Ware Shoals principal arrested

Blackwell faces obstruction charge
in connection with cheer coach case

January 23, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

WARE SHOALS — The principal of Ware Shoals High School was arrested Monday afternoon.
The Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office arrested principal Jane Blackwell and charged her with obstruction of justice. The arrest was made in connection with the ongoing investigation of Jill Moore, a former Ware Shoals cheerleading coach and guidance office clerk who was arrested last week. Moore has resigned her positions at the school.
Obstruction of justice is a common law offense that carries up to 10 years in prison.
Deputies also executed a search warrant on Blackwell’s office. Detectives seized two computers, calendars, notebooks and assorted documents from the office during the hour-long search.
According to Ware Shoals School District 51 Superintendent Fay Sprouse, Blackwell has been suspended, pending the outcome of the continuing investigation.
Moore was arrested last week after being accused of providing alcohol and cigarettes to students, as well as placing students in what Sheriff Dan Wideman characterized as “incredibly inappropriate situations” in connection to a sexual relationship Moore was having with an individual outside of the school.
Greenwood County investigators say Blackwell obstructed the investigation of Moore by not reporting Moore’s actions to law enforcement when she learned of them, lying to deputies during the investigation and stifling attempts of other staff members to remedy the situation.
“It became quite clear to investigators who was attempting to keep this thing quiet,” Chief Deputy Mike Frederick said, adding Blackwell continues to refuse to cooperate with deputies and has requested an attorney.
On the affidavit of Blackwell’s arrest warrant, it says investigators obtained written statements from school officials indicating Blackwell was aware of Moore improperly fraternizing with students and providing them alcohol before the sheriff’s office investigation began.
The affidavit also says Blackwell was previously aware that Moore had been in a sexual relationship with a National Guard member whose duties brought him in contact with Moore at the high school.
Wideman showed disdain for Blackwell’s alleged actions.
“It was a blatant violation of the trust placed in her by taxpayers, parents and students,” he said. “Statistically, nothing is more dangerous than mixing alcohol, teenagers and automobiles. To have a school official facilitating that is bad, but for a school to cover it up versus doing whatever was necessary to protect those kids, that’s appalling.”
Wideman commended the Ware Shoals staff members who did cooperate.
“It would have been much easier for all of the staff at that school to stay quiet and let us toil for months on this case,” he said. “But they told the truth. I am proud of them, and I hope the parents are, too.”

Fire kills two dogs in home

January 23, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

CORONACA — Terri Gregory loved her two dogs, Jazz and Buster, and considered them a part of the family.
While her husband Perry was away on business trips and her teenage daughter Hayden was out of the house, it was often Jazz, a 13-year-old German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix, and Buster, a 12-year-old part Scottish Terrier, who would keep her company.
“Sometimes, it was just me and the dogs,” Terri said Monday. “They were my babies.”
She lost both dogs Monday morning in a fire that gutted Terri’s mobile home just off S.C. 72/U.S. 221 East on the shores of Lake Greenwood near Coronaca. Firefighters didn’t know the cause of the blaze Monday afternoon, but they don’t think the fire looked “suspicious,” said Capt. Chris Rooney, of the Coronaca Volunteer Fire Department.
Six departments from around the region, including Ware Shoals Fire Department and Coronaca Volunteer Fire Department, battled the fire.
Firefighters were called to the house at about 11 a.m. Monday, when they heard someone had possibly gone inside the house looking for the pets, Rooney said. No one, however, went into the house before firefighters arrived.
While the roof and the walls of the mobile home remain intact, Rooney said the inside of the house is uninhabitable.
“The house is a total loss,” he said.
Fires in mobile homes typically spread very quickly and don’t leave much behind. The fire was first discovered by Hayden, a Ninety Six High School senior.
She was coming home after working half a day at Velux to change clothes before heading to school when she saw the fire.
Hayden said she couldn’t speak after seeing the fire, so she went down to her grandmother’s house and had her call 911. Perry Gregory said he was getting some parts for his job at Heating and Cooling in Greenwood when he learned about the fire. He said he was glad his family was safe, but it was hard to lose the house and his two dogs.
“Both of them were mutts, but they were lovable mutts,” Perry said.
Terri said she hoped the dogs didn’t suffer in the fire. Perry said he and his family lived in the house for 19 years. He plans to buy another house to put on the same land.
Terri said the Greenwood American Red Cross office offered her family a motel room for the night, but she said they would more likely stay with family members who live next door.

Property council’s hot topic

Council discusses district to protect buildings’ integrity

January 23, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

Whether the topic was acquiring it, getting rid of it, annexing it or regulating it, property was the issue of the night during Monday’s Greenwood City Council meeting.
One of the more noteworthy discussions was an ordinance that was passed to establish Greenwood’s first overlay design review district. The overlay district is designed to protect the architectural and aesthetic integrity in buildings in and around Uptown Greenwood’s developing Triangle Arts and Cultural District along Oregon and Maxwell avenues.
“With the development of the City Center Master Plan and the many efforts to redevelop Uptown Greenwood, I am excited that we have adopted a plan to protect the unique character of many of the historic structures in Uptown,” said Mayor Floyd Nicholson via a news release.
Part of the new guidelines are to ensure alterations, additions, demolitions and new construction will not adversely affect the area’s architectural character.
Council looked at photographs of buildings in Uptown years ago, such as the Oregon Hotel, as an example of the classic look that will be sought within the overlay district.
The council voted to sell two pieces of property within the city. Property at 322 Marion Ave. will be sold for $1,200 and property at 318 Marion Ave. will be sold for $1,100. The city solicited bids for both properties.
A trio of properties were officially annexed into the city. Two of the properties touch one another. They are the properties owned by CountyBank and SAC Enterprises just off the Hwy. 72 Bypass near the Dickinson movie theater. CountyBank has nearly finished constructing a new bank on its property.
The third property annexed into the city was 46 acres along Cannon road that is owned by Helen Talley.
The council also heard first reading on an ordinance that would raise the gasoline reimbursements for city employees who use their personal vehicles for official city business. The city currently pays employees 31 cents per mile; the new ordinance would up that number to 40 cents per mile. The Internal Revenue Service will allow up to 48 cents per mile.

Bearcats throttle Erskine

January 23, 2007

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

DUE WEST — The Lander University men’s basketball team entered Belk Arena Monday night with a chip on its collective shoulders the size of a 10-pound boulder.
And the Bearcats played like it too.
Just two days after losing by a point when a potential game-winning tip-in was disallowed and facing an area rival that walked out of their home gym with a one-point victory six weeks ago, the Bearcats came out hard and fast, leaving Erskine in the wake, in a 62-29 rout to split the season series in the rivalry matchup.
“It was all about Saturday. We still have a bitter taste in our mouths about that,” said Lander senior Jarred Jackson, who finished with a game-high 21 points. “We came here knowing they beat us at home and we wanted to come out and give it to them at their place.”
Before the Belk Arena fans got comfortable in their seats, they saw Lander (10-7) with a 12-2 lead, with seven points coming from Jackson.
A blink of an eye later and it was 17-4. Another blink and it was 22-5 with 9 minutes, 1 second remaining in the first half.
“The one thing we wanted to do in the first five minutes was to take away any confidence that might build,” Lander coach Bruce Evans said. “It was good to see us come out focused tonight. They (Erskine) played hard. They’re undermanned. I thought our guys did a good job defensively as far as their intensity.”
The Fleet (6-9), who are still playing without leading scorer senior center Craig Williams, who pitched in 24 in the win at Lander, managed only nine points in the first half and went into the halftime break trailing 35-9.
The team shot 13 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, including an 0-fer on 11 3-point attempts.
“To have kept the game close, we would have had to play near perfect. To have shot as miserably as we did. I just thank coach Evans because he could have beaten us by 100. He’s a classy guy,” Erskine coach Mark Peeler said. “I haven’t figured out the right recipe with the guys we have now. You can say we didn’t make shots, but we didn’t get a whole lot of easy shots. I think they’re the best defensive team we’ve played.”
Lander and more specifically Jackson, who accounted for 13 of Lander’s first 27 points, came out of halftime as hot as they went in. Jackson scored eight points in a 15-2 run the Bearcats went on to open the second half, giving the team a 50-11 lead with 12:49 remaining.
The next highest Bearcat scorers were Brenton Harris and Zach Evans, who came off the bench for eight and seven points, respectively.
Junior T.J. Taylor led Erskine with 10 points, while freshman Brandon Wright had all of his eight in the second half.

Lady Bearcats sweep season series

January 23, 2007

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

DUE WEST — For the second straight game, Lander women’s coach Kevin Pederson had to burn a timeout before the game’s first media timeout.
However unlike two days ago against Armstrong Atlantic, the Lady Bearcats exploded after the first timeout and rolled to an 82-61 victory over Erskine Monday at Belk Arena to take the season series between two non-conference rivals.
“Once again, we had that slow start and I had to burn a timeout early on. We’ve talked about that so many times, about what it’s going to take to get them started,” said Pederson, who defeated the Lady Fleet 99-67 Dec. 4 at Finis Horne Arena. “When we went to the press and the zone defense, it really got us going.”
After Pederson’s timeout just 1 minute, 47 seconds into the contest, the Lady Bearcats (9-8) sprinted out to a 16-3 run, with half of the points coming from junior center Stephanie Ponds.
The run erased a three-point deficit and gave Lander a double-digit lead, at 19-9, with 13:35 remaining in the first half.
Erskine (4-10) trimmed the deficit to six, at 19-13 and 21-15.
But it didn’t take the Lady Bearcats long after that to head back to double-digit territory.
Senior Bryony Crouch knocked down one of her four 3-pointers to ignite a 6-0 run, which put Lander up 34-19 with 4:42 remaining.
The Lady Bearcats’ lead never reached single digits the rest of the way.
Good led all scorers with 24 points and also tied for the team lead in assists with five.
The junior transfer accounted for nine of the team’s first 13 points.
“She (Good) plays at such a high level,” Pederson said. “She’s worth the price of admission alone just to watch her play. She could possibly be the best player in our conference.”
Ponds finished with 15, while Crouch and Jasmine Collier chipped in 12 apiece – all on 3s.
Kristy Vaughn and Lauren Brendle led the Lady Fleet with 12 points apiece, while freshman Audrey Timmerman scored 11 in the second half after being shutout in the first.
Erskine made a run at Lander midway through the second half. A 14-4 spurt keyed by long-distance shooting – two 3s from Timmerman and one each from Brendle and Mary Ann Langford pulled the Lady Fleet to within 12, at 58-46, with 9:19 remaining.
But Lander ended the run and any thoughts of a comeback by drilling three unanswered 3s – two from Crouch and one from Good – to go back up by 21, 67-48 with 8:22 left to play.

Obituaries

Cora Bledsoe Boling

WHITMIRE — Cora Bledsoe Boling, age 93, of 60 McDonald St., and widow of Lawrence W. Boling, died Sunday, Jan. 21 at her home.
She was born in Blackwater, VA, and was a daughter of the late Isaac Wesley and Sarilda Wallen Bledsoe.
Mrs. Boling was retired from J.P. Stevens Whitmire Plant and was a member of the Bethesda Baptist Church.
Surviving are her two sons, Richard Boling of Hodges, Donald Boling of Ware Shoals; a brother, George “Junior” Bledsoe of Whitmire; a sister, Dorothy Hellams of Greenwood; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Boling was predeceased by a son, George Boling.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 3:30 p.m. in the Gray Funeral Home Chapel in Whitmire, with burial in the Whitmire Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Wednesday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Palmetto Health Hospice, PO Box 7275, Columbia, SC 29202 or Bethesda Baptist Church, 1309 Coleman Ave., Whitmire, SC 29178.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.grayfuneralhome.com.
Gray Funeral Home of Whitmire.

Elizabeth Boyd

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Elizabeth “Sister” Boyd, 73, of 792 Columbus Ave., died Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007, at Roosevelt Memorial Hospital in New York.
The family is at the home of a sister, Ruth Ellen Marine, 1522 Parkway Court, Hillcrest Apt. D-8, Greenwood, S.C.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home, Greenwood.

Sophie Mae Corley

NINETY SIX — Sophie Mae Corley, 88, of 914 Highway 248 South, died Monday, Jan. 22, 2007 at NHC Health Care Center.
Born in Saluda County, she was a daughter of the late Sion Capers Corley, Sr. and Mary Ellen Merchant Corley. She was retired from the Ninety Six Plant of Greenwood Mills, where she was a member of Quarter Century Club. She was a member of Temple Baptist Church and the T.E.L. Sunday School Class.
She was preceded in death by sisters, Mary Louise Corley Harrison, Beatrice Corley Calvert, Lillian Ruth Corley Davis Humphries, Ellen Nora Corley Strawn and McRee Corley Wellmaker and brothers, Edwards Jennings Corley and Sion Capers Corley, Jr.
Surviving is a sister, Sallie Coker Corley Deaton of Ninety Six and a number of nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Harley Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Randy Taylor officiating. A private burial will be held in Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery, Saluda County.
The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Temple Baptist Church, 95 Saluda St., Ninety Six, SC 29666 or to The Angel Tree Fund, Main Street United Methodist Church, PO Box 656, Abbeville, SC 29620.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Noamie Daniels

SALUDA — Noamie (KouJack) Daniels, 79, of 232 Birch Lane, died on Jan. 19, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
She was born in Saluda County, SC, a daughter of the late Mary Scott Daniels and the late Will Richardson. She was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and the WHAS No. 126.
She is survived by three sons, Terry Daniels, Augusta, GA, Bennie Daniels, Greenville, SC, and Oscar Lee Daniels, Saluda, SC; three daughters, Linda Nelson, Charleston, SC, Virginia Booker, Greenwood, SC, and Patricia Daniels, Saluda, SC; two sisters, Lena R. Bosket and Frances R. Williams, Saluda, SC; eighteen grandchildren; twenty-seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Clarence Kenner. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The body will be placed in the church at noon. Butler & Sons Funeral Home is in charge.

Thomas ‘Brother’ Harris

HODGES — Thomas “Brother” Harris, 93, of 121 North Hodges School Road, widower of Carrie Bell Robinson Harris, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2007 at Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. Chapel, conducted by Rev. James J. Robinson. Interment will be in Watkins Cemetery, Hodges. Online condolences can be sent to the family at robson@nctv.com. Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is assisting the Harris family.

Willie Florence Mosley

HONEA PATH — Willie Florence Mosley, 74, of 10 Riley Street, Honea Path, SC, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2007 in Anderson, SC. She was a member of Mt. Olive A.M.E Church, Donalds, SC, and a member of the Liberty Baptist Church Golden Age Club, Honea Path, SC.
Born in Abbeville County, she was the daughter of the late John Smith and Geneva Singleton.
Surviving are sons, Chris Mosley of Belton, SC, James Mosley of Norcross, GA, and Herbert Mosley of the home; daughters, Mary J. Mosley of Chicago, Illinois, Elizabeth A. Woody, Gladys Long, Mildred Rice, Jackie Woolridge, all of Honea Path, SC, and Kathryn Wise of Lawrenceville, GA.; brother, John Lee Singleton of Ware Shoals, SC; sister, Julia Singleton of Honea Path, SC; 26 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Belton, SC, with burial at the Forksville Cemetery, Donalds, SC.
The body is at Holloway’s Funeral Home, Belton, SC. A special viewing will be held Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at the Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church, Donalds, SC.
The family is at the home. Holloway’s Funeral Home Inc. is in charge of arrangements.

Opinion

Butler’s public service came without the fanfare

January 23, 2007

Guy Butler died the other day at the age of 80. As a result of health concerns, he had not been in the public eye for some time. Because of that there’s a chance younger residents of Greenwood County didn’t know that much about him. They missed something.
Guy Butler served the people of Greenwood and all of South Carolina for almost 40 years, and he did it well and without the fanfare than today’s politicians live on.
Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives held him in such high regard they elected him to the South Carolina Public Service Commission after he had served only two terms in the House.

AS A PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER, a position he held longer than anyone else in this state, Mr. Butler helped South Carolina manage some of the most important issues that affect everyone.
For those who may not know, the Public Service Commission “has jurisdiction over interstate railroads, telephone utilities, natural gas utilities, electric utilities, investor-owned wastewater, water utilities and motor vehicles used in transporting person(s) or household goods or hazardous waste for disposal for compensation over public highways of the State, (It) Furnishes electric territorial assignment map of S. C., electric transmission map of S. C., and annual report, upon request.”

SPENDING 35 YEARS DEALING WITH the kind of issues - some say headaches - that accrue to these areas of public service is not an easy task, nor is it free of all the pressures common to public service in any field. Butler, however, thrived on the pressure and service.
The fact that Guy Butler did it, and did it with the same kind of work ethic that he developed in many years of operating a grocery store is a testament to the man.
His record of public service should be all that’s needed to tell something about Guy Butler and how he looked at his work, both private and public. He not only loved the people of his community and state, he loved serving them to the best of his ability. We could use more like him.