2017 Weekly Awards Luncheon Digital Presentation by S.C. Press Association

WEEKLY AWARDS LUNCHEON Recognizing the best in S.C. newspaper journalism

SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

Leader ALAiken & Printing

BRONZE

SPECIAL THANKS TO AT&T! Presenting Sponsor of the 2017 Annual Meeting

PRESIDENTIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

For a Distinguished Career In South Carolina Newspapers and a Significant Impact On Readers

LARRY FRANKLIN Publisher The Clinton Chronicle

In memory of those we've lost over the past year: Charlie Nutt | Owner and publisher, Free Times Bill West | Columnist and senior editor, Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News, SCPA Bulletin Sue Brown | First female production manager, Aiken Standard Ronald James Cartledge | President of Shared Services, The Post and Courier Dr. Dick Gannaway | Publisher, The Lancaster News Roger Alan Quinn | Former publisher, Herald-Journal Dot Jackson | Former writer, The Greenville News Keith Gedamke | Photographer, The Sumter Item Don Law | Former associate editor, Aiken Standard; Writer, Herald-Journal and The Times and Democrat Roger Linton Sovde | Former general manager, The Herald

For full Necrology, see page 8 of the program.

ENJOY LUNCH!

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Cartoon Open Division

Ed Wilson The Horry Independent

Cosby, Classer are 2016 Lexington Chronicle’s Co-Female Athletes of the Year BY THOMAS GRANT JR. chroniclesports@yahoo.com

School history was made last season at both Chapin and Lexington. For the ﬁrst time ever, the Lady Eagles and Lady Wildcats were crowned state champions in soccer. For Chapin, the 7-3 victory over Hilton Head Island avenged a Class 3A title game loss two years ago. For Lexington, the dramatic 2-1 win over defending Class 4A champion J.L. Mann completed an undefeated season - the only one in the Palmetto State. Playing a signiﬁcant role in both are this year’s Lexington County Chronicle Female Athletes of the Year - Chapin’s Rachel Cosby and Lexington’s Megan Classer.

Rachel Cosby

2016 News Awards

“Loose” is a ﬁtting description for the energenic, 5-9 junior Chapin forward by head coach Robert Taylor. A two-sport athlete, her enthusiasm and determination to overcome a broken collarbone and torn ACL her ﬁrst two seasons inspired the Lady Eagles

in their run to the state title. “She does a great job of keeping the team loose in practice and games,” Taylor said. “She makes it fun for the rest of the girls.” Taylor noticed a “new player” this season in Cosby. Along with S.C. Soccer Coaches Association Class 3A Player of the Year Jordan Dawsey and Mackenzie Hooker, Cosby’s quickness proved a problem for most opponents as she finished with 15 goals and 11 assists for 41 points. “She and Mackenzie Hooker made it very difficult for teams to defend,” Taylor said. “ We called them our Strike Force.” Cosby more than made things fun for Chapin during the Class 3A championship matchup with the Lady Seahawks. In the span of 40 minutes, she recorded a ‘hat track’ with three goals to give the Lady Eagles an advantage it never relinquished. She added one more goal in the secon half to finish with four goals in the 7-4 win over Hilton Head Island. “Rachel was very confident going into playoffs and those four goals in the finals were incredible,” Taylor said.

Cosby is active at Chapin United Methodist Church. She also volunteers with the strikers, a special needs league through S.C. United FC.

Megan Classer “Competitive” is what head coach Chris Fryland said in describing Classer. In two seasons, the Lexington girls’ soccer team has posted an overall record of 51-3 and have won 20 straight region contests as part of an active 21-match winning streak. The success has been spurred by a star-studded class of 2018 group with a breakout star in Megan Classer. Since moving up to varsity play, she has scored 71 goals in forming a dominant duo with fellow sophomore and SCSCA Class 4A Player of the Year Brooke Power. After winning the Viking Cup, the Lady Wildcats stormed through the regular season. In the playoffs, they avenged last year’s Lower State ﬁnal loss to Wando. Classer scored a goal in the 3-0 win in the third round. Classer had two goals in the 4-0 win

over James Island to set up a ﬁnals’ showdown with J.L. Mann. Trailing 1-0 in the second half, Classer set up a game-tying goal by Mary KatherineWaters at the 62:46 mark. It was Classer’s 13th assist of the season. After two, 5-minute overtimes, Classer etched her place in school history during sudden death. Getting the pass from Power near the goal, Classer sent a 17-yard kick just over the J.L. Mann goalkeeper than bounced off the crossbar and onto the goal line. Classer’s “Golden Goal” was ruled good, ending a 27-0 season with a championship. In addition to ﬁnishing with an umblemished mark, the victory also enabled Lexington avenge all three losses (Academic Magnet, J.L. Mann, Wando) suffered the previous season. “This was her 35th goal of the season,” Fryland said. “In two years, Megan has scored 71 goals. None was bigger than this one.” Like Cosby, Classer has volunteered with local recreation teams to help develop young talent in the Lexington area.

Encouraging competition drives athletic success at Dutch Fork H.S. BY THOMAS GRANT JR. chroniclesports@yahoo.com

THIRD PLACE Series of Sports Articles Open Division

Thomas Grant Jr. Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

Winning state championships is Dutch Fork High athletics’ ultimate goal. When it comes to competing, few teams do it at the level the Irmo school’s teams do. The 2015-16 Director’s Cup had Dutch Fork ranked fourth overall behind Wando, Dorman and Lexington. “We have a good program,” said two-sport athlete Austin Connor. “We have people pitching in. Everything’s going well. Parents pitching in, helping raise money to help get a better program for all sports.” Having 15 teams qualify for the state playoffs was a primary reason for Dutch Fork’s high standing. The performances were highlighted by a firstever Class 4A state championship in boys’ track and field. Gold-medal performances in the shot put by Rory Gallman and two, second-place finishes by fellow twosport standout Austin Connor enabled the Silver Foxes to pull away for their first-ever championship trophy.

Other athletic superlatives last year: - Runner-up in competitive cheer - Region titles in football, baseball, girls’ soccer and boys’ and girls’ tennis. - S.C. Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A Boys’ basketball Player of the Year Jordan Davis - All-State selections T.J. Shook (baseball), Jordan Davis (boys’ basketball) and Alyssa Ross and Emily Jermstad (both girls’ soccer) - Clash of the Carolinas South Carolina selection Emily Jermstad (girls’ soccer) - Track & Field gold medalist Rebekah Smith (triple jump) High expectations Connor credits head football coach and athletics director Tom Knotts for setting a tone that encourages competition and intensity. It’s something Knotts has strived for since his arrival seven years ago. “What we had to do when we got here was just change the mindset of how we were going to deal with kids and what our expectations were going

to be,” he said. “In the past, we had some coaches just collecting checks and not really putting their all into it. “I did raise the expectations and I do expect them to be accountable. “Not everybody can win a championship or a region championship or state championship, but everybody can put lots of effort and do the extra work. If not, they’re not going to be a coach here.” Knotts said Dutch Fork’s biggest strength is the diversity of its athletic department. The school, he said, is ‘loaded’ with young people who can take part in one or more sports to become region champions. It’s no coincidence both track and ﬁeld and football blend into each other. Track and ﬁeld coach Corey Wright was the defensive coordinator for the football team. Players such as Connor believe taking part in one sport helps strengthen their effort in the other. “With track, (it helps) my speed to

play football,” he said. “My endurance, my conditioning, it all helps each other.” Changes in 2016-17 The challenge to surpass last year increases greatly for Dutch Fork. The new SCHSL realignment creating a 5A Class moves Dutch Fork into Region 5 with local rivals Irmo, Lexington, River Bluff and White Knoll. Joining the Silver Foxes are familiar Region 4-4A foes Blythewood and Spring Valley. Dutch Fork football will have a new defensive coordinator and boys’ track coach. Wright departed over the summer to become an assistant principal at White Knoll High School. Former Westwood defensive coordinator Nick Pelham replaces Wright. “We’ve got to practice with more of a sense of urgency,” Knotts said. “I’ve trying to impress on the kids there’s no pushovers in our league anymore. There used to be a couple of little pushovers. Now they’re not here anymore, so every game should be competitive.”

A pair of state titles highlight 2015-16 athletics year at Lexington H.S. BY THOMAS GRANT JR. chroniclesports@yahoo.com

A “golden goal” by Megan Classer in sudden death earned the Lexington High School girls’ soccer team its firstever Class 4A title. The highlight of the spring sports season to close the 2015-16 school year seemed fitting. Based on the final tabulations of the Director’s Cup, the award given by the S.C. Association of Athletic Administrators to honor top-performing high school athletics programs, this was truly a “Golden Year” for Lexington. Lexington placed third in the Class 4A Division, its highest finish since winning the cup in 2012-13. Only Wando and Dorman scored higher than Lexington, which finished ahead of fourth-place Dutch Fork. “All of our sports had a great year this year for Lexington High School,” Athletics Director Josh Stepp said. “It goes beyond wins and losses for us when it comes to our definition of success. It was a great year to be a WIldcat.”

ﬁ

During the school year, Lexington won 11 region titles, two Lower State titles (girls’ soccer, football) and made nine 4A Lower State Appearances to go with the state championships won in girls’ soccer and cheer team and state runners-up in football and women’s golf.

Other honors Among the other athletic highlights: •The Lexington High School football team sets a school record for consecutive wins and victories in a season (13). •Lower State ﬁnal appearances for boys’ tennis, softball and wrestling, •The Lexington girls’ basketball advancing to the third round of the playoffs for the ﬁrst time since 1998. •District V champions in softball.

•All-State Selections Courtney White (Softball), Darius Bryant (Boys’ Basketball), Destinee Langsford (girls’ basketball), Megan Classer and Brooke Power (girls’ soccer), Hailey Cleary and Gracen Burgess (girls’ golf) •Class 4A Lower State Specialist Palmetto Champions Christian Kinsley (football) •Class 4A Lower State Specialist Palmetto Champions - Josh Stepp (football) •Shrine BowlL Selections - Nick Graves and Jayson Hopper •North-South All Stars - Courtney White and Shipley Yonkers (softball), Thomas Bryan (tennis), Brice Kirven & Bubba Bowers (baseball), Taylor Foulks (boys’ basketball) •Sportsmanshio Award - Katie Thompson (girls’ tennis) •S.C. High School Coaches Association Class 4A Player of the Year Brooke Power •Chronicle Female Co-Athlete of trhe Year - Megan Classer

“Our student athletes are extremely lucky to be coached by some of the best in the sports day in and day out,” Stepp said. “Our coaches have a tremendous amount of knowledge about their sports, but more importantly they are great people. “They are people you want your son and daughter to be around day in and day out. We love our kids and always have their best interest in mind. Having coaches who do this deﬁnitely makes my job easier.”

Next year’s challenges The 2016-17 school year will off fer bigger challenges for Lexington. It moves up to Class 5A where it’s realigned Region 5-5A will now include Dutch Fork and Spring Valley. “As a whole, we just need to continue to get better,” Stepp said. “Moving into 5A doesn’t allow for us to be comfortable and satisﬁed, we want to be the best athletic program in the state year in and year out regardless of classiﬁcation. Our coaches and athletes know that Best is the standard, as we will strive everyday to get there.”

f f

Bailey, Malpartida share Lexington Chronicle’s Male Athlete of the Year honor BY THOMAS GRANT JR. chroniclesports@yahoo.com

Why were the Chapin High football and River Bluff boys’ soccer teams successful this season? Look no further than this year’s Lexington Chronicle Co-Male Athletes of the Year. Both Eagles’ quarterback Logan Bailey and senior forward Marcelo Malpartida carried their teams to great heights with their skill, leadership and old fashioned heart and soul play. “Logan’s fierce competitiveness is what drove him as well as our team,” Chapin head football coach Justin Gentry said. “He was surrounded by some other great players and he knew how to highlight their strengths as well as his own.” Marcelo is a team first player with great pace, quickness, awareness and skill,” River Bluff boys’ soccer coach Phillip Savitz. “All of these qualities combined together along with his calm but competitive nature make him a great field leader for us.”

Logan Bailey Throughout the fall, the 6-0, 190-pound Chapin senior was a hu-

man highlight reel. His passing and rushing numbers alone rivaled some prep school teams. In an epic encounter in Week Two against Swansea, he out-dueled the equally dynamic Tigers’ quarterback Chance Walker. He accounted for 496 yards and eight touchdowns, four rushing and four passing, in a 63-60 victory. Bailey’s eight scores were the thirdmost in a state high school game. It was only the beginning as he continued to amass offensive numbers which ranked him all-time alongside former Lexington High star running back Demetris Summers. He finished the season with 4,290 total yards and 66 touchdowns, giving him career numbers of 7,501 total yards and 103 touchdowns. The Eagles went on to start the season 9-0 and clinched the Region 4-3A title, the school’s 13th overall and first since 2013. They finished with an 112 mark and advanced to the Class 3A Upper State semifinals. While Chapin did not win the state title, there was no shortage of hardware collected by Bailey. Among his honors included the Class 3A Upper State Back of the Year, Most Valu-

able Player for the North team at the Touchdown Energy Cooperatives Bowl and Lexington Chronicle Football Player of the Year. Perhaps the highest honor for Bailey was becoming the third Chronicle Country player in ﬁve years named a ﬁnalist for the South Carolina “Mr. Football” Award. Bailey’s efforts earned him a scholarship to The Citadel where they hope to incorporate his talents into a college offense.

Marcelo Malpartida As a junior, Malpartida scored just one goal and 25 assists. The numbers alone, however, do not tell the complete story of the importance of the Peru native to the Class 4A boys’ soccer champions. “For me, the thing that separates Marcelo from most players is his ﬁeld vision and awareness,” Coach Savitz said. “He sees things other players don’t and is able to make all the passes even under pressure.” It was Malpartida’s only goal of the season that proved to be one of the biggest in the program’s 3-year history. Locked in a scoreless tie with top-

ranked Wando in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs, Malpartida eluded two defenders and ﬁred a goal just past the goalkeeper’s reach in the right corner for the game’s only goal. River Bluff went on to post backto-back shutouts in the semiﬁnals against Socastee (2-0) and Clover (50) to claim the title and earn Savitz his 700th career victory. Finishing third in the USA Today poll was not the only national recognition for the Gators. Malpartida was the only Palmetto State player named to the national newspaper’s All-USA boys’ high school soccer team and was the 2016 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. “Marcelo is proud of his individual accolades but never talks about them, always credits his teammates and relishes the team state title.” Malpartida is verbally committed to the College of Charleston, but Savitz expects to coach the hungry, humble player he’s mentored for three years as a senior. “Marcelo has started for us since his freshman year,” he said, “and is always looking to take the next step and improve.”

2016 News Awards

Poole named head football coach LEIGHTON BELL Staff Reporter

SECOND PLACE Series of Sports Articles Open Division

Leighton Bell The Link

Cheraw football is keeping it in the family with the hiring of Andy Poole as the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new head coach. Poole, a member of the Bravesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Class of 1998, follows Johnny White and Burney Bourne as former Cheraw players who went on to become head coaches of their alma mater. â&#x20AC;&#x153;During our interviews, this candidate made a comment that stuck with me â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No one works harder than someone defending their home,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Cheraw High School Principal Jason Bryant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And even though Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not from Cheraw, that resonated with me. So today I am proud, excited and relieved to announce our new coach, who is someone who has a passion for this school and this community.â&#x20AC;? Poole said he was honored and excited to be chosen for the position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cheraw is very rich in tradition, and I am thankful that I can now add to that for years to come,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have plenty of talent on our roster; we just need to put the right players in the right places with the right schemes. We also have quality coaches, a great administration and top-notch

facilities. There is no reason in the world not to be a perennial powerhouse again and an instant contender immediately.â&#x20AC;? Offensively, Poole said he plans to use a power run game under center as well as in the spread, and defensively, an attacking and aggressive multiple front defense. He also said that an emphasis on academics and helping student-athletes prepare for future endeavors are going to be cornerstones of his program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we hit that weight room on Monday we have one goal, and one goal only, to win championships and hang banners in that auditorium,â&#x20AC;? Poole said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also going to work to get these kids into college and get them work-ready, teaching them responsibility so they can continue to be successful after leaving Cheraw High.â&#x20AC;? Bryant said Pooleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s credentials as an educator were as important as his ability to coach football in him getting the position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told many people during this process that at the end of the day, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for teachers and educators, not just coaches. Our business is teaching children,â&#x20AC;? said Bryant, who added Poole is a valuable member of the Cheraw community, Cheraw High faculty

Dianne Driggers/Staff Photographer

Above, Andy Poole giving his acceptance remarks after he was selected as head football coach for the Cheraw Braves.

and athletic department. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are excited about his vision and passion for the Cheraw High football program and look forward to him continuing our proud tradition in football,â&#x20AC;? Bryant said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a Cheraw High graduate and former Cheraw High football player, he is committed to our school and promoting our student-athletes.â&#x20AC;? Cheraw athletic director

David Byrd said Poole will do a great job in continuing the tradition that is already established in the Braves program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His great enthusiasm and energy will provide the opportunity for this football program to reach new heights in the future,â&#x20AC;? says Byrd. After graduating from Cheraw High in 1998, Poole earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Francis Marion

and a Master of Sports Administration from United States Sports Academy. He first joined the Bravesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; football staff as an assistant in 2004. He also had a 42-17 record as the Bravesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; JV football head coach and in addition has coached softball, baseball and wrestling at Cheraw. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know I have some big shoes to fill due to all of the success that Cheraw is used to,

but we have a great coaching staff, roster of athletes and support staff to put us in contention immediately,â&#x20AC;? Poole said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have about 57 players currently, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for about 80 for spring practice. Hopefully we can find some diamonds in the rough in players who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played football in a while. Get them out there and get them set up.â&#x20AC;?

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

-=E?C7F%@4=F7@D=F4?ECDF:@40 A@D3FCA:F?E>6E;DFB9F7=@;=FB8? >;=BB<.FDB7AFCA:F;B558A@D3 ;CAF/EFE D?E5E<3F6?B8:2 1E?F D=EF 6C>DF #F 3EC?>. $=@DEF =C>F >E?1E:F C>F CF 5CD= DEC;=E?.F C>>@>DCADF 9BBD/C<< ;BC;=.F =EC:F 8A@B?F 1C?>@D3 9BBD/C<<F;BC;=FCA:F=EC:F1C?0 >@D3F 9BBD/C<<F ;BC;=2F %EF 7@<< ;BAD@A8EF DBF >E?1EF C>F CF 5CD= DEC;=E?FCDF-=E?C7F%@4=2 (=EF>8;;E>>FB9FD=EF9BBD/C<< 6?B4?C5F D=CDF =EF :E1E<B6E: B1E?F=@>F' F3EC?>FC>FD=EF=EC: ;BC;=FCDF-=E?C7F%@4=F>6EC,> 9B?F @D>E<9. F >C@:F 3?:2F (=E ;=C56@BA>=@6>F7BAFCA:FD=E 6<C3E?>F:E1E<B6E:FD=?B84=B8D D=EF 3EC?>F 7=BF 6<C3E:F CDF D=E ;B<<E4@CDEF CA:F 6?B9E>>@BAC<

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

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Digital Feature Project Open Division

Catherine Muccigrosso Lake Wylie Pilot

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Digital Sports Project Open Division

Liz Bloom Jasper County Sun Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Integration of Print and Web Coverage Open Division

Michael Harrison and John Marks Fort Mill Times

EDITORIAL: AS WE SEE IT

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Editorial or Column in Support of FOI/ Open Government Issues All Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

Silence isn’t golden, because the public has the right to know

he town of Andrews was without a police chief for five days before elected officials finally began to come forward — and that came only after persistent calls from the staff at The Georgetown Times. But it was Mayor Frank McClary, sworn in only last month with a pledge to be more open with citizens, who suspended Chief Kaynerra Capers. The mayor failed to inform the public about his sole decision, and, when questioned about it, he steadfastly refused to even acknowledge it. When word of Capers’ suspension slowly began to circulate, as these things always do in a small town, Mayor McClary still refused to discuss it. Never mind that the town’s top lawenforcement officer had surrendered his weapon, his badge and his duties. To the mayor, this was a private, runof-the-mill personnel matter. It was his decision (through the town’s strongmayor form of government) to suspend the police chief, and he would not be questioned. Even a Freedom of Information request filed by The Times failed to persuade him. The entire time, the mayor claimed he would not discuss Capers’ suspension because he didn’t “discuss personnel matters with the media.” Or the public and the electorate, for that matter. In the days following the suspension, Mayor McClary simply repeated his statement — that it was a personnel matter — over and over. Then others began to follow suit — town employees, some members of council — but, they added, it was a matter that could only be discussed by the mayor. “You need to talk to the mayor,” the newspaper was told

time and time again. If only the mayor were talking, but he wasn’t. It was clear McClary was directing employees and those on council who would acquiesce to direct questions about the police chief to the mayor’s office. That was, of course, problematic, because the mayor wasn’t providing any answers. If the chief was suspended, who, then, was in charge at the police station? Silence. If the chief was suspended, didn’t the public have a right to know? Silence. If the chief was suspended, what were the reasons? Silence. Mayor McClary’s silence, however, didn’t sit well with some members of council who found themselves being questioned about the chief’s suspension from the Times and even folks on the street or at the grocery store or at the post office. Problem was, the mayor hadn’t told council or the public. No elected official likes to be caught offguard, but that’s what happened after the mayor kept the chief’s suspension to himself. Councilman Terrance Middleton said the police chief was “missing in action ... and there was lots of concern about it.” But it is not – and should not be – normal for the town’s police chief to be MIA, and if he is, the public has a right to know why. Capers’ attorney says the chief has “done nothing unethical or illegal to warrant the drastic action of being suspended,” and the chief himself said, “I categorically deny any wrongdoing on my part and look forward to the opportunity to defend myself against these unfounded allegations in the very near future.” Even a called meeting – and, most likely, a closed executive session – set

for Tuesday, Feb. 16, to discuss Capers’ suspension was not without contention. Middleton said he had to demand the mayor call a meeting, and even after three council members told the Times they had received notice of the meeting, Andrews Town Administrator Mauretta Dorsey declined to confirm it. She would only say such a meeting would be announced once it was confirmed — this, despite, some members of council already being informed of the meeting. Before the 2015 election, the town of Andrews board was contentious and, more often than not, confusing. Newly elected board members and newly elected Mayor McClary pledged that those days were over. A new day had dawned, the mayor said, in Andrews. So far, it looks like Andrews is still living in the past. The mayor may have turned over a new leaf, but he immediately tore right through it. Perhaps the chief’s suspension was justified. We don’t know. The public doesn’t know. No one can truly judge, because mum is the word in Andrews. Despite the mayor’s assertions, the suspension of the town’s top law-enforcement officer is not a simple personnel matter. It is a decision about a high-profile position that demands acknowledgment by the mayor. Acknowledging the chief’s suspension would have shown that the mayor meant what he said when he pledged to be more open with the public. Secrecy breeds suspicion, and that’s never good in public discourse. We urge the mayor to live up to his words when he ran for – and won – the mayor’s seat. Be up front. Answer Freedom of Information requests. Let the sunshine in.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Editorial or Column in Support of FOI/ Open Government Issues All Weekly Division

Tom Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dare Myrtle Beach Herald

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Editorial or Column in Support of FOI/Open Government Issues All Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

EDITORIAL

Public not served by Patel’s perplexing suggestion

ndrews Councilwoman Sudha Patel says citizens should learn about the council’s actions, as she puts it, “one-on-one” and not in the newspaper. It would be great if every citizen could attend public meetings, but that lofty goal is clearly unattainable. To make it possible, the town would be required to build a structure that would hold nearly 3,000 citizens — the population of the town of Andrews. Then, council would have to meet when all residents could attend the council meetings. Some would, of course, have to ask off from work. Others would need to find a babysitter. Still others would have to agree to miss their favorite TV program. It may be government of the people, by the people and for the people, but government works when elected officials

conduct the people’s business in accordance with laws and in the best way possible. All the people can’t be part of the process. We go to the polls to elect people, like Patel, to do the people’s business. After all, only a few dozen people can fit into Andrews’ council chambers, where the town’s business is conducted. That’s not unusual for any town anywhere. How Patel thinks the council would converse “one-onone” with every member of the public isn’t clear. What is clear is that she lacks an understanding of the media’s role in reporting the actions of publicly elected bodies, like the Andrews town council. On a grander scale, we’d all also like to know what the U.S. Congress is up to, but we all can’t be in Washington, D.C., to watch. It’s the media, through newspapers, radio and/or

television, that serves as that outlet for citizens. Reporters attend meetings of council, sessions of Congress, conduct interviews, etc., and then turn those assignments into stories. Citizens read these stories and become informed about what elected officials are doing. If you’re reading this editorial, then you most likely know the media’s role in informing the public on the workings of — or, as often is the case, the dysfunction of — government. Citizens have long read newspapers to learn what city council discussed during its latest meeting, what action was taken by the state Legislature, if a veto was issued by the governor, if a new law was passed by Congress, if an executive order was issued from the U.S. president, if a sweeping decision was made by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the list

goes on and on. The aforementioned dysfunction of the town of Andrews council is often at the forefront of news, and some council members complain bitterly that their words and actions are in print for all to see. Some members, like Patel, would rather you not read about what the council is up to at all, and that shows a poor understanding of the very nature of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. We know this, because Patel seemed to think council could request information NOT be published in the Georgetown Times. In a June 6 meeting in which council discussed possible tax increases, there was also discussion how citizens might react after learning that council would most likely raise taxes, as well as sewer and water rates. The

increases are needed, council members said, to get the town out of a nearly $378,000 budget deficit. Councilman David Tisdale told the mayor that once citizens read about the discussion in the Times, some might likely “jump on you when they read it.” That’s when Patel did something surprising. She suggested to the council that it should ask the Times NOT to publish information about the discussion. “We can ask the Georgetown Times to hold off on publishing certain information because we haven’t had a public hearing, you know,” she said. “In fairness, they need to know from us and have a one-on-one.” Patel displays a shocking lack of understanding of how the media works. It’s the role of the media to report what public officials are doing be-

fore, during and after a vote. It’s the discussion leading up to a vote, in fact, that may be the most important information for the public to know. And it’s certainly not the role of the media to acquiesce to a council member asking for information not to be published. The purpose of a public meeting is simple — for the public to have the opportunity to know what is being done. That includes discussion. That includes votes cast. It’s the good and bad of sausage-making, as the old saying goes. Patel would be better served to simply discuss the public’s business openly. That’s what she was elected to do. This isn’t her business. It’s the people’s business, and part of informing the public is via the media. It’s a tried-and-true method that has worked for a very long time.

Editorial by Jessica Brodie

It’s OK to hit pause sometimes

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Editorial Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Jessica Brodie S.C. United Methodist Advocate

sat there in the General Conference press room May 17 watching new Council of Bishops President Bruce Ough take a deep breath and bare his soul. About how he, at age 23, had to make the difficult decision to take his 20-year-old brother off life support after a surprise heart attack. About how he, at such a young age, had to be the rock for his family. About how he, in just an instant, went from whole to broken. Much like The United Methodist Church is breaking, he said, when it comes to the issue of human sexuality. Ah, yes. Except we’re not broken yet, and maybe we don’t have to break at all. Ough, on behalf of the Council of Bishops, begged the Holy Spirit to come into that space and implored the body to embrace a spirit of unity despite division. And the very next day, upon the body’s request, Ough returned to the stage and offered the COB’s “way forward” (see article, Page 10), which effectively hit pause on sexuality legislation and funneled the whole matter to a new study commission. To some, this was the absolute worst thing to do. Why put off deciding what we already know is right (whichever side of “right” you happen to fall on) and postpone the inevitable? Why drag out the debate and the angst and the litigation any longer when people’s lives and the work of the church are at stake? But I think what the COB proposed can be a very good thing for the church if we can open our hearts to it. As the days have passed, I’ve come to realize the COB’s plan was designed for those in the ever-present middle, who are unclear about the theology behind either side and can honestly see both perspectives of the debate. There’s a reason why so many votes seem almost split down the middle: many people aren’t sure what is the right thing to do. They’re calling for an answer from God, poring through Scripture and, for whatever reason, are still not getting the clarity they seek. Is it so wrong to take a collective breath, turn inward and study this thing a little more before we are pressed into a vote? Is it so bad to calm the polarizing forces with a little balm of time? Maybe it is. But maybe it’s not. And I’d hate to see something as important as the unity of this denomination cavalierly voted upon because people are itching for the final answer. Sometimes it’s OK to press pause. Sometimes it’s OK to wait for a clearer direction. Sometimes that can make all the difference. And if a pause might mean a little extra time for our church to figure out a way forward united as one under God, then I’m willing to wait. I’d rather see us together than apart. In the words of Dr. Tim McClendon, “Together we can do more.” Amen.

Our Opinion

Haley’s sincere leadership made Hurricane Matthew less terrible

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Editorial Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Andy Owens Charleston Regional Business Journal

Hours before Hurricane Matthew crept up the coast of South Carolina, Gov. Nikki Haley stood behind a lectern in the state’s Emergency Management Division in Columbia like she had for the better part of a week. She was different this time. She seemed tired. She looked like everyone across South Carolina felt. We’d done everything we could to get our homes, businesses and families ready. All we could do now is wait. Was Matthew going to come ashore in South Carolina? Would it turn out to sea? Did I buy enough candles and granola bars?Would I have to replace my entire livelihood? In that moment, Haley was with us. She wasn’t the governor of a small Southern state. She was one of us, carrying all the worries, uncertainty and care of everyone in the state. It was a moment for a governor who has had many moments. She was with Charleston and South Carolina when a gunman killed nine people in a church and ripped a hole in our hearts. The first funeral she attended gained a lot of attention. The other eight she attendeddidn’tgetasmuchnotice,but she was there. She and other state lawmakers took down the Confederate flag, a divisive symbol that had flown on the grounds of the Statehouse since the 1960s. Whether you agree with this move or not, you can’t argue that it was good for business, especially in Columbia, butstrongleadersoftendothingspeople don’t agree with. WhenNorthCarolina’sbathroombill threatened to erupt into a political distraction in South Carolina, she shut it down with a simple comment: that it wasn’t a problem that needed to be fixed in South Carolina. Despite a few attempts from a former Upstate lawmaker, the issue died — to the relief of business, industry and not a few politicians. Politicians are often and correctly criticized for being insincere, but Haley’s form of leadership can’t be

faked for too long. She shows it during times of crisis and deploys it with economic development prospects. Those of us who attend a lot of ribboncuttingsandeconomicdevelopmentannouncementsoftenjokeabout how often she says the same thing, how many times she tells company after company: Call me if you have a problem; I’ll fix it. We’re not sure how many times business and industry have taken Haley up on that offer, but we’re sure they believe she has a personal interest in their success and see in her a positive leader who wants to solve problems. Too many times, government officials rule from on high. It’s often necessary, because they are busy people with a lot of responsibilities. The competinginterestsofrunningastateoften collide with the need to be a person of the people. Haley has found a way to walk that edge. Her only apparent miscue during Hurricane Matthew was telling everyone to go buy gas immediately. Perhapsshedidn’tunderstandthatpeople would listen to her. Moments after her first news conference on Oct. 4, there were lines at every gas station across theLowcountry,eventhoughtheevacuation had not begun. Hurricanes aren’t predictable and are politically unforgiving. Haley isn’t the only political leader who did a great jobduringMatthew.County,municipal and state agencies, staff members and first responders all made the storm less of a threat, and they deserve our praise and support. Damage is still being repaired across South Carolina, but thankfully the damage wasn’t selfinflicted by poor decisions made by area political leaders. Haley is not running for president yet, but we’re sure she could handle the job. In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, she would certainly take South Carolina by a landslide.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Editorial Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Wendy Duke The Baptist Courier

Savannah and her mom sign copies of “Grace in the Middle,” Wendy’s story of her daughter’s birth and battle with cancer.

In my gut I knew Savannah and I had to speak up for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. So we drove to Columbia and sat through heated debate for and against the ban, most of which centered on the right of a mother to choose to abort a child diagnosed with a “fetal abnormality” after the 20-week cut-off. Medical professionals gave conflicting opinions, and a lawyer explained court rulings and federal laws. I was called last, so we had plenty of time to work our nerves up into a frenzy. But for me, the most gut-wrenching moment was the testimony of a mother whose son had been diagnosed with a brain abnormality. The law gave her the right to terminate, and she couldn’t imagine her life with a severely disabled child, so she chose to end his life — an end she was told would be inevitable. I just wanted to hug her, to cry for her. I knew how hard it must have been to tell that story. As a mother, I understood her dilemma. But mine had a different ending, and I wished she’d had someone who could have told her there was hope. So my heart was in my throat when they called my name next. I’m pretty comfortable speaking in front of crowds, but I practically had to read my entire testimony word for word because my brain went dark when I sat down in front of the microphone. The emotions were big. I won’t win any awards for the delivery, but I

told our story: how at our 20-week ultrasound we discovered that our baby’s left leg had not developed and she had an abnormality on her brain; how the doctor warned us that the birth defects were probably an indication of severe chromosomal or genetic disorders; how he “strongly urged” us to abort and “start over.” He never gave us hope that she could have a healthy life, but only told us the worstcase scenarios and how easy and common abortions were. I told the senators how those doctor’s words terrified me, how I considered that abortion might be the most humane choice. I told how my husband stood up for the two women in his life, how he protected us, both of us in very vulnerable states. Then I told them how, during an amniocentesis a week later, we watched on a monitor as our 21-week-old “fetus” recoiled from the needle inserted into her space, then slowly reached out and grabbed the shaft of the needle, holding on until the doctor shook it loose from her grip. Then I introduced my 14-year-old Former Fetal Abnormality, and she had a few words to say. (See page 4.) A few senators asked me questions afterward. One said he appreciated my story, but I had the right to choose whether or not to ignore the advice of my doctor … didn’t I think every woman had

www.baptistcourier.com Ȉ ͯ

O UR V IEW That road should not have been paved

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Harris Award for Editorial Writing All Weekly Division

Cody Sossamon The Gaffney Ledger

Our story last week about the county paving a road that dead ends at the home of state representative Steve Moss underscores the need for the county to update its roads policy. Let us be clear — we believe Rep. Steve Moss, councilman Tracy McDaniel and acting county administrator Holland Belue to be honorable men, as well as the other members of county council. In this case, however, poor judgment overcame sound reasoning. The county apparently followed its policy when it accepted Moss’ road into its system in December 2014. Here is the county ordinance pertaining to adoption of roads: 1) The road must be bounded by two (2) or more property owners who are not of the same household; and 2) The road must not be a dead end street unless the street shall have a cul-de-sac with a minimum fifty-foot radius. 2. If a newly adopted right-of-way contains structures, fences, or other obstructions, the individual property owner from whom the right-of-way was obtained shall be responsible for removing all such obstructions, prior to the adoption of the road by the county. 3. The county will maintain existing drainage ditches within the road right-of-way. 4. The county shall maintain the current existing road condition of a newly adopted road following acceptance into the county road system. The road condition categories are: i. Graded dirt road. ii. Gravel road. iii. Paved road. 5. The county reserves the right to widen and improve the roadway when at any time it is determined by the county council that traffic or safety conditions warrant such improvement. 6. The procedure for adoption into the county road system is as follows: i. Any citizen may initiate the process for having a road adopted into the county road system by filing a road adoption petition with the county public works department; ii. For a road to be adopted, all property owners abutting the road shall submit a right-of-way form conveying land to the county; iii. An inspection must be made to determine road condition, to identify drainage problems, to ensure that all right-ofway forms are filed, and to verify title of land. Such inspection shall be performed by the county public works department; iv. The county council shall adopt only roads that meet the requirements of this chapter. Adoption of any road meeting these requirements into the county road system shall be at the discretion of the county council. Our concern is not so much that the road was put into the county system (although we question the wisdom of that decision, too), but rather the extent and expense to which public dollars, labor and equipment were used to make improvements to it. Rep. Moss indicated to The Ledger that he had spent a considerable amount of money bringing the road up to standard prior to requesting it be adopted. We’ll take him at his word on that. However, a few months after being adopted, the county, in the spring of 2015, spread numerous truckloads of gravel on the nearly half-mile-long road.

O UR V IEW If we build it, will they come? Could be In the previous six editions of this newspaper, we have published articles designed to provide information about the proposed Gaffney Performing Arts Center (GPAC). Our goal was to answer many of the questions swirling around this project and give readers a perspective by looking at similar ventures in other locations. The questions and/or comments we have heard most often concern parking, seating, finances and priority. The center will have seating for 300. City of Gaffney officials estimate there are 293 public parking spaces in downtown Gaffney within a 5-minute walk of the planned facility’s location on Frederick Street. That does not include any privately owned parking lots. Issue Number 1- Parking - resolved: There is ample parking. Others say seating for only 300 will not attract ‘big’ name entertainers. That depends on your definition of ‘big’ names. Other venues of between 300 - 400 seats regularly feature well-known acts, but not superstars. These other locations seem to have no problems booking entertainers that appeal to a variety of tastes. Issue Number 2 - Seating - resolved: A 300-seat facility can book quality acts. Another concern is the $5 million estimated cost to build the center. True, that is a lot of money, but compared to the cost of others of similar size and mission, not so much. The city has pledged $3 million of Hospitality Tax (H-tax) revenue if the other $2 million can be raised from private sources. Based on current numbers, the H-tax generates enough money to make payments on a $3 million bond issue. However, that payment and other obligations will take almost all of the $1.1 million generated annually by the H-tax. Then there are the ongoing operational costs. There is general agreement the GPAC will have deficits each year of varying amounts. The question then becomes who will cover those losses? The city? Donors? Foundations? Of course, if the $2 million in matching funds is not raised, the project is dead. Issue Number 3 - Finances - unresolved: Numerous questions remain. Many residents question the need for such a facility, saying the money could be better spent, a swimming pool/water park is one suggestion. That is a valid point and subject to debate. Some points to consider: A pool/water park (similar to the YMCA’s) would be open only about four months each year, whereas a performing arts center could be used year-round. Like the GPAC, a public pool would probably lose money and thus be a drain on the city coffers. Performing arts centers elsewhere have revitalized downtown areas. A pool would definitely be a great service to a large segment of city residents, but there would probably not be much economic benefit. A public pool is needed here, but should be a county responsibility. Issue Number 4 - Priority - unresolved. Although many residents appear to be divided on this issue, city council has voted to proceed. If the $2 million match is raised, council must then vote to issue bonds and with a new councilman coming on board, that is not a certainty. Prior to our ‘Community Matters’ series on the Gaffney Performing Arts Center, we were skeptical, at best, of this project. We still have reservations concerning the management of the facility and ongoing operational expenses. Then there’s the $2 million question. ————————— (Dr. French O’Shields Despite these concerns, we believe theis GPAC could be, a Gaffney native and a retired could be mind you, the shot in the arm downtown Gaffneyminister.) Presbyterian needs to once again become a center for economic and

This could have been prevented years ago “The section of Hwy. 11 in Cherokee County could be on the road to losing its designation as a National Scenic Byway.” So began the article published in the Nov. 18 edition of The Gaffney Ledger. That announcement made to Cherokee County Council by Lauren Ponder, director of Project Development for the SC National Heritage, should come as no surprise to anyone who has traveled that particular section of Hwy. 11. Frankly, we often wonder how the Cherokee County section was included in the 1996 designation in the first place. Portions of the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway offer views of glorious vistas and pastoral views of inviting countrysides. A few — very few — of those are in Cherokee county. For the most part, however, what we see along our stretch of the highway is far from glorious — commercial encroachment, obtrusive signs, vacant or rundown buildings and just overall unsightliness. Construction to make improvements to Hwy. 11 began in 1967 and in 1996 it earned the National Scenic Byway designation. “An advisory committee from the Appalachian Council of Governments (ACOG) has devised a plan to preserve the scenic nature of Highway11, but that body has no authority to implement the plan,” began a Spartanburg Herald-Journal editorial published in this newspaper in 1997. That editorial cited some recommendations from ACOG, which included “enacting zoning to restrict development. “The dirty word will be zoning. Resistance to zoning in the Upstate is high — unjustifiably high. Zoning does not mean …telling you what you can do with your land.” the editorial continued. “It means …putting reasonable restriction on land use so that one landowner doesn’t bring down everyone else’s property value with an ugly, unsafe or irritating use of the land. “Zoning will probably be necessary to preserve the scenic nature of Highway 11,” it added. A year later, in 1998, the county was developing land use regulations and a committee was formed to help pass an ordinance to “maintain and enhance the scenic, historic and recreational aspects of Highway 11,” according to an article in The Gaffney ledger. “It would have likely regulated signs along the highway and prohibit certain commercial enterprises such as junkyards and landfills,” the article continued. “Also being considered for inclusion in the ordinance were standards regarding utilities, building materials, screening, access and buffers.” A series of public meetings was held and the committee disbanded when some vocal landowners and members of county council declared that any such proposals would be met with heavy resistance. The common theme of the opposition was “nobody’s going to tell me what I can do with my property.” In her presentation to the county, Ponder requested $15,000 to improve the aesthetics and signage along Hwy. 11. County councilman Charles Mathis opposed the effort to protect Hwy. 11 in 1998 and it appears he remains opposed to any efforts to stop the spreading blight along our ‘scenic’ highway. According to the Ledger’s Nov. 18 article, Mathis “pumped the brakes a bit on the funding request, saying he wants to know more about the project and doesn’t want it to turn into a land grab for the government.” This isn’t a case of eminent domain where the government ‘takes’ private land for public use. Opponents in 1998 relied on scare tactics when there were no legitimate arguments against regulations. They are doing the same thing now. Land grab? Hardly. Land protection? Absolutlely. There are several examples of how an ordinance enacted in 1998 could have changed the appearance of Hwy. 11. Ever notice the convenience store near the intersection of Old Post Road that was built but never occupied? It’s overgrown with weeds and kudzu now. An ordinance could have prevented that And how about across the street? Think maybe a small landscaped buffer at the DG would have made that more attractive? You bet it would have. We’ve seen numerous DG stores that did have landscaped buffers. Probably because it was required. Protection — or perhaps more appropriately, the revival — of the scenic beauty of the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway will take bold action by Cherokee County Council. Had council taken the ‘far-sighted view and protected this area for the Upstate’s future” as called for in the Herald-Journal editorial of 18 years ago, Ponder’s warning about losing the scenic designation would have never been necessary. County Councilman Mike Fowlkes told council he would research the situation and provide more information. It is not too late to begin the revival of Hwy. 11 and restore its once-scenic beauty. Even if action is taken now, it will take time. The longer we wait, the more difficult the job becomes. This is ONE issue facing the county that can be solved with little or no money. Council can’t use that as an excuse for not doing something. What it will take is for Cherokee County Council to act and act decisively.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Harris Award for Editorial Writing All Weekly Division

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

Surprise vote left public in the dark T

HERE’S A LAW IN SOUTH CAROLINA that’s intended to prevent the kind of thing that happened last week in the Tuesday Night Massacre of the 90-foot building setback along Highway 17. It’s called the Freedom of Information Act. It requires public bodies such as Georgetown County Council to give notice of their meetings and to publish an agenda. The law applies to committees, too. The council violated that law when it changed hats in the middle of last week’s meeting to become the Administration and Finance Committee. Without notice, without an agenda this “committee of the whole” overturned an earlier decision to give the setback further study. The members then reconvened as the County Council and adopted the new committee recommendation to cut the setback to 50 feet. While the council gave notice of its meeting, the committee did not. It seems like a small point, but it has wide-ranging implications. It’s not only an issue of how land along Highway 17 will develop in the future. It raises questions about the trust people place in their government. Opinions diﬀer on the Highway 17 building setback. There is no dispute over the need for government to take action in the open. The state courts have overturned decisions of public bodies that were made in violation of the Freedom of Information Act. Given the level of opposition to the reduced highway setback, there is no doubt the council will face a legal challenge if it moves forward with second reading next week. If the council wants to gut the highway setback, the correct move would be to acknowledge its mistake and reconvene the Administration and Finance Committee with notice to the public. But we wonder if such action would survive the light of public scrutiny and participation. And that’s really the point of the Freedom of Information Act.

Another tragedy, but still no lifeguard L

AST YEAR IT WAS A 42-YEAR-OLD MAN. This year it was a 16-year-old boy. They died in the water at the south end of Pawleys Island. Why? The easy answer is posted for everyone to see as they head to the beach at a spot that is celebrated as the largest free public access in Georgetown County: “Warning. Strong rip currents make swimming near the inlet extremely hazardous.” What’s more difficult to explain is why years of drownings and near drownings at the south end have not inspired local government to post lifeguards at this popular beach. It remains a mystery and a tragedy. Money isn’t the issue. Georgetown County, which owns the public parking lot, regularly hires summer crews to pick up the trash at the south end. The county also funds a beach patrol for the sheriff ’s office and for Midway Fire and Rescue. All those efforts are paid for by accommodations tax, the money that’s collected from vacationers. The town of Pawleys Island, which polices the parking lot, has an extra officer posted there at peak times in the summer. The town and the county share the cost of security cameras at the parking lot. Some argue that people need to take responsibility for their safety. Courtney Dorsey ignored that advice. The 16-year-old from Georgetown jumped into the water July 3 in an attempt to save his younger brother who was caught in the current. His sacrifice makes the continued lack of initiative by local government look cheap indeed. Courtney wasn’t the first to make that sacrifice on the south end beach. In 2009, a Myrtle Beach man drowned while rescuing his 7-yearold son. Another boy about that age was rescued from the current last week by a bystander who happened to be trained in water rescue. That boy was lucky. So was Courtney’s brother. Two Pawleys Island police happened to be at the south end when the younger boy got in trouble near one of the rock groins. Safety at the south end of Pawleys Island shouldn’t be a matter of luck. Lifeguards would not only aid rescues. They would provide early warning of dangerous currents around the inlet and groins that often are not apparent to swimmers. The need for lifeguards has been demonstrated time and again. It shouldn’t take another tragedy to prompt local leaders to act.

Coroner’s race heads to court A

NY CHILD BORN in the United States can grow up to be president. Becoming a coroner in South Carolina is a little more difficult. A suit filed this month by the Georgetown County coroner seeks to have two challengers kept off the ballot in the November election because they do not meet the eligibility requirements under state law. The coroner is one of those courthouse officials who don’t draw much attention at election time. The probate judge is another, but the retirement of Judge Waldo Maring has two candidates working hard to get voters interested in advance of next month’s Republican Party primary. The candidates for coroner would have faced a similar dilemma. The suit brought by incumbent Kenny Johnson will change that, but if he prevails, he will be the only candidate on the ballot. State law sets several criteria for a coroner, including various combinations of education and job experience. Two challengers, Ryan Pitts and Russ Graham, say they will complete certification if elected and believe the law gives them a year to do so. But there is a catch according to Mr. Johnson and the current president of the S.C. Coroners Association. There is only one recognized certification class and it limits enrollment to people who have 640 hours of experience and who currently work for a coroner or a medical examiner. Although this has yet to come before a judge, the scenario will be familiar to recent graduates: you can’t get experience without a job and you can’t get a job without experience. This isn’t like a magistrate court judge, who can complete training after being appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. It appears that in addition to their other duties coroners are responsible for choosing their successors, no matter what the voters may think. If the court finds that’s the intent of the current law, then coroners should be hired by the county personnel office rather than the voters. How else can we ensure candidates are really qualified? This isn’t like choosing a president.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Harris Award for Editorial Writing All Weekly Division

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

4A • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 • The News & Reporter

Viewpoint

OUR VIEW

Please deposit 25 cents...

Every dollar matters

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Opinion Page/Section All Weekly Division

The News & Reporter Staff

I’

overnment bodies are required to give a full accounting of how they spend the people’s money. They have to prepare a budget, they have to take a vote to change that budget if they must deviate from that budget once a fiscal year begins and they must undergo an independent audit of finances at year’s ends. Then, they have to thoroughly review expenditures to see if departments were efficient and programs performed as they were expected to for the purposes of setting the next year’s budget. When taxpayer money is involved, every dollar must be earmarked for a purpose in advance and then it has to be spent accordingly. Governmental bodies have no greater responsibility than efficiently, openly and responsibly managing the checkbook. We think, by extension, that responsibility must also fall on people who are receiving government funds. The City of Chester frequently has people come before council to request some form of funding or another. Locally, the practice is largely unique to the city, with people rarely, if ever, asking other municipalities or the county for money in open sessions of meetings. At one point, or decade or so ago, the city, frankly, handed out money for purposes it had absolutely no business involving itself in. We remember teenagers asking for (and receiving) money to pay for trips abroad. It’s hard to see how one person getting a trip to Europe meets any threshold of “public use” even if the lucky recipient comes back before the council and talks about all they saw and learned on their travels. Eventually, a set of standards was put into place that any fund request had to meet. If there was not a benefit to the public at large, the request was denied and that has remained intact. We haven’t seen any of those kinds of requests in a long time, but a lot of people still come before council for cash. Many of those requests lately have had to do with hospitality tax money. That tax was enacted last year and it is completely appropriate for groups or individuals to request those funds to promote events that draw visitors to the city. However, a discussion at a recent council meeting indicated that the city isn’t really requiring much in the way of documentation in terms of how the money is spent or how successful the funded events have been. We’ve been present for all the public requests for funds and think the people doing the asking are upstanding individuals that legitimately want to better their community through the events they are putting on. We aren’t questioning anyone’s integrity at all, but the old term “trust but verify” comes into play. When you hand someone public money, even if you know them to be honest and well-intentioned, you still have to require a specific plan for how the money will be spent and receipts proving that plan was carried out. You also need to gauge results...budget, audit and review, just as the government itself does when spending the people’s money. On another front, there are frequently individuals or groups who either want to partner with the city on projects are just receive straight-up funding from them. In some instances, the partnerships are worthwhile and benefit the community. The lights that adorn Chester’s downtown every December were funded through a public/private partnership. When groups saying they want to “do something for kids” or “improve Chester” flatly ask for tax dollars, though, we think an abundance of caution is called for. Again, we question no one’s motives, but the city really needs to carefully examine the background of any group it plans to fund or partner with. If it chooses to invest in a project with any entity, it (again) needs to see a budget beforehand, receipts afterwards and some measuring stick of results attained. It also has to be said that once the city gives money to one, almost every group or wellintentioned person starting a non-profit will rightly expect some degree of aid as well. Who makes the decision on who is worthy of funding, who isn’t and how do they do so? In most cases, the sums of money requested aren’t huge, but that doesn’t really matter. We think every tax dollar has to have a plan, that plan has to be double-checked after the dollar is spent, then the results have to be reviewed to make sure the dollar wasn’t wasted. Just because the money is being routed to a third party doesn’t mean those standards should change.

Travis Jenkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Manager/Editor Nancy Parsons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Great Falls Editor Brian Garner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reporter/Photographer Fran T. Dodds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising Representative Karen V. Graham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office Manager Phyllis W. Lucas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Composition Manager Marissa D. Campbell-White. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Writer/Typist Kelvin McCullough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circulation Assistant Hazel Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circulation Assistant

Our Prices Chester County only One year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45 Six Months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$27 The News & Reporter, a Landmark Community Newspapers Inc. of South Carolina newspaper (USPS-103-000) is published every Wednesday and Friday at 104 York St., Chester, SC 29706. Periodicals postage paid at Chester, SC. Subscription rates are as listed here. Street and counter sales at 75 cents per copy. Due to the premium nature and increased production and distribution cost of Special Editions subscribers will

South Carolina One year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $62 Six Months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $36.50

Outside South Carolina One year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$72 Six Months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40.50

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The News & Reporter PO Box 250 Chester

YOUR VIEWS Declare war against ISIS To the Editor: I am really hurting right now, and I got a feeling that most of you are hurting as well. The hurting comes after learning of the horrific murders of 50 people at a night club in Orlando, Fla. by a deranged lunatic who wanted to impress ISIS. We as Americans must not allow these fanatics to win. They win when we stop traveling and doing

the things in life that brings us joy. We live in a free society. We can speak our minds, go where we want, worship as we want and love who we want. The fanatic Islamic terrorists hate us because of our freedoms. Just like the late great boxing champ Ali, we got knocked to the mat with a left hook; however, just like the champ, we have got to quickly get back up and fight back. I am calling on Congress

to declare war against ISIS. That way, anyone who tries to communicate with this cancer can be arrested. This is the defining moment for the land of the free and the home of the brave. So until Congress gets involved, remember this – get out there in the world and enjoy yourselves. That is the way that you can fight back! Larry Hill Chester

Express Your Views The News & Reporter encourages readers to express their opinions in Letters to the Editor. To submit a letter: Mail: News & Reporter, P.O. Box 250, Chester 29706; Deliver: 104 York St., Chester; Fax: 581-2518; E-mail: editor@onlinechester.com

Think It’s Hot Now? A

ll around the region, people are starting to complain about or at least notice the heat. Someone said: “It was 100 degrees yesterday. Not as hot today.” Another one was overheard saying, “The humidity isn’t as bad today as it was yesterday,” you know, all the little lies we tell ourselves so we can get through a very warm day. We hunch down over our desks and hope no one will ask us to go outside for anything. At lunchtime, we run for our cars, dodging sunlight like we were running from a rainstorm. On those really hot days, I content myself with thinking: At least we’re not living on the sun. Not yet, anyway. If Herr Gotfried Bueren had had his way in the 1950s, we might have already started to colonize the sun. According to my favorite weird news site, this guy, who was a West German patent attorney and into the occult and whatnot said he had learned the sun is a hollow ball with a cool core that has vegetation on the inside. What’s more, he reasoned the sunspots we see are times when a hole opens in the exterior of the sun (which is we must remember about a quadrillion million degrees of heat) and you can see the far cooler interior as a dark smudge beneath it. Herr Bueren is quoted as saying the sunspots are “valleys on the sun’s surface which have cooled off enough to allow vegetation, and consequently the dwelling of animals and human beings.” So, the sun is hollow and we can live inside of it (or maybe on the surface of it.) I have one little problem with this dream of

that in fact, it’s the sun. If we had to live on the surface, I imagine it would be like having a constant hot foot or walking barefoot across asphalt (if the asphalt was, you know, the temperature of the sun). You know how when you get outdoors and are walking across the asphalt and it’s hot and you go: “Ouch! Hot! Hot!” shifting from one foot to the other, tryyyy-ing to put down as little skin Mountains in contact and with that Molehills hot black surface as Brian Garner you can as you gingerly cross the parking lot to your car. Imagine having to do that ALL THE TIME. But the patent lawyer and amateur astronomer was so sure that he was right about the sun that he was willing to put up 25,000 Deutsche marks (this was before the Euro) – about $5,945 in the 50s, against his being wrong. At first, there wasn’t anyone to take that bet, then the German Astronomical Society bellied up to the bar and (figuratively) put their money down. Their reason for doing this was because the Society wanted to keep such “silly” ideas from gaining too much traction, and they could use the 25-thou. I guess they figured they wouldn’t have any problem disproving this theory because NO ONE CAN LIVE IN, OR ON THE SUN. Then like the scientists they were, they proceeded to poke holes (not like the holes caused by sunspots either) in Bueren’s theory. Heat of the sun caused by cosmic rays striking it?

ing over their spectacles – German scientists always wear spectacles). “Why don’t those same cosmic heat rays light up the Earth, turning us into a charred cinder?” Plants in the sun’s interior that turn heat into chemicals and reduce the core temperature? “Piffle, no one’s ever heard of such.” Sunspots actually being holes showing the cooler temperatures inside the livable core? “Give me a break,” the scientists said in German. A jury handpicked by the patent lawyer turned astronomer himself even concluded that Bueren had failed to prove his case (probably not the first time he had ever heard that), but the chances of him paying up were about the same as a snowball’s chance on the sun (even in the cooler interior of the sun). Instead he declared petulantly that they were just after his money and no one was listening to him. The Society fired back after hearing this, effectively saying that they may not have advanced enough to get everything right in science, but they sure have advanced enough to know how to tell is something is wrong. Bueren, they concluded, was all kinds of wrong. They sued to get their money and a court later found in their favor. But getting the money from Bueren was like, well, getting money from a lawyer…So far as I know the case is still in the courts to this very day. So the next time you’re complaining about how hot it is outside, remember, thanks to Bueren, it could be worse. When people today say: “It’s so hot I’m just melting,” they could really mean it. It suddenly doesn’t feel

m not sure why it stuck out to me, but I was driving somewhere last week and I saw a couple of pay phones outside a gas station. Those things have mostly gone the way of the Dodo bird since nearly everybody, regardless of age and income level, has a cell phone. I can remember having a car break down in the middle of absolute nowhere coming home from the Gator Bowl one year. I mean, wherever my cousin and I were didn’t even qualify as “the sticks” or “the boonies.” Neither of us had a cell phone, because (and this may come as a shock to some younger readers) at that point cell phones were something rich folks had and we were broke college kids. Cell phones also Editor didn’t look Travis like the Jenkins slender, pocketsized models everyone has now...they were gigantic things roughly the size of a shoebox with big antennas on them...but I digress. A crazy person driving a cab who we were certain was going to cut us to pieces with a chainsaw finally came by and gave us a ride to a Waffle House, where we were able to call someone on a pay phone to come pick us up. Sometimes you’d be traveling and need to call your mom or something, but by the time you found a pay phone you’d realize you didn’t have any quarters, so you had to be sly about it. You’d call your mom collect, but when you did so, you were asked to record your name after a beep. Your mom would then get a phone call that said “you have a collect call from (whoever), would like to accept the charges. Press one for yes, two for no.” So to save mom from having to pay for a collect call, instead of saying your name after the beep you would say “It’s Travis I’m almost to the beach, love you” really fast. She’d hear that, understand the message and decline to call. Then you hung up and HAHAHA I PUNKED YOU MA BELL! It occurred to me, though, that most younger folks have probably never used a pay phone...or maybe even seen one, really. There’s no reason for them to, since they have likely have a cell phone that not only allows them to make phone calls whenever they like, but lets them peruse the internet, send people pictures and generally serve as the center of their universe. I would venture a guess that most (but not all) pay phone calls now involve, uh, we’ll just the underground economy. As I looked at those pay phones the other day, I tried to imagine explaining the concept of a pay phone to a kid. “Basically, if you were driving and needed to call somebody, you had wait until you saw a gas station or a country store or restaurant. Almost all those usually had one. They were big things, usually built into a booth of some kind. You’d feed your

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

*(25*(72:1 7,0(6 6287+675$1'1(:6 &20

Commentary Listen first, Silence isn’t golden, because vote second the public has the right to know S T EDITORIAL: AS WE SEE IT

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Opinion Page/Section All Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens, Jim Watkins, Robert Lamb, Pearce Godwin and Max Hrenda

Georgetown Times

From the drawing board

outh Carolina prides itself on picking presidents. It’s a warranted distinction as, on the Republican side, we have voted for the ultimately nominated candidate every cycle except 2012. Our state has also earned a reputation for bare-knuckled presidential politics, characterized by the kind of assaults we saw in Saturday night’s Republican debate. In the final days of this year’s Republican and Democratic First in the South primary elections, the eyes of the political universe will be trained on Palmetto state democracy. Under the glare of this spotlight, we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate political civility to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, politics has become our most salient case of failure to listen to one another, especially to those with whom we disagree. A poll of Carolina voters by Listen First Project found that 57 percent believe that “if people with different viewpoints, listened to and considered the other side first” it would make a “major” or “huge impact” on our politics and society. Thirty-six percent of voters believe this simple commitment would make a “huge impact,” and only 6 percent believe it would have “no impact” on our culture. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll, voters were asked what one message they would like to send to politicians with their vote. The top open ended response was “bipartisanship, work together, compromise.” There is clearly interest in more civil discourse, from chats on park benches to debates in the halls of Congress, but listening can be

(Pearce Godwin is founder and president of the global non-profit Listen First Project. He worked in the U.S. Senate and as a national political consultant before returning home to the Carolinas, dividing his time between Raleigh and Georgetown. Pearce now works in marketing while promoting civil discourse by the transformative power of listening. Email him at Pearce@ListenFirstProject.org.)

Events of past years as chronicled through county newspapers

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor, This is an open letter to Gov. Nikki Haley: As an influential leader, your words can have an enormous impact in our Republican primary. So I am writing you to encourage your endorsement of the only principled constitutionalist in the race, because, quite frankly, this country is out of time. We don’t need a Reagan right now, we need someone better — we need someone even more educated in — and devoted to — the Constitution. For the last hundred years, we’ve been progressively walking – and now running – away from our founding documents, and we’re all suffering for it. So now is the time to reverse the damage and get back to our foundational principles. More people are aware of this than you might think — look at the rise of the Tea Party despite all the negative media spin, and more recently the neighbor-debating-neighbor caucus results in Iowa. I will no longer settle for a Republican candidate who doesn’t completely believe in the spirit of the Constitution (I have before, and we wound up with John McCain and Mitt Romney, both dismal failures to an awkward-off-theteleprompter born-and-raised Marxist — the most easily beatable candidate on policy issues and experience in years). I will not have my name attached to

Pearce Godwin a steep challenge for most of us, myself included. The simple fact is that if we hope for a healthy, prosperous nation, we cannot continue to demonize our neighbors because they see the world differently, suggesting that not only their opinions but they themselves are somehow less. America and South Carolina are better than that. We can galvanize a transformational change in our national discourse. The greatest societal change begins with the people, at the grassroots level. Our political leaders take cues from us. Let’s make a new commitment to fully listen to and consider another person’s views before sharing our own, prioritize respect and understanding in conversation and encourage others to do the same. Let’s start right now, while we have everyone’s attention. This time, South Carolina, listen first, vote second.

A VIEW FROM THE PAST 100 Years Ago

Supports Ted Cruz

Guest columnist

someone who “will just get it done,” with no history (or even so much as lipservice) to the Constitution. I will not vote for a candidate who supports the blatantly unconstitutional NSA spying of all of us, and justifies it with, “You don’t understand, these are different times” or “We’re at war, so these things are necessary” attitudes. The ends do not justify the means. Compromising with progressive Democrats to grant amnesty to those who broke into our country and knowingly violated our laws – I couldn’t look my children in the eyes and say, “I voted for him because he’s a good speaker and I was told he could beat Hillary.” The idea we need a perfect speaker or the best-looking candidate or the mostliked in D.C. is insane. We’re up against the weakest Democrat field in modern history, people are hungry for principled honesty, and real voters are more energized and informed than ever. What we all need is a revolutionary candidate, not someone who will negotiate with progressive liars or compromise constitutional principles to “get things done.” I will not compromise, because there is simply no time left. I will vote for a constitutionalist with a history of defending the Constitution and a history of doing what he says he’s going to do — regardless of which political party’s banner he’s running under. And if that means a third party (or no vote at all), and if that leads

to a loss in the general election to a progressive Democrat again (because too many people may vote for reasons other than foundational principles), then so be it. But I don’t think that will be the case. I think things have gotten so bad that normal people are fed up and just know the United States is broken. To fix it, I just hope they choose a constitutionalist and not a strongman or yet another principle-compromising Republican in our primary. Please don’t be on the wrong side. It’s never too late to do what’s right and publicly support the most constitutional candidate with a verifiable record — Ted Cruz — and then make sure he follows through with his promises after he’s elected. That’s what I’ll be doing. Dan Hannon Murrells Inlet

The ladies of the Georgetown library will serve tea at the library this afternoon for the benefit of the 1916 library fund. The hours will be from 4 to 7 o’clock; this done in order that the men of the city may have an opportunity of attending the tea. When these good women put themselves to the trouble of remaining at the library until seven o’clock in the evening in order that the men may be served, it would seem that no good man would absent himself or refrain from being present.

75 Years Ago

Times Tattles By I.D. Clare – Our Carvers Bay snooper reporting one deputy sheriff arresting an1941 other the other day. Deputy Bob New ton arrested a mule on Highway 521 and he decided to ride said mule to a nearby house to put it up for the night. When he got back to the highway, he had accumulated so many burrs in Great photo, great work the seat of his trousers that Deputy D.L. Lawrimore had To the editor, I just want to compliment Chris So- to arrest him for disorderly koloski on her great photography skills. conduct. J.P. Lambert, fire I just read my newspaper and the pic- warden, was a witness. ture of the two wrestlers was nothing 50 Years Ago short of magnificent. That is incredible timing to catch the two wrestlers comA Georgetown woman, Miss pletely upside down and the faces on the Bessie Lassiter, spent a harspectators is priceless. We are lucky to rowing night pinned beneath have such talent for our local paper. her automobile near the enKeep up the great work. trance to Belle Isle Gardens, Gordon McNeil where she collects tickets Pawleys Island from tourists visiting the gar-

dens. Finding the gears to her car locked, she got out to rock them loose. The moving car brushed her be1966 neath it, pinning her right leg to the ground. She was discovered early Tuesday morning by Coburg routeman Laverne Gibson. She was in generally good condition despite mild shock and from exposure.

25 Years Ago Don Johnson and his wife Melanie Griffith were rumored to be in Georgetown Thursday, when 1991 t he produc t ion staff for the movie Paradise came to Georgetown to scout filming locations. The entourage, including the screenplay writer and the producer, toured the downtown section of Front Street and two docks along the Sampit River waterfront.

10 Years Ago Deputies performing security checks do their job quickly, but it still takes longer to enter the George2006 t o w n C o u n t y Courthouse now than it did before a metal detector was installed. One soul who wants to remain anonymous said he would have been on time for a meeting in the courthouse if he didn’t just about “have to get nekkid” to go through the security check. Did anyone catch that on videotape? — Compiled by Elizabeth Robertson Huntsinger

Opinions Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Voters face important issues on Nov. 8 ballot

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Opinion Page/Section All Weekly Division

The Summerville Journal Scene

Staff

ith the Nov. 8 general election just a week away, the eyes of the nation are on the race for the White House. But here in Dorchester County, voters will make decisions on several local races that will affect them in much more tangible ways. During the last month, you’ve followed the news in the local races, while here on the Editorial Page, the Journal Scene editorial board endorsed in some of those races. While we’ve received both praise and criticism over taking a position on some races, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t offer some direction on the important issues facing our community. But more important than any argument for or against particular races or issues, is our position that all registered voters should participate in this election. If you have not already voted — through early voting or absentee ballot — please take the time on Tuesday to go to your polling place and participate in this important process. Here is a recap of the races we have endorsed in the last month:

Summerville form of government We encourage voters to cast a no vote on the question of whether Summerville should change its form of government to mayor-council. As we have said before, the town has operated under the council form of government for more than 40 years. A change to allow the mayor to have both the administrative power as well as a vote on council is excessive. This new form of government, also called the “strong-mayor” model would elevate the mayor from an at-large council member to the chief administrative officer of the town. It would give the mayor responsibility over the day-to-day operation of town departments, as well as personnel duties. He or she also would prepare the town’s budget for the town council to approve. Additionally, he would retain his status as a voting member of the council. Voting no will retain the current structure of the elected town council and spread the power among the seven council members. Administrative duties will be handled by the town administrator.

Dorchester County. A referendum to raise $43 million is designed to add several much needed improvements in our region. Specifically, the money has been earmarked for two new library branches and three new parks, as well as a number of trail projects around the county. We support the referendum as proposed and encourage a yes vote by voters. While a lawsuit brought by a special interest group threatens to halt progress of our community, we feel a strong message by voters will tell both the courts and special interests that improving quality of life issues is important to our town.

School Board We’ve seen six excellent candidates step forward to offer their service on the Dorchester District 2 Board of Education. The Journal Scene recommends local voters return Barbara Crosby and Lisa Tupper to the board. We also endorse newcomer Christian Simmons. We are impressed with the past leadership provided by Crosby and Tupper and we feel they have earned another term on the board. Likewise, Simmons, a local pastor who grew up and attended school in Summerville before serving in the Air Force and Air Force Reserves for 13 years, brings perspective and a set of skills that would help the board as it continues to grow.

Legislative races

In the race for U.S. House Dist. 1, Mark Sanford, the incumbent, faces Democratic challenger Dimitri Cherny. We urge voters to return Sanford to the seat. The two-term governor has demonstrated an understanding of the important issues facing South Carolina and we’d like to give him a chance to continue the work he’s done on behalf of voters, specifically the voters in the Lowcountry. Running for South Carolina House District 94, Katie Arrington faces Democratic challenger Damian Daly for the seat vacated by Rep. Jenny Horne. Arrington is a political newcomer, but she’s been a member of the Summerville community for more than 17 years. We are impressed by her passion and knowledge of local issues. Her background in local business also make her a strong candidate for Summerville votLibraries and Parks ers who should be concerned On Nov. 8 voters will have a with fostering a strong business wonderful opportunity to en- base in our town. hance the quality of life in

Letters to the Editor Stabilizing the mayor best for region’s economy To the Editor: On the Nov. 8 ballot, Summerville voters will see this question: “Shall the municipality of Summerville change its form of government from council to mayor-council?” Under both forms of government, the full council has legislative authority, so that is not an issue to consider. A “No” vote means that the job description for the mayor will remain in the hands of any

DAVID KENNARD Executive editor

A10

www.journalscene.com

Editorial

JOURNAL SCENE MICHAEL CHAUVIN Publisher

four members of Council who can change it every few months if they want to. A “Yes” vote means that the job description for the mayor will be mandated by the state and therefore become stabilized. Being able to count on what the Summerville mayor can and cannot do will benefit town residents, regional community planners, and all types of businesses that need to be able to rely upon long-range planning. Linda Baumberger Behling Summerville

Letters policy We welcome letters from individual writers. Letters must include the author’s full name, address and daytime phone number for verification purposes. Letters with more than one author will not be accepted. Authors are limited to one letter per month. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, libel and good taste. Letters longer than 300 words may be edited for length. Send letters via e-mail to editor@journalscene.com or mail letters to Editor, Summerville Communications, P.O. Box 715, Summerville, S.C. 29484.

Opinion Shaper

A Hope and a Promise BY DR. LINDA KARGES-BONE Journal Scene Opinion Shaper

like to think of the famous educator and fellow Italian innovator Dr. Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori Method of early education as my cousin, at least in the spirit. Who knows? We are both Italian and known to have soft hearts and a stubborn streak, especially when it comes to little ones. Dr. Montessori once said, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.” In that quote lies the topic of today’s epistle. Our community, both locally and further abroad at the state level, must concern itself more intensely with the early education of all children. Indeed, the impact of church pre-schools, early learning, First Steps, First Starts, Head Start and many more initiatives is a beginning, but only that. Random centers for storytelling and borrowing toys or quarterly parent training sessions around the county will not suffice. If we are serious about a healthy and highly competitive citizenry, then a comprehensive, free, public system for child development must be on the table. Consider this: the smartest any of us every was, potentially happened at around the age of two years, when we had an abundantly dense cerebral cortex of over 100 trillion neural connections, waiting to be

hard wired. Those connections enriched by language, sensory learning, warm attachments, and consistent feedback become part of a healthy, functional brain. Those connections that remain u ntouched w i l l be pruned away, permaKarges-Bone nently. If this is true, and I think it is, then every toddler is a potential genius. Yet, we do almost nothing to capture that potential. Other countries realize the power of this research and use it their advantage. In a critical report titled “On Early Ed, the U.S. Is Light Years Behind Other Industrialized Countries” published in the US News and World Report, we find that “Out of 36 countries, the U.S. ranked 29 in enrollment rates for its 3- and 4-year-olds, according to Education at a Glance 2016, the 500-page report released Thursday from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. In the U.S., 42 percent of 3-year-olds and 68 percent of 4-year-olds enrolled in early childhood or preschool programs in 2014 – far below the OECD average of 71 percent of 3-year-olds and 86 percent of 4-year-olds. One commenter noted that the US rates

of early education compare most closely to Mexico. Really? Mexico. Can’t we do better? Studies abound linking comprehensive early education to higher test scores, lower incarceration rates, fewer incidents of child abuse, and many more hopeful statistics, yet SC lags behind other states, offering 4-year-old programming only to the most at-risk children and 3-year-old programs to those who have serious delays. What about the garden variety youngster whose trillions of neurons remain unstimulated as they languish in poor quality daycare or in front of televisions at home? A proviso of course. Early education need not be compulsory and it should be offered in a menu of options to suit the needs of parents who are able and wish to provide enrichment at home. There are many choices, but too few voices to speak for the little ones at risk. Again, Dr. Montessori said it perfectly…a “hope and a promise” in every small child. It is my hope that our community can promise much more in terms of creative, consistent early education for every child. Dr. Linda Karges-Bone is “Distinguished Professor” of Education at Charleston Southern University and the author of “Rich Brain, Poor Brain”. She is also the voice of the “Prayerful Parenting” radio program heard locally on WKCL radio.

Guest Editorials

Parks and libraries a wise business investment BY RITA BERRY Guest columnist

ecently, the Greater Summerville Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors voted to endorse a “Yes” vote for the upcoming Parks and Libraries Referendum in Dorchester County. Addressing our county’s glaring deficiencies in such vital quality of life drivers is the responsible decision the business community must make. The proposed libraries will benefit all residents and help those most in need to receive access to high-quality information to raise their education levels. These resource hubs are particularly valued by our citizens who are unemployed, retired, or searching for a job, as well as internet users who lack home internet access. An adequate library system provides greater opportunity to develop a more broadly skilled, qualified workforce with more disposable income to stimulate our local economy. Parks strengthen community image, increase cultural unity, and protect our environmental resources. Access to parks and recreation opportunities is strongly linked to reductions in crime and juvenile delinquency. Parks are regularly cited as one of the most important factors in surveys of how livable residents perceive their communi-

ties to be. Time and again studies have shown that property values increase exponentially the closer in proximity they are located to a park or green space. This is market driven. Plain and simple, people will pay more to live near parks because it increases their quality of life. Modern libraries are no longer sterile box buildings with shelves, card catalogues and books. They are vibrant community centers hosting arts and cultural programming. They are safe gathering spaces for folks of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. Try telling one of current library users attending a therapy dog session, a toddler enthralled during preschool story-time, or a senior visiting the Board Game Café program that their quality of life isn’t improved. This is, of course, if you can squeeze in the door of the currently cramped quarters. Hi-tech and innovative companies, which provide quality jobs and are the object of fierce competition between counties across the Southeast, have demonstrated time and again that quality of life measures factor into their location decisions. This is especially true when hard infrastructure and financial incentives among suitors are similar, which is ever so often the case. One only needs to look to a county very similar to our own for a wakeup call on how much ground we have to make up. Florence County, with a population of

138,000 and located at the nexus of Interstates 20 and 95, boasts a decades old park and recreation system of 876 acres featuring Lynches River County Park, an Environmental Education Center, a sports complex, three event centers, over ten miles of trails and much more. Our county operates one 70-acre nature area with 1.2 miles of hiking trails. Similarly, Florence County has recognized the multifaceted value of a six branch strong library system. While Dorchester County invested in upgrading the Jennie McMahan Library in St. George several years ago, the George Seago, Jr. Library in Summerville was constructed in the ‘70s, last renovated in the ‘90s, and designed to meet the needs of a fraction of the current population of Lower Dorchester County. It is not too late to provide the level of quality of life amenities that our residents deserve and that our diversified local economy and job market require. However, the longer we put off these investments the further we will fall behind our regional neighbors. Please join us in voting “YES” for Parks and Libraries on Nov. 8. Rita Berry is a longtime resident of Dorchester County and serves as President/CEO of the Greater Summerville/ Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce.

Vote YES for a strong Summerville BY CHRISTINE CZARNIK Guest columnist

he time has come to end the bickering and pettiness that has plagued our town for the past year and focus on the future of Summerville. We have no agreed-upon strategic plans for economic development, annexation or infrastructure improvement. Our population has nearly doubled since 2000. We are now the seventh largest municipality in the state. We need strong leadership to guide us as we navigate this time of rapid growth. We need an ambassador and a voice on the regional stage. We have outgrown our current council form of government and would benefit from the vision, accountability and trust that a full-time strong mayor, under the mayor-council form of government, will provide. Most municipalities in South Carolina have a mayor-council form of government, including our neighboring communities of Charleston, North Charleston, Moncks Corner and Goose Creek. The City of Charleston is a shining example of a municipality that has grown and prospered while preserving its history under the leadership of a strong mayor. The mayor-council form of government is also called a strong mayor form of government. A strong mayor is accountable to the people. Under the mayor-council form

of government, the mayor serves as the chief executive officer of the town. The mayor is responsible for preparing the annual budget and financial reporting. The mayor insures faithful execution of laws and presides over meetings of council. The mayor oversees town departments and personnel. Summerville will continue to need a town administrator to manage the day-to-day mechanics of operating a town of our size. The council sets policy, appoints a town attorney, municipal judges and clerks, and approves the annual budget under all forms of government. This balance of power, an executive as well as a legislative branch of government, is what was envisioned by our founding fathers. We have had three forms of government since 2011. When Bill Collins was elected mayor, we had a council form of government with specifically designated mayoral powers. Then, Bill Collins was granted the addition of the town administrator’s duties by resolution of the council in July 2011, creating a “super mayor” form of government which is not recognized by the state. That resolution was rescinded by the council in November 2015. Council then took the extraordinary step of introducing ordinance changes that stripped the mayor’s office of its executive authority after the results of the November 2015 election, in effect creating a Council-Manager form of government. This constant change has cre-

ated conflict and inconsistency in our efforts to address our service and infrastructure needs. The current ordinances relating to mayoral authority are not the same ordinances under which Mayor Collins, Mayor Myers, and all other mayors going back to at least 1948 served.Wiley Johnson campaigned and was duly elected by a majority of voters under the original Council form of government with designated mayoral authority, and is fully capable of performing the duties of mayor. The people can and must be trusted to choose their leaders. This “power grab” by the council prompted a grassroots movement by the townspeople to petition for a referendum allowing the residents to choose their own form of government, as permitted under state law. Our form of government should reflect the will of the people, not the whim of council. No elected official should presume to know better than their constituents. Theirs is a duty to represent, not overrule or disenfranchise their voters. We the people of Summerville have the opportunity, on Nov. 8, to restore clear council-mayor roles and responsibilities by changing our form of government to mayor-council. Vote YES for a strong Summerville. Christine Czarnik represents Summerville District 2 on the Summerville Town Council.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Election/Political Coverage All Weekly Division

The News & Reporter Staff

BY BRIAN GARNER/THE N&R

Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee talks to supporters Saturday at the Watershed Pavilion near Richburg. Inset lower left: Huckabee made the stop in Chester County one of his campaign destinations before the Iowa primary.

Huckabee running to provide a better world for his grandchildren Speaks at Watershed Pavilion in Chester County BY BRIAN GARNER bgarner@onlinechester.com Ask GOP candidate Mike Huckabee why he’s making his second bid for the Presidency and he gives you five reasons: his five grandkids. “I don’t want to leave this country in tattered shape for them. I owe it to them to fight with everything in me, to make sure that just like my par-

ents and grandparents worked hard to give me a better America, I need to do the same for my kids and grandkids.” Huckabee stopped in Chester County Saturday as part of his preIowa campaign swing through South Carolina. He said he made a stop in Chester County because “Greg and Becky Delleney have always been strong supporters and they wanted to have

us in Chester County. “We feel like one of the ways you win an election is going out and winning it the old-fashioned way, countyby-county, talking to the voters and letting them ask questions. We hope to prove that’s true,” Huckabee said. Following the stop in Chester County, the campaign continued on to a stop in Union and then Columbia, before See HUCKABEE, Page 2-A

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Election/Political Coverage All Weekly Division

The Summerville Journal Scene

Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Election/Political Coverage All Weekly Division

The Lancaster News Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Review Portfolio All Weekly Division

Chris Trainor Free Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Review Portfolio All Weekly Division

Jordan Lawrence Free Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE

COMMUNITYJOURNALS.COM

SOUND CHECK

Ace of Spades

GREENVILLE’S FORGOTTEN

blues GREAT

VINCENT HARRIS | CONTRIBUTOR

vharris@communityjournals.com

rop the needle and a crisply strummed acoustic guitar and a standup bass begin a lively musical conversation. The bass settles on a chugging mid-tempo groove, the acoustic guitar shifts from a delicately picked solo into abrupt, sharp chords, and a singer, confident and deeply soulful, begins his tale… “It was down by old Joe’s barroom, on the corner of the square / They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there.” This isn’t the feral growl of Howlin’ Wolf, the wounded wail of Robert Johnson or the haunted mumble of John Lee Hooker. This is Greenville native Josh White, and it’s less a cry of pain than it is a conversation with a wise, experienced man. The song is “St. James Infirmary,” one of the best-known and most-covered blues songs of the 20th century, and it kicks off the 1956 album “Josh at Midnight.” During his lifetime, White was one of the most commercially popular, critically acclaimed, boundary-breaking black musicians in the United States. But unless

you’re a devoted fan of acoustic blues or a record collector, the odds are pretty good that you’ve never heard of him. Josh White was born right here in Greenville on Feb. 11, 1914, to the Rev. Dennis and Daisy White. School was never part of the agenda for the young boy, but he learned a great deal about where he was from and about how cruel the world could be. When he was 7 years old, White watched a group of white police deputies beat his father nearly to death and then ship him to a mental institution because the Rev. White had thrown a disrespectful bill collector out of his house. It was an experience that changed both men irrevocably; the elder White was never the same man again and died not long after. The family he left behind had to quickly ﬁnd a way to support itself. Several weeks after his father was beaten, White left home with a blues singer named Blind Man Arnold. Arnold would pay Josh’s mother $4 in exchange for Josh leading the Blind Man to Florida to play. After that successful journey, Arnold spent the next

eight years renting White out to 66 different blind and disabled blues performers to help guide them through the Southeast, including Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Joe Taggart. These men were often cruel to him, but White was a quick study when it came to their music. Through some sort of osmosis, he became a guitarist capable of lightningfast runs, string bends and rhythmic riffs. He also developed an encyclopedic knowledge of songs, building a huge repertoire of blues and gospel classics. He began recording at the age of 14, first as a sideman and then on his own under a variety of names, including Pinewood Tom, Joshua White, The Singing Christian and Tipp Barton. From the 1920s until 1939, White’s recording career operated in a series of fits and starts that saw White moonlighting as a boxer to earn extra money. But in late 1939, after recovering from a boxing injury to his hand, White reappeared as a confident, mature performer with a popular version of “Careless Love” on Blue Note Records. From then on, boxing wouldn’t be necessary.

Over the next two decades, White starred on Broadway with Paul Robeson in “John Henry,” became the ﬁrst blues artist ever to appear at New York’s famous Café Society club, released two racially charged protest albums (1940’s “Chain Gang” and 1941’s “Southern Exposure”) and toured with torch singer Libby Holman as part

JOSH WHITE’S “JOSH AT MIDNIGHT” ALBUM RELEASE EVENT, FEATURING JOSH WHITE JR. When: Saturday, Aug. 20, 3 p.m. Where: Horizon Records/The Bohemian Café, 2 W. Stone Ave., Greenville Tickets: Free Information: 864-235-7922; horizonrecords.net

Singer/songwriter brings her indie folk to TD Stage

Joanna Chattman

JOSH WHITE

He was more than a man, really. He was a self-made legend – a superstar who never had a platinum record, a pillar of heavy metal music who has not yet graced the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a giant among other, mere mortal bandleaders. He galloped into the musical firmament with the relentless opening bass barrage of “Ace of Spades,” then laid waste to the road and the recording studio for a further 25 years. Lemmy Kilmister, a.k.a. Lemmy, the leader of Motorhead and the inspiration for generations of metalheads and rockers, is dead at the age of 70, after a brief battle with cancer. Born Ian Kilmister in Staffordshire, England, in 1945 (on Christmas Eve, no less), this was a guy whose stories had stories. His first band, The Rockin’ Vickers, was one of the first rock bands to play in Yugoslavia. He was roommates with Noel Redding, Jimi Hendrix’s bassist, which led to a gig as a roadie for Hendrix. He provided the ’70s space-rock oddballs Hawkwind with their biggest hit (“Silver Machine”) before getting kicked out in 1975 due to a drug bust. And then, with drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor and “Fast” Eddie Clarke, he formed the classic lineup of Motorhead, named after a song he wrote in his final days with Hawkwind. All he did was invent one of the loudest, most aggressive, balls-to-the-wall sounds in rock ’n’ roll – a feverish mix of pure velocity, punk attitude and heavy metal noise that influenced everyone from Metallica to the Foo Fighters to The Clash to New Order. Songs like “Bomber,” “Overkill,” “No Class” and “Love Me Like a Reptile” are the soil in which pretty much every loud, fast, obnoxious band of the last three decades nourished their roots. But that’s not all. As a lyricist, no one in heavy metal (a genre Lemmy steadfastly refused to call Motorhead a part of) was more incisive or observant. He rendered the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle as honestly as anyone has ever done, even paying tribute to the guys who lug all the amps on the immortal “(We Are) The Road Crew.” Oh, and along the way, he also championed one of the earliest all-female rock

Sound Check Notes on the Music Scene with Vincent Harris

Aoife O’Donovan’s magic hour

Legacy of metal legend Lemmy rumbles in the rockers he inspired

Review Portfolio All Weekly Division

Vincent Harris Greenville Journal

CULTURE WITH VINCENT HARRIS

RAMA, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

bands (Girlschool) and wrote lyrics for Ozzy Osbourne. He drank like a fish, left a trail of… let’s say “broken hearts” all across the globe and became an icon simply by saying what he wanted, doing what he wanted, singing with a voice like a wounded animal and playing a Rickenbacker bass guitar that was amped to sound like thunder from on high. He was one of those Keith Richards types that you probably thought would outlive us all. When it comes to the power of Motorhead’s music, other than the unconquerable “Ace of Spades,” one album is as instructive as it gets: a live album called “No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith” that the band released at the peak of their powers in 1981. It isn’t a collection of songs so much as a room full of chainsaws all started up at the same time. It makes the overdubbed and manicured live albums of the band’s peers sound like beds of feathery marshmallow pillows. It kicks off, as it must, with the roaring busted-muffler hot-rod that is “Ace of Spades,” played about twice as fast, and somehow, twice as loud as the studio version. It is sheer volume, sheer aggression and sheer warts-and-all chaos, and it’s incredible, much like the muttonchopped madman wailing into the mic. Cheers, Lemmy. The afterlife just became a lot more fun, and a hell of a lot louder. Vincent Harris (vharris@ communityjournals.com) covers music and sports for the Greenville Journal.

There’s a warmth, an ethereal sweetness to Aoife (pronounced eee-fuh) O’Donovan’s album “In the Magic Hour.” Her crystal-clear voice sighs and whispers and wails over a drifting body of music that seems to change shape from verse to verse. A mandolin moves forward, then recedes; a wash of cymbals flashes briefly; a piano or guitar will float blurrily by… it’s almost like a dreamscape of music where each element is immediate but just out of reach. It serves O’Donovan’s subject matter well, because the album, to a large degree, is about death and memory. It’s a study in muted sadness and joyful nostalgia that’s an embarrassment of riches both emotionally and musically. O’Donovan was touring behind her previous album “Fossils” while writing “In the Magic Hour,” and only as time went on did the theme of her grandfather’s death reveal itself. She found herself in an interesting mix of emotions while writing. “I think there’s a difference between nostalgia and sadness,” she says. “A lot of it was written in the wake of my grandfather’s death, which of course was a sad thing. But when a 93- or 94-year-old person passes away, it’s not sad in the way that it is when a younger person passes away. He led a very long and full life. It’s not sad to grow older, but there is a sense of loss. And I think I was trying to channel the contrary nature of being melancholy without having to be sad.” As for the album’s layered, atmospheric approach, that, too, would only come with time. “It started out in a very spare style with just [Grammy-nominated producer] Tucker Martine and me in the studio getting the record started,” she says. “So it was mainly guitar and vocals. But when we moved past that and started adding these instruments, piece by piece, the mood just started presenting itself.” As the album took shape, O’Donovan says

that each musician who came in to play was able to build on what had already been recorded. “I remember a week in December when we were doing a bunch of overdubs on the tracks, and one day Chris Thile came in and played these beautiful mandolin lines, and the next day Eyvind Kang, the violist, came in and started doing all of these beautiful parts, and having Chris come in first definitely changed what Eyvind did, and the guitar player who came in after him was informed by both of them. Everything was informed by what came before it, which turned out to be the perfect order.” Ultimately, though, O’Donovan says that her collaboration with Martine on “In the Magic Hour” was the most important factor in how the album turned out. “What I always wanted to get out of this record was having him help arrange the songs more than on “Fossils,” because those songs kind of pre-dated my relationship with him,” she says. “With this album, I really wanted him to put his stamp on it, and I think the mood that his records and the sonic landscape that he’s known for creating are really present on this record, and I’m really happy about that.”

The Lone Bellow w/ Aoife O’Donovan When: Friday, July 8, 7:30 p.m. Where: TD Stage, 300 N. Main St. Tickets: $35-$50 Info: 467-3000, peacecenter.org

Vincent Harris covers music and sports for the Greenville Journal. Reach him at vharris@ communityjournals.com.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is a faith walkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Determined mom fightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illness, seeks to raise public awareness

Health Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON jharrison@journalscene.com

Jenna-Ley Harrison The Summerville Journal Scene Provided/Deanna Miller Berry

Shannie poses with her mom Deanna Miller Berry and stepdad Patrick Berry inside her room at Cincinnati Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital in Ohio in February.

!+( 027+(5 2) $ 6,&. 2:&28175< *,5/ ,6 *$,1,1* /(*,6/$7,9( 6833257 72 5$,6( $:$5(1(66 )25 %27+ +(5 '$8*+7(5@6 &21 ',7,21 $1' 27+(56 /,.( +(5 1 $18$5< ($11$ ,//(5 (55< $1' +(5 )$0,/< 5(&(,9(' '21$7,216 )520 $ 800(59,//( &+85&+ 72 $66,67 7+(,5 75$9(/ $1' /2'*,1* (;3(16(6 )25 :+$7 7+(< 7+28*+7 :28/' %( $ 7+5(( 0217+ 75,3 72 +,2 72 *(7 /,)( 6$9,1* 685*(5,(6 )25 $0%85* 7((1 +$17(// > +$11,(? 226(5 !+( <($5 2/' :$6 %251 :,7+ $1 $,5:$< '()(&7 &$//(' /$5<1*20$/$ &,$ 87 $)7(5 <($56 2) 0,6',$*126,6 7+( &21',7,21 :256(1(' 817,/ '2&7256 72/' (55< 7+$7 7+,6 <($5 :28/' %( 7+( <($5 6+( /267 +(5 '$8*+7(5 81/(66 7+( 7((1 81'(5:(17 $ 6(5,(6 2) 0(',&$/ 352&('85(6 ,1&,11$7, +,/'5(1@6 263,7$/ $*5((' 72 3(5)250 7+( 685*(5,(6 !+( ),567 )(: 2&&855(' ,1 (%58$5< $1' 3529(' 620(:+$7 68&&(66)8/ (55< 6$,' 87 81)25(6((1 &203/,&$7,216 ,1 $'',7,21 72 ':,1'/,1* )81'6 )25&(' 7+( )$0,/< 72 5(7851 +20( 6221(5 7+$1 (;3(&7(' !+(<@5( &855(17/< 6((.,1* (;75$ )81',1* #+,/( ,1 +,2 +$11,( 5(&(,9(' 68 35$*/27723/$67< = $ 352&('85( 21 +(5 833(5 /$5<1; = $ 721*8( %$6( 5('8& 7,21 :+,&+ $//(9,$7(6 6/((3 $31($ )25 ,1',9,'8$/6 :,7+ /$5*(5 721*8(6 $1' /,1*8$/ 7216,//(&720< $/62 72 5(/,(9( 6/((3 $31($ !+28*+ '2&7256 6$,' 7+( 7((1 :28/' +$9( 72 5(&29(5 21 $ 9(17,/$725 $1' 5(63,5$725 817,/ $%/( 72 SHANNIE, 5A

2016 News Awards

Students learn about medical field

SECOND PLACE Health Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Clayton Stairs Georgetown Times

Carolina Orthopaedics offers 9-week medical mentoring program BY CLAYTON STAIRS cstairs@southstrandnews.com

For nine weeks this summer, 50 high-achieving rising high school juniors and seniors from Georgetown and Horry counties have been learning about the medical field firsthand. On June 14, Carolina Orthopaedics, based in Murrells Inlet, launched a medical mentoring program to provide students with experience in the field as staff members offer guidance to help students make decisions about their future careers. The program includes mentoring by and shadowing of doctors, nurses and other medical workers at Carolina Orthopaedics and Carolina Coast Surgery Center and ATI Physical Therapy, a partner organization. It runs through Aug. 16 and a graduation ceremony will be held on Aug. 25. “This program is a great way to show these students the opportunities we have available right here on the Grand Strand,” said Julie Dyer, community liaison for Carolina Orthopaedics. “We know they are going to go off to school, but one of the reasons we started this program is that we want them to come back.” Jasmine Smith, a rising senior at Georgetown High, said she plans to pursue a career as a registered nurse and hopes to start at Francis Mar-

Jasmine Smith, a rising senior at Georgetown High, talks PHOTOS BY CLAYTON STAIRS/ SOUTH STRAND NEWS with Dr. Andrew Putman an orthopaedic surgeon who Tori Wall, a rising junior at Waccamaw High School, right, observes an X-ray technician concentrates on the hand, wrist and elbow. setting up a patient for pictures of her wrist. ion University. So far during concerned, she said techher time in the program, she’s niques used by the doctors dents who are accepted into impact the youth of today and in a program like this when the program are required affect future career plans of he was in high school. learned about carpal tunnel surprised her. “I didn’t really realize they to commit at least 15 hours high school students. “That’s how I found my way syndrome, trigger finger and “It’s important for them to into physical therapy. I was a spinal degeneration surgery, put a hole in your body and of their time over the nine see what we do, not only in school teacher, then I went as well as procedures for tak- put a little camera in there weeks. to see what is going on,” Wall The team of doctors partic- the operating room or taking and shadowed some physical ing X-rays. ipating includes Dr. Michael care of patients, but behind therapists in Asheville, North “This has been a great op- said. The Medical Mentoring Bohan for hip and knee; Dr. the scenes, what it is like, the Carolina, and really enjoyed portunity for me,” Smith said. “I’ve learned a lot and I think Program at Carolina Or- Edward Mikol for shoul- amount of paper work, what that experience,” Owens said. I will proceed more into the thopaedics allows students der, knee, hip and sports the schedule is really like, “I went back to school for to learn more about ortho- medicine; Dr. Christopher what a life in medicine is all physical therapy, and here I medical field.” Tori Wall, a rising junior paedic surgery, orthopaedic Crosby for foot and ankle; about,” Cook said. “That’s the am now 25 years later.” He said the program has at Waccamaw High, said spine surgery, orthopaedic Dr. Stephen Parker for pain part you can’t prepare for unalthough she observed sur- podiatry, general surgery, management; Dr. Brian Blair less you’ve seen it yourself.” been a huge success. Putman agreed. “The stu“I think it has just been a geries on a knee, a hip and sports medicine and related for shoulder, knee, hip, and shoulder, the experience surgery, in addition to the sports medicine; Dr. Andrew dents are learning what it’s win-win all the way around with physical therapy was the roles of certified athletic Putman for hand, wrist and really like in the health care for us and the kids who have trainer, registered nurse, li- elbow; and Dr. Todd Cook for field and what a lot of our jobs been able to participate,” Owmost interesting to her. entail,” he said. “They are see- ens said. “In physical therapy, I censed practical nurse, medi- neck and spine. Putman, Cook and Lance ing how to interact with pa“They can get in here and learned what has to be done cal assistant, certified nurse in the examination and what assistant, medical scribe, ra- Owens, regional director of tients and what our daily life see what we do, to get a good they have to check for to see diologist, physical therapist, ATI Physical Therapy, who is actually like in comparison idea of what physical therapy is all about, instead of just how the patient can move,” occupational therapist, surgi- all spoke with South Strand to a TV show.” cal technician, anesthesiolo- News, agreed that this proOwens said he wishes he watching it from afar or readWall said. As far as the surgeries were gist and administration. Stu- gram has great potential to had the chance to take part ing about it.”

A vision of care 2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Health Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

PHOTOS BY MARK A. STEVENS/ SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Several dozen were in attendance as the ceremonial ribbon was cut for the new Tidelands Health Community Resource Center. Pictured, from left, are Tidelands Health President and CEO Bruce Bailey; Associate Director of Health Care for The Duke Endowment Lin Hollowell; Tidelands Community Care Network participant Rhoda McClain; TCCN Director Linda Bonesteel; and Tidelands Health Board Chairman H. McRoy Skipper Jr.

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

Tidelands Health opens $2.5 million outreach facility BY MARK A. STEVENS mstevens@southstrandnews.com

Of all the inspirational speeches given — and there were many — at the new Tidelands Health Community Resource Center ribbon-cutting, it may have been local locksmith Rhoda McClain who summed up the event the best. One by one, speakers heaped praise on the new center. The Chamber of Commerce executive director called it a “joyous occasion.” The Tidelands Health board chairman called it “a testament to ... vision.” But it was when McClain shared her personal story — a story of a life saved, blessed and made whole again — that the packed room filled with smiles and laughter. “I tell everyone,” she said, “that

Tidelands Community Care Network is a blessing for our community and food for our souls, like warm peanut butter on toast.” McClain is one of more than 1,000 area residents who have been helped since the inception of Tidelands Community Care Network, a public-private patnership of agencies and organizations dedicated to helping the uninsured and underinsured access essential services, from affordable primary care to behavioral health services. The new resource center will serve as headquarters for Tidelands Community Care Network. At an opening event Monday, May 23, the center was described as “an innovative facility that brings together

See TIDELANDS, Page 4A

Bonesteel, left, celebrates the opening of the Tidelands center with Skipper.

‘I’m glad my parents chose to save my life’ 2016 News Awards

15-year-old lauded for her right-to-life senate testimony By Butch Blume, Managing Editor

THIRD PLACE

In most ways, Savannah Duke is a typical 15-yearold. She takes honors classes and sings in the chorus at her middle school, and she swims for the varsity team at Spartanburg’s Dorman High School. She is involved with her youth group at First Baptist Church of North Spartanburg. Like most girls her age, she frets over her complexion and “fitting in and all that junk.” Indeed, in most ways, Savannah is a typical middle-schooler — but not in every way. Most of her friends, for instance, don’t have to negotiate the social challenges of adolescence with only one leg. Most didn’t battle cancer for the first 16 months of their lives. Most have never testified before a South Carolina Senate subcommittee and passionately defended the rights of the unborn.

Faith Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Butch Blume The Baptist Courier

Savannah, who was 14, then sat down in front of the legislators. She tested the microphone to make sure it was working, and then, drawing inspiration from Psalm 139, she spoke: “God created my inmost being. He knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise Him because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. His works are wonderful, and I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from Him when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. “His eyes saw an unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in His book before any of them came to be. I’m glad my parents chose to save my life.” On Nov. 10, at the annual meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Savannah was recognized for her “bold witness and activism in defending the sanctity of every human life” and was presented the E.A. McDowell Award by the convention’s Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee. The award noted that Savannah’s testimony “was a key turning point in supporting a bill that will protect unborn children from savage and painful abortions at 20-weeks gestational age.”

When Savannah was a 20-weekold inside her mother’s womb, the doctor told her parents, Wendy and Scott, that their unborn Savannah Duke accepts the E.A. McDowell child’s left leg was a quarter Award for exemplary Christian service. of the size of the right and had no knee or foot. The doctor also said the baby had a brain abnormality. The defects probably indicated severe chromosomal or genetic disorders, the doctor said, and he urged the parents to terminate the pregnancy and to “start over.” “Against our doctor’s advice, and with much fear, we opted not to abort,” Wendy told a panel of South Carolina senators March 18, 2015. Duke was at the State House in Columbia to testify in support of a bill that would ban abortions past 20 weeks based on medical findings that fetuses at that stage of development are capable of feeling pain. “Ours did not turn out to be a worst-case scenario,” Duke said during her testimony. “Our family is a testament that the sole word of a medical professional does not deem a life invalid.” Wendy and Scott Duke relax on the porch with their kids, Savannah, 15, and J.P., 12, and their dog, Charlie.

ͬ •

January 2016 | THE COURIER

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Faith Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Tim Callahan Murrells Inlet Messenger

Woman held captive lives to tell about it By Tim Callahan Mom, drugee, widow. Ashley Smith was all those, she said. She was back in church after forever and she heard there is nothing she could do that would keep God from loving her. She had a hard time grasping it. However, in 2005, she began reading “The Purpose Driven Life” by pastor Rick Warren because she had to find out if a “mom, drugee and widow” could have a purpose. She found that purpose after being held captive for seven hours by a mass murderer. Brian Nichols, “Atlanta’s courtroom killer,” ended up on her doorstep right after the murders. She prayed, talked with him - trying to relate with him on any level - and asked if she could read a book that had come to mean a lot to her. He asked her to read the book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” out loud. He eventually let her go and turned himself in. A book, “unlikely angel,” and a movie, “Captive,” came out of the experience.

Ashley Smith She believes her purpose, when so many don’t make it out of the drug life and people were killed by Nichols but not her, is to tell her story and how she came back to God. Continued on page 10

LOVING ‘THE PEOPLE NOBODY WANTS’ Continued from page 3

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Faith Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

In May 2013, after praying about the move they felt God was preparing them for, Grant and Amber and their two children — a toddler and an infant — left behind the security of steady jobs and a middle-class lifestyle in order to immerse themselves as missionaries in a neighborhood on the fringes of acceptable society. Grant was a church youth pastor, and Amber a hospital nurse, when they walked away from their jobs in Rockwell, N.C., to move to Countryside mobile home park, a cluster of about 185 trailers housing more than 700 people in Lancaster, S.C. 3H^ LUMVYJLTLU[ VɉJPHSZ OHK [HNNLK [OL [YHPSLY WHYR a “hot spot” for criminal and drug activity. Three local churches — one white, one black and one Hispanic — had committed themselves to establishing a Christian foothold, a mission outpost, in the park, and Grant and Amber accepted the challenge to live and minister among the “unwanted” residents of Countryside. Grant said he and Amber have known what it feels like to be unwanted, which includes “anything from being the last picked on the playground to not being grouped with the cool kids.” “There are always those who feel they are the person nobody wants,” he said. “At Countryside, God has given us the people nobody wants.”

Butch Blume The Baptist Courier

The Hinsons and their children — Asher, 6; Evan Grace, 4; and, now, 5-month-old Adah Ruth — invest their time in getting to know their neighbors and establishing human connections with them. “Our purpose is to connect our neighbors to Christ and show them that we all are equal and have a purpose in life,” said Amber. “We spend a lot of time in neighbors’ homes and yards, and many have spent time at our house,” she said. “People don’t care about your Jesus until they know you care about them.”

ͬ •

March 2016 | THE COURIER

Amber takes women to the grocery store and to doctor appointments, and she helps Spanish-speaking moms communicate with their kids’ schoolteachers. Grant meets with men in the neighborhood almost daily, where he counsels and prays with them. He also plays basketball with them on Friday evenings. The Hinsons schedule L]LU[Z SPRL MHSS MLZ[P]HSZ HUK `HYK ZHSLZ PU HU LɈVY[ [V IYPUN neighbors together. Grant and Amber hold ministry activities in a rented trailer called The Connection, where, with the help of area church volunteers, they have “Homework Helpers” for school kids three days a week, English-as-a-second-language classes, and a men’s prayer meeting. The Hinsons also connect the residents of Countryside with local church congregations. In the summers, area churches and visiting mission groups from out of state work with Grant and Amber to hold backyard Bible clubs, sports camps and vacation Bible schools. Each week, a local church sends over a bus to pick up kids for an Awana club meeting. The Hinsons’ work is supported by several churches, by Moriah Baptist Association and by a construction company. Grant and Amber also receive some funding from the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Daryl Price, SCBC church planting director, said the Hinsons

G-Force brings revival 2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Faith Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Mandy Catoe The Lancaster News

MANDY CATOE/mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Above, Unity Prayer Rally organizer Apostle Ollie Alexander speaks to the crowd, flanked by the Unity Choir. At right, Javier Robles blows a shofar, the oldest wind instrument known and surviving from Biblical times. The shofar is made from a ram’s horn and its sound signifies repentance and the awakening of the soul.

100+ unite to pray for hope and healing Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

More than 100 people joined hands in prayer in the courtyard between the historic and new courthouses Saturday morning. People from all walks of life, ages and races joined together in Lancaster’s first citywide Unity Prayer Rally. Community churches and spiritual leaders brought a message of hope and healing from the sanctuary to the streets. The two-hour event stretched well into a third hour, but no one seemed in a hurry to leave. “We are not going home the

same. Revival is here,” rally organizer Apostle Ollie Alexander proclaimed. “A change has taken place.” The crowd fell silent as Javier Robles raised the shofar to his lips and blew into the oldest wind instrument known since biblical times. The shofar is made from a ram’s horn and its sound signifies repentance and the awakening of the soul. “I feel good when I sound it. The Holy Spirit comes to me and that is how I blow it,” Robles said. “Straight from God. Straight from the Holy Spirit.” See UNITY I Page 2

photos by GREGORY A. SUMMERS gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Christian Assembly Worship Center member Myk Green shouts in praise as he carries a cross in the parking lot at Lancaster Square on Saturday morning. About 90 members of the church walked through downtown carrying two crosses.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Faith Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Church family puts shoe leather to Easter faith

Greg Summers The Lancaster News

Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Traveling up Main Street from Lancaster Square to the downtown business district is old hat for most of us. But if you went that way Saturday morning, you may have crossed paths with two crosses as 90 members of Christian Assembly Worship Center carried the symbol of Christianity through downtown during Easter weekend. It’s something they’ve been doing for six years, said Pastor Marvin Tennant. And as they walked, they prayed over churches along the route. They also stopped to pray on the courthouse steps. And they prayed for folks they passed along the way. “A congregation is a terrible thing to waste,” Tennant said. Tennant said the morning demonstration of Easter faith always prompts varied reactions. Some motorists, he said, honk horns or wave. Others smile. Some See CROSS I Page 3A

Laura Brazell, left, holds her daughter, Grace Brazell, and prays with Leo Francis at the foot of a cross in front of the Lancaster County Courthouse on Saturday morning.

2016 News Awards

The celebration of Ash Wednesday

FIRST PLACE Faith Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Charles Warner The Union Times

First of seven Community Lenten Services By Charles Warner cwarner@civitasmedia.com

UNION — The cross drawn on the foreheads of each of the several dozen worshippers at Grace United Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon was the most visible sign of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday is the ﬁrst day of Lent, the six weeks before Easter Sunday. It derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the heads of Christians participating in the ceremony. The ashes are placed during the “Imposition of the Ashes” portion of the ceremony when ashes

are placed on the heads of worshippers, either by sprinkling them on the top of the head or, as is more common in English-speaking countries, used to draw a cross on their foreheads. The Imposition of the Ashes is accompanied by the minister placing the ashes on the worshippers’ heads saying “Remember that you are dust and to the dust you shall return.” On Wednesday, a large group of worshippers representing many of the Christian denominations gathered at Grade United Methodist Church for an Ash Wednesday “Service of Repentance” celebrating the beginning of Lent. The service was the ﬁrst of seven Community Lenten Services that will be held through March 23 at Grace United Methodist See ASH | 2A

The Rev. David Bauknight (left), pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, speaks with one of the worshippers who took part in the Ash Wednesday celebration held at the church Wednesday afternoon. The Ash Wednesday service was the first of seven Community Lenten Services that Grace United Methodist Church will host during the six weeks leading up to Easter. At the end of the Ash Wednesday service was the “Imposition of Ashes” during which each person in attendance has the cross drawn on their forehead with ashes by the minister. Each time the sign of the cross drawn on the person’s forehead is accompanied by the minister saying “Remember that you are dust and to the dust you shall return.”

2016 News Awards

Streiffert steps down Longtime Waccamaw High softball coach calls it a career BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

THIRD PLACE Sports Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

Scott Streiffert has stepped down as Waccamaw High School softball coach. “I’ve poured my hea r t and soul into the softball program for more than 20 years,” Streiffert said, “and it’s hard to step away.” After suffering a mini stroke during a game in March, Streiffert was told by doctors that he was at a higher risk for another stroke if he didn’t change his lifestyle, including cutting down on stress. “I’m telling you if you don’t change, the likelihood of being back here is pretty good and you might not be as lucky,” Streiffert said the doctor told him at the hospital after the stroke. “I just decided that I didn’t want that to happen again,” Streiffert said, adding that the decision to step down was made collectively with his wife, Jenny, and sons Matthew and Nick. In 20 years as Waccamaw’s head coach, Streiffert compiled a record of 410-162. The Lady Warriors won a state title in 2010 and Lower State titles in 2009, 2010 and 2013. Streiffert’s teams only had one losing season in 20 years, and for 12 straight years Waccamaw never lost more than two games in a row. The Lady Warriors were dominant at home, winning approximately 90 percent of their games at Warrior Field. “I was really proud of … the way we always took pride in the way we played at home, defending our field,” Streiffert said. Although the state title was the pinnacle of his career, Streiffert said the home game during the 2009 state championship series produced his most memorable moment.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Scott Streiffert has stepped down after 20 years as Waccamaw High’s head softball coach.

“I’ve poured my heart and soul into the softball program for more than 20 years and it’s hard to step away.” Scott Streiffert, Former Waccamaw softball coach A record crowd had packed Warrior Field, and the Waccamaw fans were standing Waccamaw High softball Coach Scott Streiffert talks to his infielders during a 2015

See STREIFFERT, Page 9A game. After 20 years and more than 400 victories, Streiffert stepped down as of June 1.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Naeem McFadden Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Beat Reporting All Weekly Division

Phil Bowman Daniel Island News

November 19 - 25, 2015 Ĺś The Daniel Island News

thedanielislandnews.com

SPORTS 23

Bishop England wins the Sweet Sixteen in volleyball Team wins sixteenth straight state championship PHILIP M. BOWMAN It seems like every time the Bishop England volleyball team wins a state championship it makes national high school sports news. That was the case Saturday when the Bishops topped Buford in straight sets with a 25-15, 25-13, 25-17 victory in the Class AA state championship, which was contested at White Knoll High School in Lexington. It gave the Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; their 16th consecutive state championship, which ties the national record according to the National High School Federation of Sports record book. The Episcopal School of Acadiana (Cade, La.), won 16 in a row from 1987 to 2002. Bishop England already owned the national record for state volleyball titles with 25 overall until Saturday, which was No. 26. 7KH %LVKRSV ÂżQLVKHG WKH VHDVRQ DW and did not lose a set during their run in the state playoffs. The team is led by all-star seniors Montana Swanson and Ashley Brazell, who led the Bishops to a 20-0 playoff record over the last four seasons. Coach Cindy Baggott cemented her place as one the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest coaches in state history. She has now coached the Bishops to nine state titles. That gives her a share of No. 2 on

the all-time coaching list according to Palmettoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest. She shares the No. 2 spot with former BE coach Amelia Dawley, who coached Baggott at the college of Charleston, and Peggy Anthony of Pickens. Another former BE coach, .DWK\ %ODFNPRQ LV ÂżIWK RQ WKH OLVW ZLWK VHYHQ state championships coached. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the caretaker of tradition that started a long time ago,â&#x20AC;? Baggott told reporters after the game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be mentioned with (coach Dawley) means a lot. I was given a great opportunity here when she left. My challenge is to keep the torch lit.â&#x20AC;? Paula Kirkland of Dorman holds the state record with 11 state championships under her belt. She was denied her 12th title Saturday when Wando topped Dorman to win the Class AAAA crown. Buford didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose a set in its four previous playoff victories. But the Bishops were too PXFK IRU WKH WHQDFLRXV WHDP WKDW ÂżQLVKHG ZLWK an 18-9 record. 6ZDQVRQ ÂżQLVKHG ZLWK D JDPH KLJK NLOOV while Brazell added seven along with 12 digs. Senior Victoria Boals set up nine assists. Junior Rhetta Moore added 10 assists. She also plays for the Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; basketball team and has a goal of another hoops state title.

The Bishops topped Buford in straight sets with a 25-15, 25-13, 25-17 victory in the Class AA state championship. The Bishops will compete at the Class AAA level next year when the High School League JRHV WKURXJK LWV ELDQQXDO UHFODVVLÂżFDWLRQ ,W ZLOO be a challenge because 21 of the Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; titles came at the Class AA level. But if there is a program up for the challenge, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bishop England. The feeder-program is strong and the players have advanced abilities and know the expecta-

tions by the time they check into the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Daniel Island campus. Seniors on the roster include Eliza Willburger, Ashley Burns, Molly Park, Jordan Hollingsowrth, Maddie Woods, Swanson, Brazell and Boals. 7KH VHQLRUV KDYH ZRQ SHUFHQW RI WKHLU matches and of course, are the proud owners of four state titles.

2016 News Awards

What if they held an election and nobody won? BY TOM O’DARE

THE HERALD

Runoff between two candidates takes place

THIRD PLACE

As one bewildered Surfside Beach resident said, “Who ever heard of a two-man race ending in a run-off?” But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday in the Surfside Beach mayoral race. Surfside Beach town councilmember Bob Childs edged incumbent mayor Doug Samples by six votes

News Headline Writing All Weekly Division

Railroad transfer having bumpy ride

By state law, to find an outright winner, you take the total votes and divide by two and that gives you the magic number needed. That number turned out to be 439, or three more than Childs pulled in. As the town’s election commission was trying to come up with the final

tallies, many in the packed town council chambers had already realized that Childs had the most votes. In fact, Samples had already congratulated Childs and both candidates were giving statements about the outcome of the race. Then it was announced that nei-

See SURFSIDE ELECTION, Page 3A

New owners requesting right-of-way easement fee agreements BY AUGUST R. DITTBENNER

THE HERALD

After months of wrangling to get a deal done to purchase the local railroad, things still

Tom O’Dare Myrtle Beach Herald

when all the ballots were counted. But Childs fell three votes short of having the required majority needed to be declared the official winner. Childs tallied 436 votes to Samples’ 430. But because 12 write-in votes were also cast, the total number of votes for mayor came to 878.

ther of them had won and there would be another election in two weeks. Childs said he had hoped everything would be settled Tuesday, adding that he had never heard of a run off with just two candidates. Samples shrugged and said, “It is what it is. We’ll see what happens in two weeks.”

aren’t chugging along the way the new owners would like. Even though the Pippin family has sold the Carolina Southern Railroad to Kentucky-based company R. J.

Corman, they aren’t sharing all of the documents they said they would, according to R. J. Corman’s attorney, Bill Hanna. Hanna appeared in court in

Conway on Tuesday, petitioning Judge William H. Seals to force the Pippins to release operational agreements FILE PHOTO

See RAILROAD, Page 2A R.J. Corman purchased Carolina Southern Railroad last year.

County trying to chase Bad Kitty away BY TOM O’DARE

THE HERALD

Horry County says a business owner in Murrells Inlet is operating a sex paraphernalia store too close to residents. The county has filed a lawsuit to close Badd Kitty on Frontage Road claiming the store is in violation of county zoning restrictions. The action also cites store co-owner John Gaik. According to the suit, Badd Kitty opened its doors for business in 2010. The county alleges that when Gaik applied for a certificate of zoning compliance,

County claims store in violation of county zoning restrictions he signed a disclaimer that his business would not operate as an adult bookstore or adult video store; and that disclaimer says that if at any time Badd Kitty fell into one of those categories, the store’s business license could be revoked. The county restrictions say a business that derives more than 50 percent of its revenues from printed sexual material is classified an adult book-

store and one that brings in more than 50 percent of its revenue from sexually oriented films or videos is listed as an adult video store. The county zoning ordinance in place when Badd Kitty opened for business says adult businesses are not allowed within 2,000 feet of a residential zone. In 2013, the county and the circuit solicitor began a campaign to shutter adult establishments such as topless clubs and adult video stores throughout the county. Most of those businesses TOM O’DARE | THE HERALD

See BADD KITTY, Page 2A Horry County wants to shutter this Murrells Inlet business because of zoning violations.

2016 News Awards

Shh! City is hiring a secret lobbyist By Larry Franklin Publisher Clinton City Council voted unanimously Oct. 3 to approve a contract with a clause that required the city to keep the amount of the contract secret. After being questioned by reporters, city officials released the details of the contract the next day, but only after getting the “permission” of the firm hired to lobby state officials on the city’s behalf. At the end of the Oct. 3 council meeting, after an hour-long executive session, Council member Norman Scarborough made a motion for the city to “enter into a contract for professional service for lobbying and consulting services.” Council member Jimmy Young seconded the motion, which passed unanimously with no discussion. Neither the name of the firm nor the amount of the contract was given. After the meeting adjourned, reporters from The Chronicle and WLBG radio questioned both City Manager Frank Stovall and Mayor Bob McLean about contract details. When asked the amount of the contract, Stovall said, “I can’t

SECOND PLACE News Headline Writing All Weekly Division

Larry Franklin The Clinton Chronicle

. . e s h n r t n y d 7 w s d s t e m n , e

2015 will be remembered as the year tempers got as high as Clinton’s electric bills By Larry Franklin Publisher It’s not City Manager Frank Stovall’s favorite, but the top story in the City of Clinton during 2015 has to be the public outcry this summer when city electric customers received bills three-to-four times higher than usual. Sitting in his second-story office of the M.S. Bailey Municipal Center last week, Stovall said the crisis was caused by the hottest June and July on record leading to record consumption by many city customers. The city’s Purchased Power Cost Adjustment (PPCA), fairly

new at the time, kicked in on a high-use month and utility bills soared. At the time, the PPCA changed the rates for retail electricity based on how much the city had to pay for wholesale power. With that as background, more than 100 people packed the P.S. Bailey Council Chamber at council’s Aug. 3 meeting and they weren’t happy. Citizens filled all the seats, lined the walls around the chambers and spilled out into the entryway. During the public comment portion of the meeting, they let the mayor and city council know they were unhappy. They spoke of utility bills ranging from $500 to $800 and having to decide

whether to pay their utility bills or buy groceries and medicine. One man threatened to burn down his house if the city shut his power off for nonpayment. “We share your concerns,” Mayor Bob McLean said following an extended public comment section. “We’ve heard you loud and clear and we’re going to correct this.” In an op-ed piece published in The Chronicle Aug. 5, Stovall said of the high electric bills, “No one here at City Hall is happy about it. Your mayor, your city council and your city manager hate seeing increased utility

Clinton, 10A

tell you that,” adding the contract included a non-disclosure clause. McLean said he did not know the amount because Stovall was going to negotiate the terms of the contract. The contract is between the city and Steven Fooshe & Associates LLC in Columbia and calls for Clinton to pay the firm $3,000 per month for one year. Stovall said on Tuesday that the city is asking the fee to be adjusted “to reflect a shortened contract term” to coincide with the city’s fiscal year. The contract as written calls for a term of Sept. 15, 2016 until Sept. 14, 2017. The contract says the city “shall not disclose consulting fees to any third party… If Client is questioned by third party as to consulting fees, Client shall direct third party to Vendor (the consulting firm).” David Carter is listed in the contract as a registered lobbyist for Steven Fooshe & Associates. Carter worked on McLean’s 2015 re-election campaign and was paid $2,000 by McLean’s campaign. Carter is listed on SC Ethic Commission filings as a consultant. McLean said he did not push for the city to hired Fooshe or Carter. He said the lobbyists ap-

proached Stovall. “I stayed out of it completely,” McLean said. “I didn’t approach any council member.” In fact, McLean said he was “surprised” that council voted to hire the lobbying firm. “I thought they would tie David Carter to me and vote against it,” the mayor said. “But they voted for it because it was the right thing in their minds. “It restores some of my faith in my council,” an emotional McLean said. “They may not care for me, but they voted for what’s right for the City of Clinton.” Stovall said Fooshe’s firm will lobby lawmakers to try to get more funding from the state. “Our community is facing several challenges and I would attribute some of the challenges to the loss of the local government fund and the expected impacts that changes to the local government fund legislation and business license legislation, which we anticipate seeing in the upcoming cycle, will have on our city,” the city manager said. According to a list provided by Stovall, which hasn’t been approved by council Clinton’s lobbyists will be seeking funding to: Support expansion of the sewer system at the I26 Com-

merce Park and repairs to the city’s sewer system required by a DHEC consent order; DOT assistance and federal DOT FASTLANE assistance to improve the I385/I26 interchange at Hwy. 56; More state funding to support water infrastructure rehabilitation; Funding to remove the DOT shed from prime retail space on I26 adjacent to the I26 Commerce Park; State and federal assistance to increase railroad warning devices in Clinton; Funds to support development of parks and motor and walking tourism trails. Stovall said the City of Inman, another of Fooshe’s clients, received $200,000 to support sewer and a farmer’s market. “My take from council is that they want to test the waters and see if this approach might work for us, as it has in other communities in the state,” the city manager said. Asked how the success of the firm will be judged, McLean said, “If we reap a lot more than we put into it, it’s been a success. If we don’t, it’s a failure and we need to quit.”

We’ve run out of headlines for Dr. Joe’s birthdays By Vic MacDonald Editor Author, theologian and educator Dr. Joe Gettys was the man of the hour - again - Thursday at Clinton Presbyterian Community. The community each spring returns a favor to Gettys. He leads the birthday celebrations for residents throughout the year - he has lived in the community since 1993 - and once a year in April, the community celebrates him right back. Thursday was Presbyterian College’s oldest fan’s 109th birthday celebration. “You’re very kind,” Gettys said to a main dining room full house audience for his birthday party. “You have made this a special day for me to remember.” Speakers made it clear that Gettys has provided others with many “special days” throughout his long and productive life. “Dr. Joe, you are a house builder, a one of a kind blessing,” said Dr. Jeri Parris Perkins, Gettys’ pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Clinton. Perkins said she met Gettys when she was 16 and he, at age 68, became her pastor. “He was my pastor then,” she said, lovingly, “and he is my pastor now.” Theirs is a relationship of 41 years now. “He was devoted to (his late wife) Mary Lou. He was devoted to golf, and he had to say good-bye to his foresome all in the span of a few weeks a while back.” Gettys has served 38 churches as full-time or supply pastor, seven of these churches he has served twice. He served

Put me in, coach. Dr. Joe Gettys, right, smiles for a selfie by Harold Nichols, Presbyterian College football head coach, during a 109th birthday celebration for Gettys at Clinton Presbyterian Community on Thursday. It was PC Day for Getty’s birthday as guests were invited to wear Blue Hose Blue, and Gettys, a semi-retired professor and minister, received several gifts related to the college. PC President Bob Staton gave Gettys a replica of a renovated and expanded Neville Hall, the first such replica ever presented by Presbyterian College in commemoration of work that will start on campus in May. See photo gallery from Thursday’s gathering at MyClintonNews.com. Presbyterian College from 1956 to 1974, as professor of religion and six years as the Academic Dean. He also was professor of Bible at Queens College, Charlotte; Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, Va.; and Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, Abbeville County. When he turned 100 on April 23, 2007, Gettys was serving his fifth year as supply pastor for Shady Grove Presbyterian Church, Clinton, and volunteer assistant chaplain at the Clinton Presbyterian Community.

He also served full-time in two churches - Sound View Presbyterian in The Bronx (three years) and First Presbyterian in Dallas (four years). He has been a prolific author during his lifetime. “An interesting side note is Dr. Joe was on the board of the RL Bryant Company (Columbia) and I took his seat when he retired,” PC President Bob Staton said. “It was a connection I never expected to happen.” By coincidence, the college’s iconic building Neville Hall also turns 109 this year. Staton pre-

sented Gettys with a first-of-itskind gift - a replica of Neville Hall as it will look after a restoration and addition project that will begin construction next month. Gettys is the first person to receive this gift in commemoration of the Neville Hall Project from Presbyterian College. Franklin Fant, representing the Presbyterian Communities management and staff, told Gettys, “You are a poster child for us, and how we allow our residents to live longer and more active lives.”

The official age 109 portrait. Dr. Joe Gettys patiently waits in an office at Clinton Presbyterian Community for the go-sign to navigate his race-chair into the main dining room on Thursday for his 109th birthday party. Author, professor, college administrator and minister, Gettys still plays a mean game of dominoes each evening after supper and leads the Presbyterian Community residents and staff in recognizing birthdays. He was surrounded by a dining room full of well-wishers for his birthday gathering. - Photos by Vic MacDonald

And the litter runs through it Volunteers needed to clear flood debris from Waccamaw River

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Headline Writing All Weekly Division

CHARLES D. PERRY | CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Jane Ochsenbein pulls a patio table from the banks of the Waccamaw River near Jackson Bluff Landing. BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Jane Ochsenbein’s Friday haul included a Tonka truck, a headlight, a container of Playdough, a garbage can lid and a patio table. These days, the Waccamaw River yields a variety of interest-

ing debris. “It’s amazing the things that you pull out of there,” the tour guide said. “With the flood waters, it just moves around so much. Unfortunately.” Ochsenbein and her husband, Chris, run Gator Bait Adventure Tours, a company that leads kayakers

from Jackson Bluff Landing along the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. The Forestbrook couple adopted Peachtree Landing in Socastee about five years ago and they’ve always picked up the trash while floating down the river. But the last six months have presented

new challenges. October’s flood flushed debris deep into the crevices of the swamps. As the water level fell, furniture snagged on cypress knees. Disconnected docks lodged in riverbanks. Inner WACCAMAW RIVER, A5

HERE’S YOUR FINE Raising sand over parking County: city may lose millions in federal funding over parking fees

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

change their parking policy, but county officials are trying to force their hand. Last week, county council members released a 1995 Tiffany Floyd’s roots run agreement between the city and through 48th Avenue North. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Her great-grandparents lived funding beach renourishment. there. Her parents and grandparCounty leaders contend the conents still do. Even when Floyd tract doesn’t allow the city to married and charge its resmoved just outidents a difside Myrtle ferent rate for Beach’s city limits beachfront to Carolina Forparking than est, she still made other users. regular trips to “It looks to the beach of her me like them childhood. boys have got But since the a problem,” city enacted new County parking fees on Councilman Harold Worley July 5, the phoHarold WorHorry County councilman tographer has ley said. “You been forced to can’t charge pay $2 an hour or county residents and not city resi$10 per day to visit her favorite dents.” shore. The new fees apply to parking “I’m so upset about this,” she along Ocean Boulevard in the said. “I just don’t feel like it’s fair. I Golden Mile of the city and in the feel like they could make it fair. If rights-of-way along the avenues it comes down to paying a yearly from 31st North to 82nd North. fee or whatever, I would do that. Those spaces were free before the But they’re not even giving the fees took effect July 5. However, county [residents] an option to be anyone with a city resident decal able to do that.” PARKING, A2 City leaders have no plans to BY CHARLES D. PERRY AND TOM O’DARE INFO@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

“It looks to me like them boys have got a problem. You can’t charge county residents and not city residents.”

IMAGE COURTESY OF RICHARD SKRIP

Volunteers with Beautify Carolina Forest picked up these signs during a recent cleanup in the community. Horry County officials want to create stiffer penalties for business owners, nonprofits, politicians and other groups that abandon their signs in the county’s medians and roadways.

County officials aim to crack down on abandoned signs BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

TOM O’DARE | THE CHRONICLE

As volunteers picked up trash along Carolina Forest’s roads last month, the same sight kept annoying them. Signs for department stores. Signs for politicians. Signs for mattresses. Signs everywhere. The small markers are often shredded by lawnmowers cutting the medians or along the roadsides, thus creating more work for the folks donating their time to collect litter in the summer heat. “They’re tired of looking at them,” said Richard Skrip, who leads the Beautify Carolina Forest group that picks

“There’s something that’s got to be done. We can't even cut the grass because of the [signs]. … Carolina Forest is inundated, especially right at 501. It’s horrible.” Mark Lazarus Horry County Council chairman up trash. “And nobody wants to enforce the ordinance that’s in place.” That may be changing. Horry County officials say they want to crack down on the problematic signage. Rather than discarding the signs or asking the owners to remove them, county leaders

are exploring a fine system that would penalize those who abandon the signs along the roadways. “There’s something that’s got to be done,” County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus said. “We can’t even cut the grass because of the [signs]. … Carolina Forest is

inundated, especially right at 501. It’s horrible.” The county already has a sign policy that outlines guidelines for open house signs, campaign markers, real estate signs and other posts. There are specific guidelines for sign sizes and locations. For example, campaign signs are not allowed in a public right of way and they can’t go up more than 45 days before an election. They also must be removed three days after an election. Under the current policy, the county can seize noncompliant signs and dispose of them. SEE ABANDONED SIGNS, A3

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Headline Writing All Weekly Division

Brian Melton The Lancaster News

The wide-eyed joy of a teen princess Teressa Mackey celebrates, wrapped in her community’s love

74 weddings

Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

208 funerals

A hush fell over the Fort Lawn Community Center this past Saturday as a princess entered the gala hall with her parents. “Isn’t She Lovely” began playing, and all eyes were on the featured guest, Teressa Amanda Mackey, whose studded crown was out-sparkled only by her eyes as she took in the adoring crowd amidst the pink and white decorations.

Nearly 100 friends, family and loved ones wearing their finest formal wear gathered to celebrate Teressa’s Sweet 16 birthday. Many had tears in their eyes as they watched Teressa in a shimmering white gown stand between the two people who made this day possible, a day doctors said would never come. “She is my princess,” said her mother, Marlene Mackey, stepping aside to give Teressa the spotlight. “You don’t have to

birth a child to love a child. You don’t have to birth a child for a child to become your own.” Children and adults joined in singing Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Some danced a jig in their Sunday shoes. Though she is nonverbal, Teressa, an eighth grader at A.R. Rucker Middle School, is very expressive. Her smile, laughter and wide-eyed joy said more than words can capture. See TERESSA I Page 2

A matrimonial moment in a family pawn shop Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Gladys Cox steps aside after 65 years as organist at Unity ARP Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

ladys Cox, the organist at Unity ARP Church, seems to have perfect timing, in music and in life. Before she was 6 years old, her grandfather taught her to “beat the time” to the family's favorite hymns in the “Bible Songs” book. The only occasion her timing seemed a little off was in 1972 when she was surprised by a third pregnancy. Her two sons, David and Phil, were 11 and 10. When a lady in the church asked her if she had planned the pregnancy, she said,

“No, but the Lord did.” And it indeed appears a bigger plan was in place for Cox and her third or “bonus child,” as she calls her. More on that later. Or in Cox's own words, “There's a story to that.” But first, a little history lesson is needed. Cox was born into a musical and religiously faithful family during the height of the depression in 1935. Her father, William Huey, started taking her to church when she was 2 weeks old. They sat on the front row pew as close as possible to the organ, which her mother, Virginia, had played every Sunday since 1921. Before Gladys started school and before the family had a piano at home, her grandfather stopped by after church and taught her about music, timing and theory. See COX I Page 3A photos by MANDY CATOE/mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

After 65 years, Gladys Cox, like her mother before her, will pass her role as organist at Unity ARP Church to her daughter.

“Love is the reason we are here,” said the presiding notary public, bringing business to a halt inside Lancaster Pawn & Jewelry at 1 p.m. Friday. The South 200 store was a minichapel, with a wedding arch, flowers, a tiered cake and monogrammed champagne glasses. Johnny Knight, 52, stood at the altar as his bride, Mary Paddock, 51, watched from the back of a makeshift aisle, holding a bouquet of fresh roses. The groom’s mom, Patsy Bailey, handed him a crystal dove. “It’s a symbol of peace and tranquility,” she said. Johnny reached up to hang it

on the arch. Pawn shop clerk Justin Watkins hit the button on the portable speakers, and the music began to play. Johnny’s best friend, Alan Moore, walked Mary slowly down the aisle to the arch. Johnny and Mary met 35 years ago when he was in the Army at Fort Benning, Ga., which is near Columbus, where Mary grew up. Mary recalled the first time she saw Johnny as a young soldier. “Oh, he was a real sweetheart,” Mary said. “And he’s never changed.” Life took them in different directions, but they never forgot each other. Through the power of Facebook, they found each other again last year. Two weeks ago, See WEDDING I Page 2A

2016 News Awards

The ‘why’ behind the Y Looking back on the history behind the YMCA and the Flowertown Festival

SECOND PLACE Feature Headline Writing All Weekly Division

mkreber@journalscene.com

F Provided

Members of the Y in its early years hold a planning meeting.

Snake hyssssteria Little kids in the big ’ville Mike Dawson from the Audubon Center gives the lowdown on ‘serpentology’ BY MONICA KREBER mkreber@journalscene.com

Monica Kreber The Summerville Journal Scene

everybody may know how the festival and the Summerville Family YMCA came to be. irst, there was the YWCA. Now there is a batch of new trees Then, it was the YWCO. planted near the Y in downtown Now, and ever since 1976, Summerville in celebration of the the YMCA is geared toward pro- women who started it all, and past viding more than health and well- and current members ref lect on ness to Summerville. how far the Y has come. It is the organization that puts on Summerville’s Flowertown Festival every year, though not See YMCA, Page 6A BY MONICA KREBER

Ask Mike Dawson the definition of a “snake-a-phobe” and the answer will likely be: “someone who suffers anything from a mild dislike to a total disgust of tubular life form.” Dawson posed the question to a room full of people last Thursday: “How do you feel about snakes in general – totally repulsed or totally cool?” Most hands in the room went up for “totally repulsed.” Dawson, center director and sanctuary manager of the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, led a “Serpentology 101” class during Third Thursday at the SummervilleDorchester Museum for children and their parents. The goal was to help people get past their “fear and loathing” of snakes. Was the presentation enough to dissuade some residents from being “totally repulsed” by snakes? Judging by the curled lips on a few parents, probably not – although a lot Monica Kreber/Journal Scene of children were eager to pet the snakes Dawson brought for Mike Dawson holds up Checkers the corn snake. show and tell. Regardless, everyone walked away with new information on the snakes found in South Carolina – and maybe some fallacies were cleared up. Dawson went over some of the things people do not like about snakes: perhaps one might think they are all dangerous, maybe they are creeped out by reptiles, maybe they have seen scary movies featuring snakes, maybe once upon a time a mischievous sibling thought it would be funny to drop a snake down someone’s shirt. Dawson cleared up some of the myths behind why people Monica Kreber/Journal Scene might not like snakes: Mike Dawson lets a handful of children pet Lucy. z M h h h k Th

BY MONICA KREBER mkreber@journalscene.com

Laura Ingalls Wilder was not much younger than these campers when her story began in a little house within the big woods of Wisconsin. Tim Lowry, popular storyteller in Summerville, led a children’s camp for rising third- through fifth-graders on July 28 during which children got a dose of life in America in the late 1800s. Laura Ingalls Wilder is known for her “Little House on the Prairie” series of children’s novels based on her childhood in a settler family. Lowry’s camp, called “Big Woods,” derives from Wilder’s first book, “Little House in the Big Woods.” Roughly a dozen children participated in the day-long event, held at the Timrod Library. Lowry said this was the first time he has held such a camp. Lowry said they started the day reading the first chapter of “Little House in the Big Woods” and the children went on to build their own miniature log cabins, a process that lasted throughout the day. Lowry also led the group in different 19th-century games and activities, such as butter churning; he took a small carton of heavy whipping cream, poured it into a jar with a lid, and the children got to take turns viciously shaking the jar until the fatty contents thickened into butter, which everyone got to taste with crackers. Everyone also talked about stump jumping, hoop races and country dancing. Lowry also sang tunes while the children played music using wooden spoons. Lowry said he has read the “Little House” series himself – “and I loved it,” he said. He said he hoped the campers understood the joy of simple pleasures – no electronic devices, no animated films, “just simple See KIDS, Page 6A

Monica Kreber/Journal Scene

11-year-old Tyleo Prescott and 8-year-old April Alvarez pass through the dance line, underneath the tunnel outstretched arms that Tim Lowry called “skin the snake”.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Headline Writing All Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

At left: All aboard! Georgetown native ‘rides the rails’ on a train he built himself

At left: On your mark, get set, glow: Runners light up town for benefit 5K race

Below: This little piggy went to town: Moe’s original Bar B Que to open Georgetown location

Gaffney stubs toe on new turf in humbling 46-2 loss to Trojans

2016 News Awards

By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Sports Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

THIRD PLACE Sports Headline Writing All Weekly Division

GHS swimmer to fly like a Golden Eagle Taylor Covington picks Boston College over Indiana State, West Virginia and Rutgers

Larry Hilliard The Gaffney Ledger

The Gaffney Indians showed off their brand-new field Friday, then proceeded to get stomped into the new artificial turf in a 46-2 loss to the No. 3 ranked and defending Class 4A Division II state champs Northwestern Trojans. The loss also spoiled the Indians’ Homecoming celebration. Maybe overwhelmed by the significance of the moments, the Indians (4-1) turned the ball over five times, including fumbling deep in Trojan territory in the first half, and were whistled for a whopping eight offside penalties on defense. All in all, it was a humbling setback for the No. 5 and previously unbeaten Indians. “We were beaten by a better team tonight,” Gaffney coach Dan Jones said. “We had a muffed punt, fumbled on the 1-yard line and were offsides eight times. That’s something you can’t do. But if you ever competed, you lost. I also thought we lost our focus.” The Indians also could lose quarterback Tyshun Sarratt, who was pulled after the first series of the second half with concussionlike symptoms. Jones said the medical staff administered concussion protocol to Sarratt at halftime. He played the first series of the third quarter but was sent to the bench when teammates told the coaches that Sarratt “didn’t seem right.” Sarratt finished with a season low 51 yards passing on six completions. Wide rece D.J. Logan and Dennis Smith were pressed into duty at quarterback in the second half. Without the threat of a passing attack - they either handed the ball off or ran it themselves - Gaffney

could muster only one first down in the second half. If Sarratt can’t go this Friday at Rock Hill, jayvee quarterback Stan Ellis will get the call under center. Needless to say, the Trojans dominated all phases of the game, outgaining the Indians, 460-163. Northwestern QB Gage Moloney had no problem solving the Indians’ defense, completing 27-for-43 for 317 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also carried eight times for 39 yards and a touchdown. Rodney Brown was his favorite target with four catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. The Trojans forced three firsthalf turnovers. Two of the miscues stopped the Indians inside the red zone and one was a fumbled punt return on the Gaffney 7. The biggest turnover came when D.J. Agurs picked off Sarratt in the end zone to give the ball back to the Trojans up 7-2. Northwestern never looked back. The Trojans scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter before the Indians managed another first down. Thomas Gettys nailed a short 19-yard field goal sandwiched between Antonio Heath’s 9-yard run and Moloney’s 7-yard score on a keeper for a 24-2 Trojan halftime lead. Moloney tossed two TD passes in the second half, including a a 6yarder to Wally Wilmore and a 75yard touchdown to Brown that made it 31-2 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Northwestern added a safety of its own and scored on a 3-yard run by Trey Robinson to cap its fourthquarter scoring. Gaffney quarterback Tyshun Sarratt is chased by Chance Miller during first-half action FriGaffney plays its final non reday at The Reservation. Sarratt was knocked out of the game in the second half with congion game Friday at Rock Hill. cussion-like symptoms. Before he left, he completed six of 12 passes for 51 yards.

Saints to turn foes ‘Furrey’ious By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Sports Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

With her teammates around her, Gaffney senior swimmer picks the hat of Boston College during a signing ceremony on Tuesday. By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Sports Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

With many friends, family, coaches and teammates looking on, Gaffney’s Taylor Covington made her childhood dream come true on Tuesday. The decorated swimmer signed her letter of intent to continue her swimming career at Boston College on Tuesday. Covington faked out the many people at the ceremony by grabbing the hats of West Virginia, Rutgers, and Indiana State before

selecting the hat of Boston College. Covington said she felt like Boston College was the right fit after a visit this fall to the school’s Chestnut Hill campus for a football game. “They were playing N.C. State and we went to the game,” Covington said. “We really bonded. The ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is the strongest overall athletic conference in the country.” Covington has been a fixture on the Gaffney High swim team since seventh grade. Her individual accomplishments are nu-

merous. She holds the school record in five events and the Region III 4A record in the 100-yard breaststroke and butterfly. She was an all-state selection and all-region selection. She is a 2-time YMCA All-America and national qualifier in Indianapolis and Greensboro, N.C. in long course and short course in the 100-yard breaststroke, 100yard butterfly, and 50-yard freestyle. She’s also No. 1 outside the pool, earning top honors as the senior class valedictorian. Gaffney High swim coach Kelly Ellis said she expects big things from Covington.

“She has a very bright future, and we just wish her all the luck,” Ellis said. Covington said she will swim the sprint events in the butterfly and freestyle and the distance event in the breaststroke. The attraction of being just a 10-to-15 minute car ride from historic Boston was also a big draw, Covington said. Although she is excited to attend Boston College, Covington said she’ll always remember the close bond she had with her Gaffney teammates. “I love my teammates. They are just like a family,” she said.

Limestone College head football coach Mike Furrey and his wife, Koren, are shown at Wednesday’s press conference. Although his official start date is June 1, the new Limestone coach started recruiting immediately to add more players before the start of fall practice.

Former NFL player Mike Furrey has been charged with building a tradition of excellence in character and winning in the Limestone College football program. Furrey was introduced as the second head coach in Limestone football history Wednesday during a press conference at Limestone. He joins the Saints after spending the past three seasons as wide receiver coach at Division I Marshall University. He replaces Bobby James, who parted ways with Limestone in March. Furrey takes over a Limestone football program still in its infancy as the Blue and Gold will play just its third season of competition in 2016. The Saints went 4-17 in its first two seasons and are entering the second year of a four year football schedule alliance with South Atlantic Conference. Limestone College received more than 250 applications for the head football coaching position after a national search started this spring. “We are absolutely thrilled to an-

nounce Coach Furrey as our head football coach,” said Mike Cerino, vice president for intercollegiate athletics. “With his deep knowledge of the game and his understanding of what it means to be successful on the field, in the classroom and in the community, I know that he will continue to build the Limestone football program in all the right ways.” Furrey played for eight years in the NFL as a defensive back and wide receiver with St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. He was twice nominated by Detroit for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and was a finalist for the 2009 award with the Cleveland Browns. In 2007, he founded the Mike Furrey Foundation and has since raised more than $500,000 to help improve the lives of those who are hurting, hungry, and/or homeless. He also serves as the board president for Basket of Hope with former NFL coach Tony Dungy as the organization’s spokesperson. Furrey started his coaching career with two seasons as head coach at Kentucky Christian University. He took a team that finished 0-11 in

2010 to a 7-4 overall record and Top 25 NAIA national ranking in 2012. While fortunate to have played professionally, Furrey said his favorite part about coaching is the opportunity to form personal relationships with players and help them develop into good citizens. “The greatest thing I get from coaching is being able to impact and change lives,” Furrey said. “Respect is what I envision for the future of our football program. We will be a respectable team, not just on the field, but in our everyday lives. I am excited, honored and very grateful that Mr. Cerino and President Griffin have given me this opportunity to be the head football coach at Limestone College.” Furrey has extensive experience recruiting high school players from North and South Carolina. During his time at Marshall, he signed Gaffney High standouts Hyleck Foster and Raheim Huskey. “(Gaffney High football) coach Dan Jones and I built a phenomenal relationship over the past three years. When the job opened at Limestone and I saw it was in Gaffney, I knew I wanted to be here,” Furrey said.

Coker calls, turkeys answer By BRIAN WHITMORE A turkey gobble is a feast for Cade Coker’s ears. Cade, 9, a student at Monarch Elementary, won the North Carolina turkey calling state championship for the Poult division recently. It was his first title in his first competition. “I like hearing the turkeys gobble and killing the turkeys,” he said. He’s been turkey hunting since the age of 3 with his dad, Cyle, who makes turkey calls. “It’s fun,” said Cade. “(Daddy) teaches me baseball, how to hunt deer, turkey, duck and dove.” Cade can even make a mouth call. His father also makes and sells slate, glass and aluminum calls. But for the championship, Cade used a store bought box call. He won a medal and a wooden box for storing his calls. “I wore my medal to church,” he said. Cade has bagged three turkeys, two sitting in his Dad’s lap, but the most recent in a tree by himself. He aims to tag out this year — reach the regulated number of three kills. Every weekend father and son are up early and in the woods. “I don’t jump out of bed on school mornings,

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Headline Writing All Weekly Division

Like Robinson Crusoe, primitive as can be INSTANT REPLAY by BRIAN WHITMORE

Brian Whitmore Union County News

but I do when we go hunting,” said Cade, who is a straight “A” student. The N.C. state win qualifies Cade for grand national competition in Nashville this February. He will compete in the Jakes division. A South Carolina state title also is a possibility in Cyle and Cade Coker May. The Cokers have a family hunt each year. Mother Alison, hunts some, but always provides support. And Cade’s biggest competition may be his sister, Hannah Cali, 7. One problem. “I can’t sit still and be quiet for an hour,” she Cade Coker and his championship said. medal and box.

How did you spend your spring break? I spent mine in the middle of nowhere. There was no electricity, running water or a bathroom. I had a ball. Myself and two young men from church — Bradley Taylor and Wayne Brown — camped in a tree house on the Edisto River, near Reevesville. Carolina Heritage Outfitters offers a tree house excursion. Part of the trip was canoeing and kayaking down the river, but that was washed out by a rising river, near flood stage. So, instead of paddling into our tree house, we hiked and waded our way through ice cold water to our home away from

home. The tree houses have been featured in numerous magazine articles and television specials. The primitive camping experience takes you away from the modern world and places you in a survivalist setting.

We were prepared with everything we’d need - water shoes and quick dry clothes, backpack, water, MREs (meals ready to eat), lighters, flashlights, survival knives, sleeping bags — warm on 40 degree nights — and other essentials. The treetop cabins did have propane camp stoves, which proved helpful in heating water for the MREs. Futon beds provided good padding for those sleeping bags. A nearby outhouse was provided, complete with a roll of toilet tissue. Score. That’s about it for the accommodations. You’re paying for the experience, not the comfort. Unlike most camping destinations, where you can jump in a car and go get any missing provisions, the tree house is completely isolated from the modern world. Although I grew up camping, this was truly roughing it. Bradley and Wayne proved their survival mettle. They caught about a pound of crawfish for a broil. I took a bath for the first time in a river and hiked through a flood zone, making a walking stick out of materials at hand. The cold water proved therapeutic for a sore foot and ankle issue.

Wildlife was all around us, with a large snake on the tree limb outside the window where we slept. And a mouse woke us up. I popped him with a broom, but don’t worry PETA, the little nuisance was back later in the night making noise. I learned that some MREs are tasty and others are atrocious. Do not eat the scrambled eggs and bacon pouch. Yuck. Bradley and Wayne learned that sitting around a campsite can get boring on Day 2, especially when you can’t light a bonfire, because there is no dry land. The best part of the trip was the camaraderie - good talks, a quick hand of cards and the mouse chase. At adventure’s end, we hiked out through the water, back to dry land and eventually to a Jeep. On the way home, we ate at Cracker Barrel. It was just two days away from real food, but that chicken fried chicken tasted even better than usual. My bed and shower also were welcome. In the end, each of us has a better appreciation for our modern comforts and a deeper admiration for God’s creation.

Bantams scratching out a future By BRIAN WHITMORE The USC Union Bantams were sent to roost last year. Soon, they’ll be strutting again. USC Union looks to field a club baseball and club softball team in the spring of 2017. Players will be enrolled in August 2016. “When I got here, the baseball team had been suspended,” said Dean John Catalano. “We decided that was not a good idea.” Brad Greer, enrollment manager at the school, will supervise the program. Keith “Jap” Worthy will coach the baseball squad and already has 10 potential players lined-up. He served as assistant coach on the prior club team that lasted three seasons. A softball coach will be hired soon. The women’s team may have a new logo. Catalano has big plans for USC Union. Three questions potential students ask Where would I live?, Is there a nursing program? and Do you have sports? “Right now we answer ‘no’ to all three, but we’re looking to fix that,” he said. Sports should be a big shot in the arm,

helping with recruiting and admissions. “It helps the feel of the campus,” said Catalano. “Students want to go to a place where there is something to do, a place where there is something to talk about. Sports provides a different feel for the whole place.” Previous administrations couldn’t justify sports due to budget restraints. Catalano’s take is that the university can’t afford not to have sports in its future. He was previously dean at USC Lancaster, which participates in NJCAA. Every other University of South Carolina satellite campus has a sports program and

athletic identity. Will USC Union transition and compete in NJCAA? “When you start from scratch, it’s natural to start at a lower level where you feel comfortable,” said Greer. “If everything is successful and works out like we hope, definitely in a couple years we’ll be looking to join NJCAA.” USC Union already has facilities in Timken Sports Complex that put many NJCAA programs to shame. But to take that next step, an athletic director and compliance officer would need to be hired and a lot of paper work would follow. More sports offerings would be required. If baseball and softball work out, look for soccer to start in 2017-18 at Union County Stadium. Golf and tennis also could start at minimal cost. “We’d love to see NJCAA Division II here,” said Catalano. “We think USC Union is the perfect place for it. There is no reason we can’t develop into an NJCAA Division II program within two years.”

Money has been a stumbling block in the past. The last club team had to do a lot of fund-raisers and didn’t receive much support from the administration. Catalano said that will change. “USC Union will be behind this,” he said. “We’re not going to send them out with second rate uniforms and equipment, and they will not travel in broken down vehicles.” NJCAA Division II will be more expensive than club ball, but Greer said it shouldn’t be a problem. And the coaches in place will have experience taking a program to the next level. What will not be on the radar in the short term is a basketball program. Truluck Gymnasium doesn’t have locker rooms, showers or a weight room. Gym renovations for intercollegiate athletics could push $1 million. “It’s not the first thing that’s going to happen,” said Catalano. But it will never happen without a vision and for the first time USC Union has one when it comes to sports.

2016 News Awards

Dogs douse Griffinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title hopes NHS-24 FCHS-10 James Denton Editor

FIRST PLACE Sports Headline Writing All Weekly Division

Four on the Floor

The Werts of Times Č&#x201A; Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Bulldogs, the Bulldogs blinked. And for the Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; ÍłÍ´ Â&#x2022;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022; Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Â&#x192;Â&#x203A; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â&#x160;Â&#x2013;ÇŻÂ&#x2022; Class 2A/Division 1 upper state title game, Â&#x2C6;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Ç¤ Ç¤ Â&#x2026; Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2020;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2014;Â? Â&#x192;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; be in for a repeat of the Oct. 9 classic that Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Í´ÍťÇŚÍ´ÍšÇ¤ But the next 12 minutes set a different tone as Shrine Bowl athlete Yafari Werts led the Dogs to a 10-0 halftime lead, en route to a 24-10 victory and a date with Dillon in this Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s championship match. Ç˛ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x203A; Č&#x2039; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A;Č&#x152; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2122;Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021; Č&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Ç¤ ÍťČ&#x152;ÇĄÇł Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020; coach Demetrius Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We made more plays last time, and tonight we Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Â?ÇŻÂ&#x2013; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021; Â?Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2019;Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2022;Ç¤ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â? Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021;ÇŻÂ&#x2020; make a play and get a stupid penalty. We just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play smart football tonight, but penalties are part of the game.â&#x20AC;? Indeed, after forcing Newberry to punt Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022;ÇŻ Â&#x2019;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â?ÇĄ Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D; as the Newberry 29 before a penalty and a Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2022;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2026; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020;Ç¤ Â&#x2013; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; would touch the ball in the opening frame. Werts and the Dogs took over on their Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122;Â? Í´Í´ Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160; ÍśÇŁÍśÍ´ Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; and began chipping away. Running back Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D; Â&#x201E;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2022;ÇĄ Â&#x2122;Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; ÍşÍ´ Â&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â&#x160;Â&#x2013;ÇĄ Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2039;Â?Ď?Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2020;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021; of an M1A2 Abrams tank when it counted, Â&#x2019;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â? Í´Íś Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; a third-and-inches when the clock expired. Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2019;Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;ÇĄ Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Kaleb Rosemond for the opening points

James Denton The Voice of Blythewood and Fairfield County

Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2030;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021;Ç¤ Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2018; Â&#x2026;Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2013; Â&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2019; ÍšÇŚÍ˛ with 11:54 left in the half. Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2019;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;siveness of sophomore running back Tony Ruff, who suffered an ankle injury in last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win over Woodruff. That left the ground game almost entirely to McManus and Jerrell Suber-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal, with a handful of runs distributed to Chad Sampson and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doctorâ&#x20AC;? Zchivago Herndon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew this was going to be a tough game,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Tony Ruff tonight. That would have helped us a little bit. We missed him a lot.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2014;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D; Â&#x192; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x192;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2019; Â&#x192; stout goal-line stand for the third week Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x192; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122;ÇĄ Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Ď?Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Í¸ÇŚÂ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021;Ç¤ Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2018;ÇŻÂ&#x2022; Í´ÍľÇŚÂ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2030;Â&#x192;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022; Â&#x192; 10-0 advantage at the break. The Dogs put up a stand of their own Â&#x2122;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D; ÍłÍľ Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2020;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; the Newberry 4. The drive was ignited by an end-around blast from Herndon who Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Í´Íš Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; play, but another poorly timed penalty Â&#x2022;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; ÍľÍ¸Ç¤ When the Dogs held on third-and-goal, Â&#x2014;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192; Í´ÍšÇŚÂ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; ÍłÍ˛ÇŚÍľ Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160; ÍşÇŁÍśÍˇ Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2013; in the third. Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x203A; Â?Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â&#x160;Â&#x2013; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x152;Â&#x2018;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2020;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2122;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â?ÇĄ on the second snap after the ensuing kick, Werts sizzled a 55-yarder to Zyearrious Towns for what would amount to the winÂ?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Ç¤ Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2018;ÇŻÂ&#x2022; Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013; ÍłÍšÇŚÍľ Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160; ÍšÇŁÍˇÍş Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2026;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Ç¤ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x153;Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2021; when McManus gashed his way in from 29 yards out with 4:19 left in the third. The Â&#x201D;Â&#x2014;Â? Â&#x2026;Â&#x192;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192;Â? ÍşÍśÇŚÂ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2020;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2022;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192; Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021; Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â? Íľ Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x192; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6; Â?Â&#x2039;Â?utes of game time. Gregoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kick trimmed Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x192; Â?Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x201E;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021; ÍłÍšÇŚÍłÍ˛ÇĄ Â&#x201E;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013; Â?Â&#x2018; Â&#x2026;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Ç¤ Newberry added the dagger with 5:12

left in the game when Werts found Towns Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021; Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;ÇĄ Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â? ÍłÍšÇŚÂ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;Ç¤ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2020;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2019; ÍşÍ´ Â&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2022; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2020;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; ÍˇÇŁÍ´Íľ Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2030;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x2026;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Ç¤ â&#x20AC;&#x153;These kids played their butts off,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to win and somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to lose. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2013;Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â? Â&#x2018;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021; Č&#x2039; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x203A;Č&#x152;Ç¤ Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve won a lot of games like this, and sometimes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to lose one.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2039;Â? Class 2A at 11-2. Next year, in the newly Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022; Íľ ÇĄ Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2C6;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â?pete against Camden, Chester, Columbia Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â?Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â? Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? Ç¤ NHS: 0-10-7-7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24 FC: 0-0-10-0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 Second Quarter N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rosemond 24 pass from Werts (Luviano kick). 11:54. N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; M. Luviano 23 FG. 0:40. Third Quarter FC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Austin Gregory 27 FG. 8:45. N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Z. Towns 55 pass from Y. Werts (Luviano kick). 7:58. FC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Stanley McManus 29 run (A. Gregory kick). 4:19. Fourth Quarter N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Z. Towns 17 pass from Y. Werts (Luviano kick). 5:12. Team Stats First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards C-A-INT Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards

N 14 37-120 128 9-12-0 1-0 5-55

FC 16 32-116 182 15-25-0 0-0 5-55

Individual Stats RUSHING: N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Amir Abrams 21-81, Yafari Werts 13-36, Chris Wadsworth 3-3. F â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jerrell Suber-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal 14-58, Stanley McManus 13-21, Zchivago Herndon 2-24, Chad Sampson 3-13. PASSING: N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Yafari Werts 9-12, 128 yards, 3 TDs. F â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Stanley McManus 15-25, 182 yards. RECEIVING: N â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Z. Towns 6-82, Z. Riley 1-7, K. Rosemond 1-24, S. Williams 1-15. F â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Raekwon Butler 3-61, Quaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;terrious Thompson 3-39, Zchivago Herndon 3-41, Chad Sampson 3-22, Josh Bell 1-1, Roderick Sparks 2-18.

Lady Eagles Rally for Fourth Straight Title Worthy Evans Contributor SUMTER â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dorchester Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s height â&#x20AC;&#x201D; four six-footers in its lineup â&#x20AC;&#x201D; posed a problem for the Richard Winn girls in Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SCISA Class A title game, albeit not for long. The Lady Raiders jumped out to an early lead using a dominant presence under the net on offense and defense. Once the Lady Eagles jacked up their 1-3-1 defense and threw in an array of mid-court traps, a fourth straight championship was as good as theirs. Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x192; Â&#x2022;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;ÇĄ Richard Winn stole the ball 22 times to rally past, then rout, the Lady Raiders 43-30 for the crown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coming into the game we were all pumped up,â&#x20AC;? senior point guard Alyssa Atkerson Â&#x2022;Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Ç¤ Ç˛ Â&#x2013; Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; than last year, but we stayed in it and we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up. Their whole team was big, so we had to stay in there and box them out.â&#x20AC;? Atkerson, who had 10 points and seven steals on the day, reached those totals with three fouls on her for most of the game. She drew her fourth Alyssa Atkerson (11) dishes the ball inside to Marion Walker Coleman during Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SCISA Class A title game vs. Dorchester. foul with 6:50 left in the fourth

Bengals run into Wildcataclysm LHS-30 BHS-13 Timothy Davis II Contributor LEXINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Blythewood Bengals headed into round 2 of the Class 4A/D2 state playoffs hoping to avenge their Sept. 4, 21-20 home loss to the Lexington Wildcats. The Wildcats had other plans as they ended the Bengals season, 30-13. Blythewood jumped out of the gate on their opening possession as Osei Thomas exploded for an 81-yard touchdown run giving the Bengals a 7-0 lead Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Ç¤ Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020; Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021; long to respond after that explosive run. Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x201D;Â&#x2014;Â?Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021; Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; burst through the Bengal defense with a 59-yard touchdown run, tying the game ÍšÇŚÍš Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Ç¤ Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018;Â?ÇŻÂ&#x2022; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030;Â&#x192;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Ď?Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Bengal offense and special teams, forcing Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Ç¤ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2039;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2026;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x201E;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192; Blythewood punt into the end zone for a safety, giving the Wildcats a 9-7 lead at Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Ç¤ Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x192;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2022;real refused to cave in to the Wildcats. Midway through the second, Isreal hit Trae Churn on 36-yard touchdown pass. Despite the score, the Wildcats Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021;ÇĄ Â&#x201E;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?ing the extra point to hold the Bengals to a 13-9 lead. Ç˛ Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â&#x160;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021; Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2018;Â? both sides of the ball,â&#x20AC;? Blythewood head coach Dan Morgan said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but I felt we were still going to win this game because we never gave up.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201E;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018;Â? Â?Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014;Â? Â&#x192;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2026;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x192; ÍłÍśÇŚÍ˛ Â&#x201D;Â&#x2014;Â?Ç¤ Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013; Â&#x203A;-

Jordyn Adams (8) looks for a block from Terrance Coates (17) as the Wildcats close in. Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2026;Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160; Â&#x192; Â&#x2019;Â&#x192;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;ÇĄ one from 15 yards and another from 50 Â&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;ÇĄ Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Í´ Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;ÇĄ Â&#x2030;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; the Wildcats a 23-13 lead at the half. Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;ÇĄ Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x152;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;ÇĄ Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020; Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2013; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2018; frames, limiting the Bengalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; running game. Lexington sealed the deal late in the third when Carroll scored from 2 Â&#x203A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; ÍľÍ˛ÇŚÍłÍľ Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Ç¤ â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were not consistent throughout the game and losing Osei was not the best thing,â&#x20AC;? Morgan said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but I am proud of their efforts.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2020; Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2018;Â? ÍťÇŚÍśÇ¤ Lexington will travel to Spartanburg FriÂ&#x2020;Â&#x192;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2019;ÇŚÂ&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2022;Ç¤ Ç˛ Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D; because I love these guys and do not want their season to end,â&#x20AC;? Morgan said.

Ç˛ Â&#x2018; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2030;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2021; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Ď?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022; year, but I cannot be more proud of how this team stood together as a family and how we were two games away from realizing our dreams.â&#x20AC;?

Team Stats BHS 20 44-276 136 12-25-3 1-0 9-92

LHS 19 37-180 250 16-28-0 0-0 11-115

BHS: 7-6-0-0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 13 L: 9-14-7-0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30

First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards C-A-INT Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards

First Quarter B â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Osei Thomas 81 run (Cody Turner kick). 11:13. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Slade Carroll 59 run (C. Kinsley kick). 9:53. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Team safety. 4:10. Second Quarter B â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Trae Churn 36 pass from David Isreal (kick blocked). 6:33. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; T. Schadewald 15 pass from Brandon Blake (C. Kinsley kick). 1:18. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Schadewald 50 pass from Blake (Kinsley kick). 0:19. Third Quarter L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; S. Carroll 2 run (C. Kinsley kick). 1:23.

Individual Stats RUSHING: B â&#x20AC;&#x201C; David Isreal 25-107, Osei Thomas 3-87, Kyle Wright 16-82. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; S. Carroll 25-138, E. Green 6-27, B. Blake 2-19, D. Baker 1-1, D. Wells 3-(-5). PASSING: B â&#x20AC;&#x201C; David Isreal 12-25, 136 yards, TD, 3 INT. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B. Blake 15-25, 249 yards, 2 TD. D. Baker 1-3, 1 yard. RECEIVING: B â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jacob McGuire 5-56, Daquan Patten 3-32, Trae Churn 2-38, Kenny Benton 1-7, Jordyn Adams 1-3. L â&#x20AC;&#x201C; O. Ferguson 8-129, J. Hopper 5-55, T. Schadewald 2-65, D. Wells 1-1.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE News Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

The Clinton Chronicle Staff

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE News Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

Greenville Journal Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

The Horry Independent Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

Cindy Crosby and Ashley Rohde The Press & Standard

Spring 2016

2016 News Awards

Colleton County

SECOND PLACE Sports Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

Cindy Crosby and Ashley Rohde The Press & Standard

CCHS | CPA | NWC | USC SALK

FALL SPORTS

PREVIEW

(843) 236-4810 www.myhorrynews.com | Waccamaw Publishers, Inc., 2510 Main St., Conway, SC 29526 Attention: Delivery

July 7, 2016 | Vol. IX, No. 36 POSTAL PATRON PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID CONWAY, S.C. PERMIT NO. 44

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

Carolina Forest Chronicle Staff

Something to crow about A special edition looks at the Chanticleersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; run to a national title in Omaha Coverage begins on page A6

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Lifestyle/Feature Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

The Gaffney Ledger Staff

WE SALUTE OUR VETERANS V

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER Friday, November 11, 2016

LOCAL & NATIONWIDE

alecsent ic â&#x20AC;¢ Conv Paramed hair Service Wheelc ergency Non-Em rvice Se Bariatric its octor Vis D â&#x20AC;¢ is s Dialy

AMBULANCE &

1-7827 WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORT 1-877-94 24-Hour Service!

For All Emergencies

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Lifestyle/Feature Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens, Taylor Griffith and Chris Sokoloski

Georgetown Times

Home for the Holidays

4 On the cover: Pawleys woman decorates home with hundreds of dolls for Operation Christmas Child

6 Behind the scenes at Brookgreen ‘Nights’ 7 Inlet groups plan weekend of holiday fun

The Lancaster News Wednesday November 9, 2016

Honoring Veterans

Vietnam vets hear ‘welcome home’

ERIC ROWELL For The Lancaster News

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Lifestyle/Feature Section or Special Edition All Weekly Division

The Lancaster News Staff

Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell presents a certificate to Hector Bauza at Lancaster County’s “Welcome Home” celebration Saturday at the historic county courthouse. Bauza served in Vietnam as a medic.

Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Lancaster County recognized its local Vietnam veterans Saturday on the front lawn of the historic county courthouse with a long overdue “Welcome Home” celebration. “Let’s do what should’ve been done 50 years ago,” said Robin Ghent, Lancaster County veterans affairs director. “You did your job, you served with honor, and you did us proud. Welcome home.” When they returned home from Southeast Asia in the

A ST PFC OR ’S Y

1960s and ’70s, veterthat day. ans were sometimes While he was shot in spit at, cursed out, dethe back, military regraded or ignored for cords show Parker their service. “continued to engage That treatment didn’t the enemy with his risit well with Vietnam fle until the weapon vets like Lloyd Parker, jammed” while showwho served as a speing members of his Parker cialist in Charlie Compoint squad where to pany of the U.S. Army 25th In- direct fire. Despite his severe fantry’s Second Batallion. injuries, Parker, records state, Shot Aug. 27, 1966, in a “steadfastly refused assistance close-range, small-arms battle until the enemy position was near the village of Tay Ninh, silenced.” Parker has a scar and a Bronze He then spent six months in Star with a “V” device (valor) to Japan recuperating from his recognize him for his actions See WELCOME I Page 12B

Clinging to life at 19 on a Nazi battleﬁeld REECE MURPHY/rmurphy@thelancasternews.com

Veterans Don Stroupe, Clem Markarian and Ray Dunsmore enjoy coffee and conversation during a Nov. 1 Tuesday Heroes get-together at CrossRidge Café. Dunsmore started the informal veterans’ group about two years ago with the goal of providing veterans with a way to meet and socialize.

Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

aron Flynn took his last pain-free steps on a secluded path near Worms, Germany, on the afternoon of Feb. 21, 1945. He was a 19-year-old private first class from Lancaster, a machine gunner with the U.S. Army’s 6th Armored Division, 44th Armored Infantry Battalion. Flynn had been a late entry into World War II. His enlistment was rejected several times because of bad eyesight. But after his older brother was killed in action on Christmas Eve 1943, Flynn got into the Army. He shipped out to Europe in December 1944, just in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest U.S. battle of the war. Flynn remembers waking up in his foxhole on one below-zero morning. “It was some kind of cold,” he said. “Me and a buddy woke up… covered in a blanket of snow.” After winning that campaign in late January 1945, the American forces kept advancing into Germany. On Feb. 21, Flynn and his platoon were clearing a section of the 18,000 concrete bunkers along the Siegfried Line. “I had told the fellas… we were gonna take tomorrow off because it was Washington’s Birthday,” he said. “I took it off, but it wasn’t my idea.” Flynn can’t recall exactly what happened, but he was hit by hot shrapnel and his right leg was almost torn from his body. Now at 90, Flynn still has hunks of shrapnel in his hip and right calf. “I had a buddy who went around me, and I was back about 25 feet from him when we were hit and it killed him,” Flynn said. “I don’t know if he stepped on something or it was something else. I wasn’t able to recall what really happened.” Flynn’s sergeant, William Follows of Eastport, Maine, carried him into one of the bunkers for safety. Follows died several years ago, Flynn said, “but we always stayed in touch.” A medic arrived after dark, treated Flynn and put him on a Jeep headed to the rear. “I don’t want it to sound like a brag… but I tell the truth when I tell things,” Flynn said. “One of the officers told my sergeant I was one of the bravest little fellas he had ever seen.”

Veterans ﬁnd camaraderie in coﬀee club Reece Murphy rmurphy@thelancasternews.com

After months of covering a remote Afghan outpost, journalist Sebastian Junger said the only thing that makes battle psychologically tolerable for soldiers is their brotherhood. To a group of veterans in Indian Land, that camaraderie plays just as important a role here at home. For the members of Tuesday Heroes, it all begins with “coffee and bull” at the CrossRidge Café in Indian Land. “Nobody wants to hear our stories unless they’ve been there,” Air Force veteran Don Brazzel said. “Some of these guys have some really good stories, and you’re not going to hear them anywhere else.” “Some of them are complete B.S., but they’re fun to listen to,” veteran Army doctor Clem Markarian said, evoking a round of knowing laughter from the guys nearby. The group, which most prefer to call simply the “veterans’ coffee club,” has been meeting at CrossRidge Café for about a year and a half. It’s the brainchild of Marine veteran Ray Dunsmore. Dunsmore said he was struck after moving to Indian Land a little over two years ago by the fact that there were no informal veterans groups for socializing. So he put a notice in Carolina Gateway asking interested veterans to join him at McDonald’s, and before long three others joined him. The group moved to CrossRidge Café about six months later at the invitation of cafe supervisor Hillary Collins, an Army veteran herself. The group now has 67 members, and about attend on any given Tuesday.

photo above GREGORY A. SUMMERS; photo at right courtesy of Aaron Flynn; photo below courtesy of the U.S. Government

Above, Aaron Flynn relaxes on his porch in the Buford community last week. The patch, inset, was used by the 6th Armored Division. At right, this photo of Flynn in uniform was taken before he shipped overseas. Below, American soldiers cross the Siegfried Line with its many concrete bunkers in 1945. At left, Flynn’s medals are pinned to a cap proclaiming his participation in the Battle of the Bulge.

A long recovery Once stabilized, Flynn was flown to the 93rd General Hospital in England to recover. He tried to convince doctors to amputate his damaged leg, but they refused and didn’t want him to see the gaping wound. See FLYNN I Page 8B

See COFFEE I Page 5B

GOOD MORNING! Extended Weather Forecast Today High

Thursday Low

71 40 Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of scattered showers

High

Saturday

Friday Low

High

Low

68 41

72 47

Sunny

>>Features I (803) 283-1158

High

Sunday Low

59 34 Sunny, but colder

High

Low

63 40 Sunny

Sept. 21, 2016

2016 News Awards

6OLGH LQWR IXQ WKLV 6DWXUGD\

IL Rotary welcomes you to the fall festival PRESIDENT’S WELCOME Bryce L. Miller is president of the Indian Land Rotary Club.

THIRD PLACE Entertainment Section All Weekly Division

Carolina Gateway Staff

Festival changing, but still loads of fun FILE PHOTO

The giant slide will return to the festival again this year along with other inflatables donated by Covenant Baptist Church and ServPro. The festival features live entertainment, food and craft vendors, booths from local businesses and organizations and the VFW’s Honoring our Heroes car show. For a full map of the festival’s attractions, see page 4B.

JULIE GRAHAM For Carolina Gateway

With more activities for kids and a door-to-door shuttle service, the Indian Land Rotary Fall Festival is ushering in its 11th year with changes that organizers feel will improve the largest Panhandle event of the year. The Saturday, Sept. 24, festival, organized by the Indian Land Rotary Club and held at CrossRidge (the former City of Light), will feature a car show, live entertainment, local vendors and a kids’ play area from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In past years, the festival has drawn more than 10,000 visitors. “Our focus is to be as community-oriented as possible,” said Bryce Miller, IL Rotary president. “You should come to the festival to have a great time with your family and get a chance to meet local individuals and local businesses.”

This year, Rotary is partnering with Carolina Gateway in a bigger way, as well as the Friends of Del Webb Library, which is bringing preschool children’s author Pat Leonard to the festival for author talks and to sign books near the Bookmobile. The festival is no longer holding its chili cook-off, cornhole tournament or 5K run, instead dedicating more resources to its kids’ area with inflatables, a game truck, arts and crafts, the Bookmobile and children’s author’s talk, lawn games, pony rides and small farm animals, and a shuttle service for parking. Due to construction at CrossRidge, there will be additional parking off-site at Transformation Church, with a shuttle service to the entrance of the festival. Rotarian Tracy Little of State Farm will be a driver, as well as other volunteers. The shuttle from Transformation will be a convenience for festival-goers, he said.

“It’s a good thing,” Little said. “Instead of a long walk through the parking lot, you can get shuttled to the entrance and have no walking at all.” Proceeds from the festival are donated to local projects, including sponsoring youth sports teams, buying dictionaries for local third-graders and supporting the Del Webb Library at Indian Land. Miller said the group is hoping to make $6,000 in profit, which will go right back into Indian Land programs. “I love the community involvement,” he said. “The festival wouldn’t happen without the support of the businesses and residents of Indian Land.” Children’s wristbands for unlimited fun are $5 for the inflatables, arts and crafts and lawn games, $5 for the game truck, or $10 for both. See FESTIVAL, Page 2

o all residents of Indian Land and surrounding communities: The Indian Land Rotary Club is excited to announce that its 11th annual fall festival will be this Saturday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CrossRidge/Inspiration Ministries. This event continues to grow each year, thanks to your support. During the 2016 fall festival, you can expect to see local entertainment, local businesses, local food vendors and an enhanced kid’s area including an electronic game truck, inflatable bounce houses, arts and crafts, games, fire and rescue trucks and the smokehouse, small farm animals, and the Bookmobile, along with talks and book signings by local children’s author Pat Leonard. Due to construction on the grounds of CrossRidge, guests should park as directed at either CrossRidge or in an overflow lot at Transformation Church. Complimentary shuttles will be provided to and from the festival. Handicapped parking will be available at CrossRidge. Proceeds from the fall festival stay in our local community and are distributed to schools and nonprofit organizations, such as the Friends of the Del Webb Library, which is partnering with the Rotary to manage the festival’s volunteers this year. A big thank you to all of the sponsors, vendors and volunteers who help make the Indian Land Rotary Fall Festival possible. Indian Land Rotary Club is a service organization that assists local, domestic and worldwide charities and service projects. If you are interested in learning more about Rotary, please visit our tent at the fall festival. For more information regarding the fall festival, please reach out to us at indianlandrotary@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you on Sept. 24!

Festival a major fundraiser for Rotary projects BEVERLY LANE LORENZ For Carolina Gateway

Many say fall is the best time of year here in Indian Land. The weather is perfect and, best of all, it’s time for the Indian Land Rotary Fall Festival. The Indian Land festival offers lots of fun, as well as camaraderie. People enjoy the sense of community this event offers, in addition to the food and entertainment. It continues to grow year after year. But it’s not all about fun and games. At its heart, the festival is a major fundraiser for the Indian Land Rotary

Club, which uses the festival proceeds to help the local schools, library and more right here. Rotary’s mantra is “Service Above Self ” and the annual festival illustrates that concept. “The proceeds, some $40,000, raised for the first two to three years, went to the Del Webb Library fund,” IL Rotary Club Treasurer Babette Sabia said. It was used to outfit the library’s browsing area. Since literacy is a key tenet of Rotary International, much of the festival proceeds have been funneled into both local literacy and education

efforts. Festival funds helped Rotary sponsor the Indian Land library’s summer reading programs for several years. They have also been used to provide dictionaries to every third-grader in local elementary schools since 2007. Nearly $1,200 went to Indian Land Elementary School’s Book Literacy Project in 2012. The club also makes an annual donation to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library via Lancaster County First Steps, which provides a free book each month to children from birth to age 5. See PROJECTS, Page 8

WANT TO JOIN IL ROTARY?

FILE PHOTO

IL Rotary Past President Lisa Walker hugs Indian Land High School choral teacher Lisa Knox while presenting her with a check for the choral program.

The Indian Land Rotary Club welcomes anyone interested in putting “Service Above Self.” The club meets at 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Tavern at the Lakes in Carolina Lakes Golf Club, 23012 Kingfisher Drive. For details, contact Garrett Strader at (704) 621-6994 or gstrader3@ gmail.com.

2016 News Awards

27th Annual

SECOND PLACE

Wooden Boat Show

Entertainment Section All Weekly Division

Clayton Stairs Georgetown Times October 15 and 16, 2016 A supplement to the

and

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Entertainment Section All Weekly Division

The Voice of Blythewood and Fairfield County Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Magazine or Specialty Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

Marketing and Communications Staff

Tidelands Health

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Magazine or Specialty Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

Charleston Regional Business Journal Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Magazine or Specialty Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

The Baptist Courier Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Magazine All Weekly Division

The Summerville Journal Scene

Staff

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Magazine All Weekly Division

The Press & Standard Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Magazine All Weekly Division

Greenville Journal Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE News Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Ron Aiken S.C. Policy Council

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE News Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Matthew Clark GSA Business Report

85-385 Gateway project challenging: SCDOT byy Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

t is the second-largest construction project taken on by the S.C. Department of Transportation. But, its impact goes beyond the $231 million price tag associated with improving the I-85/385 interchange in Greenville. With 220,000 vehicles moving through the interchange each day, SCDOT engineer Jack Valetti, the resident construction engineer for the project, said there are a lot of challenges a

project of this magnitude faces. “I think this is one of the most difficult because we are still trying to retain the traff fic flow while doing the construction,” Valetti said. The project ranges in scope from repaving sections of I-85 – northbound from mile marker 35 to mile marker 37 and southbound from Rocky Creek to the Salters Bridge – to traffic light retiming and bridge replacement along the corridor. Crews with Flatiron-Zachary Joint Venture have already started work on collector/

distributor lanes from Woodruff Road to westbound I-385. Valetti said the collector/ distributor lanes on I-85 at Woodruff Road will be extended both north and southbound along with the collector/distributor lane being worked on presently. “The expectation is to get traffic off I-85 to help prevent backups,” Valetti said. “If there is a backup, it can be on the CD lane, not the actual interstate.” Another aspect of the project will be to see I-85/385 project, page 10

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Melinda Waldrop Columbia Regional Business Report

Whistleblower nets $5.38M in False Claims Act settlement By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

n the increasingly complicated world of heath care, the line between profit and illegality can become blurred. It was the opinion of a South Carolina pharmacist and whistleblower that a company he dealt with crossed that line – an opinion seconded by the U.S. Department of Justice and validated by a $34.8 million settlement announced March 23. Dr. Gibran Ameer worked for medical equipment suppliers that bought masks for

patients suffering from sleep apnea from Philips Respironics Inc. Respironics provided free call center services to suppliers whose customers used its masks while charging a fee for those services to suppliers that sold masks made by competitors. That looked like a kickback to Ameer, who sued under the False Claims Act, which allows whistleblowers to bring claims on behalf of the federal government and to share in recoveries. Ameer will receive $5.38 million of the $34.14 million paid by Respironics’ parent, Royal Philips NV, to the government. Another $660,000 will be paid to various state

governments based on their Medicaid participation. “It didn’t take long, looking into it, to realize how clear the kickback was,” said Columbia-based litigator Andrew Melling of McNair Law Firm, P.A., which represented Ameer in the lawsuit filed two years ago. The Justice Department agreed, joining the lawsuit along with 29 states and the District of Columbia. “Americans deserve to know that when they are prescribed a device to treat a serious See WHISTLEBLOWER, R Page 36 6

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Breaking News Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

www.pagelandprogressive.com

75 cents

Missing woman found dead in murder-suicide By KIMBERLY HARRINGTON Progressive Journal editor

The body of a Pageland woman who was reported missing last week was found Friday in a shallow grave outside of town. The body of her boyfriend, the prime suspect, was found on Saturday in what law officials are calling a murder suicide. Pageland Police, the Chesterfield County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office and the county coroner held a press conference on Monday at the Pageland Police Department. Ternetha Ann Bennett, 51, of 402 E. McGregor Street, was reported missing by her boyfriend, William Lazar Grant, 49, on Tuesday, Aug. 16. Pageland Police Chief Craig

Kimberly Harrington & Vanessa Brewer-Tyson Pageland Progressive-Journal

BENNETT

GRANT

Greenlee said Grant reported her missing at about 4:46 p.m. Tuesday. He asked Grant to come in to the police station, in which he complied. Grant told the police that he and his girlfriend had an argument the night before (Monday, Aug. 15) and that she refused to come home that night. See MISSING | Page 8

VANESSA BREWER-TYSON/Progressive Journal

A law officers inspects William Grantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car at 402 E. McGregor Street, where he lived with this girlfriend, Ann Benett. He was the prime suspect in her murder.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Breaking News Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Elaine Ellison-Rider News-Chronicle

Fire Sunday claims life of little 5 year old +21($ 3$7+ $ \HDU ROG FKLOG GLHG DV D UHVXOW RI LQMXULHV VXVWDLQHG GXULQJ D ÀUH 6XQGD\ QLJKW DW KHU IDPLO\·V KRPH RQ *UHHQ 6WUHHW /LWWOH 6RSKLD /HLJKDQQ 5KRGHV ZDV ÁRZQ 6XQGD\ WR WKH -RVHSK 0 6WLOO %XUQ &HQWHU LQ $XJXVWD *D 6KH GLHG RQ 0RQGD\ 7KH ÀUH EHJDQ DERXW S P 6XQGD\ )DPLO\ PHPEHUV ZHUH DVOHHS LQ YDULRXV URRPV RI WKH KRXVH DW WKH WLPH WKH EOD]H EHJDQ 6RSKLD DSSDUHQWO\ ZDV VOHHSLQJ RQ WKH FRXFK LQ RQH RI WKH URRPV )LUH &KLHI 'U -LPP\ 6PLWK ZDV RQH RI WKH ÀUVW RQ WKH VFHQH DUULYLQJ ZLWK WKH ÀUVW WUXFNV ZLWKLQ PLQXWHV RI WKH DODUP ´$W WKH WLPH FHQWUDO GLVSDWFK FDOOHG DQG VDLG WKHUH ZDV D SRVVLEOH HQWUDSPHQW µ VDLG 6PLWK ´7KH IDPLO\ ZDV DGDPDQW WKDW D FKLOG ZDV LQ WKHUH µ )LUHILJKWHUV LPPHGLDWHO\ EHJDQ WKH UHVFXH DQG UHWXUQHG ZLWK D OLIHOHVV FKLOG LQ WKHLU DUPV &35 ZDV VWDUWHG DQG WKH OLWWOH JLUO ZDV WUDQVSRUWHG IRU PHGLFDO FDUH ´6KH ZDV IRXQG EHWZHHQ WKH FRXFK DQG WKH ZDOO µ VDLG 6PLWK 6XQGD\·V ÀUH UHPDLQV XQGHU LQYHVWLJDWLRQ E\ WKH 6 & /DZ (QIRUFHPHQW 'LYLVLRQ DUVRQ·V XQLW +RQHD 3DWK )LUH DQG 3ROLFH 'HSDUWPHQWV VDLG 6PLWK ZKLFK LV VWDQGDUG SURWRFRO ,W DSSHDUV WKDW WKH ÀUH EHJDQ RQ DQ RSHQ EDFN SRUFK DQG VSUHDG LQWR WKH KRXVH GHVWUR\LQJ WKH LQWHULRU DQG FUHDWLQJ D WKLFN EODFN VPRNH $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH SROLFH LQFLGHQW UHSRUW RIÀFHUV IRXQG VPRNH DQG ÁDPHV FRPLQJ IURP WKH EDFN RI WKH KRXVH 7KH UHSRUWV VKRZ WKDW WKHUH ZHUH QLQH SHRSOH LQ WKH KRXVH LQFOXGLQJ WKH PRWKHU DQG IDWKHU DQG DW OHDVW ÀYH VPDOO FKLOGUHQ DQG D WHHQDJHU 6HYHUDO IDPLO\ PHPEHUV VXIIHUHG IURP VPRNH LQKDODWLRQ SUREOHPV $W ÀUVW WKH SDUHQWV WKRXJKW HYHU\RQH ZDV RXW RI WKH KRXVH 0LQXWHV ODWHU WKH SDUHQWV UHDOL]HG WKDW RQH RI WKH FKLOGUHQ ZDV VWLOO LQ WKH KRPH DQG KDG WR EH UHVWUDLQHG DV

EOD]LQJ KRXVH )LUHÀJKWHUV TXLFNO\ GRQQHG JHDU DQG UXVKHG LQWR WKH KRPH ORFDWLQJ WKH OLWWOH JLUO 6KH ZDV WDNHQ WR $Q0HG DQG WKHQ

DLUOLIWHG WR $XJXVWD *D ,W ZDV WKH ÀUVW ÀUH IDWDOLW\ LQ $QGHUVRQ &RXQW\ LQ 7KH ODVW IDWDO ÀUH LQ +RQHD 3DWK ZDV LQ -DQXDU\ ZKHQ WKUHH PHP-

EHUV RI D IDPLO\ GLHG LQ D EOD]H RQ +DPPHWW 6WUHHW LQ WKH VDPH QHLJKERUKRRG VDLG )LUH &KLHI 'U -LPP\ 6PLWK 7KH )LUVW $VVHPEO\ RI *RG &KXUFK

1(:6 &+521,&/( 3+272 5LFKDUG .HOO\

MEMBERS OF HONEA PATH FIRE/EMS stand by outside as the rescue teams rush in to try to save a 5-year-old girl IURP WKH ÀUH 7KH EOD]H GHVWUR\HG WKH LQWHULRU RI D KRPH DW *UHHQ 6W DERXW S P 6XQGD\ 7KH ÀUH UHPDLQV XQGHU

investigation, but Fire Chief Dr. Jimmy Smith said it started on an open back porch. Honea Path was assisted by Belton FD and Williamston FD Rapid Intervention Teams and FriendVKLS ÀUH GHSDUWPHQW

ORFDWHG DFURVV WKH V W U H H W I U R P W K H KRPH LV VSHDUKHDGLQJ DQ HIIRUW WR FROOHFW LWHPV DQG GRQDWLRQV IRU WKH IDPLO\ Facebook photo 7KH 5HY $QGUHZ Sophia Rhodes 2YHUE\ )LUVW $VVHPEO\ RI *RG·V SDVWRU VDLG 7XHVGD\ WKDW GRQDWLRQV RI JURFHU\ VWRUH JLIW FDUGV ZLOO KHOS IHHG WKH IDPLO\ 3HRSOH KDYH UHVSRQGHG TXLFNO\ ZLWK FORWKLQJ LWHPV WUDYHOLQJ IURP DV IDU DZD\ DV 6LPSVRQYLOOH WR GHOLYHU WKH LWHPV 7KH 5HG &URVV LV DOVR DVVLVWLQJ WKH IDPLO\ &KHFNV PDGH SD\DEOH WR ´HPHUJHQF\ UHOLHIµ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·V IXOO RELWXDU\ ZLOO DOVR DSSHDU LQ QH[W ZHHN·V e e

Matthew leaves its mark Laura j. Mckenzie Publisher laura.mckenzie@morris.com

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Breaking News Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jonathan Vickery and Laura J. McKenzie The People-Sentinel

Everyone in Barnwell County has a storm story from Hurricane Matthew as it impacted every single resident in some way. Luckily, most of the impact from the storm was the result of power outages and downed trees as winds and rain pummeled the area in the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 8. According to Emergency Management Director Roger Riley, the peak wind gust of 45 miles per hour was recorded around 5:50 a.m. Saturday at the Barnwell County Airport. “There may have been stronger winds elsewhere but that’s the one we have.” Matthew had already devastated Haiti as a Category 4 storm, then raked the Florida and Georgia coasts before wreaking havoc on South Carolina’s coastline as a Category 2 hurricane, then on to the North Carolina coastline before finally heading out to sea.

Beware of post-storm scams Laura j. Mckenzie Publisher laura.mckenzie@morris.com

Barnwell County Emergency Management Director Roger Riley warns locals to be aware of potential scammers as South Carolina recovers from Hurricane Matthew. "If someone contacts you saying they are from an official agency such as FEMA, make sure you ask for official credentials," said Riley. Be wary of anyone asking for personal information or money. Statewide, EMD officials say people affected by Hurricane Matthew should be aware of potential scams that could come in the form of emails, phone calls, text messages, and others. Scams of this kind are often times used against individuals in areas that See SCAMS, 8A

Jonathan Vickery/Managing Edito

A barricade manned by Barnwell police officers cuts off Highway 3 so evacuees will follow the evacuation route down Highway 278. Damage from wind and rain extended well into the eastern half of South Carolina. Approximately 5.8 inches of rain fell between Friday and Saturday in Barnwell County, Riley said. At the peak of the storm, said Riley, there were 80 people sheltered at Barnwell Elementary School which served as the official American Red Cross shelter in Barnwell County. Allendale County opened two shelters – one at Allendale Elementary and the other at Fairfax Elementary, according to Allen-

dale EMD Gidget Stanley-Banks. Over 7,300 customers lost power in Barnwell County as a result of the storm. “The final number may be higher,” said Riley on Monday. According to SCE&G and Edisto Electric websites, nearly all of Allendale County was without power with major restoration occurring on Sunday afternoon and into Monday. Barnwell County public schools closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ahead of the storm. Students returned to classes on Monday after a two-hour delay

to finalize assessments of bus routes. Jefferson Davis Academy students attended classes throughout the week but had Friday and Monday off. Their homecoming was scheduled for Friday but was postponed until Monday, Oct. 10. Allendale County schools are “closed until further notice”, according to the Allendale County School Superintendent Leila Williams. A post on their Facebook page Sunday stated, “Students, parents, and staff of ACS: As a

result of the impacts of Hurri cane Matthew, Allendale County Schools will be closed until fur ther notice. Currently, Allendale Elementary is being used as an emergency shelter for evacuees from other counties. Many fa cilities and homes throughout the county are without electricity and water. Many roads are also unsafe for travel. We will keep you up dated as conditions improve.” Evacuation While pre-storm preparations See MATT A HEW, 8A

Siblings volunteer during hurricane Laura j. Mckenzie Publisher laura.mckenzie@morris.com

A brother and sister duo helped out at the Barnwell County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in preparation for the impact of Hurricane Matthew. Kinsley Breland, who will be 16 on Oct. 30, and her brother, Collin, 14, both of Barnwell, have spent the last several days at the EOC, answering phones and “doing whatever we’ve asked them to do,” said Emergency Operations Manager Roger Riley. Kinsley, a tenth grader at Barnwell High School, is a contestant in the Teen Miss South Carolina pageant and said she has been looking for volunteer opportunities in the community. Her mom, Stephanie Brandt, called over to the EOC and asked if there was anything she could do. Riley told her to come on over. Her brother, a ninth grader and baseball player at BHS, wanted to help too. “It’s been really fun,” said Col-

Laura McKenzie/Publishe

Kinsley and Collin Breland volunteered at the Barnwell County Emergency Operations Office. lin who assisted in “buzzing” people into the EOC which has security locks. “I thought it was going to be really crazy in here but it isn’t,” said Kinsley. “It is very calm.” Kinsley was assigned to answer the telephone and field callers the EOC representatives who best could answer questions.

“We’d do anything to help people out,” she said. “I wish I could clone them,” said EMD Roger Riley. “They have been outstanding.” He said having them help freed up other personnel to do their jobs. He said Kinsley also helped with social media postings on the

EMD’s Facebook page. Kinsley and Collin worked until Friday but were sent home at noon with other volunteers so they could be home before the storm hit. The siblings are the children of Stephanie and Shaun Brandt of Barnwell and Gary and Celeste Breland of Gilbert.

Barnwell County helps evacuees, responders Jonathan Vickery Managing Editor jonathan.vickery@morris.com

Barnwell County responded in abundance to help those affected by Hurricane Matthew. The generosity of local residents was especially apparent at the emergency shelter set up at Barnwell Elementary School for evacuees of the coast. While the Salvation Army did not provide food for some reason, Creech said families, churches and organizations brought water, chips, sodas, homemade baked goods, fruit and other food for the evacuees. The National Guard also donated MREs (meals ready to eat). Several businesses, including Burger King, also donated food. “We had so much stuff donated from local people and local churches that we had to

start turning people down as much as we hated to,” said Coley Creech, a Barnwell resident and coordinator for the S.C. Disaster Relief who got involved to help coordinate donations. “When people here commit to doing something, they’re going to do it. I’m proud to be part of community that turned out the way people did.” “Our little hometown is a great community. We always come together when there is a need. I am in awe of the food and essentials at the elementary school,” said Barnwell resident Teresa Sanders on Facebook. Kara Bolen said she also loves seeing her hometown come together in a time of need to help. “We have embraced our own hometown folks and now we are embracing those who are calling a local make-shift shelter

their temporary home. I was completely in awe at the items that have been donated to bring comfort, nourishment, and some sort of entertainment to these people. What an eye-opening and rewarding experience for my family. It's amazing that even at 11 and 4, my girls realized how blessed and fortunate we are.” In addition to food, people brought cots, mattresses, towels, toiletry items and much more. Orchids Paper Products donated a bunch of paper products while a lady brought a pickup load of paper plates and napkins. Angela Cotton said two girls from Reedy Branch Baptist Church brought board games for the children staying at the shelter to play. “Whatever we needed or asked for, we got it in abundance. It was really neat to watch,” said

Creech, who coordinated what was needed with the Red Cross, Department of Social Services and Axis 1 Center officials who worked at the shelter. He thanks everyone who donated. People outside of the shelter were also the recipients of acts of kindness as people also brought food to emergency management officials, first responders and many others. Willie and April Hammond posted on Facebook how they purchased several gallons of water for woman in the Wal-Mart checkout line after finding out she was without power and water. Barnwell County’s generosity is also helping those in other places. Leftover food and supplies were donated to the Axis 1 Center and DSS. Creech said they also might take the shower trailer,

which Barnwell First Baptis Church loaned to the shelter along with bottled water to the coast to help in recovery efforts. Trinity Outreach Ministries in Barnwell donated case after case of bottled water to the Barnwell shelter as well as other places, including the Hampton County Emergency Services Theresa Dobson with the Gifford Fire Department and Hampton County Fire & Rescue thanked the church on Facebook for the donation. Creech said Hurricane Mat thew was the first time Barnwel County has experienced a crisis of this scale with a large number of evacuees coming through the area. He said there was a learning curve to the process o helping people, but he believes they will be more prepared for the future.

Category 2 storm wreaks havoc Residents who had to flee get OK to return BY ANTHONY GARZILLI Jasper County Sun Times anthony.garzilli@morris.com

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Breaking News Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Hu r r ic a ne Mat t hew brought whipping wind and torrential rain late Friday into Saturday morning that forced thousands of people to leave their homes. The storm left downed trees and power lines and ﬂooded the roads, which made for da ngerous conditions. Initially residents, many who left on Wednesday, were not allowed to return to the county. The National Guard and South Carolina Highway Patrol guarded Jasper’s borders. Interstate 95 in Jasper was closed. Jasper County Council Chairman Marty Sauls estimated that 75 to 80 percent of the county evacuated. It pained him to keep residents away. “I want people to come home, see things are safe, I do,” Sauls said Saturday. Sauls thought a re-entry plan wouldn’t move forward until Tuesday, but at 6:45 Sunday evening, he delivered the message many were waiting to hear. “Everybody can come home,” he said. Sauls spoke at the Jasper County EMS building, which is manned by state, county and local ofﬁcials. He was teary eyed as he told the public the interstate was open and it was OK to return. Sauls, whose family evacuated, said he stayed because he felt obligated to SEE HOME, PAGE 3

Anthony Garzilli Jasper County Sun Times

Siobhan Egan/Special to Jasper County Sun Times

Jasper County Council Chairman Marty Sauls tells the public they can return home after the hurricane.

Photo courtesy Ridgeland Police Chief Richard Woods

A tree fell in front of Ridgeland’s post office during Hurricane Matthew. More than 7,000 people lost power.

Damage includes knocked down trees, power lines, flooding BY ANTHONY GARZILLI Jasper County Sun Times anthony.garzilli@morris.com

STORM RESOURCES

Hurricane Matthew swept through Jasper County and the Lowcountry last weekend, causing thousands of people to evacuate. The Category 2 storm downed power lines and trees and ﬂooded roads. The storm produced sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph and battered both ends of the county. Gov. Nikki Haley ordered an evacuation at 3 p.m. Wednesday. About 800 people took shelter at Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School and thousands of others – about 80 percent – left the area, unable to return until late Sunday. Those who stayed were under an 8 p.m. curfew Friday and Saturday. The storm that reportedly killed 1,000 people in Haiti continued through Florida and hit the county late Friday night into Saturday morning. The howling wind and relentless rain (10 inches) made for unsafe conditions. The hurricane knocked a live oak tree down in front of Ridgeland’s post ofﬁce and on Pine Harbor Road in Hardeeville. Sisters Ferry Road between Tarboro Road and S.C. 336 was blocked by trees. A tree crashed into a roof at 4 a.m. Saturday on Langfordville Road in Gillisonville, according to a next-door neighbor. The tree caused the roof to cave into the bedroom. The occupant did not suffer serious injuries, the neighbor said. More than 1,000 customers were without power Saturday, and that

For information regarding

For updates on road closings, visit jaspercountysc.org.

Wanda Phillips/Jasper County Sun Times

A tree crashed onto D.J. Dougherty’s roof Saturday on Langfordville Road in Gillisonville. No one was seriously hurt. number swelled through the weekk end. By early Monday, 7,200 people were still without power: 4,419 South Carolina Electric and Gas and 2,847 Palmetto Electric customers. U.S. 17 from Ridgeland to Hardeeville and Highway 278 from Possum Corner Road to the Hampton County line were closed as of Sunday evening. Interstate 95 in Jasper was closed Saturday. Jasper County Fire-Rescue said there was a report of a tree down across both lanes of Interstate 95 North at the 11-mile marker. Main Street in Hardeeville and the Gillisonville area was without power

state road closings, including an interactive map, visit www.scdot.org/ getting/MatthewResources. aspx#content General information can be found at www.scemd.org. The S.C. Emergency Management Division’s website, scemd.org, lists emergency shelter status statewide and is updated in real-time by the state Department of Social Services. Coastal evacuees without internet access are urged to call the PIPS line at 1-866-246-0133 with questions and any needed assistance. If there is an emergency, call 911.

ON THE WEB For more continuing storm coverage, visit jaspersuntimes. com and follow us on Facebook.

as of Monday. Five utility poles were knocked down near Great Swamp Baptist Church in Ridgeland. There was a tree down on Calf Pen Bay Road around the 1900 block. The schools were closed through at least Tuesday. About 160 members of the National Guard were brought in to help the county. The storm caused a mess. SEE STORM, PAGE 6

800 take shelter in Ridgeland; volunteer says everyone stayed calm BY ANTHONY GARZILLI Jasper County Sun Times anthony.garzilli@morris.com

The threat of Hurricane Matthew forced Gov. Nikki Haley to order the evacuation of the coastal communities, including Jasper County. Residents took shelter at RidgelandHardeeville High School. By midday Friday, the shelter reached its capacity of 800 people. The numbers grew during the week, from 200 people early Wednesday to 500 on Thursday. The facility was open 24 hours a day. Food was provided three times a day, and snacks were available. As of late Sunday, the shelter still had 300 people, many from Beaufort County.

Former Ridgeland High football star Wesley Scott volunteered at the shelter. He said the people were anxious about the storm, but when it struck the hardest early Saturday everybody was calm. “It wasn’t too bad,” Scott said. “We could hear the wind rattling the doors, but people were relaxed.” The shelter lost power, then ran on a generator. Scott said he enjoyed talking with different people and giving back to the community. “It’s kind of like my area, the area that raised me, so it’s the least I can do to help to give back to my community,” he said. Before the storm, Scott, who competed in the 2011 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and played football

at NCAA Division I school Miami (Ohio), said the looming hurricane was unlike anything he’s experienced. “All the 18 years I’ve lived in Ridgeland before going to college I’ve never experienced anything out of the ordinary,” said Scott, who graduated in May and now works for Jasper’s Department of Social Services in Ridgeland. “To ease the population taking shelter, the staff writes updates of the progression of the hurricane. People, including myself, aren’t as nervous. The ones who aren’t nervous tend to be curious, or in doubt, because nothing on this degree happens in town.” Becky Bowie, of the American

Red Cross, who was at the site, said everybody was OK before the storm but most were “pretty anxious” about the hurricane. Scott said the county’s preparation was great. He specifically noted the special accommodations for people with disabilities. “Everyone that entered the shelter is comfortable with the format of how the shelter’s being operated,” he said. “Being that it has been a lot of years since anything of this magg nitude occurred in Ridgeland, it’s good to know people are willing to be proactive and seek out help. The staff working at the shelter is a dedicated group, and there’s enough of us on hand, cycling through 12-hour shifts, to serve the people.”

COASTAL OBSERVER Vol. XXXV No. 17

Pawleys Island, South Carolina ~ October 13, 2016

50 cents

HURRICANE MATTHEW

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

EYE STORM In the

of the

Georgetown County braced for a hit, but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect the Category 1 hurricane to come directly overhead

Breaking News Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Coastal Observer Staff Charles Swenson/Coastal Observer

National Guard engineers start clearing debris and sand from Springs Avenue on the south end of Pawleys Island.

MATTHEW’S IMPACT

2016 News Awards

553 Structures damaged in unincorporated Horry County

‘IT’S WAY WORSE’

$16.5 million Estimated cost of that damage

152 Roads closed in Horry County

FIRST PLACE Breaking News Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Carolina Forest Chronicle Staff

People staying in shelter at Beach Church

47,888 Grand Strand utility customers without power.

275 Homes and businesses damaged in Myrtle Beach

$6.6 million Estimated cost of that damage

$690,000 Estimated damage to public utilities in Myrtle Beach —SOURCES: HORRY COUNTY GOVERNMENT, HORRY ELECTRIC, SANTEE COOPER, CITY OF MYRTLE BEACH, CITY OF CONWAY *FIGURES CURRENT AS OF TUESDAY. CHECK MYHORRYNEWS.COM FOR UPDATES.

Need help? Residents who need help removing storm debris or repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Matthew can call the statewide crisis cleanup line at 1-800-451-1954. Impact Ministries, along with the Waccamaw VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster), is helping homeowners in Horry County. Once home owners have assessed their properties, they can visit goimpactmb.org/disasterrelief to fill out an application for assistance such as debris removal, removal of mud or water, sheetrock and more. Once the application has been submitted, home owners will receive a response and assessors will be sent out as soon as possible. For more details, contact VOAD in the Horry County Emergency Operations Center at 843-915-5908.

Want to help? Residents wanting to volunteer to help storm victims can contact a statewide volunteer line at 1-888-585-9643.

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Paul Lucarelli pulls his family and some items from their Lee's Landing area home to dry ground. Lucarelli moved to Horry County three years ago after losing a Jersey Shore home to Superstorm Sandy. This is the second straight year he's dealt with a flood. Lucarelli said his home is elevated, but he suffered some damage to the bottom of his house last year.

Power outages make hurricane more difficult than 2015 flood BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Lenore Letellier’s anxiety rises with the river. Like many of her neighbors on Embassy Lane, her mobile home doesn’t sit high off the ground, and the small dwellings are quickly becoming islands in the Waccamaw.

On Sunday morning, the day after Hurricane Matthew slogged through Horry County and drenched the already swollen river, Letellier could still see her road. By Monday, the water was halfway up her truck. “It came so fast,” she said. “On so many levels, it’s so incredibly bad.”

Letellier, who lives near Lee’s Landing, is trying to ride out the flood. But unlike last October, when river area residents had electricity and could monitor the Waccamaw’s rise through news reports, this disaster is different. The storm knocked out power throughout the S.C.

90 corridor. As of Tuesday, more than47,000 homes in Horry had no power — more than any other county in the state. That means those who stay on the river must do so in the dark. “It’s way worse than it was last year,” Letellier said. It’s unclear how many resilient souls have chosen to

stay through the flood, said Sgt. Nate Hutson with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Last year, DNR agents went door to door to compile a list of those living amid the flood. Agents tried the same process with this disaster, RIVER FLOODING A3

Flooding again frustrates BelleGrove residents BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Leah Hornberger sloshed down the hallway to her 8year-old daughter’s room. She had piled a rainbowcolored backpack, an ottoman and plastic tubs full of clothes and toys on the bed. “I literally picked up everything that I could,” the Carolina Forest mother said.

“She just went through this a year ago. That’s pretty freaking traumatic to think, ‘I’ve got to go through this — again.’” Hornberger’s house was one of 11 in the BelleGrove neighborhood damaged by the October 2015 flood. A year later — after replacing floors, drywall and repainting — she is again a flood victim. If she lived along the Waccamaw River or on the

oceanfront, Hornberger said she wouldn’t be surprised. But what frustrates her and many of her neighbors is that their neighborhood is not in a flood zone. They blame the flooding on drainage problems, issues that surfaced during the flood of 2015 and remain unresolved after another devastating storm one year later. “If they fixed it last year,

they wouldn’t have this problem,” said John Voll, who stared at the river that was BelleGrove Drive Sunday morning. “They had over one year.” In 2015, the water went into Voll’s garage and kept him marooned for four days. It didn’t get as high this time, but the BelleGrove flood covered several feet of BELLEGROVE WOES A5

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Leah Hornberger walks through her daughter’s flooded bedroom.

‘We ran as fast as we could’

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Breaking News Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly and Max Hrenda Georgetown Times

Bystanders take action at crash BY EILEEN N K EITHLY AND MAX HRENDA news@southstrandnews.com

Steve Bartlett’s work day was winding down at Southern Auto Mart in Georgetown on March 17 when a “loud boom” and a “cloud of dust” sent him rushing from his desk to the street, where he saw a truck overturned on its top. Instinctively, he rushed to see if he could help, and what he found shocked him. Trapped inside the wreckage were 37-year-old Daniel Lee Benton and his 2-year-old daughter, Ansley Janelle Benton. “All I can remember is that I yelled for Coe (Rich) to call 911,” Bartlett told the Times on the scene of Thursday accident. “I’m not sure what I expected to find when I got out there, but a baby was the last thing on my mind.” According to the Georgetown Police Department collision report, emergency units responded at about 5:20 p.m. on March 17 to an area near the intersection of Highmarket and Collins streets after a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by 62-year-old Gladys Sumter, collided with Bartlett’s 2008 Chevrolet Silverado. Benton’s daughter was the only passenger in the truck. The report said the force of the impact sent the pickup truck onto a sidewalk, causing it to overturn. Bartlett’s co-workers, Tommy Spivey and Robbie Cumbie, said they were headed from the shop of Southern Auto Mart to the office when they heard the “boom” of the crash and saw Bartlett sprinting toward Highmarket Street. “All we could see was a giant cloud of dust and Steve running toward the street, so we ran as fast as we could to catch up with him,” Spivey said. “When we got there, Steve was kneeling next to the truck talking to a man who was still inside the truck.

PHOTOS BY EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Georgetown County Fire/EMS personnel take Daniel Lee Benton to an ambulance March 17, after his truck overturned during a collision on Highmarket Street.

The man had a baby in his arms … We immediately started trying to pry a door open to help them out.” Spivey said while he and Cumbie pulled on the truck’s doors, Bartlett kept reassuring Benton and his daughter that the three men were doing everything possible to free them from the overturned truck. “We worked and worked on that door and it would not budge. We tried them all but none of them would come open,” Spivey said.

See BYSTAN T DERS, Page 2A

Tommy Spivey, left, and Steve Bartlett pulled 2-yearold Ansely Janelle Benton from her father’s truck after it overturned during a collision March 17 on Highmarket Street.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Breaking News Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

Domino effect Worker fired after siding with Black Lives Matter marchers BY EILEEN N K EITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

An Oct. 1 Black Lives Matter Unity March in Georgetown was marred, organizers said, by an altercation between the owner of a Front Street restaurant and a black restaurant employee who says she was fired on the spot for supporting the marchers. Just after 7 p.m. on Oct. 1, a group of about 40 marchers passed the Seven Hundred Modern Grill and Bar, 916 Front St., chanting requests for peace and unity. Several diners and owner John Cranston came outside. One diner shook the hands of marchers and gave several of them hugs, while Cranston, stood in the doorway before coming out onto the sidewalk, yelling at the marchers, asking them what they were doing and who was killing them. “Who is killing you? Nobody is killing you – I don’t see anyone killing you,” Cranston yelled at the marchers. “Who are you, who are we killing? I don’t see anyone getting killed.” The marchers continued on, and once they reached King Street, the group crossed Front Street and headed back to East Bay Park. After they had passed Groucho’s Deli, 913 Front St., they were approached by a young black woman who identified herself as Kiana Knowlin. Knowlin told the group she had just been fired by CransPHOTOS BY EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS ton for supporting the march. “I can’t believe he fired me for Black Lives Matter supporters march past the Strand Theater on supporting the marchers,” KnowFront Street Oct. 1.

Kiana Knowlin pauses on the way to her car and receives a hug from marcher Kristina Davis.

lin told a Georgetown Times reporter on the scene. “He was makk ing fun of them and laughing at them and I couldn’t believe it. I wanted him to stop and then he started cussing at me and fired me right then and there.” The marchers stopped briefly and huddled around Knowlin, hugging her and encouraging her to stand up for herself, before they proceeded on to the park. “I am so sorry, I am so, so sorry,” march organizer Kristina Davis told Knowlin. “I can’t believe he fired you for supporting us – that’s just wrong.”

See WORKER, Page 14A

2016 News Awards

River rescue

Crew of historic Georgetown boat plucks two boaters out of Santee River

FIRST PLACE Breaking News Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAPT. ANDREW CREW

Three members of the Capt. Andrew crew, from, left, Jody Owens, Trey Jordan and Jake Wall, stand on the boat they salvaged after rescuing two men for the Santee River on Saturday.

BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandews.com

The engines on the Capt. Andrew are so loud, the men working on the 75-foot trawler can barely hear each other speak. But on Saturday morning, while trawling for shrimp in the North Santee River about two miles offf shore, deckhand Trey Jordan of Georgetown heard a call for help — not on the boat but in the water. “Usually I can’t hear the guy talkk ing to me from the other side of the boat,” Jordan said. “Maybe it was the wind.” When Jordan looked toward where the yelling was coming from, he saw a man in the water. That man was Troy Cooper of Murrells Inlet. Cooper and Adam Wiseman were shrimping on Wiseman’s boat and had passed the Capt. Andrew earlier that morning. It was the first time that Cooper, a car salesman and shrimp boat owner, had been out with Wiseman on his boat. The first time the men had retrieved their nets, about 300 pounds of jellyfish came up and were laying with the shrimp in the boat. After throwing the nets out for a second time, Wiseman’s new ice box shifted, sending all the weight to the back of the boat, flipping the vessel. “Before we could even bat an eye, the boat flipped,” said Cooper, who said he barely had time to get out of the way and avoid being crushed by the ice box. Both men ended up in the water, Cooper clinging to the hull of the boat, and Wiseman clinging to the ice box. “The ice box that made us f lip was also the ice box that saved my life,” Wiseman said. “I immediately started thinking about my kids. … And then I started praying.” The jellyfish that had been in the boat ended up in the water with the men, and Wiseman was stung all over his body. The only parts of him spared were under his shorts and shoes. Cooper said his first thought when he went into the water was:

See CREW, Page 7A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Enterprise Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Tom Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dare and Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Enterprise Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Rebecca Rollins The Link

Murder, suicide rock Pageland REBECCA ROLLINS Staff Reporter The news that a Pageland woman died of blunt force trauma followed by her boyfriend’s committing suicide have rocked this small town. Chesterfield County Coroner Kip Kiser made the announcement Monday afternoon in a press conference held at the Pageland Police Department. Pageland Police Chief Craig Greenlee and Chesterfield County Sheriff Jay Brooks concurred with Kiser, saying the results came after extensive work by local law enforcement investigators, as well as the medical examiner and two investigators with the State Law Enforcement Division. Beloved 51-year-old Ternetha Ann Bennett’s sudden disappearance Monday, Aug. 15, startled everyone who knew her. For days, the community remained positive she would be found safe and in good health; however, tragedy continued to unfold all week. On Friday morning a mail carrier who was on Cross-

Jane Pigg/Publisher

Pageland Police Chief Craig Greenlee, along with Sheriff Jay Brooks and Coroner Kip Kiser, address reporters at the joint press conference held at Pageland Police Department on Monday afternoon.

roads Church Road reported a strong smell and buzzards, which led to the discovery of a shallow grave about 60 yards off a dirt road near that area. “We did find and remove a human body. It appeared to be an African-American female, and the clothing is very similar to the description of the victim we have been looking for since Monday

night,” said Brooks after the body was discovered. Investigators felt certain the body was Bennett’s, and an autopsy Saturday morning confirmed those suspicions. Bennett was last seen outside her home on McGregor Street having a dispute with her boyfriend, William Lazar Grant, who reported her missing Tuesday, Aug. 16, according to Greenlee. A joint

search by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Department and the Pageland Police Department began that night. SLED agents were called in the following day. During the search for Bennett, police also began looking for Grant, who, by then, had been named a suspect in her disappearance. “His demeanor and answers led us to follow-up the

Ternetha Ann Bennett

William Lazar Grant

investigation,” said Greenlee. Brooks agreed that Grant was a suspect very early on. “He was the last to see her. He called it in. He said they were at his mother’s house, and when they left, she turned to the right, and he left to the left,” said Brooks. “The Pageland Police Department has videos of him from a convenience store and a car wash that show him changing clothes and hiding them, washing his car and cleaning his shoes.” Then the news came Saturday morning that the body of a black male was found in the Pee Dee River south of Cheraw around 11 a.m. by a family fishing on the river. The body was caught on a

tree about three miles south of Laney Landing and was difficult to reach. According to Cody Chavis of the Cheraw Rescue Squad, which was the agency that worked with the sheriff’s department to retrieve the body, the effort took hours. At the time of discovery, the CCSD was “almost sure” the body belonged to Grant and had even notified his family. According to Brooks, a witness reported seeing Grant at Laney Landing early Thursday morning before daylight. Brooks said the man’s clothing and hair were consistent with Grant’s deSee Pageland, 3A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Enterprise Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Rebecca Rollins The Link

Pageland police chief returns to office amid questions, walkouts REBECCA ROLLINS Staff Reporter When someone is being investigated in a small town, the scrutiny ripples throughout the entire community. Since October 2015, Pageland residents have had questions and concerns pertaining to the ongoing investigation into Police Chief Larry Brown, many of which are still unanswered. On March 1, Pageland Town Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting. The hot topic of the evening was an executive session that was the first order of business on the agenda. Around 6:30 that night, council went behind closed doors to discuss “personnel matters” and continued deliberating until the members returned to public

session around 8 p.m. Following the return to open session, council voted unanimously to reinstate Larry Brown to active status as Pageland’s police chief, effective Monday, March 7. “Chief Brown will be restored to active status as the town’s chief of police. The Chief was placed on leave of absence October 30, 2015, pending a (State Law Enforcement Division) investigation. SLED recently completed an investigation, and the Fourth Circuit Solicitor informed us that SLED concluded that there were no criminal wrongdoings. The chief requested to be restored to active duty in light of SLED’s determination and town council voted to grant his request,” said Mayor Jason Evans.

The SLED investigation has been the topic of wonder, debate and anger. Many residents have expressed concerns throughout the past handful of council meetings over the lack of transparency concerning the details of what’s actually being investigated. There are also conflicting reports as to whether the investigation is complete. According to statements provided to The Link by Fourth Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers and SLED spokesperson Thom Berry, the investigation remains active. “The case is still open at this time,” stated Berry. No Dianne Driggers/Staff Photographer further details have been rePageland Town Council announces Pageland Police Chief Larry Brown’s return to office. leased. Questions were raised about why council decided to considered open. Pageland note from the Fourth Circuit not warrant criminal prosecureinstate Brown to active Town Administrator Cecil Solicitor’s Office stating, “In duty when the case is still Kimrey said he received a my opinion, your case does See Pageland, 3A

2016 News Awards

A tragic ending

THIRD PLACE Enterprise Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

JOHN RAOUX/A / P

Andrea Drayton looks over family photos Wednesday that show her daughter, Deonka Drayton, a Georgetown native killed in the recent mass shootings at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. Drayton, her husband, Shepherd, son Shepherd III, and daughter Alexia, piled in the family car and began an excruciating early morning journey from South Carolina to Orlando, where a gunman had opened fire at a gay nightclub, killing 49 and wounding scores of others before being killed by police.

Killed in Orlando massacre, Georgetown g native Deonka Drayton remembered as sweet and loving BY EILEEN N K EITHLY Georgetown Times JASON DEAREN Associated Press & ILIANA LIMÓN ROMERO Orlando Sentinel As the world learned more about the horrific Orlando June 12 shooting that left 49 people dead and more than 50 injured in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, the stories of the victims slowly began to

emerge. One of the shooting victims was 32-yearold Deonka Drayton, a Georgetown native who led a sometimes troubled life but who was also, as the Orlando Sentinel headlined a story about her, in the “midst of a personal renaissance.” In recent years, the Georgetown Times learned, she had connected with a host of half-siblings. She had also found love with Emily Addison, and the two were raising a son, Diyari, in Orlando.

The picture that emerged from Deonka’s extended family was of a determined, confident woman whose life was tragically cut short. Deonka, who family and friends often called “Dee Dee,” had minor brushes with the law in her past, but family members told the Sentinel that she had moved on from those issues. She spent her senior year at Carolina Forest High School and Deonka Deidra

See GEORGETOWN, Page 2A Drayton

Volunteer firefighting rolls shrink $1M grant to target ‘astounding’ problem

2016 News Awards

Gregory A. Summers

SECOND PLACE Enterprise Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

gsummers@thelancasternews.com

From left, Lancaster Career Center basic firefighter students Kohl Whitfield, Thomas Mackey, John Roberts, Cory Wooden, Jacob Annon, Alex Ward, Dakota Barton, Reily Benfield and instructor Britt Blackmon head to the car-fire prop at the S.C. Fire Academy on evaluation day (Dec. 11, 2015).

Outfitted, trained, ready for work LHS class produces certified firefighters Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Greg Summers The Lancaster News

An orange fireball engulfed a car just a few feet in front of Trevor Jenkins. He could feel the heat on his face, already dripping sweat from exertion. A 30-pound air pack was strapped to his back, and he wore 45 pounds of protective insulated firefighter turnout gear. Jenkins jerked back the nozzle lever on the 1.75-inch fire hose he was holding against his right side. He braced his feet as the hose pushed back hard against him. Brent Caldwell stood just behind Jenkins, holding the hose in tandem. They leaned forward together as an explosive burst of water – 125 gallons per minute – hit the flames. In a couple of minutes, the propane-induced fire was reduced to wispy, white smoke and steam. Not bad for high school juniors. This is what hands-on firefighter training looks like at the Lancaster High School Career Center. Now in its sixth year, the program is a partnership between the Lancaster County School District and the Lancaster County Fire Rescue. The class is drawing attention from other S.C. fire rescue agencies for its curriculum, which officials say teaches students basic firefighting better than any other high school program in the state. Instructor Britt Blackmon said officials from Cherokee, Fairfield, Horry, Lexington and Spartanburg counties have been

here this year to watch and learn from students. While several other counties and high schools offer similar training, what sets the LHS basic firefighting class apart is the rigor with which it is taught, said Lancaster County Fire Marshal Stephen Blackwelder. When students complete the course, they are recognized by the S.C. Fire Academy in Columbia as certified firefighters. Each semester, students in the class receive a little more than 113 hours of firefighter training. They can also earn four high school units in the process and sometimes, college credit. “You gotta want to be in this class,” said Blackmon, who is the assistant training officer for Lancaster County Fire Rescue. “We are trying to develop firefighters, not fill desks.” See CLASS I Page 2A

photos by CHRIS MADDEN For The Lancaster News

Indian Land High School junior Reily Benfield and Andrew Jackson junior Jacob Annan prepare for a teamwork ladder drill.

Lancaster County had 600 volunteer firefighters three decades ago. Today, the number is less than half that. In the past four years, 184 volunteers have left, and just 147 new ones have joined. If that trend continues, there’s big trouble ahead for taxpayers, worries Darren Player, director of Lancaster County Emergency Management and Fire Rescue. “We’re hanging in there,” Player said, “but it’s astounding when you look at the numbers.” Lancaster County Fire Rescue is stepping up its efforts to recruit, train and retain volunteer firefighters, using a $1 million-plus grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Unlike most federal grants, this one didn’t require local matching. Called a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, the four-year program is designed to attract new firefighters and hang on to the ones who are already volunteering. Player said it’s a nationwide problem for communities like Lancaster where volunteers are the backbone of the fire service. He said the decrease in firefighters is a sign of the times. “It’s a generational mindset,” Player said. “The family unit has changed and is a lot busier now than it used to be. A lot of those with families who want to serve just don’t have the time. “Firefighting is so specialized in the training, and you have to have that training within the first year or two. That’s a considerable time investment.” Many who would volunteer now work outside the county and have long daily commutes. “That doesn’t leave them much time for anything else,” Player said. Lancaster County provides fire protection with a dual service that includes the full-time, paid staff at the Lancaster Fire Department and Lancaster County Fire Rescue Station 21, as well as volunteer firefighters and emergency first responders from 18 volunteer departments across the county. The paid personnel respond to all fires during daylight hours, when most of the volunteers are working. See ROLLS I Page 3A

Rough seas 2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Enterprise Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

PROVIDED

The Stormy Seas had finished its first shrimping pass of the day when Bert Jordan spotted a capsized boat on the horizon.

Half a century apart to the day, sea rescues come to define heroic efforts of Jordan family BY EILEEN N K EITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

eing in the right place at the right time might be a coincidence for some, but for a Georgetown family of fishermen, it seems to be their fate. On May 18, 1966, Hubert Jordan Sr. and fellow fisherman Ronnie Campbell pulled a downed pilot to safety on their fishing boat in the Sampit River. And exactly 50 years later to the day – May 18, 2016, Jordan Sr.’s son, Capt. Hubert “Stormy” Jordan, and grandson, Hubert “Bert” Jordan III, helped rescue four boaters after their small craft had capsized. What Stormy Jordan and Bert Jordan didn’t realize, as they set their shrimp boat, the aptly named Stormy Seas, on a rescue intercept course was just how significant the day’s date would be. “When you are in the middle of something like that,” Bert Jordan said, “you don’t think about anything but getting the task at hand done.”

Bert Jordan said he could hardly believe his eyes. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “When I looked through the binoculars, I saw what appeared to be several people in the water, hanging on to the side of an overturned boat, waving their shirts at our shrimp boat.” The wind, he recalled, was blowing out of the northeast and the “tide was falling very hard.” “We knew we had to get to them quickly,” Bert Jordan said. When his son spotted the distressed boaters, Stormy Jordan was at the helm – much like his father was the day in 1966 when pilot Harry Weinburg crashed As a baby, Bert Jordan loved sitting on his grandfather Hubert his amphibious plane into the waters of the Georgetown HarJordan Sr.’s lap. bor on the Sampit River. Rough seas “We had just finished our first A plunge into the seas of May 18, 2016 run of the day, and we were geton May 18, 1966 Aboard his shrimp boat, Capt. ting everything situated to start Stormy Jordan and his crew our second run,” Bert Jordan The rescue 50 years ago was were focused on the day’s catch said. “I was on the stern of the detailed in the Georgetown when Bert Jordan spotted what boat and I saw something out Times on May 19, 1966, under turned out to be a capsized of the corner of my eye, and I the headline, “Seaplane Crashes 18-foot Key West boat founder- wasn’t sure what it was – so I In Sampit River.” ing on the horizon, outside the grabbed the binoculars and took “A recently renovated Repub“ south mound of the southern a closer look.” end of the Winyah Bay jetties. As the scene came into focus, See SEA, Page 6A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Associate & Individual Member Division

Matthew Clark, Bill Poovey & Teresa Cutlip GSA Business Report

Upstate tech schools address budget issues byy Matthew Clark, Teresa Cutlip

and Bill Poovey

gsanews@scbiznews.com

our Upstate technical colleges will begin the new fiscal year with state appropriations creeping back to prerecession levels. GSA Business Report reached out to all four Upstate technical colleges — Greenville Technical College, Piedmont Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and Tri-County Technical College — to get a snapshot of their fiscal 2017 budgets.

We looked at proposed figures for the new fiscal year and compared those with the actual budget figures from fiscal 2016. All four schools had varied increases and decreases in different locations of their budget, and each had different ways to address any potential budget issues.

Greenville Technical College Greenville Technical College had an annual budget of just over $84 million for fiscal 2016. According to proposed budget targets provided by the college, the fiscal 2017 budget will see a slight overall increase of just over

$417,000. In fiscal 2016, the college’s largest expense was in instruction, where it budgeted $39.1 million. Operations and maintenance and administrative costs were just more than $9 million each, while auxiliary services and academic support had budgeted just over $6 million each in expenditures. The proposed instructional expenditures for fiscal 2017 are $39.7 million, while operations and maintenance and administrative costs were projected to be very close to 2016 see TECH SCHOOLS, page 6

Bull Street project contributes to city’s goal of improving livability By Chuck Crumbo ccrumbo@scbiznews.com

T 2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Associate & Individual Member Division

Chuck Crumbo and Melinda Waldrop Columbia Regional Business Report

o Mayor Steve Benjamin, the Commons at BullStreet development is more than just offices, apartments, shops, restaurants and a baseball park. It’s about the city’s ability to attract talent and new companies by leveraging its strength as a livable community. “We’ll see in the next few years where livability will take us off the map,” Benjamin said. “It will be exciting. We’re going to continue to use that for a very good, honest tool for driving development here.” Livability already is one of Columbia’s strengths, according to EngenuitySC’s recent Regional Competitiveness Report. Columbia ranked No. 5 among 10 peer communities for livability, due in part to its cost of living, which is below the national average, as well as the growth in arts, entertainment and recreation. “If we are able to retain talent, then we are able to attract more of the industry that we want,” Benjamin said. “And if we are able to attract more industry, then we get a chance to reinvest. It’s the way capital is so supposed to work.” Making a community more livable is a goal of the project, said master developer Bob Hughes of Hughes Development Corp. “In a way that’s what our business is – to try and create places that are really livable,” Hughes said. “We’re a success if you do that and we’re not if you don’t. ... Our goal is to be a magnet for Columbia. And if we are that magnet we’ll get a little bit more of that talent than everybody else will.”

Hughes is a Greenville developer who has been a major participant in the revival of that Upstate city’s downtown. He spearheaded projects such as the mixeduse River Place development, which sits above the Reedy River, and the Next Innovation Center, a business incubator including 24 condos. The Commons at BullStreet, an urban mixed-use community that’s rising from the former state hospital grounds, has been more a decade in the making. In May 2005, the S.C. Department of Mental Health announced that it was selling the 185-acre tract, bordered roughly by Calhoun, Bull and Harden streets and Colonial Drive. Hughes put a contract on 165 acres of the property in 2010 and it took another four years to get the city to greenlight his plans. Groundbreaking for the $37 million Spirit Communications Park – Bull Street’s centerpiece – took place in January 2015. The 8,000-seat stadium is where Columbia’s new minor league baseball team – the Fireflies – will play their inaugural home opener on Thursday. Construction of the four-story, 85,000-square-foot First Base Building got underway next and the first tenants – the Ogletree Deakins law firm – plan to move into their new offices later this month. Presently underway is the restoration of three historic buildings – the Parker Annex, the Bakery, and Ensor Building – and construction of a 20-acre public park. Also, plans have been submitted for a student housing complex between Gregg and Barnwell streets at Calhoun Street by Atlanta developer Haven Campus ComSee BULL STREET, Page 29

Bull Street Project by the Numbers • 125,000+ square feet of office/ retail space under construction right now • 8 historic buildings to be saved (only 5 required originally; 60% increase) • 54% of all the 165 acres to be developed is under development, sold, or under contract (89 acres) • 1 million bits per second internet speed (1st urban gigabit community in South Carolina) • 20-plus acres of public park currently under construction Source: Hughes Development Corp.

Commons at BullStreet • 414,000 square feet of retail space • 275 market rate apartment units 3-4 stories above the retail • 50,000-75,000 square feet of creative office space over retail • 150-room, 5-story boutique hotel • 85 total storefronts on current plan • 15 or more cafes/restaurants • 3 parking garages • 3 pocket parks • 2 historic buildings incorporated Source: Lennar Commercial

2016 News Awards Manfred Erlacher, president of BMW Manufacturing Co., examines work being done on the production floor of the company’s plant located in Spartanburg County. (Photo/Provided)

FIRST PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Associate & Individual Member Division

Matthew Clark, Bill Poovey and Teresa Cutlip GSA Business Report

Erlacher: ‘It has all worked out for us’ byy Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

n the early 1990s, the BMW Group was looking for a place to expand. It had recently found success in South Africa with its Rosslyn plant as well as its facilities in Dingolfing (Germany), Steyr (Austria), Regensburg (Germany) and Eisenach (Germany), and it was looking for additional expansion capability. Enter South Carolina. On Sept. 8, 1994, the BMW Group started production at its first North American production facility, located in the Upstate of South Carolina. It has now grown into the largest auto manufacturing facility in the BMW Group chain, recently closing on $9.8 billion in exports in 2015. BMW Manufacturing Co. President Manfred Erlacher said, in an interview with GSA Business Report, that even though there were only “about 60,000” BMWs sold in North America, the company recognized “a lot of possibilities” with the location of a plant in Spartanburg County. “There was a highly-skilled workforce around and we recognized there is a really pro-business attitude in South Carolina,” Erlacher said. “The infrastructure with the highways and the port and Charlotte gave us really good possibilities to expand in the future.” Fast-forward more than 20 years later and the BMW Group is in the midst of completing a $1 billion expansion to the Upstate facility that will further increase vehicle production from its current 400,000 vehicles per year to approximately 450,000. Erlacher said construction is

expected to be complete in 2017 and the facility will be ready to welcome the new X7 model to add to the X series lineup exclusively produced in South Carolina. “I think no one dreamed that it would be possible,” Erlacher said. “We recognize that we are still growing and we will increase our employment by an additional 800 jobs by the end of this year.” Erlacher has been with the BMW Group for more than 30 years. He was appointed BMW Manufacturing Co. president in November 2013. He succeeded Josef Kerscher, who returned to Germany to head operations at the group’s Dingolff ing plant in Bavaria. Prior to joining BMW Manufacturing, Erlacher was head of the group’s Leipzig, Germany plant and led the plant through expansion to produce the BMW i3 and i8. Over his career at BMW, Erlacher also led assembly and body shop operations at the Munich plant before being named the managing director of the plant. In the two full years since being named head of BMW Manufacturing Co., the facility has begun production of the second generation X6 coupe, underwent the $1 billion expansion – the fifth expansion of the plant since its opening, announced the future production of the X7 and has generated more than $16 billion in annual economic impact to the state. On top of all of that, Gov. Nikki Haley told a group of auto suppliers at the recent S.C. Auto Summit that it was BMW that helped attract other companies such as Daimler and Volvo to the state. Erlacher said the company believes it is all about being a good resident. see ERLACHER, R page 24

2016 News Awards

Doctor: Fetal alcohol damage â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;entirely preventableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

THIRD PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Laura J. McKenzie The People-Sentinel

Laura j. Mckenzie Publisher laura.mckenzie@morris.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a little glass of wine,â&#x20AC;? a pregnant woman says to herself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt.â&#x20AC;? But it does. In the delivery room she learns that her baby has a smaller head circumference than normal and its face is a little disfigured. Her child is brain damaged from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sad part about it is that it is entirely preventable,â&#x20AC;? said Barnwell pediatrician Dr. Abe Moskow recently. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alcohol rocks the brain of a fetus. If you combine all the other street drugs together, they are not as bad as alcohol,â&#x20AC;? he said. When asked how much alcohol is dangerous to a fetus, Dr. Moskow has advice for a woman who is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sniffing the bottle is about as close as you should get to it.â&#x20AC;? It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if it is wine, beer or liquor, said Moskow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all dangerous.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not a burden of males,â&#x20AC;? said Moskow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

all on women.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Current science does not yet show that the fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drinking prior to conception can cause a FASD,â&#x20AC;? he said. He said some women donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize they are pregnant when they are drinking, but the impact is the same. He explained that FASD is different from other disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He said conditions related to ADHD can be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fixedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with medications while FASD cannot. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The brain is irreparably damaged,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can never ever be repaired. No medicine can fix it.â&#x20AC;? Moskow said he sees children with FASD â&#x20AC;&#x153;every dayâ&#x20AC;? in his practice, something he says he finds frustrating knowing that it is preventable. According to statistics provided by the FASD Center, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the prevalence of the full spectrum of FASD in the general population is estimated at 9.1 per 1,000 live birthsâ&#x20AC;? but suggests the rate could be higher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;FASD is the leading cause of developmental disabilities in the U.S.,â&#x20AC;? according to MOFAS.org (Minne-

sota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Sometimes the syndrome is not accurately diagnosed until later in a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, making it harder for families to understand and deal with the challenges. Children with FASD have a huge list of behavioral challenges, some of which can be misinterpreted with other problems. They can be easily distracted, often do not follow through on instructions, often interrupt or intrudes, have no impulse controls, have learning lags, have speech and language problems, and often lose their temper. Given a list of 39 behavioral characteristics exhibited by children comparing FASD with ADD/ADHD, autism, bi-polar, depression, trauma and poverty-related mental health problems, only FASD exhibited all 39 issues. Children with the other disorders displayed less than half of the characteristics. The developmental age of a child with FASD can be roughly â&#x20AC;&#x153;in halfâ&#x20AC;? of their actual age. At age 18, the child may have the expressiveness of a 20-year-old but only the comprehension capabilities of a 6-year-

old, the social skills of a 7-year-old, the living skills of an 11-year-old and the money/time concept of an 8-year-old. The cost of raising a child with FASD is staggering. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Researchers have found that, for a child with identified FASD, incurred health costs are nine times higher than for children without a FASD.â&#x20AC;? Over their lifetime, the cost of caring for that person is estimated to be $2 million,â&#x20AC;? according to the FASD Center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parents of children with an FASD face unique challenges,â&#x20AC;? states the FASD Center â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s documents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A child with an FASD may get into trouble or act out, they may need to be told many times, and they may do things without understanding the consequences. When they get older, they may not be able to live alone. However, studies have shown that early diagnosis and a stable, positive environment can improve the outlook for people with a FASD.â&#x20AC;? They are also at an increased risk of having problems with the law. They will make fake confessions and may find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong,

PREGNANCY AND ALCOHOL DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MIX.

What we know: " # ! ! " ! ! " ! ! #

What can happen: " ! !

What you can do: " ! ! "

Graphic courtesy: U.S. Centers for Disease Control

according to MOFAS. For the mother and family members, knowing that FASD is preventable often carries with it guilt and shame. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No mother wants this for her child,â&#x20AC;? said Moskow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartbreaking.â&#x20AC;? Not all is horrible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These kids are precious,â&#x20AC;? according to MOFAS. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They can be

really frustrating, really often, but they are typically really fun kids who just want love and acceptance.â&#x20AC;? But they are children whose whole lives have been changed by at least one drink of alcohol. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take that drink,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Moskow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not worth it.â&#x20AC;?

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Samantha Lyles and Jana E. Pye News and Press

Crews are working around the county to restore power and services By Jana E. Pye and Samantha Lyles Editor, Staff Writer editor@newsandpress.net slyles@newsandpress.net

[Editor’s Note: Many thanks to the City of Hartsville Fire Department for hosting the News & Press on Monday. With no power in most of Darlington County, including our office, Hartsville city manager Natalie Zeigler graciously offered the fire department location for us to complete our layout for this issue. Special thank you to Fire Chief Jeff Burr and the entire staff for allowing us to borrow your generator to complete our work. We appreciate you all! – Jana E. Pye] As soon as Hurricane Matthew’s fierce winds subsided, work crews all over Darlington County fanned out to assess the damages and being the daunting cleanup process. The Darlington County Emergency Operations Center activated Thursday, October 6 at 7 a.m. to prepare for Hurricane Matthew. All county first responders coordinate

through EOC during times of emergency. “There is still a lot of danger,” said Sheriff Wayne Byrd. “Power is still off in the majority of areas. Avoid the dangers stay off the roads.” Darlington “Our crews responded as soon as the storm was over Saturday afternoon, “ said Howard Garland, Darlington city manager. “Our fire department crews were out cutting up downed trees immediately …we probably cleared ten streets of trees on Sunday. We have at least eight houses with trees on them, but there may be more.” Fire Cheif Pat Cavanaugh said his department estimates over 80 service calls, and over 100 counting trees that fell from city right-of ways. DFD personell worked 36 - 48 hour shifts, sleeping at the station between calls. He shared that if residents requiring breathing therapy may bring their medical equipment to the station to use their generator to take their treatment. Ice is available for patients who need to chill their insulin. Emergency oxygen canisters are available by calling: 843-655-7047. Fire department crews are currently surveying residences, businesses, and city buildings

for FEMA damage assessment. Chief Danny Watson and the police department are working 12 to 16 hour shifts, regularly checking on businesses and the elderly. “We are going door to door, and will continue to do so until we have power.” said Watson. Police were called to investigate a few “smash and grab” thefts with windows broken and property stolen – crimes of opportunity during the blackout nights. Garland says the street department and the water and sewer crews are working hard as well, though their efforts are complicated by the widespread power outages. “Three of our four water wells went down and we were using county water for most of the weekend,” says Garland, noting that Duke Energy is working to restore power to the well units. Street and fire crews are busily removing downed trees, but some cannot be touched because they have fallen across power lines. Garland says that until Duke Energy crews secure those lines, those trees cannot be cut down. As of Sunday afternoon, Duke Energy estimated they had over 18,000 Darlington County customers without power. Garland said that Duke crews are working with city

personnel to get the trees removed, secure the lines, and get the power on as soon as possible. Hartsville Hartsville sustained major damage with multiple large trees down, blocking roadways and taking power lines down with them. Natalie Zeigler, city manager, worked with other city employees in four teams to canvas the city to assess storm damage to complete FEMA forms on Monday, Oct. 10. “We have cleared all streets that we can at this time,” said Zeigler when she returned to the fire department. “As of now, there are 14 trees that we cannot access until the Duke Energy crews secure the lines.” As of Monday, tree clearing continues throughout the city. Most traffic lights are still inoperable, and city police department is reminding residents to heed state laws by treating each intersection like a four way stop. Large portions of the city remain powerless. Power has been restored at some parts of West Carolina near BiLo and parts of Fourth Street around and including Walmart. MATTHEW ON 6A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Lindsay Street The Berkeley Independent

Animal abuse case continues

Two of more than 30 dead animals once returned in 2014 BY LINDSAY STREET lstreet@berkeleyind.com

A pony and dog found dead at a Moncks Corner property this summer were initially seized but then released back to the owners in 2014, according to county animal control documents released to the Independent through a Freedom of Information Act request. The animals were among 30-plus that were found dead at a Honeybee Road address. Courtney Lynn Heatley, 22, of Moncks Corner was given 12 citations by animal control. In July, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office arrested Courtney Heatley and her husband Philip Daniel Heatley, 23, of Moncks Corner and charged them with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child, a felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, and 24 counts of ill treatment of animals, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and up to two years imprisonment. Five days before a scheduled magistrate court date concerning animal neglect in 2014, Courtney Heatley reclaimed two of the animals seized from that same property from Doc Williams SPCA. She would later be found guilty of “ill treatment of animals, torture horse tangled up,” according to public records.

2016 News Awards

Horry County police overhaul policies for investigating cases BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

THIRD PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles D. Perry and Tom O’Dare Carolina Forest Chronicle

Horry County police on Monday announced sweeping changes in the way its detectives investigate and manage cases. The overhaul comes amid a State Law Enforcement Division investigation into the agency’s handling of sexual assault complaints and four civil lawsuits filed by victims who allege the agency mistreated them. “We’ve had some unfortunate incidents that have aired and brought to light problems of this type, problems with our case management practices,” HCPD Lt. Raul Denis said. “We want to be open with the public. We want to be transparent when we can be. I think it’s a step in the right direction.” Some of the lawsuits accuse the police department of failing to properly supervise employees, including former detective Allen Large, who has Lt. Raul Denis been accused of sexual HCPD assault by some female crime victims. Solicitor Jimmy Richardson has confirmed Large is one of the former detectives being investigated by SLED, as is former detective Daryl Williams, who resigned from the department amid accusations that he failed to investigate dozens of cases that were assigned to him, including sexual crimes against children. The lawsuits also criticize the agency for lacking policies and procedures for evaluating police officers. The police department explained its response to the problems at Horry County Council’s public safety committee on Monday. HCPD Capt. Jason Freer said the criminal investigative division had updated its policies for managing cases, adding safeguards to prevent abuse and promote accountability. He said the department worked with the county’s information technology division to develop new software

“We’ve had some unfortunate incidents that have aired and brought to light problems of this type, problems with our case management practices.”

POLICE REFORM, A2

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

John Marks Lake Wylie Pilot

2016 News Awards

More than 70,000 Greenvillians caught in health care gap

Why are so many people uninsured in Greenville?

Part 1 of 2

FIRST PLACE Reporting-in-Depth Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Six years after ACA, thousands still can’t afford care or insurance, as local leaders seek solutions MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com HIGHLIGHTS • Six years after ACA, many Greenville adults cannot afford medical care or health insurance, visiting ERs instead of seeing doctors • 350,000 uninsured in S.C., 73,359 in Greenville County • Many don’t qualify for subsidies, Medicaid or Medicare • Medicaid expansion, waivers are options

Caught in the gap In Greenville County, at least 25,000 people, or one-third of the uninsured, fall into the health care coverage “gap.” These Greenville residents are too poor to receive subsidies for insurance on the ACA’s Federal Health Insurance Marketplace; they don’t qualify for Medicaid and are too young for Medicare, said Rozalynn Goodwin, SCHA vice president

ALAN FRANCIS/GHS

Melinda Young Greenville Journal

The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) promised to provide health insurance to everyone at a price they could pay. But nearly six years after it became law, many Greenville County and South Carolina adults are left behind – they cannot afford medical care or health insurance, so they often put off seeing doctors until they are rushed to the emergency room. An estimated 350,000 residents are uninsured in South Carolina, including 73,359 in Greenville County, according to data from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) and the Greenville Health System’s 2013 community health survey. “If you’re a childless adult and below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, then you’re not eligible for any kind of health care subsidy,” said Allan Stalvey, SCHA spokesman.

Ponja Beck of Greenville receives oxygen and takes many medications to maintain stable health.

for community engagement. The nonproﬁt Greenville Free Medical Clinic uses volunteer physicians and donated medication to provide primary care for about 4,000 low-income, uninsured people each year at its four locations in Greenville County, said Suzie Foley, executive director. When untreated, this population often ends up hospitalized with high medical bills that they cannot pay without help, Foley said.

One person’s story Fifty-year-old Ponja Beck was one of the left behind. When the college graduate was downsized in 2008 from a managerial job, she also lost health insurance.

Beck had been receiving expensive, specialized medical care, but without employer-sponsored insurance she stopped seeing her specialists. Then, her health problems exacerbated and landed her in the hospital multiple times. She racked up medical bills she could not aﬀord to pay. Chronic illnesses that she had kept in check when she was working worsened. “I received my unemployment [checks] during the recession, and I was still applying for jobs, thinking I could work,” Beck said. “But my health started to deteriorate even more.” By 2010, Beck had to face facts: Her rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypertension and ﬁbromyalgia were out of

With close to half a million residents, Greenville County is home to South Carolina’s largest population of people, which is one reason why the county also has the greatest number of people without health insurance. Greenvillians who are uninsured include adults who live in childless households, young people who choose not to buy insurance, those who work part-time or are self-employed without health care coverage, undocumented workers, and people whose income is too low to afford insurance and who do not qualify for subsidies, said Suzie Foley, executive director of the Greenville Free Medical Clinic. But those are just the general characteristics of uninsured adults. In Greenville County, Foley said she saw a dramatic impact on health coverage as the area transitioned away from textile manufacturing. “As fewer people worked in a mill setting where they had access to a full-time job with insurance and benefits, the workplace model shifted,” Foley said. “People were retrained and had new employment, but those jobs didn’t necessarily provide benefits because they were in smallbusiness settings or involved contract or part-time labor.” As a result, many former mill workers ended up without medical insurance and didn’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, she said. Greenville Free Medical Clinic saw its own patient census rise dramatically, about 40 percent, after the 2008 recession began – while at the same time the clinic’s charity support dropped 20 percent, Foley said. “That has stabilized over the last year or two,” she said. There are multiple other reasons the county has so many uninsured residents, said Jennifer Z. Snow, director of Accountable Communities at the Greenville Health System. “Even with the Affordable Care Act federal exchange product, insurance is fairly expensive, and some individuals don’t qualify for the tax credit,” Snow said. “Had we expanded Medicaid, some of these individuals below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) could have qualified for that program.”

THIRD PLACE Reporting-in-Depth 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Cody Sossamon The Gaffney Ledger

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

By CODY SOSSAMON Publisher

“AS FAR as medical marijuana, I’m sure there are people that marijuana might help relieve their pain, however, my 44 years of law enforcement experience tells me otherwise. I have never met a drug addict who didn’t start their drug use with marijuana. They usually graduated to something much more lethal. I even have a family experience that followed that pattern, ending in an overdose and death. I am categorically opposed to marijuana use. It, in the vast majority of cases, ends in some tragedy. Smoking marijuana is only one part of the story. There are many impaired driving situations involving marijuana and other accidents directly linked to marijuana usage.” — Sheriff (ret) Jim Pendergraph Mecklenburg County, N.C.

Opinions on the legalization of cannabis (marijuana) are as cut and dried as they come: You are either for it or you are against it. When you add the phrase “for medical use,” opposition diminishes, but hardly disappears. One needs only to follow (SC) Senate Bill 672, authored by Sen. Tom Davis and Sen. Brad Hutto, to see the huge divide on the subject. If passed, it would allow qualified patients and doctors to possess limited amounts of marijuana and would create an extensive tracking system. It would also make the state’s health agency responsible for licensing marijuana growers, processors and dispensaries. The bill passed unanimously in subcommittee and now goes to the full Senate Medical Affairs committee, chaired by Sen. Harvey Peeler. The subcommittee held public hearings around the state for the past 18 months. They will report to the Senate Medical Affairs Committee on Thursday, April 7. The committee meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. in Room 308 of the Gressette Building in Columbia. The meeting is open to the public. “I will listen to the subcommittee report, but I tend to be on the side of law enforcement. Both Sheriff Steve Mueller and Chief Mark Keel from SLED testified against the legalization of marijuana — medical use or recreational use — at the subcommittee hearing. Unless the federal government reclassifies marijuana, it is still illegal in every state,” Peeler told The Ledger. Marijuana use is illegal under federal law, but some form of use for medical purposes is now legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Recreational use of pot is legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. The governor of Pennsylvania is expected to sign into law a medical marijuana bill passed by legislators there March 16. South Carolina’s ‘Julian’s Law,’ approved last year, allows people suffering from severe epilepsy to use a non-psychoactive oil, referred to as CBD oil, derived from marijuana to control their seizures.

“IF IT is deemed medically necessary to alleviate pain and suffering, I don’t have a problem with it as long as it is prescribed by a doctor. I just don’t want us to become a Colorado or Washington where anyone can buy it over the counter. There are two bills in the House Judiciary Committee and I was cosponsor of a previous bill.” — Dennis Moss S.C. House of Representatives “I DON’T know if some substance from the marijuana plant will help my son. We have been down so many dead-end trails that we long ago stopped expecting a miracle. This, too, may prove to be a false promise. But even if there is only a slight chance that some chemical from the pot plant can help his suffering, and the suffering of thousands of others, then our society owes it to them to study the possibilities. How can anyone, especially our state’s top leaders, slam the door on medical research?” — Mike Buffington Co-Publisher Mainstreet Newspapers - Jefferson, Ga. “IN THE last week of July 2003, Medscape — WebMD’s web site for medical professionals — asked its members what they thought about medical marijuana. It wasn’t a scientific poll, although a member’s vote is counted only once. Still, the results were surprising. There was a huge response. Three out of four doctors — and nine out of 10 nurses — said they favored decriminalization of marijuana for medical uses.” — Daniel DeNoon WebMD Senior Writer “I THINK SLED and law enforcement are opposed to any legalization, but I think the issue is one where we need to review our options. If adequate enough safeguards are in place, we can at least explore it as an end-oflife option and in combination with other treatments for cancer relief. We already prescribe opiates and other narcotics. There are still a lot of unanswered questions on my part regarding control and safeguards.” — Steve Moss S.C. House of Representatives

m/halfpoint

2016 News Awards

Debate continues to rage about pot’s medicinal value

MIKE BUFFINGTON ...See his column on PAGE 4A

COMMUNITY MATTERS

Ezra’s seizures are controlled by CBD oil. He also has dystonia which is extremely painful muscle spasms. He has only been able to find relief from the spasms with the THC oil. This is what severe dystopia looks like. Constant muscle spasms that are so bad they bend him backwards.

WHAT IS CANNABIS? Cannabis sativa, also known as hemp, is a species of the Cannabinaceae family of plants. Cannabis is also known as ganja, grass, hashish, hemp, Indian hemp, marijuana, pot, reefer, weed. Cannabis contains the chemical compound THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), which is believed to be responsible for most of the characteristic psychoactive effects of cannabis. The dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant are known as marijuana, which can be smoked (through a pipe or bong or hand-rolled into a joint) or taken orally with food (baked in cookies).

The resinous secretions of the plant are known as hashish, which can be smoked or eaten. The fiber of the cannabis plant is cultivated as industrial hemp with uses in textile manufacturing. Those against legalization in any form say marijuana use is a gateway drug and is addictive. “Yes it is (a gateway drug), the medical literature documents this and IOM understates it. Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana all have serious primary effects but all serve as gateway drugs,” said Eric Voth, MD, Chairman of the Institute on Global Drug Policy. Others say it is not. See POT, Page 5A

ON THE NET Mike Buffington is Co-Publisher, Mainstreet Newspapers, Inc. Jefferson, GA. His son, Clark Buffington, has been a seizure patient for 15 years. He can reached at: Mike@mainstreetnews.com His website, dadsmedicalpotplant.com, includes sev(c) depositphotos.ckellyphoto eral columns he has published about the situation in Georgia and a powerful video of his son during a seizure. MPP, which was founded in January 1995, is the largest organization in the U.S. that’s focused solely on ending marijuana prohibition. MPP’s mission is to change federal law to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference, as well as to regulate marijuana like alcohol in all 50 states, D.C., and the five territories. https://www.mpp.org/states/south-carolina/ An article published in the Daily Mail (United Kingdom) discusses the potential of marijuana in fighting cancer. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3036667/How-cannabis-help-cancer-patients-Drug-kills-cancer-cells-shrinks-brain-tumours-report-reveals.html. http://theconversation.com/can-medical-marijuana-curb-the-heroin-epidemic-35287

Slayman’s emails give insight into security issue 2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Reporting-in-Depth 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Travis Jenkins and Brian Garner The News & Reporter

BY TRAVIS JENKINS tjenkins@onlinechester.com Former Chester County Schools Superintendent Dr. Agnes Slayman went to great lengths to convince the public and district employees that a plan to drop Chester County Sheriff’s Officeprovided school resource officers for a private security firm would not have a negative impact on school safety. The News & Reporter obtained and reviewed more than 4,000 pages of Slayman’s work emails through a Freedom of Information Act request. The emails cover much of her final six months on the job. Slayman came to the district in 2012. Her tenure included a number of successes, including increased test scores and international recognition for embracing technology. Earlier this year she was one of only a handful of state school superintendents to be invited to the White House for a meeting with President Barack Obama. However, all the outward success masked internal problems, according to the so-called “Bagley Report” which was compiled just prior to her resignation in late September and released publicly in October. The report was based on interviews conducted by Betty Bagley, a 46-year educator who has worked as a superintendent in both

Bamberg and Anderson Counties. The interviews took place from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, when Slayman was on personal leave at the request of the board. It is noted that the people interviewed did so “with the belief that their jobs could be in jeopardy and that there were no personal gains (promotions or money) from sharing their experiences. They responded to direct questions and shared personal accounts of events they personally witnessed involving Slayman. The report detailed how Slayman allegedly created a hostile work environment, would do professional hatchet-jobs on those who sought to leave the district for work elsewhere, often said she’d “kill” or “crucify” people and made racists statements (see related story). Slayman, through an attorney, denied most all of the allegations, but did meet with Bagley and admitted to having said she’d kill someone “on maybe two occasions.” Much of the report dealt with the move away from SROs to private security officers provided by Defender Services. Chester County Sheriff Alex Underwood criticized that move as “reckless” and “stupid,” and said it would endanger the safety of students and that he would consider withdrawing his own child from the district as a result. Defender See SLAYMAN, Page 2-A

Emails allude to issues cited in Bagley Report BY TRAVIS JENKINS tjenkins@onlinechester.com Some of the issues that hastened Dr. Agnes Slayman’s exit from the Chester County School district are alluded to in emails sent and received from her work account, but none conclusively prove the allegations that she fostered a hostile work environment. In late August, not long after the start of the school year, Slayman went on leave without an explanation. It was later revealed that School Board Chair Denise Lawson had requested she do so while an investigation was ongoing. Betty Bagley, a 46-year educator and herself a former superintendent, came to Chester to interview staff members about Slayman’s behavior and manage-

ment style. The resulting report helped lead to Slayman’s resignation (she was paid $300,000 to leave while remaining as a consultant if needed for Interim Superintendent Keith Callicutt). The report was eventually made public and painted an ugly picture. The report deemed Slayman’s behavior as “spiteful, vengeful, mean, cruel, vicious, bullying, insensitive, paranoid, moody, divisive and hostile” and that it had become worse in the last two years of her three-year tenure. The report indicates that Slayman discouraged and frowned on absences, even those related to bereavement or family illness, and reacted coldly to the death of family members of employees. When one employee’s See EMAILS, Page 2-A

Hands-on mayor for 33 years “One of the things that Dad always taught me was it doesn’t cost anything to be nice to people. And I’ve never forgotten that.”

2016 News Awards

– Joe M. “Joey” Shaw Jr.

courtesy of DAVID KELLIN

FIRST PLACE Reporting-in-Depth 2-3 Times Weekly Division

The Lancaster News Staff

Joe Shaw, mayor of Lancaster for 33 years, was sworn in for his ninth term in office in January 2015 and once again took his place at the City Council table.

T.W. Thomas administers the oath of office to Mayor Joe Shaw on Jan. 2, 1979. “He always said it was kind of like graduation and getting out into the real world when he went from city council to mayor. He is, and always was, a servant first,” said his wife, Charlotte Shaw. “You know, I’ve said so many good things about him lately, he’s probably going to hit me with a thunderbolt.”

Brian Melton, The Lancaster News editor

Joe Shaw, the second-longest-serving mayor in S.C. history and winner of the state’s highest civilian honor, wasn’t a complicated man. It was God, family and friends for Shaw, said his wife and high school sweetheart Charlotte Shaw. And he had a whole lot of friends. Shaw died early Nov. 29 at Carolinas Medical Center in Pineville, N.C., after an almost month-long bout of double pneumonia. He was 83. Long regarded as the best politician in this county, Shaw was more focused on the people he represented than the office those people elected him to, said Charlotte Shaw, a retired Lancaster High School biology teacher. “To tell the truth, I think what made him such a good politician is he wasn’t very much of a politician at all,” she said. “He truly loved people and just wanted to make things better if he could. I was even surprised at what he knew about someone’s family. I’d say, ‘Joe, how did you know that?’ And he’d say, ‘I don’t know, I just do.’” Shaw’s political career started in 1977 when he was elected to city council for the first time.

Special election for mayor set for Feb. 23 Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

wice since I moved back to Lancaster this year after four decades away, I’ve marveled to my wife: “That’s why Joe Shaw has been mayor so long.” They were both small things. I ran into Joe on the sidewalk downtown soon after I returned last winter. He welcomed me home with a big smile. I was surprised he recognized me. He asked about each of my brothers. Tell your mom and dad their street is going

Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

See 24/7 I Page 3A

What made Joe Shaw Lancaster's mayor for life?

Pothole patrols, Palmetto award: ‘Shaw was mayor 24/7’

to be repaved this summer, he said. It’ll be a mess, but I know they’ll be glad to get those potholes fixed. A couple of months later, Joe called the house. The pavers will be there in about a month. I’ll let you know when they’re coming. I saw Joe again at my dad’s funeral in May. He and Charlotte were so comforting. A few weeks later, Joe called the house, asked about my mom, then got See MAYOR FOR LIFE I Page 3A

Readers share stories Several readers of The Lancaster News have shared their favorite stories of Joe Shaw on page 2A. The Lancaster News will publish additional recollections in the Friday edition. To be included, please send us your thoughts about Mayor Joe Shaw, your memories of him as a person and as a politician. Email editor@ thelancasternews.com, drop off a letter at our office, 701 N. White St., or mail it to Editor, The Lancaster News, P.O. Box 640, Lancaster, SC 29721.

City of Lancaster voters will head back to the polls about three months from now to elect a mayor to fill the rest of Joe Shaw’s term, which ends in 2018. Lancaster County Elections Director Mary Ann Hudson said the S.C. Election Commission has set Feb. 23, 2016, as the date for the special election for the mayor’s seat on Lancaster City Council. Until that time, city councilman John Howard, mayor pro tem, will assume the responsibilities of the office. The mayor’s race is nonpartisan, which means candidates don’t run with a political party. The filing period runs from noon Dec. 18 to noon Dec. 31. Prospective candidates can file from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays at the county voter registration office in the lower level of the Lancaster County Administration Building, 101 N. Main St. The filing fee is $50. Each candidate must complete a Statement of Economic Interests form online with the S.C. Ethics Commission. To access the online form, visit ethics.sc. gov. Hudson said anyone who wants to vote in the special election must be registered by Jan. 23, 2016. Contact copy editor Greg Summers at (803) 283-1156

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Investigative Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Chris Haire Charleston City Paper

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Investigative Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Eva Moore Free Times

2016 News Awards

Why did the tide turn against LCEDC? CHRISTOPHER SARDELLI csardelli@thelancasternews.com

FIRST PLACE Investigative Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Christopher Sardelli Carolina Gateway

ou inch past a serious wreck on the interstate. Cars and an 18-wheeler sit mangled and steaming. Medics scramble to help the wounded. People are yelling, some are crying. The troubling scene recedes in your rearview mirror as you rev back up to highway speed and wonder what happened. Was it a texting driver? Blown tire? Road rage? You’ll probably never know. The aftermath of the August collision between Lancaster County officials and the Lancaster County Economic Development Corp. has been similarly messy, troubling and hard to understand. After years of conflict, the county last June ordered a forensic audit of the LCEDC, the kind designed to gather information that could be used in court proceedings. LCEDC President Keith Tunnell protested he had done nothing improper, and that county officials were trying to damage his reputation. The tension ratcheted up until August, when county council unexpectedly canceled the audit and yanked almost $300,000 in LCEDC funding, voting to create an in-house economic development department instead. Within weeks, Tunnell lost his job of 13 years. Did anyone suspect serious wrongdoing, or was this just personality conflicts gone awry? It was hard to tell. After a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, The Lancaster News has examined thousands of emails and other documents written by officials of the county, LCEDC and the city of Lancaster. They don’t point toward a single reason or “smoking gun” to explain council’s decision, but they reveal several behind-thescenes conversations at the time that shed light on the process.

– SPECIAL REPORT –

Economic development aftermath Newspaper examines documents from Freedom of Information Act request

Those communications, from July 1 to Sept. 9, are the subject of – PART ONE OF THREE – articles in today’s paper and the next two editions. Among the findings: ◆ A July email exchange between County Administrator Steve Willis, County Council Chairman Bob Bundy and County Attorney John Weaver discussing their concerns about how the LCEDC was using a particular kind of state legislative funding. Willis wrote that any problems could be “potential dynamite that could kill the LCEDC.” ◆ Tunnell and former LCEDC board Chairman Steve Gedney suggested in July emails that county officials weren’t revealing the real reasons for commissioning the To buy these photos, visit www.carolinagatewayonline.com phoforensic audit. Gedney said there tos by REECE MURPHY/reporter was a “deeper motive at work.” ABOVE: cutline. BELOW: cutline ◆ The county’s legislative delegation reacted to the conflict, with Sen. Greg Gregory noting that “constant unnecessary drama isn’t something that can be tolerated in the economic development game.” Asked if any of these events or issues played a key role in the county’s decision, Willis said none was the tipping point. “Could I point to one single event? No, it was just a combination of events,” Willis said Nov. 3. Bundy agreed and said “no one incident” prompted his decisions during the process. “The point is I didn’t see us moving forward. And since we had worked at it and worked at it and worked at it and nothing changed, we needed to change direction. And that’s what we chose,” he said. For Weaver, it was the culmination of many issues combined with a clashing of personalities. “I think there was animosity among the two organizations and personalities within the two organizations, and I think county council as a whole eventually just decided by a majority vote that See LCEDC, Page 2 ATHENA REDMOND/paginator

This monster stack of documents – more than 3,000 sheets in all – was the result of a FOIA request made by reporter Christopher Sardelli and The Lancaster News in September.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Investigative Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Travis Jenkins The News & Reporter

State Senate candidate faces SLED probe Fanning denies allegations of improper relationship with student in early â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s BY TRAVIS JENKINS tjenkins@onlinechester.com Mike Fanning, the Democratic candidate for South Carolina Senate District 17 and executive director of the Old English Consortium, is being investigated by the State Law Enforcement Division,

though his attorney questions the timing and motivation of the report filed against his client. The News & Reporter obtained a copy of an incident report from the Hampton County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office through a Freedom See FANNING, Page 2-A

2016 News Awards

Silt-runoff violations Regulators: Poor drainage at 2 IL building sites may threaten heelsplitter

SECOND PLACE Investigative Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Christopher Sardelli The Lancaster News

At left, silt barriers in place at Six Mile Creek are no match for the sediment runoff at the site. Above, hoses pump water from a runoff pit into the creek.

Christopher Sardelli csardelli@thelancasternews.com

tate and federal officials are investigating possible environmental violations at two large residential construction projects in Indian Land, incidents of uncontrolled sediment runoff into Six Mile Creek that could threaten the endangered Carolina heelsplitter. Officials with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) began investigating the site off Collins Road in late December after receiving complaints from a nearby resident about failing silt fences and sediment runoff flowing and being pumped into nearby Six Mile Creek,

home of the federally protected heelsplitter mussel. Located about a mile off U.S. 521 in the Panhandle, the site is currently undergoing boring, grading and water and sewer work directed by two companies. Those companies are Pulte Homes, which is developing the first phase of the Queensbridge neighborhood with a planned 249 homes, and Indian Land Multifamily Investments, which is developing The Arbors at Towne Center, with an expected 234 apartments. Both companies have contracted some of the preliminary work to third parties. Following site inspections on Jan. 4 and 8, shortly after heavy rainfalls deluged the county, DHEC officials devel-

oped three inspection reports, each labeling the permittees’ compliance with DHEC regulations as “unsatisfactory.” Though DHEC inspectors didn’t see any direct pumping of sediment or runoff into the creek during their site visit, they did notice hoses leading from a boring pit into Six Mile Creek. The reports highlighted numerous issues at the site, including sediment leaving through poorly maintained and improperly installed silt fencing and check dams, as well as improperly installed construction entrances, among other issues. In one of the reports, an official referred the site to DHEC’s enforcement arm due to sediment “entering waters See CREEK I Page 3A

A community in crisis 2016 News Awards

Some Plantersville residents struggle to pay annual sewer assessments, risking their homes and freedom

BY EILEEN N K EITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

FIRST PLACE Investigative Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

It was once dubbed by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control as one of the top five sewage-critical-needs areas in the state. But an ambitious decade-long project to bring sewer service to a portion of the Plantersville community in Georgetown County helped do away with antiquated and failing septic tank systems that were leaking raw sewage onto properties, contaminating the community’s drinking water and posing numerous health hazards to residents. An ongoing investigation by the Georgetown Times has revealed, however, that since completion of the sewer service to the community in 2014, more problems have arisen, including charges of racism and annual assessments that some residents say they never asked for and can’t afford. When those assessments – a $250 annual fee for 20 years – go unpaid, residents have found their property slated for or sold at public auction.

A family’s loss

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

When Lillian Milton arrived at the Georgetown County Treasurer’s Office on Dec. 29, 2015, to pay her property taxes, she discovered her home had been sold during a delinquent tax sale in November for non-payment of sewer assessment fees. EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS This wasn’t the first time a From left, the Rev. Benjamin Grate, George Milton and Vance Dennison discuss how they will pro- county taxpayer faced losing their home for not paying a ceed to take their sewer assessment concerns to the state capitol. sewer-assessment fee — a fee many residents say they can ill afford, never wanted and feel as if their community’s black residents have been discriminated against. “I am retired and disabled, and I have already lost my house Gloria Milonce to the tax sale because of ton reads a this assessment,” Milton said. delinquient “… Somebody needs to step in sewer asand help us before we all lose sessment our homes.” noitce that Milton said a treasurer’s office was placed clerk told her she would be able in her yard to redeem her home despite the by the November sale — if she paid the Georgetown sewer assessment, delinquent County Wafees related to the assessment ter Sewer and redemption fees. It cost her District in $886.83, but she got her home January. back. But now, as the March 17 tax deadline approaches once again,

See COMMUNITY, Page 4A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Series of Articles Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Melissa Oyler Fort Mill Times

SEA TURTLES | Stranded on the shore

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Series of Articles Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Photos by Tanya Ackerman/Coastal Observer

A loggerhead that washed up at North Litchﬁeld in May was released at Huntington Beach State Park.

As one goes home, another arrives

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

BY CHARLES SWENSON COASTAL OBSERVER

One loggerhead is back at sea. Another is recovering at the Sea Turtle Hospital at the S.C. Aquarium from the eﬀects of a shark bite. Along with the cycle of nesting and hatching that runs from May through October is the cycle of stranding, treat-

ment and release. “One in, one out,” said Jeﬀ McClary, co-founder of S.C. United Turtle Enthusiasts, a volunteer monitoring group. He was among the people who watched Saturday morning as a sea turtle that washed ashore in May was released at Huntington Beach State Park. He was on the phone Tuesday with volunteers

after an injured loggerhead was found in Murrells Inlet, less than a mile from where the ﬁrst turtle was released. McClary has lost count of the number of strandings he’s seen this summer, probably about a dozen. Only four were alive. “We get a lot of strandings up here,” he said. “Some SEE “TURTLES,” PAGE 9

2016 News Awards IDLER PULLEY, NOT IDLE HANDS

FIRST PLACE Series of Articles Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Rob Cottingham Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

ROB COTTINGHAM | CHRONICLE

Two juveniles at the Department of Juvenile Justice’s Birchwood facility work on replacing a set of brakes

recently at the campus workshop. Students say they enjoy the class because it allows them to keep their

minds and hands busy while simultaneously doing something constructive.

DJJ automotive class therapeutic for troubled teens BY ROB COTTINGHAM cottinghamrob@yahoo.com

Grandpa always said idle hands are the devil’s workshop. At the Department of Juvenile Justice, staff are working hard to provide plenty for those hands to do. In the far corner of the Broad River Road complex, there’s a small workshop ﬁlled with the chimes and bangs of wrenches, elbow grease and a few expletives here and there. Despite what noises and words might be overheard, everyone in the shop is happy to be there. Robert White has been running the automotive repair class at DJJ for about ﬁve years, though he never intended to stay this long, he said.

“I came for one year, but the program started doing well, so I stayed,” he said. “It started with a welding class that my buddy, Eddie Jackson, started up here. That expanded into automotive collision and automotive repair.” The class doesn’t have a set curriculum. Instead, White ﬁnds any kind of work he can for the students to do, such as oil changes, brake ﬁxes and body repairs. “I give them anything I can get my hands on,” White said. “I get people to bring things in, like this tractor over here. They’re easier to work on than cars, but they learn the same basics.” The students are quick to show their appreciation for White and the program he teaches. “I love it,” said Amont, a 14-year-old at the facility. “It’s less school work, and

it takes your mind off things. You get stuff done.” Tanner, a 16-year-old who has been involved in the automotive program for two months, said it’s more than just a way to stay out of trouble: It’s an escape. “I love coming in here and getting to work,” he said. “It takes my mind off the depression, you know? I don’t have to sit in my room all day long.” White said it’s these troubles the kids have that motivates him to stay involved. “I enjoy helping the kids out,” White said. “Maybe I don’t teach them automotive things all the time, but I teach them about life in general, discussing what problems they might be having ... keeping their minds in the right direction. “Man, it’s just something I love to do.”

CANCER IN CHESTER COUNTY

A report on DHEC’s Community Cancer Assessment Zip Code 29706: Chester (Part I of a series)

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Series of Articles 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Brian Garner The News & Reporter

BY BRIAN GARNER bgarner@onlinechester.com (Editor’s note: The summary on the report of the Community Cancer Assessment for Chester County as a whole will appear in the 2016 Surviving Cancer special section to be published this month) The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has recently released the report on their community cancer assessment for Chester County. In addition to assessing the county as a whole, the reports also break down the incidences of cancer and the mortality rates for each of the zip codes within Chester County, namely Chester, Blackstock, Edgemoor, Great Falls, Richburg and Fort Lawn. The data for this report was provided by DHEC’s SC Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR) and encompasses a five-year stretch of data from 20092013 and looks at cancer trends from 1999-2013. According to the DHEC website, ‘The SCCCR is a population-based data system that collects cancer incidence (newly diagnosed cases) in South Carolina.’ In response to an inquiry on cancer from the community, the SCCCR conducts a Community Cancer Assessment (CCA) for that community. According to the DHEC website definition, the Community Cancer Assessment is ‘a summary of the observed numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in a zip code for the last five years of available data, compared to the expected numbers of cancer cases and deaths in a particular zip code (the numbers that might be expected if the zip code had the same cancer incidence and mortality rates as the state of SC). The zip code area is the smallest area that can be analyzed (due to the need for stable population counts). This comparison helps to determine if the number of reported cases and deaths is above normal. The SCCCR provides approximately 40-50 CCAs by special request each year.’ If any unusual amounts of cancer incidences are found to exist in the area being studied, additional examinations of the data

are performed to determine if a true cancer cluster exists. According to the DHEC community cancer assessment summary, the first step in determining if there are any unusual cancer patterns in an area is to look at the number of new cancer cases (DHEC terms this incidence – the number of new cases diagnosed during a specific time period) and deaths (called mortality – the number of deaths occurring during a specific time period -- in the report) occurring in the zip code being studied and ‘compare this to the number of cancer cases and deaths expected to occur by chance alone, given the corresponding South Carolina state rates. The number of expected cases and deaths are determined by using South Carolina state cancer incidence and mortality rates and applying them to the population of the geographic area of interest’ (in this case, Chester). DHEC designates an area as having a “cancer cluster” when according to the definition on their website, ‘a group of more cancer cases than normal in a small area like a neighborhood, or cases occurring within a short time period. Perceived or suspected cancer clusters are reported when people learn that an unusual number of their friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers have cancer or have died of cancer.’ The community assessment report continues. ‘Additionally, a cancer cluster would more likely involve rarer types of cancer rather than more common cancers such lung, breast, prostate or colon. A cancer cluster will usually occur with excess in one specific type of cancer rather than in several different types. At least a three-fold increase of observed-toexpected cases is the scientific rule of thumb warranting further investigation.’ How the community cancer assessment started in Chester County In Chester County, the community cancer assessment was started at the request of Chester resident (and cancer survivor and advocate) Tom Hamilton. Hamilton made the first inquiry into the community cancer stats while he was a member of Chester County Council. “A lady from West Chester, Ruth Wade

This graph shows the total cases of cancer for Chester County by zip code for the 20092013 report period.

GRAPHIC PROVIDED

approached me and said ‘Tom, you’ve got to do something; everybody out here’s got cancer,” Hamilton remembers. “I got one of those SCDNR maps and asked her to sit down with some people in her Sunday school class and told them to put a mark everywhere they knew of that someone had cancer. “She came back with that map, and almost every house had a dot. It was incredible. I called Sen. Strom Thurmond Hamilton and a whole lot of others, and get DHEC involved,” Hamilton said. That was what initiated the cancer study for Chester County. “DHEC came up for monthly meetings at the West Chester Community Center, we did a lot of studies,” Hamilton said. According to Susan Bolick, director of the S.C. Central Cancer Registry, at the time, DHEC held a community meeting in Chester County to share what information they had. The Registry was in its beginning stages, so there wasn’t a whole lot of data at the time to share, but since then, the Registry has been collecting cancer data for about 18 years. The cancer studies were not updated after Hamilton left county council because no one was pursuing the issue, he said, but a diagnosis of cancer of his own revived his advocacy for getting the studies updated. Hamilton became a

part of his own cancer statistics in 2007 when he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer, a rare form of cancer that affected his nasal area. Once his treatments of chemo and radiation were through and his cancer was in remission, Hamilton approached Chester County Supervisor Carlisle Roddey and told him he wanted to revive the community cancer assessment efforts. “I suddenly had a serious dog in the fight,” Hamilton says. “Thirtyfive radiation treatments and 10 chemo treatments will put you in the fight.” Roddey signed off on starting the study again, and the updated data, showing higher than normal instances of cancer, was released in 2008. It’s been updated several times since, including this most recent 2016 update. To those people who don’t want to talk about cancer, or tell Hamilton speaking the word or talking about it puts a bad light on the county, Hamilton is unapologetic. “The information is for comfort and awareness – comfort in that other people in the community are going through the same thing, and to raise the awareness that there is cancer in our community,” Hamilton said. “It’s not like we’re not talking about something (the incidences of cancer) that is not already there,” he said. Results for zip code 29706 According to the report, although there were more cases of cancer than were expected, the Chester

29706 zip code did not have enough cancer cases to be considered a cancer cluster. Under the heading of cancer incidence, the report states ‘a total of 637 new cases of cancer occurred in the (29706 area), while 539 cases were expected. Statistical testing showed that the observed number of new cases was significantly higher than expected. In South Carolina, the most common types of cancer are, listed from high to low, lung, prostate, female breast and colon/rectum. In Chester, the most common types are, arranged from high to low, prostate, lung, female breast and colon/rectum. The report says ‘the analysis revealed that cases from the following cancers (if any) were significantly higher than expected: colon/rectum, bladder and pancreas. As noted, at least a three-fold increase of observed-to-expected cases is the scientific rule of thumb warranting further investigation. This level was not reached, therefore, at this time no further investigation is being conducted. ‘The same process used to analyze new cancer cases was also used to analyze cancer deaths. A total of 270 cancer deaths occurred in (the 29706 area), while 213 deaths were expected. Statistical testing showed that the observed number of deaths was significantly higher than expected. The most common causes of cancer death in South Carolina are lung, colon/rectum, female

breast and pancreas, in that order. In this area, the most common causes of cancer death are lung, female breast, colon/rectum and pancreas (listed in order from high to low). The analysis revealed that deaths from the following cancers (if any) were significantly higher than expected: female breast and pancreas. DHEC’s Conclusion From the report, ‘It is alarming when someone you know is diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, current statistics reported by the American Cancer Society reveal that one in two men and one in three women will develop cancer in his or her lifetime. DHEC reminds everyone that inferences about cancer cannot be made on observations alone. Therefore, statistical tests must be conducted in order to determine if what is being seen is more than just a chance occurrence. ‘This report takes into account the necessary steps used to assess if the number of reported cancer cases or deaths in the 29706 area is above what is expected.’ Included with the report is a list of risk factors for the most common types of cancer, (both new cases and deaths) from the American Cancer Society. The report concludes, residents of the 29706 Chester area are encouraged to have regular checkups with their doctors and to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.’ Editor Travis Jenkins contributed to this story

2016 News Awards

What kind of events are we talking about? (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of analysis features regarding the proposed downtown performing arts center.)

SECOND PLACE Series of Articles 2-3 Times Weekly Division

The Gaffney Ledger Staff

COMMUNITY MATTERS

BY ABBIE SOSSAMON Lifestyles and Features Editor abbie@gaffneyledger.com

While the proposed $5 million performing arts center in downtown Gaffney will serve as the home for the Gaffney Little Theatre, it will offer more than just their productions. There is currently no projected number of performances, but Mayor Henry Jolly believes the center will host 75-100 performances annually, with the Little Theatre contributing 20 (4-5 shows per play) of those. Jolly wants to see a range of productions, such as theatrical plays, musicals and concerts from different genres including country, rock and gospel. The state-of-theart facility will be equipped with a sound system and lighting that can be used for different types of events. City Administrator James Taylor said the center will also be used to host traveling events through the South Carolina Arts Commission. The S.C. Arts Commission brings unknown artists into “cultural deserts,” making it possible for all to enjoy and benefit from the arts. Various types of programs are available through the commission for all ages, including opera for kids, dance performances, interactive concerts, a cappella bands, Gullah singers, educational musical performances, children’s theatre, puppet shows and storytelling theatre to name a few. These events would be free or little cost to the public since they are fully or partially funded through grants. There are also discussions of the performing arts center partnering with the Cherokee County School District to host plays, orchestra concerts and other school performances. Jim Cudd, an accountant and volunteer consultant for the project, has offered to help book the musical acts for the performing arts center. Cudd previously served on the South Carolina Peach Festival Board as the Productions Chairman and booked noteworthy names such as George Strait and Sawyer Brown while they were up-and-coming. He said one way to get those types of musicians and bands is to book them in when they are traveling nearby. “Say a group is coming from Texas to

These pictures show the interior and exterior of The Wayne Theatre in Wanyesboro, Va. (www.waynetheatre.org)

perform in Charleston on Saturday, we would get them to perform in Gaffney on Thursday or Friday,” said Cudd. One way to offset the price of a costly act is to have them perform two or three shows while they are in town, Cudd added. The proposed performing arts center can be rented for events such as weddings, rehearsal dinners and corporate meetings. Special Projects Coordinator Phil Orr said the visitor’s center regularly gets calls from businesses looking for a meeting space in Gaffney. “Corporate businesses with offices in Greenville and Charlotte call and say ‘We’re having a joint office meeting and

Gaffney is in the middle, is there a space available for us to meet?’ and we currently don’t have many spaces for them,” said Orr. Perhaps the best indicator of what types of events the Gaffney Performing Arts Center would host is to look at venues of similar size, like the $10 million 385-seat Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro, Va. (pop. 21,263). It was restored and reopened in March 2016 as a center for entertainment and conferences. The theatre offers a variety of concerts, acts and movie showings, as well as events and programs for children, including an art education program which gives

young students the opportunity to experience the live arts and enjoy live shows that are designed for kids. The theatre also offers summer camps for children in K5-12th grade. The Wayne Theatre not only rents out their lobby and other rooms for weddings, dinners and meetings, but they also rent the stage area, which has a capacity of 200 for a standing reception or 130 for a seated dinner. The Wayne utilizes the theatre for events during the week as well as several weekends a month. Events offered at the theatre include weekly summer family movies with a morning and evening showing, a cult film series showing and a weekly classic film with an afternoon and evening showing; all three events have a “pay what you will” admission. Ticketed events at The Wayne vary from beach music concerts to acrobatic performances, with prices ranging from $20-$30 per ticket to $45-$55 per ticket. Acts booked at the Wayne include The Doo Wop Project featuring current and former stars of “Jersey Boys” and “Motown: The Musical, “Live From Nashville,” a song and dance spectacular, the musical group Chairman of the Board, Acrobats of Cirque-tacular, and a Holiday decorating secrets lecture and luncheon with a celebrity designer. The theatre has even booked The Virginia Museum of Natural History, which plans to hold the 29th annual Thomas Jefferson Awards at The Wayne Theatre, an event that is typically held in Richmond, Va. No matter what events are held, Mayor Henry Jolly believes a performing arts center will help enhance the cultural climate of Cherokee County and help revitalize downtown Gaffney. He is not alone in that belief. George Patrick McLeer, executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, which is housed in the Younts Center for Performing Arts in Fountain Inn, has seen how the arts can enhance the quality of life in a small community. “I remember building the set pieces for the very first theatrical show (in downtown Fountain Inn) and having to always bring my dinner because there was almost no where to eat,” McLeer said in a recent interview with the Tribune-Times (Simpsonville). “I have seen firsthand how the arts continue to transform this community and how the vision set by city leaders includes the arts.”

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Series of Articles 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Wesley Dry of Buford took the first step in a Georgia forest. His goal was Mount Katahdin, 2,200 miles north. This week, come along as he tackles one of America’s great endurance tests, the Appalachian Trail. First of four parts Christopher Sardelli csardelli@thelancasternews.com

Christopher Sardelli The Lancaster News

ail pelted Wesley Dry’s car as he peered out at the wild expanse before him. Tall, spindly trees, their leaves just starting to grow, towered overhead. A red sign beckoned through the mist. “Appalachian Trail Approach.” Waiting impatiently for the surprise storm to end, the 25-year-old Buford native prepared himself for the grueling journey ahead – a solo 2,200-mile hike along the world’s longest marked trail. Known to hikers simply as the A.T., the trail stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. It attracts millions of hikers each year, but only about 3,000 of them try to finish the whole thing, and out of those, only about a quarter succeed. Those odds didn’t discourage Dry. Sitting with his parents and girlfriend in their car last April 20, Dry said his goodbyes and stepped out into the parking lot of Georgia’s Amicalola Falls State Park, the trail’s northbound gateway. But as the hail ricocheted off the windshield, he decided a few more minutes of goodbyes wouldn’t hurt. “I got in the car and sat a little bit longer,” Dry said. Clutching his new trail guide, filled with listings of the sights, sounds and elevations he would encounter along the way, Dry made a mental checklist of the items stuffed inside his 40-pound pack. Flashlights? Check. Water and filtration device? Check and check. How about those Bic lighters, cooking stove and titanium cup he recently bought? They were all inside. Add some canned food, a lantern, sleeping bag and a harmonica, and he was ready to go. Suddenly, the hail stopped and Dry was out in a flash, his pack slung over his shoulders. Gazing up at the canopy of foliage, he gave his family a quick hug and said goodbye one more time. “They pulled away and I thought, ‘Well, I guess this is where I start walking…. I’m hiking to Maine,’” he said. See CHALLENGE I Page 3A

photos courtesy of WESLEY DRY

Navigational signs are common along the Appalachian Trail, letting hikers know exactly where they are and how long it takes to get to nearby destinations. Signs also deal with trail hazards and sometimes even weather warnings.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Elaine Ellison-Rider News-Chronicle

Man faces charges related to death of his mother +21($ 3$7+ 3UHVFULSWLRQV ODFHG VRQ &RXQW\ 6KHULIIÂ·V 2IÃ&#x20AC;FH GHSXWLHV ZLWK PHWKDPSKHWDPLQH OHG WR $OVR DUUHVWHG DW WKH KRPH ZDV WKH GHDWK RI DQ HOGHUO\ ZRPDQ 5RQQLH Â´*HQHÂµ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

ZKHUH VKH SDVVHG DZD\ 2Q )HE D IDP LO\ PHPEHU KDG DVNHG KRVSLWDO SHUVRQQHO WR FRQGXFW WHVWV WR GHWHUPLQH LI VKH KDG LQJHVWHG PHWKDPSKHWDPLQH $ ZLWQHVV VDLG WKDW WKH YLFWLPÂ·V SUH VFULSWLRQ PHGLFDWLRQ KDG EHHQ ODFHG ZLWK PHWKDPSKHWDPLQH $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH LQFLGHQW UHSRUWV D VHDUFK ZDUUDQW ZDV VHUYHG RQ WKH UHVLGHQFH RQ )HE 3ROLFH KDG WR IRUFH HQWU\ LQWR WKH KRPH ZKHUH WKH IRXQG D YDULHW\ RI GUXJ UHODWHG SDUDSKHUQDOLD 7KHUH ZDV QR IRRG LQ WKH KRPH RIÃ&#x20AC;FLDOV VDLG ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKH YLFWLPÂ·V EDQN DFFRXQW KDG EHHQ HPSWLHG 0UV 5RELQVRQÂ·V JUDQGGDXJKWHU .D\OD

5RELQVRQ WROG D UHSRUWHU ZLWK WKH ,QGH RQ KHU IDPLO\ IRU KHOS Âµ KH VDLG SHQGHQW 0DLO WKDW VRPH RI WKH 7KH +RQHD 3DWK SROLFH DOVR LQIRUPDWLRQ WKDW KDV EHHQ PDGH FKDUJHG 5RELQVRQ ZLWK GUXJV SXEOLF DERXW KHU IDPLO\ Â´LV D PDQXIDFWXUH GLVWULEXWLRQ HWF OLH Âµ 6KH VDLG KHU JUDQGPRWKHU RI PHWKDPSKHWDPLQH Ã&#x20AC;UVW RI KDG GLHG RI SQHXPRQLD DQG WKDW IHQVH SRVVHVVLRQ RI D Ã&#x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Â´:H NQRZ WKDW VKH KDG VRPH D OHQJWK\ FRXUW UHFRUG WKDW LQ PHGLFDO LVVXHV DQG ZDV UHO\LQJ FOXGHV EXUJODU\

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined KATHY ROPP / THE HORRY INDEPENDENT

Kathy Ropp The Horry Independent

Craig Livingston headed into an Horry County courtroom Monday morning, led by his defense attorney Johnny Gardner.

Loris man gets 20 years for drunken driving crash that killed CCU alum and his brother BY KATHY ROPP KATHY.ROPP@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

A Loris man was sentenced to 20 years in jail Monday after pleading guilty to driving after drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana and crashing into two young Loris brothers, who had been out Christmas shopping. Prosecutor George DeBusk said tests done three hours after 33-year-old

Craig Austin Livingston smashed into 26-year-old Christopher and 17-yearold Miles Waddell showed his blood alcohol level at .18. Toxicology tests also showed that he had been smoking marijuana as recently as one hour before the fatal car crash. DeBusk told Circuit Judge Steven John that when SLED experts extrapolated the BAC numbers, they determined that Livingstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

blood alcohol concentration was between .20 and .22 at the time of the accident, and could possibly have been as high as .25. DeBusk said Livingston and four friends had been drinking at a bar in Green Sea and before that they had gone to a liquor store where Livingston bought two pints of alcohol and some beer. The others who were with Livingston, a three-sport

letterman at Loris High School, said they asked if he was okay to drive several times and he assured them he was. The Waddells both had connections to the City of Loris. Christopher Waddell worked part time for the city for five years. Miles Waddell volunteered part time with the Loris Parks and Recreation Department. Christopher Waddell died

shortly after the crash, either on his way to Grand Strand Medical Center or just after he got there. Miles died a week later on Dec. 29, 2014. The Waddells were traveling on Red Bluff Road with one car in front and one behind, according to DeBusk, when Livingston moved across the double yellow line into their line of travel. LIVINGSTON, A3

2016 News Awards 8 | GREENVILLE JOURNAL | 03.25.2016 | NEWS

FIRST PLACE Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

‘Protect and serve’ was a way of life, not a motto, to fallen oﬃcer CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF

Fellowship Church in Travelers Rest. Jacobs, the father of two boys from a previous marriage who was expecting a daughter with his wife, Meghan, in July, epitomized what it meant to be a good father, the pastor said. “When he came home, he was a dad who loved his kids,” Young said. “He focused all his energy on them. Even before this happened, he was their hero.” Jacobs was killed on March 18 in Nicholtown while pursuing 17-year-old Deontea Perry Mackey, who Greenville Police Chief Ken Miller called a conﬁrmed and self-admitted gang member. Chris Slick went to school with Jacobs at Bob Jones Academy. “He was always a ﬁerce competitor and gave 100 percent,” Slick said. “He was an incredible person. The number of people in the community and across the world who have been impacted by his life is testament to who he was.”

clandrum@communityjournals.com “Protect and serve” was a motto Greenville Police Officer Allen Jacobs lived around the clock, not just when he was on duty. From trading jump shots with kids on Friday nights at the Nicholtown Community Center through the department’s Cops on the Court program to helping escort World War II veterans as they returned home from Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., the slain officer worked to make his community better. He spoke at schools, mentored kids who didn’t have a positive male role model at home, and delivered groceries to widows. He was the epitome of a community cop. “I have no difficulty calling Allen one of the greatest heroes I’ve ever known,” said Thomas Young, his pastor at Christ

What happened on March 18

Cindy Landrum Greenville Journal

Greenville Police Officer Allen Jacobs and his partner were on patrol when they spotted Deontea Perry Mackey and tried to question him about a gun according to Police Chief Ken Miller. Mackey was a convicted felon who had recently gotten out of jail. Mackey ran and led the officers on a chase behind houses. As Jacobs turned a corner, Mackey opened fire, striking the decorated war veteran and GPD Purple Heart Award winner several times. Jacobs’ gun was still in its clasped holster. Minutes later, Mackey died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Mackey was a convicted felon who recently got out of jail.

Jacobs was one of the ofﬁcers who worked the case and made the arrest.

CINDY LANDRUM/ STAFF

Mackey pleaded guilty Feb. 2 to a 2015 strong-arm robbery and was sentenced to 10 years, which was reduced to time served of 251 days. The Solicitor’s Ofﬁce and defense attorney recommended the sentence because there was no weapon involved and little cooperation from the victim. The victim reported to police that when he tried to buy $10 worth of crack, Mackey allegedly said, “I got you 10,” took his money and walked away, Solicitor Walt Wilkins said.

Young said Jacobs was the kind of guy to whom children flocked. When there was an influx of children into the small church last year, Young challenged its members to help fix up a playground that had fallen into disrepair. Jacobs and his partner offered to buy all the materials needed. “He was a giver. He was peaceful. He was helpful in every realm,” Young said. Sylvia Palmer, who has lived in Nicholtown for more than 60 years and is a part of the Nicholtown Neighborhood Association, said Jacobs was a fixture in the neighborhood. “He played basketball with the kids. He was a part of our community,” she said. “We’re heartbroken. We really are. Through this tragedy, we hope the community comes together to do what Officer Jacobs was working to do, to make our community better.”

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kayland Hagwood The Lancaster News

Kayland Hagwood For The Lancaster News

lack Labrador Wella was trapped in a covered well in Lancaster County for at least two weeks before being rescued by Julie Tyre and five of her friends. “My first words were: ‘Get her water,’ Tyre said. “I was honestly shocked that she could even stand.” It was Christmas Day when Tyre, a board member at the Lancaster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, received a Facebook message from a friend telling her that a dog had been found on their hunting land off Grace Avenue in Lancaster. Within an hour, Tyre was there. See WELLA I Page 2A

photos courtesy of JULIE TYRE

Steven Tyre, shown above with Wella, climbed down into the well to rescue the black Labrador. The Tyres hope to find Wella a permanent home.

GREAT FALLS PAGES Pages 1B – 2B

CLASSIFIEDS Pages 5-B – 6-B

2016 News Awards

LIFESTYLES Pages 3-B

PUBLIC RECORDS Page 4-B

SECOND PLACE Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Nancy Parsons The News & Reporter

Injured dog appears to have been dragged BY NANCY PARSONS gfreporter@onlinechester.com The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation into an alleged case of ill treatment to animals. Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery said the investigation stems from an incident where an injured dog was found by patrons at Carolina Adventure World on Camp Welfare Road in Fairfield County. The incident occurred on or before Dec. 13, 2015, a release from the Sheriff’s Office said. The injured dog was taken to a veterinarian in Winnsboro. “The veterinarian indicated that the dog’s injuries were consistent with being dragged by a vehicle,” Montgomery said. Montgomery said the Fairfield County Animal Control officer was made aware of the incident on Dec. 15, 2015 at which time the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office was notified. A statement was received from the veterinarian on Jan. 5 and an investigation was officially begun by the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery said. “The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office treats any offenses against animals very seriously,” Montgomery said.

The injured dog became known as “Emmanuel.” The Hebrew meaning of “Emmanuel” translates to “God is with us.” “We are pleased to report that ‘Emmanuel’ (the affected dog) is making progress toward recovery,” Montgomery said. “I want to especially thank those concerned citizens who took the initiative to help this puppy and also extend a thank you to the veterinarian who is providing him care.” “We are currently working closely with Fairfield County Animal Control and the Hoof and Paw organization and have distributed flyers in the area around Carolina Adventure World,” Montgomery said. “We are attempting to determine if this was an intentional act and, if so, to identify the individual or individuals responsible.” According to the Fairfield Animal Hospital Facebook page, there is a gofundme account, “Abused puppy medical fund” to help pay for Emmanuel’s surgeries. A $4,000 goal was set and $4,190 was contributed in 20 days. “The stray puppy was found during a trail ride by a client and brought into our hospital (Fairfield Animal Hospital) on Sunday, Dec. 13. He was dragged behind a vehicle and left to die. His injuries are severe on all four feet and legs,” a post on

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an alleged case of ill treatment to animals after this dog was found with multiple injures consistent with being dragged behind a vehicle. A gofundme account has been set up to help pay for his medical treatment. the Animal Hospital’s Facebook page said. Emmanuel was missing all of his toenails and nail beds, all of the skin and some tissue on the top sides of every paw, the hard soles on his paw pads, suffered multiple deep abrasions on his chest (underneath and on both sides) and all of the skin and tissue on his knees down to the bones was gone, the Facebook post said.

“He will require several surgeries and a long hospital stay. Once his initial visible wounds are healed, he will require surgery from a specialist to repair the damage done to his left knee. Please help us help this puppy,” another post said. The gofundme goal may be adjusted based on how quickly Emmanuel recovers and the additional knee surgery, the

post added. A post on Jan. 3 said, “Emmanuel is feeling really good now. He no longer is required to wear the e-collar as his feet and skin on his legs look great. He will no longer be allowed visitors as he has been over the last several weeks because someone brought a virus in to him that he has been fighting for the last week. Due to his weak immune system and the need for

him to be completely healthy and off of antibiotics before he can have his knee repaired, we must take this step.” The post said additional updates and photos of Emmanuel’s recovery would be posted. “Thank you to everyone who is following his story and to those who were able to donate as well,” the post said. See DOG, Page 2-B

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Reece Murphy The Lancaster News

Life sentence for murder REECE MURPHY/rmurphy@thelancasternews.com

A court bailiff escorts defendant Terry Catoe to his seat during the three-day trial. Jurors deliberated for only an hour and a half before delivering a guilty verdict on Jan. 6. Judge Brian Gibbons said the details of the case unsettled him despite his many years on the bench.

Jury convicts Terry Catoe after shocking 3-day trial Reece Murphy rmurphy@thelancasternews.com

A Lancaster County man was sentenced to life in prison this week for the 2012 murder of a woman whose strangled body he left in an abandoned house. Terry Catoe, 43, formerly of 747 Shiloh Unity Road, was convicted Wednesday of killing Gaymon Linda Massey Gaymon, 54, of Lancaster, as they had sex in a squalid shotgun house on Starnes Street off East Brooklyn Avenue. Gaymon’s murder was the fourth in a year that would ultimately see 13 local killings. Catoe’s conviction came at the end of a threeday trial with more than a dozen witnesses for the prosecution, led by Sixth Circuit Solicitor Randy Newman and Deputy Solicitor Lisa Collins. The defense called no witnesses, but simply rested its case before beginning closing arguments. Described by Pubic Defender Tyre Lee in his opening statement as “an adult case” full of “very ugly things … body parts and bodily functions,” the trial shocked many in the courtroom, including Circuit Judge Brian Gibbons. Gibbons told Catoe during sentencing that the details of the case troubled him deeply, See TRIAL I Page 2

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Government Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Government Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Joseph Garris, Jr. The News-Era

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Government Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Lindsay Street The Berkeley Independent

Planned rail line through Cross raises questions BY LINDSAY STREET lstreet@berkeleyind.com

“A big waste of time,” “Not a lot of answers,” and “All I did was sign up for an email.” Those were some of the reactions to an open-house meeting that introduced rural Berkeley County residents and property owners to a proposed industrial rail line. Hundreds of rural Berkeley County residents crammed into the Cross Community Center April 5 to learn more about a new railway that stretches more than 20 miles from Volvo’s site at Camp Hall near Interstate 26 to Santee Cooper’s Cross Generating Station. Palmetto Railways, a public di-

vision of the S.C. Department of Commerce, will construct, own and operate the rail line. According to Commerce spokeswoman Adrienne Fairwell, the endeavor is revenue generating and is not supported by tax dollars. The Railways has been around for about 125 years. In the last few decades, it worked on projects in the Upstate bringing rail to car and tire plants. It also continues to work on rail at the Old Navy Base in Charleston. According to Palmetto Railways Chief Commercial Officer Patrick McCrory, a similar project to the Camp Hall project was the Amoco railway in Wando that now serves the BP Cooper River plant.

Tuesday’s meeting invited property owners and residents to view the selected study area and see if their property is in the study area. The Department of Commerce and Palmetto Railways then asked stakeholders to sign up for notifications of future meetings and information. Detailed information will have to wait, according to Fairwell. “There is no definitive decision being made on a rail route and that’s why the public input is so important. There is an entire process that has to take place,” Fairwell said. Tuesday’s event was step one. Next will be the application to See RAIL, Page 6A

Provided

2016 News Awards

8 | GREENVILLE JOURNAL | 03.04.2016 | NEWS

Historic preservation eﬀorts divide Greenville homeowners

THIRD PLACE Government Beat Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Cindy Landrum Greenville Journal

Houses in the Earle Street (left), Hampton-Pinckney (center) and Heritage historic districts. Greenville’s historic preservation overlay districts feature homes with a variety of architecture. Homeowners in those districts must get approval from the city before any renovations or additions can be made to the exteriors of their houses to make sure they meet guidelines designed to preserve the character of the neighborhood.

In one street’s fight to save the school-owned, city-maintained Tindal Park, some sought historic preservation overlay protection. The request ultimately failed. But what does such a designation mean for homeowners? CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF

clandrum@communityjournals.com Highlights • Supporters say historic preservation protects neighborhood character • Opponents say design regulations stiﬂe development • Studies show economic beneﬁts of historic preservation

In the ﬁght to save Tindal Park, a historic preservation overlay district was a weapon some Tindal Avenue residents tried to wield to preserve the character of the tree-lined street oﬀ Church Street south of downtown. That attempt ultimately failed, in big part because the proposal divided residents who lived on the shady street dominated by Arts and Crafts architecturalstyle homes.

Those in favor said the designation would preserve the character of the neighborhood, while those opposed voiced concern about how more stringent design regulations might aﬀect what they could do with their property in the future. “It puts too many restraints on property owners,” said Sandra Freeman, a Tindal Street resident who fought to save the park but was opposed to pursuing historic designation. “There are some nice things happening in our neighborhood. People are ﬁxing up homes. But some of it would not have been allowed if we had an overlay.” Residents in the city’s seven historic overlay districts must get approval for any demolition, new construction, addition or alteration of exterior architectural features. Each of the historic districts has its own design guidelines. But studies have shown the economic value of historic district designation far outweighs the restrictions placed by the ordinances.

National vs. local Two historic designations exist – the National Register of Historic Places and local historic preservation overlay districts. The National Register of Historic Places has a lengthy application process, is more diﬃcult to achieve and is more prestigious. However, it oﬀers no protection for historic structures or neighborhoods. “It’s a baptism, an anointing,” said local historian Judy Bainbridge. “But it offers no protection at all. Zippo.” Local historic preservation overlay districts do.

“There are some nice things happening in our neighborhood. People are fixing up homes. But some of it would not have been allowed if we had an overlay.” Sandra Freeman, Tindal Street resident

Design Review Board approval is required for: • Building a new structure • Alteration or restoration, including any exterior features • Removal or demolition, in whole or in part, of a historic structure • Exterior color of a building, including siding, signs and awnings • Building a deck, fence or garage

Tindal Avenue’s attempt to create a historic district was the ﬁrst in Greenville since 2001, when the Heritage Historic District was formed. Attempts to win a historic district designation must originate from the neighborhood, said Bryan Wood, zoning administrator for the City of Greenville. If a preliminary review indicates the neighborhood meets at least one of the criteria, a task force examines the proposal more thoroughly, drawing up preliminary boundaries and holding public meetings to see if there is enough support. Ultimately, the city’s Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council must approve the overlay district. The Planning Commission voted against creating the new district on Tindal Avenue, and Wood said city staﬀ decided not to take the issue before City Council because the neighborhood was equally split. “It doesn’t make sense to protect one side of the street and not the other,” he said.

Neighborhood characteristics Each of Greenville’s seven historic districts have design guidelines based

• Enclosing a porch • Erecting a sign • Applying siding or adding storm windows • Adding a dormer or bay window • Creating a driveway or parking facility • Adding a satellite dish

Does not require DRB approval: • Ordinary maintenance (Source: City of Greenville)

on the speciﬁc characteristics of each neighborhood. Being in a historic district doesn’t prevent the construction of new homes or updates to existing one, but it does limit what can be built and the materials used. “Frequently people want to update a house in the historic district to what is being built now elsewhere in the county, and it doesn’t match aesthetically with what the neighborhood is,” said Rivers Stillwell, an attorney who lives on West Earle Street. Stillwell studied historic preservation in law school and served

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Government Beat Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Chris Trainor Free Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE

Better neighbors & stewards SI approves plan to manage accreted land growth adjacent to residents

Government Beat Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Jake Lucas The Moultrie News

JAKE LUCAS/MOULTRIE NEWS FILE PHOTO

In some places, a maritime forest has sprouted up on land that has accreted onto Sullivan’s Island.

BY JAKE LUCAS news@moultrienews.com he Town of Sullivan’s Island reached a milestone in its effort to manage the growth on the island’s accreted land last Thursday. Town council gave its approval to a plan to manage the “transition zone” - the first 100 feet of the accreted land that stretches from residents’ backyards. As land has accreted onto the island, trees, shrubs and in some places a forest have sprouted up, and council has sought a balance between protecting that natural ecosystem and addressing the concerns of the residents who live next

to it, such as the pests that live there, the risk of fire and the preservation of a view and an ocean breeze. “We need to be better neighbors, and we also need to be better stewards,” said Mayor Pat O’Neil at the beginning of Thursday’s meeting. The plan represents a compromise between two plans for managing the transition zone put forth by Councilwoman Susan Middaugh – who proposed preserving far more trees and shrubs - and Mayor Pro-Tem Chauncey Clark – who proposed a heavier hand to provide a significant buffer between residents and the growth. At last week’s meeting, Clark put forth a plan scaled back

from one he presented last month. It included preserving all species of trees nine inches and larger throughout the transition zone except those identified by the Forestry Commission as a particular fire hazard. It also suggested removing all underbrush and shrubs throughout, including myrtles. But the plan that council ultimately passed more closely resembles the one originally put forth by Middaugh. She proposed preserving trees six inches and larger in the first 40 feet and all trees in the last 60 feet. Granted, her plan also proposed leaving certain tree species untouched throughout See HIGHWAY page 6A

New City Hall? Bank on it City prepares to move operations into former SunTrust Bank

BY MAX HRENDA

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Government Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Max Hrenda Georgetown Times

mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

City Administrator Paul Gardner said he hopes to complete the relocation of city services to their temporary base of operations early next week, as engineers continue their work to determine the cause and scale of the damages sustained at City Hall. On Thursday, Aug. 18, Gardner received approval from Georgetown City Council to lease the former SunTrust Bank at 1134 N. Fraser St. on a month-to-month basis to serve as the base of city operations until the day when, or if, City Hall is reopened. According to Gardner, council approved the lease at a monthly rate of $6,582, though he added that rate could change as lease negotiations continued. In an interview Tuesday, Aug. 23, Gardner said those negotiations were continuing, but that he expected them to conclude in time to move in and resume operations by Monday, Aug. 29. “We’re already in the process of moving,” Gardner said. “We’re going to finalize the lease today, and we already have fiber running to the building and the phones are there. We just have a few other things to do to be fully operational ... when we open the doors to the customers on Monday.” After the move is complete, citizens will be able to make utility payments either inside the building or at the drivethru window. Though city operations will move to the former bank, regular monthly meetings of council and other boards and commissions will continue to take place at Municipal Court, located at 2222 Highmarket St. City Hall, 120 N. Fraser St., was closed on Aug. 10 after cracks began to form on the floor and walls of the rotunda area. While engineers began examining the foundation to determine the cause of the cracking, city operations were relocated to Georgetown Police Department headquarters, also at 2222 Highmarket St. Gardner said a preliminary

City IT Technician Nick Ard talks on his cellphone while setting up the computer system at 1134 Fraser St. on Tuesday morning.

report from those engineers indicated the four brick walls in the building’s rotunda were sinking into the ground. As the work continued, Gardner said, engineers realized they needed specialized equipment that could probe deep enough to find the problem without damaging the foundation. “We’re bringing in a rig that can go to those depths with a plan of attack to make sure we gather as much intelligence as we can,” he said, “as well as protecting what’s under our building.” Gardner added he was waiting to receive an estimate on the cost of that rig from the contractor. Should the cost exceed his purchasing authority cap of $15,000, Gardner added, he would seek approval from City Council during its scheduled workshop Thursday, Aug. 25. Although the cause has yet to be determined, the area is prone to sinkhole activity. In 2011, multiple buildings and homes were damaged by sinkholes in the area. Many — including the City of Georgetown — laid the blame with the South Carolina Department of Transportation and its contractors for work that was performed on Fraser Street during a storm water drainage project that took place between 2009 and 2011. Along with a number of residents and business-

owners, the city sued SCDOT and those contractors for damages sustained by those sinkholes. The case is still pending. In addition to City Hall, Gardner said he asked engineers to check the ground at Georgetown City Fire Department Station No. 1, located across Fraser Street at 1405 Prince St. The stability of the fire station has been a concern since adjacent buildings collapsed after sinkholes formed in 2011. As of the Tuesday interview, Gardner said, no boring had been conducted at the fire station and no damages had been reported. A dd it ion a l ly, no te s t s have been conducted on the stretch of Fraser Street that runs between City Hall and the fire station. After he learned of the closure of City Hall, SCDOT District Maintenance Engineer Ray George said he contacted his road crews in Georgetown to see if they had noticed any damages. “We typically do periodic inspections of the roads,” George said. “Just from riding by and looking at them, they haven’t noticed anything from the road that would lead them to believe there was anything wrong.” George added he had not received any official notification from the city that City Hall had been closed because of apparent structural issues.

2016 News Awards

Losing Duracell costly to city, county, schools Plant is huge taxpayer, will be missed

SECOND PLACE Government Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

FILE PHOTO

Duracell employees and their families enjoy a game of bingo under the shade of the big tent during the company’s 35th anniversary celebration in June 2011. The event drew nearly 2,300 people for a day of fun, food, plant tours and carnival games.

Local charities take big hit, too FILE PHOTOS

Greg Summers The Lancaster News

Top: A team from Duracell flies down the road during the United Way’s Bed Race fundraiser in August of last year. Duracell employees give monetary support annually to the United Way – support that may end when employees seek new jobs. Bottom: Duracell employees with family members who work at Lancaster High School donate a printer and other supplies to the school in August 2011.

Melanie Outlaw can’t recall ever riding by the Duracell plant on S.C. 9 Bypass West and not seeing cars in the parking lot. But with the battery manufacturer’s recent announcement that it was shutting down production by 2019 and cutting 430 jobs, she realizes that day is coming. “I have to admit I thought they’d be here forever,” said Outlaw, who is executive director of United Way of Lancaster County. “Duracell is a good, viable company that’s always been an active partner in the community. “It’s just so sad to see,” she said. “All of us know somebody who works there and will be impacted by this. The loss of Duracell is going to be felt in more ways than one.” The ramifications of the county losing its seventh largest employer will not only impact those workers, but also local tax coffers. According to tax records, Duke Energy is the county’s largest taxpayer and Duracell is the second largest. The city of Lancaster, Lancaster County and the Lancaster County School District all depend on property tax revenue generated by the 300,000-square-foot plant, though the level of dependency varies. See DURACELL I Page 2A

COMING THIS WEEK In 2014, the county gave Duracell $69 million in tax incentives for planned equipment and technological upgrades. Now that the battery manufacturer has announced that it will be leaving in 2019, will the county get any of those incentives back?

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Government Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mandy Catoe The Lancaster News

DSS workers crammed into closets ‘Short-term, nothing will be done,’ Willis says, blaming state cuts Mandy Catoe mcatoe@ thelancasternews.com

Overcrowding has turned storage closets into offices at the Lancaster County Department of Social Services, and some offices designed for one case worker now hold four. Behind the building, four large portable storage units hold what used to fill the storage closets, and still the DSS hallways are lined with stacks of office supplies and equipment. County Administrator Steve Willis said it’s the county’s responsibility to provide office space for DSS, but decreased funding from the state for the past eight years leaves the county with no solution in sight. “Sadly, short-term, nothing will be done,” Willis acknowledged.

Lancaster County DSS and the local offices of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control have outgrown the building at 1873 Pageland Highway that they’ve occupied for more than 30 years. And it’s only going to get worse. Lancaster is the fastest-growing county in South Carolina. The county’s population has increased from just over 53,000 in 1980 to almost 86,000 in 2015 – a 62 percent increase resulting in larger DSS caseloads, more employees and cramped conditions. The walls continue to close in on a critical agency in need of space. “This is a safety and confidentiality issue,” DSS Director Janice Chapman said. Her increasing frustration was evident as she squeezed See DSS I Page 3

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Business Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Matthew Clark GSA Business Report

HB2 may impact tourism in South Carolina by Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

or more than a decade, the state of South Carolina felt the brunt of the National Collegiate Athletic Association over a Confederate battle flag flying on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. After state lawmakers decided to remove the flag, the relationship between the state and college sports’ governing body became nearly giddy. The Southeastern Conference has joined in the love by awarding Greenville the women’s basketball tournament earlier this year. Now, the gaze of the NCAA — along with conventions, businesses and various diversity organizations — has turned north to the Tar Heel State and its contentious measure forbidding transgendered individuals from using a public restroom of the sex they identify with. The measure, passed just this year by the North Carolina General Assembly in response to an ordinance passed by the city of Charlotte allowing transgendered individuals to use the public restroom of the gender they identify with, has been met with disdain from business owners, various state governors and, now the

The National Basketball Association All-Star Game was bound for Charlotte before league officials moved the event to the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans because of HB2. (Photo/File)

NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference. Most recently, the NCAA pulled all seven of the scheduled national collegiate sports tournaments — including the

first and second rounds of the Division I men’s basketball tournament — from North Carolina and put them back up for bid. The National Basketball Association

took the first shot by removing its AllStar Game from Charlotte. Now, the ACC Council of Presidents — chaired by Jim Clements, president of Clemson University — voted to move its lucrative football championship out of Charlotte. In a matter of days, the NCAA will award those seven postseason tournaments taken from North Carolina to other locations. Greenville officials said they planned to bid on the men’s basketball tournament early round games while Spartanburg might bid on the soccer and lacrosse tournaments. It has left those in the travel and tourism business in North Carolina holding the bag and trying to find ways to overcome the shortfall of losing prestigious events that potentially bring in millions in economic impact. CNBC recently reported the state could lose up to $100 million in economic impact due to the loss of major sporting events. “You’re talking about years of efforts to bring different events to Charlotte,” said David Montgomery, the new vice president of sales for Visit Greenville SC. “There was a ton of sweat equity to get the NBA All-Star game and the ACC football championships there, and it is frustrating.”

“The American market is a very important market for us. We have seen in the past very stable growth, not only for short period, but on a long-term basis.” Michael Balke Mercedes-Benz Vans CEO at the S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo in Greenville

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Business Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Liz Segrist Charleston Regional Business Journal

Photo/Kim McManus

or the past decade, Mercedes’ vans have arrived at the Port of Charleston from Europe in pieces. Originally assembled in plants in Spain and Germany, the vans are then disassembled, packed into shipping containers and sent to the Port of Charleston. One car typically occupies two containers — the body of the car in one and the remaining parts, such as the drive train and headlights — in the other. The complex supply chain, known as a semi-knocked down process, helps the company avoid high tariffs accrued from importing fully produced cars into the U.S.

This process has worked well since 2006 — when the company put down roots in the Lowcountry — but the German automaker is now ready to overhaul its existing logistics process and make a bigger commitment to the North American market, Michael Balke, Mercedes-Benz Vans CEO in S.C., said. In March 2015, the company announced plans to expand its existing operations by building a full-scale production facility and automotive campus on more than 200 acres in Ladson. Site preparation and early-stage construction have started. Mercedes-Benz Vans, a division of

Daimler, plans to build the vans from start to finish at its Lowcountry plant and grow its area workforce 10 times its current size. “We want to produce the cars locally — not only assembling, but building them from beginning on,” Balke said during the recent S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo in Greenville. The $500 million investment will be spent on a new assembly building and line, body shop and paint shop where an estimated 1,300 new employees will build next-generation Sprinter and Metris vans for the U.S. and Canadian markets. These commercial vans are mostly used by

through readySC and at the Ladson plant. Some of the employees will also undergo training at other Mercedes-Benz facilities around the world, where they will learn firsthand how to run a body shop or work in a paint facility, for example. “We need a lot of people who will operate this facility,” Mercedes Benz Vans CEO

Michael Balke said. “Building this facility is relatively easy. The main thing is to have the right people on board to operate it.” Mercedes is currently hiring specialists in information technology and engineering. Beginning in early 2017, the automaker will begin hiring for shop floor positions, Balke said.

A growing workforce Initial projections call for hiring around 1,300 employees, though the company expects to eventually employ 3,000 people at its Lowcountry plant, according to a regulatory permit filed recently with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District. The majority of new hires will be trained

DOWNTOWN 2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Business Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Melinda Waldrop Columbia Regional Business Report

COLLEGE TOWN A boom in student housing has fueled an expansion of USC’s boundaries to Main Street and the Vista neighborhood. New downtown restaurants and retail stores are opening to cater to the growing college population.

Photo/Chuck Crumbo

By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

September stroll down Main Street is a strikingly different experience these days. Backpacks with University of South Carolina logos hitch rides with students hurrying through crosswalks. Bodies crowd sidewalk tables at restaurants and coffee shops in the late afternoon sunlight. Storefront windows offer clothing and coffee cups sporting spurs and feathers.

As Columbia’s downtown revitalization continues, a trend is clear among the hustle and bustle: the growth has a distinctive college flavor, and with USC’s enrollment increasing at a rate of around 1,000 students per year, that aspect will only become more evident. “That’s about two large residential complexes every year that we can just keep anticipating,” said Matt Kennell, CEO of City Center Partnership, a nonprofit organization that promotes See COLLEGE STUDENTS, Page 10

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Business Beat Reporting PROVIDED

Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Sully Witte The Moultrie News

Tony Blanchard watches son Bennet place fresh crabs in a pot for steaming.

Little T goes to market

PROVIDED

Big T crab dip is made by Sullivan’s Island residents Tracy and Tony Blanchard.

Sullivan’s Island woman launches crab dip in Walmart in March BY SULLY WITTE editor@moultrienews.com Tracy Blanchard, the “little t” behind Big T Coastal Provisions, recently landed a deal to sell Charleston-made crab dip at over 1,000 Walmart stores as part of Walmart’s 2013 commitment to buy $250 billion in products supporting American jobs over 10 years. According to Scott Markley, a spokesman for Walmart, where the store’s products are made is very important to its customers - second only to price. “With changes in energy costs and labor

costs overseas, it is increasingly cost effective and efficient to manufacture closest to the point of consumption, helping Walmart respond to trends and customer demand,” he said. “It is just good business.” Big T Coastal Provisions of Charleston is a woman-owned business, but Tracy admits her husband Tony is actually the “Big T.” Tracy said the recipe originated with her mother-in-law June, who raised her children on Sullivan’s Island. Tony grew up crabbing and fishing, and his mom used his catch to make her own version of crab dip. Tony loved it, Tracy said.

When they met at the College of Charleston, he started making it for Tracy. They got married, Tracy learned to make it and they took it with them to parties. Their friends loved it so much, they began giving it as gifts. As a joke, their friends told them they should try and sell it. But over the years, Tony began researching what exactly that would entail. And in 2012, they decided to “jump into the pond, so to speak,” Tracy said. “We started with Piggly Wiggly, Harris See DIP, page 5B

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Business Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Elizabeth Bush Daniel Island News

%HQHÂ¿WIRFXV &XVWRPHU 6XFFHVV &HQWHU HDUQV QDWLRQDO NXGRV West Coast style sets DI company space apart ELIZABETH BUSH beth@thedanielislandnews.com %HQHÂ¿WIRFXV SULGHV LWVHOI RQ HVWDEOLVKLQJ ZKDW FRPSDQ\ H[HFXWLYHV GHVFULEH DV D Â³ZLQQLQJ FXOWXUHÂ´ IRU LWV HPSOR\HHV DQG FXVWRPHUV :KDWÂ¶V WKHLU VHFUHW" :HOO \RX FRXOG VD\ WKH ZULWLQJ LV RQ WKH ZDOOV %HLQJ DEOH WR H[SUHVV LGHDV ZKHQ LQVSLUDWLRQ VWULNHV RQ VWUDWHJLFDOO\ SODFHG ZKLWH ERDUGV WKURXJKRXW LWV EXLOGLQJV LQFOXGLQJ LQVLGH VWDLUZHOOV LV MXVW RQH ZD\ WKH 'DQLHO ,VODQG EDVHG FRPSDQ\ HQFRXUDJHV WHDPZRUN DQG FUHDWLYLW\ 7KHUH DUH SOHQW\ PRUH ,Q WKH &XVWRPHU 6XFFHVV &HQWHU &6& IRU H[DPSOH \RX FDQ JUDE \RXU FR ZRUNHUV DQG SLOH LQWR D YLQWDJH 9: EXV RQ WKH Â¿UVW Ã&#x20AC;RRU WR FHOHEUDWH PLOHVWRQHV VSHQG VRPH WLPH LQ D JODVV HQFORVHG V WKHPHG ZRUNVSDFH NQRZQ VLPSO\ DV Â³%XHOOHU Â´ RU EUHZ XS VRPH 6WDUEXFNV FRIIHH DQG JDWKHU RQ VHYHUDO FR]\ FRXFKHV IRU DQ LPSURPSWX EUDLQVWRUPLQJ VHVVLRQ %HQHÂ¿WIRFXV KDV GHPRQVWUDWHG WKDW \RX GRQÂ¶W KDYH WR WUDYHO WR WKH :HVW &RDVW WR Â¿QG WKH VDPH XOWUD FRRO ZRUN YLEH WKDW WHFK VDYY\ FRPSDQLHV OLNH )DFHERRN DQG *RRJOH DUH IDPRXV IRU 'HVLJQHG E\ $6' _ 6.< WKH &6& KDV D ZRZ IDFWRU DOO LWV RZQ ,Q IDFW WKH EXLOG-

LQJ LV VR LPSUHVVLYH WKDW WKH $PHULFDQ ,QVWLWXWH RI $UFKLWHFWV KDV WDNHQ QRWLFH Â± UHFHQWO\ UHFRJQL]LQJ WKH VTXDUH IRRW VWUXFWXUH IRU LWV PRGHUQ FRPIRUWDEOH DQG FROODERUDWLYH GHVLJQ Â³&RPPXQLW\ ZDV WKH GHVLJQ JRDO Â´ VDLG 1LQD 6RVVDPRQ 3RJXH YLFH SUHVLGHQW RI FRPPXQLW\ DQG FXOWXUH DW %HQHÂ¿WIRFXV Â³,W ZDV LPSRUWDQW WR DFKLHYH WKDW VRFLDO ZRUN VSDFH WKDW ZRXOG UHÃ&#x20AC;HFW RXU FXOWXUH DQG WKDW EDODQFH RI FROODERUDWLRQ DQG IRFXV Â´ %HQHÂ¿WIRFXV SURYLGHV LWV FOLHQWV ZLWK D FORXG EDVHG EHQHÂ¿WV PDQDJHPHQW SODWIRUP WKDW VLPSOLÂ¿HV KRZ RUJDQL]DWLRQV DQG LQGLYLGXDOV VKRS IRU HQUROO LQ PDQDJH DQG H[FKDQJH EHQHÂ¿WV 7KH &6& EXLOGLQJ RSHQHG MXVW RYHU D \HDU DJR DQG LV WKH QHZHVW VWUXFWXUH WR ULVH RQ WKH %HQHÂ¿WIRFXV FDPSXV 7KHUH LV DOVR D 'HVLJQ PROVIDED BY SEAN SHORTELL (QJLQHHULQJ '( EXLOGLQJ DQG D FRUSRUDWH 7KURXJKRXW WKH %HQHÃ&#x20AC;WIRFXV &XVWRPHU 6XFFHVV &HQWHU RQ 'DQLHO ,VODQG \RX ZLOO Ã&#x20AC;QG JODVV KHDGTXDUWHUV EXLOGLQJ $QRWKHU '( VWUXFWXUH HQFORVHG URRPV WKDW LQVSLUH FUHDWLYLW\ DQG LGHD VKDULQJ FRPI\ FRXFKHV WKDW VHUYH DV JDWKHULQJ LV LQ WKH SODQQLQJ VWDJHV DV ZHOO DV Â³&RPVSDFHV IRU PHHWLQJV RU LPSURPSWX EUDLQVWRUPLQJ VHVVLRQV DQG %HQHÃ&#x20AC;WIRFXVÂ·V IRXU VLJQDWXUH PXQLW\ 7DEOHÂ´ FDPSXV UHVWDXUDQW $OO UHÃ&#x20AC;HFW FRORUV UHG RUDQJH JUHHQ DQG EOXH WKH FRPSDQ\Â¶V PLVVLRQ DQG YDOXHV Â± SURYLGH DQWLFLSDWRU\ VHUYLFH UHVSHFW WKH LQGLYLGXDO DQG JHW WKDW FDPSXV IHHO RI JHWWLQJ WRJHWKHU VKDULQJ WRJHWKHU Â´ DGGHG 6RVVDPRQ 3RJXH Â³7KHUH LV NQRZOHGJH DQG VKDULQJ LGHDV Â´ QR XSVWDLUV GRZQVWDLUV PHQWDOLW\ :H DUH RSHQ FHOHEUDWHÂ«WRJHWKHU )HDWXUHV OLNH DQ RSHQ VWDLUFDVH LQ WKH FHQWHU DQG FROODERUDWLYH Â´ Â³,W IHHOV OLNH D FROOHJH FDPSXV Â´ VDLG $QRWKHU NH\ GHVLJQ IRXQG LQ WKH &6& LV D 6RVVDPRQ 3RJXH ZKR RIWHQ JUDEV D FRPSDQ\ RI WKH &6& DUH ERWK V\PEROLF DQG IXQFWLRQDO Â³7KDWÂ¶V WKDW VLJQDO WKDW ZHÂ¶UH DOO LQ WKLV ELNH WR WUDYHO IURP EXLOGLQJ WR EXLOGLQJ Â³<RX

See BENEFITFOCUS on PAGE 10

2016 News Awards

A continuing community dialogue exploring the changes, opportunities and choices we all face as #GreenvilleGrows. Join the conversation at GreenvilleJournal.com, facebook.com/GreenvilleJournal or twitter.com/gville_journal.

FIRST PLACE Business Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Sherry Jackson Greenville Journal

Retailers see challenges, opportunities from downtown growth Higher rent, increased pedestrian traffic and parking are on the minds of Greenville’s shop owners SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com

Location, location, location. That’s one of the cardinal rules for any retailer. Choosing the right location for a retail store can mean success or failure for a business largely dependent on customers’ whims, needs and wants. As Greenville continues to garner accolades and top “best of” lists, more visitors are discovering our city. In addition, more people are now living downtown. So what does all of that do to downtown retail? For some retailers, it means higher rent. Others are benefitting from more pedestrian traffic. Certainly it means a different mix of retail is needed. The downtown retail landscape is changing. But is it changing for the better? GROWING PAINS Greenville has had unprecedented growth in the past few years, said Mary Douglas Hirsch, downtown manager for the city. Retailers have been responding with more products and an increase in their hours, she said. Customers have also appreciated the recent change to offer the first hour of parking for free in city-owned garages. “The first hour free [for parking] has meant a lot and has been a wonderful gift the city is offering,” says Deb Agnew, owner of Ayers Leathers. Her store, a Main Street fixture for 41 years, recently moved around

Photos by Carol B. Stewart

the corner, off Main Street to West North Street. Hirsch, along with several downtown merchants, property and business owners, have met informally over the past few months to talk about the changes. Rising rent is the main concern expressed. Hirsch said no formal plans have come out of the discussions yet. “It’s not just the city that can solve the problem; it needs to be the private sector too,” she said. Longtime downtown business owner Liz Daly of Liz Daly Designs says that while “some changes are good,” it’s a little scary for some retailers. “Smaller businesses have had to leave because of skyrocketing rents,” she said. “We were the fearless ones and the reason that Main Street became so popular.” Daly’s former location is being demolished as part of the Camperdown project on the current Greenville News site, and she recently relocated her business to Coffee Street. “Main Street can outprice itself in a hurry,” said Agnew. She’s noticed retailers coming and going and more open real estate along Main Street recently. Those landlords are going to have to “either wait for big chains or drop prices,” she said. While pedestrian trafﬁc is lower on East North Street, “moving off Main Street cut out those just browsing,” Agnew said. “Our business went from about a 60 percent sale to every customer to 90 percent.” While the city can’t dictate the rates landlords charge, there are options for cultivating a good mix of local-owned and national retailers. Agnew says she sees “a nice blend” of national chains and local retailers. She’s also noticed a change

in shoppers who may have only frequented national brands at the mall. Now, those shoppers are coming to Main Street to go to a national chain and stopping in along their way at local merchants. There is no “formula” anymore for retailers with the increase in online shopping, so it comes down to personal service, notes Agnew. “Southern shoppers are pretty savvy, and it’s more based on quality now. Those are the people coming in the door.” A HELPING HAND FROM THE CITY? The City Center Partnership in Columbia was the ﬁrst business improvement district in South Carolina. Hirsch cites it as an effective public-private partnership for downtown management and development. The organization provides public space management, economic development, marketing services and public advocacy for downtown Columbia. The partnership’s board of directors oversees the organization’s mission: ﬁlling vacancies in commercial properties, retaining existing downtown businesses and recruiting new ones, expanding the downtown residential base and creating a safe, clean and friendly downtown environment. Business Improvement Districts often provide marketing funds to promote businesses. The goal is to increase sales, which may help owners afford higher rental rates, said Hirsch. That’s not saying Greenville doesn’t help out merchants. The city offers a business license tax abatement program for new businesses that can DOWNTOWN RETAIL continued on PAGE 18

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Business Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

New partnership may take Georgetown woman’s business to the next level BY MARK A. STEVENS mstevens@southstrandnews.com

Surrounded by empty shelves, Melody Skipper watched as the culmination of 14 years’ worth of work pulled on to Highmarket Street and was driven away. Inside the packed trailer that would soon be speeding along to Chester, South Carolina, were hundreds of T-shirts Skipper had designed and marketed over the years, first under the name Melody’s Designs and, most recently, as Crescent Cotton, her fast-growing Southern retail brand based in Georgetown. “That’s when it really hit me,” Skipper said. “It really was like watching your kid go off to college. You hate to see them go, but you know and hope it’s for the best. Luckily I was in here by myself, because I shed more than a few tears.” The tears have subsided now, even though Skipper’s voice cracks from time to time as she tells her story – a success story that might just well be every small business owner’s dream come true. On Jan. 6, the 34-year-old entered into a joint venture with Scott Clyburn, the owner of Heybo, a Chester-based apparel company that enjoys a regional identity under the motto, “Southern By Choice.” The new venture will operate under Crescent Cotton LLC, and a variety of new designs will debut Tuesday, March 1, at www.crescentcottontees.com.

Melody Skipper signs paperwork for her partnership with Scott Clyburn.

One of the new Crescent Cotton designs that will debut March 1.

The company’s social media outlets have teased consumers with a few of the new designs,

including a T-shirt featuring a bouquet of cotton encircled with the words, “Cotton, Lace and Southern Grace!” But the full array of new designs won’t be shown until the March 1 launch date. It’s a date Skipper is anxious to arrive. Skipper has been in the Tshirt business for 14 years, going back to her days as a college student at Charleston Southern University. On paper, Skipper and Clyburn’s business venture seems like the perfect match. “Melody has a lot of desire,

a lot of drive and motivation,” Clyburn said. “She created a great little brand. I think she’s done a really good job. Our job will be ... to help build it even more, put the marketing behind it and get it distributed to the Southern market.” Skipper – the daughter of Tony and Debbie Jordan of Georgetown – started her company selling South Carolina-inspired T-shirts featuring hand-drawn designs in 2001. Her first Tshirt came in response to 9-11,

See PARTNERSHIP, P Page 2A

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Business Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Monica Kreber The Summerville Journal Scene

Up on the roof: Solar panels Local business owner enters a green and sunny venture BY MONICA KREBER mkreber@journalscene.com

David Manzi’s father, John, is a huge proponent of decreasing his carbon footprint. Manzi said his father, who lives on Folly Beach, drives an electric BMW and put solar panels up on his house in the last year. Seeing his father do it, Manzi thought maybe he could put some panels up on his Summerville business and sell some energy back to SCE&G. Manzi is owner of Cirque Salon Studios on Bacons Bridge Road. He and his father are joint partners in the building. Manzi is using the building’s flat roof to accommodate 78 solar panels to sell electricity back to SCE&G on a monthly basis. Edgewater Energy Services is installing the panels. Ginny Jones, senior public affairs specialist with SCANA, said this will be the first commercial solar customer in Summerville to participate in one of the new Distributer Energy Resources Programs that were launched last fall. The programs are incentives developed to encourage customers to install solar panels at their homes or businesses. Jones stated in an e-mail that since launching the incentive programs last fall, SCE&G has seen a “significant increase” in customers who are interested in solar panels. The panels will occupy 6,200 square feet on the roof above the salon portion of the building, which has a higher roof. There are plans to use the entire roof, which could be covered with an estimated 170 panels, but Manzi has decided

Monica Kreber/Journal Scene

David Manzi checks out the first set of solar panels on his roof in early February. to start by putting panels up just over the salon. In a couple of weeks he will start selling energy back to SCE&G every month. Manzi will still get his monthly electric bill, which he said runs close to $3,000 a month. Selling the energy back to SCE&G will not make an immediate profit. In probably about three to four years Manzi expects to

start to break even, but further down the road Manzi should start to make some money off the panels, he said. It’s not just about making a profit, though. “It helps that it makes money but it’s nice that I’m also able to make it a green initiative,” he said. Cirque Salon Studios’ big flat roof will allow maximum ex-

posure to the sun, he said. The panels sit in weighted down cradles and can withstand up to 120-mile-per-hour winds. Edgewater Energy is based in North Charleston. Kevin Crout, owner and partner at Edgewater Energy, said his business has kept busy with residential installations for solar panels. Crout said they have had cus-

tomers shave as much as half off their electric bill. A handful do not have to pay a bill, he said. With Manzi’s business, Crout said Edgewater is excited to finish installing the panels and seeing their potential. “We hope to do a lot more in the future,” he said. Manzi is excited about the new venture. “It’s really excit-

ing to be doing this,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to one, become a little greener, and two, it’s a business venture, too.” Manzi said he is hopeful to start a trend among other businesses in the area. “There’s so many buildings like this around here,” he said. “I hope that people utilize it and start doing something.”

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Business Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Nearing half-century mark, C.B.’s evolves into Version 4.0 under founder’s son Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Step into Craig Mathis’ store on Lancaster’s Main Street, and you’ll see a business shedding its old skin and becoming new again. A shrinking clearance corner with stilettos and sequined gowns is being overtaken by a larger selection of tuxedos and a growing assortment of computers, cell phones and tablets awaiting repair. The business is in its fourth incarnation since Craig’s father opened its doors as a hair salon in 1968. C.B. Mathis took the tiny specialty store into the national fashion spotlight, even coaching one of his clients to a Miss America title. “We had been at a worldwide level before, and it was a struggle to let that part go,” Craig Mathis says. “But my spirit yearned for

more. I finally felt the confidence to do what I love, or what I’m good at…. It’s about learning and having fun.” In the store, two blocks south of Lancaster’s historic courthouse, a steady flow of teenage boys and their prom dates shop for the perfect tux. A few feet away, customers with broken cell phone screens and crashed computers wait their turn as Mathis explains tuxedo styles to young men suiting up in this formal way for the first time. He allows space for them to consult with their girlfriends, feel the fabric and daydream. He remains nearby to answer questions and make suggestions based on years of experience. See C.B.’S I Page 3A

Mandy Catoe The Lancaster News photo above supplied; photo at right MANDY CATOE/mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Years ago, C.B. Mathis was featured in this photo in The Charlotte Observer, taken by Nell Redmond. The caption reads “C.B. Mathis styles Surgener Crawford’s ‘do. He charges $50 an hour for consultations, $75 for hair and makeup.” At right, Craig Mathis, owner of C.B.'s Tux & Tech, takes LHS junior Bailey Wilson's measurements to ensure a perfect fit.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Education Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Joseph Garris, Jr. The News-Era

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Education Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Larry Franklin The Clinton Chronicle

District 56 board given annual cost to reduce class sizes By Larry Franklin Publisher The board of trustees of School District 56 will have to spend an additional $439,379 per year if they decide to reduce the class sizes in 4K-second grade in the district’s three elementary schools. Superintendent Dr. David O’Shields provided information to the board – meeting Nov. 16 at Clinton High School – in response to board inquiries at two previous board meetings. At the Oct. 26 board meeting, trustees Tammy Stewart – a kindergarten teacher in Laurens – and Dr. Patsy Sadler asked administrators to find ways to reduce class sizes, particularly in the 10 5K classes. According to information provided Nov. 16, Clinton Elementary has four 5K classes with 29, 27, 28 and 29 students; there are 28 students in each of the four classes at Eastside Elementary and Joanna-Woodson Elementary’s two 5K classes have 26 and 24 students. “If you want quality education

in this district, it has to start in pre-school,” Stewart said. Sadler requested information on how class size affects student achievement. At the Nov. 16 meeting, O’Shields told the board the district would have to hire four additional teachers to cap class size in 5K-second grade at 24 students (at a total cost for teachers and aides of $360,000 per year). New kindergarten teachers would be needed at all three elementary schools and Eastside would need another first grade teacher. If class size is capped at 25 students, the district would hire three more teachers (kindergarten at both Clinton Elementary and Eastside and first grade at Eastside), costing an extra $270,000 per year. Federal Title I money could not be used to pay the teachers, O’Shields said. “If we add this (more teachers), we’ll have to take (the money) from some other place,” the superintendent said. Stewart said she was not clear on the restrictions for how Title I money can be used.

All-Star: School District 56 Superintendent Dr. David O’Shields presents Clinton High School senior Tay Cook to members of the school board after Cook was recognized for being named to the 2015 North-South All-Star football team. The board also recognized Mason Paige Gambrell, who was named to the North-South All-Star team in tennis. -- Photo by Larry Franklin Sadler asked if adding an additional aide in the kindergarten classes would have any value. Dr. Gerald Robinson, the district’s finance director, is a former

elementary teacher and principal. He said appropriate training for an aide would be key. Adding another aide “is another consideration,” O’Shields

said. “I do understand that younger level kids need more attention. It’s critical we help them learn how to read.” “I would ask that we revisit this,” Stewart said. “This is something we need to continue discussing.” O’Shields said the reduction in class sizes will continue to appear on the board’s monthly agenda. Also at the Nov. 16 meeting, CHS Principal Maureen Tiller told the board the school has implemented strategies for improving college admission test scores. She said Clinton High is now a site for SAT testing and the school is offering a class to help students get ready for the test the week before the test is scheduled at the school. Tiller also highlighted increases in scores made in the last four years in end of course testing, the school’s graduation rate and advanced placement course testing. “We’ve made huge improvements in a very short time,” she said. “We’ve done a great job focusing on what we need to improve. There is still much to do.

The new focus is on what is the next step for our students.” Sadler said the increases highlighted by Tiller were “fantastic.” The board also recognized CHS tennis player Mason Paige Gambrell and football player Tay Cook for being named to the North/South All-Star teams in their sports. O’Shields told the board the district is purchasing new digital cameras to replace security cameras at Clinton High School that have not been operational for three months. Lance Taylor, the director of instructional technology, said the broken cameras were used cameras that had been moved to CHS when the new school opened. He said analog cameras were used to save money and officials realized they wouldn’t last much longer. O’Shields said the new cameras should be installed during the Christmas break. At the Nov. 16 meeting, Dr. Patsy Sadler was re-elected as board vice chairman for a oneyear term and Edna McGee was re-elected secretary for a oneyear term.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Education Beat Reporting Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

EDUCATION

2016 News Awards

Clover school board unanimously approves new attendance zones

THIRD PLACE Education Beat Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Clover School District’s middle school attendance zoning shows in blue, the students who will go to the new Clover Middle School, while red zone will go to Oakridge Middle School. BY CATHERINE MUCCIGROSSO

cmuccigrosso@lakewyliepilot.com LAKE WYLIE

Catherine Muccigrosso Lake Wylie Pilot

Clover School District

. ..................................................................................................................

Clover School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved new attendance zones to one student’s applause Monday night. “I’m just happy I get to stay at Oakridge (Middle School),” said seventhgrader Autumn Huskey, who applauded Superintendent Marc Sosne’s presentation to the board. The new attendance lines are for the two new schools opening in the fall that were part of a $99 million construction package approved by voters in a March 2014 bond vote. The $30 million Oakridge Elementary School in Lake Wylie and $40 million Clover Middle on Barrett Road near Clover are both set to open in August. The rezoning proposal addresses the fastest growing area of the district, at Lake Wylie area schools, which saw 7 percent growth in 2015. Schools on

School board approves redistricting needed for two schools opening in fall . ..................................................................................................................

Griggs Elementary will feed directly to Clover Middle . ..................................................................................................................

Rezoning for new elementary will be divided by highways 49/557 . ..................................................................................................................

the western side of the Clover district had about 2 percent growth. Now students living on the north side of S.C. 49 and 557 corridor, such as Hamilton’s Bay and The Landing, will go to the new Oakridge Elementary School. Those south of that divider, such as the River Hills and Forest Oaks area, will attend Crowders Creek. One of the goals, Sosne said, was to keep neighborhoods together and to redistribute student numbers to best utilize the space, defer having to build new schools and save taxpayers money. The middle school lines raised the most the concerns. Under the current middle school attendance zones, all students from Bethany, Kinard and Larne

elementary schools attend Clover Middle. All students from Crowders Creek and Bethel elementary schools attend Oakridge Middle. The proposed new middle school attendance zones calls for all Griggs Road students to attend Clover Middle, instead of the current split between Oakridge Middle and Clover Middle. “On a positive side, kids in Griggs won’t be split after fifth grade but will stay together,” Sosne said during one of four public meetings held in the fall giving parents and the community opportunity to suggest alternatives. The new middle school zone impacts about 150 students in the Griggs Road Elementary area.

Seventh-graders at Oakridge Middle, like Huskey, will be able to finish there, Sosne said, but parents will have to provide their own transportation. He said 50 students in that grade are affected. He wasn’t swayed to let lower grades continue at Oakridge Middle. “We need to move enough students from Oakridge Middle School for better balance,” he said, because the current growth would max capacity there in about two years. Both schools have capacity for 1,200 students. Currently, Clover Middle has 718 students, while Oakridge Middle has 987. “I had to put a lot more kids in Clover Middle,” Sosne said. “When both of those schools near capacity, we’ll then plan for a new school.” The downside to the plan brought up by parents, Sosne said, is the inconvenience of not being in a direct path to work in Charlotte and being farther away for some students currently going to Griggs. Parents may request their child go to a different school than the one they are assigned assigned to by requesting an accommodations process. “But in my opinion, this is the best plan for utilizing the space we’ve got,” he said. Detailed maps are available at the school district website, go to http://clover.schoolwires. net/domain/1942. Catherine Muccigrosso: 803-831-8166, @LakeWyliePilot

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Education Beat Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Elizabeth Bush Daniel Island News

24 SCHOOLS thedanielislandnews.com

The Daniel Island News Å¶ April 28 - May 4, 2016

DIS student earns Turnaround Achievement Award ELIZABETH BUSH beth@thedanielislandnews.com :KHQ \RX Â¿UVW PHHW 'DQLHO ,VODQG 6FKRRO WK JUDGHU 'DYRQWL 0RRG\ WKHUH DUH D IHZ WKLQJV \RX QRWLFH +H KDV D ZDUP LQYLWLQJ SUHVHQFH WKDW LPPHGLDWHO\ VHWV \RX DW HDVH +H LV DUWLFXODWH UHVSHFWIXO RI KLV WHDFKHUV DQG IRFXVHG RQ KLV JRDOV $QG KH KDV D VPLOH WKDW OLJKWV XS WKH URRP 7KH\ DUH DWWULEXWHV QRW ORVW RQ $QDVWDVLD &DUUROO RQH RI KLV WHDFKHUV DW ',6 %XW SHUKDSV ZKDW VWULNHV KHU WKH PRVW DERXW WKLV VSHFLDO VWXGHQW LV WKH IDFW WKDW 'DYRQWL GLGQÂ¶W DOZD\V GLVSOD\ WKH WUDLWV WKDW QRZ VHW KLP DSDUW ,Q IDFW KLV WUDQVIRUPDWLRQ KDV EHHQ VR UHPDUNDEOH WKDW &DUUROO QRPLQDWHG 'DYRQWL IRU D %HUNHOH\ &RXQW\ 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW Â³7XUQDURXQG $FKLHYHPHQW $ZDUG Â´ )RU &DUUROO QRZ LQ KHU IRXUWK \HDU RI WHDFKLQJ DW ',6 LW ZDV WKH Â¿UVW WLPH VKH QRPLQDWHG D VWXGHQW IRU WKH KRQRU Â³7KDWÂ¶V VD\LQJ D ORW IURP PH WKDW , QRWLFHG D GLIIHUHQFH LQ WKLV SDUWLFXODU VWXGHQW DQG VDLG Âµ<RX NQRZ ZKDW ,Â¶P JRLQJ WR GR WKLV Â¶ %HFDXVH WKLV VWXGHQW GHVHUYHV LWÂ«7KDW VSHDNV YROXPHV IRU 'DYRQWL Â´ :KHQ 'DYRQWL FDPH WR ',6 ODVW \HDU IURP 0RUQLQJVLGH 0LGGOH 6FKRRO LQ &KDUOHVWRQ &RXQW\ KH ZDV VRFLDOO\ GLVWDQW KHVLWDQW WR SOXJ LQ DQG KH VWUXJJOHG DFDGHPLFDOO\ Â³, ZDV MXVW EHLQJ D IROORZHU , JXHVV Â´ VDLG

ELIZABETH BUSH

Davonti Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good behavior and strong academic progress inspired one of his teachers, Anastasia Carroll, to nominate him for a Berkeley County School District Turnaround Achievement Award. Now in its 18th year, the program honors students who have experienced challenges, but who have made the conscious decision to adopt a positive attitude toward education and fully commit to pursuing a successful future.

'DYRQWL Â³7U\LQJ WR EH FRROÂ«, ZDV MXVW GRLQJ D EXQFK RI GLVUHVSHFW DQG PLVEHKDYLQJ &HUWDLQ WLPHV , ZRXOG EH VHULRXV DERXW P\ VFKRRO ZRUN OLNH LI , VDZ P\ JUDGH LQ D FODVV , ZRXOG WU\ EXW WKHQ , ZRXOG EH OLNH ÂµQDK Â¶Â´ %XW WKHQ VRPHWKLQJ FKDQJHG LQ 'DYRQWL +H GHFLGHG LW ZDV WLPH WR WDNH D QHZ SDWK Â³, ZDV MXVW WKLQNLQJ , ZDV LQYLQFLEOH Â´ KH UHFDOOHG Â³, WKRXJKW WKH\Â¶UH QRW JRLQJ WR KROG EH EDFN 7KHQ , Â¿QDOO\ VDZ LW , XVHG WR PDNH IXQ RI SHRSOH OLNH WKLV %XW WKHQ , QRWLFHG LW LQ P\VHOI DQG , GLGQÂ¶W OLNH LW , VDLG , DP QRW JRLQJ WR UHSHDW WK JUDGH DJDLQ RU DQ\ PRUH JUDGHV Â´ Â³)URP WKDW WLPH IUDPH ODVW \HDU WR WKLV \HDU , VDZ D PDVVLYH LPSURYHPHQW QRW RQO\ LQ DFD-

GHPLFV EXW DOVR LQ KRZ KH FRPPXQLFDWHV ZLWK RWKHUV FODVVPDWHV DQG WHDFKHUV Â´ DGGHG &DUUROO Â³, WKLQN KHÂ¶V PDWXUHG D ORWÂ«+H UHFRJQL]HV ZKHQ VRPHWKLQJ LVQÂ¶W ULJKW DQG KH LV YHU\ TXLFN WR FKDQJH WKDW 1RW PDQ\ SHRSOH KLV DJH KDYH WKH DELOLW\ WR GR WKDW HDUO\ RQ 6R WKDW ZDV UHDOO\ DZHVRPH Â´ &DUUROO ZHQW RQ WR JLYH DQ H[DPSOH RI KRZ 'DYRQWL KDQGOHG D UHFHQW VLWXDWLRQ LQYROYLQJ D WHDFKHU ZKR IHOO IURP D FKDLU 7KH ROG 'DYRQWL PD\ KDYH MXVW ODXJKHG LQFLWLQJ KLV FODVVPDWHV WR GR WKH VDPH %XW WKLV WLPH DIWHU FKXFNOLQJ LQLWLDOO\ KH TXLFNO\ DSRORJL]HG WR WKH WHDFKHU DQG DVNHG LI KH ZDV 2. Â³7KDWÂ¶V DPD]LQJ WKDW KH KDV EHHQ DEOH WR FDWFK RQ WR GRLQJ WKDW Â´ DGGHG &DUUROO

2QFH WKH FODVV MRNHVWHU 'DYRQWL QRZ NQRZV ZKHQ LWÂ¶V WLPH WR WXUQ RII WKH KXPRU Â³,Q WKH EHJLQQLQJ , GLGQÂ¶W WDON WR DQ\ERG\ Â´ KH VDLG RI KLV Â¿UVW ZHHNV DW ',6 Â³, GLGQÂ¶W VWDUW WDONLQJ WR SHRSOH XQWLO WKH PLGGOH RI WKH \HDUÂ« ,Â¶P QRW JRLQJ WR OLH ,Q WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI WKH FODVV , GR NLQG RI MRNH DQG VODFN RII %XW ZKHQ WKH WHDFKHU VWDUWV WHDFKLQJ ,Â¶P OLNH Âµ%H TXLHW 'RQÂ¶W WDON WR PH Â¶ , NQRZ ZKHQ WR MRNH DQG QRW WR MRNH Â´ $QG WKHUH DUH DOVR RWKHU DUHDV LQ ZKLFK 'DYRQWL QRZ H[FHOV Â³+HÂ¶V YHU\ DFDGHPLFDOO\ GULYHQ Â´ DGGHG &DUUROO Â³:KHQHYHU KH GRHV DVVLJQPHQWV RU DQ\ NLQG RI VWXG\LQJ KH WDNHV WKH LQLWLDWLYH WR OHDUQ WR FOHDU XS DQ\ FRQIXVLRQ KH PD\ KDYH +HÂ¶OO DVN PRUH TXHVWLRQV +HÂ¶V YHU\ LQTXLVLWLYH WKDW ZD\ +H HQFRXUDJHV RWKHUV DQG DVNV SHRSOH LI WKH\ QHHG KHOS Â´ 2Q $SULO 'DYRQWL ZDV RQH RI VWXGHQWV DFURVV WKH GLVWULFW WR UHFHLYH D FRYHWHG 7XUQDURXQG $FKLHYHPHQW $ZDUG DW D FRPPHPRUDWLYH FHUHPRQ\ KHOG DW :HVWYLHZ 0LGGOH 6FKRRO (DFK UHFLSLHQW ZDV JLYHQ D JLIW EDJ ZLWK SUL]HV D SODTXH DQG DQ LQYLWDWLRQ WR WDNH SDUW LQ D Â¿HOG WULS LQ 0D\ ULGLQJ ERDWV SURYLGHG E\ 'UDJRQ %RDW &KDUOHVWRQ LQ &KDUOHVWRQ +DUERU 7KH HYHQW PDUNHG WKH GLVWULFWÂ¶V WK \HDU KRVWLQJ

See ACHIEVEMENT on PAGE 25

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Education Beat Reporting Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

Lessons in democracy BY CHARLES SWENSON COASTAL OBSERVER

Even with no empty promises, no super PACs and none of the candidates trading insults, the election campaign that played out this month was still something of a zoo. “Vote for Anna – She’s No Banana!” read one poster. “Mr. Giraffe approves of Nolen for President,” said another. And for anyone wondering whether national politics had spilled over into the halls of Waccamaw Intermediate School there was this: “Make WIS Great Again!” That was Jake Besser’s slogan, but any suggestion that he was a Celebrity Apprentice in the making was dispelled by another of his posters that read, “I mustache you to vote for me.” Each classroom elected a representative to the student Senate earlier in the year. From the Senate members, they came up with nominees for secretary from the fourth-graders, vice president from the fifth-graders and president from the sixth-graders. The election of officers was delayed by the closing of schools for six days in October due to record rains and the flooding the followed. “It’s a great process, especially with what’s coming up next year in the presidential election,” said principal Tim Carnahan as students rushed to get a place in line at the polls. They were set up Friday during the three lunch periods: 20 Dell laptops with brown cardboard on three sides to keep the ballots secret. There was no question of voter apathy. Out of 540 enrolled at the school, 494 cast votes. “It was the first time we ever voted,” said Coker Street, a fourth-grader. “You have to be 18 to vote for real,” said her classmate, Delanie Newsome. The candidates – three for secretary, four for VP and six for president – made video recordings of their speeches, which were screened before the morning of the election. That was due in part to the time factor, said Sarah Colegrove, a sixth-grade teacher and the Senate SEE “ELECTION,” PAGE 18

Molly Stover, above, takes time out from lunch to vote. At left, Sarah Colegrove, the student Senate advisor, checks voter IDs. Top left, Nolen Howard, seated, gets congratulations from her classmates after winning the election for Senate president.

Charles Swenson/Coastal Observer

Max Congdon, a candidate for president, also reads the morning announcements at the school. He put his media skills to work in a video recording of his campaign speech. It took more than one take to get it word-perfect.

Data shows students flunking this course in historic numbers

THIRD PLACE Education Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Scott Powell The Gaffney Ledger

By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” This quote is attributed to Edmund Burke, a British House of Commons member remembered for his support of the American colonies in the dispute with King George III that led to the American Revolution. If history knowledge is important to know where you’re going, then Cherokee County and South Carolina high school students are in trouble. Just 11.6 percent of Blacksburg and Gaffney High students made an A or B on the state’s U.S. History (c) depositphotos.com/uropek8 end-of-course exam in 2015. State test data show 48.1 percent of The U.S. History and Constitution end-of-course exam covers county students made an F on the history topics from the settlement of America’s first colony exam this spring. Statewide, 31.1 percent Jamestown in 1607 through recent U.S. foreign and made an F. domestic policy under President Barack Obama. Under South Carolina’s uniform gradThe test counts for 20 percent of a student’s ing scale, an “A” is 93-100, a “B” is 85grade in the course required under the state’s school accountability law. 92; a “C” is 77-84 and a “D” is 70-76. Anything 69 or below is an “F. Here is a sample question: Cherokee County has actually shown considerable improvement from 2009 Emily was born in the colonies. Her parents emiwhen students statewide first took the grated from England in the early 1700s. Her parents came because they were searching for freedom of religion and beU.S. History end-of-course exam which cause her family wanted to work in a large city and make money by counts for 20 percent of their grade. exporting agriculture goods. In the spring of 2009, 78.2 percent of In which colony did Emily’s family live? Cherokee County students failed the U.S. History end of course exam while 57.6 perA. Massachusetts B. Pennsylvania C. Connecticut D. Georgia cent of South Carolina high school students statewide received an F. Only 0.5 percent This question requires knowledge of the economic and religious of local students made an A in 2009 while characteristics of the New England, middle and southern colonies just 6.5 percent in the Cherokee County and to what region each colony belonged. School District made a grade above a C on The correct answer is B. Pennsylvania welcomed religious diversity and included the large port city of Philadelphia where large that year’s end-of-course exam. (c) depositphotos.com/Pixelery.com

2016 News Awards

See HISTORY, Page 5A

amounts of goods were exported through the shipping industry.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Education Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Christopher Sardelli The Lancaster News

Future teachers bring fresh ideas to the classroom photos by CHRISTOPHER SARDELLI For The Lancaster News

Above, student teacher Faith Patterson, 22, teaches a math lesson in a sixth-grade class at South Middle School March 22. Below, student teacher Sherry Roof, 22, helps thirdgrader Jakob Sier figure out a math problem March 18 at Indian Land Elementary School.

Christopher Sardelli csardelli@thelancasternews.com

The sound of pencils furiously scribbling answers inside math workbooks filled the small Indian Land Elementary School classroom as Sherry Roof quietly strolled the aisles. Stopping every few desks, Roof crouched to answer questions about the task of the day – finding the perimeter of a slew of shapes, from rectangles to pentagons. To her students, it’s just one of many assignments they’ll work on this year, but for Roof, 22, it means a lot more. As one of more than 100 student teachers w o rk i n g inside class-

rooms throughout the Lancaster County School District, Roof is fulfilling her lifelong passion for teaching, while also gaining real-world experience in the process. “I want to be an influence in kids’ lives. I want to do whatever helps kids get more confidence or more self-esteem,” Roof said. As she finishes a yearlong internship inside third-grade teacher Ammie Crocker’s classroom, and with only a few months until she earns a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Winthrop University, she marvels at the progress she’s made. “One reason I chose Winthrop is because they do a full-time internship, and I wanted to see the growth of the kids from the beginning to the end of the year,” Roof said. “I would love to teach third grade because you see their growth, where they become independent and grow into themselves, and I like being a part of it.” ILES Principal Beth Blum said the student teacher experience has advanced since she was coming through college. “I had just six weeks at the end of my program in the classroom, but now they get a lot of classroom time and it helps them make sure they actually want to do this,” Blum said. See TEACHERS I Page 3A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Education Beat Reporting 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Monica Kreber The Summerville Journal Scene

‘He’s being treated like a criminal’ Parents, school officials weigh in on school discipline BY MONICA KREBER mkreber@journalscene.com

Two Dorchester District Two moms describe their fifth-grade sons in a similar way: they are good children, they said. They make good grades and have kept their noses clean throughout their elementary school years. Yet an incident that occurred in March resulted in the two boys being booted from a class trip they had been working toward for two years. The crime Provided was dabbling in a substance that Since he did not get to go with resembled – but wasn’t actually his classmates, Jackie Gingrass – drugs. Franco took her son, Logan, to The mothers have spoken out the Kennedy Space Center on a about it, but district officials family trip instead. said DD2 has a zero tolerance

for drugs – including anything that looks like drugs – and the policies are laid out in the student handbook. Jackie Gingrass Franco and Jennifer Ericson, whose fifthgrade sons Logan and Austin attend Newington Elementary, both said their sons were members of a student organization called Young Astronauts, which had a scheduled trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this semester. The boys got kicked off the trip as a result of an incident involving a substance called “happy crack.” According to a police incident report, three boys – including Franco and Ericson’s sons – were suspended after they were

playing with “happy crack” in the playground at Newington Elementary. The boys said the happy crack was sugar mixed with Kool Aid. According to the report, an officer went to the playground where the boys had been observed and found a plastic baggie filled with pinkish-orangeish contents with “a strong fruity mango smell.” An additional baggie was found in one of the students’ book bags. A K-9 officer confirmed the substance was not actually narcotics, the report stated. Because of their suspension, the pair lost their trip to the Kennedy Space Center – a trip, See DISCIPLINE, Page 6A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Public Service All Weekly Division

UNDER ATTACK Heroin use becoming tragic epidemic in Horry County BY TOM O’DARE, AUGUST DITTBENNER

INFO@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Tom O’Dare and August R. Dittbenner Myrtle Beach Herald

The numbers are staggering. A police chief calls them frightening. Heroin overdoses and deaths have skyrocketed over the last couple of years in Horry County and local law enforcement agencies say they’re having a tough time keeping up with the flood of the deadly drug pouring into every community in the county. The numbers? Horry County Coroner Robert Edge said over the last six weeks, there have been 25 heroin-related deaths in the county. “We’re averaging about three to four of these deaths a week now,” Edge said. “In all my years as coroner, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Myrtle Beach police chief Warren Gall said his department gets multiple calls every day for heroin or opioid drug overdoses. “It’s definitely taxing our resources,” Gall said. Gall said the growing problem isn’t confined to one age group or neighborhood. “We’re finding these situations in people from late teens to late 60s throughout the city,” he said. He told of a recent situation in which someone saw three little children sitting in a car by themselves for a long time outside a convenience store. When a store employee asked what they were doing, they said they were waiting on their daddy. See HEROIN USE, Page 2A

PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE GRAPHICS

A community in crisis 2016 News Awards

Some Plantersville residents struggle to pay annual sewer assessments, risking their homes and freedom

BY EILEEN N K EITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

SECOND PLACE Public Service All Weekly Division

A family’s loss

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

See COMMUNITY, Page 4A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Public Service All Weekly Division

Charles D. Perry and Tom Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dare Carolina Forest Chronicle

County paid more than $60K for former police chiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early retirement BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Horry County paid the state retirement system more than $61,000 so former police chief Saundra Rhodes could retire early, according to public records. Rhodes, whose last day with the county was Friday, left the agency one year and seven months before she would have been eligible for full retirement, RHODES records from S.C. Retirement Systems show.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE News Feature Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE News Feature Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Family celebrates soldier’s return By ANNA BROWN

Anna Brown Union County News

Myra Heatherly said she did not want anyone to cry at her father's long overdue funeral. “It's a celebration,” she said. “It's not a sad time.” It was a celebration because the family of PFC Aubrey Dean Vaughan finally has closure and they finally have him home, Heatherly said. Vaughan was 20 when he died on July 7, 1951, in a POW camp in North Korea. In February, Vaughan's family members were notified that his remains had been positively identified at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (informally known as Punchbowl Cemetery) in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was flown home on April 9. His funeral was held Tuesday on what would have been his 85th birthday.

More photos are on Page 2. Friends, family members and veterans groups from near and far packed the Holcombe Funeral Home Chapel where the service was held. Funeral home employees had to bring in extra chairs. Vaughan's black and gold casket was draped with an American flag and a spray of dozens of red roses was displayed on a rack above it. A picture of Vaughan in his uniform stood on a stand at the head of the coffin. His military medals were displayed in a shadow box. “I never anticipated this,” said Maxine Vaughan Duckett, one of Dean's sisters. “The military has been unbelievable. After all these years they are still pursuing bringing families together.”

The news that Dean's remains had been found and the planning of his funeral have drawn the family closer, Duckett said. “We have gained so much family through this,” she said. Dean's best friend, John Lee “Pie” Ward, another Korean War veteran, sat with the family. Ward recalled that the two volunteered for the Army together. Ward was not initially accepted but was later drafted into service. He remembered the day Dean left. “I went to the train station with him,” Ward said. Ward said it was astounding that Dean's remains had been identified and returned after 65 years. “I am glad he is home,” Ward See SOLDIER, Page 6

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Feature Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Bill Bengtson The North Augusta Star

FLIGHT 1549 LANDS CLOSE TO HOME FOR FORMER RESIDENT â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Miracle on the Hudsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; passenger and native of North Augusta rises above fear of flying AP FILE PHOTO/BEBETO MATTHEWS

Passengers in an inflatable raft prepare to move away from an Airbus 320 US Airways aircraft that went down in the Hudson River in New York on Jan. 15, 2009. North Augusta native Clay Presley was on board.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Clay Presley, center, pauses for an Airbus 320 cockpit photo in May 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, left, and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, on the occasion of Sullenbergerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final day of service as an airline pilot. The retirement flight â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like the one that put â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sullyâ&#x20AC;? in the international spotlight â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was headed for Charlotte.

BY BILL BENGTSON bbengtson@aikenstandard.com

ne of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular Hollywood productions hits especially close to home for North Augusta native Clay Presley, a Charlotte-based businessman also known as a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, of Jan. 15, 2009. Presley, a 1972 graduate of North Augusta Senior High, earned D SLORW FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ WKH \HDUV IROORZLQJ WKH IDPRXV IRUFHG ODQGLQJ Â˛ WKH Âł0LUDFOH RQ WKH +XGVRQÂ´ Âą DQG FRXQWV UHWLUHG &DSW &KHVOH\ Âł6XOO\Â´ 6XOOHQEHUJHU DQG )LUVW 2IÂżFHU -HIIUH\ 6NLOHV DPRQJ KLV IULHQGV 7KHLU VWRU\ LV WROG LQ Âł6XOO\ Â´ D PRYLH VWDUULQJ 7RP +DQNV DQG GLUHFWHG DQG SURGXFHG E\ &OLQW (DVWZRRG ,Q OLIH DQG LQ WKH ÂżOP DOO SDVVHQJHUV DQG crew survived. Flight is a part of the weekly routine for Presley, whose company, Carolina 3DG KHOSV ZLWK WKH GHVLJQ PDQXIDFWXUH DQG VDOH RI VFKRRO DQG RIÂżFH VXSSOLHV and has contacts around the world. $IWHU WKH QHDU GHDWK H[SHULHQFH RQ D Ă&#x20AC;LJKW WKDW ZDV PHDQW WR KDYH JRQH IURP 1HZ <RUN &LW\ WR &KDUORWWH 3UHVOH\ WRRN Ă&#x20AC;LJKW OHVVRQV WR RYHUFRPH KLV QHZO\ DFTXLUHG IHDU RI Ă&#x20AC;\LQJ ,W ZRUNHG Presley, whose childhood included years at Hammond Hill Elementary and Paul Knox Junior High, as well as time as an Aiken Standard delivery boy, bought a plane in late 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Cirrus SR22 that now sports tail number 1 + 7KH Âł+ Â´ KH FRQÂżUPHG VWDQGV IRU Âł+XGVRQ Â´ $V IRU Âł6XOO\ Â´ WKH PRYLH 3UHVOH\ JLYHV D WKXPEV XS UHYLHZ Âł, WKLQN \RXÂśOO ÂżQG WKDW WKH FRUH IDFWV DUH DEVROXWHO\ WUXH 7KHUH DUH VRPH +ROO\ZRRG VFHQHV in there to make it more exciting ... Stay through the credits, because about halfway through the credits, they have some more video,â&#x20AC;? he said. He noted that the movie focuses largely on Sullenbergerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interaction with the 1DWLRQDO 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ 6DIHW\ %RDUG DQG WKH DJHQF\ LV GHSLFWHG DV ÂłVRPHPlease see SULLY, Page 6A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE News Feature Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

Good Neighbors

News Feature Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

The Salvation Army and its clients are the focus of frustration for Rutherford Road area residents myoung@communityjournals.com

Will Crooks / Staﬀ

Melinda Young Greenville Journal

MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

Mary Robinson, who once abused alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, has been sober since April and a resident of the Salvation Army’s homeless shelter for women and children.

Greenville’s Salvation Army’s headquarters is expanding, driving the North Main community to confront the area’s uneasy relationship with the homeless and indigent. The Salvation Army is planning a major renovation and expansion on Rutherford Street, where the 113-yearold nonprofit organization has been providing help to the poor since relocating there in 1927. With housing for more than 80 homeless men, women and children, the Salvation Army decided to improve its space after reviewing recommendations from an August 2015 mission planning study. In addition to consolidating the organization’s offices at 417 Rutherford St., plans call for enlarging the dining hall, which serves residents and others in the community. “We have a dining hall that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the year,” said Rachel Wilkes, development director. “We serve 155,000 meals each year.” As the Salvation Army is poised for another change, its proposal spotlights how the needs and goals of two different worlds sometimes collide as each struggles to define the North Main area. The Salvation Army’s plans include updating its existing site and putting new offices in the old WORD-FM building at 501 Rutherford, next to WYFF-TV. The pro-

posal requires a zoning change and, possibly, convincing neighbors that the expansion will be positive for everyone. Calling it an expansion is imprecise because there won’t be more services or an increase in the homeless population the Salvation Army serves, Wilkes said. “It will add office space and make the property safer.” When Salvation Army leaders discussed preliminary architectural plans at a May public hearing, they heard an earful from frustrated neighbors. Residents were worried that the change would result in more clashes with homeless people in their neighborhoods. “The meeting was very little about zoning questions, but became an outlet to voice frustration,” she said. “People talked about the homeless on their property, leaving trash and beer bottles, getting into their cars.” The organization’s advisory board members voted earlier this summer to temporarily drop the rezoning request with the understanding that they’d bring it back up with the city toward the end of 2016, Wilkes said. Since then, the Salvation Army has tackled the trash issue: Guests who dined at the organization’s free dinners on Tuesdays and Thursdays sometimes would carry out their food in Styrofoam containers and then leave them

on the streets. After learning of the problem, the Salvation Army did away with the Styrofoam. People now have to sit down to eat, using regular plates and silverware. The community’s other concerns also are valid, but are not necessarily the fault of the Salvation Army and the people it serves, Wilkes said. There are many homeless people in the area besides those who live at the Salvation Army. “We want to be good neighbors,” Wilkes said, “but those are macro issues that Greenville is facing now with the growth of the city, gentrification and mental illness.” For example, behind the Salvation Army are some streets that are defined by poverty, drugs and homelessness. On another side and across Rutherford are places where many homes sell for upwards of half a million dollars. The faith-based service organization’s renovation plans are happening at a time when the North Main area is rapidly transitioning to more upscale housing and retail businesses, including the new Main & Stone mixed-use development. For Janet Sumner, the Salvation Army is part of the area’s blended community culture. “I remember the Salvation Army being here when I was a kid,” said Sumner, who moved to neighboring James

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Feature Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

John Marks Lake Wylie Pilot

Lake Wylie family survives Belgium attack BY JOHN MARKS

jmarks@lakewyliepilot.com LAKE WYLIE

JOHN MARKS jmarks@lakewyliepilot.com

Bob and Martine George with 9-month-old Vincent at home March 25 in Lake Wylie.

It’s Good Friday, halfway down a lake-bound road with new neighborhoods spread to either side. It’s an overcast morning. Robins and wrens serenade from and through old, blooming

trees. Peaceful seems an understatement. Through the front-door window come television images suggesting the rest of the world isn’t always so inclined. Belgium coverage, updates on terrorist attacks at an airport and train station half a world away but only three days prior. Bob and Martine Georges watch them like

VIDEO

Video: Look for more online at lakewyliepilot.com.

an old home video. Where were we? What were we doing then? “What we really want is to find out what happened,” Bob said. SEE ATTACKS, 4A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE News Feature Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Jenna-Ley Harrison The Summerville Journal Scene

Surviving the sex trade Local group to open first S.C. home for juveniles BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON jharrison@journalscene.com

7 :$6 21&( $ 7$%22 723,& 0$1< 6+58**(' 2)) $6 35267,787,21 7D6 67,// $ 723,& 0267 3(23/( $6680( +$33(16 21/< ,1 7+,5' :25/' &28175,(6 7D6 6(; 75$)),&.,1* $1' ,7D6 A$ 02'(51 )250 2) 6/$9(5<B 2&&855,1* (9(5< '$< $&5266 7+( */2%( :,7+ 7+( !1,7(' 7$7(6 $1' 287+ $52/,1$ ,1 &/8'(' $&&25',1* 72 7+( $7,21$/ 80$1 5$) ),&.,1* (6285&( (17(5 ,1&( 287+ $52/,1$ +$6 :,71(66(' &$6(6 :,7+

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

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

‘It’s magical’

News Feature Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON

Jenna-Ley Harrison The Summerville Journal Scene

Summerville police escort senior residents to prom jharrison@journalscene.com

Mary Culburtson, 88, claps and smiles while seated with family Thursday, taking in the sights and sounds of her prom event at Magnolias of Summerville where she is a resident.

:./9 +<+4/4- C '6: 5;- %8/-.: :52* :.+ )85=* B&5; '22 '8+ :.+ -8+':+9: -+4+8':/54 '4* =+ 8+96+): '22 5, ?5; ,58 .+26/4- (8/4- ;6 9;). ' ,/4+ -+4+8':/54 5, 6+562+ 5* (2+99 ?5; '22 %+ 25<+ :'21/4- '4* 96+4*/4- :/3+ =/:. ?5; '22 C %8/-.: 9'/* .+D* (++4 ='4:/4- :5 .+26 5;: =/:. :.+ ,;4 ,/22+* 5))'9/54 9/4)+ 2'9: ?+'8 =.+4 .+ 965::+* ' 4+=9 9:58? '(5;: ' 9/3/2'8 ',,'/8 ': '45:.+8 5=)5;4:8?

: 2+'9: ";33+8</22+ 652/)+ 5,,/)+89 =+4: ,853 :8'49658:/4- 9;96+):9 :5 0'/2 #.;89*'? :5 +9)58:/4- 9+4/58 8+9/*+4:9 :5 6853 : ='9 :.+ 9+)54* '44;'2 +<+4: ,58 '-452/'9 5, ";33+8</22+ '4 '99/9:+* 2/</4- ,')/2/:? (;: :.+ ,/89: :/3+ 5,,/)+89 05/4+* /4 ,58 :.+ )+2+(8':/54 B :D9 5;8 .5458 :5 (+ .+8+ '4* +405? PROM, 6A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Feature Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kasie Strickland The Easley Progress

‘Elephant’ falls in storm By Kasie Strickland kstrickland@civitasmedia.com

EASLEY — A bit of history came crashing down in last Wednesday’s windstorm, the giant statue of … what was it? Asking around Old Market Square, nobody seemed to know for sure. They only know that it’s been there for a long time. Well, whatever it was, it’s no more. Or is it? As it turns out, “the thing” (as it’s affectionately referred to by Easley residents) isn’t an alien, it’s not a person doing weird yoga poses and it’s not a couple hugging — it’s an elephant. And it’s not a

statue — it’s a sculpture. By a famous artist. According to records, in July 1974 sculptor Jon Formo was one of three artists commissioned by the city to create three different pieces to the tune of $12,500. Adjusted for inﬂation, that’s the equivalent of $66,836.39 in today’s money. Formo was born in Minneapolis on June 8, 1923. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis Institute of Art before continuing his studies in Italy and later, Iowa. Formo went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Formo died in 1999. “Jon was an accomplished sculptor who loved to work in all media, especially glass and clay,” said artist Kelly Borsheim, a former student of Formo’s who considered him to be a mentor. “He saw the beauty in everyone and in everything. In one class, he sparked our imaginations by throwing a piece of clay across the ﬂoor to see what kind of shapes and textures emerged. As a teacher, he guided his students without making choices for them, letting the spirit of the individual shine through.”

Courtesy photo

Artist Jon Formo sculpted “Elephant” for the See ELEPHANT T | 5 City of Easley in the 1970’s.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Sarita Chourey Municipal Association of South Carolina

From ‘humble beginnings’ to Boeing S.C. site leader By Liz Segrist

2016 News Awards

lsegrist@scbiznews.com

SECOND PLACE Feature Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Liz Segrist Charleston Regional Business Journal

oan Robinson-Berry, the new site leader at Boeing South Carolina, remembers seeing her father’s photo splash across the television screen while she was talking on the phone. He was a police officer with the Los Angeles County Police Department. “I thought, ‘Oh, Dad is on the news.’ And then I heard, and I dropped the phone,” Robinson-Berry said. Her father had been stabbed by two men while checking the restrooms of the L.A. Public Services Department, according to police records. He was able to shoot one of the men while the other fled. He died on Dec. 24, 1980. Robinson-Berry was 18 years old. “If he had been sick or something, it’d be one thing, but it was like, boom, and he was gone,” she said. “He was everything to me.” As one of the older children in her family — the third-born of nine — Robinson-Berry helped her mother take care of her younger siblings after her father died. “I come from very humble beginnings,” she said. “I grew up in a very, very humble neighborhood.” Robinson-Berry grew up with violence as a community backdrop. Her hometown of La Puente, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, was a gang-ridden city in the 1960s. Many of the white families relocated to Orange County, while more black and Hispanic families moved into Los Angeles County. The mostly blue-collar and bilingual community struggled with racial tensions. She remembers the Watts Riots of 1965, which were sparked in Los Angeles over accusations of police brutality. In the days following the looting and unrest, smoke rose up from burned-out buildings throughout the city. Thirty-four people died during the riots, according to the LA Times. She remembers how gang violence scarred her community. She also felt the pangs of personal loss return when she witnessed the killing of her brother by a relative. Later on, her sister died from Lupus. Robinson-Berry and her husband raised her sister’s children. “I have literally been through every major drama you can have — watching your brother die, learning about your father’s death on the news, having my sister die, having the Watts Riots in our city and seeing bodies in your neighborhood from gang violence. We had a lot of tragedy. I don’t focus on that,” Robinson-Berry said. “You cannot give obstacles power. You have to really focus on using that as the strength of building character, perse-

An abbreviated Q&A with Joan RobinsonBerry on leading the Boeing S.C. site:

Photo/Boein ing ng ng

How did you become site leader at Boeing S.C.? They (management) said‘This site is growing. We’re doing some amazing things. It could probably use an infusion of a new leader.’ ... All of the past leaders were fantastic, but we want to continue to grow the South Carolina site in terms of building external presence, and they know that I’m big on the external side of it. … They paired us (David Carbon, head of 787operationsinSouthCarolina)uptotakethe baton and build on the fabulous strength that already had been laid out before us. What attracted you to the position? This is an opportunity to be a part of my first love. We also have a technology center — I still have that techie nerdness in me — and the center is doing amazing things. ... We have the largest autoclave in the world here. ... We have IT. There’s an innovation center. ... Can you imagine bringing that entire ecosystem together where you get the chance to put your fingerprints on it?That doesn’t exist anywhere in the company. ... To have this playground where there are so many opportunities is just a good thing. What are you initially focused on at Boeing S.C.? I spend a lot of time listening. I’m not looking to make all these changes because it really is in good shape. I really want to focus on what our mission is today: to build the best 787s that we can. ... I just need to ensure we continue to have the strong discipline and all of the innovation and quality put in place to ensure that we are going to be competitive. What are the biggest challenges facing the site right now? We want to be competitive. It is trying to drive costs down at every opportunity where we can to get the unit cost down so we can be competitivewithAirbusandothers.Wewantto be the best value ... and best value is quality, on time,rightprice.Ithinkwehaveanopportunity in that area. In everything we think and do, are we being efficient? ... Balancing all of those things together — people, processes, tools and the entire ecosystem to keep a business

verance and the desire to want more.”

‘I can see the vision out’ While gangs influenced the world around her, Robinson-Berry said her formative years were pretty typical. She lived with her big family. She had a strong group of friends and participated in cheerleading, student council and band. Her father had introduced her to mechanics at an early age, sparking an interest. As she progressed through high school, she realized she had an aptitude for math. She joined the math club and traveled the area for math competitions against private schools.

the common thread of negativity toward women and engineering-related subjects at the time and encouraged her to study math. She was pushed to take a calculus course at a nearby community college and apply to a four-year college. She enrolled in California Polytechnic State University. “It was a miracle from God that they brought in this career counselor,” Robinson-Berry said, laughing. “I remember thinking, ‘I can see the vision out of the neighborhood. It’s there.’”

‘Didn’t have a women’s bathroom’

running — those are my challenges. What is your stance on the IAM’s efforts to unionize Boeing South Carolina? I’ve been in plants with unions and without unions, and that’s not really where I focus on my energy. ... Here’s what I know for sure after 35-plus years in the business: When you get a workforce that can do pretty much any innovative process — whether you are a mechanicoranengineer—andtheycanmove aroundandhaveflexibilityandhavetheirvoice directlyinvolvedatthetable,Ibelievethat’sthe mostproductiveandmotivatingenvironment.” What else do you plan to do in Charleston? I am personally passionate about this, and I knowI’lldoitwellintomyretirement,andthat’s STEAM—science,technology,engineering,art and math. ... I’m about building the pipeline for successful students. What advice do you have for business leaders and educators working with at-risk students? Findoutwheretheirgiftsare.Meetthemattheir needs.Tellthemtheycanbloomwhereverthey are in that situation.

“We were all in the hood, and we made this little club,” she said of her friends. “We said, ‘This is who we are today, but it’s not who we can be.’ We said that, even though we couldn’t see ourselves in other people yet. … There were no black Barbies. There were no girls in engineering. ... The Cosby Show wasn’t out yet. We were still watching The Brady Bunch.” Robinson-Berry said she was hungry for an education. But at school, she was repeatedly discouraged from pursuing math or engineering as a career. One teacher told her that those studies were “for boys” and that she “could never compete.” But one guidance counselor defied

When Robinson-Berry arrived on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo, Calif., she was one of few women, particularly black women, studying engineering. The engineering department building only had a men’s bathroom inside of it in the 1970s. “It was very, very challenging,” she said. Robinson-Berry went on to earn a bachelor’s in engineering technology and two master’s degrees. While she was in school, she worked part time at General Dynamics and launched an engineering startup with seven other students. The firm grew to 19 employees. Shortly thereafter, Robinson-Berry accepted a position at McDonnell Douglas, which merged with the Boeing Co. in 1996. She has remained with Boeing for more than 30 years. “It was that fire in my belly that I knew there is something better, and I’m going to do everything I can to do it,” she said.

‘Now young folks can see that’ Robinson-Berry has worked all over the country with Boeing in engineering, human resources, supplier management, business operations and program management positions. She has held jobs in the commercial, defense, space and corporate divisions. She said much of her career has been spent building businesses and supplier networks, working on airplane programs and driving long-term strategies. She worked on the C-17 program and helped small-business suppliers grow into multimillion-dollar companies. Most recently, Robinson-Berry was vice president of the supplier management organization within the Shared Services Group, a Boeing division that handles company business like supplier relationships and land purchases. She recently went to Saudi Arabia to meet with a women-led Boeing group to work on supply chain strategies. Robinson-Berry replaced Beverly See ROBINSON-BERRY, Page 13

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Butch Blume The Baptist Courier

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ALL INâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; WITH DABO SWINNEY ON ...

Faith, Family and the Fundamentals of Life &= &98', &091) 1EREKMRK )HMXSV

When Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day rolls around this year, Dabo Swinney wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to pick up the phone and call his dad.

But he still has a few voicemail messages from the man he calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Erv,â&#x20AC;? who passed away last August. Maybe heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll listen to them again, as he does from time to time. Last summer, in the months before he died, Ervil Swinney had been receiving treatments in Greenville for a recurrence of lung cancer. Still, he seemed to be doing pretty well. By August, he was back at his appliance shop at the M&M Hardware in Alabaster, Ala., where he enjoyed â&#x20AC;&#x153;holding courtâ&#x20AC;? with his buddies. He felt tired and sat down to take a nap. He never woke up. He was going to return to South Carolina the next day for a checkup and a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stay with his son and his family. He was 70.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think about him every day,â&#x20AC;? said Swinney, pointing to a framed photograph among the scores of pictures FRYHULQJ WKH ZDOOV VKHOYHV DQG GHVNWRS RI KLV RÇ&#x17D;FH 7KH photo shows his dad watching a game at Clemsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Death Valley, both arms raised in the air, celebrating a big play by the team coached by his youngest son. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look at that picture all the time,â&#x20AC;? said Swinney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It makes me smile.â&#x20AC;? Swinney admits to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;strangenessâ&#x20AC;? he feels because his dad is not here anymore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anybody whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lost a parent understands,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just want to call him.â&#x20AC;? And if he could call Big Erv, Swinney might talk about the â&#x20AC;&#x153;little bit of nostalgic sadnessâ&#x20AC;? heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiencing these days over how quickly his own sons are growing up. Will, 17, is an upcoming high school senior. Drew is 16, and Clay is 12. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My oldest will be leaving the nest soon,â&#x20AC;? said Swinney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard for me to get my mind around that. To me, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jana E. Pye News and Press

Boykin Farms:

A family hobby farm with the prettiest blue-eyed goats in Darlington County

By Jana E. Pye Editor editor@newsandpress.net

When Dawn and Daniel Boykin were wed, the young bride knew her husband would want to have a small farm one day. Neither imagined that they would have a small business breeding goats, and using the nutrient high-fat goat milk to create a successful soap and lotion small business. “I knew he’d want some chickens,” said Dawn. “When I first visited Daniel’s home, his father had an incubator hatching chicks in the kitchen!” Daniel laughed. “I grew up out in the country,” he said. “I have just always loved it.” On their well-manicured six acres of land in the Hurricane Farms subdivision in Darlington with fruit trees, blueberries, and grapevines, the couple and their 12 year old son, Denton, tend to a hobby farm in addition to their full time jobs. Their farm animals include a small herd of Nigerian dwarf goats, a flock of laying hens (Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks in long nesting enclosures under trees for shade and protection from stray dogs), a few Guineas that roam about the farm, a sweet miniature Australian shepherd dog named Jackson, an adopted lop eared rabbit named Brer’ Rabbit, and two hard working cats – Puddin’, who sleeps with the goats, and Mittens, who sleeps with the hens. The goats came as a surprise about two years ago when a neighbor asked if they’d like to buy some from a farmer selling off his herd. “We bought seven without even having a barn yet,” recalled Dawn. “Our neighbor bought a few, and kept

Farm fresh eggs from the Boykin Farm are a tasty treat!

Daniel,, Dawn and Denton Boykin PHOTOS BY JANA E. PYE

ours for us until we built the barn and the fences.” The couple chose the Nigerian dwarf breed partly because of their smaller size as a milk goat, and “..they are just adorable,” said Denton. His parents agree. “We like the blue-eyed ones the best, and we find that other hobby farmers do too.” said Don. There were 15 babies born to the herd this year already, fetching premium prices for their color, eye color (the blue eyed babies are always a happy surprise!), good bloodlines and excellent health. Each is sold with papers. The couple has looked into showing their goats; Denton may wish to do as he gets older. He’s already had success

with hatching chicks, and selling them. The daily routine for the family consists of getting up at 4:30 a.m. to feed the animals and give them fresh water, cleaning out pens, and repeating in the early evening. Denton’s job is to provide water to the animals, hauling bucket after bucket. The couple insures good health for their herd by worming them, trimming their hooves, providing vaccinations and disbudding – removing horns – all at their farm. The goats have a long lifespan, living 12 - 20 years for does, and 8 – 11 years for bucks. The bucks and does are kept in separate pens, and are bred twice a year, in the fall and spring.

Goat Milk Soap from Boykin Farm curing at the Boykin home.

The female goats producing milk are milked once a day, and happily hop up to the milking station to snack on some dry food while Daniel milks them. Each doe’s udder has two teats. “The milk is higher in vitamins, high in minerals, selenium – it’s high is almost everything.” said Daniel. The milk fat is much higher than cow’s milk, too, which makes it perfect for making the soaps and lotions. Dawn has the soap and lotion routine down to a science, and enlists help from her husband and son to assist. The soap cures for 5 weeks, and the lotion is ready to use as soon as it is bottled. The number one fragrance is Clean Cotton, but the new McIntosh Apple is gaining appeal. In addition to the high fat goat milk, she adds shea butter, olive oil and coconut oil to create luxurious, great smelling soap and lotion. Dawn has also made goat’s milk cheese, and goat’s milk fudge just for their own use, but not to sell. “Both are out of this world!” she says. “We haven’t pursued getting the products into many stores because we are in a spot of –‘do we want another job or keep it as a hobby?’ We’ve had several places that have expressed an interest.” said Daniel. “We really do want it to stay a hobby, –but if it’s big enough to do the to not have to work, it’d be great.” added Dawn. Daniel grins at his wife. “You keep working and I’ll retire and do the farm stuff?” he asks. “I enjoy it. I’d much rather farm.” Folks can find their products at Darlington Feed and Seed, on their Facebook page, and the Market at Darlington Square. You may reach them at: 843-393-8823.

One of the 8 week old baby goats - a “doeling” with Daniel Boykin

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Ashley Ghere The Voice of Blythewood and Fairfield County

Chatchakorn ‘Jom’ Sonday of Blythewood displays her clay floral artwork on the veranda of the home of Senator Creighton Coleman during a home tour benefit in Winnsboro last spring. The Senator’s wife, Marion Coleman, has been a fan of Sonday’s clay flower arrangements since purchasing one last year at an art gallery.

Flowers out of the Clay Ashley Ghere Contributor A dewy, delicate arrangement of orchids . . . that lasts forever. It sounds like hothouse hocus-pocus, but Blythewood’s Chatchakorn ‘Jom’ Sonday can make it happen. A native of Thailand, Sonday is one of the few artists in America who special ϐ ǡ that involves sculpting and painting a ϐ ϐ Ǥ ǯ Ǧ ϐ are favorites at juried art shows in Atlanta, Asheville, Charleston, Hilton Head and Charlotte and are available for sale in area art galleries and through custom orders. Sonday designs 70 or so kinds of ϐ ǡ ǡ ranged in natural driftwood or decorative pots. “Each arrangement is unique,” Sonday said. “I receive a lot of custom orders around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas.” She also has available in her studio a collection of ready-to-purchase arrangements on those holidays for those procrastinating shoppers who are looking for something both beautiful and unique at the last minute. ϐ ϐ 2004, while still living in Thailand. “I was shopping at the JJ (Chatuchak) Market, a huge weekend bazaar in Bangkok, when I noticed an exquisite lady ϐ dor’s booth,” Sonday recalled. “I love orchids, and lady slippers espe ǡǳ ǡ ǲ ϐ ǡ ϐ Ǥ ϐ I saw, which were arranged in driftwood, looked so real. But the shop keeper ex ϐ made of clay. I was fascinated. Even though I had a small budget, I bought a ϐ Ǥǳ Sonday grew curious about the pro ϐ ǡ she eventually signed up for a six-month class at an art school in Bangkok.

In her home studio, Sonday’s work table includes molds, colored clay, wire and a pasta press. She shapes the flowers and petals by hand, modeling tiny details Photos/Barbara Ball after enlarged flowers on her computer screen. “At the time,” Sonday said, “I worked as a hotel receptionist, and didn’t imagine I’d be able to do something else, much less become a professional artist!” But she’d always loved art, especially drawing and painting, and soon she ϐ able hobby and sharing them as gifts for friends. Before long, she was selling her work to the market vendor where she ϐ ϐ Ǥ “Then I started receiving requests ǡǳ ǡ ǲ ϐ ers that they could give as gifts.” Now her work is displayed in local gal ϐ shows. She said she appreciates the many opportunities for artists in America. “I love it here,” she said. “Everywhere you go, you can show and sell your work. In Thailand, it’s much harder to connect with buyers and display and show art.” Sonday and her husband, Donald, moved to the U.S. in 2009 after marrying in Thailand the previous year. They settled for a short time in Pennsylvania, then moved to Blythewood when his company relocated. Sonday now stays home with their 4-year-old son, Jason, and spends

many hours in her studio creating new work for shows and custom orders. ǲ ϐ ǡǳ ǡ “and work in the studio for three hours, before my son gets up. Then I work a couple of hours after breakfast and three or four hours in the evening.” Although Sonday learned the basics of the craft in her Bangkok class, she said that practicing and experimenting on her own over the years is how she’s learned many meticulous techniques ϐ narily real. “You have to learn those things yourself,” she said. Sonday uses Luna and Thai clays, which she purchases in bulk during her trips home to Thailand every couple of years. “I can’t get those types of clay here,” she said. “The clay available here breaks easily. The quality of Thai and Luna clay is like Japanese clay. Luna clay is soft and delicate, and creates a more realistic ϐ Ǥ ǡ better for stems and leaves.” Her process varies depending on the ϐ ϐ ǡ oil color into the fresh clay, pressing the

clay through a pasta maker for uniform thickness, shaping the individual petals ϐ Ǥ ϐ ers have dried, she makes and attaches the leaves, then paints details by hand and places the arrangement into a base. The process can take a couple of weeks, ϐ rangements at a time. She also continues to incorporate new skills into her work. “I recently took a class in Thailand to learn how to sculpt small-scale items ϐ ǡǳ Sonday said. “It will be fun to combine ϐ garden scene, with trees and people sitting in the shade.” Depending on the dimensions and ǡ ǯ ϐ from $7 to $600. Custom orders range from detailed miniature and even bonsai sizes to 2-foot-tall displays. Locally, her work can be seen at the Village Artists Galley in the Sandhills and on her website at ϐ Ǥ , and shipping is possible. For more information or to order for Valentine’s Day, go to her website or call ͺͲ͵Ǧ͹ʹͺǦͲ͹Ͷ͵Ǥ

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Melinda Young Greenville Journal

Some of the 40 Men 4 Change run down Main Street in training for the Oct. 29 Peak to Creek Marathon in Burke, N.C.

Marathon Men THEY RUN FOR FUN. THEY RUN FOR EXERCISE. THEY RUN FOR FRIENDSHIP. AND THIS FALL THEY’RE RUNNING TO RAISE $125,000 FOR THREE NONPROFITS.

MEET 40 MEN 4 CHANGE. MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com

It’s very early and the only people sitting at a sidewalk table outside Sully’s Steamers in downtown Greenville are an 11-year-old boy and his father, who has an icepack flopped on the left side of his head, covering large staples in a question mark loop. His name is Tommy Sinn. His left eye is swollen and bruised, but other than that, he looks pretty good for a guy who had brain surgery three days ago. Sinn and his son Thomas wait and watch as runners return to Sully’s Steamers on this Saturday morning before Labor Day. “Can you believe I didn’t get up until 6?” Sinn jokes with a friend, who had begun the run at 5 a.m. This isn’t Sinn’s first time undergoing brain surgery. Two years ago, he went under the knife shortly after having a seizure and learning the cause was a brain tumor. The diagnosis was an oligoastrocytoma grade IV tumor. In other words, cancer. Still, the men — all friends and fellow runners who have shared 10,000-plus miles with Sinn – were a little surprised to learn that he had decided to run with them that particular Saturday. And he would have done so, if it weren’t for the persistent swelling in his left eye. Sinn and Sully’s Steamers’ owner, Robert Sullivan, are part of a group of 50 to 60 men who run every morning they can, except for Sunday. On Saturdays, at least since Sully’s opened three years ago, they meet at the bagel restaurant, sometimes jogging on the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail. They run for fun. They run for exercise. They run for friendship. And this fall they’re running to raise $125,000-plus for three nonprofits and to give their buddy Tommy Sinn support as he copes with brain surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Calling themselves “40 Men 4 Change,” the group of 40 running friends is training for the Peak to Creek Marathon in Burke, N.C., by running 40-plus miles each week. Meanwhile, they’ve raised more than $90,000 toward their $125,000 goal. No one knows for certain when this group of runners first met on the steps of the Caine Halter YMCA on Cleveland Street and began jogging each morning. But many recall that the group really took off when Sinn joined them. “Tommy beat me to joining the group by one week,” Sullivan said. “It was a small group, about three to five guys, and then Tommy came in and the group exploded.” He added, “We joined in 2008.” Sinn corrected Sullivan: “‘09.” Sullivan and Benji Walvoord, another runner in the group, agreed: “He’s right. ’09.” Bringing the conversation back to the point, Sullivan noted, “Tommy absolutely does get the group involved – he’s our No. 1 recruiter.” Sinn missed the Labor Day weekend run, but he had joined a run with his friends the day before surgery. Two days after his operation, he even stopped by Sully’s Steamers. “Tommy showed up in my shop yesterday and

2016 News Awards

FEATURE thedanielislandnews.com

The Daniel Island News Ĺś July 14 - 20, 2016

Rapid growth on DI From 20 YEARS on PAGE 17

FIRST PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Elizabeth Bush Daniel Island News

Also in 1999, the I-526 interchange opened on Daniel Island as part of a land deal exchange with the State Ports Authority. It was an event that â&#x20AC;&#x153;changed everything,â&#x20AC;? said Sloan, who remembers his excitement in watching WKH ÂżUVW FDUV GULYH RQWR 'DQLHO ,VODQG from the newly created exit 24. BEHIND THE SCENES INSIGHTS At the urging of their partner, George Brumley, the company made additional offers of land to churches and schools â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bringing Providence Baptist Church, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Daniel Island School and the Berkeley County Library to the island. Tragically, Dr. Brumley and 11 of his family members were killed in a plane crash in Kenya in 2003. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My brother was very much a philanthropist,â&#x20AC;? said Brumley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Matt and I used to always say he was our moral conscienceâ&#x20AC;ŚHe was a big proponent of our donating church sites and school sites. His basic concept, it was not unique, was that schools and churches are the basic fabric of a community, so you better get them in early and you better get them in the right places.â&#x20AC;? After the loss of Dr. Brumley and so many of his family members, Sloan and Frank Brumley re-focused the purpose of the Daniel Island Community Fund, established in the late 1990s, to continue Dr. Brumleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy of giving back. Since its inception, the fund has contributed more than $2 million to local causes. To this day, it remains a source of great pride for both Sloan and Brumley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was proud when we set it up, as a way to honor him, but more importantly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to do good things,â&#x20AC;? added Sloan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What makes me proud of it now is itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident-led and it will be here long after I am gone and we hope it will continue to run well.â&#x20AC;? $QRWKHU NH\ ÂżJXUH LQ WKH LVODQGÂśV early development was the late Charleston attorney Henry Smythe, who had provided local legal representation for the Guggenheim family since 1946. He was involved in all of the discussions about what should happen on Daniel Island and had also spent many years hunting on the

PROVIDED

View from the Wando River looking towards downtown Charleston and the old Cooper River bridges.

island with the Guggenheim family. A small wooden shack once located near present day Smythe Park, which was named in his memory, served as a gathering place for hunters. It was labeled the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Daniel Island Town Hallâ&#x20AC;? and included a nearby skinning shed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Mr. Smytheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) pride and joy was running a deer club here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for a lot of Charlestonian folks this was a coveted invite,â&#x20AC;? said Sloan, who still has the old town hall sign displayed just outVLGH KLV RIÂżFH â&#x20AC;&#x153;Henry Smythe had more of an impact (on the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development) than anybody else,â&#x20AC;? added Brumley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was the local contact, a successful lawyer who had been here for generationsâ&#x20AC;Ś(The Guggenheim family) WDONHG WR KLP ÂżUVW DQG ODVW , GRQÂśW think we would have been able to buy Daniel Island if Henry Smythe hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t said OK.â&#x20AC;? RAPID GROWTH AND RETURNS In the early 2000s, development accelerated rapidly in what became an era of unparalleled sales activity on the island. In 2002, residential purchases hit $100 million, according to a Post and Courier article published in May of 2003. The surge continued well into the next year, the article

stated, with sales hitting $50.7 million between January and March, compared with $13.7 million during the same period in 2002. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The period from 1997 to 2007 was the best 10 years in the U.S. real estate business that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever remembered,â&#x20AC;? said Brumley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;ŚWe paid off all the debt, we paid Crow their investment back, so when the music stopped in 2008, we basically were able to sit it out.â&#x20AC;? Their ultra conservative approach enabled them â&#x20AC;&#x153;to sleep at nightâ&#x20AC;? added Brumley, so the group made sure they ZHUH ÂżQDQFLDOO\ VHFXUH HYHU\ VWHS RI the way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re loaded up on debt, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not good,â&#x20AC;? added Sloan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are as conservative a land development business as one could ask for, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to stay the course.â&#x20AC;? Today, two decades after the GHYHORSPHQWÂśV ÂżUVW UHVLGHQWV PRYHG in, Daniel Island is a vibrant, thriving community with a full calendar of engaging special events and activities coordinated by the Property Owners Association (POA). Although the island is zoned for 7,500 residential XQLWV WKH ÂżQDO EXLOG RXW LV DQWLFLSDWHG LQ DERXW ÂżYH \HDUV ZLWK DERXW units, reported Daniel Island Company South side expands, circa 2001. See 20 YEARS on PAGE 19

PROVIDED

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Katrina Moses Chronicle-Independent

Library helps gamers

‘catch ‘em all’ By KATRINA MOSES

C-I (Camden, S.C.) Staff Writer kmoses@chronicle-independent.com

“Gotta catch ‘em all” was a common phrase with kids during the late 1990s and early 2000s as they watched the Pokémon cartoon show on television. That same phrase is enjoying a major resurgence today, thanks to the new game, Pokémon Go. In fact, the game has become so popular the Kershaw County Library’s Camden branch recently hosted a Pokémon Go Walk, attracting a small but enthusiastic group of gamers. But the question probably still remains for many: just what is Pokémon and why is it so popular? Pokémon is short for “Pocket Monsters” according to the Oxford Dictionary website. They are cute and ugly creatures featured in Pokémon games and in the televised series. As trainers (gamers) raise and command Pokémon, the monsters become more experienced and turn into stronger Pokémon. On the animated series and in the game, the pokéball, a red and white ball is the tool individuals use to capture the monsters. Pokémon Go is an app gamers can download. If an individual downloads the game on a phone, the app provides tools to catch the pocket monsters on the gamer’s phone screen. After download and set up, a gamer looks at the screen and a monster will be there. Each gamer starts off with about 10 pokéballs but can buy more online if they want. To catch a monster,

See Library, Page A8

2016 News Awards GREAT FALLS PAGES Pages 1B – 2B

CLASSIFIEDS Pages 4-B – 6-B

LIFESTYLES Pages 3-B

JURY LIST

SECOND PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Nancy Parsons The News & Reporter

Page 4-B

A bionic arm with a billion dollar ‘tat’ BY NANCY PARSONS gfreporter@onlinechester.com Henry “Bubba” Stevenson Jr. has a unique tattoo on his left arm. The “ink” could be referred to as a billion dollar ‘tat.’ Republican presidential candidate and real estate mogul Donald Trump autographed Stevenson’s prosthetic arm at a Trump rally at Winthrop University on Jan. 8. Stevenson, 25, is not the bionic man Lee Majors was when he starred as Steve Austin in “The Six Million Dollar Man” series that aired in 1973 but he is often referred to as the bionic man of Great Falls. Stevenson, over the last couple of years, was fitted with ultra bionic arms, allowing him to do things he’s never done before. Stevenson was born without arms. On his right side, his arms stops shy of his elbow and on his left side, there is only a nub below his shoulder. Stevenson said he saw on the news where “The Trump” was coming to Winthrop University. He immediately began to Google the Internet in search of tickets. He learned that he had to get tickets two to three days in advance. He was lucky and got a ticket for himself and neighbor and best friend Allen Steele. The two would join nearly 6,000 other Republican supporters at the rally. Stevenson said he hopes Trump gains the GOP nomination over challengers Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, John

“I love politics,” Stevenson said. He compares watching presidential debates to watching the Super Bowl. When watching a debate, Stevenson wants a sampling of food and snacks just like you would when cheering your favorite football team on. Going to the Trump rally, Stevenson said, was a highlight of the year. “It was fun,” Stevenson said. Because of Stevenson’s disabilities, Stevenson and Steele were allowed to get into the rally ahead of others. They were seated on the front row, Stevenson said. PHOTO PROVIDED Trump’s speech lasted Henry “Bubba” Stevenson Jr. leaned in for Republican about an hour and then presidential candidate Donald Trump to “ink” his the presidential candiprosthetic arm during a Trump rally in Rock Hill. date spent about 30 or 45 minutes autographing paraphernalia for his supporters, Stevenson said. Attendees at the rally could not bring ink pens inside the rally and were told that Trump would use his own pen to sign autographs, Stevenson said. He speculated the policy was established as a security measure. Stevenson was amazed how protective and fast Trump’s security staff was. When a few protestors seated behind him began to shout out, the security staff immediately escorted them out, he said. “There were mostly Henry Stevenson was all smiles after meeting cheers from the crowd,” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Stevenson said. Stevenson said Trump Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco already gained his vote. came over to him after his Rubio and Rick Santorum. Stevenson said he doesn’t speech, asked how he was Stevenson said Trump plan to go see other presi- doing and how he got is the most qualified candi- dential candidates at their injured. He told Trump date to lead the nation. He rallies. that he was born without said the multi-billionaire “Because I plan to vote arms. has a good plan and has for Trump,” he insisted. Trump signed Ste-

venson’s arm, a sign and his hat. “It is my first tattoo on my arm,” Stevenson joked. Trump also posed with Stevenson for several photos. Continued progress Since getting his bionic arms (priced around $60,000 each), Stevenson has conquered many dayto-day tasks, has gotten his driver’s permit and a

concealed weapons permit. He’s proficient in loading and shooting a 9 mm handgun with his toes and feet. Stevenson is independent and has a long-range goal to become an employee. Who wouldn’t want to hire a man with bionic arms…especially arms that have a “tat” from a billionaire presidential candidate?

Voyage of a lifetime 2 sailing vessels, 4 sailors circumnavigating globe dropped anchor in Georgetown BY EILEEN KEITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Lifestyle Feature Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

For a 71-year-old Spanish man circumnavigating the globe alone in a 28-foot sailboat and three young Swiss sailors on their own quest to sail around the world, Georgetown’s harbor was safe haven from the 50-mph winds and heaving waves that battered the coast on Feb. 24. Suso Leiro left his home port of Portonovo, Spain, almost four months ago in his sixth attempt to circle the globe in his 28-foot C&C sailboat, the Finesse. He docked his small but heavily outfitted boat at Hazzard Marine. It was a stop on a quest that, if completed, would put Leiro among only six other people who have single-handedly circled the globe in a sailboat. As fortune would have it, three young sailors from Basel, Switzerland, were in the midst of their own global trek and also were seeking refuge from the storm. “I was sailing along enjoying my trip past South Carolina when the storm began to form,” Leiro said. “I knew it was smart for me to find a port and anchor down for the storm. Georgetown is beautiful city with very nice people. … I like it much.” Pulling into the Georgetown harbor aboard their 35-foot Dufour sailboat, the Bonavalette, the young Swiss men spotted the Spanish flag flying on the mast of the Finesse and later sought out Leiro at Hazzard Marine. David Giovannini, 26, Alex Giovannini, 30, and Michael Kilchoer, 30, speak French, German, English and Spanish, but Leiro’s Castilian Spanish, they said, was a challenge. “As soon as we tied up our boat, we went directly to him and made his acquaintance,” Kilchoer said. “We speak Spanish, but at times, it took all three of us to interpret his speech. He is such a fascinating man, and we admire his determination to complete his around-the-world voyage. We have much to learn from such a wise and talented sailor as he.” It was a meeting brought together by a common dream. Leiro has been sailing since he was 10 years old and was a commercial boat captain before he began his quest to sail around the world. Among the Swiss sailors, two are brothers who lost their father at sea in 2008, and spent five years restoring the Bonavalette — a boat owned by their father — before starting on a voyage in his honor. The Swiss sailors began their journey in 2014, sailing from Switzerland down the Rhine River to the Netherlands, and from there down the eastern coast of Europe to Morocco, where they began their cross-Atlantic sail. They successfully sailed to the Caribbean, stopping in Trinidad and Cuba before coming up the East Coast of the U.S.

Suso Leiro was happy he selected Georgetown as a safe haven from rough seas Feb. 24.

“We stopped in Cuba for three months to wait out the hurricane season,” David Giovannini said. “Believe it or not, we loved it there. The people are so friendly, and the country is beautiful. We hope to go back one day.” The three young men said they are taking their time and enjoying, along the way, their journeys ashore. “We are not in a hurry,” David Giovannini said. “We all went to college and worked hard before we began our trip. It took us almost five years to prepare the boat for our travels, and we want to enjoy every minute along the way. We enjoy our time at sea, but we also enjoy very much meeting the people and seeing the inland areas along our route.” A f ter leav ing Por tugal, Leiro went to the Canary Islands and Cape Verde off the African coast, then sailed to the Caribbean, stopping in Jamaica and Cuba – a journey that took him three months. “I am fast sailor,” Leiro said. “These young boys have all the time in the world. I am getting on in my years and want to complete my voyage. I have a wife, three children and five grandchildren that want me to return home.” Leiro sailed up the U.S. East Coast with stops in Florida before learning that he would have to find safe harbor in light of the impending storm along the South Carolina coast. Leiro and the Swiss sailors found much in common as they sat together in the lounge at Hazzard Marine on Feb. 24, poring over charts on their cellphones and comparing their different plans for travelling the world by sea. Leiro was sailing before the young Swiss sailors were born, but all began sailing at about the same age – and they all share a love of the sea. “We all three learned to sail under the guidance of Alex and David’s father, and we are honoring his passion for sailing,” Kilchoer said. David and Alex Giovannini’s father founded the first sailing school for young sailors in Switzerland, with the goal of bringing young sailors together in a sport they could enjoy together for the rest of their lives. “We learned how to sail

From left, Michael Kilchoer, Alex Giovannini and David Giovannini, three Swiss sailors, set anchor in Georgetown Feb. 24.

PHOTOS BY EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Waiting for calm seas, the Finesse was docked at Hazard Marine Feb. 24.

The crew of the Bonavalette batten down the hatches Feb.24 in Georgetown Habor.

From left, Suso Leiro, David Giovannini, Alex Giovannini and Michael Kilchoer discuss nautical charts of the world Feb. 24 at Hazard Marine in Georgetown.

from one of the greatest professional sailors of all time,” David Giovannini said. “My father taught us how to sail together as a crew when we were very young. I think he would be proud to know that we have all three remained together as close crew sailing the world.” Leiro was the youngest commander in the Spanish merchant marine at age 26. He later became a commercial fisherman, but he said, “I always had a passion to sail, and I like to sail alone.” His family, Leiro said, shares his love of the sea, and when he is home, they join him for trips along the coast of his country. In his five previous attempts to sail around the globe, Leiro has had several near-death experiences, the worst being

when he shipwrecked going through the Strait of Magellan around southernmost South America. He hit a rock at Cape Horn that damaged his hull. But Leiro persevered. “That was not going to stop me,” he said. “My voyage around the world is a constant challenge on my mind, and I don’t want to give up. I am not afraid of what is ahead of me. … I love challenge.” In life on the sea, Leiro said, “Fear is my friend, more so than my enemy. Fear keeps me safe and aware of danger.” The three young Swiss men have had a few mechanical issues aboard their vessel, but so far, they said, they have not encountered any life-threatening mishaps. “We are in good shape to this point,” Kilchoer said,

“but it is much easier for us than Leiro. He is only one, and we are three. He has only one set of eyes and hands and we have many to get us out of a rough sea or navigate around difficult course.” While crossing the Atlantic Ocean on his last voyage, Leiro said, he just missed being hit by a merchant ship, but experiences like that just help him learn. “They don’t make me want to give up. It just makes it a bigger challenge,” he said. “I like complicated, challenging routes … courses other sailors might not take.” All four sailors enjoyed a lively conversation about the challenges that navigating around Russia can present. “Russia (is) complicated,” Leiro said. “Lots of ice and

sometimes Russian authority won’t let me pass. But I find a way … I like a challenge.” The Swiss mariners admit they are wary of the icebergs they are likely to encounter along their charted course. But they are hoping they have timed their journey to avoid the icy obstacles that could test their sailing prowess. “We know we have some major nav igat i ng to do around some icy seas ahead of us,” Alex said. “But we are confident that we will complete our travels safely.” The Finesse and Bonavalette – two vessels, four sailors, all sailing toward the same maritime goal of navigating the world – will set sail and navigate out of Georgetown when the weather is clear.

ALL MAKES AND MODELS

Refrigerator, g Washer and Dryer, Stoves, etc.

Prayer, trusting God important parts of Amie Sanders’ breast cancer battle “I was going to be determined. God’s got it.” - Amie Sanders on her response to being diagnosed with cancer Jonathan Vickery Managing Editor jonathan.vickery@morris.com

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jonathan Vickery The People-Sentinel

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Those words from Philippians 4:6-7 were read to Amie Sanders by her surgeon after her breast cancer diagnosis on Sept. 23, 2015. However, those Bible verses also sum up how Amie and her husband, Gibby Sanders Jr., have reacted to many obstacles in their nearly 16 years of marriage. “Every challenge we’ve had, the blessings have been equal to it,” said Gibby. Time and time again the couple say they have seen God’s provisions following tough circumstances, including having children after one doctor said Amie would never be able to bear any. Their Charleston home sold in eight days of being on the market after Gibby lost his job, which allowed them to return to Barnwell County so they could raise their two children near family. Gibby also survived a motorcycle accident that gave him a new outlook on life, especially about the importance of family. They have also seen God’s blessings since Amie’s cancer diagnosis just over a year ago, particularly with how the cancer was found. Diagnosis The Snelling native went to her doctor in Charleston for her annual exam on Sept. 21, 2015. “I had noticed something that felt different, but I thought it was just a fibroid,” said Amie. Since Amie, who was 39 at the time, would have been scheduled to have her first mammogram in January 2016, her doctor decided to go ahead and have one done that day. “The mammogram took almost an hour because I had to go back for more angles. Then I had an hour long ultrasound, at the end of which the radiologist told me I had some suspicious spots,” said Amie. After prodding the medical staff for a straight answer, Amie was told that she might have cancer. Though the radiologist told her to go home and come back another day to come up with a plan, Amie insisted on having a biopsy done that day. She was moved to the surgery suite at East Cooper Breast C e n t e r w h e re s h e h a d three biopsies performed after medical staff got her insurance company’s approval. “Due to my composure we were able to request authorization for biopsies that day and after about five hours at the East Cooper Breast Center I had three new pieces of metal in me and the biggest challenge of my life ahead of me,” she said.

Amie was officially diagnosed on Sept. 23, 2015 with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of breast cancer. She actually had synchronistic cancer, which is two different types of breast cancer. “It’s bad,” recalls Amie of what her doctor told her. “This is one you don’t want to catch late,” said Gibby. Amie encourages women to pay close attention to their bodies and any changes that occur because that helped catch her cancer sooner. Otherwise, it would have been another five months before Amie would have had a mammogram. She said doctors suspect the smallest tumor, which was seven millimeters when it was first detected, had been growing for 21 days. New Normal As Amie started treatment in her “long, long race” to defeat cancer, the couple tried to maintain normalcy – albeit a new normal – for their children. That’s why they made time for date nights, having friends over and going to the YMCA. “We’ve always been a social family. Tomorrow is not promised,” said Gibby. Amie was determined to stay positive. “I knew I was going to be determined,” she said. While there are still bad days, “you can’t be negative about it. God’s got this.” “It’s important to have normalcy and hope. Without those two, it’s a sentence,” said Gibby. Amie and Gibby were honest with their children – Audrey, 9, and Simon, 7 – from the beginning. They told the children to let them know if they were scared and to feel free to ask questions. “The only thing we want to be successful at is them,” said Gibby of the children. When it was apparent it was time to shave Amie’s hair after it was noticeably falling out, Gibby said they got the children involved so they wouldn’t view it negatively. Part of the family’s new normal included a marathon of trips to Charleston for doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy treatments and surgeries. Though it is a two-hour trip, Amie wouldn’t trade her medical team for anything, including her nationally-acclaimed doctor. “They are the most positive, uplifting people,” she said. Battle Plan Amie’s cancer was aggressive and fast-growing, but doctors also knew exactly what it fed off of. “They knew how to attack it,” said Gibby, who took five weeks off from work to be by Amie’s side after surgery. Amie started regular chemotherapy sessions on Oct. 8, 2015 and finished on Jan. 29. Her nurse told her she’s never seen anyone get as strong a dose before, but Amie said that was part of the plan to fight her aggressive form of cancer. “They said they can cut back on it but can’t guarantee the results,” she said. Chemo was rough and caused numerous side

Contributed Photo

Amie Sanders of Snelling was diagnosed with breast cancer on Sept. 23, 2015. She is pictured with her husband, Gibby Sanders Jr., daughter Audrey and son Simon at Collins Park in Barnwell last year shortly after her diagnosis. effects, including hair loss and loss of certain sensations, but Amie said the treatment worked. The largest tumor, which was originally 9 by 10 centimeters, shrank to three centimeters. The medical staff was amazed at how Amie faired the large dose of chemotherapy the way she did. “They said there’s no other description for how I came through it other than miraculous,” she said. She had a double mastectomy on March 8 where doctors removed 28 lymph nodes on one side. One was the size of a peach originally but had shrunk to 1.5 centimeters by the time of surgery. The surgery went well and Amie was able to keep more skin than some women, which later helped with reconstructive surgery. She was declared cancer free after the surgery, but that did not mean she was finished with treatments. Six weeks of daily radiation therapy followed from May 19 to June 29 at Mabry Cancer Center in Orangeburg. She was told on the last day of radiation that patients usually experience breaks in their skin, but she never had any. On Sept. 30, Amie had her final Herceptin infusion treatment. The drug is an immune targeted therapy that works to prevent or at least slow the growth of breast cancer by attaching to cancer cells. It is used in certain breast cancer cases. Though she is currently not taking it, Amie has also taken an oral chemo pill. She has five more threeweek rounds to go, which she will start back soon and finish by January. This treatment was chosen for Amie due to meeting certain criteria. A medical study showed oral chemo can drastically help certain cancer patients by lessening the chance of the cancer recurring.

In addition to taking a hormone blocker the rest of her life, Amie will continue to have checkups every three months for five years. Decisions After Amie’s diagnosis, she had a serious talk with Gibby about three important decisions, including that he couldn’t talk her out of having a mastectomy, they were going to follow the advice they were given by medical professionals, and she was not wearing a wig. “You’ve got to make decisions on what’s going to keep you going,” said Gibby. “You’ve got to make choices and feel comfortable with those choices.” She followed through on all three, but the last one turned out to be an issue for some friends and family who were not prepared for the obvious sign of Amie’s cancer. She said some people she knew turned around and left the grocery story after seeing her. “I’m not hiding,” said Amie of why she chose to forgo a wig. She said she does not understand the stigma some people have about cancer. “I’ve never been ashamed of it,” she said. Gibby encourages people to be kind and as prepared as they can around people dealing with cancer. “You never really know what people are going through,” he said. While some could not handle it, seeing Amie’s bald head was inspiring to other people, including a waitress whose mother was recently diagnosed with cancer. The waitress thanked Amie for her example because it showed her not to be afraid of the disease. During a family outing to Stone Mountain in Georgia, they were at The Great Barn, an indoor children’s attraction. While there Amie, who was wearing a

pink hoodie, encountered a woman in her 60s who was a breast cancer survivor. The woman told Amie, “I just need you to know that God’s got you.” Though Amie thought the woman might have been there because of grandchildren, she soon learned the woman and her husband were going to get groceries and had no reason to be in that place. That’s why Amie believes this was God at work by placing an encourager in her path. Plenty of friends and family have also helped Amie along the way, including with childcare, food, transportation to appointments and housework. She was able to reconnect with some friends because of her cancer. A network of friends and former high school classmates also reached out to Amie on Facebook. Helping Others Though cancer isn’t something they wished for, Amie and Gibby have learned from the experiences of the past year. “Laughter is huge,” said Amie of how they kept the humor alive in their family. She encourages people going through cancer to not get depressed. She also encourages people to be educated by asking questions and doing research. “You deserve to know,” she said. However, she said do not go online immediately after being diagnosed because it can put you in a bad mood and provide

misinformation. That’s the first thing they were told by the doctor. Gibby said he and Amie have never questioned any of the decisions they made. “Be very realistic about what is and isn’t important,” he said. “Cancer doesn’t have a pause button.” Speaking to the spouses and other caregivers, Gibby said “do not underestimate the impact cancer has on a caregiver” because it can be a struggle to stay positive. That’s why he said it is crucial to “prepare your heart and mind” for what will happen. “Be a resource but don’t be afraid to feel. Enjoy the good times,” he said, adding how it’s important to have time to rest and process what’s happening. The couple has kept family and friends updated on their journey through a special Facebook page. However, the page has also been therapeutic for them. “We process through writing and sharing,” said Gibby. Their final and most important point is to have faith and trust God. “None of it has happened the way we expected,” said Amie of how God has worked things out. “I had no idea how miraculous my journey would be, how long it would be, how many people would leave my life, and, more importantly, how many people God would put back in my life and give to me.”

Proudly Serving the citizens of Barnwell County Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness and all of those ﬁghting the ﬁght.

Early Detection Saves Lives!

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jonathan Vickery The People-Sentinel

The three. The proud. The Marines.

Jonathan Vickery Managing Editor jonathan.vickery@morris.com

The Guest triplets have always been close, but their bond is now even stronger as they have joined “The few. The proud. The Marines.” Chandler, Reagan and Preston Guest all graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Training (boot camp) at Parris Island near Beaufort in the past year. Chandler graduated in October 2015 while his brothers graduated on August 5, 2016. “If they are doing what God wants them to do, they’re going to be successful,” said their mother, Gloria Guest. “I’m super proud of them.” Ryan Guest said he is also proud of his three sons for joining the Marines and being positive examples, especially since

there is a lot of bad news about youth. “Watching the comradery has been absolutely amazing,” he said. While the 19-year-old triplets are now strapping young men, they haven’t always been that way. They were born premature and fighting for their lives. Reagan, who was born first, weighed 3 pounds, one ounce at birth; Preston weighed 2 pounds, 10 and a half ounces at birth; and Chandler weighed 2 pounds, six ounces. “Look at them now; you’d never know they were tiny babies in incubators,” said Jackie Ramsey, their paternal grandmother. The brothers sat down for an interview while they were all home on August 7 before heading off for training. They were honored earlier in the day at their church, Barnwell First Baptist, See TRIPLETS, 8A

Jonathan Vickery/Managing Editor

Triplets Reagan, Chandler and Preston Guest were recognized during the August 7 service at Barnwell First Baptist Church for joining the Marines. They are the sons of Ryan and Gloria Guest of Barnwell.

2016 News Awards Roosevelt Scott: A forty-year career in the art of brick masonry By Jana E. Pye Editor editor@newsandpress.net

FIRST PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jana E. Pye News and Press

Craftsman become artisans through long hours of practice and a discerning eye for detail. Darlington native Roosevelt Scott has been a brick mason for 40 years, and is certainly one of the finest artisans. He recently completed a new walkway from the City of Darlington Administration building on Pearl Street to the lovely rose garden and fountain area between that building and the Council of Aging location, directly across from Piggly Wiggly. Scott’s interest in the craft came from Earl Johnson, a former bricklayer and mayor in Darlington. “He was my inspiration for going into masonry,” said Scott. “I had a football scholarship to the Trade School in Denmark, at Vorhees College.” The school is now the Denmark Technical College. “It’s a dying art,” he said. “We don’t have any young people to take it over now. And the schools dropped it from their curriculum. Not everyone can be doctors and lawyers… someone has to build houses. It’s an excellent trade, but there is no one doing that.” A program with the Darlington County School District to teach bricklaying is no longer operating. The closest place now is at the Sumter County School District’s Career and Technology Center. “It’s a shame,” says Scott. “We don’t have any of the craftsmen, none of those arts in school anymore.” He admits it is not easy work, and as with all construction work, depends on the weather and workers must work in uncomfortable temperatures. Attempts to entice his son, Cheveron Scott, into the family business didn’t pan out. “He told me he wanted to take a year off from school, and find out what he wanted to do with is life. After he worked for me over the summer, I told him, ‘Well, son, this is what you will be doing the rest of your life’ and he said, ‘No, sir, I believe I’ll go on to

school’” Scott laughs. “He went on to law school. He practices in Darlington, teaches paralegals at FDTC and is a judge at the beach.” Both Scotts are members of the Order of Elks of the World. For the project for the walkway on Pearl Street, Scott said the process took about four weeks with a team of four workers. He prefers to train his employees, “they have on the job training with me” and most of his crew has been with him between 10 – 15 years. The walkway surface is leveled first, shooting a grade to determine where the water will flow. A cement foundation is poured, and leveled. Bricks are laid out; this specific brick walkway is a herringbone pattern. They are then allowed to settle, and the crew returns to grout them in place, working with a section about 8 feet at a time. Scott uses bricks purchased by Palmetto Brick in Florence, a company that is over a century years old started by J.L. Anderson on the shores of the Great Pee Dee River valley, the largest family-owned brick maker in South Carolina, producing more than 150 million brick per year. According to the company, they remain one of only a handful of Americanowned and operated brick manufacturers in the U.S. In addition projects like this, Scott Construction does commercial contracting and repairs, and goes gutter and curbing contracts for the State of South Carolina “like catch basins, and so forth” keeping him very busy. “I’m getting older,” said Scott. “My son said it’s time to set to the table, but I’m not ready to slow down yet.” Scott surveys the work, and instructs his crew to clean up to check on another project. “We as Americans are losing out in our trades,” said Scott. “Hate to say it, but we are losing out by not teaching the arts like landscaping, roofing, masonry. Young people are losing out. They need it back in the schools. We are losing a lot skills, and there won’t be guys like me to teach them.”

Building the brick walkway takes approximately four weeks.

Roosevelt Scott inspects the placement of bricks leading the City of Darlington’s rose garden on Pearl Street.

PHOTOS BY JANA E. PYE

2016 News Awards

The

Maestro

Twenty-five years after his defection to escape a repressive regime, Greenville Symphony Orchestra conductor Edvard Tchivzhel watches as Russia slides back to its tyrannical past

THIRD PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Cindy Landrum Greenville Journal

Words by Cindy Landrum | Photos by Chelsey Ashford Edvard Tchivzhel’s defection from the Soviet Union had all of the makings of a Cold War spy movie, from clandestine calls from pay phones to escape the ears of KGB agents planted inside the Soviet State Symphony Orchestra to a thrilling car chase to freedom. But while the lives of Tchivzhel and his family changed drastically since he left his homeland, Tchivzhel said Russia has not. “When the Soviet Union collapsed, people thought it would be the end of communism,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s an infection that was not completely stopped. The roots of communism are too deep in Russia.” Tchivzhel has been the conductor and music director of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra since 1999, the same year he became a U.S. citizen. But Tchivzhel had thoughts of defecting long before that fateful USSR State Symphony Orchestra tour in 1991 that opened in Greenville at the Peace Center, the city’s new performance hall. At the time of his defection, Tchivzhel was associate conductor of the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, a position that aﬀorded him acclaim at home and the opportunity to travel across Scandinavia, Europe and Aus-

tralia. After each tour, he had to return home to the Soviet Union, where everything happened by permission of the government “I was unhappy with the slavery in Russia. It was like you were in prison,” he said. “You were not master of your own life.” That life was tough, too. Store shelves were often empty and people waited in long lines when they weren’t, said Tchivzhel’s wife, Luba. “You’d get 500 grams of meat a month. It would last two weeks. We didn’t know if there would be milk for our child to drink,” she said. “People have to be in that environment to understand how you’re oppressed. Unless you’ve lived it, you just don’t know.” But Tchivzhel defected for more than bread or milk or freer travel. “Feeling one way and living another, being told to think one way and believing the opposite is diﬃcult. I knew life was hypocrisy. The Soviet Union was one of the worst places to be, but you had to pretend it was the best one.” His hatred for the government ran deep. Stalin executed his grandfather for being an alleged Latvian spy.

Unusual chance Tchivzhel could have defected during one of his earlier tours, but there was a problem. He was never able to take his wife and child with him. “The government used family members as hostages so you’d come back,” he said. Losing his whole family forever was a cost Tchivzhel wasn’t willing to take. But when a government oﬃcial suggested he take his family on the monthlong American tour at his own expense, he knew his family had been oﬀered an unusual chance. They didn’t talk about their defection with their parents, family or friends. They only discussed it when they were outside of their home in case their home was bugged. As President Mikhail Gorbachev’s initiatives for restructuring and openness grew, so did the Tchivzhels’ concern that permission to travel as a family during the U.S. tour would be withdrawn. Fortunately for them — and Greenville — it wasn’t.

Chuck E. Cheese The night before the Greenville orchestra concert that would open the Soviet or-

chestra’s 24-city North American tour, Lena Forster, a Russian ballerina who was general manager of the Greenville Ballet, took the Tchivzhels to Chuck E. Cheese’s for dinner. As music blared and video games beeped, Luba Tchivzhel asked Forster if she would help them defect. “I could tell [Foster] was a nice person by her eyes,” she said. “She felt like my sister, not somebody I had just met.” When her husband found out later what she had done, he was furious because he thought Forster could have been a KGB agent. An hour later, there was a knock on the Tchvizhels’ hotel room door. “That was a very scary moment,” he said. Fortunately, it wasn’t the KGB at the door. It was somebody from the Greenville Ballet. The next night in Charlotte, Forster told them she had talked to Greenville lawyer Larry Estridge, whose practice was in commercial real estate, and he agreed to help. The rest of the tour meant secret late-night phone calls by Tchvizhel to Estridge through Forster, all from pay phones in order to not be overheard by KGB agents who accompanied the orchestra. Tchivzhel tried hard not to raise suspicions, although his decision to rent a Jet Ski at a Miami beach could have ruined his plan. The ride cost $30, one day’s per diem for the musicians, for 15 minutes. “The other musicians thought, ‘How stupid. How wasteful.’ Fortunately, it didn’t raise suspicions. I was more careful after that.”

Ride to freedom Finally, the Tchivzhels’ journey to freedom ended at a Washington, D.C., airport. The orchestra arrived after a concert in Long Island. Six FBI agents were there to take him away in a three-car caravan. Against the wishes of the FBI, Tchivzhel first said goodbye to the musicians, telling them he was going to visit friends. The FBI gave Forster a ribbon to wear on her sleeve. When she asked why, she was told that if something went wrong, the FBI would know who to shoot and who not to shoot. “I think that was the first time she didn’t think it was a game,” Tchivzhel said. Original plans called for the caravan to go to an immigration office in Washington, D.C., but when the KGB followed, the agents THE MAESTRO continued on PAGE 16

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

Balling for Destin Fueled by brother’s spirit, Citadel star Cooper realizes NFL dreams

Profile Feature Writing or Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Frankie Mansfield The Moultrie News

MARJORIE MAXON/THE CITADEL ATHLETICS

Mariel Cooper helped The Citadel to a share of the Southern Conference championship this season.

BY FRANKIE MANSFIELD fmansfield@moultrienews.com scout unexpectedly poked his head in the door of the Washington Redskins’ team meeting on Saturday requesting Mariel Cooper gather his belongings and follow him. Cooper was one of 33 tryout players at the Redskins’ rookie minicamp vying for two open spots on the team’s 90-man roster. The unexpected summons less than two days into camp induced an uneasy feeling in Cooper as he headed toward the offices of Redskins Park. The scout led Cooper through the glass double

doors adorned with the iconic Redskins logo and up the burgundy staircase. They paused for a moment in front of the team’s three sterling silver Super Bowl trophies. “Coop,” the scout finally let out as a smile slowly stretches across his face. “Welcome to the Washington Redskins.” The undersized long shot from Sumter, S.C., undrafted out of The Citadel, had made an NFL team. After Cooper signed his contract, Redskins officials gave him a moment to himself. Cooper leaned low into his leather chair, exhaled deeply and peered out of the office window up to the blue sky that stretched over the practice

fields. “Thank you, Destin,” he whispered. “Keep blessing me, man. I’m going to keep balling for you.”

He’s a fighter Cooper grew up in an impoverished neighborhood on the west side of Sumter where teenagers’ aspirations too often wash away after high school. “Back home, it’s really like a systematic mindSee COOPER, page 7A

2016 News Awards

OFF THE BATTLEFIELD ANDREW MOORE | STAFF

amoore@communityjournals.com

FIRST PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Andrew Moore Greenville Journal

Eric Charles Clary is a barber at Greenville’s Old Crow Barbershop. But in Iraq he was a lifeline to soldiers fighting in the streets of Baghdad. He was their medic. The former U.S. Army senior specialist deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a member of the U.S. Army’s 464th medical company. He was stationed at Camp Liberty on the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad. While there, Clary treated comrades but also helped maintain the health of high-value detainees, including Saddam Hussein’s parliament members. But the hardest part of the job for Clary wasn’t suturing bloodied combat wounds or cleaning countless sets of teeth. It was his fear of losing his place at home. “The scariest part is going. After that, you’re on autopilot. But it’s just hard for a lot of soldiers because you can’t care about home. But you do care because life doesn’t stop for your family and friends,” said Clary. “It’s about maintaining those relationships.” Clary is from Sacramento, Calif., and is the oldest of five kids. After graduating high school, he bounced around from bartending to construction work. Clary joined the U.S. Army Reserve when he turned 20 and enrolled in cosmetology school. And then there was deployment, which left Clary unable to finish schooling. But he continued to practice his craft in Iraq. “I was cutting hair in the barracks. They may not have been the greatest cuts, but they were a good way to make extra bucks for beer,” Clary said. After leaving Camp Liberty, Clary worked in several forward operating bases throughout Iraq to care for soldiers before his last assignment – Ibn Sina Hospital. The hospital, built in the 1960s in Baghdad for Saddam Hussein and his family, acted as an emergency facility for critically wounded soldiers and civilians. Clary treated trauma patients at the hospital. During his time there, he encountered various threats, including car bombs and gunfire. He also had to undergo operations for a knee injury that would put a damper on the possibility of a military career.

LEAVING THE DESERT BEHIND

In 2009, after his assignment at the hospital, Clary left for Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to re-class as a dental lab technician. He was sent to Shepard Air Force Base in Texas to complete an eight-month training program and was then sent to Fort Gordon in Georgia to create oral prosthetics for soldiers. It wasn’t the job or place for him. “I ended up coming to Greenville a good bit and found a hair school that I wanted to attend,” said Clary. “And going from a combat field unit to a desk job was hard for me because my friends were still in the action. So I just made the decision to get out.” Clary was medically discharged in 2013 because of his knee injury, and he moved to Greenville. It wasn’t an easy transition. “I started bartending again, just trying to figure out civilian life. You almost have to learn how to grow up again,” said Clary. “In the military, you have meals and housing.” He decided to pursue his passion for hair cutting, attended the Kenneth Schuler School of Cosmetology in Spartanburg and received certification in 2014.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Christopher Sardelli The Lancaster News

Glimpsing the candidate who saved her life Rich Hill girl needed 3 brain surgeries, forever grateful to Ben Carson Christopher Sardelli csardelli@thelancasternews.com

he atmosphere was electric as Heather Stover craned her neck to see Dr. Ben Carson wave to a lively crowd at Carolina Christian Academy on Monday. Though most people were there to hear the GOP presidential hopeful discuss the finer points of his campaign during his second stop in Lancaster, Stover’s connection ran far deeper. Carson saved her life. Not just once, but three times –

operating on her brain at age 8, 11 and 13. As camera flashes filled the school gymnasium, the 28-year-old Rich Hill resident flashed back to the first time she met the renowned pediatric neurosurgeon. It was 1995 and 8-year-old Heather Brasington was a third-grader at Heath Springs Elementary School. Up until then, her world had been filled with homework assignments and friends, though that would soon change. “I started having seizures in my sleep and mom saw that was happening. My mom was

very worried,” Stover said. “When we found that out, the doctors sent me for all those lovely scans. I had to go for CT scans and a bunch of MRIs.” The scans revealed her family’s worst nightmare – she had a brain tumor. “At the time my mom and dad were doing research about doctors, and my grandma read something about Dr. Carson. It ended up being between two doctors, and my mother really liked him the most,” she said. “He’s awesome, a very upstanding guy all around.” See GRATEFUL I Page 2

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Heather Brasington with Dr. Ben Carson before his retirement two years ago. Her recurring brain tumor required surgery three times, when she was 8, 11 and 13. Her reaction when she learned she needed the last operation: “I said, ‘Really? Again? Doggone it.’”

aboard! All

2016 News Awards

Georgetown native ‘rides the rails’ on a train he built himself

BY MARK A. STEVENS mstevens@southstrandnews.com

SECOND PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

efore his retirement at the age of 80, Amon Bone had made his career as an electrical engineer. Now, the 83-year-old Pawleys Island resident is wearing a different kind of engineer’s cap. “All aboard!” he calls from the cab of the 17-foot-long locomotive he built in his garage. Behind the locomotive that he’s dubbed the Bone Yard No. 1 is a coal tender and two coaches. All in all, Amon’s train stretches more than 44 feet, and, so far, he’s taken it out for only one, but highly visible, public viewing in the 50th annual Pawleys Island Fourth of July Parade. “I always wanted a train,” Bone said. “I couldn’t find one I could afford, so I had to build me one … and I’m really enjoying every minute of it.” Dressed in a train engineer’s blueand-white striped cap and denim overalls, complete with pocket watch – a railroad man’s necessity, after all – Bone was eager to show off his ever-improving, big-as-life toy on a recent afternoon. “I feel so happy that it has happened in my life right here, right now,” he said. “I just enjoy working on it so much. Everything I put on it and everything I see for it, it’s just my baby and my life. ... I wasn’t going to build something just to look at. I wanted to be able to use it and enjoy it and ride it.” A native of the Sampit community of Georgetown, Bone – the son of Amon Sr. and Alean – now lives on Hagley Drive in Pawleys Island. He’s lived there since the 1970s and built his current home in 1986, along with two other homes along the way. His Hagley Drive address seems appropriate considering it runs parallel to where railroad tracks once ran from Pawleys to Georgetown. In years past, passengers would cross the Waccamaw River by ferry from Georgetown to Hagley Landing, where they boarded a train for a two-mile journey to Pawleys Island. Established in 1902 by the Atlantic Coast Lumber Co., the GeorgetownPawleys Island Railroad transported both locals and tourists. “The trains used to run right by Hagley Road from the river way back in the old days back in the 1920s,” Bone said. “It was called the tram road.” The tracks may no longer be there and the steam engine’s lonesome whistle may be a thing of the past, but Bone’s train – powered by a riding lawn mower discreetly hidden underneath a handsome and handmade red cab – is making up for lost time. And, over the past decade, Bone has even been perfecting his vocal imitation of a steam engine’s whistle. Close your eyes and you just might think you’re riding the rails from yesteryear. Bone’s career as an electrical engineer took him all over the United States. As he puts it, he “built paper mills, powerhouses, shipyards,

“My father built wagon wheels for the old farm wagons. He would send me to Georgetown, barefooted, for me to get a whole armload full of spokes and bring them back.”

An engineer’s cap seems to suit 83-year-old Amon Bone just fine.

Amon Bone churches, hospitals – everything there was.” He worked for Rust Engineering Co., BE&K Building Group and other large companies, supervising hundreds on projects in in Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Georgia. “I would build something,” he said, “and then go to another one.” He’s been married for 66 years to Irene and is the father of four children. Bone found his creative side as a boy and his love of trains as a teenager. “My father built wagon wheels for the old farm wagons,” he recalled. “He would send me to Georgetown, barefooted, for me to get a whole armload full of spokes and bring them back. He’d cut them to fit, and there would be about six-inch pieces left over. They were round and pretty. I would drill a hole in it. I took that, wound it up and put a propeller on it. I put a string inside and pulled it and it would fly. Not a year later, they came out with it in the dime store. I was 12 years old. So I’ve always been creative.” When Bone worked for a decade at International Paper in Georgetown, he would build tools to make his job easier or quicker. Co-workers who found a scrap piece of metal would stick it in Bone’s tool belt, knowing he’d find a way to repurpose it. He usually did, Bone said, with a grin. “I can make something out of just about anything,” he said. The inspiration to make his own train goes way back. “Oh, my goodness, I’ve always loved trains,” Bone said. “I used to dream of hitching a ride on the train from Georgetown to Andrews and jumping off at Six Mile Crossing. I never did it, but I wanted it so bad that I dreamed it over and over as a boy. “And, then, as a young man, I used to walk the railroad tracks in Conway when I worked at a lumber company there in the 1940s. The big freight trains would come through there, rocking, and it just did something to me. I’ve always loved them, and when I would hear the whistles from those steam engines, it was a longing, lonesome feeling.” The longing for his own locomotive never left, and Bone has worked hard to recreate the look of an authentic locomotive. But it was only by happenstance that his project picked up any steam. In November of 2015, a neighbor, Pat Moore, was ditching some unused, round 16-inch, 28-gauge, 4-feet-long galvanized steel duct work but offered it first to Bone, who

immediately saw promise in the gift. “That’s what started the whole thing,” he said. “I snapped those pieces together, looked at it and I said to myself, ‘That’s it! Now I know how I’m going to make the boiler for my train. I had always wondered how I could make the boiler, and there it was staring right at me. ... “I wanted it to look the part, nostalgic. Without the boiler, you don’t have anything. You can’t have a square boiler.” With the two 16-inch pieces of round duct work bonded together, Bone was a able to create a 32-inchin-diameter boiler. “I made the bulkhead for the front,” he said, “and I had some three-quarter plywood, and I cut me some 32-inch circles, so I could stiffen it. … It’s sturdy and solid.” From there, Bone began to build the engine’s cab, as well as a cattle catcher for the front, and to find wheels – some to move the engine along paved roads and others to resemble the metal wheels of a real steam engine. What he couldn’t find, Bone built. His engine isn’t a true steamer, of course, so the power comes from a reworked – or, as Bone puts it, “adapted” – 2006 lawn tractor. One of his daughters was throwing out some unused wood that he used as the corners for his coaches, and he ordered galvanized metal for use throughout the train. The seats in the coaches were originally children’s benches he’d made in the past. “I looked at the benches, and said, ‘Hey, that looks about the right size for my train,” Bone recalled. “Sure enough, it was perfect. Things like that have just worked out since I started it. Most of the material was given to me or came out of my backyard basically. Once I got the power for the engine, I wanted the cars to go with it, so I just kept going and going. “I’ve always wanted my own train, my whole life, but the only thing that ever stopped me was building my boiler. When I saw the duct work, that was it, right there. I knew how I could build the whole train.” Bone kept the project a secret at first but showed it to family members on Christmas. “They were in awe,” he said. “There isn’t anything like trains and Christmas. It’s a perfect fit.” He got the whole train in working order by April 30. By summertime, the Bone Yard No. 1 and its excursion train were ready for the public to see. He debuted the train in the Fourth of July parade on Pawleys Island, where he was met with enthusiasm – and “disas-

These wheels on the locomotive turn – and even include flashing lights, but they do not move the engine forward. The wheels from the hidden converted lawn tractor and other tires give the “steamer” the ability to travel.

Amon Bone – watched closely by his dog, Edward – flips switches inside his locomotive’s cab, where he can control lights, sounds and movement for the locomotive and its passenger cars.

ter,” as he put it. A wheel from one of the coaches fell off, forcing him to temporarily sideline part of his hard work on the side of the road. “Before I had the problem with the wheel, people were loving it,” Bone said. “They wanted to get in and take pictures with me. Even when I broke that wheel, people were so nice and so helpful.” Since then, Bone has tweaked his train a little here, a little there. He’s changed the motor and added a muffler to reduce the noise. He’s added lights inside the coaches. He has a long rearview mirror he wants to add to the cab to give him a better view of what he’s pulling. Adding, fixing, redoing – it’s all part of life on the rails (or road) for Bone. “This has been time so well spent,” Bone said. “I wouldn’t take anything for the joy of building it. There are still some cosmetic things to do, but it just takes time. ... I’m the kind of person who will always be doing something to it.” His children sometimes wonder, Bone said, where their father is go-

ing with his latest venture. Not too far, he tells them, at the train’s maximum of 2 miles per hour. “At first,” Bone said, “they kept asking me what I’m going to do with it, and I said, ‘It’s my toy, and I’m going to play with it.’ My children are fine with it. They just get concerned that I’m going to take off down the road. They think that because I’m so hard headed. They get worried that I overexert myself, but I work on something about 8 or 10 hours every day. If it’s not my train, it’s something else. “My children say, ‘You will never live long enough to do everything you want to do, and I think I won’t either. It’s a good way to live. You are up to date all the time.” He does know, however, when he will be done tinkering with his train. “I still have to build a caboose,” Bone said, as he let loose another sigh, “but I don’t know whether the train is through having children yet – it might need another coach. The caboose comes along when you’re finished. It’s the last thing.”

2016 News Awards

Positive impact

Dr. Gerald Harmon explains how he’s ‘always been on the right path’

FIRST PLACE Profile Feature Writing or Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

BY MARK A. STEVENS mstevens@southstrandnews.com

One doesn’t just have a conversation with Dr. Gerald E. Harmon. Rather, when speaking with the affable physician, it’s likely he will, in turn, recount multiple conversations that have been pivotal moments from his full life and career. It’s that easy-going, storytellerin-residence attitude that has made Harmon a Georgetown County fixture since he and his wife moved to the region in 1983. Since then, Harmon has served generations of local families as a practicing physician at Tidelands Waccamaw Family Medicine. In addition to his practice, he serves as vice president of Tidelands Health Group, serves on the board of trustees of the American Medical Association and has, over the years, been honored with numerous awards. Quite the feat, Harmon admits, for a poor kid from Newberry. “All I’ve ever wanted was to be effective in my community,” Harmon said. “I’ve spent over 30 years here working with good friends, good colleagues. All my patients are my friends. All my friends are my patients.” Despite his success as a physician, Harmon – an eighth-generation South Carolinian – didn’t set out to be a doctor. As a boy and as a young man, he looked to the stars for inspiration. “I liked astronomy and physics,” he said. “I even built a telescope when I was in the 11th grade.” With an innate curiosity as a boy, Harmon took to the library to learn all he could about his first love. It captivated him. “At that time,” Harmon said, “there was no Google. There was

MARK ROBERTS/PROVIDED

Dr. Gerald E. Harmon has practiced medicine in Georgetown County since 1983.

no verb as Google. There was no word as Google. I just decided that I liked astronomy and looking at stars, so I went to the library and checked out a book on telescope making. It had various discussions about it, so I took notes and wrote letters to journals and magazines about amateur telescope making. “I didn’t have a lot of money, so I’d ask them if they had any copies left over that I could have and I’d pay for the postage and they’d mail them to me. We really were pretty dirt poor, but I would save up my money and I bought some telescope-making equipment.” And there in his backyard in Newberry, Harmon did just that – he built a Newtonian Reflector telescope. “I did it ... using instructions from those magazines and books,” Harmon recalled. “ … It

was pretty impressive for a high school kid to do this, but I spent hours and hours grinding this mirror before and after school working on this and finally sending it off to have aluminum applied to it, so it wasn’t just a piece of glass, it was a real mirror. There was a Shakespeare fiberglass plant in Newberry, and they had some leftover pieces of fiberglass that were eight and nine inches in diameter, nice six-foot-long tubes, so I got one of those. “I designed what you would call an equatorial mount, poured some concrete in the back … and I made it and put it in my backyard and it worked.” Harmon’s telescope weighed nearly 100 pounds and was 6 feet long with a 4-foot base. “With it, I could follow the earth’s rotation at night,” he said. “Newberry is 34.25 degrees lati-

tude, so that’s the angle that you put on your equatorial mount. It was a pretty fancy design for a 16-year-old kid. I just enjoyed astronomy and physics.” And it was an escape, too, from a hard life. Harmon’s father had died, and he and his siblings helped their mother by taking part-time jobs at the local cotton mill. Before school, he worked, and after school – and between football practice – he worked. But despite the setbacks and hardships, college was always on the table. “I didn’t have any money,” he said. “My father had died, and, by the time I was graduating from Newberry High School in 1969 and going to college, I really didn’t know what I was go-

See HARMON, Page 14S

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Food Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Samantha Lyles News and Press

Homebrewing taps into

creativity

By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer slyles@newsandpress.net

f you've checked out the beer cooler at your neighborhood grocery store, convenience store, or ABC market lately, you've probably noticed the growing array of craft beers – often independent brewers or small offshoot brands specializing in flavors ranging from peach to root beer to holiday spice blends. But the trend toward peculiar potables isn't confined to the professional brewing circuit; men and women all across America are discovering that making beer in one's own kitchen is a fairly easy and fun activity, with plenty of room for experimentation. “Beer is actually a simple recipe; you have malt to get the sugar, hops bring a bitterness to counterbalance that sweetness, then yeast con-

verts the sugars to alcohol, and there's water. So beer is really only four ingredients, but it's how you play around with all those ratios that give a beer its unique flavor,” says Henry Curry, a Hartsville homebrewer who now brings his culinary skills to bear on beer. Mixing traditional southern dishes with flair from his Philippine heritage, Curry says he's always enjoyed cooking, and his inventive nature has allowed him to branch out from food to homebrewing with some interesting results. But first, like most newbies, he had to learn the basics of manipulating those four key beer ingredients. Malt is toasted barley that is allowed to germinate until sugar is released in the seed. Roasting kills the germination process and halts the sweetening process. Malt is

Homebrewed craft beers can vary in color and flavor from dark, chocolaty stouts to crisp pale ales. available in powder, liquid, and grain form and the strength can be adjusted by how much you add or – in the case of grains – how long you allow them to steep. As with tea, a longer steep in hot water (about 180 degrees Fahrenheit) will yield a stronger malt flavor. “Depending on how dark you toast the malt, that dictates the color and flavor of the beer. The darker the malt, the darker the beer will be. Most dark malts will either have a chocolate or coffee flavor,” says Curry. The malt-steeped water is then mixed with hops and

cooked for about an hour. Those bittering hops add a character all their own, with flavor profiles and aromas ranging from citrus to floral to black pepper - specific to each hop varietal. Beer drinkers fond of deep, layered bitterness often enjoy brews that go heavy on the hops, like an IPA (India Pale Ale). American beers are generally either lagers or ales, with lagers brewed over several weeks at steady cold temps and ales made at room temperature, fermenting gently with the addition of brewer's yeast. Most homebrewed beers are ales, because the

brewing process is considerably simpler and requires less equipment. “For ales, you just boil the ingredients into a mix called wort, and let the wort sit in a carboy (a glass jug holding from one to six gallons) at room temperature and ferment. A three-gallon batch usually takes from three to seven days to ferment,” says Curry. Ambient temperature plays a part in the speed of fermentation; warmer temps rush the process along, while cool weather drags it out a few more days. As the yeast works its magic, the wort mixture

bubbles and burps out carbon dioxide through an airlock tube in the bottleneck, which also serves to prevent bacterial intrusion. “If you have a beer with a high bitter or sour flavor, either it's bad or you may have some bacteria. And beer and bacteria don't mix,” says Curry. Sanitizing agents and good cleaning practices are a must for homebrewers since live cultures are involved in the fermentation process. Lax cleanliness can lead to yucky beer and unhappy returns for all those who consume it. BREWING ON 6B

Grow your own beer garden Dedicated homebrewers and owners of small craft breweries can be obsessive about ingredient quality, even to the point of growing their own hops, grains, fruits, and herbs to be used in brewing – call it a “farm to bottle” movement. Hops grow really well in the sunny southeast. In fact, some of the earliest American colonists in the Virginia region grew their own hops and malt for ale. Hop plants, or Humulus lupulus, are hardy climbing vines that can grow up to one foot per day, with large plants sometimes topping twenty-five feet. They grow well on trellises or poles, and can easily cover the side of a house if given a simple support grid. The best sites for hop growing provide upwards of fifteen hours of sunlight during the summer growing season, offer welldrained soil and good air circulation. Hops are hungry plants, requiring lots of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium to stay healthy.

Hops

Sorghum

Amaranth

Harvesting season is mid-August through September, depending on location, and freshly picked hop cones must be thoroughly dried and packaged in airtight containers to preserve their best flavor. Hop plants are perennial and live from 10 to 25 years, with crowns dying back each fall. Commercially available hops are all female, and are usually established by planting cut-

tings or rhizomes. Hop cones have oil glands that contain alpha and beta acids, and essential oils that were once used as a mild sedative Grains are a pretty ambitious project for a homebrewer's garden, but small patches of sorghum or amaranth can provide the necessary malt while adding visual appeal with their colorful seed heads. About 800 square feet of grain can yield a bushel, which is

enough to brew at least 25 gallons of beer. Herb gardens require minimal investment and space, and can provide brewers with fresh flavors to spice up their brews. Fruit trees and berry bushes are also popular garden additions that broaden a brewer's potential output, with crisp citrus beers and sweet berry flavors gaining popularity among beer drinkers.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Food Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Kinsey Gidick Charleston City Paper

2016 News Awards 09.30.2016

FIRST PLACE Food Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Andrew Moore Greenville Journal

upstatebusinessjournal.com

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS Words by Andrew Moore | Photos by Will Crooks

A Wofford College graduate dropped out of a master's program and started an urban farm near downtown. Now that farmer hopes to start competing against major U.S. food suppliers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all from an acre of land.

REEDY RIVER FARMS

| FEATURE | 13

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Food Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Abbie Sossamon The Gaffney Ledger

Israeli native finds home in Gaffney through baking By ABBIE SOSSAMON Lifestyles and Features Editor abbie@gaffneyledger.com

From mixing chemicals in one of Israel’s largest paint companies to mixing the ingredients in a German chocolate cake, Mariam Lovelace’s life has taken changes she never expected. The Israeli born engineer-turnedbaker attended Western Galilee College where she received her bacheMARIAM LOVELACE lor’s degree in chemical engineering. Upon graduation, much to her surprise, she was offered a job at one of the country’s top companies. Lovelace was the only female engineer and the only one throughout the company who could speak three languages — Arabic, Hebrew and English. She was comfortable in her job; it was well-paying with benefits, an 8-hour workday and an office. But after seven years she began to hear a voice telling her to leave and go into ministry. For over a year she struggled with the decision to pursue ministry and when she finally decided to follow the voice she received little support: her boss offered her a pay raise and her mom, who she supported financially, was extremely upset and couldn’t understand why she was leaving. “Finally I had this job that everyone dreamed about, I was accepted to this great company and everything I wanted or needed was provided,” Lovelace said. “And then I was leaving everything and starting over with nothing.” Lovelace was apprehensive about going into ministry because she had always been very shy and was worried she didn’t know enough to teach others. “I was worried someone would ask me something about the Bible that I didn’t know,” she said. “But God gave me the courage to do it. He prepares you to a certain task.” Lovelace began working with Life Agape, known as Campus Crusade or CRU in America, where she ministered to college students, youth and families. She also ministered to Muslims, sharing the gospel and holding Bible studies. In 2012, a team from First Baptist Church in Gaffney flew to Israel to do mis-

sion work, and while there they worked with Lovelace and Life Agape. Lovelace then connected with members of First Baptist again while doing mission work at the New York School of Urban Ministry, Inc. (NYSUM). From there, Lovelace soon became friends with First Baptist member Malagni Mardis. They connected and stayed in contact through Facebook. Lovelace flew back to the states in September 2013 and stayed through January 2014. It is then when she met her husband, Harry. One week before Mariam was to head back to Israel, Harry called and asked her out on a date. Reluctant about the timing, she decided to go. They went on a couple of more dates and she was feeling a strong connection to him, but was concerned with the timing. So she prayed. She asked God for a big sign to show her if that was what he wanted for her life. She prayed and wanted Harry to ask her three questions: 1. If Gaffney could become her home. 2. If he was the right man for her. 3. That he would propose. On their final date before she was to head home, they spent the day in Lake Lure where he proceeded to ask her the three questions she had prayed for, in the exact order she asked them. “I just began to cry,” Mariam said. “I then went on to tell him about my prayer.” After their date at Lake Lure, Mariam flew home to Israel, Harry joined her three months later for her brother’s wedding where he officially proposed. They were married on Oct. 30, 2014 in Israel and Nov. 12, 2014 in the states. Once settled in, Mariam began looking for jobs and had her degree sent to be translated. When it came back, she was crushed, she was only given credit for an associate’s degree in food science. She spent 166 hours plus a thesis class to obtain her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in Israel, 120 hours is the standard for a bachelor’s in America. “It was the most disappointing and frustrating thing I could imagine,” Mariam said. “I worked so hard and that’s what I got credit for.” Frustrated and disappointed, she didn’t give up on her goal to work. She began making traditional Israeli food and meals for friends. “Many people told me I should open a restaurant,” she laughed. When she was asked if she could make desserts, she was hesitant. “I knew I was good at cooking, I did not know if I would be good at baking,” Mariam said. “In Israel I would only make a typical chocolate sheet cake for special

occasions. We don’t eat sweets as much there as in America” Mariam was persistent and determined to produce quality sweets for those who loved her cooking. She spent hours researching, watching YouTube videos, searching on Google and testing out recipes, making everything from scratch, all with no formal training in baking. Around three months ago, she felt confident enough in her baking talents to establish Mariam’s Sweets and Treats, her baking business currently being run out of her home until she finds another space.

know the person behind the order and hear their story. “I truly love baking, and I love to see people’s faces when they pick up their orders,” she said. “For me, it’s not just about the baking, it’s about the person. I want each cake to be special and personalized just for them.” Having moved to the states just two years ago, Mariam is still adjusting to America and misses her home in Israel but is optimistic about her future here. “Being a stranger in a different country and trying to work with your third lan-

One of Mariam’s made from scratch German chocolate cakes. (Ledger photo / ABBIE SOSSAMON)

Mariam makes everything from cookies for a birthday party, to sweet potato pies, to 50th anniversary cakes, getting creative and putting her own touch on each order. “I don’t like to stick to one recipe, I like to get creative and change it up,” she said. “You tell me what you want and I will create a design or an idea. I don’t like the standard, I like to change it up each time.” Mardis and Harry get the ultimate job of being Mariam’s taste testers when she is creating something new, which they don’t seem to mind. “She made a chocolate mocha ice cream cake because I love coffee so much,” Mardis said. “Even the ice cream was homemade. I’m a gym trainer and I ate the three layer cake in four days. That’s how good it was.” Mariam’s number one goal is to please her customers. She takes time to get to

guage, I really struggled a lot,” she said. “Malagni has really helped get my name out. Gaffney is a small town and word of mouth is great here.” Mariam is grateful for all the support she has received in the few short months and credits that to her husband, friends and customers. “I would like to thank my husband Harry for always supporting and encouraging me,” she said. “He never hesitates to step in and help me in anyway he can. From doing the dishes, to making multiple trips to the grocery store. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has placed orders, liked my page, shared my posts and told people about me.” To see more of Mariam’s work or contact her, visit her Facebook page Mariam’s Sweets and Treats, or call her at 864-2528804.

2016 News Awards p

SECOND PLACE Food Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Travis Jenkins The News & Reporter

What’s cooking? Passion BY TRAVIS JENKINS tjenkins@onlinechester.com Excelling in the culinary arts requires a steady hand, attention to detail and creativity. None of those are the most important ingredient for success in the world of food, though, according to Culinary Arts Instructor Rhonda McMillon of the Chester County Career Center. “Passion,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. “A willing-

ness to learn.” Two of McMillon’s students recently took part in the SkillsUSA Regional Culinary Competition at the Culinard of Virginia College branch in Greenville. Students from across the state competed in three categories: culinary, baking and pastry and restaurant services. Chef Mark Bergstrom is the technical chair for the SkillsUSA culinary competition and the program director at Culinard of

Virginia College, in addition to owning and managing his own restaurant. He said he is continually amazed by the talent he sees in the competition each year. “These career centers are amazing facilities and do a great job,” he said. “You know, home ec is gone and shop class doesn’t exist anymore, but career centers expose students to different industries. Some of the kids See COOKING, Page 4

Cooks love their

Gadgets& gizmos

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Food Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Utensils and a cutting board are items essential in any cook’s kitchen.

A guide to understanding, selecting, and using cookware in the kitchen

’m a confessed kitchen gadget junky. It matters not, functional or fun, I have a little bit of everything. I believe I inherited my addiction from my mother -- one of the best cooks and kitchen contraption shoppers I have ever known. Travel down the aisles at any specialty kitchen store, and you might begin to wonder if respectable cooks are worthy of culinary praise without first filling their kitchens with high-concept, highfalutin tools and gadgets that in reality usually end up being completely unnecessary. Let’s face it, though, is it really necessary to have an avant garde grater and Scandinavian teak stand to display a hunk of pink Himalayan salt? I’m aware that the fine pink salt sourced from dried-up inland seas from 200 million years ago is rich in iron, has a delicate flavor and looks good on the rim of a margarita glass or sprinkled on veggies. But I’m banking on the fact that the people coming to my house just want some good food, and they really don’t care where my salt came from or where I have it stashed. I’ve spoken to enough professional chefs over the years to know that most of them encourage home cooks to avoid purchasing the cute little thingamabobs and colorful cooking doohickeys that many of us come to realize on our own, don’t really work, and for the most part, are not a component of a professional kitchen. Take the crockpot for example. The idea that a chef would own or use one seems to be beyond comprehension to them. The roaring laughter that my question garnered from Chef De Le’ Crockpot Snob encouraged me to not ask the question a second time. Apparently, chefs do slow simmer many items, not in a crockpot, but over a carefully managed flame atop a highly sophisticated stove. Well butter me up and call me biscuit – my crockpot will stay in its assigned space and it will

Crème Brûlée

The Kitchen Sink Servings: 6

Ingredients

with Eileen Keithly be working overtime during a very important upcoming football weekend. Egg separators seem to be another totally useless tool when it comes to the culinary professional. I had one chef tell me, “Honey, throw that thing away and just use the one God gave you.” It appears that the preferred “trickling between the fingers” method is practiced in most restaurants. But it’s so hard to resist all the new fun designs when it comes to kitchen gizmos. I don’t believe I have ever seen a professional chef on television use a garlic press. That tool seems to top their list when it comes to useless kitchen tools. I will admit to having one or two in my arsenal, but I am inclined to agree with the Chef Boyardees of the world, and I admit to joining them by deploying the pound and chop method when it comes to preparing garlic. No matter how grand or how humble, tons of gadgets scattered about or none at all, the kitchen is where everyone gathers and where countless memories are made. We know that to feed body and soul we must all cook surrounded by our favorite tools and ingredients. Professional chefs and home cooks may disagree on technique and preferences, but both understand that having the right ingredients and tools for a specific job makes cooking easier and more fun, and the results often taste better. I’m sharing three of my favorite kitchen gadgets and the recipes to make good use of those tools. Bon Appétit. Eileen Ke ithly can be reached at ekeithly@southstrandnews.com.

2 1/2 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped Pinch salt 5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 6 tablespoons sanding sugar

Directions Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and arrange six 4-ounce ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet. In a medium saucepan over moderately high heat, combine the heavy cream, 1/2 of the sugar, the vanilla bean seeds and pod, and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. While the cream is heating, combine the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and whisk to combine. Gradually add (very slowly, tempering the mixture -otherwise you will have scrambled brûlée) about 1/3 of the hot cream to the yolks, whisking constantly, then add the remaining hot cream and stir to fully combine. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container.

Crème Brûlée is always the perfect ending to a magnificent meal.

Carefully ladle or pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them to the rim. Place the baking sheet in the oven and carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the edges have set but

Sanding sugar Sanding sugar is a large crystal sugar used as an edible decoration that will not dissolve when subjected to heat. Also called pearl sugar or decorating sugar, sanding sugar adds “sparkle” to cookies, baked goods and candies. The sparkling affect is achieved because the sugar crystal grains are large and reflect light. Sanding sugar is available at baking supply and some specialty stores. Substitute for Sanding sugar Coarse sugar (won’t sparkle after heating but typically will hold its shape)

the center still jiggles when the ramekin is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool on a rack for 30 minutes then wrap individually and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

To serve: Sprinkle the top of each custard with a thin even layer of sanding sugar, using about 1 tablespoon per ramekin. Use a kitchen torch or the broiler to evenly melt and caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

Chef’s Torch The chef’s torch is lightweight and easy to hold. Most commonly fired up for caramelizing sugar on a crème brûlée, it has countless other uses, from browning the tops of casseroles or disks of goat cheese for a salad to adding golden highlights to a meringue. The small butane canister that powers it is easily purchased at hardware stores.

See more recipes and gadgets, Page 5A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Arts and Entertainment Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Jennifer Johnston Daniel Island News

02 ISLAND NEWS

thedanielislandnews.com

The Daniel Island News Ĺś Dec. 3 - Dec. 9 , 2015

6DQWD 3DZV EHQHÂżW FRPELQHV SHW SDSDUD]]L RSS ZLWK DQLPDO DYHQJLQJ FDXVH JENNIFER JOHNSTON jennifer@thedanielislandnews.com Some linguists may disagree, but it seems there is an intrinsic difference between that which is brave, and that considered valiant. Both possess a foundation of courage, of course. But bravery seems to point more toward personal boldness, while valor is typically incited by external forces. A valiant person or act is consciously undaunted against high risk for a VHOĂ&#x20AC;HVV UHZDUG And so it follows that Valiant Animal Rescue and Relief is soundly named. It is, after all, an organization that stoutheartedly faces down danger in the safeguarding of some of the Lowcountryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most helpless creatures. Founded in 2004 by current Executive DirecJENNIFER JOHNSTON WRU 0LFKHOOH 5HLG WKH VHUYLFHV WKLV QRQ SURÂżW Valiant founder and Executive Director Michelle Reid with six rehabilitated and rehomed organization provides are threefold: emergency hounds from the largest cruelty case in South Carolina history. animal disaster relief, support services during animal cruelty seizes, and the rehabilitation and real. In the name of animal advocacy, she has seizes, and provide consulting for government re-homing of abused and neglected animals. played the role of investigator, consultant, animal welfare organizations. In short, that Teaming with other organizations, such as key witness, and emergency responder. Her valor has some solid cred behind it. FEMA and the Red Cross, as well as partner FHUWLÂżFDWLRQV UDQJH IURP )RUHQVLF 3KRWRJUDSK\ Because Reid is typically contracted out by professionals, such as veterinarians and law en- to Master Naturalist, and her training runs an local, state, or federal agencies to assist with forcement, Valiant has a remarkable history of even broader gamut, from Concealed Weapons large-scale animal cruelty and endangerment rescuing scores of animals, from domesticated WR 'RJ %LWH 3UHYHQWLRQ 6KH KDV DQ LPSUHVFDVHV VKH LV UDUHO\ WKH ÂżUVW SRLQW RI FRQWDFW IRU pets to unlawfully-held wildlife. sive portfolio of accreditation with both the the general public. Because it does not operate Reid is nothing short of amazingâ&#x20AC;Ś and truly Red Cross and FEMA, and is equipped to train a shelter, Valiant does not accept owner survaliant. Her resume reads like a CSI-meetsmembers of law enforcement, oversee animal renders, but rather has a network of volunteers Avengers casting call, but she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more

that foster seized animals and assist with their ongoing rehabilitation. The primary difference between Valiant and other organizations, such as municipal animal control services, is that Valiantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model sees the process through from investigation and search to removal and rescue to re-home and rehabilitate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Valiantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core focus, however, is using our animal forensics expertise to stop animal cruelty at the source and to help law enforcement hold offenders accountable,â&#x20AC;? explains Reid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In doing so, we can prevent future animals from entering the same situation and can set the precedent that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in our communities.â&#x20AC;? When Reid receives a case, she deploys her team of veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and other professionals. Embedded with ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW RIÂżFLDOV DQG RSHUDWLQJ XQGHU anonymity, this expert squad utilizes a mobile unit equipped with all the gear needed to collect forensic evidence (including colonies of derPHVWLG RU Ă&#x20AC;HVK HDWLQJ EHHWOHV XVHG WR FOHDQ WKH bones of deceased animals analyzed as crime evidence), assess animal conditions, and provide emergency medical treatment. In the case of rescue work necessitated by natural disaster, Valiant partners with other front-line organizations, such as FEMA and the Red Cross. Valiant was there in the wake of Hurricane

See SANTA PAWS on PAGE 10

2016 News Awards

JOSH WHITE

SECOND PLACE

GREENVILLE’S FORGOTTEN

blues

Arts and Entertainment Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

GREAT

VINCENT HARRIS | CONTRIBUTOR

vharris@communityjournals.com

Vincent Harris Greenville Journal

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Arts and Entertainment Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Jordan Lawrence Free Times

Country singer Morgan Myles returning to Myrtle Beach By Mark A. Stevens mstevens@southstrandnews.com

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Arts and Entertainment Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

Myles has a new EP out, titled “Miss Morgan Myles,” which made the Top 20 on the iTunes Country Music charts upon release. She said she’s Country singer Morgan Myles may be headed excited that audiences – and publications like Rollback to Myrtle Beach for her second performance ing Stone – have taken notice. She also has a new on the Grand Strand, but as she took a break for a video out for her song “We Won’t Go Home.” telephone interview last week, her biggest concern “I cried when I found out (about Rolling was how she was going to get from Minnesota to Stone),” she said. “I was crying like a baby. They Nebraska. reached out to me. As an artist, you want to put The night before, Myles’ tour van had a run out your music and get this affirmation ... that you in with a a deer, and Myles needed to rent a van did something right. I was blown away, and I still to get herself, her equipment and her band to the am.” next gig. Opening for country legends McEntire and “It’s not easy right now,” Myles said. “There’s Williams and ’80s superstar Springfield is certainly some thing to be said about the a way to get noticed, too. glamorous tour buses, I guess.” “It’s always a blessing to open Myles is new to the music up for these artists,” Myles said. business, and she hasn’t worked “You know, I just want to be her way up to a tour bus. For them, and it’s certainly inspiring. now, it’s a tour van. ... I got to meet Hank, Reba and She was driving when the Rick, and they know what it was deer mishap happened, but when once like to be the opening act. you’re working your way up the ... I think there’s something to music business ladder, you take be said about the more humble your lumps. people are at the top. They are “At the end of the day,” she really salt-of-the-earth people. said, “we are all safe. I held my Hank is crazy, but in a solid way. composure. The band was imI knew he would be. Reba – and pressed.” this would make me cry – would Besides, Myles said, any stress check up on me and make sure I goes away once she hits the stage. was OK. That was so kind. They “We love what we do,” she may be superstars, but they are said. “On stage, that’s our stress also the kindest souls.” relief. We are a very close family. We are family. The singer grew up a fan of Shania Twain, Faith We may be stuck in this van, but, at the end of the Hill and other country stars who easily crossed day, it’s going to be better. We know that.” over into pop. In fact, things have been going very well for She counts pop star Whitney Houston as an Myles. influence, too. She’s one of country music’s most buzzed-about “I love those 1990s divas,” Myles said, with a new artists. She was featured in Rolling Stone’s laugh. “They all had so much talent and I’m in awe “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know” of them, but I also love Janis Joplin and Bonnie and NASH/Country Weekly’s “Five New Female Raitt. I’ve got my soul side. Like I said, country Stars Breaking Out in 2016.” She performed at The soul is what I love.” Carolina Country Music Fest on Saturday, June Myles said she probably started writing songs 11, and is returning to the coast as the opening act before she was a teenager. “Now, they weren’t any for “American Idol” alum Scotty McCreery at the good,” she said, “but I eventually I got to NashHouse of Blues on Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. ville … and a chance to tell my three-minute story She’s already opened for Reba McEntire, Hank through songs. I found how to express myself in a Williams Jr., Rick Springfield and more. “The genuine way. reaction has been incredible every where we go,” She moved from Berklee College of Music in Myles said. “... They may not know me, but the Boston to Belmont University in Nashville and music resonates with them. ... It’s overwhelming ended up with a music business degree. the love we get from these audiences. We get there She said she hopes her education gives her a and get amazing feedback, and that gets us to the good foundation for the music industry. next one.” But, she said with a laugh, she’s got to stay Myles, who grew up in rural Pennsylvania, focused on the present – even if that means finddescribes her music as “country soul.” ing a van to rent when your tour van hits a deer as “I’ve always been a bluesy soulful singer,” she you’re headed to your next concert. said. “I’ve always been drawn to a song that’s tell“I was pretty stressed out last night,” she said, ing a story and that’s the demographic of country. “but, you know what, you just tap the brakes and Stands for morals and faith and country, and that’s breathe. ... We will hit the stage, and it’s going to be who I am. That’s why I love telling a story.” great.” Published June 21, 2016

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Arts and Entertainment Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kasie Strickland The Easley Progress

Zombies are invading Liberty! Oregon author used town as setting By Kasie Strickland kstrickland@civitasmedia.com

LIBERTY — Author TW Brown has never been to Liberty. He’s never strolled down Commerce Street, he’s never had lunch at The Liberty Bell and he’s never watched a Red Devil football game.

He’s never met the people of Liberty in real life, only online. But they made enough of an impression on the Portland, Ore., based author that he decided to set his book there. So, why Liberty? “Well, I needed a town — but not just any town. It had to be the

rightt town. Not too big, not too small — everything had to fit for this to work. Liberty fit the bill,” said Brown during a recent interview. Brown penned a series of zombie apocalypse books known as the “Dead” series. “‘Dead’ is 12 books long,” he said. “I was committed to ending it at 12. But once I was finished with it, the

temptation to revisit that world was too great. That being said, I didn’t want to just go back and write more books once I assured readers the series was over. So I compromised.” Instead of delving directly back into his “Dead” series, Brown decided to apply the world he created to See ZOMBIE | 5

Couple’s book chronicles surfing in S.C. FROM PAGE 1A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Arts and Entertainment Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

ing photos and memories for their new book in Arcadia’s popular Images of Modern America series. The book is divided into four sections: Pawleys Island and the Grand Strand; Charleston; Hilton Head Island; and Spin-Offs. While the Folsoms call Folly Beach home, they have long been fans of surfing along the shores of Georgetown and Horry counties. Surfing came natural to Foster, but not so for Lilla. “Foster has been surfing in and around Folly Beach since the 1960s, but I failed miserably at surfing,” Lilla said. “I tried surfing once … on Folly Beach, and that’s all it took to find out I was not cut out for this sport.” Despite not being able to catch waves together, marriage for the two was in the cards – and so was their new book. “We are a good team,” Lilla said. Their book reads like a love story – of the beach, of the ocean, of surfing. “I was born and raised on Folly Beach, and I always had a love of the ocean,” Foster said. “Growing up, my friends and I were beach rats the whole summer. We ended up … renting beach mats, air mats …, and we would ride them.” A nd t hen in t he early 1960s, guys with surfboards started showing up. Pop culture had begun to make surfing famous in movies and on television, but, for South Carolina, surfing arrived on a different kind of wave – the currents of war. “South Carolina’s strategic location, ports and mild climate secured military base contracts along the coast with the Marines centering at Parris Island,” the Folsoms write in the book’s Introduction. “Charleston hosted the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, while another Air Force base located in Myrtle Beach. ... Military families brought their hobbies, and surfboards began appearing on local beaches.” Foster – and boys and girls like him all over South Carolina – had used floats to ride the Atlantic Ocean’s waves, but now there were a few surfboards by the shore, too. “Surfers were stationed here from California and Hawaii. ... That’s one of the ways we started here, and the same way up in Myrtle Beach. Each one has an individual story,” Foster said. The book, for example, calls Pawleys Island “a hidden gem” for surfers that extends northward to Myrtle Beach. “The long sweeping crescent shape of the Grand Strand affords a surfer many choices of beach breaks,” the Folsoms write in their book. But there’s proof positive that folks in Pawleys have been surfing for at least a century. The first photos in the book, in fact, show a Mr. Jones and Mr. Swanson surfing at Pawleys Island Beach. A date inscribed on one of the photos is 1919, but the Pawleys Island Civic Association believes the photos date back at least to 1905.

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ARCADIA PUBLISHING

Chris Brown began surfing in Pawleys Island and has ridden waves on two continents.

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ARCADIA PUBLISHING

Luke Gordon of Pawleys Island was the first South Carolina surfer and the youngest ever to win the marquee pro division at the O’Neill Sweetwater Pro-Am Contest.

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ARCADIA PUBLISHING

Authors Foster Folsom and Lilla O’Brien Folsom

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ARCADIA PUBLISHING

Photo from the book of a Mr. Jones surfing at Pawleys Island, possibly in 1905.

From t here, t he book chronicles surfing via the Pawleys Island Surf Club, established on May 27, 1966; the region’s first Ron Jon Surf Shop that opened in 1966 on Pawleys; and through nearly 200 photos of surfers from the past to the present day. Genera-

tions of surfers are featured – fathers in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and their sons — and daughters, too — in the 1990s, 2000s and today. There’s Stoney Cantor, an East Coast champion and U.S. Championship contender, who began surfing at Surfside Beach when he

“Surfing In South Carolina” is available now.

was 10. Today, his son, Micah, is the youngest to win the Men’s Open at both the East Coast Championship and the Atlantic Surfing Championship. It’s one of dozens of family stories featured in the book. It wasn’t easy collecting the necessary photographs for “Surfing In South Carolina.” “One of the surfers told us up in Myrtle Beach that there aren’t a lot of photos of surfing, because back in the day, you could either afford a camera or a surf board,” Lilla said. And those who did have a camera weren’t always able to capture fastmoving surfers riding the Atlantic’s pounding waters. Still, those who surfed knew others who surfed, so once word got out that the Fosters were compiling photos for a book, things started coming together. “If we hadn’t had Facebook, I don’t know what we would have done,” Lilla said, noting that the social media site was invaluable in reaching generations of South Carolina surfers. A few months ago, the Folsoms showed up in Murrells Inlet “with coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts,” Lilla said, “and the rest showed up with lots and lots of pictures. I had a scanner and a tape recorder. … It worked out well.” Time and coastlines merged seamlessly. “It was so nice to reconnect with these people and talk to them about what it is like and how it was for them when all this started,” Lilla said. “It’s like it all developed at the same time in these different places. We were pretty much on the same timeline, but each area thought they were unique. They thought,

Surf’s up: Some highlights Lilla O’Brien Folsom and Foster Folsom are authors of “Surfing In South Carolina.” Some interesting facts: eì ,)=ì1)8ì32ì8,)ì beach. eì ,)=ì1%66-)(ì%8ì2-+,8ì so Foster wouldn’t miss %2=ì+33(ì;%:)7ì(96-2+ì 8,)ì(%=@ eì 378)6ì,%7ì796*)(ì):)6=ì(%=ì7-2')ì ìI8,%8ì 8,)6)ì%6)ì;%:)7JAì&98ì -00%ì 320=ì86-)(ì83ì796*ì32')ì%2(ì realized the sport wasn’t

‘We are the only people doing this!’ “Communication wasn’t like it is today, of course. It wasn’t easy. Today, you look on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you know what everyone is doing around the world. But back then you didn’t know what people were doing a mile away.” Foster still remembers the day in 1963 that he rode his first wave. It changed his entire life. “On March 27, I’ll be 69,” he said, “but since that day in 1963, I have surfed every day that there are waves. “My parents weren’t really accommodating. They were serious people. They worked every day, nose to the grindstone. Spending time on the beach, well, they looked on that as a waste of time. I don’t know anyone whose parents gave money to them for a surfboard. It was not something parents encouraged at all. ... “Beach life was something that they regarded that

for her. eì %2=ì,-7836-'ì796*-2+ì photos were lost when Hurricane Hugo slammed the South Carolina coast -2ì @ eì ,)ì2%1)7ì3*ì8,)ì8;3ì 796*)67ì32ì8,)ì'3:)6ì3*ì 8,)ì&33/ì%6)ì238ì/23;2Aì but the Folsoms hope the book’s publication will 0)%(ì83ì8,%8ì(-7'3:)6=@ eì 378)6ì4%-(ì*36ì*36ì,-7ì *-678ì796*&3%6(ì&=ì;36/-2+ì at an amusement park 70 hours a week for $25 per week.

would go away as we got older. Boy, were they wrong!” Foster likens his love of surfing to the dedication of those young militar y men who first brought their boards to the South Carolina military bases. “It’s kind of like, once a Marine, always a Marine,” he said. “That’s the way it is for those of us dedicated to surfing. But ... just because you might own a surfboard doesn’t make you a surfer. You may sur f, but what makes you a surfer, in my mind, is a commitment to waves and a commitment to going out and commitment to the whole lifestyle. “When I rode my f irst wave, I literally put everything else down. I stopped fishing. Never played another sport. I have been totally committed to this sport.” (“Surfing In South Carolina” i s available f rom amazon.com, arcadiapublishing.com and local bookstores for $22.99.)

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Short Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

2016 News Awards

Beehive on Player Street

SECOND PLACE Short Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Samantha Lyles News and Press

By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer slyles@newsandpress.net

City of Darlington workers got quite a surprise Tuesday afternoon while clearing away a Player Street tree downed by Hurricane Matthew: the tree held a lively and productive honeybee colony. Wisely, the city workers eased away from the agitated swarm and called in bee expert Rick Moore, proprietor of Rick's Honeybee Removal of Hartsville. “They're not aggressive. You can walk right up to them,” said Moore of the flitting honeybees. “They're good girls, they're just homeless. So we're gonna give them a new place to live and put 'em to work making honey.” Moore cleared away brush from the hive site (buried in the hollow of a downed oak tree) and sprayed lemongrass oil inside a wooden box hive – a trick of scent and pheromones that calms the bees and lures them into the new hive for transport. The honeybees on Player Street were from a single colony, but had split into two groups. During the ruckus as the tree was sawn apart by street crews, the hive's queen had relocated to some nearby brush. Moore gently removed the branch where the queen's coterie of protective drones huddled around her like

living armor, and he tapped the clump of bees against the new hive until they began dispersing and crawling inside. The hive within the downed oak tree held a two-foot piece of honeycomb, and Moore explained that the worker bees would drain this honeycomb dry and transport their liquid gold to the colony's new home. Shortly after Moore began the relocation of the Player Street colony, city workers arrived and reported that two more bee hives had been found near the Darlington Rescue Squad building and at a home on Kirven Street. Moore did not seem surprised, and noted that honeybee colony discoveries always rise in the aftermath of storms when folks begin clearing away fallen trees. He says 2016, with its volatile weather, has been a particularly active year. “This one right here is probably about the hundredth bee call I've been on this year, give or take a few,” Moore said, clearly happy about the booming business and the chance to save more bees. Holding up the honeycomb rife with bee activity, Moore tore off a piece of the beeswax dripping with honey and popped it into his mouth. “Nature's chewing gum,” he said, smiling.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Short Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Michaele Duke The News, Kingstree

Man escapes death as tree crashes on top of home BY MICHAELE DUKE news@kingstreenews.com

Robert Thornhill is thanking his lucky stars. On the evening of October 8, Hurricane Matthew was raging across the coast of South Carolina and Kingstree was in its path

of destruction. That evening Thornhill was batted down in his home on Green Street. He’d been through something like this just a year before. In October 2015, his home sat in three feet of water after the historic flood. He was lucky

to have been able to renovate and remain in his quaint cottage-style house. That bad dream was a year ago. Now Thornhill was seated in his recliner with his best friend, a tiny Yorkie named Buddy listening to the winds

howl and rain pour outside. He thought he was safe from the storm until something came crashing down on him and his beloved pup. “I didn’t know what it was,” said Thornhill recalling that horrible moment. What he

didn’t know at that time was a massive oak tree on the side of the house had snapped and fallen across the entire top of the house, smashing through the roof and ceiling. “It hit me and I had my little dog IE>:L>

MNKG MH

TREE, 3

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Short Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

Voter ID law doesn’t keep ‘dead’ man from casting ballot BY CHARLES SWENSON COASTAL OBSERVER

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Short Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

It’s been a grueling presidential campaign season, but George Greggs didn’t think it would kill him. The report of his demise, though greatly exaggerated, reached him when he walked into the polling place at the Waccamaw Regional Recreation Center in Parkersville for Saturday’s Democratic primary. He had his voter registration card, but the current one and a dogeared version issued when the polling place for the Pawleys Island 2 precinct was at the old Waccamaw Library. He had his driver’s license as required by the state’s voter ID law. “They ran my number three times and it kept coming back that I was dead,” Greggs said. Greggs will turn 67 on Sunday. He registered to vote when he turned 18 in 1970. Except for a stint working on nuclear submarines for the Navy in Groton, Conn., he has lived all of his life in Georgetown County. He worked as a paramedic for the county so he was pretty sure his vital signs were still good. “The coroner didn’t pronounce me, the doctor didn’t pronounce me and I’m still paying life insurance,” Greggs said. The symptoms were familiar to Rita Smith, the poll manager at Pawleys 2. “We quickly re-

George Greggs with card. vived him,” she said. “We’ve had that before.” It was the clerk of court’s office that listed him as dead, Greggs discovered. He was told a jury summons sent to him was returned to the clerk’s office. He thought that was strange because he had recently seen Clerk of Court Alma White at church. “We wouldn’t take somebody off the list because their mail is returned,” White said. The next step is to send a deputy. She is looking into the matter. Smith called the county Elections and Voter Registration office to get Greggs back on the list so he could vote. “He’s alive and sitting right in front of me,” she told registration officials. Just to make sure, she had him fill out some paperwork. The error only affected the voting rolls. “I’m still getting my Social Security check, thank goodness,” Greggs said.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Short Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Short Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Ardie Arvidson The Hartsville Messenger

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Short Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kyle Camp The Lancaster News

Postcards for Jaxon arriving from around the world Kyle Camp kcamp@thelancasternews.com

Jaxon Ingram, an inquisitive 5-year-old who is fighting leukemia, loves maps and loves getting mail. His parents, Jason and Amy Ingram of Buford, have combined those two things, asking friends and relatives to Jaxon mail him postIngram cards from faraway places. When he gets a postcard, Jaxon finds that place on a map. “He’s just always wanted to know where things are,” Jason said. “He’ll see something on TV or a movie, and he’ll ask where that’s at.”

The Ingrams have been inundated with generosity and support following Jaxon’s leukemia diagnosis last year. Now, thanks to family and friends sharing posts on Facebook, support is going global. As a surprise for Jaxon, his parents set up a P.O. box for people around the country to send postcards from every state. “He loves getting any kind of mail,” Jason said. When a postcard comes in, they mark the location of the sender with a dry erase marker on their 4- by 7-foot U.S. map hanging on the wall. Though the collection has just started, the Ingrams have already received mail from Alaska, California, Michigan, Maine and more – and that’s just stateside. See JAXON I Page 2

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Jaxon, left, and Jason Ingram look at a map of the United States. Postcards have come from many states across the country.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE

Holiday habits endure through the years

Short Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Brian Melton The Lancaster News

Brian Melton

FACES & PLACES

Editor

X More Christmas memories from the staff of The Lancaster News. PAGE 8

n 37 years of marriage, my wife and I have never celebrated Christmas in our own home. For our first two decades, we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Joy's grandmother Edna Westmoreland in Clover. Nanny was a widow by that time, and her family had always gathered at her house for Christmas Eve, eating and celebrating late into the night. She had eight kids, and each of them had three or four, and they brought a herd of in-laws and great-grands. Her home was a madhouse the night before Christmas. Joy and I stayed after everyone left and spent the night. After all that hubbub, we didn't want her waking up alone on Christmas morning. When the crowd got too big for Nan-

ny's house, and the excitement too much, the festivities moved to Clover Presbyterian down the street. Reunion food, carols beside the piano, and silence while someone read from Luke. Late in the evening, we returned to the house, and Joy and I, now with daughter Anna, would settle into our little family's Christmas tradition. It was precisely the same every year. The four of us sat in the tiny den. Chilled from the trip across town, Nanny cranked up the gas heater beside her chair until the rest of us were sweating. A Christmas special played on TV, mostly ignored and barely loud enough to hear. We hauled in from the car dozens of

small gifts from her descendants, and Anna unwrapped them on the floor. We oohed and aahed at each one. Joy wrote down the name of every giver and gift, so Nanny could send thank yous. She told us stories about Christmases of her childhood. Her voice always quavered, and her hands shook. We hung on every word. By then it was midnight. Time for the pope. We weren't Catholic, but the papal mass always came on at 12. We sat there, tired and quiet and content, worshiping with the pontiff in St. Peter's Basilica, commenting every year about the twisting columns of Bernini's magnificent baldacchino behind him. Nanny and Anna began nodding off, and we helped them to bed. Santa arrived to do his job, and then the night would end. Faith affirmed, family cherished and memories engrained for a lifetime.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Column Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Margaret Evans Lowcountry Weekly

2016 News Awards Grady Johnson’s

SECOND PLACE Column Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Grady Johnson SCBIZ

VIEWPOINT Keepers of the campaign for school funding reform

face the end of summer with bittersweet emotions. On one hand, I’m going to miss the long days and the lazy possibilities they conjure. On the other hand, summer is our most challenging season because interview sources and advertisers are on vacation, and we are working that much harder to keep the ink flowing. So I look forward to getting back to business as usual. This is also the time when most everyone starts thinking about school again. If you followed the happenings in the state Legislature prior to the break, you may recall the session ended with no school funding reform. The deadline was extended and no concrete actions taken to comply with the state Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of Abbeville County School District et al v. the State of South Carolina to address the inequity that exists in our rural schools and causes them not to meet the constitutional standard of minimum adequacy. It’s no secret that our state’s rural school districts are at a disadvantage when compared to the school districts in the wealthier metro areas. It’s also no revelation that the largely rural, largely AfricanAmerican school districts in our state take a back seat on the legislative agenda. So I shouldn’t be surprised, as shocking as it sounds, that this case had been argued in

It’s no secret that our state’s rural school districts are at a disadvantage when compared to the school districts in the wealthier metro areas. It’s also no revelation that the largely rural, largely African-American school districts in our state take a back seat on the legislative agenda. So I shouldn’t be surprised, as shocking as it sounds, that this case had been argued in court for 20 years. court for 20 years. However, I am astounded to find that the plaintiffs, Abbeville County School District and 33 other rural school districts, have been represented by the same attorney for 20 years, pro bono. Who works on a case for 20 years for free? Attorney Carl Epps, it turns out, along with a who’s who roster of other attorneys at the firm of Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough. Now it begins to make sense. The Riley on that shingle belongs to none other than our former governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley. But it is intriguing, isn’t it? What would compel a firm to commit the time and treasure to engage an adversary as entrenched, intractable and well-funded as the State of South Carolina? I spent some time on the phone recently with both Gov.

Riley and Carl Epps to find out. Riley speaks eloquently and passionately with quiet confidence and strength of conviction. I’m in the presence of a man who has shaped politics, policy, and our state in ways most of us will likely fail to fully understand. I search for a label. Elder statesman? Institution? He would likely dismiss the tags. The stature of his years and his command of constitutional law, education reform and state governance make him an effective and compelling champion of education. By his estimation, this is one of the largest pro bono cases in the history of South Carolina. He reckons the firm has invested somewhere in the range of $9 million worth of legal services and hard costs. I can’t detect a single shred of regret. The historic nature of this trial is

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Column Writing Associate & Individual Member Division

Laura Packard Lowcountry Weekly

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Graham Williams Union County News

STOP doesn’t mean pause Three seconds. That's how long you should stop your vehicle at a stop sign before turning. One Mississippi; two Mississippi; three Mississippi. More and more, however, I see drivers who approach a stop sign, slow down and then turn right or left without coming to a complete stop. Apparently, traffic laws don't apply to them. Stop signs are placed at intersections for a reason: To prevent traffic accidents. People who disobey them risk causing an accident that could injure themselves or someone else. Stop means stop - it's not a suggestion. The same goes for traffic lights. Turning right at a red light may be Graham legal in South Carolina, but the law still requires you to stop first. Williams Thursday night, I was driving east on Main Street, headed for the county annex building, when I approached the intersection of Main and Mountain streets. The light was green for me and red for traffic approaching the intersection to my right and left. Just as I got to the intersection, a very large Ram pickup truck began turning right from Mountain Street, directly in front of me. I hit the brakes, looked at the truck and pointed to the traffic light, which was still green. I'm not sure if the truck driver understood my message - he pointed at the light too. Three seconds. Stop at the red light and count three seconds while looking both ways for oncoming traffic. If the coast is clear, you may turn right. How difficult is that? What should you do if you are approaching a traffic light and it changes from green to yellow? A) Slow down before stopping B) Speed up and try to get through the intersection before the light turns red? Unfortunately, for many people, the answer is B. I see it all the time on Main Street, especially at the intersection with Pinckney Street. Drivers ignore the yellow caution light, which sometimes turns red as they enter the intersection. What happens if a vehicle is headed toward the intersection from the right or left and the driver speeds up as the light turns green? Is it worth risking your life, just to avoid spending 60 seconds at a stoplight? Before I step down off my soap box I have to mention mopeds - God's gift to unlicensed drivers. Just because you're not driving a four-wheeled vehicle doesn't mean you can ignore the traffic laws. You still have to stop at stop signs and stop lights and it would be nice if you would give a signal before turning - the life you save may be your own. One more thing - if you can't drive the speed limit, stay off the highway.

‘When you wish upon a (chain restaurant) star’ Why are people in Union County never satisfied with what they have? I asked myself that question Thursday night during the much-too-long Democratic county council debate. The candidates were asked what they would do to recruit “a nice, major, chain upscale restaurant to Union County.” I heard a similar query recently when Union City Council was discussing a list of projects that might qualify for Community Development Block Grants. One council member asked if the city could get a grant to help bring a restaurant to Union. Both questions are inappropriate and Graham demonstrate a lack of understanding Williams about the role of local government. It's not the responsibility of city council or county council to recruit restaurants. Besides, it's doubtful any national restaurant chain would want to locate in a community where the population is declining. Granted, Zaxby's and Waffle House did, but neither of them fit the mold of traditional restaurants like Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday's, which seem to be high on people's wish lists. If you want to eat at Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday's or any other chain restaurant, get in your car and drive to Spartanburg - the menu there will be the same as at the one in Greenville, Charlotte or Atlanta. What you won't find in any of those cities is a Midway BBQ, Andy's, Fat Sam's or a T&L Diner. These restaurants - along with many others - are unique to this community; you won't find their food anywhere else. The people who own and operate them live here; their children go to school here; and they go to church here. When out-of-town guests come to visit I take them to eat at one of the local restaurants so they can get a sense of what it's like to live here. If I take them on a sightseeing tour we don't visit the Spartanburg County Museum or the Spartanburg County Library, I take them to the Union County Museum or the Carnegie Library, two places that I'm proud to say are part of this community. We are very fortunate to have a wide variety of places where we can eat, considering our small population. On any given day you can order a meat and three, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, a steak, Chinese, seafood, fried chicken or Japanese. That doesn't mean we couldn't support an upscale restaurant, if someone chose to open one here. Perhaps someone local - or even living nearby - with restaurant experience will do it. Both the food and the service must be top notch, however, or it probably won't succeed. It should be different from any place else, which would attract both locals and people from out of town. Meanwhile, folks here will continue wishing for something they'll never get.

Unforgettable day for Miracle League Never underestimate the people of Union County - they can make miracles happen. Just ask Amy Austin; she witnessed one Wednesday morning when the community responded to a call for help. The Miracle League of Union County needed about $5,000 to qualify for a $75,000 matching grant from the Timken Foundation of Canton, Ohio, which would be used to build the ALLstar playground at the Timken Sports Complex. WBCU Radio agreed to broadcast a twohour fund-raiser featuring families of Miracle League athletes. After a slow start, donations began to Graham pick up, according to station owner Chris Williams Woodson. "All of a sudden the community started calling in, making pledges; people started just coming by the radio station and dropping off donations," he said. By the time the radio-thon ended at 10:45 a.m., the money raised totalled $9,400.60. "This this speaks volumes for the community," Woodson said. "It restores your faith in humanity and in our community," said Austin, who is executive director of the Miracle League. "A lot of tears were shed in the radio station." Daniel Prince, who hosts the morning show on WBCU, said he was a little skeptical at first. "When they came in I was thinking maybe $1,000," he said "It was really slow that first hour; then things began to change." When listeners heard the stories of the people who would be affected by the ALLstar playground, they responded, Prince said. And when Hayden O'Shields donated all of his graduation money - $700 - and his parents matched it, the pledges increased. After Lilly Shetley - who's never shy around a microphone - sang "Let it go" and "Amazing Grace" the switchboard lit up, Prince said. Woodson said he was keeping track of the donations in his head and figured the radio-thon had already raised $4,800-$5,200 when Kevin Brewington stopped by the studio. "He got to talking about how the community was so good to him and this is a playground where he can actually go with his daughter," Woodson said. "He and his wife had talked about it and prayed about it and they wanted to give $3,000." Prince said he knew that Brewington and his family supported the ALLstar playground, but "I had no idea he was going to do that." "We all had tears in our eyes after that," he said. "I can't say enough good things about the people of Union County. I wish other people would understand and keep that in mind." Five days before the radio-thon, the Miracle League needed $10,000 to qualify for the matching $75,000. The Lions Club donated $2,500 and the Union Community Foundation donated $2,000, which helped cut the need in half, Austin said. After the fund-raiser ended, Sonoco

2016 News Awards A LifeWell Lived By Charles “Charlie Bill” Martin

,]SM¼[ I ;W]\PMZV QV[\Q\]\QWV

SECOND PLACE Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Charles Martin News-Chronicle

A LifeWell Lived

By Charles “Charlie Bill” Martin

DJR 0HDQZKLOH WKH\ UH SRSXODWHG WKH ZRUOG VKH VKRXOG JHW ROG ;WUM ZMITTa OZMI\ XMWXTM ZLWK WZR VRQV WZR JUDQGVRQV DQG WKUHH JUHDW 7KH WLWOH RI +DUROG %DQ JUDQGVRQV 6DUD OLYHV RXW RQ WKH %HOWRQ +RQHD QLVWHU·V OLIH FRXOG EH FDOOHG ´(VFDSH IURP WKH , KDG OXQFK UHFHQWO\ ZLWK UHPDUNDEOH 3DWK KLJKZD\ &RWWRQ 0LOO µ +DUROG·V OLIH·V ZRUN ZDV SUH GH SHRSOH 5HPDUNDEOH QRW RQO\ IRU WKHLU ORQJHY $ ODG\ ZDV LQ DWWHQGDQFH ZKR QHYHU PLVVHV WHUPLQHG +H ZRXOG ZRUN LQ D FRWWRQ PLOO MXVW LW\ EXW IRU WKHLU IULHQGVKLS DQG FRKHVLYHQHVV D FODVV UHXQLRQ DQG DOVR KDV D JUHDW PHPRU\ OLNH KLV SDUHQWV³H[FHSW QRW :RUNLQJ SDUW RYHU D OLIHWLPH 7KLV ZDV WKH WK DQQLYHUVDU\ 6\ELO 0DUWLQ 7RGG UHFDOOHG RXU ÀUVW UHXQLRQ WLPH LQ WKH PLOO KH VFUDSHG XS HQRXJK PRQH\ UHXQLRQ RI VRPH RI WKRVH UHPDLQLQJ IURP WKH ZKHUH ORWV RI EDELHV ZHUH FUDZOLQJ DURXQG WR DWWHQG &R\QH (OHFWULF 6FKRRO LQ &KLFDJR JUDGXDWLQJ FODVV RI %HOWRQ +LJK 6FKRRO 6\ELO WROG PH VKH OHDUQHG RQH RI OLIH·V JUHDW 5HWXUQLQJ KRPH KH WRRN D MRE DORQJ ZLWK KLV 7KHUH ZHUH DERXW VHQLRUV WKDW \HDU DQG OHVVRQV LQ WKH HLJKWK JUDGH 6\ELO EODQFKHV GDG DW &KLTXROD 0LOO LQ +RQHD 3DWK 2QH KRXU RYHU KDOI DUH VWLOO OLYLQJ 2QO\ FRXOG DWWHQG DW WKH VLJKW RI EORRG EXW RQ WKLV GD\ VKH LQWR WKH VHFRQG ZHHN RQ WKH PLGQLJKW VKLIW DW 0DPD 3HQQ·V LQ $QGHUVRQ YROXQWHHUHG WR KHOS RXW DW WKH FDQQHU\ RQO\ WR +DUROG KDG KDG HQRXJK ZHQW WR WKH ERVV DQG 7KLV ZDV WKH ÀUVW SRVW ZDU FODVV 7KHUH ZDV OHDUQ 0U &OD\WRQ·V VWXGHQWV ZHUH VODXJKWHU VDLG ´, TXLW µ +H QHYHU VHW IRRW LQ D FRWWRQ PLOO QR PRUH SDSHU VKRUWDJH VR WKH VHQLRUV GHFLGHG LQJ FDWWOH 6KH WXUQHG D SDOH VKDGH RI JUHHQ DJDLQ +H SXW KLV &R\QH (OHFWULF VNLOOV WR ZRUN WR SXEOLVK %HOWRQ +LJK·V ÀUVW \HDUERRN D EXW ÀQLVKHG KHU MRE 7KH OLIH·V OHVVRQ 1HYHU IRU IRXU \HDUV DW 6RXWKHUQ %XUJODU $ODUP UHDOO\ FODVV\ DQQXDO ZLWK D SDGGHG FRYHU LQ ZKLFK OHG HYHQWX SXUSOH ZLWK JROG DOO\ WR ,%0 &RUS HPERVVLQJ 5D\ LQ $WODQWD ZKHUH 1HOVRQ ZDV LWV HGL KH VSHQW WKH UHVW WRU DQG %HWW\ $FNHU RI KLV ZRUNLQJ OLIH WKH EXVLQHVV PDQ LQ PDQDJHPHQW DJHU %HWW\·V FUHZ +H DQG KLV ZLIH VROG DGYHUWLVLQJ WR /RXLVH PDNH WKHLU EXVLQHVVHV QRQH KRPH WKHUH RI ZKLFK VWLOO H[LVWV &RPLQJ GRZQ 7KH VFKRRO WR WKH UHXQLRQ QHZVSDSHU 7KH IURP KLV KRPH LQ :DUULRU ZDV 0RRUH ZDV %RE SXEOLVKHG PRQWKO\ :LOVRQ ZKR VSHQW XQGHU HGLWRU %HWW\ \HDUV ZLWK 0LOOHU 7KH SDSHU 3ODQWDWLRQ 3LSHOLQH ZRQ QXPHURXV &RPSDQ\ DIWHU D DZDUGV IRU H[FHO VWLQW LQ WKH 1DY\ OHQFH IURP WKH 6 & GXULQJ WKH .RUHDQ 6FKRODVWLF 3UHVV :DU 7KDW SLSHOLQH $VVRFLDWLRQ UXQV IURP WKH JXOI 7KH VFKRRO FRDVW XS WR WKH VXSHULQWHQGHQW WKDW HDVWHUQ VHDERDUG \HDU ZDV (UQHVW DQG %RE KDV VHHQ &UDLJ DQG RXU HYHU\ IRRW RI LW SULQFLSDO ZDV -RKQ +H UDWWOHG RII DOO 5HHYHV 0U 5HHYHV WKH SODFHV KH KDG KDG ORVW WKH WZR HQG OLYHG $QGHUVRQ MRLQWV RI KLV ULJKW 6SDUWDQEXUJ LQGH[ ÀQJHU GXULQJ %UHPHQ *D WKH ZDU VR ZKHQ %(/721 +,*+ 6&+22/ <($5%22. 3+272 %DWRQ 5RXJH /D KH VFROGHG \RX IRU %(/721 +,*+ 6&+22/·6 &/$66 2) SRVHG IRU WKH \HDUERRN SKRWR DERYH 7KH DXWKRU RI *UHHQVERUR 1 & VRPH PLVGHHG KH WKLV FROXPQ &KDUOHV ´&KDUOLH %LOOµ 0DUWLQ LV RQ WKH IURQW URZ IDU ULJKW &KDUORWWH DQG ZRXOG VKDNH WKDW EDFN WR 6SDUWDQ VWXPS RI D ÀQJHU LQ EXUJ ZKHUH KH UHWLUHG 1RZ KH KDV WLPH IRU D YROXQWHHU XQWLO \RX NQRZ ZKDW WKH MRE LV \RXU IDFH DORQJ ZLWK VRPH FKRLFH ZRUGV DQG OLWWOH JROI 7KH UHXQLRQ KDG D GRXEOH QLFH VXUSULVH \RX ZRXOGQ·W GR WKDW DQ\PRUH 7KH WK PHPEHU RI WKH FODVV RI · DW WKH ZKHQ -HDQHWWH /DQG (VNHZ VKRZHG XS ZLWK ,W FRPHV DV QR VXUSULVH WKDW DWWHQGDQFH DW UHXQLRQ ZDV PH &KDUOLH %LOO 0DUWLQ 0\ +DUROG 3DWWHUVRQ LQ WRZ +DUROG LV DOZD\V LQ WKHVH UHXQLRQV LV EHFRPLQJ VPDOOHU DQG VPDOO PLQXWHV RI IDPH RFFXUUHG LQ WKH IDOO RI YLWHG VLQFH KH VSHQW PRVW \HDUV ZLWK WKH FODVV HU %XW WKHUH ZDV 0DUWKD &KHHN 6WULFNODQG EXW GLG QRW RIÀFLDOO\ JUDGXDWH ZLWK XV -HDQHWWH ZKHQ , JRW D MRE DV D GLVF MRFNH\ RQ VWDWLRQ 0DUWKD OHG DQ LQWHUHVWLQJ OLIH DV D FKDPSLRQ :$16 LQ $QGHUVRQ 0\ QLJKWWLPH SURJUDP ZDV RQH RI WKH RUJDQL]HUV RI WKH HYHQW DQG ERZOHU )RU \HDUV VKH ZDV D PHPEHU RI 7KH FRPHV XS IURP KHU KRPH LQ /H[LQJWRQ 6HHLQJ ´'DQFLQJ LQ WKH 'DUN µ ZDV D VHQVDWLRQ 6RXWKHUQ ([WUHPHV %RZOLQJ OHDJXH ZLQQLQJ SXOOLQJ LQ WKRXVDQGV RI QHZ OLVWHQHUV IRU WKH RXU FDVXDO DWWLUH -HDQHWWH UHPLQGHG PH WKH QXPHURXV WURSKLHV 6KH LV LQ WKH $QGHUVRQ VWDWLRQ ,Q , KDG DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR EX\ D UHXQLRQ RQFH ZDV D PRUH IRUPDO DIIDLU ZLWK %RZOLQJ +DOO RI )DPH DQG WUDYHOV WKH ZRUOG SLHFH RI :LOVRQ·V IURP P\ XQFOH %LOO WKH JX\V LQ FRDWV DQG WLHV DQG VKLQ\ VKRHV 0DUJDUHW $OOUHG $XWU\ WROG PH WKH KLJK ZKR ZRXOG ÀQDQFH WKH SXUFKDVH 7KHUH , VSHQW 2QH RI WKH PRVW OR\DO RI DWWHQGHHV ZDV OLJKW RI KHU OLIH ZDV KDYLQJ D JRRG KXVEDQG ,W /LOD 0DH +DQG /LQGOHU ,Q IDFW VKH ZDV RQH WKH UHVW RI P\ DGXOW OLIH HQVFRQFHG RQ /DXUHO FDQ·W JHW PXFK EHWWHU WKDQ WKDW 0DUJDUHW PHW /DQH ZLWK P\ ZLIH -XQH DQ $QGHUVRQ *LUOV RI WKH SODQQHUV RI WKH HYHQW DV VKH KDV EHHQ -DPHV ZKHQ KH UHWXUQHG IURP IRXU \HDUV LQ WKH +LJK JUDG IRU PDQ\ RI RXU UHXQLRQV /LOD 0DH ZDV RQH $UP\ 7KH\ PDUULHG LQ DQG KDYH WKUHH :LOO WKHUH EH DQ\ PRUH UHXQLRQV RI WKH RI WKH VPDUW RQHV LQ WKH FODVV KDYLQJ EHHQ FKLOGUHQ 6KH DQG -LPP\ OLYH LQ %HOWRQ FODVV RI ·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

:KHQ ORQJ VHUYLQJ 6RXWK &DUROLQD VHQDWRU 2OLQ ' -RKQVWRQ ZDV LQ :DVKLQJWRQ KH UHJXODUO\ KDG VHQW WR WKH 6HQDWH GLQLQJ URRP KLV IDYRU LWH FRQGLPHQW 'XNH·V 0D\RQQDLVH +H ZDV QRW DORQH LQ KLV SUHIHUHQFH IRU 'XNH·V 1H[W \HDU 'XNH·V ZLOO EH \HDUV ROG DQG LI \RX ZHUH UDLVHG LQ WKH 6RXWK 'XNH·V ZDV SUREDEO\ LQ \RXU JUHDW JUDQGPRWKHU·V LFH ER[ ,W LV RI FRXUVH LQ PLQH $FURVV WKH 6RXWKHDVW DQG WKH 'HHS 6RXWK LW LV 'XNH·V PD\RQQDLVH WKDW JLYHV D WRPDWR VDQGZLFK RQ ZKLWH EUHDG WKDW WDQJ\ ÁDYRU DQG FUH DWHV WKDW OLWWOH GURRO WKDW GULSV RQWR \RXU ÀQJHUV ZKLOH \RX FKRPS DZD\ ,W LV 'XNH·V WKDW 6RXWKHUQ FRRNV XVH LQ SLPHQWR FKHHVH HJJ VDODG DQG FKLFNHQ VDODG 'XNH·V PD\R EHJDQ LWV FRQTXHVW RI WKH 6RXWK LQ ZKHQ 0UV (XJHQLD 'XNH EHJDQ PDNLQJ UHDG\ PDGH VDQGZLFKHV DQG IXUQLVKLQJ WKHP WR DQ DUP\ FDQWHHQ DW &DPS 6HYLHU DQ DUP\ WUDLQLQJ SRVW MXVW QRUWK RI *UHHQYLOOH 6KH PDGH KHU RZQ PD\R DQG KHU SURGXFW ZDV VR SRSXODU WKDW RWKHU RXWOHWV LQ WKH DUHD EHJDQ WR RIIHU KHU VDQGZLFKHV 7KH HQWUHSUHQHXULDO (XJHQLD RSHQHG D VDQGZLFK VKRS LQ *UHHQ YLOOH·V ROG 2WWHUD\ +RWHO DQG EHJDQ WKH FRPPHUFLDO PDQXIDFWXUH RI KHU VLJQDWXUH PD\RQQDLVH %\ GHPDQG RXWUDQ VXSSO\ VR 0UV 'XNH VROG WKH FRPSDQ\ WR WKH & ) 6DXHU &RPSDQ\ LQ 5LFKPRQG 9$ ZKLFK RZQV WKH EUDQG WRGD\ ,W·V D VLPSOH IRUPXOD FRQWDLQLQJ RQO\ RLO HJJV ZDWHU YLQHJDU VDOW DQG D OLWWOH SDSULND 1R DGGHG VXJDU 'XNH·V LV WKH WKLUG ODUJHVW VHOOLQJ PD\R LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV EXW LQ WKH 6RXWKHUQ &UHVFHQW IURP 9LUJLQLD WR 7H[DV LW IDU RXW VHOOV LWV QHDUHVW FRPSHWLWRUV +HOOPDQ·V DQG 0LUDFOH :KLS 6DXHU KDV RSHQHG D SODQW LQ WKH 0LGZHVW ZKLFK ZLOO JLYH 'XNH·V ZLGHU GLVWULEXWLRQ 6WRULHV RI 6RXWKHUQHUV· DIÀQLW\ IRU 'XNH·V DERXQG ,Q RQH FRQYHU VDWLRQ DW *ULWV *URFHULHV HDWHU\ 7DPP\ +HPEUHH D :DUH 6KRDOV SRVWDO HPSOR\HH UHODWHG WKDW LW LV QRW DW DOO XQXVXDO IRU KHU FXVWRPHUV WR PDLO 'XNH·V WR IDPLO\ PHPEHUV LQ IDU RII SODFHV ZKHUH WKH SURGXFW LV QRW DYDLODEOH $ JHQWOHPDQ DW WKH WDEOH GHVFULEHG KRZ KLV ZLIH D 76$ LQVSHFWRU FKHFNHG RXW D SDVVHQJHU·V OXJJDJH DQG IRXQG IRXU SLQWV RI 'XNH·V LQ KHU FDUU\ RQ 7KLV ZDV EDQQHG XQGHU WKH IRXU RXQFH UXOH DQG KDG WR EH OHIW EHKLQG 'XNH·V DUFKLYHV FRQWDLQ EL]DUUH VWRULHV VXE PLWWHG E\ XVHUV ,Q RQH LQVWDQFH D G\LQJ PDQ UHTXHVWHG D WRPDWR VDQGZLFK PDGH ZLWK 'XNH·V PD\RQQDLVH :KHQ 'XNH·V VZLWFKHG IURP JODVV WR SODVWLF MDUV WKH PRWKHU RI D EULGH UHTXHVWHG IRXU JODVV MDUV WR EH XVHG LQ D FHQWHUSLHFH ,Q DQRWKHU HHULH VWRU\ DQ HOGHUO\ ZRPDQ UHTXHVWHG IURP 'XNH·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·V ZKLOH WKXPELQJ WKURXJK D PDJD]LQH FDOOHG ´*DUGHQ *XQµ LQ D GRFWRU·V ZDLWLQJ URRP 3XEOLVKHG LQ &KDUOHVWRQ ´*DUGHQ *XQµ KDV WKH ORRNV DQG IHHO RI DQ XS VFDOH SXEOLFDWLRQ ZLWK DQ DIÁXHQW UHDGHUVKLS WKH NLQG RI UHDGHUV ZKR ZRXOG OD\ RXW JUDQG IRU D ZDWFK RU WKUHH JUDQG IRU D SRFNHWERRN 7KH DYHUDJH DQQXDO LQFRPH RI D VXEVFULEHU LV DFFRUGLQJ WR 7KH :DOO 6WUHHW -RXUQDO 8S VFDOH LQGHHG 2QH DGYHUWLVHPHQW MXPSHG RII D SDJH DW PH ,W ZDV DQ DG IRU 'XNH·V 0D\RQQDLVH 7KHUH ZDV QR FRS\ 1R ZULWLQJ -XVW D FRORU SLFWXUH RI D -DU RI 'XNH·V DJDLQVW D EDFNJURXQG RI EODFN YHOYHW ,W ZDV D VWULNLQJ DG WKH FRQWUDVW EHWZHHQ WKH \HOORZ RI WKH SURGXFW DJDLQVW WKH EODFN EDFNJURXQG $EVXUG , ÀUVW WKRXJKW 7KLV SOHEHLDQ SURGXFW LQ D PDJD]LQH IRU WKH *OLWWHUDWL 7KH EHDXWLIXO SHRSOH 7KHQ , WKRXJKW :K\ 1RW" 7KLV LV JRRG PDUNHWLQJ 6KRXOGQ·W WKH ULFK DQG IDPRXV EH LQWURGXFHG WR D VXSHULRU SURGXFW WKDW ZH UHJXODU IRONV KDYH HQMR\HG IRU QLJK RQWR \HDUV"

A LifeWell Lived By Charles “Charlie Bill” Martin

<W *MM WZ VW\ \W *MM 7KHUH LV D UXPRU DURXQG WRZQ WKDW WKH %HOWRQ FLW\ FRXQFLO LV PXOOLQJ RYHU FODVVLI\LQJ KRQH\ EHHV DV OLYHVWRFN 1DK , MXVW PDGH WKDW XS ,W·V EHHQ DERXW D \HDU DQG D KDOI VLQFH , ZURWH D FROXPQ PLOGO\ QHHGOLQJ WKH FLW\ OHDGHUV IRU HVVHQWLDOO\ EDQQLQJ OD\LQJ KHQV IURP RXU EDFN \DUGV 6LQFH WKDW VWRU\ ZDV SXEOLVKHG P\ IULHQG +XORQ LQ &ROXPELD VHQW PH D FOLSSLQJ IURP 7KH 6WDWH QHZVSDSHU EHDULQJ WKH KHDGOLQH ´&KLFNHQV RQ WULDO LQ :HVW &ROXPELD EXW SOXFN\ URRVWHUV QHHG QRW UHSO\ µ 7KH ERG\ RI WKH VWRU\ UHSRUWHG WKDW D RQH \HDU WHVW DOORZLQJ UHVLGHQWV WR NHHS D VPDOO QXPEHU RI OD\LQJ KHQV LQ WKHLU EDFN \DUGV WR SURGXFH HJJV ZDV KHDGLQJ IRU DSSURYDO ,W LV D GHOD\HG YLFWRU\ IRU VXSSRUWHUV ZKR UHIXVHG WR JLYH XS DIWHU D FLW\ FRXQFLO UHMHFWLRQ LQ (YHQ WKH PD\RU D IRUPHU RSSRQHQW DJUHHG WR JLYH LW D WU\ %DFN ODVW $XJXVW , FOLSSHG DQG VDYHG D VWRU\ IURP WKH $QGHUVRQ ,QGHSHQGHQW 0DLO EHDULQJ D &OHPVRQ GDWHOLQH ZLWK WKH KHDGOLQH City may approve chickens and bees 7KH ÀUVW SDUDJUDSK UHDG City Council heard residents speak Monday evening mostly in favor of allowing chickens and bees to be kept by homeowners inside Clemson’s city limits. $ UHFHQW QHZV UHOHDVH ERUH WKH KHDGOLQH +PQKSMV +TI[[ 7ЄMZML I\ Museum ,W UHDG A workshop on raising backyard chickens will be WЄMZML I[ XIZ\ WN \PM IL]T\ TMIZVQVO XZWOZIU I\ \PM *IZ\ /IZZQ[WV Agricultural Museum of South Carolina. 7KH LPSRUWDQFH RI FDJH IUHH HJJV LV LOOXVWUDWHG E\ WKLV OLWWOH FOLSSLQJ IURP 7KH :DOO 6WUHHW -RXUQDO *QTTQWV <PI\¼[ PW_ UIVa MOO[ 5K,WVITL¼[ J]a[ IVV]ITTa QV \PM = ; IVL \PM KWUXIVa [Ia[ Q\ _IV\[ all of them all produced cage-free within the next decade. 1RZ WKH QHZ EX]] LQ *URZ <RXU 2ZQ )RRG FLUFOHV LV DERXW EHHV LQ \RXU EDFN \DUG RU HYHQ RQ \RXU IURQW SRUFK ´%HHV DUH WKH QHZ FKLFNHQV µ DOORZV -HQQLIHU 7VXUXGD DQ DJULFXOWXUH VSHFLDOLVW ZLWK &OHPVRQ 8QLYHUVLW\ ([WHQVLRQ 6HUYLFH :H DOO OHDUQHG LQ KLJK VFKRRO VFLHQFH FODVV KRZ EHHV DUH D QHFHVVLW\ LQ FURVV SROOLQDWLQJ SODQWV LQ WKH IRRG FKDLQ ,W VHHPV WKDW QRZ EHHV DUH G\LQJ DW UDSLG UDWH IURP VRPH P\VWHULRXV FDXVH DQG VR WKH 8 6 'H SDUWPHQW RI $JULFXOWXUH LV HQFRXUDJLQJ RUGLQDU\ KRPHRZQHUV WR EHJLQ SXWWLQJ EHH KLYHV LQ WKHLU \DUGV $QG SHRSOH DUH UHVSRQGLQJ LQ LQFUHDVLQJ QXPEHUV &OHPVRQ RI ÀFLDOV HVWLPDWH WKHUH DUH EHHNHHSHUV DFURVV WKH VWDWH ZLWK DERXW KLYHV ,W GRHVQ·W WDNH PXFK URRP DERXW E\ IHHW RI VSDFH %HHV ZLOO Á\ IRU PLOHV WR ÀQG ÁRZHUV SROOLQDWLQJ IUXLW WUHHV DQG YHJ HWDEOH JDUGHQV DORQJ WKH ZD\ ,W LV OLWWOH UHPHPEHUHG WRGD\ EXW %HOWRQ ZDV RQFH DQ LPSRUWDQW VRXUFH RI FRPPHUFLDO KRQH\ EHHV , FDQ UHPHPEHU ZKHQ 0U ´+RQ H\EHHµ (OOLVRQ UDLVHG DQG VKLSSHG KLJK TXDOLW\ KRQH\EHHV DOO DFURVV $PHULFD DQG &DQDGD , QHYHU NQHZ 0U (OOLVRQ·V ÀUVW QDPH DOWKRXJK KLV VRQ 'DYLG DQG , ÀQLVKHG KLJK VFKRRO WRJHWKHU +LV VRQ (G FRQ ÀUPHG WKDW KLV IDWKHU·V QDPH ZDV &ODUHQFH 7KH EHHV ZHUH VKLSSHG WKURXJK WKH %HOWRQ SRVW RIÀFH DQG UDLOZD\ H[SUHVV LQ ZRRGHQ ER[HV ZLWK HDFK EHH LQ LWV RZQ FHOO ZLWK D GURS RI QHFWDU LQ HDFK FHOO IRU IRRG IRU WKH EHH GXULQJ LWV MRXUQH\ WKURXJK WKH SRVWDO V\VWHP $ ZLQGRZ RI VFUHHQ ZLUH SURYLGHG YHQWLODWLRQ 7R JDXJH LQWHUHVW LQ KRPH UDLVHG KRQH\ , UHIHU \RX WR D IXOO SDJH FRORU DGYHUWLVHPHQW LQ ODVW 6XQGD\·V *UHHQYLOOH 1HZV IRU %HH :HOO +RQH\ )DUP Q 3LFNHQV 7KH\ KDYH D VDOH RQ IRU D VWDUWHU NLW , OHDYH \RX ZLWK WKLV KHDGOLQH IURP D UHFHQW :DOO 6WUHHW -RXUQDO 4 ) 5W^M[ \W -VL *MMSMMXQVO *IV $QG VR XQOHVV %HOWRQ FLW\ FRXQFLO UHDOO\ GRHV FODVVLI\ EHHV DV OLYH VWRFN WKHUH FRXOG EH D EHH LQ \RXU IXWXUH

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Dianne Poston Owens The Weekly Observer

Deepest pain can be bridged by understanding

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Column Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Steve Robertson The Horry Independent

I didn’t expect it, so my camera wasn’t ready. At the end of a meeting held Wednesday to talk about easing racial tensions, a young black man who had spoken ardently about the fears and frustration of his generation, walked across the room and hugged Conway Police Chief Reggie Gosnell. This was the same man who moments earlier, with tears in his eyes, warned police that he could not stand by while his black brothers were in danger of losing their lives during an arrest. It was a touching moment. Not only because it was spontaneous, but because it demonstrated the healing power of love and understanding. About 20 people responded to Chief Gosnell’s invitation to discuss ways to improve relationships between the police department and the black community Wednesday. Most of those who spoke suggested

better communication, more compassion and more positive interaction between the races. They talked about the need for more disciPUBLISHER’S pline of children, for parents to NOTEBOOK teach respect for the law, and for a better dialogue Steve between whites and blacks. Robertson All of these comments were well received. But, it was Life Dean who seemed to get at the essence of the problem and he didn’t mince words. He spoke from his heart and he made an indelible impression on those in the meeting room at the Public Safety Building.

Dean, who will retire in two weeks after a 21-year stint in the Marines, said young black men like himself are tired and frustrated with white police killing black men. He, and many others like him, aren’t going to take it anymore. And though he didn’t come out and threaten violence, Dean said his generation is beyond marching with picket signs. “ …There’s a new generation of leadership coming up. We are scared to death of you (the police), but we are also not scared at all. I cannot let you kill someone in front of me,” he said. The reaction was rather amazing. Instead of taking offense at Dean’s comments, those in the audience seemed to embrace what he was trying to say. I thought Robert Guffey, pastor of First Baptist Church of Conway, offered a wonderful response when he told Dean that he heard his pain. “White folks want to hear about

your pain and we want to do something about it,” he said. Lt. Selena Smalls of the Conway Police Department, went a step further. Admitting the department has difficulty reaching young black men, she asked Dean to become an ambassador, of sorts, to help the CPD better understand their fears and frustration. When Dean hugged Chief Gosnell, I felt comforted in knowing that even the deepest hurt can be bridged when we listen to the pain and try to do something about it. Although incredible progress has been made toward racial equality in my lifetime, much more needs to be done. As long as people like Dean believe police treat blacks differently from whites, it will be difficult to go much further. But Wednesday showed that in Conway, at least, hope for healing exists. I do believe this spirit of compassion and understanding can bridge any divide.

$61,000 for retirement? No problem. It’s only money. No problem. It’s only money. There’s plenty more where that came from. When it comes to spending your tax dollars, that seems to be the philosophy of many of Horry County’s elected officials. The latest incidence of financial irresponsibility has fanned a firestorm of indignant comments aimed at Horry County Council. Earlier this week, the public learned that the county is paying $61,000 to help former Horry County Police Chief Saundra Rhodes receive full retirement benefits. She announced her retirement a year and seven months before she was fully vested in the state’s retirement system. Apparently, Horry County Administrator Chris Eldridge gifted the taxpayers’ money to Rhodes’ retirement fund without the benefit of a vote by county council.

Councilman Paul Prince was outraged by Eldridge’s decisions but others on council seem quite satisfied with the payout. Their attitude seems consistent PUBLISHER’S with other elected officials in Horry NOTEBOOK County. When former schools superinSteve tendent Cindy Elsberry quit, the Robertson Horry County Board of Education gave her more than $428,000 in a severance package. It’s only money. Right? Spending lavishly to provide golden parachutes for former employees may sit well with some people, but I find it insulting to taxpayers who

have to foot the bill for such poor financial decisions. Most people work hard throughout the year to pay county taxes. Paying thousands of dollars at the end of the year is a hard pill to swallow. The $61,000 paid for the chief’s retirement fund takes up every penny I paid in county taxes this year...and much more. Although the former chief has been highly praised for her job performance, many people believe she is leaving under a cloud of suspicion concerning activities of the department she supervised. Why did she retire early and why was the county so eager to see that her retirement was fully funded? The board of education paid Elsberry an enormous sum to keep her quiet. Paying for Rhodes’ retirement looks suspiciously like hush money, too. If nothing else, Eldridge’s decision to pay $61,000 for the chief’s retirement illustrates the need to merge

the Horry County Police Department with the Horry County Sheriff’s Department. Councilman Prince would have liked the opportunity to vote on paying for the former chief’s retirement. But others on council point out the decision was made by the county administrator, as prescribed by state law. This underlines the point I’ve been trying to make. The Horry County Police Department is insulated from the public. The chief is only responsible to the administrator. In contrast, I can’t see any circumstances where an elected sheriff, would give himself a $61,000 bonus to pay for early retirement. Now, more than ever, county council should give the public an opportunity to vote on merging the Horry County Police Department with the Horry County Sheriff’s Department. Won’t some member of county council champion this cause?

REEL Kids honors extraordinary students For the past 16 years, HTC has been honoring Horry County students who face extraordinary circumstances in their daily lives. The REEL Kids program (Recognizing Extraordinary Examples of Leadership) honors children who overcome the odds to stay in school and in many cases excel in their studies. On pages A11-A14 in today’s paper you can read the stories of each of this year’s 50 REEL Kids. I’ve attended several of the banquets hosted by HTC and I always come away from the event amazed by the strength and perseverance many of the children display, not just once, but every day of their lives. Mike Hagg, chief executive officer of HTC, probably summed things up best. “These REEL Kids have fought through the loss of loved ones, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, disease, emotional problems, abuse, neglect, abandonment, and so much

more. The most remarkable fact is that the REEL Kids have overcome what some would have seen as stumbling blocks,” he said. Each year HTC brings in a motiPUBLISHER’S vational speaker to provide NOTEBOOK encouragement to the REEL Kids honorees. Steve This year’s speakers were Robertson particularly meaningful to me because I cried with joy and disbelief when I saw their story unfold on national television 10 years ago. Jason McElwain, an autistic student who served as team manager of his school’s varsity basketball team, had dreamed of playing in a game all

of his young life. McElwain’s coach, Jim Johnson, had told McElwain that he might be able to play in a game if an opportunity arose. On the final night of McElwain’s senior year, Coach Johnson told the young man to suit up for the game and with just a few minutes left in the contest put him into the game. After missing his first two shots, McElwain proceeded to drain six, three-point shots and a two-pointer to end up with 20 points. He was the game’s high scorer. I remember watching this remarkable story on television and couldn’t help tearing up when a huge crowd of supportive fans stormed the court after the buzzer and hoisted McElwain onto their shoulders. It was the only game McElwain ever played in high school and his story continues to serve as an inspiration to those who hear and see it. His story doesn’t end on the basketball court. McElwain later aspired to run a marathon race. That was his

goal and he achieved it--eight times and counting. There were autistic children in the audience last week hearing McElwain’s message. There were children overcoming health issues. There were children whose homes had been destroyed by drugs and alcohol abuse. I suspect many of them left the REEL Kids banquet inspired by the Jason McElwain story. I think it’s wonderful that HTC takes the time each year to recognize children living in Horry County who rarely, if ever, get a pat on the back for doing a good job. The kids inspire me. Sometimes I take for granted the blessings God has showered on me, my family and our newspapers.REEL Kids serves as a reminder that there are many people in the world who face much more difficult challenges in life. If they can overcome those obstacles, I can, too, with the help of God.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

Fiscal shenanigans Mission focus of among the pines state legislators

Column Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Robert Monnie The Link

A fiscal reality check in K-12 Public Education Earlier this month in a well-regarded public forum, a state legislator opined that schools located in povertystricken locales need more taxpayer funding while emphasizing a child's future should not be determined by his zip code. This lawmaker, a retired K-12 public teacher and assistant district superintendent, has several decades in the chalkboard/Promethean board trenches, including a working knowledge of the various data available to assess a school's academic performance. The facts, which are detailed below in this case study of two schools, are not in dispute. My conclusion that differs from that of the aforementioned legislator is based on an analysis of these latest benchmarks to measure the school's scholastic productivity. To obfuscate the schools' identities, zip codes are used to compare the two institutions

Robert Monnie Columnist

are all at the high school level. Data notes: While this set of facts is from the most recent state and federal report cards at www.ed.sc.gov, a study of the past four years reveals a similar trend of data for both schools. The money spent per student includes all federal, state and local tax revenue, while the student-teacher ratio is for academic core subjects only. Upgraded a decade ago, the facilities of the urban school are the envy of its school district with spacious, state-of-the-art classrooms to include top-tier technology that are supplemented by an auditorium with a seating capacity of 700. In

addition to a college-length basketball court that is also used for local college games, the 1,600-seat gymnasium has an indoor running track. The facilities of the rural school, which were renovated and expanded 12 years ago, are presently more than adequate to accomplish its mission. However, there is no auditorium in this school. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the families classified as living under the poverty level in the urban school's attendance zone ranges from 80-to-90 percent, which compares to about 40 percent for the rural school. The typical family of four classified as living in poverty receives about $1,500 of tax-free welfare payments and services each month, including $600 in food stamps and vouchers, $500 in medical care and the remainder in various subsiSee Monnie, 10

Dianne “Funds come from revenue generated by forest Driggers product sales and recreation/user fees on state forest lands. The money is given to counties for education and, in some cases, is given directly to school districts themselves. “SCFC county payouts are made in lieu of property taxes and represent 25 percent of the total revenue earned by state forestland in a given county during the fiscal year. The payments and rate were set by a 1957 law and are now three-tofour times the average forestland property tax. “In addition to providing an annual gift to education, State Forests are entirely self-supporting on just 75 percent of the revenue they generate due to active forest management” – Excerpts from a Sept. 10, 2013, press release from the S.C. State Forestry Commission headed by its director, Gene Kodama, whose annual salary is $114,597. Despite well-documented and thoroughly researched efforts by this publication, public officials in the Palmetto State continue to demonstrate a profound ignorance of the facts concerning the annual state forest payments to K-12 public education. And for the record, the SCFC is not entirely selfsupporting as evidenced by the millions of dollars of federal and state tax revenue it continues to receive. The annual payments to the schools

Robert Monnie Columnist

Furthermore, what Kodama ignores is that the required annual payment is also based on a 1939 federal law that South Carolina did not follow for 18 years before the 1957 state law was enacted. A group of prominent McBee area citizens led by McBee High School agriculture teacher Edward B. Earle was instrumental in getting that state law passed. In the winter of 2009, I spent about five hours poring over original documents in the library of the E.B. Earle Agricultural Center to appease my intellectual curiosity. Dating back to the 1930s, these papers detailed the 142-square-mile land grab by President Franklin Roosevelt when hundreds of descendants of 18th century Scots-Irish settlers were forced off their land for no just reason. Nearly all of these county citizens received no reimbursement for their land, which became a national wildlife refuge and a state forest. Indeed, in his power play in 2011, Kodama attempted to introduce legislation that would reduce these payments to school districts to

just six percent of state forest revenue. But after he got a history lesson at a school board meeting, which was followed by state Sen. Vincent Sheheen and state Reps. Jay Lucas and Elizabeth Munnerlyn quashing his avarice, he acquiesced. If Kodama still thinks these payments are gifts, I must insist that he and his management team read the article concerning FDR's resettlement ruse published in The Link on Feb. 10, 2009. The article is available in the archives at www.thelinkpaper.com. Kodama has been noticeably absent from the annual payment presentation of the Sandhills State Forest to Chesterfield County School District since 2011. But, here is the smell that would gag a mule: In the five years since Kodama's request, his payments to CCSD have decreased from $604,603 to $263,203. That is a decrease of 56.5 percent. During the same five-year period, the total state forest revenue, primarily sales of timber and pine straw, has not decreased nearly as much. Coincidence? I think not. In the past 25 years, CCSD has received a total of about $7.3 million in state forestry annual payments, which were crucial in sucSee Monnie, 14A

The two-week filing period for three state representatives and one state senator in the Chesterfield County delegation begins tomorrow. Several frivolous bills filed in the General Assembly in the past 90 days have set a dangerous trend of drifting from the mission focus, or priorities, if you will, of our state lawmakers. As previously mentioned in this space, S.C. Rep Mike Pitts, a Republican from Laurens, introduced a farcical bill in January that would require all journalists to register, submit to a background check and have “an affidavit from the media outlet attesting to the applicant's journalistic competence.” His measure also includes registration fees and sets fines and criminal penalties for violations. Pitts is an ill-informed public persona who received this comeuppance from this writer: Research this newspaper's Web site to learn that I am a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. And your bill violates freedom of the press as stated in the First Amendment. Of course, by using his public forum to bring attention to those who wish to erode our Second Amendment rights, Pitts wasted time and taxpayer money while diminishing his stature as an elected lawmaker. Equally inane was a flaccid attempt by S.C. Rep. Mia McLeod (D-Columbia)

Robert Monnie Columnist

to deny bona fide prescription medicine to men who wish to improve blood flow to all appendages of their bodies so as to avoid amputation of those extremities (at least that was the way it was explained to this writer). At any rate, I encourage voters in the June 14 primary for both major parties to consider the No. 1 issue when they mark their ballots for state legislators, namely upkeep of roads and bridges, Because the maintenance of roads and bridges is the General Assembly's top priority. I would think informed voters would be intellectually curious about: • Why have nearly half of the 46 county transportation committees throughout the state, including Chesterfield County with its $4.3 million share, been slow to expend the additional $216 million disbursed to them for this fiscal year that is two-thirds over? • Why do some of the CTC's in the state, including Chesterfield County with about $2 million, still have millions of dollars carried over from previous fiscal years when literally thousands of miles of roads

statewide are begging to be improved? Last month, the Richland County CTC approved spending $7.5 million of its $10.4 million share of that $216 million to resurface 36 miles of roads. All these projects are shovel-ready and will happen this spring and summer. So, it can be done. By law, each county is responsible for establishing a CTC appointed by the county’s legislative delegation or county council. In six counties, the CTC is comprised of the members of the county council, while the remaining 40 counties, including Chesterfield, have autonomous CTCs appointed by legislative delegation with members representing all parts of those counties. As per state law, the CTC has complete control of the CTC funds that are allocated to their county and is entrusted with the authority to select and approve projects to be funded using these monies. As stated in its administration manual, this county transportation program “was established to fund the construction of local roads and streets that directly benefit local residents” and “to fund the improvements of state roads, county roads, city streets and other local transportation projects.” Let us make it happen.

DEADLINES

2016 News Awards

Column Writing Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Kevin Fisher Free Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE

What made Joe Shaw Lancaster's mayor for life?

Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Brian Melton The Lancaster News

wice since I moved back to Lancaster this year after four decades away, I’ve marveled to my wife: “That’s why Joe Shaw has been mayor so long.”

Brian Melton, The Lancaster News editor

They were both small things. I ran into Joe on the sidewalk downtown soon after I returned last winter. He welcomed me home with a big smile. I was surprised he recognized me. He asked about each of my brothers. Tell your mom and dad their street is going

Holiday habits endure through the years

Brian Melton

FACES & PLACES

Editor

X More Christmas memories from the staff of The Lancaster News. PAGE 8

William McCoy’s missteps come back to baffle him Editor’s column W hen candidates make colossal blunders, you learn a lot about them. Donald Trump declared war on a Muslim Gold Star couple who criticized him at the Democratic convention. And he ranted for a week after the first debate about a Miss Universe who gained weight. Hillary Clinton installed a server in the basement of her mansion in Chappaqua, N.Y., so she could control her e-mails while she was secretary of state. And she had 33,000 of them deleted three weeks after Congress subpoenaed the documents. William McCoy, the Democratic candidate for Lancaster County sheriff, revealed a lot about himself in April when his campaign plagiarized an N.C. police department’s strategic plan. For two weeks, our front page featured the twists and turns of McCoy and a bizarre band of campaign functionaries. The campaign denied for a while that it had done anything wrong, saying law enforcement agencies borrow from each other like this all the time. No harm done. The Garner Police Department was unhappy that its work had been misappropriated. Nearly all of McCoy’s plan was a word-forword copy, only changing “Garner” to “Lancaster County” and “police department” to “sheriff’s office.” In one instance, the word Garner remained, leaving a clue that something was amiss. After a few days, the McCoy campaign retracted the plan and said it would issue a new one soon. “We would like to formally thank the Garner Police Department and give them credit for the plan they have put together,” a campaign statement said. “We felt the desire to use some of their ideas, as not only are they an accredited agency, but the implementation of their plan has attributed to their lowering crime statistics and raise in officer morale. We felt that Lancaster County could not just benefit, but thrive from a plan derived from the same ideas and policies.” Two people who had been associated with the campaign peeled off within days and distanced themselves from McCoy on our pages. A Democratic volunteer who had been presented as the campaign’s spokeswoman said

Brian Melton is editor of The Lancaster News.

against her will, knew nothing about the plagiarism before it happened and got out as soon as she could push herself free. “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” she said. When the campaign released the new strategic plan, it read nothing like the crisp, professional, detailed Garner plan. It was cryptic and clumsy. McCoy said almost nothing during this period. We asked him to come in, sit down and explain himself, but he never did. Once he talked to a reporter on the phone for a minute or two. What he said was rambling and sometimes almost unintelligible, and we printed it verbatim. “You know that old saying, everybody has an opinion, right?” he said. “Everybody has an opinion. Everybody has an opinion. Just like the paper has an opinion, everybody has an opinion. That’s pretty much my statement about it. And anything else, I feel at this juncture, if I can use that word.” He denied any plagiarism had occurred. “No sir. Just a, just a slight, ah, whatever word you want to use, to the department,” he said, “because if you go to any agency, any agency you want to talk about, sharing of information happens all the time, sir. None of it is copyrighted or patented.” After the new strategic plan, we heard nothing from McCoy for many months. No notices of campaign events. I didn’t see him in public. I wondered if he had folded his political tent. But I asked around, and other people told me they had seen him here and there. He resurfaced last Thursday at an Indian Land candidate forum. The plagiarism didn’t come up until Sheriff Barry Faile’s closing statement, which followed McCoy’s and was the last comment of the night. “I thought my opponent would mention something

was up here tonight,” Faile said. After the forum, our reporter Reece Murphy, who along with Greg Summers chronicled the plagiarism and its aftermath in April, asked McCoy about Faile’s oblique reference. “I tell everybody I don’t know what he’s talking about, OK?” McCoy said. Faile took a more direct approach at Monday night’s candidate forum at USC Lancaster. Answering his first question, Faile said: “My opponent issued a strategic plan several months ago that was actually stolen from a North Carolina police agency…. He was asked about it after the interview the other night and claimed he didn’t know anything about it. Still doesn’t take responsibility for it today. This election should be about honesty and credibility, and he’s not showing that.” McCoy responded: “First off, if you knew anything about the law, it has to be copyrighted or patented. Therefore, if it’s not, it’s not stealing. It’s not theft, nor is it plagiarism. So that’s the end of the game. “Pre- and post-9/11, law enforcement and military officials share information all the time. That’s point-blank, end of discussion. To say that someone has plagiarized, then you’re basically, and it’s not true, which it isn’t, you’re slandering, defamation of character and you’re liable. Thank you.” McCoy is confusing plagiarism with copyright infringement. They’re different. Copyrighting is a legal issue. Plagiarizing is an ethical issue. Plagiarizing is claiming someone else’s words as your own, the theft of intellectual property. It doesn’t matter if the words are copyrighted. If they are, plagiarizing them gets you in serious legal trouble. Plagiarizing anything else just gets you shamed. It gets college students expelled. It gets journalists fired. Sometimes, it gets politicians disqualified. We all know this was plagiarism. Did McCoy know about the theft before it happened? That’s a good question. Back in May after McCoy dropped off the political grid, I wrote a note in the Nov. 1 block on my desk calendar. “Remind readers about the plagiarism?” it asks

2016 News Awards Playboy model fails lesson on human decency BY JULIE R. SMITH For the Journal Scene

SECOND PLACE Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Julie R. Smith The Summerville Journal Scene

Firing teacher for nude selfie teaches all the wrong lessons BY JULIE R. SMITH

y now you’ve probably heard about Leigh Anne Arthur, a teacher at the Career and Technology Center at Union County High School. To recap: Her phone was stolen from her classroom by a student. He opened her photo gallery and found a nude selfie she snapped for her husband, for Valentine’s Day. The student took a photo of it with his own phone, and forwarded that to everyone he knew. T he st udent wa s f i nally charged with a computer crime and voyeurism. But only after the teacher, whose personal property was stolen, whose private file was hijacked, lost her job after 13 years of impeccable service. Can someone explain this to me? Yes, Ms. Arthur made a mistake. Is it smart to take nude photos with your phone? No. Is it smart to send nude photos from your phone? No. Is it smart to save nude photos on your phone?

Still no. (I don’t have nude selfies on my phone, mainly because a nude photo of me would cause the entire Apple universe to crash and go blind.) But W H Y shou ld Ms. Ar thur lose her job? She’s the victim – a victim who was given one draconian choice: Quit or be fired. I realize she made an error in judgment. I also know what moral turpitude is, and this isn’t that. She wasn’t having sex with a student. She didn’t run naked across campus waving a Donald Trump banner. She didn’t pass her phone around in class and say, “For extra credit, guess who this is?” She took an intimate photo, forgot about it and LOST HER JOB. The good news is, more than 1,200 students have signed an online petition protesting Ms.

Arthur’s removal. What will happen to the student? First of all, he’s 16, so we’ll never know his name. Second, he’s probably a hero in his sleazy little circle for getting a popular, longtime educator fired. He learned a lot from this, didn’t he? Steal personal property, humiliate an adult, and guess what? YOU WIN. I’m disgusted. I like teachers. I admire teachers. I know teachers. I could never be a teacher, not for 10 minutes. Years ago, when I was a fulltime journalist with bad nerves, I’d call my oldest friend for sympathy. She’s a special ed teacher who’s been spit, upchucked and peed on. She’s also been punched, scratched, bitten, choked and cursed out. She loves her job, but I think she’s nuts. From her perspective, it’s pretty simple: She’s passionate about giving kids better lives. Her belief in what she does is unshakeable, even though the last time I saw her she sported an eye patch because a student

had scratched her cornea. My mom was a substitute teacher, back when you just had to have a pulse and a lot of patience. My oldest brother, Bubba, majored in education and taught middle school history for a few years, before switching to a less stressful occupation. (In the Navy.) The teachers I know are overworked and underpaid. All of them, without exception, are grading papers or making lesson plans at 9 p.m. They reach into their own pockets to pay for students’ supplies or field trip expenses. They get to school early to meet the buses, or stay late to get the kiddos on the buses. They do a thousand little things to help their students succeed. Now they can add something to the list of daily duties: Lock your phone. Then lock up your phone. Julie R. Smith, who couldn’t teach a pig to grunt, can be reached at widdleswife@aol. com.

former Playboy model got schooled in sisterhood this month. Dani Mathers, 29, caught hell for what she did in the locker room of an LA Fitness gym: She photographed an older, overweight, unclothed woman – and posted it on Snapchat with the caption, “If I can’t unsee this, neither can you!” The photo was accompanied by an image of Ms. Mathers with her hand over her mouth, stifling what was presumably a hearty guffaw. The social media backlash was fast and furious: A typical tweet: “You disgust me.” Another said: “@DaniMathers it’s people like you that make others uneasy about changing openly in locker rooms. It’s appalling.” One tweeter wrote: “This woman was at a [really bad word] GYM, and you lookin at her body like it’s deplorable?” Mathers was immediately fired from her lucrative morning radio gig and is permanently banned

from all LA Fitness locations. She quickly issued a mea culpa. She apologized – get this – for putting the photo on her Snapchat “stor y” page (where photos stay up for 24 hours), instead of sending it to a friend (sent photos auto-delete in 10 seconds). If that doesn’t say, “I’m only sorry I got caught,” nothing does. (Mathers claimed she didn’t know how Snapchat works, but I call shenanigans. She has 553,000 followers on Instagram, more than a million on Facebook and 75,100 on Twitter. If I – who can’t figure out Pinterest – can navigate Snapchat, so can she.) A later apology, when Mathers realized the depth and breadth of her actions, sounded sincere, if not panicked: “I realize I made a terrible mistake. It was absolutely wrong… I have never done this before and I will never do this

again, you have my word.” Mathers, who was Playmate of the Year 2015 (25 years after the title stopped opening doors), may also face criminal charges. One can only hope. Yes, reader, I am slinging epic amounts of snark here. What this woman did was reprehensible and makes my scalp crawl with rage: Someone’s trying to improve themselves, putting in the time and effort to get as healthy as possible, and can’t change in a locker room without being mocked? Maybe the photo is a microcosm of a society that routinely judges overweight, out-of-shape people, if only by ignoring them. I’m friends with a young mother who lost 30 pounds 15 years ago. I still remember her saying, “I can’t believe the difference in how people treat me.” “All the guys giving you the eye?” I asked. “Everyone sees me now,” she replied. “People start conversations or smile at me. Before, I was invisible.” I wonder if Mathers made the

lady in the locker room feel invisible, before she sneakily snapped the photo. I hope and pray this woman – who harmed no one, who was cruelly made an object of ridicule – never realizes what was done to her. As movie producer Brianna Gardner said so eloquently, “To be violated on such a humiliating and visceral level… is just about the cruelest, meanest thing a woman could do to another woman.” Ms. Mathers, one day your perky bosom will sag. Your tattoos will get wrinkly and love handles will appear, because gravity and hormones won’t be denied. When that happens, I sincerely hope no other woman takes a photo without your permission and plasters it on social media for cheap laughs. But we all know karma never fails. Julie R. Smith, who believes what happens in locker rooms should stay in locker rooms, can be reached at widdleswife@aol.com.

Time to grow up, professional athletes BY JULIE R. SMITH

hat the heck is up with professional athletes? I don’t know a forward pass from a three-pointer, but if you’re paid a lot of money to swim, play football or run fast, maybe you should swim, play football or run fast and go home, while keeping your mouth shut and ego in check. Apparently, this is impossible. The worst of the bunch is former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez, who killed at least one guy because a drink was spilled in a bar. Say goodbye to millions and hello to jailhouse tattoos, which he has in abundance. I think he’s probably going to kill someone else in prison. Just a hunch. Then there’s Ryan Lochte, who turned out to be dumber than Styrofoam peanuts. Why would you lie about being robbed at gunpoint? Why would you lie about being robbed at gunpoint in a foreign country that’s hosting the Olympic Games? Why would you

lie about being robbed at gunpoint in a foreign country that’s hosting the Olympic Games, after helping your team win gold? It boggles the mind. Maybe the same chlorine that turned Lochte’s hair green leached into his brain. This is not a 19-year-old college sophomore, this is a 32-year-old grown man. I don’t know if Speedo and Ralph Lauren canceled his endorsement deals because he caused an international incident or because they now believe he’s not smart enough to button a shirt and stare at a camera. (Yes, I remember Michael Phelps’s busts for DUI and smoking weed. I suspect both incidents were the result of stunted social growth — he did nothing but swim and do schoolwork for years, and when he started to par-tay, his judgment went south. Most im-

portantly, he apologized, entered rehab and went into therapy. He apologized again, got back in the saddle and became the most-decorated Olympian in history. See the difference?) Finally, there’s San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who, as of this writing, has refused to rise for the National Anthem at three preseason games. He says he is protesting racial oppression and police brutality. As a biracial child, he was raised in middle-class comfort by his adoptive family, who happen to be white. Given his upbringing and current millionaire status, he’s a far cry from oppressed. Of course, you don’t have to be treated unfairly to rail against injustice; Johnny Cash proved that. (Kaepernick did say police stopped him and several black friends in college because they looked out of place in a white neighborhood.) My husband thinks Kaepernick should be fired, but I don’t know how I feel. On one hand, he has the courage of his convictions: He re-

mains seated knowing it could cost him big bucks in endorsements. On the other hand, he’s making outrageous money for throwing a football, while disrespecting the country that made his wealth possible. There’s no law that says one must stand for the National Anthem, just as there’s no law that says one must help a feeble old lady across a busy city street. Most of us do both because not to seems… wrong. Icky, even. But whatever choice you make, no one will arrest you for it – because we live in the land of the free. And that freedom must include freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest, even when we don’t like it. So, Colin Kaepernick, I think your refusal to rise is immature and tacky, but I support your right to sit your ignorant, privileged, smug a** on the bench. Wait, I think I know how I feel. Julie R. Smith, whose mom would smack her for that, can be reached at widdleswife@aol.com.

2016 News Awards

Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Cody Sossamon The Gaffney Ledger

Dad and I watch from the sidelines during Saturday’s festivities at Williams Brice Stadium.

Now it was my turn to look out for him Father’s Day isn’t officially celebrated until June 19 this year, but for me this past Saturday was a ‘father’s day’ I will not soon forget. If you are the least bit ‘plugged in’ or keep up with current events just a little bit, you will know that my 94-year-old father scored a touchdown during the University of South Carolina alumni football game. More than 100 former Gamecocks participated in the game, held just prior to the Carolina spring game. New head coach Will Muschamp felt like the game would help motivate his current players as well as bring some excitement to the fans and former players. The fact that Dad is somewhat of a legend to Gamecock fans — first AP All-American at USC — and is the oldest living Carolina letterman, only added to the interest in the game. Jimmy Mitchell, a former teammate of mine (yes, I was a Gamecock but spent my entire career wearing a ‘Red Cross’ jersey) called me several weeks ago to see if Dad would be interested — and able — to participate. He explained they had plans for a special play where Dad would score the game’s first touchdown. Knowing what his answer would be, I told Jimmy he’d be there. Dad can’t move too fast these days, but he still likes to go places and loves being with people. He attends almost every Gamecock home baseball game and many basketball and football games. So, yes, I knew he would jump at the chance to be involved in the event and how much he would enjoy it. What I didn’t realize is how much it would mean to me. I don’t get to spend a lot of time with my father since he moved to West Columbia a few years ago, but going to games with him or visits at his apartment at the Still Hopes Retirement Center are cherished moments. We’ve been going to games together since I was a youngster. When we weren’t going, I sat on his lap and listened to a staticfilled radio broadcast of the New York Yankees. He even took me to the World Series in New York when I was in the fifth grade. Like most of you reading this, I felt safe and secure when I was with my Dad. No matter what, he would take care of me. I looked up to my Dad. He was my hero. As time went by, I spent less and less time with him preferring instead to be my own man. I did not need his protection and care. Like a lot of boys-becoming-men, I lost that emotional tie. I could take care of myself. He wasn’t my hero anymore. Father no longer knew what was best. Son did. There was a period of years — now I realize far too many — that I did not appreciate my Dad. The rebellious years, I suppose is one way to describe them, have come and gone. Once again Dad is my hero. Oh, his accomplishments are numerous. I will not bore you by listing them here, but believe you me, they are many. But what makes him my hero today is how he treats others and enjoys life. He loves people. All shapes, sizes and colors. Lillie On my visits to Still Hopes, he strikes up conversations withR. Edwards SC everyone, everyone I tell you, on the way to the dining room.Gaffney, He converses with the server behind the counter or the custodian in the hallway with the same respect and friendly manner as he does the retired doctor sitting at the table next to us. And he knows them. He asks about a family member, or job they are seeking or a project they are working on. Amazing. This love of people and concern for their welfare is not a recent

If you haven’t experienced it, it’s impossible to completely understand it. That’s true of almost any circumstance you can imagine. It could be the death of a loved one — parent, child, brother or sister — and the factors relating to the death. How could I possibly understand the sorrow and grief of a parent whose child has died tragically when I have never faced that situation? Similarly, how can I, being relatively healthy, relate to someone with a terminal illness or serious CODY SOSSAMON health issues? Ledger Publisher Think of any unpleasant life event others have endured, but that you have not. It’s unrealistic to believe you could ever fully grasp their thoughts and emotions. As I listened to Dr. Arthur Brewton reflect on his life growing up in Spartanburg and examples of racism that he encountered, this lack of understanding crowded my thoughts. He was a member of a panel discussing race relations at the Cherokee County Community Leaders Dialogue, which is an ongoing series of meetings, held last week. These meetings began in 2014 when racial tensions rose across the United States after several incidents involving police shootings. Under the leadership of Dr. J.W. Sanders, Jr., the intent is to prevent similar unrest in Cherokee County. Brewton recalled several incidents during his earlier years that have stuck with him and caused him discomfort — water fountains marked ‘white’ and ‘colored,’ ‘colored’ days at the fair, second-hand, inferior educational materials at school, ‘colored’ entrances and seating at movie theaters and lunch counters. As he spoke, I remembered these things, too. I’m guessing Brewton and I are about the same age, as he mentioned being in high school in 1969. That was the year I graduated, which by the way, was the first fully integrated graduating class at Gaffney High School. I remember seeing the water fountains in the Cherokee County courthouse with signs: “White Only” and ‘Colored.’ I don’t recall having any feelings one way or the other, but I can only imagine how it made Brewton and others of his race feel. I take that back. I cannot begin to imagine how that made him feel. Nor any of the other examples of racism that he cited. How could I? How could any white person? Turning the tables, how However, if we could any black person underinteract with those stand how a white person with whom we differ, feels on this subject? perhaps we can I could go on and on about the differences in our thoughts begin to see their and opinions, but the bottom point of view. Get line is that there is a signifito know them. cant hate factor building up in Talk to them. OUR country. Not only between blacks and whites, but between liberals and conservatives; Republicans and Democrats; Muslims and Christians; immigrants and native-born; poor, middle-class and rich; union and non-union workers. You get the picture. Hate, distrust, envy, disgust, contempt…all of these emotions and more are beginning to infiltrate our every waking hour. In the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all get along?” (King was beaten by LA police in 1991and riots ensued. He spoke these words in his appeal for calm.) Realistically no we can’t all get along But we can try

“

FIRST PLACE

The key to harmony is understanding

Looking from the other side of fatherhood Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910 when Sonora Smart Dodd told her pastor that fathers should have a holiday similar to mothers. As I thought about my column for today, I first considered rerunning a column I wrote a couple of months ago about my relationship with my father. But as good as it (the column) was (well, at least two of you told me it was!) I decided to go in another direction. This column is looking from the other side of fatherhood. I remember vividly when I first CODY SOSSAMON became a father. Ledger Publisher I was in a room by myself after everyone rushed out of the ‘labor room’ for an emergency Csection. They wouldn’t let me come. All those Lamaze classes for nothing, huh? (Do expectant parents still go to those?) A few minutes later, a nurse came through the door, handed Katie to me and walked out. Believe it or not, I had NEVER held a baby in my life before that. But it did not matter. I was immediately in love like no other love a man can experience. Now, some 35 years later (June 26) it is so, so gratifying to reflect on our life experiences together. Lou, my second-born child, came into this world on my father’s birthday, June 2. I was in the delivery room for his birth, but before I was able to hold him, there were some complications and he was taken to parts unknown. I was reassured all was OK, just precautions were being taken. Turns out, Lou had some health and developmental issues that resulted in numerous visits to various doctors, therapists and pediatric specialists. I learned a lot about myself during those days and developed and admiration and respect for my boy who never complained (well, he was too young for a while!) and went with the flow in most cases…a trait he maintains to this day. I so admire him and his outlook on life. Bonus son Paul came into my life when I married his mother. I think most ’step-parents’ (I dislike that term, thus the use of Bonus) will agree that it is not an easy relationship — for the parent or the child. We’ve had our moments and there are times when I could have strangled him (and his mom) and vice versa I’m sure. He’s all grown up now and is a nurse. I had the opportunity to watch him in action first hand a few weeks ago at the ER. He was tending to his mother’s dog and cat bites. Impressive. I am very proud of the man he has become, even if he does have a warped sense of humor. And my youngest. My baby. My Abbie. She was a surprise and I was in a state of shock for a few minutes after I was told the news. Just as with Katie, I remember holding her minutes after she was born. Abbie now works WITH me here at The Ledger. So far, so great! Our merged families became complete with Abbie’s arrival. Nothing could have brought us all closer together than did she. While she and her mother are very close — putting it mildly — a present Abbie gave me a few years back pretty much sums it up for me. It’s a picture of her riding on my back when she was just a young thing. Underneath is the caption, “The first man a girl falls in love with is her daddy.” At Christmas or for my birthday or Father’s Day my children (actually my girls — the boys are a bit slack in the giftgiving department) always ask what I want for a present. My standard answer is a tie, underwear or socks. And sometimes I request a belt. I tell that for a couple of reasons: 1. I know they want to give me something, but I don’t want them spending a lot of money; 2. I usually always need those things. The reality of it, however, is that my children have already given me more that I deserve. They all have turned out to be fine young men and women and seem to be well grounded

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Humor Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Ettie Newlands Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Humor Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Robert Joseph Baker The Manning Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Humor Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Betty Moses Myrtle Beach Herald

Your 4-year-old stumps university professors?

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Humor Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kasie Strickland The Easley Progress

A lesson in kid logic As a mother, I find myself saying the most bizarre things: “Don’t throw a shark at your brother!” “Yes, you have to wear pants,” and “Is that blood or ketchup?” are just a few of the things I have caught myself exclaiming this week alone. Kids do weird things and sometimes you have to explain stuff that you never imagined yourself having to actually discuss with another human being. It’s just part of the whole parenting gig — the hard part is that you have to do it with a straight face. When your 4-year-old comes up to you and tells you (very seriously) that he can’t wear his shoes today because they’re “too yellow,” or that he needs to go to the doctor because his “finger aches,” it can be difficult to know how to appropriately respond. And by appropriately, I mean by not just laughing at him. I may sound like a terrible person for saying this, but a “crisis” to a 4-year-old is kind of a funny thing to witness. From my son Ben’s point of view, having

happen to take an interto wait to go outside est in — no matter how because a shoelace came lame — is immediately untied takes forever and deemed the coolest toy sharing the leg-hole in ever and you must have the two-seater grocery it. cart with his brother is 4. All of your requests the worst thing ever. I to a parent must wait once asked him to bring until said parent has sat me the wipes as I was down and gotten comchanging his baby brothfortable. er and he stomped 5. Wearing a off muttering about light jacket outside how he had to do when it’s a little everything. cool or windy is To make sense completely unreaof it all, one has sonable and yet to abide by “kid clomping around logic.” And while I Strickly inside the house haven’t yet decodSpeaking wearing galoshes, ed all of the rules Kasie a raincoat and carand guidelines, here’s a “top-ten” Strickland rying an umbrella is a totally normal of what I’ve disthing to be doing cerned so far: at 7:30 on a Sunday 1. A peanut butter morning. and jelly sandwich that 6. A banana with a isn’t cut into geometribrown spot is poisonous. cally perfect triangles is 7. Red traffic lights will ruined and completely turn green faster if you inedible — and yet, a God-knows-how-old gold- scream “Go!” and kick the back of the driver’s fish cracker found under seat repeatedly. the couch is perfectly 8. Fruit snacks shaped fine. like sharks taste better 2. If you feed all of your French fries, one by than any other kind of fruit snacks, despite the one, to the dog, you are fact they are chemically then lawfully entitled to your parents’ French fries identical. 9. Whatever pajamas owing to the fact that that were accidentally you didn’t get to eat any. forgotten at Grandma’s 3. Any toy your that house are the only ones younger sibling may

that will be acceptable to sleep in. Wake parents up every two hours throughout the night to remind them the importance of said pajamas. Once pajamas are retrieved, refuse to ever wear them again. 10. When running out into a large and spacious back yard, it is vital to ignore all play things and instead aim directly for the one pile of dog poop that your parents neglected to see and/or remove. Is this all of them? Of course not. It’s an adaptive list that changes as moods and circumstances differ from day to day. It is, however, a decent starting point. In my limited experience, I have found that humor is the number one skill required in parenting. Because for all the things they do that can drive you nuts, if you take a minute to stand back and really look at it from the outside, most of it is pretty funny. Kasie Strickland is a staff writer for The Easley Progress and The Pickens Sentinel and can be reached at kstrickland@ civitasmedia.com. Views expressed in this column are those of the writer only and do not represent the newspaper’s opinion.

Someone told me that a group of baboons is called a “congress.” It made me giggle but being a journalist it has been forever ingrained into my very soul to put very little stock into first hand accounts (call it paranoia, call it an inherit distrust, whatever). The bottom line, this demanded research. After about two seconds of Googling, I was disappointed to learn that a group of baboons is in fact not called a congress, they’re called a troop. However, to soften the blow, a group of salamanders are. So there’s that. Recently, my 4-year-old son Ben Strickly has been very much into nature Speaking documentaries and (wanting to be an Kasie involved mom) I’ve taken to watching Strickland them with him. The movies appeal to me on several levels: First off, they’re educational. Secondly, I find Sir Attenborough’s dulcet tones oddly mesmerizing. Lastly, well, let’s face it, there’s really only much Sesame Street an adult can watch before you’re pretty much ready to fry Big Bird up for Thanksgiving dinner. Seriously, I just can’t deal with that ridiculous yellow bird anymore. Through these films we have learned all kinds of stuff about a variety of species — but my favorite tidbits of knowledge has been the specific terms used to identify groups of animals. Now, most people are familiar with the usual terms like a “gaggle” of geese, a “colony” of ants or a “pack” of wolves. But there were others I found I had never heard of: a “crash” of rhinos, a “wisdom” of wombats and an “intrusion” of cockroaches. That last one seems especially well named. A “murder” of crows, an “intrigue” of cats, a “train” of camels. A “flight” of butterflies, a “cloud” of bats, a “charm” of hummingbirds. A “leap” of leopards, a “dazzle”of zebras and a “knot” of toads. These are all very cool. A couple of nights ago, after watching a PBS special where we learned a group of tigers is called an “ambush,” Ben looked at me and asked what a group of people was called. I drew a blank. Surely it’s not a “group” … that seems very boring to me. A mob? That seems overly aggressive. A committee? No, too political. A friend of mine suggested a “headache” of humans — which was by far my favorite. I had no idea. So, I did what any reporter would do: I called an anthropologist For real

And the gold in sarcasm goes to … I consider myself a confident person. I know what I’m good at, I know what I’m not. I know when I can handle something, I know when it’s too much. I’m not afraid to ask for help and I’ll be the first to recognize when I’m in over my head. B_a[ ceij f[efb[ ed j^_i fbWd[j" ?Éc dej j^[ “best” at … well … anything. But I’m good enough to get by. And I’m OK with that. Or at least I was until I ijWhj[Z mWjY^_d] j^[ ]Wc[i _d H_e$ Wow. There is nothing that can make you feel like a total, utter and complete loser than watching the Olympics — or maybe it’s just me. Strickly I was sitting there on the couch Speaking eating pizza, watching these, like, Kasie 14-year-olds flip around on the paralStrickland lel bars like freaking spider monkeys. I get winded when I have to chase my 4-year-old up the driveway. They are amazing and I can’t imagine the levels of dedication and training it takes to be that caliber of an athlete. I just know that I don’t have it. Not even close. During the broadcast, between events, NBC would show these little montages and side profiles of the various athletes who were competing. On Sunday night, one of them was about Kerri WalshJennings, the beach volleyball player. Not only is she a world-class, top-notch, best-of-the-best athlete — she’s a mom. Of three kids. How in the world does a person do all of that? I know I should feel inspired when watching the games, but that’s not how it plays out for me. I feel like the laziest person in the world. I could change the channel, I could exercise, I could just be a good fan and cheer on Team USA — but I do none of those good, productive, healthy, positive things. What do I do? Oh, I take it in a whole different direction: I get all judgy. I sat there — with my pizza — and critiqued every one of the competitors. Harshly, unfairly and without mercy. During the road race: “Look at him coasting downhill on that bicycle! Wait, is he eating? Is it snack time right now? It’s only a 146 mile course, you would think he’d be better prepared …” Swimming: “That girl from Australia is way out in front, it’s like they’re not even trying …” Archery: “Oh please, Katniss could shoot better than that. How is this even a sport?” Equestrian: “Why are they cheering for him? He just had to sit there, his horse did all the work.” B_a[ ? iW_Z" ^Whi^bo WdZ kd\W_hbo$ The truth is, I’m in awe of them. All of them. But because I know I could never in my wildest dreams do what they do, I fall back on my usual protective measures of my ego: sarcasm and inappropriate humor. Sh ld I l h t th h t i d hi h l

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Humor Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Cody Sossamon The Gaffney Ledger

That’s the reason Oreo is not allowed outside

Rocking the day away out in my yard

Have you looked ...? Maybe they’re ...

“While the cat’s away, the mice will play.” Surely you’ve heard that saying, which means if the boss isn’t around, the employees won’t do any work. Considering that for today’s column I’m referring to actual cats, I can tell you there hasn’t been much playing at my house for the past several decades. The cat is never away. Somehow or another, my wife has managed to persuade me to allow her to have a cat, or cats as the case may be. A house cat. Prior to our marriage almost 25 years ago, there is no way any pets were allowed inside my house I’ve pretty much always had dogs, but they stayed outside where they belonged. That’s the way it was at my parents’ house and, gosh darn it, that’s the way it was at my house (Emphasis on the word “was”). I don’t really know how it happened. One day there were no inside pets and seemingly the next day there were two cats and two dogs inside. Did I tell you that cats CODY SOSSAMON were not a part of my life Ledger Publisher until the wife entered the picture? Again, I think that was due in part to my upbringing. My parents did not like cats and therefore, I did not like cats. Prior to the arrival of the fist felines, I held out by telling my wife I am allergic to cats, which I am pretty sure is partially true. Anyway, once she brought one home without my OK there wasn’t much I could do about it. Men, have you ever tried to reason with a female when they have already decided the outcome? After she got the cats in, the dogs were next. “It’s so cold outside. Just let them in for the night.” I relented “just for tonight” and have lived with dogs in the house ever since. Fast forward to today when we have one cat and two dogs inside and one outside dog (mostly outside, but he does get to come in when it’s cold or stormy — he gets scared). I did not learn my lesson. I think the main reason he has remained an ‘outside’ dog is that Sherry (the wife) is afraid Wyatt (the outside dog) will kill Oreo (the inside cat). And that’s the reason Oreo is not allowed to go outside. That’s also the reason every time I walk in from work, I am not greeted with “Hi honey. How was your day?” No, nothing like that. It’s more like, “DON’T LET THE CAT OUT! QUICK, CLOSE THE DOOR!” I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been chastised for not closing the door quickly enough or not locking it when I do (the wind might blow it open). I admit there have been times when Oreo looked as if he wanted to bolt outside, but since he’s never been outside, I didn’t think that was likely. With this in mind (Oreo’s fear of the unknown outside and Sherry’s fear of him getting eaten alive by the big, bad Wyatt), I was quite taken aback when I came home the other day to see Sherry outside walking the cat. Yep, walking the cat. She purchased a cat harness and leash so she could take Oreo outside without fear of him being Wyatt’s supper. Leash in one hand. Water bottle to ward Wyatt off in the other. Oreo, however, did not appear to be enjoying himself. He wasn’t walking. More like slithering along. Sherry said the directions (for a cat harness?) said it took several days for them to get used to it. But why, I asked myself, would she want to make him like being outside when she is so paranoid about him running out the door? Go figure. I have tried to be accommodating to the inside animals. Just the other day I walked by Oreo and reached down to scratch his head. Swat! He clawed my finger right in the cuticle. Ouch! The dogs aren’t too bad. Except for tripping over them in the middle of the night or getting woken up by h i i h i h h hil I

“What are YOU doing?” my wife yelled from the porch. “Come over here and I’ll show you,” was my reply, figuring it would be easier to show rather than tell, or yell in this case. A few minutes later she sauntered over to where I was working in the yard. Obviously she wasn’t overly curious as to what I was up to or she would have investigated posthaste. (Don’t you love two of the words I just used — ‘sauntered’ and ‘posthaste?’) “Where’d you get all those CODY SOSSAMON rocks?” Ledger Publisher Perspiration was pouring from every pore in my body as I leaned on the shovel looking down at a pile of miniature boulders and a hole big enough for a small grave. I gave her that “Really?” look, but said “From that hole.” A little background information is necessary to let you know why I was standing over a pile of rocks explaining to my wife where they came from. When it comes to my lawn, I can be a bit anal-retentive. When cutting grass and a weed is spotted, I will do one of two things: 1. If using my push mower, I will stop and pull it up. 2. If on my riding mower, I will stop and spray it with the bottle of weed-killer I carry. Last year I seeded a new area where trees had been cut down. I love trees but the roots were destroying my driveway. The seed came up great but the grading exposed a LOT of rocks. Mostly small gravel but a couple of big ones seemed to just rise from out of nowhere. We all know grass will not grow on a rock surface, but I dealt with it. Last year. But the other day when I had a little extra time late one evening, I began picking up rocks in one area where they seemed to have multiplied. Small ones on the surface to begin with, then bigger, fist-sized ones half-buried. I came across one that would not come up, even using a stick to try to pry it up. So, I got one on my hand tools and popped it up. Now I was in business. Until I came to the area that had bothered me the most — a rock surface about two feet long and a foot wide. I started digging around it with my hand tool. Got frustrated and reloaded with a crowbar and a shovel. This was happening after I had taken my shower and was just piddlin’ after dinner. Next thing you know I’ve broken into a full sweat and my ‘comfy’ clothes — slippers and all — were not so comfortable. I was getting nowhere fast and gave up after amassing a pile of rocks that I had broken off the larger chunk. Memorial Day afternoon, I went at the rock again. I dug and pried and chipped and scraped. I felt like one of the convicts you see in movies who are forced to make little rocks out of big ones. The more I dug around the big one, the bigger it got. I used the crow bar to break off chunks and tossed them onto the pile. That’s about the time the wife hollered from the porch. After she was satisfied that I hadn’t lost my mind (even though I was close to doing so) and walked away, I resumed my quest to rid my yard of this grass-killing beast. I was a man possessed — for about 15 more minutes. Then I gave up. I figure I’ve got two options, maybe three, after I remove all the ‘small’ rocks in my pile. 1. I have chipped enough of the boulder away so that I can cover it with dirt and hope grass will grow, 2. I can use the front end loader on my tractor and try to pop it up with hydraulic force 3. I can find some dynamite and blast it up. I will probably go with option 1, but possibly option 2. Trying that, though, I will probably tear up a large section of the good grass around the rock. Option 3 sounds like the most fun and several years ago there’s no doubt I would have tried it. Now that I am older and wiser, I won’t risk it. My wife won’t let me. She’s very protective. When I get on my tractor for any reason, she watches me like a hawk with her phone in hand and finger hovering over the emergency call button. When I clean out the gutters, she’s got the eagle-eye on me. Even if I am just going outside to ‘piddle’ in the yard, she’ll implore me to “be careful!” Can’t really say as I blame her, though, seeing as how I have a history of hurting myself in some of the dumbest

What is the most frustrating thing that you have dealt with more than once? Losing your car keys? Done that numerous times, so now I keep a spare in my billfold. Getting locked out of the house? Done that, so now we keep a spare in a ‘secret’ place outside. No, it’s not under the flower pot. Misplaced your reading glasses? Oh yeah, many times. CODY SOSSAMON The solution was to Ledger Publisher buy numerous pairs and put them in various places where I usually need them. Lost your wallet? Not often but it has happened. More anger than frustration here, especially when the pickpocket in Pisa got it. Technically, that wasn’t losing it, I guess. Getting caught up in a traffic jam, only to find out it wasn’t a bad accident, just bad drivers? If you’ve been on I-26 or I-85 in the past three or four years, you feel my pain. Not much can be done about this, unless you stay off the interstates. Getting in the shortest line in the grocery store when something (price check, etc.) causes a long delay and the other longer lines move quickly? If you ever grocery shopped, you’ve experienced this. Here’s a good one: Telemarketers call your cell phone? Back in the days when minutes mattered, this was doubly bad, now it’s just bad. Car trouble? Anytime is bad but on a family trip is the worst. Do you feel compassion when you see another motorist on the side of the road or relief that it’s not you? Sports fans will relate to this one. Watching your team make stupid mistakes or watching the refs make stupid calls (or no-calls) or watching the coach make stupid decisions? Been here more times than I can count. Being tailgated? Oh yeah, this happens to me on a regular basis, probably because I drive the speed limit (mostly). Someone taking up two parking spaces in a FULL lot? There are several ‘parking lot’ issues, but man I hate it when people hog the spaces. I am going to stop there before I start getting frustrated thinking about all the things I get frustrated about. But the reason I’m writing about this today is that a guy I was playing golf with last week lost his car keys on the course. He did all the things we all do. Checked his pockets numerous times and anywhere else he could have possibly put them. All the while, the helpful friend (me) was suggesting places. “Did you look here? Did you look there? Maybe they are …” He finally decided he dropped them on the course when he used one of the keys to fix a ball mark on the green. In the first place, who does that? Any of you golfers know anyone who fixes ball marks with a key? To make matters worse, it was pouring down rain and we were in a rain delay. He decided to ride the course to see if he could find his keys. And he made me go with him. It was raining hard. Real hard. After about 15 minutes of fruitlessly searching, we rode by the clubhouse. I bailed out, but he kept going. About an hour later he showed back up — keyless (or should that be clueless?). “Why don’t you have a spare?” “I do. It’s in the car.” “I keep mine in my billfold.” “That wouldn’t help me. My billfold’s in the car.” Finally, I convinced him to call his son-in-law locksmith to come open the car. We finished playing golf and got home safely. You know what’s more frustrating than any of these situations? Someone suggesting how you could have avoided it in the first place.

—————————

Happy landings

2016 News Awards All in the family: Part deux

FIRST PLACE Humor Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve gone to the annual Tatum Thanksgiving family reunion. We have traditionally gathered at my aunt’s house in Bamberg the Saturday after Thanksgiving to catch up, re-tell hoary but hilarious tales of years past, engage in a little ancestor worship and, of course, gorge shamelessly on a meal guaranteed to shut down the collective circulatory system of a medium sized elephant herd. In recent times, we have started gathering at the Methodist Church in Bamberg to save my aunt the hostess pains and the extra work to get her house in order to receive a horde of gluttonous relatives. This has worked well as the church is centrally located, both geographically and within our family history. This year’s festivities started on a somewhat unusual note -not only was I actually on time, I was early. In fact, we were the ﬁrst ones to arrive and with no other vehicles in the church parking lot, I immediately wondered if the location had changed at the last minute or worse, someone was trying to send me a message as to just how welcome a sight I might be at the dinner table. I was so concerned I actually called my aunt to make sure we had the right time and place. She assured us we were and a few moments later cars started pulling up beside us. You must understand there is this phenomenon known as Tatum time -- it is completely inde-

Jim Tatum Chronicle-Independent

-LP 7DWXP pendent of the normal temporal plane and we all operate in it almost involuntarily. As it turned out, one of my cousins had done the exact same thing the previous year, up to and including the phone call wondering if they were at the right place on the right day. It’s funny how you don’t see changes in people until you start looking at old photographs. My cousin, Cal, who organizes the reunion every year, put together an album of past family gatherings, some from even before I was born. Looking back at earlier versions of one’s self and others is always pretty fun, although the older I get, the more alarmed I am at some of the changes. Someone came across a photo from a reunion maybe 25 years ago; two of my cousins and I are wearing these sports jackets we found in some upstairs closet. The jackets were not only ill ﬁtting and hideously colored, but were made from materials not found anywhere in nature. “That’s what you got to wear whenever you forgot your Sunday church clothes,” someone said. Yikes. Well do I remember those sartorial punishments -- something of a 1970s-1980s version of being forced to wear a hair shirt as an act of contri-

tion. Back in the day, church attendance was compulsory. If you forgot your Sunday best, a substitute would be found for you, no exceptions. I have actually attended church wearing a sky blue blazer and a pair of ankle length dingo boots with zippers. Embarrassing, to be sure, but nothing that required a “safe zone.” Here was another alarming moment. As we were first greeting each other in the parking lot, I asked my brother, who recently had minor surgery on his finger, how that procedure had gone. He showed me the finger, his middle one, and cheerfully told me about the 20 stitches it required and how the doctor had dug out a quantity of gout materials. “Aw man, I got gout in my toe -- it’s not fun,” I said. “Yeah, and I recently had….,” chimed in another. “And doctor says I have to do --,” added someone else. Suddenly, everyone hit a very pronounced group conversational pause as we all realized, virtually at the same time, that we were engaged in the classic old folks infirmities conversation. For one brief, horrifying moment I had visions of us all hanging out in some cafeteria, hearing aids cranked like guitar amplifiers, waiting for the early bird special and shouting such graphic health details at each other as frequency and results of bathroom visits. “Statins be damned -- let’s go eat barbecue,” I said.

Ah, the meal! Our buffet table could have sent even Caligula running screaming into the streets of Rome. Barbecue and hash, white rice, rice of the seven jewels, chicken divan, homemade cheese biscuits, pigs in blankets, homemade ham biscuits -- and that’s just the ﬁrst 10 feet of table. Desserts are just as debaucherous, with everything from Hummingbird cake -- so named because one bite is so sweet it will make a hummingbird’s little head explode at 100 yards -- chocolate divinity cookies, and homemade blueberry cobbler which may well have been the healthiest item on the entire menu. I shamelessly tied into two heaping plates of everything. I should have been voted “Most Likely to Explode.” Even now I’m trying to estimate how many workouts and miles run it’s going to take to knock the edge off of that orgy of pure gluttony. But, of course, the best part is being able to spend time with people I really love whom I hardly ever see. The time may be too little and too far between, but we all try to make the most of it. I can’t wait to see what we looked like this year, maybe during the Thanksgiving 2030 reunion. I certainly hope we won’t be talking about gout, pills and trips to the bathroom. (Jim Tatum is the senior staff writer of the Chronicle-Independent, Camden, S.C. Email him at jtatum@chronicle-independent. com.)

this annoying little kid named Jimmy who loved to fly. He wasn’t crazy about wearing his Sunday best to board a plane, but he loved the adventure and especially the attention the hot stewardesses gave him. At age 9, when your hair falls into your face and you’re missing a tooth, the flight attendants think you’re cute, from the saillike lapels of your virgin Rayon electric blue sports coat and almost matching 7-inch wide floral design clip-on tie to your nascent cheap moves. If you have the same look and the same cheap moves at age 34, for some reason, they -- and by “they” I mean all living females, not just flight attendants -- no longer think you’re cute. They think you’re a sex offender. But I digress. Back then, flying was cool. It was fun. You had to dress up to get on the plane but the food was pretty good and you could get as many sodas and packs of peanuts as you wanted. Maybe being in a coat and tie made people act a little more civilized, too -- I don’t ever remember fisticuffs and foul language erupting over pillows, armrests or seat reclining mechanisms. They also gave away cool stuff like playing cards, coffee mugs and gym bags. I had an Eastern Airlines gym bag I used for years -- in fact, the bag lasted longer and was far more reliable than the airline itself. Coach wasn’t as nice as the fabled First Class seating beyond

-LP 7DWXP the curtains, but at least they didn’t put a tag in your ear like they do on today’s flying cattle cars. I never worried about crashing, either. Years later, I would spend too much time in too many dive bars with too many aircraft mechanics. I have never worried about terrorists, but God save me from the severely hung-over mechanic who is mad at his wife and is currently working on the innards of one of the engines that will be vital to keeping my particular cattle car airborne. I guess I first started noticing the change in the late ’80s. Absolutely the worst flight I ever experienced was a short hop -- Columbia to Atlanta -- aboard an elderly Eastern Airlines jet, not too long before Eastern finally crashed and burned, no pun intended. It was the longest -- and if I have my way, the last -- 45 minutes I would ever spend in the air. I was already a little nervous because of the ominous cloud bank swirling at the end of the runway. Worse, it was Sunday, and the idiotic blue laws were still in force, so all the bars were closed. To add insult to injury, the flight was too short for them to serve cocktails in the air. Then we boarded the plane. I tried to ignore the duct tape on the seats and the rubber ducky life vests stuffed into the seat pocket

next to the barf bags. Then power in the plane shut down. The engines made weird sounds, the lights flickered, the A/C blowers sputtered -- then there was only darkness and silence and oppressive heat. I saw one of those repair carts pull up at the nose of the plane and thought, “If I see them pulling out jumper cables, I’m out of here.” A few minutes later, the engines cranked, the lights and air conditioner came on and we took off into the roughest, bumpiest, wind shear-ridden wild black yonder ever survived by anything smaller than an ICBM. From the moment we left the ground, the plane rocked, swayed, bucked and plunged as though a madman had hijacked one of those Vegas bullet elevators and was now tap dancing on all the buttons at the same time. To help maintain my trademark Bond-like cool, I buried my nose in a magazine, so at first I didn’t notice the pretty young blonde woman seated next to me. Nonetheless, despite my air of nonchalance, she somehow saw through the façade. “Are you scared,” she asked me. “Me? Nah.” “So you always read ‘Ladies Home Journal’ upside down?” Suddenly, an intense burst of turbulence sent our aged DC 9 plunging and I forgot all about magazine and conversation. A crushing pain enveloped my left upper arm. At first I thought I was the youngest heart attack victim in history. Then I saw her right hand wrapped tightly around my left elbow, knuckles white, finger-

nails digging into my bicep like osprey talons. The next 40 minutes were just like that, only more painful. I never knew of any creature besides a reticulated python which could not only sustain, but increase, its grip so powerfully for so long. The ﬂight ended with a spectacularly nauseating plummet through a raging thunder cell followed by a couple of hard bounces on the tarmac. But we were alive. Out on the concourse, she thanked me for being her in-ﬂight squeeze toy. I replied I was glad to be of service and was sure circulation would return to my arm at some point later in the day. Then I decided to go for broke and asked her to go have a drink. “Silly boy,” she said. “My pet boa constrictor would be so jealous.” To add insult to injury, I couldn’t remember where I had parked my car, the legendary Sputnik the Wonder Sled. Two hours later, alone, cold, and extremely wet, somewhere out in the vast unsheltered acreage that was general parking, I found Sputnik rusting happily away where I had left it three days prior. I wrestled the door lock open, climbed into my untrustworthy tin can, and shut the door -- and the window shattered. Then it began to rain again. Hard. (Jim Tatum is the senior staff writer for the Chronicle-Independent, Camden, S.C. Email him at jtatum@chronicle-independent. com.)

When life imitates art

A friend of mine posted a video on social media recently. The video is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time, which probably means it will disturb and offend everyone else on the planet. It’s a parody info-mercial touting the virtues of a great new invention, something called the “Pushover Plunge,” a giant reverse toilet plunger which works by building up major air pressure and blasting it down the commode to force whatever is clogging the toilet to let go and head on out to sea, as it were. The video starts with an attractive woman trying to dislodge obviously massive commode pluggage with an ordinary toilet plunger -- an activity referred to as “churning butter” -- only to have the plunger break its seal, unleashing this hideous eruption to cascade all over our hapless, horrified housewife. The Pushover Plunge, which sort works like a bellows, apparently works in reverse. One simply puts the seat up, fits the bellows over the commode bowl, then pushes down on it with the toilet seat, causing it to generate something like 25 times more air pressure than a normal plunger can generate. The product’s pitchman demonstrates the power of the Pushover Plunger by dumping a pan loaded with bean burritos into the toilet, adding a few fistfuls of that good old two-ply tango poppa -- the better to simulate the type of block-

-LP 7DWXP age one might find in airplane restrooms and truck stops -- then brings his powerful new toy to bear, as it were, launching the burritos down the pipes like so many tortilla torpedoes. The pitchman’s satisfied smirk and the housewife’s amazed expression, along with the accompanying sound effects, are priceless. But here’s the funny part. Although the video is a parody, such a contraption actually exists. You can buy something called the PlungeMax PF0507 Sanitary Toilet Plunger on Amazon.com for around $20. Better yet, there’s apparently an entry level model, the PF Waterworks 0501 model which sells for around $14. But, wait, there’s more. Two words: Customer Reviews. I don’t know if I had more fun watching the video -- which was clearly meant to plumb new depths (pardon the pun) in extreme lowbrow comedy -- or reading actual customer product reviews, such as the following: “Works most of the time, sometimes needs a second flush. Great product!” “Takes a little getting used to, but it works excellent. I think all the naysayers just couldn’t figure it out. I was almost ready to give up on it the first time I used

it. Then realized I wasn’t doing it right...” Or my favorite: “After reading both positive and negative reviews, I figured for the price, it was worth trying. We have low water pressure in our second bathroom, and even our brand new, wide-bore toilet will still routinely get clogged, and our old plungers were not able to cover the wide hole. It was either this or buy a plunger specifically for the second bathroom. “Got it in the mail, opened it up and was very unimpressed with the instructions. A B/W photocopied piece of paper. Luckily, they were also printed, quite nicely, on the packaging, so I’m unclear why the bad photocopy was even included. Lined the narrow end up with the toilet seat (we have no space to slide it under per the instructions, so I just pushed it up against the seat), made sure the edges were flat around the rim of the bowl, and gave it a good push down. “At first, I couldn’t tell if it was working, or if the air was all escaping out the side, but a few more times and the clog cleared up. It was completely clean, very easy and very little strength or pressure involved on the user’s end. Faster (even this first time), cleaner and easier than a traditional plunger. I was quite impressed. “It’s possible this won’t work on all shapes of toilet bowls, especially if there is anything blocking it from sealing along the hinge of the seat, but for most standard

sizes and styles, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work, if used correctly. It’s important to note, the seal is not going to be (nor should be) air-tight. It should just be covering the whole bowl to force the air downward.” I always appreciate anyone who goes the extra mile to make sure we understand all the ramifications of the situation. And yet, I still have to wonder... My cousin, who like everyone in our family has a pretty twisted sense of humor, is the classic intellectual internet troll. To give an example, once during one of those long mornings when he had too much time on his hands, he found a vegan website. Just for the fun of it, he made up a couple of recipes on the fly -- “take a three pound package of dried nine bean soup and soak it overnight in a half gallon of red wine vinegar, drain, and bake with two cups feta cheese at 350 for 45 minutes or until chartreuse-brown. A couple of days later, he went back to the site to find several reviews, complete with helpful hints – “this one was a little dry -- try adding a cup of miso broth to the mix” -- or some such. So my question is who is actually kidding whom? Either way, it’s a pretty good way to spend a little time at work. (Jim Tatum is the senior staff writer for the Chronicle-Independent, Camden, S.C. Email him at jtatum@chronicle-independent. com.)

2016 News Awards

Swamp Rabbits ambassador: Craig Purcell byy Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

THIRD PLACE Sports Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Matthew Clark GSA Business Report

or Craig Purcell, his new position with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits is more than just soliciting money; it’s about being an ambassador. Purcell, a front-office veteran with experience in the National Football League and National Hockey League, was named the chief revenue officer for the minor league hockey franchise affiliated with the NHL’s New York Rangers and American Hockey League’s Hartford WolfPack. His marching orders from up top have been made crystal clear. “The biggest reason Craig is here is to grow the revenue in tickets and sponsorship,” said Fred Festa, the Swamp Rabbits’ owner. “The results in this job are very transparent. Are we better than we were last year in those areas? That’s what matters.” And Purcell has a track record of being able to accomplish those revenue benchmarks. With a resume that includes sponsorship sales and revenue generation positions with the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators of the NHL, and the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders of the NFL, Purcell said the challenge of selling minor league hockey to a Southern town is one he embraces. “This is a fast sport and this is a great brand of hockey here,” Purcell said. “If people get a chance to come out and see what we have, they will come back.” With the exception of a pair of professional hockey teams in Florida — the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning — and the Nashville Predators, hockey has been a tough sell in the South. A few minor league squads in Texas exist, but there is one notable failure: The Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers were founded in 1997 as an expansion team in the NHL. Just 15 years later, they were sold and moved to Winnipeg, making it the second NHL franchise in the Southeast to move out of the region. The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in 1980, according to ESPN. Purcell said he was very aware of the challenges faced by the Atlanta franchise, but said those will not deter the Swamp Rabbits from being successful in the Upstate market. “The price point for hockey in Atlanta is much higher than it is here,” Purcell said. “If we charged $100 per ticket, we would have a difficult time trying to get people here.” The task becomes harder considering the Swamp Rabbits rated near the bottom in average attendance for the 2015-16 season with 3,568 per game, according to hockeydb.com. That put them in the bottom six of the 28-team league. Cross-state rival the S.C. Stingrays averaged 3,957 per game.

Top: Craig Purcell was recently named the new chief revenue officer for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He brings years of professional hockey and football marketing experience to Greenville, including work with the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers. (Photo/Matthew Clark). Left: The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are a member of the ECHL and play their games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville. (Photo/Provided by the Greenville Swamp Rabbits)

However, despite the totals from last season, Chris Lewis, the Swamp Rabbits’ general manager, said it was an incremental improvement over the previous seasons and the expectation is that Purcell will be able to capitalize on that. “After rebranding and making a bold statement about being an integrated part of the community, we felt that it was vital to add a member to the senior management team who could continue to help the organization move forward and grow both as a business entity and as a community-minded, civic organization,” Lewis said. “Driving and growing our revenue is the best way to accomplish both of those goals and Craig is the right person to help us do that.” It is the community that the Canada native said he will focus on to start building the Swamp Rabbit brand back up in the minds of the fans and potential corporate partners. Looking from the ground up is something Purcell has seen before.

When Ottawa had a Canadian Football League team, the Renegades, its ownership struggled. “When I was in Ottawa (with the Senators), the CFL started a team but the owner just packed up and left,” Purcell said. “I’ve been in situations where people lose a little confidence, but I think we are past that here.” Just like the Renegades — which, just a few years after folding, was resurrected as the Ottawa Redblacks, a team that reached the pinnacle of the CFL two years after coming into existence — Purcell hopes the Swamp Rabbits have the same kind of success. And getting into the Upstate community is what Purcell called his first priority. “It’s not just about the job, it’s about the community and this is a great community,” Purcell said. “We need to get the message out that there is a lot of fun here. I think we do a reasonable job in the community. I do think it is more about aware-

ness, but you can never do too much in the community.” Purcell has all the confidence of Festa and the rest of the Swamp Rabbits’ front office in scaling that mountain. “Season tickets, group tickets and sponsorship are all important areas to continue to grow and Craig will provide a big assistance in these areas. Just look at his background. He has more than 20 years of experience with success at the major and minor league levels.” Festa said. “The other thing I really like about Craig is that he is a hockey guy with experience selling in the sport. He grew up watching hockey and playing hockey, and I think he is exactly what we need.” The Swamp Rabbits will begin the 2016-17 campaign in October and will run into April. Reach Matthew Clark at 864-235-5677, ext. 107, or @matthewclark76 on Twitter.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Tim Callahan Murrells Inlet Messenger

Hearing-impaired student athlete sees playing and coaching in future Kaitlin Weiss was severely hearing impaired until age seven. Eleven years later, allowing no self-pity or fear to stop her, Kaitlin is a National Honor Society member, and a member of the ROTC program and swim and lacrosse teams at St. James High School. A junior, she was named All-Region in lacrosse in 2015. She started learning sign language in school at age two. Her parents learned right along with her. “I went to school and I made a lot of friends and they were like a family to me,” she said. “The teachers were very nice to me. I learned to sign language.” At age seven, Kaitlin had a successful cochlear implant operation. Her mother Eileen said they did it because “a hearing world lives in a hearing world.” “When I got my cochlear implant,” Kaitlin said, “I could hear things that I never heard before like the sound of the rain and the sound of the spring peepers in the spring.”

However, she said, it was “loud and overwhelming” at first. A cochlear implant is a surgical treatment for hearing loss that works like an artificial human cochlea in the inner ear, helping to send sound from the ear to the brain. It is different from a hearing aid, which simply amplifies sound. She said she started learning sounding out words right away. Her hearing will never be close to 100 percent so she has a buddy at school who helps her if she doesn’t quite get all of what a teacher is saying, Eileen said. As parents, the Weiss’s never felt sorry for themselves, Eileen said. “But we just asked ‘what is the next step?” Kaitlin attended the Lake Shore Drive School in New Jersey, where the family lived. The school was for a variety of students with some disability. “There were some children who had no ears,” Eileen said. Continued on page 7

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Reporting Associate & Individual Member Division

Ron Aiken

Bears beat Raiders, finish undefeated

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Spot Sports Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Debbie Rogers News-Chronicle

GREENVILLE -- The Bears proved Friday that they deserve the Region I-4A football championship as they defeated the Red Raiders 43-40 in the region finale. The game was a roller coaster ride as BHP trailed, tied, led and held on for the win. “I knew going into this game that Greenville was a quality opponent,” said BHP head coach Russell Blackston. “They’re three drives away from being right were we are. They made a lot of plays. We just made a few more.” The game went down to the wire as Greenville, trailing by three, had the ball 61 yards away from the end zone with 47 seconds left in the game. The Bear defense stood up to the challenge. When Greenville completed a third-and-two pass in the flat, Kameron Dixon was there to stop the receiver for a three-yard loss. The ensuing Red Raider pass was wide and BHP (9-1, 4-0) went to the victory formation with eight seconds left on the clock. “At the end of the day it’s all about defense and they finished it up and got us out of there,” said Blackston. “It was a good win for BHP.” Game Stats: BHP vs. Greenville Score by Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

BHP

FINAL

Greenville 21

Bears

Team Statistics Red Raiders

25 First Downs 23 52-349-3 Rushes-Yards-TDs 36-178-2 13-28-3-139-3 Passes comp.att-int-Yds-TDs 27-42-0-307-5 2-1 Fumbles - Lost 2-1 3-33.3 Punts-Average 5-27.0 4-34 Penalties - yds penalized 12-104 --Time of Possession ---

Scoring Summary GHS: Tydricus Hellams, 10-yard pass from Davis Beville at 9:43 in the first (Jack Henegan kick). BHP 0, GHS 7. GHS: Jahmein Dendy, 25-yard pass from Beville at 8:29 in the first (Henegan kick). BHP 0, GHS 14. BHP: Eddie Smith, 10-yard run at 6:31 in the first (Lance Jones kick). BHP 7, GHS 14. GHS: Joe Christian, 18-yard pass from Beville at 2:50 in the first (Henegan kick). BHP 7, GHS 21. BHP: Avery Reece, 7-yd. pass from Kameron Burton at 9:00 in the second (Jones kick). BHP 14, GHS 21. BHP: Xavier Nance, 21-yd. pass from Burton at 10:24 in the third (Jones kick). BHP 21, GHS 21. GHS: Kaelin Braswell, 77-yard pass from Beville at 6:40 in the third (2-point pass failed). BHP 21, GHS 27. BHP: O’Ryan Warren, 3-yd. run at 3:23 in the third (Jones kick). BHP 28, GHS 27. GHS: Dendy, 36-yard run at 2:00 in the third (2-point pass failed). BHP 28, GHS 33. BHP: Eddie Moss, 27-yd. pass from Burton at 0:06 in the third (Burton to Nance pass). BHP 36, GHS 33. BHP: Burton, 1-yd. run at 3:50 in the fourth (Jones school record kick). BHP 43, GHS 33. GHS: Hellams, 28-yard pass from Beville at 1:08 in the fourth (Henegan kick). BHP 43, GHS 40.

As usual when the two schools, meet, the game started with high emotion. An inadvertent whistle on the kick off, nullified a BHP fumble recovery. After the rekick, Greenville marched 59 yards for the 7-0 lead. During the drive, another flag was thrown in the backfield and waved off. A fast running, fired up Greenville team scored on its next possession to take a 14-0 lead at 8:29 in the first. Behind the running of O’Ryan Warren, BHP moved the ball to the Greenville 43-yard line, where it faced fourth-and-one. Eddie Smith bulldozed his way to the 38 to keep the drive alive and completed the drive with a 10-yard TD run. The Red Raiders answered with a 70-yard drive to regain their two TD lead. BHP settled down in the second quarter and mounted an 80-yard, scoring drive which ended with an seven-yard reception by Avery Reece. The Bears took advantage of the second-half possession. Behind the rushing of quarterback Kameron Burton and Warren, BHP drove 59 yards on four plays. Xavier Nance caught the 21-yard TD pass to tie the game at 21. Following an exchange of punts, Smith stopped the Red Raider runner for a two-yard loss, only to have Greenville score on a 77-yard pass on the next snap. The two-point conversion failed. With Burton mixing up the plays between passing and running himself, BHP drove 72 yards. Warren scored from the three to tie the game. Lance Jones’ kick gave BHP a 28-27 lead. After Greenville regained the lead and failed on another twopoint conversion attempt, BHP drove 69 yards to paydirt. Warren rushed 16 yards behind the blocking of Nick Patterson. Burton went up the middle for 13 yards. The two ran the ball to the 27 where Burton passed to Eddie

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO - Debbie Rogers

XAVIER NANCE DIVES FOR THE END ZONE as he scores a BHP touchdown against Greenville. Moss for the TD. Burton passed to Nance for the two-point conversion and a 36-33 lead with six seconds left in the third. BHP’s defense played big in the fourth quarter, stopping the Red Raiders on their first two possessions. Smith, Dixon, Hunter Watson, Tysheik Galloway, Hunter Poulton and Clay Bratcher led the way. Smith made the fourth-down tackle for a five-yard loss. Midway through the quarter, BHP picked up four consecutive first downs with the legs of Burton and Warren. Burton scored from the one. Jones’ PAT kick broke a school record for most career points (177) scored by a kicker. Greenville pulled to within three points at 1:08, but would get no closer. “When you’re down 14 points, some teams will panic,” said Blackston. “I told our kids all we have to do is play the next play and

eventually get something going. We did just that.” Warren led the Bear rushers with 143 yards and Burton was two yards behind. BHP accumulated 349 yards on the ground. Moss caught three passes for 71 yards and Nance had five for 38 yards. “Senior Nick Patterson came in and did a good job on the offensive line,” said Blackston. “Freshman Clay Bratcher split time with him. Just goes to show our kids are working hard. When we need to put them in the game, they come through.” BHP also rotated tackles by committee. “Trey Jeter got most of the snaps tonight and did a great job of blocking down and pulling pass protection. The last three games

senior Hunter Savirino has been playing there.” Both teams kicked high and short all night to prevent run backs. “Alex Roach caught two or three pooch kicks and then caught the onside kick at the end of the game,” said Blackston. “This kid does everything right. He’s my scout team. He just wants to play football and play the game the right way. He could be pouting ‘cause he’s not playing wide receiver, but he says, ‘Coach, “I’ll do whatever it takes to get my team better.’” The Bears are off for the next two weeks. Their next game will be at home on Nov. 18 in the first round of the state playoffs. The delay is due to coastal schools missing two weeks due to Hurricane Matthew.

NEWS-CHRONICLE PHOTO - Debbie Rogers

JACOB HOWARD CATCHES A PASS from QB Kameron Burton.

Top Individual Statistics O FFENSE : Rushing (rushes-yardsTDs): O’Ryan Warren 27-143-1, Kameron Burton 16-141-1, Eddie Smith 6-64-1, Akyah Miranda 2-5. Passing (completions-attempts-interceptionsyards-TDs: Kameron Burton 13-283-139-3. Receiving (catches-yardsTDs): Xavier Nance 5-38-1, Eddie Moss 3-71-1, Jacob Howard 1-13, Avery Reece 1-7-1, Warren 2-12. PATs (successful, attempts): Lance Jones 5-5. FGs (successful-attempts-yards): none. Punt Returns (attempts, yards, TDs): Miranda 1-1. Kickoff Returns (attempts, yards, TDs): Brandon Keller 1-0. Punts (attempts, average): Camden Bratcher 3-33.3. Kickoffs (attempts, average, touchbacks): Jones 7-26.0. DEFENSE: Linemen - Hunter Poulton 8 tackles (2 solo), hurry, 2 sacks; Smith 6 tackles (2 solo), 3 hurries, 2 TFL; Clay Bratcher 7 tackles (solo), sack; Tysheik Galloway 7 tackles (solo), pass breakup; Cadavius “Bubba” Gary 1 assist; Cade Gambrell 1 assist. Backs: Dashon Stribling 3 solo tackles, caused fumble, pass breakup; Rashaun Lindsay 5 tackles (3 solo), pass breakup; Antareus Pressley 7 tackles (3 solo); Bryson Scott 7 tackles (solo); Miranda 3 tackles (solo), hurry, pass breakup; Brandon Keller 4 tackles (2 solo), pass breakup; Austin Elgin 2 assists; Trey Bowie 1 tackle. Linebackers - Hunter Watson 13 tackles (solo), hurry, fumble recovery; Kameron Dixon 13 tackles (4 solo), TFL. Tackle Points Dixon 30, Watson 29, Smith 26, Poulton 25, Keller 20, Stribling 19, Galloway 17, Bratcher 17, Lindsay 16, Pressley 15, Miranda 14, Scott 12.

NEWS-CHRONICLE PHOTO - Debbie Rogers

HUNTER POULTON (49) TACKLES a Greenville runningback.

NEWS-CHRONICLE PHOTO - Debbie Rogers NEWS-CHRONICLE PHOTO - Debbie Rogers

NICK PATTERSON (63) BLOCKS for runningback O’Ryan Warren (12).

AUSTIN VERMILLION (88) CONGRATULATES Alex Roach after Roach fielded a line-drive on-side kick late in the game Friday.

Younglood, Jonesville honored 2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Spot Sports Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Brian Whitmore Union County News

By BRIAN WHITMORE JONESVILLE — Pat Littlejohn has a scar on his side where Jim “Bo” Youngblood drove him into the dirt at practice. Youngblood helped him up and said, “I’m sorry, but you know I’ve got to hit you.” Youngblood's fierce play on the field took him from Jonesville High to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. “He was the most fierce, violent competitor I’ve been around,” said Littlejohn. “He was like Jekyll and Hyde. He’d play around in the parking lot and throw rocks, cut up in the locker room with you, but when he got on the field it was all business.” “He was low key and easy going, but when he put that helmet on, you’d better look out, because he was coming after you,” said JHS teammate Stan Gallman. The three friends graduated from Jonesville High in 1968. They returned to Jonesville Middle on Friday, as the Super Bowl High School Honor Roll presented the school with a golden football for Youngblood's contribution to Super Bowl history in 1980. “It’s a big thing for the NFL to send the high school of every player that played in the Super Bowl a gold football (commemorating the 50th anniversary of the game),” he said. “Jonesville is one of the few schools in the United States to get one of these balls.” JMS students assembled in the gym in a show of Wildcat pride. “It shows them that any-

thing is possible,” said principal Kathy Taylor. “If you work hard, you can make your dreams come true.” Youngblood did that, becoming an All-American linebacker at Tennessee Tech, before being selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft. Being from a small town gave Youngblood the motivation. “More than anything it pushed me,” he said. “A lot of people said I’d never make it and that pushed me more than anything.” Youngblood achieved all but one of his NFL goals. He wanted to play 10 years he played 13. He wanted to be MVP - the Rams honored him three times. He wanted to be on a top defensive unit - the Rams were such for nine years. He wanted to win a Super Bowl - the Rams fell to the Steelers. Playing in his first Pro Bowl is another big memory. “I was lucky enough to play against most of the greats,” he said. After leaving the NFL, Youngblood owned a freight business for 17 years. Now retired, he travels to NFL alumni and players association events. He has a heart for the Shriner’s Hospital and the Burn Center in Durham, N.C. Youngblood resides in Woodruff. “One of the biggest compliments that I’ve ever been paid was that I never forgot where I came from,” he said. “I’ve always been proud to be from Jonesville.”

SOCCER TITLETOWN 2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Spot Sports Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

CLASS 3-A BOYS & GIRLS CHAMPIONS - CHAPIN HIGH SCHOOL

PHOTO BY MARK BELLUNE | CHRONICLE

Thomas Grant Jr. Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

CLASS 4A GIRLS CHAMPION - LEXINGTON

PHOTO BY MARK BELLUNE | CHRONICLE

PHOTO BY THOMAS GRANT JR. | CHRONICLE

CLASS 4A BOYS CHAMPION - RIVER BLUFF

Lexington County teams sweeps Championship Saturday BY THOMAS GRANT JR. chroniclesports@yahoo.com

Believe it. Chronicle Country is ofﬁcially the state high school soccer capital. It proudly earned that distinction after last Saturday’s “Weekend of Champions” at W.C. Hawkins Stadium at Irmo High. Four teams from three county schools — Chapin (boys and girls), Lexington (girls) and River Bluff (boys) — swept the Classes 3A and 4A title matches. The title was the third for the Chapin boys. The Lady Eagles, Lady Wildcats and River Bluff Gators were ﬁrst-time champions. GATOR-NATION CELEBRATES 1ST SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

Head coach Phillip Savitz returned to Irmo High, where the ﬁeld house bears his name as well as a banner displaying his 14 state titles the Yellow Jackets won. It’s also where he won many of his 699 career victories. The River Bluff boys’ soccer team provided their head coach a trip down memory lane. Displaying a high killer instinct and intensity, the Gators routed Clover 5-0 to claim their ﬁrst Class 4A title. “The time is now and this group saved some of their best attacking soccer for the end,” he said. “Could not be prouder.” The Gators (24-1) jumped out to a 4-0 lead by halftime. Connor Deany, Sean O’Hara and Connor Slattery had goals and

River Bluff was the beneficiary of an inadvertant kick by the Blue Eagles for a score. Hampton Scott’s final goal 15 minutes into the second half made the outcome a formality. “Our goal in the lockerroom before the game was jump on them the first minutes, get their heads down and just keep rolling from there and don’t let up,” he said. IMPERFECT ENDING TO PERFECT SEASON

It was a 5-minute sudden death period between the Lexington Lady Wildcats and defending Class 4A champion J.L. Mann. The score was tied at 1-1 when sophomore Megan Classer took a pass from Brooke Power and had a point-blank shot at the Lady Patriots’ goal. The ball hit the top bar of the goal and bounced directly on the white line. As the Lady Wildcats celebrated the apparent 2-1 state championship victory, J.L. Mann protested in hopes of an overturned call. Instead, Classer’s left-footed shot was ruled good and Lexington had indeed clinched its first-ever girls’ soccer title. With a 27-0 record, the top-ranked Lady Wildcats finished as the Palmetto State’s only undefeated soccer team. “It looked like it was in to me, but I wasn’t quite sure,” said Classer, who finished the season with a team-best 101 points. “But when I saw the sideline judge put up his flag, it was amazing.” “What an awful way to lose a game,” Lexington head coach Chris Fryland said.

“But I’ve gone through this now 18 years with this group and we’ve lost some really, really tight games. Finally, the ball bounced our way. “I’m just so excited for this group of girls. What a way to end our year.” The Lady Patriots led 1-0 on a goal by Claudia Murphy and appeared headed to posting their second shutout in two seasons against the Lady Wildcats. Instead, Classer found an opening and kicked a pass for Mary Katherine Waters who tied the match at the 62nd minute. “I thought it was a long shot, but (Waters) ﬁnessed it,” Classer said. The match remained scoreless through the remaining minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtimes. Despite persistent offense by the Lady Patriots, Lexington goalkeeper Maggie Carpenter kept them at bay the rest of the game. TITLETOWN CHAPIN WINS BOTH GAMES

Before a raucous student section and equally supportive adults, the Lady Eagles kicked off a two-championship sweep. They won Chapin’s ﬁrst-ever girls’ state soccer title, defeating Hilton Head Island 6-3 to win the Class 3-A championship and avenge a one-point loss in the title game in 2014. “It’s been a long two years getting back here, but it’s fun to be here,” head coach Bob Taylor said. The victory was a personal milestone for Rachel Cosby, who overcame a broken

collarbone and torn ACL during her first two seasons. The junior ignited the offense with a career-best four goals, collecting her first-ever hat trick in the first half. “She’s really the spark plug for the team,” he said. “We saw her in the preseason and said ‘Man, where’s that speed come from?’ “She’s been phenomenal this year.” Salley Slice, Shelby Waites and Jordan Dawsey also scored for Chapin (21-2). “Our team is such a family and we knew from the beginning that we wanted to be in this game and our whole season was getting ready for this game and winning this game just means the world to us,” Cosby said. Following the girls, the Chapin boys’ soccer team went out and ended a 13-year title drought. The Eagles withstood a second-half comeback by top-ranked Myrtle Beach to win 3-2 in the Class 3A final. Connor Woodham’s second goal of the contest, where he deflected a 40-yard kick by Colin Harris at the 71-minute mark, broke a 2-2 tie. He opened the scoring for Chapin in the first half and Matthew Greco followed with a header to extend the Eagles’ lead to 2-0. Myrtle Beach tied the match in the second half before Woodham’s heroics. “We had to work a lot harder and not let up,” Greco said.

MORE CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTOS, B4

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Spot Sports Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Frankie Mansfield The Moultrie News

Bishops stave off elimination in LS semis BY FRANKIE MANSFIELD fmansfield@moultrienews.com Bishop England head coach Mike Darnell sat propped in the corner of the dugout before Wednesday’s elimination game listening to his players at the other end discussing Boston Red Sox lore. The Bishops needed something to loosen them up. Senior Walker Leavitt, a lifelong Sox fan, preached the legend of Boston’s 2004 championship run. Facing elimination, the Red Sox won four games in four days to win the ALCS. Bishop England, facing elimination Wednesday would have to win three games in three days to win the AA Lower State title. Darnell smiled at the parallels his players drew. “Just go have fun,” the Bishops’ coach urged. “Relax, play loose and let’s go have some fun out there.” Bishop England kept its season alive with a 4-3 win over Johnsonville in the Lower State semifinals on Wednesday. The first game is out of the way. The Bishops travel to Aynor on Friday needing successive wins to capture the Lower State crown. “It’s the same scenario. If we can get to that last game, it’s no holds barred,” Darnell said. “I told them, ‘Guys, you get to Friday and we can do something this program’s never done.’ And that’s win two games (in the Lower State championship series). They’re

PHOTOS BY FRANKIE MANSFIELD

Charlie Coste scored the game-winning run for Bishop England in the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday against Johnsonville.

having fun and they believe they can do it.” The Bishops were five outs away from their season being over, trailing Johnsonville 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Edward Bolchoz led off with a walk. Gregg Sanders followed with a single to shallow left field. Two batters later, Gunnar Finneseth drilled a double down the right-field line. Riley Carrigan, pinch running for Bolchoz, scored but Sanders was gunned down out at home. Now down two outs, to be safe, Darnell held Finneseth at third as Charlie Coste singled in the next at-bat.

Gunnar Finneseth pitched six innings on Wednesday.

But this time, Johnsonville’s throw home flew high and the Bishops squandered an open chance to tie the game. “I’m over there kicking the ground thinking I just made two bad coaching moves,” Darnell said. “I probably shouldn’t have sent him the

first time and then should’ve sent him on the second one.” Darnell immediately repented, employing a risky move he learned from a former high school teammate, Berkeley coach Landy Cox. Darnell had Coste take off for second as Johnsonville pitcher Tristan Hartfield started in his windup. By the time Will Bastain made contact, Coste was already heading to third and eyeing home. Finneseth scored and Coste followed easily with the go-ahead run. Making his first start on the mound since early April, Finneseth kept the Bishops in the game through the first

six innings. The seventh belonged to Geoffrey Gilbert. The freshman sat Johnsonville down in order, striking out Jim Cagle before forcing Jakob Marlowe and Justin Thompson into groundouts. “Man, (Gilbert) believes he can throw it by everybody. He’s built for us to do this right now,” Darnell said. “Gunnar came through for us tonight. He believed in himself and did everything we could’ve imagined. Even got a big hit when we needed it.” The Bishops now head into the Lower State championship series needing to win two games, just as they did last year. The path has been unkind to them in the past. The Bishops traveled to Aynor for the 2006 Lower State championship series needing to win two. They ran away with the first game 14-3 before being eliminated with a narrow 2-1 loss in the second. But Darnell says his team is fueled by the opportunity to pull off something the program has never done before. And maybe also that legend of the 2004 Red Sox team that pulled off something similar through four days in October. “Now you’ve got to win two more so we’ll go up there and play like there’s nothing to lose,” he said. “This team has shown a lot of character lately. It’s like that Red Sox story we talked about before the game. Survive to play another day.” Bishop England vs. Johnsonville photo gallery

Bishop England season ends in LSCS at Aynor Bishop England’s postseason run came to an end in the second game of the Lower State championship series on Friday night. The Bishops teed off on Aynor in the series opener, racking up 13 hits in a 14-6 win to force a deciding second game. Bishop England exploded for five runs in the top of the first inning and took a 10-run lead into the bottom of the seventh. Finneseth, Provost, Coste and Bastian each knocked in two runs. Carrigan, Brown, Finneseth, Sanders and Provost all scored twice. Aynor senior right-hander Ridge Richardson threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out five with four walks in a 4-1 win. Albano scored the Bishops’ lone run off an infield error in the first inning. Aynor scored twice in the third and two more in the fifth. A decade ago, Bishop England traveled to Aynor for the Lower State championship series needing two wins. The Bishops scored 14 runs to win the first game, then scored one to lose the second. Friday, the Bishops again found themselves in Aynor needing a pair of wins, and scored 14 runs to win the first game, then one to lose the second.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Spot Sports Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Robert Anderson The Horry Independent

Seahawks take advantage of miscues and penalties to hold off Tigers, 13-8 BY ROBERT ANDERSON ROBERT.ANDERSON@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Myrtle Beach is known for an explosive offense, but Coach Mickey Wilson’s Seahawks relied on a defense that bent but never broke to stymie archrival Conway 13-8 Friday night on a muddy field at The Backyard. “You knew early on ball handing would be an issue,” Myrtle Beach Coach Mickey Wilson said. “This is a tough, tough playing surface. It was real tough to play on this field in these conditions.” Neither team managed to get fully untracked offensively with Conway compiling 250 yards of total offense to just 128 for Myrtle Beach. “I think our defense played admirably,” Conway Coach Chuck Jordan said. “Our problem is we played well enough to win on defense, but didn’t play well enough on offense. It was the opposite of how we played at Hartsville. We have to cut the engine on at the same time.” Leading 13-2, the Sea-

hawks held Conway out of the end zone on a pair of red-zone trips in the second half to hold off the Tigers and reclaim the Victory Bell that Conway won with a 25-22 victory this past season. Myrtle Beach has won 11 of the past 14 meetings against the Tigers. “Our defense has been carrying us all year,” Wilson said. “They were phenomenal.” The Seahawks drew first blood after Conway ended its initial possession of the night by snapping the ball over the punter’s head and giving Myrtle Beach a short field to work with. Keyonte Sessions got the touchdown from three yards out with 7:26 remaining in the opening stanza. Matthew Card added the PAT for a 7-0 advantage. The Seahawks returned the favor and gave Conway a safety and a two-point gift when they, too, snapped the ball over the punter’s head and out of the end zone with 4:52 left in the first period. Yet another bad snap on a Conway punting attempt

gave Myrtle Beach the ball at the CHS-13 in the second quarter, but the Conway defense stiffened and took over possession at the MBHS-9. After receiving a short punt at the Conway-37, Myrtle Beach took advantage of three costly penalties by the Tigers to increase its lead on a oneyard run by Sessions with 7:10 remaining in the half. The PAT attempt was blocked. In addition to scoring both of the Seahawks’ touchdowns on offense, Sessions was a thorn in Conway’s side all night on defense. “He’s a versatile guy for us,” Wilson said. “He does it all for us. He’s the glue that holds us together.” Conway came alive in the second half, but reached the end zone on just one of three forays deep into Seahawk territory. The Tigers drove to the Myrtle Beach-21 on one drive before gaining only one yard on a fourth-andtwo play. Conway opened the fourth quarter by driving

to the Myrtle Beach-6, but lost three yards on a fourth-and-one play. The Tigers finally trimmed the deficit to 13-8 on Daiquawn Clark’s oneyard touchdown burst with 4:14 remaining. A pass for the two-point conversion failed. Conway sacked Myrtle Beach quarterback Lawson Cribb on third down on the ensuing possession, but a facemask penalty gave Myrtle Beach new life and helped the visitors milk the clock. The Tigers finally forced a punt with 46 seconds remaining, but the Seahawks’ Markell Johnson intercepted a Peyton Derrick pass in the dying seconds to seal the deal. “It’s a big win,” Wilson said. “It’s a big rivalry. Conway has an excellent program, and any time you can win over here is huge.” Myrtle Beach improved to 6-0 with the victory while Conway fell to 2-3.

The Tigers will travel to West Florence tomorrow night, while Myrtle Beach will entertain North Myrtle Beach. “Honestly, what we do in the region means everything as far as the playoffs,” Jordan said. “We’re more like 3A used to be in that we qualify for the playoffs based on region record.” In West Florence, Conway will face a team that has won consecutive games for the first time in several seasons. “They are a very capable football team,” Jordan said. “We have to get ready because they’ll be ready.” Conway’s task is to bounce back from a tough loss, and win at a place where it hasn’t typically played all that well. “You just come back to work,” Jordan said. “The bottom line is you never quit. We have been notoriously inept in Florence. Hopefully we’ll play well.”

2016 News Awards

Spot Sports Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Frankie Mansfield The Moultrie News

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Spot Sports Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

Remembering Hutch Friends, colleagues mourn loss of beloved Georgetown High coach BY CHRIS SOKOLOS K KI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

Mentor. Friend. Teacher. Coach. Al Hutchinson was many things to many people, but Georgetown High School Principal Craig Evans may have summed it up best. “Bulldog to the core,” Evans said of Hutchinson, who died of a heart attack May 6 at age 56. “He loved Georgetown High School. ... “He was positive influence on many lives. He touched a lot of people.” Although he retired in 2013, Hutchinson remained a presence at GHS sporting events – and a much-respected former educator. He taught culinary arts and served as football, soccer and softball coach and athletic director. Many joined Evans in remembering the longtime coach, many of whom had

“He touched the lives of many players who came through our program,” she said. Ramsing said the best advice Hutchinson ever gave her was to think before she spoke and to never talk to players or parents in the heat of a moment. Erica Lambert said she found it difficult to walk into her GHS classroom Monday morning. She was a former student of Hutchinson’s and when she returned to teach at her alma mater in 2004, their classrooms were sideby-side. “Even though he had reFILE PHOTO PHOTO COURTESY OF ERICA LAMBERT tired, I knew he could walk through the doors and now Al Hutchinson coached the Georgetown High School softball team in 2013, his last Al and Rita Hutchinson enjoyed road trips knowing he never will again, it put a new outlook to it,” to see Kid Rock in concert. season before retiring. Lambert said. W h i le t hey f irst k new last seen “Hutch,” as many R a msing lea r ned about School on May 6. Ramsing knew him, at a Lady Bulldogs Hutchinson’s death shortly coached with Hutchinson one a not her a s st udent softball game on May 4. after her team’s season ended for six years and said he was Softball Coach Whitney with a loss at Berkeley High a “great mentor.” See FRIENDS, Page 10A

2016 News Awards

Buford rules as gem of the Class AA diamond Robert Howey rhowey@thelancasternews.com

SECOND PLACE Spot Sports Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Robert Howey The Lancaster News

FLORENCE – Buford, on an overcast and misty evening, reigned supreme. The 24-5 Lady Jackets, bolstered by clutch play, captured their second state softball championship, taking a tough 2-1 win over Dillon High School for the Class AA state championship on a dank Friday night at the South Florence High School softball field. The one-run BHS win gave the Class AA Upper State champion Lady Jackets the state crown, taking the bestof-three series, 2-1. Buford, 8-1 in its postseason run, opened the series with a 3-0 win at Class AA Lower State champion Dillon on Monday, but the Lady Wildcats rebounded with a 5-3 extra-inning comeback win at the Buford High field on Wednesday. On Friday in the series rubber game at SFHS, Buford rebounded to take the victory and claim its first state softball crown since the 2009 season when the Lady Jackets swept Johnsonville for the Class A state softball crown. Buford struck early and then rode the strong pitching effort of junior right-hander Sydney Sullivan for the state titleclinching victory over the Lady Cats, who finished 22-8. “They showed their fight tonight,” BHS third-year softball coach Lael Allen said. “On Wednesday, after we lost that second game, we were a deflated balloon, but tonight they came back and that balloon is flying high. They fought and showed it.” The Lady Jackets snapped a scoreless draw in the top of the second as BHS senior catcher Cassidy Solomon opened the key frame with a double to left field. Courtesy runner Kaylee Shelby, in for Solomon, then dashed to third as winning pitcher Sydney Sullivan reached on a bunt as Dillon pitcher Tori Grimsley’s throw to first was high to pull DHS first baseman Brittany Miller off the bag. Sullivan then stole second to set the stage for BHS freshman right fielder Hannah Boone. “I was nervous, but I knew I had to do it for the team,” said Boone. “In game two, I hit the ball in the same hole between first and second and they made the play, but this time it got through. I just wanted to make contact.” Boone’s single, one of five Buford hits, scored Kaylee Shelby and Sullivan for a 2-0 Lady Jackets’ lead. “That was a clutch situation,” Allen said. “That is tough for a freshman, but she came through.” Buford, behind Sullivan and

The Buford High School softball team huddles and gets pumped up just before the team’s game with Dillon High School for the Class AA state title game at South Florence High School on Friday night. The Lady Jackets defeated the DHS Lady Wildcats 2-1 to win the 2016 Class AA state softball championship. the BHS defense protected the two-run lead until the Dillon fifth when the Lady Wildcats mounted a rally to put the game on the line. DHS’s Ashley Phillips singled to center to open the inning, but was forced at second on Johnna Rogers’ bunt. Rogers, on the play, took second on a wild throw to first base. McCoy, who had blasted a decisive extra-inning two-run homer in Dillon’s game-two win at BHS, worked a walk to put runners at first and second. Taylor Blackmon, who led DHS with two hits, then singled home Rogers to slice the BHS lead to one, 2-1. Sullivan, with runners at the corners, then struck out Lady Cats’ power hitter Auh’Keira Smiling before A’doshia Graves drew a walk to load the bases with two out. Dillon senior shortstop Marissa Tyndall then stepped in with the game in the balance. Tyndall, in game two, had slammed a two-run homer and this was a crucial point in an intense game. Sullivan, marvelous in the moment, prevailed, posting a rally-killing strikeout of Tyndall. “The ones we had there have been the catalyst for us,” Dillon coach Kelvin Roller said. “She (Sullivan) was on her game and we didn’t capitalize in that key situation. She just located the ball well. She pitched lights out.” Sullivan said she responded in a tense moment. “I was kinda nervous, but I knew I had to pull through,” said Sullivan, who struck out nine and allowed three walks and five hits. “If they scored, I knew they would get a rally going.” Allen said it was all about composure. “Sydney did what she had to See BUFORD | Page 6A

Buford second baseman Kristin Wemes makes a play during the Lady Jackets’ 2-1 win over the Dillon Lady Wildcats for the Class AA state softball title at South Florence High School on Friday night.

Buford shortstop Hunter Allen puts the tag on Dillon’s Johnna Rogers on a play at second base during the Lady Jackets’ 2-1 win over the DHS Lady Wildcats in the Class AA softball state title game.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Spot Sports Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Max Hrenda Georgetown Times

Nation’s top fishermen cast lines BY MAX X HRENDA mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

MAX HRENDA/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Shaw Grigsby fishes the waters off the Great Pee Dee River Thursday morning.

Although morning thunderstorms caused a slight delay in the proceedings, the top fishermen of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society were soon casting their lines into the rivv ers and streams around the Winyah Bay. On Thursday, April 7, the Huk Per for mance Fishing Bassmaster Elite Series kicked off, marking the first

time in history that BASS Nation has conducted a professional bass fishing tournament in Georgetown County. The event marked the second stop in a year long professional bass fishing tournament. The first event took place on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida, March 17-20, and was later won by angler Rick Clumm, who caught an event-best 81.15 pounds of fish. For the Georgetown event,

boats had been scheduled to launch at about 7 a.m., but, according to Tournament Director Trip Weldon, Thursday morning’s storms forced them to push their schedule back. “Obviously, safety is our number one concern; the squall line had a good bit of lightning in it, some pretty good straight winds and heavy rain,” Weldon said. “... But we watched the squall line come through and (County Administrator) Sel (Heming-

way) was in touch with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, so we had a good grip on the timing.” Weldon said he notified the 110 anglers who came to Georgetown the launch was being postponed. After about an hour, however, the squall had passed and the boats were in the water. “It’s going great,” Weldon said. “... I think it’s a neat ven-

See FISHERMEN, Page 5A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Enterprise Reporting All Weekly Division

Mac Banks Fort Mill Times

2016 News Awards

COMMUNITY

SECOND PLACE Sports Enterprise Reporting All Weekly Division

Putting Parkinson’s on the ropes For patients, boxing helps mend bodies, minds and spirits MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com

Melinda Young Greenville Journal

Art Smith pounds his boxing gloves against the punching bag, yelling with each jab and looking as ferocious as a brawler itching for a knockout. “Come on, Art,” his cornerman shouts. “Five, six, seven, eight – come on!” Smith responds, giving the last punch his all, but he knows there’s no beating his true foe: Parkinson’s disease. It’s incurable. The best he can hope for is strength for another bout tomorrow. Perseverance through boxing drills is the way Smith and about a dozen other Upstate adults with the motor system disorder are dealing with their gradual loss of mobility. Behind the long, heavy punching bags hangs a vintage poster of Muhammad Ali. The three-time heavyweight champion boxer is a good role model for perseverance, as he endured Parkinson’s for more than 30 years before his June 3 death at age 74. “Down the line. Call out loud,” shouts Jennifer Mathews, owner of Core Balance, a Woodruff Road fitness center, in which she opened Rock Steady Boxing Greenville a little more than a month ago. The boxing and fitness regimen includes yelling. This helps people with Parkinson’s maintain their voice. “Soft voice is one of their symptoms, so we have them yell as they’re punching the heavy bag,” Mathews says.

Exercise and camaraderie Resting his lean frame between circuit rotations, Art Smith says he wasn’t into boxing before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. “I boxed once with bare knuckles in a high school locker room and lost miserably,” he says, grinning. A left-hand tremor resulted in Smith’s Parkinson’s diagnosis four years ago. He still has the tremor, but hasn’t noticed any other physical changes. Boxing several times a week is helping, he says. “It lets you get off steam and put Parkinson’s on the bag,” Art says of his attacks against the punching bag. Boxing also provides an emotional benefit. Sharing a rigorous physical regimen helps ward off psychological demons that accompany the disease. “The primary purpose is camaraderie,” Smith says. “The biggest problem is when we feel apathy and depression and sit at home, doing nothing.” Through rigorous training, the Parkinson’s disease boxers have grown close. They don’t have to apologize for fumbling the fitness ball or tarrying a little too long on the boxing circuit. Everyone gets it. Their particular weaknesses might vary, but everyone here has dealt with frustrating limitations that make these sessions — at any speed —

a challenging and aerobic workout. “There’s not a lot available for people with Parkinson’s besides medications,” Mathews says. “A boxing workout helps with the things that Parkinson’s takes away from you: speed, agility, coordination, balance, focus, power.”

“We have to do this” Mathews assesses each person before assigning him or her to a clinic. She has divided training into a group for those who have better balance and physical skills and a slower group for people with more challenges. Mathews’ mother, Tonda Vial, 67, is in the latter group. She had been working as a teacher in Laurens County, when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s ﬁve years ago. “I used to exercise three or four times a week, bicycling, doing aerobics and Pilates,” Tonda says. “I did kickboxing aerobics on Thursdays.” Balance, speed and fatigue problems sidelined her from her pre-Parkinson’s exercise regimen and forced her into retirement. Tonda’s husband, Craig Vial, who taught science to middle schoolers in Laurens County before retiring, expected to spend time cycling and gardening. His wife’s diagnosis changed everything: “It’s such an insidious disease. Just walking is complex for Tonda.” In searching for Parkinson’s treatments,

Craig came across stories about Rock Steady Boxing, which was founded by Scott Newman, a former Indiana prosecutor, who began boxing training 10 years ago, after his early-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis. He found that it improved his health and symptoms, so he opened the first Rock Steady Boxing program in donated gym space. The program expanded, eventually forming a training camp for other fitness trainers to learn how to expand the boxing strategies for Parkinson’s patients in their areas. Craig decided to attend the training camp, so he could use the boxing strategies to help his wife maintain her strength and fitness. His daughter, who already owned a fitness business, said she’d join him. “We went there just for my mom,” Mathews says. “It wasn’t in my head to start these classes in Greenville, but once we got there we were so overwhelmed and inspired and amazed at what it was doing,” she recalls. “Over four days, we heard stories about how much the program had done for these people with Parkinson’s and how it changed their lives, so when we got back to the airport, we both were thinking, ‘We have to do this.’”

Quality of life When Craig ﬁrst heard about the program, there were none in the Carolinas. Now, there are four new or soon-to-open sites in South

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Enterprise Reporting All Weekly Division

Travis Jenkins The News & Reporter

Bigger is (usually) better in prep athletics Enrollment makes a big difference for Class A, AA schools BY TRAVIS JENKINS tjenkins@onlinechester.com There is no way to know, prior to a high school football game’s kickoff, which team is going to emerge victorious. One factor, though, does appear to give a fairly reliable indication as to who wins and who loses…enrollment numbers. The News & Reporter studied the results of every Class A and AA game played in the state last season and compared the outcome to the enrollment numbers of each team involved in all those contests. Games that involved out-of-state teams, non-SCHSL private schools or home-school teams were not considered, since their enrollment is not certified by the State Department of Education. The results show that more than 62 percent of the time, the school with the larger enrollment number wins, even if the difference in student body is slight. In Class A, South Carolina’s smallest classification, the numbers are very pronounced. Out of 234 games played involving those schools, the school with a higher attendance figure won 66.6 percent of the time. For the most part, the bigger the gap in attendance, the less chance there appears to be for the smaller team to succeed. The were 45 games last year in which a Class A school faced a team with a student body at least 400 greater than its own. The smaller team was the winner in only seven of those games, a winning percentage of 15.5 percent. The biggest attendance gap any Class A school was able to bridge was 890, which came when McBee defeated Lakewood. There were

only 11 games involving teams that had a size differential of between 300 and 399 students in Class A last year, but the smaller school won only three times (27.2 percent of the time). Thirty-nine times, there were games involving an attendance spread between the schools of 200 and 299 students with the smaller school winning 10 times, or 25.6 percent of the time. That’s a lower percentage of small-overbig upsets than with a spread of 301 to 400 students, but it comes with a sample size more than three times as large (39 games compared to 11). There were 55 games last season in Class A where the difference in enrollment was 100 to 199 students and the smaller school won 41.8 percent of the time. That’s basically the same as the winning percentage for a smaller school when the difference in student body is less than 100 (35 of 84, or 41.6 percent). Not surprisingly, the team with the most wins over larger schools was McBee, which advanced to the upperstate finals in the Division I-A playoffs. The Panthers, who played a number of AA and AAA schools out-ofregion, had an impressive eight victories over bigger schools. Cross, C.E. Murray (the Division II-A lowerstate champion) and Hunter-Kinard-Tyler (a two time-defending Division II champ from 2013 and ‘14) had six “up” wins each. Interestingly, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, which has under 160 students, was at a size disadvantage in terms of enrollment in every game it played last season. Lake View had five wins over larger schools while McCormick, Whitmire, Lamar (the Division II state champion)

and Williston-Elko collected four apiece. There are a lot of advantages that come with being a larger school and some are obvious. More students means more potential athletes walking the halls. Lewisville Coach Will Mitchell said that is certainly one factor, but said there are others. Smaller schools can usually put 22 competitive starters on the field but often times don’t have as much depth or may have to play some athletes on both sides of the ball. “Every once in a while, you get a Class A team who doesn’t have to start guys both ways. For the second time in my five years at Lewisville, we’re in that position now, but it only takes one injury to start a domino effect. If I get an offensive lineman hurt, then I may have to move a defensive linemen to his spot, where that guy had been only playing one way. Then I probably have to spell him on one side or the other, so a guy who wouldn’t have been playing now is,” Mitchell said. More players and superior depth aren’t the only two advantages, however. Mitchell said some actually have nothing to do with players at all. Some Class A schools are very small (19 have less than 250 students) and have extremely limited budgets for athletics. “Bigger schools usually have more resources, more money. That allows them to not only have more coaches, but have coaches with teaching positions who are on campus all day. Smaller schools almost always have to rely on volunteer coaches from the community or ones who have another job,” Mitchell said.

Great Falls Coach John Barrett said it may not be ideal to play schools considerably bigger than your own, but said sometimes money and logistics dictate it. “Sometimes you’re almost forced to because of location. When I was at York we had to play Rock Hill and Northwestern because they were eight miles down the road,” Barrett said. Barrett also said that certain teams seem to be impervious to the affect of smaller enrollment. He cited Lamar and Dillon which regularly beat schools that are larger than them, sometimes considerably larger. They seem to relish the chance to beat “the big boys” he said. “Places like that, ones that have tradition, I really don’t think it even matters,” he said. Size differential makes a difference in the AA ranks as well, but not as much as in Class A. There were 266 games last year involving AA schools in South Carolina and the school with higher enrollment numbers won 62.2 percent of the time. On the occasions that AA schools faced an opponent with a 400-plus advantage in enrollment, they won 11 of 46 times, which comes to a 23.9 percent winning percentage. That’s considerably better than Class A schools performed, but Mitchell said the differences in the number of players and resources is much bigger when a school with 200 students plays one with 600, as opposed to the school with 600 students playing one with an enrollment of 1,000. Surprisingly, the winning percentage for AA schools facing a student deficit of 300-399 is 44 percent, but that again comes

from a relatively small sample (12 of 27 games). The winning percentage for a AA team battling a foe with an enrollment advantage of 200-299 was only 24 percent last year, with victories in 13 of 54 contests. It gets a bit better when the difference is between 100 and 199 students (wins in 24 of 75 contests or 32 percent). When AA schools face a team with an enrollment difference of less than 100 students, there is no negative impact, apparently, for the smaller school, since they won 51.5 percent of the time (33 of 64). The biggest enrollment gap that was overcome last year for a AA team was 1,011 by Christ Church (who was in Class A last year, but had AA numbers, is in AA this year and was considered as so for the purposes of The N&R’s analysis) in a win over Eastside. Some traditional powerhouse programs that are in the lower half of enrollment in AA racked up the most wins over larger schools, including Division II champ Abbeville (nine such wins) and Batesburg-Leesville (seven wins). Burke, which went winless, had the most losses to smaller schools (five). There were only a handful of occasions when a AA team that ended with a winning record in 2015 lost to a Class A school and only a handful who beat AAA schools that ended with winning records. There is some hope for schools that face an uphill battle in terms of enrollment. Reclassification has given the state five classes and no split titles, but last season there were two champions each in A and AA. In two of the four contests, the team with the smaller enrollment numbers brought home the big trophy.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Feature Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

GIRL POWER

Female athletes using weight room to develop into ‘Iron Wolves” being carried out by Altobello. White Knoll High’s weight A 3-sport room is not just dominated athlete at by football players and wresKeyser (WV) tlers. High and A growing number of fe3-year footmale athletes such as senior ball lettervolleyball player Kassie Burman at Markett find it as helpful and shall Univerwelcoming as their fellow sity, Altobelmale athletes. lo holds the “Just the fact I get to be in strength here makes me feel strong classes three and enpowered because a lot times a of people don’t think girls week during can lift weights,” she said. “It the morning makes me feel like I’m makblock of ing a difference.” classes of As many as 75 females PHOTO BY THOMAS GRANT JR. | CHRONICLE the third participate in White Knoll’s White Knoll senior volleyball player Kassic Burkett placed second overall in the and fourth strength and conditioning 170-plus pound weight division at the Feb. 27 S.C. Female Strength meet. A video semesters, program, currently under Each week interview with the Converse College-bound Burkett is now available at www. lexingtonchronicle.com. the supervision of director of training and football defensive line Erica Gambrell for helping increase female targets four coach Matthew Altobello. involvement in the weight room from just areas – strength, power, speed and condiWhen head football coach Dean Howell a “country club” approach. She and former tioning – with the goal of improving pertook over as athletics director in 2013, the Lexington coach Chris Hamilton helped formances in their respective sports. strength department changed. spearhead the South Carolina Female “The benefits for each of our athletes “ Strength and conditioning has now Strength meet three years ago. are overall health, injury prevention, total become a daily process for our female athGambrell also ran the strength and con- development of each individual’s athletiletes,” Altobello said. ditioning program at White Knoll during cism, mental toughness and going through Howell is quick to credit the inspiration the summer. That job as well as her idea the process of building their bodies to be and vision of girls’ track and field coach for a training program for females is now successful for their specific sport,” AltobelBY THOMAS GRANT JR. chroniclesports@yahoo.com

Thomas Grant Jr. Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

lo said. Gambrell has also seen added benefit for the Lady Timberwolves’ athletes. “The strength and conditioning program has lowered our injuries, increased our endurance and improved our performances on the court and track,” she said. All female participants take part in the annual state strength meet at A.C. Flora. Both White Knoll and Pelion high schools sent representatives to the Feb. 27 event. Burkett earned second-place honors in the 170-plus pound weight division. Her personal-best power clean lift is 180 pounds. She became involved with strength and conditioning classes in the seventh grade. Her involvement with the weight room increased as she rehabilitated her torn ACL and saw her confidence to return to action rise. “In volleyball, you have to jump a lot, so the more bounce you have in your legs, the more you can explode off it.” she said. “Also when you do a lot of running and agility, it helps you move faster.” These days, there’s a significantly lower stigma for girls and weight-lifting, something Burkett disprove to a skeptical male athlete. “Personally, whenever a guy says that, I just think ‘Whatever you do I can do’,” Burkett said. “When I see a guy benching 170, I’m going to try it. Whenever you do it, they’re like ‘Oh my God!’ So it feels good.”

2016 News Awards y

SECOND PLACE Sports Feature Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Vic MacDonald The Clinton Chronicle

Bethel throws cold water on PC athletes By Vic MacDonald Editor Justin Bethel didn’t come to the front, until his coach told him to. He preferred to be in the crowd, just listening. During Saturday’s dedication of the newest sports medicine “tool for the toolbox” in helping Presbyterian College athletes stay healthy enough to play, Bethel just wanted to blend in – even as he was the standout. Bethel committed the resources to bring NFL-quality hydrotherapy technology to the Kemper Lake Sports Medicine Center at PC’s Templeton Center. “We thank you,” PC President Bob Staton said to Bethel and his family, “for the example you have set.” Bethel “pushed himself” but

Bethel, 10A

New recovery center. Justin Bethel cuts the blue ribbon on the new hydrotherapy center named in his honor Saturday at PC’s Kemper Lake Sports Medicine Center. At left is PC President Bob Staton, and beside Bethel to the right are Blue Hose football head coach Harold Nichols and Nelson Jones, associate athletics director and Lake Center director. More on Page 4A. - Photo by Vic MacDonald

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Feature Story Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Samantha Lyles News and Press

Darlington ladies take on Spartan Racing "Y 3AMANTHA ,YLES 3TAFF 7RITER NEWSANDPRESS NET

SLYLES

Most Americans consider diet and exercise when they're essaying a lifestyle change, but that usually entails cutting calories and plodding a few miles on the treadmill. Darlington businesswoman Pam Thomas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bored with monotonous running and looking for a more exciting way to get fit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has recently entered the realm of Spartan Racing, adding obstacles like wall scaling, rope climbing, fire jumping and mud crawling to her training regimen. Boredom, as you might imagine, is no longer a concern. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There's a rope climb twenty feet up a rope that doesn't have knots. There's a spear throw which you have to really stick. You've got to jump over walls, go through water, crawl under barbed wire,â&#x20AC;? Thomas says, excitedly relating some of the obstacles she surmounted at her first Spartan Race, a Military Sprint that took place last month at Fort Bragg. Thomas says she decided last October to drop some weight and try to get fit before her next birthday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the big 50. With a history of bodybuilding in her youth, before marriage and motherhood, her physique still responds better to resistance training, so she signed up for kettlebell classes at Darlington's Fitness World gym, cut sugar and carbs from her diet, and dropped almost fifty pounds. At those very productive kettlebell classes, Thomas met instructor Shannon Silcox, who recently got into Spartan Racing and convinced about 40 gym members to sign up for the Fort Bragg Sprint. Reebok Spartan Races are classed into three types: the Sprint race is 3+ miles and 20+ obstacles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perfect for beginners; the intermediate Super race is 8+ miles and 25+ obstacles; the grueling Beast race is 12+ miles and 30+ obstacles. While some racers are sponsored and classed as Elites, regular folks can sign up in the Open class, where the object is simply to complete the race without regard to finishing time or position rank. Each race tests different aspects of

Pam Thomas, left, and Lorin Brunelle. your body and mind, alternately challenging you to run fast, crawl slow, climb high, lift heavy weights, balance carefully, and think your way around obstacles that threaten to derail your progress. Thomas says part of the appeal of Spartan Racing is the opportunity to work as a team, offering verbal encouragement and sometimes physical boosts to move each other forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You do help each other, because sometimes you can't just jump up and grab the top of an eight-foot wall. Especially girls; you might need a boost,â&#x20AC;? says Thomas, who paired up with her son's fiancĂŠe, Lorin Brunelle, to tackle the Fort Bragg course. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You're not competing with each other, you're a team. It's not like any other race.â&#x20AC;? Silcox says Thomas isn't alone in her enjoyment of the race's teamwork

aspect. She says that of the nearly 40 Fitness World members who competed in the Sprint, over 20 have already signed up for another race. Both women describe the Spartan Race community as welcoming and inclusive, open to all bold people who can conquer their fears, master their physical pain, and trudge ahead in the face of adversity. As the official Spartan Race mission statement says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spartans laugh in the face of failure and continue forward. We welcome challenges and embrace discomfort.â&#x20AC;? This decidedly hardcore attitude does not prevent the racing community from reaching out in compassion or helping each other through times of need. Silcox has witnessed this compassion play out in a very inspiring and personal way. While volunteering at a Spartan event in Ashville, she shot video of a one-armed combat veteran climbing a twenty-foot

rope, displaying amazing determination as he was cheered on by a support team from Operation Enduring Warrior. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I got home I threw the video up on social media and it just went viral,â&#x20AC;? says Silcox. Soon the veterans in the video contacted Silcox and shared their full story and mission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to inspire and engage wounded veterans by encouraging them to participate in athletic challenges. Then Reebok Spartan Race picked up the video and added it to their online page, opening it up to a much broader audience... including a California mom whose eight year-old son had recently suffered a viral paralysis of his right arm. The little boy, Ryder, loves obstacle course shows like â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Ninja Warriorâ&#x20AC;? and was inspired by the one-armed veteran's gritty athleticism.

Silcox relayed this story to the vet (who lives in Miami) and he, in turn, hooked Ryder up with another single arm amputee in California who visited Ryder and taught him some onearmed techniques to make his daily life easier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like tying his shoes. That visit blossomed into a friendship and Ryder and his family eventually joined the veterans and Silcox (whose travel was financed by gym friends and a GoFundMe campaign) to run his first Spartan Kid's Race over the October 1 weekend in Lake Tahoe. Silcox ran the 14.7 mile Beast course at Lake Tahoe with the veterans, and says the experience was nothing short of inspirational. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You're out there with two wounded combat veterans, one of them had his service dog with him, and they're working together figuring out ways to get over walls and climb ropes and hills...it's really hard to put all of what I saw into words because it was all just so amazing,â&#x20AC;? Silcox says. Ryder had a great time too, she says. He proudly wore his Spartan gear and medal to school last Monday, and he's already pestering his mom to sign him up for more Spartan Races. This fast-blooming addiction is normal, apparently, as Silcox only started racing within the last year and has already completed 12 more races. Thomas, after finishing the Fort Bragg Military Sprint, immediately started looking for other events within driving distance of Darlington. She's registered for a Beast event October 29 in Winnsboro and plans to compete in a Super event in December in Georgia. If she completes all three races, she will earn â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with a fair amount of blood, sweat, and tears â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the coveted Spartan Race â&#x20AC;&#x153;trifecta,â&#x20AC;? finishing one of each event within a calendar year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is my type of racing. I was always a tomboy growing up, running around outside and climbing trees, and now I get to do that again,â&#x20AC;? says Thomas. To learn more about Reebok Spartan Races, visit them online at www.spartan.com.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Feature Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Jason Lesley Coastal Observer

Giggers dispute claims of exceeding catch limits BY JASON LESLEY COASTAL OBSERVER

Lawton Rogers doesn’t come to North Inlet at night just for the flounder. Oh, he will gig a fish the size of a doormat in a heartbeat, but there is so much more to this 13-square-mile divot in the coastline between Pawleys Island and Winyah Bay that pleases the eye and the ear and, ultimately, the soul. Flounder is just the exclamation point on nature’s poem. “When you go out at night,” Rogers said, “it’s like being on the dark side of the moon. It’s an alien place if there ever was one. You have no idea where you are. You go up little creeks and turn corners: left fork here, right fork there. Pretty soon you say, ‘I think I need to be over there.’ This grass line looks like that grass line. There are no road signs. It’s just a weird place, but what I really like about it, its appeal to me, is that I’m more of a hunter than a fisherman. Fishing, I’m dragging a bobber out there or a minnow where I can’t see what’s going on. With these lights, you can see down into the water and see all those creatures that you can’t see during the daytime. You know they are

Tanya Ackerman/Coastal Observer

there, but you can’t see them. I love being able to see ’em. I love being out here at night.” Rogers calls North Inlet DeBordieu’s private estuary, and creek access to it is the reason he lives there. He planned a flounder gigging trip last week with

Kim Cauthen, who keeps a boat at his dock, and neighbor Joey Rabon. They had heard about a petition being circulated to limit flounder catches to five 15-inch fish per day for anglers and giggers. Cauthen thought giggers SEE “FLOUNDER,” PAGE 6

Lawton Rogers, Joey Rabon and Kim Cauthen gig for ﬂounder in North Inlet. They say giggers aren’t to blame for declines in the ﬂounder population.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Feature Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Ettie Newlands Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

Adam’s Got Legs

FIRST PLACE Sports Feature Story Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Frankie Mansfield The Moultrie News

PHOTOS BY FRANKIE MANSFIELD/STAFF

Adam Gorlitsky has rediscovered the ability to walk with a robotic exoskelton that will carry him in this year’s Cooper River Bridge Run.

Wando grad’s journey from wheelchair to Bridge Run BY FRANKIE MANSFIELD fmansfield@moultrienews.com he first time Adam Gorlitsky heard the sound again, he knew his life was changing forever. It’d been a decade since he’d heard the sound of his own footsteps. Such a simple noise to most, it was the sound of freedom for an athlete who’d been relegated to a wheelchair for so long. Paralyzed in a car accident as sophomore in college, Gorlitsky’s legs sat dormant for 10 years until last September when, with the help of a robotic exoskeleton, he began to walk again. What started with a few wobbly steps graduated into longer jaunts. Yards turned into miles, and now Gorlitsky is eyeing more. Six months after regaining the ability to walk, Gorlitsky will become the first paralyzed man to walk in the Cooper River Bridge Run on Saturday. The 6.2-mile challenge is nearly triple the farthest he’s walked in one go since his injury. But for Gorlitsky, Saturday is less about the distance to the finish line and more about the journey toward reclaiming his life.

A different kind of pain Gorlitsky was a three-sport athlete at Wando High School. He ran subfive minute miles for the track and cross-country teams. His name still hangs on the wall of the old Wando basketball gym on the 2004 region championship roster board. “Adam was a very good player,” former Wando basketball coach Kim Deese said. “Good athlete. He was a crowd favorite. He was a favorite among his teammates. And you could count on him to hit the big shots.” He graduated high school in 2004 and went on to attend the University of South Carolina, where he majored in film and joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. He spent the day before New Year’s Eve of his sophomore year moving furniture into his apartment off campus and had plans to drive back to Charleston later that night. He made it as far as Jedburg. “I was driving and just fell asleep for three to five seconds,” Gorlitsky said. “That was it. And my whole life changed.” See WALK, page 7A

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Feature Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kasie Strickland The Easley Progress

About that tiger paw … Easley native had hand in logo design By Kasie Strickland kstrickland@civitasmedia.com

Courtesy photos

Long since retired from the advertising game, Easley native Ron Fisher, one of the designers of the Clemson paw logo, now lives in Atlanta and is working on his second mystery novel.

EASLEY — Of the 12 most used names for four-year universities, “Tiger” comes in second, just behind “Eagles.” But with 46 different colleges all claiming the same mascot, how do you maintain your individuality? What sets a Clemson Tiger apart from an LSU one? Well, that was Ron Fisher’s job. In 1970, Fisher was part of the advertising team hired to rebrand Clemson University. y

“I was in my ﬁrst advertising job at Henderson Advertising in Greenville and fresh out of Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota,” said Fisher. “That spring, we got a call about a new account — Clemson University. I’m from Easley, so I grew up in the area and when we heard we were working on Clemson’s logo, it was exciting.” “We came up with the idea of a tiger paw, and my boss asked me to work on the design. Up until them, Clemson’s logo g wasn’t the paw p

Courtesy photos

Trivia of the day: That weird little nick in the base of the Clemson Tigers’ paw w logo? That was done intentionally — for copyright purposes.

you know now. It was a tiger head.” Fisher spent days drawing paw after paw, trying to get the design “just right.” The ad team went as far as to write to the Museum of Natural History in Chicago asking for an imprint of a real Bengal tiger’s paw. See PAW W|5

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Feature Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

A kidney for Emaleigh Green Wave athlete battles through kidney failure, remains positive for future BY ROGER LEE rlee@journalscene.com

Roger Lee The Summerville Journal Scene Roger Lee/Journal Scene

Emaleigh Tuggle is a Summerville High School student athlete in need of a kidney transplant.

Emaleigh Tuggle needs a new kidney. Tuggle, a Summerville High School senior and varsity letterman for the Green Wave football team and girls’ soccer team, has stage four renal (kidney) failure. She was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure at birth so her family knew eventually her kidney function could decrease to the point that it could threaten her life. Just after her 18th birthday, doctors informed the family she needs a kidney transplant. “When she was growing up all we wanted was for it to not affect her life and for a long time it really didn’t,” Patti Tuggle, Emaleigh’s mother, said. “The last couple of years, we’ve had to increase her medication and this year she hasn’t had the stamina she used to. She gets tired easily, more than most teenagers.” Tuggle’s aunt Sue and cousin Darci have been identified as potential donors and are willing to donate a kidney. The teen is covered under her parents’ health insurance, but the out-ofpocket costs associated with a kidney transplant such as donor testing, donor travel costs and

family has set up a Gofundme account called “Emaleigh’s new kidney fund” and a savings account in the athlete’s name so donations can be accepted at any Lowcountry BB&T Bank branch. In just 14 days, the fundraising efforts produced almost half of the $43,000 goal the family has set, but help is still needed. The potential organ donors will travel to Charleston for further testing in May. If those tests go as expected, Tuggle should be scheduled for a kidney transplant in early June. Tuggle is a four-time varsity letterman for the Green Wave girls’ soccer team. She has battled injuries throughout her career, but is a versatile athlete who has seen multiple starts for the program. “I’ve played all over the place with the exception of in goal,” she said. “I’ve been put at center-mid, center-defense, outside defense, forward, anywhere they needed me.” Provided She also plays travel soccer for Emaleigh Tuggle hasn’t let the Summerville Soccer Club. kidney failure prevent her from Two years ago, she helped the enjoying all the senior year tra- SSC U18 Girls reach the state ditions, such as the prom. championship match. However, her kidneys’ infollow-up medical visits will be creasing lack of ability to filsubstantial. In an effort to help raise money for those costs, the See TUGGLE, Page 4A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Feature Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Robert Howey The Lancaster News

Jackets’ Elliott wheeling to history Robert Howey rhowey@thelancasternews.com

Buford High School senior track team member John Elliott takes a backseat to none. In fact as far as S.C. high school track goes, Elliott is first and that will never change. Elliott, born with spina bifida, is a handicapped athlete, but he has found a way to compete this season. He is the first Palmetto State high school athlete to compete in the wheel chair 100-meter dash. To date, he has competed in five meets, including his debut at Lancaster High School on March 10 where he posted a 50.68 time. Since then, Elliott, 18, has competed in four other meet, with his best time of 39.88 in a meet at Indian Land. Competition is nothing new for Elliott, who has been involved with the Lancaster Dream Team, which offers sports for special needs children. Elliott, through the Dream Team, which began in 2007, has competed in baseball, basketball and bowling, but this is a whole new game. “John has always wanted to compete and this has opened the door for him,” Buford High School track coach Susan Jenkins said. “He is so excited about being the first wheel

chair athlete to be in a high school track meet in South Carolina. We’re grateful to the South Carolina High School League for opening the door for athletes with disabilities to compete on a high school level.” Buford High School track coach Jareth Bailey said he’s proud of Elliott. “John is just a winner to be out there on the track,” Bailey said. “He is limited somewhat to what he can do, but at the same time doesn’t allow his handicap to get in the way. He has a way to compete and has made the most of this chance.” Elliott’s chance to compete was aided by having a custom-made wheel chair for such competition. “The chair came from a man in Georgia who built the custom-made chair for John,” Jenkins said. “Since he got the chair in early March, he’s gotten used to it and made adjustments which have helped him improve his time over the course of the track season. He’s getting better.” Elliott takes pride in his newfound fame. “It’s fun to make track history,” said Elliott during a break at the Jackets’ track practice on Wednesday. “It’s exciting to be the first one as a high school wheel chair athlete in the state.” “Since that first meet, John

ERIC ROWELL/For The Lancaster News

Buford High School wheel chair track athlete John Elliott wheels his way to the finish during the Jackets’ meet at Lancaster on March 10. has improved a lot,” Jenkins said. “After a couple of meets, I got adjusted to my chair,” Elliott said. “It took a while, but now I’m adjusted to my chair. It just took a little time.” Jenkins said Elliott has made the most of his time. “There’s not many with disabilities who can do what John does, but now there’s a way for him,” Jenkins said. “John’s an

awesome kid and he’s such a positive influence.” Jenkins said Elliott’s presence impacts the BHS team. “The whole team is behind him and they get excited when he competes,” Jenkins said. “They all want to see him do well. John has been a rallying point for our team.” Contact sports editor Robert Howey at (803) 283-1157

y ,

THOMAS GRANT

THOMAS GRANT 359-7633

SPORTS TALK

359-7633

SPORTS TALK

A proud head coach

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Thomas Grant Jr. Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

Teal Fever

There’s a litany of ways players can make their coaches proud. He or she could fulﬁll all academic and on-ﬁeld expectations. Earning All-Region, AllConference, All-American honors or Player of the Year can earn a special place on a coaches’ Wall of Fame. You might imagine the pride of Batesburg-Leesville head coach Perry Woolbright last Saturday watching the NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Rams used its sixth-round pick to select South Carolina State tight end Temarrick Hemingway, a player Woolbright coached at North Myrtle Beach High. “He had the frame and mobility to become a NFL prospect out of high school,” Woolbright said. “He just needed to add some size and to realize how far his abilities could take him “I think he intrigued NFL teams because of his upside. He’s got room to put on more weight, he is very quick and picking things up and his character is outstanding.” A 2-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection with the Bulldogs, the 6-5, 244-pound Hemingway excelled in an offense which did not produce high passing numbers. His reception and receiving yards

A 1970s ad campaign — “Baseball Fever...Catch It!” — promoted Major League Baseball. In Chronicle Country, “baseball fever” has existed a long time. It’s also become even more prevalent here over the last 12 months. Last summer, Chapin/Newberry Post 193/24 made its historic run to the American Legion national title. At the same time, the Lexington County Blowfish enjoyed a successful first season in Chronicle Country. They came within a victory of the Coastal Plain League championship. This summer, a college team from Conway has the Palmetto State proud. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers of the Big South Conference reached the College World Series for the first time in school history. They are playing the Bestof-Three series for the title against the University of Arizona. That’s the school which ended the University of South Carolina’s 2-year run as NCAA national champions in 2012. Coastal Carolina fell 3-0 in Game 1 as they mustered just four hits against the Wildcats’ J.C. Cloney. The Chanticleers looked on Tuesday to force a deciding game on Wednesday. Much like the citizens of Omaha, Neb., where the team’s teal jersey sales are tops among the eight CWS fi-

A tale of two local women’s basketball teams headed to the ‘Big Dances’ Two of our state’s three oldest colleges are separated by just a mile. Yet the University of South Carolina and Benedict ColTHOMAS GRANT lege share one thing — winning NCAA women’s basketball programs with championship aspirations. 359-7633 The Gamecocks ﬁnished an historic season as the second Southeastern Conference team to win every SEC game and SPORTS TALK _ the conference tournament, too. The Gamecocks are ranked third nationally in the NCAA Division I polls with a 31-1 record. They are expected to receive a top seed in the upcoming national tournament. And they did it, led by an talented, experienced core which includes All-SEC center and Dutch Fork graduate Alaina Coates. The Benedict Lady Tigerettes have also enjoyed an historic campaign. They won their second Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in three years. Their number 14 ranking in NCAA Division II is among the highest in school history. Like South Carolina, Benedict College has achieved its 27-2 record with the assistance of Chronicle Country graduates. Junior center Sarah Green, who attended Irmo High, arrived last December from Central Florida and has played a signiﬁcant role in helping the Lady Tigerettes lead the nation in rebounding per game. She’s averaging 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 21 games, but also leads Benedict in blocked shots (26). “Sarah’s been a tremendous edition to our program coming in late in the season,” Lady Tigerettes’ head coach James Rice said. “A good talent, the young lady has a strong mind and is already ahead of the game. She brings a whole lot of knowledge and wealth and experience. I think that was a key part to our success during the course of the year.” Senior guard Asia Benn, a graduate of Brookland-Cayce, started as a softball player at Benedict. While she’s played limited minutes, Rice said Benn has contributed “tremendously” other ways as a team leader.

“Asia has always been a really good, heady ballplayer coming out of high school,” he said. “She really didn’t get the opportunity to play college basketball, but bringing her onboard has really helped the young ladies...as far as her demeanor, the way she carries herself, her poise in practice.” Benedict opens tournament play a number two seed in PHOTO BY THOMAS GRANT JR. | CHRONICLE the NCAA Division II Asia Benn and Sarah Green South Region in Jackson, Tenn. The Lady Tigerettes face Florida Tech (20-9) Friday with a chance to advance into the second round for the ﬁrst time. With both the Division I and II “Final Fours” taking place in Indianapolis, Ind., Midlands fans can only hope to see the Palmetto State and Chronicle Country represented on the national stage. *SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW OF BENEDICT COLLEGE’S SARAH GREEN AND ASIA BENN ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.LEXINGTONCHRONICLE.COM/ OR THE FACEBOOK PAGE.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Robert Anderson The Horry Independent

Conway Young aims says no for the moon to tennis My how times have changed. There was a time when Conway was a powerhouse in high school tennis circles. The Lady Tigers finished second in the state in 1975 and 1976, and won it all by SPORTS edging SpartanTALK burg for the South Robert Carolina 4A state Anderson crown in 1977. Conway High was so dominant that it lost only three matches in four years. The team was led by sisters, Jenny and Wendye Turner who played the top two singles positions and teamed up to form the number one doubles team. Th th b f th

G.K. Young was one of the most feared long ball hitters in the state during his four years at Conway High School. He blasted 29 home runs during a recordsetting career with the Tigers, including 13 in 2011 when he had more four-base SPORTS knocks than any TALK other high school Robert player in Anderson all of South Carolina. Young hit so many home runs that fans ran out of words to describe his latest antics. It was a dinger one night, a four-bagger the next, followed by a moon shot, or a tater. After graduating from CHS, Young smashed numerous home runs for American Legion Post 111 before heading a few miles up the road to Coastal Carolina University where he quickly became the designated hitter for Coach Gary Gilmore’s Chanticleers. After a freshman season when he led Coastal Carolina with 12 doubles and three home runs and a sophomore campaign during which he added eight more dongs, Young is blasting the baseball out of the park on a regular basis to start the 2016 season. He earned Big South Conference Player of the

Week honors for the first week of the season after going 6-for-12 in the Caravelle Resort Tournament where the competition included defending national champion Virginia and No. 10 ranked North Carolina State. Young had a round-tripper against the Cavaliers, and added three hits, a triple and yet another homer in a big victory over fellow ACC member Duke this past weekend. Young, who bats with his left hand and throws with his right, is the only player on Coastal Carolina’s roster who is originally from Horry County. The sky is the limit for Young, whose prognosis is much brighter now than when he was born with an umbilical cord wrapped around him. The doctors basically had to crush Young’s right shoulder to bring him into the world. In addition to being concerned about brain damage, doctors warned his parents that he might not have the use of his right arm. Young is the grandson of a Baptist minister, and was born into a praying family. God answered his family’s prayers. Not only was Young born with no brain damage, his hand-eye coordination is extraordinary. So, too, is his strength. The boy who wasn’t supposed to be able to use his right arm is now one of the most feared hitters in America. You could call Young a miracle. You can also call him Conway’s very own Hometown Home run Hero.

‘Shrek’ inspires Midland students Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that darkness cannot dispel darkness; only light can do that. He also said that hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. King was admired for many reasons by many people including T.A. “Shrek” Nalian, who founded the Stand Strength team as a way to encourage young people to do the right thing, and take a stand against the evils of bullying, violence and peer pressure. Nalian quoted the late civil rights crusader while encouraging approximately 500 Midland Elementary School students to do the right thing during a student body assembly this past Thursday morning. He led the students in earshattering chants of “no bullying” and “make the right choices.” Although he now stands 6-feet, 4-inches tall and is a former world-class power lifter and professional athlete, Nalian didn’t always live on the top of the mountain. There was a time when he was stressed out, beaten down and pushed around instead. More often than not Nalian was anxious, depressed, lonely and insecure. He had little to no self-esteem. As a child Nalian was abused and mistreated at home. He was bullied at school. Growing up, he spent much of his time trying to figure out what to do or where to go to avoid being harassed. He felt trapped and helpless. He was hopeless, but refused to give up hope.

Nalian knows from personal experience that perseverance and hard work can overcome seemingly insurmountable and overwhelming odds. He rose above the depression SPORTS and the TALK feelings of worthlessness that plagued Robert him as a Anderson youngster. Nalian’s vision is to create a better America by reaching young people with his motivational messages. Known as the greatest telephone book ripper in the world, Nalian told the Midland students that making good choices helps him rip and tear through anything. “You all have a super duper strength and you all have the power of super duper strength and it’s making the right choices,” he said. The message is one that Shrek has shared during his travels across the country for the past 25 years. He believes that his extraordinary strength is a great way to encourage kids. He certainly had a captive audience at Midland where his Hulk-like body of today bore no resemblance to the fearful and frightened youngster of yesteryear. To them he was an incredible man with an even more incredible story. An Incredible Hulk, if you will.

2016 News Awards

Lawrence a loyal Lady Yellow Jackets fan

FIRST PLACE Sports Column Writing Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Brian Whitmore Union County News

There are fans. And then there is George Lawrence. Union County High’s varsity softball team played 36 games this season. Lawrence attended 35 of the games. He showed up for the INSTANT other, but thought it REPLAY was rained out and went home, only to by find out the game did BRIAN get started and he lisWHITMORE tened to the call on WBCU. Lawrence, retired from the federal government, does not have any family connection with anyone on the team. He just loves softball in a football

town. “I went to school in a small town and we didn’t have a football team, so I never really got into that football culture,” he said. The late Jack O’Dell of Midway BBQ got Lawrence interested in UCHS softball. He started going to games in 2003 to see O’Dell’s granddaughter, Abby Allen, now playing for Presbyterian College. From that point on, Lawrence was hooked. And over time his attendance went from a few games, to half the games, to the whole season. UCHS did its part by winning 88 games and two championships in the last three seasons. “Every year they graduate seniors and you say, ‘who is going to replace them?,’” said Lawrence. “But you get

another group to root for, up from the JV team.” Lawrence is passionate about his softball. “I don’t know too many fans in Union that are not vocal,” he said. More than an hour before the first pitch, Lawrence arrives to save seats. He usually sits with Dianne and John Martin. Revs. Keith Morrison and Mark Pruitt are in that area. “It’s like church,” he said. “People tend to sit in the same place.” Lawrence usually is in the bleachers, but takes a chair to away games. Occasionally, Lawrence will share a word with UCHS coaches. He doesn’t tell them how to coach or tell the players how to play. As perhaps the Lady Yellow Jackets’ most loyal fan, he just cheers.

George Lawrence

Special moments make championship more Tyler Heatherly embraced Mark Heatherly after Union Christian Day won its SCACS’ state championship in boys’ basketball on Friday. A son with his father, a player with his coach, shared a bear hug - a long one. The moment will last an eternity. Tears of joy flowed down the INSTANT REPLAY cheeks of both. A few tears were bittersweet. The last game by together, a championship and BRIAN undefeated season, but still the WHITMORE finality. Edisto River

“A lot of guys don’t get to experience what I have,” said the father. “I’m blessed to be here on the sidelines, instead of in the stands. You hate to give it up. I’ve been dreading this night, but I’m happy for him.” A few minutes later, Tyler embraced his little sister, Hannah Grace. He cried. She cried. Tyler said something to her. It was a message and a moment just for them. The exchange will live on, long after this night. Tyler and Bobby Brown embraced after the win. A moment captured by photographer Pete Cochran. A photo of two best friends enjoying the reward of hard work and sacrifice. A friendship that will live on and a time they can recall as old men. Tree house

“I get to share this with my boys and my dad,” said Tyler. “It’s something we get to take with us. “For four years you put in the hours of hard work, sweat, blood and tears. Sharing this moment with them makes it more special.” Mark Spencer was happy after the win, but said he would be crying at home. That’s a moment just for him. But his teammates likely will share it, alone in their rooms. Much more than a championship and undefeated season took place. It was a sea of moments, an experience that will last forever. It was a reminder of why we play the game.

Bradley Taylor and Wayne Brown

Like Robinson Crusoe, primitive as can be INSTANT REPLAY by BRIAN WHITMORE

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Robert Howey The Lancaster News

Sports Talk

Robert Howey

Mama had a special way with her words

Randy was on target with AJ stats, coverage

an’t quite recall the situation on our way to Rice Elementary that morning, but it seems in the area of Woodland Drive and Laurel Court, Mama, at the wheel of our family station wagon, offered some sage advice. I wasn’t feeling quite up to par and school, to say the least, wasn’t my top priority that morning, but Mama, not about to turn the car around, gave me a good verbal dose to get me “turned around” as we drew closer and closer to Rice. “Robert, know what President Kennedy says?” Before I could respond, she fired off, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Actually, the line goes back to President Kennedy’s father, Joseph Kennedy. Famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne was also linked to the line. As far as I was concerned that memorable morning, Bettie W. Howey, my mother, said it and it was the gospel. Period and end of story. Her “inspiring” words, hit home with me. When I hear them, I think of her and that day in the car and on my way to school. That was many moons ago, but it’s fresh on my mine like yesterday, not yesteryear. On this day – Mother’s Day – I fondly think of her and her special way. They call it “tough love” today and it worked, as they say, “back in the day.” Sometimes it took more than words, but they did the job, too. Mothers, with borrowed words, or lines of their own, have an extraordinary manner. Like another time, I recall watching a televised game in our then Sherwood Circle home, and as Rockne said in his famed “Win one for the Gipper,” the “breaks (in my view) were beating (my) the boys” that day. A bad play, a turnover or mistake caused me to exclaim, “My team never gets the breaks.”

eteran Andrew Jackson High School football fans can easily recall if the Volunteers had a landmark gridiron effort, they could quickly flip to the back of the AJ football program to see if the mark had been shattered. If not, they could see how close the AJ athlete came, or possibly how much he topped an old Vols’ milestone. I’ve often referenced the information, a reliable tool for any sports reporter following up on a major play in a big game. The man who did much of the work to establish those AJ school records was Randy “Scoop” Sims. Surely, he went back to check on a big-time effort in all those years he wrote sports for The Lancaster News and Kershaw News Era. That list of records of AJ football achievements required extensive research by Randy, a graduate of the Lancaster County high school and an avid Vols’ fan. Randy, and his quality work, are remembered today because the dedicated man who dearly loved his school and community has died. He’s battled cancer since last fall and died last Sunday, ironically only a couple of days after the Vols launched their preseason drills in preparation for the new season. AJ, through the years since the school opened in the fall of 1969, has had its share of solid correspondent reporters – stringers – from Billy Boan, “Scoop” Sims, Mike “Crim” Criminger, Dylan and Hammond Knight and Kim Roberts. Those guys are worth their weight in gold, They’re reliable and get the job done. They perform their duties in mailman-like fashion. No matter the elements, or lateness of the hour, they deliver in quality fashion. In my early years with The News, Randy was covering the AJ sports beat. He did it well, and made d dli f t R

‘Mule Train’ run legendary Sports Talk Robert Howey

ill “Mule Train” McGuirt is regarded as one of the best, if not the best football player to ever play at Lancaster High School. It has been 58 years since he played his last game at Lancaster High School, but longtime LHS football fans still recall his gridiron exploits. McGuirt is remembered today since he died May 8 at the home of his son Mark in Charleston. He played three seasons under legendary LHS Blue Hurricanes’ football coach Wade Corn, who led the ‘Canes from 1951-63. Corn was 95-54-10 as the Lancaster High football coach, with his greatest run the 1957, 1958 and 1959 seasons. Lancaster won its only state football championship in 1959. The two seasons prior, McGuirt, nicknamed “Mule Train” by the late Lancaster News sports editor of that time, and later news editor, Lester Robinson, played a major role. McGuirt, in his final two seasons, ran for 1,707 yards, including 957 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior when the Blue Hurricanes won the Class AA Upper State title for the second straight year, but fell to North Augusta for the state crown. The Blue Hurricanes won the AA Upstate crown in McGuirt’s junior season when he ran for 750 yards in 120 carries, but lost in the state championship game to Camden. He was regarded as the top junior player in the state, and was the lone junior selected for the All-S.C. football team by The Charlotte Observer. “His type comes around once in a lifetime,” said William “Fireball” Roberts, a member of the state champion 1959 Lancaster High football team and a three-year teammate of McGuirt’s. “He

was something else. There won’t be another like him.” McGuirt earned his catchy nickname – “Mule Train” – for his “overland prowess.” “He was like a train pulling the opposing players with him,” Roberts said. “There would be two-or-three hanging on and he was still going. “He was a natural ball player and wanted to carry the ball every play,” Roberts said. “It was amazing to see him run.” “McGuirt has the power and speed to go all the way and he is a rock on defense backing up the line,” said an observer noting McGuirt’s ability in The Lancaster News’ archives from the 1958 season. In McGuirt’s senior season, an 11-2 mark, he earned allstate honors for the second straight season and was one of four S.C. players named to the All-Southern team and the S.C. Player of the Year. A few short weeks after Lancaster fell to North Augusta for the Class AA state title, McGuirt along with star lineman John Plexico and Coach Corn participated in the Shrine Bowl, the annual high school all-star football game which features the Carolinas’ top senior football players. McGuirt’s Sandlapper team fell to the Tar Heels stars, 2620, but McGuirt did his part, running for 118 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown. “The only way to stop him is to get in the press box with a 30-30 (rifle) and shoot him in the leg,” said the N.C. coach of his play that December afternoon at Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium. “He simply tore us up.” McGuirt’s stellar play was rewarded as he was presented the Lee Kirby Memorial Award given to the top running back in the Shrine Bowl. He is the only Lancaster High School football player to ever earn the award. “He just ran over people that day,” Roberts said. “He deserved that award.” Roberts said McGuirt had an impact on the 1959 Lancaster High state championship team that beat Winyah High of Georgetown, 21-6 for

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY PHOTO

Lancaster High School football great William “Mule Train” McGuirt produced a brilliant football career at LHS before moving on to Clemson where he played two seasons for the Tigers. the coveted state crown. “Those guys off that 1958 team beat on us and that had to help us,” Roberts said. “McGuirt help make that team. He was the best and he help make us the best.” McGuirt, after his prep days at Lancaster, continued to star as an ace college player at Clemson. He was the Tigers’ leading rusher in 1960, running for 320 yards on 99 carries for a 3.2-yard average with nine touchdowns, tops in the ACC. He also had five catches for 43 yards, an 8.6 average. A year later, McGuirt ran for 235 yards on 69 carries, a 3.4 average, and scored four touchdowns. Legendary Clemson coach, the late Frank Howard, once said McGuirt’s play in Tigertown often hinged on whether he received a letter from his girl friend during game week.

“He’d run like the devil and tear things up,” Howard said. “He was really good.” One week, McGuirt didn’t get a letter, so he had an athletic secretary pen one. McGuirt responded with a 175-yard rushing effort against N.C. State. That’s a good story, but looking back over McGuirt’s storied career, it was more than a girl friend’s letter. He could carry the mail and the conditions didn’t matter. Just give him the ball and he did the rest, brilliantly running to legendary status. McGuirt is a member of the Lancaster Athletic Hall of Fame, an honor he earned with the inaugural class in 1994, and one he richly deserves along with the claim of one of the best to ever play at Lancaster High School. Contact sports editor Robert Howey at (803) 283-1157

The right 24 M

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

That fighting Clemson Tiger Football Team “H

Sorry Coach S

Travis Jenkins The News & Reporter

ince I began working at a newspaper for a living, John Smith has always been one of my absolute favorite people to cover. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s the best at what he does... the last thing I’d ever want to do to someone I hold in such high regard is make them mad at me, but I’m afraid I’m about to do just that. I’ve covered a lot of players and coaches that are humble and not given to exercises in self-adulation, but none so much as Smith. When he passed Taft Watson to become the state’s all-time winningest basketball coach a Talking decade ago with Sports 743 career victories, I conTravis Jenkins gratulated him on accumulating such an astonishing win total. He politely but firmly informed me he had never won a single game at Great Falls. He’d never scored a point, snagged a rebound or dished out an assist. Players win games, he explained, the correct way to state what had happened was that Great Falls had won 743 games during his coaching tenure. When people would marvel at his 19 trips to the state championship game, or the fact that Great Falls played in 17 title games in 25 years, Smith would deflect any personal glory. He was just lucky to coach in a place where there were some good athletes and that kids liked playing basketball, he said. To hear him tell it, his contribution to the Red Devils basketball program didn’t entail much more than driving a team bus and washing uniforms. The man who hired him at Great Falls, the late Harvey Stewart, was similarly self-effacing. He didn’t take credit for any of his coaching victories in football or state titles in golf, chalking them up to “something in the air in Great Falls.” The only thing he took credit for was hiring Smith. “I did do that one good thing

FILE PHOTO

Coach John Smith patrols the sidelines of a Great Falls basketball game a few seasons back. for Great Falls,” he told me. He said Smith stood out to him, even as a fresh-out-of-Newberry-College 22-year-old, because of his intellect. He said Smith was the smartest coach he’d ever met, but that his thirst for knowledge was never quenched. Even after he’d won state titles, he’d still watch instructional videos and attend camps, just trying to pick up any technique or tip that could make his team better. I saw that amazing mind on display more times than I could count. When Great Falls home games would end, my normal routine was to leave the gym and proceed to Smith’s office, where I’d wait on him. He’d go unlock the locker room for his team, then walk to answer my questions. Scratch that...he’d walk into his office and recall in precise detail every aspect of the game that was just played. I rarely had to actually ask him any questions. The instant recall he possessed was amazing. He would tell you that night’s opponent switched from man defense to a match-up zone two minutes into the second quarter. He’d remember every turnover, every block, every pick that was set and would soak all that in while carrying out his in-game coaching responsibilities. I would be sitting in the gym with nothing to do but watch and take notes on what happened and I wouldn’t catch half of what he did.

I’ve heard a very small number of folks, ones that are either jealous or not especially bright, chalk up Great Falls’ unparalleled level of success to the fact that the school “always has more athletes” than other schools. Sorry, but a tiny Class A school does not “always” have more athletes. Saying so is inane on its face. When the team won its most recent state crown a few years ago, the team lost one game all year, by one point to a 5A team from North Carolina. They blew the doors off of a bevy of AA and AAA teams...ones that certainly had “more athletes” than Great Falls. They had a roster of eight that year. Now certainly, Great Falls had its share of great athletes during Smith’s 47 years at the school, but rarely does great athleticism make a great player without great coaching. I remember one year, Smith had a solid starting five, but not much of a bench to speak of. He was playing a LOADED Hunter-Kinard-Tyler team in the playoffs and knew his team wouldn’t succeed with its normal press-and-run style. So, imagine HKT’s shock when Great Falls walked the ball up the court and played a zone defense. By the time they adjusted, Great Falls had a 20-plus point lead and won despite getting exactly 12 seconds of game action from its bench that night. I never saw

him get out-coached. I don’t know how many high school coaches do scouting, but Smith did. Sometimes, one of his assistants would hit the road for him, but I’d often see the tall, gray-haired fellow in glasses sitting in the stands at games himself. He picked up tendencies of players, he knew if they usually went left, or were prone to turnovers. Nothing escaped his notice and his team was always better and prepared for anything because of it. If anything came before his team, it was his players. A few years ago, he had a tall, athletic freshman named Torrey Craig. At almost any Class A school, or any school period, a 6-foot-6 player would be playing in the post because that’s where tall guys play. It might be best for the team but not for the individual player. Thinking more about Craig’s future, Smith didn’t do that. Knowing he’d be around 6-foot-6 and not 6-foot-8 or taller, he put him on the wing and made him work on ball-handling and shooting. He wouldn’t be a post player in college so Smith didn’t play him there much in high school. He wanted Craig to have the best opportunity at the next level possible. Craig now gets paid to play basketball, by the way. It’s hard to think of many classier coaches, either. Think of it this way, John Smith has four times as many career state

titles (eight) as technical fouls (two). I watched dozens of games where he could have beaten opponents by 50 or more, but he never did if he could help it. He didn’t want to embarrass opposing players or coaches and figured his team wouldn’t get any better by running up the score on a lesser squad. The press came off early and the bench emptied fast a lot of nights. I recall him skipping a pre-season banquet a few seasons back held to celebrate the pre-season top 10. One of his former players (from his threeyear tenure as a girl’s coach) had passed away and paying your last respects to someone trumps any personal glory. It sure did with him anyway. Maybe that’s why players and coaches so universally seemed to respect him and the powerthat-be in prep athletics were so willing to listen when he spoke. It’s certainly why I’m going to miss covering him. Tuesday, Smith called and told me 47 years was plenty and that he was retiring as Great Falls’ athletic director and head boys basketball coach. A man who has accomplished as much as Smith deserves to walk away when they want to, in the manner they want to. In Smith’s case “the manner they want to” is probably without a lot of hoopla and praise for his coaching successes. I hope he forgives me.

ow about that fighting Clemson Tiger Football Team?” That’s technically a question, but my dad never presented it to me as such or expected an answer. It was rhetorical, there was a short pause between “tiger” and “football” and it was delivered in an unemotional monotone right after any Clemson loss. After they lost their opener to Virginia Tech in 1986, after they didn’t show up against Georgia Tech in 1989, after they suffered letdowns and head-scratchers in the ‘90s and 2000s… “How about that fighting Clemson Tiger Football Team.” Now, the Tigers have nearly always won more than they’ve lost and when I was young, losses were actually few and far between. When they came, though, they made for terribly grim Saturdays and sometimes Sundays if it was a particularly bad loss or came at the hands of Talking a hated rival like South Sports Carolina or Georgia Travis Jenkins Tech. Dad went to Clemson, loved Clemson and losses by the boys in orange hurt. Being a die-hard fan must be hereditary, because they hurt me too. It’s a difficult thing to explain to a person who isn’t necessarily a big sports fan. My wife Ashley isn’t one, really. She likes Clemson and she likes the Carolina Panthers because they’re local teams. She was happy when Spartanburg High won state in football last year because she went to school there, but she doesn’t quite understand why I yell things like “Give it to Gallman, run the dang ball” (and sometimes much worse) or why I pout, sulk and brood when one of my teams loses. To be honest, I don’t either. Now, there is no greater drama than that provided by athletic competition because no one, not the participants or coaches or announcers, know what the outcome will be or what events will unfold to lead to that outcome. Sports is also an outlet for escapism I suppose...it’s a way to not worry about work and bills and important matters of life for a few hours. Of course, escapism for most people involves pure enjoyment and sports doesn’t provide that. Not even kind of. I’m on pins and needles when I watch a game. If we miss an extra point I just bury my face in my hands and mumble “We’re gonna lose by one point now, I just know it.” I’m paranoid, my nerves are torn up and it’s hard to just sit back and relax with what I’m seeing. How do you explain investing every bit of yourself in a

game that you aren’t playing in and that in the grand scheme of things doesn’t really matter much? You can’t. How can I, a person that has been to Washington D.C. twice in my life, live and die with that area’s professional football team (The Redskins)? I can’t explain it, other than to tell you my dad and uncles all did. Part of this goes back to the way you were raised. On fall Saturday mornings we frequently got up early, packed up some ham biscuits and fried chicken and made the drive to Pickens County. With “The Tiger Tailgate Show” blaring from the radios of nearly every parked car, we’d toss a football around in the parking lot until it was time to head inside with 80,000 or so other orange-clad fans. The cannon would fire, the band would strike up “Tiger Rag” and the Tigers would rub the rock and run down the hill. It was often so loud you couldn’t hear yourself yell and I can only recall driving home disappointed a few times. All the overwhelms the senses of a 10-year-old kid and makes quite an impression. So does seeing your dad hanging on every play, erupting with excitement at every touchdown, cussing referees for every bad call and just kind of sighing painfully and sitting on his hands when things weren’t going so well. You also have to understand that when I was growing up, there weren’t multiple all-sports channels that allowed you to watch every game in the country every weekend. If you wanted to see your team play, you often HAD to do so in-person because it wasn’t going to be televised. For faraway road games that weren’t going to be aired, you had to sit and listen to the game on the radio. When that was the case, whatever we were doing, we stopped at game time, cut on the radio and often sat in the kitchen listening or playing ping-pong once we got a table. Longtime voice of the Tigers Jim Phillips was the soundtrack for many a Saturday afternoon for me. Our fervor extended to a few other teams, namely the Redskins and the Atlanta Braves. Even when the Braves were a horrible, unwatchable trash fire for many years, we sat and watched them lose. The ability to see all their games on TBS is actually what prompted dad to get a satellite dish for the first time. It would have been easier, certainly, to root for the Yankees or other teams that compete for titles every year, but we didn’t. Watching a sports team is a lot like life, since there are highs and lows (and lows actually make the highs better) good times and bad times. You don’t turn loose just because it’s convenient to do so or easier to take the path of least resistance. He didn’t

leave the Peach Bowl in 1979 when he says he nearly froze to death as Clemson got their tails handed to them by Baylor. I refused to leave the rain-soaked stadium as Clemson was destroyed by Syracuse in the Gator Bowl 20 years ago. We both risked scorn by being among the handful of relatives who snuck out of my cousin’s engagement party to a back room with a TV to watch the Braves play in Game One of the 1995 World Series. Those are all actually pretty good memories now. Dad was there when Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes punched Clemson’s Charlie Bauman near the conclusion of the Gator Bowl. He was there when they won their only football national title in the Orange Bowl against Nebraska 35 years ago. When Danny Ford left as the head coach he stayed mad about it for quite a while like a lot of Clemson fans. He wasn’t like a lot of Clemson fans in that he didn’t rue the end of the option and the power running game. He said football was changing and Clemson had to change a little too to keep up. He didn’t like the growing pains that came along with that, but he sat through them, like he always did and like he taught me to do. As near I can figure it, the last Clemson game dad would have seen was the December 2009 Music City Bowl. Happily then, the last time he saw his boys in orange take the field, they won. I’m not certain, but I don’t think he got to see the ACC title game that preceded it by a few weeks as he was in the hospital. It’s just as well, really, since they couldn’t stop Georgia Tech’s option that night... Lord they couldn’t stop that option. I hollered enough for both of us. Now, Clemson is 14-0, ranked number one in the country and is playing Alabama for a national championship Monday night. I’ve watched every minute of every game as always and the feeling that having years of faith and emotional investment pay off brings might be the explanation I was struggling to offer earlier. People I don’t know will see me wearing a Clemson hat at the grocery store, whop me on the back and say “How about those Tigers!” It’s a good feeling. Seeing “the little cow college” from South Carolina get the biggest spotlight imaginable cast on it is amazing. I wish dad was here to soak in all that in too. I know he’s in a good place, I just don’t know if you worry about earthly trivialities like football once you get there. I sure hope he’s seeing it, though. He wouldn’t have to ask “How about that fighting Clemson Tiger Football Team?” though, for once, I’d have an answer. Pretty good, dad. They’re doing pretty good.

ath is definitely not an area of strength for me, but even I know that 6 x 4= 24. That might not be the most effective way to get to 24, though, where high school athletics are concerned. When the new school year begins in August, so too will the new five classification athletic system in South Carolina. For decades, our state has had four athletic classes, but member schools said in a nearly unanimous voice last year that it was time for a change. Going to five classes accomplishes a couple of things, mainly reducing the difference in student enrollment between the smallest and largest schools in each class. Right now, there are 52 teams in AAAA, AAA and AA and 51 in Class A. In AAAA, the classification for the state’s largest schools, Wando is at the top of the list with more than 4,000 students, giving them 2,500 more stu- Talking dents than the Sports smallest AAAA teams. The dif- Travis Jenkins ference isn’t as extreme in the other three classes, but generally the largest school in each class are roughly twice the size of the smallest, creating a competitive disadvantage. Going to five classes bridges that gap somewhat. The move also pushes all the private and charter schools that currently populate Class A up to AA. Class A public schools have complained for years that their non-public counterparts have a bevy of built-in advantages, including the lack of fixed attendance lines, the ability to cap enrollment (insuring they remain in Class A) and the ability to recruit and offer scholarships. That has manifested itself in non-public schools winning about two-thirds of all state championships in Class A in recent years, despite making up only a small portion of the class’s membership. Because all the private and charter schools are near the top of Class A in terms of enrollment, they’ll all go up to AA, where they will face competition that is better able to compete with them than in Class A, whose schools are the smallest and often poorest in the state. Now that the move to five classes is on the horizon, more work still has to be done. For example, a playoff format for each of the five classes has to be devised. Chester High will remain in AAA and from asking around it doesn’t sound like a plan has been settled upon yet. We don’t have any AA, AAAA or AAAAA teams in the area, so their playoff formulas aren’t of much importance to us. Our other two county schools, Great Falls and Lewisville, will still be in Class A. Apparently, the most popular idea at this time is for 24 teams (Class A will now have 41 schools) to make the postseason in all sports. How those 24 will be chosen is still up in the air. There will be six regions, so an easy answer is just to take the top four teams from each region. As we already covered, 6 x 4= 24. You give each region champ and two atlarge teams first-round byes and everything falls into place. The problem with that is that three of the new regions have eight teams, two have six and one has five. The eight team regions don’t think its equitable for them to get the same number of playoff teams as five and six team regions. They want to get five each, with the smaller three getting three apiece. That plan is flawed too, though. In 2014, Great Falls started the year 7-0 in football, but they finished up with a pair of top-10 ranked teams (McBee and Lamar) and county rival Lewisville. They lost those three games to finish up 7-3, but were in fourth place in their region. They wouldn’t have

made it in the playoffs under the format the eight-team regions now want, but four-win teams from other regions like McCormick or North would have. The point of the post-season is to reward the best teams, not the ones who happen to reside in a big region. I never thought I’d say this, it pains me to have these words come out of my mouth...but the best, fairest solution is a points system, the likes of which I’ve cursed and hated since they started. Right now, Class A has a points system that awards points for wins and losses. A win over a losing Class A school is worth one point, a win over a winning Class A school is worth 1.5 points and it climbs in halfpoint increments up to a win over a winning AAAA team. You get smaller point totals for losses on that same climbing scale and big bonus points for how you finish in your region. Since we have two Class A teams in the county I’ve always figured up the point totals statewide to see if Great Falls and Lewisville will make the playoffs and who they will face. I just love spending three hours every Wednesday going through the schedule of every Class A team in the state, taking into account that you can only count two games against AA, AAA and AAAA competition, including only one AAA and one AAAA game and that every other contest will simply be marked down as though it was against a Class A opponent...oh, and that you have to mark off two games at the end of the season and the mark-offs have to maximize your point total and that if you play a non-league team or one from out of state you have to get a signed letter from their principal verifying their enrollment, then determine what class they’d be in if they were in South Carolina and a member of the league. That sounds not-at-all convoluted and really fun doesn’t it? And I already mentioned how good I am at math. Unfortunately, there is not a better measuring stick for playoff consideration. The current points formula does not allow a team to load up on AAA and AAAA competition out of region just to accrue points and insure a post-season slot. It makes all of a team’s games count for something, where just taking a set number from each region does not. That makes non-region games completely meaningless. A points system does build in a reward for region finish. Even though it’s a difficult thing for fans to keep track of and even though I loathe it, a points system is the way to go. A slight tweak might be in order. I think all six region champions should be given an automatic bye and seeded one through six based on their points total. The top two nonregion winning teams in terms of points should get the last two byes (and be seeded seventh and eighth based on their points totals). Of the teams left, you take the top 16 and put them in a standard bracket. Once the first round ends, you re-seed, pitting the lowest seeded atlarge team left against the number one overall team, the next lowest seed against number two and so on. I think the current upper and lower state brackets go out the window. That will make for some potentially long bus rides, but in the true sense there just aren’t many Class A teams left in the upper part of the state. Most Class A school are in the midlands and lowcountry, so an upperstate bracket would be upperstate in name only. Throw everyone into the same pot and have one bracket. I think the plan above rewards a team’s full body of work, maintains the importance of region play and puts the best teams in the playoffs without being made to consider something as arbitrary as region size. Like them or not, the math works with point systems. You not only get 24, you get the right 24.

2016 News Awards

Beware of falling for salesmen’s scare tactics

FIRST PLACE Sports Column Writing 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Nick McClary Georgetown Times

’ve recently become aware of a dangerous chemical, and I’ve taken it upon myself to educate as many people as possible about it. This chemical is colorless and odorless, making it even more potentially dangerous. Inhalation of just a small quantity can cause death. What’s worse is it’s all around us. It’s called DHMO, or dihydrogen monoxide. DHMO is found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as

Health & Fitness: sulfuric acid, nitroglycerine and ethyl alcohol. DHMO is In the Nick of Time a component of many known toxic substances, diseasecausing agents and environmental hazards. Prolonged exposure can cause severe tissue damage. It will cause thousands of deaths this year alone. The good news is, with the purchase of a proprietary, exNick McClary clusive supplement, you can protect yourself and your fam- day will keep you safe. ily from the harmful effects of Now, how many of you DHMO. Taking just one pill a caught on to my tactics? Did

you feel frightened about DHMO while reading and ready to take action to protect your family? Have you figured out what DHMO really is? Let’s break it down. Dihydrogen, or two hydrogen atoms, combined with monoxide, or one oxygen atom. Put those together, and what do you get? H2O, otherwise known as water. All the facts I stated are true. Inhalation of small amounts of water can most certainly cause death. High amounts

of water ingestion can cause death. Water is a part of many hazardous agents. And prolonged exposure to your skin can cause skin damage. You see, the tactics I used are the same tactics that lure so many people to spend money on ineffective products or purchase books with little scientific backing. But with just a little bit of critical thinking and recognizing the sales tactics I

See BEWARE, Page 3B

Disc degeneration doesn’t always cause back pain

don’t remember much else of what was said that day, but the diagnosis still sticks out in my head: degenerative disc disease. These were the words I heard when I saw a health care provider for my lower back pain after my sophomore year of college. At only 19 years old, I was immediately filled with fear. Thoughts of future back surgeries, spending life hunched over clutching my back and not being able to play with my kids or grandkids suddenly came rushing to my head. After all, if your diagnosis includes the words “degen-

Health& Fitness: In the Nick of Time

Nick McClary erative” and “disease,” how can you expect to live a full and productive life as you get older? Suddenly I was more aware of my back pain. Things that hadn’t seemed to bother my

back before suddenly did. The thoughts of that diagnosis affected how I felt throughout the day. Thankfully, though, I was stubborn and continued to train hard to continue my college baseball career. Fast forward 10 years. As a physical therapist, I have a new understanding of the diagnosis “degenerative disc disease.” In PT school, I overcame my fear of low-back pain and began my pursuit of competitive powerlifting -- eventually leading to an all-time best deadlift of 555 pounds (and hopefully more soon). While I can’t say I’ve been completely pain free ev-

ery day since learning more about “degenerative disc disease,” my back hasn’t given me near the problem as it did during my first few years of college. If only that first health care provider had educated me on what degenerative disc disease really is. Degenerative disc disease, or DDD, is a scary-sounding term. The term “disease,” however, is somewhat of a misnomer. DDD is not really a disease but, rather, a normal part of aging. It is not something that is inherited or caused by an infection. DDD is actually extremely

common in people of all ages. That’s right -- ALL ages. Whether you are 20 years old or 80 years old, it’s highly likely you have disc degeneration. But don’t be scared. As intimidating as the term sounds, you’ll be happy to know that if you’re one of the many people with disc degeneration, it’s actually likely not going to cause you pain. And it likely shouldn’t be the source of any worry. A systematic review (very strong study design) published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology in 2015 helps shed light on DDD. The study analyzed more than

3,000 patients who had no pain and no low-back symptoms. They found that the following percentages of these age groups had disc degeneration on MRI or CT scan: 37 percent of 20 year olds; 52 percent of 30 year olds; 68 percent of 40 year olds; 80 percent of 50 year olds; and so on up to 96 percent of 80 year olds. That’s a huge portion of the population with no low-back pain or low-back symptoms that had disc degeneration! Disc degenerat ion is

See DISC, Page 2B

‘Your body is not a machine, and I am not a mechanic’

hen I was on my last outpatient clinical rotation before becoming a physical therapist, I had a patient who was an mechanic come to the clinic for neck pain. He viewed his body in the same way he viewed the cars he worked on, purely mechanical in nature. “I generally understand why I have pain,” he said. “My neck is out of alignment or something, and I need to put it back into place.” It’s almost become common sense that the body needs to be in alignment or it is destined to have pain. Physical therapists

Health& Fitness: In the Nick of Time

Nick McClary have longed preached proper posture and alignment to decrease pain. Other healthcare professions have taught that being “out of alignment” can cause pain and even disease.

But is any of this actually backed by scientific evidence? Nope. “Your body is not a machine, and I am not a mechanic” is a phrase I use in the clinic to help illustrate this point. Often, the body is compared to a car with a mal-aligned front end causing abnormal wear on the tires. But your body is much more complex than any man-made machine. The problem with applying this logic to the body is that your body has the capacity to regenerate and heal and adapt. A machine does not. In addition, think about the

complexity of the brain and psycho-social factors on pain. Remember my articles a few months ago where I discussed how anticipating or expecting pain can make actually make pain worse? Or how past memories of pain can make nondamaging stimuli painful? Pain is different for everyone and often more complex than the body simply “being out of alignment.” Or let’s reference my last few articles where I discussed how imaging alone cannot tell you whether you should be in pain. For example, 50 percent of 40-year-olds with no pain or

symptoms have bulging disc. If a bulging disc doesn’t mean you are destined to have pain, is it really logical that your alignment on an X-ray can definitively predict your pain? The scientific evidence doesn’t support a causative relationship between alignment and pain, or any other health conditions either. A 2008 systematic review of 54 studies published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found “no strong evidence for any association between sagittal spinal curves and any health outcomes including spinal pain.”

So what does this all mean? Does this mean that posture/ alignment doesn’t matter? How about my own patients who have improved after I encouraged “better posture”? Here’s what I tell my patients. There are a wide range of postures/alignments that are completely normal. We are all made a little bit differently and probably shouldn’t concern ourselves with “perfect alignment.” In addition, spinal alignment likely doesn’t have any effect on disease processes in our body.

See MCCLARY, Page 3B

HANNAH STRONG/hstrong@thelancasternews.com

Sixth-graders at A.R. Rucker Middle enjoy a pep rally just for them on Friday.

SPORTS: Bamberg ousts Lancaster Ponytails from state tourney I 7

Freshmen, sixth-graders get early start | 10A

The

Lancaster News SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2016

www.thelancasternews.com

75 CENTS

Long days, huge challenges for Gilbert New development chief reacts to Duracell departure Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Jamie Gilbert knew building Lancaster County’s new economic development department would be a big challenge, but the news he got on his eighth day at work was a punch in the gut. Duracell, the county’s seventh-largest employer, announced it would phase out production at its Lancaster

manufacturing plant starting next spring, and that all 400plus jobs would be gone within two years. “It’s sure not the kind of news you want to get just starting out,” Gilbert said last week. Gilbert, 48, took the reins of the newly established county department July 18. Since then, he has worked many 16-hour days, trying to balance the day-to-day needs

2 AJHS students disciplined after incident at camp

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE

Noose made of shoelaces hung in tree, district reports Mandy Catoe mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Page One Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

of current projects and prospective businesses, build new relationships and mend past rifts with business partners. The Duracell move shocked Lancaster’s business community. Just two years ago, the county gave the battery maker an economic incentive package worth $11 million in return for a $69 million productionline upgrade by the company. All indications were that Du-

Hannah L. Strong hstrong@thelancasternews.com

Blue lights and a black driver in tears Trooper recalls thinking: ‘Lord, help him and me’

One, the county is a supportive leader, offering aggressive See GILBERT I Page 3A

Kayland Hagwood khagwood@thelancasternews.com

Highway Patrol Trooper Albert Blackmon was cruising U.S. 521 in Indian Land about 6 p.m. July 13 when he saw a driver roll through a stop sign near Transformation Church. Blackmon flipped on his blue lights, and the two men pulled into the church parking lot. As he stepped toward the man’s

car, what the trooper saw set off alarm bells. In the front seat was a 36-year-old black man in “full panic attack.” Blackmon, a three-year Highway Patrol veteran, was surprised and confused. He tried to calm the man down. When he felt he had succeeded, he went back to his vehicle, wrote a warning ticket and returned. The man was crying, clearly

terrified. Blackmon told the man he couldn’t leave in this frantic state, and suggested he get out of the car to help calm himself down. “OK,” the man said, still crying. “Can I take my seatbelt off?” “Lord, help him and me,” Blackmon thought, then asked the man: “Why are you so upset?” “I just don’t want to get shot,”

– Kershaw Mayor Mark Dorman

If players won’t come now, town might give up on golf Gregory A. Summers

Devastating losses accumulate for course

KERSHAW – It’s no secret at Kershaw Town Hall that the town-owned golf course has been bleeding money for about 10 years. In fiscal 201415, the course lost $46,000. Last year, the amount tripled to almost $151,000. Now town officials are taking a common-sense approach to get the course back on par. They are being proactive in an effort to get back into the black by making it greener and more golfer-friendly. Since June, the town has

Weather

Index

Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain High: 93-95 Low: 71-73

Celebrations .....................4B Church News ....................2B Classifieds .........................7B Coming Events ................. 6B Education ...........................3B

-$50,000

-$10,0000

-$150,000

-$200,000

Aside from 2012, the Kershaw Golf Course has operated in the red for the past six years. Losses over that period total $331,000.

Deaths, 4A

Sports, 6A

Barbara Cunningham Mickey Hinson Sr. Pedro Mackey

Bruins, Jackets, Vols compete in jamboree play

Lancaster News Lancaster County’s triweekly newspaper

photos by DAVID KELLIN/For The Lancaster News

Above, dalmatian puppies sing a number in the Community Playhouse’s production of “101 Dalmatians Kids” Sunday night. Below, Jurnee Ingram puts her own spin on Cruella De Vil.

>> Lady Bruins top Stallions, close in on another regional title

OUT & ABOUT, 8

SPORTS, 5 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016

www.thelancasternews.com

75 CENTS

Man charged in mom’s murder Aroused suspicions of Kershaw bank employees Reece Murphy rmurphy@thelancasternews.com

Athena Redmond The Lancaster News

A report of a suspicious man at a bank in Kershaw led to the discovery of his mother’s body at their home on Flat Creek Road and his arrest in her killing. Robert Allen Hypes, 36, of

7248 Flat Creek Road, is charged with murder in the death of Carolyn Marie Taurino, 57. Deputies found Taurino’s body in her home Wednesday afternoon lying on the floor in the doorway of a bedroom, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Of-

fice spokesman Doug Barfield said in a statement Thursday. Taurino, who used a wheelchair, had been shot several times. Lancaster County Coroner Mike Morris said it appeared she’d been dead for about three days.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Wesley Dry hugs a tree along the Appalachian Trail that delivers a welcome message: 500 miles to Katahdin Mountain.

Taken from notes Dry made in his trail guidebook

Third of four parts Christopher Sardelli csardelli@thelancasternews.com

Ignoring the pain in his swollen feet and the rash that now consumed a large part of his left leg, Wesley Dry pressed on toward the summit in front of him. Days of hiking along Pennsylvania’s notoriously rocky terrain on the Appalachian Trail had taken their toll, but Dry wasn’t about to let a little discomfort ruin the experience. After waking up that morning in Wind Gap, Pa., Dry set out once again into the forest, following a serpentine route through a collection of tall, skinny trees. Heat from a July sun blazed through the openings in the branches, as sweat rolled down his neck. He was on his way to the scenic lookout at Wolf Rocks, a collection of stacked, sandstone boulders overlooking a canopy of trees. The only obstacle between him and the view was a steep incline packed full of pointy grey quartzite rocks, jutting from the ground like the tips of icebergs in a massive sea. With a deep breath, Dry began

yet another rock scramble, propelling himself up the small hill by grabbing onto the rocks stacked in front of him. Reaching the top, he gazed at endless acres of trees and plains stretching to the horizon. “That’s what I love most are those huge mountains and the views at the top. But that last part of Pennsylvania had so many sharp rocks,” he recalled. “There were a couple days where all day you didn’t have anywhere flat to step.” His feet never acclimated to the uneven terrain, he said. “The whole bottom of my feet were completely bruised and purple, from my heel to my arch, because the rocks were pointy and constantly digging into you. Pennsylvania could fall off the map and I wouldn’t care,” he recalled. “I still had fun. Oh yeah. Even as we had to climb over rocks I would tell people, ‘At least you’re not in Virginia!’” Perched on that cliff, Dry checked his trail guide. He had just marked his 1,284th mile and was nearing Pennsylvania’s border. Next stop, New Jersey. See CHALLENGE I Page 2

Aug. 27, Near Ethan Pond: Had to stealth camp with a fellow hiker beside the road

NH MA

Gregory A. Summers gsummers@thelancasternews.com

NY July 22, Brink Shelter: Met “horrible maneating mosquitoes”

NJ July 12, Duncannon: Mailed home anything unused in past three weeks

June 19, Buena Vista: Hitched a ride to town and got a free meal

PA DE MD

June 1, Old Orchard Shelter: Found some graffiti he left on the table in 2013

KY May 7, Clingmans Dome: Got up at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise

Kali Cassidy For The Lancaster News

See SHOTS I Page 3

April 20, Amicalola State Park: The journey begins here with the first mile

Ask Heather Padilla how she rates her singing on a scale from one to 10, and she says, “Probably a four.” Then she laughs. So why would this Lancaster High School math teacher unleash her voice on the Internet? Why would she record new lyrics for Adele’s “Hello” and post it for the world to experience?

164th year, No. 19 One section 12 pages Subscriber services (803) 283-1145

Christopher Sardelli csardelli@thelancasternews.com

MORE ONLINE To see Padilla’s fundraising masterpiece, click the link at thelancasternews.com.

Weather

Index

Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain High: 44-46 Low: 25-27

Church News ......................... 9 Classifieds ...........................11 Coming Events ...................... 9 Entertainment ................. 10

Ben Carson to hold rally in Lancaster GOP candidate will tour Nutramax, visit school

For Padilla, it was a no-brainer. Her students were in need.

“I needed more colored paper, which is super-expensive,” she said, noting that her allotment of classroom-supply money for the year had run out. She also needed tape measures, protractors and compasses. Begging on the Internet was a small price to pay. See PADILLA I Page 3

Gunfire in the McDonald’s parking lot in Lancaster late Tuesday sent a group of students and restaurant patrons running for cover. Now the Lancaster Police Department is looking for those who are responsible. “We have investigators out on the street this morning running down leads,” Lancaster Police Department Capt. Scott Grant said Thursday. The incident happened just after 10 p.m. Feb. 9 in the east end of the restaurant’s parking lot. According to a police department incident report, when an officer patrolling in the immediate vicinity arrived, he saw about “20 to 30 children running toward a school bus” and customers running for their cars. Grant said none of the bystanders were hurt. The report said a 911 caller told police that one man fired several shots toward a group of other men in the parking lot. A witness told police that a black Dodge Charger then sped out of the parking lot east on S.C. 9 Bypass, while a burgundy Ford Expedition sped away in the opposite direction. The report said after the parking lot was cleared, officers found four .380-caliber shell casings near broken glass and spilled French fries,

Teacher’s Adele parody raises cash for her class ‘I’d do anything for my students, make a fool of myself if I have to’

Gunﬁre scatters fast-food customers Busload of students outside McDonald’s

VT Aug. 9, Glastenbury Mountain: Watched sunset and sunrise from tower

about Taurino’s account, Barfield said. Deputies went to Taurino’s house to speak with her about the man at the bank, but no one answered the door. Deputies pulled Hypes over on East Richland Street in Kershaw about 3:30 Wednesday afternoon driving his mother’s red Ford van and identified See MURDER I Page 3

The circumstances leading to the discovery of the murder began We d n e s d a y when employees at a Kershaw bank Hypes called the sheriff’s office to report a suspicious man asking questions

Memorable moments

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Heather Padilla’s parody of Adele has over 1,200 views.

Out & About ..................... 8 Opinion ............................... 7 Sports ................................... 5

See BLUE LIGHTS I Page 5

County picks 4 roads for repaving Hannah L. Strong

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 0

Entertainment ............... 5B Faces & Places ............... 1B Opinion ..........................8A Sports ..............................6A

the man responded. Blackmon, who is also African-American, said the answer hit him “like a ton of bricks.” “I don’t want to get shot either,” Blackmon thought. As an officer, Blackmon is trained to remain on constant alert. From traffic stops and accident scenes to eating dinner in uniform, “we have to be aware,” he said.

hstrong@thelancasternews.com

$50,000

spent an estimated $15,000 to get the 6,031-yard course back into playing shape. Greens have been reworked, sand traps have been refurbished and shoulder-high grass has been cleaned out of the channels and ditches that dot the course. Heavy fairway underbrush that ate golf balls has been eliminated, and trees limbs that blocked lines of sight on the course have been trimmed. For the first time since 2011, the irrigation system works at all 18 holes and on the driving range. See GOLF I Page 2A

gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Small

164th year, No. 98 Two sections 16 pages Subscriber services (803) 283-1145

The

75 CENTS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016

Community Playhouse of Lancaster showcases young talent

main photo by GREGORYA. SUMMERS/gsummers @thelancasternews.com; photo above supplied

Eight candidates, including two challengers, filed for Lancaster County school board and Lancaster City Council before filing closed Friday at noon. Three seats are open on both the school board and city council, with one contested race in each.

See FILING I Page 4A

www.thelancasternews.com

Wayne Martin practices chipping onto the 18th green Wednesday at Kershaw Golf Course. The photo above shows the same green before repairs.

Two new candidates seek board, council seats

Faulkner

turers with multiple locations as the most likely to expand into the Lancaster space.

Lancaster News Lancaster County’s triweekly newspaper

“We had to do something. We had to close it, lease it or make it work. The town just cannot keep going at the pace we’re going.”

Eight ﬁle for school board, city council

Lorenzo Small will challenge incumbent Tyrom Faulkner for the District 3 seat. Small, who is running for the first time, said he looks forward to having an opportunity to provide new insight to the school board.

racell, bought by Berk“We can say to the shire Hathaway in Berkshire Hathaway 2015, was here to stay. headquarters officials Gilbert met the unin Omaha that we have expected challenge a 300,000-square-foot head-on, researching building and over 400 other businesses withhard-working employin Berkshire Hathaees, who were extremeway’s massive con- Gilbert ly beneficial to Duraglomerate and finding cell,” he said. nearly 20 that might be approGilbert wants Lancaster priate for the Duracell facility. County to be known by two He began targeting manufac- standards for businesses.

Kershaw hopes facelift restores course’s profits

Two Andrew Jackson High School students were disciplined after they acknowledged making a noose out of shoelaces and placing it in a tree at band camp Aug. 5, according to school officials. The school was not aware of the incident until Monday, when a band member and her parents came in to complain, said Bryan Vaughn, safety director for Lancaster County School District. Vaughn said the two students had been suspended from school, but due to school policy he would not reveal the length of the suspension or whether they would be allowed to return for the first day of school Monday. Vaughn said the noose was made from two shoelaces tied together. He said two students made the device and hung it in a tree after getting the shoelaces from a third student. Witnesses said the loop in the shoelaces was about 6 inches in diameter, Vaughn said, but that couldn’t be confirmed because the noose was no longer in the tree Monday, and school officials do not know what happened to it. After the student and her parents complained, the school district immediately began investigating the incident, Vaughn said. See INCIDENT I Page 10A

School board

The

Lancaster County’s triweekly newspaper

As the field narrows in this year’s presidential race, Republican candidate Ben Carson is tentatively set to visit Lancaster on Monday, the first time a candidate has visited the city this election season. Carson is scheduled to tour Nutramax Laboratories, 946 Quality Drive, at 12:30 p.m., followed by a visit to Carolina Christian Academy, 1850 Kershaw Camden Highway, from 2 to 3 p.m. Only the CCA visit is open to the public. Kristen Blanchard, vice president of external corporate affairs for Nutramax, said the event is coming together quickly. See CARSON I Page 3

Deaths, 4

Inside, 3

Varnetta Bowers Tod Miles Wilhelmina Peay William Rucker

City police to get raises of at least 2%

Above, Jack Collins as Roger, center, dances with Chelsea Johnson as Anita while several of the young dalmatians watch. At right, a group of puppies peer through the bars of Cruella’s fur vault.

Council agitated, confused by Estridge’s many motions Reece Murphy rmurphy@thelancasternews.com

Lancaster County Council deferred action on a pair of motions related to Indian Land’s Avondale development Monday night, as discussion of the matter devolved into a testy scrap over Robert’s Rules of Order. Located between Calvin Hall and Harrisburg roads, the 189-acre mixeduse Avondale development is to have more than 500 homes and 200 residences for seniors, plus limited commercial and retail space. Council killed the project Jan. 11 when, due to council and community concerns over increased traffic and school overcrowding from the project, council members voted 4-3 against second reading of an ordinance to reAll U.S. flags will be flown at half staff through July 22 to honor the officers killed July 17 in Baton Rouge, La.

zone properties associated with the project. An ordinance creating the project’s Planned Development District, PDD27, and another approving a development agreement also died during the same meeting from lack of a motion. The matter came back on the table June 13 when council voted 4-3 to rescind the dead rezoning ordinance, and renewed by a vote of 6-1 both the PDD-27 ordinance and the development agreement. Monday night’s hitch came when District 6 Councilman Jack Estridge made a motion to “rescind the motion to rescind” the zoning ordinance, and to “rescind the motion to renew” the other two ordinances.

164th year, No. 87 One section, 14 pages

Partnerships in and out of Lancaster County are working together to use $950,000 in one-time state funding to resurface four state secondary roads in the county. The four roads selected are Rowell Road, Oak Hill Church Road, Musket Road and Craig Farm Road. Lancaster County administrator Steve Willis said on average it costs $350,000 to reclaim and resurface 1 mile of a two-lane roadway, but the county will be able to complete far more than $950,000 worth of roadwork because of the partnerships between agencies in and out of the county. The County Transportation Committee (CTC) will provide funds for the asphalt and the S.C. Department of Transportation will provide the engineering work. The SCDOT ranks the condition of the roads and combines the traffic count on the roads and the Pavement Quality Index, but the CTC also has input. Lancaster County is one of only four S.C. counties that had the year’s funding programmed on time, Willis said. He said what sets Lancaster County apart from the other 45 counties is the way agencies cooperate on roadwork here. Seven appointed citizens make up our CTC, rather than county council members as in most counties, which takes the politics out of the equation, Willis said. “Councils have a lot of issues to look at all the time, and our CTC has one goal – better roads,” he said. With many agencies working together, like Public Works, the finance department, SCDOT, county council, and outside agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Willis said See ROADS I Page 5

Annual Kids Day

DAVID KELLIN/For The Lancaster News

The Lancaster area singing group Conquerors performed at Kids Day on Saturday. Singers all are from Lancaster, Kershaw and Great Falls areas. See page 10 for more.

See COUNCIL I Page 3

Weather

Index

Sunny with a 20 percent chance of rain High: 94-96 Low: 67-69

Business Today ...............6 Church News ................11 Classifieds .....................12 Coming Events .............11

Entertainment ........... 12 Food & Fun ................ 10 Opinion ......................... 9 Sports ............................. 7

Deaths, 4

Inside, 3

Peggy Craig Mary Cureton Michael Pridgen Barbara Wishert

City of Lancaster sewer projects move ahead

>> Spring forward! Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead Saturday night

southstrandnews.com randnews.com

Winyah Heritage Festival expands

11 12 1

y a ho

>> Georgetown football coach leaving for Union County, B1

3 8

Friday ll March 11 11, 2 2016 50¢

SERVING GEORGETOWN COUNTY SINCE 1798

A community in crisis

BY MAX X HRENDA

See WINYAH, Page 2A

A family’s loss

make it ideal ffor m fo high-moi oistur ture e areas lik Carolina Rooms, like Ro patios, s, bath hrooms 1/4 mile north of Waccamaw Hospital 3930 Hwy.17 Bypass • Murrells Inlet

YELLOW-OOAO

BY EILEEN KEITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

he bulk of South Carolina’s tobacco crop might be grown in Horry, Marion, Florence, Darlington and Williamsburg counties, but deep in the western portion of Georgetown County three generations of tobacco farmers are growing a cash crop that some say might just be some of the best tobacco grown in the world. You won’t get Georgetown County native Phil Owens to admit it, but just ask any local farmer who knows a thing or two about growing tobacco, and they will tell you he is held in high esteem when it comes to farming a crop that saved many South Carolina farmers from total ruin when the 1,000-year flood in October 2015 struck the Palmetto State. “We had many farmers who just couldn’t come back from the total losses they suffered from the October floods,” U.S. Department of Agriculture County Executive Director Kyle Daniel said. “Many of our farmers, especially the young ones just starting out, didn’t have the luxury of having a cash crop like tobacco. Many were young farmers that had to let their farms go and find other jobs – they just couldn’t come back.” Tobacco has been a cash crop in the

>> ‘Crazy’ ants marching toward Georgetown, scientists warn A5

Event raises thousands for King BY MAX HRENDA mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

southstrandnews.com strandnews.com

Deputies: Man robs woman at knifepoint

SERVING GEORGETOWN COUNTY SINCE 1798

Friday ll

50¢ u y 22, 2016 2

‘A total loss’

BY MAX X HRENDA mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

See

AN, Page 4A

MARK A. STEVENS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

The Huntington Beach State Park Nature Center lies in ruin after an early morning fire, which firefighters attributed to a lightning strike.

One day after fire, state says nature center will be rebuilt BY MAX X HRENDA mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

The state parks department announced it plans to rebuild an area park’s nature center, one day after a bolt of lightning caused a fire that burned it to the ground. Midway Fire Rescue Chief Doug Eggiman said firefighters found the Nature Center consumed by flames after they were called to Huntington Beach State Park at about 2:34 a.m. Wednesday, July 20. Fire teams spent the next four hours

working to quell the blaze, Eggiman said, but were unable to save the structure. “The building is a total loss,” Eggiman said. “It was fully involved when we got the call.” In addition to the building, however, the fire also claimed the lives of more than 20 animals that were housed inside. According to information provided by Dawn Dawson-House, the director of corporate communications for the South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism, those ani-

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

“It’s hot out there. You have to fight the weather and the bugs and keep on going until you get the job done for the day.” Phil Owens

Phil Owens is pleased with his first crop of tobacco for the season.

See EVENT, Page 2A PROVIDED/NANCY CRAWFORD/MIDWAY FIRE RESCUE

Flames burn through the exterior walls of the Huntington

See OCA , Page 2A Beach State Park Nature Center early Wednesday.

Gardner: City on verge of ‘great things’ Former Georgetown police chief discusses new role at city’s helm BY MAX X HRENDA mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

Even though he’s been on the job for less than two weeks, City Administrator and former Police Chief Paul Gardner said he expects big things from Georgetown and from himself. Gardner assumed his new role as Georgetown’s adminMAX HRENDA/SOUTH STRAND NEWS istrator July 11, three days Former Police Chief Paul Gardner was hired as the after former Administrator Georgetown city administrator June 16. He began his Chris Carter’s pre-designated resignation date and 25 new duties July 11.

days after City Council approved his hiring. A lthough Gardner had served as the city’s police chief, he said there were still several things he needed to learn and other things he needed to improve upon as he continued his time in the administrator’s office. “I acknowledge that I have some weaknesses in the areas of building and planning (and) zoning,” Gardner said. “I really need to rely on experts and staff in those areas

LVT • Carpet • Tile • Wood • Laminate • Vinyl • Custom Shower • Custom Backsplash

very heavily.” De spite t hose self- de scribed weaknesses, Gardner said there were other areas of the administrator’s position in which he excelled. “When it comes to managing the day-to-day activities of the city, supporting my department heads and giving them what they need to do their jobs — that has come fairly naturally,” he said. Though he said he feels

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1985

IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME

See CITY, Page 4A

Protect your carpet for afternoon hangouts and sleep overs with Mohawk Smart Strand Carpet!

LVT • Carpet • Tile • Wood • Laminate • Vinyl • Custom Shower • Custom Backsplash FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1985

CORETEC FLOORING

843-651-3303 • www.FlooringPlusSC.com

If you are on the hunt for a super durable, attractive, luxury vinyl flooring - look no further. COREtec at Flooring Plus!

843-651-3303 • www.FlooringPlusSC.com CYAN-AOOO

See TOBACCO, Page 8A

Kyle Daniel walks through a tobacco field in the western part of Georgetown County.

MAGENTA-OAOO

YELLOW-OOAO

BLACK 012908

1/4 mile north of Waccamaw Hospital 3930 Hwy.17 Bypass • Murrells Inlet

CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

YELLOW-OOAO

BLACK 012908

1/4 mile north of Waccamaw Hospital 3930 Hwy.17 Bypass • Murrells Inlet

GEMR-1484455-1

Sheriff’s deputies said a Murrells Inlet man was arrested after he used a knife to try to rob a bartender who had offered to give him a ride home. On Wednesday, July 20, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested William Charles Blackburn, 55, Highway 17 Business, after the bar tender repor ted the alleged robbery in the area of Gr a h a m’s Landing Restaurant. According to the GCSO supplementary Blackburn report, deputies searched for Blackburn near the restaurant to no avail after they responded at about midnight. They then met with the bartender, deputies said, who had traveled to her sister’s house in Murrells Inlet. Deputies said the bartender told them she was working her shift at The Beaver Bar when Blackburn, whom she identified as a regular she has known for years, came in and asked for a drink. After she served him, the bartender said, Blackburn asked her if she could give him a ride home. The bartender agreed, deputies said, and the two left the bar. When they arrived, deputies said, Blackburn asked the bartender to drive him to another bar instead. The bartender again agreed, deputies said, and she drove him to Graham’s Landing Restaurant. The bartender reported, deputies said, after they arrived at the restaurant, Blackburn pulled out a pocketknife and pressed its dull side against her cheek, then demanded that she hand over her pocketbook. The bartender told them she pleaded with Blackburn not to rob or hurt her, deputies said. She said Blackburn then closed the knife, deputies said, but cut his hand in the process. It was then, she said, she was able to wrest the knife away from him and throw it out of the car. The bartender reported she got out of the car, deputies said, but spilled her purse in the process. She added Blackck ckburn then ran behind the restaurant, deputies said, while she left for her sister’s house. While the bartender filled out paperwork, deputies said, other deputies found the knife and items from the bartend-

A f ter a long time sheriff’s deputy was diagnosed with a debilitating disease, nearly 1,600 people from the Georgetown community stepped up to raise thousands of dollars to support her. On Thursday, Aug. 11, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office conducted a chicken pileau fundraiser to support Lt. Denise King’s fight against lung cancer. Although the fundraiser didn’t begin until 11 a.m., King – the 25-year veteran of the sheriff’s office – arrived more than an hour earlier to greet the friends, co-workers and well-wishers who turned out to show their support. “I’m used to taking care of people ... that’s what I do,” King said. “I’m used to having the fundraisers for other people. Now, I’m on the opposite end. But like somebody out there said, ‘She takes care of us, we’ll take care of her.’ And I appreciate it.” King was diagnosed in late May after she went to a doctor to check on a cough. Since then, she said, she has spent

GEMR-1477285-1

Sandy Schopfer Georgetown Times

Georgetown tobacco farmers carry on a family tradition

See CITY, Page 2A

FLO LOORTE’S WA ATERPROO ERPROOF QUAL ALIT LITIE LI S

>> Man with Georgetown ties completes ‘toughest’ bicycle race’ B1

Kyle Daniel, USDA

mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

See COMMUNITY, Page 4A

MAGENTA-OAOO

“... Some of the most beautiful farmland in the state.”

Georgetown City Hall has been closed for the remainder of the work week as engineers explore the cause of an apparent shift in the ground underneath it. The Georgetown City Fire Department announced the closure on its Facebook page at about 8:25 p.m. Wednesday. According to City Administrator Paul Gardner, city ofof ficials and staff had noticed changes and damages to the floor in the building’s rotunda area in late July. “We’ve been monitoriing it for two weeks,” Gardner said. “Some tiles began to crack and separate from the floor and sub-floor. It got to the point where it was a trip hazard and we feel we need to explore.” The Columbia-based engineering firm GS2 Engineering and Environmental Consultants Inc. — which also examined the reported

LVT • Carpet • Tile • Wood • Laminate • Vinyl • Custom Shower • Custom Backsplash

CYAN-AOOO

Friday ll Augus ugustt 12, 2 2016 50¢

BY MAX HRENDA

843-651-3303 • www.FlooringPlusSC.com

SERVING GEORGETOWN COUNTY SINCE 1798

Slab shift closes City Hall

BY EILEEN N K EITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

GEMR-1430563 430563

Page One Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

After a one-year hiatus, the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival is set to return in 2016 as the backdrop for the incoming Bassmaster Elite Series fishing tournament. This year’s festival will be held April 9 and 10 in the grassy area adjacent to the Carroll Campbell Marine Complex, where the Elite Series tournament will be held. As opposed to a singular event, last year, the festival was spread out through a multitude of smaller events held at the Georgetown County Museum and Historical Society. Before agreeing to hold the series in Georgetown, however, Bassmaster required the presence of a local event or festival to run in tandem with the tournament. According to Rene King, organizer and facilitator the Heritage Festival, the tournament offered an ideal opportunity to reorganize the festival into a single event. “We’re extremely excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the event,” King said. “It’s a great thing for the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival, but it’s also a great opportunity to showcase what’s great about Georgetown County and the whole area of the Lowcountry.” Since its inception in 2007, the festival has served as one of the main fundraisers for the museum. King said that, over the years, more than $250,000 has been raised. Event coordinator Janet Williams added the prospect of running the festival in conjunction with the Elite Series created a sense of “extreme excitement” within the organization team. “It just put a whole new energy into the festival, for us and all the others who are planning it,” Williams said. “It put a breath of fresh air into it.” Riding that wave of new energy, Williams said she and other organizers have been working to modify the festival to accommodate a projected increase in foot traffic as a result of the tournament. In addition to moving the festival to be closer to the marine complex — it had been held at various points along Front Street and across the city — Williams said she and other organizers were also working to increase the number of events and activities. “We’re going to have a lot of people there for an extended period for the festival and the Bassmaster weighins,” she said. “If you’re going to have people there longer, you need to offer them more.” One of the newer planned events will be a beer and wine garden, which will allow festivalgoers a chance to enjoy a bottle of beer or

southstrandnews.com strandnews.com

Some Plantersville residents struggle to pay annual sewer assessments, risking their homes and freedom

mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

SECOND PLACE

>> Debby Summey still on quest to downsize her life – and house B5

A Georgetown Times Investigation

Event to run during Bassmaster weekend

2016 News Awards

>> Georgetown High battles Carolina Forest, N. Myrtle in scrimmages B1

(843) 236-4810 www.myhorrynews.com | Waccamaw Publishers, Inc., 2510 Main St., Conway, SC 29526 Attention: Delivery

CHRONICLE CAROLINA FOREST

THIS WEEK’S EDITION: THREE SECTIONS, 24 PAGES

MATTHEW’S IMPACT 553 Structures damaged in unincorporated Horry County

October 13, 2016 | Vol. IX, No. 50 POSTAL PATRON

IMPACT MINISTRIES STEPPING UP TO HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS, A7 WHY THIS STORM WREAKED SO MUCH HAVOC ON THE GRAND STRAND, A3

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID CONWAY, S.C. PERMIT NO. 44

MATTHEW IN PHOTOS PAGE A10

75 Cents

‘IT’S WAY WORSE’

(843) 236-4810 www.myhorrynews.com | Waccamaw Publishers, Inc., 2510 Main St., Conway, SC 29526 Attention: Delivery

July 7, 2016 | Vol. IX, No. 36 POSTAL PATRON PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID CONWAY, S.C. PERMIT NO. 44

$16.5 million Estimated cost of that damage

152 Roads closed in Horry County

76 People staying in shelter at Beach Church

47,888 Grand Strand utility customers without power.

2016 News Awards

275 Homes and businesses damaged in Myrtle Beach

$6.6 million Estimated cost of that damage

Need help?

FIRST PLACE Page One Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

Residents who need help removing storm debris or repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Matthew can call the statewide crisis cleanup line at 1-800-451-1954. Impact Ministries, along with the Waccamaw VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster), is helping homeowners in Horry County. Once home owners have assessed their properties, they can visit goimpactmb.org/disasterrelief to fill out an application for assistance such as debris removal, removal of mud or water, sheetrock and more. Once the application has been submitted, home owners will receive a response and assessors will be sent out as soon as possible. For more details, contact VOAD in the Horry County Emergency Operations Center at 843-915-5908.

Want to help? Residents wanting to volunteer to help storm victims can contact a statewide volunteer line at 1-888-585-9643.

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Power outages make hurricane more difficult than 2015 flood BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Flooding again frustrates BelleGrove residents BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

A special edition looks at the Chanticleers’ run to a national title in Omaha

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Leah Hornberger walks through her daughter’s flooded bedroom.

(843) 236-4810 www.myhorrynews.com | Waccamaw Publishers, Inc., 2510 Main St., Conway, SC 29526 Attention: Delivery

CHRONICLE CAROLINA FOREST

THIS WEEK’S EDITION: TWO SECTIONS, 22 PAGES

Lawyer: Viers refused to roll on comrades

October 20, 2016 | Vol. IX, No. 51 POSTAL PATRON

THESE CAROLINA FOREST HIGH TEACHERS WATCHED THE SCHOOL GROW UP, A7 CFHS SHOW CHOIRS PREPARING TO WOW AUDIENCES AGAIN, B1

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID CONWAY, S.C. PERMIT NO. 44

A RESCUE IN ROSEWOOD PAGE A6

75 Cents

LIFE AFTER MATTHEW

Former lawmaker set to be released in June

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Thad Viers is expected to serve about half of his 37month prison sentence, but the former state lawmaker could have received a much lighter punishment if he had provided information to federal investigators VIERS about some campaign contributions he received in 2009, his lawyer said. Viers, 38, was sentenced to 37 months in prison in October 2015 after he pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge. Although he had accepted a plea deal, Viers appealed the length of his sentence, which he thought was too severe. After the Fourth Circuit of Appeals affirmed Viers’ sentence on Aug. 29, he opted not to petition the U.S. Supreme Court because he was looking at an early release, said his lawyer, Trey Cockrell. “He didn’t desire to go any further,” he said. Viers is scheduled to be

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Ron Strong of Murrells Inlet hauls off a log from a yard in Forestbrook. Strong was among more than a dozen Samaritan’s Purse volunteers helping clear storm debris on Monday.

Nonprofits need supplies, volunteers to help storm victims BY CHARLES D. PERRY AND AUGUST DITTBENNER

VIERS PAGE A5

INFO@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

“‘He could have helped himself a whole, whole lot. … He’s not one of these [people who says], ‘Hey, I’m going down and everybody’s going with me.’” Trey Cockrell Thad Viers’ lawyer

Peggy McCloskey wanted to go to the beach Monday. A temperature of 77 degrees and a crisp breeze beckoned her. But the Carolina Forest woman kept thinking about the hundreds of local people upended by Hurricane Matthew’s devastation. Instead of sand beneath her feet, she opted for branches between her fingers. “It’s costing me nothing just to jump in my car today and come down,” McCloskey said after raking leaves and picking up branches with more than 15 other Samaritan’s Purse workers in Forestbrook. “That’s what we need. We need people that will CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE come for a week and commit or for a

Joe Comire of Charlotte, North Carolina, takes down a stump in Forestbrook.

month or whatever they can do.” Local nonprofit leaders agree. Horry County officials estimate this month’s hurricane and subsequent flood damaged more than 630 homes and buildings, totaling nearly $20 million in destruction. That amount doesn’t include the municipalities such as Myrtle Beach and Conway or the flooded homes on the river, which county leaders have not been able to access. Many homeowners can’t afford emergency maintenance, and it’s unclear how much government assistance will be available. So charities and nonprofit groups are stepping up to meet the need. Countywide, more than 100 volunteers have been sawing trees and clearing limbs daily. VOLUNTEERS PAGE A3

Horry County begins collecting storm debris from roadsides BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Horry County staff began collecting storm debris from roadsides Friday and will continue picking up tree limbs and other yard waste in the coming weeks. The county normally does not provide roadside collection, but officials are making an exception because of Hurricane Matthew. County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said early esti-

Something to crow about

FEMA to mates indiWant more info? allow us to cated the For more details about the pick up detemporary program will county’s temporary program to bris on private roads. If cost between remove tree limbs, yard waste approved, $4-6 million, and other vegetation leftover from Hurricane Matthew, call that will inthough that the debris hotline at 843-340crease the projection 9536 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. costs as will be rewell.” fined as the She said the Federal Emercounty continues the work. gency Management Agency “We haven’t been able to (FEMA) will likely reimburse access the flooded areas,” the county for the service, Bourcier said. “So our totals meaning the impact to don’t reflect debris in those county coffers should be beareas, and we have asked

tween $600,000 and $1 million. Although the county has not released a cleanup schedule for storm debris yet, residents with questions about the temporary pickup program can call the county’s debris hotline at 843340-9536 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The county will pick up storm debris placed along county-maintained roads,

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

DEBRIS PAGE A2 Storm debris in Forestbrook awaits collection by Horry County staff.

Coverage begins on page A6

2016 News Awards

THE 2017 OF

THIRD PLACE Page One Design Associate & Individual Member Division

Ryan Wilcox GSA Business Report

Woes The construction industry is battling an image problem. PAGE 12

Volume 19, No. 20 • $2.00 00

CE HOME EN

www.gsabusiness.com

October 3 - 30, 2016

ING CONFER UR

MANUFACT SC

UP FOR GRABS NORTH CAROLINA’S HB2 LAW COULD PUSH BUSINESS SOUTH

Education A Furman University program hopes to help adults. PAGE 10

Celebrating

It’s a situation South Carolina knows all too well. Now, it’s North Carolina’s travel and tourism industry feeling the brunt of being boycotted because of a government policy. But, now that the shoe is on the other foot, entities in South Carolina have looked at bidding on events like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and others that have been taken out of North Carolina because of HB2.

Industries and schools will be taking part in Manufacturing Day. PAGE 4

THELIST Recycling Companies PAGE 18

INSIDE Leading Off ...................... 2 In Focus: Clean, Green and Sustainable Business ..... 15 People in the News ........ 21 Viewpoint ....................... 23

People have protested North Carolina's HB2 law that restricts the rights of those who are transgender. The law has led some companies and events to leave North Carolina. (Photo/File)

PAGE 8

Bottom line The city of Greenville ended its fiscal year with above-expected reserves on the books. PAGE 5

2016 News Awards

Best Edito rial Best Over• all Design • Best Prin t Scoop

Volume 22, No. 18 • $2.000

August 22 - September 4, 2016 • www.charlestonbusiness.com

SECOND PLACE Page One Design Associate & Individual Member Division

CofC degree dispelling ‘starving artist’ stigma By Ashley Heffernan

Expanding awareness Mayors across U.S. asked to display homeless art from Charleston. Page 6

aheffernan@scbiznews.com

hen Erin Nathanson graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007, her bachelor’s degree in arts management focused heavily on the nonproff it sector, public administration and performing arts.

What the degree didn’t prepare her for, though, was her future as a business owner, an element that leaders in the program now realize is missing. Shortly after college, Nathanson landed a job planning and curating exhibitions for Charleston’s City Gallery at Waterfront Park. But over time, she realized her true passion was for visual arts — specifically contempo-

rary, emerging art from Southern artists — and the need to curate it independently. “Charleston should have a space that supports it, and not just in a nonprofit, museum atmosphere, but in a commercial space,” Nathanson said. “It’s important for artists to see that they can have a career as an artist, and See COFC ART, T Page 16 6

Tech sector often left behind on state incentives

Medical fostering Family on James Island takes in 76-year-old Vietnam veteran fighting dementia. Page 19

By Liz Segrist lsegrist@scbiznews.com

‘DuWap’ revamp City, county team up to create master plan for West Ashley community. Page 13

Emily Matesi Charleston Regional Business Journal

2015

$385M project

hen Volvo Cars agreed to invest $600 million to build an automotive campus and create 4,000 jobs in Berkeley County, the state rolled out the red carpet, promising millions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure, office space and other perks. Such state-funded incentives are typical for manufacturers, and they appear to work. Boeing 787 Dreamliners are built in North Charleston, and by the end of the decade, Volvo’s new S60 sedans and Mercedes-Benz’ Sprinter vans will both be built from start to finish in the Lowcountry. Those companies boost the region’s knowledge economy, and the jobs they create buoy the economy. But when tech companies open offices and create jobs in South Carolina, or when a startup founder relocates from San Francisco to Charleston, a massive incentives package is not typically at the ready. “Our system is sort of loaded for

The The he Po Porrt Port rt of of Ch Char C hhar ar a le lest les est es ston on bought ttwo tw wo eno enorrmous mous containner cra containe cranes anes to get read ea y for for the erra of era of big igger shhips igg i and deeper deep eeperr w water a ers. s. Page age 5

MUSC breaks ground on new children’s hospital, women’s pavilion. Page 17

INSIDE Upfront ............................. 2 In Focus: Health Care: The Business of Eldercare....................... 11 Lists: Retirement Communities Home Care .................... 17 At Work .......................... 19 People in the News......... 19 Business Digest.............. 19 Hot Properties................. 22 Viewpoint........................ 23

See TECH, H Page 10 ³ Pho Photo hotoo/Liz //Li /L Lizz Seg Liz Segri egri eegr griist st

Get the facts More than 100 pages of data, information and analysis about the Charleston metro area. Inside

THE 2017 OF

2016 News Awards

Page One Design Associate & Individual Member Division

Getting started Classes have started at the Center for Manufacturing Innovation. PAGE 11

HIGH STAKES www.gsabusiness.com

Volume 19, No. 18 â&#x20AC;¢ $2.00 00

CE HOME EN

September 5 - 18, 2016

FIRST PLACE

ING CONFER UR

MANUFACT SC

Challenges Chamber directors talk about workforce. PAGE 8

Moving

THELIST Industrial Staffing Agencies PAGE 20

There is a lot of money at stake as Lockheed Martin vies for a U.S. Air Force contract for new fighter-trainer jets. The contract is valued at between $10 billion and $11 billion, and if awarded, the final assembly and checkout will be done in Greenville. But what

Leading Off ...................... 2 Manufacturing & Supply Chain Report ...... 11 People in the News ........ 29 Viewpoint ....................... 31

are the chances Lockheed Martin gets the deal considering it is competing with the likes of Boeing and Northrup Grumman?

Page 3 Photos/Lockheed Martin Corporation

& SUPPLY CHAIN REPORT

Manufacturing and supply chain news from around South Carolina. PAGE 11

MANUFACT SC

ING CONFER UR

MANUFACTURING

THE 2017 OF

INSIDE

CE HOME EN

Ryan Wilcox GSA Business Report

Engenius has moved its offices to the west end of downtown Greenville. PAGE 6

Stags tennis team starts season Wednesday, March 16, 2016

See Page 1B

50¢ www.berkeleyind.com ®

2016 News Awards

INDEX: Calendar 2A z Classifieds 3B z Editorial 5A z Trilogy 4A z Wise Words 4A z Sports 1B z St. Stephen 4A

Property taxes set to go up BY LINDSAY STREET lstreet@berkeleyind.com

THIRD PLACE Single Page One Design Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Remember 2012? Movie theaters played “Life of Pi,” the radio (and YouTube) blared “Gangamstyle,” and Berkeley County voters checked “yes” to a referendum that raised property taxes for the sake of schools’ capital improvements during the next few decades. This story has to deal with that last bit. Bottom line: Your tax bill is about to go up and it could go up further as budget talks begin with the school district. During the March 8 school board meeting at Nexton Elementary, district CFO Brantley Thomas made a presentation about the 10-mill increase tax payers will see this year as the referendum enters Phase 2. “It was something communicated during the referendum campaign,” Thomas said. The first phase brought the capital mills to 65 mills and raises $100 million. The second phase brings the mills to 75 until late in the 2020s where it decreases to 30.4 mills in 2029. It will bring in $98 million, for the combined total of $298 million. A mill is a property tax rate of 10 cents per $100 of taxed value. The current schedule will affect all property types, except for owner-occupied homes under Act 388. “We’ll be talking about this during the budget process,” Thomas said. A tax anticipation note will need to be agreed upon in the June 14 board meeting, he said. More on the scheduled increase will be discussed at the school board’s scheduled budget workshop, 6:30 p.m. April 18 at the boardroom in Moncks

Photos by David Kennard/The Independent

Work has begun on the Sheep Island interchange on Interstate 26 west of the Summerville-Moncks Corner 199 exit.

The road yet traveled Sheep Island interchange groundbreaking slated for March 21 BY LINDSAY STREET lstreet@berkeleyind.com

See TAXES, Page 6A

Krena Lanham The Berkeley Independent

‘One word: Growth’ Top Berkeley official gives first State of the County address BY LINDSAY STREET lstreet@berkeleyind.com

Crews work to clear trees and other debris in preparation for the the Sheep Island interchange on Interstate 26 west of the Summerville-Moncks Corner 199 exit.

A summary of Berkeley County Supervisor Bill Peagler’s first State of the County address could be “Berkeley County is growing and will continue to grow.” Peagler’s address was released on YouTube on Monday. “I believe I can summarize the state of the county in one word: growth,” Peagler said more than halfway through his address. “I offer my first State of the County with an unmatched optimism that Berkeley County is currently in a great position with an outlook of an even better future.” Previous State of the County adPhotos by Debbie Merlo/Independent dresses have been given at Berkeley Chamber of Commerce events. Peag- Moncks Corner mayor Michael Lockliear is ready for shucking at the Old Santee ler told the Independent that the deci- Canal Park on Saturday. sion to publish to YouTube was so that no one had to pay to see the address, and so that it wouldn’t take up all the time in a county council meeting. The video was shot and edited by Aldo Napoli. The fundraiser The address opened with the list of benefits educapromises Peagler made during his tional and sum2014 campaign that led him to assum- mer programs. ing the seat January 2015. “Many people said these promises See COUNTY, Page 6A

The interchange known as Sheep Island will have its official groundbreaking 11 a.m. March 21. The interchange is also referred to as Nexton Parkway, but most media reports and county action has labeled the exit west of the Summerville-Moncks Corner 199 exit as Sheep Island. On the Berkeley County side, the interchange would take traffic onto Nexton Parkway to Sheep Island Road, which meets up with State Road (Highway 176). The interchange would service the burgeoning, master-planned communities of Nexton and Cane Bay. Between the two developments, there could be more than 20,000 new homes in those developments that would ultimately be served via the interchange. Nexton sits near the intersection of I-26 and 17-A, and Cane Bay sits between Cooper Store Road and 17-A on State Road. The interchange is tentatively scheduled for completion December 2017. The project received a $67.4-million commitment from the county and state infrastructure bank. The county will pay for its commitment from the transportation penny sales tax. Neighboring Town of Summerville and Dorchester County will also foot funds for the interchange.

Shuckin’ in the Park BY DEBBIE MERLO dmerlo@berkeleyind.com

Buy oysters – a lot of oysters – and sell tickets. It’s that simple according to Brad Sale. Sale has been the coordinator of Shuckin’ in the Park, “for a few years now,” he said. “And it keeps getting easier and easier.” Live music of Sale’s choice, was provided by popular local band Customs 4 and friends. “They’re a good group, well-known and they play festival appropriate music,” said Sale. The park was home for a day to a multitude of festival fans carrying chairs, tents and tables to set up and sit around while enjoying the live music surrounded by vendors and the oysters. A lot of oysters. A shell recycle bin was filling up fast from the 250 bushels of single select gulf coast oysters Sale chose for the

Shuckin in the Park’s coordinator, Brad Sale. 16th annual event at Old Santee Canal Park Saturday. Proceeds of the oyster sales benefited the education and summer programs provided by the park. For $10 plus the cost of a knife (about $4) a gallon bucket came filled with oysters in the shell freshly steamed on-site. Bakery items, beverages, beer and french fries were just a few of the other edibles offered by vendors. “We get started (planning) once See SHUCKIN’, Page 6A

THIS WEEK IN FOCUS ON YOU: N.A., FOX CREEK SPORTS PHOTOS, 1B

PROJECT JACKSON INCHES FORWARD: DEAL CLEARS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;MAJOR OBSTACLES,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4A N O R T H AU G U S TAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 5 4 WEDNESDAY, September 28, 2016

NORTHAUGUSTASTAR.COM

FLIGHT 1549 LANDS CLOSE TO HOME FOR FORMER RESIDENT

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Single Page One Design Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Michael Smith The North Augusta Star

Vol. LXIII, No. 14 North Augusta, S.C.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Miracle on the Hudsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; passenger and native of North Augusta rises above fear of flying AP FILE PHOTO/BEBETO MATTHEWS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

General offices ....................803-279-2793

INDEX Blotter................ 5A Classifieds .......... 5B Focus on You....... 1B Obituaries .......... 4A

Opinions............. 9A Religion.............. 3B Starring You ....... 2A Sporting Life .... 10A

BY BILL BENGTSON bbengtson@aikenstandard.com

Lawmakers assist in DSS case Hearings held after Murphy Village children placed in custody BY MICHAEL SMITH msmith@aikenstandard.com 6WDWH ODZPDNHUV KDYH ÂżHOGHG FDOOV IURP VHYHUDO residents concerning the S.C. Department of Social Services initiating proceedings relative to the cusWRG\ RI FKLOGUHQ LQ 0XUSK\ 9LOODJH KRPH WR RQH of the largest communities of Irish Travelers in the U.S. S.C. Rep. Bill Hixonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phone was ringing off the hook Friday from constituents from the North Augusta community, which recently received attention in a separate case involving the indictment of nearly two dozen North Augusta and Augusta residents on

ONLINE COVERAGE First reported on The North Augusta Star website at northaugustastar.com racketeering and fraud charges in August. Only the calls Hixon, a Republican who represents the area of North Augusta, answered Friday FDPH IURP 0XUSK\ 9LOODJH UHVLGHQWV XSVHW DERXW DSS initiating proceedings to take several children into custody. Hixon said not all travelers are bad people, contrary to public perception. Âł7KH\ IHHO OLNH WKH\ÂśUH EHLQJ GLVFULPLQDWHG

HERLONG

DJDLQVW Â´ +L[RQ VDLG Âł, IHHO IRU WKHP 7KH\ ZHUH crying and they were upset.â&#x20AC;? S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also received calls from several residents relating to DSS initiating proceedings. Young chairs the DSS Oversight Committee. Young said he has no involvement whatsoever in the DSS proceedings themselves and declined to comment about the pending case itself. He said his involvement is restricted to ensuring the children DUH UHFHLYLQJ FRPIRUW LWHPV DQG KDYLQJ VSHFLÂżF medical needs met, such as doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointments. Please see DSS, Page 6A

Edgefield, SC â&#x20AC;˘ 803-279-2434 www.herlongcars.com

AS11-1425802

One step closer to graduation /")4 IPMET BXBSET OJHIU r 2A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Single Page One Design Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Amy Hunter The North Augusta Star

N O R T H AU G U S TAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 5 4

NORTHAUGUSTASTAR.COM

WEDNESDAY, May 25, 2016

Plaza to get more stores

Buzz

kill

BY AMY HUNTER ahunter@northaugustastar.com North Augustans soon will not have to travel across the river or to Aiken to be able to enjoy shops such as Ross Dress for Less, Rack Room Shoes and PetSmart. North Augusta Plaza, located off Martintown Road, will soon be tearing down the Kmart and starting work on overhauling the shopping center. Plans for the new stores at the shopping center were submitted to the Planning Commission in March 2015 and are just now coming to fruition. 7R PDNH LW KDSSHQ &LW\ RIÂżFLDOV had to work together to make some adjustments to allow the property to be redeveloped. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was really glad and encouraged that Council and Planning Commission worked together to make some development code changes that were needed,â&#x20AC;? City Councilman Fletcher Dickert said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, that is very encouraging to see them work together on a common goal.â&#x20AC;? In a past North Augusta Star report, Dickert said he had high hopes for the shopping center, saying he would â&#x20AC;&#x153;love to seeâ&#x20AC;? some of the older centers be redeveloped like Washington Crossing in AuJXVWD ZKLFK IHDWXUHV %RQHÂżVK *ULOO +DOI 0RRQ 2XWÂżWWHUV -DVRQÂśV Deli and more. Now that the stores have been announced, Dickert is happy to see the shopping center redevelop. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am glad to see that shopping center redevelop and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad to see, what I would call, quality-oflife businesses coming to North Augusta,â&#x20AC;? Dickert said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People want place to spend their money, to shop and to eat, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to see more businesses coming and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Please see STORES, Page 5A

Mosquito Control Con ntrol Program in n full force BY AMY HUNTER ahunter@northaugustastar.com

L STAFF PHOTO BY AMY HUNTER

Chemical Technician Todd Guerrieri mans the mosquito fogging truck every Wednesday morning, treating neighborhoods with a natural insect repellent.

Tips for mosquito season Mosquitoes in some other countries carry the Zika virus and transmit it through biting. When traveling to any country with active Zika transmission, travelers should proactively take steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as: t 6TJOH JOTFDU SFQFMMFOU t 8FBSJOH MPOH TMFFWFT BOE QBOUT t 4UBZJOH JO QMBDFT XJUI BJS DPOEJtioning or that use window and door screens. Information from SCDHEC

Blotter................ 6A Classifieds .......... 4B Focus on You....... 1B

Opinions........... 11A Religion.............. 2B Starring You ....... 2A

onger days and warmer weather arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just enjoyable for humans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mosquitoes love this time of year, as well. In an effort to squash the mosquito population, The City of North Augusta Mosquito Control Program mists neighborhoods with an all-natural bug repellent fog from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. once a week, from May through September. City Chemical Technician Todd Guerrieri makes the rounds in the fogging truck every Wednesday morning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s around 65 degrees, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out spraying,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Usually from Memorial Day to Labor Day.â&#x20AC;? The fog consists of a natural insect repelling product and takes effect LPPHGLDWHO\ RQ PRVTXLWRHV WLFNV Ă&#x20AC;HDV DQG RWKHU LQVHFWV â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a permethrin product, which is derived from chrysanthemums, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually a natural product. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carried by mineral oil,â&#x20AC;? Guerrieri said. In order to both kill active mosquitoes and prevent larvae from developing, the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control program works in two parts. The fogger truck is geared toward knocking out the active mosquitoes. According to Guerrieri, the fog can spread pretty far from the initial spray site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any wind, it gets up to 384 feet (away),â&#x20AC;? he said. According to a fact sheet about the control program, the fog effectively kills 80 to 85 percent of mosquitoes. For the larvae, technicians will use dunks in pools of standing water to prevent development. Mosquito dunks are a tablet-style product to put in standing water to kill larvae. Its active ingredient, Bacillus thuringiensis, is only toxic to mosquitoes and can last for up to 30 days, according to insectcop.net. Guerrieri said this method is common for certain areas of North Augusta, such as the Greeneway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we do on the Greeneway is, we put out dunks and you put them in the water,â&#x20AC;? Guerrieri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got standing water around the area, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll put those in because those help with the (larvae).â&#x20AC;? As for protecting against the Zika virus, â&#x20AC;&#x153;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a horse of a different color,â&#x20AC;? Guerrieri said, adding that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a real threat to the area. Please see BUZZ, Page 5A

General offices ....................803-279-2793

INDEX

Vol. LXII, No. 47 North Augusta, S.C.

Water parks can offer economic boost BY MICHAEL SMITH msmith@aikenstandard.com As Scuttleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island works to calm the waters following news about a ODQGRZQHU DIÂżOLDWHG ZLWK WKH SURMHFW pleading guilty to fraud charges in Pennsylvania, water parks in general ofIHU WDQJLEOH HFRQRPLF EHQHÂżWV VRXUFHV familiar with the industry say. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kids love water parks. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re family destinations,â&#x20AC;? said Myrtle Beach City Councilman Randal Wallace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would

WKLQN WKH EHQHÂżWV ZRXOG IDU RXWZHLJK any detractions about (them).â&#x20AC;? Myrtle Beach is home to three water parks, including Myrtle Waves Water Park, which is managed by Innovative Attraction Management LLC, the same )ORULGD ÂżUP WKDWÂśV PDQDJLQJ 6FXWWOHÂśV Island. Wallace thinks building a water park in North Augusta would entice more businesses to the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tourist attraction so it would put you on the map I would think,â&#x20AC;? he said.

HERLONG

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big nightclub facility. Kids love the water park, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hardly control them when they get past the gate.â&#x20AC;? Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said water parks generate a wide variety of tax revenues, including property taxes, admission taxes and hospitality taxes. Water parks also create jobs. A Myrtle Waves news release from February said it anticipates hiring more than 250 workers for the 2016 season. The only drawback to water parks,

Kruea said, is that most are seasonal. The 2016 operating schedule for Myrtle Waves is May 7 to Sept. 16, according to the Myrtle Waves news release. Âł,WÂśV D OLWWOH GLIÂżFXOW WR ÂżQG VRPHWKLQJ to criticize a business that does well. 7KH\ GHÂżQLWHO\ FRQWULEXWH WR WKH ORFDO economy,â&#x20AC;? Kruea said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced any noise issues from a water park. The parking is selfcontained on the site. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great place to Please see BOOST, Page 5A

Edgefield, SC â&#x20AC;˘ 803-279-2434 www.herlongcars.com

AS11-1425802

(843) 236-4810 www.myhorrynews.com | Waccamaw Publishers, Inc., 2510 Main St., Conway, SC 29526 Attention: Delivery

CHRONICLE CAROLINA FOREST

THIS WEEK’S EDITION: THREE SECTIONS, 24 PAGES

2016 News Awards

MATTHEW’S IMPACT 553 Structures damaged in unincorporated Horry County

October 13, 2016 | Vol. IX, No. 50 POSTAL PATRON

IMPACT MINISTRIES STEPPING UP TO HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS, A7 WHY THIS STORM WREAKED SO MUCH HAVOC ON THE GRAND STRAND, A3

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID CONWAY, S.C. PERMIT NO. 44

MATTHEW IN PHOTOS PAGE A10

75 Cents

‘IT’S WAY WORSE’

$16.5 million Estimated cost of that damage

152 Roads closed in Horry County

THIRD PLACE Single Page One Design Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Charles D. Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

76 People staying in shelter at Beach Church

47,888 Grand Strand utility customers without power.

275 Homes and businesses damaged in Myrtle Beach

$6.6 million Estimated cost of that damage

Want to help? Residents wanting to volunteer to help storm victims can contact a statewide volunteer line at 1-888-585-9643.

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Power outages make hurricane more difficult than 2015 flood BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

Flooding again frustrates BelleGrove residents BY CHARLES D. PERRY CHARLES.PERRY@MYHORRYNEWS.COM

CHARLES D. PERRY | THE CHRONICLE

Leah Hornberger walks through her daughter’s flooded bedroom.

2016 News Awards

★ NEW HQ OPENS FOR BUSINESS — PAGE 11

SECOND PLACE Single Page One Design Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Wallace McBride The Fort Jackson Leader

5HG %OXH YV

51.',(45 )$&( 1)) $6 %1:,0* 5/1-(4 2

M+,*'$$N '& !& -2( ( 0$11 %8,/',1* 5(6(59(6 3$5.,1* )25 1(: 027+(56 3

, %(&$0( $ 62/',(5 3

★ HOUSING ALLOWANCE RATES DROP IN 2016

2016 News Awards

— PAGE 10

Single Page One Design Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Wallace McBride Fort Jackson Leader

FIRE IN THE HOLE

6($&+,0* .,)( .(55105 10 6+( +$0' *4(0$'( &1745( 2

&' $!%!,+ $50< 5(9($/6 3/$16 72 ,17(*5$7( :20(1 ,172 &20%$7 52/(6 THE HISTORY OF THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS P15 ★★★★★★ ★★★★★★

★★★★★★ ★★★★★★

>> Roundup of Fourth of July events in Georgetown County A3

southstrandnews.com randnews.com

Solicitor: No criminal charges for Capers BY EILEEN KEITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

THIRD PLACE Single Page One Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Sandy Schopfer and Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

Prosecutors declined to pursue charges against former Andrews Police Chief Kaynnera Capers, more than seven we ek s a f ter he was termin at e d a m id allegations he Capers illegally sold weapons owned by the department. On Thursday, June 30, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said he informed the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division his office

50¢ Friday ll July 1 1, 2016 2

SERVING S ERVING GEORGETOWN COUNTY SINCE 1798

NATIONAL CHANTS! CCU beats Arizona 4-3 in College World Series final

See SOLICITOR, Page 4A

Goldfinch, Carolina winners in runoff BY MAX X HRENDA mhrenda@southstrandnews.com

It took an extra two weeks to decide, but Georgetown County voters determined who would represent the Democratic and Republican parties in county and state government races. In the statewide primary r unof f elections held Tuesday, June 28, Everett Carolina Sr. beat out incumbent Goldfinch Council member Leona Myy ers Miller for the Democratic party nominat ion for t he District 3 seat on Georgetown Carolina County Council, while state Rep. Stephen Goldfinch, R-108, edged out Reese Boyd to earn the GOP nod for the District 34 seat in the state Senate. Though victorious, Carolina will face independent candidate Eileen Sullivan Johnson in the Nov. 8 general election. Goldfinch, on the other hand, has no registered opponent for the general election. Barring a successful write-in campaign, he will succeed state Sen. Ray Cleary when he retires at the expiration of his term.

NATI HARNIK/AP

Coastal Carolina players celebrate their 4-3 victory over Arizona to win the championship after Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Nebraska on Thursday. See game story on 1B. See World Series photos on 3B.

Gilmore guys CCU coach only spent two years at Georgetown County’s Pleasant Hill High, but his influence on three men has lasted decades BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

See ELECTION, Page 4A

NATI HARNIK/AP

Coastal Carolina head coach Gary Gilmore celebrates their 4-3 victory over Arizona to win the championship after Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals.

Gary Gilmore’s coaching career may have taken him all the way to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, but it had humble beginnings in Georgetown County. Gilmore, Coastal Carolina University’s baseball coach, arrived in Georgetown County in 1982 to be the physical education teacher at Deep Creek Elementary School. A Virginia native, Gilmore had graduated from Coastal Carolina in 1980 and given minor league baseball a try before accepting the teaching job. In the spring of 1983, Gilmore became the assistant baseball coach at Pleasant Hill High School. “He just brought so much enthusiasm and energy to

our baseball program,” said Harris Avant, boys basketball coach at Johnsonville High School, who was a senior on the 1983 baseball squad. “He brought a lot of knowledge. … It was a wonderful experience playing for him.” Bluffton High School football Coach Ken Cribb was also a senior on the 1983 Pleasant Hill baseball team. He said Gilmore would drive players to any college that would offer them a tryout. Cribb and his teammates loved to play pranks on the coach, often turning on the windshield wipers and radio in Gilmore’s truck, and then waiting to see the coach’s reaction when he started the ignition. Cribb was Pleasant Hill’s

See GILMORE, Page 4A

LVT • Carpet • Tile • Wood • Laminate • Vinyl • Custom Shower • Custom Backsplash

INTRODUCING CORK FLOORING! Beautiful & Durable Cork Flooring Safe For Your Home

843-651-3303 • www.FlooringPlusSC.com CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

YELLOW-OOAO

1/4 mile north of Waccamaw Hospital 3930 Hwy.17 Bypass • Murrells Inlet

GEMR-14

2016 News Awards

>> Inlet girl competes on Food Network show A3

® Wednesday, April 20, 2016 www.journalscene.com 50¢

2016 News Awards

Old Fort Fire unhappy with county plan on fire & rescue

Dorothy ‘retires’ Former zoo gibbon moved to refuge in Summerville

County, town agree on automatic aid

BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON

SECOND PLACE Single Page One Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Sandy Schopfer

BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON

jharrison@journalscene.com

Her song is loud and demeanor shy, but the newest gibbon at the International Primate Protection League Wildlife Facility in Summerville has already made a lasting impression on her caretakers and fellow furry friends. “She’s a remarkable gibbon...very distinctive and shy (but) loves watching the other gibbons,” said I PPL founder Shirley McGreal. T h e 44-year-old dark-haired gibbon, whom staff said is active for her age, Dorothy moved to the refuge in arrived at the February from a New York zoo. facilit y on Primate Lane near Knightsville in February. She had been living as a widow — her mate deceased for at least four years — at a zoo in New York, and needed a new lifestyle, a secluded retirement spot to live out the rest of her days with primates just like her. Gibbons can live to be in their 50s. “It’s the perfect retirement for her,” said Tina McCoy, grants coordinator for IPPL. “Her song is by far the loudest and prettiest.” The breed is known for its melodic sounds, shaggy fur, long arms and sharp claws. While Dorothy is a bit more introverted than some of the others gibbons on site, her arrival brought about an exciting change for the 35-plus residents. She arrived with a mirror as her main source of entertainment, and the toy quickly became a hit with the others. “We’ve learned we have some very vain gibbons,” McCoy said laughing. “We give everybody a turn.” Dorothy also ventured South with a sloth companion, from the same zoo, who spent a night at the Summerville site until leaving for his new home the next day. McCoy said they’ve also learned Dorothy likes to eat large worms, unlike the other gibbons, who mainly snack on sweet potatoes and fruit, among other items. While living alone right now, Dorothy will eventually gain a male partner. Staff said they

Dorchester County residents can expect the closest fire apparatus to respond to any future emergency they might have, regardless of their tax district. By a unanimous vote Monday night in St. George, Dorchester County Council approved an automatic aid agreement between Dorchester County Fire & Rescue and Summerville Fire Department. Town council passed the agreement with a vote of 6-1 at its April 13 meeting, with Mayor Wiley Johnson opposed. Council Chairman David Chinnis also called out members of Old Fort Fire Department’s board after he said they’ve tried to “wage a war” with county Fire & Rescue based on politics and fear, rather than facts. “They are entitled to their opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts,” Chinnis said. The dispute with Old Fort is over a district in the Knightsville/Jedburg area that currently receives fire protection from Old Fort. After Jan. 17, 2017, the county agency will absorb fire protection of that territory. Council voted in November to terminate the contract it first created with Old Fort in 1989, county officials said. Councilman Jay Byars said he felt Old Fort board members have become more concerned with territory than public safety. He pointed out benefits of the agreement. “The county has established a fire department that is now able to take over the district and lower ISO ratings using tankers in remote areas,” Byars said. The agency boasts an average response time of eight minutes and between 20 and 25 firefighters at every fire scene, Chinnis said. The council chairman also told Monday’s meeting crowd that county Fire & Rescue is the only agency of its kind in the state that can lay a mile-long hose from a hydrant. Councilman Bill Hearn echoed the opinions of his council colleagues. He said he can’t understand why Old Fort board members would continuously meet behind closed doors instead of bringing their questions to council and county fire officials. He made certain to note he’s “disturbed” by

Photos Provided by the International Primate Protection League

Dorothy, a 44-year-old gibbon, poses in her wire cage at the International Primate Protection League wildlife sanctuary in Summerville. first want her to get used to her new environment. But she’s already shown a slight interest in Spanky, a light-brown colored gibbon 34 years her junior. But age doesn’t matter to gibbons. “She spends a lot of time sitting and looking at him,” McCoy said. And there’s no set time frame for when a female gibbon will exhibit behaviors showing she

prefers a certain mate. The pairing is strictly for companionship, however. McCoy said their male gibbons are all neutered. Mia, another gibbon at the facility, has taken a year to find a mate. Staff even held a contest last March, urging the community to vote on See DOROTHY, Page 3A

See FIRE, Page 6A

Resident fights to install solar panels on house

DCSO deputy involved in crash BY LESLIE CANTU

mkreber@journalscene.com

A Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office deputy was involved in a crash at North Main Street and U.S. 78 on Monday, the sheriff’s office has confirmed. The crash happened about 3:30 p.m. S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Matt Southern said the deputy and the other driver both sustained minor injuries; the other driver was transported to Trident Medical Center. According to Southern, the other driver was traveling south on U.S. 17-A and the deputy was traveling north, attempting a left turn onto U.S. 78, when the crash occurred. He said the deputy was not involved in a vehicle pursuit at the time of the crash. The crash is under investigation, he said. Jenna-Ley Harrison contributed to this report.

A Summerville resident has been denied permission from her homeowners association to erect solar panels on her house, but she plans to put them up anyway. When she bought her Victoria Pointe house, Stephanie Bernard, a married mother of two, said she knew she wanted it to be energyefficient. She looked into other solar installation companies until she found the right fit for her. She is expecting to save $600 per year on her utility bills with solar power; Sunrun is providing the solar panels and LGCY Power is the power plant. However, Bernard has hit a wall with her homeowners association, which has denied her request to install the panels. “They said ‘no’ based on their personal feelings of the aesthetics of it and that it would devalue our neighborhood. David Kennard/Journal Scene

A sheriff’s office cruiser sits at U.S. 78 and North Main Street after a crash Monday.

BBQ 23 april

competition

Music festival

See SOLAR, Page 6A

at The Ponds Under the Oaks

8 8 8 -713 -10 42

S BENEFITTING O U T H E R N F L A M E F E S T I VA L . O R G SUMMERVILLE MIRACLE LEAGUE

SJ04-1440821

The Summerville Journal Scene

BY MONICA KREBER

lcantu@journalscene.com

ÂŽ Wednesday, May 25, 2016 www.journalscene.com 50Â˘

STATE CHAMPS!

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Single Page One Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Roger Lee/Journal Scene

After draping the No. 19 jersey over it in honor of lost teammate Tripp Rabon, Green Wave baseball players hoist the Class AAAA state championship trophy. Summerville defeated J.L. Mann 2-1 in the title game Friday to claim the high schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first state baseball championship since 2003. For more on the game, see Page 1B.

Library seeks tax increase during budget presentations BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON jharrison@journalscene.com

interested in increased staff diversity. He said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s addressed the topic for years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the kids go to the library, I want them to know we are one Amerr ica,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want them to see people who look like me, but not just African-Americans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but Asian-Amerr icans...people they can identify.â&#x20AC;? Redmond assured Davis that diversity is vital to her and the library board and that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve even hired new minority employees over the last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is always one of our goals,â&#x20AC;? she

said of diversity.

Fire Though Ashley River Fire Department isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seeking a tax increase for next budget year, Chief Scott Inabinet told council the agency would like $6,000 to assist with costs associated with housing Dorchester County EMS medic 6. The two operations have shared a facility in North Charleston since the 1990s. See LIBRARY, Page 4A

The fight, fears continue

Concerned Knightsville residents petition â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mason 2.0â&#x20AC;&#x2122; brewing up this to stop county takeover of Old Fort Fire BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON summer jharrison@journalscene.com

BY MONICA KREBER mkreber@journalscene.com

Jenna-Ley Harrison/Journal Scene

Old Fort Fire Department Board Chairman Steve Burke explains to a town hall meeting crowd of a few dozen people Thursday at Knightsville Elementary School how he and fellow board members believe Dorchester County gave them no say about future changes for the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire coverage area. See FIRE, Page 6A

SJ07-1451806

Summervilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mason 2.0â&#x20AC;? is nearly ready. The town set a world record last year by concocting the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest iced (sweet) tea in celebration of National Tea Day. A giant mason jar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; named Mason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was filled with 1,425 gallons of ice cold sweet tea to serve to the comProvided munity. The event earned Summerville Kent Williams adjusts the giant lemon wedge on the rim a Guinness Book of World Records title of the mason jar â&#x20AC;&#x201D; known as Mason â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that will be used to for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest sweet tea. once again help Summerville be known as the town that brewed the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest sweet tea. See TEA, Page 6A

Residents in Knightsville and Jedburg are not backing down from the fight to save three Old Fort Fire Department stations from a county takeover in 2017. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not Summerville; we are Knightsville,â&#x20AC;? declared resident Sara Hunter to applause from fellow residents during a meeting Thursday hosted by Dorchester County Fire & Rescue in an attempt to answer concerns about the transition. Starting Jan. 17, Dorchester

The Summerville Journal Scene

$3.60 on a $150,000 home. If council grants the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funding request, library Director Jennie Redmond said the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2016-17 budget would rise to around $3.3 million. Without it, the total rests at roughly $2.9 million. Through new facilities, library officials said they hope to update technology and better accommodate the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolving needs, Redmond said. In addition to the budget, Councilman Willie Davis told library officials heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Tea time for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;2.0â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Krena Lanham

The Dorchester County Public Library has requested about $320,000 from the county to fund first-year operr ating expenses for a new Summerville branch in the next one to two years. The library was one of a handful of county groups presenting their 201617 budgets to council in St. George on Monday. Every year 10 agencies that lack fiscal autonomy look to council to approve

their budgets. The libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request is separate from a $30 million bond referendum to build three new branches during the next 10 years. On May 2, library officials asked council to consider placing the referendum on the 2016 ballot. The operational funding requested Monday would stem from the tax cap law, called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;look-back.â&#x20AC;? The state allows the library to â&#x20AC;&#x153;look backâ&#x20AC;? and combine unused tax increases from the last three fiscal years. The tax increase would amount to

lifestyles

2B SOCIETY 3B BOOKING REPORT 4B LEGAL NOTICES 5B CLASSIFIEDS

JUNE 22, 2016 | PAGE 1B THEâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;ANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;PRESS, DARLINGTON, S.C.

WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET

LI ESTYLES

% 62&,(7< % %22.,1* 5(3257 % /(*$/ 127,&(6 % &/$66,),('6

-$18$5< _ 3$*( % 7+(ŕŻ&#x2013;1(:6ŕŻ&#x2013;$1'ŕŻ&#x2013;35(66 '$5/,1*721 6 &

NNNÂ?E<NJ8E;GI<JJÂ?E<K

2016 News Awards

Several of the Nigerian dwarf goats on their Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day present from the Boykin family - their very own wooden pienic table, perfect for jumping up to view the farm!

Boykin Farms:

A family hobby farm with the prettiest blue-eyed goats in Darlington County

By Jana E. Pye Editor editor@newsandpress.net

THIRD PLACE Feature Page Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

When Dawn and Daniel Boykin were wed, the young bride knew her husband would want to have a small farm one day. Neither imagined that they would have a small business breeding goats, and using the nutrient high-fat goat milk to create a successful soap and lotion small business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d want some chickens,â&#x20AC;? said Dawn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I first visited Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home, his father had an incubator hatching chicks in the kitchen!â&#x20AC;? Daniel laughed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up out in the country,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have just always loved it.â&#x20AC;? On their well-manicured six acres of land in the Hurricane Farms subdivision in Darlington with fruit trees, blueberries, and grapevines, the couple and their 12 year old son, Denton, tend to a hobby farm in addition to their full time jobs. Their farm animals include a small herd of Nigerian dwarf goats, a flock of laying hens (Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks in long nesting enclosures under trees for shade and protection from stray dogs), a few Guineas that roam about the farm, a sweet miniature Australian shepherd dog named Jackson, an adopted lop eared rabbit named Brerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rabbit, and two hard working cats â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Puddinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, who sleeps with the goats, and Mittens, who sleeps with the hens. The goats came as a surprise about two years ago when a neighbor asked if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to buy some from a farmer selling off his herd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We bought seven without even having a barn yet,â&#x20AC;? recalled Dawn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our neighbor bought a few, and kept

Daniel,, Dawn and Denton Boykin PHOTOS BY JANA E. PYE

ours for us until we built the barn and the fences.â&#x20AC;? The couple chose the Nigerian dwarf breed partly because of their smaller size as a milk goat, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;..they are just adorable,â&#x20AC;? said Denton. His parents agree. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We like the blue-eyed ones the best, and we find that other hobby farmers do too.â&#x20AC;? said Don. There were 15 babies born to the herd this year already, fetching premium prices for their color, eye color (the blue eyed babies are always a happy surprise!), good bloodlines and excellent health. Each is sold with papers. The couple has looked into showing their goats; Denton may wish to do as he gets older. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already had success

with hatching chicks, and selling them. The daily routine for the family consists of getting up at 4:30 a.m. to feed the animals and give them fresh water, cleaning out pens, and repeating in the early evening. Dentonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job is to provide water to the animals, hauling bucket after bucket. The couple insures good health for their herd by worming them, trimming their hooves, providing vaccinations and disbudding â&#x20AC;&#x201C; removing horns â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all at their farm. The goats have a long lifespan, living 12 - 20 years for does, and 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11 years for bucks. The bucks and does are kept in separate pens, and are bred twice a year, in the fall and spring.

The female goats producing milk are milked once a day, and happily hop up to the milking station to snack on some dry food while Daniel milks them. Each doeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s udder has two teats. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The milk is higher in vitamins, high in minerals, selenium â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high is almost everything.â&#x20AC;? said Daniel. The milk fat is much higher than cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk, too, which makes it perfect for making the soaps and lotions. Dawn has the soap and lotion routine down to a science, and enlists help from her husband and son to assist. The soap cures for 5 weeks, and the lotion is ready to use as soon as it is bottled. The number one fragrance is Clean Cotton, but the new McIntosh Apple is gaining appeal. In addition to the high fat goat milk, she adds shea butter, olive oil and coconut oil to create luxurious, great smelling soap and lotion. Dawn has also made goatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk cheese, and goatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk fudge just for their own use, but not to sell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both are out of this world!â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pursued getting the products into many stores because we are in a spot of â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;do we want another job or keep it as a hobby?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had several places that have expressed an interest.â&#x20AC;? said Daniel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really do want it to stay a hobby, â&#x20AC;&#x201C;but if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big enough to do the to not have to work, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be great.â&#x20AC;? added Dawn. Daniel grins at his wife. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You keep working and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll retire and do the farm stuff?â&#x20AC;? he asks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I enjoy it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d much rather farm.â&#x20AC;? Folks can find their products at Darlington Feed and Seed, on their Facebook page, and the Market at Darlington Square. You may reach them at: 843-393-8823.

(ENRY #URRY WITH SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS AND TOOLS HE USES TO CRAFT UNIQUE HOMEBREWED BEERS

Farm fresh eggs from the Boykin Farm are a tasty treat!

% 62&,(7< % %22.,1* 5(32576 % /(*$/ 127,&(6 % &/$66,),('6

Goat Milk Soap from Boykin Farm curing at the Boykin home.

One of the 8 week old baby goats - a â&#x20AC;&#x153;doelingâ&#x20AC;? with Daniel Boykin

LIFESTYLES

129(0%(5 _ 3$*( %

(OMEBREWING TAPS INTO

CREATIVITY

7+(ŕŻ&#x2013;1(:6ŕŻ&#x2013;$1'ŕŻ&#x2013;35(66 '$5/,1*721 6 &

NNNÂ?E<NJ8E;GI<JJÂ?E<K

%\ 6DPDQWKD /\OHV 6WDII :ULWHU VO\OHV#QHZVDQGSUHVV QHW 4RIMMING A RAW "OSTON BUTT INTO COMPETITION SHAPE TAKES ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES

Duane Childers News and Press

)NJECTIONS ENSURE THE PORK REMAINS MOIST DUR ING ITS LONG STAY IN THE SMOKER

4HE 3PEED &EED ""1 #OOK /FF AND CAR SHOW OFFERED DINERS A CHANCE TO SEE SOME TRULY UNIQUE CLASSIC CARS LIKE THIS AWESOME TWO SEATER LAND SHARK 0(/4/3 "9 3!-!.4(! ,9,%3

"EHIND THE SCENES AT THE 3PEED &EED ""1 #OOK /FF %\ 6DPDQWKD /\OHV 6WDII :ULWHU VO\OHV#QHZVDQGSUHVV QHW

K`]Ă&#x203A; ;Yjdaf_lgfĂ&#x203A; IY[]oYqĂ&#x203A; `gkl]\ l`]Ă&#x203A;làj\Ă&#x203A;YffmYdĂ&#x203A;Jh]]\Ă&#x203A;ÂŹĂ&#x203A;=]]\Ă&#x203A;99H :ggcÂ¤F^^Ă&#x203A; gfĂ&#x203A; EgnÂ?Ă&#x203A; ~Â&#x20AC;Ă&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; ~Â Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; dmjaf_ egj]Ă&#x203A; l`YfĂ&#x203A; làjlqĂ&#x203A; ]ph]jlĂ&#x203A; ZYjZ][m] l]YekĂ&#x203A; ^jgeĂ&#x203A; Jgml`Ă&#x203A; :YjgdafYĂ&#x203A; Yf\ Z]qgf\Ă&#x203A; lgĂ&#x203A; [geh]l]Ă&#x203A; ^gjĂ&#x203A; lghĂ&#x203A; `gfgjkÂ? K`]Ă&#x203A; E]okĂ&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; Gj]kkĂ&#x203A; oYkĂ&#x203A; dm[cq ]fgm_`Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;k[gj]Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;Z]àf\Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;k[]f]k hYkkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;Y[[gehYfqĂ&#x203A;gf]Ă&#x203A;[ggcĂ&#x203A;l]YeĂ&#x203A;Yk l`]qĂ&#x203A;kljgn]Ă&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;HÂ¤_dgjqÂ?Ă&#x203A; Hm]flafĂ&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; 9YjZYjYĂ&#x203A; K]\\]jĂ&#x203A; g^ 9]Ym^gjlĂ&#x203A; [ggcĂ&#x203A; lg_]l`]jĂ&#x203A; mf\]jĂ&#x203A; l`] l]YeĂ&#x203A; fYe]Ă&#x203A; Â&#x2122;JÂąCgo[gmfljqĂ&#x203A; HÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A; Âöal` YĂ&#x203A; [j]k[]flĂ&#x203A; eggfĂ&#x203A; kmZZaf_Ă&#x203A; ^gjĂ&#x203A; l`] Yhgkljgh`]Ă&#x203A; afĂ&#x203A; l`]ajĂ&#x203A; dg_gÂŠÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; Yf\ l`]qÂąn]Ă&#x203A;Z]]fĂ&#x203A;gfĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;jgddĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;dYl]Â?Ă&#x203A;K`gm_` l`]qÂąn]Ă&#x203A; gfdqĂ&#x203A; ]fl]j]\Ă&#x203A; YZgmlĂ&#x203A; YĂ&#x203A; `Yd^Â¤ \gr]fĂ&#x203A; [geh]lalagfkĂ&#x203A; làkĂ&#x203A; q]YjÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; l`] K]\\]jkĂ&#x203A; `Yn]Ă&#x203A; lYc]fĂ&#x203A; âjklĂ&#x203A; hdY[]Ă&#x203A; Yl 99HĂ&#x203A; [geh]lalagfkĂ&#x203A; afĂ&#x203A; DmddafkĂ&#x203A; Yf\ >YklgfÂ? K`]ajĂ&#x203A; ZYjZ][m]Ă&#x203A; [ggcaf_Ă&#x203A; Y\n]fÂ¤ lmj]kĂ&#x203A; Z]_YfĂ&#x203A; YZgmlĂ&#x203A; kapĂ&#x203A; q]YjkĂ&#x203A; Y_gÂ&#x2022; Y^l]jĂ&#x203A; Hm]flafĂ&#x203A; j]laj]\Ă&#x203A; ^jgeĂ&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; eadaÂ¤ lYjqĂ&#x203A; [gfkljm[lagfĂ&#x203A; af\mkljqĂ&#x203A; Yf\ 9YjZYjYĂ&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;l]Y[àf_Â?Ă&#x203A; Â&#x2122;Hm]flafĂ&#x203A; `]Yj\Ă&#x203A; YZgmlĂ&#x203A; làkĂ&#x203A; gf]Â¤ \YqĂ&#x203A; ZYjZ][m]Ă&#x203A; [dYkkĂ&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; l`gm_`lĂ&#x203A; al kgmf\]\Ă&#x203A;dac]Ă&#x203A;^mfÂ?Ă&#x203A;?]Ă&#x203A;lgd\Ă&#x203A;e]Ă&#x203A;YZgmlĂ&#x203A;al Yf\Ă&#x203A;@Ă&#x203A;\][a\]\Ă&#x203A;@Âą\Ă&#x203A;dac]Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;_gÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;lggÂ?Â?Â?Ă&#x203A;Yf\ o]Ă&#x203A;o]j]Ă&#x203A;`ggc]\Â&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;kYqkĂ&#x203A;9YjZYjYÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;fglÂ¤ af_Ă&#x203A; l`YlĂ&#x203A; l`]ajĂ&#x203A; ZYjZ][m]Ă&#x203A; gZk]kkagf jYha\dqĂ&#x203A;_j]oĂ&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;d]Yjfaf_Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;[ggcÂ¤ af_Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;bm\_af_Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;[geh]laf_Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;]n]flk YddĂ&#x203A;gn]jĂ&#x203A;Jgml`Ă&#x203A;:YjgdafYÂ? K`]Ă&#x203A; K]\\]jkĂ&#x203A; Yj]Ă&#x203A; fglĂ&#x203A; Ydgf]Ă&#x203A; af Z]af_Ă&#x203A; k]\m[]\Ă&#x203A; làkĂ&#x203A; oYqÂ?Ă&#x203A; CYc]Ă&#x203A; <Â? ?a_`Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; AjÂ?Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; ^gmf\]jĂ&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; hj]ka\]flĂ&#x203A; g^ l`]Ă&#x203A; Jgml`Ă&#x203A; :YjgdafYĂ&#x203A; 9YjZ][m] 8kkg[aYlagfÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; kYqkĂ&#x203A; l`]j]ÂąkĂ&#x203A; hd]flqĂ&#x203A; g^ oYqkĂ&#x203A; HÂ¤[ggcaf_Ă&#x203A; \jYokĂ&#x203A; h]ghd]Ă&#x203A; afÂ&#x2018; l`]j]ÂąkĂ&#x203A; [ggdĂ&#x203A; kh][aYdlqĂ&#x203A; ]imahe]flĂ&#x203A; ^gj l`]Ă&#x203A;_Y\_]lĂ&#x203A;dgn]jÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;cal[`]fĂ&#x203A;aehjgnakYÂ¤ lagfĂ&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;_Ykljgfge]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;l`jaddĂ&#x203A;g^

K`]Ă&#x203A;IgglkĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;Jgml`]jfĂ&#x203A;9YjZ][m] Jgml`]jf]jkĂ&#x203A;_]f]jYddqĂ&#x203A;Y_j]]Ă&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;Z]]^Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;emllgfÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;YfqĂ&#x203A;gl`]jĂ&#x203A;caf\Ă&#x203A;g^ e]YlĂ&#x203A;\g]kĂ&#x203A;fglĂ&#x203A;[gfklalml]Ă&#x203A;j]YdĂ&#x203A;ZYjZ][m]Â&#x2013;Ă&#x203A;hgjcĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;gf]Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;gfdqĂ&#x203A;j]Yd \]YdÂ?Ă&#x203A;KàkĂ&#x203A;hj]^]j]f[]Ă&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;jggl]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;àklgjqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;YkĂ&#x203A;hj]Â¤:anadĂ&#x203A;NYjĂ&#x203A;kgml`]jf]jk [gfkme]\Ă&#x203A;YZgmlĂ&#x203A;ân]Ă&#x203A;lae]kĂ&#x203A;egj]Ă&#x203A;hgjcĂ&#x203A;l`YfĂ&#x203A;Z]]^Â?Ă&#x203A;=jm_YdĂ&#x203A;kgml`]jf [gdgfaklkĂ&#x203A;cf]oĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;ha_kĂ&#x203A;Yl]Ă&#x203A;d]kkĂ&#x203A;l`YfĂ&#x203A;[Ylld]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;o`]fĂ&#x203A;egf]qĂ&#x203A;oYk k[Yj[]Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;^Yje]jkĂ&#x203A;[gmd\fÂąlĂ&#x203A;Y^^gj\Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;^]]\Ă&#x203A;dan]klg[cÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;ha_kĂ&#x203A;o]j]Ă&#x203A;k]lĂ&#x203A;dggk] afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ogg\kĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;^gjY_]Ă&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;l`]ajĂ&#x203A;gofĂ&#x203A;e]YdkÂ?Ă&#x203A;KàkĂ&#x203A;j]kmdl]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;d]Yf]jĂ&#x203A;YfaÂ¤ eYdkĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;j]imaj]\Ă&#x203A;dgoĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;kdgoĂ&#x203A;[ggcaf_Ă&#x203A;naYĂ&#x203A;af\aj][lĂ&#x203A;`]YlĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;ljYfk^gje lgm_`Ă&#x203A;emk[d]Ă&#x203A;aflgĂ&#x203A;l]f\]jĂ&#x203A;\aff]jÂ?Ă&#x203A; 8kĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;^dYngjÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;Yj_me]flĂ&#x203A;Z]lo]]fĂ&#x203A;kYm[]Ă&#x203A;^Y[lagfkĂ&#x203A;`YkĂ&#x203A;jY_]\Ă&#x203A;^gj \][Y\]kĂ&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;dalld]Ă&#x203A;ka_fĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;ljm[]Â?Ă&#x203A;Gj]^]j]f[]Ă&#x203A;nYja]kĂ&#x203A;ZqĂ&#x203A;klYl]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;ZqĂ&#x203A;j]_agfÂ&#x2022; ]n]fĂ&#x203A;ZqĂ&#x203A;lgofÂ?Ă&#x203A;Jge]Ă&#x203A;ko]YjĂ&#x203A;ZqĂ&#x203A;ko]]lĂ&#x203A;lgeYlgÂ¤ZYk]\Ă&#x203A;kYm[]kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;gl`]jk Y\gj]Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;â]jqĂ&#x203A;j]\Ă&#x203A;_jYnqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;eYfqĂ&#x203A;[daf_Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;=jYf[gÂ¤>]jeYfa[ Z]im]klĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;emklYj\Â¤ZYk]\Ă&#x203A;99HÂ?Ă&#x203A;@fĂ&#x203A;;Yjdaf_lgfĂ&#x203A;:gmflqĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;em[`Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;l`] G]]Ă&#x203A;;]]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ljY\alagfYdĂ&#x203A;h]hh]jqĂ&#x203A;naf]_YjĂ&#x203A;hj]hĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;caf_Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;làkĂ&#x203A;eYq ][`gĂ&#x203A;ZY[cĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;\YqkĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;]YjdqĂ&#x203A;JhYfak`Ă&#x203A;]phdgj]jkĂ&#x203A;o`gĂ&#x203A;^dYngj]\Ă&#x203A;kdgoÂ¤ [ggc]\Ă&#x203A;hgjcĂ&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;kgmj]\Ă&#x203A;k`]jjqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;khYofaf_Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;[mdafYjqĂ&#x203A;\]da[Y[qĂ&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;Y daZYlagfĂ&#x203A;\akYkl]jÂ? K`]Ă&#x203A;Zajl`Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;99HĂ&#x203A;j]imaj]\Ă&#x203A;egj]Ă&#x203A;l`YfĂ&#x203A;gf]Ă&#x203A;af[a\]flĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;_gg\Ă&#x203A;^gjlmf]Â? K`]Ă&#x203A;j]YdĂ&#x203A;_jgmf\ogjcĂ&#x203A;oYkĂ&#x203A;dYa\Ă&#x203A;o`]fĂ&#x203A;]YjdqĂ&#x203A;JhYfak`Ă&#x203A;]phdgj]jkĂ&#x203A;dafc]\Ă&#x203A;mh oal`Ă&#x203A;^ja]f\dqĂ&#x203A;EYlan]Ă&#x203A;8e]ja[YfkĂ&#x203A;Yjgmf\Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;k]lld]e]flĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;JYaflĂ&#x203A;<d]fY Â¨f]YjĂ&#x203A;hj]k]flĂ&#x203A;\YqĂ&#x203A;9]Ym^gjlÂŠĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;~Â&#x201A;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;logĂ&#x203A;[mdlmj]kĂ&#x203A;k`Yj]\Ă&#x203A;l`]aj cfgod]\_]Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;jYakaf_Ă&#x203A;ha_kĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;[ggcaf_Ă&#x203A;e]YlĂ&#x203A;gn]jĂ&#x203A;dgoÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;ZYfc]\Ă&#x203A;âj]kÂ? KàkĂ&#x203A;k]j]f\ahalgmkĂ&#x203A;]p[`Yf_]Ă&#x203A;j]kmdl]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;âjklĂ&#x203A;j][gj\]\Ă&#x203A;afklYf[]kĂ&#x203A;g^ halÂ¤[ggc]\Ă&#x203A;hgjcĂ&#x203A;ZYjZ][m]Â?Â?Â?Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;YkĂ&#x203A;eYfqĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;_gg\Ă&#x203A;kgml`]jf]jĂ&#x203A;ogmd\ Y_j]]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`YlÂąkĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;gfdqĂ&#x203A;caf\Ă&#x203A;ogjl`Ă&#x203A;e]flagfaf_Â?Ă&#x203A; KgĂ&#x203A;d]YjfĂ&#x203A;egj]Ă&#x203A;YZgmlĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;àklgjqĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;99HĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;Jgml`Ă&#x203A;:YjgdafYÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;[`][cĂ&#x203A;gml l`]Ă&#x203A;ZggcĂ&#x203A;Â&#x2122;8Ă&#x203A;?aklgjqĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;Jgml`Ă&#x203A;:YjgdafYĂ&#x203A;9Yj[][m]Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;ZqĂ&#x203A;CYc]Ă&#x203A;<Â?Ă&#x203A;?a_`Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;AjÂ?Â&#x2022; ^gmf\]jĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;Jgml`Ă&#x203A;:YjgdafYĂ&#x203A;9YjZ][m]Ă&#x203A;8kkg[aYlagfÂ?Ă&#x203A; YĂ&#x203A;[gfl]klĂ&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;l`gk]Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;[geh]lalan] afklaf[lkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; ÂŚĂ&#x203A; egklĂ&#x203A; aehgjlYfldqĂ&#x203A; g^ YddĂ&#x203A;ÂŚĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;ogf\]j^mdĂ&#x203A;[geemfalqÂ?Ă&#x203A; Â&#x2122;G]ghd]Ă&#x203A; \gĂ&#x203A; làkĂ&#x203A; Z][Ymk]Ă&#x203A; alÂąkĂ&#x203A; ^mfÂ&#x2022; âjklĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;YddÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;ZmlĂ&#x203A;alÂąkĂ&#x203A;YdkgĂ&#x203A;n]jqĂ&#x203A;kg[aYdÂ&#x2013;Ă&#x203A;qgm _]lĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;ljYn]dĂ&#x203A;Yjgmf\Ă&#x203A;YddĂ&#x203A;gn]jĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;klYl]Â&#x2022; e]]lĂ&#x203A; h]ghd]Ă&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; `Yn]Ă&#x203A; YĂ&#x203A; _gg\Ă&#x203A; lae]Â&#x2022;Â&#x2DC; kYqkĂ&#x203A;?a_`Â? =gjĂ&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; Jh]]\Ă&#x203A; ÂŹĂ&#x203A; =]]\Ă&#x203A; ]n]flÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; [ggc l]YekĂ&#x203A;k]lĂ&#x203A;mhĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;_YjY_]Ă&#x203A;Yj]YÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;o`]j] ljYad]jkĂ&#x203A; eggj]\Ă&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; l]flkĂ&#x203A; hghh]\Ă&#x203A; mh

klYjlaf_Ă&#x203A; ]YjdqĂ&#x203A; =ja\YqĂ&#x203A; egjfaf_Â?Ă&#x203A; Nàd] kge]Ă&#x203A; [ggcĂ&#x203A; l]YekĂ&#x203A; Yj]Ă&#x203A; [ge^gjlYZd] kd]]haf_Ă&#x203A; gml\ggjkĂ&#x203A; oàd]Ă&#x203A; gfĂ&#x203A; kal]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; l`] K]\\]jkĂ&#x203A;\]hdgq]\Ă&#x203A;Hm]flafÂąkĂ&#x203A;kcaddkĂ&#x203A;YkĂ&#x203A;Y eYkl]jĂ&#x203A; [Yjh]fl]jĂ&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; [mklgeĂ&#x203A; ZmadlĂ&#x203A; Y kegc]jĂ&#x203A; ljYad]jÂŁhj]hĂ&#x203A; cal[`]fÂŁ[Yeh]j ja_Ă&#x203A;[gehd]l]Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;^gd\YoYqĂ&#x203A;ZmfckĂ&#x203A;Yf\ YfĂ&#x203A;allqĂ&#x203A;ZallqĂ&#x203A;k`go]jĂ&#x203A;klYddÂ?Ă&#x203A; K`jgm_`gmlĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;âjklĂ&#x203A;\YqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;`gkl n]fm]Ă&#x203A; \akljaZml]kĂ&#x203A; YddĂ&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; e]YlĂ&#x203A; ^gj l`j]]Ă&#x203A; [geh]lalagfkÂ&#x2018;Ă&#x203A; ^YajdqĂ&#x203A; mfa^gje

*UDGES FROM THE 3OUTH #AROLINA "ARBECUE !SSOCIATION SAMPLED AND GRADED COMPETITION BOXES FROM COOK TEAMS

ZYl[`]kĂ&#x203A; g^Ă&#x203A; [à[c]fĂ&#x203A; oaf_kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; jaZkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; Yf\ 9gklgfĂ&#x203A; ZmllĂ&#x203A; hgjcĂ&#x203A; k`gmd\]jkÂ?Ă&#x203A; :ggc l]YekĂ&#x203A;hj]hĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;oaf_kĂ&#x203A;âjklÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;kmZeallaf_ YĂ&#x203A; kYehd]Ă&#x203A; ZgpĂ&#x203A; ^gjĂ&#x203A; bm\_af_Ă&#x203A; ZqĂ&#x203A; dg[Yd []d]Zjala]kĂ&#x203A; =ja\YqĂ&#x203A; fa_`lĂ&#x203A; YkĂ&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; hmZda[ eaddĂ&#x203A; Yjgmf\Ă&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; fgk`Ă&#x203A; YddĂ&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; oaf_k l`]qĂ&#x203A;oYflĂ&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;bmklĂ&#x203A;Â&#x2030;Â&#x201A;Ă&#x203A;h]jĂ&#x203A;h]jkgfÂ? GgklĂ&#x203A; oaf_Â¤\af_Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; l]YekĂ&#x203A; j]lj]YlĂ&#x203A; lg l`]ajĂ&#x203A;[ggcĂ&#x203A;kdahkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;^g[mkĂ&#x203A;gfĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;eYaf ]n]flÂ&#x2018;Ă&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; 9gklgfĂ&#x203A; ZmllkÂ?Ă&#x203A; @fĂ&#x203A; l`]ajĂ&#x203A; _YdÂ¤ d]qÂ¤klqd]Ă&#x203A; cal[`]fÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; K]\\]jkĂ&#x203A; ogjc 99HĂ&#x203A; eY_a[Ă&#x203A; ]dZgoĂ&#x203A; lgĂ&#x203A; ]dZgoÂ&#x2018;Ă&#x203A; Hm]flaf ljaekĂ&#x203A; ]pljYf]gmkĂ&#x203A; ^YlĂ&#x203A; ^jgeĂ&#x203A; ]a_`lĂ&#x203A; Â&#x2026;Â¤ hgmf\Ă&#x203A;hgjcĂ&#x203A;ZmllkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;mk]kĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;klYafd]kk kl]]dĂ&#x203A;afb][lgjĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;ja\\d]Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;afljYemk[mÂ¤ dYjĂ&#x203A; lakkm]Ă&#x203A; oal`Ă&#x203A; YĂ&#x203A; eYjafY\]Ă&#x203A; g^Ă&#x203A; ZjafqÂ&#x2022; naf]_YjqĂ&#x203A; _gg\f]kkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; l`]fĂ&#x203A; 9YjZYjY l`gjgm_`dqĂ&#x203A; Yhhda]kĂ&#x203A; YĂ&#x203A; k][j]lĂ&#x203A; ^gjemdY kha[]Ă&#x203A;jmZĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;kmj^Y[]Ă&#x203A;Yj]YÂ?Ă&#x203A;8ddĂ&#x203A;l`]k] l][`faim]kĂ&#x203A; [geZaf]Ă&#x203A; lgĂ&#x203A; aeZm]Ă&#x203A; l`] e]YlĂ&#x203A; oal`Ă&#x203A; \]]hÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; dYq]j]\Ă&#x203A; ^dYngjĂ&#x203A; l`YlÂ&#x2022; o`]fĂ&#x203A;\gf]Ă&#x203A;ja_`lÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;eYc]kĂ&#x203A;kYm[]Ă&#x203A;Ydegkl mff][]kkYjqÂ?Ă&#x203A; Ff[]Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ZmllkĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;hj]hh]\Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]qÂąj] j]Y\qĂ&#x203A; ^gjĂ&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; kegc]jÂ?Ă&#x203A; 8f\Ă&#x203A; o`YlĂ&#x203A; Y kegc]jĂ&#x203A; alĂ&#x203A; akÂ?Ă&#x203A; JÂąCgo[gmfljqĂ&#x203A; HĂ&#x203A; mk]kĂ&#x203A; Y [mklgeÂ¤ZmadlÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;`]YnadqĂ&#x203A;afkmdYl]\Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;ZdY[c ]fYe]d]\Ă&#x203A;8kkYkkafĂ&#x203A;[ggc]jĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;o]a_`k YZgmlĂ&#x203A; ~Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x203A; dZkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; `gd\kĂ&#x203A; kapĂ&#x203A; jY[ckÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A; Yf\ `YkĂ&#x203A; YĂ&#x203A; oYl]jĂ&#x203A; hYfĂ&#x203A; lgĂ&#x203A; `]dhĂ&#x203A; egakl]fĂ&#x203A; l`] e]YlÂ?Ă&#x203A; K]eh]jYlmj]Ă&#x203A; hjgZ]kĂ&#x203A; egfalgj Zgl`Ă&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; kegc]jĂ&#x203A; [`YeZ]jĂ&#x203A; l]ehĂ&#x203A; Yf\ l`]Ă&#x203A; afl]jfYdĂ&#x203A; l]eh]jYlmj]Ă&#x203A; g^Ă&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; e]Yl kgĂ&#x203A;[ggckĂ&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;Y\bmklĂ&#x203A;`]YlĂ&#x203A;YkĂ&#x203A;f][]kkYjqÂ? 8Ă&#x203A;lYddĂ&#x203A;ka\]Ă&#x203A;[`ml]Ă&#x203A;`gd\kĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;j]k]jn]Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;fYlÂ¤ mjYdĂ&#x203A; [`Yj[gYdĂ&#x203A; Yf\Ă&#x203A; l`]Ă&#x203A; âj]ZgpĂ&#x203A; Z]dgo hjg\m[]kĂ&#x203A;kl]Y\qĂ&#x203A;kegc]Ă&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;kh][aYddq [`gk]fĂ&#x203A;ogg\Ă&#x203A;[`mfckĂ&#x203A;ÂŚĂ&#x203A;h][YfÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;[`]jjqÂ&#x2022; Yf\Ă&#x203A; h]Y[`Ă&#x203A; Yj]Ă&#x203A; hghmdYjĂ&#x203A; [`ga[]kĂ&#x203A; ^gj kgml`]jfĂ&#x203A;klqd]Ă&#x203A;99HÂ?Ă&#x203A;K`]Ă&#x203A;kegc]jĂ&#x203A;mk]k YZgmlĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;hgmf\Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;[`Yj[gYdĂ&#x203A;]n]jqĂ&#x203A;`gmj lgĂ&#x203A; klYqĂ&#x203A; afĂ&#x203A; l`YlĂ&#x203A; dgoÂ¤Yf\Â¤kdgoĂ&#x203A; eY_a[ rgf]Ă&#x203A; g^Ă&#x203A; Yjgmf\Ă&#x203A; Â Â&#x2021;Ă&#x203A; \]_j]]k =Y`j]f`]alÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`gm_`Ă&#x203A;Hm]flafĂ&#x203A;fgl]kĂ&#x203A;làk akĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;eYll]jĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;hj]^]j]f[]Â?Ă&#x203A; %%4 21 %

! SECRET RECIPE SPICE RUB FORMS A BEAUTIFUL AND FLAVORFUL OUTER BARK

14 CHECKS THE WING COOKER MAKES SURE ITS READY TO GO

0(/4/3 "9 3!-!.4(! ,9,%3

^Ă&#x203A;qgmÂąn]Ă&#x203A;[`][c]\Ă&#x203A;gmlĂ&#x203A;l`] Z]]jĂ&#x203A;[ggd]jĂ&#x203A;YlĂ&#x203A;qgmj f]a_`Zgj`gg\Ă&#x203A;_jg[]jq klgj]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;[gfn]fa]f[]Ă&#x203A;klgj]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;gj 89:Ă&#x203A;eYjc]lĂ&#x203A;dYl]dqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;qgmÂąn] hjgZYZdqĂ&#x203A;fgla[]\Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;_jgoaf_ YjjYqĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;[jY^lĂ&#x203A;Z]]jkĂ&#x203A;ÂŚĂ&#x203A;g^l]f af\]h]f\]flĂ&#x203A;Zj]o]jkĂ&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;keYdd g^^k`gglĂ&#x203A;ZjYf\kĂ&#x203A;kh][aYdaraf_Ă&#x203A;af ^dYngjkĂ&#x203A;jYf_af_Ă&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;h]Y[`Ă&#x203A;lg jgglĂ&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;`gda\YqĂ&#x203A;kha[] Zd]f\kÂ?Ă&#x203A;9mlĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;lj]f\Ă&#x203A;lgoYj\ h][mdaYjĂ&#x203A;hglYZd]kĂ&#x203A;akfÂąlĂ&#x203A;[gf^af]\ lgĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;hjg^]kkagfYdĂ&#x203A;Zj]oaf_Ă&#x203A;[ajÂ¤ [malÂ&#x2013;Ă&#x203A;e]fĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;oge]fĂ&#x203A;Ydd Y[jgkkĂ&#x203A;8e]ja[YĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;\ak[gn]jaf_ l`YlĂ&#x203A;eYcaf_Ă&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;gf]ÂąkĂ&#x203A;gof cal[`]fĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;^YajdqĂ&#x203A;]YkqĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;^mf Y[lanalqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;hd]flqĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;jgge ^gjĂ&#x203A;]ph]jae]flYlagfÂ?Ă&#x203A; Â&#x2122;9]]jĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;Y[lmYddqĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;kaehd] j][ah]Â&#x2013;Ă&#x203A;qgmĂ&#x203A;`Yn]Ă&#x203A;eYdlĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;_]l l`]Ă&#x203A;km_YjÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;`ghkĂ&#x203A;Zjaf_Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;Zall]jÂ¤ f]kkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;[gmfl]jZYdYf[]Ă&#x203A;l`Yl ko]]lf]kkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]fĂ&#x203A;q]YklĂ&#x203A;[gfÂ¤

n]jlkĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;km_YjkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;Yd[g`gdÂ&#x2022; Yf\Ă&#x203A;l`]j]ÂąkĂ&#x203A;oYl]jÂ?Ă&#x203A;JgĂ&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;ak j]YddqĂ&#x203A;gfdqĂ&#x203A;^gmjĂ&#x203A;af_j]\a]flkÂ&#x2022; ZmlĂ&#x203A;alÂąkĂ&#x203A;`goĂ&#x203A;qgmĂ&#x203A;hdYqĂ&#x203A;Yjgmf\ oal`Ă&#x203A;YddĂ&#x203A;l`gk]Ă&#x203A;jYlagkĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;_an] YĂ&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;alkĂ&#x203A;mfaim]Ă&#x203A;^dYngjÂ&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;kYqk ?]fjqĂ&#x203A;:mjjqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;?Yjlknadd] `ge]Zj]o]jĂ&#x203A;o`gĂ&#x203A;fgoĂ&#x203A;Zjaf_k àkĂ&#x203A;[mdafYjqĂ&#x203A;kcaddkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;Z]YjĂ&#x203A;gf Z]]jÂ? Dapaf_Ă&#x203A;ljY\alagfYdĂ&#x203A;kgml`Â¤ ]jfĂ&#x203A;\ak`]kĂ&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;^dYajĂ&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;àk Gàdahhaf]Ă&#x203A;`]jalY_]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;:mjjq kYqkĂ&#x203A;`]ÂąkĂ&#x203A;YdoYqkĂ&#x203A;]fbgq]\ [ggcaf_Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;àkĂ&#x203A;afn]flan] fYlmj]Ă&#x203A;`YkĂ&#x203A;Yddgo]\Ă&#x203A;àeĂ&#x203A;lg ZjYf[`Ă&#x203A;gmlĂ&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;^gg\Ă&#x203A;lg `ge]Zj]oaf_Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;kge] afl]j]klaf_Ă&#x203A;j]kmdlkÂ?Ă&#x203A;9mlĂ&#x203A;âjklÂ&#x2022; dac]Ă&#x203A;egklĂ&#x203A;f]oZa]kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;`]Ă&#x203A;`Y\Ă&#x203A;lg d]YjfĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ZYka[kĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;eYfahmdYlÂ¤ af_Ă&#x203A;l`gk]Ă&#x203A;^gmjĂ&#x203A;c]qĂ&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;af_j]Â¤ \a]flkÂ?Ă&#x203A; DYdlĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;lgYkl]\Ă&#x203A;ZYjd]qĂ&#x203A;l`Yl akĂ&#x203A;Yddgo]\Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;_]jeafYl]Ă&#x203A;mflad km_YjĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;j]d]Yk]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;k]]\Â? IgYklaf_Ă&#x203A;caddkĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;_]jeafYÂ¤ lagfĂ&#x203A;hjg[]kkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;`YdlkĂ&#x203A;l`] ko]]l]faf_Ă&#x203A;hjg[]kkÂ?Ă&#x203A;DYdlĂ&#x203A;ak

(OMEBREWED CRAFT BEERS CAN VARY IN COLOR AND FLAVOR FROM DARK CHOCOLATY STOUTS TO CRISP PALE ALES YnYadYZd]Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;hgo\]jÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;daima\Â&#x2022; Yf\Ă&#x203A;_jYafĂ&#x203A;^gjeĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;l`] klj]f_l`Ă&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;Z]Ă&#x203A;Y\bmkl]\Ă&#x203A;Zq `goĂ&#x203A;em[`Ă&#x203A;qgmĂ&#x203A;Y\\Ă&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;ÂŚĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`] [Yk]Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;_jYafkĂ&#x203A;ÂŚĂ&#x203A;`goĂ&#x203A;dgf_Ă&#x203A;qgm YddgoĂ&#x203A;l`]eĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;kl]]hÂ?Ă&#x203A;8kĂ&#x203A;oal` l]YÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;dgf_]jĂ&#x203A;kl]]hĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;`gl oYl]jĂ&#x203A;Â¨YZgmlĂ&#x203A;~Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x203A;\]_j]]k =Y`j]f`]alÂŠĂ&#x203A;oaddĂ&#x203A;qa]d\Ă&#x203A;Y kljgf_]jĂ&#x203A;eYdlĂ&#x203A;^dYngjÂ? Â&#x2122;;]h]f\af_Ă&#x203A;gfĂ&#x203A;`goĂ&#x203A;\Yjc qgmĂ&#x203A;lgYklĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;eYdlÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;\a[Â¤ lYl]kĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;[gdgjĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;^dYngjĂ&#x203A;g^ l`]Ă&#x203A;Z]]jÂ?Ă&#x203A;K`]Ă&#x203A;\Yjc]jĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;eYdlÂ&#x2022; l`]Ă&#x203A;\Yjc]jĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;oaddĂ&#x203A;Z]Â? DgklĂ&#x203A;\YjcĂ&#x203A;eYdlkĂ&#x203A;oaddĂ&#x203A;]al`]j `Yn]Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;[`g[gdYl]Ă&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;[g^^]]Ă&#x203A;^dYÂ¤ ngjÂ&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;kYqkĂ&#x203A;:mjjqÂ? K`]Ă&#x203A;eYdlÂ¤kl]]h]\Ă&#x203A;oYl]jĂ&#x203A;ak l`]fĂ&#x203A;eap]\Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;`ghkĂ&#x203A;Yf\

[ggc]\Ă&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;YZgmlĂ&#x203A;YfĂ&#x203A;`gmjÂ? K`gk]Ă&#x203A;Zall]jaf_Ă&#x203A;`ghkĂ&#x203A;Y\\Ă&#x203A;Y [`YjY[l]jĂ&#x203A;YddĂ&#x203A;l`]ajĂ&#x203A;gofÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oal` ^dYngjĂ&#x203A;hjg^ad]kĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;YjgeYkĂ&#x203A;Â¤ jYf_af_Ă&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;[aljmkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;^dgjYd lgĂ&#x203A;ZdY[cĂ&#x203A;h]hh]jĂ&#x203A;Â¤Ă&#x203A;kh][a^a[Ă&#x203A;lg ]Y[`Ă&#x203A;`ghĂ&#x203A;nYja]lYdÂ?Ă&#x203A;9]]j \jafc]jkĂ&#x203A;^gf\Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;\]]hÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;dYq]j]\ Zall]jf]kkĂ&#x203A;g^l]fĂ&#x203A;]fbgqĂ&#x203A;Zj]ok l`YlĂ&#x203A;_gĂ&#x203A;`]YnqĂ&#x203A;gfĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;`ghkÂ&#x2022; dac]Ă&#x203A;YfĂ&#x203A;@G8Ă&#x203A;Â¨@f\aYĂ&#x203A;GYd]Ă&#x203A;8d]ÂŠÂ?Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x203A; 8e]ja[YfĂ&#x203A;Z]]jkĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;_]f]jÂ¤ YddqĂ&#x203A;]al`]jĂ&#x203A;dY_]jkĂ&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;Yd]kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oal` dY_]jkĂ&#x203A;Zj]o]\Ă&#x203A;gn]jĂ&#x203A;k]n]jYd o]]ckĂ&#x203A;YlĂ&#x203A;kl]Y\qĂ&#x203A;[gd\Ă&#x203A;l]ehk Yf\Ă&#x203A;Yd]kĂ&#x203A;eY\]Ă&#x203A;YlĂ&#x203A;jggeĂ&#x203A;l]eÂ¤ h]jYlmj]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;^]je]flaf_Ă&#x203A;_]fldq oal`Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;Y\\alagfĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;Zj]o]jÂąk q]YklÂ?Ă&#x203A;DgklĂ&#x203A;`ge]Zj]o]\ Z]]jkĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;Yd]kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Z][Ymk]Ă&#x203A;l`]

Zj]oaf_Ă&#x203A;hjg[]kkĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;[gfka\]jÂ¤ YZdqĂ&#x203A;kaehd]jĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;j]imaj]kĂ&#x203A;d]kk ]imahe]flÂ? Â&#x2122;=gjĂ&#x203A;Yd]kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;qgmĂ&#x203A;bmklĂ&#x203A;ZgadĂ&#x203A;l`] af_j]\a]flkĂ&#x203A;aflgĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;eapĂ&#x203A;[Ydd]\ ogjlÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;d]lĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ogjlĂ&#x203A;kalĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;Y [YjZgqĂ&#x203A;Â¨YĂ&#x203A;_dYkkĂ&#x203A;bm_Ă&#x203A;`gd\af_ ^jgeĂ&#x203A;gf]Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;kapĂ&#x203A;_YddgfkÂŠĂ&#x203A;Yl jggeĂ&#x203A;l]eh]jYlmj]Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;^]jÂ¤ e]flÂ?Ă&#x203A;8Ă&#x203A;l`j]]Â¤_YddgfĂ&#x203A;ZYl[` mkmYddqĂ&#x203A;lYc]kĂ&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;l`j]]Ă&#x203A;lg k]n]fĂ&#x203A;\YqkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;^]je]flÂ&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;kYqk :mjjqÂ? 8eZa]flĂ&#x203A;l]eh]jYlmj]Ă&#x203A;hdYqk YĂ&#x203A;hYjlĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;kh]]\Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;^]je]fÂ¤ lYlagfÂ&#x2013;Ă&#x203A;oYje]jĂ&#x203A;l]ehkĂ&#x203A;jmk` l`]Ă&#x203A;hjg[]kkĂ&#x203A;Ydgf_Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;o`ad]Ă&#x203A;[ggd o]Yl`]jĂ&#x203A;\jY_kĂ&#x203A;alĂ&#x203A;gmlĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;^]o egj]Ă&#x203A;\YqkÂ?Ă&#x203A;8kĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;q]YklĂ&#x203A;ogjck alkĂ&#x203A;eY_a[Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ogjlĂ&#x203A;eaplmj]

ZmZZd]kĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;ZmjhkĂ&#x203A;gmlĂ&#x203A;[YjZgf \agpa\]Ă&#x203A;l`jgm_`Ă&#x203A;YfĂ&#x203A;Yajdg[c lmZ]Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;Zglld]f][cÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;o`a[` YdkgĂ&#x203A;k]jn]kĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;hj]n]flĂ&#x203A;ZY[l]jaÂ¤ YdĂ&#x203A;afljmkagfÂ?Ă&#x203A; Â&#x2122;@^Ă&#x203A;qgmĂ&#x203A;`Yn]Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;Y `a_`Ă&#x203A;Zall]jĂ&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;kgmjĂ&#x203A;^dYngjÂ&#x2022; ]al`]jĂ&#x203A;alÂąkĂ&#x203A;ZY\Ă&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;qgmĂ&#x203A;eYqĂ&#x203A;`Yn] kge]Ă&#x203A;ZY[l]jaYÂ?Ă&#x203A;8f\Ă&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;Yf\ ZY[l]jaYĂ&#x203A;\gfÂąlĂ&#x203A;eapÂ&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x203A;kYqkĂ&#x203A;:mjjqÂ? JYfalaraf_Ă&#x203A;Y_]flkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;_gg\ [d]Yfaf_Ă&#x203A;hjY[la[]kĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;emkl ^gjĂ&#x203A;`ge]Zj]o]jkĂ&#x203A;kaf[]Ă&#x203A;dan] [mdlmj]kĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;afngdn]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`] ^]je]flYlagfĂ&#x203A;hjg[]kkÂ?Ă&#x203A;CYp [d]Yfdaf]kkĂ&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;d]Y\Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;qm[cq Z]]jĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;mf`YhhqĂ&#x203A;j]lmjfkĂ&#x203A;^gj YddĂ&#x203A;l`gk]Ă&#x203A;o`gĂ&#x203A;[gfkme]Ă&#x203A;alÂ?Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x203A; %5(:,1* 21 %

>jgoĂ&#x203A;qgmjĂ&#x203A;gofĂ&#x203A;Z]]jĂ&#x203A;_Yj\]f ! COMPETITION SAMPLE BOX WILL BE JUDGED ON LOOKS AS WELL AS FLAVOR

"ARBARA AND 1UENTIN 4EDDER RECEIVED THEIR ND 0LACE TROPHY FROM $ARLINGTON 2ACEWAY PRESI DENT #HIP 7ILE

/NE OF THE CLASSIC BEAUTIES ON DISPLAY AT THE 3PEED &EED CAR SHOW

;]\a[Yl]\Ă&#x203A;`ge]Zj]o]jkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;gof]jkĂ&#x203A;g^ keYddĂ&#x203A;[jY^lĂ&#x203A;Zj]o]ja]kĂ&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;Z]Ă&#x203A;gZk]kkan]Ă&#x203A;YZgml af_j]\a]flĂ&#x203A;imYdalqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;]n]fĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;hgaflĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;_jgoÂ¤ af_Ă&#x203A;l`]ajĂ&#x203A;gofĂ&#x203A;`ghkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;_jYafkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;^jmalkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;`]jZkĂ&#x203A;lg Z]Ă&#x203A;mk]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;Zj]oaf_Ă&#x203A;ÂŚĂ&#x203A;[YddĂ&#x203A;alĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;Â&#x2122;^YjeĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;Zglld]Â&#x2DC; egn]e]flÂ?Ă&#x203A; ?ghkĂ&#x203A;_jgoĂ&#x203A;j]YddqĂ&#x203A;o]ddĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;kmffqĂ&#x203A;kgml`Â¤ ]YklÂ?Ă&#x203A;@fĂ&#x203A;^Y[lÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;kge]Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;]Yjda]klĂ&#x203A;8e]ja[Yf [gdgfaklkĂ&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;Maj_afaYĂ&#x203A;j]_agfĂ&#x203A;_j]oĂ&#x203A;l`]aj gofĂ&#x203A;`ghkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;eYdlĂ&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;Yd]Â?Ă&#x203A;?ghĂ&#x203A;hdYflkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;gj ?memdmkĂ&#x203A;dmhmdmkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;`Yj\qĂ&#x203A;[daeZaf_Ă&#x203A;naf]k l`YlĂ&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;_jgoĂ&#x203A;mhĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;gf]Ă&#x203A;^gglĂ&#x203A;h]jĂ&#x203A;\YqÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oal` dYj_]Ă&#x203A;hdYflkĂ&#x203A;kge]lae]kĂ&#x203A;lghhaf_Ă&#x203A;lo]flqÂ¤^an] ^]]lÂ?Ă&#x203A;K`]qĂ&#x203A;_jgoĂ&#x203A;o]ddĂ&#x203A;gfĂ&#x203A;lj]ddak]kĂ&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;hgd]kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\ [YfĂ&#x203A;]YkadqĂ&#x203A;[gn]jĂ&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;ka\]Ă&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;`gmk]Ă&#x203A;a^Ă&#x203A;_an]fĂ&#x203A;Y kaehd]Ă&#x203A;kmhhgjlĂ&#x203A;_ja\Â? K`]Ă&#x203A;Z]klĂ&#x203A;kal]kĂ&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;`ghĂ&#x203A;_jgoaf_Ă&#x203A;hjgna\] mhoYj\kĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;^a^l]]fĂ&#x203A;`gmjkĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;kmfda_`lĂ&#x203A;\mjaf_ l`]Ă&#x203A;kmee]jĂ&#x203A;_jgoaf_Ă&#x203A;k]YkgfÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;g^^]jĂ&#x203A;o]ddÂ¤ \jYaf]\Ă&#x203A;kgadĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;_gg\Ă&#x203A;YajĂ&#x203A;[aj[mdYlagfÂ?Ă&#x203A;?ghk Yj]Ă&#x203A;`mf_jqĂ&#x203A;hdYflkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;j]imajaf_Ă&#x203A;dglkĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;faljg_]fÂ&#x2022; h`gkh`gjgmkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;hglYkkameĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;klYqĂ&#x203A;`]Ydl`qÂ?

(OPS

3ORGHUM

!MARANTH

?Yjn]klaf_Ă&#x203A;k]YkgfĂ&#x203A;akĂ&#x203A;ea\Â¤8m_mklĂ&#x203A;l`jgm_` J]hl]eZ]jÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;\]h]f\af_Ă&#x203A;gfĂ&#x203A;dg[YlagfÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;^j]k`Â¤ dqĂ&#x203A;ha[c]\Ă&#x203A;`ghĂ&#x203A;[gf]kĂ&#x203A;emklĂ&#x203A;Z]Ă&#x203A;l`gjgm_`dqĂ&#x203A;\ja]\ Yf\Ă&#x203A;hY[cY_]\Ă&#x203A;afĂ&#x203A;Yajla_`lĂ&#x203A;[gflYaf]jkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;hj]Â¤ k]jn]Ă&#x203A;l`]ajĂ&#x203A;Z]klĂ&#x203A;^dYngjÂ? ?ghĂ&#x203A;hdYflkĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;h]j]ffaYdĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;dan]Ă&#x203A;^jgeĂ&#x203A;~Â&#x2021; lgĂ&#x203A; Â&#x201A;Ă&#x203A;q]YjkÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;[jgofkĂ&#x203A;\qaf_Ă&#x203A;ZY[cĂ&#x203A;]Y[`Ă&#x203A;^YddÂ? :gee]j[aYddqĂ&#x203A;YnYadYZd]Ă&#x203A;`ghkĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;YddĂ&#x203A;^]eYd]Â&#x2022; Yf\Ă&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;mkmYddqĂ&#x203A;]klYZdak`]\Ă&#x203A;ZqĂ&#x203A;hdYflaf_Ă&#x203A;[mlÂ¤

laf_kĂ&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;jàrge]kÂ?Ă&#x203A;?ghĂ&#x203A;[gf]kĂ&#x203A;`Yn]Ă&#x203A;gadĂ&#x203A;_dYf\k l`YlĂ&#x203A;[gflYafĂ&#x203A;Ydh`YĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;Z]lYĂ&#x203A;Y[a\kÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;]kk]fÂ¤ laYdĂ&#x203A;gadkĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;o]j]Ă&#x203A;gf[]Ă&#x203A;mk]\Ă&#x203A;YkĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;ead\Ă&#x203A;k]\Ylan] >jYafkĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;hj]llqĂ&#x203A;YeZalagmkĂ&#x203A;hjgb][lĂ&#x203A;^gjĂ&#x203A;Y `ge]Zj]o]jÂąkĂ&#x203A;_Yj\]fÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;ZmlĂ&#x203A;keYddĂ&#x203A;hYl[`]kĂ&#x203A;g^ kgj_`meĂ&#x203A;gjĂ&#x203A;YeYjYfl`Ă&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;hjgna\]Ă&#x203A;l`]Ă&#x203A;f][]kÂ¤ kYjqĂ&#x203A;eYdlĂ&#x203A;oàd]Ă&#x203A;Y\\af_Ă&#x203A;nakmYdĂ&#x203A;Yhh]YdĂ&#x203A;oal` l`]ajĂ&#x203A;[gdgj^mdĂ&#x203A;k]]\Ă&#x203A;`]Y\kÂ?Ă&#x203A;8ZgmlĂ&#x203A;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x203A;kimYj] ^]]lĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;_jYafĂ&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;qa]d\Ă&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;Zmk`]dÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oà[`Ă&#x203A;ak

]fgm_`Ă&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;Zj]oĂ&#x203A;YlĂ&#x203A;d]YklĂ&#x203A; Â&#x201A;Ă&#x203A;_YddgfkĂ&#x203A;g^Ă&#x203A;Z]]jÂ? ?]jZĂ&#x203A;_Yj\]fkĂ&#x203A;j]imaj]Ă&#x203A;eafaeYdĂ&#x203A;afn]kle]fl Yf\Ă&#x203A;khY[]Â&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;[YfĂ&#x203A;hjgna\]Ă&#x203A;Zj]o]jkĂ&#x203A;oal` ^j]k`Ă&#x203A;^dYngjkĂ&#x203A;lgĂ&#x203A;kha[]Ă&#x203A;mhĂ&#x203A;l`]ajĂ&#x203A;Zj]okÂ?Ă&#x203A;=jmal lj]]kĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;Z]jjqĂ&#x203A;Zmk`]kĂ&#x203A;Yj]Ă&#x203A;YdkgĂ&#x203A;hghmdYjĂ&#x203A;_YjÂ¤ \]fĂ&#x203A;Y\\alagfkĂ&#x203A;l`YlĂ&#x203A;ZjgY\]fĂ&#x203A;YĂ&#x203A;Zj]o]jÂąkĂ&#x203A;hgl]fÂ¤ laYdĂ&#x203A;gmlhmlÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x203A;oal`Ă&#x203A;[jakhĂ&#x203A;[aljmkĂ&#x203A;Z]]jkĂ&#x203A;Yf\Ă&#x203A;ko]]l Z]jjqĂ&#x203A;^dYngjkĂ&#x203A;_Yafaf_Ă&#x203A;hghmdYjalqĂ&#x203A;Yegf_Ă&#x203A;Z]]j \jafc]jkÂ?

aason Boyd has been a stormtrooper b tormtrooper for a little more than three years — a sandtrooper to be exact. In those three years, he learned h has h l d what h it means to deal with the dayto-day struggles of serving the Empire, whether it be on the h untamed d planets l s of the Outer Rim or South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Lowcountry The first thing f thin ng to watch ng out ffor is armor bite. That’s when two tw wo pieces of wo a trooper’s ’ armor armor pinch together, usually h usu ually leaving ually a bruise. The next b i Th next thing to keep k i mind i d iiss that h once a in trooper suits i up, h y can’t up, they sit i down. d Th armor won’t The allow it.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 12.16.2015

2016 News Awards

around 2011. He now serves as commanding officer for the Carolina Garrison of the 501st Legion, an international organization with three simple goals: promote interest in Star Wars, facilitate the use of highly detailed costumes, and contribute to charity efforts in any way possible. Boyd first saw the 501st up close at a Star Warss convention in 2009, and from that point on, he was destined for the dark side. “As soon as I came back, I told my wife, ‘I want to do that. I want to dress up like a stormtrooper.’ At that time, I think I just wanted to do it because I wanted the armor, but then I started researching a little bit more about what the 501st does,” says Boyd. “We do it because we are fans of the films, but we also help out charities and things like that.” At last count, the 501st has more than 8,250 active members all across the globe, and each and every one of them has to pass a rigorous approval process to guarantee the strict standards of the organization are maintained. In the same way a youngling was once required to construct his or her own lightsaber before becoming a Jedi Knight, Boyd spent more than $1,400 and over a year working to assemble his sandtrooper armor. Once complete, his armor was evaluated by a garrison membership liaison who is tasked with ensuring each member’s costume is as screen accurate as possible. With more than 300 costumes in the 501st’s Costume Reference Library and an ever-expanding set of guidelines, the process can be grueling grueling. Then you have to deal with telling your parents. “There are some people that when I say, ‘I dress up like a Star Warss character,’ they laugh at it, but everyone’s been supportive. My parents

ATTack of THe ClonES A 35-year-old Charleston native with a wife and two daughters, Boyd grew up on James Island. He first felt the call to join the Empire

DIY Duds Just like young Jedi make their own lightsabers, any aspiring stormtrooper (or Tusken Raider, etc.) must construct their own helmet and armor.

continued on page 26

Provided

SO YOU WANT TO BE A

“Some of the biker scouts can sit down, but for me as a stormtrooper or a sandtrooper, you can’t sit down. Once I put on the suit, if I drop something on the floor, I can’t bend over or anything. It’s almost like being in a diving suit. I get every single thing on and have my helmet ready to go, but I’ll wait until the absolute last second to put it on,” says Boyd. This limited mobility can mean spending hours on your feet guarding tractor-beam control units or trying to find those droids you’re looking for, so you’re going to need to remember to stay hydrated. As part of the 501st Legion and member of the Mos Eisley Police Department, Boyd must remind his fellow members to take water breaks and to not wander off on hot days because no one wants to risk finding a dehydrated stormtrooper passed out in the bathroom. “I know Darth Vader gets extremely hot,” says Boyd. “Sometimes I’ll go up to him, and kind of whisper in his ear, ‘You need a water break.’ He’ll go hours without drinking and at the end of the day, he’s like, ‘I don’t feel so good.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you need water. You’re hot. You’re wearing leather and wool and plastic.’” Fortunately, Boyd’s armor has an internal fan system. It’s not much, but it’s enough to keep his lenses from fogging up on a humid Charleston day. Also, the lenses in a stormtrooper’s helmet aren’t black, as they appear. They’re dark green, which means everything Boyd sees is emerald tinted. This is the world through the eyes of a trooper. trooper

MEET THE SUPER-FANS WHO ARE BRINGING STAR WARS S TO LIFE

BY DUSTIN DU D ST S N WATERS WATER WA WATE W ATERS ATER E S B Y DUST DUSTI PHOTO PHOTOS HOTOS S BY BY JONATHAN JONAT JONATH JONAT ON ONATH NA HAN N N BONCEK BONCE B BONC BON BON K

Jason Boyd (center) is one of more than 8,250 active members of the 501st Legion

H A R D C O R E / M E TA L S C E N E

ARE THE

Age: 29 Occupation: Bartender at AC’s Bar & Grill Moved to Charleston: 1999 Entered the Music Scene: 2003, Hardcore Scene: 2006 Best Places to Catch A Hardcore/Metal Show: Compass (Joe Pasta upstairs), Boone’s, The Hive, Rec Room, Music Farm Favorite Local Artists: Backwards Youth and Circle Back Shows a Week: 2-4

Meet some of the local music scene’s staunchest supporters

Feature Page Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

LYDELL SIMMONS

BY KALYN OYER

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 06.29.2016

Photos by Jonathan Boncek

The Charleston music scene has seen a promising evolution in the last decade, and the city’s hard-working musicians have gained respect and attention from local fans of every genre — from the indie-rock crowd to the hardcore crew. But we’ve found a few super fans who stand out as particularly staunch supporters of the scene. They’re folks who are out every week — sometimes several times a week — supporting bands and venues and championing the music they love. We spoke to a few of these super fans to really see what their personal experiences have been like. While we did hear some epic show stories, we also listened to some real concerns facing local fans, like noise ordinances at house shows and the need for more small downtown venues to host new local bands. But most of all, these guys revealed what they love about the Holy City sound and why it’s worth celebrating every chance they get. So without further adieu, meet Charleston’s super fans.

“I can literally trace back everything good that’s happened to me in Charleston in the past 10 years to no more than two or three degrees of separation from something that was directly in the hardcore scene. All of my friends, I met at shows or through someone at shows. It must’ve been ‘06 when I met a guy named Nick Cafer. He used to book shows in Charleston at the Music Farm. He handed me a flier for a show with My Bitter End at [now defunct James Island bar/venue] Oasis, and I think

HIP-HOP SCENE

HOUS E S HOW SCENE

KATIE JONES Age: 21 Occupation: Senior Arts & Entertainment Management major at College of Charleston Moved to Charleston: 2013 Entered the Music Scene: 2013 Best Places to Catch a House Show: Pink Palace, Sully Sullivan’s Studio, Amherst House Favorite Local Artists: Hermit’s Victory and Dempsey Shows a Week: 2-4

got my first iPod in third grade, and “I seventh and eighth grade is when I started making it a hobby of going to see music and just being obsessed with it. Then, I picked up guitar my senior year in high school, and it got even worse. Then, definitely when I came here, is when I started being an active music listener. I started going to Pop-Up Charleston shows and got involved with them back sh when they were still doing pop-ups in Kevsco Alley. And then I met the Hadleys, formerly Volcanoes in the Kitchen, and I just fo continued on page 25

Age: 23 Occupation: Sales associate at APB Store, Musician under iLLADELL Born and raised in Charleston Entered the Music Scene: 2010 Best Places to Catch a Hip-Hop Show: Compass (Joe Pasta upstairs), Music Farm, APB Store, Palmetto Brewing Favorite Local Artists: Matt Monday, Contour, Benjamin Starr, warholtheghost, OXYxMORON, Southern Currency, Harleyboys, LORDFUBU Shows a Week: 1-2

continued on n page 25

’ve been into music all my life pretty “I much, fresh out the womb probably. My mom and dad played music all the time around the house, like blues, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and soul — MF Doom, Earth, Wind & Fire, [John] Coltrane, Miles Davis — the basics. I’ve been going to concerts since I was, like, seven. Most of the hip-hop shows around here, I go to. You have all the legends who painted a picture for Charleston rappers as a whole, like Pachino Dino, Marley Mar, and Junior G. They still play if certain DJs will play. If I had enough money, I would start a venue or rent out one of these places to do shows at. Not a lot of people are booking hip-hop, but everything will have its turn in due time. I’m actually about to release a mixtape with Contour [Khari Lucas] called Verses next month. Hip-hop gets a bad name a lot of the time, but that’s not even the case. I mean, everybody expresses themselves through music. When you’re feeling sad, there’s a song for that. Happy? There There’ss a song for that. You

want to fight somebody? There’s a song for that. Somebody broke up with you? There’s a song for that. But I guess a lot of people aren’t into it, or if they are, they only know the hits. They don’t know the songs that made the artists who they are. Even now, in clubs, if you hear a popular hip-hop song, it has an EDM version of it that they play. They don’t play the actual song. You get the Skrillex remix with Justin Bieber. There are a lot of folk singers in Charleston, and a lot of people in the hip-hop scene feel like they can’t go to them because they can’t relate. But folk is very relatable. If you combined genres, that show would be so packed. Let’s make it happen.”

PUNK SCENE

D.J. EDWARDS Age: 24 Occupation: Freelance Audio Engineer Born and raised in Summerville Entered the Music Scene: 2013 Best Places to Catch a Punk Show: House shows, Compass, Rec Room, The Sparrow, Tin Roof Favorite Local Artists: First World Problem, Drunk Couples, Haunters, The Defilers, and “that Misfits cover band” Shows a Week: 1-2

“I’m still trying to make my place in the Charleston music scene. I’ve recorded some local musicians, I record music myself, I do a podcast that’s all-new music, I run sound for shows, and I’ve booked some house shows and shows at [now closed, King] Dusko. If I hear of anyone who wants to play music, I’m going to do what I can to make sure they play and that they get paid. A lot of the punk bands around here, they pop up and then they go away. It’s more like everyone in the punk scene is poor and drunk, so staying organized for long enough to stay a band just doesn’t happen. The college punk scene is more the Dead Milkmen style, and it’s more of the attitude than what people think of as ‘punk.’ I mean, punk’s message is ‘the system is fucked,’ so you should just do whatever you want. The Charleston music scene is pretty small in general, so when you break it down into genres, it’s just sort of, well, here’s what we have. And the thing is, punk music exists as an opposition to something, so if you have no music scene, you can’t really have a punk scene. If you want punk to get bigger, which I obviously do, then you have to have a bigger music scene in general. You have to put your resources into the big pot, and your genre of music will get a little cut of that eventually. But you can’t just say, ‘I’m only going to support punk bands,’ because then, there won’t be any punk bands. You have to support music as a whole. We have a lack of venues and a lack of connectivity amongst our music scene. If we had more venues that had consistently good shows, people would accidentally be exposed to a lot more stuff. But right now, you have to actively expose yourself to different things, and people just aren’t doing that. People won’t even pay $5 for a house show. We were paying $5 for a house show in the fucking ’70s. You should be paying $10 or $15! A band has to really want Charleston to make it work here. We have to change that if we want good music to not only come but stay. Charleston has to really want bands.”

FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

SECOND PLACE

WE SUPER R FANS

P.J. TAYLOR JR.

There aree all different kinds of boxeers — lightweights and heavvyweights, brawlers andd counter punchers, thosee who remain overly guaarded because they neverr get used to taking punches.. And then there are boxerss like Alyssa Pierce. “The first time I really got hit was in a drill very early in my first or second week in the gym. It was with an experienced boxer who just landed one right on my face,” she says. “I think the first time I got hit really hard, I had to decide, ‘Am I OK with that?’ I got over it pretty easily. Some people just learn to keep their hands up and some don’t.” When it comes to taking a punch, you can overcome a glass jaw by strengthening your neck and take quick breaths to tense your abs with every body blow, but none of it will matter if you don’t know how to react. As Pierce and her sparring partner Zoe Caplan bounce around the ring, they size up one another and trade a few glancing blows. Pierce is by far the more animated of the two, a characteristic that earned her the nickname Sparky in the gym. Caplan on the other hand seems to be the more measured fighter — a heavy hitter but with a surgeon’s sense of precision. The two circle one another, each trying to draw the other out, neither backing down. They both know that boxing is a sport of rhythm and speed, but also one of power and patience. For many great fighters, it has always been a bit of a waiting game. Covering Rocky Marciano’s 1955 bout with Archie r A. J. Liebling wrote, “The Moore for the New Yorker, champion doesn’t mind waiting five or 10 minutes to give anybody a punch in the nose.” Not much has changed over the past 60 years. Finally, Pierce drops her left slightly, leaving just enough of an opening and Caplan goes in to land a solid right jab square on her opponent’s cheek. Through the steady rumble of the gym, over the sound of the radio and slap of the gloves, you can hear Pierce let out a laugh. It’s not the response you’d expect from someone who just took a hit to the face, but it is the sound of a fighter who’s enjoying herself. Outside of the ring, coach Michael Golemis looks on with a critical eye, tracking the moves of each fighter. “Women are easier to coach,” says Golemis as he watches his two female students trade punches in the ring. “They don’t bring any ego into the gym. Guys will come in and try to tell you what they know. Women will ask you what they need to know.”

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 01.13.2016

BY DUSTIN WATERS

ZOE CAPLAN SPLITS HER TIME BETWEEN WORKING AS A MONTESSORI SCHOOL TEACHER AND TRAINING AS AN AMATEUR BOXER

Keep Your Guard Up A member of the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame and co-owner of Hurricane Boxing on James Island, Golemis has studied boxing since he was a child.

ALYSSA PIERCE STARTED BOXING OVER A YEAR AGO AND NOW TRAINS AS A COMPETITIVE FIGHTER Photos by Jonathan Boncek

Looking back, it was the coach’s mother who got him started in the sport after he took a beating from another kid in his neighborhood. “She tells me, ‘I’m taking you out to boxing classes. You need to learn to defend yourself.’ I was 8, and I didn’t want to do it,” says Golemis. “I resisted and resisted, until finally she took me by the arm, put me in the car, drove me over to the playground, signed me up, and left me. I got beat to a pulp that first class, but I kept going back.” After years in the ring, Golemis now trains boxers like Pierce and Caplan. For the coach and his team, the sport is less about brute force and more about respect

and empowerment, as Pierce is quick to point out. “A lot of women especially will start boxing because they want to feel more confident and get that selfdefense aspect of it. I can definitely attest to the fact, especially as a small woman, you get more confident in your ability to be physically strong,” Pierce says. Spending her days as a medical writer and editor at MUSC’s Department of Neurosurgery, Pierce started boxing over a year ago and now trains on the competitive team five days a week at Hurricane Boxing. According to Pierce, she was sucked in by

FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

Scott Suchy Charleston City Paper

continued on page 14

COASTAL OBSERVER

Thursday July 7, 2016

Pawleys Island South Carolina

Thursday November 10, 2016

COASTAL OBSERVER

Pawleys Island South Carolina

On the

TRAIL of the SWAMP FOX

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Page Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

Torch of liberty NORTH LITCHFIELD

MURRELLS INLET

Families make parade a vacation tradition

Tide extends celebration over a long weekend

BY JASON LESLEY

COASTAL OBSERVER

Chiara and Allison Best have participated in every North Litchfield July 4 parade since the beginning 26 years ago. Dressed in red, white and blue, they were back on Monday for another golf cart ride through the neighborhood to celebrate the nation’s 240th birthday. Lilly Grace Howard started her own tradition. Born June 2, she was in the arms of her great-grandmother Hazel Puyet in a golf cart driven by grandmother Nicole Dennis. “This is the highlight of our trip,” said vacationer Blakely Burch of Florida behind the wheel of a decorated golf cart in the parade line-up. SEE “NLB,” PAGE 17

Murrells Inlet celebrated America’s birthday twice this year with the 34th annual boat parade on Saturday afternoon’s high tide and a fireworks show Monday night. “We get two Fourths this year,” said Leon Rice from his winning dock during Saturday’s boat parade. The Rices won first place for best dock for the 10th time with their theme “Baby Seals to Navy SEALS.” The theme of the parade this year was “Saluting the Military.” Rice said he’s passed the job of defending the dock title to the family’s next generation. Nephews and grandsons from California, Arizona, North Carolina SEE “INLET,” PAGE 18

County’s best-known hero eludes promotional eﬀorts BY JASON LESLEY COASTAL OBSERVER

Charles Swenson/Coastal Observer

Fireworks explode over the Litchﬁeld Beaches on the Fourth of July and the colors are reﬂected in the high tide.

Thursday June 2, 2016

COASTAL OBSERVER

Murrells Inlet’s favorite ghost is brought to life on the opera stage BY JASON LESLEY COASTAL OBSERVER

When members of the audience leave an opera singing memorable lines, it’s reasonable to assume they enjoyed the show. That was the case Monday night at the Winyah Auditorium in Georgetown after “Alice Flagg,” made its hometown debut before a sell-out crowd. Composer Joseph Kaz, a graduate of Waccamaw High School, brought his interpretation of the Murrells Inlet ghost story from Washington, D.C., where it made its debut last year at the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival. Kaz is an alumnus of the “Young Treasures of the Tidelands” program of the Cultural Council of Georgetown County, and those connections proved beneficial in bringing the show to his hometown, according to Leslie Ayers, executive director. The Cultural Council was the sponsoring organization. Kaz said his parents helped find benefactors and hosts for the production, too. His mother Troi is an agent at DeBordieu Real Estate, his father Jeff is general manager at the DeBordieu Club. The opera’s program paid tribute to a mentor of Kaz, the late Thom Martin. SEE “OPERA,” PAGE 17

Pawleys Island South Carolina

Composer Joseph Kaz, second from right, takes a bow with the cast. His opera includes all the elements of the Alice Flagg legend: a secret ﬁancé, below; a ring, below left; and a disapproving family, bottom. At top, soprano Emily Casey sings the title role. Photos by Tanya Ackerman/ Coastal Observer

Francis Marion made his name for being elusive. British Col. Banastre Tarleton chased him for one entire night before giving up and cursing that “damned old fox.” Despite Marion County’s claim on the Swamp Fox, he belongs to Georgetown County as much as any other. Marion County was carved from the Georgetown District as Liberty County in 1785 and renamed for the war hero in 1800. There are 35 towns and 17 counties in America named for him. Marion grew up in the city of Georgetown and invaded it twice trying to rout occupying British forces. His legacy is solid as an American hero, yet the celebration of Marion and the re-telling of his story remain, as the old fox himself, elusive. Georgetown has a theater group and a tour of the historic district named for the Swamp Fox; a small park at Front and Broad streets and a convenience store at Highways 701 and 51 borrow his full name. That’s about it. Nathan Kaminski, president of the Thomas Lynch Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, calls Marion “a Southern George Washington” for his role in winning America’s independence. Marion lived with his men, withstanding the same hardships of the war. “Marion is a hero figure,” Kaminski said. “He doesn’t have feet of clay.” In order to buy time for Gen. Nathanael Greene to come south, Marion and his band harassed British positions between Tanya Ackerman/Coastal Observer Camden, Georgetown and Charleston. Two particular choke A historic points on the supply lines were on the Santee marker on River near Charleston and the Black River near Highway 17 Georgetown. The Georgetown County Mumarks Francis seum has a handwritten letter from Marion Marion’s links responding to orders from Gen. Greene. It is to Georgesigned “your obedient servant,” according to town. museum volunteer Mary Boyd. The British chased Marion through parts of 10 counties from Florence to Charleston. The South Carolina Legislature recognized the potential of Marion’s legacy and created the Francis Marion Trail Commission in 2005. Plans called for maps that led to interpretive SEE “MARION,” PAGE 19

Tourists are coming! Tourists are coming! BY JASON LESLEY COASTAL OBSERVER

For Charles Baxley and the 50 historians who toured Georgetown and the swamps where Gen. Francis Marion eluded British forces during the American Revolution, facts were more interesting than fiction. Baxley, a lawyer from Lugoff, is editor and publisher of the magazine Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution and leads tours of battlefields and lesser known sites of interest from the war. Joining the group for the three-day weekend was Francis Marion scholar Karen MacNutt of Massachusetts. Members of the Thomas Lynch Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution hosted the touring group for dinners at Hobcaw Barony’s Kimbel Lodge, where they heard from senior interpreter Lee Brockington, and the Belle Isle Yacht Club. Baxley said the group didn’t have time for the usual tourist fare of ghost stories and tales — a British officer is said to have died after falling down the stairs of the

A tour of Revolutionary War sites brought 50 people to Georgetown. Photo by Bill Segars

Henning House at 331 Screven St. and his ghost prevents others from losing their balance there. “Even better than ghost stories are the sites recorded in history,” Baxley said. “We could easily do two or three days just in the Georgetown District.” The Revolutionary War tour group visited Prince George Church, where it’s SEE “TOUR,” PAGE 19

A bronze of Francis Marion was sculpted by the late Caroline Grannis and given to the Georgetown County Library in 1970. It sits in the local history room.

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Page Design Associate & Individual Member Division

Food for Thought g

A hot chili pep at South Fo per rty Farm.

York County man cultivates world’s hottest chili pepper

Andrew Sprague Lake Wylie Today

Story and photos by Jan Todd

id you know that the hottest chili pepper in the world was cultivated right here in York County? “Smokin’ Ed” Currie holds a certificate from the Guinness World Records that certifies that his Carolina Reaper® pepper leaves all others behind in its heat intensity. Ed Currie, described as the “Mad Scientist” of the pepper industry, has been dabbling in the cultivation of hot peppers for the past 40 years or so. Surprisingly, the super heat index of his record-setting pepper was somewhat of an accident. “I didn’t start out to develop the world’s hottest pepper,” said Ed. “I was actually trying to boost the cancer-fighting properties of this particular pepper.” At a teenager, Ed became interested in hot peppers for health reasons. “Most of the men in my family died at young ages, from heart disease or cancer. So I started doing research on how to avoid that. I learned that indigenous

www.LakeWylieToday.com | Summer 2016

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Page Design Associate & Individual Member Division

Lifestyle

Something new, something

Emily Matesi Charleston Regional Business Journal

n Charleston, everyone wants to hold events by the water, so why not hold an event actually on the water? A number of operators offer unique floating venues for parties, events and receptions—from milliondollar luxury yachts to a charming riverboat with a working paddlewheel. A 360-degree view of Charleston’s iconic waterways along with stately homes and church spires always comes standard, and sightings of dolphins are all but guaranteed. Events at sea aren’t new, but they have seen an uptick over the past several years, according to vessel opera-

blue

tors in Charleston. Ashley Davis, sales manager at The Carolina Girl, said the company books between 50-75 events each year, from wedding rehearsals to company lunches. The 100-foot luxury yacht can comfortably accommodate 150 guests for celebrations year-round. “We bring you a sunset that’s changing every 30 minutes. Photographers love it because of the lighting and the skyline is distinctly Charleston,” Davis said. Each moving event promises

a unique and memorable experience, one which guests will have a hard time getting bored while onboard. “A lot of times dolphins will swim in the boat’s bow wake,” said Drew Yochum, director of sales and marketing at Charleston Harbor Tours. The fleet includes The Carolina Belle, a 1920s replica vessel with a smokestack and the Carolina Queen Riverboat with a working paddlewheel. While the route depends on the weather and tides, vessels almost always cruise along the Charleston Battery, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

By Jenny Peterson and underneath the Arthur Ravenel Jr. suspension bridge. Not your average boat Luxurious accommodations await guests on these chartered boats, including plenty of air-conditioned spaces. Each boat can be decked out with personalized décor and in-house event coordinators can arrange everything from table linens to floral decorations. Ideas are only limited by imagination. “No two events are exactly alike,” Yochum said. “We’ve had everything from casino night with craps and blackjack and roulette to a comedy

murder mystery dinner theatre.” “We’ve had gala celebrations with ice sculptures,” added Ian Harris, director of sales and marketing with SpiritLine Cruises and Events. The company’s boats Spirit of the Carolina and Spirit of the Lowcountry include newly-upgraded AV systems that can allow music to be played on all decks, along with televisions that can display presentations and videos. “It’s becoming more popular with meetings,” Harris said. “We also have the ability for people to have a wedding on the top deck and have it be displayed on all the boat’s TVs.” The Carolina Girl features a $50,000 theater sound system, mahogany chairs and a non-slip dance floor on the top deck. Boats have a number of food service packages from seated dinners to passed hors d’oeuvres by uniformed butlers, along with plenty of bar options. SpiritLine Cruises and Events even employs an executive chef fulltime and makes food to order in the boat’s galley.

All Aboard! The Carolina Girl 100-foot luxury yacht Max capacity: 150 Amenities: Three levels, top deck, upper observation deck air conditioning and heating; in-house event planner, remote microphone system, music coordinator, formal dining area with seating for 100 people, adjacent free parking lot. Charter only rates: $2,500-$3,600/three hours Contact: (843) 818-2495; www.CarolinaGirlEvents.com

Charleston Harbor Tours

Fleet: The Carolina Queen, The Carolina Belle, The Schooner Pride Max capacity: 400, 250, 49 (respectively) Amenities: Indoor and outdoor rooms, observation deck, enclosed main salon. The fleet is evocative of old Mississippi River Boats with a working paddlewheel and smokestacks. Three decks for entertaining with a main bar and satellite bar. Charter only rates: Carolina Queen and Carolina Belle: $2,500-$4,650/three hours. Schooner Pride: $2,000$2,400/three hours Contact: (843) 722-1112; www.CharlestonHarborTours.com

SpiritLine Cruises & Events

Fleet: Spirit of Charleston, Spirit of Lowcountry, Spirit of the Carolina Max capacity: 250, 300, 300 (respectively) Amenities: Luxury 100-foot-long dining yachts with event planning services and full-service catering with executive chef on staff and full-service galley. Multiple decks for entertaining, enclosable open-air upper deck and two full service bars, multiple restrooms, bands allowed. Spirit of the Lowcountry is handicapped accessible. Spirit of Carolina is available for daytime and evening events. Charter only rates: $2,200-$3,000/three hours; $2,800$4,000/three hours; $2,000-$6,000/three hours Contact: (843) 722-2628; www.SpiritLineCruises.com

Harborview Charters The Island Siren Max capacity: 26 guests Amenities: BYOB and BYOfood, covered, open air vessel with seating. Available for day and evening events. Charter only rates: $250-$500/two hours depending on number of guests Contact: 843-324-3183; www.harborviewcharters.com

An event aboard the Carolina Girl. Photo/Kate Photography

226 6

Event Eve ent ntt P Planning llannin lann la lan an anning aannin ann nn n nning nni nnin ning n nin iing n ng gG Guide Guid Gui Gu u uidee 2016 2

Event Planning Guide 2016

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Page Design Associate & Individual Member Division

Ryan Wilcox SCBIZ

Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bull Street project begins to shine By Melinda Waldrop and Chuck Crumbo | Photography by Jeff Blake

NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Honoring our Veterans

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE

VANESSA BREWER-TYSON/Progressive Journal

Single Feature Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Kimberly Harrington Pageland Progressive-Journal

Lemuel Eugene Woodward of Ruby is a Purple Heart recipient after being injured in World War II.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We had to keep movingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Purple Heart recipient recalls his days of war By VANESSA BREWER-TYSON Progressive Journal reporter

When Lemuel Eugene Woodward was drafted into the Army at age 18, he believed it was his duty to serve his country. The 93-year-old native of Ruby enlisted in the Army in 1942. He served four years during World War II and is a recipient of the Purple Heart award. Woodward said he could have gotten cut from the draft because his uncle who raised him was declining in health. He was also the only boy out of six children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was my country and I was willing to fight for it,â&#x20AC;? Woodward insisted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I could and was able, I would fight for it now.â&#x20AC;? Woodward completed his basic training at Ft. Jackson Army Training Base in South Carolina. Afterward, his outfit maneuvered all over Ches-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I could and was able, I would fight for it (my country) now.â&#x20AC;? - Woodward terfield and Lancaster counties. They also practiced on a rifle range in Camden. They were sent to Nashville, Tenn., where they maneuvered all in the mountains, he said. Woodward recalled crossing the Cumberland River about 4 one morning. The river was leveled to the bank, swift and as red as blood, he said. He remembered losing 14 soldiers who drown after their barge flipped. After leaving Tennessee, his outfit went to Ft. Meade, Md., and was eventually deployed to Liverpool, England. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fighting was in France,â&#x20AC;? Woodward said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were training and getting ready for the border of

France.â&#x20AC;? Woodward said he was not in the first wave of the fighting, but he was pretty close to it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a sight in the world how they were killed in that war,â&#x20AC;? Woodward remembered. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The boys were floating in the ocean.â&#x20AC;? But Woodward said they could not stop to grieve over the men. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to keep moving,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another crew would come back to gather the bodies.â&#x20AC;? Woodward said the Germans were taking over France, Belgium, Holland, Czechoslovakia and other smaller countries. They intended to take over the whole world, he said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we got to fighting them and pushing them back,â&#x20AC;? Woodward said with much pride. Woodward admitted that war is rough. They were constantly dodging bullets and mortars. He was wounded in his leg and arm when hit by mortars in two different instances. He only received one Purple Heart because he did not report the second injury. He said he was afraid he would be transferred to another outfit, and he liked his outfit and wanted to stay in it. So he suffered the pain of the wound in his arm. Woodward said although he did not formally meet General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General George Pat-

ton, they were right there with them. Eisenhower was over his outfit and Patton was heavy armed tank commander, he said. Woodward said he thinks all young men should go through basic training, noting it is the best training he can think of that is out there. After his discharge from the Army, Woodward worked at Springs Bleachery in Lancaster and eventually retired from farming. He has been living at Springhill Assisted Living for the last two years and is a member of Fairview Baptist Church. Woodward has two daughters, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His wife, Loma Mae, and two other daughters are deceased. Woodward said he has a great love for the Lord. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If it hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been for him, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be here,â&#x20AC;? Woodward said.

X 6HH PRUH SURĂ&#x20AC;OHV RI YHWHUDQV RQ 3DJHV X 3XUSOH +HDUW UHFLSLHQW VXUYLYHV URFNHW Ă&#x20AC;UH 3DJH

Show support of veterans at various events Guard will also be on hand to help honor veterans.

Pageland ceremony is 9 a.m. Friday The Pageland Town Council will hold a ceremony honoring veterans at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, at Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park. A special seating area will be provided for all veterans during the ceremony. The Honorable Judge Paul Burch will read the names of veterans who are honored as part of Pagelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. flag project. Dr. Joel Dale, pastor of First Baptist Church, will be master of ceremonies. Vietnam veteran Randel Caldwell will be featured on the program. Patriotic songs by talented citizens and Central High School ROTC Color

Veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day parade is 10:30 a.m. Friday The Chesterfield County Veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, in the old town center in downtown Chesterfield. A ceremony will follow at 11 a.m. at the Chesterfield County Courthouse.

Veterans can eat free at Petersburg Friday

FILE PHOTO

All veterans and first responders are invited to have lunch, free of charge, at Petersburg Primary School in Pageland on Friday from 10:30 a.m. until noon.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Single Feature Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Jan Marvin Daniel Island News

20 FEATURE

thedanielislandnews.com

The Daniel Island News Ĺś October 8 - 14, 2015

October 8 - 14, 2015 Ĺś The Daniel Island News

thedanielislandnews.com

The Honeycomb is buzzinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with Bl Black la Tieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open mic and annd abundant art JENNIFER JOHNSTON jennifer@thedanielislandnews.com

On Wednesday, October 7, the Black Tie Music Academy/Honeycomb CafĂŠ Open Mic Nite debuted. It will roll on as a weekly event, with the doors of Honeycomb opening for musician sign-up at 6:15 p.m., and shared gigging from 7 to 9 p.m.

hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt the universe se iis m making cool things pen all the time. The supermo u e happen supermoon eclipse. What m The The publicly public blli l amusing friendsalt does to caramel. nd d Ji m shipp of Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon. ut a couple of island business busines usi But owners are looking to give serendipity a bit of o iin intervention, and y ar arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t e looking to change the magic it creates a little nudge. The They meant tto o be. They are just letting n it be a little sooner. what was m Oh, and logistically handier. Oh r Daniel Island m ma in mainstays Black Tie Music Academy my an and Honeycomb CafĂŠ have collab olla collaborated to make art even more acce c accessible within their neighbor rhoo and the surroundneighborhood ing Char ha le Charleston area. Oanh Dang, g, w who co-owns Honeycomb mb CafĂŠ with husband mb Jonath onath aath h Broadhurst, has Jonathan been een ssupporting local artists rt since March 2011, select e selecting an â&#x20AC;&#x153;artist of the mo month monthâ&#x20AC;? to display at the island l eatery. And Black Tie M T Music Academy co-ow co-o co-owner (and presumed ins insom insomniac) Kris Manning, in n alongside (assumed equall q equally sleep-deprived) busine us business partner Braeden Ke Kersh Kershner, has proven her e de dedication to the arts

ZLWK VXFK SURMHFWV DV WKH QRQSURÂżW IRU NLGV 0XVLF %DWWHU\ DQG 7KH $FDGHP\ RI Right Brain Technology (A.R.T.). It seems, as far as the universe was concerned, these two were fated to join forces in the name of art awesomeness. Manning was already in the process of designing a mural for the wall space over the Honeycombâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffee bar, and in discussions with Oanh to put up a large community corkboard inside the restaurant. The more they talked, the more they realized they could band together to artistically amp up the island. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to create visible opportunities for musicians and artists in the community,â&#x20AC;? relates Manning.

Musicians get a mic and an audience On Wednesday, October 7, the Black Tie Music Academy/Honeycomb CafĂŠ Open Mic Nite debuted. It will roll on as a weekly event, with the doors of Honeycomb opening for musician sign-up at 6:15 p.m., and shared gigging from 7 to 9 p.m. The restaurant will offer wine and beer and a light fare menu, and there is no fee to participate or cover to drop-in and enjoy. Each week will feature a different â&#x20AC;&#x153;sponsorâ&#x20AC;? or theme. At the inaugural mic QLJKW %ODFN 7LH %DQGV D QRQSURÂżW DUP RI %ODFN 7LH 0XVLF $FDGHP\ ZKLFK helps local artists create videos and hone business skills, assisted with the eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sound system and other â&#x20AC;&#x153;back of the house duties.â&#x20AC;? Future nights will focus on everything from youth musicians to particular genres, but every Wednesday will be open to all ages, levels, and styles.

Open Mic Nite participants are encouraged to bring their own instruments, though Black Tie will have a few pieces on hand as well. There is no need to register in advance; musicians can simply show up, sign up, and be ready to perform in a relaxed, interactive environment. Like the adult jam bands her VWXGLR KRVWV HYHU\ ÂżUVW )ULGD\ 0DQQLQJ H[SHFWV WKLV RXWOHW WR RIIHU D ZD\ IRU musicians and vocalists to not only overcome stage fright in a judgment-free venue, but to learn more technical aspects of live performances as well. Manning and Dang underscore their encouragement for artists to play original music, something of a rarity in the gig world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really a big deal,â&#x20AC;? states Manning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not allowed many other places â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they want (other artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) songs covered.â&#x20AC;? The duo also points out the potential these special evenings open up for musicians to meet and form bands, or even get â&#x20AC;&#x153;discoveredâ&#x20AC;? by industry insiders looking for fresh talent. And, of course, it gives the youngest musicians a safe environment to practice, perform, and pal around.

For visual artists, a venue to continue The Honeycomb CafĂŠ will advance its commitment to local artists by not only offering a space to show, but also enlisting some pretty cool curating help. Manning happens to be an active member (and outgoing president) of the Art Guild of Daniel Island, a collective of burgeoning and established local artists. The group meets the third Wednesday of each month at the Academy of Right Brain Technology (A.R.T.) center at Black Tie Music. And,

beginning in January, Manning will select the artists to display at Honeycomb. 7KH ÂżUVW PRQWK RI ZLOO IHDWXUH WKH $UW *XLOG RI Daniel Island, which is currently composed of about 30 artists. After that, the walls of Honeycomb will celebrate a different local artist, highlighting a cross-section of ages, backgrounds, and mediums. And, to bring all this cosmic artful bounty together, the last Open Mic Nite of each month will serve as a reception for its selected artist. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is all within the honeycomb concept,â&#x20AC;? observes Dang. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A buzzing place, a hive of creativity.â&#x20AC;?

Visit these websites for more information: artsathoneycomb.com artguildofdi.org artsybrain.com (A.R.T. website) blacktiemusicacademy.com

FEATURE

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Single Feature Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

16 FEATURE thedanielislandnews.com

The Daniel Island News Ĺś October 6 - 12, 2016

October 6 - 12, 2016 Ĺś The Daniel Island News

9th Annual Harvest Tour coming soon to four homes near you!

Jan Marvin Daniel Island News

thedanielislandnews.com

'DQLHO ,VODQG 3DUN

6P\WKH 3DUN

FEATURE 17

photos by Peter Finger Photography phy

6P\WKH 3DUN

', OLEUDU\ IXQGUDLVHU HYHQW VHW IRU 2FWREHU ELIZABETH BUSH beth@thedanielislandnews.com

Want to go? W 9th Annual Harvest Tour of Homes Saturday, October 22, 1 to 4 p.m. 3URFHHGV EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W WKH Daniel Island Library Tickets are $20 each if purchased by October 21 at the following locations: Island Expressions and Eganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spirits on Daniel Island; Zinnia in Mt. Pleasant; or from any House Tour committee member. On the day of the tour, any remaining tickets will be available at the Daniel Island Library on Daniel Island Drive for $25 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Each home will also have a supply of tickets during the tour for $25. Children 10 and older will be admitted with a ticket when accompanied by an adult. For additional information, please visit www.harvesthometours.com.

ith close to 10,000 card-holding patrons now registered at the Daniel Island Library - a nine percent increase over last year itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say the facility has become a â&#x20AC;&#x153;best sellerâ&#x20AC;? when it comes to serving the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s literary needs. $Q HYHQW WKDW KDV KHOSHG WKH OLEUDU\ VLJQLÂżFDQWO\ HQKDQFH its offerings is the popular Annual Harvest Tour of Homes on Daniel Island. The 2016 tour will take place on Saturday, October 22, from 1 to 4 p.m., and will spotlight four varied island residences and several local authors, including four from Daniel Island. THE HOMES This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s featured properties include two in Daniel Island Park and two in Smythe Park. One home overlooks the picturesque Ralston Creek and features unique furnishLQJV VSHFWDFXODU RXWGRRU SDWLRV DQ ÂłLQÂżQLW\Â´ SRRO DQG interior design touches reminiscent of movies set in the 1930s. Additionally, the stump of the tree that provided the ZRRG Ă&#x20AC;RRULQJ LQ WKH KRPH LV HPEHGGHG LQWR WKH Ă&#x20AC;RRU RI one of the rooms. Another property on the tour is located on Oak Overhang Street on the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s south side. The home offers calming, cool colors and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;wonderfulâ&#x20AC;? family art collection, said Harvest Home Tour Co-Chair Mary Ann Solberg. Also fea-

tured are the works of acclaimed international photographer Peter Finger, who owns the home with his wife, JoAna. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition, their home is a minimalist arts and crafts home,â&#x20AC;? added Solberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never really had that type of home on the tour before so that makes it very exciting!â&#x20AC;? Also in Smythe Park, tour-goers will be invited to visit a family home on Pierce Street that is bursting with inspiring decorating designs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for decorating ideas, it is very interesting!â&#x20AC;? said Solberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They made an elevator shaft LQWR D OLWWOH RIÂżFH UHPLQLVFHQW RI DQ (QJOLVK SKRQH ERRWK And the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rooms are adorableâ&#x20AC;ŚThe house is just fabulous and has beautiful views of the Wando River from the upper deck.â&#x20AC;? 7KH ÂżQDO SURSHUW\ LQ 'DQLHO ,VODQG 3DUN LV DOVR D family home. According to the home description provided on the tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website (www.harvesthometours.com), â&#x20AC;&#x153;three centuries of furnishings and art live compatibly with an active young family.â&#x20AC;? The property also features a tennis court, games court, and a pinball machine room. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ultimate family home,â&#x20AC;? continued Solberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And the views are phenomenal.â&#x20AC;? All in all, the properties combine to make the 2016 Harvest Tour a â&#x20AC;&#x153;not to be missedâ&#x20AC;? event, said Solberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have an incredible variety in homes here on Daniel Island, and it is a community that is a real literary community,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think this event could be held in a more perfect place.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;Ś library to order the books and equipment they wantedâ&#x20AC;Ś (YHQ WKRXJK WKH FRXQW\ QRZ KDV D ODUJHU EXGJHW WKHUH DUH H DUH still things the library canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so we provide those for them!â&#x20AC;? Among the items purchased by the FOTL with tour dollars are additional computer work stations, furniture for the library and community meeting room, early literacy and general collection resources, a parking lot book drop, additional shelving, a display case for island artifacts, an outside reading garden with benches, and multiple book club kits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are so grateful for their support,â&#x20AC;? said Tim Boyle, Daniel Island Library Branch Manager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve helped us with big ticket itemsâ&#x20AC;ŚItâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be able to plow (those funds) right back into things that people can use right here in our community.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Daniel Island is really a reading island,â&#x20AC;? added Solberg. %HQHÂżWWLQJ )ULHQGV RI WKH â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a tremendous number of people here who read for 'DQLHO ,VODQG /LEUDU\ enjoyment quite consistently. People are always checking out books and asking for suggestions. Tim has a real grasp THE IMPACT of his clientele and makes wonderful suggestions.â&#x20AC;? Sponsored by the Friends of the Daniel Island Library The book club kits have been extremely popular and well (FOTL), the Harvest Tour of Homes fundraiser has featured received, said Boyle. They now have about 120 kits avail36 homes and generated more than $100,000 since it began DEOH DQG FDQ FUHDWH PRUH ZKHQ UHTXHVWHG .LWV LQFOXGH ÂżYH in 2008. According to Solberg, the event has impacted the copies of a book and multiple discussion questions. library in â&#x20AC;&#x153;amazing ways.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We now have a budget for book club kits,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a different library than it would have been if we â&#x20AC;&#x153;And we can put together a kit if someone requests one. I KDG QRW KDG WKH WRXUV Â´ VKH VDLG Âł7KH ÂżUVW IHZ \HDUV WKH did two just yesterday!â&#x20AC;? Berkeley County Library budget was cut dramatically, so â&#x20AC;&#x153;The kits are becoming more and more popular,â&#x20AC;? added we have really supplemented the budget and allowed the 6ROEHUJ Âł:KHQ ZH ÂżUVW VWDUWHG LW ZDV UHDOO\ D QDWLRQDO

LQQRYDWLRQ DQG L Q DQ DQG QQG G LW LV W LQQRYDWLRQ DQG LW LV VSUHDGLQJ OLNH ZLOGÂżUH QRZ 0RUH DQG more people are mo moving to the island, and starting more and more book clubs, even a lot of couplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; book clubs.â&#x20AC;? Solberg is also proud of the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new outdoor garden and reading area, a space that is being utilized by patrons of all ages. Âł(YHU\ GD\ LWÂśV PRUH EHDXWLIXO Â´ VKH DGGHG Âł:H FRQstantly add to the garden and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just my love. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I have ever been there that I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen a mother, a small child, or a father, reading. And that was our goal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to not only have a beautiful outdoor space for the library, but to be able to check out books and immediately enjoy them in their surroundings.â&#x20AC;? Solberg and Vicki Danziger, her Harvest Tour co-chair, SODQ WR PHHW ZLWK %R\OH DIWHU WKLV \HDUÂśV HYHQW WR ÂżQG RXW how to best utilize the 2016 proceeds. Already, Boyle has a wish list started. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hoping for some new shelving for juvenile media, an honoraria fund for speakers, kits for summer reading books, games, and more. Solberg said the FOTL also plans to continue to enhance the garden and maintain it, buy additional book club kits, and increase their donation for e-books, an area that is growing â&#x20AC;&#x153;by leaps and bounds,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know that they have a constant need of materials,â&#x20AC;? Solberg continued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we support the things we started there, and then there are always new things to considerâ&#x20AC;Ś They will always be grateful for anything we contribute.â&#x20AC;? For additional information on the tour, including how to obtain tickets, please visit www.harvesthometours.com.

Meet the M authors! The following authors will be stationed at featured homes during the Harvest Tour to offer signed copies of their books and answer questions: Becca Bessinger and Kris Manning (illustrator) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Own Little Piece of Skyâ&#x20AC;? Owen Duffy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Artichoke Queenâ&#x20AC;? Michael Ferrara â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Land of a Million Elephantsâ&#x20AC;? Mike Glasgow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feeding Charlestonâ&#x20AC;?

The Lancaster News

Faces & Places

Sunday, October 2, 2016

E XTRA! E XTRA! SPECIAL R EUNION EDITION

THE TIGERETTE

THE GOLDEN TIGERS FROM BARR STREET HIGH’S CLASS OF ’66 CELEBRATE AFTER 50 YEARS

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Single Feature Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Forty-seven class members turned out Sept. 23-25 for the 50th reunion of the Barr Street High class of 1966. Seated, from left, Josephine Thornwell Singleton, Zenia Witherspoon Graham, Jennifer Washington Dewese, Mattie Hood Smith, Veronica Montgomery Gaither, Bertha Brown Smith, Willie Jean Cannon and Deanna Jones Cureton. Other women, from left, Verta Witherspoon Looper, Joanne Frazier Alexander, Bernadette Williams Boulware, Gennell Mingo Cauthen, Linda Dean Brickers, Nannie Coleman Brown, Evelyn Crockett Cooper, Betty Massey Cooper, Betty Heath Williams, Dianne Myers Pappas, Rachel Crockett Alexander, Aurelia Thompson Jones, Priscilla Duncan Blackmon, Patricia Wade Jackson, Betty Mackey Anthony, Betty Hammond Hinson, Susan Marsh Leavens, Verma Faulkner Blakney, Ernestine Brown James. Men, from left, Lydie Porter, Tyrone Ingram, Charles H. Smith, Avell Duncan, James B. McCoy, Robert A. Mungo, Joshua Leach, Leroy McWhirter, Thomas L. Lathan, Charlie G. Jordan, Wayne Morris, David Watts, Theodore Montgomery, Willie E. Brown, Robert McMurray, Robert Evans, Wilkie Thornwell, Richard Green, Charles Jones and Columbus Cureton.

Memories run deep Recalling a place of discipline, pride, friendship and fun

photos by DAVID KELLIN/For The Lancaster News

At left, the Barr Street Golden Tiger gives a thumbs up with Patricia Jackson. Above, Verta Witherspoon Looper pauses for a photo during the reunion. Inset is a photo of Looper in high school. At left, Rachel Alexander, Gennell Cauthen, Bertha Smith and Betty Cooper gather for a photo. Below, Michael Marshall speaks about the Barr Street High School Foundation and the efforts to preserve the school’s history.

Editor’s note: The Barr Street High School class of 1966 gathered Sept. 23-25 for its 50th reunion. One of the event’s organizers was Betty Massey Cooper of Charlotte, the class valedictorian and a retired principal at Westerly Hills Elementary School. She shared her memories with classmates and their guests. Here are excerpts from her speech.

Athena Redmond The Lancaster News

want to tell you a story about 116 African-American students who were born in 1948. The setting is the small town of Lancaster, S.C., at a school named Barr Street High. The year was 1966. The average house cost $23,300. The average annual income was $6,900. A gallon of gas cost 32 cents and a first-class stamp was a nickel. Lyndon Johnson was president. That year we became seniors, the big Golden Tigers on campus. It was a time of segregated schools and long bus rides. Most of us studied to achieve because our parents and teachers expected it of us. School was also our social outlet. In many ways, it was the best of times! Back then the philosophy was “teachers will teach and students will learn.” Our principals and teachers demonstrated their knowledge and took pride in their teaching, their student discipline and their appearance, always dressed to impress! They were the best role models. I remember our strong, quiet superintendent, Mr. Aaron R. Rucker, and a serious, no-nonsense principal, Mr. Lafayette B. Belk. If you don’t believe this, just ask Bertha Brown and Jennifer Washington, who were called into Mr. Belk’s office once for joy-riding during the school day! Our teachers were leaders too. Who Rucker can forget sitting in Mr. Spann’s class on the second floor as we slowly typed 10 to 20 words per minute, Mr. “Cool Daddy” Jenkins as he walked us through U.S. history, and Mr. W.D. Young, whose love of math was only surpassed by his love for baseball’s World Series. We watched every game in his trigonometry class and still managed to learn enough to score well on the SAT. Belk See MEMORIES I Page 2B

The school newspaper, The Tigerette, kept students informed and entertained. Nancy Reid was editor-in-chief in 1966.

GOOD MORNING! >> INSIDE: Church News, 5B I Classifieds, 7B I Coming Events, 6B I Education, 3B I Entertainment, 4B

Extended Weather Forecast Today High

Monday Low

84 60 Sunny

High

Wednesday

Tuesday Low

84 62 Sunny with a few afternoon clouds

High

Low

81 62 Sunny with a 10 percent chance of stray showers

>>Features I (803) 283-1158

High

Thursday Low

80 62 Partly cloudy with a 10 percent chance of stray showers

High

Low

81 63 Sunny with a 10 percent chance of stray showers

Presenting Georgetown County schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; senior classes

LIFE READY FOR...

. . . A F T E R G R A D UAT I O N

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

Andrews High School

Single Feature Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Georgetown High School

ol High Scho Waccamaw

The Geo rg of Arts etown School and Sc iences

4 23 5 G

12 1 11

D ES

9 10

MAGENTA-OAOO

YELLOW-OOAO

CYAN-AOOO

Preparatory Lowcountry School

D ES

6 78

Eileen Keithly, Mark A. Stevens and Laurie Hellmann Georgetown Times

Carvers Bay High School

BLACK 012908

A special May 2016 publication of

Inside

Ashlee’ L. Thompson to wed Wes Bellamy, 2B

Eat&Drink

Section B southstrandnews.com @SStrandSports

Friday ll December 18, 2015

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Single Feature Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Sugar and Spice There is no aroma quite so inviting as freshly baked snickerdoodles. See recipe, Page 2B.

Celebrate the marriage of two delicous flavors - brown sugar and caramel — with a cup of this sweet, creamy Dulce De Leche.

Whip up a batch of holiday goodness BY EILEEN KEITHLY ekeithly@southstrandnews.com

Sandy Schopfer Georgetown Times

’T

is the season for baking, and nothing ushers in the holidays quite like a warm cup of cocoa and a homemade sugar cookie. It’s the perfect time to bake up a batch of sweet treats; nothing says Christmas magic like home-baked cookies perfect for gifting, swapping and snacking. It’s easier than you think to whip up a batch of Christmas cookies. Be prepared for a crowd to gather when the sweet aroma of cinnamon wafts from Eileen the oven as you Keithly bake a batch of snickerdoodles; a twist of sugar and spice that is a holiday must in our house. It wouldn’t be Christmas Eve in our house if the cookie cutter box didn’t make a grand entrance. My mom’s easy sugar cookie recipe has made Santa a happy guy for many years. Clean off the counter and let the kids have fun creating Santa a treat he will never forget. You’ll never go back to pods or cartons when you taste one of our decadent holiday drinks. They are so yummy you will want to throw a party just so your guests can sample all the flavors. Foods that warm our hearts and make good company better are always a staple in our family’s Christmas kitchen. Some of my most cherished memories have to do with the celebration of the holiday season. Christmas taught me about family, traditions, and holiday entertaining — and a lot about fun and food. From our house to yours, have a very merry Christmas.

CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

PHOTOS BY EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

One sip of this Chai Eggnog Punch, and it’s likely to bring back fond memories of family recipes and Christmases past. See recipe, Page 2B.

Toasted Almond Latte 2 1/2 cups whole milk One 6-ounce bag slivered almonds, toasted 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon espresso powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: espresso powder In a medium-sized saucepan, heat milk over medium heat for five minutes or until milk begins to steam. Do not boil. Add toasted almonds while they are still hot. Remove from heat. Cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain out and discard almonds. Return milk to saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, or until milk begins to steam. Again, do not boil. Remove from heat. Add sugar,

YELLOW-OOAO

BLACK 012908

espresso powder, vanilla, and almond extract. Garnish with espresso powder, if desired. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Hot Dulce De Leche 4 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy whipping cream One 12-ounce can evaporated milk One 13.4-ounce can dulce de leche 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar Garnish: whipped cream, caramel topping In a medium-sized Dutch oven, combine milk, cream and evapo-

See SUGAR, Page 2B

Nanny’s Sugar Cookies are the perfect treat to leave for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. See recipe, Page 2B

USCL offers lifeguarding course A lifeguard training class is beginning at the University of South Carolina Lancaster Gregory Health and Wellness Center pool. Students must be 15 years old and pass prerequisites by April 28. Students must attend all scheduled classes in order to receive certification. The cost is $225, due at the completion of prerequisites. Checks should be made payable to USCL. Recertification cost is $115. Class is limited to 20 participants. For details, call (803) 3137102, or (803) 313-7016 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Dixie Debs, Belles registration opens

2016 News Awards

Registration for the 2016 Dixie Debs and Dixie Belles youth softball league is open through April 29. Girls must be ages 13-18 as of Jan. 1, 2016. The registration fee is $75, which includes uniform (jersey, pants, belt and visor). Register from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at Springdale Recreation Center, 260 S. Plantation Road, Lancaster; or online at www. mylancastersc.org/parks. For details, call (803) 285-5545.

JROTC 5k/fun run April 23 at ILHS

THIRD PLACE Sports Page Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

www.carolinagatewayonline.com ◆ Carolina Gateway

April 20, 2016

SPORTS SHORTS

The Indian Land High JROTC, student government and Friends of Rachel Club will host the JROTC 100th Anniversary 5K/ Fun Run at 11 a.m. April 23 at the ILHS Reservation. Registration is $24 for all non-cadets and JROTC units. Participants will receive a commemorative JROTC 100th anniversary T-shirt. A portion of the proceeds will support the school’s annual senior service project to prepare 50,000 meals in collaboration with Servants with a Heart. Call ILHS at (803) 547-7571 or (803) 286-8470 for details.

Warriors honor wrestling stars

SPORTS SHORTS

Van Hoose named Most Outstanding Wrestler ROBERT HOWEY rhowey@thelancasternews.com

The Warriors saluted a host of standout wrestlers at the annual Indian Land High School and middle school wrestling awards April 5. The ILHS Warriors finished 18-11 and ranked ninth in the final Class AA-A state wrestling poll. Senior Will Van Hoose, who posted a 42-3 record and finished third in the Class A-AA state field at 195, was honored as ILHS varsity’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. He was also named to the North-South All-Star Wrestling Classic as one of the top senior grapplers in the state. Van Hoose lost only three matches during his senior season, two to state champions. Van Hoose, an all-region wrestler, also reaped all-state honors with his state tournament finish. Senior Thomas Seamon received the Mike Kersey Spirit Award, presented by Maddy Kersey, the oldest daughter of Erin Kersey and the late coach Kersey. Seamon, 39-9 for the season at 138, reaped all-state mat laurels with a fourth in the state field. Kyle Daley, third at 132 in the Class A-AA state field, garnered all-state and all-region honors. Richie Wilkinson, an IL senior, received the Warrior Award. He finished his career with a 40-8 mark at 152 in his senior season and earned all-region honors. Freshman grappler Austin Ross, a state qualifier at 106, was named the Warriors’ Rookie of the Year with a 39-9 record. Juan Alejandro was named the team’s Most Improved Wrestler. Indian Land coach Kevin Mager said he was proud of his Warriors team. “Our record does not tell our story for this season. A lot of pressure was put on these guys to go out and be perfect because we had to give up about 5-6 forfeits every dual meet,” he said. “They grew as young men throughout the season and represented Indian Land with high respect. I could not be more proud of all the wrestlers. I am going to truly miss the seniors as they were a great group of leaders and I know they will go on to accomplish great things in their next step in life. “I want to thank all the parents and supporters of the team and coach Ian Armstrong as well,” Mager said. “We would not have been where we are without him. Thanks to my parents, Jack and Donna, and my wife, Brittney, for all the support and help throughout the year.” Mager added a special word of thanks for the Kersey family, including coach Kersey’s parents. “Faye and Wayne Kersey are incredible people. They sup-

plied delicious chicken for the banquet and also for the Kersey Memorial Tournament (in December). They were very supportive throughout the whole season and offseason,” Mager said. “Mike Kersey had such an impact on my life as a coach and mentor. It is evident that his caring, loving and supportive personality is a direct reflection of Faye and Wayne Kersey,” he said. “They are special people and the Warriors wrestling family is very proud that they are a part of our life.”

Middle school awards The Indian Land Middle School wrestling team also earned its share of accolades during the awards presentation. Clint Creech, who posted a 15-4 record and was a middle school state qualifier, was named IL Middle’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Maya Mazurek was named the Warrior Award recipient for middle school wrestling and Xavier Diaz was selected as the winner of the ILMS Coaches Award. Zach McDonald was tabbed as the M o s t Improved Wrestler.

Carolina Gateway ◆ www.carolinagatewayonline.com

courtesy of GREGORY VAN HOOSE

Indian Land High School senior wrestler Will Van Hoose battles Garrett Academy’s Monsell Carter during the Class A-AA state wrestling tournament. Van Hoose, the 195-pound Upper State champion, was third in the state championship and earned the Warriors Most Outstanding Wrestler for the 201516 season.

Alumni softball games April 23 The Lancaster County High School softball alumni fundraiser games will be played April 23 at the Lancaster High School softball field. Teams will include alumni players from all four county high school softball programs. Programs can have more than one team representing their alma mater. The alumni game is a fundraiser for Lancaster, Buford, Indian Land and the Andrew Jackson high school softball programs. Each programs will receive entry fees from their alumni participants, minus T-shirt costs. Games start at 10 a.m. Spectator admission is $2. Concessions will be sold, including hamburgers and hot dogs.

Run for Ryan/county track meet April 23 The 10th annual Running for Ryan, featuring the Lancaster County track meet, is April 23 at the Lancaster High track. The meet begins at 10 a.m. and continues to 1 p.m. The event is held to promote the awareness of KLS (Klein Levin Syndrome) and in memory of Ryan McKinney, a former Lancaster High School track athlete who died in 2006 of cardiac arrhythmia. In addition to the county meet, the event features a bicycle raffle, inflatables, face painting, games, storytelling and music. Coach Mark Strickland’s barbecue plates will be $7 each.

USCL offers lifeguarding course A lifeguard training class is beginning at the University of South Carolina Lancaster Gregory Health and Wellness Center pool. Students must have passed their 15th birthday and pass prerequisites by April 28 for class entry. Prerequisites and videos are 5-8 p.m. April 11-14, April 18-21 and April 25-28; 9 a.mnoon and 1-4 p.m. April 16, April 23 and April 30. CPR skills is 6-9 p.m. May 2. A CPR mask is required; masks can be purchased at the USCL bookstore. First aid is 6-9 p.m. May 4. Water skills are 6-9 p.m. May 9-12. Students must attend all scheduled classes in order to receive certification. The cost is $225 ($190 for course and $35 for Red Cross certification fee), due at the completion of prerequisites. Checks should be made payable to USCL. Class is limited to 20 participants. Recertification cost is $115 ($80 for course and $35 for Red Cross certification fee), due before water skills. For details, call (803) 3137102, or (803) 313-7016 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Youth hoops clinic April 16 in Lancaster

www.carolinagatewayonline.com ◆ Carolina Gateway ◆ Sept. 14, 2016 ◆ Page 7

A youth basketball clinic for boys and girls, grades 4-8, will be held April 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the A.R. Rucker Middle School gym, 422 Old Dixie Road, Lancaster. The clinic will include skill development, fundamentals and film study. Clinic cost is $20 per child. For details, call (803) 804-1939.

Dixie Debs, Belles registration opens

To buy this photo, visit www.carolinagatewayonline.com

RICK JOHNSON/for Carolina Gateway

Indian Land High School seniors Matt Murray (18) left, and Ryan Albino (15) listen to coach Terry Young give instructions during the Warriors’ Sept. 9 game against Broome High School.

Jane Alford Carolina Gateway

Albino catching on ILHS wide receiver steps up in senior season ROBERT HOWEY rhowey@thelancasternews.com

Indian Land High School senior wide receiver Ryan Albino is getting his kicks with his hands. Albino, a 6-1, 175-pounder in his third season with the Warriors’ football team, is making the most of his senior campaign. To date, Albino is IL’s top receiver with 18 catches for 215 yards and a touchdown with only one fumble. Albino’s biggest catch came in the Warriors’ 41-35 overtime home win over county rival Buford High on Aug. 26. As strange as it may sound, football hasn’t always been Albino’s sport. He began playing soccer at around age 7 and didn’t pick up football until middle school as an eighth grader. In the previous two IL seasons, Albino, despite some nagging injuries, has gravitated toward football. He broke his foot as a sophomore and dislocated his kneecap in his junior season to miss playing time. With this season, his senior campaign, Albino has dedicated himself to reach his potential. So far, he’s on his way as the Warriors’ ace receiver, but it’s been all about hard work. “I definitely have taken football more serious,” he said. “The whole summer has been dedicated to football, day-in and day-out. “It’s my senior year and I wanted to be one of the leaders,” he said. “I’m there because I love to play football. It’s a big part of my life. I’ve decided I want to play college football.” Indian Land High head coach Mike Mayer has seen the improvement. “Ryan’s worked hard to get better,” Mayer said.

Indian Land High School senior receiver Ryan Albino is making the most of his final season with the Warriors through hard work and dedication in reaching his potential. So far, he is IL’s top receiver with 18 catches for 215 yards, and a touchdown.

“He’s a senior who has stepped up and played well.” Albino said Warriors’ quarterbacks David Loughry and Jay Hildreth spent time over the summer working with him in preparation for the season. “I worked with both quarterbacks running routes and developing chemistry,” he said. “I’ve worked on running routes and getting separation off the line of scrimmage. Those are some of the little things, which make a big difference. I was determined to become a great receiver.” Mayer said Albino is making key strides. “Ryan has worked hard at catching the ball and running after the catch,” he said. “He has always been a tall, big-bodied receiver who uses his body. He’s learned to use his body between him and the defender to get in position to catch the ball.” Albino’s taken that dedication to boost his role. “I’m somebody who sets an example,” he said. “I give it all I got. I leave it all out there. “I’ve never been much of a vocal leader. I let my play be my talk, but I’m going to be more vocal.” With a new season in Class AAA, a first for ILHS football, Albino said the Warriors can make a statement. “One thing we’re lacking is leadership,” he said. “We, as seniors, just have to lead the team.” Albino said it’s a key reason the Warriors have yet to produce a complete game. “We have to work on how we start and finish,” he said. “We have to play all four quarters. It’s something we’ve been through and something we can fix. We just have to keep working at it. “I know I can do more to contribute to the team,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement. “If we do that and execute on both sides of the football, we will be OK,” Albino said. “I’m not happy with where our team is now, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

To buy this photo, visit www.carolinagatewayonline.com LORIE SELLERS/For Carolina Gateway

Registration for the 2016 Dixie Debs and Dixie Belles youth softball league will be April 18-29. Girls must be ages 13-18 as of Jan. 1, 2016. The registration fee is $75, which includes uniform (jersey, pants, belt and visor). Register from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at Springdale Recreation Center, 260 S. Plantation Road, Lancaster; or online at www.mylancastersc.org/parks. For details, call (803) 285-5545.

JROTC 5k/fun run April 23 at ILHS The Indian Land High JROTC, student government and Friends of Rachel Club will host the JROTC 100th Anniversary 5K/Fun Run at 11 a.m. April 23 at the ILHS Reservation. Registration is $24 for all non-cadets and JROTC units. Participants will receive a commemorative JROTC 100th anniversary T-shirt. A portion of the proceeds will support the school’s annual senior service project to prepare 50,000 meals in collaboration with Servants with a Heart. Call ILHS at (803) 547-7571 or (803) 286-8470 for details.

SCHSL seeks football officials If you love football and working with athletes, contact the S.C. Football Officials Association to find out how you can get involved with officiating high school football. Classes start at the end of April. Contact Chris Horton at (803) 448-1707 or chorton1@comporium.net, or Brad Smith at (704) 309-8193 or bsmith@palmettoairbalance. com, by April 15.

April 13, 2016

LADY WARRIORS PLAY BALL IL boys run

over county competition

Young ILHS softball team hopes to make strides on diamond

IL girls place second

ROBERT HOWEY rhowey@thelancasternews.com

Staff reports

The Indian Land High Lady Warriors’ softball team is off to a slow start, but hopes to pick up its play as the season moves on this spring. The IL girls, who went 17-8 last season, are 3-16, 3-6 at the spring break point in their season. The Lady Warriors sport a young squad with no seniors and only a pair of juniors. Coach Nicole Ritter, in her eighth season at ILHS, has sophomore Danyelle McCorkle and eighth-grader Chelsi Mackey handling the pitching duties. McCorkle earned the Junior Lady Warriors Offensive Player of the Year Award last season. When not in the circle, she will be seeing outfield duty. Daniella Wilson, a freshman, is handling the catching duties and will see action in the IL infield. She reaped all-region honors and the team’s Best Offensive Award last year. Junior Gabby Doyle is at first base. She was the Lady Warriors Most Improved Player Award winner las season. Ritter will also look to junior returnee Savannah Bean, sophomore Adriana Wilson, eighth-grader Katie Beachum and freshman Peyton Darnell to handle the infield slots. Bean and Wilson garnered all-region honors last season. Beachum was the Junior Lady Warriors Defensive Player of the Year. The Lady Warriors’ outfielders are freshmen Chloe Williams, Rachel Sadak, Lauren Phillips, Kori Daley and seventh-grader Lexi Wilkinson. Phillips earned the JV softball Warriors Award last season. Ritter said the IL girls have three keys this season. “It’s pretty simple,” she said. “We must have pitching, hitting and defense. We have to limit our errors and hit the ball well.” Ritter said the Region IV-AA race will be a battle. “Our region is tough and competitive,” she said. “Buford is my pick for the team to beat this season. They have quality pitching and that’s a well-coached team.” Ritter is assisted by Rob Wilson, Corey Daley, Benny Price and Jeff Bean.

The Indian Land High School boys track team ran all over its competition in a three-way meet March 31 with Andrew Jackson and Buford high schools. The ILHS boys posted a team score of 106 points, to Andrew Jackson’s 34 and host Buford’s 21. The ILHS girls placed second with 66 points, trailing Andrew Jackson with 88 points, and followed by Buford with 19.

ILHS boys top results ILHS boys teams won the following events: ◆ 4x100-meter relay in 44.04 seconds ◆ 4x400m relay in 4:05.99 minutes ◆ 4x800m relay in 10:28.77 minutes John Gregory won the 110m hurdles in 15.83 seconds. Gregory also won the 400m hurdles in 59.41 seconds. Christopher Hood placed third at 1:10.17 minutes. Gregory also won the triple jump at 41-06 feet, followed by Jerrick Palmer, second at 36-04 feet. IL won the first four places in the 100m dash, led by Joseph Thomas in 11.77 seconds, Marlin Davis in 11.84, Albert Jackson in 11.86, and Josh Wallace in 12.31. IL won the first six places in the 1600m run, led by Austin St. John in 4:59.92 minutes, Andrew Lafollette in 5:20.70, Alex Welnhofer in 5:36.69, Connor Burns in 5:40.96, Austin Reeves in 5:41.87 and Graham McLaughlin in 5:43.74. Joshua Jacobs won the 400m dash in 51.39 seconds, followed by Quintin Wiggins in 54.07. Jimmy Witherspoon placed fourth in 57.09 and Stephen Cedino fifth in 1:01.55 minutes. IL won the first six places in the 3200m run, led by St. John in 11:52 minutes, followed by McLaughlin in 12:20, Burns in 12:29.00, Walker Reeves in 12:41, Diemer in 12:52 and Michael Rosacco in 13:15. Kace Faulkner won the discus with a 125-06-foot throw. Teammates Markese McCleod placed fourth with a 93-09-foot throw. Faulkner also won the shot put with a 41-foot throw, followed by McCleod, second with a 39-02foot throw. Zade Cobb came in second in the 200m dash in 25.01 seconds. Destin Clark placed fourth in 25.54. Six IL runners placed in the 800m run, led by St. John, second in 2:17.85 minutes; Andrew Lafollette, third in 2:25.22; and Bradley Selee, fifth in 2:28.17. Phillip Whiley placed third in the high jump at 5-04 feet.

IL girls split recent games Indian Land took a 16-6 home win over Central High of Pageland on April 6. IL was paced by Chloe Williams, who drilled a triple, home run and drove in four runs. Adriana Wilson laced two triples. Gabbie Doyle had two hits and an RBI, while Danyelle McCorkle, the winning pitcher, drilled two hits in the 10-run win. Daniella Wilson had a single and a RBI on a sacrifice fly. Rachel Sadak, Savannah Bean and Katie Beachum each had a hit and a RBI. Peyton Darnell supplied a hit. Chesterfield scored a single run in the top of the eighth inning to edge Indian Land, 5-4, in Region IV-AA play April 4. Pitcher Danyelle McCorkle took the loss. Chloe Williams belted a dramatic home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings. Gabbie Doyle had two hits and an RBI. Peyton Darnell had a triple and an RBI and Danyelle McCorkle supplied a hit and drove home a run. Daniella Wilson smashed a double. Adriana Wilson, Rachel Sadak and Savannah Bean each had a single for the Lady Warriors. The team’s next game is April 18 at North Central High School.

ILHS girls top results

GWYNN LEAIRD/for Carolina Gateway

Indian Land High School sophomore Danyelle McCorkle winds up to pitch in the Lady Warriors’ April 7 game.

SPRING SPORTS ROUNDUP Lady Warriors shut out Sun Valley booters The Indian Land High School Lady Warriors, 15-1, blanked Sun Valley High School (N.C.), 2-0, at the ILHS Reservatioion on Thursday, April 7. IL’s Emily Gerdes booted in both goals, one from 73 feet and the other from 19, with an assist from Kathrine Kilroy. Indian Land had 14 shots on goal to nine for Sun Valley. Goalie Emma Thompson posted nine saves for Indian Land. Sun Valley had seven saves. Class AA ILHS is ranked third in the state. Class AAA Sun Valley, 7-5, is ranked seventh in North Carolina.

Lady Warriors rally to post soccer win over Swansea The third-ranked Indian Land High School Lady Warriors, 14-1, rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to take a 4-2 soccer win in pen-

alty kicks over No. 16 Swansea High School on April 5. IL’s Kilroy notched two goals during regulation play, which ended in a 2-all draw. IL’s penalty kick goals were scored by Katherine Kilroy, Kailee Erwin, Emily Gerdes and Carleigh Werner. C.C. Thompson posted an assist for the Warriors. Indian Land had 28 shots on goal to nine for the Swansea Lady Tigers. Emma Thompson posted seven saves for Indian Land. Swansea had 13 saves.

ILHS golfers third in region tri-match The Indian Land High School golf team placed third in a Region IV-AA tri-match with Andrew Jackson and Chesterfield high schools April 4. AJ posted a 150 to defeat Chesterfield with a 178 and Indian Land with a 194. Indian Land was led by Lewis Lambert, who shot a 43 for the Warriors.

The ILHS girls team won the 4x800-meter relay in 10:59.25 minutes. Mikayla Wallace won the 100m dash in 13.03 seconds, followed by Kendall Sullivan, sixth in 14.31. Wallace also won the 200m dash in 27.06 seconds. Law came in fifth in 29.81. Kaitlyn Rodman won the 1600m run in 5:40.18 minutes. Lauren Sizemore placed third in 6:03.20, followed by Braeden Rushing in 6:11.56, Baileigh Sizemore in 6:16.85. Rodman also won the 800m run in 2:30.63 minutes. Tianah Miller came in third in 2:48.10, followed by Baileigh Sizemore in 2:49.03. Rodman also won the 3200m run in 12:27 minutes. Lauren Sizemore was third in 13:12, followed by Rushing in 13:20.00 and Baileigh Sizemore in 14:23. Nazahah Fitzgerald won the 400m hurdles in 1:17.59 minutes. Ella Noll was third in 1:23.23, and Blakely Harden fifth in 1:26.03. The IL girls team placed second in the 4x100 meter relay in 53.28 seconds. IL’s A team placed second in the 4x400m relay in 4:50.29 minutes, followed by IL’s B team, third in 5:20.14 minutes. DeJaria Benjamin placed second in the shot put with a 26-06-foot throw. Osjara Duncan was fifth with a 23-01-foot throw. Benjamin placed third in the discus with a 72-11foot throw. Crystal Johnson placed third in the triple jump with a 28-09-foot jump. In the long jump, Johnson placed fifth with a 13-09-foot jump. Kendall Griffin placed third in the high jump at 4-06 feet, followed by Kaitlyn Mohr, fourth at 4 feet. Six IL runners placed in the 400m dash, led by third-place Tymahariah Miller in 1:08.88 minutes. Kendall Sullivan was fourth in 1:09.47. Five IL runners placed in the 100m hurdles. Griffin was fourth in 20.09 seconds, Harden was fifth in 20.67. See www.carolinagatewayonline.com for complete Indian Land team results.

1BHF t 5IVSTEBZ .BSDI

Wrestling warriors BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Provided photo

Goose Creek High School wrestlers Caleb Rubin and Christian Rubin (holding brackets) won state championships on Saturday. The twins also celebrated their birthday on Friday.

As twins, Goose Creek High School wrestlers Christian Rubin and Caleb Rubin have shared a birthday all of their lives. Now, the day after will forever mean something doubly special too. The seniors captured state championships together on Saturday inside Anderson Civic Center, capping a glorious birthday weekend by finishing first in their weight classes. A day after turning 18, Christian won the 182-pound class and Caleb

captured gold in the 220-pound class. “It is such a relief to finally reach where we’ve strived to be for our entire lives,” Caleb said. “Christian and I are so thankful to have been a part of the Gator wrestling program, and are a product of the individuals who molded us throughout our careers.” Each had to win three straight matches in the eight-man brackets to strike gold. Caleb pinned his first two opponents on Friday before locking in first with a 16-6 major decision over Woodmont’s Shemar DeGannes Saturday afternoon. Christian won his first match on Fri-

day with an 11-2 major decision and closed out his championship run with pins, claiming first with a third-period pin against Kadarius Bunch. “Winning state is truly a blessing,” Christian said. “It’s somewhat a relief as well. Tonight, I’m thankful for my coach who has always cared about me as a man and as a wrestler, for the support of my friends and family, and for God who has enabled me.” Both twins had been to state before but always came back home thirsting for more. Gold had always eluded See STATE, Page 4B

Hawks looking for plate production

2016 News Awards Rob Gantt/Gazette

Ricky Garcia-Deya is one of four returning players for the Stratford Knights.

DeLong: Knights a mystery this spring BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

SECOND PLACE Sports Page Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

To say Stratford boys soccer coach Alister DeLong doesn’t have a good read on this year’s squad could be an understatement. “Going into my eighth year as the varsity coach, this year is the biggest mystery so far,” DeLong said. “I am only returning four players from last year’s team that made it to the second round of the playoffs. Out of the 20 players, seven of them are new to the program. It’s very early on in the preseason but normally I have a pretty good idea of where we stand in our region. This year, I have no idea.” The team’s returning players are Micheal Brown, Fernando de la Cruz, Jason Calderon and Ricky Garcia-Deya. With three goals each, Calderon and Garcia-Deya are the top scorers returning. No other player has scored a varsity goal. “I still don’t know what position some of the players play,” DeLong said. “I know they can play, but need to figure out who fits best where.” The Knights open the regular season at Porter-Gaud on Friday, March 3 and travel to Summerville on March 8. They host Hanahan on March 10 and travel to Fort Dorchester on March 14 before opening Region 7-AAAA play at home against Cane Bay on March 18. “We are going to go through some growing pains this season but, with

The Hanahan softball team claimed its second consecutive Battle on the Bases championship Saturday. Hanahan defeated Summerville 5-2 in the championship game of the preseason fastpitch softball tournament featuring 16 South Carolina teams competing at three local venues last Friday and Saturday. “We played very well,” Hanahan coach Katrina Moffett said. “We hit the ball, one through nine, the entire tournament. We were patient at the plate and had good pitching. It was a total team effort.”

This we know about the Hanahan baseball team: Pitching and defense are going to have to lead the way on the diamond this spring. Production at the plate may be an issue for the Hawks. They lost four of their top five sticks from a year ago and the returning players accounted for just 37 RBIs out of 175 and 49 runs out of 216. Hanahan coach Brian Mitchell understands his team figures to be in

a slew of close, low-scoring games. “Defensively and pitching is where we should excel the most,” said Mitchell, who enters his 13th season in charge of the Hawks. “We only have three hitters back from last year. We’ve got to find a way to get some runs on the board.” Mitchell’s team scored just four runs in three preseason games against Pinewood Prep (1-0), Cane Bay (1-3) and Ashley Ridge (2-10). The top two hitters returning are first baseman Ridge Hunter (.294), and catcher Hunter Sutton (.271).

Hunter scored nine runs and drove in nine last year. Sutton scored nine runs and drove in seven. Centerfielder Eric Gartman (.240) and right fielder Malcolm Van Buren (.213) are also returning starters. Gartman scored 12 runs and drove in eight last season. Van Buren scored 15 runs and drove in six. The rest of the projected players in the field are second basemen Tyler Futrell and Brooks Cribb, shortstop Brendan Shaw, third baseman Jaxon Pate and left fielders Soter Thomas and Trey Martin.

The Hawks opened the scoring of the title game in the bottom of the second inning. Ashley Meckley singled and moved to third on a Summerville error and a groundout by Hannah Robinson. Baylee Westbury then singled to drive her in. Emily Elmore reached on an infield single to plate courtesy runner Madeline Ferris. After a groundout, Kendall Grubb singled to drive in Westbury for a 3-0 Hanahan lead entering the third. The Hawks pushed two more runs across in the fourth. With two outs, Grubb and Lauren Anderson singled. Then catcher Jordan Fabian doubled to push them across for a 5-0 Hawks’ lead.

Summerville got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Madison Drawdy singled and Meghan Norris reached on a Hanahan error. Emily Hupp then drove in pinch runner Madison Keefer. With two outs during its final turn at bat, the Green Wave started a rally. Anna Gluhosky doubled and moved to third on an infield single by Brittany Olean. Summer Jenkins doubled to plate Gluhosky for the 5-2 margin. However, Drawdy’s ensuing fly ball to the outfield wasn’t quite deep enough and was caught for the third out to secure the victory for Hanahan. MacKenzie Dyson went the distance in the circle to pick up the win for Ha-

Katrina Moffet Hanahan coach

See BATTLE Page 4B

eating, sleeping and where your classes are. You’ve been through a semester. We expect you to be able to come out and focus on baseball right away because we play such a quality schedule early.” Until last week, CSU had benefitted from an unseasonably warm January, weather Lake would welcome through the end of February. “It’s been nice here early,” Lake said. “To be out here in shorts and short sleeves for a few days is a nice break but it’s going to cool off. Adjusting to the weather is just part of college baseball.” Locally-produced prep stand-

outs will have a chance to play for the Buccaneers this season. Sophomore outfielder Chris Singleton (Goose Creek) is a returning starter in the outfield. Other players with local ties are sophomore pitcher Cody Smith (Goose Creek), freshman pitcher Jamison Mobbs (Stratford), freshman pitcher Eddie Hiott (Stratford), junior pitcher Kyle Dyson (Hanahan), freshman pitcher Cody Maw (Cane Bay) and senior infielder Ryan Maksim (Bishop Photo/csusports.com England). Last season, the Buccaneers Charleston Southern baseball coach Stuart Lake and the were 23-30 overall and 10-14 in Buccaneers begin practice for the new season with a scrimmage the Big South Conference. on Friday.

Rob Gantt/Gazette

See HAWKS, Page 4B

“We were patient at the plate and had good pitching. It was a total team effort.”

nahan. Jenkins started in the circle for Summerville and suffered the loss after pitching four innings. Drawdy relieved her and only surrendered one hit in two innings.

The Bucs have been in and out of individual and team practices since arriving on campus in August in preparation for almost a 60-game season, all crammed into three short months. With 12 seniors and already a half-year of work toward the season, Lake expects his team to be mature and mentally ready for a schedule that includes weekend series with West Virginia and South Carolina in the season’s first month. “I always tell our freshmen you’re a freshman the whole year but we expect you to act like a sophomore.” Lake added. “You know where you’re

Rivals to clash for region crown

The good news is the Hawks should be able to pitch with just about anybody they play. Van Buren (North Carolina State) and Parker Futrell (Charleston Southern) are headed to Div. I schools after the season. They’re both tall and lanky. Van Buren was 5-1 with 46 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA in 32-plus innings pitched in 2015. He’s got potentially dominant velocity. If there’s any knock on Van Buren it’s that he

Rob Gantt/Gazette

Hanahan infielder Kendall Grubb was named all-tournament.

Sprinter Dyrell Kinloch will be one of the top performers for the Hanahan boys track and field team this spring.

Spring teams gearing up for season BY ROB GANTT The Gazette

1BHF # t 5IVSTEBZ 'FCSVBSZ

Cane Bay expects more hoops success BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Krena Lanham The Gazette

Practice for the Charleston Southern baseball team officially begins with a scrimmage on Friday, Jan. 29 but the Buccaneers are actually already five months into preparation for coach Stuart Lake’s eighth season at CSU. The team will scrimmage Friday-Sunday in their opening weekend of practice as they hit the ground running ahead of their Feb. 19 opener against West Virginia. “This isn’t spring training,” Lake said. “We have about five weeks between school starting back and playing our first game, so we have to be ready to work and be sharp.”

Rob Gantt/Gazette

BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Hanahan repeats as Battle on the Bases champion rlee@journalscene.com

Baseball brewing for Bucs

Hanahan pitcher Malcolm Van Buren has signed with North Carolina State.

See KNIGHTS, Page 4B

BY ROGER LEE

1BHF t 5IVSTEBZ +BOVBSZ

Cane Bay girls basketball coach Ira Owens is expecting next season to produce more victory celebrations for his team. The Lady Cobras finished this winter with a 6-15 overall record and 2-8 Region 7-AAAA mark. It ended on a high note for Cane Bay, though. Freshman Carrington Simpson had 10 points and 13 rebounds and junior Ricki Henry nine points and nine rebounds for Cane Bay in a 37-26 win over Stratford on Thursday, Feb. 11. “We only had one senior,” Owens said. “Everybody else can be back. Most of them will now have two years of varsity experience under their belt. That, playing together and trusting

each other more combined with moving into a new region next year we’re going to be more competitive in will springboard us to more success I’m hoping.” The South Carolina High School League moves to a five-class system beginning next school year. The Cobras stay at Class AAAA in the 2016-18 realignment and will be in Region 8-AAAA with Berkeley, Beaufort, Hilton Head, Stall and Colleton County. Every other team in Cane Bay’s current region moves up to Class AAAAA. Simpson, a center, ended the season with team-high averages in points (9.0 ppg) and rebounds (10.3 rpg). Junior forward Amber German was second in scoring (7.2 ppg) and re-

bounding (6.2 rpg) and first in blocks (1.3 bpg). Junior guard Ricki Henry was third in scoring (5.2 ppg), third in rebounding (4.0 rpg), first in assists (1.6 apg) and first in steals (3.4 spg). Sophomore forward Savannah Hollifield averaged 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. Junior guard Kalyn Kilgore chipped in 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds a game. Other contributors include sophomore Junaiza Criddell, who averaged 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds. Sophomore Amari Johnson and freshman Michaela Wilson can also return. The lone senior was forward Samaria Mazyck, who averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds. See COBRAS, Page 2B

Rob Gantt/Gazette

Cane Bay girls basketball coach Ira Owens can return all but one player for next season.

“Hats off to Wando. We had to dig in and fight for everything we got. We grew up a little bit.” Coach Tim Baldwin

Gators eyeing return trip to Columbia Rob Gantt/Gazette

Senior Levante Britt dunks in the first half of Goose Creek’s 62-60 victory over Wando on Friday.

Gators travel to Irmo

It won’t be long until the winter sports scene gives way to spring and the fun moves outdoors. Soon, athletic fields at high schools all over the area will be lit up. Beneath the lights, athletes on the diamond, in the thrower’s pit and the goal box will pursue their championship dreams. The official first day of practice for all spring sports teams is Feb. 1. Their first scrimmages can be held on Feb. 8. The first regular season playing date for boys and girls soccer is Feb. 29. Baseball, softball, tennis, track and field and boys golf get started for real on March 7. The lone spring program in the county to win a state championship last year was the Hanahan boys track and field team. The Hawks won their second straight title last season and third under hall of fame coach David Pratt. A new era begins on Murray Drive this spring, though. David Morbitzer, who helped guide the HHS girls track and field team to a crown in 2011, takes over for Pratt. Morbitzer said he’s excited about the challenge and oppor-

Photos by Rob Gantt/Gazette

Stratford’s Jaylen Kello pinned his Cane Bay opponent at 106 pounds on Jan. 20. BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Goose Creek heavyweight Evan Ulery (right) is one of the ranked wrestlers that was expected to compete in the rivalry match on Jan. 27.

See SPRING, Page 4B

The table is set. Rivals Goose Creek and Stratford were to battle for the Region 7-AAAA crown on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The winner earns one of four No. 1 seeds in the Lower State playoffs, which begin Feb. 6. Goose Creek enters the clash ranked 11th in Class AAAA, one spot ahead of Stratford. The match is at 7 p.m. at GCHS. “Like every team in the state of South Carolina, we’re banged up,” GCHS coach Nick Geary said. “We’ve got to hurry up and get some guys healthy because Stratford has no weak spots. They’re very tough from top to bottom. They’ve got guys that will compete.” Geary said he expects the atmosphere to resemble a pressure cooker when the two teams

meet. Goose Creek won 39-34 last season in the region finale. “I’m sure both teams will have plenty of fans there cheering loudly,” Geary said. “It’s gonna be a loud ruckus. We’ve been there before with them. We’ve been on both ends of things.” Geary’s team improved to 4-0 against Region 7-AAAA foes with a 41-24 victory over Wando on Jan. 20. Wando led 18-12 before the Gators got rolling. Six straight wins, four by pin, put it out of reach. The Gators got pins from Jacob Arnold (132), Frank Arnold (171), Caleb Rubin (220) and Evan Ulery (HW). Tito Colon (106) won via technical fall. Willie Richmond (138), Michael Birrell (145), Trevor Castell (182) and Christian Rubin (195) earned decisions. See RIVALS, Page 4B

BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Photos by Rob Gantt/Gazette

Goose Creek’s girls basketball team won its third straight region championship on Friday. BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Region championship. Check. Twenty wins. Check. Trip to Columbia. Time will tell. The Goose Creek High School girls basketball team reached two of its primary season goals on Friday, holding off Wando, 45-36, to finish the Region 7-AAAA slate unbeaten. Now, Coach Tim Baldwin’s team turns its focus to the postseason and championship aspirations. A year ago, his team made it to the state championship before losing to Spring Valley.

“I think our girls have been ready to get to the next phase of the season,” said Baldwin, whose team improved to 20-2 overall and ended region play 10-0. Friday’s game was their toughest test against a region foe this winter. They had been clubbing opponents by more than 30 points a game but the Lady Gators had to outscore Wando 12-3 in the final quarter to lock down their 10th region crown under Baldwin. The late surge produced Goose Creek’s third straight region title. “I love it. It was a good ol’ dogfight,” Goose Creek’s Zeleria Simpson (4) scores on a layup and is fouled in the first half.

See GATORS Page 2B

Morbitzer moves into top spot

Goose Creek High School boys basketball team earned a spot in the Class AAAA playoffs. The Gators (17-7, 5-5 Region 7-AAAA) travel to top seed Irmo High School on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and would travel to either West Florence or Summerville if they could pull the opening round upset. Irmo is 20-4 overall and finished Region 5-AAAA with a 10-0 record. The teams last met in the Class AAAA state championship game on March 1, 2013. Irmo won that meeting 65-46. Goose Creek is coming off a 62-60 victory over Wando on Friday, Feb. 12. Senior guards Allen Robinson and Chris Ross are Goose Creek’s leading scorers. Ross was recently named to the South Carolina all-star squad for the Carolinas All-Star Classic. The playoffs mark the final moments in a Goose Creek uniform for two other seniors, forward Levante Britt and guard Tim Davis.

BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Redhawks get in 7-on-7 scrimmage BY ROB GANTT rgantt@ourgazette.com

Provided photo

Carolina Redhawks receiver Colin Bender became a two-time practice player of the week on Saturday.

Receiver Colin Bender became the Carolina Redhawks’ first two-time practice player of the week on Saturday. Bender caught two touchdowns to cap long drives and made six receptions in all as the Redhawks scrimmaged against the South Carolina Sharks, an independent team from Hilton Head. Bender, who played high school ball in Virginia before playing at Charleston Southern, also played cornerback on defense and was the up back on the punt team.

Bender was practice player of the week on Jan. 9 too. The Redhawks continue to prepare for their first season in the Central Carolina Football League later this year. The scrimmage was 7 on 7 and each team got three drives. The Redhawks offense scored on all three drives and the defense never allowed a play over 10 yards. Quarterback Rico Reid returned after a month off and led one of the long scoring drives. The Redhawks and Sharks will have a full scrimmage on March 12 at the old St. Stephen High School on Rus-

sellville Road. For more information on the RedHawks, call general manager Terry Jackson at (843) 478-8986 or email carolinaredhawks@yahoo.com. The CCFL was formed in 2006. The Palmetto Havoc (Myrtle Beach) and Greenville Seminoles (Greenville) are the lone two CCFL organizations in South Carolina. The other nine are in North Carolina. Wadesboro, Fayetteville, Kannapolis/Concord, Newton, Charlotte, Lexington, Rockingham, Albemarle and High Point are cities with teams in the Tar Heel State.

Rob Gantt/Gazette

David Morbitzer has taken over the Hanahan boys track and field program, the most accomplished team in the county in recent history.

The most decorated high school sports program in recent Berkeley County history will have a new leader this year. Hanahan track and field coach David Pratt retired and left behind a program that’s won two straight championships and three in the last five years. Former HHS girls coach David Morbitzer has taken over for Pratt. Morbitzer has one state title to his credit too, 2011 when both teams swept the Class AA titles. “Coach Pratt left me a good program,” said Morbitzer, a former Citadel football player in

his seventh year at the school. “The foundation is here. I’m just going to try to build upon that and see if we can bring home some more state titles.” Pratt won eight state crowns in all. He earned five others at Woodruff. “Coach Pratt was a great mentor,” Morbitzer said. “He’s probably the best person you could look up to as far as taking over a program like this.” The Hawks have finished fourth or better every spring since 2009. They were runnersup in 2010 and 2012 and fourth in 2009 and 2013. Last spring, Hanahan rolled up 97 points in a performance Pratt said “might be the best

one I’ve ever seen.” The Hawks easily captured the Class AAA title. Many of the key pieces will return this season, led by sophomore sprinter Quincy Mitchell, senior sprinter Dyrell Kinloch and senior throwers Dominique Green and Tre Smalls. Mitchell was third in both the 100 and 200 and ran legs on the winning 400-meter relay and runner-up 1600-meter relay. Kinloch ran in the 400 relay and 3200 relay, which placed second. Green won the discus and Smalls was second. The first official practice is Feb. 1. The Hawks look like state

contenders again despite the loss of sprinter Sam Denmark, who graduated early to go play football at Virginia Tech. Last spring, Denmark won the 100 and 200 and ran on the 400 and 1600 relays. “We’ve got some pretty good pieces,” Morbitzer said. “We’ll be a very well-rounded team.” First things first, though. The Hawks understand they’re in the toughest region in the state. “Hanahan won state (last year). Hilton Head was second. Beaufort was third. And that’s all our region.” Morbitzer said. “We’ve got to get out of region before we worry about anything. I’m sure they’re strong again. It’s going to be a good fight.”

Sports as BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI cso olos i@southstrandnews.com

L ong t i me G eorgetow n High School boys basketball Coach Alvin “Stitch” Walker resigned his position on Monday. GHS Principal Craig Evans named Michael Ford Jr., the Bulldogs junior varsity coach, as the interim varsity coach. Walker, who will continue to be an assistant principal at the school, said he is “at

it’s given me an opportunity to be here and touch so many other students’ lives other than through basketball.” He still has a love for the game, he said, but “having a love for it is different than me being able to give to it what it deserves.” Evans said Walker was more than just a coach. He called him a counselor, a parent and a mentor. “When people think of Georgetown High basket-

a ss

ball, they think of Stitch Walker (but) his influence extends well beyond the playing court,” Evans said. “His enthusiasm and his energy levels have always been over the top. He is certainly going to be missed on the court. Luckily we’ll still have him in the school.” Carvers Bay High School boys basketball Coach Jeff Mezzatesta called Walker

FIRST PLACE

to t a

The Sports Desk

Veteran coach to lead WHS softball

BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI cso olos i@southstrandnews.com

James Graves is the new varsity softball coach at Waccamaw High School. Graves, 8, replaces Scott Streiffert, who retired in May due to health concerns. Graves has been an educator for 4 years, and a coach for 2 years, the last four at North Myrtle Beach High School. He has won more than 500 games in his career. “I’ve been around it for a long time,” said Graves, who lives in Pawleys Island with his wife, Susan. Even after decades as a head coach, Graves still loves it. “I’ve got a passion for it and as long as I have the passion and Gra es somebody w ill have me, I’ll be around,” he said. “It’s something I love to do. I’m excited and looking forward to it.” After being named the new head coach on Monday, Graves said his first priority was meeting with the players, coaches and parents. “Communication is so important to all of us,” Graves said. “We’ve got to make sure everybody’s on the same page.” He will also be looking for an assistant varsity coach and a head junior varsity coach. Graves won three straight state titles at Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville, and also coached at Purnell Swett High School in Pembroke, N.C., Lamar High School in Houston, Texas, and Woodmont High School in Piedmont. For the last four years he was the head coach at North Myrtle Beach and led the Lady Chiefs to the Region VII-AAA title in 2014. Before the playoffs started in May he announced his retirement. “I was just ready to not make that 90-mile round trip every day,” he said. Although he is coming out of retirement to coach, he will not be teaching full time, preferring to be a substitute for the Georgetown County School District. Graves said he “admired” what Stre-

PHOTOS Y CHRIS SOKO OSKI/SOUTH STRAND

Car ers Bay s Jana Sum ter and ndrews High s Jeremiah Shaw try to catch a ass on Friday. Neither made the catch and the Bears won the game .

nline See more photos rom the game at www.southstrandnews.com hotos.

The two teams were pretty evenly matched offensively. Carvers Bay had 237 total yards (202 rushing, 35 passing) on 54 plays, for an average of 4.3 yards per play. Andrews had 21 total yards (11 passing, 100 rushing) on 5 plays, for an average of 3.9 yards per play. Janaz Sumpter led the Carvers Bay ground game with 3 yards. White had 59 yards, uevon Dickerson had 44, and Young added 33. Young said it was important Jackson Sims of ndrews High tries to drag down ue on ick See BEA

, Page 2A erson of Car ers Bay on Friday night. See VETE AN, Page 2A

news@southstrandnews.com

You might think that Georgetown High School head football Coach en Cribb would be on cloud nine right now. After all, his Bulldogs have won three straight games, including a 29-0 rout of winless St. James on Friday night. Despite his squad’s undeniable momentum heading into their bye week, Cribb said RANDY AKERS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS there is still work to be done. lex Smith of Georgetown High tries to esca e the tackle “I thought we played hard, of William Stewart of St. James on Friday night. The Bull but sloppy,” he said after the win over the Sharks. “We had dogs beat the Sharks . CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

YELLOW-OOAO

way too many penalties, and there were some missed assignments we’re going to have to get cleaned up before we can be a good football team.” The flow of the game would tend to support Cribb’s assessment. For the second straight week, Georgetown’s offense got off to a slow start, scoring just once before halftime. uarterback Tyler McAlister said halftime adjustments helped seal the deal for the Bulldogs. “We started off slow, and we finally figured it out in the sec-

st a nline

See more photos rom the game at www.southstrand news.com hotos.

ond half,” he said. “We came back, gave it everything we had, and we won.” Helped by the strong second half, the Bulldogs’ offense rolled again, piling up 355 total yards. McAlister rushed for 3 yards on eight attempts, and completed 14 of 18 pass attempts for 228 yards and

three touchdowns Deakidd Anderson caught three passes for 103 yards and one touchdown Alex Smith caught three passes for 8 yards and and one touchdown Fred Taylor caught four passes for 38 yards and and one touchdown and Tony Lara rushed for 18 yards on nine attempts and one touchdown. Fans may have noticed a difference in the Bulldogs over the past few weeks. McAlister attributed the change to a more serious attitude in See B

, Page A

BLACK 012908

Sports

A ednesday ll August , 2016

southstrandnews.com SStrandSports

Tri of a lifetime

Sandy Schopfer Georgetown Times

PHOTOS PROVIDED

li ah S raul addles on the Pee ee i er during a

men paddled BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

hen Jesse Massucco was a little boy near Wilkesboro, North Carolina, he asked his father where the Yadkin River ended. When his father told him it went all the way to the ocean, Jesse thought that “seemed impossibly far.” Jesse, 21, recently found out exactly how far — 08 miles — when he paddled it with his brother, Dakota, 18, cousin Mason Reed, 17, and two friends, Reid Gamble, 21, and Elijah Spraul, 22. Jesse came up with the idea for the trip after graduating from Berea College in December. “Jesse’s always had crazy ideas and I just kind of followed him because I trusted him,” Dakota said. “I had just graduated from high school and I wanted to do something adventurous before college.” Mason said at first he was “hesitant” to do the trip because of the time he would

mile tri from North Carolina to Georgetown with four friends.

miles from entral . . to Georgetown

miss preparing for hiss sese nior season of high schoo hool football, but it “sounded like a fun adventure.” Elijah was Jesse’s room ommate at Berea, and they hey both worked at the school’s ol’s Outdoors Department. “He knows what he’s doing so I trust him a lot, especially with outdoor oor stuff,” Elijah said. Reid has known Jesse sse since first grade. “It was really good to break away from thee 9 to 5 and reconnect with ith my best friend,” he said. “I trusted Jesse that he wouldn’t put us on a trip together if we didn’t all get along.” Jesse said the hardest part of the planning was getting everybody in one place. Reid lives in Washington, Elijah was in Hawaii, and Mason goes to school in Colorado. The group started on the Yadkin River near Ne Nearing earing the end end of their mile ourney from North Carolina, lina, the fi e kayakers took Wilkesboro on June 0, and see the Georgetown ighthouse. took the time to sto to at North sla sland fterward they s ent a few days relaxing in Pawleys sland.

See

EN, Page

Section B Friday ll January 29, 2016

southstrandnews.com @SStrandSports

Bulldogs fall to Seahawks BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI

Basketball roundup

csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

with Chris Sokoloski

Spring (sports) are here Spring is here! Well sorta. Practice for spring sports starts at the beginning of February. Not all four Georgetown County schools field a team in every sport, although it’s good to see Carvers Bay adding soccer. As usual, the county will be home to several baseball tournaments this year. Waccamaw High will host the Coastal Invitational on March 3-6 and the Mingo Bay Baseball Classic on March 29 through April 2. Mike Johnson Park will host the IP Classic on March 10-13 and the Mingo Bay on March 29 through April 2. The baseball programs at Waccamaw and Georgetown high schools continue the tradition of playing tripleheaders featuring varsity, junior varsity and B-team squads this year. Waccamaw will host the games March 19, and Mike Johnson Park will host the games on April 9. It is unclear if the tripleheaders will continue next year since the teams will be in the same region and the varsity games will have playoff implications. If you’re interested in seeing the county’s varsity teams battle, here’s some other dates to remember: %DVHEDOO *HRUJHWRZQ at Andrews, March 7; Waccamaw at Andrews, March 8; Andrews at Carvers Bay, March 10; Carvers Bay at Andrews, March 21 and April 21; Andrews at Waccamaw, April 20; and Andrews at Georgetown, April 25. 6RI WEDOO $ QGUHZV DW Georgetown, March 23; Waccamaw at Andrews, March 24; and Georgetown at Andrews, April 13. 6 R F F HU * H RU JH WRZ Q boys and girls at Andrews, March 2; Waccamaw girls at Georgetown, March 22; Andrews boys at Waccamaw, March 23; Waccamaw boys at Georgetown, April 6; Andrews boys and girls at Georgetown, April 20. The beginning of February also signals the home stretch for winter sports. The wrestling teams at Waccamaw and Georgetown are battling for playoff sports. The team titles will be won on Feb. 13, and then the Lower State individual tournament is Feb. 19-20. State titles will be won Feb. 26-27. Varsity basketball teams will wrap up the regular season by Feb. 11. Playoffs begin the following week. (Chris Sokoloski is always looking for ideas for stories or to include in her column. She can be reached at csokoloski@ southstrandnews.com or 843546-4148, ext. 229.)

Georgetown High’s boys battled Myrtle Beach to the final buzzer on Jan. 26, but the Seahawks came out on top 52-49. “It was a hard-fought game that could have gone either way,” said Bulldogs Coach Alvin Walker. “I’m proud of the boys. ... (They) kept fighting until the end, giving us at least a chance.” Cavonte Gamble scored the first two baskets of the game to give Georgetown a 4-0 lead. After a Myrtle Beach basket cut the lead to 4-2, 3 points by Julius Logan and Gamble extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 7-2. Myrtle Beach then scored the next 8 points to take its first lead of the game at 10-7. Darius Sabb and Gamble had baskets down the stretch to cut the Seahawks’ lead to 13-11 at the end of the first quarter. Darrion Graham and Avery Greene had the only points for Georgetown early in the second quarter as Myrtle Beach stretched its lead to 21-16. Graham then hit a free throw and a basket and Gamble scored after a Seahawks’ turnover to tie the game at 21CHRIS SOKOLOSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS 21 with 2:36 left in the half. A free throw by Sabb and Georgetown High’s Cavonte Gamble puts up a shot against Myrtle Beach on Jan. 26. Gamble had 11 points in the Bulldogs 52-49 loss. See more photos at www. See BULLDOGS, Page 2B southstrandnews.com.

Warriors, Bears lose in region BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

Justin Busby had 22 points in Waccamaw High’s 59-55 loss to Dillon on Jan. 26. Busby also had three rebounds, three assists and two steals Ken ley Vereen had 1 4 points, seven rebounds,three steals and two assists; Jawan Bryant had 11 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals; Miller Brinson had 4 points, five r e b ou nd s a n d o n e Justin Busby steal; Coleman Hewitt had 2 points, one rebound, one assist and one steal; Quez Brown had 2 points; Boomer Frank had six rebounds and one assist; and Jabbrel Drayton three rebounds.

See WARRIORS, Page 2B

Warriors finish third in region BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

Waccamaw High’s wrestling team hosted the Region VII-AA championship on Jan. 27 and finished third. Waccamaw was dominated 55-21 in the first round by Aynor. The Blue Jackets won the first seven matches to jump out to a 40-0 lead. Andrew Hansen finally got Waccamaw on the board with a pin at 145 pounds. The Warriors also got pins by Jack Cook at 170 pounds and Preston Janco at 182 pounds, and a decision by Alonzo Trent at 160 pounds.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Waccamaw High’s Andrews Hansen got a pin against Aynor in the Region VIII-AA championships on Jan. 27. The Warriors finished third. See more photos at www.southstrandnews.com.

Waccamaw took advantage of The Warriors also got pins from from Jeremy Perritt at 152 pounds. eight forfeits to beat Loris 60-14 in Trent at 160 pounds and Derek RolMarion defeated Loris and Aynor the third-place match. lins at 138 pounds, and a decision to claim the region title.

Waccamaw High’s Jack Cook battles his Loris opponent during the region championships.

Waccamaw High’s Alonzo Trent won a decision against Aynor.

LVT • Carpet • Tile • Wood • Laminate • Vinyl • Custom Shower • Custom Backsplash The kayakers took the time to sto

sland in Winyah Bay as their at North slan

mile ourney came to an end.

rom staff reports

CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FOR 31 YEARS

S er ly pics tele isio sche le

Power Up Ent wins Classic Power Up Ent recently won this year’s Oatland B-Ball Classic. The tournament was founded by Ervin Brown in 2010 in the Oatland area of Georgetown, also known as the Route area. Brown’s father was born and raised in Oatland, which inspired the younger Brown to start the tournament there. Brown hoped the tournament, which is for basketball players 15 and older, would bring the community together. Along with Georgetown County and Grand Strand residents, the tournament had also featured players from North Carolina, New York, Maryland and Atlanta. A team from Pawleys Island won the inaugural tournament. Other champions

The kayakers at Boone Ca e Park North Carolina. near exington, Caroli exin

PROVIDED

Team Power

nt won this year s

atland B Ball Classic.

were: Oatland Rt in 2011, Team Boos and tourney and she took home the title. Spacey in 2012, Truth G Turner in 201 Local residents such as Kareem Chanand 201 , and 9 Jamz in 2015. dler, Sheldon Butts, Neil Johnson and Georgetown High School graduate Justis Evans was the first woman to play in the See O E , Page A

YELLOW-OOAO

BLACK 012908

The Summer Oly mpics s. Colombia. S 2 p.m., women’s soc from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, cer, razil s. China p.m., have officially begun. women’s The games will be broadcast soccer, on the NBC family of netimbabwe works, which includes, NBC, s. Ger NBC Sports Network NBCmany. SN , USA, Bravo, the Olympic NBC 2 Soccer Channel OSC , Unip.m., wom verso, and Telemundo. en’s soccer, The entire schedule can be razil s. viewed at www.sportsmediChina p.m., women’s soc awatch.com olympics.

Wednesday, ug. NBCSN a.m., wom en’s soccer, Sweden s. South A rica 2 p.m., women’s soc cer, Canada s. Australia p.m., women’s soccer, France

cer, imbabwe s. Germany. SC p.m., women’s soc cer, United States s. New ealand p.m., women’s soc cer, France s. Colombia. See O Y

Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank

GEMR-1414330

Sports Page Design Portfolio All Weekly Division

o BY R ANDY AKERS

Community calendar of events, 3B

l in Stitch Walker watches his Georgetown yrtle Beach in arch.

cso olos i@southstrandnews.com

2016 News Awards

Inside

, Page 2A High boys basketball team battle

BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI Carvers Bay shut out Andrews 20-0 on Friday night. The two county rivals are now also region rivals, so the outcome had playoff implications for both teams. C a r ver s Bay C oach Nate Thompson said his kids played a good game. “Offensively we did a pretty good job,” Thompson said. “That’s a pretty good defense. Andrews is no slouch.” “We just got physically beat on both sides of the ball,” Andrews Coach Scott Durham said. “They were better than we were tonight.” The Yellow Jackets were hurt by three turnovers in the game. “I told them coming in the one thing we can’t do is give them a short field,” Durham said. “We’ve got to end every drive with a kick and end every snap with possession of the ball. We didn’t do that in the first half.” Andrews was also without starting quarterback Jaizell Murphy, who was suspended for the game by the S.C. High School League after being ejected from the Hemingway game on Sept. 9. After a scoreless first quarter, Carvers Bay quarterback Levi White scored his first touchdown of the game to give the Bears a 7-0 lead with 10:13 left in the first half. Carvers Bay’s next possession ended in a Jackson Sims interception. Andrews drove down to the goal line, but couldn’t score. The Bears took the opening kickoff of the second half and kept the ball for half of the third quarter before White scored his second touchdown of the game to extend the lead to 13-0. Carvers Bay drove 50 yards for their final score of the night, a 3-yard run by Byron Young for the 20-0 final. Andrews’ final drive of the game ended with an interception in the end zone with 1:15 left in the game. White said the team was focused in practice in the days leading up to the Andrews game after losing to North Myrtle Beach on Sept. 9. “We knew we were better than that,” he said. “(We) practiced on our mistakes and got better ... and then we came into the game and showed what we did all week.”

CHRIS SOKO OSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Coach See

e tem er 21, 2016

southstrandnews.com SStrandSports

t all oa

peace” with his decision. “It’s more t h a n ju s t c o ac h ing on the day of (the game) and I don’t think I can Walker give that 100 percent like I used to,” Walker said. “I love coaching but I love students, and I think that

Sports

A ednesday ll

has been a rapidly growing flooring category, due to its beautiful designs, diverse functionality and affordability. Select a trusted brand that can provide you peace of mind.

843-651-3303 • www.FlooringPlusSC.com

IC , Page 2A

CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

YELLOW-OOAO

BLACK 012908

1/4 mile north of Waccamaw Hospital 3930 Hwy.17 Bypass • Murrells Inlet

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Single Sports Page Design All Weekly Division

Dre Lopez and Andy Shain Free Times

Sports

Single Sports Page Design All Weekly Division

Sandy Schopfer Georgetown Times

southstrandnews.com @SStrandSports

Trip of a lifetime

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

A9 Wednesday ll August 3, 2016

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Elijah Spraul paddles on the Pee Dee River during a 408-mile trip from North Carolina to Georgetown with four friends.

5 men paddled 408 miles from Central N.C. to Georgetown BY CHRIS SOKOLOSKI csokoloski@southstrandnews.com

hen Jesse Massucco was a little boy near Wilkesboro, North Carolina, he asked his father where the Yadkin River ended. When his father told him it went all the way to the ocean, Jesse thought that “seemed impossibly far.” Jesse, 21, recently found out exactly how far — 408 miles — when he paddled it with his brother, Dakota, 18, cousin Mason Reed, 17, and two friends, Reid Gamble, 21, and Elijah Spraul, 22. Jesse came up with the idea for the trip after graduating from Berea College in December. “Jesse’s always had crazy ideas and I just kind of followed (him) … because I trusted him,” Dakota said. “I had just graduated from high school and I wanted to do something adventurous before college.” Mason said at first he was “hesitant” to do the trip because of the time he would

miss preparing for his seenior season of high school ol football, but it “sounded like ke a fun adventure.” Elijah was Jesse’s roommmate at Berea, and theyy both worked at the school’s ’s Outdoors Department. “He knows what he’s do-ing so I trust him a lot,, especially with outdoorr stuff,” Elijah said. Reid has known Jessee since first grade. o “It was really good to break away from the 9 h to 5 and reconnect with my best friend,” he said. “I trusted Jesse that he wouldn’t put us on a trip together if we didn’t all get along.” Jesse said the hardest part of the planning was getting everybody in one place. Reid lives in Washington, Elijah was in Hawaii, and Mason goes to school in Colorado. The group started on the Yadkin River near Nearing Ne i th the end d off th their eir i 408-mile 408 il jjourney from f North N th Car C Carolina, olina, li th fi the five kayak k kayakers Wilkesboro on June 30, and n see the Georgetown Lighthous kers took t k the th ti ttime ime to t stop t att North N th Island e e. Afterward I l d Afte d th they spent a few days relaxing in Pawleys Island.

See MEN, Page 10A

at North Island The kayakers took the time to stop

in Winyah Bay as their 408-mile

journey came to an end.

Summer Olympics television schedule

Power Up Ent wins Classic From staff reports

Power Up Ent recently won this year’s Oatland B-Ball Classic. The tournament was founded by Ervin Brown in 2010 in the Oatland area of Georgetown, also known as the Route 4 area. Brown’s father was born and raised in Oatland, which inspired the younger Brown to start the tournament there. Brown hoped the tournament, which is for basketball players 15 and older, would bring the community together. Along with Georgetown County and Grand Strand residents, the tournament had also featured players from North Carolina, New York, Maryland and Atlanta. A team from Pawleys Island won the inaugural tournament. Other champions CYAN-AOOO

MAGENTA-OAOO

The kayakers at Boone Cave Park North Caro near Lexin L i gton, C lina.

PROVIDED

Team Power Up Ent won this year’s Oatland B-Ball Classic.

were: Oatland Rt 4 in 2011, Team Boos and tourney and she took home the title. Spacey in 2012, Truth GQ Turner in 2013 Local residents such as Kareem Chanand 2014, and Z93 Jamz in 2015. dler, Sheldon Butts, Neil Johnson and Georgetown High School graduate Justis Evans was the first woman to play in the See POWER, Page 10A

YELLOW-OOAO

BLACK 012908

The Summer Oly mpics vs. Colombia. USA: 2 p.m., women’s socfrom Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, cer, Brazil vs. China; 5 p.m., have officially begun. women’s The games will be broadcast soccer, on the NBC family of netZimbabwe works, which includes, NBC, vs. GerNBC Sports Network (NBCmany. SN), USA, Bravo, the Olympic NBC: 2 Soccer Channel (OSC), Unip.m., womverso, and Telemundo. en’s soccer, The entire schedule can be Brazil vs. viewed at www.sportsmediChina; 5 p.m., women’s socawatch.com/olympics.

Wednesday, Aug. 3 NBCSN: 11:30 a.m., women’s soccer, Sweden vs. South Africa; 2 p.m., women’s soccer, Canada vs. Australia; 9 p.m., women’s soccer, France

cer, Zimbabwe vs. Germany. OSC: 6 p.m., women’s soccer, United States vs. New Zealand; 9 p.m., women’s soccer, France vs. Colombia. See OLYMPICS, Page 12A

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Single Sports Page Design All Weekly Division

Felipe Rancier Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

SCHOOL’S IN! A Back To School Supplement

THIRD PLACE Inside Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Julie Holcombe The Greer Citizen

Kindergarten

Indicators of kids’ readiness for kindergarten Kindergarten can be a pivotal time in a young child’s life. Although many kids attend preschool or receive guided learning at home, kindergarten marks students’ first official foray into the classroom. This is an exciting time for kids and parents, and also one that may be fraught with nerves. That is especially true for parents who are not quite sure if their children are ready to begin their academic careers. While many school districts mandate that students must be at least five years old to begin kindergarten, age is not the only factor to consider when gauging kids’ readiness for school. Child-education experts note that there is no single factor that determines kids’ readiness for school, but rather there is a host of factors that, when taken together, can help parents determine if their

youngster is ready for the rigors of the classroom. The following are some factors parents can consider as they try to determine if their children are ready to enroll in kindergarten. · Separation anxiety: Does your child handle separation well, or is he or she prone to meltdowns each time you leave for even a short period of time? School requires kids to spend several hours away from home and away from their parents, and parents might need to take steps to increase youngsters’ comfort levels away from home before school begins. · Follows instructions: Experts at BabyCenter.com advise that children who are able to listen to simple instructions and follow them will be more apt to thrive in classroom settings. They also

may occasionally cry in the kindergarten classroom, it’s important that your child be able to cope with some of the ups and downs of classroom life without shedding tears.

will be more capable of keeping up with teachers and peers. · Self-sufficiency: Has your child exhibited signs that he or she can be self-reliant? This includes putting on his or her coat, dressing himself or herself and being able to use the bathroom on his or her own. If not, then you might need to work on the child’s self-sufficiency before school begins. · Cursory knowledge of letters/numbers: While children on the verge of entering kindergarten need not be experts in language and mathematics, kindergarten curricula has become more rigorous thanks to the implementation of new standards. As a result, children should be able to recognize some letters and numbers before starting school. They do not necessarily have to enter

· Interest in learning: Another indicator of school readiness is a general interest in learning. Children who like hearing stories, enjoy participating in discussions and activities and are stimulated by information and interactions METRO CREATIVE GRAPHICS with others are probably ready to begin their academEarly preparation can help children ease into the ic careers. Kindergarten readiness can kindergarten environment. be determined by many factors. Age alone does not dictate a child’s readiness, as · Coping strategies: Parentschool knowing them all or there are many additional poing experts affiliated with being able to read fluently, Care.com say that children on tential indicators that can but the more familiar they help parents determine if the verge of entering kinderare with language and mathgarten should be able to con- their youngsters are ready to ematics the more likely they begin school. trol their emotions to a cerare to have a successful year tain extent. While children in kindergarten.

Middle School

How students can transition to middle school A child’s school-aged years are filled with many different lessons and experiences. While in school, kids have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and meet new people. Many students will attend various schools before moving on to college, and therefore they must learn how to adjust to new schools. While many students attend elementary school together for years, students may not know their classmates once they make it to middle school, which tends to boast larger student bodies than elementary schools. That’s because many middle schools’ student bodies are a combination of several elementary

schools. Making the transition from elementary school to middle school or junior high can spark anxiety in students, but that does not have to be. The National Education Association says a common element of a successful middle school experience is a smooth and positive transition from elementary school. The following are a few ways students can handle their transition to middle school.

part in these events with their children. If your schedule does not allow you to attend, then schedule a private tour with the middle school principal or a faculty member. Middle school guidance counselors or guest speakers also may make the rounds, visiting elementary schools directly. Be sure your student attends such information sessions so he or she can get an idea of what to expect during middle school.

· Participate in a schoolbased transition program. Middle schools frequently host open houses for elementary school students, who can take tours of the campus. Parents can take

· Dispel any myths your youngster might have heard about middle school. Youngsters hear lots of things about middle schools, and much of what kids hear might be untrue. Ask kids what they have

heard about the schools they will be moving on to, and then do your best to dispel any myths. · Find a middle school buddy. Ask an older sibling or invite someone who is currently enrolled in the school to speak with your child and answer any questions he or she may have. Hearing directly from a fellow student may make your child feel more comfortable about what to expect. · Talk about any other fears. Engage in an open

Higher Education

Students can cut living expenses College students may underestimate cost-of-living expenses when planning their school-year budgets. But such expenses can be substantial, catching even the most well-prepared students off guard. Fortunately, there are several ways for college students to save money on living expenses and still make the most of their time on campus. · Venture off campus. Towns that rely heavily on colleges or universities to support their economies typically offer great deals to students willing to venture off campus. Local businesses, including bars, restaurants and entertainment venues like mini golf facilities or bowling alleys, may offer student discounts to entice kids to leave campus. · Buy secondhand furnishings. College students living in their own apartments or

METRO CREATIVE GRAPHICS

Businesses often offer student discounts for food and entertainment. dorm rooms may not have the financial resources to purchase new furniture. Rather than purchasing brand new items they are likely to discard after moving out or graduating, college students can purchase secondhand items from local thrift stores or used furniture retailers.

· Become a resident advisor. Resident advisors, often referred to as “R.A.’s,” typically receive free or reduced room and board in exchange for living in the dorms and monitoring the floors they live on. Competition to be an R.A. can be competitive, but students who become R.A.’s can save

dialogue with your son or daughter about any additional fears he or she may have. If students are worried about academics, spend some time over the summer going over the curriculum. If the potential for peer pressure is a cause for concern, reinforce

advice on how to react to peer pressure. Parents and their children can take several steps to make students’ transitions to middle school as smooth as possible.

High School

Standardized tests hold less weight

College and university admissions teams use unique formulas to determine if student candidates are the right fit for their schools. For many years, admissions officers paid considerable attention to applicants’ performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or ACT. But things have begun to change, and standardized test scores may no longer carry as much weight as they once did. Many students struggle with the pressure of college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT. Students who may be high achievers in school may not perform well on standardized tests, or they may perform poorly because of the weight that such tests bear on their academic futures. College applicants may miss out on the opportunity to attend their preferred schools simply because of this one measure of academic prowess. However, many individuals and educators contend that these exams measure test-taking skills rather than academic ability and are therefore not necessarily strong indicators of academic performance.

thousands of dollars on room and board costs. · Make your own meals. Meal plans may be ideal for college students during their freshmen years, when students may still be adjusting to campus life. But older college students can skip the meal plan in favor of preparing their own meals. Doing so can save students substantial amounts of money, and some students may even prefer the variety available at the local grocery store over the more limited offerings available at dining halls or other campus eateries. · Move off campus. Some

Many schools have changed their approach to standardized tests and the role such tests play in the college admissions process. According to the admissions department of Harvard College, the SAT does not factor heavily into a student’s application. And while other schools say a lot of their admitted students have high test scores, these scores are not the primary factor for consideration in the application process. In 2015, George Washington University announced it would no longer require applicants to take the SAT or ACT. As many as 800 fouryear colleges and universities in the United States already do not require potential prospective students to take the tests, according to NPR. Many attest that the most reliable predictors of college success are grade point average and the rigor of the courses a student takes. Still, the nonprofit College Board defends the importance of its SAT, offering that “overwhelming evidence shows that SAT scores and high school GPA in combination are the best predictors of college success.”

schools do not permit freshmen and sophomores to live off-campus, but older students may find that private

housing is more affordable than on-campus apartments or dormitories.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE

Wallace McBride The Fort Jackson Leader

V IN FOCUS

Victory is

FOREVER

CMYK

Inside Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

ConďŹ dence course lays foundation for Basic Combat Training By SGT. 1ST CLASS BRIAN HAMILTON 108th Training Command (IET)

Since 1973, new recruits in what is now called Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina have been challenging and conquerLQJ WKH IRRW PRQVWHU NQRZQ DV 9LFWRU\ 7RZHU LQ WKHLU ÂżUVW ZHHN RI training. The original concept was to help Soldiers develop a sense of conÂżGHQFH DQG WKH ZLOOLQJQHVV WR RYHUFRPH IHDUV HDUO\ RQ LQ WKHLU $UP\ FDUHHUV 7KH WKRXJKW SURFHVV LV WKDW 6ROGLHUV QHHG WR EH FRQÂżGHQW LQ WKHLU own abilities before they can truly start to work with other Soldiers as a team. For many, overcoming that fear of heights can be a daunting task but a rewarding one once the feat is actually We have to get accomplished. them to believe â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was crazy,â&#x20AC;? said Pvt. Lisdy in themselves ďŹ rst 6DUPLHQWR $OSKD &RPSDQ\ QG %DWtalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, a fu- before we can go on ture combat supply specialist with the to the next phase, $UP\ 5HVHUYH which is working as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as hard as I thought it was â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Staff Sgt. going to be. I thought it was fun, after I Trevin Sparks, GLG LW 6DUPLHQWR VDLG Âł, WKLQN LWÂśV GHÂżdrill sergeant nitely going to help us build our mind sets for whatever is to come.â&#x20AC;? $QG LQVWLOOLQJ WKDW PLQGVHW HDUO\ RQ is just what Staff Sgt. Trevin Sparks says is key to ensuring a successful cycle of training. Sparks, one of several drill sergeants facilitating training at Victory 7RZHU ZLWK $OSKD &RPSDQ\ -XQH VDLG ÂłWKLV KHOSV WKHP >6ROGLHUV@ VHH that they can accomplish big feats that they never thought they could do. Âł5LJKW QRZ WKH\ GRQÂśW WKLQN WKH\ FDQ ÂżOO VDQG EDJV RU EXLOG D WZR Photos by SGT. 1ST CLASS BRIAN HAMILTON PDQ ÂżJKWLQJ SRVLWLRQ ZLWK LPSURYHG FDPRXĂ&#x20AC;DJH ZKLOH UXQQLQJ QLJKW PLVVLRQV 7KLQJV WKDW ZLOO EH YLWDO WR WKHLU VXUYLYDO RQ WKH EDWWOHÂżHOG 'R- Before tackling the 40-foot wall at Victory Tower, Soldiers in ing something like this helps them see early on that they can do anything Basic Combat Training with Co. A, 2nd Bn., 13th Inf. Reg., they set their minds too.â&#x20AC;? practice swinging across their drill sergeantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lava pit.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Some-

â&#x20AC;&#x153; â&#x20AC;?

See VICTORY: Page 17 times they make it, sometimes they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

Soldiers in Basic Combat Training with Co. A, 2nd Bn., 13th Inf. Reg., conquer the 40-foot wall at Victory Tower.

COASTAL OBSERVER

Thursday July 7, 2016

Pawleys Island South Carolina

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Inside Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

Torch of liberty NORTH LITCHFIELD

MURRELLS INLET

Families make parade a vacation tradition

Tide extends celebration over a long weekend

BY JASON LESLEY

COASTAL OBSERVER

Charles Swenson/Coastal Observer

Fireworks explode over the Litchﬁeld Beaches on the Fourth of July and the colors are reﬂected in the high tide.

The Lancaster News Business | (803) 283-1155 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

Business today

usiness riefcase

GREGORY A. SUMMERS gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Left, The Whistling Pig has moved from McIlwain Road to 2423 Pineview Drive in the Smokerise neighborhood. Below left, Marty Johnson shows off a grill full of Boston butts. Below right, many of the items on display at the restaurant were gifts from customers.

Dr. Wise earns Springs’ wound certiﬁcation

2016 News Awards

Dr. Jaime Wise, a member of the active medical staff at Springs Memorial Hospital, recently earned the Certified Wound Specialist Physician designation by the Dr. Wise American Board of Wound Management. Wise is the medical director of the Springs Memorial Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center and the regional medical director for Healogics Specialty Physicians.

VITA program update

THIRD PLACE Inside Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

United Way of Lancaster County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program prepared 627 tax returns and got $548,168 in refunds for local residents. The average cost of professional tax preparation is $120. Taking this into account, the VITA program helped save clients about $75,000 for a grand total of $623,000 in economic impact in Lancaster County. To learn more about VITA and other programs, call the United Way 24/7 at 2-1-1. To volunteer as a trained tax-preparer in 2017, call Melanie Outlaw at (803) 283-8923 or email moutlaw@uwaylcsc.org.

Whistling Pig expands space, hours, menu at new location

Medical group listed among best employers

gsummers@thelancasternews.com

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, which has an office on Meeting Street in Lancaster, was named one of the 2016 Best Employers in North Carolina, as ranked by Business North Carolina magazine. CEENTA, which has 601 employees at 20 locations in both Carolinas, was ranked 13th among large employers, those with 250 or more workers. It was the company’s third straight year on the list. The company says its average annual salary is $76,300, with up to 45 paid days off each year. Among its top-rated perks are interest-free loans through an employee-assistance fund.

See Lancaster SC seeks volunteers

Kyle Camp The Lancaster News

See Lancaster SC’s Red Rose Festival is seeking artists and craftsmen, commercial and food vendors, local musicians and volunteers. Those interested in participating may apply online at www.lancastercitysc.com, email events@lancastercitysc. com or call (803) 289-1498. Deadline for submission is April 18, and space is limited. The festival is from 6 to 10 p.m. May 20 and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 21 in the cultural arts district of downtown Lancaster.

L&C Railroad Museum hours The Lancaster & Chester Railroad Museum, 512 S. Main St., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the first and third Saturday of each month from March through November. Admission is free.

Gregory A. Summers The Whistling Pig has moved its mouth-watering aroma from McIlwain Road to Smokerise. The barbecue eatery’s new home is at 2423 Pineview Drive in the former location of Rusty’s Grill. Co-owner Kathy Johnson said the reason for the move was simple. “We’d have people tell us, ‘We like you Johnson and we like your food, but you don’t have any place to park,’” she said. “Now we have more parking and more space.” Husband and wife Mike and Kathy Johnson opened The Whistling Pig in 2010 with another partner whom they eventually bought out. Since

How The Whistling Pig got its name You can credit that to the late Edwina and Bryant Blakley, the grandparents of restaurant co-owner Mike Johnson. At one time, the Blakleys ran a country store at Cedar Creek (Blakley Crossroads). They decided to build a small standalone cinderblock building behind to store to cook hot sandwiches for those going to and from Lake Wateree. The family fondly named the grill “The Whistling Pig” for a myna bird that whistled at customers who came inside the store. When the Johnsons opened the barbecue restaurant in 2010, they decided to use the name in honor of Mike’s grandfather, who created the vinegar-based sauce they use. that time, the couple has seen the business grow from two employees to nine. So has the workload, she said, which is a healthy sign. “The part most folks don’t see is what goes on behind the scenes,” she said, while applying some elbow grease to a deep fryer she was cleaning Monday. “That’s the cooking, the ordering and getting everything ready to go.”

And that workload is getting a little heavier, because The Whistling Pig is no longer just a barbecue place. It’s now open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, with a full breakfast and grill menu, as well as barbecue pork and ribs. Johnson said as soon as everything settles down from the move, the restaurant will add daily lunch specials.

Johnson said all the barbecue sauces except one are made in-house, along with the slaw, potato salad and chicken salad. Homemade desserts are also made from scratch. “We have banana pudding every two weeks, and people call to ask when we’re having it,” she said. “Rusty’s had a good following and we want to give customers what they want,” she said. And the move to the new expanded location is paying off. Since opening April 6, Johnson said the barbecue pit out back is getting used twice as much. “We ran out Saturday night,” said Mike Johnson. “It’s looking like we’re going to be cooking three times a week instead of one.” “The reaction has been very positive,” Kathy Johnson said. Contact Greg Summers at (803) 283-1156

Duke Energy linemen honored PHOTO SUPPLIED

Duke Energy’s Jimmy Young (left) and Jarvis Bowden (right) represent the profession of linemen as Lancaster County Council Chairman Bob Bundy honors them on National Lineman Appreciation Day. April 18 is nationally recognized as National Lineman Appreciation Day to honor line workers and their role in building, maintaining and restoring service that powers the lives of electricity customers. More than 5,000 line workers are part of Duke Energy. They, along with thousands of contract line workers, construct, operate and maintain equipment and more than 295,000 miles of power lines that deliver electricity to more than 7 million customers – representing a population of more than 24 million people – across the company’s service territories.

The Lancaster News Education | (803) 283-1155 SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

ILHS dance team fundraiser July 16

2016 News Awards

The Indian Land High School dance team is partnering with Bloom Inc., a new company out of North Carolina, to raise funds to attend the UDA Summer Camp, one of the premiere dance camps in the country. At the fundraiser, set for 10 a.m. July 16 in the BridgeMill Clubhouse on Harcourt Crossing, supporters will be able to buy a $20 Bloom savings card with offers to trendsetting online stores. The dance team is heading into its third season this fall and has nearly doubled in size since its first year.

Education &OLQWRQ 6XPPHU &DPS

Meals oﬀered at Lancaster High School

SECOND PLACE Inside Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kyle Camp The Lancaster News

Free meals for youth ages 18 and younger will continue to be available at Lancaster High School thanks to the USDA Summer Food Service Program. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through July 21. The site is closed on Fridays. Menus may be found on www.lancastercsd.com.

conwn Cason rinthia Bro n and Ko library. Tauren Lyn ok selections at the bo sider their

Health department oﬀers shot clinics

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Clinton Elementary School recently held a summer camp. At left, the students fed a towering giraffe at Lazy 5 Ranch.

Immunization clinics will be offered from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. July 26 at the Lancaster County Health Department, 1833 Pageland Highway, Lancaster. Call the health department at (803) 2869948 to schedule appointments or for more details.

Student registration date Southside Early Childhood Center students should register for 4-yearold program from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday through July 28. Testing will be held Aug. 1-2.

First Steps taking applications Lancaster County First Steps is accepting applications for its new Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program. To be eligible for this program, parents must be employed, enrolled in school or enrolled in an employment training program. The program is available to children between the ages of 6 weeks and 3 years who qualify. Documentation is required. A family service specialist with Lancaster County First Steps will help each family through the application process. As part of this program, diapers, wipes and formula are provided daily for each child in the Early Head Start classroom at a local childcare center. For details, call (803) 286-8061.

Lancaster County School District Spokesman David makes the book he’s readin Knight g to the kids come to life.

Service Academy Nominations deadline The office of U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) is accepting applications for Service Academy Nominations through 5 p.m. Oct. 13. Students interested in being considered must submit an application, SAT/ACT scores, two essays, high school transcripts and three letters of recommendation. The four service academies include the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. For details, call the Service Academy Coordinator at (803) 771-6112.

Clinton cam

pers mana

ge to beat

the heat

g in the by playin

water.

Features | 283-1156

Friday, July 29, 2016

Faces & Places

photos by DAVID KELLIN For The Lancaster News

The

Ashleigh Hoke, 16, has been dancing at Dance Works Unlimited since she was a toddler. “Dance makes me happy,” she said.

2016 News Awards

Students learn skills for life in dance class David Kellin For The Lancaster News

FIRST PLACE Inside Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Athena Redmond The Lancaster News

Dance schools are dusting off their equipment and sweeping their floors – dance season has begun. Nightly, the music will be blaring as young students learn new routines and dances. More importantly, the dancers will learn skills that will last long after the music stops and the season ends. Learning skills such as commitment, confidence, teamwork and friendships are part of the everyday process at Dance Works Unlimited in Lancaster. And for parents, these are the core benefits of enrolling a child in a dance program. For Ashleigh Hoke, dancing has been a big part of her life for 14 years. Her mother enrolled her at age 2, and she has been dancing regularly since. “Dance makes me happy. Mom put me in it and I loved it,” she said. “Dance helped me come out of my shell, and helped me do things I ordinarily don’t.” “She has made great friends, and she gets to meet friends from other schools,” said her mother, Leigh Hoke, who smiled broadly as she talked about her daughter and the benefits of dance. “She has a passion for dance, teamwork. It taught her how to manage her time and get things done. She has learned determination.” Dance Works Unlimited teacher Madeline Saverance said dance helps teach needed life skills. “It teaches you how to work with people, how to deal with problems, and work together with people to reach a common goal,” she said. “You learn that the teachers are not being mean, but try to make you better.” Younger dancers Macie Saverance, Andrea Herod, Jillian Roberts and Sylia Harris added their views about dance, mixed with lots of laughter and giggles. “I like to go to dance because it lets me express my feelings, not with my mouth, but visibly with my movements,” Macie said. The other three girls focused on their dance friendships. “It teaches you not to give up on your friends,” Andrea said. “You get to get in shape and see your friends a lot,” Jillian said. “When we dance, we dance together, not alone,” Sylia added. “It teaches me trust. A lot of things we do, you need trust. You have to trust each other, and stick together.” Learning and growing takes place in the moments when the dancers miss a mark or a movement. The dancers all talked about the need to listen to the teacher, and never give up. “When the teacher asks you to do something, keep trying to do it,” Andrea said. Studio owner Wendy Martin summed it up when she said, “It is not just about winning, but learning that in life you don’t always win. When you don’t win, you get up and get back to work.”

Above, a class practices a leap. At left, best friends Kailyn Usher and Olivia Bumgartner work on their skills. Below, from left, Sylia Harris, Jillian Roberts, Andrea Herod and Macie Saverance pause for a photo after dance class.

GOOD MORNING!

Flashback Friday LEE STUDIO/ courtesy of Travis Bell Photography

The City of Lancaster Fire Department poses outside its station on Main Street in June 1967. The building seen in this image once sat to the right of Lancaster County’s courthouse. At top left is the base of the water tower that was behind the station. Visit http://lancaster. photoshelter.com/ for more images of Lancaster.

July 29 This day in history X 1958 – The U.S. Congress passes legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in space. X 1976 – The “Son of Sam,” David Berkowitz, pulls a gun from a paper bag and fires five shots, killing Donna Lauria and severely wounding Jody Valenti of the Bronx while they are sitting in a car. This was the first in a series of shootings by the serial killer who terrorized New York City over the next year. The name “Son of Sam” came from letters to police and to reporter Jimmy Breslin. After capture, Berkowitz explained that “Sam” was his neighbor Sam Carr – an agent of the devil who transmitted his orders through his pet black Labrador. Years earlier, Berkowitz shot the dog over its barking. After the dog recovered, Berkowitz claimed that it began speaking to him and demanding that he kill people. – Compiled by Athena Redmond

2016 News Awards

New income disclosure requirements for Statement of Economic Interest (SC Code Section 8-13-1120) Are you required to file a Statement of Economic Interest?

Yes Who is considered immediate family?

THIRD PLACE

Sectio ti n Section 8-13-1120 3 1120 does d not apply to you.

How do I know if it is income?

Infographic Associate & Individual Member Division

Meredith Houck Municipal Association of South Carolina

2017 17 7, yo As of January 1, 2017, you must include on your SEI the source and type of income you and members of your immediate family received in the previous year.

Immediate family includes the following: 1) your spouse; 2) a child residing in your household; and 3) anyone you claimed as a dependent for tax purposes last year.

Is it somethingg of valu value reported or disclosed on an IRS form as income f received?

Yes

Nothing othing is i required d to be reported.

Provide de the h so source and of d type t income on the SEI. The dollar amount is not required to be reported.

Source and type? Example: If a child of yours is a waiter at Blue Marlin, you would list “Blue Marlin” as the source of income and “wages and tips” as the type of income. Example: If you are employed by an insurance company, you would list “ABC Insurance” as the source of income and “salary” as the type of income.

Are there sources of income not required to be reported on the SEI?

Yes x Income received pursuant to a court order (i.e. child support, alimony, restitution or damages award); x Income received from a savings, checking or brokerage account, unless you received special terms or interest rates because of your status as a public official, member or employee, as defined in Section 8-13-100 (25)-(27); x Income received from a mutual fund or similar fund where shareholders’ money is invested in diverse securities; x Retirement income; x Annuity income; x Pension income; x IRA income; x Disability income; or x Deferred compensation.

Produced by the Municipal Association of SC

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Infographic Associate & Individual Member Division

Travel

BY THE NUMBERS RS

Just how much of an impact does the industry have on our economy? It is summer time and that traditionally means vacations. The travel in industry has a significant impact on the U.S. economy. From the taxes ggenerated from hotel stays and gasoline to the jobs sustained by travel, h here is a look at the money behind vacation time in the United States. Infographic by Ryan Wilcox

TRAVEL SPENDING t stry had a significan In 2015 the travel indu omy. impact on the U.S. econ

THE TAX MAN

Don’t forget abo ut the tax revenu e that comes into the U.S. econom y each year from travel. Here’s a at tax revenue look generated from various travel: Leisure travel $99.6B Business Travel $48.3B General busines s $28.4B Meetings and eve nts $19.9B

$947.1B that was only t travel spending, but $947.1 billion in direc ding for the n in overall travel spen a part of the $2.1 trillio was indirect or ding $1.2 trillion in spen ining rema The year. induced spending.

Nearly four of every

domestic trips in 2015

five

were taken for leisure.

GOING GLOBAL

Ryan Wilcox GSA Business Report

Domestic travel has a sizable impact on the economy, but let’s not forget about international travel which is another staple of the travel industry. One statistic shows the top five countries were visitors have come into the United States and the second indicates the projected change in visitors coming to the U.S. through 2020. The estimated figures show an increase in travelers from Asia over the next four years. Origin of visitor Canada Mexico United Kingdom Japan Brazil Origin of visitor China India Taiwan South Korea BrAustralia

No. of visitors 2014 23 million 17.1 million 4.1 million 3.6 million 2.3 million Projected increase by 2020 129.2% 47.0% 39.1% 36.0% 26.5%

TRAVEL TO THE PALMETTO STATE

, ent of Parks, Recreation and Tourism According to the South Carolina Departm March travel and tourism to the state from the state has seen a 37% increase in counties ns. Here is a look at the top 2015 to March 2016, based on tax collectio tax was collected by each: for travel in the state and how much March 2015

March 2016

Change

Horry

$535,316

$931,302

+74.0%

Charleston

$463,547

$533,942

+ 15.2%

Beaufort

$313,348

$343,244

+ 9.5%

Richland*

$254,818

$371,018

+ 45.6%

Greenville

$239,392

$250,843

+ 4.8%

County

are reported under *All admissions taxes from SC State Parks

Richland County.

ravel Association, S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation a Sources: U.S. T nd Tour

ism

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE

Airport renovation by the numbers:

Infographic Associate & Individual Member Division

Overall cost of the project: $169 million in bonds and $31 million in cash from the airport budget.

Emily Matesi Charleston Regional Business Journal

1,500

$200 million

People who worked on the renovation project; 300 companies were awarded 236 contracts. Main construction partners included Charleston County Aviation Authority; Mead & Hunt, program manager; Fentress Architects, architect and engineers; and Austin HITT, construction manager-at-risk. at 9 Restaurants CHS, up from six

100,000

before the renovation.

square feet

Space added to the airport â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it now stands at 440,000 square feet.

available at the Transportation Retail shops at 8 Lanes Security Administration security checkpoint 7 CHS, up from five at CHS (depending on wait times), up from two before the renovation.

before the renovation.

114 miles Length of cable installed for data, voice and security â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that's enough to stretch from Charleston to Columbia.

2,000 Electrical outlets and USB ports now available throughout CHS to charge mobile devices.

80,000 square feet

Glass added to create the new airport design, or enough to cover 1 1/2 football fields.

flights at CHS, 21 Nonstop going to 16 cities. Source: Charleston County Aviation Authority Graphic: Emily Matesi

Thursday December 17, 2015

Recreation program downsizes to reach new players BY CHARLES SWENSON

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Photo Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Charles Swenson Coastal Observer

COASTAL OBSERVER

John Faiella maintained the full-court press for 30 minutes, and when the clock ran down he smiled as sweat beaded his face. He didn’t have to look for a scoreboard. He knew he’d won. At 44, Faiella went head-to-head with basketball players young enough to be his sons. In fact, one was his son, J.J., age 3. It was Week 2 for tot hoops, a new program at the Waccamaw Regional Recreation Center. Recreation leagues begin with 5-year-olds. “Especially with 4-year-olds, we get a lot of calls from parents,” said Justin Blomdahl, a program specialist with Georgetown County Parks and Recreation. “This gives them a chance to learn the fundamentals.” He and Sidney Gray, a program specialist, went to the Internet to get ideas for teaching the tots. They had five boys the first week and they double-teamed them, running through passing, dribbling and shooting drills. “The real challenge is making it interesting,” Blomdahl said. They succeeded. Jarrod Myers, 3, just woke up from a nap before his cousin Markayla Wineglass brought him to this week’s session. He wasn’t talking, but she said he didn’t want to go home at the end of the first one. Bryson Davis, 4, felt the same way. “He asked me every day: ‘Is it time? Is it time?’ ” his mom Lashanda Davis said. Bryson also played tot soccer. “Everything they have, he’s going to do it,” Davis said. “He’s so quiet, maybe it will open him up a little.” Social skills along with motor skills are a big part of the program, Gray said. He recruited Faiella for the next session because he wants to involve the rec league’s volunteer coaches. Faiella, a mortgage banker by day, coaches football and basketball. The first thing he did was get the boys to stand with their feet apart and their hands up. The hands are up all the time, he told them, a thought that would bring a tear to the eye of many high school and college coaches. The tots are the youngest group Faiella’s worked with. “A lot of people think kids this age are too young, but they’re not,” he said. He started by having them slide from side to side in a defensive crouch, then moved on to bounce passes. There was barely time for their attention or their feet to wander before he had cones set out and had them dribbling around them to the basket. The free-standing baskets went up a notch from the first week, a sign that even the rec staff had underestimated the tots. “Some of them were dunking,” Gray said. The session ended with a shooting and rebounding drill that would be familiar to players of any age. They carried it out well enough that Faiella was optimistic he will be able to have the boys playing a game by the end of the program. When that will be is uncertain. The older kids start league play and it will be tough to find court time for the tots, Gray said. But he will. “One of the main things is they see they can accomplish something,” he said. “When they understand that, they’re excited.”

COASTAL OBSERVER

FINAL UR

year olds

Pawleys Island South Carolina

Lucas Eichelberger gets ready to shoot. Sidney Gray, below, hands out balls on the ﬁrst day of tot basketball.

Photos by Charles Swenson/Coastal Observer

Clockwise from above, Bryson Davis on the dribble. Lucas Garcia gets instruction from John Faiella. Jarrod Myers gets ready for a drill. Rudd Watkins practices his ball handling.

Rudd Watkins, above, dunks the ball. The net went up the next week. At left, a session ends with team-building.

2B 3B 4B 5B

lifestyles

SOCIETY BOOKING REPORT LEGAL NOTICES CLASSIFIEDS

FEBRUARY 3, 2016 | PAGE 1B THE NEWS AND PRESS, DARLINGTON, S.C.

WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET

2016 News Awards

Photo Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Winners of the People’s Choice Award for DWTS 2016 Sheila Schmotzer PHOTOS BY JANA E. PYE SEE MORE AT WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET and Jay Lucas.

Dancing with the Stars of Darlington County 2016 n ow Br di

n Sa

rry Co en ur La

Ga ry

De Sa nt is

Er ic Sn yd er

The planning committee for the 3rd Dancing with the Stars of Darlington County declared that the event held Thursday, January 28th was a huge success, surpassing last year's fundraising totals for the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault efforts in Darlington County. Congratulations to winners of the event Ariadne Roberts and Jamie Harvey, who danced a tango to the song “Sway.” People's Choice Award winners Sheila Schmotzer and Jay Lucas lit up the stage with their rumba style dance to “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”. First runners up were Lynn Shillinglaw and Caleb Roberts

n len sG ka Lu

od blo ng ou Y ian Br

Fr an

Ly les Hu nt ley

who danced Charleston to “Bang Bang.” Second runner up couple Sarah Floyd and Barry Brown danced the jive to “Rip It Up.” The other dance teams were: Sandi Brown & Gary De Santis; Lauren Corry & Eric Snyder; Fran Elrod & Brian Youngblood; Lyles Huntley & Lukas Glenn; Melissa Johnson & Dan Askins; Jaimie Cranford & Mark Lewallen E.“Spider” Jones & Jordan Pupa; Kenzo Tochiki & Alyssa Hicks; Leo Windham & Michaela Mixon. Master of Ceremonies again this year was Andy Locklair, and Beth Grant shared a poignant speech reminding attendees exactly why the services of Pee Dee Coalition are so needed.

cas Lu Jay

Ca leb Ro be rts

Ba rr

yB ro wn

rts be Ro ne ir ad A

Jam ie Ha rve y

a up nP da Jor

E. “S pid er” Jo ne s

Jaimie Cranfor d

Dan Askin s

w gla lin hil Sc n n Ly

yd Flo rah Sa

Sh eil aS ch mo tze r

El ro d

nson Melissa Joh

Duane Childers News and Press

Winners of the Dancing with the Stars of Darlington County 2016 Ariadne Roberts and Dr. Jamie Harvey.

s ick aH yss Al

Ma rk L ewa llen

SECOND PLACE

Ke nz o

To ch iki

n ixo M la ae h ic M

Le oW ind ha m

THE NEWS – Wednesday, June 29, 2016 – 11

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Photo Page Design Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Michaele Duke The News, Kingstree

8FEOFTEBZ 4FQUFNCFS t 5IF 4VNNFSWJMMF +PVSOBM 4DFOF

Making the band BY MONICA KREBER mkreber@journalscene.com

M 2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Photo Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Monica Kreber/Journal Scene

The winner of the second annual Gus Moody Memorial Tournament of Bands was Lexington High.

r . M o o d y ’s legacy continues to march on through the marching bands of state and local high schools. The Gus Moody Memorial Tournament of Bands returned for its second year on Sept. 24 with 10 competing bands – plus Summerville High’s exhibition performance. Lexington High School came out on top overall in the tournament, with last year’s champions Ashley Ridge High placing second and Stratford High coming in third. The tournament is named in honor of Summerville’s former band director, who passed away last year from cancer. For more photos visit journalscene.com/ photos. To view a video, visit journalscene.com/ news.

The votes are in: Votes for favorite band director First place: Roger Simpson, Irmo High Second place: Jed Thomas, For t Dorchester High Third place: Gretchen Bowles, Hanahan High

Best Music Summerville High senior Emilee Majeski strikes a pose on the field.

Monica Kreber/Journal Scene

Breanna Thomas, senior color guard member at Berkeley High, smiles during her school’s performance.

Class 1A: Irmo High Class 2A: Fort Dorchester High Class 3A: Lexington High

Most Outstanding Visual Class 1A: James Island Charter School Class 2A: Fort Dorchester High Class 3A: Lexington

High Percussion Class 1A: Irmo High Class 2A: Fort Dorchester Class 3A: Ashley Ridge

High Color Guard Class 1A: Berkeley High Class 2A: Hanahan High Class 3a: Lexington High

Awards for Class 1A

Linda Anderson The Summerville Journal Scene

Monica Kreber/Journal Scene

Ashley Ridge High assembles on the field.

Fort Dorchester High students keep the music going halfway through the evening’s festivities.

First place: Irmo High Second place: James Island Charter School Third place: Berkeley High

Awards for Class 2A First place: Fort Dorchester High Second place: Hanahan High Third place: Orangeburg-Wilkinson High

Awards for Class 3A First place: Lexington High Second place: Ashley Ridge High Third place: Stratford High

Top Three Placing Bands (regardless of class) First place: Lexington High Second place: Ashley Ridge High Third place: Stratford High Stratford High students take on the competition.

James Island Charter High School kicked off the tournament Saturday evening.

Hanahan High students tell a story about heroes.

— Compiled by Monica Kreber/Journal Scene

Goose Creek High’s color guard members donned glittery attire for their marching band’s performance.

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Photo Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

*(25*(72:1 7,0(6 6287+675$1'1(:6 &20

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

*(25*(72:1 7,0(6 6287+675$1'1(:6 &20

After Matthew MAX HRENDA/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

A downed tree lies across several parking spaces in front of Georgetown High School Monday afternoon.

CLAYTON STAIRS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Floating docks along the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet took a beating during the hurricane and many were in shambles.

EILEEN KEITHLY/ SOUTH STRAND NEWS

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Groucho’s Deli left HurriMAX HRENDA/SOUTH STRAND NEWS cane Matthew a message Georgetown Landing Marina Manager Ed Keelin points Sections of Saints Delight Road were closed Monday afternoon after they became when they closed early for to the water level mark Hurricane Matthew left as it swept submerged in flood waters. through the marina. the storm.

MARK A. STEVENS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

The steeple at St. Paul’s Waccamaw United Methodist Church was blown over during Hurricane Matthew.

Eileen Keithly, Clayton Stairs, Chris Sokoloski, Max Hrenda and Sandy Schopfer

Georgetown Times

CLAYTON STAIRS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Sand from washed away dunes covered Waccamaw Drive on Oct. 10.

See more photos on Page A11 and photo galleries at southstrandnews.com

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

The staff of Bienvenue Home was in recovery mode Oct. 9 after the rain from Hurricane Matthew soaked the store.

CLAYTON STAIRS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Damage to porches and stairways was typical along Garden City Beach after Hurricane Matthew.

CLAYTON STAIRS/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

This large oak tree just missed crushing into this house on McKenzie Circle in Pawleys Island.

CHRIS SOKOLOSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Half of the sign on the Verizon store in Georgetown was blown away. Another of the store’s signs was laying in the parking lot.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN BRANHAM PHOTO PROVIDED/ELIZA TAMSEN HILLIARD

Wedgefield Plantation had lots of flooding following Hurricane Matthew Saturday.

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

A large tree was toppled in the backyard yard of the Branham family in the Kensington community.

Homes in the historic district of Georgetown boarded up in anticipation of the wrath of Hurricane Matthew.

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

Many creek docks were damaged during Hurricane Matthew.

CHRIS SOKOLOSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

EILEEN KEITHLY/SOUTH STRAND NEWS

A waterline in the bathroom of Hand Designed Massage and Body Work on Front Street in Georgetown shows how high the water was in the building.

Only a few boats remained to ride out Hurricane Matthew at the Georgetown Landing Marina.

CHRIS SOKOLOSKI/SOUTH STRAND NEWS MAX HRENDA/SOUTH STRAND NEWS On Sunday, a day after the hurricane pounded the area, the traffic lights at the entrance Repair crews work on power lines along U.S. Highway 521 Monday afternoon. to Georgetown on U.S. Highway 17 were still bent.

Cancer survivors dispute ‘previvor’s’ place at relay, Dear Abby/4B

The Lancaster News Sunday October 30, 2016

Faces & Places

>> INSIDE: Celebrations, 7B I Church News, 6B I Classifieds, 7B I Coming Events, 5B I Education, 3B I Entertainment, 4B

County students celebrate All photos supplied by LANCASTER COUNTY SCHOOLS

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE

At left, Andrew Jackso n Middle School sixth grade social studie s teacher Ginger Warren and her son, seventh-grader Aaron Warren, dresse d up for “Decades Day – Born to be Drug Free” during Red Ribbon Week. Above, Buford Elementary students are “Dressed for Success” during Red Ribbon Week.

Photo Page Design 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Athena Redmond The Lancaster News

At left, Megan Hanna’s fifth grade class at Heath Springs Elementary put on their cowpoke gear for Western Day. Students, from left, are Elexus Johnson, Madison Randolph, Cadence Williams, Gracie Rollin s, Katlyn n Boone , JJ Deese, Taylor Flowers, Amelia Ivey and Malori Jenkins. Seated is Bree Colbert. At right, Joslyn Porter shows her school spirit on Pajama Day at Discovery School.

The red handprint background on this page reflects students’ pledges to “keep their hands off drugs,” a focus of red ribbon week.

At left, North Elementary fifth-grader Gabriela Lopez an amazing red ribbon shows off week hairdo. Above, Carrie kindergarten class at Brook McManus’ lyn Springs Elementary showed off on Camo Day. Back row from left, teache r assistant Alison Shehane, Marquis Withe rspoon, Jy’Niqee Crawfo rd, Hayden Hall, Ki’Mauriah Fraiser , Kamaren Weston and teacher Carrie McManus. Front row, from left, Jaylen Outen, Jose Cruz Carlos and Arien Bennett.

GOOD MORNING! Extended Weather Forecast Today High

Monday Low

84 56 Sunny with a 10 percent chance of scattered showers

High

Wednesday

Tuesday Low

84 58 Sunny with a 10 percent chance of scattered showers

High

Low

80 56 Partly cloudy

>>Features I (803) 283-1158

High

Thursday Low

82 56 Sunny with a 10 percent chance of scattered showers

High

Low

82 55 Sunny with a 10 percent chance of scattered showers

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Spot News Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Pete Cochran Union County News

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Spot News Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Pete Cochran Union County News

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Spot News Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Anna Brown Union County News

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Spot News Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tom Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dare Myrtle Beach Herald

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Spot News Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Suzanne Detar Daniel Island News

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Spot News Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Kathy Ropp The Horry Independent

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Spot News Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Spot News Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Jenna-Ley Harrison The Summerville Journal Scene

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Spot News Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Reece Murphy The Lancaster News

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE News Photo Associate & Individual Member Division

Chuck Crumbo Columbia Regional Business Report

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE News Photo Associate & Individual Member Division

Chuck Crumbo Columbia Regional Business Report

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE General News Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jonathan Vickery The People-Sentinel

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE General News Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Kevin Smith Pageland Progressive-Journal

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE General News Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Jonathan Vickery The People-Sentinel

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE General News Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE General News Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE General News Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE General News Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE General News Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Greg Summers The Lancaster News

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE General News Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Klonie Jordan The Gaffney Ledger

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Photo Associate & Individual Member Division

Keith Jacobs The Catholic Miscellany

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Photo Associate & Individual Member Division

Deirdre C. Mays The Catholic Miscellany

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Photo Associate & Individual Member Division

Chuck Crumbo Columbia Regional Business Report

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Graham Williams Union County News

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Bill Bengtson The North Augusta Star

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Rob Cottingham Lexington County Chronicle & The Dispatch News

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Julie Graham Carolina Gateway

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Demetria Mosley The Fort Jackson Leader

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Tim Gulla The Gaffney Ledger

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Action Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Michael Lollis The Journal, Williamston

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Action Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Debbie Rogers News-Chronicle

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Action Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Michael Lollis The Journal, Williamston

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Action Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Jason Arthur The Voice of Blythewood and Fairfield County

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Action Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Mac Banks Fort Mill Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Action Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Rob Gantt The Gazette

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Action Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Bill Marion The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Action Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Roger Lee The Summerville Journal Scene

2016 News Awards

Sports Action Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Roger Lee Summerville Journal Scene

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Feature Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Pete Cochran Union County News

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Feature Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Debbie Rogers News-Chronicle

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Feature Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Pete Cochran Union County News

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Feature Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Frankie Mansfield The Moultrie News

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Feature Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Lindsay Hickman Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Feature Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Wallace McBride The Fort Jackson Leader

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Feature Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Scott Powell The Gaffney Ledger

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Feature Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Feature Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Personality Photograph or Portrait Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Personality Photograph or Portrait Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Will Crooks Greenville Journal

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Personality Photograph or Portrait Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Will Crooks Greenville Journal

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Personality Photograph or Portrait 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Bill Marion The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Personality Photograph or Portrait 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Kasie Strickland The Easley Progress

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Personality Photograph or Portrait 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Photo Series or Photo Story Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Photo Series or Photo Story Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Will Crooks Greenville Journal

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Photo Series or Photo Story Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Photo Series or Photo Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Nancy Parsons The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Photo Series or Photo Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly, Chris Sokoloski and Clayton Stairs Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Photo Series or Photo Story 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Pictorial Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Michaele Duke The News, Kingstree

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Pictorial Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Pictorial Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Pictorial 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Austin Bond Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Pictorial 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Bryan Stevens Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Pictorial 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Humorous Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Kevin Smith Pageland Progressive-Journal

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Humorous Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Richard Kelly News-Chronicle

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Humorous Photo Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Michaele Duke The News, Kingstree

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Humorous Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Robert Timmons The Fort Jackson Leader

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Humorous Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Humorous Photo Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Tanya Ackerman Coastal Observer

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Humorous Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Brian Garner The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Humorous Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Brian Garner The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Humorous Photo 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Chris Sokoloski Georgetown Times

F O R â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; T H E â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; H O M E â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; & â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; F A M I LY SCâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Farm Bureau members qualify for a Free Security System valued at not less than $850 and receive a free smoke detector or keyfob when they become ADT subscribers through PowerLink, the most tenured ADT dealer in America. Add to that $2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $5 monthly discounts on monitoring, 40% off additional equpiment and a $99 installation special.

2016 News Awards

To purchase tickets, please visit: www.sixflags.com/partnerlogin User Name: SCFBOG Password: SixFlags10 (NOTE: Password is case sensitive).

Members save on standard rates at participating CHOICE HOTELSÂŽ locations worldwide. The discounts are available only by making reservations in advance by booking online at ChoiceHotels.com or by calling (800) 258-2847. To start saving, follow these easy steps:

Public Relations Program Associate & Individual Member Division

1) Visit ChoiceHotels.com and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Select Rateâ&#x20AC;? on the top tool bar, then click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Special Rate/Corp IDâ&#x20AC;? 2) Enter the SCFB Special Rate ID (00209800) in the assigned field 3) Click â&#x20AC;&#x153;yesâ&#x20AC;? to confirm you are a member and then click â&#x20AC;&#x153;Find Hotelâ&#x20AC;? to make your reservation! Choice PrivilegesÂŽ members: make sure you sign in so you can earn points while you save. If you choose to make your reservation by phone, be sure to give the agent both the SCFB Special Rate ID (00209800) and your personal Choice Privileges number.

SECOND PLACE

Save up to 20% off the â&#x20AC;&#x153;best available rateâ&#x20AC;?* at any participating property within the Wyndham Hotel Group brands. Call the member benefits hotline (877) 670-7088 and give the agent the SC special discount ID 1000000510 at the time of booking to receive your discount. You can also make your reservation online by going to www.wyndhamhotelgroup.com, In the booking widget, click â&#x20AC;&#x153;Special Rates and Codesâ&#x20AC;?. Here enter the above code into the Corporate Code field and click enter. Fill in your destination information and then click Find It. Your discount will be provided at time of booking.

Go to www.scfb.org for the latest SCâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Farm Bureau Member Benefits updates.

Choice Hotel Special Rate ID #00209800 www.choicehotels.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800.258.2847

WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP Farm Bureau Special Discount ID Number: 1000000510 www.wyndhamhotelgroup.com â&#x20AC;˘ 877.670.7088

Not available to current ADT subscribers or anyone who is within 90 days of terminating an ADT contract. Call 1.877.289.4070 for more information.

* â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Available Rateâ&#x20AC;? is defined as the best, non-qualified, unrestricted, publicly available rate on the brand sites for the hotel, date and accommodations requested. The discount for some properties may be less than 20% off Best Available Rate. Certain restrictions may apply. To redeem this offer, click our URL link on Organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website or call the phone number above and give ID at the time of reservation. Offer not valid if hotel is called directly, caller must use toll free numbers listed above. Advanced reservations are required. Offer is subject to availability at participating locations and some blackout dates may apply. Offer cannot be combined with any other discounts, offers, group rates, or special promotions. Discounted rates vary by location and time of year. Offer is void where prohibited by law and has no cash value. Dolce Hotels is not a current participant in the member benefit program.

** See terms and conditions at farmbureaubank.com. Banking services provided by Farm Bureau Bank, FSB. Farm Bureau, FB and the FBâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;National logo are registered service marks owned by, and used by Farm Bureau Bank FSB under license from, the American Farm Bureau Federation.

All member benefits subject to change without notice. Some restrictions may apply. For additional information go to www.SCFB.org

fresh savings!

T R AV E L Save $25 off the front gate price at Six Flags Over Georgia!

memberbenefits2015.qxp_TC9990101-LAYOUT-MQ1.qxd 8/7/15 1:50 PM Page 1

memberbenefits2015.qxp_TC9990101-LAYOUT-MQ1.qxd 8/7/15 1:50 PM Page 2

Bill Johns S.C. Farm Bureau Federation

FINANCIALâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;SERVICES

MERCHANDISE DISCOUNTS

An ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT is included with each Farm Bureau membership at no extra cost. The benefit is provided under a policy issued to the county Farm Bureau by South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, and it provides coverage in the amount of $1000 on member and spouse and $500 on each dependent child under 21 residing in the household. Membership dues must be paid on or before the due date. Please contact your county Farm Bureau office to make a claim.

Save 15-40% off catalog list prices on office supplies and furnishings â&#x20AC;˘ 10% off all Grainger catalog items when you order online. â&#x20AC;˘ 35% off farm-duty motors â&#x20AC;˘ up to 55% off MSRP* on Proto hand tools â&#x20AC;˘ up to 48% off MSRP* on DeWalt tools And get FREE SHIPPING for orders over $30. â&#x20AC;˘ up to 45% off MSRP* on Blackhawk tools You must register, order, and pay online. This â&#x20AC;˘ up to 46% off MSRP* on Milwaukee tools program does not apply to store locations. Items â&#x20AC;˘ up to 52% off MSRP* on Stanley hand tools must be shipped directly to members. â&#x20AC;˘ up to 60% off MSRP* on Westward tools â&#x20AC;˘ FREE SHIPPING on all internet orders Register online at www.scfb.org. Click on Member â&#x20AC;˘ SAME DAY SHIPPING on most catalog items Benefits, then Merchandise. It may take a few days to activate your registration. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to Get your discount by calling Grainger at log in to StaplesLink.com until you get an email (800) 323-0620, www.grainger.com or stopping by confirming your registration (a few days after your local Grainger store. You must provide your submitting the form). SC Farm Bureau Grainger account number (802160051).

FARM BUREAU INSURANCEÂŽ agents offer an extensive line of insurance products, including Auto, Home, Life, Health and Farm Property. Retirement planning and annuities are also available. Our Customer Service Call Center is available 24/7 to offer friendly, convenient service. And our six conveniently located Claims Service Centers help resolve your claims quickly and fairly.

â&#x20AC;˘ Checking & money market accounts â&#x20AC;˘ Consumer & business credit cards â&#x20AC;˘ Vehicle & recreational loans â&#x20AC;˘ Farm equipment loans â&#x20AC;˘ Health savings accounts (HSAs) â&#x20AC;˘ Traditional & Roth IRAs â&#x20AC;˘ Residential mortgage loans Let us help with your financial goals! See your Farm Bureau agent, or contact Farm Bureau Bank today. (800) 492-FARM or www.farmbureaubank.com

To receive your discount, provide your local AmeriGas supplier with your Farm Bureau membership number and set up your account today! To find your nearest AmeriGas location, call (866) 767-1100 or visit www.amerigas.com. * Prepaid or price guaranteed programs are not eligible for discount.

* Manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suggested Retail Price

H E A LT H â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; C A R E / E N V I R O N M E N TA L

(800) 799-7500 or www.scfbins.com

FARM BUREAU BANK** offers the personalized service you want with the secure banking products you need, including:

AMERIGAS, the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading marketer of propane, offers SC Farm Bureau members a 5 cent per gallon discount* on propane deliveries plus free installation of above ground cylinders/tanks (excluding pump stations). Members also receive a free complete system check and flexible billing and payment options.

â&#x20AC;˘ FREE prescription drug discount card accepted at over 57,000 pharmacies â&#x20AC;˘ Good for both name-brand & generic drugs Cut out the card on the right of this brochure and take it to a participating pharmacy. Ask them to enter the info into their electronic billing system. The card is NOT an insurance benefit and will not offer additional savings on pharmacy discounts offered through insurance plans. To find a local pharmacy or learn more go to www.scfb.org, click on Member Benefits, then Health Care. Save up to 50% off the national average cost of LASIK Eye Surgery! â&#x20AC;˘ CHOICE: Over 800 locations â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; QUALITY: 4.5 million procedures performed â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; SAVINGS: Farm Bureau members save 40%-50% off the national average cost of LASIK with flexible financing options available. We also accept Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.

Get your member discount from Life Line Screening. Our mission is to help make people aware of unrecognized health problems and encourage them to seek follow-up care with their personal physician. In about an hour, you can be screened with painless, non-invasive ultrasound technology for risk for atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms, and other chronic vascular diseases. To find a screening site nearest you, call(888) 787-2873 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/scfb

N ATURAL R ESOURCE S ERVICES , LLC Save 20% on environmental and regulatory assistance with:

â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; State agricultural permits â&#x20AC;˘ Manure broker permits â&#x20AC;˘ Permit modifications â&#x20AC;˘ Transfer of ownership â&#x20AC;˘ On-farm assessments â&#x20AC;˘ Construction storm water permits â&#x20AC;˘ Computerized mapping â&#x20AC;˘ Hunting/fishing lease agreements â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure (SPCC) plans Call (803) 360-3954 or e-mail womcmeekin@gmail.com Use code FB103

T R A N S P O R TATION $500 Off Your Next Eligible GM Vehicle SC Farm Bureau members can get a $500 private offer toward the purchase or lease of most new Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles. This offer can be stacked with one other private offer available to eligible Farm Bureau members. Only customers who have been active members of an eligible Farm Bureau for a minimum of 30 days will be eligible to receive a certificate and must take delivery by 4/1/17. Customers can obtain certificates at www.fbverify.com/gm. Go to www.SCFB.org, call your county Farm Bureau office or visit your local Chevrolet, Buick or GMC dealer for details. SCFB members now have a better way to buy a new or used vehicle through the Farm Bureau Auto Buying Program. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to use and members have saved an average of $3,078 off MSRP.* The best part? A $500 GM incentive for Farm Bureau members is already built into the system for qualifying vehicles. Get started at Auto Buying www.fbverify.com/drive. *See site for details.

Program

Call (866) 979-9212 or visit www.qualsight.com/-SCFB SAVE 25%! With eLegacyConnect you control your succession plan, save lots of money, and get the results you want. eLegacyConnect provides an action plan, advice from planning experts, and a library of resources to help you pass the family farm to the next generation. The site offers succession planning resources that generate results and a full complement of professional advisors to answer your questions and share best practices. Get started today. Âˇ South Carolina Farm Bureau members may access eLegacyConnect via the Farm Bureau Member Advantage! page, or go directly to eLegacyConnect, and enter the Membership Code: farmbureau. Âˇ Have your Farm Bureau Membership ID number available. Âˇ Membership (less 25% Farm Bureau discount) is only $180/annually, or $18.71/monthly. Your membership begins after the 14-day free trial, and you may cancel at any time.

An emergency medical alert system provides security, peace of mind and independence for the ones you love. â&#x20AC;˘ Only $23.95 per month ($6.00 per month discount) â&#x20AC;˘ 30 day money back trial â&#x20AC;˘ No long-term contracts â&#x20AC;˘ Cancel anytime with no penalty â&#x20AC;˘ Free shipping Ask about our new mobile system with GPS (works inside & outside the home). Call (877) 288-4958 any time or visit www.membersmedicalalert.com

O N T H E â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; FA R M THE FARM BUREAU PRODUCTS PROGRAM saves you money on: â&#x20AC;˘ Passenger, pickup, medium truck & tractor tires â&#x20AC;˘ Batteries & lubricants â&#x20AC;˘ Baling twines, net wraps & tillage tools â&#x20AC;˘ Disc harrow blades, bearings & roller chains â&#x20AC;˘ Cutting parts for hay equipment or combines â&#x20AC;˘ Agricultural pumps For more information, or to place an order, call (800) 849-3778. Or browse all our products at www.scfbproducts.com. Open 8:00-5:00, Monday through Friday.

Take advantage of the Clear Value Comprehensive Hearing Benefits for Farm Bureau members and their families. â&#x20AC;˘ Free hearing aid assessment & consultation â&#x20AC;˘ Up to 60% Off MSRP on all Starkey Hearing Instruments (Starkey, Audibel, NuEar, AudioSync &â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;MicroTech) â&#x20AC;˘ 60 day trial â&#x20AC;˘ Free batteries (1 case per instrument with purchase)

For your next rental, save up to 25% when you mention AVIS Worldwide Discount (AWD) #A298840. For reservations, call AVIS at (800) 331-1212, or visit www.avis.com/scfb.

Call (888) 497-7447 or visit www.clearvaluehearing.com

SC Farm Bureau Federation

CASE IH provides a manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incentive discount of $300â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$500 for Farm Bureau members on the tractor or implement acquired. Members should negotiate their best deal with their preferred dealer and then add the incentive discount to the bottom line. There is no limit to the number of incentive discounts that a Farm Bureau member may use so long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not more than one per unit acquired and the acquisiton(s) is/are made for their personal and/or their business use. Membership in Farm Bureau must be current and must be verified using the American Farm Bureau Membership Verification System (MVS). Eligible members will print an authorization certificate that must be presented to the Case-IH dealer INâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;ADVANCE of the delivery of the acquired tractor or implement to receive the incentive discount. For more information visit, www.SCFB.org

Prescription Savings Card Bin# PCN# Group# ID# Pharmacy Help Desk: 1-800-847-7147 (pharmacist only)

009265 AG SCFB SCFB23202

Name: _________________________________________ THIS IS NOT INSURANCE - DISCOUNTS ONLY By using this card, the holder agrees to the terms under which it was issued. Void where prohibited. Process all prescriptions electronically.

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE

SC Municipal Insurance Trust and SC Municipal Insurance and Risk Financing Fund

Public Relations Program Associate & Individual Member Division

Municipal Association of South Carolina Staff

Risk Management Services

Safety Calendar

A service of the

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Event Marketing Associate & Individual Member Division

Municipal Association of South Carolina Staff

Hometown Legislative Action Day February 3, 2016 | Columbia Marriott

Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government Sessions A and B | Advanced Institute | February 2, 2016

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Event Marketing Associate & Individual Member Division

Jane Mattingly Charleston Regional Business Journal

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Website Associate & Individual Member Division

GSA Business Report Staff

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Website Associate & Individual Member Division

Columbia Regional Business Report Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Website Associate & Individual Member Division

Charleston Regional Business Journal Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Newspaper Website All Weekly Division

Sully Witte, Frankie Mansfield and Jake Lucas The Moultrie News

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Newspaper Website All Weekly Division

The Horry Independent Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Newspaper Website All Weekly Division

Max Hrenda, Eileen Keithly, Chris Sokoloski, Clayton Stairs and Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Electronic Newsletter/Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

Municipal Association of South Carolina Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Use of Social Media All Weekly Division

Michael Harrison Fort Mill Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Use of Social Media All Weekly Division

The Summerville Journal Scene Staff

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Use of Social Media All Weekly Division

Charleston City Paper Staff

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Individual Use of Social Media All Weekly Division

Shamira McCray Lake City News & Post

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Individual Use of Social Media All Weekly Division

Max Hrenda Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Individual Use of Social Media All Weekly Division

Eva Moore Free Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Feature Video All Weekly Division

Mark A. Stevens Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Feature Video All Weekly Division

Jan Marvin Daniel Island News

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Feature Video All Weekly Division

Abbie Sossamon The Gaffney Ledger

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Sports Video All Weekly Division

Travis Jenkins and James McBee The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Sports Video All Weekly Division

John Marks Fort Mill Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Sports Video All Weekly Division

Travis Jenkins and James McBee The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Online Photo Gallery Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Michaele Duke The News, Kingstree

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Online Photo Gallery Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Jeff Sochko Fort Mill Times

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Online Photo Gallery Weekly Under 4,500 & Over 4,500 Divisions Combined

Jeff Sochko Fort Mill Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Online Photo Gallery 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Clayton Stairs Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Online Photo Gallery 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Nancy Parsons The News & Reporter

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE Online Photo Gallery 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE Newspaper Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

Jessica Brodie and Allison Trussell S.C. United Methodist Advocate

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE Newspaper Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

Chuck Crumbo, Melinda Waldrop and Emily Matesi Columbia Regional Business Report

THE 2017 OF

2016 News Awards

Newspaper Publication Associate & Individual Member Division

Getting started Classes have started at the Center for Manufacturing Innovation. PAGE 11

HIGH STAKES www.gsabusiness.com

Volume 19, No. 18 â&#x20AC;¢ $2.00 00

CE HOME EN

September 5 - 18, 2016

FIRST PLACE

ING CONFER UR

MANUFACT SC

Challenges Chamber directors talk about workforce. PAGE 8

Moving

Industrial Staffing Agencies PAGE 20

Leading Off ...................... 2 Manufacturing & Supply Chain Report ...... 11 People in the News ........ 29 Viewpoint ....................... 31

are the chances Lockheed Martin gets the deal considering it is competing with the likes of Boeing and Northrup Grumman?

Page 3 Photos/Lockheed Martin Corporation

MANUFACTURING & SUPPLY CHAIN REPORT

Manufacturing and supply chain news from around South Carolina. PAGE 11

MANUFACT SC

THE 2017 OF

INSIDE

ING CONFER UR

GSA Business Report

THELIST

CE HOME EN

Matthew Clark, Teresa Cutlip, Jane Mattingly and Ryan Wilcox

Engenius has moved its offices to the west end of downtown Greenville. PAGE 6

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE General Excellence Weekly Under 4,500 Division

The Clinton Chronicle Staff

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE General Excellence Weekly Under 4,500 Division

The People-Sentinel Staff

9 " / ; ! . Ûa ÛìªÐ

!AÏ ©¢ ©ç¢Þô

!mì @d ¡ ÒÜÎ@Ü §¡ På d ¡ §¶m¡ z§Î PåÒ ¡mÒÒ ; " ! !

" Zy@ccl N|£Çl Zl läË·Z£

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE General Excellence Weekly Under 4,500 Division

Naeem McFadden Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise

, " p >À

Õ ÌÞ vwV > Ã ÀiVi Ì Þ Ûi` > > À ÌÞ v ÃiÀÛ V iÃ Ì > iÜ >` ÃÌÀ>Ì LÕ ` }° ,i Û>Ì Ã Ì Ì i Û>V> Ì 7> >ÀÌ LÕ ` } > } 1- ÇÈ] > iÃ ÕÃi v Ì Þ > iÝ ÃÌ } v>V ÌÞ LÕÌ > Ã VÀi>ÌiÃ i Õ} Ã«>Vi Ì V ÃÌÀÕVÌ > iÜ > Þ ÕÀÌ V « iÝ° >À Õ ÌÞ ` ÃÌÀ>Ì À / >À«iÀ Ã> `

ÕÀÌ ` ÃÌÀ>Ì > `>Ìi` Ì i V ÃÌÀÕV Ì v > iÜ > Þ ÕÀÌ £ä Þi>ÀÃ >} ° -«>V } Ã ÃÕiÃ v À Ì i `iÃ } >Ìi` " ! !

"Ñ/1 . G "1 .,. / V À iÀ Ì i>À Ì i >À 1 l !@Ç £ £Ý Ôæ £Ý Z @Ë @ lä £Ý Z @ PlÇ Ô£ llÔ lãlÇæ ËlZ£ c 1ÝlËc@æ Õ ÌÞ ÕÀÌ ÕÃi i`

Õ V Ì >««À Ûi iÝ« À £Ç @Ô @· · @ c lãlÇæ y£ÝÇÔ 1 ÝÇËc@æ @Ô Ï ²· ·

} Ì iÀ «Ì Ã] ÀiÃÕ Ì } Ì i «ÕÀV >Ãi v Ì i ` 7> >ÀÌ LÕ ` }° º7i i` >Ì ÃiÛiÀ> i «ÌÞ LÕ ` }Ã V Õ` } Ì i ` Ã« Ì> > -ÌÀiiÌ]» >À«iÀ Ã> `° º Ã Üi ÜiÀi ` } ÕÀ Ãi>ÀV ] Üi ÜiÀi >««À >V i` LÞ 1- *À «iÀÌ iÃ Ü Ü i` Ì i LÕ ` }° 7> >ÀÌ >` Lii > ` ÃÌ > Ì> } Ì i LÕ ` } iÛi Ì Õ} Ì iÞ >` Ûi` ÕÌ ÃiÛiÀ> Þi>ÀÃ Liv Ài° / i LÕ ` } ÃÌ >` « ÜiÀ > ` Ì i i>Ì } > ` > À Ü>Ã ÀÕ }° - Ì >` Lii Üi > Ì> i`°» >À«iÀ Ã> ` >`Û> Ì>}iÃ v Ì i Ài Û>Ì À>Ì iÀ Ì > V ÃÌÀÕVÌ > iÜ LÕ ` } V Õ`i > Ài Vi ÌÀ> V>Ì ] « >V }

ÃÌ Õ ÌÞ vwViÃ Õ ìÀ i À v] > « i «>À } > ` «« ÀÌÕ ÌÞ v À vÕÌÕÀi iÝ«> Ã ° º/ i V ÃÌ v LÕ ` } > iÜ LÕ ` } Ü>Ã LiÌÜii fx È > ` Ì Ã ` ` Ì V Õì > Þ >`` Ì > «>À }]» >À«iÀ Ã> `° º7i ÜiÀi >L i Ì «ÕÀV >Ãi Ì i 7> >ÀÌ LÕ ` } > ` ` Ì i ÌiÀ À Ài Û>Ì Ã v À fÈ°£ ° / i «ÕÀV >Ãi V Õì` Ì i LÕ ` } > ` > Ì i «>À } vÀ Ì > ` Ì i Ã ì v Ì i LÕ ` }°» -i ° i Ì 7 > Ã V> i` Ì > iÝVi i Ì ì>° º Ü> Ì Ì >«« >Õ`

Õ ÌÞ Õ V v À >Û } Ì i Û Ã v À ÃÕV > w i

/ll 3 " a ,@ l Ö

!@Ç £ §Îd@¡ ì ¡Ò ÒmZ§¡d ÒÜ@Üm ìÎmÒÜ ¡ Ü Ü m

£Ý Ôæ ã£ÔlÇË ËÝ²²£ÇÔ

Ô£ Ç£ ËÔ@yy Çl²£ÇÔË

,-" p />½ À`> Ã > ÃÌ>Ìi ÜÀiÃÌ } V > « >}> > ` >À ] >Ã > Ìi> ] Ü Ì i ÌÀ>` Ì > ÃÌ>Ìi Ì Ì i >ÃÃ É ->ÌÕÀ`>Þ° º ÕÃÌ Ãii Ì >Ã i >ÌV >Ì > Ì i > ` ÌÀÞ Ì Ì Õ `iÀiÃÌ >Ìi > Þ i]» À`> Ã> ` Liv Ài Ì i ÃÌ>Ìi w > Ã° À`> ] > >À } "/ -V Ãi À £Ç £Çl Ü Ü >ÃÌ ² £Ô£Ë yÇ£ Ô l Þi>À½Ã >ÃÃ É ËÔ@Ôl äÇlËÔ Ì Ì i >Ì £xÓ Z£ ²lÔ Ô £ « Õ `Ã] Ü Ëlla ,@ l Ð · ->ÌÕÀ`>Þ >Ì £Èä Û > > wÀÃÌ «iÀ ` « >}> ÃÌ

iÃ ii½Ã Þ > V Õ Õ} ° >À ½Ã > >À` ÃÌ Ç È Ì i ££Î w > >}> ÃÌ ÀiÃVi Ì½Ã

>Û ` * ÀÌiÀ° -Ü> « ÝiÃ Ìi> >Ìi >ÜÃ >««Ã ÃÌ Ì i £În « Õ ` w > >}> ÃÌ

iÃ ii½Ã Þ i Àâ> ÜÃ Û > > Ç x >À} ° >À ½Ã /ÞÃ ÕÃ>V ÃÌ Ì i £nÓ « Õ ` w > Û > « >}> ÃÌ >}Õ v > LiÀ} À >À`Ì° -Ü> « ÝiÃ Ìi> >Ìi >À ` i>À Ìi ÃÌ Û > `iV Ã >}> ÃÌ >ÌÌiÀÞ Àii ½Ã

«iÀ > Ã Þ°

; " ! !

" Zy@ccl N|£Çl Zl läË·Z£

, " p >À Õ ÌÞ Û ÌiÀÃ ÃÕ«« ÀÌi` >ÀÞ Ì LÞ > Ü `i >À} ->ÌÕÀ `>Þ½Ã i VÀ>Ì V «À >ÀÞ°

Ì ÀiVi Ûi` nx «iÀ Vi Ì v Ì i Û ÌiÃ Ü Ì > Ì Ì> v Î]Îx{° -i ° iÀ i -> ìÀÃ v Üi` Õ« Ü Ì xxÓ Û ÌiÃ £{ «iÀVi Ì®° /ÕÀ ÕÌ Ü>Ã ½Ì iÛi V Ãi Ì Ì i ÃÌ À V Óään «À >ÀÞ Ì >Ì V Õì` È]xÓÈ L> ÌÃ V>ÃÌ° / Ì> Û ÌiÃ v À ->ÌÕÀ`>Þ Ài>V i` Î]xÈä° V «>À Ã ] *ÀiÃ ì Ì >À>V "L> > À>V i` Õ« {]ÈÎÎ Û ÌiÃ Ì i Óään «À >ÀÞ° 6 ÌiÀÃ Ã ` } Ü Ì i VÀ>ÌÃ Ü> Ì Ì V Ì Õi Ì i i ÌÕ vÀ Ì i "L> > >` Ã ÌÀ>Ì ° >ÀL>À> Õ} iÃ Ã> ` Ã i Û Ì i` v À Ì ° º/ i Ì }Ã Ì >Ì Ã i Ã « > } ` } > ` Ã i v Ì }Ã Ã i « > Ã Ì V Ì Õi ` } >Ài Ì }Ã *ÀiÃ ì Ì "L> > ÃÌ>ÀÌi`]» Ã i Ã> `° º ` ½Ì Ì ® Ì i ,i«ÕL V> Ã Ü Õ ` Li > Ì Ài>Ì Ì iÀ] Ì > Þ v Ì i °» Õ} iÃ Ã> ` Ì ½Ã ÃÕ« « ÀÌ v À > «i « i Ã Ü >Ì Ü iÀ ÛiÀ >Ã > Û ÌiÀ°

> i ,>iv À` Ã> ` Ì Ü>Ã v>Û À>L i° º ½ Ì > v> v Ì i ,i«ÕL V> V> ` `>ÌiÃ]» Ã i Ã> `° º- i V> Li>Ì > Þ i v Ì i °»

>Ài Vi ÃÀ>i v >À Ã> ` L VÀi>Ì Ü>Ã Ì i ÃÌ « ÀÌ> Ì ÃÃÕi v À LÕÌ Ü>Ã « i>Ãi` Ü Ì Ì i ÀiÃ ì ÌÃ «>ÀÌ V «>Ì }° º Ì Ì iÞ½Ài >Û } > «ÀiÌÌÞ } ` ÌÕÀ ÕÌ]» i Ã> `° º >ÀÞ >Ã «ÀiÃÃi` i Ì i ÃÌ° Ì Ã i ÜÃ Ài >L ÕÌ Ü >Ì Ã } } > ` Ã i V> }iÌ Ì iÀi > ` v Ü *ÀiÃ ì Ì "L> >°» ÃÀ>i Ã> ` Ì i ,i«ÕL V> ìL>Ìi >Ã LÀ Õ} Ì Ã i V ViÀ ° º Ì½Ã Ì ÕV V y VÌ LiÌÜii Ì i Ã Ü >Ì Ã } }

"£ÇÔ /£ÝÔ äÇlËÔ >ÀÌÃÛ i V >V V >i Þ V > ` >À V >V V >i -Ìi L>À Ü i « V >V Ì i - ÕÌ Ìi> Ã Ì Ã Þi>À½Ã ÀÌ - ÕÌ -Ì>À 7ÀiÃÌ } >ÃÃ V >ÀV { x >Ì ÀÌ ÞÀÌ i i>V } -V ° ,i«ÀiÃi Ì } Ì i *ii ii Ì i >ÃÃ Î Ó - ÕÌ ÃµÕ>` >Ài À`> > } Ü Ì >À Ìi> >ÌiÃ /À Þ 6 V / Ã] >Ü " ! !

"Ñ/1 . G "1 .,. / Ã >««Ã > ` ,>Ã >Õ >Û Ã° !@Ç £ ÄË 1@ £ £Çc@ ä£ Ë ËlZ£ c c ã cÝ@ ËÔ@Ôl Z @ ² £ Ë ² /@ÔÝÇc@æ @ £ ä Ô l@Ç Ô l !£ËÔ >ÀÌÃÛ i½Ã -iÌ -«i Ü > Ã Li Ì i iÛi Ì° $ÝÔËÔ@ c 9ÇlËÔ lÇ @ä@Çc Ç£ÝÔl Ô£ Z £Ë £ÝÔ Ë Ël £Ç æl@Ç ~~ ì·

Z§§ §zz dÎ@ìÒ @ ZÎ§ìd Ç£ ËÔ@yy Çl²£ÇÔË

, " p Õ `Ài`Ã v «i « i }>Ì iÀi` >Ì Ì i ÕÀÌ ÕÃi -µÕ>Ài ->ÌÕÀ`>Þ v À Ì i ÇÌ Õ> -Ü> « Ý vv > ` À i / ÕÀ > i Ì >Ã «>ÀÌ v Ì i i iÀ> À> V Ã >À >ÞÃ >VÌ Û Ì iÃ° "À}> âiÀÃ Ã> ` Ì i iÛi Ì ÃÕ« « ÀÌ V> «À wÌ À}> â>Ì Ã >Ã À> Ãi` Ài Ì > fn]äää Ì i «>ÃÌ° / Ã Þi>À] Û Ã Ì ÀÃ ÜiÀi i « ÌÞ } ÕÌ « ÌÃ v V ÌiÃÌ> Ì V Ü Ì Ì i ÕÀ° ÃÌ À V >À ,iÛ Ì> â>Ì ÃÃ V >Ì ` ÀiVÌ À > i V> i` Ì i iÛi Ì > ÃÕVViÃÃ Õ `iÀ V i>À Ã iÃ Ü Ì Ûi ÕÃ V ÃiÌÌ } Ì i ÃVi i > ` À Ã -V ÕÌ V iÃ ` Ã« >Þ° º"ÕÀ Ì > Ã Ì > Ì i Û Õ ÌiiÀÃ v Ì i «À wÌ À}> â>Ì Ã > ` v V ÕÀÃi ÕÀ Ã« Ã ÀÃ]» > i Ã> `° º Ûi ÌÃ i Ì iÃi V Õ ` Ì Li

/ll 1 $"a ,@ l Ö

/1 . G "1 .,. / Ñ" ! !

Ý cÇlcË @ÔÔl clc Ô l Ëlãl Ô @ Ý@ /ä@ ² £å Z££ £yy @ c Z£Ç £ l Ô£ÝÇ @ l Ô £ lP· ÛÏ·

/ll a ,@ l {

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE General Excellence Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Carolina Forest Chronicle Staff

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE General Excellence Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

The Greer Citizen Staff

COASTAL OBSERVER Vol. XXXV No. 7

Pawleys Island, South Carolina ~ August 4, 2016

50 cents

STABLES PARK

After town tightens leash law, entrepreneur starts drive for dog park BY CHARLES SWENSON

2016 News Awards

FIRST PLACE General Excellence Weekly 4,500 and Over Division

Coastal Observer Staff

COASTAL OBSERVER

Ryan Everhart doesn’t have a dog in the ﬁght over Pawleys Island’s crackdown on unleashed dogs. But the town’s decision prompted him to launch a campaign to fund a dog park that’s part of Georgetown County’s master plan for Stables Park. “This is just so important to people,” Everhart said as he walked his French bulldog Flip on a leash be-

tween the oaks and pines on the undeveloped portion of the park. Pawleys Island Town Council last month approved amendments to its leash law that make it clear that it applies to dogs in the surf as well as anywhere else that’s oﬀ their owner’s property. The town changed the ordinance in 2009 to remove language that allowed dogs to be under voice control at certain times. That portion of the law was inconsistent with state law, which requires that dogs be leashed when

oﬀ their owner’s property. Everhart walks Flip on the beach at Pawleys, but didn’t let him run in the surf. But Flip likes to run as far as his short legs will carry him, and he likes to socialize. “A tired dog means a happy owner,” Everhart said. After reading about the town’s decision, he pitched the idea of a Pawleys Island Dog Park on Facebook. It picked up over 100 likes in 24 hours. He then started a page on GoFundMe.com and a page on SEE “PARK,” PAGE 5

Tanya Ackerman/Coastal Observer

Ryan Everhart and Flip at Stables Park.

CHURCHES

HIGHWAY 17

The power of prayer

New median hasn’t curbed collisions in Pawleys

Community worship series seeking solace in troubled times

BY CHARLES SWENSON COASTAL OBSERVER

BY JASON LESLEY COASTAL OBSERVER

Prayers to end ignorance, racism, envy and hatred went up from All Saints Church Monday night. All Saints and Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church began a monthly series of community prayer sessions for the nation, “A People Called by His Name,” that will run through the November elections. People came to pray in the wake of a number of instances of police killing suspects during arrests and snipers killing police oﬃcers in retaliation. The Rev. Rob Grafe, rector of All Saints Church, called on God to remove every obstacle to prayer: fear, bitterness, any hurdle. “We stand together,” he said, “that you are the only name given for unity and salvation.” Grafe and the Rev. Mitchell Adger of Mount Zion Baptist SEE “PRAYER,” PAGE 6

Photos by Tanya Ackerman/Coastal Observer

Charlena B. Johnson, a member at Mount Zion, above, folds her hands in prayer at the service this week at All Saints. Michael Boyd, center at left, retired from NYPD, stands in for police at the service.

A raised concrete median on Highway 17 in the Pawleys Island business district has not reduced the number of collisions as proponents claimed, according to data from the state Department of Public Safety. But while the number of collisions has increased slightly over last year, the number of injuries has decreased slightly. The data is consistent with expectations of traffic engineers before construction began on the $3.75 million project in the winter of 2015. Work was completed last fall and two new traffic signals that were part of the project began operating in December. Engineers said the design should reduce injuries by reducing right-angle collisions even if the addition of traffic signals caused more rear-end collisions. In the first six months of this year, there were 37 collisions on the highway between the traffic light at Waverly Road and Baskervill Drive. That’s the area where a two-way left-turn lane was replaced with a raised SEE “MEDIAN,” PAGE 3

EDUCATION INSIDE THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS | Palmetto Cheese

New plant takes Pawleys product west BY JASON LESLEY COASTAL OBSERVER

Reef madness: Which comes ﬁrst? The oyster or the shell? SECOND FRONT Real estate: For Sale sign goes up on Georgetown steel mill. PAGE 6 Sports: Former Waccamaw High football standout will start at guard for The Citadel this season. PAGE 22 Crime................................. 9 Opinion ........................... 10 Crossword ........................14 What’s On .........................15 Classiﬁeds ........................16 Sports .............................. 20 On the Internet coastalobserver.com

When Palmetto Cheese was in its infancy, ex-boxer George Easterling mixed it in a big steel bowl in the kitchen at Sea View Inn on Pawleys Island. He was a friend of Vertrella Brown, a cook at the inn, and used a steel kitchen spoon to mix the grated cheddar and other ingredients in a way that preserved its texture. Not too mushy, Easterling told Southern Living magazine in 2010. Palmetto Cheese owners Brian and Sassy Henry — they also own Sea View Inn and the takeout food business Get Carried Away — have been selling the “pimento cheese with soul” for a decade now, and production is measured in tons at their contract packer, Duke Food Productions near Easley. It’s still the mixing that makes Palmetto Cheese diﬀerent, according to Scott Smart, vice president of operations at Duke. “The ingredients are not the hard part,” he said during a tour of the company’s modern, 80,000-squarefoot plant. “They’re scalable as percentages. What’s hard is the actual mixing.” Smart, like the boxer years ago, knows that too much stirring will make the product mushy. Mixing machines have taken the place of Easterling’s strong right arm, but Duke Food Productions tries to replicate his ﬁnished product. “You can easily over-mix and under-mix,” SEE “CHEESE,” PAGE 4

School board gives itself good grades on assessment BY CHARLES SWENSON COASTAL OBSERVER

Tanya Ackerman (above), Jason Lesley (below)/Coastal Observer

Palmetto Cheese at home on the porch of the Sea View Inn, above, and packaged at the Duke Food plant in Easley, below.

While Georgetown County School Board members gave themselves passing grades on a self-assessment this summer, they agree that they need more class participation. And two members, who were not named, will get incomplete grades for failing to turn in the assignment. It was the second time the board has done the assessment, which was pressed by Board Member Pat DeLeone. It was talked about for 10 years before the board committed to it in 2014. DeLeone handed out the assessments to her colleagues before the end of school in June and handed out the results this week. “The scores came up. I was quite impressed,” she said. The assessment asks members to grade how often the board meets a list of 32 criteria from “Always” (5 points) to “Rarely or Never (1 point). The board gave itself perfect scores on seven areas: placing children’s needs ahead of political gain; an unselﬁsh interest in public education; visibility in the community; showing respect at meetings; teamwork with the superintendent; conﬁdence in the superintendent; and following policies. The lowest score was a 4 (“Most of the time”), which was SEE “SCHOOLS,” PAGE 3

2016 News Awards

THIRD PLACE General Excellence 2-3 Times Weekly Division

The Lancaster News Staff

2016 News Awards

SECOND PLACE General Excellence 2-3 Times Weekly Division

Georgetown Times Staff

2016 News Awards Friday, August 5, 2016 www.journalscene.com 50¢

NAN on Nisbet plea deal: ‘The justice system failed’ BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON jharrison@journalscene.com

FIRST PLACE General Excellence 2-3 Times Weekly Division

The state chapter of a national civil rights group is not happy about ousted coroner Chris Nisbet’s narrow escape from prison after he accepted a plea deal in the case this week. “It’s not a surprise,” said Elder James Johnson, president of the South Carolina chapter of National Action Network. “White privilege is still alive in Dorchester County.” His group advocates for AfricanAmerican rights and first protested

Jenna-Ley Harrison/Journal Scene

Johnson

Nisbet

the case when SLED initially charged Nisbet with misconduct in office in September, a month after Nisbet, who is white, allegedly pulled a gun on his unarmed black neighbor Leroy Fulton.

A grand jury indicted Nisbet Oct. 1, the same day Gov. Nikki Haley removed him from office. NAN had requested he be removed and sent a letter to Haley. Nisbet accepted the deal Tuesday in the courtroom of Judge Brooks Goldsmith, agreeing to plead “no contest” to a lesser charge of breach of trust. The charge also had no prison time attached to it, only a $100 fine – $332.50 after all fees are included – to be paid within 30 days. When first charged last year, Nisbet faced up to 10 years behind bars.

“It’s the good old boy system at work again,” Johnson said Wednesday. “NAN is very, very disappointed in the sentence handed down to (Nisbet) because he broke the law and he got away with it. That tells me he can run again for that position…because of the light sentence they gave him in pleading.” Johnson said he not only wants to protest the case outcome but also thinks the judge in the case should be removed. “That judge needs to step down. … That judge should be ashamed of him-

National Night Out block parties show officer support, local appreciation

Nigro named interim police chief

BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON jharrison@journalscene.com

The Summerville Journal Scene

Staff

See NISBET, Page 3A

‘The ones responsible for our safety’

Effective Aug. 1, Maj. Frank Nigro assumed the role of interim chief for Summerville Police Department. Former Chief Bruce Owens retired this summer.

The hunt for a new town police chief is still ongoing, with interviews underway, but residents are not to fear; Frank Nigro is filling the position temporarily. The major said he found out he would be assuming the role at the end of July. His new title as interim chief went into effect on Monday, a day after former Chief Bruce Owens served his final day with the agency. Nigro has been with Summerville Police Department his entire career. He was hired 30 years ago, following in the footsteps of his father, who served as both a military policeman for 26 years then state constable stationed at the Citadel for 10 years. “It’s something I’ve always been interested in,” Nigro said. “I guess it’s in the blood.” He started his career in 1986 in the same town where he was raised, graduating from Summerville High School. Nigro said his rise in rank will in no

self.” According to Senior Assistant Solicitor Don Sorenson, with the First Circuit Court, the plea deal was in the works for a couple of months and decided upon after discussion with all parties involved in the case, including law enforcement and Fulton’s attorney David Aylor. Nisbet’s attorney, Grover Seaton of Moncks Corner, said “no charges should have ever been brought” against Nisbet but that the required fine “is the

Jenna-Ley Harrison/Journal Scene

Summerville Police Capt. Doug Wright shoots radar with Mae Hyland, 6, during National Night Out festivities at Gahagan Plantation subdivision Tuesday.

Tough times might have fallen on law enforcement over the last year with news of ambushes and fatal attacks across the country, but Tuesday night served as an opportunity for communities around the globe — Summerville included — to show officer support and appreciation. “They are the ones responsible for our safety,” said Town Councilwoman Christine Czarnik. She and other local residents flooded the streets in multiple neighborhoods to celebrate National Night Out’s 33rd year. “They don’t take this job because it’s easy or because it pays well; they took this job because they care,” Czarnik said. At Gahagan Plantation, police mingled with community members over hot dogs and hamburgers, showing children blue lights and loud sirens, along with the inside of their patrol cruisers. Certain brave ones even tried on officers’ heavy tactical gear and pointed the radar gun at neighbors driving by. Summerville Fire Department also took time to hoist children — many wearing red toy fire hats — into the front seat of a ladder truck. Residents also posted photos of past National Night Out activities, some from decades earlier, along food tents, giving officers a good laugh or two. According to Gahagan Crime Watch Captain Ruth Yeomans, her community has low crime, which she believes has been deterred by the group through the See SAFETY, Page 4A

See CHIEF, Page 8A

Dangers lurks in Pokemon play Police urge caution, safety tips chasing monsters BY JENNA-LEY HARRISON jharrison@journalscene.com

Jenna-Ley Harrison/Journal Scene

On a sign posted outside the restaurant on Wednesday, Sushi 201 lets passersby know about possible Pokemon at its location on East Doty Avenue.

Little invisible monsters are invading Summerville and other communities across the world. They’re luring children and adults alike into congested streets, businesses, parks and residential properties at all times of the day and night, often putting them in harm’s way. They’re called Pokémon and the craze over them in recent weeks has been the popular topic of news stories and social media feeds.

“Our park at night, if you drive around, is full of people playing,” said Interim Police Chief Frank Nigro. He and fellow officers are worried individuals eager to catch Pokémon and glued to their phones – head down and eyes not scanning their surroundings – will walk out in front of a car, trespass onto properties of unwelcoming residents or worse – encounter criminals. Capt. Doug Wright echoed Nigro on how the game’s popularity is resulting in large scale group play in public places. “We are having an influx of people playing…in our parks and making their

See POKEMON, Page 8A

100 HARTH PLACE SUMMERVILLE

Timeeto se “Dr. B” DENTAL SOLUTIONS FOR SNORING, SLEEP APNEA & INSOMNIA. NO MASK. MEDICARE APPROVED

way into businesses and what not, and that’s fine, but we just need them to be aware of their surroundings, who’s playing,” Wright said. “Or where it can lead you,” Nigro added. Wright said his concerns about the game only grew Wednesday morning as he listened to the radio on his way in to work. He said he heard a news story about legislators in another state considering passing a law related to the app, after

(across from Summerville Medical Center) Dr. Barbieri

843-312-4417 | www.2sleepwellagain.com

2016 News Awards

Tom Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dare & Charles Perry Carolina Forest Chronicle

2016 News Awards

Travis Jenkins The News & Reporter

Will Crooks, Greenville Journal

Eileen Keithly Georgetown Times

Union County News Under 4,500

Coastal Observer Over 4,500

Georgetown Times 2-3 Times Weekly

THANKS FOR ATTENDING!