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Category: News

  • Pediatric clinic eyes Blythewood

    BLYTHEWOOD – The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is expected to hear a request Monday evening for a certificate of occupancy for a pediatric and adolescent clinic.

    The proposed 5,408 square foot building is to be constructed on a vacant parcel at 121 Blythewood Road, across from Companion Animal Hospital.

    Cohn construction has posted a sign on the property and The Voice has been told that HB Engineering of Lexington will do the engineering for the construction.

    In 2015, the BAR gave conditional approval for a COA to a pediatrician for a 6,500 square foot medical building on the same location. That approval was conditional on plans for lighting, landscape and signage being presented and approved. But that approval never materialized because the applicant never came back to the BAR.

    The BAR meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Monday, July 16 at The Manor.

    Location proposed for pediatric clinic on Blythewood Road.

  • Winnsboro Lions welcome exchange students

    Winnsboro Lions President Bill Haslett hosted a small community gathering for the exchange students on Tuesday. Pictured, seated, from left: Ida Marie Lorensten, Maria Clara Annes; Standing: Aaron Frish, Kayla Robinson, Michelle Taylor, Ella Roosa Mantysalo, Donnie Laird, Berenika Poplerova, Jim Barn, County Councilman Neil Robinson, Rafal Baran, Andres Byttebrier, Paul Dove, Will Haslett and Bill Haslett. | Martha Ladd

    WINNSBORO – A trip across the pond for six Lions Club exchange students has landed them in Winnsboro for two weeks of their month-long journey, beginning with scattered arrivals over the weekend of July 7.

    Visiting Winnsboro are Maria Clara Annes, Brazil; Ida Marie Lorensten, Denmark; Ella Roosa Mantysalo, Finland; and Berenika Poplerova, Czech Republic; Andres Byttbrier, Belgium; Rafal Baran, Poland

    The students are spending the first half of their four-week trip with Winnsboro Lions Paul and Bobbie Dove and Bill and Linda Haslett before joining 12 other exchange students to tour South Carolina for two weeks.

    In their first days as temporary Winnsboro residents, the group has eaten at Cornwallis Tea Room, attended First United Methodist Church and introduced themselves to Fairfield County Council at Monday night’s meeting. They plan to volunteer with Salkehatchie later in July.

    The group’s month-long trek across South Carolina will end August 4.

  • Artist memorializes Shaggin’ in the Street

    Interpretive artist Trahern Cook painted photo during Shaggin’ in the Street. | Photos: Darlene Embleton

    WINNSBORO – What started as a commissioned painting to commemorate the Shaggin’ in the Street festival for those attending a Winnsboro High School class reunion, may turn out to be a memento for residents and a souvenir marketing opportunity for The Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce.

    For Gail Stevenson Lyles, a member of the Winnsboro High School class of ’73, the class reunion was gearing up to be special this year. It fell on the day after the town’s annual Shaggin’ in the Street festival. Both events are near and dear to Lyles’ heart – after all, her husband, Jamie, plays in the Reunion Bande which would be on stage at the festival again this year. So Lyles wanted to combine the two events for the enjoyment of reunion attendees.

    To make it a weekend to remember for her classmates, Lyles commissioned local interpretive artist, Trahern Cook, to capture the moment on canvas as the reunion attendees and others danced the night away in the street in front of the town clock. She planned to auction the painting at the end of the evening to pay Trahern’s $300 fee.

    Set up in the middle of the festivities, Cook’s commission turned out to be a major attraction during the evening as he worked at his easel, deftly wielding his brushes in the dark to capture the images of the festival – the clock, the colors and the movement and attitudes of the festival goers as they shagged the night away with abandon.

    While the auction was scratched as a sudden rain storm, complete with lightening and strong winds, washed the festival off the streets an hour before it was scheduled to end, Lyles said she was still able to take bids for the completed painting. It was purchased by Michael Talbert and gifted to Patti Estes who titled it, “Shaggin in the ‘boro.”

    “I was the lucky recipient of this wonderful painting,” Estes enthused. She said she anticipates it becoming a family heirloom. “I know all three of my children would love to have it because they all grew up in Winnsboro and graduated from Richard Winn Academy.”

    For Lyles, it was a night to remember.

    “We were excited to see that so many of our classmates attended the festival,” Lyles said. “And the wonderful people of Winnsboro voluntarily chipped in $200 toward the cost to have Trahern join us and create this painting of our beloved home town festival.” Lyles said.

    As it turned out, the painting that depicts Winnsboro in all its festive glory is going to have a double life. Plans are in the works for it to be shared by the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce with the community and visitors to the town.

    “We bought the reproduction rights to the painting,” Chamber Director Terry Vickers said.  “And we’re looking forward to reproducing the image on post cards, note cards, posters, cookbooks and even T-shirts that we plan to market,” Vickers said. “Keep an eye out for these great gift ideas coming, we hope, before the holidays. And what great souvenirs for our visitors to take back home with them as reminders of their trip to our town!”

    Indeed, the special night Lyles pulled together for her classmates may now live on for years in the Chamber’s marketed items.

    “I am so thrilled about the way it all turned out,” Lyles said. “And I can’t wait to see our beautiful Winnsboro festival emblazoned on T-shirts and posters.”

    The Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce is making plans to market the image on souvenirs.

  • Council sweetens Taylor’s contract

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield County’s administrator and clerk to council are getting raises.

    Following a lengthy executive session that included six discussion items, Fairfield County Council voted unanimously to extend County Administrator Jason Taylor’s contract for another year.

    The council also voted to increase the period of compensation in the event of termination without cause to two years.

    Lastly, council members approved a 3.44 percent pay raise, increasing Taylor’s salary from $123,997.60 to $129,297.52.

    “Jason, I think you do a great job,” said Billy Smith, the council’s chairman.

    Smith announced in June that he wouldn’t seek re-election when his seat expires in December.

    “I’m going to miss you when I’m gone,” Smith said.

    Smith had similar words of praise for Clerk to Council Patti Locklair. She received a pay raise of 4 percent by unanimous vote of the council.

    “I’m going to miss working with you,” Smith said.

    Both Taylor and Locklair received similar pay raises last year, with Taylor receiving a contract extension last year as well.

    Taylor was hired as the county administrator in May 2016. He came to Fairfield County from Jasper County, where he was previously the town administrator for Ridgeland since 2002.

    He also spent eight years with the S.C. Department of Social Services and four years as Saluda County’s economic development director.

    Also discussed in executive session were items relating to the purchase of property at the Fairfield Memorial Hospital site.

    In addition, council members discussed a contractual matter concerning “Discussion of Funding in Accordance with the County’s Contract on Emergency Room Services with Providence/LifePoint and Fairfield Memorial Hospital.”

    No action, however, was taken on either item.

    At the June 25 meeting, council members voted to present a memorandum of understanding to Fairfield Memorial to purchase “some or all” of the property. The council voted in May to open negotiations leading to a possible purchase agreement for two medical offices and the rehab facility.

    The hospital property must be unencumbered by liens or other attachments to the title, according to the motion approved in June.

    Hospital officials said following the board’s June meeting that those talks have been positive.

    As to Providence Health, Fairfield County and the Columbia-based health provider have partnered to build a new emergency room, which is being built off U.S. 321 bypass across from Bi-Lo.

    County Council has pledged $1 million annually for 10 years to Providence Health in support of the new ER.

    At the Fairfield Memorial Hospital board meeting in June, Joseph Bernard with Providence Health told trustees the facility should be completed in November, with a grand opening of the ER possible by mid-December.

    Advertising for jobs should begin sometime this month, Bernard said.

  • Free dementia care training offered Aug. 7

    BLYTHEWOOD – A free community training event for caregivers who provide care to family members or others with dementia or related dementia disorders will be conducted at Doko Manor on Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 8:30 a.m.  – 1:30 p.m. The course has the support of the Town of Blythewood and Mayor J. Michael Ross.

    The course, titled ‘Dementia Speaks,’ is based on the dementia training program offered by the  University of South Carolina’s Office for the Study of Aging and will be conducted by USC gerontologist and licensed social worker, Dr. Macie Smith, who specializes in providing one-on-one family dementia training.

    Smith’s specific focus is coordinating quality care within aging and underserved communities.

    Attendees will receive free materials from the Office of Aging, The Alzheimer’s Association, Leeza’s Care Connection and others.

    To register, contact Doris Kelly Coleman at 404-444-6960 or email MIDORA@bellsouth.net.

  • County ups fees on dumping, loose pets

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield County is one vote away from imposing higher fees for some animal control and dumping services.

    But as county officials note, the extra charges are user fees, meaning only people using those services will pay more money.

    At Monday night’s meeting, council members voted unanimously on second reading of the revised fee schedule, which requires a third reading to become law.

    County Administrator Jason Taylor said the fees are part of a broader effort to streamline the county’s fee system for simplicity.

    “We have tried to restructure how we do fees in general as far as the way they’re included in our budget,” Taylor said. “It also makes it easier to understand if they’re all in one place.”

    As it relates to animal control and dumping services fees, Taylor noted they were strictly user fees to offset costs of providing county services.

    “They’re not blanket fees, they’re not fees charged to everyone,” he said. “They’re only fees charged to those who use those services.”

    According to the proposed ordinance, animal owners would be assessed $25 anytime Fairfield County Animal Control is called to lasso their loose pet. Revenues collected would cover the cost of animal control officer response, the ordinance states.

    Commercial and non-residential haulers are also targeted in the second fee structure.

    Taylor said there’s been an uptick in commercial haulers using the county’s wood chipping facility, prompting the new fee.

    “We have a lot of commercial people who are coming in dumping. We think they should pay,” he said. “They are making money off the service that we provide, so it’s fair for them to have to pay a fee.”

    Fees proposed in the ordinance use the following structure:

    • Permit fee | $15 (required annually),
    • Single axle truck load | $20 per load,
    • Dump truck or single axle truck with trailer | $30 per load,
    • Tandem dump truck or larger | $40 per load.

    Revenues from the dumping fee “shall be used for the cost associated with the disposal of some of the solid waste collected at its waste collection sites in Fairfield County,” according to the ordinance.

    Only one person spoke during a public hearing that preceded the vote.

    Randy Bright of Ridgeway pressed council members to provide specifics of the fee, as well as the justification for it.

    “Anytime you hear new fees, new taxes, you get a little leery and you become very inquisitive because that impacts our lives as much as anything when the government or anybody takes money away from us,” Bright said. “Who does that impact the most? Those who can afford it the least, the lower income.”

    Councilman Cornelius Robinson asked about recreation fees.

    Though not part of the ordinance approved Monday night, Robinson said the recreation rental fee deserves a second look.

    “My concern is … you have some citizens who want to utilize recreation for actual recreation,” he said. “Some are concerned the fee isn’t high enough due to tying up the ability to play basketball.”

    Council Chairman Billy Smith said he thought the $25 per hour fee was fair.

    “I wouldn’t disagree with the assessment personally,” Smith said.

    Robinson said he’d still like to revisit recreation rental fees.

    “I know we still are in the beginning stages of revamping our [recreation] department, which is better than it was, I would say,” Robinson said. “It’s just something we should think about down the road.”

    In related business, the council approved a companion ordinance that amends the budget and authorizes the supplemental appropriation of funds.

    Taylor said the ordinance essentially adds the loose animal and wood chipping fees into the budget as revenues and expenditures. That ordinance also passed unanimously.

  • Huge Crowd Rocks Blythewood Fireworks Event

    BLYTHEWOOD – “It was the best attended event we’ve ever had in the park,” Doko Manor and Event Director Steve Hasterok said of the crowd at the  July 3 fireworks event at the Palmetto Citizens Amphitheater in Doko Park. “It was already a huge crowd, then about an hour before the fireworks began, about 1,000 more people converged on the park with lawn chairs, blankets and the kids,” Hasterok  said.

    Crowd estimates shortly before the fireworks began, according to Town Hall, were between 5,000 and 6,000 people.

    The playground was overflowing and the lines at the food trucks were long and steady all night long.  The variety of food offerings ranged from barbeque, pizza and homemade lemonade to snow cones, popcorn, donuts and desserts.

    With three musical performances, 20 food trucks including Chick-fil-A, Papa John’s, Scotties and Doko Smoke, 20 minutes of fireworks and great weather, what was there not to like about the annual event?

    Mike and Gina Tanner entertained with some of their Lunatrix wonders – face and tattoo painting and giant bubbles.

    Blythewood Mayor J. Michael Ross summed it up – “This was the best yet! EboniRamm was a great addition to the performers with her poetry and music. Deluxe Blues gave us great blues music and DB Bryant topped it off. Then boom! boom! boom! and the sky lit up. Best yet!” Ross said.

  • SCE&G to test emergency sirens at V.C. Summer

    JENKINSVILLE – At approximately 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, SCE&G will sound the 109 sirens located within a 10-mile radius of V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County near Jenkinsville. All sirens surrounding the plant are usually sounded on the first Tuesday of each quarter for one minute as part of the plant’s regular testing program.

    Area residents are reminded that the one-minute sounding of sirens during this time period is only a test. In the unlikely event of an actual emergency at the plant, the sirens would sound for three minutes with no prior notice and would alert area residents to tune in to an Emergency Alert System radio or television station for further instructions.

    For more information, log on to www.sceg.com/nuclearpreparedness, or call the Fairfield County emergency management office (803-635-4444) or S.C. Emergency Management Division (803-737-8500).

  • All district schools to get SROs

    County will provide vehicles and uniforms

    WINNSBORO – Ridgeway Police Chief Christopher Culp has been the subject of at least 14 complaints from Ridgeway residents and businesses in the past 12 months, according to documents obtained by The Voice. Those complaints recently almost cost him his job.

    One of the complaints, though – that Culp doubles as the de facto school resource officer (SRO) at Geiger Elementary School although he is not certified to do so – will likely be mitigated through action by the Fairfield County School District.

    Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green and Board Chairman William Frick both told The Voice this week that the District’s recently approved budget includes funding for additional SROs.

    “We did budget for additional SROs to go into the elementary schools for the upcoming school year,” Frick said. “That was already in the budget that was approved at the last meeting, so we are looking forward to that.”

    While the the District already provides SROs for the high school and middle schools. Green said the district started feeling the need to add SROs to the five elementary school after the Florida shooting incident.

    “We decided it would be prudent to expand our SRO program to include the elementary schools as well,” Green said. “Obviously, we are committed to providing the safest environment we can as a district. This is just one added step to improving on the environment that we provide students.”

    Frick went on to say that the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is hiring for those positions.

    The budget that passed includes $325,000 for five new school resource officers, which works out to about $65,000 per officer. There was no mention during budget deliberations, though, exactly where those officers would be assigned.

    Green has previously said the funding covers the officers’ salaries and benefits, while Fairfield County would cover vehicle, equipment and training costs.

    “Our plan is to have resource officers in place by the fall of this year,” Green said Tuesday. “We’re providing resource officers to our elementary schools. That’s our plan provided we have officers available.”

  • Council opens door to vendors

    Vendor Johnny Dial runs a vegetable stand across from the Food Lion on Blythewood Road. | Barbara Ball

    BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council passed a temporary vending ordinance last week that opens the door for vendors to set up shop in the Town Center District (TCD).

    The ordinance, which took more than a year to pass, is a City of Columbia ordinance knockoff that basically allows street vendors to begin operating in the town if they are permitted by a property owner to locate on their property, leave the premises every evening and acquire the proper temporary vendor permitting from Town Hall. There are a few specific regulations for different types of vendors.

    Food trucks must locate more than 250 feet from the door of a lawfully established eating place unless the owner of that eating place provides a letter of consent.  Seasonal vendors and food trucks must obtain a zoning permit prior to operating in the town and must locate within a district that otherwise permits that type of business. Vendors located within 400 feet of a parcel zoned residential are not allowed to operate between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., and vendors cannot operate more than a total of 10 hours within a calendar day.

    Vendors are generally allowed to operate at the same time the other businesses in town are open.

    Unlike brick and mortar businesses in the town, vendors are not required to adhere to architectural review standards. A business owner in the TCD who is prohibited from painting his building garish colors could come in with those same colors as a vendor without penalty. There are no architectural review requirements or restrictions for temporary vendors.

    Still, vendor Johnny Dial, who has manned a vegetable stand across from the Food Lion on Blythewood Road for most of the past three years, says the rules are too tough on vendors.

    “Having to move out every night, pull up stakes and come back the next day and set up is a lot of work.”

    But Dial also says it is too expensive to lease a building.

    “People don’t like to buy produce in a store. They like to buy vegetables in open air markets,” Dial said.

    Dial purchases most of his vegetables from producers in Lexington County – Moneta, Mr. Rawl’s and William’s Produce – who deliver the products to him.

    The ordinance defines ‘temporary vendors’ “as a person who sells merchandise, goods, services or forms of amusement from a tent, awning, canopy, umbrella, stand, booth, cart or trailer, from a vehicle, from his person or other temporary structure.”

    A food truck is defined as a licensed, motorized vehicle that includes a self-contained or attached trailer kitchen and the vehicle is used to sell and dispense food to the general public.

    Grace Coffee, although it looks like a vendor, does not have to pull up stakes and leave every evening like the other vendors. It is allowed to stay on premises 24/7/365 like brick and mortar businesses, but is not bound by architectural review restrictions and regulations that brick and mortar businesses are bound by. Grace Coffee has been declared by Town Hall to be a ‘business in good standing.

    Cook said the term ‘temporary vending’ has to do with venders who are only in town for the day, but leave after business hours.

    The temporary vending ordinance was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on April 4. It was also shown to the Board of Architectural Review (BAR). While BAR members were not given any authority to make changes or vote on the ordinance, they asked that there be some criteria addressed for standards dealing with the architectural appropriateness of vendors.

    “I really have a struggle with the fairness of this,” Jim McLean, co-chair of the BAR said. “Are the brick and mortar stores being undercut? They have made a hard investment in the town and have to abide by the BAR regulations and restrictions. The caveat of unfair competition needs to be addressed.”

    Appearance of the vendors was not addressed by Council when it passed the ordinance last week.