City's fire chief announces retirement
By TARA JENNINGS Ledger Staff Writer tara@gaffneyledger.com
      Gaffney Fire Chief Steve Blanton has announced he will retire June 13. Blanton, who has been fire chief since Sept. 10, 1998, told his firefighters on Tuesday of his decision. "I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my life," Blanton said Wednesday. "I've been working since I was 13. Everybody else is enjoying retirement. I'm going to try it.
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Man gets 15 years
      A Gaffney man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for possessing a loaded handgun and 8 grams of crack cocaine during a police traffic stop. Dustin L. Rogers, 23, was found guilty of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a pistol at the conclusion of a jury trial.
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13-year-old arrested for breaking into school
      A 13-year-old boy was arrested by Blacksburg police after Blacksburg Middle School Principal Virgil Hampton discovered he had broken into the school, a report at the Blacksburg Police Department states. Blacksburg Officer Lt. Zeb Starnes and Hampton responded to the school at 101 London St., Blacksburg, at 12:55 p.m. Saturday after an alarm was activated, the report states.
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OSHA investigates fatal industrial accident
By TARA JENNINGS Ledger Staff Writer tara@gaffneyledger.com
      State officials are investigating a fatal accident that occurred Monday at the ADS plant in Gaffney to determine if there was any violation of safety rules that might have contributed to the death of 22- year-old Travis C. Wood.
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Residents urged to use landfill
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Staff Writer larry@gaffneyledger.com
      Cherokee County Landfill Manager Phillip Ellis says county residents can play a key role in keeping the county beautiful - take your household waste to the landfill and don't dump it along the side of the road. Ellis said convenience center dumpsters are available near the front entrance of the landfill for household garbage.
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RECEIVES CHECK
      Cowpens National Battlefield park superintendent Tim Stone, right, receives a $6,000 check from Wal-Mart and Unilever at the National Parks America Tour volunteer project on March 24 at the local park. Making the presentation are Sheila Dotson from the Wal-Mart Distribution Center at Shelby and Justin Snipes, a manager at Wal-Mart in Gaffney.
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Goucher's success studied by state
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com
      Goucher Elementary is among 32 schools involved in a recent state study of schools that are successful in closing the achievement gap among poor students. The Education Oversight Committee (EOC) asked the South Carolina Policy Center to look at schools with a 4-year history of improved performance for at least one historically underachieving student group.
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County to apply for water grant
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Staff Writer larry@gaffneyledger.com
      Public water will likely soon be coming to the 99 Island Road area of the county. Cherokee County Council on Monday voted unanimously to apply for a $500,000 Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant to supply water to about 45 households on 99 Island Road, county finance director Mike Vassey said.
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Family recipe helps cook become finalist
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com
      Brenda Watts hopes to get out the cookie vote after being named a finalist in a Betty Crocker recipe contest sponsored by General Mills. Her Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bar recipe is one of 15 finalists in this year's "Mix It Up With Betty! Cookie Mix Recipe" Contest. Each finalist will receive $500 cash and 1,000 Bonus Box Tops to support education projects at the school of their choice.
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Book signing to be held at library
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com
      Mystery writer Mignon Ballard will hold a book signing April 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the Cherokee County Public Library. Ballard will have a question and-answer session and autograph books while discussing her latest mystery novel "The Angel and The Jabberwocky Murders," Cherokee County Public Library program director Kenny Covington said.
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