April 2022 Council

Council Begins
Budget Process

 
  Saluda County Council gave first readings to the 2022-23 school and county  budgets at the April 11 meeting.
  The local support portion of the school district’s $23,159,456 budget is $8,476,594, minus revenues and credits reflected on tax receipts from Property Tax Relief, Homestead Exemption, Tier 3 Property Tax Relief, and Motor Carrier for a net amount of $5,343,556  from ad valorem taxes.
  The county’s budget currently stands at $14,995,066, $785,209 over projected revenue. Two more readings are required for both budgets.
  A public hearing was held on an ordinance authorizing the expansion of the boundaries of a multi-county business park. No one spoke at the public hearing. In the old business portion of the meeting, third reading approval was given to the ordinance.
  Council gave second reading approval to an ordinance that will provide for the recovery of costs for service charges from users of fire protection and emergency services through a citizen’sinsurance. Councilman Jack Atkinson said he had a problem with fees being collected by a third party. He said he thought the county should do its own collecting. Atkinson voted against second reading approval.
  In new business, Council gave first reading to an ordinance permitting Saluda County to enter into a lease agreement with Southeast Aviation, LLC.  The lease would allow the establishment of a flight school at the airport, assistant Emergency Management Director Jill Warren said.
  The annual Fair Housing Resolution was approved, as was a resolution saluting Bonnie Forrest on her retirement after 21 years of service to the county.
  Fire Service coordinator Luke Downing asked Council to consider purchasing to a mini-pump truck for the Circle Fire Department, replacing a 1997 ambulance used as a squad truck. The truck under consideration is a 2006 model with a 250 gallon water tank, 15 gallons for foam and a light tower for night duty.
  The truck has 15,000 miles on the odometer and cost $99,900. Downing said Circle fire chief Donnie Longshore approved the purchase, as does the Fire Board.
  The truck is located in Pennsylvania, and fire officials will travel there and thoroughly inspect the vehicle. If it is found acceptable, it will be driven home. Coincil approved the purchase.
  Council approved an Economic Development Set-aside Grant. Will Williams from the Economic Development Partnership, said the grant funds will  be issued by the state to the county, and the county would disburse the funds to an industry, which will pledge to further develop its location and hire more employees.

King Academy To
Celebrate 50 Years

  W. Wyman King Academy’s will celebrate its 50th Anniversary on April 30, 2022, with a special observance at the school.
  Alumnus Jonathan Rush will serve  as the emcee, and alumnus Matt Carson with the East Wind Band will be providing entertainment. Memorabilia rooms from all 50 years and special speakers and honorees will also  be featured
  Open house begins at 5 p.m. and dinner will be catered by Shealy’s BBQ at 6:30. Cost is $25 for one person and $45 for a couple.
  This event is open to all alumni and WKA Parents. They must RSVP by contacting the office at (803) 532-6682 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

April Job Fair

SALUDA COUNTY EMS SEEKS EMPLOYEES

Saluda Government Job Fair Will Provide

Local Career Opportunities for Job Seekers

  High gas prices, long commutes, and time away from home can make working out of town less desirable.
  Saluda residents who would like to avoid that scenario can learn about opportunities to work in their home community at a drop-in job fair from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, April 21.
   The event will be held at the council chambers inside the Saluda County Administration Building at 407 W. Butler Ave. The fair will highlight full-time jobs with benefits including some with state health insurance and state retirement.
  “There are several positions open at the (Saluda County) Sheriff’s Department and Detention Center,” Saluda County Finance and Human Resources Coordinator Joni Drafts said. “There are a few positions open at EMS, and in our Roads and Bridges Department.”
  Applications will be accepted at the event and staff will be on hand to answer questions.
  Saluda County EMS Director Jacob Starnes prefers local hires in his department.
  “I particularly like people who live in the county,” Starnes said. “It helps when we are short-staffed. It helps with call-ins because people live close by. It helps the community, not only working on the public safety side but you live in and are involved in the community.”
  Starnes has worked almost 23 years in the EMS department, including as assistant director, supervisor, paramedics crew chief and EMT. “I live five minutes from our headquarters.”
  Working close to home isn’t just beneficial to the employee but also the community.
  “I believe the majority of people in Saluda do commute outside of the community for work,” Starnes said. “I think it hurts our community because if you are commuting to Lexington or Greenwood for work, when you get off work and if you need gas, you are probably going to get gas in a different county. You are likely to stop by a grocery store in a different county.”
  Saluda County Deputy Coroner Angie Rita agrees.
  “You pass the Wal-Marts of the world everywhere else and have a tendency to stop and not bring your money back into our community,” Rita said. “But if you live and work in our community, hopefully we do a good job patronizing our local businesses.”
  Rita has been on both sides, having retired from the Department of Juvenile Justice where she had an office in Saluda but also worked in regional and state offices.
  “I spent an hour or more each morning and each afternoon depending on the traffic,” Rita said of her commute. “In Saluda, that (traffic) is not something that we have to contend with. Having a short commute is a blessing.
  “A lot of people tend to go out of town (to work) because they feel they can make more money. But when they boil it all down, it probably equals out in a lot of ways if they can stay in their community if there is a job that meets their career ambitions,” Rita added. “I was born and raised in Saluda and I love my community.”
  Drafts has spent almost 11 years working for the County. “It’s home. It’s a quiet atmosphere. We get to serve our community and be neighborly.”
  Loraine Kelly, Detention Center Captain and Assistant Jail Administrator, said, “In today’s world, with gas prices and not knowing when they are going to rise and fall, being close to work is a big advantage. Your travel time is low and you aren’t wasting a lot of money on gas. If you are driving 45 minutes away, you are naturally spending more money.”
  Kelly said there are 11 openings at the Detention Center. She said working with the housed inmates is a tough environment and not for anyone with “thin skin.” But you work as a team and “you might make a difference for someone (an inmate) who comes in.”
  Kelly said she believes many workers are just looking for a paycheck and not a career.
  “If you are young, you can work 25 years (at the Detention Center) and then retire,” she said.
  Picking a career can change the rest of your life. A new hire might take an entry level job and through training or apprenticeship programs obtain a higher-level position or advancement in their department.
  There is no registration for the job fair. Applications will be available and job seekers can also bring a resume.
  The job fair is coordinated by Upper Savannah Council of Governments and SC Works. The Saluda SC Works center is located at the County Administration Building across the hall from council chambers.
  Job seekers can prepare a resume, search jobs and find out about free training including Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), welding and manufacturing certification at the SC Works Center. Upper Savannah has a federal grant which helps local residents prepare for emergency medical technician and paramedic careers.
  SC Works is federally funded primarily through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
  County job are listed at https://saludacounty.sc.gov/jobs.

Spring Fest Attracts Big Crowd

Despite Easter temperatures colder than the Christmas Parade, Saluda’s Spring Fest attracted a big turnout at the Saluda Park Sat., April 9. Inflatables, vendors and egg hunts were among the highlights. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

School Board Summary

  Saluda County School District Board of Trustees met
April 5, 2022 at Saluda’s District Office for a special called Board Meeting.
  Dr. Kathy Coleman called the meeting to order.  Mr. Jeffery Jordan gave the invocation.  The agenda was approved as submitted.  Dr. Kathy Coleman, Dr. Arlene Puryear, CDR James Moore, Ms. Sharon Holloway, and Mr. Jeffery Jordan were all in attendance. The meeting began at 8:15 a.m.
  New Business
  Mrs. Sharon Setzer presented to the Board the 2022-23 Saluda County School District One Budget. The first reading passed unanimously.
  Next, on the agenda was the District’s Audit Firm. After extensive research Mrs. Sharon Setzer recommended Manley Garvin be retained as the District’s 2022-2026 auditors. The vote passed unanimously.
  Lastly, Dr. Puryear made a motion for the Superintendent to move forward with the construction at Hollywood Elementary School with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture. The vote passed unanimously.
  Adjournment
  Mr. Jordan made a motion to adjourn the meeting. It passed unanimously.
  The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:07 a. m.

Gun Leads to Arrest

Illegal Gun Leads To Arrest

  Christopher Ussery was arrested Mar. 29 for Unlawful Transportation of a Sawed Off Shotgun.
  This arrest occurred after his vehicle was stopped at a Safety Checkpoint on Hollywood Road. Ussery was additionally arrested for Habitual Offender and Driving Under Suspension.
  Deputies noticed what appeared to be a simple metal pipe on the back seat of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, it was found to be a homemade 12 Ga shotgun that works by slamming the “barrel” into the “chamber” allowing for a screw to hit the primer of a shotgun shell.
  Ussery is a convicted felon.
  The Sheriff’s Office  wanted to share this with the public and our other law enforcement partners to give some insight on the dangers that law enforcement face daily.
  Ussery is now incarcerated at the Saluda County Detention Center.

Burglary Arrests

  Two have been arrested for burglary after breaking into a residence in Ridge Spring.
  Rico Griffin, right, and Lesa Coleman,left, were taken into custody after entering a residence and demanding the home owner give them money. They searched the home for cash and threatened the home owner.
  Both subjects were later located by deputies and arrested. Both Griffin and Coleman are currently incarcerated at the Saluda County Detention Center.