Newberry Q&A: Updates from the Mayor’s office

Q. Main Street really rides and looks good since it was repaved. What other roads will be repaved?

A. SCDOT announced the roads they’ll repave in each county for 2024. On the edge of the city, they will repave the 34-Bypass from Wilson Road to Nance Street. Hwy #121 will be repaved from I-26 to Hwy. #176. Other projects will include parts of—with distances varying from 1 mile to 3 miles—Hwy. #39 in Chappells, Hwy. #66 in Whitmire, Clara Brown Road, Island Ford Road, New Hope Road and Mount Bethel Garmany Road near the interstate.

The County Transportation Committee announced a number of streets that will be re-paved in the county by June 2025. In the city this includes Glenn from Evans through Kate, and Drayton from Boundary to Milligan. Other streets to be repaved, or portions of, include Center, Hill, Lindsay, Luther, Morgan, Reid and South.

For the Boundary Street Bridge replacement, this project is scheduled to be complete in early fall.

For the widening of I-26 from Little Mountain to Irmo, SCDOT says construction will be mostly complete in winter 2024.

SCDOT says starting April 15, I-26 east will be reduced to one lane from Joanna to Little Mountain. They’ll have detour signs showing Hwy. 76 as an alternative so DOT says there potentially will be more traffic on 76 throughout that stretch. A contractor will be working on two bridges crossing 26 and is expected to be complete in one month.

Q. What new businesses are in Newberry?

A. The new Legends restaurant is already popular. Located in the Food Lion shopping center, I recommend the Brisket Panni. Irene’s owners separated, and that restaurant is now Migs, where I had a very enjoyable sandwich for lunch. Bargain Hunt is now open in the Food Lion Center. Downtown, Chapin Hemp is now open beside Half Full. And Chan Franklin at the new UPS Store said last week he had his best sales day so far.

Q. What’s the construction work between Wendy’s and Papa Johns?

A. West Development is building an access road in hopes it will serve as a catalyst for new businesses there. Mavis Tire, which has a sister company called NTB on Harbison, has committed to build there. Other companies are evaluating Newberry and that area, but Misty West says they have no other commitments yet.

Q. What about the old Rite Aid building?

A. Rite Aid/Walgreens had a long lease on that building so Walgreens has continued to pay monthly rent to the building owner, even though it’s been closed for a few years. It’s my understanding the lease has expired or is near expiration. The building owner is now marketing it to other companies.

Q. What’s some good news about Newberry?

A. In Southern Living’s new issue “The South’s Best,” we’re proud Newberry was named one of the top 10 small towns in South Carolina. WLTX recently featured the beauty of Wells Japanese Garden in a story. And at the Newberry Recreation Complex, the US Forest Service and the National Wild Turkey Federation are stocking Hidden Lake with catfish for a fishing weekend in late April for special needs students and then veterans from around the state. Newberry County Veteran Affairs is also a sponsor.

Q. Tell me something interesting about Newberry.

A. Last June I saw on The Citadel’s social media, “June 15, 1818: The first president of The Citadel, CPT William Graham, was born in Newberry, SC.” I was surprised. Reading Citadel history, I learned Capt. Graham was from Newberry, graduated from West Point, and became Citadel’s first president in February, 1843 at the age of 24. Checking locally, a local historian took me to Rosemont Cemetery to show me Graham’s marker, which needed cleaning. After informing The Citadel Alumni Association, they recently professionally cleaned his marker and his adjoining family members’ markers. This summer, Citadel officials from Charleston will come to Newberry to dedicate a new plaque at Capt. Graham’s marker.

Other interesting Citadel history about Newberry includes in 1854 the entire Citadel Corp marched through Newberry and shot their guns at Capt. Graham’s marker. And at the end of the Civil War, after a skirmish in Anderson County, The Citadel Battalion of Cadets, which The Citadel says was the last armed Confederate force in South Carolina, disbanded on May 9, 1865 at the Newberry Courthouse. We now call that Community Hall or the Old Courthouse.

Q. What’s coming up?

A. The always-popular Pork in the Park festival kicks off on Friday, April 19 before the big Saturday celebration on April 20. The Opera House continues with a full schedule, including Newberry-born A Thousand Horses that same weekend, and upcoming shows of bluegrass, a Prince tribute band and a local talent contest. Plus, spring in Newberry is a great time to see the azaleas, dogwoods and enjoy the great temperatures.