Merry Christmas 2022

Saluda High  Art Students Designed Ornaments
For The 2022 National Christmas Tree Display

  Saluda High School is this year's state representative in the America Celebrates Ornaments Program.
  Ornaments created by our own SHS art students will be on display at this year's National Christmas Tree Display in Washington, DC. Many thanks to Wayne Bell and his students for creating some amazing ornaments that are currently on display in our Nation’s Capital.
\  The art work from Saluda High School takes viewers on a journey around South Carolina.  From the azure blue waters of the Grand Strand through the race car dirt tracks of the Midlands to the cattle fields of the up country and everywhere in between.  Other pictures depict the images that define our state: The Boykin Spaniel, Yellow Jasmine, The Carolina wolf spider as well as the indigo blue State Flag. These students have worked hard to capture the essence of this great State.  Hours of research and work have culminated in artwork that defines a school, community and a State.
  Congratulations to Wayne Bell, Art Teacher, and the following students: Alex Pascual Guzman de Leon, Amy Gonzalez, Aryana Hazelton, Emily Glendening, Brianna Walker, Christopher Contreras, Emelin Lo-pez, Gracelyn Deal, Haley Taylor, Jacob New, Mary anne Summer, Owen Stoudemire, and Shey-Dan Smit.

PARADE GRAND MARSHAL - State Superintendent of Education, Saluda County native Molly Mitchell Spearman, served as Grand Marshal for the Saluda Christmas Parade on Sat., Dec. 10. She was accompanied by her two granddaughters. Driving her was retired teacher and newly sworn in school board member, CeCe Yonce. (Standard-Sentinel photo)
 

New School Schedule

Saluda County Schools To
Offer Modified Calendar

Saluda County Schools will be modifying the school calendar for the 2023-2024 school year.
  This new calendar will provide real-time opportunities for all students to be academically successful throughout the school year. Enrichment days will be strategically placed in the school calendar to assist students in staying on track.
  The addition of these enrichment days throughout the year will result in a shorter summer recess. As we move forward, the district will be providing additional information on the new school calendar.
  Some families may have pre-planned vacations this first year, which could conflict with this new school calendar. The district will work with families to allow students the opportunity to make up any missed assignments.
  Please feel free to reach out to your child’s school with any questions.

Local Suspect Sentenced to
20 Year Prison Sentence

  Joel Weston Dowd, age 39 of Gaston entered a guilty plea last week on charges of Accessory to a Burglary and Malicious Injury to Property.
  Dowd was sentenced by the Honorable William P. Keesley to serve a twenty (20) year prison sentence in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
  On May 13th, 2022 Dowd assisted other individuals in stealing firearms from a home in the Gaston area of Lexington County.
  On July 9th, 2022, Dowd attempted to burglarize a storage unit facility and steal a camper in Saluda County.
  A concerned citizen who was mowing grass that day noticed him wearing a facemask and behaving unusually. The concerned citizen attempted to prevent Dowd from leaving the storage facility by blocking him in with his vehicle. Dowd and his accomplice drove through a fence to escape the scene and were later apprehended by law enforcement.
  During the plea hearing that was held this morning, Dowd’s victims addressed the court. The prosecution provided his lengthy criminal history to the Court, explaining that Dowd “has spent all of his adult life terrorizing our community.”
  Dowd was sentence to an eleven (11) year prison sentence on his Lexington Accessory to a Burglary Charge and a nine (9) year prison sentence on his Saluda Malicious Injury to Property Charge.
  Judge Keesley ordered that Dowd shall serve his sentences consecutively (one after another, without interruption). After completing his twenty (20) year prison sentence, Dowd will also be required to complete five (5) years of probation and pay restitution to his victims.
  Dowd was investigated and brought to justice through the combined efforts of the Lexington County Sheriff's Office and Saluda County Sheriff's Office. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Solicitor Angela Martin and Assistant Solicitor Doug Fender.

Postal Service Closed Monday, Dec. 26,
and Monday, Jan. 2

  SOUTH CAROLINA — This year, Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Sunday, when Post Office locations nationwide are already closed.
  As a result, all Post Offices will be closed for the observation of both federal holidays on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022 and Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. There are no residential or business deliveries on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 except for Priority Mail Express, which is delivered 365 days a year in select locations for an additional fee.
  All Post Office locations will be open for business and regular mail delivery will resume after the holidays on Tuesday, Dec. 27 and Tuesday, Jan. 3. Some Post Offices may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, while others may have limited hours on Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24. There are currently no plans for limited hours on New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31.
  Customers are advised to always check with their local Post Office for hours of operation. Blue collection boxes with final collection times before noon will not be affected by an early closing Dec. 24. If a box normally has a final collection time after noon, its mail may be picked up earlier that day.
  For mail pickup on Dec. 24, customers are asked to either put their mail into blue collection boxes by noon regardless of the final collection times posted on the box or take their items to one of our more than 34,000 Post Office locations.
  Customers who are unable to mail items before the scheduled collection box pickup times on Dec. 24 should visit the online Postal Locator tool at tools.usps. com to find Post Office locations that may be open late.  As a reminder, blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays or holidays. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

2022 Parade

Saluda Parade Route

The Saluda Christmas Parade will be held Sat., Dec. 10, beginning at 4:30 p.m..The parade will follow the above route.

Saluda Tree Lighting

The Town of Saluda hosted a tree lighting program at the Courthouse Tues., Nov. 29. Featured were refreshments, a snow machine, sing-along, a performance from PDA’s “The Grinch” show, and the tree lighting, featuring The Grinch, himself.

Town Issues Thanks

  The tree lighting wouldn’t of been possible without the help of Mr. Mike Rodgers from Rodgers Fertilizer! We greatly appreciate all of your help!
  Also we would like to give a big thank you to
  •Nancy K Rogers  for donating the beautiful 20 foot Christmas tree!
  •To the wonderful person who donated all of the ornaments!
  •Meredith Crawford and File & Style for assisting in putting up the ornaments.
  •Heather Shealy with PDA for the wonderful last minute performance!
  •The Town of Saluda Police & Sanitation department also Nichole Maffett and Meredith Crawford for putting up the Christmas tree.
  •The Town of Saluda Police Department for serving yummy Hot Chocolate!
  •The Grinch for always helping when asked!
  •Burton Campbell for letting us borrow his speaker and microphone!

(Saluda Fire Department photos)

Valley Protein Fire Update

  Following is an update from Fire Service Coordinator Luke Downing  on the Thanksgiving Day fire at Valley Protein in Ward:
  Thurs., Nov. 24,  around 2PM Saluda 911 received a call in reference to a fire at Valley Protein. While units were en route smoke could be seen from Spann Rd. Multiple units were then toned an a countywide all call was done for departments to man their station.
  In all Ridge Spring, Midland, Saluda, Monetta, Batesburg, Old Town, Mayson, Circle, Ninety Six, New Holland, Abbeville County, Due West, Clinton, Hickory Tavern, Western Laurens, Saluda County Fire Coordinator, Saluda County EMD, and South Carolina State Fire Marshall assisted in the incident.
  The fire was contained around 5:30PM and units remained on scene until midnight. The fire is still under investigation.