Move to re-open city services

Walhalla is cautiously moving to the re-opening of city services that have been closed by the spread of COVID-19. The plan could get set in motion this weekend by the re-opening of Stumphouse Mountain Park along with other city recreation venues such as tennis and pickle ball. Social distancing will likely be stressed. The mayor and council last night left the exact details to their city administrator and fire chief. Brandon Burton, the fire chief, laid out a potential schedule that would gradually re-start other city services, including the re-opening of city offices by the middle of June. However, during last night’s lengthy discussions, Burton and other city officials made clear they will act cautiously and may have to backtrack in the event cases of the virus begin to spike. Yesterday South Carolina DHEC reported 13 additional deaths, but the latest 24-hour accounting showed total new cases had dropped under 100, to 93.