Oh, deer! Dangers are out there

Season usually active for emergency officials

October 27, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

As the start of deer hunting season gets under way, emergency officials say the hunting season can be as dangerous for people as it is for the deer.
Trekking through the woods with bows or loaded rifles and climbing into deer stands dozens of feet above the ground can carry a number of risks, including accidental gunshot wounds, falls, sprained limbs and even heart attacks.
Greenwood County EMS Training Coordinator Derek Kinney said technicians respond to a variety of injuries related to the hunting season each year.
“A majority of the calls are people falling out of deer stands,” Kinney said, adding that the falls can cause minor to significant injuries.
He said the number of hunting-related gunshot wounds occurring during the season has been on a decline in recent years.
Though it doesn’t happen very often, Kinney said some hunters — especially older people — can experience chest pains from overexertion while trying to drag heavy deer out of the woods. The risks for people don’t end in the woods.
The start of the hunting season, which generally runs from October through December, also corresponds with an increase in the number of deer-related traffic wrecks.
During the hunting season, deer populations are more active because of seasonal breeding and hunters entering the woods.
“We usually do see an increase in activity around this time of the year,” said Lance Cpl. Steve Sluder with the S.C. Highway Patrol. “(The wrecks) are usually very minor in nature, but we do have serious ones.”
Most deer-related wrecks occur in the early morning and evening hours.
Because deer tend to travel in groups, Sluder said drivers who spot a deer along the roadside should reduce their speed and be attentive for other deer that might appear.
“Drivers especially need to be careful in rural areas,” he added.
Local insurance agents said the number of deer-related claims usually spike during the fall and winter months.
Though the claims can range from as little as $100 to as much as $10,000, State Farm Insurance Agent Frank Coyle said the average deer collision claim in South Carolina is $2,095. The national average is $2,800.
If a deer does wander into oncoming traffic, Coyle said it is important for drivers to take caution but also to avoid swerving to miss the deer.
“Take your foot off of the gas and stay in your own lane,” Coyle said. “Do not swerve to avoid the deer because you could hit another car or go off of the road and hit a tree. Those types of collisions can be far more dangerous, more costly and more deadly.”

One last big Region III-AA game

Emerald, Ninety Six square off with major
playoff implications on the line for both teams

October 27, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Region III-AA has seen plenty of meaningful Friday nights — and even one Saturday evening — this season.
But perhaps none might be more momentous or have more playoff ramifications than the one that starts at 7:30 Friday night at Frank Hill Stadium.
Emerald has a wide range of finishes to play for. With a win, the Vikings (7-2 overall, 4-1 region) will come away with their first Region III-AA championship. However, a loss will most likely land the team a No. 4 seed and a first-round trip to the Region IV-AA champion.
The Vikings have the head-to-head advantage over Batesburg-Leesville (7-2, 4-1), which faces Saluda (2-7, 1-3), meaning a win for both teams gives the region crown to Emerald. However, the Vikings don’t have that same advantage with Newberry (5-4, 2-2), which plays winless Mid-Carolina, sending the Vikings to fourth in the region with a loss combined with a Bulldogs victory.
“It’s a big ball game all right,” Emerald coach Mac Bryan said. “They all are important, but every time you advance, every game gets a little bigger because there’s more at stake.
“I thought last week’s game was big because it ensured us of being in the playoffs. Because of that and what else happened last week, we now have a chance to win a region championship.
“I’ve never seen the standings so close where it would change that much with a win or a loss.”
For visiting Ninety Six, it means the difference between a No. 2 seed in the region, which has with it a first-round home playoff game, and a third-place finish, which would send the Wildcats (7-2, 4-1) on the road in the first round.
Ninety Six can only win the region with a win over Emerald and a B-L loss.
“Every region game is a big game,” Ninety Six coach Mike Doolittle said. “Obviously, with this being Week 10, this one has playoff implications as to where you are going to finish.
“And it’s big for both of us in the fact that you want to enter the playoffs next week with a win.”
And when the two teams take the field Friday night, they might think they are looking into a mirror because of the likeness of the two squads, especially offensively.
Ninety Six quarterback Stan Doolittle, a Shrine Bowl selection, is in his fourth season running his father’s spread offense for the Wildcats, while Emerald QB Dan Wideman is in his first under Bryan’s spread attack. Wideman and Doolittle are 1-2 in the Lakelands standings for passing yardage, and the two teams have seven of the area’s top eight leading receivers. “We are similar,” Mike Doolittle said. “We try to use the whole field and make the defense defend the whole field. Both are very physical, both have a lot of speed, both have good athletes on either side of the ball and both defenses have gotten better as the season’s gone on.
“There’s not many differences.”
Probably one of the key distinctions between the two squads is that Ninety Six runs the ball more than the Vikings. A notion not hard to fathom for those that hearken back to Emerald teams of the past.
While neither team relies on the “three yards and a cloud of dust” game plan, the Wildcats have two running backs with more than 400 yards on their roster. Ninety Six’s starting tailback Andy Louden amassed 419 yards and four touchdowns before breaking his right thumb before the first region game. Since then, tailback Rashaad Booker has picked up the slack, rushing for 510 yards and seven scores, including 101 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Newberry.
Doolittle said Louden has been cleared to play against the Vikings.
The majority of Emerald’s rushing yards have come by way of Wideman. The senior has 615 yards rushing this season, which is 72 yards more than the tailback combo of Josh Boville (281) and Brandon Davis (262).
With the help of a solid offensive line and a bevy of shore-handed receivers, Wideman has excelled in the spread offense. Through the first nine weeks, he has completed 176 of 288 passes for a Lakelands-leading 2,478 yards and 22 touchdowns with only seven interceptions, which is an NCAA quarterback efficiency rating of 153.7.
Stan Doolittle, who doubles up as the Wildcats’ starting safety, isn’t far behind Wideman’s numbers, going 170-of-265 for 2,242 yards and 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a 156.6 NCAA passer rating.
“It has a lot to do with the quarterback in any offense,” Bryan said. “That quarterback does so many things. He touches the ball on every play. In a spread, like what we have and what Ninety Six has, a lot of emphasis is on how well the quarterback plays.”
With so many things the same, the two coaches look for other contributing factors to weigh into the outcome of the game.
“Bottom line, it’s going to come down to field position, turnovers and execution,” Doolittle said. “Who plays best Friday night. Who’s the better team on that night will win.”
And because of the closeness of the two squads, Bryan thinks the outcome could be decided by even more subtle means.
“It’s a game of execution, but it’s also a game of not making mistakes,” the Emerald coach said. “And it may not be one that everybody can see. It may not be a turnover. It might be something like a missed assignment that does it.”

Opinion

Quiet woman with dignity altered course of history

October 27, 2005

Throughout history many people have made their marks on the pages of time. Only a handful, though, have been responsible for changing the course of history. Rosa Parks, who died Monday at age 92 was one of them.
Mrs. Parks, as every American should know, became the catalyst for the civil rights movement when, in 1955, she refused to give her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama, to a white man. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mrs. Parks was an unlikely candidate to have such a significant impact on an entire nation and the debilitating racism that detracted from its heritage as noted in the Declaration of Independence. That, of course, is the affirmation that all men are created equal, which means equal opportunities and equal treatment.
Thanks to her strong character, determination and a natural dignity that is always present in notable people, Mrs. Parks opened the door to a better future, not only for black Americans, but for all Americans.
Some vestiges of racism remain, of course. The diversity of mankind dictates that. Fortunately, it’s not the social cancer it once was. Because of the courage of Rosa Parks, though, we’ve all come a long way.

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

Obituaries

Albert Arnold

HODGES — Albert Arnold, 62, died Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005 at Hospice House in Greenwood.
A son of the late Park and Verda Starks Arnold, he attended Greenwood County public schools and was a member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Hodges. He was employed by Devore Andrews Rush Heating and Cooling and later was owner of Arnold’s Heating and Cooling for more than 20 years. He was married to the late Orlanda Smith Dendy.
Survivors include two sons, Albert Arnold Jr. and Tyrone Brownlee and a stepdaughter reared in the home, Diane Smith; two brothers, William P. Arnold of Springfield, Mass., Sam Arnold of Hodges; and three sisters, Gladys Kilgore of Greenville, Mrs. Willie (Carrie P.) Sanders and Mrs. Willie (Mary S.) Williams of Hodges.
The family is at 3323 Cokesbury Road.
Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home, Greenwood.

Sara D. Brown

WARE SHOALS — Sara Davis Brown, 87, widow of Carl W. Brown, died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005.
Born in Hodges, she was a daughter of the late Walter Lee and Sallie Blackwell Davis and was a member of Providence Baptist Church. She retired from Riegel Textile Corp. and was a member of the Quarter Century Club.
Survivors include a daughter, Sara Nell Stephens of Ware Shoals; a son, Buddy Brown of Ware Shoals; a brother, Broadus “Peanut” Davis of Hodges; a sister, Betty Jo Smith of Hodges; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at Parker-White Funeral Home, conducted by the Revs. Mac Jones and Bennie Ridlehoover. Burial is in Greenville Presbyterian Cemetery, Shoals Junction.
Pallbearers are Adam Atkinson, Bryan Tumblin, Jordan Gambrell, James Brown, Tommy Calvert, Frank M. Cooper and Greg Ross.
Visitation is 7-9 Friday at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of her daughter, Sara Nell Stephens, 13 Dairy St.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

Ella Ruth Hackett

Services for Ella Ruth Woolridge Hackett, of 101 South St., are 3 p.m. Friday at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, New Market Street, conducted by Minister Issac Turner. The body will be placed in the hall at 2. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are nephews.
Flower bearers are nieces.
The family is at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@nctv.com

Lynette Jones

ABBEVILLE — Services for Lynette Jones, of 120 Adams Drive, are 2 p.m. Friday at Long Cane A.M.E. Church, conducted by the Revs. Julius Johnson, Carroll Wells Jr. and Ida Shipman and Elder Oscar A. Klugh. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers and flower bearers are members of Abbeville High School Class of 1983.
The family is at the home.
Brown and Walker Funeral Home is in charge.

Jessica Minor

Jessica Linda Lee Minor, 21, of Eureka, died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005.
Visitation is 6-8 Friday at Harley Funeral Home.
The family is at the home of her great aunt, Mary Sue Wallis, 1009 E. Northside Drive, Greenwood.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Martha Reed

CALHOUN FALLS — Martha Reed, of 621 Anderson St., died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005 at Abbeville County Memorial Hospital.
Born in Anderson County, she was a daughter of Alline Robertson Reed and the late James Gilbert. She was a homemaker and a member of Friendship Baptist Church, Honea Path.
Survivors include her mother of Antreville; three daughters, Cathy Reed of the home, Willie Mae Tillman of Antreville and Maxine Reed of Honea Path; four sons, Robert Reed of the home, Henry Reed of Anderson, Sammy Reed of Elberton, Ga., and Jerry Reed of Columbia; two sisters, Leila M. Reed and Roberta Reed, both of Antreville; three brothers, Melvin Reed, Thomas Reed and Willie James Reed, all of Antreville; three grandchildren.
The family is at the home and at the home of a brother Willie Reed, 119 Bell Road, Antreville.
Services will be announced by Brown and Walker Funeral Home, Abbeville.

Margie Rushton

GREENWOOD — Margaret Clark “Margie” Rushton, 84, resident of 323 Rock House Road, widow of Floyd Marion Rushton, died October 25, 2005 at the Hospice House.
Born in Greenwood, April 10, 1921, she was a daughter of the late John Robert and Julia Shirley Clark. She was a 1939 graduate of Greenwood High School and retired from Greenwood Mills - Mathews Plant after 37 years of service.
A life long member of First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, she was also a member of the T.E.L. Sunday School Class and the Clifford Barratt Circle and was active in all areas of church work.
Surviving are a son, Floyd Robert “Bob” and wife Vickie Rushton of Greenwood; a sister, Mildred Clark and a brother, Vernon Clark and wife, Peggy, all of Ninety Six; grandchildren, Soni R. Davis and husband, Larry, Floyd “Don” Rushton and Wife, Olivia, all of Greenwood and Suzann “Suzi” R. McFerrin and husband, Stephen of Lexington; step-grandchildren, Glen Fain and wife, Billie, Lori F. Harbin and husband, Keith and Jamie Davis, all of Greenwood and Jennifer D. Lindley and husband, Greg of Ware Shoals; nine great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Rushton was predeceased by a daughter, Sandra Jean Rushton and sisters, Ethel Phillips, Lois Phelps, Doris Attaway, Edna Turner and Lib Calhoun.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 am Friday at First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church with Rev. Bryant Sims officiating.
Burial will be in the First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be C. Brown, Danny Polatty, Sr., Gene McDaniel, Billy Coursey, Randy Williamson, Randy Day, Bill Rushton, Pete Rushton and James Rushton.
Honorary escort will be members of the T.E.L. Sunday School Class and the Clifford Barratt Circle.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 10:00 Friday morning.
The family is at the home of Bob and Vickie Rushton, 1408 Briarwood Road and will receive friends at the funeral home from 6 to 8 Thursday evening.
The family requests that flowers be omitted and memorials be made to First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 2107 Mt. Moriah Road, Greenwood, SC 29646, Gideons International, Greenwood North Camp, PO Box 794, Greenwood, SC 29648-0794 or Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE RUSHTON FAMILY
PAID OBITUARY

CORRECTION

For the obituary of James M. Hackett Sr. in Wednesday’s paper, the following was omitted from the information given to The Index-Journal. Memorials may be made to Mount Moriah Scholarship Committee, Mount Moriah Baptist Center or Mount Moriah Building Fund, Highway 221 South, Greenwood, SC 29646.