Palmetto AFJROTC presents colors at County Council meeting

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By Stan Welch

Anderson County Council meeting began with the presentation of the colors by the Palmetto High School Air Force Junior ROTC Tuesday night. That was followed by an appearance by Ms. Misty Nicholson, whose husband Trooper Eric Nicholson was killed in the line of duty in 2000.

Following his death, she raised funds to acquire a K-9 officer in his honor. She experienced such a response that she started a foundation and has since provided police dogs to several different departments.

Also on hand was Anderson County Deputy Creamer, who lost his K-9 partner in December, from cancer.

Ms. Nicholson was there to announce a Paws for Law Enforcement event that her foundation is sponsoring in cooperation with Timms Harley Davidson to raise funds to replace K-9 officer Bolt. Deputy Creamer will be the new dog’s handler.

The goal is to raise fifteen thousand dollars, which is the cost of a fully trained police dog.

The Council then listened as Councilwoman Gracie Floyd expressed her concerns about the salaries currently paid to deputies and other sheriff’s employees, pledging to fight for raises that will have an impact during the coming budget discussions.

The Council gave unanimous second reading approval to an incentive package to be offered to the developers of Project Upstate, which has been all but officially acknowledged to be a regional headquarters and distribution center for the Coca Cola Company.

The site is located in the Piedmont area and will generate 147 jobs, paying an average wage of just under twenty dollars an hour. The property taxes will jump from one hundred seventeen dollars for the site last year to one hundred seventy five thousand dollars for the facility once it is open sometime in 2016.

Council also gave first reading approval to a budget amendment that authorized the transfer of a million and a half dollars from the general fund to the roads and bridges department for additional paving. Also authorized was the transfer of an additional million dollars for use as matching funds for the C funds allocated by the Anderson County Transportation Committee.

Council also voted to extend the county’s workmen’s compensation protection to the cadre of ham radio operators in the county, such as volunteer firemen enjoy currently. The cost to include the amateur radio operators, whose assistance during emergencies is often used, is less than a thousand dollars per year.