Officials differ on crime stats

Abbeville County’s Gunnells: Drug activity on the rise; Sheriff Goodwin cites decline

October 19, 2006

By JOSEPH BUTLER
Index-Journal intern

ABBEVILLE — The County Council chairman is concerned about what he sees as a rise in drug and other criminal activity. At the same time, however, the county sheriff says crime is actually on the decline.
Chairman Ernest R. Gunnells told The Index-Journal the methamphetamine problem in District 1 on the county’s northeastern end is growing — and the border with Anderson County could be part of the problem.
Gunnells said local law enforcement has all the tools to combat crime, but “maybe not the manpower.”
“We have lots of concerns about how the drug problem is being handled,” he said. “(The sheriff) has asked for funding for extra deputies and cars and he is getting two cars as we speak, but I don’t know about the deputies.”
Sheriff Charles Goodwin said Wednesday that the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Department was short three deputies, but a new mandate requiring the department to provide two deputies for courthouse security puts the shortage at five.
Until recently, the staff was so thin that the department only had two deputies on the third — or overnight — shift, Goodwin said.
The shortage of deputies is a result of officers leaving for better salaries in other counties, he said, adding his department appears to serve as just a training ground for law enforcement officers. Abbeville County trains them, and then they leave for greener pastures, he said.
“The council needs to look at the pay scale,” Goodwin said, as a way of attracting applicants and retaining trained officers.
As far as the funding issue, county director Scott Moulder said, “That’s what he (the sheriff) would argue.” Moulder then deferred other questions to the council and Goodwin.
Despite the deputy shortage, Goodwin said he has seen a decline in theft and meth cases in the county from six months ago.
“We have taken some significant players out recently,” he said.
The sheriff credited recent legislation restricting access to over-the-counter products used in meth production as one reason for the decline.
Goodwin said S.C. 184, which leads from Honea Path to Iva in Anderson County, historically has been a hotbed of drug activity. As a result, the department has two deputies keeping a constant watch on that area.

New love for old things transforms home, business

October 19, 2006

By ST. CLAIRE DONAGHY
Index-Journal staff writer

For Ann Kuehn, of Kirksey, her love of antiques began years ago, when a friend invited her to come along on a shopping trip in Chattanooga, Tenn.
“I bought a rather large primitive basket,” Kuehn said, noting she was “hooked” on antiques after that trip.
“I then graduated on to larger pieces — cupboards and rope beds,” Ann said.
When Ann and her husband, Al, moved to Greenwood about 20 years ago, Ann said she wanted to “live on a farm.” A local Realtor showed the Kuehns 12 acres off U.S. 25, in the southern end of Greenwood County, complete with an 1800s farm house and numerous rustic outbuildings, including a cook’s cabin and several barns.
This idyllic setting provided the perfect backdrop for Ann to collect and display beloved early American country pieces she “searched out” while antiques shopping.
“At first, I don’t think Al shared my passion for antiques, until he saw that I could make money selling them,” she quipped.
Their farm, High Grove, is home to Straw Broom Primitives, Ann’s antiques shop, located in the cook’s cabin not far from the house.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, High Grove is home to antiques, crafts and food as part of “Harvest Gathering at High Grove Farm.”
“Al and I work really hard preparing for the shows here at High Grove, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “One of the best things about dealing in antiques is the people we meet through our travels and through shows.”
Straw Broom Primitives wasn’t Ann’s first venture into retail sales. Before opening the antiques shop, Ann had Prissy’s Porch, a Greenwood “country” gift shop on Montague Avenue.
But things of old are Ann’s love.
“Almost everything we have in our house is old,” she said.
For example, in the Kuehns’ kitchen, instead of contemporary built-in cabinetry, they have opted to use free-standing cupboards and hanging cupboards.
For wall art, you are more likely to find “samplers” — examples of early American needlework, often done by young children and teens — instead of modern art.
Living in a house dating back to the 1800s is appropriate for her, Ann said.
“I like all of the peculiarities of the house,” Ann said. “All the doors that don’t close properly and this and that and the other.”
The Kuehns are just the third owners of the house and one of two owners outside of the original owners, a family by the name of Williams.
“I don’t have an exact date of when the house was constructed,” Ann said. “I have two dates, and I’ve never been able to pinpoint which one is the true date, so I just go in the middle and say it was constructed around 1860. This farm was in the same family for more than 100 years.”
Her favorite antique finds, Ann said, are “things that farmers and other people made.”
“That’s what I sell in my shop and what I furnish my house with,” Ann said. “I love good Southern pieces, but they’re getting harder to find. I especially like early painted pieces.”
Early primitive Southern antiques, Ann said, tend to be “utilitarian in nature and not fancy.”
She said she tries to use all of the antique furnishings and accessories she owns.
“Everything might not have been made for what I’m using it for, but I certainly try to use it all,” Ann said. “I love baskets, not for just putting on a shelf to look at.”
One of her favorite pieces in her home is an Amish chest she picked up at an antiques show in Indiana last year that was made to hold cold-weather “feather tick” bedding.
A prized recent find is a sign from a Maine store that reads, “Dry and Fancy Goods.”
“I had to practically rearrange my whole house the other day to hang up that sign,” Ann said. “But it’s really neat. I really love things that are simple, worn and well-loved.”
Antiques lovers, Ann said, are “kindred spirits” and “caretakers” of things of old.
To find out more about High Grove Farm or Straw Broom Primitives, call 227-2939 or visit www.strawbroomprimitives.com.

Council member: Sales tax preferred

County’s Bryant says property taxes will rise if referendum fails

October 19, 2006

By R. SHAWN LEWIS
Managing editor

Renters beware: If a vote on a 1-cent sales tax for Greenwood County capital projects fails, you could end up paying more to live each month.
So said councilman Gonza Bryant in support of the Nov. 7 referendum during a meeting Wednesday at Inn on the Square.
In the general election, Greenwood County voters will decide whether to impose a 1-cent sales tax to leverage funding to pay for two county projects: building a new main library and strengthening the Buzzard Roost dam.
If voters defeat the sales-tax measure, the county will raise the property tax rate in order to pay for the dam and library projects, Bryant said.
“Renters bear the brunt of property tax increases,” he told a gathering of interested residents and local officials. “Such increases are immediately passed on to renters.”

The projects

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, has told the county it needs to spend as much as $30 million to reinforce the earthen dam at Buzzard Roost on Lake Greenwood.
County council also has agreed to fund up to $10 million for construction of a modern county library.
“These are issues that affect all the citizens of Greenwood County,” Bryant said.
The existing library, which has about 13,000 square feet of space, was built in 1958 and renovated in 1972. It cannot be expanded, he said, and the state library system has recommended the county build a 60,000-square-foot facility to replace it.
The new library site is south of uptown Greenwood on Main Street across from the old high school.
Bryant said the library is “the only educational and cultural institution available to the community (that is) totally free (to use).”
“The county library system is integral to the educational foundation of our folks,” he said. “We must have the best, most state-of-the-art resources necessary to further the education of the people of Greenwood County. This is our workforce — now and in the future.”
The dam project at Buzzard Roost has been the subject of many rumors, each of which Bryant dispelled.
“No, the lake will not be drained,” he said. “The quality of the lake’s water will not be affected. And there will be no change in lake levels while the work is being done.
“No, we are not building a second dam behind the existing dam. We are thickening the existing dam.”
Bryant said that, in addition to being the source of local drinking water, some 60 industries use water from Lake Greenwood in their manufacturing processes.
“These industries employ more than 12,000 in Greenwood County,” he said.

Why sales tax?

County officials contend the sales tax is a better option than imposing a property tax hike, saying 40 percent of sales-tax revenue comes into the coffers from non-county residents who shop in Greenwood County. This means the cost burden of the projects would be shared by a broader base of people, including non-residents, they point out.
Willie Mae Dorsey, who attended the meeting, asked how the county “can depend on others to come here if they don’t find what they’re looking for.”
Jeff Fowler, chief executive officer of Partnership Alliance, said “Greenwood captures 98 percent of the dollars spent by its residents” in comparison to 70 percent in other areas.
“But we do need some other shops and restaurants,” Fowler added.
To that end, the county’s economic development engine had just returned from meeting with representatives of several merchants and restaurants. Fowler said the county was actively courting Kohls, Stein Mart, PetSmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, Target, Starbucks and others.
“If we get them now and they commit by spring, the shops will be open by 2008,” he said.
Their popularity with both Greenwood County residents and visitors would generate more sales-tax revenue, meaning the bonds could be paid for in a shorter period.
Under the sales-tax plan, once the dam and library projects are paid, the penny tax will be rolled back after a maximum of seven years. Bryant said the tax could “sunset” in as few as five years, depending on local commerce.
If property taxes are used to fund the project, the increases will last up to 20 years.
A handout titled “November 7 Sales Tax Referendum Overview” reports that the temporary sales-tax alternative, including project costs, fees and interest, will cost Greenwood County $45.6 million. The property tax option would cost $72 million.
The property tax option would result in a $90 per year increase for $100,000 assessed value and would be paid entirely by Greenwood County residents.

Editor Richard Whiting contributed to this report.

Miles R. Burroughs

Miles Richard Burroughs, 56, formerly of 419 Monk Grove Road, Spartanburg, died Monday, Oct. 9, 2006, in West Palm Beach, FL.
Born in Greenwood, he was a son of the late Lambert and Louise Scott Burroughs.
Surviving is a daughter, Sherry B. Reece and her husband, Frankie; two grandchildren, Tiffany Reece and James Reece, IV, all of Roebuck; a sister, Darlene Blackmon and her husband, Charles, of Greenwood; two brothers, Danny Burroughs of Hodges and Rocky Burroughs of West Palm Beach. He was preceded in death by a sister, Lorna Branch.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at Cokesbury Methodist Church, with the Revs. James Scott and David Wilson officiating.
The family will receive friends immediately following the service.
Memorials may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
Announcement by Harley Funeral Home and Crematory.

Willie James ‘Noot’ Collier

ABBEVILLE — Willie J. Collier, age 61, of 121 Oaklawn Drive, died Oct. 15, 2006 at Abbeville Area Medical Center. He was the son of Inez Collier Rollinson and the late Thomas L. Rollinson. Services will be Friday, Oct. 20, 2006 at 1 p.m. at Westside Baptist Church of Christ, with Bro. Thomas Collier officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Surviving are his mother of the home; brothers, Johnny, Theodore and Rudolph Rollinson; sisters, Thomosina Rollinson and Mattie R. Julien. The family is at the home of a brother Rudolph Rollinson, 89 Oaklawn Drive. Brown and Walker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Jimmy ‘Jim’ Harris

CALHOUN FALLS — Jimmy “Jim” Harris, 53, of 1554 Latimer Road, husband of Nina Lee Harris, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006 at his home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Abbeville & White Mortuary Inc., Abbeville.

Betty S. Johnson

Betty S. Johnson, 59, of 120 Independence Way, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006 at her home.
The family is at 520 Marion St.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Nancy Moon

CROSS HILL — Nancy Grace Rainey Hawkins Moon, 69, of 1316 Amber Hill Circle, died Oct. 17, 2006 at her home.
A native of Greenville County, daughter of the late Shuman and Mae Jones Rainey, she was a partner in Moon’s Landing and a member of Southside Baptist Church. Her first husband was the late Robert Hawkins.
Surviving are her husband, Homer Lee Moon, Sr. of the home; two daughters and sons-in-law, Gail Hawkins Runion and Rev. Mike Runion of Taylorsville, N.C., and Lori Hawkins Howell and John Baron Howell of Greer; five brothers, Carroll Rainey and Doug Rainey, both of Taylors, Julius Rainey of Gastonia, N.C., Russell Rainey and Alva Rainey, both of Greenville; two sisters, Margaret Spencer of Greenville and Lois Austin of Cross Hill; four grandchildren, Brandy Childers, Matthew Runion, John Runion, and Madison Howell; and four great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Moon was predeceased by a son, Robert Joel Hawkins, three brothers, Clyde Rainey, Charles Rainey, and Earl Rainey, one sister, Evelyn Echols, and two grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday at the Wood Mortuary, conducted by Rev. Mike Runion and Rev. Keith Kelly. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be held 12:30-1:45 p.m. Friday at the Wood Mortuary.
The families are at their respective homes.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Laurens County, P.O. Box 178, Clinton, S.C. 29325.
Online condolences may be made at www.thewoodmortuary.com.

Dr. Albert Grady Oliver

ABBEVILLE — Dr. Albert Grady Oliver, 86, of Abbeville, husband of Anne Ellenberg Oliver, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006.
Born in Franklin County, GA, he was the eldest son of the late Charlie Lake Oliver and the late Rilla Crawford Oliver. He was a faithful and loving husband for sixty-three years to Anne Ellenberg Oliver of Ninety-Six, SC. To his children he was a devoted father, and to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren a beloved Papa.
Dr. Oliver was a veteran of the US Army Air Corps in WWII, where he served in the Pacific Theater as a navigator, flying 68 combat missions. From 1952 until 1988, Dr. Oliver served the Abbeville community as a Family Practitioner in private practice. He loved his community and church, and even after his retirement volunteered his time for both.
Survivors include his wife, Anne, of the home; children, Miriam (Mim) Burton of Abbeville, Mitchell and Debbie Oliver of Lilburn, GA, Tom and Kathy Oliver of Greer, SC, and Chris and Judy Baker of Greer, SC. Grandchildren are Edward Burton, Daniel and Jodie Burton, Elizabeth and Brian Tasker, Bradley Oliver, Matthew and Kristy Oliver, Ashley and Matt Gaymon, Brent and Lena Baker, Andrew Baker, and Rachel Baker; and great-grandchildren are Dillon and Hope Tasker, and Reid Burton. He is also survived by two brothers, Herman Oliver and Clyde Oliver, and a sister, Lula Crider. He was predeceased by two brothers, Harold Oliver and CB Oliver; and three sisters, Jean Lindsay, Gladys Horton, and Sarah Royston.
The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006 at Harris Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, 2006 in the funeral home chapel, conducted by Revs. Ray Massey and Houston Taylor. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Memorials may be made to Abbeville Pentecostal Holiness Church, 18 Pinehurst St., Abbeville, SC 29620, or to Emmanuel College, PO Box 129, Franklin Springs, GA. 30639.
The family is at the home, 301 Sunset Dr.
Online condolences may be sent to the Oliver family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home, of Abbeville is assisting the Oliver family.

Danny Plummer

COLUMBIA — Danny Eugene Plummer, 56, of Columbia, SC, passed away suddenly on Oct. 17, 2006. He was born on July 5, 1950 in Trion, Ga. He was the son of Dean Plummer of Ware Shoals and the late Austin Plummer. He was employed by the Newberry School District at Mid-Carolina Middle School. He was the former director of the Mid-Region Soccer Association for the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association and actively participated as a football official with the South Carolina High School League for twenty-five years.
He is survived by his wife, Marsha Anderson Plummer of Columbia, one son, Christopher Michael Plummer and daughter-in-law, Sarah Faust Plummer of Charlotte, NC, his mother, Dean Plummer of Ware Shoals, SC and sister, Elizabeth Jane P. Stone of Abbeville, SC.
Visitation will be at Parker-White Funeral Home, Ware Shoals, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2006, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with the service following at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the family cemetery in Trion, Ga., on Friday evening. Honorary pallbearers will be officials from the South Carolina High School League.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Greenwood Church of Christ, Greenwood, SC.

EHS fares well at meet

Girls take first in region event, boys tie with Ninety Six

October 19, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

BATESBURG — The Lakelands area was well represented Wednesday in cross country.
The Region III-AA cross country meet was Wednesday at Batesburg-Leesville High School. Though it has no bearing on posteseason positioning in the Upper State and State meets, the region event is always big in determining bragging rights among area schools.
On the girls’ side, Emerald came away with the team victory. Meanwhile, there was a tie in the boys’ ranks, as Emerald and Ninety Six went home as co-region champs.
The final team tally for the girls was Emerald 30, Ninety Six 59, Batesburg-Leesville 68, Mid-Carolina 91 and Saluda 111. For the boys, it was Emerald 31, Ninety Six 321, Batesburg-Leesville 88, Saluda 97 and Mid-Carolina 102.
At the completion of the meet, organizers named All-Region teams.
Four girls from the Lakelands area made All-Region.
They were Emerald’s Stephanie Whitmire, with a time of 21 minutes, 12 seconds, Emerald’s Shelby Harris with 23:02, Emerald’s Katie Henderson with 23:41 and Ninety Six’s Erin Turner with 24:03.
All six members of the boys’ All-Region team were from the Lakelands area. Ninety Six’s Michael Rounds came in at 18:18, Emerald’s Maverick Harris had 18:28, Emerald’s Andrew Wilson ran 18:35, Emerald’s Matt Menard posted a 19:17, Ninety Six’s Jordan Hine had 19:40 and Ninety Six’s Daniel Longmire posted a time of 19:56.
Rounds, who, along with 13 other Ninety Six boys runners, was running for the first time in a meet since returning from last week’s much-discussed suspension, said it felt good to be back on the course.
“It did feel pretty good,” Rounds said. “I’ve got a hip flexor, and that is hurting me a little bit. But, overall, I think it went well.”
Ninety Six coach Sandi Zehr said she was not surprised Rounds had a strong return.
“Michael ran well and won the race, just like I thought he could,” Zehr said. “He does have a hip flexor, but he seemed to hold up well out there.”
Whitmire, whose 21:12 was nearly two minutes off her best time but still good enough to give her a broad victory, said her coaches, Emily Polatty and David Payne, had her prepared to run.

Bearcats not in fog in victory

October 19, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

In a battle between Mother Nature and an opposing team Wednesday, the No. 21 Lander Bearcats were successful in defeating one foe while having no answer for the other.
The Bearcats defeated the Newberry Indians, 3-0, while playing through a heavy fog at home to improve to 12-3 overall.
“We had a good start and got two goals very early in the game and that put them a little bit back on their heels,” said Bearcats coach Van Taylor.
Adam Arthur scored first for the Bearcats at the 15:37 mark of the first half when he sent a shot into the left corner of the net just past Indians goalkeeper Will Dieterich to give Lander a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, Nick Cooke got into the scoring column for the Bearcats when he looked off Arthur and booted a shot right down to go up 2-0.
Lander goalkeeper Garrett Daum helped keep the Bearcats ahead by two at the 42:11 mark when he picked up one of his nine saves by making a diving stop on a shot by the Indians’ Debola Ogunseye.
Indians coach Sam Okpodu was straightforward when breaking down his team’s loss.
“We didn’t come to win this game and that’s basically what it is,” Okpodu said. “Lander wanted this game and they proved it. That’s basically the difference between us and them.”
The Bearcats took two shots on goal in the opening five minutes as they tried to build on their two-goal lead. The Bearcats’ efforts paid off when Cooke struck again at the 7:34 mark giving the Bearcats a 3-0 lead.
“We have one more game left Saturday and it’s an important conference game. Then we have the conference tournament next week,” Taylor said. “The title is up for grabs. We would have to backdoor it, but we certainly feel like we will be at least second in the league.”

What was said, intended regarding free speech?

October 19, 2006

What a shame we don’t know precisely what South Carolina’s contingent at the constitutional convention thought about the free speech rights granted to us by the First Amendment. We know, of course, what those Founding Fathers said - and printed. What we don’t seem to know, though, is what they intended when they approved the Bill of Rights.
That comes up nowadays all over the country as freedom of speech is claimed in ways that just don’t make much sense to a lot of people. In fact, when the U. S. Supreme Court issues rulings that protect free speech in the abstract, it leaves many of us in disbelief. Certainly many of us find ourselves at variance with some of the rulings.

EXAMPLE: IS BURNING THE American flag really free speech, as the Court has said? That’s a burning question for a lot of South Carolinians. There are other examples to be sure. One, however, can be whether hate speech is indeed protected by the Constitution.
There are protesters in the U. S. who go to funerals of American soldiers who have died in or on the periphery of combat. They say terrible things about the dead soldiers and their families. In a word, their “message” is hate. It has been deemed to be protected as freedom of speech.
Isn’t it ironic that sometimes in some places people can be prosecuted for committing “hate” crimes. To the contrary, when they say hateful things, though, no matter how obnoxious or disrespectful it is, they’re protected by the Constitution.

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT our Founding Fathers had any thought of protecting hate speech, particularly the kind we see too often these days. The First Amendment does protect our rights to such things as political and religious opinion. Putting it in the perspective of their times, there’s no doubt about that. But, should we have a right to say hateful and hurtful things that can have a negative impact on others, and maybe tend to cite to violence?
Again, it’s hard to believe that was in any way intended by those who crafted the Constitution. Unfortunately, they did not add what they intended. That, of course, leaves it all open to interpretation. Under the circumstances it’s too obvious at times that interpretations come in the extreme. When that happens, is