Local Radar

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County Council states Edgefield EMS to get additional ambulance at meeting

Council hears complaints from several citizens as well

web posted August 9, 2006

COUNTY – The Edgefield County Council held their August monthly meeting Tuesday night with a shortened, but well planned agenda. After the standard Call to Order and formalities of approving minutes and reports, Chairman Kneece asked County Attorney Byrd to read a letter to Dr. Hugh Morgan concerning additional EMS equipment and personnel.

In the letter from Chairman Kneece it was stated that an additional ambulance, equipment and personnel was added to the budget to provide EMS the ability to cut response times during high call volume periods. The cost of the additional ambulance, equipment, and one full time EMT was stated as $159,000.

A second letter read, which was from Judge William Keesley, was the one contained in a Press Release by Administrator Adams a couple weeks ago. In the letter Judge Keesley stated he had no “factual knowledge” of what transpired in the events of the computer viruses found on his computer and that he had not authorized anyone to speak on behalf of his office. EdgefieldDaily.com quoted Judge Keesley’s secretary from an interview disputing claims by Administrator Adams that the county removed viruses from the judge’s computer.

The letter from Judge Keesley did not, in any way, dispute the report by EdgefieldDaily.com or the information contained in the report.

Next on the agenda was a Public Hearing on the Ordinance to Adopt and implement Values for Property Taxation. With no comments, the hearing was closed.

Under Ordinances was the second reading of the above stated ordinance which passed unanimously as did the ordinance to amend the General Operating Budget for fiscal year 2006-2007 to provide for Reassessment Revenues.

Next was an ordinance to provide for the purchase of an ambulance and equipment related thereto not to exceed $180,000, which also passed with a 5-0 vote.

Under New Business Tim Padgett, Chairman of the Edgefield County Hospital Board of Trustees, introduced Ray Price, the new Hospital Administrator. Mr. Price said he was looking forward to working with the county and the hospital staff.

The request for recreation funding for the Town of Johnston was the next item addressed and Chairman Kneece stated Johnston and Edgefield are budgeted to receive $7,500 each from the county. The consideration was passed.

A re-zoning request from Mary Grasty was heard and Chairman Kneece informed Ms Grasty that her request would have to go to the planning commission first. Building and Planning Director Howard Gibson, who was present, stated he would be sure her request was added to the agenda for their meeting Thursday night.

Carolyn Piekielniak, President of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, requested that $2,000 budgeted last year for Oakley Park and never received be added to the $2,000 funding for this year. The council agreed and stated the $2,000 would come from the council’s contingency budget.

John Rutland addressed the council regarding the Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Rutland complained that with crime on the rise he did not feel the investigators were concerned with solving crimes that had been committed. “What really burned me up was when he took over the Town of Johnston,” he said. Mr. Rutland stated Sheriff Dobey spoke with him and said one of the biggest problems was being under funded and under staffed. Mr. Rutland said it was, “the people he has working for him,” as the root of the problem.

Next on the agenda was EdgefieldDaily.com’s Editor advising the council on the actions of County Administrator Wayne Adams and the inaction of the County Council to address them. Among the many points of contention was the failure of Mr. Adams to properly inform the council of the true intent of two inserted ordinances in July of 2005 which would have zoned the entire county without notice. The County Council voted to pass the ordinances until EdgefieldDaily.com exposed their true intent. The County Council did vote down the ordinances the next month but never held Mr. Adams accountable for his actions involved in the matter.

Also mentioned was the personal ban Mr. Adams placed on EdgefieldDaily.com, which the county council had removed. The last point of contention was the articles published by Mr. Adams defaming EdgefieldDaily.com and its owner.

“Again, gentlemen, I ask whether you intend to allow Mr. Adams to continue, unabated, in his constant personal attacks of those he dislikes through the use of his office, which you are held completely responsible for,” Mr. Blackwell stated.

The Council voted to take the comments in as “information”.

Not on the agenda was Mike Murphey who stated he wanted to correct a story on EdgefieldDaily.com. Mr. Murphey was the supposed “independent computer expert” hired by Councilman Willie Bright and Everett Kitchens to clean viruses off the Probate Judge’s computer. It was later discovered that Mr. Murphey and Councilman Kitchens are long time friends and therefore Mr. Murphey was not “independent” of the council as he was presented to be to Judge Peeler.

Mr. Murphey stated the article on EdgefieldDaily.com was inaccurate in that nothing contained in the story was in the report, “(the Editor) didn’t bend the truth, he broke it,” Mr. Murphey stated. The word "malicious" was repeatedly used by Mr. Murphey while saying it was never in his report.

With no other business the meeting was adjourned.


(Editor’s note: EdgefieldDaily.com did not use Mr. Murphey’s report as the sole basis for the story. Several persons were sourced, though not mention by name, and EdgefieldDaily.com stands behind every single word printed in the story including its factual accuracy. The only time anything mentioned by Mr. Murphey, as a complaint on the reporting was the word "malicious", which was not contained in any report but from one of the Editor’s Columns, which are pure opinion on behalf of the Editor. Mr. Murphey has his opinions and the Editor has his own as well.)


      

EdgefieldDaily.com is a member of the
Edgefield County
Chamber of Commerce

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