City Hopes to Revitalize S. Main Property

Anderson City Council will vote on the purchase of the property on South Main Street across from City Hall as part of tonight’s meeting in the council chambers downtown.

The buildings occupying the 406-420 South Main Street addresses have been in the crosshairs for redevelopment for some time. In 2018, the city offered an incentive package for the redevelopment of the historic, which once housed the Anderson Hotel.

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Greg Wilson
Sanders Expects to Hit Ground Running in Columbia

Sanders has been instrumental in the planning and implementation of projects not only in Anderson County, but across most of South Carolina as well as dozens of other states. The founder and owner of Studio Main LLC, Sanders was instrumental in planning some major projects, including the Swamp River Trail. He also served for eight years as mayor of West Pelzer (and was the second youngest mayor in the state when elected), where he turned a mostly underused stretch of S.C. 8 into the “Upstate’s Front Porch,” aiding in the filling up of housing and businesses and creating a walking community.

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Greg Wilson
City to Vote on Four Water/Sewer Contracts

Anderson City Council will consider a $2.4 million contract to replace the main water line from Tribble Street to Reed Street as part of Monday’s meeting at 6 p.m. in council chambers. The city is looking to replace the line as part of upgrades in preparation for the paving of Main Street along that same stretch.

Council will also vote on contracts for three other sewer/wastewater projects – the the $8.9 million Generostee Creek sewer relief line, the $284,000 Lafayette/White Street Streambank Restoration project and the $1.9 million North Street Drainage System Rehabilitation project as part of the meeting.

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Greg Wilson
Boulevard Hosts Mission-Focused Holiday Gift Fair

The 21st Annual Alternative Holiday Gift Fair at Boulevard Baptist Church kicked off Saturday and continues Sunday afternoon from noon-3 p.m. The event raises thousands of dollars for local non-profits.

The church hosts the annual event as their gift to those groups in our community and beyond serving those who need a little extra help.

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Greg Wilson
Resurrecting the Importance of Pearl Harbor Day

December also brought a solemn remembrance of the “Day which shall live in infamy.”

Pearl Harbor Day was a time of education, reflection and even prayer not only in the classroom, but in civic events, media reports and even many churches.

As we mark the 83rd anniversary of the last time a foreign nation attacked American soil, the lessons of the day are as important as ever.

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Greg Wilson
City Kicks Off $5.8M Cater's Lake Project

The City of Anderson kicked off a $5.8 million upgrade to Cater’s Lake on Thursday, with a groundbreaking and officials offering an overview of the project.

The renovations are scheduled to include walking trails, landscaping, environmentally friendly islands in the pond for the ducks/geese, a covered bridge architectural structure to improve visuals, additional areas for picnic tables and grassy play areas. Plans to dredge the lake to recover top soil are also in the works.

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Greg Wilson
Iva Tree Lighting, Music Celebrates Season

It felt like the North Pole in Iva on Thursday night, with cold temperatures and chilly winter wind, as the town celebrated the start of the holiday season.

The annual lighting of the town Christmas tree, music from school choirs, ensembles and bands, hot chocolate and a visit from Santa were all part of the event which packed the square downtown.

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Greg Wilson
Vets Helping Vets Breaks Ground for New Building

A local group that has been serving the county’s veterans for more than a decade celebrated the groundbreaking for their new building on Thursday, on Bleckley Street just off Whitehall Road.

Vets Helping Vets of Anderson offers a variety of services and resources, including support groups, financial assistance, community outreach and advocacy for veterans and their families in the Anderson area.

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Greg Wilson
Groups Join to Design Housing for Seniors, Disabled

The fastest growing group in need of affordable housing in Anderson County is among senior citizens. To help find answers, the Anderson Housing and Homeless Alliance was awarded a Community Challenge grant by AARP earlier this year to host a Housing Design Competition for safe and affordable housing for older adults, those who take care of seniors and people with disabilities.

In collaboration with Touch the Future Inc, the group developed materials and guidelines, hosted an information session on the current building conditions in our county, and received a submission for the design of such housing. Five finalists were chosen for a survey among citizens in the county asked to choose the design(s) they deemed to best meet the needs of those in the county.

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Greg Wilson
Chamber Appoints Committee to Find New CEO

Brett Justice Chief Strategy Officer at AnMed Health, who is chair of the committee; John Don, Chief of Staff for Anderson University President Evans Whittaker; Tony Lawen, Facility Personnel Manager Michelin- US2 Anderson; Dalton Freeman, Regional Vice President of HMR Veterans Services, Inc.; Julio Hernandez, Assistant to the President for Community Outreach & Engagement, Clemson University; and Josh Shore, Vice President of Strategic Projects and Governmental Affairs at Medshore Ambulance Service.

Freeman and Shore are the only two of the six members on the committee who live in Anderson County.

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Greg Wilson
Council to Revisit Planning Proposal, Approves Bond for Detention Center

In the next-to-the-last meeting of 2024 Tuesday night, Anderson County Council voted against new planning commission guidelines involving changes in the appeals process for rejected projects. The meeting was held at the Anderson Civic Center due to repairs and updates at the historic courthouse. The Dec. 17 county council meeting will also be held at the civic center at 11 a.m.

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Greg Wilson
Piedmont Marks Holidays with Winterfest

The Village of Piedmont kicked off their holidays with Winterfest on Saturday. Santa was both on the Saluda River and at the event.

The annual festival celebrates the season and raises funds for the Piedmont Christmas Lights displays which are growing each year. Piedmont's Christmas parade is set for Saturday at 11 a.m.

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Greg Wilson
Christmas Parade Season Kicks Off Today

It's the most wonderful time of the year, time to deck the halls, haul out the holly and get ready to light up this year's county Christmas tree downtown which now tops 52 feet. Belton, Honea Path and Pendleton have already had tree lightings and other events, and more county civic celebrations of the holidays including Christmas parades, tree lightings and other events on the horizon.

Citizens got a preview of the Anderson County Christmas tree on the square this week, but it will go dark at midnight until the official tree lighting ceremonies Friday.

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Greg Wilson
Record Crowds, Winter Winds Kick off Pendleton Christmas Events

Record crowds and North Pole winds were on hand Friday night for the Town of Pendleton’s annual Christmas tree lighting and kickoff for the fifth annual Christkindlmarkt.

Long lines for visits with Santa and for hot chocolate and coffee did little to cool the enthusiast crowd which began filling the Village Green as the market opened at 4:30 p.m.

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Greg Wilson