BLYTHEWOOD – The ribbon was cut for the newest pickleball court in Blythewood on Thursday, July 10.
Located at the Richland County Recreation Center’s
Blythewood Park at 126 Boney Road in Blythewood, the six pickleball courts rose
like a phoenix from the park’s former tennis courts.
While a light rain moved the formal part of the ceremony
inside the Blythewood Park gym, the weather cleared in time for an outdoor
ribbon cutting before a crowd of community members and pickleballers ready to
play.
Officials from Richland County and the Town of Blythewood were joined by State Senator Overture Walker to show off the new courts.
A rain moved the formal part of the ceremony inside Blythewood Park’s gym. | Photos: Barbara Ball
Recreation Commission Executive Director Touris Lewis welcomed guests and introduced the Commission’s Deputy Director of Operations Anthony Cooper, who talked about the project. Also speaking from the dais were Blythewood Mayor Sloan Griffin, Blythewood’s County Council Representative Derrek Pugh, and the Commission’s Head Tennis Professional Shauna Williams. Recreation Commissioner D’Andrea Outten-Brown thanked those attending and encouraged them to take part in the offerings made possible through the park.
Following the welcome and speeches, commissioners and guests
moved outside to the pickleball courts.
Lewis and Pugh shared the ribbon cutting honors and, after a
photo op of all the officials, games began in earnest. All six courts were
quickly filled with a total of 24 enthusiastic players, including some of the
local elected officials.
The courts will be available to the community and will also
be used for events and tournaments.
“For the month of July, anyone can use the courts free by
calling the Park so they can set up access,” said Assistant Supervisor of
Athletics Jeff Sowell. “After that, we’ll mainly be offering memberships at the
park for court time. We’ll be rolling this option out in the beginning of
August.
“Right now, we just want everyone to come out and enjoy playing pickleball,” he said. “Membership in Blythewood allows you to play on all the other Richland County Recreation pickleball courts as well – some other parks have only three courts.
“The colorful blue and green soft mat that covers the
courts is porous so that rain doesn’t pool or make the concrete base slippery,”
Sowell said. “These are tournament rated courts. It’s very nice. Up to 24
people can play on the six courts at a time. There’s a player bench outside the
fence and we’re looking at adding paddle holders.”
Sowell said there is one more step.
“In the next couple of months, we plan to install wind
screens on the fence that will help keep the wind from blowing the balls,”
Sowell said.
“The pickle ball community is great,” Sowell said. “We’ll
have a lot of advanced players, of course, but we’ll also have instructors
available for some beginner classes. We
just hope everyone will come out – no matter their experience playing
pickleball – and get a feel for it. It’s lots of fun for most all ages.”
Mayor Sloan Griffin interviews
Richland Co. Councilwoman Gretchen Barron, State Sen. Overture Walker, Richland Co. Councilman Derrek Pugh, and Mayor Sloan Griffin
BLYTHEWOOD – Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s Captain Gavin Walmsley has graduated from the Charleston Executive Leadership Institute.
As RCSD’s second deputy to complete this prestigious program, the Department says “Captain Walmsley continues to lead by example and strengthen our commitment to excellence in law enforcement leadership.”
Next Information Session set for 6 p.m. on July 14 at Doko Manor
BLYTHEWOOD – “While one form of government may describe, specifically, what our [council’s and mayor’s] individual roles are, it’s like a marriage. If I cannot on a daily basis communicate effectively with my wife, our marriage is not going to be successful. If the people in these [council and mayor] roles cannot work together, they’re not going to be effective.”
That was the message Monday morning from Charlie Barrineau,
Senior Field Services Manager with the Municipal Association of South Carolina,
during an informational meeting for members of the Blythewood community held at
Doko Manor concerning the upcoming referendum on changing the Town’s form of
government.
In the referendum (vote) set for July 29, Blythewood voters
will go to the polls to decide whether they want to maintain the mayor-council
form of government they have now (with a ‘No’ vote) or change to a
council-manager form (with a ‘Yes’ vote). If they vote to change it, the new
council-manager form of government will go into effect on the fourth Monday of November,
2025.
The town manager does not have the authority to change the bottom line. That is still a policy decision made jointly by council members and the mayor.
Charlie Barrineau, MASC Senior Field Services Manager
With misinformation spreading across Facebook like wildfire, Barrineau was asked by the Interim Town Administrator Ed Driggers to give the community objective information about the two forms of government.
During Monday’s meeting, Barrineau, who served as city
manager of Greenwood for almost 10 years and worked in a council-manager form
of government for 18 years, shared information about each of South Carolina’s
three forms of government: the mayor-council form, the council-manager form and
the council form.
Because the third form – the ‘council’ form of government is
not relative to the July 29 referendum, it will not be discussed in this
article.
Throughout his presentation, Barrineau emphasized that all
three forms of government can and do work well, but that all three can and do
have problems.
He also pointed out that of the 271 towns and cities in
South Carolina, most of them are extremely small – 122 have less than a 1,000
population, 206 have less than the population of Blythewood, and 230 towns have
less than 10,000 people. Only 41 towns in the state exceed the 10,000
population.
“These [smaller towns and cities] typically are
mayor-council forms of government (as in Blythewood). There is some preference
in the larger communities for the council-manager form of government,”
Barrineau said.
“Blythewood is unique in that you don’t have a lot of
services that we see in many of our municipalities, but you’re getting into the
middle population size, the medium-sized communities,” he said, noting that
Blythewood is one of the fastest growing towns in South Carolina. “You’re
probably growing in a direction where you may be able to afford some services
in the future.”
Charlie Barrineau speaks to the attendees at the Monday morning meeting. | Barbara Ball
Forms of government used by smallest and largest S.C. towns
Of the 135 towns that have mayor-council forms of
government, 85 have populations under 1,000, and 3 have populations over
25,000.
Of the 102 towns that have council forms of government, 36
have populations under 1,000, and 3 have populations over 25,000.
Of the 34 towns that have the council-manager form of
government, 1 town has a population under 1,000, and 11 have populations over
25,000.
Here’s what Barrineau had to say about the two forms of
government Blythewood residents will be voting on.
In all three forms of government, the legislative function
remains with the council (which consists of the mayor and the other council
members). The major difference in the three forms is where the executive and
administrative powers and responsibilities of the local government are vested.
Mayor-Council Form of Government
Under the mayor-council form of government, the council
(which, in all three forms of government, always consists of the mayor and the
other council members) is the legislative body. Collectively, the majority of
the body sets the Town’s policies for the community. A majority of council also
selects or appoints a city attorney, city judge, clerk to council, and they
have authority over and approve the budget, which is the foundation of their
policies, according to Barrineau.
Barrineau emphasized several times throughout his
presentation that the term council always includes both the mayor and all the
other members of council. The mayor is never separate from the council in any
of the three forms of government.
“In the mayor-council form of government, the mayor is,
specifically, the presiding officer of council and chairs the meetings, by law;
serves as the chief executive officer; is charged with running the day-to-day
operations of the town; has oversight of all the departments and staff; and
prepares the annual budget and monthly financial statements and submits them to
council.”
Barrineau pushed back against the use of the term ‘strong
mayor.’
“I do not use the term ‘strong mayor’ in training classes,”
he said. “I think it gives the perception that the mayor may have more
authority than he or she does.”
“These are the official responsibilities of the mayor and
council ‘on paper,’” Barrineau said. “Now let’s talk about how this works in
reality.”
He gave an example of the mayor’s responsibility under state
law in the mayor-council form of government where the mayor appoints department
directors, and he used the hiring of a police chief for illustration.
“The police chief is a very, very public position, maybe
more so than the mayor. There are some mayors who would take the position that,
‘Well, the law says that it’s my call. I make the decisions. I’m going to
appoint this person.
“That’s what the law says,” Barrineau said. “But here’s
where we need to dance, and where the marriage comes in. We’ve also got four
council members. They’re elected officials, too. And so, in this relationship,
if we fail to communicate to the body what we’re doing, we’re not going to be
successful – I see it across the state and could give you many situations,”
Barrineau said.
“If the council’s not aware of the hire, and [one of them]
goes to the grocery store and someone taps [that council person] on the
shoulder, saying …’I hear we have a new chief of police. Tell me about
him/her.’ Well, if that mayor went down that path of, ‘Well, it’s my
authority,’ …I can tell you what my wife tells me when I think I have the
authority. She puts me in my place,” Barrineau said. “I’m just trying to
explain the reality of the forms of government.
“When there’s communication and when all these folks have a
servant mindset and are trying to do what is right, beautiful. The dance can
work.”
The mayor cannot be fired by council or unelected at any
time by the voters. If the public becomes disenchanted with the mayor or a
council member, those council members and the mayor are allowed to continue in
their elected seats until their terms expire.
Council-Manager Form of Government
“The council-manager form of government grew out of the
early 1900’s in what we refer to as the progressive movement,” Barrineau said.
“That was a time when the big cities were controlled by the mafia. The mafia
was trying to run it so that the mayor could say, ‘Get this person a job.’ With
the council-manager form of government, we’re trying to get that [kind of
hiring] out of this system,” Barrineau said.
He explained that, when he served as a town manager, if his
mayor or council member asked him to hire someone, he would put that person’s
name into the group of people applying and would try his best to interview that
individual with the same lack of bias that he would the other applicants.
In the council-manager form of government, the town manager
(also referred to as town administrator as in Blythewood) is the chief
executive officer. He hires, fires, and oversees staff, including the town
clerk; affixes salaries that are specified in the budget; and can have the
authority – if granted by council – to move money between departments or line
items.
“But the town manager does not have authority to change the
bottom line. That is still a policy decision made jointly by council members
and the mayor,” Barrineau said. “In addition to preparing and submitting the
budget to council, the town manager also prepares and submits monthly financial
statements to council.
“If council is not receiving monthly financial statements,
we’ve got to stop and figure out what’s going on,” he said. “Of all the
challenges we see in our local government, that is the number one challenge.”
Barrineau also explained that the council and mayor jointly
retain all authority to appoint the town’s boards and commissions.
“The town manager can advise council on policies and
departments, but it’s the council’s decision to continue a policy or to add or
eliminate a department,” Barrineau said.
“In any sensitive position, the town manager is going to be
communicating with all council members, not just one, but all, saying: ‘You
know, Mr. Mayor, Ms. Councilwoman, I’m getting ready to terminate this or that
employee …’ The manager will want to give a heads up to that elected official
who has to go to church and to the grocery store in the community and would
need to know what’s going on.”
While the mayor has no formal authority under state law
beyond that of serving as a member of council, he/she presides at meetings of
council by tradition and may exercise “informal” authority as leader of
council/staff and as spokesperson for the council.
As an example of this, Barrineau referenced the influence of
Columbia’s Mayor Rickenman who operates under the same form of government the
Blythewood mayor would operate under if the referendum passes. Because of
Rickenman’s popularity and his ability to speak and communicate with the
public, he is generally considered, like influential mayors Benjamin and Coble
before him, to be the spokesperson for the City of Columbia.
While a town manager/administrator can be fired at any time
by council and the mayor jointly, the mayor cannot be fired by council. He/she
is allowed to serve however many years until his term is up.
Barrineau will conduct a second informational meeting for Blythewood residents on Monday, July 14, at 6 p.m., at Doko Manor.
Breaking Down the Forms of Government
South Carolina law allows municipalities to organize under
one of three forms of government. It also allows municipalities to change the
form of government by referendum.
Although each of the three forms have unique structures,
some things remain the same in all instances. For example, in all three forms
of municipal government in South Carolina, all legislative and policy making
authority rests with the council. All councils must meet at least one time per
month and comply with the notice and agenda requirements in the SC Freedom of
Information Act. In all cases, the mayor, or a majority of council, can call
special meetings.
Full information is available in the Forms and Powers of
Municipal Government handbook, along with a list of which municipality has
which form of government. Here are some basics for the form of government
Blythewood currently operates under and the form the residents are being asked
to vote for:
Mayor-council (Blythewood’s current form of government) SC Code Title 5, Chapter )
The council has four or more councilmembers, plus the mayor
holds all legislative and policy power.
can hire an administrator to “assist the mayor in his office.”
appoints the municipal clerk, attorney and judge.
adopts the balanced budget, which is prepared for council by the mayor.
The mayor
votes as a member of council and presides over council meetings.
serves as chief executive officer, supervising departments, as well as appointing and removing employees in accordance with personnel rules adopted by council.
prepares and submits the budget and capital program to council, and makes the annual financial report to the public and to council.
Council-manager (the proposed form of government for Blythewood) SC Code Title 5, Chapter 13
The council
has either four, six or eight council members, plus the mayor.
holds all legislative and policy power.
employs a manager, attorney and judge.
adopts a balanced budget, which is prepared for council by the manager.
The mayor
has no additional power compared to other council members.
has no administrative responsibilities.
presides at council meetings by tradition, not statutory authority.
may exercise informal authority as leader of council and staff as spokesperson for the council.
The manager
serves as chief executive and head of the administrative branch, appointing and removing employees, including the clerk, and setting salaries.
prepares and administers the annual budget and makes financial reports.
advises council on departments and appointments.
performs administrative duties only if authorized to do so by council.
presides at council meetings by tradition, not statutory authority.
may exercise informal authority as leader of council and staff as spokesperson for the council.
WINNSBORO – During a uniform patrol at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, July 2, a Winnsboro Department of Public Safety officer was radio dispatched to a shooting at the corner of N. Vanderhorst Street and Fairfield Street in Winnsboro.
Upon arrival, the officer reported a 15-year-old male juvenile lying on the ground and another male holding a piece of clothing to the juvenile’s leg, attempting to stop bleeding from three gunshot wounds. Officers report that he was shot from a passing vehicle.
The juvenile was transported by EMS to Richland Prisma Health where his gunshot wounds were determined to be non-life threatening. He was released that night.
According to Winnsboro Chief of Police Patrick Clemons, WDPS
is looking at video surveillance of suspect vehicles.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public
Health (DPH) has confirmed a case of measles in an Upstate resident. This is the first confirmed case of
measles reported in South Carolina since September 2024.
The individual is unvaccinated and did not have immunity
from a previous measles infection. They were exposed to measles during an
international trip and were not contagious while traveling. Currently, they are
isolating at home to prevent further spread of the virus.
DPH confirmed it was a positive measles case after receiving
test results from its certified public health laboratory. The agency has begun
a contact investigation and is notifying people who may have been exposed.
“Measles is highly contagious, and a serious disease caused
by a virus that affects the respiratory tract. This virus spreads quickly,
which is why we must act now to prevent its spread,” said Dr. Linda Bell,
state epidemiologist and Health Programs Branch director.
“It is crucial that health care providers and the
public be aware of the symptoms associated with this disease,” Dr. Bell
said. “It is proven that the best way to prevent measles is by vaccination. I
strongly encourage everyone to review their immunization records to make sure
they are up to date on all vaccinations and to talk with their health care
provider about the benefits and risks of getting vaccinated.”
Measles is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death.
The initial symptoms of measles include fever, cough, and runny nose. These
symptoms are followed by a rash. The rash usually lasts five or six days.
The virus can be spread through the air when a person with
measles breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles virus can remain infectious in
the air for up to two hours after the sick person is gone from the area. People
with measles should stay home from work or school for four days after their
rash first appears.
The best way to prevent measles is through vaccination. The
measles vaccine is over 97% effective. Children should receive two doses of
measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine: the first at 12 to 15 months of age, and
the second at 4 to 6 years of age. Children 6 to 12 months should get an early
dose of MMR vaccine if they are traveling to a country where measles is common.
For all ages, it is important to talk to your doctor if you are going to be
traveling to another country. Most people born before 1957 were infected with
measles during childhood and therefore are presumed to have protection via
natural immunity, even if they have not been vaccinated. Certain groups of
people, including pregnant women and immunocompromised people, should not
receive the MMR vaccine or should delay receiving it. DPH recommends and
encourages people to speak with their health care provider to evaluate the
risks and benefits of vaccination.
RIDGEWAY – Sixty-four homes are one step closer to coming to Ridgeway.
On June 26, the Fairfield County Planning Commission unanimously
approved the proposed Rockton Place subdivision to be built off South Coleman Highway
in Ridgeway.
No rezoning was required. The favorable recommendation now
heads to Fairfield County Council for consideration.
Joseph Toledo, community development department director, said
prior to the vote that Rockton Place complies with Fairfield’s land management
ordinance.
“The proposed site plan for 64 residential lot sites aligns with
the county’s regulations governing land use and there are no apparent deviations
from the applicable standards as approved,” Toledo said.
Sidewalks are not included in the proposed site plan but they
could be added later on, Toledo added.
Ken Queen, the applicant for Rockton Place, said homes would
start at 2,500 square feet.
Since Rockton Place will consist of predominantly custom built
homes, exact pricing data is unavailable. The development team said a pair of Columbia
area homebuilders would be building the custom homes.
“We’ve gone the non-traditional route. We’re not using a track
or production builder. We’re using two of the finest custom builders in the Columbia
area,” Queen said. “Both were agreeable with the minimum of 2,500 square feet. That’s
set in the restrictive covenants that have already been drawn.”
Clay Cannon, an engineer associated with the project, said the
development’s low density makes it attractive to buyers and existing residents,
alike.
“This is beautiful property, and the development team’s desire
was to maintain the integrity of the land,” Cannon said. “There are two beautiful
ponds that are on the property. We’re looking for low density, a minimum of one
acre per lot size.”
According to planning records, Rockton Place will be built on
property to the west of South Coleman Road, near Geiger Elementary School. A series
of roads connecting the subdivision with South Coleman Road include Rockton Place
Ave., Rockton Ponds Drive, Rockton Woods Lane and Rockton Ridge Court.
The development will be served by Ridgeway (Winnsboro) water.
Sewer services will be via septic tank.
Randy Bright, a Ridgeway resident who often speaks publicly
about Fairfield County matters, praised the subdivision, touting the generous lot
sizes and relatively low density. He told planning commission members he hopes that
future subdivisions are similarly well thought out.
“When we get a developer in Fairfield County that checks all
the good boxes that you have mentioned and checks the good acreage boxes, it’s a
good day. It’s a rare day,” Bright said. “It’s the first real subdivision we’ve
had in a decade aside from the Teacher Village. I think that it could be the beginning
of something very big. Looking online at the builders, it looks like we have got
a good product here for the people who may move in. it will be a positive thing
for the entire area.”
Bright went on to “make a plug” for instituting development fees
to help offset impacts from new residential development, saying future growth is
inevitable.
“We have a very fragile infrastructure. It doesn’t adequately
serve our county now,” he said. “If our county is going to truly grow without putting
undue stress on developers, without harming the prices of new homes, we have to
have implementation of development fees.“
Bright drew a distinction between development fees and impact
fees, saying development fees are more appropriate for Fairfield.
“Development fees are less expensive than impact fees and have
fewer boxes to check,” Bright said. “Without development fees up front, we simply
cannot support much more growth.”
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating license of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1, for an additional 20 years. V.C. Summer Unit 1 is a pressurized-water reactor in Jenkinsville, South Carolina. Its license will now expire on Aug. 6, 2062.
The NRC’s review
of the Dominion Energy South Carolina Inc. application requesting authorization
to operate from 60 to 80 years proceeded on two tracks. A safety evaluation report
was issued in February 2025, and a final supplemental environmental impact statement
was issued in May 2025. These documents, as well as other information regarding
the V.C. Summer subsequent license renewal application, are available on the NRC
website: https://www.nrc.gov/ reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/ applications/virgil-summer-subsequent.
html
Additional
information about the license renewal process can also be found on the NRC’s website.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is actively searching for Michael Tyler Kelley, who is wanted on drug-related charges and is also wanted by South Carolina Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SC PPP).
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Kelley is known to
frequent the Ridgeway area, and he is in the National Crime Information Center, a database maintained by the FBI.
If you have any information regarding his whereabouts,
please contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141. Tips can
be submitted anonymously through Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or through the
P3 Tips app.
LAKE WATEREE – Kershaw County Coroner David West has identified
David Cunningham, a 62-year-old Lancaster County resident, as the June 29 Lake
Wateree drowning victim.
Around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, the South Carolina Department
of Natural Resources (SCDNR) reported that officers and their dive team were
responding to a report of a missing person on Lake Wateree in Kershaw County.
According to West, Cunningham went into the water to swim
about 2:40 p.m. and did not resurface.
Kershaw County Fire Service, Emergency Management Services,
and Camden/Kershaw County Rescue Squad were on scene to assist in the search.
SCDNR’s dive team recovered Cunningham’s body about 10:45 p.m., according to West.
