Aiken Observer

Heavy police presence at this home on Banks Mill Road and Old Dibble Road.

BREAKING:

AG: South Carolina Legislature has power to remove Meriwether Monument; Hamburg book slated for release in late 2020 By Michael Smith | Editor South Carolina’s Heritage Act does not protect the Meriwether Monument, a 40-foot-tall obelisk dedicated to Thomas McKie Meriwether, a white supremacist who died dur…

Aiken sees large jump in COVID-19 cases to 21. We had been in the single digits most days. State reported 1,291 cases with 10 deaths. Here’s a county by county breakdown:

Abbeville (5), Aiken (21), Anderson (22), Bamberg (8), Barnwell (4), Beaufort (38), Berkeley (38), Calhoun (1), Charleston (175), Cherokee (8), Chester (2), Chesterfield (7), Clarendon (5), Colleton (5), Darlington (7), Dillon (6), Dorchester (32), Edgefield (2), Fairfield (3), Florence (19), Georgetown (18), Greenville (241), Greenwood (10), Horry (183), Jasper (4), Kershaw (12), Lancaster (3), Laurens (8), Lee (2), Lexington (54), Marion (6), Marlboro (7), Newberry (32), Oconee (19), Orangeburg (29), Pickens (66), Richland (86), Saluda (5), Spartanburg (38), Sumter (20), Union (4), Williamsburg (8), York (28)

Breaking news out of Orangeburg County. Foster takes over July 1.

Foster named district leader; Orangeburg County superintendent starts July 1 An Aiken County school official will become the new leader of the Orangeburg County School District.

EF3 tornadoes have winds of 113-157 mph. 

Tornado that ripped through Aiken, Barnwell counties rated EF3 By Michael Smith | Editor New Ellenton—A tornado that tore through southern Aiken County before continuing its path of destruction into Barnwell County was rated an EF3 with winds of 140 mph, accor…

Just in from Aiken County...

*AIKEN COUNTY EXTENDS OFFICE CLOSURES, and adjusts yard debris policy*

Aiken County Offices will remain closed to the public in accordance with guidance from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Governor’s Office. Employees will still be available to assist citizens with online, email and phone transactions. Additionally, all County parks, programs and facilities remain closed to the public as well. This closure extension runs through and includes Friday, May 1, 2020.

Aiken County is also seeing a tremendous increase in the volume of yard debris and waste coming to the residential drop off centers as well as the Barden Landfill on Connector Road. In some cases, increases in traffic are upwards of 50% from normal. This increased volume has begun to overwhelm the County’s capacity to manage the waste stream and remove the waste from the collection centers in a timely fashion. To address this, the residential drop off centers will now only accept yard trimmings, clippings and small debris that will fit inside a pick-up truck, SUV or other non-commercial vehicle used to deliver the waste to the drop off center. The centers will no longer accept debris brought in by trailer. All trailer loads should be taken directly to the Barden Landfill and will be directed to do so if presented at a residential drop off center. This change in policy is for residential yard debris only. Regular household waste will still be accepted at all residential drop off centers in the County.

“We understand this change in policy may be a bit of an inconvenience for our customers, but our residential collection centers just simply cannot handle the amount of yard debris we are receiving” said County Administrator Clay Killian. “We appreciate our citizens’ cooperation and patience and request their assistance in helping us manage this problem.”

Citizens should continue to follow the recommendations and directives from the Centers for Disease Control and healthcare providers on how to stay safe and avoid contracting this, or any other, virus.

An Aiken County Public Schools official released the following statement regarding a possible Fall break to accommodate the 2020 Masters golf tournament, which has been moved to November due to COVID-19.

“We were contacted on Wednesday, April 8, by representatives of the Augusta National Golf Club about school calendar considerations for the Master's Tournament being moved to November. Our desire is to be as accommodating as possible to our community partners and to provide our employees and students opportunities to be a part of working and or participating in this annual event. Our Superintendent plans to discuss options with our School Board leaders as early as next week and to also conference with representatives of the Augusta National. While no definitive answer about a fall break next year could be provided prior to further discussion, there is an effort underway to explore alternatives to our already established and approved academic calendar and we certainly want to be as flexible as possible to help maintain the level of community-involvement that makes the Master's as special as it is to visitors as well as all who call the CSRA home.”

Wire Road just south of I-20 blocked due to motor vehicle collision.

State law allows public bodies to waive or reduce fees when “furnishing the information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public.”

Aiken County school district charges $7,700 for Dr. Alford email records By Michael Smith | Editor Aiken—On its website, the Aiken County school district’s Freedom of Information Act mission statement pledges openness, responsiveness and accessibility. “Aiken County Pu…

: The storm downed a tree in Hayne Avenue and dumped hail along I-20.

Severe storms rock Aiken County, tree down on Hayne Avenue By Michael Smith | Editor A severe thunderstorm plowed through Aiken County on Saturday, downing trees and dumping potentially destructive hail, according to the National Weather Service and Aiken …

Breaking: This transaction was completed March 29. Impacts, if any, to the old Aiken Mall remain unclear.

Aiken shopping center has new owner By Michael Smith | Editor There’s a new owner of the Aiken shopping center anchored by PetSmart and Planet Fitness. Aiken Exchange Plaza LLC assumed ownership of the Aiken Exchange Plaza from Aiken…