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Richland County Council met Tuesday, May 2. A proclamation recognizing Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands SC was presented by council. A resolution recognizing Mental Illness Recovery Center Inc. and declaring May as Mental Health Awareness Month was approved and presented by council. An amendment was debated by several members of council who shared opinions about the decision to continue to grant […]

During the presentation portion of the City Council meeting on May 2, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann presented four proclamations. •The National Bike Month and Bicycle Safety Month Proclamation was presented to recognize May 2023 as National Bike Month and Bicycle Safety Month. •The National Historic Preservation Month Proclamation was presented to recognize May 2023 as the 50-year anniversary of National Preservation […]

The popular Jazz on the River free concert series is returning to the West Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheater for its second run, taking place each Thursday evening through June 1 from 6–9 p.m. Concerts feature talented local musicians coordinated by the ColaJazz Foundation on stage at the outdoor amphitheater, situated along the Congaree River at 109 Alexander Road, at the corner […]

During the City Council meeting April 18, council approved the honorary naming of the 800 and 900 blocks of Washington Street, “Joe E. Taylor, Jr. Way,” in memory of the former council member. During the presentation portion of the meeting, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann presented the Child Abuse Prevention Month Proclamation. The month of April is a time to recognize the […]

At the April 18 Richland County Council meeting, Councilwoman Jesica Mackey (District 9) made a motion that would provide all county employees with six weeks of paid parental leave, and it was unanimously approved by council. The proposed plan would resemble the Paid Parental Leave program signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster last year. The intent of the motion […]

The State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee (“Review Committee”) is beginning its screening process for commissioners representing Congressional Districts 2, 4, and 6 of the South Carolina Public Service Commission (“Commission”). The Review Committee will be accepting applications for these seats beginning Monday, May 22, until 12 p.m., Friday, June 16. The commission has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to […]

With an alarming increase in drug overdose deaths nationally and in South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) encourages residents to drop off unused, expired, or unwanted prescription drugs during the upcoming National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 22. Nearly 50 percent of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, including from […]

New data released in separate reports by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) show a dramatic increase in both the state’s infant mortality and maternal mortality rates. The agency’s 2023 Infant Mortality Report, released annually by DHEC’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, shows that South Carolina’s infant mortality rate rose by 12 percent from 2020 […]

The Lower Richland Alumni Foundation is working in collaboration with Richland County Sheriff, Leon Lott, and Richland County’s Public Library and Recreation Commission, along with local churches to create a culture change in the Lower Richland community to decrease crime in the Eastover, Gadsden, and Hopkins communities using an $800,000 grant from the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (BCJI). A […]