Blythewood Online 691

Category: News

  • After more than 30 years, the face of Winnsboro’s P.O. calls it a day

    After 34 years on the job, Emma Oliver, Winnsboro’s first African-American Postmaster, clocks out for the last time July 24.

    Winnsboro’s Postmaster, Emma Oliver, will retire July 24 after 34 years of dedicated service as a federal employee. Besides having the distinction of being the town’s 21st Postmaster, Oliver, a Ridgeway native and 1974 graduate of Winnsboro High School, is the first African-American Postmaster for the Winnsboro Post Office. It’s a career she said she has loved; but, she added, that she never really planned to be a Postmaster.

    Oliver was studying secretarial science at Midlands Technical College and working in the accounting office of Richway, a department store in Columbia, when she responded to an advertisement for an entry level position as a processing clerk in the postal system. Oliver got the job and, after months of rigorous testing, embarked on what was to become a notable postal career in March 1978, at the Columbia processing center that was on Assembly Street at that time.

    It was not long before Oliver’s work ethic caught the attention of her management team, and she was recruited for management training. With passion, Oliver explained the importance of developing strong work habits, no matter the job.

    “If you are responsible for sweeping the floor, be the best floor sweeper you can be because you never know who is watching you,” she said.

    Applying this philosophy to every aspect of her career, Oliver was promoted to plant supervisor in Columbia, then plant manager in Florence, SC for nine years and plant manager in Greenville, SC, for six years before returning home to Fairfield County four years ago as Postmaster.

    Oliver’s time with the postal service has provided her with great rewards (travel, many friends and an exciting career) . . . and great rewards for the postal system as well. With her keen understanding of the 24-hour productivity cycle of mail processing plants, Oliver was a primary author of a management training course in plant manager preparedness. That training course has been credited with improving operations in processing plants throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

    As a single parent, Oliver had to satisfy the demands of family, career and the pressures of leadership. She said the support she received from her family during her career was a significant factor in her success.

    “There was a time when my bags were packed every week,” she said.

    Oliver said balancing work and life while raising three sons who would go on to become college graduates was easier to manage with the support of her grandparents and family.

    What will Oliver miss most after her retirement?

    “The people,” she said with a smile.

    Turning the page to the next chapter in her life, the grandmother of three expressed a strong passion for family, Word Alive Church, where she is a member, and her longtime dedication to youth empowerment through mentoring.

    “I spent many years mentoring young girls during the early part of my career,” Oliver said. “Maybe now I’ll have more time to devote to that.”

    “And I plan to travel,” she added with a bright smile. “I’ll be off to Texas, California, Seattle . . . many places. But don’t worry – I’ll keep the post office busy and profitable – sending all those post cards home from the places I go.”

  • Boil Water Advisory Issued after DHEC Test of Jenkinsville Water

    The Jenkinsville Water Company issued a boil water advisory for all of its approximately 780 customers Monday after a water test by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) found E. coli bacteria present in water sampled from a home serviced by the company, DHEC said.

    Gregrey Ginyard, the Water Board’s president, said the sample came from a home in the Blair/Feasterville area and was part of standard random testing procedures practiced by DHEC. The customer-wide boil water advisory was a precaution, Ginyard said, and is in effect until DHEC and the water company can pinpoint the source of the contamination.

    “We are pulling samples from all of our wells,” Ginyard said. “Meanwhile, we are going back to the residence (where the contaminated sample originated) and re-testing there, as well as testing their neighbors’ homes above and below them.”

    DHEC said three samples tested positive for total coliform, leading the Department to further test the samples for E. coli, which was found in one of the samples.

    People are asked to boil their water for at least one full minute before using it to prepare food or to drink.

    E. coli can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches. It can be potentially even more dangerous in small children.

    Ginyard said he expects the matter to be cleared up within five days.

  • Fairfield County Property Transactions: June 2012

    29014

    June 8 –

    6226 Heritage Road. From: Great Western Bank; To: Ernest Eugene Talford and Roxanne Talford; For: $137,500.

    29015

    May 31 –

    206 Shelton Road. From: Sawney’s Creek, LLC; To: Justin M. Wild; For: $200,000.

    June 8 –

    143 Brooks Drive. From: Barbara Charles; To: Ricky Allen Stent; For: $25,000.

    29016

    June 25 –

    392 Stoneridge Court, Lot 19. From: Helen B. Murray and Ronald S. Murray; To: Laura G. Hamilton and Troy Hamilton; For: $275,000.

    29031

    June 13—

    1919 Magie Harris Road and Mt. Olive Church Road & Maggie Harris Road. From: Joseph Miles Robinsons Jr.; To: American Land Resources; For: $250,000.

    29055

    June 4 –

    380 Forest Lakes Circle. From: Diane H. Hilton, Ann Marie H. Johnson and Terry B. Harrison; To: Brandon D. Black; For: $63,000.

    29065

    June 4 –

    Tyson Corners, Lot 3 and 3A. From: Founders Federal Credit Union; To: Brian Beverly and Johnny R. Beverly; For: $30,000.

    29130

    May 31 –

    287 S. Roundtop Road. From: Sandra M. Raus; To: B and C Rentals, LLC; For: $32,500.

    June 1 –

    449 Dover Drive. From: Federal National Mortgage Association; To: James Crooks and Tanya Crooks; For: $260,000.

    June 26 –

    2233 Wateree Estates Road. From: Norma Frost Berry; To: Harry G. Berry; For: $75,000.

    208 N. Dutchman Creek Road. From: John Lear George III; To: Norman Weizer and Diane R. Weizer; For: $170,000.

    228 N. Dutchman Creek Road. From: Michelle S. Thomas and Mark S. Thomas; To: Norman Weizer and Diane R. Weizer; For: $265,000.

    29180

    May 30 –

    199 Belvedere Court. From: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.; To: Marie B. Melton; For: $32,500.

    June 1 –

    203 Palmetto Ave. From: Linda F. Fikas; To: Jacqueline M. Miller, Beth H. Miller and William Jason Maurer; For: $82,000.

    2427 Great North Road. From: Douglas R. Huffstetler and Cynthia T. Huffstetler; To: Wendi Lilly-Bare and Blake Bare; For: $219,900.

    June 4 –

    425 A and 425 B Poplar Street. From: Nolan D. Hennessee and C. Christie Hennessee; To: Gregory Butler Sr. and Marilyn G. Butler; For: $35,000.

    June 7 –

    146 and 148 S. Congress Street. From: Donald V. Walnock and Rebecca M. Walnock; To: Gwendolyn D. McDaniel; For: $30,000.

    June 14 –

    1841 Gum Springs Road. From: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.; To: Larry E. Lowman; For: $16,245.

    June 15 –

    134 Belvedere Court. From: Marie B. Melton; To: Leonard Peake; For: $34,145.

    June 26 –

    441 Golf Course Road. From: Federal National Mortgage Association; To: Leon Jordan and Flora Jordan; For: $15,500.

  • FMH Debuts Stroke Detection Program

    Fairfield Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the Telestroke Program is now available in our Emergency Department and has been since June 18. This can be a life-saving service for the possible stroke patients who present to the Emergency Department.

    A neurologist will tell you that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. The trick is getting a stroke recognized and diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours. This is difficult but possible.

    The Telestroke Program will make it easier for a possible stroke victim coming in the Emergency Department to receive treatment from a stroke specialist at Palmetto Richland Hospital through a wide-screen TV that is connected directly to the specialist. This will allow the doctor to screen the patient, make a diagnosis and prescribe appropriate medications/treatment in a timely manner.

    “We are very excited to have the Telestroke Program at Fairfield Memorial,” said Mike Williams, FMH CEO. “Our goal is to provide quality care to our citizens in the county and this is just another way that we can give appropriate care without sending these patients to Columbia.”

    Recognizing a Stroke:

    Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

    • Ask the person to SMILE.

    • Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (coherently).

    • Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

    If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

    There is now a new sign of a stroke: stick out your tongue. Ask the person to “stick” out his tongue. If the tongue is “crooked,” if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

    Understanding these symptoms could possibly save someone’s life. The more one knows, the better things will be!

  • Not Your Average Classroom

    Prevention Specialist Veronica Edmonds and Mr. Best’s eighth-grade class at Fairfield Middle School.

    If you were to walk into a class taught by Prevention Specialists Veronica Edmonds or Courtney Kilgore from Fairfield Behavioral Health Services, you might be surprised by what you saw: games, songs, prizes – it was not your average classroom experience.

    During the 2011-2012 school year, 679 students grades 4-9 participated in the Keepin’ It REAL (Refuse, Explain, Avoid, Leave) program, an evidence-based curriculum that teaches strategies for refusing alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, as well as important decision making and communication skills. Schools that received the program include Kelly Miller Elementary School, Geiger Elementary School, McCorey Liston Elementary School, Fairfield Middle School and Fairfield Central High School.

    A pre- and post-survey was administered to measure student’s attitudes and perceptions toward alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Data has been completed for students in classes from September to December 2011 and it was found that students’ perception of risk of harm while using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs increased significantly by 19.6 percent from pre- to post-test, meaning that students understand they could risk harming themselves or others if they use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. This was higher than the state percentage, which is 8.1 percent.

    Additionally, there was a 5.7 percent increase in decision-making skills from pre- to post-test, meaning that students learned how to make better decisions by completing the Keepin’ It REAL program, which also is higher than the state percentage, at 1.8 percent.

    Statistics are nice, but what does this really mean?

    Students in Fairfield County are learning, through activities, games, songs and winning prizes, that using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is risky, harmful, and that avoiding alcohol, tobacco or other drugs is the better decision to make, not just now but all through out their lifetime.

    That is why these Prevention Specialists did not have your average classroom; they were teaching life-long skills for decision making and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

  • Wateree residents treat Mongolians to Southern hospitality

    Odgerel, Amartuvshin, Lynne Noble, Enkhtsetseg, Ganbold and Rick Noble.

    As many of you who have attended a party at the Lake Wateree home of Rick and Lynne Noble can attest to, the event is always an affair to remember. For many years the Nobles have held a Flag Day party or a July 4th party with the yard decorated with flags of every nation, but this year’s celebration was a combination of many. The Nobles referred to this year’s party as a ‘welcome Lynne home from Mongolia day, Flag Day, Independence Day and welcome visitors from Mongolia to the United States day.’

    Noble has been kept very busy since her return from Mongolia for the second time. As a Fulbright scholar and professor of Early Childhood Education at Columbia College, she spoke of her recent travels to Mongolia at a Mongolian visitor’s luncheon last week at the Marriott Hotel in Columbia. Lynne’s work there consisted of teaching educators and teacher candidates. She has also been instrumental in fund raisers for additional Gers for the people of Magnolia.

    For those of you who do not know, a Ger is a building that is stocked with children’s books, magazines and games, as well as running activity, homework and reading sessions. The book Gers provide children with a place for reading in their spare time which encourages their interest in books, improving their reading skills. Some of the students take books to children who have physical impairments, unable to get to the Ger themselves. This has been a favorite project of both Lynne and Rick for some time. With help from friends and family, colleagues and their church family, they have been able to provide for one Ger and are in hopes of providing for another.

    During her time away Lynne had the opportunity to ride a camel, visit Darkhan (the second largest city in Mongolia) and went to inner Mongolia. Last year while there, she went to the Gobi Desert. Lynne knits, crochets and felts and is interested in learning yarn/felt art that exists in Ulaan Baator, Mongolia.

    When she returned home this time, she invited and hosted four of her fellow educators from Mongolia for a visit to the United States. It gave them an opportunity to share with Americans their way of life and an insight into their culture. They were involved in observation and conversation with Columbia College faculty, visited varsity graduate classes and took several excursions. Lynne took them to the zoo where they had a special tour and up close association with elephants, penguins and the Galapagos tortoises. They also visited the art museum, Edventure, the Richland County library, Charlotte, Charleston and the World Affairs Council luncheon.

    Mongolia, being land-locked, has lakes but no ocean. The visitors found great pleasure in putting their feet in the ocean while in Charleston. It was the first time in the United States for three of the visitors who range in ages from 30 to 50 years.

    The ladies names are Odgerel, Amartuvshin, Enkhtsetseg and the male is Ganbold. The Mongolian women do not use last names as we do – their last names are their father’s first name. Odgerel visited the USA many years ago as part of a program. All four of Noble’s guests attended church service Sunday morning at the Lake Wateree Presbyterian Church, USA where they were warmly greeted.

    Despite the 100-plus degree heat the day of the party, many turned out to meet and greet the guests. To cool off the party-goers, Rick made several trips out with the pontoon boat while some swam. Lynne cooked hotdogs and guests brought dishes to compliment them. There were many salads, roll-ups, chips and dips and desserts. The Mongolians remarked how much they love American food.

    They arrived on June 21 and returned to their own country on July 5. They were friendly, charming people and interesting to talk to. I know Lynne and Rick showed them the same hospitality that they extended to Lynne during her two trips to their country, just as they did for Rick when he visited there last year.

  • Charter School Hits Snag

    Leaders of the Midlands STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Institute (MSI), a free public Charter School planned for Fairfield County, recently met with State Department of Education’s Charter School Advisory Committee. The meeting was held to determine if the free public Charter School would be granted a charter to open in the Fall of 2013.

    The start date of Charter School has been pushed back to the Fall of 2014, due to the lack of community support.

    “I got the idea to open a charter school in Fairfield County in December 2011 and met with S.C. Public Charter School District superintendent Dr. Wayne Brazell in January 2012,” said Kevin Thomas, chairman of the MSI planning committee. “Even though we were late in the process for approval this year, I was encouraged to apply for a Charter in Fairfield County and did so. We completed the application process in three months, where the average application is done in 16 months.”

    Despite the time constraints, the committee fashioned a strong proposal, said Thomas, but did hit one snag – community involvement.

    “During the application process, we were told that the charter application we submitted was very good, actually in the top third of applications submitted,” he said. “The problem with the application was the number of parents who signed a letter of interest to possibly send their children to MSI.”

    “STEM offers students the opportunity to work in a hands-on learning environment focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Planning Committee member Marie Milam. “That’s where the jobs are going to be.”

    In an attempt to get the word out about the charter school, three articles were written in the local newspaper, three interviews were conducted with local TV news stations, a community information session was held in which only 10 people attended, an information booth was set up at the Blair Parade and Family Day, a Facebook page was set up to disseminate information, a phone call was made to every church in Fairfield County to garner support, and an e-mail list was established to keep interested parties informed.

    “We are determined to give the children and parents of Fairfield and surrounding counties a choice in their education,” said Thomas. “MSI will be a cutting-edge education targeting the skills needed for the jobs of the future, such as ones at V.C. Summer. If the communities of Fairfield, Chester, Kershaw, and Richland counties want the Midlands STEM Institute to open, they will have to help the planning committee gather signatures of parents of children who will be in Kindergarten-fifth grade in 2014 (3-8 years old now). Our target number of signatures is 175, at least 27 per grade.”

    Students from surrounding counties are eligible to attend MSI.

    If you are interested in helping with our signature drive please contact MSI Planning Committee Chairman Kevin Thomas at 803-361-1228 or midlandssteminstitute@gmail.com.

  • State Democrats Deny McDaniel Protest

    The Chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party has denied a request for a hearing to protest the results of the June 26 runoff election in the Democratic Primary for the District 41 seat in the S.C. State House.

    Annie E. McDaniel, who lost to MaryGail Douglas by 742 votes in the June 26 runoff, submitted the request for a hearing to the State Party June 28. Dick Harpootlian, Chairman of the State Democratic Party, issued a denial in a letter dated July 2.

    “Your request has been denied on the grounds that your complaint is improperly based on S.C. Code Section 7-17-560, which merely applies to the procedure by which a candidate my protest the results of an election, and not to whether or not a candidate improperly appears on the ballot seeking party nomination,” Harpootlian’s letter states.

    McDaniel’s campaign claimed in their request for a hearing that Douglas was not properly certified by the Fairfield County Democratic Party to appear on the ballot and that Douglas failed to file a Statement of Economic Interest (SEI) at the same time that she filed her Statement of Intention for Candidacy (SIC) in accordance with a June ruling by the S.C. Supreme Court (Florence County Democratic Party vs. Florence County Republican Party).

    Ernest Yarborough, who is serving as a media consultant for the McDaniel campaign on the issue, said he was confused by Harpootlian’s decision.

    “Once a candidate files a protest, the State Party must meet and hold a hearing,” Yarborough said. “They don’t have any choice. They don’t have the authority to deny a hearing.”

    According to S.C. Code Section 7-17-560, “The state executive committee must meet in Columbia at such place as may be designated by the chairman to hear and decide protests and contests that may arise in the case of federal officers, state officers, State Senate, State House of Representatives, and officers involving more than one county.”

    Yarborough noted that the law states “must,” and referred to a similar protest filed June 12 with the State Republican Party by District 3 Representative B.R. Skelton. Like McDaniel, Skelton requested his hearing under 7-17-560 and was heard by the State Republicans.

    “If you look at (Skelton’s protest), he did the exact same thing,” Yarborough said, “and he got a hearing with the Republican Party.”

    The State GOP this week overturned the results in the District 3 primary, naming Skelton the winner over Ed Harris.

    Yarborough said that McDaniel will likely have to ask the Party to reconsider, but because of Harpootlian’s decision, McDaniel’s case has become suddenly more complex.

    “Now the question becomes how can she get a fair hearing after the Chairman denied her initial hearing,” Yarborough said. “This is a bigger issue now. The question is if Annie McDaniel is getting any justice.”

    Yarborough said that 7-17-560 is the only statute by which a candidate can file a protest, that the Party has no choice other than to hold a hearing and then judge the protest on its merits.

    Sources said Tuesday afternoon that McDaniel plans to appeal the decision.

    Attempts to reach Harpootlian were unsuccessful at press time.

  • Drug Raid Snuffs Out Minor Grow Operation

    A Winnsboro man was arrested earlier this month and charged with manufacturing marijuana after investigators with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office discovered six marijuana plants on his property on Douglas Road.

    According to an incident report from the Sheriff’s Office, Troy Richard Moore, 45, of 1076 Douglas Road was apprehended June 13 after the Sheriff’s Office and agents from the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) raided the property and found the plants. Moore was taken into custody and transported to the Fairfield County Detention Center. The plants were later destroyed.

    “Marijuana eradication is something we concentrate on every spring and summer,” said Capt. Brad Douglas of the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office. “Fairfield County is a very rural area and is naturally conducive to marijuana cultivation. It’s something the Sheriff takes very seriously and we dedicate some time to it every spring and summer.”

    Douglas added that the Douglas Road raid was the byproduct of a search for a much larger grow operation.

  • Tighter Codes Putting Fairfield County Staff to the Test

    Fairfield County’s new building codes are putting a strain on existing staff, and during the June 25 meeting of County Council, County Administrator Phil Hinely informed Council of his intent to bring on help.

    “Recently Council updated the zoning and building codes to reflect the current national codes, and added an initiative to address the existing buildings in deteriorating condition,” Hinely said.

    The additional workload created by updating the zoning and building codes has not, by itself, been significant enough to warrant additional staffing, Hinely said, but the more stringent codes regarding existing buildings have stretched the effectiveness of the County’s two code enforcement officers.

    “Unfortunately, we have a large inventory of existing housing stock that is in violation, and we don’t have any additional staff to take care of that,” Hinely said. “Without that (additional staff) it will take us years to realize our outcome.”

    Hinely said the current director of planning and zoning is planning to retire in the next two years and suggested creating an assistant director position in order to train an individual to replace the director. When the current director retires, the assistant would be promoted to director and the assistant director position would be deleted.

    “When we know we have someone who is in a critical management position in the County, we should bring someone in to understudy him,” Hinely said. “He (the current director) has a lot of institutional history and knowledge.”

    Hinely said it was his plan to divide the department into two sections – building inspection, and planning and zoning/code enforcement – and hire two additional code enforcement officers.

    “The new codes are a lot more broad and touch a lot more people,” Hinely said, “and to give people due process, it takes longer to go through process.”

    “If we don’t get additional staff, is it the end of the world?” Hinely asked, rhetorically. “No. But the things you want done are not going to get done.”

    Hinely said he also plans to have additional legal assistance lined up in order to combat any potential litigation as the County begins enforcement of the tougher codes.

    “Some of the worst property in this county is right here on (Highway) 321,” Council Chairman David Ferguson said. “You can look straight across the street and (see) a boarded-up house right on 321, the main thoroughfare to get to the town of Winnsboro, right across the street from our headquarters. One of the worst environments in the county is right across the street. It’s because we’ve got two code enforcement officers and a million things for them to look at.”

    Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley said the new codes went hand in hand with potential economic development.

    “When Sumter County had a big industry that wanted to come in there, they went into the neighborhoods before anybody knew they were in town,” Kinley said. “If they did that here, they would tuck and run from Fairfield County if they came down this thoroughfare. We’ve let them get by with too much for too long. There are going to be a lot of growing pains, but we will all benefit.”

    Council asked Hinely to provide detailed job descriptions for the proposed new code enforcement officers, and requested that the new officers be certified as Class 3 officers, with the ability to issue citations, within a reasonable amount of time after hire. A final OK on the matter was tabled until Council’s next meeting.

    Council also discussed a possible revision to their policy concerning subdivision development. Council said they have encountered problems with developers who, when ground was broken on their subdivisions, signed a document pledging to not ask the County for services, including paved roads or the repair of those roads. But, after development is completed, residents, who may have been unaware of such a provision, have come to Council asking for services.

    In fact, at the outset of the meeting, a resident of Reservoir Road asked Council to come in and patch up roads in her subdivision.

    “That’s the way it was with Paradise Lane,” Ferguson said, referring to a similar issue encountered by Council in the past. “We will do everything we can to get it rectified. We can’t just go out there and fix it because the property was never deeded to the County. There’s not a quick, fast, in-a-hurry fix to it because you have to work through all the legal stuff.”

    Hinely suggested Council may want to consider modifying the existing subdivision ordinance to the effect that if developers do not get the deed recorded, they will not be able to acquire a building permit.