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  • Hall of Fame Coach honored by former Winnsboro Wildcats

    Former Winnsboro Wildcat players gathered in Ridgeway over the weekend to celebrate their Hall of Fame basketball coach, Eddie Raines. The reunion, a surprise for the coach, was a way to celebrate the impact Raines had on his players’ lives. | Contributed

    WININSBORO – It was everything one could wish for in a reunion of high school basketball players and their beloved coach – like a movie, one that brought it all back in the most heartwarming way.

    The reunion started coming together earlier this summer when several former Winnsboro High School basketball players – Carl Kennedy, David Seibles, Michael Squirewell and others – learned their high school basketball coach Eddie Raines had been inducted into to the South Carolina Coaches Association Hall of Fame last March.

    The former teammates began calling other former teammates to plan a surprise reunion to honor their former coach who had spent a combined 17 years (1968 – 1976 and 1977 – 1986) coaching basketball at their alma mater, Winnsboro High School.

    When Raines and his wife Eunice arrived at a covered party patio at Oakbrook Farm in Ridgeway last Saturday with their sons Kevin and Barry for what they thought was a party for their grands, about 50 of Raines’ former players lined up across the patio and shouted in unison, “1-2-3 Wildcats! 1-2-3 Wildcats!” just as they had done when they broke huddle on Raines’ court in high school.

    Recovering from his shock and surprise of seeing so many of his players, now grown men, Raines pointed across the room, and shouted sternly, “Ok, guys, get on the baseline!” Just like old times. Everyone laughed and swarmed around him.

    After hugging and visiting, one by one, the players came to the front of the room to recall memories of their high school years with Raines and to testify how this one coach, and even his wife, had changed their lives.

    • Coach Raines and Michael Squirewell
    • Coach Raines and Carl Kennedy
    • Tim Hopkins and Coach Raines

    They recalled how he believed in them and wanted the best for them just as a parent would. He coached them the years before, during and after the desegregation of their school – and they grew to see him as a father figure.

    “I remember when I injured my shoulder,” Curtis Dunbar recalled, “my parents were out of town and you took me to the hospital, then brought me home to your house and put me in with your boys and I spent the night with them. You were always there for us. I love you Coach,” Dunbar said as he walked over and hugged Raines.

    James Pearson talked about how he came out of poverty and credits Raines with setting him on the path to succeed. Pearson pointed proudly to his own children’s college education and said Raines gave him the courage and confidence he needed to get where he is.

    Tim Hopkins talked about how he saw his future as nothing special when, his junior year, Coach Raines informed him he would be going to college on a sports scholarship. Today, Hopkins is the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Kershaw County and on the board of Fairfield Electric Coop. He was blunt as he spoke.

    ‘I owe it all to you, Coach.”

    As they talked and remembered, each player recalled the feeling of family that they say Raines created for the team. They talked about the cookouts at his house, their trips to the beach, and just hanging out after practice talking with him.

    “If we were in town and Mrs. Raines saw one of us, she would always ask if we needed a ride,” Carl Kennedy recalled. “And she would drive us home.”

    After more than an hour of walking down memory lane, the former team members presented Raines with a gift – a pair of white Converse gym shoes they had all signed. That was the only kind of shoe he would let them play in back then, they recalled.

    Coach Eddie Raines and his wife, Eunice, admire the autographed Converse sneakers gifted to him by his former players. | Contributed

    There were endless jokes and heartfelt memories throughout the afternoon.

    “It was fun when we played for Coach Raines, but it was tough,” Kennedy recalled. “The rules! We were probably the first high school team in South Carolina that had a curfew – 11 p.m. He would call our houses every night to be sure we were home. He had a whole network of our parents who helped him.”

    For his part, Raines said he is blessed to have coached them all.

    “This reunion was as good as the induction into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “It meant the world to me.”

    Through those 17 years at Winnsboro High, there were two trips to the state championship, and many other wins and honors – all wonderful memories for the players and their coach. Kennedy recalled that Raines’ teams could hold their own against any team.

    “We were good,” he said. “But Coach made us more than a team.”

    “Of all we accomplished and what we did,” Raines said in an interview with The Voice, “the warmest thing I think I’ve ever felt, was when I saw them Saturday, and they all still called me Coach.”

    Stanley Seibles, Alan (Reb) Watkins, and David Seibles
    • Curtis Dunbar

  • Judge rules on 5 MPA/Town of Blythewood motions

    BLYTHEWOOD – There was movement last week in the more than two-year-old legal battle between the Town of Blythewood and MPA Strategies, a marketing company the Town contracted with in April, 2021, and terminated less than three months later.

    At issue are a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by MPA against Mayor Bryan Franklin and the Town of Blythewood and a countersuit filed by the Town against MPA.

    A public motions hearing was held Aug. 9, via Webex, to resolve motions filed by both MPA and the Town, with both sides ending up with wins and losses. Circuit Court Judge Clifford Newman presided.

    The Judge ruled on five of the motions in the order they were filed.

    He first denied MPA’s motion to strike the Town’s counterclaim, allowing it to go forward to trial. He also denied MPA’s claim for summary judgement.

    “We are very disappointed with that ruling,” Paul Porter, attorney for MPA, told The Voice. “However, it’s very hard to get a case thrown out before the trial,” he said. “That’s by design to ensure open access to the Courts. I don’t think it’s a testament to any flaws in our argument. If there is a legal basis for any of the complaints [in the countersuit], I haven’t seen it.

    “For instance,” he said, “starting with the Federal False Claims cause, you can’t file that claim in state court. There’s a way you have to file it and they didn’t file it that way. Plus, federal money must be involved to file this claim and there is no federal money involved.”

    Judge Newman denied a motion filed by the Town that would prevented MPA from deposing Town Attorney Shannon Burnett. MPA has tried unsuccessfully for months to depose Burnett, according to court records. The judge’s denial of the Town’s motion allows MPA to go forward with Burnett’s deposition.

    The last two motions filed by the Town were resolved in one ruling – to show cause and to compel.

    The Town accused MPA of spoliation (destruction) of documents and asked the Judge for sanctions against MPA.

    Following the Webex hearing, Mayor Bryan Franklin issued a prepared statement that included the following:

    “Importantly, one of the Town’s motions asked the Court to sanction MPA for its continued discovery abuses and destruction of evidence.

    “After hearing arguments on behalf of the Town and MPA, Judge Newman agreed with the Town that MPA had failed to comply with rules governing discovery and preservation of evidence, and that sanctions against MPA were warranted,” Franklin said.

    Porter took a different view of the ruling.

    “While Judge Newman did find that MPA had engaged in spoliation, and that he felt there should be some kind of sanction for that,” Porter said, “he left it for the trial judge to determine the facts concerning the issue and to make any decision concerning sanctions at that time.

    “It’s a unique situation,” Porter continued. “She [Ashley Hunter, CEO and owner of MPA] had a pre-existing retention policy for her text messages, so she unequivocally denies that she destroyed any evidence and believes no relevant discernable documents were destroyed. We’re looking forward to filing a Motion to Reconsider in order to preserve this issue for appeal.”

    In his statement, Franklin said, “Judge Newman denied motions brought by MPA for summary judgement and to strike the Town’s counterclaims, ruling that the Town’s counterclaims may move forward in the lawsuit.”

    “Today’s rulings are a meaningful step forward in progressing this case,” Franklin said. “I thank the Blythewood citizens for their patience and continued support in seeing that justice prevails for our Town.”

    Porter also issued a statement.

    “We are glad to get to take depositions and get this case moving. We look forward to all the facts related to this issue coming to light,” he said, “and when they do come to light, I think it will be apparent that there’s not much to this issue.”

  • WDPS arrests Winnsboro man for DC murder

    Officers Say Suspect, Victims are Family Members

    WINNSBORO — A Winnsboro man is in the Fairfield County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Prince George’s County, MD where he has been charged with murder of one family member and the attempted murder of another family member and other related charges.

    Edward Gary, 37, of Winnsboro is charged with shooting and killing Isaac Jenkins, 43, also of Winnsboro, and wounding a woman in the Capital Heights area, a suburb of Washington, D.C., according to Winnsboro Department of Public Safety Chief Kevin Lawrence.

    On Saturday, July 29, at 9:20 p.m., Prince George’s County police officers responded to a report of a shooting in the Capital Heights neighborhood of the county where they found Jenkins lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead a short time later, according to the police report.

    Gary and both victims, reported to be related, were attending a family reunion in Prince George’s County, MD when the shooting occurred during a domestic dispute. According to the police report, Gary took a handgun from the trunk of a vehicle and fired toward Jenkins and the woman. Gary then stole a car and drove off, the police documents stated.

    The injuries suffered by the woman as a result of the shooting were not considered to be life-threatening.

    WDPS was alerted of the shooting on Sunday, July 30, and set up a watch on Gary’s home, according to Lawrence. Gary returned to Winnsboro after the shooting, contacted WDPS on Monday, July 31 and was taken into custody that same day.

    Gary remains in custody at the Fairfield County Detention Center pending extradition to Prince George’s County. 

    Chief Lawrence said the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department was also on scene when Gary was taken into custody.

    Prince George’s law enforcement has 20 days in which to extradite Gary to Maryland.

  • Shooting on I-77 injures 2 juveniles

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office  has requested the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to assist in an investigation following a shooting that injured two juveniles.

    On Saturday, Aug. 5, at approximately 8:39 p.m., the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office responded to what is believed to be a road rage incident on Interstate 77 South in Fairfield County between mile markers 48 through 34.

    Initial information indicates that a family of four was traveling South in a white Nissan Maxima on I-77 when a dark colored vehicle, possibly a Mazda with a paper tag and no headlights  on, began following the Maxima closely.

    The driver of the Maxima tapped the brakes and then sped up to get away from the Mazda. The dark colored vehicle began shooting at the Maxima.

    Two female juveniles in the back seat of the Maxima were shot during this incident and transported to an area hospital. Both juveniles are currently in stable condition.

    Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is encouraged to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office’s Chief Deputy Brad Douglas at (803) 635-4141 or bdouglas@fairfieldsc.com.

  • Human trafficking arrest made in Blythewood

    BLYTHEWOOD – An Ohio man has been arrested in Blythewood for Human Trafficking and Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor.

    A Richland County Sheriff’s Department incident report on the arrest was vague and heavily redacted, but stated that Ralpheal Monte Willis, 24, was arrested on Friday, July 28 while walking down a sidewalk in Blythewood with a juvenile who had been reported missing from Ohio.

    While the report stated that the incident was initiated on Wednesday, July 26, the report does not refer to anything that prompted the arrest until July 28, when the reporting officer received a call from an FBI agent that a juvenile reported missing from Ohio was located in Richland County.  

    A source informed The Voice that a search warrant was served at the motel on Friday, which had been staked out for about four hours on Friday evening before the arrest was made at about 10 p.m. Friday night.

    The report states that “a green leafy material believed to be marijuana was found in the suspect’s pocket.” The report also stated that a personal weapon was involved, but it did not state how it was involved.

    Willis was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center later that evening and is being held without bond. The juvenile who was with Willis when he was arrested was taken into protective custody, according to a Richland County public information officer who stated that the SC Department of Social Services is working with her (the juvenile’s) family and a local agency on her next steps.

    Prior Arrest

    According to an Orange County Florida arrest affidavit obtained by The Voice, Willis had been arrested in Orlando, Florida on July 17 (11 days prior to his Richland County arrest) and charged with Grand Theft 3rd Degree – Motor Vehicle.

    When he was arrested, Willis was driving a silver Nissan Altima that matched a vehicle that had been reported stolen from Bedford, Ohio, earlier that day (June 17), according to the report. After the reporting officer confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen, Willis was charged and transported to Orange County Booking and Release, the report stated. A supplemental report on the arrest was not available to The Voice at press time.

    Besides the Grand Theft charge, Willis was also charged with Possession of Cannabis under 20 Grams (with a weapon), another charge of Possession of Cannabis under 20 Grams, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

  • Family offers $10k reward for shooting death info

    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.

  • Woman arrested for illegal fentanyl tablet manufacturing operation

    Cromer

    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.”

  • Two die in crash in Monticello

    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.

  • Winnsboro receives second $500K for restoration of downtown

    WINNSBORO – When Jason Taylor took the reins as Winnsboro Town Manager in mid-2021, his vision was for Winnsboro to realize its great potential through its five utility companies and restoration of its downtown.

    Over the last two years, much groundwork has been laid for that vision.

    With smart meters being installed for all water, gas and electric customers, a $440,000 grant to help renovate Fortune Springs Park, a $10M grant to improve and expand capacity of the town’s water plant, a joint project with the county to demolish and remove dilapidated and abandoned houses in the town proper as well as in the unincorporated areas of the town, and newly tightened code enforcement ordinances, the vision is unfolding.

    The Town now has options on several empty, dilapidated buildings it hopes to renovate, including the vacant service station adjacent to the post office and a former dry cleaner building across the street from the service station as well as several other vacant buildings on Congress Street. Taylor is also eyeing a site for a downtown splash pad.

    The vacant service station next to the post office. | Martha Ladd

    However, such a vision requires money. Lots of money. With the help of State Representative Annie McDaniel, that money has stated to pour in.

    Last October, McDaniel obtained a South Carolina state budget appropriation of $500,000, specifically for Winnsboro’s downtown revitalization.

    In thanking McDaniel for her work to successfully get the town funding request through the legislature, Winnsboro Mayor John McMeekin said those funds would be used to jump start the town’s long-term goal of bringing a vibrant downtown back to Winnsboro.

    Last month, McDaniel secured another $500,000 appropriation from the state, and Taylor plans to apply for a $750,000 CDBG grant.

    “With $1.5 million, we can save some of these old buildings and get them to where they’re move-in ready for someone who wants to put a in restaurant or a retail shop but isn’t necessarily great at rehabbing a hundred-year-old building,” Taylor said. “They may not have the time or the resources to do that.”

    Taylor said he’s been studying examples of other small towns like Camden and Newberry that have found success. Some very small mountain towns, he said, have “caught lightning in a bottle” by attracting the right kinds of restaurants, brewpubs, and boutique venues.

    “We want to see Winnsboro as a vibrant community where people want to come live; where you can walk from your house to a wonderful shop or restaurant on Main Street; and where quality of life is improved for our citizens. We want a downtown that is vibrant, thriving and alive, and where people want to visit and want to live,” Taylor said.

    “The first $500,000 was a great start,” he said. “But a million dollars will have a real impact that people will start to notice.”

    He said about half the buildings in downtown are vacant or actually dilapidated.

    “We’ve pulled maps, looked at every building in town, talked to building owners, and we have a landscape architect  – a downtown redesigner – who’s worked a lot in Charleston, and has a previous relationship with the county. We’re getting some preliminary ideas,” he said.

    Sifting through a pile of maps of downtown on his desk, Taylor talks about how he and council can make the best impact with the money that is now flowing into the Town’s coffers.

    “Streetscapes, which are nice and necessary for a successful restoration, are for now on the back burner. Initially, we need buildings that are viable to support businesses,” Taylor said. “You can put trees and sidewalks in town – and I love doing that kind of stuff – but if the buildings behind those trees and sidewalks are falling down, you haven’t done a whole lot to accomplish your goal. So, I think we need to begin where we can get a return for our money – buildings that are rehabbed and ready to go. But streetscapes are definitely on the drawing board.”

    Taylor said many of the ideas for rehabbing the buildings in the town came out of the two town hall meetings the town government held in the spring.

    Taylor said he would also like to see the back parking lot behind the farmer’s market building rehabbed.

    “As the town improves and businesses move in we will need more parking space and the back lot is an ideal space,” he said. “It could also serve as a great space for certain events. The engineering for the lot is completed and all the building owners except one have granted easement permissions for the areas they own.”

    While Taylor and council have a clear vision of what they would like to see for the town, they want the town’s residents to have the same clear view.

    “A color rendition of how the town could look is in the works,” Taylor said. “I think when that’s completed is when it’s going to start getting exciting.”

  • Murder on West Peach Road

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY – One man was killed and two others were injured Saturday night after shots were fired during a party on West Peach Road near U.S. Hwy 321 in the Greenbrier section of Fairfield County, according to the sheriff.

    Tyon Dremetrius Byrd, 21, of Winnsboro was taken to an area hospital where he died, Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill said Monday.

    Byrd’s death is being investigated as a murder, according to Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery.

    Around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday July 1, deputies responded to a residence and open lot on West Peach Road in reference to a shooting incident.

    When deputies arrived they learned that two individuals appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were transported to area hospitals. Deputies later learned that a third person showed up at an area hospital with what appeared to be gunshot wounds related to the West Peach Road party.

    There is no other available information on the condition of the other two shooting victims.

    An autopsy is scheduled for Byrd with Newberry Pathology on Wednesday, according to Hill.

    The shootings are being investigated by the Fairfield County Sheriff’s office, the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

    “First, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these victims as they deal with this tragedy,” Montgomery said. “As we are in the very early stages of this investigation, it is still very fluid and we are limited in what information we can provide at this time.”

    Montgomery asked that anyone who may have information about this incident to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141.

    This story was updated on July 5, 2023 at 12:12 p.m.