West Columbia, SC 12/08/2023 - In preparation for the Greater CWC Chamber Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 9, 2023, the following roads and intersections will be closed at the following times (see attached map):   Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 11 AM 12th Street from G Ave to H Ave Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 5 PM 12th Street from Frink Street to Jarvis Klapman Blvd   The roads will open at the end of the parade. Drivers should expect delays in the above areas until at least 7 PM.

Lexington, SC 12/08/2023 - Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has identified the individual who died in a single vehicle collision on the 1100 block of Shore Road in the Gilbert area of Lexington County at approximately 1:50 P.M. on December 5, 2023. According to Coroner Fisher, Melvin Lin Chavis, 79, of Gilbert was traveling northbound on Shore Road when his vehicle traveled off the left side of the roadway striking a tree. Chavis, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries. The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate the incident.

Lexington, SC 12/08/2023 - Lt. Jonathan Brock, assistant commander of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department’s west patrol region, has graduated from the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.   “Jonathan’s completion of this premier law enforcement executive training program will benefit both his professional development and the Sheriff’s Department,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “The expertise and skills he acquired will help us continue to provide Lexington County residents with excellent law enforcement service.”   Koon said the FBI National Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime leadership and educational experience that less than 1 percent of the world’s law enforcement officers are able to attend.   “The National Academy gathers law enforcement leaders from around the world to learn and train together for 10 weeks, not only elevating their capabilities but also building relationships between agencies,” he said.   The program provides coursework in intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication and forensic science.   Brock joined the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in 2012. He was assigned the assistant command of the county’s west patrol region in 2021. He previously served in the narcotics unit before holding the position of patrol sergeant.

Lexington, SC 12/08/2023 - A Lexington County man and his son are accused of shooting a man to death Wednesday afternoon. Ryan Jordan Lindler Sr., 52, and Ryan Jordan Lindler Jr.. 26, are charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants. “Over the course of their investigation, which included interviews with both Lindlers and witnesses, detectives determined the elder Lindler told his son to shoot the victim,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “The shooting happened after the elder Lindler had taken a machete away from the victim, who was unarmed when he was shot and lived near the Lindlers on Seleta Cricle.” The shooting victim has been identified as Kevin Lester Newhouse, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. “This all started with the Lindlers confronting Newhouse about a trespassing incident they said happened just before at another address,” Koon said. “Before the three men fought, the Lindlers prevented Newhouse from going back into his house.” Both Lindlers were taken into custody Wednesday evening. They are being held in the Lexington County Detention Center after a magistrate judge denied them bond Thursday. Caption: Ryan J. Lindler Jr. Ryan J Lindler Sr.

West Columbia, SC 12/06/2023 (Paul Kirby) – A small mobile home in the 300 block of Taylor Street caught fire and was gutted Tuesday afternoon. The structure fire was approximately 50 percent involved when the first trucks from the West Columbia Fire Department arrived. The fire reported just after 3:00 p.m., Firefighters laid a large diameter hose from a nearby fire hydrant to supply the water necessary to extinguish the fire. Teams from both West Columbia and Lexington County attacked the fire and quickly brought it under control. According to Tim Spires, The Ledger’s reporter on the scene, there was no one in the home at the time of the fire. He did report that there were several family pets unaccounted for at the time that the fire was brought under control.

Cayce, SC 12/06/2023 - The Cayce Police Department announced a brand-new initiative Wednesday focused on the safety of our elderly and aging population in Cayce. C.A.S.E. , Cayce Assisting Seniors & Elderly, is geared toward serving and advocating for those in advanced years of life through actively engaging their minds, bodies, and spirits! The Cayce Police Department is launching the new program to reduce crime and protect the vulnerable population in our communities. Specifically, C.A.S.E. is being unveiled during the holidays as a reminder that it is this time of year when criminals often target our senior and elderly populations. https://www.moseleyfuneralservice.com/ C.A.S.E. will focus on these concepts: Through partnerships with our churches, service organizations and community leaders we will identify citizens who are part of our senior or elderly population that may need assistance. We will then check on them regularly to make sure they are being cared for, are not being victimized, and checking to see if they need any support. Through these partnerships, we will provide free training opportunities and connect our partners with important resources that will reinforce the support of our CASE program. Our initial priority is identifying and enrolling anyone that is elderly or aging that may need our support. Once citizens are enrolled, we will begin checking on them, connecting them with needed resources, and providing them with helpful crime prevention tips. Citizens can sign up for this FREE service by going to https://caycepd.com/case/ , filling out the online form, and then emailing it to chief@caycesc.gov or by calling 803-550-9549. “Crime prevention is everyone's responsibility, not just law enforcement. We encourage seniors to enroll and receive our help and learn how to use extra caution to avoid being a victim of crime. We hope you will share these tips with your neighbors and friends, so that our message is clear: we are working together as a community to keep criminals out of our Cayce neighborhoods!” stated Cayce Police Chief, Chris Cowan .

West Columbia, SD 12/06/2023 - Lexington Two students have been selected as participants in a number of prestigious musical groups and events. Among them: All-State Chorus: Landon Allison, Nemiah Carrie, Airport High School; Callie Grace Burgess, Brookland Cayce High School. Performance scheduled for March. American Choral Directors Association Honor Choir : Lucas Burr, Riley Myers, Quener Ramirez, Bradlynn Sturkie, Kalvin Valentine, all of Brookland Cayce High School. Performance scheduled for January. American Choral Directors Association Southern (Region) Honor Choir: Landon Allison, Nemiah Carrie, Allicen Caulder, all of Airport High School. Performance scheduled for February in Louisville, Kentucky. South Carolina Music Educators Association Central Region Choir: Ian Barnes, Lucy Barry, Emily Bochette, Tamia Bowman, Lucas Burr, Daniela Castaneda, Camila Costeno Rodriguez, McKenna Dodson, Raeleigh Hafer, Hayden Howell, Jada Jackson, Ginger Libbey, Riley Myers, Quener Ramirez, David Summers, Alexis Toller, Kalvin Valentine, Lauren Waters, Kamente Williams, Olivia Wright, all of Brookland-Cayce High School South Carolina Music Educators Association Middle School Region Choir: Mary-Ella Rogers, Jade Kitchen, Izabella Szcechowski, Parris Brown, Acey Shull, Isabella Rabon, Hannah Rabon, Shelby Straube, Madallyn Cribb, Melanie Alarcon, Myiah Sisson Hayes, Jade Holman, Scarlett Breton, Arianna LaRosa, Sade Hamilton, Jade Ramos, Emmanuel Jones, Austin Nash, all of Fulmer Middle School South Carolina Music Educators Association All-Region Orchestra: Avery McCree (violin), Kaitlyn Broome (violin), Brianna Harris (viola), Jose Pareja (bass), Zeal Shaheed (bass), Londyn Couch (violin), Josh Smith (violin), all of Airport High School; McKenzie Boatwright (violin), Mars Whitney (viola), Brookland-Cayce High School; Jenny Bui (violin), Edson Alarcon-Garcia (string bass), Busbee Creative Arts Academy USC Vocal Arts Seminar: Tirzah Graham, Bridget Panigua Ilagor, Landon Allison, all of Airport High School Lexington District 2 Vocal Performance Class: Ian Barnes, Lucy Barry, Callie Burgess, Lucas Burr, Riley Myers, Quener Ramirez, Lauren Waters, all of Brookland-Cayce High School Photo Caption: Busbee Creative Arts Academy students Jenny Bui (violin) and Edson Alarcon-Garcia (string bass) were among several Lexington Two students selected to the South Carolina Music Educators Association All-Region Orchestra. They are shown here with John Rogers, Busbee's director of orchestra and guitar.

Gilbert, SC 12/06/2023 (Paul Kirby) – One person is dead following a single vehicle collision on Shore Road approximately 10 miles north of the town of Gilbert off Hwy. 378. According to Master Trooper William Bennett of the SC Highway Patrol, the crash happened at approximately 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Bennett said there was only one vehicle involved. That was a 2023 Nissan SUV. The driver was its only occupant. Bennett said that the SUV was travelling on Shore Road when its driver lost control, went off the road, struck a ditch, a utility box, and then a tree before coming to a stop. Lexington County firefighters and ambulance personnel arrived on scene and found the driver in grave condition. That individual was placed in the ambulance and transported to Lexington Medical Center where they were pronounced dead. Coroner Margaret Fisher’s office has not yet released the identity of the victim. This collision is still being investigated by her office and the SC Highway Patrol.

West Columbia, SC 12/05/2023 – This Saturday is a day of community celebration in the Cayce and West Columbia where everyone can Love Local, Shop Local and Dine Local, all while celebrating the holiday season in numerous ways. Events Include: 12pm to 4pm: Parade Day – You can visit the North Pole, also known as the CWC Chamber office at 1006 12th St., Cayce and experience the enchantment of the North Pole with Family fun, along with live music, children’s fun activities and more. Throughout the day you can “Hop on and Hop Off the Holiday Parade Day Shuttle” that runs between Cayce and West Columbia with numerous stops that allow you to shop, dine and patronize the local businesses. {see map attached} 5:30pm: The Holiday Parade of Lights The highlight of the day unfolds as the streets come alive with the spectacular Holiday Parade of Lights, where last year over 21,000 people attended and watched the nighttime parade as the sun sets and the magic of the season comes to life with thousands and thousands of lights dressing up hundreds of floats, cars, and other parade vehicles. Come enjoy the season in Cayce and West Columbia.

Lexington, SC 12/05/2023 - The Town of Lexington’s new Mayor Hazel Livingston took the Oath of Office Monday along with three other council members during a swearing-in ceremony in Council Chambers. Livingston is the first female Mayor in the Town of Lexington’s history. She has served on Town Council since 1998 and in the role of Mayor Pro-Tem since 2004. “I’m excited to lead the Town in this new role and look forward to continue serving the people,” said Livingston. As Mayor she plans to work with Council and continue to focus on responsible growth, improving traffic and quality of life for all citizens. Three other Council Members also took the oath of office on Monday night. Todd Lyle was reelected to his position, which he has served in since 2018. The two new members of Council are Will Allen and Jeannie Michaels. Each were elected to four-year terms which will expire in November of 2027. Council also selected Ron Williams as Mayor Pro-Tem. Williams has served on Council since he was elected in 2014.

Lexington, SC 12/05/2023 (Paul Kirby) – William “Bill” Oswald, the former pastor at Dunn’s Chapel in South Congaree, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two minors over a period that exceeded 10 years. According to testimony from the now grown women, there were hundreds of instances when these assaults occurred. While at Dunns, Oswald was active in the community. He was the volunteer chaplain at the fire station in the town and was raising his family in the parsonage on the church grounds. These assaults happened during the period from 1996 to 2001 when Oswald was at Dunns. His crimes went undetected for many years. The victims only told their stories after becoming adults. South Congaree Police Chief Josh Shumpert and other members of his department investigated the crime. Because of his age, Oswald, who is now 62 years old, will most likely spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

West Columbia, SC 12/04/2023 - The start of regular season basketball play is big enough, but Fulmer Middle School’s boys’ team had an even bigger moment this week.
The Lexington Two team, coached by Fulmer teacher Brett Ebener, was invited to participate in an intersquad scrimmage during halftime of the University of South Carolina men’s basketball game against Notre Dame at Colonial Life Arena on November 28.
“Most of our players were nervous right before we took the court,” Ebener said. “However, once we got out there and started playing, the nerves went away, and the guys had so much fun. The crowd was electric each time we scored a basket. Even as we were leaving the court to walk back to our seats, the crowd cheered for them. It was an incredible moment that the team will remember for the rest of their lives.” The experience made a definite impression on his team, he added. “This amazing opportunity allowed my players to experience what it's like to play in front of 15,000 passionate fans. For half of the team, it was their first time going to a college basketball game,” Ebener said. “Not only were they inspired by watching college athletes play, but after the game they were able to meet some of South Carolina's players, and recruits. One of our guys told me as we were leaving that ‘one day they're going to build a statue of me next to A'ja Wilson.’ “This opportunity showed the team what could happen if they work hard on the court and in the classroom.”