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  • County considering A-Tax, H-Tax

    WINNSBORO – New taxes and fees aimed at sprucing up Fairfield County’s tourism and business image received unanimous support at Monday night’s county council meeting.

    Council members approved 5-0 the first reading of three draft ordinances which if approved, would institute a tourism development fee, a hospitality fee and a business registration fee.

    Council members Bertha Goins and Mikel Trapp were absent for the vote. Two more readings are required before the fees take effect.

    “If you don’t have an attractive town, if you don’t have an attractive community, it is hard to attract tourists,” County Administrator Jason Taylor said.

    Tourism Development Fee

    If enacted, the tourism development fee would add a three-cent tax on hotels, motels and lodging.

    Fairfield County attorney Tommy Morgan said funds could be used for a variety of purposes, including promoting the arts, music, farmer’s markets, agro-business tours and construction of facilities used in tourism.

    “Some parts of the state have used it for waterfront erosion [control],” he said. “They can use it in a lot of different ways.”

    Asked later about the tourism development fee, Morgan said the county’s proposed fee is more accurately defined as a local accommodations tax.
    “The Council may wish to change the title of the Ordinance to reference ‘accommodation tax’ instead of ‘tourism development fee’ in order to minimize any future confusion,” he said.

    Hospitality Fee

    The hospitality fee would add two cents on prepared meals and beverages in the county.

    Funds would be spent on “improving services and facilities for tourists,” according to the ordinance. Examples include everything from advertising and promoting tourism to building and upgrading roads used by tourists or for tourism-related purposes.

    Business Registration Fee

    Fairfield County is also looking at a $15 flat fee that would be levied to businesses operating in the unincorporated areas of Fairfield County. Municipal businesses would not pay the fee. The fee is not designed to be a major revenue generator.

    Rather, it’s designed to make it easier for the county to identify and regulate existing businesses, and also police illegal business activity, Morgan said.

     

    Infrastructure tax update

    The three fees are separate from county plans to pursue a local option sales tax to help fund infrastructure.

    Unlike the three county fees, which only require two more council readings, the local option sales tax would require approval in a voter referendum.

    Taylor said the proposed tax is still several months away.

    “What we are looking at are targeted taxes to invest in the county as far as water and sewer services,” Jason Taylor said. “That could fund crucially needed, critically needed water and sewer infrastructure, which would support future growth.”

    Fairfield County is primarily focused on the mega site off I-77, which lacks sufficient sewer capacity. The county was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the state to help, but several more millions are needed.

    Taylor said the county isn’t looking at increasing property taxes.

    “Without water and sewer we cannot have future growth,” Taylor said. “That’s just foundational infrastructure.”

    At the Feb. 11 meeting, Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas proposed re-evaluating state tax breaks awarded to properties classified for agricultural use.

    In South Carolina, agricultural real property is taxed at 4 percent of its fair market value. Non-agricultural property is taxed at 6 percent.

    “I have ag land that I own and I’m paying next to nothing,” he said. “Everyone else who has less than five acres is paying a lot more taxes. I feel like every acre in Fairfield County needs to have an extra dollar in taxes on it.”

    Taylor said Douglas’ idea has potential, but he also said it presents legal challenges that must first be ironed out.

  • Sheriff: burglars active in rural area

    WINNSBORO – Two homes were recently burglarized in the Ashford Ferry Road and Old Douglass Road areas, and according to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, more daytime home burglaries could be occurring in the northwest corner of the county.

    The entries were forced in both the front and rear of the homes and the homeowners were away, deputies reported.

    “These incidents are believed to have been committed by the same individual(s),” Sheriff Will Montgomery said. “These are burglary trends that we have experienced in the past. Typically, these types of crimes are committed by individuals who ride through rural areas looking for residences whose occupants are away at work,” Montgomery said.

    “Although we always encourage everyone to be cautious and to always be aware of their surroundings, offenders who commit these types of crimes generally avoid contact with others and do not attempt to steal items from property when they think the homeowner might be present,” Mongtomery said. “If they do encounter a homeowner, they are most likely to fabricate a legitimate reason for being there such as looking for directions, looking for a lost pet, etc., and then quickly leave. So we are asking for the public’s assistance in being vigilant for any suspicious person(s) and/or vehicle(s), especially in the more rural areas.”

    Report suspicious persons or activity to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office by calling 803-635-4141.

  • Sheriff’s Deputies freezin’ for a reason

    Sheriff’s Deputies and teams take the plunge in Lake Wateree for charity. | Melissa Cooper

    LAKE WATEREE – About 65 people took the chilly plunge on Saturday at Lake Wateree during the Fairfield County Sheriff Department’s fifth annual Polar Plunge, organizer Bill Dove, an investigator with the department said.

    Sheriff Will Montgomery

    “We raised over $10,000 this year,” Dove said, “which is the largest amount we’ve raised since we’ve been sponsoring the plunge. We had teams from not only Fairfield County, but Lugoff, Camden and Lake Wateree.”

    Those donations go toward the support of the Sheriff’s charity, the Special Olympics of South Carolina.

    Following the plunge everyone was invited to a lakeside lunch.

    The Sheriff’s Office will host several events over the next several months to celebrate the South Carolina Special Olympics and raise money to fund Special Olympics events for these athletes. On May 3, the Sheriff’s Office will participate in the ‘County Line to County Line’ torch run through Congress Street, and they will host Tip-A-Cop at a local restaurant later in the year.

  • Blythewood’s Eisenreich wins Oscar

    BLYTHEWOOD – During the Academy Awards Sunday evening, Blythewood native Michelle Eisenreich, the visual effects producer for film company Double Negative, and her team won an Oscar for their work on the film, ‘First Man.’

    Eisenreich

    And that wasn’t her first Oscar. Her team also won one last year for ‘Blade Runner 2049.’  It was a success she couldn’t have dreamed of when she arrived in Los Angeles in 1999 with a brand new degree in film from Florida State University. She was looking for a job, any job she could get in the film industry, short of acting.

    “I was much too shy to act,” Eisenreich recalls.

    She took the first job she was offered – a production assistant at Hammerhead Productions, a small visual effects company where her first assignment was a key role in creating the visual effects for the movie X-Men.

    While Eisenreich said she’d never thought of herself as a visual effects person, she apparently was one. A good one.

    “I was always interested in both the creative side of filmmaking and the technical, so, by chance, visual effects turned out to be a really good fit to combine both,” she told The Voice in a phone interview from her home in Vancouver, earlier this week.

    The Oscar wins, Eisenreich said, are important to her both professionally and personally.

    “It’s a great honor, of course, but it’s also very fulfilling on a personal level. I’ve been in the industry for a very long time. It’s a difficult industry – a lot of long hours, a lot of sacrifices. There‘s not much personal time,” she said. “When you’re on a project, everything’s about the project. It’s a big commitment, so it’s nice to be recognized.”

    In her role as the visual effects producer, Eisenreich is responsible for the budget, the scheduling, putting the team together and being the main contact for the client whether it’s a studio or a director.”

    As a result of her success on ‘First Man,’ Eisenreich has been asked to pull together and oversee a new TV division for her company.

    “It’s exciting. Instead of one project at a time, I’m now involved in seven or eight different projects at one time,” she said. “We just finished work on Star Trek Discovery for CBS, which is in its second season, and we’re currently working on a couple of projects for Netflix and Amazon.”

    One of those projects is a six-part series titled ‘Catch 22,’ with George Clooney which will launch on Hulu early this summer.

    “For the next couple of years I think it’s going to be more television than features,” Eisenreich said. “It’s interesting times for sure. Everybody’s trying to get their own streaming systems going to try to catch up with Netflix and Amazon.”

    While Eisenreich’s work sometimes takes her on movie locations, she more often works in the studio near her home, which is fine with her.

    Now married with two children, son Cooper, 11, and  daughter Harper, 9, Eisenreich said she loves living in Vancouver where the seasons change and the view is great.

    “Our home backs up to the mountains and the ocean is about 20 minutes away. It’s nice here,” she said.

    But Eisenreich said she always loves coming home to visit family and friends. She is particularly looking forward to a trip to Blythewood to help judge the Doko Film festival, April 26 – 28.

    “I would have loved to be involved with something like this [film festival] when I was growing up,” she said.

    A reception will be held for Eisenreich on the opening night of the festival at Doko Manor. For more information about the festival, go to dokofilmfest.com.

  • Miles unveils new car during RWA ceremony

    Danika Miles shows her new dragster to students in the Richard Winn gym. | Barbara Ball

    WINNSBORO – Ridgeway drag racing rising star Danika Miles unveiled her new dragster Thursday at a special event at Richard Winn Academy, where she’s a sixth grader.

    Miles’ new ride was not only a sign of the preteen’s intentions to seek a championship this year, but showcased her accomplishment of having two national sponsors to back her efforts this racing year.

    “It was really awesome and exciting,” Danika stated of the unveiling.

    “It was really great to see that my friends supported me so much.”

    Miles has had a busy 2019 already. Earlier this month, she and her father Gabe Miles traveled to New York City to sign contracts and make official two national sponsors – school cafeteria food supplier ES Foods and ice cream maker A La Mode

    E S Foods spokesperson Amy Josephson said the company chose the 11-year-old as the face of E S Foods because she embodies everything the company was looking for in a school-aged role model.

    “In many ways, Danika is your average school kid, yet also is a role model leading an extraordinary life,” Josephson stated. “We thought this was a fun, unique way to promote E S Foods while honoring a successful middle school student.”

    Danika’s image will now be on all E S Foods posters and material, and in the coming weeks she will be filming her very first commercial slated for release on social media platforms.

    The title sponsorship will not only make Danika a more prevalent name across the world as one f the youngest rising stars in the drag racing sport, but will help her team accomplish goals that were once out of reach for financial reasons.

    In addition to Danika’s new dragster, the sponsorships have enabled the team to purchase a new trailer and provided financial assistance for travel, equipment and repair costs.

    Gabe Miles said the freedom of those financial restraints will free Danika from holding back in future races.

    “Before, this was all out of our own pocket. So, any repairs or replacements we paid for, and she would worry about taking risks that might cause extra expenses. Now, that worry has been removed and she only has to focus on racing,” Miles stated.

    Danika’s first race of the 2019 season will be March 2 in Darlington, and she said she already has her eye on the big prize.

    “I want the championship. That’s what my goal is for this year,” she stated.

    Despite the big changes occurring in her life, Danika remains the quiet, unassuming girl her family has always known, Miles said. She’s on the RWA basketball team which placed second in the region standings, and she is preparing to compete in her school’s beauty pageant.

    “She’s still being a girl, still being a kid. She might be a force to be reckoned with on the track, but in her personal life she’s the same sweet, shy little girl who gets nervous when she has to talk on the phone,” Miles stated.

    Miles’ racing journey can be followed on social media on the Facebook page Miles Custom Racing.

  • Crickentree residents organize

    ‘Concerned Citizens’ hire an attorney

    BLYTHEWOOD – About 80 residents of Crickentree and several other area golf course communities attended a meeting at Doko Manor last week to come up with a plan for maintaining the Traditional Recreational Open Space (TROS) zoning for the 183 acres that was the former home of the Golf Club of South Carolina, also known as the Crickentree golf course.

    About 200 attended a previous meeting on Feb. 14 that was called by representatives of Texas investment firm ECapital to unveil a revised proposal for 249 homes on the golf course property, down from a proposal last fall of 480 homes. ECapital purchased the mortgage on the now foreclosed golf course property that shares borders with the Crickentree subdivision which has access off Kelly Mill Road. The golf course property is accessed off Langford Road.

    Bob McClure, a 29-year resident of Crickentree kicked off the meeting by referring to the ECapital group as land speculators, gamblers with no ties to our area.

    “Gamblers don’t always win,” McClure declared, and referenced the zoning issue as a “big problem.”   McClure emphasized the critical need to expand their group to include citizens of all area golf course communities who are ready to fight the rezoning from TROS to residential.

    Blythewood Mayor Michael Ross said that while the Crickentree property is under the jurisdiction of Richland County and not Blythewood, a residential development of that size would have a major impact on the residents of Blythewood due to infrastructure issues.  He cited the already proposed 601 homes in the Blythewood Farms subdivision adjacent to Town Hall as an example of the continuous growth.

    Blythewood Town Councilman Bryan Franklin suggested the County purchase the property and use it as a recreational hub for the regional community.  He laid out a plan to use approximately half of the property for sports fields to support football, soccer, lacrosse and other sports that are not currently being provided for by Richland County in the Blythewood area.

    “There’s tremendous potential for Blythewood to become a centrally located hub for state baseball/softball tournaments and travel leagues,” Franklin said. “There’s a potential for $10,000 – $14,000 in revenue for a single tournament weekend,” he said.  “It makes sense to use what is already there. Seniors like to walk. The current pathways could be used for walking, jogging and bicycle paths, even horseback riding areas.  The country club could be used as a senior center for activities.”

    Franklin suggested the remaining area of the property be maintained as a County 9-hole golf course where everyone could play.

    “If approved, the low density zoning request for 247 homes that E Capital representatives have said they are seeking, would actually allow the owner/developer of the property to place as many as 650 homes on the property based on current low density regulations and the acreage involved,” Crickentree resident Michael Koska said.

    “The promises and drawings presented by E Capital at our Feb. 7 meeting would not be legally enforceable, including the 150 ft. proposed buffer, retention of ponds or trees, placement and quantity of homes, etc.”

    Attorney Brian Boger, who was hired by some members of the ‘Concerned Residents of Crickentree’ neighborhood group to help maintain the TROS zoning, said he had met with ECapital’s attorney, Robert Fuller, and that Fuller had said ECapital intended to apply for a zoning change by Thursday, Feb. 28.

    Crickentree resident Russ Ste.Marie provided a power point presentation to outline what he felt could befall the Crickentree community if they did not fight the rezoning. He cautioned that the new rewrite of the Richland County Comprehensive Plan would combine TROS properties and numerous similar type properties into one designation.

    Boger cited a meeting of nine HOA Presidents from Richland County golf course communities who are addressing similar problems.  He suggested they join in the Crickentree battle.

    “This property cannot be rezoned without the Richland County Council members supporting it,” Boger said. “You all need to mount a campaign and email our concerns to everyone involved.  And we need to be at the Planning Committee public meeting and the County Council meeting in mass.  We need to develop a list of specific reasons to stay TROS.  We will only have 30 minutes to address each of these two groups. And the more people there to show their support, the better,” he said.

    Crickentree resident Tracie Cooper reiterated the need for residents to communicate with the County Council members.  “We are in this together,” she emphasized.  “Team Crickentree, and we have got to stick together.”

    For more information about the proposed rezoning, call 803-719-1242 or go to SaveGolfCourses.com

  • Council eyes fee for county businesses

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield County leaders say that a proposed business registration fee is about getting a more accurate count of businesses operating in the unincorporated areas of Fairfield County.

    “It’s not based on the revenue of the business. It’s not based upon the sales, income or number of employees, whether you have one employee or 5,000 employees,” county attorney Tommy Morgan said during an Administration and Finance Committee meeting Monday.

    “Now you know what businesses are doing what in the unincorporated parts of the county,” he said.

    Later, council members voted 5-0 for first reading by title only of the business registration fee. Council members Mikel Trapp and Bertha Goins were absent.

    Two more readings are required for passage.

    The proposal was among several fees the county is considering. Unlike the others, which consist of various sales taxes or fees, the business registration fee would institute a flat $15 fee per business.

    “It’s not a business license fee, it’s a business registration fee,” Morgan said, noting business licenses have more administrative requirements and usually more costly than registration fees.

    Council members voiced support for the business fee.

    Councilman Douglas Pauley said the fee would help the county to eliminate blight. He also proposed charging transient businesses, such as food trucks, a higher fee as a means of promoting local businesses.

    “It is not about making money,” Pauley said. “This information can greatly help us market ourselves, market our businesses and can also come into consideration for grants and other opportunities for assistance,” Pauley said.

    Council chairman Neil Robinson agreed.

    “It’s definitely a regulation that we need,” Robinson said. “We don’t have a count of businesses that we have [operating] now. It would help with the clean up of blight. Blight is a big issue in this county.”

    Two members of the public addressed the fee during public input, each expressing opposing viewpoints.

    Jeff Schaffer thought the fee should be a referendum decided by voters.

    “Whose bright idea was it to have this ordinance put on the books and have the taxpayers implement this. Who thought of this?” Schaffer asked. “Why is this so damned important to get this on the books? Ultimately where will this lead us?”

    Randy Bright of Ridgeway backed the fee, but cautioned council members not to exceed $15.

    “Blight is holding us back. Blight is holding us back from getting new residents and new industry. Let’s make a good first impression and move forward,” Bright said. “Let’s make this a prudent investment, not a blind investment. The $15 is no big deal.”

  • Council bankrolls fundraiser for Chamber

    BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council voted Tuesday night to award $14,000 of Hospitality Tax revenue for a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce.

    In an application requesting the funding, Sarah Ballard, an event manager hired for the event – a Bavarian Oktoberfest – noted that it was being held to raise funds for the Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce.

    She added that it will also provide an opportunity for residents of Blythewood and the surrounding areas to gather to build community and learn about Bavarian culture.

    The request said the total project cost would be $37,394 and would be partially funded by the proceeds from food, merchandise and beer sales ($14,500), cow paddy bingo ($18,450) and sponsorships ($10,000) plus $1,520 in in-kind services.

    According to the request, the Chamber expects a total net profit of $21,125.12.

    Council unanimously approved the Chamber’s budget for the event which includes $1,800 for advertising in The County Chronicle, $1,600 in The Free Times and no advertising in The Voice.

    The German Octoberfest-style event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5 from noon to 10 p.m. at the Doko Meadows Park. According to the request, the theme of the event will be based on the traditional Bavarian beer and folk festival with eating, live traditional German music, drinking, dancing, children’s activities and games.

    Hutto Golf Tournament

    Council also awarded $2,500 for the Parks Hutto Bengal Invitational Golf Tournament set for March 11-12 at the Columbia Country Club. Jason Minkel, golf coach for the tournament, said the funds would be used to pay for gifts, snacks and drinks for the players.

    Now in its tenth year, Minkel said the tournament is the premier high school golf tournament in South Carolina. Formerly named the Bengal Invitational, the tournament was renamed in 2015 in memory of former team member Parks Hutto who died June 11, 2015, after a short battle with myocarditis. He was 14 and a rising freshman at Blythewood High School at the time of his death. Hutto had been on the Bengal varsity golf team since seventh grade.

    Minkel said the tournament has become so popular that he now has to turn teams away.

    “This year we will host state champions from 2A to 5A schools as well as SCISA champions and many other top state golf teams,” Minkel said. “Last year we had 26 teams from all over South Carolina.”

    After learning that the annual tournament brings in almost 200 players, coaches and visitors that stay in Blythewood hotels and eat at the towns restaurants, Mayor J. Michael Ross suggested the tournament might also be eligible for Accommodation Tax (A-Tax) funds and encouraged Minkel and Hutto’s mother, Ginny, who was present at the meeting, to apply for the funds.

  • Blythewood Celebrates 3rd Annual Black History Event

    Dressed for the occasion, Sheila Butler, Maxine Goodwin, Alberta Lewis and Luvenia Gordon-Dukes arrived at the Blythewood Black History program ready to celebrate. | Barbara Ball

    BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Community celebrated Black History Month with music, dance and refreshments on Saturday at The Manor.

    The afternoon of entertainment and remembrance included performances by members of the Blythewood Churches Community Choir, the Pine Grove Church Youth Choir and a dance team from Westwood High School.

    Jo Ann of Na J Fashions

    Jason Lloyd opened the program singing the National Anthem before Guest Speaker Dr. Joe Kelly was introduced. Viola Sanders entertained with an exhibit of inventions through the years by African-Americans.

    Church awards were presented to local church elders as well as the most senior church elder. Ms. Daisy Mae Belton, now in her 80’s, was honored as a member of the Community Choir since she was eight years old.

    A highlight of the program was the recitation of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech by Ky-Brian Alexander of Blair in Fairfield County. It was followed by the Black National Anthem led by Alexander and Lloyd.

    Following the program, refreshments were served, and attendees were invited to sign their names to quilt pieces to be turned into a remembrance quilt.

  • New calls for R2 Chair’s resignation

    Parent Asks Board If Daughter Can Ignore Her Detention

    COLUMBIA – Calls for Richland Two board chair Amelia McKie to step down continued Tuesday night, with three residents saying she should step down, citing nearly $52,000 in ethics fines she owes.

    Local Realtor Gary Dennis also criticized the board for shooting down a policy revision that, with cause, could have stripped board members of officer positions, such as chair or vice chair.

    Dennis called the board a “laughing stock” in the state, likening recent events to a “comic strip.” He said one homebuyer interested in moving to Richland County now wants to move to Lexington or Chapin instead.

    “As parents we must hold school board members to strict rules and regulations,” Dennis said. “I call on the chair to resign over the public issues that face her. Nothing is gained and everything is lost by staying on the board.”

    Richland Two parent Dennis Rabon asked the board if his daughter could ignore the detention she received as punishment for a dress code violation as McKie ignored her ethics fines. He, too, called for McKie to step down.

    “Character and accountability are just as important as GPAs and SATs,” Rabon said. “How can you hold your superintendent accountable when you can’t hold your board members accountable?

    “In a county so rife with corruption and mismanagement, you had an opportunity to rise up and say enough,” Rabon continued.

    Richland Two parent Rhonda Meisner not only called for McKie to step down, but she also accused the chair of manipulating the public input schedule in her (McKie’s) favor. She also said some of McKie’s supporters have harassed her for speaking out.

    “After the [Jan. 22] meeting, several people supporting Ms. McKie verbally attacked me on several occasions,” Meisner said.

    McKie did not respond to calls for her resignation, and during board member comments, she and other board members generally thanked each other and staff for their hard work.

    Ethics did not get raised specifically by board members, though Lindsay Agostini thanked residents who have come to board meetings to voice their concerns. She urged others to do the same instead of resorting to posting on social media.

    McKie has faced intense political pressure amid revelations in a series of investigative reports by The Voice that she owes $51,750 in unpaid ethics fines.

    The S.C. Ethics Commission fined McKie for failing to file several campaign disclosure reports and statements of economic interest, or SEI, forms.

    At the Feb. 12 meeting, the board voted 4-3 against a policy that would make it easier for the board to boot the chair, vice-chair or secretary from their board officer positions, but not from the board itself.

    McKie would have potentially been impacted by the policy. She, Holmes, Cheryl Caution-Parker and James Shadd voted against it.  Agostoni, Monica Elkins-Johnson and James Manning voted for the policy.

    Earlier in the meeting, the board spent 20 minutes debating an agenda item concerning board policy about adding agenda items.

    Board member Agostini asked the board to table discussion of the policy, which empowers the superintendent and board chair to develop the agenda. Her motion failed 5-2 after substantial debate.

    Agostini and board member Teresa Holmes voted for tabling the discussion. However, only Agostini voted against approving the agenda with the board policy discussion left intact.

    Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis said the new policy is designed so agendas aren’t unilaterally decided. He also said nothing prevents board members from suggesting agenda items.

    According to the policy, other board members and the public can suggest agenda items, but ultimately the work of crafting the agenda rests with the superintendent and board chair.

    “This removes one person from driving the agenda. It also removes the superintendent having complete autonomy over the agenda,” he said.

    Holmes, however, said the policy was unclear.

    “I’m concerned, like Ms. Agostini, because I don’t see where it says we can vote to put a policy in. As it stands right now, it does not say that,” Holmes said.

    Later in the meeting, board member Monica Elkins-Johnson tried to amend the motion to approve the policy.

    She wanted board members to have the ability to help craft the agenda, but her proposed amendment wasn’t taken up. The board voted 4-3 for the policy, with Agostini, Holmes and Elkins-Johnson voting against.