Saluda Employee Recognized

TOWN EMPLOYEE RECOGNIZED - The Town of Saluda surprised longtime employee Rebecca Brunson at the Tues., Jan. 14, Council meeting. Rebecca recently became a US citizen, after an eight year effort. Mayor Amelia Herlong presented Mrs. Brunson a flag that flew over the State House, and a certificate signed by Rep. Cal Forrest and the Speaker of the House. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

Council Holds Short Meeting

  The first Saluda County meeting of 2020 on Jan. 13 was a short one.
  The meeting began with a public hearing on Saluda County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation plan.
  Emergency Management Director Josh Morton as this is a FEMA requirement to readopt the plans every five years, and requires two public hearings, one prior to the submission of the plan, and one prior to adoption.
  Assistant Emergency Management Director Jill Warren explaining the first reading on an ordinance amending the number of years in the term of an Airport Commissioner.
  Ms. Warren explain commissioners should have aviation experience, and qualified commissioners are hard to find in Saluda County. The amendment would raise the length of one term to five years from the current three.
  Council approved entering into a new agreement with Saluda County School District regarding emergency sheltering. Morton said this was due to changes made by the Red Cross, which originally was part of the agreement. SC Emergency Management recommended  counties develop their own sheltering agreements.
  A request by Rescue 1 to install a repeater system for communication on the county owned tower was tabled until the Public Safety Committee can study the plan.
    Council approved Clerk of Court Sheri Coleman and Recreation Director Paul Ergle’s requests to fill already funded vacation positions on their departments.
  Mrs. Coleman’s request was for the vacant deputy Circuit Court Clerk position, and Ergles’ was for a part-time assistant for the youth baseball season.
  Council approved Councilman Wayne Grice’s appointment of Jeffery B. Forrest to the Tax Appeals Board, Vice-Chairman Frank Daniel’s appointment of Jay Crouch as the Hollywood alternate on the Fire Board, Councilman Justin Anderson’s re-appointment of George S. Todd to the Planning Commission, and Councilman Jones Butler’s re-appointment of Kristi H. Ackerman to the Saluda Nursing Center Board.

New Library Director Heath Ward with his wife and daughter.

Heath Ward Named
County Library Director

The Saluda County Public Library welcomes its new director, Heath Ward. 
  Mr. Ward has 10 years of experience in public libraries, working in Spartanburg County and Pickens County. He received his undergraduate degree in Christian Studies from North Greenville University and his Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina.
  Heath grew up in Hen-dersonville, North Carolina, but moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina after marrying his wife in 2005. In his spare time, he likes to read, work in his woodshop, go kayak fishing, put on firework displays as a professional pyrotechnic and spend time with his wife and daughter.
  “It has been a privilege to work in public libraries for the past 10 years and I am honored that the Library Board has given me the opportunity to serve the wonderful Citizens of Saluda County as the new Saluda County Library Director.
  I look forward to working with the board, staff and community leaders in Saluda County. Also, if anyone has information about the family of Clinton Ward (founder of the Town of Ward)  I am trying to discover if my family is related.”

2020 Chairman Prinary

Sorry, readers. I realized Saturday morning I had forgotten to post this week’s webpage. Old age.... Ralph

County Council Chairman
Primary Tuesday, January 21

  The Republican Primary to elect a nominee for Saluda County Council Chairman will be held Tues., Jan. 21.
  The special primary was made necessary by the resignation of County Council Chairman Derrick Jones.
  Three men have filed was Republican candidates.  The winner will face Democrat Darren Horne on March 24.
  Wesley Boland, Billie Corley and Jerry Stanfield are seeking the position.
  Boland, a Saluda business owner, is the son of the late Linda Boland, who served many years on County Council.
  Like Boland, Corley is a Saluda County native. He was worked for Saluda County for 21 years. currently heading the Road and Bridge Department.
  Strawbridge retired from the National Guard as a Sgt.Major, after serving 40 years. He is also a former Saluda County Republican Party Chairman.
  “Being a small business owner for over 10 years at B&B Trade & Gun on Main Street in downtown Saluda, I have learned and experienced the intricacies of how taxes and fees affect the every-day citizen of our county,” Boland said. 
  “This is a pivotal time to bring change.  In order to tackle and overcome the financial woes our beautiful county is facing, I believe that ‘We the People’ of Saluda County need to work together as a team.  I am positive that our unity, hard work and due diligence will create solutions, and we will persevere.  I look forward to listening to all thoughts and concerns and working with our community members for the best possible approach for our people.  You will be heard! “
  “It is quite obvious that Saluda County has a need, Corley said.
  “The financial condition is in disarray. Several quick fixes have been suggested but as of now no real answers have come forward. I feel that a long term solution needs to be found and implemented. Having been a Saluda County employee and department head for the last 21 years, I am quite aware of the budget process and the practice of staying within that budget. I’m not a politician, but I feel that by using common sense and working together we can get it done.’
  “The position of Chairman requires someone that can face the hard reality of the situation and provide unwavering optimism that Saluda County will come out of this fine,’ Strwbridge said..  “Luckily, I’ve been part of a similar mission with Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA).  SCWSA has been a part of a 20-year odyssey to build its own Water Treatment Plant.  With support from SCWSA’s board and staff, there are plans within the next year to expand infrastructure lines around the County and to a construct a Wastewater Treatment Plant to support all of Saluda County.  This was a team effort that I was lucky to be a part of.  It provided me with valuable experience and lessons that will draw from in working toward Saluda County’s turnaround. “
  With three candidate running, there is a likelihood of a run-off on Feb. 4.
  Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

2019 Saluda County
Firefighter of the Year

  Tanner Quattlebaum, Saluda Fire Department, was named the 2019 Saluda County Firefighter of the Year at the annual dinner hosted by the Saluda Fire Department on January 6, 2020.
  Since joining the fire department in October 2009, Tanner has proven to be a respectable young man. His character and personality speaks for itself in that he takes responsibility to ensure that he does all he can to be successful as a member of the Saluda Fire Department and as a citizen of our fire community. He succeeded in Fire Fighter I and Fire Fighter II. He is a Fire Instructor I Basic EMT, OSHA certified fire fighter, pump ops, Hazmat and many more classes, too many to mention.
  When he was at Clemson University, he was on the Clemson Fire Department as a fire fighter and EMT until he graduated.
  He is a Lieutenant with the Saluda Fire Department, training officer and Fire Board Representative for the Saluda Fire Department.
  Tanner is pictured being presented the award by the State Farm-Kelly White Agency Team. Pictured form left to right are: John White, Kelly White, Tanner Quattlebaum and Mitzi Durst. Also part of the White Agency team are Sherri Ward and Laura Corley, who were unable to attend the dinner.
  Congratulations Tanner and thanks to all volunteer firefighters for their time and service.

SHS Tigers
Honored

  Players and Coach Stewart Young from the State Champion Saluda Tigers have received recent recognition.
  Quarterback Noah  Bell was named the Co-offensive Player of the Game in Saturday’s Border Bowl in Augusta. Bell completed 13 of 16 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns in leading S.C. to a 23-20 come from behind win over Georgia.
  A week earlier Bell was named the 2A Player of the Year by the ‘High School Sports Report.”
   Bell’s teammates were also honored. Receiver Dallan Wright was named 2A’s Offensive Player of the Year, and Reagan Cherry was named Defensive Player of the year.
  Young was named the 2A Coach of  the Year.
  Tigers named 2A All State were receiver Jervon Whitt, and linebackers Jacob McCary and Hayden Cherry.
  Ridge Spring-Monetta had three players named 1A All-State, running back Collier Sullivan, defensive lineman Tray Dean and linebacker Nemo Brooks.

2019 Review Part3

SSWCD Recognizes 2019
Cooperator Of The Year

  The Saluda Soil & Water Conservation District presented a plaque and sign for the 2019 Cooperator of the Year Award to Mr. & Mrs. Jimmie Boland of Boland Farm.  This was held at T&S Farm Banquet Hall in Leesville, S.C. at the 2nd Annual Christmas Social and Awards Banquet on December 11, 2019. 
  Mr. Jimmie Boland and his wife Marie work diligently to conserve our natural resources by implementing many conservation practices throughout their farm. 
  Congratulations to Boland Farm on your outstanding achievement.

2019, The Year In Review
(Continued from last week)

JULY
  •The Saluda Lions Club selected Kristine Griffith  as the 2019 R B Rogers Scholarship winner. 
  •James Scott was in Ridge Spring July 13 at the old First Citizen’s Bank Building to sign and read from his newly released book “Changing Faces,”  which records his life in Ridge Spring.
  •County Attorney Chris Spradley conducted the swearing-in ceremony for Saluda County’s new treasurer, Tiffany Rodgers Shaw in the Courthouse Courtroom on Wed., July 3.
  •AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and solutions, delivered a Massey Ferguson® 6713 Global Series tractor to Southeastern Farmer of the Year Kevin Yon. Massey Ferguson is a sponsor of the Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition, held the past 29 years in conjunction with the Sunbelt Agriculture Exposition, in Moultrie, Ga. Yon Family Farms is located in Ridge Spring, S.C.
  •At the SC Lions State Convention, Lion Jack Atkinson of the Saluda Lions Club was awarded recognition as a Melvin Jones Fellow by The Lions Club International President, Gudrun Bjort Yngvadottir. Atkinson is the Vision Screening Coordinator for the Saluda Lions Club and was instrumental in establishing and leading the Saluda Lions Club effort to provide vision screening to the Saluda schools and the surrounding community.
  •The 9-10 year old minors team from Ridge Spring-Monetta is going to Anderson, SC, for the Dixie Youth state all star tournament. This is the first time in the league that the 9-10 all-stars  have made it to a state tournament.
  •The Saluda County School District announced that Robert Etheredge has been selected as the new principal of Saluda High School.
  Etheredge is a 1999 graduate of Saluda High School and has served as assistant principal the past 3 years. Prior to serving as an administrator, Etheredge taught physical education and served as Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Saluda High School and Swansea High School.
  •The Saluda Young Farmers 41st Annual Truck and Tractor Pull, “Hottest Pull in the South” was held July 27th at the Young Farmer Stadium at the County Recreation Complex.
  •Chief Deputy Toby Horne  was recognized by County Council on July 8 for his brave act of entering a burning home, going upstairs and attempting to save the life of a child on April 5.
  •Judge William Keesley conducted the swearing in ceremony for Angie Rita as Saluda County’s new On-call Deputy Coroner. The ceremony was held July 1 at Judge Keesley’s office in Edgefield.
  •The South Carolina National Guard conducted a deployment ceremony for more than 140 Soldiers with the 124th Engineer Company, 122nd Engineer Battalion, 59th Troop Command, July 21, 2019, at Saluda High School, to recognize the unit’s mobilization in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The soldiers will be deployed to the Middle East for approximately nine months conducting construction operations.
  •The Saluda Young Farmer Scholarship recipients were recognized Sat., July 27, before the 41st Annual Truck and Tractor Pull.  The recipients are  Texanna Miller, Makayla Porter,  Sarah Shore, Cody Clary, Zac Berry, Kelson Palmer,  Benjamin Buzhardt and Megan Corley.
WE SAID GOOD-BYE...
  Caterer, microwave cook-book author and Saluda native Lorela Nichols Wilkins passed away Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Atlanta.
  Lucy Ackerman Higgins, 74, passed away Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at Lexington Medical Center. She was a program analyst with the US Department of Education.
  Saluda native and longtime Extension agent in N.C, James Edward Goff, 81, passed away Friday July 12, 2019, in Lillington, NC.

AUGUST
  •The starting quarterback on the Georgia Southern University football team Shai Werts was arrested in Saluda County  on traffic and drug charges, and it made national news. Werts said a white powdery substance on the hood of his car was bird poop, not cocaine as a field test indicated. The following week 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard issued the following statement: “Upon a thorough review of the report, the dash camera, and the body camera, Deputy Solicitor Al Eargle and I made the decision that the charge should be appro-priately dismissed. The charge lacks prosecutorial merit and the evidence is insufficient for the State to proceed.  The charge was officially dismissed Thurs-day, August 8, 2019.”
  •Some Saluda County history was made when country music artist Cody Webb of Ridge Spring sang the “National Anthem” before 56,000 fans at Dodger Stadium prior to the Dodgers-San Diego Padres game  Sat., Aug. 3.
  •“Serve Saluda ” involved 13 churches and 60 church members who worked on eight projects, including reroofing a house, reflooring a church, repairing two house floors and general repairs at the other locations.
  •The South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ) has elected Lowcountry attorney and Saluda native James L. “Jay” Ward, Jr. of McGowan, Hood & Felder as its new President. 
  •While the nation mourned the victims of the latest mass shootings in Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton – and as suicide rates rise in South Carolina – a United Methodist pastor, he Rev. Hillary Taylor,  is launched a gun buy-back program for the Saluda area. In less than one week, the Rev.  Taylor raised more than $5,000 to purchase Walmart gift cards for the gun buy-back program she and her churches are sponsoring Sept. 7 near Saluda Town Hall.
  •During this year’s State 4-H Congress, Allie Trotter was named the SC 4-H Presidential Tray Winner.  Along with the announcement, Allie received a $2000 scholarship from the South Carolina State Fair.
  •Cordell Rush , Saluda 4-H member, was named the National Conference Trip Winner.   He will be traveling to the National 4-H Center near Washington, DC to represent South Carolina. He will get to meet government officials as well as participate in some citizenship opportunities.  Cordell received a $1500.00 scholarship with this honor.
  •Staff members from Lexington County School District Three and Saluda County Schools came together on Thursday, August 15th with one mission in mind — to prepare themselves to make a profound impact on students each and every day of the 2019-2020 school year. 
  •Donald Ralph Chewning, 53, of Saluda, was sentenced Saluda County General Sessions Court after pleading guilty to committing Abuse or Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult resulting in Death.   The victim, Rev. James Boyd Chewning, was 79 years old and a retired Methodist minister. Donald Chewning was the adopted son of the victim. Circuit Court Judge Frank R. Addy, Jr.  imposed a sentence of 22 years. Under state law, this charge is classified as a violent crime and is a “no parole” offense.
  •Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held Wed., Aug. 28, for Saluda County’s new multi-million dollar water treatment plant.  The plant, located on Shealy Road near Lake Murray, has already produced S.C.’s best tasting water, a distinction earned in a contest earlier in the year.
  •Wayne Grice was sworn in as the new County Councilman from District 2 on Fri., Aug. 30, in the Council Chambers.
WE SAID GOOD-BYE...
  Marvin Bernstein, 104, passed away Sunday, August 4, 2019. During his years as a federal civil servant he became an expert in the field of quartz crystals, attending 10 meetings of the NATO Special Working Group on Frequency control in Paris, Brussels and London and was the principle United States member for the last  8 years of his 30 year career before retirement.
  Jessie Morrow Atkinson Rollings, 89, passed away Wednesday, August 21, 2019. She was a 12-time winner of the ladies’ club champion-ship at Persimmon Hill.

SEPTEMBER
 •Jeffrey James Williams, age 49 of Saluda, was convicted of Threatening the Life of a Public Official by a Saluda County jury this week and was sentenced to the maximum sentence of five (5) years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. The sentence was imposed by Chief Administrative Judge Frank R. Addy, Jr., following the jury trial.
  •Texanna Miller, a junior Clemson University Plant and Environmental Sciences major from Saluda, won third place in the undergraduate poster competition at the 2019 American Society of Horticultural Science Conference. 
  •Saluda County Council’s idea to raise funds by imposing fees on vehicles and buildings died from the lack of a second to a motion Mon., Sept. 9, before a packed house in Council Chambers.
  Following public hearings in which no one spoke in favor of the fees, Vice-Chairman Frank Daniels, presiding in the absence of Chairman Derrick Jones, asked for a motion to give second reading to both ordinances. In both cases, Councilman Jones Butler made the motion, but neither Councilmen Wayne Grice nor Justin Anderson seconded, thus the motion died.
  •Saluda County Schools recognized their Teachers of the Year:  Melissa Ashley, Saluda Primary School, Sherry Lindsay, Saluda Elementary School, Jessica Dorn, Hollywood Elementary School, Russell Altman, Saluda Middle School, and Chelsea Kizer, Saluda High School, were honored for being their respective schools Teacher of the Year. Each received a plaque along with a monetary gift provided by Mr. Jim Fisher of First Citizens Bank. Melissa Ashley was named Saluda County Schools District Teacher of the Year and will now compete for the 2020 South Carolina State Teacher of the Year.
  •On Point EMS Network was presented a check for $2,500 from Duke Energy Manager for Government and Community Relations, Theo Lane. Daniel Patterson, president of On Point, received the check with the proceeds to go toward the purchase of a transport gurney for emergency medical services in the Saluda County area. The gurney will attach to the John Deere Gator given to EMS by the Charlie Foundation in March; the total cost of the bed being $3,265.
  •For the second time in nine days, County Council’s attempt to give second reading to ordinances adding fees failed.  At a called meeting Wed., Sept. 18, Council voted 4-1 against passage of both ordinances. Voting against both were Chairman Derrick Jones, and Councilmen Frank Daniel, Wayne Grice, and Justin Anderson. Councilman Jones Butler voted in favor.
  •Almost two weeks after her church’s gun buy-back program, the Rev. Hillary Taylor is still elated with the results.
  “We bought back 19 guns in total,” said Rev. Taylor, pastor of Bethany and Zoar United Methodist churches in Saluda. “If we had bought only 10 guns, I would have been ecstatic.”
  •A Monetta man lost his life Wed., Sept. 25, when the moped he was riding collided with a log truck. According to Saluda County Coroner Keith Turner, Stephen Joseph Stein, Sr., 44, of 5841 Columbia Hwy. N., Monetta, died on the scene of the accident, which took place on Early Sims Rd., not far from the Aiken County line.
  •On Thursday, September 19, 2019 the Multi-County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) held a training in Saluda at the American Legion Building titled Sexual Assault Response; What Role Do you Play? 
WE SAID GOOD-BYE...
Helen Ethel Clayton Keisler, 102, passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2019.