Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

Police | Atlantic Beach Mayor says she wasn't drunk during arrest; takes independent test

Local

Atlantic Beach

Mayor says she wasn't drunk during arrest; takes independent test

The mayor of Atlantic Beach said an independent test proves her innocence on a drunken driving charge.

Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce says urine and hair tests done at a Sumter lab show she had no alcohol in her system when she was arrested last month. A State Law Enforcement Division urine test also showed no alcohol in Pierce's system when she was arrested Sept. 16.

Pierce faces charges in separate cases including resisting arrest, public disorderly conduct, hit and run and leaving the scene of an accident. Town officials want Gov. Mark Sanford to remove Pierce, but state law says the governor can only remove an elected municipal official after a grand jury indictment for a "crime involving moral turpitude."

Myrtle Beach

Independent film series continues

with a circus documentary

Carmike Cinemas' Independent Film Series resumed this weekend with showings of the circus documentary "Children of All Ages," which will play two more nights, Tuesday and Thursday.

Films in the series play at 7:10 and 9:40 p.m. on a Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, and tickets are $5.

Horry County

Birthday fundraiser planned for cancer-stricken Horry teenager

A fundraiser and birthday party is set for Nov. 14 at Inlet Adventure for a 15-year-old Horry County boy who is battling cancer.

Craig Topper was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in August and family and friends are hosting the event at Inlet Adventure, where mini golf, pony rides, a magician, go-cart rides and food will be available.

Admission is $5 for children over the age of 5 and $10 for adults. A raffle and auction also will be held and proceeds will be donated to the family to cover medical expenses.

For more information go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/alancraigtopper or to make a donation or learn more about the event call Grand Strand Baptist Church at 236-2233, Sheila Jessee at 340-5114 or Anita Brinsfield at 251-6032.

Police

Myrtle Beach

Man charged with drug possession after police find marijuana in court

A Myrtle Beach man was arrested for possession of marijuana after an officer screening people attending court found the drugs in his cigarette pack, according to the police report.

Bradford Curtis Britton, 30, of 2103 Withers Lane, was charged about 11 a.m. Wednesday when he was screened to enter Myrtle Beach's courtroom at the law enforcement center for bench trials, police said.

The officer conducting security screenings wrote in the report he found the marijuana in Britton's cigarette pack after it felt heavier than normal, according to the report.

Loris

45-year-old sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for child pornography

A 45-year-old Loris man was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

In 2008, federal agents were investigating a New York man suspected of trading child pornography and meeting in chat rooms seeking sex with adults and their children. The agents traced emails from the man's computer to Charles A. Hardee's home in Loris.

Two computers and a thumb drive were seized from Hardee's home containing numerous images of child pornography. Further investigation revealed that Hardee had traded child pornography with the New York subject, and had also entered computer chat rooms to locate mothers willing to allow their children to have sex with him.

United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten ordered that Hardee be supervised for three years upon his release from prison.

Conway

Knives seized after officers answer call;

men arguing refuse to press charges

Conway police seized two kitchen knives after someone called to report a man was chasing another man with a knife down Grainger Road, according to a police report.

Officers responded at 10:30 p.m. Thursday to Grainger Road near U.S. 378 after an anonymous call reported the incident, police said. When police arrived, they found six men in the area and determined two brothers were arguing over a bet made about a football game last week, according to the report.

Both men refused to press charges in the incident, but police found two knives in the edge of the woods at the location. Officers noted in the report there were four different stories from the men about what took place and who had the knives, according to the report.

One man was listed as being 17 and the age of the other man was not listed on the report, but both were from Conway.