Referendum Announced

District School Building
Refrendum Announced

  Saluda County School District One has announce a building referendum will be held on Nov. 8.
  The referendum question asks:
  Shall the Board of Trustees of Saluda County School District No. 1, South Carolina (the “School District”) be authorized to issue and sell, either as a single issue or as several separate issues, general obligation bonds of the School District in the aggregate principal amount of not exceeding $49,000,000 the proceeds of which shall be applied to defray the costs (including architectural, engineering, legal and related fees) of the following:
  1. constructing and equipping a new consolidated Saluda Elementary School to replace the existing Saluda Elementary School and the existing Saluda Primary School, including related demolition of all or a portion of the existing Saluda Elementary School;
  2. constructing and equipping renovations, additions and improvements to Hollywood Elementary School; and
  3.constructing and equipping renovations, additions and improvements at or for the benefit of Saluda Middle School and Saluda High School, to include without limitation athletic facilities, including related demolition?
  District Supt. Dr. Harvey Livingston said the actual cost of the project is $93, but the District  is receiving $42 million from the state and has $2 million in ESSER funds.
  More details on the project will be published in the coming weeks.

Reserve Philanthropist Develops
E-course To Help Others Fly

By Carolyn Herrick
4th Fighter Wing
Public Affairs

  SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, North Carolina —  When she was a little girl, Capt. Kristin “Nikki” Bodie, 77th Air Refueling Squadron KC-46 pilot, used to lay in the grass with her grandmother on their farm in rural Saluda, South Carolina, and watch the fighter jets from nearby Shaw Air Force Base and McEntire Joint National Guard Base fly overhead, wondering where they were going and what it would be like to fly through the clouds.
  Her journey to become an Air Force pilot took years, and she flew all around the world in order to reach her goal, but Bodie took the things she’s learned and developed an online course to help others find their path more easily.
  ‘Girls Don’t Fly Planes’
  Bodie remembers sitting in church as young as 5 years old, hearing the preacher talk about serving in the military or as a missionary and thinking, “He’s talking about me. Someday, I am going to leave my family and serve.”
  Her love of watching airplanes spurred a strong desire to fly them.
  “Every time I mentioned becoming a pilot, teachers in school would say, ‘Girls don’t do that,’” Bodie said. “I didn’t know of any female pilots, so I believed them – until I got to college and a good friend took flight lessons and asked if I wanted to go on a flight.”
  Bodie, who was attending Clemson University, immediately fell in love with being in the air.
  Determined to become a professional pilot, she enrolled in a program at Embry Riddle University. Upon completion of her MBA in aviation management and obtaining her flight ratings, Bodie landed her first flying job doing aerial survey in a Cessna 172. As a brand new pilot, she was in charge of all aspects of each mission, from coordination to logistics, refueling and maintenance.
  “That taught me a lot about myself as a person and pilot,” she said. “I was out there traveling the country by myself with nothing but my suitcase and this tiny little airplane. It put me out of my comfort zone and made me more confident.”
Giving Back
  After eight months, Bodie began flying mapping missions in the King Air 200s, working seven days followed by seven days off. Looking to fill her time off, Bodie found Wings of Hope, a humanitarian organization that flies to highly remote locations to provide lifesaving care interventions to people who have never have a chance to see a doctor.
  This mission was close to her heart for personal reasons.
  “When I was around 8 years old, I watched my cousin Loren struggle through leukemia, so it meant a lot to me to fly these missions,” said Bodie. “When my cousin died, it was so impactful; my entire life, I knew I needed to give back.”
  As the only young woman volunteering, Bodie had to work hard to build her credibility there.
  “I would clean the hangar, mop, and trade apple dumplings and pecan pie to learn,” she said.
  There, she learned to weld, do engine overhauls, change gears, fabrication, upholstery and more. After a few months, she began flying children with terminal illnesses and disabilities around the country for treatment.
  Bodie became more and more involved with Wings of Hope, eventually becoming a board member and assisting on a global level. She also started volunteering in the organization’s summer SOAR into STEM program, partnering with Boeing to bring high-risk youth into the hangar to mentor them.
  “We would talk about the military and show them how to join and get college paid for, to help get them out of situations they’re in and into something fulfilling,” she said.
Becoming a
Citizen Airman
  “Pretty much from the minute I first flew at Clemson in 2009, I wanted to join the military,” Bodie said. “For years, I tried to email my package to all the units I was interested in and was not getting any response.”
  By 2015, Bodie was finished with her MBA, fully rated, and working for Republic Airlines as a first officer flying the Embraer 170. Through all those years, that nagging feeling that she would serve in the military had never left.
  Standing out among her peers with higher education and 3,000 flying hours, she was selected for Officer Training School and Undergraduate Pilot Training after a recruiter suggested Bodie put in an unsponsored package. Several squadrons called to interview her, and she joined the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, as a KC-135R Stratotanker pilot.
  “It was a backward way of doing things and a very hard way to get into the Reserve,” said Bodie, who jokes that she had to fly all the way around the world to get to her goal of serving in the military.  
Forging an Affordable
Path for Others
  Driven by a desire to help others streamline the process of obtaining a pilot’s license, joining the military, and volunteering, Bodie found and connected with BogiDope, an aviation career consulting resource, and became their first female coach. For a year, Bodie researched and compiled all the best resources into “Affordable Paths for Launching Your Aviation Career,” a free e-course for aspiring aviators. It contains information about scholarships, guidance on how to create a winning application, in-depth explanations of military assistance programs for enlisted personnel, and information about tools and resources available to aspiring and current pilots.
  “If it helps one person win a scholarship or figure a path they didn’t know about, the entire year working on it and years building up to are worth it,” she said.
  Bodie has helped several Airmen in her reserve unit, including Senior Airman Antonio Frost, a KC-46 crew chief from Florence, South Carolina, who is entering his senior year of college hoping to commission and become a pilot.
  “If she wasn’t helping me, I would probably be paying for the remainder of my flight hours out of pocket,” said Frost, who is in the process of applying for a $20,000 scholarship with Bodie’s assistance. “She showed me the e-course for scholarships and grants and is helping me write an essay and submit other documents.”
  While volunteering at a convention for military aviators, Bodie’s dream of flying for a major airline materialized. She now flies the Airbus 320 as a first officer for American Airlines in addition to her Air Force Reserve commitment and spends countless hours pouring into others through myriad philanthropic outlets. Bodie is now the vice president of the North Carolina chapter of Women in Aviation, which awards women scholarships to fly, internationally.
  “I always thought my gift was aviation,” said Bodie. “During COVID when everything was paused, I had an epiphany: my gift is not flying, my gift is my compassion and my love for people and wanting to help them any way I can. God gave me airplanes as a vehicle to spread my compassion more.  I would always do it, but with airplanes I can do it on a larger scale through the world.”
  To access Bodie’s free e-course, visit https://bogidope. com/courses/affordable/

Attempted Murder Charge

Killijah Herbert

Attempted Murder Charges Filed

  Aug. 15, Saluda County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on John J Rushton Road in reference to a stabbing.
  Deputies arrived on scene and located a male victim with multiple stab wounds to his body. Deputies learned that the assailant had fled into the woods behind the home after the assault.
  The Sheriff’s Office Blood Hound Tracking Team responded to the scene. After a half mile track into the woods, deputies located and took into custody Killijah Herbert.
  Herbert is currently incarcerated at the Saluda County Detention Center and is charged with Attempted Murder.
  The victim was transported to a medical facility and is currently in stable condition.

Fights End Jamboree

  The Greenwood Jamboree, which Saluda High’s football team was scheduled to compete, was cancelled when fights erupted during the contest Fri., Aug. 12.
  The Jamboree had four two-quarter games scheduled.
  Ninety Six-McCormick, and StromThurmond-Abbeville games had already  been completed.
  The Emerald-Ware Shoals games was underway, when the fighting began.
  The public address announcer said if you were not in a seat to leave the stadium. A few minutes later he announced it again. Finally, he announced the Jamboree was over and all were instructed to leave the stadum immediately.
  Multiple injuries were reported after brawls broke out near the concession stand, and people rushed to leave the stadium.
  The Jamboree was called off  before Saluda and Greenwood had a chance to play.
  Twenty District 50 students have been identified as being involved in the melee. Most were students at Greenwood High School.
  “This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our school district,” Superintendent Steve Glenn wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. “Those who choose to disrupt our schools and functions happening on our campuses will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
  After the fights, the district also announced it would have an extra police presence at its schools.
  After the Jamboree was called off, Saluda County Schools Supertintedent Dr. Harvey Livington posted on social media that the Tiger football team never set foot on the field and was safely on the way home.

School Board Summary

  The Saluda County School District Board of Trustees met at Saluda Primary School Cafeteria on Aug. 15.
  The meeting was also live streamed. The Board had a 6:00 p.m. work session to discuss building projects, maintenance, 2022-2023 Administrative duties and an update on assessment and accountability.
  The Board then went into Executive Session to discuss Teacher Contracts, a Contractual matter, and the Superintendent’s evaluation. The regular Board meeting started at 7:00 p.m.
  Dr. Kathy Coleman called the meeting to order. Mr. Jeffery Jordan gave the invocation. The agenda was approved. The minutes from June 13 and August 8, 2022 were approved. Dr. Kathy Coleman, Chairperson; Dr. Arlene S. Puryear, Vice Chairperson; Ms. Christy Corley Nichols, Secretary; Ms. Sharon Williams Holloway, Mr. Jeffery Jordan and Dr. Harvey H. Livingston III, Superintendent were all in attendance.
  Budget Update - Mrs. Sharon Setzer informed the Board that the financial accounting for 2021-2022 year is in order and will close out the books on August 31.
   Saluda County Education Foundation - Dr. Puryear informed the Board that the Saluda County School District Education Foundation is up and running. Currently they are promoting a named brick campaign as their fall fundraiser and will have a Gala in the Spring. The purpose of the foundation is to meet the needs of Saluda County Schools. You can check out the foundation from our website www.saludaschools.org. There is a foundation link in the top right corner of the district webpage.
   District Update - Dr. Coleman thanked Dr. Duggins for her 20 years of service with Saluda County Schools. We know she will do great things at the SC Department of Education.
   Dr. Livingston gave the District update: We welcomed 2,503 students back today across our 5 campuses. Saluda Primary School has an enrollment of 495. Saluda Elementary School has an enrollment of 369. Hollywood Elementary has an enrollment of 432. Saluda Middle School has an enrollment of 556. Saluda High School has an enrollment of 651. In 2012, our district enrollment was 2,128. The district has grown by 15% over 10 years.
  We are short four bus drivers at this point, but we have been able to consolidate several routes while we recruit new drivers. Mr. Heming-way, Mr. Etheredge, Sgt. Phillips, Coach Webb, and Dr. Livingston will continue to assist this year as needed. All buses have been equipped with radios. This will allow the drivers and the schools to communicate in the case of an emergency. This will also allow the drivers to assist each other in the event of a bus breakdown.
  Our fall athletic teams and Marching Band are practicing daily after school. We have over 350 students participating. We look forward to our first home football game this Friday night against Mid-Carolina beginning at 7:30. We will recognize our Dixie Youth World Series Champions during the game.
  The Saluda County Sheriff’s Department conducted several active shooter trainings on our campus during the summer. They also conducted a drone training this summer to instruct drone technology. This can assist in the event of a school emergency.
  Our SROs worked with Commander Crouch to conduct security assessments throughout our campuses as we continue to improve our overall security.
  We have added fences for security at Saluda Primary School and at Hollywood Elementary School.
  We are fully staffed with teachers and very fortunate that we are not experiencing the teacher shortage like many of our neighboring districts.
  As a reminder, the Federal Government did not renew COVID funding for no-cost meals. We are strongly encouraging parents to complete a free/reduced meal application. We are also looking at grants and other opportunities in hopes of being able to provide meals at no cost in the future.
   Motions from Executive Session
  The Board approved 5 teacher contracts for the 2022-23 school year.
  The Board approved Dr. Livingston to enter into a contract with the design firm, Stevens and Wilkinson for our new Primary and Elementary school and athletic facility drawings.
  Adjournment -  7:50 p.m.

Champs Recognized

Council Recognizes
World Series Champs

  The World Series Champion Saluda Ponytail All-Stars took their “victory tour” to the Saluda County Council meeting Mon.. Aug. 8.
  Council recognized the young ladies with a resolution, and presented each member of the team with a copy of the resolution and a trophy.
  The team won the 12u Ponytail World Series with a 4-2 victory over North Carolina at 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 4. Their bus unloaded at Saluda High School at 3 a.m. on Aug. 5.
  On Sat., Aug. 6, they walked won Main Street with a good crowd cheering them on. They ended up on the Courthouse steps, where they were introduced individually and autographed pictures.
  Sun., Aug. 7, they were recognized by the Columbia Fireflies at Segra Park. The players were introduced and ran to their positions, accompanied by a Fireflies’ player who played the same position.
  After the presentation at the Council meeting, the team received a standing ovation.
  In the public presentation portion of the meeting, Dr. Ralph Riley expressed concerns about some residents being forced to change their addresses due to a 911 update. He said everyone uses GPS to get anywhere today, and it takes six to nine months for new addresses to get into the system, and this could create a problem for emergency calls.
  In May, Emergency Management Director Josh Morton publicshed the following annoucement, “Over the last few years, advances in technology have led to the development of the next generation of 911, also known as NG911.  As NG911 systems are put into place in South Carolina, responders will have even better location data, which will allow them to respond to emergency situations even more efficiently.  As we move towards these systems, it is more important than ever to ensure that E911 addresses are accurate.  In order to improve accuracy, Saluda County is currently working to readdress areas where inaccuracies have been identified.
  Property owners whose property is affected will be notified in writing in mid-2022.  The E-911 office will coordinate these changes with the United States Postal Service who will continue to deliver mail to the previous address for one (1) year from the date of the notification.  Property owners will not need to submit a change of address form to the United States Postal Service, but will need to notify their correspondents of the change within one year.”
  Sheriff Josh Price expressed the need for additional medical services at the Detention Center. He cited prisoners undergoing drug detox. He said the county had a contract for a nurse to work at the Detention Center for 30 hours a week. He asked the contract to be upped to 40 hours a week for the nurse. He said he could find the $18,900 needed for the increase of hours in his current budget. His request was approved.
  Council approved a request from Fire Service Coordinator Luke Downing to apply for a grant to get new air packs for all the fire departments. The current air packs were purchased in 2006.
  County Librarian Heath Ward has two requests approved. One was to fill a part-time position using State-Aid funding, and the other was to issue an invitation to bid for library renovation.
   Buildings Maintenance Supervisor John Oscar Perry presented three needs.
  Council approved issuing a request for proposal to paint the exterior of the buildings at the Saluda County Airport.
  A new, $8775 AC unit for the Magistrate’s Office and $17,500 roof repair at the Health Department/DSS building were approved and will be funded  from the Building Maintenance Reserve Fund.
  Board and committee appointments included:
  Nursing Center Board re-appointment, Angie Rita, by Chairman Jim Moore; Planning Commission re-appointment, Gene Cason, by Chairman Jim Moore; Library Board appointment, Nancy Deloach,  by Councilman Daniel; Library Board re-appointment, Steve Miller, by Councilman Anderson; Library Board re-appointment, Charlyn Staubes, by Councilman Anderson; Planning Commission re-appointment, William Spearman,  by Councilman Atkinson; Fire Board Old Town Representative, Devin Home with Jerry Farmer as the alternate.

Scenes from the “Welcome Home” observance for the World Series champions at the Courthouse Sat., Aug. 6. (Standard-Sentinel photos)