Feb. 2020 County Council Meeting

RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE - Bruce Horne, second from left, was recognized by County Council for his over 35-years of service to the county. Horne retired Jan. 31 as a County Magistrate. Pictured with him are, L to R, Councilman Justin Anderson, Vice-Chairman Frank Daniel and Councilman Wayne Grice. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

Council To Replace Outdated Software

Old technology and equipment were the biggest expenditures during the County Council meeting  on Mon., Feb. 10.
  Captain Loraine Kelly of the Detention Center and I.T. Specialist Mitchell Kneece explained the Livescan systems used to record and share fingerprints is running on Windows 7, which is about to lose support from Microsoft.
  Replacing the old system with a Windows 10 program will cost $19,435. Kneece said this needed to be done as soon as possible.
  The “end of life” on hardware is June 2021. Replacing this will cost $17,515. Kneece and Kelly recommended both projects be done now at a total cost of $36,950, which will be funded from contingency.
  Councilman Justin Anderson asked of the upgrades would work at a new jail, if one is built. He was told they would.
  Council voted 3-0 to fund the upgrades.
At the beginning of the meeting Bruce Horne was presented a resolution recognizing his  over 35-years of service to the county. Horne, who retired on Jan. 31, served three years as County Coroner from 1984-86, and then was appointed Magistrate by Gov. Carroll Campbell in 1987. He has served in that capacity since.
  Later in the meeting, Council passed a resolution recognizing Margaret M. Davis on her retirement. Mrs. Davis worked over 25-years for the county, since 1995 as Deputy Circuit Court Clerk.
  Council took as information a proposal by Nancy McCorkle to make Saluda County a Second Amendment Sanctuary, because “other states and counties are adopting laws that take away private citizens’ gun rights. As a lifetime hunter, I want my rights protected.”
    Second reading was given to an ordinance that will raise the length of term of Airport Commissioners from three to five years. Commissioners must have aviation knowledge, and the number of qualified board members is limited in the county.
  First reading was given to an ordinance, that will change the requirement that the Fire Board to meet once a month. The ordinance will change the wording to “hold regularly scheduled meetings.” Additional meetings may be called by the chair or the Fire Service Coordinator.
  Council approve Emergency Management Director Josh Morton’s suggestion to publish a request for quote on generator maintenance services.
  Morton’s request for permission to attend the IAEM-USA Region 4 Conference was granted. The trip will be paid by a grant, and at no cost to the county. Morton is president-elect of the organization.

NEW INVESTIGATOR - Mayor Amelia Herlong recently conducted the swearing in ceremony for the Saluda Police Departments new investigator, Josh Price.

PalmettoPride
Invests $400K

  Columbia, SC (February 13, 2020) – PalmettoPride announces the grant recipients for 2020 totaling $400,214.00.
  Then SC Dept. of Natural Resources  in Saluda County received    $3,738.00.
  PalmettoPride offers competitive grants for litter prevention programs and program support for law enforcements agencies, state and local governments, and Keep SC Beautiful affiliates across the state. This year was even more competitive with requests totaling more than $700,000.
   The Litter Prevention Grant awarded $199,296.00 to 43 law enforcement agencies, governmental departments and non-profit organizations in 33 counties totaling for their litter prevention projects, programs and equipment.
  PalmettoPride awarded $200,918.00 to 25 Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliates to help create and maintain litter reduction and beautification programs and projects.

2020 Young Farmer Award

Reggie Padgett, right,  is pictured with Maxy Frye, Region III VP and award sponsor with Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Young Farmer Wins To State Award

  Myrtle Beach, SC…..The Saluda County Young Farmer and Agribusiness Chapter was well represented at the 72nd annual convention held January 31-February 2 at the DoubleTree Resort.
  During this event, Reggie Padgett was presented the Farmer & Agribusiness Award for Region II and the State.  This is one of the highest awards available to a state member.  Reggie manages the processing plant at Hickory Hill Milk.
The Saluda Chapter was also presented the Outstanding Chapter Award for Region II.
  Officers of the Saluda Young Farmer Chapter for 2020 include President Russell Miller, Vice President Marion Black, Secretary Marlene Bushey, Treasurer Candice Miller, and  Agricultural Education Instructor at Saluda High School Amanda N. Crouch, who serves as the advisor. 
  Membership is open to anyone with an interest in agriculture, 18 years of age or older.  Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month.  See www.saluday oungfarmer.org for more information.

Ben Forrest, a direct Grigsby descendant, applies preservative to the Bonham House.

Family Irony In Bonham House Donation

  Several years ago a retired foreign service officer and his wife were sitting in their home in Connecticut browsing You Tube when they discovered the Bonham House.
  The Bonham House, also known as Flat Grove, is the only standing original birthplace in the United States of any of the Alamo defenders. The foreign service officer’s late mother-in-law was a native Texan and an obsessed genealogist.
  He had been a patient enabler of her passion as she traced her Grigsby roots on journeys that took her to England, Ireland and beyond. She had known that the brother, Enoch Grigsby, as one of her direct ancestors that eventually ended up in Texas had come to the Old Edgefield District in the mid 1700s.  He settled in the Mt. Willing area which is now a part of Saluda County.
   Enoch and his family had come down the Great Wagon Road from Virginia and were accompanied by the Bonhams and the “Cloud Creek Massacre” Butlers all of whom were related either by blood or marriage.
  The foreign service officer and his wife, who despite her worldwide travels, still had her heart in Texas, decided to make a contribution to the Saluda County Historical Society for the Bonham House and in memory of the mother-in-law. Along with their generous donation came a copy of the mother-in-law’s extensive research on her Grigsby clan.
  What followed was a “truth is stranger than fiction” story. Neither the foreign service officer or his wife knew that a direct descendant of Enoch Grisby and a very distant cousin of the wife, Colette Forrest Dragoo, had saved the Bohham House from collapsing and had been in charge of the restopration since it was given to the Historical Society. After the shock wore off for all, there was a feeling that fate had played a part.
  The couple continued their generous support of the Bonham House, and their contributions enabled the society to complete a large portion of the rail fence, purchase some items for the house, to recently have the house pressure washed and preservative applied to the siding and a future project to construct an appropriate walk and help with other items.
  Sadly the husband passed away a couple of years ago, but his wife has continued to support the project and has donated money for a live oak to be planted at Flat Grove in memory of her husband. Hopefully she will be able to visit the area in the not too distant future and see where many of her very distant Grigsby cousins still reside. As she said, “My mother must be dancing in heaven!”

FLOODING ON LONG ROAD - Pictured above is a flooded pasture on Long Road, following the torrential rains that began Thurs., Feb. 6. According to county Emergency Management Director Josh Morton, “We did have a number of county and state roads flooded and closed during the storm.  Luckily we were spared from the most significant winds and tornados.  Many of our neighboring counties were not as fortunate.  We have not had any reports of damage to any homes as of this time.”

SHS Students Die In Wreck

SHS Students Die In
Single Vehicle Accident

  Two Saluda High School students died and one was seriously injured in a crash in Saluda County Mon., Jan. 27.
  According to Master Trooper  David Jones, the accident happened on Monday evening around 10:15  on Long Road off of US 378 (Columbia Hwy.). 
  The driver of a 2007 Chevrolet  Silversado pick-up veered off the road and hit a tree.  Two of the occupants were ejected from the vehicle and the third occupant was entrapped. 
  Drayton Wade Black, 17,  and Jaden Coleman, 16,  both died at the scene of the collision, while Jaden’s brother, Kadius, received injuries and was taken to Prisma Health Richland Hospital. 
  Black was a senior and Jaden was a sophomore at Saluda High School.
  “Our hearts go out to the families of these young men, as well as the school and our community,” Saluda County Coroner Keith Turner said, 
  The collision is still under investigation by the Saluda County Coroner’s Office and SC Highway Patrol.
  The accident had a devastating affect on Saluda High School. Counselors and pastors and were made available Tues.  morning, when students learned of the overnight tragedy.
  Because Black was a member of the Saluda High baseball team and the Coleman brothers were former football plays, high school sports teams from all over SC, NC and Georgia expressed condolences on so cial media.
  Television and radio personalities also sent prayers to the families.
  USC Women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley wrote: “Godspeed and prayers up to all families and friends impacted.”
  Saluda High’s biggest sports’ rivals, Batesburg-Leesville and Strom Thurmond, both sent flower arrangements to the school.
  TV and daily newspapers covered the tragedy, especially at the spot where the accident happened and friends have made it into as place to visit and put memorials.
  Funeral services for Drayton and Jaden were held Sat., Feb. 1, at the Saluda High School gymnasium. Drayton’s was at 11 a.m. and Jaden’s at 2 p.m.
  Many attended both services. Both drew near capacity audiences. Kadius was released from the hospital to attend his brother’s funeral. He will go to a rehab facility to recover from his injuries.
  Drayton was buried at Shiloh United Methodist Church, and Jaden’s interment was at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
  A 7:30 p.m. candlelight memorial service was held for the two Sat., also at the school.

Rip Tafta, Water Treatment Superintendent for Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority, with SCWSA Manager Jason Fell.

Tafta Wins  Water Treatment
Plant Operator State Award

Rip Tafta, Water Treatment Superintendent for Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA) won the WEASC Capital District and WEASC Statewide award as the Water Treatment Plant Operator of the Year.
  There are over 1000 members to the WEASC Capital District and over 3500 members statewide.
  Rip was hired as SCWSA’s WTP Superintendent 3 years ago, inspecting a Greenfield WTP being constructed.  As he was apt to say, he was excited to be getting out of the construction business.  Since doing so, Rip has been critical to this utility in executing its mission to become the Western Midlands Regional Water Provider.  He was able to recruit 4 operators in 3 months and hold their commitment to work for several months, while the WTP took longer than anticipated to complete.  He began the WTP’s start-up in the worst possible conditions. The utility’s raw water quality is typically 3 to 7 NTU.  That spiked to 150 NTU because of a significant lake drawdown and repeated heavy rain events.  He was able to manage these not ideal conditions and optimize the WTP’s operations. 
  Rip is a level 5 leader, that is he is humble, attributing his own hard work to others or good luck.  At the same time, He has an intense passion for his job and is willing to whatever is necessary to see his WTP attain greatness.  Rip is selfless, while others were on vacation this summer, he was at work, a lot!  Because of the unfortunate need to terminate a WTP operator quickly followed up with a second operator submitting a two-week notice, an already lean WTP staff of 6 was starved when it dropped to 4.  He and his chief maintenance operator covered the gap for over 4 months.  Rip worked his job plus an operator’s shift to keep things going.  All told, he worked untold hours as a salaried supervisor this past summer.  Untold, because he’d never tell you.  Rather, Rip would say he was simply looking out for his operators, making sure they weren’t overworked.
  Rip is also part of WEASC’s Workforce Development Ad Hoc Committee and incoming chair for the Mid-Year Meeting.  He helped sign up over 30 high school students as WEASC Capital District Members this past year.  He is intent on building an internship program for his utility and working with local Guidance Counselors to explain the opportunities in our industry.
  Most notably, only 8 weeks after placing his WTP into operation, Rip won SCEC’s 2019 Best Tasting Water Award.  SCWSA is lucky to have Rip Tafta!