Price elected

Price Elected Sheriff

  Saluda Police Department investigator Josh Price was elected Saluda County Sheriff in the Tues., Nov. 3, General Election.
  Price defeated two term Democratic Sheriff John Perry, 5182-4036.
  Another long-time incumbent, Sen. Floyd Nicholson, a Democrat, was defeated by Republican Billy Garrett districtwide in District 10. In Saluda County, Garrett won 2608-1795.
  In another Saluda County race, Jeffrey Jordan was elected to the Saluda  District One School Board Seat 3 over Trey Fingerlin by a vote of 834-574.
  President Donald Trump easily defeated Joe Biden in the county 6179-2948. Sen. Lindsay Graham defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison by almost the same margin, 6076-3008.
    Other contested races in the county had the following results:
  AIKEN SCHOOL BOARD - Samuretta Muldrow 163; Sandra Shealey 631.
  LEXINGTON 3 SCHOOL BOARD -  Sonya Cary 570; Craig Caughman 564; Stacey Derrick 612; Leon Drafts 573;
  THIRD DISTRICT CONGRESS - Congressman Jeff Duncan 6345; Hosea Cleveland 2829.
  STATE SENATE 25 - Shane Massey 3344; Shirley Fayson 874.
  STATE SENATE 26 -  Chris Smith 198; Nikki Setzler 362.
  LEXINGTON DISTRICT 3 BUILDING REFERENDUM - Question 1 - Yes 456, No 344; Question 2 - Yes 444, No 458.
  Candidates running unopposed received the following votes:
  District 39 Rep. Cal Forrest 6483; District 82 Rep. Bill Clyburn 987; Solicitor Rick Hubbard 7150; Probate Judge
Brenda Griffith 7283; Clerk of Court Sheri Coleman 7291; Coroner Keith Turner 7361; County Council District 2 Jack Atkinson 1056; County Council District 4 Carey Bedenbaugh 2371.
  Soil and Water District Commission Kevin Yon 6293; District One School Board Seat 1 Sharon Williams Holloway 654,  District One School Board Seat 5 James M. Holloway 348,  District One School Board Seat 7 Arlene Puryear 1090.
Saluda Town Council Ward 2 Obie Combs 181; Saluda Town Council Ward 4 John Griffith 206, Saluda Commissioner of Public Works Motte J. Yarbrough 651
  Voter turnout  was 74.22 percent, with 9335 of the county’s 12,577 registered voters casting ballots.

Body of Missing Lexington
County Man Found

  The  body of a missing Lexington County man has been county
  Tucker Roundtree Morris (age 26) was last seen at his workplace at SC Pet Food Solutions in Ward, SC on Monday, October 26th, as earlier reported by Saluda County Sheriff’s Office.  
  Unfortunately he was discovered on Monday, November 2nd around 5:30 PM by a local hunter in a heavily wooded area near SC Pet Food Solutions, off Duncan Road in Saluda County.  
  An autopsy was performed on Tuesday by Newberry Pathology Group, as a result  foul play has been ruled out in the death of Mr. Morris.
   The case remains under investigation by the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office, Saluda County Coroner’s Office and SLED.
  The Coroner’s Office expressed sympathy  to the family and friends of Tucker.

FROM THE CHAIRMAN’S DESK

 By Jerry Strawbridge

  I want just a moment to pass along a little information. On Thursday, November 5, the County Council passed the 1st reading of an ordinance to REPEAL the vehicle road fee. We will have 2nd and 3rd readings within the next five weeks. Stay tuned.
  Since that fee was imposed last year, I have been digging into the County’s finances and l felt that the County could pay its bills without the fee. I believe we should live within our means. We do that as private citizens everyday. We have many challenges ahead of us, but, with common sense and conservative ideas, we can meet our obligations without asking you to pay more at this time.
  Just a follow-up to the entrance into the Commerce Park. The last part of that project was to put a waterline into the park. What no one knew was that a water line was already on Bouknight Ferry Rd. and a connection into the park area should be done by a potential business that wanted to set up their business. That would have cost us $96,000. We stopped that waterline from being installed.
  We have several opportunities before us regarding economic development. As soon as positive commitment is available, we will pass that information to you. Hopefully in the near future we will pass along information about potential job opportunities available in the area.

2020 General Election

General Election November 3

  The  General Election will be held Tues., Nov. 3.
  Of course, the biggest race is the Presidential election between Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
  Saluda County has followed the national trend, with citizens voting early during the pandemic. As of midday Fri., Oct. 23, 1362 had voted, or nearly 12 percent of the registered voters.
  Ruth Padgett of the Registration and Elections office said 709 citizens had voted at the office during the same period in 2016.
  Saluda County voters will see several contested races.
  Sheriff John Perry will face former deputy and current Saluda police officer Josh Price, a Republican.
  In Saluda District One Seat Three, Trey Fingerlin and Jeffrey B. Jordan face off. Both are political newcomers.
  Aiken District One has two nonpartisan candidates for the District 1 seat, Samuretta D. Muldrow and Sandra Shealy.
  Four nonpartisan candidates are seeking the Saluda Lexington District 3 board member seat, Sinya Cary, Craig Caughman, Stacey Derrick and Moses Drafts.
  All of the senators representing the county face opposition.
  District 10 Sen. Floyd Nicholson will face Republican Billy Garrett
  Sen. Shane Massey will meet Democrat Shirley A. Green in November.
  Democratic District 26 Sen. Nikki Setzler will face  Republican  Chris Smith.
  Third District U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan, a Republican will face Democrat Hosea Cleveland.
  Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham meets Democrat Jaime Harrison, and Constitution candidate Bill Bledsoe.
  Running without opposition are  District 39 House Rep. Cal Forrest, District 82 House Rep. Bill Clyburn, 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard, Probate Judge Brenda Griffith, Clerk of Court Sheri Coleman, Coroner Keith Turner, District One School Board members Sharon Williams-Holloway, James Hollo-way and Arlene Puryear, Saluda Town Councilmen Obie Combs and John Griffith, County  Council Primary winners Jack Atkinson and Carey Bedenbaugh, Soil & Water District Commissioner Kevin Yon, Saluda Commissioner of Public Works Motte J. Yarbrough.
  Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

GINNY AND JIMMY SMITH

Legacy of Lander University softball
player continues  through scholarship

  GREENWOOD, S.C. __  The question isn’t what Kariana Elise Smith accomplished in her 23 years of life. The question is: What didn’t she accomplish?
  The Lander University alumna, whose memory lives through the Kariana Elise Smith Scholarship, had a record of impressive achievements before her death in 2007 from injuries sustained in a boating accident. Growing up and playing sports in McCormick, she was also a member of the Lady Bearcats Softball Team at Lander and an assistant coach of the Greenwood High School junior varsity softball team.
  To all who knew her, Kariana was an All-American success story — an athlete who excelled in softball, volleyball and basketball; a lovely blonde selected by classmates to became Prom Queen, and an excellent student whose great wit, laughter, brilliant smile and charm was appreciated by many, not only those in her athletics circle, but also in the personal lives of her family and friends as well.
  “She was a people person. She had friends galore, and we still receive cards and text messages and phone calls from many of her friends,” said Kariana’s mother, Virginia “Ginnie” Deason Smith. “She made people laugh, and everyone enjoyed being around her.”
  Her father, Saluda native James Kirk “Jimmy” Smith said Kariana had an innate ability to make people feel comfortable. “Kariana was so well loved by everyone. She liked making others happy, and people loved her for that.”
  It was their daughter’s love for sports and the family’s love for Lander University that led the Smiths and Kariana’s host of friends to establish the scholarship, now awarded to freshmen on the Lady Bearcats Softball Team.
  Twelve Lander softball players from throughout the United States have received scholarships since the first award was made in 2012. This year’s recipients and their majors include Kalei Cline, biology, from Andover, Kan.; Haley Erwin, nursing, from Stanley, N.C.; Rylee Omahen, nursing, from Alpine, Calif., and Abigayle Stokes, exercise science, from Hartsville.
  Three generations of the Smith family are Lander graduates. Their history begins with Kariana’s grandmother, “Lander Lily” Doshia Duffie of Saluda, who attended college during World War II while her sweetheart – and future husband — Norman C. Smith, also of Saluda,  was serving his nation in battle. Jimmy Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and a master’s degree in education, while Ginnie Smith was an elementary education major. Kariana earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2006, following in the footsteps of brother Kirk Smith, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 2000. He graduated the same year as his wife Michelle, who earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
  “Many of our best memories are on this campus,” Mrs. Smith said on a recent fall day at Lander, “and many of our favorite times were spent watching Kariana play softball here and in high school.”
  Kariana began playing varsity softball in the seventh grade. She was eligible to play on the McCormick High School varsity team because there was no junior varsity team. Kariana told her mom she wanted to play softball, so her mom mentioned it to the coach. The McCormick coach didn’t have great expectations, but after the first practice, the coach was sold on the young player, saying to Mrs. Smith, “You didn’t tell me this girl could play ball!” After that, Kariana played every inning of every softball game through her senior year of high school.
  “Having known Kariana for several years as a young girl, she was one-of-a-kind. She was one of the best athletes I have coached,” said Gena Wideman, Kariana’s former coach in McCormick. “She possessed all of the qualities of a young lady and student-athlete that anyone would be drawn to —compassionate, dedicated, selfless, beautiful from the inside out, team player and a toughness that made her an awesome athlete.”
  Mr. Smith said he realized the depth of his daughter’s commitment to sports when she rose to the challenge – literally from her sick bed – to play a double-header game in Woodruff. Despite her parents’ protests – “we thought she was crazy,” Mr. Smith remembered – Kariana went to school, pushed through her illness and played that double header, pitching every inning!
  Mr. Smith said Kariana explained, “I am the only pitcher, and we would have had to forfeit the game if I didn’t play.”
  He smiled. “She really earned my admiration. As sick as she was, she was determined to play. She did it for the team.”
  That discipline was a hallmark of Kariana’s life. At McCormick High, she was a member of the school band, the National Honor Society and president of the Beta Club. She also earned numerous All-State Academic and Athletic awards, including sportsmanship honors and MVP for volleyball and softball. Kariana received South Carolina’s Life Scholarship during her entire education at Lander. At the time of her death, she was a personal trainer for the Body Shop in Lexington and was pursuing classes in physical therapy.
  “Everything she tried, she loved it and could do it,” Mr. Smith said. “She put her whole heart into everything.”
  Kariana’s heart was filled with great passion for animals, in general, and animal rescue, in particular. In her last conversation with her mother, Kariana asked her parents to help her find a home for a dog desperately in need of love. When Kariana died, the Smiths took her own dog Dorey to live with them.
  Kariana’s dad said, “After the accident we found a simple note written on her calendar that led to a search for a paper she was to write for one of her classes at Midlands Tech.”
  The search for the paper came up empty, but the note was, “a word I want on my headstone and why.”
  The family later found the word on one of her friend’s laptop computer that she had borrowed. “The word was ‘loyal.’ This perfectly described Kariana, and it is now right where she wanted it,” Mr. Smith said.
  When Kariana died, the Smiths said they chose to fund the scholarship to preserve their daughter’s memory and her love for sports. “If there is a young woman who loves playing softball and wants to play in college, we want to help her achieve that goal,” Mrs. Smith said.
  Mike Worley, executive director of The Lander Foundation, said the establishment of Kariana’s scholarship is a tribute to her legacy on and off campus. “For Lander students and the Lander community, this is a wonderful way to honor Kariana and her commitment to success,” he said.
  To receive information on contributing to this scholarship or establishing a scholarship, contact Mike Worley at The Lander Foundation: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

October 2020 Meeting

County Starts Process
For New Project

  Saluda County Council got the ball rolling on a new project in the county at the Mon., Oct. 12, meeting.
  The first step was a resolution authorizing the execution and deliver of a fee in lieu of tax and incentive agreement between Saluda County and a company identified for the time being as Project Mayson.
  The second step was the first reading of the ordinance authorizing and approving the execution and deliver of a fee in lieu of tax and incentive agreement between Saluda County and a company identified for the time being as Project Mayson.
  The third step was first reading of an ordinance authorizing and approving the establishment of a joint industrial park and  business park with Edgefield County for Project Mayson.
  Council also gave first reading of a ordinance to amend the code or ordinances Chapter 2, Administration, Article 2. County Council, Division 2, rule of parliamentary procedure, sections 2-55.1 through 2-70.
  The request by Judge Joyce Shults to fill a vacant position in the Magistrate’s Office was approved.
  Chairman Jerry Strawbridge’s appointment of Ricky Bailey to the Tax Appeals Board was approved.
  Councilmen Justin Anderson’s appointment of Paul Bartley and Strawbridge’s appointment of Bruce Horne to the Westview Behavioral Health Services Board were approved.
  In the old business portion, Council accepted a $250,000 letter of credit for American Land Holdings, LLC, in reference to Palmetto Pointe subdivision and allow American Land Holding, LLC, to release the $3 million letter of credit.
  Council also approved entering into a road management agreement with American Land Holdings, LLC.
  After an Executive Session, Council approved to hire an Assistant Fire Service Coordinator, Grade 16, effective January 11, 2021 and to advertise according to county policy.

Trump Administration Invests
$4.1 Million in Value Added
Producer Projects in South Carolina

Investments will Help 22 South Carolina Ag Producers Enter Into Value-Added Activities Related to the Processing and Marketing of New Products
  Columbia, S.C.,  October 13, 2020 – The Trump Administration, along with Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for South Carolina Debbie Turbeville, today announced that the USDA is investing $4.1 million in Value Added Producer Projects throughout South Carolina.  USDA is providing the funding through the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.
   “This investment will help South Carolina Ag Producers enter into Value-Added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products.  In addition, it is expected that these projects will create many new jobs,” said Turbeville. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural South Carolina in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
  Background: USDA is funding 22 South Carolina projects through the VAPG program. Recipients of the VAPG can use funds for planning activities or for working capital expenses related to producing and marketing a value-added agricultural product. Examples of planning activities include conducting feasibility studies and developing business plans for processing and marketing the proposed value-added product. Working capital expenses include processing costs, marketing and advertising expenses, and some inventory and salary expenses.
  Here are local examples of projects announced in South Carolina:
  Saluda County - SYLVAN FARMS - $250,000.00 Rural Development funds will be used to increase sales and marketing of fresh, organic leafy green produce in Saluda County and surrounding areas. Specifically, grant funds will be used to offset the cost of purchasing operational supplies, fund an improved marketing and promotional program and pay for labor expenses related to packaging and deliveries. It is expected that three new jobs will be created as a result of this project.
  Edgefield County - TITAN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CO. INC. - $250,000.00 Rural development funds will be used to increase sales and marketing of locally grown peaches. Specifically, the main goal of the project is to increase value-added fresh peach packaging in a gusseted bag to increase sales and expand its market share. It is expected that as a result of this project, seven new seasonal jobs will be created and market will expand to new grocery store chains located in the geographic area of the Southeast.
  Edgefield  County - HICK-ORY HILL MILK LLC - Rural Development funds will be used to increase sales and distribution of the locally produced pasteurized milk to elementary, secondary , and higher education institutions in South Carolina. Specifically, funds will be used to launch processing of milk in five-gallon plastic bags, implement sales program and develop marketing material to grow Hickory Hill’s brand awareness in schools and institutions. It is expected that this project will create 1.5 new jobs and expend customers base from 121 to 198 institutional customers.
  Saluda County – JER-ROLD A. AND SONS - $250,000.00 Rural Development funds will assist in funding various activities for the expansion of organic yellow straightneck squash to new customers in South Carolina. Grant funds will be used to offset the cost of packaging, supporting non-production labor expenses, and offsetting operational expenses only for the yellow squash. It is expected that this project will create one new job and save three existing jobs.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/sc.