Just in time for the Halloween season, the darkly comedic musical follows the story of Seymour Krelborn, a meek floral shop assistant on Skid Row who discovers a strange, wild talking plant he names Audrey II.

For Anderson County, the referendum is not just a ballot initiative. It is a crossroads. Without it, the roads and bridges that knit the community together will continue to erode, isolated from the funds necessary for repair. With it, there is hope—however hard-earned—that preserving the county’s vital arteries is within reach. The message is clear: there is no viable alternative. The time to act is now if roads and bridges are to be saved. 

The argument that it will be a financial hardship rings hollow. A one-penny sales tax is not a financial strain on any citizen, and those who suggest it is are disingenuous. The cost of vehicle/tire repair caused by poor and unsafe roads is far greater than would be paid by this one-percent tax.

At its last meeting, the City Council voted 9–0 on first reading to approve amendments to Division 3 of Article II, Chapter 42 of the Environmental and Nuisance Code — the section that governs unreasonable noise within city limits. City Manager David McCuen said the changes are designed to better define what qualifies as “unreasonable” and to give the Police Department clearer authority for citywide enforcement.

S.C. Sen. Mike Gambrell, R-Dist. 4, said the festival is one of many things that make his hometown special.

“On the water tower says “The Little Town with the Big Heart,” and people here step up when they need to,” said Gambrell. “They take care of each other, we take care of our own, and we take care of everybody else. Always have.”

Westside 43, Emerald 7

T.L. Hanna 42, Woodmont 9

Wren 45, Fountain Inn 34

Crescent 49, West-Oak 0

Pendleton 35, Walhalla 0

Southside Christian 38, Palmetto 10

Powdersville 31, Christ Church Episcopal 28

The telehealth and in-home hospital care programs were both temporary — but increasingly popular — options for Medicare recipients. They allowed doctors and hospitals to bill Medicare for telehealth appointments and in-home visits from nurses to provide care that is generally only available in hospitals.

The shutdown has prevented Congress from extending them.

More than 4 million Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services in the first half of the year, according to Brown University’s Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research.

If you hear the sirens and see the mass assembling of ambulances, law enforcement vehicles and other commotion at the C. F. Reames Education Center on South McDuffie Street Friday morning, it’s not a real emergency, only a simulation exercise.

Anderson County law enforcement, Anderson County Emergency Management, public schools, and first responders will play distinct but coordinated roles during a mass casualty training event at 8 a.m. Friday, as each group works to train to be more effective and prepared to respond under real-life conditions.

States are doing what they generally do during a federal government shutdown: continuing to operate programs serving some of the neediest people.

That means schools are still serving federally subsidized meals and states are distributing funding for the federal food stamp program. For now.

If the shutdown drags on and federal dollars run out, states can only keep programs going for so long. States may choose to pay for some services themselves so residents keep their benefits.

Anderson County Council approved extending tax incentives for Techtronic Industries Co., Ltd. (“TTI”), after the company committed to creating up to 200 new jobs in the relocation of its floorcare of its North American floorcare and cleaning appliance business - TTI Floorcare North America - from Charlotte to Anderson.

TTI Floorcare North America’s include brands such as HOOVER®, ORECK®, and DIRT DEVIL

Anderson County Council on Tuesday gave final and unanimous approval to a temporary ban on new housing developments in unincorporated areas of the county. The measure, which takes effect immediately, places a 90-day moratorium on any residential project in unincorporated areas that includes more than four housing units. 

An exemption for landowners who which to add housing on five acres or more to their properties which require no new roads is also in effect to comply with state law.

A rule barring books containing “sexual conduct” from the school libraries in the state is unconstitutional, teachers and K-12 librarians are arguing in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The state Board of Education has required teachers and school librarians to remove 21 books from classrooms and shelves since the regulation went into effect in June 2024. The board voted to allow six books to remain. One of those books — “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins — requires parental permission to check out.

Friday Night’s Games

Emerald at Westside

Easley at T.L. Hanna

Fountain Inn at Wren

Crescent at West Oak

Pendleton at Walhalla

Southside Christian at Palmetto

Christ Church at Powdersville

A memorial service honoring the life and sacrifice of Private Curtis Adams, an Anderson native and member of the heroic “Wereth 11,” will be held Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post 14 in Anderson. Hosted by Honor for Heroes, the event is open to the public and aims to shine a light on a chapter of World War II history often overlooked.

Private Adams served as a medic in the all-Black 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, which endured unimaginable brutality after being captured by German SS troops in the early days of the Battle of the Bulge. He, along with ten fellow soldiers, was tortured and killed near the village of Wereth, Belgium—a legacy of courage, service, and honor that continues to inspire.

Concerned parents should be the monitors of what they wish their children to read, and should not be arbiters for what other parents might find appropriate for their children.

Libraries are bridges to understanding, growth, and freedom of thought. They invite readers to explore differences and grapple with complex realities, preparing young minds for a pluralistic society. Shielding children from “difference” under the false banner of protection infantilizes them and diminishes the richness of learning.

The crowds and vendors returned to Belton on Saturday for the 37th annual Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival in Belton for a day of music, food, crafts, fireworks and other entertainment.

“We had such a good response to the event we had to turn vendors away,” said Belton Mayor Eleanor Dorn. “People love it (this festival). I mean, it is. Just something for everybody all day long, and it's a beautiful day. They want to be here all day, and then their favorite thing is that 8:30 fireworks.”

The Pendleton Area Advocates for Intellectual Freedom (PAAIF) started as a grassroots effort to promote reading and free access to reading materials and to counter censorship, book banning, and restriction of books and materials in both public schools and public libraries. Members of the group regularly attend local and state school board meetings, county library meetings, and county council meetings to express views on intellectual freedom as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Anderson County celebrated the Fourth Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on Saturday, with music, food, dancing, activities for kids and more.

The Anderson County Latinx Advisory Council puts it on the event every year.

“The idea is simple, but powerful” said Zeke Stevenson, Director of Community Development at United Way of Anderson County. “It’s about creating a day program designed for folks grappling with severe and persistent mental health issues. A place they can call their own, where support and encouragement are constants, and where they can build lives that are healthier, happier, more fulfilling.”

BHP 63, vs. West Oak 0

Crescent 67 vs. Walhalla 20

Powdersville 24, Southside Christian 0

Pendleton 45, Travelers Rest 20.

Wren 45, Emerald 44

Westside 55, Southside 0

T.L. Hanna 32, Hillcrest 13

Palmetto 28 vs. Carolina Academy 0

Over the past week, the Department of Public Health received five reports of new measles cases, bringing the total for the year to eight — the highest number of infections in the state since the disease was considered eradicated in 2000, according to the health department.

All eight people infected were unvaccinated, and none had immunity from previous infections, state epidemiologist Linda Bell told reporters Friday.

“We just want people to recognize how highly transmissible this virus is and that it doesn’t matter what region you live in,” Bell said. “We are seeing unrecognized spread in the state.”