CENTRAL — Childs Hall has been an integral part of 70 years out of SWU’s 110 year history.

Childs Hall has been home to many students across the years with a multitude of memories housed within its walls. One of the oldest structures still standing on the Central campus, Childs Hall, constructed in 1947, has stood the test of time very well. To ensure it lasts 70 more years, Southern Wesleyan’s Office of Advancement launched a new $1.5 million micro campaign in October to breathe new life into this historic residence hall and ensure a high quality living environment for future generations of students to enjoy.

Renovations to Childs Hall will include improvements to living space, transforming traditional rooms with hall bathrooms to new “suites,” each containing two rooms and one bathroom. There will be a total of 48 beds following renovation.

Childs Hall on the campus of Southern Wesleyan University.

Additional improvements include new common spaces, a redesigned first floor lobby and new lounge, as well as a study room for each floor. Also being planned is an observation patio and beautification of the grounds surrounding Childs Hall. New heating and air-conditioning will be installed throughout the building, as well as new windows and enclosed stairwells at each end of the building. When completed, the renovations will open more residence space for increased enrollment so that students won’t have to be turned away for lack of rooms.

For details about making a gift to support this effort and the many available naming opportunities, contact Dr. Lisa McWherter, vice president for advancement, at (855) 644-5008 or email lmcwherter@swu.edu. Online giving and more details about Childs Hall are also available at swu.edu/childs.

PICKENS — The Pickens YMCA will open registration for the Bethlehem Ridge Soccer Club’s spring recreational soccer season from Jan. 1 through Feb. 10.

The program is open to kids ages 4-15. The season will begin the week of Feb. 20 and end on April 29. All games and practices will be held at the Pickens YMCA.

Registration can be completed at the Easley, Pickens or Powdersville YMCA branches, as well as online at pcymca.net . Sponsorships and volunteer coaching opportunities are also available. Contact the YMCA at (864) 878-8380 or email Clarissa Suttle at clarissa@pcymca.net for more information.

YMCA officials believe children need to be a part of something bigger than themselves to help strengthen values, sportsmanship, leadership skills and the importance of relationship building and diversity. The YMCA soccer program allows children to actively develop individually through healthy competition in a positive and encouraging environment.

Scarecrow burning | Ecuador

In December, AnMed Health Cannon announced Melissa Littleton as employee of the quarter.

CENTRAL — The Southern Wesleyan University website, swu.edu, was selected in the Merit category of the 2016 Education Digital Marketing Awards, in the Institutional Website category.

Southern Wesleyan launched the new website, designed by 5 Degrees Branding, in June 2016, following several months of planning. The primary purpose of the site redesign, according to Cody Thomas, Southern Wesleyan’s director of marketing, was to provide a mobile-friendly website.

“Mobile devices make up an ever increasing amount of web traffic, so we had to provide an excellent user experience for mobile devices,” Thomas said. “Other than the website becoming mobile-friendly, we sought to provide a more robust and organized navigation menu, incorporate more video, and provide greater visibility for all of the exciting news and events at SWU.”

Southern Wesleyan joins a list of institutional websites named to the Merit category that include Loyola Marymount University, Tulane University and Seton Hill University.

“I appreciate the leadership of Cody Thomas as he led the website project and worked directly with each vendor. The new website provides an excellent platform to tell the Southern Wesleyan University story and engage with potential students and friends of the University. We have already witnessed an improvement in website metrics due to many of the changes that were implemented,” said Chad Peters, Southern Wesleyan’s vice president for enrollment.

Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community devoted to transforming lives by challenging students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ. For details about degree programs, go online to swu.edu.

SIX MILE — The Pickens County Legislative Delegation will hold its annual public meeting at the community room at Six Mile Town Hall, located at 106 S. Main St., on Jan. 9.

Reports from organizations and boards will be heard starting at 5:30 p.m. The floor will be opened for public comments at 6 p.m.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. Residents will have an opportunity to ask questions of and make comments to members of the Pickens County Legislative Delegation, and members of the delegation will comment on various issues that may be introduced in the upcoming session of the General Assembly, which convenes on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The legislative delegation consists of Sens. Thomas Alexander and Rex Rice, and Reps. Joshua Putnam, Davey Hiott, Neal Collins and Gary Clary.

For more information, call (864) 850-7070.

UPSTATE — SC Works and Tri-County Technical College’s Corporate and Community Education Division are reaching out to unemployed and underemployed individuals by hosting a job fair in January.

The event will be held for Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties residents Friday, Jan. 6, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Industrial and Business Development Center located on the Pendleton campus.

Participants will be given the opportunity to meet and interview with area employers that have job openings — in a wide range of businesses including manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, retail and services.

In addition, Tri-County is spotlighting the short-term training options in the fields of healthcare, business, industrial/manufacturing, highway construction and truck driving. Attendees can meet the instructors and program managers, see some of the course offerings on displa, and get information about available funding for instruction in these QuickJobs training programs.

“It’s a great opportunity for individuals to begin working on their New Year’s resolutions to find great local employment or to start training for a new career through CCE classes or QuickJobs training programs,” Tri-County CCE Division dean Rick Cothran said.

There are opportunities for scholarships that will be spotlighted at the TCTC/CCE booth.

According to Cothran, the job fair is about connecting participants with potential employers. In addition, with new technology increasing the demand for higher entry-level skills, the event will help connect participants to the CCE short-term training certificate programs endorsed by area employers. They also can discuss further opportunities in an associate degree program.

Large and small area employers with immediate job openings and workforce resources such as SC Works, Palmetto Youth, Vocational Rehab and more will attend this event.

For more information, call (864) 646-1700.