Why it’s called the “Gwynnie Bee House”

One of the more horrific cases of Oconee County child abuse was played out in a courtroom two months ago when a young Westminster area man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for what he did two small sisters—one of whom died. Matthew Chappell was not the biological father of the girls, but he had had a relationship with the mother and was supposed to be caring for the girls as a sitter. Gwynne Hess lost her life, but her memory lives—especially with the Foothills Alliance which today dedicated its Oconee County location in Gwynne’s name. Relatives attended, some of them driving from as far away as West Virginia. The Foothills Alliance’s Oconee location is a small house on Walhalla’s Lura Lane, right behind the county jail. Sheriff Mike Crenshaw credits Sgt. Tim Rice for the idea of making available the house, which turned out not to be needed in the construction of the jail. Tracy Whitten Bowie, alliance executive director, thanked the many who came from the local law enforcement community for their commitment to try to ensure that what happened to the sisters does not happen to other children.