Deputy Admin Named as Acting Administrator for Two Weeks WINNSBORO – After 13 months and three tries, Fairfield County Council has failed to put a new county administrator in place. Instead, council members voted Monday night to name the county’s deputy administrator, Synithia Williams, to serve as acting administrator for only two weeks. Chairman Doug […]
FCSD Board names finalists for Super
January 25, 2024 By
WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County School Board of Trustees voted unanimously to select five educators as finalists for the next superintendent of the Fairfield County School District: Claudia Avery, Ph.D; Tony Hemingway, Ed.D; Floyd Lyles; Shawn Suber, Ph.D; and Sam Whack, Ed.D Claudia Avery, PhD. is currently serving as the Deputy Superintendent of Academics in […]
Auditor: Town of Blythewood audit reasonable, accurate
January 25, 2024 By
Town Increased Total Assets by $4.7M From Previous Fiscal Year BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood’s audit for the most recent fiscal year revealed no problems, the accounting firm that performed the audit reported to the Blythewood Town Council at Monday night’s council meeting. “Everything was, in all material aspects, reasonable and accurate,” said Will Walls, certified public […]
Blythewood Road widening project affected nearby pond
January 18, 2024 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Unmanaged water runoff from the Richland County Penny Tax funded Blythewood Road widening project between I-77 and Syrup Mill Road is causing worrisome changes to neighboring property, says Byron Dinkins, who says his two-acre pond has been fouled with silt, has turned brown, and may be permanently ruined as highway drainage from the […]
Fairfield County Interim Admin’s husband accused of threatening two Fairfield elected officials
January 17, 2024 By
WINNSBORO – Two Fairfield County elected officials have filed incident reports against the Fairfield County Interim Administrator’s husband for posting what the two officials called threats against them and others. Fairfield County Treasurer Norma Branham and Fairfield County Councilwoman Peggy Swearingen both filed incident reports on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, against Otis Johnson, 53, the […]
After 13 months, Pauley calls surprise meeting to hire permanent administrator
January 17, 2024 By
Just minutes before press time Wednesday night during a special called meeting, Fairfield County Council failed to elect a new administrator. After two tie (failed) votes, one for Matt DeWitt, and the second for Laura Johnson, Johnson will continue to be the interim administrator, and a new search should begin, according to Councilwoman Shirley Greene. […]
Teacher Village nears construction
January 11, 2024 By
WINNSBORO – Five years after Fairfield County school officials announced the goal of building a new, rent-controlled housing development for teachers, site infrastructure is nearing completion, and construction of the first homes will start in a few weeks, says Sue Rex, Chair of the Fairfield County School District Education Foundation. “We just feel like we’re […]
Fairfield native Tyler Thigpen heads for SC Hall of Fame
January 11, 2024 By
These days, Tyler Thigpen spends his time getting good people into good houses in the Chapin area. “My wife and I have been doing it together for six years now,” he said. “I definitely enjoy it. You can work as hard as you want. It’s always fun to see smiling faces of first-time home buyers […]
Council facing financial emergencies: penalties, fines, late audit and more
January 11, 2024 By
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Council held off on hiring a new administrator Monday night as the county continues to grapple with fallout from IRS fines and penalties totaling about $1.4 million, and Interim Administrator Laura Johnson’s unauthorized payment of those penalties without informing council until more than six months later. The criticism continued Monday night, […]
Tricia’s Trunk moves to new location
January 11, 2024 By
BLYTHEWOOD – As Tricia’s Trunk clothing charity reaches the decade mark, it’s moving from a difficult-to-access second story space in the sanctuary of Blythewood’s Sandy Level Baptist Church to a former classroom building at the front of the church complex. “Our new location is more spacious and more accessible,” says Amy Wrightsman, one of the […]
