The Gaffney Ledger from Gaffney, South Carolina • A1

By TIM GULLA edger Staff Writer lacksburg Police Department officers charged three women with prostitution and cited two men on other offenses following an undercover operation last week aimed at stopping prostitution along the Interstate 85 corridor. had some complaints about girls working the on-ramps and off-ramps of the Police Chief Jamie Ham aid. decided to try an (undercover) operation to see if we would be Five arrests were made in just a few hours, incident reports show, and Ham warned that the results will lead police to conduct similar undercover operations in the future. Without saying exactly where they ound them, Ham said investigators made contact with numerous individuals advertising alleged sexual services on the Internet. was pretty he said of the ads.

are as blatant as to say a price per half hour, a price per Among those cited for prostitution were Patrice Latoya Smith, 22, of Copper Creek Court, Charlotte; April Lynn Humphries, 37, of Dye Road, Blacksburg; and Ashleigh Koteare Young, 28, of Zachary Court, Piedmont. A ccording to one of the incident reports, police used a text message to contact one woman based on an ad that allegedly contained photos as well as prices listed for sexual Patrice Smith met an undercover Blacksburg officer in a truck stop parking lot on North Mountain Street at approximately 10 p.m. Jan. 13 and allegedly solicited the officer for $70 to perform exual services, according to the report. Smith was taken into custody and police also stopped the driver of the vehicle in which Smith was driven to the parking lot, police said.

The driver, Deondre Lamont Harris, 27, of Copper Creek Court, Charlotte, admitted to officers there was a pistol between the seats of the car. Police alleged Harris was in poss ession of a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana. There were two children inside the car as well, police wrote. The South Carolina Department of Social Services was called. Harris was charged with unlawful carrying of a firearm and simple possession of marijuana, according to the police eport.

According to a second incident report, police responded to another advertisement which allegedly contained suggestive photos and instructions for prospective clients to ask about rates. They allege April Humphries discussed prices for sexual services through text messages a nd sent photographs. female asked the (reporting officer) if he could afford $100 for sexual services in the according to the report. Humphries was taken into custody at 11 p.m. Jan.

13 at the North Mountain Street truck stop, according to the report. A man who drove Humphries to the location claimed he was offered cash to ive Humphries a ride and did not know what she was doing, according to the report. He was released and not charged. At approximately 1:50 a.m. Jan.

14, according to a third report, Ashleigh Young was taken into custody after she a llegedly showed up at the North Mountain Street truck stop after being contacted by police based on ad they found online. contacting the female she stated that it would be a while before she could police wrote. several hours she stated that since the waited for the suspect she would be with her prices. The female stated that she would charge 80 for a QV quick visit) 120 for a hh (half hour) and 140 for an hr A 22-year-old Moore man who allegedly drove Young to the truck stop was booked on a charge of driving under suspension, according to the police report. Ham said investigations are ongoing.

have other individuals who are on the radar he said. THE GAFFNEY LEDGER SERVING CHEROKEE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOLUME 123 NO. 136 PERSPECTIVE AGE 4A And then there was the smoke. not that old. But there are times I find it hard to believe that a little more than 20 years ago it was still perfectly acceptable to in many offices, businesses and government buildings.

See TIM Column OBITUARIES AGE 8A ALLISON Grady, 89, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. CHILDERS Marjorie, 84, Gaffney GANTT Pamela, 52, Spartanburg LAMB Johnny, 81, Gaffney SHARPE John, 65, Gaffney YOUNGBLOOD Daniel, Columbia WW AFFNEYLEDGER OM RIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017 GAFFNEY, S.C.50 CENTS A newspaper in all that the word implies, devoted to the best interests of the people of Cherokee County. 1.) I KNOW that I must be highly educated for economic success and high quality of life. KNOW that being highly educated is achievable by me, my family and my community. HHEERROOKKEEEE BBOONNDDIINNGG CCOOMMPPAANNYY 408 E.

Robinson St. Gaffney, SC (Across from Law Enforcement Center, behind convenience store) 489-8452 489-8452 Joe and Deborah McCluney Zeb Wood Jodi Belcher GOLDEN PEACH AWARDS BANQUET IS JAN. 26 Complete list of winners will appear in next paper By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer KNOW(2) will roll out the red carpet Feb. 23 when it honors outstanding local volunteers at its hird annual Night at the awards dinner. The banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m.

in Broad River Electric Co-Op Auditorium to honor county residents for their efforts to make Cherokee County a better place to live and work. The event was created in 2015 in honor of KNOW(2) founder Oscar Fuller, for whom the awards are named. Retired Timken General Manager John Travers will receive the Oscar Fuller Legacy Award for his time and effort in servant leadership. He serves on the Cherokee County Community Foundation and received the Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Award in 2001. Cherokee County Literacy Association Executive Director Mary Phillips and Alma Elementary fifth grade teacher Amie Sullivan are this Tricia Pedersen Best Supporting Actress winners.

The Best Supporting Actor award goes to Daryl Smith, executive director at Spartanburg Community Cherokee County branch campus. Gaffney High student Martha Deleon-Shay and Blacksburg High student Taylor Stanford will receive Rising Star awards, given to students for their community involvement. of our award nomi- ees has made significant contributions to executive director Robin Reed said. their involvement, we would not be able to make progress towards our goal to change the mindset of the The Best Supporting Actress awards are now given in honor of Pedersen, who passed away on Sept. 1, 2016.

Pedersen was an active volunteer working with Caldwell House, KNOW(2), St. Lutheran Church and the South Carolina Robotics Education Foundation. was one of our best and faithful Reed said. was very involved with our adult education task force, robotics and our summer learning program. Our board voted unanimously last fall to name our Best Supporting Actress award as a way to remember her efforts to make this community a better KNOW(2) volunteers have extended their community outreach to make an impact on lives through health and education efforts.

For example, Stanford has been active in a Blacksburg High student group called HOSA for future health professionals. This See OSCARS, Page 5A 3 facing prostitution charge UMPHRIES MITH OUNG Man awaits sentencing for explosives offense By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer A Gaffney man charged with detonating homemade explosive devices at two car washes pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Anderson to a federal explosives offense. Jeffrey Dean Daily, 44, whose address is listed in state court records as Old Metal Road, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, and up to a maximum of 20 years, in federal prison on the charge of using an explosive device to damage a building, U.S. Attorney Beth Drake said in a prepared announcement.

The charge stemmed from two incidents, one which occurred Oct. 1, 2014, at a car wash in Chesnee, and the second of which occurred July 6, 2015, at the Oasis Car Wash in Gaffney. Daily was arrested on state charges July 17, 2015, after Cherokee County Office investigators identified him as the suspect in the July 6, 2015, explosion. During the arrest, it was previously noted, investigators found another homemade explosive device in vehicle. Federal prosecutors said components like those used in the two explosions also were found during the execution of a search warrant at residence.

Daily will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Judge Timothy Cain, who accepted the guilty plea. EFFREY AILY OHN RAVERS I LLRECEIVETHE CAR LLER GACY A ARD banquet scheduled for Feb. 23.