Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Retired Barnwell Fire Coordinator and WFD Captain Timbo Williams, Williston Fire Department Chief John Melton, Williston Police Department Deputy Chief Roger Kaney, firefighter Christian Wright, Assistant WFD Chief Josh Fields, and firefighter TC Crumley.
Jody Moody, Assistant WFD Chief Josh Fields, Williston Fire Department Chief John Melton, and firefighter TC Crumley accept a check from the Williston Craft and Vendor Event held in October.
The Williston Town Council met Nov. 14 to determine dates for upcoming events, set procedures to fill the vacant council seat, and recognize individuals who stand on the frontlines of local emergencies.
Vacant Seat
The special election to fill the vacant council seat will be held on January 31, 2023. This comes after the unexpected death of Councilman William Toney on August 23.
Although state law requires an election to be held on the thirteenth Tuesday after the vacancy occurs, it also allows for municipalities to change this election date if complications arise.
The thirteenth Tuesday after this date would have fallen on November 22. Conversations between the Barnwell County Voter Registration and Elections Office and town officials determined November 22 is too close to the holidays to hold an election.
Ordinance #2022-03 states this is permissible as “the Town has good and valid reason to delay said special election until January 31, 2023: to allow for the emergence of candidates, to save tremendous effort and expense of the Town in conducting a special election and instead having the Barnwell County Voter Registration and Elections Office conduct the election as it routinely does.”
Filing will be held January 5 to January 16, 2023. The last day to register to vote for this election is December 31, 2022, if you are already not a registered voter.
Town Hall Holiday Hours
In December, the town hall will be closed after noon on Thursday, December 22 and closed completely on Friday the 23 and Monday the 26.
For New Years, the town hall will be closed on December 30 and January 2.
First Responder Recognition
In an effort to highlight all the good happening in Williston, Mayor Brett Williams and the council recognized the first responders dedicated to keeping Williston safe.
Williston Fire Department (WFD) Chief John Melton, Williston Police Department (WPD) Deputy Chief Roger Kaney, retired Barnwell Fire Coordinator and WFD Captain Timbo Williams, firefighter Christian Wright, Assistant WFD Chief Josh Fields, and firefighter TC Crumley were all thanked by Mayor Williams and council members for their continued work.
Jo Owens of the Order of the Eastern Star group presented the Williston Fire Department a check for $150. This funding came from proceeds from the recent Williston Craft and Vendor Fair.
Owens plays a major role in bringing this event to fruition each year, and explicitly thanked Williston resident David Hall for his help in making it happen. Hall was also presented a check in appreciation for his efforts by Owens.
Litter Pickup
Williston resident Margo Huggins spoke before the council on behalf of Keep Barnwell County Beautiful, a branch of the statewide Palmetto Pride program.
Huggins explained she recently canvased roads in Williston and noted roughly 15 stretches of road in need of litter removal: some of which include Harley Road, Shuler Street, and Dicks Street.
Keep Barnwell County Beautiful volunteers plan to potentially target these areas and more at their upcoming Winter Wipeout on December 10. It is yet to be determined the exact areas volunteers will tackle.
The Winter Wipeout is a mass effort to clean the streets from litter. Keep Barnwell County Beautiful organizers are looking for volunteers, such as students in need of volunteer hours for school.
For more information about the Winter Wipeout and how to be a part of keeping Barnwell County clean, contact Barnwell County Councilman Ben Kinlaw at bccd5kinlaw@gmail.com.
Upcoming Events
Christmas festivities in Williston is only one week away, and town officials are gearing up for a merry season.
Williston’s Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 10 at 5:30 p.m. with Reverend Jeremiah Land of Press Church presenting the Christmas Story. At this event the Citizen of the Year will be announced, Santa will make a visit, and there “might even be a reindeer this year,” according to Mayor Williams.
The Christmas parade is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m.
The Citizen of the Year Banquet will be held closer to January and February. This year, the banquet will be honoring the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Citizen of the Year as the COVID pandemic canceled the event in previous years.
The sixth annual DIG STEM Festival is set to be held on May 6, 2023.
The Williston Disc Golf Club is scheduled to hold four upcoming PDGA sanctioned tournaments in the new year. All will be held at the Williston Town Park.
The first disc golf tournament of 2023, The Williston Ice Bowl, will be held on January 14. Springtime at Williston will be held on April 8, the second annual Williston Classic will be held on July 1, and the Williston Disc Fever will be held on September 2.
Administrator’s Report
The Town of Williston is set to renew their insurance in 2023 for $83,000, according to Administrator Mike Beasley, who feels this is a good rate for municipalities in light of the recent statewide increase.
It raised this year due to a 13.7 percent state increase in municipality insurance costs. In previous years the cost remained in the $70 thousands, according to Administrator Beasley.
Some factors that impact the insurance rates for municipalities are general modification and auto liability. This set cost for 2023 can be impacted by claims made before the end of the year.
Administrator Beasley also explained the Williston Police Department filed for a $4,000 grant from the Municipal Association of South Carolina which the town matched. He hopes to aid in the fire department applying for upcoming similar grants.
