“I don’t think I am done with politics,” said Wright, “but what is most important to me right now is spending more time with my family.”

Some Anderson County voting precincts are being combined for the upcoming South Carolina Presidential Preference Primaries. The Democratic primary is set for Feb. 3, while the Republican primary is scheduled for Feb. 24.

“You showed up to vote, and you organized your friends and family members and neighbors to do the same, and it is because of you that Joe Biden is president of the United States,” she said to boisterous applause in a packed conference center ballroom. “I’m here, of course, to say, ‘Thank you.'”

The proposal would reduce the number of houses from 159 to 124, and minimum lot sizes from 6,500 square feet to 8,500 square feet, with an average lot size of 9,750 square feet. Changes to setbacks and elevation are also part of the new proposal.

Equipped with a state-record $1.6 billion surplus, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster unveiled his budget proposal for the 2024 fiscal year on Friday. State lawmakers have a stronger relationship with the seven-year incumbent than his predecessors, giving some extra weight to McMaster's recommendations when budget writers begin drafting their spending plan.

From a small boat ramp to international star, in just over nine years, Green Pond Landing and Event Center has joined the ranks of top economic engines for Anderson County.

The Striped Bass Challenge (SBC) will bring more than 250 anglers to Green Pond Landing and Events Center Saturday, for the 2023 Winter Classic, one of the four Open/Qualifier tournaments of the Trophy Series Championship Trail.

First, 380 miles of county roads, representing one-fourth of county roads, are in poor or failing conditions. These roads will require $38 million to repair and replace. Another 200 miles are on the edge of poor condition, and without sufficient maintenance will fall into this category within the next couple of years, which would put close to 40 percent of the roads for which the county is responsible in jeopardy.

More than a third of the county’s 157 bridges are load restricted, meaning fire trucks, school buses and other heavy vehicles cannot traverse the structures. Recent bridge repair work on small and average structures have averaged between $1-2 million. 

The current annual budget for county roads is zero dollars for paving, and $375,000 for potholes and minor patching. The county also receives $2 million annually from the “C” funds, which is a small portion, about $98 million of the state’s $3 billion gasoline tax distributed among the state’s 46 counties based on population and road use. 

The penny sales tax is projected to generate close to $50 annually, which will offer a map for repairs and maintenance. Last year, Anderson County Council hired a firm to send an evaluation vehicle  to drive every mile of county roads and measure the quality of every mile. The results of that work are now being evaluated, but initial findings include 380 miles of roads which are in poor condition or already failing. The costs associated with repairing these is close to $1 million per mile.

James Browning, four pounds, 15.4 ounces, and 19 inches long, was born to parents Heather Browning and Matt Browning of Williamston at 7:26 a.m. He measured 19 inches long. 

Filing for all offices begins March 16 and ends April 1. All 124 of the South Carolina House seats and 46 South Carolina Senate seats are on the ballot this year, which is the subject of speculation in regard to a couple of local races.

Without exception, every county council member and the county administrator get more calls and complaints about roads than any other issue. Nothing else is even close. The cost of repairing poor roads costs $1 million per mile.

The arts community finally saw a return to a more normal year in 2023, following the challenging years and aftermath of the pandemic. Here is a brief sketch of some of the significant events. 

The county added more than 1,500 jobs as established companies expanded and new businesses chose to build in Anderson County. International investment in the county, which leads the state in overseas companies, added three more investments in overseas businesses bringing new jobs to Anderson. Unemployment continued to slide back toward the historic pre-pandemic numbers as well.

As South Carolina joins Louisiana as one of the two states with the highest number of influenza and respiratory illnesses, AnMed Health is seeing increased admissions during December.

The deadline for voter registration to vote in the Feb. 3 Democratic Presidential Primary is Jan. 4. Registration online, which requires a valid South Carolina drivers’ license or S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles identification card can be done at SCvotes.gov.

The Sheriff’s office also added K-9 officers in 2023, which McBride said would help his department in areas from searching for lost people, to shifting out drugs ($207,000 in drugs in 2023) and electronics. $207,000 in drugs 

Nesteroff, often called the “walking encyclopedia of comedy” delivers perhaps the most timely and important book of 2023.

The lazy days between Boxing Day and Jan. 2 require no shopping, visits with friends and family who are still around and time to chill in a week when nothing really happens. (unless you are in the helping professions, law/fire service, retail or journalism.)

In 2023, the total for the gifts would cost $46,729.86 ($52,024.03 if you buy them online), according to PNC Bank, which puts together an annual Christmas Price Index, a play on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, and shows a 2.7 percent increase in prices for the 12 days of gifts this season.