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Charleston May Add Free Shuttle Service for Downtown

September 30, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Let’s face it. Every now and then, we all get tired of walking. Even if we’re striving to take healthier steps, we have room to be a little lazy. Besides, some things aren’t really within what we’d consider reasonable walking distance.

Charleston hears your tired feet!

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority plans to start rolling out buses to provide free shuttle service to downtown shoppers sometime after Thanksgiving. The plan has not garnered council approval just yet, but if approved, the city will be funding the service. The price tag? $415,000 yearly, but that will be offset by generous contributions from the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the State Ports Authority.

The Aiken Standard reports that an estimated 27 people a minute walked past shops and businesses along middle King Street between 12 and 2 pm Saturday. That number will no doubt increase as the prime shopping season starts – a perfect time to implement these buses! According to a reader poll, 60 percent of people say the bus service would make them  more likely to shop downtown, out of 263 total votes so far.

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Dismal Public Pool Attendance Raises Questions

September 26, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

An Aiken Councilman is saying voting to fund repairs to a local public swimming hole was a mistake.

The pool, which was open for 18 days this summer, attracted a paltry 369 people. At two dollars a person, that adds up to $738. To put this disappointment in perspective, city council shelled out $20,000 for electrical repairs to the pool.

And so, the council continued to engage in heated debate over the welfare of a city pool. Councilman Willar Hightower said in a statement “My support of the pool project is a manifestation of my support for equity, justice, fairness and integrity in Aiken County government.”

Yes, we’re still talking about a pool.

Councilman Chuck Smith told the Aiken Standard the dismal turn out “is a terrible return on investment. I think that we would be far better off in redesigning the complex with the one-cent sales tax money that’s there rather than continuing to fund a dilapidated pool that no one uses. I wasn’t surprised  because the numbers we had from previous years were also low.”

When the smoke of this political atom bomb cleared, the council agreed to put $10,000 in a fund to maintain the pool.

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Deadly Ambush Shooting Results in Murder

September 25, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Beech Island was the site of a horrific ambush murder early Friday, according to police.

Twenty-five year old Timothy Wilson was shot in the head after he and some friends were ambushed by gunmen hiding in the woods at around 2:30 am. The Aiken Standard reports that the two surviving men said they were en route to a Beech Island building to record some music. Before they even made it to the studio, shots started firing at their Chevy Tahoe.

In defense, one man with the victim was firing back at the ambushers with a semi-automatic weapon. After he fired back, the attackers ran back into the woods – possibly saving the men from further damage. However, the shooters are currently unaccounted for.

Wilson would die as a result of his injuries 4:15 pm at MCG Health.

An investigation is no doubt underway, but if you have any information regarding this shooting, you are urged to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at 800-922-9709.

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Racy Photos Lead Police Officer to Resign

September 24, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

A Moncks Corner police officer has resigned after letting scantily clad women pose on and around his squad car at a charity car wash.

The officer, Brian Hanley, who made the “error in judgment” at the “Tits n Tats” charity wash, says he regrets the action, but does not regret making a donation to the Shriners Children’s Hospital.

The photos, which were posted on Facebook, showcased a multitude of women in  bikinis bent over on his car. One of those women was a Berkeley County sheriff deputy. The deputy was not punished because she was on her own time and wasn’t using any department resources.

The Moncks Corner police chief told the Post and Courier that the officer simply “made a poor decision and resigned on his own.”

For further information, visit The Post and Courier.

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Suspect Runs Free During Standoff

September 23, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Police are asking for the public’s help after a man surreptitiously crept out of the back of a Hugh Street apartment as police gathered in a standoff.

The suspect, 23 year old James Albert Thomas Jr., was engaged in a fight with his 28 year old girlfriend when he pushed her out the front door, armed with a gun. A worried witness called police. When authorities showed up, the girlfriend was gone but Thomas remained  – with five children.

When authorities ordered Thomas to stand down, he fired back with obscenities from outside of an upstairs window. After this exchange, Thomas shut the window, cut the interior lights and seemingly vanished.

Police, suspecting he got away while a sizable crowd was gathering, proceeded to evacuate the surrounding neighbors and set up a perimeter. The children were safely taken out of the home.

Thomas is wanted for criminal domestic violence, two counts of pointing and presenting a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. He also reportedly threatened to kill his girlfriend and children.

For more information, read the full article at The Aiken Standard.

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South Carolina Unemployment Rises

September 22, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

The unemployment rate in South Carolina raised from 10.7 percent in July to 11 percent in August, seemingly contradicting reports of an ending recession.

The state has as many as 50,000 open jobs, but the problem is finding people with the skills to do the work, such as work with technology. Many of the usual mill and factory jobs have disappeared.

Another problem plaguing South Carolina’s economy is finding appropriate jobs according to salaries and levels of previous jobs. As Department of Workforce executive director John Finan told The Aiken Standard:

“If you’ve got a vice president, your Department of Labor laws say you can’t require them to work in something that’s way out of line with something they’ve normally been,” Finan said. “So if the guy had been making $90,000 a year, you can’t require him to go take a job for $20,000 a year. … The law says you have to put them back in jobs that are appropriate and that’s both type of job and income level.”

The recession, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, stretched from December 2007 to June 2009. Present day, not much is happening that would lead one to believe it ended over a year ago. Even if all available jobs were filled in South Carolina, 190K would still be out of work.

South Carolina’s unemployment rate reached it’s zenith at 12.5 percent in January and improved steadily – until this summer. Analysts say things might not get any easier  economically until 2013.

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Multitude of Car Break-Ins in Aiken

September 21, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Police are asking Aiken residents to store their valuables somewhere other than their cars, as there have been 75 reported car break-ins since the beginning of June.

Many of the crimes have been reported as “smash and grabs” where the criminals see  something enticing within reach and smash the window to obtain it.  Purses, electronics such as GPS systems, cash and other items have been some of the targeted items.

The common denominator with many of the crimes is the fact that the items taken were in obvious, plain sight.

No suspects have been named.

The majority of the break-ins have occurred in the Southside, but this could happen to anyone. To prevent this, take your cash, electronics and valuables indoors. If you must keep them in your car – hide them.

Read more, including commentary from police: Aiken Standard

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“Raising the Steaks” United Way Fundraiser is a Hit

September 19, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

The annual Raising the Steaks United Way fundraiser at Outback Steakhouse brought out 300 people at two different events – a sold out crowd.

All of the money raised from the event will go towards the United Way’s fall campaign – a campaign which has a goal set at $2.6 million.

The next event, a family fun day, is scheduled for October 9 at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center from 11am to 2pm.

To learn about the campaign and find out how much has been raised thus far, you can go to the North Augusta Pizza Hut on Friday, October 1 at noon.  There will be a mid-campaign report from division chairs as well as other volunteers.

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Aiken Design Review Board To Meet Tuesday

September 6, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Design Review Board Meeting Location, Time

The Design Review Board meets September 7, 2010 for a Work Session, at 5:30 p.m., in Room 204.

Design Review Board Old Business

Up for review is a continuation of Designation Application #11-01001.   Martin Buckley is requesting approval for the designation of the Aiken County Office Building, the old Nurse’s home, and approximately four acres, located at 828 Richland Ave. W, to the Aiken Historic Register.

Also, the addition of Horse Feeders to the “Approval Process for Various Activities”  for the Historic District.

Design Review Board New Business

In the New Business section are:

  • Application #11-003.   Ben Stephens is requesting approval for a pool house at 909 South Boundary Ave. SE.
  • Application #11-006.   Jack and Peg DeVine are requesting approval for the demolition of an existing garage and the construction of a new garage at 421 York St. SE.
  • Application #11-008.  Dallas Stephens is requesting approval for a front porch addition, roofing, new windows, and a new driveway at 218-222 Lancaster St. SW.
  • Application #11-009.  Rusty Findley is requesting approval for new windows at 135 Florence St. SW.
  • Application #11-010.   Cynthia Motycka is requesting approval for a new shed and fencing at 418 Sumter St. SE.

The Design Review Board meeting is open to the public.

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Aiken Traffic Tickets As A Traffic Safety Device

September 3, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Traffic Tickets

Traffic Tickets Are Legal Documents

Talking recently about traffic tickets, Public Safety Director Pete Frommer said a traffic ticket is a legal document that specifies your alleged violation of the law, the date, time and place of your scheduled court appearance, and the amount of the bond you are to pay the court. Aiken citizens should know their rights and responsibilities

Don’t Ignore Traffic Tickets

All tickets must be resolved through a legal process. Ignoring a ticket will not make it go away and in fact, additional penalties may be assessed if you do ignore it.

How to Reschedule a Court Appearance

Traffic Tickets

Traffic Tickets Are Legal Documents

A conflict with your scheduled court appearance may let you change the court date. Call (803) 642-7620 and leave a message asking the officer to contact you about the possibility of rescheduling your appearance.

Rescheduling is solely at the discretion of the officer and you must call at least one week prior to the court date. Certain violations require a mandatory court appearance.

You may qualify for a reduction in the bond, or a reduction of the points associated with the violation if you pay the bond before your court appearance. The prerequisite that would allow this is that you must not have had a moving violation in the city of Aiken during the previous three years.

Purpose of Traffic Tickets

Frommer says Everyone is responsible for traffic safety, and the purpose of traffic tickets is to help keep the City of Aiken safer for us all.

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