USC Upstate student-athletes reach greater heights in classroom during record-breaking semester
Continuing their long-standing tradition of academic excellence, USC Upstate student-athletes put forth another record-breaking performance in the classroom. The Spartan, for the third straight term, posted a cumulative, department-wide grade point average of greater than 3.30, fashioning a record 3.36 GPA in the fall semester. Two hundred and three Spartans maintained a GPA greater than 3.5, with 74 student-athletes posting a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Fifteen Upstate athletic programs maintained team or squad GPA greater than 3.0, a program record mark. Softball set the department's high-water mark with a 3.81 GPA while men's gold (3.74), women's basketball (3.65), women's cross country (3.64), and volleyball (3.62) rounded out the remainder of the top five.
Work healthier in the new year
Kick of 2026 with the first 'Caffeinated Conversations' event of the year, featuring WorkHealthy SC, Learn about their mission, along with health and wellness tips you can use during work hours like workstation wellness, ergonomics, and practical tips to improve your health throughout the day. This event will take place on Tuesday, January 13, 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Milliken Board Room, 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg. Register online at https://web.onespartanburginc.come/atlas/events/.
Infants safely surrendered in Spartanburg County under Safe Haven Act
Officials with the Spartanburg Regional Health System in Spartanburg County recently accepted an infant safely surrendered under Daniel's Law, the state's Safe Have for Abandoned Babies Act, on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. The baby boy was born on November 26, 2025, at the hospital and safely surrendered at the Spartanburg Regional Health System in Spartanburg County.
Also, officials with Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital recently accepted an infant safely surrendered under Daniel's Law, the state's Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on Sunday, November 20, 2025. The baby boy was born on November 30, 2025, at the hospital, and was safely surrendered at Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital after birth.
These are the second and third, unrelated sage surrenders of an infant in the Upstate in the last month. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Spartanburg County DSS took custody of the children, a medical evaluation was completed, and the infants have been placed in licensed foster homes.
Permanency Planning Hearings and Termination of Parental Rights Hearings for both infants were held on December 18 at 10:00 a.m. at the Spartanburg County Family Court, located at 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg
A safe abandonment such as this is a perfect time to remind the public that the SC Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act provides a safe, legal option to surrender an infant up to 60 days old. For more information about the Safe Haven Act, known as Daniel's Law in South Carolina, please visit htttps://dss.sc.giv/child-wellbeing/daniels-law-safe-haven-for-babies/.
Spartanburg County updates website to track penny tax projects
Spartanburg County has launched a redesigned version of SpartanburgPenny.org aimed at making it easier for residents to follow how voter-approved one-cent capital sales taxes are being used.
The updated site provides information on the capital sales taxes approved in 2017 and 2023 and highlights the progress and community impact of the projects funded through the initiatives.
Among the featured projects are major public investments such as the new Spartanburg County Courthouse and the planned joint city-county government complex. The site also offers infrastructure projects across the county funded through the Roads Penny program.
What you need to know in 2026
The annual Outlook Spartanburg Conference features legislative, economic, hospitality, community, and talent forecasts at the local, regional, national and global level to enable attendees to make informed decisions in 2026.
This event will be held on Friday, January 30, 2026, 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Milliken Customer Center, 920 Milliken Road, Spartanburg.
Register online for this event at https://web.onespartanburginc.com/atlas/events/outlook-spartanburg-2026-9506/details.
