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Birkbeck appointed to school board

The Anderson County Commission voted at its April 20 meeting to appoint Katherine Birkbeck to replace District 2 Anderson County Board of Education member Teresa Portwood, who died on March 16.

She will serve until the end of Portwood’s term. She was the only person who applied.

Birkbeck is executive director of Historic Downtown Clinton, a nonprofit organization that promotes business and events in Clinton’s downtown area. She’s worked there since 2021.

“I have two big reasons, they’re right here,” she told The Courier News, putting her hands on her two children’s heads. They currently attend Clinton Middle School.

“There’s a direct correlation between community and schools,” she said, adding that she’d learned that while running Historic Downtown Clinton.

“And I think the two together can do a lot of great things for the kids in our community.”

The Board of Education took a moment of silence for Portwood at its April 9 meeting.

Penalty pain, lightning end Mavericks’ week

Anderson County High School’s boys soccer team battled through a challenging week in the 2026 season, competing in a tightly contested match and facing weather-shortened action in a pair of outings.

The Mavericks opened the week with a loss to Gibbs after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in regulation on Tuesday, April 14.

The Eagles won the penalty-kick shootout, 4-2.

“That game was really frustrating, and I really felt like we could’ve won it,” Anderson County Coach Chris Curtin said. “I think we hit the crossbar or the post about five or six times.”

Jimmy Rivera tallied the Mavericks’ regulation goal, but he had a tough night as many of Anderson County’s shots that went awry came off his foot.

“I know Jimmy’s frustrated. He couldn’t buy a goal,” Curtin said.

Andrew Wilson and Bryce Wade scored in the shootout against Gibbs on Tuesday, April 14.

The Mavericks later dropped a 6-0 decision to William Blount on Thursday, April 16, in a match that was called with approximately 25 minutes remaining due to lightning.