Participants in the 9/11 Memorial Ruck arrive at Gibbs Stadium. Wofford College photo 

Marching in Memory: Wofford hosts inaugural 9/11 Memorial Ruck through downtown Spartanburg

Adapted from information provided by Wofford News Services

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — In the quiet hours before dawn on Thursday,  September 11, members of the Southern Guards Battalion, the Wofford College community, and local JROTC programs gathered in solemn tribute to the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. Their mission: a 9.11-kilometer ruck through downtown Spartanburg to honor courage, sacrifice, and service.

Beginning at Wofford’s Gibbs Stadium, nearly 100 participants—including ROTC cadets, student-athletes, faculty, and community members—stepped off into the dark. Each mile carried weight, both literal and symbolic, as participants completed the route wearing weighted backpacks in a traditional military-style ruck.

The event was organized by the senior class of the Southern Guards Battal-ion, which includes cadets from Wofford College, USC Upstate, Converse University, and Gardner-Webb University.

“I’m incredibly proud that this memorable event was initiated and led by our cadets,” said Lt. Col. Michael Cooper, professor of military science. “They brought together students, professors, athletes, and the community to reflect on how this day shaped both our military and our nation.”

The ruck concluded where it began—at Gibbs Stadium—with fire trucks and police vehicles ceremonially accompanying the group’s return. To complete the tribute, participants ascended and descended the stadium stairs before three cadets from the Southern Guards Battalion took their Oath of Enlistment on the field.

Cooper, who commissioned into the U.S. Army as a direct result of the 9/11 attacks, says the physical challenge of the ruck serves a deeper purpose.

“These activities offer more than just training,” he said. “Rucking and running stairs in tribute allow participants to connect with a legacy of bravery. It’s a living lesson in leadership, service, and sacrifice—an opportunity to honor those who ran toward danger while others ran away.”

For many cadets, the attacks are a piece of history they were too young to witness, but not too young to understand.

Ean Hall, a cadet battalion operations officer and student at Converse University, first learned about 9/11 in elementary school. Over time, the significance of the day grew clearer.

“9/11 didn’t weaken the United States—it gave it strength and unity,” said Hall. “Seeing the bravery of those who stepped up in a time of tragedy reminds me why I’m joining the U.S. Army.”

The 9/11 Memorial Ruck is expected to become an annual event at Wofford, continuing the tradition of remembrance, resilience, and reflection for generations to come. 

Morgan Square Madness moves to Fifth Third Park for fourth annual tip-off event

Spartanburg, S.C. — Basketball season in Spartanburg officially tips off Thursday, October 2, as the Fourth Annual Morgan Square Madness powered by Ingles returns with a fresh new look and a brand-new location: Fifth Third Park, home of the Hub City Spartanburgers.

South Carolina’s only outdoor interactive basketball tip-off event, Morgan Square Madness will once again celebrate the start of the USC Upstate men’s and women’s basketball seasons with high-energy entertainment, team introductions, fan contests, and surprise giveaways—all under the lights in downtown Spartanburg.

“This year promises to be our most unique event yet,” said Lenny Mathis, Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at USC Upstate. “Moving to Fifth Third Park gives us more space, more energy, and an incredible opportunity to bring the community together in a vibrant, family-friendly setting.”

The evening will include:

Introductions of the USC Upstate men’s and women’s basketball teams

Performances by the USC Upstate cheerleaders and dance team

Music by DJ Posey

Interactive contests and games

Giveaways, food, and family fun

Event Details

Date: Thursday, Oct. 2

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m. 

Program begins at 6 p.m.

Location: Fifth Third Park (Corner of Daniel Morgan Ave. & Henry St., downtown Spartanburg)

Admission: Free, but ticket reservations are required and can be made online. Seating is general admission, with all attendees entering through the Left Field Gate.

Special Information

Student Section: USC Upstate students will have dedicated seating in Sections 119 and 120. No ticket reservation is required for students—just bring a valid Upstate student ID to the South Carolina Army National Guard tent outside the Left Field Gate to pick up your ticket on event night.

Parking: Complimentary parking is available in the Ballpark Parking Deck adjacent to the stadium, with additional public lots throughout downtown. A campus shuttle service will also be available—details to be announced closer to the event.

Concessions: Fans can enjoy classic stadium fare, including hot dogs, burgers, fries, popcorn, Bojangles chicken sandwiches, and more.

Giveaways: The first 250 fans to visit the USC Upstate/Ingles tent inside the stadium will receive a free T-shirt to help paint the ‘Burg green.

Part of Family & Alumni Weekend

Morgan Square Madness serves as the official kickoff to USC Upstate’s Family & Alumni Weekend (Oct. 2–5), featuring campus tours, class reunions, family-friendly activities, and home athletic events—including Spartans volleyball and men’s soccer. 

Spartanburg Community College awarded $1.7 million federal grant to continue TRIO student support services program 

Spartanburg Community College (SCC) has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program. The funding, secured through the highly competitive TRIO grant competition held every five years, reaffirms SCC’s commitment to providing vital academic support and resources for its students.

“This grant underscores Spartanburg Community College’s unwavering commitment to student success, equipping our Chasers with the resources and support to overcome challenges and achieve their goals," said Dr. Michael Mikota, President of Spartanburg Community College.

The TRIO SSS program is a federally funded initiative designed to provide academic and personal support to students as they work toward achieving their educational goals. The program serves first-generation college students, Pell Grant–eligible students, and students with documented disabilities, offering them resources and guidance to stay enrolled, graduate, and pursue further education.

“It’s an honor and blessing to be able to continue serving our students with intentional resources to make sure they are successful in the classroom and when they graduate,” said Irran Duncan, Director of TRIO Programs at Spartanburg Community College.

The renewal of this grant ensures that SCC can continue offering specialized academic advising, tutoring, mentoring, financial literacy education, graduate school preparation, and career readiness support to hundreds of students across the region. With this latest award, SCC strengthens its commitment to expanding educational opportunity and supporting students who demonstrate resilience, determination, and the drive to succeed.

To learn more about SCC’s TRIO programs, visit myscc.info/trio.

Spartanburg Community College (SCC) serves more than 10,000 students each year across five campuses in Upstate South Carolina. As the state’s fastest growing public college, SCC offers more than 90 innovative academic, technical, and workforce programs, providing unrivaled access to transformational experiences that prepare students for in-demand careers. More information is available at sccsc.edu.

South Carolina’s housing agency wants to help build 130 new homes around the state, offering them to buyers for $200,000 or less. (File photo by Getty Images) 

SC agency wants contractors to build 130 affordable homes; Where will depend on applications

By: Jessica Holdman for SC Daily Gazette

www.scdailygazette.com

Columbia — South Carolina’s housing agency is quadrupling its original plans for the construction of new homes selling for far less than the state median price.

Then the agency wants to help families buy them.

The state Housing Finance and Development Authority had sought to boost the number of affordable homes on the market with a 30-house pilot program.

Thanks to $5 million allocated by the Legislature in the current budget, the agency now has enough for up to 130 homes, said Robert Macdonald, chief of staff at SC Housing.

“South Carolina is in a housing crisis, and this is our attempt to take a big swing at finding a solution,” said Todd Latiff, chairman of SC Housing’s governing board.

“We’re talking about people that have never had the opportunity to be homeowners having that chance,” he continued. “We’re talking about creating generational wealth for the South Carolinians that take advantage of this program. This is a big deal for our state.”

How it works

To do this, SC Housing is seeking builders willing to participate. The agency is asking construction firms to build either 1,000-square-foot homes with two bedrooms or 1,200-square-foot homes with three bedrooms. Both sizes must have two bathrooms.

The agency doesn’t put any requirements on the homes’ location. But it will give more weight to applications from builders spreading homes over more locations throughout a county or region, as opposed to a single neighborhood.

The homes must be priced at or below $175,000 for a two-bedroom and no more than $200,000 for a three-bedroom.

By comparison, the median listing price of a home in South Carolina is $350,000, according to data from the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank.

But the cost can be much higher depending on the region. The most expensive area to buy a home is the southern part of Beaufort, where the median price in July for homes sold was $650,000, according to the latest report from the state Association of Realtors.

In exchange for the reduced price, SC Housing will subsidize the construction with a $12,500 payment to the homebuilder for each home constructed.

The head of the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, Mark Nix, reiterated that he’s glad to see the state experimenting with ways to make homes more affordable. And the agency has taken some of the association’s feedback into account since its initial proposal.

But Nix still cautions that the program might not be financially feasible for most builders in the state.

Land is expensive, and extra fees tacked on by many cities and counties add up. A lot of municipalities also have enacted strict requirements on how small they’ll allow lots to be for new home construction, Nix said.

“There’s no way you’re going to be able to build for that in a high-growth area of a major metro,” he said.

It’s more likely that construction companies will have to find land on the outskirts to make it work. Or cities will need to make concessions for builders of these projects.

The agency began taking applications from interested homebuilders Aug. 22. They have through the end of September. The agency will announce the chosen builders in October.

Adding to the affordability of the homes, SC Housing will provide eligible homebuyers with $25,000 in forgivable down payment.

To be eligible, a family’s annual income can’t exceed $127,200.

The state also will require buyers to take out a 30-year mortgage from one of the state housing authority’s participating lenders.

Record lending

Even before this new homeownership effort, SC Housing’s mortgage programs have been growing. They provide loans to buyers with low to moderate incomes at interest rates below the national average.

“We’ve all heard the real estate market slowing down. There’s a couple houses in my neighborhood that usually would have sold in 24 hours that have been on the market for a couple months now,” Macdonald said. “But our volume continues to increase.”

Macdonald estimates they’ll end the calendar year with about $400 million in total mortgage loans, up about 10% over last year.

“Our mission is to open doors, literally and figuratively,” said Richard Hutto, SC Housing’s executive director. “We are proud to be a reliable resource for South Carolinians who might otherwise be locked out of the housing market due to cost barriers or limited access to credit.”

Affordable rentals

In addition to home ownership, SC Housing also works to increase the availability of affordable rental housing across the Palmetto State. That’s largely through a pair of state and federal income tax incentives to developers willing to build apartment complexes with lower rental rates.

Last month, the state’s five-member fiscal oversight board chaired by Gov. Henry McMaster approved six projects: two new apartment complexes and improvements to four existing complexes. All must offer affordable rents for another 30 years.

The new complexes include 180 units west of Greenville and 76 units in northeast Columbia, on the site of an existing complex operated by the city’s housing authority.

The agency vets projects based on their financial viability as well as multiple other factors, including proximity to amenities such as pharmacies, health care, grocery stores, and schools, according to Lee Ann Watson, the agency’s attorney.

SC Housing expects to seek approval for about 10 more projects by February 2026, Watson said.

The agency’s ability to finance and offer tax credits for these projects is federally regulated.

In 2024, SC Housing had the capacity for 14 projects across the state — 11 new complexes and three renovated complexes with a total of about 950 units.

This is of particular importance because about half of all renters in the state spend more than 30% of their income on rent each month, according to a 2023 housing study by the agency.