Greenwood man shot at party

Police say man reportedly fired pistol before guard shot him

September 30, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

A Greenwood man has been hospitalized following a shooting at The Hut late Thursday.
The incident is still under investigation, said Lt. Mike Murdock, of the Greenwood City Police Department.
The identity of the man will not be given until the investigation is completed.
The man was shot by a security guard about 11:50 p.m. in the parking lot at The Hut, 1310 E. Cambridge Ave., where a private party was taking place, Murdock said.
The security guard shot the man during one of several fights that took place at the former American Legion Post that night.
Security was attempting to settle down the participants of one fight when another sprang up involving the injured man, Murdock said.
The security guard said the man had been pulled out of the party for being loud, according to a Greenwood Police incident report.
The man reportedly pointed a pistol at a security guard and fired twice. The security guard returned fire, Murdock said. No one else was injured.
Police were alerted to the incident after they received several calls from residents who reported shots being fired at The Hut, Murdock said.
The man was sent to Self Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries.
His hand, chest, abdomen and back were injured as a result of gunshot wounds, the report stated.
The man was still in the hospital Friday afternoon.
A clear plastic bag containing what was thought to be crack cocaine was also found in the parking lot of The Hut, police reported.

Alaine ‘Maw Maw’ Byers

YORK — Alaine “Maw Maw” Beard Byers, 82, of 500 S. Congress St., widow of Willie Byers Jr. died Wednesday, September 27, 2006, at her home.
Wright Funeral Home is in charge.

Odell Gillion

James Odell Gillion, 90, of 306 Briarwood Road, widower of Queda Vines Gillion and Helen Mobley Gillion died Friday, September 29, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home and will receive friends from 1:30-3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Geneva Massenberg

Geneva Stevens Massenberg, 86, formerly of 912 Spring Street, widow of Morris Massenberg, died Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at Magnolia Manor of Greenwood. She was a daughter of the late Walter & Sallie Martin Stevens.
Survivors include a daughter, Donald (Janice) McGrier of Greenwood, four grandchildren, Mrs. Cherrett Rollinson, Toneto, Mashonda and Tashonda McGrier all of Greenwood that were reared in the home, five sisters Febbie Lee Baylor of Greenwood, Mattie Carroll of Ninety Six, Jessie Mae Williams, Willie Pearl Thompson and Virginia Barksdale all of Greenville, SC, three brothers, William Stevens of Ninety Six, John Stevens of Greenville and Lonnie Young of Chicago and five great-grandchildren.
Services are 1 p.m. Monday, October 2, 2006 at Restoration Worship Center, conducted by Pastor Tony and Joanie Foster. The body will be placed in the church at 12 noon. Burial will be in the Evening Star Cemetery. The family is at the home. Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is in charge. Online condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com.

Sue Metts

Emmie Sue Wood Metts, 75, resident of Forest View Manor in McCormick, wife of James Edward Metts, died September 28, 2006 at the Edgefield County Hospital.
Born in Waynesboro, GA, she was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Andrew R. Wood. She was a homemaker and a member of Rehoboth United Methodist Church.
Formerly of Aiken, she had made her home in Greenwood since 1998. Mrs. Metts is the last member of her immediate family.
Surviving in addition to her husband of Greenwood is a daughter, Debra Metts of Greenwood.
Funeral services will be conducted at 4 pm Sunday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev Fred Buchanan officiating.
Burial will be in the Rehoboth United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Ernie Ouzts, Grady Rhodes, Bill Metts, Rhett Dominick, Mark Nixon and Hilton Dodgen, Jr. Honorary escort will be employees of Forest View Manor along with Lynn Moss.
The family is at the home of Debra Metts, 318 Beaverdam Creek Road (off Callison Hwy.) and will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:30 to 4 Sunday afternoon.
In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to Rehoboth United Methodist Church, 1808 Callison Hwy., Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Metts family.

Hubert Thompson

ABBEVILLE — Hubert Thompson, 87, resident of 38 Agape Lane husband of Molly Simms Thompson died Friday, Sept. 29, 2006 at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in Spartanburg, SC.
Survivors are: 2 sons Charles Thompson of Denver, Colorado and Ray Thompson of Mill Spring, NC; 2 daughters Patricia McCullough of Taylors, SC and Judy Smith of Greer, SC; 1 brother Jack Thompson of Hodges, SC; 4 grandchildren and 1 great-grand son; 3 step-sons.
Services will be held Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006 at 4:00 PM from the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness in Abbeville, SC.
The body is at The Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 7:00 PM Saturday evening Sept. 30, 2006.
Online condolences may be sent to the Thompson family by visiting www.chandlerjacksonfh.com.
THE CHANDLER-JACKSON FUNERAL HOME, ABBEVILLE, SC IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.

Luther Turner

TROY — Services for Mr. Luther Wedaman Turner, age 83, will be held Sunday, October 1, 2006 at Bland Funeral Home at 2PM, Johnston, with burial to follow in East View Cemetery, Edgefield. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Saturday night from 6:30-8:30.
Mr. Turner, a native of Edgefield, died Friday, September 29, 2006. He was a son of the late Luther and Annie Mae Riley Turner. Mr. Turner was a retired textile employee with Kendall Mills and was also a Dairy Farmer. He was of Pentecostal Holiness Faith.
Mr. Turner is survived by Sons: Otis W. (Peggy), Eddie (Clara) and Coy W. Turner; Daughters: Annie Ruth Rowe, (Harold, Deceased), Rosa Mae Nelson (Harold) and Doris Marie Hermandez; 11 Grandchildren and 22 Great Grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Ruth Marie Hall Turner.

Cleo Young Jr.

TIMMONSVILLE — Cleo Allan Young Jr., 76, of Timmonsville, died Friday, September 29, 2006 in a Florence hospital.
Arrangements will be announced by Layton-Anderson Funeral Home of Florence. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. today.

Vikes get revenge over B-L

Emerald defeats region foe who knocked them out of Upper State title game

September 30, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

The Batesburg-Leesville Panthers (4-2, 0-1) faced the Emerald Vikings (2-4, 1-0) Friday night at Frank Hill Stadium in what turned out to be another tight battle between region foes.
The Vikings, trying to rebound after starting the season 0-4, picked up their second win in as many weeks, defeating the Panthers 20-12 and avenging a 20-14 loss in last season’s Upper State championship and snapping the Panthers’ eight-game road-winning streak.
The Vikings rushed for almost 300 yards of offense, while Josh Bovill, Justin Williams and Kadarron Anderson found their way into the end zone in a game that was arguably bigger than last week’s 67-6 win over Calhoun Falls.
“Right now I’m just so proud of our kids because they continue to keep playing and believing in the things we’re doing,” said Vikings coach Mike Clowney. “Everybody is buying in and our attitude is different.”
Defensively, Josh Dean led the charge for the Vikings as he wreaked havoc in the Panthers’ backfield, sacking quarterback Jerold Jones three times and deflecting a pass late in the fourth quarter as the Panthers were attempting to tie the game.
“I didn’t want to let my boys down tonight because I’d been out for so long and I felt I owed it to them,” Dean said. “I felt like I was a little quicker on the outside and I just used my speed to my advantage.”
Dean didn’t play last week because of a bout with mono.
Clowney’s squad marched 68 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead, capped off with a Bovill 1-yard run early in the first quarter.
The drive took only 4:08 off the clock and was a precursor to the Vikings’ game plan. Run the ball.
“We felt like up front we had a good opportunity to move the football and our guys did a good job of blocking, playing low and moving the line of scrimmage,” Clowney said. “If we continue to do that then we’ll be in great shape.”
Panthers’ coach Courtney McInnis credited the Vikings with a solid game plan.
He said that his squad was limited in its ability to make a big play thanks to the Vikings’ ball-control style offense.
“I don’t think we came out with a lot of emotion,” McInnis said. “They came out with some emotion and they switched offenses last week, which helped them keep the ball away from us. We need to be more physical up front and improve on our blocking and tackling.”

Ninety Six’s offense reawakens
in defeat of Mid-Carolina

September 30, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

NINETY SIX — After scoring a combined two points in its last two games, Friday night must have felt like the scoring floodgates came open for the Ninety Six High School football team.
The Wildcats (3-3, 1-0) downed Mid-Carolina (1-5, 0-1), 27-6, Friday night at Wilson-Campbell Stadium in Ninety Six. It was the first Region III-AA game of the year for both teams.
“It wasn’t a perfect game, but we played much better,” Ninety Six coach Mike Doolittle said. “We had the best second half we’ve had all year.”
Ninety Six was paced by tailback Rashad Booker, who carried the football 16 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. He also had a touchdown receiving.
Another offensive spark for Ninety Six was quarterback Parker Hite. Hite, who started ahead of normal Wildcats’ starter Forrest Dove, had two touchdown passes, one to Booker and another to James Jones.
“We decided to make a change,” Doolittle said of the quarterback switch. “I though it gave the offense a spark.”
Mid-Carolina was led by freshman tailback Antwan Penny. Penny had 96 yards on 23 carries. Doolittle had high praise for the ninth-grade runner.
“He’s going to be a man,” Doolittle said. “He ran hard and didn’t go down easy. He’s going to be a fine running back.”
Ninety Six jumped on the scoreboard on its first possession.
After Booker registered a long kickoff return down the left sideline, the Wildcats set up shop at the Mid-Carolina 32-yard line.
Two minutes, 46 second later, Hite rolled to his left and fired a pass to a wide open Booker, who raced into the endzone. The scoring strike put Ninety Six up, 6-0, with 9:11 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats found the endzone again early in the second quarter.
Ninety Six drove the ball to the Mid-Carolina 10-yard line, but then had trouble moving the ball on the ground. As such, Ninety Six decided to take to the air again.
Hite dropped back, looked to his left and fired a slant pass to Jones, who pinned the ball against his hip on the touchdown catch.
The score gave Ninety Six the 14-0 lead with 6:24 left in the first half.
Ninety Six will hit the road next Friday to take on Batesburg-Leesville. The Panthers lost, 20-12, to Emerald Friday.

New federal identity act deserves a second look

September 30, 2006

Think of all the laws that have been passed in Columbia and Washington. Now, try to remember just one law that was designed to improve one thing but at the same time had an unintended negative effect on something else.
That might be a little difficult to do since so many laws go on the books every year. Nevertheless, there have been many situations - too many - where lawmakers have, as they say, strained at gnats and swallowed flies. Now Congress is doing it again. Only this time the federal government won’t pay for it, the taxpayers of South Carolina will. And the amount it will cost in this state is estimated by the Department of Motor Vehicles to be between $25.2 million and $28.7 million.

THAT’S NOT LIKELY TO BE the final cost, though. So many different departments of state government will have to be involved that the total costs to South Carolina may well be triple that.
The cause of all this is the new REAL ID Act. By May of 2008, all states will have to comply with the requirements of the act. They’ll also be bound by the regulations now being formulated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The huge cost will be an unexpected blow to taxpayers and state lawmakers, to be sure. But that’s only part of it. The DHS regulations are sure to create reams of paperwork that will not only add to the expense, it will consume countless hours that state workers could best be using on other duties. In addition, business routines will be hampered.
There also will be changes in how everyone in the state does business, one more problem that somebody apparently didn’t think about or didn’t care.

THERE ARE SO MANY FACETS of the new law that trying to explain it all would take so much space it would be overwhelming.
Every South Carolinian, no doubt, appreciates the need to strengthen efforts to keep terrorists out and the people of this country secure. And, a new identity system to facilitate those things could be extremely helpful. Nevertheless, if Congress is going to require a national ID system, as this would be, the least it could do is fund it. Make no mistake, taxpayers will pay in the end no matter who does it. It would make more sense for Congress to do it, though, for a nationwide system.
There are other problems, too. In fact, there are so many our congressional delegation could help by pushing for another look at the whole REAL ID Act.