6 arrested in connection to burglary

On December 12, 2011, around 9:30 Bamberg County Sheriff’s office deputy stopped a suspicious vehicle that was backed up to a residence on the west side of Bamberg with what appeared to be stolen items inside. The van was detained, but the four males fled on foot.

At approximately 10:00 a resident on the east side of Bamberg reported a burglary that has just occurred. Persons unknown had gained entry into the home, damaging the door and the lock. Once inside drawers were pulled out and emptied in the floor and all jewelry was taken from armoire and several jewelry boxes were missing. A hole was in the dining room wall made with a large object later to be determined as a sledge hammer. Persons managed to get the safe and in doing so did extensive damage in and outside of the house.

Items taken were, guns, jewelry, jeans, phone, and computer. Persons also entered an outside building taking a welder, two chain saws, voltage meter, socket wrench, two air wrenches and other assorted tools. These items were in the stopped vehicle.

An off duty dispatcher reported seeing four males run out of the woods and get into a vehicle which she described to Law Enforcement.

The vehicle was stopped in Denmark and the six subjects were arrested and taken to jail.

The four males were charged with Burglary 1st, Burglary 3rd, and Grand Larceny.

County Council authorizes emergency TAN

Bamberg County Council on December 14, 2011 passed an Emergency Ordinance authorizing the issuance and sale of Tax Anticipation Notes of Bamberg County in the principal amount of not exceeding $500,000 for operational needs and cash flow.

“We anticipate that funds will be coming in starting in January,” County Administrator Rose Dobson-Elliott said in an email last week, adding, “Staff is looking at various ways to build the cash funds back up for the County. The TAN gives us some cushion with the Holidays coming up in case of an emergency. We do anticipate being able to pay the funds back when they are due April 2.” In the time between Dobson-Elliott noted the County will be developing a long-term strategy to develop a stronger fund balance.

The County has experienced a cash flow shortage due to a number of reasons including the following: Legal and Management fees concerning the Hospital and Nursing Home; mid-year cuts from the local government fund; unexpected expenses from capital items, for example: HVAC units at the DSS, Carl Kearse Building, Courthouse, Hooten House, EPD; roof replacements to DSS, Carl Kearse Building, Courthouse, Sheriff’s Office, Hooten House and then repairs due to leaks prior to replacement and engineering costs associated with the Water/Wastewater Study for the County-Wide Water/Wastewater project.

Two arrested for Grand Larceny

On December 16, 2011 Cecil Scotty Folk, 17 of Bamberg and Donnie T. Ryan, 20 of Ehrhardt were arrested for two counts of Grand Larceny and two counts of Trespassing involving tractors and vehicles from Macedonia Church Rd in Bamberg. One of the vehicles was taken to Sunshine Recycling in Orangeburg and sold for $400.

Two vehicles were found in Folk’s back yard. Folk gave a statement admitting to using the tractors to remove the cars from the property. Bond was set at $5,000 surety for each defendant.

According to a Bamberg County Sheriff's report, on December 13th, a Colston man was notified by his neighbor, that while on his way to work, he had almost collided with an antique tractor that he thought belonged to the Colston man. The tractor was on the dirt portion of Macedonia Church Rd in Bamberg. The Bamberg County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene and found a John Deere tiller, and two antique Farmall tractors which had been stolen from the victim in the ditch and on the road.

On December 15th, the above victim spoke with an officer with the Bamberg County Sheriff's Department and told him that three old cars had also been stolen from his property as well.

One of the cars was located at Sunshine Recycling in Orangeburg by an officer with the Bamberg Sheriff's Department. The other two cars were found in Folk's backyard. Both Folk and Ryan gave written statements admitting their parts in the above incidents.

Deleon plays dual role in Shrine Bowl

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

When asked to comment on one of his players being selected for the 2011 Shrine Bowl game, Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School Head Football Coach Kevin “Butch” Crosby said that the South Carolina Shrine Bowl coaching staff was getting a special player when they selected B-E senior lineman David Deleon for the December 17, game at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, referring to Deleon as a “hybrid” that could play offense or defense.

Well, the South Carolina Shrine Bowl staff must have picked up on Crosby’s comments because that is exactly what happened this past Saturday in the exciting 75th Annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas football game won by North Carolina 26-19 on Saturday.

On the Sandlappers (South Carolina) first offensive possession there was Deleon (99) lined up in the backfield as a blocking back, where he played on several possessions throughout the game making some key blocks for some of the best running back talent in the state.

When the South Carolina team went on defense, Deleon, a Miami of Ohio verbal commitment started on the defensive line alongside fellow Region 5-A player Wesley Scott (90) of Ridgeland and area player Javonte Brown (71) of Calhoun County, who each had an outstanding game also.

Deleon had an outstanding game on defense recording at least seven tackles and putting pressure on the Tarheels (North Carolina) quarterback throughout the game.

In the end the game came down to a battle between the powerful running game of North Carolina and the aerial attack of South Carolina featuring South Carolina’s 2011 Mr. Football and USC verbal commitment Shaq Roland, who was (8/143/2TDs) on the day and who was named the game’s Offensive MVP.

When asked after the game what he enjoyed most about his week at the Shrine Bowl, Deleon gave a familiar answer that one hears from many of the players that participants in the annual game that pits some of South Carolina’s best senior football players against some of North Carolina best players: “The best part of the week for me was going to the Shriners Hospital and meeting some of the kids,” Deleon said.