FAIRFIELD COUNTY — As many as 1,000 to 1,600 residential
units could be coming to Fairfield County if Fairfield County Council approves
a request from Haven Homes to rezone 392 acres from Industrial (I-1) zoning to
Residential 2 (R2) zoning.
The property, bordered by Gum Springs Road, Devil’s Race
Track and Highway 34, was rezoned just over a year ago from Rural Residential
District (RD-1) zoning to Industrial zoning despite an outcry against the
industrial zoning from residents in the area.
Some of those same residents now worry that R2 zoning could
bring what it allows – higher density with duplexes and triplexes as well as
single-family homes. Homes in the surrounding area are mostly high end homes on
large acreage parcels.
According to officials knowledgeable of the proposed
project, the buildout could take 10 years or longer.
The developer is looking to Winnsboro for water and sewer,
according to Winnsboro Town Manager Jason Taylor.
“We have sufficient capacity to provide service out there,” Taylor
said. “But we do have limited capacity and would have to review the project and
look at how it will affect our capacity moving forward.”
Two other developers are also looking at property for
subdivisions in Fairfield County. Officials say the homes are following Scout
and could bring growth to the County.
Council’s next regular meeting will be held on Sept. 25 6
p.m. at 250 North Walnut Street in the new county government complex.
CHESTER – Circuit court Judge Brian Gibbons sentenced Amber Harris to 30 years in prison, the maximum for carjacking resulting in great bodily injury. He also sentenced her to an additional consecutive 30 years, also the maximum sentence for a charge of voluntary manslaughter, in the beating death of Linda Robinson of Fairfield County, in August 2021. The sentence was passed down on Monday.
Harris
Harris will serve a total of 60 years in prison. She was one
of two people charged with carjacking the 63-year-old Fairfield County woman
and beating her to death last year. She was denied bond at that time by Judge
Paul Burch.
Robinson’s body was found on the side of Carpenter Road in
August, 2021, about two hours after she had left her home in Blackstock to
drive to the Chester Walmart pharmacy where she was to pick up a prescription
for her husband.
On the way, she had stopped to assist Harris and a man who
appeared to have had car trouble, according to Chester County Sheriff Max
Dorsey.
Harris drove the pair to Walmart where they remained in the
car while she went inside for the prescription. She then drove them to
Carpenter Rd. in the northern portion of Chester County.
Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker said the woman suffered
head trauma. After her body was discovered it was determined that the
63-year-old grandmother had been beaten to death with a 2×4.
Her blue dodge van was found abandoned later with some
evidence, including a receipt from a Dollar General store. Camera footage from the time of the sale,
identified George Linward Faile as the suspect accompanying Harris, according
to sheriff’s reports.
A search warrant was obtained and items belonging to
Robinson, including medicine and a credit card, were found. Harris’
fingerprints were found inside Robinson’s vehicle and on the 2×4 believed to
have been used to beat her to death according to reports.
Harris has a long criminal record that includes larceny,
public disorderly conduct, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, grand
larceny and probation violation. She was on probation at the time of Robinson’s
death.
WINNSBORO – A Columbia man wanted for a shooting that
occurred at a Winnsboro service station on June 18, has been arrested in Blair
County, Pennsylvania during a traffic stop by the Freedom Township Police and
is being returned to Fairfield County.
Dontae Shakur Moore, 25, has been charged with four counts
of Attempted Murder; two counts of Malicious Injury to Real Property; one count
of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and one count of Discharging a
Firearm in the City Limits.
Moore is one of two people arrested in connection with the
shooting.
Regsjai Traciouni Young, 27, was arrested in Newberry on
June 15 with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
and the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office. She has been charged with three
counts of Attempted Murder; one count of Malicious Injury to Real Property; and
one count of Discharging a Firearm in the City Limits.
The incident occurred when Young and two other individuals
had a verbal confrontation that escalated into a fight, according to an
incident report. Other individuals may
also have been involved in the fight when a man exiting a nearby car began
shooting into the crowd of people, according to a video of the incident.
The owner of Cuz’s Corner service station called 911 to
report the shooting at his business, located on S. Congress Street in
Winnsboro.
When officers arrived, they found a man lying on the ground
with a gunshot to the face and a female victim with a gunshot wound in her leg.
Both were transported to Prisma Health.
Bullets also struck a car and other items.
During the incident, officers report that Young picked up a
gun belonging to her brother and started shooting at Moore and the two suspects
she had been fighting with earlier, hitting a vehicle.
Both Young and Moore ran from the area in different
directions, according to the incident report.
Photos: Barbara Ball, Ashley Ghere, Martha Ladd & Facebook/The Big Grab
It was the Big Grab weekend, and once more it did not disappoint. Hundreds of people came to town and left thousands and thousands of dollars with businesses, churches, restaurants, hotels and individuals big grabbers.
One Blythewood business reported bringing in over $10,000 more than usual during the weekend. A church in Winnsboro brought in $16,000 from the big sale.
Travelers checked in from states across the country as well as Ontario, Canada. They dined at town restaurants, stayed at town hotels and shopped town merchants and roadside vendors.
It was a Big Day in Blythewood, Ridgeway and Winnsboro.
BLYTHEWOOD – Three upcoming meetings are ‘don’t miss’ for
Blythewood residents wanting to know more about what’s happening next with
Scout.
Meetings Sept. 17 and 18
Join Scout Motors on Sept. 17 and 18 at Doko Manor in
Blythewood to see a 3D model of Scout’s manufacturing site and learn more about
the company’s plans for the future. Experts will be on hand to answer questions
about the project.
See information below for these meetings. Sign up for a time
slot, each of which will be limited to 35 people. To register for a time slot,
go to www.scoutmotors.com/events.
Meeting Sept. 19
Richland County and several state agencies will host a
drop-in style public meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19 to provide information and
answer questions about Scout Motors’ development in the County and proposed
road upgrades related to the project.
The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tues., Sept.
19, at Doko Manor, 100 Alvina Hagood Circle in Blythewood.
There will be no formal presentation at the meeting.
Community members are encouraged to attend and visit stations set up around the
room at Doko Manor. Attendees can also provide written comments that will be
shared with the participating regulatory agencies. Those who cannot at Traffic
Group, Inc., said the S.C. Department of Transportation doesn’t typically
approve road improvements based on anticipated traffic counts.
Suggested improvements at the intersection of Main Street
(Hwy 21) and Langford Road include right turns only (from Langford onto Main
Street) and street markings for a right turn lane from Main Street onto
Langford Road as well as traffic signal adjustments at that intersection.
Anderson noted that an existing traffic study proposes a
traffic signal at Langford and Allen Crest Roads (entrance road to Blythewood
Farms) when eventually warranted by the level of traffic.
A right turn lane is also proposed for southbound Sandfield
Road onto Langford Road, according to planning commission documents.
The indication, however, is that even with the signal
adjustments at the Main Street and Langford Road intersection and the right
turn lane improvements onto Langford Road from Sandfield Road, the level of
traffic on Langford Road would not improve.
Gordge, who initially criticized the traffic congestion in
the Langford Road/Main Street areas, ultimately voted to approve the site plan
as presented. He was joined in approval of the plan by Commissioners Ed Kesser
and Ken Coleman.
Commissioners Jamaal Mosely and Bill Tomes did not attend the meeting.
WINNSBORO – Winnsboro Department of Public Safety (WDPS)
officers were flagged down by citizens on the Highway 321 bypass near the
former Fairfield Memorial Hospital building where they found a man who had been
struck by a vehicle as he attempted to cross the road, according to the WDPS.
The officers immediately began to render aid to the victim.
Fairfield County EMS was immediately notified, but life
saving measures were not successful and Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill
pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.
According to Hill, the victim was Darryl Gaither, 49, of
Winnsboro. Hill said Gaither was crossing US Hwy 321 Northbound in the town
limits of Winnsboro, when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
WDPS Chief Kevin Lawrence asked the community to keep the
families of all involved in their thoughts during this difficult time.
“As we approach the fall season, and as it begins to get darker
earlier, please keep in mind that it is imperative that we obey traffic signals
and utilize crosswalks so we can get to our destinations safely,” Lawrence
said.
The incident remains an active investigation by Fairfield
County Coroner’s Office and Winnsboro Department of Public Safety.
BLYTHEWOOD – A public meeting is set for Sept. 19 for
members of the pubic to ask questions and learn more about the progress of the
Scout Motors project in the Blythewood Industrial Park.
A number of state and county agencies and other
organizations with connections to the Scout Motors project will be on hand to
seek feedback and provide information to the public.
Hosted by TeamSC, the meeting will include the South
Carolina Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History,
the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the South Carolina
Department of Transportation.
The meeting will be held from 4 – 7 p.m., at Doko Manor
located at 100 Alvina Hagood Circle in Blythewood.
The purpose of this meeting is to seek feedback and provide
information to the public on the Scout Motors development site, and the
proposed I-77 Exit 26 Interchange and connecting roads. The public will have an
opportunity to review materials and individually discuss the project with
representatives from various agencies.
WINNSBORO – David “Dusty” Yoder Jr., of Mitford, was arrested on Aug. 29 and charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine 3rd Offense and Possession with intent to Distribute Fentanyl 3rd Offense.
The arrest occurred after the execution of a drug search
that same day at about 3 p.m. at Yoder’s residence on Heritage Road in the
Mitford area of Fairfield County. Yoder and another individual were inside the
home.
During a search of the residence, deputies located and
seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Yoder was transported to the
Fairfield County Detention Center to await bond.
There have been several overdoses in the Mitford area over
the past few months. The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit has
been actively investigating these overdoses and this search warrant and arrest
is a result of those ongoing investigations.
“I am thankful that these illegal drugs have been taken off
the street,” said Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery. “Methamphetamine is
bad enough, but fentanyl is another level of added danger to our citizens. With
the amount of overdoses occurring across our nation due to fentanyl, it is
extremely important to identify these drug dealers, as soon as possible, and
take action when appropriate,”
Montgomery said.
Anyone with information regarding illegal narcotic activity
in Fairfield County, is urged to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office
Narcotics Unit at 803-635-6245 or call the Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141 and
your name will remain anonymous.
This drone view of the northern portion of the Scout site in the Blythewood Industrial Park shows some of the graded areas adjacent to wetlands. Approximately 500 acres of the site is currently being grassed over, a statutory requirement when a project of this magnitude is expected to stop work for more than 15 days. | Contributed
BLYTHEWOOD – On Monday, Aug. 28, construction was suspended on the Scout Motors site in the Blythewood Industrial Park. Richland County Economic Development officials told The Voice that the work stoppage is only temporary as the company awaits the issuance of a wetlands permit, and it is not known how long the work stoppage will last. In addition, last week, the county substantially ramped up its acquisition of more mitigation sites.
Approximately 500 acres of the Scout site in Blythewood is
currently being grassed over, a statutory requirement when a project of this
magnitude is expected to stop work for more than 15 days.
Sources in the Richland County Office of Economic
Development said the work stoppage was not ordered by any agency, but was agreed
to with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.
An earlier letter from the EPA referenced that a couple of culverts
over existing streams had been graveled over. In both cases, a county source
said, the culverts were already there, and we were just trying to make it
possible for pickup trucks and a tractor to cross into other areas of the site.
Drone photos show excavation adjacent to wetlands on the
site that raised concerns with DHEC and other environmental agencies. A source
with the Richland County Office of Economic Development said no excavation work
has been done within the wetlands, other than placing the gravel.
They were grading on the high points of the site until we can get the wetlands permit, and we had pretty much come to the end of the road of how much we could grade on the dry side, anyway, the source said.
In an email statement to The Voice, Richland County Economic
Development Director Jeff Ruble and S.C. Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey
wrote, “Construction work at the Scout Motors site is not ending; this is a
pause in activity while permitting moves forward, including the period for
public comment. As we look forward to the opportunities Scout Motors’
tremendous investment will bring, we value the people who call Blythewood home
and want to make sure they stay informed about the project’s progress –
especially as construction efforts will ebb and flow until completion.”
In a 7-page letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers –
dated June 29 – the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of the
Congaree Riverkeeper, strongly suggested that, “this project warrants the
preparation of an EIS (Environmental Impact Study).” Such studies can take a year or more to
complete.
County and state officials have been meeting with the regulatory
agencies in charge of oversight of the Scout project to discuss the project’s
issues and concerns and to find solutions.
County sources said Scout and Commerce are confident in a
general path forward.
The county’s Office of Economic Development said that in
addition to the work stoppage, state and county officials have recently been
exploring increases in its mitigation plan. Those increases have been
substantial.
In addition to the 5,000-acre Bidler Tract mitigation site the
county is purchasing off Bluff Road and the Sheldon Island in the Broad River,
the county now plans to restore approximately 91,450 linear feet of streams in
the Sumter National Forest, generating approximately 335,000 stream restoration
credits.
Those streams are mostly owned by the Federal Government and
the county would not normally earn mitigation credits from them since the
Sumter National Forest mitigation is out of the eco-region and service area of
the Scout impact site. A spokesperson for the county explained that if the
availability of like-kind streams in need of restoration in proximity to the
site are minimal or non-existent, the Corps could take the Sumter mitigation
site into consideration as they are confirming credits.
In its June 7, 2023, letter to the Corps, the Southern
Environmental Law Firm pointed out, however, that there are opportunities to mitigate
impacts within the same watershed – such as Crane Creek or another suitable mitigation site – and
questioned why the county had rejected such opportunities.
“We understand that this site would not only provide
mitigation in the same watershed, but would also provide benefits to downstream
environmental justice communities who will be impacted by the project,” the
letter stated.
According to the county’s Office of Economic Development, the
total linear feet of stream on the combined, revised mitigation tracts is
approximately 256,279, of which approximately 92,700 linear feet will be
restoration/enhancement. The remainder will be preservation.
The sites will also be preserving 1,649 acres of wetlands
and enhancing an additional 810 acres of wetlands. The total revised credit
generation is still being calculated, but county officials said it will be more
than 500,000 stream credits and approximately 3,293 wetlands credits, which they
explained is more than is actually needed.
In addition, the applicants will be applying 42,510 stream
credits from the Mill Creek mitigation bank, of which 9,255 credits are
preservation and 33,255 credits are restoration.
An official with the Office of Economic Development said the
county is confident that the wetlands permit will be acquired, but that it may
take some time.
He also said he did not believe an environmental impact study
is warranted for the project.
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce President Gene Stephens submitted a letter of resignation to the Chamber Board on Aug. 27, 2023. The effective date of his resignation is Nov. 29, 2023, the five year anniversary of when he was hired by the Chamber.
Stephens
The letter stated, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Fairfield County in this capacity for the past five years.
I have no doubt that the Chamber will continue to flourish
and be the beacon of positivity and effectual change for many years to come.
“I want to thank each of you for this opportunity and the
amazing job that our staff has done over the past few years.”
Stephens told The Voice that he plans to some spend time
with family before deciding his next step.
“But I will be looking for a challenge,” he said.
“We certainly appreciate Gene’s work with the Chamber these
last few years,” Chamber Board Chairman Dillon Pullen said, “and we wish him
well in whatever new endeavor he pursues.”
