WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Director of Economic Development, Ty Davenport, has announced he will be leaving the county on May 25. Davenport is the eighth top county official to leave the county’s employ in the last year including the county administrator, assistant county administrator, attorney, clerk to council and several department heads.. Two more department […]
Bell quizzed on disparity of funding for rec centers
May 12, 2022 By
WINNSBORO – Drawdy Park is a recreation hub in Fairfield County. More than 300 kids compete in baseball, softball and other sporting activities during the peak summer season. It’s a place where proud parents cheer on their sons and daughters as they triumphantly round the bases. It’s a place where memories are made. “Drawdy Park […]
In searing public speech, BW mayor confuses conspiracy with routine journalism
May 5, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Mayor Bryan Franklin delivered his most chilling verbal attack to date on The Voice’s publisher and Councilman Donald Brock at the end of a joint town council/planning commission meeting Monday night. The subject matter was rambling, with multiple undocumented claims. Explaining that his speech was in response to The Voice’s editorial in the […]
County responds to Town’s solid waste fee lawsuit
May 5, 2022 By
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County denies that its $63 per ton solid waste fee double-bills Winnsboro town residents who also pay county property taxes to dump their trash, according to new court filings. A year ago, the county expanded the fee to include the Town of Winnsboro and Fairfield County School District. Winnsboro challenged that decision, […]
Council votes to rework LDC, slow map adoption
May 5, 2022 By
COLUMBIA – Wearing red and carrying signs that said: ‘Let us be RURAL’ and ‘Don’t Rezone My Property,’ residents from across Richland County packed the County Council chambers Tuesday night in an effort to influence council members to slow the mass rezoning process down or to shut it down. And for the first time, some […]
Planning Commission recommends council rezone Oakhurst to R-20
May 5, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Planning Commission voted unanimously Monday evening to recommend that town council approve a request to initiate an amendment of the Town’s Zoning Map for the Oakhurst neighborhood. At issue is that the 49-lot neighborhood, which sits off Boney Road, is currently zoned R-8. A majority of the residents requested that the […]
Brock blasts lawsuit for not being authorized by council
April 28, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Just before Blythewood town council went into executive session April 20, for an update on the MPA lawsuit and countersuit from two of the Town’s outside attorneys, Councilman Donald Brock read a prepared statement that he did not recognize one of those attorneys, Nexsen Pruet Attorney David Black, as representing the Town in […]
Black: The Voice’s FOIA requests cost Town almost $70K
April 28, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Speaking before town council last Thursday morning prior to a 9 a.m. budget workshop, Nexsen Pruet attorney David Black blamed thousands of dollars of the Town’s legal expenses on FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests filed by The Voice in connection with two lawsuits the Town is involved in with MPA Strategies marketing […]
Update on Richland County mass rezoning
April 28, 2022 By
COLUMBIA – The regular monthly meeting of the Richland County Planning Commission will not be held as planned on Monday, May 2, according to county officials. Instead, the Commission will hold a work session on the proposed new zoning map on Monday, May 9, at 10 a.m. at the council chambers at 2020 Hampton Street. […]
FOI required to view Ridgeway audit
April 21, 2022 By
RIDGEWAY – The Town of Ridgeway audit for the year ending June 30, 2021 has been completed, and the bound audit document handed out to the town’s council members by Mayor Heath Cookendorfer at the April 14 town council meeting. But that audit was not reviewed publicly at the meeting and is not being made […]
