BRIEFS: Palmetto State measles cases at 47
SC Department of Public Health will have mobile units in Landrum, in northern Spartanburg County on Monday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Nov. 18; Brunswick County to oppose Fuquay-Varina’s interbasin transfer
Down Ballot Staff Reports
COLUMBIA, S.C. ― The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is reporting one new case of measles in the state since Tuesday. The total number of cases in South Carolina now related to the Upstate outbreak is 44, and the total number reported to DPH this year is 47.
Potential exposures for this case are still being investigated.
There are currently 18 people in quarantine. The successful early quarantining as a result of an identified exposure is a positive public health outcome that has prevented additional community spread during this outbreak.
Our response to the ongoing measles outbreak focuses on identifying cases and their contacts quickly to stop spread and to encourage the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine for those who are not immune to protect people from illness and complications from measles, including those who cannot be vaccinated because they are too young or have underlying health conditions.
We are reminding people that travel for the upcoming holidays increases the risk of exposures greatly for those traveling and for those accepting visitors. Consider getting vaccinated now to prevent measles from disrupting your holiday plans.
To increase access to MMR vaccines, DPH has activated a Mobile Health Unit to deploy to the following locations this week to offer MMR vaccine to unvaccinated individuals at no cost.
Locations:
Monday, Nov. 17: 1-4 p.m. Landrum Library, 111 East Asbury Drive · Landrum, S.C. 29356
Tuesday, Nov. 18: 1-4 p.m. Landrum Library, 111 East Asbury Drive · Landrum, S.C. 29356
Since being deployed beginning Oct. 16, the Mobile Health Unit has administered 31 doses of MMR (measles vaccine): 25 adults, 6 children.
To check if you are up to date with vaccines, people who receive immunizations from South Carolina providers can access their immunization record through the SIMON public portal. Doses administered prior to 2017 may not be recorded in the registry. If you have questions regarding your immunizations, please reach out to your primary health care provider or the provider that administered the vaccines.
Outbreak Data Points
Age breakdown of 44 cases:
- Under 5: 9
- 5-17: 25
- 18+: 5
- Minors under 18 (age undisclosed): 5
Vaccination status:
42 unvaccinated, 2 with one of the recommended two-dose MMR sequence.
Local governments in the Carolinas meeting next week
-- Durham City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
-- York County Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.
-- Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. One of the agenda items is a public hearing to consider abandoning part of Jeffries St., which is maintained by the city.
-- Haywood County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m.
— Brunswick County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. One of the agenda items requests the board adopt a resolution opposing Fuquay-Varina’s interbasin transfer.
According to a news release from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, Fuquay-Varina is seeking approval for an interbasin transfer in order to source water supply from another river basin, the Cape Fear River Basin, to meet projected future water demands.
Currently, the town relies on wholesale water purchased from neighboring water systems – the City of Raleigh, Harnett County and Johnston County. However, the town’s current water supply is projected to fall short of future demands, with a shortfall projected by 2030.
Lexington, N.C. gathering input for housing needs study
The City of Lexington and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, will host an in-person community meeting to gather input for its city-wide housing needs study. This meeting will be held on November 18, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Robbins Recreation Center at 512 Hargrave Street, Lexington, NC 27292.
Residents Invited to Public Meeting for the Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
*This is an initiative led by North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) and ESP Associates, Inc. Brunswick County is not responsible for the accuracy of this information. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Plan Update Project website or contact ESP directly.
PUBLIC NOTICE
North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) and ESP Associates, Inc. will hold a public meeting for the Southeastern North Carolina Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025 (see below).
The regional hazard mitigation plan identifies hazards that can impact the region and actions that can be taken to reduce the impact of future hazard events. Your input can help shape the actions identified in the plan and contribute to your community becoming more resilient.
Public Meeting Details
- When: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (come and go anytime)
- Where: Pender County Board of Commissioners Meeting Room, 805 S Walker St., Burgaw, NC 28425
- Virtual Option: Register and Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
- What to Expect: All residents from Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender Counties are welcome to attend a public meeting to learn about and provide input on the Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 update. This meeting provides a platform for open dialogue where you can share your experiences, help identify risks, and weigh in on strategies that protect our region.
NCEM and ESP representatives will be available during the meeting to answer questions and receive comments regarding the plan. More information can be found on the Plan Update Project website.
Comments or questions regarding the public meeting or the Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 update can be submitted online using the contact form on the Plan Update Project website.
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Spartanburg City Council approves greenway extension, redevelopment of Montgomery Ward property on E. Main St.
Spartanburg City Council voted 6-0 at a recent meeting to approve a bid to construct phase II of the Mary H Wright Greenway trail on the city’s Southside. The new extension will create two new spurs for the greenway, both extending from its current southern terminus at the intersection of Marion Ave. and Hudson L Barksdale Blvd.
An eastern spur will follow Alexander and Winsmith avenues, then following Cemetery St. to its intersection with Duncan St. A longer spur will extend southward along Hudson L Barksdale Blvd to its intersection with Caulder Ave. The new segments will connect deeper into the city’s Southside community, better connecting residents to such nearby trails as the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail, the Hub City Hopper downtown connector, and the trails at Duncan Park. The new extension adds to the current 55 miles of The Daniel Morgan Trail System, spearheaded by the nonprofit, PAL.
Bird Corporation of Inman was the low bidder of the project, at $468,300. State grant funding will cover $365,228 of the cost, with the City covering the remainder. Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Also at Monday’s meeting, City Council approved 6-0 final reading for a development agreement for the redevelopment of the building at 111 E Main St., once home to Montgomery Ward department store, and the adjacent space at 109 E Main St. The redevelopment project, announced several years ago, had been delayed due to high interest rates and issues with nearby utilities that needed to be resolved.
The $18 million mixed-use project is expected to include more than 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space and between 22 and 26 apartment units, revitalizing a historic building in Downtown Spartanburg that has been vacant for decades. Along with the former department store, the property at 109 E Main St., which currently only houses a building facade, would see a new five-story building constructed.
Plans show the former department store’s exterior maintaining its historic form, paired with a large courtyard space behind the new structure at the 109 E Main property, allowing natural light for the development’s apartment units. The project is expected to begin construction in the second quarter of 2026, in anticipation that interest rates will continue to fall. Terms of the development agreement include a fees-in-lieu of property tax component, with the first year beginning at $36,500 and escalating annually until reaching $193,400 in its 20th and final year.
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