Arrangements set for Townville couple

Two of three people killed in an I-85 accident late last week in Cherokee County, South Carolina were Townville residents.  They were husband and wife, Thomas and Ruth Ann McElroy.  Both were members of Townville’s Oakdale Baptist Church and Mrs. McElroy was a frequent booth operator at the Oconee Farm Center near Seneca.  The third fatality in the accident was a Virginia woman.  Bratton Funeral Home of York is handling arrangements for the McElroys. The accident occurred on what’s called the chute in a work zone.  The danger there, according to the Cherokee County coroner, is tantamount to a death trap.  And this week the South Carolina DOT announced there will be an expedited removal of the first five miles of the chute.  The I-85 widening project contractor is to move forward with closing the entrance and exit ramps as needed in the southbound direction.  That closure is to enable the contractor to focus work on the remaining interstate widening and ramp construction needed for southbound in the vicinity of highway 110.  According to the DOT statement, motorists are being requested to help out by slowing down, paying attention, and complying with the new 35 mile an hour speed limit for the southbound direction of 85 throughout the work zone.