In more immediate updates, Burns noted that the county is utilizing its infrastructure to raise awareness for public health initiatives. Because May is recognized as Adolescent Mental Health Month, the newly installed lights on the courthouse clock tower will glow green for the duration of the month.

It is a long-awaited expansion that she says will allow the nonprofit to better serve Anderson County residents battling cancer while creating a place where patients can find support, education and encouragement all in one setting.

The fifth annual Rhythm on the River at Dolly Cooper Park is set for Saturday, with music, a large KidsZone area, food trucks and more than 30 craft vendors expected to be part of the event. The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs through 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Admission is $10, and children 10 and under are admitted free. Parking is free. Ride tickets and unlimited ride wristbands will be sold on-site, and the Online Mega Pass—available today for $25—includes both gate admission and unlimited rides for one day of the guest’s choice.

The commission’s 4-1 vote ended months of deliberation over how South Carolina should respond to the Trump administration’s request to review voter data in an effort to remove those ineligible to participate, which prompted privacy concerns.

Scheduled for 3 P.M. in the Henderson Auditorium of Anderson University’s Rainy Fine Arts Center, the performance will act as a chronological salute to the armed forces. The repertoire will bookend the American experience, opening with "The Star-Spangled Banner" and concluding with Sousa’s "The Stars and Stripes Forever." In a gesture of civic gratitude, admission is free for veterans, active military personnel, college students bearing an ID, and anyone under 18. For the rest, tickets are $18.

For the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-27, the town’s financial architects have adopted a decidedly conservative posture, pulling back from previous, aggressive revenue targets. Planners have recalibrated from a 103 percent tax collection estimate down to a more grounded 98 percent. The resulting blueprint outlines a $7.7 million General Fund, bolstered by a robust $5.09 million in the Water & Sewer Fund and a more modest $746,366 in Hospitality & Accommodations.

City Council also approved on Monday a $323,180 contract with Network Controls & Electric, LLC of Greer to install underground fiber optic cable along Main Street from the Municipal Business Center to Tribble Street, a project aimed at strengthening downtown security and expanding the city’s technology infrastructure.

The Anderson Municipal Election Commission upheld the decision to overturn the April 7 City Election for Anderson City Council Seat 5, which will lead to scheduling a special election for the seat. Filing information and dates for a new election are expected to be announced this week.

Over the past 37 years, the community event has raised more than $2.7 million for the clinic, with participants walking a combined 7,500 miles.

Reading offers a kind of meaningful escape. Books allow us to experience adventures more than our own days allow. We fall in love, face danger, solve mysteries, endure loss, and celebrate triumph—all within the quiet turning of pages. When we return to our own lives, we sometimes bring back a new perspective, a softened judgment, a sharper sense of wonder.

The state affordable housing agency approved more than $72 million in ultra low-interest mortgages, complete with down payment assistance, as part of its annual Palmetto Heroes program.

Electrolux Group will phase out refrigerator production in Anderson in July leaving its 1,200 employees without a job, at least for now. The plant will then be retooled to produce fabric care appliances, with new production expected to begin in the first half of 2027. The company announced Thursday a sweeping new partnership with China-based Midea Group that will significantly reshape operations at its Anderson manufacturing plant, bringing a mix of job losses in the short term and new hiring over the next two years.

Anderson County’s 2026 Comprehensive Plan, Part 2 is a snapshot of a county trying to hold two thoughts at once: that growth is coming whether anyone invites it or not, and that the county must remain recognizable to itself while it arrives.

In January 2026, the Anderson School District Two Board of Trustees voted to move forward with construction documents for a new unified middle school. As we approach a special election on Saturday, May 2, 2026, it is vital to discuss the real-world impacts this transition would have on our students, our educators, and our collective future.

“This will allow us some time to work on ordinances we have on conservation developments,” said Anderson County Councilman Jimmy Davis, who proposed the resolution. “The one we have currently needs some additions and improvements.”

The debate at the College of Charleston came hours after a Senate committee advanced a bill banning abortions from the onset of a pregnancy, with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, or for a diagnosed fatal fetal anomaly. Women could be sent to prison for up to two years and fined $1,000 for getting an abortion or possessing the drugs to cause one.

West Pelzer has chosen a new town council member. Julia Clanton, received 37 votes to win the seat. Jason Knight received 11 votes and Jodie Southwood 7, in an election that saw a turnout of 8.87 percent of eligible voters (55 of 620).

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection tariff refund system went live Monday, marking what small business advocates call a “complex” first step for entrepreneurs to recoup $166 billion in import taxes accrued under President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs, which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in February.

“I will fight this decision. Just like the voters of City Council Seat Five, the law and the facts are on my side. The voters selected me by a two to one margin, and I will appeal the erroneous decision of the Municipal Election Commission to ensure the voice of our district will not be silenced.”