Saving and preserving historic buildings can be crucial for a town’s identity. Their preservation can provide a tangible link to the past.

Preserving them can also be a financially smart decision, as older structures often boast superior craftsmanship and materials, and their rehabilitation can spur economic growth by attracting investors, tourists, and new businesses.

The superintendent of Anderson County’s largest school district, with 21 schools and 12,000 students, said academic achievement and security remain top priorities heading into the new school year.

“Our goal is to ensure academic success for every student and every student reaching their potential,” said Dist. 5 Superintendent Brenda Kelley. “We are on the right track.”

It's difficult to know where to begin in praising Mill Town Players "South Pacific," which opened Friday night at the Historic Pelzer Playhouse, because it is a work of such ambition and magic, with an expansive cast, sweeps the audience away.

“I think we're looking at having six announcements before December,” said Burns. “They are in various states of happening, and they're really good, high quality, and they're diverse. I mean wildly different things, and so we're happy about that.”

“Plus, we have two monsters that we're working on and those are going to take some time to mature. But I think we're in good shape on both of those. But those we're talking about are billions, not millions.”

Anderson County on Thursday approved by unanimous vote, on second reading, a referendum in November asking voters to approve a one-penny capital sales tax to be used exclusively for road and bridge repair in the county.

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.

The restoration of a landmark building downtown is complete,

Coldwell Banker Caine began the work two years ago on the restoration of the historic federal post office building downtown which served the community from 1909-1940, when it moved to a newer building.

“I'm really excited to be here and help GAMAC,” said Herbert. “We want to see GMAC at the forefront of our community again. I really want to help GMAC be that bright light in our community again that everyone knows that they can look to when they're looking for an amazing musical experience when they want to broaden their horizons and experience something new or maybe old favorites, that we are the place people turn to for that.”

Anderson County has begun to detail the impact of its share of the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF), with a report indicating significant strides in addressing the opioid crisis since projects commenced in January 2024. The county has committed approximately $2.5 million of its total $13.3 million SCORF allotment, focusing on a multi-pronged approach that includes direct treatment, recovery support, and innovative prevention initiatives. Disbursements of these funds are scheduled to continue through 2038.

Serving more than 2,000 students in Anderson school districts one and two, the Anderson Career and Technology Center is getting ready for fall with some “pardon the dust” signs pointing to an expansive future.

A new parking lot is under construction with an eye toward eventually building new buildings to expand and support programs at the school.

Friends of Broadway Lake’s annual family fun day was greeted with good crowds on Saturday with an even that featured a ski show by the Carolina Ski team, a car show, food trucks, kids’ games, and the always-popular cardboard boat races.

In Jan. 2022, a small group of local volunteers decided it was time to bring back Piedmont’s holiday lights one the power poles through the town and along the bridge. They began collecting funds for 20 light displays, but before summer has raised enough money for 50 lights. Since then, the project has grown to include lights across the Saluda River bridge and a large community holiday celebration with a large Christmas tree lighting as a key of the event.

Superintendent Kathy Hipp, a figure who has been a part of the district for a remarkable thirty-six years—and is, in essence, a product of its very classrooms—speaks with the seasoned perspective of one who has witnessed the ebb and flow of generations.

"As we move into the fall, one big goal with the board is looking at the potential to replace our middle school,” said Hipp. "This has actually been years in the making, but some things are now coming together."

"The concern with spotted lanternfly is its potential impact on our forestry and agricultural industries," said Steven Long, Assistant Director of DPI. "Early detection is critical to prevent economic and ecological losses." Clemson officials are mobilizing with state and federal agencies to locate and eradicate the pest, which may involve accessing private property for surveillance and treatment.

“We had a really, really good year,” said Young. “We've got great people in Anderson 1. Our students accomplished a lot of great things this past year.”

While preparing for the upcoming school year, the district is also looking at some major changes in 2025-2026.

Oak Hill Elementary will be opening in the summer of 2026, setting in motion a series of shifts in elementary school movement, including a redrawing of attendance lines for the district’s three elementary schools.

The proposed sales tax, if approved by voters, would be dedicated exclusively to funding repairs and maintenance for Anderson County's 1,554 miles of roads and 162 bridges. It would be levied for an eight-year period, after which its continuation would require another voter referendum.

“We found that people are actually checking out more items now than they were 10 years ago,” said Anderson County Library Director Annie Sutton. “And the big increase there is the digital use of eBooks and audiobooks.”

Sutton said the library’s digital collection was so popular that many residents who have moved away from Anderson pay an annual fee for a library card to retain access to the collection.

Smith defeated challengers Luther Moon and Tina Scott in the special election for the position which was vacated earlier this year by Christopher Burton.

The unofficial results show Smith with 331 votes, Moon with 61 and Scott with 28.

Anderson County Council will consider recommendations of road priorities the verbiage of a referendum from the County Capital Sales Tax Committee on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

Council must approve both, on three readings, before submitting documents to the South Carolina Election Commission to send a referendum to county voters in November asking for a one-penny sales tax for roads/bridges repairs.

Fifty-two votes were cast in early voting for tomorrow’s special election to fill the seat of mayor of Honea Path. Early voting ended Friday.

Three candidates are seeking the mayor’s office, after former Honea Path mayor Christopher Burton stepped down April 15: Luther Moon, Tina Maria Scott, and Dr. Jimmy Smith. (click names for interviews)

It's all part of planning ahead for the district, which boasted good scores on all accountability metrics and assessments in the 2024-2025 school year, said Superintendent Jason Johns.

“We have seen gains across the board,” said Johns. “In all areas, our students are actually learning at a higher level than they were pre-COVID.”