Miss S.C. Contestant
SAMANTHA NICHOLS
County Native
Vying For Miss S.C.
Saluda County native Samantha Nichols, the reigning Miss Upstate, left for Columbia, SC on June 20th to compete for the title of Miss South Carolina.
Over the past year and a half, Samantha has been acting as an advocate for the agriculture industry, with her social impact initiative, #BragOnAg.
Samatha is a gaduate of Saluda High School and Clemson University. She is the daughter of Christy Corley Nichols and James Nichols.
The current Miss South Carolina, Morgan Nichols, is Samantha’s cousin.
Morgan’s grandfather, Roy Nichols, was among 15 siblings who grew up in the Hollywood section of Saluda County. His wife, the former Ruth Boozer, also was a Saluda County native.
Miss South Carolina Finals will be televised on WACH 57 on Saturday, June 26 at 8 p.m.
Three Arrested On Heroin Charges
Three subjects have been arrested for trafficking a large amount of Heroin through Saluda County.
Seth Allen Johnston, Shay Lynn Capers, and Rebecca Reposa Kelly have been arrested after deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle they were traveling in on Greenwood Highway.
Deputies located and seized over 367 Grams of Heroin from the vehicle.
Sheriff Josh Price stated, “The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office is working 24-7 to proactively patrol and enforce the laws of our state to keep the citizens of Saluda County safe. I’m proud of the job the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office are doing.”
School Budget Passes
Saluda County Council gave final reading to the 2021-22 Saluda County Schools budget at the Mon., June 14, meeting.
The local support portion of the school district’s $20,769,529 budget is $7,822,758, minus revenues and credits reflected on tax receipts from Property Tax Relief, Homestead Exemption, Tier 3 Property Tax Relief, and Motor Carrier for a net amount of $5,138,095 from ad valorem taxes.
The county’s budget stood at $13,885,447 after the second reading. Council held a budget workshop prior to the regular Monday meeting, and will give final reading to the county budget at a called meeting on June 21.
Public hearing were held for both the school and county budgets at the beginning of the meeting. No member of the public signed up to speak.
Council gave second reading to two ordinances. One involves a joint industrial park agreement with Aiken County, and the other involves a fee in lieu of ad valorem taxes for “Project Light.”
Replacement of three HVAC units was approved. The cost of the projects will be $21,850, which will be taken from the Public Building Repair Reserve Fund. Units will be replaced at DSS, the Detention Center and the Library.
Chairman Jerry Strawbridge’s nomination of George Robert Long to the Tax Appeals Board was approved.
Chad Satcher of the Circle Fire Department was appointed to the Fire Board.
Strawbridge, at the beginning of the meeting, said Council will be sharing some “good information” to the citizens in the Standard-Sentinel in a few weeks. He said the county’s financial situation is “looking positive.”
Hit and Run Death
AMANDA SANDIN
Driver Charged In Hit-and-Run Death
A Leesville woman has been arrested and charged with leaving the secne of a vehicle accident that resulted in death.
According to Master Tropper Brandon Bolt, the crash occurred at about 10:25 p.m., June 6, on U.S. 1 near Topaz Road, two miles west of Batesburg-Leesville.
A 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan struck a moped from behind while both were northbound on U.S. 1.
The moped went off the right side of the roadway and the rider was thrown.
The Saluda County Coroner’s office identified the victims as Timothy Sean Cyrus, age 43, of Ridge Spring,
Cyrus, who was not wearing a helmet but was wearing a reflective vest, died at the scene.
The Caravan left the scene, according to the patrol.
However, the driver, identified as Amanda Sandin, 27, turned herself in at 1:45 a.m. Monday, according to the pa trol.
She was arrested and held in Saluda County on a charge of leaving the scene of a collision involving death, the patrol reported.
An autopsy of Cyrus was scheduled for Tuesday.
The Saluda County Coroner’s Office and South Carolina Highway Patro, including the MAIT team continue to investigate the incident.
A special thanks to responders for their assistance that evening. The responders include: Saluda County EMS, Batesburg Fire Department, Saluda County Sheriff’s Office, Batesburg Police Department and the SC Highway Patrol.
The coroner’s office extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Cyrus.
Man Killed In Shooting
The Saluda County Coroner’s Office responded to a death involving a shooting near 306 North Bouknight Ferry Road in the town limits of Saluda.
The incident took place between 3:30 and 4:00 on the morning of Sunday, June 13, 2021. The victim of the shooting has been identified as Deontrez Rashad Mealing, age 23, of Edgefield.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday of this week.
The incident remains under investigation by the Coroner’s Office, SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Saluda Police Department and the Saluda County Sherriff’s Office is also assisting.
Coroner Keith Turner and his staff send their heartfelt sympathies to the family of Mr. Mealing.
County Suffers Second
Highway Fatality
Saluda County suffered its second highway fatality in as many days, when a Ridge Spring women died in a single vehicle collision
The Saluda County Coroner’s Office reported the motor vehicle collision occurred on June 7, 2021 in the late evening on Goff Road, Batesburg (Saluda County) near West Creek Baptist Church. The one vehicle collision involved an SUV vs tree.
According to Master Trooper Gary Miller, the driver of 2004 Nissan X-terra went off the left side of the road, over compensated, then went of the right side of the road and hit a tree.
The driver of the SUV died at the scene and was later identified as Ms. Heidy Cruz-Cadena, age 20, of Ridge Spring, SC. The collision is being investigated by the SC Highway Patrol and Saluda County Coroner’s Office.
The coroner’s office would like to thank the responders of the Saluda County EMS, Saluda County Sheriff’s Office, Ridge Spring Fire Department, Batesburg Fire Department and SC Hwy Patrol for their assistance at the scene.
The coroner’s office also extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Ms. Cruz-Cadena.
Vaccinations Offered Saturday
Free COVID-19 vaccinations will be given Sat., June 19, at Saluda High School from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. for anyone 12 and older. Free food will be offered while supplies last, and a drawing will be held for a free TV.
New Library Site
Old Long’s Pharmacy Building on W. Butler will become new library.
(Standard-Sentinel photos)
Current Saluda County Library
County Council Gives Library Board
Go-Ahead To Buy Old Long’s Pharmacy
Building For New Library Site
At a called meeting Tues., June 1, Saluda Council agreed to release sales tax funds, which will allow the Saluda County Library Board to purchase the old Long’s Pharmacy Building to transform it into the new library.
Located on West Butler Avenue near Saluda Elementary School, the Long’s building has 6900 square feet, compared to 1700 square feet in the current library.
Librarian Heath Ward said the size of former pharmacy building will allow the library to offer more books, more computers, expanded area for children’s programs and seating areas for patrons. Also, a meeting room, board room and staff offices will be available.
Ward said the Library Board got the Long family to reduce the price to $125,000.
The money for the library purchase will come from the penny tax designated for library and from funds raised by donations and The Friends of the Library groups.
In November 2018, Saluda County citizens voted 3546-3134 to add a penny sales tax.
The projects these funds would go to included, ranked by priority:
1. Saluda County Library (Saluda County) $125,000
2. Saluda County Animal Shelter (Saluda County) $125,000
3. Ridge Spring Downtown Revitalization and Eco-nomic Development $175,000 (Town of Ridge Spring)
4.Reconstruction of Bath-rooms at Brooks Roston Park (Saluda Recreation District) $50,000
5. Saluda County Detention Center (Saluda County) $8,434,304
101-YEAR-OLD ATTENDS CEREMONY - John Harmon, 101, attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the Saluda Theater Mon., May 31. He told his daughter Teresa Pierce, “I may be the oldest one here.” Mr. Harmon was one of 42 Saluda boys to leave for World War II together. He ended up serving in the Medical Corps. (Standard-Sentinel photo)
MEMORIAL DAY WREATH LAYING - Left to right, American Legion Post 65 Commander John Hook, Cliff Rollins and Eugene H. Matthews laid the wreath at the Saluda County war dead momument on Memorial Day. Rollins and Matthews were the featured speakers at the program held in the Saluda Theater. (Standard-Sentinel photo)
June 3 Arrest
Arrest Made in Burglary
and Larceny Case
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Charles Edward Way (of Lexington, SC) for the offenses of burglary and larceny.
On April 23, 2021, a residential surveillance camera captured images of a male subject driving onto a property located on Price’s Bridge Road. Mr. Way did enter a building on the property and subsequently stole a utility trailer from the property.
Sheriff Josh Price says, “Thanks to the support and tips from our citizens, the Sheriff’s Office was able to gather sufficient evidence to charge and arrest Mr. Way”.
The Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting the property of our citizens and will strive to bring all criminals to justice.
Saluda 14th Safest City
The numbers are in and the data has been sufficiently analyzed to name the 20 safest cities in which to live in South Carolina in 2021, and Saluda is ranked 14th.
And thanks to Safe-wise, a company obsessed with home security that ranks cities around the country each year according to how safe they are, for providing the data here. Safewise recently ranked the top 20 safest cities in South Carolina. They are listed below:
#1 Woodruff
#2 Fort Mill
#3 Tega Cay
#4 Mount Pleasant
#5 Bluffton
#6 Isle of Palms
#7 Hanahan
#8 Walhalla
#9 Central
#10 Mauldin
#11 Duncan
#12 Port Royal
#13 Clemson
#14 Saluda
#15 Simpsonville
#16 Clover
#17 North Augusta
#18 Fountain Inn
#19 Charleston
#20 Lexington
For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.
•70 cities met criteria to be considered for our 2021 list.
•Half of the cities on our list moved up in the rankings this year.
•Woodruff climbed 26 spots to land on top as South Carolina’s new number one safest city.
•Duncan and Clemson each debuted on the safest cities list this year.
•Isle of Palms fell from the top spot to number six this year, due to an increase in reported property crimes. It still boasts the lowest violent crime rate with just one aggravated assault reported.
•Your odds of falling victim to violent crime in the safest cities are 2 out of 1,000, versus 5 out of 1,000 throughout the state.
•Seven cities (35%) reported fewer than 10 violent crimes: Woodruff, Tega Cay, Isle of Palms, Walhalla, Central, Duncan, and Saluda.
•The property crime rate in the safest cities is 18.9 incidents per 1,000—that’s 10 fewer incidents than the rest of the state.
•Five cities (25%) reported fewer than 100 total property crimes: Woodruff, Isle of Palms, Walhalla, Duncan, and Saluda.
Safewise uses FBI crime statistics data to rank cities in each state and across the country. To add extra insight and depth to that assessment, we include demographic information and the results of our proprietary State of Safety research study.
The “safest” cities rankings are intended to highlight cities with low crime rates and ignite conversation and action around how to make all cities and communities safer.
For the purposes of city ranking reports, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.
How the safest cities are ranked
Safewise uses the most up-to-date FBI crime data as the backbone of our reports. This means we rely on information that cities across the country report through the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. If you don’t see your city listed, it could be due to incomplete UCR data or the failure to submit a report.
We know that crime statistics are only one measure of what makes any community safe.
Safewise also uses population thresholds for each state. We use US Census Bureau population data to identify the median city population in each state and report only on cities with populations above the median. This reduces the risk of outliers and lowers the likelihood of an extreme outlier skewing the data.
The FBI UCR data is just one way that cities report crime statistics, and we know that it may differ from other reports a city or police department submits. But, to make sure that we’re comparing apples to apples, we’ve chosen to use this data as the basis of our “safest” cities reporting. Plus, this is the most consistent report available for most cities across the nation.
A note about population data:
It has come to our attention that, on occasion, data may be skewed by outlying factors such as large commuter populations, college campuses, and incarcerated populations. In those cases, crime rates calculated based solely on crime reports and US Census population numbers may not give an accurate representation of a particular community. We appreciate these nuances and are considering their potential impact to future reports.