com.

  • Fairfield County Council eyes penny sales tax

    WINNSBORO – Laying the groundwork earlier this month for a one penny sales tax to be placed on the November 2020 ballot, council members voted 5-2 to create a commission that would suggest projects to be funded by the penny tax and to appoint members to that commission.

    “This resolution is to create a capital sales tax commission for the purpose of moving forward with a referendum vote by the public as to whether they would support a penny sales tax which is anticipated for the construction of a wastewater treatment facility and infrastructure to support future growth in the county,” County Administrator Jason Taylor told council members.

    The county’s Joint Water and Sewer Authority attorney, C.D. Rhodes, explained that the tools at a county’s disposal to fund capital needs are limited. 

    “Many counties across the state have found the penny sales tax, which is authorized under the Capital Project Sales Tax Act, to be the only way to fund large capital improvements,” Rhodes said. “The numbers for these types of projects are exceptionally large and far exceed the debt limits of nearly every county in the state.  When looking at options, a capital project sales tax is generally the only viable option at a county’s disposal,” he said

    The penny sales and use tax would be for all sales in the county except unprepared foods (groceries) and medicines. 

    Council Member Moses Bell referenced sources that he said stated that the proposed one penny sales tax is a regressive tax and unduly harms the poor, the low income and those persons without insurance. 

    Rhodes said the structure of the tax is outside of the county’s control. 

    “The Department of Revenue and state statute dictate what the tax is imposed upon. The county cannot dictate this,” Rhodes said.

    Of the commission’s six members, the county appointed three: Rick Gibson, Randy Bright and Harriett Brown. The Town of Winnsboro will appoint two members and those two members will select one additional member from one of the other municipalities in the county.

    “These six commissioners will, per state statue, come up with a list of the capital projects to be funded through the tax,” Rhodes said. “The list right now includes funding a portion of the cost of the wastewater treatment plant.  There will need to be a second project to round out the use of the funds in case the amount exceeds what is anticipated, which could be sewer lines throughout the county to connect industry and commercial establishments and other needs in that portion of the county,” Rhodes said.

    Rhodes said if many other projects show up on the list, they could possibly be funded by other means.

    “We are talking about funding a significant portion of the cost of the wastewater treatment plant, a project that cannot be funded through any other means.  In many respects, this is the only option to come up with up to $12M to devote toward the cost of this project,” Rhodes said.  “An important step in the process is clear information conveyed from council that there is an expectation the tax will ultimately fund the wastewater treatment plant.”

    Once the commission comes up with a list of projects, they will formulate a question to be placed on the ballot, and the commission will adopt a resolution to this effect, Rhodes said. The resolution will be brought before council, who will then make the decision by ordinance to either accept the projects presented in total or to reject in total. 

    “If the projects are adopted, they go forward to a referendum, and the voters will vote to decide whether or not they want to impose that one penny sales tax in order to fund those specific projects,” Rhodes said.

    The only change that can be made to the ballot, he explained, is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds to finance the listed projects.  He said those bonds would then be paid back from the revenue of the one cent sales tax. 

    “Because the bonds would be referendum approved, they would not count against the county’s debt limit,” Rhodes said. 

    Once the commission is fully appointed, it is expected to have a list of projects back to council by late spring, 2020. The deadline for third reading of the ordinance that approves all of this is Aug. 15.

  • Richland Two’s new kind of ‘homeschool’

    BLYTHEWOOD – When Governor McMaster mandated on March 13 that schools, colleges and universities across the state had to shut their doors until at least March 31, teachers and administrators had to prepare and execute, in a very short period of time, a plan to continue educating their students remotely.

    Richland Two School District administrators wasted little time in formulating a plan and prompted their teachers, several days ahead of the shutdown, to be proactive in planning for the Covid-19 closing of schools.

    The plan began to unfold as the district packaged 10 days of learning activities in remote e-learning packets for grades Pre K- 5 district-wide.

    R2 teacher Dr. MaryPaul Hoile finds innovative ways to reach her students remotely. | Contributed

    “Teachers at my school were given all day on Tuesday to prepare to teach our students remotely,” Dr. MaryPaul Hoile said. Hoile, a 25-year veteran teacher, is in her first year of teaching at Bridge Creek Elementary, a STEAM-M school. She teaches child development for children age four (CD-4).

    “We immediately focused on getting our rooms prepared for the long absence. We gathered up materials and contacted our students/families,” She said the teachers at her school were given specific schedules and directions for the first few days of the shutdown.

    According to Hoile’s review of week one, all is going as smoothly as possible, and students and teachers are now in their second week of e-learning. She said her students receive their learning packets every Monday morning either by email, in person by way of car rider line pick up or online via her class’s private Facebook group.

    Hoile depends heavily on Facebook and other social media to connect with her students during the pandemic. She begins class each weekday morning by going ‘live’ at 9 a.m. and greeting her students and their families.

    “I had previously set up an online Facebook group connection to share a virtual newsletter with all my 20 students and their parents. They (her students) need connection in order to allow for optimal learning,” Hoile said. “We didn’t have an opportunity to say our goodbyes for such an extended period of time, so Facebook provides that connection,” Hoile said. “All of my students’ parents and guardians actively participate with their children by logging in each morning and responding to questions or by greeting each other using the CHAT feature. It’s been a wonderful experience as I read books and sing songs with them. I have also had guest readers/speakers share videos in our group,” Hoile said.

    In addition to following her typical morning meeting time as much as possible, she allows time for her students to work on their remote learning packets. Throughout the day she will go “live” again to add a video of herself or another guest reader and to add resources for the parents to use.

    “I realize that this is a very stressful time for families as they work hard to teach their children at home, so I don’t want to overwhelm them with too much work. Resources are a great way to allow parents the opportunity to extend learning.”

    Hoile credits her previous online teaching experiences in helping her to be prepared for this unique situation. She is also in contact with her co-teachers in the child development program by way of virtual meetings where they can plan and share ideas with one another.

    “I feel that we have taken this negative situation and made it the best possible experience for all of our students,” Hoile said. “By joining each other’s Facebook pages, we (CD teachers) have been able to observe and learn from each other to better teach our students,” she said.

    As teachers, students and parents learn the ropes of remote teaching and learning, posts are popping up on social media comically depicting frustrated parents, and students eager to get back into the school setting with real teachers and teachers, like Hoile, proving their metal under difficult circumstances.

  • Fairfield County Council declares State of Emergency

    WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Council met at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, and passed an emergency ordinance to declare a 60-day state of emergency in Fairfield County due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The ordinance became effective immediately. 

    The following includes the details the public should be aware of. The complete story is in today’s (Thursday, March 19) issue of The Voice.

    New information will be posted on here as it becomes available.

    Fairfield County Council, by the power granted to it by the South Carolina Constitution and General Assembly through Home Rule, hereby declares, enacts, ordains, and orders the following:

    1. By the power granted in South Carolina Code of Laws § 4-9-130, Fairfield County Council hereby declares a local state of emergency effective March 18, 2020.
    2. That all protection measures available to Fairfield County for health and safety response be utilized and made available in order to preserve life and property.
    3. That the County work closely with Federal, State, Local, School District and Utility officials to ensure a concerted effort of response during the state of emergency.
    4. That the Administrator continuously dialogue with local elected officials to establish reasonable and amenable plans of action for their statutory functions and service.   
    5. That the Administrator modify personnel policies during the term of the emergency to ensure essential public services are met but also limiting unnecessary county sponsored travel, protecting personnel by utilizing liberal leave for quarantine and isolation, modifying sick time policies for those individuals who are immune suppressed, infected , otherwise need isolation for suspected infection, or have no other means to care for their K-12 children who are subject to State ordered public school closings, and authorizing remote access to the workplace by employees if the assigned duties allow.
    6. That the Administrator temporarily suspend or alter board, commission, committee, or other similar meetings or authorize remote attendance electronically, temporarily alter open hours or close certain County facilities, and other temporary measures that prohibit the unnecessary congregation of people in keeping with CDC social distancing preventative measures.
    7. Designate the use of emergency procurement and the fund balance, if necessary, and authorize the Administrator to allocate funding to emergency expenditures attributable to the departments necessary during the state of emergency. Any emergency allocation will not require an ordinance during the state of emergency and will be reflected in subsequent budget amendments; the Finance Director will report periodically on monies spent during the state of emergency.
    8. That the Chairman of Fairfield County Council will have the authority to postpone and/or reschedule meetings and provide for remote or virtual attendance and public access to meetings during the declared state of emergency in accordance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.
    9. This ordinance will remain in effect for sixty (60) days unless sooner terminated by Fairfield County Council.
    10. If any section of this ordinance is declared invalid by a court or found to be in conflict with sound legal principle or law, then the remaining portions of the ordinance will remain in effect.
    11. This ordinance expressly takes precedence over and supersedes  any other Fairfield County ordinance for the duration of the  term provided herein.
    12.  This emergency ordinance is effective immediately.

  • Blythewood Council closes Manor, park, playground indefinitely

    PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Blythewood town council held an emergency council meeting at 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, at Town Hall and voted to:  1) close all town government facilities to the public indefinitely, 2)- lock the doors on town hall to the public (staff may work in office or telework, but will return phone calls and emails),  3)cancel all public government meetings indefinitely

    These changes were to take effect immediately.

    The story below appears in this week’s paper and is a review of the two special called meetings March 12 and March 16 that were held prior to the final emergency meeting on March 18 meeting.

    The Voice will follow up online and in print with more information as it becomes available.

    BLYTHEWOOD – A special town council meeting was called on March 12, to discuss how the town government should move forward with regard to public events in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Council members voted unanimously to go ahead with two events scheduled over the next two days that they said were on course to draw thousands of visitors to Doko Park, pointing out that the two Fests’ attendance numbers could swell over estimates after many other events in the area had been cancelled.

    Four days later, on March 16, after an estimated 2,000 people attended the Doko Rib Fest and Doko Film Fest, Council held a second special called meeting at the Manor and voted to close all town facilities with the exception of town hall until March 31. The park, playground and Manor (that had several scheduled weddings in March) would be closed. Town hall would be open, continuing to provide services. Walk-ins, however, would be discouraged in favor of phone calls and emails. Town hall employees would be allowed to work from home at the discretion of Town Administrator Brian Cook.

    That vote also required all town hall facilities, including the playground, to be professionally cleaned and sanitized after the closing. The playground would be cleaned and sanitized again prior to being reopened to the public.

    There was also some consideration during the March 16 meeting about the possibility of closing town meetings to the public in the future if the COVID-19 crisis worsened and providing live stream video with an option for the public to call or email/text questions to council during the meeting.

    At the prior March 12 meeting, Mayor Brian Franklin said he had some concerns about allowing the Rib Fest and Film Fest to go on in the park. Council had awarded a total of about $20,000 to both events.

    “So we thought it prudent to come together with precautionary measures, learn a little bit about this virus and how it may or may not affect Blythewood and area citizens, but more importantly to alleviate any fears we may have about gatherings,” Franklin said. He said he was following the Governor’s lead in calling on citizens to not cancel their events.

    “I agree that I don’t see the need to have a knee jerk reaction and immediately cancel events,” Councilman Donald Brock said. “I’m the least concerned with the outdoor events. It seems like common sense should prevail. If you’re sick, stay home. Let everyone make their own decisions.”

    Councilman Eddie Baughman agreed. “If you’re sick, stay at home. We’re asking people to just take care of yourself. That’s about all we can do,” Baughman said. “We’re grown adults. We know we can either go or stay at home.”

    Councilman Larry Griffin said he leaned toward erring on the side of caution – to shut the events down.

    “In the beginning I was willing to roll with it, but now I’m torn. Do we want to put ourselves in position to have a rash of COVID-19?”

    Newly elected Councilman Sloan Griffin, Emergency Manager with the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), was given the lead by Franklin in presenting the health and safety ramifications of leaving open or shutting down the festivals.  Franklin pointed out that, as part of (Sloan) Griffin’s work, he meets with the Governor regularly for COVID-19 updates.

    “We need to follow the heartbeats of the folks around us,” (Sloan) Griffin said. Besides bringing council up to speed on the virus and the constantly changing effect it’s having on the Midlands, (Sloan) Griffin explained DHEC’s strategy in preventing the spread of the virus and encouraged council to follow suit, noting that the Governor, at that time, had encouraged communities to not cancel events.

    At the second special called meeting on March 16, however, council members leaned more quickly toward closing the town’s facilities to all gatherings, including weddings at the Manor.

    “We may turn some brides into bride-zillas,” (Sloan) Griffin said, “but I think we need to close things down for at least two weeks. We need to provide for town hall staff to work at home and take care of their families while we continue to provide their pay and benefits.”

    Council will not meet for its regular monthly meeting on March 23. There will be no town government meetings until further notice.

  • Prestwick plans more apartments for Blythewood

    BLYTHEWOOD – Another multi-family residential apartment complex is seeking approval to be constructed in downtown Blythewood.

    The applicant, Prestwick Companies of Atlanta, had been scheduled to come before the Board of Architectural Review Monday evening to request a Certificate of Appropriateness (COP), but the meeting was cancelled as a cautionary measure in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and will be rescheduled at a later date.

    The apartment complex is planned for a location adjacent to the IGA shopping mall off Creech Road. The 2.86 acre parcel is already zoned for multi-family residential use.

    Prestwick is promoting the three-story facility as a senior living complex; however, Town Administrator Brian Cook said Prestwick is not restricted to a senior living use.

    “They can use it for a senior living facility or other uses,” Cook said. “It’s still multi-family housing that is permitted in the Town Center District no matter whether it’s low income housing or senior living.”

    Prestwick previously built The Point, another apartment complex in downtown Blythewood, in October, 2017. That complex is located on Main Street across from the Blythewood Consignment store. The company sought approval for a 32-apartment expansion in October 2018, but never formally followed through for approval.

    The 54,651 square foot apartment complex proposed next to the IGA shopping area will consist of 48 units, with 24 one-bedroom apartments and 24 two-bedroom apartments.

  • Be on the lookout for theft suspect on foot in area of Smallstown Road and Redwing Circle

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department is asking residents to be on the lookout for a black male with short dreads, about 21 years old, reportedly involved in attempted theft of a motorcycle in the area of Smallstown Road and Redwing Circle.

    The suspect is possibly trying to get back to Columbia on foot. If you have information about this individual or this incident, contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department at 803-635-4141.

  • TruVista offers free internet

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Earlier this week, TruVista Communications announced its plans to provide free internet service to new customers in homes with K-12 and higher education students.

    “We recognize that our company plays an important role in helping customers connected to their loved ones, workplaces and schools through the internet,” the press release stated.

    Truvista will offer free 60 days of basic internet service, including free installation to K-12 and/or college students without a current TruVista subscription. Normal service agreements and deposits will also be waived.

    For more information, call 800-768-1212.

  • Latest closings and cancellations

    Closings and cancellations in Blythewood and Fairfield County.

    BLYTHEWOOD :

    Blythewood Artists Guild Spring Market – Cancelled (originally scheduled for March 28-29)

    Blythewood Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting – Cancelled (originally scheduled for March 16, 2020)

    Blythewood Garden Club Annual Community Garden Event – Cancelled (Originally scheduled for March 19, 2020)

    Blythewood Presbyterian Church & Bruce’s Greenhouse Spring Plant Sale – Cancelled (Originally scheduled for April 4, 2020)

    Dollar General – First hour of each shopping day is for senior shoppers.

    Doko Manor – Closed until March 31.

    Doko Meadows Park – Closed until March 31.

    Joyce Dickerson – Press Conference Cancelled announcing campaign for reelection Richland District 2, County Council (previously scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2020)

    Richland County Library – All locations will close, starting Monday, March 16. Loan periods on materials will be extended until they return to full operation.

    Richland County Recreation – All events, including practices and games, are canceled through April 4th, 2020

    SCDOR – Tax returns and payments due April 1, 2020 – June 1, 2020 will now be due June 1, 2020.

    Town of Blythewood Facilities – Closed until March 31, except for Town Hall.

    Tricia’s Trunk at Sandy Level Baptist Church – closed for March; hoping to re-open April 18.

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY:

    Arts on the Ridge – Postponed to Sept 26 (originally May 2)

    Blair Coalition of Churches Auction – Scholarship fundraiser is postponed (originally March 21) and will be scheduled for a later date.

    Dollar General – First hour of each shopping day is for senior shoppers.

    Fairfield County Arts Council – April 7 meeting cancelled

    Fairfield County Democratic Convention – Cancelled (scheduled for March 16)

    Fairfield County Library – Ceasing all operations March 16 with hopes to reopen on April 1. WiFi remains available outside of the building; digital resources are available on the website. Outstanding items will be due April 1.

    Fairfield County Recreation – All programs and athletics suspended until March 31.

    Laura’s Tea Room – Café menu and High Tea to go from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

    Mt. Moriah Baptist Church – Pastor Lee’s Retirement Celebration (scheduled for 3/22) and Sunday worship service are cancelled.

    Mt. Zion Project Groundbreaking – Postponed (originally March 27)

    The Restaurant Next Door – Offering curbside pickup, delivery and standard takeout.

    Richard Winn Academy Mix & Mingle – Postponed (originally March 21); will be rescheduled for a later date.

    SCDOR – Tax returns and payments due April 1, 2020 – June 1, 2020 will now be due June 1, 2020.

    SC Railroad Museum – BBQ Dinner train cancelled (March 28); Easter Bunny Express cancelled (April 2 & 7). A decision on Steam Trains (April 25, May 2 & 9) has not yet been made. Ticket buyers will be offered an alternative date, or a full refund, their choice.

    St. John’s Episcopal Church – The Goliards musical presentation for March 29 is cancelled.

    Town of Ridgeway General Election – Will be rescheduled to occur after May 1, 2020.  Specific dates will be announced later. 

    Wings & Wheels Festival – Cancelled, will not be rescheduled. (Originally scheduled for May 9).

    SCHOOLS:

    The Early Learning Center at Richard Winn – Closed March 16 – March 31.

    Midlands STEM Institute – Closed March 16 – March 31. Click here for information on learning packets.

    Fairfield County School District – All student activities, including athletics, are canceled from March 16 – March 31. Click here for information on free bag breakfasts and lunches provided and learning packets.

    Richard Winn Academy – Closed March 16 – March 31.

    Richland School District 2 – All student activities including athletics, are canceled from March 16-March 31. Click here for information on free bag breakfasts and lunches provided and learning packets.

    To submit a closing or cancellation notice, email voice@blythewoodonline.com.