Norway mayor: Someone else climbed in window, not me

NORWAY -- The new mayor of Norway said someone else climbed through a Town Hall window on New Year's Day to get inside, not him.

The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported Thursday that Mayor Jim Preacher said the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office report was wrong. It says Preacher told deputies he entered the building through a back window because he didn't have a key, then promptly had the locks changed and removed the old mayor's name from the town's bank accounts.

But he says it was someone smaller than him whom he declined to identify. He was sworn in Monday.

The old mayor called Orangeburg County sheriff's deputies, asking that Preacher be charged with burglary.

Preacher was elected mayor in Norway in November, beating the incumbent Cindy Williams. She had planned to turn the office over to Preacher on Jan. 9, which was the first scheduled Town Council meeting of the year.

But Preacher said town rules allow a new mayor to take over Jan. 1. Preacher initially said he decided to take drastic action by climbing into Town Hall because he didn't have a key and people had told him items were being moved out without permission last week.

"Nobody knew where it was going," Preacher told the newspaper.

Williams said the items were simply being moved to Norway's new Town Hall, and the move had been planned for months.

While inside Town Hall, Preacher allegedly posted notice that the Town Council meeting was being moved up a week to Jan. 2 instead of Jan. 9, then had himself sworn in at the hastily called meeting Monday.

Williams said Preacher is not following the law, and she should remain mayor until Jan. 9.

She said Preacher should be punished for changing the locks and taking over the bank account without permission. Williams said she also has asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to investigate along with other agencies, but has not heard back from them.

"He has to be held accountable for his actions," she said.