Wedding & Event Venue near Aiken, SC

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Families in Aiken County who missed the online deadline for Christmas assistance through the Salvation Army have one more chance to sign up.

Online registration for Christmas assistance closed Sunday. People can now apply in person Oct. 12 through Oct. 15.

The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council has wrapped up its multi-year investigation into the November 2022 elevator assault of a handcuffed suspect.

Rina Powell, director of development for the Salvation Army, said the Angel Tree program helps meet a growing need across Aiken County.

“Last year we served 4,000 children and seniors and we really anticipate the same this year,” Powell said.

“Salvation Army is the organization that serves the most children during the holidays,” Powell said. “Without the community support, we couldn’t do what we do without them.”

Powell said the need keeps growing, and people who have not asked for help before are reaching out, including seniors.

“They’re on a fixed income and as the cost of gas and medications increasing, they are struggling,” Powell said. “We are hearing more and more from seniors who need that little bit of assistance to get them through. We are also seeing the seniors communicate with us to be part of Angel Tree because they are caring for their grandchildren.”

A new smoke shop opening near Glenn Hills Elementary School is exposing a gap in Augusta’s zoning laws that has been in place for 60 years.

is also looking for community partners to host an Angel Tree at their location.

“We also need businesses, individuals to adopt angels,” Powell said. “And that is easy as putting a Christmas tree in your business and the angels are provided with details of kids and seniors they can pick up the angel and purchase the gifts for that individual,” Powell said.

In-person registration dates to sign up kids and seniors are Oct. 12 through Oct. 15 at the Salvation Army’s office at 322 Gayle Avenue in Aiken. The office can be reached at 803-641-4141.

The Salvation Army is also looking for warehouse space to run the Angel Tree program in November and December.

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) — As another school year begins in Aiken County, a cloud of unanswered questions still hangs over the district’s handling of its now-former human resources chief.

Aiken County Public Schools has released more than 1,200 pages of records connected to Dr. Sal Minolfo, the district’s former Chief Officer of Human Resources and Administration.

12 On Your Side first uncovered that Minolfo was on paid administrative leave earlier this year. Since then, we have been pushing for public records and answers about why he was placed on leave, what the district knew, what taxpayers paid and why Minolfo was promoted to lead Human Resources despite prior documented concerns.

The district initially refused to release some public records. Those records were turned over only after WRDW/WAGT got station attorneys involved.

Now, ACPS says the investigation is complete, but Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy is still declining to sit down for an interview.

Superintendent declines interview

Earlier this year, ACPS declined to make Murphy available for an interview, citing the ongoing investigation into Minolfo.

After the district released additional records and said the remaining investigation had concluded, 12 On Your Side again requested an on-camera interview with Murphy.

This was the response:

“Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy will not be available for an interview regarding this matter.Aiken County Public Schools has released the records subject to disclosure under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. With the release of these records, the district considers this matter complete and does not have additional information to provide.”

However, releasing records is not the same thing as answering questions.

The records still do not answer why Minolfo was promoted to lead Human Resources, what district leaders knew before that promotion, whether the school board knew about prior documented concerns, or whether Minolfo’s retirement stopped the district from making final findings.

FULL INVESTIGATION:

Newly released records show the investigation into former Aiken County Public Schools human resources chief Dr. Sal Minolfo was broader than previously known

Dr. Sal Minolfo had been on paid administrative leave since March 9. He retired effective May 27.

12 On Your Side first uncovered Minolfo was placed on leave over allegations of inappropriate conduct toward — and inappropriate communications with — a district administrator.

Dr. Sal Minolfo, the chief officer of human resources and administration for Aiken County Public Schools, was placed on leave with pay March 9.

After months of being on paid administrative leave, Aiken County Public Schools’ chief officer of human resources has retired.

The Aiken County Board of Education has approved the appointment of Dr. Phyllis Gamble as the District’s new Chief Officer of Administration and Human Resources

12 On Your Side first uncovered that Minolfo was placed on leave over allegations of inappropriate conduct toward — and inappropriate communications with — a district administrator.

What the records show

The newly released records show the investigation into Minolfo was broader than the public first knew.

The records include notices of allegations, interview summaries, text messages, dismissal notices, invoices and law firm bills.

They show at least three separate matters involving multiple district employees.

The records describe allegations involving relationships, recusal, power and professional boundaries.

The records do not show final findings against Minolfo. Several notices say no determination had been made at the time they were issued.

Dismissal notices say complaints were dismissed because Minolfo was no longer employed by the district.

Minolfo retired in May after about two months on paid administrative leave.

Acknowledged relationship with employee he supervised

In one matter, the investigator’s summary says Minolfo acknowledged a sexual relationship with an employee he supervised more than a decade ago.

According to the investigator’s summary, Minolfo said the relationship began around 2011-2012, while he was Director of Special Programs.

The summary says Minolfo acknowledged he supervised the employee and described himself as the “ultimate decision maker” for that department.

The notice of allegations in that matter also included claims about caseloads, a job move and whether the relationship created a conflict of interest.

Minolfo disputed portions of the allegations, according to the records.

Recusal and power concerns

Another matter involved a complainant who acknowledged the physical and personal relationship with Minolfo was consensual.

But she said that was not the issue.

In a note included in the records, the complainant wrote that Minolfo should have recused himself from work matters involving her because they had an intimate relationship.

She described it as a “misuse of power” for Minolfo to continue to investigate, allocate, support or otherwise handle work matters connected to her while they had an on-and-off personal relationship.

The notice in that matter says no determination had been made.

The complaint form sought protection from retaliation, an alternate investigator, an alternate supervisor and removal of a letter from the complainant’s personnel file related to a redacted issue.

Text messages and professional boundaries

The records include extensive text messages.

Some are personal. Some are professional. Some are explicit.

12 On Your Side is not publishing the most graphic messages in full because they are not necessary to understand the public-interest issue.

The more significant texts involve professional treatment, recusal and whether personal relationships affected work matters.

In one Matter 3 text exchange, Minolfo wrote:

“What I can tell you is that my personal life doesn’t impact my professional life.”

He also wrote:

“I won’t mistreat you and I won’t especially dog you in my professional life or do things to hurt you…”

And:

“That’s not cool and we both suffer when things are brought to work. We both have suffered.”

Those messages go to a central question raised by the records: whether the district’s top HR official kept personal relationships separate from professional authority.

Taxpayer costs

The records also show what the investigation cost taxpayers.

ACPS paid Dr. Kelly Pew / LEAD Consulting $44,343.75 for outside investigation work.

The district says Pew’s work included 43 interviews and review of several hundred pages of documents.

ACPS also released outside law firm bills totaling $82,879.67 for March, April and May 2026.

The district said those law firm bills do not break out Minolfo-specific work from other FOIA and personnel matters handled by the firm during the same period.

ACPS also charged WRDW/WAGT $360 for the latest records release.

Combined, the released investigation, legal and records-release costs total $127,583.42. However, only $44,343.75 is directly identified in the records as outside investigation work. The district says the law firm bills are not broken out by Minolfo-specific work.

Questions remain

ACPS says it considers the matter complete.

But the records leave major unanswered questions.

Among them:

The district says it has released the records required under South Carolina FOIA and has no additional information to provide.

AIKEN — Plans for the Sudlow Estates and Oak Ridge Acres subdivisions and for the first phase of residential development at 21 Golf Club can move forward following actions taken by the Aiken County Planning Commission on Sept. 17.

The vote was unanimous for the approval of the preliminary plats for all three projects, but each applicant is required, as a contingency, to address all comments and questions from the staff of the Aiken County Planning and Development Department.

Seven members of the Planning Commission were present at the panel’s meeting at the Aiken County Government Center.

Chairman Jason Palmer didn’t vote on any of the matters considered because there was no need for him to break a tie.

There will be 108 lots on 94.47 acres in Sudlow Estates. The land is on Sudlow Lake Road in the Graniteville area.

Cranston LLC was the applicant and also is providing the engineering services.

Oak Ridge Acres will have 35 lots on approximately 55 acres north of Gregory Lake Road and south of Fox Creek Drive in the Belvedere/North Augusta area.

Lakes Development LLC was the applicant.

Cranston is providing the engineering services.

During its August meeting, the Planning Commission tabled Lakes Development’s request for the preliminary plat approval after Cranston’s James Dean asked on behalf of the applicant for the panel to do so.

That decision followed a public hearing during which seven people asked questions and also expressed concerns about an increase in traffic, how wetlands on the property would be managed and more.

Dean, during the Planning Commission’s Sept. 17 meeting, presented a revised design for the lots located near wetlands. He also provided more information about potential traffic issues and said that more would be forthcoming.

The preliminary plat for the first phase of residential development at 21 Golf Club shows 32 lots on 19.4 acres.

The applicant was 21 Land Company LLC.

Cranston Engineering is providing the design services.

The 21 Golf Club site is in the McElmurray Farm Road/Green Pond Road/Dragstrip Road area near Jackson.

The Aiken Standard reported last year that 21 Golf Club would have two 18-hole golf courses and a practice range, according to plans on file with the Planning and Development Department.

Also Sept. 18, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to ask the Planning and Development Department to schedule a public information meeting about the rezoning recommendations for the area that will be the future home of the North Fork Commerce Park.

The county’s chief development officer, Joel Duke, presented the suggestions from the Planning and Development Department’s staff to the Planning Commission in August.

The purpose of the recommendations is to control the growth that the industrial park is expected to bring to the area.

The county is teaming up with the Western SC Economic Development Partnership to create the industrial park.

The roughly 1,900-acre site is near Exit 33 on Interstate 20.

The primary zoning designation in that part of the county currently is Rural Development (RUD).

Based on the suggestions, the property in the industrial park would be rezoned to Industrial Development (IND).

The land surrounding and adjacent to the industrial park would be rezoned to Residential Rural Commercial (RRC).

Property along the I-20/Old 96 Indian Trail Road corridor interchange would be rezoned to Limited Development (LD).

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County Public School District is being recognized as one of South Carolina’s top places to work, landing on Forbes’ America’s Best Employers By State 2026 list.

The district ranks 22 out of 55 employers honored statewide, placing it in the top 40 percent of all organizations recognized in South Carolina. Among education employers on the list, Aiken County Public Schools comes in at number 3.

This is the fourth time the district has earned a spot on Forbes’ state-by-state list — 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2026 — and the second year in a row it has been included.

Augusta University kicked off its first week of classes Monday with its largest freshman class in years, driving demand for student housing.

Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy credits the more than 3,000 employees across the district for the recognition.

“Their commitment to our students, their colleagues and the communities we serve makes Aiken County Public Schools a special place to learn and work. This recognition belongs to the more than 3,000 employees who show up each day committed to providing excellence for every student,” said Murphy.

Forbes developed its 2026 list with market research firm Statista, using a survey of more than 245,000 U.S. employees working for companies and organizations with at least 500 workers.

Located next to the Master’s Table Community Kitchen, the collaborative project was led by local creatives alongside students to showcase how art can transcend the classroom.

Participants rated how likely they were to recommend their employer and scored workplaces on pay, culture, chances for professional growth and how organizations handle serious workplace issues.

District leaders say Aiken County’s statewide ranking reflects a strong and growing reputation as a competitive employer across South Carolina.

The full Forbes America’s Best Employers By State 2026 list is available on Forbes’ website.

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County school officials outlined a possible master facilities plan Tuesday that could shift students at multiple schools.

The Aiken County Public School District is considering building a middle school addition on the campus of the new Silver Bluff High School, according to district officials.

That new middle school space would serve students who currently attend Jackson Middle School and New Ellenton Middle School.

The plan also calls for renovating and repurposing New Ellenton Middle School as an elementary school.

That campus would then serve students who now attend Greendale Elementary School.

School officials say the facilities at Jackson Middle and Greendale Elementary are old, and because the middle schools are smaller, they can’t offer the same opportunities as a bigger school.

Jackson Middle School needs repairs that would cost the county more than $10 million, according to district officials.

The district wanted to hear from the community about the plan to consolidate New Ellenton Middle and Jackson Middle School, and the community seemed open to the changes.

School board members were given an early look at the proposal during their Aug. 25 meeting, and district leaders held a public meeting Tuesday at Jackson Middle School for residents to learn more and share feedback.

“So I really commend the district on coming back with this idea for Area 5 that, you know, understanding the 10 year cycle, we was in a little bit of a pickle with Jackson and Greendale about the condition and how we were going to address it and not just waste money to gain a few more years,” said Jim Broome, District 2 Aiken school board member.

Broome also said younger generations tend to be more open to changes like this one.

“Young people now don’t, they don’t follow the lines, like so to speak, that people from my generation do that, this is my territory and I won’t stay here no matter what. Young people want what’s best,” Broome said.

The plan would be funded through the one-cent sales tax voters approved in 2024, according to district officials.

District officials encouraged parents, staff, and community members in Area Five to attend the meeting and offer input on the future of their neighborhood schools.