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  • Pharmacy-Lite Packaging purchases Wal-Mart building

    Company bringing $2.9 Investment, 33 jobs to Fairfield

    COLUMBIA – Another new industry has announced plans to set up shop in Fairfield County. This time in the Wal-Mart building which has been vacant since Wal-Mart moved out almost three years ago.

    COLUMBIA – Another new industry has announced plans to set up shop in Fairfield County. This time in the Wal-Mart building which has been vacant since Wal-Mart moved out almost three years ago.

    It was announced Monday that Pharmacy-Lite Packaging, a division of Pacific Management Holdings, LLC, plans to establish operations in the building, bringing with it a $2.9 million investment and 33 new jobs.

    According to County Administrator Jason Taylor, the company asked for almost no incentives.

    “They didn’t ask for a whole lot,” Taylor said. “The county, along with the town of Winnsboro, will assist with upgrading the sprinkler system in the building…that’s all. No tax credits involved.”

    Fairfield County was awarded a $150,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to assist with the costs of those property improvements to accommodate the move-in.

    A family-owned business based in the U.S., Pharmacy-Lite Packaging manufactures streamlined vial systems for prescription drugs. The company’s innovative packaging features fewer barcodes and offers child-resistant, reversible and easy-open twist caps for dry and liquid vials. 

    The business will be located at 721 U.S. Highway 321 Bypass South in Winnsboro.  Pharmacy-Lite Packaging’s Fairfield County operations will serve as a manufacturing and distribution center and is expecting to begin operations later this month. Initial hiring is slated to begin in the spring of 2020.

    “Fairfield County is thrilled to welcome Pharmacy-Lite Packaging,” County Council Chairman Neil Robinson said. “I am very happy to welcome another corporate citizen to the county and for the Wal-Mart building to be occupied again. Pharmacy-Lite Packaging is a great addition to the county’s growing manufacturing base,” Robinson said. “I think they will find that their Winnsboro location will be well supported by local businesses and our willing workforce. Most good things happen with hard work, and we want to recognize the town of Winnsboro’s effort to help Pharmacy-Lite Packaging make the decision to select our community,” Robinson added.

    Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy also expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s decision to select Winnsboro to grow their business.

    “Our citizens welcome the job opportunities, and I can assure you that the town stands ready to support Pharmacy-Lite Packaging with utilities and other valuable services. Our partnership with Fairfield County’s leadership is paying dividends, and we know the future is bright,” Gaddy said.

    “A key to the success of this project is the Town of Winnsboro’s cooperation and willingness to participate to make it happen,” Ty Davenport, the county’s Director of Economic Development, said. “We asked for their support and they jumped right in. And I think this project, because of its location, will be a big benefit to the town and help it to grow from the core out. Having more employees close to the town will help keep dollars in the town, in the restaurants and stores,” Davenport said.

    Council also voted 7-0 to pass an ordinance authorizing the execution and delivery of an agreement with Victory Boats, LLC to move operations to the county. While negotiations are ongoing, council was reluctant to discuss details.

    “We’re always actively trying to recruit industry to Fairfield County,” Taylor said. “However, to recruit industry we often have to put together an incentive agreement. In this case, we’re trying to bring a company to an existing building. The county and the state are offering certain incentives and we’re also putting it in a multi-county park.”

    It was announced Monday that Pharmacy-Lite Packaging, a division of Pacific Management Holdings, LLC, plans to establish operations in the building, bringing with it a $2.9 million investment and 33 new jobs.

    According to County Administrator Jason Taylor, the company asked for almost no incentives.

    “They didn’t ask for a whole lot,” Taylor said. “The county, along with the town of Winnsboro, will assist with upgrading the sprinkler system in the building…that’s all. No tax credits involved.”

    Fairfield County was awarded a $150,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to assist with the costs of those property improvements to accommodate the move-in.

    A family-owned business based in the U.S., Pharmacy-Lite Packaging manufactures streamlined vial systems for prescription drugs. The company’s innovative packaging features fewer barcodes and offers child-resistant, reversible and easy-open twist caps for dry and liquid vials. 

    The business will be located at 721 U.S. Highway 321 Bypass South in Winnsboro.  Pharmacy-Lite Packaging’s Fairfield County operations will serve as a manufacturing and distribution center and is expecting to begin operations later this month. Initial hiring is slated to begin in the spring of 2020.

    “Fairfield County is thrilled to welcome Pharmacy-Lite Packaging,” County Council Chairman Neil Robinson said. “I am very happy to welcome another corporate citizen to the county and for the Wal-Mart building to be occupied again. Pharmacy-Lite Packaging is a wonderful addition to the county’s growing manufacturing base,” Robinson said. “I think they will find that their Winnsboro location will be well supported by local businesses and our willing workforce. Most good things happen with hard work, and we want to recognize the town of Winnsboro’s effort to help Pharmacy-Lite Packaging make the decision to select our community,” Robinson added.

    Winnsboro Mayor Gaddy also expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s decision to select Winnsboro to grow their business.

    “Our citizens welcome the job opportunities, and I can assure you that the town stands ready to support Pharmacy-Lite Packaging with utilities and other valuable services. Our partnership with Fairfield County’s leadership is paying dividends, and we know the future is bright,” Gaddy said.

    “The decision by Pharmacy-Lite Packaging to call South Carolina home is further proof that our state’s manufacturing and distribution sectors continue to shine. I applaud this great company for establishing operations in the Palmetto State and look forward to the impact they will have on Fairfield County,”  Bobby Hitt, Secretary of Commerce, added.

  • Gordge, Griffin announce candidacies

    Filing for Special Election Opens Dec. 6

    BLYTHEWOOD – Filing doesn’t open until noon tomorrow, Dec. 6, for a special election to fill an unexpired town council seat left vacant after Councilman Bryan Franklin was elected mayor, but two have already announced their candidacies publicly.

    Ashley Oaks resident and former councilman Malcolm Gordge and Planning Commissioner Sloan Jarvis Griffin, III, a resident of Cobblestone Park, have both publicly announced their candidacies for the seat.

    Gordge, who served four years on council, was defeated last month in his bid for mayor. Griffin, who ran for council last month, was also defeated in his bid.

    Candidates wishing to run for the two-year unexpired seat have through noon on Dec. 16 to file at Town Hall. Candidates must be qualified, registered voters within the town limits of Blythewood. The filing fee is $5.

    The election is set for Feb. 11, 2020.

    Any person wishing to vote in this election must register no later than Jan. 11, 2020.

    Voting for all precincts will be held at Blythewood Park, 126 Boney Road, between the hours of

    7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 11, 2020.

    The Town Hall is located at 171 Langford Road, Blythewood. For questions concerning filing, contact Town Clerk Melissa Cowan at 803-754-0501.

    • Gordge
    • Griffin

  • Water authority moves forward

    WINNSBORO – Now that its mission has been defined, the Fairfield County Joint Water and Sewer System Commission is eyeing how to fund enhancements to water and sewer lines.

    To that end, the commission plans to tap a financial advisor to help determine the best way to fund those enhancements.

    At last week’s commission meeting, commission attorney C.D. Rhodes said retaining a financial advisor is a critical step in navigating the intricacies of funding complex infrastructure projects.

    “What we need ultimately is a professional who can help us model all of this stuff and tell us which entity is going to give us the best rate,” Rhodes said. “Getting to that point is going to be essential in order to make that ‘ask.’”

    Hiring a financial advisor will become particularly critical when it comes to borrowing funds via general obligation bonds or other means.

    “The cost of this wastewater treatment plant and the connecting lines is going to be more than any single source of funds is going to be able to meet,” Rhodes said. “It’s going to be a matter of cobbling together a number of different sources of funds in order to make that happen.”

    The discussion last week follows a spending measure that Fairfield County Council approved on November 11.

    Securing plant property

    Council members voted 6-1 for a resolution authorizing the expenditure of up to $300,000 on at least 50 acres of property to serve as a site for a wastewater plant. Councilman Mikel Trapp voted in opposition.

    At a finance committee meeting also held November 11, county officials said the property being targeted is located off Syrup Mill Road, near Big Cedar Creek.

    It’s at Cedar Creek where two smaller creeks converge about 7 miles south of the megasite property. Underground piping would funnel wastewater from the megasite to the discharge site, county officials said.

    “It has to be an appropriate site because you have to have a discharge point, which means you have to have a long flowing body of water, a creek in this case,” said County Administrator Jason Taylor.

    DHEC has told us there’s enough flow in the creek to handle two to four million gallons that we are going to be discharging into the creek,” added Ty Davenport, the county’s economic development director.

    The Syrup Mill Road property is actually the most cost effective option. Most of the piping would run along I-77, where right of way already exists.

    Taylor said the other option is property along the Broad River, which adds $30 million to $40 million in extra costs.

    “We took this from a $75 to $90 million project to a $50 million project by just finding the location of this discharge point,” Davenport said.

    Even with reduced costs, the joint water authority’s attorney said employing the services of a financial advisor would help the county seek additional funding sources. 

    The Options

    For example, one option would be for Fairfield County to pledge bond money to the commission. Or the commission could pool its collective resources to issue a bond.

    “Whereas the county is limited in its ability to use its own generated funds to issue bonds, a joint system can use contributions from its members in lots of different ways,” Rhodes said. “There are lots of different permutations to this.”

    In related business, the commission approved a resolution establishing the water authority’s procurement policy.

    Having such a policy in place is a virtual prerequisite before the commission can recommend a financial advisor.

    Rhodes told the commission that he’s identified two highly qualified agencies. A third company withdrew at the last moment.

    Ideally, he said, the commission should review three candidates before one is selected, likely in January 2020.

    In other business, the commission voted to extend an invitation to the Town of Ridgeway to join the joint water authority. The vote was unanimous.

    At present, the commission includes representatives from Fairfield County and the Town of Winnsboro.

    The commission was launched in March. Its mission is to drive more industry to the Fairfield County megasite off I-77.

    The state provided $2 million in seed money for infrastructure for the site.

  • SCDOT repairs Moultrie Street

    SCDOT crews are currently repairing and repaving Moultrie St. east of S. Congress St.

    WINNSBORO – The S. C. Department of Transportation continues its paving projects in Fairfield County. Several highly traveled roadways have recently been repaved including S.C. Hwy. 200 that was repaved from the I-77 overpass to U.S. 21 in Great Falls. Zion Street in Winnsboro has also been recently repaved, and this week, crews are around the corner repairing and repaving Moultrie Street just east of S. Congress Street. These are some of the projects in Fairfield County under SCDOT’s Strategic 10-Year Plan.

    Next, crews are expected to mill and replace S.C. 215 from Glenns Bridge Road to St. Barnabas Church Road. Additionally, S.C. 34 will be repaved from mile point 17.84 to 19.41, just west of the U.S. 321 Bypass. Crews will also soon replace the bridge on Bellefield Road over Sawney’s Creek.

  • LeGrand Promoted

    MATTHEWS, NC – Former Winnsboro resident John LeGrand, principal at Butler High School, was recently promoted to executive director for the Central 2 Learning Community. Legrand will work with the area superintendent to oversee the leadership at 29 Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools and provide assistance, support and advice for the schools as well as help evaluate principals.

    LeGrand, son of Mike LeGrand of Winnsboro and Betsy Collins of Matthews, NC, is a 1994 graduate of Richard Winn Academy.

  • Fairfield rocked by two crashes on Tuesday

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Two vehicle crashes occurred in Fairfield County Tuesday af­ternoon, one involving a fa­tality, the other involving serious injury, according to reports.

    The first accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday on Jackson Creek Road near Hwy 34. No official informa­tion about this accident was available from the S.C. High­way Patrol at press time on Wednesday. A spokesperson with SCHP said a report on the accident would not be available until Friday, Dec. 6.

    Jason Pope, Director of Fairfield County Fire Services said Fairfield fire service units were dispatched to the scene where crews extricated the driver from one of the vehicles. That driver, Pope said, had serious injuries and was transported to Prisma Health/Richland Hospital in Columbia.

    There is no word on the cause of the accident or whether the other driver sus­tained injuries.

    The second accident oc­curred about 2:15 p.m., Tuesday on SC Hwy 34 at the intersection of Smallwood Road, near Ridgeway, accord­ing to master Trooper David Jones with the S.C. Highway Patrol.

    The driver of a 2010 Acura SUV was traveling west on Hwy 34 when it crashed into the passenger side of a white 2017 Chevy van, according to the report,

    The driver of the SUV, Mark Wakefield, 43, of West Co­lumbia, was transported to Prisma Health/Richland Hos­pital where he later died from injuries sustained in the colli­sion, the report stated. Wake­field was wearing a seatbelt.

    The driver of the van, a resident of Heath Springs, S.C., was also wearing a seat­belt and was transported to Prisma Health/Richland Hos­pital with minor injuries, ac­cording to Jones.

    There is no information as to whether any criminal charges will be filed in the collision.

    The accident remains under investigation by the S.C. Highway Patrol.

  • High-speed chase ends in crash

    BLYTHEWOOD – A high speed chase that began on Two Notch Road near Sparkleberry Lane Thanksgiving morning ended in a crash in front of The Voice’s office on Main Street in downtown Blythewood.

    Joseph Jenkins, 64, was charged with driving under suspension, third offense; failure to stop for blue lights, second offense; expired tag; reckless driving; seatbelt violation and operator uninsured.

    The chase began after officers noticed an out-of-date sticker on the license plate of a grey Mercedes traveling east on Two Notch Road a little before 8 a.m., Thursday. A check on the plate revealed it was registered to a 1985 Ford Bronco out of Darlington, S.C., officials reported.

    Sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull the Mercedes over. Instead of stopping, the Mercedes sped off, leading to a high speed pursuit through multiple red lights on Two Notch Road, according to Richland County Public Information Officer Josef Robinson.

    Deputies reported that they pursued the Mercedes as it turned right on to Rabon Road, then continued on to William Harden, Hardscrabble Road, Clemson Road, North Springs Road, North Brickyard Road then Farrow Road before turning right on to Wilson Boulevard that became Main Street in downtown Blythewood.

    As the Mercedes alledgedly continued speeding east through Blythewood, it crashed with a white Nissan Path Finder SUV carrying a family of three, that was turning left onto Main Street from Langford Road.  After that crash, the Mercedes continued on Main Street to the intersection at McNulty Road where it came to a stop as it crashed into a curb.

    With the assistance of a K-9 officer, Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jenkins, who was first transported to a local hospital, then transferred to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia.

    The three occupants of the SUV were transported to a local hospital. No information is available concerning injuries.

    Story was updated December 4 at 4:41 p.m.

    BLYTHEWOOD – An early morning crash on Main Street at the intersection of Langford Road in downtown Blythewood, in front of The Voice’s office, occurred about 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.

    The accident, which involved a white Nissan Pathfinder and a grey Mercedes, was the result of a high-speed chase involving law enforcement, according to deputies. No information concerning injuries or other details about the accident are available at this time.

    The accident is under investigation by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. 

  • County receives grant to revitalize Zion Hill

    This dilapidated home on West College Street is one of the eyesores county and town officials are aiming to clean up in the Zion Hill neighborhood with CDBG grant funding. | Barbara Ball

    WINNSBORO – The county and town finally have a foothold to begin revitalization of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods. Last week the county was awarded a $487,568 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to begin the first phase of a long term revitalization operation for the area.

    The grant was awarded through the S.C. Department of Commerce and requires the county to chip in 10 percent of the grant ($48,900) to bring the total funds to $536,468.

    The grant work will include the demolition and clearance of approximately 40 dilapidated and vacant structures, according to Gregory Sprouse, Director of Research, Planning and Development for Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG).

    Sprouse, Chris Clauson, Fairfield Community Development Director and CMCOG planner John Newman spent the better part of the summer analyzing the needs of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods. They walked the neighborhood visiting with residents and finding out what can be done to help bring the neighborhood back to its glory days. The planners are also tasked with estimating the cost of the project.

    While they found the needs to be many, Sprouse said the initial focus will be on the demolition and cleanup of the 40 structures.

    Sprouse said he hopes the county can get the project underway by the spring.

    “But first, we have a lot of paper work and have to meet the federal environmental clearance process,” Sprouse said. “That takes some time. When the actual work begins, we’ll also be adding some street lighting as well as some traffic calming signage and public safety improvement to the neighborhood park in the study area.”

    The project is a corporative effort between the county and town with input from the Zion Hill/Fortune Springs community. Sprouse said both the county and the town will be applying for further CDBG grants and other grants as the work continues. The grant work must be completed in two years.

  • Town books recover from 2018

    BLYTHEWOOD – Gary Bailey, with Love, Bailey Auditors of Laurens, S.C., got to the point rather quickly at council’s meeting Monday night.

    “This is a financial statement audit,” Bailey said, “not an operational audit. We’re not telling you how to run the town. We’re basically just coming in and making sure that the numbers you’re presenting each month are accurate numbers and that you can make decisions based on those numbers.”

    Bailey praised the town for having good internal controls. “We had no findings,” Bailey said. 

    That was not the case last year when Bailey told council that the town’s “books were really in a mess.” This year, the town used an outsourced CPA firm as additional controls after last year’s books were, in the words of the auitor, “really in a mess,” and had to use that firm to bring the town’s books up to the level that they could be audited.

    During the May, 2018 town council meeting, Mayor J. Michael Ross announced that the town’s books were not in order and hadn’t been for some time. He said the town “has not even commenced the annual audit process for the 2016-17 audit.”

    To that end, the town hired the CPA firm of Sheheen, Hancock and Godwin of Camden to bring past year’s books up standard. That audit was presented just seven days before the July 30 deadline when, by state law, the state could begin to withhold state funds from the town.

    “It appears this situation has resulted from management’s failure to properly transition to the new accounting software system which was recommended to this council by professional public administrators who then failed to attain implementation,” Ross stated during the May, 2018 council meeting.

    Ross credited the town’s newly hired administrator, Brian Cook, for detecting the deficiency very early in his service to Blythewood. Cook was hired last February to replace Gary Parker who retired. Assistant administrator Chris Keefer left her position in June.

    Cook said at the time that the town was evaluating how it wants to reconfigure staffing to handle the town’s accounting. He said the 2016 transition from outsourcing the town’s accounting to an in-house system bogged down.

    By the July, 2018 council meeting, however, all appeared to be well.

    “[Sheheen] did an excellent job,” Bailey told council. “After they took hold of your books, we didn’t find any major issues. The town is in a very strong position.”

    Bailey gave the town a stern warning, however, going forward.

    “You can see the alternative of not having a qualified person in place [to do the town’s accounting.] Hiring someone without expertise cost you way more than just outsourcing for a fraction of the time that was needed [to get the books in order],” Bailey said.

    Bailey said Monday evening that the town now uses an outsourced CPA firm as an additional control which, he said, is really good for a small staff.

    This year, Bailey told council the town had zero journal entries which means the town has a nice clean set of books.

    Hitting the highlights of the audit, Bailey said the town’s cash balances in the general fund increased to $1.8 million on June 30, 2019 from $1.2 million the previous year. That about a $600,000 increase in cash.

    “That’s significant,” Bailey said, “because your operating budget in the general fund is about $1.3 million So you have about a 165 percent of your operating budget in reserves. That’s very strong, financially. You have a very strong balance sheet. It’s mainly cash and a little bit of debt.

    “By refinancing their bond last year, council saved the town $113,000 in interest charges in just in one year,” Bailey said.

    “On the revenue side, Bailey said, “the town’s revenue was about the same as last year, but your expenses were down $273,000, so again, $113,000 of that was reduction in interest charges.”

    The town also had a reduction of about $80,000, mainly a reduction in outside services, such as not using the COG sometimes, Bailey said.

    Overall, the general fund had a change in fund balance of about $514,000.

    “You’re revenues were higher than you budgeted and your expenses were lower than expected,” Bailey said.

    The Manor

    “While the Manor hasn’t quite turned a profit yet, the revenues continue to rise. It’s going in the right direction. We do about 30 governmental audits every year in little towns and this is the nicest facility of all,” Bailey said. “It’s a compliment to the town to pull up here.”

  • Council tightening animal laws

    WINNSBORO – Eleven years passed before Fairfield County updated its animal control ordinance in December 2018. The next update, however, likely won’t take as long to arrive.

    On Nov. 11, the Fairfield County Council voted unanimously to move forward a proposed ordinance that strengthens the existing animal control law by addressing animal hoarding, tethering and other issues.

    First reading was by title only, so there was no discussion during the regular meeting. Prior to the regular meeting, during the Public Affairs and Policy Committee meeting, council members and county staff voiced support for moving the ordinance forward.

    “The main thing is getting something in place so when the offenders do an action, we have something to take care of that,” said Councilwoman Bertha Goins, the committee’s chairperson.

    If the proposed changes become law, tethering an animal to a chain would become illegal in Fairfield County.

    “We don’t think an animal needs to be on a chain at all,” said County Administrator Jason Taylor.

    Bob Innes, the county’s animal control and adoption center director, said tethers cause great harm to animals. It is not unusual for dogs to be brought into the shelter with deep gashes cut into their necks by tethers.

    “It’s just craziness. If you want to stop these horrific sort of things from happening, then you have to change the rules,” Innes said. “It’s a proven fact that dogs chained up their entire life become aggressive. And people wonder why pit bulls are aggressive. If you’re chained up your entire life and don’t mix with humans, that’s what happens.”

    Instead, the new law sets forth guidelines dogs to wear harnesses connected to a trolley system, which functions similarly to a zip line. An animal’s leash line connects to a second line suspended in the air, giving animals more freedom to roam.  

    The proposed ordinance states the suspended trolley line must measure at least 20 feet between endpoints and be at least three feet above the dog.

    Dogs must also have free movement along the length of the trolley without becoming entangled. The trolley must also give dogs adequate access to food and water, according to the draft ordinance.

    Councilman Clarence Gilbert said he supported trolleys, but also asked about cost. Gilbert said he mainly wanted to ensure pet owners could afford trolleys. Innes said trolleys cost as little as $20.

    In the end, the committee unanimously approved a motion to study trolley systems that incorporate harnesses, and then bring back the findings to the next committee meeting.

    Fairfield looks to Aiken

    Tommy Morgan, the county’s attorney, said the proposed Fairfield ordinance incorporates verbiage from an anti-tethering measure Aiken County adopted in March 2017.

    In Aiken, tethering is only allowed “for a brief period of time necessary to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be restrained,” setting a four-hour maximum. Fairfield County’s proposed law would go further, banning tethering altogether.

    The Aiken County ordinance also establishes provisions for a trolley system. Fairfield County’s proposed law on trolleys is virtually identical to Aiken’s.

    Morgan said the chief goal is to strengthen Fairfield’s existing law as much as possible without exposing it to a possible legal challenge.

    “I want to stress that this is not a final document. It’s living and breathing and some edits are going to be made,” Morgan said.

    Aiken County Administrator Clay Killian told The Voice that there’ve been no legal challenges to its tethering ban, nor is he aware of any future attempts to challenge it.

    “Having an ordinance is the only way you can enforce the regulation,” Killian said. “I would say that having this tool has been successful in that it gives us a chance to address matters as they are reported or found.”

    Animal hoarding

    Fairfield County’s proposed ordinance also addresses animal hoarding. The county’s animal control workers have recently had cases where dozens of animals or, in one case, hundreds, living on the same property.

    Taylor said the ordinance revisions aren’t intended to target livestock, where dozens of animals typically graze on large farms.

    “We have one case where we found 62 dogs that were inbreeding,” Taylor said. “We need to get control of that kind of thing.”

    Innes said the county also has a problem with what he called “backstreet breeding,” something he said the revised ordinance needs to address.

    “This is the sort of thing that we need to tighten up on,” Innes said.

    Taylor also noted the ordinance also isn’t designed to target legally operating kennels. The proposed law would define “kennels” to avoid any confusion, he said.

    Later, during the regular council meeting, Ridgeway resident Randy Bright thanked council members for continuing its focus on animal welfare.

    In December 2018, the council revised its animal control ordinance to impose a $500 civil penalty for violations of the county ordinance.

    Other provisions include mandatory reporting of striking a pet with a motor vehicle or bicycle, more detailed definitions of nuisance animals and requiring all pets to be fed at least once a day and have potable water.

    But Bright also noted the solicitor’s office needs to more vigorously prosecute violators.

    A recent investigation by The Voice newspaper found that most animal abuse cases prosecuted by the 16th Judicial Circuit result in pleas to lesser charges or outright dismissals.

    “If we don’t have a working relationship with the solicitor’s office, this not going to happen. It’s not going to be enforced,” Bright said.