Richland County month in review: July

The following are highlights from Richland County Government in July:

• Richland County Coroner Gary Watts and his staff invited the community to an open house and tour of the new Coroner’s Office facility on Shakespeare Road. Nearly 100 residents and officials attended the event, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

• Residents attended the grand-opening of the Lincoln Tunnel Greenway, which is the first greenway project completed through the Transportation Penny.

• Dahli Myers was sworn in as the new Councilwoman for Richland County Council District 10.

• Sesquicentennial State Park celebrated the completion of a new boardwalk and bridge that were completed using a $6,500 grant from Richland County Conservation Commission.

• Richland County Council appointed Gerald Seals as the new interim Richland County Administrator. Seals is the former Greenville County Administrator and a Newberry College associate professor.

• Richland County received certification through the South Carolina Work Ready Communities initiative, which will assist the County in its efforts to attract and retain international business development.
• Pure Power Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of fuel injection-systems for heavy-duty vehicles, announced it is expanding operations in Richland County, which is expected to bring $15 million in new investment to the County and result in about 80 new jobs.

• Richland County concluded a series of 10 Community Input Flood Recovery Meetings at different locations throughout the County. The meetings gave residents the opportunity to learn more about the $23.5 million in federal flood recovery funding the County was awarded.

• The Richland County Business Service Center announced that it now accepts online payments for hospitality taxes for the convenience of local business owners.

• Richland County held a special flood recovery meeting for the local business community and broadcast the meeting live for those unable to attend in person. While watching the meeting live, business representatives could text and use social media to ask questions and receive real-time responses.

• Several County officials and local community leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of Shakespeare Crossing, a multimillion-dollar housing development that will provide affordable housing for local families. The development is funded in part by Richland County.

• Richland Conservation Commission helped fund interpretive markers and a binocular viewer that point out the importance of the endangered rocky shoals spider lilies that grow in Riverfront Park.

• The staff of a local senior living and retirement facility presented a plaque to Richland County emergency responders to thank them for their assistance during a facility fire, especially for helping evacuate residents to a safe location.