Upstate Headlines: Bus delays, but otherwise smooth for Upstate schools first day

Upstate Headlines: Bus delays, but otherwise smooth for Upstate schools first day

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A collection of the top Upstate headlines for the week of August 15, 2016

Bus delays, but otherwise smooth for Upstate schools first day 636069421812691316-LP-first-day-of-school-V-081616
Greenville County Schools’ bus routes faced delays as the state’s largest school district opened the 2016-2017 school year. The district reported 24 of its 361 school buses were late by at least 15 minutes during the morning commute. Other than delayed buses, most students experienced a smooth return to school. Superintendent Burke Royster credited the success to teacher and staff preparation even, as the district welcomed 13 first-time principals to its schools.

City reviewing Airbnb policy AirBnB-
The Greenville Board of Zoning Appeals was scheduled Thursday to take up the issue of short-term housing rentals, but the agenda item was removed at the request of the city’s zoning administrator, Bryan Wood. According to Wood, the city attorney determined the zoning administrator didn’t have the authority to request an appeals review because a review would have to be part of an actual appeal. Currently, no cases are being appealed.

Travelers Rest finds success with GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail Connector 2
City leaders say Travelers Rest has become a destination, not just a town you drive through on your way to the mountains. They said it took more than $4 million, several years of work, and the development of a trail to get downtown Travelers Rest to where it is today. Main Street Travelers Rest used to be a five-lane thoroughfare, according to city administrator Dianna Turner, who started her job there in 2005. “It didn’t look like a Main Street at all,” she said. “Council’s goal for years, prior to my coming here, was to figure out a way to change that.”

‘Gateway to the world’: South Carolina Inland Port fuels Upstate growth S0807BizInlandPort11
In economic terms, the South Carolina Inland Port in Greer has become the Upstate’s “gateway to the world” and has exceeded all expectations since it opened three years ago to serve its first customer, BMW. After handling 42,488 containers its first full year, the port is on track to transport 110,000 containers by next year – serving a multitude of new companies that have opened or expanded.

Markley Station developers aim to maintain historic neighborhood’s integrity Markley-hero
RealOp Investments, a Greenville-based commercial real estate investment group, has purchased four vacant buildings on Markley Street and plans to renovate and preserve the former warehouse property in the city’s historic West End. RealOp officials said the urban revitalization project, called Markley Station, continues the neighborhood’s ongoing development and momentum. It will blend historic buildings with timeless finishes to house a mix of offices, retail and restaurants, the officials said.