By W. Thomas Smith, Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott took to the air Tues. afternoon, Oct. 27, as pilots with the Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. (RCSD) Aviation Unit tested and demonstrated helicopter performance capabilities all the while conducting a routine patrol operation over Richland County. Sheriff Lott (pictured here)Continue Reading

Coroner Margaret Fisher has identified the motorcyclist who died as a result of a collision that occurred at the intersection of Platt Springs Road and McLee Road in Red Bank at approximately 5:55 PM on October 23, 2020. According to Coroner Fisher, Mr. Galen Manapat, 73, of Lexington was pronouncedContinue Reading

By W. Thomas Smith Jr. The Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. (RCSD) was selected by the S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to be the pilot agency for a COVID-testing program in which first responders will be tested quickly on a large scale with little notice. “DHEC notified usContinue Reading

Koon’s Watch Have you checked your medicine cabinets lately? You’ll probably find some unused or expired pills. Oct. 24 is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s next Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. This National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, whileContinue Reading

Lexington County officials recently conducted in-person court activity for guilty pleas inside the Mark H. Westbrook Judicial Center. Safety measures and courtroom guidelines included mandatory face masks for participants and social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Judge Walton J. McLeod IV presided over proceedings last week, which included multipleContinue Reading

The Town of Irmo received a Justice Assistance Grant from the Office of Highway Safety to purchase much-needed police radios for the Irmo Police Department. “Some of our radios are as old as 2003,” said Irmo Police Chief Courtney Dennis. “And we’ve been warned that by 2025 most of ourContinue Reading

Koon’s Watch The weather is getting cooler and more South Carolinians want to be outside; running near the dam, walking neighborhoods with their families, and heading out for nights on the town. That means more pedestrians on the streets, crosswalks and sidewalks. NHTSA reports that there is a traffic-related pedestrianContinue Reading

The Irmo Police Department may have started a trend in sporting pink badges, vehicle magnets and wrist bands in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month during all of October. These magnets are showing up on numerous first responders vehicles in the Midlands including other law enforcement jurisdictions and the coroner’s office inContinue Reading

Joseph Randolph Henry, a 30-year-old Irmo man, has been sentenced to forty (40) years in prison following his conviction in Lexington County for Murder and Possession of a Weapon during the commission of a Violent Crime. Judge Frank R. Addy, Jr. imposed a sentence of 35 years on the MurderContinue Reading