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The Anderson County Emergency Team has signed a contract with SCDOT to expedite debris clean-up from Hurricane Helene.

"We have negotiated a contract with AshBritt and SCDOT," Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said. "FEMA will cover 75% of this contract. The remaining 25% will be the county's responsibility. We are confident it will be fully covered."

AshBritt is a national disaster recovery company specializing in debris management and emergency response services. SCDOT, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, maintains and cleans state roads and infrastructure. Together, they aim to streamline the cleanup process and ensure that impact areas are cleared efficiently and safely.

Starting Monday, October 14, residents of the following Anderson counties will have their debris cleaned up from the sides of their streets with large claw trucks.

Here is the list of cities that will have their streets cleaned this week.

According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, debris crews will first focus on interstate and primary routes. As they progress, they will focus on secondary and state-maintained neighborhood roads. Fifty large debris pickup trucks will stop throughout the county. They will collect trees and branches pushed to the side of the road. Teams will divide the county into sections and make frequent pickups at homes.

Debris removal guidelines

Debris removal from private property or private roads

Residents should know that the county cannot pick up debris on private property or roads. If you don't know what type of road you live on, you can tell by the letter in front of the number on the upper right side of the street sign. C stands for county roads, S stands for state roads, and P stands for private. Other letters, such as AN, PN, PZ, WP, WM, BN, HP, ST, or IV, indicate municipal roads.

Residents can report issues with a state-maintained roadway by calling 855-467-2368.

Debris resources for the elderly

Resources are available for elderly homeowners needing extra time and assistance bringing debris to the roadside. Elderly residents can use the "ACSC Gov" App to request "Storm Debris Pickup," ensuring they receive the necessary support. This service aims to alleviate seniors' burden by providing timely assistance during cleanup.

Anderson County convenience centers

The impact of Helene closed all Anderson County convenience centers due to the storm, but they are now open to the public. Residents can bring storm debris to these centers if they prefer to handle it themselves. This reopening provides an additional option for those who want to expedite their cleanup process.

"Crews will chip and reuse all debris wood," Burns said. "This will reduce the volume of waste thrown into the landfill and provide an eco-friendly and reusable resource for the community."

The County has two debris dump sites: Starr C&D Landfill at 390 Roy Arnold Road, Starr, and Slabtown Convenience Center at 728 Pickens Drive, Pendleton. These sites allow people to avoid landfills and visit sites closer to home.

City of Anderson

According to Beth Batson, the City of Anderson's Public Information Director, Tropical Storm Helene affected almost every neighborhood.

As of Friday, October 11, 256 city streets have been reopened, power has been restored in most areas, and the city's water supply remains unaffected. If you have questions or need assistance, contact the Water Division at 864-231-5230 or the Sewer Division at 864-231-2250.

Crews continue to clear debris, averaging up to 200 tons per day. At this time, all city traffic signals have been restored. There is one active street closure on Lee Street. Crews are working to complete the necessary repairs and reopen the street as soon as possible. Residents are advised to use alternate routes until further notice.

Sanitation crews have resumed regular household pickup, including small storm debris piles. Storm Debris Taskforce Crews will consistently pick up large storm debris piles throughout the coming weeks. To report fallen trees or debris in roadways, call 864-231-2246.

Batson stated that crews are prioritizing cleanup and recovery efforts after the storm. Debris removal teams are working 12-hour shifts to clear streets and address residents' urgent needs. Debris crews will continue to focus exclusively on collecting vegetative debris, such as limbs and woody debris. The city has scheduled outside contractors to consistently pick up large storm debris piles throughout the coming weeks.

Here are the City of Anderson's guidelines for tree limbs placed at the curb.

Editor's Note: In South Carolina, early voting for the Nov. 5 election begins Oct. 21. The Anderson Independent asked candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek before ballots are cast.

David "Moochie" Merritt, 64, and JC Neel, 45, are running for the Area 3 seat in Anderson School District 1. Here's what the candidates have to say.

What town/city do you live in?

Merritt: Piedmont, SC

Neel: Piedmont, SC

What is your professional background?

Merritt: Capital Equipment sales manager

Neel: I graduated from Palmetto High School in 1997, upon graduation I received a scholarship to play football for Wofford College. I majored in Business Economics and Government and received my BA in 2002. I decided to play a year of arena football with the Carolina Rhinos and then attend Sherman College, where I received my DC degree in 2006. I started my current chiropractic practice in August of 2007, and I have been blessed to be there since. I have been a member of the Belton Lions Club for over 15 years and one of the original members of the Belton Alliance, formed in 2013. It is a small nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the city.

Why are you running for school board? What will be your top priorities, if elected?

Merritt: I am running for the school board because I am a graduate of an Anderson District One School. My children are products of Anderson District One and my grandchildren attend District One schools. I see serving on the board as a way of giving back to the community that has been very good to me. My top priorities are to provide a safe learning environment that upholds the morals and values of our community and continues to provide a high quality education for our students.

Neel: One of my top priorities will be to make sure the district is held accountable for its actions and decisions. I want to be the voice of the parents, students, and teachers in the district. I want to be seen in our schools so everyone knows they can come to me at any time. No one should feel like they do not have a say in what happens, this includes curriculum; these children are our future. Another priority will be to break the budget down line-by-line to determine our needs and wants. We should fully fund our needs and as many wants as we can fiscally responsibly afford. Our residents have had to make hard financial decisions, and we should be willing to do so also. I will also make teachers’ pay a priority; we need to retain our great teachers. We cannot do that with competing districts offering higher salaries. Finally, one of my biggest priorities will be school security, at a minimum all schools need a resource officer at all times. No school should have to share a resource officer at any time for any reason,including vacation and sick leave.

What, if anything, do you think needs to be done to address growth in your district?

Merritt: We will continue to partner with Anderson County to promote responsible growth in our area. We are proud to have funded a new elementary school without asking our taxpayers for a bond referendum. We will continue to build schools, as needed, to minimize overcrowding in our classrooms.

Neel: Growth is difficult for a District to address directly, but there are a few things we can do to help ease this issue. First off, we need to make sure that all personnel in the district are being placed in the right positions to ease class sizes. This may mean someone has to step into a new position in order to improve our students’ educational experiences. We also need to look at how we are utilizing every space in school, some spaces may need to be reutilized to help ease class sizes. This should be done with direct input from our teachers, they know better than anyone how to innovate and make things run more efficiently. This input needs to occur either directly or anonymously (choice), so there is no fear of giving an honest opinion. Our teachers started because of their love for teaching, and this is why we need to always make sure we are fueling that passion, not just burning it. Together, we can figure out how to improve school conditions for our children to improve everyone’s future.

Students' safety at school is always top of mind for families. What do you think the school board could do to make your district's schools safer?

Merritt: Anderson District One was one of the first districts in South Carolina to place a resource officer in every school despite being one of the lowest-funded districts in the state. Our district is continuing to evaluate funding options for safety upgrades in our schools. As a school board member, we have asked our superintendent to investigate these potential upgrades over the next few weeks.

Neel: The school board needs to make sure that the budget always includes the proper funding needed to make sure that every school has a resource officer and a backup if needed. No school in our district should have to share a resource officer at any time for any reason, this includes vacation and sick leave. I feel that a law enforcement presence will always be one of our best deterrents. These men and women are special, and we should always treat them that way. Someone who chooses to be a resource officer demonstrates a level of love and compassion, for our children and teachers, not many are blessed with. Finally, we should always be open to anyone wanting to present an idea for protecting our students.

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Editor's Note: In South Carolina, early voting for the Nov. 5 election begins Oct. 21. The Anderson Independent asked candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek before ballots are cast.

Kristy Harrell Huskey, 72, Ernest E Mackins, 53, Andy Patrick, 50, and Bill Thompson, 38, are running for school board at large in Anderson County School District 5. Here's what the candidates had to say.

What town/city do you live in?

Thompson: Anderson

Mackins: Anderson, South Carolina

Huskey: Belton

Patrick: Anderson, SC

What is your professional background?

Thompson: Nuclear power

Mackins: I have been an educator (teacher/administrator) for the last 21 years. Before that, I worked in business in Anderson, South Carolina, for 15 years, serving as a retail store manager and assistant bank manager.

Huskey: Special education consultant

Patrick: Owner - Attaway Printing B.A. - Erskine College

Why are you running for school board? What will be your top priorities if elected?

Thompson: As a Christian, I believe fixing public schools is not too big a task for God. I believe we need more oversight and accountability in Anderson School District 5. I am committed to no new taxes in order to combat poverty, promote fiscal responsibility and remove wasteful spending. My top priorities are to provide oversight of schools and administration via in-person observations, involve the public in board meetings and the decision-making process and improve conditions for teachers by creating an environment conducive to raising concerns without fear of retaliation/retribution.

Mackins: I am running for the school board because I want to support the people. I want to work for the students and the teachers. The students are more than just test scores; they are human beings and people who are the future leaders in America and the world. As such, we must encourage them to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners, and teachers should do just that. I will support our teachers to help ensure that they get everything they need in and outside of the classroom to educate our students. I support the administrators, the staff, and our community.

Huskey: If elected, I will be the ONLY teacher on the school board. As an experienced principal and special education teacher, I read that more than half of the students in A5 are not reading or proficient in math. I wanted to help. I believe that we can implement programs to provide small, individualized instruction with successful research-based programs. We must maintain qualified teachers in a encouraging environment. School safety is top priority. Mental Health services need to be onsite for teachers/ students. Our emphasis should be on students reading and math success.

Patrick: I have served one term on the ASD5 Board of Trustees, and I want to continue our district's strong academic, athletic, and extracurricular successes. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and I hope to continue strengthening our district.

What, if anything, do you think needs to be done to address growth in your district?

Thompson: Population growth in our county has yet to translate to growth inside of our schools. In fact, in the past five years, student enrollment in Anderson County School District 5 has actually decreased by nearly 500 students. Families are fleeing public schools for homeschooling, private schooling, charter schools and hybrid formats. Public trust in Anderson County School District 5 is at an all-time low. I am committed to the well-being of our current citizens and will not unduly burden them with higher taxes to prepare for student population growth which may or may not come to fruition.

Mackins: We must include all students in our communities and ensure they feel accepted at schools. Secondly, we need to do our best to make sure that we have space to accommodate the growth in the community by having schools ready when the students come. This means purchasing land and building schools with the community's growth in mind. We also need highly trained teachers and support staff to accommodate the students. Then, we need administrators with a vision of what our schools should be doing and a clear direction for the future. These administrators need to support all the teachers and faculty.

Huskey: We must make sure our schools are the safest and that our priority is student success. Since school choice is a law, I believe that starting a Montessori stream or other charter schools will give parents, students and teachers options. I think we should develop a career shadowing program so students have work experience before deciding on a vocation. I believe smaller community schools are more effective than larger ones. We need another high school, much like the old McDuffie High.

Patrick: Like most Upstate SC communities, we are seeing steady population growth. As a public school system, we are committed to providing the opportunity for ALL students to be great. We are having ongoing discussions about potential land acquisition, and modifying some of our current school facilities. I feel the collaboration of city and county officials, community members, and the school district in discussions on accommodating local growth and meeting all students needs is vital.

Students' safety at school is always top of mind for families. What do you think the school board could do to make your district's schools safer?

Thompson: School security must continue to increase as threats to student safety are ever-increasing. In-person observations will help me determine how to improve school safety as well as collaborating with law enforcement and security experts. Clear bags, weapon detection systems, more resource officers are all on the table as well as ensuring current security protocols are properly implemented. Although we live in a dangerous world, we can continue to identify and implement multiple layers of safety to reduce risk and keep our children as safe as possible.

Mackins: The leaders of the schools, as well as the school board, need to get to know the community. People really need to know that they can trust you, which will begin to make schools safer. Should one arise, the school board needs to ensure that each school has an SRO and that the schools need to know how to respond to crises. Schools should be safe places for our students, and yet, in the society in which we live, it may be necessary to have metal detectors in our schools to keep out all weapons and other contraband. Our schools need to be safe for everyone who works at them or teachers in them.

Huskey: I believe that the incident at TL Hanna was a great example of safety. I do believe that not opening the front doors in the mornings could be a target for a shooter, so I think students should have to go through the doors as soon as they arrive and not loiter outside. I think we need to have all the supplies in the school so no book bags are needed. Another idea is to have alerts on name tags that when they are pushed, the office knows who pushed it and where they are located. Phones can be allowed only with permission.

Patrick: Anderson School District 5 has made significant strides in addressing school safety over recent years. We have Student Resource Officers in all of our schools and multiple in our high schools. The addition of the Evolv weapons detection systems in our high schools has already proven to be very effective. Just last month, this technology prevented a student with a gun from entering TL Hanna High School. Also, mobile Evolv systems are being used at sporting and other events. Anderson School District 5 takes student and staff safety very seriously.

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. —

People in Anderson County are stepping up in a major way. Hundreds of boxes packed with donations are being sent out of Anderson Regional Airport. Helicopters and planes are taking the supplies to western North Carolina.

The effort started with one local pilot, Scott Dunn, who was hired on Saturday to evacuate people stranded in western North Carolina. Dunn says viewing the destruction moved him deeply, so he went back again and again.

"Once we picked those people up and got them out, I told them I wasn't going to charge them anything. When I got home, I decided we would get them out and not charge any money," Dunn said.

After the evacuations were over, he returned the next time with a few pilot friends.

"I was telling my friends who are in aviation, 'Guys, this is bad.' One guy was like, 'Hey, I'm coming to help,' and then the next guy is coming to help," Dunn said.

"There's all kinds of bridges busted down; full tress pulled down on top of the roads busted out the concrete. We're helping them get some supplies, and if some people need help getting out, we take them out," said Ian Robinson, a volunteer pilot.

"This flight we're taking now is simply food just up to Jackson County," said Dave Wertz, a volunteer pilot.

The efforts strengthened as organizers joined forces with Helli-plane Aviation, Anderson County, Anderson Regional Airport Association, Anderson Aviation Association, and community members. The donations continue to come in from those wanting to help.

"People are coming out who haven't had power in over a week and they are coming out here and donating and trying to help others in need," said Brett Sanders, Anderson County councilman for District 4.

"It really showcases our airport, the importance of the airport, and how it can be a benefit in all situations," said Anderson Regional Airport manager Brett Garrison.

Since Monday, volunteers have worked hard to pack up all donations.

"We just want to give back we want to spread God's love and show God's love to everybody," said Dana Turner, a local volunteer.

Organizers say this effort here will continue until the funding runs out or supplies run out.

As of now, $6o,000 have been donated to the operation and all the funds will be used for supplies and fuel for the aircraft, according to Anderson County leaders.

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