School Dist. 4 Planning for Growth, Updating Security

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 4 Superintendent Dee Christopher looks ahead to the upcoming school year and plans for new security measures, expanded mental health offerings and more.

Having just completed his first year as the district's superintendent, Christopher is also launching a long-term plan to meet the demands coming for the second-fastest growing district in the county.

He discussed this and more, in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Historic Foundation Restoration Complete; Unveiling Tuesday

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The rust is gone, the leaks are patched and the conservation is complete and on Tuesday citizens will have the opportunity to get the first official look at the historic Robert Anderson Fountain during a 5 p.m. ceremony at the Anderson County Museum.The restored 1906 Robert Anderson Fountain looks great.

The only thing left to complete the fountain is the restoration of one of the three cherubs. That little angel is expected to be back in place by September. 

The fountain, built in 1906, was a mainstay on the county square in downtown Anderson for decades and was moved into storage and nearly lost when the "new" courthouse was built in 1993. From there, the fountain's journey grows a bit hazy. For a while it may have been in storage, but some reports say most of the disassembled pieces of the fountain were discovered in a field and then moved to the museum.  

Last year, the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston, the group that restored the Civil War-era submarine the Hunley, took on the process of restoring the fountain to its original glory.

Named for Revolutionary War Colonel and State Militia General Robert Anderson, the Civic Association of Anderson, led by President Pearl Fant, organized the effort to have the fountain created. The designers of the piece were T. A. Wigington and C. C. Cole. 

Parts of the fountain were constructed in Anderson by the Anderson Foundry and Steel Company while the Cherubs were ordered from a company in New York. Minus the water basin, the fountain weighs in at about 5,500 pounds and is just over 16-feet tall. According to the musuem, the fountain is considered one of the first outdoor sculptures in the world to have underwater lighting.

Tri-County Tech Celebrates 60 Years by Looking Ahead

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Tri-County Technical College is celebrating 60 years of service to the Upstate, and President Galen DeHay has been a part of more than a third of the school's history.

DeHay talks about new programs, free tuition, business partnerships and plans for the upcoming school year in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Google Rates Pendleton Ice Cream Shop Tops in S.C.

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Sunday is National Ice Cream Day, and, as it turns out, the best ice cream in South Carolina can be found right here in Anderson County, according to ratings from Google Maps.

Mama Rae’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Pendleton is tied for first in the state with a 4.92 out of five average rating, and has nearly 100 more reviews that the Murrell’s Inlet ice cream shop that shares the top spot.

The Upstate is home to seven of the top ten ice cream shops, with the other three along the Grand Strand.

The top 10 rated ice cream spots in South Carolina, according to Google reviews: 

Rank	Ice Cream Parlor	City	Reviews	Average Rating
T1	Stella’s Homemade Ice Cream	Murrells Inlet	148	4.92
T1	Mama Rae’s Ice Cream Shoppe	Pendleton	238	4.92
3	Houni’s Italian Ice	Greenville	179	4.90
4	Good Karma Ice Cream	Easley	447	4.89
5	Clare’s Creamery	Greenville	167	4.84
T6	Ella’s Ice Cream	North Myrtle Beach	264	4.83
T6	Meyer’s Ice Cream Parlor	Surfside Beach	1,894	4.83
T8	‘55 Exchange	Clemson	290	4.82
T8	Ice Cream Station	Simpsonville	1,265	4.82
10	N the Midst Ice Cream	Seneca	477	4.80

Rusty Burns Offers County Updates for July 2022

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns offers a brief review of the year so far and well as updates on the downtown property behind the historic courthouse, Kid Venture's opening, Celebrate Anderson, the restored fountain, economic development, a downtown library for Iva and more in this July 2022 interview with the Anderson Observer.

School Days Coming Soon, Williamston Growing and More

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson Career & Technology Center Marks 50 Years of Growth

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson Career & Technology Center is marking 50 years of service to students in Anderson County School Districts 1 and 2.

Executive Director Hollie Harrell has spent the past 20 years leading the center, and has seen remarkable growth and increased opportunities for students with expanding programming and industry partnerships.

Harrell looks back and ahead to the upcoming school year in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Brooks Center Selects Crews as Executive Director

Observer Reports

Dr. Janice Crews has been chosen as the new executive director of Clemson University’s Brooks Center for the performing arts.

Crews will assume her new role Aug. 1.

“Clemson University has a remarkable reputation in higher education and the Brooks Center has impressive programming which immediately caught my attention,” said Crews. As executive director, she will oversee all fundraising efforts and help decide the Brooks Center’s artistic programming of more than 25-30 performances per season. The center also provides hands-on experiences for undergraduate students in the Department of Performing Arts. 

A native of Athens, Georgia, and a current resident of Clarksville, Tennessee, Dr. Crews has served as the Director of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA) at Austin Peay State University since 2017 

An oboist and music educator by training, Crews began her career as a public-school music teacher before pursuing graduate studies in music performance and a career in arts administration. She has led education outreach programs with both the Atlanta Symphony and Charleston Symphony Orchestras, and has acted as a consultant for arts organizations throughout the Southeast. Crews has also performed as a professional oboist throughout the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, and holds a DMA in Oboe Performance from Louisiana State University (2010), as well as a Master’s in Music Performance (2006) and a Bachelor’s in Music Education (2002), both from the University of Georgia. 

Crews will relocate to the Clemson area this summer with her wife Chelsy, 6-year-old son Sullivan and their dog, Clover.

Mayor: Williamston Growth Accelerating

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Williamston Mayor Rockey Burgess discusses park updates, new construction, upcoming events and the plans for a larger Ingles grocery store in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Free Health Clinic Set for Saturday at Anderson TCTC Campus

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

A free Health and Wellness Clinic is scheduled Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Anderson campus of Tri-County Technical College.

The event will include free health screenings, educational information, primary care connections, parenting resources, reproductive counseling, COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and food boxes as a give-aways to the first 250 in attendence.  Masks encouraged for this indoor event.

Mammograms will also be available to those who pre-register at 864-224-0822, extension 501.

Dist. 2 Superintendent Offers Preview of 2022-2023 School Year

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 2 Superintendent Jason Johns is closing out his first full year in the post, and he has found the district a place that feels like home to students (his own six children attend schools in the district), parents and teachers.

The year ahead includes new resources for mental health training, professional certification for teachers and more. Johns talked about the upcoming 2022-2023 school year in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Dist. 5 Superintendent Hoping for COVID-Free 2022-2023

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 5 is planning to start the new school year with a new director of school safety, who will work with schools to increase security technology, and with school resource officers.

Superintendent Tom Wilson said the district is ready for a full year of education free of COVID-19 delays and adjustments. 

The largest district in the county also hopes to have the new science labs at Westside completed before the beginning of the school year, and Wilson and the board of trustees are considering construction of a swimming pool which would be open for any in the county who need to learn how to swim. 

Wilson discussed these topics and more in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Binnicker: Dist. 1 Ready for Challenges of Growth, New School Year

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 1, the fastest growing in the county, is working to meet the challenges posed by the swelling student population, especially in some schools.

 Superintendent Robbie Binnicker said the district continues long-range planning to meet the needs of students, despite the failure of the recently proposed impact fee to gain approval from the Anderson County Planning Commission. Dist. 1 suffers from the the negative impact Act 388. The Act, passed in 2006, aimed to shift the property tax burden from primary homeowners to business properties, but left areas such as Dist. 2, which lacks major industrial properties in a lurch.

Binnicker talks about his years in the district, the plans for growth, the district's accomplishments, and looks ahead to the upcoming school year in this interview with the Anderson Observer.