Gabriel Penfield - Irmo Town Councilman

06/01/2026

05/29/2026

LOTS going on in Richland County government! Council District 1 in NW Richland County will soon see another batch of road improvements via the transportation sales tax program:

05/29/2026

Honored to be invited to the groundbreaking ceremony for the $72 million Chapin Bypass and Columbia Avenue Corridor Improvement Project.

It was great to join Bill Mitchell, Mayor of Chapin , Council Members from the Town of Chapin, State Rep. Jay Kilmartin, Joe Wilson, SCDOT Commissioner Jared Powell, Commissioner Bill Dukes, members of the Greater Chapin Chamber of Commerce, and our local media partners as we celebrated this significant investment in our region’s infrastructure.

Congratulations to everyone whose hard work helped move this project from planning to reality.

As a member of the Town of Irmo’s Council, I always appreciate opportunities to learn from neighboring communities and importantly to network with regional leaders who can help us fix roads and other infrastructure.

The challenges of growth, transportation, and infrastructure don’t stop at municipal boundaries, and partnerships like these help move the entire Midlands forward.

Congratulations to Chapin and everyone involved in making this project a reality. 🚧🏗️🇺🇸

05/24/2026

Torrential downpours and sustained heavy rains have caused some waterways to flood. Flooding of Hope Creek in NW Richland County caused damage in multiple neighborhoods including Stone Gate, River Creek and Palmerston South. Representative Nathan Ballentine alerted me this morning and I called and met county storm water management personnel on site in Stone Gate.

Mother Nature always has the power to overwhelm systems built for typical conditions. We reportedly received four inches of rain in one hour yesterday. However, county personnel will clear out drainage basins and roads known to be most impacted. They will also contact the Army Corps of Engineers to seek clearing of the creek flow.

PLEASE CALL 911 if you have a flooding emergency.

My thanks to Richland County personnel for their quick response on a Sunday. Special thanks to Bo Pettway of Ram Jack and his family for being outstanding neighbors in Stone Gate! I was particularly impressed by his son and friend who were working so hard on a volunteer basis yesterday and today to retrieve items and clean up for neighbors. THIS IS AMERICA AT ITS BEST: QUIETLY AND WITHOUT FANFARE PULLING TOGETHER IN THE FACE OF A CHALLENGE!

05/23/2026

PSA: Multiple reports of creeks breaching their banks in Friarsgate and Stonemont. Anyone’s else experiencing flooding? Please be careful retrieving items or pets from flooded areas.
Photo Credit Alisha Knight

05/22/2026

Let’s go Eagles! 🦅

05/22/2026

Let’s go Stallions!

05/22/2026

Let’s go Yellow Jackets!

05/22/2026

05/22/2026

“I Dream A World” By Andre Thomas
Performed by DFHS Chamber Honors and Concert Choirs