Abbeville remembers the fallen

Two years after standoff, Danny Wilson,
Donnie Ouzts ‘gone, but not forgotten’

December 9, 2005

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

ABBEVILLE — Emerging from what the sheriff called “one of the darkest days in the history of Abbeville County,” residents remembered the second anniversary Thursday of a land dispute gone tragically wrong.
Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Wilson and Constable Donnie Ouzts died as they tried to mediate the dispute involving the widening of S.C. 72 through the town. Three people are awaiting trial.
“They are gone, but not forgotten,” said Sheriff Charles Goodwin during a memorial ceremony at a monument dedicated to the two lawmen. “We will always cherish them in our hearts, all of us in attendance here today.”
Wilson was survived by five children and three sisters; Ouzts by a wife, two sons, two grandchildren and a great-grandchild. One of Wilson’s sisters who attended the memorial said she was too emotional to talk.
“These men made the ultimate sacrifice for the citizens of Abbeville, South Carolina and the United States,” said Goodwin, just before two wreaths were placed at the monument that was dedicated on the first anniversary by the Abbeville Lions Club.
Of the Wilson and Ouzts families, Chief Magistrate Tommy Ferguson said this is “a very trying time for them. It’s Christmas and there’s a big gap in the family.”
Wilson and Ouzts died Dec. 8, 2003 at a home at the intersection of S.C. 72 and Union Church Road. Steven Bixby, who lived there, reportedly was angry that some of his property was being taken for road widening.
After the lawmen were shot, Bixby and father Arthur Bixby held responding officers at bay for 14 hours before surrendering. The shootout that led to their surrender was described by SLED Chief Robert Stewart as “the most horrendous gunfight” he had ever seen.
Steven Bixby faces the death penalty on two counts of murder. He will have a hearing Dec. 19 in Abbeville before a circuit court judge to decide pre-trial issues such as potential change of venue and trial date. Mother Rita Bixby faces the death penalty for being an accessory. Arthur Bixby also is charged with murder.
Goodwin said the trial “absolutely” should be in Abbeville. “The crime happened here,” he said. The sheriff has submitted to the court a security plan for the courthouse in case Stephen Bixby’s trial is allowed there.
The trial’s original judge, the late Marc Westbrook, had ruled that a judge from another county would hear the case. The judge now assigned to the case, Alexander Macaulay, could reconsider that decision at the upcoming hearing.
Stephen Bixby’s trial has the potential of reopening emotions that racked the community two years ago, said Assistant City Manager Nolan Wiggins. “The community is doing well now, after something so traumatic happening in this small town,” he said. “Most people I’ve talked to hope the trial is here. If it’s elsewhere, there’s a disconnect between the crime and the punishment.”
Abbeville received a lot of negative publicity after the shootout, Wiggins said. Some TV programs inaccurately portrayed the town as a hot-bed of anti-government sentiment, Wiggins said.
“These people who were involved in that (the Bixbys) are not even from South Carolina,” he said.
The local chamber of commerce has “done a lot of work to counter that, to keep the community from being portrayed in a negative light,” said Wiggins, a chamber board member and a town employee for eight years.
“I think we’ve come a long way recovering from the fact that we lost two fine individuals,” said Mayor Harold McNeill. “Justice will be done.”
Some of the TV portrayals of the town were “uncalled for,” he said, but the town is moving forward. The trials will “bring back memories, heartaches for the families and loved ones,” McNeill said, but the cases should be heard in Abbeville.
“Anywhere you go it won’t be different,” he said. “This was nationally known.”

Emily Bishop

MARIETTA, Ga. — Emily Payne Bishop, 64, of 4082 Oak Forest Circle, wife of James A. Bishop, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 at Portsbridge Hospice Center in Dunwoody, Ga.
Born in Pikeville, Tenn., she was a daughter of the late Robert Walker and Mary Jacobs Johnson Payne. She attended Emery University in Atlanta and received a master’s of business administration degree in finance from Brenau University, Gainesville, Ga. A former employee of Dean Whitter Brokerage Firm, Atlanta, and a member of North Atlanta Church of Christ, she had participated in international ballroom dancing competitions.
Survivors include her husband of the home and a daughter, Robyn Payne Bishop of Washington, D.C. Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at Blyth Funeral Home, Greenwood, S.C., conducted by the Rev. Don McLaughlin and Dr. Tony Hopkins. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Will Bishop, Whit Bishop, John Andrew Bishop, William Bishop, Walter Bishop and Alex Richardson.
Visitation is 1-2 Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 1741, Greenwood, SC 29648.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com

George Hudson

TROY — Lloyd George Hudson, of 2540 Puckett Town Road, died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

James ‘Bro’ Snyder

WESTMINSTER — James Christian “Bro” Snyder, 42, of 150 Eleven Oaks Drive, died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he was a son of the late James Christian and Eleanor Snyder. He was a self-employed carpenter and owned Elite Construction.
Survivors include his wife, Danielle Ruhlman of the home; a son, James “Tripp” Christian Snyder III of Greenwood; a daughter, Heather Snyder of Greenwood; a stepson, Colton Starks of Westminster; two sisters, Denise Ormiston of Greenwood and Chris Snyder of Florida.
Graveside services are 3 p.m. Sunday at Long Creek Memorial Gardens.
Visitation is 12:30-2:30 Sunday at Sandifer Funeral Home.
The family is at the home.
Flowers are accepted or memorials may be made to the family, c/o Sandifer Funeral Home, PO Box 69, Westminster, SC 29693.
Sandifer Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.sandiferfuneralhome.com

Gretta L. Wright

Services for Gretta Louise Pope Wright, of 507 Trakas Ave., are 2 p.m. Saturday at Morris Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Ricky Syndab. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in The Evening Star cemetery.
Pallbearers are Michael Anderson, Levar Cain, Jermaine Cain, Joshua Anderson, Roderick Baker, Makenzie Williams, Vincent White and Danny Cain.
Flower bearers are Ashley Anderson, Niger Baker, Emily White, Annie Anderson and Laquetta Coats. The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.

CORRECTION

For the obituary of Gretta L. Wright in Wednesday’s paper, there was an error in the information given to The Index-Journal. A surviving brother is Roderick Pope.

Preparing for a final football exam

Five players from Greenwood and the Lakelands
will be in Saturday’s North-South All-Star game

December 9, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Five high school students from Greenwood and the Lakelands traded in their school books this week for football play books.
However, just like at school, Greenwood High School’s Alex Sellars, Emerald’s Dan Wideman, Ninety Six’s Nick Lagroone, Ware Shoals’ James Spikes and Saluda’s William Culbreath have spent this past week preparing for an important final exam.
That test, the North-South All-Star game, begins noon Saturday at Coastal Carolina University’s Brooks Stadium in Conway.
For the Lakelands’ five, this is an exam they’ve been looking forward to for most of their high school careers.
“This definitely means a lot to me,” said Sellars, the Eagles’ All-Lakelands tight end. “I’m glad I was picked for this. It’s definitely an honor.”
However, after spending some time there, the group found the event was even bigger than expected. “I didn’t get the full aspect of it until I got down here and saw all of the guys I used to see on ‘Friday Night Blitz’ out here with me,” Spikes said.
Spikes played tight end, defensive line and place kicker for the Region I-A champion Hornets.
But at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Spikes is a little slight to fill in as a defensive lineman.
Instead, the Ware Shoals senior will lineup as one of the North’s outside linebackers.
The All-Lakelands defensive lineman is excited about the opportunity to only have to play on one side of the ball, even if it is a new position.
“It’s definitely a lot easier for me,” Spikes said. “Instead of learning a couple of offensive plays, then turning around and learning some defensive plays and then finding out how we’re going to kick this week, all I have to do is focus on defense.”
But in taking up an unfamiliar position, Spikes said he was concerned he might be at a disadvantage for one of the secondary purposes of Saturday’s all-star game.
Spikes, like the other four Lakelands participants, has yet to lock down where he’s going to play college football at. This game gives him and the other all-stars a chance to be seen by the college scouts in attendance.
It’s something that the players noticed from the start of practice.
“I saw that when we were practicing the first day and there were college scouts all around the fences watching us,” Spikes said.
Even though the event is to honor the players’ high school football achievements, the student-athletes know the importance a good showing has on those college scouts.
“I’m just looking to see how good I really am and to see if I’m really ready to play college football,” Culbreath said. “I want to give the college scouts a chance to see me play.”
Culbreath, an All-Lakelands defensive lineman who had nearly 90 tackles for the Tigers, said he has been splitting time at practice at defensive end with Byrnes’ Jamar Anderson. He was unsure about the starting status, but, with the two-man rotation, he didn’t mind which player took the field first.
“It’s not about starting. It’s about playing time,” Culbreath said.
Like Culbreath, Wideman, the Lakelands player of the year, is in a two-man group, splitting time evenly with Westside’s Thomas Griffin. However, the 6-2, 205 Emerald senior has plenty of credentials in his pocket, what with the 3,000-plus passing, 800-plus rushing totals he put up.
“It’s going to be us alternating series after series,” Wideman said. “All I want is a chance to show what I can do.”
Lagroone agreed, and it’s easy to understand why. As Lagroone, who finished the season as one of the leading receivers not just in the Lakelands but in the state as well, is competing with the likes of Dorman’s Chad Peake, Westside’s A.J. Gray and Seneca’s Jason Vitaris for catches.
“As long as I get on the field and get to show what I can do, it doesn’t matter if I start,” the 6-2, 160 pound Ninety Six senior said. “I’m just glad to be here and glad to be on the field.”
Unlike his Lakelands counterparts, Sellars, who missed the bulk of his junior season with a knee injury, won’t really have to worry about competing with anyone. Since Spikes, the only other tight end on the North roster, is delegated to the linebacking corps, the 6-5, 205 Sellars will see almost all of the snaps at tight end and even some as a wide receiver.
“It’s a big thing,” Sellars said. “Playing in the all-star game gives me a chance to play high school football one more time, and it gives me a chance to show what I can do for college scouts.”
But with all of the work the players have gone through this week, which included two intense practices a day and one more scheduled for today, they still had an opportunity to enjoy the vacation side of one of the state’s biggest tourist locales, even with the colder temperatures.
“I went walking around the beach today,” Sellars said Tuesday.
However, the Greenwood tight end was alone in his desire for long sweatpants-clad walks along the beach.
“I’m not here for any of that,” Lagroone said. “It’s too cold out side. Anyway, we have an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi that we all chill out in.”
Wideman agreed.
“Mostly, I’m just laying up in the Jacuzzi, talking to my girl,” the Emerald quarterback said. “I’ve been doing that for the past few nights. It’s pretty cool.”
But for Spikes, it was one of the special amenities awarded to the players for being chosen that caught his eye.
“I’m looking forward to going to Medieval Times. I’ve been looking forward to that for a while,” Spikes said. “I saw a TV commercial about it a long time ago, and I’ve wanted to go ever since.”

Campbell had the touch with politics and people

December 9, 2005

The late Strom Thurmond is considered by many to be the father of the modern Republican Party in South Carolina. He did give it a boost when he changed his Democratic affiliation to the GOP.
Carroll Campbell, though, was the man who brought the Republican Party to the position it now holds … control of the Governor’s office, state Senate and House of Representatives.
Mr. Campbell, who died of a heart attack Wednesday at age 65, was a victim of what is perhaps the cruelest of all diseases: Alzheimer’s. He was admitted to a residential facility this past summer for care and treatment after announcing he had the affliction four years ago.
Carroll Campbell will be remembered as a strong and effective Congressman (eight years) and a two-term governor who gave new meaning to industrial recruitment.

UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP thousands of new jobs were created in South Carolina, especially with the BMW plant at Greer and Fuji Photo at Greenwood.
However, Mr. Campbell also had a significant and positive impact with his efforts to change the way state government did business. He did much to restructure state government, even in the face of considerable opposition. He put the Palmetto State on a path toward more accountability and efficiency. His influence is still seen in changes to a government system where the Legislature has been dominant.
Gov. Campbell was a public servant of the people. He understood the culture of South Carolina and its people of all races.

HE SHOWED IT IN MANY ways, too. One, though, was indicative of how he connected with the people. When the Shag became the official state dance, he was always ready – and proud – to demonstrate, with wife Iris, his flair for mastering the “moves” made popular on the Grand Strand. He was good at it, too, as he was in almost everything he approached.
Gov. Campbell’s abilities and political prowess also were evident far beyond the confines of the Palmetto State. His influence made South Carolina a player in presidential politics, a position it carries forward.
He was, in the mind of the average voter, accessible, a singular attribute in elective politics. That, perhaps, will be his most important legacy, above creating jobs and changing government structures. He had his political fights, sure, but he got along with the people. That’s because he was one of them. He never forgot that, and it showed.