https://johnsonvilleschistory.org/files/original/d63066bc0427d8f2c3d0e49a994e7562.pdf e9be103d19b9f6070e368cab6e4bed35 PDF Text Text • I • . \..._~~I. 4. No. 36 Hemingway, S. C., 29554 Thursday. May 5, 1977 • lSC 12 Pages ------- • • ustnes ''Wellman Industries recognizes Alcohol and Drug Abuse and other behavior ad· justment problems as treatable illnesses. Employees whose job performance ls adversely affected by such problems will be offered professional assistance.'' With this policy statement by Jack Wellman, Wellman Industries Board Chairman, and a cooperative agrE:u11ent with the Florence County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Wellman Industries became the third Florence County Company to establish a CARE Program. CARE which stands for Counseling and Referral Elective is a special program initiated between the Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and business and industry. It involves the development of a sound company policy related to behavior problems of employees, supervisory training concerning the concepts of the program and in d~aling with ' 'probluned u11ployees'' and the provision of services designed to return employee job perfor111ance to an acceptable level. ' 'I have always been concerned with the problems confronting our U11ployees and with the effects of various problems on the u11ployee both at work and at home,'' Mr. Wellman emphasized. ''In the past when an employee was absent excessively or his job performance remained poor, he was necessarily terminated. Now we are able to do something before the problem re~che s · that point,'' Mr. Wellman explained. The CARE Program will be coordinated by the Wellman Personnel Depat tlnent under the direction fo Mr. Doug Matthews, Personnel Director and by the Intervention Services Division of the Florence County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Mr. Lyle Mishoe, Coordinator of Intervention Services for the Commission explained that problemed employees from Wellman will be referred to CARE in an effort to prevent their termination from employment. ''If the problem is alcohol or drug related the problem will be handled by the Commission. Other types of problems such as marital difficulties will be referred to appropriate sources fo help,'' Mishoe emphasized. He further explained that regardless of the nature of the problem all aspects of the program are completely confidential and that employees can seek help on Continued to Page 12 Care Program Disctiss~d (" 1\RI~. \vl1ich sta11ds for Cou11seling and Referral Elective is a special progrllom i11itiated by Wellma11 Industries and the Florence County Commission on Alcohol a11d Drug Abuse. Show11 discussing final plans for the program are from left, Tad Ridgell. occupatio11al progrant consultant with the S. C. Commjsslon on Alcohol a11d Drug Abuse; Jack Wellman, chairman, Wellman Industries; Charles L. You11g, directo1·, Flo1·ence County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; and I>11ug !Via ttheu•s, personnel director, Wellman Industries. • De endants Sentenced In ·Yates Case • •• Convicted mur.d erer Donald Pee Wee Gaskins admitted to nine murders during bis trial in Newberry last week. but con· tinued to deny that he killed Silar Barnwell Yates for"whicll he was standing trial. Gaskins was convicted of Yates' murder and sentenced to life imprisonment along with John William Powell and Mrs. Suzanne Kipper Owens. who had pied guilty early in the trial . Powell pied guilty to murder and Mrs: Owens pied guilty to accessory before the fact of murder . Gaskins is Adjust11ient May Credit credit of $2.19 per tho11sand kilowatt-hours rather than an additional charge. Bills rendered during April showed a credit of 13 cents per thousand kwh against the base amount due, while there was an additional charge of $2.21 per r thousand twb 1n March, $2.48 in · February and $5.22 In January. Under a formula establlsbed ' by the South Carolina Public Service Co111111tssJ9n, CP&L Is allowed to adjust the fuel charge each month In direct relation to the company's cost 6IA oenpra already serving a life sentence at Central Correctional Institute for the murder of Dennis Bellamy. one of the original eight Prospect murders for which >hti- was 'convicted last year. Solicitor Kirk McLeod said following the trial that all the defendants will be placed in separate correctional institutions to protect than . Circuit Judge Dan F . Laney in pronouncing sentence agreed to a recommendation that Mrs. Owens receive psychiatric care while in prison and that she be allowed to do secretarial work. Owens, Powell and Gaskins will all be eligible for parole in 10 years, but court officials say· they will oppose parole for Gaskins. Part of the plea bargaining for Powell and Mrs. Owens was an understanding that McLeod will not oppose parole fill' . than when they become eligjble. Owens received a 10 year sentence after pleading guilty to accessory after the fact of murder and was told by Laney, ''if you behave yourself, you can be out In three years." Owens expressed bis regret& for the crime befOl'e hia sentencing saying he wished to express bis· sympathy to the Yates family. He was the most damaging - prosecution witness. and it was during his testimony that Mrs. ()wens and Powell decided to change their pleas. Yates . the eleventh victim in the· so-called Prospect murder cases, was a 45-year-old prominent Florence County farmer. who was abducted from his trailer near Lake City on Feb. 13. 1975. His was killed in Williamsburg County · in a deserted field near Ropers Crossroads and his body was discovered Dec . 8, 1976 after Gaskins led authorities to the area where the body was found. Gaskins admitted. however. to nine other killings. including three. which be claimed were assassinations at the behost of an unnamed law enforcement official. Gaskins confessed to the murder of Dennis Bellamy for which he has been convicted and is now serving a life sentence. He also admitted the slayings of John Henry Knight, Daine Neeley and Avery Howard. three of the victims whose bodies were found in the Prospect community in December or 1975. He denied that he was involved in the slayings or four others found near the same site. Gaskins also admitted to shooting two men on a highway near Conway and dumping their bodies in a river several days before Yates was killed. He said he took several items off the men including their wallets and some clothing. which he hid in Florence C<>unty., Gaskins asserted "tl\at he killed Peg Cuttino and an unidentified black girl in Sumter County and that he was ordered to kill a man in Charleston and that he in fact shot the man seven times . He declined to give the name of the individual who ordered the slayings. He said he did not know the Gaskins had directed name of the Cuttino girl at the authorities to dig. Sumter time she was killed. but found it County Sheriff I . Byrd Parnell out later . He directed law en- said he expects to charge forcement officers to a ditch in · Gaskins in the case if the Sumter County where he said remains are identifi.e d as the the black girl. who was person Gaskins said he killed. poisioned by a drink of coke was At least three of the killings buried . He said he had told Gaskins says be committed officials about the body five have already been placed on months ago, but no efforts bad other- heads and two men are been made to search for the· serving jail sentences for the body . The runains of what may. crimes. Convicted Georgia be the black woman's body murderer William J . Pierce • were found near the site where Continued to Page 12 e e • James W. Weaver, principal of Johnsonville Elementary School, was installed as president of the Florence County Education Association (F .C.E.A.) when that organiuition met on Monday, April 25, in the Johnsonville Elu11entary School Library. Fol~owing the regular business meeting, Weaver was installed by out-going president, D. W. Montgomery. He will officially take oftlce on July 1, 1977. In bis projections for next ~~ revitalizing. We need, as an educational organization, to fight for education through corporation iri the county, state and natl011. Educators have become lax, and are inclined to jwnp on the band wagon and ride. There are too few left to push and pull. Everyone needs to get off the band wagon and share the load. There Is a lack of concern among our ed•1cators. Education ill like a ball game. When we give you the football, we expect you to take it and carry it. During the coming •• the most important of all times for us to work together for education. Our strength lies in our collective strength. There Is no place for polarization in edncation. ''Florence County District One bas received a charter to foa an their ow11 organiuition. Their work will s• 1engtben u and our work will strengthen theirs. We will not let their decisiOllS taint our asnoclatiODr but will WOik for 8 viable. association. ''I cballerige you before YGO ... . . - ' � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Weekly Observer Description An account of the resource The Weekly Observer was published out of Hemingway, SC from 1973 until printing ceased in 2012. The paper continues as an e newpaper on scnow.com Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-2012 Subject The topic of the resource Local Newspaper covering the Johnsonville and Hemingway communities. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins Admits to Nine Slayings, 5-5-1977 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 5-5-1977 News Newspaper Weekly Observer