Local officers charge man with threatening
to shoot deputy, spur ‘another Abbeville’

December 11, 2005

From staff reports

Just a day removed from the second anniversary of a property dispute that resulted in what has been described as one of the worst law enforcement firefights in state history, a Ninety Six man has been charged with threatening to shoot “any deputy” who came onto property where he has been living.
And the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office says he made a reference to the deadly 2003 Abbeville property-rights incident in a call to a TV reporter.
Roy Michael Adams, 54, of 6213 U.S. 178 South, Ninety Six, is being held at the Greenwood County Detention Center on charges of communicating a threat and resisting arrest.
The sheriff’s office has been in the process of removing Adams from property he says is his, but the sheriff’s office says it is part of an estate and that Adams does not own the property he claims as his residence.
A Richland County probate court judge ordered Adams from the property last week, but after Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office deputies served that notice, a man who authorities say was Adams contacted an Upstate television reporter and claimed authorities were “illegally” taking his property, GCSO said in a press release.
The man reportedly asked the journalist if he would like “another story like the one in Abbeville,” the release said.
When prompted by the reporter, the man reportedly said there “would be a shootout” whenever law enforcement arrived at “his” property. The man reportedly claimed to possess “armor-piercing ammunition.”
Two law enforcement officers, Danny Wilson and Donnie Ouzts, were killed two years ago in neighboring Abbeville County when they tried to mediate a dispute over property rights.
Steven Bixby, father Arthur and mother Rita are charged in connection with the Abbeville incident, which resulted in a 14-hour standoff and an intense firefight. That incident was the result of a dispute over road widening along S.C. 72, where the Bixbys owned a home.
Abbeville officials said during anniversary events last week that they are trying to move beyond the incident and help the community and its image recover from what they say have been unfair representations of the county as a hotbed of property-rights activists.
“Mr. Adams created an extremely dangerous situation for himself, the public and our deputies,” Sheriff Dan Wideman said. “We had absolutely no choice but to arrest him immediately.”
The sheriff’s office SWAT team conducted surveillance at the property to locate Adams and arrested him about 9:30 p.m. Friday by forcing entry into the home and deploying a noise and light distraction device.
Adams’ common-law wife, Jacklyn Russell, was inside the home. She was wanted in regard to a fraudulent check warrant and was arrested.
SWAT team deputies seized four firearms from the home: a .38-caliber revolver, two shotguns and a rifle. No shots were fired during the arrest.
Chief Deputy Mike Frederick described GCSO’s use of its SWAT team was “the obvious choice” for this situation.
“This guy posed a real threat to anyone who may have wandered onto that property, especially our deputies,”
Frederick said. “Our SWAT team is trained to mitigate these types of risks and take guys like Adams into custody with as little injury as is possible, and they did a fantastic job tonight.”
Sheriff Dan Wideman said that Adams’ reported reference to the Abbeville incident caused even more concern for him as he ordered the action.
“The disrespect Adams showed for the rule of law and the lives of our deputies in the way he threatened to create ‘another Abbeville’ made a very difficult decision easier for me,” Wideman said. “Under no circumstance could I allow him to harm someone in his effort to intimidate the legal system.”

Essie Stevens Cheatham

SALUDA — Essie Stevens Cheatham, 61, of 660 Camel Road, wife of Tommie Cheatham, died Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 at HospiceCare of the Piedmont Inc.
Born in Saluda County, she was a daughter of Mary Ruth Abney Stevens Williams and the late Wilson Stevens. She was a member of the New Salem CME Church, the Senior Choir, a 1962 graduate of Riverside High School and a retired textile worker.
Survivors include her husband of the home; her mother of Saluda Nursing Center; stepfather, Graham Williams Sr. of Saluda; two sons, Randy Stevens, of Columbia and Ritchie Cheatham, of Aiken; two daughters, Janet Young and Valerie Cheatham, both of Johnston; stepdaughter, Carmin Johnson, Saluda; a brother, Joseph Stevens, of Trenton; two stepsisters, Alphia Jones, of Saluda and Oneida Colter, of Orangeburg; three stepbrothers, Graham Williams Jr. and Lawrence Williams, both of Saluda and Olander Williams, Maryland; 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at the New Salem CME Church, conducted by the Rev. Donnie Cobbs, assisting are the Rev. Doris Hicks, Ministers Annette Mathis, Rebecca Kinard and Janet Corley. Burial is in the church cemetery. Pallbearers are friends of the family.
Flower bearers are co-workers.
The family is at the home.
Butler & Sons Funeral Home is in charge.

Jeanette Degeeter

Evelyn Jeanette Harvley Degeeter, 63, of 117 Glenhaven Circle, died Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of Ann Hastings Harvley and the late Leslie Harvley. She was a member of the Cancer Support Group at Self Regional Medical Center and Ninety Six Pentecostal Holiness Church. Survivors include her mother of Ninety Six and two brothers, Jack Harvley, of Greenwood and S.W. Harvley, of Ninety Six.
Services are 2 p.m. Monday at Ninety Six Pentecostal Holiness Church, conducted by the Revs. Chris Stansell and Bobby Davis. The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m.
Burial is in the Elmwood Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Donnie Hollingsworth, Donnie Riggins, Danny Harvley, Steve Brown, Gerald Horne, Donnie Alford and Stanley Medlock.
Honorary escorts are Sissy Tennis, Dr. Bryan Ellenburg and the members of the Charles Brown Sunday School Class. Visitation is 7-9 tonight at Harley Funeral Home.
The family is at the home of S.W. and Shirley Harvley, 107 Circle Street, Ninety Six.
Memorials may be made to the Jeanette Degeeter account, c/o Harley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 777, Greenwood, S.C. 29648.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Alice Hill

AIKEN — Alice Williams Hill, 86, of 212 Englewood Road, widow of Sims Hill, died Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 at her home.
Born in Greenwood County, she was a daughter of the late James and Pearl Harling Williams. She received her bachelor of science degree from Winthrop College and taught in the public schools of South Carolina and Georgia. She retired from the Anderson County Public School System and was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Aiken.
Survivors include a son, Sims Williams “Bill” Hill, of Augusta, Ga. and two grandsons.
Graveside services are 11 a.m. Monday at Damascus Baptist Church Cemetery, conducted by the Rev. Archie Moore.
Pallbearers are Theron Sprouse, Arthur Wood, Ken Richard, Graham Hill, Sims W. Hill Jr., Bob Ritter, Jim Crow, Charles Brown and Jim Wood.
Visitation is 2-4 today at the home on Englewood Road and immediately following the Monday service at the graveside.
Memorials may be made to Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, P.O. Box 1178, Greenwood, S.C. 29648 or to Damascus Baptist Church, 635 Phoenix Road, Greenwood, S.C. 29646.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com

Samuel Williams

HODGES — Samuel Williams, 45, of 2822 Nations Road, died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 at his home.
Born in Anderson County, he was a son of Ernest Williams and the late Katherine Anderson Williams. He was a 1979 graduate of Ware Shoals High School, served 12 years in the National Guard and was an active member of the Black Knights Motorcycle Club. He was a former employee of Riegel Mills and Carolina Dye Works. He attended Forksville Baptist Church.
Survivors include his father of the home; a son, Christopher Jerome Williams, of the home; a sister, Ernestine Belcher of Hodges; and two brothers, Tony Eugene Williams, of Ware Shoals and Ricky Alfonso Williams, of Greenwood.
Services are 2 p.m. Monday at Forksville Baptist Church, conducted by the Revs. Stella Dodson and Guy Ross. Burial is in Oakbrook Memorial Park. The body will be placed in the church at 1.
The body is at Robinson-Walker Funeral Services, Ware Shoals, and will go on view at noon Sunday.
Pallbearers are Patrick Dials, Montez Frazier, Terry Hicks, George Latimer, James McIntosh and Tim Williams.
Flower bearers are Natisha Anderson, Mary Alice Agnew, LaToya Frazier, Marilyn Jones, Reece Latimer and Teresa Williams.
Honorary escorts are the members of Ware Shoals High School Class of 1979.
Robinson-Walker Funeral Services, Ware Shoals, is in charge.

North escapes with 11-10 win

Five area players help North rally to beat
the South in annual all-star game

December 11, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

CONWAY — Just when it looked like the 58th Annual North-South All-Star Game would be a forgettable entry, the North team made it one for the ages.
The North squad scored all of its points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 10-point deficit and notch a thrilling 11-10 victory over the South Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina University.
York High School kicker Spencer Lanning’s 42-yard field goal with 7 minutes, 9 seconds remaining capped a scoring flurry and put the North ahead for good. Lanning was the offensive MVP for the North.
Things looked bleak for the North heading into the final quarter, as the team was down 10-0 and had not gotten anything going offensively for most of the afternoon. That’s when the special teams stepped up and put the team’s first points on the board.
After forcing the South into a three-and-out deep in it own territory, the North prepared for a heavy punt rush on South punter Kyle Hughes. Union’s Trey Epps burst through the line and emphatically blocked the punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety, leaving the North down 10-2 with 14:14 left in the game.
The North wasted little time in scoring again after the ensuing kickoff.
On the second play of the series, North quarterback Thomas Griffin, from Westside, rolled to his right and launched a deep pass down the right sideline. The pass found teammate Jamar Anderson, of Byrnes, wide open for the 44-yard touchdown.
The score closed the South lead to 10-8 with 13:59 remaining.
“I peeked over and saw all the safeties playing the screen,” Anderson said. “I knew it was time to bust one. I got a couple of steps on the corner and just hauled it in. It was tough, because I have to admit I lost the ball in the sun.”
After the teams traded punts, the North executed the drive that led to Lanning’s winning field goal. It was the completion of a comeback the North team members said they knew theycould execute after a sluggish first half.
“At halftime, coach (Ted) Luckadoo (of Westside) gave us a little motivational speech,” said Greenwood tight end Alex Sellars, one of five players from Greenwood and the Lakelands area who played for the North. “We knew if we turned up the intensity we could win. Our team definitely had the talent.”
The South had a firm hold on the game throughout the first three quarters.
South quarterback Jamie Childers, of Wando, guided the team deep into North territory midway through the first quarter using a variety of short passes and runs. Hughes booted a 32-yard field goal to cap the drive and give the South a 3-0 lead with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter.
Childers was 9 of 25 passing for 100 yards on the day.
Late in the half, South punt returner Andre Roberts, of Spring Valley, brought back a punt 76 yards to the North 11 yard line. Two plays later South quarterback Coco Hillary found Roberts in the back of the end zone for a slashing 11-yard touchdown pass putting the South up 10-0 at the half.
The quintet from Greenwood saw plenty of action for the North squad.
Emerald quarterback Dan Wideman played alternating possessions for the team throughout the game, splitting time with Griffin. Though the senior passed for only eight yards on 2 of 7 passing, he said he was glad to be a part of the comeback victory.
“I did alright,” Wideman said. “I struggled a little bit, but our team came together after halftime. It was a good week, overall.”
Wideman was not the only Lakelands representative who thought the weeklong stay in the Myrtle Beach area was worthwhile.
Saluda defensive lineman William Culbreath said the week was one of the best he has ever had. Besides preparing for the game, the teams were treated to dinners at exclusive Myrtle Beach restaurants such as Medieval Times.
“Words can’t even describe how great this has been,” said Culbreath, who made three tackles and played approximately 50 percent of the North’s defensive plays. “And the win made it even better. This was a great team.”
The trip to Medieval Times was especially rewarding to Ware Shoals’ James Spikes, who had stated earlier in the week that the team’s journey to the famed interactive dinner show was one of his more anticipated activities of the week.
“It was great, man,” Spikes said. “It’s a shame my knight was killed by the evil knight. But we got him back though, because he got killed, too. The good guys won.”
Spikes joined Culbreath on the defensive side of the ball.”
Spikes was in a unique position, literally. The 6-foot-3, 205 pound player is a defensive end and tight end at Ware Shoals. However, he played outside linebacker and cornerback for the North squad. Spikes said he didn’t mind the switch.
“It wasn’t really a big deal,” said Spikes, who had two tackles, including one for loss. “Once I figured out what to do, it was easy. I had to maintain leverage on the end, which is very similar to what I did all year. Our whole defense turned it up a notch in the second half.”
The Lakelands area was represented by two receivers, tight end Sellars and wideout Nick Lagroone of Ninety Six. Though both saw action, neither caught a pass.
Lagroone said it was definitely an adjustment learning the system of a new coaching staff in just a week’s time.
“It was a different style of coaching than I’m used to, so I had to adjust,” Lagroone said. “They made some good adjustments at halftime. I had a good week, bonding with my teammates and just playing ball.”
Sellars was nearly in on what would have been a huge play late in the game for the North.
The North faced a fourth-and-inches from the South 40-yard line with 1:00 left in the game. Both teams bunched up at the line of scrimmage, readying for the requisite quarterback sneak. Griffin instead faked the sneak and lobbed a ball over the middle of the field toward a wide open and streaking Sellars. However, the pass was just out of the reach of the diving 6-foot-5 tight end and fell incomplete. Sellers discussed the unusual play call.
“I just knew I had to catch it,” Sellars said. “We were trying to catch them off guard. It was just too far.”

Historic ironies contrast in a world full of change

December 11, 2005

“Nothing endures but change” – Heraclitus (c. 540 – c. 480 BC).
“Nothing in the world lasts save eternal change. – Honorat de Bueli, Marquis de Racan (1589 –1670).
“The more things change, the more they remain the same.” – Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890).
Those quotes are clear. The idea being, of course, that change is a part of every life.
Throughout history, the reality of constant change has been observed time after time. Some today simply say, what goes around comes around.
Everything changes. Enemies become friends and friends become enemies. The modern world is a true reflection of that. On December 7, we were reminded of that fact of time as we looked back on the nation’s entry into World War II.

FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT the Fuji Photo complex in Greenwood County, it’s a valuable reminder of how things change for the better. Up the road, there’s a German automobile factory that also is a significant and integral part of the South Carolina economy.
There are other examples, to be sure, that contrast the bad/good relationships of World War II and the present. Times and circumstances always change and the world changes with them.
Today, Japan and Germany are allies. Even Russia of Cold War times is considered an ally. We may have our differences on occasion, but all in all, these are relationships that unite rather than divide.
There are numerous historical examples of the flip-flop nature of international relationships and how they come and go as part of the tides of change.

WE HAVE A PREPONDERANCE of evidentiary events to provide incomparable lessons in how and how not to get along. Still, history tells us that we, the people of the earth, have not learned anything in the course of time.
Seldom, if ever, has there been peace on earth, good will toward men for any significant length of time. Some conflicts are ancient, some occur for the moment, but some people all over the world are always at each other’s throats. There seems to be no end. Here today, gone tomorrow could be a permanent slogan to describe the ever-changing status of friends and enemies.
It’s ironic – and sad, too – that Christmas wishes have become a politically correct aversion for some. It’s heartening, though, when you realize that with all the change, the meaning of Christmas never changes.
In effect, then, it’s good to know there is one thing where constant change hits a stone wall. It’s why we say Merry Christmas.