WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is
conducting an arson/death investigation after a body, burned beyond
recognition, was discovered about 11 p.m. on July 5 inside a burned out vehicle
off Highway 34 in Blair.
When Fairfield County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at a hunt
club property located between Possum Branch Road and Zion Hopewell Church Road
off State Highway 34 East, they discovered a 2017 white Jeep Grand Cherokee located
approximately 150 yards off the roadway fully engulfed in flames.
Once firefighters extinguished the fire, deputies found a
body in the back seat of the burned out Jeep. The body was so badly burned that
the gender and race could not be determined, according to the report.
The crime is being investigated by the Fairfield County
Sheriff’s Office, SLED and the Fairfield County Coroner’s office.
This is a developing story that will be updated as information becomes available.
BLYTHEWOOD – Last summer, there appeared to be new hope that the financially troubled Windermere golf course and country club, situated in the heart of LongCreek Plantation subdivision, would be purchased and flourish.
This summer is a different story. Next week, the golf
course, club house and 80 acres of undeveloped land will be up for auction in a
tax sale at the Richland County Courthouse.
According to LongCreek Plantation Property Owners
Association (LCPPOA) president Rob Szwec, Windermere POA members were notified
via email last week by the LCPPOA that the foreclosure sale is to take place on
Monday and that the LCPPOA will not be participating in the auction.
The Windermere Club and golf course are owned by John T.
Bakhaus, Fairways Development, LLC, et al.
A potential buyer, L&J Acquisitions of Snellville,
Georgia, announced plans last August to rename the club to The Blythewood
Country Club and launched extensive improvements to the golf course and club
house.
“We’re going to bring this Pete Dye course back to its
former glory,” new club manager Fred Layman, told club members during an open
house at the club at the time.
By September, however, the sale was on pause and eventually
failed to materialize.
The foreclosure follows on the heels of the sale of the Golf
Course of South Carolina last year to E-Capital, a Texas investment firm that
had the property rezoned for hundreds of homes. While the firm’s attorney
Robert Fuller told council that E-Capital plans to flip the property, the
zoning for homes would follow the sale to a developer.
The sale was opposed by the majority of homeowners in the
adjacent Crickentree neighborhood who accused their Richland County Council
representative, Joyce Dickerson, of backing the developer. Dickerson was
defeated last month in her bid for a fourth term.
The Windermere Club, golf course and Windermere communities
lie in Richland County Councilman Calvin ‘Chip’ Jackson’s district. Jackson
told The Voice that he would not like to see the outcome of unhappy homeowners
in the Windermere communities as he saw in Crickentree and is hopeful that
something good happens before time runs out.
“I believe that the beauty and quality of life that the golf
course provides for its members, community residents and neighboring
communities is absolutely essential,” Jackson said. “The attention to green
space and protecting the surrounding natural environment is what makes this
area special. I applaud the work of the
Home Owner’s Association, the Conservation Commission, and the Soil and Water
District, for working together to preserve this community. And I would fully support
any efforts to maintain this standard and hope it remains that way in the
future for this community.”
WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information as to the whereabouts of Rachel Kathleen Gladney, 36. Gladney is a black female with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black tights and a purple shirt about 12:50 p.m. on June 27, near Columbia Road in Winnsboro.
If you have any information please contact the Fairfield
County Sheriff’s Office @ (803) 635-4141.
WINNSBORO – In a special called meeting on Tuesday evening,
the Winnsboro Town Council passed an emergency ordinance requiring face masks
to be worn in retail establishments and restaurants. The order goes in to
effect at 12:01 a.m., July 3 and will expire after 60 days. The order is
renewable.
The ordinance applies to everyone six years of age and
older.
The purpose of the ordinance, Mayor Roger Gaddy said, is to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The ordinance notes that the S.C. attorney general issued a public statement on June 25 that said enacting local mask requirements is within the police power of municipalities and is not preempted by state law.
The ordinance states that face masks:
must be worn by all customers while inside the enclosed area of any retail establishment or foodservice establishment,
are required to be worn by staff of all retail establishments in areas open to the general public and where interactions with other staff are likely in areas where social distancing of at least six feet cannot be observed, and
must be worn in all foodservice establishments where staff interacts with customers (including, without limitation, delivery personnel).
Masks are not required to be worn in outdoor or unenclosed areas appurtenant to retail establishments or foodservice establishments in which social distancing of at least six feet is possible and observed and for other specific reasons outlined in the ordinance, such as when eating in a restaurant or undergoing dental procedures.
Anyone violating the provisions of the ordinance by failing
to wear a face mask when required shall be guilty of a civil infraction,
punishable by a penalty of not more than $25.
Any responsible person violating the provisions of the
ordinance by failing to require employees of a retail or foodservice
establishment to wear a mask when required, may be subject to a $50 fine.
Retail and foodservice establishments guilty of repeat offences could lose their
business license and/or be declared a public nuisance, which may be abated by
the Town of Winnsboro by restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunction
or other means provided for by the laws of South Carolina.
Establishments and responsible persons shall have a duty to
enforce the provisions of the ordinance only against employees of the
establishment, and can not require that customers, visitors or other members of
the general public wear face masks.
John Fantry, the town’s attorney, said the ordinance does not apply to the Courthouse, county government offices or other offices where elected officials preside. He also clarified that the ordinance does not require persons to wear masks while out on the streets, sidewalks or in their cars.
County Council Chairman Neil Robinson addressed council, saying that the county fully supports Winnsboro’s mask ordinance. He also said the county could not pass such an ordinance because only cities and towns, not counties, are granted this power under state law.
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County is bringing in more experts to
help counter Richland County’s growing opposition to a proposed wastewater
treatment plant.
Meantime, Fairfield County Council is also moving forward
with a proposed capital project sales tax to help pay for the facility that’s
seen as vital to recruiting more industry to Fairfield County.
On Monday night, the council voted 5-2 on the first of three
readings to implement the sales tax. Council members Moses Bell and Mikel Trapp
opposed.
There was no discussion during first reading, but later on
Councilwoman Bertha Goins said the tax is needed to further develop Fairfield’s
infrastructure.
“I know when you say taxes, people start fretting and they
get excited. I can understand that but taxes are how counties and towns are
built.”
County Administrator Jason Taylor said the county’s two
existing treatment plants are nearing capacity, aren’t expandable and
wouldn’t even be approved today by the S.C. Department of Health and
Environmental Control. Additionally, existing underground lines are undersized,
he said.
“While we’ve had a good run with economic development, if we
don’t do something to address our infrastructure capacity, we won’t have
anything left to sell to attract new industry,” Taylor said.
Goins also voiced reservations about Richland County’s
efforts to block Fairfield’s wastewater facility.
“I was very disappointed with the action that Richland
County took with the wastewater treatment plant. It was very discouraging.
That’s not the way to build relationships,” Goins said.
In May, Richland County submitted a report to the Central
Midlands Council of Governments (COG) outlining the county’s opposition to the
Fairfield facility.
The report, produced by Richland County Assistant
Administrator John Thompson at the behest of recently defeated Councilwoman
Joyce Dickerson, outlines well water contamination concerns of Richland County
residents living along Cedar Creek, where wastewater would discharge.
Richland County submitted its report despite DHEC recently
telling The Voice that the agency has no record of wastewater contaminating
water wells in South Carolina. Most contamination of private water wells is
caused by nearby septic tanks, an agency representative said.
In response to the Richland vote, Fairfield County is
retaining an additional engineering and legal firms to counter opposition to the
wastewater plant.
At last week’s Fairfield Joint Water and Sewer Commission
meeting, the group voted to retain American Engineering. Commissioners said
American has more experience working on local projects, which they said would
be needed when Fairfield pitches the plant to the Central Midlands Council of
Governments.
Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, who chairs the joint
water-sewer panel, also voiced disappointment in Richland County’s opposition.
He said having an engineering firm who has experience presenting to the COG
would be beneficial in explaining the project and countering misinformation.
“We have to have someone help us educate people with
opposition to help them understand the sophistication for the wastewater
treatment plant and the negligible impact it will have on the environment,”
Gaddy said.
The water-sewer commission later voted to retain Willoughby
and Hoefer law firm for the same reason. Fairfield County has previously
budgeted $100,000 to cover anticipated increases in legal fees associated with
the wastewater facility.
“I think a lot of this is an emotional issue. We’ve got to
have some folks who can explain to Richland County, the citizens and the
politicians there, that we’re not trying to do anything detrimental to the
environment,” Gaddy said. “It really isn’t going to be how people have it
pictured in their minds.”
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County moved forward with final
reading of its $46.4 million budget, but not without drama.
On June 9, council members voted 4-3 to approve the budget
that does not include an increase in the base millage rate, but does dig into
the county’s cash reserves.
Council members Bertha Goins, Clarence Gilbert, Jimmy Ray
Douglas and Chairman Neil Robinson voted to approve. Moses Bell, Mikel Trapp
and Douglas Pauley opposed.
Trapp didn’t comment on why he opposed the budget, but Bell
and Pauley gave differing reasons for dissenting.
Both Bell and Pauley expressed reservations that the budget
increases spending, but it’s the exclusion of a $400K community center he wants
in his district (Ridgeway) that Bell bemoaned.
Bell also took issue with cutting outside agency funding by
10 percent, adding more police cars, giving the economic development director a
car allowance, raising deputy coroner pay and $40,000 in extra funding for the
Drawdy Park parking lot paving project, but continued to criticize council’s
failure to spend $400K on the community center.
Bell went on to read a prepared statement in which he
invoked Mahatma Gandhi and former President Barack Obama, and blasted The Voice
for reporting that he had pitched a fit at the last budget meeting.
“Something is extremely wrong with this budget,” Bell began,
prompting Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas to interject.
“How many times are you going to go over this?” Douglas
asked.
Unfazed, Bell continued, alluding to racial disparities he
said exist in Fairfield County.
Pauley objected to the budget on more philosophical grounds,
saying it relies too much on using the fund balance to offset increased
spending.
“This budget would be like taking 20 percent of your life
savings to spend more than you did last year for no reason except that you want
to,” Pauley said. “Sooner or later, if you keep this up you’re going to run out
of money.”
A review of the FY 2020-21 budget reveals only a 2-1/2
percent increase in this year’s budget over last year’s budget.
Taylor said the county’s budget is higher compared to other
similarly sized counties because of the Jenkinsville nuclear plant, which
generates more tax revenue.
However, the plant is expected to generate less revenue in
the coming budget year, which Taylor said is negatively impacting both the
county and school district budgets.
“We also have to suffer with the fluctuations of what goes
on out there,” Taylor said. “When they sneeze, we get a cold.”
In this year’s budget, the county is pulling $5 million from
the fund balance, up from roughly $3 million in previous years.
Taylor said the difference is largely due to $1.8 million
the county is spending on land purchases to support industry. Another $100,000
has been added to help cover anticipated legal costs.
Taylor said the key to reversing the county’s budget issues
lies in attracting new industry and investing in infrastructure needed to
support that industry.
“You can’t tax your way to prosperity nor can you cut your
way to prosperity. What we have to do is grow our way to prosperity,” he said.
“It’s not something where we’re squandering money; it’s an investment. Without
a sewer plant, we’re really dead in the water with economic development.”
Councilwoman Bertha Goins agreed. Underfunding
infrastructure would hurt the rural areas much more, she said.
“If you don’t have it in place, you get passed over,” Goins
said. “We will be sitting in the dark while counties around us prosper, grow
and increase.”
BLYTHEWOOD – As Blythewood works through its budget process for the 2020/21 fiscal year, the funding of events became a point of contention at the May 26 town council meeting, which was held via Zoom.
With all the disruptions caused by COVID-19, two things were
made clear: hospitality tax (H-tax) revenue is down significantly, and unknowns
related to the virus could put a damper on the annual town events that are
funded by H-tax revenue.
“At the end of the day, to give you a balanced budget we had
to make some drastic cuts,” said Town Administrator Brian Cook, who presented a
draft budget on first reading that was created with input from council members.
The town’s hospitality tax, which is generated by
restaurants, is down from a typical $175,000 to just $29,000 – less than 17
percent of the typical amount. The town uses this money to fund tourism,
including events that are supposed to draw tourists.
Looking at a budget proposal that included major cuts to
events in the coming year, the council members clashed over what approach to
take.
“I’m not comfortable saying ‘This is how much money we’re
going to get’ because I think it’s going to be a lot less than anybody
anticipates,” said councilman Donald Brock.
“If people aren’t going out spending, then money’s not going
to flow into the town coffers, and if the town doesn’t have the money, then we
can’t spend it. I think we really need to kind of step back and be cautious in
allocating funds and not overpromise.”
Brock’s suggestion was to fund each event at $1 as a
placeholder, and re-assess quarterly when actual revenue – and the status of
events realistically taking place amid social distancing – is known.
Also, he said, weight should be given to cultural events
like Black History Month, which don’t have their own revenue stream, over
entertainment-focused events that raise money through ticket sales and
sponsorships and that generate enough revenue to fund themselves.
“Revenue has nothing to do with it!” declared Councilman
Eddie Baughman. He repeated the statement several times.
“The whole idea behind the hospitality tax money is to bring
folks to town to spend money,” Baughman said. “Their revenue should be
irrelevant.”
Baughman was particularly concerned about the Big Red Barn
Summer Jam event. He said a significant percentage of the profits it generates
go to fund charitable activities in town.
Baughman asked for an explanation for why the event, which
last year received $12,000 in town funds and this year requested $25,000, was
slated to receive just $6,250.
“We’re cutting their funding almost to the point that
they’re probably going to back off and not do it,” he said.
At that (May 26) council meeting, with available H-tax
funding dropping from $175,000 to only about $29,000, administration suggested
the following reduced funding amounts.
Only three events were funded at $6,250 in the budget
proposal: Summer Jam, which topped 1,000 attended in its second year and
RibFest and OktoberFest, both of which brought in well over 2,000 in their
first year. Black History Month was slated to receive $5,000; Bengal Boys Golf
$2,250; Holiday Market $1,500; the Big Grab $1,000; and Spring Market $746. The
July 3 fireworks, which was set to receive $25,000 before the cuts were
initiated, brings in 5,000 – 6,000. While it’s still in the discussion stage,
council is leaning toward have the fireworks event but with no music and no
food and attendees would view the fireworks from their vehicles.
Three other events and several planned maintenance projects
were slated to receive $0.
Mayor Bryan Franklin said the reasoning behind funding some
events a lot more than others was sound. In the draft budget, the bulk of the
available funding was allocated toward events that have significant
ahead-of-time costs, such as hiring, booking performers and publicity costs.
“It’s not picking winners and losers,” he said. “It’s where does that start-up money come from? What organization does it need to go to early so they can lock in plans, and how can we keep it below our $29,000 [revenue projection]?”
After the May 26 meeting, some council members suggested pulling $134,654 from the H-tax fund balance to fully fund the FY21 H-tax events as shown in the chart above. These amounts are proposed but will be voted on at the June 22 town council meeting at The Manor.
Sutton Shaw, who owns the Big Red Barn Retreat and organizes
the Summer Jam, was in attendance to lobby for her event.
She touted the enthusiasm she witnessed among tourists at
Myrtle Beach on a recent weekend as a sign of good news for tourism and events,
but her comments on the realities of planning the Summer Jam cast doubt on the
timing of this year’s event in light of COVID-19.
“Some of us are planning now,” she said of event organizers.
“Our summer jam originally happens in July. We are trying to move to
September….”
She didn’t make a specific request for funding, but rattled
off a list of her own community contributions. She expressed disappointment in
what she felt is council’s lack of appreciation for her efforts as reflected in
the proposed reduced funding amount for her event.
“Personally I’m donating all my time, and my family has
donated 75 acres of the land for a new building and investing over $1.5 million
to bring our newest program in that will launch in October,” she said, noting
that these efforts are aided by profits her family’s business has realized
during the pandemic.
“My family owns 26 Sonic drive-ins, and we’re killing it in
sales. We’ve been up 20 and 30 percent with Covid,” she said.
Her comments reinforced a point made by Brock earlier in the
meeting.
“If we’re continuing to allocate money to events that can
fund themselves, then we won’t have money to fund upstart and new events that
can bring additional tourism into town,” he said before sharing some numbers
about the Summer Jam.
Last year, he said, the town contributed $12,000 to the
event. The year before that it was in the $6,500 range. Those two years, the
event turned a net profit of more than $26,000.
“I don’t know how I could sit here and possibly vote to
approve an event that should be sitting on $26,000 in the bank, and their
expenditure last year was $28,000,” he said, arguing that town funds should be
used only to help revenue-generating events to get established – not to support
them perpetually.
Councilman Sloan Griffin agreed with the idea of taking a
step back to re-assess event funding as information – about the revenue, about
the effects of the pandemic, about the likely status of events in real time –
becomes more clear.
“I agree at this budget session right here that we do need
to take a pause,” Griffin said. “We could be in the same situation January next
year.”
When council convene on June 10, the H-tax funding packet
had done an about-face, reflecting full funding for the events as shown in
chart the chart above.
With almost $500K in the H-tax fund balance, Town
Administrator Brian Cook said some council members had suggested using some of
that fund to fully fund the H-tax events.
“We took $134,654 out of the H-tax fund balance and
allocated it for that purpose,” Cook said. “It will be up to council as to how
much they want to use to fund the events.”
The next meeting will be open to the public to attend and
will be the final vote on the fy2020-21 budget. It will be held at Manor at 7
p.m., Monday, June 22. Those attending are asked to wear masks and practice
social distancing.
WINNSBORO – A
resolution passed by Fairfield County Council Monday night has headed off a
rift that developed between the county and Providence Health over Prisma’s
proposed purchase of Providence Health-Fairfield Emergency Room.
Following Prisma Health’s surprise announcement in March
that it had signed a deal to acquire the ER along with three other Midlands
hospitals, Fairfield County officials – not having been informed of the sale –
requested the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), which
signed off on the deal, to pump the brakes on the proposed purchase agreement.
The county’s concerns were numerous – foremost was their
concern about the continued delivery of quality health care for Fairfield
residents. The county was also concerned about the effect the sale would have
on its financial investment in the ER – $10 million the county had agreed to
pay Providence over 10 years to be used for operation of the ER as well as $4
million the county had been required to escrow as assurance those ten $1
million payments would be made.
Fairfield County and (the former) Fairfield Memorial Hospital
questioned the legality of the DHEC staff’s approval of an amended Certificate
of Public Advantage (COPA) that cemented the deal between Prisma and Providence
Health.
Through its attorneys, the county formally requested in
March that DHEC conduct a final review of the decision that allowed Prisma
Health to acquire the four health care facilities.
A resolution passed Monday evening by Fairfield County
Council and agreed to by Providence appears to have alleviated the county’s
concerns by authorizing an amendment to the original transformational agreement
(between Fairfield and Providence Health) in which both Fairfield and
Providence agree that if Prisma does carry through with the purchase of the ER
in Winnsboro, Prisma will return $3.5 million of the cash currently held in
escrow, back to the county. The remaining $500K balance of the escrow will then
be credited to the county’s next $1 million annual payment (which is paid
quarterly). In return for that financial
concession, the resolution states that the county agrees to withdraw the appeal
it has before the South Carolina administrative law court and then, going
forward, to provide support in favor of Prisma’s acquisition of Providence.
“Everything else stays in place – negotiated term of
providing care to the citizens, keeping the ER open, indigent care issues and
other things,” County Attorney Tommy Morgan said.
“That’s all good news,” Council Chairman Neil Robinson said
before gaveling the meeting to a close.
“The material change to benefit the county,” County
Administrator Jason Taylor told The Voice, “is that the $3.5 million we had
tied up in escrow is now back in the general fund for our use, and our
residents will continue to receive quality health care through the ER.”
WINNSBORO – A Winnsboro woman was arrested May 30 for
beating her dog.
Roach
After receiving a call about the mistreatment of a dog on
Winter Street in Winnsboro, a Fairfield County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched
to the location of the reported incident where he witnessed Willie Margaret
Roach, 66, beating a dog, according to the incident report.
According to the deputy, the woman was holding the dog down
by the head with one hand and beating the dog with the other hand.
Asked why she was beating the dog, the deputy reported she
replied that the dog wouldn’t stay in the yard.
The deputy spoke with a neighbor who stated she had
witnessed Roach beating the dog on several occasions, and on one occasion, the
neighbor said in a written statement, she witnessed Roach beating the dog with
what appeared to be a broom handle, according to the deputy’s report.
Roach was arrested and charged with ill treatment to
animals.
The deputy contacted the Fairfield County Animal Control
which took the dog into custody.
Roach was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.
Sen. Mike Fanning and wife Stephanie, with Rep. Annie McDaniel and Gladden Williams. | Contributed
WINNSBORO – In the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, State Sen. Mike Fanning (Dist. 17) and House Rep. Annie McDaniel (Dist. 41) both took home big wins to represent their party in November for second terms.
Mosely
Fanning kept his seat with 7,823 votes (67.93%) to former
House Dist. 41 representative MaryGail Douglas’s 3,694 votes (32.07%). District
17 covers Fairfield, Chester and part of York County. Fanning did not
immediately return The Voice’s phone request for a comment.
Fanning will face Republican candidate Erin Mosley of
Chester in the November election.
McDaniel, with 4,811 votes (71.01%) resisted newcomer
Charlene Herring of Ridgeway with 1,964 votes (28.99%). She will serve a two-year
term.
Brecheinsen
“I just want to thank the voters in District 41 for
re-electing me,” McDaniel said. “The strong showing shows they appreciate the
style of service I’ve provided them, and I want them to know that I’ll continue
to be a public servant and for them to stay involved in the political process
and hold us governmental officials accountable.
McDaniel will face Republican candidate Jennifer Brecheisen
of Chester in the November election.
