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Council gave first reading to a budget amendment for a three-person in-house building department and to a wastewater pretreatment ordinance for new industry. It also started a ~36-acre Highway 101 industrial annexation and heard that site work for BMW had begun.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The Planning Commission approved I-2 heavy industrial zoning for 36.28 acres on Highway 101 at Arnold Branch Road, a rezoning at 162 Wofford Street to allow duplexes, and the final development plan for a Snowmill Road housing project, and forwarded all three to City Council.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The city's audit came back clean ($17.9 million in assets, $8.3 million in liabilities). Council approved annexing about 300 acres at 6400 and 6401 Highway 101 for a speculative industrial complex and adopted a mobile food vendor ordinance.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)In September 2022, Council gave final approval to annex about 60 acres on Highway 101 as a planned development with retail in front and housing behind. It gave first reading to a roughly 300-acre heavy-industrial park and to the city's first rules for mobile food vendors.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Council swore in Jeff Wood as Ward 6 councilman after an uncontested special election, then unanimously approved the sale and rezoning of the former Mills Mill ballfield for 32 senior rentals in exchange for a Chamberlain Street gym site, and lowered residential impact fees from $4,540 to $4,070.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)At its July 26, 2022 meeting, Council gave first reading to selling and rezoning the 3.03-acre former Mills Mill ballfield on Mill Street for 32 rental homes for residents 55+, and to revised development impact fees. It also approved a $171,000 police vehicle lease with Truist.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)In August 2022 the city floated a 40-acre sports complex at Fountain Inn Road and Godfrey Town Road, paid for by new impact fees. It was only a concept then, and it later grew into the Riverbend Athletic Complex.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)At its June 28, 2022 meeting, council unanimously passed a FY2022-23 budget of just over $4 million with three police cars, a new officer, a sewer worker and a 4% raise for staff, and no tax increase. It also moved to allow commercial-industrial planned developments.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)City Manager Lee Bailey previewed a 2022-23 budget of just over $3.7 million, with a new police officer, three police vehicles, a website overhaul and an 18% rise in healthcare costs. A special election was set for Aug. 9 after Ward 6 Councilman Scott Dickard resigned.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)In April 2022 the Post and Courier reported that Scoops On Main had opened at 222 S. Main St., in the former Gaither Ray's on Main, with 36 flavors served in warm dipped waffle cones.
Read at The Post and Courier (opens the original story in a new tab)Council annexed nearly 130 acres near Highway 221 and Varner Road for two subdivisions (about 162 and 110 lots), added 32 acres to the Snowmill Road development, zoned 125+ acres on Fountain Inn Road industrial, and bought a track loader with relief funds.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)At its March 29, 2022 meeting, council unanimously approved on first reading a capital improvement plan with development impact fees (proposed $4,668 per single-family home), plus industrial rezonings near Hwy 101 and a 52.57-acre Cavins Rd annexation for about 170 homes.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)At its March 29, 2022 meeting, Council unanimously gave first reading to a capital improvement plan with development impact fees, about $4,668 per new single-family home, for parks and police. It also advanced industrial rezonings on Highway 101 and a roughly 170-home Cavins Road annexation.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The Woodruff Times opens its "We Are Wolverines" series with the New Bethel students who moved to Woodruff High School in 1966 and became the first Black athletes to play for the Wolverines.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The Woodruff Times recalls the January 1987 fire that destroyed much of Woodruff High School, and the three men who ran into the burning building to save the school's uniforms, trophies and photographs.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)A Woodruff Times history piece looks back at the 1975 Wolverines, who came back to beat Bamberg-Ehrhardt 21-14 for the first of seven state football titles between 1975 and 1984.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The Woodruff Times recalls Oct. 14, 2011, when sophomore Ken Drummond stripped the ball at the Woodruff 1-yard line and ran 99 yards to beat Saluda 15-7, keeping an unbeaten season on track.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Council unanimously created a Planned Development zoning district that lets one project mix homes and commercial lots. It then annexed about 125 acres between Cross Anchor and Snowmill roads as the first such project, expected to hold about 400 homes and two commercial lots.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)In 2021 council gave final approval to about 25 acres on New Bethel Rd for homes, began annexing a 73.98-acre Green Pond Rd tract planned for about 170 houses, and accepted a $50,000 gift for parks and recreation from the Tory Dandy Foundation.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Ahead of the November 2, 2021 election, seven candidates were running for five at-large seats on the District Four school board, with at least three new trustees guaranteed. Council members in districts 2, 4 and 6 ran unopposed.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)In September 2021 the District Four board unanimously backed a grade reorganization built around a new high school: grades 9–12 to a new building, 6–8 into the old high school, 4–5 into the old middle school. About 95 acres near Cross Anchor and Allendale roads were being bought.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The Woodruff Times closes its Wolverine history series by honoring the recreation directors, booster leaders, statisticians, doctors, announcers and coaches who worked out of the spotlight.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Part 12 of the Woodruff Times history series honors the recreation directors, booster leaders, statisticians, announcers and others who supported Woodruff High athletics off the field.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Council unanimously approved a $3.9 million 2021-22 budget, up 18%. It buys two police vehicles, funds a $30,000 Main Street traffic study and gives employees a 4% raise. The city manager said grocers have so far passed on the former Bi-Lo and the market may be one to two years from supporting one.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)The Woodruff Times profiles shot-putter Dacus Wall and coach David Pratt, whose Woodruff track teams won back-to-back Class 2A state championships in 1980 and 1981.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Part 10 of The Woodruff Times Wolverine history series traces the girls' soccer program from its early days to a region-championship streak that began in 2004.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)In May 2021 council approved a 10-year municipal agreement giving Duke Energy right-of-way access in exchange for a 5% franchise fee, began annexing eight West Georgia St parcels for a planned housing development, and paused a Mills Mill playground over asbestos costs.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Part 9 of the Woodruff Times history series traces Woodruff High softball from a winless start in 1996 to district titles and an upper-state championship series in 2017.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Part 8 of the Woodruff Times series on Wolverine history looks back at the textile-league teams of Abney, Mills Mill and Riverdale, and the players who carried the game into Woodruff High.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)Part 7 of the Woodruff Times history series profiles Derek Royster, who went from a cut basketball player to three state wrestling titles and a 153-23 career at Woodruff High.
Read at The Woodruff Times (opens the original story in a new tab)GoWoodruff links to local newsrooms but doesn't republish their work. If you value these stories, support the outlets that report them. How we source content →
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