Simple Civics: Greenville County

Meet Lura Godfrey and Lynda Leventis-Wells, candidates for Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees for Area 22. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Lura Godfrey: https://lura4education.com/   Lynda Leventis-Wells: https://lyndaforeducation.com/   Sample Ballot:  www....

Meet Chuck Saylors and Tim Schuyler, candidates for Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees for Area 20. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Chuck Saylors: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/About/main.asp?titleid=bdsaylors   Tim Schuyler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/t...

Meet Ann Marie Middleton and Patrick Suddeth, candidates for Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees for Area 18. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Ann Marie Middleton: https://annmarie4schoolboard.com/   Patrick Suddeth: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/About/main...

Meet Dr. Ben Carper and Alan Mitchell, candidates for Greenville County Council District 23. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Dr. Ben Carper: http://www.drbencarper.com/ Alan Mitchell: https://www.alanmitchell-greenville23.com/   Sample Ballot:  www.scvotes.gov Simple...

Meet Sheryl Guarniero and Joey Russo, candidates for Greenville County Council District 17. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Sheryl Guarniero: https://www.sherylgforsc.com/ Joey Russo: https://www.votejoeyrusso.com/ Sample Ballot: www.scvotes.gov _ Produced by  The Gr...

How do elections in SC work? John Michael Catalano, Outreach and Special Projects Coordinator with the SC Elections Commission, covers how the state Elections Commission interfaces with county Boards of Voter Registrations and Elections, how to register, how to request an absentee ballot, and what to expect in early voting and on election day. _ Produced by  The Greenville Podcast Company .

School is back in session, which is exciting, but it also means that student anxiety and stress are beginning to ratchet up. Now more than ever, this is true because we're still coming back from the pandemic and the additional stress it gave students. Today you'll get to hear from one student who's making a difference. Emma Wright is a senior at Riverside high school, where she helped to form Mind...

Parents, caregivers, and others who volunteer in schools are a vital part of student success. But if you're a new school parent, it can be intimidating to get involved. Quentoria Jones is a mom of four in Greenville County Schools who overcame her nervousness and has become a core member of the school community. She talks with Catherine Schumacher, President and CEO of Public Education Partners, a...

Greenville County Schools is by far the largest school district in South Carolina, and the 46th largest in the country. With the start of the new school year upon us, we will hear what goes into running such a large and dynamic district, from food service and transportation to academics, to safety. To do that, we invited Catherine Schumacher with Public Education Partners to interview Phillip Davi...

It's almost back to school time at Greenville County Schools, which is by far the largest school district in South Carolina, and one of the largest in the entire country, with 77,000 students, 6,000 teachers, and thousands of additional employees. Today, you'll hear from Julie Horton, Director of Governmental Relations for Greenville County Schools, as she discusses the role of the South Carolina...

When we talk about local government, it’s easy for us to lump everyone involved - from staff to elected officials - into one big bucket. But government staff and those people elected to represent us have very distinct roles. The more clarity around their roles, the better work they can do on our behalf. Today I’ll talk with Andrew Merriman, City Administrator for the City of Greer, and Mark Hopper...

Nathaniel Desantis produces every episode of this podcast, and he gets to hear firsthand the behind-the-scenes conversation with every guest. He shares what he's learned so far, and Katy Smith previews what's next in Season 3. _ Produced by  The Greenville Podcast Company .

More than 4,000 children and youth are in the foster care system in South Carolina. Even though the system is a necessary way to move children to a safe place, a governmental system can in no way take the place of a loving parental relationship. David White, Founder and CEO of Fostering Great Ideas, joins us to discuss the role of community members creating support for young people and their paren...

Primary elections just happened in Greenville County! With that comes some statistics that we can analyze. Today we are covering why voter turnout is important, which counties had the highest (and lowest) voter turnout, and what we can all do to help increase voter turnout for the next election. _ Produced by  The Greenville Podcast Company .

The term "affordable housing is thrown around a lot these days in Greenville County. Of course, what is affordable to one person is not at all affordable to another. Housing can be called affordable if you are spending no more than 1/3 of your income to procure it. That means that there should be housing that is affordable to a CEO as well as to someone who earns minimum wage. In Greenville County...

Parliamentary procedure is at work when you hear "so moved," "second," and "call the question!" in a meeting. It may sound confusing and Byzantine, but it supports productive conversation, deliberation, and both the majority and minority on a public body like an elected council or board. Greenville County Councilman Dan Tripp, known to be one of the most well-versed on council regarding parliament...

In 2018 (the last mid-term or non-presidential election), more than half of South Carolina's voters turned out on the November election day. But back in June, only 20% of voters cast a ballot in the primary election. And that small group of summer voters largely determined who ended up in office. Because most of our races in South Carolina have just one party represented on the ballot in November,...

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 26 in the Republican primary on June 14th: Lynn Ballard and Rick Bradley. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Lynn Ballard: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/Council/CouncilMember.aspx?...

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 23 in the Democratic primary on June 14th: Alan Mitchell and David C. Mitchell. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Alan Mitchell: https://www.alanmitchell-greenville23.com/   David C....

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 19 in the Republican primary on June 14th: Benton Blount, Jackie Clark, and Ivan Mathena (Willis Meadows, the incumbant, did not respond to numerous requests to participate). Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and...

Meet Joe Dill and Joey Russo, primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 17 in the Republican primary on June 14th. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce himself to the voters. Mr. Dill is the incumbent and Mr. Russo is seeking to unseat him. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just...

Primary elections are not the extra credit assignment - they are for ALL voters (and in some cases are more important than the November general election!). This episode is your complete voter to-do list, for newcomers and long-time voters alike. Lawson Wetli with the League of Women Voters of Greenville County fills us in on all of the details about registering, research, and voting in person on e...

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis and Greenville City Police Chief Howie Thompson lead law enforcement to maintain public order, manage public safety, and enforce laws within their jurisdictions. Both came into their roles at the beginning of one of the most tumultuous times in recent history. In this episode, we'll hear from them on the basics about their organizations, their strategic prior...

In all but two school districts in South Carolina - and in the majority of districts across the nation - school board races are nonpartisan. Candidates run to serve on the school board without affiliation to the Democratic, Libertarian, Republican, or any other political party. Why is that and what are the benefits? Catherine Schumacher with Public Education Partners talks with former school board...

If you attend Greenville County Council meetings, you’ll typically see several items on the agenda related to Fee in Lieu of Tax agreement. Your eyes might glaze over at this point in the meeting or your ears might perk up wondering why someone might pay a fee instead of a tax. These agreements have been in the news twice just this year as Council rejected a Greer development project looking for a...