CALHOUN FALLS, S.C. —New details are emerging out of Calhoun Falls in an email exchange between town and state leaders. This comes as the town is already dealing with a lawsuit, a state-ordered audit, and a sled investigation.SLED is investigating a state audit that flagged Calhoun Falls as having a high risk for fraud under Mayor Terrico Holland's tenure. The town is also facing a $400,000 lawsuit from its water supplier, Abbeville City. Then there's a $690,000 lease purchase agreement that Councilmember...
CALHOUN FALLS, S.C. —
New details are emerging out of Calhoun Falls in an email exchange between town and state leaders. This comes as the town is already dealing with a lawsuit, a state-ordered audit, and a sled investigation.
SLED is investigating a state audit that flagged Calhoun Falls as having a high risk for fraud under Mayor Terrico Holland's tenure. The town is also facing a $400,000 lawsuit from its water supplier, Abbeville City. Then there's a $690,000 lease purchase agreement that Councilmember Vigo Lassen says was signed by the mayor without the council's approval.
Former town clerk Wendi Lewis, who's also named in the audit, resigned on July 3. In an email, acting Town Clerk Stephanie McElrath told SLED and state lawmakers she found an unexplained $1,700 charge on Lewis' town credit card for a stay at a Myrtle Beach resort in June. McElrath also says files were removed from Lewis' desk and the utility desk after-hours.
On top of the financial issues, residents say the brown water problem is back, an issue many thought was resolved.
Multiple people shared photos online and sent a few to WYFF News 4, including Pastor John Ellis, who was preparing for a baptism over the weekend.
"No one wanted to get baptized in that water," Ellis said.
"You can't cook with it," said Calhoun Falls resident Carly O'Shields. "It's brown, and who knows what's in it?"
O'Shields says there's been no update from town leaders.
"How do we know for sure that we're safe to drink it?" O'Shields asked.
An Abbeville city official told WYFF News 4, "It's up to Calhoun Falls to issue a boil advisory."
When our team asked McElrath if an advisory was in effect, she said, "I don't know," but also added that crews are out fixing water leaks.
"I'm hoping that this brings things to DHEC," Ellis said.
WYFF News 4 reached out to the mayor for comment, but has not heard back.