In response to a question asked by one of the commissioners at Planning Commission’s work session last week relating to how the LDC/County-wide rezoning process started, Mr. Crooks responded that the process began several years ago because folks wanted to have a way of protecting the rural character of the county. I was one of […]
Letter: SC Senate passes school choice bill
April 7, 2022 By
It was a historic week for Palmetto State students. Last Thursday, the South Carolina Senate passed a major school choice bill by a vote of 25-15! The Associated Press documented the unprecedented nature of this vote: “The proposal is the evolution of nearly 20 years of Republicans pushing to put money into providing more education […]
Letter: Crickentree Board Received Bad Advice
April 7, 2022 By
It’s spring so naturally our thoughts drift toward sprucing up the neighborhood. But when the Crickentree HOA Board met on 3/9 to consider a $27,000 landscaping project the topic was handled poorly. The Treasurer announced that there was insufficient money left in the annual Budget and that approving the project would “blow the Budget out […]
Letter: Guidelines for Members of County Council
April 7, 2022 By
Let’s talk about the Fairfield County Council. Most of them do not belong in their positions of so-called “authority”. Just because they follow Parliamentary Procedure to run the meetings, has no bearing on their lack of compassion for the community or shows them as having any common sense when making important long range plans. These […]
Letter: Pack It Up or Pack It In
April 7, 2022 By
Anyone who cares about the future of this area and the explosive growth of Northeast Columbia should be paying attention. Richland County officials are diving headlong into development of this area without regard to infrastructure to support it, the ability of the school district to accommodate it, and the effect it will have on the […]
All unincorporated parcels in Richland being rezoned
March 31, 2022 By
Editorial: What Does this Mean for Property Owners? COLUMBIA – The Richland County planning and development staff has a plan to rezone every property in the unincorporated areas of Blythewood and the entirety of Richland County – all 375,000 acres – by June 7. While the staff has been working on the rezoning plan for […]
Letter: Don’t Blame Employees
March 31, 2022 By
This is the response to the county audit and other issues regarding Fairfield County. If one looks back over the last year of your publication you will notice that Fairfield County had tremendous turnover (head of the county down to hourly positions), the annual budget was cut including cuts to department personnel, and no raises […]
Guest Editorial: School District breaks ground for teacher village
March 31, 2022 By
WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County School District Education Foundation is a non-profit corporation established in 2018 as a 501©(3) by the IRS. The Foundation was established to support the mission of the Fairfield County School District. The Foundation’s signature initiative, originally envisioned by Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green, is to creatively address the state’s growing crisis […]
Guest Editorial: Government should post check registries
March 24, 2022 By
Every town and county government should make detailed financial information easily available to the public. It keeps officials on their toes and makes it easier to catch their misspending and waste. Transparency builds trust with taxpayers, who have a right to know how their hard-earned dollars are being spent. A critical element of open-government is […]
Letter: Bell’s Memory is Selective
March 24, 2022 By
Over the past 5 months I have been reviewing the videos of the Fairfield County Council meetings. The pattern of this group is obvious to any viewer. They begin with a blessing asking for guidance to make the right decisions for the community. Apparently, this is not working at all. They continue to rush through […]
