FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is
continuing to investigate the murder of Tyon Byrd, 21, that occurred on July 1,
2023, during a birthday party at a residence on Peach Road in the Greenbrier
area of Fairfield County.
The reward, previously set at $10,000 by Byrd’s family, has
grown thanks to several anonymous donors who have offered additional reward
money. The reward is now $15,000 to anyone who can provide information that
leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who is responsible for
Tyon’s death.
Byrd was attending a birthday party on Saturday, July 1 at a
residence on Peach Road in the Greenbrier area of Fairfield County when an
unknown individual shot into a crowd of people. Byrd and two other individuals
were struck by gunfire.
According to Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill, Byrd was
taken to an area hospital where he died. The two other people hit suffered
non-life threatening injuries. Byrd’s death is being investigated as a murder,
according to Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery.
Byrd’s family and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office
continue to ask anyone with any information regarding this investigation to
please contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141, on the
Tip Line at 803-815-4191, or by email at FCSOTIPLINE@GMAIL.COM.
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has announced the state-by-state winners of its ninth annual High School Track & Field Coaches of the Year. Presented by the United States Marine Corps on July 11, Blythewood High School’s Head Coach Alisha Taylor was named South Carolina’s Girls’ Coach of the Year.
State-by-state winners were selected based on their teams’ performances throughout the 2023 outdoor track & field season. Among the factors taken into consideration were team score and placement at the state championships, margin of victory, performance against rankings if available, individual championships, and how their teams’ performances stacked up to previous years (e.g. first title in school history, consecutive titles, etc.).
Each honoree will receive a trophy from the USTFCCCA
recognizing their achievements.
The winners from each state are in consideration for the
association’s National High School Track & Field Coach of the Year award.
One boys coach and one girls coach from among all the states will be selected
by a panel of experts and be announced next month as the national winners.
WINNSBORO – A Fairfield County jury has found Carlos A. Cesmas-Gomez guilty of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor (2nd Degree).
The conviction, handed down Wednesday, July 19, 2023,
followed a Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office investigation of an incident that
occurred in the Ridgeway area in 2019. The offender was 20 years of age at the
time of the crime and the victim was 12 years old.
Cesmas-Gomez was arrested in July of 2022 after serving
approximately three years in North Carolina on unrelated charges.
Cesmas-Gomez was sentenced to 20 years in the SC Department
of Corrections. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a sex
offender.
“We’re pleased with this conviction,” Fairfield
Sheriff Will Montgomery said. “While we treat all crimes seriously, crimes
against our children cannot be tolerated.”
RIDGEWAY – Over the past week, The Fairfield County
Sheriff’s Office received several reports of thefts from residential mailboxes
in the Ridgeway area.
The suspect(s) is targeting mailboxes that have the flag
raised indicating that a package/letter is in the mailbox for the postal
carrier to pick up. Upon seeing these raised flags, the suspect(s) is driving
up to the mailboxes, just as postal carriers do, and taking the item(s) out of
the mailbox. The suspect then lowers the flag and drives away,” Sheriff Will Montgomery
said.
“While everyone may not have another option, we strongly
recommend that those wanting to mail a package/letter, to please deposit those
items in the US Post Office blue mail boxes and avoid sending mail from home
mailboxes,” Montgomery also asked the public to remain vigilant, especially in
the Ridgeway area, for a vehicle that was observed in the area when these
thefts occurred.
The vehicle is described as a red 4-door car (make/Model
unknown), with black rims, and possibly driven by a white male. Anyone with
information about these crimes or who has witnessed a potential crime in
progress, is asked to call 911 or contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office
at 803-635-4141.
In anticipation of the Shady Grove Independent Church celebrating its 200th anniversary with special services July 26- 30, the Fairfield County Council read a proclamation during Monday night’s council meeting to honor the event. Attending the reading of the proclamation from Shady Grove church were: front row from left: Amos Young, Melvina Pierce, Pastor Ray Pierce, Rosa Harris, Ivildra English, Shirley Armstrong, and Rosa Chappell. Back row, from left: Lindsay Hopkins, John Pauling, Weldon Haire, James Stevenson, and Roddie Armstrong. | Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – The Shady Grove Church was founded in Winnsboro, South Carolina on Carmack Hill under a Brush Harbor.
In 1823, 38 years before the Civil War began, nine black
slave men named John Sawyer, Jordan Craig, Morris Weaver, William Monroe,
Charlie Armstrong, Frank Belton, Jim White, Ike Frazier and Bill James risked
their lives to worship together,
They eventually moved from the Brush Harbor to a wooden
building built by slaves, commonly called The Praise House. The same nine black
men moved again from that place and called it The Shady Grove Church.”
During that time, many freed slaves joined the A.M.E. church
system and Shady Grove officially joined and changed their name to Shady Grove
African Methodist Episcopal Church. For 97 years, members worshipped under the
A.M.E. structure.
In 2011 the Shady Grove family agreed to secede from the
A.M.E. church and adopted the current name, The Shady Grove Independent Church,
and have continued to thrive ever since.
The anniversary celebration will be held July 26-30. Festivities
are from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., and evening worship at 7 p.m. Friday night services
begin at 6 p.m. with youth concert following at 7 p.m. The church is located at
5253 Newberry Rd. Winnsboro.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is
announced a $10,000 reward has been offered in the shooting death of Tyon Boyd,
21, of Winnsboro.
Byrd was attending a birthday party on Saturday, July 1 at a
residence on Peach Road in the Greenbrier area of Fairfield County when an
unknown individual shot into a crowd of people. Byrd and two other individuals
were struck by gunfire.
According to Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill, Byrd was
taken to an area hospital where he died. The two other people hit suffered
non-life threatening injuries. Byrd’s death is being investigated as a murder,
according to Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery.
Montgomery called the crime “tragic and needless” in a press
release from the Sheriff’s Department on July 18 that doubled as a plea for
information on the shooting.
Byrd’s family is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who
provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person
responsible for Tyon’s murder.
“This is not like some crimes we investigate where there are
no witnesses,” the release said. “There were between 150-200 people at this
party where Tyon lost his life. We know that there were witnesses to this
terrible crime, but we still have had no one to come forward who is willing to
speak with us.”
The Sheriff asks that anyone who saw the incident or has
information about it to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is not about snitching on someone, this is about doing
the right thing and making our communities safer,” the Sheriff continued in the
release, addressing those who may have seen the incident. “What if this had
happened to one of your family members? Wouldn’t you want the person who was
responsible for this held accountable? Tyon’s parents, family, and friends are
hurting. They want answers. We want answers. And Tyon deserves answers.”
If you have information about this investigation, call the
Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141 or their tip line at
803-815-4191. Tips can also be emailed to at FCSOTIPLINE@GMAIL.COM.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – A Winnsboro man was arrested after leading Fairfield County and Richland County Sheriff’s deputies on a high speed chase through Blythewood and parts of Fairfield County.
Cowart
James Cowart 43, was charged for guns, drugs, and several
traffic offences after the chase ended, according to sheriff’s deputies. The
incident occurred on July 12.
The chase ensued after a Deputy attempted to conduct a
traffic stop of a vehicle that Cowart was driving due to the vehicle swerving
into oncoming lanes of traffic. The initial traffic stop was attempted on Peach
Road near I-77.
Cowart refused to stop and proceeded to flee from deputies
as he traveled south on I-77. The pursuit continued into Richland County, onto
Blythewood Road and Wilson Blvd where it eventually led back to I-77 where it
continued south, according to the report.
After entering Richland County, the Richland County
Sheriff’s Department became involved. As the pursuit continued south, Cowart
moved into the northbound lane where he continued traveling south. Richland
County deputies were able to stop the vehicle near the Farrow Road exit with no
injuries, officials said.
Cowart, who is a convicted felon, was found to be in
possession of several guns and a substance believed to be methamphetamine,
according to the sheriff’s office.
Cowart was arrested and charged with multiple traffic
offenses, to include Failure to Stop for Blue Light and Siren, Possession of
Methamphetamine, and several gun-related charges. He was transported to the
Fairfield County Detention Center where he is awaiting a bond hearing. Cowart
is also wanted in Kershaw County and in Alabama, the Sheriff’s report stated.
WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit conducted a search warrant operation at 126 Thelma Gladney Road in the Winnsboro area of Fairfield County on Friday, July 14, according to a report from the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.
An ongoing investigation led investigators to this address where a Fentanyl lab was located. This address was being utilized to manufacture fake prescription pills that contained Fentanyl and Heroin, according to the Sheriff’s report.
The report stated that, along with the discovery of the polydrug lab, a large quantity of a Fentanyl and Heroin powder substance was seized, as well as a large quantity of fake prescription pills that are believed to be the finished product.
Fentanyl/Heroin and Pill Products Seized | Photos: Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office
Cynthia Cromer, who resides at the residence, was arrested for Trafficking Fentanyl and Trafficking Heroin. This continues to be an ongoing investigation and additional charges may be sought, the sheriff said.
“Fentanyl is a very dangerous drug and this location was
being used to further the spread of this poison onto our streets,” Sheriff Will
Montgomery said. “Our Narcotics Unit was assisted by our Patrol and Criminal
Investigations Division in the execution of this search warrant. I am truly
proud of the working relationships within our agency and so thankful that these
drugs that were seized will never have the chance to lead to one of those
overdoses or deaths that we, all too often, hear about.”
Nithin Saravanapandian (Spring Valley High School), Murray McDaniel (Spring Valley High School), Omar Herrera (Richland Northeast High School), Andrea Cerda (in center-Blythewood High School), Ronnie Fowler (Blythewood High School), Kay Brown (Ridge View High School), and Anaiah Thompson (Blythewood High School). Not pictured are Jeremiah Lynch (Ridge View High School) and Laila Thompson (Westwood High School) and instructors Kirstin Bullington and Robin Jones.
COLUMBIA – The Richland School District Two Institute of Innovation (R2i2) Student Innovation Center was created to give students a place to explore and enhance their critical thinking, problem solving and innovation skills. A product of their creativity and collaboration is not only having a global impact, but it is worthy of a patent. This week the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued patent 11,695,368 for their “Modular Power Supply Apparatuses and Methods for Using Same.” It is the first patent for the R2i2 Student Innovation Center.
R2i2 students
In 2018-2019, R2i2 students were named an InvenTeam by the Lemelson-MIT Program for inventing a system of interlocking solar modules to power a photocopier for a secondary school in Sare Bilaly, Senegal. This invention was needed because the school, which had limited educational resources beyond notebooks and blackboards, was gifted a photocopier but had no electricity to use it. The school’s principal, who had worked with R2i2 previously on a solar study light project, reached out for another innovative solution.
Nine students on the R2i2 InvenTeam represented all five
high schools in Richland Two. They spent an entire school year developing their
modular power system. The inventors are R2i2 students M’Chaelah “Kay” Brown,
Andrea Cerda, Anaiah Thompson, Laila Thompson, Ronnie Fowler, Omar Herrera,
Jeremiah Lynch, Murray McDaniel, and Nithin Saravanapandian, and R2i2
instructors Kirstin Bullington and Robin Jones. Because six of the inventors are
women, they now make up more than 50 percent of R2i2 patent holders. USPTO data
indicates less than 13 percent of inventors listed on patents granted in a
single year are women and there is little to no data on the participation of
other underrepresented groups.
Doug Lineberry, who has served on R2i2’s career advisory
board since it opened in 2016, was the patent attorney who facilitated this
process. In preparation for approval of the patent, last school year, the
Richland Two Board of Trustees unanimously approved Policy JICED Intellectual
Property. The intent is to protect students’ original creations and specify the
district’s fiscal and legal responsibility for students’ creations until
ownership of such creations are transferred to the student.
The R2i2 Student Innovation Center focuses on teaching
students to employ their own ingenuity to make the world a better place and to
prepare them for the workplace, certification programs and/or higher education.
Students in grades 10-12, from all five of the district’s high schools, take
courses at R2i2 including App Development and Coding; Next Energy Engineering;
Marketing and Social Media; Pastry and Baking; 3D Printing and Design; and
Animation and B.E.A.T.S. (Beginning Engineering of Audio, Technology, and
Sound).
The R2i2 Student Innovation Center is located at 763 Fashion
Drive, Columbia, SC.
MONTICELLO – Two men died in a truck crash near Monticello
in western Fairfield County, according to Lance Corporal William Bennett with
the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The single vehicle crash occurred Friday, July 7, about 4:15
p.m., on Highway 215, about a quarter mile south of Monticello.
A 2010 Peterbuilt truck with two occupants, a driver and a
passenger, was traveling south on Highway 215 when the driver lost control of
the truck. The truck left the road to the right side, hit a ditch, hit a sign,
and overturned, Bennett reported.
Both the driver, James Lee Hall, 52, of Swansea, S.C., and
the passenger, Orbelin Rodriquez Gomez, 44, of Columbia, died on scene
according to a statement from Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill.
An autopsy has been scheduled for both individuals to
determine the exact cause of death.
The crash is being investigated by the S.C. Highway Patrol and the Fairfield County Coroner’s office.
This story was updated on July 12, 2023 at 11:50 p.m.
