Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Allendale Town Councilman Marlon Creech (left) and Andrews Mayor Frank McCleary (right) came to Barnwell on Dec. 4 to support Barnwell Mayor Marcus Rivera at his last council meeting.
City Councilwoman Alicia Davis recognizes teen Hunter Delk with an award for his citizenship.
Councilwoman Alicia Davis (right) presents a business award to Keith Zissette and Don Alexander with Anovotek.
Christopher Brown, a Barnwell native, was sworn into the Barnwell Police Department on December 4, 2023.
Mayor Marcus Rivera, who made history in 2019 when elected as the City of Barnwell’s first Black mayor, hit the gavel for the last time on December 4.
“Being in this role has grown me as an individual,” said Mayor Rivera at the meeting. “I want to say thank you to each and every last one of you guys for being willing to sit up here.”
Many individuals came to the meeting to support Mayor Rivera, including his pastor and a fellow legislator.
“Mayor Rivera, our prayer is that you continue to keep your head up, stay focused, and continue to do the things that God is calling you to do,” said Reverend Michael O'Neal. O’Neal is the senior pastor of Trinity Outreach Ministries International Incorporated, as well as Mayor Rivera’s pastor.
“I am proud to be called your pastor,” said O’Neal. “Mayor Rivera, there is a lot that God has in store for you.”
Mayor Frank McCleary of the Town of Andrews drove 104 miles to witness Mayor Rivera’s last council meeting.
“I had the pleasure of working with this young man for the last four years, and I spent a lot of time with him at the state level, he represented your city very well,” said Mayor McCleary.
Mayor McCleary told the citizens of Barnwell they were well-represented by Mayor Rivera, and he is looking forward to seeing him “at the next level.”
The mayor seat will be filled by current Councilman Ron Still and two seats on council will have new faces in the new year. Jana Black Myers will be taking the District 6 seat currently filled by Councilman Ryan Bragg, and Wanda L. Highsmith will be representing District 4 in place of current Councilman Jimbo Moody. Councilwoman Peggy Kinlaw was re-elected to her seat in District 2.
“I just want to thank Councilman Bragg, Councilman Moody, and Mayor Rivera for your time serving the City of Barnwell. It has been a pleasure to work with you guys,” said Councilman Still.
“Councilman Still, I appreciate you pushing me,” said Mayor Rivera. “A lot of people here know I love to compete, and I appreciate you getting the best out of me.”
Mayor Rivera explained he initially was not going to run again, but Councilman Still “got it out of me,” to re-enter the 2023 campaign trail.
Mayor Rivera continued to express his appreciation for the council members, city officials, and community. He later closed the meeting with a Bible verse reminiscent of his time in office; Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much is required.”
Student & business awards
Hunter Delk, a seventh grader at Guinyard-Butler Middle School (GBMS), was recognized by the mayor and council for his citizenship.
Delk is a member of the Warhorse Sporting Clay Shooting Team, GBMS Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Leadership, the Junior Beta Club, attends The Merge at First Baptist Church in Barnwell, and plays recreational football.
“Hunter is always friendly, compassionate, and willing to lend a helping hand,” said GBMS Principal Henrietta Youmans-Williams.
Delk, a Fire Explorer with the City of Barnwell Fire Department (FD), comes from a long line of firefighters; his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father have all served. His grandfather, Phillip Delk, is currently the chief of the City of Barnwell FD.
“On the evening of the fire at Hagood Avenue Baptist Church, Hunter was dispatched to the scene to assist the firefighters. His responsibilities that day included filling air tanks for the firefighters who were going inside the structure, stretching hose lines, rolling and loading hoses, fetching needed equipment for fire personnel, and passing out water to the firefighters,” read Councilman Jimbo Moody.
“Late in the evening, Hunter was heard saying, ‘I’m not leaving here with these firemen still working, not until the job is done,’” said Councilman Moody.
Delk assisted firefighters in retrieving the church’s valuable items and books from the ashes. He hopes to become a firefighter.
Anovotek, a Barnwell-based company applying functional chemistry to textile consumer products and fabrics on a national and global scale, is celebrating 20 years of business.
Councilwoman Alicia Davis introduced Don Alexander and Keith Zissette with Anovotek as “a beacon of innovation in Barnwell for the last 20 years.”
“Thank you to the city and council for recognizing us,” said Alexander.
Anovotek is described as a hub where science, marketing, and technology merge to create products with a global impact, such as mosquito nets.
Mosquito nets are manufactured at the Patterson Street lab and shipped around the world to 20 countries battling insect borne disease. These nets and other apparel aid directly in improving public health by reducing the transmission of diseases worldwide.
“A little piece of Barnwell has traveled all over the world keeping people safe from malaria and other insect transmitted diseases,” said Alexander.
When the U.S. Olympic teams headed to Rio in 2016, Anovotek treated their uniforms with insect deterring chemicals to prevent the athletes from contracting the Zika Virus which was prevalent in the area.
During the COVID pandemic, the business sold personal protective equipment locally rather than nationally or globally in an effort to keep the community safe.
Anovotek plays a part in developing skills in students to meet their career goals by providing internships to 30 individuals thus far.
They are currently working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the next set of regulations to protect consumers from chemicals in the market.
2024 Meetings/Holidays
The council meets the first Monday of each month unless otherwise impacted by a holiday. Here are the dates for the 2024 council meetings: Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 4, April 1, May 6, June 3, July 1, August 5, Sept. 9, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, and Dec. 2.
The Barnwell City Hall offices will be closed on the following holidays in 2024: New Year’s Day on Jan. 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, President’s Day on Feb. 19, Good Friday on March 29, Memorial Day on May 27, Independence Day on July 4, Labor Day on Sept. 2, Veterans Day on Nov. 11, Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving on Nov. 29, Christmas Eve on Dec. 24, Christmas Day on Dec. 25, and the day after Christmas on Dec. 26.
Land sale to SCDOT
The City of Barnwell accepted a $200 offer from the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to purchase 379 square feet of city-owned land to widen Highway 3. This section of land is just north of Barnwell Elementary School. An ordinance approving the sale will be presented at the Jan. 8 meeting for the council to vote on.
Police shortage
“I cannot operate the Barnwell Police Department (BPD) with three men short,” said interim Chief Robert Miller.
One BPD officer is set to resign on Dec. 15, leaving the department three officers short. According to Chief Miller, he will have to utilize officer’s overtime to keep the officers and city safe. Applications for these positions can be found online or in the Classified section of this newspaper.
Donation to mental health
Councilman, and soon to be mayor, Ron Still, made a motion to approve a $200 donation to the Aiken-Barnwell Recovery Fund which was approved unanimously.
The Aiken-Barnwell Recovery Fund is a non-profit organization existing to support the patients and employees of the Aiken-Barnwell Mental Health Center, a regional office of the S.C. Department of Mental Health.
There is currently not a guideline in place for the city making donations, and Councilwoman Davis suggested the council implement criteria moving forward.
Bonuses
The council approved bonuses for the city’s firefighters. 29 volunteer firefighters received a total of $5,082 in bonuses based on the number of calls and drills they attended. Firefighters received a bonus of $7 per drill or calls and responded to a total of 377 calls as of November 30.
Bonuses for city employees will be doubling this year due to vacant positions leaving behind the allotted salary.
Other approvals
The council approved the second and final reading of the assurance and sale of a $1.2 million general obligation bond to finish the fire department. They also approved the second and final reading amending the business license ordinance- a standard procedure councils must do every odd year. This amendment adopts the Standardized Business License Class Schedule recommended by the Municipal Association of S.C.
