Chairman Election Postponed
Council Chairman
Election Postponed
Governor Henry McMaster Sunday announced the postonement of all elections scheduled for March and April 2020.
This inludes the election of Saluda County Council Chairman set for March 24 between Democrat Darren Horneand Republican Jerry Strawbridge.
Affected elections will be rescheduled to occur after May 1, 2020. Specific dates will be announced later.
This announcement has NO impact on the March Candidate filing period. Candidate filing will open at noon on March 16, 2020 and will close at noon on March 30, 2020. Read the SEC’s Statement on March Filing and Coronavirus here: https://www.scvotes.org/statement-coronavirus-and-march-candidate-filing.
Schools Closed,
Rec Postponed
Sun. afternoon. Gov. Henry McMaster announced the closing of S.C. public schools through the end of the month, due to the coronavirus threat.
Locally, the Recreation Department activities have postponed until mid-April, nursing homes are not allowing visitors, and some churches postponed Sunday services. Other events postponed included the Farm-City Banquet, Hollywood Ruritan Farm Machinery Sale, and Mayson VFD steak supper.
Council Gives First Reading To
Business License Ordinance
Saluda County Council gave first reading to an ordinance that will create a county business and professional license.
The passage came at the Mon., Mar. 10, meeting.
According to the ordinance, every person engaged or intending to engage in any calling, business, occupation or profession shall register the business and application for a business license and pay an annual license fee tax and obtain a business license. The fee will be due May 31, 2020. The fee based on gross income shall be computed on the gross income for the preceding calendar or fiscal year, and on a 12-month projected income based on monthly acreage for a business in operation less than one year.
The first reading passed 3-1, with Vice -chairman Frank Daniel, Councilmen Wayne Grice and Jones Butler voted in favor, and Councilman Justin Anderson voting against.
At the beginning of the meeting, Nancy McCorkle, of the Second Amendment Sanctuary Group, for the second meeting in a row asked Council to vote to make Saluda County a Second Amendment Sanctuary.
Council did not take action of her request, but did pass a resolution expressing its support of Second Amendment Rights. The resolution urges the Governor and members of the General Assembly to take no action which would violate the freedoms guaranteed in the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 20 of the Constitution.
Council gave third reading of an ordinance amendment that will change the term length of Airport Commission members from three to five years.
Second reading was given to an ordinance that will no longer require to the Fire Board to meet once a month.
A revised Freedom of Information Act Policy was approved and will be placed on the county website.
Council approved Road and Bridge Superintendent Billie Corley’s request to shift the cost of installation of pipe for a driveway entrance from the county to the property owner. In the past, the county installed the pipe at no charge, but Corley said the cost of this policy is getting too expensive. Corley said shifting the cost to the property owner will save the county $15,000 a year. Corley’s suggestion passed unanimously.
A grant application request from Assistant Emergency Management Director Jill Warren was approved. The $26,446 grant will be used to purchase personal protective equipment/gear for the Sheriff’s office. The county match will be $2,644.60. The county applied for this grant last year, but did not get it.
Ms. Warren stayed on to ask approved for a grant that will reconstruct the taxiway and apron at the Saluda County Airport. Total cost of the project will be $528,590. FAA will pay $475,731, and the State $26,430. Saluda County’s share will be $26,430. Council approved the grant, with the county’s share coming from the Infrastructure Reserve Account.
Council approved Chief Deputy Toby Horne’s request to fill three positions in the Sheriff’s Office. One of the positions is a school resource officer. The positions are already in the budget.
Mallory Coffey, director of Palmetto Pride, explained the programs the litter control and beautification office offers. She told of grants available, and encouraged Saluda County to appoint a coordinator and join the program.
New RSM Schools
RSM Schools Ribbon Cutting, Groundbreaking
Mon., Feb. 24, was a big day for Ridge Spring-Monetta schools. Ribbon cutting was held for the new high school, with principal, Dr. KaRon Webb, doing the honors. Students moved into the school in January. Also held was a groundbreaking for the new elementary school that will be built on the campus. Among those taking part in this was Principal Callie Herlong, fourth from left. (Photos courtesy of Josie Rodgers)
Tigers Recognized At State House
The Saluda High School AA State Championship football team was recognized in both chambers of the State House Thurs., Feb. 27. The Saluda County delegation, Rep. Cal Forrest, Rep. Bill Clyburn, Sen. Floyd Nicholson, Sen. Shane Massey, Sen. Nikki Setzler, and State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman joined in the salute to the Tigers. The team was treated to a meal in the Top of Carolina dining room following the State House visit.
Saluda Alamo Film Festival And The 350th
Year Traveling Exhibit Of The 1670
Settlement At Charles Towne Landing
The Saluda County Historical Society and Museum is proud to present The ALAMO DAY FILM FESTIVAL,Friday March 6th at the Saluda Theater next to the Museum on the square in downtown Saluda.
The Saluda Theater, built in the Art Deco style in 1936, fell into disrepair in the late 1980’s. The Saluda Historical Society with the Saluda County Council took on the arduous task of renovating the theater to it’s original glory. The renovations are complete with the original superior acoustics, new state of the art sound and projection equipment with the original Art Deco lighting.
The Film Festival celebrates the Commanders of the ALAMO, William Barret Travis and James Butler Bonham, both born in Saluda SC. The days events will include tours of the birthplace of James Butler Bonham and the Saluda Museum, that features a diorama of The Alamo Mission Complex that depicts the scene on the morning of March the 6th 1836 as the Mexican Army over ran the Alamo Defenders.
Im addition to The Alamo Film Festival, tours of the Museum and the Bonham House, The Saluda Historical Society has been granted for the month of March the exhibit “350 years of the 1670 settlement of Charles Town Landing.” The exhibit focuses on the stories of the Europeans, Africans and Native Americans that came together to start the colony of South Carolina.
Richard Burton Peterson
Wild Kingdom?
COYOTE SPOTTED IN TOWN - The Town of Saluda posted on its Facebook page this photo of a coyote roaming on North Rudoph Street Fri., Feb. 21, and urged citizens to take caution. The animals are obviously getting bolder.
Tigers To Play
In Segra Park
The Columbia Fireflies have offered to host a baseball game between Saluda High School & Gray Collegiate Academy on Thursday, March 19th, with the 1st pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets will be available at the gate for $6 each, and the Saluda baseball program will receive the gate on that evening. This means that the more people who show up in Columbia that evening for the game, the more money raised for Saluda Tiger baseball.
What a tremendous opportunity the community to support othe baseball Tigers at a world-class facility for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the student athletes.
Segra Park is the home of the Columbia Fireflies, the Class A minor league affiliate of the New York Mets. Segra Park is a four-year old ballpark, and was recently chosen the single A “Ballpark Of The Decade” by Baseball Digest. Segra Park was built for $37 million, and it sits as the hub of Columbia, South Carolina’s Bull Street District revitalization project.
Now, for SHS to have been given this opportunity, the Saluda baseball program has been given the responsibility to sell 100 tickets to the Columbia Fireflies home baseball game on Sunday, May 24th, against the Asheville Tourists. The Tourists are the minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
May 24th will be dubbed “Saluda Tiger Day” at Segra Park, with our baseball team being acknowledged and celebrated on the field during pre-game festivities. The tickets we are selling for 5/24 are $10 each and will include reserved seats in Segra Park’s infield bowl. The game also happens to coincide with the three-day weekend for Memorial Day, and it will be a Sunday “Splash Day,” where fans will have the chance to cool off in the Fireflies’ Splash Zone, getting hosed down by the Fireflies’ own fire truck. It certainly shapes up for what could be a tremendous day for the Saluda Tiger family.
If you are interested in purchasing tickets for the 3/19 game, simply show up to the ballpark.
If you are interested in purchasing tickets for Saluda Tiger Day on 5/24, please come visit Dr. Bryan Vacchio in the guidance office. He will be assisting Coach Horton with ticket distribution for that game.
Lady Tigers
Advance
The Saluda High girls basketball team advanced to the third round of the state playoffs with two wins last week.
The Lady Tigers defeated Southside Christian, 59-28 on Tues., and St, Joseph’s, 53-18 on Friday.
With that win, the 20-1 Tigers travelled to Kershaw to take on Andrew Jackson Monday, and won 50-34
The Lady Tigers advanced to the Upperstate Championship game Sat., Feb. 29, 11 a.m., at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville.
The State Championship game will be played Sat., Mar. 6, 3:30, at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.
Feb. 2020 County Council Meeting
RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE - Bruce Horne, second from left, was recognized by County Council for his over 35-years of service to the county. Horne retired Jan. 31 as a County Magistrate. Pictured with him are, L to R, Councilman Justin Anderson, Vice-Chairman Frank Daniel and Councilman Wayne Grice. (Standard-Sentinel photo)
Council To Replace Outdated Software
Old technology and equipment were the biggest expenditures during the County Council meeting on Mon., Feb. 10.
Captain Loraine Kelly of the Detention Center and I.T. Specialist Mitchell Kneece explained the Livescan systems used to record and share fingerprints is running on Windows 7, which is about to lose support from Microsoft.
Replacing the old system with a Windows 10 program will cost $19,435. Kneece said this needed to be done as soon as possible.
The “end of life” on hardware is June 2021. Replacing this will cost $17,515. Kneece and Kelly recommended both projects be done now at a total cost of $36,950, which will be funded from contingency.
Councilman Justin Anderson asked of the upgrades would work at a new jail, if one is built. He was told they would.
Council voted 3-0 to fund the upgrades.
At the beginning of the meeting Bruce Horne was presented a resolution recognizing his over 35-years of service to the county. Horne, who retired on Jan. 31, served three years as County Coroner from 1984-86, and then was appointed Magistrate by Gov. Carroll Campbell in 1987. He has served in that capacity since.
Later in the meeting, Council passed a resolution recognizing Margaret M. Davis on her retirement. Mrs. Davis worked over 25-years for the county, since 1995 as Deputy Circuit Court Clerk.
Council took as information a proposal by Nancy McCorkle to make Saluda County a Second Amendment Sanctuary, because “other states and counties are adopting laws that take away private citizens’ gun rights. As a lifetime hunter, I want my rights protected.”
Second reading was given to an ordinance that will raise the length of term of Airport Commissioners from three to five years. Commissioners must have aviation knowledge, and the number of qualified board members is limited in the county.
First reading was given to an ordinance, that will change the requirement that the Fire Board to meet once a month. The ordinance will change the wording to “hold regularly scheduled meetings.” Additional meetings may be called by the chair or the Fire Service Coordinator.
Council approve Emergency Management Director Josh Morton’s suggestion to publish a request for quote on generator maintenance services.
Morton’s request for permission to attend the IAEM-USA Region 4 Conference was granted. The trip will be paid by a grant, and at no cost to the county. Morton is president-elect of the organization.
NEW INVESTIGATOR - Mayor Amelia Herlong recently conducted the swearing in ceremony for the Saluda Police Departments new investigator, Josh Price.
PalmettoPride
Invests $400K
Columbia, SC (February 13, 2020) – PalmettoPride announces the grant recipients for 2020 totaling $400,214.00.
Then SC Dept. of Natural Resources in Saluda County received $3,738.00.
PalmettoPride offers competitive grants for litter prevention programs and program support for law enforcements agencies, state and local governments, and Keep SC Beautiful affiliates across the state. This year was even more competitive with requests totaling more than $700,000.
The Litter Prevention Grant awarded $199,296.00 to 43 law enforcement agencies, governmental departments and non-profit organizations in 33 counties totaling for their litter prevention projects, programs and equipment.
PalmettoPride awarded $200,918.00 to 25 Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliates to help create and maintain litter reduction and beautification programs and projects.