EASLEY — An 8-year-old girl faced surgery on Monday after being hit by a car and then run over by another on U.S. 123 in Easley on Sunday evening.
Easley police would not identify the girl, only giving her age.
Police say that the girl is facing non-life threatening injuries after being hit at about 7:45 p.m. in front of Firehouse Subs on U.S. 123 Sunday evening, according to an incident report.
Officers said the girl, who was wearing only pajamas and was barefoot, stepped into the busy highway before being hit. According to the report, the driver of the car immediately pulled over to see what had happened, and another car ran over the girl, but did not appear to strike her, witnesses said.
The first car had minor damage, including the passenger side mirror being knocked off.
The driver of the second car did not stop, police said, and may not have even realized the vehicle had run over the girl. Although the car was described as a dark car by witnesses, Easley police do not expect charges to be filed.
According to officers, the girl’s mother arrived on the scene as the girl was being treated by emergency personnel, saying she had been searching the neighborhood for the girl, who had left their home while the mother was downstairs for less than five minutes.
When an officer asked the girl, who was heavily medicated and in pain, why she had left the home, she said there was a house with pretty Christmas lights and she wanted to see them, according to the report.

The town of Six Mile held its centennial celebration with a special dinner and historical presentation last Friday night. Local dignitaries and community leaders enjoyed a meal at Six Mile Elementary with a message being delivered by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. Following the meal, Graham was presented several items related to Six Mile and a special framed picture of D.W. Daniel High School, which he attended. Afterwards, all in attendance were bused to the Six Mile Town Hall, where they viewed the history of Six Mile in print and photographs. Above, Graham reads about Six Mile’s Medal of Honor recipients. Below left, Rep. B.R. Skelton, Jim Bay and former mayor Milton Alexander look over the display. Below right, mayor John Wade presents Graham with the framed portrait of Daniel High.

COUNTY — Superintendent Henry Hunt came before the School District of Pickens County’s Board of Trustees at Monday night’s meeting seeking authorization to negotiate lease agreements with the cities of Liberty and Pickens for high school athletic stadiums that will not be needed once the new high schools in Liberty and Pickens are operational.
“The city of Liberty and the city of Pickens have shown interest in leasing football stadiums and fields belonging to SDPC,” explained Hunt. “At this time, they do not want to purchase the properties; however, each municipality would be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the properties and the district would lease the properties for a nominal fee.”
As presented, the idea has potential to be a win-win scenario for both the school district as well as the two municipalities. By leasing the unused properties to local cities, the district will bring in some revenue and, because Liberty and Pickens will absorb the upkeep and maintenance responsibilities, the district will be saving money on that end.
Trustee Ben Trotter, who is newly elected to the SDPC Board, suggested that instead of leasing the unused properties, the district should try to sell them for some profit. Trotter called for an amendment that would table the motion to authorize Hunt’s lease negotiation until a committee could look into the matter further.
Alex Saitta, in agreement with Trotter, suggested that board members need to gather a list of all SDPC surplus property so that they can reach a consensus about what to do with the excess properties.
“The district has always been extremely generous, but with a $12 million reduction in revenue, we are no longer in a position to give away these properties. Let’s see what we have — what it is worth,” said Saitta.
Counter to their arguments, trustee Judy Edwards asked, “what if we can’t sell the properties? Everyone needs money just like we do. Who else is going to use them? They can’t sit idle. It looks bad for the cities.”
Bringing balance to the discussion, chair Jim Shelton suggested that the properties could be leased, so the district would maintain ownership and the properties would not be neglected, while board members and the district work together to inventory the surplus properties and research potential buyers.
Trotter’s amended motion passed with a 5-0-1 vote, with Dr. Herbert Cooper abstaining from the vote, so the motion was tabled until the district can provide board members with a surplus property inventory.
Also discussed at Monday’s meeting was how to manage expenses for Daniel High athletics since construction of the new DHS has interfered with practice areas and game fields. Sports like football and soccer have temporary practice and game fields to use until the construction is complete; however, where Daniel’s baseball teams will practice and hold games is still up in the air.
The city of Clemson has worked with the district to accommodate various athletic teams. There is a field available at Old Stone Church that would be suitable for practice, but at this time it does not have the proper lighting that would be necessary for evening/night games. When construction began on the DHS site, the district donated lights from the athletic fields to the city of Clemson. These lights can be used to make the field at Old Stone Church suitable for both practices and games, but installation of the lights and readying the field is going to cost anywhere from $80,000-90,000.
The city of Clemson is asking the school district to pay $30,000 toward these expenses, and, in return, the city will waive all fees associated with DHS athletic teams’ use of recreational fields in Clemson.
Hunt said there was a $75,000 line item in the budget allocated for relocation of DHS athletics. This is where the $30,000 would come from should the board agree to comply with the city of Clemson’s request.
Shelton said he was of the opinion that the city of Clemson should pitch in and help SDPC sans the $30,000 fee.
“The school district has been very generous with the local municipalities,” Shelton said. “We need to say ‘Hey folks. We need help.’ We have always been over the top generous. These kids live in your district and without your help they will not have an athletic program.”
Trotter agreed.
“We’ve done a lot for the cities,” he said. “They ought not to be plucking more feathers out of the chicken.”
Edwards and Cooper both felt that “$30,000 is a bargain.”
“The city of Clemson is waiving their fees. The $30,000 is just for the lights. Clemson is doing its share,” said Cooper.
Final decisions were not reached on Monday night.
Board members and district administrators will continue discussion of the issue and have further negotiations with the city of Clemson. Clemson city council will be holding a meeting on December 22. Daniel athletics is scheduled to be on the agenda at the meeting.

PICKENS — A Sunset man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last Wednesday in the stabbing death of his stepfather.
Travis Chad Davidson, 31, of 236 Mt. Bethel Church Road, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the March 23 death of Richard Alvin Mulkey.
According to arrest warrants, deputies responded to a call on Mt. Bethel Church Road in reference to an assault with a knife in March.
When deputies arrived, they were met by the victim’s wife, who told them that her husband had been stabbed and the person that stabbed him had fled.
When deputies entered the home they found Mulkey, 49, of 206 Mt. Bethel Church Rd., lying on the living room floor stabbed.
Officers left the home, and Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley was called. Kelley pronounced Mulkey dead at the scene.
Warrants said at the time of the incident that the victim was stabbed multiple times about the head and body, and a murder weapon was found stabbed into the victim’s body protruding from his buttocks.
Deputies immediately began a search for Davidson following the witnesses’ statement at the scene.
Davidson was apprehended a short time later near the residence. Deputies say according to the witnesses, they believe Davidson and Mulkey were engaged in an argument when Mulkey was stabbed multiple times with a knife.
According to authorities, Davidson will only be eligible for parole after he serves the mandatory 85 percent of his sentence.

CLEMSON — Clemson University police arrested a man Thursday for having a gun in his truck on campus.
William Michael Bryant, 21, of Georgetown was charged with possession of a firearm on university property.
He is a sophomore history major at the university.
A parking enforcement officer reported a handgun between the front seat and console of Bryant’s pickup truck while the truck was being towed from an improper parking space on the west side of the R.M. Cooper Library.
He was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

NORRIS — A dispute between the town of Norris and a business owner has escalated into a heated debate between the two parties, with the town threatening to not renew the business’ license.
According to legal documents presented to Daniel Adams and Sharon Peery, owners of Sharon’s Place, a produce market in the town, from town attorney Stephen Alexander, the owners were accused of being in violation of the Code of Ordinances for the Town of Norris, Pickens County Building Codes and DHEC regulations.
Alexander’s letter, dated August 23, said that there had been numerous complaints about the condition of the property, which sits near the railroad overpass bridge on S.C. 93 on the east end of town at 138 N. Norris Drive.
The letter said that complaints included a sewage smell, a rat infestation, blocking the view of vehicles trying to pull off Winding Creek Road onto S.C. 93 and the overall unsightly, unsanitary and unsafe conditions of the property.
Alexander cited Ordinance 8-202, which says all premises within the town shall at all times be kept in a sanitary condition.
The letter stated that a concern was the business owners had a recreational vehicle (RV) on the property that was being used as a permanent residence that was causing a smell of sewage.
The letter also alleged that the power supply used on the RV was spliced and in violation of Pickens County building codes.
The letter also stated the business owners had the address of the business listed with Registrations and Election Commission as their permanent residence.
Alexander also said that the debris, garbage and other materials on the property were creating conditions affording food or harborage for rats in violation of ordinance 8-202.
The letter demanded the owners of the business move everything off the property with exception of the original produce stand and either a carport or another enclosed building on the site.
The letter went on to inform the business owners that if they did not comply, employees of the town or agents would enter the property and remove the nuisances and the cost would be liable to the owners.
Upon receipt of the letter, Adams and Peery turned the matter over to their attorneys at Cannon and Cannon of Clemson. A letter was sent to the town on September 9 with responses to the town’s requests.
In the letter from Cannon and Cannon, issues raised by the town were addressed one by one.
First was the allegation of unsanitary conditions. The letter said that the business owners had no damp or low places or materials that may hold water and no rank vegetation on the property. The owners also added that there was no garbage on the site and enclosed a letter from Upstate Sanitation showing that all garbage was removed weekly from the business and that the company never encountered an infestation problem on the site. The attorneys also included a letter from lawn maintenance personnel reiterating the information.
The second thing to be addressed by the business owners were the allegations of smell and sewage. According to the reply, the business owners and the property owner had the property inspected by a septic tank service and were told no smells could be noticed and there were no leaks of any kind. The septic tank company, Johnson Septic Tank Company, also provided a letter, which was enclosed, stating there were no odors and the tank was in good condition and was of sufficient size for the building and the RV.
The letter then addressed the alleged violations of Pickens County Electrical Codes. According to the attorneys, the owners had Jason Trotter, codes enforcement officer for Pickens County, inspect the property and found no violations and no safety issues. The letter also included a letter from Trotter detailing his results.
The attorneys for the business owners then addressed the RV being on the property and said that they could not find an ordinance in the town that prohibits having an RV on business property and also included a letter from a local property owner stating that the business owners rented a residence from them and did not live in the RV. According to the response, the owners only stay at the RV at night to prevent theft and vandalism at the business.
The letter also stated that that the owners had to adhere to inspection by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and had never been cited with violations, which would include the infestation of rats.
Finally, the response letter addressed the alleged violation of the line of sight for Winding Creek Road and S.C. 93. The letter states that the business owners asked Steven Henderson, resident maintenance engineer for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, to look at the property on August 25. The attorneys for the business owners also enclosed a letter from Henderson saying the intersection was clear, the line of sight was good and there were no encroachments in the right of way.
On November 18, Cannon and Cannon received response from the town stating that in an effort to resolve the matter regarding pending citations against the business owners, the town of Norris would agree to dismiss the cases if the business owners would agree to remove the RV on the property immediately and permanently and move the buildings on the property from their current location to be placed in line with the original structure on the property. The town also asked the business owners to remove one of the carports. The letter also asked that the owners not allow parking on the DOT right of way and to have the property owner agree to a contract as the landowner that all present and future tenants will comply to the conditions as listed in regards to any building on the property.
The letter from Alexander also stated that Norris Town Council had voted in a regular meeting on November 8 not to renew/issue a business license for Sharon’s Place and on the businesses on the property for 2011 until the matter is resolved.
Adams and Peery were also informed that the city’s judge has requested a jury trial as soon as possible. The letter says that the trial would be held on either December 20 or 29 and asked which dates the business owners would be available if the matter was not resolved.
According to Alexander, the trial has been set for January 12, 2011, at Norris Town Hall. Jury selection is set to begin at 9 a.m. with pre-trial motions and the jury trial to immediately follow.
“According to the letter they want us to remove certain items from the property that we use every day in the course of doing business,” Peery said. “We have an RV parked on the property that is used so that we can provide security for our business.”
“They are ‘requesting’ that we remove the carports,” she said. “The carports are used to protect the products that we sell to you the community to keep everything as fresh as possible. If they are removed, our produce will be baking in the hot summer sun and freezing in the cold winter winds. According to the letter, if I do not do what they want then I will not be getting my license back in January.
“With this being said, I feel like town hall — not the community — is trying to close me down. They have at their disposal our revenue money to fight us with, while I am depending on how much I can sell to pay for my lawyer. Something surely seems wrong with that picture.”
Efforts to reach Norris Mayor Odell Williams for comments were referred to Alexander, the town attorney. When reached, Alexander declined comment, citing ongoing litigation as the cause.

Musicians playing say they “owe it all” to banjo teacher