First, 380 miles of county roads, representing one-fourth of county roads, are in poor or failing conditions. These roads will require $38 million to repair and replace. Another 200 miles are on the edge of poor condition, and without sufficient maintenance will fall into this category within the next couple of years, which would put close to 40 percent of the roads for which the county is responsible in jeopardy.

More than a third of the county’s 157 bridges are load restricted, meaning fire trucks, school buses and other heavy vehicles cannot traverse the structures. Recent bridge repair work on small and average structures have averaged between $1-2 million. 

The current annual budget for county roads is zero dollars for paving, and $375,000 for potholes and minor patching. The county also receives $2 million annually from the “C” funds, which is a small portion, about $98 million of the state’s $3 billion gasoline tax distributed among the state’s 46 counties based on population and road use. 

The penny sales tax is projected to generate close to $50 annually, which will offer a map for repairs and maintenance. Last year, Anderson County Council hired a firm to send an evaluation vehicle  to drive every mile of county roads and measure the quality of every mile. The results of that work are now being evaluated, but initial findings include 380 miles of roads which are in poor condition or already failing. The costs associated with repairing these is close to $1 million per mile.

James Browning, four pounds, 15.4 ounces, and 19 inches long, was born to parents Heather Browning and Matt Browning of Williamston at 7:26 a.m. He measured 19 inches long. 

Filing for all offices begins March 16 and ends April 1. All 124 of the South Carolina House seats and 46 South Carolina Senate seats are on the ballot this year, which is the subject of speculation in regard to a couple of local races.

Without exception, every county council member and the county administrator get more calls and complaints about roads than any other issue. Nothing else is even close. The cost of repairing poor roads costs $1 million per mile.

The arts community finally saw a return to a more normal year in 2023, following the challenging years and aftermath of the pandemic. Here is a brief sketch of some of the significant events. 

The county added more than 1,500 jobs as established companies expanded and new businesses chose to build in Anderson County. International investment in the county, which leads the state in overseas companies, added three more investments in overseas businesses bringing new jobs to Anderson. Unemployment continued to slide back toward the historic pre-pandemic numbers as well.

As South Carolina joins Louisiana as one of the two states with the highest number of influenza and respiratory illnesses, AnMed Health is seeing increased admissions during December.

The deadline for voter registration to vote in the Feb. 3 Democratic Presidential Primary is Jan. 4. Registration online, which requires a valid South Carolina drivers’ license or S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles identification card can be done at SCvotes.gov.

The Sheriff’s office also added K-9 officers in 2023, which McBride said would help his department in areas from searching for lost people, to shifting out drugs ($207,000 in drugs in 2023) and electronics. $207,000 in drugs 

Nesteroff, often called the “walking encyclopedia of comedy” delivers perhaps the most timely and important book of 2023.

The lazy days between Boxing Day and Jan. 2 require no shopping, visits with friends and family who are still around and time to chill in a week when nothing really happens. (unless you are in the helping professions, law/fire service, retail or journalism.)

In 2023, the total for the gifts would cost $46,729.86 ($52,024.03 if you buy them online), according to PNC Bank, which puts together an annual Christmas Price Index, a play on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, and shows a 2.7 percent increase in prices for the 12 days of gifts this season.

The Western world’s most popular holiday, is steeped with religion, myths, tradition and folklore, and sorting the fact from fiction can prove a challenge.

Between 2009 and 2019, the number of psychiatrists in rural areas declined by one third, the state’s annual report on health issues found, using the most recent data available. Of the state’s 46 counties, 14 had no licensed psychiatrist or psychologist in private practice, and another nine had only one. In some areas, residents have to cross multiple counties to reach a psychiatrist’s office, according to the report released last week.

Anchored in His Grace Ministry will hold its Annual Feed the Community Charity Event on Christmas Day from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Anderson County Farmers Market.

This year, Christmas Eve falls on Sunday, so some services in banking and mail will already be closed. Christmas this year falls on Monday.

As the year winds down, it’s a good time to remember to support those who make Anderson a better place for all of those who live here. Meals on Wheels of Anderson delivers hot meals daily to the homebound who need the food and friendly visit.

The year also brought a new stage to the civic center amphitheater, record tournaments at Green Pond Landing and Events Center, a banner year at the farmer market, expansive work at the airport, the opening of Kid Venture 2.0, and the trail that stretches from the civic center to the nature trail behind AnMed Health on S.C. 81.

Indigo Custom Framing and Artisan Market was named Small Business of the Year by Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, and Hill Electric was honored with the Pillar of Anderson Award for their almost 70 years in the community.