COUNTY — Pickens County school board trustee Ben Trotter is at the center of a controversy regarding comments he is accused of making about special needs students during a teacher’s meeting at Liberty Middle School last month.
Several parents and a representative from the Pickens County Association of School Principals (PCASP) addressed Trotter’s alleged comments during the public forum of Monday night’s SDPC board meeting and urged the board and school district to investigate the issue.

A beautiful sunny day welcomed visitors to last Saturday’s ninth annual Easley Spring Fling, the first festival of the year in Pickens County. The Spring Fling featured live music, food, arts and crafts, games and activities for children and much more. Now that spring is officially here, festival season is in full swing in Pickens County, with the next couple months featuring events ranging from the Azalea Festival and Blue Ridge Fest in Pickens to the Central Railroad Festival and Six Mile’s Issaqueena Festival.

COUNTY — Despite a public outpouring of supporters for the School District of Pickens County’s TAP program at the district’s board meeting Monday night, a 4-2 vote signaled the end of TAP effective June 30.

EASLEY — More than 15 worried investors met in Easley Monday night on the campus of Tri-County Technical College for an update on the situation with Ron Wilson, representing Atlantic Bullion and Coin.
The meeting was called by S.C Sen. Kevin Bryant and S.C. Rep. Josh Putnam Monday night to keep investors updated on the investigation into Atlantic Bullion and Coin’s alleged Ponzi scheme involving $71 million.

CENTRAL — A Central woman faces two charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor after a friend of her son admitted to his mother that he had engaged in sexual acts with her.
According to an incident report, the mother of the victim, a 14-year-old boy, questioned her son when he came home from staying at a friend’s house on Johnson Road in Central with a hickey on his neck.

EASLEY — Sen. Larry Martin said the investigation into Ron Wilson and Atlantic Coin and Bullion should benefit from lessons learned from the Carolina Investors case several years ago.
“We should benefit from our previous experience,” Martin said
Monday night at a meeting for investors who may have lost money in the alleged $71 million Ponzi scheme.

DACUSVILLE — Local historian Elbert Watson has published a new book about World War II.
Watson, who lives in Dacusville, wrote the new book, entitled “Heroes All: Amazing Stories of World War II,” as a tribute to his father, a WWII veteran who had been transferred to California in August 1945 to await orders to ship out to Japan just as the war ended.
This connection led Watson to focus on the Pacific theater, detailing both little and well-known stories of the war.

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a multi-part series of interviews conducted between Courier staff reporter Nicole Daughhetee and SDPC board trustee Jim Shelton, a former board chair.

Alleviating the population pressure that had been ballooning at Gettys Middle School eventually became paramount for the SDPC board. Jim Shelton admits throughout the building plan process, Gettys had been ignored at worst and, at best, been pushed to the back burner.
I actually had occasion to visit Gettys and speak with Principal Mike Corey some time back. It was obvious to me, even before these interviews with Shelton, that no matter how stellar an administrative staff a school has, no matter how talented the teachers, overcrowding interferes with successful education.

PICKENS — Plans are well under way for the sixth annual Azalea Festival 5K Run/Walk.
The race, sponsored by the Pickens Women’s Association (PWA), is scheduled to be held Saturday, April 21, at 8:30 a.m.
The Pickens Women’s Association is a non-profit civic organization that works to increase community involvement and awareness. Proceeds from the 5K run/walk go to the Beverly M. Smith Scholarship Fund established to honor the memory of the former PWA president and avid community leader. The scholarship is awarded each year to a female from Pickens High School who exhibits exceptional leadership and civic skills. In addition to the yearly scholarship, proceeds from the race are also donated to local charities.

EASLEY — Pickens County Councilwoman Jennifer Willis, currently serving as chairman of the county council, has announced her re-election campaign for the District 5 seat, representing Easley. Willis officially filed March 16. She will be seeking her fourth term on county council.