Today, to all who served abroad and to those whose steadfast service stateside kept the wheels of war turning, I offer profound gratitude. Those of us who never wore the uniform salute you—guardians of the freedoms we hold dear.

“This is more than just a place to live, this is where I chose to call home and where I chose to invest in my businesses,” wrote Sanders in a social media post. “I believe in bringing people back together, building back our community pride, and creating a future where we all are proud to say that we are from West Pelzer.

Hope Missions of the Upstate, 213 South Towers St., is the county’s regular warming center, opening anytime the temperatures drop below 32 degrees for more than four hours in a day, will be open and as winter approaches, the community can help.

Volunteers are needed to help with this effort. Contact Dave Phillips at dave@hopeupstate.org if you can help.

This Veterans Day, let gratitude be neither pro forma nor perfunctory. Let us see, and thank, those who took up the burdens we did not—and whose sacrifices, said and unsaid, make the remainder of our history possible.

Still, there is something quietly radical about small kindnesses. Holding a door instead of hurrying through it, listening instead of diagnosing, asking a tired friend what they need instead of what’s wrong. Compassion, like light in the darker months, is cumulative.

Reflecting on his initial year, Capell said he is impressed by the strength and commitment of the Anderson County community and the support from donors—ranging from large corporations to longtime individual contributors—which he said remains a steadfast pillar for the United Way’s ongoing efforts.

Local news notes on politics, business and social services.

Anderson County will mark Veterans Day with a pair of parades and other events beginning this weekend.

Honea Path’s first Veterans Day Parade is set for 11 a.m. Saturday downtown. The parade will be followed by a meal at 11:45.

The annual Anderson County Veterans Day Parade is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Downtown Anderson.

On Tuesday at 11 a.m., the Richard C. Campbell Veterans ceremony honoring the service and sacrifice of residents and area veterans will be held at the facility.

Wednesday, Palmetto Middle School will host a “Thank You Veterans” celebration at 9 a.m. in the school’s gymnasium. A complimentary breakfast will be served from 8-8:45 a.m. in the school cafeteria.

Pendleton Mayor Frank Crenshaw lost to challenger Sarah Stokoski who received 565 of 1012 votes cast. Incumbent Pendleton Council Member Lyn Merchant held on to her seat against challenger Abigail B. Clark by 93 votes of the 1019 cast.

West Pelzer will have two new council members, as Rick Sanders and Jeff Turner won over incumbents Johnny C. Rogers Sr. and Jeff Lee. Sanders received 106 and Turner 67, while Lee received 36 and Rogers 14, 

In an election that brought a voter turnout of 18.9 percent, Anderson County voters overwhelmingly rejected a capital sales tax referendum on Tuesday which would have provided funding for maintenance and repair of the county’s roads and bridges. 23,392 of the county’s 127,402 registered voters participated in the election.

More than three times as many people, or 18,370, voted no on the referendum, while 4,920 voted yes.

In the end, voting is both a right and a responsibility—a potent reminder that democracy is not a spectator sport but a participatory endeavor. It is your voice, your community, and your power. In Anderson County, the next step is yours to make.

Of the district’s eligible schools, six received an “Excellent” rating, substantially exceeding state criteria, while five earned a “Good” rating for exceeding expectations. Two schools were rated “Average,” meeting the baseline criteria. Notably, no schools were rated below average or unsatisfactory. These ratings reflect a broad trend of positive performance; with nearly 85 percent of Dist. 1 schools achieving either Excellent or Good overall scores.

Nevitt Forest Elementary School has earned its first “Good” overall rating on the South Carolina Department of Education Report Card this year, marking a significant milestone for the school. The improved rating reflects gains in academic achievement and progress among students in grades Pre-K through 5.

The Anderson County Library has introduced changes that place parents squarely at the center of decisions about what their children may access on library shelves. Beginning today, all juvenile library cards will default to a “Basic” tier, restricting minors to juvenile materials only. However, parents can choose to expand access—allowing children to borrow both juvenile and teen materials, or granting them permission to check out all library materials, including those from adult collections.

In 2025, Anderson County, South Carolina has faced a surge in civic discussion over zoning and land use, driven by rapid development and the resulting anxieties of longtime residents. Petitions filed at the precinct level — a unique feature of Anderson’s local governance — are going to the ballot box, most notably in precincts like Neal’s Creek, Rock Spring, and Shirley Store, where zoning policies are now set to could become official following the November 18, 2025, reading by the Planning Commission.

AnMed Health has broken ground on a sweeping new medical office complex at the site of the former Windsor Place shopping center (which once was home to Winn Dixie), at 1520 East Greenville Street—marking its latest expansion into prime real estate in Anderson and sparking both anticipation and concern within the community. While hospital officials tout the dramatic overhaul as a boon for local healthcare, some residents have questioned the health system’s rapid acquisition of high-profile properties across the city, wondering what the trend might mean for Anderson’s long-term development.

“This festival, it means a lot to us and brings up together,” said Crystal Boles, one of the organizers of the festival. “We like try to keep things going on in the town of Starr.”

“Oh man, we had an amazing day,” said Angie Stringer, the association’s executive director. “The color run, “Colors Against Cancer,” was amazing. We had people out here, we had warriors out here.” Stringer described the “warrior walk” as the emotional centerpiece of the day, when cancer survivors — or “warriors,” as the organization calls them — carried a banner marked “Cancer Association Warriors” while walking together to the AnMed Cancer Center and back.

Elections across Anderson County will take place Tuesday, with several mayoral races and numerous council seats on the ballot. The referendum on a Capital Sales Tax is also on the ballot countywide.

Polls in all municipalities will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

National studies, for those who appreciate data, suggest that the economic benefits of well-maintained roads more than offset the modest cost of vehicle fees, with the average driver potentially saving $591 annually on tires, alignments, and other mechanical woes directly attributable to neglected pavement. Beyond individual savings, robust infrastructure is undeniably crucial for the county's economic vitality—companies, after all, do consider road conditions when scouting potential locations—and, more fundamentally, for the safety and well-being of its residents.