A bit of a surprise at last night’s meeting of Laurens City Council. Ordinance 5-13-02 came before council for its second and final reading.  The ordinance which would add a fee to automobile property taxes for the purpose of repairing and maintaining city streets not in the South Carolina Department of Transportation System had passed on first reading.  After a motion and second to bring the ordinance to a vote there was no discussion from anyone on council.  However, when Mayor Sharon Brownlee called for the vote….the ordinance did not pass.  Council members Marian Miller, Sarah Latimore, Martin Lowry and Sylvia Douglas voted against approving the ordinance.  Mayor Brownlee seemed surprised. After the meeting she told WLBG she didn’t know where that came from.  She said that council had toured the roads that she said were in need of repair and she thought everyone was of the same opinion – that steps had to be taken to improve the 81 streets and roads in the city’s system. With the rejection of the ordinance, the budget for fiscal year 2014 was passed without the revenue from the increased fee and without the expenditure to repair the roads.

The Clinton Department of Public Safety yesterday announced the arrest of 3 juveniles ages 14, 15, and 16 for a rash of property crimes.  All three are charged with: One count of Larceny, Four counts of Bicycle Theft and EIGHTEEN counts of Breaking Into Motor Vehicles. Two of the juveniles are from Laurens and one from Joanna.  All three were transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.  The two younger suspects have been released.  The 16 year old remained in DJJ custody as of yesterday afternoon.

A cooperative investigation by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenwood Police Department has resulted in two arrests in connection with the armed robbery of the Hot Spot convenience store in the Maddens Community last Thursday morning.Arrested were: 20 year old Corey Alex Downs of 531 Wilson Street #6 in Greenwood and 19 year old Thomas A. Conway of 215 Little Mountain Road in Ninety-Six. Downsis currently in the Greenwood CountyDetention Center awaiting a bond hearing on other charges.  He will then be transported to the Johnson Detention Center in Laurens County and will be charged with Armed Robbery, Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime and Kidnapping. As of yesterday afternoon, Thomas A. Conway was being transported to the Johnson Detention Center to be served with warrants charging him with Armed Robbery and Kidnapping.

The robbery of the Hot Spot convenience store occurred about 6:00amon last Thursday, June 13^th.

A long serving officer with the Laurens Police Department is to be laid to rest later today. Thomas R. ‘Tommy’ Owens, Sr., an Air Force veteran of the Korean Conflict,  joined the Laurens Police Department in the mid 1970′s.  After 25 years of service he retired at the rank of Lieutenant. Laurens Chief of Police Sonny Ledda told WLBG yesterday that officers of the Laurens Police Department will serve as an honorary escort at Lt Owens’ funeral scheduled for 2:00pm this afternoon at Broad Street United Methodist Church in Clinton.

Kimberly Falin, age 44 of 5149 Riverfork Rd. Waterloo was booked into the Johnson Detention Center on Monday, charged with manufacture and possession of methamphetamine. Warrants state that on Monday, Falin did have in her possesion items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and did knowingly posses less than one gram of methamphetamine without authority to do so. She is being held on 25,000.00 bond.

 49 year old Larry Lee Gaines of 5149 Riverfork Rd Waterloo was booked into the Johnson Detention Center by the Laurens County Sheriffs Office on Monday charged with manufacturing methamphetamine , possession of schedule 4 substance and driving under suspension. Warrants state that Larry Gaines did have in his possession items used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, did intentionally posses xanax, a schedule 4 controlled substance without authority to do so and operating a motor vehicle while knowing his drivers license is suspended. He remains in the detention center on $30,652.00 bond

John Wesley Crump Jr., age 48 of 756 Martins Lake Rd. Gray Court was booked into the Johnson Detention Center yesterday on multiple drug charges. Three bench warrants issued april 11^th state Crump is charged with disposal or assisting disposal of methamphetamine waste, 1^st offense, and two counts of manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine 1st offense.  ^He remains in the Johnson Detention Center bond withheld because of these bench warrants.

44 year old Daniel Keith Fuller of 288 Randall Drive Clinton was booked into the Johnson Detention Center Monday by the Laurens County Sheriffs Office on trespassing, pointing and presenting, and assault and battery. Warrants state that on Monday June 17^th, Daniel Fuller did without legal cause or excuse enter onto the property of a victim after being asked to leave and having been warned in the past, 2 warrants stating he did unlawfully and not in self defense point and present a firearm at a victim, 2 warrants stating he did have the intent to create fear to a victim by threatening to kill the victim and  the act being agrivated that he displayed a weapon. Daniel Keith Fuller remains in the Johnson Detention Center on $51,000.00 bond