CENTRAL — The South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education named Southern Wesleyan University Education Professor Lillie G. Lewis as this year’s Dr. Randy Wall Distinguished Service Award Winner.

“This is an incredible award, and the committee did an excellent job in naming Professor Lewis as this year’s recipient! Professor Lewis was also the first African-American female to serve as President of this organization. She will be recognized at the annual conference in March,” said Dr. Sandra McLendon, dean of Southern Wesleyan’s School of Education.

Lewis teaches the middle level curriculum course for Southern Wesleyan University’s School of Education.

“She has made noteworthy contributions to ensuring excellence in middle level education and is passionate about conveying her knowledge to the middle level education students,” McLendon continued.

Lewis is also a retired educator from the School District of Greenville County, where she served in many different positions, including teaching in middle and high school and serving as principal on the elementary, middle and high school levels.

She has a M.Ed. in reading plus 30 hours in administration from Furman University.

The South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education (SCAMLE) established the Dr. Randy Wall Distinguished Service Award to honor the work of Wall, who was passionate about middle level education, having served as a middle level teacher and administrator and serving the South Carolina Middle School Association as the first president to serve a two-year term. Wall was also instrumental in helping South Carolina become a nationally-recognized “Schools to Watch” state. The Dr. Randy Wall Distinguished Service Award recognizes significant contribution(s) of an individual, school, or organization. The winner must exhibit a considerable, long-term impact on the advancement of middle level education in South Carolina. The contribution could be in one or more of the following areas: service, leadership, and/or research.

COUNTY — 35 students from Otterbein, Vanderbilt and Harvard universities will help build homes and improve the community during their spring break as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program.

The students are spending the weeks of Feb. 29-March 18 volunteering with Pickens County Habitat.

“Every year I am amazed that these young adults take their spring break to sleep on the floor and work very hard all week to do something for someone that they do not know instead of opting to go to the beach or any one of many other spring break options. Their help is invaluable to us and the families that they work to help,” said Cindy Sanders, executive director of Pickens County Habitat for Humanity.

This year’s groups will work in Liberty, helping to build porches, work on the roof and paint and will also work in Easley to frame a house.

In total, Habitat for Humanity organizations across the U.S. will host 7,500 college and high school students in 182 communities as part of the 2016 Habitat Collegiate Challenge.

“Our Collegiate Challenge program unites students from across the country with the common goal of helping people who are ready to build a better life for themselves and their families,” said Maureen O’Leary, Habitat for Humanity International’s associate director of youth and young professional engagement. “Every hand helps Habitat homeowners build a foundation they need for a brighter future. We’re grateful to the thousands of students who choose to spend their spring break volunteering with Habitat. With our help, Habitat homeowners have the opportunity to build what we all deserve — a decent place to live.”

Since 1989, Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program has engaged students 16 years of age and older to spend one week volunteering on a local Habitat construction or community project. Nearly 240,000 students have volunteered a week of their time and donated over $28 million to support Habitat’s work in local communities.

Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge is one of several programs Habitat established to engage the next generation of leaders in Habitat’s work. For more information or to register for a Habitat Collegiate Challenge event, visit http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/collegiate-challenge.

PICKENS — Pickens Middle School will host 3 Count Pro Wrestling for “Locked and Loaded” this Saturday.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Special Olympics, and tickets will be available for as little as $5 for general admission. Special meet-and-greet front-row tickets will be $20, while ringside seats will be $10.

NWA Mid-Atlantic legend George South will be on hand, as will 3 Count heavyweight champion “Loaded Gunz” Ken Magnum.

The card, which also features Ostgard, Tyler Gaines, Billy Brash, Sir Jonathan Buffet, Ace Armstrong, B.J. Hancock and “The Scottish Prince” Joshua O’Glesby and the Highland Embassy, is subject to change.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and bell time is set for 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call (864) 346-3908 or visit 3countprowrestling.com. The organization can also be found on Facebook or Twitter.

By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

EASLEY — A shooting last week in Easley in which two adults were injured is under investigation by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief deputy Creed Hashe said the sheriff’s office received a call at approximately 5:44 p.m. March 1 regarding a shooting on Pope Field Road. Deputies arrived on the scene as two adults were being transported to the hospital — the male having sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and the female a wound to the hand.

Hashe said a preliminary investigation showed the pair are married, but currently separated. Both were injured from the same gunshot fired by a third person inside the home, according to Hashe.

“A total of four people were at the home when the incident occurred,” he said.

The chief deputy added that sheriff’s detectives are interviewing two people from the scene at the time of the shooting, one of which is believed to be the person who fired the shot.

No arrests have been made since detectives are still collecting evidence and conducting interviews, Hashe said. A handgun was seized from the residence and is believed to belong to one of the people being interviewed, neither of whom was injured in the incident.

Hashe said the incident stemmed from a domestic altercation between the couple.

The sheriff’s office doesn’t plan to release additional information until further investigation into the case can be completed.