News - Local/State

Friday, Oct. 03, 2008

News in Brief Oct. 3

Yard cart program starts in Rock Hill

For Rock Hill residents who have solid waste collection on Tuesdays, the city will start emptying filled yard carts that are rolled to the curb next week.

The city said it will use the first week as a grace period, during which city trucks will empty the yard carts and collect curbside yard debris. Effective Oct. 14, residents with solid waste collection on Tuesdays will no longer be able to leave loose yard waste at the curb for pickup.

For those who are serviced on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, the collection will continue as it has until the yard-cart program is phased in citywide. The Monday collection day will be phased in during January, while Wednesday and Thursday collection days will be phased in during April.

For all residents, city officials said large limbs may still be left at the curbside, but they should be no thicker than 6 inches in diameter and no longer than 12 feet in length. No concrete, rocks or building materials should be left at the curb. Residents may place leaves in the yard cart or at the curb between November and January.

For questions, call Barbara Robinson at 329-5594.

Voter deadline draws near

If you haven’t registered to vote in the Nov. 4 election, you only have only hours to do so. The deadline is 4 p.m. Saturday.

You can register in one of two ways:

n Go to the York County Registration and Elections Office, 13 S. Congress St., York. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

n Download a voter registration application from www.SCVotes.org, fill it out and mail it to the county elections office. All applications postmarked by Saturday will be accepted.

Not sure if you are registered? Go to www.SCVotes.org and click on the “Check your voter registration” link. Or call the county elections office at 684-1242 or 909-7194.

— From staff reports

Provident Community Bank associate wins award

Joyce Kee, a mortgage loan originator at Provident Community Bank in Rock Hill, was recently awarded the Keeper of the Culture Award.

Kee was selected for the award because of her dedication to the bank’s customers. The award is given to an associate who assists clients in a meaningful approach and provides service that consistently exceeds customer expectations.

Provident Community Bank was chartered in 1934 and has nine banking centers in the upstate of South Carolina.

— Mary Jo Balasco

Animals to be blessed Saturday

St. Francis Animal Rescue Center will host a Blessing of the Animals at 11 a.m. Saturday on the center’s front lawn, 1167 East Main St. in Rock Hill.

The Rev. John Guiliani of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Fort Mill will officiate. All pets are welcome.

Dogs must be on leashes, cats must be in carriers and horses should be led, not ridden. Exotic pets should be securely confined. For more information, call (803) 554-9930.

CATS adds another 82X trip

Effective Monday, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will add another morning run to the 82X commuter bus service between Rock Hill and Charlotte. It will be the fourth morning trip the system makes daily between the two cities.

The new trip will be the last morning run, departing from downtown Rock Hill at 7:15 am, with stops at Manchester Village, Baxter Village and Carowinds before heading into uptown Charlotte.

The 82X route began in 2001, providing public transit for commuters traveling to employment centers along the Interstate 77 corridor into uptown Charlotte. As an express bus service, the route makes fewer stops than a fixed route service to reduce travel time.

— Jennifer Becknell