Memorial services for Drayton  Wayne  Sheppard 2025 at First Baptist Church of Batesburg with Rev The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Batesburg Historic Batesburg-Leesville Chapel is in charge of arrangements he was a son of the late Robert Lewis and Donnelle Taylor Sheppard He was a member of First Baptist Church of Batesburg owner and operator of Sheppard’s Construction Leslie Sheppard (Brenda) and Alan Sheppard (Cathy); grandchildren The South Carolina State Ethics Commission determined that Lancer Shull acted in his own interest when he reappointed himself to the Lexington Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission BATESBURG-LEESVILLE — The town's mayor has been fined $1,300 for violating the state ethics act Lancer Shull also received a public reprimand from the state Ethics Commission Shull had faced three counts each of attempting to influence a governmental decision in which the respondent had an economic interest as well as failure to recuse from a governmental decision in which the respondent had an economic interest He was ordered to pay a penalty of $50 per count and a $1,000 administrative fee The commission heard the case on Feb. 20 The discussion centered around Shull’s acceptance of a $250 monthly per diem for serving on the Lexington Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission Shull was appointed to the commission in 2018 just months after he was elected mayor of the town the Batesburg-Leesville Town Council voted to remove him from the commission and appointed Council member Stephen Cain to fill the vacancy After the meeting, Shull pressured two new councilmembers — Cynthia Etheredge and Bob Hall — to reverse their vote, according to the ethics complaint filed by Councilwoman Shirley Etheredge Mitchell Etheredge and Hall followed through at a special meeting a week later with council voting to reinstate Shull and remove Cain Shull did not recuse himself at any of the meetings Shull continued to receive the $250 allowance Shull does not receive a salary but is offered a monthly stipend to cover expenses incurred while acting on behalf of the commission Shull went to 46 commission meetings and received $3,000 each year Each commission member receives a $250 check each month Commission members are not required to document their expenses in order to receive the check according to hearing testimony by the commission's CEO and general manager There is no log documenting mileage or expenses Asked to comment on the ethics commission's ruling Shull told The Post and Courier in a text message: "No comment as I'm considering my options." If Shull does not pay the $1,300 fine within 60 days the penalty will increase to $2,000 per count April covers Lexington County at the Post and Courier. The best way to reach her is at asantana@postandcourier.com News tips: znicholson@postandcourier.com Subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: (WACH) — A United States District Judge has sentenced Julia Renae Mullinax of Batesburg-Leesville to 13 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Evidence shows Mullinax participated in a wire fraud conspiracy to defraud Lowe’s Home Improvement by purchasing items on the commercial credit accounts of local businesses while posing as the authorized representative of those accounts According to authorities Mullinax and others carried out this fraudulent scheme at multiple Lowe’s stores in South Carolina and other states in the southeast from 2023 to 2024 Mullinax has also been ordered to pay Lowe's $47,234.10 in restitution with a three-year term of court-ordered supervision BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WOLO)– Officers with the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department are asking for help identifying the person or vehicle that is connected to an alleged shoplifting incident (WACH) — The elderly woman the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department was looking for on Tuesday has been found dead was found dead by authorities on Tuesday afternoon Authorities say there are no obvious signs of foul play at this time The Batesburg-Leesville Police Department is working with SLED and the Saluda County Coroner’s Office on the investigation She was last seen at 734 Humphrey Street on Monday at 9:00 p.m She went missing early on Tuesday around 4:30 a.m. Henderson has dementia and other serious medical conditions There is no description of her clothing or any vehicle associated with her Anyone with information about her should contact the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department at (803) 532-4408 Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBATESBURG-LEESVILLE (WRDW/WAGT) - A missing 15-year-old girl has been found safely according to the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department The coroner’s office has identified them as 52-year-old Kimberly Waters Leon Police say 15-year-old Rosio Trujillo has been located safely and is in the process of returning home to her family when she left Batesburg-Leesville High School around 8 a.m Strom Thurmond quarterback Bri'Shaun Lee (3) is sacked and fumbles during the Rebels' 8-7 loss to Batesburg-Leesville JOHNSTON -- Andrew Webb was playing for a region championship Not just a win Friday night over top-ranked and undefeated Batesburg-Leesville; the Strom Thurmond head football coach knew his Rebels had to win by enough to not just get into a three-way tie for first place but to stand above both their opponent Friday night and fellow rival Saluda The Strom Thurmond defense had kept a Batesburg-Leesville team averaging 42.2 points per game off the scoreboard altogether and the offense put a touchdown on the board against a defense allowing exactly that per game through its first nine this season up 7-0 and facing a fourth down at their own 15-yard line with 4:05 left in the game Webb knew the Rebels were going to have to keep a drive going to get into the end zone again to achieve that margin The direct snap to Josh Merriweather was stuffed at the line of scrimmage whose explosive offense had been held in check all night Then the Rebels jumped offside on the extra point cutting the distance in half and sending the offense right back onto the field for a successful two-point conversion The Rebels drove down the field to set up a 34-yard field goal attempt for Orlando Rivera at the horn but missed wide left in a heartbreaking 8-7 loss in the regular-season finale the Rebels would have finished third in the region based on point differential in games played between the three teams tied at the top We were playing to win the conference championship," he said up 7-0 on your own 10-yard line is not smart to win a football game But we were trying to win the conference championship and we were trying to keep that drive alive we're in the exact same spot so we took our shot and we didn't hit it The only reason we put our defense in a bad spot right there at the end of the game was me You're playing to win the conference championship That ain't going to change.' When I lay my head down but probably the reason that we lost was a decision that I made It was a stunning end to what had been another hard-fought game between two long-time rivals 3-2) had the upper hand in a battle of tempos controlling the clock for nearly two thirds of the game to keep Batesburg-Leesville's (10-0 but also turned the ball over three times and had too many empty possessions on offense to build a more substantial lead The first breakthrough for either offense came when Deonte Phillips rushed for a 43-yard burst on third down to reach the Panthers' 10-yard line Kaden Wigfall crashed in from the 3 a couple of snaps later putting the Rebels ahead 7-0 with 3:36 left in the third quarter That alone was more than what five shutout victims had accomplished against Batesburg-Leesville The Rebels were just outside of the red zone on their first drive of the game before turning it over and another time-consuming drive ended with an interception at the Panthers' 30 A methodical offensive attack limited Batesburg-Leesville to only 17 plays in the first half "Just a little bit more execution," Webb said "I told those boys in that locker room that we're not as far from the mountaintop as some people might think The difference between winning and losing is the little things We had almost a nine-minute drive to start the game It ain't getting this person - it's just do your job and execute and we're not doing it well enough to win yet." Both teams continued to grind it out in the second half and the Strom Thurmond defense got into a groove to force a 4th-and-34 that led to a punt that gave the Rebels the ball at the Panthers' 49 near the end of the third quarter The Batesburg-Leesville defense had an answer forcing the Rebels into a 4th-and-6 from the Panthers' 21 Bri'Shaun Lee's pass into the end zone for Jay Sewell fell incomplete but a promising Batesburg-Leesville drive stalled when a Panthers lineman shoved a Rebel off a pile at the end of a play to add 15 yards to a third-and-2 The Panthers punted it down to the 9-yard line setting up what looked like would be a punt in the opposite direction - until the fake The Rebels found themselves in even more of a bind when the kickoff following the Panthers' touchdown was bobbled and booted out of bounds at their own 2 Yet they drove down the Batesburg-Leesville 14 with 38 seconds left and after recovering their own fumble at the 17 with two seconds left they called timeout setting off a wild celebration on the visitors' sideline upon wrapping up an undefeated regular season It was a disappointing finish for the Rebels but Webb reiterated that it wasn't that kick that cost them the game "You're in your favorite spot on the field We kept it on the left hash for him," he said "We didn't want to take it off of the left hash The most important thing that he has to learn is that a lot of people that all they remember is that play - that one play ain't what lost us the game We made mistakes prior to that to put us in that situation." 3 seed from Region 2-AA and will open the Class AA playoffs next Friday at Region 3-AA runner-up Chester We're going to have to strap it up and go," Webb said We're going to go and correct these mistakes the same way we would if we had made that kick and won the game We're going to work our tails off to do that next week." Under the lights and before a packed crowd Batesburg-Leesville and Saluda faced off in a high-stakes matchup with major playoff implications the energy was electric as both teams fought with determination and urgency with both staffs executing at a high level—pounding the strike zone and strong defensive performances on both sides kept the game tight throughout Underclassmen stepped up in critical moments while seasoned arms showcased poise and leadership under pressure Batesburg-Leesville’s resilience and execution proved decisive as they secured the victory and captured the region championship Check out the notes and video highlights below for a full breakdown of the standout performances from this memorable night Braydon Hallman, 2026, RHP/SS, Batesburg-Leesville projectable frame with some present strength in lower at 6-2 190-pounds more room to fill out for the right-handed hitter hands between shoulder and ear level with a diagonal back elbow Good sink into back hip with a well-timed toe tap load quick hands in zone with a downward path that finds good contact points Shows the ability to decelerate barrel after footstrike and work backside and can also tap into some power sending a deep lineout to LF in an earlier AB Good chance there’s more pop in the tank Good repeatable mechanics with good lower half mobility FB was up to 83 (80-83) that regularly got late swings up in zone but ran into some trouble with base hits when locating middle-middle Also snapped off a pretty CB with depth and sweep at 68-69 from same slot Good all-around ballplayer that impacts multiple facets.  2026 SS/RHP Braydon Hallman @baseball_bl Battled some baserunners early but finished strong, 8 Ks in a CG.Repeats arm path well from a high slot. Worked the FB up to 83 creating strong backspin. Big depth on CB at 68-69. Solid arm. #PBSCisThere pic.twitter.com/H85ZbbxItz 2026 SS/RHP Braydon Hallman @baseball_bl Another HHB for the Junior to drive in a run. Good hands speed with a flat path in zone. Good looking player. #PBSCisThere pic.twitter.com/lCYtQKRKIX This article is only available to PBRPlus Subscribers If you wish to continue reading this article:           BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WOLO)– Batesburg-Leesville Police Department says 82-year-old Edwinton K. Henderson was found deceased The police department is working with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Saluda County Coroner’s Office to investigate officers say there is no obvious signs of foul play READ MORE: Saluda Co. Coroner identifies 82-year-old woman who was found deceased Police with the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department is asking for the public’s help finding a woman who was discovered as missing (WOLO)– Police with the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department is asking for the public’s help finding a woman who was discovered as missing Officers said 82-year-old Edwinton K. Henderson was last seen at 734 Humphrey Street on Monday Henderson was discovered missing on Tuesday She is believed to suffer from dementia and other serious medical issues Additionally investigators said Henderson has a history of walking away from the home She is 5’5″ and weighs 160 pounds Anyone who has seen or knows of her whereabouts is asked to contact the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department at 803-532-4408 (WOLO)– Officers with the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department say the 15-year-old has been found Officers said 15-year-old Rosio Trujillo was last seen leaving Batesburg-Leesville High School on Monday (Photo: Batesburg-Leesville Police Department) (WOLO)– Officers with the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department are requesting public help finding a teen last seen leaving school Trujillo was reported as missing after failing to return home or to school The teen is 4’10” and weighs around 90 pounds Anyone who has seen her or knows where she might be is asked to contact the police department at 803-532-4408 BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WOLO)– The Batesburg-Leesville Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying someone accused of motor vehicle theft Investigators said the incident happened on Monday Shaquezius Leevontae Dennis is accused of distributing files of child sexual abuse material (Photo: Lexington County Sheriff’s Department) (WOLO)– South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the arrest of a 19-year-old Batesburg-Leesville man in connection with sexual exploitation of minors Investigators say a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to Shaquezius Leevontae Dennis investigators state Dennis distributed files of child sexual abuse material.   Dennis is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor second degree which is a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment (WIS) - Nearly 10,000 residents continue to be without power in Lexington County nearly a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm The Batesburg-Leesville area makes up nearly 20% of those outages Community members have come together to provide meals at the Depot Park for those who need them Town officials said Batesburg-Leesville is doing well after Hurricane Helene ripped through their town -- but many residents are still struggling with a lack of power While water was never lost for those within certain town limits many in more rural areas have neither water nor power Interim Town Administrator Jay Hendrix said more than 20 homes were damaged by fallen trees and nearly 100 roads were impassable He also said Dominion Energy crews from surrounding states have been assisting in this region power restoration is anticipated to be completed for Lexington County by Thursday “The bigger challenge is with losing power everything except electricity has been at least functional,” said Hendrix William Philbeck has lived in town for decades and said the damage Helene left behind is worse than then that of Hurricane Hugo back in 1989 Charging Stations are up and running at both Town Hall and Depot Park Town Hall will close at 5pm and Depot Park at.. The town has been offering lunch and dinner for those who need it since Saturday at the Depot Park Local businesses and restaurants have donated resources made food Hendrix said the town’s the local Walmart didn’t get power back until Sunday and the two gas stations close to town hall ran out of gas quickly because of the line of cars Philbeck tells me this hurricane left Batesburg-Leesville worse than anything he’s ever seen “I hope we get our electricity for one thing He said he’s been out of work for about 6 days now Hendrix said the Depot plans to provide what it can for residents until power is restored Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here Serving as active pallbearers will be John Earl Gantt Honorary pallbearers will be the Hulon Baptist Church Men’s Ministry at Barr-Price Funeral Home and Crematorium memorials may be made to Hulon Baptist Church Children’s Playground Fund also known as “Cowboy” passed away Wednesday owner and operator of Miller’s Lawn Care for over 40 years and retired from Shealy’s BBQ with over 40 years He and his wife enjoyed traveling to all 50 states and numerous foreign countries He was known as “Cowboy” on his many trips where he met with many country music artists backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville WC was a man of humble beginnings with limited education who never met a stranger Penny Dietz and Wendy Green (Travis); siblings III (Paula) and Diane Shull (Haskell); grandchildren SC (WOLO)– The Mayor of Batesburg-Leesville is facing an ethics complaint after authorities at the State Ethics Commission say he pushed to close the town water plant and buy water from Lexington County’s Joint Water and Sewer Commission Investigators claim Mayor Lancer Shull even pushed to get back onto the water commission after the Batesburg-Leesville Town Council voted to remove him from the body Shull says he expects to be cleared of any wrong-doing Tillman Gives explains where Twin-City High School a mid-century segregated school that burned down in the '70s was situated in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Batesburg-Leesville Batesburg-Leesville Councilman Steve Cain is helping lead efforts to build a charter school on the site of the town's former segregated high school Mickey Guyton presents the Equal Play award at the CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday A rendering of the Linda Martell Twin City Collegiate Academy for Music Arts & Sciences a proposed charter school in Batesburg-Leesville A rendering of the auditorium for the Linda Martell Twin City Collegiate Academy for Music Arts & Sciences an alumni of the segregated Twin City High School is spearheading efforts to build the Linda Martell Twin City Collegiate Academy for Music Arts & Sciences a proposed charter school in Batesburg-Leesville on the school's former site A community park stands on the former site of Twin City High School the segregated school in Batesburg-Leesville where Linda Martell attended as a youth at the CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday Before she made history as a Black woman in country music Linda Martell attended a segregated high school in Batesburg-Leesville Her classmates want to honor the trailblazing singer by building a charter school on the very site they attended classes BATESBURG-LEESVILLE — Before she became Linda Martell — the boundary-shattering country singer who was the first Black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry — she was Thelma Bynem the now-84-year-old attended Twin-City High the segregated school for Black students in the rural Lexington County town Tillman Gives remembers the talent shows the school and adjacent Sugar Hill community would put on and how Martell and her siblings would wow the crowd with their musical talents And when I left in 1962 and I heard of her success … can you imagine how proud you are?” Gives recalled “Because no one from our school had ever seen that kind of notoriety.” Gives’ memories of Martell and the Twin-City High School haven’t diminished over the decades He and the alumni association he heads still hold tight to the memories of the school and the community it anchored Memories frayed by the decades and haunted by several acts of arson that eventually destroyed the building in 1977 according to a report from the Columbia Record at that time Sugar Hill has declined in the decades without the school Houses with trimmed yards sit beside crumbing structures and overgrown lots A cemetery sits across the street from the sloping property Twin-City once sat on “That's what brought us together … the school In an effort to revitalize that community and honor Martell’s trailblazing legacy Gives and the Twin-City High alumni association are embarking on an ambitious project on the school’s site The goal is to establish The Linda Martell Twin City Collegiate Academy for Music Arts & Sciences a charter school that would serve about 120 students along with Batesburg-Leesville Councilman Steve Cain are looking to raise $25 million for the facility including a state-of-the-art performance hall on the same plot of land where Twin-City educated decades of Black students and to reconnect Batesburg-Leesville with its Black history “Our children need to understand where they came from,” Gives said Born in 1941 in the Devil's Backbone area of Leesville Martell rose to prominence as a country singer in the late '60s with her album "Color Me Country," which featured charting hit "Color Me Father." She toured the country and performed at the Opry several times returning home to Batesburg-Leesville to focus on raising her family Multiple requests for comment from family representatives of Martell were not returned In the decades between her Nashville career and returning to the national spotlight with features on Beyonce Knowles-Carter's 2024 album "COWBOY CARTER," Martell worked for the public school district in her hometown substituted and worked as an aide in special education classrooms “She loved being with the kids,” said Cain who helped organize “Linda Martell Day” last summer with the Lexington 3 School District The group behind the proposed charter school — which was filed for intent under Voorhees University’s newly established charter activation program — wants the school to combine Martell’s love of music and children said the group plans to include a museum about Twin City High and Martell’s career in the school “These kids don’t know these stories,” Cain said “And they should … if you don’t know where you came from more than 60 percent of students failed to meet English/Language Arts standards according to the school’s State Report Card language proficiency for non-native English speakers fell well below the state’s average Cain wants the proposed charter school and public school district to work together on how to boost test scores and student involvement beyond the classroom though he admitted there have been no formal discussions yet “We’re hoping there’s more collaboration and this gives a little more energy,” he said They also want it to breathe new life into the town of 5,300 people using the arts to galvanize community engagement the way Gives and his classmates remember it during the days of Twin-City High and what we would like to do is create a school that could be an institution of learning and of caring and of activities that will benefit this community and the wider community,” Gives said The property is owned by the alumni association which purchased it in February 2024 from Batesburg-Leesville's city council It currently operates as a community park with shelters The 10-acre property is all but a blank slate The $25 million fundraising goal is “modest” for what the project entails “So it's not going to overpower the current school district,” Cain explained “It's all going to be complementary relationship.” And he’s hoping the renewed interest in Martell’s career after "COWBOY CARTER's" international success will spark donations from national sources including Knowles-Carter; the Country Music Academy; and Jay Z's entertainment group Cain has filed the school’s intent to charter with Voorhees and the state, and brought on national firm Moseley Architects, SC-headquartered Roebuck Buildings and BHS Consulting Firm to help design the 120-student facility The coming months will be focused on fundraising The alumni association is hosting a Grammy watch party Feb which is in the midst of its own multimillion-dollar restoration campaign “SPAGHETTI” is nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance “COWBOY CARTER” earned 11 nominations overall to update information about an adjacent property to the proposed school site Zoe is the Senior Features Editor of The Post and Courier and Free Times. Reach her at znicholson@free-times.com or on X @zoenicholson_ The mayor of Batesburg-Leesville is being investigated on allegations of ethics violations “What he did has weakened the town,” said one councilmember BATESBURG-LEESVILLE — The mayor of Batesburg-Leesville is being investigated on allegations of ethics violations after town councilmembers said he acted in his own interest when he led an effort to outsource the town's drinking water supply to another city The mayor, Lancer Shull, will appear before the S.C. State Ethics Commission office in Columbia on Feb He did not respond to a request for comment on Feb but has denied any wrongdoing in his response to the complaint Shull is in his second term as mayor of the small town that sits in both Lexington and Saluda counties. He also serves as a member of the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission which supplies water to several communities within Lexington County the Batesburg-Leesville council voted 5-4 to remove Shull from the water and sewer commission Shull is required to recuse himself from voting on town matters involving the commission but he insisted on casting a vote against his removal councilmember Stephen Cain was appointed to the commission Shull was "so angry and distraught that he pressured" two new councilmembers — Cynthia Etheredge and Bob Hall — to reverse their vote according to the ethics complaint filed by councilwoman Shirley Etheredge Mitchell There are eight members on the town council Etheredge and Hall followed through at a "hastily scheduled" special meeting on Jan where the council voted to reinstate Shull and remove Cain a national water management firm with an office in Columbia and advocated "for decommissioning our water plant," the September 2021 complaint reads Even though Batesburg-Leesville has a water plant that serves the town's roughly 5,300 residents Shull and five members of the council voted 6-0 on March 9 to close the plant and buy water from the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission a $20 million contract that could have been used to improve the town's water facility was instead "steered" to Hazen and Sawyer and the commission There was no bidding process for the contract Shull does not receive a salary from the water and sewer commission but is allowed a monthly reimbursement of up to $250 for expenses incurred while acting on behalf of the commission The project connecting Batesburg-Leesville to the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission's water supply is expected to be completed by early 2026 In an interview with The Post and Courier, councilmember Cain said the mayor's decision to close the plant and outsource the town's water supply doesn't make sense. The revenue that was coming into the town from the plant will be lost once Batesburg-Leesville starts buying water from the commission “What he did has weakened the town,” Cain said The town's plant was built in the early '60s and it outsources water to the nearby community of Ridge Spring Mitchell said it's clear that Shull acted in his own political and financial interest “A lay observer could easily reason that this arrangement disadvantages Batesburg-Leesville and favors Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission and others,” she said Shull faces three counts each of two ethics violations: attempting to influence a governmental decision in which the respondent had an economic interest Shull denied all of the accusations in a response to the complaint BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WOLO)– Batesburg-Leesville Police officers are asking for assistance identifying a person or vehicle that is connected to an alleged shoplifting incident contact the department at 803-532-4408 or by email at investigations@batesburg-leesville.org Batesburg-Leesville Mayor Lancer Shull (far right) appears at a South Carolina State Ethics Commission hearing in Columbia on Feb “I would have done it for free,” Batesburg-Leesville Mayor Lancer Shull told the South Carolina State Ethics Commission COLUMBIA — The mayor of Batesburg-Leesville said he did nothing wrong when he reappointed himself to the Lexington Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission after being voted off the board in 2020 The mayor, Lancer Shull, appeared before the South Carolina State Ethics Commission on Feb 20 on allegations he acted in his own interest when he made the decision Much of the hearing centered around the monthly $250 per diem that Shull receives as a member of the commission Shull said his vote to rejoin the group had nothing to do with money and that he no longer takes the per diem “I would have done it for free,” Shull said during the hearing He received the per diem from 2018 to 2023 In 2020, Batesburg-Leesville town council voted to remove him from the Lexington Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission and appoint Councilmember Stephen Cain Shull led an effort to decommission the town's water plant and instead buy drinking water from the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission Some councilmembers were upset with a $20 million contract that was awarded to the commission saying the money should have been invested in the town's water plant instead of new infrastructure to deliver water from an outside source That issue did not come up at the hearing on Feb but Shull was questioned over the $250 monthly stipend Shull does not receive a salary but is offered the monthly stipend to cover expenses incurred while acting on behalf of the commission regardless of whether members actually meet or rack up less than $250 in monthly expenses State Ethics Commissioner Brandolyn Thomas Pinkston took issue with that that sounds like an economic interest to me,” she said Shull said during the hearing that it wasn't his decision to be paid the monthly per diem argued that his client didn't violate state ethics law Davis said that Shull's vote to rejoin the commission did not involve any "property or services" to his benefit The ethics commission will issue a decision in the case in the next few weeks Shull has served as mayor of Batesburg-Leesville since 2017 He faces three counts each of two ethics violations: attempting to influence a governmental decision in which the respondent had an economic interest Shull could face a fine of up to $2,000 for each count Town of Batesburg-Leesville(Photo: Town of Batesburg-Leesville Facebook) (WOLO)– The Town of Batesburg-Leesville is holding a Concert in the Park event on Saturday the event will be held at Leesville College park between 7 p.m so people can take their lawn chairs and enjoy music (WACH) — A middle school teacher from the Midlands has been selected as one of five finalists for South Carolina's Teacher of the Year award Corey Bedenbaugh, an 8th-grade teacher at Batesburg-Leesville Middle School was awarded $10,000 on Wednesday following an announcement by State Superintendent Ellen Weaver Bedenbaugh has been with Lexington School District Three for six years and was named the district's Teacher of the Year in 2024 Previously, he received the Teacher of the Year award at his former school, Pelion Middle, in 2017. Bedenbaugh was joined by faculty and students as he accepted his nomination and the cash prize. We will have more for you on this story in the news at 5 p.m. Cayce / West Columbia, Springdale, South Congaree, Pine Ridge, Three Fountains, Boiling Springs, Gaston, Swansea, Pelion, Sharpe's Hill, Mack Edisto, Edmund, Fairview, Samaria, Batesburg-Leesville, The Ridge, Hollow Creek, Summit, Gilbert, Lexington, Oak Grove, Red Bank/White Knoll, Chapin, Irmo and Lake Murray! Customers began receiving information on how to participate in March. Installations in homes will begin in April and continue through May. Dominion Energy representatives will complete installations at no cost.  Click on this ad to learn more about our products and service“The Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program offers tools and education that can make a real difference in customers’ daily energy usage,” said Derek McDaniel “Our goal is to help customers more efficiently conserve energy and reduce their home utility bills.” Energy-saving products available to program-eligible residential customers include the following: Electric water heater wraps and pipe insulation Door sweeps and weatherstripping for doors and windows NEEP has helped Dominion Energy customers across the state reduce electricity usage through direct-install improvements and energy education customers have saved enough electricity to power approximately 92,000 homes for a year Dominion Energy offers a comprehensive portfolio of EnergyWise programs that work together to increase overall energy efficiency and reduce energy usage. For more information about these programs, visit DominionEnergy.com/Savings or call toll-free at 877-510-7234                                                                                       DBA: The Lexington Ledger Contact: (803) 587-3144                                                                                                           Tips call the hotline at: (803) 587-3144 email: thelexingtonledger@gmail.com                                                                                      Content protected by US copyright laws © 2023 by "This Just In". Proudly created with Wix.com “It’s always hard to lose in the playoffs especially when you haven’t lost all year,” said Lawson who just completed his third season in charge “You’ve got to be very proud of all of the things we accomplished this season Batesburg-Leesville had several players have tremendous seasons and they were recognized as Those six were joined by four other teammates on the All-Region 2=AA team Watkins was selected as the Region 2 Player of the Year He also rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 80 carries Watkins finished his career with 3,354 yards and 34 touchdowns Wooden was selected as the Region Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,138 yards and Sawyer was selected as the Region Defensive Player of the Year and was also chosen to play in and three quarterback sacks going into the playoffs Clark was B-L’s leading receiver with 31 catches for 623 yards and eight touchdowns and also had three interceptions playing in the secondary Whitt was a threat whenever the ball was in his hands He had 27 catches for 475 yards and 10 touchdowns carried the ball 12 times for 13 yards and four TDs returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and one punt for a touchdown Burkett had 77 tackles and eight tackles for loss entering the postseason two sacls and five TFLs and Springs had 49 tackles All Rights Reserved | The High School Sports Report 1986-2021 Visitation and viewing will be held Wednesday memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society Historic Batesburg-Leesville Chapel is assisting the family with funeral arrangements New York to the late Mary Ann Hunter Staton Richard was a graduate of Twin-City High School Class of 1970 and was a member of Olive Branch Baptist Church where he served as a Trustee He worked many years at Lexington Extended Care and Amick Farms before his illness Anyone that knew Richard knows that he was a huge sports fanatic……a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan A man of few words but was affectionately known to many as the man with the saying “So What?” SC and Arromus Harris (Sonya) of Batesburg-Leesville and  Xayleigh Perry; a special devoted companion Elizabeth Ann Hunter; and a host of nieces He was predeceased by his mother; and sisters Leesville—Funeral service for Barbara Swygert Padgett James Lutheran Church – Summit with the Rev Burial will follow at Lexington Memorial Cemetery The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the sanctuary and was a clerk for Lexington County with 28 years of service and Mitzi Oswald; 4 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren She was predeceased by her first husband G Dunan Waters and second husband Carl Ray Padgett SA "Red" Williamson of Batesburg and Sophie Williamson Moffatt of Rock Hill he departed this earthly life at Lexington Medical Center Red/Sammie was the name given to him by family and friends He was a member of Saint Mark Missionary Baptist Church  Red attended York County Public Schools and later moved to Brooklyn NY where he became a cook at Howard Johnson Queens for over 35 years He retired from Lexington County Waste Management in 2010 his favorite hobby was talking on his CB to all his buddies from around the world He leaves to cherish fond memories his wife Willie Mae Hope and Verna McNeal (William) SC; 16 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren to include his special "Beautiful Eyes" He was preceded in death by his brother and sisters Ruby Morgan and Juanita Hall; two daughters Funeral service will be conducted at 12:00 p.m 2024 at Barr-Price Funeral Home and Crematorium The visitation will be held one hour prior to the service