“The Quail” flew down to Wagener last week and has some updates from the area.

First, the Wagener Town Hall is now open to the public. The new hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Wednesdays, when it is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Construction on the new Town Hall location is coming along at a good pace and if all goes well, it should be moving in early 2022. The Police Department relocation construction, which will move it into the Fire Station building, is also coming along at a good pace.

Hwy 39 Thanksgiving

Hwy 39 Diner has informed “The Quail” that their holiday hours for Thanksgiving week will be

Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. They will close Thursday and Friday for the holidays.

Teacher of the Year Candidate

Brooke Clayton, a second grade teacher at Pelion Elementary, is a finalist for state Teacher of the Year, the school revealed last week.

“The best part is when the students see their own accomplishments,” reads a statement from Clayton. “The greatest joy in my day is celebrating with dance parties when a student meets their goal. I love seeing them be so proud of themselves.”

Alvin Taylor Plaque

Alvin Taylor, former state Department of Natural Resources director, received a permanently visible honor this week. A bronze plaque of Taylor — whose accomplishments besides leading DNR include a stint as the chairman of the state Quail Council — will be placed at DNR’s Columbia headquarters. It was unveiled by the state Natural Resources Board at it’s Nov. 18 meeting.

“After a long and storied career spanning 42 years with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), including seven years leading the agency, Taylor retired in 2019,” a news release states. “He left behind a legacy of lofty accomplishments after helping the agency recover from historically low budgets and agency down-sizing.”

Catfish Stew Event at Bait & Tackle Store

Congaree Bait & Tackle, located at 1015 Center Street in West Columbia, hosted a Catfish Stew event on Nov. 1.

Owner Jamie Oswald wanted to thank the Cayce/ West Columbia community for their support over the past five months since the store’s opening in June.

The business offers a wide variety of artificial bait, live bait and other fishing supplies.

It’s open on Wednesday from 1 to 6 p.m. and Thursday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beer and wine are now available for on-premises consumption.

A reminder that several businesses in “The Quail”’s flying area will be observing special holiday hours this week. Please call ahead to see if the location you want to shop at is open and when.

“The Quail” hopes everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving and until next week, fly safely, my friends ...