Blythewood Online 691

Blog

  • Closing Threatens Property Tax Relief

    Walmart was Top Contributor to LOST

    Without revenues from Walmart sales, property tax relief may suffer. (Photo/Barbara Ball)
    Without revenues from Walmart sales, property tax relief may suffer. (Photo/Barbara Ball)

    WINNSBORO (Feb. 12, 2016) – When Walmart closed its doors for the last time in Winnsboro on Jan. 28, it shut off the spigot for more than just major retail in Fairfield County. As the county’s single largest contributor to the Local Option Sales Tax – the pot of money by which Fairfield County property owners are afforded property tax relief – taxpayers may see the amount of credit they receive on future tax notices diminish.

    “With the loss of that revenue (from Walmart), I don’t see how County Council is going to be able to continue to provide that relief,” said Robert Martin, who serves on the Board of Economic Advisors governing the S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. “I don’t see how County Council is going to get around increasing property taxes somewhat next year.”

    While the S.C. Department of Revenue would not divulge exactly how much money Walmart contributed to the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), the big-box retailer was Fairfield County’s largest contributor.

    In spite of Martin’s grim forecast, Interim County Administrator Milton Pope said Fairfield County’s losses would be offset somewhat by the fact that Fairfield is a “receiver” county among the counties participating in the property tax relief formula. A portion of the penny sales tax collected by more prosperous counties – “donor” counties – is redistributed among the “receiver” counties annually.

    But while funds coming back to Fairfield from donor counties might mitigate some of the fiscal damage, Martin said it would only be a fraction of what Fairfield is losing with the absence of Walmart.

    “Some of it would be offset by the donor counties,” Martin said, “but I wouldn’t think it would be that much.”

    Fairfield County’s municipalities are also credited with LOST funds that offset their local property taxes. According to the Department of Revenue, 33 percent of the penny tax is distributed to municipalities, based on their population. The remaining 67 percent goes to property tax relief in the unincorporated areas of the county. With the LOST funds diminished, Town council’s may have to rethink their annual budgets.

    Ridgeway’s millage rate for the 2015-2016 fiscal year, for example, brought in $44,350 to their meagre general fund budget of $222,840. While Ridgeway is still bolstered by rental properties and an insurance tax, every penny counts.

    Don Wood, Winnsboro’s Town Manager, said the loss of Walmart’s contribution would be “significant;” however, how significant remains to be seen. As of last week, Wood was still seeking exact figures from the Department of Revenue.

    Walmart also contributed to Winnsboro’s bottom line with utility bills. According to Kathy Belton, Director of Winnsboro’s Finance Department, Walmart paid an approximate average of $23,000 a month in electricity bills, $190-$200 a month in water bills and $1,100 a month in gas bills.

    All of that, too, has now dried up.

    “That will certainly be a concern,” Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy said. “That’s more than a quarter of a million dollars a year.”

    Of course, Gaddy added, Winnsboro purchases electricity from SCE&G before reselling it to customers. So Winnsboro will only be losing its profit margin, not the entire $23,000 a month bundle.

    “It will have some impact,” Gaddy said, “but I don’t think it will kill us.”

    The ultimate impact of the loss of Walmart won’t be known until August, Pope said, when the final LOST figures come in. As Council begins its budgeting process in the coming months, Pope said the County will have to bear in mind the potential reduction in LOST funds when estimating property tax credits.

    And while Pope was reluctant to discuss the potential for a millage increase, he did say that taxpayers would feel some impact.

    “The Local Option Sales Tax is a credit on your tax bill that helps to lower taxes on property,” Pope said. “There may not necessarily be an increase, but yes, there is a possibility that folks may not see as much of a credit.”

     

  • Water Odor Plagues Cobblestone

    Winnsboro: No Health Risk

    BLYTHEWOOD (Feb. 11, 2016) – The Town of Winnsboro’s Water Department continues to investigate complaints of odoriferous and unpleasant tasting water in homes in the Cobblestone neighborhood, sending samples to an outside laboratory in Florida for testing.

    Blythewood Town Council briefly discussed the issue during their Jan. 25 meeting and said residents with serious concerns should consider having their water tested independently.

    “This is substantive,” Mayor J. Michael Ross, who lives in Cobblestone, said. “This isn’t one person. About two dozen residents say their water is not right. They are pretty specific about the water (problems). The Flint, Mich. thing hasn’t helped.”

    Ed Parler, Blythewood’s Economic Development Consultant, said the first complaints surfaced on Dec. 18. Parler, who also lives in Cobblestone, said early complaints involved a high mineral content in the water. His own water, he said, ‘did not taste like it should.’

    Ross said the Town of Winnsboro has reported to Council consistently throughout the investigation and a representative from the Water Department may address the issue at Council’s next meeting.

    “A couple of people approached me about it,” Councilman Tom Utroska said, “and when I asked them if they’d had their water tested, they said, ‘No.’ My next comment was, ‘If you’re concerned you can get it tested. I don’t think the town (government) needs to do it’.”

    Otis Williams, Director of Winnsboro’s Water Department, said this week that so far preliminary tests have turned up no bacteriological issues, and the issue posed no health risk.

    The issue appears to be isolated to the Cobblestone neighborhood, Williams said, and only to a handful of homes. In some of those homes, he said, the issue was isolated to one or two faucets, and the foul odor and taste dissipated after running the water for a few moments.

    That could mean the problem is an internal plumbing issue, Williams said, although he stressed that was only speculation at this point. Williams said when work crews have opened hydrants in the area, they have not found any odor in the water.

    The Cobblestone neighborhood does have a lot of new and ongoing construction, Williams said, with a lot of dead-end lines. With those lines not yet part of a regular loop, the water in those areas does not get flushed as quickly or as often. The issue only arose after the end of summer, he said, after the end of the high-use season, so any flushing those lines did get stopped then.

    Williams also said there could potentially be a type of algae in the reservoir that is so small it escapes normal filtration and treatment processes. That algae is harmless, he said, and typically goes unnoticed – unless lines do not get flushed regularly, in which case the decay of the algae can produce an odor and taste in the water.

    “But I don’t think that’s the case,” Williams added. “We’re just covering our bases. If it were the case, it would be widespread; there would have been reports in Mid-County’s water and others. But we haven’t seen that.”

    Winnsboro crews are aggressively flushing the lines in the area, Williams said, while test results for the potential algae are pending. In the meantime, he said, all preliminary investigations show there to be no health risk and no widespread problem.

    Residents who would like to send their water to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control for testing should visit the department’s website at http://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/YourHomeEnvironmentalandSafetyConcerns/DrinkingWaterConcerns/TestingYourWater/

    Barbara Ball contributed to this story.

     

  • Suspect at Large After Shooting

    WINNSBORO (Feb. 5, 2016) – A Winnsboro man was wounded Sunday evening after an argument outside a home on Elders Lane degenerated into gunfire.

    Chief of Public Safety Freddie Lorick said Laquinta Lamar Qualls, 28, of Johnson Street, Winnsboro, and 34-year-old Antonio Maurice Sanders, of Sandpiper Lane, Columbia, had gotten into an argument outside the home on Elders Lane, near Lady Lane, just before 5 p.m. Sunday. The argument escalated into a fight and punches were thrown. Sanders then left the scene and returned approximately 10 minutes later wielding a gun and fired several shots at Qualls.

    One of the shots hit Qualls in the back and Sanders fled the scene in a black Toyota Corolla. Qualls was transported to Palmetto Richland with what Lorick described as a grazing wound and was released Monday.

    Lorick said a warrant was issued for Sanders’ arrest on charges of attempted murder. As of press time, Sanders remained at large. In addition to his Columbia address of 1101 Sandpiper Lane, Sanders has a secondary address of 1072 Golf Course Road in Winnsboro.

     

  • Arrest Made in Dog Dragging Case

    Billy Ray Huskey
    Billy Ray Huskey

    WINNSBORO (Feb. 5, 2016) – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office arrested 48-year-old Billy Ray Huskey of Forest Lake Circle near Mitford on Saturday and charged him with ill treatment of animals in the Dec. 13 dragging incident that left a 9-month old dog severely injured.

    The wounded pup was discovered off Camp Welfare Road by four women riding horseback through Carolina Adventure World near White Oak at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 13. Laura Collins, the horseback rider who first spotted the dog, said he was lying near a bush at the edge of a horse trail about 200 feet from Camp Welfare Road, a paved road that runs alongside Carolina Adventure World.

    The dog, later dubbed ‘Emmanuel’ by his caregivers, was taken by one of the horseback riders to Fairfield Animal Hospital and treated by Dr. Robert Knight.

    Knight later told The Voice that the dog’s injuries were consistent with having been dragged behind a vehicle. Susan Knight, a vet tech and the wife of and spokesperson for Dr. Knight, said the dog’s injuries were only a few hours old when he was brought in.

    The horrific injuries sparked an outpouring of public support in an effort to save the 9-month-old pup’s life as well as locate anyone, who might have been responsible for his injuries. Somehow, the victim survived.

    “Emmanuel was missing all his toenails and nail beds and all of the skin and some tissue on the top sides of every paw,” Susan Knight said. ”He was missing the hard soles on his paw pads and had multiple deep abrasions on his chest (underneath and on both sides).”

    She said all of the skin and tissue on the dog’s knees, down to the bones, was gone. The skin on his left leg was slit open all the way up his groin to his side. Knight said there were other lacerations and wounds that are seen in dogs who have been dragged.

    News of the injured dog and how those wounds were likely inflicted spread rapidly through Fairfield County via social media. The Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society offered a $1,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of anyone involved. Deborah Richelle, president of the group told The Voice that many people in the community contributed to the reward fund.

    Hoof and Paw members posted the reward in the local press and were assisted by Fairfield County Sheriff’s Deputies in distributing fliers announcing the reward throughout the area.

    “If a crime was committed and if this dog was dragged behind a vehicle knowingly, someone knows what happened,” Minge Wiseman, vice president of the Hoof and Paw Society, told The Voice in December. “We hope the reward money will be what it takes to obtain the information necessary to bring the person(s) responsible to justice.”

    In January, those fliers finally bore fruit as witnesses came forward and identified Huskey as the man they believed responsible for Emmanuel’s injuries.

    Huskey was booked into the Fairfield County Detention Center Saturday and released the same day on a $5,000 surety bond.

     

  • Town OK’s Hospital Payment Plan

    Pointe Gets Green Light for Water Construction

    WINNSBORO (Feb. 5, 2016) – Town Council Tuesday night accepted a payment plan agreement with Fairfield memorial Hospital, which was in arrears to the tune of $188,699.99 on its utility bill as of last Dec. 8.

    According to the agreement, failure by the hospital to make good on its debt will result in termination of service, 15 days after the due date of any future payments. The arrangement allows Fairfield Memorial to make the payments in 36 installments of $5,241.67 each, with the first installment due on Feb. 20. The bill should be paid in full by Feb. 20, 2019.

    In consideration for 18 timely payments, the Town agrees to return the sum of $2,865.07 – the hospital’s current balance as of Jan. 19 – in the form of a credit applied to the 36 installments.

    The Pointe

    Council also gave the OK to a resolution approving the request to proceed with construction of water facilities at a future 56-unit apartment complex slated for 425 Main St. in Blythewood.

    During their Jan. 19 meeting, Council agreed to transfer their capacity and willingness to serve agreement for 19,200 gallons of water capacity from Sarah K. Niemann of Niemann Consulting, Inc. to The Point at Blythewood, LP, the apartment complex known as “Just the Pointe.”

    As part of Tuesday night’s approval, Winnsboro agrees to send a letter of support to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on behalf of the developer’s application for a construction permit.

    John Fantry, Winnsboro’s utilities attorney, told The Voice Tuesday night that the Town’s engineers had reviewed and accepted plans for the construction of the water facilities. The construction is being performed by Site Design, Inc.

    The Point at Blythewood, LP, will also have to enter into a Subdivision Water System Development Agreement with Winnsboro within 18 months of March 19, 2015. Once the infrastructure has been completed, inspected and licensed, Winnsboro will accept ownership of the water lines.

    Last month, Blythewood’s Board of Architectural Review gave the project its Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) and granted the project’s developer, Prestwick Development LLC, 16 variances, including a request to omit the Town’s requirement that principal building facades provide a stoop or porch with a minimum height of 24-inches for all first-floor residential units. The Board did not omit the height requirement, but amended it to allow Prestwick to lower the height of the stoops on the principal building to 12 inches. The Board also allowed Prestwick to lower the required 48-inch elevation height on the building.

     

  • Free Dental Care in Columbia

    COLUMBIA (Feb. 4, 2016) – Four dentists will be offering free dental care on Friday, Feb. 5, to local folks who have dental issues but can’t afford dental care. On that date ‘The Heart of Dentistry’ is coming to the dental office of Vista Smiles through the efforts of Dr. Greg Wych, Dr. Wes Phillips, Dr. Benetta Bell and Dr. Milan Humplik.

    Treatment will be limited to the individual patient choosing either a dental cleaning, routine fillings or extractions. To make an appointment between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., call 779-9666. The office is located at 515 Richland Street, Columbia.

     

  • Art Center Closes Shop

    BLYTHEWOOD (Feb. 4, 2016) – The Blythewood Art Center, Visitor’s Center and the office of the Blythewood Chamber of Commerce closed the doors and their current location on Blythewood Road on Jan. 3.

    While the Arts Center and Chamber will be looking for new locations in the town, the Visitor’s Center will be temporarily housed in the Town Hall until Town Council assesses how the Center should go forward, said Mayor J. Michael Ross.

    “We will operate the Center out of Town Hall until June and by then should have a plan for it.” Ross said.

    The Arts and Visitor’s Centers and the Chamber all receive funding from the Town’s Accommodation Tax revenue.

     

  • Ex-Boyfriend Charged with Murder

    Former BHS Student Shot to Death

    COLUMBIA (Feb. 4, 2016) – The Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Columbia man Saturday morning, charging him with the shooting death of Deanndra Roach, 19, of Wilkinson Drive, Columbia.

    Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Roach’s body was found by a man walking his dog at approximately 5 p.m. Friday lying next to her vehicle in the 10000 block of Farrow Road near Blythewood. The Sheriff’s Department said Roach had apparently been shot several times, and she was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS responders.

    An autopsy conducted Saturday morning confirmed Roach had died from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body.

    Saturday morning, investigators arrested Andre Heatly Jr., 22, outside a business at 7703 Broad River Road in Irmo.

    According to Sheriff Leon Lott, Heatly was Roach’s ex-boyfriend. He was captured on video surveillance using Roach’s debit card at three different locations shortly after Roach had been killed.

    Heatly was still being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center at press time where in addition to murder charges he also faces charges of armed robbery.

    Roach was a 2015 graduate of Blythewood High School, where, among others, she touched the life of her science teacher, Michael Varnadore.

    “Dee was someone that I looked forward to seeing each day,” Varnadore said in a statement released by Richland 2 this week. “She would walk in and ask ‘How’s your day going Mr. Vee?’ With her smile, she could dissolve any stress that I might be experiencing. She was a true joy. I am truly saddened with the loss of Dee. I know she is in a better place, and looking at the sunshine today. I know she is smiling down on us. She made me a better person in the fact that I was able to know her.”

     

  • Benefit Slated for Injured Redhawk

    Booster Club Seeks Donations for Auction

    Mark "MJ" Mickens is taken off the field following his injury during the Sept. 4 game vs. Clover. (Photo/Ross Burton)
    Mark “MJ” Mickens is taken off the field following his injury during the Sept. 4 game vs. Clover. (Photo/Ross Burton)

    BLYTHEWOOD (Feb. 4, 2016) – It is the worst nightmare of any player, parent or coach – a debilitating injury that can end a season, terminate a career or alter a life forever. Sadly, that nightmare came true last fall.

    On Sept. 4, during week three of the 2015 football season, Westwood High School’s Mark “MJ” Mickens was injured while making what appeared to be nothing more than a routine tackle in the Redhawks’ home game against Clover. But as Mickens was carted off the field by emergency responders, it quickly became evident that it had been anything but a routine play.

    Mickens, a junior defensive back, suffered a traumatic neck fracture/dislocation that has left him a quadriplegic.

    Mickens spent the better part of three months in the hospital, including an extended stay in ICU and long-term inpatient rehabilitation on top of his emergency surgery and numerous medical procedures. He has thus far made considerable strides, returning home the week of Thanksgiving. But his injuries have left him needing around-the-clock care, as well as specialized transportation and medical modifications to the Mickens’ home.

    And all those things cost a great deal of money.

    To help offset some of those expenses, the Redhawk Football Club is holding the Taste of the Town & Benefit Auction at Westwood High School on Saturday, March 5. Food will be available from local Blythewood vendors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the auction beginning at 3 p.m. The booster club has set a goal of $20,000 for the event, with all proceeds going directly to the Mickens family’s medical expenses.

    In addition to coming out and enjoying the event, the Football Club is also asking the community to assist with donations.

    The booster club is accepting cash donations, as well as assistance in construction of home modifications, donations of medical equipment and any new or gently used items that could be sold individually or as a set during the March 5 auction.

    Examples of items for auction would include: gift certificates or coupons, vouchers for service, merchandise, sports memorabilia or tickets, collector’s items, antiques, etc. All donations and contributions are 501(c)3 tax deductible.

    To donate, call 803-200-2689 or email Redhawk.football.club@gmail.com.

    For additional information about the March 5 event, current auction list or additional giving opportunities, visit www.gofundme.com/prayformark.

     

  • Council Sets Target Date for Police Station Move

    RIDGEWAY (Jan. 29, 2016) – Town Council set a target date during their Jan. 14 meeting for the relocation of the police station from Palmer Street to the Century House on Dogwood Avenue. Council hopes to have the move completed by Feb. 28.

    Before Officer Christopher Culp can make the move, however, Council is going to have to invest in some upgrades to the current Council chambers, the room they intend to dedicate to public safety. The primary upgrade will be more secure door locks, Council said, which will have to be in place before Culp can transfer sensitive files from the current police station.

    During Council’s Jan. 7 work session, Culp cautioned Council that a move into the Century House could put innocent bystanders at risk in the event that a violent criminal was ever brought in during normal working hours or during a Council meeting.

    “See how we’re having this meeting tonight? The police department would be here and it would be active,” Culp said during the Jan. 7 work session. “Let’s say (someone) walks in, battling mental illness, with a gun. All of our lives are in danger here, versus over there at the police department, there’s only one person and I’m trained to handle a situation like that.”

    But during the Jan. 14 meeting, Councilman Donald Prioleau told Council that Culp was on board with the move.

    “He had concerns from a police standpoint,” Prioleau said. Speaking with him this morning, he’s very comfortable moving in this office.”

    Prioleau suggested that Council use the money generated through budgetary savings as a result of the move and from the rental of the former police station to upgrade the police department.

    “You’re talking about a $17,000 savings in the budget,” Councilman Heath Cookendorfer said. “That’s money that we’re spending in the budget now, plus additional money we would get from revenue.”

    Council had previously considered renting out the former police station for $500 a month, but during the work session, Cookendorfer suggested the Town could possibly get as much as $600 a month. Regardless of the price, half of it would go to Norfolk Southern Railway, according to the lease agreement the Town signed with them last year. The police station sits on Norfolk Southern property.

    Cookendorfer asked that Culp present a list of the department’s needs at Council’s Feb. 11 meeting for Council to prioritize.

     

    Clarification:

    In many of our recent stories on Ridgeway Town Council’s proposed move of their police station from Palmer Street to the Century House on Dogwood Ave., the amount of money the Town expects to save has fluctuated as Council has debated the matter.

    While each of our reported figures have been quoted directly from Council’s discussion, the Town clarified last week that they will actually save $5,700 a year in utility expenses for the Police Department and, if rented, the former police station would generate another $7,200, which would be a total savings of almost $13,000.