what a year

2005 in reviewjanuary

In December, 2004, Dr. Ted Wachter, principal of Rosewood Elementary School, sued the school district and Dr. Jake Sello, area superintendent, for negligent supervision, and defamation of Wachter by Sello. On June 8, 2005, Wachter was awarded $93,000.

february

Dr. Ronald L. Epps resigned in January from his position as superintendent of Richland District One schools to join the California–based Stupski Foundation.

march

Columbia City Council member E. W. Cromartie was summoned four times for building code violations over the past year regarding maintenance of his properties.

april

Residents of Elmwood Park Neighborhood celebrated The Great Event of 1905 with a Centennial Home Tour and special events Saturday, April 9.

may

The new J.W. DeLoach Pedestrian Bridge in South Carolina Memorial Park was dedicated to Lt. Col. James Walker DeLoach Jr., a soldier, municipal public servant, and family man.

july

Months into the Five Points facelift, shopkeepers were still suffering from the construction blocks. Five Points is part of a larger improvement campaign by the City of Columbia which includes the Vista, Downtown/Main Street, and Two Notch Road. Officials say construction should conclude in spring 2006.

august

Richland One Area Superintendent Dr. Jake Sello submitted a letter of resignation effective August 8, 2005. Three years ago Dr. Wachter requested to be removed from supervision by Sello, because of defamatory and slanderous accusations.

september

On August 6, 2005, heavy rains caused the Five Points area to flood. Business reporter John Temple Ligon took a trip along the various culverts that are responsible for this flooding.

The 117–room Inn at USC on the corner of Pendleton and Pickens Streets held a grand opening September 21.

Sixty–two years after plunging into Lake Murray, one of the last remaining Army Air Corps war planes was rescued from 150 feet beneath the lake’s surface. It was taken to the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, Alabama.

After five years of hard work, Jim Hamilton oversaw the completion of a state of the art terminal at the Owens Field Downtown Airport.

Developer Alan Kahn brought the Village at Sandhill, a 300–acre commercial site on Clemson Road in northeast Richland County, to life. He held its grand opening in October, 2005.

october

A group of 107 students and five faculty members from USC worked with the Salvation Army to help clean up Biloxi, MS, after Katrina swept through in August.

november

Spring Valley defeated Richland Northeast to take the Region 5–4A Championship.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Columbia Convention Center Headquarters Hilton was held at the corner of Senate Street and Park Street, the hotel site.

december

Richland Northeast defeated arch rival Spring Valley 14–7 to take the Lower State Championship title.They would then lose to Byrnes in the State Championship.