Pickens man killed

Victim found shot inside Greenwood residence

March 7, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

A man was shot and killed Monday night in Greenwood, and police are investigating.
Silvio Antonio Alaniz Gonzalez, 23, of Pickens, was shot to death Monday at a home on Independence Way in Greenwood. Another man also was shot in the incident and is receiving treatment at Self Regional Healthcare.
Gonzalez was a native of Nicaragua. Greenwood County Coroner Jim Coursey said he thinks Gonzalez arrived at the Independence Way home to visit Monday afternoon.
According to police incident reports, officers were called to the residence shortly after 7 p.m. Monday. On their way to the scene, they were told by EMS workers that the EMS workers were taking one gunshot victim to the hospital and that Gonzalez was dead and still at the home.
The officers found Gonzalez lying on his side in one of the back bedrooms. They noted a great deal of blood on the floor and on Gonzalez’s chest.
Coursey said Gonzalez received one shot under the left armpit, and the bullet penetrated his heart and a lung. The bullet exited out of the left side of his chest, Coursey said.
Officers were able to speak with the wife of the victim, who was taken to Self Regional. The woman said she was at the home when the shooting occurred.
The wife reportedly spoke very little English, so an interpreter was brought in.
Officers questioned residents of other houses on Independence Way, but the residents said they didn’t see or hear anything, including gunshots.
Greenwood Police Chief Gerald Brooks said his department is thoroughly investigating the incident. “We’ve got officers, uniformed and plainclothed, that are busy on this one,” Brooks said. “There were two people that we know were in the room when this happened. One is dead and the other has undergone serious medical treatment and has been taking some heavy-duty stuff for pain.
“It’s very early in the investigation and the early details are sketchy. But we have a lot of people working hard on it.”
Police have not released the name of the hospitalized victim.

Voters reject school proposal

Ninety Six residents vote, 811-304, against construction project

March 6, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

NINETY SIX — Voters on Tuesday rejected a $35 million school construction referendum by a landslide.
The Ninety Six school district’s referendum, which would have provided money to build a new high school with the former high school renovated into a middle school, failed to persuade voters, who voted against it 811-304 in eight precincts.
The results are unofficial pending a canvass of the votes, said Connie Moody, director of voter registration and elections in Greenwood County.
She described voter turnout as “exceptional,” saying interest in the issue drove voters into the polls. Moody said that about 27 percent of the more than 1,000 registered voters cast ballots, a higher turnout than usual for a school referendum.
Official results will be posted by 11 a.m. Thursday.
Absentee ballots numbered 36, with no emergency votes and challenge and provisional votes being counted Thursday, she said.
Superintendent Dan Powell said he wasn’t really surprised by the referendum’s result and understands voters didn’t like the plan that was explained. He said the board of trustees would review its options for school improvement at the March 15 board meeting.
The board will probably look at variations of the high school plan, and see what, if anything, would be acceptable to voters.
Powell said one of the options could be building a new middle school instead of a high school, something residents suggested at the forums before the referendum.
“We’ll just have to see what they say,” he said.
Powell suggested at an informational forum Feb. 27 that the board could use about 8 percent of its assessed property value money to build a new high school despite the result of the referendum, with the cost being about the same as the referendum.
He admitted the referendum date was partially decided for March to distance it from the Ninety Six school board elections May 8 so residents’ feelings about the referendum wouldn’t “cloud” the board election.
Board members Sammy Corley and Butch Cobb’s terms are up, with an empty seat to be filled.
Having the board election and the referendum on the same date would have cost taxpayers less money, Powell said. Moody agreed, saying the referendum cost taxpayers roughly $6,000, with the board election in May costing about the same with no more money having to be spent if they were on the same day.
The district’s bond attorney also told the board that the referendum had to be placed in a certain time frame, Powell said. Board chairman William Long said he was disappointed by the referendum’s result, but said the referendum date was set by law.
Corley said he thought the election would have been closer than it actually was.
“We wanted to better our facilities and do what’s best for our employees and our students and hopefully we’ll come up with plan two,” he said.
Cobb and board member Michael Bryant were unavailable for comment Tuesday night.
Greenwood County councilman Patrick Moody, an opponent of the referendum, said he was glad residents voted against it and hopes trustees will wait until a new board is voted into office before taking further action.
The Ninety Six Depot precinct voted 122 to 47 against the referendum and the Ninety Six Mill precinct voted 263 to 120 against, according to unofficial results.
Sandridge precinct voted 36 to 8 against, while Epworth precinct voted 36 to 9 against.
Emerald precinct voted 30 to one against, Stonewood precinct voted 66 to 47 against and Lower Lake precinct voted 224 to 67 against, according to unofficial results.
No votes were recorded in the New Market precinct.

Voting precincts face changes

Spike in registration requires 3 additional precincts

March 7, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

Some Greenwood County voters might be casting ballots in a different location next year.
Three voting precincts in Greenwood County — Ware Shoals 014, Georgetown 019 ands New Market 026 — could be affected by changes. Georgetown and New Market have exceeded their capacity of 1,500 registered voters, while Ware Shoals is close to that number. With a spike in new voter registration applications expected before the 2008 presidential primaries, the Greenwood County Election Commission and the Greenwood County Voter Registration Board agreed that three more precincts must be created.
See the precint maps here.
Legislation would be involved in the process. As such, Greenwood County voter registration and elections director Connie Moody said it is crucial that legislation be expedited and enacted in the current legislative session. That would allow the voter registration and elections office time necessary to properly inform voters of the changes before the general election year.
The current Ware Shoals precinct is housed at Ware Shoals Town Hall. Moody said Ware Shoals School District 51 Superintendent Fay Sprouse has agreed to allow the Ware Shoals High School library to be used as the proposed second precinct for the next election.
Moody said she thinks the library, which has bathrooms and is handicap accessible, would be an excellent choice for a polling location. The Greenwood County Election Commission and the Greenwood County Voter Registration Board have voted to name the new precinct Rutherford Ford 040.
The Georgetown 019 precinct is housed at Greenwood County Career Center. Greenwood School District 50 is in the process of building a school on the corner of Deadfall Road and New Castle Road. District 50 Superintendent Darrell Johnson has given permission for that facility to be used as a polling place when it opens next year.
Moody attributes the need for an additional polling place in that area to the tremendous growth there in the last five years. Officials voted to name the new precinct New Castle 039.
The New Market precinct is at the Highway 34 Volunteer Fire Department. Two locations are being looked at for a possible additional polling location in that area. They are New Market Baptist Church on Highway 34 and the EMS station on Highway 25 South. Whichever location is chosen, the new precinct would be dubbed Liberty 041.
If the proposed new precincts are approved by legislators, new voter registration cards will be sent to each affected voter, according to South Carolina law.

Obituaries

Rev. J.C. Conoly

Rev. James Calvin Conoly, 91, resident of 710 Keisler Drive, husband of Frances Moffett Conoly, entered into eternal life March 5, 2007 at Wesley Commons.
Born Sept. 17, 1915 in Acree, GA, he was a son of the late Walter Hugh and Ettie Cedelia Spears Conoly. He was a graduate of Furman University and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Rev. Conoly was a US Marine Corps Veteran of World War II, where he served in the Battle of Guadalcanal and other battles in the South Pacific. Rev. Conoly served as pastor of churches in NC, SC, and GA, and served as a volunteer fireman in every community in which he pastored. He was a member of the Mathews Masonic Lodge No. 358, A.F.M.
He was a member of South Main Street Baptist Church.
This Sunday, March 11, 2007, would have been Rev. and Mrs. Conoly’s 62nd Wedding Anniversary.
Surviving in addition to his wife of Greenwood are four daughters, Margaret and husband, Stan Moore of Greenwood, Linda and husband, Dr. Lee Goldstein of Greenwood, Mary Helen and husband, Craig Ticknor of Greer and Louise and husband, Sonny Cox of Greenwood; two sons, George C. and wife, Iris Conoly of Elgin and Frank M. Conoly of N. Augusta; three brothers, Bill Conoly of Tifton, GA, Bob Conoly of Warwick, GA, and Jack Conoly of Tallahassee, FL; 16 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by a brother, Walter Hugh Conoly, Jr.; a grandson, Joseph Scott Quarles; and great-grandson, Spencer Chase Quarles.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at South Main Street Baptist Church, with Rev. Reuel Westbrook and Rev. David Corbitt officiating.
Burial will be in Oakbrook Memorial Park, with Rev. Chris Leonard officiating.
Pallbearers will be Grant Fanning, Shelton Quarles, Josh Fennell, Justin Goldstein, Jamie Goldstein, Jake Ticknor, Jacob Dawkins and Travis Cox. Honorary escort will be children, grandchildren and their spouses.
The family is at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Lee Goldstein, 135 Crescent Road, Kimbrook Subdivision, and will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home from 5 to 7 Wednesday evening.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to South Main Street Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 1093, Greenwood, SC 29648 or to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Conoly family.

Stella Eubank

Stella Mae Workman Eubank, 88, resident of 119 Crestview Drive, widow of James Adrian Eubank, died March 5, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Mullens, WV, June 5, 1918, she was a daughter of the late Miles Ellis and Cora Ethel Mullens Workman. She graduated high school in Blue Field, WV, and was retired from Greenwood Mills-Harris Plant. Mrs. Eubank was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood.
Surviving are two daughters, Patricia Ann E. Gordon of Greenwood and Sharon Lynn E. McIntyre of Ladsen; a son, James A. Eubank, Jr. of Ninety Six; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Oakbrook Memorial Park, with Rev. Frank Thomas officiating. The family is at the home on Crestview Drive and will receive friends immediately following the service in the Family Center at Oakbrook Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 108 E. Cambridge Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com. Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge.

Ed Garrison

HODGES — William Edward “Ed” Garrison, 58, of 615 E. Grumling Road, died Monday, March 5, 2007, at his home.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

E. Ann Wheeler

SALUDA — Evelyn Ann Wheeler, 65, died Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at Saluda Nursing Center.
A native of Saluda County, she was the daughter of the late Luther Emanuel and Carrie Pope Banks Wheeler. Mrs. Wheeler was a graduate of Lander College and was retired from The South Carolina Department of Social Services.
Surviving are three sons, Thomas Gregory Hite of Saluda, John Douglas Hite of Chapel Hill, NC, and Luther Scott Wheeler of Saluda; and six grandchildren.
Two brothers, Gene Wheeler and Lloyd Wheeler, preceded Mrs. Wheeler in death.
A graveside service will be 3 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 2007 at Travis Park Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, No. 3 Village Square, Greenwood, SC 29648.
Ramey Funeral Home is in charge.

Opinion

‘Looks’ can often seem more ‘real’ than reality

March 7, 2007

When two black South Carolina state senators recently endorsed U. S. Senator Hillary Clinton for president it raised a few eyebrows. After all, another Democratic U. S. Senator is seeking the same job and, on top of that, is black.
That Palmetto State endorsement, while it might have concerned some people, was not nearly as attention-getting as the fact that one of the state senators, Darrell Jackson of Richland County, had a deal with the Clinton campaign that could be worth as much as $10,000 a month to a public relations company he owns. He denied any quid pro quo arrangement.
The other state senator, Robert Ford of Charleston, said everything he was doing to support Clinton was at his own expense, with no financial ties to the Clinton campaign.

IT WAS LATER REPORTED THAT two more black South Carolina lawmakers endorsing Senator Clinton have ties to the Jackson firm. They are Reps. David J. Mack III of North Charleston and Terry Alexander of Florence. Both said they had no connection with any business dealings involving the Clinton-Jackson situation.
Remember, though, there has been nothing to indicate that anything illegal has been done regarding the business deal.
Furthermore, no one should assume that anything improper has occurred. Nevertheless, there are times when looks matter.
That’s particularly relevent in politics. This appears to be one of those times.

NOT ONLY SHOULD EVERYTHING be right, everything should “look” right.This “deal” doesn’t look the way it ought to for some people, and that should concern candidates and voters.
That’s important, too. It’s the public perception that very often counts. In fact, in politics, perception can be the most important factor of all. In the real world perception in the public mind can amount to de factor reality. At a time in history when that public is already concerned about a number of negatives about politics and politicians, squeaky clean should be the determining factor, whether in day-to-day government or in campaigning for office.
Looks do matter. It’s surprising how often that’s forgotten, though.