April 15 Arrest Report
Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrests
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office several arrests last week on charges ranging from arson to drug trafficking.
Trenton Franks of Jackson, NC, has been arrested and charged with setting fire to a home in Saluda County in December of last year. Mr. Franks is additionally charged with Burglary in the first Degree and Petit Larceny.
A Newberry County man is behind bars at the Saluda County Detention Center after a narcotics arrest that stemmed from a traffic stop. Rio Caldwell has been charged with Trafficking Crack Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office has made two narcotic arrests recently. Kole Johnson was arrested this week for Possession of Methamphetamine. Additionally in a separate incident, Alicia Rorke was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine. Both arrests stimmed from lawful traffic stops.
On April 7th, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Daisy Lane in reference to an assault. Upon the arrival of deputies, a male subject fled from the residence into the woods on foot. A security perimeter was set up and the bloodhound tracking team responded to the scene. At this time, the subject, identified as Franklin Mills, surrendered to deputies. He was taken into custody and charged with Domestic Violence.
PROCLAMATION - Pictured, L to R, Mayor Herlong, Diavion Phillips (Volunteer with Victims services at the Saluda Police Department), Nicole Maffett, Victim Advocate Saluda Police Department.
Denim Day Proclamation in Honor
of Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Saluda Mayor Amelia Herlong has signed a proclamation for National Denim Day, which is to be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.
National Denim Day is a campaign in which people are encouraged to wear denim to raise awareness of sexual assault and support victims and survivors.
The Denim Day Campaign was created in response to a case in which a young girl was assaulted simply because she was wearing tight jeans. Her attacker was set free with no charges. Since then, what started as a local campaign to bring awareness to victim blaming and destructive myths that surround sexual violence, has grown into a national movement.
As the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history, Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion by wearing denim jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.
Show your support and wear denim on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Take a picture of yourself or you and your co-workers wearing denim. Post on Facebook tagging the Town of Saluda using the #Denimday2021 to enter a chance to win a gift basket.
April 8 Arrest Report
Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrests
Among the arrests made last week by the Saluda County Sheriff’s office, were burglary and narcotics charges.
On the night of March 29, 2021, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Johnston Highway in reference to a burglary in progress. Upon the arrival of deputies, the subject fled into the woods. The bloodhound tracking team responded and tracked the subject for several miles through the woods. The subject was identified as Andrew Edward Scherff.
On March 30, Mr. Scherff was taken into custody and charged with Burglary in the first Degree, Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Methamphetamines. At this time, bond has not been set.
Sheriff Price wants the citizens to know that the Sheriff’s Office is working proactively to keep Saluda County safe and says this investigation is a perfect example of the dedication the office has to bringing criminals to justice .
Christopher Meetze was arrested on March 31, 2021 for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Marijuana, and Driving Under Suspension. The arrest occurred after a traffic stop in Saluda County.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue a proactive approach to combat dangerous drugs in Saluda County.
Declaration of April 2021 as
the Month of the Young Child
There is so much that children learn as they read and sing together, cook together, build together, create art, and celebrate with their families. In recognition of the importance of supporting our youngest children to succeed in school, the Town of Saluda, SC, along with Saluda County First Steps is proclaiming April 2021 as the Month of the Young Child. Saluda First Steps will be promoting the Month of the Young Child at the Spring Fest event sponsored by the Town of Saluda on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021. Also, during the week of April 12th-16th, 2021, Saluda First Steps will be sponsoring the Week of the Young Child with activities are follows: Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday. Please come by our table to learn about the free programs offered by Saluda First Steps to support young children and their families in Saluda County. Our children are our greatest asset, and we have a responsibility to support them as they learn and grow to become Saluda County’s leaders of tomorrow.
Saluda’s Spring Fest At The Park
The Town of Saluda’s Spring Fest was held Sat., April 3 at the town park. The well attended event included inflatibles, an egg hunt, food and craft booths, and the dunking booth, pictured above. (Standard-Sentinel photo)
Spring Fest
Sheriff’s Office Makes Drug Arrests
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged three individuals for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine.
Arrested were Larry Craig Boatwright, Amysue Robinson, and Stephen Burgess were all taken into custody after a narcotics operation that was executed on March 24, 2021.
Sheriff Price would like to commend his Deputies for their hard work and has a message for those that continue to push this dangerous poison on our streets, “We’re Coming”.
ZACHARY NIX
Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges
Zachary Nix was taken into custody after investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Saluda County.
Nix has been charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct with a minor. No other information will be released so we may protect the victim in this case.
1706 County COVID
Cases, 40 Death
Saluda County’s COVID-19 cases have risen to 1653 (1,493 actual, 213 probable), with 40 deaths.
The county had 92,8 cases per 100,000, classified as a moderate incidence. Last week, the figure was 68.4 cases per 100,000 with a moderate incidence rating.
The number of tests given in Saluda County is 17,691. Saluda County has had 2937 citizens who have started or completed the vaccination process.
Counties neighboring Saluda had the following case totals: Aiken - 12,458, Edgefield - 2,478; Greenwood -7,056, Lexington - 25,039; Newberry - 3,813.
Sun., Mar. 28, 644 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by state Department of Health and Environmental Control, with 11 confirmed deaths.
Positive tests are at 3.4 percent.
This state total is 463,643, with probable cases 85,556. Confirmed deaths are 8,053, and 1,069 probable deaths.
Murder Charges
Two Men Arrested In
Connection With Murder
Two men, Aaron Hood and Shawn Pridgen, have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a Saluda man.
The victim was pronounced dead on scene by Saluda County Coroner Keith Turner. The victim has been identified as Xavier Cancer of Saluda County.
Aaron Hood has been arrested and charged for the crimes of murder and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature following a shooting incident that occurred on March 16, 2021 on Keisha Avenue in the Town of Saluda.
Hood was seen by witnesses carrying a handgun and walking toward the victim just before shots were heard.
Sheriff Josh Price said, “through the investigation, it has been determined that Hood along with a co-defendant, Shawn Pridgen, went to Keisha Avenue with the purpose of finding and assaulting the victims.”
After the shooting, Hood and Pridgen fled the scene on foot. Hood was arrested soon after the shooting. Deputies located Pridgen and took him into custody on the evening of March 16, 2021. Shawn Pridgen has been charged with Accessory to Murder.
Saluda County Sheriff Price and Saluda Police Chief Kes Holmes would like to thank the Ridge Spring Police Department, Saluda County Coroner’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, SLED Crime Scene Unit, and off duty State Transport Police Sgt. Wayne Bryan for their assistance in this investigation.
Sheriff Price asks that you continue to pray for the victim and victim’s family. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office or Saluda Police Department.
Sheriff’s Office Makes Drug Arrests
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office made several narcotics related arrests last week.
Earlier last week, the Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotics search warrant at a residence on Spann Road. Kimberly Hall was arrested for multiple methamphetamine charges to include distribution and possession of methamphetamine.
Other marcotics arrests this week include:
Joseph Goodman – possession of methamphetamine
Leo Abney – possession of cocaine
Cameron Atkins – possession of methamphetamine, possession of a Schedule lV controlled substance
Lindsey Davis – possession of methamphetamine
Bailey Gibson – possession of methamphetamine
The Sheriff’s Office is committed to decreasing the sale and use of dangerous drugs in Saluda County. The selling and use of such drugs are the leading factors to all other crimes. The Sheriff and the Deputies will continue to combat this problem to ensure Saluda County is a safe place to live and to raise your family.
Receives Wofford Honor
Hector Ortiz , a triple major from Saluda, studying biology, philosophy and Spanish, has been named Wofford College’s 38th Presidential International Scholar. He will spend the 2021-2022 academic year studying the relationship between public health and culture in Argentina and South Africa. (Wofford photo)