Larry’s smile is brighter than the sun, and he’s a pretty whimsical dude. He enjoys long walks and rolling in the grass – almost as much as he would love snuggling up in a warm blanket on a comfy couch in his forever home.

Those interested in adopting Larry should stop by the Greenville Humane Society at 305 Airport Road in Greenville. For more information, call 864-242-3626 or visit greenvillehumane.com.

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Initial approval: Ordinance update to include impact fees, canvasser and peddler fees

Council approved an updated ordinance that would establish impact fees and fees for canvassers and peddlers.

If the updates receive final approval, the impact fees would include:

• Single family residential – $5,234 per unit, attached or detached
• Multifamily residential – $3,089 per unit, like duplexes, apartments and mobile homes
• Retail – $3,247 per 1,000 square feet
• Office – $2,349 per 1,000 square feet
• Industrial – $1,102 per 1,000 square feet
• Institutional – $2,319 per 1,000 square feet

Following final approval, solicitors, canvassers and peddlers would have to pay $10 for an ID card and a $25 permit fee.

This item will go before the City Council for final approval Jan. 28.

Held over: Annexation for residential development

Council held over an ordinance annexing a 4.68-acre parcel at 770 Brockman McClimon Road into the city and establishing an initial zoning classification of traditional neighborhood.

The applicant, Carolyn B. Hamby plans to combine the property with four adjacent parcels totaling 20 acres for a mixed single-family detached/townhome residential development. If approved, the measure would pave the way for all five properties to be joined in a 25-acre project involving a projected total of 166 units.

This item will go before the City Council for final approval Jan. 28.

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Other item: Fiscal year 2023-2024 audit

During his presentation to council, David Phillips of Greene Finney Cauley said that his firm found no issues with Simpsonville’s financial records from fiscal year 2023-2024.

The report included various highlights, including:

• The general fund increased by $2.8 million from 2023 to $26.3 million in 2024 with $19.7 million of the revenue coming from taxes.
• General fund expenditures increased by $1.5 million from 2023 and included $1 million in additional funds to public safety.
• Most increased general fund expenditures were primarily related to higher salaries and benefits.
• The sewer fund increased $2.6 million over the past year to $23.3 million and included $1.9 million in grant revenues.

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Hosted in collaboration with the University of South Carolina’s Anne Frank Center, the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust will host the memorial at the Pastides Alumni Center in Columbia at 10:30 a.m.

The event will feature guest speakers including NBC’s Chuck Todd and Gov. Henry McMaster, a candle-lighting ceremony with Holocaust survivors’ children and spiritual reflections by Rev. Eric Manning of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, Rabbi Erik Uriate of Tree of Life Reform Congregation in Columbia and Rabbi Sam Rose of Temple of Israel Congregation in Greenville.

The memorial will also include the Fort Jackson Color Guard and 282nd Army Band with the national anthem and colors presentation, and music performances by Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim and the University of South Carolina School of Music.

The event will be live-streamed by SCETV at scetv.org/80thliberation.

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The action was prompted by Councilman Rick Bradley – a procedural move that was the only matter under consideration at the meeting. Bradley was elected council vice chairman the previous week.

Third — and typically final — reading of the UDO had been approved during the Dec. 3, 2024, council meeting.

With approval of the move to reconsider, the UDO was effectively returned to second reading status and referred to the Committee of the Whole.

In a statement at the close of the called meeting, Chairman Benton Blount said the move was aimed at addressing some of the shortcomings in the UDO.

Read more about Unified Development Ordinance

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The four-lane roadway will be reduced to three lanes from Augusta Street to Henrydale Avenue near the Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital. The city’s neighborhood infrastructure bond will fund the project which aims to slow traffic and enhance pedestrian safety. 

Read more about the Grove Road project

Roadway repairs began Jan. 14. According to the city, lane closures will occur over the next three to four months as the work is completed. In the spring, the entire roadway will be repaved and high-visibility crosswalks and other safety enhancements will be installed.

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Community members can visit the clinic to receive free dental, vision and medical care. Insurance or identification is not required to receive care at the clinic. Services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a nonprofit, Remote Area Medical hosts pop-up clinics across the county to offer health care services to those in need. The clinics are funded by donors and operated by volunteers.

The clinic will be held at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville at 607 Grove Road. The parking lot at the clinic site will open no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. 

Clinic doors open at 6 a.m. Those wishing to receive services are encouraged to arrive as early as possible. The clinic closing time may vary based on daily capacity. 

For more information, visit ramusa.org.

Available services

Remote Area Medical will provide free medical care at its clinic in February. The services provided include:

Dental care

• Cleanings
• Fillings
• Extractions
• X-rays

Vision care

• Complete eye exams
• Eye health evaluations
• Prescription glasses made on site

Medical care

• Physical exams
• Prescription consultations
• Women’s health
• General exams

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Final approval: West End parking garage development agreement

Council gave final approval for the city to enter into a development agreement with RocaPoint Partners to build a new public parking garage in the West End. The city will allocate $13.38 million to cover the project’s cost.

RocaPoint Partners, the $1 billion County Square project developer, will design and build the 400-space parking garage on Howe Street and a pedestrian walkway connecting to Augusta Street. The project is expected to be completed in March 2026.

Initial approval: Housing impact analysis for accommodations tax funds

The city of Greenville seeks to use a portion of its accommodations tax revenue to develop affordable workforce housing, permitted under South Carolina Act 57. The act specifically allows up to 15% of both local and state accommodations tax revenue to be used for creating workforce housing.

Under Act 57, the city is required to create a housing impact analysis to use its state accommodations tax funds for workforce housing. The analysis provides an overview of the city’s housing market and conditions, construction and development costs, economics and employment analysis, and a review of barriers impacting housing.

According to the housing impact analysis, the city has the opportunity to use approximately $2 million from local accommodations taxes and $300,000 from state taxes toward affordable housing projects.

The analysis was approved by the city’s Planning Commission Jan. 7. Council gave initial approval to incorporate the analysis into the GVL2040 Comprehensive Plan following a public hearing Monday night.

Approved: Settlement agreement with short-term rental companies

The city of Greenville is one of the plaintiffs in a pending lawsuit out of Charleston County against several short-term rental companies, including Airbnb, Tripadvisor and Vrbo. The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by several municipalities in South Carolina to recover unpaid local accommodations and business license taxes for short-term rentals.

Council approved a resolution consenting to a settlement agreement with the defendants in the lawsuit. The agreement must be approved by all plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Approved: Abandoned textile mill certification for Conestee Mill property

Council unanimously approved an abandoned textile mill certification for the old Conestee Mill site under the South Carolina Textile Communities Revitalization Act.

Kantasta LLC and Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project LLC are redeveloping the property which is located near Conestee Road and Spanco Drive. The act grants state income tax credits of 25% of the qualified rehabilitation expenses for the site.

Review: Abandoned building certification for 700 Arlington Ave.

Council reviewed an abandoned building certification application for the historic structure at 700 Arlington Ave. during its Jan. 13 work session. The local landmark was most recently used as the Greenville Cultural Exchange Center.

Jordon Construction Co. is renovating the building. Once work is complete, the restored building will include office space for minority-owned businesses, gathering space and space to display historic African American artifacts from the Greenville Cultural Exchange Center.

James Jordon, president of Jordon Construction Co., said approximately $612,000 is being invested to restore the historic building. With the abandoned building certification, the developer can receive state income tax credits of 25% of the property’s actual rehabilitation expense.

Council is expected to formally vote on the item Jan. 27.

Additional items

• Council gave final approval for City Manager Shannon Lavrin to terminate the reverter clause in the deed to the American Legion Post 3’s property at 430 N. Main St. This action would allow an interested developer, currently known as 426 N. Main LLC, to purchase the property for a future project.
• Initial approval was given by council to appropriate approximately $2 million in the capital projects fund for the additional proceeds of the second round of the neighborhood infrastructure bond. The additional proceeds will go toward capital projects.

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Children under the age of 16 will be restricted at Bon Secours St. Francis’s Eastside and Downtown hospital locations to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors. This change will go into effect beginning Wednesday, Jan. 15. 

Prisma Health will also restrict visitors under the age of 16 from visiting its hospitalized patients starting Jan. 15. Jacie Volkman, executive director of Prisma’s infection prevention department, said exceptions may be made to the visitation restriction by the attending physician and local leadership. 

“By taking this proactive best-practice step, we can ensure our hospitals remain safe places for our patients to receive high-quality care,” Volkman said. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared that seasonal influenza activity is elevated across most of the county. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, respiratory illnesses have specifically been increasing across South Carolina.

Both health care systems recommend visitors wear masks when visiting patients. Community members are asked not to visit patients if they currently have symptoms or tested positive for a respiratory illness.

By the Numbers

So far this season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that across the country there has been

• 9.1 million flu illnesses
• 110,000 hospitalizations
• 4,700 deaths from the flu

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Final approval: Rezoning for hotel

Council approved plans to rezone 3.1 acres at 300 Jones St. The applicant, Baker Commercial Properties LLC, plans to develop a 66,000-square-foot, nationally branded hotel with 109 rooms.

The development is also eligible for tax credits under the South Carolina Textile Communities Revitalization Act.

Appointed: Director of community relations

Council appointed Amanda Benfield as the city’s director of community relations, effective Feb. 14. She has also served as president and CEO of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce.

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Running from 5 to 7 p.m. at 115 Haywood Road, the event will feature local authors like Goodwill associate Rhonda Spearman Sims, John Jeter and Liz Williams.

“SecondStory is more than a bookstore; it’s a place where stories come alive and connections are made,” said Chunsta Miller, Goodwill’s VP of communication and public engagement. “This book signing event is our way of celebrating the creativity and contributions of Upstate writers while fostering a love for reading and community engagement.”

The event is free and open to the public. During the book signing, attendees may purchase signed copies of “A Slight Interruption” by Spearman Sims, “Rockin’ A Hard Place,” “The Plunder Room” and “The Lucifer Genome: A Conspiracy Thriller” by Jeter and “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” by Williams.

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The organization has been a force for positive change over the years, empowering women and supporting initiatives that serve critical needs in the area. The support comes in three meaningful ways: through leadership development, volunteer service by Junior League members and in capacity-building grants awarded each year, said Mary Latrick, community impact vice president for the Junior League of Greenville. 

“The Community Enrichment Committee (of the Community Impact Council) sends volunteers to all the different agencies that we partner with to support them in their efforts throughout the year,” said Latrick, who oversees the Community Impact Council. “And the Grant Committee has the good fortune to be able to give away critical funding to different agencies in the area that go through an application process.”

This year, the Junior League’s members volunteered with Pendleton Place, Jasmine Road, United Ministries, the Julie Valentine Center and SWITCH. Additionally, GirlUp GVL, the Greenville Free Medical Clinic, the Nicholtown Child and Family Collaborative, Soteria Community Development Center, and Triune Mercy Center received a total of $50,000 in grants for 2023-2024 League Year.

The Junior League is raising funds to further its mission of advancing women’s leadership through meaningful community impact at its Celebrating With Purpose: Mardi Gras Magic gala on March 1, 2025, at The 405. This event also celebrates the remarkable achievements of its grants recipients and honors the League’s 95th anniversary milestone.

“We’re inviting our grant recipients this year to be recognized,” Latrick said. “It’s a lovely celebration, but it’s also a good purpose to make folks aware of the impact that their donations have.”

A perfect way to celebrate nearly a century of important work in the Upstate – and of impacting women’s lives, Latrick said.

“Part of our mission is to advance women’s leadership,” she said. “Not only are they getting the opportunity to work with these nonprofits, they’re getting the opportunity to learn on our different committees. They really have that support network to become an effective leader in the community.” 

For more information and tickets to Celebrating With Purpose, visit jlgreenville.org.

Celebrating With Purpose: Mardi Gras Magic

March 1, 2025

The 405, 405 Westfield St., Greenville

Tickets: $150, $195 (VIP)

information@jlgreenville.org

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The disease remains a threat to people nearly 140 years after French scientist Louis Pasteur and his team developed a vaccine in 1885, and in the developed world the threat these days comes primarily from wild animals.

Known scientifically as rabies lyssavirus, rabies is a zoonotic disease — meaning it passes to humans from animals — that has been affecting humans since before recorded history.

In the vast stretch of time before a vaccine became available, the disease was a looming terror for human beings because it so often came through a bite from the longest domesticated companion animal, the dog.

Although easily preventable through vaccinations or through speedy medical intervention after possible exposure, the disease is still nearly 100% fatal once symptoms manifest.

The range of these symptoms and singular suffering brought on by the disease have been part of the human experience for so long that mentions of rabies cases date back to the earliest days of recorded history.

Ancient scourge

The deep history and profound impact rabies has had on human society is explored in “Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus,” written in 2012 by journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy.

To highlight why the disease grips the human imagination, even today, the authors open the book with descriptions of what rabies does to the people and animals it infects.

Instead of using the infected animal’s bloodstream to spread, the rabies virus travels through the nervous system to the brain. Once there its effects often produce aggression and excessive salivation — the proverbial foaming at the mouth.

Historically, one of the hallmarks of the disease in humans is a condition called hydrophobia, which is a fear of water. In fact, the condition describes such a distinctive aspect of rabies that it was used up until modern times to refer to the disease. Wasik and Murphy describe this as one of the disease’s most insidious characteristics as human sufferers throughout history reported being desperately thirsty and yet often deathly afraid of water.

Aside from the telltale fear of water, rabies throughout the centuries has been closely associated with humanity’s deepest fears about madness. Wasik and Patterson point to strong connections between the virus and the origin of tales about vampires, werewolves and even zombies.

Folklore and deep-seated human fears aside, rabies remains a worldwide threat, particularly as humans and animals often share many of the same spaces.

Modern menace

Rabies continues to persist on every continent but Antarctica and kills on average about 70,000 humans annually worldwide, predominantly in Africa and Asia, according to the World Health Organization.

Outside the U.S., dogs are responsible for 99% of human exposures and deaths, according to the WHO, primarily due to extremely low vaccination rates in the developing world.

In the developed world, particularly in the U.S., human exposure to rabies comes primarily from wildlife. About 60,000 people in this country receive medical treatment for suspected rabies exposure each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Any mammal can carry and transmit rabies. In South Carolina, the most common animal carriers are raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

In November, a rabid skunk was confirmed in Easley with three suspected pet exposures. The three dogs suspected of exposure were placed into quarantine as required by state law.

“To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals plenty of space,” said Terri McCollister, rabies program director for the DPH, in a statement about the Easley case. “If you see an animal in need, avoid touching it and contact someone trained in handling animals, such as your local animal control officer, wildlife control operator or wildlife rehabilitator.”

According to the DPH, it is important to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccination, as this is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect against the disease. The skunk was the fifth animal in Pickens County to test positive for rabies in 2024.

There have been 74 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year, according to DPH.

Simple precautions

With South Carolina — and the Upstate in particular — experiencing rapid development, human-wildlife encounters will continue to increase.

With such encounters comes the potential for possible exposure to rabies, but there are a few simple steps people can take to mitigate that risk, according to advice from DPH and the state Department of Natural Resources.

First, avoid contact with wild animals. Just because an animal may appear cute and cuddly does not mean it is safe to handle.

Another thing to keep in mind is that simply seeing a wild animal in your neighborhood or near your home doesn’t mean it is necessarily rabid, according to Tammy Waldrop, a biologist with SCDNR.

To reduce chances of attracting wild animals, Waldrop said homeowners should not serve or store pet food outside and should secure things like grills and garbage containers away from areas where wild animals can get to them.

It is also important to keep pets up to date on vaccinations. South Carolina law requires pet dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies.

For more information visit dph.sc.gov/rabies or cdc.gov/rabies.

Rabies in South Carolina fast facts

• Since 2002, about 150 animals annually have tested positive for rabies in South Carolina.
• About 30% of those cases involve a suspected exposure to humans.
• The primary animal carriers in South Carolina are raccoons, skunks foxes and bats.
• State law requires rabies vaccinations for pet dogs, cats and ferrets.
• Any mammal can potentially carry and transmit rabies.

Source: S.C. Department of Public Health

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I had that gut-wrenching feeling you get when someone drops shockingly bad news on you. I have spent 40 years hunting, hiking and botanizing on Naked Knob and Horse Mountain. I have enough stories to tell about that area to fill a chapter in a book. These are my woods, and now they will never be the same — at least not in my lifetime.

A few weeks later, I was talking with Ken Forester, the site manager for Jocassee Gorges, and I asked him if he had seen the hurricane damage on Naked Knob and Horse Mountain. He pulled out his cell phone and showed me before-and-after satellite photos of that exact area.

He then scrolled to a satellite view of Long Ridge, the prominent ridge on Pinnacle Mountain that most people know as “the petroglyph site,” because of the ancient Indian rock carvings that archaeologist Tommy Charles and I discovered there many years ago. The aerial photos showed the same thing, big timber laid down in one direction. He then showed photos of a place near Bootleg Mountain on Lake Jocassee, and a couple more. They all depicted the same story — widespread devastation from straight-line winds in the range of 60 mph or more.

One of the real-world impacts of this is that all that heavy fuel will be on the ground for a decade or more. Having served for years on the mountain firefighting team, I can tell you that if we have a wildfire in that area, it’s going to be a hot fire and it will burn for weeks, if not longer. There is simply no way a crew could put in a handline among that jumbled up mess in order to cut off the fire, and it would be slow going to get a bulldozer in there.

More Hurricane Helene news

The loss of all those mature oak trees will also mean significantly fewer acorns for bears, deer and squirrels. White oak trees, for example, don’t start producing acorns until they are 20 years old, so the deficit is going to be with us for quite a while.

Table Rock Mountain was also heavily impacted, along with the Table Rock watershed and Caesars Head areas, which also suffered from the relentless gale force straight-line winds of Hurricane Helene.

Most hikers have already discovered that their favorite hiking trails are either still closed or have recently been opened back up. With hundreds of miles of hiking trails in rugged, heavily impacted terrain, the work is slow and exhausting. Some trails will need to be rebuilt because of landslides. A pat on the back to all those volunteers who are out there working every day to get our extensive network of hiking trails restored.

Dennis Chastain is a Pickens County naturalist, historian and former tour guide. He has been writing feature articles for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and other outdoor publications since 1989.

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A local mother and volunteer was named the 2024 American Heart Association Upstate SC 2024 Leaders of Impact winner.

Twelve years ago, Potts’ son Cooper was diagnosed at birth with total anomalous pulmonary venous return. He had open-heart surgery at 2 weeks old. Although he was born in Greenville, the heart condition led the family to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston just after he was born.

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