When Chesnee Police Chief Danny Swofford and Officer Jimmy Fortner arrived at a Chesnee residence in early October 2011 to serve outstanding arrest warrants on Mathew Benjamin Brannon, 28, of 400 Walker Street, Chesnee, SC, they could not locate him, but they did find evidence of theft of cable service and power at the residence. Verification of the thefts was later confirmed by service providers.
Chief Swofford said, “It was frustrating because Brannon had apparently slipped away from us and was out of our jurisdiction.”
The suspect was however, not out of the reach of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department and the Chesnee Police entered into a joint investigation with them to locate and apprehend Brannon. As a result of that investigation and an undercover operation conducted at a local Chesnee auction business on January 19, 2012, Mathew Brannon was apprehended, arrested and charged with cable theft and utility meter tampering by the Chesnee Police.

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

By Leon G. Russ
HOMETOWN NEWS
 
Spartanburg County Council Economic Recruitment and Development Committee Chairman David Britt went before County Council to ask for council’s approval of a partnership between the county and an Illinois corporation, code-named “Project Rise” on Monday.
Before announcing “Project Rise” Britt told council, “We’ve had a good year so far and we have some really exciting things going to happen in Spartanburg County.”
Britt explained, “The reason we had to put a code name on it is they’re getting some things done with the Commerce Department”
He promised the corporation would be “very, very good” for Spartanburg County.
Britt was asked if it would provide blue collar or white-collar jobs and he said, “It will be manufacturing jobs” but would provide both levels of employment for Spartanburg County citizens.
The announcement comes on the heels of Amazon announcing a distribution facility in Spartanburg County; in fact the company issued an official news release earlier in the day announcing their decision to build a facility here.
Amazon was code named “Project 300” due to the fact that it was expected to employ 300.
Britt told council Amazon is now expected to have a $50 million investment while creating 400 jobs.

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

Spartanburg County authorities are still searching for two men accused of torturing and murdering a local couple nearly three years ago.  Both Louis Perez, 32, and Jose Delangel Gomez, 28 have been charged with the murders of Hugo Lugo-Hernandez, 24, and Teresa Avilla-Martinez, 24.  The murders occurred on January 25, 2009, at a home on HWY 101 where sheriff’s deputies found the bodies of the mutilated couple that had been beaten and shot repeatedly. 
An investigation into the murders led to the arrest of 6 suspects who confessed their involvement of the murders and also named Gomez and Perez as the two remaining suspects involved in the murders.  According to the Spartanburg Sheriff’s Office, Gomez and Perez were both believed to be residents of Georgia near Atlanta.  Gomez was nearly arrested in 2010 in Jacksonville, FL, but he jumped off a bridge and swam to an unknown location to elude capture by the US Marshal Service.  Gomez, who is also known as “Oscar”, is 5ft 7” tall and weighs about 170 pounds. Perez is 5ft 10” tall and weighs about 180 pounds.

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

Jose Delangel Gomez

Louis Perez

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

On November 23, 2011, while on routine patrol, Officers James Kershaw and Stephanie Lovell attempted to stop a vehicle that was displaying an out of date tag sticker. When blue lights were activated the driver of the vehicle did not stop. After activation of police siren and blue lights the driver still refused to stop. The vehicle continued down Chesnee streets and ran a stop sign on S Florida Avenue. After several more turns the vehicle driver pulled into a grassy area at which time two suspects later identified as Michael Austin Spencer, 30, of 31 McDowell Street, Pacolet, and Crystal Lee Belue, 36, of 1780 W Main Street, Pacolet, fled on foot into a wooded area. Chesnee officers then contacted Spartanburg County deputies to bring a K9 and to help set up a perimeter around the suspects.

<b>For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.</b>

Smiles were etched upon the faces of those helping to “Feed the Community” on Thanksgiving Day.
For the 24th year First Baptist Church of Spartanburg and the Second Presbyterian Soup Kitchen fed those in need of a Thanksgiving dinner through the collaborative efforts of churches and community organizations.
They expected to serve approximately 9,500 meals.
At First Baptist volunteers prepared the meal that included dessert while volunteer drivers lined up in the parking lot to deliver the meals.
Young and old alike worked shoulder to shoulder to ensure the operation moved smoothly.
Seven-year-old Charlotte Johnson was found loading pies into vehicles.  Her mother Renee noted she and her husband volunteer often but this was the first time at Feed the Community.
She explained she brought her seven-year-old triplet’s out because “it’s a good thing to do and the kids are old enough to help and understand.  They learn to do nice things for others.”

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

Following entertainment by the Chesnee High School Orchestra,  School District Two Board of Trustees Chairperson Connie Smith convened the board in monthly session with all trustees except Sarah Simmons present who was absent owing to an unforeseen family medical emergency.
Board members Jack O’Bryant, Don McKinney, and Danny McDowell, who are ending their board memberships, were recognized for their years of dedicated service.
In the next order of business the consent portion of the agenda, the agenda and addendums, were approved. In the consent agenda portion minutes from the October meeting were approved, student trip requests were approved, and personnel actions regarding appointments, terminations, and resignations were approved. The financial portion of the consent agenda was pulled for further discussion.
In the instructional services report Assistant Superintendent Dr. Quincie Moore stated that administration was “pleased with MAP test scores and students continue to do a good job.” Moore reported that she and other staff members had visited district schools to meet face to face with teachers and receive feedback, comments, and suggestions about curriculum guides.
Moore then said that the district is continuing an early childhood initiative with area daycares in which best practices and literacy strategies are used to give young child a “head start” on literacy. Dr. Moore reported that last school term over 500 children were reached through this program.
Dr. Moore then provided the trustees with a notebook containing a compilation of the state and district test scores for all schools. Lastly, Dr. Moore stated that extra parent’s meetings were being scheduled for the next Scholar’s Academy due to the high interest in the program.

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

By David Stephens
Hometown News

After a two week layoff due to a bye in the first round of the 2A football playoffs,  the Chesnee Eagles hosted a second round game on November 11, 2011, against the Saluda Tigers.
The first quarter was a defensive battle with neither team mounting any real threats except a long - range missed field goal by the Chesnee Eagles. Defense continued to dominate until the 6:32 point of the second quarter when Saluda quarterback Walker Noteboom turned a quarterback draw into a 32 yard touchdown run for a 7-0 Saluda lead. The Tigers threatened once more late in the quarter, but the Eagle defense stiffened and forced a missed field goal by Saluda to go to halftime trailing only 7-0.
After the half the Chesnee Eagles took the kickoff and marched down the field to tie the game when Eagles receiver Markell Hill outdueled a Saluda defender in mid-air to catch a 21 yard pass from Darrius Proctor for a touchdown and tied the score at 7-7.

For the rest of the story, read this week’s Chesnee Tribune.

By Leon G. Russ

HOMETOWN NEWS

As the volleyball hit the hardwood floor signaling the end of the Upper State I-2A Championship tears and cheers erupted from the players on the court and the fans in the stands.

Unfortunately for the Chesnee Eagles (17-9) and their fans, they were the ones left in tears having dropped the match 3-0 to the Gilbert Indians (22-3-1) on Thursday, November 3.

For the rest of the story, see this weeks Chesnee Tribune