Questionable judgment

Saw that coming

Bright idea

The foreign press

Least competent criminal

Inappropriate behavior

That rule doesn’t apply to me

Reunited

Lost at sea

— distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

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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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Garner will assume the role Jan. 15 after having served as Limestone University’s offensive line coach since 2022.

Garner has coached at high school, college, and professional levels since 2018 following a seven-year career with the Miami Dolphins. 

He takes over from long-time NGU Head Coach Jeff Farrington, who stepped away from the program in early December after 12 years at the helm.

Following Farrington’s departure, NGU Athletic Director Will Lowrey worked with a search committee of athletics staff, faculty, administrators, and alumni to narrow the field of candidates for the position with the NCAA Division II program.

Garner will lead NGU into the first season of Conference Carolinas competition, as the football team completes a move from the Gulf South Conference. The Trailblazers’ 2025 season begins at Delta State University on Sept. 6, with a home opener against conference foe Barton College on Sept. 13.

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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.

The post Fountain Inn approves rezoning for downtown hotel: City Council notes appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

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’s disaster relief grant program provides financial assistance to community partners, like Converse, who have played a vital role in helping those affected by Hurricane Helene.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, our campus community has been eager to direct its energy into a place of service,” said Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise, who oversees Converse’s Valkyrie Supply basic needs hub. “As we work to repair the damage on campus, we cannot thank the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation enough for committing their support to Converse and our students experiencing food insecurity.”

Converse also received a $1,500 donation from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation in 2023.

The post Converse University receives $10K grant from Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation appeared first on GREENVILLE JOURNAL.

Upstate South Carolina remains under a winter storm warning until 7 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Between 1 and 3 inches of wintry mix was expected to fall Jan. 10. Chances of snow and sleet continue through early morning on Jan. 11.

Heavy accumulation is not expected south of the mountains, but freezing temperatures could create hazardous road conditions. Accumulating ice could also bring down trees and limbs, leading to the possibility of power outages.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency for the winter weather moving across the state. The executive order issued Friday supports the state’s ongoing response efforts to the snow, sleet and ice predicted to impact many areas in South Carolina.

Publix changes hours

Publix Super Markets in the Upstate will close on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. and will reopen pending weather conditions at 8 a.m. Jan. 11.

Schedule changes and cancellations

Greenville County Schools shifted to eLearning on Friday, with all activities canceled and facilities closed.

The city of Greenville and Greenville County offices are closed Friday. Greenville Municipal Court sessions for Friday have been canceled.

Greenlink will end services at 12:30 p.m. on Friday due to the winter weather. The last bus will depart from the transit center at 11:30 a.m. There will also be no bus services on Saturday.

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits rescheduled both weekend games. The Jan. 10 game will be made up on April 13, and the Jan. 11 game will be played Feb. 15.

Several Prisma Health locations have altered their schedule Friday due to the weather. All AnMed practices will remain open until noon and any closures will be shared later today.

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