Prosecutor: Bixby trial delayed

Double murder case now scheduled to go to court in 2007

September 13, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

ABBEVILLE — The chief prosecutor in the case against Steven Bixby said Tuesday that the Abbeville man’s double murder trial has been pushed back from its planned starting date.
Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace said he could not discuss any details about why the trial, originally set for Oct. 2, has been delayed, but he said the case will not be tried until after the start of the coming year.
“With serious cases like this, issues come up from time to time,” Peace said. “It happens, but they have to be resolved before we can go forward.”
Bixby is charged with murder in the December 2003 shooting deaths of Abbeville Sheriff’s Sgt. Danny Wilson and constable Donnie Ouzts, who had gone to the Bixby home on S.C. 72 to mediate a land dispute related to the widening of the highway.
His mother, Rita Bixby, is charged with accessory before the fact of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and misprision of a felony, which means failure to report the planning of a crime.
Steven Bixby’s father, Arthur Bixby, has also been charged with murder in connection with the shootings.
The trial delay is the latest in recent developments in Steven and Rita Bixby’s cases. In August, lawyers for Steven Bixby requested that their client’s trial be moved from the Abbeville County Courthouse, citing security concerns, though 10th Circuit Judge Alexander Macaulay later ruled that the trial would remain in that county. Macaulay had ruled in 2005 that the jury for Steven Bixby’s trial will come from Chesterfield County.
Also in August, Macaulay ruled that the death penalty notice against Rita Bixby be dropped, though Peace, after discussions with the state attorney general’s office, decided to appeal that notion. Rita Bixby’s lawyers argued that the crimes charged against their client did not rise to the level of the death penalty in the state of South Carolina, but Peace said a “plain reading” of state law indicated that prosecutors could seek the death penalty notice. A trial date for Rita Bixby has not yet been set.
Peace said Steven Bixby’s trial will now start sometime in 2007, adding that the news is a disappointment.
“It’s a disappointment to me, and I know it is a disappointment to the families (of Wilson and Ouzts),” Peace said. “It has taken a long time, but it is not anybody’s fault.”

Megan Varner covers general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3308, or: mvarner@indexjournal.com

‘I fought for my children’

Cancer patient shares how she found the strength to survive

September 13, 2006

By JOSEPH BUTLER
For The Index-Journal

“I want to live, I want to raise my children!”
That was Chris Lawson Oden’s battle cry and prayer, according to her mother, Frances Regan, of Greenwood. And, Regan said, it is the reason her daughter is alive today.
Oden, 32, of Whitehouse, Tenn., and formerly of Greenwood, was diagnosed with AML (acute myelogenous leukemia) on Aug. 25, 2005. She had a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, a form that reproduces rapidly. It causes the body to produce abnormal blood cells (leukemia cells) that soon crowd out the normal ones.
On the day that Oden was diagnosed, her illness was already well advanced. She was admitted to Centennial Medical in Nashville, Tenn., the same day to start chemotherapy. Although she didn’t know it at the time, Oden said, the doctor didn’t think she would make it through the first week of treatment.
That trip to the hospital turned into a 33-day stay away from her home, her husband and her two daughters, 6-year-old Haven Rayne and 7-month-old Selah Faith. “Just not knowing, not seeing the kids, it was a very humbling, emotional experience,” Oden said. “But I fought for my children.”
Oden wasn’t alone in her fight, she said. All of her family went to see her in the hospital the weekend after she was admitted. “Everyone pulled together,” Regan said. “We wanted to do whatever it took to get Chris through this.”
Others joined the fight to help Oden also, said sister Sandi Amyx, of Greenwood. There was an outpouring from the community here and in Oden’s hometown, Amyx said.
Fundraisers were organized and donation jars were placed in local businesses in an effort to help raise money for Oden’s medical expenses. There was a real need for monetary help, according to Amyx, because not only did Oden’s insurance company refuse to pay her medical expenses, claiming hers was a pre-existing condition, but also her husband, J.C., had lost his job two weeks after the diagnosis.
Oden’s experience didn’t stop when she was released from Centennial. Oden said there was another round of chemotherapy in October and then another the first of December. Then, on June 17, Oden was admitted to Duke University where she underwent a treatment that incorporated an umbilical cord blood transplant.
The treatment required a month of hospitalization at Duke and two months of outpatient care, requiring her to stay in a nearby apartment. Regan stayed with Oden the entire time and acted as her caregiver.
“It was hard watching her suffer,” Regan said. “I just put my faith in God and took it one day at a time.”
The treatment was a success, and Oden went home after being away for more than 90 days. “I couldn’t wait to see my children,” Oden said. “They were asleep when I got home, but I just had to wake them up.”
Even with the success of her treatment, Oden is not out of danger yet. She was left without any immune system. A simple cold could put her in the hospital again, Oden said.
“I have met with some cancer patients, but I want to meet with more. I want to tell them how faith and prayer got me through this,” Oden said. But her fragile condition keeps her from that and other things that are important to her. “I can’t take my children to the doctor,” Oden said. “And if they get sick, a family member or friend has to keep them.”
Through it all, Oden said, she has maintained her faith. She said she believes there is a purpose for all that has happened. Currently, Oden is in remission and doing well. She is receiving a round of chemotherapy as a precautionary measure.

Candidate: Communication
is crucial part of governing

September 13, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

“You can’t succeed unless you invest in education and health care and economic development,” says Tommy Moore, the Democrat running for governor.

South Carolina’s economy, education and health care systems are suffering from a lack of communication within the government, according to state Sen. Tommy Moore.
But Moore, who represents McCormick, Saluda and Edgefield counties, said open, effective communication would be a vital part of his administration if the voting public supports him in the November elections.
Moore is the Democratic nominee for governor and will face incumbent Mark Sanford, a Republican elected in 2002.
“(The state’s) problems are interconnected,” Moore said Tuesday during a visit to The Index-Journal. “You can’t separate them. When you start talking about jobs and economic development, you have to have an educated work force, and you’ve got to have a healthy work force. You can’t succeed unless you invest in education and health care and economic development.”
Moore said the answers begin with strong leadership.“It’s a matter of having the vision and the courage to say that we are going to sit down at this table and try our best to come to a conclusion to move this state forward,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, (you have to ask) ‘What have we done to improve South Carolina and the lives of South Carolinians?’”

MOORE, WHO SAID he grew up in a mill village and is a product of the public education system, has been traveling across the state during the past months, talking with constituents about the issues that are on residents’ minds. He said the experience, though tiring, has been “enjoyable.”“In traveling the back roads, you really do get to appreciate the beauty of South Carolina and its natural resources,” Moore said. “It’s been fun and I’ve enjoyed it very much.”
Running against an incumbent is always a difficult venture, Moore added, as people tend to believe an incumbent has an advantage in a race. But Moore said his ability to draw support from Democrats and Republicans alike has been an advantage to his own campaign.
“I come from an area that is pretty Republican, and I still get a lot of Republican votes,” said Moore, who has served in the S.C. Senate since 1981 and was a member of the S.C. House of Representatives from 1979-80. “Hopefully, by re-electing me, they tell me that I have been one who makes sure that I pay attention to the issues and the people, and have not had any blind allegiance to a party. ... It’s not about a party, it’s not about philosophy, it’s about people.”
Moore said the answers aren’t dependent upon a party, but rather on effective communication between party members that brings about change. But he said government isn’t the only solution to the problems facing the state today.
“People want the government to be a partner to the solution. Government can’t be the only answer — it is part of the solution,” he said, adding that government leaders need to work with local governmental, community, business and church leaders. “I’ve spent my entire legislative career trying to bring people together. This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, it is an issue that affects South Carolinians. How do we take the best ideas and put them together ... and how do we get to that point to move the state forward?”
Moore said it is that philosophy has also been gaining him support from both political parties, in the wake of “dissatisfaction” felt toward some of Sanford’s legislative policies and changes.

BUT MOORE IS not against change, he said, and he added that his experience serving on committees for restructuring, ethics reform and public service commission reform have exposed him to the “tough, snagging issues” that are plaguing in the political climate.
“But the way you get that (reform) done is not to say that, ‘Here’s my idea and it’s going to be my way, no way or the highway,’” Moore said. “It doesn’t work that way. Democracy doesn’t work that way.”He pointed to changes brought about in the late 1980s by then-Gov. Carroll Campbell, who Moore said worked with both political parties to help bring restructuring and ethics reform to the state, as well as large industries such as BMW and Fuji.
“He was willing to work with people to make it happen, not just throw it up on the wall and see what sticks,” Moore said of Campbell. “It’s a style and a willingness to communicate.”
Moore said Sanford was “not a bad guy,” but rather someone with different ideas and styles than himself, and someone who comes from a different background. Moore said he just wants “what’s best for all the families in South Carolina.”
One of the ways he plans to do that, if elected, is to focus more attention and investment on issues affecting children, from prenatal stages to age 5. He said early detection of illnesses and diseases, by health screenings and mental health evaluations, can have a dramatic impact on the state’s financial resources.
“If you invest and realistically solve those problems, you’ll reduce a lot of money that you’re throwing on the back end,” involving juvenile justice and corrections, diseases and sicknesses, Moore said. “A lot of that can be diverted in the front end.”
Moore said the state has made advances, particularly in immunization, but he said more must be done for early childhood development. Those years, he said, can contribute to the state’s dismal rankings in infant mortality, teenage pregnancy, unemployment figures and Medicaid dependency.
Moore said budget cuts within the state’s Department of Commerce have also had a negative impact on South Carolina and its residents in terms of recruiting industry and fostering jobs.
“The Department of Commerce has got to be fully funded,” Moore said. “We are recruiting against the Georgias, the North Carolinas, the Mississippis and the world, and we’ve taken it in the chin.”
One potential prospect for more jobs in South Carolina is a proposed port facility in Jasper County, Moore said, but the site is tied up in litigation.
“What I learned is that, not one time have all the players been at a table to talk,” Moore said, adding that, again, a lack of communication is proving to be a destructive force. “There has been discussion among individuals, but collectively, all the key players have never sat at a table and said, ‘OK, how do we work this out?’”
Rural infrastructure, including roads, sewer lines, water lines and high-technology communication lines, must also be in place in order to attract new industry into the state.
“You can’t expect a Fortune 500 company to come in if you don’t have the infrastructure in place,” Moore said. “You can’t have jobs if you don’t have the infrastructure in place. You can’t have jobs if you don’t have education and healthy people for employees. It’s all tied together.”
Moore said he would welcome a debate with Sanford regarding these issues.
“I’d love for us to debate in Greenwood. I’d love for us to debate in every county where the unemployment rate is higher than the national average,” Moore said.
And if the people of South Carolina decide to put Moore into the Governor’s mansion in November, he said he wants his legacy to be centered on the communication he stresses.
“If someone were to say (I) was a governor who was really willing to listen to different ideas, who was not afraid of reform, who was willing to surround himself with people who might know more about an issue than he does and that he invested in children to improve South Carolina,” Moore said, “that would be a pretty good accolade.”

Eulis Brown

Eulis Brown, 48, of 106 Redwood Drive, husband of Janie W. Brown, died Monday, Sept. 11, 2006, at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Mary Lorene Bryant

LINCOLNTON, Ga. — Mrs. Mary Lorene Bryant, 64, of 2861 C.E. Norman Road, entered into rest on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 at St. Joseph Hospital, Augusta, Ga.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 4 pm at Hephzibah Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Allen Danner officiating.
Mrs. Bryant was native of Greer, S.C. and a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, George William “Billy” Bryant, Sr., one sister, Rosa Lee Wideman of McCormick, S.C.; one grandson, John Armour of Lexington, Ga.; one great grandson, Mason Armour of Lexington, Ga.; one son-in-law, Lyn Armour and wife Deborah of Rayle, Ga.
Mrs. Bryant was preceded in death by a daughter, Deborah Bryant Armour and a son, George William Bryant, Jr. Pallbearers will be Lyn Armour, Kevin Bentley, Lanny Bryant, Patrick Bryant and Scott Bryant.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hephzibah Baptist Church Cemetery Fund c/o Mr. Ben Hill Wells, 1138 Washington Rd., Lincolnton, Ga. 30817.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday at Rees Funeral Home 195 Peachtree St. Lincolnton, Ga. (706) 359-3222.

Searles Cartledge

PLUM BRANCH — Service for Deacon Searles Cartledge, of Plum Branch, will be held Twelve-Noon Thursday at Cedar Spring Baptist Church with burial to follow in the Church Cemetery. Visitation is from 6-8 this evening at the church.
Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home, 2930 Colonial Drive, is in charge of the arrangements.
Deacon Cartledge went home to be with the Lord on Friday, Sept. 8, 2006. Born in McCormick, he was the son of the late William Raymond and Leila (Searles) Cartledge.
Mr. Cartledge was a member of Cedar Spring Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon, Choir Leader, member of the Usher Board, Senior Choir, Devotional Leader, and he was a member of Mt. Moriah Lodge # 96.
He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, who will be missed by all those who loved and knew him.
Those who will cherish fond and precious memories are loving and devoted wife, Bertha C. Cartledge of the home; three (3) devoted and caring sons, Douglas Cartledge of Greenwood, SC; Gregory (Evelyn) Cartledge of Asheville, North Carolina; John Cartledge of Oxon Hill, Maryland; two (2) loving and caring daughters, Sylvia Cartledge of Washington, DC; and Cinderella (Larry) Blackwell of Capitol Heights, Maryland; one caring son-in-law, Gonzalee Quarles of Columbia, South Carolina; one loving brother, James “Buddy” Cartledge of Plum Branch, South Carolina; fourteen (14) grandchildren, three (3) great-grands, two (2) brothers-in-law; six (6) sisters-in-law; a host of nephews, nieces, and other loving relatives and dear friends, all of whom join the family in sharing the grief caused by his departure.

Allen Hayes

Allen Clinton “Gabby” Hayes, 75, of 1412 E. Durst Ave., widower of Dorothy Hayes, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006.
The family is at the home of his daughter, Diana George, 207 Sirrine St., Ninety Six.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home and Crematory.

Josephine S. Henry

CLINTON — Josephine Stanford Henry, 90, resident of 124 Pine St., Lydia, Clinton, South Carolina, wife of Edward L. Henry, died September 11, 2006 at National Healthcare in Laurens.
Born in Washington DC, she was a daughter of the late George and Josephine Phillips Stanford. Along with her husband, she successfully owned and operated Able’s Cheese Store in Sardis, Ohio. She volunteered at Self Regional Medical Center and tutored children in Greenwood School Systems. She was known for her many acts of charity. Mrs. Henry was of the Methodist faith.
Survivors include in addition to her husband are daughters Jeane Lynne Henry Wyatt of Clinton and Margaret Lois Henry Owen of Simpsonville; a sister, Agnes Stanford Wilson of Santee; a brother, Franklin Stanford of Florida; seven grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted 2 PM Thursday, September 14 at the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Bryant Sims officiating.
Burial will follow in First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Winfred Wallen, Robert Harrison, Don Crowley, Keith Salters.
The family is at the home of her daughter, Barry and Lynne Wyatt, 331 Poplar Street, Lydia, Clinton and will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home from 6:30 until 8 PM Wednesday.
Memorials may be made to Self Regional Health Care Foundation, 1325 Spring Street, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For additional information and online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Henry family.

Margaret T. Miles

GREENWOOD — Margaret T. Miles, widow of Willie Miles, died at her home September 11, 2006.
She was born in Greenwood the daughter of the late John and Maybelle Richardson Turner.
She was a member of Youngs Chapel Baptist Church.
Surviving is a son, Norris Glendell Miles, Sr. of the home, one sister, Corrie Turner of the home, one brother, Willie Turner of Burlington, New Jersey, two grandsons and one great granddaughter.
Funeral Services will be conducted on Thursday September 14, 2006 at 2:00 P.M. at Youngs Chapel Baptist Church with the Reverend James Holmes officiating. Burial will follow in the Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Deacons and Trustees of Youngs Chapel Baptist Church.
Flower Bearers will be Missionaries of Youngs Chapel Baptist Church and Barbara Strong.
The body will be placed in the Church at 1:00 P.M.
The Family is at the home, 217 Tompkins Street. Parks Funeral Home is in charge of the service.

Dolly Mae Parker

DETROIT — Dolly Mae Parker of Detroit, Michigan passed away after an extended illness on Saturday, September 9, 2006 at Sinai Grace Select Specialty Care Hospital. Funeral service will be held at O.H. Pye III Funeral Home on Saturday, September 16, 2006, 12:30 p.m. with Rev. Dixon officiating. Visitation will be on Friday, September 15 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Dolly was born in Honea Path, S.C., to the late Earleaner Williams Pressley. Dolly was married to the late Byron Charles Parker. She retired from Federals Department Store.
Survivors are two daughters, Arlene Parker of the home, Antonia Parker Josiah of Detroit; 1 grandson, Mario Josiah of Detroit; 1 sister, Dolly A. Grant of Greenwood; 1 brother, Oscar Pressley Jr. of Ninety Six; 1 aunt, Mrs. Evelyn Williams of Detroit, Mich.

Albert Witt, Sr.

GREENWOOD — Albert Witt, Sr., 73, of 933 Reynolds Ave., died Monday, September 11, 2006 at his home.
Funeral Services will be held Friday at 1:00 P.M. from Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church with Rev. Otis Cunningham officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net

Making the best of it

Lander student hits big time by taking a chance

September 13, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

Sometimes, things a person might do as an afterthought turn into landmark events in that person’s life.
Just ask Lander University baseball player Kevin Davis.
Davis signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves last Thursday night after a scout day at Lander’s Legion Field.
However, Davis, a senior at Lander, had not even planned to participate in the scouting event.
“I was actually just going up to the field to drop off my roommate, Jake Hover,” Davis said. “When I got out there (Lander baseball) coach (Chris) Moore asked me if I wanted to work out. I decided to do it because I didn’t know if I’d get another chance to work out for major league scouts.”
As if his last minute decision to try out weren’t enough, there is another wrinkle to the story: Davis, who played third base and shortstop for Lander, was signed by the Braves as a pitcher.
“It’s crazy, I know,” Davis said. “I pitched all the way up through high school and into my first year in college. But the last two years, I’ve been totally focused on defense and hitting.”
Davis said he threw pitches in the bullpen at Legion Field last Thursday as a number of scouts from different teams looked on. After the workout, which Davis said went quite well, most of the scouts went home.
However, about an hour later, Braves’ scout Billy Best offered a contract to Davis.
“After he saw me pitch, (Best) had to go call his boss and get the OK to sign me,” Davis said. “That was all it took.”
The newly signed rookie will report to spring training with the Braves in March in Orlando, Fla. Until that time, Davis, a history major at Lander, will continue his studies and concentrate on staying in shape and honing his newly called upon pitching skills.
The Seattle, Wash., native said he is greatly looking forward to heading to spring training and playing with Atlanta stars such as John Smoltz and Chipper Jones, and being counseled by manager Bobby Cox.
“I’m going to go down there and make the best of it,” said Davis, who will likely be assigned to one of Atlanta’s minor league teams following spring training. “To be around guys like that, as well as the Braves’ other top prospects, will be tremendous. It really is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Had he not been signed by the Braves, Davis said he was going to pursue playing independent league baseball or maybe even semi-pro ball in another country.
Davis said Moore was pleased with the signing.
“Like me, he thought it was unbelievable the way it went down,” Davis said. “But he has been supportive and he seems to be really happy for me.”
Davis said he is eager to get back to pitching full time. He said he has missed being on the mound since moving to third base, and that Atlanta has one of the best organizations in the MLB for pitching.
The Braves could certainly use help in their bullpen. Atlanta is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1991, and it is due, in large part, to the spotty performance of the team’s relief pitchers.
Davis said he just wants to keep his momentum going.
“I didn’t know which way baseball was going for me after (Lander’s) season wrapped up in June,” Davis said. “I’m just grateful that I’ll be able to keep doing what I love to do.”

Chris Trainor covers area sports for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: ctrainor@indexjournal.com

A common tie that binds all our people together

September 13, 2006

Many South Carolinians, including Third District Rep. Gresham Barrett see illegal immigration as one of the most pressing problems facing the United States. Barrett, in fact, says as far as he’s concerned it’s the number one problem.
The immigration situation is, to be sure, no surprise for anyone. So many “solutions” have been proposed it’s hard to keep up. They also range from frivolous to serious to completely out of left field. It’s also a good news, bad news situation, although some people may disagree.
The good news, of course, is that many of the illegal immigrants are indeed doing jobs that others wouldn’t do, as well as filling needs of farmers, contractors and a lot of other employers who sometimes find it difficult, if not impossible to find workers to help keep them afloat.

IN SHORT, FOR SOME THEY are an answer to prayers. In the end, they spend much of the money they make where they live.
The bad news, naturally, is the very fact that there are tens of thousands of illegals who have settled in just about every state in the union. They strain social, educational, medical and various sectors of society. And, in the end, they send much of the money they earn in this country back home.
There are no easy answers to the puzzle, however, and it is a puzzle as well as a problem.
Sometimes, though, there is a silver lining. The whole immigration controversy may be that silver lining for America today.

IT JUST MIGHT BE THE needed catalyst to help all of us realize just who and what we are. Sometimes we forget, and sometimes we need reminders.
A many named Israel Zangwill, way back in 1908, called America “God’s crucible, the great melting pot...” The name stuck and it fits. We are made up of every nationality, every ethnic representative and every race from every corner of the world. Each has its own unique customs, language, beliefs, and each is peculiar in his own way. Everywhere you look there are differences.
Despite all that, of course, there is one thing that ties us all together, and it makes all the difference, from sea to shining sea.
We are all Americans. That may be the only thing we all have in common, but it’s enough ..... if we only think about it.