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Tag: Mayor Roger Gaddy

  • County honors native son Isaac Woodard, Jr.

    Fairfield County Councilwoman Bertha Goins reads a resolution from the County during a ceremony honoring Winnsboro native Sgt. Isaac Woodard. Behind her are Woodard’s nephew Robert Young (to Goins’ right) and his family. | Francine Goins

    BATESBURG-LEESVILLE – A commemoration and unveiling of a historical marker in Batesburg-Leesville on Saturday honored Winnsboro native Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a World War II veteran whose savage beating at the hands of a callous, intolerant sheriff helped inspire civil rights in America.

    Woodard

    Fairfield County Councilwoman Bertha Goins, addressing Woodard’s nephew and his family along with a large group of dignitaries from across the state, read a resolution from the County, recognizing Woodard as an American hero. She also recognized his inhumane treatment as a catalyst in this nation’s civil rights movement.

    In a letter read at the ceremony, Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy wrote that he was honored to acknowledge the life of Woodard, recalling Woodard’s and his family’s years in Winnsboro.

    After recounting the events surrounding Woodard’s brutal beating, Gaddy said, “It is with great honor that we are proud to see this historical marker be placed in Batesburg-Leesville to honor and acknowledge his life and service.”

    A booklet at the commemoration titled the “Blinding of Isaac Woodard, Jr,” recounted the events that led up to Woodard’s blinding and to the eventual elevation of civil rights in the United States.

    Isaac Woodard, Jr. was born in Fairfield County, but grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Oct. 14, 1942, at Fort Jackson, and served in the Pacific as part of a labor battalion. Woodard received an Honorable Discharge at Camp Gordon, GA, in early February, 1946.

    Along with a contingent of other discharged soldiers, black and white, Woodard boarded a Greyhouse bus on Feb. 12 to travel back home to North Carolina.

    Isaac Woodard, Jr. with his mother

    A conflict was triggered when the bus driver belittled the Army veteran for asking if there would be enough time for a bathroom break during a scheduled bus stop. It is reported that Woodard argued back. At the next stop, Woodard was met by Chief of Police Linwood Shull of Batesburg who, along with his deputies, beat Woodard savagely with their nightsticks.

    Woodard was later charged with drunk and disorderly conduct before finally being taken to a veteran’s hospital in Columbia.

    The NAACP took up Woodard’s case in the spring of 1946, pressing military officials to provide assistance to the gravely injured veteran while also calling for legal action against Chief Shull.

    By September of that year, NAACP officials met with President Harry Truman who expressed outrage over this assault on a veteran. Shull was tried in federal court but released after the jury deliberated only 30 minutes.

    As news of the attack circulated in the national media, President Harry Truman created the first President’s Committee on Civil Rights (PCCR) which published, ‘To Secure These Rights’ in 1947.

    This groundbreaking report led to the desegregation of the military in 1948 and new federal attention to racial inequality as a matter of both domestic justice and out of concern for Cold War politics.

    For many Americans, Isaac Woodard became a sympathetic figure representing the larger conflicts of Jim Crow emerging after World War II. The public’s response to the vicious attack upon Woodard, as well as the response of President Harry Truman, signaled a major shift in public support for civil rights during the 1940’s.

    Isaac Woodard died on Sept., 1992 in the Bronx, New York where he lived with his nephew, Robert Young, and his family. But Woodard’s death was not the end of his legacy.

    On June 7, 2018, Robert M. Cook II, Municipal Court Judge for the Town of Batesburg-Leesville, issued an order re-opening the case against Woodard and subsequently dismissed all charges against him. The order was granted upon receiving a request from Town Attorney Christian Spradly and Chief of Police Wallace Oswald.

    The Town also moved to dismiss the charges against Woodard.

    “It was a beautiful, emotional, meaningful ceremony,” Goins said. “It did not undo the crime, the injustice or the injury, but it brought well-deserved honor to this man who, through his pain and suffering, made so much possible for the rest of us.

    “It was a privilege to be part of it,” Goins said.

  • Boykins show off in Fairfield

    Mayor Roger Gaddy and his wife Nan with Gunnie, left, and Tucker.

    WINNSBORO – The little brown, curly-haired dogs that found their way into the hearts of South Carolinians competed this past weekend during a Boykin Spaniel Field Trial in Fairfield County.

    Brian Edwards with Bowman | Photos: Martha Ladd

    The event was hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Roger Gaddy and organized by the Carolina Boykin Spaniel Retriever Club. Over 110 entries from both the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia gathered on Newberry Road property owned by Fairfield County native Fleming McMaster and Doctors Deborah and Craig Stuck.

    The dogs and owners/handlers/trainers competed on land and water in puppy, novice, intermediate and open competition categories. In addition to competing for award ribbons, the participants earned points toward end-of-year awards. Richard Winn Academy’s shooting team assisted with the event as Bird Technicians.

    South Carolinian Whit Boykin is credited with perfecting this specialty breed of hunting dog, and in 1985, Governor Richard Riley pushed through legislation to officially name the Boykin the State Dog.

    The Boykin Spaniel Society will host the annual Nationals Competition in Camden on March 22-24, and the public is invited. For more information about this upcoming event and dog breed, visit the website www.boykinspaniel.org.

    Bird technicians are responsible for simulating a real duck hunt by slinging and hiding duck dummies for the dogs. Pictured from left are Eagle Shooting members B Baker, Jennifer Haney, Samantha Wilkes, Sam Banister and Will Cathcart.

  • Alltemp is open for business

    WINNSBORO – The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce welcomed Alltemp Comfort Services to town last Friday with a ribbon cutting. Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy and Alltemp owner Chris Griffith, center, wielded while co-owner Amy Griffith, left of Gaddy, and other members of the chamber assisted. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Director Terry Vickers, left, and Chamber secretary Susan Yenner held the ribbon. Alltemp is located on Peays Ferry Road in Winnsboro.

  • Chairman contests response to proposed ordinance

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield County is shooing any notion that it’s trying to coax the Town of Winnsboro into adopting the tougher animal control laws that the County is considering.

    But that’s the perception Winnsboro Town Council expressed during its June 5 meeting.

    Mayor Roger Gaddy called the county’s proposed ordinance “cumbersome,” and he and other council members questioned the town’s ability to enact it.

    County Council Chairman Billy Smith, however, said the ordinance is in the very early proposal stages.

    Smith said it’s subject to change, and there aren’t any plans to nudge Winnsboro into passing a similar measure. He was especially surprised the document was presented and debated by Winnsboro Town Council.

    “I think that discussion was probably premature,” Smith said, noting he first learned about the Winnsboro discussion by reading about it in The Voice.

    Smith said staff prepared the draft ordinance, and that it hasn’t been presented to county council.

    “We haven’t even seen it (the ordinance),” he said. “I was told it was not something meant to go to any other council.”

    At its June 5 council meeting, the Winnsboro Town Council accepted as information a proposed county ordinance it said was aimed at strengthening animal control regulations.

    Gaddy held a copy of the proposed ordinance in his hands as he told council members about the county’s request.

    He and others, though, expressed concerns about the town’s ability to enforce a stricter animal control ordinance.

    “I think the ordinance is relatively lengthy and cumbersome and may impose some difficulty and cost in enforcing it,” Gaddy said. “We still have to deal with issues with animal control without passing something consistent with the county.”

    Gaddy also opposed a provision that limits dog ownership to three, noting he owns six dogs.

    “I don’t want an ordinance limiting the number of dogs I have as long as they behave and believe me, they’re treated right,” the mayor said.

    During the meeting, council members expressed general support for prosecuting overt acts of animal cruelty, but were reluctant to implement comprehensive changes to the law.

    Winnsboro Police Chief John Seibles said manpower remains a challenge, noting the town doesn’t have a full-time animal control officer.

    Seibles also said fines don’t always deter lawbreakers, noting penalties are set “at the discretion of the court.”

    Animal control and financial data, and how it relates to the number of animals the county houses, are elements that Fairfield County officials are reviewing with its proposed ordinance.

    Smith declined to comment about specific numbers, but acknowledged he’s interested in learning the percentage of animal calls originating from within Winnsboro town limits that county officers respond to and foots the bills for.

    “I have the concern, but I want to figure out to what extent,” he said.

  • Town of Winnsboro resists tougher animal control laws

    WINNSBORO – Winnsboro leaders think Fairfield County is barking up the wrong tree by asking the town to emulate the county’s animal control ordinance.

    On Monday night, Winnsboro Town Council members resisted the request, saying the county’s law is overly superfluous and restrictive.

    “I think the ordinance is relatively lengthy and cumbersome and may impose some difficulty and cost in enforcing it,” said Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy. “We still have to deal with issues with animal control without passing something consistent with the county.”

    For example, Gaddy said he opposes a provision that would limit households to owning three dogs or less.

    “I have six, and as far as I know they’re not a nuisance,” Gaddy said. “I don’t want an ordinance limiting the number of dogs I have as long as they behave and believe me, they’re treated right.”

    Councilman John McMeekin said he was open to enacting a reasonable animal control ordinance, but noted the town needs adequate resources to enforce the law.

    Councilman Clyde Sanders agreed with Gaddy that the county law was burdensome, but also said he’d support higher fines for animal abuse. He proposed increasing animal cruelty fines to $500.

    “The one thing I would like to see the town do is have a fine of that amount,” Sanders said. “I can’t stand seeing dogs chained in the yard without anything to eat. If we catch someone, the fine ought to be high enough to prevent them from doing it.”

    Winnsboro Police Chief John Seibles said officers handle several animal cruelty cases, including a few felonies. He noted manpower is the greatest challenge.

    “We don’t have a full-time dedicated animal control officer, though our officers do a good job with that,” Seibles said. “If it is on the books, we’d be charged with enforcing it in some kind of way, but we don’t have the means to.”

    Council members accepted the county’s request as information, but took no action.

    “We have ordinances on the books that we don’t enforce now unless someone complains about it,” Gaddy said. “I don’t want us to vote on something if we’re not able to fulfill the letter of the law.”

    In other business, the council voted unanimously to appoint McMeekin as an ex-officio member to the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce.

    The vote mirrors a similar action Fairfield County Council took last month.

    On May 14, the council voted to authorize the chairman to appoint a county council member to the board as a condition of receiving its annual grant of $87,507 in its entirety.

    The county’s appointee can vote, but cannot hold an office, such as president or secretary. The town’s appointee, however, would serve as an ex-officio member with no voting powers.

    “I think it would be a great idea. I think it would help give the chamber input from the town, and give a liaison from the town the opportunity to let us know what’s going on with the chamber,” Gaddy said. “There can be a line of communication, but not conflicted when it comes to voting on matters affecting the chamber.”

    First reading of the budget and annual tax levy by title only was also on the agenda Monday night.

    Second reading and a public hearing on both budget ordinances will take place at the next council meeting.

  • Citizens open up to Winnsboro Town Council

    WINNSBORO – Winnsboro’s Town Council’s meeting agenda was light last week, but all the chairs in the room were filled, and many of those sitting in the chairs had something to say to Council.

    Winnsboro resident Jenyfer Conaway kicked things off by introducing herself as a “damn yankee” who works in Charlotte. She said she loves Winnsboro and purchased a house here 10 years ago for $78,000 which, she said, is now worth only $35,000.

    “Our town is dying,” Conaway stated, initiating a dialogue with council members, asking if they knew their oath of office.

    Mayor Gaddy intercepted the exchange and instructed Conaway that dialogue was not part of the program.

    “I just want someone to listen to us,” she added, before sitting down.

    Vanessa Reynolds said her position as a national sales manager gives her access to businesses in all areas of the country.

    “Small towns are not trending down overall,” she said.  She said they are trending up and cited the need for Winnsboro to enforce their code 96.5 Section B ordinances. These ordinances address decaying exterior exposures of buildings including peeling or cracked exteriors, broken doors and windows, etc.

    Reynolds said the Town’s lack of enforcement is extending the problem and called for cooperation among residents.

    “We need to roll up our sleeves,” she said.

    Mayor Gaddy responded, thanking her for giving Council solutions and not just complaints.

    Attorney and Ridgeway Municipal Judge, Adrian Wilkes, requested that Council record their meetings.  He said it would be a big benefit to have something to look back to when issues arise.

    “I was taken aback that merchants don’t know that grant money is available for downtown revitalization,” Mitford resident Wanda Carnes said. Carnes said she owns four buildings and would like to have been able to use the unspent money for revitalizing the look of her storefronts.

    “A line was added to the application saying that only one revitalization grant is available per owner,” Carnes said. “When was that line added and who voted to add it?”

    Gaddy said he would get that information to her.

    Keryn Isenhoward asked Council’s for the use of Mt Zion Green trail for a four-hour breast cancer walk on Oct. 20.  Keep Going Fairfield County will be the event title.  Council agreed to support the event by providing use of Mt Zion, electricity and maintaining the trash bins for the day.  Councilman McMeekin championed the event, making the motion to allow the walk.  The motion passed 5-0.

    Fairfield Central Band Director, Sir Davis, asked Council to allow gratis use of the Old Armory Building on June 1, for the band’s banquet.  Council voted 5-0 in favor.

    Also on the agenda was the Chamber of Commerce relocation discussion, but Terry Vickers asked that it be deferred.

    Councilman Danny Miller said he had held a council position for 23 years and expressed his love for concerned people.

    “We are all in it together,” Miller said, “and we are going to get there through love and working together.”

  • The Proclaimers

    WINNSBORO – The month of March was proclaimed Disability Awareness Month by the Fairfield County Disabilities and Special Needs Board members and Winnsboro and Fairfield County elected officials. Signing the proclamation are, seated: Randy Jones, resident and artist, Ridgeway Mayor Charlene Herring, Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, Carol Martig, and Etta Jennings. Standing, from left: Shirley Kennedy (Day Program Manager) and DSN Executive Director Laura Collins.

  • Town breaks ground for Broad River Project

    WINNSBORO – HPG engineer Ken Parnell, Danny Stuck with DS Utilities, Blythewood Mayor J. Michael Ross, Ridgeway Mayor Charlene Herring, Winnsboro Town Councilmen Clyde Sanders, Jackie Wilkes (former), John McMeekin, Town Manager Don Wood, Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, attorney John Fantry, Fairfield County Councilwoman Bertha Goins and Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor broke ground for the Broad River Water Project on Wednesday.

  • Providence, County break ground for ER

    Breaking ground for the new Providence Health-Fairfield Emergency Room are: Bertha Goins, Vice Chairman of Fairfield County Council; Dr. Roger Gaddy, Fairfield Memorial Hospital Chief of Staff and Mayor of Winnsboro; Susie VanHuss, Chair Board of Trustees Providence Health; Scott Campbell, Market CEO, Providence Health; Catherine Fantry, Fairfield Memorial Hospital Board Chair; MaryGail K. Douglas, Representative District 41; Victor Giovanetti, President Eastern Group LifePoint Health; J.R. Green, PhD, Superintendent of Fairfield County School, Providence Health Board of Trustees Member; Mike Tanner, Director Emergency Medical Services, Upper Midlands Rural Health Network; Suzy Doscher, Fairfield Memorial Hospital CEO; Dr. Cale Davis, Carolina Care; Mark Hood, President and CEO Hood Construction. | Barbara Ball

    WINNSBORO – Ground was broken Feb. 15 for the new Providence Health-Fairfield Emergency Room that will be located on the corner across from BI-Lo Shopping Center at 1810 US Highway 321 Bypass in Winnsboro. Approximately 100 county, town, health care and community officials attended the ceremony and gathered to watch the first dig marking the beginning of construction of the facility.

    Exterior rendering of Providence Health – Fairfield Emergency Room

    “We are proud to collaborate with Fairfield Memorial Hospital (FMH) and Fairfield County to preserve critical access to emergency care for residents of this community,” Scott Campbell, Market Chief Executive Officer of Providence Health, said in opening remarks at the invitation-only event. “This new facility will allow you to have access to 24/7 care from board certified emergency room specialists, and we’re excited about that. This Emergency Room will help transform the delivery of local healthcare services to a sustainable model that better meets the needs of this area.” Campbell said.

    The new emergency room will be approximately 20 miles away from Providence Health’s Northeast hospital campus where patients needing more intensive care can be quickly transferred.

    Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, who serves a Chief of Staff at Fairfield Memorial Hospital and has been on staff at the hospital since 1979, addressed the crowd, reminiscing how, as a young intern, he was recruited to Fairfield County 40 years ago by current fellow FMH Board member William Tuner who was then serving on Fairfield County Council. Gaddy expressed his appreciation to the County, to Providence Health and its partner, LifePoint Health, for bringing the new emergency room to Fairfield.

    “It’s a great day for Fairfield County,” Gaddy told those gathered.

    Interior rendering of Emergency Room in Fairfield County

    The one-level, 18,000-square-foot building will dedicate 12,000 square feet to emergency services and include 6,000 additional square feet of space for future expansion. Plans for the facility include: six exam rooms (including four treatment rooms and two for future expansion), two trauma rooms, an onsite laboratory and imaging services such as a CT scann, ultrasound and x-ray.

    County Council budgets $1.2 million annually to support FMH’s emergency room, and it passed a resolution in May, 2017, stating that it would continue to financially support FMH’s emergency room operations for up to 18 months or until the new Providence emergency facility is open for business. That resolution also stated that the County will provide $1 million annually for 10 years to Providence Health in support of the new emergency room.

    The new emergency room was made possible in part by the state’s Hospital Transformation Program which supports rural access to healthcare resources and has contributed $3.9 million to this project.

    Providing rural access to health resources is a statewide initiative,” Fairfield Memorial Hospital CEO Suzanne Doscher said. “We are pleased to have found a partner that will continue to offer emergency services to the residents of Fairfield County.”

    Until the new facility opens, in-patient hospital and emergency service will continue to be offered at the FMH location. When the new ER opens, emergency services, radiology and lab services will be offered there.

    County Council Chairman Billy Smith said providence will offer employment opportunities to current FMH employees who satisfy Providence’s customary pre-employment screening requirements and are qualified for comparable positions in the new facility to the extent that these positions are available.

    Smith emphasized that Providence Health is committed to providing needed emergency care to all of Fairfield’s residents and that it has a charity care policy that provides support for community members who lack the ability to pay for needed healthcare services.

    Construction on the new emergency room is expected to be completed in the fall of this year.

  • Winnsboro Town Council OKs water for BW senior center

    Winnsboro Council OKs water capacity for proposed Senior Center in Blythewood

    WINNSBORO – A 64-room senior living facility proposed for downtown Blythewood crossed a major hurdle Monday night when the Town of Winnsboro voted unanimously to approve a Water Capacity Availability and Willingness to Serve Letter for The Pendergraph Companies. The letter approves 11,520 gallons per day (GPD) for the facility.

    The facility, to be named Blythewood Senior Living, is proposed for a five-acre site on Creech Road between the Russell Jeffcoat offices and the IGA and behind Larry Sharpe’s BP service station and three other lots facing Blythewood Road.

    According to Tom Ulrich, the project manager for the proposal, the water capacity is based on 32 two-bedroom apartment homes and 32 one-bedroom apartment homes. Ulrich told The Voice following the meeting that the facility would be for residents who live independently.

    “The rooms will all be in one building, like a hotel,” Ulrich said.

    Ulrich came before the Blythewood Town Council in the fall of 2017 to give Town Hall a heads up that his company was considering bringing a senior living facility to the town. Ulrich told The Voice that the company has been in discussions with Town officials for some months.

    “I wrote a reference letter for the developer stating this would be great for our town,” Mayor J. Michael Ross said, “but that we are not advocating for any more affordable living apartments. We are very excited that this facility might come to Blythewood.”

    “The project looks very positive from the developer’s perspective,” the Winnsboro’s utility attorney, John Fantry, said. “They’ve already built one of these facilities in Lancaster County. Now they’re taking that vision to Blythewood. They are currently doing due diligence for financing on a tract of about 52 acres on Creech Road. The developer will be coming back to us when financing is worked out. This particular request is to provide assurance to their financing process that Winnsboro does have the capacity to serve the proposed facility’s water needs,” Fantry said.

    Ulrich said he expects the project to be complete by the end of 2019.

    “We should have our water from Broad River by then,” Mayor Roger Gaddy said. “We oughta have all kinds of water to sell.”