MCCOLL — At Tuesday’s McColl town council meeting, many issues were discussed — and none were resolved. Looming large in the background of Councilwoman Brenda Barfield’s proposed downtown beautification project and hanging over discussions surrounding disturbances that occurred at the former medical center, McColl Mayor Robert Outlaw gave the OK to open as a warming center for residents in need throughout last month’s winter snowstorm, was the recent resignation of McColl Police Chief Charles English.
A new Chief in town
Mayor Outlaw assured residents a new chief will soon be hired to head the McColl Police department, and he would appreciate council input on the hiring decision. Making good on his promise, just before the close of Tuesday’s meeting the mayor scheduled another meeting for Thursday evening, offering council members a chance to meet the potential new candidate.
On Tuesday, February 24, Mayor Outlaw announced the hiring of Chief Jonathan Beggs and Captain Shaquelle Wren in a social media post.
“Our Town, Our Legacy”
Believing McColl can be a better, safer place again if residents return to a sense of community pride, Councilwoman Barfield suggests a beautification and renovation project like Bennettsville’s City on the Move program called “Our Town, Our Legacy.”
“Of course, the mayor and council will need to vote to approve this, but the time is now to take back our town. Studies show when citizens invest in their town, vandalism rates go down,” said Barfield. She continued, “The name of this project is ‘Our Town, Our Legacy,’ and it is entirely volunteer run and organized.”
The project seeks to beautify, and over time, eventually renovate McColl’s downtown. The councilwoman anticipates starting small with hanging baskets, patches of floral areas and planters lining city streets.
Barfield says this can be accomplished through donations and establishing a volunteer committee to oversee the operation’s various improvement projects and funding.
She says she envisions one day seeing city walkways lined with memory bricks inscribed with the names of lost loved ones or memory benches spread along McColl sidewalks.
“We are not going to change in one day, maybe not even in a year, but if we have a vision to help instead of having one of doubt, we can do this,” Barfield encourages, adding volunteers will be needed to maintain the beautification projects as they come to fruition.
She says she is hopeful area businesses are willing to donate items towards the town’s endeavor should the mayor and her fellow council members one day approve the initiative.
Council took no further action on the matter following Barfield’s presentation.
Controversy at the Warming Center
At several points throughout the meeting, many attendees questioned the alleged incidents that occurred at the old Medical Building located on Main Street during the height of Winter Storm Gianna, which dumped a historic snowfall on the region.
“We just want to know what happened. Can you tell us that? Can you tell us what happened,” local resident Tony Ellis asked the mayor.
According to reports made by several residents, homeless individuals appeared to have taken up residence inside the shelter during the 13 days it remained open.
Drug use was also reported, along with drug paraphernalia allegedly discovered in and around the outside of the former medical facility, they said.
Mayor Outlaw acknowledged mistakes were made and said residents will see a noticeable improvement in the town’s winter weather response in the future.
“We will learn from this. But would I do it again to keep people from freezing to death on our streets? You bet to God I would,” declared Outlaw.
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