electrician in Lancaster, SC

Lancaster County’s 17 public school districts, its largest two private schools and Lancaster County Academy will hold graduation ceremonies celebrating the Class of 2022 through the end of May and early June.

Here are the dates, times and locations for the graduation ceremonies:

Hempfield High School

— Time: 6 p.m.

— Location: Georgelis Law Firm Stadium, 340 Mumma Drive, Landisville

Columbia High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: Columbia High School Auditorium, 901 Ironville Pike, Columbia

Elizabethtown Area High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: LCBC Manheim Campus, 2392 Mount Joy Road, Rapho Township

Pequea Valley High School

— Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Location: Pequea Valley High School Stadium, 4033 E. Newport Road, Leacock Township

Penn Manor High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: Biemesderfer Stadium at Millersville University, 45 Pucillo Drive, Millersville

Donegal High School

— Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Location: Donegal Athletic Complex Stadium (in auditorium in case of inclement weather), 1025 Koser Road, East Donegal Township

McCaskey High School

— Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Location: Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster

Manheim Township High School

— Time 6:45 p.m.

— Location: Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Manheim Township

Lancaster Catholic High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: Lancaster Catholic High School Berger Gym, 650 Juliette Ave., Lancaster

Manheim Central High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: LCBC Church Manheim Campus, 2392 Mount Joy Road, Rapho Township

Cocalico High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Manheim Township

Lampeter-Strasburg High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: Pioneer Field at JK Mechanical Stadium (inside performing arts center in case of inclement weather), 1600 Book Road, West Lampeter Township

Lancaster Mennonite

— Time: 10 a.m.

— Location: Lancaster Mennonite School Calvin & Janet High Fine Arts Center, 2176 Lincoln Highway East, East Lampeter Township

Lancaster County Academy

— Time: 10:30 a.m.

— Location: Cross Roads Church, 800 Donegal Springs Road, Mount Joy Borough

Conestoga Valley High School

— Time: 11 a.m.

— Location: Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Manheim Township

Warwick High School

— Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Location: Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Manheim Township

Garden Spot High School

— Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Location: Garden Spot High School Gymnasium, 669 E. Main St., New Holland

Octorara Junior/Senior High School

— Time: 6:30 p.m.

— Location: Front of the high school, 226 Highland Road, West Fallowfield Township (Chester County)

Ephrata Senior High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: War Memorial Field, 18 Old Mill Road, Ephrata Borough

Solanco High School

— Time: 7 p.m.

— Location: Solanco High School, 585 Solanco Road, Quarryville

Lancaster County Schools was placed under a fiscal watch by State Superintendent Molly Spearman. The district has 60 days to submit a recovery plan to the state.

LANCASTER, S.C. — The Lancaster County School District has been placed on a fiscal watch and given 60 days to outline corrections taken to fix financial issues that led to the state's monitoring of the situation.

In a letter dated Feb. 28, State Superintendent Molly Spearman notified Lancaster County Superintendent Jonathan Phipps that the fiscal watch declaration was pending on Feb. 9.

According to the South Carolina Department of Education, a fiscal watch may be declared for any of the following conditions:

A fiscal watch is the lowest level of fiscal and budgetary concerns, according to the education department. There are two other levels of concern: Fiscal caution, and fiscal emergency, which is the highest level.

Spearman's letter says the district has 60 days from the date of the declaration to send a recovery plan outlining corrections taken to fix the issues that led to the state's fiscal watch declaration. Once the plan is received, state officials will submit a letter to the district stating whether the proposal is approved or denied. If denied, Lancaster County school officials will have to send an updated recovery plan to the state.

Details of the fiscal watch declaration haven't been released. Lancaster County Schools have an executive session scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 10.

Under state rules, a district placed on fiscal watch has 10 days to appeal to the State Board of Education and the SBE must hold a hearing on the appeal within 30 days after the appeal is filed, or at the next regularly scheduled SBE meeting, whichever is later.

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The department sent a letter on Feb. 28 stating they were officially putting the district on notice for the fiscal watch.

The department sent a letter on Feb. 28 stating they were officially putting the district on notice for the fiscal watch.

LANCASTER, S.C. (WBTV) - Lancaster County Schools is appealing a declaration by the The South Carolina Department of Education to place the school district on fiscal watch.

The news came Wednesday, as the South Carolina Department of Education put Lancaster County Schools on fiscal watch based on audits, according to the agency.

The department sent a letter on Feb. 28 stating they were officially putting the district on notice for the fiscal watch. The letter says Superintendent Jonathan Phipps was told on Feb 9 that there was a fiscal declaration pending.

As a sign of strong support, the Lancaster County School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to support the appeal. The appeal will be heard by the State Board on April 12, in Columbia.

Under state law, a declaration of fiscal watch shall be declared if “the department identifies significant deficiencies, material weaknesses… which, in the opinion of the department… has, or could have, a significant effect on the financial condition of the district.”

A fiscal watch is the lowest declaration for the state department. There are two other “escalating levels of fiscal and budgetary concern” including fiscal caution, the intermediate level and fiscal emergency, the most severe.

Each level, according to the state department, has conditions where the state superintendent can declare a level of concern and require districts to develop and submit a financial recovery plan to the SCDE.

That is what is happening here. State Superintendent Molly Spearman’s letter says the district has 60 days from the declaration date, Feb. 28, to send a recovery plan. This plan should outline corrections to fix the issues that led to the state’s fiscal watch declaration in the first place.

State officials will submit a letter to the district stating whether the proposal is approved or denied after receiving and reviewing the plan. A denied plan means the district would have to go back and make updates to its plan.

Lancaster County Schools, the letter states, will not be released from fiscal watch “in the same fiscal year” the declaration was made.

In the statewide program conditions packet, there are several reasons why a district could be issued one of the levels. Those reasons are:

Sen. Michael Johnson sent a letter to Phipps saying he was “shocked” to learn about the fiscal watch declaration since the school district had not contacted him.

Johnson is asking for a written statement from the district with a timeline of events for when it became aware of the issues and what corrective action it has already taken. He wants this statement within the next 10 days.

“I am sure the district and Board of Trustees takes this issue seriously and is feverishly working to fix any and all issues,” Johnson says in the letter.

The Lancaster County School Board feels strongly that the material weakness noted in the district audit does not represent a significant effect on the financial condition of the District.

Board Chair Janice Dabney presided over Thursday’s vote by the Lancaster County School District Board of Trustees.

“While I disagree with the State Department’s declaration, I am pleased that my fellow board members and the district administration could come together to provide answers to the public. The District’s finances remain strong and are in excellent condition and I look forward to addressing the grounds of our appeal directly to the State Board members in Columbia. The Board will continue to show our dedication to the community by remaining transparent with our actions and I am proud to be part of this Board’s effort in that regard,” Dabney said.

According to the Board of Trustees, as evidenced by the latest audit, “the unassigned General Fund fund balance as of June 30, 2021, amounts to over 17% of General Fund expenditures, which is more than double the 8% that the State Department requires school districts to maintain.”

The press release goes on to state other factors for the appeal.

“The weakness in internal controls noted in our annual audit was due to an internal process of reconciling our Food Service capital assets, which represent only about one-half of one percent of the District’s total capital assets. The adjustments required as a result of our audit were less than one-tenth of one percent of total District capital assets. No theft, misappropriation or fraud found or alleged but the outstanding issues were attributed to the accounting adjustments required to record the assets in our financial software from our fixed asset software. The majority of school districts in our state report their Food Service fund in a different manner than Lancaster County School District does. Due to the District’s reporting method, our auditor was obligated to include this finding in our annual audit. Had the same weakness in internal control been discovered in the audit of a district identical to ours but using the alternate method of reporting Food Service operations, a finding would not have been reported at all. Lancaster County School District maintains that these adjustments have no significant effect on the financial condition of the District and want to ensure the taxpayers great care is taken to properly handle all fund in our stewardship. Additional measures in our capital asset reconciliation procedure have been put in place to ensure that all required adjustments to the financial systems will be made moving forward.”

The South Carolina State Board of Education is expected to hear the appeal on April 12 in Columbia.

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Families share details of what happened when they were told to leave the Carriage Inn in South Carolina.

LANCASTER, S.C. — Families who were living at a Lancaster hotel said they were given less than a day's notice to vacate the building.

Families living at the Carriage Inn on North Main Street south of Highway 9 were reportedly told on Wednesday they would have to vacate the property by Thursday at 5 p.m.

Regina Zaremba said she and her fiancé said they felt like if they had a 48-hour notice, then maybe they could have scrambled to put something together. But that wasn't given.

"You know, I was just ripped out of my home," Zaremba, who said she has lived at the Carriage Inn with her fiancé for two months, said. "I lived there. That was what I called home."

WCNC Charlotte was not able to verify the exact number of families impacted, but witnesses say it could be as many as 20.

"I don't have enough money to do this," Zaremba admitted. "None of us do."

A copy of the eviction paperwork obtained by WCNC Charlotte shows the company operating the Carriage Inn, Indus Hospitality Group, received notice to vacate on Feb. 23 for failing to pay more than $10,000 in rent and property taxes.

Another man, who didn't want to be identified, said he has three children with him under the age of 10, and he doesn't have the resources to find another place to stay.

"No vacancy, or if you do find something, I can only pay for one day," he shared.

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He agreed with Zaremba that if he had more notice, he could have tried to find a new home for him and his children.

"Somebody has to speak up for people that don't believe they have a voice in the system," Tindall Yarborough, a concerned citizen who believes agencies are not doing enough to help the families impacted, said.

According to the families, one representative from the Lancaster Area Coalition for the Homeless (LACH) did come out to speak to the families on Wednesday, but Yarborough said that was not enough information or help.

"Each agency just says 'Call this one; call that one'," Yarborough explained. "It makes me very, very angry."

The United Way of Lancaster County, which is a member of LACH, said it will work with displaced families. However, the agency said its funding for emergency housing is limited, and it can’t use money set aside for other areas without prior approval.

“We have decided to prioritize how we’re going to assist the family if they need assistance," Holly Furr, the executive director of the United Way of Lancaster County, said. "It’ll be disabled, elderly, families with children, and then single individuals – and that’s just how we have to prioritize it.”

When WCNC Charlotte tried to contact Indus Hospitality LLC, their associated phone numbers were disconnected.

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On Thursday afternoon, the last few residents of Carriage Inn in Lancaster were driving away with their belongings. They had been told barely a day earlier that they had less than 24 hours to vacate.

The news came as a shock to even Holly Furr, the executive director of United Way-Lancaster, who said she didn’t learn of the evictions until the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office was already at the hotel, where utilities had already been shut off and residents were already packing up.

Furr, whose agency is part of Lancaster Area Coalition for the Homeless (LACH) and is working with as many as eight families on relocation and assistance, said the hotel’s owner, Indus Hospitality LLC, was informed “at least a month and a half ago” that its relationship with the owner of the land would be terminated by March 1. That’s because Indus reportedly had failed to pay property taxes and back rent. It is not clear how much was owed.

Furr said the landowner had paid the taxes for the hotel owner, but that Indus never paid the landowner its due back rent; and that Indus did not until Tuesday inform residents that they would have to move out.

By Thursday morning, all traces of staff were gone from Carriage Inn; the phone number for Indus Hospitality has been disconnected.

Furr says that to her knowledge, no one has talked with Indus; she said that’s been an issue for residents who paid for a full week in advance – rates were roughly $300 per week – and who want some of their money back.

Furr said that Indus had received money in rental assistance from federal CARES funding, but it is unknown how much. In March of 2021, Indus received $28,000 in federal Payment Protection Plan money to help float 12 employees. According to FederalPay.org, “This loan has been disbursed by the lender and has not yet been fully repaid or forgiven. The exact status of ongoing loans is not released by the SBA.”

Furr said that United Way-Lancaster and LACH are “working to help as many people as possible. Some of the people we spoke with on Tuesday had other arrangements they could make.” She’s also spoken with neighboring communities in Lancaster and York counties, where space for displaced tenants is hard to find.

“Space is our biggest enemy,” she said. “We just don’t have it. A lot of the hotels in town here are full, and, unfortunately – and this is just the nature of the beast – if an individual is on a ban list from a hotel we can’t put them up there.”

Lancaster County has no permanent homeless shelter. Ironically, Carriage Inn was a candidate to serve as the county’s default homeless shelter, Furr said. But the building, no longer a site for business, may be torn down within two weeks, she added.

Furr also said that money set aside to find a shelter is specifically earmarked for that purpose and cannot be used for emergency eviction assistance for suddenly displaced tenants.

“One of the shelters in Rock Hill is full,” she said. “The other has a 90-day waiting list.”

It is not clear how many families or residents have been displaced, but ithe number could be as many as 20 families.