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Local

  • Man gets 30 years in killing

    PAGELAND – Gary Miles avoided a death sentence, but will spend the most of the next 30 years in prison for the death of a man whose body was found dumped near Heath Springs in 2006.

    Miles, 24, of Pageland, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter during a July 2 hearing in Chesterfield County.

    Miles also pleaded guilty to malicious injury to property under $1,000 for kicking out a windshield after Chesterfield County deputies arrested him Oct. 18, 2006.

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  • Van Wyck native earns spot on 200-meter team

    Van Wyck native and Olympic medalist Shawn Crawford will get another shot at Olympic gold this summer.

    Crawford, 30, qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the 200-meter race at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday.

    Crawford had the best legal times in all of his heats.

    In the final race, he came in second by five-thousandths of a second. Three-time NCAA champion Walter Dix just beat out Crawford at the finish in 19.852 seconds. Crawford had 19.857. Wallace Spearmon also qualified for the Olympics with 19.90.

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  • Dollar General coming to Heath Springs

    HEATH SPRINGS – The town of Heath Springs will welcome another business into its merchant ranks in the coming months.

    Dollar General has a store under construction on U.S. 521 North, about a mile north of downtown and across the street from S&G Mini-Mart. It should be completed in late summer or early fall. Carolina Retail Development Services is the contractor.

    "We are very excited about coming to Heath Springs," said company spokesperson Emily Weiss. "We think we can offer the people there a convenient shopping choice."

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  • First Citizens awards $250,000 to loan program

    First Citizens Bank has awarded $250,000 to a group that provides loans for local businesses.

    The bank announced last month that it was allocating funding to the Catawba Regional Development Corp.'s Community Development Financial Institutions Program.

    The CRDC helps meet the financial needs of businesses in Lancaster, York, Chester and Union counties through various types of loans. This is the fourth time First Citizens has provided funding to support the CRDC's initiative.

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  • State denies $200,000 for IL library

    INDIAN LAND – It's back to the drawing board for the new Indian Land library.

    With less than six months to go before the library is scheduled to open, it still doesn't have the money it needs to pay for furnishings and books.

    Lancaster County Library Director Richard Band was hoping that a $200,000 grant from the state would help complete the new Del Webb Library at Indian Land, but recently learned that the library did not get the grant.

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  • Quarter cases on display now

    Harold McDonald Jr. likes to work with wood.

    It has been a lifelong interest, beginning in shop class at Indian Land High School years ago and resulting in a 26-year stint with Van Wyck Pool Tables, where he uses his wood-working skills daily.

    "Once you've done four- or 5,000 of them, it's no big deal," McDonald said of the skill involved in crafting a pool table.

    Today, you can see some of his other creations at the Lancaster County Administration Building, where three of his wooden quarter holders are on display in the lobby.

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  • Officials say all was quiet here on Independence Day

    Friday's Independence Day celebrations didn't result in any major incidents or misfortunes around the county, officials reported Saturday.

    Lancaster County Sheriff Johnny Cauthen said authorities are typically on the lookout for intoxicated motorists and fires that may start from July 4 fireworks.

    On Saturday afternoon, Cauthen said he hadn't heard of any fires or serious disturbances from the Fourth of July.

    "It's been quiet – nothing major," Cauthen said.

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  • Heath Springs adjusts budget to fund fire department requests

    HEATH SPRINGS – Heath Springs Town Council unanimously passed final reading of its 2008-09 budget June 19 after it found a way to fund the purchase of some critical fire equipment.

    Fire Chief Joey Plyler asked for new equipment, such as protective suits and communications gear, in May.

    Council has allocated $8,760 to fund the fire department's request.

    Exactly $5,000 will come from the 2008-09 budget for the equipment, and $3,760 will come from the past year's budget surplus, said Mayor Ann Taylor.

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  • Red Cross has

    The Lancaster County American Red Cross recently held a blood drive in its own office.

    The local Red Cross chapter, which merged earlier this year with York and Chester counties, had its home for decades in an upstairs office on Williams Street, which was not handicapped accessible. The local chapter recently moved to one of the strip mall buildings next to McDonald's on Woodland Drive. It's clearly marked with the agency's trademark red cross.

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  • Sales tax committee chairman to appear before council Monday

    Lancaster County Council will hear from the chairman of its capital project sales tax committee Monday.

    Charles Harrell will speak to council about progress the group has made since it began meeting this spring. The group is looking at possible projects to include in a November referendum that will ask voters to OK a 1-cent sales tax.

    "The committee will seek council's input before any formal agreement is put before them to approve," said County Administrator Steve Willis.

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