Lancaster, SC | featured news

On July 17, Lancaster County Council unanimously approved the first of three required readings to rezone Benford Brewery. The zoning change will allow the growing brewery to expand.  
Rumors had spread that the nearly five-year-old brewery, located at 2271 Boxcar Road, was building a bar.
Owner Bryan O’Neal quickly put that to rest.

Panhandle residents might notice a new fee on their taxes starting this October. A $75 fee per household to fund a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) received initial approval from Lancaster County Council on July 17.
It passed first reading in council with a 5-0 vote. Councilmen Terry Graham and Billy Mosteller were absent.
The new fee will only affect residents north of S.C. 5.

Newly appointed Lancaster County Fire Marshal Russell Rogers has lived in Lancaster County all of his life. He began his new position with Lancaster County on July 10.

Four thousand homes and businesses in eastern Lancaster County woke up without electricity Tuesday morning. The power is not expected to be back on until 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Lancaster County Administrator Steve Willis.

More than 40 kids attended Mount Carmel AME Zion Church’s Motivated Reading program on Tuesday.
In its fifth year, the free event targets students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

When Ja’Von Crockett sees children laughing and playing with their parents, he can’t help but wonder how his life would’ve turned out had his dad been there.
“When he came back around, we were getting ready to graduate,” Crockett said. “We didn’t hardly know him. And to tell you the truth, I couldn’t even tell you what his favorite flavor of ice cream was.”

KERSHAW – There’s a critical 5-acre tract the town of Kershaw needs to annex on the outskirts of town to give its underdevelopment business park access to the railroad tracks.
And this is an annexation request fully endorsed by the property owner.
The tract is home to the county-owned Andrew Jackson Recreation Center property on North Matson Street.   
Lancaster County asked Kershaw officials to annex the property into its corporate town limits.

Editor’s note: Hannah Strong joined us a year ago, fresh out of Winthrop. Today she begins an occasional column on what her first reporting job is teaching her about herself, her profession and Lancaster County.

The operator from an S.C. prison says, “You have 15 seconds left on this call.”
“Let me call you right back,” the woman tells me.
She has been jailed for attempted armed robbery  since 2013.
I’m talking to her because her 19-year-old son has been shot dead in Lancaster.