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!
Chairman Primary Results
Strawbridge Wins Primary
Jerry Strawbrigdge won the Jan. 21 Republican Primary to fill the unexpired term of County Council Chairman, Derrick Jones, who resigned.
Stawbridge got 879 votes to challengers Wesley Boland’s 433, and Billie Corley’s 186.
Because he tallied 58.7 percent of the vote, a runoff will not be necessary, as is usually the case in a three person race.
Strawbridge will now meet Democrat Darren Horne in the Special Election on Tues., Mar. 24.
Turn-out was light, with only one precinct, Mt. Willing, topping 20 percent of voters, and that was only 21.4 percent.
Seven precincts, Del-mar, Fruit HIll, Holstons, Pleasant Cross, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Saluda No. 1 and Ward, had under ten percent turnout.
Ridge Spring-Monetta had the lowest turnout, 3.11 percent.
There was some confusion at two of the precincts. Saluda No. 2 voted at St. Paul United Church, and Saluda No. 1 voted at Riverside.
Both of these new locations, however, were listed in the legal election notice published in this newspaper.
Officers Receive Medal Of Valor
Three men with Saluda County ties were among 18 law enforcement officers from around the state to be presented the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association “Medal of Valor Award” Thurs., Jan. 23, in Columbia.
Receiving the award were: Chief Deputy Toby Horne, and Lieutenant Donovan Shealy of Saluda County Sheriff’s Office, and Special Agent Russ Padgett, SC Law Enforcement Division. All three men wee nominated by Saluda County Sheriff John Perry.
According to the descripption, “The recipients of these awards have performed actions above and beyond the call of duty; exhibited exceptional courage ... acted with unusual swiftness, regardless of his or her personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect human life.”
Pictured above are, L to R, Scheree and Donovan Shealy, Sheriff John Perry, Toby Horne and his daughter Ariel, Russ and Brittin Padgett. (Photo by Sgt. John Coon)
GEORGE SHAW AND JASON FELL
Shaw Receives Distribution
Operator Of Year Recognition
George Shaw, Distribution Superintendent for Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA) won the WEASC Capital District as the Distribution Operator of the Year Award in Lexington, on January 16th. There are over 1000 members to the WEASC Capital District.
This operator is a 59-year-old Eagle Scout. George is the last of the first for this utility. That means he is the last employee is still working that was hired at the origination of this utility. With all of the ups and downs of a start-up utility he moved his way up the rank to distribution superintendent. This business is in his blood. His grandfather designed the a nearby Water Treatment Plant. George is without question devoted to his community and seeing it improve.
George is excellent at training and teaching young operators from the ground up. He displays patience but is assertive when needed. This operator wants more than anything is to leave this utility better than he found it. The key, to him, correctly, is to pass on the institutional knowledge that he has acquired. To his manager, he is invaluable because he is the right person for the job. He doesn’t need motivating, managing or prescribing minute details of how to do his job. He is the type of person that shows up to work on his vacation days. This employee that can’t help but to seek the best and improve this utility. It is inexorably linked to his personality and his character. This operator does more with less. He is constantly evaluating what must be done. He has an extraordinary ability to fix, repair and replace with severe limitations resources. You might just want to call him MacGyver.
One example from this year, imagine what you would tell your loved ones if you had to leave the Thanksgiving table. This operator was called just after noon on Thanksgiving by the on-call operator that at major 16-inch waterline ruptured and needed to be repaired immediately. Imagine he did leave the table and then he got all the other operators to do the same. It took until 6:30 PM to fix the line break. This operator has instilled in his employees a commitment to his utility that few possess. SCWSA is lucky to have George Shaw!
Saluda Employee Recognized
TOWN EMPLOYEE RECOGNIZED - The Town of Saluda surprised longtime employee Rebecca Brunson at the Tues., Jan. 14, Council meeting. Rebecca recently became a US citizen, after an eight year effort. Mayor Amelia Herlong presented Mrs. Brunson a flag that flew over the State House, and a certificate signed by Rep. Cal Forrest and the Speaker of the House. (Standard-Sentinel photo)
Council Holds Short Meeting
The first Saluda County meeting of 2020 on Jan. 13 was a short one.
The meeting began with a public hearing on Saluda County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation plan.
Emergency Management Director Josh Morton as this is a FEMA requirement to readopt the plans every five years, and requires two public hearings, one prior to the submission of the plan, and one prior to adoption.
Assistant Emergency Management Director Jill Warren explaining the first reading on an ordinance amending the number of years in the term of an Airport Commissioner.
Ms. Warren explain commissioners should have aviation experience, and qualified commissioners are hard to find in Saluda County. The amendment would raise the length of one term to five years from the current three.
Council approved entering into a new agreement with Saluda County School District regarding emergency sheltering. Morton said this was due to changes made by the Red Cross, which originally was part of the agreement. SC Emergency Management recommended counties develop their own sheltering agreements.
A request by Rescue 1 to install a repeater system for communication on the county owned tower was tabled until the Public Safety Committee can study the plan.
Council approved Clerk of Court Sheri Coleman and Recreation Director Paul Ergle’s requests to fill already funded vacation positions on their departments.
Mrs. Coleman’s request was for the vacant deputy Circuit Court Clerk position, and Ergles’ was for a part-time assistant for the youth baseball season.
Council approved Councilman Wayne Grice’s appointment of Jeffery B. Forrest to the Tax Appeals Board, Vice-Chairman Frank Daniel’s appointment of Jay Crouch as the Hollywood alternate on the Fire Board, Councilman Justin Anderson’s re-appointment of George S. Todd to the Planning Commission, and Councilman Jones Butler’s re-appointment of Kristi H. Ackerman to the Saluda Nursing Center Board.
New Library Director Heath Ward with his wife and daughter.
Heath Ward Named
County Library Director
The Saluda County Public Library welcomes its new director, Heath Ward.
Mr. Ward has 10 years of experience in public libraries, working in Spartanburg County and Pickens County. He received his undergraduate degree in Christian Studies from North Greenville University and his Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina.
Heath grew up in Hen-dersonville, North Carolina, but moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina after marrying his wife in 2005. In his spare time, he likes to read, work in his woodshop, go kayak fishing, put on firework displays as a professional pyrotechnic and spend time with his wife and daughter.
“It has been a privilege to work in public libraries for the past 10 years and I am honored that the Library Board has given me the opportunity to serve the wonderful Citizens of Saluda County as the new Saluda County Library Director.
I look forward to working with the board, staff and community leaders in Saluda County. Also, if anyone has information about the family of Clinton Ward (founder of the Town of Ward) I am trying to discover if my family is related.”