AIM’s annual “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat” food drive, which continues to help restock the shelves to feed those in our community who need a little extra help, is now under way. And it doesn't end on Halloween.

The production opens Mill Town Players’ 13th main-stage season and is the first season mounted after the Pelzer auditorium’s renovation. It also represents a rare production that Ragland said has not previously been produced in South Carolina, making the Mill Town staging a state premiere.

The in-person registration deadline for South Carolina’s Nov. 3 general election is Friday at 5 p.m. for most county election offices. It is not the only deadline: online applications and forms sent by fax or email must be received by 11:59 p.m. Sunday; mailed applications must be postmarked by Monday, Oct. 5. But anyone planning to register face to face should treat Friday as the day to act.

For Pelzer, a town without the conventional downtown square of a larger municipality, the gym parking lot has become a practical community center. Smithwick wants to activate it, surround it with events and use it as the starting point for a broader reimagining of the town.

Anderson County will celebrate its 200th anniversary with a downtown parade at 3 p.m. Oct. 4, featuring local governments, schools, nonprofits, businesses, civic groups and public-safety organizations.

The parade, which will travel along Main Street in downtown Anderson, is part of the county’s bicentennial observance. Anderson County was created by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly on Dec. 20, 1826.

The applicant is asking the city to annex the property and construct a single-family residential subdivision consisting of 62 lots on the property which borders Vandiver Road and is just behind T.L. Hanna High School.

The town has a handful of homes under construction and expects residential development to be an important part of its future. And while Iva is not growing at the pace of larger Upstate communities, Taylor said, it is attracting new residents and trying to prepare for the effects of that growth.

Lindsey Watley, Pendleton’s Community Engagement Manager, said the town is expanding the festival’s art component through partnerships, grants and a new effort to draw visitors from beyond the immediate area.

The team from “American Pickers” is coming to South Carolina in November and is looking for “rusty gold” in our area to film future episodes of the History Channel series.

The event, “Conversations on a Bench,” is part of a North American initiative coordinated by Citygate Network in the days leading up to World Homeless Day. The concept is simple but deliberately countercultural: sit down, remain available and listen long enough for the usual assumptions about homelessness to become less certain. Citygate describes the project as a storytelling effort meant to “rehumanize” people experiencing homelessness through direct, public conversation.

Without test results, legislators have no way to make sure the program is working, said Rep. Neal Collins, a member of the oversight committee and a frequent critic of the voucher program.

Observer Reports

With the general elections less than two months away, the South Carolina State Election Commission is encouraging eligible residents to register to vote or confirm that their registration information is current today in recognition of National Voter Registration Day.

The nationwide observance is intended to raise awareness of voter registration and encourage people to check their information before upcoming elections.

South Carolina’s statewide general election is Nov. 3 and Oct. 4 is the deadline for online registration and registration submitted by fax or email, while mailed registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 5. In-person registration generally closes at 5 p.m. Oct. 2.

“Whether you’ve recently moved, changed your name, or simply want to confirm your registration status, taking a few minutes to review your information now can help you avoid issues later and be prepared for future elections,” SEC Executive Director Conway Belangia said in a statement.

Residents may register online at scVOTES.gov, where applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 4. Online registration requires a South Carolina driver’s license or Department of Motor Vehicles identification card; voters who have moved must first update their residence address with the DMV.

Residents also may download a registration form from scVOTES.gov and return it to their county voter-registration office. Forms sent by fax or email attachment must arrive by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 4, and mailed forms must be postmarked by Oct. 5.

The desire for a home for a county history museum began in the late 1970s, when members of the Anderson County Historical Society, Anderson Heritage and other local preservation advocates began discussing the possibility of a dedicated place for historical artifacts.

The Belton Area Museum is marking a year of celebrations with a new exhibit, “Revolution, A Call to Arms,” part of the national observance leading toward the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026. The exhibit opened Sept. 13 and will remain on view through Dec. 19.

Sullivan's most enduring physical legacy in Anderson is tied to the city's infrastructure. During his administration as mayor in 1940, Anderson completed its first viaduct to connect Murray Avenue and Peoples' Street, a project that initially generated some navigational confusion among residents.

Those who don’t believe making their voices heard can still change things were not at Tuesday’s Anderson School Dist. 5 Board of Trustee Members, when more than a dozen students and former students spoke with passion about the potential loss of a landmark community institution.

Anderson County Council approved $465,195 in ATAX funding distributions to 55 local organizations, moved ahead on a pair of tax incentives for new speculative building investment and moved ahead in approving a new zoning district as part of Tuesday’s meeting.

A new project is expected to bring 156 housing units over 8 buildings, 18 of which will be housed in the renovated mill building. Plans include 18 studio units, 78 one-bedroom, and 60 two-bedroom.

Cities rarely change all at once. They change through documents few residents read in full; through a street closed for paving; through a new apartment building rising where an industrial property stood; through a new sidewalk, a tree ordinance, a bike lane or a restaurant opening in a storefront that had been dark for decades.

South Carolina’s statewide general election is Nov. 3 and Oct. 4 is the deadline for online registration and registration submitted by fax or email, while mailed registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 5. In-person registration generally closes at 5 p.m. Oct. 2.