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Meeting in person at Thomas Auditorium, zoning board members voted unanimously to uphold the decision of code enforcement director Toby Linville, who had ruled that a gun range on a vacant 9.7-acre parcel in Edneyville was not a commercial facility requiring a special-use permit under the county’s land development code (LDC).
Forty-five people who were spread far apart in the auditorium had been greeted at the hall’s entrance by 10 sheriff’s Kevlar-deputies, who remained throughout the four-hour meeting to ensure order.
The subject of the hearing was a shooting range built by Travis Rector on land he owns with his wife, Virginia “Ginney” Fox Rector, off Osprey Lane north of Point Lookout Vineyards. A former Hendersonville police officer, Rector owns a gunsmithing and firearms training business, although he testified he conducts no training at the gun range on his property.
Each February, the Mercer community is invited to take part in Founder’s Day. This year, “double Bear” and President of Gordon State College Kirk Nooks will deliver an address at the 130th annual celebration of Founder’s Day Feb. 17.
Founder’s Day began in 1891 as a way for Mercer students to celebrate founder Jesse Mercer’s birthday and honor his life. Alumni come back to Mercer, share their stories and talk about how Mercer has impacted their lives. This year, students will gather in Hawkins Arena at 10:25 a.m. to hear Nooks share his Mercer story.
“The purpose of the day is to reconnect with the past and to hear first-hand from alumni about their undergraduate experiences at Mercer,” Vice President and Dean of Students Doug Pearson said in an email.