More than 500 visitors and students were on hand Friday for the official dedication of the Chadwick Boseman Fine Arts Center at the Southwood Academy of the Arts.

School officials, the president of the James Brown Foundation, who had befriended Boseman when he played the role of the soul singer, friends and family were part of the event which also included performances from Southwood students.

One of the East Coast’s top festivals, the festival showcases a juried art, which is a major draw for experienced artists.

The Jubilee is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m April 5 and noon-5 p.m. April 6.

Wildfires in the Upstate have grown exponentially over the past week, forcing mandatory evacuations as weather conditions and debris from Hurricane Helene impede efforts to stop the flames spreading.

No structures have been damaged, and no injuries or deaths have been reported, officials said during a Friday media briefing, one week after the first of the two fires started.

Photo by Mark Susko/Special to the SC Daily Gazette

The Anderson County Library’s Teen Vex Robotics Teams is heading for the world championships in Dallas in May.

The four-student team - Isabel Feldkamp, Cara Griesemere, Sam Smith and Banks Criswell – will compete in the middle school division against robotic teams from around the world.

The purpose of the meetings is to both inform the public and connect with the county agencies to see how the county council can help them accomplish their goals and objectives.

Belton City Administrator Alan Sims and his wife Jill Sims were recently honored for their contributions to the South Carolina State Association of Fire Chiefs.

Anderson City Council on Monday unanimously approved sending a request from a land developer for the annexation of 22 acres on the East-West Parkway just southwest of Kings Road to the City Planning Commission.

New details, not listed in the agenda packet, were revealed at the meeting suggesting that the proposal for eight acres of the property is slated for senior multi-family development. No details of proposals were announced for the remaining 14 acres, which is not unusual.

Emergency officials are reporting no injuries and no home damage so far from the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County and Persimmon Ridge Fire in Greenville County, according to state Forestry Commission spokeswoman Michelle Johnson.

Neither fire is contained. A statewide burning ban remains in place until further notice.

The request by the property owner, Anderson Real Estate Attorney Williams Richard McClellion, is seeking annexation of the property of the tax map identification TMS 121-00-04-009 north of the parkway for a planned development district. Approximately eight acres is slated for multi-family development. If approved on Monday, the plan would be sent to the City of Anderson Planning Commission which could consider the annexation at their April 1 meeting.

Downtown closed off streets around the courthouse to allow the kids to get up close and personal with a variety of big trucks and heavy equipment, including fire trucks, law enforcement vehicles, construction equipment, agricultural machinery, as well as meet the men and women who build, protect, and serve Anderson County.

The event is a partnership between the Junior League and the City of Anderson.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission said statewide weather conditions, including extremely low humidity and strong winds are expected throughout the state over the next few days enhancing the possibility of wildfires.

As the county works to refine and clarify development standards for new housing, including the consideration of hiring a consultant to help with this project, roads remain a top concern.

Rockey said the goal is to build a foundation that will grow and still be serving the community long after he and Wendy are gone. He talked about other motivations for creating the foundation and it’s first big fundraiser in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

In a move aimed at meeting the need for affordable housing while helping those who are homeless found permanent housing, Anderson County Council on Tuesday gave final approval to the donation 24 properties to non-profit groups in the county.

“This shows that council recognizes the need for more affordable housing,” said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. “We also see this as a step to help provide these groups with what they need to help the homeless transition into permanent housing.”

The AnMed CareConnect location at 600 North Fant Street in Anderson has closed and relocated to 801 North Fant Street as part of the new venture, with MEDcare Urgent Care Anderson, located at 801 North Fant Street in Anderson, closing and reopening as AnMed Urgent Care. This center is located across the street from the Emergency Department at AnMed Medical Center.

The play is a thinly veiled version of the life of Jonathan Larson, who soon after this work created the rock opera “Rent,” which helped revolutionize the art form for his generation. Sadly, Larson died at 35, two weeks before “Rent” opened on Broadway, so he never lived to see the success he so desperately desired, a clear theme of “Tick, Tick, Boom.” This play was expanded after his death for the stage.

For theater lovers, this play offers a little something for everyone.

Anderson County Council will honor the Anderson County Emergency Management Division for their statewide recognition as the top agency in South Carolina for 2024 as part of Tuesday’s meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

“Come Fly with Me” is a tonic for troubled times and runs through Sunday. Tickets are limited, and you don’t want to miss this one.

Anderson’s most celebrated actor will be honored March 28 at 10 a.m. at the official dedication of the Chadwick Boseman Fine Arts Center at School Dist. 5’s Southwood Academy for the Arts.

The school board approved the move last March, but it has taken time to prepare for the renaming of the school’s performing arts center, which will include a special sculpture with a bust of Bosman. The bust, at the recommendation of the family, was created from a photo of Chadwick at Howard University when that school honored him by reestablishing the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts in his honor.

The three new members are Anderson business professionals: Dwayne Bowes, Area Director of Sales Marketing at Paragon Hotels, Emily Holland, owner H3 Marketing and Andy Patrick, president of Attaway Printing. The addition of three local business professionals is part of the plan to make the board more Anderson County-centric.