Rocky Nimmons/Courier
The First Citizens Bank on Main Street in Six Mile will be closing its doors for good on April 26.

By Nicole Daughhetee

Courier Staff

SIX MILE — The town of Six Mile has been home to a bank for more than 90 years.

That could be about to change.

First Citizens, which has operated on the town’s Main Street for two decades, recently announced that it will be permanently closing the doors of its Six Mile branch on April 26, consolidating operations with the bank’s Liberty branch.

“The experienced, friendly staff at our Liberty branch looks forward to serving you after that date,” First Citizens Market Executive Charles Perry said in a letter to Six Mile customers.

ANTHONY CHETLERGH
WILLIAMS

EASLEY — A Greenville man was arrested after Pickens County sheriff’s deputies believe he potrayed himself as a representative for a property owner and scammed tenants out of rent money at a mobile home park in Easley.

Anthony Chetlergh Williams, 38, of 107 Dixie Drive in Greenville, was arrested Thursday and charged with seven counts of obtaining goods under false pretenses.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office initially received information from one of seven victims that detailed a scheme which had allegedly been ongoing since December.

EASLEY — An Easley man was charged with three counts of possession and distribution of child pornography last week by a federal grand jury.

Wallace M. Bryant, Jr., 26, was charged in a three-count indictment on Feb. 12, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations special agents and is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr.

Bryant could receive up to 30 years in prison.

Patrick Mainieri (right) accepts the 2013 Outstanding Young Music Educator of the Year Award from Christopher Selby, President of the South Carolina Music Educators Association.

EASLEY — Patrick Mainieri, the band director at Gettys Middle School, was recently honored with the 2013 Outstanding Young Music Educator of the Year Award from the South Carolina Music Educators Association.

In a recommendation letter to the SCMEA, Chesnee Middle School band director Christopher Smith wrote, “Mr. Mainieri exhibits all of the characteristics of an outstanding young music educator. He excels both in the rehearsal hall and in his community, and his work helps drive band programs and our organization to new heights.”

KEN HITCHCOCK

COUNTY — Ken Hitchcock, an assistant principal at Easley High School, will be the new director of the Pickens County Career and Technology Center beginning in the 2013-2014 school year.

“The vision I have is to build a really strong relationship between the teachers at the career center and the high schools to work collaboratively to help our kids to move on into careers they are interested in,” Hitchcock said. “I’ve always been a supporter of career and technology education and how it has engaged a lot of kids who could become disinterested in the regular classroom.”

Hitchcock was confirmed as the choice for the post by the school district board of trustees on Feb. 9. He will replace Leonard Williams, who plans to retire at the end of this school year.

This 115-acre property near Easley was just one of several tracts of land included in agreements between conservation group Upstate Forever and local landowners over the last year.

Group conserves 699 acres

in county over past year

GREENVILLE — Upstate Forever has partnered with landowners in Pickens County to protect three important properties.

The 183-acre Lake Keowee tract is covered by mature hardwood forests and provides important habitat for wildlife. Located in Six Mile, the property includes frontage along Lake Keowee and Craig Creek. The owner, Keowee Investment Properties, plans to establish a park on the property that will be open to the public for hiking and picnicking.

ANDERSON — An Easley financial planner was found guilt of tax evasion and making false statements in a bankruptcy petition earlier this month in federal court.

U.S. Attorney Reginald I. Lloyd announced Feb. 6 that Charles E. Atwell, 57, of Easley, was found guilty by a jury in federal court in Anderson of four counts of tax evasion and one count of making false statements in a bankruptcy petition.

U.S. District Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr., remanded Atwell to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will impose sentence after he has reviewed a presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

COUNTY — The Pickens County Adult Learning Center is now offering computer-based GED tests, making the ALC the first computer-based testing site in its region.

The two next-closest computer-based testing sites are in Columbia and Rock Hill.

According to the GED Testing Service, the failure rate of students taking the test on a computer is about half that of those taking the test on paper. Also, students are typically able to complete the exam about an hour and a half more quickly on a computer than on paper.

“It takes longer to fill out bubbles on a paper and pencil test than to click the right answer on a computerized test,” said ALC director Dr. Mary Gaston. “Also, the writing portion of the test goes faster when students can type their answers instead of hand-writing them.”

EASLEY — An Easley man was killed early Sunday morning when his vehicle struck a tree.

Michael Carroll Burton, 21, of 148 Griffwood Lynn Drive, lost control of his vehicle, overcorrected and hit a tree at around 1:10 a.m. on Cherokee Trail in Easley, according to Pickens County Deputy Coroner Gary Duncan.

Duncan said Burton was not wearing a seatbelt, but was not ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident from blunt force trauma.

The incident is still being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.