Blythewood Online 691

Category: News

  • McDaniel Campaign Protests Runoff

    The runner-up in last week’s Democratic primary runoff for the District 41 seat in the S.C. State House has filed a protest with the state party.

    Annie E. McDaniel, who lost to MaryGail Douglas by nearly 1,000 votes in the June 26 runoff, filed a protest with the State Democratic Party Friday, claiming that Douglas did not file her Statement of Economic Interest (SEI) at the same time she filed her Statement of Intention for Candidacy (SIC), as mandated by a recent ruling of the S.C. Supreme Court (Anderson v. S.C. Election Commission).

    “The Court clarified that filing a paper copy of an SEI simultaneously with the filing of an SIC is the only method by which a non-exempt candidate can comply,” McDaniel’s protest states.

    The McDaniel campaign also states that the Fairfield County Democratic Party did not hold a meeting in order to properly certify candidates following the Court’s decision.

    Ernest Yarborough, who is acting as media consultant for the McDaniel campaign, said the issue is simply about the rule of law.

    “No one is above the law,” Yarborough said. “MaryGail Douglas slipped through the cracks, and that’s not fair. She should simply resign.”

    Tangee Bryce Jacobs, Chairwoman of the Fairfield County Democratic Party, could not be reached for comment; however, an official inside the County Party, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the County Party has never met, nor was it ever instructed to meet, in order to certify candidates.

    “We followed the State Party’s instructions to the letter,” the Party official said.

    Furthermore, the Party official added, Douglas did, in fact, file all of her paperwork on time and in accordance with the Court’s ruling.

    “All of my paperwork was filed properly,” Douglas said Monday. “I really don’t understand. There are people who live in chaos and when things don’t go their way, there’s a trigger they pull and aim it at whoever gets in their way. They like to throw fits, and this is a Fairfield County fit. This sort of thing seems to follow some people.”

    McDaniel is requesting that the State Party declare Douglas ineligible as a candidate. She is also requesting that subpoenas be issued to County Party officials, with a request for them to appear with all records at a hearing to establish the allegations.

    Phone calls to McDaniel, as well as to the State Party, were not returned at press time.

  • USC Hires New Blythewood Barn Manager

    The USC equestrian program has hired Andrea Tito to be the Gamecock’s new barn manager at its Blythewood training and competition facility, head coach Boo Major announced this week.

    As USC’s barn manager, Tito will oversee the day-to-day operations at One Wood Farm on Syrup Mill Road and supervise the care of the horses.

    “We have the top facility in the country and have a wonderful barn staff in place, and we are glad to have Andrea running our barn operations in Blythewood,” Major said.

    A native of Saline, Mich., Tito graduated from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C. in May with a degree in Biology with a specialization in Equine Science. She competed on the school’s intercollegiate dressage team as well as IHSA Western during her junior year. In addition, she worked at the university’s equestrian center for four years.

  • Columbia Police Patrol Blythewood for a Day

    City of Columbia police officers William Mayes, left, Melissa Reck and Ronnie Arnold (a Blythewood community resident) pose in their Post Office parking lot ‘patrol center’ June 30. Not pictured are Sergeant C. B. Williams and Master Patrol Officer Paul Myers.

    Blythewood residents may have noticed a swarm of Columbia City Police patrol cars in the Blythewood Post Office parking lot June 30, from about 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

    That was the headquarters for the day of the City of Columbia Drug Suppressant Team that filled in for Richland County Sheriff’s deputies who normally patrol Blythewood.

    The deputies were off to attend the funeral of S.C. National Guardsman, First Lt. Ryan Rawl, a  member of Richland County law enforcement, who died last week in Afghanistan when his unit was attacked by a suicide bomber.

  • $5 million civil penalty imposed on Katie Cauthen

    The N.C. Department of Insurance (NCDOI) has proposed that the state’s Commissioner of Insurance impose a civil penalty of $4,975,000 on Kathleen Cauthen, a former Blythewood Town Councilwoman, for what the Department said was Cauthen’s part in “orchestrat[ing] a fraudulent insurance scheme that allegedly defrauded thousands of individuals nationwide, including at least 498 North Carolina residents.”

    The order was signed by Anne Goco Kirby, Assistant Attorney General for the N.C. Department of Justice Feb. 2 and issued to Cauthen March 2.

    Similar penalties were imposed on at least 14 other individuals and companies that the Department says were associated with the alleged scheme.

    In 2010, a number of states, including South Carolina and North Carolina, filed cease and desist orders against Cauthen and others, claiming they sold limited benefit medical plans backed by non-existent insurance to unsuspecting consumers through associations.

    The NCDOI said it does not know the actual total amount of premiums collected from N.C. residents for what it called bogus and non-existent coverage.

    “However, the affidavit of Jeff Jacobs, chief legal counsel of the SC Department of Insurance, indicates that between February 2008 and April 2010, Cauthen and William Worthy collected in excess of $10,000,000 in insurance premiums.”

    These figures include premiums that the NCDOI claims were collected from the 498 N.C. residents who purchased the alleged bogus limited medical insurance.

    According to the NCDOI’s Memorandum on Penalties for Violations of NCGS 58-28-13, these premiums were wired to various accounts controlled by Worthy, Cauthen and/or an individual named David L. Clark, and were never remitted to an insurer.

    Instead, according to the Memorandum, these respondents used a portion of the premiums to pay claims, and Cauthen also used a portion of the premium money to pay employees she allegedly hired to act as customer service representatives.

    The order states that “Worthy and Cauthen used the remaining premiums of at least $5,498,500 for personal and unrelated business expenditures.”

    The NCDOI asked that the maximum penalty be imposed against Cauthen, Worthy and Clark of $5,000 for the first violation and $10,000 for each subsequent violation.

    The NCDOI also asked that each of the 498 N.C. residents known to have purchased the phony insurance . . . be regarded as a separate violation by these respondents.

    “Under this formula, the total proposed penalties for Worthy, Cauthen and Clark is $4,975,000 each.”

    Cauthen was elected to the Blythewood Town Council in January 2008 and announced in August 2010 that she would not seek re-election in January 2012.

  • Blythewood Man Killed on I-20

    Richland County Coroner Gary Watts has released the name of the Blythewood man who was struck and killed Wednesday night, June 27, on I-20 westbound near the 72 mile marker around 11 p.m.

    John W. Davis, 59, of Langford Road, Blythewood, was struck by multiple vehicles while in the roadway and died at the scene. A disabled vehicle belonging to the victim was located a half-mile away on the eastbound side of I-20, possibly explaining why he was in the roadway, Watts said.

  • Which Ridgeway Merchant is a Former Playboy Bunny?

    Denise Jones: Cotton Yard MarketCharlene Herring: Ridgeway Mayor
    Tina Johnson: Over the Top
    Margaret Kreiling: Just Around the Corner
    Carol Branham: Deanne’s Creations
    Carol Allen: :alura's Tea Room
    Judy Miller: Just Around the Corner
    Jenny Price: Cotton Yard Market

    If you frequent Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, you know its proprietor, Carol Allen, offers a daily schedule of High Teas, Cream Teas, Wee Teas and other Teas.

    She also plans a number of special tea events throughout the year for which reservations are made weeks in advance if one hopes to snag a seat at the tea table.

    On Friday, July 13, Allen will offer her customers a delightful summer Bunny Tea.

    The guest entertainment at this special tea event will be a fun-loving Ridgeway merchant who, during the 1960s, was a Playboy Bunny – not to be confused with Playboy Playmates, who appear on the pages of Playboy magazine. No, siree. Playboy Bunnies served drinks in Playboy Clubs that were popular, particularly in big cities, around the country in the 1960s and ‘70s.

    As the Merchant Bunny will impart to the tea guests, however, aside from skimpy costumes and oversized, black satin bunny ears, Playboy Bunnies, in their heyday, were more than very keen waitresses. They were fairly steeped in good manners and old-fashioned etiquette.

    According to the Merchant Bunny, “The Bunny’s job was defined by her training. We were trained by Bunny Mothers, former Bunnies who, at the age of 25, were deemed too old to Bunny.

    “Our Bunny Mothers taught us everything about being a Bunny, how to present ourselves, apply makeup, stand, walk, dip, reach and even how to focus intently on serving our tables with every attention to detail, always the hallmark of a good hostess.”

    And the Merchant Bunny will pass along these and other helpful hostessing tips to her audience as they sip and smile.

    “While those over 50 may recall having a dim view, back then, of the fleshy aspect of Playboy Bunnies,” the Merchant Bunny points out that the Bunnies, “strictly adhered to the role of hostessing sweetly, silently and without sniffing or stumbling.

    “We had to be perfect all the time,” she recalled. “Perfect ears, perfect posture, perfect service. Everything had to be perfect. Our cotton tails were not attached to the costume until AFTER we got dressed, because the tails had to be attached just so-so, not too high, not too low. Perfecting the attachment of the cotton tail was stressful!”

    It was after visiting a Playboy Club on Lindell Avenue in St. Louis with a friend that the Ridgeway Merchant Bunny, at the age of 24, decided to apply for the high-paying, glam job. Much to her surprise, she was hired a week later.

    She soon learned that being a Bunny was hard work with many rules. And there were strict standards for customers as well.

    “Undercover agents in tuxedoes kept an eye out that no one touched or bothered us in any way,” she said. “We were treated like princesses.”

    She also recalls the fun of meeting many of the celebrities who visited the Club including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Carol Channing, Dean Martin and others.

    But at the ripe old age of 26 (“I actually worked one extra year before they realized how old I was”), before the passage of age-descrimination laws in this country, the Merchant Bunny had to turn in her ears and fluffy white cotton tail…too old to continue her Bunny duties.

    Then she became a Bunny Mother.

    “But being a Bunny Mother was hard work and NO fun, plus it didn’t pay as well,” she said, laughing about some aspects of her second-fiddle role.

    “The Bunnies had to have help just getting those costumes on,” she said. “They had so much boning in them that they stood up perfectly even when they were not being worn – not to mention how much work it was attaching the bunny tails!”

    “Besides teaching Bunnies how to  apply make up, stand, serve, etc., we also mended fishnet stockings and handled other mundane emergencies.

    “We taught them every thing about being a Bunny, just as we had learned from our Bunny Mothers.”

    For more tips on Bunny etiquette and hostessing and to learn the identity of the Ridgeway Merchant Bunny, reserve a seat now for the summer Bunny Tea at Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, Friday, July 13. There will be only one seating for the three-course High Tea. There will be take-homes, handouts and giveaways as always. And don’t forget – seating will limited for this event, so reservations are a must. Call 803-337-8594.

  • Shives Family Buys Back Funeral Home

    E. Randolph Shives III

    A member of the Shives family, former owners of Shives Funeral Home, has bought the business back from Service Corporation International (SCI), a national owner and operator of funeral homes that bought the local business in 1999.

    Randolph Shives III returns Shives Funeral Home to being one of the few family-owned, family-operated funeral homes among its competitors in Richland and Lexington counties.

    The decision to buy back the business from SCI comes on the heels of Shives’ most successful year in business to date.

    “I am excited to be given the opportunity to return our family-named business back to being a family-owned business,” said Shives, the company’s new owner and president.

    “In an age when all we hear about is corporate buy-outs and the demise of small businesses in our city, I am proud to be in a position to bring a small business back home,” Shives said.

    In late 1900s Shives Funeral Home, like most of the area’s other larger family-owned funeral homes, followed industry trends of corporate consolidation.

    “When the opportunity arose to purchase the company back, it was perfect timing,” Shives said. “I realized that the best way to offer the highest level of personalized services to our customers could only be achieved by making decisions on the local level.”

    Randolph Shives and his uncle, Bill Shives, of Blythewood, bring a combined 75-plus years of experience to serve their growing customer base.

    “We have always been here for the folks in the Blythewood community and our goal is to give them service that can’t be matched by anyone else,” said Bill Shives.

    For more information on Shives Funeral Home, visit www.shivesfuneralhome.com.

  • Celebrate First Friday in Ridgeway

    Ridgeway merchants will celebrate America on July 6, from 4 – 9 p.m., with an explosive First Friday night of sales, live music, fun and surprises.

    The shops will feature an Americana theme: “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet,” with each shop offering some aspect of America at its best.

    The Thomas Company will offer hot dogs at a great price. Over the Top Boutique and Deanne’s Creations will be serving up free apple pie. The Cotton Yard Market will offer all manner of free baseball paraphernalia and over in The Cotton Yard, in front of the Just Around the Corner consignment shop, shoppers will find a display of Chevrolets from the past.

    Live music will be provided throughout the evening by E. C. Harrelson.

    If you and your family are looking for a fun Friday evening, Ridgeway is where the fun will be.

  • The community says good-bye to Ryan Fleming

    The lines were long throughout the day as the community filed through the Masonic Lodge to purchase BBQ plates to help defray the expenses of Ryan Fleming’s funeral.

    After Ryan Fleming, 23, of Blythewood, died in a traffic accident on Saturday, June 23, the community came together at his funeral the following Wednesday at 11 a.m.,  to say good-bye and mourn a young life cut short.

    One week later, on Saturday, June 30, the community came together again – this time to raise the funds to pay for that funeral.

    “It was something we wanted to do for him and his family,” said Ryan’s longtime friend D. W. Price, who was one of  several friends who organized a barbecue fundraiser at the Blythewood Masonic Lodge.

    In only four days, Price, Brandon Peake, Robert Perry, Paul Baughman, Bill Sharpe Jr., Gregg Hendricks and others marshalled their energy and resourcefulness and got the message out about the fund raiser via flyers and phone.

    On Saturday, the sun was shining brightly as the pickup trucks began to turn into the Lodge parking lot. They kept arriving until late in the day.

    As long lines formed, the barbecue began to run out. Still they came. In the end, many left donations without taking any food.

    At the end of the day, Ryan’s friends had raised over $11,000 for his funeral expenses, and members of the community had joined together to do what they could for one of their own.

  • New Family Takes Reins at Lake Wateree Restaurant

    Chriss Arledge, manager; David and Marcia Pressley, owners; Charlie Cline, cook.

    The residents of Lake Wateree and surrounding areas must be very excited once again about the opening of the restaurant at Colonel Creek. The restaurant, located at 12143 River Road, is named Colonel’s Creek Grill. The adjoining market opened by Ken Boone and a business partner in May of 2005 is still going strong. The restaurant, on the other hand, has had several different proprietors. It first opened in May 2005, re-opened with new people in April 2009 and again in February of 2010. Let us hope that the new folks will stay for a long time.

    They are not strangers to the restaurant business, having been in business for 34 years. Many of you know them already. They live at the lake and have catered for many events at the lake and parts of Fairfield County, the Dutchman Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Wateree Home Owners Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation banquet at the Old Armory in Winnsboro, the Hunt Club and many individuals.

    The new proprietors are David and Marcia Pressley. Their former restaurant, named Parklane Seafood once located on Parklane Road in Columbia, later moved to Leesburg Road. David was born in Monroe, N.C. and Marcia is from Horry County. Pressley went to work at a friend’s grill when he was just 11 years of age to make a little spending money. By the time he was 15 years old he was doing some of the cooking.

    David was working at the beach doing summer work when Marcia caught his eye and they hit it off right away. The couple will celebrate their 40th anniversary in August. They have two daughters, one living in Seattle and the other in Columbia. They also have two grandsons.

    David is an avid hunter, but not fishing so much. Being in the seafood business for so many years he said he sees his share of fish all day. Marcia enjoys spending any spare time she has being with or doing for the grandchildren. The couple had a great tragedy befall them six weeks ago when their lake home on Kingfisher Road burned down. The cabin adjoining the house was saved, but they lost everything else. They are currently living in a hotel in Columbia until their home can be rebuilt. On top of that terrible loss, David had a large deer jump in front of his vehicle on the night of June 22. Fortunately he was not injured, but as he said, “Sometimes I feel that there is a big black cloud hanging over my head.” But not so with the restaurant, from the comments I have heard from lake residents, friends and church family. The restaurant serves very good food at affordable prices and they still do a large catering business.

    The new restaurant opened June 6 and has been received with much excitement. It is open Wednesday through Sunday at 11:30 a.m. serving lunch and dinner, closing at 9:30 p.m. David and Marcia Presley are both warm and friendly people with the interest of the lake people at heart. They are happy to be at the lake and the folks in the area are happy to have them there.

    The Lake Wateree, Ridgeway and surrounding area residents will certainly support the new restaurant. With its opening and the Windmill Restaurant that has been in operation for a long time and The Retreat, the area residents now have several choices for dining.

    Welcome and good luck to Marcia and David Pressley and their Colonel’s Creek Grill and we hope that you are around for a very long time.