2024 Marks New Efforts, Storms, Updates in County
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The past year was marked by new efforts, major events and updates/changes across Anderson County.
Here’s the Observer’s quick review of the top stories of the year:
Anderson County Breaks Ground on New $83 Million 650-bed Detention Facility. enter?rq=detentionThe new facility, located on the grounds of the current facility, will also allow for greater safety for officers and inmates and for better supervision with fewer employees and will feature indirect supervision, a method of supervising inmates where correctional officers monitor inmate living areas from enclosed posts, helping avoid much direct, personal interaction with inmates. It will also offer options for better service for those with serious mental health issues and for those struggling with addiction. Space will also be available to allow the county to house juveniles, which now have to be escorted to Columbia by two Anderson County deputies, federal prisoners and women, all of which will generate some income. Currently, 480 prisoners are housed in the facility which is built for 240 inmates, leaving 12 inmates sometimes crowded into cells built for four inmates. This has left some sleeping on the floor. The current facility was not built with air conditioning in mind, and the lack of air flow when cooling the building has led to some moisture issues as well.
First Hurricane in History Reaches Anderson County. Hurricane Helene left more than half the county without electricity, blocked more than 150 roads and was responsible for at least five deaths in the county. The storm closed schools, cancelled many events, including the Belton Standpipe Festival and a Bassmaster event at Green Pond Landing. Emergency workers from across the nation and Canada were on the ground in Anderson helping restore electricity and clear roads. The cleanup of debris is likely to continue well into the first part of 2025. Also, in May, a storms blew through downtown Anderson damaging several buildings and leaving some businesses, such as Summa Joe’s and Mr. Rivers closed for months.
Voters Reject One-Penny Road Tax. Anderson County voters rejected a referendum asking for a one-penny sales tax to repair/replace the county’s aging roads and bridges on Tuesday. The vote 44,121 against, 40,121 for, killed a proposal for a one-cent tax on all items except groceries for the next seven years. The move would have provided the county $350 million over that time, with an estimated $127 million of that total coming from visitors to the county. The rejection means that Anderson County still has never had an economic engine in place to fund the maintenance of the county’s aging 1,554 miles of roads and bridges. Currently more than 35 percent of roads are in failing condition and a third of the county’s 162 bridges cannot be traversed by fire trucks or school buses.
Rock This Country Sets Records for Concert Attendance. More than 41,000 attended the two-day event on the grounds of the Anderson Civic Center. The influx of folks from almost every state and even a few from other countries coupled with crowded spaces, hot weather and tons of beer had some people concerned about the event. But such concerns proved unfounded, at least in part because of the cooperative effort between Anderson City Police and the Anderson Sheriff’s Office. The majority of whom were off-duty officers and deputies paid by the promoters, not taxpayers. The two-day festival had an estimated economic impact of more than $25 million on Anderson County, but the long-term results could prove even more lucrative, and it gave evidence the county is capable of hosting large events. Promoters promised to bring this event back to Anderson in 2025.
Anderson County Economic Development Growth Continues. In 2024 the county added more than 3,000 jobs, with most of the development and expansion along the I-85 corridor. The county also added Finland to the other 17 countries with companies located here. Overall more than 50 international business interests are located in Anderson County.
City of Anderson Brings Major Upgrades to Linley Park, Cater’s Lake. The city broke ground in April for the $13.75 million Linley Park Project. The new includes an extensive redesign of the park, with trails, a new pavilion, playground equipment, traffic and parking changes, and a priority of restoring the Whitner Creek which runs through the park to a natural state. Throughout the park natural wood is being used on buildings and playground equipment in keeping with the natural setting of the neighborhood. The north end of the new design features what is being called a “Peanut-about,” a roundabout shaped like the nut which hopes to slow down and better manage traffic in the area. The city also kicked off a $5.8 million upgrade to Cater’s Lake in December. 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 topsoil are also in the works. The South Carolina Department of Transportation will turn Hiawatha Drive into a cul-de-sac and add a traffic light at the East Mauldin Road/S.C. 81 intersection, to increase safety in the area as well. The project is slated for completion by the end of 2025. The land and the spring-fed lake was turned into a park in 1923 by Andrew Postelle Cater.
Anderson Area Chamber Of Commerce Shakeup. In May, the Chamber’s executive committee received information suggesting that the Chamber’s nonprofit status may have been revoked because certain required filings had not been submitted to the IRS. In August, the board began the process of hiring an outside firm to perform an audit with attorneys experienced non-profit sector auditors to fully understand the situation and to prioritize the reinstatement of the Chamber’s nonprofit status. In September the Chamber accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Pamela Christopher, who is Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission. Several leaders questioned the organization’s structure that had omitted any oversight by a finance committee, accountant or other Chamber guardrails to ensure all paperwork was filed and current. A finance committee was established in late summer in hopes of helping sort out what still needs to be done to restore the group’s non-profit status and monitor such record-keeping to avoid a repeat of the current situation. Retiring United Way CEO Carol Burdette will take the reigns as interim director of the organization while the Chamber searches for a new leader.
County Council Adds Two Seats other than Library Board. In a move council said was an attempt to “bring diversity” to the Anderson County Library Board, two new at-large members were added in September. Both choices were men, one African American and the other Hispanic, but council overlooked academic and library experience as a criterion for selection. Council also expressed concerns that the board members serve four-year terms while council members only serve two years. The new nine-member board. Groups such as “Moms for Liberty” mobilized to put forth candidates and volunteers to challenge books in the library they deem inappropriate, especially in the children’s section. Council received 43 applications for the at-large positions, and interviewed 15 from that group. Among the finalists were three with PhDs., an M.D., two with Masters Degrees, six with bachelor degrees and three with associate degrees (or junior college). One had a Master’s of Library Science and years of experience in library management. Two others had library experience in public libraries or school libraries. And while council is to be applauded for avoiding the handful of candidates who were blatantly political in their applications and/or interviews, neither of the two candidates choses holds a four-year degree or has any direct experience applicable to library issues and management. At the first meeting of the new board, the group seeking more aggressive oversight, including on of the new members were elected to the leadership of the group. The Anderson library has consistently been honored as among the best in the state. The children’s library section, with more than 35,000 volumes, has had just 10 selections challenged in the past two years. Some have been moved as the result of these challenges. Council’s move reflects a national movement to bring more restrictions to libraries, something that still sparks concerns.
Anderson County Legislative Delegation Adds Two New Members. Two new representatives have been sworn in to serve on the eight-member delegation representing the county in Columbia. Rep. Blake Sanders, Dist. 9, was elected to fill the seat of retiring Rep. Anne Thayer. Sanders has a long history of working with counties and other states as a planning consultant, and was mayor of West Pelzer for two terms before stepping down to run for the state house. Rep. Lee Gilreath, Dist. 7, defeated incumbent Rep. Jay West in a race that was driven by the Freedom Caucus. Gilreath, President of Earth Materials Grading, Inc., is a Clemson Graduate and veteran of the S.C. National Guard. The other incumbent delegation members held onto their seats in November.
John S. Rainey Generating Station Gets $470 Million Upgrade. The S.C. Public Service Commission approved a $470 million expansion of the utility’s Rainey Generating Station in Iva. This additional investment is good news for Anderson County and for Anderson School Dist. 3. The number one question potential industry asks when considering locating in Anderson County is about electrical capacity and reliability. The project involves installing a steam turbine generator and other equipment to capture the waste heat from two existing simple-cycle units and use that heat to generate additional electricity. Construction is expected to take 40 months. The added capacity will serve to generate enough power for an additional 100,000 homes.
Soirée Draws Record Crowds. With a headline act kicking off the festival, the City of Anderson witnessed one of the largest crowds to pack downtown in decades. Adding tables outside for local restaurants in front of their businesses, multiple music stages abuzz with variety, a children’s area with bubble artists, balloons, games, plus learning activities under tents manned by the Anderson County Library made for a great festival. The displays for artists were more open, leaving one creative member of that tribe to tell me the Soirée this year was perfect.
New Members Join County, Anderson City Council. Anderson County Council has a new member, Chris Sullivan, in November to replace Councilman John Wright, Jr., who stepped down after his current term to spend more time with his family. Sullivan, a businessman and seventh-generation Andersonian has been active in the community for more than a decade, ran unopposed in both the primary and general election. Anderson City Council also has a new face, as Councilman Greg Steele, an attorney and Anderson native, was elected to fill the seat left open when Rick Laughridge stepped down after 16 years. Steele is the son of the Honorable William P. Steele, Jr., who served as Anderson County magistrate for 25 years.
Pendleton Oil Mill Cleanup, Revitalization, Cheney Mill Project Move Forward. The historic, but decaying, Pendleton Oil Mill site was cleaned up in 2024, and is preparing for the next stage of development. Testing on the site was completed last year and Camden Management Partners, Inc., is working on the next stage for the site which should be in place before the end of 2025. Camden Management also made major progress on construction at Pendleton Cheney Mill Planned Development Project which will include 150 housing units on the site not far from downtown.
EPA Grant, State Grant, Should Expedite Honea Path Chiquola Mill Cleanup. In May Honea Path was 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 Gambrell, 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. Cleanup activities will include removing approximately 10,750 tons of asbestos-containing materials found in debris piles and the remnants of onsite structures. It will also include removing approximately 6,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil. In the area of soil removal, a demarcation barrier will be installed, and the area will be backfilled to grade with 1-1.5 feet of clay and 0.5-1 foot of topsoil.
Carol Burdette Retires as United Way of Anderson CEO. Carol Burdette said she’s not sure why the United Way of Anderson County leadership “took a chance” on her almost 25 years ago but she – and the community are glad they did. Burdette will step down from her role as Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of Anderson County Tuesday, and the accolades and awards have been pouring in since she made the announcement earlier this year. Burdette has no plans to stop serving in the community, and will officially begin as interim CEO of the Anderson Area Chamber Of Commerce this week. See Observer interview with Burdette here.
Anderson Emergency Soup Kitchen Marks First Year in New Location. The Anderson Emergency Soup Kitchen marked one year in September at the former Roy’s Diner location on South Main Street. The kitchen offers a free, hot lunch, no questions asked, with on-site dining Monday-Friday from 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Meals to go are also available. The mission of the kitchen is to help address the food insecurity needs of the area with meals provided through the support of local agencies and individuals, including the Abney Foundation, the Foothills Foundation, the United Way of Anderson and Grace Episcopal church. In South Carolina, food security averages 12.60 percent, making the state the 8th-hungriest, with a food insecurity rate 18 percent higher than the national average of 10.4 percent.
New YMCA complex and Anderson School Dist. 5 Cross-Country Facility Open. The Anderson Area YMCA opened its new 87-acre Sports Park, a major expansion of property on and around the old Duckworth Fields in April, with a facility that includes four baseball fields, a centrally located sports tower with concessions, five multi-purpose fields, a playground, walking paths and increased parking. Another part of the park opened in the fall as home Anderson School District Five’s Cross-Country Programs at T.L. Hanna and Westside. The area includes a state-of-the-art cross-country facility aimed at attracting regional meets for high schools and colleges/universities. The $7 million effort is also expected to provide an economic boost for Anderson County by hosting regional events. District 5, which is providing $1.9 million with funds from penny sales tax revenue.
White Jones Hardware Stores Sold. Anderson’s three White Jones Hardware locations were sold late in the year to Elder’s Ace Hardware, which operates 26 locations in three states (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Run by The Helpful Group, Elder is a cooperative of 26 Elder's Ace Hardware store owners/operators.) White , who died in 2003, and Gertie, who died in 2012, Jones opened the first store in Anderson in 1967 in the Watson Village Shopping Center next to the U.S. Post Office. They moved to the larger location in that shopping center when Grant’s closed in 1978. They opened the Pruitt Shopping Center in 1990 and the S.C. 24 stores in 2006. Elder is planning to move the Pruitt Shopping Center location to a site on S.C. 81 in 2025, and the current store is already listed on their website as “Elder’s Ace Hardware of Highway 81.” The new S.C. the 81 site is expected to be larger than the current 16,500-foot facility in Pruitt Shopping Center.
City of Anderson Shared Kitchen Opens. The City of Anderson officially opened in February, as a shared commercial kitchen available to entrepreneurs who need space for food preparation. The 110 North Kitchen and Commissary is an incubator that features a professional kitchen for bakers, cooks and other food preparation equipment for food truck owners, area farmers, aspiring baker and other local business. The city built the facility with a series of grants.
Southwood Academy for the Performing Arts Names Auditorium after Chadwick Boseman. The board renamed the facility after one of the school district’s most famous sons, Anderson native Chadwick Boseman. Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020 at age 43, attended McCants Middle School and T.L. Hanna High School (where he graduated in 1995). “We are elated to do this in recognition of the accomplishments of Mr. Chadwick Boseman,” said long-time member of the school district’s board of trustees Harold Kay. “We want to do this to honor him, and to let the family know we have not forgotten the sacrifices that he made.” Kay and board chair Tommy Price decided they wanted to do something to recognize the accomplishments of Boseman, and were looking to find a facility to name after him. Kay said the family is grateful the district is honoring Boseman and bringing attention to the arts in the district. Howard University, Boseman’s alma mater, and T.L. Hanna has already started a scholarship to honor Boseman’s memory. Known for his lead role in the 2018 movie “Black Panther,” Boseman also built a substantial career starring in biopics of such notable figures as Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown. He is the first African-American actor to be nominated posthumously for his final role in "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom."
