John Rainey knows a lot abbot Starr, which is not surprising given his family has lived there for xxx years.

Rainey outlined the history of the town in a recent meeting at the Anderson County Museum. Established in the 1830s, Starr, then known as “Twigs” officially adopted the current name in 1888 in honor of one of its own, Captain Wilford W. Starr, the engineer of the first train to stop at the newly constructed passenger station in town.

It’s a small world, and the Belton Area Museum Association will celebrate all the little things in their newest exhibit, which opens Sunday at 3 p.m.

“Littles: Miniature Collections” will feature such small treasures as thimbles, spoons, shot glasses, blown glass animals, doll house furniture, trinkets, curio items, snuff boxes, and other tiny objects.

Anderson County’s new Manager or Roads and Bridges path has been paved by a family devoted to public service.

His father was a building and codes inspector and his mother a school teacher, something that influenced Fox’s choice of how to spend his life’s work.

The Anderson County Planning Commission rejected a pair of housing developments on Tuesday after Anderson School Dist. 1 expressed concerns that continued unbridled growth in the area.

The commission denied the 13.62-acre single-family Acorn Glen housing subdivision on Roger Road, was asking to divide the property into 30 lots, and a request to build more than 50 townhouses known as Harvest Creek Cottages on 19.86 acres on Anderson Road.

Winning nearly 70 percent of the votes, Russ Tysl was elected to the Belton City Council Ward 3 Seat in Tuesday ‘s special election.

Of the 152 total votes cast, Tysi received 106, or 69.74 percent, and Tanner White received 46, or 30 percent. Voter turnout was 6.02 percent.

On Saturday, the Pendleton Community Center held an event to showcase the upgrades and repairs to the landmark site just off the square.

The board of directors worked to bring in financial support for the effort, including a recent $50,000 “Hometown Grant” from T-Mobile. The current upgrade stage provided new roofing, new siding for the exterior and some interior renovations.

Anderson Shock City Jeep Club joined with others to sponsor a fundraiser for Area 14 Special Olympics on Saturday at AJ’s Bar and Grill.

On June 29, Williamston will host what some say could be their biggest event to date, with an freedome elebration that features concerts by Tracie Lynn and Gyth Rigdon, a golf cart parade, car show, Bobbers on the Creek race, a kids fun zone, food and a fireworks show.

It’s part of what continues to be a busy season for Williamston, said Mayor Rockey Burgess. New businesses, new housing, park upgrades and other improvements have the town humming this summer.

It’s big news for the City of Pelzer. The town of 1,400 citizens is about to see major growth.

For the first time in more than a century a major housing development will bring more than 100 houses to town. Work in under way for Courtney Park, which will bring 125 houses and 18 town homes.

“People are finding out what we already know, this is a great place to live,” said Pelzer Mayor Will Ragland, who added that people are moving to his town from all over the country.

As Summer begins, the Town of West Pelzer is focusing on security.

Mayor Jim Riddle said the town is exploring technology to protect online information, and has hired a new police chief who he said will be another good move for the town.

Belton’s move to turn over law enforcement responsibilities to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is one of the top news stories for the city moving into summer.

Belton is also looking to new business which builds home construction beams and will bring new jobs paying more than $28 dollars an hour to the city.

The $2.65 million grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to Honea Path for environmental remediation and cleanup efforts at the abandoned Chiquola Mill site tops the news from the town moving into summer.

The new City of Anderson $84.7 million budget includes the $13.75 Linley Park Project, which not only expands and improves the park but corrects stormwater issues and restores Whitner Creek. This project is made possible by the city’s hospitality tax, which began in 2001 with a collection of $50,000, and is now close to $50 million annually.

One of the bedrock principles of West Pelzer was founder John Franks insistence that dogs were an important part of the community, a belief not shared by the neighboring Pelzer textile leaders.

Piercetown’s historians and genealogists Miss Lizzie Webb (1892-1976) (portrayed by Maggie Elrod) and Mrs. Eva Ann Wilson (author of Piercetown Cousins Wilson-Owen History of Piercetown, Anderson County, South Carolina 1835-1993) recently created a front porch experience of the Webb home place at the Anderson County Museum as they discussed the community’s early history and notable families.

Anderson County’s Broadway Lake, completed in 1940 as one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration projects, the 300-acre lake has five miles of shoreline and continues to be a highly sought after destination for those wishing to live on the water.

The Wren Fire Department celebrated 50 years of service to the community with an event Saturday at the station.

The Lebby Street Chapel and Events center is already hosting weddings and special events, with complete dining, special areas for the bride and groom, and other rooms, all restored with period antique furniture. Even the church’s century-old pipe organ was saved and returned to use.

A new kayak/paddle board rental kiosk at the Sen. Mike Gambrell Saluda Access Park is set to open soon at Belton Landing. The kiosk for rentals will be the first of its kind on the Saluda River. A credit card swipe kiosk will allow for rentals of the watercraft.

The new facilities include four baseball fields, a centrally located sports tower with concessions, five multi-purpose fields, a playground, walking paths and increased parking.