FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Fairfield County and Chester County Sheriff’s deputies were called to an address on Old Douglas Road near Blackstock on the evening of Thanksgiving Day, where a child was reported to be the victim of a shooting.
Upon arrival, deputies learned that a six-year-old boy had been shot and that he had been transported to a hospital in Chester by family members. The boy later died according to Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery.
Mary Amelia Rosborough, 31, has been arrested and is in the Fairfield County Detention Center charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to officials.
Montgomery told The Voice that Rosborough, the boy’s mother, had returned from hunting, was carrying her gun and shot her son in the upper body about 6 p.m.
It is believed that the mother and son were residents of Chester.
Montgomery has not yet released details of the shooting or a motive.
The Voice will publish the name of the victim as soon as it is released by the Fairfield County coroner.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is assisting in the investigation of the shooting, according to Montgomery.
This is a developing story and details will be posted as soon as they are made available.
WINNSBORO – The Town of Winnsboro is planning to begin
installation of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system in Cobblestone
Park on Monday, Nov 29. The system is from Raleigh-based Sensus.
“This innovative system will replace monthly manual meter
reads with a wireless system that collects multiple remote reads per day,
allowing for better leak detection, increased billing accuracy and improved
customer service,” said Town Manager Jason Taylor. “This system will help the
Town with its renewed commitment to improving our timeliness with billing
cycles and ensuring accuracy in readings,” he said.
During installation, contractors working on behalf of the
Town of Winnsboro will interrupt water service. Before leaving the site, crews
will test the new meter by running about 10 gallons of water from an exterior
hose or faucet. Door hangers will be left at the main entrance to the property
informing the resident or business owner of the status of the visit
(installation complete, installation pending; water was being used, or unable
to access water meter).
Contractors (US Bronco Services) will be supervised by
Winnsboro staff, carry proper identification and have successfully completed a
comprehensive background check; contractor vehicles will also be clearly
marked.
For information or questions about the installation, call
one of the following:
Roy Cuthbertson, Project Manager Ferguson: (252) 343-0762
US Bronco Services, Inc.: (844) 529-5913
Town of Winnsboro
Trip Peak, Water, Sewer & Gas Department: (803) 815-7022
William Medlin, Electric Department / Meter Reader Supervisor: (803) 815-2342
Jason Taylor, Town Manager: (803) 815-2949
Chris Clauson, Assistant Town Manager: (803) 635-6364
Victor Frontroth, a cartographer with S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, presented information to council concerning its redistricting effort. | Photo: Fairfield County Council
Pauley: Mr. Bell’s Decisions Not In Best Interest of County
WINNSBORO – Redistricting is an inherently political process, and that reality was on full display at Monday night’s Fairfield County Council meeting.
After passing first reading of an ordinance adopting a
redistricting plan by a 5-2 vote Thursday night, council members passed second
reading of the ordinance Monday night with the same 5-2 vote. Council members
Doug Pauley and Clarence Gilbert opposed.
No public discussion or public forums on the redistricting
plan have been held prior to Monday night’s meeting, which drove complaints
over the lack of transparency and personal politics.
Pauley accused Chairman Moses Bell of unilaterally
submitting the draft redistrict plan without informing council members or the
public.
“It goes to show Mr. Bell has excluded council from making
decisions that are in the best interests of all Fairfield County citizens,”
Pauley said.
Bell insisted he followed all state and federal guidelines.
He also noted the public will have a chance to offer feedback sometime before
the final vote.
“We will have an opportunity for public input and if we need
to have another meeting, we can do that,” he said.
The exchange came following a presentation from the S.C.
Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office.
Victor Frontroth, a cartographer with the agency, said
repeatedly that feedback from council members and the public is crucial to
every redistricting plan.
“Public input is a very important part of this entire
process,” Frontroth said, adding that a public hearing is required before third
reading.
Federal law requires local governments to redraw district
lines every 10 years to compensate for population shifts. The goal is to
maintain fair and equal representation.
In Fairfield County, census data shows that total population
plummeted 12.56%, from 23,956 to 20,948. Council districts 2 and 7 saw the
greatest shifts, with District 2, represented by Councilwoman Shirley Greene,
growing 7.1% and District 7, represented by Gilbert, shrinking 8.7%.
Frontroth explained that federal law requires no more than a
5% population shift in either direction. Ideally, he said one-way deviation
shouldn’t exceed 2.5%.
The proposed plan features a combined deviation of about 6%,
Frontroth said.
It didn’t take long, though, for Bell’s plan to come under
attack, with many citing concerns over lack of transparency.
“The map that was presented to you, where did that map come
from?” Pauley asked Frontroth.
“That was from working with Chairman Bell,” Frontroth
answered.
“Wouldn’t you agree to have seven council members, that every
council member should have a say in that draft?” Pauley asked.
“We were under the impression that every council member was
aware,” Frontroth replied.
“They were not,” Pauley responded.
“They were not,” Councilman Gilbert echoed.
Bell continued to defend his handling of the redistricting
plan.
“Does the map meet the constitutional requirements?” Bell
asked Frontroth
“As far as I see, yes,” Frontroth answered.
Bell’s assurances did little to sway angry residents, who
voiced frustration over being shut out of the redistricting process.
District 4 resident John Jones said the county website is
vir tually devoid of any maps or detailed redistricting plans.
Jones feared the council majority’s endgame was
gerrymandering, the manipulation of district boundaries to give one or more
council members an unfair electoral edge.
“That’s not right, that’s not ethical,” Jones said. “There’s
a lot of lawsuits that say that’s not smart. Please don’t do that.”
Ridgeway resident Randy Bright said the lack of transparency
over redistricting is indicative of the secrecy that surrounded budget talks,
employee bonuses and other recent measures.
“Let’s be transparent for the first time this year,” Bright
said. “This would be a great Christmas present if you were transparent with redistricting.”
When Frontroth explained that the maps another information
would eventually be on the county’s website, Bright raised his hand to ask a
question of Frontroth, but Bell shut him down. Bright went ahead and asked as
Bell protested.
“Since Fairfield is an internet desert, how are you going to
get this information out to the people?” Bright asked.
“No! No! Don’t answer that, Mr. Frontroth!” Bell shouted to
the presenter. Councilman Mikel Trapp leaned over to whisper something to Bell
who then turned to a nearby sheriff’s deputy and ordered him to eject Bright
from the meeting. Bell also had a citizen sitting near Bright ejected as well.
As the two were escorted out, Gilbert offered a consoling
comment to the two, “Council doesn’t have any input, either.”
After the vote, Pauley called upon Bell to reinstitute the
second public comment session, which was eliminated in March 2020.
In addition, Pauley said meeting agendas should be published
earlier than the Friday immediately preceding Monday meetings. He said that
would give council members more time to prepare for meetings and residents more
advance notice of council business.
WINNSBORO – After six months and six unsuccessful tries to fill the vacancy left by former Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor, council voted to hire Columbia native Malik Whitaker during a special called meeting last week. Whitaker will assume his new duties with the county on Dec. 2.
Whitaker
The vote was unanimous to offer Whitaker a $135K, one-year
contract. The motion to hire Whitaker was made by Councilman Mikel Trapp who
did not attend any of the applicant’s interview sessions, according to council
members who were present at the meetings.
Councilman Doug Pauley thanked Brad Caulder, the county’s
director of human resources for serving as interim county administrator since
June, 2021.
“After many failed attempts [to hire an administrator], we
hired Mr. Caulder,” Pauley said. “I want to thank Mr. Caulder for his time of
being the interim administrator.
Pauley said the Mercer Group, the firm hired by the county
to solicit applicants, brought several candidates, but he said it was not a
large pool to choose from.
“I asked about bringing in more candidates,” Pauley said,
“but we were told we would be looking at another six months. I think the
candidate we have before us does not have all the qualifications we are looking
for, but we are in need of a county administrator and I’m willing to work with
him and give him a chance.
“I think we owe it to the citizens of Fairfield County to
work together and move this county forward,” Pauley said.
Whitaker is currently Director of Education and Resiliency
at the United Way of the Midlands where he has been employed since last July.
He previously served for a year as the Operations & Management Consultant
Manager for the Florida Department of Children and Families in Tallahassee, FL
Whitaker spent the previous eight years with the S.C.
Department of Social Services. He also
worked as project leader for Communities in Schools, Director of Families,
Individuals and Children for United Way of the Midlands and was a research
associate at Benedict College.
While Whitaker’s resume does not include experience as a
county administrator. He was assistant zoning administrator for Richland County
from 1997 to 2003. There he was responsible for supervision of 12 members of
the code enforcement staff. His duties also included budget preparation for the
department, employee supervision, implementation and monitoring of all unit
functions. He also assisted the zoning administrator in management of all
aspects of county zoning, including permitting, inspections and administration.
Asked to describe his management style and philosophy,
Whitaker wrote in his application: “I’m a pragmatic problem solver and I
practice servant leadership. I put serving others – including staff, community,
and clients – as the number one priority. I hold myself accountable for
increased service to others, a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense of
community, and sharing power in decision making. Great leaders inspire others
to a higher purpose and excellent management is about maximizing the potential
of others to accomplish collective goals. I believe that administrative leaders
harness the collective competencies of others to accomplish strategic goals, so
putting the needs of my team first is paramount.”
Whitaker told The Voice that he has not yet made a decision
as to whether the current assistant to the interim administrator, Ed Driggers,
will continue in his role with the county after he (Whitaker) takes over as
administrator. The county currently pays
Driggers $200 per hour for approximately 20 hours per week. The county also
pays an assistant to Driggers $60 per hour for approximately 20 hours per week.
Whitaker holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from
the University of South Carolina and is a graduate of the USC School of Law.
Whitaker and his wife Stacey, a school administrator in
Richland School District 1, are the parents of a daughter who is enrolled at
Clemson and a son who attends Richland Northeast High School. The family lives
in Northeast Columbia.
Parent of Richland 2 student addresses the incident at the R2 board meeting on Tuesday.
COLUMBIA – Sheriff Leon Lott announced on Friday, Nov. 19,
that no charges will be filed against a Richland Two school administrator who
was accused of sexual misconduct during a live-streamed school board meeting
last week.
“After an intense investigation which included interviewing
multiple witnesses and the individuals involved, as well as reviewing
surveillance video from school cameras, investigators determined that the
incident did not occur as described by the child and that the administrator did
not do anything improper,” a Richland County Sheriff’s Department reported in a
press release.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department began investigating
on Monday, Nov. 15, after the parent of a Richland Two elementary student
raised concerns about an incident involving an administrator.
On Tuesday night, that parent spoke about the allegations
during the public participation portion of the school board meeting.
“As parents, we want to believe that our kids are always
truthful with us, but sometimes it turns out that’s not the case,” Sheriff Lott
said. “However, we have a duty to make sure that any allegations are fully and
completely investigated so that appropriate action can be taken when
warranted.”
Richland Two and the elementary school involved cooperated
fully throughout the investigation and have been notified of the findings.
The Voice has not been able to contact the father, but WIS
reporter Lauren Adams spoke with him following the investigation and WIS anchor
Judi Gatson had this to say in an update posted on her Facebook page:
“Our reporter, Lauren Adams, just talked to the dad. He told
her he has apologized to the administrator.
“He thanked the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and
said he feels it best to relocate his daughter to another school.
“He also said he’s going to put his daughter in counseling
and seek counseling as parents.
“The father told Lauren he plans to conduct his own
investigation into why his daughter knows those words/actions and to see if she
was sexually assaulted.
“To be clear, the Richland County Sheriff’s investigators
say their thorough and exhaustive investigation exploring all possibilities
revealed no signs or evidence of any abuse.”
The following press release was issued by the Richland County Sheriff’s office this morning:
Sheriff Leon Lott announces that no charges will be filed
against the Richland Two school administrator who was accused of sexual
misconduct.
After an intense investigation which included interviewing
multiple witnesses and the individuals involved, as well as reviewing
surveillance video from school cameras, investigators determined that the
incident did not occur as described by the child and that the administrator did
not do anything improper.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department began investigating
on Monday, after the parent of a Richland Two elementary student raised
concerns about an incident involving an administrator.
On Tuesday night, that parent spoke about the allegations
during the public participation portion of the school board meeting.
“As parents, we want to believe that our kids are always
truthful with us, but sometimes it turns out that’s not the case,” Sheriff Lott
said. “However, we have a duty to make sure that any allegations are fully and
completely investigated so that appropriate action can be when warranted.”
Richland Two and the elementary school involved cooperated fully throughout the investigation and have been notified of the findings.
BLYTHEWOOD – A Richland 2 administrator has been put on leave after being accused of strip-searching an elementary school student, school officials have reported.
The alleged incident occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 11 according to the father who addressed the Richland 2 School Board Tuesday night, Nov. 16, saying his first-grade daughter had been the victim of a strip-search at her school.
District officials say they became aware of the allegations
against the administrator after an email from the child’s father was received
by school officials on Monday, Nov. 15.
The allegations became public during a Tuesday school board
meeting when the father described the particulars of the incident during the
public comment period.
The district issued a statement Wednesday, saying the Superintendent
Dr. Baron Davis said, “Richland Two does not tolerate any type of misconduct
involving students and always fully investigates any reports of possible
violations of laws, policies and procedures.”
Davis was quoted as saying, “I want to reassure the entire
Richland Two family that providing safe, nurturing and caring environments that
support quality teaching and learning at all of our schools remains our top
priority,” he said.
The child’s father, who can be seen addressing the board in the video, told The Voice on Wednesday, Nov. 17 that the family had not yet been contacted by Davis.
The Voice was also told on Wednesday that at least some school board members had not been made aware of the alleged incident before it came up during the public comment period.
“I was not aware of the incident at all until I heard about
it during the [father’s] public presentation,” School Board Member LaShonda
McFadden told The Voice. “I don’t believe any of the board members were aware
of it prior to the presentation.”
The livestream video of that meeting is no longer available on Richland 2’s website.
The video of the meeting is password-protected and is accompanied by a note. “Based on the advice of the district’s Director of Safety and Security, the availability of the livestream video from the meeting is currently restricted to protect the identity of a minor involved in an investigation. The district is exercising as much caution as possible during this ongoing investigation.”
In the prepared statement, the district said the allegations
were “disturbing to hear just as they were disturbing to read about in the
email.”
The district is required by law to protect “all individuals
involved in the investigations,” Davis said in the statement. The district has
not revealed at which school the incident allegedly happened.
The child’s father told The Voice that he filed a report about the incident with the Richland County Sheriff’s office on Monday, Nov. 15.
The Richland County Sheriff’s office confirmed to The Voice on Wednesday, Nov. 17, that it is investigating the incident.
The Voice will update this story as information becomes available.
McMeekin: Bringing More People In Will Lower Utility Rates
WINNSBORO – Winnsboro Town Council voted unanimously Monday
night to approve 10 properties for annexation into the town, bringing the total
annexations to 16 since Oct. 5. Three more were on the agenda Monday night for
first reading, and as many as 30 are waiting in the wings, according to Asst.
Town Manager Chris Clausen
With the elimination of the $500 fee for annexation into the
town, Winnsboro is seeing a surge in interest from property owners, says Town
Manager Jason Taylor.
“In the past [the town was charging $500 for an annexation
petition request. We’re not doing that anymore,” Taylor says. “There are no
fees associated with an annexation petition, and we are accepting them without
any cost to the applicant.”
Plus, because of Taylor’s experience with annexation in a
previous job, he is able to handle these requests in-house without the kind of
expensive legal review that used to be required.
After a story on the front page of the Oct. 14 edition of
The Voice about the elimination of the $500 annexation fee, Taylor said he
received about 50 inquiries about how citizens could annex into the town. Some
of those, he said, were not contiguous with the town’s border, therefore were
not eligible to annex.
As word has begun to get out about the benefits of annexing
into the town, people have begun filing petitions to join the town so they can
access trash pickup and lower utility rates. Ultimately, Taylor says, this will
also make it easier for the town to deliver services.
“I think it makes sense from a service delivery perspective to have rational territories,” he says. “Right now our town’s border… it’s very erratic. You can really go down a street and this house is in, the next house is out, the next house is in, the next
house is out, so you can imagine, for providing trash collection services… it
would just make a lot more sense if we had consolidated communities.”
Another reason annexation is sometimes sought by landowners,
Taylor says, is so they can develop their property more densely than is allowed
by county zoning rules.
Mayor John McMeekin says opening up the door to annexation
is aimed at promoting local business, scaling up services, and ultimately
creating a better-run town.
He says those who are annexed into the town will not be
charged property tax; the town’s small tax rate is more than offset by local
sales tax collected by the state on Winnsboro’s behalf.
“There’s no city tax at this time,” McMeekin says, “and I
don’t expect for there to be any.”
Winnsboro is uniquely situated as one of just a handful of
towns in the state that provide all of the utility services for its residents;
in that regard, the town runs a revenue-generating business that puts it in a
unique position.
While Taylor says the town is gearing up to do some
“strategic annexations” by reaching out to the owners of parcels with growth
potential, the way state annexation law is written in South Carolina makes it
challenging for a town to initiate the process – a fact that often leads to
these irregular boundaries.
While the town is just accepting petitions for annexation
right now, Taylor says, town leaders will soon be looking at the map and
reaching out to landowners based on neighbors who want to be annexed and
utility maps that show unclaimed electric power territories and good areas for
water and sewer service expansion.
“If we can bring more people in, we can spread the cost
across more customers and potentially provide services at a cheaper rate,”
Taylor says.
“We would just welcome people. If they want to consider
annexing into the town, we would be glad to consider their annexation
petition.”
WINNSBORO – Two Fairfield teenagers involved in a shooting
at an intersection adjacent to The Strawberry Patch convenience store on
Columbia Road are under arrest and charged with aggravated assault.
Just before 4 p.m., on Thursday, Nov. 11, Fairfield County
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of 9th Street and Columbia Road after
two cars of teenagers were reported to be shooting at each other. When deputies arrived on scene, however, the
shooters had left the location.
After several witnesses provided names of the two cars’
occupants, deputies contacted five teens and arrested two of them, a
16-year-old male who was transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice on
Broad River Road and a 17-year-old male, who was charged as an adult, was
transported to the Fairfield County Detention Center, the incident report
stated.
Two other 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old, who were drivers
or passengers in the two cars were not taken into custody, according to Lt.
Bill Dove, Director of Investigations for the Sheriff’s Office.
A witness stated that a black Mustang pulled up next to him
at the stop sign at 9th Street and Columbia Road and that a male passenger in
the Mustang began shooting over his (witness’) car at another car, a silver
Ford Crown Victoria, according to the incident report. The witness stated that
he did not think he was the target but was caught in the crossfire.
Through the investigation, officers learned that a
16-year-old who was hanging out the back driver’ side window of the Crown
Victoria and a 17-year-old passenger in the Mustang, were shooting at each
other.
Both teens who were arrested admitted to being the shooters,
but both claimed the other shot first, according to the report.
The incident was captured on the convenient store’s
surveillance cameras.
WINNSBORO – A warrant has been issued for a Fairfield man, Delano Malachi White, 44, for attempted murder.
White is a suspect in a stabbing that occurred in the early
morning hours of Oct. 31, in Winnsboro at the corner of West College and
Manigault Streets. The suspect is a black male, about 6 feet tall and 210
pounds.
Winnsboro Department of Public Safety officers were called
to a residence in the 500 block of Sprng Street
about 12:13 a.m., where, according to the incident report, they
found a man bleeding profusely from several stab wounds and an
evisceration across his abdomen.
A witness stated that he saw the victim walking, asking for
help, and assisted the victim to the porch of a nearby residence. The victim was
subsequently transferred by EMS to a Prisma Health hospital in Richland County.
Upon investigation, officers followed a trail of blood from
the porch to a pool of blood in front of a building at the corner of West
College Street and Manigault Street where it is believed the victim was
stabbed.
WDPS officers are continuing to search for White as the
incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information as to White’s
whereabouts, is asked to call 803-635-4511.
Suspect preparing to load the Kubota tractor onto the trailer.
RIDGEWAY – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department is seeking information on a theft in the Ridgeway community of Fairfield County on Oct. 23.
In the early morning hours of October 23, 2021 two unknown
subjects entered the property of the Farm at Ridgeway, which is located at 3248
US Highway 21 South, and removed a Kubota Model M7040 farm tractor, valued at
#28,500, with an 8 ft. commercial bush hog attached.
The subjects drove the tractor through the property’s
surrounding fence, shattering the glass door on the driver’s side of the
tractor. They then drove the tractor to a church across the road, and loaded it
onto a white Ford F-250 pulling a large gooseneck trailer.
The truck was last
seen travelling south on US Highway 21 South towards Blythewood.
Contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office or call Crime stoppers at 1-800-crimesc with any information concerning this incident.
The Fairfield Central boys team at the state meet.
COLUMBIA – In no surprising feat, senior Griffin Joshua Mosley crossed the finish line first for Fairfield Central last Friday at the South Carolina High School League’s 3A State meet. Mosley finished in ninth place for an All-State (top 10) finish with a time of 17:24.63.
Joshua Mosley | Photos: James Witherspoon
Hank White
Eighth grader Nygel Woodard finished second for the Griffins
and in 43rd place of the 113 runners with an 18:42.99 finish. Freshman Hank
White followed in 68th place at 19:27.98. Eighth grader Sidney Wilson and
sophomore Rylan Woodard also finished under 20 minutes. Wilson finished at
19:47.31 for 78th place, a personal best, and Woodard finished at 19:56.34 for
the 80 spot. Sophomore Malachi Woodard
rounded out the Griffins’ times at 21:07.48.
Mosley’s experience combined with tenaciousness of young talent catapulted the Griffins into their first region finish in program history this year.
