PICKENS COUNTY — Sheriff’s deputies are seeking a man who allegedly stole a car from an Easley gas station Thursday afternoon.

Thomas Lee Serkerchak, 26, of 110 Lakeview Drive, is wanted on one charge of grand larceny.

Witnesses told police that Serkerchak drove a Mitsubishi into the parking lot of the Handee Mart on Earls Bridge Road in Easley. He then got into a white 1996 Chevy Corvette and drove away at a high rate of speed, police said.

When officers responded to the scene, they discovered that the Mitsubishi had been reported stolen out of Greenville County.

The owner of the Corvette was inside the convenience store and filed a police report with officers.

Sekerchak was positively identified in a photo line-up, police said.

The Corvette was found abandoned in Greenville County Thursday afternoon, police said.

Sekerchak is also the suspect in multiple other vehicle thefts in Pickens County and other jurisdiction.

Police said that Sekerchak has a distinctive tattoo on his upper left arm. The tattoo depicts a half-naked woman with a devil’s tail.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts, please contact the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at 864-898-5500 or call 911.

If you have a remodeling project in mind, late summer is a good time to line up your contractors.

Construction crews are coming to the end of their busy season and looking for work to keep themselves going over the cooler months, especially the winter.

Before you begin: Take written bids from at least three contractors.

Be detailed in your specifications when it comes to the type of wood you want, the model and color of cabinets, the number of coats of a specific paint, etc.

Ask for references of any contractors you interview, of course, and call them. Ask if the project was completed on time and at the promised cost. But don’t stop there.

While it’s still warm and crews are out, drive around your area and make note of the addresses of homes where work is being done, as well as the company name and phone number of any work vehicles in the yard.

When the projects are complete, approach the homeowners and ask whether they were satisfied with the work. They might even show you around to see the completed project.

Make sure any contract you write is for a fixed price that includes materials and labor.

That way you know the bottom line. If you sign a standard contract, read it carefully.

Remember: If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist. Don’t agree to any clause that can change the deadline, price or materials on your job.

While it’s tempting to save money by acting as your own general contractor, you may be happier in the long run if you hire a residential general contractor with the expertise to order supplies and hire and schedule sub-contractors.

Remember that while the general contractor will be responsible for a lot of things, you can’t step completely out of the process. With liability insurance and workers’ comp, for example, all crews who step foot on your property need to produce a copy of their certificate before they begin work.

When new materials show up, be there when it’s being unloaded and look for damaged or missing material.

The general contractor also is responsible for paying the sub-contractors, so you need to require a performance bond to be in place for all levels of contractors.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible.

Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@gmail.com.

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

CENTRAL — Central police say a shooting that left two people wounded Wednesday was accidental.

Clemson police initially received a call about a gunshot victim at the Hickory Point Exxon, which is located just outside Central City limits, said Central Police Chief Kerry Avery.

Investigators discovered the shooting had actually occurred in Central, at the corner of SC 93 and Campus drive, near the Central Post Office and University Village apartment complex.

The shooting occurred inside a vehicle in the lower back parking lot at University Village, Avery said.

After the shooting, one victim walked to a gas station and told a Clemson City Police officer that he had been shot and needed help.

That victim had already been transported to An-Med hospital with a non-life threatening wound to his left arm when police arrived.

The victim told police that another man inside the vehicle had also been shot.

Police discovered a broken cell phone and “a fair amount of blood” at the scene, Avery said.

After obtaining and executing a search warrant, police located a “projectile” that had wounded both victims.

Trenton Everette Guy Jr., 20, of 718 Royal Point Drive, Charlotte, is charged with one count of unlawful carrying of pistol.

Avery said that Guy came to the Central Police Department Thursday morning to discuss his involvement in the shooting.

In a written statement, Guy said he had been attempting to unload the weapon, a .38 caliber pistol when it discharged, wounding the two men.

Guy “did not have authorization as required by law to carry the pistol,” the warrant states

At Guy’s arraignment, a judge set his personal recognizance bond at $2,000, Avery said.

Both victims were treated for their wounds and released from the hospital Wednesday evening, Avery said.

The Clemson City Police Department, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson City Police Department and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office all assisted with the case, Avery said.

Guy has been released after posting bond.