By HEATHER RUPPE
This past year brought us many headlines, good and bad. Here is a recap of the top 10 stories in Colleton County in 2021. The chosen stories are selected based on reader commentary, social media posts, and community impact.
10. Upgrades. Colleton County got a few upgrades in 2021, including a new taxpayer center for its residents. The new taxpayer service center will be named the Floyd Buckner Tax Services Center and is expected to be complete by April of 2022. Other improvements include ongoing upgrades to downtown Walterboro, renovations to Lincoln Apartments (through a private property purchase) and hangar improvement plans at the Lowcountry Regional Airport.
9. Schools. The Colleton County School District got a new leader with the hiring of Dr. Vallerie Cave as its new superintendent. Cave’s hiring isn’t the only reason that the schools made it to the Top 10 list for 2021: under Cave’s leadership, Colleton schools also received controversial metal detectors and a plan to expand the school district with a new campus. Additionally, the school district received millions in national relief funds, with part of that being spent on teacher retention and COVID-19 safety precautions within schools.
8. Donations. The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office poured out its love for the Colleton community this year, sponsoring multiple food bank drives, toy drives, blood drives and litter pickup events. These events were also supported by various non-profit groups, Keep Colleton Beautiful, Colleton County Fire-Rescue and Blood Connection.
7. Homeless numbers grow. The number of homeless people in Colleton County are growing, and there are now at least two documented “tent cities” in Colleton County, with these camps located outside of City of Walterboro limits. There are no known reasons for the spike or any plans on how to permanently help these people; however, there are efforts underway to build a homeless shelter.
6. Winners. The Colleton Preparatory Academy Lady Hawk Softball Team won the 2021 2021 SCISA AA State Championship. The team was honored at a local football game.
5. Elections. Colleton residents in several municipalities went to the polls this year and elected a few new faces in Smoaks, Cottageville, Lodge and Edisto Beach. Perhaps the bigger story in the elections this year was who was not elected: in Walterboro, potential new mayoral candidates failed to get elected, with voters returning longtime incumbent Bill Young to the city’s mayoral seat.
4. A spike in crime. Walterboro saw a spike in shootings and fatal shootings this year, with the city’s law enforcement officials in the city saying the crime increase is reflective of statewide and nation-wide crime trends. From January 1st of this year to November 30th of this year (2021), the Walterboro Police Department investigated 14 “calls for service” (911 calls) for shootings. Five of these were murders. In 2020, there was one “justifiable homicide” and one shooting.
3. Edisto erosion. More of Edisto Beach washed into the sea in 2021, but beach officials have come up with a plan to try to fight the rising tides. The town began a spot-renourishment project earlier in 2021, with ongoing projects still underway to save sand along critical parts of the shoreline. Town leaders also joined forces with national researchers and environmental officials to try to save the barrier island from literally losing more ground. Edisto Beach officials are also working on ways to prevent flooding, which also washes away more sand, especially during King Tides.
2. COVID-19. Like it or not, COVID-19 and its two known variants continued to rock our worlds in 2021 – and not in a good way. The virus repeatedly blocked social gatherings, interrupted school life for children and parents and filled hospitals beyond capacity. Moreover, the virus continued to kill residents and keep masses sick. Now, we are seeing a breakthrough on the horizon with a spike in vaccinations. Here is hoping 2022 is COVID-free!
1. While we hate to say his name one more time, the top news story of 2021 is regrettably Alex Murdaugh’s fall from grace and the still unsolved murders of his wife and son, Maggie and Paul. Alex’s woes began when his wife and son were found shot to death in June on their Colleton County property. The saga has since spread across international headlines, with Alex charged with an array of crimes related to money laundering and drug possession. He also unsuccessfully tried to plan his own suicide, a plot that included his Walterboro cousin, Curtis Smith. (Smith has also become a national name and has appeared on several talk shows about the incident and his relationship with Alex). Alex has been denied bond and is facing more than 23 charges; however, the deaths of his wife and son remain unsolved. State leaders have also reopened at least five different investigations into the formerly-closed-case deaths of South Caroline residents, all of which are tied to Alex Murdaugh.
