Daily Archives: 10/16/2018
Pickens High student killed in wreck
Driver charged with DUI
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
GREENVILLE — A Pickens woman faces multiple charges, including felony DUI with death, after a single-car accident that killed a Pickens High 
School senior on Saturday night.
Madison Bagwell, 19, is charged with one count of felony DUI with death, two counts of felony DUI with great bodily injury, one count of child endangerment and one count of simple possession of marijuana, according to Cpl. Bill Rhyne of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Greenville County deputy coroner Kent Dill said Pickens High School senior Jessica Faye Adeline Adams, 17, was killed in the accident.
The wreck occurred at 11:52 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 25 near Pine Hill Drive, Rhyne said.
Rhyne said Bagwell was driving a 1997 Jeep Cherokee with four passengers when she lost control. The Cherokee went off the left side of the roadway into the median and overturned, coming to rest in the northbound lanes.
Rhyne said Adams was in the front passenger seat, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. She was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where she died at 3:25 a.m. Sunday, Dill said.
The cause of death is pending, he said.
A 13-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, both from Pickens, were injured and transported to Greenville Memorial Hospital, Rhyne said. They were both wearing seatbelts.
Cal Rampey, 20, of Pickens, was also injured and transported to Greenville
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Pumpkin pickin’
The annual Pumpkin Festival drew hundreds of people as it served as 
Pickens County’s unofficial kickoff of the fall season for the 40th year in a row on Saturday in Pumpkintown. The festival featured fun for the whole family in the form of arts and crafts, rides, games, vendors, live music, food and, of course, plenty of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Above, young Joshua Bishop plays in the pumpkin patch outside the Oolenoy Community Building at the festival. At right, Ellie Hennessy performs on stage at the festival. Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Suit alleges girl assaulted on school bus
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against the School District of Pickens County alleges district officials failed to protect a 7-year-old student from sexual assault and blamed the victim for the assault.
“This case is about keeping children safe in schools and making sure those in power don’t take a bad situation and make it worse,” said Charleston-based attorney Josh Slavin, who is representing Pinnacle Financial Partners as conservator and guardian ad litem for the victim, identified as Jane Doe, and, separately, the victim’s mother and father. “When a young child is sexually assaulted, she needs help and love and support.
“Our lawsuit alleges, based on our investigation, that the assistant principal did the exact opposite — she interrogated, blamed and bullied this 7-year-old girl. Schools must train their employees how to properly handle sexual assaults and then make sure the employees follow their training. That’s not what happened here, and that’s why we are bringing this lawsuit.”
The lawsuit says the victim was a student at McKissick Elementary School with no significant disciplinary record. The suit alleges a male student
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Driver dies after dump truck flips
SUNSET — A dump truck driver died after his truck flipped down an embankment Monday morning in Pickens County.
Pickens County deputy coroner Gary Duncan identified the victim as 55-year-old Allan J. Cyr of Chesnee.
A call came in at 10:28 a.m. reporting a dump truck accident on F Van Clayton Memorial Highway near Hancock Road, authorities said.
Upon arrival, Pickens County Emergency Services found a dump truck overturned at the bottom of a 60-foot embankment, according to a county
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SDPC’s Merck joins education leaders in Finland
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — School District of Pickens County superintendent Danny Merck 
is currently on a weeklong trip to Finland, joining 22 other South Carolina leaders visiting public schools.
“I have studied Finland’s success extensively, as we are constantly looking for the best ways to improve learning,” Merck said. “To see their schools and speak to their education leaders in person is an invaluable opportunity.”
Merck, who is the only school official from the tri-county area of Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties making the trip, said he received an invitation to join the group in May.
“We are studying many areas, including early childhood, career and technology education, special education, world language in elementary, afterschool programs, personalized learning, project-based learning, retention philosophy, engagement, culture, safety and philosophy,” he said.
The public education system in Finland consistently performs at the top of
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Pickens County councilman says hotel survey would help with ATAX requests
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Pickens County Council members approved a number of accommodations tax funding requests last week, but they want more data to accompany future requests and recommendations.
In discussions about funding recommendations from the ATAX committee, council members have expressed frustration with what they say is a lack of information from applicants regarding the amount of tourists their events bring into the county.
“What I’m looking for is … actual numbers as to how many people you put in hotels,” Councilman Trey Whitehurst said. “I haven’t seen that in really
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Pickens County: More than 150 years in the making
By G. Anne Sheriff
Courtesy Pickens County
news@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Pickens County was Cherokee Indian territory until the American Revolution.
The Cherokees sided with the British, suffered defeat, and surrendered their South Carolina lands. This former Cherokee territory was included in the Ninety-Six Judicial District.
In 1791, the state legislature established Washington District, a judicial area composed of present-day Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties, and then composed of Greenville and Pendleton counties. Streets for the courthouse town of Pickensville (near present-day Easley) were laid off, and soon a cluster of buildings arose that perhaps included a large wooden hotel, which served as a stagecoach stop.
In 1798, Washington District was divided into Greenville and Pendleton
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Sheriff’s office chief deputy recognized for excellence
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The second in command at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office was recognized last week for his long career in law enforcement.
Chief deputy Creed Hashe was awarded the 2018 Billy Wilkins Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement during a special term of court at the Pickens County Courthouse.
“I didn’t see this coming,” Hashe said. “This is a beautiful plaque, but the sad thing about this plaque is it’s not big enough, because there are so many names that should be on there. There are so many people that come
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EHS hall of fame class honored
EASLEY — Easley High School inducted a new class into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night during the Green Wave’s game against Greenwood.
The group of Green Wave athletes joined an already prestigious group in the hallows of Easley fame.
Sammy Galloway, a 1969 EHS graduate, earned three letters in football, along with two in baseball and one in track. A member of the 1967 Class 2A State championship football team, he was named one of the top 100 players in the country his senior season. He was selected to play in the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game. He signed a grant-in-aid with South Carolina to play football and was a
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