Photo: The S.C. Envirothon tests students’ knowledge of five areas of environmental science and their performance on an oral presentation. RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD) is offering several conservation education programs for local students and educators during the 2026-27 school year. The programs provideContinue Reading
Chapin Mayor Bill Mitchell found himself all alone at the latest Chapin Town Council meeting when the rest of council didn’t return from a five minute recess during the heated unscheduled meeting on Thursday, September 10. The meeting was called to discuss the hiring of a new town attorney andContinue Reading
The Town of Chapin has been named in a lawsuit from the County of Lexington which could result in a $20 million judgement against the town and it’s mayor. A lawsuit was filed on Monday, August 24 in the county of Lexington. The lawsuit shows breach of contract for theContinue Reading
Lexington County files lawsuit August 24 against Chapin for breaching a contract to provide sewer service to Chapin Technology Park, a development property the county has owned and been working on for around 14 years. The county’s claim is that it has spent more than $16 million building out infrastructureContinue Reading
Last week, the South Carolina General Assembly passed the 2026–27 state budget conference report and sent it to the Governor. Getting to this point was not easy. The House and Senate had real disagreements over portions of the budget. But rather than allow those disagreements to hold up tax relief,Continue Reading
Chapin Mayor Bill Mitchell is not in favor of some of the changes being proposed by his town council. The council is creating ordinances to give themselves more governing options after giving the mayor avote of ‘no confidence’ last month. Three different ordinances have been proposed which would involvethe wholeContinue Reading
At the July 21st Chapin Town Council meeting four council members presented a resolution of ‘no confidence’ towards Mayor Bill Mitchell asking for him to seriously consider resigning. Council members Ainslee Bost, Warren Burritt, Mike Clonts and Vicki Shealy all agreed that the mayor’s behavior and his ability to leadContinue Reading
A new law in South Carolina prohibits the sale of nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide products to anyone under 18 years old. The legislation focuses on preventing anyone from misusing nitrous oxide as a recreational drug. The new law authorizes SLED to conduct inspections and enforce the law. South Carolina’sContinue Reading
Property owners have until Sept. 21 to appeal assessments ahead of 2026 tax calculations Richland County is notifying thousands of property owners about changes in the assessed value of their property ahead of the 2026 tax year. The Richland County Assessor’s Office will begin mailing notices June 23 toContinue Reading
Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Ending Child Soldiers in Africa Act. This bill creates a formal reporting structure within the U.S. government on those African nations that recruit, train, and promote child soldiers both in national armed forces, and in insurgent and rebel groups. TheContinue Reading
Congressman Joe Wilson, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027: “Last night, I was grateful to have joined my Republican and Democrat colleagues in passing the FY27 NationalContinue Reading
Opinion By Congressman Joe WilsonMay 22, 2026 America is once again engaged in a national debate over congressional redistricting. While redistricting has always been a constitutional responsibility carried out by the states, recent years have seen increasingly aggressive partisan efforts designed to reshape congressional maps for political advantage. These effortsContinue Reading
Photo: Congressman Wilson meeting with Columbia Metropolitan Airport officials in Washington By Joe Wilson – Member of Congress One of President Donald Trump’s national security objectives is to re-establish the United States as a global leader in nuclear energy. Last month, the Savannah River Site (SRS) announced three public-private partnershipsContinue Reading
By Bill Danielson, Mayor of Irmo Earlier this year, municipal leaders from across South Carolina gathered at the State House for Hometown Legislative Action Day to talk with lawmakers about the real challenges cities and towns face — and the practical policy changes that can help us serve residents moreContinue Reading
Born and raised in Lexington County, local pharmacist Steven Asbill has filed to run for South Carolina House District 85, which includes parts of Irmo, Lexington, and Chapin. Asbill said he is running because many residents feel everyday concerns like traffic congestion, school crowding, rising costs, and shrinking access toContinue Reading
South Carolina State Senator Russell Ott (D-Calhoun) announced plans to file legislation that would temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax for 30 days. “South Carolina families and businesses are struggling with gas prices that have increased nearly a dollar per gallon in just three weeks during the ongoing war inContinue Reading