Informant wired shut by slipping transmitter during drug sting
A terrified informant was held in a house as a transmitting device went silent cutting off investigators. Mark Brown survived the ordeal and three men were arrested in a crack cocaine operation by Aiken Department of Public Safety. Shawn Hicks was tried in absentia on three counts from the February 25 1999 operation. Hicks was convicted on armed robbery kidnapping and distributing crack. Judge Thomas W Cooper sealed his sentence to be read if apprehended. Marion Johnson faces a conspiracy charge and James Hicks remains jailed on unrelated offenses. Witnesses said Brown bought drugs while linked to the transmitter and a scuffle followed a refused embrace.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mark Brown
Aiken Department of Public Safety
Shawn Hicks
Hicks
Thomas W. Cooper
Delta
Bill Weeks
Stromp Thurmond Jr
Weeks
Marion Johnson
James Hicks
Wayne Clark
Ted Umstead
Brown
Unstead
Umstead
Young bomb makers stay put
Three Aiken teenagers ages 13, 13, and 14 pleaded guilty to manufacturing and possessing a detonation device. They were ordered held at a state juvenile facility for 30 to 45 days with one boy to be placed on house arrest after 30 days. They will undergo mental health evaluation during confinement and then return to family court under juvenile offender statutes. The arrests followed gunfire reports near Odell Weeks Center after officers found the youths fleeing and with materials used to detonate six devices at the city recreation complex and after shoplifting from Wal Mart on Whiskey Road.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Aiken
Barbara Morgan
Aiken County
Aiken Department of Public Safety
Odell Weeks Center
Jeff Wilson
D. J. Flanders
Wal- Mart
Whiskey Road
First Baptist Church Rerests Bell in Aiken
First Baptist Church of Aiken completed restoration of its 1883 McNeely Corp bell weighing about 1100 pounds. The project aimed to improve the ringing mechanism, with work beginning in September 1999 after the bell tower was raised. The bell has stayed in its location since around 1975.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
First Baptist Church of
Aiken
McNeely Corp
Stan Smith
First Baptist Smith
Smith
Bob Cook
Savannah River
Cook
Aiken City Council shelves per diem plan
The Aiken City Council unanimously deleted an ordinance to pay a 30 per diem to members for events beyond duties. Councilman Pat Canning called the fee an unnecessary headache and preferred raising the mayor's pay. The move follows a May budget showing Mayor Fred Cavanaugh earning less than half the average of 10 SC municipalities. The staff noted the per diem could be seen as a salary increase and questioned defining legitimate events.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Aiken
Pat Canning
Canning
Fred Cavanaugh
South Carolina
Danning
Cavanaugh
Lessie Price
Cool cars and costly freon debates in Aiken County
Auto air conditioning pros report busy season in Aiken County as owners seek cooling. Jerry's Automotive notes high demand for all services while Honda Cars of Aiken warns about shift from R-12 to 134-A. Williamson's Auto Center cautions against backyard repairs risking system contamination.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Aiken County
Jerry Jordan Sr
Jerry
Automotive and Muffler Center
Brian Moon
Honda Cars of
Aiken
Ronnie Williamson
Williamson's
Auto Center
Also Mentioned on This Page
Alken
Rossword
Abby
George Chinn Blalock
Edgefield
G. L. Brighthorp & Sons
Joseph Oliver Feagin
Bath
I Cme
Harriett Skinner
Rotary Club
Coor
Wei
Fiat
Scott Webster
First Baptist Church
Aholley
Council
By Bill Bengtson
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!