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Bamberg SC News

Nov 3, 2016

Polo 'resurrected' at Stono Ferry on Sunday after 10-year hiatus

Sunday, and one of just two women. Teams are split into four people each with players hailing from Aiken, Bamberg, Georgia, Chicago, New Zealand and France. Vann Flowers, a 47-year-old mother of two, started playing professionally when she was 36. She owns a polo club in Ravenel, Hyde Park Farm & Polo Club. Her grandfather owned the farm and left it to Vann Flowers and her brother when he died. Vann Flowers bought out her brother’s share, turned the farm into a polo club, went to school to learn how to sell timber and made enough money to start playing polo professionally. She now travels 2,000 miles a week to play the sport. Vann Flowers is on the cover of an upcoming book about Charleston’s 50 most interesting people. She maintains that polo flies under the radar when it comes to the most dangerous "extreme sports" that people traditionally think of.   “People get hurt and die playing polo more than any other sport in the world,” she said. “Your horses are 75 percent of your game and it can be very, very tricky. We play on a co-ed league, so these guys, it’s a contact sport. If you’re not touching somebody you’re not doing your job, and so a lot of people don’t know that. They think that it’s just riding around hitting a ball.” Between the eight players competing Sunday afternoon, there will be nearly 50 horses. Polo matches are divided into six chukkers, or periods. Each chukker lasts about 7½ minutes of playing time, which equates to about 20 minutes in real time. Players will have at least one horse for each chukker. The horses can’t physically handle much more than that. Because Vann Flowers competes so often, she might change out horses once every 3½ minutes, which means she could go through 15 horses over the course of the match Sunday. Polo also has no goalies. “It’s hard to find someone dumb enough to stand in the way of eight galloping horses,” Amigone said. Tickets for Sunday's match are $15 per person, with field tailgate spots running at $100. Vann Flowers said Charleston is the perfect place for a sport like polo to reintroduce itself. “Charleston is so historically bred for the sport. … I really think Charleston loves it, they want to see more of it and they want to know more about it.”  ... (Charleston Post Courier)

Feb 3, 2016

Grace Harter -- Ehrhardt

Sunday evening, Jan. 31, at Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Homes and Crematory, Ehrhardt-Bamberg Chapel, 2515 Lowcountry Highway, Ehrhardt (803-267-1971). Visit the online registry at www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com. (The Times and Democrat)

Feb 3, 2016

Former SC police officer who fatally shot Walter Scott released from jail

This is just another step in the criminal justice process, and the family believes at the end of the day that justice will prevail,” attorney Justin Bamberg told the Associated Press. [How a cellphone video led to murder charges against a cop in North Charleston, S.C.] One weekend in early April, Slager pulled Scott over during a routine traffic stop in North Charleston, and Scott took off on foot. Scott had a family court warrant out for his arrest, and he owed back child support, his family’s lawyer, Chris Stewart, said at the time. The video showed Scott and Slager making physical contact. Then Scott turned and started to run. Slager drew his weapon and fired eight shots toward Scott’s back — and Scott slumped and fell to the ground. Slager approached him, told him to put his hands behind his back and handcuffed him. Slager later grabbed something from the ground and dropped it near Scott’s body. A bystander recorded the shooting on a cellphone, and Slager, 34, was fired from the police force and charged with murder. Until this week, he was being held in solitary confinement at the Charleston County Detention Center, according to the Associated Press. Circuit Judge Clifton Newman had denied Slager’s bond request in September, saying his release would pose an “unreasonable danger to the community.” [South Carolina judge denies bond for former police officer who killed Walter Scott] At a hearing Monday, Slager’s attorney, Andy Savage, said the former officer has health problems — including celiac disease — and faced 11 more months behind bars before his trial, according to the AP. Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson argued that circumstances have not changed since September, when Slager was deemed a flight risk, and that releasing someone who feels unjustly accused is dangerous, according to the Post and Courier. “The defendant’s circumstances are very bleak,” she said, according to th...

Feb 3, 2016

Jack W. Steadman -- Bamberg

Mr. Jack W. Steadman, 88, of Bamberg, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at Trinity Methodist Church, Bamberg, with the Reverends Robert and Carroll Cannon officiating. The family will receive friends on Thursday at the church one hour prior to the service. Entombment will be private. The family has asked in lieu of flowers to make donations to Trinity Methodist Church, P.O. Box 335, Bamberg, SC 29003; or Grove Park Hospice, 1324 Grove Park NE, Orangeburg, SC. The family has requested no flowers. Born in Chester, he was a son of the late John Calhoun Steadman and Annie Mae Steadman and was married to the late Mary Ellen Herndon Steadman for 58 years. Jack was a U.S. Navy veteran who enjoyed working in the yard, reading, traveling and spending time with his family. Survivors include a daughter, Elaine Simpson; sons Wyn Steadman and Walt (Rhonda) Steadman; grandchildren Calli and Kyle Simpson, Robin Moton, Justin and Alexis Steadman; and great-gr... (The Times and Democrat)

Jan 8, 2016

Activists protest ex-officer's release from jail on bond

Scott's family is disappointed and "believes at the end of the day that justice will prevail," family attorney Justin Bamberg said shortly after Monday's ruling to release Slager. Slager had been in solitary confinement at the Charleston County Detention Center. Now, he will have to remain at an undisclosed location in South Carolina and must have no contact with the victim's family. Court documents show that Slager will be allowed to leave the residence to work at a job, though it was unclear Tuesday whether he had obtained a position or intended to do so. Slager also will be allowed to leave to attend church, visit the doctor or his attorneys, and attend court appearances. Otherwise, he must stay at the house. Slager faces 30 years to life without parole if convicted of murder. During an hourlong hearing Monday, Savage told Judge Clifton Newman that he was prepared to go to court this spring and that his client should be granted a speedy trial. But prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said the state would not be ready until November. She also is prosecuting Dylann Roof, the white man charged with murder in the killings of nine black parishioners at a Charleston church. That trial is set to begin in July, and the state Supreme Court has issued an order protecting Wilson from trying other cases before that one. Savage renewed his request for bond after Newman rejected an initial bond request last September. The judge said at the time that Slager posed a threat to the community. Savage said Monday that Slager has health problems and faced another 11 months in jail before even going to trial. Scott's father, also named Walter, told the judge he often goes to the cemetery to visit his son's grave, which is adorned with flowers. "If we let him out, he's going to go home to see his wife and children. All I can look at is a pot of flowers," Scott said. Slager told the judge, "I hope you allow me reasonable bond to work on my case." Newman conceded that "these are excruciating issues for the court to deal with" and said he was troubled that the trial is delayed because of the order in the Roof case. Joe Savitz, a criminal defense attorney in Columbi... (WTHR)

Jan 8, 2016

Family unhappy, but ex-officer's attorney gratified by bond

Scott's family is disappointed and "believes at the end of the day that justice will prevail," family attorney Justin Bamberg said shortly after Monday's ruling to release Slager. Slager had been in solitary confinement at the Charleston County Detention Center. Now, he will have to remain at an undisclosed location in South Carolina and must have no contact with the victim's family. Court documents show that Slager will be allowed to leave the residence to work at a job, though it was unclear Tuesday whether he had obtained a position or intended to do so. Slager also will be allowed to leave to attend church, visit the doctor or his attorneys, and attend court appearances. Otherwise, he must stay at the house. Slager faces 30 years to life without parole if convicted of murder. During an hourlong hearing Monday, Savage told Judge Clifton Newman that he was prepared to go to court this spring and that his client should be granted a speedy trial. But prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said the state would not be ready until November. She also is prosecuting Dylann Roof, the white man charged with murder in the killings of nine black parishioners at a Charleston church. That trial is set to begin in July, and the state Supreme Court has issued an order protecting Wilson from trying other cases before that one. Savage renewed his request for bond after Newman rejected an initial bond request last September. The judge said at the time that Slager posed a threat to the community. Savage said Monday that Slager has health problems and faced another 11 months in jail before even going to trial. Scott's father, also named Walter, told the judge he often goes to the cemetery to visit his son's grave, which is adorned with flowers. "If we let him out, he's going to go home to see his wife and children. All I can look at is a pot of flowers," Scott said. Slager told the judge, "I hope you allow me reasonable bond to work on my case." Newman conceded that "these are excruciating issues for the court to deal with" and said he was troubled that the trial is delayed because of the order in the Roof case. Joe Savitz, a criminal defense attorney in Colu... (Yakima Herald-Republic)