On Friday, the city hosted an official ribbon-cutting for the new, $13.4 million expanded park which features the restoration of Whitner Creek, a new playground, a 1,200-square-foot pavilion, restrooms and soon will also include improved traffic flow around the park.

The 8.8 acres that comprises the lower is connected to the 5.1 acres of the northern end of Linley Park which was upgraded with walking trails and other beautification efforts in 2013.

A proposed massive new energy plant near Starr, council passing $331 million budget for 2025-26, and consideration of a referendum asking voters to approve a penny sales tax for roads are at the top of Anderson County’s agenda going into summer.

New business downtown, update on Cheney Mills housing, and meeting the challenges of growth top priorities for Pendleton moving into summer.

Mayor Frank Crenshaw said planning is key as the town grows west toward the Cheney development, future development of the old oil mill site and the planned TIF district.

"We’ve already got the money set aside and everything as far as clearing the mill property and we do have an interested party that's going to be building multiple types of housing over in that area, primarily focused to the people of 55 years of age or higher,” said Taylor.

The first step will be to get the site cleared for the potential new development, said Taylor. The town is also demolishing and clearing the lots of 10 abandoned/uninhabitable houses

Three new businesses are also on their way to Belton. Little Caesars, Domino’s and Waffle House are all at various stages of getting started, which represent a substantial investment in the city.

The Belton-Anderson trail is also still in the works, with the last step being to secure funding for the five-mile trail that would connect the two cities. Both cities are looking for grants and sponsorships to expedite work on the trail, which could represent the beginning of something bigger by connecting to other trails.

A final public meeting at the 1428 Pearman Dairy Road Anderson County Office Complex, is scheduled for June 30 at 5:30 p.m. After that meeting, the commission will send their proposals to the county council.

The commission’s current task is to draft the ballot, which will then be considered by Anderson County Council. The final ballot must be approved by the South Carolina Elections Commission before Aug. 15 to appear on the ballot in November.

New businesses, including plans for new commercial development at Big Creek Station, an area that includes a disk golf course, are also under way.

“There are lots of big things are happening in Williamston," said Burgess.

The Anderson County Library is offering a new way to borrow books and other items for those who do not live close to one of the library’s branches. One Friday, the library debuted a Library Book Vending Machine at the S.C. 24 location of Food Lion.

Anyone with a library card can now check out and return items at the new location.

The United Way of Anderson County honored local leaders at the 2025 African American Leadership Society Gala on Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Anderson.

Unlike the current system, in which a person visiting the DMV can leave with a license or ID before walking out the door, the state DMV will start mailing the cards out. In the meantime, people will receive a temporary certificate that serves the same purposes as the card for which they applied, according to the DMV.

Because receiving a new card could take up to two weeks to arrive in the mail, the DMV encourages people not to wait for the expiration date on their license to renew it. Their local branch will be able to return the older license or ID with a hole punched in it so people can continue using it until their new one arrives in the mail, according to a news release.

Anderson’s Mountain Springs Baptist Church East Campus kicked off Juneteenth celebrations in the county with an event that featured music, games, food, crafts and educational opportunities.

Organizers said the annual event is an important day for their church and the community.

It's a decision the mayor has been pondering for more than a year. Ragland said the part-time position, which after taxes are deducted pays approximately $185 monthly, and takes full-time effort.

“The mayor is not supposed to be a full-time job,” said Ragland. “It is listed as a part-time job. I know everyone thinks that I'm supposed to know everything and be everything and drop everything that I'm doing to hop to it when anybody has any kind of random request that pops in their mind, but it's just not possible. I'm doing the best I can. I already work more than 40 hours a week at my full-time job.”

Pelzer is the only town in the county without support staff beyond a town clerk, a position which has been open for some time.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s forced the nation to answer the question of how a nation that set forth its belief that “All men are created equal” could abide by a divided society and its two-tiered system of justice, commerce and democracy.

It led to monumental progress. President Lyndon Johnson pushed through The Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ending legal segregation in public places and federally funded programs, and prohibited employment discrimination. But it did not make America color blind.

While it’s not an official national holiday, Juneteenth is now a state holiday or a day of observance in most states and the District of Columbia, with only Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, and the Dakotas holding out. For those that do celebrate, parades will take place around the country, including in New York, Texas, and Philadelphia, and communities across the country will host barbecues and picnics to celebrate the historic event.

The summer program provides a meal every Friday at each location. The two Anderson Rotary Clubs are also providing volunteers for the effort.

“Just because the kids take a break for summer, does not mean hunger takes a break,” said Sarah Ann Bannister, Director of Resource Development at AIM. Bannister said providing a meal, fresh fruit and books over the summer reminds the kids in these neighborhoods they are not forgotten about.

The budget includes funding for an additional 13 officers for the new detention center (now under construction), the additional funds for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department to continue to offer completive salaries, an increase in funding for Tri-County Technical College, funding for the Anderson County Library System and a three-percent raise for all county employees.

The newly formed Anderson County Capital Projects Sales met for the first time Monday to help educate and engage public support for a one-cent Capital Projects referendum aimed at generating funds to repair and maintain the county’s aging roads and bridges.

Deputy Anderson County Administrator Matt Hogan said decades of neglect and lack of sustained funding has created a great need for revenue to take care of roads and bridges.

“We’re wanting to get as involved as we can in the community and being as supportive as we can for all our businesses,” said Greer. “We’re looking forward to more business roundtables and other events to listen to our businesses and see what they need.”

“We just want to serve our businesses the way we should,” said Greer.

Anderson County Council will give final vote to a $331,856,570 million fiscal year 2025-2026 budget on Tuesday, one which includes additional officers for the new detention center, added resources for the solicitor’s office and no millage increase for citizens.

More than two dozen volunteers, young and old, wearing gloves and carrying gardening tools answered the call of the Town of Pelzer on Saturday morning to restore and expand beautification projects damaged by vandalism under the cloak of darkness earlier this week.