FSP-Microcosm News-Global Community Report: South Carolina

Showing posts with label South Carolina. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Sheriff: School officer fired after tossing student in class

msn

This three image combo made from video taken by a Spring Valley High School student on Monday, Oct, 26, 2015, shows Senior Deputy Ben Fields trying to forcibly remove a student from her chair after she refused to leave her high school math class, in Columbia S.C. The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation Tuesday after Fields flipped the student backward in her desk and tossed her across the floor.

© AP Photo This three image combo made from video taken by a Spring Valley High School student on Monday, Oct, 26, 2015, shows Senior Deputy Ben Fields trying to forcibly remove a student f… COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A deputy who flipped a disruptive student out of her desk and tossed her across her math class floor was fired on Wednesday. The sheriff called his actions "unacceptable," and said videos recorded by her classmates show the girl posed no danger to anyone. "What he should not have done is throw the student," Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. "Police officers make mistakes too. They're human and they need to be held accountable, and that's what we've done with Deputy Ben Fields." Civil rights groups immediately praised the firing of Fields, a veteran school resource officer and football coach at Spring Valley High School. Calls for swift action rose almost immediately after the videos of Monday's arrest appeared on the Internet, and the sheriff suspended the deputy without pay before firing him altogether. Lott praised the FBI for agreeing to investigate whether civil rights were violated, and school district officials for promising to review how police are used for discipline. Read More Here ...................................................................................................................

Officer drags Girl from desk Slams student on floor Video School Cop Slams Girl video

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msn

Officer drags Girl from desk Slams student on floor Video School Cop Slams Girl video

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkZwHCBPzM]

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Who Is Ben Fields, the Police Officer Filmed Flipping a Spring Valley High School Student?

Newsweek

Polly Mosendz

Richland County Sheriff's Department Officer Senior Deputy Ben Fields is pictured with Karen Beaman, principal of Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School after receiving Culture of Excellence Award at Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina, on November 12, 2014. A South Carolina sheriff has asked federal authorities to investigate Field's arrest of a high school student, after video showed him slamming the girl to the ground and dragging her across a classroom.

© Richland County Sheriff's Department/Reuters Richland County Sheriff's Department Officer Senior Deputy Ben Fields is pictured with Karen Beaman, principal of Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School after…

The police officer filmed flipping over and dragging a black female student at a South Carolina high school this week has a history of being sued after violent encounters, and as of Tuesday, he is facing an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice over the videotaped incident after it went viral online.

Ben Fields, the Richland County sheriff’s senior deputy who was caught on video during the incident at Spring Valley High School, joined the sheriff's department in 2004 and became a school resource officer in 2008, assigned to two schools in Richland School District Two.

A year prior, Carlos and Tashiana Martin had filed a suit against Fields, another deputy and the county’s sheriff over an October 2005 incident. According to the suit, Carlos Martin claimed Fields questioned him in an apartment parking lot as to whether he was the “cause of excessive noise complained of by a resident” in Martin’s neighborhood in Columbia, South Carolina. Martin said he was not, as he had been driving home from work. In their interaction, Martin referred to Fields as “dude,” agitating the officer, the lawsuit states.

Monday, May 19, 2014

South Carolina passes bill to nullify federal hemp ban

Cultivation of industrial hemp for fiber and for grain in france.

By : Aleks

Wikimedia.org

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Tenth Amendment Center

COLUMBIA, S.C., May 14, 2014 - Today, the South Carolina House gave final approval to a bill which authorizes the growing and production of industrial hemp within the state, effectively nullifying the unconstitutional federal ban on the same.
Introduced by Sen. Kevin Bryant along with cosponsors Sen. Lee Bright and Sen. Tom Davis, S.0839 passed by a 72-28 vote. It has previous passed by a vote of 42-0 in the senate, and will now go to Gov. Nikki Haley’s desk for a signature.
The bill reads, in part, “It is lawful for an individual to cultivate, produce, or otherwise grow industrial hemp in this State to be used for any lawful purpose, including, but not limited to, the manufacture of industrial hemp products, and scientific, agricultural, or other research related to other lawful applications for industrial hemp.”
Three states – Colorado, Oregon and Vermont – have already passed similar measures. Farmers in SE Colorado started harvesting the plant in 2013, effectively nullifying federal restrictions on such agricultural activities. A similar bill passed the Tennessee legislature this year and awaits action from Gov. Haslam.
Experts suggest that the U.S. market for hemp is around $500 million per year. They count as many as 25,000 uses for industrial hemp, including food, cosmetics, plastics and bio-fuel. The U.S. is currently the world’s #1 importer of hemp fiber for various products, with China and Canada acting as the top two exporters in the world.
During World War II, the United States military relied heavily on hemp products, which resulted in the famous campaign and government-produced film, “Hemp for Victory!”

Read More Here

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Animal Rescue Stories : Soldier was picked up as a stray in mid-January, has a new home with a woman who lives in Dryden, Va.

An update on the dog with the old photo tucked in his collar

Penny Eims

Dog News Examiner

Soldier and the mysterious photo that was found in his collar

February 22, 2014

According to Friday's ABC News, Soldier, the pit bull who was found with an old, black and white photo tucked into his collar has a new home with a woman who lives in Dryden, Va.in Greenville, S.C., has found a home.
Soldier was picked up as a stray in mid-January, and the mysterious photo discovered in his collar, which showed a man who appeared to be in a military uniform, generated a great deal of intrigue and interest. Thanks to that intrigue, his story quickly spread nationwide.
The initial hope was that Soldier's true owner would be found and that the pair would be reunited, but that never happened.
Instead, Soldier has a new home with a woman who lives in Dryden, Va., who has experience with pit bulls. Soldier's new guardian, Julie Hensley, a 50-year-old attorney, dog rescuer and "pit bull enthusiast."

Read More Here

Friday, February 21, 2014

Approximately 100 animals have been seized from a self-described "no-kill' rescue organization in Easley, S.C.,

Truck loads of dogs seized from no-kill rescue agency in South Carolina

Penny Eims Dog News Examiner

Dozens of dogs rescued from S.C. "rescue"

Getty Images

February 20, 2014

Approximately 100 animals have been seized from a self-described "no-kill' rescue organization in Easley, S.C., reported Wednesday's Fox Carolina News.
On Wednesday, Anderson County authorities executed a search warrant at the Golden S Rescue on Hamlin Road and the operator of the rescue organization, Debra Sheridan, was arrested and charged for ill treatment of animals.
Weeks ago, officials had visited the property and the owner was advised to improve the conditions for the animals; a return to the property revealed no improvements and the seizure commenced.
Anderson County sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Bruce told the Anderson Independent:

We found horrific, deplorable conditions,
The kinds of things that no one should have to live in.”

The dogs and cats rescued from the Golden S Rescue were taken in at the Anderson County PAWS facility, which has had to shut down for two days in order to handle the influx of animals.
On Thursday morning, Anderson County PAWS issued this notice on their Facebook page:

PAWS will be closed Thursday 2/21/14 and Friday 2/22/14.
Donations of supplies can be left at the front door.
We ask monetary donation be mailed to
1320 HWY 29 S
Anderson SC 29626

The problems at the South Carolina no-kill rescue agency are the latest in what appears to be a recurring problem with several so-called rescue agencies...just this February, hundreds of animals were rescued from a Bradenton, Fla., no-kill agency and less than a week ago, dozens of dogs were seized from a rescue agency in Tennessee.
Click here to watch news clip.
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February 20, 2014

Deborah Lynn Sheridan, owner of the Golden S Rescue in Easley, S.C. was arrested on Thursday for the second time and charged with animal

February 20, 2014

Deborah Lynn Sheridan, owner of the Golden S Rescue in Easley, S.C. was arrested on Thursday for the second time and charged with animal cruelty and neglect of dogs reported wyff4.com.
Conditions at the rescue, located on Hamlin Road, had not improved according to deputies. At least 40 to 60 of the dogs on the property were emaciated.
Two weeks ago, Sheridan was arrested for animal neglect of 11 dogs.
Anderson County's PAWS has now taken in 119 dogs.

"PAWS WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY DUE TO THE SURPLUS OF DOGS TAKEN IN TONIGHT!! Thank you for your support and understanding in advance!!
If you are interested in donating, our Amazon.com wish list can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/1KOOAATZ2VWQ9/ref=sr_1_1_acs_wl_1?ie=UTF8...
Amazon.com: Jessica Cwynar of AC PAWS: Anderson County PAWS
www.amazon.com
Amazon.com Universal Wishlist for Jessica Cwynar of AC PAWS."

Follow the updates on all of these dogs by clicking on the organization's Facebook link.
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Friday, October 11, 2013

Citizen lawn mower at Lincoln Memorial: Shutdown or not, areas shouldn’t be neglected

(Michael Ruane/ The Washington Post ) - Chris Cox, 45, says he’s a chain saw sculptor. He said he’s been cleaning up around the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool for the past few days., using a leaf blower to clear sidewalks and a chain saw to cut up downed tree limbs.

By Michael E. Ruane, Published: October 9 E-mail the writer

Chris Cox says he bought the leaf blower at Home Depot for $200. He got the used lawn mower at a thrift store for 100 bucks. The heavy metal handcart with the squeaky wheels is his.

Cox, 45, a chain-saw sculptor from Mount Pleasant, S.C., grabbed the attention of shutdown-weary Washington on Wednesday when he showed up with all his gear and was reportedly spotted mowing the lawn at the Lincoln Memorial.

Video

Chris Cox of Mount Pleasant, S.C., is visiting the Mall despite the shutdown, and he's armed with a rake and lawn mower.

He said the police chased him away, but it was too late. He said he had already been tidying up around the memorial and the Reflecting Pool for the past few days, because nobody else is.
He drew rapid media attention — social and conventional — as well as a crowd of amused foreign tourists as he stood on the plaza of the memorial Wednesday afternoon and declared his purpose.
“I figured out that I could play a . . . valuable role as a janitor, if you will,” he said. “So I started cleaning up the overflowing trash cans. I bought a blower and I’ve been blowing all of the trails, and today I cut the grass out here.”

Read More Here

Thursday, August 22, 2013

U.S. city’s plan for homeless bizarre, inhumane

Homeless Veteran on the streets of Boston, MA

Wikimedia.org

ByScott Tracey

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You know when you read something, but then it's so ridiculous you have to do more research to find out whether it's actually true?

Case in point, a story this week about a South Carolina city which has taken steps to "exile its homeless."

The story suggested the city council in Columbia, S.C., had unanimously approved an "emergency homeless response" plan which will ban homeless people from the central business district and authorize police to arrest any homeless person found within the no-homeless zone.

A hotline will be established for residents and merchants to report the presence of a homeless person to police, who will be obliged to move them along.

Surely that can't be true, I thought.

Sadly, it is.

The council of Columbia will partner with a local charity to operate a 24-hour emergency shelter on the outskirts of town, however it's unlikely the 240-bed shelter will be sufficient for the city's estimated 1,500 homeless people. And once someone enters the shelter, they are not allowed to leave the premises unless they set up an appointment to be driven out by a van.