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WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Residents who live in West Columbia can expect a change in their water bills soon. Crews have started installing new water meters which are designed to track water usage instantly.

People who live in West Columbia could expect to see door hangers on their front door notifying them of new water meters being put in place.

The black disk on top of West Columbia water meters is making a big difference around the town. Some residents in the area are concerned about what impact the new meters may bring.

“If this is cost saving project, then I might go along with it. But at the same time, if my water bill goes up higher than it is, I’m not gonna be real pleased. I have no insurance that that’s not gonna happen but we’ll hold our breath on that one,” said West Columbia resident Mike Dubard.

According to city hall officials, the new meters are installed to get more accurate readings for the customers. The goal is to get the readings electronically that come back every 15 minutes.

The meters have a transmitter that is placed on the top of the meter and it transmits the information back to city hall to servers where it is later analyzed by the software. The information would then notify the customer of the amount of water used in their home.

This has been in the planning stages for 10 years and Anna Huffman, the town’s director of public relations spoke on the importance of the project to help improve the water needs in West Columbia.

“This project is important because we want to make sure that the city’s infrastructure and water needs are being met and constantly improved and this is one step in that in order to do that,” said Huffman.

Ferguson Waterworks is working with the city of West Columbia on this project. Huffman says the company began installing the new meters in July of this year and the project is expected to be completed by next spring. Residents who have any questions or issues relating to the upgrade can call (844)-529-5913.

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Known for the slogan "Where the hugs and the handshakes are free," Ricky's Tire and Auto Center in West Columbia recently announced on social media that the family-owned business is having a yard sale on Saturday and permanently closing its doors. Ricky Branham said he has owned the tire and auto center for seven years, and the shop employs six people, including himself.

The yard sale will take place Saturday, Aug. 5, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and will feature various items, including clothes, toys, tools, and Christmas decorations.

Branham says he kept fighting despite the ebbs and flows he has experienced over the years. However, the impact was becoming a bit too much, and he prayed about it and decided to close the shop permanently.

"We just can't, can't survive. When COVID hit and all that, I probably should have closed in 23, excuse me, in 21, but we kept clawing and scraping, trying to keep the doors open, keep the guys working. And it's just gotten to the point where we just can't do it anymore," he said. "I'm sorry to say that this was the final decision. We thought about it, and we prayed on it. And we were actually closed for two weeks to the public. And then then I decided that it is time to just go ahead and close."

Standing strong in his faith, Branham hopes the yard sale will generate enough revenue to help support him for a few weeks so he can better determine what is the next best step for him and his family.

Being transparent, Branham said, not knowing what is on the horizon has him a bit worried.

"That is the part that's got Ricky worried. I have no idea at this point. Again, I've had several people stop by with well wishes and praying for me, and I've had a couple of people offer me some positions that they want to sit down and talk to me about. And so I told them that as soon as I can get this place closed, that will do that. But I really, honestly, at this point, I do not know what I'm going to do. And that's why I'm trying to sell this stuff to get a little bit of money so I can live for a couple of weeks until I figure that out," he said.

Branham is also a pastor and said he is encouraged, knowing that although this door is closing, he knows that when God closes the door, He will open another one.

WEST COLUMBIA — Fans of the live music and overall vibe of New Brookland Tavern will soon have another space to hang out and enjoy more than the West Columbia rock dive bar’s typical mosh pits and stage diving.

The bar’s owners are setting up shop at a new venue called The Attic Lounge, the upstairs space at 134 ½ State St., a few doors down from New Brookland, days ahead of the sister venue’s first concert on May 12.

New Brookland co-owner, booker and sound engineer Carlin Thompson said the idea is to provide green room space for performers away from the crowd, but also to give people a multipurpose hangout spot for small concerts, comedy shows or even weekend yoga classes. Thompson said there are many spaces not too far from New Brookland that offer those things, “so we kind of jumped the gun and just went straight into it because we didn’t want to lose the opportunity.”

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The Attic Lounge is not fully operational yet. It’s currently little more than a large room with columns, and the spots for a corner stage, bar and kitchen are taped off. Thompson said they’re slowly introducing the place as things come together. He said people will have an opportunity to see the space on May 5, during West Columbia’s annual Art on State festival, just one week before local band The Ben Walkers headline a concert at the lounge.

“I don’t know that the stage will be built by (May 12), and I’m hoping we’ll have our alcohol license by then. If not, we’re probably going to still do the show as kind of like a DIY-style thing,” Thompson said, “Mostly to introduce the idea to people that, ‘Hey, this is something we’re about to start doing.’”

They plan to still serve alcohol, although the liquor license has not yet been approved, and they plan to emphasize non-alcoholic menu options like coffee, tea and mocktails.

The menu will likely feature tapas-style food, and tentative hours will be from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. once the place is up and running, Thompson said.

WEST COLUMBIA — Plans for a makeover of the Lexington County city’s main thoroughfare have caught the attention of business owners who have long craved a more cohesive retail district with more places to park.

West Columbia is crafting plans to invest more than a third of its pandemic recovery funding in road improvements on Meeting Street, one of the main corridors connecting the heart of West Columbia to the Vista in Columbia, where it becomes Gervais Street and travels past the S.C. Statehouse.

West Columbia, a city of 18,000 just west of downtown Columbia, hopes to turn the section of Meeting Street between 9th Street and State Street into a walkable retail district, through traffic slowing, pedestrian safety and beatification projects, Mayor Tem Miles told The Post and Courier.

“My hope has always been that Meeting Street would be a destination for people for shopping and restaurants and other businesses like mine,” said Chaye Alexander, owner of Meeting Street Jazz Venue Chayz Lounge. “It’s coming … and Chayz Lounge is going to be dead smack in the center of all of it.”

West Columbia’s decision to fund the project with pandemic recovery dollars comes just two months after voters nixed Lexington County’s proposed penny tax, putting an end to the city’s initial plans to pay for the improvements from its share of those funds.

Although Meeting Street, which is also U.S. Highway 1, is one of three major corridors connecting the county to downtown Columbia, West Columbia officials and business owners have both said they are unconcerned with the traffic that might come with a more established retail district, like those seen by drivers through West Columbia’s neighbor, the town of Lexington.

When Meeting Street’s facelift was planned as part of the penny tax, improvements to the road were high on the list of 120 projects attached to the referendum, which sought a 1 percent bump in the county’s sales tax to fund road repair and infrastructure improvement projects.

Although voters rejected the penny tax in November by a margin of 9 percentage points, West Columbia chose to move forward with its project, funding it instead with dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act, federal money that was approved in 2021 to help relieve state and local governments affected by the pandemic.

West Columbia will spend $3.5 million of its total $9 million in ARPA dollars on the Meeting Street project.

Concrete plans for the project are still being finalized, but the city has a vision of a leveled-up retail district. Efforts to slow traffic, like narrowing the road and reducing speed limits, will make the the area safer for cars and pedestrians and landscaping projects will make it a pleasant place to eat and shop.

Alexander said she would welcome more businesses on the street because it would become a destination for people in West Columbia and across the bridge in Columbia.

“I need company,” Alexander said. “I need to see more restaurants. I feel like an only child.”

While local business owners are excited for a bolstered downtown district, one issue is at the front of their minds: parking.

“There is no further growth without adding public parking,” said WECO Bottle and Biergarten owner Phill Blair. “Everything is maxed out. We only exist by the grace of our neighbors allowing us to park in their parking lots.”

Blair said West Columbia’s bar and food scene has room for huge growth, but the parking crisis needs to be resolved before that can happen.

“There’s so many concepts that we don’t have over here that I think people would really like,” Blair said. “But there is no way to do it because you don’t have the infrastructure.”

The town of Lexington took similar steps to build up its Main Street two decades ago, by adding in crosswalks and parallel parking spaces to slow traffic and make the area a more retail-friendly street, town spokeswoman Laurin Barnes said.

Just as Meeting Street in West Columbia is one of the major connectors from Lexington County to downtown Columbia, Lexington’s Main Street is a continuation of Augusta Road, the same street that Meeting Street flows into, and connects the thruway to West Main Street, a major road with much of Lexington’s commerce.

Tem Miles soundly won re-election as mayor of West Columbia on Tuesday.

Miles, who beat challenger Melissa Sprouse Brown, was joined by incumbent candidates for an evening election party at Savage Craft Brewery.

Miles told the crowd every one of the council incumbents at the party won their election.

Joseph Dickey Jr. claimed the seat for District 7 over opponent Ronnie Lindler.

Jimmy Brooks has represented District 6 for the past eight years and will continue to serve after beating Madison Duncan in a clear win.

David Moye won in District 8, securing his second term.

“I’m just so thankful that I was reelected,” Miles said. “And the folks that I worked with, the City Council members, were re-elected, and we’re going to get a chance to continue to serve together and move the city forward.”

Dickey said he and his fellow council members plan to continue the work they started when he was elected four years ago.

Then, “we had a celebration party in an empty room,” he said. “… Now, four years later, that building is where D’s Wings is and we have Savage Craft Brewery, which is anchoring the River District,” Dickey said. “I think in four years, that shows progress.”

Miles said during his second term he wants to “take the energy and activity” started in the River District and push it to the entire city.

Dickey said he wants to narrow the roadways throughout the River District and add grassy medians and green spaces.

Brooks spent time at the merged precincts 21 and 29 at Saluda River Baptist Church, where he said he has always voted.

“Usually after 6 (p.m.), it’s not a whole lot of people, but you’ll see a pretty good rush,” Brooks said.

Poll workers said they ran into a few issues with voting machines not turning on or getting jammed.

But voters say the process was quick and easy.

“(It’s) very easy, fast, convenient,” said voter Fred Morrison, who echoed Charles Humphries’ “Easy as pie.”

Poll workers said turnout was average.

Incumbent Trevor Bedell ran unopposed for the District 2 seat.

A special election was held for the District 7 seat, won handily by Sarah Mattern.

Voters who are physically unable to enter the building can vote from their cars. They cast their ballot on a voting machine that has been rolled out to their car. (Photo by Claire Carter/Carolina News and Reporter)