NEWBERRY COUNTY — Following Governor Henry McMaster’s announcement Sunday that all schools will be closed, other public events, gatherings, meetings and services have either been postponed, canceled or closed due to COVID-19 (coronavirus).
McMaster declared that all schools in the state of South Carolina — from pre-k to 12th grade, colleges, universities and technical colleges — will be closed from March 16 until March 31. McMaster urged all public gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, be limited to 100 people or less. McMaster said this does not include state or local government meetings or businesses or employers.
He also said elections will be postponed and rescheduled until after May 1. However, candidate filing will continue as scheduled.
“All decisions we have made are meant to do one thing, save lives of the people of South Carolina. School closings are inconvenient, we know that. Parents, if you’ve not done so already, now is the time to explain to your children, in an age appropriate way, how serious the coronavirus situation is. It is time for parents to impress upon their children the importance of social distancing and personal hygiene,” McMaster said. “We are going to get through this, and get through this as we’ve gotten through other things, by remaining calm.”
Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said they were granted a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that allows their summer feeding options to be used during the school closure. They’ve also received a waiver for the meals to be the “grab-and-go type.”
She said they will either have families come and pick up the meals or they will be delivered via school buses. This will include two nutritious meals to students who may not have access.
Spearman is also seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to suspend federally required student assessments, traditionally administered during the spring.
We will have more information on the Newberry County School District’s plan on Saturday, once all the information has been made available.
Following this announcement, other organizations in Newberry County announced they would temporarily close. The Newberry County Public Library System (including Newberry and Whitmire) will be closed until March 31 and all checked out items will be granted a two week extension. The Newberry Museum announced they will be closed until further notice.
“The Newberry Museum has made the difficult decision to close our doors to the public for the time being, at least until schools are reopened. We are closely monitoring the situation, and will provide information about reopening as soon as we have it. While we have an important duty to offer free programming and education to our county and beyond, we have an even more important duty to keep ourselves and each other safe given the circumstances. This is a period of uncertainty for all of us, and we greatly appreciate your support during this time,” said Executive Director Sheridan Murray.
The fourth annual Tom Perry’s Better Together Community Basketball Day, to be held at Newberry College on March 28, has been postponed. A new date has not been determined at this time.
The Newberry County Council meeting scheduled for today (March 18) has been canceled and public hearings have been suspended until further notice.
According to a press release from Newberry County administration, the meeting was canceled due to recommendations from public health officials that the size of public gatherings be limited as a precautionary measure, to control the spread of COVID-19.
While Newberry County Council intends to hold its next scheduled meeting on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m., all public hearings and third reading or ordinances requiring public hearings are postponed indefinitely. This postponement includes, but not limited to, the public hearings and third readings pertaining to the rezoning and budget amendment ordinances originally scheduled for consideration today (March 18).
All Newberry County recreation programs are suspended until April 1. According to a press release from the Newberry County Recreation, a decision on whether to resume program activities may be reevaluated as the date nears, depending on advice from public health organizations regarding COVID-19.
Activities involved included, but not limited to, the Wee-Ball, Tee-Ball, Coach’s Pitch and Dixie Youth baseball programs, as well as girls softball and soccer clinics at Newberry College. This prohibition extends to all uses of facilities, including informal games, practices etc. For more information call Gerdi Lake at 803-924-8328.
The Newberry Opera House Performing Arts Center and the Foundation announced that in an abundance of caution and with the complete support from artists and the Board of Directors, the NOH has decided to postpone performances and tours beginning Sunday, March 15 through the end of the month.
The following performances are postponed:
• Georgia on My Mind 3/15/20.
• How to Survive Middle School 3/18/20.
• The Embers 3/19/20.
• The Led Zeppelin Experience: Hammer of the Gods 3/20/20.
• The Malpass Brothers 3/21/20.
• Capitol Steps 3/22/20.
• Ballet Folclórico de Silvia Lozano 3/25/20.
• The Isaacs with Terry Bradshaw 3/28/20.
All other performances after March 31 will be evaluated in the next several weeks, but are officially still scheduled to continue at this time.
The NOH is currently working to confirm dates for postponed performances and will announce dates as soon as possible. All guests with tickets for postponed shows will be contacted — check your email. Updates will also be posted on the NOH website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. If you have concerns, email BoxOffice@NewberryOperaHouse.com. Box office hours moving forward will be Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Saturday and Sunday, and will remain so until further notice.
“The Opera House is a light in our community and having to postpone shows, which delight all ages and offers an escape from the world, was done out of an abundance of caution for our guests, performers, volunteers, and staff. We already miss seeing guests in the lobby, the smiling faces of the volunteers and the jokes of the performers, but we do know together as a community this will pass and we will welcome everyone home again shortly,” said NOH Executive Director Molly Fortune.
In a press release, Newberry Electric Cooperative announced that their lobby will be closed until March 31. However, they will continue to serve customers through their drive-thru window during this time.
“Did you know you can pay your bill, report an outage, request a service order, start, stop, or transfer service on our website www.nec.coop? Download the free Newberry Connect App to conveniently monitor your account and pay your bill. Alternate payment options are also available by phone: 803-276-1121, Option 2. Our member services team is always available to help, give them a call at 803-276-1121 or email customerservice@nec.coop Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m,” the press release stated.
Newberry Electric Cooperative has also postponed the annual meeting, scheduled for April 8 at Mid-Carolina High School. The Shred Event scheduled for March 25 has been canceled.