Inmate caught after wreck

Escapee captured in Greenwood County following pursuit

August 31, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Senior staff writer

An escaped inmate from Laurens County was caught Wednesday afternoon in Greenwood County, following a pursuit with police that went through two counties and ended when the stolen vehicle the man was driving wrecked near the intersection of Miller and Ridge roads, a few miles north of Hodges.
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office deputies apprehended Michael Satterfield, 41, of Laurens, at about 2:15 p.m., almost four hours after the man escaped from the custody of a Laurens County Sheriff’s Office deputy during a doctor visit in Laurens, law enforcement officials said.
The deputy had taken Satterfield to the clinic for an appointment about a leg injury, said Laurens County Sheriff Ricky Chastain. When a courier entered the clinic to drop off a package, Satterfield ran from the clinic’s lobby and got into the courier’s van, which was waiting outside with its doors unlocked and its engine running, Chastain said.
“The deputy tried to pull him (Satterfield) out, but he was able to get the van in drive,” Chastain said, adding that the deputy was dragged for a short distance during the incident. The deputy was later treated for leg and arm injuries and released, Chastain said.
Satterfield had been fitted with wrist restraints that were hooked to a belly chain, Chastain said, but he was not wearing leg shackles because of his leg condition. The handcuffs were still around the man’s wrists when Greenwood County deputies caught Satterfield, Chastain said, but the links to the belly chain had been “sawed” or cut.
Chastain said Clinton Police Department officers spotted Satterfield in Laurens County at about 2 p.m. and attempted to stop him “when he took off and went across the lake (Lake Greenwood).”
Greenwood County sheriff’s deputies picked up the pursuit on S.C. 72/221, beginning what would be a five-mile trek through Greenwood County with speeds reaching up to 100 mph, according to a press release from the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office.
The release said Satterfield rammed the stolen white Dodge Caravan into a deputy’s cruiser, at which point authorities determined the pursuit to be too dangerous to continue. Another deputy involved in the pursuit then performed a maneuver specifically designed to force the vehicle off the roadway.
Lt. Tara Scott, with the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, said the deputies had the public’s safety constantly in mind during the pursuit, with the secondary deputy radioing in information about speed, weather conditions and traffic on the roadway.
“We have to be really careful (in situations like these),” Scott said. “Safety is our utmost concern.” Neither of the deputies involved in the Greenwood pursuit was injured in the collision, but both patrol vehicles had extensive damage. Though Satterfield was “apparently uninjured” following the wreck, he was taken to Self Regional Medical Center to be treated, the release said.
Following his treatment, he will be returned to the custody of Laurens County, Chastain said, and he will be placed back in the detention center in that county.
“I’ll trade sheet metal any day for not having a citizen injured,” Greenwood County Sheriff Dan Wideman said in the release. “I’m glad that nobody got hurt. This guy was a dangerous individual with a history of victimizing people.”
Chastain said Satterfield does have a history of burglaries and evading police, adding that the man had been the focus of a “big hunt” several months ago in the Lakelands area.
Satterfield had been jailed on two charges of grand larceny, multiple charges of first- and second-degree burglary, one charge of failure to stop for a blue light and multiple charges of forgery, Chastain said. Following Wednesday’s incident, Chastain said Satterfield would likely be facing additional charges. Greenwood County had not charged Satterfield by late Wednesday.
Chastain said the incident is still under investigation, adding that authorities will be conducting interviews to determine what Satterfield did and where he went during his hours spent as a fugitive from justice.
Chastain said he was relieved to see the man returned to police custody following the ordeal.
“I’m certain that, if he had not been apprehended, he would have gone back to burglarizing homes,” Chastain said.

Area might miss worst of Ernesto

Storm expected to bring rain, light winds to Lakelands

August 31, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

As the South Carolina coastline braces for its first brush with tropical weather in the 2006 hurricane season, local meteorologists and emergency preparedness officials said Ernesto should bring nothing more than a little rain and light winds to the Lakelands area.
Ernesto, which made landfall Monday in Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane before trudging across the Florida peninsula as a tropical storm, was expected to make its second U.S. landfall today along the South Carolina coast, The Associated Press reported.
Predictions made Wednesday afternoon by the National Weather Service showed Ernesto intensifying to a tropical storm before making its way north through the eastern part of the Carolinas and Virginia, according to the National Hurricane Center Web site.
That projected path should keep the most severe weather in the storm away from Greenwood and surrounding areas, said Vince DiCarlo, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Rainfall, with a total of 1-2 inches, was expected to arrive in the area Wednesday night and stay throughout today.
“The winds will be shifting out of the north, but they should be no more than 10-15 miles per hour,” DiCarlo said. “A few thunderstorms could be around, but most of this is going to stay to the east of us.”
Steve Reeves, Commission of Public Works (CPW) general manager, said major power outages were not expected from the storm, though he added that “loose limbs could fall out of trees and cause some outages” in the Greenwood area. He said CPW has a year-round tree-trimming policy that helps keep the problem in check, but he said stray limbs are always a possibility.
“We will respond as needed,” Reeves said. “We will have everything stocked and ready to go in case we are needed, either here or (in the eastern part of the state).”
By late Wednesday, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had not ordered mandatory evacuations along the state’s coastline, though he did advise residents in mobile homes or low-lying, flood-prone areas to be prepared for the storm’s arrival.
Should an evacuation be ordered, however, counties along the state’s western edge could be affected as evacuees flee westward for shelter, and emergency preparedness officials in Lakelands counties said they have been steadily watching the storm’s path and waiting to see what happens next.
Saluda County Emergency Management Director Robert Steadman said the state uses an alert-level system during emergency situations like hurricanes, adding that each county emergency management director is notified when the state moves to a higher level. He said county directors are also kept up to date on the hurricane evacuation program, produced by the National Hurricane Center, which provides important information about the storm’s projected path.
“We are watching the storm really closely, and when a decision is made at the state level (about evacuation), depending on who is evacuated and from where, the routes can lead inland and affect our area,” Steadman said.
Steadman said he has been in contact daily with Red Cross and Department of Social Services officials about possible plans for shelters in case evacuees arrive in the area, though he said the services will likely not be needed.
“It’s a waiting game to see what happens next,” Steadman said. “It looks like it is just going to be rainy and there might be some issues with flooding in low-lying areas, but it doesn’t seem like it is going to have a big impact here.
“But because of the nature of the business, we can’t go to sleep at the wheel,” he added. “Things can quickly change.”
Though the Lakelands area seems to have “dodged the bullet” with Ernesto, Steve McDade, emergency management director for Abbeville County, stressed that families need to be prepared for the next hurricane that might come along, as well as for any disaster that could strike the region.
Home emergency kits should include, at a minimum, flashlights, batteries and bottled water in the event of prolonged outages, McDade said.
Steadman added that, in case families are separated during an emergency, each family member should know where and when to regroup.
“It should be a location where everyone knows to go,” Steadman said.
Temporary generators can provide some relief during extended power outages, but McDade cautioned that the machines can be dangerous when used improperly. Deadly buildups of carbon monoxide can occur when generators are used in enclosed areas, including garages.
“They need to be placed outdoors or in well-ventilated areas,” McDade said.

Anna Mae Albert

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Anna Mae Albert, 92, of Meadowbrook Manor, widow of William Albert, died Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006 at Edward Hospital.
Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., she was a daughter of the late Charles and Rose Marie Janzen. She lived in New York for nearly 80 years, moving to Greenwood, S.C., and then to Naperville. She was was a member of the Red Hat Society in Greenwood, lived in East Rockaway, N.Y., for many years, a member of East Rockaway Nazarene Church and was a foster parent.
Survivors include three children, the Rev. William Albert of Aurora, Mrs. Jack (Patricia) Eckhardt and the Rev. Robert Albert, both of Greenwood, S.C.; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; adopted children, the Rev. Joseph Stanley, of Delaware, and Doris Hogan, of California.
Services are 7 tonight at Hultgren Funeral Home. Private services and burial are on Long Island.
Visitation is 6-7 tonight at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1801 S. Meyers Road, Suite 100, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181.
Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.hultgrenfh.com.

Carolyn W. Derrick

WARE SHOALS, SC — Nancy Carolyn Williams Derrick, 66, of 58 Smith St., widow of John William Derrick, died August 30, 2006 at her home. She was born in Fairfield County, a daughter of R.A. Williams of Shelby, NC and the late Geneva Moore Williams.
She was a 1962 graduate of Erskine College, a member of Ware Shoals United Methodist Church, and she attended the M.E. Riley Sunday School Class of Walnut Grove Baptist Church.
Surviving are: one son, Robert William “Bill” Derrick of the home, two daughters, Dee Derrick of the home, Gena Derrick Clark, Monroe, NC, one sister, Becky Beam, Shelby, NC and a granddaughter, Brianna Lyn Fields raised in the home. She was pre-deceased by a brother, Bob Williams.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 1 PM at Parker-White Funeral Home with the Rev. Jim Warren and Rev. Allen Derrick officiating. Committal Service at 3 PM at Gassoway United Methodist Church Cemetery, Saluda, SC.
Memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
The family is at the home and will receive friends Saturday 12-1 PM at Parker-White Funeral Home.
PAID OBITUARY

Gerald Grimes

HODGES — Gerald Louis Grimes, 58, of 2820 Highway 25 N., husband of Nancy Hanks Grimes, died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006 at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare.
Born in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late Robert Louis and Alma Major Grimes. He retired from Greenwood Motor Lines and was a member of Lighthouse Baptist Church, Abbeville.
Survivors include his wife of the home; a daughter, Terri Teasley of the home; a twin brother, Jerry E. Grimes, of Greenwood; a sister, Sherrill G. Beatty, of Mount Holly, N.C.
Graveside services are 4 p.m. Friday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, conducted by the Rev. Robby Burton. Honorary pallbearers are Barry Whitworth, Barry Boggero, Randall Gable, Benny Stevens, James Hasting, Randall Barrett, Jim Irwin, Benny Willis, Jerry Hilley, Eddie Fain, David Kelly and Wayne Kelly.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Blyth Funeral Home.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to Lighthouse Baptist Church, 2916 Highway 72 E., Abbeville, SC 29620 or Panola United Methodist Church, Panola Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com.

Dora Kiappes

GREENWOOD — Theodora Sterghos “Dora” Kiappes 89, widow of John L. Kiappes, died Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at Hospice House of Greenwood.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late I.E. Sterghos and Mercine Fotiou Sterghos. Her family along with her husband, owned and operated The Star Cafe in Greenwood for almost 70 years.
She was a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Augusta, GA.
Surviving are her sister, Frances “Becka” Sterghos of Greenwood; two daughters and their husbands, Theresa and Richard Phillips of Georgia and Mercene and Tom Smith of North Carolina; one son and his wife, John and Karen Kiappes of Texas; ten grandchildren, Mark and Trisha Smith, Craig and Paula Smith, Jonathan, Rebecca and Alyson Phillips; and J.L., Anna and Ed Kiappes; four great-grandchildren, Kelly Ann, Emily, Lindsey and Ethan Smith.
A Trisagion Prayer Service will be conducted at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Blyth Funeral Home with Father Vasile Bitere officiating. Funeral services will follow at 12 Noon in the funeral home chapel.
Burial will be in Edgewood Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Mark Smith, Craig Smith, Jonathan Phillips, J.L. Kiappes, Ed Kiappes, Kenny McClendon, Ron Sterghos, Ignatius Sterghos, Peter Sterghos and Leo Straughn.
The family is at the home and will receive friends at the funeral home from 6 pm to 8 pm Friday.
Memorials may be made to Hospice House of the Piedmont, 408 West Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646 or to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 953 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA 20901.
MAY HER MEMORY BE ETERNAL
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Kiappes family.
PAID OBITUARY

Odell J. Ouzts

NORTH CAROLINA — Odell J. Ouzts, 62, husband of Brenda Ouzts, died Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006 in North Carolina.
He was a son of the late Bud Johnson and Susie Mae Ouzts Williams.
Services are 3 p.m. Friday at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C., conducted by the Rev. Otis Cunningham. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family is at the home of a relative, Elizabeth Aye, 102 Belle Circle, Greenwood.
Martin’s Funeral Home Inc., Gastonia, is in charge.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood, is in charge of local arrangements.

Nancy Trent Stage

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Nancy Trent Stage, daughter of Martha Adams Trent and the late Howard E. Trent, Jr. died on August 24, 2006 following a two year battle with breast cancer. She died at the University of Indiana Medical Center in Indianapolis, IN.
She is survived by her husband Gary Lee Stage of the home, daughters Emily Adams Stage of Indianapolis, and Katherine Cuyler (KC) Stage of New York City and an uncle, David L. Adams of Louisville, KY. Stage was 57 years old.
She is survived by a brother, Howard E. Trent, III of Greenwood, SC, sister-in-law Nina Stafford Trent, and two brothers-in-law, Rob Stage of Pittsburgh, PA and Brian Stage of Minneapolis, MN.
Also surviving are three nieces, Allison Stafford Trent Sutton of Atlanta, GA., Leigh Adams Trent Self of Greenwood, SC, and Nina Katherine (Nina Kate) Trent of Charleston, SC, and one nephew David Holden Trent of Anderson, SC.
After graduating from public schools in Omaha, NE, Stage received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She majored in accounting. She was a CPA with Deloitte and Touché where her clients included Brown-Foreman and Stitzel-Weller distilleries.
She retired from the accounting profession following the birth of her children and directed her energies to civic and charitable causes. She was twice elected to the school board in Lexington, KY (Fayette County, KY).
After moving from Lexington, KY to Indianapolis, IN she continued her many charitable and civic activities including the Chatham Arch neighborhood association, the Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis Foundation Board and Ruth Lilly Hospice.
The funeral was held August 30, 2006 at the Roberts Park United Methodist Church. Pastor Howard Boles, violinist Jose Valencia, organist Carole Willis, and eulogist Michelle Goodwin, J.D. participated in and led the service.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Methodist Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 7268, Indianapolis IN, 46207, or to the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Foundation, c/o Gary L. Stage, 846 Broadway, Chatham Arch, Indianapolis, IN 46200.
PAID OBITUARY

Area tennis teams aim to serve up exciting season

August 31, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

The 2006 tennis season began this week and there will be plenty of action as Greenwood and Emerald face off today. Greenwood Christian, Saluda and Abbeville also are primed for solid tennis seasons.
Greenwood coach Jim Still is in his first year as girls coach, while Sarah Johnson takes over the Abbeville program. Emerald coach Susan Timmerman is ready for another successful season and says her team’s improved attitude can make that possible.
At Greenwood Christian, coach Mary Ann Crum said she has a good feeling about her team this season, with six seniors leading the way. Ben Webb and the Saluda Tigers also are swinging into a new season and, according to Webb, his team is looking to build on the efforts of the 2005 campaign.
Still is not a new face in the Eagles’ tennis. He also coaches the boys tennis team. He says there is one player who will stand out this season.
“We’re definitely looking for leadership from Haley Sayer,” Still said. “She’s been with the program for a number of years.”
The Eagles’ coach also expects strong play from Anna Pritchard, Emily Moore, Taylor Poznick and sisters Jeannie and Lori Flick.
“We have 13 girls playing for us this year, but those are the girls that I think we will depend on for the majority of the season,” Still said.
Coaching the Eagles’ girls tennis team for the first time, Still said this year’s team is very young, but he hopes they can win some region matches and possibly challenge a Hanna squad, which he considers the team to beat in the region.
“We’ve got a group here that has played before and a group that hasn’t,” Still said. “So, we’ll bring them along slowly and we’ll be a different team at the end of the year compared to how we’ll be at the beginning of the year.”
After making it to the Upper State championship in 2005, the Lady Vikings are heading into this season with added depth and experience. Coach Susan Timmerman said competition in practice has been strong throughout challenge matches.
“My whole team, all the way down to the nine spot, is very strong,” Timmerman said. “We’re real excited and this could be the year.”
The Lady Vikings’ coach said that one way some of her players improved was by competing in tournaments during the summer. Those tournaments gave them additional time to work on their skills. Freshman Sarah Seigler is a player on the Lady Vikings’ squad who participated in those tournaments, and she will play in the No. 1 spot to start the season.
Seniors Catherine Talbert and Meredith Martin, along with junior Morgan Lee, will contribute this season, along with a host of other players, including eighth-grader Claire Gillespie, who has worked her way into the No. 5 spot.
“They’re all excited and I think the key to our season will be depth,” Timmerman said. “Even my younger players in the eighth and seventh grades are getting there and we’re building them up and practicing with them. We’re looking at a strong future.”
The 2006 edition of the Lady Hawks of Greenwood Christian School are an experienced bunch, Crum said. With six seniors returning this season, Crum said she thinks the Lady Hawks will be stronger and more competitive this season. The Lady Hawks have a strong schedule for 2006, and have added a home match against Spartanburg Christian Sept. 12, which gives them 11 regular season matches.
Depth is something that the Lady Hawks also can enjoy this season despite the fact that they don’t have the luxury of having a large group of players to pull from as the larger schools do.
“It’s amazing that we have fifteen girls for tennis this year,” Crum said. “This is my third year coaching and this is the year that I think we can be more competitive.”
Katie Hinrichs returns for the Lady Hawks this season and will play in the No. 1 spot for the third year in a row. Alison Gore, Amy White, Jordan Rentz, Mary Beth West and Kayla Helmuth round out the top six in the lineup. Gore and Helmuth picked up wins in their singles matches Tuesday against St. Joe.
After dropping their opening match on Tuesday, Crum expects her team to do well this season as they face stiff competition.
“These girls have worked hard and I think our match against St. Joe was a good indication,” Crum said.
The Saluda girls tennis team will have tough matches this season against Emerald and Newberry, said Webb, who thinks those are the teams to beat to get into the playoffs. This also is a young Lady Tigers team, with only two seniors on the roster.
Although not a senior, Holly Able is a player who Webb said has stood out heading into the season. Webb also is pleased with the play of another young player on the team.
“I’ve had quite a surprise with Amanda Simmons,” Webb said. “She was jayvee last year and will play number two this year and I believe she spent all summer on the tennis court.”
Webb is pleased with his teams attitude headed into this season and said that this year’s team is dedicated and understands what it will take to have a shot at playing, come playoff time.
“We just have to play one match and one point at a time,” Webb said. “We can’t look ahead to anybody and just have to focus on hitting the ball across the net.”
Abbeville head coach Sarah Johnson, who is in her first season, said she thinks her team has looked good coming into the season after going through practices since July.
“They’re working really hard and I’ve seen some good stuff from them,” Johnson said.
Johnson said there are quite a few players on her team that have stood out during preparation for the season. With six seniors on the Lady Panthers roster, she considers this a very strong team. Among the players that Johnson expects to help lead the team this season are, Jo Beth White, Katelyn Williams, Hannah Carroll and Shealyn Powell.
The Lady Panthers head coach said that overall her players should do well during the 2006 season.

Federal help can become more problem than answer

August 31, 2006

Both Republicans and Democrats are trying to use the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to gain political advantage as the 2006 elections loom not too far in the future. So says South Carolina U. S. Rep. James Clyburn. That said, he goes on and vows to make reconstruction of the Gulf Coast region a priority ..... if Democrats regain control of Congress. So much for politics.
There has been, in fact, a political tug of war between members of both parties ever since that mega-destructive hurricane devastated everything in its path. The charges are the same from both sides: One did this and one did not, and vice versa. And so it goes.

IT’S A SHAME THAT SUCH partisan bickering and sniping overshadow the good work that’s been done, even under the most trying of circumstances. Unfortunately, that’s what has become of the entire political scene. Once in a while, though, you’d think somebody would take a balanced approach to solving common problems.
Under the present cut-throat circumstances, though, that may only be wishful thinking.
There’s another thing Rep. Clyburn said that deserves more attention. In criticizing what goes on in the Gulf Coast reconstruction effort, Clyburn blames outdated federal rules for some of the problems. He also notes that many Katrina insurance claims are being held up because home and business owners do not have flood insurance coverage. His solution? Pass legislation that would require insurance companies to provide broad catastrophic coverage.

THAT MAY SOUND GOOD, but what happens when the federal government expands its influence in the business world, and insinuates its “outdated” rules into even more of our lives?
When we get to the point when the federal government tells us what to sell, what’s next? There are regulations on things like tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and other items, of course. Those products, however, are a little different than insurance. If insurance companies were “required” to offer what Clyburn proposes, would they also be told if they could or could not make a profit ..... or how much?
A frivolous thought, someone might say. History shows that stranger things have happened. Where the federal bureaucracy is concerned, who knows what might occur?