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BLYTHEWOOD – Richland County’s Penny Tax funded road construction along Blythewood Road has been paused for some time to allow AT&T time to move phone pedestals (4” x 4” grey or green metal posts) sticking up along the roadside to locations beyond the planned wider pavement, according to Michael Maloney, interim director for the Richland County Transportation Penny Tax project. He says construction is set to resume in another couple of weeks.

In a phone conversation with The Voice on Tuesday, Maloney said that while the big equipment part of construction has been paused, work has still been going on.

“But you’re only going to see a man or maybe a pickup truck out there,” he said, “not big equipment.”

He explained that all AT&T’s fiber optic cable along the road has to be disconnected from the old pedestals, which are being removed and re-connected to new ones.

“They’re splitting fiber optic cable and each cable has 385 fibers. Each and every one of these needs splitting,” he said. “That takes time.”

He said AT&T should finish up this week.

“Cherokee Construction will then mobilize and be back on the road work,” Maloney said.

WINNSBORO – A high-speed chase that started in Fairfield County ended in Blythewood where the driver was eventually arrested.

While conducting routine patrol in Fairfield County, a Fairfield County Sheriff’s deputy reported observing a silver Honda Civic that matched the description of a silver Honda Civic that had been reported as stolen.

As the deputy followed the Honda, driving onto I-77 south at the 34-mile marker, it began making multiple lane changes and driving on the right shoulder as it overtook multiple vehicles, according to the incident report. The deputy activated his blue lights and pursued the Honda south on I-77 towards Blythewood.

The deputy reported the Honda was speeding in excess of 90 miles per hour as it entered Blythewood in Richland County.

The Honda was then reported to stop on the shoulder of I-77 south at mile marker 27, in the vicinity of Exit 77.

A black male was reported to exit the driver’s side of the vehicle and flee on foot into the wood line.

A female was sitting in the vehicle, so the deputy remained there until an officer arrived and asked the female to exit and step to the rear of the vehicle, where she was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car.

The report said that, at this point, the female gave false information about the driver of the Honda, who, deputies learned was the father of the female passenger’s children.

With both Richland County and Fairfield County K-9 tracker dogs on the ground, the driver of the silver Honda Civic, identified as Christopher Vernard Martin, was found walking along I-77 a couple of miles from where he left the Honda.

Martin was arrested on charges of Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, 2nd Offense; Possession of a Stolen south Carolina license plate: and Reckless Driving.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY – In two closely watched local campaigns in the Fairfield County Democratic primary, Sheriff Will Montgomery was re-elected to a fourth term as Fairfield County Sheriff, and Dorothy Boyd Belton was elected Fairfield County Clerk of Court.  Neither Montgomery nor Belton have opponents in the November election.

On the state level, Chester Attorney Everett Stubbs handily won the Republican Primary, taking 3 out of 4 counties to become the Republican nominee for the run for the State Senate, Dist. 17 seat in November.

Montgomery

Sheriff Will Montgomery was re-elected with 1,821 votes (55.02 percent) over Rick Gibson who had 1,358 votes (41.03 percent). Wallace Coleman received 131 votes (3.96 percent).

Montgomery said he is grateful for the win.

“I want to thank my family and friends and all those in Fairfield County who came out to support me in this election,” Montgomery said following the vote count. “I appreciate your votes and your support very much.”

Montgomery is a third-generation sheriff for the county following his father and grandfather who also held the office. Montgomery was first elected in 2014 to complete the last two years of the term vacated by former Sheriff Herman Young when he retired for health reasons.

Belton

Dorothy Boyd Belton captured the Fairfield County Clerk of Court seat with 1,907 votes (57.80 percent) over Christon Gaddy who received 1,387 votes (42.11 percent).

Contacted by The Voice, Belton said she would make a statement at a later time. Her campaign literature states that she has “20 years managing law office operations and cash flow”, and was a “contract paralegal with Midlands Virtual Paralegal Outsourcing Services.”

Fairfield County had a 25.77 percent turnout of its 15,771 registered voters.

Senate Race

In a three-way race in the Republican primary for the Dist. 17 Senate seat, Attorney Everett Stubbs was victorious with 3,917 votes (58.1 percent) over a four-county area. Tripp McCoy received 1,712 votes (25.42 percent), and Tibi Czentye received 1,105 votes (16.41 percent).

Breaking the vote down by counties, Stubbs won Fairfield County with 41.17 percent of the vote, Chester with 73.94 percent, and York with 54.68 percent. McCoy took his home county Lancaster with 43 percent of the vote.

“We are thrilled to have been chosen by the people of Senate Dist. 17 to be the Republican nominee for the general election this fall,” Stubbs said about his victory. “I owe a special thanks to my family and friends for their love and support in helping us to be successful in this race. I also want to congratulate Tibi and Tripp on running great campaigns. I believe both are good men who were seeking this nomination for honorable reasons. We look forward to taking a couple of weeks off, then getting back to work for the general election in November.”

Stubbs will be challenging Democratic Senator Mike Fanning for the Dist. 17 seat in November.

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This story was updated June 12, 2024 at 6:01 p.m.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY – A swim party held at Lake Monticello on Saturday, June 8, to celebrate two individuals planning to leave soon for the U. S. Navy ended in tragedy when one of the individuals drowned.

Joel Joseph Martin, age 18, of Blair, SC, was swimming at Lake Monticello with other individuals when he went under water and did not resurface, according to Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill.

Emergency crews, the Department of Natural Resources, and dive teams were called to the area. After a little over two hours, Martin’s body was found and brought out of the water by the Fairfield Rescue Squad, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s office. 

Martin graduated from Fairfield Central High School just one week earlier, on June 1, 2024.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of a 2024 Griffin Graduate, Mr. Joel Martin,” Fairfield Central posted on social media on Monday afternoon. “Please keep his family and friends as well as his Griffin Family in your thoughts & prayers! May we ALWAYS remember and cherish his personality that would light up any room!”

“My heart is heavy,” Fairfield Central principal Dr. Tracie Swilley tweeted on Monday, “but I will definitely cherish our memories and ALL the pranks/jokes he tried on me!”

“Joel will be remembered fondly,” Fairfield County School District’s Facebook page shared, “and his impact on those around him will be cherished forever.”

An autopsy has been scheduled and the incident remains under investigation by the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office and the SC Department of Natural Resources.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Discrepancies in two political candidates’ ethics and/or campaign filings are raising questions about campaign compliance in the race for Fairfield County Sheriff.

Prior to being contacted by The Voice on Thursday, May 30, Rick E. Gibson, one of two challengers in the sheriff’s race, had irregularities in his ethics report filings, according to the S.C. Ethics Commission’s online database.

Gibson incorrectly recorded loan data displayed on the Ethics Commission’s online database. He said that was due to a typo.

As of Thursday, May 30, Gibson’s filings reported a personal loan of $361,889 to his campaign. This had raised concerns in the community, with The Voice being contacted regarding the large amount. State law requires candidates to disclose the source of loans originating from a business or lending institution. Gibson’s loan was a personal loan.

After being contacted by The Voice on Thursday, Gibson said the reported $361,889 loan on March 19, 2024, was a typo and should have been recorded as a $3,618.89 loan from himself to cover his filing fee of $3,618.89, which was also made on March 19, 2024.

Gibson filed an amendment on Friday, May 31, 2024, to his Ethics Commission online data that removed the $361,889 loan, adjusting his report to reflect the $3,618.89 personal loan and another personal loan in the amount of $3,000.

According to Section 8-13-1360, candidates must report “the total amount of all loans received during the reporting period and total amount of loans for the year to date.”

In a separate filing, a $5,000 contribution was reported from the church Gibson pastors on Aug. 23, 2023. That contribution is recorded as being returned to the church on Sept. 1, 2023. Gibson said he was notified by the Commission that the amount was over the $1,000 limit for contributions under South Carolina law. According to the IRS website, charities, educational institutions and religious organizations, including churches, are among those tax-exempt organizations restricted from making political contributions.

SCCJA: Coleman Not Qualified

It was made public last month that candidate Wallace Coleman is not qualified to run for the office of Sheriff in Fairfield County, according to a spokesperson with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, as reported in the May 30 issue of The Voice. Nevertheless, Coleman will still be on the ballot in the June 11 primary.

According to South Carolina law, Sec. 23-11-110 (A)(5)(a), a candidate for sheriff must be a Class 1 law enforcement officer.  Coleman is not.

Coleman, 56, filed an affidavit with the Democratic Party stating that he has 14 years of experience as a Class 1 law enforcement officer, certified by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council.

Maj. Florence McCants with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy told The Voice on Tuesday, May 27, 2024, that Coleman is not now and has never been a certified Class 1 law enforcement officer.

She said that Class 1 law enforcement candidates must go through 12 weeks of basic law enforcement training taught by the Criminal Justice Academy.

“He has never attended the Academy or received any Class 1 certification training,” McCants said.

Coleman was a state constable, not a sheriff’s deputy, according to Renée Wunderlich, Director of Public Information for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). That agency regulates constables. They are sworn peace officers who assist law enforcement agencies. Constables receive only 94.5 hours of basic training, which can be completed at a S.C. technical college. 

To file to run for sheriff in South Carolina, state law Sec. 23-11-110 (B)(1)(A) states that, “A person offering his candidacy for the office of sheriff, shall file a sworn affidavit, no later than the close of filing, with the county executive committee of the person’s political party. The county executive committee of any political party with whom a person has filed his affidavit must file a copy of the affidavit with the appropriate county election commission…”

The state political party must approve (certify) sworn affidavits filed by candidates in their jurisdiction for the office of Sheriff.

“Certification of the candidates was received in our office on April 5, 2024, from the Democratic Party,” Director of the Fairfield County Election Commission Jackie Beaver stated in an email to The Voice.

A copy of Coleman’s affidavit is date-stamped that it was received by the Fairfield County Election Commission on April 11, 2024.

According to a story reported by Cynthia Beasley for WIS-TV, Jay Parmley, the executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, said, “We did approve Mr. Coleman for the ballot based on his affidavit. If the affidavit is not correct, the party can’t do anything about it now.”

Coleman’s name will still be on the ballot, and any votes for Coleman will still count during this election, according to Beaver.

On Friday, May 31, Coleman returned The Voice’s phone calls and sent a text message stating, in part, “…I am confident that I possess the integrity, leadership qualities, and understanding required to serve as an exemplary Sheriff …”

Gibson and Coleman are running against Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery who is seeking a fourth term. Montgomery has served Fairfield County as Sheriff since 2014 when he was elected to fill the last two years of former Sheriff Herman Young’s term following his retirement.

This story was updated on June 4, 2024, to clarify information regarding candidate filings.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY – According to a report from the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department, William “Will” C. Dinkins, 33, was arrested by the following a drug search warrant conducted at a residence on Wood Duck Road in the Centerville area of Fairfield County on Wednesday, May 29.

The search warrant yielded over 10 grams of methamphetamine along with a quantity of Clonazepam pills, which is a schedule IV narcotic. A handgun was also seized at the scene, according to the report.

Dinkins was charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime. He was transported to the Fairfield County Detention Center where he was awaiting a bond hearing.  

“Drugs and drug abuse lead to so many other crimes such as thefts and assaults,” said Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery. “These types of investigations are so vital to reducing those types of crimes as well.”

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s office encourages the community to contact the Narcotics Unit at 803-635-6245 with any information regarding illegal narcotic sales in Fairfield County. Tips may remain anonymous.

WINNSBORO – Wallace Coleman, a candidate for Fairfield County Sheriff, is not qualified to run for the office, according to a spokesperson for the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. Nevertheless, Coleman will still be on the ballot in the June 11 primary.

According to South Carolina law, Sec. 23-11-110 (A)(5)(a), a candidate for sheriff must be a Class 1 law enforcement officer.  Coleman is not.

Coleman, 56, filed an affidavit with the Democratic Party stating that he has 14 years of experience as a Class 1 law enforcement officer, certified by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council.

Maj. Florence McCants with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy told The Voice that Coleman is not now and has never been a certified Class 1 law enforcement officer.

She said that Class 1 law enforcement candidates must go through 12 weeks of basic law enforcement training taught by the Criminal Justice Academy.

“He has never attended the Academy or received any Class 1 certification training,” McCants said.

Coleman was a state constable, not a sheriff’s deputy, according to Renée Wunderlich, Director of Public Information for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). That agency regulates constables. They are sworn peace officers who assist law enforcement agencies. Constables receive only 94.5 hours of basic training which can be completed at a S.C. technical college. 

To file to run for sheriff in South Carolina, state law Sec. 23-11-110 (B)(1)(A) says that a state political party must approve sworn affidavits filed by candidates for the office of Sheriff.

According to a story reported by Cynthia Beasley for WIS-TV, Jay Parmley, the executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, said, “We did approve Mr. Coleman for the ballot based on his affidavit. If the affidavit is not correct the party can’t do anything about it now.”

Coleman’s name will still be on the ballot, and any votes for Coleman will still count during this election, according to Jackie Beaver, Director of Fairfield County Voter Registration and Elections.

While The Voice was unable to reach Coleman prior to going to press on May 29, Coleman had this to say in a story published earlier by WIS-TV, “You carried a weapon, handcuffs, so you’re certified to carry the baton and the pepper spray. You’re certified to carry all that,” Coleman said. “You do the same thing the regular deputies and officers do. There’s no difference in it.”

“Mr. Coleman became a Constable in 1996, but has not renewed his license since 2007 and has not documented any training since 2013, thus he is out of compliance and is not considered a Constable in South Carolina,” Wunderlich said.

In addition to Coleman and Gibson, Sheriff Will Montgomery is also on the Democratic ballot for the June 11 primary. Montgomery is running for re-election to a fourth term as Fairfield County Sheriff. Gibson previously worked for the S.C. Department of Public Safety and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was updated June 4 to clarify source attributions.