PICKENS — An officer with the Pickens Police Department was fired last week after he posted details of a traffic stop involving Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney on a University of South Carolina internet message board using department equipment, police chief Rodney Gregory said Friday.
According to a press release from Gregory, a vehicle driven by Swinney, whose legal name is William Christopher Swinney, was stopped for speeding in the parking lot of Bi-lo in Pickens at around 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 3.

SEE DASH CAM VIDEO OF SWINNEY TRAFFIC

SDPC students’ results
second best in state

COUNTY — Students in Pickens County scored an average of 1541 on the 2012 SAT, improving from their 2011 score of 1523. Their score beats both the 2012 national average of 1498 and the state average of 1422.

Pickens County’s scores rank first among county-wide school districts in South Carolina and second among all SC school districts behind only York 4.

“I am very proud of our students, teachers and administrators for our SAT results,” superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew said. “We provide a rigorous instructional program that prepares our students for the SAT and other assessments as well as college and careers.”
SDPC students also scored above the state average in each subject area. Their scores also improved in a year in which state and national averages fell.

By Ben Robinson
For the Courier

EASLEY — Medical staff, board members and other friends of Baptist Easley Hospital gathered last Thursday as chief executive officer Roddey E. Gettys announced his retirement, to begin officially in a year on Sept. 30, 2013.

“I’m not sure what I will do after that,” Gettys said. “I may just come here (to the hospital) and cause problems.”

Gettys came to the hospital in 1969 as the director of pharmacy, central supply and purchasing, and became the Vice President in 1977.

COUNTY — The Pickens County Republican Party officially voted last week to endorse Ed Harris in the S.C. House District 3 race in November’s election.

Harris, who won the Republican primary in June before legal challenges from incumbent B.R. Skelton had him kicked off the ballot by state GOP leaders, will face Skelton in November’s race. Skelton is the official Republican candidate for the seat.

PICKENS — According to the Pickens County Cultural Commission, with the recognition of the South Carolina State Legislature, the first annual South Carolina State Fiddling Championship, held on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012 at Pickens County’s 16th annual Ole Time Fiddlin’ Convention at Hagood Mill, was a huge success.
More than 2,000 visitors enjoyed the perfect weather, the exceptional line-up of talented men, women and youngsters, and a general feeling of camaraderie and happiness at what turned out to be one of the best events ever held at the Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklife Center.

UPSTATE — One of the upstate’s largest families — the Alexanders — involving hundreds of other local families who intermarried with them, is heralded in a new family history about their struggles to settle America and this area in particular.

Retired Pickens newspaper publisher Jerry Alexander always found it challenging in writing a new book. So why not just write two at the same time? Alexander has now done just that — written two new books simultaneously — containing 600 total pages, all about the earliest local Alexanders and their kin.

EASLEY — The School District of Pickens County is asking for suggestions from the public about what to name the new Easley area middle school.

The new middle school will be at the site of the old Easley High School on Pendleton Street.

The school district will consider any name submitted, but keep in mind that according to SDPC board policy, the board generally prefers to name school facilities for recognized geographical areas and not for a person.

By Nicole Daughhetee
Staff Reporter
Nicole@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — With an elevation of 3,553 feet (according to a recent South Carolina Geological Survey assessment), Pickens County’s Sassafras Mountain claims the highest point in the state of South Carolina, and thanks to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the summit is about to gain even more height in the form of an observation tower.

In addition to being the highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain is located on the Continental Divide, part of the state line between the Carolinas and the pivotal point separating three different watersheds. Depending on which way it rolls, any given raindrop falling on Sassafras Mountain may end up in the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston Harbor, the Atlantic Ocean at Savannah Harbor, or the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans.

“ALL ABOUT BEN”
by Ben Robinson

I’m kind of concerned about a situation.

Baptist Easley CEO Roddey E. Gettys has announced that he will be retiring at the end of September next year.

I know that is still a year away. I realize that time frame probably depends upon how long it will take hospital officials to find somebody who can handle the job duties (note I did not say “replace Roddey”). And I have every bit of confidence that the medical professionals at Baptist Easley will continue to serve the community long after Roddey’s retirement. If you listen to Roddey, you’d think he has little to do with the hospital’s success, but that’s just Roddey being modest.