Daniel Prince
WBCU News airs 6:30, 7:30, 8:35, 12:35, and 5:40 Monday through Friday
2-13-2025
Union County is still celebrating the announcement that Eaton Corporation will be moving into the old Belk building on 176 and renovating it into a world-class three-phase transformer production facility, supplementing the company’s other two three-phase transformer production facilities located in Wisconsin. Local reaction has been extremely positive. WBCU News spoke to Economic Development Director Dolton Williams about the economic impact the company will bring to Union County and the bang for the buck that the county will be receiving from the incentive package that it offered Eaton.
(for the audio, tune in to WBCU News)
According to the latest supervisor’s report, construction has begun on the Jonesville Regional Wastewater Project that Williams referenced.
Next, we spoke with Town Administrator Lee Chambers about what the announcement will mean to the Jonesville community.
(for the audio, tune in to WBCU News)
Finally, we talked to Union County Supervisor Phillip Russell, who said this announcement is a huge moment for Union County, and there will very likely be additional growth that happens based on Eaton coming to town:
(for the audio, tune in to WBCU News)
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In a week of exciting meetings and announcements, from the school board meeting to discuss financing options to build a new school to the hospital opening to Eaton’s announcement, there is another exciting development to bring to your attention. USC Union has just released its new 10-year master plan. Building on the excitement of the university’s 60th anniversary in Union County, the new plan will guide the school’s continued growth through 2035. The goal by 2030 is to grow enrollment from 1353 in fall 2024 to 1600 by fall 2030.
There are a number of exciting projects and goals mentioned in the master plan, and we will cover many of those in the coming days, but one of the big goals is to transform the campus and solidify Union as a true college town. One of the major projects that will support that is to construct a large multi-purpose facility aimed at enhancing student life and expanding the athletic department to once again include basketball. The proposed convocation center would be built on part of the existing green space at the corner of North Mountain Street and East Academy Street.
The addition of a new Convocation Center would create the opportunity for large athletic events and tournaments to be held on campus and offer an interior venue that could hold 1700+ attendees (including chairs provided on courts). The design includes the relocation of the existing gazebo, connecting it with the planned alumni center in the Dawkins House, and opens up a large, centrally located campus green, which would serve as an outdoor activity hub at the heart of the campus. The green would be the connecting element between the new Convocation Center, Central Building, the new Alumni Center, Main Building, and Truluck. To further enhance the experience and opportunities offered on the Green, a covered outdoor area with seating is proposed to be added to the Truluck Center.
The Convocation Center is contingent on getting it established as a state project with funding, with construction beginning on its first phase within the next year-and-a-half to two years if that happens.
We’ll have plenty more on USC Union’s master plan in future newscasts.
2-12-2025
Tuesday was a monumental day in Union County, as the new Union Medical Center opened its doors for the first time, and the largest-ever economic development announcement in Union County history was made.
At Tuesday night’s Union County Council meeting, Supervisor Phillip Russell made the announcement.
(tune in to WBCU News for the audio or watch the County Council meeting on our Facebook page)
Eaton Corporation is based in Ohio and has 10 other sites in South Carolina, the largest of which is in Greenwood County. Officials said the new operation in Jonesville will rival that in size. Nick D’Angelo, Public Affairs Director with Eaton, praised Economic Development Director Dolton Williams and the SC Commerce Department for their roles in bringing Eaton to Union County.
(tune in to WBCU News for the audio or watch the County Council meeting on our Facebook page)
Mike Yelton, president of the Americas Region for the Electrical Sector of Eaton, told council and those gathered that the approximately 700 new workers at the Jonesville site will join with 2700 others in SC and around 27,000 companywide. He said the facility will help to address an issue that is in the news quite a bit--transformer shortages and the growing need for power.
(tune in to WBCU News for the audio or watch the County Council meeting on our Facebook page)
Angie McMillin, president of Energy Solutions and Services for Eaton, said that the Jonesville facility will be a model for how the manufacturing of transformers should look for the future, as the company seeks to remain at the forefront of providing energy solutions to a variety of industries and uses.
(tune in to WBCU News for the audio or watch the County Council meeting on our Facebook page)
The plant will be 900,000 square feet. It will be renovated inside and out to turn it into the flagship manufacturing facility Eaton’s leaders want it to be.
After all the remarks, county council unanimously passed the third and final readings of ordinances for a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement for the company and to set up a multi-county industrial park with Spartanburg County for the site. Earlier in the meeting, council unanimously approved an inducement resolution to codify the agreements between the county and Eaton.
We’ll have more reaction to the announcement coming in tomorrow’s news.
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The new Union Medical Center officially opened to hospital patients on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Located at 1201 Furman L. Fendley Highway, the new 99,600-square-foot facility centralizes healthcare services under one roof and creates a sustainable model that addresses rural health needs for generations to come.
The $55-million facility features:
• Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health
• Emergency care
• Gibbs Cancer Center infusion services
• Imaging services
• Inpatient care
• Lab
• Primary and pediatric care
• Inpatient pharmacy
Outpatient offices located on the second floor of the building will open on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
To enhance the patient experience, the campus also features a healing garden, a quarter-mile outdoor walking trail with exercise equipment, ample outdoor space, a chapel, a history museum, the Corner Café and a gift shop.
The former Union Medical Center facility at 322 W. South St. in Union is now closed.
WBCU News spoke with Union Medical Center President Paul Newhouse about how the day went.
(tune in to WBCU News for the audio)
Newhouse talked about how the new hospital sets up Union County’s future healthcare needs as it continues to grow.
(tune in to WBCU News for the audio)
2-11-2025
Last night, the Union County Board of School Trustees held a workshop dealing with ways to finance school construction. Mike Gallagher, director at Compass Municipal Advisors, and Mike Burns, an attorney with Burr & Forman, were on hand to talk about financing options and how to conduct a referendum for school construction.
Gallagher said he looked first at what the district and school board had indicated was its most critical need, which was a new elementary school potentially combining Monarch and Foster Park. The estimated cost was $45 million. Gallagher said with no penny sales tax or bond referendum, the board could vote to raise the district’s debt service millage from its longtime position at 48 mills up to 73 mills, and over 25 years, it would generate enough to build the building. It would also preserve around $700,000 a year that could be used for maintenance on the district’s other buildings at that time. The impact to taxpayers if the board went that route to raise debt service millage by 25 mills would be an annual increase of $100 on the property tax bill of a $100,000 owner-occupied home, and $150 a year to a non-owner-occupied home. A $20,000 vehicle would see a $30 increase in its taxes, while a $40,000 vehicle would have a $60 increase.
Gallagher said a second scenario involving a 1% local option sales tax and a 9 mill increase to the debt service millage, to 54 mills, would generate an estimated $70 million, which would be enough to build the elementary school and potentially another career and technology center or whatever else the board decided would be most needed. That money would be generated over 10 years, and the tax burden would fall on everyone shopping in the county, including those passing through and stopping to eat or to get gas, and not just on the property owners of the county. Getting the tax on the ballot would require legislation to pass the SC State House and Senate. Rep. Doug Gilliam has introduced legislation to that effect, but it is uncertain if the effort will pass or not. Burns said the legislation could be amended to include language that might make it easier for other counties to get on board with it. The soonest such a question could go on the ballot would be November 2026.
We’ll have much more from last night’s workshop coming up in tomorrow’s newscast.
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Union County Council will meet tonight at 103 West Main Street starting at 5 p.m. for public hearings regarding the fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement and multi-county industrial park agreement for Project Panama. Looking at the agenda for the regular meeting, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., council will be asked to vote on a resolution authorizing the execution and delivery of an inducement agreement between the county and Project Panama. Representatives on behalf of the company involved in Project Panama, which was revealed to be Eaton Corporation, will speak prior to the final reading of the two ordinances dealing with the company. Before that, council will hold 2nd reading of an ordinance authorizing the sale and conveyance of county-owned property to the Union-Laurens Commission on Higher Education. This is the county annex building, also known as the Rippy Science Building. Council will hold 3rd and final reading on a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with Buffalo PV1, LLC, which is seeking to build a solar farm in the county. Then, council will hold 3rd and final readings on the fee agreement with Project Panama and the multi-county industrial and business park agreement with Spartanburg County for Project Panama. After any committee reports and reports from elected officials, Supervisor Phillip Russell will give his report to council, after which the meeting will adjourn.
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Today is the day that the new Union Medical Center will open its doors. The emergency room at the new facility will open its doors at noon today. At that time, no more emergency patients will be seen at the old hospital. Union Medical Center is working with local EMS providers to ensure they quickly and safely transport patients to the nearest emergency room once the existing hospital closes. All physicians’ offices are closed today in preparation for the move to the new hospital. They will begin to see patients in their new locations starting on Wednesday. The new Union Medical Center is located at 1201 Furman L. Fendley Highway near Spartanburg Community College Union Campus and across from Union Industrial Park.
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Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina is hosting a multi-employer job fair in Spartanburg tomorrow. The event is bringing together more than 20 companies for the event, which will bring together career seekers with recruiters and hiring managers in industries such as logistics, healthcare, food service, manufacturing, and corrections. The job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12, at Spartanburg Community College’s Downtown Campus Gym, at 220 East Kennedy Street in Spartanburg. According to Monique McDaniels, VP of Community and Workforce Development at Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands SC, the greater Spartanburg area is seeing a lot of growth, with industries looking at the area as a “potential hotbed for workforce development” in SC. Attendees to the job fair are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resumés, dress professionally, and be prepared to engage directly with hiring managers. The event is open to anyone seeking job opportunities in the Upstate region. Companies expected to be at the event are Recruiting Solutions, Randstad, Milliken, Morgan Corp., Berger, Heaven Sent Caregivers, Swamp Rabbit Home Care, Whataburger, Spartanburg County Communications/911, BMW, Highland Baking Co., OpSource, Stay Alert Safety Services, Meyco Products, Surge, BTA, FedEx, Piedmont Community Action, Personnel Solutions Inc., Spinx, The Budd Group, SC Department of Employment and Workforce, SC Department of Corrections, MAU, TD Bank, and 84 Lumber. For more information on the job fair, call 864-351-0100 or go to goodwillsc.org.
2-10-2025
The move to the new Union Medical Center begins in earnest today, as many medical offices in the county will be closed to transition from their current location to the new facility, which is set to open on Tuesday. The physicians practices will open on the second floor of Union Medical Center starting on Wednesday. Here is their schedule for the next couple of days:
• Union Medical Center – Center for Pediatrics
• Monday, Feb. 10 - Open; Tuesday, Feb. 11 - Closed
• Union Medical Center – Center for Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11 - Closed
• Union Medical Center – Center for Family Medicine
• Monday, Feb. 10 - Open; Tuesday, Feb. 11 - Closed
• SMC – Center for Hematology Oncology – Union
• Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11 – Provider on-call for urgent needs
• Gibbs Infusion Center – Union
• Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11 - Closed
• Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health – Union
• Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11 - Closed
They look forward to serving their patients in the new facility starting Wednesday. All offices’ phone numbers will remain the same.
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Tomorrow may well go down as one of Union County’s most important dates in history, as the new Union Medical Center will open its doors to the public at some point during the day, pending a final inspection by the state. In addition, Tuesday evening, Union County Council is expected to pass third readings of ordinances for a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement and multi-county industrial park agreement for what is known as Project Panama. For the first time, the county has revealed the identity and location of the company, as it released the agenda and council packet online to the public on Saturday and distributed it to the media and to council members on Friday.
The new company is Eaton Corporation, based in Ohio. They have a presence in South Carolina already, and they will invest a projected $340,433,000 in Union County and create approximately 698 jobs over the next 8 years as they open a transformer manufacturing facility here in Union County. The company is expected to be located at 3805 Furman L. Fendley Highway, which is the former Belk building. They will be formally introduced at Tuesday’s Union County Council meeting, and representatives from the company will speak prior to council voting on the two ordinances concerning them.
Public hearings on the fee agreement and multi-county industrial park agreement will be held at 5 p.m. and at 5:15 p.m. prior to the 5:30 start of the county council meeting. The location of tomorrow’s meeting has moved to 103 West Main Street instead of at the courthouse. The public is invited to attend.
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The Union County Board of School Trustees is set to hold a workshop this afternoon at 5 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Union County Career and Technology Center. The workshop is open to the public. The purpose is to discuss financing school facilities. The school district had a facilities study done in 2023 that recommended several needs for the district’s buildings, the most pressing of which seemed to be replacing Monarch and Foster Park Elementary Schools with a single new elementary school. The full study also recommended building a new high school and shifting around students across the district to better utilize building capacity. Money was the major obstacle in being able to enact any of the recommendations in the study, and the matter has not been brought back up in a year. The board will invite Finance Director Linda Griffin to lead the workshop, and other guests are expected to attend to talk about different financing options for a building project. WBCU News will attend and bring you the latest in tomorrow’s newscast.
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According to a recent study by MyBioSource, which analyzed County Health Rankings data across the country, access to adult dental care has improved across the country over the past five years. South Carolina is one of the most improved states as far as dental access goes, ranking 8th in the nation, with the number of people per dentist falling from 1809 to 1682 over the five-year span. Union County is listed as the most improved county in the state, as the ratio of patients to dentists fell by 1023 people over five years. Union leads Marion, Marlboro, Barnwell, and Cherokee counties in improvements. Abbeville County was the least improved, with an additional 3998 people per dentist there compared to five years ago. Allendale, Saluda, Fairfield, and McCormick counties also made the top 5 least improved counties.
According to a spokesperson for MyBioSource.com, “The findings highlight a promising shift in American dental care access but also reinforce the importance of continued support for dental education, rural health initiatives, and state-level policies that encourage dental professionals to serve high-need areas.”
2-7-2025
February is Heart Health Month. In honor of heart disease awareness, you are again invited to wear red today, as Union attempts to “Paint the Town Red” for National Wear Red Day. In putting on the color, think of those who have been affected by heart disease or stroke, whether yourself, a family member, or friend. Wear red in their honor or memory today. You are invited to share photos on social media of your red attire using the hashtags #WearRedDay or #GoRedSaveLives. To make an even bigger impact, consider donating to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org to support educational programs to increase awareness and critical research for cardiovascular health.
The Union County EMS published some heart health statistics on its Facebook page that you might find interesting.
--Nearly 16 million people in the US have heart disease.
--Lowering your blood pressure may decrease your risk of heart disease by 50%.
--1 in 4 deaths in the US are caused by heart disease.
--Make sure to get lots of fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber-rich foods as part of a heart healthy diet.
--After a year without cigarettes, the risk of heart disease drops to about half that of a smoker.
--Staying active for 30 minutes a day dramatically reduces the risk of developing heart-related illnesses.
--Good dental hygiene can reduce the chance of a cardiovascular event by nearly 50%.
--A healthy diet can help protect your heart, improve blood pressure, and lower cholesterol.
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USC Union will be visited by a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow as part of the US State Department’s Fulbright exchange. In all, 34 visiting international fellows will learn about US higher education at 21 community colleges and have the chance to share their professional expertise and cultures with the campus communities. USC Union is part of the exchange this year and will host attorney Liyi Noshi from India during the week of February 24-28.
Noshi is a dedicated lawyer and advocate, specializing in protecting the rights of marginalized and vulnerable communities. She focuses on representing children who have been victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. With over 16 years of experience, Noshi addresses issues such as racial discrimination, child sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence, and child trafficking. She supports government agencies and trains stakeholders within the police and judicial systems to foster systemic change. She is committed to empowering vulnerable communities and advocating for policy reforms that protect their rights. Noshi received her law degree from the University of Delhi.
For more information on the fellowship program, visit humphreyfellowship.org.
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As a reminder, you are invited to Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site’s special Black History Month program, titled “Breaking Chains—Building Rights”. It will be held tomorrow, Saturday, February 8, at 1 p.m. at Rose Hill, located at 2677 Sardis Road. The program will explore the laws that shaped the lives of Black South Carolinians during the years before and after the Civil War. Those laws directly impacted enslaved and later freed people who once called Rose Hill home. The program will cover how laws supported slavery, limited freedom, and controlled Black lives, as well as the moments when people fought back to change those unfair rules. It will talk about the Black Codes, laws that kept Black people from being fully free, and the ways Black communities stood up for their rights. It’s a chance to remember the struggles, honor the courage, and celebrate the progress made toward justice and equality.
The cost is $5 per person ages 8 and older. Registration is required by February 7 at reserve.southcarolinaparks.com. Search for Rose Hill or for Breaking Chains-Building Rights. For more information, call 864-427-5966 or email rosehill@scprt.com.
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SC Works Greater Upstate will host the Union County Career and Resource Fair on Tuesday, February 18, at the Clemson Extension Office, located at 120 Kirby Street in Union. So far, there are nine employers and community resources registered, with more expected before the event. The ones registered so far include the City of Union, FedEx, Milliken, Opsource Staffing, Piedmont Community Action, Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg County Communications/911, Spartanburg County Solid Waste, and USC Upstate-Achieve. For more information, call SC Works in Union at 864-427-7140.
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The unemployment rate in all of South Carolina’s counties fell in December, according to the estimates that are not seasonally adjusted. The overall seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the state decreased from 4.8% to 4.7%, which is higher than the national unemployment rate of 4.1%.
Union County’s unemployment rate, which stood at 6% in November, dropped to 4.9% in December. The change is due to more people working. The labor force shrank by 8 people from November to December, but 123 more people were working in December. Compared to December 2023, the labor force in Union County has grown by 358 people, and 223 more people are working. The unemployment rate last December was 1% lower, at 3.9%, due to the smaller labor force. Union County has the 2nd-highest unemployment rate in the Upstate behind Cherokee County, but only the 15th-highest in the state. Charleston County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.2%, while Marlboro County has the highest at 7.4%.
With only 585 people listed as unemployed in Union County, the county’s labor force will need to grow more to accommodate the 700 jobs that Project Panama is expected to bring to the county. The new company will be announced at next Tuesday’s Union County Council meeting.
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According to a recent survey of 1200 registered voters in South Carolina by the South Carolina Policy Council, roads should be the state legislature’s highest priority in the coming session. 31% of those surveyed said the overall condition of the state’s roads and highways are in fair condition. 27% said they were in poor condition, with 19% saying they were in very poor condition. 18% said they were in good condition, and only 3% said they were in excellent condition.
37% of those responding said the SC Department of Transportation does not manage road maintenance and repairs very effectively. 33% said they manage them somewhat effectively. 23% said they manage it not at all effectively, with 4% saying they manage them very effectively.
Those surveyed were presented with a variety of different priorities that may come before the legislature in the next year. Of all of them, the highest percentage of those saying it is very or somewhat important to address a particular issue dealt with roads. 69% said it was very important for lawmakers to address repairing and maintaining roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure to improve safety and reduce traffic issues. Another 21% said it was somewhat important. 7% said it was slightly important, and only 1% said it was not at all important.
Not surprisingly, those surveyed in the Upstate were most critical of the roads, with only 12% rating them excellent or good, and 56% rating them poor or very poor. The Columbia and Piedmont region was the second most critical, with 41% rating the roads as poor or very poor. Charleston and the Low Country had the highest percentage of those saying the roads were good or excellent, at 29%.
The second most important issue to those surveyed was prioritizing renewable energy, nuclear power, and fair electricity rates, especially for large consumers like technology companies, with 73% saying it was either very or somewhat important for the legislature to address the issue.