These Six Mile turkeys are thankful to have escaped being served for dinner and are celebrating Thanksgiving in the great outdoors. They are frequent visitors to the area.

LIBERTY — A Liberty man and his wife have been both been charged in connection with a case in which 177 dogs were seized.
According to reports, the couple, Wade Patterson, 40, and Faith Patterson, 26, both of 131 Bagwell Road in Liberty, have each been charged with 92 cases of animal cruelty.
Wade Patterson, who is an Anderson County Animal Control Officer, along with his wife are believed to operate a pet adoption business called Bird Dog Pet Rescue at the home.
Numerous reports have been filed for animal control issues at the home, some of which Patterson is believed to have investigated. Neighbors were said to have complained about the smell coming from the property.
Complaints last week were investigated by the Anderson County Sheriff’s office. Officers found several carcasses on the property, along with several malnourished animals.
After the animals were seized and taken to the Anderson County Human Society, charges were brought on Friday. Charges were determined after veterinarians examined the animals and discovered that 92 had been abused and improperly fed and mistreated.
Patterson has been placed on administrative leave from Anderson County while the investigation continues. Patterson was employed by the Anderson County Animal Shelter prior to taking the position of animal control officer about three and half years ago.
If the Pattersons are convicted, the couple could face fines up to $500 for each charge and up to 60 days in jail.

EASLEY — A 19-year old Marietta man remains in jail following an incident that ended in the stabbing of another 19-year-old in Easley on Friday.
According to Pickens County Sheriff’s Office reports, the incident occurred near the 100 block of Fruit Mountain Road in Easley.
Deputies believe the two got into an altercation while the defendant was walking up Fruit Mountain Road. During the altercation, police say the victim was stabbed.
Andrew Sutherland, 19, of 155 Windmont Road in Pickens, was transported to Palmetto Baptist and later Greenville Memorial Hospital with stab wounds and remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
On Saturday, Nov. 21, a warrant was issued for Corey Dalton Crump of 303 Pace Bridge Road in Marietta, charging him with assault and battery with intent to kill.
Crump was arrested and placed in the Pickens County Detention Center. The judge denied bond on the defendant.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

Pickens County SHARE recently offered food for the holidays to many of its low-income, elderly and disabled recipients and parents with small children as part of its holiday nutritional program. On Tuesday, SHARE volunteers readied boxes for distribution. Above, Ruth Williams and Emma Greenlee are all smiles as SHARE’s Sonya Smith and Gloria Smith present them with a box of groceries just in time for Thanksgiving.

COUNTY — Once more the state will cut funding to public schools.
The news was delivered to the Pickens County school board at Monday’s regular meeting by Missy Campbell, the school district’s director of finance.
“At this point there has been no impact to the classroom,” Campbell said.
But she said new cuts could be around 3 percent, which would mean another $ 600,000-$700,000 shaved from the operating budget.
Campbell said the cuts could occur in December, according to information she received from the state department of education.
The district has already weathered one cut of $1.7 million in October. Campbell said the $4.6 million from federal stimulus funds helped offset the loss.
She said the district was able to avoid cuts directly affecting the classroom by dipping into the district’s reserve fund, lowering the annual base cost per student and cutting expenditures wherever possible.
$1.2 million came from lowering the base cost per pupil, and half a million came from savings in employee health costs.
But, Campbell said, the next round of cuts would probably wipe out the reserve fund.
If county property tax revenue falls short and money can’t be found elsewhere, the district could lose funding for about 100 jobs.
“Personnel decisions will have to be made” Campbell said.
“Due to the economy, housing starts aren’t there,” she said. “Real estate slumped. The assessed value goes to the heart.”
Campbell said delinquent property tax collections may help in piecing the gap between revenue and operating costs together.
Mellanie Jinnette, the state financial systems manager with the S.C. State Department of Education, said the economic picture doesn’t look good at this time.
The continued impact of the recession has created a shortfall in state revenue collections, which has been passed on to every state agency.
Jinnette said the state’s base cost for students, the annual amount allocated per individual student in the public education system, was originally set for $2,034. This was prior to the first cuts made by the state in October. At that time, the state cut $85 million from school districts across the state and $1.7 million from the School District of Pickens County. The base cost per student was then lowered from $2,034 to $1,910. Jinnette said the next cut, roughly estimated at 3 percent, could drop the base cost per pupil to $1,850 or lower.