SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line December 08, 1997

Railroad Crossings Leave Blacksburg Frustrated; Costly Overpass Could Solve Town's Problem

By Julie Woodcock

The little town of Blacksburg has a big problem and no money to solve it.
The town needs at least one overpass to keep traffic from backing up when trains frequently come through.
An overpass also would prevent emergency vehicles from being slowed by passing trains and would keep impatient motorists from dodging closed crossing gates. A major Norfolk Southern line runs through the middle of town, crossing seven streets, each a block apart. The streets empty onto busy Highway 29. The town also serves as a switching yard, as trains stop to drop off some rail cars and pick up others. As a result, motorists heading to and from I-85 find themselves facing long waits at crossing gates.
"People just get out of their cars and stand around, because they know they're going to be there awhile," said Blacksburg Police Chief David Gibson. Sometimes nothing seems to be moving on the tracks, which leads frustrated motorists to believe a boxcar is parked over a sensor and the crossing gate is down needlessly.
Gibson said he believes that frustration tempted Clover resident Charles Stokes to ignore a lowered crossing gate and drive onto the tracks Nov. 25. A Norfolk-Southern train struck Stokes' pickup at 50 mph, pushing it 1.2 miles before the engineer was able to stop the train. Stokes was killed in the collision. Gibson said another collision several months ago injured a driver.
Sometimes the danger posed by the trains is indirect. Because the rail line divides the town, police and emergency workers sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of the tracks when trying to answer a call. Blacksburg is just over two miles long from east to west, so one train can easily form a wall between the two sides.
Fire Chief Danny McDaniel said that rail workers usually will move a train for them but that sometimes they're not responsive. "We have pulled up to the tracks with lights and sirens going and motioned for them to move, and they act like it doesn't affect them," he said.
Bob Auman, manager of public relations for Norfolk-Southern, said a train crew may not know that the fire truck is there. "Sometimes a train is a mile long. They might be able to hear a siren in the distance and not know where it is," he said. Auman said the railway company has a police communications unit for emergency workers to call to get a train moved.
Blacksburg Mayor David Hogue said a better solution is an overpass. A bridge across the tracks would let emergency workers-- along with everyone else -- cross and make collisions less likely. Unfortunately, it would cost $700,000. "The Department of Transportation said they don't have the money," Hogue said. "But I hear there's the possibility of getting $400 million to build a road from Gaffney to Greenville. I know that's needed, but some of these small towns need help with their roads and bridges to keep people alive. How many people do we have to get killed because of something like this?"
Norfolk-Southern has its own idea of how to solve the problem, and that is to close some of the seven railroad crossings. Danny Gilbert, the railroad's manager of grade crossing safety, said that closing some crossings and upgrading others dramatically reduces collisions.
According to figures released by the railroad, Norfolk-Southern has closed 833 crossings since 1993. At the same time, the number of collisions has dropped from 826 to 568. The railroad is most interested in closing the Academy Street crossing, the only one in town with no crossing guard or lights and the location of several accidents. "We've really been trying to work with Blacksburg since 1993," said Gilbert. "We made a couple of proposals, but nothing ever came to fruition."
The town is equally frustrated with the railroad. Hogue said that for the past seven years, he has been trying to get Norfolk-Southern to replace the Academy Street bridge. The bridge, which lies over an unused rail line, was burned by vandals in the late 1980s. Hogue said the railroad denied owning the bridge, although Norfolk-Southern prosecuted the vandals who burned it. The town sued in Federal Court to get the bridge replaced but lost. Gilbert, however, said he proposed several months ago to build a new bridge in exchange for closing the crossing, and Blacksburg agreed. Norfolk-Southern will pay at least $120,000 of the construction cost, with the Department of Transportation picking up the rest.
Gilbert added that if Blacksburg agrees to close other crossings, the railroad will upgrade those that remain. For example, the railroad may install motion detectors that would determine whether a train is sitting motionless and raise the crossing arms. That would save motorists some frustration, assuming the sensors aren't already in place at the crossings. Still, the devices are expensive. "Rest assured that we'll work with Blacksburg if they'll work with us on closing these crossings," Gilbert said. "We'll see they don't have to pay a penny." It may not be that easy, said Gibson. He said the other crossings belong to the Department of Transportation, which may not agree to close them. Meanwhile, Blacksburg's frustration grows. "Everybody's blaming everybody else, and we've got people out here getting killed on the tracks," Gibson said.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line November 25, 1997

Train Kills Motorist Racing Across Tracks

By Julie Woodcock

A man driving an F-150 truck was killed Monday afternoon when his pickup was struck by a train at a downtown railroad crossing, authorities said.
The man, whose name was not released Monday night, was traveling south on Highway 198 about 5:15 p.m., according to Blacksburg Police Chief David Gibson. The crossing gate was down when the driver reached the tracks, but he drove around the arms and onto the tracks, Gibson said.
The Norfolk-Southern freight train, which was pulling 44 cars, was traveling about 50 mph when it struck the pickup, Gibson said. The train pushed the truck through six intersections before finally coming to a halt 1.2 miles down the tracks, Gibson said.
The impact cut the truck in two, leaving parts of the vehicle scattered along the tracks. Only the cab and part of the drive train remained pinned to the front of the engine. The truck's license plate hadn't even been recovered from the wreckage. Cherokee County Deputy Coroner Beverly Queen pronounced the driver dead at the scene.
The train was headed from Linwood, N.C., to Greenville. Officers from the Blacksburg Police and Volunteer Fire Departments, as well as rescue workers and the S.C. Highway Patrol, gathered around the remains of the truck as darkness fell. A police officer with a video camera worked to document the scene as rescue workers tried to free the victim. Volunteer firefighters eventually had to cut open the truck cab to get to the driver.
Gibson said he sent searchers back up the track to make sure no passengers had been ejected from the vehicle. Finding no one, he concluded the driver was the only one in the truck.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line October 06, 1997

Town Hall to Undergo Renovations; Blacksburg to Revamp 99-year-old Building

Inside the 99-year-old Blacksburg Town Hall building, where the county magistrate once held court, the carpet now lies in a rotting pile in the center of the floor. The ceiling tiles are riddled with gaping holes caused by water pouring from the leaking roof. A creeping vine has pushed through the wooden frame of one window, and its bright green leaves provide the sole bit of color in the gloom.
In the rest of the building, most of the vinyl floor tiles have peeled away, and everything smells of mildew. But according to Greer architect Bradley Van Name, it's not as bad as it looks. "A lot of what you see there is cosmetic damage," he said. "We're replacing all that." Blacksburg has hired Van Name to design a new interior for the building, which is scheduled to be gutted in January. He presented his finalized designs to town officials Friday.
Van Name said the building's masonry exterior walls range from 9 to 20 inches thick and are structurally sound. New interior walls, floors and ceilings will be constructed inside that masonry shell, along with new wiring and a new heating and air conditioning system. The leaking roof will be replaced. Some of the red brick that covers the exterior of the building will be repaired, Van Name said. Otherwise, the building's exterior will look the same, even as its interior is converted into a modern police station.
The Blacksburg Police Department is located in an adjoining building that used to house the town's fire department. Unfortunately, the roof of that building leaks almost as much as the old town hall. "Every time it rains, we wear raincoats," said Lt. David Messer. "The chief's office stays full of water."
According to Patrolman Zeb Starnes, the department plans to modernize, once the renovations are completed, with a new computer system as well as new booking, training and locker rooms. The renovations won't be cheap. Van Name estimates the project will cost $350,000. That's a significant project for a town that will collect only $328,625 in tax money this year.
But Blacksburg Town Council decided Thursday not to raise taxes despite the projected cost of renovations. "We've got some money in savings," said Mayor David Hogue. "We've had offers of donations from local businesses." Hogue said he wants to see how much the town received in donations before considering higher taxes.
According to the administrator, Trudy Martin, the town has $700,000 in savings, but the town also plans to run a new gas line to Industrial Minerals in Kings Creek that will cost Blacksburg $175,000.
Renovations to Town Hall are expected to take six months. Only the police department will be housed there, since other town offices moved out in 1989. They're [the other town offices are] now located in a former medical park at 303 W. Pine St.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line September 09, 1997

Blacksburg Man Gets 25 Years in Armed Robbery

GAFFNEY - A Blacksburg man pleaded guilty Monday to armed robbery and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
According to court testimony, William Evans, 44 of 325 Old Chester Road, walked into the Blacksburg Hardware & Supply Store, at 210 Cherokee St., on May 20. Store clerk Jill Collins told Circuit Court Judge Derham Cole that as she was ringing up Evans' purchase of a canned drink, she looked up to see he had a gun pointed at her face.
At times breaking into tears, Collins said she asked Evans whether he was joking because he seemed like such a nice man. Evans cocked his gun and told her he was serious, Collins said, so she removed $184 from the cash register and gave it to him.
Evans then tried to force her downstairs so he could escape, but she refused to go. He fled, and she was able to write down the license plate of his blue Chevrolet Lumina as he backed up to leave. She then called 911.
A Blacksburg police officer stopped the car, and police said they found the handgun under the driver's seat and the money in Evan's pocket. Evans has prior convictions for grand larceny, aggravated robbery and armed robbery in other states.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line July 11, 1997

Narcotics Unit Seizes 410 Marijuana Plants

The Cherokee County Metro Narcotics Unit seized 410 marijuana plants Thursday, police said. The plants were discovered from a helicopter flown by a pilot with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Agents cut the plants in the Cherokee Creek and McKown's Mountain communities. No arrests have been made.
The Metro Narcotics Unit is made up of officers from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Gaffney and Blacksburg Police departments.

SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NEWS
http://www.house.gov/spratt/news_archive/97_98/news_16.htm
Columbia, South Carolina

June 3, 1997

Blacksburg Police Dept. Wins Equipment Grant

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) announced today that the Justice Department has awarded a grant to Blacksburg to help local police buy new equipment and free up more officer time for community policing. The $21,000 grant comes under the "COPS," or Community Oriented Policing Services program. Since the program was established, Blacksburg has received over $150,000 for new police officers and equipment.
The COPS program was part of the Violent Crime Reduction Act of 1994 and was the subject of partisan dispute then and again last year when House Republicans voted to repeal it. The Senate reinstated the COPS program after the President threatened a veto.
The COPS program has so far added 57,000 more police to communities nationwide. Over the next few years, the program will add a total of 100,000 new police officers.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line May 21, 1997

Authorities Nab Suspect Minutes After Robbery

By Janet S. Spencer

An armed suspect was arrested Tuesday minutes after he stopped to chat with a bystander on his way in and out of a robbery at Blacksburg Hardware.
William Ezra Evans, 44, of 325 Old Chester Road, Blacksburg, is in the Cherokee County jail, charged with armed robbery of the East Cherokee Street store. Evans is also charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Police said Evans paused briefly before going into the hardware store about 11:45 a.m. He talked to a bystander sitting in a rocking chair on the store's front porch, police said. The bystander had been involved in a car accident down the street and was waiting on the porch for a ride. The suspect spoke again to the man on his way out from robbing the store, police said.
Evans was later identified by the bystander and the store clerk. Clerk Jill Collins said when the suspect entered the store, he got a 7-Up, placed it on the counter, pulled a .22-caliber pistol and demanded money. Collins gave the man money, which was recovered along with the 7-Up and a gun.
Chief David Gibson said Collins and the bystander on the porch got the license plate number from the man's car. Evans had backed up to the building, so they had no trouble reading it from the store front, Gibson said. Gibson said Evans has a prior conviction for armed robbery in West Virginia and aggravated robbery in Ohio.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line May 18, 1997

New Police Chief Ready for Work

By Janet S. Spencer

Police Chief David Gibson is busy setting up computers and getting settled in as head of Blacksburg's eight-person police force.
As he gets comfortable in his new job, he's also providing backup for his officers on emergency calls. Gibson said his top priority is putting the Blacksburg Police Department's records on a computer system. Two new computers have been installed since he took over, and the department received a grant last week for $36,000 to upgrade the software.
Gibson, 47, is an 18-year veteran. He was promoted last month from patrol officer with the Blacksburg department. He previously worked as a detective with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Gibson replaced Bill Mauldin, who was chief for less than a year before taking a job as director of the National Police Chief's Association.
The new role of administrator and manager is a welcome challenge to Gibson, a Cherokee County native. His first job in law enforcement was as a patrolman with the Gaffney Police Department in 1977. "I'm more at home with policing. I know in a small town it will be hard to make and keep everybody happy. I expect complaints," he said.
Gibson wants to establish a teen center with police officers serving as chaperones. He is also working with the department to start enforcing laws on cleaning up abandoned properties. Blacksburg doesn't have more problems than other small towns, Gibson said.
He is working with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Gaffney Police Department to place a Blacksburg officer on the Metro Narcotics Unit, which covers the county. Gibson said having a Blacksburg officer on the county narcotics unit will help fight drug crimes in the town and alleviate jurisdiction problems.
Blacksburg will continue its traffic patrol, but officials want to change the town's image as a speed trap. The town has depended on income from speeding violators in recent years. Instead, Gibson is seeking any available grants to upgrade equipment. Enforcing laws related to drugs or traffic is not a money-making business, Gibson said. "We're here to ensure protection and safety."

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line May 11, 1997

Teens Charged in Stolen Car Chase

By Janet S. Spencer

Sydney Ann and Herbert Davidson thought they were reliving a bad dream Saturday morning when police called.
Mrs. Davidson's car had been stolen from their Hardin Drive residence. It was the second time in two weeks. But this time, the 1990 Dodge Spirit driven by Gaffney teen-agers crashed into a convenience store in North Carolina. Police think the car thieves kept a key the first time, either returning or giving it to someone who stole the car again.
Blacksburg officer Andy Walker saw the car traveling recklessly and tried to stop it. He was assisted by Cherokee County sheriff's deputy Tim Clark and the South Carolina Highway Patrol, who went to the state line on Highway 18.
Cleveland County, N.C., deputies chased the car for about six miles at speeds of up to 100 mph before it crashed at 1 a.m. Sgt. Buddy Gilbert said the three teen-agers, who were not injured, tried to flee the wreckage. North Carolina authorities also released a 14-year-old passenger in the car to his parents.
Gilbert said driver Terrence Studyvance, 16, of 98 Granite Drive, Gaffney, is charged with resisting arrest, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of crack cocaine and various traffic violations. Passenger Antwain Dionne Hollis, 17, of I-56 Crestview Apartments, Gaffney, is charged with resisting arrest and possession of a stolen vehicle. Bond was set at $25,000 for Studyvance and $20,000 for Hollis.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line May 04, 1997

Blacksburg Man Dies in Auto Shop Accident

A Blacksburg man died Saturday afternoon when a large tire he was repairing exploded.
Randall Jackson, 47, of 189 Porter Road died shortly after the 2:45 p.m. accident. He was at a maintenance shop owned by Wendell Fabrics, located at South Shelby and Church streets, said Police Chief David Gibson.
Witnesses told Gibson and Sgt. David Messer that Jackson was pumping up a tire on a skidder, used to haul timber from the woods. The witness said he heard the tire begin to crack as Jackson leaned over it. The tire's tube exploded sending the tire flying toward the ceiling and fatally injuring Jackson, who suffered severe head trauma.
Gibson said the tire was similar in size to ones used on farm tractors. Jackson was employed by the shop as a truck driver, but Gibson said Jackson was not on duty. He was at the shop to repair equipment used to haul wood on an unrelated part-time job. Coroner Joe Vinesett pronounced Jackson dead at the scene.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line March 27, 1997

Blacksburg Hires Gibson as its New Police Chief

The Blacksburg Town Council hired David Gibson on Wednesday night as its new police chief.
Gibson was recently hired by the town as a police officer. He is a 19-year veteran law enforcement officer, serving more than 12 years with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and more than six years with the Gaffney Police Department.
Gibson will begin his new duties April 1, replacing Bill Mauldin, who resigned to become director of the National Police Chiefs' Association, located in Washington. A native of Cherokee County, Gibson is a Vietnam veteran and a former detective with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
The council voted unanimously to hire Gibson, who will work a probationary period of six months and then have his performance evaluated by council. Councilman Harold Putnam was absent from the meeting.
In other matters, the council approved its $2.7 million budget for the next fiscal year. The budget, which goes into effect Tuesday, April 1, has no tax increase but includes a 3 percent pay increase for employees. The new budget is about $400,000 more than the present one.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

March 15, 1997

Blacksburg's Police Chief Stepping Down

Blacksburg Police Chief Bill Mauldin is leaving his post for a Washington-based job as director of the International Police Chiefs Association.
Mayor David Hogue said Tuesday that Mauldin had informed him of his plans to change jobs, effective April 1.
Mauldin came to Blacksburg about eight months ago as chief, after retiring from the military. "He came to me on Monday and said he wanted to talk. He went on to say that he has a job offer," Hogue said.
Hogue said Mauldin wrote the job description for his new position. "He said it's an opportunity he can't turn down," Hogue said.
Mauldin's resignation has nothing to do with his performance or commitment to his job while in Blacksburg. "He was ready to move into a new house here with his family," Hogue said.
Mauldin is fluent in several languages and will travel extensively with his new work, officials said.
Hogue said the town council will get to work on finding a new chief.
"We'll start the process over again," he said. Mauldin replaced former Chief Wayne Elder, who retired.
Mauldin could not be reached for comment about his resignation.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line February 17, 1997

School Drug Arrests Lead Officials to Erect Signs, Initiate Program

By Janet S. Spencer

Signs erected near Blacksburg's three schools designate the area as drug-free and protected by state law.
Even if the signs do not deter crime, they will serve as reminders to everyone that a drug-awareness program is needed in the community, school officials say. The signs are located near where Blacksburg's primary, elementary and high school students attend classes. The signs state that it is a felony to buy, sell or use drugs within a 1,000-foot zone of a school.
Officials knew they had a drug problem at the schools when they erected the signs. Before Police Chief Bill Mauldin and Blacksburg High Principal Jim Leigh got the first one erected three months ago, they encountered a group of teens smoking marijuana. The incident and recent drug arrests on campus caused officials to take a stand against drug abuse, Mauldin said.
Mauldin said officers have made more arrests on the high school campus this year than in the past. Three high school students were charged with distribution of marijuana last month. And four students were charged with possession of marijuana on campus in October.
Mauldin said he hopes awareness and education will reduce the number of drug-related arrests. Blacksburg police will host a drug forum March 6 at the high school. Parents are invited to attend and learn more about drug abuse and how to recognize its symptoms. Clergy and representatives of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse will be available to answer questions on how to recognize substance abuse and where to find help.

SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL (on-line version)
http://www.GoUpstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Posted on-line February 12, 1997

Parents Accuse Teacher of Assaulting Child

By Janet S. Spencer

The parents of an 11-year-old Blacksburg student allege a teacher assaulted their son, and they want an arrest warrant.
They met Tuesday with Judge Norris Camp, who denied their request until investigations by the Blacksburg police and school officials are complete.
The parents told police the incident happened Thursday at Blacksburg Elementary School, where the child is a fifth-grader. The parents complained to police that the child had abrasions on his legs and finger marks on his neck. The preliminary incident report showed the teacher touched the child, Camp said.
But police officers who also saw the child reported no visible injuries. The parents allege their son was made to sit in a chair that was too small for him, officials said. They also allege the teacher followed their son into a rest room, jerking him about and telling him to do what she said. "It's not my nature to give warrants because somebody wants one," Camp said. "If something happened, we'll follow this through to the end."
Camp said Police Chief Bill Mauldin told him he will interview several students, a student teacher and an adult who was in the room. Mauldin said the investigation may take more than a week.
Assistant School Superintendent Rick Dizbon confirmed Tuesday afternoon that principal Dr. Charles Byers is conducting an internal investigation at the school.