15 Year Sentence
Kyle Wayne Way
Greenwood Man
Sentenced To 15 Years
Kyle Wayne Way, of Greenwood, was found guilty Thurs., Nov,. 21, by a Saluda County Jury for sexually assaulting a minor child on multiple occasions.
Way, age 32, was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor – 3rd degree. Circuit Court Judge Walton J. McLeod IV imposed the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison after the four-day jury trial. Upon his release from prison, Way will be required to register as a sex offender and active electronic monitoring.
Eleventh Circuit Assistant Solicitor Robert E. McNair, III, who prosecuted the case, stated, “This conviction was only possible because of the strength and bravery of the survivor in this case. This sex offender is now behind bars and out of our community. We are grateful to see justice served today.”
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation on October 13, 2017, after receiving a report of sexual assaults committed against the young victim, who was thirteen (13) at the time. Investigators executed search warrants on two cell phones used to facilitate communication between the victim and the Defendant recovering evidence corroborating the sexual assaults.
The victim testified at trial and was present in court for sentencing. The victim provided a written statement during the sentencing which stated, “He wanted me to be scared of him for the rest of my life, but after all this, after I testified, I proved him wrong.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant Solicitors McNair and Melanie Darko on behalf the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Captain Josh Price with the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation of this case and remarked, “The Sheriff’s Office is committed to working with the Solicitor’s Office in making these cases a priority and keeping our children safe.”
Way is being transferred to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to immediately begin service of his prison sentence.
Action from Saluda - Ridge Spring-Monetta game on Aug. 30. (SHS photo by Dean Roesner)
Tigers, Trojans
In Semi-Finals
Saluda County will be well represented Friday, as Ridge Spring-Monetta and Saluda will play in their respective class’ Upper State Championship games.
Both teams defeated squads that had beaten them earlier in the season, and both will play opponents that also beat them during the year.
The Trojans, 9-4, beat Blackville-Hilda 26-24 in triple overtime Fri., Nov. 22. They will make the short trip to old rival Wagener-Salley for the Upper State game.
Saluda, 10-3, claimed its first win ever over Southside Christian, defeating the 11-1 Sabres 56-42 in Simpsonville. The Tigers will play at league foe Abbeville for the Upper State title for the fourth time in the last five years.
Kick-off for both games will be 7:30 p.m.
Bennett’s Country Christmas
John and Susan Bennett invite you to share the Holiday season at our 15th Country Christmas. This yearly walk thru’ event is offered FREE, nightly to the public during the month of December.
We are opened December 1st - December 26th,, 6pm - 9pm. Enjoy numerous lighted displays, floats and wood art. Over 200,000 individual lights. See our miniature Christmas village in Santa’s house out back, while sampling our gift of hot chocolate and treats. Santa will visit on Friday nights,(when His schedule permits), so bring your cameras.
Unfortunately, will be closed if rain, ground is too wet or heavy winds occur, so if coming from a distance, please call first.
Located at 434 Fairfax Road, Saluda County.
For more information or directions, call: 864-554-8299, or join us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook .com/countrychristmas. bennett, and send us a friend request so you can keep up with openings and closings.
Power donations are accepted, but never required.
Roadside parking. Driveway parking for the handicap.
Church Buses welcome.
Fees Up Again
Council Trying Again
On Road Use Fee
After shooting down a road user fee at the September meeting, Saluda County Council brought it back to life at the Mon., Nov. 11, meeting.
The main difference in the new ordinance is the fee has risen from $20 to $25.
If the fee passes the third reading, the money will be used to repair and maintain the county’s roads.
According to the ordinance, the owners of every wheeled and titled vehicle, except licensed and registered mobile homes, required to be registered and licensed in Saluda County by the S.C. Department of Transportation, shall pay annually a road user fee of $25.00.
The fee will be included in the vehicle property tax notice.
Funds derived from the fee will be used exclusively for improving roads and streets, which are not part of the state or federal road system.
Council Vice-chairman Frank Daniel said a public hearing on the ordinance will be held Mon., Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Council rescinded a decision made at a previous meeting on buying a trailer for the Election and Voter Registration office from the Saluda Fire Department for $3600. It was discovered after the vote that the County EMS had a trailer that can be used for transporting voting machines to and from precincts at no cost to the county.
David Enzastiga, CPA, with Rich & Enzastiga Firm, presented the audited financial statement for Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
A primary concern is the county has dropped below the $2 million it is required to have in reserve to operate the county for six months. The fund balance on July 1, 2018, was $2,073,938, while the balance on June 30, 2019, was $1,830,126.
Council voted to adopt the Saluda County Recreation Rule and Rental Policy at the recommendation of Recreation Director Paul Ergle.
Ergle said travel teams, not affiliated with the Recreation Department, are using the county’s facilities free of charge, but the county still has to maintain the fields. He said some teams from out of the county are using the facilities.
Ergle said Saluda is one of the few counties that does not charge rental fees for use of facilities, and recommended the county adopt fees, including $20 an hour for baseball fields, and $25 for the soccer field for in-county teams, and $30 for baseball per hour and $35 for soccer for out of county teams.
There is also a fee for all day use for the soccer field and the entire complex.
Ergle said these fees are comparable with neighboring counties.
Council approved by a 3-1 vote to replace the camera system at the American Legion Building. County Emergency Management Director Josh Morton said the current cameras are more than a decade old and the DVR is six to seven years old.
He said putting in an entirely new system would cost approximately the same as buying a new DVR, so he recommended buying a new system for $4359.20. Daniel and Councilmen Wayne Grice and Jones Butler voted for the new system. Councilman Justin Anderson voted against.
Assistant Emergency Management Director Jill Warren asked permission to submit a grant application for new radios for the EMS and Fire Departments. The $400.355.07 grant will require a match of $40,035.00.
Warren said this was the same grant the county sought last year, but did not receive. The $34,000 matching money for that application in still set aside, so the county would need an additional $6,035.50 if the grant is approved.
Council approved the request.
A request by Solid Waste Coordinator Jacob Schumpert to fill a vacation position in the Solid Waste Department was granted.
At the beginning of the meeting, Daniel expressed the county’s sympathy to the family of Billy Asbill on his passing. Mr. Asbill worked at one of the convenience centers.
Man Dies In Monetta Crash
A man died in a fiery crash Fri., Nov. 15, near Monetta.
According to Deputy Coroner Angie Rita, the victim was identified as William Robert Abener, 69, of Ridge Spring.
Lance Corporal Tyler Tidwell of the S.C. Highway Patrol said the accident happened at 6:48 a.m. on S.C. 23 near Peach Orchard St., about 1.3 miles north of Monetta.
The driver of a 1975 Chevrolet pick-up was travelling north, when the vehicle went off the left side of the road, hit a tree and became fully engulfed in flames.
The victim was not wearing a seatbelt.
Assisting on the scene were the S.C. Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, EMS, Ridge Spring Fire Department, and Chief Deputy Dudley Rushton and Mrs. Rita from the Coroner’s office.
Chairman Resigns,
Filing Announced
Saluda County Chairman Derrick Jones abruptly resigned Fri., Nov. 8.
In his letter Jones gave no reason for his decision, other than to say it was time to resign.
On Sun., Nov. 10, Jones also resigned as pastor of Saluda Church of God, citing health reasons.
Filing for the office with open Fri., Nov. 29, at 12 noon and will close on Sat., Dec. 7, at 12 noon.
The party primaries will be held Jan. 21, 2020, and the special election will be held on Mar. 24, 2020.
See the official notice in this week’s print edition for further information.
Chairman Jones Resigns
Chairman Resigns,
Filing Announced
Saluda County Council Chairman Derrick Jones resigned abruptly Fri., Nov. 8.
This necessitates a special election for fill his seat. Following is the filing information.
Candidate Filing Period: The candidate filing period for County Council Chairman Special Election for Saluda County will open at noon on November 29, 2019, and close at noon on December 7, 2019. Any candidate seeking a political party’s nomination for this office must file with the county board of voter registration and elections in the candidate’s county of residence during this period.
Filing Location: Saluda County Voter Registration and Elections Commission, 111 Law Range Rd, Saluda, SC 29138 (864) 445-4500 # 2200
Filing Hours: Weekdays: Friday, November 29, 2019 from Noon to 5 pm, Monday-Friday, December 2 – 6, 2019 from 8:30am-5pm, Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 9 am – Noon.
Filing Form: The Statement of Intention of Candidacy & Party Pledge (SICPP) form required for filing is available in the “Candidate Information” section of scVOTES.org and at the county voter registration and elections office.
Filing Fee: Filing fees are paid at the time of filing by candidates seeking the nomination of a party nominating by primary. Filing fee checks should be made payable to the appropriate state political party. A candidate seeking the nomination of a party nominating by convention does not pay a filing fee.
State Ethics Filings: Candidates are required to file a Statement of Economic Interests and a Campaign Disclosure online with the State Ethics Commission at http://ethics.sc.gov. Failure to file these documents may result in a candidate fine but will not disqualify a candidate from the election. Contact the State Ethics Commission for more information.
Saluda Woman Dies
In ATV Accident
A Saluda woman died Wed., Nov. 6, in an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accident.
According to Deputy Coroner Angie Rita, Amanda Lynn Storey, 38, died on the scene when the ATV she was riding stuck a tree.
The accident happened at approximately 4:40 p.m. at 1262 Chappells Hwy., Saluda.
Assisting on the scene were the S.C. Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, County EMS, and Old Town Fire Department.
Chief Deputy Dudley Rushton and Mrs. Rita investigated for the Coroner’s office.
LIVE P.D. STARS - Fans of the popular “Live P.D.” A&E series got a big surprise when they attended the Sheriff’s OFffice’s Trunk or Treat Mon., Nov. 4, and saw two of the series’ stars Lt. Danny Brown and Dep. Addy Perez from the Richland County Sheriff’s office attending the event, which featured a large turnout. The two pose above with Sheriff John Perry and members of the department. (Sheriff’s Office photo)
CHARLIE FOUNDATION FEATURED - The November meeting of American Legion Post 65 had as special guests Charlyn Staubes and Ann Coker, sisters of Colonel (Ret) US Marine Corps and former Chairperson of the Saluda County Council, the late Don Hancock. They highlighted the story of “The Charlie Foundation”; Hancock’s dream of a non-profit organization that would focus on education, quality of life and economic development for Saluda County Residents and bring it to fruition for perpetuity. For more information about “The Charlie Foundation, go to www.thecharliefoundationsc.org. Pictured left to right: Past Post 65 Commander Al Butler, sisters Ann Coker and Charlyn Staubes and Post 65 Commander John Hood.
Domestic Violence Remembrance
Service Remembers the 41 South Carolinians
Murdered In Domestic Violence In 2018
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Town of Saluda partnered with The Safe Home to remember the 41 South Carolinians who were murdered by their intimate partner in 2018. This was done during the monthly Saluda Service Network meeting on Thursday, October 24th.
The name of each victim was read aloud as candles were lit in their honor, followed by a moment of silence. The service was concluded by releasing a paper lantern in memory of Annie Rowe, a member of the Saluda County community who lost her life in a domestic violence event in 2013. Present on Mrs. Rowe’s behalf was her daughter, Melissa Proctor.
If you or someone you know is being abuse, you are not alone!! There is help here waiting on you when you are ready! Reach out to your local victim advocate or to The Safe Home www.thesafehome.org, or The Cumbee Center for Abused Person www.cumbeecenter.org.
Josh Price, Brandi Hallman and Jesse Quattlebaum
Dale HallmanScholarship
Established By Ducks Unlimited
Recently, the Saluda County Ducks Unlimited Chapter held its annual fall banquet at Tin Roof Farms in Saluda.
Through the generosity of the attendees, Saluda County Ducks Unlimited was able to raise $2,000 for the Dale Hallman Memorial Scholarship. Dale was an avid outdoorsman and a member of the Saluda County Ducks Unlimited Chapter at the time of his line of duty death while he was employed as a deputy sheriff for the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office.
This scholarship was created by Dale’s wife, Brandi, in an effort to give back to the community of Saluda that Dale loved. As a result of this scholarship, one student from Saluda High School and one student from King Academy will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for college.
If you would be interested in helping this cause, Brandi can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To date, Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 200,000 acres in South Carolina and over 14 million acres across North America. Ducks Unlimited also offers scholarships up to $10,000. You can apply for the Ducks Unlimited scholarship at Ducks.org.
If you would be interested in joining the Saluda County Ducks Unlimited Chapter, they can be reached on Facebook.
CHRISTMAS CRAFT SHOW
Here is a great idea, lets buy Christmas presents from small local crafters and self- employed people from our neighborhood.
Join us at the Annual Christmas Craft Show at the Saluda National Guard Armory on Saturday, November 16th, and Sunday, November 17th.
We have local crafters who make jewelry, clothes, dish cloths, pocketbooks, little girls bows, hair clips, floral arrangements, cakes, candies, pillows, wreaths, wood crafts and many other items for Christmas gifts.
Let’s make sure our money goes to individual people in our town and not multinational companies. That way our local people will have a better Christmas and so will we. Support our neighbors and friends.
We will also have the best hot dogs and homemade chili in town.
Join us Saturday, November 16th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday, November 16th, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Christmas Craft Show.