D.C. fugitive arrested
Routine traffic stop nets man wanted on weapons charge
July 20, 2007
By
CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer
A routine traffic stop Tuesday netted the Greenwood Police
Department a fugitive wanted in the nation’s capital.
Police arrested Alvin Richard Reid, 30, of 712 Edgefield St.,
Greenwood. According to Maj. Urban Mitchell, Reid is wanted on
federal weapons charges by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms in Washington.
Reid is at Greenwood County Detention Center, pending his
extradition.
According to reports, officers were patrolling near the Lil’
Cricket store on Cambridge Avenue about 9 p.m. Tuesday when they
saw Reid drive by in a 1996 Camaro. Officer Matt Goff said he had
prior knowledge Reid did not have a valid license.
The report said Goff called dispatch and asked for a check on
Reid’s name, and dispatchers said there was no valid license
in Reid’s name. Moments later, officer Jamison Lovett
reportedly pulled Reid over at the Lil’ Cricket store.
Reid reportedly argued that his license was valid, handing it to
officers to check. A call to dispatch this time confirmed the
license was clear, but it showed a National Crime Information
Center hit out of Washington.
Officials at dispatch reportedly informed the officers it would
take 10 minutes to confirm the NCIC hit. During that time,
officers searched Reid’s car, with his permission, and found
no weapons or contraband.
Moments later, the call came in that confirmed Reid had a federal
weapons charge pending. ATF authorities confirmed they would
extradite him. GPD officers took Reid to the detention center.
Rabies appears again in Saluda
July 20, 2007
By
KENNY MAPLE
Index-Journal staff writer
SALUDA — A rabid fox was found last week in
Saluda County, already raising the number of rabies cases this
year in the county to five.
The fox was found just a little more than a month after a Saluda
County resident was attacked by a bobcat.
According to Carolyn Morgan with the Bureau of Environmental
Health, there have been 87 confirmed cases in the state as of
Thursday. Last year, 180 cases of rabies were confirmed in South
Carolina.
Clair Boatwright, with the state Department of Health and
Environmental Control, Division of Media Relations, said
confirmed case numbers are tracking a little lower than last
year.
However, people should take the following preventative measures:
Stay away from wild animals.
Boatwright said people should resist the urge to make contact
with an animal that looks hurt. Much of the time, a rabid animal
does not look scary and is not foaming at the mouth. It might
have a stumbling gait, look weak or sick, be a nighttime animal
seen during the day or just exhibit unusually excited or angry
behavior.
“Avoid wild animals acting tame or tame animals acting wild,”
said Sue Ferguson, of DHEC’s Bureau of Environmental Health,
after the Saluda man was attacked by the bobcat.
Boatwright also said that if a person is bitten, no one should
kill the animal in a way that might damage the head, which must
be in good condition for laboratory testing.
Report bites or scratches to DHEC.
“If you think you have been exposed to the rabies virus
through a bite, scratch or the saliva of a possibly infected
animal, immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap
and water. Then be sure to get medical attention and report the
incident to DHEC,” Ferguson said. If the rabies virus
reaches the human or animal brain, the disease is fatal for both.
“It’s very important for people not to say, ‘I’ll
wait until I get a symptom,’” Ferguson said.
Ferguson also said about 400 South Carolinians have to undergo
preventative treatment for rabies each year for bites or
scratches from a confirmed or suspected rabid animal.
Vaccinate pets.
“Having your pet immunized is the best thing,”
Boatwright said. “Animals can be immunized; a human cannot.”
While wild animals are the main carriers, domestic animals can
contract rabies and spread it.
“Therefore, to protect both the pets and their owners, we
strongly encourage residents to make sure their pets are
regularly vaccinated against the disease,” Ferguson said.
“State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against
rabies.”
What’s eating you?
Slow service tops diners’ complaints
July 20, 2007
By
LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer
“A well-run restaurant is like a winning baseball team,”
said advertising executive David Ogilvy. “It makes the most
of every crew member’s talent and takes advantage of every
split-second opportunity to speed up service.”
But sometimes, in even the most well-run restaurant, things can
go wrong.
The list of possible no-nos are endless, and it doesn’t take
much to turn a culinary treat into a truly negative experience.
Among the things that can go wrong: dirty tables, cold food,
unclean silverware or glasses, slow service, use of cell phones,
tiny portions, noisy children and over- or under-cooked food.
Slow service is the most common complaint among Greenwood diners.
“Dirty silverware, dirty, slow service, cold food”
topped the list of complaints by Kendall McDowell and Barbara
Scott, of Greenwood, as they munched on sandwiches at a local
grill.
Michael Latham, of Greenwood, said he dines out frequently and
basically had only two complaints.
“The last two times I’ve eaten out, I’ve had slow
service,” Latham said. “The other thing that bothers me
is misbehaving kids.”
Clifton Fately, of Greenwood, said he was mildly bothered by slow
service.
“Some of the service I’ve had in restaurants wasn’t
as prompt as it could be,” Fately said. “But it wasn’t
anything I couldn’t deal with.”
Jackie Dorn, of Greenwood, said her pet restaurant peeves have to
do with distracting conversations at nearby tables and service.
“Cell phones certainly bother me,” Dorn said. “I
also don’t like slow service. When I go up to Pigeon Forge,
I find a lot of the places I’ve dined at act like they don’t
really care if you eat there or not. When I go into a restaurant,
I like to know that they appreciate me being there.”
Donna Neal, of Starr, said slow server speed is her main
complaint.
“Sometimes I wish the service was faster,” Neal said.
“Sometimes I’ve had dirty silverware.”
Bobby Flabaugh, of Greenwood, said his most recent restaurant
nightmare had to do with the cleanliness of the restaurant in
which he chose to dine and the attentiveness of the staff.
“The table they sat us at was dirty, and we had to get
someone to come over and clean it off,” Flabaugh said.
“Then, nobody came over to take our order for 45 minutes.
There were people who came in after us and got their food before
we did.”
In the drive-through lane of one fast-food restaurant, Flabaugh
recalled, he saw the woman who took his order take a smoke break
before giving him his food.
Shane Attaway, of Greenwood, said his most recent restaurant
disappointment was the unavailability of what he wanted to order.
“At one restaurant I recently went to, they didn’t have
50 percent of the things on their menu,” Attaway said.
“They were pretty much out of everything.”
Brian Whitaker is the manager of a local restaurant.
“I tend to notice how the staff is dressed and the
cleanliness of a restaurant,” Whitaker said. “But what
I really notice the most is the speed of the service because I’m
in the fast-food business. Sometimes you get a waitress who just
doesn’t care or maybe they want to take their break while
they’re waiting on you.
“The last time my wife and I went out to eat, everything was
great and my waiter was perfect, but the food took a little while
to come out, and my wife noticed when she got hers, it was very
cold. She had ordered spaghetti, and you can’t eat spaghetti
cold.”
Kayla Gurney said cleanliness, portion size and attentiveness are
her main concerns at a restaurant.
“The thing that would bother me the most is if I felt I was
eating in a dirty environment because of the health issues,”
Gurney said. “It also bothers me when you sit there, don’t
have a waitress come over to take care of you, and you sit there
with an empty glass for a long time and have to get their
attention to take care of you.
“I’ve been to places where they’re not busy, but
they act like they don’t want to help you. I’ve also
gone to places where you expect a plate full of food and the
portions are too small for the price you’re paying. In some
places you definitely get what you pay for; with others, not so
much.”
Obituaries
James W. Gilchrist
McCORMICK
— James W. Gilchrist, of Willow Creek Apartments,
B-3, died Wednesday, July 18, 2007, at HospiceCare of the
Piedmont, Greenwood.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.
Lela R. Johnstone
ASHEBORO,
N.C. — Lela Routh Johnstone, age 83, of 1043 Old Liberty
Road, Asheboro, died Sunday, July 15, 2007 at Randolph Hospital,
Asheboro.
Retired from the Balfour Plant of Burlington Industries with
thirty years of service, she started a second career in 1988 as a
CNA in Private Patient Care. In addition to her parents, she was
predeceased by her husband Thomas F. Johnstone, and three sisters
Ida Lambert, Ruby Laughlin, and Frances Shue.
A loving wife and mother, she is survived by daughter, Judith
Johnstone of Asheboro, NC, daughter and her husband, Nancy J. and
Jerry Pickett of Durham, NC; granddaughter, Jennifer W. Lomax of
Greenwood, SC; great-granddaughters, Audrey Kathryn, Caroline
Ruth, Zoe Alicia, and Anna Grace; and one brother, Cloyce Routh
of Asheboro, NC.
A memorial service will be held later.
Memorials may be made to Hepatiobiliary, c/o Dr. Bryan Clary,
Duke University Medical Campus Box 3247, Durham, NC 27710 or
Melanoma Research Center, c/o Drs. H.F. Seigler, Scott Pruitt,
Doug Tyler Duke University Medical Campus, Box 3966, Durham, NC
27710.
Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences can be made at www.pughfuneralhome.com.
Jessie Allen Jones
Jessie Allen Jones, 66, of 105 White Road, husband of Jannie Ruth
Thomas Jones, died July 17, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, he was the son of Verdel Moragne Jones and the
late Jesse “Deck” Jones. He was a member of Mt. Zion
AME Church in Promised Land, where he served as a former Trustee
and choir member. He was a former volunteer fireman with the
Promised Land Community Fire Department.
Survivors include his wife of the home; three daughters, Deidre
(Walter) Warren of Greenwood, Kristie (Kenneth) Jackson of
Greenwood and Brandi Jones of the home; mother of Promised Land;
two brothers, Fred Jones of Promised Land and Clarence (Lillie)
Jones of Patterson, NJ; two sisters, Betty Jean Jones Ruff of
Greenwood and Gladys (Willie) Jones Anderson of Promised Land;
eight grandchildren, two that were reared in the home, MyKira
Drennon and De’ Taurio Drennon of the home.
Services are 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21, 2007 at Mt. Zion AME
Church in Promised Land, conducted by the Rev. James E. Speed.
The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. Burial will be in
the church cemetery. The family is at the home. Online
condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com.
Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is in charge of the
arrangements.
Isebell Jones Kemp
Isebell
Jones Kemp, 81, of 1091 Parkland Place, Apt. E-3, died Tuesday,
July 17, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center. She was born on
Oct. 30, 1925, a daughter of the late Willie and Rosa (Kinard)
Jones. She was a member of Little Zion A.M.E. Church.
Survivors include two sons, Rufus Kemp of Greenwood and Roosevelt
Kemp of Greenwood; two daughters, Dorica Curenton of Laurens and
Rosa Yeldell of Laurens; four sisters, Lucille Pope of Greenwood,
Annie Mae Moore of Smyrna, Del., Rosie Lee Dean of Philadelphia,
Pa., and Emily Nicholson of Greenwood; nine grandchildren; and
twenty-one great-grandchildren.
Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21, 2007 at Little Zion
A.M.E. Church, conducted by the Bishop Emmanuel Spearman,
assisted by the Rev. Fred Armfield, pastor. The body will be
placed in the church at 1 p.m.
Online condolences may be sent to pertompfh1@earthlink.net.
The family is at the home. Percival-Tompkins will be assisting
the Kemp family.
Earnest ‘Bay’ Wright
TROY
— Earnest “Bay” Wright, 63, of 1420 Neil
St., husband of Mammie Nelson Wright, died Thursday, July 19,
2007, at The Hospice House of The Piedmont.
The family is at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Opinion
Dog-fighting
punishment should reflect the crime
July 20, 2007
Dog
fights, those barbaric “contests” staged by humans in
the name of sport, are nothing new to South Carolina. In fact, in
the recent past several people in the state have been jailed for
abusing dogs in this fashion. However, when high-profile “celebrities”
are involved, it presents a new problem for all of us ....
certainly many parents.
Making dogs fight to the bloody death or to the point where they
have to be put out of their misery is bad enough. But, when it
involves someone that many youngsters look up to it’s
inexcusable. It creates an atmosphere that encourages some
youngsters to imitate their “heroes.” That’s
particularly relevant when the celebrity is a sports figure.
THUS, WHEN ATLANTA FALCONS quarterback Michael
Vick - certainly a high-profile sports icon - was charged by
federal authorities with competitive dogfighting, procuring and
training pit bulls for fighting ..... and doing it across state
lines, it’s a bigger deal than some might think. At least,
it should concern every South Carolinian. Actually, it ought to
be a disgrace to every American who considers himself civilized.
There seems to be no question about Vick’s guilt, although
he should be considered innocent until he’s convicted in a
court of law. If he is being made an example unfairly, however,
the whole sordid affair still provides a good opportunity to use
it as a teaching tool for children. Maybe it can help turn them
against such loathsome “entertainment.”
THE REALITY OF IT ALL, THOUGH, is that
dog-fighting is a detestable excuse for anything, let alone
entertainment. How do parents explain the attraction of that kind
of savagery, particularly to young and impressionable minds? When
youngsters’ sports heroes are involved, it’s a daunting
task, to say the least, to convince them that such a brutal
activity is an abomination.
Another aspect to consider is that dog fights often are put on
for gamblers, with big money at stake.
Other than being inhumane, it’s against the law. It
provides, then, a couple of lessons for youngsters and others,
too. It’s cruel, of course, but the law must be upheld.
If Vick and others are found guilty, make the penalty fit the
crime. That would mean that no punishment would be too harsh.