South Carolina H 4086: The Honorable James Risher, Sr. Memorial Highway

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4086 Text of Previous Version (May. 06, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4086

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Recalled

May 6, 2026

H. 4086

Introduced 
by Rep. Hager 

S. Printed 5/6/26--S.

Read the first time March 4, 2025

________

A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE 
PORTION OF UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 321 IN HAMPTON COUNTY FROM ITS INTERSECTION 
WITH SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 363 TO THE HAMPTON-ALLENDALE COUNTY LINE THE 
"HONORABLE JAMES RISHER SR. MEMORIAL HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR 
SIGNS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THESE WORDS.

Whereas, born November 
5, 1932, in Hampton County, the Honorable James Risher Sr. was the son of the 
late Mr. Evans and Mrs. Rosa Lee McKay Risher. He married his beloved wife, 
Mary Ann Gooding, in 1954, and together they reared four sons and one daughter. 
Their children blessed them with adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 
He departed his earthly life on November 28, 2020; and

Whereas, baptized at an 
early age at St. Peter African Methodist Episcopal Church, he served as a class 
leader, a member of the church steward board, the superintendent for church 
school, the church treasurer, and the lay president for the Beaufort District; 
and

Whereas, Mr. James 
Risher became mayor of Gifford four years after it was incorporated in 1972, 
and under his thirty-seven year tenure as mayor, the town built and implemented 
a water and sewer system, created a fire department, built a fire station, 
acquired three fire trucks, obtained use of the "Hanna House" and a grant to 
restore the building, obtained a grant to purchase a truck, tractor, and police 
cruiser, purchased an emergency generator for water and sewer, and obtained 
street lights and Christmas lights; and

Whereas, Mayor Risher 
also promoted and expanded the Sixth of June festival, or "Junefest," which had 
its origins in a daylong festival known as "Family Day Picnic" that was 
established in 1896 by the deacons and a pastor of Long Branch Baptist Church 
to give thanks for a successful agricultural planting season; and

Whereas, Junefest also 
commemorates the day that many believe news of the Emancipation Proclamation 
first reached the citizens of Gifford; and

Whereas, he served his 
community and State as a councilman for the Town of Gifford for eight years, a 
board member for Hampton School District Two for twelve years, president of the 
Hampton County NAACP for ten years, treasurer for the South Carolina Council of 
Black Mayors for ten years, and a board member for the National Black Mayors 
for twelve years; and

Whereas, he retired from 
Savannah River Plant after forty-two years of service and was a member of Free 
Masons Gifford Lodge #359; and 

Whereas, it would be 
fitting and proper to recognize the many accomplishments of this great son of 
South Carolina by having a portion of highway in Hampton County named in his 
honor. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate 
concurring:

That the members of the South 
Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, request 
the Department of Transportation name the portion of United States Highway 321 
in Hampton County from its intersection with South Carolina Highway 363 to the 
Hampton-Allendale County line the "Honorable James Risher Sr. Memorial Highway" 
and erect appropriate markers or signs along this portion of highway containing 
these words.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution 
be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.

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This web page was last updated on May 06, 2026 at 05:37 PM