A new library downtown, updates on the old dime store on the square and a flurry of activities are among the highlights for the Town of Iva moving into summer.

After good turnouts for events in the spring, including the Spring Express and Memorial Day service, the summer brought a July 4 celebration and the state Dixie State Softball Championships which attracted participants from all over South Carolina.

Austin Carty was a writer long before he took to the pulpit.

A voracious reader, Carty, the senior pastor at Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, had published a collection of essays before entering seminary, but the seeds of his literary genesis are now an integral part of his life as both author and minister.

Pendleton’s Cheney Lofts and Mill Lofts Annex Apartments are opening soon, saving a piece of the history and providing 120 new housing units on the edge of downtown Pendleton.

The two newer apartment buildings, with 72 units, are expected to open Aug. 1, and the 48 units in Cheney Lofts will begin pre-leasing in mid-August and open in September, said John Gumpert of Camden Management Properties, the firm doing the renovations and construction. Gumpert said rents are expected to start at approximately $1,500 per month.

Following a year in which Anderson School Dist. 4 boasted five of six schools last year with excellent state school report cards, the highest graduation rate (92 percent) in history for the third year in a row, and college and career readiness scores of more than 84 percent the district is continues to prepare for growth moving into the 2025-2026 school year.

“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.”

The vexing truth, it seems, is that Anderson County has never quite stumbled upon a consistent fount of revenue for the ceaseless, unglamorous work of road and bridge upkeep. Indeed, the frustration is not new.

We celebrate this day because it marks the birth of freedom with the presentation of the Declaration of Independence, a unique document for several profound reasons, primarily because it articulates a new political philosophy and lays the groundwork for a revolutionary form of government.

It asserts that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed." This principle of popular sovereignty—that political power ultimately resides in the people—was groundbreaking. It challenged the prevailing European notion of the divine right of kings and established the idea that governments are legitimate only if they have the approval of the people they govern.

Duke Energy is again seeking to increase electricity rates, this time for all of its 857,000 South Carolina customers across the upper third of the state.

Less than a year after the utility last raised rates in the Upstate, power bills for those Duke Energy residential customers there could go up, on average, by $10.38 a month in March 2026. In the Pee Dee, residential customers could see a $21.66 monthly hike starting February 2026, roughly three years since the utility last raised rates for those customers.

South Carolina’s new driver’s license will feature state symbols, including yellow jessamine, the Carolina wren and the loggerhead sea turtle, an homage to the state’s flora and fauna.

In addition to the Palmetto State imagery, the new design released Tuesday will contain more than 40 advanced security features, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Residents with licenses won’t need to get an updated card until their existing one expires.

If approved, the one-percent sales tax would generate close to $380 million to fund a list of road/bridge projects the county and its municipalities have identified as the most critical places of need. The commission approved the list of projects as well as a bond issue of up to $20 million to accelerate the work.

West Pelzer, Anderson County’s smallest town, continues to grow, despite challenges of finding a place for businesses and new housing.

“By using what we already have more wisely, involving volunteers, and supporting each other, we can move our town forward without leaving anyone behind.”

Early voting for the July 15 special election to fill the seat of mayor of Honea Path begins today. Voters can cast their ballot at the Anderson County Board of Elections and Registration Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Early voting will end July 11.

“I am a roll up your sleeves and get to work type of person. I will be straight forward, honest, and always willing to listen to all citizens.”

“This isn’t about politics, it’s about leadership, honesty, and bringing common sense back to the mayor’s office.”

DMV Director Kevin Shwedo said he doesn’t know of any state in the nation other than South Carolina still operating on a system developed in the ‘90s. But that’s about to change over the next five years as the DMV prepares for a nearly $100 million overhaul.

Shwedo, who’s led the agency since 2011, warned legislators earlier this year that putting off upgrades could have dire consequences.

The Anderson County Capital Project Sales Tax Commission sent a proposal to Anderson County Council to allow for the imposition of a one-percent sales and use tax subject to a referendum within the county to fund specific capital improvement projects – roads and bridges - and for a limited amount of time not to exceed 8 years.

The commission will hold a public meeting Monday at 5:30 p.m. at 1428 Pearman Dairy Road. The public is invited.

The approximately $379.6 million generated by the tax would be used to fund proposals for priority projects identified by the county and its municipalities.

Recreation expansion, paving Main Street downtown, and movement on new housing developments are among the most recent highlights of the City of Anderson.

The $13.4 million Linley Park Project was officially opened to the public Friday, with trails, a new pavilion, new playground equipment, and the restoration of Whitner Creek which runs through the park.

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.