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  • High-Speed Chase Ends in Fiery Crash

    Deputy Pulls Unconscious Woman from Burning Car

    WINNSBORO – A high-speed chase ended in an explosive two-car crash Saturday near the intersection of Highway 34/200 and the 321 Bypass.
    Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery said the chase began around 3:30 p.m. in Blackstock near the Chester County line when the S.C. Highway Patrol attempted to make a traffic stop on a 1995 Toyota Camry driven by Roosevelt Huff, 50, of Columbia. Huff raced south down Highway 321 toward Winnsboro. The Highway Patrol called the Sheriff’s Office for assistance, specifically asking that traffic be held up near Fairfield Elementary School.
    But before deputies could arrive at Fairfield Elementary, the Camry had roared on toward the intersection of Highway 34/200 and the 321 Bypass. The Camry sped through a red light there, striking a 2007 Nissan Altima broadside just as deputies arrived. Both cars plummeted down the embankment on the western side of the road and burst into flames.
    Huff was immediately arrested while deputies pulled a passenger in the Altima to safety. The female driver, however, had been knocked unconscious in the collision and was strapped into the front seat by her safety belt as the fire grew around her. Fire and EMS crews arrived and smashed out the driver side window. Deputy Brad Rolfe was then able to cut the seat belt and rescue squad crews pulled the victim from the car just as the Altima became fully engulfed in flames.
    All three were transported to Palmetto Richland Hospital. Huff was released with minor bruises to the Fairfield County Detention Center. The female victim was in critical condition, Montgomery said, but has since been upgraded to stable condition. The passenger in the Altima had a broken hip and appeared to have other minor injuries, but his condition deteriorated and he died from his injuries Tuesday evening.
    Lexington County’s Traffic Division is investigating the crash. Official charges against Huff were not available at press time.

  • Magnet School Earns High Marks in the Arts

    Art Smarts – Kimi B. Daly (back row, center), Art teacher at Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science, and her students: Makayla Mann, Gianna Rhodes, Kimi Daly, Reniya Lyles, Tiauna Turner, Sharmelle Holmes, Caniya Brown, Paige English, Tavetria Amponsah, Layla Metts, Senai Greene, Trinity Skye, Tyus Armstrong, Skyla Hart, Alexia Hernandez and Jazzalyn McConnell. The Magnet School recently received the highest scores in the state in both Art and Music. (Photo/Stephanie Boswell)
    Art Smarts –
    Kimi B. Daly (back row, center), Art teacher at Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science, and her students: Makayla Mann, Gianna Rhodes, Kimi Daly, Reniya Lyles, Tiauna Turner, Sharmelle Holmes, Caniya Brown, Paige English, Tavetria Amponsah, Layla Metts, Senai Greene, Trinity Skye, Tyus Armstrong, Skyla Hart, Alexia Hernandez and Jazzalyn McConnell. The Magnet School recently received the highest scores in the state in both Art and Music. (Photo/Stephanie Boswell)

    WINNSBORO (Nov. 17, 2016) – Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science has received the highest scores in the state for both Art and Music for last year’s S.C. Arts Assessment Program (SCAAP). SCAAP is a part performance-based and part computer-based standardized test where students are asked to show their knowledge in their creative field, including techniques, genres and mediums.

    “It is a huge honor to have the highest scores in even one of the arts areas, but I don’t know if there has ever been a school to receive the highest scores in both!” Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts for the Fairfield County School District Julianne Neal told The Voice in an email.

    It took long hours and dedication from Kimi Daly’s fourth-grade art classes and Latasha Watson’s music students, but the effort paid off in top marks and state-wide recognition.

    “I put their little noses to the grindstone and we researched artists and held many in-depth class discussions. We practiced and experimented with different mediums and produced many amazing 2-D and 3-D art pieces,” Daly said.

    “Mrs. Daly continues to inspire her students to shine through a number of different opportunities and has an amazing talent in bringing out the very best in each of them,” Neal said in her email.

    Watson, who recently moved to Virginia, made great strides in building up the music program and pushing her students to work to their greatest potential, Neal added.

    “We are missing her,” Neal said in her email.

    The test itself challenges students, both in music and in art, to focus on many different areas of their creative passion and makes them look at the arts from all angles, Daly told The Voice. She said she not only teaches the basics of art, but also how to apply art to other subjects in school and to future career paths that her students could take. The SCAAP pulls from many different areas of art to make sure students are getting a well-rounded education, Daly said.

    “[The SCAAP] asks you questions just like any other test. In science they might ask you questions about vibrations, and our test might say, ‘What are tertiary colors?’ So this minute thing in the middle of everything else we study is asked,” Daly said.

    Daly’s students don’t seem to mind putting in the extra work. When The Voice visited the hallowed art room, students came through the door in a steady stream to ask for more time to work on their art and to see if they could stay after school to get the hang of new techniques.

    “Many of my gifted art students are perfectionists and so I give them my time after school to complete their projects that require more than our 50-minute classes allow,” Daly said. While she doesn’t receive any supplemental pay for her extra time, she said, “the rewards of the heart are great.”

    Many of her students, Daly said, want to be creating all the time. Unfortunately, crafting masterpiece after masterpiece with no reprieve for lessons wouldn’t allow time to prepare for the SCAAP and finish the designated standards assigned to the art department each year.

    “It was hard on the fourth-graders last year,” Daly said. “They don’t like taking tests, they like to actually do art. I know that I have [the SCAAP] in March, and there are so many things I have to get to. So when they’re like, ‘Mrs. Daly, you told us we could paint!’ I have to say that after the test we can do whatever projects you want to do, but first we have to prepare for the test.”

    To see her students gain new skills and face the challenge of a difficult standardized test, only to get the highest scores in the state, fills Daly with pride and joy.

    “I live the dream every day watching my students come to their potential and surpass with excellence with a higher level of thinking that creative endeavors extend,” Daly said. “This is what sets them apart. They don’t work for grades. They create from their love of the arts.”

     

  • Parade, Tourney Get A-Tax Funds

    BLYTHEWOOD (Nov. 17, 2016) – The Accommodation Tax (A-Tax) Committee convened on Nov. 9 with only four members present – three of them newly appointed to the Committee – but enough for a quorum to hear two applicants seeking funds for the 2016 Blythewood Christmas Parade and the 2017 South Carolina Diamond Invitational baseball tournament.

    Paul Richter addressed the Committee on behalf of two groups that will be organizing the parade this year – the Knights of Columbus Council 13713 and the Transfiguration Church. Richter, a member of both groups, made the pitch for the parade, asking for $6,496, which he said should cover 80 percent of the parade’s expenses this year. The other 20 percent ($1,624), Richter said, is expected to come from entry fees, which are $25 per entry. Schools and elected officials are exempt from entry fees.

    Richter said the parade committee will come primarily from within the two organizations and that the parade will be returning to an all-volunteer cast of workers this year. Last year it was organized by the Blythewood Chamber of Commerce.

    There will be three levels of parade sponsorships – gold ($250), silver ($175) and bronze ($100). Richter explained that $3,000 of the A-Tax award from the Town had been budgeted for the purchase of sponsor gifts consisting of plaques, coasters and note cards from the State Museum.

    “The beneficiary of the sponsor proceeds will be the Christian Assistance Bridge (CAB),” Richter said. “They will receive all of the proceeds beyond the parade expenses.”

    Richter said he did not know how many sponsors to expect because the Chamber did not maintain a list of how many parade sponsors there were last year.

    The Committee unanimously approved the full $6,496 award.

    Rick Lucas, representing the 2017 South Carolina Diamond Invitational, requested a $20,000 A-Tax award, which he said would amount to 51 percent of the event’s revenue. Another $19,600 in revenue will come from entry fees, concessions, merchandise, admission and program advertisements for a total revenue of $39,600.

    Lucas said the tournament expects to spend $31,300 for lodging and meals for the teams, advertisement, promotion and other tournament expenses, leaving a net income of $8,300.

    Lucas said that the tournament exposes players to collegiate and professional scouts and is primarily a fundraising event for the Blythewood High School baseball program. Lucas said that 80 percent of the $20,000 requested will be directed back into local businesses.

    The Committee approved the full $20,000 award for the Invitational.

     

  • Council votes to rescind C1

    RIDGEWAY – As Russ Brown awaits the rezoning of .82 acres at the fork of highway 21 and 34 in downtown Ridgeway, Town Council last week, following their attorney’s instructions, rescinded their Aug. 11 vote to OK the rezoning and sent the request back to the Planning Commission for reconsideration.
    Brown’s request for rezoning from R1 to C2 cleared the Planning Commission 5-2 on July 12, but was amended by Council, with Brown’s approval, at their Aug. 11 meeting to a C1 request. That amended request passed first reading 3-2. Second reading, which came on the heels of a formal protest by nearby property owners, failed 1-3.
    Attorney Danny Crowe advised Council that they had erred in considering an amended request and advised them to rescind those votes. Council should have only considered the C2 request recommended by the Planning Commission.
    But Rick Johnson, Ridgeway’s new Zoning Administrator, told Council during their Nov. 10 meeting that he could see no way Brown’s property could meet the criteria for C2 zoning.
    “It is .82 acres, which is not large enough to support the 2 acre rule,” Johnson said. “There are exceptions to that that could be met, and in this case the exception that could be considered is extension of existing district boundaries. The property is not contiguous to any other C2 property, and for that reason as Zoning Administrator I cannot recommend that property be rezoned to C2.”
    After Council voted to rescind their previous vote on the matter and send it back to the Planning Commission, Mayor Charlene Herring said Brown could appeal the Zoning Administrator’s decision to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Brown could also withdraw his original C2 request and reapply for a C1 zoning classification, in which case, Herring said, Brown would not have to wait the standard six months.

    Water Tank

    During public comment, Jon Ward presented Council with a letter from the Merchants Association asking Council to rethink plans for replacing the existing water tank.

    “The Merchants Association is very concerned about the water tower coming down. We do not want to see it come down,” Ward said.

    Ward said the water tank was an icon that was a draw to visitors.

    “It’s old, yes; but it needs to stand where it is,” she said. “I think the Merchants Association has recommended that an alternative location be considered for that. Once you lose something historical, of an historical nature, it cannot be replaced.”

    Councilman Doug Porter later said alternative sites would be considered, but noted that a new tank was necessary.

    “We’re just going to have to deal with this,” Porter said.

    Herring said the Town had received a Rural Infrastructure Authority grant for $500,000 to replace the tank. The Town would have to front $97,550 for engineering services, geotechnical services, DHEC fees and contingencies. An alternative site could add to those costs, she said.

    “We know the community has concerns about removing the tower, even though you can’t fill it all the way up, there’s holes and you can’t wax it anymore,” Herring said. “If you tried to repair it, you’d create more holes.”

    Herring asked the Water Committee to investigate the possibilities of placing the new tank at a different site and what the difference in costs might be.

    Councilwoman Angela Harrison recommended that the Town research a utility bond to fund an alternative site, if such a move proved too costly. She also asked for a public hearing to determine how Ridgeway’s residents felt about the matter.

     

  • In Wake of Exodus, County Ups Public Safety Salaries

    WINNSBORO (Nov. 17, 2016) – On Monday evening, Fairfield County Council learned more about the County’s increasing inability to attract and retain employees in its safety sensitivity departments – the Sheriff’s Office, County Detention Center and 911 Services.

    This comes on the heels of the Administrative and Finance Committee being advised last month of a critical shortage of paramedics in the County and the need to take immediate steps to stem the flow of paramedics leaving the County for better pay in surrounding counties or risk its Emergency Medical System (EMS) losing its Advanced Life Saving (ALS) license.

    The meeting was filled with anecdotal evidence from the safety sensitive departments of certified employees with many years of experience recently leaving for much higher paying jobs in adjoining counties.

    Deputy County Administrator Davis Anderson suggested it would take an annual infusion of a half million dollars to bring the County’s safety sensitive salaries up to speed with competing counties’ salaries.

    “These positions are critical. If we can’t keep them staffed, people in the County may die. People may lose property,” County Administrator Jason Taylor told Council. “It’s important to be able to attract and keep good people in these positions. We’re having trouble doing that.”

    The problems are multiple and mounting according to Anderson.

    “Safety sensitive employees are not just hired by running an ad in the paper. These employees have to be certified by the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA),” Anderson said. “They have to go down to the Academy for a number of weeks, be trained, tested and certified. If they don’t pass certification, they don’t get hired.”

    “If we send them to the Academy and they don’t pass and can’t work for us, then we’ve wasted that money (to send them),” Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery told Council.

    Further complicating Fairfield County’s ability to draw from the pool of eligible applicants is that candidates for these positions must have clean records. Plus there is a statewide shortage of paramedics, prompting employers throughout the state to offer better pay and more incentives, even signing bonuses for the more promising applicants. Not only is the pay better elsewhere, but the hours and shifts are shorter.

    “Fairfield County paramedics work 720 more hours a year and earn 30 percent less than paramedics in Lexington, Richland, V.C. Summer and other places,” Director of Fairfield County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Mike Tanner explained last month.

    Paramedic annual salaries in surrounding counties range from a low of $31,000 (Fairfield County) to $56,000 in surrounding counties. They can leave Fairfield County and go to V.C. Summer and make $20,000 more, Tanner said.

    Salaries for Sheriff’s deputies in Fairfield County start at $30,625 compared with Lexington County at $39,474. While the Detention Center and 911 entry level salaries are in the $29,000 range, slightly above the average of salaries in surrounding counties, some of those counties pay almost $40,000, which is an enticement for qualified and certified employees from Fairfield County.

    “Paramedics are the primary emergency health care providers in this county. They are the ones who save your life,” Tanner told Council. “But last month alone, we lost 30 percent of our paramedic staff.”

    He said the problem has reached critical mass with 11 full time and 15 part time paramedic positions currently open in the County.

    “(Our ambulances) were fully staffed only one day in September and four days in each of October and November. There were three days when half of our ambulances were shut down due to staffing problems,” Tanner said.

    The Sheriff’s Office has three openings; the Detention Center has three openings and eight non-certified officers with only one year of experience; 911 Services has one opening and three employees not certified. The Association of Counties has determined that 911 Services needs to add seven more employees to the 13 current employees to be fully staffed.

    Much of the blame for the County’s safety sensitive salaries lagging behind surrounding counties’ salaries was placed squarely at the feet of the County’s former Interim Administrator, Milton Pope.

    “We didn’t just now think about this,” Anderson told Council. “We brought this up in the budget process last year, but the prior administration did not move it forward to Council. (These employees) have not been given cost of living increases in the last five years.”

    To solve the problem, Anderson suggested increasing salaries in all four departments. He proposed raising entry level pay for paramedics from $31,000 to $34,000 and ranging up to $61,000. The total cost of this adjustment would be $187,778.40 annually. Sheriff’s Office entry level salaries would go from $30,625 to $34,000 with another $1,000 upon completion of SCCJA, an additional $3,000 for all current certified deputies and an additional 1.025 percent increase for current deputies with five years of service. Total annual adjustment would be $229,485.42.

    The Detention Center entry level rate would go from $31,000 to $32,000 upon completion of SCCJA with a $300 per year experience factor for a total annual cost of $37,162.70. Entry level salaries for 911 Services would go from $29,184 to $30,184 upon completion of SCCJA and a $300 increase per year of experience. Emergency Medical Telecommunicators would receive $1,000 for certification to be qualified to give medical instructions over the phone. The total annual increase for 911 Services would come to $40,873. Total for all departments for a fiscal year would be $495,559.72.

    Councilman Billy Smith (District 7) said he wished these presentations had been made to Council last year.

    “These are the core functions we are charged with. To see that we have fallen this far behind is certainly not comforting,” Smith said.

    “People wanted to cut taxes; so do we cut these programs? What would the citizens cut out in order not to assist the great things you (safety sensitive departments) do?” Councilman Kamau Marcharia (District 4) asked, turning to Taylor. In addition, Marcharia said he wanted to see all the County’s employees considered for the raises.

    “We did a salary study last year, analyzing every County department,” Anderson said. “When I advertise for an administrative assistant, I get 40 applications. When I advertise for a correction officer I get one applicant. What we’re talking about here is market value.”

    When asked by Smith where the $495,559.72 would come from to shore up the salaries, Taylor said it would take less than 5 percent of the fund balance to cover the annual costs. But the cost for the remainder of the current fiscal year, he said, would only be $289,076.50.

    Without further discussion, Council unanimously passed Smith’s motion to provide the funding.

    Anderson said the new salaries would become effective the last pay period of this month.

    Courthouse Bids

    Taylor informed Council of three responses to the bids for renovation of the Courthouse: Alliance Engineering, Mead & Hunt and Godwin, Mills & Caywood. He suggested that, while staff usually reviews the bids, Council might want to invite each of the bidders to present their plans at a Council meeting, considering the enormity of the project.

    Asked by Smith how the County would pay the bill for the project, Taylor said it would come out of the ($24 million) bond money.

    “I think there is a sufficient amount to move forward with the planning process,” Taylor said. “You’re looking at a two-year planning process (design, planning and permitting). Within that time I think we might have enough additional revenue come in to fund the project,” he said, explaining that construction will be bid separately.

    Infrastructure Grant

    Taylor said the County had received a $500,000 grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce for infrastructure in phase II of the Commerce Center on Peach Road.

    Sunday Alcohol Sales

    Taylor also gave an update on the County’s referendum on Sunday Alcohol Sales, which passed on Nov. 8. He said the law should go into effect fairly quickly.

    “After the election results are certified and the S.C. Department of Revenue receives that information, it will put us on the list,” Taylor said.

    Agreement Amendment

    Council passed unanimously second reading to authorize an amendment to the master agreement governing the I-77 Corridor Regional Industrial Park to expand the boundaries of The Park for the addition of a project code-named Project Alimex.

     

  • Lancaster Woman Killed in Crash

    WINNSBORO (Nov. 15, 2016) – A Lancaster woman was killed in a single-car accident on Greenbrier Mossydale Road Saturday, approximately 7 miles south of Winnsboro, the S.C. Highway Patrol said.

    Fairfield County Coroner Barkley Ramsey said Tiffany Viola Harrison, 49, of Pardue Street in Lancaster, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 3:50 p.m. Saturday.

    The Highway Patrol said Harrison was driving a 1999 Honda LX west on Greenbrier Mossydale Road when she ran off the right side of the road, overcorrected, and ran off the left side of the road where she struck several trees. Harrison was not wearing a seat belt, the Highway Patrol said, and was entrapped in the Honda.

    Ramsey said Harrison, just two days shy of her 50th birthday, was en route to her father’s funeral when she lost control of the car.

     

  • At Work in the Cathouse

    Mark Tomsuden cuddles a friendly grey and black striped cat up for adoption on the outside patio section of Tigger’s Playhouse.
    Mark Tomsuden cuddles a friendly grey and black striped cat up for adoption on the outside patio section of Tigger’s Playhouse.

    WINNSBORO (Nov. 11, 2016) – When retiree Mark Tomsuden relocated to Winnsboro from chilly Vermont last January, he was itching to find meaningful volunteer work in the community. Driving around town, he noticed the Fairfield County Animal Adoption Center. As a longtime animal advocate and self-described jack of all trades, Tomsuden thought he might be a good fit for the Center.

    “I just stopped in and asked if they needed volunteers. They said, ‘Sure!’ I signed up and showed up the next day,” Tomsuden said. “Somebody was already (volunteering with) the dogs, so I said ‘All right, I can go do the cats.’ They showed me what to do, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

    eyes-webWhat Tomsuden ‘does’ is the dirty work in the Center’s Cat House, a stand-alone cottage called Tigger’s Playhouse that provides a unique indoor-outdoor environment for the cats. Inside, the walls are lined with roomy cages for the smallest kittens and adult cats that are recovering from surgery. Outside, a screened-in porch with giant food bowls and multi-leveled platforms allows the older cats to enjoy the fresh air and play to their heart’s content.

    Tomsuden spends weekday mornings chasing meowing balls of fur and cleaning out cages. When The Voice visited Tomsuden at the Cat House, he was diligently cleaning litter boxes and trying to catch an elusive grey kitten who liked to hide under the cage platforms.

    kittens-web“I go in and clean their cages and litter boxes every day,” Tomsuden explained. “Then I put everything back in the cage – a nice towel, and then put their food and water on that and put their clean litter box back in. And then I put the kitten back in and go on to the next cage.”

    The Cat House currently houses about ten adult cats and fifteen kittens in need of good homes, Administrative Assistant for the Adoption Center Angie Glisson told The Voice. When asked if he has a favorite cat at the Center, Tomsuden laughed and said he likes them all, that he couldn’t pick just one.

    “Unfortunately, we adopt more dogs than cats and kittens at the Center,” Glisson said.

    Tomsuden’s job is more than housecleaning. He also does what he can to improve the cats’ and kittens’ desirability for adoption.

    tabby-web“I try to socialize with all of them,” Tomsuden said. “The kittens are strays, or somebody brought them in and found them someplace, so they’re kind of skittish and scared. I try to pick them up and pet them and get them used to having some human contact, so if someone does adopt them they aren’t going to take off on them.”

    Tomsuden said he has always had a fondness for animals and previously worked as a dairy farmer and raised livestock. Growing up, he said, he had both cats and dogs running around his home. As a dairy farmer, he had as many farm cats as he had cows to milk.

    “It gives me a feeling of being needed, of satisfaction that I’m doing something with myself,” Tomsuden said. “I think that’s my favorite part. I take pride in whatever work I do, so I like to keep [the Cat House] as spotless and healthy as I can,” he said as he scratched an all-white cat behind its ears.

    The Center is very lucky to have someone like Tomsuden who comes in and is eager to get started, Glisson said. “I see him every day. He’s ready to help with whatever we need doing [in the Cat House].”

    black-and-white-webWhile the Center is funded through the Fairfield County government, Glisson said donations of supplies such cat and dog collars of all sizes, blue Dawn dish detergent and cat and dog food – both dry and wet – are always needed and appreciated. Anyone wishing to volunteer their time to work with the animals or to adopt a dog or cat can call 803-815-0805. The Center also posts pictures and updates on of their animals at facebook.com/FCAAC.

     

  • Nuclear Plant Overcoming Hurdles

    Construction on Unit 2 at the V.C. Summer is expected to be completed in August 2019.
    Construction on Unit 2 at the V.C. Summer is expected to be completed in August 2019.

    JENKINSVILLE (Nov. 10, 2016) – Since 2008, the V.C. Summer nuclear construction site in Jenkinsville has had a wide range of setbacks. Whether it be delays in product delivery, changes in regulation standards, adjustments in pricing, or engineering and construction challenges, the site has had to continually jump hurdles to keep up with deadlines. Originally an $11.4 billion project, these setbacks have hiked up the overall production price to $13.8 billion. Much of the rising costs sit on taxpayer shoulders.

    On Sept. 21, the press was invited to the construction site for the first time in three years to speak with officials and learn about the plant’s recent progress and next steps. With a new team and rejuvenated spirit, the V.C Summer site appears to be back on track to finish strong.

    “We’ve been able to beat some challenges, make adjustments to the contract, and continue progress on the project,” Kevin Marsh, Chairman and CEO of SCANA, said. “This is possibly the biggest construction project in the history of South Carolina.”

    Now, with the recent addition of the Fluor construction company to the V.C. Summer team, the morale and pace of the project has picked up once more, President and CEO of Santee Cooper Lonnie Carter said. The mantra One Team is displayed all around the premises to encourage a community mindset. Everyone, no matter the position or company, is working for the same goal.

    “The concept that Westinghouse wanted was, OK we all have our business relationship and who works for who and that sort of stuff, but together we’re One Team. It’s going to take all of us working together to be successful in this project to achieve the safety, to achieve the quality aspects, to get this plan done on time,” SCANA Vice President of New Nuclear Operations Ron Jones told The Voice.

    “We think we have a good team. And, from a confidence standpoint, we think we’re going to be very successful with this team,” Jeffery Archie, Chief Nuclear Officer at SCE&G, told The Voice. “Now we will have challenges along the way. But I also think that we have a very good team in terms of the ability to address challenges.”

    The project is making headway as more and more milestones are checked off the list. The second inner protective ring around Unit 2 was placed earlier in September and the third is being prepared for placement. Unit 3 is still under construction, about a year behind Unit 2, but its three inner protective rings are steadily being constructed and finalized. Next comes even more shielding and protective casing until the both Units are completely finished and ready to come online, Alan Torres, Manager of Nuclear Construction, explained to the press.

    “We’ve reached a pivot point here on the project,” Carl Churchman, Site Vice President and Project Director of Westinghouse, said. “We are no longer a project that’s just a civil structural project. We are a project that’s installing reactor vessels and reactor cooling systems which are the heart of any nuclear power plant. Later on this year, we will be setting our first new generator along with other major milestones that we have planned for the rest of the year.”

    While the progress is steady, the project still has a ways to go. Unit 2 is predicted to come online in August 2019, and Unit 3 in August 2020.

     

  • Winnsboro Man Killed in Crash

    GREAT FALLS – A Winnsboro man was killed Monday in a single-car accident on S.C. 901, approximately 6 miles west of Great Falls near Fairfield Hill Road, the S.C. Highway Patrol said.

    Fairfield County Coroner Barkley Ramsey said Wright Don “W.D.” Caughman, 55, of 9874 State Highway 200, Winnsboro, was driving a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro north on 901 at approximately 2:40 p.m. Monday when the car veered off the right side of the road. Caughman overcorrected, Ramsey said, and the Camaro went into a skid, overturning several times.

    Caughman, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the Camaro, Ramsey said, and died from his injuries at the scene.

    Ramsey said alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash.

    The Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

     

  • Prostitution Sting Nets Four

    RIDGEWAY – Four men were arrested last month in a prostitution sting operation conducted at a Ridgeway motel by the Sheriff’s Offices of Fairfield, Chester and Union counties.

    According to incident reports from the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, investigators used the Backpage website to lure subjects into agreeing to pay money for sex with what subjects thought was a prostitute, but that was in fact an undercover police officer.

    The subjects agreed to meet with the officer posing as prostitute at the motel on Highway 34. Once the undercover agent closed the motel room door, the reports state, a “takedown team” of officers moved in and arrested the subjects.

    The sting took place on Oct. 27, between 4:35 and 9:20 p.m.

    Arrested were: Gene Allen Schreffler, 39, of Holland Road, Cassett; Jared Jarrel Welch, 24, of Abbyhill Drive, Columbia; Michael R. Marso, 33, of Sycamore Tree, Lexington; and Timothy Lamont Brown Sr., 39, of Robinson Ave., Winnsboro.

    All four were charged with soliciting prostitution.