Wedding & Event Venue Near St. Matthews, SC.

The playground will be located at the corner of Butler Street and Richland Avenue. The land was formerly used for tennis courts that became dilapidated.

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ST MATTHEWS, S.C. — Construction of a new playground is underway in the Town of St. Matthews. The project is being spearheaded by the Calhoun County Parks and Recreation Department.

“I think it’s gonna be a great addition for us," said local parent Joseph Fairey.

There will be slides, monkey bars, and swing sets for children to enjoy, and picnic tables for families. According to the Calhoun County Department of Parks and Recreation, this project has been a few years in the making.

The playground will be located at the corner of Butler Street and Richland Avenue. The land was formerly used for tennis courts that became dilapidated over the years.

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“You have a lot of people in this area, in St. Matthews that are looking for things to do with their kids. On a nice day like this, this would be a perfect day to bring your kids out, use the playground, get rid of all of that energy that these kids have after a long day of school," said parks and recreation director Zachary Tarrant.

Joseph Fairey is a local parent in St. Matthews. His daughters are active in Calhoun County sports programs.

"I remember growing up this was a tennis court and I had a lot of good memories out there," he said, "Over the years it had just kind of become not used and not functional for the community.”

He moved back to St. Matthews last year after living in Columbia for a while.

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“This is a great family, friendly community but not having a playground is obviously something we needed. Just excited for my kids. I’ve got a one, a four, and a seven year old so obviously we’ll be using it a lot and lots of families that are out here will take advantage of it and it’ll bring the community together," said Fairey.

The park is being funded by a grant from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, in addition to money from the Calhoun County penny sales tax. It's expected to open at the end of May.

BAMBERG, S.C. —

UPDATE - Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024:

The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with 125 mph winds is responsible for the major damage left behind in Bamberg, South Carolina, after Tuesday's storms.

The NWS also confirmed an EF-1 tornado hit Catawba County, North Carolina.

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What South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers are calling a tornado brought down buildings and powerlines and caused other significant damage Tuesday in Bamberg.

Watch video above taken Tuesday night.

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The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning before 3 p.m. for Orangeburg, Bamberg and St. Matthews until 3:15 p.m.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Tornado Warning including Orangeburg SC, Bamberg SC and Saint Matthews SC until 3:15 PM EST pic.twitter.com/dMWwffBUSN

— NWS Columbia (@NWSColumbia) January 9, 2024

Lance Cpl. Brittney Glover posted photos of the damage on social media after the storm blew through Bamberg. That's about 60 miles north of Beaufort and 45 miles east of Aiken.

One showed tons of debris under a water tower.

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Another showed a warehouse near what appeared to be the same water tower severely damaged.

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A photo Glover said was taken on the city's Main Street showed bricks and rubble in the road from damaged buildings.

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Another photo showed a tree snapped and downed trees and power lines around it.

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"If you’re out on the roadways today, please stay safe," Glover said. "A tornado just landed in Bamberg County."

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The National Weather Service will dispatch a team to the area to evaluate the damage and issue a report on the likely tornado.

To stay update on all breaking news and more, download the WYFF News 4 app. Apple | Google Play

The new department building will have all eight bays attached to bunk rooms, offices, training rooms, and storage.

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ST MATTHEWS, S.C. — The town of St. Matthews will have a new fire department before the end of the year.

State Representative Russell L. Ott secured $750,000 in funding for the towns new fire station which will be located at the old National Guard armory in town.

Greg Sandlin is the fire chief and says the new facility provides ample space for training exercises.

“Mainly the newer stuff that we’re going to be able to have over there is because the facility sits on two and a half acres,” said Chief Sandlin. “We’ll be able to implement our own training props where we don’t have to go to other counties to do it we’’ have it right there on site and we’ll be able to train a lot better.”

Assistant chief John Sandifer says he was shocked at the layout of the current department complex.

“When I joined here I was like man this is like the only department I’ve ever seen that is so separated,” said Sandifer. “Usually you have buildings and then the bays and then I was like wow this is different.”

The new department building will have all eight bays attached to bunk rooms, offices, training rooms, and storage.

One of the big issues the fire department is facing at the current facility is the uneven state of the driveway. Potholes and dirt prevent the trucks from leaving the department at top speed. Chief Sandlin says if they pull out to quick there could be damages to the trucks.

“Once we get into that truck, if you see that driveway right there, and this parking lot,” said Chief Sandlin. “You can’t get out of here very quick you gotta take your time otherwise you tear up the trucks.”

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Fire captain Ross Binsley says having a leveled lot for the fire trucks will keep them in good condition.

“Obviously the station is going to be great,” said Binsley. “Having our own dorm rooms and having a place to congregate together but having pads out front that are leveled and grated properly that we can pull these trucks out on and shine them up and keep them looking good so that way we can represent the town while we’re out and about and people don’t think that we’re not taking care of our equipment.”

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Deborah Bonaparte lives in town and says this new department building will be a big help to the town.

“I think it’s a great added attraction to our county,” said Bonaparte. “It’s very small its time for a change and I’m sure that services will be much much greater than it was before.”

The fire department expects their new building to be completed before the end of the summer. When they do move out, their old building will be repurposed for the town’s maintenance department.

The historic building has been standing on the corner of Mill Street and F.R. Huff Drive for over ninety years.

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ST MATTHEWS, S.C. — A historic building in St. Matthews is no more as crews brought it down today as a measure of safety.

Angela Wannamaker lives in the Calhoun County, Town of St. Matthews. Her name matches the one on the building that used to house a seed company although she has no relation to it.

“Oh my goodness it’s a sad sad moment,” said Wannamaker. “It’s just sometimes things have to happen… so it had to come down sooner or later for our great community.”

The historic building has been standing on the corner of Mill Street and F.R. Huff Drive for over ninety years.

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Luther Wannamaker is the owner of the Wannamaker Seed building, which used to house cotton and seed crops. Wannamaker says the decision to demolish the structure was for safety reasons.

“Well the building was structurally unsound and it was a danger falling in the railroad track and creating a major problem,” said Wannamaker. “I’ve been taking care of the building for about forty years with not using it for anything except miscellaneous storage of family things and so as it deteriorated, we realized we had to take it down. Because it served no purpose for us expect for a wonderful sign for the family and the family business.”

Wannamaker says the building is important to many and he is delighted with the attention it has gotten since the announcement of plans to tear it down.

“I’m really excited about the attention, and I feel sad at the same time… I’m relieved of the burden. But it is really sad. I’m fascinated with history myself. ”

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Marilyn Jones is a resident and says she will miss seeing the building while driving around town.

“Really it was like a landmark, if I come up that street,” said Jones. “I’m looking for that building because it’s always there. So now it’s tearing down, they’re tearing it down so it’s not a landmark anymore and that’s one less building in Calhoun County that we won’t see.”

The Wannamaker Seed Company was sold to an Orangeburg base company, Mixon Seed Service Inc. last summer. The land the building sat on was owned by the railroad and the Wannamaker’s owned the now demolished building.

ST. MATTHEWS, S.C. (WIS) - Officials with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reports three people in Calhoun County were sent to healthcare providers after being exposed to an animal that tested positive for rabies.

Officials said a fox found near Lakeview Street and Amaryllis Drive in St. Matthews tested positive for rabies, officials add the fox was submitted to DHEC’s laboratory for testing on July 2 and confirmed to have rabies on July 3.

“Rabies is usually transmitted through a bite or scratch that allows saliva from an infected animal to be introduced into the body of a person or another animal,” said Rabies Program Team Leader Terri McCollister. “However, infected saliva or neural tissue contact with open wounds or areas such as the eyes, nose, or mouth could also potentially transmit rabies. To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals their space.”

If you see an animal in need, avoid touching it and contact someone trained in handling animals such as your local animal control officer, wildlife control operator, or a wildlife rehabilitator according to officials.

You are encouraged to report all animal bites, scratches, and exposures to potentially rabid animals to DHEC said officials.

For more general information on rabies in the Midlands, visit DHEC and for more information on the disease, visit the CDC rabies pages.

Administrators said if you believe that you, someone you know, or your pets have come in contact with the fox or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DHEC’s Public Health Orangeburg Office at (803) 533-5480 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) or after hours and on holidays at (888) 847-0902 (Select Option 2).

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