Life as I know It
By Nicole Daughhetee

I love my children dearly, but I am thrilled that school is back in session.
Yes. I said it. Out loud! And I am assured that sharing this feeling does not make me a bad mother, nor am I conveying a feeling that other parents throughout Pickens County aren’t thinking.

I grew up watching The Cosby Show. When I was little, I dreamed of having five children. God absolutely knew what He was doing when He made Ella my last child. The way things have worked out, two is about all I can handle.

My greatest fear in life is that I am going to irreparably damage the two most precious gifts I have ever been given. That 20 years from now they are going to be sitting on some over-priced cushy leather love seat telling a psychiatrist that their mother is the root cause of them having to schedule this appointment.

Where am I going with all of this? Originally my thought was that my mother had it easy, having only one child to raise.

CHRISTIE SMITH

EASLEY — Christie Smith, 64, of 125 Woodberry Circle, wife of E. W. “Bill” Smith, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 at her home.

Born July 16, 1948 in Laurens County, she was a daughter of the late Grady and Mildred Hill Smith. Mrs. Smith was employed with her family’s business, Lewis Plaza Pharmacy until her retirement and she was of the Baptist faith.

In addition to her husband of 47 years, she is survived by her daughters, Lisa Bishop and Michelle Patterson; son, Jason Smith; sister, Sandra Mote; grandchildren, Casey Bishop, Colby Jewell, Derek Patterson and Tanner Smith; and great-grandson, Brody Patterson.
Funeral services were conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2 in the chapel of Robinson Funeral Home-Powdersville Road with the Rev. Johnny Touchet officiating. Entombment followed in the Chapel of Reflection Mausoleum at Robinson Memorial Gardens.

Memorial contributions may be made to Open Arms Hospice, 1836 West Georgia Road, Simpsonville, SC 29680.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or in person at Robinson Funeral Home — Powdersville Road, which is assisting the family.

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Young girl lured into woods, sexually assaulted

EASLEY — A registered sex offender was arrested Friday after Pickens County sheriff’s deputies said he lured a young girl into the woods and sexually assaulted her.

Deputies were called to Apple Hill Road in Easley on Friday in response to a complaint of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Investigators were told that a young girl was enticed away from her home and into a wooded area nearby, where she was sexually assaulted.
The child was treated for her injuries at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Deputies charged Jerry Edward Dudley, 42, of 332 Apple Hill Road, with criminal sexual conduct with a minor under age 11, kidnapping and abuse/inflicting great bodily injury upon a child.

Dudley is actively listed on the South Carolina Sex Offenders Registry stemming from a sexual battery on a victim under age 12 in Florida in 1989.

Dudley was denied bond and is being held at the Pickens County Detention Center.

By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff

EASLEY — Rick Clark, Pickens County’s first new sheriff in more than 40 years, was ceremoniously sworn in and took his oath of office before a large audience at Rock Springs Baptist Church during the church’s evening service Sunday.

Delivering the oath of office was Pickens County Judge Eddie Welmaker, and standing beside Clark holding the Bible upon which he placed his hand was his supportive wife Tani.

Senator Larry Martin and Representatives Davey Hiott and Phil Owens were also present for the ceremony, along with approximately 20 members of the sheriff’s office staff — those who will make up Clark’s team of first responders and deputies.

Dr. David Gallamore, pastor of Rock Springs, welcomed congregants and guests. He recognized the team of first responders from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, having them stand so they could all be applauded for the service they perform in the community.

“This is something we’ve not ever done before,” Gallamore said. “Maybe God will let the next governor, maybe the next president, will come out of Rock Springs.

“This is a special night for Rick Clark. We pray for him and all of our other elected officials.”

LIBERTY — The city of Liberty has scheduled a special election to fill the unexpired term of city councilman Rick Clark, who took office as sheriff of Pickens County this week.

The special municipal election will be held on Tuesday, April 2. A runoff, if necessary, will be held two weeks later.

The election will be a non-partison election, and no party affiliation will be placed on the ballot.

Clark’s council seat is an at-large seat, so any Liberty resident who has lived in the city for at least 30 days before the election may file as a candidate beginning at noon on Friday, Jan. 18. Filing closes at noon on Monday, Jan. 28, and candidates can file with the city clerk at City Hall during normal business hours.

EASLEY — Two people have been arrested and three more remain at large after a Dec. 17 shooting and burglary at a home on Angie Lane in Easley.

According to warrants from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Danny William Adams Jr., 23, of 121 Waccamaw Lane in Central, Charles Antoine Burgess, 31, of 3761 Moorefield Memorial Highway in Pickens, and Robert Matthew Fulmer, 23, of 264 Watts Road in Liberty all face charges of attempted murder and burglary charges. Adams and Fulmer also face charges of petit larceny and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Adams and Burgess have been arrested and are currently being held at the Pickens County Detention Center without bond.

Officers with the PCSO also charged two females with accessory after the fact.

Investigators say a home on Angie Lane in Easley was broken into at about 10:45 p.m. Dec. 17, and shots were fired. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the homeowner lying in the yard of the residence with multiple people surrounding him. He had been shot three times, but none of the wounds were life-threatening according to police.

COLUMBIA — South Carolina taxpayers affected by the information security data breach at the South Carolina Department of Revenue now have until March 31, 2013, to sign up for a year of free credit monitoring and unlimited fraud resolution provided by Experian.
The deadline to sign up for monitoring and fraud resolution had been January 31, 2013.

Governor Nikki Haley reiterated that anyone who has filed a South Carolina tax return since 1998 should take the following steps:

• Call 1-866-578-5422 to enroll in a consumer protection service. (The call center is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. EST on Monday through Friday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. EST on Saturday and Sunday.)

• For any South Carolina taxpayer who wishes to bypass the telephone option, there currently is an online service available at http://www.protectmyid.com/scdor. Enter the code SCDOR123 when prompted.

Experian’s ProtectMyID Alert is designed to detect, protect and resolve potential identity theft, and includes daily monitoring of all three credit bureaus. The alerts and daily monitoring services are provided for one year, and consumers will continue to have access to fraud resolution agents and services beyond the first year.  Complimentary 12-month ProtectMyID memberships available to South Carolina taxpayers affected by the DOR information security breach include:

By Nicole Daughgetee
Courier Staff

EASLEY — The city of Easley experienced tremendous growth and development during 2012.

Here is a look back — a year in review — of Easley’s major highlights and a look forward to 2013 and the goals on which the city has set its sights.

Easley’s Town Center continues to grow and develop opening doors for employment opportunities and bolstering the local economy, as Pickens County consumers have more retail and eatery options.

“In 2012, the Easley Town Center saw the opening of Kohl’s, Academy Sports, PetSmart and Tractor Supply, among others. Longhorn Steakhouse also opened,” said Easley city administrator Fox Simons. “In 2013 we should see Sam’s Club, Marshall’s and even more.”
While Simons did not feel comfortable offering concrete numbers concerning the Town Center, it was evident during the recent holiday season that the Town Center had consistently full parking lots.
Easley mayor Larry Bagwell said that the city is very pleased with how the project is progressing.