See the Observer’s March 16 story for more details and interviews here.

Anderson County Council approved a contract for King Asphalt, Inc., to take care of a number of road paving projects, mainly in the Williamston area. The $2.5 million contract will be paid for with C-Funds, money collected as the county’s part of the state gasoline tax, for road paving.

The entrance will remain accessible to pedestrian traffic to Church Street Heritage Plaza and other area destinations.

Anderson County Council is expected to give final approval to a $1.25 million sewer bond for the Homeland Park Water Commission as part of Tuesday’s meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

Ten states — Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia — have no working-class state lawmakers.

The board has agreed to rename the facility after one of the district’s most famous sons, Anderson native Chadwick Boseman. Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020 at age 43, attended McCants Middle School and T.L. Hanna High School (where he graduated in 1995).

The proposal allows the governor to appoint members to the screening panel for judicial candidates for the first time and requires all qualified candidates be sent to the General Assembly for elections up to a maximum of six.

Anderson businessman Bryce Nivens and Anderson attorney Greg Steele are running for Seat 6, which represents an area that stretches from West of Linley Park, through the Pope Drive community, across to Whitehall Avenue. City Council Seat 6 was left open when Rick Laughridge stepped down after 16 years.

Anderson businessman Bryce Nivens and Anderson attorney Greg Steele are running for Seat 6, which represents an area that stretches from West of Linley Park, through the Pope Drive community, across to Whitehall Avenue. City Council Seat 6 was left open when Rick Laughridge stepped down after 16 years.

The Cancer Association of Anderson is the only local cancer charity in Anderson County. Their mission is to help reduce the burden of cancer on Anderson County residents battling cancer by providing treatment-related financial assistance, information and referral as well as emotional support.

The budget passed 104-15. It faces one final routine vote Wednesday before heading for the Senate.

Summary of the current library situation in Anderson County.

Interviews:

SCDOT Tyke Redfearn

S.C. Sen. Mike Gambrell on expanding broadband

Francesca Milford, director of City of Anderson Shared Kitchen

United Way CEO Carol Burdette and Clubhouse International Joel Corcoran on a new mental health clubhouse

Stuart Sprague, Anderson Area Recognition and Remembrance Initiative

Noah Taylor, Founder and artistic director Market Theatre

Sybil Todd, Founder of White Knight Entertainment and Cosplay 

The 29 citizens who attended Monday night’s Anderson County Library board meeting were civil, and used their indoor voices at the first meeting of the board since Anderson County Council approved a resolution to add two-at large seats to the seven-member panel in the near future. (See story on application process here).

The application, found here, includes questions about employment history, ownership of property in the county, ownership of a library card, work/civic/volunteer service, and reasons for interest in the board.

Early voting will be available Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Anderson County Board of Registration and Elections, 301 North Main Street, Anderson. Early voting replaces in-person absentee voting. Absentee by-mail voting is also available. Contact 864-260-4035 or visit www.scvotes.gov for more details.

If council approves the financing on Monday, groundbreaking is tentatively set for April, with work beginning as early as November.

The bill advanced unanimously Thursday from a House subcommittee would create an 11-member commission to design and raise money for a monument to Smalls and decide where on Statehouse grounds to put it.

“It’s just a game changer in our part of the world,” said S.C. Sen. Mike Gambrell, R-Anderson, who finally got broadband at his house in January after years of no service. Gambrell said he had heard nothing but positive comments from constituents on the broadband expansion.

The tight harmonies, shared first by Shawn Ropp as Tommy DeVito, Michael Crittendon as Bob Gaudio and Dalton Cole as Nick Massi, grew tighter as the 2.5-hour performance unfolded, and by the time they hit “Who Loves You” near the end, the sonic experience of the vocals is something to behold.

The law goes into effect immediately. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will spend the coming months preparing to offer the free classes for gun owners the Senate added to the bill as a compromise, according to a statement from the department.