Police are looking for a 30-year-old York County man who walked away from a prison work station this week.

Michael Stephen Powell of 131 Friendfield Drive in Fort Mill was doing landscaping as part of a work detail at Historic Brattonsville around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday when he told officials he needed to use the restroom, according to a report from York County Sheriff's Office.

The restroom was about 100 yards from his assignment, the report states. When Powell did not return about 10 minutes later, officials searched but did not locate him.

Powell is serving a five-year sentence on family court-related matters, a sheriff's official said.

Anyone with information about Powell is asked to call the York County Prison at 628-3052 or the York County Sheriff's Office at 628-3059.

Two Rock Hill schools briefly locked down

Rock Hill High and Independence Elementary School were briefly placed under lock down Thursday afternoon due largely to a miscommunication, Rock Hill schools spokeswoman Elaine Baker said.

A student at nearby Castle Heights Middle School got in trouble in his classroom and was sent to the office to have a parent pick him up. The student decided he didn't want to face his parents, so he took off running in the woods, Baker said.

Somehow, officials at Rock Hill High got word that there was an armed student in the woods, so the school was locked down. Independence Elementary School, which is next door to Rock Hill High, was notified, and that school also was locked down for a few minutes.

Authorities flushed the unarmed boy out of the woods, and he was sent home with his parents, Baker said.

"He was not armed, there was not a threat. He was simply a child who didn't want to deal with a school situation with his parents," she said.

-- Jessica Schonberg

Candidate schedules meetings with voters

One of the Republicans seeking York County Council District 2 seat, Bill Stiles, has scheduled opportunities for voters to meet him.

• May 13 at the Clover Library, 107 Knox St., Clover, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

• May 15 at the Lake Wylie Library, 185 Blucher Circle, Lake Wylie, 7 to 8 p.m.

• May 27, Bethel Fire Department No. 3, Dr. Nichols Road, York, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

• May 29, River Hills Country Club, 1 Country Club Drive, Lake Wylie, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For information, call 1-803-831-8181.

-- Kimberly Dick