A man was being held for multiple charges overnight after allegedly holding a Sheriff’s Officer at gunpoint. Laurens County Deputy James Willis was dispatched to Riverfork Road, Waterloo at 10:24 last night on a report of a man having a gun and stating he was going to kill himself. The man reportedly requested to speak with Captain Duane Howard of the Sheriff’s Office. The Captain was contacted and spoke with the subject by telephone. The man reportedly asked for Howard to come speak with him in person. Captain Howard reportedly attempted to talk the man into putting the gun down. At one point during this discussion, the man allegedly held the gun on Captain Howard for a period of approximately five minutes. The subject later went back inside the house and Captain Howard was able to leave. Deputies Willis and Johnston then reportedly heard an argument inside. The man’s girlfriend then reportedly took his gun and threw it outside. Deputies Willis and Johnson caught the man as he attempted to retrieve the gun and placed him under arrest.  

47-year-old David Bruce Waters of 2376 Riverfork Road, Waterloo was placed in the Johnson Detention Center. Deputy Willis was to seek warrants today to charge the man with Assault on an Officer and other related charges.

 Clinton Public Safety Officers arrested three juveniles early yesterday morning as they investigated a series of car break-ins that have occurred in Clinton over the past month or so. Chief Robin Morse said that the three were 16 and younger, and we being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice. He said the investigation is continuing, but they expect to be able to resolve a lot of car break-ins, perhaps from 15 to 30, that have occurred in recent weeks.

     Last night’s Laurens County Council meeting brought good news from the Elliott Davis CPA firm regarding its independent report financial procedures for the county. These procedures automated the transfer of accounting records from the treasurer’s general ledger software system QS1 to the finance department’s general ledger software system CSI for the period of July 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013. The county is in the process of consolidating all departments into a single accounting system.

   Meanwhile, the budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 is nearing the end of a long annual process. At last night’s County Council meeting the date was set for the final, 3^rd reading on the budget. First, the required public hearing on the budget will be held on June 25^th at 5:30pm in the Historic Courthouse. That will be followed with a scheduled final vote on the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1^st. Council Chairman Jim Coleman noted council has not heard from any departments as to appearing before council to discuss any budget actions taken by council thus far.

     Despite the absence of public comment, council did receive some comment during the meeting. Captain Joe Tyson was on hand from the Johnson Detention Center with a concern that the county facility is loosing staff to other counties who pay higher salaries.

     Laurens County Council last night gave unanimous third-reading approval to County Ordinance #752 which involves Avery Dennison transferring certain assets of their product line to CCL Label. This process is internal and will address a conversion of the former lease back to a regular simplified fee as well as the combined Fee-on-Lieu-of-Agreements. The final vote last night allows transfer of the Fee-in-lieu-of-tax plan, which does not impact the funds coming to the county.

     Another unanimous approval was for second reading of County Ordinance #755, which conveys real estate containing 7 ½ acres of  land for an economic development project known as “Project Application.”

 A man and woman from the Green Pond Community of Laurens County were arrested yesterday on multiple Child Neglect charges that allege methamphetamine use while in custody of four children. 24-year-old David Dale Arrington and 24-year-old Mary Dill Arrington of 534 Pasture Drive, Gray Court were both served with four warrants yesterday charging Child Neglect. The charges state that both David and Mary Arrington placed a minor child at unreasonable risk of harm on May 21^st by testing positive to methamphetamine. The warrants further state that the defendant had custody as the child’s parent or guardian, and the children were one, three, five and six years old.

Bond was set at $5,000 on each of the four Child Neglect charges. David and Mary Arrington each remained in the Johnson Detention Center this morning with cash or surety bonds set totaling $20,000.

  The four children were taken into custody by the Department of Social Services.