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The Cheraw Chronicle
&
The Chesterfield Advertiser
Vol. 124, No. 23
Thursday, June 9, 2011
50 cents
Investigators continue probe of shooting death
John Charles Robbins
Heartland Publications
CHESTERFIELD — State police
investigators continue to look into the
circumstances that led to the shooting
death of a Chesterfield man on the evening of May 31.
Charles Eden Smith, 27, of 5869 Teals
Mill Road, was gunned down at about
6:30 p.m., according to a three-page incident report of the Chesterfield County
Sheriff’s Office.
Charged in the killing is Graham
Franklin Douglas, 32, of 1311 Jackson
Road West, Chesterfield.
Authorities say Douglas is in custody
awaiting a bond hearing
before a circuit court
judge.
The homicide investigation was turned
over to the State Law
Enforcement Division
(SLED) because Douglas is the son of Leon
Smith
Douglas, who is employed by the Sheriff’s Office.
Crime scene
tape was
stretched
around the
home at
1311 Jackson Road
West on
the evening of May
31 after a
shooting
death.
SHOOTING
Photo by
Shannon Justice
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
S.C. House
panel OKs new
district lines
John Charles Robbins
Heartland Publications
COLUMBIA — Freshman Congressman Mick Mulvaney,
who represents the 5th District including Chesterfield
County, is not happy with the latest redistricting map coming out of the state capital.
On Monday, South Carolina legislators approved plans for
new election boundary lines that includes carving out a brand
new 7th District U.S. House seat out of two coastal counties and inland counties along the state’s eastern border with
North Carolina — including Chesterfield County.
What it means is the state is gaining an additional congressman — due to population growth — and will have a bit
more clout in Washington.
Shown above: Artist
John Witzel Walters
talks about his artwork using recycled
materials in front of
the Oyster Bar Restaurant. Shown right:
artist Gina Bowles
at Southern African
American Heritage
Center during the Art
Walkabout last week.
DISTRICT
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Arts Commission to
‘Unite Chesterfield’
Photos by Shannon Justice
Art Walkabout and Jazz in June
showcase local and regional talent
Shannon Justice
thecherawchronicle.com
CHERAW – Art and music lovers
from throughout the area experienced both art and music, during the
Third Annual Art Walkabout and Jazz
in June, held June 2 in downtown Cheraw.
The event is part of the Cheraw
Alive! summer series, a collaborative
effort between the Town, the Merchants Association, Arts Commission
and Cheraw Recreation and Leisure
Services, designed to promote both
the art community and businesses by
providing entertainment in the downtown area.
Live music with “Jazz in June,” featured musical entertainment by Cheraw musician, Patrick Davis and The
Ocie Davis Group of Charlotte,N.C.,
performing in Centennial Park.
The Art Walkabout showcased the
creative work of local and regional
artists with sidewalk exhibits through-
out downtown, displaying workings in
photography, basket weaving, painting and drawing.
Guests strolling the downtown had
the opportunity to “peek” over the
shoulder of an artists giving a demonstration, but the event provided a
setting more intimate than the typical
art exhibit. Artists and guests were
able to interact and discuss art work,
WALKABOUT
Fun Fourth will bring parades,
games and live music to Main Street
CHESTERFIELD — The Chesterfield Arts Commission is looking to bring together local civic, non-profit and
church groups during the Chesterfield, USA – Fun Fourth
event planned for July 4 from 3 to 11 p.m. in downtown
Chesterfield.
The Arts Commission, supported by the Chesterfield
Chamber of Commerce and Team Chesterfield are calling
out to local organizations and asking groups to participate
by being present during the day. Groups can host booths
and fund-raising with concessions and/or activities and also
use opportunity to promote their organization. The Town
Council has waived all vendor fees for non-profit groups for
the event, there is no charge to participate.
COMMISSION
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6A
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Residents riled up over closure of Post Office
John Charles Robbins
Heartland Publications
CHERAW — A move by the
United States Postal Service to
shut down the downtown post office still has Mayor Scott Hunter
and others riled up. Town officials
are fighting the proposal to consolidate operations and combine the
retail and post office box operation
with a postal carrier annex located
on Hwy. 9, about three miles outside of town.
Hunter hopes the town can convince the Postal Service to keep
the downtown post office open,
and they’ve enlisted the help of
U.S. Congressman Mick Mulvaney.
Mulvaney said he is on a factfinding mission, in an effort to
get some solid numbers from the
Postal Service about the downtown post office and the distribution annex on Hwy. 9.
“Were trying to help the folks
back home get as much information as they can,” Mulvaney said.
The Town of Cheraw received
a letter May 4 from the Postal
Service, notifying the town of its
intention to consolidate operations
and close the old post office, stating “The Postal Service will then
prepare the property for sale.
Upon receipt of an acceptable
offer, the main office retail and PO
box operations will be relocated to
the Cheraw carrier annex.”
Hunter and others hope to get
the Postal Service to do nearly the
exact opposite — close the annex
and bring those services to a revamped downtown post office.
“If the Postal Service put pencil
cheraw online?
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to paper, they might find it’s just
as cheap and they’d probably save
money by keeping the downtown
center and selling the one on the
highway. We are working on the
feasibility of that, and the congressman is helping us with that,”
Hunter said.
Mulvaney is seeking details in
a recent letter he penned to the
Postal Service.
“I understand from your letter that the United States Postal
Chesterfield
High
Valedictorian
Chris King and
Salutatorian
Kevin Caskey
Class of 2011
POST OFFICE
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A
“Were trying
to help the
folks back
home get as
much information as
they can.”
—Mick Mulvaney
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