
According to the Union Public Safety Department, Warren Carter and Roudean Rice were found safe just before 6 p.m. this evening. Laurens County Sheriff's Deputies found the pair on Highway 72 in Laurens.
-
GOOD TURNOUT FOR UNION COUNTY PEP RALLY
Friday, August 13
If you missed yesterday’s Holcombe Funeral Home and WBCU Pep Rally and Family Picnic, you missed good food, excellent entertainment, and the excitement of meeting the SC State Champion and World Series Runner-Up Dixie Belles Softball team and their coaches. Also on hand were the 2010 Union County High School sports teams including the 2010 Union County High School Yellow Jacket football team. There were free t-shirts while they lasted and free giveaways from our sponsors. A big thank-you goes out to everyone who had a part in making this year’s event a success. A special thank-you goes out to each of our sponsors for without your support this event would not be possible.
-
FINAL DAY TO REGISTER FOR UCRD YOUTH
CHEERLEADING AND FOOTBALL
Friday, August 13
The last day of late registration for the Union County Recreation Department Youth Cheerleading and Football Registration is Friday, August 6th with registration hours being 8am until 5pm. Parents should remember to bring the child’s Birth Certificate and Proof of Medical Insurance in order to sign up. Fees must be paid at the time of registration. There will be a $10 late fee added to the regular registration fee during late registration week. For more information, please call the Recreation Department at 864-429-1670.
-
MUSGROVE MILL CELEBRATES ITS ANNIVERSARY
THIS WEEKEND
Friday, August 13
Musgrove Mill State Historic Site will host its Anniversary Celebration on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 14-15. Re-enactors and historians from around the Southeast will demonstrate what it was like to live and fight in the South during the American Revolution. Events scheduled for the weekend include weapons demonstrations, camp life, cooking, blacksmithing, candle-dipping, gun-smithing, colonial surveying and more. Children's activities will include colonial toys and games demonstrations, quill pen writing and a special muster drill of their own. The park will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days and the anniversary events will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A special commemoration will be delivered by the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14. Admission for the day is $2 for adults (age 16-64) and $1 for seniors (65 years old and older.) Children 15 years of age and younger are admitted free. For more information, contact Musgrove Mill State Historic Site at (864) 938-0100, email to dramsier@scprt.com
-
CARLISLE COMMUNITY FUN DAY SET FOR TOMORROW
Friday, August 13
The Carlisle Community Fun Day “Back to School Bash” and “Fashion/Talent Show” will be held this Saturday, August 14th, 2010 from 1pm until 7pm. The event takes place at the community playground located at Cambridge and Pinckney Streets in Carlisle. There will be food, games, music, and more. For more information, please call the Carlisle Town Hall at 864-427-1505. Donations and volunteers are needed for the event.
-
DWIGHT ROSE TO LECTURE AT UNION COUNTY ARTS
COUNCIL THURSDAY
Friday, August 13
Dwight Rose, watercolor artist and world
traveler will be giving a lecture at the
Union County Arts County Council on
Thursday, August 19 from 10am-12:30. He also
will be demonstrating his watercolor
technique and exhibiting some of his works.
Take a look at his works at
www.watercolourmedia.com Space is limited
and admission is free (donations are
appreciated)..... To reserve a seat contact
the UCAC at 864-429-2817 or email ucac@bellsouth.net
no later than 4pm on Tuesday, Aug. 17. It's
going to be a fascinating event, hope to see
you there!!!
-
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Friday, August 13
Local photographer, Harold Senn, will be teaching a class devoted to Sports Photography beginning Monday, August 30 at the Union County Arts Council building on Main Street. Senn has been the Chief Photographer for The High School Sports Report newspaper for the past 23 years. He has photographed many National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and track athletes during their high school careers in South Carolina. The class will cover the fundamentals of sports photography in a classroom setting along with an actual photo shoot on the sidelines at a Union County football game. Who should take the class? Anyone wanting to shoot sports as a hobby, a profession, or just to get photos of kids and grandkids who participate in sports. School faculty members who are involved with the school newspaper or yearbook would benefit greatly from the class. Cost of Class: $75.00 UCAC Members. $85.00 non-members. The class will be limited to 20 students. Contact UCAC at 864-429-2817 for registration information.
UNION COUNTY PEP RALLY & FAMILY PICNIC TONIGHT AT THE FAIRGROUNDS
Thursday, August 12
You are invited to join WBCU Radio and Holcombe Funeral Home for the Annual Pep Rally and Family Picnic that will be held today at 6 PM at Union County Fairgrounds. Holcombe Funeral Home and WBCU Radio have been serving Union County for over 60 years now, and we want to celebrate. Join Holcombe Funeral Home and WBCU for our birthday celebration and the Union County Pep Rally. We’ll be firing up the grill and serving free hot dogs, drinks, and chips. There will be free food, free giveaways, and free entertainment. Let’s show our youth that we support them as they begin school and the fall sports season. We’ll have entertainment with Parties-R-Us for the children, Gospel music by the Childers, and oldies music with Highway 49. Visit the sponsors’ tables and receive free goodies. We’ll have free T-shirts and much, much, more. The fun starts today at 6 PM at the Union County Fairgrounds, and it’s all free so please don’t miss it. We will see you there.
-
WALKER BABB RETIRES AS RESERVE DEPUTY
Thursday, August 12



Walker Babb has been a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for the Union County Sheriff’s Office for the last 26 years. He has worked under three different sheriffs, has seen a lot of things change through the years, and seen many employees come and go within the Sheriff’s Office. Last night Babb was honored by Sheriff David Taylor and those under his command as he retired from the Reserve Deputy program. Sheriff Taylor presented Babb with a shadow box that contained the three different badges that he wore under the three different sheriffs, along with a patch and Babb’s identification credentials. Babb was also presented a Taurus “Chief Special” .38 cal. revolver that members of the Sheriff’s Office chipped in and bought as a parting gift for Babb. WBCU News spoke to Babb and Sheriff Taylor following the presentation, and this is what the two men had to say. Babb said he wanted to thank the police, reserves, sheriff, and everyone who had anything to do with the ceremony. He said he appreciated it, and if there is ever anything he can do to help, just call him and he'd be there. Babb said he served for 26 years. Taylor said those 26 years as a reserve deputy is as many years as some put in and retire and get paid for. He noted Babb worked it on a volunteer basis for over 7500 hours. He said he is to be commended for the job he has done, and they are proud of him. He said he was glad Babb was able to enjoy the time with the Sheriff's Office, and glad that he's looking forward to kicking back a little and taking it easy.
-
RESULTS IN FROM 3RD YMCA SPRINT TRIATHLON
Thursday, August 12
On Saturday August 7th the Union County YMCA hosted its third sprint triathlon. 84 participants completed the 250yrd. Swim, 14.5 mi. bike, and 3.1 mi. run. There were participants from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The swim was completed in the YMCA pool, the bike course took the riders to Monarch on Hwy 49 and right on Monarch Hwy to just past Michael Glenn Funeral chapel, and the run course went around the USC Union campus, through Foster Park and back to the YMCA. Local contestants fared very well with Dan Berry finishing in 3rd place overall and 1st in 40-44 age group. Taylor Gibbs, Mike McGee, and John Kingsmore were 2nd, 3rd , and 4th, respectively, in the 40-44 age group. A full listing of results can be found at http://www.onthemarksports.com/results.html. The YMCA would like to thank the City of Union, the Union County Sherriff’s office, volunteers and the residents of the community for helping us have a safe and hugely successful event.
-
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS BEGINS AUGUST 30TH
Thursday, August 12
Local photographer, Harold Senn, will be
teaching a class devoted to Sports
Photography beginning Monday, August 30 at
the Union County Arts Council building on
Main Street. Senn has been the Chief
Photographer for The High School Sports
Report newspaper for the past 23 years. He
has photographed many NFL, MLB, NBA and
track athletes during their high school
careers in South Carolina. The class will
cover the fundamentals of sports photography
in a classroom setting along with an actual
photo shoot on the sidelines at a Union
County football game. Some of the things
that will be covered in the class are:
(1) The equipment needed for shooting
sports.
(2) How to get by with the equipment that
you have.
(3) Why you should know the sport you’re
shooting.
(4) Positioning … the most important thing!
(5) Using ISO to your advantage.
(6) Bad weather … no problem.
(7) Some “rules” you need to know.
(8) Working with game officials.
(9) Post-processing … how to “save” the
shot.
(10) And MORE!
The Class Schedule is as follows:
Monday, August 30, 7.00 p.m.:
First meeting. Will discuss what you need
to know about shooting sports.
Friday, September 3, 6:30 p.m.: Meet at the
Union County High School Stadium to
photograph the Union County/Broome football
game from the sidelines! This will be the
students’ chance to get “up close” to the
action and see what it’s like to shoot a
game from field-level. Thanks to Union
County Athletic Director Mike Massey for his
support.
Monday, September 13, 7:00 p.m.: Final class
meeting. We will look at photos taken at
the game and evaluate the success of each
student. If needed, tips will be given to
help students improve their sports
photography.
Who should take the class? Anyone wanting
to shoot sports as a hobby, a profession, or
just to get photos of kids and grandkids who
participate in sports. School faculty
members who are involved with the school
newspaper or yearbook would benefit greatly
from the class.
Cost of Class: $75.00 UCAC Members
$85.00 non-members
Contact UCAC at 864-429-2817 for
registration information. The class will be
limited to 20 students.
CITY, COUNTY COUNCILS RECEIVE UPDATE ON PERFORMING ARTS BUILDING
Wednesday, August 11
A large crowd was on hand for Tuesday afternoon's joint meeting of Union City Council and Union County Council. The meeting was held at 5:30pm at the Union County Annex Building on East Main Street, and its purpose appeared to be two-fold. First, it allowed an opportunity to update everyone concerned on the new Union Performing Arts Building, a City Council project, and to extend an invitation to Union County Council to help with funding, and become a partner, of the project. Union Mayor Harold Thompson began the meeting by giving background information on the events leading up to the present project. He said that in 2003, a committee meeting was held at the old Union High School. It was the vision of members of that committee to convert a portion of the school into an arts/community activity center. Mayor Thompson stated that a short time later, a fire destroyed the main building at the old Union High School. Sometime after the fire, City Council developed a vision committee in an effort to continue the planning for the proposed community center. The efforts of that committee have brought us to where we are today. Several others spoke at the meeting including: Dan McLeod of the McNair Law Firm who explained the City's Tax Increment District- what it is, how it was developed, and its purpose. Next, David Langley of Langley and Associates presented facts and figures on the original proposed building as well as the revised building that reduced square footage from 27,280 to 19,000 square feet in an effort to bring the project closer to budget. Finally, Col. William "Jack" Whitener, who has been chosen to serve on the project's Core Committee presented the goals and concerns of that committee. Col. Whitener discussed the cost of the project, can they raise the additional funds for the "ideal" facility, and if so, where would the funding come from? He also touched on the benefits to the community and how the community would be impacted by the project. Col. Whitener also discussed the recommendations of the Core Committee, of which one was to seek an expanded partnership with Union County Council. Members of County Council listened intently to the presentations, however, at this time has made no commitment to the project.
-
MUSGROVE MILL HOSTING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THIS WEEKEND
Wednesday, August 11
Musgrove Mill State Historic Site will host its Anniversary Celebration on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 14-15. Re-enactors and historians from around the Southeast will demonstrate what it was like to live and fight in the South during the American Revolution. Events scheduled for the weekend include weapons demonstrations, camp life, cooking, blacksmithing, candle-dipping, gun-smithing, colonial surveying and more. Children's activities will include colonial toys and games demonstrations, quill pen writing and a special muster drill of their own. The park will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days and the anniversary events will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A special commemoration will be delivered by the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14. Admission for the day is $2 for adults (age 16-64) and $1 for seniors (65 years old and older.) Children 15 years of age and younger are admitted free. For more information, contact Musgrove Mill State Historic Site at (864) 938-0100, email to dramsier@scprt.com
-
COUNTY'S PHONE SYSTEM UPDATE COULD SAVE $5000 A MONTH OVER FIVE YEARS
Wednesday, August 11
Following Tuesday's joint meeting of Union City and County Councils, County Council held their regular monthly meeting. Council voted to appoint Susan Gregory to fill the vacancy on the Upstate Workforce Development Board. Council also voted to re-appoint Julia Garman and George Bruce to the Union County Tourism Commission. County Council appointed Trampas Alderman to fill the three years remaining on Casey Connell's term on the Olde English District. Mr. Connell has moved from this area and resigned his seat on the commission. In other business, Council voted to update the County's outdated phone system at a cost of $1368 per month for five years. Council was told that by doing this now, and piggybacking onto the recently installed Court Management System, the County would save approx. $300,000, or $5000 per month, over the five year period. A motion made by Council member Kacie Petrie, seconded by Tommy Ford, to take six roads: Scarborough, Hunter's Run, Deer Point, Light, Pioneer, and Southwood, into the county road system passed by a vote of 3 to 2. Petrie, Ford, and Joan Little voted in favor of the motion, while Randall Hanvey and Dora Martin-Jennings were opposed. Council member Joey English was not present at the meeting.
-
LOCKHART SCHOOLS K-8 MEETS ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS STANDARDS
Wednesday, August 11
Union County Schools received word Friday afternoon that Lockhart Schools K-8 met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The school district had initially reported the AYP status for Lockhart as pending based upon a discrepancy in the attendance calculation. Following the district's appeal, state officials recalculated the attendance at Lockhart and confirmed that the school attendance of 94.4% met federal criteria. With this correction the school met all 13 of its objectives. The change in status at Lockhart results in five of eight schools in Union County meeting AYP criteria for 2009-2010. Schools in Union County meeting their individual AYP categories include Foster Park Elementary School, Jonesville Elementary School, Jonesville Middle School, and Lockhart Schools K-8. Lockhart was one of five schools recognized at Monday's meeting of the School Board for meeting the criteria for AYP.





Mike
Anthony, SC Representative for District 42, presented a check for $500,000 to
the City of Union Wednesday morning at Union City Hall. Anthony presented the
check, which is proceeds from a Community Development Block Grant, to Union
Mayor Harold Thompson and members of City Council on behalf of Joe Taylor, SC
Department of Commerce. After the presentation, WBCU News spoke with Rep.
Anthony and Mayor Thompson and they commented on the grant. Rep. Anthony said he
was very excited that the city received this grant from the SC Department of
Commerce. He noted that Joe Taylor asked him to present the check to Mayor
Harold Thompson. Anthony said the funds would go a long way to help
upgrade the Excelsior and Union Mill areas. He said grants never have to
be paid back, and that's a good deal. Mayor Thompson said the money would
upgrade the sewer system in those mill areas. He said they applied for the
grant 4 or 5 months ago, and the governor's office and Catawba Regional called
to tell them they were approved for the funds. He said Catawba Regional
Council of Governments has done an exceptional job, because nearly every grant
the city has gone for with their help, they have been approved for. He
said they are working for another major grant, and hope to have some good
information on that soon. He said it would be in the neighborhood of
$500,000 to $1 million.
During
last year’s state football play-off game at Union County Stadium, a portion of
the wall on the home side stands collapsed injuring several students. The wall
collapsed when students trying to get into a camera shot of a local TV station
leaned on the wall causing it to collapse. Union’s first home football game is
this Friday night, and repairs have been made to that wall. Kingsmore
Construction of Union rebuilt the collapsed section of wall, reinforced the
other wall sections, and made other modifications to the entire wall in an
effort to prevent what happened last year from happening again. WBCU News went
to Union County Stadium Wednesday morning with Union County Supervisor Tommy
Sinclair and we inspected the wall. The following are comments from Supervisor
Sinclair concerning the wall repairs. Sinclair said the first home football game
is Friday night. He noted that last November the wall gave way when
students were leaning against it. He said the repairs have been completed.
It took nearly $20,000 to do the repairs. He said they used rebar and
concrete. They had an architect and engineer go through it. Jerry
Brannon was involved. They also had a Workman's Compensation Risk Analysis
representative to come up. He said the wall is safe, and he welcomed the
fans to come out and get behind the Jackets Friday night. 



Today
we salute a man who has given over 40 years of public service to this community,
our state, and our nation. His name is James E. “Eddie” Harris, and for the last
10 years has served as Command Sgt. Major for the South Carolina Guard. The
Command Sgt. Major made comments to WBCU News concerning his service and those
who influenced him along the way. Harris said he is the Command Sergeant Major
for the state of South Carolina Military Department, which includes all the Army
National Guard soldiers in SC. He said his law enforcement career began in 1971
as a patrolman. He was promoted along the way to corporal, sergeant,
lieutenant, and assistant chief before going to work for SLED in 1984, retiring
in 1996. Harris said he did things a little differently; he noted most people
retire from the military and then go into law enforcement, but he did it in
reverse. He was a traditional soldier, belonging to Headquarters Company, 4th
118th, in Union, he enlisted on January 15, 1970, the same day as county Judge
Robert Guess. Sonny Crocker was the AO, or AST, at that time, and Harris said
he owed a lot to him and a lot of other great soldiers that have gone on. Among
those he noted: Dana Allison, who he noted was one of the finest soldiers he had
ever known; Charlie Hodge, who is now deceased; Phil Wilburn, also deceased. He
said he could continue on and on naming soldiers who he served with and meant so
much to him. He said he has a lot of close friends now who served with him:
among them, J.W. McAbee, Ronnie Lee, Hugh Grady, Jerry Williams, and Roger
Bailey. He said these men, not just the ones he named, are the backbone of the
community as citizen-soldiers. He said in his experience in being the State
Command Sergeant Major for the last 10 years, he has traveled to England,
Germany, Afghanistan, Holland, Mexico, California, and others, and has seen a
lot of great soldiers from South Carolina. Harris said when he enlisted, the
National Guard had a state mission, primarily, and secondary was the federal
mission. Up until 1991, they were only used for state emergencies. After the
first Gulf War, they found out that they have a goldmine and a wealth of
knowledge in the National Guard, and they decided to start using them as an
operational force rather than as a strategic reserve. He said they have
migrated that way tremendously in the last 5 years. Harris said all of our
soldiers here have been deployed. They have served in Afghanistan or Iraq for
12-18 years. He said he has seen the expertise we have in the Army Guard that
is second to nothing the Army has. He said the Army has great training for the
Guard, and they have adapted and progressed well. Harris said he is proud to
have served over his 40 years, 9 months, and 15 days, if he makes it to
September 30th, with the greatest people and the greatest citizen-soldiers of
this state and this county. He said it has been great, beyond belief, to have
had 40+ years of his life dedicated to serving the United States of
America. Harris said God bless the United States of America, the state of South
Carolina, and Union County.
At
Tuesday’s meeting of Union City Council, Council honored one of their longtime
employees upon his retirement. Sgt. David Brewington recently retired from the
Union Public Safety Department. According to Chief Sam White of UPSD, Brewington,
who had 20 years of service with UPSD, was the ideal employee who always did
anything that was asked of him. In business matters, Council approved 2nd and
Final Reading of the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. Council also approved a
motion to continue the Heating Assistance Program through the Community Change
Program, and add Cooling Assistance. A motion also passed that requires a
customer to participate in the Community Change Program in order to qualify for
assistance. The program provides for heating assistance up to $100 for
qualifying City utility customers during winter months, and now cooling
assistance up to $100 during the hot months of summer. The maximum that a
qualifying customer can receive is $200 during a twelve month period. Council
also approved a recommendation from Chief Sam White to form a Needs Assessment
Committee for the purchase of a new fire truck. White told Council that the City
currently owns 5 fire trucks: one is 25 years old, one is 18 years old, two are
15 years old and the newest is 5 years old. The committee will consist of City
Finance Officer Walker Gallman, Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor Mike Petrie,
Chief White, Fire Commander Larry Robinson, and Council members Robert Garner
and Keith Henderson.
Heather
Petty, daughter of Mike and Kim Petty of Lockhart, has been selected to be a
finalist in the South Carolina Pre-Teen Scholarship and Recognition Program to
be held September 4th through September 6th, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in
Greenville, SC. The SC Pre-Teen is a by-invitation only Scholarship and
Recognition event involving young ladies, 7 to 12 years of age, based on their
school academic records, awards and honors won, and/or their participation in
outside activities. Additionally, young ladies are invited who have been
recognized publicly for their outstanding personal achievements, volunteer
services, school involvement, leadership abilities, or creative talents. State
finalists will be evaluated on 1) academic achievement; 2) volunteer service to
their community; 3) school honors and activities; 4) development of personal
skills and abilities; 5) general knowledge ability; 6) communicative ability,
and; 7) on stage acknowledgement of accomplishments. SC Pre-Teen will award more
than $5000 in educational bonds, prizes, and awards. Heather is very grateful to
the following sponsors who have enabled her to attend this very prestigious
state event: McIntyre Sand Company, Gaston Logging, Pea Ridge Truck Service,
Denton Gas Company, Incorporated, Roark’s Body Shop, and Jeff & Kim Bailey.




















What
was reported as a vehicle fire turned out to be a vehicle and building fire when
units of the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the fife scene at 355
Dutchman Creek Road. WBCU News was on the scene of the fire. It appeared
to have started as a vehicle fire, but spread to a building nearby. Heavy damage
was sustained inside the building, and the dump truck was considered a total
loss. Buffalo received the call at 7:36pm and were on the scene for approx. an
hour. They asked for and received aid from the Cross Keys and Glenn
Springs-Pauline Volunteer Fire Departments in supplying water due to the great
distance to the nearest fire hydrant. At the time of this report, the cause of
the fire and the damage estimate were not available. There were no injuries
reported as a result of the fire.
Representatives
of the group Especially Ours, Becky Cobb, of the Union County Recreation
Department, County Councilmember Joey English, and County Supervisor Tommy
Sinclair met in Sinclair’s office Wednesday at noon for a presentation. As the
others looked on, Councilmember English presented just over $2,000 to Mary Hrbek
of Especially Ours. The money will be used to help fund the group’s event
Disability Awareness Fun Day this Saturday at Foster Park. This money came from
members of Union County Council and Union Recreation Department who reached into
their own pockets and made personal donations to help fund this event. If you
would like to donate to this worthy cause, please call Becky Cobb at the UCRD at
864-4291670.


As
a follow-up to a subject discussed last week on WBCU’s Mike Stevens Morning
Show, WBCU News sat down Monday morning with Union County Sheriff David Taylor.
Mike and some of his listeners had discussed crime in Union County and some of
the statistics associated with it. Monday morning Sheriff Taylor provided
statistics compiled by the SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) that compared the
incidence of crime in Union County, broken down by categories, for the years
2008, 2009, and through April 30th of this year. The report also separated
juvenile offenders from adult offenders, showed the total number of cases made,
and the clearance rate for the different types of crime. WBCU News asked Sheriff
Taylor to comment on crime in Union County, and these were his comments.
Taylor noted the statistics are just statistics in
Union County; not in the city or in the town of Jonesville. The crimes against
property are down, and crimes against persons are down. Crimes against society
are up, because those are crimes of drugs, alcohol violations, and those types
of things. He said if you look at the number of arrests, they’ve made a 100%
increase in drug arrests in the last year. Burglaries are down tremendously,
and the clearance rate of cases is up. Taylor said he doesn’t understand why
people think crime is up in Union County. The number of bad checks is down from
2008 and 2009, and he said he thinks that’s largely to do with Solicitor Kevin
Brackett’s bad check program. He said that somebody is putting out some
misinformation, and that’s the reason the Sheriff’s Office is putting this
information out. It comes from the State Law Enforcement Division, and is
up-to-date as of April 30th, 2010. He said he just wants to make the
public aware they are living in a safe community.