Local poll workers prepare for elections

October 2, 2004

By WALLACE McBRIDE
Index-Journal senior staff writer

Preparations for November’s general election were in full swing this week. Training began for hundreds of poll workers, a process that includes insights into election machines to be used by Greenwood County voters for the first time this year.
The county has upgraded its election equipment using federal and state funding, replacing Elections Systems & Software (ES&S) equipment purchased in 1997 with the company’s latest iVotronic system.
The main interface for voters using the iVotronic is a full-color touch-screen, capable of displaying ballots, pictures and multiple languages.
“A lot of voters may feel intimidated because they have not seen the machines and have not used the machines — but they are practically identical,” said Connie Moody, director of voter registration and elections for Greenwood County.
Revisions in technology have led to a few changes in poll worker training, as well. While the issue has been touched upon during classes, it has not been a subject to hog the limelight.
“The classes are essentially the same,” Moody said. “We just notify poll workers of any changes in election laws. These particular classes are different in the sense that we have new iVotronic machines.”
This week also marked the last days for voters to register to participate in November’s election. Voters must register by noon today to be eligible to vote.
The Greenwood County Voter Registration and Elections office will be open from 10 a.m. - noon today for last-minute registrations.
Absentee ballots for Greenwood County voters will be available Monday, and election machines for in-office absentee voters are expected to be ready for use by Wednesday.
Moody said Friday was a busy day for voter registration, and today is expected to be just as hectic as voters race the deadline.
Other groups took steps this week to remedy pending election issues. The S.C. Election Commission is touring the state with display models of the iVotronic to allow voters to test the new equipment. The tour bus made stops this week in Greenwood and Abbeville counties.
Westside Baptist Church also conducted a voter registration drive for services last Sunday, but there was little interest, said the Rev. Hal Lane.
Of the 317 people attending Sunday services, only seven registered to vote. Despite these numbers, Lane said the effort was not wasted.
“We had some young people who registered for the first time,” he said. “Not only did it encourage the people who signed up, but it kept the importance of voting before our entire congregation.”
In addition to traditional election apathy and procrastination, there are outside groups trying to use the season to scam South Carolina residents. The S.C. Election Commission has issued a warning that a person — or organization — is posing as a representative of local election offices, or as a member of the League of Women Voters.
The caller asks for Social Security numbers and other personal information, and tells people they may register or re-register to vote over the telephone.
The effort has mostly targeted senior citizens, but its ultimate goal remains unclear.
The scam has been reported in other states as well, the most recent taking the form of solicitous e-mails in Missouri, said Hannah Majewski, an election commission spokeswoman.
“I have heard about this,” Moody said, “but we have not been faced with anything of that nature.”
Voter registration cannot be conducted via telephone in South Carolina.

B-L tops Emerald with good 2nd half

October 2, 2004

By DEAN LOLLIS
Special to The Index-Journal

Batesburg-Leesville scored on its opening drive of the second half and never looked back as the Panthers defeated Emerald, 34-12, in a Region III-AA game Friday night at Viking Stadium.
B-L running back Jacoby Marshall jumpstarted the Panthers’ offense with a 23-yard scoring run to start the third quarter. It was one of three scoring runs for Marshall, who rushed for 124 yards on 17 carries in the game.
“We thought we could come out in the second half and, at least, slow them down, get the ball back and maybe get something going,” Emerald coach Frank Hill said.
“They took it in and we didn’t do anything the first time we had the ball.”
For Emerald, the next series started on its own 38-yard line and was limited to just three plays before the Vikings were forced to punt.
Eric McGirt fielded Chris Tommie’s punt at the B-L 20-yard line and scampered for a touchdown. It was the Panthers’ second score in a little more than two minutes and Emerald never got back on its feet.
“The punt return was a big turning point of the game,” Hill said. “We never did recover from it. When you play good teams like that, they will take advantage of our mistakes on special teams.”
The Panthers took a 27-6 lead early in the fourth quarter when Marshall’s five-yard scoring run capped an 80-yard drive for B-L.
Luck was not with the Vikings on the first play of the next series. Dan Wideman’s pass was batted into the air and B-L’s Jamie Etheridge came up with the deflection for an interception at the Emerald 23 yard line.
Marshall’s third score of the night gave the Panthers a 34-6 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the game.
Hill decided that it was important for his team to try to get into the end zone.
“There wasn’t any use at the end of the game to get into a throwing contest with them,” Hill said. “So we just tried to run the ball at them and get something done for them for down the road in the next four games.”
The Vikings put together a 60-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard pass from Wideman to Wade Scott.
Emerald’s leader on offense was Brandon Davis who rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries. Wideman passed for 70 yards, but he was intercepted three times in the games.
He opened the game with an arching pass for a 26-yard completion to get the Vikings going, but he was intercepted at the B-L 28 to end the drive.
“Those interceptions in the first half, when we had the chance to get ahead of them, hurt us,” Hill said. “Our guys have to believe in our coaches and our coaches have to believe in them. If we keep working hard good things will happen.”
In the second quarter, Wideman weaved through the Panthers’ defense and tip-toed down the sidelines for a 32 yard scoring run.
The Panthers’ effort on offense included 72 yards of rushing from Chaimas Johnson and 88 yards of passing from Nick Johnson.
His team did lose the opening game of region play, but Hill says Emerald is going to do its best to come up with victories.
“We’ve still got four games left. This game did not put us in last place,” he said. “We are still going to be fighting for a playoff spot and that’s what our guys have to do for the next four weeks.

Turnovers and Korn plague GHS

October 2, 2004

By BRIAN HOWARD
Assistant sports editor

DUNCAN — Will Korn threw for 197 yards and added three scores as the Byrnes High School football team made it three in a row against Greenwood with a 35-14 victory at Nixon Field Friday night.
The sophomore quarterback was 11 of 21 passing in the first half for 148 yards and finished with 197 yards. He had one touchdown pass for 37 yards and scored on runs of 1 and 15 yards.
The Eagles (4-2) were plagued by turnovers.
Quarterback Armanti Edwards had four interceptions, while Greenwood had a season-high six turnovers.
“Our kids played awfully hard,” Eagles coach Shell Dula said. “They just made a lot of good plays. We stop them and we’ve got a little something going and then we turn it over to them.
Good football teams take advantage of turnovers.
“We didn’t have a lot of success running the football. They bring the pressure, coming off the corners and put pressure on us. They are quick defensively and get after it.”
The Rebels (4-1) went three-and-out on their first possession, but got the ball back four plays later as Greenwood tailback Maurice Drew, who rushed for 32 yards on 17 carries, fumbled the ball on the exchange from Edwards and Byrnes recovered at the Eagles’ 49-yard line.
Four plays after the turnover, Rodricuz Williams scored on a 5-yard pitch to left giving the Rebels a 7-0 lead with 8 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
Greenwood couldn’t amount much offense and were forced to punt on its next possession.
The Rebels went 74 yards on eight plays and capitalized on the absence of safety Antavious Coates, who went down with an ACL injury in last Friday’s loss to Aiken.
Korn connected on a 37-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Brown, giving Byrnes a 14-0 lead with 4:50 left in the first quarter.
“Any time you lose somebody that is committed to the University of Georgia and is your starting free safety, it hurts,” Dula said. “I think the kids we put in did a good job and are very proud of them and that’s football.”
Brown led all Rebels’ receivers with six catches for 109 yards.
Byrnes, who is ranked No. 4 in Class AAAA, increased the lead to 21-0 after Korn plunged in on a 1-yard run with 6:37 remaining in the first half, which completed an 8-play, 42-yard drive.
The Eagles, who’s offense sputtered for just 56 yards (15 rushing) in the first half, recovered a bad snap on a Byrnes punt at the Rebels’ 21 and six plays later, Edwards went six yards for the score with 53 seconds remaining in the half.
Greenwood, who came in ranked No. 8 in Class AAAA, cut the deficit to seven just two-and-half minutes into the third quarter.
Edwards found a wide-open Reggie James down the left sideline for the 58-yard score and with the extra point by Steven Metts, the Eagles trailed 21-14, but that would be as close as it gets for Greenwood.
“At 21-14, it was anybody’s football game,” Dula said.
“We got the momentum, but again Byrnes makes a nice drive, which good football teams are able to do.”
The Rebels responded by going 80 yards, in seven plays with Korn scoring on a 15-yard keeper, pushing the lead back to double digits, 28-14 with 7:52 remaining in the third.
Desperate to get something going, Edwards threw his third interception of the game, giving the Rebels good field position at the Greenwood 3.
The junior backup quarterback threw a fade pass to the left sideline, intended for James, but was picked off by Prince Miller at the Eagles’ 43, and ran back to the 3.
Two plays later, Williams leaped over the top and into the end zone for the scoring, giving Byrnes a 35-14 lead with 8:40 remaining in the game.
The Eagles looked to get a score with 3:21 remaining, but Edwards’ pass into the end zone was picked off by Kendall Glenn.
Greenwood opens Region I-AAAA play next Friday at Westside.

Half enough for ’Cats

Ninety Six scores 35 in first half to win region opener

October 2, 2004

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Special to The Index-Journal

NINETY SIX — The halves couldn’t have been anymore different.
That was the story of the game Friday night between Ninety Six and Mid-Carolina. The Wildcats jumped out to a 28-point halftime lead, and were able to hold on for the 35-21 victory. Ninety Six moves to 5-1 on the year with the victory.
“We played a great first half, and a sorry second,” said Ninety Six coach Mike Doolittle. “I attribute that to the teenage mindset,” said Doolittle, adding ‘We just quit playing.”
The Wildcats used a torrid passing attack to establish the large first half lead. Quarterback Stan Doolittle finished the night 10 of 19 passing, for 151 yards and three touchdowns.
Not to be outdone by his teammate, Emmanuel Busolo led the Wildcats rushing attack. The shifty tailback rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.
After recovering a Rebels fumble on the first possession of the game, the Wildcats offense quickly went to work.
The team moved 47 yards in 1:43 for the game’s opening score. Busolo burst out of the grasp of a host of Rebels tacklers and raced into the end zone for the 26-yard touchdown, putting the Wildcats on top 7-0.
The Rebels fumbled once again on their next possession, giving the ball right back to Ninety Six.
The Wildcats made the most of the opportunity, moving the football 62 yards in just 1:55. Busolo would again cap the drive, this time winding his way through the middle of the Rebels defense for a 10-yard touchdown. The run made the score 14-0 in favor of the Wildcats.
After forcing Mid-Carolina into a punt, the Wildcats scored on their third consecutive possession.
Kirby Morris was the catalyst of the 88-yard drive. Morris slipped through a hole on the left side of the line and streaked 78 yards down to the Mid-Carolina 3-yard line. Two plays later, Doolittle found Jason Jabber in the back of the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown pass, giving the Wildcats the 21-0 lead.
Once again Ninety Six forced a Rebel punt, and once again they would capitalize.
Doolittle pump faked to his left, then looked to his right to find Ken Griffin slanting wide open in the middle of the field. Griffin hauled in the pass and raced into the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown. The tally was then 28-0.
The Rebels found the end zone on their next possession, driving 65 yards in 2:29. Quarterback Cale Homesley’s 1-yard dive made the score 28-7 in favor of Ninety Six.
Shortly before halftime, Ninety Six would score for the final time on the night. The team drove 50 yards in 3 minutes. Doolittle lofted the ball into the corner of the end zone where it was hauled in by Ken Jenkins for a 15-yard touchdown.
The halftime score was 35-7.
Mid-Carolina added touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, the last of which being a serpentine 42-yard run by Homesley. Starting on the right side of the field, Homesley doubled back and broke to his left. Several fakes and jukes later the quarterback found the end zone. The improbable play made the final tally 35-21. Homesley finished the game with 165 yards passing and 1 touchdown, as well as 110 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.
The Wildcats (1-0 in Region III-AA) travel to “The Pit” next Friday to take on region rival Batesburg-Leesville.

Opinion

DEBATE? ... Voters heard it all before

October 2, 2004

The presidential “debate” Thursday night which was not a debate at all, did prove one thing worth noting. It proved how far away we have gotten from issues of substance that should decide such elections. They showed how much image counts in the minds of American voters ….. and candidates.
Manicures, haircuts, tans, how words are pronounced, how candidates stand and other trivial matters mean a lot more these days than the many things that affect daily life. That’s true not only in the United States, but all over the world.
No wonder candidates can get away with talking about what’s wrong without offering any suggestions on how to improve.

* * * * *

It’s not enough, it seems, to analyze the presidential debates after the fact ….. and all of us do it. Days, if not weeks, before the first debate, the talking heads on television speculate on what will be said, what the issues might be, who will “perform” the best, who will look the best, who will be more at ease, and the list goes on and on.
With all that hype, the actual event seems anticlimactic and old stuff. With so many “projections” to live up to, could anything live up to expectations? After all, most of what was said by both Senator John Kerry and President George Bush has been said before ….. many times.

* * * * *

The organization of the first debate was obviously well-done. Nevertheless, you have to wonder why one man was allowed to compose all the questions with no input from anybody. Furthermore, no one knew what was going to be covered, except Jim Lehrer, the moderator.
Lehrer asked pertinent questions, of course, but one was questionable. It got the president’s attention ….. and should have. Lehrer asked Bush if he thought Kerry had the character to be president. Bush responded with “that’s a loaded question.” It was indeed. Nevertheless, he handled the question graciously.
In fact, both men were gracious. However, viewers must have noticed Kerry was not asked a similar question?

* * * * *

Who won? Kerry supporters say they did. Bush supporters say they did. What else could they say? Did many undecided voters hear anything that might help them decide for or against either man? Chances are if they hadn’t already decided, they still haven’t.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.

Obituaries

Barbara Rice Coker

CLINTON — Barbara Rice Coker, 61, of 142 Pine St., died Wednesday, September 29, 2004.
Born in Clinton, she was a daughter of the late Laurence L. and Gladys Bennett Rice. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son, Gregory Patrick of Indiana; a daughter, Carla Talley of Miami; three brothers, Lowell Rice and Gerald Rice of Clinton and W. Elbert Rice of Houston; three sisters, Margie Sylvene Yarborough of Clinton, Sandra Wenzl of Phoenix and Dianne Cunningham of Greenwood; a grandchild; and a great-grandchild.
A memorial service is 3 p.m. Sunday at Gray Funeral Home in Clinton.
Gray Funeral Home is in charge.

Edith Pauline Henderson

GREENVILLE – Edith Pauline Henderson, 90, of 1180 Haywood Road, Apt. 301, formerly of 6 Fenwick Lane, died Thursday, September 30, 2004.
Born in Elberton, GA she was the daughter of the late Claude “Happy” and Pearl Thomson Barnwell and the wife of the late Lewis M. Henderson. Mrs. Henderson was retired from Greenville Hospital System. She was also formerly employed with Piedmont Shirt Company and Maxon Shirt Company.
Edith was a member of Second Presbyterian Church and a charter member of Augusta Street Presbyterian Church.
She is survived by one son, Bryan Henderson and his wife Diana, and a grandson, Stephen, all of Simpsonville; a brother-in-law, Pratt Henderson of Greenville; and a sister-in-law, Inez Gailey of Greenwood.
Services will be held at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Northwest on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The visitation will be held from 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will be in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to Second Presbyterian Church, 105 River Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
The family will be at the son’s residence until Sunday, and then will receive friends at 6 Fenwick Lane following the funeral.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visting www.thomasmcafee.com.
PAID OBITUARY

Joley Noel Loggins

DONALDS — Joley Noel Loggins, 3, daughter of Steven and Jennifer Smith Loggins II, died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004 at her home.
Born in Greenwood, she was a member of Grace Community Church.
Survivors include her parents of Donalds; a brother, Steven Loggins III; two sisters, Brianna Griffin and Autumn Loggins; paternal grandparents, Vickie and Marty Crane of Ware Shoals; maternal grandparents, Wanda Demers of Hodges and Harry Smith of New Jersey; maternal great-grandparents, Russ and Sue Opdycke of Donalds; paternal great-grandfather, Howard Loggins of Honea Path; and paternal great-grandmother, Shirley Orr of Madison, N.C.
Services are 3 p.m. Sunday at Harley Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. John Walsh. Burial is in Oakbrook Memorial Park.
Visitation is 1:30-3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of Ladessa Lilly, 15256 Indian Mound Roads, Ware Shoals.
Harley Funeral Home, Greenwood, is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Ida Bell Roper

EDGEFIELD — Ida Bell Clark Stevens Roper, 78, formerly of 486 Adams Road, wife of Raymond Roper, died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 at Anne Maria Nursing Home.
Born in Saluda County, she was a daughter of the late James and Lelia Brown Clark. She was a member of New Salem C.M.E. Church, Woman’s Home Aide Society No. 126 and the Missionary Society. She retired as a machine operator from Federal Pacific of Edgefield.
Survivors include her husband of Augusta, Ga.; four daughters, Betty Mae Coutts and Virginia Burton, both of Edgefield, Gloria Burton and Geneva Hill, both of Saluda; four sons, James Howard Stevens of Clinton, Md., Gilmore Stevens and the Rev. Sam Stevens, both of Edgefield and Joe Stevens of Johnston; four sisters, Zera Attaway of Saluda, Lannie M. Stevens of Capitol Heights, Md., Pauline Green of Washington, D.C., and Beulah Smith of Johnston; a brother, Gene Clark of Washington, D.C.; 26 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; and 10 stepchildren.
Services are 3 p.m. Sunday at New Salem C.M.E. Church, conducted by the Revs. Sylvester Smith and Donnie Cobbs. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are grandsons.
Flower bearers are granddaughters.
The family is at the home.
Butler & Sons Funeral Home, Saluda, is in charge.