PICKENS — A mission team from Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens will be serving in Eleuthera, Bahamas, again this summer.

This will be the fourth year helping to build a Methodist church in the settlement of Deep Creek on the south end of the island, although this is the 17th year Grace has been involved in mission trips there.

“The people of Eleuthera are like family,” said Christy Lowe who helps to organize the mission project. “We spend much of our time developing relationships built on Christian love, to help unite the community around the church.

“Our big focus is on construction, where we work with the Bahamians to shovel dirt, mix concrete by hand, lay block, build a roof, install windows or whatever it takes, including raising money in Pickens to pay for materials to help them build their church.”

Left: Ken Lowe installed large, solid walnut entry doors donated to the Deep Creek community of Eleuthera, Bahamas, for its new Methodist church; Middle: Mission teams from Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens have helped local people build this church; Right: A Grace United Methodist Church mission team member hands out a pair of new shoes, one of more than 100 pairs donated and delivered to needy people in Eleuthera, Bahamas.

 Grace’s vacation Bible school for the children of Eleuthera will focus on John 10:9, where Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will come in and go out and find pasture.”

Lowe said her husband, Ken, and a friend, Harold Dodson of Dodson Woodworking in Pickens, donated six days of labor each to build a large double-arched door and frame for the Deep Creek Methodist Church sanctuary. The door was shipped a couple of months ago, and Ken installed it. The solid walnut door is 6 feet wide and 9.5 feet tall.

“That beautiful, lovingly crafted, donated door will serve as an example of God’s love and perhaps encourage children to make a decision for Christ this summer,” Lowe said.

Lowe said the church also has a shoe ministry, “going into the settlements to give away athletic shoes and flip-flops.”

“Everyone is excited to get a new pair of shoes,” she said. “Each year when we return, we see many people wearing the shoes given to them the year before. In fact, some of the children received their first pair of shoes from these Grace church donations. More than 100 pairs were given away last year, and we are taking even more this summer for the needy people of Eleuthera.”

The women of Grace Church have also made “pillowcase dresses” for the young girls in Eleuthera, using colorful pillowcases and ribbons.

“Much skill and creativity went into these dresses, which we know will be thankfully received,” Lowe said.

PHOTO: Grace United Methodist Church have made pillowcase dresses for young girls in Eleuthera, Bahamas.

“As we go out into the community giving away shoes and dresses, we will also have Bibles and Christian tracts,” she added. “Mission team members will look for opportunities to talk with any Bahamians who may want to accept Christ in their lives. Many lives have been touched and changed, both in Deep Creek and in South Carolina.

“It is such a blessing to be a part of a loving and caring ministry. There is a great need for hope in Eleuthera just as there is here at home.”

By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

PICKENS — By a vote of 5-1, the Pickens County School Board approved third and final reading last week of its proposed $114.9 million budget for fiscal year 2017.

The budget, which went into effect Friday and continue through June 30, 2017, includes a step increase for certified positions on the teacher pay scale and the addition of a 23rd-year step to the teacher pay scale, effective for all teachers with 23 or more years of experience.

Also included is a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for certified teachers on the teacher pay scale, a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment for classified and administrative staff and an increase in the bus driver minimum salary schedule of 3.2 percent plus one year of service step.

There is also a 2 percent increase for nurses in addition to one year of experience step and a new assistant principal salary scale, with starting pay of $65,000 for elementary assistant principals, $70,000 for middle school and $75,000 regardless of degrees or years of experience, with assistant principals eligible for cost-of-living adjustments in future years but not steps, and assistant principals who currently make more than they would under the new pay scale maintaining their current salary.

Also featured is a base student cost of $2,350 and school and school supply allocations adjusted to the budget committee recommending a “new normal” schedule that is 75 percent of the old schedule.

The budget includes a superintendent contingency of $100,000, board contingency of $100,000 and $1.7 million use of fund balance for transfer to the capital projects fund.

The new budget, based upon the Senate version of the state appropriations bill, also does not feature a tax increase.

School District of Pickens County superintendent Danny Merck said “a ton of people” contributed to crafting the 2017 fiscal year budget. Merck said he is pleased to see the budget include salary increases for employees and administrators.

“The teacher shortage is real,” Merck said. “It is coming upon us quickly, and school districts are bracing for it quickly. Science and math, social studies, special ed, business and art — these areas over the next 10 years are going to be hard to find. Our philosophy of getting the best and keeping the brightest — you better be ready for it.

Last year, we made a commitment — from being 48th out of 82 school districts (in the state) to 25th, and your pool increases dramatically when you invest in your teachers.”

Merck added that he feels a fund balance of 19 percent is sufficient.

“We’re in a very healthy spot coming into this school year — healthy enough to weather a recession or anything else,” he said. “You don’t want to go much higher because you’re not funding your most valuable resource — your teachers. In this budget, teachers are good, there is a balanced budget and no tax increase. There’s a lot of time and effort that went into this”

Board chairman Judy Edwards and trustees Brian Swords, Henry Wilson, Phillip Bowers and Dr. Herb Cooper voted in favor of the budget, while trustee Alex Saitta voted in opposition. Bowers said he likes how the board is coming together to address needs in the school district.

“A year and a half ago, when I came on the school board to now, it’s incredible what we’ve been able to do,” Bowers said. “We’ve got to keep our eye on the ball.”

In addition to the fact that the budget includes no tax increase, Bowers said he especially likes the way the budget provides a camera on every school bus, something that, in his words, “has been needed for some time.” The trustee said he feels increasing bus driver salaries is long overdue.

“Greenville County bumped theirs up to $17 an hour, while ours is $12 an hour,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we are chipping away.

“This is a very good budget, and I’m glad we are able to work together — or at least the majority of us.”

Saitta said he opposed the budget for a variety of reasons.

“This budget eliminates another 10 classroom teaching positions and raises class sizes,” Saitta said. “I think that will be 65 teaching positions over three years and harmful to academic performance in the long run. There is also too much of the district’s savings being spent — $1.7 million. Given that, the $200,000 contingency is too low and likely will be spent the first four months. If revenue growth stops, the district will be in a financial bind.”

Saitta said the budget also contains a variety of extra pay raises, something he feels, though well intended, is too many at one time.

Wilson said that while he would have preferred that A.R. Lewis Elementary and Holly Springs Elementary remained open rather than merged into existing schools, he likes the commitment to virtual education.

“(The budget has) an inordinate amount of things in it that are good,” Wilson said.

Merck said $150,000 of this year’s budget will be allocated for the development of a new virtual learning academy. The superintendent said district staff will spend the 2016-17 school year creating the program, with the goal of accepting enrollment in 2017-18.

Included in the virtual learning academy are a combination of online and classroom instruction for students, flexibility for students to attend classes either at home or in the traditional classroom, choices for parents regarding which and how many classes the students will attend physically at school and virtually online, and proficiency-based advancement.

The program will be designed to serve middle and high school students but may be expanded to the elementary level in future years.

Assistant superintendent Sharon Huff and director of instructional technology Barbara Nesbitt said the school board’s commitment to virtual education will benefit the district.

“We have talked about students having choice in time, place and pace and talked to Dr. Merck about flexible learning,” Huff said. “We look to extend opportunities at the secondary level and elementary — expanding at all levels.

“We need to be competitive and get out there and do something that will be beneficial to our families and communities. Virtual (learning) is a creative opportunity.”

Nesbitt cited examples of students who had to drop out of traditional school and enter online and how students, including one who helps out on a family farm, could benefit from the more modern method of learning.

“We want to take advantage of school offerings online,” Nesbitt said, adding, “Schools may look very different 25 to 30 years from now.”

—

goliver@upstatetoday.com | (864) 973-6687

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By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

COUNTY — The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office deputy who shot a burglary suspect last month has returned to duty.

According to a news release from chief deputy Creed Hashe, sheriff Rick Clark returned deputy Michael McClatchy to full active duty last Wednesday following completion of an internal review.

The shooting occurred at a home on Latham Road in Easley on Sunday, June 26.

According to the release, McClatchy arrived at the home within 12 minutes after a 911 call reporting a suspicious male walking around homes on Latham Road.

The sheriff’s office then received another 911 call from a “frightened and upset homeowner” who said that an unknown male was knocking on her doors and windows and attempting to pry open windows, according to the release.

The man then broke through a rear door, the release said. The homeowner hid inside a bathroom while staying on the line with the 911 operator.

McClatchy then responded to the home, arriving within minutes of the second 911 call.

The dispatcher told the deputy that the man was still inside the residence, not far from where the homeowner was hiding.

The homeowner told the dispatcher she believed the man was removing weapons from the home’s gun safe.

According to the release, McClatchy saw evidence of forced entry at the rear entrance of the home and also saw “numerous weapons” placed at that entry point.

McClatchy then entered the home, locating the suspect, later identified as Franklin Reed Styles, 18, inside the home.

According to the release, Styles was allegedly armed, holding a rifle in one hand and a handgun in the other.

McClatchy gave Styles verbal commands to put down the weapons, the release said. The suspect then allegedly pointed the handgun at the deputy, who then discharged his own weapon, according to police.

Styles was struck at least once. He was being treated at a local hospital, Hashe said last week. Once released, he will be transported to the Pickens County Detention Center, where he will be detained on multiple charges, including first-degree burglary and pointing and presenting a firearm.

Following the shooting, Clark directed his agency’s internal affairs unit, the Office of Professional Standards, to investigate the incident.

McClatchy was placed on administrative leave with pay during the investigation.

That investigation was independent of the ongoing criminal investigation of the incident by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the release said.

Clark reviewed the investigation’s findings last week before ordering McClatchy to be returned to duty.

“I concur with the findings that Deputy Mike McClatchy was justified and within policy in his decision to discharge his service weapon for the protection of his own life,” Clark said in the release. “Furthermore, the deputy should be commended, for he made the decision to enter the residence without backup, knowing that an intruder was inside. He made this decision out of concern for the safety of the female homeowner.

“Deputy McClatchy’s quick response and decisions under extreme pressure may very well have saved an innocent victim’s life.”

According to a release from SLED after it began its own investigation, the incident was the 24th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2016 and the first this year involving a Pickens County deputy. In 2015, there were 48 officer-involved shootings in South Carolina. None of those involved the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

COUNTY — For the first time in 38 years, Larry Martin won’t be going to Columbia come January to serve in the state legislature.

First elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in 1979 and to the State Senate in 1992, Martin saw his bid for another four-year term end last week when challenger Rex Rice defeated him in a runoff election. Rice, a former House member, received 6,010 votes to Martin’s 5,076.

“It is what it is,” Martin said following the vote. “You have to respect the voters’ wishes, and I do. But I would be less than truthful if I said I wasn’t disappointed. I would also be less than truthful if I said I wasn’t surprised, as voters are saying they’re mad and don’t want their elected leaders to be in office any longer.”

Martin said he is appreciative to his company for allowing him to serve in Columbia for nearly four decades, and especially to his family for the time spent away from home through the years.

“They expect a little payback from me, and I’m glad to do that,” Martin said, adding that he doesn’t envision himself seeking elected office again. “It’s clearly time for other folks, and I think it’s time to enjoy my family and transition into the next phase. I’ve got a sweet, loving family and much to be proud of.”

Martin admitted he will miss representing his constituents in Columbia. While serving, Martin said he tried to bring “a business, common-sense perspective to things.”

“I believe I’ve been able to do that but hope I came out of it with my integrity intact,” Martin said. “I was there when some pretty serious stuff broke out on the House side called ‘lost trust,’ and that sort of tarnished us all with the stench of the ethics issues that developed as a result.

“Having served all these years, there has never been a question of my motivation for serving and my personal integrity of trying to uphold the confidence people hold in me. Growing up, you didn’t want to do something to embarrass your family and, consequently, you didn’t want to go to Columbia and embarrass the people who sent you there and who you represented.”

Rice said he appreciates those who stood behind him and made the runoff victory possible.

“What’s neat to me is that we have a great team of folks over here, and they’ve stepped up and helped us accomplish a goal, a pretty tough goal,” Rice said. “It’s not me — it’s the team, the people on the ground, my wife and daughters and guidance from above. I don’t know how many people said they were praying for me, and I mean sincerely praying.”

Rice said his supporters knocked on doors and he worked hard to be accessible to the public throughout the campaign.

“I stood out for a long time, waving to people and standing in 95-degree heat,” he said. “(Voters) probably thought if this guy was standing out in 95-degree heat, he was worth voting for.”

Although they formerly served together on the Pickens County Legislative Delegation, Rice also challenged Martin for the Senate seat in 2012 as a petition candidate. Rice lost that election, but last week’s runoff saw a much different result.

“I think Larry has done a great job in the county, but the voters decided it was time for him to move on,” Rice said. “I believe the Lord puts us where he wants, and I believe this is where he wants me at this time. I want to thank the people of Pickens County for giving me the chance to work for them.”

Rice is no stranger to the state legislature, having formerly served in the State House of Representatives from 1994-2010.

However, this will mark Rice’s first foray into the Senate. Although he hasn’t served in Columbia for several years, Rice said his familiarity with the legislature and the process involved will create less of a learning curve than it might for someone elected for the first time.

“Without a doubt, I know where the bathrooms are,” Rice joked. “It takes about two years to find the bathrooms.”

Turning serious, Rice added, “I know about the rules, the process and have a lot of friends down there. There are a lot of folks I know.”

Rice said he already has several goals on his list.

“We need to improve our road safety,” Rice said. “I know we got a start on it with funding this year.”

Another goal Rice has is to work closely with Pickens County Council — which will also feature three newly elected members come January after last week’s runoffs — in the area of economic development.

“We need to figure out how to create new jobs,” he said. “When we put the Pickens County (Commerce) Park in years ago, that got us started, but I don’t think we’ve achieved as much as we need to.”