Tucker joins county staff as new director of economic development
Dec. 11, 2013

Brian Tucker, the president and CEO of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, has been hired as the new director of economic development for Georgetown County.

A resident of the Pawleys Island area, Tucker replaces Wayne Gregory, who left the county in August for a position with the City of Columbia. County Administrator Sel Hemingway has been acting as economic development director since then, while searching for a candidate with the right combination of experience and abilities to boldly move the county to the next level in recruiting new businesses and helping existing businesses to thrive. Tucker was selected from a list of qualified applicants from all regions of the country, Hemingway said.

He described Tucker as energetic, enthusiastic, visionary and self-motivated, as well as morally and ethically solid...

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Georgetown County takes steps to close pay gaps
Dec. 10, 2013

Georgetown County Council members agreed on Tuesday to take action that would bring starting salaries paid to county employees more in line with those offered by competing jurisdictions. Adjustments will be made in phases, but existing employees will begin seeing an increase in wages beginning with their second paycheck in January.

Council’s action was based on the results of a wage and salary review conducted earlier this year by a committee of county directors. The review was initiated this summer after members of the public expressed concerns about wages paid to public safety workers, high turnover rates in those departments and elevated training costs associated with those turnover rates.

“What we heard the most about were salaries in public safety jobs, but we know high turnover is an issue across the board and has caused difficulty in hiring and keeping qualified people with the starting salaries we currently offer,” said County Administrator Sel Hemingway ...

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Georgetown County Fire/EMS receives improved fire protection rating
Nov. 19, 2013

Georgetown County Fire/EMS has been notified that its fire protection rating from the Insurance Services Office will improve effective Feb. 1, 2014.

This change not only means the department’s level of fire protection service has increased, according the ISO analysis, but it could also earn lower home insurance rates for property owners in the department’s coverage area.

 “ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers — including the largest ones — use PPC information as part of their decision-making when deciding what business to write, coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance,” said Francine Yotsko, a manager at ISO...

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Detention Center program helps keep inmates from returning to jail
Nov. 1, 2013

For a number of years now, the Georgetown County Detention Center has gone above and beyond its role of simply housing inmates. Since the introduction of the Georgetown County community re-entry program in 2007, the detention center serves as a place where inmates can learn the kinds of skills they’ll need to get a fresh start after their sentences have been served and avoid the pitfalls that lead so many back to jail.

The program tracks participants for one year after their release date and, so far, officials have observed no recidivism — a major problem around the nation — of its graduates.

“They’re all working in jobs, getting married, having families and living their lives,” said Debbie Barr, re-entry program director...

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Enter our Autumn Photo Contest

Georgetown County government invites photographers of all skill levels to enter our latest photo contest. We've selected "Autumn in Georgetown County" as the theme.

We're looking for scenic shots that show what a beautiful place Georgetown County is even after the beach season is over. Color and black and white photos will be accepted.

Photo Contest Rules

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