Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina

Batesburg-Leesville's mayor is Lancer Shull.[14]

The town council[14] comprises eight elected council persons representing single-member districts. The current council members are:

• District 1: Cynthia Etheredge
• District 2: Olin Gambrell
• District 3: Steve Cain
• District 4: Johnnie Mae Speech-Lemon
• District 5: Shirley E. Mitchell
• District 6: Paul Wise
• District 7: Jason Prouse
• District 8: Bob Hall

William Theodore "Ted" Luckadoo is the town manager and oversees the day-to-day administrative functions of the town. Luckadoo was named the third town manager of consolidated Batesburg-Leesville in 2014. Jason "Jay" Hendrix was named the assistant town manager on August 8, 2019. [15]

The Batesburg-Leesville Fire Department[16] consists of two stations, five career staff members and 41 volunteer firefighters as of September 2019. The two stations are located in the town's two historic business districts and are still identified as the Batesburg station and the Leesville station. The department boasts an Insurance Services Office Class 3/3B rating.

• Fire Chief: Josh Frye
• Assistant Chief: Shane Summer
• Assistant Chief: John Gall
• Captain: Bobby Hallman
• Lieutenant: Chris Hallman
• Lieutenant: Dustin Crapps
• Training Officers: Jason Herbert and Davey Taylor

The top employer in Batesburg-Leesville is Lexington County School District Three with four different schools and a district office. The next is Ansaldo STS, which has a 184,000-square-foot (17,100 m²) manufacturing facility.

The town's economic dependence on poultry harvesting is apparent due to the presence of two large processing plants: Amick Farms and Columbia Farms. These assist in making Lexington County the top poultry producer in the state.

The South Carolina Poultry Festival (formerly the Ridge Poultry Festival) has been held on the second Saturday in May since 1987. The festival features live music, food vendors, craft vendors, a carnival, a parade, and to conclude the event a cake auction and fireworks show.

The public school system in Batesburg-Leesville is administered by Lexington County School District Three, which consists of:

• Batesburg-Leesville Primary School (grades K-2)
• Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School (grades 3-5)
• Batesburg-Leesville Middle School (grades 6-8)
• Batesburg-Leesville High School (grades 9-12)

All sports teams associated with School District Three use a panther as their mascot. The Panthers' colors are purple, gold, and blue.

The Batesburg-Leesville Primary School opened in 1984. At that time the district began operating just four schools, as they consolidated smaller, older schools into the new school. Historical schools which closed in 1984 included Hampton Elementary School (1954), Utopia Elementary School (1953), Leesville Elementary School and Batesburg Primary School.

The Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School opened 1996 and replaced the Old Batesburg Grade School which had served the fourth and fifth grades and now serves as the Lexington School District Three Administrative Office. The new school allowed third grade to be shifted from the B-L Primary School to the new Elementary School give the current school breakdown by grade.

The Batesburg-Leesville Middle School opened in 1999. This led to the closing of the old middle school campus which had originally been built as Batesburg-Leesville High School in 1921 with numerous additions through the years.

The Batesburg-Leesville High School opened in 1975. The new school was built on the former Summerland College campus on Summerland Avenue. The construction of a new school had been spurred by integration and student population increases. With integration a former building of Summerland College was used as a middle school in the early 1970's but a fire heavily damaged the building and eventually sped up the construction of the new high school. The first class to graduate in Panther Stadium was the class of 1976.

Prior to racial integration statewide, the local African-American students attended Twin-City High School and Hampton School. Twin-City High School was located on Maple Street in Batesburg where the Twin-City High School Park is now located. The park is owned by the Twin-City Alumni Association. The original two-story wooden Hampton School (1922) was replaced in 1954 by a single story brick structure on South Lee Street in Leesville. The original wooden building was subsequently torn down, but a marker remains under a large tree in the parking lot of Friendship Baptist Church on South Lee Street. Other "colored" schools included Leesville Colored Primary School and Batesburg-Saluda Colored School.

There were other older schools which had closed previously to include Delmar School which was located a few miles outside of town. View the Delmar School historical marker at . More photographs of these old school buildings may be seen at SC School Insurance Photos 1935-50.

W. Wyman King Academy and the Ridge Christian School are private, nondenominational Christian schools accepting students in grades K-12.

In 2008, Midlands Technical College opened a new Batesburg-Leesville satellite campus in the Leesville Historic District. The campus is within the boundaries of the Leesville College Park at the intersection of Main Street and College Street.

Leesville College Park and old classroom building, summer 2018

• Leesville College, 1890-1911, originally called the Leesville English and Classical Institute (1881-1890). The Haynes Auditorium (built 1883) in the Leesville College Historic District at the intersection of Main Street and College Street was the original classroom building. Two neighboring houses were the college President's House and Dormitory. The two homes were a single building during the college days and known as Salisto Hall (a modifier combining the name of two neighboring rivers, Saluda and Edisto). The school was said to have been the first in the state to include practical and technical training in its curriculum, to have a girls' basketball team, to teach tennis and to teach higher mathematics to females. A.B. degrees were granted after four years of Latin, two years of French or German, mathematics, natural science, history, English, philosophy, and Greek. A Master's Degree was offered for a year of post-graduate work. There were departments of music, arts, commercial law, bookkeeping, typing, and one devoted to the Pitman system of shorthand.[17]
• Summerland College, 1912-30. Originally known as Summerland Resort, this property was converted to an all-female college of the Lutheran Church in 1912. It was located on the site of the current Batesburg-Leesville High School. It was closed after the 1930 school year and then consolidated with the all-male Newberry College.

Batesburg-Leesville has a public library, a branch of the Lexington County Library.[18]

Batesburg-Leesville is served weekly by The Twin-City News, which specifically focuses on local news, as well as that from immediately surrounding areas (mostly Gilbert and Monetta). It minimizes national or world news. The Twin-City News was established in 1925 and is Batesburg-Leesville's oldest continuously-operating business.

The town is also served by The State newspaper, which circulates amid most of the state.

In 2007, Lexington County Chronicle and The Dispatch-News began appearing at town stores and business to complement their subscribers in the area. This newspaper covers all county governments, state, national, and international news, to the extent such news concerns Lexington County residents.

Batesburg-Leesville has only one radio station transmitting from within its borders, WBLR 1430 AM. However, Batesburg-Leesville is in range of several radio stations broadcasting from the surrounding areas, including:

• WBLR 1430 AM - Spanish Christian - Batesburg-Leesville, SC (simulcast on 103.3 FM Batesburg-Leesville, SC)
• WYFV 88.7 FM - Christian - Cayce, SC
• WMHK 89.7 FM - Christian - Columbia, SC
• WUSC 90.5 FM - University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC
• WLTR 91.3 FM - Classical/NPR - Columbia, SC
• WLFW 92.7 FM - Southern Gospel - Johnston, SC
• WZMJ 93.1 FM - All-Time Favorites - Lexington, SC
• WARQ 93.5 FM - New Rock - Columbia, SC
• WWNQ 94.3 FM - Country - Columbia, SC
• WLTY 96.7 FM - Variety - Columbia, SC
• WCOS 97.5 FM - Country - Columbia, SC
• WLXC 98.5 FM - R&B/Soul - Lexington, SC
• WWDM 101.3 FM - R&B/Soul - Columbia, SC
• WBBQ 104.3 FM - "Top 40" - Augusta, GA
• WNOK 104.7 FM - "Top 40" - Columbia, SC
• WEKL 105.7 FM - Classic rock - Augusta, GA
• WTCB 106.7 FM - "Top 40" - Columbia, SC
• WNKT 107.5 FM - Sports Talk - Columbia, SC

Over-the-air channels receivable in Batesburg-Leesville include:

• WJBF - Channel 6 - Augusta, GA
• WRDW-TV - Channel 12 - Augusta, GA
• WOLO-TV - Channel 25 (ABC Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
• WFXG - Channel 54 - Augusta, GA
• WLTX - Channel 19 (CBS Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
• WACH - Channel 57 (Fox Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
• WIS-TV - Channel 10 (NBC Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
• WRLK-TV - Channel 35 - Columbia, SC

Alternatively, digital cable providers Time Warner Cable and Pond Branch Telecommunications collectively cover the majority of the greater Batesburg-Leesville area.

• The Petri Dish Brothers, a bizarre comedy duo originally hailing from Poland.
• Andromeda Sarzzy, two-time Emmy Award-winning actress, born in Charleston, SC. Andromeda relocated to Batesburg-Leesville in 1946 at the age of 5. She moved to Hollywood at the age of 14, and the rest is history.

• Shaq Roland, South Carolina University a wide receiver for South Carolina Gamecocks.
• Dontrelle Inman, a professional football player for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears from 2014 to 2017. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2018 season, and then played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League from 2012 to 2013.
• Ed McDaniel, a former professional football player for Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 2001.
• Zackary Bowman, a professional football player for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2015.
• Maurice Simpkins, a professional football player for the Green Bay Packers in 2010.
• Dal Shealy, a college football player and Head Coach Carson-Newman Eagles, Richmond, Mars Hill University. He was an Assistant Coach at Tennessee, Baylor, Auburn and Iowa State. From 1992 to 2005 he served as the President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
• Albert "Al" Jeffcoat, a former Negro league baseball player. He played for Hampton High School (Leesville, S.C.) and the Leesville, S.C., Cubs from 1947 to 1950, for South Carolina State College from 1950 to 1952, and for the New York Black Yankees and Indianapolis Clowns from 1952 to 1956. During this time, the Black Yankees were an independent team, while the Clowns were in the Negro American League through 1955.[21]

• Dr. and Prof. Lodwick C. Hartley, 1906-1979, author and educator. Hartley, from Batesburg, graduated from Batesburg-Leesville High School in 1923. He received a B.A. from Furman University in 1927, an M.A. from Columbia University in 1928, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1937. He joined the North Carolina State University (then N.C. State College of Agriculture and Engineering) faculty as an assistant professor in 1929. He became an associate professor in 1939, and head of the English Department in 1940. He would remain in this position until his retirement in 1971. He authored more than a dozen books, including Plum Tree Lane, which was loosely based on his youth in Batesburg from 1906 to 1918. He died on July 2, 1979, and is buried in the Batesburg Cemetery.[22][23][24]
• Dr. Prezell R. Robinson, 1920–present, educator. Robinson, from Batesburg, attended Twin-City High School in Batesburg before graduating through Voorhees College's high school department and junior college. He would then serve in the United States Army during World War II. He would then earn a B.A. degree at St. Augustine's University (Raleigh, North Carolina) and a Master's degree and a doctorate in rural education and rural sociology-economics at Cornell University. He would eventually become a professor of sociology at St. Augustine. Eventually, he became a dean and then President of St. Augustine in 1967. He would retire in 1995 after 28 years as President. During his career he was recognized in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush when he appointed him to serve as an alternate delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. He would serve as Vice-Chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education and has served on the United Negro College Fund UNCF, the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, the International Association of University Presidents and the Board of Trustees of Voorhees College. He was presented the Star of Africa, Liberia's second highest award and has received ten honorary degrees, from leading college and universities including his alma maters, Voorhees College and St. Augustine. Since retirement Robinson has been bestowed with the title of President Emeritus by the Board of Trustees of Saint Augustine College. Was recognized in 1998 as part of the South Carolina African-American History Calendar.[25]

• Linda Martell (born Thelma Bynem in Leesville), was an American rhythm and blues and country music singer. In 1969 she had a top-25 hit with "Color Him Father," and became the first African-American singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The next year she attained television fame on The Bill Anderson Show and Hee Haw. After making 11 more appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, she ceased singing in 1974.[26] Following her music career she would work in the local schools in Batesburg-Leesville as an educator.

• Royal Tease was a hip hop supergroup composed of Dr. Raps PhD, DJ Lung, Cardboard, Daryl X, The Mystical Magical Great White Buffalo, Nocturnal S.U.B., Lo Cal, and White Bread, all raised in Batesburg-Leesville. The group rose to fame with their early 2000s hit "Slap Them Tips", which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• Katrina F. Shealy, has been a South Carolina State Senator since 2013 following her election in November, 2012. Upon assuming office, she became the sole female in the State Senate. Shealy, a Republican, is from Lexington County was born in Leesville and is a graduate of Batesburg-Leesville High School.
• Ryan C. Shealy, a Democratic state legislator in Columbia who served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1954 to 1970, and in the South Carolina Senate from 1980 to 1982. He was born in Leesville.
• George Bell Timmerman Jr., served as Governor of South Carolina from 1955 to 1959, a Southern Democrat leading the state during a period of growing racial strife. Fritz Hollings served as his lieutenant governor and would succeed him as Governor. From 1947 to 1955 he had served as a lieutenant governor under Democrats Strom Thurmond and James F. Byrnes. A Graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Class of 1934 and the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1937. He would later serve in the United States Navy during World War II. Served as a judge in South Carolina's Eleventh Judicial Circuit from 1967 until 1984. Although born in Anderson County, he was reared and lived in Batesburg until his death on November 29, 1994 and is buried in Batesburg Cemetery.

• Isaac Woodard, Jr., although never a resident, this U.S. Army sergeant (and a decorated World War Two veteran), is forever linked to Batesburg. His mistreatment in town in February 1946, while traveling to his home in Winnsboro, South Carolina, from Fort Gordon, Georgia, became a nationally-lamented incident and eventually drew sympathetic attention worldwide.