Cheer coach arrested

Ware Shoals High clerk resigns
following charges of inappropriate behavior

January 19, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

WARE SHOALS — A Ware Shoals High School cheerleading coach and guidance office clerk has been arrested on a pair of charges relating to inappropriate conduct with minors.
Following a weeklong investigation, Ware Shoals Police Chief Mickey Boland has charged Jill Marie Moore, 28, of 28 Crawford Road in Ware Shoals, with transfer of beer to an underage person.
Also, according to Chief Deputy Mike Frederick, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office has charged Moore with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Ware Shoals School District 51 Superintendent Fay Sprouse said Moore has resigned from her positions with the high school. Moore is the daughter of Ware Shoals school board member Marcus Bishop.
Moore was booked into Greenwood County Detention Center Thursday and released on a personal recognizance bond.
Boland said he began his investigation into the incident a week ago when a parent complained about Moore’s activities with cheerleading squad members.
“Early in the investigation we were able to determine that her inappropriate behavior was not confined to the high school,” Boland said. “So I called the sheriff’s office for assistance.”
Greenwood County Sheriff Dan Wideman said he sent in a team of investigators to examine the situation.
“We sent both a special-victims investigator and two general criminal investigators,” the sheriff said. “Because in situations involving persons in a position of authority over young people, parents and the public will want to know we thoroughly investigated every angle of the case.”
Wideman said Moore facilitated drinking by underage cheerleaders and inappropriately took squad members off school premises.
He added she also placed cheerleaders in “incredibly inappropriate situations” pursuant to a sexual relationship Moore was involved in. Wideman noted that, as of Thursday, Moore has not been charged with any sexual activity involving a student. The investigation is ongoing.

Speaking for abused children

Guardians make life a little easier

January 19, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Jim Loughner, of Due West, has been dealing with a difficult case for a while.
A brother and sister were in the court system for five years without seeing each other after their mother lost her parental rights because of her involvement with drugs.
“It’s been one of my pet peeves, getting more visitation,” Loughner said.
The sister has been in foster homes and has a chance to leave her painful past behind, but the case might take years to come to a conclusion.
Loughner isn’t a police officer or attorney.
He’s a Guardian ad Litem volunteer for the state and a full-time pastor at Bethlehem Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church near Due West.
In a world filled with attorneys, judges and parents, all with their own opinions, Loughner speaks in court for the child’s best interests, something he considers to be the best reason to volunteer.
“You are the voice for the child,” he said.
Loughner, along with other Guardians, met in the library of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home Thursday night to mingle and discuss their cases.
The Guardian ad Litem program recruits, trains and supervises volunteers who are court-appointed to represent and advocate for the best interests of children in family court proceedings involving allegations of abuse or neglect, according to the program’s Web site.
Guardians serve as investigators, reporters, spokesmen, monitors and protectors for the court and the child and work with attorneys and the Department of Social Services to make sure the child’s needs are met.
Courts constantly need Guardian volunteers to help children and usually have a pretty large backlog of cases, said Stacie Smith, circuit coordinator for the Eighth Judicial Circuit in South Carolina and in charge of area volunteers.
“Our goal is to have a volunteer for every neglected or abused child that goes through the system,” she said. The circuit has 19 volunteers right now.
Guardians also serve as observers for the judge involved with the case — not surprising, considering the program was developed by David Soukup, a judge in Washington state in the late 1970s, according to the Guardian Web site.
Loughner got interested in becoming a Guardian after seeing an article in a newspaper.
He had been a school psychologist and worked at a treatment home in Simpsonville before becoming a pastor, so he thought he had the experience to help.
David and Hope Peel have been working together as Guardians for five years now.
David, who works full-time as a Fuji engineer, and Hope, who works at a credit union, said the biggest problem they have as Guardians is not being able to help more while working full time.
The Peels decided to become volunteers because of their love for children. They have four grandchildren who “rule their lives,” David said.
When a child is given a second chance after being neglected or abuse because of a Guardian’s work, the effort is always worth it.
“It’s a good feeling when it works out,” Hope said.
For information, visit www.oepp.sc.gov/gal/ or call Stacie Smith at 223-4681.

Winter storm skims Lakelands

Area ‘dodged bullet,’ but not without ice

January 19, 2007

By MIKE ROSIER
Index-Journal staff writer

Greenwood and the surrounding Lakelands counties breathed a sigh of relief early Thursday.
A storm some weather predictions had covering the area with ice never fully materialized.
And following minimal delays for some businesses and schools in Greenwood and Abbeville counties, normal activities continued with no side effects from the storm.
Emergency officials with both Greenwood and Abbeville counties reported no damage or power outages on Thursday, saying the area was lucky.
“No damage was reported,” said George McKinney, Greenwood County public safety division commander. “I was out there from 4 a.m. until 9 a.m., making sure that nothing was going on. We were fortunate.
“If (the storm) had started a little earlier in the evening, we could have had more ice accumulation, but it started warming up pretty quickly.”
“I think we dodged a bullet with this thing,” said Steven McDade, director of the Abbeville County Office of Emergency Management. “Everything we were getting was saying that it was going to cool down, and it did get down to 31 at one time, but there were no power outages or road problems that we know of or trees down.”
After ongoing discussions between McDade, McKinney and school officials such as Abbeville County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ivan Randolph, the men agreed a precautionary delay of two hours was best.
“We wanted to err on the side of safety,” McDade said. “There were a lot of phone calls going back and forth between (McKinney), myself and Dr. Randolph early in the morning. (Randolph) continues to impress me. His number one concern is safety. To have someone with that point of view, I’m grateful. It’s a few hours versus a bus wreck.”
Weather warnings installed over portions of the Upstate through Thursday evening by the S.C. Emergency Management Division were either lifted or allowed to expire.
A late start was about the only way Thursday morning’s winter storm had any effect on Dave Thompson, a home remodeling specialist with Help Around the Home.
“We got a late start on the day, that was really about it,” Thompson said while shopping at Lowe’s on Thursday evening. “We made up for it by going a little later tonight. The house we were working in had no heat, so it sure was cold working around in there.”
Local merchants observed no rush on heating equipment — at least no rush brought on by the weather.
Randy Reece of Lowe’s said the clearing of heaters off the store’s shelves likely had more to do with a 50-percent-off sale than anything weather related.
“We’ve had a lot of people here buying heaters, they’re buying a lot of propane heaters, kerosene heaters and electric heaters and ice melt for their car windows and driveways,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with things being 50-percent off, not just because of the weather.
“(Weather) was part of it, I guess, but we’re starting to put in some of the spring merchandise, too.”
“We’ve sold a few heaters and sold some ice melts this morning, but it’s not been too bad,” said Beth Keisler, an employee with Triangle True Value Hardware. “A lot of people have been refilling their propane tanks. That’s been steady that this morning. A lot of people are heating with propane now. We’ve been kind of steady, but it’s been for other things.”
Weather concerns Thursday night and into this morning were focused on area roads and highways, where puddles of rain could have frozen in the overnight hours.
“The biggest concern (Thursday night) and into (Friday) morning is just driving around,” McKinney said. “It could get down to around 30 (degrees) and (the road) might not have dried out in every place.
“People could hit some slick spots on the road. They should be careful out there, but we don’t anticipate power outages or anything like that.”

Lander hoops return home

January 19, 2007

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

The Lander University men’s and women’s basketball teams return to the friendly confines of Finis Horne Arena after an extended road trip, which saw the two teams away from home for more than two weeks.
The two Lander squads host Armstrong Atlantic State in a pair of Peach Belt Conference matchups, with the women set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the men to follow at 7:30.
This will be the sixth conference game for the two Lander teams, with four of the first five being on the road.
The Bearcats tore through the PBC road trip, winning three of the four games and tossing a home win over Georgia College to take a 4-1 record, which places the team in first place in the North Division, a game in front of USC Upstate and 1 1/2 ahead of UNC Pembroke, which Lander dominated 56-39 Wednesday night.
“We’re in a good situation. We’re kind of the hunted on the North side because we’re ahead a game or two over everybody,” said Lander men’s coach Bruce Evans, whose team’s lone conference loss was at No. 2 Clayton State. “It’s huge for us to be 4-1 and playing four of those five on the road because, early on, we can kind of control our own destiny.”
A key to the Bearcats’ success in conference has been the play of its top guys. Lander’s top three scorers — Jarred Jackson, Michael Griffin and Dane Sparrow — have all increased their scoring averages in conference play. Jackson, the team’s leading scorer is up from 14.4 to 18 points a game, while Griffin and Sparrow have increased 2.4 points and 1.7 to pitch in 13.4 and 11.2 points, respectively.
“In the past, it was kind of like ‘we go where Jarred goes.’ This year, we’ve got some other guys really stepping up and contributing — Michael Griffin and Dane Sparrow have really stepped up — and Zach Evans has been big off the bench, and anytime we get some extra scoring from E Man (Emanuel Hodrea) and Scottie (Smith) will make us potentially even more dangerous.”
It’s not just individual improvements that have led to the start. There’s also an increase in the team’s overall field goal shooting (from 44.5 percent to 46.7), 3-point shooting (from 35.3 to 42.1) and assists (12.7 to 15.8).
But the Bearcats won’t have an easy ride when they hit their home floor for the first live action in weeks. Lander’s defense, which ranks second in the PBC at 60.1 points per game allowed, will have its hands full against the No. 24 Pirates (12-4, 3-2).
Center Bryan Taylor, a 6-foot-7 senior from Timmonsville, leads three different Pirates in double figures with 14.7, which is ninth in the conference. Teammates Tory Harris, a 6-3 senior guard, and Jamaal Galloway, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, bring in 12.9 and 10.9 a night.
Galloway is AASU’s top 3-point threat, hitting a team-high 39 of 100 3s, while backup guard Kevin Parker has knocked down 26 of 79.
The Lander women are heading home at just the right time. The Lady Bearcats won at UNC Pembroke, 75-66, to end a three-game conference losing streak.
“We’ve had some very tough road games,” Lady Bearcats coach Kevin Pederson said. “We’ve got some good shooters, and it will help us so much for us to get our shooters at our gym. That makes a big difference, especially with a young team.”
Despite the rough start in conference, the Lady Bearcats are only one game back of USC Upstate for first place in the North Division.
Pederson is ready for his team to make a solid run, and with playing six of its next nine PBC games at home, he thinks now is the time to do it.
“We’re such a young team and we’re looking for that string of games that we can win in a row to give these girls some confidence,” Pederson said. “I think we have the talent. Stephanie (Ponds) and Tiara (Good) are two of the best players in the league. And when you have a great post player and a great guard, you can win most games.”
Ponds and Good, who are averaging more than 20 points in conference play, were each named PBC players of the week concurrently over the past two weeks. Good leads the Peach Belt with 20.5 scoring average, while Ponds is fourth at 16.6.
Those two had been the Lady Bearcats’ high scorers for each of the team’s games following the injury to All-American LaShonda Chiles in November.
That is until Thursday night. That’s when freshman Tierra Kirkland pitched in a team-high with 20 points on 10-of-21 shooting, while senior guard Bryony Crouch added 18 points in the win over UNC Pembroke.
“Pretty much going into every game, we can count on Tiara and Stephanie to give us 20 points each,” said Pederson, who earned his 100th coaching victory that night. “The fear is that ‘what if they don’t?’ We’ve got to have some of these freshmen stepping up. We’re having one step up most games, but we need two or three more.
“If you have four people having a pretty good game then we have a good chance to win.”
The Lady Bearcats will have a tough challenge to gain confidence against a solid Lady Pirates squad, which is 10-6 overall and 4-1 in conference.
The Lady Bearcats do lead the lead in 3-point percentage (34), but the Lady Pirates are second in 3-point shooting defense (28 percent).
Junior forward Kaneetha Gordon leads AASU with 14.9 point average, while leading the PBC with a 10.6 rebounding average.

Opinion

Is cooperation a reality, or is it merely a word?

January 19, 2007

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford freely admits he created too much negative legislative opposition during his first term. In his State of the State address this week, though, he showed a level of maturity and pragmatism that also shows he’s grown politically.
The governor appeared to be more relaxed this time around. He even demonstrated a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at himself. That speaks volumes.
Reaching out to lawmakers was evident as he laid out his visions for improving the quality of life for all.
The overriding tone of his address indicated he better understands the need for cooperation. There are, however, critics who talk cooperation, but still show definite signs of obstructionistic business as usual.

SOME WHO HAVE FOUGHT Sanford say they are ready “to get along” if Sanford is. That’s mostly from Republicans. The Democratic response, though, was contradictory. Sen. Vincent Sheheen (D-Camden), emphasized bipartisanship for the good of the people. After that, his “response” was clearly a message that bipartisanship is only a word, not reality.
Take a couple of statements, for example:
-Sen. John Land (D-Clarendon); “Just as I mentioned last year, the governor throws out ideas but he doesn’t give the General Assembly guidance on how to implement his proposals.”
-Sen. Gerald Malloy (D-Darlington): “..... If I had to offer a criticism, I would say that his remarks were well delivered, he’s a good communicator, but we’re still looking for direction, a step-by-step on how we do this. I wanted more substance.”

HOW’S THAT FOR A FORMULA for a political ambush? Lawmakers usually bristle any time any governor presumes to tell them how to operate.
The people obviously liked what Sanford was selling when they gave him another term. His focus is first on restructuring state government, to control its growth and make it more efficient and accountable so it can “improve lives.” Then there’s health care improvements, comprehensive tax system improvements and cuts, improving education, maintaining a good business climate, and more.
These are all important to South Carolina’s future. Sanford has offered the olive branch. Will lawmakers do the same? Total agreement isn’t likely, of course. However, open-minded discussion is needed. It won’t take long to determine if they “cooperate for the good of the people” or play the same old game.

Obituaries

Bettye Mosley Cash

MANHATTAN, N.Y. — Bettye Mosley Cash, 68, of 100 Manhattan Ave., passed away on Monday, Jan. 15, 2007 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. She was a 1955 graduate of Brewer High School and a graduate of Allen University.
Survivors in addition to her son of the home: one brother, Joe Lewis Williams of Greenville; one sister, Linda Goode-Tolbert of Greenwood; and one grandchild reared in the home, Kharyn Ethridge of New York.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net.

George Cothran Jr.

George Thomas “Sonny” Cothran, Jr., 72, resident of 1410 McCormick Hwy., died Jan. 17, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, Nov. 24, 1934, he was a son of the late George Thomas Sr. and Frances Walton Cothran. He served in the US Army and worked as a plumber. Mr. Cothran was a Mason and was of the Catholic faith.
Surviving are a sister, Mrs. Jimmy (Frances “Teater”) White of Abbeville; a brother, James Robert “Jimmy” Cothran and wife, Lynn of Atlanta, GA; three nieces.
Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Edgewood Cemetery with Father Allam Marreddy officiating.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 11:30 to 12:30 Saturday afternoon.
Memorials may be made to Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., PO Box 631047, Baltimore, MD 21263-1047 or to the National Kidney Foundation of SC, 5000 Thurmond Mall, Suite 106, Columbia, SC 29201.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Cothran family.

Aaron Quincy Hall

Aaron Quincy Hall, 43, of 801 Neel Street, died on Jan. 15, 2007 at his home. He was the son of Annie Clara Lewis Barr and the stepson of Danny Brooks Sr. Services are 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007 at Dunham Temple CME Church, conducted by the Rev. James McKee. The body will be placed in the church at 2 p.m. Burial is in the Ninety Six Community Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com.

Isabelle ‘Sug’ Holloway Norman

Isabelle ‘Sug’ Holloway Norman, 79, of 302-C Margaret Street, died Monday, Jan. 15, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center. Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late Elijah Holloway and the late Willie Mae McManus Holloway. She was a former seamstress at Nantex. She was also a member of Young’s Chapel Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Senior Choir and was a member of the Missionary Society.
She is survived by one son, Eugene “Butch” (Shane) Pressley of Greenwood; two daughters, Diane Pressley (Jesse) Oliver of Ninety Six and Linda “Rochelle” Daniels of Greenwood; one sister, Annie Mae Chappelle of Greenwood; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services are 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007 at Young’s Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by Rev. James L. Holmes. Assisting are the Revs. Raymond Adams, Joseph Caldwell, Macfield Holloway and Norris Turner. The body will be placed in the church at noon. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pallbearers are nephews, and flower bearers are nieces. Honorary escorts are the Missionary Society. The family will receive friends from 7-8 tonight at the chapel of Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. Online condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com.

Amanda C. Rollinson

ABBEVILLE — Mrs. Amanda C. Rollinson, age 62, of 500 Haigler St., Apt. No. 23, widow of James Rollinson, died Jan. 16, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center. She was born in Abbeville County and was the daughter of the late Will and Essie Moore Collier. She was a member of Westside Church of Christ, a retired textile employee and attended J.S. Wright High School.
Surviving are daughters, Terri Rollinson, Tammy Rollinson and Deborah Rollinson, all of Abbeville; sons, James Rollinson of Abbeville and Merv Rollinson of Greenwood; a sister, Inez Rollinson of Abbeville; brothers, Willie Collier and Brother Thomas Collier, both of Abbeville; eleven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Service will be Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007 at 3 p.m. at Westside Church of Christ, with Brother Thomas Collier officiating.
The family is at the home. Brown and Walker Funeral Home is in charge of services.

Willie E. Tate Jr.

McCORMICK — Willie Earl Tate Jr., 34, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007, at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Augusta, Ga.
The family is at the home, 175 Paul Freeman Sr. Road.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.