Arrests made at high school party

19 charged after drug/alcohol raid, including mother of one student

August 27, 2006

From staff reports

A raid on a high school party early Saturday led to the arrest of 13 adults and six juveniles on alcohol and drug charges.
The Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office raided the party at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday on Deer Creek Road. The mother of one student was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allowing the party on her property.
School resource officers became aware of the party late Friday and contacted the sheriff’s office command staff when they learned that the gathering would feature kegs of beer and support from at least one parent.
Uniform Operations Commander Maj. Lonnie Smith said intelligence indicated that at least 100 underage students were to attend the party.
“When we discovered the size of the gathering and the fact that it possibly had parental support, we had to act,” Smith said.
Sheriff’s deputies, vice agents and state troopers were gathered by the sheriff’s office to investigate and raid the gathering. Agents located the party and performed surveillance for about an hour.
At just past midnight, officers entered the yard adjacent to 224 Deer Creek Road and immediately confirmed more than 75 high school-age people were in attendance. Students attempted to flee on foot and in vehicles, but were caught.
At least three vehicles became stuck or were damaged as students attempted to escape, and one chase ended when a 16-year-old driver’s car wrecked into the residence, damaging a Mercedes Benz.
Deputies seized two kegs of beer, drug paraphernalia, liquor and tobacco products from the field, which was littered with cups and trash.
“This thing was a melee,” said Chief Deputy Mike Frederick. “It looked like a scene from a B-movie college comedy, although we weren’t really that amused.”
Frederick said deputies located several small baggies containing cocaine residue, drug paraphernalia and marijuana from the field. One student was charged with possession of marijuana when he fled on foot but was caught attempting to discard a bag of marijuana in the woods.
Investigators determined that although the property owner, Denise Thompson, had not provided the beer or drugs, she had advance knowledge of the party and the presence of alcohol.
Deputies seized several items of drug paraphernalia and two kegs of beer, and destroyed dozens of liquor and beer containers at the scene.
Frederick explained that although only 19 were arrested and charged, dozens more were identified and released because there was either a lack of evidence or confirmation that they had not consumed alcohol or drugs while at the gathering.
At least one person at the party was treated by EMS after passing out from apparent alcohol intoxication.
Sheriff Dan Wideman described his office’s response to the incident as “absolutely necessary.”
“What a potentially lethal situation,” Wideman said. “Underage kids consuming incredible amounts of alcohol and drugs before attempting the drive home. It’s extremely unlikely that all of those vehicles would have made it home last night had we not intervened. I’d much rather have parents picking up their children at our jail rather than identifying them at the morgue.”
The sheriff’s office VIDOC (Vice, Illegal Drugs and Organized Crime) unit continues to investigate the incident, especially in regard to the source of the beer kegs.
“We’ll determine who provided that beer,” Wideman said, “and they’ll be talking to one of our vice agents shortly thereafter.”
Wideman added that School Resource Officers will conduct follow-up investigations to ensure that schools are properly notified in regard to their students in attendance at the party. Wideman also said that he hoped his office’s response to this incident sends a message to underage drinkers county-wide.
“We heard some silly comments last week after we arrested several young people on bomb-making charges, the old ‘Oh, they’re just kids being kids’ thing,” Wideman said. “I can tell you, though, that we take our responsibility to protect young people very seriously, even when we’re protecting them from themselves.”
The following were charged in the raid:
- Derek Behlke, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol, possession of marijuana.
- Nicholas Day, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol.
- Stanley Getzelman, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct.
- James Jackson, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol.
- Cory Landers, 19, Greenwood, minor possession alcohol.
- Michael Leverette, 17, Hodges, minor possession of alcohol.
- Stephen Marinaro, 17, Hodges, minor possession of alcohol.
- Ryan Snelling, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol.
- Bailey Thompson, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol.
- Denise Thompson, 47, Greenwood, contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Eldred Tinsley, 17, Hodges, minor possession of alcohol.
- Marquis Valentine, 18, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol.
- Adam Walton, 17, Greenwood, minor possession of alcohol.
Six juvenile suspects were also arrested on possession of alcohol charges. One was a 16-year-old male, three were 15-year-old males, one was a 15-year-old female and one was a 14-year-old male.
The juveniles were charged and released to their parents, while those over 17 were booked and spent the night in jail awaiting a bond hearing Saturday.

Sweet serenades on the waterfront

Hot musical acts keep audience cool during contest at Lake Greenwood

August 27, 2006

By CAROLINE KLAPPER
Index-Journal staff writer

They came by land and by water. There wasn’t a spot of shade unoccupied by a lawn chair or a place near Cothran’s Bridge without a boat afloat on the water, as people came to enjoy the good music and competition offered Saturday during the David A. Crotts Beach/Country Lakefest 2006 and the Colgate Country Showdown on Lake Greenwood.
Despite the dripping hot weather, people flocked to the concert and tried to keep cool with bottled water or a dip in the lake.
Contestants from all over South Carolina came to Greenwood to perform for the showdown, and the audience was treated to a show that, after two rounds of singing, produced a winner who will go on to the state Colgate Country Showdown. The competition is part of a national talent search hosted by Pro-Com Communications (94.1 FM The Bull and WCRS 1450 AM).
“We love it,” Phyllis Laster said from her seat on a boat near the shore. “We like this. We’d like for them to do this every year, and the talent is unbelievable. I mean, really good.”
Laster said she loves country music and oldies, and an event like this is perfect because she gets to enjoy a day on the lake and great live music.
Karen and Larry Rollison decided to do a little dancing when the Out of Towners band came on stage to provide some beach music between contestants. Although it was too hot for much more than one dance, the couple said they always like to shag dance to beach music when they hear it.
“We’ve enjoyed this,” Larry said. “It’s a good event. I bet they’ll have it every year.”
The Rollisons were at the concert in support of one of the competitors, nephew Jake Bartley.
“So I’m prejudiced,” Karen said. “But I think even if he weren’t my nephew, he’d still be my pick.”
In the end though, it was Greenwood native Heather Chandler who won the competition with her renditions of “God Fearing Women” and “Piece of My Heart.”
One of the judges, Michael Duckworth, a well-known songwriter in country music, said it was her personality that won her first place.
“She had the personality, the charisma,” he said. “She has the personality to really go somewhere.”
What really won him over was when the microphone broke for a moment while Chandler was singing “Piece of My Heart,” and she kept on going through the difficulty.
“She didn’t stop. She didn’t stumble,” he said, adding that such determination is a sign of a good performer.
Judge Lori Hajost, local businesswoman and an organizer of Greenwood’s Live After Five events, agreed that Chandler had great stage personality.
“She really enjoyed what she was doing. You could tell,” she said.
The judges didn’t know what scores the others were giving to contestants, said judge Kay Crowe, so Chandler really appealed to all of them on an individual basis.
She was “smiling and seemed happy,” Crowe said. “And of course she has a good voice.”
Crowe originated the role of Patsy Cline in the musical “Always Patsy Cline,” and even performed several of Cline’s songs during the show, which the crowd acknowledged with enthusiastic applause.
Chandler said she was “excited” about the outcome of the contest.
“I’m thrilled to be able to represent Greenwood,” she said.
The next step for Chandler is the state Colgate Country Showdown to be held in Perry, Ga., where she’ll compete for a $1,000 prize and the chance to move on to the regional competition in the fall.
Chandler, a former Miss South Carolina pageant competitor, said she wasn’t nervous singing in front of a crowd because she has been singing in church since she was 4 years old.
“I’m in the element when I’m on stage,” she said.
Eventually, Chandler said she wants to record Christian music, but for now she just wants to represent Greenwood with “the utmost integrity” at the state competition.

Volleyball teams prepare for season

August 27, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

The 2006 high school volleyball season is fast approaching and along with new players taking the floor, there will also be a few new coaches roaming the sidelines.
Sherry Tommie, Renee Newton, Leslie Traynham and Jessie Long are beginning their first year at Emerald, Calhoun Falls, Ware Shoals and Saluda, respectively.
Coach Robbie Caldwell is back at Abbeville, while Beth Miller, Patricia Wryszyla and Mickie Ellis will roam the sidelines at Ninety Six, McCormick and Dixie High School.
Rebecca Anderson returns to coach Greenwood after missing last season because of medical issues.
Shawn Stratton stepped in and coached the Lady Eagles in 2005 while Anderson was out.
All of the Lakelands coaches expect their team’s to play hard this season and win games. The level of success, though, will rest on the shoulders of the players who step on the floor to compete for these teams.
“We have a goal to make it to the playoffs and further than they did last year,” Tommie said when discussing some of her expectations for this season.
The Lady Vikings’ coach said she has been pleased by the work ethic of her team throughout the summer and leading up to the regular season.
She admits that her team still has some things to work on but says that her team has shown improvement everyday.
“They have conditioned all summer and they’ve worked really hard by going to volleyball camp here at the school,” Tommie said.
When it comes to leadership for the Lady Vikings volleyball team, Tommie says that she expects Shenna Clark, Brittney Connor, Jalila Belton, Saudi Smith, Anna Grace, Kayla Smith and Alex Anderson to really help set the tone for the team which she describes as determined.

Opinion

More people standing up for what they believe in

August 27, 2006

Progress comes from human toil most of the time. However, it very often comes from conflict. Take religious issues, for example.
Consider a few. There have been - and still are - conflicts over prayer in school and other places, displays of the Ten Commandments at courthouses and other public places, Christmas scenes, the use of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, electing practicing homosexuals to Church positions, and a variety of other religion-related situations.
Needless to say, a lot of people in South Carolina identify with Americans everywhere who are standing up for their beliefs. In fact, more people are refusing to be intimidated by those who dispute their right to the symbols that have always been an integral part of their lives.

LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING in the little town of Bridgeport, W. Va. According to the Associated Press, “Tokens of Christianity, including crosses and religious mottoes, are found in schools and government buildings all over Harrison County. The amenities in a women’s bathroom at the board of education offices even include a leather-bound pocket copy of ‘New Testament: Psalms Proverbs.’
“The board of education has decided that Bridgeport, a town of 8,000 people served by 40 churches, will fight to preserve its decidedly Christian aesthetic.
“And they’re not going to let the theft of a painting of Jesus from Bridgeport High School stand in the way of that battle ..... “

THE COUNTY BOARD OF education says it will fight two civil liberties groups that have been trying to remove the painting, “Head of Christ.” They argue that it sends the message that the public school endorses Christianity as its official religion. The fact that the painting has been stolen will not stop the school board from fighting for its beliefs. The board says it will use no public money to defend itself. One group raised $150,000 for a defense fund, including $6,500 raised by students at the school. And, it says the theft of the painting won’t stop their fight.
No doubt the argument over separation of church and state will continue. That’s good. It’s healthy for Americans to debate their values. Most of all, though, it is proof that more Americans are becoming more willing to do just that ..... and fight for what they believe.

Obituaries

Elizabeth Consorte

HODGES — Elizabeth Ann DeCrenza Consorte, 87, of 9443 Vancouver Road, Spring Hill, Fla., wife of Pat Consorte, died Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006 at the home of her daughter.
Born in Ossining, N.Y., she was a daughter of the late Sam DeCrenza and Virginia Cerrone DeCrenza. She was a member of Francis Cabrini Catholic Church, Spring Hill, Fla.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Theresa Travis of Hodges and Virginia Gendron of Elberton, Ga.; a son, Anthony Consorte of Abbeville; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services are at a later date.
Family members are at their respective homes.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Care of South Carolina, 231 Hampton St., Greenwood, SC 29646.
Harley Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge.

Curtis Gillion

Curtis Eugene Gillion, 71, formerly of 1548 Parkway, died Friday, Aug. 25, 2006 at Hospice House.
Born in Enoree, he was a son of the late Rev. Willie Gillion and Nettie Leopard Gillion. He was the retired owner of Gillion Sweeping Service and was an auctioneer. He was of Holiness faith.
Survivors include three daughters, Nancy Silcox, of Greenwood, Joyce Howe, of Chappells, and Brenda Hughes, of Abbeville; two brothers, Rev. William “Billy” Gillion, of Chappells, and John Gillion, of Honea Path; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Monday at Harley Funeral Home conducted by the Revs. Ben Edwards and Ray Massey. Burial is in Hopewell Congregational Holiness Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers are grandsons and Roy Horne.
Visitation is 7-9 this evening at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of his daughter, Nancy Silcox, 214 Norris Road.
Memorials may be made to Hospice House, c/o HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Hopewell Congregational Holiness Church, 785 Old Chappells Ferry Road, Saluda, SC 29138.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Ulysses Howard Jones

Ulysses Howard Jones, of 912 Chappelle St., died Friday, Aug. 25, 2006 at his home.
Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home.

Louise C. Masters

EASLEY — Louise Childs Masters, 85, of 339 Scotland Road, widow of J. K. Masters, died Saturday, August 26, 2006 at her home.
Born in Pickens County, a daughter of the late Seth and Beulah Hendricks Childs, Mrs. Master’s was retired, after more than thirty years of service, from Alice Mfg. Company. She was a member of Cedar Rock Baptist Church where she belonged to the WMU.
Surviving are; a son, Terry Lewis Masters and wife, Elaine of Greenwood; a daughter, Diane M. Ellenburg and husband, Ricky of Easley; a half-sister, Ethelyene Alexander of Easley; four grandchildren, Lewis Masters, Daryl Masters, Michael Ellenburg and Olivia Ellenburg; and five great grandchildren. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by a brother, J. B. Childs, a sister, Jessie Mae Barr and a half-sister, Edna Childs.
Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Monday in the chapel of Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown with Revs. Bobby Caldwell and Bobby Goodwin officiating. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 PM Sunday at the funeral home.
The family is at her home.
Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown is assisting the family with arrangements.
PAID OBITUARY

Jessie Mae Price

NINETY-SIX — Jessie Mae Butler Price, 74, of 7417 Highway 246 South, widow of Eugene “Pete” Price, died Saturday, August 26, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Fountain Inn, she was a daughter of the late Marvin Ernest and Annie Elizabeth Brown Butler. She was retired from Greenwood Mills, Mathews Plant and was a member of Hopewell Congregational Holiness Church.
She was preceded in death by three sisters, Helen Litaker, Ruby Nell Price and Sandra Hastings and a brother, J. D. Butler.
Surviving is a daughter, Mrs. Jimmy Dean (Judy) Butler, with whom she made her home; a sister, Mrs. Ray (Christine) White of Greenwood; three grandchildren, Dean Butler, Jr., Brian Butler and Jamie Padgett Butler and a great grandchild, McKenzy Jordan Butler.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at South Greenwood Assembly of God with the Rev. Louie Murray, the Rev. Carroll Harrison and the Rev. Dennis Campbell officiating. Burial will be in Oakbrook Memorial Park.
Pallbearers will be Mike Balchin, Gary Price, Dudley Rushton, Chris Williams, Glenn Glover and Glenn Price.
Honorary escort will be Richard Ergle, Gregg Hastings, Michael Hastings, Tim Hastings, Wayne Litaker, Lynn Miller, Robert Stewart and Cecil Lucas.
The family will receive friends at Harley Funeral Home on Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. on Monday.
The family is at the home, 7417 Highway 246 South, Ninety Six.
Memorials may be made to Hopewell Congregational Holiness Church, 785 Old Chappells Ferry Road, Saluda, SC 29138 or South Greenwood Assembly of God, 280 Galilee Road, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Accent

Cool beans

Iced coffee gives java lovers chance to get fix with a bit of a chill

August 26, 2006

By CAROLINE KLAPPER
Index-Journal staff writer

In the heat of summer, even the most hardcore coffee lover might cringe at the thought of downing a cup of steaming hot java in 90 degree weather.
The solution is one that southerners discovered years ago when it came to tea: just pour it over ice.
Iced and frozen coffee drinks hit the peak of popularity among customers during the summer, said James Thompson, owner of Mocha Express.
“You still get your regulars getting hot coffee in the morning, but ... in the afternoon and evening it’s mainly iced and frozen,” he said.
About half of the morning customers at Mocha Express opt for cold coffee beverages, but Mary Bolen, owner of Jimary Java, said her morning customers still choose mostly hot coffee, even during the summer.
“The cold drinks start picking up around lunch time and that lasts all throughout the afternoon,” she said.
Although iced mocha, caramel latte and kona mocha are customer favorites at Jimary Java, many people don’t order any flavors in their iced coffee.
“I’m really surprised at the number of people that want just iced coffee, just coffee on ice,” Bolen said.
At Mocha Express, customers have a sweet tooth when it comes to their frozen, slushie-like coffee drinks. The coffee toffee and turtle mocha are the most popular this summer, Thompson said.
The coffee toffee had English toffee flavoring, chocolate and caramel in the mixture, while the turtle mocha contains praline flavoring, caramel and chocolate. Both drinks are topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauces.
It’s no wonder that some people go to the drive-thru coffee house with dessert in mind along with a caffeine fix.
“I kind of think some of them do consider it a dessert,” Thompson said.
For those who are watching their calories, Mocha Express offers a variety of sugar-free flavors, which Thompson said taste as good as the regular flavoring.
Coffee as dessert isn’t a new idea for Bolen either.
“It’s sort of a liquid dessert, especially with whipped cream on top,” she said.
Jimary Java even offers milkshakes with a few shots of expresso in it to add an extra kick to a classic dessert drink.
And at a place known for cool dessert treats, Dairy Queen has found success in frozen coffee craze with their line of frozen Moolattes.
The Dairy Queen corporation is the second largest frozen coffee purveyor in the United States in points of distribution behind coffee giant Starbucks, according to local franchise owner John Gillespie.
He said the line of frozen coffee drinks was introduced about three years ago, and they’ve been a great success. In addition to the mocha, French vanilla, cappuccino, caramel and mint flavors, Dairy Queen recently introduced a hazelnut Moolatte.
“It’s just a big seller,” he said of the drinks. “It picks up as all iced drinks do in the summer, but we have very loyal people that have to get their coffee fix, and I would have to be one of those people.”
Gillespie said the mocha and hazelnut flavors are his favorites, but all of the flavors sell well with customers.

We’re not out to rip you off, but the newspaper can’t give everything away!

By RICHARD WHITING
Executive news editor

People, by our very nature, often have difficulty accepting change. We tend to like things a certain way.
Our eggs must be over easy every morning! Only this brand of bath soap, and always wash the body in the same sequence. No, never put ketchup on the hot dog! Coffee on at 6 a.m., first cup and newspaper in hand at 6:15.
Ah, now that one strikes a chord. Talk about habits. People get used to having a very set routine when it comes to their newspaper. In fact, a few years ago when The Index-Journal announced it was switching to a morning paper seven days a week, there were some readers who expressed great concern. “But I’m used to getting my paper in the afternoon!” We’re pretty sure some of those people refuse to read their Index-Journal in the morning. They let it lie on the porch or sit in the newspaper tube until the clock reaches the hour they were accustomed to getting their paper. And that’s OK.
People are pretty particular about their daily newspaper reading habits, too. There are those who scan the headlines on the front page, then turn to page 4A to see if any friends or neighbors have passed. Next, it’s off to the editorial page where they can nod in agreement with one writer and mumble under their breath about the left-wing commie sympathizer or the right-wing war-mongering zealot.
Change anything about the paper — be it position of particular pages, removal of a favorite comic strip or time of delivery — and it’s a safe bet that someone will be upset. And they’ll be vocal about it.
We heard from some readers recently who read our notices about pricing plans for publishing obituaries, wedding announcements and such. What seems to have upset people the most is the newspaper’s new rate for publishing obituaries.
Yes, “new.” For about five years now the newspaper has had a fee for publishing obituaries, and even that came long after most daily newspapers had been assessing charges.
The newspaper has for years allowed families to publish what we referred to as a “standard obituary.” Such obituaries gave readers the basic information they need, and included the names of immediate family members. Funeral homes were charged a flat fee for those obituaries, a fee that included posting the obituaries on the newspaper Web site. Families who wanted to include grandchildren’s names, the names of distant relatives, or biographical information about the deceased had to pay a rate based on the length of the obituary.
Many a family has been upset to learn that this or that seemingly minor change would result in a higher charge. And many a family didn’t like the fact that they had to adhere to a particular format for how obituaries would be written.
You can publish this, but you can’t publish that. It has to be written this way, or you can pay extra to have it written that way. Why put up so many roadblocks? Our solution was really quite simple.
At no charge, the newspaper will publish what is commonly referred to as a “death notice.” A death notice will let readers know who died and when, the deceased’s age (if provided) and address. It will include the deceased’s widow or widower’s name, or spouse’s name. It will give the address where family members are gathered, and it will include the name of the funeral home handling arrangements.
Granted, that’s not exactly a detailed obituary. But for most readers, it’s enough information to let them know if it’s a friend, neighbor or fellow church member.
Some readers took this “death notice” information to mean that the newspaper was refusing to publish anything more than that. That’s not the case at all.
Instead, family members will be allowed to craft their loved one’s obituary to include as much information as they want and, essentially, in the format they want. There will be a charge of $12 per column inch the obituary occupies on the page, but the family controls that cost by including as much or as little information as they want written about their loved one.
Sure, some readers are upset that we will assess a charge at all. One wrote to say that charging a fee “against a bereaved family is extremely classless.” But the newspaper business has changed. And the cost of producing a newspaper has increased dramatically.
One of the highest expenses newspapers face is the cost of its newsprint. Everything we put in the newspaper has a cost associated with it, including the obituaries, weddings, engagements, etc. The Associated Press does not give newspapers its news. Newspapers buy it, and it’s not inexpensive.
The costs for a family-owned paper are harder to absorb than for a paper that’s a part of a large chain. And you’ll notice that the larger papers – those associated with chains – are charging at a far higher rate than we to publish obituaries, weddings and similar notices. Our new pricing plan, which also affects the publication of weddings, engagements and anniversaries, will simply help us absorb our costs. We’re not out to make huge sums of money off local residents.
Publishing obituaries and wedding announcements is a service, but it’s not a service without associated costs. We are a business, like any other business in town. We have to maintain a certain profit level to remain in business. We’re not a nonprofit, but we still perform a service to the community. If it’s wrong for newspapers to charge for obituaries and wedding announcements, why is it OK for flower shops to charge for funeral wreaths and brides’ bouquets?
Maybe we could pass all our costs along to the subscribers and hike the cost of the daily paper, increase the annual delivery fee. But we think that we’re still a bargain when it comes to providing news and information at a reasonable rate.
It’s funny how people are willing to pay $50 a month for cable TV, or $30 a month for Internet access, and somehow misconstrue that as not having to pay for news and information! Think about it. It’s OK to pay $360 a year to access the Internet? It’s OK to pay $600 or more a year for the privilege of watching network or cable news? But somehow a newspaper that is delivered to your door every day, filled with local, state, world and national news, filled with money-saving advertising information, and coming to you at a cost of $140.40 a year is wrong to recoup some of its costs in an effort to remain in business and hold down prices.

Richard S. Whiting can be reached at rwhiting@indexjournal.com or 943-2522.