Mark Dudley has been named the new assistant principal of Batesburg-Leesville High School after being approved by Lexington School District Three Board of Trustees during their monthly meeting.

Dudley has a Bachelors of Science degree from Presbyterian College that he received in 2002 and a Master’s in Educational Leadership obtained at Fort Hays State University in 2019.

He has spent 14 years as a social studies and history teacher. Currently, he teaches at Beachwood Middle School where he has been for the past five years. Before teaching at Beachwood, he taught at White Knoll High School and W. Wyman King Academy, according to the press release.

Dudley is also an experienced coach who currently coaches the JV pitching team at Lexington High School. He has previously served as the varsity pitching coach at Cardinal Newman High School, White Knoll High School and W. Wyman King Academy as well as the B-team football coach at White Knoll, varsity football coach at W. Wyman King and as middle school football coach at Beechwood.

Dudley will begin his new role on July 1 of this year.

Cayce Character Camp is back

The Cayce Police Department has announced the dates for its third annual Cayce Character Camp.

The camp will be held from July 15 to July 25 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cayce Elementary School.

The camp is a chance for “local students and children to interact with our officers and local community leaders; all while having fun and learning about character traits that will help them succeed,” the press release read.

Students will learn about the different character traits through guest speakers, interactive activities and field trips to various locations such as the Army National Guard gaming trailer and the South Carolina Fire Academy.

The cost is $75 per child with $10 off if you register a second child. The camp is for children ages six to 14. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all campers. Applications for the camp are available at caycepd.com.

Community tip leads to motel arrest

A public tip allowed narcotics agents to arrest an accused drug dealer at a motel off of Piney Grove Road on May 17.

Narcotics agents from the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested 38-year-old Vander Mingledolph after searching his vehicle due to the smell of marijuana.

Upon search of the vehicle, officers found 150 grams of fentanyl, over 200 grams of meth, more than 100 grams of cocaine and over $3,000 in cash.

While questioning Mingledolph, officers learned that wanted drug dealer Jeffrey Myers was also in a room at the motel. Officers entered the room and smelled marijuana.

They discovered fentanyl, crack cocaine and three handguns after searching the room.

Both men were charged with trafficking fentanyl with Mingledolph was also charged with trafficking meth and cocaine. Myers was also charged with trafficking crack, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during a violent crime, the press release read.

Both men are being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.

One dead after Woodtrail Drive bicycle crash

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has identified the victim in a vehicle versus bicycle crash.

The victim, 59-year-old Gaston resident Diego Suarez-Pelaez, was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle near the 700 block of Woodtrail Drive, according to the press release. Suarez-Pelaez was struck at approximately 2:31 p.m. on May 17.

He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead due to injuries received during the collision. The coroner’s office and South Carolina Highway Patrol will continue to investigate the accident.

Officers investigating deadly Industrial Drive collision

One individual is dead after a collision on Industrial Drive involving a van, motorcycle and school bus. The incident happened around 7:12 a.m. on May 20.

The victim, 45-year-old Lexington resident Jon Ratcliffe, was traveling west on his motorcycle down Industrial Drive when he stopped behind a school bus. A van traveling in the same direction hit the stopped motorcycle and school bus.

Although Ratcliffe was wearing a helmet, he was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the collision. A student on the bus and the driver of the van were transported to a nearby hospital with minor, non-life threatening injuries.

The van driver, 20-year-old Giovanni Jimenez of West Columbia, was found to be at fault after it was determined he did not see the stopped vehicles.     Jimenez was charged with driving without a driver’s license and additional charges are pending.

The Lexington County Coroner’s Office, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the State Law Enforcement Division will continue to further investigate this incident.

One dead after multi-vehicle accident on Highway 321

The coroner’s office has identified the victim who died in a multi-vehicle accident on Highway 321 near Gaston. The incident occurred around 2:10 p.m. on May 14 near the 4300 block of Highway 321.

The victim, 53-year-old Whiteford McWaters of Summerville, S.C. was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound in the northbound lane as he was also traveling northbound on the highway. McWaters was not wearing a seatbelt when the accident occured. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the other vehicle was also taken to the hospital with injuries.

The coroner’s office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol continue to investigate the incident.