Thunderstorms pushed the service indoors, but Honea Path celebrated the town’s annual Memorial Day service Monday with remarks from local and state elected officials challenging those in attendance to honor those who gave their live in service to the United States.

I was once among those who made a pointed distinction between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but a couple of friendships changed my mind.

With thunder rumbling and rain moving in toward the end of the service Sunday afternoon, Iva marked Memorial Day weekend 2024 to honor those from the town who lost their lives in service to their country.

At least one Republican politician borrowed a page from the Atwater book this week when sending out a flyer which on the front labeled her opponent as a Democrat and reckoning his face on the iconic President Barak Obama poster, which made her opponent look very much a minority.

Early voting for the June 11 South Carolina Primary elections begins Tuesday and runs through June 7.

Sunday in at 6:30 p.m. in Iva, the town will hold an event on at the Memorial Park on the town square, followed on Monday by a 10 a.m. event at the Veterans Monument in Honea Path, Monday a 10 a.m. service at Dolly Cooper Veterans Cemetery and a 10:30 a.m. ceremony at Veterans Park in Pendleton.

Power bills for Duke Energy residential customers in Upstate South Carolina could go up, on average, by $12.50 a month in August, then rise by more than $6 additional monthly starting in 2026.

The court’s conservative majority said in a 6-3 decision that the Republican-controlled state legislature did nothing wrong during redistricting when it strengthened Rep. Nancy Mace’s hold on the coastal district by moving 30,000 Democratic-leaning Black residents of Charleston out of the district.

Lisa Butler has become a statewide expert on how public schools can address serving students with no permanent address, and said the challenges continue to grow. Between 300-350 students in Dist. 5 have no permanent address.

Anderson County Council moved ahead on a proposal for the Sheriff’s Office to take over law enforcement duties for the City of Belton. The request was made by Belton City Council to help create better continuity in the policing of the city.

Honea Path has been awarded a $2.65 million grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for environmental remediation and cleanup efforts at the mill site, made possible by the Federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021. Honea Path is one of only 35 cleanup grant recipients in the southeast, and the grant amount awarded to the project is the fourth highest in the region.

S.C. Sen. Mike Gambrel, R-Anderson and S.C. Rep. Jay West, R-Anderson, secured an additional $1 million redevelopment site grant from the State of South Carolina to be used at the site.. Anderson County will serve as a project partner and is providing technical support and other resources toward the redevelopment effort.

Council will also consider four new projects in the county for $1.1 million of the county’s opioid settlement funds.

The Anderson County Republican Women could have had a dog whistle in mind when they invited candidates to Monday’s forum at Tucker’s Restaurant, hoping their ruse of hosting a public sharing of the candidates’ ideas would go unnoticed. But subltely be damned, it was soon clear this meeting was not about getting to know candidates or their positions, but taking pot shots at the two candidates who showed up and are not aligned with the Freedom Caucus.

Belton is requesting that the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office take over the city’s law enforcement responsibilities.

Under the agreement, which will be considered on first reading by the City of Belton Council tonight and by Anderson County Council on Tuesday. Approval would require support on two readings by the city and three by county council.

The clouds broke and the crowds came for Sunday's Rhythm on the River in Dolly Cooper Park for music, kids activities, food and more..

Rescheduled for Sunday after an earlier rainout, organizers of the third annual incarnation of the event said they were pleased with the turnout.

With the South Carolina Primary three weeks away, the Anderson Observer reached out to every county on the ballot in Anderson County to allow voters to get to know them better. Almost all responded.

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The rain held off allowing for a good crowd at the annual Williamston's Pig in the Park, which brought competitive barbecue cooks to Mineral Spring Park for a cook-off as part of the Friday-Saturday event which included artists, music and new vendors.

The Anderson Observer asked every candidate with opposition a series of questions in preparation for the June 11 primaries in South Carolina. On Sunday, these candidates will outline in their own words, why they consider themselves the best hope for the state heading toward November.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation will pave close to 20 miles of state-owned roads in Anderson County in 2025. The move is part of the department’s 10-year pavement improvement program paid for by S.C. gas tax revenue, with a focus on the safety of roads and bridges.