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Category: News

  • Fairfield Central bested by Bulldogs…again

    Griffins’ ace Stanley McManus gave it his all on the mound, but it was not enough to keep Camden from picking up their second win over Fairfield this season.

    CAMDEN- Camden baseball got the better of the Griffins in their second regional match-up on of the season. The Bulldogs stepped out an 8-2 victor in the first contest, and this time they prevailed by the final of 7-2.

    Despite the five-run win, this remained a neck and neck game until the sixth inning. Camden’s starting pitcher, Devin Beckley, had his devastating stuff ready, and silenced the Griffins’ bats for most of the night. He allowed just two hits in his complete game performance, did not give up any earned runs and put up 12 K’s.

    “We don’t play well on defense,” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “We don’t hit the ball very well. How many hits did they have before the sixth inning? Two. That tells me our guys is as good as theirs. We just don’t put it together well. It’s frustrating as all get out, because I know what our players capable of.”

    Stanley McManus had a good start on the other side of the mound, giving up just one hit before Camden’s big final inning. McManus struck-out seven in the game.

    “When that guy pitches for us, we got a chance to be pretty good,” Dean said. “The score was 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, that’s the same story that happened in Indian Land. It’s 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth and we find some way to give the game away.”

    Neither team could find the scoreboard until Camden put up a run after Nick Butler came around to score on a wild pitch, a problem that plagued the Griffins in the following inning. Errors and wild pitches cost Fairfield two more runs in the fourth, and it also led to a 3-0 hole.

    Travious Williams reached first in the top of the fifth, and Tracy Williamson came onto to pinch-run for him. Harvey Smith stepped up the plate and attempted to bring in the runner, but instead took a scary pitch to the head and had to leave the game.

    Williamson would come in to score after a Camden error allowed him to touch home and Smith’s pinch-runner reached third, but Beckley rung up two consecutive Griffin batters to end any further threat. Beckley started the sixth off with two-more strikeouts, but Rodric Woodard singled to keep the inning alive.

    Beckley walked McManus and Williams to jam the bases up, and after another pitch slipped past the catcher, Woodard came in to score. Beckley got another pivotal strikeout to end the inning and keep the Bulldogs’ 3-2 lead in tact.

    Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Camden exploded. They picked-up four runs on three hits after having only one hit in the previous five innings. Tate Abbott and Nick Butler both knocked in RBIs.

    Beckley stayed in during the final inning to finish the game, and with a pair of strikeouts and a ground ball he did just that. Fairfield’s next chance at a regional win will be Thursday at home against Indian Land.

    “We are capable of being pretty good,” Dean said. “That’s the number two or three ranked team in 3-A baseball. We played baseball with them for about six innings. That don’t mean nothing to nobody unless you pull out a win, and I keep saying we’ll get it together one day then you look up and we only got seven games left.”

    FCHS:0-0-0-0-1-1-0-2 CHS:0-0-1-2-0-4-7

    Pitching: FCHS – Stanley McManus (L) 5.2 IP, 3H, 7R, 3 ER, 3BB, 7K. Antonio Jackson, .1 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K. CHS – Devin Beckley (W), CG, 2H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 12K.

    Hitting: 1B- Rodric Woodard (2), (FCHS); Nick Butler (2), Tyler Maxwell, Tate Abbott, (CHS).

     

     

  • Bengals fight off Foxes’ late charge

    Blythewood bats and baserunners were on point in the Bengals’ 11-7

    Blythewood’s John Lanier (24) hits the deck to sneak past Reece Cormier’s attempted tag.

    victory over Region 5-5A rival Dutch Fork, even if the pitching was not.
    “We just tried to score one more run than the other team,” Blythewood head coach Banks Faulkner said. “It’s a great win for us, gets us back up towards the top in the region. And it’s a win against one of the better lineups in the state.”
    A six-run first inning gave Blythewood starting pitcher Ben Spittler plenty of room to operate. Spittler gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings of work. He struck out five and walked two.
    John Lanier and Daniel Zippel pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively. Blythewood (7-5, 4-3) entered the top of the seventh leading 11-4, and Dutch Fork picked up three runs on two hits, two errors, a walk, and two hit batters.
    Ty Olenchuk represented the tying run with the bases loaded and two out, but Zippel got him to fly out to Landon Cruz in right field to close out the victory.
    “We’ve got a young pitching staff,” Faulkner said. “That kid there at the end (Zippel) is the only guy that has any varsity experience.”
    Landon Lucas lit up the scoreboard and the crowd in the bottom of the first.
    With Blythewood up 3-0 and Jordan Fleming and Lanier on base, Lucas blasted a strong 2-out line drive straight up the middle. Dutch Fork pitcher Reese Nichols got his glove on it for a split second, but the ball careened into deep right center field and carried to the fence.
    Fleming and Lanier came home easily, and when Dutch Fork outfielders couldn’t get the ball back into the infield, Lucas slid into home to complete the inside-the-park home run.
    “We talked about trying to throw up a crooked number early,” Faulkner said. “We let our guys settle in, and we kept answering, that’s what was big.”
    From that point, the Bengals needed only to play keep-away.
    Dutch Fork picked up a run in the second, when Jonathan Thomas hit a two-out, bases-loaded single that drove in Noah Jackson. Spittler got out of that jam when Jordan Beatson grounded into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
    Blythewood got that run back when Zach Bales singled in Lanier with two out. Spittler flied out to retire the side.
    The Silver Foxes’ three-run fourth cut Blythewood’s lead to 7-4, but the Bengals responded with two runs in the ninth. Todd Mattox led off the inning with a double and came home on Josh Cowan’s one-out bunt single. Aidan Massey then scored on Lucas’ single to make it 9-4.
    The Bengals got two more runs in the sixth for an 11-4 lead going into the final inning.
    “I’m just real proud of the kids for finding a way to win,” Faulkner said. “They’d answer and we’d respond. That’s what’s exciting to me about our team. We’re awful young, we’ve got a lot of inexperience, but we’re finding ways to win. There’s still a lot of ways that we can continue to learn and grow from and get better.”
    Blythewood played White Knoll Wednesday.

    Dutch Fork 010 300 3 – 7 10 3
    Blythewood 601 202 x – 11 11 5
    WP: Ben Spittler. LP: Reese Nichols.
    Hitters: Dutch Fork – Jonathan Thomas 3-4. Crosby Jones 2-3, 2B. Hugh Ryan 2-4, 2B. Blythewood – Todd Mattox 3-3, 2B. Landon Lucas 2-4, HR. Zach Bales 2-4. Josh Cowan 2-3.

  • Funds tapped for book

    RIDGEWAY – During its regular meeting Thursday evening, Council scrapped a plan it initiated last month to tap the Town’s hospitality tax revenue to publish a book chronicling the Town’s history and then funnel the profits from the sale of the book into the general fund.

    After being informed by the state’s Municipal Association that, according to state statute, any profits from a book funded with H-tax revenue would have to be returned to the H-tax fund and not to the general fund, Council voted unanimously on at its March meeting to rescind last month’s motion.

    There was also a backlash from merchants about the use of hospitality funds for the book.

    Merchant Robbie Martin, who owns both the Cotton Yard Market and Palmer Street Market, asked Council during scheduled public comments to save the hospitality tax revenue for much needed restrooms merchants want built in the former police station on Palmer Street.

    “I think the hospitality tax, to me, is being collected from people that come to Ridgeway and we want to make it more hospitable for anyone that visits here. Using it for anything other than something that gives back to the people that are actually funding it seems like it’s not as appropriate,” Martin said.

    Mayor Charlene Herring cited concerns from local merchants as well, stating that she had met with them the evening prior to the Council meeting.

    “The merchants are concerned that we are spending some of the hospitality tax money even though the money belongs to the Town. We should save that (money) for the restroom facilities. I would like to see it come out of the general fund just from the conversations I had with the merchants last night,” Herring said.

    Councilman Heath Cookendorfer disagreed.

    “The hospitality money is paid by a select few, not by the masses,” Cookendorfer said. “It is the Town’s money to spend as they see appropriate, so I would rather see it come out of the hospitality money than the general fund. That’s my opinion, because it is going toward tourism.”

    Council narrowly passed, by a 3-2 vote, a new motion to withdraw money for the book’s publication from the town’s general fund and return any profits from the book’s sales back to the general fund as prescribed by state statute. Council members Angela Harrison and Heath Cookendorfer voted against the new measure.

    “Right now I think our money could be better spent on other things,” Harrison said. “We’ve got a lot of projects going on in town and we don’t know how long it would take to sell those books to actually recoup what we’re taking out. I think that was my main question, I’m not against the book itself, it’s just we’re not sure how long it will take to get the money back.”

    Herring explained that a Ridgeway history has been in the works for years and is one of the Historical and Cultural Committee’s top priorities. She told The Voice that the Town got bids from three printers and that By Far Graphic Design of Columbia submitted the lowest bid, $2,271, to publish 125 copies of a 100-page paperback history of Ridgeway. The cost to the Town would be $18.17 per copy which would include $1,200 for printing, $975 for designing pages and scanning photos and $95 tax. Herring said if the Town sells the book for $20 per copy, the total profit would be $229.

    “If we price it higher, then our profit would increase,” Herring said. “I hope it will be on the market prior to Christmas.”

    The other two bidders were Another Printer ($3,000 +) and R. R. Donnelley ($1,200 plus $55 per hour for scanning photos.)

     

  • Richard Winn Eagles snag close region win

    WINNSBORO- Richard Winn squeaked out a 7-6 region opening win Friday night against King Academy. It took everything the Eagles had to cling onto the win, including surviving a bases-load jam with zero outs, in the final inning.

    Chris Christianson makes his way to third base after a King wild pitch loaded the bags. Christianson went onto score on an error.

    “It was tough,” Eagles’ head coach Paul Brigman said. “They had their best pitcher on the mound, and we felt fortunate to get that one run to put us back ahead, and I thought we were re about to give it back up but our guys showed a lot of heart and didn’t give in.”

    King jumped out to an early advantage on Richard Winn, but the lead flopped back and forth all night. A walk and an early error set-up King’s Hunter Dubose for a two-RBI double, and Dubose nearly scored, but instead he and Eagles’ catcher Peyton Gilbert had a scary collision at the plate, that resulted in Dubose’s out.

    The jarring hit sent Gilbert airborne, but he popped back-up without much hesitation. “It was a little bit nerve racking considering out depth at catcher but he’s a tough kid, and I knew it would take a lot to get him out of there,” Brigman said.

    Richard Winn did not face that two-run deficit for very long. After an error at first cost King two runs and the lead, a Jimmy McKeown infield single loaded the bases up for Will Carvalho, and Carvalho drove in two on a hard base-knock.

    Zack Taylor, the Eagles’ starter, struck-out the side in the second inning, but King put up another run in the third, when Will Parrish hit a double, and then scored via a wild pitch. King’s, Reagan Pugh started the fourth inning with a single that ricocheted off of Zack Taylor’s shin.

    The Knights followed the Pugh single with a couple of ground-outs in a row, but they did manage to bring Pugh home on the grounders. An error allowed Jackson Parrish to reach for the second time in the game, and Chris Fincher followed him to the base-path, after being hit by a pitch.

    Will Parrish, knocked in a second run for King in the inning, and an error at first-base notched another score for the Knights, and they took a 6-4 lead. King could not hold onto the lead for long, because in the bottom of the fourth, they allowed the Eagles to fill the bases up again, and yet again they gave-up two runs on another error.

    Four innings into the ballgame the teams were deadlocked at six, and things stayed that way until the bottom half of the sixth inning. The sixth kicked off with Peyton Gilbert taking a base, after being struck by a pitch.

    Brandon Miller followed him-up, and laid a sac-bunt that brought Gilbert over to second. Zack Taylor came to the plate with two outs, and Gilbert still on second, and picked up his third hit of the night, and the go ahead RBI.

    “It was huge,” Brigman said. “We’ve been waiting on that for several ball games. We’ve put ourselves in those positions where we could execute, and the last few games we haven’t really been able to pull that off, and tonight it finally felt good to execute the right way, and get the job done.”

    The Taylor RBI meant King had only three outs remaining to tie the game-up or take the lead back. An error, and back-to-back walks set the Knights up with the bases loaded, zero outs and down just one.

    Reagan Pugh came-up to the plate, hit a grounder and the Eagles forced out the runner at home. Ben Buzhardt came up next, needing only a base-hit or sac-fly to tie the game up, but he hit into a grounder too, and the Eagles were able to squeeze the runner out at home.

    That meant Joe Sauls was the last hope for the Knights, and as the third-base runner began to creep down the line, Sauls laid down a bunt, but Richard Winn scooped it and got Sauls at first base, securing the 7-6 win.

    ‘This has definitely been one of our best games,” Brigman said. “It’s a region game, it makes us 1-0 in the region, so it was a little more important than some of the other games we played, so I thought they responded well and I’m proud of them
    RWA:  4-0-0-2-0-1-7

    KA: 2-0-1-3-0-0-0-6

    Hitting: 1B- Chris Christianson, Zack Taylor (2), Peyton Gilbert, Jimmy McKeown, Will Carvalho (RWA); Reagan Pugh (2), Ben Buzhardt(KA). 2B- Peyton Gilbert, Zack Taylor (RWA); Will Parrish (2), Hunter Dubose (KA).

    Pitching: (RWA) Zack Taylor (W), 5IP, 6H, 6R, 3ER, 4K, 4BB. Ethan McManus (S), 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0K, 2BB. (KA) Hunter Dubose, 3.1 IP, 6H, 6R, 3ER, 5K, 1BB, 3HB. Will Parrish (L) 3.2 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 3K, 2BB.

    LOB: KA- 9, RWA- 6

  • Griffins offense soars against Columbia

     

    Montavious Thompson squares around to make contact, and he made contact all night. Thompson ended the game with three hits.

    COLUMBIA- The Griffins responded to a winless couple of weeks in a big way. They laid a 17-1 smack down on the Columbia Capitals Tuesday night, in a game that was called after just four innings.

    “It’s always good to get a win,” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “God I don’t think we won a game since two Tuesdays ago when we beat Richard Winn, and then we lost to Cardinal-Newman on Thursday, so I think we’re starting to play good baseball.”

    Fairfield wasted no time getting going in this one. Montavious Thompson led-off the first inning with a double, and he ended the game 3-3 with the double, two singles and he also accounted for two of the Griffins’ runs.

    After Thompson’s double, the Capitals gave up an error and three consecutive walks, and Thompson, along with Rodric Woodard, came into score. Tracy Williamson, grounded into what should have been a routine ground-ball, but instead a Capitals error led to three more Griffin first-inning runs, and they led 5-0 headed into the second inning.

    Rodric Woodard picked up an RBI-single in the top of the second when he knocked in Thompson, and Antonio Jackson followed him with an RBI-single of his own. Jackson later came into score on a wild-pitch.

    It did not help Columbia’s case that Antonio Jackson, the Griffins’ starting pitcher, was dealing. In his three innings of work he only allowed one hit, walked one and rung-up five Capital hitters.

    Chris Simmons knocked in Fairfield’s only run in third inning, on a double that brought Tydarius Young around for the score. What little hope Columbia had heading into the fourth inning was dashed immediately.

    “CJ Simmons hit the crap out of the ball,”Dean said. “Tre had a big hit with the bases loaded; Montavious had three hits, so I mean we’re hitting the baseball. We running the bases, I mean we just put it together a little bit better today than last Friday.”

    Columbia walked the first two batters of the fourth, and Travious Williams, scored both of those batters on a deep single. That was followed by a walk, a Tydarius Young single and finally another walk which loaded the bases up for the third time in the game.

    Chris Simmons, capitalized again, and picked up two more RBI’s for his collection. Eight batters into the inning Columbia recorded the first out, but before they could the Griffins had scored seven runs and they scored eight in total, during the top half of the fourth.

    The Capitals put up a last inning desperation run via a Griffins’ wild pitch, but that was all of the fight that they had left. The win qualifies the Griffins for playoff baseball.

     

    “That puts us in the playoffs,” Dean said. “We look to improve our seeding with the next couple games. That at least makes us the fourth seed I think. With a couple more wins we can split with somebody, Indian Land, we can still split with Camden; we can still split with Chester. Like I say man, just keep improving every time we go out, and I think we got a chance to be pretty good.”

    FCHS: 5-3-1-8-17

    CHS:   0-0-0-1-1

    WP: Antonio Jackson LP: Jordan Puch

    Hitters: FCHS- Montavious Thompson 3-3,2B. Rodric Woodard 1-2. Chris Simmons 2-3, 2 2B. Antonio Jackson 1-2. Travious Williams, 1-2. Jeff Russell, 1-1. CHS- Jordan Williams 1-1. Darren Weavers, 1-1. Skylar King, 1-2.

     

  • Nothing could be finer

    Comfy couches, reading lamps and other cozy furniture bring touches of home to the school. Principal Jeaneen Tucker reads to, clockwise: Reilly Lewis (pink boots), Aiden Henderson, Anderson Butler, Olivia Douglass, Dre’ylen Perry’Brooks, Gavin Bridges, Celine Shalabi, Santiago Castro and Tucker. Lady, laying on the floor, patiently listens.

    Blythewood’s Round Top Elementary School has been awarded a “Palmetto’s Finest” designation by the S.C. Association of School Administrators – one of only five schools in the state to receive that honor this year. According to the SCASA website, the award recognizes schools that offer “excellent instruction, outstanding leaders, strong family and community involvement and a supportive business community.”
    “We’re thrilled and honored,” said Jeaneen Tucker, who has served as principal of Round Top since the school opened in 2003 for grades K-5. “This is completely a community award – our students, teachers and parents are a super strong team.”
    After the school was named as one of nine finalists, Tucker said the students were very excited about watching the March 21 announcement of the awards on ETV.
    “The entire school gathered in the multi-purpose room to watch the live feed – except the fourth graders, who were on a field trip to the zoo,” she said. “But the teachers and parents with them even got some video footage of their cheering when they heard the news!”
    Celebrations began right away with a cookie party at lunch the following day, and Tucker said she anticipates lots of little things to mark the occasion, along with a big event such as an outdoor dance party with a DJ.
    So what does it take for a school to be named one of Palmetto’s Finest?
    Well, having a dog helps! For the past five years, a friendly yellow Labrador Retriever named Lady has been a favorite of students on the days she accompanies her owner, teacher Holly Threatt, to school. Lady is a former seeing-eye dog and a certified therapy dog with an easygoing personality that encourages the children’s affection and supports their good work habits. Tucker said that Lady’s presence helps students develop the compassion and humanity that is kindled through fun, friendly relationships with animals.
    “She’s a gentle spirit – you can see it in her eyes,” Tucker said, adding that Lady is especially gifted at comforting children who might be having a bad day. “She has added a wonderful element to our school.”
    And Lady’s even started a trend – this year, two more dogs started coming for school day visits, adding to the companionable atmosphere.
    The school’s outdoor environment provides another distinctive component – the architecturally stylish building is nestled into a bucolic wooded setting, complete with a winding nature trail through the pines. Tucker said there are many elements that foster a warm atmosphere both outside and inside the building.
    “The environment is very rich, aesthetically and academically, which is something we were very intentional about,” she said. “We have tons of murals throughout the building, low lights in the classrooms, lots of greenery and pleasant muted colors.”
    She said the school’s focus on art, technology and cultural awareness is another big part of what makes it special. Round Top is an “Arts in the Basic Curriculum” school, one of only two at the elementary level in Richland 2.
    “Our arts program is phenomenal, and I think it truly sets us apart,” she said. “For instance, we have artists-in-residence through a grant from the S.C. Arts Commission, and this year we were delighted to have the West African Drum Corps. We also do a major stage production every other year – this year it was Peter Pan, Jr., which involved about 60 of our students and was amazing.”
    But Tucker added that there’s also just an overall quality that differentiates Round Top.
    “What I think sets us apart the most is the inherent character of our school, which you can feel, hear and see when you’re in the building,” she said. “We opened Round Top with a vision for raising responsible citizens, and we are doing that in many ways. For instance, we focus on 19 life skills throughout the school year – things like Courage, Effort, Responsibility, Perseverance and Caring – and this is built into the culture and the climate of our school.”
    The Palmetto’s Finest award will be presented during a ceremony at the Innovative Ideas Institute in Myrtle Beach in June.

  • Four nabbed for break-ins

    WINNSBORO- Four juveniles were arrested on Saturday in connection with a string of 20 vehicle break-ins in the county spanning over the last few months . A Sheriff’s spokesperson said it is believed that the suspects are also responsible for stolen food items from various freezers and an attempted auto-mobile theft.
    Two of the juveniles were nabbed after homeowners in the area reported individuals going through several vehicles on Highway 200 near the intersection of Peay’s Ferry Road. Officers discovered the pair in a 2006 Toyota Camry that had previously been reported stolen. The blood hound tracking team were at the scene, but the search turned up nothing.
    The two other suspects fled the immediate scene of the crime, but a continued investigation led to their arrests. All four are currently housed at the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice awaiting trial on charges of theft from a motor vehicle, tampering with a motor vehicle, grand larceny and petit larceny.

  • Blazers throttle Redhawk Ladies 15-0

     

     

    Deltrice Holmes lays down an attempted bunt in the team’s double-digit loss.

    The Westwood softball team isn’t having the best of seasons, as illustrated in Tuesday night’s 15-0, five-inning loss to Region 3-4A rival Ridge View.

     

    Head coach Lila Grooms acknowledges the Redhawks’ struggles, but she says the team can overcome them.

    “I commend the girls for keeping their heads up in spite of the loss,” Grooms said. “We’ve got a lot of flaws that we have to fix. Part of it is confidence, and understanding how to overcome adversity. Even though you are down in runs, anything can happen. You’ve got to keep your confidence up and you’ve got to keep fighting.”

    The Blazers scored two runs in the first when starting pitcher Marlena Perez threw a pitch in the dirt to Anaya Payne with two outs. From that point, Westwood (0-4 region, 3-11 overall) played from behind.

    Ridge View sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run second inning, and 10 batters in the seven-run third. A run in the fourth and a run in the fifth rounded out the scoring.

    Payne, the Ridge View starting pitcher, faced only 10 Westwood batters before the Redhawks finally showed some life in the bottom of the fourth.

    Deltrice Holmes singled up the middle and moved to second on a throwing error. Karena Scott and Brooke Bayne reached base on back-to-back infield singles, but Scott was forced out at second on Bayne’s hit.

    With runners on the corners and one out, Cayla Petty popped out and Raejean Patterson struck out to retire the side.

    In the final inning, Perez led off with a single and eventually moved to second, but Jamisha Taylor popped out, Demetria Boyd struck out, and Ihayanna Cruz lined out to Payne to end the game.

    Ridge View had more base runners and played better defense than the Redhawks, but Grooms said Tuesday night’s game showed that Westwood needed a little more confidence when taking the field.

    “Once we learn that, mentally, then I think the physical game will catch up. They have it, it’s just a matter of showing it and believing in themselves.”

    Westwood played Clinton Wednesday.

    Ridge View    2-4-7-1-1-15 11 2

    Westwood      0-0-0-0-0-0

     4 2

    WP: Anaya Payne LP: Marlena Perez

     

  • Fairfield now offers improved 911 help

    Fairfield County’s 911 emergency call service has been upgraded to provide callers with more assistance during a crisis.

    “We’re now called Emergency Medical Dispatchers, or EMDs,” said Phyllis Watkins, Emergency Management Director in Fairfield County. “Before, it was just ‘911 Dispatchers’. The difference is that we can now give life-saving instructions to the caller while they are waiting for EMS.”

    This change resulted from new NHTSA certification for the dispatchers and the integration of software technology and touch-screen devices to aid them during emergency calls. Now, when someone calls 911, the dispatcher uses the touch-screen device to select from an array of emergency situations, including trauma, stroke, cardiac arrest, seizures and animal bites. The program then guides the dispatcher through a series of questions and answers to determine which specific actions the caller can take in order to help the person who is experiencing the emergency.

    “With this new system,” Watkins said, “we can help the caller respond to the emergency even if they don’t have any medical knowledge. For instance, if a child called and said ‘my mom isn’t breathing’, we can talk to that child and give them instructions for helping her until the ambulance service arrives.”

    Watkins said the new system will increase the chance of survival in medical emergencies.

    “In the past,” she said, “when someone called and asked, ‘what can I do?’, we weren’t certified and didn’t have the capability to tell them to do anything else. But now, when they ask ‘what can I do?’ we have a protocol to talk them through it until the EMS arrives.”

    Another new upgrade is that 911 can now be contacted by text message, though this is available only from cell phones that have service through Verizon, Sprint, AT&T or T-Mobile.

    “But sending a text to 911 should only be used at times that you absolutely cannot make a voice call,” Watkins cautioned, explaining that the service is designed as a solution for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have a speech difficulty, or for situations where texting might be a person’s only option. “If you need to contact 911 and you can talk, it’s better to call instead of text.”

  • Ridgeway council names new water tower

    RIDGEWAY – After it was proposed last month that the new Ridgeway water tower be placed behind Geiger Elementary School on property owned by the Fairfield County School District, a packet of information about the proposal and a graphic design of the new tower emblazoned with ‘Geiger Elementary,’ was presented to school board trustees and made available to the public by Ridgeway Councilwoman Angela Harrison. After the graphic appeared in The Voice, some Ridgeway Council members and town residents had second thoughts about naming the tower after the town’s elementary school.

    Council called a special meeting on Tuesday evening to hear from the community before voting on the name. Since the School Board’s monthly meeting was already scheduled at the same time, no members of the Board attended the Ridgeway Town meeting. But about 20 town residents and Geiger family members did attend. All either spoke or stood in favor of the tower being named for the elementary school, but not without the spirit of compromise.

    “I suggest we name the tower for the school and the town,” lifelong Ridgeway resident Dwight Robertson said, addressing Council. “It won’t cost that much to add Ridgeway, South Carolina under Geiger Elementary. There should not even be a question about naming the tower after the school. I went to Geiger and it’s a great school. It should be recognized. And we hope the Council will see fit to name the new water tower for Geiger,” Robertson said.

    Jasper Adams, Sarah Robertson and Dede Ruff also spoke in favor of placing both names on the tower.

    “It makes sense to put both Geiger Elementary and the town’s names on the tower,” Ruff said. “I think it’s a great idea. There’s not a better location and it’s wonderful that the school donated the property.”

    Mayor Charlene Herring called for a motion and Council voted unanimously to name the new water tower after the town and the school.