More than 700 awards were presented on March 5, 2011, at the SCPA Weekly Newspaper Awards Luncheon. Here is the presenation of winners.

1. MONTGOMERY FOI AWARD
All Weekly Division
The Middle Tyger Times
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2010 T H E Fifty Cents
MIDDLE TYGER TIMES
Vol. 14 No. 25 Serving the communities of Duncan, Lyman, Wellford, Moore, Reidville and Startex www.hometown-news.com2
Holly Springs Fire Commission Holds Illegal FOI law
Secret Meeting to Remove Popular Chief spells out
Community
rules for
“Any action
in uproar public
over actions from that
BY JAY KING
meeting
meetings
HOMETOWN NEWS BY JAY KING
HOMETOWN NEWS
The Holly Springs
Fire and Rescue
is illegal Last week’s called
meeting of the Holly
Commission conducted
an illegal secret meeting and can be Springs Fire and Rescue
Commission has high-
last Wednesday evening
lighted how the state’s
at which a vote was
taken to fire Chief Lee
challenged Freedom of Information
law dictates how public
Jeffcoat. bodies are supposed to
Hometown News
received a tip about
successfully.” conduct meetings.
The act, Title 30 of
the meeting and sent the S.C. Code of Laws,
this reporter to attend. — Bill Rogers, SC Press specifically requires in
This reporter was PHOTOS BY JAY KING Association Executive Section 30-4-80(a) all
subsequently excluded Director public bodies to give
from the meeting after FLEEING THE SCENE WEDNESDAY written public notice
attempting to advise Holly Springs Fire and Rescue Commissioners flee what has been called an illegal meeting of their regular meet-
commission members last Wednesday night after voting behind closed doors to terminate Chief Lee Jeffcoat. The ings at the beginning
about the requirements move has since reverberated throughout the community and created a wave of outrage of each calendar year to
for open meetings under among area residents. include the dates, times
the state’s Freedom of
Information Act. SEE STATE FOI LAW I 2A
The commission,
comprised of chairman
Ryan Phillips, vice-
chairman Roscoe Kyle
and members Kelly
Wellford
Council
Waters, Clarence Gibbs
and Hugh Jackson, met
behind closed doors
for about 45 minutes
starting at 7 p.m.
during which a vote was
taken 4-1 to terminate
Approves
Jeffcoat.
Most
department’s
of the
32
$2.3 million
budget
volunteers were present
by the end of the
meeting and tried to
question commissioners
BY JAY KING
about their decision, HOMETOWN NEWS
but the commissioners
left without addressing The Wellford City
those questions.
Phillips returned
FACING YOUR PEERS FRIDAY Council gave final
Facing a hostile crowd at Friday night’s community meeting, state Sen. Lee Bright (standing at right foreground) faced a approval to a $2.3 mil-
about two hours later series of questions and barbs deriding his role in the appointment of the four commissioners who’ve been accused of hav- lion budget for the 2010
ing a personal vendetta against Chief Lee Jeffcoat. The senator said he would look into the matter of Wednesday’s illegal - 2011 fiscal year at a
SEE ILLEGAL MEETING I PAGE 4A meeting and would be present at the commission’s next scheduled meeting July 6. called meeting Monday
night.