Mobile Home Sales in Bethune, SC

The water tower stands over Bethune as what some would call an eyesore. But the town wants to change that.

BETHUNE, S.C. — As the second allocation of money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) comes out, Bethune is among the many towns eyeing new projects in their communities.

And one of those projects is visually hard to miss.

The federal government requires the funds to be spent on things like public health, lost revenue, infrastructure needs, and premium pay for essential staff.

The town of Bethune is receiving a total of $174,245 from the American Rescue Plan Act and has already received $87,122. The other half is coming this month.

"Our first round came last fall a portion of it was dedicated in our 2022-2023 budget for I.T. infrastructure and those funds will be used for purchasing of computers and secure servers," said Bethune Mayor Susan Holley.

"The remaining portion was budgeted in our budget for capital projects for the water tank refurbishment, the second deposit of the ARPA funding will come this fall and should come any day now," Mayor Holley added. "Those funds, collectively, will be allocated as a wager towards another grant we applied for, for the water tank refurbishment."

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Mayor Holley said it's all a part of the town's revitalization and infrastructure needs.

"It's very important because it's our only tank and our only water source," she said. "So, it's important we maintain the tank, cosmetically it needs a little attention so it can last for many, many years."

The mayor said that, earlier in the fall, the town applied for a larger grant that was dedicated to infrastructure.

"If it all works out, the tank will be 100% paid for by those grants," she said.

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And it's a project several residents say they support.

"I surely would like to see it, you know, continue and help beautify our town," said Lorenzo Murphy.

"I think it will be a good idea because it makes the town look kinda bad," Robert Joseph said. "So, go ahead and re-paint it and make it look presentable - the town of Bethune presentable."

Once the money is designated and the grants approved, then the town will have an idea of the timeframe for the project.

Those interested in weighing can do so at their monthly council meeting.

BETHUNE, S.C. — Some residents in the Town of Bethune are becoming frustrated as they are running into roadblocks regarding inspections and permits for homes and businesses.

Several viewers reached out to News19 about the issue so we spoke with one who is being impacted.

"We have a rental home over here that we have been trying to get power on since August 10th, and we can't get the permit for the meter base inspection, and we still don't have anyone contracted through the town to do inspections," Savannah McAlister said.

This led us to ask City and county officials about what was happening.

Bethune Mayor Susan Holley said it is a problem the town is facing.

"The current problem we have in the town of Bethune lies within the permitting and inspections right now, an issue was presented to authorize a permit for an electrical inspection in an accessory building ... when we consulted with the county, Kershaw County, we realized there was never an actual intergovernmental agreement that allowed county officials to issue permits in the Town of Bethune or to authorize permitting inspections."

Which led us to a county official, Danny Templar the Kershaw County Administrator who spoke about the Ordinance the County had with the Town of Bethune that was agreed on back in early 2021.

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"The agreement was just planning for as though, say a residential development came in up there and we would help them with that, in no area of the agreement did it say that we would do the building inspections within the unincorporated limits of Bethune, they did not adopt any form of the international building codes so we had no ability to enforce any of the codes," Templar said.

So, when will the problem be solved?

Mayor Holley says they are working on getting things resolved.

"We have withdrawn from the only intergovernmental agreement that's on record currently with Kershaw County, now what we have accomplished the first reading of our ordinance, that will implement all the building codes, we have taken the route of contracting with an independent firm this firm will help with planning and zoning matters, they will issue inspections and enforce code inspections."

Mayor Holley adds all problems should be resolved by Mid-October.

South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough still vividly remembers one particular matchup against longtime rival Bethune-Cookman.

It was nearly a half-century ago when Pough was a player for the Bulldogs competing opposite the hated Wildcats when the schools back then, just like now, were in separate conferences. B-CU represented the SIAC. South Carolina State carried the flag for the MEAC.

During a game in 1973, there was an infamous confrontation between Pough’s teammate and a Wildcat lineman named Willie “Foots” Lee.

As the story goes, “Foots” — as he was called because of his large feet — was accused by Pough’s teammate of concealing a weapon inside a padded arm guard after being plunked in the head.

“He calls timeout and says, ‘Mister Ref, check his armband. He has some iron in there,'” Pough recalled with a laugh during the MEAC virtual media availability. The official, said Pough, wasn’t buying it after investigating Foots’ equipment.

“He said, ‘Son, there ain’t nothing in his armband. You just have to take this butt cutting,'” Pough said.

“That’s the South Carolina State-Bethune-Cookman story.”

The teams will continue their longstanding meeting at 4 p.m. Saturday in Daytona Beach for the 59th time in what both sides hope is an early season turning point after Week 1 defeats at the hands of FBS opponents.

“It’s always been a great game. It’s always been a physical game,” said B-CU head coach Terry Sims. “I get in trouble all the time in the media for saying it’s a brawl, it’s a bloodbath.”

The Wildcats have dropped the last two in the series, including a 42-35 loss a year ago.

Despite a 70-13 loss at Miami last Saturday, there were some positives that the Wildcats hope to build on versus the defending HBCU national champions.

Bethune-Cookman quarterback Jalon Jones led the Wildcats with 243 yards passing and a touchdown against the Hurricanes. The offense as a whole tallied 342 yards.

The Bulldogs, who were humbled by UCF by a similar margin, want to recover from the “emotional bruise” it sustained and not fall into the same funk it did in 2021 when the team started 1-4 before going undefeated in MEAC play en route to a Celebration Bowl win.

“We got a little bit of a tough road,” Pough said about the Bulldogs’ first five games of the season. At the same time, our goal is to keep our team up and running and healthy into our conference schedule.”

For what it’s worth on the other side Bethune-Cookman is hoping to use the vigor of a familiar opponent to get in the win column.

“I think it is going to be a great football game, Sims said. It has always been and we’re looking forward to it this Saturday.”

DAYTONA BEACH — Terry Sims took responsibility for any of team's shortcomings and then made a promise after Saturday’s game.

“We did not play well at all as a team, but that’s on me,” Bethune-Cookman’s head coach said. “I have to shoulder that one. I have to get it corrected.

“And I will.”

Sims’ Wildcats (0-2) fell to South Carolina State 33-9 in their 2022 home opener at Daytona Stadium. They committed four turnovers on offense and struggled to contain big plays on defense.

After a lightning delay of two hours and 10 minutes postponed the start time, the Bulldogs struck first once the teams took the field. They jumped ahead 20-0 before Bethune-Cookman got on the scoreboard with a field goal late in the third quarter.

Wildcats running back Jimmie Robinson III cut their deficit to 20-9 with a five-yard touchdown run at the beginning of the fourth. But in the final four minutes, South Carolina State sealed its victory with an 88-yard touchdown catch-and-run and a pick-six.

“We didn’t execute well in all three phases,” Sims said. “We executed in spots, and you’re not going to win many football games like that. We have a lot we have to get cleaned up.”

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Throughout fall camp, Jalon Jones, Tyrone Franklin and Walter Simmons III battled for the starting quarterback job. Jones started against Miami last week and threw for 243 yards, though Franklin and Simmons both saw playing time.

Against South Carolina State, Jones again began the game and took the bulk of the snaps behind center, but the Wildcats used all three.

“Playing all three quarterbacks, I think, is something we have to do right now,” Sims said. “We want to give all the guys an opportunity, and we have three quarterbacks that run. So we cannot just have one guy in the game running the ball the way they do. We have to give them a break.”

All three struggled against the Bulldogs.

Jones tossed two first-quarter interceptions in enemy territory and was taken out.

Franklin entered on Bethune-Cookman’s first possession of the second quarter. He threw four passes — three incompletions and an interception — in two drives.

That led to Simmons. He rode out the rest of the first half, completing two of his three passes for nine yards and adding 23 yards on the ground. Simmons pushed Bethune-Cookman into field-goal range at the end of the second quarter, but the kick was blocked as time expired.

Then, Jones returned to the field after halftime and remained there until the final three minutes of the contest, when Franklin came back out and coughed up a pick-six.

Overall, Jones went 8-of-23 for 127 yards with two interceptions through the air. He led the Wildcats with 99 yards on the ground.

Franklin finished 2-of-8 for 22 yards and two picks.

“I’m not using it as an excuse, but a lot of practice time missed with weather,” Sims said. “We may have practiced one full day in the last two weeks. So it’s hard for those guys to really get their timing down and get the looks they're going to see.

"Again, I’m not using that as an excuse, because they have the talent to make plays. They have to make them. They made some bad reads out there today.”

South Carolina State dominates on the ground

The Bulldogs rushed for 237 total yards, averaging 5.3 yards a pop against Bethune-Cookman. Two of their three touchdowns came via running back Kendrell Flowers.

“Defensively, we have to do better with our linebacker play," Sims said. "Our linebackers have to play better. We had opportunities to make plays today, and we didn’t.”

Flowers provided the biggest blows. His 67-yard touchdown in the third quarter was the longest run by either team. He tallied 153 rush yards on 16 attempts.

Jacory Benson followed Flowers with 65 yards on 13 carries.

Kemari Averett and Corey Reed Jr. are held in check

For the second straight week, two of the Wildcats’ best offensive weapons were limited to one catch each.

Tight end Kemari Averett grabbed one reception for four yards against the Bulldogs. He led Bethune-Cookman with more than 800 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last year.

Wide receiver Corey Reed Jr., a highly touted transfer from Jackson State, reeled in one catch for six yards. During the shortened 2021 spring season, he had 325 receiving yards for Deion Sanders’ Tigers.

Neither player touched the ball in the first half.

“We have to execute as an offense,” Sims said. “When you know they’re going to double Kemari, when you know they’re going to load the box to stop our run game, we have to make sure we’re holding up steady in our pass game to open that up.”

Next up

Bethune-Cookman has a bye next weekend before returning to action Sept. 24. The Wildcats host Grambling State at 2 p.m. at Daytona Stadium.