To help ensure that the information available through websites and social media posts from local Emergency Management Operations officials, Chambers of Commerce, public safety and media outlets are able to be seen by families with limited access to the internet, we are resharing through our school system-managed platforms. We hope that this is helpful to those needing access to water, ice, food, information, and other resources.
The availability of resources included below is not guaranteed, please verify that the resources are still available. Much of this information is being shared from posts made on social media platforms from media stories, as well as the following sites:
Aiken Chamber of Commerce
https://www.facebook.com/AikenChamber/
CSRA United Way
https://www.facebook.com/UnitedWayoftheCSRA/
United Way of Aiken County
Phone lines and internet are down at the office. Message this Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/uwaiken/
North Augusta Chamber of Commerce
https://www.facebook.com/GNACOC/
FOOD/WATER
Salvation Army Feeding Sites:
• Salvation Army Soup Kitchen-604 Park Ave., Aiken
• YMCA- 621 Trolley Line Rd., Graniteville
• KJs in Edgefield- 155 Carolina Sq., Edgefield
The North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Ave, will be opening for handing out water and food until 5pm or while supplies last.
Golden Harvest Food/Ice Distribution Site (Oct 2): National Wild Turkey Federation, 770 Augusta Rd., Edgefield @ 2pm
Hub for Community Innovation Augusta 631 Chafee Ave from 4:00-5:00PM (Oct 2)
The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Augusta 1833 Broad St at 4:00PM (Oct 2)
Center of Hope 1384 Greene St at 5:30PM (Oct 2)
Ridge Spring-Monetta schools will serve hot food and bottled water will be available at no charge starting Wednesday, around 4 p.m. at Monetta Volunteer Fire Department.
Water Via the New Holland Volunteer Fire Department:
If you need water for flushing toilets, washing we have non-potable well water at our HQ station at 2243 Old Ninty Six Indian trail. The hose is on left side of bay building. Please do not block driveway to trucks. - Chief Dennis Jackson
South Carolina Rural Water
For small water districts needing assistance, call Nick Rubin 864-617-3169.
SHELTER
True Testament Church
• 1031 Reynolds Pond RD, Aiken SC 29801
• 803-295-9800
Jet Middle School
• 1095 Columbia HWY, Johnston, SC 29832
POWER
While power companies attempt to restore power, having main power shut off at the house, with lines connected to a house, which were taken down by a tree, would help with tree removal and power line issues.
Once power is restored, please leave your front porch lights on which shows utility workers that power has been restored.
Candles - Place candles in safe holders away from anything that could catch fire. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Wednesday Morning (October 2) Update from Aiken Electric Co-Op & Dominion Energy provided by our local legislative delegation:
AEC’s outage management system is up and running.
There currently have 22,757 meters without power. There are 140 AEC employees and 50 fiber contractors reconnecting members. Additionally, 340 contractors are working on the Co-Op system and another 100 arrive tomorrow. This weekend, the total number of contractors working to restore power should be 600.
Dominion reports that in Aiken County they have restored service to 26,000 customers with 34,000 still without power. Dominion says there should be a lot more connections made today.
Dominion Energy
o Power Outage: 888-333-4465
o Downed Lines: 888-333-4465
o Gas Leaks: 800-815-0083
Aiken Electric Co-Op: 877-264-5368
DRIVING
With many traffic signals remaining with no power, please treat those intersections same as a four way STOP intersection.
CHARGING STATIONS/SHOWERS
(please bring your own toiletries/towels)
YMCA – Aiken & North Augusta
• 621 Trolley Line RD, Graniteville, SC 29829
• 401 W Martintown RD Suite 111, North Augusta, SC 29841
CHARGING STATIONS/ICE
SRP Park will have charging stations set up by our main gate. At 3pm we will begin distributing ice, 1 10lb bag per person, until we once again run out.
COMMUNITY EVENT
This Thursday, October 3rd, from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m., Cedar Creek Church is hosting a Family Hangout at the Banks Mill Campus of Cedar Creek Church. This will be a time for all families to connect, play games, enjoy each other’s company. Snacks, drinks, and charging stations will be available, and the worship center will be open for anyone seeking quiet time for prayer or meditation
Underclassmen School Pictures are back. Click the link to see and purchase!
https://my.photoday.com/s/LTBW/60750
ACPSD Changes Due to Hurricane Helene - Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Helene, which is forecasted to make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico today and arrive in Aiken County late tomorrow afternoon, Aiken County Public Schools has several changes to the remainder of this school week to announce.
All after school activities tomorrow, Thursday, September 26, are cancelled. This includes athletics, arts, meetings planned for after school, and Quest Zone.
Friday, September 27, will be an e-learning day for all students. Teachers and staff will work remotely on Friday.
We recognize that several high schools have athletic events this week, including some with Homecoming. Some of those schools have moved their football games to this evening. Others are planning to host their games Friday night after the storm passes through. Should the weather necessitate a change to those plans, additional information will be shared by our high schools directly.
We apologize for the disruption that this change will cause to our students and families and, as always, appreciate the flexibility and cooperation of our school community.
Please stay tuned to local weather precautions and follow recommendations to keep your family safe.
Check out the significant savings!
GAME DAY!
Come out and Sport the High School Volleyball team tomorrow at 5:30 PM.
Due to inclement weather being forecast at the end of the week the high school home football game against Whitmire scheduled this week has been moved to Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7 PM
The Athletic Booster Club meeting will be held on Thursday, September 26th, at 5:30 in the cafeteria. Everyone is welcome to join.
What a FABULOUS start to the 2024 Marching Band Season for RSM!!!
Midland Valley Band Competition
🥁Best Overall Percussion
💛Best Visual Performance
🎶Best Music Performance
🩵Best Overall Effect
💛🎶🩵FIRST PLACE FOR CLASS 1A🩵🎶💛
It’s going to be a great year for this band!
FAFSA Webinar
Hosted by Coletta Bethea, Program Coordinator at The Citadel
Date: September 28, 2024
Time:10am
Description: Learn about how to get funding for college and complete the FAFSA
Academic Tutoring
Tuesdays and Thursdays
It can be virtual or in-home (in-home is for Batesburg, Saluda, and Aiken County residents)
$25 per month
Register at www.lockedinydc.org
Questions? Audrey Townsend at atownsend@lockedinydc.org or call at 803.480.7304
Aiken iNNOVATE is now accepting applications! Our program offers a full-time virtual learning experience for students in grades 6-12 within the Aiken County Public School District. We welcome students who are self-motivated, disciplined, and ready to succeed in a flexible, home-based environment. To apply or learn more, visit our website at www.acpsd.net/o/dai/page/ai-applications-and-registration. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Ai@acpsd.net.
Tonight's varsity football game against Eau Claire High School will be held at Keenan High School's football stadium. The address is 361 Pisgah Church Road, Columbia, SC 29203. See you tonight! Go Trojans!
A student at Ridge Spring Middle High reported a social media threat to the School Resource Officer (SRO) yesterday. The post was not widely circulated. Additional law enforcement was on the campus investigating the threat and ensuring the safety of all students, teachers, staff, and families. The student responsible for the post was quickly identified and charged with Student Threats. A rumor has been brought to our attention today regarding yesterday’s investigation that we wanted to assure you is not accurate. The student responsible for the threatening post was rumored to have had a weapon in their possession on the middle/high campus yesterday; that information is not accurate. We understand the concerns that threats of this nature cause to our students and families, and the student responsible will be held accountable. Thank you to the parents who shared these concerns with our administration and for the opportunity to assure you of our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and families.
The student who is responsible for creating the social media post reported today which threatened an act of violence at our school has been identified by law enforcement and is being charged. We know that threats cause a great deal of concern for everyone. Safety and security of our campus is our highest priority and threats of this nature will not be tolerated. We appreciate the partnership of our local law enforcement officials in their efforts to ensure the safety of our students, staff and families, and are grateful that they were able to swiftly identify the student responsible. Please be assured that both our school administration and law enforcement are committed to your safety and wellbeing; this student will be held accountable.
Our School Resource Officer (SRO) has been made aware that there is a social media post threatening an act of violence at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle High. It does not appear to be widely circulated and is not believed to be credible. However, as with any threat to the safety and security of our school, we are taking this seriously and thoroughly investigating the threat alongside our School Resource Officer and Law Enforcement. In an abundance of caution and to assist with this investigation, there is additional Law Enforcement presence on our campus.
Additional information will be shared as soon as it becomes available.
Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff:
District Superintendent Dr. Corey was joined by local law enforcement leaders this morning to film a short video addressing the recent social media threats and rumors of school violence.
A link to the video has been shared to your email, text, and also appears on our District website, and middle and high school websites in the Live Feed section.
We urge all parents to take a few minutes to watch this video and discuss it with their students. To access the video, please visit https://youtu.be/3aHXzWLfOH4.
Please know that we appreciate your support and partnership in ensuring the safety of all Aiken County Public Schools, as well as the wellbeing of our students, their parents/guardians, teachers, staff and families.
Thank you!
Middle and High School Homecoming Dance Flyers
Ensuring the Safety of Our Schools: Addressing Recent Rumors - We are aware of misinformation circulating throughout our schools and communities regarding rumored incidents of school violence at various campuses within our district.
Please know that these messages are being reposted and reshared at schools throughout our district and at schools throughout the state. Your children’s safety is our top priority. We take all threats seriously and work in collaboration with law enforcement to fully investigate each and every rumor and/or post that is shared. There is no active threat impacting the safety and security of any of our school campuses.
Rumors of this nature cause a great deal of concern, stress and anxiety. When those are shared on social media, the impact is far-reaching, and causes unnecessary concern for other parents, students, and staff, and divert critical resources away from genuine safety and security efforts.
If ever there is an actual incident of school violence at your child’s school or if a threat of violence at your child’s school warrants your attention, school and/or district communications will notify you. We are committed to sharing accurate information as quickly as situations allow.
We hope to never have to notify you of an actual event of school violence, and we are fully committed to maintaining the safety and security of our schools through a variety of safety measures and close collaboration with local law enforcement.
If you or your student ever have a safety concern, or if you hear a rumor of a safety concern, we ask that you immediately notify the appropriate authorities. This includes local law enforcement and the administration at the district office or the school involved.
Thank you for your support as we work together to keep our schools, and your children safe.
Trojan Thursday is tomorrow for Spirit Week! But tonight is the RSM Middle home football game starting at 6 PM.