Lexington County Administrative Offices will be closed on Monday, September 6, in observance of the Labor Day Holiday.

The Gwen Bailey Collection and Recycling Center closed permanently on Monday, August 30th. The new Southeast Center opened for business on Wednesday, September 1st.  The new Southeast Center is located at 538 Martin Neese Road, Swansea, approximately 2.5 miles from the Gwen Bailey site. (see map)

The new facility is larger, more efficient and provides a safer environment for Lexington County residents who depend on these centers for their recycling and waste disposal needs. Click here for a disposal and recycling guide for the new site.

For more information on the the new Southeast Center, contact Solid Waste Management Department by calling 755-3325.

The Edmund Wood Grinding and Compost Facility has shredded wood mulch available.  For more information and prices, please click here or contact the Lexington County Solid Waste Management Department at 803-755-3325.

Recent hot weather has brought with it troubles beyond soaring temperatures. Hot, dry weather often means air pollution is getting worse. Ozone, the main ingredient in smog, can affect a person’s respiratory system. To stay better informed about ozone and other air quality matters, Lexington County is recommending the general public sign up for the EnviroFlash system. For more information on EnviroFlash, please see the news release.

You can also follow EnviroFlash on Twitter and receive RSS feeds.

On July 27, 2010, County Council recognized the newest Green Business Certification Program members. Lexington County launched the Lexington County Green Business Certification Program on January 1, 2010.  The goal of the program is to encourage Lexington County organizations to be outstanding stewards of the environment, thus preserving South Carolina’s natural resources.  The program recognizes Lexington County organizations that are taking the extra steps in the areas of waste reduction/recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and air quality.  The program is open to all Lexington County businesses, non-profits, congregations, schools, workplaces, and other organizations.  For more information visit www.lex-co.com/greenbusiness.html

Photo, left to right: Chad Goings, Eco Strategic Solutions; Bart Carr, Earth Care Recycling, LLC.; Nancy Ogburn, Tomato Palms; Ben Kumangai, CMC Steel; Fred and Sandra Oxner, NGR Saver 2010 Attic Cover; Synithia Williams, Lexington County Public Works and Dave Eger, Lexington County Solid Waste Management.

The County of Lexington and LRADAC held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, June 21, 2010.  The new offices are located at 1070 South Lake Drive, Lexington in Red Bank Crossing. 

There were two Ribbon Cuttings.  The first was 55,000 renovated square feet, formerly the Winn Dixie Grocery Store and CVS Pharmacy, that is now occupied by two State agencies and one not for profit.  Those agencies are the Health Department, Family Service Center’s Dental Clinic and the Department of Social Services.  The second was LRADAC’S new 11,000 square-foot facility.  These facilities will provide quality services to the citizens of Lexington County. 

Click on images for a larger view.

At a recent meeting, Council presented a resolution to Saluda River Academy for the Arts for being nationally recognized by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts National Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Program.

Photo (left to right):  Councilman Bill Banning ; Tonya Fryer, Principal; Councilman Todd Cullum; Connie Boleman, Art Teacher; Linda Linke, Drama Teacher; Kayla Jennings, Dance Teacher and Gale McLeod, Music Teacher.

The Saluda River Club received the highly acclaimed “Best in American Living Award” for Community Design for 2009 and is the first community in the Midlands of South Carolina to receive this award.  Saluda River Club is located on the Saluda River off Corley Mill Road in the heart of historic Lexington, and offers the beauty and vitality of one of the state's most beloved natural resources.

Photo, left to right: Edmond Monteith, Walter Taylor, Bill Theus, Andy White, Johnny Jeffcoat and Smokey Davis

Recently, the Lexington Countywide Stormwater Consortium (LCSC) held its second “Make Your Own Rain Barrel” workshop. Twenty-three participants learned how stormwater that runs off rooftops makes its way across our landscape, picks up pollutants, and carries them to the streams, lakes and rivers in our community. Participants were educated on how to slow down, conserve, and reduce the amount of stormwater on their property with a rain barrel. At the end of the workshop, participants built their own rain barrel to take home.  The 2nd Rain Barrel Workshop was sponsored by the City of West Columbia, Pepsi Bottling Group, W.P. Law Inc., Sheri Armstrong and LCSC. For instructions on how to build your own rain barrel click here. To learn more about water quality and the LCSC visit www.clemson.edu/carolinaclear/lcsc.

In photo, County Council Chairman, Jim Kinard, works on making a rain barrel.

Clean wood waste for grinding is now being accepted at Lexington County’s Edmund C&D Landfill and Edmund Collection and Recycling Center. Wood chips produced will be used as boiler fuel.

Grinding the clean wood will extend the life of the Edmund C&D Landfill and save other natural resources from being used as boiler fuel. For more information visit the Solid Waste Management website.

Help Lexington County Emergency Services get vital information to you. Lexington County now has the ability to do mass notifications during an emergency event in the County. Most Lexington County business and residential telephone landlines have been registered in the system. Citizens are urged to register any additional contact information such as cell phone numbers, pager numbers and email addresses to ensure that they receive emergency notifications ---- regardless of where they are at the moment. Register your information here.

On August 25, 2009, Lexington County Council voted to adopt Ordinance 09-06 - An Ordinance to Amend the Lexington County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Building and Building Regulations; by Adding a New Article Therein for the Purpose of Establishing Regulations and Requirements Related to Smoking in the Unincorporated Areas of Lexington County effective January 1, 2010.  (Click here to view the full ordinance).  This only applies to the unincorporated areas of Lexington County.  Please contact your local town or city office for information on their smoking ban ordinances.

To report smoking ordinance violations, please call the Sheriff’s Office at 785-8230 (Option #6) to report the incident. All smoking violations will handled by the Sheriff’s Department.