Hodges man faces charge

2 others sought in reported assault of teen girls

June 26, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

A Hodges man has been arrested and two other men are sought following the reported sexual assault of two teenage girls in Greenwood over the weekend.
The Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Charles Steven Bullock, 20, of 1905 Morgan Road, Hodges, and charged him with criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
According to sheriff’s office incident reports, the mother of one of the victims called deputies Sunday morning and said she had received a call from one of her daughter’s friends who said he heard the woman’s daughter had been raped. The woman told deputies her daughter was supposed to have spent the previous night at a friend’s house at an address on County Line Road.
A deputy escorted the mother to the County Line residence.
Once there, the first girl told the deputy she had been raped at an apartment at the Park Terrace complex near Highway 25. She said her friend, the second girl, also had been raped there.
The deputy questioned the second victim about this, and she said she had been sexually assaulted.
The second victim told deputies she was contacted by Bullock while she was at work earlier in the day. He reportedly asked her if she wanted to come to a small party when she got off work. Bullock reportedly told the girl some mutual female friends would be at the party.
The second victim said she and the first victim sneaked out of the house on County Line Road late Saturday night and met Bullock at the end of the driveway. In the car with Bullock was a man identified only as “Soldier” and a man identified as “J.B.”
The victims said the three men took them back to Park Terrace. They said the female friends they were told would be there were not present.
The victims say they were sexually assaulted while at the apartment. The first victim claims she was assaulted by Bullock and “Soldier.”
The second victim claimed she was assaulted by “Soldier” and J.B.
The girls said they were eventually able to get into a bathroom at the apartment, where they locked themselves inside. They said they sent a text message to a friend, who came and picked them up sometime later.
Another man who was at the apartment at the time of the alleged incident also was arrested. Deputies arrested William Casper Heinzer, 41, of 328 Lick Creek Road, Waterloo, who was wanted on separate charges in Bartow County, Ga. The sheriff’s office has arranged for him to be extradited to Bartow County.
Heinzer told deputies he heard a noise in the bedroom of the apartment and went back to see what it was. He said he saw all three men (Bullock, J.B. and “Soldier”) in the room with the second victim. He said “Soldier” was on top of her and she was telling him to stop.
Heinzer said the men asked him if he wanted to join in, and he said he told them no.
Following the arrest of Bullock, deputies went to the residence of J.B., but he was not home. As of Monday, deputies had not learned the identity of the man called “Soldier.”
It was noted he had a tattoo that reads “Soldier” on his arm.

Daring to Dream

Mentoring program teaches youths what it takes to succeed

June 26, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

A group of young black men are learning what it takes to rise above negative stereotypes, get new lifestyle possibilities and gain respect for themselves and others.
Monday, in two very warm classrooms in the old Brewer School Building on East Cambridge Avenue, about two dozen volunteers began a five-day, 20-hour Rites of Passage mentoring and advocacy program.
The program is conducted by Dream Builders, the idea of Donald Burton who, when not acting as its leader, is a counselor with South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation.
In one of the classrooms, about eight of the younger participants, mainly dressed in T-shirts and shorts, got an introduction to the program. In the other room down the hall, about a dozen teenagers learned to trade the dangers of drugs and violence for rewards that come with self-respect and a good attitude.
Ajani Burton, who is one of the course teachers, said the program is designed to give the students more information about their culture, separate dreams from reality, broaden their thinking and help them rise above past self-expectations.
“A lot of these people think their future revolves around playing basketball or football,” Burton said. “While we don’t want to take those dreams away from them, the reality of becoming a professional ballplayer is one in a million.”
Although the students hoped to leave the program better able to survive in the world than when they walked in, what they hoped to learn varied widely.
Dizel Middleton, 16, found out about the program from his father and put no limit on what he would take with him after completing the program.
“I hope to learn a bunch of stuff so I can do better when I go further on in life,” Middleton said. “I’d like to own my own barbershop business.”
Danterrius Middleton, 14, is taking the course with his brother, Dizel.
“I hope this program will make me a better person,” Danterrius said. “I’d like to be an automobile mechanic, because I like to fix cars.”
Sentell Brownlee, 17, of Ware Shoals, said he hopes the course will help him prepare for the world of education beyond high school.
“I’m here so I can learn valuable lessons that might assist me when I go to college,” Brownlee said. “I hope they’ll tell me how to become a better person, how to act appropriately and how to talk to the public when I have to give a speech or something like that.
“I also want to learn how to do new things and jump to new things.”
When he gets out of school, Brownlee said, he would like to become an electrical engineer.
“Engineers are really important,” he said. “Everything is going to be run by technology in the future, so there’s going to be a big need for engineers.”
When asked if he thought his mentors were going to give him new skills or sharpen up the skills he already possesses, Brownlee said, “They’ll probably do both.”
Kyrez Irvin, 13, is hoping the course will lead to personal growth and improvement in his spiritual and physical attitude. “I hope this will teach me how to be a better man and how to carry myself,” Irvin said. “I’d like to be in a business that has something to do with the music industry.”
Mitchell Byrd, 7, hopes the class will reinforce in him the importance and rewards of appreciating the best qualities in himself and others.
“I think I’m going to learn how to respect my brothers and my elders,” Byrd said. “I’m also going to learn to respect myself, because if you don’t respect yourself, you won’t do the right thing.”

Post 20 has stormy loss

June 26, 2007

By SCOTT J. BRYAN
Index-Journal sports editor

A 20-minute lightning delay indicated rain might be forthcoming, but it was Walhalla that stormed forward with three runs in the seventh inning to secure an 8-5 victory Monday night against Greenwood Post 20 in an American Legion League VII contest at Legion Field.
Tied 5-5 after six innings, umpires suspended the game when bolts of lightning surrounded Legion Field. But the delay didn’t last long, and Walhalla was able to take advantage of Post 20 errors when play resumed.
“We didn’t play all that well, and it was a sloppy game, but it’s a win,” Walhalla manager Ed Taylor said. “That’s all that matters. Maybe one of these days we’ll have a good game and blow somebody out.”
In the seventh inning, Walhalla center fielder Shane Brown reached second on a fielding error by the third baseman and advanced to second on Tim Fournier’s single. With runners on first and second, cleanup hitter Chad Guinn belted a 2-1 pitch over the center fielder’s head to score two runs and give Walhalla a 7-5 lead. Justin Merck singled up the middle to score Guinn, and Walhalla led 8-5.
Walhalla’s three-run seventh inning erased Post 20’s momentum after a mid-game rally.
Greenwood was trailing 3-1 entering the fourth inning and 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
In the fourth, Christian Powell reached on an error by Walhalla’s second baseman and moved to third on Drew Willingham’s line drive to the left-center gap. Powell scored on a groundout by Post 20’s Josh Lovvorn, and Post 20 trailed 5-2.
In the fifth, Justin Collier, who reached base in all four at-bats, reached first on an error by Walhalla’s shortstop.
Collier advanced on a groundout by Mack Hite and moved to third base on Brandon Miller’s single. An errant pickoff attempt by Walhalla’s Chip George scored Collier and moved Miller to second. After Cruse Tollison struck out — his second of three strikeouts in the contest — Powell ripped a double to right-center field that scored Miller, and Post 20 had cut the deficit to 5-4.
Powell moved to third base on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch, which tied the game 5-5.
“We battled back,” Greenwood manager Billy Dean Minor said. “We’ve got to make the routine plays. We’ve got decent pitching.
“But we leave runners in scoring position and we can’t make routine plays. I don’t think it’s a lack of effort. I don’t think it’s a lack of intensity. We just can’t make the routine plays.”
The win drops Greenwood to 7-4 in league play, while Walhalla sits alone atop the standings with a 7-2 mark.
“It’s up to us if we want to make the playoffs,” Minor said. “But pitching has not been our problem. Coming into this game, we’ve lost three straight one-run ballgames.”
At the plate, Collier was the only Greenwood batter to have multiple hits; he was 3-for-3.
Post 20 hosts Easley tonight in another League VII contest. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Obituaries

Grier Cunningham

PHILADELPHIA — Grier Cunningham, 72, died Wednesday, June 20, 2007, at Health Care in Philadelphia.
He was born in Abbeville County, SC, and was the son of the late Oscar and Irene Cunningham.
He is survived by three sisters, Edith Jeanette Cunningham, Honea Path, SC, Louise Butler, Philadelphia, PA, and Evelyn Hollins, Baton Rouge, LA, and one brother, John Wardell Cunningham, Honea Path, SC.
Funeral services are 11 a.m. Wednesday in Philadelphia.
Arrangements by the Julian V. Hawkins Funeral Home, 5306 Haveford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19139, 215-476-5433.
Announcement courtesy of Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals, SC.

Mary Dougherty

Mary Elizabeth Adams Dougherty, 89, formerly of Morningside Assisted Living, widow of John H. “Jack” Dougherty, died Sunday, June 23, 2007, at the NHC in Greenwood.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Nellie Wilson

DETROIT — Nellie Wilson, 90, formerly of Ware Shoals, S.C., died Friday, June 22, 2007, in Detroit.
The family is at the home of a sister Lutitia Leverett, 106 Nova Court, Ware Shoals.
Services will be announced by Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals.

Karlene Wrenn

WARE SHOALS — Karlene Campbell Wrenn, 64, wife of Richard Wrenn, of 42 Ezell Drive, died June 24, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center. She was born in Anderson County, a daughter of Josephine Irby Campbell of Anderson and the late Truman Allen Campbell. She was retired from Emerald Center and a member of Mt. Gallagher Baptist Church.
Surviving besides her husband of the home and mother of Anderson are: a son, Captain Robert Bryant, USAF, Charleston; two stepsons, Rick Wrenn and Daniel Wrenn both of Honea Path; one brother, Phillip Campbell, Williamston; a sister, Madeline Dixon, Anderson; and seven grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. at Columbia Baptist Church Cemetery, with Rev. George Leagans and Rev. Dr. Marcus Bishop officiating.
The families are at their respective homes and will receive friends Wednesday, 4-5 p.m. at Parker-White Funeral Home.

Opinion

Fighting earmark battle not for winning friends

June 26, 2007

Earmarks is a word heard often these days. If anyone wants to know what this government gobbledygook means in regular English, it’s pork-barrel spending ..... pet projects of many lawmakers that often serve only local or special interests.
U. S. Senator Jim DeMint, R- S. C., has found the hard way that it’s tough trying to stop this kind of spending , which often is seen as “vote-buying” spending. He found it the hard way, that is, not the wrong way.
DeMint is working hard to stop earmark spending. However, doing that, like opposing any entrenched self-serving political program, is like trying to climb a greasy pole while a lot of people are pulling on your pants legs. So, ending earmarks probably won’t happen. The reality is overwhelming.
DeMint faces that reality, he says, by seeking to bring transparency and accountability to the process and thereby holding lawmakers accountable for all their spending. That much would be an improvement.
Needless to say, DeMint isn’t likely to win a popularity contest in Washington. Many of his South Carolina constituents, though, are probably applauding his efforts. If not, they should.