November 2023

NEWS

Green Lights Shine to Honor Veterans

Many South Carolina counties participated in Operation Green Light for Veterans Nov. 6-12, including Bamberg, Dorchester, Horry, Newberry, and Richland counties.

During Operation Green Light, county buildings are lit with green to recognize veterans and their families and the issues they face. It's a way to let them know they are seen, appreciated, and supported.

Operation Green Light is a joint operation of the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, and the nation's counties, parishes, and boroughs, and takes place in conjunction with Veterans' Day in November.

View photos from counties across the state celebrating the event in our gallery.

Visit NaCo's website to view national highlights from 2023 Operation Green Light for Veterans.

Bamberg County Showcases Its Appreciation for Military Veterans

SC Adjutant General Van McCarty (center) stands with Bamberg County Council Vice Chairman Emert Comer (left) and Councilman Spencer Donaldson (right). Photo courtesy of Bamberg County.

In addition to participating in Operation Green Light for Veterans, Bamberg County also celebrated the grand opening of its Veterans Park. A collaborative Veterans Day celebration with the City of Bamberg featured keynote speaker Major General Van McCarty, Adjutant General of South Carolina. Earlier in the week, county council also adopted a resolution in honor of military veterans.

The Bamberg County Veterans Resolution recognizes the “courage, valor, and sacrifices of the 1,300 men and women from our community who have served in the United States Armed Forces and have defended our nation’s freedom with honor and distinction, both during times of war and times of peace.”

Read more about Bamberg County's Veterans Day celebration.

GRANT CENTRAL STATION

November's One-Stop Funding Spot

Historic Building Preservation Opportunity

The deadline for the SC Department of Archives & History’s Historic Preservation State Grant Fund application is Dec. 31. Grants ranging from $40,000 to $200,000 will be awarded to stabilization and weatherization projects of historic buildings. A minimum 20% cash match of the total project cost is required.

Learn more and see the application requirements. 

Grant Writing Training in Columbia - Nov. 27 and 28

Central Midlands Council of Governments and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant writing workshop in Columbia on November 27 and 28. 

Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as healthcare organizations, nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend. Find complete event details including registration and a discount code online.

CYBERSECURITY

Protect Your Identity with Good Cyber Hygiene

Did you know that you expose your online identity each time you log on to a website, make an online payment, send an email, use a social network, post online or send a text? What can you do to help protect yourself and your information?

Learn more tips best practices in your personal and professional cyber routines designed to help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft via this article contributed by the SC Department of Administration Division of Information Security.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT

Florence 911 Center Receives Award

Photo inside Florence County 911 Dispatch Center, courtesy of SC Now, reprinted with permission

The Florence County 911 Dispatch Center again has been recognized as the 911 Dispatch Center of the Year by the South Carolina chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).

The award is given each year by SC APCO/NENA to a dispatch center in the state that demonstrates outstanding professionalism, leadership and innovation in community communications. This is the third time the Florence County center has received the award.

Florence County 911 Central Dispatch prioritizes professional development. The center offers training at no cost to dispatchers and hosts weekly training sessions with their special teams units to better prepare dispatchers for specific situations involving active assailant situations and SWAT operations.

RISK MANAGEMENT & INSURANCE

OSHA Recordkeeping Class Next Month

Attention risk managers, learn how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines "employee" and other key record maintenance requirements in a Dec. 6 training.

OSHA 300—Recordkeeping and Injury & Illness Reporting Requirements will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SCAC offices in Columbia.

The session also will cover:

•  what incidents are “recordable” under the OSHA regulation;
• which forms to use and record maintenance requirements;
• OSHA’s annual electronic reporting requirements; and
• when you must report fatalities and hospitalizations to SC OSHA.

Class size is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Register. 

UPCOMING EVENT

NEWS

Share Feedback on Broadband Plan

The South Carolina Broadband Office (SCBBO) is accepting public comment about Volumes 1 and 2 of the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal through Nov. 30.

The public is encouraged to review and comment on this document by filling out the comment form. For ease of use and overall readability of this document, template questions and guidance from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration are italicized, and blue and bold text represents SCBBO draft responses.

The BEAD Initial Proposal is a requirement toward obtaining an additional $551.5 million for investment in broadband deployment projects throughout the state as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Learn more. 

RESOURCES

FOIA, Home Rule & Revenue Resources Supplements Now Available

SCAC recently released three new publication supplements designed to update county officials on law changes and recent Attorney General’s opinions around key topic areas.

They are:

• The Freedom of Information Act Handbook for County Government, which is an update to the 2018 handbook;
• The Home Rule Handbook for County Government, an update to the 2013 edition; and
• Revenue Resources for County Government, an update to the 2016 edition.

Printed copies of the supplements are in the mail this week and are available online. 

SCAC ON SOCIAL

We’re preparing for the 2024 legislative session. Today’s stop included Executive Director

@TimWinslow46

and Deputy Executive Director

@JoshuaRhodes82

visiting SC House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee Chair

@billsandifer

to discuss priorities for SC counties.

SCAC Executive Director Tim Winslow (left) and Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel Josh Rhodes (right) recently met with Speaker

@MurrellSmith

(center) to discuss SCAC's legislative priorities for the upcoming 2024 legislative session. Thank you, Speaker Smith, for taking the time to meet and discuss issues important to SC counties.

Our Policy Steering Committees are hard at work this week discussing and identifying issues that will shape SCAC’s 2024 legislative positions. Learn more about the SCAC policy development process at https://sccounties.org/policy-development

#LocalLeaders #StatewideStrength

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST FROM SCAC

Already a subscriber? Select which emails you want to receive from SCAC and cut down on clutter in your inbox.

Manage emails

Not subscribed but you'd like to be? Sign up for SCAC's mailing list.

Sign up for emails