Firefighters' welcome

As Kershaw County School District schools opened their doors to students Aug. 17, the Lugoff Fire Department (LFD) opened the doors to its fire trucks at two elementary schools early in the morning. An engine and ladder truck were sent from LFD headquarters to Wateree and Lugoff elementary schools as parents and buses brought students back to school on the nervous "first day." "It was such a blessing to see ...

Woman killed in I-20 accident

A Charlotte woman was killed in a collision Thursday evening on I-20 near mile marker 96 in Kershaw County.

Lugoff man dies in Calhoun County

A 48-year-old Lugoff man was killed in an accident in Calhoun County early Saturday morning. According to S.C. Department of Public Safety reports, the accident happened on S.C. 267 and the man was not wearing a seat belt. No more information was available at press time Sunday.

Friends of the KCSO

Camden Lugoff Elks Lodge No. 2603 -- represented by Ron Schermbeck (left), Darrell Sealey (second from left) and Bill Heil (right) -- presented Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews (second from right) with a $1,000 donation to the Kershaw County Sheriff's Foundation July 18. These funds were from a gratuity grant presented to the local lodge by the Grand Lodge for meeting the goal for donations to the Elks National Foundation. ...

Branham guilty of child rape

A jury found George Stanley Branham II, 41, guilty Thursday of raping a 7-year-old girl.

Sheriff: traffic fatalities down

Traffic fatalities in Kershaw County are down 63 percent, according to Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews.

Camden man sentenced in USC fraud case

A Camden man pleaded guilty Wednesday to breach of trust and forgery, which stemmed from his embezzlement while employed at the University of South Carolina (USC) in the Carolina Card Office.

Law Enforcement Report - Aug. 24, 2011

Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) deputies arrested a 22-year-old Camden man Aug. 15 after he allegedly threatened to shoot his girlfriend and her child at their Old Stagecoach Road home.

Rape trial starts away from jurors

The 7-year-old girl in the red short-sleeve shirt and pink pajama-style pants with polka dots sits down in the deep-cushioned seat and starts thumbing through a book. Her long brown bangs sway as she swings back and forth in the chair, politely -- and directly -- answering questions of the woman sitting across from her.

Bethune man killed when ATV strikes deer

An ATV driver, Jessie Darnell Reeves, 26, of Bethune, was killed in a crash early Sunday morning after swerving and crashing his ATV into a deer, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol. Troopers said the 2003 Suzuki ATV was traveling east toward SC 346.

Trial of accused child rapist starts today

A jury will be seated as the trial of an accused child rapist begins today in Camden.

Cassatt man held on child molestation charges

Kershaw County Sheriff's investigators have arrested Russell Wayne Redick, 53, of Cassatt, on multiple charges after it was determined that he repeatedly molested two young girls under the age of 11. Redick is charged with two counts each of lewd act on a minor, criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 11 years old and sexual exploitation of a minor (third degree).

Godbold-Nash Memorial Ride Saturday

The annual Godbold-Nash Memorial Ride will kick off Saturday at Camden Middle School (CMS). The ride honors S.C. Highway Patrol troopers H.M. Godbold and Jonathan Nash. Godbold died 19 years ago on U.S. 1 in Lugoff after his patrol car was struck by a drunk driver while responding to a call. Nash died in 2009 after his motorcycle was struck by a car on U.S. 1 near CMS while leading the ride that year.

Citizen officer

Camden native Gertrude Stoney (left) has graduated from the Richland County Sheriff Department's Citizens Academy. The Citizens Academy, led by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott (right), is designed to educate and keep communities informed. The Citizens Academy provides a forum for police and community interactions. Stoney was also initiated into the Phi Alpha Honor Society at the University of South Carolina, where she completed the Advanced Master of Social Work Program. The Phi Alpha ...

Copper theft law enacted

A new law that goes into effect today is meant to curb one of the fastest-rising forms of criminal activity: copper theft. Nearly every day, the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) files reports from property owners whose homes have been ripped of wiring or air conditioning units cut apart to get at copper parts.

Five stores cited for selling beer to minor

The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) cited five county businesses -- two each in Camden and Elgin and one in Lugoff -- for selling beer to underage individuals during an undercover operation Monday.

Woman killed in moped vs. truck collision

Third suspect arrested in March hit and run case

The S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) arrested a third suspect in an Elgin hit-and-run case from earlier this year.

Crime Report - May 22, 2013

The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) charged two men and a woman, all of Camden, with drug possession after placing their home under surveillance for several months.

Second arrest in fatal accident

A second arrest was made in the case of a fatal hit-and-run in Elgin on March 1. 26-year-old Jesus Corona Cabal, of Columbia, was charged with accessory after the fact for helping the driver involved in the hit and run "destroy" the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse that hit and killed Derk Lawrence Maricle of Lugoff, S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Brent Kelly said.