2 sentenced in child-treatment case

Authorities say 3 kids found at couple’s home
were in need of medical attention

September 12, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

A woman and man charged by Greenwood authorities earlier this year with unlawful conduct toward children were sentenced in a Greenwood County court.
In June, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office charged Melissa Ellen Campbell, 32, of 529 Mill Road, Mt. Pleasant, and Shean R. Rybka, 35, of 5923 Sedgefield Drive, Hanahan, with three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child after deputies found three children in need of medical attention in the couple’s home on Auld Road.
Campbell pleaded guilty to the charges in court on Thursday, said Elizabeth White, assistant solicitor with the Eighth Judicial Circuit. She received a probationary sentence of three years and must register on the state’s child abuse registry, White said.
Campbell must also attend parenting classes and a substance abuse program, White added.
On Friday, Rybka, Campbell’s boyfriend, entered a plea of “Alford vs. North Carolina,” White said, which means that Rybka did not admit guilt in the charges, but he thought the state could convict him based on the evidence of the case. Rybka received a sentence of five years suspended on service of four years, White said, with a two-year probationary period upon his release.
Rybka’s sentence means he will have to serve four years with the South Carolina Department of Corrections before he can receive parole, White said. If he violates provisions of his probation, he would have to serve his fifth year in a state correctional facility.
Rybka will also be placed on the state’s child abuse registry, White said.
Authorities were called to the couple’s home in May, after a neighbor became concerned about the welfare of three children in the residence. When they entered the home, deputies found a 1-year-old child lying naked in his own feces in a playpen, and a second 1-year-old child in another room, wrapped in a heavy blanket with a bottle beside him, according to Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office reports and affidavits.
In a report, a deputy described the child as looking very thin, with scabs around his mouth and ears, though Campbell told authorities the child was thin because of recent surgery and had been injured in a fall. The child was admitted to the hospital for dehydration, injuries to the mouth, several bruises to the body and bite marks to the ears and foot. X-rays showed the child also had healing fractured bones from the alleged fall that occurred up to two weeks earlier.
Deputies took emergency protective custody of the child, and the Department of Social Services was also contacted after the child’s assessment at the hospital. Concerned with the safety of the other two children in the household, investigators brought them to the emergency room for examination and, based upon the results, had them placed into emergency protective custody as well.
The reports said the other 1-year-old infant was assessed to have a healed or healing fracture to the left forearm and was suffering from an infection. Bruising was also seen.
The reports also said a 7-year-old girl told investigators that she and her brothers slept on the bathroom floor at the house, and an examination showed the girl to have bruises and healing bruises on her arm, shoulder and leg. The girl also told deputies that her mother’s boyfriend had injured her younger brother during a fight with her mother, stating that the child had been hit with a glass, reports said.
White said the children are still in foster care and details about where the children will be permanently placed have not yet been completed.
“They are all doing much, much better now,” White added.

Megan Varner covers general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3308, or: mvarner@indexjournal.com

Alma C. Campbell

ELBERTON — Alma Crocker Campbell, age 93, passed away Monday, September 11, 2006, at Elbert Memorial Hospital.
Mrs. Campbell was the daughter of the late John Duncan Crocker and Parthenia Brown Crocker. She was the widow of Mr. Parker Davis Campbell. Mrs. Campbell was a member of Northside Baptist Church in Calhoun Falls.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law Gayle and Tommy Lyon and son John Edward Campbell both of Elberton; son Leroy Campbell of Calhoun Falls; son and daughter-in-law Terrell and Sheila Campbell of Abbeville; 7 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 6 to 8PM at Calhoun Falls Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Thursday, September 14th at 11:00AM at the Chapel of Calhoun Falls Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Abbeville.
In lieu of flowers the family request memorials be made to Northside Baptist Church Outdoor Sign Fund, 201 Marion Street, Calhoun Falls, SC 29628. The family will be at their respective homes.
Calhoun Falls Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Bennie Mae Day

GREENWOOD — Bennie Mae Day, 99, of Magnolia Manor, widow of Charlie Day, passed away Friday, September 8, 2006.
Born in Greenwood County, she was the daughter of the late Ernest Witt and Betty Fulton Witt. She was the last survivor of her immediate family. She was a member of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, member of the Senior Choir, and Missionary Society.
She was preceded in death by her son, Willie Graham and her daughter, Ethel Mae Day.
Funeral Services will be conducted 1:00 P.M. Wednesday at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church with Reverend Otis Cunningham officiating.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Flower bearers will be Deborah A. Day, Deborah W. Day, Angie Day, Tara Day, Tonya Jackson, and Mary Ann Peterson.
Pallbearers will be Eugene Day, James L. Day, Ronald Wardlaw, Earl Baylor, Gerald Witt, and Marvin Witt.
The body will be placed in the church at 12 Noon.
The family is at 122 Swallow Road, Ninety Six.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net.

Jessie Moore Hackett

GREENWOOD — Jessie Moore Hackett, 84, of 106 Emerald Farm Road passed away Friday, September 8, 2006, at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, she was the daughter of the late Andrew Moore and Hattie Watson Moore. She was a member of Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witnesses.
She is survived by two sons, James Marion Hackett of the home, Herbert Daryl Hackett, Jr. of Greenwood; one daughter, Sandra H. Alston of Greenwood; five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held 1:00 P.M. Wednesday at Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witnesses with Brother John Dendy officiating.
Burial will be in Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net.

James Arthur Higgins

JOANNA — James Arthur Higgins, 213 Carver St., Joanna, S.C., son to the late Jannie Higgins and John Wesley Singleton, departed this life on Saturday, September 9, 2006, at Self Memorial Hospital, Greenwood, S.C. He was widower of the late Sarah Etta Kinard.
He started his business dream, The Higgins Cab Company. After approximately 15 years with his cab company, due to health conditions, he totally retired.
Mr. Higgins joined Mount Olive A.M.E. Church, Kinards, S.C., where he was baptized and became an active member. He was a faithful and committed member of the Trustee Board, he loved the Lord and he loved his church.
Precious memories will forever be cherished by: his children, Willie Mae Simpson of the home; Jannie Caldwell of Ninety Six, S.C., Sarah Ethel Jackson of Charleston, S.C., James Melvin Higgins of Newberry, S.C.; his brother, Burnett Singleton of Newberry, S.C.; his sister, Mattie Lee James of Maryland; 10 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be held on Wed., Sept. 13, at 2 pm, Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church, Kinards, S.C., with burial in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7-7:30 pm Tuesday at the Mortuary.
Sanders-Thompson, Clinton, S.C. is caring for the family.

James Keith Kennedy

ABBEVILLE — James Keith Kennedy, 45, of Abbeville, died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, at Abbeville Area Medical Center. Born in Abbeville Co., he was a son of Annie L. Kennedy and the late Henry Kennedy of Calhoun Falls and husband of Elaine Fuller Kennedy of Abbeville. He was a member of Mt. Hebron A.M.E. Church and affiliated with Covenant International Outreach Church in Anderson. He was employed with West Carolina Co.
Survived by: two daughters La Tanya K. Brown and Brooke K. Kennedy of Atlanta, Ga.; one son La Juan K. Norman of Calhoun Falls; stepdaughter Kimberly Goodman of Greenwood; four brothers Curtis Bell, John and Robert Kennedy of Calhoun Falls and William Kennedy of Iva; seven sisters Thelma Kennedy, Virginia Glover, Kathleen Banks, Gloria Gray, Connie Wardlaw, Audrey Ford and Dale K. Gilchrist, all of Calhoun Falls; two grandchildren and two step Grand; grandmother Virginia Bell of Calhoun Falls and a host of nieces and nephews, uncles and aunts, cousins and friends. The family is at the home of his mother, 108 Kennedy St., Calhoun Falls.
Services will be Wednesday 1:00 at Calhoun Falls Pentecostal Holiness Church, conducted by Paul Agnew. The body will be placed in the church at 12. Entombment is in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens, Abbeville.
Abbeville & White Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences can be made at awmort@wctel.net.

Inez Lynn

McCORMICK — Inez Hardin Lynn, 91, formerly of 102 South Oak Street, died September 10, 2006, at McCormick Health Care.
A native of Greenville County, daughter of the late John P. and Bessie Reese Hardin, she was a retired employee of Union Carbide and a member of El Bethel Baptist Church.
Surviving are a son, Rev. Dennis G. Lynn of McCormick; three brothers, Kenneth Hardin and A.D. Hardin both of Taylors and Odell Hardin of Columbia; two grandchildren, David Lynn and his wife, Lisa and Todd Lynn and his wife, Joice; and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at the Wood Mortuary, conducted by Rev. Greg Sweet. Burial will follow in Wood Memorial Park.
Pallbearers will be David Lynn, Todd Lynn, Steve Forrester, Stanley Forrester, Chad Forrester, and Steven Forrester, Jr.
Visitation will be held 6:30-8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Wood Mortuary.
The family is at the home of David Lynn, 325 North Valley View Drive, Taylors.
Memorials may be made to El Bethel Baptist Church Building Fund, 313 Jones Avenue, Greer, S.C. 29650 or McCormick Baptist Church Mission Trip Fund, P.O. Box 416, McCormick, S.C. 29835.
Online condolences may be made at www.thewoodmortuary.com.

Margaret Turner Miles

Margaret Turner Miles, 83, of 217 Tompkins St., died Monday, Sept. 11, 2006, at her home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home.

Albert Witt Sr.

Albert Witt Sr., 73, of 933 Reynolds St., died Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006, at his home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Local players score honors at Touchdown Club

September 12, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

The Greenwood Touchdown Club reconvened Monday night at the Greenwood Country Club for its second meeting of the 2006 season.
The Touchdown Club honored selected Lakelands players for their play during the first few weeks of the season, while also handing out two FCA Awards. Former NFL player and Pro Bowl tight end Wesley Walls was the guest speaker at the event. The night began with the awards for players of the week for the first two weeks of the season.
Emerald safety Kadarron Anderson received one of the defensive player of the week awards. The hard-hitting Vikings safety, who graded out at 88 percent defensively, racked up 13 tackles and had a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Ninety Six’s Christopher White also received an award for his defensive prowess after registering 11 tackles, including three tackles for loss, for the Wildcats.
Coach Mike Doolittle was well-represented by his players on offense and defense as running back, Andy Louden picked up a player of the week award for his efforts on the offensive side of the ball. In the first two weeks of the season, Louden racked up 161 yards on 26 carries for the Wildcats, while also finding his way into the end zone on four different occasions.
The Saluda Tigers’ James Mobley also came away with his first award of the season thanks to his exploits on the offensive side of the ball. The Tigers’ dual threat weapon was a menace on both sides, though, in the Tigers’ 14-13 win over Ridge Spring Monetta in which he caught seven passes, including the game-winner. Mobley received praise for his defensive efforts in the game as he finished with eight tackle, including two pass breakups.
The Lakelands FCA Award, which will be presented to two players from two different high schools at each meeting, was given to Greenwood’s Ixavier Higgins and Emerald’s Anderson. The award honors student-athletes’ efforts on and off the field of play, as well as academic excellence, integrity and church involvement. Higgins and Anderson earned the award because of selfless service in the community and a determination in the classroom that matches, and possibly exceeds their efforts, on the field.
Following the awards ceremony, Walls, who spent seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers, reminisced about his playing days in high school and college, even mentioning how he links Clemson to his success when former Clemson coach Red Parker mentioned that he should play tight end. Walls success as a tight end earned him a scholarship to the University of Mississippi, where lettered in football before being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.
Walls said his main message to the players was that it’s not about you, but the bonds you form with teammates. “It’s not about what you have, but relationships you have with those around you.” Walls said.
Walls concluded by saying the key to being a great player isn’t about being a conqueror whose main goal is to annihilate competition or just someone who cheers. He said the key is to be a champion, someone who always welcomes new competition.
The Greenwood Touchdown Club will meet again at 7 Sept. 25.

The loss of Mel Wimmer, ‘friend,’ is a loss for all

September 12, 2006

The cast members in plays presented by the Greenwood Community Theatre and the Abbeville Opera House almost get as close as families during long hours of rehearsals and performances. It’s the same in every community theater, really. The shared intensity, the “smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd,” are ties that bind.
It’s no surprise, then, that Dr. Mel Wimmer was held in high regard by all those who shared his time on stage in numerous plays, from dramas to comedies to musicals. It was the same with every person he touched with his incomparable sense of humor and his love for all he surveyed.

MEL DIED OF LEUKEMIA LAST week at age 70. His vocation was dentistry. His interest in theater, though, was such that his avocation was just as dear to his heart.
Lee Wimmer, Mel’s son, no doubt spoke for everyone who knew him through his involvement with theater. It was his passion, Lee said.
It was indeed, and it showed, not only through his ability to make his characters live, but in the admiration and love his fellow actors felt for this gentle soul who was a friend to everyone he met. In fact, if one word could be used to define Mel Wimmer it could well be “friend.” It applied to everyone who crossed his path, whether on stage, backstage, in church, in a dentist’s chair, in the Lander University athletics department, or in any community pursuit.

THOSE PURSUITS WERE NUMEROUS, and every one had one purpose: to be of service to somebody, his church, and indeed all of society. When it came to the performing arts, though, and as the quintessential friend, he was ..... well, special.
Almost everyone is familiar with the line from Will Rogers about how he never met a man he didn’t like. It can be turned around for Mel Wimmer: All who ever met him instinctively liked him. When they got to know him that was magnified. That was the essence of a man who will be missed across the board (s) and far beyond the footlights. His life was his legacy. That is all too rare.