Monthly Archives: April 2016
Courier Notice to Creditors 4-27-16
The publisher shall only be liable for an amount less than or equal to the charge for the space of the item in error in the case of errors in or omissions from any advertisement, and only for the first incorrect insertion.
Courier Trespass Notices 4-27-16
In the state of South Carolina, trespass after notice is a misdemeanor criminal offense prohibited by section 16-11-620 for the South Carolina Code.
Those who enter upon the lands of others without the permission of the owner or manager shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor trespassing.
Courier Classifieds 4-27-16
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Fruster hired as new Daniel football coach
Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Daniel High School administrators announced Tuesday that the school has hired Jeff Fruster as its new head football coach. Fruster will replace Randy Robinson, who left earlier this month to become head coach at Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner.
By Robbie Tinsley
Courtesy The Journal
rtinsley@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Jeff Fruster has climbed the ladder of the Daniel High School football program.
From a player on two state championship-winning teams to an assistant coach and then a defensive coordinator under Randy Robinson, Fruster completed his ascent on Tuesday when he was named the Lions’ new head coach.
“I can’t (express) how thankful I am for this opportunity,” he said during his first meeting with the media. “Daniel’s a special place, and the hope is that it will continue to be a special place. I’m hoping to continue a legacy and uphold a level of tradition.”
Fruster’s promotion completes the quick-fire transition in the aftermath of Robinson’s sudden departure to Berkeley High School on April 7.
Fruster said he owes a lot to Robinson — his position coach during his time as a linebacker for the Lions from 1995-98, then later his boss after convincing him to take his first assistant coaching job in 2006 following a stint in the business world in his first couple years after college.
“Let me tell you — Randy Robinson is a class act,” Fruster said. “He’s been in constant contact with me from the beginning of the search. I wish him nothing but the best at Berkeley. Randy has always been a person I could look to for answers. He’s someone I will continue to look up to, because I owe a lot of my success to him.”
Fruster began as the Lions’ outside linebackers coach before also spending time as junior varsity head coach and defensive coordinator. It was during his time in charge of the JV Lions that he first began to think about becoming a head coach. Meanwhile, he’s already won a state championship — as Daniel’s head track and field coach in 2013.
Fruster said he has benefitted greatly from the head coaches he’s been able to learn from during his time in football, including former Daniel head coach Allen Sitterle, Robinson and defensive coordinator-turned-head coach Tommy Spangler at Presbyterian College.
“There’s a lot of people who helped mold the person you see today,” he said.
Fruster said he wants to put his own stamp on the program and its process, but he doesn’t plan on changing too much because of how successful the Lions have been — Daniel has yet to miss the playoffs during Fruster’s 10-year stint on the coaching staff.
Fruster is just the fourth head football coach Daniel has hired in the past 56 years. Dick Singleton held the job from 1960-89 before giving way to Sitterle, who won four state championships during his time in charge of the program from 1990-2005 — including two whilst Fruster was a Lion (1995 and 1998) — and then Robinson.
Fruster has no plans of breaking the tradition of lengthy tenures on the Lions’ sideline.
“I would love to be here as long as they’ll have me,” he said. “This won’t be one of those three-or-four-coaches-in-three-or-four-years kind of deals. I have a lot of pride in this community.”
Fruster’s first practice in charge of the Lions will come on May 2 when the team opens spring ball.
Festival fun in the sun
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Festivalgoers enjoyed picture-perfect weather for the annual Azalea Festival in Pickens on Saturday. The event drew thousands to downtown Pickens to enjoy live music, games, rides, food, arts and crafts and more. The festival season will continue in the county this Saturday, as Central will hold its annual Railroad Festival and the Pickens County Airport will host the annual Wings and Wheels for Meals. Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Car rolls over, kills Pickens woman
PICKENS — An 87-year-old Pickens woman was killed after her car rolled over her early Monday morning.
According to South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. Bill Rhyne, the accident occurred at 1:50 a.m. Monday morning on Gladiola Lane.
Roxie Ellen Melton exited her 2014 Ford Fusion, which was not in park and rolled, knocking Melton down, he said.
The car then rolled over her, Rhyne said.
She was transported to Cannon Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley said.
Kelley said Melton died of blunt-force trauma.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is still investigating.
Easley man dies after blowout causes wreck
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
easley — A 48-year-old Easley man died from injuries sustained in a one-vehicle accident last Wednesday afternoon.
Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley identified the victim as Jerry L. Blough of 201 Hillendale Drive in Easley.
Blough was traveling south on U.S. Highway 123, 1.4 miles west of Easley, when the accident occurred, South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Tony Keller said.
A rear tire on the 2005 Ford pickup Blough was driving blew, causing him to lose control, Keller said.
The pickup traveled off the right side of the road way and struck a granite monument, Keller said.
Although Blough was wearing a seatbelt, he was entrapped in the vehicle after the collision and was extracted using mechanical means, Keller said.
Blough was flown to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident.
Wings and Wheels for Meals set Saturday
LIBERTY — This Saturday, April 23, The Keowee Flyers, The Pickens County Pilot’s Association and Pickens County Meals on Wheels will host the seventh annual Wings and Wheels for Meals event at the Pickens County Airport from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission is a suggested donation of $10 per vehicle at the entrance to the airport. All proceeds from the event go to fund the critical services provided by Meals on Wheels.
“We welcome everyone to fly in or cruise in and enjoy the beautiful Pickens County Airport for a day of family fun,” Keowee Flyers flight school principal owner Ross Russo said. “The Pickens County Airport is a beautiful place to visit and a wonderful place to learn to fly.”
Event-goers will enjoy a variety of activities. Visitors will be able to get a bird’s eye view of beautiful Pickens County when they climb into the cockpit of a fixed-wing plane for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Attendees can also see one of the best classic and custom car shows in the Upstate, with more than 100 vehicles on display. A total of six trophies will be awarded. The People’s Choice award will go to the car that receives the most cash votes by the public. Best in Class is a judged event. Awards will be given to each of the classes: 1900-1948, 1949-1972, 1973-1994 and 1995-2016. The Best in Show will be presented to top overall winner.
Between admiring cars and airplane rides and enjoying a hamburger or hot dog plate grilled to perfection by members of Bates Masonic Lodge, event-goers can watch the Pickens Rescue Squad demonstrate how it gets crash victims out of a wrecked car using the hydraulic Jaws of Life.
“We are thankful for our many sponsors and community organizations who support this event each year,” Pickens County Meals on Wheels executive director Meta Bowers said. “Especially our community partners like the Pickens County Pilot’s Association, Gold Sponsors Tri-State Pump and Control and Blackmoor Agency, Redneck Engineering, the Rescue Squad and Scuba Dive Team, Liberty Police Department, Explorers from Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the Raptor RC Club for donating their time and equipment and time to support Meals on Wheels.”
This year’s fundraising goal is to raise $13,500 to support one of the 22 Meals on Wheels routes for an entire year. Currently, Meals on Wheels serves more than 310 individuals in communities across Pickens County each weekday, providing homebound elderly and disabled individuals with a nutritious meal, a friendly visit and a safety check that helps them live independently in their own homes. Last year, the organization delivered a total of 61,777 meals, the most in its history.
Located in the McKissick Center for Senior Wellness, Pickens County Meals on Wheels is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that exists to combat the effects of hunger, loneliness and isolation on those living in Pickens County and provide a lifeline through the use of caring volunteers. Founded in 1980, the overarching mission has not changed, yet the reach and impact has continued to expand in Pickens County.
Both home-delivered meals and the Young at Heart dining and activity programs are about more than the meal. These services are crucial to helping people maintain their nutritional health, feel connected in the community and continue living safely in their own homes. For many seniors, this is the only social contact they may have in a day. These services are a vital part of fighting isolation and helping older adults remain active and healthy. Community-based programs like Meals on Wheels provide are a cost-effective way of helping people “age in place.” The cost of home-delivered meals for one year is the equivalent of one week in a skilled nursing home. To find out more about Meals on Wheels and the importance of the work it does in Pickens County, visit pcmow.org, call (864) 855-3770 or email meta@pcmow.org.
Easley officials to update Parks and Rec Master Plan
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — The city of Easley will be updating its Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
Last week, Easley City Council voted unanimously to award a contract to Alta Planning and Design for professional services related to updating the master plan.
Just how much the contract will be for is not known yet, city administrator Stephen Steese told council.
Professional services providers such as Alta Planning cannot, by law, “provide a definitive price quote,” he said.
“With professional services, we have to go based on qualifications,” Steese said. “They gave us an estimated cost based on similar projects, and it was around $60,000.
“What we will do now is we will go back and negotiate and get a contract together and that contract will outline the estimated cost of the project. We’ve outlined what we want them to do, and they estimated based on that. Because it’s based on hourly rates, they can’t give us a definitive number of hours. The actual hours may be less.”
That contract is “not to exceed” Alta’s estimated cost, Steese said.
The range of price differences in the proposals the city received was between $6,000 and $8,000, Steese said.
Councilman Brian Garrison said the recreation committee recommended going with Alta Planning because the city had worked closely with the firm on previous projects.
Councilman Chris Mann said Alta brings a “broad range of experience” to the table regarding master plans.
The master plan updating process would take about eight to nine months, Steese said. The process could begin in May.
“We’ll probably be finishing this up about the first of next year,” he said.
Next year’s budget process could include items created in the master plan update.
Councilman Kent Dykes said the public would have a chance to weigh in on the plan.
Steese said the first Parks and Recreation Master Plan was created in 2008 and has not been updated since then.
“We’ve seen a shift in growth of different sports, demand for different sports,” Steese said. “Back then, baseball was our big thing. Now we’re kind of built out for baseball and have more demand for soccer, senior sports, stuff like that.”
Local veteran, Korean War POW honored
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Joined by Pickens County Veterans Affairs Officer Martha Dorset, Sen. Larry Martin presents Clemson resident William Herbert Funchess Jr. with the Korean Prisoner of War Medal on Monday.
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A “true American hero” was recently recognized for his service and the hardships he endured while a prisoner of war during the Korean War.
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Pickens County Veterans Affairs Officer Martha Dorset said Howard Metcalf, director of the South Carolina Division of Veterans’ Affairs, contacted VA offices around the state, asking that POWs be sought out so that they could be recognized.
Monday afternoon, Clemson resident William Herbert Funchess Jr. received the Korean Prisoner of War Medal from the State of South Carolina.
“He was so appreciative,” Dorset said. “He’s such a sweet guy.”
Funchess was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry during the Korean War.
Funchess was captured on Nov. 4, 1950, and released on Sept. 6, 1953. Funchess spent 34 months as prisoner, first classified as a prisoner of war and then as a war criminal by his captors.
Funchess said he was falsely judged a war criminal after speaking out during a “Chinese political indoctrination” session. During that session, a mass grave was shown as “proof of the atrocities committed by the U.S. forces,” the men were told.
Funchess took action.
“I stood up and I yelled, ‘That’s a damn lie!’” he recalled. “’Those atrocities were committed by the North Koreans against the North Koreans.”
He was punished for speaking out.
“They grabbed me and took me out of camp,” Funchess said.
Funchess was forced to undress, then to stand at attention for several hours wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
During that time, Chinese and North Korean officers went inside and held a show trial, declaring Funchess a war criminal.
Funchess and other POWs endured unimaginable hardships during their captivity.
“That first winter, we had no blankets,” he said. “We spent the winter in summer uniforms. There was no heat, no light, no warmth, no water.”
Funchess said 1,600 died that first winter in POW Camp Number Five.
“That number is almost unbelievable,” he said.
A further crime was committed against the dead — they were not buried, just placed on a hillside near the camp.
When Funchess was transferred to another camp, “the bodies were still there,” he said.
Sen. Larry Martin presented the medal to Funchess.
“It was both an honor and privilege for me to present the Prisoner of War medal to Mr. Funchess,” Martin said. “Mr. Funchess is a true American hero, having experienced the terrible conditions of 34 months of captivity during the Korean War.
“He embodies the highest ideals of bravery, sacrifice, and love of country. It meant a lot to me to have the opportunity to shake the hand of this fine man and to participate in this tribute.”
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